Signals, Noise & Fog

It’s been a bit of a busy week for me, fellow fen! However, here’s some stuff that didn’t pass by my radar unnoticed:

  • In Japan, this and that hits the streets. Says Thomas Marrot: “the plot happens in Frank Zappa Street where human and animal characters live together in a “funky & pop” city.”
  • A Zappa Music Map
  • Soundpainting: “the live composing sign language created by New York composer Walter Thompson for musicians, dancers, actors, poets, and visual artists working in the medium of structured improvisation.”
    A bunch of clips, again via Thomas:

  • Some books we ordered from Amazon.co.uk finally arrived!
  • Armed America — portraits of gun owners in their homes.
  • Painting elephant — this is nothing short of mesmerizing.

.. and then there’s this:

Buenos Aires Smog

…have a great weekend!…

19 thoughts on “Signals, Noise & Fog”

  1. Americans and guns: fascinating. It’s interesting to note that these are all ‘ordinary people’ on the face of it, and they don’t see any dangers in owning guns. But why do some need to own such a large collection of guns? Surely you only need one for hunting and/or one for ‘protection’? By the way – does anyone know if FZ ever owned a gun? I bet Gail has a few and one of them is pointed at you, Barry!

  2. this soundpainting is interesting – somehow familiar, but I did not know about the fact that others made a kind of language on that.

  3. Americans, it seems, are in love with their illusions. The illusion that a gun will actually protect you. The illusion that the U.S. is actually a democracy. The illusion that all you require to be happy and successful is the right cologne or perfume. The illusion that the F.Z. vault actually has something in it worthy of those initials.

    Did FZ ever own a gun, xorg asks? I don’t think so. He didn’t even drive.In my opinion, the only people who feel the need to “protect” themselves are those that feel they have something to lose; or rather, fear what they’ve got will be taken from them. Still, FZ never struck me as being a fearful man in any way, shape or form. And neither does Gail (though I seriously disagree with the way she conducts her business…still, it is her business to conduct).

    Good luck reading those books, Barry. Thick, man, thick.

  4. [quote comment=”543″]Americans, it seems, are in love with their illusions. The illusion that a gun will actually protect you. The illusion that sex is good after marriage. The illusion that all you require to be happy and successful is the right cologne or perfume. The illusion that if you watch enough porn, your erectile dysfunction will just go away. The illusion that the F.Z. vault actually has something in it worthy of those initials. The illusion that Joe Travers is really a very good drummer, and Gail Zappa loves all Zappa freaks as if they were her own children…
    [/quote]

    Naw! Okay, I’m an asshole. Want me to spell that out: A-S-S-H-O-L-E.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNzZzsvOClc&NR=1

  7. Few of you would ever experience what i have been though in the last 2 months in Argentina. I live 20 blocks from where that picture was taken and in these past 2 months i have almost seen it all. From rod stwart to free jazz in a little club, from the pritty girls of my college to the unplesantness of beigh robbed few meters from home.. What you see in that picture is the equivalent of the white house here in argentina, it would be the “pink house”, which is coverd in mist, well in smoke. We had the apocaliptic. cough dropping smoke that bothered over 15 millon people over several days. Just weeks ago we were having public demonstrations for and against the president, i tell you all i love where ilive but no one is safe from anything in this place. the 3rd world is a very strage place to live in especcialy argentina. Now after such rant i would ask why the hell does barry know about this place??? and he mentions it quite often!

  8. Hi Freki, Barry knows about Argentina because I am both his partner in crime an also an argentine, have my family and most of my friends over there, so almost every day I try to explain a bit of the chaos which is general rule in our country.
    Not that he can grab it all, that would be heroic…

  9. Let’s go back to music, Sharl & Barr.

    The Belgian record label has just released the CD ” Satanic Samba”. It’s Sao Paulo ( Brazil) extravaganza.
    More info here:
    http://lowlands.be/distribution/nrs/pr/1/16277/68/3/
    ” You will be staggered by the sense for experimentation and the rich universe of sounds. Baile Funk, post-rock, Tropicalia, improvisation, electronica, jazz and bossa punk are melted into an exciting and explorational trip ”

    Anything similar coming from Argentina?

