Thank you for the positive comment! Those words are ones I would use to describe this song as well.

Thank you for the very positive and fun comment! Apologies for the late reply!

Thank you Steve my friend for listening and commenting! I'm very sorry for this very late reply!

Wow, you hit up a track from over two years ago! That hardly ever happens! This tells me that you actually like music! I respect that!

From the point of view of the songwriter and sole musician, this song is very melancholy, but that is for more personal and subjective reasons. I am really glad that people can find it upbeat!

It is definitely one of my more pop type of songs, and I'm sure you'll agree if you check out my catalog. I would not normally try this hard for range of performance, and I am big on performance!

Thank you for listening and for your comment!

Thank you for the listen and comment! You have said nothing rude at all. I honestly don't know what would be considered a barbie track, but on the other hand I can understand why it would seem this way to you. I look forward to visiting you profile to see what genres are in to. Thanks again!

Hey mudhoen, thank you very much for the uplifting comment! I'm really happy I was able to finish this one, and maintain the positive feeling. Not as easy as it seemed. I appreciate you listening and leaving your words!

Hey OmarMuk, very nice to hear from you on this piece. You're too kind with your praise! I remember playing Mario Kart a bit back a while, though I was more fond of earlier consoles. SNES did have some sweet music though. Thank you for the compliments on the sounds used. One of my most comforting feelings in life is listening to one of my songs, and thinking "I have no idea how I made that sound." When my headphones on my head, I am in a different world. Thank you for stopping by!

Thank you for the positive comment on this intentionally positive song! I enjoy helping people be happy at least as much as I enjoy "shaking things up." I'm not really into children, but I do like to see them happy and playing... adults too! Your listen and comment pleases me, so thank you again!

Hey Evan, it's cool to hear from you on this track! Your comment pleases me, as I made a promise to myself to make my next album considerable more positive than the last one. "Impossible to be angry while listening to this track." I can't help but laugh when reading that, because I was immersed in anger most of the time I was working on this one. It's cool to hear that it didn't contaminate my art! It's better to be stuck in the head than to have your head stuck. I realize we make different sorts of music, but I appreciate you leaving your comfort zone for a few minutes. I'm fairly proud of this one, and it's 2 plays away from 1000 now! Thank you, and I hope that you are well!

Hey zEKO, thank you for the listen and the kind comment! Boys say go and Disco Disco must be other bands or something, as I know Depeche Mode very well, and don't recognize them as song titles... But either way, I'm always super pleased to be compared in any way to DM! I too miss music such as this, I'm just happy that I remember when it was popular. Finishing this song took a lot out of me, but I'm in recovery trying to get my studio into a new era. Hopefully the carpenter ants decide to move out of the ceiling! Thank you very much!

Hey Orlando, your interpretation is right on the nose regarding this track! That (sardonic amusement) was most of the feeling which led me to write the song. I always appreciate your viewpoint when reacting to my songs. Thank you very much for taking a listen!

Hey Aviat I totally appreciate your comment! I'm pleased with how it turned out, and with the reaction to it (considering it's the most played electronic track on Looperman now!). Controlling my modular with MIDI is so fun, especially for bass lines... so I'm glad you liked that part. I've always gotten into snappy beats, and I'm glad this fits the bill. The lyrics were written after the arrangement was composed, so I'm glad the vocals fit in. I wanted it to be an uplifting melodic feel, as opposed to the stuff on my last album... seems like I nailed that part of it. Thank you so much for listening!

Hey there, thank you for checking out the new version! I'm glad you enjoyed the listen. The completed modular bass line ended up sounding pretty good I think, not so mid range as the earlier version... and in tune of course! Listening to your new one right now!

Hey, I'm honored by your words and your listen! I'm pretty happy with how this turned out as well. The intro stands out because the e piano is more prominent there, I like how it has kind of a tentative shivering feel to it. Seems like there are smiles all around with this new version, so that's a good thing. I hope that you are well, and I'll see you at your profile!

