MC Larny's Blog Report

blog report: good with the bad

2012-01-29T21:12:00.000-08:00

bad news: laptop problems. in short, Confessions After Dark's project files were part of the casualties.

good news: the demos were as close to done as possible. making a judgement call later on this week to either keep them, rebuild them, remake them, or something else.

bad news: as a result, Confessions After Dark is getting pushed back to a later date.

good news: could lead to some really interesting things down the line.

bad news: haven't been able to do things in days.

good news: i'm actually starting a band. and it's closer and closer to being real.

blog report: back in action once again

2012-01-23T21:29:00.000-08:00

well dang, it's been a wild weekend. football and walking in boston in chilling temperatures and music. at the current moment (12:13 AM EST 1/24/2012) here's how Confessions After Dark stands right now:

*Impulsive is getting close. Some tweaking here and there needs to be done to get to a certain level it needs to be.
*Critical is DONE. it's perfect right now.
*Same for The Wild and House of Illusions (Deception's Afoot)
*Silencia is now Fatal Ambiance. Close to done as well.

*Sketching out the lyrics right now with timecodes so I know when to start, stop, break, change, everything. Details city chick, det-details city.

*Planning possible people to collab with for this. Maybe 1 or 2, but I'm feeling 1 collab will be appropriate.

Onto the other two EPs, which are part of a trilogy now (the Imperfect Trilogy):

*Revised Feels Like. Again.
*Everything else remains static.

*Unplugged EP is being re-written to better suit the trilogy. Once it started as a story about a breakup, now it's the penultimate chapter of the story I'm trying to tell.

On the Nightmare front:
*Project Nightmare 365 is under work right now.
*Planning the next game-related Project Nightmare release. It may be Metroid (complete with Jazztroid 2: Return of The Groove Hunter) or it may be Zelda. Or it may be Sonic.

Finally the other projects:
*SWEETDICULOUS has a huge project up-coming that ties into something else.

*And I'm getting a band together....wait, did I just say that?

-mc larny

7 Years Doing This: Observations

2012-01-16T10:21:00.000-08:00

Genres are stupid: I remember starting out trying to play in the rules of hip-hop. Kept on doing that for years, then after so much of living in the same 16 bars-hook-16 bars-hook-16 bars-hook-end structure, it got boring. I got bored. And that's something that never should happen with music, you get bored with what you do. It's tragic.
Lower Your Expectations: When it comes to being famous, slap yourself if you think you'll be the next big thing. Instead, be realistic and you'll surprise yourself. It's always the ones who don't expect fame that get it in the end.
Please, get off your knees: If you're that desperate for fame, that you have to "assume the position" to get somewhere, it may be time to reassess a few things. Specifically, if you have pride to achieve your goals and not succumb to desperation.
Study Business: Great musicians also have great business sense. Not Gene Simmons style (sue-everyone-and-act-like-a-mizer) but a reasonable, in tune with the audience, sense. Don't give everything away, set a floor and stay with it.
Be Your Own Artist: You don't need to remix every hot single, appear on every mixtape, collab on everything. Stand on your own two.
Don't Fake It: Lana Del Rey is example of why you need to be great live and in the booth. Bad live shows can KILL your career. Ashlee Simpson....nuff said.
Respect: Make some friends, but do help them too, because surprise surprise...they may help you when you need it, only because you helped them first.
Be Original: Cookie-cutter musicians die out fast. Don't believe me, then look at any artist who came up doing the same style of the top act in '93, '99, '03, '06 and so on so forth. The original people last longer and while they will go unrecognized for years...they get the fame and adoration that lasts.

That's all I got. It's not a set of rules, rather, a few guidelines.

Project Nightmare Post-Mortem: What It Looks Like Now

2012-01-02T11:07:00.000-08:00

Man.

That was a fun, long, exhaustive process there. 3-4 months of work and it paid off with a great new Project Nightmare installment.

So yeah, with that done, it's time to look forward. Obviously, I'm considering Nightmare V and this time around, the gameplan is a 1 year development schedule. More elaborate, but not a reason for excess. We'll see how it goes.

Also, there's a good chance alternate versions of Nightmare IV arise. Good chance, but it may or may not happen. Here's hoping it does.

So now, we turn the attention to Confessions After Dark. The first of 3 in a trilogy, yes, we are doing an EP trilogy, because they all have a common thread that they all deviate from. One of them is aggressive, the other is brooding, the other is reflective. Take that to mean what you like. Impulsive will drop by mid-February, with the follow-up single 2 weeks later. And then...the full EP some time after.

That's my goal. Let's see what happens.

-mc larny

the winds of change

2011-12-05T05:09:00.001-08:00

Wow.

I'm stunned. The news broke last night and I still can't believe it. Things are going to change, as I'm now the new member of SWEETDICULOUS.

Yeah, this is very exciting and I am very hyped up for this. Dan's been the one guy who's helped MC Larny re-emerge from years of inactivity to being a guy people notice. Figures that I'm now returning the favor.

When he asked to work with me, I didn't think twice, this was an automatic yes. Even though I have a small clue towards the role this entails, I know that I'm behind the sound this time around, and I'm knowing full well I'm going to have a fun time working with the guy who's become my musical brother.

Now, this does leaves a lot of questions. Specifically, what's the fate of MC Larny, the collab project with Mojo Kick, and a few other things?

To be brutally honest, I want MC Larny to live on and this is the best chance to do this. Not only do I make music in a new capacity, but it totally opens up MC Larny to a new audience. It's a win-win scenario.

Also, I'm going to do all that I can to keep MC Larny and all that goes with it alive and well, as hard as I can. So expect to hear/see the MC Larny/Mojo Kick collab project in a few. We're working out a few kinks here and there, but it's potentially on the way. Def stay tuned for that.

I'm ready for perhaps the craziest phase of my career. And I hope that if you read this, YOU BETTER BE THERE FOR THE FIRST SHOW! I want to see people from nearly every phase of my life in the audience for this...I'm dead serious too.

So brace yourself, MC Larny is going to get Sweet-flipping-diculous.

-MC Larny

And Here We Are...

2011-11-03T15:18:00.000-07:00

Things are getting wild. Very. And I could not be happier. Big collab projects with friends, a possible new twist in my music career, and other things.

Be aware, it's time to get wild.

-mc larny

PS. Nightmare IV is almost ready to roll. And the untitled stop-gap EP is too.

Nightmare X: postmortem

2011-09-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

What a long, strange, almost forgotten trip it has been.

For those who aren't in the know, it's Project Nightmare X I'm speaking of.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://omegazeroproject.bandcamp.com/album/project-nightmare-x"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Project Nightmare X by MC Larny&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Sunday night, it was completed. After 4-5 months of sessions, mixing, busted laptop, and gradual leaking of the project via bandcamp.com, it was done.

Now with that, here's a little running commentary track-by-track, so refer to the player atop and follow along (sorry facebook viewers).

Dr. Light's Warning: The lead-off track for this whole project, I remember composing before the announcement dropped that Nightmare X was out. Right with the write-up, it was being tweaked on FL Studio. Then, it was done, after a quickie tweak mix session.

Abandoned Highway: In a nod to Mega Man's NES roots, the opening was done with mostly NES/Game Boy soundfonts, then for the second part, the other instruments came roaring in to emphasize how this was indeed a new Mega Man.

Zero's Theme: This one was unique, because instead of going all guitar and bass and heavy, took it more of a Asian/Jazz fusion route. Very different, and that was what I was trying to do, make it different from everything else, you know?

Short Circuit Breakdown: Ouch. This was rough to mix because the synths and guitars didn't like each other in terms of mixing, and the drums were either too soft or too loud. A compromised was reached and it worked out. I would hope so.

The glitch breaks were a fun thing to add. I love glitch, and the glitch drum breakdown was so rewarding. It just worked perfectly.

Ice Planet: This track right here...I liked it, but it's a decent attempt at emulating Mega Man X's Chill Penguin stage. Notice the end, the nod to Blizzard Buffalo? There's a lot of nods towards the other tracks of the series.

Sting Chameleon: In the vein of the Zero theme, I took it to a more chilled, more unplugged, more Asian feeling with a mix of acoustic guitar. A left turn from the bound-to-be-expected guitar heavy tracks on here.

Jazzy Kuranger: Now THIS was where this whole project clicked. But here's some background for you:

2 years ago, I saw this version of the theme.

Dope, isn't it? So 2 years later, I gave it a try, only throwing in my hip-hop teachings and crafting a crazy re-imagining of a great BGM.

Funky Flame Mammoth: This one turned out fine, a mix of NES and funk organs and live guitars lead to this. I enjoyed it, but in looking back, I would believe there's more that can be done with this theme.

Rolling Base Drops: I tried dubstep...? Yes. Feel like I'm adding to the problem but whatever. Enjoy the experiment.

Submerged: Hard with the bassline, heavy with the drums, great turnout, and listen for the X2 nod near the end. Guess what track I borrowed from?

Airspace Rock: Face it, you HAVE to rock hard with Storm Eagle, it's a federal offense if you don't. And seeing as how much I dislike felonies...I did, just not off the bat.

Boss Battle: The one theme I went all out with. I held nothing back and executed every idea I could muster. Bassline and xylaphones? Check. Halftime drums? Check. Guitar chugging? Check PLUS!

Sigma Stage I: Personal favorite track of the entire project, because it was the rare moment where my crazy ideas paid off and in grand fashion! You can see things begin to loosen up here and there and the freedom begin to shine through.

Sigma Stage II: Very jazzy. That's been me as of late, jazzing it out with my remixes. I just play off vibes and make music like that. Fun fun fun.

Sigma Stage III: One more full on reinvention. Totally different structure basis and a more ambient, film vibe, that may remind you of the soundtrack from Dirty Harry. Or at least, that was my reaction....

Sigma Stage IV: Revisiting a similar theme I did on Nightmare 2.0 only longer. This time, short and to the point, quick build, quick exit.

Sigma Boss Battle: 3 into 1. Barely got it to work but I did.

Ending/closing: the end of it all, and at this point I was tired. Really tired, and so this was lacking a sense of innovation, but the closing of the entire project in summary was so important to me. So it was a combination of two themes into one and it worked as a nice calm down from it all.

Final thoughts: Project Nightmare X was made to take a peek back into my childhood and this game. I believe that it was successful and worked out really well. I'd love to tackle X2....in the future, not now, too much to do man :)

Thanks for reading, we'll be back in effect for Nightmare IV.

-mc larny

Musical Manifesto

2011-09-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

For about 2 years now, I've been in a phase of sonic experimentation, a phase that has been one of the more eye-opening experiences in my career.

Since I started making music, I've been in this bubble of what music should sound like, trying to stay within the right "genre". As I've met more and more people, been involved in more and more projects, and heard more and more songs, I realized something about 1 year ago.

The entire notion of musical genres is stupid. It's stupid to believe that one artist cannot expand their barriers to encompass multiple genres and do it right. It's stupid to close yourself to one genre in an attempt to galvanize fans into saying "i'll never sell out". it's stupid to allow conventions to kill ideas that you come up with.

I learned this when over the past year, I met so many different musicians and saw an abundance of styles that I felt as if, being closed off to genres that are outside the "hip-hop" comfort zone no longer works.

I personally, want to work outside of the genre I'm in, I want to make music with the rockers, the indie acoustic people, anyone.

In a way, I'm still a hip-hop artist, and I always will be, I won't ever become something I'm not (a straight singer, per se), but when it comes to music I make, anything's fair game, genre wise.

I feel as if the way hip-hop is no longer as awesome as it once was is because it's become the same cycle of MCs, producers, DJs that work in the industry that innovation no longer exists. Collab verse by Drake, hook by Skylar Grey, beat by Alex da Kid, cut, copy, print.

[bleep] that!

For me, I'm always wanting to work with the people that I admire, the friends who I know will go just as hard as I will in regards to music.

So with that said, get ready. It's time to get with the outside world.

-mc larny

Silencia Q & A, Or At Least A Hypothetical One

2011-08-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

Silencia by MC Larny

Q: What is this?

A: Silencia was a mood song, something that gained a ton of steam in a very short period of time (half a day)

Q: Who made the beat? I love it/hate it/think I can do better

A: I did, obviously.

Q: Why did you make it, exactly? What lead to it?

A: I was lounging around, and I started to just make this beat, and as the hours wore on, I had something really solid. Really good. Initially thinking this was a simple instrumental, I started writing lyrics for it and before I knew it, it all came down and just had a song there, on my laptop itching to be recorded.

Q: I get that, so about the recording thing...

A: Well, let's be honest. Haven't recorded anything in 3 years. 3 years. I've been itching to really get my rap game back on track and so far, I've come close. Did 1 show where I rapped 1 track, another where I rapped 3 tracks.... the itch came back. And if I get a creative itch, I'm going to scratch it. Believe it.

Q: OK, so on to the song...any lyrics laid down?

A: Not yet. But soon, very soon.

Q: What's the meaning of it all?

