Zipangu film festival

So, ... this year's Zipangu Fest (ジパング・フェスト), a UK-wide Japanese film festival, was held between Friday 14 and Sunday 16 September at the Cinema Museum in Kennington, near Elephant & Castle.

On a side note (despite the fact I've hardly started), the Cinema Museum is a really interesting place. It's the former Lambeth Workhouse, better known as the childhood residence of Charlie Caplin. Appears to be some really interesting memorabilia there and the volunteers seem pretty invested in the place. I should definitely keep an eye on upcoming event. Only problem, it's slightly out of the way.

Last year, I saw We Don't Care About Music Anyway when the Zipangu Fest was held at the ICA. I loved it so much, as can be seen by this handy blog entry from back in May. This year I figured I would attend a couple of segments, the Beyond Anime section (returning for its third year and featuring two mid-length works ... and a bonus short film, due to technical problems on the opening night) and the closing film (Saudade).

[Note: It is around seven weeks since I attending these screenings. If my memories of details are vague, ... please forgive me. Thanks.]

Encounters (エンカウンターズ)
An exuberant one-man labour-of-love defies all expectations!

[Takashi Iitsuka - 30 minutes - HD - 2011 - Action, Animation]

Puppets. Action figures. Childhood memories, right. I had a Thunderbirds duvet and received a Captain Scarlet airbase for Christmas when I was a kid. Even made a paper-mache Tracey Island. Ah, Blue Peter. Iitsuka takes those childhood memories and uses them (with his 'Super Organic Battle Action' technique) to make a wonderfully inventive 30 minutes action flick. Soon you'll forget that you're watching action figures and puppets moving around on wires, as the nuances of this big hearted story of two guys, their adopted pooch, monsters and the obligatory evil scientist takes over. I won't say much more about the plot, as it's definitely worth trying to watch this film without knowing too much. Just enjoy the mad ride.

Takashi Iitsuka introduced the film and stayed for a question and answer session following the Beyond Anime screenings.

Review:
* Nishikata Film Review

The Great Rabbit (グレートラビット)
A magical hand-drawn animation that is also a profound conundrum.

[Atsushi Wada - 7 minutes - HD - 2012 - Animation]

"If you believe in the Rabbit, you'll believe in anything. If you don't believe in the Rabbit, it means that you wouldn't believe anything."

Apparently the Great Rabbit won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. It really didn't do much for me. It's surreal, sure ... but it didn't make me feel anything.

Review:
* Nishikata Film Review

Midori-ko (緑子)
A university researcher protects a human/vegetable hybrid in a dystopic dark fantasy that took ten years to complete.

[Keita Kurosaka - 55 minutes - HD - 2010 - Animation]

It's the dystopian future. That place belonging to Orwell and Huxley. That time when disaster or greed has taken humanity to the edge. That canvas upon which we pour all of our deepest fears. In Midori-ko, the world is facing chronic food shortages. A group of scientists strive to create the perfect super-food. They create an edible creature. It escapes from the laboratory and is rescued by a young researcher named Midori.

This film is truly beautiful. Brightly coloured crayon drawings introduce us to a child called Midori, who decides that she cannot eat animals. She grows up. The world changes. The bright colours are replaced by shadows. Yet more beautiful hand-drawn artwork. Monsters strive to save humanity, as you can imagine ... this film questions whether that humanity is worth saving or whether it has already consumed itself.

Midori-ko is a really interesting film. Slow paced, ... it's a film that washes over you and leaves you with deep questions. The relationship between Midori and the creature develops slowly, yet conflicts remain within the girl ... despite her best efforts to protect the creature.

The best description I've seen describes this film as a 'paranoid fairy-tale'. I honestly can't better that, as it's a beautiful phase for our times - our world, where everyone watches their backs and cameras watch the backs of everyone.

Reviews:
* J-film pow-wow
* Nishikata Film Review

Saudade (サウダーヂ)
A vivid and often vivacious portrait of small-town dreams and prejudices in the provincial multi-ethnic melting pot of Kofu.

