Blog Spot

"Hi there everyone. Its currently 11:06am as I write this. I've been wanting to make a blog space on my website for quite a while now and I finally decided to do it. So how is this gonna work? Well, every now and again, I'm gonna be writing here about various topics I want to share news about. This will mainly be for more minor things as my YouTube, Instagram and Facebook are mainly where I announce major things. I'm also going to use this to document my minor reworks and changes of the site. Specifically, the miscellaneous page and navigation bar (which I'm working on now). I'm also going to be doing a small segment called...

What Am I Listening To?: "Dreams Don't Become You (Ft. Zac Pennington)" by Los Campesinos!
In this segment, I will be discussing what music or songs I am listening to as I write this. This one is a pretty weird one. Originally released as an exclusive 7" vinyl with the 2nd edition of the bands magazine, "Heat Rash", not many newer fans know that these even exist. Most of the music across all 4 of these 7" vinyl's are included in the 2021 EP, "Whole Damn Body" with the track "I Love You (But You're Boring)" being released mid 2023. It is the only song from the Heat Rash line to not be sung by someone in the band but also not be available on streaming platforms. Because of that, It makes the song very difficult to find. I feel you have to be a proper nerd to find this stuff interesting. I wear the nerd title as a badge of honor. Well this was a fun segment. Back to the point. 

Let's get a few projects I've teased out of the way:

Novel:
You might be able to guess what the novel is by the subtle clues on various pages on the site as well as my Instagram. I'm not gonna say too much about it because even though I've taken a few months to write a small amount, it's still early days. Don't be expecting this any time soon.

Documentary Film:
Yet another humungous project. So how I'm making this is I film it one chapter at a time and then edit it for the most part until I need to film the next chapter. Currently, I am one the opening of chapter 5. However, my ADHD is taking victory here because I have this trait of starting huge projects and then the interest falls halfway through until I really want to work on it again. That's kind of where this is along with the novel.

3rd Studio Album:
Ahh the long awaited 3rd studio album. Ya know, after I released the 2nd studio album, "Roadtrip", I figured that the next studio album was only a year away. Well now it's been 2 years since Roadtrip and the 3rd album is nowhere to be seen. Well I just want to jump here to let you know what it is being worked on. Tracks for the album have been in the works since December of 2022 and have been going through a heavy load of working at. Although it's not at the top of my priority list at the moment, it IS in the works. Fingers crossed, we'll see it before the end of this year. 

Other Music Stuff:
So I'm planning a few things. 2 album acoustic sessions. Maybe a single release once a majority of the album is complete. that's really all there is to say.

Well now I'm gonna wrap this up because I am tired. I am writing this part at 8:26pm and I want to watch TomSka without having to write. Thank you all. Next update will be when next update is. Bye!"

"Hello again. Been a busy day. Woke up at about 1:25pm and then proceeded to start cleaning our room. but the night earlier, I started working on the tracklist for my 3rd album. And let me tell you, when I started working on it last year, it was only meant to be a similar length to the last one. 10 or so songs. It has now exploded to 15 and calculated (based on the original versions lengths) about 50 minutes. This isn't concrete but this will be my largest studio album to date. So I think you can expect me to hype the hell out of it. I don't want to say a lot right now but I'm starting to get back into recording and working on the album. And you know what? It feels really good. Refreshing. My break from recording has been quite good as it's given me a lot of time to think but now I think I'm ready to get back into it. But let's keep moving on with this post.

What Am I Listening To?: "September" by Sparky Deathcap
Music is such a powerful thing. It can unite us, divide us, help us understand, and help us remember. For me, there are some pieces of music that I find nostalgic. Certain songs take me back to certain times. This one takes me back to Febuary 2023. Back when the remastered version of this song came out alongside "Call Me What You Like" by Lovejoy and "Microwave" by Ricky Jamaraz. All of these songs came out on the same day, just a few days before I was set to fly from Hokitika to Christchurch and then from Christchurch to Dunedin for a holiday I funded. A trip that overlapped with the release of my single, "Romance Is Boring". Sparky Deathcap, also known as R N Taylor, released this song with his EP "Tear Jerky" back in 2009. After trouble with streaming services for the original tracks, the EP was remastered and released in December, 2023. "September", however, was released as a single in February that same year. I remember being on the plane while listening to this and looking out the window and hearing the last verse before the chorus. It's such a good song and better than the original.

