So hey, what’s new
So I’m here at my first morning of GDC. I would publish a Work Links but even though I’ve been eye-achingly, head-scratchingly busy for the past month, I don’t have many links to show for it. A lot of my coolest work (including stuff in Edge #200) has been done with no byline. Other stuff – a press release for David Sylvian’s upcoming album, Manafon, which is one of the most engrossing and beautiful things I’ve ever heard – will run soon. So, if you stop by regularly, just know I’m keeping myself active and interested and busy as hell.
I’ll post goodies from GDC as I get ‘em. I’m going to do a couple of blog posts for the Onion AV Club, look around for story ideas, and of course, meet all kinds of people I’ve never seen in real life, a process that started yesterday morning when I ran into Darius “Tinysubversions” Kazemi and his colleagues right at Logan Airport. First business cards swapped. Achievement unlocked.
I also wrote a feature for the Wire alt-weekly about Kittery-based performance and art space Buoy. I’m really proud of this feature. I wish I’d given myself for more time to work on it, but this is a group of talented and lively artists who I’ve been following for a while, and it was great to speak with them about how they approach this awesome and “no proft” venture. If you’re traveling through Portland or Boston and you either want to see a show or book one, check the place out. The awesome Nat Baldwin plays regularly, and they’ve booked Dirty Projectors, Sister Suvi and Shapes + Sizes (who were both AMAZING), and Chriss Sutherland, and they have a show coming up in April with Mary Halvoron and Jessica Pavone. And a gallery show with Jacob Ouillette is on the calendar for April 3. Whatever you’re into, they’ll find a way to blow your mind.
And I wrapped up the Battlestar Galactica recaps. You can read them all here. Now that it’s over, (and now that I have my Friday nights back), I realize I’m really gonna miss that show. I don’t watch many shows but when I’m in, I get sucked into my fiction, and that was one of my favorites.
Too bad the ending was a dud.
Ah I have Edge #200 – any chance you could say which is your work?
Enjoy GDC!
dmosbon
March 23, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Hey, I was just glad to finally meet you!
Darius K.
March 25, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Hello Mr Dahlen,
I must let you know how much I envy you at the moment for having the opportunity to hear Manafon. If it isn’t too much trouble, would you mind sparing a few tidbits about the release? I know that many of the musicians involved are affiliated with Erstwhile Records. Could you give us some names of the players? I’d also be intrigued to learn of some of the song titles or lyrical content. I would completely understand if you can’t divulge that info quite yet, but it would be much appreciated if such were possible. Thanks, Brian.
Brian
April 7, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Does anyone else realize the irony that a guy who’s named his blog, “Save the Robot” criticizes BSG’s finale for asking us to be nicer to our robot pals?
Surely I jest. I enjoyed your BSG write-up, though I’m hoping to find someone who will convince me that those final 2 minutes were actually brilliant and that I was wrong. Still, 2 minutes out of nearly 80s hours ain’t bad. To me, the show was about its characters, and I felt like each one went out on a high note, so I was ultimately satisfied.
Jeffrey Matulef
April 9, 2009 at 5:27 am
Jeffrey – Heh, well. Re: the ending, Yeah, the “it’s the characters, stupid” line has helped carry a lot of us through, even though the plot and the themes left them behind in the last half hour. If you’ve heard the latest podcast, around the 15 minute mark Ron Moore lays out his original plan for the end of the show, and it makes for an interesting comparison. He didn’t find it as satisfying, but it does explain why there were so many loose ends in Season 4 (e.g., they armed Baltar’s cult with a specific storyline in mind – but then dropped the story).
Brian, I’m not sure when the album comes out or when the press release will be issued, but I can tell you he worked with a number of improvisers including Keith Rowe, Sachiko M, Evan Parker, Fennesz, members of Polwechsel, Otomo Yoshihide, John Tilbury … that’s off the top of my head. No percussionists. The basic arrangement is improvised backdrop with spare overdubs supporting Sylvian’s singing, and the basic setup won’t surprise anyone who’s heard, say, his track on that Fennesz album, but I find it even more engrossing. Lyrical themes concern the loss of faith, life as a quixotic, isolated individual, and creativity. I find it really powerful stuff. First single may be “Small Metal Gods” (I believe they’ll release a short film for it.)
Let me know what you think of it!
savetherobot
April 9, 2009 at 11:54 am
Thanks so much for the information and I will definitely share my impression of Manafon when it is released.
Brian
April 9, 2009 at 3:28 pm
I am sorry to be any trouble by asking another question, but a friend of mine had asked me to inquire in order to learn if a track called ‘Sleepwalkers’ will be included on Manafon. This song was included on the cd which accompanied the tour program for 2007’s The World Is Everything and since it definitely contains the ‘Erstwhile sound’, this person figured it was going to be a part of the upcoming release. Would it be any trouble to ask if you could please corroborate if her guess is accurate and also how many tracks are actually on the disc? Again, sorry to be a bother to you. I truly promise not to make a habit of this.
Thanks so much,
Brian
Brian
April 12, 2009 at 10:29 am
Brian, hey, no problem! Whatever I can do. That track is not on the album (and embarrased to say I don’t have the program, and haven’t heard that cut!). There are nine tracks. Again, not sure what the overall publicity plan is or when they’ll release the tracklist, but I’ll post the link as soon as it’s up!
savetherobot
April 12, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Thanks for the clarification. I definitely recommend checking out the samadhisound myspace website since they have ‘Sleepwalkers’ included on their streaming music player.
Sachiko Matsubara – sampler with sinewave / Toshimaru Nakamura – no input mixing board / Martin Brandlmayr – drums, marimba, vibraphone, computer / David Sylvian – vocal, keyboards.
Here’s the link : http://www.myspace.com/samadhisound
Brian
April 12, 2009 at 4:22 pm