It’s been a while – thanks for hanging in there!  We’ve got a lot of info for you, so if you’re pressed for time, skip down to the summary.  Here’s the latest:

* Welcome to all of you arriving via n341.com.  Don’t be confused: n341 == Martin Neal.  In fact, hop on over to music.n341.com and have a listen; that page will serve as the location where n341 music will be released.  This site, martinneal.net, will be a hub of sorts, but will not actually host any music.  Speaking of music… [insert drum roll here]…
* I’d like to talk about the upcoming n341 album.  Ok, the EP.  Alright, it’ll be about 5 tracks, give or take, so call it what you want.  But anyway: n341 will be producing a collection of original material for a debut album.

And here is where I need your help.

* A preview track – titled “Visionary” – is now posted and available for digital download at music.n341.com.  Make no mistake, this is strictly 100% original content – no more of this mamby-pamby remixing hogwash you may be used to from the n341 of old.  (Speaking of which, feel free to stop by my friends at fixtremix.com, where my previous precious remix work is located, mamby-pamby though it may be.  There’s even a previously unreleased remix of Celldweller’s Eon, if you’re interested…)
* The preview track of the n341 EP is free to stream, and has a suggested cost of $0.99 to download.  (Mind you, once we get done paying Paypal and the distributor, the proceeds will be about 25 cents less than that.  Because capitalism makes the world go around.)  HOWEVER, here’s the deal: we are planning to front-fund our album, because debt is bad.  Bad bad bad.  So, by pinching pennies and relying on good old fashioned creative moxy, we anticipate expenses for the project (as it is currently conceived) to total somewhere in the neighborhood of $3000.  This includes recording studio time, mastering, guest artists, etc. and does not include any profit for yours truly, Mr. Martin Neal of n341 fame.  So, here’s the take-home fact I’d like you to consider, ponder, have tattooed on your forehead (optional), or placed covertly in the deepest fold of your subconscious while dreaming (and never mind the spinning top, it’s just a distraction and doesn’t really matter):

***IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE UPCOMING ALBUM,***
***YOU CAN PAY MORE THAN $0.99 FOR THE PREVIEW TRACK.***

If it’s something you believe in, if the idea is a resonant one, this concept of making your money count by partnering with an artist as an alternative to feeding the money-hungry music industry, where suits in towers starve their artists and sue their customers… then you can help make it happen.  Pay more than the $0.99.  How much more?  As much as your generous or stingy heart desires.  $5, $10, $17.76, $25, $100…  More, less, any amount.  Now, you might say that this track is not worth $100.  And you’re most definitely right, because I would expect to get a whole lot of bang for $100 bucks, and while I think the track is going to be pretty damn fine, $100 is a lot of scratch.  But in fact, you’re getting the track for less than a buck, and contributing the rest to your own future enjoyment, and the future enjoyment of an as-yet-unknown number of other brothers and sisters.  Now, you might say, “Them’s some fine words, pardner, but I’m not forkin’ over that kind of dough.  In fact, I’m gonna go download me some Brittney Spears, just outta spite.”  Fine.  You don’t need to give the project $x.xx.  But I do truly feel that someone will, because for them, poor Brittney will just have to eek out another day without their $x.xx dollars.  Because those dollars will have been spent wisely on the future of n341, and perhaps the future of society as we know it…  ^_^

***BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE:***

And this is important to remember!  Anyone – and I mean everyone – who contributes more than the $0.99 will automatically receive the full digital download of the finished EP when it become available.  That’s right, if you wanted to be a jerk about it, you could give me $1.00, and basically be getting five tracks in the future for a penny, like one of those awesome record clubs of days gone by.  Just to be clear, if you opt to take the screw-over-the-nice-guy approach, I’ll probably hate you for life, but everybody’s got some enemies somewhere, right?  (“Jeez, Mr. Neal, I didn’t know you were so hostile.”  I’m not, really.  This is merely hyperbole.  I actually love you to death.  Even you one-dollar types.)

***…AND EVEN MORE…***

There will be some as-yet-undetermined COOL STUFF (which, in the music industry, is jargon for “COOL STUFF”) available for the folks who take this the most seriously.  One-of-a-kind cool stuff, limited run, for the top tier, the uber-hip.  As special packages for the release of her album of Radiohead covers, Amanda Palmer offered ukuleles that she custom painted – I’m not THAT cool, but I do aspire to greatness.  Stay tuned for more details on this…

(—>Those of you pressed for time should land here per our discussion above…<—)

Ye Olde Summary:

1.) Welcome to the new and improved martinneal.net.  Have you joined the mailing list yet?  (I won’t spam you, I promise.  Mr. Zbodnwo Ubekuwe does enough of that for the both of us.)
2.) Stop by music.n341.com and listen to the new original n341 track, “Visionary”, which is in fact a preview of the forthcoming n341 EP (which, also in fact, is titled “Awareness”).
3a.) Download the track for less than a buck, OR
Preferred option—> 3b.) Contribute to the future EP by downloading the track for more than a buck.  Everything not consumed by the middlemen goes directly to the album until the album is paid for.  Then, and only then, do I get to eat, and pay the heating bill, and buy the kids a special extra pair of underwear.  That they would have to share on a rotating basis, or play rock-paper-scissors for, or what-have-you.

And as always, please pick your poison:
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PS – To answer your question: “What guarantee do I have that your silly little EP is ever actually going to get made?”  Well, my innocent little child, there are no guarantees in life, now are there?  C’mon, live a little. Be a part of this…