Really nice behind-the-scenes rundown about the 2024 XOXO festival and the themes that emerged. Those final comments from Charlie Jane Anders are words to live by. Reposting here just for posterity and enjoyment:
“Connecting with other people is really pleasurable, even though it’s also really hard. And it is the thing that gives me hope for the future. Human connection fundamentally is the thing that makes me believe that we can survive.
“So I’m here for gentle absurdity and tender weirdness. And I just don’t trust any version of the future where we don’t party and goof off and act ridiculous and rejoice, and just rejoice together.
“So my final thought: I don’t believe in utopias. I don’t believe in dystopias. What I do believe in is people taking care of each other. So please, take care of each other. Thank you.”
If you run in similar circles to myself, you have likely seen folks talking about this Cabel Sasser talk from final XOXO Festival. If you have not indulged in watching this video yet, let me pile on with endorsement. His energy is nervous but his excitement and passion is palpable. It's inspiring but it's also incredibly entertaining. I can't tell you any details because doing so would ruin the ride. Just let yourself have those 20 minutes.
Back in 2022, Nosferatu released his version of Unchained Melody. Now, two years later, the performance can be confirmed to be an absolute classic. It's every bit as entrancing as it was the moment it was released. A yearly viewing for sure. Nosferatu still got it.
I recently watched the semi-horror movie In the Earth and enjoyed the world building and folk horror aspects to it. Not a perfect movie by any means but worth watching. I was especially struck by the end title sequence created by Julian House at Intro (also known for design for Stereolab, Doves, Broadcast, The Prodigy, etc). I was familiar with his work prior to the film but had never connected the name - it certainly calls for a deeper dive.
A lifetime ago I helped out with Silent Uproar Records, an indie label out of North Carolina working with a range of great artists like The Capulets, Feersum Ennjin, Bellparker (and these guys!). Owners and operators Scott and Robbie have always had my respect for their diverse taste.
One artist they introduced me to was Grant Henry's Metroid Metal - which is exactly what it sounds like; a collection of metal inspired covers of songs from the Metroid universe. If you've not heard any of the recordings, I suggest you start with Varia Suite.
All that preamble is to get to the point that the Metroid Metal project is now 20 years old. Henry has gone on to be involved with a ton of other projects but still has a sharp memory of the origins of the Metroid Metal project. This 20 minute retrospective walks through the history of the project, some of the early demos and how he got involved with early Internet communities. Even if you have zero familiarity with the videogame, the music or Henry - it's a compelling bit of storytelling.
I've really been enjoying the offerings of Scotto Moore's This Newsletter Cannot Save You. As the description states, it's a bi-weekly offering of various distractions typically of the video variety. You can peruse the archives before subscribing but it's free and it's got my endorsement!
He's a shape-shifting monstrous alien Dad teaching his son to control his kinetic abilities while feasting on the flesh of humanity. At least, that's what I think is happening in this Xtro trailer.
I haven't seen the full film (yet) but every sneak peek of special effects in this trailer calls to me.
The YouTube recommendation algorithm is a strange beast. I get inundated with lots of videos that I have zero interest in seeing but then, occasionally, it drops a 17-year old gem like this CONDOR44 music video; a Japanese post-rock band I'd absolutely never heard of before and, judging from the comments, most other folks had not either. The "Posted 17 years ago" label on YouTube is actually a bit misleading as well because that's just when the song went on YouTube - this one is actually from 2002, twenty-two years ago.
The db album is available on CD but does not appear to be streaming anywhere. There are more videos on YouTube worth listening to but we'll just have to keep hunting for full length releases.
I don't hear a ton of hip-hop. I'm not averse to it, I'm just not really exposed to it nearly as often as, say, indie rock. It's one of the real detriments of The Algorithm™ is that you can get stuck in a box.
One recent discovery has been Revival Season; a collab project between "BEZ" (B Easy) and Jonah Swilley. They've got a bunch of releases on Bandcamp, with this "Dim Sum" single being the latest. Very into their whole thing.
I installed a box high up on a pole somewhere in the Mission of San Francisco. Inside is a crappy Android phone, set to Shazam constantly, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It's solar powered, and the mic is pointed down at the street below.
Heard of Shot Spotter? Microphones are installed across cities across the United States by police to detect gunshots, purported to not be very accurate. This is that, but for music.
This is culture surveillance. No one notices, no one consents. But it's not about catching criminals. It's about catching vibes. A constant feed of what’s popping off in real-time.
If I had the technical ability to do this myself, I absolutely would. The recordings on the site are fascinating little slices of time.
Last Friday, Talking with Hands unleashed an avalanche of news, music and a video to be enjoyed. It may have actually been too much at once because the Internet is really driven by bite size nuggets these days. So, here's a nugget sized breakdown.
