HYPERTEXT WONDERLAND

I’ve mentioned before on this blog that I’m a big fan of Haruki Murakami. I consider the Wind-up Bird Chronicle to be high on my favourite books of all-time. One of the reasons I like it so much is because it deals with the concept of overcoming past trauma. It’s arresting in its exploration of that uncomfortable state of being that comes from not being fully in control of one’s environment. Lee Chang-dong’s Burning  — itself inspired by a Murakami short story called Barn burning — shares a whole heck of similarities. In my opinion, it’s an absolute masterclass of film-making! Set in modern day Seoul, the film follows aspiring young novelist, Lee Jong-su. One day he bumps into an old friend, Shin Hae-mi, working a dead-end job as an event promoter. He doesn’t recognize her at first because of she’s recently undergone plastic surgery – fairly popular in South Korea . Later they sleep together and she tells him about the ‘great hunger’ she’s seeking in life. This leads to a sp...

Remain in Light is an album that, according to one astute amateur YouTube critic hasn't 'aged a minute'. I very much agree with that summation and find it interesting because that's very much the point of this feature - finding music I, for some reason, have overlooked. Talking Heads are a band I've listened to a whole bunch in the past but am ashamed to admit only through select choices. Namely their 'greatest hits' album Best Of (Once in a Lifetime) released in 1992. Remain in Light (1980) is the first time I've sat through a full proper studio album. It's super uplifting and fun, featuring what is probably my absolutely favourite track by them,  Once in a Lifetime . There's a great video for that one . I wish I had more to say but I can't think of much right now. Much like myself, lead Singer David Byrne suffered with a bout of writer's block prior to recording it. He got through it by seeking inspiration from a wealth of sourc...

I got into a conversation last night with my housemate about our preferred social media platforms. For him it's Twitter which he uses mainly to liaise with people in his specialism (design). He likes to reach out to them for instance to organise a podcast that he hosts. However, he added the caveat that it's inevitable everybody becomes something like a brand online. I agree with which is why for me the answer is (almost) none of them. I've largely been decreasing my social media presence over the past few years because I find the upkeep too much hassle. I find they've all become all a bit impersonal to the point where they seem about curating highly specific image of how one wishes to appear to others. The price we pay for a non-neutral avatar, I suppose. We got into a further debate about the value of Instagram. Now, I don't really it use it because the idea of 'liking' people's selfies in front of their mirrors doesn't appeal much to me. W...

I haven't blogged much lately so you'll have to forgive the tardiness of this post. I fell out of love with writing for a couple of months owing to moving to a different city. Good news though, I'm back, and with a new idea - listening to a new album each day and reflecting on the results. First up is The Modern Lovers debut album, erm, The Modern Lovers . The Modern Lovers are a fairly well known band so I'm loathe to sound like I'm addressing something new and interesting. They were influential on the Punk Rock genre and followed another well known band  The Velvet Underground  in pioneering the style. Their debut album was released in 1976. It's 35 minutes long and, in my opinion, really fucking good. To describe it succinctly, it's rough and ready. It muses on artists, living life in rough parts of town, and the lead singer's relationship between modern living and what he describes as the 'old world'. One of the main aspects tha...