Nominations and Revelations

Respect…  I’ve been nominated for Outmusic’s “OUTMUSICIAN of the YEAR.”  As excited as I am, I can’t help but wonder…  Will I get snubbed this year?  And if I do, should it really matter?  Now, some of you may ask “what exactly IS an OUTmusician?”  Hopefully I won’t have to explain the meaning of OUT – you should get the point.  But does this award go to the “gayest” person of the year?  And if so, is that something to be worn as a badge of honor?  

Well, to answer it truthfully…  HELL YES it is!  Granted, it’s deeper than that.  I know the award is to recognize someone (the Outmusician) who is living his life to HELP the LGBT community, and awarding him/her for their contributions to “the cause.”  Long story short, award or NO award, I’m still gonna be ME.  Gay as hell, yes…  Proud as hell, YES.  And while I don’t parade around the streets in my rainbow flag (anymore), I DEFINITELY represent myself to the fullest…  

Right now, I know I’m preaching to the choir, so I’ll shut the fuck up about that.  …But wouldn’t it be something if I actually WON?  Most of these winners hail from New York, or fall into the “acoustic/folk” category…  And I don’t think they’ve EVER had a black Outmusician of the year.  Wouldn’t it be nice if I – a black-ass, electronic music maker from DETROIT, actually WON?  Let’s keep our fingers crossed!

As for this DEMF festival…  I swear, somebody needs to put the “D” back into the DEMF.  So far, there’s still no “complete lineup” but I know for a fact that UR, Mike Banks or anyone else from Submerge has NOT been asked to perform.  These Paxahau bitches, what are they doing???!!!  I hope you don’t think I’m ranting because I’m not performing this year.  NO, that has NOTHING to do with it.  (All right, maybe just a little, but ONLY a little…)  My MAIN concern is the way I was told…  “Our lineup is full…”  Well, why is it NOT announced?  And rumor has it that they wanna charge $40 to $50 to get INTO the festival…  (Are y’all crazy?!)

Last night was the premier of the movie “High Tech Soul,” which I REALLY wanted to see.  And although it was $25 to get in, I would’ve paid it happily – it’s about time that Detroiters got our respect for the music we do.  And that MAESTRO movie didn’t say much about Detroit at all – although they used two of my songs in the film…  I’m sure I’m probably not mentioned ANYWHERE in this High Tech Soul movie, but hey.  It’s all good.  I know where the fuck I’m from.  I know what the fuck I’ve done.  And I knew a long time ago, that if I wasn’t Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Carl Craig or some other “cat from way back,” I wouldn’t get much love at all.  

Then again, I realize that with all the fans I’ve acquired over the years, and as much as my name is known, I DO get lots of love, so let me shut the fuck up about THAT too.  Long story short, I discovered that Paxahau was in charge of this “High Tech Soul” premier, so what did I do?  I stayed the fuck HOME.  And I know that some of my friends stayed home as well…  It was a tough decision, because I REALLY wanted to see that movie.  And I’m sure I will someday soon…  

I feel sorry for the people who come here from overseas, expecting to see and hear DETROIT artists.  They won’t get us.  Scan 7 isn’t performing…  Aux 88 isn’t performing (although I heard they at least were ASKED…)  Underground Resistance isn’t performing…  WTF?!  Where’s the D?  (And I swear, if I hear that gottdamn “Good Life” one more time, I’ll scream!)

I DID get a wonderful inspirational e-mail from Anthony “Shake” Shakir.  While I won’t give out ALL the details, he reminded me:  “Keep making the real Hot, Hard, Funky, Smooth and soulful music that you already do.”  He also reminded me that “truth always overtakes the lies…  EVERYTIME.”  Amen, Shake!  

We’ll see what happens…

Alright…  My 11 year-old son STEFAN asked me for a CELL PHONE!!! I made him write down all the reasons why he feels he “NEEDS” a cell phone – what the hell?  An 11 year-old with a CELL phone?  Am I old-fashioned, or does this bullshit just seem WEIRD?  Mind you, this is the SAME Stefan who is currently in danger of failing the 6th grade – not because he’s not smart, but because he blatantly REFUSES to do his work…  Now he IS improving his behavior – you know, he swears he’s a Diva like his daddy.  He’s a LEO, like his daddy.  And when he wants to be, he’s a BITCH – just like his daddy.  It’s definitely a love/hate relationship that we have, I’m sure…  I love him to death, but I swear, there can ONLY be ONE diva in this house – and I have to remind him that it’s NOT him.  But I digress.  He wants a CELL PHONE…  Here are his reasons:

1. To chat with my friends…


2. If you don’t know where I am, you could call me…


3. When you’re on the phone, and I need to call someone…


4. Because I just REALLY REALLY want a cell phone…

Aww, how cute.  Right?  (yeah, right…)

1. I knew how to chat with MY friends BEFORE the days of cell phones.  Whatever happened to good old fashioned visitors?  


2. Every GOOD parent should know where his/her child is – at ALL times!


3. …we have more than one phone line in our house – quit playing…


4. …and I REALLY REALLY want a million dollars and a more fulfilling sex life, but you don’t hear ME complaining, do you?  (well, DO you?)

