You and I need to talk. I\u2019ve been gone for two months and I owe you an explanation about where I\u2019ve been.<\/p>\n
The last week of August I took my first vacation in something like seven or eight years. It\u2019s been the first time in ages that I\u2019ve been able to unwind and completely relax. But something unexpected happened: I found I couldn\u2019t get back on the saddle.<\/p>\n
Let me explain it this way. I\u2019ve been producing an episode of solipsistic NATION<\/b> nearly every single weekend for the last five years. That\u2019s 290 shows and sure, here and there I took a week off but otherwise I\u2019ve been working on this show constantly.<\/p>\n
Every day I spend a few hours sending out emails, making the rounds on Twitter and Facebook and reading electronic music blogs for ideas for future shows or just to take the pulse of the scene. And if I\u2019m not doing that I\u2019m either interviewing people for future shows or doing research for upcoming interviews.<\/p>\n
And for the first time in five years I had a week where I didn\u2019t have to hustle. And after that week I realized how big solipsistic NATION<\/b> had become and how much work goes into making each episode. It was paralyzing. Each week that went by without producing an episode of solipsistic NATION made the following weekend that much more difficult to face.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not that I don\u2019t enjoy doing solipsistic NATION<\/b>, because I do. In fact, I\u2019ve got some big plans in store for the show. But I can\u2019t go on like this. Something needs to change and I\u2019ve got some exciting ideas I want to tell you about on a metacast I\u2019ll put out later this month.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, I\u2019m back, and I\u2019m back with a bang! On today\u2019s show we\u2019ll talk with Raoul Sinier<\/a> and hear a recording of him performing in Toulouse in 2009.<\/p>\n Like so many artists I really like, Ad Noiseam<\/a>\u2018s Nicolas Chevreux introduced me to Raoul when I showcased his label way back in 2008. I was immediately smitten with his deft weaving of staccato glitches, chopped vocals and shattered vocals. After going offline for so long I figured I\u2019d better deliver the good when I came back. Speak Onion<\/a> let me know on Twitter that he\u2019s looking forward to today\u2019s show and that he digs Raoul\u2019s music.<\/p>\n I\u2019m particularly sentimental about today\u2019s show because I interviewed Raoul on my birthday. Granted, I had to wake up at 4:30 am in the morning to accommodate the time difference between me in San Diego and Raoul in Paris. Nonetheless, I was pretty alert and had a good time talking with Raoul. It was a good start to one of the best birthdays I\u2019ve had the pleasure of experiencing.<\/p>\n Enjoy Raoul\u2019s live set in Toulouse! Join us again next week when we\u2019ll showcase<\/a> Dope Records<\/a>.<\/p>\n See you then!<\/p>\n\n