A: It's not going to be on any album, it'll be a single. Maybe it will be remixed for other uses... we'll see.

blog report: summer of fate

2011-07-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

hey everyone,

so for those who have been reading the Facebook page and Twitter feed in the past week, you heard the rumblings, the announcements...

that "remix project" isn't so secret now. it's featuring me, and SWEETDICULOUS and it's not what you expect, from either of us.

no promises to make at this point, but I can say this is probably one of the more insane things I've ever done or tried to do in 6 years.

next post: more background on how this crazy idea came to be...

in the meanwhile, project nightmare X is rolling along nicely. by mid-august, the 8 Robot Masters will be on Bandcamp, for your listening pleasure. so stay tuned...as always.

-mc larny

Another Night in Beantown: Show Report

2011-06-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

Howdy,

Here we are, another show report to get through, and this time, it's a bit more lean than usual.

The details:
Where: Boston, MA
When: 6.27.2011
Type of show: Basement show

Did you know...

first summer show since August 2006
3rd basement show
Latest start to a show (9PM)

The show:

Hanging out in Boston for a cool hour or so waiting for my homie Dan to show up, it gave me some time to finalize and plan out some things here and there. Of course, it changed, but getting that time is crucial.

Sitting outside a pizza parlor watching people walk by, instruments in tow is one of the more inspiring things I have seen in the course of my music career. Just goes to show you how much people dig their craft and want to chase it.

Things finally get started at 9PM, but wait...the PA system is FUBAR. so yeah, no lyrics tonight. it's back to instrumentals tonight. still fun, but I had a gameplan of sorts for the night.

Behold:
The Setlist I Was Thinking Of...

Intro
Nightmare Set
Grave Thief
Feels Like [Vampire Killer Remix]
Freestyle Interlude
And Through It All
Silence

All new stuff...but hey, sun don't shine all the time.

So we get started, but the amp is too loud and distorts the intro. Boo.

Then, I get stalled with transitions. That's on me. Strike dos.

Down 0-2, the crowd is needing to head out, and I need a HR bad. So after setting things on auto-pilot, here comes the Stutter Edit FX...

and boom goes the dynamite.

Must've been all the jam sessions I've heard about from my friends back home, or just the smell of the air (people gotta smoke, and I'm no hardliner either), but I came up with something crazy and live that saved the show.

So what do I think? I think it was a moment, one that says I need more work on my craft, but also says I'm ready for whatever.

Let's hope there's another show this summer. Either someone's gonna get it together or I'm going to throw it myself, in my backyard.

OK, that's a little crazy. But you never know :)

Peace
MC Larny

blog report: steady on the front

2011-06-17T22:02:00.000-07:00

greetings true believers!

OK, enough of the Stan Lee intros and back to the real. it's been an interesting month to say the least, not much to say, but I believe I now have a real good outlook on what's in store, and where this music stuff is heading.

a little more collab heavy, but you know what? it's fun. that first taste of teamwork and accomplishment set something off, and it's hard to turn back.

as such, i'm taking my times with the EPs, the beats are FINALLY ready to go for 4 of the 5 tracks, and it's looking positive. a very hip-hop like EP i might add, lack of the really spacy stuff, essentially it's as close to "The sound" as possible, and I could not be happier about it.

backwards/forwards still lives on, just has been stalled with my attention being focused on another project, which once the details are finalized and it's right...sooner or later, we'll all know what happens when worlds collide.

keep it locked here, on Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter and whatnot. peace.

-mc larny

blog report: shows and shows galore.

2011-06-01T22:16:00.000-07:00

hey all,

quickie update: another show is upcoming. it's confirmed I'm doing another basement show June 4th, and I'm hoping to make my NH debut sometime this summer. details to come, but hey, this time, it'll be open to the public.

also: nearing the preliminary point where I can actually bring out this HUGE collab project. not yet there, but keep on checking back as the time draws near.

finally, uglyside is just about ready to be vocally recorded. here's hoping.

see you later
-mc larny

blog report: the summer is upon us.

2011-05-17T07:38:00.000-07:00

howdy,

so after a hairy encounter with finals and whatnot, the music is back and it's better than ever. quite a few big things happening right now, and I can't really speak on it until I know it's happening, but let's just say, the amount of legitimacy around here is going to 109%.

prepping for what may be a huge summer. let's get it.

-mc larny

p.s. backwards/forwards, uglyside, beautifulside and project nightmare x are still happening.

update: when things go bad, they go bad...

2011-04-25T10:07:00.000-07:00

yup, the laptop is now under repairs but it's not what happened last time my machine went down that led to "the_endgame" going to the great big gig in the sky. just not looking forward to the train wreck of reinstalling 2 years of VST FX and instruments and getting the past projects to play nice. gah, technology is cramping my style...

in more positive news: i got some killer tracks coming down the pipe, a remix here, a "future project" in the works, etc. y'all stay cool.

and i'm out like the Knicks.
-mc larny, one love

Show Number 11: Live From The All Asia....

2011-04-04T16:21:00.000-07:00

Hey kids, adults, and the young at heart,

So coming off another good night, here's the show recap from #11: All Asia, Cambridge MA.

Fun Facts

*First show ever in Cambridge, MA

*First show done during the daytime

*First show held on a Sunday

*3rd show in 4 months (new record)

The Journey

Unlike the last show, there were no transportation mishaps. However, this one was more long-distance, starting out from Northborough, ending at Eliot Station. However, thanks to cool weather, and a great pre-show soundtrack of Megadeth (Youthinasia FTW) and DMX to accompany the drive, it was less pain, more pleasure.

Arriving at the station with big duffle bag of keyboard, laptop, CD's, and Flip Cam (credit to Greg F for the loan), it's time to board the D Line and head off to Cambridge.

After a close call with the bus (nearly took the wrong bus, but saved myself via instinct), it's time to arrive. All Asia, you ready for me?

Guess so. After a quick check of my gear and ID, I'm in. Hanging out with my homies in SWETDICULOUS, Outa-My-Mind and some new peeps in AOD (who complimented me on my DX shirt, it was Wrestlemania Sunday, I don't front....), waiting for show time. And then, things changed.

Originally expecting to be #2 in the order, I'm #1. I'm opening. Cool... extended set? Yup.

So it's time to get it started....

The Show/Setlist

First track I dropped that night was a remix of Mega Man X3's Blizzard Buffalo, from Project Nightmare 2.0, which you can get by clicking here. It was a better executed version, more guitar heavy and adding glitch and acoustic to the mix, with a heavier drum sound, so it was a mix of speed metal/glitch/game/acoustic/electronica.

Also, this marked the debut of a new addition to the live show:

Never expected that? No one else did. Mainly for effects manipulation and soon to be more...maybe next time....

But back to the show, after my usual DJ set got underway (and a DOPE co-sign by the owner!), I broke from the gameplan and let the crowd know....

"You know, for the past 3 months, I've been a DJ. And yet, I still have the MC title. So you know what, for the first time in 2 years, you're getting the MC."

Words can't express how dang nervous and excited I was to do that. I've been planning it for the past few months, trying to build confidence, and also figure out how this'll all work in a live setting. I've been fortunate to have friends backing me instrumentally.... tonight, I'm on my own.

So I begin with a new track, Slow Fast Death, which was in the works since 2009. Part of the " backwards/forwards" release. I'd say, this went over real well, with an old-school cut to warm the crowd up.

Then, I went into "feels like", 2nd time ever. And I say, this was really solid, much improved over the last time.

But alas, when things go great, they must go bad. Such was the outcome with the next (and last, thanks to the loading time) song in the order.

Loading issues pushed the last song back. Which sucked...but the ensuing performance was worth it. The NIN elements were on full-display, as I re-introduced the world to Modern Day Madness. First time solo, last time was with my old band... 2 years ago. Radically different version, I know. With updated lyrics too.

And that was it for me, my limit of time was reached. I thanked the crowd, packed my gear and got off stage.

SET LIST:

Project Nightmare DJ Set [Blizzard Buffalo/Windmill]
Slow Fast Death
Feels Like
Modern Day Madness [Version 2.0]

Post-Show

After I close out my show, I stay around and snap some pictures of the other bands, talk to some peeps, watch the Celtics game, and finally depart round 7:30PM.

Closing notes:

Sound isssues eff'd things up. For a lot of people, but they still got it done.
Ricky Sanchez, can't stress this enough, was the Act of the Show. He DJ'd, screamed, and played the snare drum. All in his set. I knew from that point, I needed to step my game up :)
Got some great feedback from people, and even some constructive criticism too. Very encouraging, and to be honest, MC's out there reading this, when someone says something that isn't positive and is actually critical, allow them the time to talk. They want the best, and so do you.

What's next?

Well, I'm working on prepping for #12, which could be this month. Not sure, working it out, but it will be unique.

Thanks for reading, stay tuned as always!

-mc larny, exiting stage right....

Show #11

2011-03-30T21:44:00.000-07:00

Speaking to you guys on 3/31, Thursday morning, and getting ready for a big time show rehearsal. SO excited.

If you can make it.... come to All Asia in Cambridge MA, Sunday at 3PM. 7 bucks. All ages. Get ready.

-mc larny

how 2 = 1

2011-03-11T16:11:00.000-08:00

anyone remember hearing about this project called "Reconfigured Memories"?

and anyone else remember hearing about a new album called "Over The Edge, Under The Knife"?

well, after some thought, and the scary thought I would possibly have 4 releases in 1 calender year (!), those two projects will become 1. the new name is "backwards/forwards". it works, on a conceptual level.

more info will come soon enough, for now, stay tuned.
oh, be sure to ENJOY THE FIRST GLIMPSE...

My wild night in Boston (AKA Show No.10 Recap)

2011-03-02T10:34:00.000-08:00

10 shows. Each one had a different personality, but last night's.... was the wildest of them all, from the actual trip there to the end of the show.

Let's begin with the details:
*1st time a show has happened with a gap of 3 months in-between
*2nd DJ show
*1st time I've performed at the same place twice in a row
*Played with: SWEETDICULOUS, Outa-My-Mind, Ricky Sanchez, etc.

The actual journey itself was, to be honest, a string of accidents. That did not result in failure.
Trying to catch a bus to Kenmore Station was bad. We were on the wrong street....and we didn't know it. Trying to flag down #57 was pain. Insane pain. We reconvened at my vehicle after 3 buses passed by, and decided to take an extreme gamble: drive to Eliot Station.

Relying on memory and recognition of familiar sites, we drove down, as I slowly put my memories to work in the dark of night. Another mistake as I drive past the exit, deciding to abandon my memory and trust another sense.

Bad mistake.

Alas, I got my senses back and returned to the actual route. It worked and with Dr. Dre in the background, we arrived at Eliot, missed 2 straight trains and finally got on the D-Line for Boston.

We meet up with Dan from SWEETDICULOUS and off we go!

It's show time in about an hour for yours truly.... and the other acts playing were great, got a kick out of Ricky Sanchez and Outa-My-Mind (complete with robot dancer!), and SWEETDICULOUS was great and intense as usual.

Then, it was on.

With a few words, I introduced myself and dropped the new song, "Feels Like..." for the first time ever. We do have audio/visual evidence, and it will be online soon. Just hold tight.

To be honest, I doubt that was the best performance or way to show that song. However, listen to it for yourself....what did YOU think?

Anyways, the show was 20 minutes long, and I also brought out the remix to Legend of Zelda as well, with a small technical error at the start. However, it really went over with the crowd.

17 minutes and we were done. Great times, and to add even more awesomeness...we shared the train with Outa-My-Mind. Fun fun fun.

I'd say, this show ranks in the Top 5. A good night had by all.

the beautifulside of ugly: exposed

2011-01-28T15:35:00.000-08:00

I've often been told that of the songs I've performed... the softer, more mellow tracks better demostrate my skills and voice. Which I find weird, because odds are, it's one of 2 things.

1) I'm putting one of my friends on a track for a collab and said friend is not of the same genre.

2) I'm a sucker for acoustic.

But anyway... for what's it worth, when I conceived uglyside and beautifulside last year, it was more of a resumption/reboot of an earlier idea that I had going very well, but technical issues ruined that one (there's a good chance 2-4 of those unfinished songs pop up on a setlist....stay tuned). The idea: 2 EP's, each one of them different in sounds and lyrical tone.

Imagine, if you will, a museum with two exhibits by the same painter. They look too radically different to be seen together side by side, so for the sake of the audience, said pictures are in different halls.

Now apply that, to two EP's. EP #1 is nearly completion (I'm dead serious. The production phase is over, lyrics are done, recording is the next step.... here's hoping Spring Break's a working vacation). EP #2.... well, that's a different story.

EP #2 is something radically different. An EP with all live instruments, no loops, no MIDI, no samples, nothing like that. An EP that's unplugged, acoustic, because the lyrics work so much better this way and forces focus on them primarily.

As you can tell, it's not easy. Hard to, when gathering the people necessary to make this work is rough and tough to pull off. So I've been busy, creating the arrangements of these tracks myself, to streamline the process.

How goes it? Well.... tough, trying to leave the sample sound in exchange for a (temporary) MIDI sound. But I'm determined to drop this by next year, impossible odds notwithstanding.

Even if I have to go all Everlast and pick up guitar myself. Don't hold me to that.

