‘To some extent, traditional Japanese art has been less occupied with originality as an aesthetic standard by which to evaluate works of art than their European peers have been. According to the tradition of Iemoto-seidō (the master-apprentice system) a skilled artist was a person that could imitate his master down to the most minute detail. Individual expression was never encouraged and students were in fact forbidden to expose their personal interpretation until they became authorized teachers. Whereas the West valued individual expression in art, the Japanese focused on copying their masters. One of the most prevailing stereotypes of the Japanese is that they are ‘highly collectivistic or group-oriented, by the same token anti-individualistic’, especially in comparison with Western cultures. This behaviour is perhaps best summed up in the proverb, ‘The nail that sticks out must be hammered down’, and is by many Japanese and Westerners alike considered to be uniquely Japanese. Even the Japanese word for ‘individualism’ (kojin shugi) carries with it negative connotations and may imply selfishness and egotism. However, some scholars disagree. Research fellow Miyanaga Kuniko points out that individualism, although historically and culturally distinct from the Western interpretation, has always existed in Japan. Typical examples are monks and artists that chose to drop ‘out of established groups for the purpose of self- realization’. Befu Harumi says that the idea of Japanese ‘groupism’ has merely been derived from comparing Japanese behaviour with Western individualism.

‘Nevertheless, the prevailing assumption is that the Japanese are culturally handicapped in expressing themselves individualistically, and this may undermine any effort to come across as authentic. Personal authenticity concerns a person’s subjective relation to the world and cannot be achieved by repeating a set of actions or taking up a pre-established set of positions; it requires of an individual that he or she acts in accordance with his or her own morals and that the impetus to take action arises within the self.

‘Some of the musicians interviewed in the book Japanese Independent Music seem to share this perception. Oshima Dan, one of these musicians, explains: ‘To tell the truth, in Japan, we can’t be original. Everybody must be part of the boring mass’. If the Japanese cannot create anything new but rather reinterpret and mix, it can be seen as both a restriction and a source of greater freedom. They treat Western music at hand simply as information, because it is not part of their own cultural roots. They don’t need to consider historical circumstances or ideologies and this allows for more experimentation. Furthermore, because the expression of choice is not culturally linked to their ethnicity, they, in a sense, start with a blank slate. Oshima explains further: ‘Japanese indie music is based on an absolutely absurd spirit. It is built on nothing. It contains no culture. In Europe music is based on a long history’.

‘The point of departure seems to be different for Western and Japanese experimental musicians. While European musicians seem to be carrying on a tradition, the Japanese seem to think that they are on the sideline merely commenting and reinterpreting this tradition. Many of the artists interviewed in the book Japanese Independent Music make a clear distinction between European music and Japanese music. European music may be original and innovative but it is always coming from within a certain tradition, regardless of whether it chooses to follow or reject the rules of this tradition. Japanese music on the other hand is built on nothing, and in that sense does not necessarily have to mean anything. In an interview with the counter-culture magazine PlanB, Melt Banana, one of the most successful of Japanese experimental bands, recalls how they were faced with the western academic approach to music when playing in France: “In France we played this festival and they wanted members of each band to join this debate and discuss what they were trying to express,’ says Agata. ‘We told them we didn’t want to do it, but they said in France people expect artists to explain and if we didn’t do it then they might think we’re fake. I thought that was strange’.

‘Composer and multi-instrumentalist Ōtomo Yoshihide, involved in a wide range of musical expressions from jazz, noise, and electronics to classical composition, takes a similar stance when asked about the intention behind his music: “I don’t really understand the idea of a valid reason to make music. Why do you have to explain in words why you make music? It’s the same as not being able to explain in words why you live.”

‘The idea that music must have at least some kind of message is rejected in both of these statements, and Melt Banana, who use mostly English in their lyrics, claim that they base their lyrics on intonation only and that there is no meaning behind them. This may be equally true for many Western musicians as well, but some of the Japanese musicians interviewed claims that the ‘meaninglessness’ in their music is somehow related to their ethnicity. Japanese noise artist Merzbow has said that “Western noise is often too conceptual and academic. Japanese noise relishes the ecstasy of sound itself.” When asked about the difference between American/ European and Japanese styles, Jibiki Yuichi of Eater and Telegraph Factory replied: “Pure emotion. For example in case of noise music, European music is conceptual and logical, meanwhile Japanese noise is meaningless, coming from emotions within the soul.”

‘The tendency to view European musical tradition as based on logic and concepts in contrast to Japanese music, which is mainly emotional, is an extension of thoughts found in Nihonjinron literature. Japanese culture is believed to be emotional and asymmetrical. Furthermore, Japanese culture is regarded ‘spiritual’ in contrast to the ‘material’ West. There is not necessarily any expressed meaning or intention, and emotion is emphasized over logic.’ — Fredrik Andreas Larsen

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Boris ‘My Neighbor Satan’
‘Dark dangling participles of noisy rock is what this Japanese hard rock trio known simply as Boris offer up album after album. Experimental twists and turns around every avenue of creative heaviness seem to be second nature with this crafty group of relative unknowns. Boris pop and weave between psychedelic rock, proto punk, drone metal, and experimental full-blown jam sessions–sometimes as lengthy as a full 70 minutes. Somehow the group continues to surprise with every album, quietly releasing juggernauts on smaller metal labels and boasting a tremendous deep back catalog. Often compared to the likes of Earth and Sunn 0))), there’s no doubt that Boris is at the top of the class of experimental heavy music. After years of turning heads in the underground Japanese scene, Boris has been making headway in the American heavy music scene in the last five years or so with releases on Southern Lord Records and other American imprints.’ — Smother Magazine

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Toshimaru Nakamura ‘nimb#37’
‘To fans of free improvisation and the Japanese onkyo, or noise scene, Toshimaru Nakamura needs no introduction; to newcomers, the name of his instrument – the no-input mixing board – may sound forbidding, as if its output would sound more machine than music. But for over a decade, Nakamura has cultivated a world of tones from this unlikely instrument, both harsh and mesmerizing, humanist and expansive – with something to lure in music fans of any stripe. Nakamura discovered the no-input mixing board while searching for a better balance between himself and his tools. After many “unhappy years” playing guitar in rock bands, he set that instrument aside. “I think I was not moving away from the guitar itself, but from my own attitude when I played the guitar. I had a problem with the idea that I have to be the one who starts the music. You have to play the guitar first, otherwise the music can’t exist. … Then at some point around 1997, I discovered that internal feedback within the mixing desk fit me very well. I think I was seeking an equal relationship with my instrument, instead of putting myself above my instrument. The instrument could lead me.”’ — samadhisound

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OOIOO ‘Grow Sound Tree’
‘OOIOO is an all-female outfit headed by Yoshimi P-we, a founding member of Japanese experimental psych innovators The Boredoms. OOIOO’s earliest music was minimal and digital, but its sound has evolved over four albums and lineup changes. New wave poppy grooves gave way to chaotic plateaus and psychedelic freak-outs. Their current manifestation has derived a rhythm-based soundscape; spacious, spiritual and elevatory, intended as a communication with the Earth and motivated by nature. They use a wide array of instrumental sounds and textures, focusing on accentuating the driving rhythms that get the toes tapping and the hands dancing. It’s next to impossible to describe their sound, because — by design — it rarely follows consistent patterns”. Some of their music has been described as having “a majestic ebb and flow that suggests natural wonders” or a “witchy, tribal side”. Either way, at any one time it may incorporate chanting and punchy drums, dancey polyrhythms atonal composition or psychedelia.’ — collaged

