MrBiffo

NEW VIDEO: A-MUSIC-ED TO DEATH?

Greetings, Chumblies! New Patreon exclusive for YOU ALL. If you're not sick of our voices... there's a new video (Stretch Armstrong) tomorrow...

Next week, or the week after... more Gannon!

Paul

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LGSlkjriCE 

EARLY ACCESS: NEW PODCAST!

I'm a bit taken aback by how many of you are either closet Marillion fans, or will be giving the podcast a go. I really thought only a small handful of you would be interested! 

So, in that case... here's the first episode - don't spread it around just yet, as I won't be making a big hoo-haw until next week when it goes up on Apple.

Hope you like it! Oh, and because a few people have asked... I'm putting together a couple of Spotify playlists as a sampler. A couple, because -...

YOU'RE GOING TO HATE THIS... PROBABLY

Y'know that podcast we've been threatening for a while? Well, we're finally doing it. We being Sanja and I. 

Unfortunately... most of you won't be remotely interested in it. That's not even an exaggeration. You really won't. This is something we will be doing completely for fun, in the most self-indulgent way imaginable. 

Given that I do a lot of other things, I wanted a podcast that I knew I was going to stick at. I've been batting around lots of ideas in recent months,...

THIS WEEK'S VIDEO: ETCH-A-SKETCH!

This week's better-late-than-never video takes a look at the history of Etch-A-Sketch, and we unearth some surprising facts.

Sorry I wasn't able to get this to you sooner, what with one thing and then the other things. When the new Patreon tiers go live - possibly even today - in a week when I'm only able to get you a video a day or less early, I'll make sure all the backers get something exclusive to make up for it. As I did yesterday.

Anyhow... I think this is another cracker of...

NEW VIDEO - EXCLUSIVE TO YOU!

Patrons, behold! Here is a brand new and entirely exclusive video for you, covering a bunch of different topics, and changes that'll be coming to Patreon (thanks for all your input yesterday).

Not included: two sections that Sanja made me edit out.

P.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6Lf9wGfNfg 

...

NSFW: SOME DRAWINGS

Hello top tier crew. Here are some drawings for you, which I offer without context. You may recognise some of the characters...

As per my other post, I'm going to give the tiers a bit of a shake-up soon. Most likely I'll be keeping the $1 and $5 tiers - early access/general support and blog posts respectively - but I'm thinking I'll be adding a new upper tier for exclusive video content. That feels like the best way to break down what we're offering. I'll probably be doing the monthly d...

FEEDBACK WANTED!

Hello gang. Thanks for all the kind words about dad. No real update to share, though they think he's got a blood infection and clots on his lungs, neither of which are ideal things to have... but apparently, he's bored, so that's a good sign.

Anyhow, I'm not here to talk about him.

We're living in a bit of a weird reality right now, obviously, and like many of you... I've taken something of a Covid-related hit in terms of earnings with my day job. Consequently, I'm going to be rel...

THIS WEEK'S VIDEO...

Hello, you lovely lot. Thanks for your support this month. Quick update to let you know this week's Digi video will be delayed. Long story short, my dad went into hospital on Friday, with chest pains. Got one of those horrible pre-dawn phone calls where you know immediately it's not good news, and literally ran down to my parents' house at 5am. 

Given the way things are with Covid, once they ruled out a heart attack, he was rushed back home by Saturday teatime... and then he went b...

HOW TO EAT LIKE CRAP WHEN YOU'RE A VEGETARIAN

I seem to be the last person anyone expects to be a vegetarian. Heck, it even feels weird to me, writing that sentence down. I don't think of myself as a vegetarian. I don't really think about it at all. I simply stopped eating meat, back in January. 

That said, part of the reason I've not mentioned it more is because I know that vegetarians - particularly vegans - do have a tendency to get a bit preachy. I remember when my youngest daughter and her best friend first became vegan. ...

EARLY ACCESS: EATEN BY A CABBAGE PATCH KID!

Sorry I wasn't able to get this up for you sooner (though you did get an exclusive this week), but here's the latest video, that'll be going up for the hoi polloi later today.

