The cleaning lady at the studio this morning. She is vacuuming for the day. It is six am. I am still here. finishing some tracks. “do you want some chocolate?” I hand her a piece. “I have some chocolate. It’s the secret to my looking so old for my age.” She is from Albania. I have never had Albanian before. but I am too tired to think about it.

Today was a fucked day. French class was fine. Recording is good. working on so many new CD projects right now. not quite sure which will be released first. psyched but overwhelmed by how many different albums I started at once. Whatever. a lot worse things to be concerned. In general I feel like hurting myself. That kind of pain inside where no matter what you do you can’t seem to escape it. love. Just fucking crazy.

O.k. but enough of that. on the phone with the Poet tonight talking about the new CD we are about to begin. Doing one with Infinito and the guys in Miami and another one with the poet and who knows who in New York in may. And I am dying to make the music totally different. Going nuts. He breaks down the new tracks we laid down in Miami in October one by one. too normal. Too predictable. Too usual for transcendence. this sounds like another song weave already done... I know I know man. But it’s a good song. yeah but man I just feel like you have go somewhere else entirely with your songwriting. Bro I fucking know already. thats all I've been talking about. but how? That's the million dollar fucking question isn't it. stop writing on the guitar for one thing. I know. too organic. You're approach is too organic. I know Bloopy says the same thing. have to start writing on other instruments. Start only playing with a sampler or something. build songs from scratch like that instead of on normal instruments. You ever consider learning cover songs by other artists? No I don't know any. Well maybe that's a way. I know. a lot of other artists do that actually. Zeke is really into that. he knows all these cool tricks he uses in his own songs that he learns from learning other peoples songs.... but I don't know if I have the patience to learn other peoples songs... I'm seriously considering going to Iran this summer to study Persian classical music at the university there with some masters. I will learn this instrument they have called the tar. Its like a guitar but it has eight strings instead of six. Totally different notes and scales. O.k. but how will that help you write different sounding pop or rock. That's great if you want to start composing Persian pop or something... I know. but still I think it will help. Look at that song ma petite Naomi. You know that fuckin song is the number one most downloaded transcendence song on itunes? And its like three albums ago. O.k.? and what I'm saying is that song is totally different than anything I had ever written before. it’s a fuckin cha cha for gods sake. If I had never gotten into Latin music I never would have written a cha cha. You know? same thing with the song tres cool. I hate that song. its so cheesy. I know you do but I fucking love it so check me out. if I never would have gotten into hip hop I never would have attempted a song like that. wouldn’t have even known how to get into something like that. I wish you wouldn’t have actually. Whatever man. I love that song. I think it’s tres fucking cool. I knew you were going to say that. well  that's my point. Maybe going to Iran will help. Italy didn't.’ I'll tell you that. I didn't really come away with any new inspiration for music there... well that's not true. I did discover a lot of new artists. Hey have you heard ivano fossatti?  Is that that Italian guy you keep raving about? yeah. Hold on, go on msn and I will send it to you. its totally fucking fresh... standby.... and by the way so is cesare cremonini. He's awesome too.

the ambassador sends:
check out this song now:

the poet says:
dude, my phone crapped out.
the ambassador says:
stand by my phone died

 Transfer of "03 Lampo.mp3" is complete.

the ambassador says:
ok listen to the song
the poet says:
I am.  Cool into.
the poet says:
intro.
the ambassador says:
now that is some interesting songwriting!
the poet says:
agreed, not into the poppy sax though
the poet says:
I like the keys. Good songwriting
the ambassador says:
although i would not have any idea how to fucking write like that now. not yet.
the ambassador says:
yes he needs to put his STING records away!!!
the poet says:
dude, just transcribe the bass line! 
the poet says:
That'd be a start.
the poet says:
then sample it, put different chords on top, sing, create, it'll be totally different!
the ambassador says:
like the hip hop artists do... lol
the poet says:
no, put CHORDS
the poet says:
new chords
the ambassador says:
this bridge is AWESOME
the ambassador says:
yeah i know...
the ambassador says:
key change. did you hear it?
the poet says:
I like that alien keyboard sound,  No, I was distracted. my sis just got home.
the poet says:
I'm listening again.
the ambassador says:
goo stuff
the poet says:
d
the ambassador says:
good
the ambassador says:
ok cool convo bro
the poet says:
gotcha
the ambassador says:
later
the ambassador says:
gotcha is such a JOCK thing to say
the poet says:
I gotta get to bed.  I've been running around all day,  YOu're a jock
the ambassador says:
in bed perhaps... o.k. man later


Current spin: Prince, musicology. Gotta hand it to prince. Even when the songs aren't completely there, he still just makes it happen more than most of us even know is possible. Some smoking music on this disc, even if the songs come off a little forced and uninspired. The man is so far above musically that its hard to ever fault him. a decent comeback, even though he never really went anywhere. I was one of the few that continued to buy all his albums over the last ten years while he wasn't on a major label even though at times they were fucking impossible to even procure because he kept trying new techniques for selling on his own. all these weird buy music-clubs on his endless string of on-again, off –again websites... but I stayed loyal to the man because he is one of my biggest influences and inspirations and I swear I fucking love the guy like family. Just really respect and admire him. but I'll tell you the last few releases – shit, the last five or more really -- really challenged, even if you were an ardent fan. hard to tell if perhaps he hadn't lost his mind somewhere down the road. but this new one musicology sets the record straight enough. He still has it. he's going to go all the way. he's going to become one of the dylans or sinatras or McCartney's. perhaps actually better than Dylan or McCartney. he's going to be doing it till he's in his grave, and doing it well.