73 replies to this topic

[temporal lob]

I agree with the sentiment that social media sucks. I don't want, and I'm never going to have a twitter, instagram, or facebook account. If there was a bandcamp page we could compensate you for your efforts.

[Phantasm]

There is a Bandcamp Page, SoundCloud, and it will be available on all of the major streaming services with the exception of Tidal, but that's also something I'm working on. 

 

I'm again super grateful that anyone wants to pay me for the work, let alone take the time out to listen to it all the way through start to finish as it was intended to be. 

 

It's currently slated to release in full on 10/30 but the primary challenge is really just money to market. I think the record speaks for itself, but then again I'm biased as the creator. As bad as I'd like to just release it now and hope that it spreads organically and through word of mouth, I would like to do something beyond that to promote it. 

 

The reason I decided to share it with people here who had interest in listening was to again hopefully start building momentum organically. 

 

To answer the question about lossless flac files, they'll be available to download from Bandcamp. 

 

Again, thanks to everyone for the messages and the positive feedback, if I haven't replied it's just because my inbox here and on the instagram profile has been lit up with requests to listen over the weekend. 

[Veni-yan Warrior]

I will gladly listen!!

[Phantasm]

I will gladly listen!!

 

Sent. Thanks. 

[TL_]

I'll also take a listen!

[Phantasm]

I'll also take a listen!

 

Sent. Thanks. 

[brucef]

I'd like to hear too!

[Phantasm]

I'd like to hear too!

 

Sent. 

[brucef]

It is an incredible album, I will be waiting for when it can be downloaded in lossless format, thank you very much!

[shiggityshwo]

after a handful of listens I feel pretty safe in saying this is easily one of my favorite albums this year, had to force myself to take a break from it

[Phantasm]

Seriously, I can't how much it means hearing someone else objectively speak that strongly about it. No shit I got tears in my eyes reading it. 

 

My dad being murdered was obviously terrible but that was sort of the start of the shit I had to deal with from when I was 20 til about 24 or 25. Best friend from high school in Houston, Craig Maddy was shot after coming back from two tours in the marine corps. Ex girlfriends dad died in a freak accident with a shotgun.  My roommate and close friend Zach Hester was randomly found dead in Lady Bird Lake in Austin a few years after we moved here. The only family friend who was helping us try and figure out my dads business affairs took the wrong mix of PTSD medication and drank alcohol and killed himself. 

 

I don't mean to dump all of this shit here, but two years of EMDR / Trauma therapy forced me to just go make a record I was happy with even if I couldn't actively tour or play in a band, and all of that is interlaced in the music. 

 

Most people I know who wanted to do the same type of thing sadly never took the concept of writing a record, rehearsing their ass off, and playing shows all the time seriously. Playing in a band was always a vanity project for most of these dudes I knew locally and I also felt like along the way, the craft and energy that used to get put into detailing a record with conventional instruments got lost. 

 

I force myself to try and listen to new music as much as possible and 99% of it all feels like it's being created out of convenience or to be some fucking internet superstar covering songs. It's a bizzaro dystopian nightmare if I think about that shit long enough. 

 

Outside of that, I'm cognizant enough of American media to recognize that Pakistani or South Asians of Muslim descending countries don't exactly have a huge place in it. I spent so long worrying over the fact that music I made or anything creative I did in general would always be brushed aside or not taken as seriously because of where I was from. The media here constantly paints Asian men in general to be "beta" or lesser than and frankly it's exhausting and annoying as an adult. 

 

The worst shit they teach you as a kid is that racism is over, then you get older and just realize it's alive and well just hidden in the system with stupid fucking phrases like "culture fit". 

 

Hopefully this Covid shit ends sooner vs. later and we can go out and tour, but at the very least it won't be the last record we make as a group with the same personnel. 

 

Again, I can't express enough thanks to those who have hit me up to listen and provided words of encouragement. I'll likely drop a single soon. Trying to work on making a video for the 5th track. 

[1000needles]

I'd be very keen to have a listen.

 

I definitely agree with the 99% of material releasing these days being very cut and paste, purposely hooky because there's no substance anywhere. The gold is hidden away in obscure corners like this and it's so good to find something that isn't the usual cookie cutter shit.

[G.O.Dayz]

Hey Omar/Phantasm. Think it's rad of you to share all you've been through on here and to do something so ambitious and risky to pursue your passion and channel your trauma into something creative.

It's always been the dream to get a good group together and record some ambitious material so major props.

I've been a longtime lurker on these boards, but it's been a little depressing on here lately and 2020 as a whole - besides being a shitshow, hasn't offered much in the way of ambitious music. So after reading on here about your project I had to make an account to ask if I could possibly take a listen.

I'll gladly paypal you or purchase on bandcamp when available.

[Phantasm]

Sincerely flattered that anyone wants to pay me anything for any of this. Sent you both the record. Thanks again for the interest and for listening to it start to finish as it was intended. 

[Jabberwocky]

Reading all the praise this album gets, I can only ask for a PM myself !

Thank you in advance.

[brucef]

First of all, Omar / Phantasm, thank you very much for taking the courage to share your feelings through your words and through your music. It is wonderful that you can somehow give flow to everything that happens to you, it is something I work on every day, I had a terrible adolescence, my father left my house 3 years ago, my best friend took care of me all that time . At the beginning of this year my best friend was killed and I have been very sad, now I just lost my maternal grandmother 3 days ago, who was my mother all my childhood. So life is going to be hard, the important thing is not to forget who we are and take your example to fight for our dreams. I am sure that I am not the only one who suffers losses, as well as loss also win, thank God I am recovering my relationship with my father and improving myself every day.

 

Many blessings to you and your family, I wish you success in everything!

Greetings from Peru

[Phantasm]

Thanks Bruce. My condolences for your situation, and I’m glad you enjoyed the record, sincerely. Sent to everyone who’s asked so far.

[Santino88]

Hiya, I'd like a PM, too, pretty please.

[Phantasm]

Hiya, I'd like a PM, too, pretty please.

 

Sent. 

[shiggityshwo]

still bumpin