“Stuck in Cyberspace” - The 2016 Rap Album

Just playin around...

Song Pages (Containing Videos, Lyrics, Downloads, and Credits)

1. Stuck in Cyberspace (Intro)
2. Technological Unconsciousness
3. A Dirty Shame
4. What the Foucault?
5. Disciplindex
6. Sharecon
7. Terms & Conditions
8. Fear of Logging Off
9. Jugaad’a Be Kidding Me!

The album “Stuck in Cyberspace” kind of happened by accident.

I was in grad school, buried in theory, trying to understand social patterns and structures of power in the information age. All that seriousness got stifling real fast - so I started scribbling down rhymes to let off steam.

Each song is based upon a different segment of my eponymous thesis.

These are written in an informal, blog-style narrative, and they reference both traditional theorists and less formal online sources. They can be viewed and downloaded here. Each essay is also available on the page of its companion song.

Within these essays, online sources are hyperlinked, but books and articles I acquired IRL are only inline cited. To find out more about these sources, click through to the Bibliography, hit Control + F and type in the author’s last name as cited.

I think laughter and learning belong in the same space.

I intend, with the songs and videos, to open up the door of stuffy academia, where brilliant research and ideas are paywalled and others are shrouded in overly complicated language. However, Schoolhouse Rock style education should only be the entry point for further inquiry. If you hear something in a msGNU song that you’d like to learn more about, the companion essay might be of use, and we have a whole Internet at our fingertips to explore, of course!

Technical and Production Thank Yous

I owe any trace of technical skills I might have to my former Video Production professor, Larry Burke.

I’ve been #blessed to work closely with my BFF and “cinematic life partner” Max Lauf, whose lighting and framing instincts are on point. I think the sharp and precise skill of his cinematography nicely balances the “screw it, we’ll do it live!” style of my directing. Unsurprisingly, shooting film with good friends is exponentially more enjoyable.

Jayson Munro set up my first install of Ubuntu about 5 years ago, on a whim at a house party. I got super into computers from that point onward, and the change in my path has made me really happy. Also Jay mastered the audio on this album. Thank you so much, dude.

Acre Stowe is an amazing producer, with an impeccable ear for levels and detail. Thanks for the studio access, and the tireless cycle of tweaks and feedback. All the backing beats were originally pulled about 2 years ago from Creative Commons collections on Soundcloud [except for the beat for Sharecon, which was created by good friend Sean Goggins!]. The artists whose beats I used are generous and kind, and you can hear more of their music here: