Its been a while – large quantities of work, lack of sleep and a cold have all conspired to keep me away from my website for a while. So I thought I’d pop in and make an entry in the brief breathing space that is today.
The train to work thing is turning out to be good because I get two uninterrupted 20 minute reading sessions each day. Having a small boy does tend to limit the amount of reading that can be done at home to times when I am tired so its great to have a chance to read when I am more awake. I have just been reading – The crying of lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon and Sync by Steve Strogatz. Its been a while since I read the Pynchon. He is one of those writers who manages to make writing look easy – this playful tale of one woman’s research into the strange history of a shadowy alternative postal service is full of humour, references and resonances and clever (and sometimes silly) word play. Its time to tackle Mason and Dixon when I’ve tracked down my copy I think.
I haven’t been buying many books of late but when I read the review of Sync in New Scientist recently I knew I had to buy and read it the moment it came out. Over the years non-linear systems – in the guise of Chaos Theory, Complexity Theory, small world networks etc. have gradually been becoming more and more important. Sync looks at the reasons that networks of independent oscillators – for example glow-worms or the various time keepers in the human body (sleep patterns , heart etc.) – and how they work together even though they are seemingly uncoordinated by a single conductor. Fascinating and easy to read this book gives real insight into what its like to do this kind of science as well as current progress in the field. Its up to date enough to mention the Linked book mentioned here a few months ago.
I haven’t really had anytime at all to devote to my own projects of late – I’ve written a couple of bits of poetry and built a modular patch that is going to be core of a track but that’s about it.
Some music recommendations: Core by Steve Roach - still a bit new agey but good honest to goodness synth music, The Grotto by Kirsten Hersh - this is just wonderful – Hersh is not your usual singer songwriter, her non-standard guitar tunings and off beat song structures (and indeed subjects) mean a little work is required to get into her music but it pays off big time. Intimate, disturbing and affecting. Great stuff. The cover of Tears for Fears Mad World by by Gary Jules and Michael Andrews – this is one of those rare occasions where a cover is even better than the original. Real shivers down the spine material. Salt Marie Celeste by Nurse with Wound – a slow hour long sinking of an empty ship. The music creaks and groans with the movements of the ship on a cold empty ocean. Beautiful and haunting. Nine Great Openings by The Hafler Trio. An hour long drone of subtlety and beauty. I am also just discovering Mogwai - in the same area as Sonic Youth and Godspeed You Black Emperor! what I’ve heard so far is excellent. Not sure why I haven’t got round to listening to their stuff before.
Posted by Mark at May 2, 2003 01:25 PM