The Continued Evolution of Songs
by nielskunze on January 7, 2012
Chaotic Harmony was the opening track on our debut album Tense Moments. Years after that release, the song was still a staple of our live set, but it had changed dramatically. Shane gets to play a little electric guitar here… along with his usual vocal ad libs in the middle.
A Urine Sample Please
by nielskunze on January 7, 2012
Olympic athletes are tested for performance enhancing drugs. Rock and Roll musicians are not. Thank god! These songs are not so much “performance enhanced” but something was definitely pushing the tempo somewhere near mach 2. Slow down boys… relax… take it easy… breathe…
This next one was on the original album Tense Moments clocking in at 6:47. This live version however, has the same song condensed to a mere 4:20. How is that even possible?
The Crucible of Live Performances
by nielskunze on January 7, 2012
Always popular as a live act, Missing Peace liked to use the live setting to experiment with song arrangements and especially with lyrics, just to see what worked. Certain tunes had different lyrics every time they were performed. Shane really liked to ad lib a lot! These songs are taken from a live show in Whitehorse. They’re anything but perfect and polished, but then they are still to this day works in progress.
This one is my favourite Missing Peace song in which I had no involvement whatsoever until the post-production stage. I just mixed it down from the tapes I was given.
I suppose an explanation is in order. Missing Peace was primarily a five-piece band, but after I left the band, they continued on for another year without me with a decidedly heavier sound. I thought they kicked ass as a four-piece, but I’m glad to be part of the family again.
Here’s another that saw many transformations over the years of playing it live. I always found this one difficult to play… though I did usually manage it adequately. In this version however, I am absent. We haven’t decided yet whether I’ll add a track to the studio version currently in production. Sometimes less is more.
(There was a second word in the title of this one: “Typically… something???” It’s been so long since we used the full title I can’t remember it. Oops. It was also alternatively called “Under the Apple Tree” and “Have a Nice Day”)
Next we have a simple number from the same Whitehorse tapes called Hammer On. I think this is very close to its final version.
Written by our bass player Ian, Tumbled Leaves was always a heavy favourite. There’s a couple of minor glitches in this recording and I think Shane is just trying out lyric ideas here, but this is just our rough work. The studio is for spit and polish; live is all about booze, drugs and rocking the fuck out! (Note to our moms: we don’t do the drugs and the booze so much anymore.)
So these are all songs for which we have studio versions in various stages of production. If they make the cut for the new album we can all see how they compare to their live counterparts.
If you’ve been able to listen past the obvious flaws in these live recordings and have liked the raw potential depicted here, it would be totally fantastic if you’d consider picking up our first album Tense Moments to help fund our future projects. Physical copies of the album are available from my website here. And digital download versions can be purchased from all the online music stores including amazon. It’d be great if someone would write a review too.
One of the Oldest in the Archives
by nielskunze on January 7, 2012
This is the first tune we ever had professionally recorded. It was before we changed the band name from The Dharma Bums to Missing Peace. Our “producer” on this effort was Wayne Otis who also plays the piano. He does a nice job on the tune, but this is definitely not the sound we would eventually settle into. I think Wayne wanted us to be the next great “Boy Band”. This particular recording is lifted from an old cassette, so there is some hiss. This goes right back to the early nineties.
This is before Cory joined the band as our lead guitarist, so the guitar solo was handled by my friend Dan Johnson. The drums are electronic (boooo!) and were programmed by Wayne and our original drummer Peter Harding.
This song has meant a great deal to me as it was kind of a coming out song for me, and I was always thankful that Shane was willing to sing my lyrics even though they had no relevance for him personally.
A fully modern version with the true Missing Peace sound has been recorded and will likely be released on our upcoming album.
Click here to go to A Biographical Journey Through My Music Part 2 Early Collaborations.
Ginger Beef Jerky
by nielskunze on January 5, 2012
I was recently asked to contribute one of my favourite recipes for an extended family recipe book this Christmas. Even though I knew that several of the recipients of this book were vegetarians, I chose to offer a meat dish. I, myself, am a “mostly vegetarian.” I still eat meat, but in small quantities, and certainly not every day. Most people, I have observed, do not fare well on a meatless diet. Some do, but they are usually well educated in nutrition and know how to meet all of their physiological needs. For the average person, vegetarianism poses many potential problems. On the other hand, the way in which meat and meat products are mass-produced in our modern society poses altogether different challenges. For a recipe like this the quality of meat used is critical.
