the official loss4words web site

track progress

3:10am, Sunday, 26/10

Okay kids. I've got a pretty much near-final track list for the songs that are going to be worked on and recorded. Excited? I know I am. There's a lot of new material in here that you haven't heard, and I'm hoping to bring it to you soon.

diary of a rebirth

6:16pm, Sunday, 18/07

Well, once again it's funny how time gets away from you. It seems like only yesterday I was installing the messageboard and now it's over a month later. What can you do. Long and loud was last night and I'm absolutely rooted. I really should've posted here beforehand but I just plain forgot; 4FS played at Long and Loud. I know this is probably something that should've gone here first but everything was so busy I just plain forgot. With Hayden on drums, we played a set of 13 old songs, half our old favourite covers and half our old songs. Some highlights included a retooling of Muse - Newborn, and the rocked out version of Ten Days. All a lot of fun. Oh well. The goal seems to be slipping further and further away. Must .. retain .. motivation. Run Amok is so established, I really wish I had more time to dedicate to both of this. I'll have a talk to Dane and Hayden today and see if they seriously want to make a go of it again. More news to follow when I have it. The loss4words database for the new site is done, I just have to get around to actually filling it with useful information, and writing a front-end that will let me do that easily.

9:18pm, Tuesday, 08/06

Things are getting pretty exciting now. I've started making the databases for the new site and I just installed and configure InvisionBoard, which seems to be the BB software of the month. The price is definitely right. I've got the SMS server working properly, and generally it's all going pretty well, I'll have to write a few scripts (and figure out how I'm going to get out of band management to this server in case of catastrophe) but generally things are getting nearer to completion; much nearer than I first anticipated. The messageboard is really quite cool, I'm going to fuck around with it later and do some retooling but yeah, it kicks ass. I'm going to do the cutover before I've written the full site, basically this will make it so I don't have the luxury of sitting around taking my time. The site will be launched with the basics (SMS services, some basic directories, forums, links, gig guide) and then added to as time goes by. The temptation is going to be there to keep updating manually but since I don't want to be doing this all myself, I'm going to have to get a Content Management System working and pronto. Keep checking back! The old loss4words/4FS site will stay online as I'm still doing it but it'll be moved to loss4words.com/4fs, but until that happens, this is where you'll find it. Keep on truckin'!

4:34pm, Saturday, 05/06

If anyone's had any trouble reaching the site or seinding me email, we've moved hosts! UZIPP can get fucked. As a web host they have all the competence of a bull on a unicycle in chinatown. As per usual, it's funny how time gets away from you. It seems like it was just a few weeks ago we were recording in Hayden's basement. Since then I've spent the last three months jamming and playing shows with Run Amok, and I've ported evacuation over to them. It sounds a little different to the idea I had in my head but it's better now, it's got some of their style with it and it's infused into a new song. I've been hell sick the last two weeks and in no position to even think about recording my own things. Besides, I've been too busy with Run Amok. This band rules so fucking hard. Anyways, I can't sing and I'm still sick so there's no chance I'll be doing anything any time soon. When I borrow some mics from some people I'm going to either set up in my room and get all the drum tracks down, or ask Rob to do us some more huge favours and let me do it with his gear at the practise room. Things are picking up, everything's moving in the right direction. I'm hell busy, setting up domains, getting the new loss4words site up. I want to get my music shit done before I fully sink into the coding of the new loss4words site. I've been yapping about this fantastico new site for about two years now but it's finally becoming a reality. Stay tuned, this place is about to get a WHOLE lot bigger.

1:30pm, Sunday, 14/03

Recording! We're in Hayden's basement. Evacuation drums are done. Got the drums reskinned, got a new guitar, a mixer, an FX pedal, and some other rad shit. Yiii. I got Evacuation and Moving to Atlanta drum tracks done. They're not perfect, but they're good enough to demo out, and definitely enough to start recruiting with. Fucking rock.

