Handle
~ SHIDOSHI ~
Japanese for "Master" or "Teacher"
Used primarily in reference to ranking in the martial art style of Ninjutsu
Location
40 0’ N. LAT. / 82 53’ W. LONG.
That's Columbus, Ohio Kids!
Title(s)
Promotions Extroadinaire
Digital Assassin
Status
ACTIVE DUTY
OK . . . I figured it was time for a decent profile update, so I’ve decided to cut out a lot of the “where I’ve been and what I’ve learned†crap so I can focus more on what’s going on in my life now – because there’s a lot of it. It should suffice to say that I’ve visited and lived in places most people are rarely fortunate to ever experience for themselves and that, in turn, has helped to shape me into who I am now. Music has always been the most passionate force in my life and has therefore led me along quite an interesting path of both success and failure. In that respect, I’m sure I’m going to have quite a few more stories to pen in the annals of insanity before I’m done!! Instead of making this the spot where I post a watered down version of my own autobiography, I’m instead going to highlight the more important aspects of who I am and what I do. If you want more detail, either ask me or wait until my police records become public.
SHIDOSHI ~ THE MUSICIAN
This is where life begins and essentially ends for me. Without passion, a person doesn’t fully experience life . . . and as a musician, not only do I have the ability to create and express that passion – I’m able to do so in a way that influences and affects others. It’s an interesting cycle that I’ve seen unfold over the years I’ve been playing and composing – and, for me, it’s what I’ve been put on this planet to do. There’s a lot of pressure in knowing that – but there’s also that light sigh of relief because unlike most people who try to find their place for years and years (perhaps their whole lives), I already know where to focus my attention and effort. The common misconception, however, is that all musicians seek to find fame and fortune in the industry. That’s not at all the case – and while I would be a liar to say I don’t aim for those achievements in some respects, a good friend (Dann Adams from A Vicious Cycle ) once told me that “fame and fortune, being signed to a major record label and touring the world is simply a measure of success. It is not the defining point between success and failure†. If you can reach people emotionally through the music you create, you have already succeeded – and succeeded in a way most people cannot.
SHIDOSHI ~ THE PROMOTER
In 2000, I established Deviant Sex Labs Productions right about the time I started headlining as a Rave DJ. I was impressed by what I saw dominating the Underground scene and wanted to promote those talents and skills through DSL Productions in the mainstream local circuit where I felt they would be recognized and appreciated by a larger audience base. As the years progressed and DSL continued to evolve thanks to the artists I worked with, I began to see a powerful force growing in my own local music scene and knew that my efforts as a promoter and talent liason would be better focused on a strictly local basis. It was a simple matter of promoting those artists I appreciated myself – and by doing that, it wasn’t work at all. It was almost my civic duty of informing the public of something so incredible that they could not afford to overlook it. To my surprise, these efforts were paying off quite well and opening more doors than I ever thought could be possible. I started meeting new bands & talent (which has always been my favorite part of being a promoter), receiving invitations to special, private functions . . . and the VIP treatment has certainly been a kick to my ego (which, unlike most promoters, I’m somehow able to keep in check).
I can’t explain why I chose to become a promoter except for that it seemed to be the next natural step when you’re an artist. You create something unique and you want to share it with someone else. For someone who is able to promote professionally, there is no such thing as competition. By working with other bands, artists, promoters, venues and booking agents, you can create an immense and powerful network of associates who literally have the capability of making the local music scene into something so profound that it can easily overshadow the mainstream music industry. It’s when irresponsible promoters become jealous of another’s success and try to make a name for themselves by undermining and corrupting everything THEY have worked so hard to establish. What they don’t understand is that just because you might work with rock stars doesn’t mean you ARE one. If you want to make a name for yourself – create something first and then promote it. I take pride in promoting a band/artist I respect and seeing that influence affect others. That’s when I know I’ve done my job. I don’t expect anything more than a percentage and a thank you. Having said that, I refuse to work with someone I don’t respect – regardless their popularity or span of influence.