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Taku Sugimoto ‘Bell’
‘Taku Sugimoto may be absolutely unknown to the mainstream media, but this Japanese guitarist has become a legend in avant-garde circles. He has reinvented himself from head to toe a couple of times already, going from a psychedelic/noise rocker persona to ultra-minimal free improvisation. He is one of the key artists of what has been dubbed the “onkyo” movement, Tokyo’s own form of Berlin reductionism — music built on silence instead of sound. Since 1995, but even more since 1999, he tours regularly in Europe and America and leaves behind him a trail of albums. His first recording was a 7″ single with the psychedelic rock group Piero Manzoni in 1986. In 1991, Sugimoto turned his career around by dropping the guitar altogether to pick up cello. He played this instrument in Henkyo Gakudan, a high-energy improv group comprising saxophonist Hiroshi Itsui and guitarist Michio Kurihara that lasted two years and self-released two cassettes. Back on the guitar in 1994, Sugimoto reversed polarities and explored ever-more quieter areas in music. He gradually stripped down his playing, first going through a period in which he played short, unstitched tonal lines and later moving to greater extremes, playing the body of the guitar or just slowly running his fingers on the freeboard.’ — collaged

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Melt Banana ‘Lost Parts Stinging Me So Cold’
‘Out of the old ashes sizzle and scream a new wave and realization simply called MELT-BANANA. A maelstrom of experimental heart surgery, Melt Banana walk on water, They effortlessly juggle all of those sharks that think they’re swimming in new, unexplored territories. Here are the imported children of the no waves gone by, a hardcore-informed, audio info overload from Tokyo’s ferocious underground. MELT-BANANA sweat out a super-adrenalized, maxi-caffeinated collision of frenzied drum rhythms and torturous guitar squeals through tiny, frantic, hyperrhythmic little songs. Frontwoman Yasuko O.’s ultra-high-pitched screeches and Agata’s screaming slide guitar vie for supremacy across a rhythmic frenzy that is so ridiculous and precise, it will crush you with it’s brilliance. Here are the cerebral gnashing guitars, the aggravated pep squad proclamations and the neck-snapping rhythm change-ups irresistible to those seeking a new musical truth.’ — Skin Graft Records

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World’s End Girlfriend ‘We are the Massacre’
‘World’s End Girlfriend is a Japanese composer whose work blends complex sound structures with beautiful melodies, reaching from electronic glitch to jazz-infused rock to modern classical. Captivating, enthralling and like nothing you’ve heard before, WEG makes for a surprising yet central addition to London contemporary music label Erased Tapes. World’s End Girlfriend hails from Nagasaki Kyushu, Japan and currently resides in Tokyo. Fascinated by his father’s classical music collection, he began his foray into sound at the tender age of 10, creating his early compositions on keyboard, guitar, tape recorders and computers. To date he has composed more than 600 songs, for the most part unreleased testaments of his early experimentations.’ — collaged

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C.C.C.C. ‘Loud Sounds Dopa’
‘The core line up of C.C.C.C. consisted of Hiroshi Hasegawa (also of the bands Astro & Mortal Vision) and former bondage-porn star Mayuko Hino. Hino would occasionally, during live shows, reprise this element of her past into her performances by engaging in such acts as onstage striptease. Another notorious feature of their live shows was the plastic bags of urine that were thrown into the audience. Other members were occasionally and variably brought in for work on single albums, but had no permanent membership in the band. Aesthetically, the band – and Mayuko Hino in particular – advocated a very emotive and cathartic approach to noise music as opposed to the conceptual and intellectual approaches advocated by many European noise musicians, most notably within the “power electronics” subgenre. Mayuko Hino believes that an emotional, rather than an intellectual, approach to noise not only creates more interesting sounds, but reveals much about the personality of the noisemaker.’ — discogs

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Christine 23 Onna ‘Fantastico’
‘The world of “Acid Eater” was imagined by the refreshingly warped minds of Christine 23 Onna. This Osaka-based duo features Fusao Toda on electric guitar and Maso Yamazaki on drum programming, analog synthesizers and an echo machine. They refer to themselves as a “space mondo psychedelic group.” Toda is best-known for her work with the all-female psychedelic rock band Angel in Heavy Syrup, which has opened for such space-psychedelic heavyweights as Hawkwind and Gong. Yamazaki is a major figure in Japan’s noise scene, and counts Beck and Sonic Youth among his many fans. He first became known around 1987 in Osaka, from where he built his reputation, as the one-man show of Masonna, a bizarre distillation of grind-core, death metal, ’60s psychedelia and serious electronics. Starting in 1991, Masonna found its expression in intensely violent gigs during which Yamazaki invariably inflicted “damage to both equipment and flesh.” Apparently, performances were regularly curtailed minutes after they began.’ — Earls Psychedelic Garden

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Happy Family ‘Rock & Young 130427’
‘Happy Family explodes with American rock & roll and prog in the way only Japanese bands seem to be able to do — the record’s tracks are quite simply rocking, taking frantic post-punk guitar noise, new wavey synth lines, syncopated, jerky song constructions, and incredibly tight changes to extremes most bands could only dream of. The result may have the same insane energy as a Melt Banana record, but its lack of abrasion makes it far more listenable — the band has the amazing ability to veer toward extremes without ever forfeiting the straightforward appeal they’re amplifying. This makes Happy Family an incredible, incredible record — it would not be an exaggeration to suggest that this might be one of the finest albums of the decade. Even more amazing is the fact that Happy Family’s later work progressed upon this in even more interesting ways.’ — collaged

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Eksperimentoj ‘Note’
‘As I load Eksperimentoj’s home page, “The sound of silence” flashes across my screen. I’m worried. Already, I can smell the pretentiousness dripping out of my computer monitor. The Flash opening continues and the band’s name fades into view. Twice. In two different fonts. I’m worried. Once I figure out that I need to click on one of the names to progress, I move into another flash animation, and the solar system unfolds itself into more links including one to a section of the site called “liberalism,” which leads to a section of random links to random drawings like an archaic Radiohead website. I’m worried. Taking a look at the tracklist, I see a variety of track names that at least make the solar system layout make sense, with songs like “Planetalium” and “Solaris.” But I’m still worried, there’s a song dedicated to Kurt Cobain. Moving along to their MySpace, I see they have Sonic Youth, Blonde Redhead and Godspeed You! Black Emperor on their top friends, yet their two main genres are rock and progressive. Now I’m not just worried, but confused as well.’ — sputnik music

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Merzbow ‘Woodpecker No. 1’
‘In a lot of circles, Merzbow’s 1996 album Pulse Demon was one of the verifiable foundations of noise, the final proof that the pythonic wall of sound was scalable. This is a gross overstatement, of course, as journals from the Sixth Century also indicate the presence of noise, but it’s not an entirely deceitful one. It came after a string of near-apocalyptic releases that were far more severe and atrophic, but also entertaining, heterogeneous, energizing, malleable. Pulse Demon is simply pure sound, viciously unadulterated static. The earlier releases stimulated the imagination; Pulse Demon decimates it. It also has a bit of a beat that would be further dismantled in the succeeding years. Pulse Demon is Meet the Beatles, where you start to understand Masami Akita’s appeal before the relentless experimentalism period. And, in this sense, the record is probably one of the most archetypal Merzbow albums, the one most resolutely and incorrigibly reluctant to dilute itself with free jazz, industrial, world, or musique concrete.’ — collaged

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Acid Mothers Temple ‘Dark Stars In The Dazzling Sky’
‘In 1996, Makoto Kawabata banded together with a bunch of communal friends, musicians, farmers, dancers and fisherman from the Acid Mothers “soul collective” to create what he thought would be a non-continuing outlet for his musical freak-outs. Dubbing the group Acid Mothers Temple and the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. (Underground Freak Out), Kawabata decided to unveil his astrophysical clatter with a 1997 self-titled release on PSF. From the beginning, there were always these goofball, cartoonish elements to the Acid Mothers. Members would receive credit in the liner notes for things like “guru and zero,” “erotic underground,” “sleeping monk,” “cheese cake” and “cosmic ringmodulater” alongside “electric guitars” and “drums.” Also, take note of the album covers: a communal mass of fuzz and hair, hippie costumes and monks with skulls. Not to mention the naked women, which appear to be everywhere in the AMT universe. Listening to the band’s music and reading interviews with Kawabata, it is apparent that the oddball eccentricities of the band are just a part of the whole. What’s at the core of everything is the music, which can easily shift from acid-fueled guitar orgies to acoustic meditative drones.’ — Pitchfork

