Wednesday 31 August 2011

Crunch time - oh how enlightening it can be!

Hello friends,

Life keeps moving on, as it should, and inevitably will always continue to do. I have been struck by realisation, understanding and most importantly, a bold new sense of adventure (which is perfect for this blogs name!).

Andy and Beauty (or Beauty and the Beard)
My parents came to visit Beauty and me here in the lovely city of Amsterdam, for a couple of days. We have been back here since the beginning of the month and have been feeling a little anxious about what our next move should be. Some limping had been done in the metaphorical sense, and we have been feeling a little drawn out by it all. I have been informed that this is very usual for the fourth month of being away from home. Maybe travellers have a name for it, but I don't know what it is. (if you know it then please put the name in the comments for this blog - thanks, I owe you a beer ;)

With feelings of adventuring fatigue, Beauty and I needed to be seen by my parents so we could see how far we had come ourselves. Perspectives, sometimes helpful, sometimes a hinderance, always present if people are around. For us, it was refreshing and helpful to be seen by people we hadn't seen for such a long time. When you see someone after a period of time, you always notice the changes in that person very clearly. For instance, my mum has been slowly turning her hair blond by a process of streaking, and now she has completely blond hair. This stood out to me straight away, and I had to comment, but if I had seen the gradual change, I wouldn't have been so aware of it. Like a child that you don't see for a few years, change happens fast.

Emerson, wise old cat, loves a belly rub and sitting
on my laptop case. What an amazing kitty :)
Anyway, as far as the relevance to me and adventuring is concerned, I was given an outside perspective on all the ways I had grown closer to Beauty, how we functioned as a "unit" (my Dad's word for us), how my creativity had grown and changed, but most importantly how happy we were. It's true, we are really happy. In a time when many people seem to be miserable, Beauty and I are smiling all the time. Life is great, in fact, it's flipping super mega awesome layers of fudge and creamy fantasticalness on a stick great.

Worries about places to stay and what to do get washed away like the contents on a european poo shelf (oh how I love the toilets with poo shelves). Focus shifts so quickly, and with such electrical energy. After being seen, Beauty and I felt liberated from ourselves. I can't think of a better way to describe it then that, it was a sense of liberation from self appraisal, freedom from self judgement, infinite happiness for the very existence of happiness itself.

When spiritual things happen to me I have trouble writing about them. I think this is mainly because it often looks wrong written down, the words fail to capture the experience with any accuracy and instead create either vastly over exaggerated ramblings or underwhelming word puddles.

I got a sense of what I am meant to do, what it is that drives me and will help me realise my dreams. Beauty got it too, and together we swum in the excitement. Now we go travelling for a bit :)

Peace and infinite love
Andy
Andy and Chiana (the red guitar)

Sunday 28 August 2011

Sexual Definition in the Age of the Swap (Track 8)

Hello dear friends,

So here is the next track from 'in the right place'. This one being all about sex changes, and how they can confuse the definition of "sex" a little, all for the better I think :)

Sexual Definition in the Age of the Swap by ProductsofMonkeyLove

Here is the youtube video version with my ugly mug in it :)

Friday 19 August 2011

The Low Planes and Midget Golf (but no midget in sight!)

Hello friends,

My adventuring continues, I am now writing some more songs (like you do...well, like I do I mean) and soaking up the Amsterdam atmosphere. Also getting back on the blog train and writing out what's a been'a happenin'a (...sorry about that, the spirit of Mario took control of my 'A' key'a).

The main thing we have found recently is Amsterdam's secret mega awesome park that no one seems to know about. In fact, I probably shouldn't be writing about it for fear of everyone and their dog finding out about it's amazingness and all swarming to the beautiful revolving yellow gates.

There is a big sign on one of the entrances that says 'PARK' in huge letters, so I guess it isn't really a secret, just a place that not many people go to, even though it is amazing.

Amstelpark
(Amsterdam's secret garden)


It has become our spot to go for spiritual discussions, energised meditation and future planning. As an adventuring creative, I tend to live life very day to day, my plans are bigger then that of course, but with so much new stuff happening everyday, I can't really plan much further ahead then that. Using my energies in this way has been very liberating, no longer being tied to a routine of repetitive uninspiring menial tasks.