Hey friend, thank you for taking a listen and leaving your kind words! Happy this could entice you to smile! As far as the amiga thing goes, the main start of my digital song creation was on MED soundstudio tracker about 15 years ago. MED was ported from amiga, where it was known as OctaMED. So I guess that it makes sense that I carry that era into my newer recordings. I appreciate the comment!

Hello to a newer member, and thank you for your listen and comment! I am a strange person, so it is no skin off my teeth. I will admit to being heavily influence by the 80's and 90's, though a I don't often listen to stuff from the 90's any more, mostly older or newer things. I love the 80's to the point of being annoying to those around me. I appreciate the compliment regarding the vocal's relevance. I worked really hard to make everything right for the theme. It was an octave higher than my normal range, so obviously a challenge. It's good to hear from you, and I"ll be checking out your profile in a moment.

Ha ha, funny comment all around! "Big Smile" is a big idea in the works for Iris-T-Shirt, so extra funny there. Then there's the polka thing... me and the liquor store manager were just making icky faces about the pawn shops collection of polka records, makes me laugh! I'm glad the lyric/title thing makes sense to you... it was basically rhyming for the sake of sensitivity to those involved, and I do love rhymes. Around here, back in the 90s, we had a word for the situation you mention... "happily depressed." I am definitely more likely to be angry and happy at the same time as opposed to sad or depressed any more, but it still works. I tried to incorporate the "matriculation" idea into the recording and mixing as well, and I think it worked out well. I really appreciate you checking out the real version of this song!

Danke, thank you so much for the supportive comment! The "electro-punk" category sounds like an appropriate one for this track, so thank you for that as well. You compliments mean a lot to me. Interesting that you mention "toy sounded instruments," as I often use toys, but did not in this song. I guess it's just become part of my sound regardless of my intentions! Appreciate the fave and download! Hope all is well!

Hello Musicante, thank you very much for your listen and positive words on this song! Knowing why you like something is not the most important thing, that's for sure! Don't worry, I wouldn't allow comments if I couldn't accept some critique. My reply to your critique would have to start here - I didn't write anything for a vocal bridge. I have 3 verses, and 3 choruses, the second verse has an incidental vocal at the end, and I'm assuming that's the part you mean. It wasn't really meant to be time dependent, just there. If I am incorrect about what you meant, I would be pleased if you could tell me the lyrical part you mean, as I could look into it. The whole tune was meant to have a bit of shuffle to it though, so I'm not too worried. As far as the TV commercial goes, it would be unlikely due to my philosophies, and I would have to really get behind the message - like banning agricultural chemicals, or laws against idling your car, stuff like that. heh. Thank you again for listening and leaving a comment!

Thank you for your comment! What genre would that be that you are thinking of?

Hi V! I'm doing pretty well over all. It's good to hear from you, and to have you listen this new version. To be honest, I had to look up "Adventure Time" as I had never heard of it. I haven't had television since 1996, so I'm a bit out of touch (in a good way I think). But the things you say about it as parallels to this song are taken well by me all the same. What you mention about the guitar is definitely what I was going for... I couldn't really finish the song until I got those guitar parts played well, because it was totally missing something up until then. I am really trying to make my mixes more powerful and my masters more gentle lately... I'm getting really tired of songs that are so loud you can't turn up your system. I will take heed to your mention of the dryness of the vocals, and I know what you mean. In reality, they are not as dry as they seem, though they are barely revebed. I wanted to keep the natural room impression on this one, as I changed microphone position for the later sections of the tracks. Goes with the stealth matriculation theme for me. Really the whole master is more dry than usual as well, so that may be throwing you a bit. The reverb on the master was at 1% wet this time! Thank you for telling me it was all worth it though, means a lot. I got myself an external hard drive so I'm not constantly worried about losing everything. Hope you are well, and thank you again!

