deep kimchee news

Maintaining Two Blogs

2011-05-22T21:15:00.004-04:00

It seems that my life has been usurped by lighthousetriketour.blogspot.com, my other blog outlining my pending trip around Florida as I visit all 30 lighthouses this summer. It has taken months to organize everything and I still don't feel that I have a strong handle on all the details. Suffice it to say that, ready or not, I start this full throttle in three weeks.

This involves deep kimchee since I am producing a multi-episode webcast documentary of the entire trip once it is completed. I want to be able to do 20-minute segments of the trip showing the highlights of the ride and the lighthouses. When the whole thing has aired, then I plan on making it available on DVD. One of the elements of the trip is that I want to compose a theme for each lighthouse that captures what each one felt like when I visited it. This set of music will eventually end up as a CD release when completed. I am also soliciting music from other Florida musicians for the documentary and, hopefully, will be able to offer it as well.

My brother Jay and I are kind of taking a short hiatus from our project together simply because I'm dropping the ball. The Barn is having air-conditioning problems (again) and until it is sorted out it is impossible to record in the building. However, we both have been working with Dr. Cor Mulhern (whom past readers may know is not only our aunt, but a hypnotherapist whom I've produced in the past.) She is currently retired, but has written a small book entitled "Parable of the Cats" that we are editing and prepping for print. More on that when we get closer to the publication date.

I did get to do sound production again for North Port High School's musical, which this year was the extremely difficult "Into The Woods" by Stephen Sondheim. A great production that was a challenge to get right since there were so many mikes and so many singers.

In any event, if it seems a little quiet here, just check out the other blog in my life...I'm sure I'll be there.

Plans within plans within...

2010-11-14T09:00:00.004-05:00

So, the school year at NPHS started with a BANG and I just looked up to see that it is November. And what have we been doing? Let's see...

For Kaleidoscope this year, we are producing a lip dub video based on the Billy Idol song "Dancing With Myself." We've been in pre-production since September and it has taken a long time to get organized. For those that don't know, a lip dub is a music video that is lip synced in one take and taped backwards. Also, in the last week, we decided that we are going to produce an original science fiction movie. That is being written at this point and we don't expect to be in production until February. I am looking forward to writing the score for this one, so let's see how that goes.

My big project for 2011 is going to be to create a video documentary about the Lighthouses of Florida. I plan on visiting all the lighthouses in the state while I am on a bike tour. Well, actually a trike tour since I've purchased a Terra Trike Path 8 recumbent (see the picture? Isn't it cute? Like the Tibetan prayer flag?) So, in between planning that trip and looking for corporate sponsors and training for the ride...could be busy.

Musically, I'm still working on songs for The Brislin Bros. project and that's about all. Sales for Pacific Radio Fire haven't been bad at all; got a royalty check from cdBaby!! Income is always good, ya know?

An Inert Summer, of sorts

2010-07-21T07:30:00.004-04:00

One would think that if one has a recording studio that one would be in it constantly. Well...not this year. After practically living in The Barn last summer mastering Pacific Radio Fire, and then spending a lot of time recording stuff for Kaleidoscope this year, and working on the music and producing 8 self-hypnosis projects...it was time to cool the jets a bit.

So far this summer I've been editing a short book by Cor Mulhern and I reconfigured the equipment in The Barn to make it easier to work. But, other than that, I haven't done much music. My brother and I have worked on three songs for The Brislin Brothers CD, but not much else. It has been feet up, go visit relatives...and chill.

Kaleidoscope, The Beatles, and other random stuff

2010-04-10T14:39:00.008-04:00

OK, as usual it has been awhile since I've updated this, but that doesn't mean that it hasn't been busy. The North Port High School Performing Arts SLC annual performance, Kaleidoscope, was last week. We had two days of rehearsals and two days of performances. Everything went very well this year. The theme was The Beatles, so we had thirteen different songs being performed by Dance, Concert Band, String Orchestra, TV Production, Chorus, and Theatre. We had our largest audience yet on the last night and had a great time with them. All in all, one of our more successful shows.

(The picture above shows us during the video taping of "Dig A Pony" on the roof of North Port High School as we recreate the roof top concert from the movie "Let It Be".)

To prepare for the final editions of the three songs my TV Production classes created videos for, we spent a large amount of time in The Barn recording studio mixing the final tracks. Of the three songs (If I Fell, Help, and Dig A Pony), the latter was the most successful as a mix. Students Christian Beam (lead guitar) and Brittany White (rhythm and bass guitars) were outstanding on the recording; I played drums and did the vocals. Eventually it will make it out somwhere to be heard, just not here.

