Where's Jem?

[XeRocks81]

I know he doesn't owe us anything but, no tweets in 4 days and no forum posts?  I mean, even on the beach during his vacation he doing tweeter updates.

[EVP]

Probably day job stuff,installing Pro Tools 8 and playing with his new live rig.

[Mouse]

I think his D-Beat arrived, so I'd expect him to be barricaded inside the Cube. I know I would be.  

[rogerg]

I believe he's also been sick.

[EVP]

I believe he's also been sick.

Oh No!!  if you are sick Jem dear sir, we wish you well.

Too many 24 hour days perhaps?

[Jem]

Afternoon all!

Thank you for your concern, you lovely things, I'm fine. I did have swine flu and I'm still trying to rid myself of the last vestiges of that. It was rather unpleasant all said and done. On the plus side, I did just blow a fat 3 inch green mucous covered bogie and 3 blood clots out of my left nostril a moment ago in a most satisfactory way which has made breathing a whole lot easier.

Wife and the kids have been in Italy this past week visiting her cousin (warm, sunny, good food, good company - lucky buggers) I was supposed to go, but the ever present "to do" list kept me here. And truth be told, it's been splendid isolation.

It's given me time to realise some life adjustments are in order. I wouldn't call it a mid life crisis as such - I've no desire to start dating girls in their early 20's, wear calf length meeja trousers or book myself into a tanning salon (even though I have bought a stupid car :lol: ). I've been drinking far too much for years so I've cut back dramtically on the alcohol possibly to the point of teetotalism and am back at the gym. I've had some weird health sh** going on lately so I decided that it was time to stop pretending I was still a teenager. My body took me to one side recently and informed me in no uncertain terms that I was now a middle aged fat bloke so I'm in the process of shedding a couple of stone and generally trying to live life a little better. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not a great lover of biscuits or sweets or chocolate and never have been, in fact, my diet has been great ever since I married the vegetarian, it's just the excessive vino and the general inertia that's making me a porker.

It's a state of mind thing, you've got to really want to change in order for it to work, it was the same when I gave up smoking, I didn't look back then either so I'm very happy to have turned the corner with the drinking now as well.

So that's that problem finally sorted.

We're also in the midst of preparations to leave Cube Towers. Carpenters, painters, cleaners and gardeners are tarting it up and tending to all the fiddly jobs I've been putting off all these years so that it looks spic and span both inside and out. The HIPS pack is in production and we should be on the market by Friday. And no, you won't get a prize for finding my house on PrimeLocation and posting the details here...

I have fallen strangely out of love with this house and so I've got a background sensation of not belonging anywhere at the moment, it's a bit unsettling, but rather exciting at the same time. Current areas we're looking at now include Bath, Norfolk (still) and even up to Hereford and the Welsh borders. Wife is all about the schools and I'm all about the outbuildings. I just want to get out of here now to be honest. I want my new studio!

I've also been deep under the bonnet of the DBeat. It's very very good. Open Labs do this cool thing whereby you hook the DBeat up to the net, they remotely access it and then you can have an hour's tutorial over the phone with them while they control it. I've got an hour booked at 5.30 tonight to go through some questions I've got about it. It's unlike anything else I've ever owned musically, even though it's just basically a PC in a flash casing, it still feels very much like a synth and it's great to finally have access to those non RTAS or PC only plug ins. I can't see me going back to "proper" synths in the studio anytime soon.

Speaking of which, I just wrote a piece for the Sounding Off column in Sound On Sound on this very subject so keep an eye out for that in the coming weeks if you're of a mind to.

I'm also looking forward to getting The Philadelphia Experiment done and out there. Inside Out seem to have brought themselves back from the brink which is great news and have offered to put out TPE. However, I would like to explore other options with regards to a release. I've emailed them to this effect, but haven't heard anything back as yet. More news on that in due course.

But in general with Frost, all this self examination concerning my life has led me to realise that I think I need a break from it to recharge my batteries and get some perspective. Running this band is bringing me down truth be told and I'm getting quite frustrated with Mistress Prog at the moment for various reasons.

Obviously that doesn't include you lovely lovely people who will always be my friends I hope!    

But just to be clear Frost will NOT be splitting up as a result, merely resting...Like an actor. Or a rare steak... Until I can get my Mojo back for this kind of music.

As for Twitter, well I've got nothing to say have I?!  

So that's been my week, how about yours?

[MikeEvs]

Good to hear from you Jem, glad your getting rid of the swine flu.

As always best of luck with all your endeavours hope the house sale and move goes smoothly for you, I pass through the Welsh borders area quite frequently and it looks like a great place to live if that's were you decide upon.

[gr8gonzo]

I'd heard rumour that you'd been caught snogging a ham steak and had been down with the snout sniffles ever since.  Not a fun thing.  A friend of mine had it as well and suffered cracked ribs from coughing.  Glad you are on the mend.

As for Prague, you may recall that Genesis put out 'Duke,' then 'Grab A Cab,' and in just a few short years released the pop album, 'Invisible Touch-eh.'  So, you needn't feel pressured to put out 'Frost Tongues an Ice Pack' when your heart wants you to dance to DBeat.  Some people have Milliontown AND the Britannia High soundtrack.  Not many, mind you, but SOME.

And now, condensing Jem's post for those still using Twitter:

swine flu, going dry, gym, Cube4Sale, DBeat, new SOS, TPE coming, prog hiatus, Frost*ie luv

[catherine]

Glad you're on the mend, Jem.

[Bert]

And now, condensing Jem's post for those still using Twitter:

swine flu, going dry, gym, Cube4Sale, DBeat, new SOS, TPE coming, prog hiatus, Frost*ie luv

LOL. Genius.  

[RacingHippo]

Spiffing update, Uncle Jem.
You can fall out of love with prog for as long as you like - it (or at least, we) will still love you

Incidentally, the schools around Harrogate are among the best in the country....


PS. Congratulations on the 3-inch bogie.

[XeRocks81]

But are the gigs with JM and TBE still going off?

[Trapezium Artist]

Ah, a fine addition to the VFTC canon in all but name, sir: we do miss the bloggy stuff.

Too many things to comment on, but as someone who's just moved house (and country, eastwards across the North Sea to boot) a couple of weeks ago, I'll restrict myself to wishing you the best of luck with the whole selling, buying, relocating, kids in new schools, etc. bit. One part of the packing should go easily though: I'm told that a Tardis will relocate itself if you have the right mojo  

Anyway, however long it takes to reacquaint yourself on amicable terms with Mistress Prog and other muses, we'll still be here, I suspect. Whatever emerges from The Cube 2 and its DBeat will no doubt be lapped up by the Frost*ies.

As for losing a couple of stone, I should too. The belt went out another notch last week and enough is enough, dammit  :x

[catherine]

As for losing a couple of stone, I should too. The belt went out another notch last week and enough is enough, dammit  :x

Ah yes, the well-known PGS (Prog Gut Syndrome), also known as MAS (Middle Age Spread).

[Trapezium Artist]

As for losing a couple of stone, I should too. The belt went out another notch last week and enough is enough, dammit  :x

Ah yes, the well-known PGS (Prog Gut Syndrome), also known as MAS (Middle Age Spread).

Of course, what makes it worse is that it's the last notch on this belt and I'm not buying another one.

Good news is that I'm back on my bike again here in Holland and enjoying it greatly ...