I know of a close friend who recently shared a few of my instrumentals with a new friend of his who, by her own admission, is not completely familar with the sound of certain underground hip hop producers such as Pete Rock, DJ Premier, or 9th Wonder, nor is she fond of electronic pioneers such as Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, or Telex.
As an "80s baby," she admits that she has never heard of Devo, Yarbrough and Peeples, Kashif, The System (Mic Murphy and David Michael Frank), or Roger "Zapp" Troutman; yet she claims to have an ear for all types of music. So, to test this claim of hers, over lunch at the famed Golden Arches (Mc D's), he allowed her to listen to 30 seconds or so of certain Alphard favorites like Alphardstrumental 2003: 3rd Quarter, Kremlin Blok Party, Post Modern Thump 2003: 1st Quarter and a 15-second teaser of the upcoming LFO Funk tunes that will be on the new Soundcloud page in March 2012. Her gut reaction was one of perplexity and bewilderment, as she asked him, "Where are the lyrics/words? Why aren't there any vocals to these songs?"
He explained to her that these are instrumentals and don't have any vocals in them. She apparently still defines music as what is currently playing on the airwaves and didn't understand the underlying meaning of my music, which runs deeper than any lyrics can possibly convey. Understandably, there is no doubt that everyone has different musical tastes--no one is the same--however there is the realization that were it not for the music and artists that came before the ones currently having there music played on the air, these newbies would never exist.
I am often reminded of an old Wendy's commercial which featured the late Clara Peller staring down at a burger with a pattie much smaller than the bun and she asks, "Where's the beef?" I drew similarities between this segment and my friend's reaction to hearing my music for the first time. Both her and Mrs. Peller were perplexed and bewildered, yet opened their eyes to something they never experienced before. My music is what it is, like it, hate it or don't care either way. Will this new friend of my close friend give Alphard another try and listen to more music from me, despite no vocals? Hard to say, seeing as she is an 80s baby and is set in her ways (Rumor has it that she's on a collision course with the man as she returns to the big house sometime during the week of Feb. 20, 2012, due to unpaid fines and court costs). It's up to her.
In the meantime, I just found out that my page reached over 1600 plays, as of February 16, 2012 and gained a few new fans as well. Admittedly it was too much to hope that the previous year would be the year of The Audio Flavor Movement, but 2012 will prove to be what my close friend calls a "Year of Revelations." So tell your ears to keep pulling out their plates, 'cause it's time for them to eat.
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Alphard One / Blog
A-strumental Month to Now Take Place in September Instead of August
Phans of Alphard, past, present and future, A-strumental Month has been changed from August to September. Since one of the very first A-strumentals was composed during the month of September, it's only fair that the change reflects the time they were created.
Obviously, an apology is owed to you for my lengthy hiatus from posting on my page; however there has been a lot taking place this month (in addition to the previous 2-3 months), much of which dealt with personal and promotional issues. What exactly do I mean by, "Promotional issues?" Well, I'll cover this in another blog which I will post later this week.
Starting the 3rd or 4th week of this month, I'll be making a comeback of sorts. And the real Alphard just might show his face sometime this by the end of the 3rd quarter 2013. That's the skinny.
Stay tuned...
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Alphard Returns in 2013!
True, I declared that 2012, the previous year, would be a year of revelations and it had some impact--it helped me gained a few new fans, but it wasn't what I had hoped for; but 2013 should be better.
I'm Baaaccckk!!
If you don't believe me, just check out the 3 new tracks that I've uploaded as of January 29, 2013. That's just the beginning. I intend to have a new format, new direction, new focus, and new music.
In addition, I've decided to make a slight change to my stage name. By the end of this month, I'll be going by the name Alphard The New Alphard. Don't get me wrong: I will always be a solitary one--I've been solo since I started on RN and that won't change.
