The Masquerade

Top Hat - Ghosts In Winter

2009-09-15T03:12:54Z

GHOSTS IN WINTER by Top Hat

Let me go / Love, it's cold outside
So cold / Can't breathe / Can't believe
Not enough time left / Seeing past the mirror
Left me behind / I'm going away now
You left me behind / Golden, white, and shimmering
Like ghosts in winter / Pale and magic
Left you left magic / Behind a trail of
It's so cold, Love, I can't breathe / Let your heart out
Like ghosts in winter / Ghosts in winter
There was nothing left for me / You must understand
There was nothing left of you / Golden, white
Like ghosts in winter

Top Hat - A Hunger Artist

2009-04-01T14:43:38Z

A HUNGER ARTIST by Top Hat

There are pieces of her
Left long to wither on the root
Or cleft too soon from sapling branch
'Til, lo, she is sculpted in an image not her own
Her face is stony white and devoid of all feeling

Her intent is to mimic you, to deceive
Every stitch is a spell she weaves
Holding her parts together, delicately sewn,
She is animated by her breath alone
Her death is her life's work
Self-denial her palette, all shades and hues of suffering

She is a Hunger Artist

Top Hat - Plague Doctor

2009-03-11T20:03:23Z

PLAGUE DOCTOR by Top Hat

[Intro]

[Stanza #1]
You worship your own disease
It keeps you down on your knees
A self-inflicted contagion
Of mediocrity

[Stanza #2]
Eyes rimmed with webbing-strands
Each feather stitched by hand
I am not an animal
That you will ever understand

[Chorus]
I bring a purge for the plague-afflicted (dead in all due time)
Not the illusion of a cure (just take your fill, I'll take what's mine)
Beneath this mask
Rest sure at last
It is as they predicted
I am not of you and yours, and you are not of me and mine

[Bridge]
Plague doctor; plague, plague doctor [x4]

[Stanza #3]
Self-surgery
I've cut out parts of me
I am the Violence Machine, devoid
Of sympathy

[Stanza #4]
The closer that you get
The worse I will infect
The symptoms of the sickness
Have forced me to disconnect

[Breakdown/solo]

[Chorus] x2

[Bridge]

Top Hat - Forgotten Altars

2009-02-27T12:43:10Z

FORGOTTEN ALTARS by Top Hat

Sitting in stagnant waters
Praying at forgotten altars
Chewing the shards of youth
Rekindled, barely, fleetingly, then gone-

Misspent days recalling misspent days
Trapped, fragile, inside headphones and the dream
That someday we will be the architects
We were once built by

But we pray at forgotten altars
And soon we will be lost, as well
So dream your dreams and rest your head
And hope that we will be remembered forever
Or that we will be forgotten together

mister_pixley @ 2008-05-28T13:18:00

2008-05-28T16:21:10Z

Last night I went on a date to Cheers. We wound up cuddled in an awning talking to a homeless fellow who'd gotten into a scrap and another fellow who'd been kicked out of a neighbouring bar twice for being too coked out.

I love this town.

mister_pixley @ 2008-01-09T21:08:00

2008-01-10T01:14:06Z

I'm packing up my stuff, and under my bed - buried in a pile of old notes and papers - I found a sheet of looseleaf; blank, except for the words "I'm sorry for hurting so many people." written on the top line. I think it's in my handwriting, but I don't remember writing it.

It's gonna be one of those nights.

mister_pixley @ 2007-07-11T00:29:00

2007-07-11T03:27:04Z

So a few nights ago Sarah and I went biking around at the school - at 2 in the morning. And I sorta went angle-wise off a skate jump and wound up fracturing my left elbow.

I'm feeling about 27 shades of dumb right now.

mister_pixley @ 2007-06-25T22:24:00

2007-06-26T01:25:25Z

Here's an old meme that I thoroughly enjoyed last time around:
YOU CAN ASK ME SIX QUESTIONS::
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
__________________________________________________
No matter how random, revealing, rude, naughty or pointless
__________________________________________________
I promise to answer them 99% truthfully
__________________________________________________
If you want it confidential, send me an email at witherwing@hotmail.com

mister_pixley @ 2007-05-03T10:09:00

2007-05-03T15:10:42Z

Judging by how the computer's been behaving as of late, I get the sense that it's going to die again very soon. It's about a decade old now, so I can't blame it.

I'll likely just take it in to Digital World; salvage the parts I want, trade in the rest.

EDIT: Compy died on May 7th. Resquiat et pacem, good buddy.