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Tujiko Noriko ‘Fly’
‘Mixing capriciousness with prettiness and outright experimentalism in a manner gently reminiscent of avant-pop genius Haco, Tujiko Noriko’s introduction to the world at large was one of the most astonishing of the last years. Maybe second-best behind Björk (the Icelandic elfin pop-princess is probably a better comparative form-guide than the Mego reference) and alongside the mysterious turns and deturns of Cologne based Niobe (tom14). For her solo albums on Mego Tujiko Noriko has worked at fusing digital sounds into pop-song forms, but not as some quaint modernist exercise, rather as some raw, enveloping, loving artistic craft. Now much more confident vocally, she assumes a profoundly expressive position as a singer and is much closer to pop music than ever before. Tujiko Noriko forges an awkward musical beauty that sets her apart from the no-fun out-electro underground, or shiny/happy Japanese pop-kids, or any other measuring sticks that fail to measure up.’ — Tomlab

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Yasunao Tone ‘Part I’
‘In his 1960 manifesto, Gustav Metzger defined auto-destructive art as “art which contains within itself an agent which automatically leads to its destruction within a period of time not to exceed twenty years. Other forms of auto-destructive art involve manual manipulation. There are forms of auto-destructive art where the artist has a tight control over the nature and timing of the disintegrative process, and there are other forms where the artist’s control is slight.”1 Metzger, who would later join the Fluxus collective, then went on to list all the materials and techniques that one could use to produce an auto-destructive work of art. The list included adhesives, feed-back, and cybernetics, all of which were present to some extent in Yasunao Tone’s earliest experiments with modified Compact Discs and Compact Disc players in 1984, barely two years after the medium’s public release. However, these experiments, arguably the first attempts to take CD technology out of its context and force it into a creative space, were not so much about destruction but rather about manipulation. By placing tiny pieces of scotch tape on the disc’s data side, Tone was humanising an instrument that promised its users perfection, flawlessness and uncanny clarity.’ — Roc Jimenez De Cisneros

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Manierisme ‘マニエリスム’
‘Manierisme is an one-man black metal project from Japan. As goes for all raw black metal, it isn’t for everybody and this is certainly an extreme version of raw. In fact, I haven’t really heard anything with such piss poor production. But it really works well. Manierisme takes poppy melodies, twisting them in all sorts of screwed up ways that are almost dizzying to hear. While Mütiilation aimed for the darkest possible sound, Manierisme’s riffs sound much more lunatical. “Maniérisme” is French for “Mannerism”, a period of European art (16th to 17th century), that encompasses approaches influenced by, and reacting to, the harmonious ideals and restrained naturalism; is notable for its intellectual sophistication as well as its artificial qualities.’ — collaged

*

p.s. Hey. ** Empty Frame, Whoa, dude, hey! Long time no … ! Awesome to see you! I’m real good, I think, thanks! Yeah, I’ve been adventuring afar. It’s the new me. And I think ‘The Pyre’ went really well and is going well on its tour so far, as far as I can tell. We’re trying to get it to the UK. I think it’s the usual moolah-impairment issue. I’m seeing Gisele today, and I’ll ask her where we are vis-a-vis the UK. So sorry to hear you’ve been down, man, and that you had to give up your studio. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to have to give up my paper and pen, or to only have, I don’t know, post-its to write on and a dirty fingertip to inscribe with, which I guess is me commiserating. Obviously, I hope you can get that loss sorted asap and by whatever means. Recent reading recommendations? I have one of those ‘3 books’ posts coming up in a couple of days. Oh, yeah, ‘Corrections’ by Bernhard is incredibly great. In fact, he pretty much always is. Definitely. I hope I’ll get to see you more. Lots of love for now. ** Kingdom slide, Yay! I’m still in the ‘very excited that your back’ phase. I so clearly hope that your resurfacing isn’t a shorty too, D., you bet. I’ll try to do my part in, I don’t know, re-addicting you? Fascinating to read your thoughts on the Tiqqun book, thank you so much. I see what you’re saying. The book kind of jazzed me up. It broke some stuff loose. The form and many voiced writing appealed to me, and I’m a bit of sucker for the tone it used or something. I don’t know. Great thoughts too on the Cookie Mueller book. I’d love to reread that. I haven’t since it first got born. Anyway, yeah, you’re being immensely inspiring, as always. Mm, I think I’ve never gotten so far into a novel and had to abandon it before, no. Or, yeah, not since I started the Cycle. ‘The Sluts’ took me ten years to finish, and I thought it was a dead duck a bunch of times along the way. Maybe the George material/ novel will eventually get itself figured out. But I’ve never tried to write a novel like that before where it was restricted by being both a recounting of and duty bound to something that actually happened, and the impetus has never been so entirely emotion-based, and the subject/goal so intimidating. What went wrong was complex, I think. Having to do with my deep dislike of fore-fronting myself in my work without utilizing fictional elements and overriding structural machinations as a kind of secret-izing and universalizing strategy. And I wanted the book to be as artless as possible as a way to make George more important than me. It’s very, very hard to write emotionally and effectively without involving poetics and things, or it is for me, and the novel wasn’t mining what it would need to have mined to work. A lot of problems like that and others. Oh, shit, that Whedon spooky house is only at the Orlando Universal? That’s so disappointing, as I plan to be in LA and do the spooky house grand tour, including the Universal shebang, this year. Oh, well. Anyway, I hope the rest of your day was a textbook example of fulfillment. ** Un Cœur Blanc, Hi! Thank you a lot for your very interesting read and off-shooting thoughts re: the Tiqqun book. Such a pleasure. I don’t know that Danielle Collobert book. Huh. I’ll investigate it. Thank you so much again! ** David Ehrenstein, Hi. Thank you re: the failed George novel. Yeah, it was, is painful, but, luckily, I have new, similarly very difficult novel I’m trying to write now, so I’m doing my best to be in phoenix mode. ** Scott Foyster, Hi, Scott. The new job sounds really interesting or, I don’t know, an interesting combination of challenging and sweet and magical in some weird way and devotional. I’ll be very curious to hear how you find the work, if you feel like sharing the experience in some way. ** Monsieur Roubignoles, Hello, greetings, welcome. I got your email, and I wrote back to you, and I hope you got it. Thanks! ** Steevee, Oh, urgh, about the shoes’ late breaking unpleasant surprise. I see, about the cats cafe. And thank you for the link. I don’t know, I’m not much of a cat person, I guess. Or I mean cats are cool, but I don’t get the cat-inspired emotion or particular interest that other people do. I guess maybe I have friends with cats, and it’s not unusual that I can and do have that experience, so I’m not as intrigued by the concept maybe. I’m more sorry that I missed going to the Robot Restaurant. ** Tosh Berman, Hey, Tosh. Well, yeah, living in Paris has certainly paid off in myriad ways, and, right now, it’s the best place for me. The building with coffee cup balconies, yes! ** Ken Baumann, Ken! I still look at HTMLG pretty much every day, I just … mm, maybe I’ll leave my take/issues on/with the place for a private conversation. Oh, sure, you can put Shola in contact with me. I’ll … I’ll send you the correct phone number. Right now, in fact. Hold on. Done. Don’t get her hopes too up, though, because getting a residency at the Recollets that quickly would be very difficult. The place has gotten very popular and booked up in the last year or so. But I’m happy to talk to her and help if I can. ** Chris Goode, Hi, Chris! I’m so glad that the Tiqqun book spotlight paid dividends inside you. Not that I know what ‘dividends’ are, now that I think of it. It’s weird how one will just parrot things that seem to make sense at a glance in order both to communicate something quickly and to put some kind of curlicue in the communicating sentence or something. Oh, man, you should so go to Tokyo. And, yeah, with someone, ideally. It’s not really as alien as it seems. It’s more like a place that’s fantastical and which adorns and is mutated from a thing, the city, a place that’s inherently familiar and comfortable. The language thing isn’t such a great problem because, one, most people there speak at least a little English, and, two, because people there are so bizarrely kind and helpful, so if you’re in a situation where no one speaks English, someone in that situation will invariably do whatever it takes to find someone who speaks English to help the situation transpire as you wish it to. I had no problem at all eating there. In fact, I had a lot of the best meals I’ve ever had there. Wales, I see. Oh, the thing with Johnny sounds, yes, wrenching, maybe in both the hard direction and the ultimately refreshing one. I don’t know. What you said or inferred made me feel scared, and then I remembered that being scared accompanies everything important, but, yeah, try not to be too scared. I love you, man. ** Robert-nyc, Thanks for coming in, R. I just yesterday got the release date for ‘The Weaklings (XL)’, and I got excited, so I thought I’d put that news there. I think that’s the final cover. It’s a photo by Joel Westendorf of the living room of the house where I grew up. I urge you to pursue your consideration of going to Japan. Take care. ** Rewritedept, Hi, dude. Uh, yeah, it’s nice being home, I think. Yeah, it’s okay. It’s necessary or something. I have to a lot of stuff to do: novel attempting, three upcoming trips to be arranged, at least two collab. projects to work on, etc. Good to know about the cat cafe stuff. Thanks. I just don’t find the cat cafe thing interesting in the slightest. I have a feeling that that’s boring of me or something. Should be able to Skype soon, yeah. I’m almost basically around for a while. Good records I’m listening to? I’ve been listening to the stuff spotlit in the post today, for instance. The new Pollard. Moonface stuff. New Boards of Canada. EVOL. ** Esther Planas, Esther, my dear pal and hero! How are you? I’m excited by how the post made you write such awesome things and by your excitement and everything else. What are you working on? How did the Five Years event go? Bunches of love to you from Paris! ** S., Hey. The new coasters rock, man. Or the good ones do. They make the old ones seem merely charming, which is kind of nice. You’re on Facebook? I don’t think I knew that, did I? Are we ‘friends’? Reading fragments or backwards is usually the way I read. Thanks a lot for the super-rich read and digression re: the Tiqqun book. My brain got suitably fireworky. I’m really sorry to hear about your uncle. I’m really sorry. My uncle blew his brains out when I was in my 20s. Ugh. Hugs, buddy. ** Misanthrope, Hi there, G! Ariana’s always at it. Yeah, I hear you, about David, and I never even talked to him except for here and voicelessly. That obituary was incredibly depressing. Jesus. Lives are so much more than heavily edited factual trajectories. I’m sorry to hear that about Justin, but it really seems like the silent treatment won’t last. I’m sure he misses you and is waiting impatiently to find a way back to you. Scunnard is JP-K, yes. Well, as far as I know, which is fairly far. I also am 2″ tall. Under 2″, actually. And I could take you down with one of my teensy hands tied behind my back. Don’t tempt me. ** Armando, It was a very nice room, for sure. I miss it. There’s a movie based on ‘The Notebook’? Really? Holy shit, I didn’t know that. Wow, I’ll go see what I can find out about that. I’m super wary given that it’s one of my most favorite books, but, yeah, you never know. Thanks a lot for that tip and for everything, my friend. ** Okay. Today you get a gig packed with music out of Japan that you might find very interesting, at least in parts, should you deign to attend said gig. See you tomorrow.