-mc larny

p.s. you want in? leave a comment, this project needs acoustic guitars, piano, percussuion/drums, and backup vocals (play and singing = huge bonus)

Reconfigured Memories

2011-01-06T09:50:00.000-08:00

It's something that I've been asking myself for the past 3 months. What if...what if you went back to a few select songs you made while you were inexperienced and did them over again with your new experience and lessons? You know, improve upon past songs?

I've considered it. And you know what? I'm doing it. As fond as the memories are of recording a few tracks in the early years, it should be noted that it's not easy...nah, it's downright impossible to hear myself again.

So for the sake of improvement and also saving a few good songs from being lost forever.... it's time to go back and re-do a couple of earlier songs, and also bring out some rarities.

I know I want to do Modern Day Madness again, same goes for Chillin' Like A Villain and When It's Over.... and lucky me, I have a notebook of tracks I wrote, never recorded that are up for grabs too. Maybe this is a chance to...oh, i don't know....bring some friends along for the ride?

Hopefully. Because I can't sing, and When It's Over was heavy on the singing...

No date yet, BTW. This could take awhile.... but I will tell you this...it's started.

Blog Report: New Year, New Music.

2011-01-01T15:11:00.000-08:00

Howdy,

What a way to end 2010. Seriously, you can't compose a better ending than that. A show (!), 2 mixtapes in 1 week (procrastination is my homeboy), and a lot of things coming together.

Let's start with the show, a.k.a The Show You Never Knew About Till Today. Long story short, I performed for the first time ever, solo, and instrumentally, at a private NYE party. 1 hour set, and for someone who had no clue going into this how to pull off an instrumental set.... I did pretty well.

Check, very well. Well enough to have virtually everyone say my set was the best that night (not me saying it, the audience of 15-20 people).

I love it. So much awesome for a show like that, and now it's opened a lot of doors.

Future instrumental shows? Sure, why not.

And in other news, Project Nightmare 2.5 and 3 are now BOTH available on Bandcamp.com.

Check it (sorry Facebook users)

Now on to the EP's.... I got a gameplan. Odds are, both will be out separately digitally, then a few months later, limited run physical CD version of the two together.

So now it's time to take a nice, well-earned breather. See you later on in 2011, with news on the Re-imagined Memories project and news on the new album(s).

Happy New Fear...I mean, Year.
-MC Larny

If You Ain't Up On Thangs.... 31 Days Recap

2010-12-14T19:14:00.001-08:00

31 Days of Madness on Soundcloud by MC Larny

31 Days of Madness

2010-11-30T21:43:00.000-08:00

In anticipation of Project Nightmare 3...31 days of madness all thought the month. So here's how it breaks down:

New clips ranging from :30 to 1:30 every day
New full length tracks on the weekends (Friday, Saturday, or Sunday)

Get it? Great. We kick off tonight. Stay tuned.

-mc larny

Blog Report: Update for those who ain't up on things...

2010-11-16T09:05:00.000-08:00

1. December is a Nightmare: Project Nightmare 2.5: The Lost Levels (12/2010) and Project Nightmare 3: Scientifical Madness (New Year's Day 2011). 2.5 is inching closer to completion, 3 is at the tail end of composing.

2. 2 EP's will see the light in 2011: So I am a dirty liar. I promised two EP's...and nothing yet. Rest assured, it is still alive. And still kicking.

3. The Imperfect Dialogue: It's got a start, a climax, and multiple endings. 2011 release...very late I might add in that year.

4. Live extension: Can't say...but something's happening.

That's it...I'd elaborate more, but less is more.
-MC Larny

Blog Report: Sober October (Updates)

2010-10-06T14:44:00.000-07:00

OK OK OK...I have been AWOL from blogging recently. But I will make up for it right here, right now.

Project Nightmare 3 is dated. New Year's Day 2011. And it's looking to be epic in the scope and length of which I'm taking it.
I've said it once, I'll say it again...the EP's are STILL ALIVE. They are just held up in perfectionizing right now, heck, one of them is 100% done in lyrics and beats, the other is ideallly done, but still needs work.
The Imperfect Dialogue is under way. It's got a start, a middle, and an ending. Just a matter of getting there.
Lotsa possible side-projects. I can't speak on them now because they are all rough around the edges, and/or not yet ready for the public, but it is different.
Live? Don't hold your breath (but feel free to do so) Taking my dear sweet time with the aspect of a live show, because I want to do this right. I want to do this so that it's effective. Needless to say, it is a temporary compromise between what I want, and what I can do currently.

Stay tuned for frequent updates on Project Nightmare 3.

And I'm outta here like Randy Moss (too soon?)
-mc larny

Blog Report: Calm Before The Storm

2010-09-01T12:57:00.000-07:00

Gonna make this quick, because there ain't much to say right about now... but yeah, the EP's are still on, just trying to do it right (duh), the album is on the way (planning to really get it started after the EP's get done), and uh, Project Nightmare 3 is on the way.

Believe it, it's unlike anything you could imagine.

Hoping for big things to go through in the fall, and winter. Stay tuned as always.

Blog Report: Lotsa News

2010-08-03T06:02:00.001-07:00

Previously on the Blog Report: Shifting schedules up and down.

And now, The Blog Report.

OK… so a lot of things have happened recently in the world of MC Larny. Most of them, good. 1st off, is the Project Nightmare 2.0 TURBO mixtape.

I originally said that it would be out in late July. And… it ain’t here. Fear not, there’s a logical explanation for it. I’m having way too much fun making it that I put it off till 8/15, when it’ll be done and out on Bandcamp.com. Seriously, it’s almost criminal to be enjoying this work so much.

Next up: the uglyside of beautiful EP. They’ll be an instrumental teaser track on Friday. So yeah, you’ll hear as much as I want you to. Which is enough to make you want it. The only problem is with recording the vocals for it. I have a majority of the lyrics done, just some revision is needed, and then, recording time (that is, if college life doesn’t drive me to destruction once again). I don’t have an idea when it’s coming out now. I want it out in fall, but we’ll see when recording goes down.

…you still awake? OK, just checking.

Next in line is: the beautifulside of ugly EP. Well, this one is stalled. Hopefully, it’ll move forward in the fall. Maybe a bundled release of the 2 EP’s will be better…

Now, on to the concept album. The Imperfect Dialogue is in constant motion, but it keeps on getting bigger and bigger with the scope and ambition of the story. I don’t want to say too much about it because it’s one of those things where you promise something that may not come to pass. Needless to say, I’m not the type of artist/rapper who claims this will “end careers” or “track 1 is better than most artist’s whole albums”… rather, I let the product speak and throw in a few words if needed.

So what can you take away from this? No promises, no expectations. Just the music itself.

OK, that’s done. Now… on to the last bit of news.

I’ve entered the world of beat making, for real now. Got a soundcloud and slowly posting tracks up. Must have been all the work on Project Nightmare, but hey, I love doing it, and it’s good to work with other people… most of the time.

OK, I’m out. Talk to you later on, on Friday to decipher the teaser instrumental track.

-MC Larny

Shifting Schedules

2010-07-09T20:12:00.000-07:00

FYI:

Project Nightmare 2.0. TURBO!! Mario Edition is coming in about 3 weeks.

Uglyside of beautiful EP is now TBA 2010. Still alive, I assure you.

Everything else is the same as usual.

We cool? Yeah, we cool.

-mc larny

Blog Report 6/7/10: All on the Table

2010-06-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

Howdy,

So with Project Nightmare 2.0 out now on Bandcamp.com, it marks another instrumental project done and out the gate for me. Which is good. Now with that mini-diversion concluded for the time being, it's time to go back to the lyrical half of MC Larny.

I'm sure you're wondering "What was with those instrumental mixtapes? Aren't you a rapper?"

Well...I still am, just been away from it due to a lot of things, personal issues being one of them. Hard to think of song lyrics when the world is coming unglued all around you. But I digress, I was also trying to find a focus point for the next slate of efforts, a unifying theme to hold them together.

This leads to my next point: the EP's are on the way. Uglyside of beautiful is 1st up and it's more standard fare, with a hint of evolution thrown in. Imagine a dream, a recurring dream you have for nights at a time, and if you can visualize it, then this is what the EP's about. It's based on reality (yeah...I really had these dreams) and if all works out...it'll be out in August 2010 (heh, August...the same month I dropped my 1st and 3rd albums). Still trying to figure out how exactly it's coming out, but I want to do a limited physical CD run with a digital release. Depends.

Also on the docket is future live shows. I've been yapping about it for months now, and to be honest, I'm confused with what exactly is the best option for this. I want to bring my live band back...not with the same members, but i'm not at all sure if I can find people who want to do it and have the time. Let's face it... for my career, every show I've done has been with live instrumentation, I just work better with it, more energy, more freedom, and a better show to boot. Not to say that the standard DJ and MC combo is something I'm adverse to... I'm open to it, if I find the right person to work with, someone who I can trust, someone who knows what to do, and how to do it well.

Now...on to the other 2 projects. The Imperfect Dialogue LP is still being worked on. Got a lot of work to do still, with most of the instrumental songs in 1st draft mode. I can say that it'll be a big release with no rush to drop it...when it's done, it's done. The gameplan is to start vocals on that bad boy after the completion of 1 of the 2 EP's...so once that goes down, the album will hopefully fall into place.

The 2nd EP, the beautifulside of ugly, well, that one is looking real good right now. I'd say more about it... but to be honest, everything is still tentative, so to not jinx it, my lips are sealed. You will hear more about it in the upcoming weeks.

And to close things out, work has begun on a real website. Yes...a real website. Not done yet, but it will be up and running by late fall 2010.

Enjoy yourselves, the fun has just begun....
-MC Larny

Character Writing and Full Albums

2010-05-05T09:27:00.001-07:00

How interesting…

Past few days, I’ve been looking and reading over the lyrics I’ve written for this concept album, and just general “jam songs” I wrote that don’t fit the 2 EP’s or the album. It seems that writing about characters I make up, instead of the standard hip-hop lyrical topics (sex/drugs/money/grinding/girls/violence/bragging/etc.) has made writing more exciting than ever now.

There’s more possibilities to it now, more paths to take, and more of a desire to create a narrative than to just make an album that has 3 singles, and 9 filler tracks.

Which brings me to my next point: I’m reading and seeing a disturbing trend in music nowadays…the death of the album.

Gone are the days of a 60 minute banger from track 1 to track 12. Now, it’s more akin to a math equation:

ALBUM = Intro+Filler+Single+Collab+Filler+Single+Skit+Filler+Filler+Skit+Collab Single+Skit+Ending

See what I’m getting at? “Albums” are like badly made sandwiches…the good stuff buried underneath layers of useless filler that doesn’t sit well.

Sadly, it’s because of us musicians making bad albums and expecting people to pay 14.95 USD plus tax that albums are now heading to the grave. Once Napster came up, that was it. Game over for the album.

It was revenge overdue for the consumer who bought garbage albums. The con game was over, and the cheated got revenge, by getting what they wanted for free. Now, you see the music industry push acts who can move singles and ringtones, and move 10 mill. However, the album comes out and BOOM… 75K moved within the time the single moved 10 mill.

So I’m thinking about this as an artist working on a piece of work that can’t be sold individually. They have to be together to work, to make sense. Makes me pensive about putting it on iTunes…if I ever did.

I love iTunes, but with all the other sites out there, like Bandcamp.com, I can just set my own price, do giveaways, add bonus tracks, and other stuff. Also, you can mandate “full package downloads” which makes this album a lot easier to market.

On that note, I say “peace”. And hopefully, this summer micro-tour works out. 2 years is not too long to go without a performance…just like not drinking water for 4 weeks is just ok.

[end sarcasm]

-mc larny

blog report: progression

2010-05-01T08:38:00.001-07:00

Howdy,

With the summer of 2010 in the fore-front, things are starting to pick up…finally. After the lull of winter, the road to [insert random goal here] is just beginning. And from the looks of it, this could be a really good summer, I just have the feeling it will be.

First off, Project Nightmare 2.0. Almost done, mixing for the next 2-3 weeks, and then, only then, will it be unleashed.

The beautifulside of ugly/The uglyside of beautiful are also somewhat done, but not completely. One has all the lyrics in place, one has all the beats in place. All it needs is the missing components, and I’m going to be a betting man and say uglyside will drop 1st. Just seems more likely, based on the factors involving it’s production and recording.

The Imperfect Dialogue, oooh boy, that is the BIG one. It’s already been announced it’s going to be a concept album, it’s mostly in place, from a rough draft perspective, and if you get lucky and download the new Project Nightmare 2.0 mixtape in May, you may get a little taste of this new album…

Now, on to other things:

Summer shows, well, that is pending. Hopefully, there will be a few. And hopefully, you can hear some of these new “re-imagining” of old MC Larny songs. Because I’m hyped to perform these songs…very hyped.

Stay tuned for that, once I get the “right things” in place, then the shows will (hopefully) come up. Cause and effect, friends, cause and effect…

No promises though, because with my luck, things will get ugly. And fast. Here’s hoping that don’t happen.

And I’m out like the OKC Thunder (95-94 loss to LA? SMDH)

-mc larny, representing from the right place, at the right time

Why Look Back? Let’s Look Forward…

2010-04-12T21:55:00.001-07:00

Dang. So here we are at approx, 5 years since MC Larny started up.