COMPUTER:
AMD Athlon Processor
1.01 GHz
512 MB of RAM
37.2 GB Harddrive

DVD/CD ROM DRIVES:
E-IDE CD ROM 36x/AKW
Samsung CD-R/RW SW-252B*

SOUND, VIDEO & GAME CONTROLLERS:
Creative SB Live! series (WDM)*
Creative SB Live! Gameport*
Legacy Audio Drivers
Legacy Video Capture Devices

PORTS:
Generic USB Hub*
USB 2.0 Port*

OTHER STUFF:
3Com HomeConnect USB WebCamera*
CanoScan LiDE 20/N670U/N676U scanner*
Some shite mouse
Some other shite keyboard

* parts I expect to keep

WHAT I HOPE TO GET:
2+ GHz Processor
2+ GB of RAM
500+ GB Harddrive
CD-R/DVD-R Drive
A really solid sound card
A really solid video card
An exceptionally quiet cooling fan

mister_pixley @ 2007-04-24T09:21:00

2007-04-23T12:26:27Z

There are men on my roof. I got latex in my hair.

This is how I spend my day off.

Recent developments

2007-04-03T01:48:37Z

Two weeks ago I started working at Tip Top Tailors. Apparently I'm doing reasonably well; I'm enjoying myself, at least. My coworkers are a lot of fun. Moreover, a lot of them have been working for the company for at least a few years - which impies not only that this is a job people enjoy, but that it's something that one can make a career out of. So here's hoping. As a result of this, my plans for Halifax have been pushed back. I'm really not sure what to do in Fredericton, but it would seem I'll be around for at least another 2 years. Which, to be fair, will give me enough time to complete the many and varied projects I have on the go right now.

Speaking of, Nightmare Creatures II has been put on a brief hiatus until about mid-April. That should give me enough time to organize things properly. I'm still plugging away on the prosthetic, but - as I've been taking step-by-step pictures of the building process, I may even put up a "How To Make A Monster Movie Prosthetic" tutorial.

I've also begun work on a new album. Just a few melodies; working out harmonies; writing lyrics here and there. There's def. a cover of Lucretia, My Reflection in the works. So Becca, you will at length get that Christmas gift.

For the time being, though, I'll be buckling down on literary projects. First on the block: The Story of the House Called Divine and Lucy's story, RED.

Another gig!

2007-03-17T03:55:33Z

Top Hat - Swing Me Low

2007-02-22T06:57:27Z

SWING ME LOW - Top Hat

Sweet Ella, won't you play that song
And I'll see if I can strum along
It makes me happy to see you so free
And it makes me wish I could be that strong

Swing me low
Something moody and slow
Swing me low

[solo]

Swing me low
Something moody and slow
Swing me low
I just wanna remember
Swing me low
Something moody and slow

[solo]

Notes on the run..

2007-02-18T08:38:17Z

Still working steadily on various film and music projects. My artistic connections are introducing me to more artistic connections. My network is expanding. I like where this is heading.

Nightmare Creatures II is coming nicely; I have the first act written and the other 3-4 done in draft. Still working on the ending. Just in case you're interested, here's the basic plot:

Herbert Wallace is a violent psychopath in the maximum security ward of the Ravine Mental Institution. His delusions are legion: claiming at intervals to have been involved with occult societies; seen the dead walk; fought against unspeakable evils. But when those delusions prove to be real, and Wallace escapes the Institute only to find the town ravaged by monstrosities, he must battle his way to the heart of the demonic plague: Dr. Adam Crowley.

I hope to start shooting sometime in March, which means I should likely find a camcorder. Anyone out there know where I can get one cheap - or, better yet, where one can be borrowed from?

I have just about all the locations plotted out, and just need to get permission to shoot at these places. Big thanks to everyone for their recommendations.

In the coming week, I hope to start making the monster prosthetics. Here's hoping it all works out. I'll take lots of pictures.

And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest...

2007-02-12T06:40:14Z

To-Do list, Jan. 23, 2007

2007-01-23T22:49:06Z

To Do List (Jan. 23, 2007)

LITERARY
[ ] Start re-writing 'RED' for Lucy
[-] Convert 'DIVINE' to digital
[-] Find dissociated pieces of 'DAVENPORT WOES' and conglomerate them
----------# Be sure to post the finished product online
[-] Finish reading 'LOLITA'

VISUAL
[ ] Draw 24-hour comic
[ ] Draw cyborg pin-ups

CINEMATIC
[-] Retrieve script for 'RAISING HELL'
----------[ ] Begin converting it to Final Draft
[-] Rework plotline of 'NIGHTMARE CREATURES II'
----------[-] Begin writing script
[-] Finish cutting clotheshangers and begin sculpting Gabrielle's ribcage
[-] Schedule a movie night with Hollis, Bridget, Sarah to consolidate filmographic "stock of knowledge"