[Katsuya Tomita - 167 minutes - 35mm - 2011 - Drama]

Saudade was another interesting choice to close the 2012 Zipangu Fest. It captures the nuances of small town life perfectly, although (at two and a half hours plus) it feels a little too unfocussed for its own good at times.

Katsuya Tomita (director) and Toranosuke Aizawa (scriptwriter) introduced the film and stayed for a question and answer session.

Reviews:
* Hollywood Reporter

Festival reviews:
* Mostly Film
* Rhythm Circus
* International Review

My Zipangu Fest poster, signed by Takashi Iitsuka (Encounters), Katsuya Tomita and Toranosuke Aizawa (Saudade)

Time flies by ... and I WILL SUUURVI-VE, ... LIGHT THE FUUU-SE, ... NEVER LOOO-SE

Will use this quiet Saturday evening spent listening to Muse updating my blog with some interesting events that I've attended over the past month or so, ... until I get bored or sleepy or both.

Oh, it's the Olympic song now. I like the Prelude. Perhaps more than the song. Heard this so many times during the summer. I attended a lot of events.

Okay, I don't do patriotism. I don't really care about Great Britain or England all that much. I'm glad I was born here. I'm glad I grew up here. I'm glad I live here. We're very lucky, ... but I don't immediately feel attached to other people because we share nationally. I'm quite proud of my German and Polish anchestry, sure. It's all fairly irrelevant though. Despite all that, who can't watch this video and think ... god-dammit, we rocked this whole Olympics/Paralympics hosting business. Seriously. London ruled for a few short weeks in summer 2012. People were happy. They spoke to each other on the tube. It was totally weird, ... but pretty great.

Perhaps I will write a proper blog entry about all my Olympic experiences at some point. Bit late. Would be kind of nice to look back though.

Technological woes ... and cyber-funk

Have been without living without my laptop for nearly five weeks now. It just stopped working. Retrieved it from the repair store yesterday. They can't fix it, ... or it would be prohibitively expensive to do so. Apparently the logic board has gone. I don't really know what that means. It sounds pretty crucial. They also found blu-tack in my system. What the hell!? Pretty sure that no would've been able to open it up since I brought it. Why would they want to? Hmm, Dell. This does not reflect well on you.

So, I need to buy a new computer. What a pain. No idea what to get.

Currently sitting in my (old) room at my parent's house. Using my Dad's laptop hooked up to my old monitor. He's having some problems with his screen. Listening to the new Muse album. Panic Station is pretty cool. Quite funky. Surprising. Doesn't sound like Queen. I like it. Is that a trumpet? Only three songs in, bit early to make a judgment ... but, hopefully it continues to impress.

My sister still needs to grow up...

Dredd

Dredd was infinitely better. It was also extremely violent. Obviously don't think about it too much ... and just go for the ride.

Lawless

Hmm, well. It's really hard to say what's wrong with Lawless. It looks amazing. Some really good performances. Tom Hardy is superb as ever. Perhaps he should be careful about resorting to 'tics' though. Even Shia LaBeouf isn't terrible. It just doesn't really pack any punch, ... despite all the violence.

Don't get me wrong. It's reasonable. Just don't expect anything particularly amazing.

Stressful cinematic experience

Coincidentally, I also ended up making a short visit to Lincoln on Thursday. Twice in the space of a week. I checked out Brayford Pool and the area around the University. Didn't go on a boat trip though. Could have wandered up to see the Cathedral, ... but the thought of Steep Hill put me off.

To be honest, I was really tired and had a couple of hours to kill ... so I wrote a postcard and then went to see 'Lawless' at the cinema. It was most traumatic. For some reason, I didn't understand a word the attendant was saying. Do you still call someone who works at a cinema, an attendant? Not sure. His words just seemed to melt together

Could I have a ticket for Lawless, please?

frontmiddlebackordoyouwantapremiumseatfortwopoundsextra [this is what I he inferred he was saying from a thorough analysis of the conversation on my journey home]

Um, ... sorry could you repeat that?

wouldyouliketositatthefrontthemiddleortheback

Oh, okay. Middle.

Seven pounds.

...

Are you 18. It's an 18.

