Thank you for your time.
Monday, June 27, 2005
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Phew! What a weekend, dinner with the Ambassador and his charming wife on Friday night - the souffle had to be seen to be believed, followed by a night at the opera on Saturday - although we left halfway through when the drugs kicked in to go to a wonderfully quaint Gabba club for some gurning and further illicit drug taking... Oops, silly me, having a wildly imaginary social life again. What I meant to say was I did fuck all this weekend, unless you count playing videogames, listening to CDs and the odd trip to the gym as a social life.
I'm playing some odd games at the moment: Kirby's Canvas Curse on the Nintendo DS which involves prodding a little pink ball around various hallucinogenic levels whilst drawing little rainbow paths for him to roll about on, and I'm finding Forza motorsport on the XBox a very strange car racing simulator in that I spend an inordinate amount of time teaching an AI driver to do the races for me, rather than doing any actual racing
And then there is Final Fantasy X-2 on the Playstation 2, which can be really messed up - Final Fantasy X was set in a world threatened by a giant flying demon whale called Sin, one of the main characters was dead, another one was the dream of a dream (or something) and Yuna (one of the characters who crosses over to Final Fantasy X-2) was this straight-laced priestess who's job was to Shepherd the souls of the dead to the afterlife and who also had a sideline in summoning demonic entities to aid your party. What does she do in the sequel? Well obviously she becomes a globe-trotting treasure hunter who also is a Pop-singer on the side. Eh?!
The whole game has this weird Charlies Angel vibe (the main characters are all 'kick-ass' girls), it has a cheesy disco-funk-jazz soundtrack, all the male characters seem to have issues with there sexuality, and frankly I haven't got a clue what's going on most of the time. I just have this uncomfortable feeling it would be better appreciated whilst wearing make-up... Very odd.
Got a couple of CDs this weekend: another 80s 12" compilation and continuing my tradition of for one reason or other owning each Nine Inch Nails album twice I have another version of With Teeth - you may now refer to me as Trent Reznor's bitch. Still, you've got to love a band that can still dish out this level of abuse to there instruments. Anway, more details over here.
Finally, I managed to find the torrent to the pilot of the TV version of Warren Ellis's Global Frequency, damn shame it's not going to be made into a full series. I suggest you check out Frequencysite.com to check out how good this could have been.
I'm playing some odd games at the moment: Kirby's Canvas Curse on the Nintendo DS which involves prodding a little pink ball around various hallucinogenic levels whilst drawing little rainbow paths for him to roll about on, and I'm finding Forza motorsport on the XBox a very strange car racing simulator in that I spend an inordinate amount of time teaching an AI driver to do the races for me, rather than doing any actual racing
And then there is Final Fantasy X-2 on the Playstation 2, which can be really messed up - Final Fantasy X was set in a world threatened by a giant flying demon whale called Sin, one of the main characters was dead, another one was the dream of a dream (or something) and Yuna (one of the characters who crosses over to Final Fantasy X-2) was this straight-laced priestess who's job was to Shepherd the souls of the dead to the afterlife and who also had a sideline in summoning demonic entities to aid your party. What does she do in the sequel? Well obviously she becomes a globe-trotting treasure hunter who also is a Pop-singer on the side. Eh?!
The whole game has this weird Charlies Angel vibe (the main characters are all 'kick-ass' girls), it has a cheesy disco-funk-jazz soundtrack, all the male characters seem to have issues with there sexuality, and frankly I haven't got a clue what's going on most of the time. I just have this uncomfortable feeling it would be better appreciated whilst wearing make-up... Very odd.
Got a couple of CDs this weekend: another 80s 12" compilation and continuing my tradition of for one reason or other owning each Nine Inch Nails album twice I have another version of With Teeth - you may now refer to me as Trent Reznor's bitch. Still, you've got to love a band that can still dish out this level of abuse to there instruments. Anway, more details over here.
Finally, I managed to find the torrent to the pilot of the TV version of Warren Ellis's Global Frequency, damn shame it's not going to be made into a full series. I suggest you check out Frequencysite.com to check out how good this could have been.
