Cheers, glad you enjoyed.

Nice. That's a weird one!

You might like this. Ambient by way of spiritual jazz.

I'd suggest you're asking the wrong people by posting here.

Classic. I'm not convinced Elizabeth Fraser is human.

This is one of my favorites, from their oft-maligned final album.



I've really been leaning into sort of pre-post-rock (?) music from the early 90's. This band sounds fresh to me.

Interesting. How do you like it?

Seth Speaks - Jane Roberts

Don't judge me...

Nice, Tim Hecker is classic.

I'd say "Video Unavailable" isn't an understatement or an overstatement; seems pretty accurate.

I heard this years ago at a friend's house in Chicago. I was weirded out at the time as I don't usually like spoken word, but it's haunted me ever since, and tonight another friend posted it on instagram. Mystery solved, and now I'm bewitched.

My chicken usually lasts for day of cooking + 3 days. — Lionino

Pretty much exactly that.

Meal prep this week for dinner was chicken shawarma (marinated and cooked stovetop), a Turkish white bean salad recipe with tomato, parsley and lots of red onion, olive oil and red wine vinegar, garlic and sumac, pita bread and some amazing hummus from my favorite Syrian bakery. I've tried making hummus and it's never been smooth enough. I was going to make saffron rice but ran out of time, so bought some generic pita instead. Still a good, healthy Mediterranean meal.

Nice, yeah, they're definitely music nerd albums. I like the transitional nature of Colour of Spring, sort of like Rubber Soul for The Beatles. Do you know Bark Psychosis I posted above? That track is more Talk Talk-ish, but I also like this track for a more post-rock vibe. Their first record Hex is considered a seminal post rock album.

Worth checking out I think. Then there's Bark Psychosis, a seminal post rock band where Lee Harris played drums on their second album. Definitely some strong Talk Talk vibes:

I haven't listened to any of it in a long time. I still love Spirit of Eden and The Colour of Spring as well. Do you know O.rang ? Basically Talk Talk sans Mark Hollis (Lee Harris and Paul Webb). The first album is more Talk Talk-ish, but I like this EP:

I need to revisit that record. I'm sure we've discussed Talk Talk. Laughing Stock is my favorite album of all time.

With classical in general I'm more focused on solo piano music, which a sizable portion of Ravel's small ouvre is made up of, so I'll recommend a few. @Tom Storm did you ever get into Ravel's solo piano stuff? It's his best work to me, although he was also known as a master orchestrator. His piano music sounds effortlessly pianistic, but is impossible and awkward to play. A sign that he's the master.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIBOwg8NGmA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnTmtjO6IKI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvVSEoyoj9Q

Yes, that's what I'm saying.

Ever been working on something passionately and experienced a time warp via tons of productivity? That is the artist's method. — Vaskane

This often happens. But equally, in the style of Radiohead, intense scrutiny and slow, slogging technical adjustment results in similar feelings of achievement toward the end product. — AmadeusD

Yes, both are valid approaches and I think most artists probably engage in both to varying percentages. It's seems like a trite quote, but I've always loved this which is attributed to Picasso: "Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working." So, those flow states don't require discipline, and you can certainly find yourself in one and make something. But if you are disciplined in showing up to the drawing board, the flow states will come more often and you'll be more productive. Says the artist who hasn't shown up daily to do the work in years.

I also think as I get older, I'm developing more respect for the slow methodical artists. I was never one myself, and the flow state, dramatic artists who have that flair are always more visible and attractive. I like the Debussy/Ravel dichotomy. Both pretty equally respected now, although I think Debussy is more well known, and he was the flashy flow state guy. He's easy to fall in love with right off the bat, but Ravel takes time to appreciate, and Ravel was the method man. As I get older I've shifted from preferring Debussy to now preferring Ravel. I liken it to a hot and heavy summer fling versus realizing twenty years later that you love your best friend from growing up and then get married to them.

Nice dude. Some cool guitar chords there.

Sure, here's a few tracks from my bandcamp:

Songs:

https://matthewanderson.bandcamp.com/track/definite-form

https://matthewanderson.bandcamp.com/track/our-bones

Ambient:

https://matthewanderson.bandcamp.com/track/eternal-dead-ballfields

I agree. The only differentiation I’m making is that I think the experience I’m describing in art is primary in the sense that it’s foundational metaphysically. So rather than inferior to or equal to the logical thought which philosophy uses to try to grasp it, it rather precedes it.

Nice. Somewhat similar for me, took piano lessons from my mom who is a private piano teacher (one of two jobs) from about age 9 to 13, reached a high intermediate level, then picked it back up in college after focusing on guitar and drums in the interim. I’ve really picked it back up in the past 5 years and want to write some proper classical-ish piano music but have only dabbled; keeps getting pushed to the back burner in favor of other musical projects. The only video of me playing is on instagram; here’s a link although I’m not sure if it will work; I think you at least need an instagram account to view.

https://instagram.com/p/B7_8NhXlpsz/

Good technique. :up: you studied piano right? I didn’t know the Addinsell piece either, sounds interesting.

23 albums and counting; — AmadeusD

:gasp: and I thought my 9 not including EPs and bands was a lot for a hobbyist. Comfortable sharing any links? PM is fine. No worries if not.

