[Pay What You Can]

WARNING: These recordings contain annoying drops of website promotion & unnecessary reminders of what you're listening to [which I believed was a good idea in 2003] sprinkled atop song introductions.

And for that, I apologize.

These recordings come from a time of confusion. A time of youth. I was a kid trying to find my voice by yelling as loud as I could. I was far from the artist I am today, but I was on my way. Baby steps. I’m not apologizing, nor am I making excuses. It was who I was at the time, and I needed to be that person, whoever that person was.

I truly believed I needed a gimmick. I was influenced by ‘shock’ and thought there was no other avenue for me to travel. My manager at the time, Bill Siddons, was shopping around 4 songs, 3 that do not appear on this collection and Wonderful World, in the United States. He had set up a meeting with an A&R at Rick Rubin’s American Recordings. I was saddened to find out Rick would not be attending. I waited patiently beside my father’s phone. Finally it rang. American wasn’t interested. They did offer some valuable advice. Advice I wrote off as ‘ridiculous.’

“Tell him to write more songs like Wonderful World!”

I found the advice insulting. Nobody wanted to hear shit like that, or so I thought. People wanted swearing. And battle raps. And controversy. Nobody wanted to listen to sappy introspective lyrics. That was pussy shit!

Or so I thought.

A decade later, I have made a small name for myself by doing just that. The 23 year old didn’t want to listen to the grown ups. I wanted to touch the hot stove. And I did. And got burned.

Yesterday is a project I put together in 2003 to sell on tour with DJ Format & Abdominal. To be honest, I can’t even listen to it. It’s like looking back at embarrassing photographs. And you will probably feel the embarrassment with me. It is the work of a high pitched 17 year old with huge dreams. A 19 year old with something to prove. And a 21 year old with head exploding arrogance. A nauseating prom picture. The opening chapter.

Enjoy.
Derek

twitter|instagram: dsisive
www.facebook.com/dsisivemusic
www.urbnet.com/dsisive