This is what I submitted:
(There is no vegetarian equivalent that would not make a total mockery of cows,
vegetables and their ongoing strained relations.)Ingredients:
Big hunk of lean grass fed organic beef (horns, lips and hooves removed)
2 - 3 oz fresh ginger (peeled)
2 1/2 “glugs” of raw organic soy sauce (Nama Shoyu)
1 or 2 hefty squirts of Sriracha Hot Sauce (or other favorite hot sauce)
25 to 30 seconds of drizzling yacon syrup, coconut nectar or raw honey (which don’t
drizzle too good).
Full spectrum salt to taste (or to raise your blood pressure if you’re hypotensive)Step 1: Get yourself a nice beverage of your choice because everything is better with
the accompaniment of a nice beverage!
Step 2: Slice the meat into strips which are ideally 3/16 of an inch thick and toss
into a bowl.
Step 3: Marinade the meat in all the saucy stuff listed above (soy sauce, hot sauce,
and sweetener of your choice).
Step 4: Grate or puree the peeled ginger into the marinade and mix the whole shebang
thoroughly.
Step 5: Cover and place in fridge for 32 3/4 hours (not a minute more, not a minute less…
just kidding! How ever bloody long you want really. This ain’t rocket science!)
Let marinate. (I don’t really know how you could hope to prevent it from marinating
at this point anyway.)
Step 6: Lay out marinated meat strips on dehydrator racks and place inside dehydrator
for 6 to 8 hours at 140 degrees F. Be sure to taste the jerky every hour or two to see
how it’s coming along and because it’s pretty awesome when it’s still chewy!If you do not have a dehydrator, disregard all of the instructions above and go shopping!
Beef jerky prepared like this is a fully raw meat product which nutritionally kicks ass
over any cooked meat debacle. The ginger (like wasabi with sushi) destroys any nasty
pathogens which may be present in your dehorned, de-lipped, hoofless meat hunk.Step 7: Eat.
My Post-Workout Smoothie
by nielskunze on November 3, 2011
Ingredients:
12oz. Super-Tonic Tea – simmered for about a day in an enamel pot on my wood stove, containing the following herbs:
Cat’s Claw bark, Gynostemma, Tulsi, Chinese Red Jujubes, Chanca Piedra, Pau D’Arco, Powdered Reishi Mushroom (homegrown), Powdered Chaga (locally wildcrafted), Astragalus Root.
2 Egg Yolks – I usually compost the whites.
3 heaping tablespoons Hemp Hearts
1 heaping scoop Dr. Mercola’s Miracle Whey
1 tablespoon Colostrum – cow or goat (goat tastes way better).
2 tablespoons Coconut Butter – what’s referred to as “Butter” is the coconut meat and the oil ground together… perfectly.
1 teaspoon Powdered Vanilla Bean
1 dropper full of Marine Phytoplankton – another dropper full already having been consumed before my work-out, along with krill oil, raw coconut oil, astaxanthin, and organic sulphur (all in very small amounts).
1/2 Large Aloe Vera Leaf (Gel) – fillet the green parts away, and use only the clear interior gel (a few ounces). The Aloe is homegrown of course.
1 teaspoon Ceylon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
A shake or two of Celtic Sea Salt (optional)
Mix in a blender until the kaleidoscope-specks do The Dance of Entropy!
A further note on what I have before my workout: upon waking I have a 10mL vial of QuintEssential Optimum Mineralization 3.3 (hypertonic), 3 squirts of my homemade chaga/reishi tincture, and a teaspoon of pine pollen, followed by a cup of home-roasted organic coffee. Coffee before workouts is okay; after workouts it stops production of Human Growth Hormone, and so should be avoided.
A List of My Favourite Foods
by nielskunze on October 24, 2011
This list includes many food items which I try to ingest on a daily basis. They are not strictly conventional, and some, perhaps, will be unknown to most readers. Therefore, I have included nutritional profiles and descriptions where appropriate.
1. QuintEssential Optimum Mineralization 3.3: The origin of this mineral supplement goes back to 1897 and the work of Rene Quinton who demonstrated the profound effect of all known natural minerals and trace elements upon the structure and function of all life-forms. Bio-available minerals are the basis of all metabolic functions; they are the foundation of life. They are all essential for optimum human physiology. When any one trace element is absent in the human organism, there are certain specific metabolic pathways which become impaired or disabled. The human body will often find ways to compensate for the absence, but these adjustments in metabolism will be less than optimal. This food, which comes in 10mL vials, provides ocean-sourced minerals and trace elements in precisely correct ratios for immediate use by the human organism. It is essentially blood plasma, but 3 times concentrated. My experience with it is that it improves everything! After several months of using QuintEssential, the body is fully remineralized, becoming extraordinarily efficient and experiences hunger very rarely. Going a full day without food is not uncomfortable in the least. I believe that we are a society of over-eaters primarily due to the vast mineral deficiencies in our conventional food supply. This food solves that problem in a jiffy.
