Friday, February 20, 2009

i think i bought my first computer in 1991. i have always known that it would be wise to habitually backup my hard drives. but i can safely say that i have not done a hard drive backup more than three or four times over all those years. it has never been an issue. last night it became an issue. the hard drive, that i had recorded the last years work to, bit it. i mean BIT. maybe a few thousand dollars later i might be able to get some of it back. bit. belle and my friend john (a computer tech over trying to help) were pretty mortified. i was not. not really. and today i have some excitement in my stomach about music, about writing. i still see music as a process of learning. all the music i wrote this year hasnt gone away. only the songs have. ive learned alot this year and that continues to inform me and my work now. in that sense it will exist in my work upcoming. living is a process that involves alot of loss and in the last year ive had a bigger than normal portion. and of course i wouldnt choose loss, or choose to have my work erased, but losses create spaces and i have to fill those spaces with something and in so doing i am defining my life; the space i fill. if the tibetan sand mandala makers are the model, then the sand is dispersed and it is time to begin work again. i might setup an automatic backup system this time.

65 comments:

agdm said...

eric....i had my first hard drive die this year as well. i cant say i lost a bunch of pro tools sessions...but that they are just sleeping for now. i found a place in canada that will do the data recovery for less than $1000 US (actually $770 for a 500 GB drive) and post all the data on an FTP as well as send it to you on a new internal hard drive.

http://datacent.com

hit them up...they seemed really knowledgeable and were not out to charge $3000 just because you need the data back...

now I have also started the hard drive backup process...you can find 1TB usb external drives for about $120 these days. your safest backup bet is some kind of server or hard drive running RAID 5.

good luck. remember that its only dead if you throw it against the wall. if you hear the click of death..then don't mess with it any more.

your data is not lost...just a bit out of reach at the moment...

its the weekend and the weather is great. feel better!!!

hit me up if you have questions...

Anonymous said...

Flaky artists such as myself always seem to need a reminder, or a kick in the ass, so automatic backup may be the way to go.

The real pros have two backup drives - one that is automatically backing up all the time, and another that they store at a friend's house (in case of fire or other disaster). These are switched every week or so. In addition, these wise folks will often be backing up their dsts at an online storage facility.

I've experienced massive data loss, and lost music and artwork that I had absolutely SLAVED over. This should never happen. To quote an artist/teacher friend of mine, "At this point, there is no longer any excuse for data loss."

We have all of the tools we need to prevent the loss of our art, so what we need to do is use a little more of our left brain, just for the time it takes to back that shit up. It can be easy to forget, when one is so focused on the right-brain business of creation.

Good luck, Eric. I hope that you can get ALL of your music back. If not, I know you've got the fire to start fresh.

tbassmonsta said...

hi eric. man epic sorry. epic waste but i really hope all the energy of music comes back to you and overfills the cup, darn hard drives....just wondering as well if you still have the maori pendant i gave you (actually gave ted to give to you) many years ago in new zealand 91 tour, you were great on stage in auckland and the band truly rocked.and do again so ive youtubed, amazing.no bother if not, i have been blessed to listen to yr basslines and love the new edge on some of the songs...

Anonymous said...

I love too see that you are excited and inspired... especially since were entering such precarious times. That is when inspiration is needed the most. Have fun creating.

JM said...

It has happened to me too, and I think it's a very inspirational moment.
I see it this way: whatever music you lost, if it was worth it you will remember it and will be able to record it again, if you want to.

Everything else is space waiting to be filled. And what better time than now?! It's not like there's nothing going on with your life, right?

Take care, best of lucks with the dilemmas you're facing.

JM
(Larry B.)

Anonymous said...

Eric, loss is loss isn't it? I've experienced lots of loss this past year as well. Physical loss, emotional loss, and spiritual loss. Your words about filling up the space resonated with me. Sometimes I appreciate the opportunity to grow.. most mostly I'm pissed about it. Your words made me appreciate it today... Thanks.

matt volpe said...

