“Maximizing something is simple and may be satisfying. It doesn’t involve difficult tradeoffs and it’s easy to measure. But that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.”
Seth Godin
BLACK METAL IS FOR EVERYONE
So glad to see this happening.
From the press release:
Black metal is extreme music: fast tempos, heavy guitar, screeching vocals – it’s not usually thought of as everyday, easy listening, that’s for sure. Black metal came to global prominence with its “second wave” in 1990s Scandinavia, and was associated with church burnings, Satanism, and acts of extreme violence. But those days are now largely (though not completely) over, and black metal musicians are increasingly singing in favor of environmental causes, social justice, and anti-racism, in the United States and across the world. Black metal is still noisy and aggressive and sometimes it is also pretty bleak. But black metal might just be for you. So come see what all the noise is about. Everyone (except the fascists) is welcome!
Black Metal Is For Everyone – Symposium and Concert, Feb 28-29, 2024 at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN
Participants:
Amory Abbott, Emily Carr University
Larissa Glasser, author and musician
Joan Jocson-Singh, Lucas Museum
Rose Johnson, Falmouth University
Margaret Killjoy, author and activist
Daniel Lukes, co-editor of Black Metal Rainbows
Stanimir Panayotov, co-editor of Black Metal Rainbows
With:
Michael S. Dodson, IU History
Shane Greene, IU Anthropology
Olga Rodriguez-Ulloa, IU American Studies.
Rebekah Sheldon, IU English / Cultural Studies
Additional support provided by the Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; the College Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; the College Arts and Humanities Institute; and the Media School. For more info, please contact Michael S. Dodson
More info here.
THE GHOST RESORTS
An almost 10 minute video of exploring abandoned ski resorts and breathtaking scenery. Exactly the sort of video that makes me want to sell everything and travel the world.
In 2010 I left my apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with my bike and what I carried in my bag. I rode my single speed bike up the GW Bridge, and made my way to Rutherford, NJ to crash with a friend.
I miss that shit.
(thx, Norah)
“We’ll survive however we have to. We’ll continue writing about art. What I know now, that I didn’t then, is that fun and games are the entire point — the way we weather a world that’s largely indifferent to our joy.”
Linnie Greene in ‘The Official Pitchfork Obituary‘ at Byline
JAMES AND KARLA MURRAY PHOTOGRAPHY
I’m about a million years late to this amazing work, but I’m so glad I discovered it via a website (Waxy), and they have a website!
“The decision to stop at a location, to mentally frame a scene on your page, is the deliberate act of reducing your complex reality to simple lines and shapes.”
Nishant Jain of The SneakyArt Post
PRODUCING AND UPLOADING
“That article reads as a kind of elegy to SoundCloud’s heyday, before multiple pivots through chaotic monetization and promotion. At least Bandcamp still works – for now. It’s a simultaneous reminder that we need to build something new, maybe this time not for the investors, but for the eu-IVs – for each other. For a reason to keep producing and uploading, and a place to do it. And, importantly, for listening.”
Peter Kirn at Create Digital Media
I love this so much: “a simultaneous reminder that we need to build something new, maybe this time not for the investors, but for the eu-IVs – for each other.”
WordPress can have a steep learning curve, but get a few friends together, figure it out, and we’ve got a new “media outlet.”
I’ve seen some music newsletters on Substack, but I fear shit like that can implode at any point, too. Sure, I’m sure as heck using it, but making sure this blog is updated, secure, and the domain name ain’t gonna lapse.
Like… we need need to stop waiting for the next MUSIC PUBLICATION to figure their shit out, and just make it ourselves, like we used to back in the day.
Our bands couldn’t play the big venues, so we rented VFWs and firehalls and made it happen.
Like, Spotify and Apple Music will not magically start paying artists more.
The big outlets aren’t going to feature you, and even if they do, it probably won’t amount to much because the big outlets have devolved into showcasing death and drama, turning their readership into gossip-hungry zombies.
I’m jaded as fuck at this ‘cuz I’ve seen it devolve for the past 20 years. The fix ain’t waiting for tech-bros to develop new platforms – the power is with the people on the streets and the bedrooms to make it happen.
“Large parasocial platforms transformed the internet into a hostile and impersonal place. They feed our FOMO to keep us clicking. They exaggerate our differences for “engagement”. They create engines for stardom to keep us creeping. They bait us into nutritionless and sensationalist content. Humanity cannot subsist on hype alone.”
Taylor from Potato.cheap
DNA LOOP
Haven’t made any of these in a few years, but I’ve got a new laptop now, and some headspace for creative output, so here’s a little boop.
I make the music in Abelton Live. This is a fresh install, so it’s factory setting sounds and effects, but I’m happy with it. I need to bring over my plugins and such from my external HD.
When I went to look for videos on Pexels to use I was surprised to see Google DeepMind on there. They’ve got a bunch of videos and still images, so it looks like I’ve got a bunch of material to work with for future clips.
“The key to success wasn’t slowly working your way up, grasping for small opportunities. Instead, she decided to channel her energies into one exceptional piece of work.”
Jacqueline Novak