Recently, the focus of my promoting has been narrowed down to strictly what I do creatively as I felt I couldn't focus on promoting other talent in the way they deserve and still take care of my own efforts. I do, however, continue to build and strengthen my networking contacts for when I am ready to return to promoting full-time.SHIDOSHI ~ THE PIONEER
It’s easy enough for most people to follow in the same footsteps as those who have gone before them, but I don’t find any satisfaction in achieving what has already been accomplished by another. DSL Productions was my first effort at doing things differently and so far has been an incredible success since its conception. Deviant Sex Labs has evolved quite dramatically over the years, but I believe it has done so for the sole purpose of now being able to offer something custom and unique for career-minded artists. DSL Productions is the core in which I collect all my experience, contacts, influences, associates and talent I have developed over the years so that it can benefit the local music scene as a whole in addition to individual artists. The DSL profile page can be found on MySpace by visiting here: DSL PRODUCTIONS .
My efforts in creating something unique and different certainly don’t stop with DSL. In 2004, I teamed up with my close friend WiKiD to establish “All Known Aspects†– an experiment in electronic composition that we initially wanted to create in the style of some of our major influences (i.e. The Crystal Method, Prodigy, Cirrus, Deepsky, etc.). What developed instead was something wholly unique that even WE continue to be surprised by. During the creative process, WiKiD & I both discovered that the tracks we were composing began to take on a life of their own - and the songs essentially just wrote themselves. We agreed to make this project a primarily instrumental effort because we believe that more emotion and feeling can be translated through the music alone – thus relating to a larger audience base on a personal and more emotional level. It allowed us to become more musically complex – a feat not easily accomplished when you have only 2 people doing the work of 5 or sometimes 6! Simply composing and recording our music was not enough - so AKA has become Columbus’ ONLY live electronic band. In a primarily rock and metal based music scene, we both understand we have an uphill battle ahead of us so that these “toughened†audiences might open up and allow themselves to experience something new, but anything worth accomplishing is worth working hard for. You can check out AKA in all its glory by visiting here: ALL KNOWN ASPECTS . AKA is officially on hiatus until 2008 so that we can focus on writing new material and streamlining our sound and performance quality. Stay tuned for updates!!!
SHIDOSHI ~ BEHIND THE BLADE
As far as my personal life is concerned, I usually keep that pretty well guarded. A lot of you might think that’s shady or whatever . . . but the reality is that as much as I enjoy what I do in the music scene (promotion, composition and otherwise), I enjoy having a part of my life kept separate from all of that so that I can rest, recharge and have some isolation when I need it. Don’t be confused and think that I represent myself differently in the public eye. I am the same person no matter where I go or what I do, but everyone needs their escape! If I do include someone from my business life into my personal life, it's usually after much consideration and trust.
What I do share of my personal life with the public, I do so sparingly. I do not hide the fact that I am a happy and devoted father to a 4-year old son named Gabriel. He is my life, my motivation and the only thing that matters to me more than music. I work a full-time job in addition to the all the other responsibilities I have, so already you can sense how my schedule fills up on a weekly basis! I make time to visit my family once or twice a year at our beach house in Kiawah Island, South Carolina . . . and for some reason, I love long road trips (with the right company of course)!
In essence, I’m just someone who is trying to get his life on track right now and I don’t mind the 3 or 4 hours of sleep I get each night (if that) because those things that keep me active are the things I’m most passionate about. I seem to catch a lot of grief from a lot of people about how busy I am all the time – and while that might be accurate to some degree, I’ve come to find that I need to live my life for ME and not to appease anyone else. Perhaps that’s a selfish statement, but I’m honest and unapologetic about it. I’m certainly not the type of person to be "controlled" by anyone else, but my loyalty is sincere to those who support and motivate me.
Don’t Forget To Check These Links Out!!!
www.myspace.com/cringemusic
www.myspace.com/deviantsexlabs
www.myspace.com/allknownaspects