Hey Eric,
Sorry to hear about the drive meltdown. That really blows. I had a mac that completely jumped shark on me and decided it no longer wanted to be my friend and erased everything. Very depressing at that moment, almost like I lost a wallet, but, then I felt similar things to what you wrote... about a sense of renewal, clean slate and an inspiration and responsibility to create again. I totally agree with JM in that the music that worked the best will be remembered and I am sure if you do not get all of your material back, you will remember the great stuff and create even greater things that are new. Best of luck and keep your chin up.

Matt

Anonymous said...

I've had this same event happen to me twice. The first time, I lost everything. It probably took a year before I was able to go back and start over again. The songs were still there in my head, but I felt they'd set sail. It was time for something new.

When I started again, there was a completely different approach. Not sure if it was my hesitance to retread. Not sure if it was a rebellion against loss. But while I lost some good songs, I gained better ones for the struggle.

May the binary phoenix take flight from your arms.

Anonymous said...

who can blame matt volpe's computer for not wanting to be his friend. completely understandable!

Anonymous said...

Excited, Sacred, at the prospect of new music from Jane's. The reason Jane's resonates today is because it comes from a dark, volatile and honest place. Just being at the El Cid Show made the hair on my neck stand up. I missed the Echoplex show due to a work obligation, however even watching the clips of the show made my hair stand on end.

I am excited at the prospect of new music from Jane's because I feel the timing could not be more perfect.

Right now this country is going through what I like to refer to as a reality check. Waking up from a bloated coma. I cannot think of a better band to create music meant to inspire and reflect where we are are at not just as a country but as humans.

Together the 4 of you collectively have something. Something that I think has been needed and that has been missing from music for so long. I want to hear music being made from an honest and sincere place. Good luck, good music is never easy.

Anonymous said...

Matt Volpe is awesome

Anonymous said...

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

andy said...

eric, don't fret! (well actually i'm glad you are doing a lot of that lately)

but seriously, it could just be the power to the drive. all that stuff is written and saved! data recovery should work if you invest in it. but if not, ah well! sometimes these setbacks are what we need to take huge steps forward. thats a line from Real Genius I'm pretty sure..

anyways, so happy with everything thats going on. can't wait to see you live for the first time ever!

Anonymous said...

Come to Albany, Ga like I suggested in your last post Eric! I am a computer tech, will fix yours and anyone on the tours computer for free!!!

Anonymous said...

I hope the Box set has a mix of "My Time" with bongo drums. The drum machine sound on JA "s/t" leaves lots to be desired. Especially the snare. Needs 2b tribalized.

Anonymous said...

Yes i know its a live recording but the snare sound sounds like preset on the BOSS "Dr Rhythm" DR-5500.

sam said...

"i might setup an automatic backup system this time."

that is funny.

Anonymous said...

This will be off topic, but I just read your post on the Jane's website. It is absolutely awesome that you are pushing the band towards new songs. The original work is amazing, but with your creative input, the best could be yet to come.

Anonymous said...

Eric, I hope that you can get that material back, even though you seem content to move on without it. The data can be retrieved under almost any circumstance (i.e. not submerged or magnetized).

I picture the current Jane's writing sessions going something like this: "So does anyone have anything new? Nope? Hmm - Eric what kind of bass lines have you been working on?"

Personally, I backup material to a 2nd HD and then online, that way it doubles as a way to share w/ bandmates. Even though I have volumes of stuff that isn't utilitarian to me at this moment, it's nice to have a comprehensive archive. You never know where you're going to get an idea from - sometimes the best new ideas are old ones revisited.

-Brad in Denver

Anonymous said...

Brad or anybody,

What are some of the better on-line storage services?

Thanks!

r&k
m

Brian Smith McCallum said...

EA.

The data is in your most important hard drive: your brain.

Still, as someone else posted, loss = loss, and I'm sorry for that.

And for you JA fans, here is Jane's @ echoplex.

