Books

• Mearsheimer, The Tragedy of Great Power Politics. Interesting, albeit obviously not convincing. Just me trying to get a sense for how international relations debates work.
• Rosling, Factfulness. Decent for what it’s trying to be. Similar in spirit and content to Enlightenment Now, but narrower in scope and written for a wider audience.

These days I finish fewer books than I used to, and prefer to skip around more.

Music

Spotify playlist here.

Music I most enjoyed discovering this quarter:

• Joe Fiedler: Like, Strange (2017)
• Taal: Skymind (2003)
• Circus Maximus: “Biosfear” (2005) ¹
• Sameer Gupta: A Circle Has No Beginning (2018)
• Toby Fox: Undertale (2016)
• Blanck Mass: “D7-D5” (2016)
• Baaba: Baaba w Akwarium (2008)
• Maestro Trytony: Enoptronia (1997)
• Eskaton: 4 Visions (1981)
• Danielle Dax: Pop-Eyes (1983)
• Ex Orkest: Een rondje Holland (2001)
• Uz Jsme Doma: Uprostred Slov (1990)
• Godley & Creme: L (1978)
• Visitors: Visitors (1974)
• Nik Bartsch: Awase (2018)
• Guapo: Five Suns (2004)
• Kingdom Come: Journey (1973)
• Samla Mammas Manna: Familjesprickor (1980), Kaka (1999)
• Von Zamla: Zamlaranamma (1982), No Make Up! (1983)
• Munju: Moon You (1978)
• Magma: K.A. (2004), Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré (2009), Félicité Thösz (2012), Šlaǧ Tanƶ (2015)
• Offering: Part 1/2 (1986), Part 3/4 (1990), A Fïïèh (1993)
• Jean Claude Vannier: L’enfant Assassin Des Mouches (1972)
• Serge Gainsbourg: “Cargo Culte” (1971)
• Laura Marling & Mike Lindsay: LUMP (2018)
• Jon Hassell: Listening to Pictures (2018)
• Barney Wilen: Dear Prof. Leary (1968)
• Caveman Hughscore: Caveman Hughscore (1995)
• Brainstorm: Smile a While (1972)
• Anna von Hausswolff: Dead Magic (2018)
• Kamasi Washington: Heaven & Earth (2018)
• Maneige: Les porches (1975)
• John Coltrane: Both Directions at Once (2018, rec. 1963)
• Gong: I See You (2014)
• However: Sudden Dusk (1981)
• Robert Wyatt: ’68 (2013)
• Weidorje: Weidorje (1978)
• Virgil Moorefield: Distractions On the Way To the King’s Party (1994)

Had completely forgotten about, now rediscovered and really liked:

• Arthur Brown: The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (1968)
• Pearls Before Swine: Balaklava (1968)
• Les Maledictus Sound: Les Maledictus Sound (1968)
• David Axelrod: Songs of Innocence (1968)
• Van Der Graaf Generator: H To He Who Am The Only One (1970)
• Nektar: Journey To The Center Of The Eye (1972), A Tab in the Ocean (1972)
• Jade Warrior: Last Autumn’s Dream (1972), Waves (1975), Kites (1976), Way of the Sun (1978)
• Gentle Giant: Acquiring the Taste (1971), Three Friends (1972)
• Samla Mammas Manna: Samla Mammas Manna (1971), Måltid (1973), Klossa Knapitatet (1974), Schlagerns Mystik (1978)
• Banco del Mutuo Soccorso: Darwin! (1972)
• Area: Arbeit Macht Frei (1973), Caution Radiation Area (1974), Crac! (1975)
• Picchio dal Pozzo: Picchio dal Pozzo (1976)
• Magma: Köhntarkösz (1974), Üdü Ẁüdü (1976), Attahk (1978)
• Catherine Ribeiro: Paix (1972)
• The Flock: The Flock (1969)
• It’s a Beautiful Day: It’s a Beautiful Day (1969)
• Gong: Camembert Electrique (1971)
• Hugh Hopper: Hopper Tunity Box (1977)
• Hatfield and the North: Hatfield and the North (1974)
• Greaves / Blegvad: Kew. Rhone. (1977)
• Slapp Happy: Acnalbasac Noom (1982, rec. 1973)
• Peter Blegvad: The Naked Shakespeare (1983)
• National Health: National Health (1978), Of Queues and Cures (1978)
• La Düsseldorf: La Düsseldorf (1976)
• Popol Vuh: Seligpreisung (1973), Einsjäger & Siebenjäger (1974), Letzte Tage, Letzte Nächte (1976), Sei still, wisse ich bin (1981)
• Eberhard Schoener: Trance-Formation (1977)
• Agitation Free: Malesch (1972)
• Michael Hoenig: Departure from the Northern Wasteland (1978)
• Between: Einstieg (1971), And the Waters Opened (1973), Dharana (1974)

Why so many re-discoveries this quarter? I’m listening through the history of rock music again and constructing this playlist along the way. Many great albums aren’t listed above because I hadn’t forgotten about them. 🙂

Movies/TV

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

• Christopher Guest: Mascots (2016)
• Various: Atlanta, season 2 (2018) ★
• Blue Planet II (2017) ★
• Ramsay: You Were Never Really Here (2017) ★
• Linklater: Last Flag Flying (2017)

Games

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

• Alto’s Odyssey

Old favorites

Discovered long ago…

• Book: Understanding Comics by McCloud
• Music: “Starless” by King Crimson
• Movie/TV: Dogville by Lars von Trier
• Game: Lemmings by DMA Design

Footnotes:

1. Quite similar to Dream Theater’s classic “Dance of Eternity”![↩]