11:22pm, Tuesday, 27/01

I've suffered a horrendous setback. My house was broken into and my GBA:SP, my wallet, my guitar and my bass were all stolen. I don't have money to replace them right now. I'm heavily considering credit-card'ing the lot. I'm speechless. Here's a new comic.

11:50am, Saturday, 06/12

I GOT MY BASS AMP AND IT'S FUCKING FANTASTIC. I didn't end up getting the Laney hXcMAX, but taking the step up to an Ashton BA75.. this thing has a 15" speaker and to be perfectly honest, it's the loudest thing I've owned that wasn't powered by a rotary engine. Loving it. Went out to new sabotage in the valley last night, it was packed. This will be a success. I don't know whether I'll be there to watch said success, but it will be popular.

3:15pm, Saturday, 22/11

I just realised, after all the effort I went to when I first started my comic, that I never published it here. So here it is!

CLICK HERE FOR THE FIRST EPISODE OF MINISTRY OF SUBCULTURE.

6:15pm, Sunday, 9/11

RECORDING HAS STARTED. OH YEAH. Out of sheer frustration due to Cakewalk Sonar not working, I decided to dodgy things up and start anyway. I've forgone the midi metronome and all that goes along with it.. this is going to come back and bite me, and i WILL have to do it all over again when I get it working, but on the bright side I get to start hearing how things sound now. The first on the bill is Moving To Atlanta. I love this song, and I really hope it turns out well. This is going to be really interesting as I remember how it sounded but I've never had to actually play the drum parts before, or even map them in midi. It's sounding okay for the time being, there's a lot of space though, it's only just starting to hit me how good Steve really was. I'm nearly confident enough with the drumming to be able to work on it properly, and next time I reinstall, I'll get Sonar2 happening, and everything will be good. I can't do anything until I've got at LEAST the midi metronome, because I need drums, and for demo purposes I wanted to record with electronic drums. This is all getting really annoying. I want to get the desert eagle in here and use that because I know it's soundcard is good for it, but at the same time, it's really rather slow and lacking in resources, and I don't want to choke it. Oh well, I guess we'll see in time. Either way, this reinstall is going to happen soon and I'm going to be so pissed if it doesn't fix the problem.

8:43pm, Thursday, 30/10

Oh man, so wrecked but so good. On the down side, my guitar amp is dying. On the upside, this will force me to finally get a new one. I've been hanging onto this one for WAY too long now. The only reason I've been able to do that is because nice people have lent me their gear over the years, mainly Ben and the now-famous Astroboy Marshall Stack. I finally did it; I went out and bought the stands I needed for my drums and everything is rocking along nicely. I just finished a rousing chorus of the first half of Less Than Jake - Anthem and I'm thoroughly wrecked. What's awesome though is that I was keeping up with Short Fuse Burning. My drumming is finally getting good enough to actually think about recording with it. I may be able to get away with not having any Synth drums as long as I can get a metronome. But yeah. I get paid tomorrow so I'm going to go to Drumworx (again) and get a crash and a stand for it. Next week hopefully I might be able to afford the bass amp, after all these months of Matt not paying me back the $700 he owes me for the rent fiasco. Everything is coming together.. so excited. My guitar is slowly beginning to suck. It's coming time to start looking for another one. I'll probably spend about $800 on it. I don't think I'm prepared to spend any more than that, I don't think I'd reap the benefit. My studio gear isn't good enough, and once you get to that level, you've already passed the crap and good stages, and that's getting up around pro-quality. Anyways, yeah, things are good.

3:10pm, Friday, 10/10

SARA HART SHOW AT MARY ST NEXT THURSDAY, EVERYONE SHOULD GO TO IT.

