Josh Mossotti

I suppose it was only a matter of time before I’d have to give these vocals a test drive. I have a new respect for both songwriters and vocal recording artists. It was certainly a great challenge for me and a great feat having completed this with the message intact. I will not go so far as to say I have the vocals chops of a professional, but for my need vs resources I stand behind my work. They came through for exactly what was needed in this track. I will say that one of the greatest lessons I have learned is simply that of getting comfortable staring down the barrel of the mic and delivering the goods. I have owned my mic and setup for quite a while and the fixture sat unused towering above with all the use of a decorative plant. Slowly sticking one tow in the water at a time to gauge the temperature until I finally decided the easiest way to warm up to the whole of it, is to just dive right in. So here we are.

For the lyrics and meaning behind this track, especially Christians, please to not be offended. It is not meant to be blasphemous or against their beliefs. And quite honestly if you are offended, your views might be too narrow for my site and my work anyways. The exit is that glaring red ‘X’ at the top right of the screen. For the rest of you please enjoy ‘The Big Top’.

I recently spent the holiday in St. Louis, reuniting and spending quality time with the people who are most dear in my life. I came bearing gifts. One of which was a book of who’d have guessed it Mark Twains short stories. During the three hour plane right from Los Angeles to St. Louis I began doodling a bit to pass the time and wound up with this neat little trinket which proved a perfect placeholder for a specific story that plagues me. I gave this to my brother to keep and lets not mix words it just a doodle with abstract ‘Simkins’ connotations but I thought it was neat enough to photograph and share. It was funny how as the book was left out and people thumbed through it pausing at the bookmark describing what the think it is. I am not certain myslef, it just is, is all…

As usual I have heisted the title from Kerry James Evans, a friend and colleague of my brother and a fantastic poet. I am truly not that sorry. I was mulling through one his poems ‘Monopoly’ and just up and theived a line as if it were my own. His work is really something else and helped me to find the message I was looking for in this track.  Although I must say, I don’t think the track captured to intensity I was looking for in the adaptation of the line ‘I am the cannon of war’ and I really have disliked the end product of my track until recently. Ohh the torment !! I believe its only fair for me to put aside my own grudges and allow for you to decide for yourself how greatly I dropped the ball. For that I am sorry, I will do my best in the future not to dissappoint.

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There is nothing truly fancy of this illustration. I love trying to capture emotion in different forms of expression. These sullen-downtrodden-helpless mess of humans all emit a similar feeling but are uniquely displayed given their own structures. The bed of contours can hold images of children playing and people dying while caressing the figures and centralizing the thought. I am currently in a place of enjoying simple forms of construction. I believe there is a lot to be said of what the viewers perception makes of any given piece. I like to provide a medium and room for you and I to decide what is seen and felt. The art lies in its subjectivity.