I have seen the scene evolve a lot in all those years I’ve been in it. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Lately I’m feeling kinda disconnected with a lot of the stuff that is going on. Less and less bands seem to have a message and kids don’t seem to be interested in a message, but more in a breakdown or whatever. Maybe I’m getting old and losing touch with things. But when I see one of the “role models” of hardcore, to name it with a big word, doing something more with his music and his message, I get a reminder to what this music is all about for me. A positive message, an outlet, a way of life.

Check out onelifeonechance.com. It’s the project of H2O singer Toby Morse. He gives lectures in schools about his life and a positive lifestyle, PMA (Positive Mental Attitude). I think it is absolutely amazing that someone from our scene does something positive like this. It’s easy to preach stuff on stage where you know everybody will clap no matter what you say. It aren’t just empty words he spits out, he lives up to them and tries to inspire kids beyond the barriers of underground hardcore. Sharing his experiences and his talent as a performer to inform youth and letting them know there’s other possibilities in life than just caving in to peer pressure. Big respect for doing this!

A while ago I was with a client and they asked if they had to provide photographs for the website I was going to make. As I still had to do a photography assignment I suggested I would come and to do the shoot for them. It was a win-win situation, I got my assignment done and they had their photos. This now seems to be an important mark in my life. A while later my boss asked if I would be interested in doing something more with my photography skills. Well let me think about this … uhm hell yeah!

Well a few weeks later and everything has been set up, I worked out a website, done some digging in my portfolio and I created Controlled Focus. What’s my ultimate goal with this? We’ll see, for now it is just amazing that I get the opportunity and back up to do this. I consider this the first step into a new challenge.  And to conclude this train of thought I would say that this is my goal that I want to accomplish, to get better in photography and establish a successful business. Like in the short film from Zack Arias I’m probably gonna experience some tough times, but that’s life. If you do nothing, nothing happens.

I also ordered myself a flip mino. I didn’t feel like getting the hd (‘high definition’) version since it isn’t available here in Belgium without having to pay a shitload of money for importing it from the us. And I’m not patient enough to wait for it until it gets here. I’m planning to make some video studio reports when I hit the studio with the setup. I’ll put them on our youtube channel

Chances are when you are seeing Born From Pain playing you’ll see a nifty new backdrop behind Roy. Also check out the suicide nation website. Get informed and educated! And also, check out Born From Pain’s new album ‘Survival’. It is not a typical bfp album, it’s different, but for me personally it sounds like a logical evolution. Some seriously good riffing and some catchy song lines. It’s a band that just keeps on growing and working hard. They still deliver amazing albums. Also one of the few bands I can keep seeing without getting bored.

I’m also picking up my photography stuff again, so hopefully I’ll start posting some pics again. I was playing around with my fish eye the other day and I really like how this one came out.

While we’re on the photography topic. I stumbled upon some pics from a photographer named ‘Boogie’, well actually Vladimir Milivojevich, but try explaining that to Americans. I really like his work, style of photography I really dig. Check out his website and blog.

I also finally did something with the TSU YouTube channel. For the ones interested, you can check out the documentary we did for our Minister of Death cd.

more soon…

Pics from my NY trip from a couple of weeks ago. I can’t wait to go back, I love that city! Enjoy!

Coincidence or not we were listening to a couple of his shows on the drive home from Paris this weekend.

Check out some of the pics Greg took of the show and of some of the weird people that were visiting Paris that day.

Tomorrow I’m playing at the groezrock festival with the setup. It will be the last show with our singer Dries. Looking forward to this show. We made a shitload of new merch, so start spending money already!

Record of the month: Anaphylactic Shock – Two thousand years.

Check this out, great album by these crazy Dutch dudes. When people told me this was a mix between cursed and black metal, I really did not know what to expect. But after hearing it I could only say one thing … this sounds like cursed mixed with black metal. Amazing album, go check it here!