11:11am, Saturday, 4/10

Sennheiser, I love you. Brad from Arties Music is going to meet me after work at Aspley Maccas so I can pick up my latest toys - a delicious pair of headphones. I can't wait. Thursday night was Sara Hart's first show, and FUCK was it good. I got a lot of good photos which I'll try to get developed and scanned today, no promises. I'm still waiting on money from Matt so I can get the bass amp, and finish the drum kit. I haven't been playing much music lately, sadly, mainly because of the repeated disappointment of failing to get Cakewalk Sonar2 working properly. I just can't get the midi to work, and without it I don't even have a metronome, and without a ticker.. well.. it's impossible to record anything decently. It's a shame because I really WANT to get things moving but I'm held back by stupid equipment problems. If anyone has any working XP compatible recording software with midi synth drums, PLEASE donate it to me. I've had about all I can take, and Hayden and Dane have proved no help whatsoever in trying to get it working. "Press a bunch of buttons.. press everything you can find about midi till it works." Not exactly the help I was looking for. It's annoying because this interface is nearly identical to Cakewalk Pro Audio 8 which I'm used to, so I know how to do this, hell I've even followed the instructions. There is no good reason why it shouldn't work, and it's fucking shitting me. So close to formatting the windows drive on the Desert Eagle and starting from scratch again.

11:51am, Thursday, 11/9

I bought a bass two Thursdays ago after work and DIZZAMN is it sweet. It's so hot. I want to love it. No amp as yet, as SOMEONE (*cough*MATT*cough*) hasn't paid me yet. Not to worry. I got the essential bits of the new recording workstation and I'm setting it up slowly. It's getting there. Two more weeks until I've got all of the parts I need. Hurrah. VDC Allan found the comic in the Sabotage Zine and says he's going to "represent on my brain". I'm not really sure what that means but I think it's bad. I've been talking to him a bit but it seems that all he wants to do is fight about it. Angry kid. Anyways. New workstation's name is Buzz, so called after the annoying static that constantly emits from the PC Speaker for no apparent reason. I may have to replace the motherboard with the model up. It's an AMD XP2500+ at 2.17 with 512MB of dual channel ram and a 120 gig hard drive. It's got a six channel Realtek soundcard with full 5.1 and digital support, and SATA/RAID support. No plans to use either of those just yet.. but coming soon: RAID'd SATA Raptors. 10,000 rpm. Oh yeah. I still need two more monitors, an optical drive and a video card. Can't wait for the FX5900 that's coming for it. This system is going to wang you like you've never been wanged before.

10:06pm, Saturday, 23/8

I went to drumworx today and got my drums tuned and got some quotes for some stuff I need. It's going to cost a crapload because I need two crash cymbals but apart from that..all cheap. Tonight Dane, Hayden and I played with Friendly Henry for Jono's 21st birthday party and it was GREAT! Great great great. The vocals were soft and my amp sucked but I'm buying a new one in two weeks. Bass and bass amp come next saturday as well. Joy. The Rise Against song fucking ruled and it just goes to show that we can do anything if we put our minds to it. Not bad organising and learning for a show in one day. Anyways. It was great because it feels like I've finally got some closure on 4FS now.. it feels less like it died behind my back when I wasn't looking. It was great to play with D&H again but it was different because I was coming from a completely different musical angle, mixing with them rather than having them doing their thing while I did mine. It made me realise how much I miss 4FS but also how much I don't need it to make my own good music. Either way, enjoyed by all, many a hardcore move and scream uttered to AFI. Kick out the jams.

3:06pm, Saturday, 16/8

Two nights ago, a giant cleaning spree broke out. It was slow, intensive and my room is now an efficient hall of music. I also managed to build a new snare stand and a new hi-hat stand temporarily from a table-mic stand, a kickdrum leg, two boxes, a skate bearing, two feet of tape and two skate wheels. At least I can play now while I wait for the new parts.

