New Wave Belt

   It has been interesting to go back in time and fight with some demons. This project came to me at the perfect time. The haggard VHS tapes would not have made it many more years, and I will not have the time to readdress this digital production.
   I am satisfied with the 8 videos, they cover the four years I was on stage from 1996 until 1999. It was ultimately my choice to walk away from the greatest musical experiment that I had ever experienced. At the time it was a distraction from a five year long Bachelor's degree that need not go to six.
   I continue to enjoy making music and I will present new tracks later this year. Along with the videos, I pushed through a pile of ancient audio tapes this past summer, in order to convert the warping tapes to digital tracks.
   The All American Kids Club was not good at producing hi-fidelity merchandise. By the time of our last recording we were at the height of our prowess. We were also dancing on the edge of our grave. The last set of recordings were cherry-picked and I will release 30+ tracks from the All American Kids Club soon.
   As a father, I was compelled to finish this archive and present it to the universe. There are no accolades or awards, just a heavy dose of nostalgia. Nothing to gain except a few smiles for friends who were there. I am personally glad to have those special evenings documented. I would also like to thank all the individuals who shot footage and saved it for all these years. You can check out my YouTube page for all the remaining "Music Past" videos.

 

"Canada" by the All American Kids Club.

"Children's Crusade" by Ichluga.

"Evil Tower" by Ichluga.

Incognito

   A part of being the project guy, means you stick with something, even through the rough spots. And there will always be rough spots. It does not matter what your skill level is, there will likely be hidden, unexpected conditions that pop up. This goes hand in hand with being a critical thinker and process oriented builder. Sometimes it works out in our favor and we call these unforeseen events "happy accidents."
   While working on the digital video archive, I needed a file converter to fix an incompatibility issue. The freeware I downloaded turned out to be more robust than expected, and allowed me to break apart some old DVD files. Once again technological evolution trumps all.
   This video is one of my favorite Ichluga songs. Yes, we had just escaped from the pokey.



Ghost of Music Past

   Ichluga holds a special place in my heart. Kent, Ohio in the late 90's was a hotbed of drugs, alcohol, and experimental music. The trio was born from the ashes of the All American Kids Club. The already tight group literally sweated through an inaugural period which generated the backbone of their new sound. Party band or something more, it does not really matter in the history of rock music. The importance lies in the experience for the three, who for one moment knew what it meant to create as one. 

   Will the All American Kids Club resurface next? Rumor is there are some pretty dope tracks ready to drop. For those special few that experienced the youthful phenomenon, the music is guaranteed to take you back to a shitty little bar. Let's twist the knob and see where the time machine takes us.