Ghost of Days Gone By

Another day in the office. This week would be my last week in the office. Starting next week I'll be posted at KUKA Robot Automation, Puchong for training. Apparently my company wants me to be trained as the robotics specialist within the company. Well, I can't really complaint. At least I'm far from my dictator-like boss, which I loathe so so much.

People say good things come to those who wait. But, it's easier said than done. I just can't wait any longer for our EP to come out. For those not well versed in the music jargon, EP stands for Extended Play. In another words, it's like a mini album. Normally 4-6 songs in an EP. As of today, 4 of our planned 6 song EP has been mixed. Waiting for the other 2 to finish mixing, then those mixed 6 songs will be sent to renowned mastering engineer, Nick Lee for further enhancement. I really like how Keith mixed Run. He gave that retro kind of feel to the song which fits like a glove. Before this I always thought that Run would never be released as a single but after listening to the current version, I think it would do really well on the radio. It's very catchy and has that dance beat that will make anyone start to dance. I love it.

The year is almost reaching the end and I have to say, this is a good year. I haven't had a good year in awhile now. I feel blessed. Although, I have done some things I am not proud off but I will try my best to be a better person and a better Muslim. I thank Allah SWT for giving me all the good things that has happened this year. Insyaallah, next year will be even better.

Before I forget, I finally got my hands on Alter Bridge's 3rd album, ABIII which explains the title of this blog. To date, I strongly believe that this is their best album. The AB boys really pushed and experimented alot and I love every song in it. I just wished I can watch them perform live. Hopefully next year I'll be able to do that. I want to see Myles Kennedy sing again. He is such an awesome singer.

Adios!

What has happened so far....

Wow, it has been awhile since I last posted anything. I almost forgot that I even have a blog. A lot has happened since 1st July 2010. Fast forward almost 3 months, my band just completed recording our debut EP tentatively entitled Open For Registration which is kinda ironic due to Tashya's other job. To those who didn't know, she runs a few kindergartens. So I think its fitting that we're gonna name our EP Open For Registration

Moving on....My job still sucks, added few more 'toys' in my arsenal of gear for the band, performed at various shows (one in JB, our first outside of Klang Valley), a few acoustic shows, Ramadhan came and went, Eidul Fitr came and went, my dad's laptop together with my modem got stolen, performed at DPM's niece's wedding (which we got paid handsomely and got good vibes from the wedding go-ers) and my PC at home won't boot up. Life is pretty much normal. Some days are awesome. Some days just plain sucked. But life is like that. Take it as it is. When Allah gives you lemons, make lemonades...that sort of thing. Which reminds me, I gotta work on my solat. Haven't been a good servant to the Almighty. Maybe that's why my life has been like a roller coaster. The big guy up there is trying to tell me something.

This October promises to be another hectic month for both me and my band. Fortunately, this coming week we have some much deserved break. No more recordings, no shows. But come the 2nd week of October....BAM! Back to business. Starting 8th October, we have a gig in KL under Indie Youth Festival called FEYST GIG at 1Cafe in Jalan TAR,KL. Then after that, we have another wedding to perform (nothing much, just my sister's wedding), celebrating Tashya's birthday together with Bari's, and finally on the 30th of October another show at 1Cafe. Oh, i almost forgot. My degree convocation on the 6th of October and the next day, performing again at Daikanyama, Changkat KL for the monthly R(O)A/W(R) acoustic set. We're also hoping to get a sneak preview of how our EP gonna sound like this month. Hopefully Keith is able to do the mixing as soon as possible.

In the midst of all that chaos, I still manage to get some buzz in the stomach. You know that kind of buzz you get when you meet a new and attractive person but you're too scared to do anything cos you're afraid of rejection which you have suffered countless times in your life? Yeah, that sort of buzz. My friends are trying to encourage me to give it a try but something is stopping me. Probably I'm too rusty and have been out of the game for far too long. But I know that I just don't want to get hurt anymore. Its like a curse, every time I meet someone new and develops into like a buzz or crush, it just withers away. It has come to a point that I say to myself, "What's the goddamn point?" They'll just run away every time I try to get close or get attached. It's nice to have that buzzing feeling but at the same time it is one of the most horrible form of torture one can experience. But somehow, we human beings still do it. It's like a form of insanity. But I guess that's what being in love/have a crush is all about. Everything else just don't matter. You're in your own world. Nothing will ever be the same without that person.....Pure insanity!!!And we love it.