5 years. Not like it’s a huge achievement. But rather, a checkpoint. A way of knowing where we’ve gone, and where are we going next.

We’ve gone thru, 3 albums, an EP, 2 mixtapes, a few shows here and there, multiple collabs with friends and peers, a few bands, 2 hiatus periods, and a ton of notebooks. Seems like a lot, when you take all the people, memories, and events that are wedged in-between April 2005 and April 2010.

It’s scary to look back and see how much things have either stayed the same, or changed radically. And yet, here we are, looking backwards to see where we’ve been…and now, it’s time to look forwards.

Let’s cut to the chase: Four projects are being worked on, a new Project Nightmare installment (May 18), 2 new EP’s (TBA 2010) and now…”Project 4”.

Project 4 is…

A new full-length album. Something that I’ve been working at for months. A concept album.

It’s called “The Imperfect Dialogue”.

Expect it (and this here is an estimate) very late 2010. 2011 even.

Maybe even “When it’s done”.

There will be lots more info in the coming months. Enjoy the wait.

-mc larny

Project Nightmare 2.0 Preview

2010-04-08T16:30:00.000-07:00

Howdy,

As promised, here’s a sneek preview of the upcoming, 85-percent-done, mixtape. Dropping on May 18th on Bandcamp.com. Enjoy!

Project Nightmare 2.0.

For a majority of my life, video games have been embedded in a lot of my upbringing. I have vivid memories of my 1st video game experience (Final Fight, Caldor, Westborough, MA in 1992), my 1st system (Game Boy, which I still have), and the 1st time I bought my own game system (Game Boy Advance SP in March 2003).

Needless to say, the games I play are extremely inspiring to me at times, either with their gameplay, their graphics and especially the music.

The History

I started Project Nightmare last year as a side-project to play around, to make crazy stuff that wasn’t concerned about perception. After Project Nightmare dropped on New Year’s Day…I asked myself, “What could I do for a follow-up?”

No answers for a month or so. Then, one day, it came to me. A tribute to video games. I was really skeptical about it, but as the days went by, and the jam sessions got more and more intense, it became comfortable.

It was the most fun I’ve had making music in years. I cannot wait to drop this in about a month’s time….so excited!

To Be Continued…

Blog Report 3/13/2010: Shedding Some Light

2010-03-13T18:05:00.001-08:00

Howdy,

Quick question…who here remembers the last Blog Report? Anyone…anyone…Bueller?

Played-out jokes aside, if I recall, the last post was focusing around the 4 projects currently in the works, with promises of updates.

Well, hold on tight, because for 3 of the 4 projects, it’s time to let the world know what’s really going on.

Behind door #1…Project Nightmare 2.0: It’s Just A Game

Following the format of the 1st Project Nightmare installment, PN 2.0 is yet another mixtape of instrumentals, distributed freely.
The theme for this installment is video games.
Coming late May 2010 on Bandcamp.com

But wait'…there’s more! Door #2… the uglyside of beautiful

A fresh new EP with a few new songs. Nothing too out of the ordinary.
Production is 65-75% done.
Coming Summer 2010 (release formats TBD)

And the last project behind door #3 is… the beautifulside of ugly

The twin sister/brother to the uglyside of beautiful. Only this one’s more…personal. And deconstructed.
Currently in writing mode. Instrumentation is being ironed out.
Coming Summer 2010 (release formats TBD)

Oh yeah, about Project 4… well, I really want to wait and keep you guessing on it. Because I don’t like saying things I can’t live up to…and this is a little project I really want to get out in the best way.

We cool? Yeah.

That’s all for me…see you next time.

-MC Larny

P.S. WE STILL NEED A VOCALIST! http://mclarnyrocks.blogspot.com/2010/03/mc-larny-needs-your-help.html

MC Larny NEEDS YOUR HELP!

2010-03-04T11:38:00.000-08:00

*ahem*

So the new EP, "the beautifulside of ugly" is in production right now. And it turns out, I need some help.

I wrote this song called October Sky (not based on the movie, FYI) and I composed this part that sounds really good...just not if it was rapped out.

So here's the idea: I need a really talented female singer (who knows what they're doing) to sing this part. Here's the lyrics with the part highlighted (copyright MC Larny...no biting)

Watch this empire crumble underneath it’s own weight
Trying to prevent the inevitable, fighting a war against fate
It’s the end of a dream, dying in my hands
A lifetime of hope that slips like time’s sands
I knew today would eliminate tomorrow by design
I could’ve prevented this, but I was delusional, at the time
With all that’s transpired, I just want to expire with my disgrace
Fade out without a doubt in my mind, I’m not going to see the end of this race

(chorus)
And this ghost of you haunts me, underneath the October sky
I can still see this all, in the back of my eye
I wish you would leave, believe that I don’t care for you
But my lips can’t be trusted, and these careless whispers are untrue

The silence is deafening, and I am without my sanity
My reflection distorted, no honesty, just the picture of vanity
A picture of everything that could’ve been, should’ve been
The fact that I threw this away on a whim, for something where victory is so slim
This reflection lies to me, at the moment I need that truth, that proof
That where I’m going does not include us, just myself in solitude
The disconnection is so abrupt and sudden, it could be rude
But I have to, for myself this time

(chorus 2) x2
Where have you run to, where have you gone?
My fears have come true, we won’t be together for long

Standing over the mess I’ve created, I hate it
Every inch, every second, I look back and I flinch
It was never supposed to end like this, I whisper to a chorus of ambience
And then, this decision all makes sense
This city is so beautiful, especially in the night
It looks so much more wonderful, when it’s burning so bright
As I see everything I care about leave my life in minutes of ignition that loses control
A ghost rises from the ashes, that has become a parasite, feeding off my soul
And now the memories are the poison, I fear I can’t find a remedy
When the October sky hangs overhead, I hear the ghastly melody

(Chorus 3)
And this ghost of you haunts me [Where have you run to…]underneath this October sky
I can still see this all [where have you gone…] in the back of my eye
I wish you would leave [My fears have come true….] believe that I can’t care for you
But my lips can’t be trusted [we won’t be together for long] and these careless whispers are untrue

Sounds good? Then here's what I need:

Record a demo version of just the highlighted parts. Do it the way you feel would be "best" for the song.
Sound quality isn't an issue. If I can hear you, then good.
Email it to "m.c.larny at gmail.com". Subject Line: October Sky Demo. Have a return address included, and if you have a MySpace or another website to display your music, include that in the email.
If it sounds like what I'm thinking works, I'll contact you and you'll be invited to record.

So...let's hear what you got. Good luck to all of you (or in this case, any of you).
-MC Larny

Blog Report 3/2/2010: Putting Work In…Again

2010-03-02T09:03:00.000-08:00

Howdy,

So after a full month of no Blog Report….we got one for ya, in March. And this time, I’ll try to be less spotty about updates.

4 projects are currently in the pipe-line. One of them is Project Nightmare 2, and that should drop in May.
The other 2 are EP’s. Hoping to drop them as bookends (read: summer 2010)
And the last one…oooh lordy, that’s a doozy. You’ll be pleasantly surprised when I do say something about it.
I opened a Tumblr (which is right here) for demo showcasing. It’s easier and it works 500x better than updating Reverbnation and having it not sync to the FB News Feed. So do check it out.

Now, on to other things. Reading about the Waka Flaca/Method Man nonsense made me think about it…and here’s what I have to say.

At least he was honest. At least he said he wasn’t lyrical. At least he told us now…so in 6-9 months, whenever he drops something, we don’t have to check for his releases.

“But…but. he’s makin’ money, why you hatin’?

You do know who else in the “hood” is making money…

Drug dealers. Pimps. Prostitutes. Where’s their celebration? Oh, I got it…it’s not there. Everyone has their opinion, and for Waka Flaca…quick tip.

Anything you get from your music, better save it and invest. Otherwise, you may wind up forgotten and robbing banks to get by like this guy right here.

And another thing….who the $^&* signed off on the “We Are The World” remake? That is pitiful. And here I was thinking Hollywood was the only major entertainment industry capable of ruining classics via remakes….

OK…so that’s it for my ranting self this issue.

In the meantime, check out these links right here:

Until next time….

-MC Larny

Project Nightmare Follow-Up Blog Post

2010-01-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

Hey guys and gals, MC Larny here. Hope you enjoyed and downloaded the new mixtape called Project Nightmare: Shut Up Make Music.

If you did, then awesome. Deeply appreciate it. And yes, I mean that.

Now on to other things….and that is regarding the mixtape. I feel as if that was merely a “teaser trailer” to a larger project. I’m not sure if this will happen anytime soon, but I want to do Project Nightmare 2. One thing: it has to be different. Somehow, it has to be something else, something that I’ve never done before.

R & B songs? Acoustic songs? Songs with live instruments? A mashup EP? A mixtape with nothing but Auto-Tune vocals?

Honestly, I do want to do something involving a second installment in Project Nightmare. I like the name, and c’mon, who else doesn’t do mixtape series? Some guys drop 1 a month! Of course, quality dropoff is quite likely, but that’s the risks of the game.

In all seriousness, most likely Project Nightmare 2 is going to happen sometime in the future. Not now, and most likely not by the end of the 2nd quarter of 2010.

And it will be different, that is a promise.

-MC Larny

Tracklisting and New Mixtape Title

2009-12-29T11:18:00.001-08:00

It’s official. Shut Up Make Music is now Project Nightmare: Shut Up Make Music.

The tracklisting for the New Year’s Day release:

Lonely Astronaut
Temptress
One Day Too Many
Without A Moment to Breathe
Masquerade of Liars
So Far Away
Fake Ideas
If/Then/Also
Stop Short
Hearts Are Meant to Break
Diary of A Mad Producer
Ashes of Nothingness Part 2

Avaliable on Bandcamp.com New Year’s Day @ 12:00 AM.

If you want to see what else we add to the site, subscribe via RSS feed to the artist, and before you know it, you’ll get updates every time this page updates.

Peace out,

-MC Larny

Quick update on the upcoming release

2009-10-26T20:51:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone,

As I speak, the mixtape EP Shut Up Make Music is currently coming along nicely. Expect to hear it in mid-November. The goal is to put 5-7 songs on there, a good number and freely distribute it. I do have some other plans for it, but I’ll speak on those later on.

See you at the week’s end…midterm projects and exams are comin’ after me.

-MC Larny

P.S. Got any feedback on the demo track posted last week? Let loose with it on the Facebook page. Don’t be shy… go there now (if not already there)

An Open Letter from MC Larny to Everyone

2009-10-15T14:09:00.001-07:00

Howdy,

It’s been quite some time since I’ve talked to you like this. Over 2 months, to be exact. Lots of things have happened, not all of them expected or wanted.

I’ve given some thought to what exactly my future in music would be, if there was such a thing. I’ve done some personal soul-searching, reflected on the past few months, and more importantly, years of my life that have gone by. Eventually, when you love something so much that you can’t give your heart to it, you have to let it go, and come to terms with your reality.

Much like an addict , I’m (sadly) addicted to hip-hop music to the point of dependency, to the point where I’m crawling back. So this officially ends the hiatus, as of this sentence.

So what’s up? Few things:

Putting the mic down: I think there was a time for MC Larny to spit ill rhymes, and it seems that for now, it’s not the time. Call it what you want, reality catching up with me, lack of enthusiasm, or just plain falling off… there were a lot of little things not falling into place to really take MC’ing to the next level in my eyes. In general, I’m still on hiatus in terms of verbal output.
Producing all the time: The project is moving to an all-instrumental direction for the time being. It’s new, it’s fresh, and instead of taking 18 months (on average) to create a package….I can drop stuff faster, and at a better quality. Also, I don’t need to map out beats to follow the verse-chorus-verse structure, so I can really go all out on this.
What’s next?: The next project is a mixtape project called Shut Up Make Music. It will be free, online exclusive, and drop dates are looking really good right now.

That’s all I can really say as of this moment. So check out my Bandcamp page and Facebook page for the 411.

Peace and whatever you so want it to be,

MC Larny

One Last Word...

2009-08-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

OK...so after thinking this over... I think everyone deserves to hear what was supposed to be "The_Endgame".

So today, on Bandcamp.com, you can download and listen to "Last Words Left Unsaid". And it's free...can't beat that.

Peace, see y'all somewhere in the distant future.

-MC Larny

State of Affairs

2009-07-28T06:49:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I'm struggling to come up with the words to explain my current situation, to write a blog that will explain everything that's floating inside my head. So bear with me, this may be a rambling and ranting entry instead of a cohesive piece of writing.

Here's the story: The_Endgame, after a lot of thought, has been shelved. A tough decision to make, but after my laptop crashed and took a lot of the project files down with it, it seemed better to just move on and go do something else.

There's more to it, though. As I tried to make music, I made a startling revelation: over the past few months, making music was no longer a way of affliction relief, it became an affliction. It was no longer pure and fun, it had become something ugly. I realized that I let my emotions make decisions with my music, and before I knew it, I was burned out again.

For the past few weeks, I've contemplated this over and over again, wondering if this "decision" is the right thing, if I'm reading this all wrong.