Y’all know I’m gonna probably break down and give him a damn cell phone, right?  But not until he’s at least EARNED the privilege.  He’ll be happy – but as soon as he starts fucking up, I’ll SNATCH that cell phone quicker than he can say “Daddy, don’t do it!”  I think I was this way about my first CAR…  Now it’s all about cell phones.  Lord, the next thing you know, he’ll be asking ME about HIS first car.  YIKES!!!

Oh no…  now my 6 year-old son JEVON says, “Daddy, I want a cell phone TOO!”  Ahh, such is life…  I’m just gonna buy them some walkie-talkies and call it a damn day!

Talk to y’all soon…
AC

D?EMF

Maybe it's just me... But being a Detroit artist (of international stature), I found it surprising to get this response from Paxahau when I asked about an opportunity to perform at this year's festival. As of today, their lineup is FULL.

...full of WHAT, I ask?!

The last lineup I saw included a long list of non-Detroit DJs -- not including the obvious Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May, blah blah blah. (Respect of course, but come on!) There is an entirely new breed of worthy Detroit artists who deserved to be showcased. But I digress. I'm not performing this year -- along with lots of other artists who deserve a slot, but won't get it. Politics, whatever... This bullshit is ridiculous.

Murder Suicide

Yesterday I received some terrible news. My cousin, Sharee, was shot and killed by her husband. He then turned the gun on himself and committed suicide. Every news channel in Detroit was there at the scene, which made me feel so sick. Mind you, this IS Detroit and these things happen all the time. BUT, when they happen to members of MY family -- it's especially hard. Damn... And Sharee was just 39 years old. Although she's done her "dirt" in the past, she was doing very well for herself. Her hair salon "My Indian Hair" (www.myindianhair.com) is doing great! Sharee was all over the TV/Commercials.

After spending all day at Sharee's house -- the bodies were still in the bedroom, the coroner wouldn't come to the house until everyone was gone. Mind you, I have a pretty big family, and when things like this happen, we all come together. I HATE that it took death to bring us together, but I'm GLAD that my family DOES come together in times of trouble.

I guess the REALLY messed up part about all of this is, Sharee had given her husband 30 days to move out of their house. (Their marriage was rocky.) Although he didn't argue with Sharee, I guess he had his mind made up about NOT leaving -- at least, not without her. So shortly after the kids went to school, he shot Sharee while she slept. I'm still in shock about the whole ordeal.

When I came home, I immediately turned on the news, and sure enough it was there. My cousin Jimmy (Sharee's Uncle) was the family spokesperson -- which was good, considering that he's a Pastor (one of many pastors in my family). I probably would've lost my mind on camera, and cursed those insensitive bastards out. They didn't give a shit about my cousin -- they just wanted their "story..."

When I woke up this morning, I just heard the news about PROOF (D-12) the rapper. He was shot and killed in a club on East 8 Mile Rd. What is this world coming to? I swear, I am seriously considering getting the fuck out of Detroit. Sure, that won't fix the problem. But I hate looking over my shoulder all the time. You'd think I'd be used to it by now, considering I was born and raised here. But this shit doesn't get any easier. Oh well... I've gotta keep on living.

AC

The Latest...

Hey there. I am writing this blog in-between tour dates. Tomorrow night is my show in Darmstadt, Germany -- which is an absolutelz BEAUTIFUL place, I might add... Vienna was magical, as always... This Sunday, it's back home to Detroit for me. That's when the REAL fun starts!!!

Why, you ask? Because although I haven't made the formal announcement yet, but guess who just got their very own club space? Oh yes, I sure did! The grand opening is May 6th, and I plan to rock the damn house, every Saturday night, afterhours, till 6 a.m.. The flyers will be more like INVITATIONS, as I am not promoting the club itself, but the parties WITHIN the club. Why? Because it's all about the music. If DJ Ken Collier were still alive, his club would be just like this one...

