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..!

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... 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.