In other areas, Dr. George Kenney dropped by The Barn to record three additional self-hypnosis scripts related to sports performance. His original series of self-hypnosis CD's (which I produced and created the background music for) are available at amazon.com. This is a great project, one that I've enjoyed being involved with immensely.

And, in other areas of music, I've (oddly and sadly) begun work on the music for the fourth release by now that they're here. There are certain songs that I came across that I forgot about in the last year while working on Pacific Radio Fire. When reviewing them, I really liked them...and realized they'd be perfect for the next CD. So, while I didn't exactly expect to immediately be working on the next CD...looks like I am.

Review in Sarasota Herald-Tribune

2010-03-13T07:40:00.003-05:00

Dawn Scire from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune interviewed me last week about the release of Pacific Radio Fire. It was a great conversation since Dawn is articulate and funny.

You can read the review here - http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100311/ARTICLE/3111031.

BTW, the fish is just a random shot we took in Jamaica last year. I love koi.

Adventures in The Barn

2010-01-01T11:56:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year!!!

Since I'm out of school for a few more days for break, I decided to try to fix some problems that I was having in the studio...and, again, had it cosmically pointed out to me that some solutions just lead to more questions.

Like trying to get the dbx 386 tube pre-amp to work with the Digi003 interface. I was sending the digital out signal from the dbx (SPDIF) to the 003...and it wasn't being recognized. After spending too much time swapping out cables and testing every component, the only thing it could be was some setting in ProTools. So, just on a whim, I changed the digital setting from SPDIF to ADAT...and it suddenly started working. I have no idea why since I'm going from an SPDIF out to an SPDIF in, but I'm not going to argue with success. It works...next problem?

I have been having issues with my KAT DK10 drum pads...three of the pads are dead and to have the sensor array replaced (again) just isn't going to happen. Last year I bought a cheapy little Ion electronic drum set. It works in the studio pretty well, but I wanted to have more than the five pads it came with. After a lot of trial and error, I've been able to integrate the DK10 through MIDI into my venerable Alesis D4 drum brain, then plug the Ion pads into the trigger inputs of the D4 to supplement (and replace) the pads on the DK10. By doing this, I now have a 14-pad electronic drum system and I can ignore the Alesis SR16 knockoff that Ion included with the pads (it doesn't have a MIDI-In port, which was essential to integrating the two systems.) For now, it all works and serves my needs, although I needed to buy 1/8" TS to 1/4" TS cables for it to work elegantly. (Thanks Sweetwater Sound for the help, as always!)

The other problem I was having was with playing audio through the Digi003 to the monitors. You can't do it unless you are in ProTools...no other application (like iTunes) will work. After verifying this on the Internet in about five different places, I was left with the yucky solution of taking audio out of the side of my 13" MacBook to the Aux. Input of the Digi003...thereby adding another source of coloration by having to do another D/A conversion. Oh well, at least I can now switch between ProTools and other audio fairly quickly, which I could not do before.

I also hung a few more pictures in the studio, filed away some CD's (copies of my first two releases that I still haven't sold...c'mon people, Papa needs some more closet space!), and generally tried to make The Barn a bit more comfortable for me and the clients.

All in all, a fairly productive time in The Barn.

Pacific Radio Fire - PRESS RELEASE

2009-12-01T09:49:00.005-05:00

After seven long years, the third CD release of the group now that they're here is finally available!

Pacific Radio Fire is a collection of twelve songs that range in style from techno to alt rock to classically-inspired music, and cover themes such as the writings of Richard Brautigan and Ray Bradbury, Buddhism, war, death...you know, simple subjects.

This release involves the talents of three guitarists - Fred Nowicki (who was with the group for the sophomore release Auschwitz Bound and appears on the song Far Away, Gone), Glenn Banish (lead guitar on Pacific Radio Fire), and Nate Russell (rhythm guitar and cowriter on So It Goes). Also, bassist Pax Helgesen cowrote and played on So It Goes.

The cover of the CD was designed by Chelsea Dorato, a high school senior at North Port High in North Port, FL. Chelsea won a design competition with her cover submission. This will be her first commercial work.

Pacific Radio Fire is available at cdbaby.com, iTunes, Rhapsody, walmart.com, and 30 other online sites. Just search for "now that they're here".