I'm 27.

Oh, right. We have to ask.

Okay, ... thanks.

Too stressful. There's nothing particularly unusual about the Lincolnshire accent. Not sure why I couldn't understand this guy.

Steampunk

Last weekend I went to 'Asylum', a steampunk festival in Lincoln.

According to Wikipedia,

Steampunk is a genre that originated during the 1980s and early 1990s and incorporates elements of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, horror, and speculative fiction. It involves a setting where steam power is widely used—whether in an alternative history such as Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United States, or in a post-apocalyptic time —that incorporates elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology, or futuristic innovations as Victorians might have envisioned them, based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, and art. This technology includes such fictional machines as those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or the contemporary authors Philip Pullman, Scott Westerfeld, and China Mieville.

Sounds cool right!?

Lincoln is a lovely city, although I didn't spend that much time exploring it. Basically I walked from the station to the Cathedral Quarter, through the High Street and up the aptly named 'Steep Hill'. Checked out some tea rooms. Wandered around the Castle in the sun. Pretty cool. Unfortunately I didn't get chance to look at the Cathedral. Maybe next time.

The steampunk festival itself was lots of fun. So many friendly people with their really inventive costumes.


Saturday

Checked out the steampunk market.

Had a go at hysterical dancing, with Lady Elsie.

Saw an interesting play by a Victorian theatre company (Don't Go into the Cellar) called 'Jekyll the Ripper':

1888, and Jack the Ripper stalks the foggy streets of London. He will never be caught - but why? Could it be because the murderer had found the perfect alibi - the ability to transform into another person? And what part does the enigmatic American actor Richard Mansfield have to play in the most notorious murder spree of all time?

Saw an even more interesting burlesque show called 'Oh Dear, What Will the Major Say?':

That was unexpected. Probably wouldn't have sat on the front row if I realised we'd be watching a burlesque show. It was pretty entertaining. The compere was highly amusing too.

Sunday

Saw a talk on character development by Kit Cox (aka Major Jack Union), the compere pictured with the ladies above.

Watched some tea duelling. Possibly the best sport ever invented. The rules involve sitting opposite your opponent. Choosing your biscuit. Dunking 75 per cent in your cuppa to a count of four ... and removing. The winner is the last person to get a clean 'nom'. Why have I never played this sport?!

Had a go at the tango. It's hard. Really hard. The man has to lead. Perhaps I'm just not decisive enough. It was pretty funny though. Hysterics by the end.


So, steampunk festival. Highly recommended.

A picture of me 'pretending' to fall into a well in the grounds of Lincoln Castle. With waistcoat. Without top hat, ... it was really hot and I left it at the hotel, alas ... for the sake of this picture.

Sleep

Must sleep tonight. No pressure.

The following day

Think I'm going to try & write something on this blog more often. Maybe every day would be overally optimistic, ... but with the help of this handy app, not out of the question.

Suppose the main issue would be why I feel the need to write something everyday. I guess that my job involves so much writing, sometimes it feels like I should use my voice more often. Really must get my guitar out this weekend too. Never been particularly fussed about getting an iPad, ... but the idea of being able to record my own music on it really appeals at the moment. Problem with trying to write something on the guitar is that it will be pretty basic. Really need a keyboard and some form of multi-track recording system. I've always preferred a denser sound.

Perhaps that'll be my objective for the summer. Write a concept album about a girl who falls off a swing. Oh yeah, the swing was on the moon ... the lack of gravity wasn't an issue for complex reasons that don't really matter presently. She finds love as a result of a chance encounter with a sausage roll that can read minds. The rest just writes itself.

Mild insomnia

Kinda tired, ... but not sleepy. Seen as I've already read one book today (After Dark, great novel by Haruki Murakami ... will have to write a blog entry about his work sometime), guess I'll just watch something for a while. Think I'm done with the blogger, ... for at least a couple of months given past experience.

Work may be painful tomorrow. Perhaps I should use this time more productively, um ... yeah, that's going to happen.