Gannon's away, but Sanja's back for one of my favourites of recent times!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_txpKF8DZY 

<...

RETRO GAMING: MY PART IN ITS DOWNFALL

Get a load of this: I miss the retro gaming community. 

To be more specific, I miss the buzz there was in the community a few years back. It seemed to build from the point at which I launched Digitiser2000, and really peaked around the time of Digitiser The Show. I’m not saying I’m responsible – far from it – but I realise that I might’ve helped foster that excitement into existence. Digitiser The Show felt like a kind of consolidation of retro gaming, but in its wake, al...

NEW VIDEO - WHAT I DO TO FALL ASLEEP...

It's a big load of unfocused waffle, but we get there in the end, and secrets are revealed... Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19OapmI2nFs 

STAY TUNED...

Happy Monday, y'all.

Fingers crossed, you should get a new exclusive, Patron-only, video at some point today. We're also filming a couple of other videos, which you should get early access to. And then tomorrow night we'll be doing another Big Fat Geek Quiz live stream, as the previous one seemed to go down well. 

I also resurrected Memory Assistant over the weekend, so expect more from that font of nonsense going forwards.

To be honest, without Digitiser Live on the im...

STAY IN YOUR LANE!

Years ago, I told a producer I'd worked with for a long time that I was interested in getting into directing. He told me, in no uncertain words, that the TV industry - at least, kids TV - didn't like people who didn't stick to what they were known for, and that opportunities for me to direct weren't likely to be forthcoming. 

I was labelled as 'a writer', and that was what they expected to do forever. I got the message, but it irritated me nonetheless - partly, because I knew he wa...

RAWWWWWWK!

Hey-yo, you lot! Well, I did a big, long, post earlier... then lost it just as I was about to send it. Sorry about that, but I don't think I can quite bring myself to write it all out again. Not today anyway, not least because I'm very tired. You see, the cat kept me awake last night, by running in and out of the house with a mouse in his mouth.

Now try saying that with a mouse in your mouth.

Instead... have some music I've been working on. Those of you who have been sort of follo...

PLEASE, WHAT IS NEW?

Hello, gang. Sorry I've been a bit quiet on the blog front. No real reason - I've just not felt I had anything interesting to say. Still not sure I do... but I can at least update you on what's coming your way in the next few weeks.

Gannon's staying with friends at the moment, so he can't film right now. Instead, Sanja will be stepping in for a couple of videos, and we'll be making some Patreon-only vids at the same time. We've got one planned where I'm going to attempt to recreate the ...

NEXT WEEK'S VIDEO - TODAY! DUCKTALES?!

Hello, you lot. Sorry I've not been in contact of late. No real reason; just didn't feel I had anything worth saying. Plus, I spent a lot of time getting ready for Tuesday's quiz. Which went well, I think, as far as a trial for future livestreams goes. We know now to use our good mics...

Anyhow, here's next week's video, so you've got a good head start on this one. Gannon's staying with friends for a while, and can't record videos for a bit, so it'll be the last Gannon vid for a couple ...

SOUND OFF (ON)

Good grief. I'm addicted to this making music thing. Why didn't I discover it 20 years ago?!? 

Aaaaanyway... my album - with guest appearance from Jerden-Cooke - is released tomorrow on all the major digital platforms.  If you have pre-ordered it on Bandcamp, it'll go live automatically, hopefully. Or you can just stream it through Spotify and Apple Music.

If you're not a top tier Patron, you won't know that I'm trying to learn how to write songs, rather than rely on loo...

BEANUS Q&A EARLY ACCESS

Finally getting ahead again with videos after being a bit hand-to-mouth with them the last few months. So here's next week's slice of nonsense: the long-awaited Q&A with none other than Beanus! God help us...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgiSR_DbTig 

LET'S TRY THAT AGAIN...

Right then, everyone. Let's see if this version of the video works...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhPLa5q2G74 

THIS WEEK'S EARLY ACCESS VIDEO: HUGO!

