really pleasant and insightful interview. do read.

Here's a fun one for ya, the United States military has a system for broadcasting "Emergency Action Messages" (EAM). According to Wikipedia these messages are intended to "directs nuclear-capable forces to execute specific Major Attack Options (MAOs) or Limited Attack Options (LAOs) in a nuclear war. " That sounds scary enough but there's a type of message that takes even higher priority than the standard EAM, called a Foxtrot Broadcast or "Skyking message." Maybe you've seen the film Crimson Tide and this rings a bell... I have not.

There's plenty of reading you can do about these messages, their usage and their format. Of course, if you just want to hear one, there's plenty of recordings.

There's nothing nefarious about these messages - aside from the fact that they're coded military communications - but it's just fascinating to remember that they are happening with such regularity and that with the right equipment, anyone can hear them. They aren't quite as fascinating as a Numbers station but they're still a fun rabbit hole to explore.

Encountered a piece of work from Sai Clayton over the weekend at the Zeitgeist gallery. It was part of a group show of printed works on paper and really managed to stand out. Then I wandered into Green Ray and there they were again as a huge banner across the shop. Funny how that happens.

Looking through their portfolio and Instagram - @sai_tries - there's a fascinating evolution of work to see. Scroll way back and you can see a very different style of illustration and expression that slowly morphs into these athletic poses wearing traditional masks. Really great to see that creative process playing out.

Ran across the works of Galen Gibson-Cornell this weekend at the David Lusk Gallery. I mention the location because seeing these pieces in person is a wildly different experience than seeing them on the screen. They are huge and have a chaotic feeling to them; each composed of posters stolen from the streets, sliced and woven back together into some brand new chaotic thing. I suggest clicking through each piece in the porfolio and maximizing the images as large as possible for proper immersion.

Also be sure to cruise over to his Instagram for more examples, including a poster suit!

I watch a great deal of Law & Order. I'm partial to the era when Jack McCoy becomes our Executive Assistant DA over Adam Schiff but I can't deny the enjoyment of the early seasons! Watching a bit of Season 1 last night I noticed that there were episodes that used Mike Post's infamous score during the episode, not just during the intro. This led me to the original intro, set to the pilot in 1990 (tho produced in 1988). It's different but it's still an enjoyable 90 seconds if you've consumed as much Law & Order as I know we all have.

Very excited to see the (limited) return of Every Frame a Painting. This trailer promises both a new collection of video essays and a short film. It's less than 30 seconds but one of the more exciting things I've seen in some time!

I'm going to assume you've seen all the essays from this channel but on the small chance you have not - go watch them all ASAP and, truly, like and subscribe.

The title - Turns out REST APIs weren't the answer (and that's OK!) - might feel a little click baity but this Dylan Beattie rundown of the history of REST, the somewhat pedantic usage of the term and the alternatives is actually quite fascinating.

The new Sayryn full-length caught my eye for the striking album art. Turns out, EGOR is responsible for the painting and has a great body of work to explore beyond that. I recommend also browsing through their Instagram to sense of scale on how large the creations are; certainly gives me additional appreciation for them.

Trufhfully, this one came my way via Instagram Ad - a petunia plant that has been "infused with bioluminescence." In other words, a flower that glows in the dark - for real! Given the source, my skepticism on the validity of it is cranked pretty high. Diving a little deeper into this Scientific American article about the creation, it seems that the Neonothopanus nambi mushroom was used for the bioluminescence and it's a legitimate fusion. Specifically:

The fungus feeds its light-emitting reaction with the molecule caffeic acid, which terrestrial plants also happen to make. By inserting the mushroom genes into the petunia, researchers made it possible for the plant to produce enzymes that can convert caffeic acid into the light-emitting molecule luciferin and then recycle it back into caffeic acid — enabling sustained bioluminescence.

The article goes on to say that people have complicated relationships with genetically modified plants but that the danger levels are low. “I cannot imagine any reason why this should be a concern,” says Diego Orzáez, a plant biologist at the Institute of Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology in Valencia, Spain. That sounds like famous last words!

Regardless, the plants are very interesting to see.

I've been friends with / a fan of Jeremy Okai Davis for over two decades. If you're not familiar with his work, take some time and get familiar - it's beautiful and poignant.

Aside from being a thoughtful and talented painter, turns out he's also a pretty entertaining emcee! His collaboration with Big Papa Warrior in DINO INTRO is just one track from a full-length record called Dinosaurs set for release on July 4th. Obviously it's a bit sillier than his painting work but it's good to see him let loose. Tune in, follow along, prepare for the full record!

Scientists have made a breakthrough in "soft robotics" - aka attaching skin-like tissue to mechanical parts. In this particular case, they've found a way to attach collagen gel to small V-shaped holes on the robotic surface that makes the whole endeavor feel more realistic and more resilient to breaking.

