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Today the word “time” has lost its meaning.
So used we are to forward, forward,
forward, unto a future that never fulfills its promise,
so often we forget to nurture and treasure
what our solied hands have once held.
Today a gem was again unearthed
a gem long ago spotted amongst randomness,
uncertainty and addiction,
its brutal beauty now brighter than ever
its rarity enhanced by years gone by.
Tonight our absence is forgotten, ambiguity forgiven,
our alien intimacy flows proud and undisturbed,
electricity palpable, redemption unnecessary.
Tonight we toast not to what we could have been
but to what we never ceased to be.
for F.
To those of you salivating over the improbable return of this wild bunch, I humbly apologise… the Art of Noise are back, yes – in my repertoire! Funny how the memories of two decades ago suddenly propel you into the future in such a convincing way. The fairlight and its primitive samples certainly bring back memories, but they bring back more … In a way they are what has been missing lately: a paradigm shift, into a universe that is self-contained, the opposite of the virus of hybridity that we all seem to have caught by now.
This is an allegory of a worn-out 12″ picture disc. And these are good times, indeed.
Excellent session on digital narratives this Saturday at Artech. Valentina Nisi spoke on how a space becomes a place (i.e. a socially charged location) through the use of digital media. Porto needs to become a case study on this. Actually, given the pattern taking shape after Future Places and this session at Artech, I´m tempted to say it is inevitable. Mia Makela complements the challenge by positing the importance that live cinema may acquire, thus hinting at the possibility that Portugal may finally fulfill its vocation of an ideal provider of film scenarios. Ana Boa-Ventura will wrap up the session shortly and, no doubt, brilliantly.
Coming soon…
The 4th installment in the Autodigest series of compressed everything: this time around, we are promised all the bootlegs ever.
At a time when the debate on music piracy rages on, it is a good thing to be reminded that the luxurious universe of unofficial recordings is now in its fourth decade and flourishing like never before. If anything, the pressing issue of containing the P2P sharing rampage of official recordings has benefited the underworld: record labels simply cannot be bothered with unofficial recordings when Britney Whatever’s latest opus leaks weeks before release and costs them billions in lost revenue. The irony, of course, is that these free, unofficial recordings are infinitely more exciting than anything Britney Whatever could ever aspire to spit out.
So come check what happens when all unofficial recordings ever committed to tape squeeze into 30 minutes of mayhem. Soon, soon, as soon as the label is figured out.