Deflated

This weekend has been exhausting ... though pretty cool, mostly. Among other things, I

got a haircut, spent some time with my Grandad, watched the FA Cup final, ate steak & kidney pie and chips with gravy and saw the new Marvel Avengers film (very enjoyable, by the way) on Saturday;

travelled up to see Manchester United play Swansea at Old Trafford (although the atmosphere was a little deflated after the loss to City on Monday, as well as their win at Newcastle earlier in the day ... the lap of honour for the final home game of the season was perfunctory at best, still ... it is possible we could win the title next weekend, though unlikely), participated in a pub quiz at the Flying Horse (we got a fairly respectable 33 out of 55, plus I managed to deduce that Widnes play at the Stobart Stadium ... I was pretty surprised too) and watched Dr Horrible's sing-along-blog with two friends on Sunday; and

worked a half-day, cooked for three other people and watched Quantum of Solace & Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol on Monday.

Pretty good going. Perhaps I should have planned ahead so that I didn't go to sleep at 2am and wake up at 9am every day. More sleep would have been better.

Today I had to attend my Godfather's funeral. My parents are in Egypt, alas. It was a nice service. His widow stood and spoke to every member of the congregation as they left the church. Incredible. When she looked at me and I leaned over to give her a hug, she immediately mentioned the 'lovely' message I wrote in the condolence card I sent last week (as well as the usual I'm so glad he was part of my life, I also wrote an anecdote about been asked to travel up from Wales with him once to make sure he didn't fall asleep ... I pointed out that it was a pretty stressful role for a nine year old). Hmm, that was tough. For a second I thought I was going to burst into tears when she looked at me. When you see the family in such situations, it's hard to imagine what they're feeling. You're sad that this person has gone, ... but compared to their grief it's nothing. Plus, I find it hard to remember my own times of grief. Although the person is missed, those feelings of pain don't have the same impact when merely remembered. I'm totally not comfortable consoling people. Can you imagine what nursing staff go though. Still, glad that I made the effort to be there. She seemed to appreciate it.

So that was my bank holiday weekend. And tomorrow, I carry on working. Think I'll need to make an early start too. Is it the weekend yet?!


By the way, if you've never seen Dr Horrible ... you must find it. Find it and watch it now! Here's a trailer:

It's only 45 minutes long (divided into three acts), so there's no excuse. From the mind of Joss Whedon, who you may know as the genius behind such entertainment products as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly/Serenity and recently the Avengers Assemble. It was produced during the writer's strike in 2008, as an internet mini-series. If you're still not sure, ... here's a taster (though don't blame me for ruining anything if you decide to watch it):

That's a clip from towards the end of the second act. I actually fell off my sofa I was laughing so hard the first time I saw that line. The delivery is just so perfect. This is the song that follows it, to give you an idea:

Some of the lines are genius ('shiny new Australia', in particular). I've shown this to so many people. They all love it! Well, there was one person. Without spoiling anything, the third act is quite different in tone from the first two acts. My ex-girlfriend got really upset, asked whether I was showing her this just to upset her and spent the rest of the day not really talking to me. Make of that what you will.

You've got to love Nathan Fillion, as Captain Hammer or really in everything he's been in. He does indeed make everything at least 27 per cent better (see this Empire magazine blog for an explanation).

Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima

Speaking of noise, I can still remember the first time I listened to Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima. It would have been during a music lesson in Year 7/8 at Churnet View Middle School. I was around 11/12 years old. It's such a haunting yet beautiful piece of music. So expressive. The Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki wrote the piece in his twenties. It was first performed in the early sixties. I love the inventive use of the 52 string instruments to create the desired effect. The finale is a pure cacophony of noise. If you haven't heard it, I would definitely recommend checking it out.

I attended a concert at the Barbican in March. The following pieces performed by the AUKSO Chamber Orchestra of the City of Tychy:

• Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima - Krzysztof Penderecki (1960-61)
• Popcorn Superhet Receiver - Jonny Greenwood (2005)
• Polymorphia - Krzysztof Penderecki (1961)
• 48 Responses to Polymorphia - Jonny Greenwood (2011)

The first and third pieces were conducted by Penderecki himself. The second and fourth pieces were conducted by Marek Mos, whilst Jonny took a bow at the end.