"#1 Record" Video - a glitched out, datamoshed, green screen romp of a good time. The song itself is inspired by the iresome words of tech leaders like Daniel Ek that try to tell artists how to be successful on his platform that is built in such a way that independent artists really can't be successful on the platform. It's also just a memorable bop, so hit play and enjoy.
All of that is in support of a new album called Organic Machine that is set for release near the end of October. It's an album about GenAI and human creativity and self-doubt.. some heady topics that are all wrapped in memorable, enjoyable to consume, hooks. More on this later but just be aware it exists, pls!
Each of the singles before Organic Machine will have a video and remixes. It's a ton of media and we've been working on it forever. I hope you enjoy.
Do you ever encounter a compelling image online and decide you're going to learn more about it? I found myself enjoying this delightful pixel reaper and wanted to find out more. Spoiler alert, I failed!
The exact image appears in two places and is referenced in a few others.
Downloadable Mac System 0.85 - you can certainly download the original Tour disk and likely emulate it yourself but even if I did that, I would have no way to inspecting the possible source files for the Reaper. Not saying it isn't possible, just saying it's beyond me.
In the end, I come to the same conclusion as Ken Wessen; I believe the Reaper to be part of an official MacOS release (likely from 1984). The screenshot showing ICN # ID = 9998 from Finder insinuates that the image is not just a drawing from MacPaint, it's actually in the system.
If you get a wild hair and want to confirm any of the above. Please do so and let me know!
As the phrase goes - there was no need for the NES Pictionary soundtrack to go this hard but it sure goes hard. Composer Tim Follin is, apparently, notorious for pushing the limits of the chiptune format and created some of the most memorable soundtracks of the era. See Also: Solistice, Bubble Bobble, Ghouls 'N Ghosts (Amiga) or Gauntlet III (Commodore 64). All of them, fantastic.
I'm off in San Francisco this week for some conferences. It's been at least a decade since I've been out here and I'm enjoying soaking it all in. Posts will be light in the meantime. Here's a smattering of things I've been looking at to tide you over:
Superculture - a network of podcasts and magazines "dedicated to the underobserved." Love the tagline, the mission and the website is mesmerizing. Do click through. Lovely.
Wordpress going after WP Engine - this deserves its own post as there are a slew of articles to round up but the TLDR is: Wordpress is going after WP Engine for, basically, building a business that looks like it's part of the Automattic family. It's a fascinating situation because Wordpress is open source, so WP Engine has the right to do what it is doing but they are absolutely being deceitful in their execution. At the moment, I'm siding with Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg.
Vector Halftone Maker - nice web tool for making some compelling images. Keeping this around for future projects.
Talking with Hands - I've been working with this artist for over a decade but they've really hit their creative stride in the last few. There's a new single coming out on Friday and a new album in October which I think speak to many of the topics that readers of this site will appreciate. The promo we are rolling out has been super fun.
Musee Mecanique - since I'm San Francisco, peering into a coin operated entertainment zone with relics "ranging from orchestrions, coin operated pianos, antique slot machines, and animations, down to small bird boxes" seems appropriate. "Orchestrions" is a fantastic word.
Artist Myles Mallie lives in my neighborhood. Outside his home are a stack of styrofoam blocks that he paints and repaints in vivid patterns every six weeks or so. He holds open neighborhood gatherings to come inside and see his latest works, have a drink and just hang out. Every surface inside the house is painted white. All of it.
His work is colorful and loose. Serene but also fun. He's known to use aprons and dresses for his canvas. In the 1980s, he painted vivid shirts and sweatshirts. He rides his bike through the neighborhood like a local David Bryne.
Despite all this, I don't really know a ton about him. So, I was very pleased to see this Banner & Company podcast interview pop up in my feed.
Go give @mylesmaillie a follow on Instagram. Peruse his official portfolio and keep an eye out for the neighborhood party. It's a blast.
I hope you are a fan of Stephen Powers, aka ESPO. His mailing list is a wonderful glimpse into a graffiti artist turned fine artist that still manages to do large scale public works (enormous scale to be honest). Over on his webstore e recently added a selection of his sketch book drawings. They are pricey (understandably) but, fortunately, the Internet is free to browse. I suggest clicking through not only to see how his process comes to life but simply to remind yourself that doodling every day is an excellent practice if you can manage it.
My Ex-VHX co-workers Casey Pugh and Charlie Tran have started a new endeavor - Definitely Games. It's incredibly early days but I am confident they're going to make something wonderful. Go sign that mailing list.
Incredible headline. They did use fancy lenses, so it is a little bit misleading but the article is a pretty fascinating bit of insight into a surprising trilogy.
