Dream Theater at Wedding

I hate to sound like that kind of progressive metal fan... but... I just simply can't play as much Dream Theater at the wedding celebration as I would like, as most (40/41) would just not have had the exposure to really dig deep into the complexities of the band's music. I fear they would not enjoy it, whereas I would be lost in my own world, my body moving in joyful rhythm to the music. One song has definitely made it to the list though - The Dance of Eternity.

Prog and power metal down the road.

Morphica and company played the Civic tonight, it was great. Silent Knight were particularly enjoyable for me this evening, they really got me grooving as I stepped forward to the stage. Morphica played a little Symphony X, and performed so wonderfully well. The guitarist was most assuredly channeling John Petrucci.

Stormrider comes back in November, I look forward to attending..!

Earth Rot - Amplifier - 05/09/2014

Too intensely technical for wedding?

I don't think so...!

Song of the Silent Land - Live Review

Track listing

1. "The Sky Lay Still" – Elizabeth Anka Vajagic (6:22)
2. "Winter Hymn Winter Hymn Winter Hymn" – Do Make Say Think (4:54)
3. "Wool Fever Dub" – Exhaust (3:05)
4. "(Re)View from the Ground" – Hangedup (4:30)
5. "Toyte Goyes in Shineln" – Black Ox Orkestar (3:44)
6. "This Machine" – Sackville (4:57)
7. "Iron Bridge to Thunder Bay" – Silver Mt. Zion (8:12)
8. "String of Lights" – Sofa (5:33)
9. "Dreaming (...Again)" – Polmo Polpo (4:50)
10. "Slippage" – Re: (3:25)
11. "Tres Tres 'Avant' " – Fly Pan Am (5:10)
12. "Fair Warning" – 1-Speed Bike (5:03)
13. "See My Film" – Frankie Sparo (3:57)
14. "Outro [Live in Nantes]" – Godspeed You! Black Emperor (7:33)

---

Track 01. It's 4:56pm, Wednesday after a long work day in the Implant Lab - a 7am start. I have the night free from study and I've just opened Arrogant Frog - Syrah Rose. I have been waiting for a time to listen to this album, due to the fact it's been around a while, and of course I love GY!BE (who features on this album - a live (and to me - unheard) final track). This album also features favourites of mine: Do Make Say Think and... of course... A Silver Mount Zion. Everything else is new to me. I am just about to enjoy my first sip at 4:59pm. 

Track 02. I've added cheese, crackers, and quince paste to the mix. Volume to 41, very industrial. Very unappealing ending to the song - too loud for my ears.

Track 05. European Jewish folk music. I can't say I've ever actively listened to such music. 

Track ??. Took off my glasses because my eyes hurt and now I can't see where I am up to on the stereo CD player. It's pretty great though. 
(continued) It's incredibly good, it's worth the pain of lifting up my glasses (and glass) to see what track I am at. (It's Track 07). WELL OF COURSE, it's A Silver Mount Zion (now known just Silver Mount Zion for some reason). Oh.. wait... is it Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra now? Geez... consistency much?

Track 09. Getting side tracked by wanting to watch Devin Townsend live videos. Will resist. (continued) Oh, goodness, this track is very nice. It sparks dreams of getting away somewhere. A little mini-break. I am sipping gin and tonic and bathing in afternoon sun. Like mini-breaks, it doesn't last near as long as it should at only 4:50 minutes.

Track 11. It's 5:46pm and I am feeling very relaxed.

Track 12. I attempted to click skip on this track because there was talking, monologue that mentioned the Taliban the Americans, and warning me of funerals. Bit too intense for me on a Wednesday night. But I persevered. The music itself reminds me of certain friends and evokes attention to old memories of mine. Very NIN.

Track 14. Oh my... Godspeed arrived already? 5:57pm. Vol to 48. Haunting violin welcomes me. Ouch, my heart. I feel like I'm in bittersweet mourning of a life that wasn't mine. It is a joyful sadness. This is very Godspeed. 

---

Rating - I don't like ratings. One's mood changes so intensely from day to day, from night to night, that it feels very wrong to pass judgment on something when one's mood so directly influences the listening experience (in my experience, anyway). This album has been successful in providing a relaxing, meditative atmosphere in which to unwind. That being said, if you're after musical and perfection (like what I just heard on Track 14), then I'd say - skip the collection and just listen to Godspeed. 

Nick Cave - Friday 28th November - Fremantle Arts Centre

Oh Nick...

How many times have you healed the aching in my heart... not necessarily by making me feel better... but by making me feel so truthfully in agony. 

See you in November...

.

Possible Saturday with "Noughties Heavy Music 2000-2009" @ The Rosemount Hotel

Link to information: Rosemount Event. 