Other things take over the mind, different priorities, different worries and fears. It seems wherever I go, these things find a way to pull on my ankles. The ground keeps me grounded just as my dreams remain dreamy. In Amstelpark there is a spot down by the Amstel river which has an old windmill as part of the view. It is an amazing spot, picturesque, brimming with romance and joy. We sit there and let our imaginations fly with the birds. This moment of bliss is punctured every ten minutes by a low plane, crossing the picturesque scene like a fly doing backstroke in a bowl of nettle and mint soup. The noise splits the sky as the plastic willy with wings lumbers right through the middle of the calm. After a minute it has gone (it's probably not even that long, it just feels like it) and calm returns once more. After another minute the memory of the intrusion has past...and then another eight minutes later the next one comes and bliss is shattered again. I bet kids would love it, but I don't have kids (that I know of) to share it with.


The Dutch have special golf for Midgets, which
is really nice of them :)

I wonder if Midgets would be as excited by the planes as children? I expect not, as excitement level tests have clearly shown that excitement is not linked to height in any way, shape or form. Regardless of that, there is one place in Amstelpark that both children and midgets alike can be expected to achieve relatively similar levels of enjoyphine release. The Midget Golf. Oh yes, a place where midgets are given priority over larger people in the fine game of small white dimply ball hitting into a small hole through a tiny obstacle. I hope that midgets get a special discount, I will try and find out. It is now my dream to see a midget playing midget golf, I would stay the whole course to enjoy the alignment of rightness that it would bring to the universe. 

One day, oh yes, one day...

But not today, at least, not when I was there. I'll keep checking :)

Try not to read this last bit if you can avoid it, it contains the word phlegm, and that word can alarm some people.




Tuesday 16 August 2011

Cat Found a Home (Track 7)

Hello friends,

So the release continues, they are only appearing here in the blog when the song is out on soundcloud and on youtube.

This song is all about a Cat I met in Amsterdam. At a place we were staying for a month, there was a beautiful kitty called Aiysha, and he helped me write this song for him.

Cat Found a Home by ProductsofMonkeyLove

The video


Thanks for listening, please comment

Peace and infinite love

Andy x

Saturday 13 August 2011

The Buskers Song (la,la,la) (track 6)

Hello friends,

So on to track 6, this one is The Buskers Song (la,la,la). I wanted a track that was just fun and upbeat and bouncy for the middle of the record, plus this was fun for busking, just going "la,la,la" on the street for ages.

Here is the soundcloud
The Buskers Song (la,la,la) by ProductsofMonkeyLove

and here is the video

Tuesday 9 August 2011

Prime (track 5)

So, here is the next track,

Prime is all about instincts, survival, nurture, primal. Also it's about help, for oneself and for others.

Soundcloud
Prime by ProductsofMonkeyLove

and the video version


(break in scheduled programming)

Hi friends,

A quick break from the release of my new songs to give you an update on this travelling creatives adventures. Beauty and I are now back in Amsterdam, we hot tailed it out of Den Haag after some rather funny business with our landlord. Now we are lodging in the American sector of Amsterdam, just by Martin Luther King Park and President Kennedy Straat (or Assassination junction as I have named it), we are here for the month, then, we don't know...we shall see :)

So I have started writing again, some new new songs on the horizon. I played a gig on a rooftop with an amazing violinist, it was an art show, there was cool bits of art scattered around, and other musicians playing and such. A great day was had, especially in the carpark bit underneath where the reverb was immense! It got me to thinking I could do with a band...so the feelers are out for a new Amsterdam based band :)

Onwards and Upwards...
Me and Chiana (my guitar) in Amsterdam

Thursday 4 August 2011

Another Email (track 4)

Hello beautiful person,

Here continues the release of my new record 'in the right place'. This is the fourth track, and probably the most political one of the lot. I don't write much political music anymore (something I did too much of before I think). This song has the ranting busker feel I think. What do you recon?

Another Email by ProductsofMonkeyLove

here is the video version :)



Thanks for listening, peace and infinite love to you

Tuesday 2 August 2011

Circles in the Crops

Hi friends,

So track 3 on 'in the right place' is called Circles in the Crops. It's about Mother Earth putting circles in crops...
Here is the soundcloud version
Circles in the Crops by ProductsofMonkeyLove

And the youtube video :)