GOOD NEWS!

The Clandestine Experiment is going to be released in hard copy form in July!!!!

I'm very excited about this for a number of reasons. This album was actually done and mastered sometime before June last year, but I  did not have the financial resources to proceed with its release (either as Looking Glass Records or personally.) So, I held onto it, feeling quite disheartened that my baby had to just sit on a shelf. I did not know how long it would be sitting there, but I kept hoping something good would come. When October came, I felt like I simply could not wait any longer.  Even if it wasn't going to be the kind of release I wanted or I thought this album deserved, I tried to make the best of it. As a spirited gesture I made the album available as a free mp3 download on Halloween.

While I do appreciate the accessibility mp3s offer, I definitely understand that they are not the highest quality option, especially when it comes to music as moody and sonically sensitive as Cindergarden.   Also, the album artwork and all the thought and design put into it would go unappreciated, and largely unseen.  Another missing factor of grave importance to me was the lyric booklet.  I intentionally have not published the lyrics online anywhere, because to me it doesn't make sense to have them available before the lyric book itself is available. Again, it's great to have lyrics be available for those who choose to view them online, but my favorite experiences growing up involved me sitting with a new album and opening the magical booklet inside to read along and really get sucked into the music. I  want  people to be able have that visceral experience and to have already seen them online somewhere may discourage them from wanting to do so the proper way....plus those who actually pay for the entire record and even have it shipped to them should get something special...right!? I think so.

Some people wrote me after downloading the album to say that when they imported the songs into whatever music listening program they use, the tracks were in the wrong order. And that once they fixed the order, they were able to appreciate the album more.  I definitely like songs that can stand alone, but I also take great time and consideration when choosing the order, for both linear storytelling reasons as well a means to enhance the atmospheric experience.

Times have definitely changed when it comes to the listening and discovering of music. The artist loses a bit of control when anyone can just download mp3's with no regard to things like the order of songs, album art, etc.  But at the same time, I am grateful that it is so easy to upload music to the internet where so many people can have access to it.  We can become aware of music at such a rapid rate now, because it's all at our fingertips. As a music lover I appreciate this.   All in all, you won’t really hear me complain about this particular subject. And if I had been able to release the hard CD simultaneously with its digital sister I would not have been bothered in the slightest.

Ultimately, people can choose the level of intimacy they wish to experience with an artist. If someone really wants to get a closer look and a better understanding of what's going on, then they can. But sadly, no one has been able to so far, because it simply has not been an option.
 
machineKUNT has changed that. Originally the contracts being signed were for the release of album number three only (which is still highly confidential material). However, Rachel Haywire, who runs machineKUNT and is also the babe behind Experiment Haywire, knew how sad I was that my sophomore full length had yet to see the light of day. So, as part of her promotion for the third record, The Clandestine Experiment is going to be made available to purchase as a real life CD and will include something extra nice in the package as a free gift too!!!

IMHO all this really means that the album will be able to be heard/ viewed/experienced/ loved as it was meant to be. For those who have loved it so far, their enjoyment will be enhanced, and hopefully it will have been worth the long wait. More details on the release will come soon. And since this album was actually completed a while back, that means the third album is just around the corner. It’s closer than you might think o_O

Take care and LOVE to all <33333333

~Jaymie Valentine