I am considering this event, as I would be rather keen on anything that would promise of good Strapping Young Lad and Devin Townsend Project covers... and with NIN, Tool, SOAD, MM, Porcupine Tree... why not. 

Most exciting purchase...!

In the end, I have chosen the following for my upcoming role in a Star Trek campaign (Medical Officer):

The expensive but totally worth it Drama Die, available at Paizo;

And 5x the Chessex Aluminum d6 - 

Archiving to reclaim browser tab space.

Moleskine Sale

Star Trek Medical

I have to find time to continue studying the medical equipment of the Star Trek world.

Space is the Place --- for dice

It's so hard to decide...

X-Files - Season 10

The comic guy at comiczone helped me out a great deal. I was on too much on a tight budget to go out to the city and spend, so I built up a lot of guilt that there had been an X-Files comic waiting for me for over a week... a fortnight... a month... then another issue was released. It was shocking. I was so lazy and so riddled with guilt. 

Anyway, I finally (as now being back in the basement) finally got over that ridiculously low social challenge and finally handed over my $21.63 that I was so stubborn about. I was happy with the transaction, and now I am able to continue the story of X-Files. What a time to be alive.  

Devin Townsend Band - Storm LIVE

A live performance so great, it is worth the bad audio quality. 

Orecchiette w/ broccoli, pine nuts

This book was a gift from S+S, It's big, beautiful, and bountiful of really wonderful recipes. I've learned from this book, and hope to continue doing so. 

Lots of oil and garlic. The pasta is boiled in the broccoli pot. 

Simmering this pasta sauce was incredibly lovely, it smelled glorious and I couldn't wait to mix everything together. 

The finished product... there are leftovers for tonight and I'm hanging out for it. Will definitely put this on the list of 'to serve at dinner parties'. So, if you want to try it.. hint, hint. 

A little note about the pasta used here (for interest's sake)... 

Orecchiette

"Orecchiette (singular, orecchietta), from orecchio (ear) + etto (small)) is a kind of home-made pasta typical of Puglia or Apulia, a region of southern Italy."

&

"In China a similar type of pasta is called maoerdo (cat's ears)."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orecchiette

Autumn / Early Winter Meals

I've been doing a lot of cooking lately in my little apartment kitchen...

Mind the teabags...

Zucchini cake with honey and Margaret River chocolate powder. Made for a friend's going away afternoon tea. 

A nice chicken lentil stew. I could live off this.

My second attempt at Japanese style fried chicken and omelette. Rice and omelette roll seasoned with Mirin, and served with an instant Miso. Oh... and some leftovers from the night before (which was a Chicken and Chorizo Paella)...

Vegetable Curry with Fried Noodles

This was a vegetable curry served to compliment some fried noodles I had been able to make from the cupboard stocks. It turned out really well and I am enjoying this style of food very much. I hope I can remember where to find the recipe...

Career change...?

My external tutorial task for my Public Health unit included a documentary viewing and analysis. The documentary is narrated by Brad Pitt, so naturally I imagine it's Louis from Interview with a Vampire somehow telling me a story for my tape recorder. Very effective study method.

Documentary series - 'Rx for Survival: A Global Health Challenge' - - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/rxforsurvival/series/video/ 

Ziltoid 2 - Universal Choir

Should I tag this as 'upcominggigs', maybe. Biggest gig of my career...! Haha!

Hey, Devin fans... so... maybe you know that Devin Townsend has put forward a call for people to record vocals to be a part of the next Ziltoid album?

http://universalchoir.insideoutmusic.com

I've been bragging to everyone about it for ages now... and now he is currently calling for submissions. The deadline is about a week away, and I wanted to share the project just in case you haven't heard about it yet.

Anyone already involved with Ziltoid 2? I hope to record my little contribution over the weekend. I've been practicing and listening to Devin a lot. I think it's a very cool thing to be involved with. It is like recieving personal lessons from the man himself as I practice in my study... 

Communication Breakdown

I am getting increasingly paranoid of phone calls and communication via my mobile phone.

Having the X-Files theme as my ring-tone does not help. 

Bedside Library

Woke up at 2:30am, had little emotional crisis, got up out of bed at 4am... and then I was here starting a draft of this post. Deciding between depressing movie (Norwegian Wood) or reading something in bed (probably a little more sensible), I went back to bed with a selection of what is currently set by my bedside:

UFOs: A Scientific Debate
by Thornton Page (editor), Carl Sagan (editor)

Image Link

The Good War 
by Studs Terkel

Charles Manson - Coming Down Fast
by Simon Wells

Image Link

Upcoming Gig - Finntroll @ Amplifier

Mail

I received a few really lovely things in the mail yesterday from all over the world. Feeling loved from Canada, Iceland and New Zealand. 

