WJAAS - How turn your stereo into an economically rewarding activity

Devils of Nihon-jin;-))) - they're able to turn an (audio-wise) angry wife into an auditorium hostess/cashier/stewardess;-)))




Nice stroke!

... again about Tim de Paravicini and the art of open-reel recorders modding...

... making "them" (sound) better...

Read an interesting essay and interview with the old Master... something deja read, BUT, nonetheless, still technically mass/market overlooked or, sadly, forgotten, so worthwhile re-reading to better, deeply understand.

BTW... looking at one of his (modified) Stellavox' on-top of a Revox G-36 (see pix)... I still consider my own G-36 "De Paravicinized" as my best (please note bold letters) recording machine... sonically better than my Studer B-67, Telefunken M-15A, Nagra IV-S/QGB and Stellavox SP-7 (please forgive me for my Chip'n'Dale open-reel collecting syndrome I suffer since my boyhood;-)): more headroom, and overall master beauty... de gustibus, of course, but feel I'm not wrong;-)... the best playback machines are Telefunken M-15A and Stellavox'... than the others... this for hit-parades lovers... and for myself, as well, as - shame on me - I don't spin a single tape-reel since months and months ago!

Noridan performing/musical group from Seoul, South Korea

WOW!!!

These people truly deserve attention and appreciation... they use industrial, re-cycled material, metal, wood, plastic, whatever, to build (several) one-of-a-kind percussion instruments to be played in highly fascinating and interactive ways, in streets, theatres, wherever...

Clever...

Ode to Joy - Beethoven/Schiller's masterpiece or Europe's Anthem?

Sure both Schiller and Beethoven weren't thinking about this... this... snakes-nest called Europe or Euroland, where only money (and NOT ideals) rules!


BARITONE
Oh friends, not these tones!
Let us raise our voices in more
pleasing and more joyful sounds!

ODE TO JOY (Friedrich Schiller)

BARITONE, QUARTET, AND CHORUS
Joy, beautiful spark of the gods,
Daughter of Elysium,
We enter fire imbibed,
Heavenly, thy sanctuary.

Thy magic reunites those
Whom stern custom has parted;
All men will become brothers
Under thy gentle wing.

May he who has had the fortune
To gain a true friend
And he who has won a noble wife
Join in our jubilation!

Yes, even if he calls but one soul
His own in all the world.
But he who has failed in this
Must steal away alone and in tears.

All the world's creatures
Draw joy from nature's breast;
Both the good and the evil
Follow her rose-strewn path.

She gave us kisses and wine
And a friend loyal unto death;
She gave lust for life to the lowliest,
And the Cherub stands before God.

TENOR SOLO AND CHORUS
Joyously, as his suns speed
Through Heaven's glorious order,
Hasten, Brothers, on your way,
Exulting as a knight in victory.

CHORUS

Joy, beautiful spark of the gods,
Daughter of Elysium,
We enter fire imbibed,
Heavenly, thy sanctuary.

Be embraced, Millions!
This kiss for all the world!
Brothers!, above the starry canopy
A loving father must dwell.

Can you sense the Creator, world?
Seek him above the starry canopy.
Above the stars He must dwell.

Be embraced, Millions!
This kiss for all the world!
Brothers!, above the starry canopy
A loving father must dwell.

Can you sense the Creator, world?
Seek him above the starry canopy.
Above the stars He must dwell.

Joy, beautiful spark of the gods,
Daughter of Elysium,
We enter fire imbibed,
Heavenly, thy sanctuary.

Be embraced, Millions!
This kiss for all the world!
Brothers!, above the starry canopy
A loving father must dwell.

Can you sense the Creator, world?
Seek him above the starry canopy.
Above the stars He must dwell.

Be embraced, Millions!
This kiss for all the world!
Brothers!, above the starry canopy
A loving father must dwell.

Can you sense the Creator, world?
Seek him above the starry canopy.
Above the stars He must dwell.

Joy, daughter of Elysium
Thy magic reunites those
Whom stern custom has parted;
All men will become brothers
Under thy gentle wing.

Be embraced, Millions!
This kiss for all the world!
Brothers!, above the starry canopy
A loving father must dwell.

Joy, beautiful spark of Gods!,
Daughter of Elysium,
Joy, beatiful spark of Gods!.

News from ECM - Sinikka Langeland's The Land that is not

Sinikka Langeland's last effort on ECM...

I like it.

(Partial) Musings - The Dutch way to wood bending, horns-making wise:-)))

... look at the wooden clog:-))) - a TRUE genius stroke!

Thanking Arno and Roman...

Music will save the world... Tinariwen!!!

From the pureness of Sahara's desert... THE energy which will (possibly) save the world!

Brotherhood, in Music...

Gochag Askarov's Mugham

Freshly issued from Azerbaijan... last disk by Gochag Askarov and his group: Mugham.

