…life under hylaster

The National Geographic Channel has been running a Dog Whisperer marathon, which means I’ve been spending a lot of time in front of the TV instead of writing essays for grad school applications. Sure, the dogs they cast for the show can be hilarious/tragic/frightening and his methods are supposedly controversial. But what I find most compelling is the way dog rehabilitator Cesar Millan stresses the importance of being in the moment and having an awareness of the energy you project - and the effect this has on the human and animal clients.

Malcolm Gladwell did a great piece on Millan for the New Yorker in which he analyzes the Dog Whisperer from the persepctives of a Laban movement expert and a dance-movement psychotherapist.

Somewhat related… the movement work of G. I. Gurdjieff.

I watched a documentary about Gurdjieff over the holidays and despite being turned off by the occulty, willful obscurity surrounding his teachings I am intrigued by his work with music and dance. Gurdjieff (along with his pupil, composer Thomas de Hartmann) composed a series of piano and orchestral pieces inspired by sacred music he while traveling throughout the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia during his formative years. The music has been recorded by Keith Jarrett and has a modal, melancholy quality and it’s easy to imagine that it might have sounded “exotic” at the time. There is also a boxset of archival harmonium recordings (with liner notes by Robert Fripp) but I haven’t heard it.

Here is “Orthodox Hymn from Asia Minor” for piano.

Here is an article that analyzes Eastern and microtonal music using Gurdjieff parlance. The idea of intention when playing dissonant music is interesting but the writer also manages to simultaneously oversimplify and obfuscate some of the theory.

As for the dances - they are fascinating and bizarre. Search for “Gurdjieff” and “dance” on Youtube.

Filed by chuck j at 10:27 am under nothing much, sounds
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The Southern Man + Pykrete “No More Love to Give” CD has received reviews and props in unlikely places - such as Other Music, some snooty noise blogs and Keith Fullerton Whitman’s Mimaroglu site. And now the unlikeliest of places - The Independent Weekly! (Thank you Chris T.)

Isaac, John and I recorded this stuff in late 2004. We made ourselves laugh and didn’t imagine anyone else would ever hear it. And now dozens have!

So now you can hear it too. I present Southern Man and Pykrete performing Treason Mode. And for what it’s worth - we actually have a LOT more love to give…

Filed by chuck j at 1:35 pm under self-promotion, sounds
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… the poshest venue we played - the Starlight Lounge in Waterloo, Ontario.

…Windsor was a blur.

… the payoff for my hike up this hill overlooking Hamilton.

…Finn and Robert showing patience in Toronto.

…Kitty from the House of Dudes in Waterloo claims Finn’s sleeping bag.

Detroit, USA as seen from our hosts’ apartment in Windsor, Ontario. It must be hard for Windsor-ites to have to stare across the water at all that freedom.

Filed by chuck j at 11:16 am under travel
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…Montreal. Yes, it was cold but I had a great time wandering the empty streets all night with a friend. The Nein stayed in Montreal (in the “Shorty” pad seen above) after playing an early show in the basement of a record store in Ottawa:

…The band we played with in Ottawa. I don’t remember their name now but the singer had a good voice.

We crossed back into the States yesterday and after a lovely drive through snowy Vermont mountains we played at the Middle East in Boston. Not the best show - the sound on stage was bad and the sound guy was somewhat of a jerk.

Tonight - New York and the final show of the tour.

Filed by chuck j at 1:15 pm under travel
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This Novation K-Station took a nasty fall at the end of our (otherwise very good) set in Hamilton last night, sending plastic splinters flying and causing the snaggle-tooth appearance. And earning it the new name “Hurt-Station.” It looks bad but somehow it still works. Coincidentally, later that night Robert, Josh and I witnessed a horrifying fight. I’ve re-edited this post after deciding I’d rather spare you the details, but suffice to say it was violent and disturbing. The casualties of our night in Hamilton - besides this keyboard and those injured in the fight - include a certain stereotype I had of Canadians.
I would say Hamilton lived up to it’s nickname and will forever be remembered as “The Hammer.” We blame the menacing black squirrel from yesterday’s post. Bad juju…

Some lighter moments in Hamilton involving future record mogul Kieran…

Filed by chuck j at 10:20 pm under travel
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