Hello, gang. Firstly, thank you to everyone in the $5-and-up tier who have said something nice after my recent blog post. I will get around to replying to you all, but I want to carve out some time to do that properly. Rest assured, I was really, really touched and moved. Thank you.

My album, Sound Footage, is released on most digital platforms on Friday. If you buy it on Bandcamp, however, remember you can use the discount code I posted on here a while back. Because we love working tog...

MY FATHER THE TROLL

I've been feeling a bit all over the place recently, and let stuff get to me that otherwise wouldn't. I think a lot of us are more vulnerable than usual at the moment, given what we're all dealing with to one extent or another. The armour I usually wear is still attached, but it's sort of been on me in a wonky way. There are gaps between the plates, which means a well-placed attack is going to get through. 

I mentioned recently getting a speeding ticket while borrowing my dad's car...

F-ING HECK!

For the three of you who are semi-interested in my ongoing musical evolution... here's today's effort, which I did instead of finishing the work I'm meant to be doing. I think they're getting better, on a technical level at least.

Today's challenge: write a song in "F"... and try and keep everything in the correct key. Sort of. 

Again, everything was by me except the drums at the end and, I think, some of the bass - which were loops.

I DONE A THING - AN ACTUAL SONG!

Hell yeah. This is probably a mess, the key and chords are probably all wrong - I dunno, I've never done this before - but this is the first actual complete song I've ever made where I wrote all the music. 

I was aiming for something a bit Talk Talk/Life's What You Make It-y. The only thing on this that I wasn't responsible for is some of the background percussion. Everything else was done by me; bass, keyboards, synth whooshes, fake guitar - the lot. 

This might sound l...

UGH... SONGS ARE HARD

Man... writing songs is hard. I mean, I knew that, otherwise everyone would be doing it. But still. Here's the current progress of where I'm at with that sketch I uploaded last week. I've been tinkering with it on and off all weekend, while also trying to learn the keys, some basic chords, and song structure.

I managed to grab some midi files of songs I'm familiar with, and I've been studying those too, to try and understand them. 

Here, I tidied up the melody, and tried putt...

GANNON AND I DO IMPRESSIONS - EARLY ACCESS

Here you go! Up for the hoi polloi next Tuesday. Have an excellent weekend, everyone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXgQKwR_6OE 

THE FIRST SONG I EVER WROTE... WHICH WAS THIS WEEK

Hello you lot. Well, my musical journey continues. I'm determined to actually compose songs if I ever do another album, and rely less on the loops and samples. I thought you'd enjoy getting in at the ground zero.

This is the result of a LOT of trial and error, but it's the first piece of music I've written that sounds kind of how I wanted. I was aiming for a Kate Bush sort of vibe with it. It's still a bit tentative and ropey in places, and needs work. And I only played the first versio...

SMELL THIS...

I want to call the new channel 'Smell The Roses'. Because it's funny, but also has a second meaning. So, it's clever. And funny. I mean... surely it has to be that? Surely?! And there was me thinking I didn't want anything "Rose" in the title.

One problem: Sanja needs convincing. Everyone: CONVINCE SANJA!!!

Or come up with something better. 

Paul

NO MORE SWIMMING UPSTREAM!

Okay. Weeeeell... I hope this is the last time I'll feel a need to write about any of this.

It has been a long old road, but I've decided to stop trying to swim upstream with Biffovision/Digitiser. I'm fighting a losing battle. You can only keep boarding up the windows for so long before your arms get tired, and you let the rabble burst in and overwhelm you. You can only use metaphors and analogies for so long before it becomes trite.

Fact is... I've really, really loved the video...

DEADLINE: WHENEVER...

I work better with deadlines. 

Actually, I should qualify that; I work better when I have deadlines for things I have to do rather than want to do; y'know... the day job, DIY, chores, paperwork etc. We're all wired differently, and I've come to realise that a core part of my wiring is needing a visible goal. A cut-off point. The knowledge that at some point I'll be able to down tools, and get back to living life. I'm laser-focused when I've got a deadline. Never m...