That's very good to hear! I'm trying to be more positive in my song writing, at least some of the time. Life is hard enough as it is. I really appreciate the listen and feedback!

Hello Wayne, and thank you for checking out the update! Really happy you enjoyed listening! This is definitely one of the songs I would consider adapting for live performance if I ever get to that point. It would of course be very different from this. I wrote most of the guitar parts before sunrise on that guitar I built, and they translated nicely to my epiphone les paul. Thank you for the compliment on the vocals too! As far as the synth sounds go, the electric piano sort of sound was manipulated from a preset to taste, and that little lead sound that plays through most of the song was from scratch on a VSTi. Other than a snare sample, the rest was designed on hardware stuff by me. Makes me happy that you liked it, and I appreciate your words!

And thank you as well for the continued discussion! I had been taking care of about 60 plants to get prepared for planting while working on this song, as the cold weather stays late into spring here in Minnesota. Now all of them are in their homes for the season, so I can rest a bit, as long as it keeps raining. I can't thank you enough for the appreciation of the positive feelings in the song. One of my biggest regrets about my previous album is the negativity and anger which seeped into the final product, but that aspect was very real. I made a promise to myself to get more positive, at least in my songwriting... though it is still quite real. "Spring feel" is correct. I sort of stopped updating songs previously, instead I waited for it to feel done, and left it alone. This song was different though, it was wrong and needed completion. As usual, it is about several things at once, and even the title is not the original (though it rhymes, so it shows up in the lyrics). Your support is much appreciated!

Hey there, thank you so much for the positive comment and the listen! I think if you heard the old one, you would be confused, as it was very different. I did a little nod to the previous bass line near the end with a bit of manipulation, as I like the rhythm of that part. The 1:22 to 1:36 part which you mentioned is one of my favorite parts as well. The lead really works right there. The video game aspect is definitely part of my style, as I grew up playing lots of old games, and now I modify toys and vintage microchips to make sounds. Love those old style sounds. I really appreciate your feedback!

Hello Alex, thank you for being the first one to comment around here on the update! It gives me a good push to check out what you've been up to. Spring is such a busy time around here, so I haven't been listening to much. Really happy you are enjoying this one! It was quite a challenge... hard drive issues, sound card issues, tuning problems, noisy environment, bad vocal days, alcoholism... you know. But I did it, and there's that! Thank you again!

Hey Mosaic, thank you for giving this one a listen! I always appreciate you feedback. While I did hear your idea that maybe this didn't need vocals, I went ahead and redid the whole track. It was difficult, and not exactly always fun, but it's done... I've started to realize that many if not most of the tracks which I released over the years should have been sketches, and a lot more time should have been put into them. That's life I guess. Apologies for taking so long to reply, was working hard on this song, as well as some electronics and gardening. I hope you can find the time to give me your opinion on the update of this song. No problem about the help I give, as it is my pleasure, and I consider you a friend. Thank you!

Hey friend! I think your question may have a clearer answer if you listen to the new version with lyrics and all, though maybe not. The title kind of refers to how people will gently introduce changes or different behaviors, and then all of the sudden they are a different person... then, like most of my tracks, there is a completely different side... which I will leave for you to absorb on your own. The new update is also a bit less gamey, and I'm not talking cornish hens. Thank you very much for the listen and comment!

Hey thank you ER for the kind comment, and not being angry for the wait on a reply! I definitely don't mind being on the strange side of cool, oh wait the cool side of strange ha ha. I think you'll probably enjoy the new update of this song, as it's finally a finished product now. A real song not just a sketch. I didn't know it was a sketch at the time, but that's how it goes. Interested to hear your opinion! Thanks again!

Hey friend, thank you for this kind comment! This song has an update now, and apparently is a completely different song now... even though it keep the same arrangement, key and tempo as before. The guitars and vocals really spice it up. I appreciate it!