Enough of my blabber.....I'm not even making any sense....

"Aku cinta....padamu....Sungguh!!" Goddamn song is stuck in my head....FML!

Random thoughts...

It's Thursday morning, 12.30am. I can't sleep yet so I thought of writing something. Things have been awesome since my last post. Music wise that is. My day job still sucked. But I'm won't go into detail about that.

Last weekend I went into the recording studio called The Ark in Taman Tun Dr Ismail to record our first 2 songs, Yang Ku Mahu and HU. I was really excited cos its been awhile since I did my last recording, which sucked big time. So to go into a professional recording studio is somewhat a first actually. We started off recording the guide track first, just Tashya on the acoustic guitar. After that settled, we recorded the drum tracks for both songs. I admire my drummer's attitude. He won't stop until he gets it right and I think everyone in the band was really amazed by his awesome grooves and rolls. He has totally given Tashya's Ink a new beat and feel. The drums he did on both songs, simply epic! You don't need to have a record in some record books to be an awesome drummer. What matters is the attitude and believe in the band's direction and songs. Something our previous drummer lacks by a mile. Wan is totally opposite of Jone. And best part, Wan is funny, a bit reserved and totally not annoying. He gives the best one liners. But the important part is, he is very humble. I thank god that we manage to find him. I can write about how we found him but I'm too lazy to type. Let's just say, somehow it was destined. And I hope we last long.

Next up, Mr Ike on the bass. I've known Ike for 5 years now. Not really close friends back then. We jammed once before a few years back and even then, I thought this guy is an awesome musician. His bass lines, his groove, his style, amazing. So when he agreed to be part of the band, we were ecstatic. It turns out, he fits well with us. Which was never a doubt to me anyway. He brings somewhat a fresh sound to our songs. Not to say Nakim wasn't awesome (which he is) but Ike just gives a different dimension. Anyway, back to recording. He did his basslines within one hour. That says alot about him. Everything just fell into place. I love his bassline on Yang Ku Mahu. Actually, I just love his basslines in all the songs we play. And like Wan, he is humble, funny, honest and most importantly, shares the same passion and drive as Tashya and me. Again, I thank god he's on our side.

Next up, it was my turn. I was quite nervous at first but I grew in confidence by the minute. I stopped thinking whether this part or that part is gonna work. I just felt the songs. And I have to say, I'm very proud of what I manage to contribute to the songs. One of the best works I've done. I will forever remember this recording session for years to come. Its great to finally have great people with the same idea and passion as you are. It just makes things easier. I believe that the band is not just a band, but family. We've really bonded in a short time. Especially between me and Tashya. I feel that I've finally understand how she operates. What she wants in a song. I think we've developed a great understanding and respect for one another. I haven't had this kind of chemistry in a long time. I hope we can continue to write great songs in the future.

This Friday, Tashya will be going into the studio to record her vocals. I've known Tashya quite sometime now. And by far, she has been the most talented singer/songwriter I have ever worked with. Unique in every way you can imagine. Her style changes from one genre to another. Jazz, Blues, Pop, Alternative, Rock....you name it. Its no surprise that she was the winner of MyStarz LG back in 2007. I have nothing but good things to say about her. Simply, for lack of a better word, awesome! And I know in my heart that once she gets into her 'zone', she will make our songs sound even more awesome. I hope the world will say the same thing.

So....I think I ended up writing too much. I guess I'll stop here then...Adios!

Decisions, decisions, decisions

Today was suppose to be a great day. It started off great. Lunch with family at KLGCC celebrating Father's Day. Performed with my band at Fete De La Musique Festival at the Curve, Damansara which was awesome. One of the best shows we've had in a while. Some minor mistake made during few of the songs we played due to the fact that the current lineup only been practising together at the start of the month of June. Nonetheless, I feel we were one of those unique bands. I realized that bands nowadays tend to be the same. So many bands out there trying to be like Avenge Sevenfold or Breaking Benjamin or Yellowcard instead of trying to be original and unique. Anyway, we rocked the stage and the fans loved us. To make it even more special, almost every member of my family came. Mom, Dad, two of my brothers and their family, three of my sisters came, also with their kids. It made it even more special.

