A Path Through a Dune

Posted on March 19, 2023 by Stupidity Hole

I thought I’d shared this before but it would seem I am incorrect.
Anyway, here’s a path near La Perouse that looks like it is disappearing into the dune but I can confirm it isn’t… or is it?

This is my submission into the two hundred-and-forty-first Lens-Artists Photo Challenge. The theme for this one is “Spring“.

This was taken in spring and it looks like spring as seen in some parts of Australia, so I feel it fits.

The host of the Lens-Artists challenges cycles weekly between the following people:

Week 1 – Tina

Week 2 – Patti

Week 3 – Ann-Christine aka Leya

Week 4 – Amy

Week 5 – John Steiner

Week 6 – Sofia Alves

Week 7 – Anne Sandler

Week 8 – Donna

Week 9 – Guest host

Sofia is curating this one. The next one is curated by Anne.

I recommend participating in the challenges. They’re open enough to allow for a fair bit of thinking about approach and closed enough to keep focus on meeting the theme of each one. If you don’t participate, you should still check out what others of the Lens-Artists community are submitting.

I hope you enjoy.

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Alberich: Valkyrie

Posted on March 19, 2023 by Stupidity Hole

One listen for this one.

I queued up the song a while ago and then went through a bit of a cycle of remembering and forgetting that it was in my playlist. Recently I reorganised the playlist in part due to it needing some things removed as it’s a playlist I made for music I’m reviewing, and in part to get the songs I want to do this kind of writing about all grouped together rather than scattered throughout.

I went in without worrying too much about approach and I think it worked. This mostly came from the feel of the song more so than the sound, though the sound is in there, and I think it paid off. Not the best writing, but I think it captures the feel well.

Alberich’s “Valkyrie” is from A Second Is A Year.

I hope you enjoy.

—

Long draws a sound as eternal as it is not. It stretches through past, present and future, but remains only in the present and it slowly changes whilst remaining eternally static. Something else appears in brief moments whilst the drone continues its grows and this is a bleak and worn down space.

Dust is carried across ruin and wreckage and a pallid light barely penetrates the thick air. Something pounds in a distance, and it is massive and seems to signal something ominous and worrying. For a few moments it gains a response and something seems to rise on up and seems about to gain some clarity before disappearing.

Something else suddenly appears and stops before it too gains some clarity. That slight response returns and disappears again, and all is desolate and hopeless.

Twisting sounds, perhaps a memory of something that once was. Perhaps as all that is noticed as something is happening. It could be anything; it could be nothing, and the drone lowers and the pounding gains a moment of clarity with its brief response before moving into the distance once more. Sound rises and stops and the pounding disappears, and it is as though there is nothing left, or at least nothing as it was, and the sounds fade out as the song ends.

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Thinking About A Previous Job

Posted on March 18, 2023 by Stupidity Hole

I’m sitting here waiting for another evening shift to end and I find myself thinking back to my previous call centre job and the times I worked evening shifts there.

Sometimes I think back to that job and remember as to how it was, but – and I think I written about this before – there are times when I miss it, though it’d be more accurate to say that I miss the people.

Well, in a way I miss the environment, but it’s more the space than the environment generated by management, but anyway.

I remember times when I’d be writing in the last ten minutes of the shift and I’d be trying to get the writing done as quickly as possible due to when trains left the station at St. Leonards, or when I was cycling due to not wanting to be home a few minutes later if I could avoid it, as the place wasn’t the most pleasant.

I remember a lot of stuffing about and… well, that hasn’t changed much, but I do remember it happening and I remember a lot of aimless conversations that probably helped us get through working at that place a lot more than we may have thought at the time.

I remember looking out windows and wondering about workers in other buildings, though not all the time of course. I thought about the landscape and it would all disappear when it was time to head on home.

There were plenty of times when the cycle was easy but I never stuck to it enough to get as fit as I needed to make sure it was a continuous occurrence rather than something that happened here and there. I remember listening to a lot of emotionally heavy music on that cycle too, and I remember how when crossing The Sydney Harbour Bridge the temperature felt like it dropped more often than not due to various factors. I’m pretty sure it was mostly due to wind and being above a large body of water, but there’s probably more to it than those two things.

Sometimes I miss that place and I miss the people, even though there are some that I’m glad I don’t have to speak to anymore. It was a place where I felt I belonged which is not something I feel is something I should feel, but at the very least I felt I belonged there more than I do here, even though there are people here that are just as friendly.