This post is gonna be a bit shorter this time becuase i can. Bye!!!"

"Well it really has been a little while, hasn't it? What I'm gonna talk about here is something I've had on my mind for the last month. But before we get into that, it's time for everyone's favorite segment!

What Song Am I Listening To?: "The Bug Collector" by Haley Heynderickx
I explained in the last post that music can have the power to transport you back to times when you firs listened to it or make you reminisce a certain time in your life. This is another one of those songs. And surprisingly, one of the many songs in my library I found on TikTok. You can debate all you like on whether "TikTok songs" are a good was of discovering music but let me tell you this. This isn't just a TikTok song to me. This song takes me back to when I first moved out on my own sometime mid 2023. I was renting a sleepout off of an old friends grandmother. This song takes me to back to having freshly moved in. About a month or two. I can't quite remember but what I do remember is listening to this and walking along the beach with this song and "The Perfect Pair" by beabadoobee. I am far more nostalgic to this song. When I was living in the sleepout, the beach was only a short 5 minute walk away and was really nice. I kind of miss that about Greymouth. It was a small town right on the edge of the west coast so the sea was always a short walk away. This was the time shortly before I started talking to Kendrick, the woman who would become my wife later that year. But anyways, let's get back on track.

So what is this post about? Easy. (This will only make sense if you've seen my latest video or the new "Joel Manson" page on the site)

Joel Manson: Now I know what you must me asking. "Why? Why is this character you created as a throw-away gag at the end of 2020 suddenly becoming important now?" And the answer to that is simple. I felt like I wasn't done with him. To be completely honest, I created the character and gave him quite a shitload of trauma because I thought it would be funny. I then brought him back as a cheeky reference in my first album trailer and as another reference in (and I'm not kidding) my Level 3 NCEA Digital Assessment. I thought it would be cool to bring him back into the eye of the public under my brand. I've been working on this joke announcement for about a month now and I think it's pretty good.

Now technicly, I've broken my own rules because it is 12:38AM the next day as I write this. So I'm gonna sign off now and get back to working on the Joel Manson page. Bye!!!"

Hi everyone. I'm currently in the middle of reworking the website so I thought I'd sit here and catch you guys up on everything. Lot's of stuff has happened over the past month. Not all of it good, though. For those who didn't know, my Grandad passed away last week and Kendrick and I traveled down to Dunedin for the funeral. It was nice. As nice as a funeral could be. It was really good that we got to say goodbye to him. This post is gonna be a bit of a long one as there's quite a lot I wanna say. Most of it is about Grandad.

What Song Am I Listening To?: "Yellow (For Les)" by Mackenzie H
Well, this is a first. Let me explain why I'm listening to my own song. Before the funeral, I was asked if I wanted to do a cover of Yellow after the spoken tribute, and I said yes. On the drive home, I had an idea. I could record a single of Yellow dedicated to Grandad. I could also announce my new (fake) record label and establish it in honor of Grandad. I got home and the next day, I was in the studio (my home one) recording the song. I'm listening back to it to make sure the instrumentals are exactly how I want them. And you know what? I think they are. I just need to record the vocals for both versions and then I think I'm set to announce a release date.

Grandad
I wanna talk a little bit about Leslie Harrold Hallberg. He was born in 1947 in Christchurch and moved to Oamaru a few years later. He was a very talented Cricket and Tennis player, and would go on to represent North Otago in both sports. He also learned to play the bagpipes in his younger years. Unfortunately, he had to choose between music and sport as time didn't allow for both. He chose sports but never lost his love for bagpipes and pipe bands. He left school the day he turned 15 as school wasn't for him. He got a job at Bill and Max's 4 Square and in 1968, was given the opportunity to own his own business. The following year, his mini-market opened and began trading. In 1982, he bought the Brockville 4 Square and brought on 6-8 staff to help. His children said "If you wanted to see Dad during the day, you'd have to go to the shop." as he was working 7 days a week. During the more than 40 years he worked at the shop, he became a much loved part of the community, knowing everyone by name and being incredibly friendly and helping. He even gave a customer petrol money as he was traveling to his parents on Christmas Day and didn't have money for fuel. He was always old school when it came to bookwork. Everything for the shop was done manually and foodstuffs were at the end of their digital rollout with his shop being last on the list for the change. He decided the time was right and at the age of 67, retired. He would never go anywhere without a blue tie on, even when mowing the lawn. He always liked to be properly dressed and at the funeral, all of the men in the family wore a blue tie he had tied himself. On the 9th of October, 2021, He and my Nana celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, and the whole family came to celebrate the monumental occasion. One of the last things he learned to do was to text from his old flip phone and he was so proud. He was the kind of man who would want us to keep going with our lives, not worrying about the past. He was one of a kind.

