Music

Music I most enjoyed discovering this quarter:

• Laika & the Cosmonauts: Surfs You Right (1990), “Delayrium” (1995), “Disconnected” (1997)
• Tarta Relena: “Me yelassan” (2021)
• Godswounds: Death to the Babyboomers (2018)
• Anna von Hausswolff: Live at Montreux Jazz Festival (2022)
• Fontanelle: Vitamin F (2012)
• Tigue: Peaks (2015)
• Kashiwa Daisuke: Program Music III (2020)
• Dakota Suite & Quentin Sirjacq: “Committing to Uncertainty” (2014)
• Grandbrothers: All the Unknown (2021)
• Gurrumul: Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow) (2018)
• The Styrenes: In C (2003)
• Moonshake: First (1991), Secondhand Clothes (1992), Big Good Angel (1993)
• King Cobb Steelie: “Quo Vadis” (1997)
• Ben LaMar Gay: Open Arms to Us (2021)
• Tsukasa Saitoh: “Elden Ring” and “The Final Battle” (2022)
• Ghost Rhythms: Ghost Rhythms (2007), “Sept Cercles” (2012), Madeleine (2015), Imaginary Mountains (2020), Spectral Music (2021)
• Fucked Up: Year of the Horse (2021)

Rediscovered or revisited, and really liked:

• Innerzone Orchestra: “Bug in a Bassbin” (1995), “Eruption” (1999)
• Primal Scream: “Movin’ on Up” (1991)
• Meat Beat Manifesto: “God O.D., Pt. 2” (1989), Actual Sounds & Voices (1998)
• Michael Jones: Amber (1987), After the Rain (1988), “Lullaby” (1990), Air Born (1994)
• Turtle Island String Quartet: Skylife (1990), Spider Dreams (1992), Danzon (2002)
• Steve Roach: Dreamtime Return (1988)
• Constance Demby: Novus Magnificat (1988), Aeterna (1995)
• Ray Lynch: “The Oh of Pleasure” and “Tiny Geometries” (1984)
• Jon Hassell: Vernal Equinox (1978), Earthquake Island (1978), Possible Musics (1980), Dream Theory in Malaya (1981), Aka / Dabari / Java: Magic Realism (1983), Power Spot (1986), City: Works of Fiction (1990), “Blue Night” (1994), Maarifa Street (2005), Last Night the Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes in the Street (2009)
• Eternal Wind: Eternal Wind (1984), Wasalu (1988)
• Osamu Kitajima: Benzaiten (1974)
• Tim Clement: “La danse du serpent blanc” (1990), Wolfsong Night (1994)
• Mark Isham: “On the Threshold of Liberty” (1983)
• Lucia Hwong: House of Sleeping Beauties (1985), Goddess Awakening, Vol. 1 (1998)
• Jesse Cook: “Tempest” (1995)
• Lakshminarayana Subramaniam: Garland (1978)
• Ilaiyaraaja: How to Name It? (1985)
• Trilok Gurtu: “Shobharock” (1987)
• My Bloody Valentine: Loveless (1991), mbv (2013)
• The Flaming Lips: “Hell’s Angel’s Cracker Factory” (1989), “Buggin’ (Remix)” and “The Gash” (1999), Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)
• Yo La Tengo: “The Room Got Heavy” (2006)
• Fugazi: “Waiting Room” (1988)
• L7: “Wargasm” and “Pretend We’re Dead” (1992)
• Chumbawamba: “Tubthumper” (1997)
• Helios Creed: “Flying Through the Ether” (1991)
• Boredoms: Vision Creation Newsun (1999), “Seadrum” (2004)
• Pixies: Come on Pilgrim (1987), Surfer Rosa (1988), Doolittle (1989)
• Tragic Mulatto: Judo for the Blind (1984), Locos por el sexo (1987), Hot Man Pussy (1989)
• Hugo Largo: Drum (1987), Mettle (1989)
• Harold Budd: The Pavilion of Dreams (1978)
• Daniel Lentz: “Point Conception” (comp. 1979), “Is It Love?” and “Wolf is Dead” (1984), The Crack in the Bell (1987)
• Rhys Chatham: “Die Donnergotter” (comp. 1985), An Angel Moves Too Fast to See (comp. 1989)
• Piero Milesi: Modi (1982)
• Wim Mertens: Maximizing the Audience (1985), A Man of No Fortune, and with a Name to Come (1986), The Belly of an Architect (1987), After Virtue (1988), Struggle for Pleasure (1988), Motives for Writing (1989), Stratégie de la rupture (1991), Shot and Echo (1992), Jeremiades (1995), Jardin Clos (1996), Der Heisse Brei (2000), Skopos (2003), Partes Extra Partes (2006), Receptacle (2007), Zee Versus Zed (2010) [Strange: I don’t love any of Mertens’ albums, but I like many of them just barely enough to list them here]
• Mary Jane Leach: “Bruckstuck” (comp. 1989)
• Robin Holcomb: Larks, They Crazy (1989), Robin Holcomb (1990)
• Lisa Germano: Geek the Girl (1994)
• Tori Amos: “Crucify” (1992)
• Bjork: Debut (1993), Post (1995), Homogenic (1997), Vespertine (2001), Medulla (2004)
• Kate St. John: Indescribable Night (1995)
• Aimee Mann: “Save Me” and “One” (1999)
• Alanis Morissette: Jagged Little Pill (1995)
• Anna Homler: “Ee Chê” (1985)
• Slint: Tweez (1989), Spiderland (1991)
• Tortoise: Tortoise (1994), Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1996), TNT (1998)
• HiM: Sworn Eyes (1999)
• The Denison / Kimball Trio: Walls in the City (1994), Soul Machine (1995), Neutrons (1997)
• Soul Coughing: Ruby Vroom (1994), Irresistible Bliss (1996), El Oso (1998)
• Mark De Gli Antoni: Horse Tricks (1999)
• Ui: The 2-Sided EP (1993), Sidelong (1996), Lifelike (1998), Answers (2003)
• Fontanelle: Fontanelle (2000)
• Concussion Ensemble: Stampede (1993)
• Don Caballero: For Respect (1993), Don Caballero 2 (1995)
• Dirty Three: Dirty Three (1994), Sad and Dangerous (1994), Horse Stories (1996), Ocean Songs (1998), Whatever You Love, You Are (2000)
• Vampire Rodents: Lullaby Land (1993), Clockseed (1995), Gravity’s Rim (1996), Noises in the Wall (rec. 1996, rel. 2017)
• Ether Bunny: Papa Woody (1996), Attention Please (2017)
• Pram: Sargasso Sea (1995), North Pole Radio Station (1997), The Museum of Imaginary Animals (2000)
• Moonshake: Eva Luna (1992), The Sound Your Eyes Can Follow (1994), Dirty & Divine (1996)
• Laika: Silver Apples of the Moon (1994), Sounds of the Satellites (1997), Good Looking Blues (2000)
• Deus Ex Machina: “Res Republica” (1995)
• Bohren & Der Club of Gore: Sunset Mission (2000), Patchouli Blue (2020)
• Phish: Junta (1989), Lawn Boy (1990), A Picture of Nectar (1992), see also my favorite live Phish tracks
• Motherhead Bug: Zambodia (1993)
• Cul de Sac: ECIM (1991), China Gate (1996), Crashes to Light, Minutes to the Fall (1999)
• Home: IX (1995), 13: Netherregions (1998), XIV (1999), Sexteen (2006)
• Ozric Tentacles: Tantric Obstacles (1985), There Is Nothing (1986), Sliding Gliding Worlds (1988), Pungent Effulgent (1989), Erpland (1990), Strangeitude (1991), Jurassic Shift (1993)
• Marc Ribot: “Shortly After Takeoff” (1990), “New” (1992)
• Nicky Skopelitis: Next to Nothing (1989), Ekstasis (1993)
• Mr. Bungle: Mr. Bungle (1991), California (1999)
• Tone Dogs: Ankety Low Day (1991)
• Amy Denio: Tongues (1993)
• Philharmonie: The Elephant Bell-Ringers (1993)
• Shylock: “Le Quatrieme” (1977)
• Slow Loris: The Ten Commandments and Two Territories According to… (1996)
• Happy Family: Happy Family (1995), Toscco (1997), Minimal Gods (2014)
• Uz Jsme Doma: In the Middle of Words [Uprosted Slov] (1990)
• Galaxie 500: “Decomposing Trees” (1989)
• Mercury Rev: Yerself is Steam (1991), Boces (1993), See You on the Other Side (1995), Deserter’s Songs (1998), All Is Dream (2001)
• The Verge: “Bitter Sweet Symphony” (1997)
• Curve: Doppelgänger (1992)
• The Cranberries: “Zombie” (1994)