My knee jerk reaction is that I am not sure we need skin on robots. Can we just let robots be robots? I think the majority of people would be okay with that. If the intent here is to overcome the uncanny valley and make robots appear more humanlike.. couldn't we just give it some time and humans would naturally adjust?

In the grand scheme of developments lately, this doesn't seem to be so dire at first glance. It does make for a rather harrowing GIF.

The first minute is solid but when that intro kicks in, it really soars. Also, brevity really is the soul of wit.

Every month in 2024, The Robe has released something new. Primarily, it's been 2-song singles but last month we got an entire 4-song EP! I am hesitant to post about this frequency because I fear I will curse it. Rollum Haas (The Robe himself) is a rather busy individual and I imagine his touring schedule will eventually make it impractical to continue this schedule. I'm doing my best not to be pessimistic tho; because I'm loving all these new songs. The two songs are on Bandcamp but they're also on YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, et al.

There's an endless amount of new music out there but I hope you'll take some time to spend with The Robe. It's a worthy investment.

Somehow this slipped right past in me in 2019 but Mellotron Variations is a collaborative undertaking from Pat Sansone (Wilco), John Medeski, Jonathan Kirkscey and Robby Grant performing original, cinematic, compositions on the mellotron. It's right there in the name!

The record is on pink vinyl and streaming in all the usual spots. Moreso, there's also plenty of video to augment your enjoyment. This Crosstown Arts trailer is a really impressive setup and explanation of the project. It's a nice place to start but this Tiny Desk Concert is just fantastic. Different vibes but both enjoyable. If you want a little bit more, watch the OZ Arts show where they open with my favorite track from the record.

1978 was a good time for Space Disco. Maybe the best time. Possibly the only time.

Droids was a French synthpop band from the late 70's heavily inspired by Star Wars. Their one and only album was called Star Peace and they dressed like silver C-3P0 (that's U-3P0 if you wanna nerd out). The main single, (Do You Have) The Force? is an enjoyable romp and actually part 1 of 2.

This clip is taken from a French show called Spécial Disco that aired on July 11, 1978. The audio is not from the original broadcast. There's a similar performance with dancer Chantal Dardenne, who gets interviewed before the performance while the host messes with the Droids themselves.

Digging just slightly deeper into the specifics of the band unearths a world of additional discovery. These songs were written by Fabrice Cuitad, who was a label manager at Barclay and founded the label Egg. They signed the electronic band Heldon (Richard Pinhas) which was largely influential in the early 70s. French musicians Yves Hayat, Richard Lornac and Jean-Paul Batailley play on the album. Supposedly it is Hayat and Lornac in these clips.

All of these names are unfamiliar to me but that's sort of the point. It's a fun / quirky track with many doors to open. Enjoy.

Very interesting non-LLM based model. Not a lot of detail in this piece but a good jumping off point

Today I Learned: The Breeder's song "Drivin' On 9" is actually a cover of Ed's Redeeming Qualities - a band from the Boston alternative music scene that The Breeders emerged from. This in-depth history tells the tale of how it all came to be - a fascinating read!

I'm always shocked and pleased to discover songs that I had no idea were cover songs. This one ranks way up there and thanks to this Cover Me site, now I can find a whole bunch more.

just another long read feel bad story that reminds you that capitalism really has no boundaries when it comes to endangering the public at large

I'm not sure I'd ever make it through the whole collection but I am quite impressed by these two compilations of every Elliott Smith studio recording that fans can get their hands on. Grand Mal: Studio Rarities looks to be 8 discs long* - containing alternate mixes, unreleased songs, et al. The Moon is a Sickle Cell is a similar gathering of tracks but updated somewhat more regularly.

Generally speaking, these kinds of compilations are reserved for super fans. Do you want to hear the different mixes from Larry Crane or Fritz Michaud? Do you want to hear Smith cover The Beatles multiple times? I don't always answer yes to questions like that but in this case I think I might!

Of course it is 2024, so the Grand Mal comp is streaming on YouTube if you prefer it that way.

I randomly stumbled upon Texas Dungeon Siege Fest MMXXIV, a three day dungeonsynth festival that took play in May 2024 at Tiny Minotaur in Austin, TX and I absolutely love it. Thanks to @field_2 the performances are all online. I even tossed them into a playlist for continuous playback.

I was not familiar with the Tiny Minotaur venue but their about page is worth a read - three levels of explanation that get less dense as you go. The TLDR is that it's an art space for performance art, Live action DnD, immersive theater and music. In short, it's a place where people in wizard robes and chainmail can play cinematic synth music with a Renaissance twist and everyone gets it.

I'm gonna treat this list of artists as a jumping off point to find more. I hope you do too. We all (probably) need more Bog D'wella in our lives.