It was a pretty magical evening. The Penderecki pieces were phenomenal. Really enjoyed the performance and the visuals. To be honest, I also really rate Popcorn Superhet Receiver. Interestingly excerpts form the basis of the soundtrack for There Will Be Blood. It definitely stood alongside the two Penderecki pieces. You can see the influence that Penderecki has had on Greenwood as a fledgling composer. 48 Responses to Polymorphia, a piece commissioned specifically for this collaboration (that originally took place at the European Culture Congress in Wrocław on 9 September 2011), was a little disappointing. There were some good ideas, but it did meander somewhat.

A recording of the four pieces by the AUKSO Chamber Orchestra has been released on CD.

We Don't Care About Music Anyway

Saw this film at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, as part of the Zipangu Film Festival, back in November:

Been meaning to write something about it for ages. A documentary about the avant-garde music scene in Tokyo, ... We Don't Care About Music Anyway is obviously going to be huge.

It was really great, actually. Went into the cinema with such a bad headache, ... and completely forgot about it until the film had finished. I often find that loud, agressive music blows the pain straight out of my head. Infinitely better than paracetemol, ... I won't dwell on the fact that it is probably more that my attention is diverted.

The film was really engaging. That can be a problem with some documentaries, if it's a load of people talking about a topic in an academic way (either with statements or responses to questions) ... things can become very dry, very quickly. Every artist provided some narration to their own music, but even the roundtable discussions that split up these segments were pretty interesting. It would be hoped that a number of talented musicians placed in the same room would have something interesting to say.

Perhaps the best way to make a documentary is to let the subject speak for itself. Senna is a really good example. It's composed entirely from clips and interviews produced at the time the events were happening.

Back to We Don't Care About Music Anyway. Not all of the music contained in the film was to my taste. One guy (Fuyuki Yamakawa) particularly tested my nerves. The music was pretty poor and he was extremely pretentious, though I'd imagine it'd be pretty difficult for everything in this film to please everyone.

So, my favourite...

...definitely Umi no Yeah!! It roughly translates as Beach House, apparently. According to their website:

The two met in Yutsubo marine park in Kanagawa prefecture. Got along. Formed the band.

Their motto is to have a good business and a tropical sound. Their Curry rice is neither disgusting nor delicious. A profoundly mysterious beach hut. We don’t have boats to let.

Umi no Yeah's members are [Aloha] Takehisa Ken and the actress [Bikini] Tomoko Shimazaki. It’s a Tropical noise unit! Recently they've been joined by a part-time participant Syrup-san (aka Compuma) and Mojah-sensei (aka Kujun). 24/7, 365 day. All year around. Non-stop open business!

Basically the highlight of an Umi no Yeah!! performance is seeing the 'guitar-hero like strip-tease performance of Bikini' backed by cheap synth tunes and powerful guitar drones. I really dig it. There's something to be said for both the music and the performance:

Following the entrance, the wailing guitar and the strip-tease (of part one above) ... the music gets even better (in part two below). Some classic guitar smashing too. Listen to that feedback. The crowd totally aren't getting into this as much as they should be, ... but perhaps that's just me:

Totally need to see this band play live. Apparently they played at Cafe Oto in East London during March 2011, as part of a three-day festival promoting the film. So disappointed I didn't attend.

Ah, well basically ... I just love this band! Tomoko Shimazaki is a true rock star!!

Musically, mention should be made of Sakamoto Hiromichi. An experimental cellist. This guy is totally awesome. The axle grinder on the cello, whilst playing loops through effects pedals, is a pretty nice way to finish off this performance:

So, skipping to the conclusion ... if you ever get the chance (and you have any interest whatsoever in 'alternative' music), just watch this film. Unlikely perhaps, as I'd imagine it will never get a proper UK release ... but totally worth it! Definitely for fans of noise everywhere.