2. Pine Pollen: This incredibly nutrient-dense food has been a staple in Chinese and Korean medicine for more than 2000 years. It contains over 200 bioactive nutrients, which when consumed daily provides abundant energy, super-immunity and restores balance to the endocrine system. This is the semen of the forest… and it tastes great! Just a half teaspoon a day provides clearly noticeable results. The sexual energy it provides to the human male is off the charts! I always smile at the Viagra commercials when they suggest consulting with a physician if erections last more than 4 hours. With pine pollen 4 hours is perfectly normal and wholly sustainable!
3. Chaga: This mushroom grows primarily in birch forests. It “blooms” from the trunks of living and dead birch trees appearing as a rough black mass. It can be cut from the tree with a machete or hatchet revealing a light to dark brown interior. Chaga is the richest known food source of melanin, the pigment which turns our skin brown as protection against sun exposure. Its antioxidant capacity is totally outrageous, scoring 1104 on the ORAC scale (blueberries score 24). It is the undeniable King of the medicinal mushrooms conferring immune-boosting qualities to its users. Its taste is not at all unpleasant, and I brew it up in my coffee daily having found that it actually improves the flavour of my already exceptional home-roasted organic coffee. This is perhaps the number one anti-cancer food in the world. I am very fortunate in that I am surrounded by pockets of birch forests and further blessed with a roommate who enjoys chaga hunting. We’ve got literally buckets of these precious beauties!
4. Hemp Hearts: These are the shelled seeds of the hemp plant. Loaded with amino acids, this complete protein source is balanced and highly digestible. It contains all the essential fatty acids (EFA) in excellent ratios for human health, boasting more omega 3 than any fish. These seeds are excellent in salads and smoothies and even taste great just straight off the spoon! I eat about 3 heaping tablespoons of these a day. Until one’s body is fully remineralized, hemp hearts are superb at curbing hunger.
5. Organic Raw Milk Cheese (from grass fed cows): Now here’s something most people will recognize as “regular” food. The essential difference here is that the cheese is made from raw milk. The pasteurization of modern dairy is a complete health catastrophe. Pasteurization causes proteins to become denatured as well as altering the fat content of milk. What this means in the simplest of terms is that your body can no longer properly digest what should have been a very healthful substance. Pasteurized milk– or the cheese made from it– causes a strong immune response as the body regards it as a foreign invader rather than a food. I eat enormous quantities of organic raw milk cheese… somewhere in the neighbourhood of 80 to 100 pounds of it a year. As long as it truly is raw from grass fed cows, it doesn’t make you fat, nor does it cause constipation like pasteurized cheeses will. There are a few cheese makers in Canada who offer organic raw milk cheese and I usually do try them when I can find them. My favourite source for the very best cheese however comes from my friend Eldore Hanni in Pennsylvania who claims to be producing the most nutritious cheese on planet Earth. The name of his cooperative is Farmstead Fresh… and they do mail order.
6. Kimchi: Sticking with the more recognizable foods, kimchi is Korea’s national food. It is served with virtually every meal in traditional Korean households. So what is Kimchi? It is a cultured vegetable ferment, and if you want the tremendous health benefits of kimchi you need to make your own. Fortunately it’s extremely easy to do. You can use pretty much any vegetables you want. Root vegetables, leafy greens and stalks are all suitable. Cut them up into bite-sized pieces and then soak them in brine for 1 or 2 days. Use a good full spectrum salt like Redmond’s or Himalayan crystal salt. After soaking, the vegetables should have a lightly salted flavour. Drain the brine. Now make a paste in the blender using fresh onion, garlic, ginger and hot peppers. Use the amounts of each of these according to your own taste preferences. I like it hot and gingery! Mix the paste into the brined veggies and pack it into jars. There should be just enough water to cover the veggies. Leave the lids slightly loose as the ferment tends to produce gas as it proceeds, and put them in a cool cellar or the fridge. In about 3 weeks you’ll have young kimchi, but it will continue to grow stronger as time goes by, but as far as I can tell, it will never go bad. I’ve heartily eaten kimchi that’s been in my fridge for more than 2 years! Oh, and don’t be put off by the smell; kimchi is one of those foods which can smell atrociously awful and yet somehow taste delicious. It is loaded with probiotics which can do absolute wonders for rebalancing the gut and bolstering the immune system. Kimchi is very handy for home gardeners who aren’t sure what to do with the autumn bounty. Rather than canning– which kills your food– making kimchi from it actually boosts its nutritional content and preserves it at the same time!
