Below are some selections from photo walks around Chinatown and the Upper East Side to the Guggenheim, plus an excursion upstate to see some buddies in the band $500 (check out <a href="https://500dollars.bandcamp.com/album/twelve-eyes">their new record</a>, it rips). Details:<ul><li>Camera: Nikon FG with 50mm f1.8 kit lens</li><li>Roll: Cinestill 400</li></ul>This may be the last time I buy a Cinestill roll. I've gotten good results <a href="/blog/announcements-la-photo-dump">in the past</a>, but the halation on these photos is out of control, more distracting than interesting at this point. I'm also finding the stock quite a bit warmer than I usually go for—muted blues and greens, borderline sepia tones on high exposure shots. That said, I managed to find some photos I don't hate in this set.<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1757597930/summer_2025_01_379a3fa65e.jpg" alt="summer-2025-01.jpg"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1757597929/summer_2025_02_63f3c48aa7.jpg" alt="summer-2025-02.jpg"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1757597930/summer_2025_03_3d8834bf64.jpg" alt="summer-2025-03.jpg"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1757597929/summer_2025_06_1659e40ae0.jpg" alt="summer-2025-06.jpg"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1757597930/summer_2025_04_b5b5a718dd.jpg" alt="summer-2025-04.jpg"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1757597931/summer_2025_07_e3739b0d65.jpg" alt="summer-2025-07.jpg"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1757597931/summer_2025_08_7bec5433a4.jpg" alt="summer-2025-08.jpg"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1757597931/summer_2025_09_47913b10b3.jpg" alt="summer-2025-09.jpg"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1757597931/summer_2025_10_d6132bbb7d.jpg" alt="summer-2025-10.jpg"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1757597932/summer_2025_12_ffda92f2cc.jpg" alt="summer-2025-12.jpg"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1757597932/summer_2025_11_e8e8f7612a.jpg" alt="summer-2025-11.jpg"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1757597932/summer_2025_13_7174d0922a.jpg" alt="summer-2025-13.jpg">

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Photo Roll, September 2025

I'm settling back into post-release depression, so I'm holding the symptoms at bay with another attempt at blogging. I noticed I hadn't updated this site with info regarding the projects I've worked on this year, so let's first fix that.I put out a <a href="https://negativewingspan.bandcamp.com/album/constant-current-stimulus">dr. mocker record</a> back in February on Negative Wingspan called Constant Current Stimulus. It's likely the hardest I've worked on a release since the days of Penrose, a band I fronted with my two brothers back in the early 2010s, when responsibilities were limited solely to the music and rent, before getting sober and building more of what might be deemed "a life." The songs came easier back then despite knowing far less about songwriting and about myself—a side effect of booze and youthful hubris I guess. This is all to say that Constant Current Stimulus is the first proper album I've made in a very long time, and while every release feels less like I've completed something and more that it's only "done" because I can't make it any better, this one bothers me the least of all (for now). I hope you'll listen to it.<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2161481173/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless=""><a href="https://negativewingspan.bandcamp.com/album/constant-current-stimulus">Constant Current Stimulus by Dr. Mocker</a></iframe></div>While I'm asking my dear reader for things, I should also mention I have a new <a href="https://droningmuffler.bandcamp.com/album/deeper-into-movies-v">droning muffler EP</a> dropping in four days: the fifth installment of the deeper into movies series. Its recording process began shortly after Constant Current Stimulus as a way to not think about guitar for a while.&nbsp;I don't know if I've ever revealed this on the internet, but each EP in the series corresponds to a particular film as some probably have inferred. None are meant to be a rescore (a concept I find abhorrent, especially considering some of the choices in this series have scores far better than anything I'm capable of), but more an exploration of the feelings I associate with each movie, at times in relation to particular scenes, at other times digging into more general feelings about the film. I haven't ever said which EP is for which film to anyone but my wife. I'd like to think the music can stand on its own, and associating a piece with something specific might minimize meaning for the listener.<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2681019321/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless=""><a href="https://droningmuffler.bandcamp.com/album/deeper-into-movies-v">deeper into movies v by droning muffler</a></iframe></div>That's all for now. Writing is difficult when you're out of practice. This is something I aim to fix, so expect more action here in the coming weeks. Thanks.