‘As much a collective of musicians as a band, Sebadoh was the quintessential lo-fi band of the ’90s. Sebadoh’s music was a virtual catalog of ’80s alternative rock and ’90s indie rock, featuring everything from jangle pop to noise rock experimentalism. The band began as a home-recording project that Lou Barlow and drummer/ songwriter Eric Gaffney began in 1987. Sebadoh soon developed into a backing band for both Barlow and Eric Gaffney, as each submitted home-recorded tapes for release and toured behind the albums. Eventually adding bassist/ songwriter Jason Loewenstein, the trio became an indie rock sensation, as well-known for the size and inconsistency of its output as the music itself. Often, Sebadoh sounded schizophrenic, flipping between Barlow’s sensitive folk-rock and Gaffney’s noise experiments without warning. This very diversity became the band’s calling card, and by 1992 the band had earned a devoted following.

‘In 1987, Barlow released Weed Forestin’, a cassette of acoustic songs he had recorded at home on a four-track recorder, under the name Sentridoh. The cassette was sold at local Massachusetts record stores. Eric Gaffney contributed percussion to Weed Forestin’, and when Barlow had a break from Dinosaur in 1988, the duo recorded The Freed Man, which consisted of songs by both songwriters. Also released as a homemade cassette, The Freed Man worked its way to Gerard Cosloy, the head of Homestead Records. Cosloy offered to release the cassette on his record label, and the tape was revised and expanded into a full-length album. Homestead released The Freed Man in 1989, and shortly after its appearance Mascis kicked Barlow out of Dinosaur, and Lou turned his attentions toward Sebadoh. A revised and expanded Weed Forestin’ was released in early 1990; the two records were combined on the CD The Freed Weed later that year.

‘By the end of 1989, Sebadoh added a full-time drummer, Jason Loewenstein, on the suggestion of Gaffney. Sebadoh began playing concerts regularly, concentrating on Gaffney’s material and throwing in a few Barlow songs for good measure. Where their albums were acoustic-oriented, their concerts were noisy ventures into post-hardcore and Sonic Youth territory. Over the course of 1990, the group was active only sporadically, deciding whether they wanted to pursue a full-fledged career; a few 7″ singles of primarily acoustic material appeared that year. As of early 1991, the band began recording electric material, as evidenced by the EP Gimme Indie Rock! Released early in 1991, Sebadoh III was divided between Gaffney’s electric songs and acoustic material by Barlow and Loewenstein. The band was prepared to embark on its first major tour when Gaffney abruptly left the band before its start. Barlow and Loewenstein carried on, initially performing shows as a duo, but soon hiring Bob Fay as a drummer. Upon the completion of the tour, Gaffney returned to the band, but during his absence, the direction of Sebadoh’s music had shifted away from his songs and toward Barlow’s.

‘Following a full-length national tour in the fall of 1991, Sebadoh recorded five of Barlow’s songs as a demo tape that served as its gateway to contracts with Sub Pop in the U.S. and City Slang/20/20 in the U.K. Gaffney left the band at the end of the year, and the group again hired Fay as a replacement. With Fay, Sebadoh toured America and Europe in early 1992, recording the British EPs Rocking the Forest and Sebadoh vs. Helmet, which were combined later that year on the Sub Pop album Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock. Gaffney again returned to the band after Sebadoh released these recordings, with Fay again leaving the band. Barlow and Loewenstein had begun to tire of Gaffney’s constant sabbaticals, and Lou returned to his Sentridoh project, releasing a series of EPs, 7″ singles, and cassettes over the course of 1993 and 1994. Sebadoh released its fifth album, Bubble and Scrape, in the spring of 1993 and spent the remainder of the year touring behind the record, building their cult across America and Britain. Gaffney left for a final time in the fall of 1993 and Fay became his permanent replacement.