And yes - signed copy of the new Devin Townsend 'Casualties of Cool' album! It was my first ever 'pledge' item. I gave it a good listen to last night - it has a very intriguing sound - very different, but still very Devin. I look forward to further listens and definitely adding a few tracks to the wedding playlist (I've promised Ben that heavy Devy will not dominate the playlist too much)... maybe a little Ziltoid... (we dance to Ziltoid together in our loungeroom).

Winter sun.

The only time of year when I welcome a little sun (I'm still sitting in the shade though). My walk to the city library was beneficial for mind and body.

How I begin to wade the waters to new music genre territory.

During my young formative music discovery years, I had always been interested in the fringes of blues, jazz, and experimental, but wasn't really too sure how to approach it. I likened it to a sense of not being ready for certain aspects of the genres; complex rhythms, strong emphasis on sound, vast history and cultural significance, and the difficulties of knowing where to start.

I look for music fans that get so excited about their genre that they are excited to speak with you about it on a level deeper than most general music conversation. It is an approach that works well for me as I approach the doors of a new sound. I've been lucky in finding a few associations such as these in the past few years. 

One dear friend and future groovy sister helped me to become more familiar with the sounds I had a curiosity about; through dinner parties, gifts, CD lending, recommendations and open access to browse her (and my brothers) collection. I was able to 'weed out' sounds I wasn't really keen on - in effort to hone in on what I was really looking for. This search of mine led to the following that now rotate in stereo time and are a stepping stone to other alternative artists I hear from time to time on FM frequency radio. I find myself approaching the genres with a little more confidence having met and pursued that connection with an excited fan. 

Interesting Things - 05/2014

Space: Above and Beyond

A TV series that I would like to see. I was a big fan of shows made in the mid-late 1990's, as those were the one's I discovered in a frenzy and had a significant influence on my sci-fi interests today. These shows include X-Files, Animorphs,  Perhaps Space: Above and Beyond will be a good show to invest time in. 

Writing Inspiration - fantasy creatures roleplaying as humans

An interesting and fun concept to consider.

The SunFriend - UV Exposure Monitor

 
I have been dreaming of this technology for years now as I continue my on-going battle with the sun. I am so excited that it can finally be mine (link). The only problem is that it appears the watch only goes up to 11 on the UV scale. While this will only be useful for the time of year between Summer and Mid-Autumn, I still consider it a worthy investment. In Perth during the Summer peak, we get into alarming rates, as seen below:

Source: http://www.arpansa.gov.au/uvindex/monthly/perjan2014summ.htm

The World as 100 People

This was most interesting to view, as it put a lot of the public health goals and achievements to date into perspective. It offers an opportunity to view the world as a whole and really aids in my ability to visualise and theorise on the tasks that lie ahead in order to overcome the inequirites that is of current concern.

Those I considered most alarming:

• 12% no religion
• 7% have a college degree
• 70% can’t access the Internet
• 48% live on <US$1 a day
• 21% overweight – / 1% starving
• 15% undernourished
• 23% have no shelter 

Source: http://visual.ly/world-100-people

Metalgigs.de - Der Konzert & Party Kalender für Deutschland

With my German dictionary in hand and google.de, I was able to navigate my way through to this German metal guide. I was looking for something just like this to aid in my European travel goal of attending a few local gigs to really experience (as best as I can while visiting) the German metal scene at it's finest. I am trying to find similar bars to Amplifier & The Bakery - but I just know that with a little research, I'll find some places that are well beyond what I could ever expect. With the thrill of travel, the jolt from disrupted habits, and extreme levels of stimuli; I am certain that will influence the effect on any experience that I have, but surely the German metal scene has far greater offerings than Perth. I am so excited to see what's out there. l have so many fantasies that are played out in tune with the heavy reverberating vibrations of the music. 

Hatsumi's Haiku

Grotesque in nature
Thomas explores digestion
Sun does not shine here

~H

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

No matter the length of time, or the development of the self... Godspeed You! Black Emperor manages to creep in to assess, remind and expose me to deep emotions and how I am faring against these dark horses.

I looked to the moon the other night in awe, appreciation and wonder... only to be reminded that I have done that many times before in completely different situations. I was living single and alone in Canary Place. Sherwood was a tumultuousness and difficult, a vast and authentically sad experience. The sadness still triggers at my heart. Track 01. 06:00. 

I was seated at a lunch table. It was Honours year. I was with Nietzsche, my friend with Heidegger. He told me he had a Godspeed tattoo, it was devastatingly beautiful, Lifting Your Skinny Fists like Antennas to the Sky. 

I was so lucky to have seen GY!BE, with acceptance that I would never see them due to their isolation and long-term hiatus and by the fact I live in an isolated and distant city of foreign land. But... in February, 2013, I saw Godspeed in concert at Perth International Festival in the Chevron Gardens. It blew my mind. I met with my dear Philosophy friends for a drink, another drink and eventually we were standing eagerly and awaiting... predicting... and getting so very excited about the sound. 

