All challenges are supposedly opportunities, right? We have to believe this.  Just as my latest CD goes to press the Covid 19 epidemic increases.  The opportunity to sell at my performances dropped, since, around March the situation at the Ritz basically became to unsafe for me to continue.Still waiting for the bar to reopen in any sense of regularity and in the meantime, performing at Sandaya as it still has quite better ventilation and a huge space.

I have continued to record, changing a few machines but keeping my core setup, tubes and transformers preferred over plugins and computer algorithms.

The recent purchase of a Lexicon PCM 92, a very high-end reverb unit is gradually being integrated into my workflow because I have noticed that using these units in analog form rather than digital tends to sound more 3D alive and organic to my ears. Its also easier for me to work with real buttons and knobs, feeling my way through the various setting and sounds, than to noodle around with a mouse.

The CD, Night and Day, is a selection of well know songs, some of which were recorded here in the studio and other which were salvaged from old recordings dating as far back as 2001.

Hoping to go in a different direction now that I have so much free time to experiment as well as improve the beats of various drum machines and the sounds in my synthesizes in preparation for recording and the eventual return to performing.  However, I would not be surprised if that return is delayed until the spring of 2021.  We are facing a winter of unpredictable danger and chaos.  I find it unbelievable how so many humans seem to reject the science and pretend that the virus isn't just as deadly today as it was when it first appeared.  The refusal and resistance to masks and social distancing is unconscionable and has resulted in the newly announced restrictions fueled by selfishness and carelessness. Meanwhile, here in Japan and many parts of Asia, Australia and New Zealand where the good of the many seems to be placed in higher regard than the good of the individual and so-called freedom, the virus is much more under control.  I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here in Japan right now.