‘Before recording the sixth Sebadoh album, Barlow began a new band with John Davis called the Folk Implosion; the duo released three recordings over the course of 1994. Sebadoh returned with Bakesale, their first album without Eric Gaffney, in the summer of 1994. Boasting a somewhat more accessible sound, Bakesale became the group’s most successful album to date, generating the near-modern rock hit “Rebound.” The band took a break in 1995 and the Folk Implosion recorded the soundtrack to the controversial independent film Kids. Surprisingly, Kids spawned a genuine hit single with the haunting, hip-hop-tinged “Natural One,” which climbed all the way into the Top 30 of the U.S. pop charts. In light of the success of “Natural One,” Sebadoh’s next record, Harmacy, was expected to be a hit upon its fall 1996 release. Though it didn’t match commercial expectations raised by “Natural One,” Harmacy expanded the success of Bakesale, becoming the first Sebadoh album to chart in the U.S..’ — collaged

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True Hardcore (1989)
‘Feeling alienated by his bandmates in Dinosaur Jr, Lou Barlow began using spare moments to delve deeper into his long-term hobby of home recording, finding life in a 4-track tape recorder his parents had supplied him with as a youth. He soon located a kindred spirit in hardcore fanzine scribe Eric Gaffney and the two set about experimenting with found sounds and recording short, hooky songs, inspired by their newfound penchant for dope smoking. … ‘ — Drowned in Sound

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Ocean (1989, live in 1996)
‘… In the summer of ‘88, the pair compiled a tape’s worth of songs which they distributed to local record stores and sold for $1. The title The Freed Man was, in part, a reference to Barlow’s increasingly fractious relationship with Dinosaur Jr mainman J Mascis, but also painted a succinct picture of a record that allowed every stoned idea and jokey aside to flow free. A beacon of non-conformity in the slick, sheeny hard rock landscape of late ‘80s America, The Freed Man stands up alongside works by Daniel Johnston and Half Japanese as an intimate portrait of the abounding creativity that flourished outside the glare of the spotlight.’ — Drowned in Sound

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Sexual Confusion/Three Times a Day (1990)
‘In 1986, while Lou Barlow was tracking You’re Living All Over Me with Dinosaur Jr., he made a cassette of four-track recordings titled Weed Forestin’ in his parents’ basement. It was Barlow’s first collection of solo home recordings, released under the name Sentridoh in 1987 in an approximate edition of 100. It included versions of future Sebadoh songs like “Brand New Love” and “It’s So Hard to Fall in Love”. Later, in 1990, it was released by Homestead under the name of Barlow’s other band, Sebadoh. Barlow and friend Maxwell Wood are now reissuing Weed Forestin’. They unearthed the original four-track recordings to “restore” the tape’s fidelity.’ — Pitchfork

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Ride the Darker Wave (1990)
‘The press release to Weed Forestin’ boasted that it, unlike their debut, “was actually recorded with the knowledge that it would be released.” Apparently Lou Barlow and Eric Gaffney had a pretty clear crystal ball; the music was taped in 1986 and 1987 but didn’t actually come out on vinyl until 1990. Sebadoh’s first LP, The Freed Man, boasts some of the most deliberately awful fidelity of all time (against some stiff competition); this is somewhat, but only somewhat, more hi-fi. Barlow’s gifts are often in evidence: his appealing voice, sensitive wit, and knack for affected burned-out acid-folk.’ — allmusic

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The Freed Pig (1991)
‘Reviewing an album that functioned as such a personal watershed obviously presents the opportunity for nostalgia-induced hyperbole, but even after taking a step back from III it still deserves every last bit of praise. Sebadoh followed this effort with other fine moments; nowhere else did they so perfectly meld rickety folk, tin-can guitar, Shrimper-style ambiance, feedbacking “power sludge,” eccentric compositional constructions, carcinogenic hooks, and poetic sincerity. Over the years since its release, the “I’m just me! Listen to me! A whole all-American original!” mantra that surfaces amid the trembly acoustic boom of “Downnmind” has become more than just tongue-in-cheek tomfoolery: Even if Lou, Eric, and Jason didn’t know it at the time, those stoner fucks created something essential. I haven’t heard anything like it since.’ — Brandon Stosuy

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Truly Great Thing (1991)
‘Sebadoh III, a pillar of ’90s indie rock, really was an instant classic, worthy of this beefed-up re-release to mark its fifteen-year anniversary. Just like it’s been said that the Ramones simply took Beach Boys prettiness and rapidly sped it up, the members of Sebadoh can bury their tunes in as much bong resin and garage fuzz as humanly possible, but none of that can truly hide the underlying beauty of the music. Sebadoh III was a sprawling, magical mess. Often mentioned in the same breath as Pavement’s Slanted and Enchanted, it’s easy to forget that this was Sebadoh’s third full-length, not its debut, so should more rightly be compared to Wowee Zowee. But even that wide-ranger had only eighteen tracks, compared to III‘s twenty-three.’ — Prefix

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Perverted World (1991)
‘Along with Pavement’s Slanted & Enchanted, Sebadoh III is one of the cornerstones of ’90s indie rock, establishing the dubious lo-fi style as a credible subgenre. Though the recording techniques give the album a distinctive, hazy atmosphere, the music itself is fascinating. Divided between contributions from Lou Barlow, Eric Gaffney, and Jason Loewenstein, Sebadoh III doesn’t necessarily offer a coherent listen. Instead, it’s a variety of unexpected detours, with each track offering something different from what preceded. Barlow immediately distinguishes himself with his folky acoustic musings, which not only have sensitivity to spare, but also strong melodies. Gaffney, on the other hand, consigns himself to the role of hardcore noise rocker, often with varying results. Loewenstein falls between the two extremes, acting as a bridge between the two songwriters. With such a variety of styles and sounds, Sebadoh III is a kaleidoscopic summation of various American underground rock genres of the ’80s, as well as a launching pad for the introspective obsessions of ’90s indie rock.’ — collaged

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God Told Me (1991)
‘Hitting the record bins after The Freed Man and Weed Forestin’, III added bassist/drummer/third vocalist/middle man Jason Loewenstein, solidifying the band’s prime formation. Song-wise, Barlow was still smarting about his unceremonious firing from Dinosaur Jr.– along with his anxious relationship with on-off girlfriend and future wife, Kathleen Billus. Accordingly, his best songs call out Mascis (“The Freed Pig”‘s insistently angular guitar jab) and/or pine for/praise his lady (the gorgeous “Kath”). Gaffney, on the other hand, displays a darker vibe, documenting his fucked-up family life (“As The World Dies, The Eyes of God Grow Bigger”, with his dad fried on liquid LSD, young Eric’s head hitting concrete, grandma getting stoned), “Violet Execution”, and “Scars, Four Eyes” (co-written with Barlow). Even the covers– the Minutemen’s “Sickles and Hammers” and a warped rendition of Johnny Mathis’ “Wonderful, Wonderful”– comfortably snuggle into the grainy, duct-tapped landscape. There are some Loewenstein-penned stinkers (see “Smoke a Bowl”) and average bits (the country jangle of “Black-Haired Girl”), but the lows are so fucked up and indulgent, they become an integral part of its imperfect charm. If you remove one, the structure topples.’ — Brandon Stosuy

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As the World Dies, the Eyes of God Grow Bigger (1991)
‘The culmination—and III’s ultimate and logical conclusion—is the autobiographical anti-tune, “As the World Dies, the Eyes of God Grow Bigger,” a sort of nervous breakdown sneeringly set to tape. This is Gaffney in nuce—exaggerated into pure parody. The lullaby lyrical delivery is alternated with demonic raving; the instrumentation responds in kind until the whole thing disintegrates into pure energy. Ever eager to don the jester hat, Gaffney brings down the big fucking bummer over the heads of every university jock that decided to ingest a bit of windowpane and rock some “lo-fi.” Blood on the walls.’ — Stylus Magazine

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Brand New Love (1992)
‘Sebadoh made its Sub Pop debut with Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock, which collects the highlights of the import compilations Rockin’ the Forest and Sebadoh vs. Helmet. Lou Barlow’s contributions are the gems here, especially the transcendent “Brand New Love,” which first appeared in acoustic form on Weed Forestin’ (and was later punked up by Superchunk); almost as good are “Vampire” and “Good Things,” while an apt and poignant cover of David Crosby’s “Everybody’s Been Burned” underscores the emotional frailty which binds all of Barlow’s work.’ — allmusic

