First heard David Byrne & Anna Calvi's version on KCRW, found out it is a cover of Keren Ann. And not of Marianne Faithfull's "Strange Weather", which is beautiful too...
David Byrne & Anna Calvi:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylBZmqY0Oag
Marianne Faithfull:
http://grooveshark.com/s/Strange+Weather+Live/3jrLql?src=5
Keren Ann:
http://grooveshark.com/s/Strange+Weather/4MC1o4?src=5
Monday, 23 February 2015
Sunday, 22 February 2015
Michael Ondaatje - "Anil's Ghost"
"Coomaraswamy points out that before eyes are painted there is just a lump of metal or stone. But after this act, "it is thenceforward A God." ... There is a ceremony to prepare the arficer during the night before he paints. You realize, he is brought in only to paint the eyes on the Buddha image. The eyes must be painted in the morning, at five. The hour the Budha attained enlightment. The ceremonies therefore begin the night before, with recitations and decorations in the temples.
"Without the eyes there is not just blindness, there is nothing. There is no existence. The artificer brings to life sight and truth and presence. Later he will be honoured with gifts. Lands or oxen. He enters the temple doors. He is dressed like a prince, with jewellery, a sword at his waist, lace over his head. He moves forward accompanied by a second man, who carries brushes, black paint and a metal mirror.
"He climbs a ladder in front of the statue. The man with him climbs too. This has taken place for centrueis, you realize, there are records of this since the ninth century. The painter dips a brush into the paint and turns his back to the statue, so it looks as if he is about to be enfolded in the great arms. The paint is wet on the brush. The other man, facing him, holds up the mirror, and the artificer puts the brush over his shoulder and paints in the eyes without looking directly at the face. He uses just the reflection to guide him - so only the mirror receives the direct image of the glance being created. No human eye can meet the Buddha's during the process of creation. Around him the mantras continue. May thou become possessed of the fruits of deed... May there be an increase on earth and length of days... Hail, eyes!"
"His work can take an hour or less than a minute, depending on the essential state of the artist. He never looks at the eyes directly. He can only see the gaze in the mirror."
Wonderful book. Dream like, at times, though its subject is at times horrifying. High up the general reading list, and definitely high up the reading-for-writing list. The momentum that was lost, was due to my own fault of reading too many things simultaneously.
"Without the eyes there is not just blindness, there is nothing. There is no existence. The artificer brings to life sight and truth and presence. Later he will be honoured with gifts. Lands or oxen. He enters the temple doors. He is dressed like a prince, with jewellery, a sword at his waist, lace over his head. He moves forward accompanied by a second man, who carries brushes, black paint and a metal mirror.
"He climbs a ladder in front of the statue. The man with him climbs too. This has taken place for centrueis, you realize, there are records of this since the ninth century. The painter dips a brush into the paint and turns his back to the statue, so it looks as if he is about to be enfolded in the great arms. The paint is wet on the brush. The other man, facing him, holds up the mirror, and the artificer puts the brush over his shoulder and paints in the eyes without looking directly at the face. He uses just the reflection to guide him - so only the mirror receives the direct image of the glance being created. No human eye can meet the Buddha's during the process of creation. Around him the mantras continue. May thou become possessed of the fruits of deed... May there be an increase on earth and length of days... Hail, eyes!"
"His work can take an hour or less than a minute, depending on the essential state of the artist. He never looks at the eyes directly. He can only see the gaze in the mirror."
Wonderful book. Dream like, at times, though its subject is at times horrifying. High up the general reading list, and definitely high up the reading-for-writing list. The momentum that was lost, was due to my own fault of reading too many things simultaneously.
Into the Wild (2007)
Finally watched it. Very impressive film about a guy following Thoreau's advice.
Friday, 20 February 2015
Tuesday, 17 February 2015
FilosofischeStilte - "Munch Palace vol. 1"
Wonky plonk electro, some instrumental, some with hiphop-ish voices. The latter less suitable for work. From the Hague.
Sunday, 15 February 2015
The Road (2009)
Gripping film about a Man and a Boy trying to survive a post-apocalyptic dying earth. Yes, the ending is slightly Hollywood but I didn't mind that much (only... why is it not explained they were followed but never contacted? And the missing thumbs?)
Dark, desolate.
Dark, desolate.
Wednesday, 11 February 2015
Rone - "Creatures"
Good instrumental electronic sounds. Good for closing off.
- "Quitter la ville": with lyrics, sung by François Marry), cool build-up
Saturday, 7 February 2015
Stoker (2013)
Great film. Nicole Kidman a killer role as usual. Must look into the soundtrack. Must play piano. Must learn how to tell a story.
Simon Killer
pretentious? not even sure. Just bad. The very closed up sound recordings of him sniffing, sniffing, sniffing...oh gee, was that to symbolize he is bad? Sorry I didn't catch that because the story was too slow, the cast was uninteresting.....
Friday, 6 February 2015
Dave Brubeck, Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, Louis Armstrong - "They Say I Look Like God"
Very slow gospel. Definitely not good for any random moment.
Etienne Jaumet - "La Visite"
http://www.dummymag.com/new-music/etienne-jaumet-la-visite-album-stream
- Metallik Cages - the familiar buildup of synths, with Shpongle-like vocals
Sunday, 1 February 2015
Shane MacGowan story - If I Should Fall From Grace
Cool documentary about Shane MacGowan and the Pogues. A life drenched in music and liquor.
Friday, 30 January 2015
John Coffey - "The Great News"
Pretty hard rock album. I seem to like the gentlier songs, like
- Jean Trompette - great ... trumpet
- It's Beginning To Change - quite the System of a Down vocals and orchestration
Thursday, 29 January 2015
John Carpenter - "Lost Themes"
themes indeed... this feels like a trip down 80s synth computer games. Or films. Strings galore. Not exactly breathtakingly good. Interesting.
He was a cult director as well? (and a soundtrack composer?)
He was a cult director as well? (and a soundtrack composer?)
Tuesday, 27 January 2015
65daysofstatic - "Drove Through Ghosts To Get Here" (One Time For All Time)
Post rock raw buildup, instrumental. Found through a swampy 8tracks playlist that mostly sported the usual. This sounded different though.
Monday, 26 January 2015
Roll the Dice - "Cause and Effect"
Long lasting synth soundscapes. Good for coding?
"Assembly" : a lot more slow and majestic rhythmical build-up into a crescendo of a soundscape.
"Assembly" : a lot more slow and majestic rhythmical build-up into a crescendo of a soundscape.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "Sins of my youth"
Soft, melancholy song. Have no idea where I heard it first.
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
Snowpiercer (2013)
In a world frozen over because mankind thought it could fix global warning, one train plows on and on. The tail, the foot, is dirty, dark, the head, light, happy.... Riots ensue.
Yes, its premise reminded me of that other film and yes it is just as amazing and perhaps better (I do have to see the other one again.) Amazing film, amazing story. This is why magic realism is so fucking brilliant.
Yes, its premise reminded me of that other film and yes it is just as amazing and perhaps better (I do have to see the other one again.) Amazing film, amazing story. This is why magic realism is so fucking brilliant.
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