Endings and Beginnings

2009-10-12T18:35:00.004-04:00

I'm abandoning the more formal "press release" style of this blog since it just doesn't suit me or this site. Since all things "deep kimchee" are also all things "Kevin Brislin", there really is no point in trying to separate the two. So much for formality.

In no particular order, here's what's been up since last June.

1. Pacific Radio Fire: The next now that they're here CD is in it's final stages of mastering. This process has been particularly grueling, for some odd reason. I seem to be second-guessing myself on the mixes constantly. One day, they sound fine, the next I'm dissatisfied with some aspect of what I've mixed. However, the twelve songs are almost all at a point where I'm changing things just to change them....and that's when I know I'm done.

The cover for the CD has an interesting story. I decided to have a competition at North Port High School with two graphic arts classes to design the cover. Altogether, there was about 20 to 25 entrants. The winning design was made by Chelsea Dorato and was done in a very cool way. Each letter for the title was "drawn" in a darkened room by a Cyalume light stick, then put together in Photoshop. I thought the process was fascinating and choose her design as the winner.

So, the CD is almost done, the cover is almost done...all that's left is for me to hurry the hell up.

2. Alternative Music Education video: At long last, after almost three years of work, my Masters of Fine Arts degree is completed. It took a year's worth of work to have my thesis video accepted; it took four submissions to have it finally approved by my thesis committee at National University in Los Angeles, CA. The video is 15 minutes long and is an educational look at what constitutes alternative music education and how it can be achieved. Due to the constraints of size for video on blogspot, I will have to put it on vimeo.com. You can see it at vimeo.com/7132012.

3. Hypnosis for Education: An odd project that came up this year from Dr. George Kenney, who is creating a series of self-hypnosis CD's for students to help them with such problems as test anxiety, sports performance issues, etc. There are five CD's to be released. I was hired to do the background music and produce the project. This has been fun to work on. It will be released on amazon.com, so look for this there soon.

4. Kaleidoscope 2010: For the next Kaleidoscope performance at North Port High School. we are doing a Beatles-themed show. In my TV Production III-IV classes, we are re-enacting three music videos from the films A Hard Day's Night, Help, and Let It Be. We are in pre-production at this point, but we have our cast and the shoot dates for at least two of the videos. We will also be using our own renditions of the music, so recording dates for that will be coming soon and will involve students from three of my classes. More news on this as it progresses.

The Next Big Thing(s)

2009-06-25T06:29:00.004-04:00

The Pacific Radio Fire CD by the group now that they're here has finally been upped in the queue to be finished. Kevin Brislin is finishing the final mixes for test listening sessions over the next few weeks, then wants to have the CD released in three tiers:

1 - an electronic download in all the usual places (iTunes, amazon.com, etc.)

2 - the physical CD available from CDBaby

3 - a deluxe CD that will include all three CD's from the group, a book of lyrics for all the songs, and a handmade necklace specifically commissioned for this release. This deluxe set will only be available from deep kimchee's website.

The CD insert design is still ongoing, as are plans for an invitation-only release party. There are twelve songs at this time, but that may change depending on what happens during the final mixes. The target release time is August 2009, but that may be delayed depending on the cover design and the usual mastering problems.

The next big project involving deep kimchee isn't ready to be fully announced yet, but it is going to involve an online blog, a DVD, and a book. This project has been in the works now for almost a year and won't be ready for any form of unveiling for another six months at least. Suffice it to say that this is the largest project we've attempted and involves a lot more people than ever before. All you can do is hold on for more info when it's released.

Last Thoughts on Final Projects

2009-05-31T08:22:00.004-04:00

From Kevin Brislin:

Since the school year is over at North Port High, I thought I'd wrap up what happened with all of the projects we worked on in the classes and where they will go from here.

1. The horror movie "Dr. S": the movie was extremely well received at Kaleidoscope on May 20. The crowd was actually one of the largest we have had since we started the performance series 6 years ago. While we are still having issues with the correct export settings for the Final Cut Pro file and having video hardware issues as well, I can't complain about the final results. A fine job by all, especially student Joey Rieszer (co-writer, co-director, director of photography, editor, sound designer...the guy was a bit busy and took this as his project when others dropped the ball.) When the issues with the aspect ratio and quality of the transfer are worked out, the video will be posted on YouTube.

2. The four-song EP from Sound Engineering never made it to plastic. While all four songs were completed, the class did not meet the deadline to have it mastered or duplicated. There are still some issues with the mixes, so it was decided that the release would be premature. This is a project that may be revisited by next year's SE class. However, the performance of the four songs went over well at Kaleidoscope (even though the first song was prematurely ended by a fire alarm!)