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Vampire (1992)
‘Recorded in a slaughterhouse, Bubble & Scrape took 1991’s III‘s improved focus and spread it over a whole LP. That’s impressive, given that founder/drummer Eric Gaffney was barely present and would soon quit (until 2007’s reunion tour). Good thing bassist Jason Lowenstein shouldered a greater load, writing and singing equal to ex-Dinosaur Jr. staple Lou Barlow, who himself was coming into his own. Gaffney still contributes six atonal-racket, anti-pop Sonic Youth-like numbers (welcome variety), but Lowenstein and Barlow demonstrate an abiding jones for bitingly catchy passages. In particular, for every “Sacred Attention” Barlow offers in the mode of III‘s hot “The Freed Pig,” he now sprinkles lovelorn folk-ditty laments, such as the opening, gripping “Soul and Fire.” Meanwhile Lowenstein’s “Happily Divided” and “Sixteen” proffer loud, hard adrenalin pop.’ — collaged

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Happily Divided (1993)
‘Originally released in 1994, Sebadoh’s Bubble And Scrape caught the fiery experimenters in a somewhat bewildering mood. There are, broadly speaking, two colours to this record: black and red. The black stuff rarely trickles over two minutes per nugget, the red stuff is slightly longer and sweeter. A lot of Bubble And Scrape is stoner’s whimsy (who can forget the guitar harmonies and DIY bong references in ‘Homemade’?), but behind the humour and workhouse-style manner of songwriting and production lies some of Sebadoh’s purest and most humanly conceived songs. There are several corners of squall and screaming that remind us that we’re dealing with the slightly deranged but ultimately, despite its dualities, Bubble And Scrape has always been one of the band’s warmer records.’ — Drowned in Sound

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Homemade (1993)
‘The reason I love this album and consider it superior to anything else Sebadoh ever recorded is actually pretty simple: Bubble and Scrape is a team effort. It’s not just about Lou’s seven contributions or Eric’s six; the four Jason Loewenstein compositions are just as vital to the record’s success. There are no bad tracks, and while most of the record could be classified as lo-fi indie-rock there is far more variety than on the more polished latter day Sebadoh albums. Eight years on from my first Bubble and Scrape experience, I’m still finding new things to enjoy in the record. Over-familiarity has certainly killed a few great tunes (Lou Barlow’s “Soul and Fire” springs to mind) but the better Eric Gaffney offerings still sound mind-blowing on the right stereo at the right volume.’ — No Ripcord

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Flood (1993)
‘Their first entirely studio recorded release, Bubble and Scrape is a genuinely democratic effort. Songwriting duties are shared between the three members, creating a feel akin to wandering the rooms of an abandoned, seedy motel where strip lights flicker and shadows advance and retreat. Barlow offers folkish nuance and fragile invective on tracks like “Think (Let Tomorrow Bee)” – one filter tip away from disintegration. Many have dubbed Bubble and Scrape Sebadoh’s first truly accessible album; a slightly Pyrrhic victory, and one that sounds a touch pejorative to their complexity on this record.’ — BBC

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Rebound (1994)
‘One of the strongest pillars of underground music during the ’90s—and part of the lo-fi holy trinity that also included Pavement and Guided By Voices—Sebadoh put its best foot forward in 1994 with Bakesale, giving frontman Lou Barlow vindication and validation after Dinosaur Jr. booted him five years earlier. With Eric Gaffney no longer part of the songwriting equation—he just plays drums on four tracks here—Barlow and Jason Loewenstein stepped up and delivered a steady stream of classic pensive indie rock and unhinged rockers, and it rightfully catapulted the band into the upper echelon of the genre. (Though it took another year for Barlow to gain mainstream attention, via Folk Implosion’s improbable radio hit “Natural One” from the Kids soundtrack.)’ — The AV Club

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Got It (1994, live in 2011)
‘The early- and mid-90s were great years for albums that brought punk’s two-minute punchiness together with the earnest relationship laments that briefly defined that slippery terrain known as indie rock. And Bakesale is one of the era’s best. If it’s got fewer romance-gone-wrong epics than Superchunk’s Foolish and lacks the emphatic guitar-snarl of Archers of Loaf’s Icky Mettle, it combines bits of both tendencies into 15 songs that rarely outstay their welcome. Unlike Sebadoh’s scattershot early albums, it works as a brief, memorable whole. The band probably wasn’t trying to make a statement– that sort of ran counter to the whole aesthetic back then– but by tightening up and aiming for clarity, they managed one anyway.’ — Pitchfork

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Drama Mine (1994)
‘Much has been written about Lou Barlow’s lo-fi songs of love and heartbreak (he remains something of the eternal teenager), much less so about Loewenstein’s turbulent, sometimes furious moments. Yet Bakesale was not just the moment that he came into bloom as a songwriter – it also perhaps marked his premature creative peak. Songs like “Got It”, “S. Soup” and, especially, “Careful”, are as vital in the Sebadoh catalogue as anything Barlow has written. Whereas Eric Gaffney could be frustratingly obtuse, Loewenstein was aggressive, direct and untamed in his delivery. His songs here have the unmediated raw energy of punk, but with a much rarer melodic skill. His vocals are impressive throughout and “Careful” remains one of the key songs of this era of American indie.’ — Music OMH

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Skull (1994)
‘Even if it flew under the radar a bit, though, you can hardly call Bakesale underrated. It landed on its share of year-end lists (and even fell in Spin’s top 20 albums of the year) and garnered plenty of praise. It’s also an album released on the same day as Barlow’s old band, Dinosaur Jr, put out an album (Without a Sound) that is considered their worst. Meanwhile, many consider Bakesale the height of Sebadoh’s powers, and the line on it has always been it is their most direct and tuneful album. Tuneful as it may be, it is also the most brooding indie rock record of the bunch mentioned here, but it can also hold its own with any of them (and yes, that includes the untouchable Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain). Before 1994, Sebadoh records were unpredictable, often lo-fi, slapdash affairs. Lou Barlow delivered the moody indie-pop, Jason Loewenstein slowly but surely grew into the band’s jagged rocker, and Eric Gaffney was their agent of chaos (check Sebadoh III’s unruly “As the World Dies, the Eyes of God Grow Bigger” for evidence). Without Gaffney–sort of, he plays on four tracks —Bakesale lost its structureless, screeching antics but not its sense of shifting tones and tempos.’ –collaged

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Ocean (1996)
‘Part of Sebadoh’s charm is that their records are always rather inconsistent, flipping wildly between sonic extremes as well as musical genres. In a sense, Harmacy is no different than its predecessors, but there are some crucial differences that makes it their most accessible effort. Previously, that title was held by 1994’s Bakesale, but in between that record and Harmacy, Lou Barlow had a genuine Top 40 hit with the Folk Implosion’s “Natural One.” Although nothing on Harmacy sounds much like the hip-hop hybrid of “Natural One,” its success did have an effect on Barlow, leading him toward more straightforward song structures and cleaner productions — “Willing to Wait” even features strings. Instead of diluting the impact of Sebadoh’s music, the clearer production actually strengthens it.’ — allmusic

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Love to Fight (1996, live in 2012)
‘Lo-fi indie rock is probably the greatest thing since ejaculation, and I’m not taking any chances. I’m loving it full-on. Show no mercy. No holds barred. Full-on, baby. I mean, come on! Home recordings of people mixing the pop sounds of ’60s with the firey glam-rock of the ’70s! What’s not to love? And Sebadoh clearly stand out as indie rock champs along with other home tapers like Guided By Voices and Jack Logan. These are the guys that are going down in history as The Real Shit. Harmacy just further proves Sebadoh are among the rulers of the rock-n-roll wetdream they call “independence.”‘ — Pitchfork