Movies/TV

Ones I “really liked” (no star), or “loved” (star):

• Gyllenhaal, The Lost Daughter (2021)
• Charrue & Delord, Arcane, season 1 (2021) ★
• Schaffer, Curb Your Enthusiasm, season 11 (2021) ★
• Morales, Plan B (2021)
• Green, King Richard (2021)
• Soderbergh, Kimi (2022)
• Sharpe, Landscapers (2021) ★
• Various, Succession, season 3 (2022) ★
• Various, The Righteous Gemstones, season 1 (2019) ★
• Various, The Righteous Gemstones, season 2 (2022) ★

Games

Ones I “liked” or “really liked” (no star), or “loved” (star):

• Horizon Zero Dawn: Fun gameplay, gorgeous world. A few gameplay systems are less well-developed than in e.g. Skyrim, Witcher 3, or RDR2, but that didn’t detract much. The story-heavy parts of the game are a bit boring. Too Ubisoft. Still, a solid start to a new franchise and the sequel looks improved if still too Ubisoft.
• Control: Surprisingly avantgarde for such a big-budget-looking game. Looks and plays great. Somewhat limited in variety of environments and gameplay mechanics.
• ★ God of War [2018]: Great gameplay, fun and succinct dialogue. I found the “one continuous take” approach engrossing. Extremely polished, in a satisfying way like with RDR2.
• Metro Exodus: Immersive gameplay, nicely varied throughout the campaign. Great graphics. Long unskippable cutscenes with mediocre voice acting.

Books

• [I rarely read full books anymore, just particular sections]