1:42am, Thursday, 14/8

It's been just about two months since I updated this and what a couple it has been. I've seen a hell of a lot of awesome shows, and so much to write about, but I just haven't. Being unemployed really gets to you. After seeing From These Wounds play a few times in the last few weeks though, I'm inspired and I'm back on the music writing bandwagon. Steph's hooked me up some good prices from Drumworx and I'm buying a bass when I get my backdated Centrelink cheque that should cover a whole heap of stuff that I need. My drumming's improving and I hope to have a complete kit by this time next fortnight. I really hope that cheque comes through soon though, I'm running severely short of money. This high-roller student-esque lifestyle don't come cheap, y'know. I've got a whole bunch of songs finished and ready to record. w00t.

5:14pm, Tuesday, 17/6

The rebirth of loss4words.com is finally coming. Remember that giant revamp I promised you all those months ago? Well, it's finally coming. A brand-spanking new site that'll finally be seperated from the 4FS site, a new interface, new concepts, a database-driven record engine, and best of all; everything. Forums, mp3's, musician and band resources, directories, the works. See a show you like on the list? Click on the venue for pictures, directions, and bands that've recently played there. See a band you like? Click for a bio, photos, mp3s, where they've played before and where they're playing next. And so on and so forth. It's big, it's ballsy, and I'm going to have to code my motherfucking arse off to avoid using any third-party packages that I have to pay for, but it's going to be great. Loving it.

8:23am, Monday, 22/6

So I bought drums. This lovely Tama Swingstar 5-piece with gun metal grey finish are sitting in my room, waiting to be tuned, and waiting for my hardware and cymbals to arrive. I had a bit of a kickaround on them before, which was rather difficult considering the absence of a snare stand or a hi-hat, but hey, I like to play. It felt pretty good. I had a bit of a jump-around to More Betterness and Hoss while I was at it, damn it felt good to rock out on guitar. I can't wait to get back onstage, it's where the action is. Damn it feels good to be a gangsta.

6:03pm, Saturday, 14/6

I've gone through the site and updated/ammended some things that desperately needed updating, added some news on the news page, and ended up writing quite a bit of it. Reworded some out of date things on the music page, updated the bio, and corrected the email address on the contact page. Coming next: a whole new set of links, and the writings page being WIPED CLEAN. That's right, you heard me. We're starting from scratch again. The old loss4words site will become my personal site and the new 4FS site will be born from scratch. I'm using the designs that Duncan made in 2001 that I never implemented. Are they good? Yes! Hooray. All going well, now back to study for my final uni exams, EVER.

8:57pm, Tuesday, 27/5

The stage is set and basic plans have been made. As you can see, there's a progress table on the left, with a list of tracks. Some aren't finished, some are finished but not recorded, some are in the progress of being recorded, and others are completely recorded and awaiting final mix. I bought myself a new pen and a new folder for writing in this year, and with it, i brought to the table a lot of new ideas and influences in writing styles, both lyrical, vocal and instrumental. I have a feeling I'll be approaching this from a completely different angle. I'll try to keep the site updated with show reviews, news and upcoming show dates, but as you can guess, this probably really isn't my main concern right now. I want to finish uni, and take as much time as I need to do the work that has to hbe done on these songs. There does seem an awful lot on there for the time being. I'm assuming, as they finish and it becomes obvious which are to go on the album (which may yet turn out to be an EP if money becomes an issue.. which it nearly always does, but lets hope anyway), that I'll keep you all updated, but that's what I have to work with at the moment. 22 songs. In my perfect world, 14 would make the cut, and the others would hang around for live performance and/or later EP release. I've always wanted to release a 14 song debut album.. too many of my favourites have had that many, I'm afraid.

I'm working under the assumption at this point that all of the 4FS that did belong to Skint prior to the merge will remain the property of the original members, and won't be used. If that changes, then I'll make SURE to update, but for the moment.. this is what we have to work with. If anyone wants to get involved with this project, please volunteer your services via email, and Steve, if you're reading this, email me or something, we should talk about stuff and junk.

Wish me luck, motherfuckers.