The People Aquarium

 

What happens to a dream deferred? Sometimes it sits for years because it is incomplete and other dreams are more important. Eventually bubbling up from the underground making its presence felt whether finished or not. That is the case with The People Aquarium.

I have always had a vision of making an album where each song was a story about a different persons life as if we were all living in a giant aquarium together. Like all albums, my idea was grandiose and over time I formulated the characters and some lyrics that would serve as the foundation for this project. My most trusted producers were aboard with Mr Dark Keys, DJ Plutoe aka Random Ran and DJ Capsize all contributing beats. Slowly but surely the album came into perspective with a neighborhood lost dog, sibling conversations, work place frustration, the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster and other occurrences all serving as motivation for album material. It was looking promising.

For whatever reason this album was put to the side as projects often are. Other songs were labeled more pressing, the plan was too scattered, the dedication lacking. People move, relationships blossom and either crumble, maintain or flourish. Old habits return, days turn into weeks, jobs change, ideas reconfigure themselves. Once time has passed the album became a wish although still spoken of confidently "Soon I'm going to release The People Aquarium" or "I'm going to re-mix those tracks and do those songs the justice they deserve" even "I have to put that album out, those characters are ALIVE! aren't they?"

Months turned into years and I had even stopped listening to these songs on my computer. They had acquired a coat of digital dust as if encased in a technological tomb. It makes sense for this album.

When I wrote most of these songs I was taking the bus, skateboarding or walking, working two jobs and was generally a defiant, rebellious and angry twenty something that was finally accepting the long held realization that my greater purpose might mean having to be a nicer person. It was quite the dilemma for me at the time.

So the folks I wrote into this album all have some aspect of me in them I guess. The slacker prodigal song regretful over his status, the laid off father of two looking for work, the sister greeting the apocalypse with a smile, the evolving or devolving kleptomaniac, the panic stricken family desperately hunting the lost family dog, the depression over learning truths and knowing you are just one of the sheep following dishonest shepherds.

Recently I just decided that fuck it. I am going to put out ALL of my unreleased material because it does me or you no good whatsoever just sitting, molding away in my computer. I guess its the fact that I am really excited about my kick ass group Woke With A Plan that has me wanting put release this old stuff out into the universe. At this point it doesn't really matter does it?

I really hope you enjoy this album. Thank you for reading this. And remember this album is not mastered, is unmixed, has not been edited whatsoever and many of these songs are "rough draft" scratch takes that ended up being the only versions ever recorded. Oh well, at least this gives the characters a long awaited taste of freedom.

Thank you to Randy Ziady Huling for doing the artwork and making 3 beats for this project. If you click on each individual song there is a different picture for each person. Also thanks to Josh Caplan and ChrisTopher M. Lewis aka Capsize and Dark Keys. Peace!




http://daviddowneyjr.bandcamp.com/

-David Downey, Jr.

Hello!

Its been a very long time since I blogged on here. A lot of things have changed. I moved from Oakland to Mount Shasta. I got married and am eagerly awaiting the birth of my baby boy in March. We adopted a dog from the pound when we moved up here and with the four cats the house is near capacity. The house itself is amazing and sits on five acres of land where we are visited by geese, rabbits, deer, frogs, bears, scorpions...you name it. Up here I chop wood, shovel snow and hustle in a way that I never really had to in the city. I am learning a ton about myself and preparing for fatherhood. We are totally thrilled and life is sweet right now.

All of this positivity has really changed the way I write lyrics. My ability to channel the darkness has waned or maybe its just my desire to dwell in those cellars when there are always clouds awaiting. Its funny because with all of my beliefs about creating your own realities I spent an awful lot of time walking around angry, but I was growing. The move to get us up here was literally a giant work of ritual chaos magic over a long period of time and changed me greatly.

Musically, I feel better than ever. Woke With A Plan's live show has evolved to the point of where it is now a "Garage Show Rap Sale" consisting of us auctioning off our random collected trash/treasures, original art pieces and of course--cds. It is bad ass. We are currently finalizing the song listing for our new album and its going to be a full length with anywhere from 13 to 17 full tracks. Recently Topher and Randy made the trip up to Shasta so we could work on the album and I am telling you that this effort is going be something that we can be proud of. In the end that is all we really need.

Also, my collaborations with Twin Lizard from England resulted in an upbeat, catchy conspiracy track called Nemesis that now has a music video to accompany it. I am very appreciative for this. If you know me then you know I love to see myself on video.

Our friends over at Burning Token have helped us out as well with videos and general support and Derailed Freight Train has really evolved as an artist through constant gigging and recording. Its always uplifting to see friends succeed.

Mr. Dark Key aka Topher M. Lewis aka Chris now lives in the city (SF) and was just calling me back a minute ago and I missed his call to write this blog. Randy is up in the suburbs of RP and has been cleared of all charges in the international arms scandal reported by the associated press. It was evidently a case of mistaken identity.

Well, I am getting tired now and I am just going to put this blog up without providing any links or anything. If you want to find some Woke With A Plan shit then look...its out there!


-David Downey, Jr.