artist2artist: Dostah Shilailee

The “experimental electronic enigma” of Sykophunk Productions known as Dostah Shilailee is making a comeback… again. This time he returns with a new album, a catalog for licensing, and a piss-poor attitude to ruin it all. In this conversation between his two personas, perhaps JVB can learn more about himself and determine a place for his oldest alter ego.

Joe DOE: You’re releasing new music after an almost two-year-long hiatus. Why were you inactive for so long?

Dostah Shilailee: I always pop in and out of existence. A while back I released an album that went nowhere. Whether that’s due to Sykophunk Productions’ emphasis on you rather than me or just because I suck, that’s up for debate. Either way, knowing nobody would miss me, I decided to ninja vanish while we figured out what direction to take my music in.

JD: By we, you mean you.

DS: And you.

JD: Right… so what did we learn in the past year?

DS: We learned that people suck and the economy’s worse. Nobody wants to pay for music, so if you can’t download the torrent then it’s obviously not worth having. Real art makes terrible ringtones. People are searching Youtube for Rebecca Black so they can hate on her, instead of looking for something they might actually like. Some clichés are actually true, and it takes money to make money. But it seems nearly impossible to cover your costs when releasing an album independently these days, especially if your music is on the experimental side and defies traditional marketing.

JD: Damn, you just about convinced me to not release another album, ever. Any good news for us, or should I just blow my brains out right now?

DS: No, don’t do that, because I’ll be dead too. But yeah, there is some good news. Composing and licensing. Getting music placed in movies, TV shows, video games, commercials – that shit pays big time. Of course, it depends on the company you’re working with and their budget, but overall that is where the revenue stream is for indies right now, not in album sales. It’s hard times for everyone, financially, so even the major movie studios are looking at independent music, because it’s much cheaper for them.

JD: Yeah, I think all of Sykophunk Productions will be focusing on that area more. And yet, even with your negative view on releasing albums, you’re about to put one out.

DS: Sort of. I have a bunch of songs that we can’t make available for licensing, mostly because they contain uncleared samples. It’s fucking stupid, in my opinion. If I take a clip of something and place it in my music, I’m using it as if it were an instrument or a sound in Fruity Loops or whatever, as part of the arrangement of the song. It‘s now part of my art. But that’s not how the law sees it, and I don’t want to get us in trouble. So I’m calling my album Copyright Laws are for Pussies, it’ll be a free download under Creative Commons. People can steal it, remix it, sell it. I don’t give a damn – as long as they’re listening to it and possibly sharing it with others, that’s all I can really ask for.

JD: Ever since you did that Colbert remix through Indaba, you’ve kind of been anti-copyright.

The Colbert Report interview with Dan Zaccagnino, founder of Indaba [link to the video – Dostah’s remix gets Colbert poppin & lockin @ 3:57]

DS: There is a purpose for copyrights, but some of it is bullshit. I register my music with the Copyright Office so that somebody else can’t try to pass it off as their work. It’s just documented proof that I made that music. But if somebody samples a part of one of my songs and incorporates it into one of theirs, I don’t feel like they owe me something for that. My art inspired someone else’s art – that’s awesome! I would feel honored, not cheated.

JD: That actually makes a lot of sense. When did you become so reasonable?

DS: Somewhere in between the time Homo Sapiens first walked the earth and the time you shut the fuck up.

JD: Word. So, are you sticking around for a while this time, or are you just gonna drop another album and disappear again?

DS: Who the hell knows? You’re in the middle of an album right now, plus we have Abandoned coming out next month. We’re only one person, so we’ll see if Sykophunk Productions can afford the time to promote its bastard elder child. I might be taking over for the prequel to Democalypse, because it’s supposed to be more dance-oriented. If that doesn’t pan out, I’ll just move to somewhere in Europe where they still listen to good music.

JD: You sound like Fred Durst right now.

DS: Don’t start with me, Hugo! Seriously, I should kill you for saying that, if not for the aforementioned dilemma of our lives being one in the same.

JD: We are one. Any closing remarks?

DS: Everyone download my new album on April 22, 2011 from sykophunk.com. It will be free because it has to be, and because I want it to be. Stay tuned for other awesome shit too, from joe DOE and JVB. Those guys are alright. Join the rEvolution Underground, or be burned over a basket of living cats! Ghost in a dream, out.

