Computer Guy
2026-06-30
I have plans for a new project, and I think this one's actually going to stick. However, it'll take a bit of setup on my part, but when I finally get it going, I think you'll really like it. I was considering whether or not I wanted to give it away. Okay, I've considered; I'm going to give it away. Over the last several months, I've enjoyed listening to DJ sets from all the cool kids in town, as you can imagine if you follow my link log. However, getting a turntable and doing live mixing is expensive and takes up a bunch of space in my room that I don't care to make. So with that, I had an amazing idea: The Noahie Tapes. I've worked with DAWs before, particularly FL Studio, but since switching over to Linux Mint a few years ago, I've had a tough time getting it to work on this machine. Configuring it with WINE is probably a lot easier these days compared to even two years ago, such as with that one flatpak Bottles, but I feel less compelled to take that risk. However, there is a good DAW native to Linux called Reaper. Now, I already have a license for FL Studio, but there are tons of glitches with it on Linux and, from what I've heard, the VSTs break all the time. Stupid!
However, The Noahie Tapes won't involve using VSTs, especially early on. I just want to take my massive playlist of songs I really like and turn them into sets that I can meticulously craft in the DAW without the need for a turntable. I've made a few songs in the past. There was a project I had called The Inferno, an album where each song was Dante's nine circles of Hell. I never finished it, and many of the tracks were not well-mixed because I didn't have much of a concept of that at the time. It was baby's first album, okay? Anyway, if I could make really cool transitions between the songs in my One Big Playlist and get really cool samples in there, it would make for a really awesome project. From what I've seen in the evolution of music culture in general, we are basically done with albums at this point; instead, the set lives on in its wake. However, much of what I've seen, especially in the electronic space, is a confinement to singular genres, sounds, or tempos in sets. This is such a sad constraint, especially with how granular and perfect the technology is. Most DJs seem to be focused only on certain types of curation, and while the transitions are cool, an entire set can sound the exact same from start to finish. That's stupid.
No, I want to mix oil and water. There's a tough thing about feeling that feeling when one listens to a really good track. It's inexplicable, and the things I like are definitely quite eclectic. With how awesome technology is, it surprises me how there's not as much of that as one would expect. That's probably just due to our collective information fatigue, I suppose. Still, I want there to be something unique to me, and TNT would be just that. Right now, my playlist just goes from track to track without much thought—such is the power of the shuffle button. But since I have my tracks downloaded onto my computer, I have every chance to remix them and make them an interesting package. I was worried for a while about copyright bullshit, but TNT would absolutely qualify as fair use, and I think whatever artist or label gets put on there would be happy for their work to be in the tapes. Just you wait, skids.
The idea was exciting to think about yesterday on my travels out and about in my community. Even in my own backyard, I feel like an aimless traveler. It's always an odd thing when someone comes up to me with some weird side quest. A funny story: one day at the gym several months ago, a gentleman approached me. He said, "Hey man, you look like you're pretty good with computers." I responded with, "Uh, yeah, I guess." Then he hits me with, "Yeah, so, I'm pretty sure my girl is cheating on me and I wanna hack into her Facebook to read her messages. I'll pay you, bro." It took everything in me not to laugh. I waffled around my response with my cursory cybersecurity knowledge. "Well, the best way to do it would probably be to send a phishing email or something so you can get her login credentials," I said without a touch of confidence. I mean, I definitely wasn't going to help this guy with unethical hacking, but getting an unsolicited side quest like that was insane. Of course, my paranoia set in immediately. What fucking federal agent was trying to shit-test me, man? Kidding, obviously, but it was pretty insane. I didn't think I signaled "computer guy" with how I looked, but whatever.
What, does every fat, autistic-looking Anglo guy look like a computer nerd or something? Blegh.
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