Ableton Forum

So here's my first update from Afghanistan.... When I arrived at our meet-up point before departing, it was one long line after another. They're called Departure Assistance Groups, but they're not that much assistance if you ask me. Do you have your passport? Check. Travel orders? Check. Have you cleared out your room (and cleaned out your room) in the barracks on base? Check. Is your Next of Kin form up to date (for the umpteenth time)? Check. Etc, ad infinitum (almost).

I can't go into any detail on how I got from Canada to Afghanistan over the internet unfortunately... There's a story there, so if any of y'all are ever interested, and you get to meet me in person, remind me sometime and I'll tell a good one.

We've been assigned our living quarters here, and they're pretty much identical to what I had when I was living while in Bosnia. It's essentially a large semi-cylinder tent, with living space divided by fabric barriers for the occupants' privacy. It's not bad actually. Having to pear down your posessions to the absolute minimal essentials (which for me included a notebook computer one of those teensy thin edirol 2 octave midi keyboards, a ReMOTE SL Zero, and a Korg Padkontrol) is quite liberating.

Besides the heat, I find the dust to be quite pervasive. Not sand mind you, but dust as fine as flour. It gets into everything, so I have to keep the computer and my midi gear sealed in plastic bags when not in use. It's disconcerting as apparently there's stories from the mechanics that they've found this fine dust INSIDE the tires of vehicles; so obviously this dust can even penetrate an air tight seal. Anyways, it's not that uncomfortable if you give up not being dusty. It's wierd, but if you get into a zen-like state of acceptance that everything you own and every crevace off your body will be caked in dust, it's not that bothersome.

Well, unfortunately I can't post pictures; our "personal use" access points to the internet are only keyboard/mouse/monitor terminals, and I can't get to the actual computer to plug in a USB drive and transfer some pics. I'll try to figure something out, I have some shots off our accommodations, some landscapes, and such. (Of course I can't post anything that would show the layout of the camp or any of our vehicles etc).

I will post one a studio pic; All my gear crammed into a space in a tent. Unfortunately my production for the next 10 months will be all on headphones (I don't want to bother my tent-mates).

M. Bréqs wrote: Besides the heat, I find the dust to be quite pervasive. Not sand mind you, but dust as fine as flour.

have you tried smoking it? It might be smack

wow I cant believe you could take all that gear with you - I have a mental picture of you in hawkeyes tent on mash from the description

21st century soldiers get to take midi controllers!

if you're gonna post this garbage @ the ableton forum, do you mind keeping it in one thread ? the Mbreqs/afghaniblog thread or something. the thread title implies there'll be more of these bullshit updates to come....so in the interest of keeping shite to a minimum please consider keeping it contained in one thread.

thanks.

I want the ignore button so bad.

What the hell happened to the friendly atmosphere at this forum?

One of our forum regulars is sharing some experiences of his. And it's not like the thread title hides anything - you probably won't be surprised when you click to read the thread. So... dont like it? Don't click it. Simple.

Take care, Bréqs.

-M

friendliness?
i dont wanna read about military operations in a music forum.
its a music forum i wanna read about music related stuff and i want to have the right to say that its shitty to write about military operations in a music forum.

got it?

303

Why is it that the "Bush=Hitler" threads...or the "9-11 was inside job" threads are encouraged and welcomed. But an Abe fan reports from the "front" and he get's snubbed? Bunch of hypocrites.

shtreimel wrote:Why is it that the "Bush=Hitler" threads...or the "9-11 was inside job" threads are encouraged and welcomed. But an Abe fan reports from the "front" and he get's snubbed? Bunch of hypocrites.

I think that both are equally hated; it's just that the former category tends to attract more idiot postings than the latter.

b0unce wrote:if you're gonna post this garbage @ the ableton forum, do you mind keeping it in one thread ? the Mbreqs/afghaniblog thread or something. the thread title implies there'll be more of these bullshit updates to come....so in the interest of keeping shite to a minimum please consider keeping it contained in one thread.

thanks.

what a fracker

You guys are fucking ridiculous.

At the drop of a hat, you'll make a post about "tarnce" or "Red Bull makes you a better DJ", or piles of other useless crap, but when this guy makes a post about something non-music related, out come the flames.

It's because you have no clue what it is to live. All your life mommy and daddy has spoon fed you and you've been handed everything.

Ya know what? Even if you don't agree with this guys' personal philosophy, and even though you may not agree politically, you can still at the very least, gain some insight into opposing views.

shame on you.

"friendliness?
i dont wanna read about military operations in a music forum. "

SO
DON'T
CLICK
ON
THE
LINK

I'm suprised you could take all that gear!

pixelbox wrote:You guys are fucking ridiculous.

At the drop of a hat, you'll make a post about "tarnce" or "Red Bull makes you a better DJ", or piles of other useless crap, but when this guy makes a post about something non-music related, out come the flames.

It's because you have no clue what it is to live. All your life mommy and daddy has spoon fed you and you've been handed everything.

Ya know what? Even if you don't agree with this guys' personal philosophy, and even though you may not agree politically, you can still at the very least, gain some insight into opposing views.

shame on you.

Post pics soon (if you're allowed). If you want to get dust off your laptop just dump a bunch of water on it. Trust me on this.

i just wonder how somebody who is actually in a war-scene as soldier (trying to stay alive, sometimes killing people, permanent stress on mind and body), can serious do music (maybe for therapeutic / anti-stress reasons).

I need the freedom of mind for doing music.

quite easily I'd imagine.

As a slightly lunatic, parinoid drug fiend, I found my state of mental imbalance quite condusive to writing music.

I'm sure there's nothing like the stress of bullets wizzing past your head and a constant theat of death to get you thinking.

that and the anti-stress reasons too.