But more on that later. Right now, since TIM (Mariah) got on my case about not writing in the blog, I guess I better start giving up some details. Mind you, right now I am on a European keyboard with a dial-up connection... YIKES! But since you asked, I'll give you some highlights...

Show number one @ Reigen, Vienna, Austria... Pure magic. During my DJ set, you KNOW I had to grab the mic and sing some tunes... In fact, the crowd went crayz when I sung DOWN (I know, I know, but I had to do it...=, then broke off into HATEFUL... This was the first REAL performance since my mother's death, so I was quite emotional when I sang GHETTO LIFE, and SKY. In fact, I sang SKY twice that night, because they asked for it!

Another BIG moment of the night was after my show, I played Crucified -- sorry, no acapella this time. I caught a damn cold on the way to Vienna, and I was NOT trying to fuck up on stage like that... LOL! But nonetheless, I played the original version of Crucified -- an anthem among these folks. And then it hit me... I had to make this moment the BEST possible moment of my life, so here's what I did.

When the record was over, I addressed the crowd. The CRUCIFIED 12-inch I had in my hands was actually the FIRST ORIGINAL WHITE LABEL copy off the press. It belonged to my mother, who proudly signed her name "Pat's Copy" and the date 8-29-96 -- the day that record came out. Mommy loved having the first copies of my records -- she was so proud... So anyway, I told this to the audience, and noticed a girl standing right in front. I thought, SHE would really appreciate this, so I gave her the record. It was such an emotional moment for me, when I finished my show, I rushed backstage and cried my eyes out. I was happy, sad and thankful all at the same time.

I also found my mother's original white label copy of WASH IT with DOWN on the B-side, which came out the same day as CRUCIFIED... And in Mommy's usual form, it says "Pat's Copy" and the date... I will NEVER part with THIS record!!!

SHOW NUMBER TWO:
PMK, INNSBROOK, AUSTRIA

At first I was afraid of what might happen, as this was primarily a ROCK club in a small mountain town. I'm used to performing in big cities, but THIS place was just the opposite. Well, my worries were for nothing... The show was OUTRAGEOUS! From the moment I stepped on stage, the crowd shouted, danced, and loved every second. In fact, I think I enjoyed THIS set much better... I played better -- doing tricks with the turntables that had everyone hollering... It was so weird! I guess it was one of those moments... I knew every beat to every record, and I worked the fuck out of each tune -- dangerously fun... Later, someone in the crowd shouted "SING TO US!" When I heard that, I addressed the crowd, to which I received a thunderous reply. They REALLY DID want me to SING for them!!! So, of course I did. Of course, they loved it. And of course, I LOVED IT AS WELL!!!

Now comes the show in Darmstadt, Germany... It's tomorrow night, and I'm using this opportunity just to chill... No stress, no drama, no work, no nothing... But then again, here I am on the Internet. Go figure. LOL!!!

DETREVOLUTION is still selling, and that's wonderful news. I gave out lots of test pressings for the CHERRY JUICE RECORDINGS label, which is also a good thing. People here seem quite interested -- what the fuck is up with the distributors??? But that's another story.

When I return to Detroit, I will post pictures, sound clips, blah blah blah. No worries. Y'all will get to see what I've been doing.

In the meantime, have fun... I'll chat more soon.

Love
AC

No Fuse-In 06?

What the f*ck, people?! Pardon my tone in this post, but as a native Detroiter who wants to help keep Detroit on the map, I say this to all of you: WE need to step our game up. I'll explain...

KEVIN SAUNDERSON did something that was next to impossible... He organized a successful festival in 9 days, people. 9 DAYS! He took on the debt of the past festivals, and basically lost a LOT of money trying to pull this thing off, but the point is, HE DID IT. Now, God bless him for his achievements, but again, the DETROIT in me is coming out... KEVIN SAUNDERSON does NOT a FESTIVAL MAKE... I repeat. KEVIN SAUNDERSON does NOT a festival make... And before I get blasted with pro-KS messages, I'll explain even further...

IN THIS CITY, there are so many people who wish to see this festival happen, but what are we doing? We're waiting on KEVIN... or we're waiting on "The City." We're waiting and waiting... WHY THE HELL ARE WE WAITING for ANYBODY? This is OUR city. This is OUR shit. And if WE wanna keep this thing going, WE need to step up and do something about it.