Right, art doesn’t want to explain anything. What I’m suggesting is it can sometimes be like an immediate immanent experience of the reality that philosophy seeks. Similar to someone having a spiritual breakthrough via a psychedelic experience that a meditation practitioner may spend their entire lives practicing to achieve.

At this point, for me the most sublime experiences I’ve had of art feel like fleeting glimpses into the nature of reality that a lifetime of philosophical study might never achieve (but maybe it can for some). Of course, philosophy is generally seeking more like the whole picture, rather than a glimpse.

Of course, a lot if not most art doesn’t provide a window for this glimpse, or doesn’t attempt to. I would provisionally delineate art into exoteric (non-glimpse-into etc) and esoteric (glimpse). Of course the word esoteric has a lot of baggage, but I think it’s an appropriate differentiation to make here.

So as to the nature of art, its root, its esoteric experiential purpose if you will (experiential because mankind has been making art for as long as we know, and the process of making it, interpreting it, and philosophizing about it is a historically experiential process) is to reach out and try to grasp the nature of reality. Exoteric permutations are not concerned with their root or its purpose, which, by the way, is fine with me.

This is just my current thought process du jour on the nature of art.

Addendum: to expand on the experiential aspect of art I mentioned, I’m really just referring to what I think is the experiential nature of all human experience (ha). By default I was going to say “arts…esoteric purpose”, but that sounds as if I think I have special knowledge into an esoteric topic, which is not my point. To me all philosophy is experiential; humans questioning and seeking throughout history. The exoteric/esoteric distintion makes sense to me in this context because esoteric here doesn’t mean something mystical or secret. Inevitably in the experiential search for the nature of reality, the distinction between what is found in every day experience, whether that be through logical deduction, science, or social constructs, etc, is distinct from that something that is found (glimpsed) behind the everyday. Anyway, I think great art is one way we experience this.

Call For The Dead - John Le Carre

Quite good, actually.

I was raised evangelical Christian, perhaps borderline fundamentalist. I broke out of that prison a mere 8 or 10 years ago only to find myself in a different prison, one of belief paralysis, existential crisis, and extreme doubt about absolutely everything. To an outsider all of that fallout may look like a result of my religious indoctrination, which is probably true, but I'm still not a believer in losing one's faith as being a universally enlightening or triumphant experience. Loss of faith has been one long, agonizing divorce for me.

All of that said, I'm not an atheist. But I no longer worry about any ongoing debate about God's existence; I'm now bored by them. Provisionally, my conception of God is probably closest to a Hindu conception, for anyone who cares. I feel no need to defend this belief; I don't care what other people think of it. And I think that's healthier than feeling the need to defend one's belief or lack thereof in God; I'm speaking from experience here.

Is Atheism a religion?

Noble Dust will explain anything if you tag him — L'éléphant

That's true; having the answers to all life's questions, I'm simply a tag away. Yet so few realize.

I think it was because you had said it was your first time writing a short story. Considering it was really good and you won the contest, I thought that was impressive, and was therefore surprised. I was also sad to see you deleted it. Attempting publication perhaps?

I think back when I actually contributed to philosophy threads I was probably perceived as a woo-woo diletante, which I'm fine with. These days I suppose I'm just the second-in-command shoutbox class clown, next to @Hanover.

Do you mean Notes From Underground? A seminal text for me.

It's cool. I still don't know how to articulate my mixed feelings about progressive white folks obsession with the ethnicification of western musical tropes (that's not totally fair or accurate in this track, but just general thoughts about the genre). Something to make a thread about I guess, if I still had the energy to do that.

I think you'll agree 10 out of 10 — Changeling

I don't need to click play to know I agree.

UH-GREE????

The Snow Queen - Joan D. Vinge

I wouldn't normally grab a fantasy title blind, but my brother (an unpublished fantasy/sci-fi author with an agent) not only recommended this, but bought it for me as a birthday gift. So far it's...a fantasy novel. I'm placing complete trust in my brother, and I do trust him, although our tastes aren't 100% aligned. It did win a Hugo.

I've never heard of him. I only listened to a few seconds, as this style of modern straight jazz that ECM does is not my thing, but they sound good. The group is locked in, and his playing reminds me of Chick Corea a bit which is a good thing.

At my new job, people aren't very forthcoming. I have to dig for info. I'm kind of burnt out on that whole digging thing.

Are the English people the English people?

thanks ND and it’s all cool :cool: — Jamal

Earnestly, @Jamal: Thank you for this.

Jokingly: "it's all cool". What the hell kind of phrase is that?

British (is that the biggest umbrella? Can't remember) humor, I cannot read. I can hear it, though.

Btw, I don't know your geographical location, but I have a few educated guesses.*waits for banishment*

I said I don’t remember it, not that I didn’t like it. — Jamal

Aha; my memory is famously bad.

It helps that I live a 20 minute walk from the neighborhood it took place in.
— Noble Dust

:zip: — Jamal

Let's all put it behind us, eh? And by us I mean me. Sorry mate, for being a dick. I said it before. Feel like we're still there. My fault.

I'm currently reading Ocarle Night by Paul Auster. I seem to remember @Jamal being an Auster fan, but not of this one. So far so good, but it's my first foray. It helps that I live a 20 minute walk from the neighborhood it took place in. *call back to me freaking out about people knowing where I live*