Then came the sad part of the day. I got back home, feeling very tired but still stoked about our performance. I decided to have a talk with my mom regarding the path I want to take in my life. I told her that I'm quitting my job. I want to get a job that's nearer to home and with flexible time. I told her that the band is finally taking off and I have to consider doing something that won't jeopardize my commitment to the band. She got really upset. We argued. I won't go into detail what was said but it saddens me to know that she still won't let me be who I want to be. She still won't let me go and experience what the world can offer. Yes, its true that the world is a cruel place. Its true that the world is full of people with bad intention. But sometimes, every once in a while you meet wonderful people along the way. You get to meet up with people with a genuine heart. Good people. Sometimes, you gotta take the risk. I know every parent just want the best for their child but stopping them from pursuing their dream is not thinking whats best for them. Is it so wrong to be different than everyone else in the family or ancestors? Is it so wrong trying to be a musician? Life as a musician is hard. But then again, who said life was easy? You gotta work hard to survive, regardless of what occupation. But to do what you love to do, not many can say that. And here I have the opportunity to do it. To think about it, everywhere you go, there are people out in the world just want to hurt you. So it's pretty irrelevant that just because I want to be a musician, bad things will happen to me. That applies to every job, every position, everywhere. So why she won't let me? Am I doing something haram? The money I get from making music, haram ke? I'm trying to make an honest living. Something that at the same time is something I love and worth doing. The money is there. Its up to us to know where to look. And again, that applies to every job in the world. The most important part is that its an honest living. I'm not selling drugs. I'm not soliciting sex. I'm not selling booze. She's worried about all the bad influence the world of music brings. I've been playing music for 10 years now. I've never use drugs, I've never drank alcohol before and I don't have sex orgies. All I want to do is perform and share with the world our music. I don't party hard like how my brothers and sisters did when they were young. My idea of a good time is chilling with friends, have a drink and have a good laugh. After 26 years in this life, I would guess that my family would know who I am by now. And yet, they still don't know who I really am. Every single advice my parents gave me, I still listen to those advice. Yes, I did make a lot of mistakes 5 years ago. I was too in love and I did things I wished I never did. But we learn from our mistakes. I learned it the hard way. I just wish my family can see that I am no longer Adik Boy. I'm Iriz. I love music and I love performing. I love my family, my friends and most importantly, I love Allah SWT. Even though I am far from being a good Muslim. I try my best to do things the right way. I try my best not to stray from the right path.

Down but not out

Its been quite an up and down kind of day today. I found out that my band Tashya's Ink did not make the cut for the semi-final spot in the Redtix + MTVAsia RedAMP competition. Kudos to all the bands that went through but I have to be honest about something. Not to diss anybody. Cos everyone has their own opinion of how to play music but....I felt that some bands that got through didn't deserve to be in the semi-final. It makes me wonder about the taste and mentality of some people. Is it the glamour that they are looking for or true talent? It looks to me that this competition really has nothing to do with ASEAN'S best band. The worst part, some bands sent in their submission without really complying with the competition's Terms and Condition. The competition required all bands to send in a video of them playing live at a show or jamming session. And we did just that(even though we took 6 different shots, we still used live audio). But the bands that got through really made a music video. There's even one band that had full warrior costumes and shot in a rubber plantation...I mean, WTH? And we're not in it? Talk about class and taste. Bad, really really bad....What is the world becoming? To be fair, not all the bands were awful. there are some bands that were good enough to be in the shortlist. But I find it very hard to accept that my band got overlooked for some bands...I'm not saying that we are the best band ever to grace the earth but seriously, I know in my heart (and I hope my friends/Tashya's Ink fans) that we are better than half the bands in it. I'm sure of it.

Nonetheless, life is just that no matter how it crawls under your skin you've got to move on. And I'm glad that today's jamming session went really well. We were bothered about the result and it did show during the practice but eventually, we ended the session strongly and uber-focused for Fete De La Musique festival happening this Sunday at The Curve. We'll be taking the stage at around 540pm and I hope to see my friends and fans there supporting us and dancing to our tunes. This will be our first ever show with the new and improved line-up. I dunno but I just have a feeling that its gonna be a blast. I hope to gain more fans and ultimately open up some more opportunities for us to go places. I pray to God that everything will go on smoothly.