Haven't we heard this before?
12"/80s/2
The people behind the 80s/12" collection that I got a while ago are back with an equally excellent sequel. Once again they've compiled a 3 disc set of full on 80's overload and proto-dance music that once I put my music snobbery to one side is thoroughly enjoyable. The track I've decided to post probably exemplifies 80's remix culture to a tee: completely over the top use of samples, stretches the length of the track to breaking point, and some classic Roland synths and drum machines. Ladies and Gentlemen I give you INXS...
MP3: Need You Tonight (Liebrand 12' Mix)
Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth (Limited Tour Edition)
Yes I know, I already own With Teeth, there is a good reason for buying it again though. This edition comes with a bonus DVD which includes, amongst other extras, the album remixed in 5.1 dolby surround sound. So what's it like to listen to?
Well, everything is a lot more spread out, induvidual synth pad type effects that blend into the normal stereo mix now have there own space and are much easier to pick out from there own mix. It also breathes a bit of extra life into some of the simpler sounding songs such as Getting Smaller whose guitars now swirl all over the place in quite an impressive way. Is it worth buying again though? Not sure, to be honest I prefer to listen to music from my MP3 player, I like having my own portable private space to lock myself away in. With this DVD you have to make an effort and sit down to listen to it; also with my surround system, like many others I guess, theres a certain sacrifice that has been made to the midrange sound spectrum. So I guess the jury is out.
It does however give me chance to post another song from the album, for some reason I've found myself listening to Sunspots alot, not sure why. The lyrics are a bit lacking, but at the same time I keep finding myself identifying to them the most. Plus it's got some weird falsetto singing from El Rezzo and a great synth driven chorous, anyway enjoy the song - not sure how long it will be up for. (Feel free to leave a comment this time, last time I posted a song from this album I noticed that an awful lot of people downloaded it, but not one single comment!)
MP3: Sunspots
12"/80s/2
The people behind the 80s/12" collection that I got a while ago are back with an equally excellent sequel. Once again they've compiled a 3 disc set of full on 80's overload and proto-dance music that once I put my music snobbery to one side is thoroughly enjoyable. The track I've decided to post probably exemplifies 80's remix culture to a tee: completely over the top use of samples, stretches the length of the track to breaking point, and some classic Roland synths and drum machines. Ladies and Gentlemen I give you INXS...
MP3: Need You Tonight (Liebrand 12' Mix)
Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth (Limited Tour Edition)
Yes I know, I already own With Teeth, there is a good reason for buying it again though. This edition comes with a bonus DVD which includes, amongst other extras, the album remixed in 5.1 dolby surround sound. So what's it like to listen to?
Well, everything is a lot more spread out, induvidual synth pad type effects that blend into the normal stereo mix now have there own space and are much easier to pick out from there own mix. It also breathes a bit of extra life into some of the simpler sounding songs such as Getting Smaller whose guitars now swirl all over the place in quite an impressive way. Is it worth buying again though? Not sure, to be honest I prefer to listen to music from my MP3 player, I like having my own portable private space to lock myself away in. With this DVD you have to make an effort and sit down to listen to it; also with my surround system, like many others I guess, theres a certain sacrifice that has been made to the midrange sound spectrum. So I guess the jury is out.
It does however give me chance to post another song from the album, for some reason I've found myself listening to Sunspots alot, not sure why. The lyrics are a bit lacking, but at the same time I keep finding myself identifying to them the most. Plus it's got some weird falsetto singing from El Rezzo and a great synth driven chorous, anyway enjoy the song - not sure how long it will be up for. (Feel free to leave a comment this time, last time I posted a song from this album I noticed that an awful lot of people downloaded it, but not one single comment!)
MP3: Sunspots
Friday, June 24, 2005
Thursday, June 23, 2005
How to make comic book films right part 2
If you are dealing with a big franchise that concentrates on one main character like say... Batman for example, then don't be tempted to make the inevitably over the top villains the centre of attention. Also, why not add a hint of realism in there, and why not spend some quality time examining how and why an seemingly intelligent person would want to start dressing as a giant flying rodent.