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Zone Doubt (1994)
‘As with its predecessor, Bakesale, the songwriting on Harmacy was handled primarily by Loewenstein and founding member Lou Barlow, with Fay contributing the lone track, “Sforzando!,” and the band covering “I Smell a Rat” by American hard rock band The Bags. Their cover was featured on the soundtrack for the 1998 American comedy-thriller film Homegrown. Like Bakesale, the album found Sebadoh flirting “with (relatively) polished production”, as well as a pervasive use of electric guitars and longer song structures, marking a clear departure from the band’s lo-fi, often acoustic earlier albums like their landmark release, Sebadoh III (1991).’ — collaged

*

p.s. Hey. So, I seem to be back. How’s it? The Scandinavia theme park-centric road trip was incredible, and I guess I’ll put together a post about it since there’s way too much to go into in this p.s. intro context, and I have a ton of comments to catch up with now, so I’ll see if I can do that before I head off to Japan, if possible, although my traveler pal Zac did the documenting, and I don’t know if I can coordinate the editing and transfer of imagery with him in the shortish time between trips, and I also have the busyness around the premiere of ‘The Pyre’ on Wednesday to deal with, but I’ll try. For now, here’s Zac’s and my ranking of the theme parks we visited in order: (great:) 1. Bon Bon Land (Denmark), 2. Astrid Lindgren’s World (Sweden), (really good:) 3. Tivoli Gardens (Denmark), 4. Liseberg (Sweden), 5. Kongenpark (Norway), 6. Djurs Sommerland (Denmark), (good:) 7. Gronalund (Sweden), 8. Tusenfyrd (Norway), (okay/weird:) 9. Bakken (Denmark), 10. Farup Sommerland (Denmark), (bad:) 11. Legoland (Denmark), 12. Frieheden (Denmark). Also, it wasn’t technically part of our trip, but rather a kind of bonus track/p.s., but Efteling in Holland is really great and one of the best theme parks we’ve ever seen. Okay, now I’ll catch up. Given that I have a lot of days to do, I’ll keep my talk brief ‘cos I have to get out and about soon, so apologies, and at least we’ll get up to date. ** 5/13 ** David Ehrenstein, Long time so see, sir. Good morning. ** Rewritedept, Hey, man! That amp sounds sweet. Have you got it now? Wait, you said ‘end of the month’, so probably not. Won’t make it to LA for that gig barring the unforeseen, but, hey, enjoy the shit or its opposite out of it. ** Steevee, Hi! Did you sort out the didacticism issue/fear? ** Misanthrope, Hi, George! I think you might be on UK soil by now, no? Are you hooked up? I’ll see you in just a few days, whoa. ** S., Hi there, S! I see I have a lot of Emo stackage to catch up with, which is, if course an awesome thing, and I’ll start with ‘Visual Lies’. Everyone, the first of a least several no doubt superb Emo stacks by the maestro S. that I’ll be alerting you to today is here. ** _Black_Acrylic, Hi, Ben! I’ll be meeting and seeing you super pronto! When do you get here? Let me know. I remember that list of strangest amusement parks that you posted while I was gone, and I’ll be going to one of them (Harmony Land) when hit Tokyo next week. ** 5/14 ** Rigby, Hey, R! Why aren’t you following George over here to Paris? Or maybe you are? Thanks for saying that about the then-contemporaneous posts! ** Bill, Howdy, Bill! Trip was excellence incarnate, and I imagine it was excellent on the day that you asked me if it was excellent. I think you’re already in Korea now? ** S., Wait, this second stack is the same one as the first stack. I’m confused. ** Misanthrope, As your comment appeared on the day of the ‘Sad Story’ post, I’m assuming that you were referring to that related comment on FB. I actually found that comment quite ugly and disturbing at the time, although now it’s just a hazy memory. ** Thomas Moronic, Hi, T! Your book must be out now! I need to get one from Kiddiepunk! I will! Sweet story about Jonathan Brandis. I think I told you back when that I used to see him around occasionally because we had the same favorite DVD rental store, and I think that in-person time contributed to his death being especially sad and shocking to me. Are you good? ** Jeff, Hi, Jeff! I am indeed very glad that my relaunching of your great post brought you back here, and thank you again for making it too. Antoine Volodine: No, I haven’t read him, I don’t think, but his stuff does look very interesting, so I’ll get a book of his and start. Thanks! ** 5/15 ** Tosh, Hi there, Tosh! How’s everything? Thanks re: the month’s escorts. My understanding is that Gondry’s ‘L’écume des jours’ didn’t do very well here, or wasn’t the success, critically or commercially, that it was expected to be, but I don’t know the details, and maybe you do by now. ** Cobaltfram, Hi, John! Hm, I guess it makes sense if the escorts seem like characters from my books since I selected them, but I’ve never thought about it that way before or maybe only fleetingly. Yeah, I read the entirety of ‘GFoL’, which is rather unusual for me. Usually I read novels until I feel like I’ve completely gotten how they’re doing what they do, and then I tend to move on. What did you think of it, ultimately? ** David Ehrenstein, A hearty hello. ** S., Scandinavia was/is awesome, yes. How’s it going? I don’t agree with you about Jonathan Brandis’ external virtues or lack thereof, I don’t think. Wow, again the new stack linkage keeps bringing up the same stack. Are the multiple titles part of its meaning? ** Bill, Hey. No, the Scandinavia trip did neither invite nor require the input from the area’s escorting crew. Glad that that gig went well, network lack of full cooperation not withstanding. ** Rigby, Hah! ** Sypha, You couldn’t have been any quieter than I was, so high five to you, fellow silent one. I’m hoping and even assuming that your mood has improved over the course of the succeeding days. ** Steevee, Hi, Steve! I’ll go check back on Ryan Sharp. Oh, the porn star. Hunh, interesting. ** Rewritedept, Hi, man. No didn’t see that festival line-up. I’ve been indisposed. Nice about the puppy. You still into him/her? The trip was going great when you asked and continued to go that way. ** Un Cœur Blanc, Hi! How really nice to see you! I was vacationing too. And working while I was vacationing too. Are you doing okay and hopefully much better than okay? ** 5/17 ** David Ehrenstein, ‘Oslo, August 31’ was indeed an excellent film, I agree. ** _Black_Acrylic, ‘Car crash’? Oops, interesting. I’ll see the show when I’m at the Pompidou for the final dress rehearsal tomorrow. ** Sypha, Really? That was my first rerun of your handiwork? Strange. I’ll continue to rectify that lack. ** S., Same stack? ** Steevee, No, no Black Metal Oslo tour. We had hoped to go to the Black Metal Museum while we were there, but it no longer exists, sadly. ** 5/18 ** Unknown, Hi, Pascal! How’s life and everything that it has to provide? ** David Ehrenstein, Yes, it was legalized while I was gone, and chaos of a sort from the worst corner of French ‘society’ has seemed to ensue, from what I read. ** Colin, Wow, Colin, hey! How are you? Holy shit, it’s really nice to see you! I’ve missed you! What’s going on? Any chance for a catch up? ** Thomas Moronic, I read your excellent Deerhunter review on the road. Kudos, and I agree! Everyone, if you missed it, here is Thomas Moronic’s great review of the new and great Deerhunter album ‘Monomania’ over on the great Fanzine site. A must read. ** MANCY, Hi, man! The new Greenaway is a good one? Cool. He’s so uneven. It must have been super interesting to see/hear him talk. Very excited to watch your new Vimeo thing, which I’ll do just a bit later. Great! Everyone, the amazing artist MANCY aka Stephen Purtill is ready to fuck you up genius-style anew over on Vimeo, and, more specifically, right here. ** S., Same stack again. Weird, but part of your complicated and dastardly plan, no doubt. ** Nemo, Hi, Joey! Oh, okay, I’ll get in touch with Joel if I can. I think he’s still on his vacation. Hm.  