Finally, to the England Team.....PLEASE WIN TONIGHT....

redAMP Competition...

i guess some might already know that my band Tashya's Ink just finished shooting 2 videos. One of them we are using for this competition called redAmp which is organized by AirAsiaRedTix and MTV. And the winning prize is RM50,000.00 to kickstart our career as musicians. The song we chose is called Run. Written by my vocalist Tashya Basir and her companion, Nina Zeddy, the song has that bossa nova kind of feel to it. Initally, it was a bossa nova song due to Nina's influence. But all of us wanted to escape from that feel hence we decided to combine a bit of rock in it. Nothing heavy, perhaps more like a pop rock feel and personally, I'm very proud of what i managed to give to the song. Kudos to my bassist, Ike and drummer, Wan for adding their excellent groove and chemistry. As i mentioned earlier in my other posts, I really hope this line-up would stick for a long time. And things have been looking pretty clear after a very slow start to the year. The future is there for us to write and its up to us now to make it to the big stage.

Anyway, I've been going on Youtube searching for videos of bands that submitted for the redAMP competition. I got to say, in the most humble way possible that I think our video is much much better than the others except Lab the Rat. Their video is very similar to us but the difference is that we did it live and to my observation, they shot a video and put their track over it. But I guess everyone else thought that it should be a video of them jamming or performing live during a show hence the low quality videos. But there's this other band called Systematically Avoided Disaster or better known as S.a.D, who really did a proper music video for this competition which actually reminded me of Karnivool's video of Lifelike. A video of them performing in various area of a warehouse with different camera angles. The concept is very good but I think the choice of song is not the wisest. Moving on, I'm kinda stoked about the competition and I pray we get through to the second round which requires the public to vote for us. I'll post where to vote if our band gets shortlisted.

So to all my friends, strangers, bloggers, surfers, music lovers, fans and family, please vote for my band Tashya's Ink. Thank you for all your support....

Here's the video:

Our very own music video

Hey everybody, finally my band's video clip is up in youtube. Not to brag or sound like I'm complimenting myself but I love it. Thanks to Fat Kats Studios, Adrian and Bari for making everything possible. Even though it was really simple, no story behind the song, basic equipments and time constraint, the video turned out sweet (in the words of our bassist, Ike). And during our video premiere party earlier today ( or perhaps last nite), everybody loved it. Special thanks to those who came to the party. Anyway, we managed to record 2 songs. The crowd favourite, HU and the band's personal favourite, Run. So please please, anyone out there reading this, please check it out and give ur input. Oh btw, the reason we did these videos was for this competition called redAMP (a collaboration between AirAsia and MTV). We decided to submit Run for the competition. So to those out watching the video and wondering why we asked you guys to vote in the video, its for this competition. Hopefully, we'll get past the preliminary round. Once we are through, the public voting starts. And that's where we need your help. So please check out this link here and vote for us when you see Tashya's Ink. So, without further a do....presenting our videos Run and HU.

See ya!

IT'S A WRAP!!!

What a day today. Sometimes it amazes me that in one day, things can change from really fucked up to awesomeness instantly. Life is unpredictable, like the ocean. No one can really tell if a wave or a tsunami is coming. Anyhoo, my band Tashya's Ink just finished up our video shoot at Daikanyama Restaurant. It went really great. Better than great actually. It was awesome. And kudos to everyone involved in the project, my bandmates, the production crew and their leader, Adrian, Mani, Nina Zeddy and a special mention to Bari for making this work. Without his input, enthusiasm and trust in us, we would never had this opportunity to do this. I can't wait to show our fans the video. Initially, we only wanted to record one of my favourite songs from Tashya's Ink called Run but because we were so ahead of schedule we recorded HU as well. And to think that we only had less than a week to prepare with the new lineup too. I guess I can to see that things are going as plan. It was slow and full of challenging moments at first but I think we are destined for great things in the future provided we stay focus on the goal.