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Tunes Update, Summer 2025

<ol><li>The Invitation (2015), Karyn Kusama</li><li>The Changeling (1980), Peter Medak</li><li>Let the Right One In&nbsp;(2008), Tomas Alfredson</li><li>The Wailing&nbsp;(2016), Na Hong-jin</li><li>The Devil's Backbone&nbsp;(2001), Guillermo del Toro</li><li>Hellraiser&nbsp;(1987), Clive Barker</li><li>The Fog&nbsp;(1980), John Carpenter</li><li>The Beyond&nbsp;(1981), Lucio Fulci</li><li>Jacob's Ladder&nbsp;(1990), Adrian Lyne</li><li>The Vanishing&nbsp;(1988), George Sluzier</li><li>The Empty Man&nbsp;(2020), David Prior</li><li>A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night&nbsp;(2014), Ana Lily Amirpour</li><li>The Exorcist III&nbsp;(1990), William Peter Blatty</li><li>Event Horizon&nbsp;(1997), Paul W. S. Anderson</li><li>Seance&nbsp;(2000), Kiyoshi Kurosawa</li><li>Hour of the Wolf&nbsp;(1968), Ingmar Bergman</li><li>The Borderlands&nbsp;(2013), Elliot Goldner</li><li>Blade II&nbsp;(2002), Guillermo del Toro</li><li>Rosemary’s Baby&nbsp;(1968), Roman Polanski</li><li>Day of the Dead&nbsp;(1985), George Romero</li><li>Phenomena&nbsp;(1985), Dario Argento</li><li>Barbarian&nbsp;(2022), Zach Cregger</li><li>Possession&nbsp;(1981), Andrzej Zulawski</li><li>Longlegs&nbsp;(2024), Osgood Perkins</li><li>The Lost Boys&nbsp;(1987), Joel Schumacher</li><li>The VVitch&nbsp;(2015), Robert Eggers</li><li>Scream&nbsp;(1996), Wes Craven</li><li>The Craft&nbsp;(1996), Andrew Fleming</li><li>Candyman&nbsp;(1992), Bernard Rose</li><li>The Exorcist&nbsp;(1973), William Friedkin</li><li>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre&nbsp;(1974), Tobe Hooper</li><li>The Thing&nbsp;(1982), John Carpenter</li><li>It Follows&nbsp;(2014), David Robert Mitchell</li><li>A Nightmare on Elm Street&nbsp;(1984), Wes Craven</li><li>The Shining&nbsp;(1980), Stanley Kubrick</li><li>Halloween&nbsp;(1978), John Carpenter</li></ol>

