Mark Nicholas

02:51 pm: Less Hypothetical
Let's just say for kicks... that the reason I was asking about songs yesterday was because I'm considering offering this entire EP of my music to the whole world completely free. In fact, I'm thinking of calling it "THE FREE EP". One big, fat, free download. Totally unrestricted MP3s. In fact, giving this music away to people you know would be actively encouraged, and as easy as sending friends a link to the download page.

Assuming that was the case, and assuming that I've narrowed it down to these 10 songs... I'd still like to trim the list down a bit. The easy thing to do would be to just eliminate the Cosmicity songs (tracks 7-9) completely, since they are a good five to seven years old. Thoughts? Arguments?

1. I Wish
2. Maniac
3. Backlash
4. Coming Clean (Club Mix)
5. Green
6. Little Goth Girl (Ethereal Mix)
7. I Want You
8. The Princess of Detroit
9. Tinnitus
10. Selective Memory Loss (Pure and Simple Mix)

For the record, my THEORY is that by releasing a completely free EP, some of the, hopefully, many people that'll download it just 'cause it's free will like, or grow to really like, some of these songs as they hear them on their computers or iPods over time. And that they'll eventually either want to go buy more songs from the original albums, or at least be more inclined to buy my next album because they've become something of a fan. Will it prove to be a totally foolish business model to give away 6 or 7 of my best songs for free? Maybe. But I'm hopeful that, ultimately, it could prove to be the opposite.

Hit me people. I can take it.

-m

Tags: cosmicity, mark nicholas, the free ep

01:04 pm: Totally hypothetical...
Let's say you were trying to introduce a friend/co-worker to my music. You want to burn a 6 song EP that you would give them for free to *hopefully* get them interested and wanting to buy more.

Which 6 songs? Only Mark Nicholas songs, or maybe 1 or 2 Cosmicity songs also?

In my head I'd say something like this, but I kinda know it's wrong:

THE FREE EP
1. Backlash
2. Regenerate
3. Coming Clean (Club Mix)
4. I'm Trying To Impress You
5. Little Goth Girl (Ethereal Mix)
6. Hotel Allegro Chicago

The objective is to get regular music-lovers interested, so the songs should be probably the easiest ones to get into and get hooked on. But which ones are those?

-m

Tags: cosmicity, mark nicholas, the free ep

05:19 pm: Randoms
- If you fight hard enough and keep bringing the song back over and over again, apparently you CAN get a client to use a song written after the 70's in a commercial. First time I've ever been successful at getting my chosen piece of music on a commercial in 11 years of doing this job. VHS or Beta, you guys owe me. (It's on a rather bland Chrysler commerical that's just a bunch of words travelling down roads, but exposure is exposure, and they're quite happy about it.)

- Two of my songs were recently selected to be on an "Indie Music From Detroit" type of sampler that's going to be in all new Dodge vehicles sold in Europe for a while. So, if you're in Europe and you happen to buy a Dodge, um, you get two of my songs for free! Cool stuff, and I get a little money for lending my music to the effort, which will at long last enable me to get the laptop computer I need to begin real work on "Music For Headphones". Extra nice.

- I'm currently working on a remix of a new Color Theory song, and I'm doing it pretty much 100% old school Cosmicity style, meaning, if you've ever wished there was 1 more long-lost song from Escape Pod For Two, you may be in luck. I've even softened-out his vocals and made them all effecty/spacey. I think it's a cool vibe, though decidedly a moody ballad. Probably closest in style to "Vast".

IN: Organic frozen tater tots.
5 MINUTES AGO: Frozen vegetables in steam packs.
OUT: Dwight Yoakam's frozen Chicken Fries.

-m

Tags: color theory, cosmicity, dodge, remix, vhs or beta

03:29 am: Regenerating Dr. Who
Just in case you didn't already think I was a big enough nerd, Dr. Who fans are now discovering Cosmicity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6tzV8IKxwg

Not the best sync'd video I've ever seen, but hey. It's the thought that counts.

-m

Tags: cosmicity, dr. who, regenerate

01:06 pm: Do you crave Cosmicity?
How much Cosmicity is enough Cosmicity on this EP? Fact is, I've got 12 songs completely done right now, none of them really being Cosmicity remakes.

I did kinda half set out to make this release about featuring a few Cosmicity reworkings, but now that I'm here with 12 tracks totally done, I don't know how much I need Cosmicity material. Plus, I'm kinda tired of reworking songs now (which I totally proved to myself when I sidetracked for a full week to do the totally new song "Goodnight My Love".)

So, the question of the day is, how much is enough?

There IS already the mashup Sara did of I Wish I Wanted You, which is 50% Cosmicity.

