Hey guys! It's me, popping in between judging like 300 songs (NGUAC and NGADM), answering mails, and writing up the next free plugin/VST magazine. I'd say I don't do this often, but every other blog I'm writing some kind of announcement lol.

Well, this month, I'm going to be ... switching gears, at least on the surface. I know, you're thinking, look at your audio, Adrean! You do that a lot! And you're right. Had to change my username (twice), because let's face it, I hop genres like an 80s aerobics class.

Last month I dropped a glitchy drum and bass chillout with metal guitars, preceded by 2 hour sequel interview with @Aalasteir on NG history, saving money and washing dishes among other life hacks, followed by a hip-hop track with a creepy orchestra, a 90's French house bop, and ... some kind of nostalgic microtonal AI-vocal fanfic drumstep about time travel paradoxes and lost love.

Feel like I've done literally everything this year -- voice acing, screamo, 90s beats, hip-hop bangers, throat singing, audio book engineering. Might have something to do with the ADHD I just figured out I had. (And FYI, @SkankyMojo, @FarFromSundown, and @Trunotfals, not letting that get in the way of our collabs! Just cleaning out some backlog and getting back into the creative mood! If I haven't DMed you by tomorrow, poke me!)

And what might that parenthetical backlog be? Well, I was browsing my phone the other day and came across several tracks that I previously posted to YouTube and NOWHERE else -- for licensing reasons. Stuff I loved. Like this:

Yes, my cover songs/RU tracks. If you've been with me for a while, you know about them from my previous newsposts, which was the only place I could share them here without cover licensing. But if you're new, it's gonna feel a little abrupt -- like I suddenly fell off the wagon from modern-ish EDM and hip-hop into a whole new world of bootleg Russian djent, or in some cases 90s pop a la t.A.T.u.

It'll be about 5 songs. I still have some remastering to do before I submit requests, because the bulk of these are from 2019-2020 and need some TLC. I like to think that I learned a lot and do things differently now. Having better-recording-equipment and de-essing my vocals, cough.

Getting the licenses might take up to 14 days, but once Distrokid fleeces me for a dollar a pop per month and gives me the green light, I'll drop! It's gonna cost me like $50 a year extra, but I think it's worth it.

If you want to help keep them live, you can make it hail over at ko-fi, or I dunno, gift me a supporter sub. I actually like the second option not just because it will save me money, but because NG is life. xD

Also

(Art by @TostiToast on DeviantArt -- gasp!)

Other projects and events:

NGUAC and NGADM are still in full force! You can check the post history of @TaintedLogic and @AED-4 respectively for their progress, or, ya know, check the Audio Forum. ;) It's too late to enter if you haven't already, but you can ask to get on the mailing list for next year!

If you haven't received a review from me and you wanted my thoughts on your entry, I have a dedicated playlist for that. Send me a PM and I'll add you to the list!

Sound Kits!

I have updated Take My Cymbals on beatstars in anticipation of this month's freebie plugin/vst mega-list. More about that when it's out.

Speaking of, when my next Frontpage announcement is available, I'll drop the Music Producer Mag. Looks like that'll be the 24th or 25th. So a little later than usual, but September we should be back on track!

Projects/Work

I have several songs in progress, three of which being collabs, one or two which I'm waiting to hear back an OK to release after about a year's wait, some sound engineering work. It's taking a while, not least because of a WHOLE lot of dish washing and teaching English between managing my RL and judging two music competitions.

In short, I'm still super tired and short on sleep, and RL has been full of BS. As always.

The biggest and most labor intensive of the things I actually got done this month is this: I voice acted the previously un-voiced sections of Bell, Mason, and Belikov (from Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War) for @MATRVG over several sessions and LOTS of back and forth for files. The fruits of our combined labors are now featured on his channel as a full movie!

This so far is the coolest (and longest) solo voice acting gig I've ever done. Not only did I have to voice act the characters themselves, but I had to do so in a way that the vocal AIs (which I made myself) would act properly. So, basically I had to impersonate the original actors for Mason and Belikov, plus invent a persona and headspace that made sense for Bell, who was a silent protagonist. I even translated some lines into Russian for the intel-grab at Lubyanka (a KGB stronghold), which was such an AWESOME feeling, especially hearing the final product!

It also got me REALLY excited for CS#2 Remake! (which I have waited for anxiously since voice acting lines!) @MATRVG's idea <3

So all in all, while I haven't published as much MUSIC as I'd like this month, and I've been super busy AND dealing with writer's block, I'd say I'm doing pretty alright. I thank God for you guys here on NG, because without you, I wouldn't be where I am today, and I'd probably go insane. This world is hell in a hand basket, and because of you, I get to spend all day inside ignoring that fact and instead pursuing my passion. So thank you!

I still recommend the part-time job for anyone stuck in the "starving artist" crowd btw. It's working for me so far! Financial freedom ftw!

Anyway that's all for now.

Big shoutout to my supporters: @MATRVG, @MariogD, @Cyberdevil, and @JimmyTheCaterpillar. See ya soon!