Anonymous said...

r&k,

Depends what you're looking for, mozy or IDrive work well.

I prefer box.net w/ my band, its better for sharing and free w/ size limitations or unlimited for a small fee.

-Brad

Anonymous said...

Well me and my friends have been jamming and recording some stuff but today im going out to look for a good mic, not one of those shitty 10 dollar mikes u get at best buy but a real good mic u get from radio shack! and the other day everything we recorded got deleted and of course we didnt write tabs so we will have a big re recording session. But some jams will be lost forever... dont mean to talk about meself but i ramble on and on and on.

Echoplex sounded and looked real cool ur a mean bass player.

Still Would Love To Hear "Help Wanted 2?" But am looking forward to more jane shows at some massive festivals. Three Days in front of 50,000 people is magical.

P.S. Do u enjoy how music now is becoming so intertwined with technology? Musicians my age who are like 19 or even younger are growing up making music and recording music on there own. i can only believe there will be more amazing music to be made in the coming years.

Anonymous said...

nice piece of philosophy...

maybe it's a sign :
1) what you were saying in your previous post about writing new songs is ready to happen.
2) or you should throw your computer by the window if it helps your concentration
3) or wrong way, forget the past
4) or... well, i don't know

signs are hard to read
signs sucks anyway
;)

Anonymous said...

sounds like a death and rebirth. Out with the old and in the new...

13

mind and brain are not the same

bangoskank said...

EA-
sucks to hear you lost some stuff you were working on, although I'm sure the important stuff is still where it needs to be. life is a wheel, it'll come back around. best luck, can't wait to hear/see some new material.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like maybe you've reached a crossroads with this unfortunate loss. Is fate pointing you in a new direction?
i thought of Help Wanted. The gloomy songs which dominate. And the brighter sounding ones like "Revolution" and "Porchlight" that stood out as being distinct change in mood. I'm very curious as to what new Janes songs will sound like.
Whether they be artsy, eccentric, mysterious, sexy, gloomy, exotic, multi-dimensional, cosmic, dark or light- I'm sure they will be good hehe :)

PhiLL Ramey said...

Try spinrite: http://www.grc.com/sr/spinrite.htm

Anonymous said...

Trumpet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XryvsJOIAKA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUij8FCg0z8&feature=related

r&k
m

Anonymous said...

PS Thanks for the info brad. Very helpful.

Anonymous said...

Can Obama save us?

Anonymous said...

Obama cannot save us from losing our data - we must back it up ourselves.

Personal responsibility!

Anonymous said...

Please, Obama doesn't know his ass crack from a hole in the ground. You think he's gonna fix this collapse? Hahaha

+Media baron Rupert Murdoch issued an urgent internal communication late Monday, warning his staff: "We are in the midst of a phase of history in which nations will be redefined and their futures fundamentally altered."

+Renowned investor George Soros said on Friday the world financial system has effectively disintegrated, adding that there is yet no prospect of a near-term resolution to the crisis.
Soros said the turbulence is actually more severe than during the Great Depression, comparing the current situation to the demise of the Soviet Union.

Anonymous said...

An incredible event has been planned in Austin, TX.

PSYCH FEST 2

Austin, Texas, the spiritual birthplace and global epicenter of psychedelia. What better way to honor the cradle of consciousness than a festival of hallucinogenic sights and sounds celebrating the town’s musical heritage and spotlighting the best new vanguards of the most mind-bending music ever played?

Go here for all the details:

http://www.livemusiccapitol.com/

Anonymous said...

the NME was the best so far, hard to top that unless there's new material to be heard and at least some "fire in the belly" from Perry-he needs a shot of amphetamine or somethan not kidding. Gonna have to pass on the Box set, kinda disappointed nothing from the NIN studio sessions is on it. Well as they say good things come to those who wait right?

Anonymous said...

emasculate

Anonymous said...

Who ever posted the Psych Fest 2

What a lineup man! Great bands

Warlocks, Black Angels, Dead Medow, A Place to Bury Strangers...