Maybe it has to do with the transient nature of call centres. Sometimes you end up being someone who stays for a while, which I was at the last one and am at this one, but I think there were more people there who stayed than here.

I don’t necessarily miss those days. They had a time and a place and I got through them and there was some fun, but I have no desire to relive them as they already happened. I wonder as to what has happened to those I no longer talk to, and I wonder if we’ll ever cross paths again, and maybe we will, but only as faces among a crowd.

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Live Gratitude

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Stupidity Hole

This is a photo of one of the members of We Lost the Sea, one of the bands who were supporting MONO last week on Thursday. This photo wasn’t part of the gallery on Culture Eater, and that is due to trying to keep galleries at twenty photos so supports have less photos than the main band.

Not really much reason to mention that, but anyway…

So I like this photo as it’s a bit of an odd angle and it feels – at least to me – somewhat non-traditional for a gig photo.

I hope you enjoy.

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Hitoshi Sakimoto: Kind Friends

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Stupidity Hole

Two listens for this one.

Once more just trying to capture the song. Don’t think I did the best job. I think this would’ve worked better had I allowed more listens and not rushed, but that’s not the aim here.

Hitoshi Sakimoto’s (崎元 仁) “Kind Friends” (“やさしい友だち”) is from Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter‘s soundtrack, Breath Of Fire V – Dragon Quarter: Original Soundtrack. The soundtrack was also released as part of Breath of Fire Original Soundtrack Special Box a soundtrack collection of the soundtracks for Breath of Fire I through to V.

I hope you enjoy.

—

Strings rhythmically pulse, a quick fluttering of woodwind and more strings come in, crest and descend. Soon muted horn follows and a sadness comes through, as does a resolve to rise and overcome.

It all loops back and once that fluttering returns, and upon the drift a heaviness comes forward, and perhaps a remembering of a sense of innocence. Maybe thoughts turn inward, and there’s reflection. There’s a firmness in the belief that the right thing was done, and there are no regrets, and it all fades out as the song ends.

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Cars Pass the Park

Posted on March 16, 2023 by Stupidity Hole

Alright, so I took this shot with the intention of trying to frame a bit of the park with the background of traffic to make some sort of commentary about a place of rest and recreation not being quite when bordered by a busy road, but it didn’t quite turn out that way.

This is my submission into the two hundred-and-fortieth Lens-Artists Photo Challenge. The theme for this one is “The Road (most often) Taken“.

I think this fits the challenge due to showing roads with traffic in action. These are main roads and as such they often are busy. There are other roads to take, but these being one considered most direct they often see more use than quieter roads. Besides which, quieter roads won’t necessarily mean faster travel, even taking traffic into consideration.

The host of the Lens-Artists challenges cycles weekly between the following people:

Week 1 – Tina

Week 2 – Patti

Week 3 – Ann-Christine aka Leya

Week 4 – Amy

Week 5 – John Steiner

Week 6 – Sofia Alves

Week 7 – Anne Sandler

Week 8 – Donna

Week 9 – Guest host

John is curating this one. The next one is curated by Sofia.

I recommend participating in the challenges. They’re open enough to allow for a fair bit of thinking about approach and closed enough to keep focus on meeting the theme of each one. If you don’t participate, you should still check out what others of the Lens-Artists community are submitting.

I hope you enjoy.

 

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A Single Swan

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Stupidity Hole

There seemed to be something wrong with this swan. I think it may have been ill. Maybe it wasn’t, but it was behaving in a way that seemed diminished.

This is my submission into Leanne Cole‘s “Monochrome Madness” for this week. Participating is pretty straightforward and something I recommend. If you do, then include the tag “monochrome-madness” in your post.
If not participating, then at the least check out Leanne’s photography as well as what other people submit.

A lot of what people are submitting will likely end up here.

I hope you enjoy.

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MONO Live at Manning Bar 2023

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Stupidity Hole

Here’s my review of MONO regarding their show last week.
I feel like I could’ve written something more specific. I don’t feel like I did something that capture the performance well enough and instead touched on a general idea of how it was. Admittedly I wrote and edited all of this in about forty minutes, an hour as I was trying to rush through it, so that probably didn’t help.

