Babel Scores, Grumpy Kitty Boy, and other frills

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I’m regaining momentum again in my composer life since Grumpy Kitty Boy took over the majority of 2020 (the pandemic year) up to the present. My screens are suddenly full of Sibelius notation again while I look things up at “composerssite.com” (admit that you do too!). My brain is now geared towards pursuing projects and finding artist residencies to make the creation process possible. Visiting Europe is largely on my mind even as we still press on with the world’s vaccination efforts.

I’m not empty-handed as I write. I have a couple of big news to report this time around, and here are the things I’m quite excited about:

  1. Babel Scores

    I haven’t announced the news earlier. I’m happy to say now that my works are now published under Babel Scores, one of the emerging publishers of contemporary music! I have colleagues who were long part of their amazing and still growing roster, and I was finally included among them since last year. I’ve taken the slower route of nitpicking and gradually building my publication catalogue throughout this time since Grumpy Kitty Boy needs my attention. I’m still working on it bit by bit, and recent works will be available once pandemic-stalled premieres finally push through.

    My music is now available here: https://babelscores.com/JuroKimFeliz
I have a French bio, so why not use it? My real name isn’t hyphenated though—this is the only way for their online database to recognize my last name.
  1. “World Skip The Beat” hosting at CKUT 90.3 FM

    CKUT 90.3 FM has been my stomping grounds back in Montreal years ago. I used to produce and co-host a weekly Filipino radio talk show called Sigaw ng Bayan as I finished my masters at McGill University. Besides producing Nomadic Sound Worlds under the Canadian Music Centre Ontario Library Residency, I haven’t done any radio production since moving to Toronto in 2017.

    I finally get the chance again as I reached out to volunteer my time again! On August 16th and 23rd, I’m scheduled to produce and host two radio shows for “World Skip The Beat“—an international music show that basically demystifies “world music.” Hosting this music show is nothing new for me, as I got the chance of hosting it live twice back in 2016. As usual, I will focus on Southeast Asia and related stuff with my upcoming music programming. Dang, this feels like homecoming again!

    Listen to “World Skip The Beat” on August 16 and 23 (Mondays) 12:00PM to 2:00PM EST in any of the following:

    CKUT: https://ckut.ca
    Radio Garden: https://radio.garden (and look for CKUT 90.3 FM in Montreal, Canada!)
“Bogs” (that’s me!) coming back into the radio waves!
  1. “Train Tracks” lyric video

    My Grumpy Kitty Boy side of the world still goes around as I recently released a new lyric video of “Train Tracks!” Visual artist Yuna Kim comes back with the grumpy sketchpad as she renders looping animations that bring our fictional grumpy kitty to life. It’s a sad story this time—ever had a point in your life when you had to leave someone behind? Grumpy Kitty Boy certainly has to leave Raccoon behind as the train speeds on beyond the horizon.

    “Train Tracks” is the fourth song of my debut EP Show Me The Kibbles. Listen to “Train Tracks” and other songs of the EP here. (What I think I haven’t told clearly is that this song is actually based on real life).

    Check out Grumpy Kitty Boy’s new lyric video of “Train Tracks” below!
  1. Show Me The Kibbles now on CD!

    I first had a digital release of my Grumpy Kitty Boy debut EP last February, and now it’s available on CD too! Dive into the world of the grumpy as the Show Me The Kibbles CD comes with 6-panel sleeve packaging, filled with Grumpy Kitty Boy’s mess of a house and the written lyrics that go with it!

    Just look at the artwork! Yuna Kim doesn’t only have a grumpy sketchpad—she also has a grumpy flair for designing GKBoy’s world. Each song is actually represented in his whole living room. Try to guess which ones match which song. The photography of Prince Requino in the album art is just the perfect canvas for seeing what lies beyond that mirror.

    Order your copy now on my Bandcamp page: https://grumpykittyboy.bandcamp.com
  1. New “Grumpy Kitty Boy” website!

    I revamped my Grumpy Kitty Boy website once again, and it looks way cleaner and better now! Hop in and know more about my “other” life as a synth pop singer-songwriter.

    Website link: https://grumpykittyboy.com
My GKBoy website now has a new look!

I’m also working on two commissions during this later part of 2021. I won’t divulge too much details yet for now, but I can say that one of them is a commissioned art song with the full intent of premiering a four-part song cycle. I just finished writing it, and arrangements regarding rehearsals and recording are now starting to roll as we inch our way closer to the premiere. The other commission will involve me taking a step back into incorporating journalism with my musical creation process.

That’s it for now! Till the next update, y’all!