Record label?
Yes you heard me right. For the last moth, I've been thinking about announcing a record label named after an inside gag between my family. So that's what I did. After using that name as a fake production company in my 48hour film submission in 2020, I thought it would be fun to make that the name of my record label. My new record label, the new home for my past and future releases, is called Smartberg Records. Now rather than making this post longer than it already is, there will be a page going over what this means. 

"Life should not be a journey to the grave. With the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body. But rather to skid in sideways, champagne in one hand, strawberries in the other, with a body thoroughly used and totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO! What a ride!"

The website should be updated soon. There's still some things I need to finish before I publish. So I'll talk to you later.

Rest easy, Grandad.

"Hi everyone. I've just been hard at work over the last 2 days getting my new channel up off the ground. It's called Mackenzie H Talks and will be used for all of my rambles from here forward. I'm still getting some of the final touches added to things like the website and the plug from Mackenzie H Music so I thought I'd sit down and catch you guys up. But first, it's time for everybody's favorite segment.

What Am I Listening To?: "Looking Out for You" by Joy Again
I will never shut up about the power of music and nostalgia. Who knows, maybe you'll get a segment of this that doesn't mention nostalgia. This song takes me back to the summer of 2021. End of the year. This song, along with "Pebble Brain" by Lovejoy and "Freaks" by Surf Cruse kickstarted this weird fondness for the end of 2021. At this time, I was starting to get involved with my first band, "Bad Wifi", and started working on my first album. I remember having a playlist of all of these songs and some other stuff I wanted to pitch to the band or repeat while traveling to Queenstown for my birthday holiday. It had such an impact on 17-year-old-me that I decided to cover it on my 2nd album, "Roadtrip", spesificly because of that fondness of that old feeling. It felt like one of the right songs to add to the track list. Sadly, I didn't do the song justice. Maybe one day I'll re-do it.

Mackenzie H Talks:
So I've made a new channel. As of late, I've noticed that I've been talking more on Mackenzie H Music than actually playing music. So this is my remedy to this situation. I also wanted a home for my old podcast series, "...And Stuff Like That". The videos on here will be rambles of any length whenever I decide I wanna talk about something. No time limit and no schedule. More of a backseat channel. 

Production of the Acoustic EP?:
Soon.

Not a whole lot to say this time. Maybe next time yeah? Catch you guys later."

"G'day. Good to see you again. No doubt you've heard about the new gig by now. I'm very excited to be returning to my old stomping ground to play some new music. I've got a few surprises up my sleeve that I'm looking forward to. But enough of that now. Time for everyone's favorite segment.

What Am I Listening To?: "A Mi Manera (Comme D'Habitude)" by Gipsy Kings
I recently discovered this when rewatching Better Call Saul. It plays during Season Two when Kim is trying to score a big client for HHM to get out of Doc Review and back into Howard's good books after Jimmy's commercial with Davis & Main. Watching this scene, I was trying to work out why the chord progression sounded so familiar and then I realized that it was a cover of My Way by Frank Sinatra.  And that song now has lots of meaning for me. 

The New Gig:
So the folks over at the Formerly Blackball Hilton have kindly asked me to play for their Halloween party this year. A huge honor and a great reason to make a trip back to Greymouth. You can read more about the gig on the Home Page if you haven't already. 

Gonna have to cut this one a bit short. Hopefully I'll have more to talk about next time.

"Hey folks. Been a little while since I've had something I wanted to write about. Life's been pretty chill for the most part. But now I finally have something exciting to share. I MADE A SHORT FILM! I'd been wanting to make a film for a while now and recently, that urge got stronger. A few weeks ago, I decided to start writing and see where it went. A few days ago, I went out to the Ashburton Domain to film and 2 days later, I released it. I'm really happy that something I've worked on is finally in the hands of people. Especially those who wanted to know the the ending to the story I was telling. But now, we'll get to everyone's favorite segment.