3. The Education Channel 20 in Sarasota (Comcast) will be featuring the horror movie "Dr. S" and projects from my TV II class over the summer. Tune in to see what all the fuss is about.

End of School Year Madness

2009-04-18T07:30:00.007-04:00

Kevin Brislin and his TV Production III and IV students are to be featured in a program on Educational Channel 20 in Sarasota, Florida, concerning their efforts in producing "The Horror Movie!". The movie is an original video that they have worked on since last August as a large-form school project. The video is in post-production now as they work on audio, foley, sound effects, and the score. It will premier on May 20.

The Recording Engineering class is finishing tracking the four songs for their EP and the live performance on May 20. The photo is a shot of one of the vocal sessions completed at North Port High. Mixing and mastering will occur within the next two weeks.

Paradox Recording Studio

2009-04-07T07:53:00.005-04:00

From Kevin Brislin:

I had the opportunity to visit Paradox Recording Studio in North Port, FL, a fantastic space owned by Rick Duncan. Rick is the producer/songwriter/drummer for the group Cryptic Vision, a progressive rock ensemble based here in Florida. I've been aware of Cryptic Vision for a few years now due to a mutual friend and was even invited to attend their last CD release party in 2006 when "In A World" was released.

Rick's studio is a stunning space and I would highly recommend it to any artist or group that is looking for a larger studio in which to work. I was at his studio to interview him for a possible article in TapeOp magazine (another "must have" in the world of audio, in my opinion.) Who knows if that will pan out, but I did want to let people know that there is a(nother) great studio in the country.

NPHS Musical

2009-04-05T15:48:00.002-04:00

The NPHS Musical for 2009 has just finished its run. This year, the Drama Dept. chose "Little Shop of Horrors" as the musical and, as usual, the Drama students delivered a great set of fine performances.

For the past five years or so, Kevin Brislin has been the audio supervisor for the musicals, a fact of which few people have been aware. The job usually consists of training his audio production students to run sound for a live performance, which may mean that up to 12 mics are running at a time, along with sound effects. It is a stressful job for the students, but one that is vastly different than the experiences they have in a recording situation. Since musicals are so script-oriented, the students learn to follow along closely to know what mics have to be open at any particular time, when sound cues are to be played, and how to balance the sound in a live hall between a non-mic'ed orchestra and the actors.

Brislin considers this experience a make-or-break for anyone who is considering doing this for a living. Many of his students believe that running sound for the musicial is one of the highlights of their audio production education.

NOW what's he working on?

2009-03-05T11:45:00.006-05:00

Right to the point...

1. Kevin Brislin's thesis video, "Alternative Music Education", is on its third (and hopefully final) edit, and the entire project is being submitted for formal review this week. This is a 15-minute video detailing how music education is taught, and how to expand music programs by integrating the non-traditional music student. This video will be hosted here at a later time. Contact Brislin for more information at dkimchee@earthlink.net.

2. TV Production II, III, and IV classes at North Port High School, North Port, FL, are in the production phase of the horror movie they are producing for the annual Kaleidoscope performance this year. The movie is based on an original screenplay written by the TV III and IV students. The premier for this will be at the NPHS Performing Arts Center on May 20. Brislin is directing and will write the score for the movie.

3. The Recording Engineering class at NPHS is just finishing rehearsals for a 4-song EP that is being produced by the class. Instructor Kevin Brislin chose four songs that the musicians of the class had to learn, then adapt to be played in another style. For example, the song "Everybody Hurts" by REM has to be done in the style of The Cars, and the song "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" by Melanie is to be done in the style of Pink Floyd. The class plans to record the results of the project and have CD's available for sale by May 20. The class also intends to perform all four songs live the same day before the Kaleidoscope premier of the horror movie. Brislin is producing the CD, and will play keyboards or sing on all four songs.

By the way, the picture you see in this post is the new corporate logo/photo for deep kimchee. It just looked so relaxing and, when people see it, they always ask where it is.

2009 FMEA Conference

2009-01-10T13:39:00.003-05:00

On Jan. 8 and 9, Kevin Brislin and Owen Bradley made two presentations at the annual Florida Music Educators Association conference. They dealt with the Kaleidoscope project at North Port High School in FL as a model for alternative music education. Both have been spearheading the use of non-traditional classes (such as electronic music, recording engineering, and "guitar" classes) to engage the non-music student at NPHS. The presentations also were the first time that Brislin's thesis video on the subject was presented to the public. Owen Bradley is the music director and Music Department chair at NPHS. Brislin teaches TV Production, Electronic Music, and Recording Engineering...but not at the same time.

