You're not going to let that stand are you?
A "musical roots" blog-entry, where you explain your infatuation with Elton John and have a YouTube-video with the Muppets? Is that going be the final entry on this site, your online diary of very many white pages?
No. I cannot let that stand.
Hmm. I know. I'll recommend a cultural experience from this century.
Silence should be broken with sounds. It should be no surprise that I have thing for french house. Yeah. During the last year, I've become a heavy fan of Welsh house, as well(!) At least, as funkily expressed by the young welsh DJ duo Vanguard. Over the last year, the songs and remixes they have on their soundcloud-page have been competing with Daft Punks Tron-soundtrack for most heavily played on my work playlist.
They've been releasing new stuff here and there over the last month or so. I am listening to a new lied, "Aurora", as I write this - a joyful light thumping beat built around a Michael Jackson sample.
It encapsulates two of the most important properties that I like about Vanguards music. It makes me happy, and it gives me energy.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Friday, August 31, 2012
Musical Roots - Elton John
In my sporadic blogging, I've had a tendency to pick fairly recent material to blog about.
That neatly elides the fact that many of my musical tastes were formed during the 80's and, in particular, the 90's. In the 80's, after having listened to all too many Beatles- and Rod Stewart-tapes, I had an extended period of awe of Elton Johns piano-playing - mainly since I started playing the piano myself during that age. The hit single "I Don't Wanna Go on with You Like That" from Reg Strikes Back, released in '88, was a firm favourite of mine during that period.
Yes. It is painful to watch now. And this is definitely not Elton John at his best. (Not only because he looks absolutely silly in that suit.)
Digging back into his back catalogue, I remember his come-back single from '83, "I'm Still Standing", being high on my hit list, as well. That actually holds up quite a lot better. It's more upbeat and even though there's a driving 4/4 beat it is rhythmically more interesting because of the extra little syncopated tap between the 4 and the 1 beat - seemingly giving the tempo an extra little kick every time.
These days, I tend to favour Bennie And The Jets as my favourite Elton John song. Here is a delightful little act from The Muppet Show with a snippet of Bennie And The Jets. Elton's voice is crisp and strong here. And he actually plays a nice piano with a good wooden sound, instead of those with a more 'electric' feel (for lack of a better word) that he tended to favour most of the time. According to The Muppet Wiki (yes!) it is from '77.
The final section of chorus, with the "Benny, Benny, Benny"-echo chorus of the dolls is golden.
That neatly elides the fact that many of my musical tastes were formed during the 80's and, in particular, the 90's. In the 80's, after having listened to all too many Beatles- and Rod Stewart-tapes, I had an extended period of awe of Elton Johns piano-playing - mainly since I started playing the piano myself during that age. The hit single "I Don't Wanna Go on with You Like That" from Reg Strikes Back, released in '88, was a firm favourite of mine during that period.
Yes. It is painful to watch now. And this is definitely not Elton John at his best. (Not only because he looks absolutely silly in that suit.)
Digging back into his back catalogue, I remember his come-back single from '83, "I'm Still Standing", being high on my hit list, as well. That actually holds up quite a lot better. It's more upbeat and even though there's a driving 4/4 beat it is rhythmically more interesting because of the extra little syncopated tap between the 4 and the 1 beat - seemingly giving the tempo an extra little kick every time.
These days, I tend to favour Bennie And The Jets as my favourite Elton John song. Here is a delightful little act from The Muppet Show with a snippet of Bennie And The Jets. Elton's voice is crisp and strong here. And he actually plays a nice piano with a good wooden sound, instead of those with a more 'electric' feel (for lack of a better word) that he tended to favour most of the time. According to The Muppet Wiki (yes!) it is from '77.
The final section of chorus, with the "Benny, Benny, Benny"-echo chorus of the dolls is golden.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Summer: Pics or It Didn't Happen
By popular demand - pictures, somewhat sorted and slightly cleaned up, from our lovely summer vacation:
 |
| Sommer 2012 |
Monday, July 30, 2012
Summertime
Well, that was a nice summer vacation plus a bit.
Choice bits:
Goblin Corps - a deliciously sarcastic and violent take on the fantasy-genre - only we're following the bad guys for once, a variety of half-witted and malicious goblins, who are generally trying to murder each other as much as the foes that they meet. Not rocket science, but exceedingly well-executed, and just plain laugh-aloud funny.
Ravenmark - a beautifully presented and well-told tactical wargame for the iPad. In the best tradition of the venerable, but best Warhammer tactical game Dark Omen, cutscenes tell a story that makes us care about the characters. I long for some kind of a zone-of-control system to allow me to control the battlefield more, but hey, well, it's the first game by a young studio (Witching Hour), and they seem to be thinking hard about the design challenges on a platform (the iPad), where I think that the gaming scene is still trying to find out exactly what it's going to be. I (and I'm not alone), think that the platform is excellent for brainy turn-based games (but then I would say that wouldn't I...)