Hey Billy, thank you for checking out the original before the update, as well as the new one on Soundcloud. It's always good to hear from you!

Thank you for the listen and comment! I don't know anything about games really, except for like SMB3, stun runner and galaga...heh I am curious to hear your thoughts on the updated vocal version which is here now. I appreciate your visits!

Hello, thank you for the good comment! Apologies for taking so long to respond, but I've been working like crazy to finish this to my satisfaction. The update is here now. You were right about the pulse synth... the detune was intentional, but has been removed, and in the process I realized that this synth has gone WAY out of tune... like it was in the key of F instead of C! Thank you for bringing it up! Also repatched and improved the scaling of the modular bass, so that helps. I appreciate it!

Hey thank you Elena! I'm happy you enjoyed it! If you thought it was crazy before, then you're in for a surprise with the vocal mix update... more than just vocals added. I appreciate the comment!

Hey Ed, thank you for your listen and the kind comment! I'm happy that you enjoyed the trip! Your words make me happy. I'm no expert, but I'm finally feeling some understanding of what goes on inside the circuits I build, and that feels good. I'm in the middle of updating this song, taking the reactions I received here into account. I have recorded the bass part with a new modular patch; better tuned and more bass. Weakened and killed the detune on the Korg DW synth. Building up some live instrument recordings and stuff. Got all the lyrics written. Haven't advanced a song after release like this for while. Thank you for listening my friend!

Hi my friend! I appreciate your visit today! It's interesting you mention Aminor, as aside from scale calibration and maybe a bent Korg, this was composed in C major, which you I'm sure know uses the exact same notes. That explains the tetris comparison, and probably the slight detuning makes it sound a bit more minor than it should. Happy that you can find a substitute (synergy) for coffee in my music. Sometimes I find it nice to deprive myself of things (like Kramer!) and yesterday I went all day without coffee, by the evening my head was aching and my jaw hurt, so I know how the need for stimulation goes. I think I had heard that Alicia Keys thing before, but had forgotten... it's a humorous play on her name! Thank you very much for listening!

I have been compared with Mark Mothersbaugh at times, and I can't complain about the comparison. I was a bit old for Rugrats, as it started when I was 12, but I did watch it on occassion. The music was probably the best part for me, even though I'm not a huge Mothersbaugh fan. I appreciate the listen and comment!

Hey LSD, thanks for the comment and listen! I think of Nintendo as being cool and retro, so your words make sense. I am in the process of fixing and developing this song. Things keep getting in the way, but I'll update it pretty soon. Had to reinvent the modular patch, but it seems to be working out, and has a better low end presence like a bass should. Thanks again!

Hey breo, whassup?! I like this mid-bass sound as well, and I hope I can re-create it to help with the image of the tuning. Those patch cables don't have much memory capacity!! ha ha. That's cool you have a zoom machine! I've been using the RT-123 since about 2002, and my wife and I liked it so much we bought a second one. Now I use one as a MIDI module and one in my modular setup for envelope follower application and such. Has some cool kits on that machine, and the groove mode is pretty nice for the era. I appreciate the listen and comment!

Hello, thank you for listening and commenting! Can you come back and give me specific time segments where you felt that the notes were not in key? I guess I will beg to differ until you give me more information. I really would value your reply though, as maybe I have made a mistake somewhere. Thank you in advance!

Hi Domenico! Good to have you listen to this song and leave a comment! I agree they are weird sounds in this, it was very much a work out for the modular synth. Trying out the new MIDI to CV converter. Wanted the whole track to have sort of vintage synthesis feel, but with my own signature sound design and MIDI control. I have written a bit of lyrics for this, but not a complete song yet. I will probably be redoing some sounds in this and then trying to add vocals. Thank you for your continued support!

