My name is paul. p(nmi)t is my musical alter ego. Over the last few years i have created a fairly large body of music available at http://paultompkins.bandcamp.com and
http://bottleofbeef.bandcamp.com
This is diy stuff, made in my basement in my spare time. Some days i'm a passably good musician, other days i suck. I think it's worthwhile to hear both sides of that story.
I have no inclination to create commercially acceptable recordings. I don't think the world needs pop production or epic anthems, or even political stances. I think the world needs more people creating art. It doesn't have to be "good." It doesn't have to be likable. It doesn't have to be profitable.
I am a musician at my core, but my self worth is not tied to being incredible or having people like me or making lots of money. Those things are nice, but they don't motivate me.
Genres do not appeal to me. Brick-wall compression doesn't appeal to me. I listen to whatever music crosses my path and i don't feel guilty for liking or disliking it. I am just a person. I'm interested in the doing, not the being entertained side of life.
I don't play live, because noone would want to sit in a bar and watch me make shit up (improvise) for hours. I use whatever cheap gear i can obtain. It's fun to turn what's in your brain into audio, or at least i think so. It's not fun to listen to other people argue about things that don't actually affect me. The more people argue, the more music i create. That's not really cause and effect, it's just me avoiding the argument by putting on headphones and smacking a guitar for a while.
Musicians tend to hide behind the goal of perfection and production. I take the opposite approach. I want you to see me make something, good or bad, intentional or by coincidence. The music is real, the "business" is pretend. All the image and posturing and distribution and selling is pretend. Record contracts and royalties and copyright lawsuits and unionizing (bmi, ascap, etc.) are the enemy of people like me, but it's a pointless war that i don't want to fight, so i just ignore it.
Yes, you can give me money if you want to, but you can't own my life. You can't "employ" me to entertain you, but you can watch me work and if that's entertaining then awesome!
You can take my music and use it to make your own, chop it up, listen to it, share it with your friends, learn how to play it, make it "better", give me money to support me and by extension my family of real people. You have my permission, if you feel you need it.
All i ask is that you try not to be a douchebag to the real people in your life. I think the world would be better if we all tried to not be jerks to each other.
Again, i'm just a guy who makes music and i don't plan to stop. Come along for the ride if you like.
Cheers