Windswept at the Vesterhav -
Asbjørn, speed-junkie at 3 ½ -
And yes! You will note that I've had time for both gaming and reading. The incredibility...
Choice bits:
Goblin Corps - a deliciously sarcastic and violent take on the fantasy-genre - only we're following the bad guys for once, a variety of half-witted and malicious goblins, who are generally trying to murder each other as much as the foes that they meet. Not rocket science, but exceedingly well-executed, and just plain laugh-aloud funny.
 |
| Goblin Corps - by Ari Marmell |
Ravenmark - a beautifully presented and well-told tactical wargame for the iPad. In the best tradition of the venerable, but best Warhammer tactical game Dark Omen, cutscenes tell a story that makes us care about the characters. I long for some kind of a zone-of-control system to allow me to control the battlefield more, but hey, well, it's the first game by a young studio (Witching Hour), and they seem to be thinking hard about the design challenges on a platform (the iPad), where I think that the gaming scene is still trying to find out exactly what it's going to be. I (and I'm not alone), think that the platform is excellent for brainy turn-based games (but then I would say that wouldn't I...)
Windswept at the Vesterhav -
Asbjørn, speed-junkie at 3 ½ -
And yes! You will note that I've had time for both gaming and reading. The incredibility...
Monday, June 11, 2012
Tea Party Fail
It's Sunday morning. It's two-hours-too-early-o'clock. We're having a tea party. I'm barely awake, trying to maintain a coherent dialogue voicing Icebear, Little Bear, and Tigger - and sometimes, but seldomly, myself. We're sitting at the little blue table. Asbjørn is serving cups of tea, buns with honey and tuna (don't ask), and some Lego flowers, while being a generally likeable, but rather demanding host. I'm sitting beside the table, propped up on a pillow, so as to leave the little chairs for Icebear, Little Bear and Tigger.
Asbjørn says something introductorily along the lines of "Happy you're here. Now sit down and drink and eat my imaginary food and tea from my imaginary plates and cups." I make Tigger jump a bit around - over-enthusiastically as is his wont, and lisp "Wooohoo". Little Bear gets a bit scared as usual, and whimpers in a high-pitched voice.
I blink. Very, very slowly.
Apparently now the tea is being poured. I'm supposed to do something. I grumble something while waiving Icebear in the general direction of the imaginary tea-cup, bend him over the table and go "Mmmnnmmnnmnn."
Silence descends. I look up. Asbjørn is looking horrified at me and Icebear. I'm suddenly wide awake. I - or rather Icebear - commited some horribly faux pas.
Asbjørn finally manages to speak. "Dad...! Icebear just ate his cup!"
Fail. I accidentally employed the eating-sound instead of the drinking-sound...
Asbjørn says something introductorily along the lines of "Happy you're here. Now sit down and drink and eat my imaginary food and tea from my imaginary plates and cups." I make Tigger jump a bit around - over-enthusiastically as is his wont, and lisp "Wooohoo". Little Bear gets a bit scared as usual, and whimpers in a high-pitched voice.
I blink. Very, very slowly.
Apparently now the tea is being poured. I'm supposed to do something. I grumble something while waiving Icebear in the general direction of the imaginary tea-cup, bend him over the table and go "Mmmnnmmnnmnn."
Silence descends. I look up. Asbjørn is looking horrified at me and Icebear. I'm suddenly wide awake. I - or rather Icebear - commited some horribly faux pas.
Asbjørn finally manages to speak. "Dad...! Icebear just ate his cup!"
Fail. I accidentally employed the eating-sound instead of the drinking-sound...
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Knuckle Tattooes
On the periphery of my vision the movie Babylon A.D. is running on my really rather splendid tv-set. It's a Vin Diesel movie. His character has tattoes - faded letters - on each finger.
I grew up digesting every sci-fi novel in the little library in my provincial town. I'm willing to squint and overlook a lot when a sci-fi movie comes along. For instance, as far as I recollect I did enjoy Pitch Black a lot.
He seems to have a thing for sci-fi too. Quite effect-driven, cheesy, action-heavy, and, not-all-like-2001(-but-let's-be-honest-that-movie-was-also-a-tiny-bit-long)-movies.
However, this movie is - sadly - just bad.
... Oh yes. I should keep up appearances, shouldn't I? This is not new, but it is marvellously heart-warming.
I grew up digesting every sci-fi novel in the little library in my provincial town. I'm willing to squint and overlook a lot when a sci-fi movie comes along. For instance, as far as I recollect I did enjoy Pitch Black a lot.
He seems to have a thing for sci-fi too. Quite effect-driven, cheesy, action-heavy, and, not-all-like-2001(-but-let's-be-honest-that-movie-was-also-a-tiny-bit-long)-movies.
However, this movie is - sadly - just bad.
... Oh yes. I should keep up appearances, shouldn't I? This is not new, but it is marvellously heart-warming.
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