Modern Wonder

Posted on by Alasdair

Modern Wonder

Like every other Londoner with a pulse, I did indeed go an see the Sultan’s Elephant, back in May. And I took a shitload of photos. And some of them were adequate compositions, but mostly, they just looked like shots of a couple of bloody great mechanical contrivances. Impressive, sure, but I didn’t feel the photos had any magic in them. The show was all about magic and wonder, I just didn’t feel the pictures caught it.

And then last night, I got the provebial thunderbolt regarding a way of maybe making the shots a little less real, adding that dreamlike hint I thought was missing.

Yeah, it’s “just” a lomo style filter. But with this shot, I think it makes all the difference in the world.

God Bless The Electric Internet!

Posted on by Alasdair

Yeah, I know what the rest of you are thinking. “God, he’s off being all starry-eyed about something really basic like having Broadband again, isn’t he?”

Yes, I am. Up Yours.

I have a long fucking last, got a photo from the Sultan’s Elephant that I like. I got the tools to get it right off the internet – some clever bastard’s script achieving exactly the effect I’m not good enough to get with PotatoShop myself. While I was getting them installed, and fiddling with various settings to fine tune the effect, I was also downloading an album called “Beast Moans” by an outfit called Swan Lake off Emusic. warren_ellis bunged an mp3 up, this massive tsunami of reverb and echo, guitars and strange chimes, just made for my mood right now, sitting here.

I love the fact that I can get a whole album of perfect mood music, on a whim, completely legally, in less time than it takes to make a slice of toast, without leaving the house. I can do it while I finally crack a bit of work that’s been bugging me since May. I love the fact that it cost about a quid to do it. Suddenly, music is a disposable consumer experience – a thing to be had for the price of a coffee.

A thought to come back to tomorrow, I think – I know I’ve got a lot more to write on that topic, beyond my “oo, isn’t that neat” reaction, but bed is calling.

Between Darkness And Light

Posted on by Alasdair

Satan's Favourites

Of the very edge of what I think of as an acceptable shot, this one.

A picture of (half of) Evil Genius from last week’s gig. I quite like the way the contract in the lighting on the two of them has turned out, but I’d be lying if I said it was in any way planned. Once again, Charlie was denied the spotlight by the venue lighting, so I just made the best of it I could.

Vote for Me!

Posted on by Alasdair

Or at least, one of my photos!

I’ve entered one of my photos to be part of jpeg magazine‘s “Embrace the Blur” feature.

I mention this when it’s normally the sort of thing I feel very awkward doing, because if it gets in the mag, not only do I get a subscription to the magazine (which I’d like), but also 100 dollars (which I will donate to charity), and, mostly importantly, a lensbaby. Which I would really, really like.

If you go here, you’ll have the opportunity to vote for my shot, which will increase my chances of getting in. You will have to register to make your vote stick, but it takes all of two seconds and there’s no spam risk – these are blog type people, and hate spam just as much as you do.

If you’ve got five spare minutes, please go along and vote for me – voting closes in 4 days, so I have some ground to make up, here.

You’ll be helping me out. And more importantly, you’ll be doing a bit of work for charidee, which will allow you to feel good about yourself for the christmas period.

Thanks, folks.

Exultation

Posted on by Alasdair

Exultation

A shot of Jesse from Flipron from the Flipron/Evil Genius gig the other week. If you haven’t seen either band live, you really, really should.

I am slightly concerned about the “I can see up your nose” factor on this one, but not enough that I’m not moderately still happy with the shot, which I got by, yes, lying on the floor.

Possible Upcoming Gigs:

Posted on by Alasdair

Last.fm have had this lovely upcoming gigs feature for a couple of months now. They use the data you give them to suggest gigs you might enjoy in your area.

Looking at December, I’m tempted by the following:

The Tiger Lillies 2nd/3rd The Old Truman Brewery
Levellers – 10th, Shepherd’s Bush Empire
The Pipettes – 23rd, The Roundhouse

(I’m tempted by more than that, but those are the ones I might actually spend money on…)

Is anyone planning on going to any of the above?

On the off-chance: mad radio archives?

Posted on by Alasdair

Related to an idea that smacked me in the head this morning:

Anyone know somewhere I might look to find archives of talk radio from the american midwest in the 30s-50s? Ideally, late night madbastards talking about their strange delusions? Think of the radio broadcasts that cut in at a couple of points during GYBE’s “Lift Your Skinny Fists…” if you’ve heard it or the sound of a small, broken person reading bits of Gene Ray’s Timecube, it’s that sort of thing I’m after.

Anyone?

Pan’s Labyrinth

Posted on by Alasdair

ewa really liked it. I on the other hand, was left annoyingly unmoved. Every bit as visually lovely as the trailers make out, but it never quite came together emotionally for me.