The Last 2008 Post for deep kimchee

2008-12-15T20:03:00.004-05:00

Here's a recap of what's happening in all things deep kimchee...

1. Kevin Brislin's thesis film for his MFA from National University, Los Angeles, has to be re-edited and the narration rewritten. This will probably take up much of the time he had earmarked for other projects, but this takes precedence for now. Deadlines are tight, so he is hoping to have this completed in January.

2. Cor Mulhern's next guided imagery project will soon be remixed, but no plans have been solidified as to when it will be released or in what form.

3. now that they're here's next CD is still in progress. Guitarist Glenn Banish and Brislin's schedules just aren't in sync yet to finish the remaining tracks. Soon...very soon.

4. The first song from the collaboration between the Brislin Brothers (Jay and Kevin) was completed in November. The song, Aldino, is a poetic piece that evokes memories of their home in Maryland when they were growing up. Sadly, the debut of this song was at the funeral service of their mother, Ruth Brislin, who died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 86.

There are a few more projects that are rearing their ugly heads for 2009, but let's keep them a little close to the vest for now. Have a Happy and Prosperous New Year!!

Current Projects

2008-10-08T18:46:00.003-04:00

An update on what has been happening with deep kimchee and The Barn.

1. Work continuing on the third CD by now that they're here, "Pacific Radio Fire". Kevin Brislin has started working with guitarist Glenn Banish, a local North Port, FL musician who Brislin has known for about a year. Banish added acoustic and electric guitar tracks to the title track for the CD. Banish is attending a local community college and studying to be a music journalist.

2. The working mix of Cor Mulhern's next meditation project, "Peace and Health" has been reviewed and requested changes are being implemented by Brislin at The Barn. It is unclear at this point how, when, and where it will be released.

3. A new collaboration between Kevin Brislin and his older brother Jay has been started. Jay Brislin plays electric guitar and both are co-writing songs for inclusion on a shared CD project. Since this is a long-distance recording effort (sending files over the Internet between The Barn in Florida and Jay's loft studio in Massachusetts), it will take time to iron out song issues and production schedules. In any event, both are having a good time with the project.

4. Straight A Productions of Florida has tentatively contracted to use Kevin Brislin to produce foley sound effects for one of their film productions. Brislin's extensive library of sound effects and ability to create custom sound design is a definite asset. More on this later as this develops.

The Barn has been updated further to incorporate a new Digidesign Digi003 Rack interface using the latest version of ProTools LE, a M-Audio Nova large condenser microphone, and a set of new plugins for ProTools. See the website for more details.

The Barn

2008-07-02T07:44:00.008-04:00

At long last, after three years of delays and headaches, the recording facility known as The Barn is completed and ready for business. Located on three acres in a country setting, The Barn is a smaller space that is suitable for ensembles and solo musicians to write and record. Audio post-production capabilities are also available, as are video editing services based around Final Cut Pro.

The studio uses ProTools LE on a Macintosh computer and a small arsenal of outboard gear (see website for a list of equipment used.)

Use of the studio can be arranged by emailing producer Kevin Brislin at dkimchee@earthlink.net.

Fees are variable, depending on the level of involvement by Brislin and the scope of the project.

Jeez, yet another update?

2008-05-13T20:46:00.003-04:00

Seems that all we do anymore is update readers on the continuation of the continuation of projects and plans. That's OK, though...at least things are progressing.

The Barn isn't doing that badly; the siding is installed on the interior. The walls have to be painted, the carpeting installed, then the studio equipment has to be taken out of the old studio and installed in the new. It will probably be some time in late June before all of this is completed. One can only hope.

The latest update for ProTools LE has yet to be released, so most (if not all) production work is at a standstill since the computer systems used in the studio have been updated to Macintosh OS X 10.5 Leopard. There are a few ways around this problem, but none exist to help finish the latest now that they're here CD, nor remaster the Mulhern projects (see previous posts for details.)

One of the projects that is progressing is the Masters thesis video of producer Kevin Brislin. A documentary about alternative music education is in the editing phase and hopefully will be in rough form by the end of May. One of the few recording projects at The Barn will be the recording of the narration for the video and the creation of some of the background music.