Mughamat (plural of mugham) is the classical heritage of Azerbaijani traditional musical culture declared by UNESCO a “masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of the world” (2003). It has preserved its archaic musical language till present. Mugham is distinguished by emotional sophistication. In some writings it is introduced as “the art of emotional states”. Its artistic idea is, indeed, to express the subtlest emotional states of the human soul in their great diversity.
The art of mughamat is inseparable from Azerbaijani classical poetry and from the Aruz, an old Eastern quantitative system of versification.
The Mugham may be performed as a vocal-instrumental cyclic composition, or as a solo instrumental piece played on almost the all of traditional musical instruments. Solo instrumental mugham came in Azerbaijani musical practice in the beginning of the 20th century.
Mugham performing demands exceptional musical memory and ear from the musician to keep in mind the whole mugham repertoire, and the ability to improvise, that is, a certain composer gift. Many of performers are known as authors of such traditional (measured) pieces as Tasnif, Reng and Deramed. The mughams are not subjected to new creation now; nevertheless, the performer is free to improvise within the frames of certain mode and music vocabulary. Depending on his/her knowledge, musical memory and the duration given, performer can reduce or expand the composition, give different emotional nuances to the music, and vary the melody in an individual way, however, keeping its key-modal structure and key- melodic formulas.
GOCHAG ASKAROV (b. 1978), the singer-soloist of the ensemble Turan is distinguished for his beautiful voice of rare emotional power and passion. Western musical press compares his singing manner with that of Nusrat Fateh Ali khan, a prominent Pakistan singer, the cult figure of Eastern vocal art.
GOCHAG ASKAROV performed at concert stages in the USA (2007), the UK (2007, 2009), at the WOMAD festivals in the UK (2009), Australia and New Zealand (2010); he was featured in the BBC “World Routes” programs (2007, 2008, 2009), as well as in the programs of Australian National Radio (2010), and in the documentary «Mugham in Montana» of an American journalist Thomas Goltz (see the documentary on www.youtube.com). His discography includes two CDs released in abroad – one by ARC Music Productions company (UK, 2008), and another by Australian «Bird Walks Records» (2010). See his website www.qochaqesgerov.az for more information.

A superb disk, folks... sure worth a listen.

WJAAS - Hisashi Seo-san's "Cafe-Tohne" in Yonago-shi, Japan

My friend Seo's cafe will be opening soon, on October 5th 2011... as you can see, the place was built from scratch in a quiet suburban area, so the lucky Nihon-jin who will gather at Seo's place will enjoy a peaceful, classy, relaxed environment where to sip a tea or a coffee while reading last (or old...) Musen to Jikken or Stereo Sound magazines or chatting - about music and audio, of course:-) - and listening to good music through some nice vintage gears.

When such a place, so common in Japan and South Korea, will meet the taste of Western audio and music lovers, so often prey and victims of WAF and kids and related in their - once - own homes?!?

It's old culture of "clubbing", now almost lost also in Great Britain and whole Commonwealth, but still alive and kickin' in Japan - i.e. people with very same attitude and interest, whatever it might be, peacefully meeting and interacting and having good time under same roof in a friendly place... easy, don't you?

All my best wishes for the future of your beautiful cafe, Seo-san!

Nikola Tesla... we owe him soooo much...

... and not only the patent and design behind the idler-wheel motor of our beloved Garrard 301 turntables:-)))

The great, late Nikola Tesla, a genius who - among other things - invented AC which truly shaped the world as we know it.

Sadly, he wasn't allowed by events of his time to fully perform his genius... and, yes... we're still slaves of petroleum and nuclear!

Street art...

... as found in Venice, Italy (of course...)

Coolest door handle ever?

... as found in Bozen, South Tyrol, Italy.

Italian Design...

... and German technology.

My recently acquired Neumann Ktr 147C (made by Beyer) MC transformers - especially made in the '60s for Neumann DST cartridge - embedded in a solid plexiglas "bullion"...

Ivan's Choice - Africa rules

Cool!

Happy?

... maybe, folks.

... when after a bend you find this and scream of joy into the helmet... that's happiness, or something nearby.

Vinicio Caposella - Marinai, profeti e balene

He's an (please note the capital "a") Artist... he changes as men change, with experience and living, trial and error, fearsome and fearless, year after year, layer over layer...

I love his last "Marinai, profeti e balene" - i.e. "Sailors, prophets and whales", also available on vinyl, is an awesome masterpiece: so different from previous, someway/sometimes boring/already listened to, gypsy-flavoured music... it STRONGLY reminds me to Tom Waits' "Swordfishtrombones" seminal album... same seldom heard instruments and instrumentals flavours and shades, a lot of minor-keys melodies and a melanchonic, happy-sadness which smells of salty water and kelp and sea shanties.

I TRULY love it.