EDM

I posted on my Twitter feed the other day (@soundtosound) the following: Who knew I would see the day when Swedish House Mafia was played on the mainstream radio station. And I’m serious, but I guess not overwhelmingly surprised. I should have seen this coming. Ever since 2009 I have tried to follow the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) scene the best I could from a distance, but it is plainly obvious that EDM is here to stay. Remember thirty years ago when many thought that Rap was a fad and would ultimately fade? Well, it hasn’t, and neither will EDM. Whether it’s trance, progressive, house, dubstep or drum and bass, this is not the techno from the 1990s. The music and technology is much more sophisticated, the audience is young and global and the DJs behind the music are raking in millions. I dare someone to turn on the radio to any pop or Top 40 station today and not find a song that does not include EDM elements – they hardly exist anymore. In fact, Calvin Harris and David Guetta are radio stars these days and attract mainstream radio and media coverage, even though they are only the surface of the entire EDM scene. Just look at the numbers and the audience that Electric Daisy Carnival brings in – and it’s growing every year (see the 2012 EDC trailer here). This is the world’s future generation and perhaps the future of music. Personally, I credit Tritonal’s Air Up There podcast over the past three years as one of the largest reasons why I am into EDM today. Thank you, Chad and Dave, and keep up the good work.

Reminded Again

Five years ago I wrote on this same site that it was eleven years since I had my bone tumor removed. Well, again on December 19, I am reminded of that same event, but now it has been 16 years to the day since I went under the knife and had a bone tumor removed from my upper right humerus bone. I’m glad to report that after all of these years, I am doing just fine other than a rather impressive scar that I have often showed off over the years. One consequence of the surgery was reduced movement and rotation in my right arm and a tendency to get tired faster than my left arm when performing strenuous activity. My nerves up and down my arm also were affected and tingle from time to time, but overall I consider these things as minor in nature and they definitely do not outweigh the benefits received from the removal of a large, overgrown and deformed piece of bone that was growing in my arm. I don’t know what would have happened if I didn’t have the surgery, but I will forever be grateful for the technology and skills that allowed for me to have the surgery. My life is better off than it could have been due to modern medicine.

Office Space

I have had my own office at work the past few months and must say I miss the open floor plan from my prior job. Yes, I didn’t have much privacy and overheard everyone’s phone conversations and personal details, but there is something flattening for an organization when the partners have no bigger of a desk or a work space than the most junior analysts. Years ago, coming from the law firm/office environment that I had in my first job (when I first started this blog), the shift to the open floor was a change for me, but the recent change back to an office has been tough. Maybe because it is too quiet alone in my office. Maybe because I feel that my coworkers largely hide in their offices and often close their doors. Maybe because I have no idea what other people are working on. But either way, I have now learned that I prefer to be more visible and intermingled with my colleagues than isolated in an office. As a federal employee, however, I should be appreciative of the fact that I have a nice office space with a view of Nob Hill, for I know that not every federal agency is as lucky in terms of professionalism and quality of the facilities. But I can’t help but wonder whether the employees at my agency wouldn’t be closer or more effective if there was an environment that encouraged more interaction. That was my experience in the past and one I may seek again in the future.