MUSICAL
[ ] Write 4 songs, including:
----------[ ] 'WE WERE NEVER TRULY DEAD'
----------[ ] 'VAMPYRE LOVE'
----------[ ] 'WORMWOOD'
----------[ ] 'DEUTCHLAND (WHERE WE ALL GO TO DIE)'
[ ] Record a bunch of half-finished songs, including:
----------[ ] Preliminary sketch of 'RAISING HELL THEME II'
----------[ ] Preliminary sketch of 'PERSONAL JESUS'
----------[ ] 'HALLOWEEN THEME'
----------[ ] Finish 'I PUT A SPELL ON YOU'
[ ] Schedule playing date with Hollis and Bridget
[ ] Schedule recording date at Memorial Hall with Bridget
[ ] Practice the following:
----------[ ] 'AIR, FLOW MY TEARS'
----------[-] 'THE BLACK PARADE'
[ ] Update SoundClick profile

PROFESSIONAL
[ ] Research stock market and sign on to the site Luke gave you
[ ] Design 9 more buttons for Nick, including:
----------[ ] The English bull's eye
----------[ ] Hulk Hogan's bulging face
----------[ ] Stanley Spadowski
----------[-] Ernest P. Worrell
----------[ ] Ninjas
[ ] Begin cover design for 'SCARAMOUCHE'
[-] Make rusty, Silent Hill-ish cover for the 'SPADE' album
[ ] Finish first guitar DVD

MISCELLANEOUS
[ ] Record mini-skits:
----------[ ] "Oliver, the Nancy-Boy."
----------[ ] "Would You Like Fries With That?"
----------[ ] "I'm a Monster!"

mister_pixley @ 2007-01-19T22:48:00

2007-01-20T03:57:33Z

Over at Ms. Welling's place. Work on the Nightmare Creatures II script has begun. I'm steadily plugging through the game, taking notes as I go, trying to get the basics of the story/atmosphere and leave out as much filler as possible. There is, by the by, a lot of filler in this game.

I'll do a formal tally of names when the first draft is done, but for now I'd like to just do an informal headcount. Would any of you be interested in lending your skills to a small film project? Here's what I'm looking for:

[ ] 10-12 male extras to play "Michel" zombies (average to tall stature, the gaunter the better)
[ ] 5-8 female extras to play "Anna" zombies (tall & lithe, will be clad in tight black clothing)
[ ] 5-8 male "Bofoid" monsters (muscular; may cut these out due to prosthetics restraints)
[ ] 5-8 androgynous "Labat" zombies (tall and lithe)

I will also be on the hunt for locations, so if any of you know where I could get reliable access to the following, I'd be much obliged:

[ ] Old, musty hallways (will be in hospital scenes)
[ ] Tall-ceilinged rooms (multipurpose)
[ ] Dank, spartan basements

This film will be set around the 1930's, so whatever locations I use will have to look "in period". Relatedly, if you know anywhere around town that looks authentically old-fashioned, I'd love to hear about it.

I'll also be on the hunt for props - bladed weaponry, stuff for set design, all that. Some of the stuff will have to be destroyed during the course of the film, so if you've got anything you were just going to toss to the curb, this may be a great opportunity to support the local arts. The older and more beat-up it looks the better!

I'll be looking for:

[ ] A chainsaw (pref. something old that can be painted and dinged up with impunity)
[ ] Wooden boxes (to be chopped up, pried open, etc.)
[ ] Big pieces of plywood or chalkboard (will be making mobile walls)
[ ] Fake brickwork
[ ] Bits of baseboard
[ ] Broken/cracked window panes
[ ] A bed
[ ] Lots of chain (the longer the better; rustiness not a problem)
[ ] Old trenccoats (will be torn up, dyed, and possible run through with a hatchet)
[ ] A hatchet
[ ] Old bedsheets (may be bled on and/or torn up during the course of the film)
[ ] Long gauze bandages
[ ] A vinyl butcher's apron

That's it for now. I hope to have more information in the future.

mister_pixley @ 2007-01-10T02:11:00

2007-01-10T06:11:53Z

In no uncertain order, here's what's new:

Yes, it's true. After some 3+ years in the works, Top Hat has finally published what could be construed as a debut release. The track listing appears thusly:

01. Blue Belle
02. Romanza (Piano Vers.)
03. Genetics
04. Do You Think I Deserve This?
05. Romanza (Industrial Vers.)
06. The Sorrow Of Domesticated Birds
07. Afraid Of Something
08. Raising Hell Main Theme
09. Gross National Happiness [by +4 Modifier]
10. No Mistakes (2006) [by Sol Martin feat. Top Hat]

The album is currently available in the 'local' section of Digital World, and will hopefully be for sale at Backstreet Records in the coming week. $5.00 at all venues.