What a contrast to my day in the office. These past 2 weeks, things have been very hectic in the office. I don't mind being busy but sometimes I feel that the work given to me is a bit out of my league since this is only my third month on the job. Now suddenly I have to design the whole material handling system for this one company. There were so many moment when I felt like I want to resign but work is work. I have to work to survive and for the band's sake. Money means more equipments can buy and more jamming sessions. That's why everyday I pray to God that we'll get our big break soon. So I can focus on music. But praying is one thing, we have to work hard to get what we deserve and I am working hard....

The Mayfield Four - Big Verb

One of my favourite song from the guys from Spokane. I love how they sound, their arrangements, the lyrics...just about everything....



She tries to find the weak spots
She tries to push through
To her, I'm not a criminal, she appears
And wants the sentence reduced

Now I need to restrain
Don't wanna give in
Let me pay for the crimes I've committed

Everything is caving in
From the weight of her world
My self evasing fortress is too weak
To withstand the self-assured

Just get out while you can
He'll take you away
Once it's gone, you'll understand

Will you please save her from myself?
Don't wanna hurt anybody else
So I build my castle high
Warning you to stay away

The war, I think it's over
But nobody really won
And as I stumble through the rubble
Then I see what kept her from getting in
A weary heart and the thickest of skin

Save her from myself?
Don't wanna hurt anybody else
And will you please save her from myself?
Don't wanna hurt anybody else

So I build my castle high
Warning you to stay away
Warning you to stay away

Starlight By Myles Kennedy & Slash

I so f*cking love this song that I had to put it in my blog. Myles Kennedy has effectively became my all time favourite vocalist. Slash will always be Slash to me. The guy that inspired me to pick up the guitar, to learn his technique and I am the guitarist I am today because of his existence, Myles' existence and of course Mark Tremonti. So anyway, this song totally blew my mind. Beautiful voice, equally beautiful lyrics and guitar playing. Its just awesome. i pray that they will come down to Malaysia in August. Please God, let that happen. Here's the link to the song. And below the lyrics to it....Its so beautiful!

In the distance light years from tomorrow
Far beyond yesterday
She is watching, heart aching with sorrow
She is broken is broken, as she waits
Hoping when all is said and done we can learn to love and be as one

Chorus

Oh Starlight, don’t you cry we gonna make it right before tomorrow
Oh Starlight, don’t you cry we’re gonna find a place where we belong (where we belong)
And so you know, we’ll never shine alone

There are shadows sleeping on the horizon
Leave us scared and so afraid
As the fall out of a world divided
It brings her tears and so much pain
And so we take cover from the dark
Hoping to find where we can start

Chorus

Oh Starlight, don’t you cry we gonna make it right before tomorrow
Oh Starlight, don’t you cry we’re gonna find a place where we belong (where we belong)
And so you know, you’ll never shine alone
Starlight we’ll find a place where we belong

You will see when the mountains fall and turn to dust
There’s one thing that can’t change
I believe there’s something within each over us that always says
That will always remain as long as love never pains

Chorus
http://www.elyricsworld.com/starlight_lyrics_slash.html
Oh Starlight, don’t you cry we gonna make it right before tomorrow
Oh Starlight, don’t you cry we’re gonna find a place where we belong (where we belong)
And so you know, you’ll never shine alone
Starlight we’ll find a place where we belong (we belong)

She is watching, heart aching with sorrow
She is broken is broken, as she waits

What's happening?

I realize that when I was younger, things were not that complicated. Life was good, fun, a lot of laughter. But things changed nowadays. And those laughter seemed like memories from long ago. Is it me or the world has become more depressing? Maybe I'm just caught up in my feelings at this very instance. But nonetheless, I should be very grateful. And of course I am. My life has been good, minus some blip for 4 years. I guess I feel that 4 years had been wasted, 4 years of lies and deceit and sin. How I wish I handled things better back then. Made the right decision that I know I am capable of. In that 4 years, I have lost a huge part of me that I held close to my heart. FYI, that 4 year period was between 2004-2008. Life's been great since then. It was tough trying to break free from your own prison but I'm doing okay. Working now, band's doing great but there's just something missing. And I know whats missing. And I'm trying my best to fill in those missing pieces. I guess my demons are still tormenting me. Ya Allah, please give me the strength to overcome my demons. Please give me the strength to be a better servant to you. Please give me the strength to be a better son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend. Please guide me to the path of righteousness. Aku hanya ingin menjadi seorang hambaMu yang bertaqwa kepadaMu, beriman kepadaMu. Bebaskan la aku dari segala perbuatan2 keji, fikiran yang cetek dan bebaskanlah aku dari nafsuku, Ya Allah.