But for once, I have the clarity to say this: MC Larny is over, for the time being.

When I made this decision, I struggled to find the words that would act as the reasoning behind it. Then, while watching YouTube, I found a clip that would give me the words I needed

A clip of WWF Superstar Shawn Michaels vacating the WWF title because he "lost his smile". When I saw that, I knew that I was in the same situation with my music. I lost a lot over the past few months, my mind, my band, my desire, and my smile. I tried to persevere and all that, but I guess I couldn't do it.

This isn't retirement, it's just a vacation, till I get stuff together again. I may come back, I may not...but it feels right to leave it as it is right now.

Before I close this, I might as well thank the fans, the people I've played with, and anyone else who could be considered influential to this. It's been fun, but I guess, once a harmless addiction becomes a crippling affliction, it has to stop sometime.

Peace out...for real this time,
-MC Larny

7/10/09

2009-07-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

I'm not quite sure how to explain the current situation regarding the projects I've been working on. As it stands, it's complicated right now.

But I might as well get it out there, to let y'all know.

Late last week, my laptop started to malfunction. Which is somewhat expected to happen down the road. However, after sending it to the shop to get it fixed, there are still problems with the machine and as a result, it's become very hard to work on anything as of late.

So as it turns out, it may have to be reimaged in order to work again, a troubling situation as it is.

And now you wonder what this has to do with the music. It has a lot to do with it.

From the looks of it, "The_Endgame" project is getting pushed back and may possibly be shelved. It's not easy to say and to even consider a personal project like that being put away for now, but I think it's because there is nothing else that can be done right now. There is a chance it may see the light of day, but as I said, it's not definite.

So yeah, that is the current story as it stands. I'm disappointed that things ended up like this, and it's not something I wish to see repeat itself. Hopefully, it will pass, and this personal project of mine sees the light of day.

"A poem is never finished, only abandoned. ~Paul Valéry"

-MC LARNY

Blog Report: 6/19/09

2009-06-19T16:10:00.001-07:00

Work continues on "The_Endgame". It's getting somewhere again, and now we got a roadmap, a target to shoot for, and a conceptual vision. The instrumentals are being fine-tuned, over and over so that they bang….they bang HARD. I would put it at a 90% completion phase right about now, and if the pace remains the way it is, it'll be 100% by the start of July.

Also, the mixtape is doing well too. It's all instrumental jam sessions, and it'll be out in July. Release details will be unveiled shortly. Don't worry, it'll be something easy and accessible.

coming to a headphone near you (art subject to change)

CLIP SHOW: Friendship or Fatality

The victorious return of the Clip Show, and this week, it's time for MORTAL KOMBAT! Or, a good reason to use voice clips in this week's clip. It's a slither, so enjoy the 19 seconds you get.

Now I might as well delve into a story I read today on Yahoo! News. This woman was sued by the RIAA for file-sharing, and she's been ordered to pay them 1.92 million dollars.

Yes, 1,920,000 bills. Over the downloading and sharing of 24 songs. Now maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way, but when you look at all the money involved, isn't it a bit odd that the artists are not mentioned at all in this discussion? Don't they deserve a cut of the bogus settlement, seeing as how they preformed, wrote and created the "pirated" works?

Makes me wonder, and this is my theory: Artists should be happy that people listen to their music in any way. We can measure how many people buy it, but truly, do people actually buy music to listen to it, or buy it for the sake of buying? Think about that, and shoot me an opinion, I'd like to hear someone's perspective on the matter.

And with that, I ain't got much else to say, y'all continue on.

-MC Larny

Facebook, Myspace, Blogger, and Twitter

Blog Report 6/5/09: The Endgame Starts. Who Wants to Play?

2009-06-05T14:01:00.001-07:00

Howdy,

Another Blog Report, another week down. So for those who read the blog last week, I said that I would be giving up the goods on something in the next installment.

Well, who am I to lie? Here it is.

With "The_Endgame" project underway, there came about an excessive amount of ideas that didn't fit the core objectives, the overall sound that I was aiming for. There were a lot of instrumentals that came out of this, and most likely, beats that I was making for fun. So what does this mean?

An instrumental mixtape called "The_Endgame : ALPHA". Coming next month. Stay tuned.

-MC Larny

P.S. The actual project is still being worked on. I'll say more about it in a few.

Blog Report 5/28/09: It's Getting Closer...

2009-05-28T08:01:00.000-07:00

So right now, I can proudly say that (instrumentally) the project known as "The_Endgame" is 79% complete. Basic sequencing has reached the final stages. The beats are coming along, and the sound is more and more cohesive.

The lyrics will be coming around soon. I like how this is going so far.

I'm not yet ready to announce how this will all be coming out. But I can give you a bit of a teaser...stay tuned, and check back next week.

Peace,

-MC Larny

Blog Report 5/14/09: Fun Times With Music and Concepts

2009-05-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

Evening folks,

So yeah, the blog has been dry, due to a lot of things happening. School/work/general lack of drive to type, whatever. But at least I'm back...

OK, enough of that. As it stands now, "The_Endgame" is still under construction. There is a concept in place, there is a map being drawn, lyrics are being written constantly, and the beats are being finalized. I'll approximate and say about 60-65% of the beats are "showable". That is, the beats are almost there. Just a little push further will do the trick. I'm not giving away the exact sound of the beats yet (keep peeping the Clip Show and the clips going up every week or so on the Reverbnation player/Facebook audio player), but I will say that everything has a point, and that every beat matches the lyrics I've imagined for them.

As for the lyrics themselves, well, I'm still working on it. Got a lot of songs coming together, and there is a bit of a concept to them. It's most likely going ot be a personal look, but not along the lines of 808's and Heartbreak. Sorry, I can't dig it, just can't.

Dang....I don't know what to tell y'all. I want to say so much on this project, but I really think I need to finalize everything before I pull the curtain off and bring it all out. Let's see...what else to talk about...?

Oh, I got it. The music I'm listening to right now:

Sevendust- Praise,Will It Bleed
Deftones- Around The Fur, Mascara
Gang Starr- The Militia, F.A.L.A., Suckas Need Bodyguards
Eminem- Kim, '97 Bonnie and Clyde, My Name Is
Nas- U Wanna Be Me
Alice In Chains- Queen of The Rodeo
Jay-Z - Streets Is Watching, Can I Get A....
Bigg Jus- Halogen Lanterns, Eerie Silence

I'd say a nice balance of hip-hop I dig and rock songs that I feel like throwing up the horns for.

OK...I'm out of gas. Ain't got much to say here, except stay tuned for more clips, maybe some freestyles soon, and more info on the music being made.

And I'm out like the Mavs (ooooooooh)

-MC Larny

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Clip Show 5/14/09: NEScapade

2009-05-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

This week's clip was something I was just playing around with. The thought process was "What If I mixed "Spanish Caravan" with 8-Bit Weapon? This is what my brain came up with. I especially love how it starts with 8-bit chiptune drums, a hip-hop bassline, then goes into bells, Spanish guitars, and live drums. I live for those moments.

Clip Show 4/25/09: Life With The Bomb

2009-04-25T13:35:00.001-07:00

Yet another edition of the Clip Show. This week: a detailed description of "Life With The Bomb".
Friday night, 11:37PM: A thought entered my head, after a very good, very interesting day. I started to ponder, "What if someone did a song that sonically expressed a bomb dropping in 3 parts, before, during, and after the dropping?" I then said, "I can do that!"
11:45AM: Found the loops in my library. Time to go to work. Drums and synth are down, now we need something else.
12:18AM: Adding some elements from a techno-industrial sound loop set. Sounds real good.
12:54AM: Calling it a night.
3:10AM: Really calling it a night. It's all sequenced, just needed to be mixed.
10:53AM: Awake, and finishing the beat.
11:20AM: Done. Rendering and uploading to Reverbnation and Facebook.

The process of the beat sounds like calm peace, with panic creeping in, and finally, the bomb drops. There are survivors, but they are slowly dying, and the end comes too soon.

Blog Report 4/13/09: Standstill…

2009-04-13T13:33:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone,

Sorry I didn't get to posting clips this weekend, it's been busy. But I will post TWO clips this week, by tomorrow night. Yes, I made a promise. And I see fit to keep it.

So with spring coming around, I gotta get stuff in gear for the summer. And by stuff, I mean a lot of things. Stick around.

-MC Larny

Blog Report 3/24/09: Putting Work In

2009-03-24T19:14:00.001-07:00

Howdy fly girls and guys, it's the Blog Report.

After an interesting 2 weeks, quite a lot of work has been put into "The_Endgame" project. I can now say that a firm base for at least 50% of the project is in place. Thanks to all the non-stop creative groundwork being laid down for this, the vision I have for this is becoming fleshed out more and more as time progresses. There is a lot to the songs this time, things I haven't done with my music ever.

No, I have not dropped the mic and picked up a guitar, switched vocal styles to accommodate Auto-Tune, ripped off old pop songs and put rapid-fire lyrics to it, or anything that would constitute trying to sell more records. But it is different, while keeping the MC Larny DNA entact. A challenge to say the least. It's all about control, to sum it up. Self-control of yourself in tight situations, control of emotions so that your heart and mind don't switch places, and remember to play their positions. It's a matter of balancing the world around you.

With that said, I might as well delve into the lyrical content just a bit. This is the heaviest and also darkest musical project I've created, and to be honest, I would not have it any other way. I believe that people should always do what they say in their music, and not fake it, if they are speaking of themselves. I can understand playing a character and metaphorical usage, but let's be honest here: If music is a combat sport, it's comparable to MMA and not pro wrestling. You don't fake things, you let them know about what's really happening in your life, no matter what. But I digress.

Also, as it stands now, the project does not have any collaborators. Again, I personally want to hold down this project by myself, based on the personal nature of all the songs in development.

Also, to keep y'all occupied, every week till this project drops, little snippets of songs will be popping up on the music player. Sure, it's small, but it will keep the veil of secrecy over the final product and at least I can update the page with new songs every week, therefore hooking you in for the long haul. Plus, you never know what the clips could be….they could be studio out-takes, small bits of a song in process

I guess, at this point in the picture, I would be asked by the captured superhero what my plans for world domination entail, in an attempt to foil me. Well, I do have somewhat of a world domination plan.

It's called "Add Day". The goal: to get 200 friends on Myspace, or 50 fans on Facebook. The date for this will be 3/31/09, because April Fool's Day is not a day to make power moves. Expect event invites/bulletins to spread around in the coming days. And to coincide with this, I'm putting out a sampler called "The_Retribution" which is a free online sampler made for sharing with friends and loved ones. That will be up in the next week, so be sure to check it out!

Finally, I am working on a street team, and I need members. So if you want to inquire, and get in on something cool, CLICK HERE. I really need members, so please sign up!

Thanks for reading, and we'll be back in a few, probably next week.

MC Larny

Facebook, Myspace, Blogger, and Twitter

Blog Report 3/8/09: Changes

2009-03-08T12:03:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone.

I've had some time to think, consider, reconsider, and think again about what the future holds with my music. I've been fortunate to hear a lot of varied suggestions from people close to me, and with their suggestions, I've come to a decision.

2009 from this point on is all MC Larny. I think I need to strip it down to pure basics and for now, stay solo. I've noticed that when I work solo, I have no restrictions to adhere to, no multitude of people to try and please, no compromises required to make things work. While I do admit that starting and maintaining a band was a personal dream/goal of mine, I think it's now time to move on and go back to the land of solo music. That goes for live performances too, keeping it basic, and just using the beat. No bands, no guitars, no drums, just me and my beats pumping through the PA system.

And with that, I would like to formally announce the next slate of music in the works. It's called "The Endgame" and it can mean just about anything to anyone. It could mean the end of a dream, the end of the world, the end of a phase of life, or the end of someone's career. Multiple meanings, if you catch the drift.

I'm not saying just what this new project is, but it will all make sense in due time. Expect more info in a few weeks. Yeah, I know, I'm teasing everyone as usual with this "more info in a few weeks" thing, but then again, some things just need to be secret for now. And, it gives you a reason to stay interested…that is, if anyone truly has an interest in this.

-MC Larny

Facebook, Twitter, Blogger and Myspace

Blog Report 2/24/09: All Fates Have Changed.

2009-02-23T23:59:00.001-08:00

To say the past few days have been unexpected is an understatement. Within the space of 2 days, Aces Down went from "Active" to "defunct", and I'm left with my solo project again.

So there are a lot of questions being asked about what's next. To be honest, it's a broad scope.

I have no idea what I plan to do, now that MC Larny is back to being a solo artist again…there's a lot of options, and I need some time to figure it out.

Before you even ask, no, I am not restarting Aces Down with a new lineup, out of respect for my ex-band mates. As easy as that is, I just don't see that happening. I don't believe in rearranging history, just to serve for my own purposes. Also, I do not know if I will start a new side-project. Again, I need some time and space to see what I should and shouldn't do.

I do admit that I had a lot of song ideas for Aces Down that was under construction. So maybe if re-worked, they could become MC Larny songs. Again, I don't know. I'm not even sure if my heart's in it anymore. It's been unimaginably rough these past few days. To watch your long-time dream materialize then vaporize in the blink of an eye is something I can't fathom, and yet it's happened.