In celebration of my 21st birthday, Ms. Cormier and I stopped in at White Lotus and I got a 14 gauge needle poked through each of my earlobes. Not that you need to see what that looks like, but here're pictures anyway:

By the grace of God, I managed to make it out to my adopted mom's birthday party on the 6th, and the accompanying breakfast-and-high-tea the day after. I got her a bottle of Absente; she got me two pairs of 8g acrylic plugs she made, for when I stretch my lobes. The party was frantic, packed and intoxicant-laden. I got to match a lot of faces to names, which was rather nice. The tea, by comparison, was a pleasantly intimate and slower-paced event. I think the tradition of tea parties is one worth rekindling. Sarah and I are, as part of my late Christmas gift, to have tea and hang out someday soon. There's also talk of getting my hair did. Might be an opportunity for me to learn how to use gel.

Some of you know that I've been keeping a running tally of all the uncanny similarities, chronological ideosyncracies and eerie coincidences between myself and Marilyn Manson. To recap:
2001 For years through high school, I had best laid plans to follow the musical trend of covering an 80's New Wave song and make it more goth-industrial: specifically, Tainted Love by Soft Cell. I had the vocals down, and was searching for samples, when it was announced that Manson had covered the same track for the Not Another Teen Movie soundtrack. "Balls," I thought, "What're the odds of that happening? B'ah, well. I'm sure this won't become a trend or anything."
2001 Since perhaps the age of 16 I've been playing with the idea of getting a medical diagram of a spinal column on my lower back. I was nonplussed, to say the least, when I noticed what looked to be a full-back spinal piece on Manson in the live concert DVD of the Guns, God, & Government tour.
2004 After the unfortunate Soft Cell incident, I hurriedly decided to cover another song. Over the next year, it was suggested that I cover Depeche Mode's Personal Jesus - advice I decided to take around 2002. I took my good time work on it, being as I didn't really know how to play guitar at the time, but I practiced the track on and off for a few years. I'd just gotten the guitar part down when - shock and awe - Marilyn graces the world with his rendition.
2006-7 Here's the new stuff. Dita von Teese, wife of Mr. Manson, files for divorce on Dec. 29th: my birthday. But because he was off in LA recording an album, she could not properly serve him his papers until Jan. 5th: his birthday. SpoooOOOooky. [Also, as an addendum, I'd like to mention that Manson and von Teese were wed on Nov. 28/2005, which means their marriage lasted exactly 1 year, 1 month and 1 day. Since getting back from Bhutan I've developed the superstitious practice of wishing for someone's happiness whenever I encounter repeating numbers, like some people do when the clock hits 11:11. Not quite as astonishing as some of the other coincidences, but still, it's there.]

So, based on these observations, I'm willing to make the following prophecies:
[+] I've opted to cover ZZ Top's Sharp Dressed Man for the FIN AMOUR album. Regardless to say, Marilyn Manson will cover it before I get the chance.
[+] Marilyn Manson will, at some point, fuck one of my ex's. This isn't really a prophecy, so much as a statistical probability, but still.
[+] Should Marilyn Manson and I ever make physical contact, we will melt, fuse, and explode, like McComb at the end of TimeCop.
[+] Depending on when I decide to get hitched, Marilyn's death will coincide with either my wedding day or my divorce anniversary (divorcary?)

mister_pixley @ 2006-12-03T18:22:00

2006-12-03T22:22:49Z

December, 8 2006 at Trinitea's Cup
87 Regent Street, Fredericton, New Brunswick
Cost: FREE

Artists Anonymous, in association with Trinitea's Cup, would like to present HIGH TEA & GALLERY - an exhibit/art sale consisting entirely of local, underground artists. The show will include spoken word poetry, live music, and physical art of all media and genres. Come and enjoy the fine dining, high (and low) art, and the legendary chai tea! Exhibit starts at 3 pm; ends at 9 pm.

Sol Martin feat. Top Hat - No Mistakes (2006)

2006-12-01T21:15:19Z

Anyone remember this? Well, it's finally done, and will be on the Top Hat Sampler 1.0 album (due for a Dec. 8th release). For now, here are the updated lyrics.