Brislin also provided information about teaching TV Production, which can be seen at

(http://wikispace.ci.fsu.edu/LIS5313/index.php/

Spotlighting_Teen_TV_Production#Reference).

Also, the Electronic Music class taught at North Port High by Brislin will be part of a presentation at an international symposium of music educators in Taiwan in June by C. Victor Fung, the Director of the Center for Music Education Research at the University of South Florida, Tampa.

"Calm and Healing" Pre-Release Info

2008-02-18T08:50:00.007-05:00

The recording label deep kimchee has taken on the project of re-mastering and re-releasing the phenomenally successful guided imagery project "Calm and Healing" by Cor Mulhern, RSM, D. Min. This 1997 release was a pair of relaxation exercises for pre-surgery and overall well-being. The initial release of this project was extremely well received, even though it was only available in cassette form. Producer Kevin Brislin was recently in talks with Dr. Mulhern to release a new set of relaxation exercises, which is in final production, and the concept of re-releasing "Calm and Healing" was broached.

As of this date, "Calm and Healing" will be released electronically only (no CD pressings are planned), which will allow prospective buyers to download the sessions onto a portable player of their choice.. Further information on where this will be available will be announced when the final details are worked out.

The new guided imagery project, tentatively entitled "Peace and Health", is being presented for chemotherapy recipients and for general well-being. Dr. Mulhern has received a multitude of praise for her work in helping others to achieve an inner balance to aid in combatting illness. At this time, this project is being mastered. Both "Calm and Healing" and "Peace and Health" will be released simultaneously.

For more information, contact Kevin Brislin at dkimchee@earthlink.net.

Change in Plans

2008-02-13T19:55:00.004-05:00

Due to severe time constraints and a misunderstanding of what was really being written, the rock opera "The Gods Themselves" is now an oratorio and will not be presented live at North Port High School. The principal writers (Tiffany Stone, Glenn Banish, and Kevin Brislin) are continuing work on the oratorio and will eventually record the entire performance in the NPHS production facility or at the still incomplete studio in The Barn (see previous posts for details.) The documentary is still being worked on and will include scenes from various writing sessions of the oratorio, but will concentrate on past Kaleidoscope performances and interviews with educators involved with alternate music education. More on this as the documentary progresses. (BTW, the picture shown is a pre-performance conference with some of the principals involved in the movie, "So the wind won't blow it all away." Brislin is the only one not smiling and has his arms crossed.)

Speaking of The Barn, the interior is slowly (s-l-o-w-l-y) being finished. Brislin is hoping that the last of the interior issues will be taken care of by the end of March and equipment installation can commence at the same time. The Macintosh-based system has recently been upgraded to include a new operating system, the latest version of ProTools LE and the use of the Digi002 Rack system. The studio also has incorporated an Emu Proteus 2/XR synthesizer, a dbx 386 tube preamp, a Blue Ball powered dynamic microphone, and a Sony CDR-W33 compact disk recorder for mastering.

Potential clients can contact Kevin Brislin at dkimchee@earthlink.net for information on availability of The Barn for audio and video recording projects.

New Projects

2007-12-09T21:45:00.000-05:00

Working once more with high school students, Kevin Brislin has taken on the science fiction book "The Gods Themselves" by Isaac Asimov as the text for a rock opera being written for North Port High School's annual Kaleidoscope performance. The opera will integrate rock and classical instrumentation to convey the intricate story of the book, which is considered one of the top 100 science fiction books ever written. Brislin is being assisted by two student co-writers; senior Glenn Banish and junior Tiffany Stone. This small ensemble will not only help write the opera but will also constitute the core performance group for the production at its premier on April 17, 2008 at the NPHS Performing Arts Center.

Brislin is also directing a documentary of the entire process involved in getting this production off the ground, which he is submitting as his thesis project for an MFA.

Summer 2007 Update

2007-08-11T08:40:00.000-04:00

Songwriter/producer Kevin Brislin spent the month of July in L.A. working on his M.F.A. (Masters of Fine Arts) by completing the residency component of National University's Digital Cinema program. He and nine other candidates worked on three different industrial shorts. Kevin performed as a production manager, field sound person, and camera operator during the production phases of the projects. During post-production, he edited one project using Avid Express Pro and did audio mixing/final mastering for two projects using ProTools HD. Brislin will declare his thesis film project in September and start pre-production as soon as possible. Further news on this front as it becomes clear what the project will be.

