Six years of Kinky Kontrol. Six long years that has seen me getting broker and broker and seeing fewer and fewer friends and family every week it continues. Boy, don’t I sound chipper about this milestone! Yes, November 2023 will mark six years of Kinky Kontrol as a production house. Technically, KK is closer to 15-18 years old, but it’d take some carbon dating to get it exactly on the money. As it was conceived as a record label in a tatami room in Osaka while I was living there, I know it’s roughly in that timeframe.
But, as a merch house, it’s very easy to quantify. I moved into my first shop in South Central in November of 2017. It would be great if I was marching proudly into this mile marker with a spring in my step and a couple dollars in my pocket and a chest full of optimism. Instead… well, let’s just say this has not been the best year. I had a good month this year! ONE! But unfortunately it didn’t do much to make up for the 8 other bad ones. It’s been a trying time, and one that has really made me re-think my business model. There are things I love about my business and things… well, let’s just say… that I could leave behind and not miss ever. Yes, I’ve been doing some searching of the soul. I’ll get into all of this in later editions of Mr Bloggy Face in case you just love to hear me bitch and moan. For now, let’s switch gears.
Anniversary goodies! Yes, guys, no matter how shitty things are, you can’t keep me from celebrating my shop’s birthday. It’s my baby and I’m one proud mama bird no matter how beaten and battered we are. So we’re gonna do some things! Fun things! Sale things! Party things! Loud things! Fring things! Basically anything to make me forget how stressed I’ve felt every single damn day of 2023. And, little brother, let me tell ya. I know how to throw an uplift party.
So what is gonna happen? What’s it gonna be? Patience, grasshopper. Watch the space, WATCH THIS SPACE! It’s all gonna come. Most of it will come as a big baked birthday cake, and you can grab a slice. And some of it is gonna come out in drips and drops I’ll put on the tip of your tongue each week like sweet trippy sugar. For now, you’ll have to wait for the announcements.
Be sure to sign up for the mailing list if you want to be first to know. If not, don’t worry. I’ll annoy the hell out of you one way or another. I’m not gonna shut up about it. And on the note of soul searching I spoke of early in the draft, depending how things look at the end of this celebration, as the confetti is getting swept into a pile, I’m going to speak of new directions for KKHQ. Don’t want to get too far ahead of that ox cart, but I’ve been up in the feels. I’ve spiraled so many times I can’t even stand up straight. And when I get like this, I make tough choices and commit to them.
I’ll leave it there for now. Hope to see you at the six year. I dare say it will be a banger. B’lee dat!
Kebin