Time for the 2024 End of Year round up. Get your popcorn.
I should probably wait a bit longer in case something dramatic happens in December – but my yearly autopsies are not really in synch with the calendar. It’s more a matter that the end of year looms, there have been findings and I am reminded that most people are tl;dr as the kids used to say before they too became old and bitter and started dying all over the place^
tl;dr is the state of mind of the moment. The Normals are not at all interested in reading.
Like/Not like, it’s very efficient and streamlined.
Site changes
You would not have noticed that the Inflight Entertainment section of this site has been removed. It was serving up parts of the Sevcom Music Server and the Barbara Island albums. This was an experiment of a non-album delivery format which has some interesting outcomes but didn’t really bring extra insight – Spotify is better take on ‘radio’ than my random playback.
I constantly fuss over the essence of an ‘album’ from an old belief that it could make things better for all. The radio idea is not closed but it needs another round of thinking.
Where to Solar Woodroach?
Albums
At the start of the year I was curious to see if anyone would notice that the new edition of Op on BandCamp was v6. The last version of Op was 4 – the website with all the tracks online. I even put a picture of Op4 in the sleeve notes as a hint. Keeping in mind that absolutely no one has located the prize for the Rhine album I guess it’s just tl;dr. (PS it’s in Germany, near a bridge).
Anyway there is an Op5 and it comes from Panavision: “Label based between Brussels, Belgium and Ljubjania, Slovenia.” They were keen to create an artefact and I am keen for them to have the support. I do not think they have released it yet. No hurry.
Also this year EAR BITTEN. Haven’t seen one in the flesh yet.
Live shows – July 2025
The third Seance will be in the flesh.
Two European dates have been allowed by the rule ‘We may assemble the band temporarily only when a high-level or artistically significant event is available’. The first is a 3 day festival of alternative music on Sunday 20th in Germany and the second is at the Jazz Cafe on Monday 21st in Camden London. Other offers have come in but I am weary of taking on a whole tour. They expand endlessly.
It was a major panic in booking flights for July next year. I usually book my own flights but was being repeatedly thrown off Expedia. My new travel agent explained that the flights were dissolving in real time – seats would pop into existence and out again in seconds and Expedia was overwhelmed. He did a much better job – but it’ll still be a very long flight for only two shows. Worth it if I get to meet old friends and enemies and a laugh at the whole business.
Film and Environment soundtracks
I’ve finally seen the finished version of The Correspondent – my music thankfully pushed back in the mix from where it was all a bit LOOK AT THIS – FEEL THAT. It’s still going to be interesting to see what the reaction to a dronal electronic score will be from the general public. It’s been submitted for the judges in AFI/AACTA Best Film Score. Woo.
I don’t know if the soundtrack for the White Bay Power Station is running. I don’t much know anything. It’s government business. Sigh.
Immersion
I’ve collected a precious few people online that share my interest in immersion design. Some are old hands at the business, many are youngsters with a lot of skill but a whole lot of normalcy to shed (please God no more ninja fairies). I’m not as skilled but I will plod along because that’s my current mission. The trip to Florida and Las Vegas was good for the soul, but the soul isn’t very good at coding.
There was a moment where I saw some new goggles from Meta and thought wow you don’t have to run them off a cable from the computer I should look into that. But they are goggles. No one wears goggles. You’ve already gone through three goggles and for what? At least I didn’t fall for those Apple ones. Je$u$.
Immersion is in that moment when the original hype has died, the Normals have run away to AI, and all that is left is the debris. The people cleaning up the debris are the real workers – some are old hands that have been doing this for decades. They made Disneyland. I learn from them.
Previous year’s 2023 report is here:
^ Fact. The cohort that once made up the ‘Inner City Sound’ is dying. I was the young guy back in the day. I still am. And I still fucking hate Nick Cave.
I noticed that the Man Cave link had gone but not Inflight….I can still see the Man Cave pages if I use a bookmarked, so maybe it’s an admin thing(?).
Good luck with the gigs – I will probably not be physically close enough to attend (Sod’s Law).
Fixed. Thanks for the heads up. Much stuffing around going on behind the curtain.
Hey. The digital op5 is priced over 1000.00
Just a heads up.
Some details please. The vinyl is about 15 euro.
Joe, thank you for the comment. This is meant to be a vinyl only release and Bandcamp doesn’t allow for it to not have a digital format available. Labels in that case will usually price the digital version at an exorbitant amount in an effort to sell the physical copies.