Adottiamo una parola - i.e. let's save a word, italian style!

A great loving action to save seldom used words in our beautiful mother-language... l'italiano, perchè solo con le quasi infinite sfumature di una lingua madre si può aspirare ad esprimere la varietà dell'animo umano.

Adottiamo una parola... per non dimenticare un passato fulgido, ora tristemente appannato.

A proposito, io ho personalmente adottato le seguenti parole:

- bachelite
- bagonghi
- hertz
- musicofilo
- pellucido

... e mi son fermato... per lasciare ad altri il piacere di adottare parole desuete od evocative o buffe o...;-)

Schoolday

Some days ago, while peeing Chicco, my pup, early a Saturday morning, I walked near a school and from the open windows I heard some boring teacher voice maybe "annoying" her pupils... then, few steps ahead... and I found this... it's - to my eyes - pure playful, joyous youth with the shape of a paper aircraft, as used by every boy at every latitude or so.

I liked it...

Dicky Mouse or Twogoodears goes (soft) porn...

... as seen at "Biennale Arte 2011", today, in Venice...

BTW, the resin-made - tall as a twelve years old boy - Dicky and his horse-sized "thing", is a Japanese artwork:-)

Droodles

I received a copy of Roger Price's seminal booklet as a gift from Lorenza, a girlfriend, in early '70s and cherished the peaceful, TV-free world hinting, classy humbleness of these apparently silly non-sense drawings and related titles... it's in fact a 100% pure mind-game, as only a pencil and a paper sheet is needed... I spent endless hours drawing those Droodles during boring job-related workshops, which - considering these days flawed economy - proved to be much cooler than hedge-funds, futures or any other stock-market fucking-tool around!

Sure I both entertained myself and friends or colleagues for decades, now:-) and never, ever fucked anyone pocket, with Droodles.

Great, late Frank Zappa also appreciated, as he used one of the very best Droodles for his '82 "Ship arriving too late to save a drowning Witch"... and - as usually - Frank proved he was 120% right and decades ahead of any politician, anywhere/anytime... irony is a weapon, against thieves and system.

I dedicate the old-timey simple, almost forgotten childish class of Droodles to the many bravehearts who are (peacefully) rioting against banks' and economics super-power and war games, worldwide.

Make love, not war... and, I add, play Droodles with your kids, leaving that TV/fireplace OFF, for a while... listen and play music, sing, draw Droodles, pee the dog... gather and chat a lot... whatever, as "Times They're a-Changing"... let's go back to the roots, re-discovering what really counts... also (humble) Droodles will do:-)

Imagination is healing, powerful stuff... and absolutely a for-free toy!

Musings?!? From U.S.A. or the dark side of the... 3/3

... hey, just in case you're wondering... this and the two previous "goodies" come from American pals... strange, don't you?!?!

Musings?!? From U.S.A. or the dark side of the... 2/3

Musings?!? From U.S.A. or the dark side of the... 1/3

Tango!!!

... not thinking about "that" tango... yes, it's among sexiest dance and Astor Piazzolla's (related) bandoneon is - musically - ne-plus-ultra, but I'm right now talking about another VERY musical (kind of) Tango... the transformers maker... and, again, not ISO-Tango, the re-born Tango, BUT "The" original Japanese manufacturer-extraordinaire which winded among the very best audio irons, period.

It seems almost impossible some copper wire and mu-metal may be compared to an orchestra director baton or a cellist bow... but so it is, at least to me:-)

It's a miracle, truly reaching music core and soul.

What's these days in my mind it's a new (audio) dish... here are the ingredients: Western Electric 416C aka the "Golden Triode" - thanking my friend Daniele "Ansa High-Tension" Ansaloni sensei-san:-)) for the definition - Tango EQ-600P LCR RIAA and Tango MCT-999 to build "the" sonically ultimate or so phono-stage, ever.



An Italian/German new adventure as Thomas Mayer will masterfully cook the recipe as the Prince of the (audio) Chefs... great inspiration came - for Thomas and myself - from Daniele's great site and so passionate and in-deep searches about the weird WE 416 B/C: will 416 surpass and go beyond the GREAT harmonic merits of, say, Her Highness WE 437A or Her Majesty Telefunken EC 8020?

As usually, a doubt: are the above questions ethically proper, now? What makes audio bespoke brewing and playback advancement as among the most rewarding passion, ever... also these so shaking and shockingly heavy and unsecure days: Music, art, care for details and passion, search for elevating our soul to "something" higher than alien mother-fuckers stock-markets speculating habits which are sadly trying to supersede what Man is and must be after: pleasure, peace, love... music!

So, folks... Tangoooooo!!!

Stay tuned;-)

Musing?!?! Bittersweet truth...

WJAAS - NEC P26 center-drive: the best record-player ever?

A marvellous piece of Japanese engineering and craftmanship which costed in 1954 an hefty Y 1.100.000... an enormous sum... still impressive these days:-)

Not simply a Far East reply to German-made EMT 927st... with its 16" platter and motor it's more akin a Neumann's lathe (...) and a true NEC statement!

Restored and overhauled and polished to its original beauty at Sound Labo, the classy Hokkaido-based shop/workshop.

A masterpiece with the classic EMT "Banana" 997 12 inches arm, but still gorgeous with SME 3012:-)...

Applauses!

Musing?!?

Steve Jobs... may you rest in peace...

He maybe changed the world... sure he made my own life better.

MY HEART IS BLEEDING - Bert Jansch died today, Oct. 5th, 2011

I could moan and sigh and cry... what Bert represented for myself and millions others is... simply too broad and deep and huge to be described, period!

I'm truly in pain, as not only a musician, a folk icon died, BUT one of the very last originals... his voice, like VERY few others - i.e. Robert Wyatt - also reading the grocery list is able to give shivers and goose-bumps and enrich people soul...

R.I.P., dear, beloved Bert... you and your music are in my D.N.A.... my sincere condelences to Loren and to his family.

Sadly, a raison d'etre for that Black Swan which made the cover of his very last masterpiece... the Death, itself?

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...