So yeah, that's the current status in a nutshell. What, cryptic answers aren't good enough? OK then… here's a straight answer, made for the news sites and message boards:

"MC Larny is currently weighing all his options regarding his music, and will be making a decision regarding the future of MC Larny in the next month. Stay tuned to see what happens next!"

And I'm out.

-MC Larny

2009: The start of something…

2009-01-18T20:38:00.001-08:00

Howdy peeps,

It's been awhile since I've written for this blog. Sorry for my absence, it's been somewhat quiet in the world of MC Larny as of late.

1^st off, I definitely need to give big ups to my bandmates in Aces Down for a great show on December 27^th. We had a lot of fun doing that and needless to say, I can't wait to do it again and again and again and again… But back to business, as usual.

Aces Down is definitely rolling forward, and I intend to stay with it. Now what does this mean for MC Larny?

Simple: MC Larny will keep on going, in some capacity. I don't know if it means that I'll put it back on hiatus, deactivate the project, or keep it the same. I mean, I love both projects and while they may intertwine, I like to keep the 2 separate. Kinda like Mike Patton did with Faith No More and Mr. Bungle. Bungle was established and thru the band, he became a part of Faith No More, and kept them both going for most of the 90's. You get what I'm saying? I love them both.

2^nd, as I type this, I am currently working on the next MC Larny solo effort. I got some concrete ideas, and they are starting to come to fruition gradually. Every day I mess around with FL Studio, I keep on finding out new ways of making this crazy conceptual vision of mine come closer to being real. Eventually, the new stuff will be up. Check back soon.

That is really all I can think of right now. Apparently, a month away doesn't lead to a lot of ideas to write about stuff.

Peace people.

MC Larny

Blog Report: 12/25/08

2008-12-25T19:26:00.000-08:00

Evening people,

So I'm sitting here in complete shock. As I type this, it's only a day or so till Aces Down goes on stage, and I can't believe that this is happening. It's like a massive dream or whatnot, it's way too good to be true....

*Deep breath* OK, let's get down to business as usual before I get into a full-on mushy speech made for Disney films and 80's flicks.

So the show is in about 1 and a half days. Scary. Now, I've been around, and I've done a few shows as previously mentioned, but this is unlike anything else I've been a part of. To be working with these talented bandmates has been a blessing and I am excited to see where this takes us.

So for all those curious about going to the show and need some guidance getting there, here's some help from our friends at Google Maps: (sorry for our Facebook readers who may not be able to see this)

View Larger Map

We hope to see you there, at 6PM, Tom's Gourmet Marketplace, Northborough MA.

-MC Larny

P.S. Happy Holidays! So consider this a gift that you will definitely be wanting to check out all Saturday: MC Larny on Twitter

Blog Report: Week of 12/1/08

2008-12-01T12:08:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone, it's another episode of the Blog Report. Sorry I didn't do one last week, but you know, stuff happens.

So as the show gets closer and closer (December 27th, Tom's Gourmet Marketplace, Northborough, MA), it's only getting better and better. The jam sessions are becoming more focused, and more of the band members have been getting involved with it. I'm honestly more pleased than you can imagine with the assembly of talent in Aces Down. It's like nothing I've ever imagined.

The setlist is also looking very appealing too. I won't give away a single thing here, but there will be some stuff that surprises you....wait and see.

Speaking of the show, I've been reminiscing the past shows I've done since I started this rap stuff...and it's pretty fond memories. While the shows themselves were all spread out and hard to get, it was quite a feel, quite a rush. Let's take a stroll down memory lane:

October 2005: Town Hall, Northborough, MA: Totally unexpected. The gameplan was just go to a show that some of my friends were playing, and have a good time. Little did I know that I would get my chance to be part of the action. As the story goes, I got called onto the stage by a friend of mine, who was part of a crazy jam band. I freestyled live on stage, captivated the crowd, "accidentally" started a moshpit (believe it), and among other things, proved that this was for real after all.
April 2006: ARHS Battle of The Bands Tryouts: The story behind this: I considered forming a band so that I could try and enter the high school Battle of the Bands. Now, I know you're wondering, "A rapper at Battle of The Bands?!" and to that I say, "Whatever." I didn't care, it would've been perhaps a great way to get exposure on a big scale at that time. I talked to some friends of mine, and we got a 3 piece unit going. We tried out, and everyone who was watching us was feeling it. For a tryout, it was pretty intense. The downside of this: We didn't get in, by 1 little point. Crushing defeat there, but you can't win alll the time....
August 2006: House Party: This show was a mess. There's no way around it. I think this was me at my worse, and not the type of environment I'd like to work in again. Not saying that a house party is bad, it's just that it was a disaster on that one night. First off, the sound system was not what I hoped for. Second, the set was 100% improvised, because of that first issue I touched upon. And of course, there was that one band who was on earlier that took a few shots about me on stage...I think they were called Y.A.F. I don't believe they exist anymore...
November 2006: Yet Another House Party: So after befriending the guys in T.I.P., I was invited to freestyle at a show of theirs. I went, hung out, had one heckua time there. Good times.
January 2007: AHRS Variety Show: Totally awesome. Another one-off band formed, this time a 4 piece, featuring Neil Bsechle, Morgan Thrap, and Mike Corey. Performing the song, When It's Over, off the Enter The Unknown album. A different arrangement and for what it was, it was quite impressive. I'd say that was perhaps my best performance period. And I'd love to do that song again...
June 2007: FSC Orientation: Again, this was one of those "out of the blue" performances. Story is, I was part of a group of freshman who had to create a presentation on a school policy. So I kinda gave the idea of "Let's do a rap song!" 7 minutes later, I wrote a song about some sort of technology policy, and kinda bit O.P.P. by Naughty By Nature. But hey, it was all in good fun man.
October 2008: FSC Open-Mic Night: So....it was a long long time since I picked the mic up again. Long story short, I went through some issues that required me to step away from music for a period of time. I came back in January 08, dropped an album in August 08, and here we are. Feeling as if I needed to get back on the stage, I wrote a song, memorized it in 5 days, and spit it. The crowd was really appreciative, and at that point, I realized that I was right back in the saddle again.

So that brings us to today.... show number 8, for those keeping score at home. It's amazing how over 3 years, you evolve and see yourself change. You see the songs you created evolve, you can feel it happen. You meet people you'd never expect, and you watch people leave your life for periods of time, or in some cases, for good.

But that's enough sentimental chatter from me. It's been a long and crazy 5 years rapping, and here we are. I can't wait for the 27th, to perform with Aces Down, to give people a show that you can't forget.

Peace out,

-MC Larny

P.S. Be sure to click on the banner below.

Or if you can't see it, myspace.com/acesdownma. Add us!

Aces Down Profile: Ari

2008-11-22T09:47:00.000-08:00

Name: Ari Shuris
What I Do: Vocalist/Acoustic Guitar
Influences: Brandi Carlile, Cat Power, Incubus, John Legend
Active since: Writing since I was in middle school, Singing since start of high school, making music 2 years ago
Experience with Bands: No prior experience with bands...just random jam sessions over the years

Reprinted from an earlier post

This semester I feel I’ve finally dipped my toes into the whole music-making thing. As a visual media production major, producing is what I love to do – film, music, poetry…I’ve been singing all my life really, and picked up the guitar a couple years ago, after watching my brother play for 15 years. Whenever I’m back home in Princeton, we jam and inspire each other. It’s a constant growing process. Since I’m away at school, he’s always interested in seeing what I’ve written and I’m always in awe of his raw talent.

I’ve lived in Princeton most of my life. It’s way too small and I’m dying to get out there and to get my work noticed. After school, I plan on moving west where the sun is bright, and where I know I can get a jumpstart on my career. I’m all about living in the now and travel, so I know this plan will be perfect for me as an individual.

After interning this semester at a radio station, I was exposed to so much talent and creativity. I told myself this really was the year to start to start working with people who have the same enthusiastic minds and spirits as me. In the studio, I feel like all I can do is be an artist. This is the only way to be really...an artist. I love the energy that flows in the room. I feel the mutual understandings between all of us…working hard, working creatively, doing it freely. It’s a no pressure zone, but I feel there’s a little bit of pressure...good pressure…to do my best. After all, I am my own worst critic! I am amped on getting my words, voice, and emotions heard. I’ve waited so long for it really…I’ve been holding back for sometime…keeping it private, personal…but my love for it has freed me. _A

Blog Report: 11/21/08

2008-11-20T19:20:00.000-08:00

Yep, it's another Blog Report, and like most other things, it concerns Aces Down, for the most part.

Let's start with some bad news. The Ari Shuris/MC Larny collaboration material ain't making it out before 2009. Yeah, it sucks, but in the end, it was all a matter of time, and also putting out a quality product. You'll hear some of that stuff eventually, so just wait. It's still coming...

But the good news is that Aces Down is for real. Yep, it's really looking good. We've done a couple jam sessions with a majority of the band, and I, for one, am very excited for what this collective effort can accomplish.

You'll be hearing about the remaining members of the band in detail during the next few postings. But now, it's time to announce the full line-up of Aces Down....

MC Larny: Rapping

Laura Sacchetti: Lead Guitar/Some Vocals

Chris Tobin: Drums

Brett Banik: Rhythm Guitar/Keyboards

Ari Shuris: Lead Harmonic Vocals/Acoustic Guitar

Victor Bebo: Bass

Niko Matses: Electric Percussion

We even got some jams together recently, and if you're on our Facebook page reading this, check out the music player on the side of the site. If you're checking this out on Myspace, then check out the music player on the main page.

That's all for this edition of the blog report. See you next time.

-MC Larny

Aces Down Profile: Laura

2008-11-13T16:47:00.000-08:00

Name: Laura Sacchetti
What i do: Lead Guitar, some vocals/writing lyrics
Previous experience with bands: nothing that lasted
Active since: 2008
Influences: Alice in Chains, Jimi Hendrix, Tool, Metallica, Led Zeppelin

So about me... I'm Laura, just joined Aces Down, and its the s***. I have played the guitar since i was 12 (i stole my brother's guitar, which i fixed up and perform on today) and i am completely self-taught. I kalso play the piano, which i have been playing it since... well, ever since i could remember. I also attempt singing from time to time.

My style is bluesy-hard rock/metal. I tend to improve a lot of my solos because it just sounds better and more authentic. I like to play loud, and my neighbors surely hate me. ;) rock on.

-Laura

Aces Down

2008-11-12T19:38:00.001-08:00

It's official. The live band is here.

Enter Aces Down.

Now that you know, it's time to take a crash course about each member of the band, one by one.

Starting with: MC Larny!

Name: MC Larny
What I Do: Vocals (Rapping), Beat Assembler
Previous Experience With Bands: Yes
Active since: 2003, officially in 2005
Influences: Public Enemy, Deftones, NIN, Wu-Tang Clan, DMX, A Perfect Circle...

OK then, I'm MC Larny. I'm the guy who brought this band to life, though I really can't say it was all my work. I've been rapping for about 5 years now, since high school, made some CD's here and there. I've also produced all of my music myself too, and while I didn't have a clue what I was doing back when I started, I taught myself, drawing on my influences (too many to name) and my brief experience with musical instruments. As time went on, I got better, and defined a style of production, as well as a rhyming style too. I also learned how to put emotions into the music as well, also basing it off experiences from life as well.

In high school, I played with a few bands that my friends were in, and while none of them actually lasted as long as I wanted to (at best 1 show), they were very inspiring to me to actually make this happen, and put on a great live show. For a while now, I've been patientially waiting to do this, but just couldn't find the right people, and get it going. Finally, it seems that I've found the right people and they all have talent oozing from their pores.

All I know is, that this is exciting and I can't wait for December 27th, when we take the stage. Who know what can happen.....

-MC Larny

Stay tuned for more profiles of the band...

11.9.08 Update

2008-11-09T08:09:00.000-08:00

Ok, this one will be quick but worth reading. The live band for the December 27th show has been set.

The official name of the band is coming soon. So keep your eyes on this space.

-MC Larny

Blog Report: 10/27/08: Holding Paterns

2008-10-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

What up people, it's MC Larny with The Blog Report!

This one is on the short side, because things are in a holding pattern. So I'll just rattle off a few points:

Modern Day Madness 2.0: Still being worked on, the 1st single probably will be out before the holiday season gets underway. Stay tuned...
SHOW ALERT: 12/27/08: The big show, 1st since Jan. 2007, is going down. Tom's Gourmet Marketplace, in Northborough MA, free show.
New songs coming?: There's a good shot there may be a new song or a few up on the net in due time. Depends on time, but these songs won't be on the album.

That's all I got, see ya around and check out Myspace, Facebook, Zazzle, and Blog ger.

Word....out.

-MC Larny

Blog Report: 10/22/08

2008-10-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

Howdy homeboys and homegirls,

It's another edition of The Blog Report with MC Larny! Celebrate...or not.

So this week, a bit of a downer to report. Due to schedule conflicts up the wazoo, Down To Funk will not be the backing band for the Dec.27th show at Tom's Gourmet Marketplace in Northborough, MA. It sucks, but hey, it happens.

