Nature, traps and escape in songs from R.E.M.’s ‘Green’ album (1988) 1991 was when I first heard R.E.M. spearheaded into my consciousness via breakthrough single ‘Losing My Religion’, a song that blasted the band into the mainstream. While there had been early TV appearances, they were part of an alternative rock scene that was almost […]
Gruff Rhys, former front man with Super Furry animals has a new solo album coming tomorrow! (21st May) ‘Seeking New Gods’ and there’s a really lovely tune from that at the end of this piece. I’ve followed Gruff’s work in and out, from the wonderful ‘American Interior‘ from 2014 the lead song of which certainly […]
While not having much of a history of watching videos of this kind, I have recently seen some very interesting (and very different) recordings of ‘timelapse builds’ in the wild or outdoors, which lead out to a couple of interview videos where people are living with permaculture (in one instance) in a cob built house […]
A little while back this section of the Guardian featuring Sleaford Mods‘ Jason Williamson’s Cultural highlights caught my attention, especially his praise for the 2017 album ‘Party’ by singer songwriter Aldous Harding (Hannah Sian Topp of New Zealand). It led to seeing a couple of Harding’s videos and the fascinating way that dance is used […]
I’ve touched before on the use of electronic music in film soundtrack, something which at its best generates a sense of possibility for feeling and experiencing that takes the mergent synthesis (moving images and sound) to a different kind of place. Of course this can be said for all the best productions in this area […]
By way of Jay Griffiths, Wes Anderson, Rosie Swale Pope I’ve been working on an album of songs under the name Solar Violet for a number of years and the sound element has been finished for a good while now. While the album has been mastered by the peerless James Dunn of Cafe Oto, there […]
Following the last post, John Brown (Bass Player and 3D animator) sent this video through from Youtuber Ogmios and it is such a treat. Partly a car based exploration of parts of North London, with its unique socio-cultural communities and partly a meditation on road etiquette. It is a reminder that it is possible to […]
Images of the city cycle One of the unanticipated impacts of Covid and lockdown has been to change the relationship with the spaces of the cities where many of us live. Like so many people, when Covid first hit and the UK went into lockdown in March for the next few months I was stuck […]
A friend introduced me to The Eric Andre show a few years ago, but only recently I encountered it again through its segmented Youtube presence, realising just how much of an achievement it is. Its interesting that Adult Swim, a late night programming node of Cartoon Network has spawned two of the most rupturous programmes […]
‘Realising that you are the dream figure in another person’s dream, that is self awareness…’ Timothy Levitch (Waking Life). * Part 1 The final episode ‘Fall Out’ – is where transformation through abstraction in the Prisoner becomes most vital. It would appear very much as if the techniques and approaches of Surrealism are at work, […]
Encountering the videos (mostly drum covers) from gregarious 10 year old Yoyoka Soma has definitely been one of the turn ups of lockdown for me, especially as it is often a treat to read comments from middle aged drummers agog at her displays. What they seem particularly struck by aside from her obvious technical prowess […]
heightened role of abstraction in Patrick McGoohan’s mind bending and untimely 60’s TV series In terms of its narrative across the 17 episode run first transmitted in 1967, The Prisoner pitches us immediately into one scenario; containment in the mysterious and treacherous Village. A secret and unknown prison of location where the inmates are interred […]
I was lucky enough to have this shared with me today by Folders Arrangements. Its a 2015 mural ‘Spirale‘ from Italian street artist Blu in an area; Ponte Mammolo in Rome. An Italian street artist living in Bologna who began and flourished initially with a group of other street artists, beginning around the turn of […]
As I do not generally keep up with music news, it came as some surprise to learn that Shawn Smith singer with bands such as Satchel, Pigeonhed and Brad (as well as a solo artist) had died 11 months ago. I first became aware through listening to ‘Shame’ by Brad, a 1993 album from a […]
’18 Musicians’ and facets of the music of Steve Reich I realised a new version of the album Music for 18 Musicians had been released on vinyl in December! A live recording from Tokyo in 2008 and despite one or two minor sonic hiccups, it is a fabulous release, prompting intensive re-listenings and this piece […]
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