By early February 2013, I will be phasing out some of the earlier music that I uploaded since October 2010 in favor of a new format that I've been experimenting with. I will explain what format that is in a future blog. In the meantime, I hope everyone will enjoy listening to the 3 new tracks I uploaded. Stay tuned, 'cause Alphard is back.
Tell your ears to keep their plates out, because it's time for them to eat. ;)
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New Icon of Alphard for 2012
Earlier this week, I removed the previous profile photo that I used to promote Kremlin Blok Party Month from March to mid-April and replaced it with the all-new, all-different Alphard Icon 2012. Unfortunately, the logo for Alphard that appears on the icon's chest was cropped, but needless to say it is all there; just go to the photo section to view it in its entirety.
The look of the icon itself is super cool and will complement the previous Alphard icon. It also serves to advertise the LFO Funk/LFO-ism that I'm trying to promote on my Soundcloud page.
So let LFO Funk and LFO-ism commence.
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Q&A With Alphard
You know, I've dislike the new look of Reverbnation for quite a while now and admittedly there are still a few wrinkles that this site needs to iron out, but I won't cover them here.
What I will do, though, instead is bring your attention to a feature that is guaranteed to enhance interaction between artist/venue/label and fan: Questions.
You read that right, Phans of Alphard--you can ask me anything. A Q&A is something that Reverbnation should have implemented all along. If you would ever curious as to what the Leader of the Audio Flavor Movement and Lord of LFO Funk is all about, here's your chance to finally get that curiosity satisfied.
Unlike the majority of multi-million-dollar celebrity musicians (and they know who they are), fans are certain to get a reply from their favorite artist (unsigned or aspiring) at RN. Therefore, I look forward to hearing from you the Phan of Alphard. Ask and ye shall get an answer--guaranteed.
I'll be waiting...
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Hey, Alphard, I kind of noticed that whenever I play a song in your playlist the audio streams and loads faster. Of course, it depends on the bitrate of the MP3 file (generally RN artists upload theirs using one between 128 and 192 kbps). With the old RN, audio seemed to stream slower and if a user went to another part of a profile, there was a chance that the audio would get interrupted.
I suppose the point that I'm trying to make is that RN made a few good changes with the new look and the aforementioned improved audio stream is one of them. Of course I will not overlook the new Questions feature and I agree that this is something that's been needed for better interaction between fans and musicians. I hope all is well with you and LFO Funk/LFO-ism.
A.Dolph
P.S.--As of 12:30 AM EST, you now have 2,000 plays. :)
Kremlin Blok Party Month To Be Extended 2 Additional Weeks
Today is the first day of April and KBP Month should be over, but I've been so impressed and grateful with the number of new Phans of Alphard that I gained last month, that I decided to make a crucial decision.
What decision is that, you might ask?
Extending Kremlin Blok Party Month an additional 2 weeks. The last day of KBP's promotional push will be on April 14. I want to thank all of my new Phans for giving KBP a listen and, as always, your support is greatly appreciated.
P.S.--If you haven't had the chance already, feel free to drop by my new Soundcloud profile (http://www.soundcloud.com/alphard-the-soltary-1). You all will finally get the hear what LFO Funk and LFO-ism are all about.
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I, for one, stand behind your decision to extend KBP Month until the middle of this month, because I feel that there is so much more you can do to better promote this song. A global promotion, perhaps--I mean, it would make sense to give this a go with KBP since it would be the only way to find out if there are a handful of Russian music fans who will like how it sounds. But it is your call.
Lydia :)
March 2012 is Kremlin Blok Party Month
Good morning, Reverbnation.
In less than 3 days, it will be just as the title of this blog entry states--March 2012 will be Kremlin Blok Party Month. As part of an effort to give one of the best songs of Alphard The Solitary 1 the best promotional push possible, Kremlin Blok Party (KBP) will take center stage and throughout March and become the featured song on my profile.
