Notes From Space:
Editorial
Notes From Space:
From Aural Innovations #14 (January 2001)
Hello all and welcome to the new year... 2001 being the genuine beginning of the new Millennium I'm told. I'm writing this in November, the day after Thanksgiving which is one of the major holidays here in the USA. I've always enjoyed Thanksgiving because, unlike Christmas which is all about spending all your money and maxing out your credit cards, Thanksgiving is about getting together and relaxing with family and/or friends and eating and drinking far too much. Today I've taken the last vacation day available to me from work this year and am raising yesterday's relaxation to new heights.
2001 begins Aural Innovations' fourth year of publication and I'm reflecting on how far we've come in the first three. Of course earlier this year we discontinued the printed mag and went 100% web-based. My disappointment over no longer doing the printed edition quickly turned to joy as the web site started getting far more visitors then the hard copy ever had subscribers. And Aural Innovations radio seems to have brought in even more visitors. Our interpretation of spacerock has gotten broader than ever to include just about any of the strange and "out there" music that people are sending us. So in each issue I think you'll be sure to find that which is true to our roots, as well as plenty that looks to the future. Spacerock - like space itself - isn't static. It's constantly moving and reforming itself. Stars die... and new ones are born. And despite the title of the mag, Aural Innovations is just as much about being a forum for all those homemade creative endeavors as it is about music that truly pushes the boundaries. The creative spirit is a powerful force... and it should be nurtured. But more than anything I hope that you have made some exciting discoveries in Aural Innovations. I've certainly made countless wonderful discoveries as result of publishing it.
I'd like to take a moment to give some thanks and offer some welcomes. Keith Henderson and Scott Heller have been writing regularly for Aural Innovations since shortly after its inception and it would be difficult to overestimate the value of their contributions. Each of us has varied interests which has helped steer a steady line between keeping focused and expanding our scope. I'm so busy I probably don't say thanks to them enough so a BIG THANKS goes out to both of you! I'd also like to welcome Doug Pearson and Chuck Rosenberg who have agreed to help with the volume of review material I'm receiving. Doug has written for AI in the past and you may recognize his name as having cropped up on a variety of artists' releases playing violin or synths. Chuck hosts the Space Does Not Care radio show at the University Of California-Riverside which also broadcasts globally on the internet. (See our links page for when and how you can hear his show.) Also recently on-board is Jeff Fitzgerald. Jeff is a science fiction writer whose short stories have won the X-the-Unknown Contest two times now. He also hosted the radio program "Electronic Realizations" from 1984-89. Not only does their assistance help take some of the pressure off yours truly, but it also adds more musical tastes and perspectives to the mix, and this will make Aural Innovations stronger and of more value to our readers.
Final Note: George W. is President and the whole thing dragged on so long and got so silly I don't even care like I did when I cast my vote. Maybe some good will come out of it. Like abolishing the Electoral College, counting EVERY vote, updating archaic voting booths. That 'Chad' shit was a joke! I just hope George W. doesn't muck things up too bad. If he wants any advice from me though he's gonna pay a heavy consulting fee.