Another train-based anecdote (or the Origins of the Zombie London Mayoral System)

Overheard a conversation between a group of girls on the train between London Euston and Stoke-on-Trent last Friday. Apparently the London mayoral election is conducted using proportional representation (rather than the supplementary vote system, as I previously understood). I can only assume this means that once the votes have been counted, chunks are hacked from each of the candidates based on the percentage of votes they have accumulated and stitched together to make a Mayor. Sounds awesome, right?! ZOMBIE MAYOR!!

My train journey

A man gets onto a train. He's tall. Well dressed. [...] The man sits opposite a woman. Takes out his iPad. Strikes up conservation. [...] The woman is using an iPad too. [...] The man informs the woman that he went for the white version, despite reservations. Some believe that the white version is more 'feminine'. The woman thinks the white version is sleeker. The man agrees. [...] The man asks questions. Is yours the 64 GB version? Does it have 4G connectivity? Alas, price was an issue for the woman. She has the basic model. [...] The conversation dies away. [...] The man checks something on his iPhone. Makes a phone call. [...] Apparently their common interest doesn't lead to discussion of others. [...] Jamie sits quietly. Listening to music on his phone. Two books lie on the table in front of him. One finished. A bookmark indicates the other is half read. [...] Jamie dwells on how inconsequential modern life is. To be fair, ... he is listening to Radiohead.

Smashing Pumpkins

Finally saw the Pumpkins on their November 2011 'Other Side of the Kaleidyscope' UK tour:

First started listening to them in sixth form, after I saw the video for Tonight Tonight on MTV2 at a house party:

It truly is a fantastic video, based on Georges Méliès' 1902 silent black-and-white film 'A Trip to the Moon' (Le Voyage dans la Lune). Apparently Air have composed a soundtrack to a full-colour restoration. Should be interesting:

I'd already heard the majority of Gish during high school, but I hadn't really explored any further. Received Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness for Christmas in 2001. It's probably my favourite album. After a house party in my second year at university, me and a friend listened to both discs until five in the morning.

Attended the first night of the tour at the Manchester Apollo. Corgan was on good form, during the encore at least. The setlist was interesting:

• Quasar
• Panopticon
• Starla
• Geek USA
• Muzzle
• Window Paine
• Lightning Strikes
• Soma
• Siva
• Oceania
• Frail and Bedazzled
• Silverfuck
• Pinwheels
• Pale Horse
• Thru the Eyes of Ruby
• Cherub Rock
• Owata
• My Love is Winter
• For Martha

• Zero
• Bullet with Butterfly Wings

The main set was heavily composed of songs from the Gish and Siamese Dream eras (including Pisces Iscariot), as well as a fair few new songs from Teargarden by Kaleidyscope and their forthcoming album, Oceania. I suppose this makes a lot of sense. The reissues for Gish and Siamese Dream were released just before Christmas. Pisces Iscariot will follow next. In fact, Billy Corgan has tweeted in the past few days about work on the remaster and the bonus disc. A release date for Oceania is due to be announced in the next few weeks.

The gig was a little eventful. Ringo Deathstar were pretty entertaining, then we headed towards the front of the crowd for the main event. Ready for our first 'corgasm'! The first couple of songs were good, if a little underwhelming. The problem with most of the new songs was that nobody knew them. As such, the crowd did tend to get a little restless. Unfortunately, during Starla one of our party fainted. A short trip to the medical room followed and we returned to the back of the crowd around fifteen minutes later. Of course, I don't mind ... but we did miss some excellent songs, including Muzzle. That was a little disappointing. I do love that song. So, anyway ... we enjoyed the rest of the gig from the back of the venue. This was quite interesting actually. The setlist tended to comprise of a couple of new songs followed by a few classics, although these did lean heavily towards the earlier stuff. The crowd did seem to lose focus during the new songs. One guy spent the entirety of the gig calling for 1979, whilst abusing Billy. Whilst I can't condone this behaviour, I could appreciate that people had paid £35 for their tickets and probably expected a few more 'hits'. Sreaming abuse when the band are playing such classics an Thru the Eyes of Ruby (from Mellon Collie) and For Martha (the only song they played from Adore) was ludicrous though. Interestingly, nothing was played from either of the Machina albums. Presumably this will be rectified around the time they get a double-disk reissue in 2013. Looking forward to that. Still, songs like Cherub Rock and Soma received a decent reception. The new songs sounded pretty interesting too. I'd be interested to see them played after I've had chance to digest Oceania later this year. Sounded infinitely better than Zeitgeist.