The official Alphard The Solitary 1 logo has been replaced by a promotional picture of Kremlin Blok Party. One of my most loyal fans (and fellow NC native), Hendecatope, told me roughly a year ago that KBP was arguably the best song he had heard in my debut album as well as the Tunepak I released during Fall 2011. It seems only fair that I try to promote it further and it is long overdue.
I am very interested to see how this will turn out. Will KBP bring in new Phans of Alphard? We'll see. 2012, The Year of Revelations, continues. So tell your ears to pull out their plates, 'cause it's time for them to eat.
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KBP Month ends in 3 days.
Do you have any else in the works that might make this promotional push worth pushing? Don't get me wrong: I absolutely love Kremlin Blok Party the instrumental, it's in my playlist of favorites and I definitely believe the hype...
But I was kind of looking forward to a KBP T-shirt or at least a free download of KBP. You might want to consider opening a store on your page, because like Lydia (a.k.a. YourFavoriteMarshian), I can envision nightclubs in Moscow playing KBP on Saturday nights. Not to mention this might bring in a few Russian music fans who are curious as to what the deal is with KBP. Only you can make it happen.
I hope that you will still be able to gain new fans after KBP Month ends in 3 days. Music lovers simply do not know what they are missing. My ears have already pulled out their plates and they're still pigging out on Alphardstrumentals, Post Modern Thumps and other audio goodies that you've composed so far.
It will be interesting to see whether or not Reverbnation fans will become Phans of Alphard like I have. I'll be in touch. Taek care and thanks for letting me give my two cents.
A. Dolph
Where are the Vocals to Alphard's Songs? Why Ask?
I know of a close friend who recently shared a few of my instrumentals with a new friend of his who, by her own admission, is not completely familar with the sound of certain underground hip hop producers such as Pete Rock, DJ Premier, or 9th Wonder, nor is she fond of electronic pioneers such as Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, or Telex.
As an "80s baby," she admits that she has never heard of Devo, Yarbrough and Peeples, Kashif, The System (Mic Murphy and David Michael Frank), or Roger "Zapp" Troutman; yet she claims to have an ear for all types of music. So, to test this claim of hers, over lunch at the famed Golden Arches (Mc D's), he allowed her to listen to 30 seconds or so of certain Alphard favorites like Alphardstrumental 2003: 3rd Quarter, Kremlin Blok Party, Post Modern Thump 2003: 1st Quarter and a 15-second teaser of the upcoming LFO Funk tunes that will be on the new Soundcloud page in March 2012. Her gut reaction was one of perplexity and bewilderment, as she asked him, "Where are the lyrics/words? Why aren't there any vocals to these songs?"
He explained to her that these are instrumentals and don't have any vocals in them. She apparently still defines music as what is currently playing on the airwaves and didn't understand the underlying meaning of my music, which runs deeper than any lyrics can possibly convey. Understandably, there is no doubt that everyone has different musical tastes--no one is the same--however there is the realization that were it not for the music and artists that came before the ones currently having there music played on the air, these newbies would never exist.
I am often reminded of an old Wendy's commercial which featured the late Clara Peller staring down at a burger with a pattie much smaller than the bun and she asks, "Where's the beef?" I drew similarities between this segment and my friend's reaction to hearing my music for the first time. Both her and Mrs. Peller were perplexed and bewildered, yet opened their eyes to something they never experienced before. My music is what it is, like it, hate it or don't care either way. Will this new friend of my close friend give Alphard another try and listen to more music from me, despite no vocals? Hard to say, seeing as she is an 80s baby and is set in her ways (Rumor has it that she's on a collision course with the man as she returns to the big house sometime during the week of Feb. 20, 2012, due to unpaid fines and court costs). It's up to her.
In the meantime, I just found out that my page reached over 1600 plays, as of February 16, 2012 and gained a few new fans as well. Admittedly it was too much to hope that the previous year would be the year of The Audio Flavor Movement, but 2012 will prove to be what my close friend calls a "Year of Revelations." So tell your ears to keep pulling out their plates, 'cause it's time for them to eat.