[People who were entertained by this display of my insanity also enjoyed D-O-E interviewing joe DOE]

Mostly Recycled

There’s a story behind every release that I unleash upon the world, and these tales aren’t always told through the music itself. Sometimes I think that if people knew about the ghetto tactics I must employ to even get an album out there, maybe they’d appreciate my art a little more. So for those interested in the behind-the-scenes stuff, here is the background and history of the new joe DOE album, Mostly Recycled Vol. 1, which is now available on CD or MP3 from sykophunk.com.

I chose the title Mostly Recycled early on, because I knew that I wanted to resurrect some older material. I also believe that the entertainment industry makes new hits mostly by recycling old stuff. I wanted to go all out with this one, so I licensed beats from top-notch underground producers from Shadowville Productions and Anno Domini (who have worked with such artists as DZK and Jedi Mind Tricks) among others. Mixing old and new material, the songs were epic and the recording sessions were going great… until my piece of shit car broke down and couldn’t get me to the studio anymore. With just two weeks left until my release date, I found myself with only half an album. But I had other rough collab tracks that have been sitting around, for a Triple Vision album that will probably never see the light of day. So basically, I put two unfinished albums together and called it Mostly Recycled Vol. 1. Crisis averted. It’s not exactly the album I wanted to put out, but it is 18 tracks of awesomeness featuring bonus material with guest vocalists from across the nation and producers from around the world. It’s an intense collection of songs and stands solidly on its own, but I still have a bunch of tracks that need to be finished. So this is volume one, with number two to follow at an undetermined time in the future.

Check out the promo video, containing previews of songs from Mostly Recycled volumes one and two.

Where Angels and Eagles Soar

Where Angels and Eagles Soar

This is the latest collection of instrumentals from Sykophunk founder and electronic composer Joseph VanBuren. Dedicated to JVB’s stepfather, who recently left this earth, Where Angels and Eagles Soar contains 12 tracks of soothing sounds that pull the strings of the heart and push the limits of the soul. New age, ambient, chill out/trip hop music that is often mysterious and solemn but ultimately thought-provoking and spiritualy uplifting. JVB will be putting all proceeds from album sales and licensing deals into the Firefly Cottage Fund, to help his mother start her own business and stay on her feet in these challenging times.

Preview tracks from this album on our licensing site, where you can also order your copy today, in your choice of MP3 or CD format. Also available at the Sykophunk Store. We’ll soon start an official fundraiser for the Firefly Cottage Fund, at which time we will be accepting donations and rewarding supporters with exclusive items and experiences. If you’d like to help spread the word or just want to be informed when the fundraiser begins, please contact us for further details.

Sykophunk Weekly: free downloads leading up to new release

“The business of making and selling music is currently going through a revolution, and Sykophunk Productions aims to be a part of it.” I wrote this as part of my mission statement when I first decided to go legit as a label. A little over two years later, it’s still on the home page of sykophunk.com, and I can honestly say that I’m doing everything within my means to stick to it. I’ve always said that people getting my music for free is better than people not hearing it at all. At the same time, I have bills to pay. So here’s how I try to balance that out.

Currently I’m making free downloads available on Sykophunk Weekly. Every Friday I post a new song, and I will do this until my next album (called Mostly Recycled) drops on March 29, 2011. Also updated every Friday is a journal in which I write about the progress of the album and my other projects. So you can check in every week, see how the album’s coming along, and download a free song. Sometimes there will be a new video posted as well. When Mostly Recycled is released, that’s when I expect some of you to return the generosity and buy the album. And I know that some people prefer MP3s over CDs (or vice versa) and that money’s tight right now. With both of these things in mind, I will make the album available in multiple formats: digital download, physical CD, bonus tracks (both DL and CD), and a 2-disc set. So whatever your preference or budget is, there will be an option that’s right for you.

For Mostly Recycled, I’m joining forces with some of the dopest underground producers in hip hop to create sick tracks that are still mostly rEvolutionary but also strangely catchy and sort of have a (dare I say it) commercial vibe. I want to put something out that carries my message but is also accessible to the masses, before I release another crazy, experimental album – Mostly Recycled is the one that might even catch some airplay. It’s still epic as phuk though, don’t get it twisted. Featured producers include Shadowville Productions, Anno Domini, Symphonic and Infidel beats – some of these guys have worked with artists like DZK and Jedi Mind Tricks, so you know it’s taking sykophunk to a whole new level! Can’t wait to share it with the world. March 29 is right around the corner… keep your third eye open.