In other deep kimchee news, the siding for the interior of the new recording studio has been chosen and will be delivered in the next few weeks. It is supposed to be very easy to install, so the goal is to have the siding and flooring finalized by the end of September and have the studio up and running by October.

The next now that they're here CD is still on hiatus until a guitarist is found. There is a possibility that this has been worked out by including a guitarist that lives in Tampa, FL to work on tracks via the Internet. The actual production flow is being worked out, so no names until it is official.

2007 Update

2007-02-25T11:37:00.000-05:00

Music

Work continues on the third "now that they're here" release, Pacific Radio Fire. No new guitarist has been added to the lineup and it is looking increasingly like this release will be a solo effort on songwriter/producer Kevin Brislin's part. Most of the twelve songs for this release are in final mixing, save for one song that is about to be totally rewritten.

The Deadwood Zen project has been cancelled as a separate release. Some of the instrumentals may be integrated into PRF, but most are to be abandoned. Brislin cites the overuse of available loops as a main reason for the project being dropped. Rather than try to reconfigure the songs, it was easier to just let them go for now.

Film

A new cut of the Kevin Brislin/Stephanie Scott film, "So the wind won't blow it all away" was finalized in January 2007. The original movie was cut to drop six minutes of footage deemed unnecessary and the movie was rescored by Brislin. While searching for a few movie festivals to enter this into, they are looking into having the entire film on Google Video. More on that when it happens.

Recording Studio

No good news on the studio. It is no closer to being finished than it was six months ago. Interior siding still has to be chosen and installed, as well as floor covering. Only when the structural elements are completed can the studio be moved from its current location.

Other

Brislin will be in Los Angeles, CA for the month of July finishing up the classwork for a Masters Degree in Digital Cinema. After that, he will be working on his as-yet unchosen thesis film.

Projects Update

2006-07-12T09:02:00.000-04:00

The third release of 'now that they're here', entitled "Pacific Radio Fire" is about two-thirds completed. We are still looking for a new guitarist and not having any luck. The project will be on hold until this issue is resolved, however songwriter/producer Kevin Brislin is still adding new material to the project. So far, the CD will consist of a dozen new songs.

As part of an effort to separate genres, Brislin has also decided to take all of the recent techno/electronica/ambient compositions he has created and release them under a different name. These pieces will be released under the group name 'Deadwood Zen' and the CD entitled "Noises from signals coded differently." There are about eight different instrumentals at this point, which are constantly being redefined and enhanced.

The recording studio Banzai Tollbooth is close to being moved into a new building. While still a small space, it is dramatically larger than the current room used for all recording activities. Construction problems are still being addressed, but it is hoped that the studio will be open for business by October 2006. There have been some equipment changes; the studio utilizes the following at this time:

Apple G4 computer running ProTools LE with a Digi001 interface
Other software: Soundtrack, Peak LE. Live, Reason, Pluggo, and a host of software plug-ins and instruments.
Kawai K3m synthesizer
Alesis D4 drum module
Alesis Quadrasynth Plus Piano keyboard/synthesizer
Akai S-5000 sampler
Realistic MG-1 Moog Analog Synthesizer
Kat DK10 drum pads with fatKat floor pedal
Boss SE-50, Lexicon MPX-100, Lexicon Alex effects processors
Mackie 1202 12-channel mixer
Alesis Monitor One monitors driven by a Samson Servo 260 power amp
Samson C*que 8 headphone amp
Sennheiser HD414 headphones
Microphones: Oktava MK219 condenser, Superlux PRA-H7A condenser, Electro-Voice PL77B condenser
Various percussion instruments and odd noise toys

This space will be available for your recording projects soon. Contact Kevin Brislin via email with questions.

Movie - "So the wind won't blow it all away"

2006-07-11T09:23:00.000-04:00

The unreleased movie "So the wind won't blow it all away", produced and directed by Kevin Brislin, was completed in April 2006 utilizing a core group of high school students as cast and crew. This was a monumental project taken on by classes that Brislin teaches at North Port High School in North Port, FL. The screenplay was written by a group of students in a Creative Writing II class, then massaged by Brislin and Asst. Director Stefanie Scott (a junior at the school during that time.) Ms. Scott was also given the roles of Director of Photography and Editor.

Filming was done using digital video cameras and edited using Macintosh G4 and G5 computers with Final Cut Pro software. Automatic dialog replacement was used for the first time at the school, which made the dialog much easier to work with since there was a lot of noise generated due to construction on the school at the time. The score for the film was a collaboration between Brislin, music instructor Owen Bradley, and students Tony Call and Jake Hatfield.

