#PM15

If you follow our social media accounts you'll know we are spending this weekend amongst audio greats at Podcast Movement. First time visiting this particular conference, and already excited for the next one. Yes, they have it set.

This kicks off a couple busy weeks as we are continuing to put out The White Whale every Sunday, have some work for other shows in the mix and are playing participant to the 24-hour Radio Race from KCRW next weekend. Yes, we have asked ourselves what we are doing. Too fun to take that reality check. 

If you are new to our podcast as of #PM15 please take a listen in whatever order you please. First season is chronological, but as conversation of the records and films speaks to listening and watching in whatever order you please we have designed each episode to be part of a larger whole that can be heard unto itself.

Cheers to all following and participating in this crazy business. We are having fun. If looking for us tonight we will probably be mixing some radio somewhere in the ether. Feel free to steal attention. 

Keep Moving Forward

There is a lot of work on the horizon as we round the corner of summer into August. Not only is The White Whale's first season wrapping up in a couple weeks, but we're honored to be contributing to a few other productions for which we are long-time fans.  

After the season ends we'll have a slight break. An album collecting original music from the first season is being whittled down. Something we're excited to release, but there is a lot to go through.

We'll also have some one-off productions covering the work of people we love. That's a secret we will hold for now though.  

Second season is already under-way as well, though it's subject is still ours to tell. While its approach and aesthetic will be much in line with the first season, this is also going to be a very different experience and very different story. Much more dealing with a particular perspective of the last half century and how it changed the world. Pretty rich and cool stuff. Not a story we imagine you have heard.

What else? What else? 

Surely there is more, but the audio world seems enough to highlight for the moment. We just released the newest music video from Scott Wooldridge, something many years in the making, and have a few other tricks up our sleeve in that end. There may be some fiction we wish to visualize as all this audio work is really presenting new worlds and wouldn't mind finally releasing some new photography from the last few years. See if we find the time. 

Event Horizons

If you follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+ you know we are very busy. Anxious Machine's second season has started and our remix for ARRVLS is in the airwaves. We also had a big hand in the recent episode of SisterStory Presents: with Jo Piazza. A lot of music and producing went into making that happen. 

There is also a lot coming down the road including a new music video for Scott Wooldridge as well as some others. The White Whale is kicking strong and growing a larger fan base everyday - but that is closer to its season end rather than beginning. We are going to fill that space with some different one- off radio docs as we prepare the second season. That is going to be a pretty different narrative, but built upon similar foundations. 

This post specifically though is about a new mixtape American Residue Records is dropping tomorrow. Called Event Horizons, if you have heard any of the recent podcast episodes we have been a part of then you have heard some pieces.  These have quickly gained some listeners so time to release.

follow our channels for all the updates and look for the new record tomorrow! 

Site Re-designs

For those who check out the site regularly rather than just our social media outlets, you may have noticed some changes in the last few days. Some were necessary as we identified certain elements that were not working on all platforms. However, this need also brought about opportunity to better emphasize what's becoming a big focus of our time - podcasting.

The Yōkai Trilogy page has gotten some attention as we are continuing to build toward the release of the third record and where the story will go after - look to The White Whale as a good starting point. We are currently producing the films to coincide with the album release and are recording some conversation with John to better investigate how this year's work came about.

“Life is divided into three terms - that which was, which is, and which will be. Let us learn from the past to profit by the present, and from the present to live better in the future.”

— William Wordsworth

We've also got some terrific music videos in the works and maybe some film ideas developing out of the amazing audio work we have been producing lately. So, the section devoted to these highlights might get some more attention in coming months as we are trying to not only highlight the product of hard work, but the process as well. This has always been of significant import for us, but with The White Whale we are seeing possibilities to better pull back the curtain a bit without completely unveiling the mystery.

All to say that we are ever evolving. We want to keep highlighting our many productions without creating a mess of a site. We've taken off the direct links to various writing platforms for the moment - if that is annoying let us know. But, Minnesota Public Radio being the current highlight for our cultural critique, a direct link to MPR can be found in Transistors with the podcast presentation.

For now we are off - to the races.

Be looking for us on the airwaves and video screens wherever you find them.

On the Horizon

Brief bits of news.

First off, the Hanan shoot is delayed. Rather than create a video for something already released the band is back in the studio working away on something new. The great thing about this is we can develop the video together as the music comes along for a really unique collaboration and experience.

We're going to be shooting some footage of the band performing to provide you all a taste of what's to come. So, look for that in the coming months.

Secondly, CyNar is going to be venturing into podcast land for the first time. We've been thinking for a while what kind of podcast we might do and the Yokai Trilogy has provided a perfect conduit. We're going to develop a look into the process with John as our guide. Talking about each song in depth and the project as a whole. From initial discussions before putting this on tape it's an incredible process and one that will make for good radio.

So, our first adventure into the art form will be a mini-series of sorts. Test the waters with a 15 to 16 episode run. After that, who knows. We'll see where the wind takes us.

We also may have a film up our sleeves...

Hikikomori 5

Lastly we have Hikikomori 5. Nice way to end the week.

Hikikomori 4

The final film for us to complete - Hikikomori 4 - took shape when a particular focus was discovered near the end. This allowed a certain amount of re-cutting to elevate it's presence and discover something buried deep in the frame.

Hikikomori 3

This film was released quite a bit ago, but with the new films coming out this week it seemed fitting to re-highlight the first two for the sake of continuity, and because why not?

As said before, the point of this work with John has always been to create unique pieces that would stand alone, but within the context of the larger structure create something valuable. Hikikomori and the larger Yokai Trilogy is becoming something quite wondrous and unique. We are hoping to do more with it, but this is the start.

With that said take a look (or re-look) at Hikikomori 3.

Hikikomori 2

The point of this work with John has always been to create unified wholes for the entire album without sacrificing the standalone quality of each piece of music and each film. Hikikomori proved to push this to a certain limit. There is a complexity to the music that in some ways pushed the visual away and required more from the films to justify their existence.

With that said take a look at Hikikomori 2.

Hikikomori 1

Happy to say we have finally completed films for the second album in John's Yokai Trilogy Hikikomori. We got a couple films out at the time of the film's release, but these last three films have taken us a while. We will release each of the last three films here first this week.

We present to you Hikikomori 1.

Yokai Trilogy

So it's Thanksgiving 2014 and time to give thanks. It's been a busy year for CyNar and American Residue with a lot of new material and a lot more to come in short order. What we are thinking most about right now though is this trilogy almost complete.

John Barner has been working an a very big project this year. With two albums already available, the third album is going to be called Funayūrei. It's an exciting adventure soon to be complete and we are waiting with as much anticipation as you regarding it's sound and vibe. 

We'll keep you posted on its release with album art, expected videos, etc. We need to of course complete the second stage in video land, but those are short coming and by the end of the year part two should be complete.

When the third installment is released we have big plans. The entire arc will be titled Yōkai and with it we are going to produce a whole new collection of all three acts with some additional material only available in the release entire. We have also altered the site a bit to reflect this project entire and you can find it under the video section titled Yōkai Trology. We'll keep updating this section to better your involvement as time allows.

Take care on this holiday of gathering. Give thanks and listen to the world around you.

Cheers!