What Am I Listening To?: "Life Out Of Ballance" by Cristobal Tapia de Veer
For those who don't know, I recently watch the TV show, "Utopia". It's an absolutely amazing conspiracy-thriller from 2013. It has now become one of my favorite shows and one that I regularly make references about to my wife (sorry babe). There's many reasons why people who know the show say it's the best of TV and I see all of them. Cinematography, Writing, Acting, The ideas and themes, and most of all, the composition of the music. Cristobal created the soundtrack by taking regular sounds and noises and distorting them until they sounded dark and haunting, playing into the cinematography and the iconic colour pallet. In 2013, the show paved the way for British television and a lot of media had their foundations built on Utopia. I highly recommend you watch the show. When I was writing the film I had this soundtrack in mind from season 2 and wanted to put something from Utopia into the film. It was a mix between this and another track called "Bambino Illuminatus". Both of which I love. 

I'm gonna be talking about the short film on "Mackenzie H Live" soon for those who are interested as to where the idea came from. Alright, I've got to go now so I'll see you guys later."

"Hi everyone. Holy shit has it been a while. I'm sorry that I haven't been updating this website recently. Life got in the way. But hey, I'm just getting over the flu right now so what better time to sit down and hammer this update out eh? I'm gonna talk a little bit about a whole bunch of stuff that's going on so that the wait for this is worth it. But before we do that, it's time for everyone's favorite segment.

What Am I Listening To?: "So Close to Heaven (Live at Troxy)" by Los Campesinos! [Album]
I think it's cheating a bit that I haven't listed an individual song but you know what, it's my show. Los Campesinos! played a couple shows at Troxy in London for Valentines where they had Horns and Violins for the first time for some of the songs. To commemorate this occasion, they recorded these 2 nights and released them as a live album earlier this week as a closing to their "All Hell" touring era. I haven't picked a single song from this as I'm still listening to the album back to front so hopefully next time, I'll be able to tell you more about what song was my favorite. 

Being Sick:
I hate it. Waking up every day with a sore throat, blocked and runny nose, a garbage truck worth of mucus and feeling like crap. As of the first of September, it's exactly one week since it started affecting me. Honestly, I can't wait to go back to work. But I have used my time wisely. I completed the main story and cleared all of the enemy outposts in Far Cry 3. 

Gigs:
Nothing to report in yet, but when I do, It'll be on the homepage under "Recent News". That's where I plan to put any exciting things I got going on like music launches, gigs, and other bits of exciting announcements. I'm trying to reach out to more and more places for gigs so we'll see how it goes.

MackenzieHMusicMan (IG):
So for those who don't know, once a year I post a cover on my music Instagram account. I've done it every year since 2022. I still need to upload one for this year and my window is closing but I'm getting over the flu god damn it. It'll come out when it comes out.

 Mackenzie H Music (YT):
I wanna come back to the music channel and post some more videos but I gotta tidy up a few things before I can do that. So just make sure to stay tuned.

Streaming:
Thinking about coming back and doing a weekly music stream again but I got some planning to do. Just a thought.

Anyways, that'll be all for today. I wanna keep the updates more consistent than half a year so I'll see you guys soon. Peace."

"Hi folks. So we're a few weeks post-move and it's really exciting unpacking all of the stuff we had into a multiple rooms in a house. Having my own studio room is so cool and there's so many things I can now do. But before we talk about those, It's time for everyone's favorite segment:

What Am I Listening To?: "Hell's Kitchen Season 1, Episodes 7 & 8"
I don't have any idea why. Kendreick's been getting into My Kitchen Rules lately, something that I've been watching a bit too, and last night, I got this strange craving for good ole Gordon Ramsey. Had a little google and started watching the first episode of Hell's Kitchen. This was completely out of the ordinary for me but I got quite invested into it. So here we are. So far, it's pretty good.

Streaming: I recently did a little test stream while trying to get an achievement for The Stanley Parable (2013) and it went pretty well. I hope that with new new house and thew new studio room, I'll be able to stream more often. However, nothing is carved in stone yet. So all we can do is wait and I'll tell you when the time is right to get your chisel.

Decorations: After over a year, I can finally put back up the posters, pictures, and other little bits of decorations I had on the walls. Very cool. 

Recording: I am now in a position where I can get back into recording. Not just videos but back to recording the albums now. 

Magazine: After almost 3 years in obscurity, I finally found and photographed my Digital Technologies project from 2022. A magazine on myself. You can see the whole thing by heading over to the Joel Manson page (I swear there's a good reason for that choice). 

Welp, that's all for now. More to come. See you guys soon."