The film is to be entered into the 2007 Sarasota Film Festival student category. This film will not be released to the public at this time. A possible soundtrack may be released as part of a compilation of work from people associated with the school.

Release of "451"

2006-04-27T19:11:00.000-04:00

The CD release of "451" by APG (Audio Production Group) is now available. This 4-part, 15-minute mini rock epic is based on the Ray Bradbury novel, "Fahrenheit 451". It was produced and written by myself and a core group of high school students as a project we have been working on for over a year. It was originally written as a live performance and debuted at the North Port Performing Arts Center in May, 2005. Two days after the performance, the entire piece was recorded live in one long session at the Production Studio at North Port High School.

The Audio Production Class at NPHS took on the task of cleaning up the recordings, added new vocals and bass tracks, then remixed and mastered the entire project.

The CD is available as a limited edition for $5.00 + $2 s/h. All orders must go to:

Kevin Brislin
North Port High School
6400 West Price Blvd.
North Port, FL 34286

All the news that's fit to...print?

2006-02-04T10:13:00.000-05:00

History

This is to be a series of news-related announcements about the multi-media company "deep kimchee", and all of the endeavors of its participants. deep kimchee was started in 1994 by producer/songwriter Kevin Brislin as a vehicle for his then one-man-group "now that they're here" with the release of the synth-rock CD entitled "unplanned with explosion." The second release was in 1995, which was a cassette release of guided imagery/relaxation exercises, entitled "Calm and Healing", from noted therapist Dr. Cor Mulhern, D.S.M. This project was produced by Brislin. Sales of both projects went very well; "unplanned..." saw modest sales that spanned six countries while "Calm..." was hugely successful.

In 2002, the sophomore effort from ntth, "Auschwitz Bound" was released. Joined by guitarist Fred Nowicki, the nature of the music of ntth became more focused and more rock-oriented. While commercially the CD did not fair as well as "unplanned...", critically it is the favored release of listeners.

Availability of Releases

Both CD's are available from cdbaby.com for $10 each, along with being available on a per-song basis from iTunes, Rhapsody, towerrecords.com, walmart.com and about 35 other Internet-based music sights. It should be noted that both CD's are a limited release and when supplies dwindle, they will not be re-released in their current incarnation. No plans at this time are being made to re-record these projects, however it has been suggested that "unplanned..." could be re-recorded. Time will tell.

Dr. Mulhern's "Calm and Healing" is only available directly from deep kimchee. Please see the website start.earthlink.net/~dkimchee for ordering information.

Current Projects

deep kimchee is attempting to expand into new areas for 2006 and start exploring other media. In keeping with music, the third and fourth releases from "now that they're here" are being worked on simultaneously. "Pacific Radio Fire" and an as-yet-untitled electronica/techno set are due for release this year if all goes well. Sadly, the departure of Fred Nowicki has left a hole that ntth has not been able to fill, which has delayed the releases. FYI, this was an amicable split caused by time pressures from other priorities, not creative differences.

A second release from Dr. Mulhern, one that addresses chemotherapy and well-being during cancer treatments, has been completed. However, due to serious time constraints on Dr. Mulhern's part, that release has been delayed until she feels she can support the release in a proper manner. Currently, she is working on a series of lectures and possibly a book, but none of that work will be affiliated with deep kimchee.

In the past two years, Brislin has been working with a group of musicians to create the short rock opera "451", which is based on Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451", a seriously fantastic book about a future that makes reading and owning books a crime. This set of five songs was written and produced in 2005 as a live performance with a multimedia background. Performed in May 2005 at the North Port Performing Arts Center in North Port, FL, the one-time performance of the five songs was a hit. There are two elements of this performance that are under consideration for release. A free, online release of the actual performance is being considered, plus a studio version of the music is now being finalized and mastered for commercial release on deep kimchee. Once negotiations for this are completed, this site will make any necessary announcements.

In other areas, there are at least two short video projects (aside from "451") that are being considered under the production moniker "PocketChange Productions." Details of those projects will have to be minimal for now, but will be released as soon as possible. There is also the possibility that the abstract artwork of Kevin Brislin will be available for auction bids on eBay in the coming months. This is still in consideration at this time, so don't look for anything just yet.

Conclusions

It is a highly creative time for deep kimchee and all involved. We are excited by the new projects and excited to see renewed interest in older projects. This site will be updated with any and all developments of the projects. Thanks for reading!!