New Years rEvolution

As 2010 comes to an end, it’s time to look back on the year and reflect upon what I did and didn’t accomplish. Business-wise, with Sykophunk Productions, I actually achieved nearly all of my creative goals, including finally getting my book of short stories published. My full-length album, Democalypse, wasn’t exactly a financial success, but a lot of people got to hear it and get a taste of the different artistic direction I’m going in with the new name, joe DOE: still a lot of beats and rhymes, but also more live instruments, more melody, more concepts behind the songs. The album also fueled some very cool remixes for my last release of the year, Seximer. I didn’t land any licensing or scoring jobs in 2010, but I did learn a lot about these aspects of the industry and got a good start on a catalog of music for such purposes. And, as predicted, I had very little time to write for this or any other blog.

Now it’s time to set some goals for 2011. I have tons of material in various stages of completion for more music releases, it just all needs to be organized and prioritized. During the first half of the year, it looks like I’ll be dropping 2 or 3 more EPs plus a mixtape. Plenty of stuff to keep you all fed while I work on my next full-length album, the second part of the Democalypse trilogy. I’ll also be completing my instrumental catalog and focusing some of my time on securing licensing deals and scoring jobs. And I’m thinking of resurrecting some old sykophunk personas, such as Dostah Shilailee and Mother Prick of Misery. Not goals yet, but very possible options.

Besides music, I have some writing goals as well, beginning with finishing my first screenplay. Of course, I have several ideas on the table, but I have one screenplay near completion, at least the first draft. I also have a number of short stories that I’ll be finishing up, possibly working towards another book. And Dark Domain: for the love of fuck, I need to compile my hundreds of pages of stories, outlines and notes into a comprehensive presentation. Dark Domain could be anything: book series, movie, video game – all 3. But first it needs to be presentable to any possible collaborators. This is something I really want to achieve by the end of 2011.

So, there is my ambitious outline of the many things I want to work on in the new year. If you were actually interested enough to read this entire post, thank you for your time and support. Stick with me throughout 2011; it’s apparently going to be another busy year for Sykophunk Productions.

joe DOE – Seximer track-by-track

What’s up world? joe DOE here, reporting from the epicenter of the rEvolution Underground, Sykophunk Productions. My new EP, Seximer, is now available in CD or MP3 format, featuring remixes of songs from my albums Democalypse and Be Middle Class or Die Trying. Here is a track-by-track breakdown, along with some side notes and history.

Epic Awesomeness (badass remix) – I always felt that this song did a good job of summing up my versatility. It’s hard-hitting yet spiritually uplifting, with a hardcore industrial edge thanks to my man Randy Stockton from GrimWitcH. This version gives it a more banging beat and some extra guitar work, emphasizing the hip hop and metal influences at the same time.

Battle Scars (revisited remix) – A collaboration with my homegirl Christel South, and one of my best received songs. Most people are impressed with this one, especially when Christel drops her verse. The subject matter is intense and personal, yet on a level that a lot of people can relate to. This version keeps the gothic hip hop flavor of the original, adding more electronic elements and some fun vocal effects.

2012 (original remix) – This is the original mix of the song – a collaboration created on the site Indaba between myself, Time Traveling Terrapin, Ecks, and Dubby Dub. I did all of the vocals on this version; the others worked together on the beats and music. The closer we get to the year 2012, the more relevant these lyrics are. It’s not all “gloom and doom,” but it’s not nay saying either. Once again, the triangle finds a balance.

Sick Shit (raw remix) – This is the third version of this song. It was originally released as a mixtape track, and then I did a remix for Democalypse. A lot of people seem to dig this song too, which I guess is why I’ve put a version of it on every release since taking the name joe DOE. That’s it though – last time! This version features a stripped down beat, leaving the focus on my lyrics, because they are fucking bad ass.

Shitting in the Lap of Luxury (unplugged) – Here’s a rare treat indeed: an acoustic version of a joe DOE song, for real! Just my vocals, a little piano, and acoustic guitars provided by my old friend Thomas Scott Farrell. I like this even better than the original, mostly because I sung it a lot better on this version. This song really made me want to do more acoustic stuff in the future, so just a warning: I’ve been practicing my strumming!

Life (Will Never Be the Same Again) – This song is the story of my life and the history of how sykophunk came to be. Very close to my heart, but the old version contained obvious samples, so I couldn’t promote it as an original song. With the help of the talented Cherie O providing the female vocals for me, this version is all original music and still just as powerful as it ever was. A positive and heartfelt closing track for the EP.

Listen to audio samples and/or buy Seximer now on CD Baby.