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You know what, Alphard, I've been rather tempted to start a compilation of "You Know You're an 80s Baby If..." one-liners, in the same tradition of Jeff Foxworthy's "You Know You're a Redneck If...", but that would prove to be time-consuming and ineffectual in proving that generation's presumed lack of musical taste. In many ways I'm thankful that I missed being born in that era by roughly 3 years. I would also explain my reasons for believing this, but this too would prove to be equally wasteful. Be that as it may...
This woman, who you say is a mutual friend of your friend that shared some of your music with her, seems to be a perfect example of an 80s baby. It sounds as if she is the type that parties hard until she can hardly party anymore and this type of behavior can have a profound effect upon musical taste.
From what gathered upon reading this blog, when this woman heard one of the first songs that your friend shared with her, she seemed to be absolutely clueless as to what she was listening to--almost the same reaction that the Vatican might have received upon learning that the late Pope John Paul II was trying to convert patrons at Dennis Hoff's Moonlite Bunny Ranch. This is a rather crude analogy, but it demonstrates her lack of respect for certain types of music that she isn't used to hearing or has never heard before. She did ask a rhetorical question, "Where are the words?" If I was there in person while she was listening to your music for the first time, I might have replied something like, "Sweetheart, it's called an instrumental for a reason. Duh!"
Despite containing the best components of old-school R&B, underground hip-hop, jazz and electronic music genres, your music generally has a calming effect on those with a wide music taste and an open mind; it seems to have an opposite or polar effect on those who are used to hearing only one or two genres virtually all their lives and, as a result, draw their own conclusions on and express their opinions of, your music without first understanding the basis for it sounding as it does. So-called 80s babies, those born during the 1980s, fit the latter description quite well.
Although I don't know this woman personally, if she were to tell either you or your friend that she listens to almost any type of music, she would obviously be lying. The conclusion she presumably drew from listening to your music for the first time on, what, February 16, 2012, is this: if she can't sing along or dance to what you've worked hard to create, then in her mind you suck. She was more than perplexed and bewildered; I'd say that she was also deluded, musically impudent and small-minded. That is putting it bluntly. I, and the currently small handful of fans you've gathered so far, get it and this woman simply doesn't (most likely never will, but I digress).
The beauty of instrumentals is in their ability to allow one to hear the actual foundation of a song. Here is an analogy: If an instrumental is the framework of a house, then a singer's vocals/lyrics are merely the furnishing.
Get back at me, Alphard, and let me know whether or not I made my point. I'd be curious to know what you think. Thanks.
Lydia ;)
Self-Titled Debut Album, The Solitary 1, Now Available as Tunepak on Labor Day.
http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/3429036
There it is: the link to the debut album of yours truly, Alphard The Solitary 1
Hey ya'll. I hope everyone is having a great Labor Day so far. I'm confident that these 10 tracks will make it even greater.
Depending on the settings of your desktop/laptop PC/mobile device (i.e., Blackberry, i-Pod, Droid, etc.) audio, it might be a good idea to adjust the EQ and/or volume.
Certain tracks that were supposed to be exclusive to a certain website that I once uploaded these songs to, namely the Post Modern Thumps, have been added to the Tunepak. After a lengthy discussion with some of my friends, I've decided to add these. The debut album is the only one which has Post Modern Thumps included on it; otherwise, unless there is an increase in demand for hearing more of them on a future album, the Post Modern Thumps will remain exclusively online only.
Once again, I hope everyone is having a great Labor Day. The Audio Flavor Movement marches on now that its finally delivered the debut album as promised. Tell your ears to pull out their plates, 'cause it's time for them to eat.
Peace, Alphard
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Uh oh, Alphard. I think you may have yourself a situation here. Specifically, there aren't but 3 tracks left in the Tunepak in question. How many were there in the beginning?
