OK, so South Africa was pretty incredible. To clarify, the 12 days in Ithala were pretty amazing. There's something deeply troubling about the fact that so many of us live removed from nature... I mean, we eat and sleep which is pretty natural, but not many of us live in close proximity to wildlife, from birds to beasts, from mammals to reptiles. It was mighty fine having this experience just about 11 months after my last excursion into deep nature, Currajuggle, NSW Southern Highlands.

Since getting back I've had little time for independent thought having had to charge into OPEN CHANNEL work and learn so much more about delegation and leadership. It's pretty much all I can do and pretty much all I should be doing, but if I can't at least spend some time in the studio then I'm losing myself entirely and I can't survive on OPEN CHANNEL alone regardless of how stimulating it is.

So, I've launched into an album I've been thinking about for over a year or so now. It's going to be a vocal based work, something that's been long overdue. I began work on it in Ithala and last night/early this morning got some of the more important parts of the first track down. Including some vocals, largely test vocals to develop production ideas by.

Starlight Room sessions #00

Yeh, I was belting it out in the Starlight Room (my studio) and it felt great! I may be in some kind of emotional exile, but there's words and musical ideas to spare, although no where as much time as I would need to feel complete with both myself and this emergent body of work.

And what of the previous albums? Good question! Andy Thomas and I have finally settled on a design specification for all new Secession releases meaning we have a go ahead for Son of Science packaging. I hope to have this well and truly in my hand by the time I leave for the iCommons conference in Rio.

I have at least another two Headlock pieces to complete and then I'll be visiting Mr Mastering Maestro, Simon Polenski, and that'll be another odyssey completed. Right now I care less about performing live than I do spending time developing ideas and concepts that are never far. And with a new notebook at my finger tips, projects develop faster and production becomes ever more portable.

Farewell dear SPACE (a Sony VIAO), how well we travelled. Hello MOMO (a Toshiba TECRA)... how'd you like yer first o/s trip? These notebooks get a fair bit of travelling in I can tell you :o)