The replacements will be mentioned formally in due time. Still trying to work out stuff here and there.

So...in the meantime, it's back to work as usual. Mainly, making music and beats again.

Stuff like....

You probably should click on that, to get a better view. But yeah, some of the new beats I've been working on recently have been conceptually epic. We're talking 300-THIS-IS-SPARTAAAAAAA epic.

Probably don't expect any of that stuff to you know, be released in the near future. They are still rough demos, and need to be tweaked. Plus, lyrics ain't even written for it....but it could be just left instrumental, if I felt like it.

Yeah, other than that little thing up there, it's been a quiet week of sorts. Nothing big in the recording department, Ari and I are still working on stuff. It's all a matter of time, and who's got it. Hard to balance school and music, ya know?

Or do ya?

Well, let me elaborate. I've noticed that during this semester in college, I've done mostly stuff involving music, either writing or producing. Being in a single room makes it a lot easier. And it's a lot more addictive too. I'm spending like 6 or 7 days a week working on stuff. It's crazy, because I'm mad dedicated to hip-hop now. Something that I never expected to be this big part of my life right about now.

But I digress...it's a causality of the game we willing play.

Yeah, I kinda veered off there.

So I guess for this week's blog report it's.....

Remember to check us out on Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/mclarny), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/MC-Larny/18718543367), Blogger (http://mclarnyrocks.blogspot.com/)...you know.

Peace, and support the locals!
-MC Larny, signing out...

Blog Report: 10/14/08: Guest Writer Edition

2008-10-14T04:49:00.000-07:00

Howdy peeps,

The Blog Report with MC Larny will not be seen this week....stay tuned for the Blog Report with Ari Shuris, coming up next.

Oh, who's she? She's a creative collaborator of MC Larny who will be joining us onstage and on record this fall.

But now, it's time for her to give her version of the blog report. Make some noise for....Ari Shuris!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This semester I feel I’ve finally dipped my toes into the whole music-making thing. As a visual media production major, producing is what I love to do – film, music, poetry…I’ve been singing all my life really, and picked up the guitar a couple years ago, after watching my brother play for 15 years. Whenever I’m back home in Princeton, we jam and inspire each other. It’s a constant growing process. Since I’m away at school, he’s always interested in seeing what I’ve written and I’m always in awe of his raw talent.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And that was the blog report for this week, hope you all enjoyed the deviation from the norm this week. Thanks to Ari for knocking it out of the the park this week. See y'all next time....

-MC Larny

Blog Report: 10/12/08 (Special Sunday Edition)

2008-10-12T08:36:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

A little early for a blog report, but does it matter? Especially with the earth-shattering announcement that's about to follow.

LIVE in Northborough on Saturday, December 27th, 2008. MC Larny, Ari Shuris, and Down To Funk, performing together.

It's free to all, and (hopefully), we'll have copies of the new CD with us. Be on the lookout for more updates, and some other stuff.

This show is gonna be huge, in more ways than one.

Yeah that's it, see you guys later on.

-MC Larny

Blog Report: 10/9/08

2008-10-09T07:35:00.000-07:00

Hey yo,

Welcome to another edition of the Blog Report. As always, it's MC Larny, kicking it and whatnot.

So this one is gonna be short and sweet, so let's get into it right now.

It's happening.

MC Larny, Ari Shuris and Down To Funk collaborating together.

What does this mean? Can't say just yet, it's all sensitive as of now, but lets just stick with the classic excuse of "This Will Be Memorable."

Peace,

MC Larny

P.S: Please check out http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=11751378223 for more info on Down To Funk.

Blog Report: 10/1/08 (A Day Late, Syndicated From Facebook Version)

2008-10-02T11:57:00.000-07:00

Howdy peeps,

So quick question for all y'all?

Do you remember last week's edition of the blog report, how I announced that there was a special guest joining us for the bonus EP being added to Modern Day Madness (which is now in sights for a December release, stay posted for more info).

Well, the wait is over.

After being officially unveiled on the air this Wednesday night on the DNA radio show on WDJM 91.3 (Framingham State College Radio), the guest for this EP, and making her debut is...

Ariana "Ari" Shuris

A good friend of mine who I've known since last year, Ari will be providing her talents for the EP on both sides of the music, in backing music (acoustic guitar) and singing (on tracks I produced).

So yes, this EP is somewhat of a collaborative/split EP, and personally, I am excited and honored to have the talents of Ms. Shuris .

Prepare for a different side of MC Larny, this December.
-MC Larny

Blog Report: 9/26/08

2008-09-26T07:53:00.001-07:00

Howdy peeps,

So I'm writing this blog to give you guys the 411 on some of the upcoming stuff I'm working on.

First up: Modern Day Madness 2.0 (End of 2008)

Yes indeed, there will be a physical CD re-release of Modern Day Madness coming by year's end. It's the original album (which is onsale at Amazon.com MP3 Store), with a special bonus EP added to the album.

What's that? You want to know about what's the EP going to be like? Well then, it's going down like this:

6 tracks
3 Acoustic, 3 "plugged in"
MC Larny's half: New songs with acoustic guitar
Special guest's half: Performing songs over tracks I produced
Special guest to be revealed next week

Second: The mixtapes

Yes indeed, a trio of mixtapes are in the works right now. For this one I can give details.

The mixtapes are all going to be "concept mixtapes". That is, each one will have a theme. The themes are undetermined at this time, but if you want to guess, go ahead.

The release dates are not set though, but I can say that you'll know about it soon enough.

Yeah boyeee, that's the blog report this week. Remember to check us out on MySpace (www.myspace.com/mclarny) and Facebook (Facebook search: MC Larny).

Till next week. I'm MC Larny, and this....was a blog.

I Wanna Know....

2008-09-15T18:04:00.000-07:00

Do you guys really want an actual physical release of Modern Day Madness? You know, an actual CD.

Well, if y'all want it, LET ME KNOW!

Drop a line and leave a comment.

-MC Larny

Blog Report: 9/9/08 Edition

2008-09-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

So judging from the awesome feedback we've heard regarding the new album (available on Amazon.com), I guess it's time to give you guys some updates.

First off, despite the fact that the CD is currently digital only...a physical copy will be coming in the near future, my guess is end of 2008. Can't say if it'll be the exact same CD, or modified...but only time will tell.

Second, and most importantly, the new CD Modern Day Madness...is 1/3 of a trilogy I intend to complete.

It's not really a conceptual trilogy, but it's more of a loose trilogy, like The Cure (Pornography, Disintegration, and Bloodflowers), or Lil Wayne (The Carter 1-3). The goal is to put out three albums all on three specific dates.

Notice how 8.8.08 all had the same number 3 times? Well then, you've figured out how this will all work.

The next chapter of the trilogy, will be out exactly 1 year from now (Sept. 9th, 2009, or 9.9.09).

For now, that's all I can really say about it. Everything is veiled in secrecy and I'm still trying to figure this all out.

Peace,
MC Larny

What does the future hold?

2008-08-20T20:09:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody,

So after a whirlwind 2 weeks or so, with the album successfully launching online and the next week, landing on Amazon.com's MP3 Store, I'm writing this feeling really accomplished as of now. Dropping the new CD on Amazon.com was quite unreal, but when it happened, it was truly overwhelming.

So now, the question remains...where do I go from here?

The answer: Up and onward.

As of now, I'm working on quite a few projects...all of which I can't really elaborate on right now, based on the sheer secrecy I intend to keep on this till a certain point. You could say I'm "staying busy" for the time being, and "things are getting exciting".

....OK, I could share with you 1 song, it's a demo beat called "Vanishing Act". Sorry, there's no vocals on the track. Yet. In due time, there may be....or maybe not.

Crap, I've said too much....

-MC Larny

P.S. RIP Leroi Moore

Modern Day Madness: The Story Behind It All

2008-07-26T19:20:00.000-07:00

For this week's blog, I decided to do something a little different. Hope you enjoy.

If there’s anything from making this album taught me, it’s that I can’t keep promises.

If I had kept my promises, then this album wouldn’t exist at all, instead, it would’ve remained in my subconscious till the day I died. Now, I bet you’re wondering why, well here is the reason.

Last summer, while driving to work, something terrible happened. It wasn’t a physical car crash or accident, but rather a mental car wreck. In one sudden moment, my stability came crumbing down. I just couldn’t think straight at all, and I think my musical ambitions had become more than I could handle. So at that point in time, I set in motion my plan to quietly exit the so-called rap game, possibly leaving for good.

For about 6 months or so, I led a quiet and almost pointless life, trying to find something else to thoroughly obsess me, with nothing doing. I stopped writing songs and making beats, and just returned to who I was before I started rapping. Meanwhile, many of my friends that I stayed in contact with were asking if I was still rapping and all that. I told them that I was “taking a break” or “I don’t know yet”.

For that period of time, I was wondering if I was as good as everyone thought I was, and if I either made a fool of myself, or became somebody for once in my life.

Then, in January 2008, something happened. My dad came home one night after picking up a pizza, and he saw a friend of mine working there. Out of curiosity, the friend asked if I was still rapping, and my dad was unsure of my status, so replied with a simple “I don’t know, I think he’s taking a break”. The friend replied by saying, “Well, I thought that his music was really good.”
Suddenly, that cold part of me that pretty much wanted to retire back in that car on that summer day, began to disappear. After mulling it for a few days, I officially announced my return on January 19th, 2008, and slowly began to conceptualize the next project.

At first, it was intended to be an EP of sorts with a full-length coming some time after, but the EP never made it out the hangar. One of the titles that I was bouncing around for the new music was “The Darkest of Afflictions”, a line that I got from a Jedi Mind Tricks song and also accurately described my life from the start of the summer, to the current point in time.

Eventually, I started to write some of the lyrics, albeit in a staggered, stop-and-go fashion, along with the production. To do both was like re-learning how to ride a bike, difficult to start with some falls, but back to full strength in due time.

The writing and beat creation phase of this album went hand in hand. When I started writing the lyrics for the album, I really didn’t give myself any directions on what to write, and for once, I actually wrote more songs based on real-life experiences that I had gone thru since the last album. Ever since the last album, things had changed drastically, and it became obvious that the next project I worked on should reflect those changes. So from late March to early June, the album was in the building stages, with a lot of the beats being made first as a blueprint, with the lyrics being written soon after. After this phase was completed, the next part was to actually get into the studio and flesh out these songs.

Of course, this time around, I really wanted to make an album that didn’t seem like crappy demo recording, so I enlisted in the help of an old-friend, Chris D’Amico (of Detour 45), to produce the album. To be honest, he was the one who convinced me to come back, and he was the one who also managed to get me focused on making this album. So obviously, big time props go out to him, because he pretty much reminded me of who I was, and brought out my full potential. Without him, this album would have never happened.

I hope you enjoy this album and get a memorable experience from it, because when I was making it, I got quite a lot of them. Hopefully, if the stars align, you’ll get to hear some of these songs performed live, or maybe see a music video for one or two songs. Thanks for your continued support, because of you, this album is a reality, rather than a daydream.

-MC Larny

CD Blog: Finished. Done. Complete.

2008-07-07T20:51:00.000-07:00

OK, so it's approximately 11:00 PM EST as I write this, but as the title states, the album "Modern Day Madness" is DONE!

As in, the CD is in the home stretch, and it's being refined to (near) perfection as I speak.

So it's awesome, it's all done, and now I'm just awaiting the master copy to land in my hands.

The story should end here, but no.

The CD is still coming out on 8.8.08, in one way or another. But as of now, a physical release is looking quite hazy.

Reason: I'm going to be candid, and tell it like it is. As it stands, I'm currently without a job, and I have no income. Consequently, whatever money I have left has gone into paying for studio time, which was well worth it, but left me in a rough situation.

So now, the CD is complete, but the problem is "How is it coming out? How are people going to get it?"

Right now, I'm playing around with every option I could think of, but I'll admit, it's tough.

In summary, 8.8.08 is still the release date, and the finished product will be out somehow, in some form, one way or another... I just pray to God that everything works out.

Peace
-MC Larny

P.S. Oh I almost forgot... I have a short paragraph regarding the new album, printed below. Be sure to read it carefully, especially the bold parts.

Welcome to the world we live in, the MODERN DAY MADNESS where
everyone is suspect to being YOUNG AND STUPID, FASHIONABLY UN-TRENDY,
and other such things. The world will seem UNREAL, with MC's
DROPPING THE SWEET SCIENCE, but also being STUCK IN A GROOVE. Be wary
of EL DIABLO and THE SUBTLE ACT OF BETRAYAL cast upon close friends.
This world may have you screaming "WHERE DOES IT END?" only for you
to discover that it is merely an INTRO to everything else.
Consider this to be your first, last and only warning....

CD Blog: Progress Update

2008-07-05T12:30:00.000-07:00

OK, so last week, I didn't make a blog. My bad. I was kinda occupied.

But I guess, now I have something to talk about this week. Simply enough, it's the album progress update.

This past week, we hit the studio to tighten up some of the album, and record some new songs, here and there.