And the encore:

Stole this video from youtube, not my own work. Some nice banter from Billy. Evidently a Smashing Pumpkins crowd aren't really that fussed about the Stone Roses reunion. Bit of antagonism too. Obviously Billy had noticed that some of the new songs weren't that well received. Asking the crowd if they liked anything:

"Might even play some songs you know next time. Oh, you like that one eh? Cheeky bastards"

Nicely agressive versions of Zero and ... "ah, forgot it" (what a tease) ... Bullet with Butterfly Wings, played at around a million miles an hour. Love the scream around 7.35. That was the corgasm moment, right there.

So, summing it all up. I really want to see them when they tour this year. The new drummer is excellent, particularly on the newer tracks where the comparison to Chamberlain wasn't as evident. The gig was a bit of a weird one, for various reasons. I do want to buy Oceania. The focus on new tracks and the Gish/Siamese Dream era left me a little cold. That probably has a lot to do with the fact I think Mellon Collie/Adore are the better albums mind. Nothing from Zeitgeist, thankfully ... although nothing from Machina either. The new songs throughout the set didn't help the atmosphere either. If they'd played the newer songs predominantly in the first half and classics during the second half, it may have worked better. Perhaps that's just me. Overall, I'm glad that I went.

That was a long post. Have been meaning to write something about this gig since November mind...

Night Terrors

Think one or more of my flatmates may be scared of the dark. It's the only plausible explanation for both landing lights to still be on when everyone appears to have gone to bed.

Raindance

Saw a rather interesting film called Synchronicity (シンクロニシティ) back in October. It was part of the Raindance film festival, an annual independent film festival based in London. Had to get up rather early on a Sunday morning and the cinema wasn't exactly packed.

It was a rather unusual film. Although quite a lot happened plot-wise in the short 80 minute running time, it felt very reflective and almost dream-like. The film opens with the lead actress, Miyamoto Issui (宮本一粋), sensuously kissing a model head, before following the two young leads with a hand-held camera as they run through a park. Two extremely contrasting scenes. I was left completely disorientated by the time the first ten minutes was over.

Basically, the film is about two young people living in Tokyo. Although they sleep together, they're not a couple. Stuck on the cusp of adulthood, with no great desire or motivation to move forwards. Directionless. Sure most twenty-somethings of the current generation will probably relate. We're pretty comfortable in our lives. Living a prolonged adolescence with our parents acting as a safety net whilst we decide whether to further our education or work dead-end jobs to kill time before we find 'a purpose' for our lives. Not that it'll be any different from those who went before us, I'm sure. It's unlikely we'll be married with kids by the time we're thirty though.

Quite a lot does happen in the film. The trials of the young female character snap the young male character out of his stupor to come to her aid, well ... in a fashion. However, it was the overarching themes of the film that stuck with me. Maybe it's due to the fact that those are the feelings that I can relate to. Feel pretty directionless myself after all. My twenty-seventh birthday is fast approaching.

The performance by Miyamoto Issui really struck me. Although I couldn't really find that much information about the film (gather it was a first-time director and would imagine the actors weren't overly experienced either ... guess we'll not be seeing a UK release anytime, not even sure how extensive the Japanese release was), I did discover that she was formally in a band called Nichika (二千花, meaning two thousand flowers) between 2006 and 2009. Managed to get hold of a copy of their album. It's pretty good. Nothing too challenging could perhaps be a fair criticism, ... but still. Really like this video for the song New Water (あたらしい水):

New Year

Okay, figured I should start writing something on this blog again. It's now 2012. Well, it's nearly the end of February actually ... so 2012 has represented the present state for the best part of two months now. Seen as the world is going to end imminently, I may as well find some way to waste my time on a Sunday evening.

In any case, thought I'd start by writing about some of the more interesting things I came across towards the end of last year.