Fearful symmetry

at just before quarter past 12 in the am, on Thursday the 20th December, I finished reading Life of Pi

Not bad going considering i only started reading it in early December, not so great considering I bought the book from a charity shop at least two years ago, and not so great considering it won the man booker prize in 2002, so must be at least ten years old by now

But I had promised myself that I would read it before the film came out, (with a UK release date of the 20th, yep, that's today, I reckon that it's fair to count that as a win on y part) although as I started seeing a few more trailers for the film, I couldn't help but think that it looked a bit dull...

yet, I decided to go ahead and read it, regardless of whether the film appealed or not

and it was a fascinating read! to a point. to an almost specific and exact point.

the book lays out a lot of background, life in India, growing up at a zoo, building identity and finding three different religions.

and it was almost just as good when we are castaway with Pi, aboard a life boat with a Bengal Tiger and a handful of other Pondicherry Zoo survivors, although this was only entertaining to a point, to the point at which you wonder where else the story can actually go.

and then it goes slightly surreal, firstly delirious, then verging on sci-fi, and then just rather odd as it cannonballs towards the almost unsatisfying end.

and I'm still unsure whether I still wanna bother seeing it or not, although now I am slightly more curious to see what has and what has not made it into the film from the book

and all the reviews I have heard so far have unanimously agreed that the film is visually amazing, which it very well may be with special effects at their peak, but is the film any good??!....

ice, ice, baby...

well this is it, my very first foreign blog post.

I'll keep this brief, since a holiday is more about experiencing it and enjoying it than it is about informing everybody about just how much you are experiencing and enjoying yourself.

(although you can follow a few select observations on my twitterfeed and Instagram profile)

Reykjavik is a beautiful place, an inspiring place, a place where my apartment has both views of the mountains and of the sea, a place where almost every shop is creatively thrown together in a wonderfully warm and rustic way, and if I spent more time in my apartment than I did out, then I may have found some time to create a little icelandic inspired soundscape.

even if I don't create anything while I am here, I have taken advantage of one of the many wifi hotspots and captured a field recording while sat in a cosy coffee shop while sipping a swiss mocha, that I intend to incorporate into something sometime.

so instead of tuning into Facebook and caring what other people are up to far away from where I am, and instead of keep tap tapping away at my apple gizmo I may pour another blackcurrant vodka and fire up garage band, or I may just go practise my pool skills on the free table down the hall....

(photo courtesy of my girlfriend's facebook)

honest opinions

'I gave a listen to your christmas song'

..........

'It's bloody depressing, I couldn't listen to the whole thing, I had to turn it off!'

so said a former work colleagues husband as we all met up for a pre-Xmas drink together, and despite it not being the most positive review of it, I was more concerned with the very first part of his statement, 'I gave a listen to your christmas song'.

regardless of what he actually thought of it, I'm bloody glad that someone took a little time out of their day to give it a listen, even a truncated listen.

what higher compliment is there than provoking a reaction? I'm well aware that not everyone will find my music accessible, and I hope for those that do, that the experience is all the more rewarding, to embrace music that others have shunned for the sake of it not being the 'traditional' take on music.

when reviewing music for glasswerk, I would much rather feel compelled to hate a track, and form a vehement opinion against it, rather than having it pass me by, if I can't love music I would much rather acknowledge it's existence as opposed to not caring enough to notice it.

and truthfully, despite proclaiming that my festive effort may lead you to slit your wrists (hopefully not, although my girlfriend did once label me with the unique genre of 'soft suicidal'), he did sit back and say, 'well, at least I've listened to it....'


and for that I thank you!

Hunchbakk - www.xmas.com

happy cyber monday!!

you heard the news, right?

that it was 'cyber monday' today? the name given to what is reportedly the busiest online shopping day of the year...

of course, the cynical part of me believes that this is part of a plot to harness the media to do the dirty work of online retailers and boost sales amongst all those that had so far been dithering over what they shall be ordering over the net, just a little push to remind them to part with their cash on an all important day like today... and of course we believe the hype and swallow the news down with a sip of mulled wine

and how strangely apt that this morning, as my journey to work began, too uninspired to choose what to listen to for myself, I set my generic MP3 player to shuffle and lo and behold, the second track spewed out by the machine's random mind was my very own jingle bell laden Christmas track, www.xmas.com

I had only been considering the track earlier as I heard the 'news', feeling that the opening line was extremely appropriate in the circumstances...


so, if you have blown the budget today and saddled yourself with some wonderfully festive debt to be faced in the new year, then rejoice, as my song costs absolutely nothing... and will remain free every December for as long as it seems viable to do so..

basically, until hmv or amazon decide to license the song for an advertising campaign and the prospect of repeat royalties every year finally flows my way

But until then, join in if you know the words...

'www. amazon and hmv, that's what christmas means to me'


Hunchbakk - www.xmas.com