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Fall Movie List

Before posting photos, an announcement: There's a gig on <a href="https://aftontickets.com/event/buyticket/k3xdld1pjw">September 22 at Arlene's Grocery</a>. I'll be doing a set of <a href="https://negativewingspan.bandcamp.com/album/hold-me-close-before-it-ends">droning</a> <a href="https://droningmuffler.bandcamp.com/">muffler</a> material with <a href="https://negativewingspan.bandcamp.com/album/faintly-glowing-skull">Chipped Topaz</a> (Conor of <a href="https://negativewingspan.bandcamp.com/">Negative Wingspan</a> fame's dungeon synth project, catch me on guitar for this set as well) and <a href="https://assortedpotions.bandcamp.com/album/assorted-potions-iii">Assorted Potions</a> (dungeon magick from Austin, TX). I'm very stoked for it and hope to see you there.I've also been working on new tunes on and off since May for a new dr. mocker release. Keep an eye out for that.<hr>I spent four days in LA. Just for fun. I got around. I covered a lot of ground across southern California. I must admit: the most affecting thing I did in my time there was drive fast with the windows down from West Hollywood back to my hotel blasting Can. As corny as it sounds, the fucker's right, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJvqTokgvjI">there really is something to it</a>.<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1724728435/240809000007020008_010e7c2d4c.jpg" alt="240809000007020008.jpg"><img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1724728435/240809000007020006_3ad16b314a.jpg" alt="240809000007020006.jpg"><img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1724728433/240809000007020019_6dcbb14b24.jpg" alt="240809000007020019.jpg"><img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1724728435/240809000007020021_1fbb92a0ad.jpg" alt="240809000007020021.jpg"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1724728436/240809000007020014_1bb7249939.jpg" alt="240809000007020014.jpg"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1724728435/240809000007020013_6204370c4f.jpg" alt="240809000007020013.jpg"><img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1724728434/240809000007020011_79e8399f9d.jpg" alt="240809000007020011.jpg"><img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1724728434/240809000007020016_c75eab0502.jpg" alt="240809000007020016.jpg"><img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1724728434/240809000007020024_c4d68c6649.jpg" alt="240809000007020024.jpg"><img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1724728433/240809000007020018_72391023e8.jpg" alt="240809000007020018.jpg"><img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1724728433/240809000007020020_f429c70040.jpg" alt="240809000007020020.jpg"><img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1724728433/240809000007020017_3dffcb349d.jpg" alt="240809000007020017.jpg"><img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1724728434/240809000007020026_39810a8ac5.jpg" alt="240809000007020026.jpg"><img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1724728433/240809000007020004_709c9b0015.jpg" alt="240809000007020004.jpg"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1724728434/skater_original_crop_0dc96d3b2c.jpg" alt="skater original crop.jpg">

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Announcements + LA Photo Dump

Not that I was ever a prolific blogger, but I'm having some serious writer's block on the music front and figured dedicating some time elsewhere might clear out some cobwebs. So here's an update.It occurred to me recently that I never posted about my most recent release on here. My EP <a href="https://negativewingspan.bandcamp.com/album/hold-me-close-before-it-ends">Hold Me Close, Before It Ends</a> dropped in December on my buddy Conor's newish tape label <a href="https://negativewingspan.bandcamp.com/">Negative Wingspan</a> (check out the full catalog, all excellent stuff so far).&nbsp;<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2112970857/size=large/bgcol=333333/linkcol=0f91ff/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless=""><a href="https://negativewingspan.bandcamp.com/album/hold-me-close-before-it-ends">Hold Me Close, Before It Ends by Droning Muffler</a></iframe></div>Since then, I've been kicking around some ideas for a new music project involving some buddies. It'll be the first time playing regularly in a full band since the beginning of the pandemic. Hopefully will have more to say about in due time.&nbsp;I also played my first live show ever as droning muffler in the bcc basement for the Doubting Thomas Cruise Control reunion, celebrating the 10 year anniversary of their <a href="https://doubtingthomascruisecontrol.bandcamp.com/album/appleton-on-2">Appleton ON EP</a>, on which you can hear guitar contributions from very hungover 23 year-old dm. I'm very grateful to have been able to try out a live set for some of my oldest friends in such a comfortable environment, and I believe it went well enough to book more shows. Keep an eye out for those.<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dcfaxrq0k/image/upload/v1717558895/000069110034_9f80c0cf3a.jpg" alt="dm playing live at lobby inc">Final update: I recently finished Roberto Bolaño's 2666. It is high on the list of the best books I've ever read. I also finished J.G. Ballard's Concrete Island (pretty good!) and have started Moby-Dick. By simply carrying around a copy of Moby-Dick, I have discovered one friend is also currently reading it, while two other friends have just finished it, which begs the question of whether Moby-Dick is somehow back in style (is it truly <a href="https://x.com/droningmuffler/status/1797965470529917427">the summer of the Dick</a>) or if enough people are constantly reading Moby-Dick that at any time, one can display a copy and be greeted with a camaraderie, a fellowship of shared labor similarly found within its pages. A couple stray thoughts that have accompanied these first eight or so chapters:&nbsp;<ul><li>Subtext must have still been in its infancy in Melville's time.</li><li>It would be really funny if the sailor priest only gave sermons about Jonah and the whale.</li></ul>That's all for now.