  11. Not that i know, but i’ve been out of the loop for some time now.
    I don’t like what bands the like of Bajofondo Tango Club or Gotan Project do because tango is not my thing; i find them depressive.
    Mostly what you find these days is local “rock” or cumbia; not my thing either.
    Perhaps Freki can help…

  14. [quote comment=”593″]Few of you would ever experience what i have been though in the last 2 months in Argentina. I live 20 blocks from where that picture was taken and in these past 2 months i have almost seen it all. From rod stwart to free jazz in a little club, from the pritty girls of my college to the unplesantness of beigh robbed few meters from home.. What you see in that picture is the equivalent of the white house here in argentina, it would be the “pink house”, which is coverd in mist, well in smoke. We had the apocaliptic. cough dropping smoke that bothered over 15 millon people over several days. Just weeks ago we were having public demonstrations for and against the president, i tell you all i love where ilive but no one is safe from anything in this place. the 3rd world is a very strage place to live in especcialy argentina. Now after such rant i would ask why the hell does barry know about this place??? and he mentions it quite often![/quote]

    Freki, one would think living in Canada one would have nothing to worry about (as compared to Argentina). This couldn’t be farther from the truth, though. Just the other week a 77 year old man in Edmonton was stabbed in broad day light for no apparent reason. Local businesses attempted to pin the blame on aggressive homeless people panhandling (of course this wasn’t so, but this didn’t stop the media from promoting this rather vile perception of the poor and homeless in my city being a threat). It’s of little wonder to me that Edmonton has been referred to Canada’s murder city often in it’s history when the various classes and populations are pitted against one another in this way. Argentina seems very similar to me: those in economic control blaming others for their failings instead of uniting everyone in a common desire to better the situation. Pointing fingers is easy, Freki. Holding out one’s hand in friendship takes a personal risk and a leap of faith (belief in one’s fellow man, no matter where he/she lives).

  15. Another Latin Am. – FZ story.

    I happen to be the godfather of Elvira ( the youngest daughter- 18 years old – of my sister).
    Right now she’s worlking in Peru since 6 months. Her stay over there is coming to an end .
    She did the Inca Trail over there.

    Just to prepare her to fit again into the western world I’ ve sent her both an MP3 version & the score of Inca Roads.

  16. [quote comment=”615″]

    Just to prepare her to fit again into the western world I’ ve sent her both an MP3 version & the score of Inca Roads.[/quote]

    I knew you had it in you, bernard. Another info criminal confesses online. Welcome to the club:

    Assorted Info Criminals and Asshole Fans

  18. In terms of modern music, i realy only see and listen to live jazz in a bar named thelonious, the other kind of music from here that i listen to has some years on it. Just the other day with some friends we sang our hearts out to “Cuando me empieze a quedar solo( when i start to be alone” by sui generis ( Almost the Argentinan beatles, reccomended listen).
    the things i recomend to you all dispite the language and time barrier form argentina is:
    LA Maquina de Hacer pajaros- both cds ( a return to forever styled prog band, a once defined the yes of the underdevelop 3erd world whos fronntman was Charly garcia one of the best argentinian musitians in terms of songwriting)
    Invisible – Self tiltled debut, Durazno sangrando (well done jazz rock without the Maraharvisnu type solos filled with lyrisism and smoothness un equal, if any of their cd were editid in ingland they would have been world famose)
    Seru giran- la grasa de las capitales( the best argentinian band ever, pat metheny said once that its drummer was the grooviest drummer he had seen, the bass player will knock you down the argentinian pastorious, imagine that in the 70s)
    and last but not least
    Sumo – any cd( a post apocaliptic, freejazz tinged band that mixed joy division reggae and ornette coleman, its “tribal ” in its grooves but it is still impressive, also a plus It dose have english lyrics, the singer italian born but inglish raized is renound as the leader of the underground in the 80s, the best 80s band in my opinion, )
    and well as a bonus Divididos- La era de la boludez (a power trio made from the remains of sumo after luca the singer died, hevily influenced by hendrix and argentinian folkrore music an argentinian jewel, sweet playing all around, named la aplanadora del rock ( the seam roller of rock) )
    for any new band i have no idea, i wouldn even reccomend my band to you guys i fall short right now.. well i hope someone has the guts or the will to listen to any of this..
    If not ,with frank with a pinch of john mclaghlin and gentile giant.

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