For business enquiries, or if you have a question that isn’t answered here, send an email to freshnut@live.co.uk and someone will get back in touch.
When is the next album due?
I’m currently working on my third album, as well as a number of smaller side projects. My aim is for the album to coincide with summer this year in theme and release date. Things never go to plan though, so if you are holding your breath I suggest you resume respiration as soon as convenient.
When will you release your YouTube videos on an album or mixtape?
Due to the murky copyright situation of some of my YouTube videos, I can’t release all of them commercially. At some point in the future I may release them as a freely downloadable mixtape bundle, but in the meantime you can download the MP3s directly from the YouTube description for each video.
I’ve just published the first in a series of compilation albums of my gaming raps. It’s called Generation Gaming and it’s available on iTunes, Amazon, and all those other buggers.
What setup do you use?
I have a Windows 7 64-bit PC, with an Intel i7 something something something processor and a GTX 670 graphics card. I’ve also just got myself an ASUS 3D monitor. It’s intense, but can sometimes be a little too intense…
I record my music at home using an se2200a condensor mic, a Tascam US-122 audio/MIDI interface (which I do NOT recommend, they are liable to a number physical and software faults). I arrange and mix the music in Cubase with the Waves plugins bundle, along with numerous other plugins I’ve acquired over the years.
Do you produce / play instruments too?
As well as being a writer and vocalist, I compose and produce many of my tracks, as well as tracks for other artists. I’m a passable guitarist, pianist and drummer and I employ these skills in my productions. When I perform live, I don’t play instruments, it’s hard enough remembering my lyrics.
Where can I see you live?
I don’t perform live very often, but when I do, I’ll announce it here and on the various social networking sites that I’m a member of.
Why don’t you use licensing on your songs?
Generally, I don’t put licensing on my music because I sometimes use copyrighted samples of other people’s work. It would be hypocritical of me to breach those peoples’ licensing terms, and then expect people to comply with my own licensing terms. However, I believe people can do whatever they like with my recordings, commercially or non-commercially. The only right I reserve is the right to withdraw this belief should I ever become a money-grabbing git.
Can I use your music in my podcast / radio show / film / video / TV show / blog post / article / website / computer game?
Yes, and please show me the finished product, I’m always interested to see how and where my work is used.
How can I collaborate with you?
I get a lot of requests for various types of collaboration. The best thing to do is send an explanation of your suggestion, with examples of your past work, to freshnut@live.co.uk. The chances are I will ask for a fee unless an alternative arrangement is agreed.
Are you affiliated with any political party?
No. As a social commentator, I don’t want to tie myself to any particular party. Plus, I believe that any party once it gets into power will almost certainly fail to deliver on its manifesto. It’s the nature of the beast. Having said that, I get on very well with the guys at Pirate Party UK and I hope they manage to achieve their goals of reforming copyright and free speech law.
How can I get involved in helping to secure our online rights and internet freedom?
There is plenty you can do to get involved in digital rights activism. It’s my goal this year to get more people actively involved instead of just clicking “like”.
There are a number of organisations, if you’re in the USA, the big digital rights organisation is the Electronic Frontier Foundation. You could also try organisations such as DemandProgress.org. There are plenty out there.
Here in the UK we have the Open Rights Group which works, I think, as an autonomous wing of the EFF.
Oh, and of course if you want to go the political route, Pirate Party International has a number of parties in various countries. The Pirate Party are starting to make significant waves in European politics as people realise that the internet is an Important Thing.
If you have any unique skills, things you’re good at, think how you might be able to apply them to helping the cause – that’s why I keep making music because it’s the thing I do better than anything else.
What’s your view on the Israel / Palestine situation?
The more I read about this subject, the more I realise how little I know. What I do know is that Palestinians are being treated unfairly by the Israeli state. As for who has the “right” to live in the region, I believe that both Israelis and Palestinians who grew up there have an equal claim to be allowed to live there. In practical terms I have no idea of what the solution to the conflict would be.
Be positive when dealing with people who disagree with or don’t know about the issues you care about. People are much more likely to consider your point if you treat them with respect.
What games consoles do you play?
I have an Xbox 360 and a PC. Lately I’ve been playing on Steam, usually Borderlands or Assassin’s Creed. I also keep being sucked back into League of Legends, despite my best attempts to avoid it. You can see my various gaming exploits on my gameplay channel at http://youtube.com/DanBullGames
Who is your favourite rapper?
I have a few. The first rapper I really loved was Eminem. Other strong influences are Andre 3000, Snoop Dogg, Lowkey, Ghetts, and my most recent discovery is the incredible Watsky.
How can I contact you?
See the contact page on this site or email freshnut@live.co.uk. Also find me on Facebook and Twitter.
