A HOLIDAY STORY & GIFT FROM KLAYTON (New Celldweller Track - Free Download)
Ho ho ho. (I'd like to make it clear right off the bat that not a single one of these "ho's" is a noun…) It's that time of year again – a time for
giving and a time for reflection. Well, maybe I'm just saying that because I'm sitting in an airport waiting for a flight. That's probably more likely, but I'll chalk it up to the holidays and that "holiday spirit." I have to admit I have had thoughts of doing some 'giving' this holiday season and that ties directly into the reason that I'm running on 24 + hours without sleep. Now, this is actually kind of a Christmas story, so go make some brownies, pour yourself some hot chocolate and let me tell it to you:
There once was this little red-headed kid (red like a fire truck, not like Ginger from Gilligan's Island.) He was pretty unpopular as a child and learned to keep his mouth shut and just observe, lest his ass get kicked by the mean 5th and 6th graders who reveled in their pre-pubescent strength and superiority. It wasn't long til Red (as we'll call him from now on in this story) figured out that around the same time every year, there seemed to be a surgence of excitement revolving around some fat dude in a red outfit. As legend has it, fatty somehow shoe-horns his way down a chimney and brings the good children gifts. Simultaneously there was also another story of a king born into humility, spending the first part of his life in a barn because there was no place else to stay. Now this story was way more punk-rock and it appealed a lot more to Red than this stupid fat guy in a red outfit. The problem was that no matter what story people used as an excuse to celebrate during this time of year, all Red really ever seemed to glean from this season was an overwhelming sense of selfishness that didn't seem to have much to do with the reasons people claimed to be celebrating in the first place. It wasn't long til Red gave up on the whole thing and decided it was just another excuse people had made up to drive the masses into frenzies at retail stores and the like, driving them by some propaganda of fear or obligation – fear of not buying the right gifts or getting enough of the right gifts or the strain of being obligated to get someone something because you have to.
Fast forward a number of years. This poor little bugger's head is still constantly swimming in thought and many times the only way for him to hold on to shreds of sanity is to unload these thoughts onto paper, thus making room in his head for more thoughts. He then takes these thoughts and puts them to song and for some odd reason there are people around who are genuinely interested in these scraps of his own life. So how does this at all tie into me and this whole rant being a "Christmas Story"?? Well as it turns out, I kinda know Red and this is where it all comes together: Over the last few years he has unconsciously taken stock of his life, his art and the meaning of it all. Things have changed in his head, and it's a very good thing. Part of that change is that he has found some honesty and purity in this season after all – it's just not going to be found on the TV or in newspapers. There are people who give unselfishly and that is the coolest thing of all. So I, uh "Red" I mean knows that there have been some very nice people out there who have been very supportive and patient and I, (I mean "He" dammit!!) wanted to do something for those people specifically.
Here comes the part about "24+ hours without sleep…." I am doing something I would ordinarily never ever do – I've decided to give away a Demo from the upcoming Celldweller CD. The song has been finished in it's demo form for awhile, but it's very unfinished compared to what it will sound like (in my mind at least.) Almost everything here will be replaced when I record it for real - The drums, vocals, synths, bass, guitars – everything.
So I decided to get it "rough mixed" and stayed up in between returning from Brazil and departing to my next destination to get this presentable for you. I really wish to make a hundred disclaimers for how this sounds and what is yet to be changed or fixed, but I'm too tired to care at this point and it really wasn't the reason I wanted to give it to you to begin with. You can decide what you like. I guarantee there will be those that will like this version over the final version when it's done – so be it. I only hope this is some small reward for those faithful Cellmates who have been patient to this point. So with no further adieu, I present you my gift to you this Holiday season, "Birthright" (formerly referred to as "Baseline") I'll catch you all next year.
Visit Store.FixtMusic.com & Download "Birthright" (Demo)