Finally an update!

Hey world,

It has been awhile since I last updated my blog. Fortunately, alot of things happened since the last post. Where should I start? A couple of weeks ago, my friends and I hiked up at this beautiful place called Broga Hills, Semenyih. Not that difficult to hike up but nonetheless there were some pretty slippery areas on the way up. But all those just disappeared once you reach the top. A place like that reminded me how great Allah SWT really is. How a view like that just brings you down to earth, making you realize that you are just one speck of dust, insignificant. With the company of great friends, it made the journey even more sweeter. We started our hike at around 530 am in the morning, reaching the top around 620 am. By that time there were so many people. Its like going to a shopping mall. I guess that's the only downside, it's too crowded. We came back down around 8-ish am and made our way to the nearest mamak for breakfast. Stayed and talked, even telling some ghostly stories. Owh, bear in mind, at this time I still haven't slept yet. And to make things more interesting, before the trip to Broga I had a futsal session. So you can imagine how my knees felt. Went back home around 11 am, had my shower and slept like a baby.

We ended up going there again the following week. This time with more friends. And again, I didn't sleep and had futsal before the trip. Started our journey from home at 330 am, reached there around 415 am. Hiked up at 430 and reached the top by 5 am (I think). The stars were still up in the sky, just like in the Incubus song Wish You Were Here. "The sky is back lit canopy with holes punched in it". Again, it made me realize the Greatness of Allah SWT. We didn't stay up that long and take pictures that much up there like the last time. I guess the thrill wasn't there anymore after conquering Broga much easier this time. Nonetheless, it was still fun.

On Saturday, I had a recording session with my band, Tashya's Ink. Well, it was just Tashya and me. Just a simple acoustic recording session and our friend/manager, Bari's condo in Damansara Perdana. We recorded one song, Yang Ku Mahu. Hopefully I can upload that song on cravecharts soon. After that, Tashya and I rushed to Subang Jaya for our jamming session with a new bassist and drummer. I was quite excited to jam dully because I can finally test out my new guitar and also to try out our second drum hopeful. The session went really well and we had alot of fun. I'm glad to announce that Zarul Ikwan aka Ike and Syarizwan aka Wan are our new addition to the band. I've known Ike for quite some time actually and his reputation as a really awesome bassist and fast learner had already made up Tashya's and my mind that he is the bassist to replace another great bass player, Nakim. The both of us don't really know Wan, I got his contacts through Jamtank. He replied my ad for a new drummer and so far, he's a great guy. I hope this time things will start to fall right into place. With the new lineup, we can finally start recording our EP and hopefully, tour Malaysia and the rest of the world.

God, Let this year be the year for us to fulfill our dreams. Let us be successful in doing what we love. And let it continue for as long as possible. Amin....

What a week!

Dear blog,

This week has been very hectic. Like, crazy hectic. Took a trip down to JB with my boss on Tuesday. Luckily we didn't drive, he opted that we take a flight down. Now I know why people say going on Air Asia domestic flights is just like taking a super hyper speed bus. Memang betul-betul macam naik bus. The plane itself pun Airbus. Literally, you just check-in, get the tickets (which looks like a bus ticket to me), wait to board and BAM!!! You're on your way. Its nothing like the elegant, expensive feel of going on MAS.

Anyway, we met up with my bosses business partners aka My bros as he like to call them. It was fun but at the same time it was quite fucked up. All of them have their own piece of mind and opinion. So basically, I just follow them around and just listen. When asked for opinion, i gave. Just like a robot. I'd like to write in more details about the trip but I'm too lazy. Maybe one day.

Anyway, the best part about this week was that I finally got my dream guitar. And I gotta tell you, it feels, sounds and looks freakin' awesome! Even better than I remembered (I used to go to The Guitar Shop and try it out). I can't wait to try it out in the jamming studio and play live. Now my focus will shift to my pedalboard.