Most of my interview and review work now appears on Culture Eater.
My colleague and I set up a Patreon to further develop Culture Eater as a source of good quality arts coverage from both ourselves and our contributors.

We’re looking at what we can give to supporters as we don’t want to set up a one way relationship, so suggestions are welcome. Podcast Eater is one of the things we’ve got going and (aside from the next few weeks) new episodes are available through there first.

Please consider supporting, or at least sharing the Patreon page with others. Please also check out what our wonderful contributors are contributing.

I hope you enjoy.

—

It had been too long between now and the last time MONO were performing in Australia, or at least it felt like it had been too long.

Kicking things off with a set of builds was Svntax Error. Gradually and steadily each member moved along with each other, finding a space to fill whilst pushing outward into the audience. Everything sat together nicely and there was an appreciable clarity to their sound. Nothing was too intense and the songs travelled well; it was a good way to start the evening off.

We Lost the Sea followed with a much louder, and in places more aggressive set. Their desire seemed to be around providing something more driving. As such, through various moves and forms of loudness, driving is what they provided. Requisite quiet moments provided a bit of breathing space, and overall their set displayed their technical prowess as a band.

When some people go to see a band touring in support of an album they want to see an album recreated faithfully; some people don’t, and some people don’t mind either way. Here MONO sounded how they do on their albums, but they sounded much better than that implies.

MONO were here to support Pilgrimage of the Soul, though it felt more like combining parts of that album, Nowhere Now Here and a few other congruent pieces, leading to an overall smooth setlist. Everything went off pretty well and it felt like a journey, or perhaps a statement of intent. Rises and falls in all the right places, strong group work, you get the idea.

The last time I saw MONO it was at The Metro. I said that probably the greatest thing about their performance was how emotionally moving it was. Their ability to emotionally sway was still there and still welcome; it’s something they’re quite good at doing. However, I think that at Manning it tied with presence.

MONO’s music is quite “wide” in many places. There was something about how it was there and happening at Manning that made it hit so much harder. Maybe it had to do with performing at a venue less vertical, so to speak, than The Metro, but the sound felt freer to travel more outward than upward. Through this and an absolutely tight and passionate performance, the songs grew into something monumental.

MONO themselves were firmly within the grasp of the moment, and they were welcoming the audience to be there with them. I’m fairly certain the audience was happy to do so; I know that I was.

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MONO Live at Metro Theatre 2020

Posted on March 14, 2023 by Stupidity Hole

MONO were the last band I saw before lockdown in 2020. Also the first band I’ve seen this year. Anyway, this review could’ve been much better. There’s a bit of sterility in the writing, but I think I did an alright job covering the show.

Most of my interview and review work now appears on Culture Eater.
My colleague and I set up a Patreon to further develop Culture Eater as a source of good quality arts coverage from both ourselves and our contributors.

We’re looking at what we can give to supporters as we don’t want to set up a one way relationship, so suggestions are welcome. Podcast Eater is one of the things we’ve got going and (aside from the next few weeks) new episodes are available through there first.

Please consider supporting, or at least sharing the Patreon page with others. Please also check out what our wonderful contributors are contributing.

I hope you enjoy.

—

As far as I’m aware, it had been a few years since MONO last played in Australia, which is a bit of a shame as they’re an excellent live act. Still, getting to see them occasionally rather than not at all makes it feel special; at least, that’s what I think.

This show was my first time seeing MONO and to be honest it was good.

Jo Quail kicked off the gig in with songs built around creating loops to layer the sounds she’d make on her cello. Once there was a solid foundation she’d play over the loops, shifting the tone and expansiveness as necessary. At times the songs became quite intense, though never to a point of being overwhelming.

The pieces Jo Quail played felt a little like journeys. They stretched out without feeling their length and had a good balance and flow. She would build and take away whilst keeping the whole set wholly inviting.

Jo Quail’s performance was strong, though saying that feels like an understatement. Hopefully she comes back sooner rather than later as it was an excellent experience.

Next up was Sydney’s Meniscus whom I can’t help but feel should’ve been the first act. Their performance was lively and energetic and it was great to see them become more active as their songs peaked. The visuals, whilst perhaps a little too small for the performance made for a nice touch. However, overall it felt like something was missing from the performance. The set was interesting and the performance was good. All the rises and falls in their songs came at the right points and the songs felt quite dynamic, but everything kind of lightly washed over everything instead of really hitting home. That said, the audience was appreciative and Meniscus put in a good performance, so it was nice to have them on the bill.

