I want to live like... an Orthodox Caveman?

Can't say I ever saw Mr Cocker as an aficionado of doom...

I'm so going! Partly for some good old fashioned, ear drum destroying, bowel rupturing doom; partly as I really want to know what a Satanic Polyphonic Spree looks like (although The Polyphonic Spree seem to have turned into some sort of Nazi Death Cult nowadays so I've got a fair idea); and partly as I like to think there is the very slim possibility of a frankly unique version of Common People being performed.

More info about Jarvis Cocker's Meltdown festival here.

If you would like to know what SunnO))) sound like live here is Hallow-Cave from La Mort Noir dans Esch/Alzette. It is rather a large file, 30MB in total, and I feel that I must warn you, the ultimate instrument in sonic doom is involved: the trombone.

Must be listened to loud, or the Gods of Metal will be angry and probably want to do some smiting.

This website is called darthphil.com after all..

Besides flicking through this book, or should I say "Geek wanking material", this weekend I have mainly been watching Peep Show, thanks to the joys of DVD box sets.

That is all.

Public Service Announcement for Metalheads

If you are not interested in doom/drone metal look away now.

This is why there are a bunch of SunnO))) tracks in my last.fm recently listened to tracks at the moment.

Aren't they beautiful? Japanese SunnO))) import CDs; White1, White2 and Black One each released with extra discs that were originally released as tour only discs. 7 discs of quality, quality drone metal. I got them via Inoxia Records (click on the English mail order list, and then the Daymare Recordings link), they handle Japanese versions of Hydrahead and Southern Lord releases and seem pretty reliable to me.

I'm going to get the Khanate CDs next. And speaking of Khanate, there very hard to find It's Cold When Birds Fall From The Sky CD is going to get re-released via aRCHIVE recordings soon, I live in hope that Earth's LiveHex will get a similar treatment.

Something else to keep an eye out for is what seems to be a new SunnO))) CD called Oracle:


Apparently a pneumatic drill may be involved in the recording of this one...

Reading List

I had this half-hearted idea this month to try to read more as I've got a big pile of books next to my bed which I haven't been able to finish. Trouble is my quality reading time basically consists of train journeys and those are being filled up quite nicely with a horrifying addiction to Puzzle Quest.

Anyway, rather than sitting on this post forever I thought I'd just go for it and let you know about my reading list:

1. The Time Traveler's Wife

Basic plot: Clare is reasonably normal, Henry suffers from time travel and bounces backwards and forwards through his life meeting Clare at various times, and generally shagging her. Not sure about this one, it has a non-linear quality which I generally like in my books, but I've taken a bit of a dislike to the main character as he comes across as a bit of an arsehole.

2. Quit Smoking Today Without Gaining Weight

Honestly don't know why I bother... It has a very amusing hypnosis CD to listen to, but I got turned off by his slightly annoying "if you can give up for a day, I don't understand why you can't give up for a week"-attitude. That sort of advice really doesn't help.

3. House of Leaves

Very odd book, written like an annotated scrapbook. Also very long, and I haven't been able to set enough time aside to get stuck into it.

4. Rip it up and start again: postpunk 1978-1984

Confession time, I subscribe to The Wire and as such I do occasionally read about music which I don't really listen to or know about, but I like to spread my horizons and Simon Reynolds is a half decent music journalist. Plus the companion CD you can get is pretty good.

5. The Sirens of Titan

So, Kurt Vonnegut. Never read anything by him, but the way that half of the internet carried on after he died I've been guilt tripped into picking up one of his books, it seems to involve an explorer, his dog and them both becoming probability waves and being able to view the past, present and future at the same time.

6. Grimm: Complete Fairy Tales

Couldn't find a decent picture of this... If you read as many comic books by Neil Gaiman as I do then an interest in the original school of story telling is going to rub off a bit. This book is the Bible of stories.

I'm also reading a bunch of comic book collections, but they can wait for another post...

New Years Resolutions

Yes, I know - bit late in the year. Bare with me...

At the start of the year I decided my New Years Resolution would be to have a new resolution every month, that way I'll hopefully end up having a positive effect on the old Chakra over the course of 2007.

January involved eating and drinking healthily which I pretty much stuck to, and which may have worked a bit based on a few comments I've had.

February's was to give up smoking. I failed miserably at that one.

March was pretty easy, basically all I had to do was to avoid buying a PS3 - there was a bit of a wobble at the end, but I somehow managed to make it through the month without a new games console being plugged into my television. I'm still a bit tempted to get one just because it's so damn shiny! But the thing about resolutions is there should be some sort of long term effect from them even if the original resolution was only for a discrete period of time, otherwise what's the point? You're right back at square one.

I'm still not sure what this Month's resolution is, since I've done pretty much bugger all to effect myself either positively or negatively since the start of the Month I'm allowing myself a delayed start on that front.

Inconveniently placed cymbals and chipmunk vocals

The new single from Battles was released today on bleep.com - you can also get it on 12" if you are that way inclined.

I think it's one of the most extraordinary songs I've heard this year and if you have any taste so will you. You are forgiven for not rushing off to buy the single now if (and only if mind you!) you are intending to wait for the new album.

State of the Phil address 2007: Part 1

I am completely happy with my life: work is interesting and fulfilling and I feel that my career is proceeding in exactly the way I always dreamed it would. I have never been so healthy and always get a decent nights sleep without waking up in the early hours with annoying aches and pains. I am also completely satisfied and happy with being single.

I can give up smoking any time I want...

April Fools!

*sigh*