My name is Eric Kalabacos. I've been a lurker on this list for a year or
so. I'm a friend and co-worker of CK Smart's at OM. I run the multimedia
division at the label. I saw the flurry of mail regarding Matthew Peyton's
post and felt compelled to respond in defense - of both of them.
In your defense, Matthew, I'd like to say that I'm sure its not just CK's
PR-oriented posts on behalf of OM that had you so hot under the collar, but
the overwhelming amount of marketing hype we are all subjected to in our
society. There is no doubt that many of us have turned to the net as a
means of getting information that is relatively free of hype and
advertising. And I think we would all bemoan a commercialism of the net
like what we see on the tube. I may be wrong, but I imagine this is part of
why you were angered by his posts, and I can respect that.
However, in CK's defense, I'd like to say that although he is posting those
messages as part of his job as a PR person at OM, he lives and breathes
this music and it comes from the heart. CK was doing very very well in a
corporate sales gig before joining the cause at OM, and I can assure you he
made the switch for the love, not the $$$. As one of the founders of the
Mushroom Jazz posse in SF, and as a member of the OM team, I have
benefitted a great deal from CK's hard work and enthusiasm in promoting
these projects and would like to thank him publicly for it.
CK has also been the driving musical force behind the upcoming Deep
Concentration set from OM. An all-unreleased comp of crazy experimental
hip-hop celbrating (as CK likes to put it) the "Art of the DJ." One listen
will be enough to know that this boy takes his shit serious', if you know
that I mean. Also (little self promotional plug) look out for the Digital
BeatBox CD-ROM that will accompany the tunes on DC. Its like the thing we
did on Mushroom Jazz only so, so much fatter. It will link hybridly to the
net so people can share their tracks with each other (which members of this
list might dig) and will have interchangeable sets of 120 CD quality
samples. The disk will come with an "old-skool" and a "trip-hop" set.
Others will be available off the net. ;-)
I would also like to thank the admin and all the members of this mailing
list for your efforts because I continue to enjoy it and learn from it even
though I don't get the chance to post much. Matthew, I'd love to hear about
some of the shit you're into so I hope your not to put off to stay.
Also, on behalf of OM, I'd like to say that we have almost no $$$ to spend
on mainstream advertising and this list is an invaluable forum for us to
get the word out. We are aware that it is a privilage, not a right, to be
on this list, and we value it. If the admin or the majority of posts are
against us promoting our work, we will most certainly cease, but as far as
I can tell the support seems to be there, so we'll continue for now.
Much peace and respect,
EK
Eric Kalabacos _/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ Veronika Hausle
415.777.4975 _/ _/ _/ _/ 415.777.0665
_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/
ekjazz@netcom.com _/ _/ _/ 604 Mission #111
Fax: 415.777.9226 _/_/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ _/ SF, CA 94105
EMPTY SPACE PRODUCTIONS