Last night I bought the Korg Pitchblack Chromatic Tuner. So now I'm not worried of going out of tune anymore. Its very simple and very sensitive, a highly recommended pedal to those guitarist out there. I was hoping that I could get a Wah pedal or Phaser but after deducting my first pay of all the things I need to give and pay, I guess I'll have to buy it next month.

I think that its quite fucked up that I won't have any money to save by the end of the month. Might as well don't work. Haish, probably I really need to find a better job with better pay. Or hope that my band would finally become famous and get all the money just like a rockstar. But that is going to take a lot of work, which I'm afraid I might not be able to cope with the workload I get from my current job. But to be successful, I guess some sacrifices need to be made. The question is, which sacrifice should I make? For my passion or for my job?

I just hope that whatever sacrifice I make will give me happiness and obviously, money for me to survive this harsh (but beautiful) life.

GAS!!!!

These are the two items that I need for my pedalboard....The first picture is T-Rex Mark Tremonti Signature Phaser and the second is Morley Mark Tremonti Signature Wah... AWESOME BEYOND BELIEVE!

PRS Tremonti SE Platinum with Dimarzio Pickups at Bridge Position

I can't believe I'll be getting my dream guitar. I've been wanting this guitar for a long long time ever since I became a fan of Mark Tremonti from my favourite bands Alter Bridge and Creed. In fact, I've been a fan of PRS (Paul Reed Smith) guitars from the first time I saw it back in 1999 or 2000-ish. Back then only a handful of people used PRS guitars. People like Santana, Linkin Park, Collective Soul and Mark Tremonti. But nowadays, PRS have become one of the major players in the guitar business. What makes PRS so special is the shape of the guitar, the tone it produces as well as top notch paint job and of course the iconic bird inlays and headstock.



Basically there are two standards of the PRS guitars. One is the uber expensive, top of the line PRS USA made which can easily cost you RM12.5k a guitar. These USA made ones are the ones pro musicians/artists use. My ultimate wishlist guitar is the Mark Tremonti Model. It has his signature bass and treble pickups, his name on the headstock (it used to be on the 12th fret), a tremolo bar with routing so you can either pull up or push down the tremolo bar and of course, an array of awesome and beautiful colour scheme.


Then you have the PRS SE models which are made in Korea. But don't be fooled by the country it's made in, the quality of this guitar can match any guitar in the market out there, with a little modifications. So the one I'm getting is the Tremonti SE model. It has 3 colours to choose from, Black, Natural and Platinum. It doesn't have the Tremonti Signature bass and treble pickups but a pair of standard PRS design pickups. Just a simple change of pickups to better one and you'll be on your way rocking your ass off! I've been going to guitar shops and playing it but never thought that I would one day own it. The best part is, I'm getting it as a birthday present from my mom's friend. The colour I chose is Platinum because black is just everywhere and I'm not a big fan of the natural colour. The only downside of the this guitar is that it doesn't have the tremolo bar with routing. That would be a cool addition to an already impressive guitar.


Beautiful isn't it? Well, to me anyways. It looks so much better in real life then in picture. I've also requested Dead Eye (which is the guy I'm buying from, he has an online guitar shop so you guys can order any guitar you want) to install a good pickup. He suggested a DiMarzio Tone Zone pickups which I read about it in various websites and watched videos and I gotta say, it sounds awesome. So I can't wait to finally get my hands on this awesome guitar on Monday. Can't wait to rock out with my band Tashya's Ink with this guitar. If you want more information about PRS guitars and their other impressive array of guitars, go to their website here.

Well, I guess that's it from me today. Probably I'll write more about my band Tashya's Ink in the next post. I'll also write about my favourite bands and musicians as well as my favourite team Manchester United. There are so many things to share so I guess I'll have to write one by one. Don't forget to check out all the links I've put in here and visit my sponsors too.

Adios Amigos

CPU tantrums and guitar gallore

I really need to buy a new pc. For the past 5 to 6 months, the CPU has been crashing and crashing and crashing. I'm afraid that one day my HD is gonna fail and i won't have the opportunity to save all my personal stuff, mp3 and video collection. I don't have the money to buy a new one. I need to use the money to buy my guitar pedals. Right now my pedals are a Vox Satchurator, which is an awesome Distortion/Overdrive pedal. It has only 3 knobs to control, Gain, Tone and Volume and it has one small switch which is called the Pad switch. The function of this is for those who have very hot pickups. Somehow it compensate those pickups so that you won't get those annoying hissing sound (i think). This pedal really packs a punch. Either for rhythm work or solos, it really melts your face. You can get that Joe Satriani kinda tone or you can really get that metal sound and even get that crunchy ala Marshall amp. Its very versatile and I LOVE IT!