MONO were here in support of both Nowhere Now Here and their twentieth anniversary as a band. Whilst the set predominantly featured songs from Nowhere Now Here, it still felt like a celebration of the band’s career.

Once they took to the stage it was little time before MONO transitioned from “God Bless” to “After You Comes the Flood”. It sounded massive; much more so than on record which feels like an obvious thing to say, but this was a pretty big shift. When the song peaked, it was almost all-encompassing; MONO kept on building, seeming as though they wouldn’t stop. Eventually they let the sound crash over itself and let its mass spill forth even more so than before.

“Breathe”, a song more quiet and melancholic in comparison came next. It was a nice, gentle way to ease into what came after as it gave a bit of breathing space without dampening the set.

Essentially MONO opened in a highly dramatic way followed by a softer song, but that doesn’t say much as they’re a highly dynamic band. As the set moved on they let their softer sections breathe and relax; they played hard and energetically when moving to louder sections, bringing them forward as much as possible and increasing their impact. Whilst most of the band stayed seated, they still moved about when getting louder, almost as though the sounds they put forth caused them to instinctively react.

Last year I said that Nowhere Now Here is a bit bloated in parts. I still stand by that statement, but only when it comes to the album. In a live setting the songs didn’t feel as such. Maybe it had to do with MONO putting on a captivating performance that drew you in with ease. Maybe it was their ability to make each moment count. It might’ve been presence. Whatever it was, the songs from the album worked better live.

As far as a celebration of their career goes, maybe the set could’ve been more varied. Maybe. Whilst there was more new material than old, the selection gelled as much as the band themselves. They played as a cohesive unit, building off of each other and making sure that the songs fit together, and fit they did. It was a set that covered parts of MONO’s career whilst at the same time looking forward.

Probably the greatest thing about their performance, however, was how emotionally moving it was. It didn’t feel like MONO went for easy grab either; everything about what they were putting out felt genuinely touching.

Maybe it will be a while before they come back out, but hopefully it’s sooner rather than later.

 

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Rambling About a Public Intellectual Sharing Incorrect Information

Posted on March 13, 2023 by Stupidity Hole

So I’m going to be trying to not name names here but I’m sure that, given recent events in small circles some may be aware pretty quickly. Maybe all of you will; I don’t know. Anyway, with that out of the way…

Recently a person who is considered by some people as being an important person (and considered by others as being problematic) shared something on Twitter and made some implication that it could have to do with a political party. Technically someone else shared it and this person retweeted it with their own added comments, but that’s not the important bit.

It turned out that this thing was was actually porn. Now, I’m not completely certain, but I believe the original sharer corrected themselves, which is something. However, the person seen as important deleted it and, for lack of a better phrasing, walked away.

I think there’s a fair bit to unpack here, but something I wanted to focus on is how it’s a clear display of confirmation bias, and it’s something that a lot of us really need to think about much more often. It’s so easy for us to point fingers at something and think “Yep, that fits”, and a good chunk of the time it might not, but we don’t think to question it as it helps us reinforce an opinion of something or someone. It’s a good way to reinforce prejudice and hate just simply because we think something may or may not fit.

The other thing that I wanted to focus on is how we’re so willing to share things on social media and just accept them at face value. There is so much disinformation shared on social media but it’s easy to believe things there, in part due to confirmation bias, in part due to trusting sources that have no real backing. As such, it’s easy for us to buy into things when we should be thinking more about them.

I think that in this particular situation, this is someone who had a moment where they could have removed the post and admitted that it was not real. It was a moment for them to talk about how we can be mislead by things and that they were wrong. However, instead of that there was no follow up, or at least none that I could see. It’s a moment for reflection, and maybe they did. Maybe they did so privately which is well within their right. However, I think that if someone is considered a public intellectual and they’re willing to speak as though that description is applicable, then they have an obligation to engage in public discourse and openly admit when they get things wrong.

Of course they seldom ever admit to being wrong so I’m not surprised it didn’t happen this time. One has to be willing to be wrong and you have to be willing to let go of confirmation bias. Even if you gain information that doesn’t change your views due to its lack of strength, you still have to be willing to have what you know challenged. You don’t grow if you refuse to learn and engage. You don’t grow if all you do is reinforce prejudice.

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