Hey buddy! Thank you for the listen and comment! I have always been obsessed with things that give a time warp effect in the listener (and also not just within the realm of music, but life and art in general). I have new equipment to work with, so that always encourages me to take new steps in my music. Also working in other mediums such as electronic design and fabric gives me inspiration. As I mentioned in my reply to TheHumps, I may be redoing some parts of this to fix the intonation and adding vocals if I can finish my lyric writing for it. Then it will be even better I think. I thought that this might be one that you would enjoy, as some aspects remind me of late 70's early 80's stuff - like the pitched down snare in parts seemed very dark punk to me, a'la Joy Division/The Cure. Thank you much for your comment!

Hey Wayne, thank you for stopping by! I hadn't thought of it, but you are right about the comparison with that Cure song. I guess my feeling was more along the lines of Joy Division/New Order sort of stuff, but early Cure is definitely only a stone's throw away from that style. I agree this needs vocals, and I have a little bit of lyrics written for it. Have a whole list of things to get done, and recording vocals is not on there sadly... so we'll see if it gets done. I'd like to maybe redo the patches on this one, as people have complained about tuning/detuning issues. I did a recalibration of my main VCO, and I should be able to adjust the korg melody as well. This would probably make the vocals easier. The only unfortunate thing is the bass part was done on the modular, and while I can control it with the same MIDI info, I will need to set up the patch again from memory... ha ha... so probably this will change shape. I appreciate the comment my friend!

Hey there, thank you for the listen and comment! I wasn't consciously going for a video game sound, but I agree it has that vibe. Interesting you mention mario in a strip club, as this song is meant to have undertones of sexuality. All I know is that I'd like to hear Peter Hook play the bass line for this one. Thanks again!

Hey, thanks for listening and commenting! I have heard that hacker/miss kittin song before, and I always liked it. Haven't heard it in a while though, so thank you for linking to it! Have always had a sour taste in my mouth when listening to throbbing gristle, but maybe I should give them another chance. I saw some thread on synthdiy list about Vince Clarke releasing a MIDI to CV module recently, and it seems to have been released just after I bought a competing product. Funny. The drums in this are definitely analog style, though they are Zoom and samples, though I can't say what the samples were created on. Glad you liked them either way! One of the recent comments on this song told me things were out of tune here, and while I don't technically care, I did spend most of yesterday in a psychedelic VCO calibration trance. We'll see how that turns out, ha ha. She didn't mention what parts were out of tune, so maybe it could be the bent Korg as well. Appreciate you leaving your words!

Hey Alex, thank you for your comment, and apologies for taking so long to respond. I've been deep in circuit design for the past week, so... you know... It is interesting to hear your interpretation of the bassline. I hadn't thought of any similarities to "Year For a Year," but I think I can understand the parallels. It seems that my bass creation has become a big part of my signature sound lately. That's cool you are thinking on grabbing some hardware! I looked up the minibrute, but didn't get much for technical information. It seems like the big difference technically is that microkorg is *mostly* virtual analog, save for the filters which are analog... while the minibrute is *mostly* analog, though I at a glance I couldn't find anything which said what aspects were analog or not. I've never used an Arturia hardware synth, so I'm not sure what kind of signature sound they have. Korg stuff definitely has a sound of it's own, which I can usually pick out of a song right away... for example many of Crucethus's tracks have a good amount of korg sound to them. I have two korg synths, so I guess I've become accustomed to the sounds they make. The filters and the digital FM waveforms both contribute to the uniqueness to my ears. Let me know when you decide what to get, I'd like to hear what you do with it! I'm thinking the 2:04 sounds you speak of are the FX hits I built on the microkorg. I used the sample and hold function of the LFO heavily to create that sound. The S+H and the korg is not as versatile as what I designed for my modular, as it's mostly just a random control source, where the modular one samples any control input based on any clock source, and outputs correspondingly. I'm happy this is a favorite for you, especially considering it was mostly just a "workout." The module I mounted two days ago will add a lot of capability, so keep your ears open! Thanks much!