It was perfect. The reality of the fantasy was far more beautiful and far more communal that I had anticipated, and I was thrown into this beautiful gig with a late Summer evening and $11 sparkling wine. The t-shirt cost me a fortune, but I wear it lovingly in bed. I listed to Godspeed on these lonely 2014 evenings, and it sends me in a spiral of self-awareness and soundtrack to a snapshot of how my emotional life is going. 

I just love your music, Godspeed. 

The World at War

Currently watching - The World at War - a well acclaimed documentary series about World War II. This particular snapshot was taken from E.03, 'Alone'. This newsreel scene was in subject to Britain's preparation for a German invasion. 

I am learning a lot, I am absorbing so much new information and valuing the high quality visual input. 

Oriental Pathfinder Game - Tzun-Fun and Hatsumi

Hatsumi was exhausted by the time she had settled into camp with her new companions. The months she had stayed in the village were long, fearful and quiet. The knowledge of having taken it too far was fresh in her mind, it was foolish to have stolen what she did, foolish to try and sway the feelings of such a powerful and dangerous man. The men she had taken before him were obvious in their weaknesses. They offered jewels, favours and social gains – so vulnerable and easy to influence with the aid of her companion, Ayami – the retired court lady that provided Hatsumi with the materials to offer more than just tea in her ceremonies to her unsuspecting clients.

Ah... tea… what a lovely thought for Hatsumi. Her collection of fine and imported teas had to be left behind when she departed hastily from the court house. Empress Teishi would most assuredly have sold them all by now, or perhaps had her collection put to waste as a statement of the betrayal left by Hatsumi’s devious nature. Hatsumi thought herself quite good at her subtle craft – of influencing men by ways of Ayami's magical tea leaves. If only she had not tempted fate by offering such tea to him…

Hatsumi stole a glance over the sleeping silhouettes of her traveling friends. She thought to herself in the dark of night… "I do not know these people so well… they serve me well as to provide me with a cover-story while traveling along these unknown roads… but how long until I am caught? How long until I can walk freely without fear?"

Hatsumi gently moved her hand to her dwindling coin pouch, almost smiling with guilty pleasure at the memory of a life she once enjoyed.

Weeknight Leftovers

So.. it's 6:30pm on a Tuesday evening. 
I am both with it, and completely out of what's going on at the moment.

Philosophically, I am thrilled to be experiencing this tumultuous time to really be 'living' life... but personally... I wish things would get to a more normal routine.

Amon Amarth - Twilight of the Thunder God

I have distinctly identified the case of my lapse into habitual coping mechanisms, but I am self-medicating with wine and Amon Amarth. I am listening to Twilight of the Thunder God, an authentic and emotional album that is musically superb. 

It is dusk outside, my city is just a stones throw away. I have on numerous occasions sat on the balcony with a beer or a rose, I get a little hazy... then I listen to this album...

Fuck yeah, Amon Amarth. 

06. Tattered Banners and Bloody Flags what a haunting melody, it deserves to be turned up 

10. Embrace of the Endless Ocean nothing to feel like you are completely alone and completely accepting of death

Paint it Black

I am listening to the Rolling Stones - Paint it Black - live at Hyde Park in 2003. It's mesmorising. I only wish I could connect this laptop to better speakers, I would enter into a world of you-tube browsing of well-renowned videos that can really help to shape this Friday afternoon. I am enjoying this more more at this current moment due to shared excitement with a friend of mine. She got her ticket to their upcoming tour in Australia.

But, it is still early. I am still trying to grasp onto productiveness. The music just makes it all that very much more better. 

The Crimson ProjeKCt

Anyone thinking of catching The Crimson ProjeKCt (associated with King Crimson) in a few months time? It's going to be pretty spectacular..!

I found a great list of live performances to share with interested audiences found here. They play Perth on the 2nd of July in Fremantle at the Fly by Night. 

A night with this much talent is going to be incredibly memorable and very worthy of one's time to attend. 

How long is a piece of string?

"You've betrayed your metal heritage."

A friend of mine said this to me last night as I sat there with my French cut and neat shoes at the end of a Fremantle pub quiz night.

UFO Cases of Note

Please allow me to share a few of the more intriguing cases of UFO activity that I've found due to late night browsing.


Pascagoula Abduction

Goiânia Accident

Phoenix Lights

Tehran UFO Incident

Songs in the Key of X: Music of and Inspired by the X-Files

This was a purchase that, despite being unemployed and drawing upon holiday savings, was absolutely necessary. I can't wait to add this to my CD library. 

$8.50 - second-hand from eBay. 

Songs in the Key of X


Update 8th August, 2014 - it's a great album. I play it all the time! Great for afternoon music.