NEWS

Coalescence

New music from Anderhill, Coalescence has a vibe that is reminiscent of 2019’s Time & Texture and 2022’s Absence, with a new and unique vibe of its own.

The EP has a meditative quality. I make use of minimalist drum samples. The odd tracks have custom drum programming. For the even tracks I chose random drum loops. The sound is definitely darker than Time and Texture, but it also has a lightness about it. I invite you to take a listen.

Also, check out my new site, G L I T C . S H. You’ll find a combination or poetry, art, and music that uses both glitch and brutalism. – dse

Introducing G L I T C . S H

What is G L I T C . S H? It’s a brutalist, minimalist, and glitchy poetry and photography site. It’s a place where I’ll focus on poetic creativity. Here’s a short quote from the manifesto:

I believe that ERROR is the only honest data left in a manicured system. My lyrics are not typos but rather the intentional ruptures of a soul that refuses to be domesticated by the algorithm.

G L I T C . S H_ may have a simple and classic presentation, but don’t let that fool you. My poetry intentionally makes use of symbols, numbers, errors, stutters, and more. My photography editing blatantly erases the world as we see it.

The site will have both long-form writing series’ and a Machine Feed (blogroll) of individual poems and photographs.

The first long-form work is called Pentad.

PENTAD is a five-cycle journey consisting of 86 short poems. The first and third cycles have several chapters while the others stand alone. Instead of endlessly scrolling on social media, I invite you to come along on this journey of thought and reflection.

I encourage you to check out the new site. I’ll be updating the Machine Feed a couple times a week, and adding new long-form writing every month or two. – dse

G L I T C . S H

Big Life Update

Life is unpredictable. My move back to Maine is postponed.

I’m not happy about that but it is what it is. The lease is running out where we’re  currently living and we’ll have to move locally sometime in April. My daughter will rent a place in Nashville and now that I’m not working, if I must stay in Tennessee, that will be much better.

I’ll be closer to Vanderbilt for my blood cancer specialist. I’ll also be nearer to music venues for performing, (if I choose), and attending shows. Maybe, I’ll even look for part-time work.

That’s the gist on the “life” side of things but I also want to address some changes in my posting schedule here.

I am going to post less often.

Recently, I reduced how often I post on my YouTube Channel. I’ve discovered that I really like that freedom. I’m also developing a new poetry website that will be much more of a static site than a “blog.” And that’s the direction I want to move here as well.

I’ll primarily continue to post news, new releases, and occasional poetry. I’m going to move away from feeling the need to post something just because more than a few days have passed. This new schedule starts now, so don’t be surprised if it’s a couple weeks until the next post. – dse

The Gilded Embarrassment

it’s hard to look
at what our image has become,
withering compassion
and torn-up roses.
the world watches in shock and awe
at the gilded embarrassment.

it’s hard to hold a mirror
to our own shadow
and see the age lines and wrinkles
that show not wisdom
but rather folly.
instead of honest self-reflection,
we build a ballroom.

the emperor is already naked
and half the people cheer
as if it’s some kind of dignity.
i’ll never understand.

Glitch Poetry

A couple of days ago, I wrote a weird poem. It had some of the following elements:

  1. Repetition
  2. Coding Symbolism
  3. Purposeful Misspelling
  4. Dictionary Pronunciations
  5. Words broken into Smaller Bits
  6. Use of numbers

The poem was very short. That first poem led me to write an entire series of similar  poems. I did some research to discover that I was writing “glitch poetry.” It also might fall into categories like anti-poetry and cyber punk.

Topics include technology, government, news, social media, sex, addiction; the individual struggle to not get lost in today’s overstimulated world.

Here’s short description of the 28-poem cycle I’ve completed:

I believe that error is the only honest data left in a manicured cis-stem. My lyrics are not typos; they are the intentional ruptures of a soul that refuses to be domestic-8ed by the algorithm. I invite the brave soles to stop scrolling, ignore the deaf socials, and enjoy the hum of a reality that is truly {RE}moved.

The project is still in the works. While I have completed the sequence, there is still editing and formatting that needs to be done.

The project started when I was studying how one might actually make a profit writing poetry. I hope you’re not laughing too loud. What I discovered is that the way one might make money as a poet is to create a brand and a specific identity behind that brand. That is what I did. Actually marketing and selling that brand is the trick. I’ve never cracked that code.

In the process, I’ve secured the website: glitcsh.com. The purposeful misspelling is part of the concept. My identity as the creator is not Dan Steven Erickson, but simply: POET. Because I could be anybody trying to survive in a world in which systems are stacked against us. The POET is the superhero, so to speak. The resolve is not to fight evil, but to simply walk away from it all, and in the end, to reduce the ego.

I have not decided when/if I will start the “Glitcsh” site and brand. Currently, my website hosting plan only allows for a single site. I either have to upgrade or return to a cheaper option.

I could start the series on this site, and I might. For now, simply stay tuned as I continue to work on the poems and make decisions on how to present them. – dse

Why Is the World So Messed Up?

I know this site is supposed to be about songwriting and poetry and music. But we can’t ignore the elephant in the room. The world is in a state of chaos. I suppose it’s always had an element of that, but right now it seems particularly more fucked up than I’ve ever seen it. So why is the world so messed up?

If I had the answer, I might be able to fix it. I don’t, but I can take a pretty good guess in a single word.

Greed.

I suppose hate is a close tie.

But rather than give you a definitive answer, I’d like to give you my personal solution on how to deal with the daily stress of it all.

It’s true. The world seems to be in a state of constant turmoil in which I’ve never seen in my lifetime. Every day we get hit in the face with more bad news. It’s constant. It’s almost like Chinese water torture, a long, slow, and constant drip. There’s really not much we can do about the big issues, but get involved and we can vote. We can also do things to help save our own sanity.

Write, Write, Write

There it is. My solution. Write.

There are other things you can do. You can meditate, walk, run, hike, read, bike, fish, or just about anything else that helps you to cope positively. For me, writing is the best therapy during the most stressful times. Why is that?

Unlike exercise, meditation, and reading, writing allows us to process our thoughts and feelings in an active and present way. It also allows us to vent. Some of my most angry and raw lyrics have been written during our most treacherous times.

So, if you’re struggling with stress and anxiety during what seems to be some of the most fucked up times in the last 60 years, write about it. Express yourself.

I might not have the answer to the big question, why is this world so messed up? But I do have a personal solution to help you stay as sane as possible during these times.

Write. – dse