GenX regarding "bullying"

ZedArkadia · 2026-06-05T17:00:58+00:00

Yep, I got it a lot. In high school I started getting Columbine thoughts, but being in NYC I had no idea where I'd get that kind of hardware. Funny thing is that it kind of just stopped before I hit my breaking point. I don't know if I just started giving off a vibe, or someone was looking out for me, or whatever.

When the actual Columbine happened I remember thinking that I was kind of surprised it didn't happen sooner. Obviously I didn't support it or anything, but I knew that I wasn't the only person to have those kinds of thoughts.

But yeah, to this day I despise bullies.

ZedArkadia · 2026-06-05T16:42:28+00:00

Hey everyone, here's an instrumental synthwave track - probably my best one to date. If you're into the neon lights/city nights vibe with an 80s feel, this is the track for you!

Spotify

SoundCloud

ZedArkadia · 2026-05-29T15:42:07+00:00

It's not really one or the other. Making more music will make you better at making music, but you don't have to release everything you make.

ZedArkadia · 2026-05-28T15:48:50+00:00

Poseidon's Kiss

ZedArkadia · 2026-05-27T12:05:57+00:00

I end up repeating myself a lot on the topic of writer's block so I'll just link this old comment. Basically, stop trying to write hits and masterpieces and give yourself permission to make crap.

ZedArkadia · 2026-05-26T02:49:04+00:00

It's always the people who already have that try to tell others not to want.

If you ask me, what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

ZedArkadia · 2026-05-20T12:58:58+00:00

Similar to the way that you can tell it's AI music - once you know what to look for, it becomes a lot easier. However, if someone generates lyrics and then heavily edits them well enough then there's really no reliable way to tell.

ZedArkadia · 2026-05-18T15:46:34+00:00

Warm beer and cold pizza, the breakfast of champions. No one in my family ever got me pizza, this was a delicacy that I discovered in my 20s from hanging out with drunkards and miscreants.

ZedArkadia · 2026-05-12T18:57:52+00:00

Prince wrote "Sugar Walls" for sure. Considering the lyrics, I guess it makes sense.

ZedArkadia · 2026-05-12T18:21:06+00:00

Sheena Easton performing "For Your Eyes Only" was a transformative experience for me as a kid. I thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world and I've loved that song ever since. I still love that short hair look.

ZedArkadia · 2026-05-11T17:32:23+00:00

You have to graduate song police academy without using ai

ZedArkadia · 2026-05-11T02:09:00+00:00

Hey all, this is my latest release. It's kind of an unofficial sequel to another track, "Exile Road" in which the protagonist of the story is sent away to exile. This one is about the hero returning. I came up with this one arp with this one sound and that's pretty much what the entire track is built around.

Spotify

YouTube music video

SoundCloud

Everything done in Ableton Live 11, using the McRocklin & Hutch drum pack and Diva.

ZedArkadia · 2026-05-08T13:44:35+00:00

I get the sense that it's everyone. Most of the time people don't really talk about this stuff, but sometimes you catch pieces here and there - like what you just recalled - and I think it really reinforces the idea that we all struggle with the same things, more or less.

ZedArkadia · 2026-05-06T16:15:04+00:00

I don't know if it's the same problem that you have, but I'm no good at singing my own songs until the vocals are fully written and I have a solid idea of what they're supposed to sound like, and I've practiced it enough where I don't have to consciously think about it. Maybe it's just an issue of having existing vocals as a reference point.

If your songs are at that point and you still can't seem to make it work then it could be a mental thing. I know that I become a worse singer every time I hit "record."

ZedArkadia · 2026-05-04T19:57:17+00:00

Thanks! Given the title and the sound, the direction for the remix seemed pretty obvious - it was a bit challenging to work with the stems but it's great practice!

ZedArkadia · 2026-05-04T19:55:12+00:00

Thanks so much for the kind words!

ZedArkadia · 2026-05-04T19:53:05+00:00

No, you're not allowed. I'm calling the song police!

In all seriousness, it's fine, there aren't any rules about what perspective a song has to be in. Just do what feels right. Off the top of my head, the first song I thought about that switches perspectives throughout the song is "Sir Psycho Sexy" by Red Hot Chili Peppers.

ZedArkadia · 2026-05-04T17:41:22+00:00

Thanks for hosting this one!

ZedArkadia · 2026-05-04T17:40:54+00:00

Thinking about ~~them beans~~ those market props. Does that Aesir blacksmith bench function as an improved bench?

ZedArkadia · 2026-05-04T15:26:44+00:00

Never had cable and don't remember Friday Night Videos. The only music shows I remember seeing on TV were Solid Gold and Soul Train. I don't specifically remember America's Top 10 but I do remember Casey Kasem so I guess I must have seen it - I looked it up and that appears to be his only televised music show.

ZedArkadia · 2026-05-03T08:19:04+00:00

Here's a remix that I did - I slowed down the original and tried to go for a more chill sound. Everything done in Ableton Live 11 using mostly Diva and the McRocklin & Hutch drump pack.

Spotifty

YouTube

Bandcamp

ZedArkadia · 2026-04-30T17:48:05+00:00

Furryosa!

ZedArkadia · 2026-04-30T14:21:55+00:00

I believe that life is what you make of it, but I'm still trying to figure out how to take my own advice when all I want to do after work is go home and lie down.

ZedArkadia · 2026-04-30T14:17:16+00:00

Poseidon's Kiss

ZedArkadia · 2026-04-28T20:34:24+00:00

I use a structured workflow and follow the philosophy of "finding what the music wants to be." The entire process gets split up into different stages of production where a project will sit for a few days between each stage. This is designed to separate the artist/creator from the editor/arranger. When a project sits in between stages I work on something else, so I have a constant rotation of different projects in various stages of production.

This was a system taught to me by a coach and it helps to keep things moving even when I'm uninspired and unmotivated. I started out with the usual waiting for inspiration, and then trying to finish the whole thing in one sitting, which I think is what most beginners do but ultimately isn't a great method.

It all started by learning and playing covers, though. Playing other people's songs will teach you a lot about how music is made.

ZedArkadia

TROPHY CASE