After a 7 week pause, we're once again releasing new albums!
Why the pause?
A perfect storm of bad timing occurred, when in the same few days I killed our main server, and got a bad case of mushroom poisoning:
1) KILLED THE SERVER: I managed to completely destroy the main Magnatune server by installing a badly written count-the-beats-per-minute program I'd downloaded off the 'net. The main server, tweaked over many years with lots of custom bits and bobs, took a while to get perfect again. I had a backup from the night before, but when rebuilding the server, I took the opportunity to upgrade the Linux version (which was 7 years old) and so, getting the server working became a nest of new versions of dozens of programs, all working subtly differently now.
2) MUSHROOM POISONING: I bought some mushrooms from the farmer's market, that had been "picked in the wild". I've always read that when preparing mushrooms to eat, you should gently brush and then lightly cook them. That turns out to be great advice for cultivated mushrooms, but those harvested in the wild have a strong likelihood of high bacteria levels and require a very different treatment. 45 minutes after eating a mushroom omelette, my girlfriend and I felt very, very ill. It took us about 2 weeks to get over it, during which time we didn't manage to eat much food. I consulted the mushroom picker who sold them to me, a pharmacist, and an expert friend, who all told me that wild mushrooms need to be extensively washed, and then boiled, submerged under water, for at least five minutes! Part of the worry about mushroom poisoning is the concern that you might have eaten something really toxic, that will kill you or destroy your kidneys. When in bed after eating a bad mushroom, you have plenty of time to read all about mushroom poisoning on wikipedia! I've learned that mushrooms which make you ill right away are likely less dangerous (they're not a neurotoxin) and that it's the ones that take a few hours or more to take effect that are really bad news. Nonetheless, two weeks worrying about "is this it?" isn't much fun, and you don't get much work done. I'm sticking to supermarket mushrooms from now on!
So... my apologies for the delay. We're back to doing new releases now, and I'm also back on task of programming to improve the new Magnatune. My main goal over the next few months will be improving how the music on Magnatune is organized, to make it easier to find what you might like. More news on that when new features get close to shipping.
-john
Glad to hear you and your girlfriend are recovering John....mushroom poisoning is no picnic. Thanks for supporting my music.
Posted by: Pete | December 15, 2013 at 04:03 AM
Welcome back to the land of the living, John. If you desire to sample wild mushrooms, the first rule is to pick them yourself and prepare them fresh. The second is never to pick something you can't unambiguously identify; two corollaries to that rule include (1) tag along with a proven and competent mushroom hunter who can teach you and (2) start with mushrooms which are not easily confused with the bad sort; morels are a good choice where I live.
With mushrooms as with music, the natural, wild sort typically surpasses the mass-market retail variety, but with no "Magna'shroom" for guidance, caution is essential.
Posted by: Gary | December 15, 2013 at 05:39 AM
I'm elated that Magnatune is doing new releases again and that you two are feeling well. My wife and I experienced severe food poisoning from a Christmas dinner a few years back and it's still fresh in our memories. Long live you and Magnatune!
Posted by: Daniel | December 15, 2013 at 06:24 AM
Good to have you back, John. We've missed you :)
Now, how about some caught-in-the-wild seafood...?
Posted by: Thomas | December 15, 2013 at 06:38 AM
Sorry to hear about being poisoned, John! Let us know if you need anything!
Posted by: Tyler J. Wagner | December 15, 2013 at 06:52 AM
I'm so glad to hear you're on the mend!
I wonder if the mobile apps are going to get any attention? I've recently moved from ios to android, and I find myself missing the "sort by date" view which the android version lacks.
I've tried the website, but on mobile, I really do prefer a local app, even if it's a spartan one.
Posted by: Jonathan Filbert | December 15, 2013 at 07:05 AM
Nice to have you back John, Next time I'm served mushroom I might think twice before swallowing.... although all the mushroom we eat come from the supermarket, one never knows....
I build my own computers and have had to re-install the OS many times to fix a goof. I am into Linux also, Ubuntu, but only fiddle with every now and then.
Terry - Hayward, CA
Posted by: Terry A. | December 15, 2013 at 07:39 AM
It's great to hear you're back! Thanks for all the music, and let me already wish you a Merry Christmas!
Posted by: Frank | December 15, 2013 at 08:44 AM
Good Grief! I wondered what happened to you. I am so glad you are all okay. I love mushrooms, but I've heard so many horror stories that I will never eat wild ones.
Posted by: Barbara Wolfsong | December 15, 2013 at 10:07 AM
Yikes!! So glad you're ok!
Dammerson Vaughan
Posted by: Dammerson | December 15, 2013 at 10:35 AM
Thanks everyone for your sympathy regarding eating bad mushrooms!
Regarding the mobile apps, I can report that we have two new iPhone apps coming out for Magnatune. One is a modern rewrite of the existing app (ie, so it runs faster and better) and another is a complete rethink, with quite a bit more features to it.
On the Android side, I really like the existing app (I hope you're ok with it!) but you're right, the "recent albums" feature is missing there, so I'll add it for a next-rev-feature list.
-john
Posted by: John from Magnatune | December 15, 2013 at 10:35 AM
Holy crap! I'm glad you two are okay!!
- Jerry J. Davis
Posted by: Jerry | December 15, 2013 at 10:52 AM
Ouch! Glad you both are feeling better now.
Posted by: Jean | December 15, 2013 at 11:01 AM
As a lover of picked-in-the-wild mushrooms myself: glad to see you alive :)
Posted by: Robin | December 15, 2013 at 02:00 PM
Sympathy and empathy. My wife and I had severe food poisoning from chicken one winter. Then the toilet blocked! Luckily the near neighbour was a retired cowman and he sorted the plumbing while we were exhausted prostrate.
Watched Hugh Fearnley "A cook on the wild side" and after he soaked the wild mushrooms the number and range of bugs, woodlice and wormy things that came out was startling. It ain't just bacteria.
Posted by: Mel | December 16, 2013 at 12:32 AM
glad you made it alive!
Looking forward new music discovery for xmas on magnatune :)
Posted by: pfelelep | December 16, 2013 at 04:03 AM