That underground scene is the real thing now!

Hope mayor labels do not get their hands in there.

If some MAYOR music executives follow this blog, tell you I have no respect for you and your jobs...cause you chew music and them spit it up!

By the way great record Eric "Porchlight" is the song I like the most.

And I agree with the coments around Perry´s voice is slowing the songs up for what I saw on Utube I don´t know if you can do something about it ...

Anyway I´m glad your playing live the bass guitar again...but still I prefer a show from 1988-91 anytime and I say that back in the day the crowd had a great deal in what Jane´s was about and that is really gone.

Good luck with the new music.

Anonymous said...

castrate

Anonymous said...

noun: a man who has been castrated and is incapable of reproduction
verb: deprive of strength or vigor
verb: remove the testicles of a male animal
verb: remove the ovaries of
verb: edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate

pf

Anonymous said...

^ouch

Anonymous said...

For those who care about the box set:

No track listing yet but at least there is a photo of the cover.

3 CDs + 1 DVD

To be released 21 April

http://www.amazon.com/Cabinet-Curiosities-DVD-Janes-Addiction/dp/B001G7HT8M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1235733439&sr=8-1

Anonymous said...

Hey Pf what´s the point?? are you right in the head?

Anonymous said...

Hope the 3 Cd´s have strange demos and songs that never made it.Hope the DVD has a full show from the 1988-1991 era cause that would be a treat! maybe a lola show from 91 I know they shot some shows in a pro way.

Anonymous said...

a certain vocalist has been emasculated

Anonymous said...

An emasculated man, if made so by a female, could be said to be inferior.

From the dawn of history, ‘boys’ in most cultures were raised to be ‘men.’ Most education was character training: hard work, honor, duty, frugality, morality, and defense. But now the ‘red meat’ of character has been replaced by the ‘mother’s milk’ of feminism. Books about adventure have largely been replaced by essays about ‘feelings’ and situational difficulties; the sort of drivel that drives grown men to tears in its irrelevancy. Their claim was that education needed to be ‘more fair’ to girls but the truth is far darker as their aim was the psychological and societal emasculation of young males.
http://mensnewsdaily.com/blog/2005/06/emasculating-little-boys.htm

Anonymous said...

Didn't Polar Bear lose all of their samples too? Jesus Christ, for making such good music, Eric is kind of dimwitted.

Anonymous said...

Eric why the hell are all the Polar Bear releaes OUT OF PRINT?

I want to listen to "Why Something Instead of Nothing?" record but I can´t find it unless I pay like 50 bucks for it and that really sucks.

Can you post it for free for a couple of days(sorry) or someone tell me where I can buy it for a reasonable amount of money.

bangoskank said...

"And I agree with the coments around Perry´s voice is slowing the songs up for what I saw on Utube I don´t know if you can do something about it ..."

I've been thinkin' about this since I saw the footage and I think maybe the solution is bigger venues, disconnect from the crowd a bit and get into that characater of old. I hate sayin' this after some great P4P shows a decade back, smaller venues that were completely ripped open. It's still there but maybe the boys are treading litely right now, feeling eachother out...being careful not to step on any toes. Seems like most suggestions center around upping Perry's chemical intake, but isn't that what led to the destruction in the first place? Bad idea if this is to be something further than just a tour. Great to see the guys havin' fun (Perry's Ocean Size intro @echoplex) but I agree, there needs to be more aggression and it's buried right now. They'll get where they need to go, it's re-self discovery at this point.

Anonymous said...

Hey Eric why don´t you talk with the guys at Dangerbird records to make reissues of the Polar Bear records The Chewing Gum EP and Why something instead of Nothing?

Just an idea.

Anonymous said...

NME

Jane's Addiction to release massive box set
Janes Addiction Pic: PA Photos
It includes 30 unreleased tracks

Feb 27, 2009
0 Comments
Jane's Addiction news, reviews, video and tour dates
Add Jane's Addiction to MyNME
Jane's Addiction have announced that they will release a massive box set this spring.