Next is a new addition to my pedal collection (not that I have tonnes of it), the Keeley Compressor Clone pedal. You might be wondering what clone means. It is custom made by Lynnesmy (a guy from jamtank). He does custom-made pedals, from ODs to Comps to Modulation pedals. Anyway, the Keeley Comp is a really great pedal. What a compressor does is that it limits the louder sounding frequency and it boost the lower frequency, even up the levels of both frequency. Which is great if you want to either boost your sound or lower down the gain. And it serves as a booster during clean sounds. A must for guitarist especially when you wanna play that cool solo. The compressor makes your note more clear and less distorted. To house my pedals I bought a pedalcase, which looks so much cooler and more professional rather than using a gig bag.

Next on my hunt list is a Korg Pitchblack Chromatic tuner for obvious reasons (I can't live without my tuner!). Then I'm gonna get either a Noah's Ark Orange-A-Phaser or EVH Phase 90 pedal. I would love to get a T-Rex Tremonti Phase but that would cost me around RM1300. Then I'm gonna get the Wah Wah pedal that I've been longing for awhile. Its the Morley Mark Tremonti Signature Wah. Awesome awesome pedal. I can't wait to get my new baby. Its a PRS Tremonti Se fitted with Dimarzio Tone Zone Pickup. The best part, its brand new and its platinum colour. Its gonna be a sick guitar for me. You might realize that I mentioned a few times the name Mark Tremonti. I'm somewhat a huge fan and he is one of my main influence together with Slash. They really made me the guitarist I am nowadays.

Iron Man 2 Review

What an appropriate first review from me. Watched Iron Man 2 with my buddies at Cineleisure Damansara tonight. I was really looking forward to this movie along with Prince of Persia. I would say that this movie is more of character building kinda storyline instead of all action-packed movie. It shows the different side of Tony Stark and his relationship with Pepper Potts and obviously his fame as being known as Iron Man to the world. Scarlett Johansson is absolutely hot in this movie. Even a guy sitting behind me was breathing heavily when she was flipping some guy around like a toy. Don Cheadle plays as Rhodey, Tony's best friend and War Machine, which in my honest opinion looks way cooler and badass than the Iron suit. Mickey Rourke is the villain of the movie known as Whiplash. I'd say he did quite a good job at it but the down part is that he died too easily and the fighting sequence between him and the 2 Iron dudes was too quick. They actually had a tougher time fighting with the drones than Whiplash.

There are a few references to the next big Marvel Studios movie in Iron Man 2. Obviously it was all pointing to The Avengers movie coming up next year and Captain America as well as The Mighty Thor. It looks pretty promising from Marvel if they can keep coming up with movies as awesome as Iron Man. I hope it won't be a disappointment like Elektra or Daredevil. Well, I guess what I'm trying to say here is that Iron Man 2 is definitely a watch. Its way better than Clash of The Titan but falls short behind Kick-Ass. To compare to the first movie, I would say the first one was better. Nonetheless, the action sequence and CGI was absolutely the bomb. A definite 4/5 stars for me.

Cheers!

Lelaki Besi 2 - Iron Man 2

Tonight is the night. I'm going off to watch Iron Man 2 with my buddies later. Cineleisure is our destination, 1220 am is the time. I hope the movie can really live up to the hype and hope it'll be better than the first one which was awesome as well. This year I had already one disappointment in Clash of The Titans. All the hype but ultimately failed....epic failed.

This whole writing blog thingy is kinda fun....

My first post

Wow, finally I have my own blog. I don't know why i decided to do this but I guess there's no harm in having one. I hope I can entertain my readers about my views of life, music, sports and other stuff but right now, I don't have anything to write just yet. So please stay tuned!

Oh btw, my band Tashya's Ink will be featured on Malaysia Hari Ini, TV3 on the 11th of May 2010. I'm not sure what time but I guess its in the morning since its a morning show. So to all our friends, fans and family, do watch us, aight?