Sykophunk Artists Debut New Songs With Live Performances

With recent talks of a full-length release from both Triple Vision and joe DOE scheduled to drop in early 2011, plus a Triple Vision mixtape going online November 26, 2010, the artists have been giving audiences a sneak peak of some new tracks through live performances. This past Tuesday, joe DOE performed a new song for the first time, “Bleed for the Night,” as well as an alternate version of “Epic Awesomeness,” at the Cubbyhole Coffee House in Poughkeespies, NY.

Last month, Triple Vision performed working versions of three new tracks at the same venue.

The performances and videos are a means to test out new material, as well as to generate awareness of their upcoming releases. Both artists plan on booking more gigs throughout the winter. Info on upcoming show dates and appearances can be found on the Sykophunk Productions Gigs & Events page.

The Songwriting Process: Interview with Joseph VanBuren

CD Baby is currently conducting this interview of its members, to put together a songwriting guide. I don’t know yet if they’ll use any of my quotes, but here is the Q&A for anyone that might be interested in my songwriting process.

Q: What does your songwriting process look like? What are a few of the more common ways in which you compose a song?

A: Usually the first line of lyrics, melody or beat will pop into my head randomly, possibly inspired by something I just saw or experienced. I frantically search for something to write on, jot down some notes. I always have a pen on me for such occasions. Once I get my notes home, I can flesh out the rest of the song in my solitude (usually).

Q: Think of your favorite songs. What do they do to or for you? What is it about the song (technically, emotionally, thematically) that moves you?

A: My favorite songs are almost always sincere, passionate and often personal. Genre and style do not matter – if the lyrics are meaningful to the writer and the music comes from the soul, the result is usually going to be powerful.

Q: What are your common frustrations with songwriting? What are the ways in which you get stuck?

A: For me, the process of songwriting is completely enjoyable – liberating and satisfying. The only frustration I ever feel is having to interrupt my songwriting to go to my day job.

Q: How do you overcome the frustration? How do you get un-stuck?

A: If I get stuck on either lyrics or music, I give myself about three minutes before I just move on to another song or take a break altogether. I can typically come back a few hours later and pick up right where I left off. I don’t believe in writer’s block for true songwriters – getting stuck just means your brain is tired. Take a little break.

Q: Do you envision an audience or outside listener when you write? If so, how would you describe that audience? What effect does this have on the writing process?

A: It depends on what kind of song I’m working on, whether it’s intended to be a spectacle or subdued. Normally, I’m probably too involved in the process to envision an audience, at least until the song is near completion.

Q: Do you collaborate or enlist outside opinions during the writing process? What effect does that have on the writing process?

A: If the song I’m writing is a collaboration, then I’ll share it with the other writers/performers, and together we‘ll decide what‘s best for that particular song. If it‘s a song I‘ll be performing myself, I keep it personal.

Q: Songwriters are known for loving most of their “babies” equally. This is why artistic coaches have the mantra “Kill Your Babies!” How can you tell when one of your own song is really good? How can you tell when one is bad or misbehaving?

A: Like actual babies, the only way to know if your songs will turn out good or bad is to care for them, nourish them, raise them in your image, and then let them out into the world. I made 102 babies in one year, so I don’t feel bad about disowning the ones that disgrace or embarrass me, knowing that the others carry on my name proudly. Parents have to make a lot of tough decisions.

Q: What do you get out of being a songwriter? Do you imagine you’ll write songs forever?

A: As a songwriter, I make sense of the world around me, then get to present my view to others through the universal language of music. Songwriting is all at once a job, therapy and part of my religion. If I get bitten by a vampire (fingers crossed…), I’ll write songs forever.

Q: What roles do “inspiration” and “perspiration” play in your writing process?

A: Inspiration, wherever it may come from, is the seed planted in the garden of the mind, from which the song shall grow. Perspiration, to me, comes after the song is written – performance, marketing, etc. In fact, I think the only thing about the music business that doesn’t make me sweat is songwriting.

Q: Imagine the greatest song you haven’t written yet. Describe it.

A: Evanescence, Tech N9ne and The Prodigy having a three-way.

