In the year since I decided to write up my findings as I explored this collection of hybrid sub-genres I’ve found some amazing music and people. I’ve also been reminded, quite often, of how much the idea of what a nerd or geek has drifted from the older definition with which I identify, and of how dramatically my own interests and temperament have changes in recent years, making interfacing with the culture surrounding this music sometimes surprisingly unsuccessful.

To those of you who strive to create, you have my admiration, appreciation and gratitude for sharing your works. To those of you who supported this site or myself in any way, you have my thanks as well.

Before I sign off, there are a few notable releases that I either did not finish writing posts or didn’t get to write about at all and it would feel inappropriate to leave them unmentioned.

• Random & K-Murdock’s “Forever Famicom” is a gem. Easily one of the best releases of its kind. If you haven’t listened yet, I urge you to play it start to finish over on the Bandcamp page. I think you’ll agree that this album has a long life ahead of it.

• HDninja surprised me straight away with Carformer on the Killer Particles EP and while nothing has topped the bouncing exuberance of that first track, there’s a lot more fun to be had on that EP and those have followed. Worth checking out.

• After putting Schaffer the Darklord’s most recent release, Manslaughterer, back on the shelf for awhile, I finally gave it another go a few months back and found it much more enjoyable. STD is definitely improving (and he’s already one of the best) and there are some really stand-out tracks on there. If you liked the preceding material, Manslaughterer is a safe bet.

• Dr. Awkward’s much-anticipated follow-up to the Next Gen EP left me confused and struggling to appreciate the direction he’s taken. Finding R&B repellent and lacking familiarity or interest with much of the content, Unlimited has not found its way into my heart. But there is no faulting Doc Awk’s motivation or work ethic. What he’s doing may not resonate with me, but that doesn’t mean others won’t find a lot to love.

• Finally, while there is some gold in Ill Ron Hubbard, the latest from Kabuto the Python, it is thinly distributed across the entire track list. I’m not sure how much the reported data loss and attempted reconstruction may have to do with the overall quality of this release, but even taking it into account I my impression of Ill Ron Hubbard is stagnation and boredom. For an artist/project that showed so much potential, this was a real let-down.

Thanks for reading. Be good to each other.

Cheers,
Trevor