Love, me. ** Grant Scicluna, Hi, Grant! Awesome to see you! Bellamy-wise, I would start with ‘The Letters of Mina Harker’, although she’s always great. Excellent about your having finished the first pass! Are you past the first pass by now? I get weird and distant when I’m heavily into writing too. I think it’s a positive sign. Wow, did I know you’re adapting a Todd Grimson story? Wait, maybe I did. What a fantastic combination: you/Todd. I’ll be in LA for at least a big chunk of October, but when do you think you’ll come to Paris around then? Maybe we can coordinate something. ** David Ehrenstein, Hi, D. ** Kevin Killian, Ah, Kevin! Here! In my humble ‘abode’! Welcome, and thank you, buddy! It is really hard to imagine Twitter central being around the corner from you. And the news of the collateral damage is a sound for sad ears. Great that, apart from the super weirdness at the country’s border, your Toronto trip went so well. Wow, ‘Dear World’, I hadn’t thought of it in ages. What a fine zine that was. And you saw all those incredible fellow superstars! I salute you infinite times over, K! ** Bill, Hi, Bill. Scandinavia was, in fact, very sunny. I have a very impressive tan, I think, if I don’t say so myself. ** Misanthrope, Ealing, wow. Yeah, that’s, uh … you’ll survive. Where are you staying in Paris? ** Brendan, Big B! She is! ** Steevee, Hi, Steve. ** 5/20 ** David Ehrenstein, Thanks for the taste of Godard. Oh, the guy who shot himself in Notre Dame? I had never heard of him, and my French friend Zac had never heard of him either. Oh, surely he wasn’t very respected in France apart from perhaps on the far right of things. Can’t imagine otherwise.  ** Rigby, Hi, Rigby! A library system for the blog? I’m not sure that I completely understand, but that sounds amazing. I mean, yeah, if you want, and if you would enjoy, that seems like it would be incredible. ** S., And yet again! ** Misanthrope, Yeah, Ray Manzarek: RIP. Sorry for your loss, pal. ** Steevee, Hi again, S-ter! ** 5/21 ** David Ehrenstein, He does seem kind of pleasant. ** Sypha, Happy to please! ** Colin, Ha ha, happy to please! Thanks a lot for the link to your Taylor Mead obit. I’ll read that as soon as I’m done. So sad. The great Taylor Mead! I hope his writing is collected and published in a manner that allows it to disperse widely at last because he’s a lovely scribe. ** Steevee, The Notre Dame suicide was weird. You’ve probably read by now that it turns out he was near-death from cancer, and that the anti-gay marriage statement aspect of his suicide now reads as the way he tried to go out with a meaningful bang. ** 5/22 ** Rewritedept, The five days went pretty fast, right? They did on my end anyway. I returned to discover that my TV is broken and in the shop. Have you gotten any forward momentum on that possible novel in the last days? Uh, I think that, re: the Zac Efron ass post, I found the ZE chat/obsession site from which the pieces were taken via … I’m not sure what route anymore. I don’t think I’ve ever watched the Disney Channel even for one second. ** David Ehrenstein, The postman ringing thing: nice. ** _Black_Acrylic, That overcrowding thing seems like something the Pompidou would do, yeah. ** S., Okay, I’m getting it. You deleted all the stacks apart from the most recent one, right? You’re a king of temporality, you are. ** 5/23 ** David Ehrenstein, Hey. Yeah, Zac. I’m pretty sure I mentioned here that he and I were doing the trip together. He’s my best friend. Oh, were you confused by my use of the word ‘companion’? I meant companion in the sense of traveling companion, not in the sense of the coopted meaning re: gay coupledom, if that’s what caused your question mark. ** Paul Curran, Hi, Paul! Oh, we should talk. You leave really soon, no? I’ll hit you up by email, and we’ll figure it out. ** Chris Dankland, Hi, Chris! Yes, you took the words right out of my mouth. ** Bill, Thanks, buddy, re: the thumbnails. They were kind of pretty, right? ** David J. White, Greetings, David! Really great to see you! That’s cool, obviously, about ‘UM’s’ well-being at the Strand. Wish I could have been at your party, natch, and I’ll console myself with the Vimeo version. Thanks! Take care! ** Steevee, Great, I’ll read your ‘BM’ review in a bit. Everyone, here are Steve Erickson aka Steevee’s thoughts on the new Richard Linklater film ‘Before Midnight’, i.e. hit that. ** 5/24 ** S., Hi. ** David Ehrenstein, I missed you too. ** Cobaltfram, I did! Hi! ** Bill, They’re from an episode of the old 60s TV show ‘Flipper’. I am in Paris. Sorry about the lack of details on the trip so far. I’ll get on that. Plus, Zac and I are going to make a collaborative book about the trip, so there’ll be a book for those who want the full scoop. ** _Black_Acrylic, Yeah, I obviously dug that Carney digs GbV. Nice. ** Steevee, Thanks for the Sade essay. It looks really interesting. I’ll read it asap. ** Rewritedept, Those are some cheekbones, you’re right. Everyone, want to see Rewritedept’s slightly younger self’s cheekbones? Uh, I just got home late last night, so it’s hard to tell, but, yeah, I think I’m enjoying being home. That would make sense. ** 5/25 ** Bill, That’s cool. I mean that the post helped tip you in to Evenson’s stuff. So, you are in Korea! How the heck is it? ** Steevee, Somebody answered your question about the R. Zombie tie-in book(s), I think. ** Pilgarlic, Hi, man! Loveliness to see you! The insurgence in Stockholm started about three days after we left. There was no sign that it was coming when we were there, or not that we saw. The drive was intense, and my poor friend Zac had to do all of it due to my expired driver’s license and, more significantly, due to the manual drive rental car, since I can do manual drive cars. But it was great. We took a drive from Oslo to Stavanger, Norway that was the most beautiful, mindblowing drive/landscape I’ve ever seen. Norway is really, really something, geographically. I don’t make outlines for my fiction, but I make these weird graphs that lay out the structure I want to use in advance, so that’s kind of similar. Everyone, here’s a question for you from the great Pilgarlic. Please answer, if you can. Here he is: ‘A young friend of mine who has taken up the mantle of writing posted a blog about “pantsing”, or, the act of writing by the seat of one’s pants, forgoing an outline. She asked if I did the same, and I had to answer that for non-fiction I was a pantser, but, for fiction I wasn’t. On my part, an outline helps me consolidate my ideas, and keeps me from going off on so many tangents. How about you ? How about all you d.l.’s ? ‘ ** Steevee, Mm, I’m not sure, but the French don’t tend to confuse culture with real/life politics as a general rule, so my guess would be the far right won’t try to exploit the Cannes thing, or barely, but we’ll see. ** Jeff, Hi, Jeff. Cool that you looked up Ollier. I’m going to try another repost of that post during my Japan trip, and hopefully it’ll work this time. Like Guyotat? Hm, I don’t know. It never occurred to me before, but I’ll have an actual think-fest about that possible comparison. Interesting. Thanks, Jeff. I hope all is well with you too. ** Paul P., Hi, Paul! I’ll look for the Roth package. Nice. It might have arrived while I was away. I haven’t asked Yury for my accumulated mail yet. Super great if you guys come back to the Recollets this fall. Would be very sweet. ** Chris Dankland, Hi, Chris. I still really want to see ‘LoS’. I don’t think it has arrived here yet. Evenson is very interesting, yeah. Blake is right. No, I was in Scandinavia: Denmark, Sweden, Norway. We didn’t have time to include Finland, sadly. I head off to Japan next week. Mm, I think the best place we went on the trip was the incredible drive from Oslo to Stavanger. Otherwise, like I said up top, Bon Bon Land was the best theme park. Insane! Worth a trip to Denmark in and of itself. ** S., So, I’m going to have a guess and say that the stack I have clicked over to and seen a number of times this morning is in fact the one titled ‘Around’, no? Looks great. I’ll check it for complexity shortly. ** Right. I think we’re up to snuff or whatever now. Someone around here asked for a Sebadoh post a while back, and here it is. It’s been a while since I’ve said ‘See you tomorrow’. But I will!