In the New Year I finished the application for copyright of Lady in Black. Last night on break I checked the U.S. Government’s copyright records and found it had recently gone through. You can search at that link for the albums I’ve been busily submitting in the past couple of years with “keyword” Ckwal. Almost all official albums have now been copyrighted from the compilation project page (including the poetry book also found at Ckwal.net), except some of the B-Side collections. This is the first album with both of my pseudonyms SKMillion and CKWAL listed as such. The process isn’t necessarily about trust and protecting the songs from being stolen as it is respect for the spirit of those projects, trips and musicians over the years that inspired these creations. Following through with your goals and convictions is very important for an artist in the real world. As we snap out of the feeling, the moment and the experience, it’s not so easy to realize our shortcomings and we underestimate the amount of work it took to get what we have been able to accomplish thus far. Although Ckwal is turning into more of a label and writer penname, as I solidify these old tracks and projects, I’m thinking of readying myself for another musical album in the future. I have spoken to several drummers and been trying to get someone to record a single or EP with me in Germany, or at least conceptualize and cowrite it there. So far it’s only a distant aspiration. Lady in Black can be streamed at this link for free.

Recently I’ve finished Samatha Brown’s Passport to Europe Season 1. Starting Season 2 and thinking my favorties so far were Prague, Madrid and Lyon. I also would like to revisit Amsterdam and Edinburgh from the places she has featured, but possibly I wouldn’t have guessed that from the show.