Gno Brand : Blog

I’m proud to present to you the latest installment in my “Sick of” mixtape series, “Sick of Wasting.” This is the first mixtape of mine in 4 years. If you haven’t downloaded it already, go and get it for free on the home page of www.StrangeFamousRecords.com RIGHT NOW!!!

I wasn’t sure if I would ever release another mix of this sort after the last one, but it’s been a couple years since my last official album and I’ve accumulated a large number of “left over” tracks that never found their way onto an official album. I also opened up the 4-track vault this year and was able to unearth some solid material that dates back to 1996.

My music career, as most people know it, essentially began with the “Sick of Waiting” mixtape in 1999. Now that I’ve typed that out I’ve realized that we’re essentially celebrating the “Sick of” mixtape series’ 10th birthday. Hot damn. It seems like just yesterday I was dubbing all the original tapes, cutting and pasting the album covers, writing out the album info on the stickers, and selling them hand-to-hand at shows. Time (f)lies.

The first Sick installment was called “Sick of Waiting.” That title was inspired by my frustration in waiting around for something official to pop off. I felt like the iron was hot and I needed to strike whether the labels were willing to scoop me up or not. So I threw together a batch of recordings/demos/freestyles that I had hanging around and I began selling the mix at shows. This was the beginning of Strange Famous Records.

10 years later the label has grown and expanded in significant ways. It has become the home to many of my favorite hiphop artists in the indie scene as well as a constant reminder of how much work it takes to get underground musicians the exposure they deserve.

Like all of the “Sick of” mixes, “Sick of Wasting” is not just an attempt to showcase my own material. It is also a means to promote all the featured artists involved, most of whom have projects of their own that have been released recently or will be released by the end of the year. Be sure to check for their respective projects.

As this project is a free digital download, we certainly don’t expect this to be a big money maker. However, the sales for the CD at our online store have gone well so I’d like to thank everyone who has shown support. For anyone without money to spend on music, the material is there for you to download anyway. We hope you enjoy it.

4 eva & always,

1) Strange Fame (2009)

This is probably one of the fastest songs I’ve ever put together. Self-produced, recorded, mixed and mastered in my home studio over the course of 1 day. Due to the obvious sample issue, this is something I could never officially release but I’ve always wanted to jack this David Bowie song for a Strange Famous anthem.

2) S.A.G.E. Bastard (prod. by Buck 65, 2009)

Buck 65 put together this interlude by chopping up an obscure Blowfly recording.

3) I Trusted You (beat by Buck 65, 2009)

Buck 65 put together the beat. The intro and outro samples are from a televised Andy Kaufman performance. Kurtis SP sent me the “Sage” samples. I arranged all the vocal samples which took longer than it probably should have. The sentiment of this song is extended to more than a few people I’ve had the displeasure of sharing portions of my life with. That’s all I will say about that.

4) Needle (beat and scratches by Buddy Peace, 2009)

These lyrics have been around for quite a while. I was waiting for an opportunity to use them on an official album but it just never happened. I eventually recorded this song to another beat but wasn’t too thrilled with the outcome. When I sent it over to Buddy Peace he capped it off with that incredible scratch-sentence outro. And then at some point I sent him the acapella at which point he remixed the whole song and breathed new life into it. The funky sample he uses reminds me a bit of the first KMD record, and the drums definitely kill. I’ve never performed this song live but I look forward to it.

5) House of Bees (feat. B. Dolan, beat by Buck 65, 2009)

Recorded at B. Dolan’s studio dungeon, mixed and masted at my home studio. I don’t want to ruin any magic about this song, so I will keep this explanation short. Buck 65 put together a face smashing, boombap beat and we realized the song had to be about a house of bees. I told B. Dolan the concept of the song and he delivered some shit that made me want to go back and rewrite my verse. I never did end up rewriting my verse, but I think its all for the best. There’s a unique version of this track with Buddy Peace’s scratches at www.myspace.com/bernarddolan

6) Jaw of Steel (beat and scratches by Reanimator, 2009)

I fully intended on this song being on an official album, but the way my new material is shaping up it just wouldn’t fit. This beat was first going to be used on Prolyphic and Reanimator’s “The Ugly Truth” album. When it ended up not being used, I jumped at the opportunity to place some lyrics on it. There were a lot of vinyl snaps in the record that Reanimator sampled and I did my best to eliminate most of them, but in the process I think I may have affected the overall sound quality of the song. Whatever the case, I like the pace and build of this song.

7) If I Go To Hell (demo, 1997)

Originally released as a “Clip of the Week” on SFRstore.com, this song was retrieved from the vault of my 4-track tapes. The sound quality is iffy, the music is jacked from DJ Shadow, but I enjoy the lyrics for the most part. I think this was the beginning of anti-religious sentiment in my songs.

8) Conspiracy to Riot (beat & scratches by Reanimator, 2008)

Reanimator sent me this beat a while back and he labeled it “militant.” I kept it around not totally sure of what I should do with it until all the pieces eventually fell into place. Originally released on www.ConspiracyToRiot.com as a way to raise funds for Jared Paul’s defense lawyers, this song joins the ranks of my other highly political tracks. Performing this song in MN while having thousands of people put their middle finger up for the police in their state was a gas.

9) Be a Star (beat by Buck 65, 2007)

This song was made during the course of making my Human the Death Dance album but it didn’t seem to fit very well. Also, the sample clearance would have been a headache. It’s mainly just an upbeat track that I did for fun. Perfect candidate for a “Sick of” release.

10) Sea Legs (feat. B. Dolan & Sleep. Scratches by Buddy Peace.
Additional vocals by Jared Paul and Curtis Plum. Beat by Aupheus, 2009.)

This monster posse-cut was originally released as a free download during the relaunch www.StrangeFamous.com to celebrate our 2009 roster. Everyone featured on this song recorded their material in their own studio and sent their contributions to me via email. I had to paste it all together and surprisingly it worked. I am a splice master. I’d love to do a full album like this at some point with all the SFR artists. Not only does B. Dolan completely slay this track, but so does Sleep and this is the first song I’ve ever done with him. Check for his new album “Hesitation Wounds” which drops on June 30th, 2009. You can download his single right now at www.StrangeFamous.com

11) Flashback 96 (home recording, 1996)

The lyrics of this song were originally written in 1993. Since then, I have recorded various versions of the song. The version most people would be familiar with is the “I Keep Calling” song, however this stripped down version was retrieved from old 4-track tapes and it’s got a lot of charm. I’m also amused by the idea of having flashbacks during a time where it sounds like I’m still a little kid.

12) Masturbate Your Brain (AOI demo, 1997)

Another “lost tapes” discovery, this is a 4-track recording of me with my first band before we hired a live drummer. The rhymes are tightly packed and the accent is quite thick.

13) SFR Pays Dues (feat. B. Dolan & Prolyphic. Scratches by Reanimator. 2008)

Originally made as a promo track for the Paid Dues Festival, this song was recorded on the spot in the SFR studio. Instrumental for this track was taken from the Beatnuts.

14) Pump (beat and scratches by Buddy Peace & Reanimator, 2009)

Boombastic, Mr. Fantastic. This song went through many incarnations before a remix beat collaboration came together between Buddy Peace and Reanimator. That mix of talent is tough to deny. The beat knocks hard and the scratches are ridiculous. Big up yaselves.

15) Revenge of the Ogre (interlude w/ Trinity)

Radio interview snippet between me and SFR forum’s very own Diane!

16) Who Farted? part 1 (courtesy of XAUL ZAN, 2009)