For starters, we all know this to be true: It takes MONEY. But truthfully, there's only about $250,000 worth of debt racked up. And yes, I say "ONLY" $250K. Imagine what could happen if every Detroit artist/producer/DJ/label owner/distributor/etc. stood TOGETHER and pooled their resources? What if we started a DEMF fund? It's really easy to do. Think about it. We throw parties all the time. Why not take a percentage of our money and put it towards the DEMF? I'm calling out ALL of these Detroit companies... For every dollar you make, why not take $25 cents of each dollar and donate it to the DEMF fund? Sounds crazy, eh? IT CAN BE DONE! If I can buy a 12-inch vinyl for $5, and not think twice about it... I can CERTAINLY pay $6.25 for that same piece of vinyl, KNOWING that $1.25 of that money is going towards the DEMF... If I can pay $5 to get into a club/party, I can CERTAINLY pay $7, knowing that $2.00 of my money was going towards the DEMF. Simple gestures, but they make a BIG difference. Multiply that amount with every party we attend, with every record we buy, etc... And WATCH HOW FAST we can make $250,000. And if we kept it going all year long, we'd ALWAYS have a festival, because it would ALWAYS be supported.

Other countries are LAUGHING at us right now... Do you know why it's no problem for EUROPEANS to pay $10 to enter a club? Because they pay nearly DOUBLE THAT amount all the time in their countries -- for LOCAL DJS! But what do WE do, as Detroiters? We bitch and moan. "That costs TOO MUCH..." "I ain't paying $X to see so-and-so..." Or even worse... Somebody's ALWAYS trying to get on "the list..." THINK ABOUT THAT the next time you go out, people... And for the promoters/club owners, I recommend you travel the world a bit, and see how it's done... Don't be afraid to set a new standard! Detroit is worth it! Don't you think so?

In closing, I'll say this: I WANT this festival, and I will gladly support any business/organization who is working to make this happen. We have plenty of time to make a difference. Let's all get together and make this HAPPEN! Long live the 313...

AC

Happenings

Well, it’s been a busy time, y’all!  I can’t complain, because it’s also been very good.  Besides the shows I have coming up in Austria and Germany, I also have a new DJ residency here in Detroit.  Wallshaker’s sub-label, Cherry Juice Recordings (www.cherryjuicerecordings.com) is finally taking shape, with the white labels to our first release (Laurent & Lewis: “MOTION”) in hand.  

As for Detrevolution, it’s selling very well – especially in Japan.  I sent another order to Japan yesterday – and from what I hear, it’s been on backorder.  I also sent more “Hateful” remixes too.  

“Tears” is being released on Subject Detroit.  I’m VERY excited about that record!  So far, the entire buzz has been great.  What I DO hope, however, is that people remember where “Tears” came from…  Where did it come from?!  Detrevolution…  

MYSPACE is some good shit…  If you feel like linking to me, please do so:  www.myspace.com/aaroncarl.  I like the networking aspect of it.  However, I don’t really care for that MP3 player – it’s so restrictive.  What if I wanna put MORE than 4 songs online at once?  Well, I’ll do what I do best.  Use my OWN shit…  That’s how www.aaroncarl.com was born!  

D.D.V.  has still not contacted me about adding Wallshaker – are you surprised?  But instead of being bitter about it, I’ll do what I said I’d do the last time.  Put my catalog back online.  Sell it myself.  

Now here’s my question…  There are so many online stores now, which one do you choose?  Which one is the best?  I’m already a part of Beatport.com and Juno.co.uk.  I’m a part of CD Baby, and ITunes as well.  Is it good to be a part of so many online places?  Or should I just stay centralized in ONE location?  

Oh yeah…  Before I leave, I have to tell you what I found over the weekend!!!  I’ve found some videos of my past performances, and OH MY GOD was I laughing!!!  They’ll be posted online at my website soon – I’ve figured out how to upload these bitches, so y’all can watch and laugh too.  (  

PS:  I was skinny as hell!  LOL!!!  

The guys at Command Your Soul (www.commandyoursoul.com) have also posted a video portrait of me during my last visit to Vienna.  Oh man, talk about FUNNY!!!  My friend Jim (from France) saw the video and said “that is SO YOU!”  I can’t wait to return there.  Next time I go, I’ll remember three very important rules:

1. Just because you pay 25 cents to pee in the “Opera Toilet” does NOT mean the toilet will sing Opera to you.


2. “Weiner-In” is a woman’s magazine – not a sexual position…


3. Make sure you bring MORE THAN ONE JACKET, because I swear to God, I was there for an entire week – and it looked like I wore the same outfit all the damn time…  HAHAHHAHHA!!!!!  Now I understand why Divas have so many costume changes.  (Watch and learn, AC…  Watch and learn…)

Oh man!  I was in a pretty bad mood when I started writing this, but now I feel so much better.  I hope I made you smile!