7. Meditation: Okay, I know… it’s a bit of a stretch calling meditation a food, but it feels so nourishing. And really, what could be more important than full brain coherence? If you can’t think straight (or gay… whatever), how can you control your emotions? Without meditation we are like rudderless ships tossed about on angry seas. Fortunately, the past few decades have brought tremendous advancements in brain entrainment technology which makes effective meditation ridiculously easy. I’ve been using Holosync for about 2 years now. Their entrainment technology is mainly based on binaural beats which require the use of headphones. More recently, I’ve been looking into Lifeforce which utilizes binaural and monaural beats as well as isochronic pulses. These work best with headphones, but they are not strictly necessary. So a little more freedom here. I’ll update this post when I’ve had the opportunity to compare Holosync and Lifeforce for a few more months. I always like to try things for myself before making recommendations.
8. Chia Seeds: These little babies are perfect for creating instant pudding! Their flavour is so neutral you could ask “How much more neutral could the flavour be?” Answer: None. None more neutral. So go ahead and add a little raw vanilla bean, or raw cacao, or maybe some coconut… maybe even all of the above! The perfect healthy dessert, chia seeds are very high in omega 3 fatty acids, high in protein, and have an exceptional capacity for holding water and delivering hydration during endurance activities. Its hydrating action is due to a high percentage of soluble fiber (you have to soak them briefly first). Soluble fiber is prebiotic in action, supporting healthy intestinal flora.
9. Raw Cacao Beans: By now we’ve all heard of chocolate’s many health benefits. If you’re eating that chocolate in the form of Hershey bars or something similar however, the benefits will not outweigh the health challenges posed by refined sugars and highly processed milk solids. Try the beans instead, just the way nature produces them… okay, I buy the peeled ones, so I suppose they are “processed”. And if you’re looking for the very best, try wild cacao beans, or ones as being advertised as coming from mature trees, not hybrid bushes which account for the vast majority of cacao currently harvested. They are a bit of an acquired taste, but once you’ve acquired it… look out! Very high in magnesium, healthy saturated fats, and neurotransmitters.
10. Spirulina Crunchies: This form of spirulina is much easier to take than the loose powder or even the chewable tablets. It tastes kind of like unseasoned cooked chicken. A tablespoon a day (5 grams) is a good moderate dose. Spirulina is up to 70% protein, including all essential amino acids, in a highly digestible form. Its pigment content in the form of phycocyanin (up to 16%) is largely responsible for its ability to neutralize and remove radiotoxic substances from our bodies. It was widely used, with great success, in the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident in 1986. Warning: it loves to stick to your teeth turning them very dark green, so check your smile before flashing the world your unabashed enthusiasm for this miracle food!
11. Clay: That’s right, I recommend that you eat dirt! Throughout history, all cultures the world over, have periodically ingested various clays primarily for their cleansing effect. Through both absorption and adsorption, clay– with its tiny particle size– is very effective in binding with most toxins including radioactive particles and safely moves them through the bowel. Various bentonite clays are used internally for this purpose. I use a specific one called pascalite clay. It’s excellent to have on hand in the event of upset tummies. A spoonful of clay in a glass of water (do not mix with a metal spoon) will almost always relieve upset stomachs even in the event of severe food poisoning. It also makes a good natural teeth brushing whitener and oral cleanser. Facial masks are also often made from clay for the purposes of drawing toxins out through the skin. It can also be used in bathwater for a full body effect.
12. Goji Berries: I grow these in my backyard. They are extremely hardy and adaptable! Goji is perhaps the most nutritionally-rich fruit on Earth, being a complete protein source containing 18 amino acids, numerous trace minerals, B vitamins, vitamin E, immune-boosting polysaccharides, and are the only known food to help stimulate the human body to naturally produce more Human Growth Hormone. They are the number one food in Chinese Medicine, boasting a balanced taste which has been enjoyed for more than 5,000 years!
13. Cereal Grasses: Here we’re talking about wheat, barley, oat, etc., but not the grains! It is the grass shortly after it sprouts which contains the mega-nutrition. These grasses when harvested within the first ten days are extremely nutritious, so much so that I’m not even going to bother listing them. The list would be too long! Now, lacking the extra stomachs of a cow and being too pressed for time to chew our cud, humans are advised not to actually eat the grass. Instead we press the juice from it with a masticating juicer and drink that. The taste is quite strong and a bit weird. The grasses I grow tend to be insanely sweet too, but not from sugar. I always add glacier rock dust to the soil and water them with a very dilute Dead Sea salt water solution. Perhaps these account for the crazy sweetness. This is the perfect survival food. The grains store very well, are ridiculously easy to grow– even during the winter, and the nutrition can’t be beat. During the spring and summer wild grasses can also be easily harvested from just about anywhere. There are no poisonous grasses among the 900+ species on Earth. In tough times, only a complete moron would starve to death around here!