And is there any way to get a Tunepak with all of the tracks in their entirety?
I think I can be of assistance, A. Dolph. How are you doing, by the way?
Normally a Tunepak is a compilation of songs on the playlist of an artist's profile. When a songs or songs are deleted from that playlist, this also applies to the Tunepak that was created. Alphard's first album included 10 songs, which were at one point in the playlist, when 7 of those songs were deleted, they were also deleted from the Tunepak.
So far the only songs left in the Tunepak are Kremlin Blok Party, Alphardstrumental 2003-3rd Quarter and Post Modern Thump 2003-1st Quarter.
You know you can email either me or Alphard if you are still looking for the entire Solitary 1 debut album. I'm sure Alphard regrets this inconvenience. I hope this clarifies the matter for you. TTYS
Lydia ;)
I couldn't have said that any better myself, Lydia. Thanks for helping out A. Dolph there. Much appreciated.
Alphard's Reverbnation Profile Finally Reaches 1,000th Milestone
As of July 4, 2011, the official Reverbnation profile of Alphard The Solitary 1 has 1,000 total plays of the music tracks he has posted. Additionally, there are currently 6 fans and 9 Facebook "Likes."
Now that obviously may sound as if that isn't a big deal to those fans who normally peruse the profiles of other musicians who have 1,000's of fans, have just as many Facebook "Likes" and/or are accustomed to receiving 250-500 plays every 3 days, depending on how well their network is organized. However, I prefer to focus on the much bigger picture in terms of quality of the fans who take time to play Kremlin Blok Party or Bass Exodus (which are arguably the two favorites on the current playlist). They tend to be loyal and remain so after a new track is uploaded. If there are only 10 plays of any tracks on this profile every other day, I'm content with that.
I try to upload new material either after I've finished mastering a particular song or on a special occasion, such as a holiday or the anniversary of this profile (the first year of which will take place in 3 months) and figure that if I keep things fresh, that would generate at least some traffic here. It's one of the ways an artist tries to establish stronger ties to one's growing fan base.
Having said this, throughout July, I have a lot planned for this profile--a promotional push is in the works. What exactly I have in mind is under lock and key right now, but stay tuned. 2011 is still going to be the year of the Audio Flavor Movement and 1,000 plays are just the tip of the iceberg.
Peace out, Alphard
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2011: The Year of The Audio Flavor Movement? We'll See...
Good morning, Phans of Alphard (present and hopefully future). And Happy New Year to you all as well. 2010 seemed like a slightly better than run-of-the mill for The Solitary 1. Case in point, despite creating an impressive MySpace music profile in April 2010 and generating some buzz with a few potential hits such as Bass Exodus, Alphardstrumental 2003-3rd Quarter and Kremlin Blok Party, I wasn't quite satisfied with where I was creatively and I didn't get to accomplish what I wanted immediately after I joined Reverbnation (Obviously none of these--the debut music CD that I planned to release locally in my hometown, free downloads of my music for 24 hours only, or the Tunepak--saw the light of day in late 2010 and for that I apologize. Hopefully 2011 will be different and when they are ready for release I'll notify my fans). Granted, the music I composed and uploaded here thus far is top-notch in my opinion and left a lasting impression on those visitors who came to listen to it. However, the actual fans themselves remained missing and I was still preoccupied with trying to find the best means of promoting my music in order to obtain them instead of simply contacting them directly to ask for their support. Now that 2011 has begun, Alphard will begin anew and will attempt to establish a closer relationship with the few fans he is grateful to have earned, not only here on Reverbnation, but on MySpace and Facebook as well. I will be uploading new music and hopefully will have some promotional video uploaded as well (although I will have to learn how to produce, edit and upload video online; since I've never done this before the learning curve will be quite steep at first). Could 2011 be the year that the Audio Flavor Movement goes into full swing? I know that I'm anxious to find out. Stay tuned... Peace, Alphard ;o)
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