And I believe I could finish a remake of "Your Beautiful Lie" if everyone really wanted it. I've actually got something started for that one.

Whadaya think? Would you be satisfied (would you buy it) if the track listing looked like this (below) - assuming the CD or iTunes purchase would cost you $9.99?

1. Two Sandwiches (Detroit Mix)
2. The Measure Of Pleasure (Sad Bastard Mix)
3. Maniac
4. I Wish I Wanted You (DJ Ginger Snapp's Mashup)
5. Coming Clean (Club Mix)
6. Backlash (8-bit Mix)
7. Perverse (Original Demo)
8. Little Goth Girl (Ethereal Mix)
9. Selective Memory Loss (Pure and Simple Mix)
10. Goodnight My Love
11. Perverse (Syrian Remix)
12. Green California
13. Your Beautiful Lie (MN vs Cosmicity) ?maybe?

-m

Tags: cosmicity, mark nicholas, perversions

01:59 pm: In case you want nearly EVERY Cosmicity CD for $10 total...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200156816571

Even though I don't make a dime when CDs are resold like this, I gotta say, it's a pretty good deal. They even have a couple of very rare items: The mis-printed CD Cover version of "Too Far Gone", and the 2CD version of "Escape Pod" which has been out of print for at least a year now.

I know most of you already have most of these CDs, but I figured I'd mention it anyway... just in case.

-m

Tags: cosmicity, ebay

11:07 am: Quick Survey
There's an "ultra mega synth" collection coming up. They want two tracks from me: one Cosmicity, one Mark Nicholas. And so I ask you, off the top of your head, what is the first song from either Cosmicity or the new me (Duchess 33 and beyond) that you would play someone to get them interested in my music?

-m

Tags: compilation, cosmicity, mark nicholas

02:25 am: Cosmicity was trance music, dumbass.
Apparently I made a trance song back in 2003 and I didn't even know it! It's all the rage on You Tube. :-) (It's the second track on this mix I believe.)

Take me to the Tube

8500 trance fans can't be wrong!

-m

( PS Listen to this show )

Tags: cosmicity, the dreamer, trance, you tube

02:51 am: Cosmicity
Cosmicity may be retired, but in a sense, it's more me than ever before.

Just recently I "bought out" most Cosmicity releases from A Different Drum. Therefore, with the exception of the 3 best-selling Cosmicity releases that ADD wanted to hang on to (Isabella, Resythesized, and Escape Pod For Two), Cosmicity is officially back in my hands and on my label.

Why do you care? Well, for one, it means I get a little bit more money when you buy the songs on iTunes etc. 'cause ADD doesn't take their cut anymore. So, that's nice, right? More for the artist? Always a good thing, I think. Especially us really low-volume artists. And then, it also means I have a large physical stock of all Cosmicity albums (even including the 3 he's still selling), so I can sell them all direct to you for the low-low price of only $10, which includes shipping. That's right, if you ever find yourself in need of any physical Cosmicity CD, I've got 'em all, and you can buy one for just $10. Let me know if you ever... you know... want one. :-)

Also of note... I learned that for many many years neither ADD or myself have been getting paid for any online downloads from certain early Cosmicity albums. This is an ongoing problem with a shady distributor called The Orchard. How can you help? Well, if you're ever on iTunes buying songs, please don't buy from any Cosmicity album that is placed in the genre "Rock". Those are the illegal ones. You will see the exact same albums (examples include "Forgive Me My Syns", "Renaissance", and "In Perspective) for sale under the genre "Electronic". Those are real and legit. Hopefully we'll eventually get The Orchard to take those down, but it's been many years of trying now, so I'm not holding my breath.

-mark

Tags: cosmicity

02:19 pm: Synthpop is dead.
I just found this video on YouTube. One of the dudes who used to be in Brand New Idol made it. I happened upon it accidentally while searching "Cosmicity" to show a friend my old "Escape Pod For Two" commercial. Turns out Cosmicity is mentioned in the song. Hooray for somebody getting the word out that Cosmicity "broke up"! :-)

Click to learn about the death of synthpop.

Disturbing to me: I know a lot of the people in this. I even know some of the people in the random concert/goth shots by name!

-mark

Tags: cosmicity, synthpop is dead

11:40 am: Quick Survey
You're going to the upcoming Mark Nicholas concert (pretend that you live in Detroit, Baltimore or Minneapolis, okay?) and you've heard there will only be 3 or 4 Cosmicity songs included in the set - and that those songs will be re-worked to better fit in with the "Duchess 33" sound.

Which songs would you want/expect/hope to hear?

-mark

Tags: cosmicity, mark nicholas live