'A Cabinet Of Curiosities' is due out in the US on April 21 via Rhino records, and features several rare recordings, demos and live tracks. The three CD, one DVD box set kicks off with five songs recorded in 1986 in Venice, CA including a previously unreleased version of 'Jane Says'.

It also includes rare demos of their classic tracks 'Three Days,' 'Ocean Size,' 'Classic Girl,' 'Summertime Rolls,' and 'Stop!' The second disc contains more unreleased demos along with a recording of the band rehearsing 'My Time' and a 12-inch remix of 'Been Caught Stealing'.

The set also includes Jane's Addiction covering Led Zeppelin's 'Whole Lotta Love' and The Stooges' '1970'.

The DVD contains several videos including the one for 'Mountain Song' that was banned by MTV and candid home movies of the band. It also features 1990 performances taped in Milan for MTV Italy.

The box set comes packaged in a limited-edition wooden "curio cabinet" that features recreations of the band's early concert fliers, tickets stubs and other memorabilia. The set will also be available digitally.

In addition, Rhino has announced that it will release 180-gram vinyl versions of Jane's Addiction's landmark albums 1988's 'Nothing's Shocking' and 1990's 'Ritual De Lo Habitual' to celebrate Record Store Day on April 18.

The band's original lineup reunited for the first ever NME Awards USA last year and have been playing a handful of small club shows around Los Angeles ever since.

The box set tracklisting is:

Disc 1
'Jane Says' Radio Tokyo Demo *
'Pigs In Zen' Radio Tokyo Demo
'Mountain Song' Radio Tokyo Demo
'Had A Dad' Radio Tokyo Demo
'I Would For You' Radio Tokyo Demo
'Idiots Rule' Demo *
'Classic Girl' Demo *
'Up The Beach' Demo *
'Suffer Some' Demo *
'Thank You Boys' Demo *
'Summertime Rolls' Demo *
'City' Demo *
'Ocean Size' Demo *
'Stop!' Demo *
'Standing In The Shower...Thinking' Demo *
'Ain't No Right' Demo *
'Three Days' Demo *

Disc 2
'Ted, Just Admit It...' Demo *
'Maceo' Demo *
'No One's Leaving' Demo *
'My Time' Rehearsal *
'Been Caught Stealing' 12' Remix Version
'Ripple'
'Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey' with Ice-T & Ernie-C
'L.A. Medley: L.A. Woman/Nausea/Lexicon Devil' Live 1989
'Kettle Whistle' Live 1987 *
'Whole Lotta Love' Live 1987 *
'1970' Live 1987 *
'Bobhaus' Live 1989*

Disc 3
Drum Intro Live 1990 *
'Up The Beach' Live 1990
'Whores' Live 1990 *
'1%' Live 1990 *
'No One's Leaving' Live 1990
'Ain't No Right' Live 1990
'Then She Did...' Live 1990 *
'Had A Dad' Live 1990 *
'Been Caught Stealing' Live 1990 *
'Three Days' Live 1990
'Mountain Song' Live 1990 *
'Stop!' Live 1990
'Summertime Rolls' Live 1990 *
'Ocean Size' Live 1990 *

Disc 4 (DVD)
Soul Kiss: The Fan's Video
'Mountain Song' Unedited Version
'City'
Music Videos
'Had A Dad'
'Ocean Size'
'Stop!'
'Been Caught Stealing'
'Classic Girl'
'Ain't No Right'
Live at the City Square, Milan, Italy (for MTV Italy) (10/11/90)
'Whores' *
'Then She Did...' *
'Three Days' *

• previously unreleased

--By our Los Angeles staff.
Find out more about NME.

Anonymous said...

Well what do do think about that!

bangoskank said...

BOBHAUS is on the box! Would love some clean footage of JA at Metro in Chicago '88....best JA show ever

Anonymous said...