As it stands now, this is how the CD looks so far:

Beats: 100% complete

Writing: 100% complete

Recording: 90% complete

Total: 96% complete

Pretty good so far, it's in the home stretch. Hopefully, by next week, I can come back here and say "It's Done!".

Shocking how within 2 recording sessions, the full album is nearly complete.

So next week, expect a new blog, and maybe something else...

Peace
-MC Larny

CD Blog: Lyrical Stylings

2008-06-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

Howdy peeps,

Hope you're all enjoying the summer and whatnot, seeing that as of now, it's summer! (Yeah, for real this time.)

So in this week's edition of the weekly blog, I'm gonna take a look into the second half of how a record gets made. Last week, I went in-depth with how the beats have evolved and the creation of said beats.

Now, as you may or may not know, a hot beat is only as hot as the lyrics that go along with it. (OK, I understand that in 2008, lyrics don't mean jack in songs now, it's the beat and the dance moves...but I think the lyrics always have to be the forefront of a hip-hop song.)

So when I do a song, oftentimes I have a concept of what the song will be about thought up in my head, then I either get on the computer and type it out, or grab a notebook and write it out.

The thing that's really hard when it comes to writing is that it's gotta be natural, as in, I write whenever I feel like it. So that could be while playing a videogame, watching TV, being at church, riding in the car, in a class, wherever.

Here's an example of a handwritten, yet unrecorded song from 2005:

Go ahead, bite this, it won't get you anywhere, sucka MC's!

So as you see there, the lyrics there were an example on spontaneous writing.

OK, I think that I've given out enough information. Next thing you know, I'll be giving out my formula for song writing....

But that's enough knowledge for now, so I'll veer into the obligatory promo:

Modern Day Madness: 8.8.08
1st Single: "Young & Stupid" Out Tuesday for Free Download!

So yeah, be sure to check out the new single on Tuesday, and share it, rip it, just get it out there to people...

See ya in a week,
MC Larny

CD Blog: The Art of Beatmaking & The Art Of Evolving

2008-06-14T20:45:00.000-07:00

What's up people? Yeah, it's my blog. A weekly update, on the album Modern Day Madness (dropping 8.8.08, 1st single out on 6/24).

So this week, I decide to take you inside the every so interesting world of beatmaking, and show you how the music has evolved since 2005.

Let me give you a short description of my past setups from the 1st album to right now.

Straight Outta Nowhere:

FL Studio 5

In The Paint EP:

FL Studio 6

Sony ACID XPress 5.0

Enter The Unknown:

FL Studio 7

Apple GarageBand

Sony ACID PRO 6

Modern Day Madness:

FL Studio 8

Apple GarageBand

So as the discography grows disc by disc, the production of the albums have advanced. Of course, all the beats have been done by me since when I started out, so the evolution is even more apparent.

For example, the 1st CD was me trying to make beats out of random noise and drum tracks.

Now, the beats have become actually structured, with breakdowns, chorus sections, intros, outros and whatnot.

If I had to trace my influences to how i make beats, it would come from the following :

Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind (Jedi Mind Tricks)

RZA (Wu-Tang Clan)

DJ Premier (Gang Starr)

Madlib

The Bomb Squad (Public Enemy)

Dr. Dre

Rick Rubin

Production is the 1st step in making an album, it serves as the blueprint, it gives a sense of direction to write by and keep the albums cohesive.

So yeah, that's my blog on beat production. Next week, I'll discuss another art, "The Art of Writing".

Peace.

P.S. Go Celtics, LA is going down!

NEW CD HAPPENING!

2008-06-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Just by looking at that poster should explain quite a lot.

Yeah, that's right, a new album. On August 8th, 2008.

10 tracks. No collaborations. Expect the unexpected.

Release info will be announced shortly, the 1st single will be "Young and Stupid", coming out in 2 weeks.
-MC Larny

Frustrations of A Madman

2008-05-10T15:46:00.000-07:00

Wow...I don't know, but I am just frustrated right about now. It's a Saturday night, and school is just about over, and yet, I just can't be happy.

It's all of this stuff happening all at once. I have no income, I'm nearly broke, finals to study for, final projects....

And the fact that I've run into the same roadblock that almost made me give up rap music has reappeared: Getting a live show that's on my terms.

It's hard, considering that the town you call home, and the surrounding towns around you, are not hip-hop friendly. Sure you could play with a hardcore/metalcore/screamo band, but you notice how hip-hop and screamo/hardcore/metalcore just don't mix, right?

Just another layer of frustration and a bonafide lack of sanity to help me out during finals. It'll be miraculous if I come out of FSC fine this week.

Songs of the Blog Post: Diary of A Madman- Ozzy Osbourne/Rock Bottom- Eminem

-Fin-

Summer?! Now?!

2008-05-06T06:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's been approx. 3 months since I updated the blog, guess I've been too busy doing other things (i.e. nothing).

But I guess I might as well fill you in on what I'm up to, and what I may be up to.

Finishing freshman year: Yeah, that's the top priority right now, with 2 exams, and 3 projects due. Overwhelmed? Nope. But burned out? Yes.
Employment: TBA. I really hope I have a job so that I can afford a couple things.

Rock The Bells 2008: Pharcyde, Nas, Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Immortal Technique, Raekwon + Ghostface, Method Man + Redman.....
Hollywood's onslaught on my wallet: Iron Man, Dark Knight, Incredible Hulk....
Videogaming's onslaught on my wallet: GTA 4, Burnout Paradise, Rock Band, Ninja Gaiden 2....

Something involving MC Larny: Well, that's the plan. It's actually still pending right now, so I can't elaborate on the details. But this summer will be an interesting one.

Ok, that's all I got. Peace.

-L

What I've been up to...

2008-02-21T10:18:00.000-08:00

check it out...

Not Over Yet

2008-01-21T22:45:00.000-08:00

Over the past few months, people have been asking "Hey Larny, are you still rapping?" or something like that.

My reply has been at best : "Not really, I'm kinda taking a break."

The reason why I took a break from this is a shocker: I totally lost my heart and passion for making music sometime after I dropped my last CD. I was really disappointed that I couldn't get my best work out to more people, and that I kinda felt as if I failed myself.

Also, I went through some serious self doubt issues, where I truly second-guessed my skills and if I was as good as people said.

So I took a hiatus from it, and thought everything over.

Now, I'm ready to say this: It's Not Over Yet.

So consider this an advance notice: MC Larny is back, but this time, evolved. One way or another, either by myself, or with a band, there will be new songs from MC Larny in 2008....

Promise.

-Larnel Jones a.k.a MC Larny

CD Credits and linear notes

2007-02-17T18:39:00.000-08:00

Thanks and Shoutouts:

First off, I'd like to thank God, and the family.

Secondly, I'd like to thank all the peolple who helped out on the CD: Morgan Tharp, Mike Corey, Jim Beatz, Neil Beschle, Spencer Siegal, Carl Mueller, Chris D'amico, Ryan Halpin, Tim Stone and Dan Araya. You guys held it down BIG TIME, I thank you so much.

Third, I'd like to thank Chris D'Amico and his family for hosting all the noisy rehearsals, Morgan Tharp and her family for hosting some of the recording session, Justin Saglio and his family, for letting me tear it up, Lindsay Scopeski and her family for letting me get loose with T.I.P.

That reminds me, shoutouts to the following bands and artists: T.I.P., Watch Them Fall, White Noise, Deaf By Rock & Roll, Millie Manning, Severed Survival and a couple others I may have forgot but still love to see live. Rock on.

Shoutout to a couple friends I know: Ally Graber, Bryan Chuck, Steve Pennett, Jessie in WI, Felicha, and Coach John Frederick and the ARHS Varisty Soccer Team.

Keep on rapping in the free world.

- MC Larny

Linear Notes:

This CD took a long time to complete, around 10 months. The demo took me 4 weeks, the first CD took 3 months, the second CD took around 6 months.

A lot of things changed in this CD lyrically and musically. Lyrically I switched up my themes and added some social commentary and some personal songs as well (chalk that up to metalcore).
Production wise, I used 3 different programs to make the beats on this CD: ACID PRO 6, FL Studio 6, and Apple GarageBand. Actually Mike Corey made the GarageBand beat, I just oversaw it.

Plus, Thunderbltiz Part 2 was recorded with live instruments, a first for MC Larny.

Anyways, I listened to a lot of different things during the creation of this album so here's a list of albums and songs I listened to:

-ROCK-
What Doesn't Die- Anthrax
Saturday Night Wrist - Deftones
White Pony - Deftones
Around The Fur - Deftones
Fantastic Planet - Failure
Go Away- Cold
Vermillion- Slipknot
OK Computer - Radiohead
Creep- Radiohead

-RAP/HIP-HOP-
Thug's Mansion- 2pac
Hip Hop Is Dead - Nas
Illmatic - Nas
Liquid Swords - Genius/GZA
Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor - Lupe Fiasco
Made You Feel That Way- Blackalicious
Deliver- Chino XL

that's a short list of the influential songs and albums I heard while making this CD.

Now to the songs themselves:

Enter The Unknown/Back 2 Basics: This one... well it's supposed to be one beat, but it became 2 beats tied into one song. I wanted to just do an instrumental, but I decided to just go in and do an intro with vocals. The scream at the end of the verse was COMPLETELY random, I just improvised it on the spot and thought "That should stay in there."

The Flipside: Well, that song was one that I like to call "awesome way to start CD". The beat was a throwback to my old days of beatmaking, when I'd always throw in a breakdown at the end of the song, just to make it complete.

R.E.AL.: For this one, I'd like to blame Wu-Tang Clan for directly influencing the title. It's an anagram, Rocking Every Area Locally, something that I thought up while listening to the beat of the song.

Can't Sleep: Ah yes, this track. I wrote it back in April, while listening to "The World Is Yours" by Nas. Something about that got me thinking about writing a song about life in general, a description of my desire and passion for hip-hop, and how I continue to restlessly pursue a dream, hence the title "Can't Sleep".

No Fear Yesteryear: Grealty influenced by guys like Nas and Rakim, I wanted to do a lyrical song, staright-up. No politics, no emotional content, just a song with lyrics about rapping.

Mission Statement: I made this track as a personal promise to my fans and myself, that I wouldn't sell out. It's based on how all these other rappers nowadays ride around their delapaded hoods with pimped out cars and chains, just screaming "Aiyyo, I'm so rich homie. I got so much money, so much bling..."

Something 2 Prove: This song was a creepy and haunting beat, kinda like a horror film. It's dark and gothic, but shows that there's something to prove.

Chillin Like The Villian: Mike Corey, a good friend of mine, makes his first guest apperance on this album as a producer. The legend goes that one day, during Video Tech 2 in junior year, Mike was messing around with Apple GarageBand and he had come up with this amazing chill-out beat. I told him that I wanted to use it for the next CD, and I did. End result: an amazing track that's a first, because it's an outside production beat and also was made using GarageBand.

X & O (Mental Process): This was a flashback to how I became a rapper, and the road I took to where I am today.

One Day Away: I wrote this at a time when I didn't believe in myself, I wasn't confident with my skills, I just wasn't sure I was as good everyone thought I was. This was a reflection of frustration and of dissappointment.

Sequel: This was a collab between a friend of mine, Dan Araya, because we had done a song together in the past, and we wanted to do it again. Now, of course, there are two versions: edited and unedited. The unedited one will be on Myspace soon.

When It's Over: Another first on this album. The story behind this track was that back in June 2006, I had talked to Morgan Tharp, the guest voaclist for the song, about doing this collab. She was honored about doing the song, and the thing is I had never heard her sing before, I was going with her on blind faith. When we stepped into the studio to do the song, she literately floored me with her voice, and my mind was saying "Oh my God, blind faith has done it again!" It was that good.

Thunderbltiz Part 2: Oh yeah, the infamous "Song that delayed the album 3 times in a row", Thunderblitz part 2. It took exactly one year to record the song, and the funny thing is that Chris, my drummer, was part of the original team who worked on the song, but was called in to record at the last minute. Mike Corey appears again, only as a guitarist, and Carl Mueller plays bass on the song. We recorded it at around 9:30 PM, which makes it the latest I've ever recorded in my 3 and a half year career.

My Crew: A song that I added to the tracklist at the last minute to make up for the delay. Anyone who rocked out to the demo remembers this tune very very well.

The Ideal: A song that also got added to the tracklist at well. The beat for this one was taking pieces of Swan Lake, and throwing a cool beat behind it, ending the CD with an errie acoustic guitar at the end.

Credits:
All songs written and produced by M.C. Larny, except "Chillin Like The Villian", produced by Mike Corey and "Thunderblitz Part 2", music by Shadowshot [Carl Mueller, Mike Corey] and Chris D'Amico, lyrics by M.C. Larny.

Recorded in various basements across Northboro and Southboro MA. Mixed in Juniper Hillz Studios, MA.

Personal List:

Live Guitar, Guest Producer (on "Chillin Like The Villian"): Mike Corey
Live Bass: Carl Mueller
Live Drums: Chris D'Amico
Performer: Mr. Kahn
Performer: Morgan Tharp
Executive Producer, Performer, Recorder: M.C. Larny

Project Start: April 2006

Project End: Feburary 24, 2007