Well would you believe it, that's exactly what they've done with Batman Begins. I'm impressed...
If you are dealing with a big franchise that concentrates on one main character like say... Batman for example, then don't be tempted to make the inevitably over the top villains the centre of attention. Also, why not add a hint of realism in there, and why not spend some quality time examining how and why an seemingly intelligent person would want to start dressing as a giant flying rodent.
Well would you believe it, that's exactly what they've done with Batman Begins. I'm impressed...
Monday, June 20, 2005
Spent most of yesterday somewhere in this big circle...
The reason? Well, along with about 60,000 other people I was there to sit in the sun, drink alcohol and watch Green Day.
It was sort of a mini festival, started off with a band called Hard Fi from Staines, West London (ahem... lads, just because Staines is inside the M25 doesn't make it London!) - they we're OK in a dubby, heavily influenced by the Clash way, thought they did a jolly good cover version of Seven Nation Army but besides that I can't remember a huge amount.
Next up was a band called Taking Back Sunday (very apt name), they we're a fairly excitable bunch of young scamps who had some reasonably entertaining banter but I can't really remember any of the songs.
Jimmy Eat World was next, I've got a bit of a soft spot for this band and there brand of Emo, however live they are pretty boring. Which is a shame as I really wanted to like them.
Finally we have Green Day. Now I'm not a fan really, my exposure to Green Day comes from bouncing around to Basketcase at University Rawwwk Nights and listening to there new album from some elses leaky headphones, but I thought they were excellent - whether you like the music or not you can't fault the showmanship, they really pulled out the stops: lots of loud pyrotechnics, some full on audience participation including getting three very nervous looking kids from the audience to replace the band. I've just got two questions, when did they get so big? and what's up with Billie Joe's voice? He sounds completely different when he speaks than when he sings.
The reason? Well, along with about 60,000 other people I was there to sit in the sun, drink alcohol and watch Green Day.
It was sort of a mini festival, started off with a band called Hard Fi from Staines, West London (ahem... lads, just because Staines is inside the M25 doesn't make it London!) - they we're OK in a dubby, heavily influenced by the Clash way, thought they did a jolly good cover version of Seven Nation Army but besides that I can't remember a huge amount.
Next up was a band called Taking Back Sunday (very apt name), they we're a fairly excitable bunch of young scamps who had some reasonably entertaining banter but I can't really remember any of the songs.
Jimmy Eat World was next, I've got a bit of a soft spot for this band and there brand of Emo, however live they are pretty boring. Which is a shame as I really wanted to like them.
Finally we have Green Day. Now I'm not a fan really, my exposure to Green Day comes from bouncing around to Basketcase at University Rawwwk Nights and listening to there new album from some elses leaky headphones, but I thought they were excellent - whether you like the music or not you can't fault the showmanship, they really pulled out the stops: lots of loud pyrotechnics, some full on audience participation including getting three very nervous looking kids from the audience to replace the band. I've just got two questions, when did they get so big? and what's up with Billie Joe's voice? He sounds completely different when he speaks than when he sings.
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Phil's top tip: Don't watch Chris Cunningham's Rubber Johnny if you are in the least bit squeamish about shape shifting naked mutants. Got the DVD this morning, probably should have waited until my hangover had subsided before approaching the film, or even before I'd opened the book that comes with the DVD - there are lot's of... what's the word? 'worrying' pictures of what may or may not be areas of the body where the sun doesn't normally shine... I think if Mr Cunningham ever gets round to making a feature length film he could do some serious mental damage - I look forward to that.
More film stuff, I got round to seeing Sin City last week, I was going to do a bit of a Sin City spoof post to celebrate it's release but obviously never got round to it. Let me just say I was really pleased with it, finally someone has worked out how to film a comic book - it's not difficult, you just have to literally 'film the book'. Keep the styling, the internal monologues, you've got a storyboard already drawn up there in the form of the comic book panels: use it! Thankfully Robert Rodriguez understands this too and he's completely nailed this film, possibly his finest work since Spy Kids.