Head of market analysis for Schneider Foreign Exchange Stephen Gallo told CNBC yesterday that the financial crisis will lead to the creation of a global central bank and a global single currency within 15 years, echoing the call of top globalists who have exploited the problems they created to push for de-facto global financial dictatorship.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izibupjHQig&e

Anonymous said...

I was wonderin what your fav Jane's songs are?
Mine-
Of Course
Classic Girl
My Time

Anonymous said...

Eric,

I've had "Flyer" stuck in my head for two days straight.

Dopamine,

those are good tunes. Do you know that EA didn't play on the studio version of "Of Course"? Anyways, I love that song, and if you haven't already, try to track down the version performed at the Irvine Meadows Lolla on 7/24/91. It is at least the equal of the studio version, and arguably superior. Plus Eric plays on it. I was lucky enough to be among the few who saw this tune performed live, and it blew my fucking mind.

So, Eric, once you guys really get swingin', maybe you could add something surprising like "Of Course" to the live repertoire. It could add some real depth and diversity to a set, I think. That violin part could be played on a lot of instruments, like clarinet or trumpet. I'm sure there's a musician out there who would jump at the chance to do a few shows.

Anyways, I hope everything is going fantastically. I am very happy and excited about these Jane's-related events.

:^)

Anonymous said...

Hey 1984 the U.S. does not rule the world

Thank God!

Anonymous said...

So which guy in Janes Addiction has widely diverse tastes in music and who listens only to metal/hard rock?
My guess is Dave listens to metal only and Stephen is all over the map

Anonymous said...

Well Perry listens to techno, house exclusively.
Dave listens to death metal.
Stephen listens to jazz, punk, world, avant garde.
Eric probably listens to classical, 80's post punk and 90's industrial.

Anonymous said...

Thats why they can't agree

Anonymous said...

While your average rock musician knows but a cursory overview of american + european based rock & pop music, Steve has studied world music and delves into different cultures, tribes and their background and traditions. He knows their tribal rituals and festivals and the music that is the lifeblood of their heritage. Aztec Indian, Persian, Indonesian, ect. He is one of the masters.

Anonymous said...

I feel a change in the air. Music fans around the world have tired of what the cyber-electro music culture has to offer. They are looking back into history and relishing vintage styles and means of listening to them.
Take one small example
vinyl saw a 30% growth in 2007 than 2006
Vinyl saw a 77% growth in the FIRST half of 2008 over 2007.
This is a good sign folks.

Anonymous said...

How much was the record co involved in choosing what would be in the box set? I was really hoping it would at least contain studio alternate takes/alternate mixes of songs(by the original producer) but I see its strictly live ,demo and vids. I have 90% of whats in it but I may get it anyways cuz the artwork looks nifty.
Whatever songs you guys have been working on lately it would be neat to someday get to hear alternate takes and various workings of each individual tune. For instance, there are several Rolling Stones albums where they released anywhere from 1-10 different takes/versions of each song so the listener could see into the making of the entire album and how it all came together. This makes about 4 discs of material per album. Pretty sweet.

Anonymous said...

All those Jane's guys listen to all different shit. Perk was a dopey metal head just like Dave when they started out. Dave said that he and Steve were still going to Motley Crue shows when Jane's was young.

Steve loves Bad Brains. Dave loves NIN.

It doesn't matter anyways, because it's about the kooky magic blend. It's only when the diversity is lost that things get fucked, musically. I don't think the diversity can get lost with Eric on the scene, so just relax.

Anonymous said...

It may be the diversity is TOO wide this time around and the divergent musical tastes difficult to seam together into the Jane's Addiction entity. This was acknowledged and Reznor was brought in to do the patchwork.

Jisfunky said...

This may save you some $$ if its an operating system problem.
Put a copy of Linux on a disc and use it as a boot disc. When Linux is on the screen, navigate to the option where you can burn files/folders. Select files and burn to disc/s.
I hate to think of any music being lost!!