Weekly Previews of Indie Music Artist joe DOE’s Upcoming Album

For Immediate Release

After producing 21 full-length albums for various acts and releasing many of them on his self-run label, Sykophunk Productions, hybrid hip hop artist joe DOE is preparing to return with a new solo album entitled Democalypse. DOE is posting preview tracks on the Sykophunk Weekly page of sykophunk.com; a new song every Friday until the album is released, starting February 26, 2010. This will give his current fans and new listeners five full-song samples of this intense, genre-bending album.

joe DOE has described Democalypse as his “most musically challenging album yet.” Though much of his material is still built around the hip hop staples of hard hitting beats and intricate rhymes, DOE also employs elements of metal, electronic, goth, and even melodic pop, in his continuing effort to push the sykophunk sound to the limit. A few contributing collaborators also bring their unique styles to some of the songs. The concept behind Democalypse is a near-future world in which an apocalypse occurs due to mankind’s own selfishness and greed. The content is heavy, occasionally lightened up by DOE’s sense of humor and ultimate belief that such a future can be avoided, even if it takes a revolution.

joe DOE is currently available for interviews. Democalypse will be available for press review and pre-order on March 8, 2010. The street date is March 30, 2010.

Click here to go to Sykophunk Weekly

artist2artist: joe DOE

There is a rebirth occurring over at Sykophunk Productions. For various reasons, artist D-O-E is officially changing his stage name to joe DOE. In the artist2artist tradition just recently started here at DIO, these two personas will have a conversation. Prepare to be confused, hopefully entertained, and maybe a little informed.

D-O-E: What’s up, me? How am I doing? Good, you hope.

Joe DOE: Please don’t do that.

D-O-E: My bad. So, the point of this is for you to answer questions that other interviews you may get probably won’t ask. But let’s start with an obvious one: why the name change?

Joe DOE: It’s all explained in the first song of my new mixtape project Who the Hell is joe DOE?! which will be available for free download on sykophunk.com starting November 13, 2009.

D-O-E: Nice shameless plug.

Joe DOE: I learned from the best.

D-O-E: What can people expect from this mixtape?

Joe DOE: It’s short, only 9 songs, but it makes up for it by being fucking epic! I put as much effort into these songs as I normally would in an album twice as long. I’m trying to show that as joe DOE I’m putting more emphasis on writing songs, melody and variation, not just rhymes over beats. The hip hop element is still very important, but I’m gonna be adding a lot more singing and live instruments.

D-O-E: When will your debut post-rebirth album be released?

Joe DOE: Probably not until spring 2010, which is another reason why the mixtape had to be so epic – I gotta milk it for a while on the promotion tip. But it also gives me time to spread the word about the new name. I got a cool comic book style promo video for the mixtape that I posted online. I might do a little series of joe DOE video comics ‘cuz it looks dope! Something to get out there while the album’s being worked on.

D-O-E: Do you think you will gain more recognition as joe DOE?

Joe DOE: I fucking hope so! At least you can Google the goddamn name! I mean, it’ll take a while to make the full transition, not to mention all the legal shit I gotta do. But honestly, I think this is the beginning of earning the respect that I truly deserve as being the most potentially successful anti-mainstream artist ever.

D-O-E: And what happens to me?

Joe DOE: D-O-E and Doeboy are still my nicknames. My friends who have been calling me that for years aren’t gonna change just because I made a marketing decision. And the D-O-E albums already online at iTunes and all that will probably be available forever. I am thinking of re-releasing Be Middle Class or Die Trying with some bonus tracks under joe DOE. But from here on out, I’ll be releasing all of my music as joe DOE.

D-O-E: All of your music? What about Dostah Shilailee?

Joe DOE: Shit, I don’t know. Where has he been lately anyway?

D-O-E: I haven’t seen him in a while.

Joe DOE: If you do, let him know I said what up.

D-O-E: No doubt. So… what’s with the mask?

Joe DOE: I’m wearing a mask in my promo pics to symbolize the idea of the unknown – you know, joe DOE, John Doe. I ain’t a slave to no identity. Plus I think it looks badass, and I’m having fun changing it up every photo session. I haven’t decided yet if I’m gonna stay rocking the mask as joe DOE or not. I think I’m gonna leave that up to the fans. Then again, if people start hating on the mask, I’ll probably wear it out of spite just to piss people off.

D-O-E: What an asshole…

Joe DOE: Bullshitski, you fat crippled butt-fuck!

D-O-E: Well, good luck replacing me as the primary bread-winner of Sykophunk Productions.

Joe DOE: That’s a low bar to set for myself, buddy. Don’t worry about it – 2010 is mine! To everyone reading this: thanks for giving me your time, get that mixtape on Friday the 13th & bump the shit out of it, stay connected and keep your third eye open for the new flavor! See, I haven’t changed, just the name has. Ghost in a dream, out.