Another thing before I get back to my evening of videogames and self-loathing. I have a confession... I've been smoking on and off for the past couple of weeks. No excuses this time, it's all my own fault. It stops now though, OK? We don't need to mention this again do we?
And finally, here's some pictures of Matt falling asleep - it's quite a skill, he can go from mildly tipsy to full blown catatonic drunk in the blink of an eyelid. I'm sure it will come in useful one day.
More film stuff, I got round to seeing Sin City last week, I was going to do a bit of a Sin City spoof post to celebrate it's release but obviously never got round to it. Let me just say I was really pleased with it, finally someone has worked out how to film a comic book - it's not difficult, you just have to literally 'film the book'. Keep the styling, the internal monologues, you've got a storyboard already drawn up there in the form of the comic book panels: use it! Thankfully Robert Rodriguez understands this too and he's completely nailed this film, possibly his finest work since Spy Kids.
Another thing before I get back to my evening of videogames and self-loathing. I have a confession... I've been smoking on and off for the past couple of weeks. No excuses this time, it's all my own fault. It stops now though, OK? We don't need to mention this again do we?
And finally, here's some pictures of Matt falling asleep - it's quite a skill, he can go from mildly tipsy to full blown catatonic drunk in the blink of an eyelid. I'm sure it will come in useful one day.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
So how long do you think it will take for the inevitable re-release of some sort of special - "Look! I don't fuck little boys, honest! I've got a bit a paper to prove it and everything" - edition of Thriller?
Sunday, June 12, 2005
One minute I'm watching a prositute being thrown out of the Big Brother House from the viewpoint of a strangely empty bar in Woking on Friday night, the next minute it's almost 11pm on Sunday and I'm watching a dodgy copy of the 1966 version of Batman on my laptop.
Not entirely sure wat happened to the rest of the weekend. Anyway, here's some metal.
Not entirely sure wat happened to the rest of the weekend. Anyway, here's some metal.
Monday Morning Metal...
Lair of the Minotaur - Carnage
As regular readers/downloaders may have notice I've been going through a bit of a metal resurgence lately. Most of the time though its very leftfield stuff, things like the drone metal of Earth and Sunn0))) to more 'progressive' metal like Isis and Pelican, and then there is the 'sort-of/kind-of' metal of Old Man Gloom and Jesu. This CD however is about as traditional as you can get, taking bands like Slayer and maybe some of the early Earache death metal stuff like Boltthrower as a template. But it's not a pale imitation, this band has clearly been studying what metal is all about and has come up with something refreshing pure that anyone who went through a metal phase can happily enjoy.
MP3: The Wolf
Lair of the Minotaur - Carnage
As regular readers/downloaders may have notice I've been going through a bit of a metal resurgence lately. Most of the time though its very leftfield stuff, things like the drone metal of Earth and Sunn0))) to more 'progressive' metal like Isis and Pelican, and then there is the 'sort-of/kind-of' metal of Old Man Gloom and Jesu. This CD however is about as traditional as you can get, taking bands like Slayer and maybe some of the early Earache death metal stuff like Boltthrower as a template. But it's not a pale imitation, this band has clearly been studying what metal is all about and has come up with something refreshing pure that anyone who went through a metal phase can happily enjoy.
MP3: The Wolf
Wednesday, June 8, 2005
Went to see It's All Gone Pete Tong last night. It's a funny old film, starts off all Spinal Tap (DJ goes deaf - hilarity ensues) but ends up as more of a poignant feel good film (DJ goes deaf - overcomes his disability to become successful again, plus gets the hot deaf girl up the duff), with the a strange bit in the middle with a badger dressed as a fairy as some sort of metaphor for his drug addiction (this bit didn't really work for me). Despite the scattershot approach I thought it wasn't too bad a film, there are worse ways to spend a Wednesday night.