NO MISTAKES (2006) - Sol Martin featuring Top Hat

Sometimes, looking back on life
I see a shadowed silhouette
Burning brighter than a light
I try to hide it deep inside,
But the more it grows,
The less I want to shine

So forget the past and give it all up
To the One above, the One who loves
Join the voices in the crowds
There will be no mistakes -

This time around
This time around
We don't want no mistakes
This time around

This time around
This time around
We don't want no mistakes
This time around

This time around
This time around
We don't want no mistakes
This time around

This time around
This time around
We don't want no mistakes

Marionette on your strings
I'm bowing down to your kings
I am less fervent a servant
To the kissing of copper rings

Don't talk to me of love so cruel
Don't talk to me of love so true
'Cause everything that happened to me
Happened to be 'cause of you

Just leave me to my own devices
I'll be okay; I promise I'll be okay (No mistakes)

All that is precious someday breaks
But this time there will be no mistakes

Putting out an APV on Swing

2006-11-19T22:28:58Z

As is my tradition, I seem to have lost a song I was working on. This time, it's the Top Hat rendition of I Put A Spell On You. If I sent it to you and you still have it, I would very much appreciate it if you would get in contact with me.

Thanks,
-K.P.

Kit Pixley's Weekly Winner #3

2006-09-28T05:30:00Z

Congradulations to Kit Pixley's Weekly Winner #3 - Taral Wayne! (Link NSFW, but here's his Wikipedia entry).

Gender: male
Age: 54-55
Identifying Features: Prolific science fiction illustrator, furry, tar-and-quicksand fetishist, eerie old man, and what one might refer to as a "pedophile".
In His/Her Own Words: Words can't describe what this image says about Taral's psyche.

Tune in next week for another exciting installment of Kit Pixley's Weekly Winner!

mister_pixley @ 2006-08-23T04:44:00

2006-08-23T07:51:07Z

I don't know which is the greater tragedy: the brutal death of outspoken Atheist-rights activist Madalyn Murray O'Hair, or this reporter's name:

Also, does anyone know where I could find a copy of Butch Hancock's love-gone-awry ballad Just A Wave?

+4 Modifier - Romance Ain't Easy (When You're Pyramid Head)

2006-08-22T03:21:48Z

ROMANCE AIN'T EASY (WHEN YOU'RE PYRAMID HEAD) - +4 Modifier

Being the murderous projection of another man's guilt won't get you many party invitations
Telling girls your major hobbies include mutilating, brutalizing and stalking tends to kill the conversation
I like walks on the beach, and my favourite colour's red
Romance don't come easy when you're Pyramid Head

(Pyramid Head) You'll meet the right girl for you
(Pyramid Head) Try not to kill her, too

I'm sort of awkward around girls; I've only been on one date
When I leaned in for the goodnight kiss I stabbed her with my face
That's why I mostly stick to raping mannequins whenever they get in range
But when he finally comes out of the closet, I might experiment with James

(Pyramid Head) You'll meet the right girl for you
(Pyramid Head) Try not to kill her, too

Yo, my name's PH, and I gots ta say
I like to get down like every day
You'll see my picture all over the scene
Cuz when the ladies see me comin' they all like [scream]
I got bitches, and I got ho's
I got a butcher's apron and big metal nose
But I ain't Yiddish, and I ain't skittish
I'll whip out my great knife and cut you up like spinach
So don't step up, you'll mess up and just fail
My rhymes are so fresh and yours are so stale
I'm like a steaming loaf of oven-baked bread
Yo, whose Silent Hill is this? (Pyramid Head's!)

(Pyramid Head) You'll meet the right girl for you
(Pyramid Head) Try not to kill her, too

Tragically, this is what happens when Dan and I are together for extended periods of time. Those of you who are interested in the audio version can locate it here. Heaven help us.

For you electro historians

2006-07-22T05:19:02Z

I'm on the hunt for a specific music video. I don't remember the musician or the name of the song, though I do remember that the former was a solo artist and not a band. The song is an early techno track (70's or 80's) that uses a lot of samples and is heavy on the beats. The music video - and this is the big defining feature - is comprised of a bunch of choppy footage of dancing/convulsing robots and automated mannequin parts inside a house. These include, but are not limited to:

- a chorusline of three disembodied, black slacks-clad pairs of legs
- a pair of nylon-clad legs that does a sexy walk through what appears to be a living room, past a family of full mannequins
- a jerking head, in a bed whose covers flourish rhythmically to imply the mannequin is masturbating

If any of you remember the video I'm talking about, I'd much appreciate any information you could give me on it.

Yours,
-Kit.

EDIT: Thanks to the quick thinking of LJ's own idiolekt (whose snappy electro tunes can be found here) the true identity of this mysterious - albeit influential - video has come to light.

Ladies and gentlemen, Herbie Hancock's Rockit.