Thursday, May 31, 2012

SCOTT WALKER: "The Amorous Humphrey Plugg"

 
Hello Mr. Big Shot
Say, you're looking smart
I've had a tiring day
I took the kids along to the park

You've become a stranger
Every night with the boys
Got a new suit
That old smile's come back
And I kiss the children good night
And I slip away on the newly waxed floor

I've become a giant
I fill every street
I dwarf the rooftops
I hunchback the moon

Stars dance at my feet
Leave it all behind me
Screaming kids on my knee
And the telly swallowing me
And the neighbor shouting next door
And the subway trembling the roller-skate floor

I seek the buildings blazing with moonlight
In Channing Way
Their very eyes seem to suck you in with their laughter
They seem to say

You're all right now
So stop a while behind our smile
In Channing Way

Oh to die of kisses
Ecstasies and charms
Pavements of poets will write that I died
In nine angel's arms

And they all were smiling
Still seductive as sin in their eyes
The man I had been
No more hard luck stories to wear
Nothing left to give
Why the hell should I care

Ann knows my smile and buries my shadow
In Channing Way
And with her cellophane sighs
Corrina the candle
Begs (Bades?) me to stay

You're all right now
So stop a while behind our smile
In Channing Way.


With this track from SCOTT 2 (one of three tracks credited to "Scott Noel Engel"),  Walker entered a poetic conspiracy with his artistic idols (not just Jacques Brel this time) that has continued to this day.  While he was just coming into his own as a lyricist,  this song sets him apart from his influences, and presents a wistful, yet knowing world where dreams and reality co-exist.  It's hardly a narrative,  but can be said to constitute a moment to moment biography where banalities and memory dissove into romantic yearning and back again. While some would consider this part of Scott's "career" inferior to the avant-garde leanings he would later develop to great effect (TILT,  anyone?),  his poetic gifts are certainly in full evidence here.  And hey,  just what is that title all about?

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Introducing CYCLEBOX II by CYCLONIX


A much praised module from Cyclonix via Intellijel arrived at my home today from Canada.  This three oscillator,  16 waveform Euro-wonder also contains myriad modulation, expansion,  and sync possibilities. Given its already undisputed reputation,  the first edition of 100 modules should go fast.  Snap one up now! I better order the Expander soon.

Monday, May 28, 2012

INTELLIJEL uSTEP



I recently purchased one of these at MeMe Antenna in Williamsburg.  The above video is certainly an informative start for my own experimentation with the uStep.  Thus far,  I like to patch it to my Malekko Noisering for maximum sonic mayhem.


OPTIK: DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS


I recently picked up Blue Underground's Blu-ray edition of DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS (1971),  and found it to be  more visually compelling than any earlier DVD edition.  It has improved color and clarity,  and blacks no longer seem pixelated.  All of this would mean nothing without the strong script,  great cinematography,  and wonderful performances by all involved.  The ravishingly beautiful Delphine Seyrig (LAST YEAR IN MARIENDBAD) has an erotic aura here without ever taking off a stitch,  and brings the vampire film into new areas of both vulnerability and sensuality.  Her entrance into the proceedings is simply wonderful in its mystery and eroticism,  her swollen red lips emerging from a black veil amidst the shadows of her car.  She portrays the Countess Elizabeth Bathory,  whose quest for a fresh lesbian consort leads her to a newly married couple,  and that's where the fun begins.  The pace of this amazing bit of Euro-horror may seem overly slow at times,  but it will eventually suck you in (pun intended... sorry).  And remember:

                         "Don't let the sunlight find you,  or you may fade and die."

A MODULAR MECCA: Williamsburg, Brooklyn


Well,  not so strangely enough,  Williamsburg is quickly becoming a destination for those who want a hands-on experience when shopping for modular gear,  especially Eurorack modules.  For those of us who have wandered Williamsburg's littered streets for many years,  MAIN DRAG MUSIC is an institution unto itself,  providing friendly service and a great selection of new and vintage gear (check out the recently arrived Moog Modular).  Now that they've taken the modular plunge (TipTop,  Malekko,  Doepfer, etc.),  my visits should be even more frequent (I dropped off a mint EDP Wasp yesterday on consignment).  A short walk from there,  in a funky mall space resides MeMe ANTENNA,  a potpourri of bric a brac,  modern design,  gifts,  and Eurorack modules.  Their selection is good and growing,  and the staff is very friendly... check them out in person and online.  The last and possibly best synth spot may just be C-O-N-T-R-O-L,  which will open in June. It promises to be a great walk-in experience.  Check them out on Twitter for now.  Finally,  with these three outlets,  modular synthesis will finally meet the feet on the  street.

                 MAIN DRAG MUSIC:  330 Wythe Ave.  #1E,  Brooklyn,  NY  11211
                                                        (718)  388-6365
                                                        www.maindragmusic.com

                 MeMe ANTENNA:  218 Bedford Ave.  Brooklyn,  NY  11249
                                                      (347)  223-4219
                                                      www.memeantenna.com

                 C-O-N-T-R-O-L:  416 Lorimer St.  Brooklyn,  NY  11206
                                               info@ctrl-mod.com
                                               http://twitter.com/#!/C_T_R_L_


                                        

Sunday, May 20, 2012

ESSENCE & EXPANSION


While attempting to re-design my studio space and expand the possibilities of my two Eurorack systems,  I've made it far easier to patch between those TipTop folding stations,  hence newer and more complex sonic possibilities.  Fun.

OPTIK: THE 10TH VICTIM


This bit of comically Italian Euro-Trash kitsch has been very high on my list of faves since my teenage years,  and as such has a special place as a formative aesthetic experience.  Much like "la citta eterna" (Roma,  the backdrop here,  and another inspiration),  an eternally cool bleached-blonde Marcello Mastroianni stars as the Hunter in the Big Game,  apparently  future's attempt at directing violent urges into both entertainment and commercial viability (sounds familiar,  right?).  Ursula Andress is  the celebrated Huntress here,  with a wonderful penchant for gunning down her victims with a doubly loaded bra!  If you yearn to see more Andress shenanigans,  be sure to check out her "performance" in MOUNTAIN  OF THE CANNIBAL GOD,  where explosive undergarments  are nowhere to be found.  To my eyes and ears,  the retro chic visuals,  director Elio Petri's playful sci-fi genre bending,  the trippy experimental score,  and particularly Mastroianni's  wickedly worried performance all make for a wonderfully timeless entertainment.  BTW,  I hear Blue Underground's blu-ray is an epiphany on all levels and a must buy!

Sunday, May 13, 2012

VOICEOVER: Francis Beacon on Art


"Great art is always a way of concentrating,  reinventing what is called fact,  what we know of existence -  a reconcentration...  tearing away the veils that fact acquires through time."