Sunday, June 5, 2005
Still not watching Big Brother, although I'm quite tempted to after reading this quote from the newly evicted 'witch'.
I think collectively we are disgusting people and I think this is the worst Big Brother
Some honesty! More on television in a moment.
First up can someone explain to me why I haven't heard of this film called Survive Style 5+? It appears to have it all - directed by some mad Japanese Director with absolutely no respect for colour. Plenty of stylish fighting, a bloke pretending to be a chicken, a camp hypnotist who dresses as a rabbit, some woman who can launch her forearm like a rocket, and Vinnie Jones whose main purpose seems to be to menacingly intone "What is your purpose in loif?!" before violently stabbing people. It looks brilliant - pure punk rock! And the reviews on IMDB seem to back me up on this one, it has been ordered so hard my credit card has whiplash.
Back to television - Channel 5 are going to start showing a series that I've been enjoying thanks to the magic of BitTorrent. It's called House - on the surface it's a standard American medical drama, but I really enjoyed it. Each epsiode plays out more like a Crime series with the doctors acting more like detectives - makes you think a bit - and I liked the main character Dr Gregory House (played somewhat suprisingly by Hugh Laurie with a really odd American accent) who comes across as a bitter twisted man who always seems to be vaguely annoyed that he's essentially a nice bloke. I sense a bit of projecting going on there...
I think collectively we are disgusting people and I think this is the worst Big Brother
Some honesty! More on television in a moment.
First up can someone explain to me why I haven't heard of this film called Survive Style 5+? It appears to have it all - directed by some mad Japanese Director with absolutely no respect for colour. Plenty of stylish fighting, a bloke pretending to be a chicken, a camp hypnotist who dresses as a rabbit, some woman who can launch her forearm like a rocket, and Vinnie Jones whose main purpose seems to be to menacingly intone "What is your purpose in loif?!" before violently stabbing people. It looks brilliant - pure punk rock! And the reviews on IMDB seem to back me up on this one, it has been ordered so hard my credit card has whiplash.
Back to television - Channel 5 are going to start showing a series that I've been enjoying thanks to the magic of BitTorrent. It's called House - on the surface it's a standard American medical drama, but I really enjoyed it. Each epsiode plays out more like a Crime series with the doctors acting more like detectives - makes you think a bit - and I liked the main character Dr Gregory House (played somewhat suprisingly by Hugh Laurie with a really odd American accent) who comes across as a bitter twisted man who always seems to be vaguely annoyed that he's essentially a nice bloke. I sense a bit of projecting going on there...
Friday, June 3, 2005
cheerful Friday music...
Swans - Swans are Dead
Think this could be the last Swans album I need. It's a double CD of two live shows from latter era Swans recorded in 1995 and 1997 where they chilled out ever so slightly... very very slightly. It's still pretty brutal stuff - case in point this little number sung by Jarboe, enjoy:
MP3: Yum Yab
Carissa's Wierd - Songs About Leaving
A proper Carissa's Wierd album this time, it's lovely. It's all gentle piano's, plucked guitars, mournful violin and sad sad vocals - it's got a similar feel to another one of my favourite bands Sophia, although maybe without the crushing emotion and a little less country about it. Plus they have very good song titles.
MP3: Sofisticated Fuck Princess Please Leave Me Alone
Swans - Swans are Dead
Think this could be the last Swans album I need. It's a double CD of two live shows from latter era Swans recorded in 1995 and 1997 where they chilled out ever so slightly... very very slightly. It's still pretty brutal stuff - case in point this little number sung by Jarboe, enjoy:
MP3: Yum Yab
Carissa's Wierd - Songs About Leaving
A proper Carissa's Wierd album this time, it's lovely. It's all gentle piano's, plucked guitars, mournful violin and sad sad vocals - it's got a similar feel to another one of my favourite bands Sophia, although maybe without the crushing emotion and a little less country about it. Plus they have very good song titles.
MP3: Sofisticated Fuck Princess Please Leave Me Alone
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