Talk to you soon,
Love
AC

Catch-Up

Hey there…  It’s been a LONG time since I’ve written, yes.  Trust me, there have been so many things happening here, it’s crazy.  BUT before I go to bed, I will let you know what’s going on with me.  

For starters, my new sub-label, Cherry Juice Recordings, has its first release scheduled for March 3, 2006!  I’m very excited to be able to branch out – Wallshaker Music has its own sound.  CJR has a “lighter” edge – it reminds me of a lounge club in Paris…  The first release?  “MOTION” by Laurent & Lewis, of course!  The white labels sound fantastic, and I know that people will LOVE the remixes.  Although this is not an official “Aaron-Carl” record, I did co-produce the record with Laurent, plus remix and add backing vocals.  I couldn’t help it…  

I’m starting to tour again – I’m a little nervous because it will be the first time I’ve boarded a plane since the death of my mother, but I know she’d want me to go on…  So I am.  (I miss you Mommy!)  My first stop?  Vienna, Austria, March 24th.  The wonderful guys at www.commandyoursoul.com are bringing me back to Vienna, so I can tear things up.  Last time I went, it was magic.  I can’t wait to bring it to the crowd again…  Next, Darmstadt, Germany.  Actually, during the week of March 24, I have 3 shows to do.  2 in Austria, one in Germany.  

Of course that’s just the beginning, but you know how things are…  Everyone talks, but things are still panning out.  But the dates I just mentioned are confirmed.  I’m SO THERE, BABY!!!

Oh yeah…  I finally did it.  I broke down and bought one of those new CD Turntables – it will arrive at my house tomorrow…  I’ve been waiting an entire week for delivery – I can’t stand it anymore.  HURRY UP!!!  I WANT IT!!!  

Wednesday is Jevon’s 6th birthday.  I have no idea what to buy him.  I’m sure I’ll come up with SOMETHING…  

Charles from Ohio sent me an e-mail also.  After months and months of playing “hard to get” with me – I couldn’t even take him out to dinner sometime (jesus!), He says in his e-mail “oh yeah, I’ve found a new boyfriend…”  Right now, I’m so damn numb it’s ridiculous.  I swear, I’m so fucking sick of men – sick!

Speaking of SICK…

Detroit Digital Vinyl is now online.  Have you noticed that my label, Wallshaker Music, is conveniently NOT THERE?!  I wrote them an e-mail, asking them “is Detroit Digital Vinyl strictly for SUBMERGE labels, or is it for ALL DETROIT LABELS?”  Mind you, my songs “Down” and the remix to “Hardlife” are there…  But COME ON, PEOPLE…  I’ve made so many more damn songs…  Damn!  Their reply was that they were waiting for some “standard contract” paperwork; then they’d send me one to look over.  (Yeah, okay.)  But in the meantime, Detroit Digital Vinyl is up and running – and other Detroit labels, like Wallshaker, are left in the dust.

But there is a GOOD side to all of this, you know!  THANK GOD, I have enough fans and supporters out there who would appreciate ME putting MY catalog online.  I don’t NEED to be a part of DDV…  As much as I would like to be, I realize that I don’t HAVE TO BE…  Uh oh…  I feel a song coming on…  “Did you think I’d crumble?  Did you think I’d lay down and die?  OH NO, NOT I…  I WILL SURVIVE…”

Changing the subject, I LOVE Myspace!!!  Lately I’ve been getting lots of props from people – I love connecting with people…  www.myspace.com/aaroncarl is my page, and yes I’d love to link up with you.  Send me a comment, check out some tunes, etc.  Which reminds me – I DID post that live version of “DOWN” on there – I’m thinking maybe I should let people download it for free.  Fuck it.  Why not?  In fact, right after I post this blog, I’m going to change the download settings.  

Yes, I know “Down” is a classic, but NOW I know how Madonna feels about singing “Live a Virgin” 10 years after she released it.  (Speaking of Madonna, she needs to call me, so I can remix her new stuff!)

Alright folks…  I’m up WAY later than I thought I would be…  Tomorrow (today) is a BIG day for me.  Lord knows I need my booty rest – ooops, I meant BEAUTY rest.  (Hell… the BOOTY needs to be dusted off and removed from the shelves – but that’s a different story!)

As they said back in the 80’s , T. T. F. N…  

AC