Archive for the ‘ places ’ Category

A post-rock lover’s guide to Classical music: Russian cycles, part 4

Sergei Rachmaninoff, Piano concertos n.2 and 3 [Custom clearance being what it is, there won't be any sample this week either... but you'll have two fabulous versions in the video section below. Fingers crossed for next week, or the week after...] —————– I don’t have particularly bad memories of my teenage years. Sure, I was awkward, clueless and [ READ MORE ]

A post-rock lover’s guide to Classical music: Russian cycles, part 3

Sergei Prokofiev [Still waiting to be reunited with my CD collection! So this episode is not exactly centered on a particular work, but rather on Prokofiev himself. There are a few suggestions below, of course.] —————– My love affair with Prokofiev started by chance, and it happened after years of not really listening to a lot Classical music. [ READ MORE ]

Where I’m coming from

And before you know it, we’re flying off to Toronto tomorrow. August has been kind to us at my parents’ place, while J has been in Canada for three weeks already, and a new house is waiting for us now. A new place we’ll call home. I never really know how to answer when people ask [ READ MORE ]

A post-rock lover’s guide to classical music: Russian cycles, part 1

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Sheherazade. ———————- I’ve been wanting to resume the series for a while now, but life has this unknowable knack for getting in the way, and while I’ve been trying to work on new music as well, there simply didn’t seem to be time to devote to this project. Now, as I transition from one continent to [ READ MORE ]

Child’s play

Hunted by a freak (Mogwai cover) by amberhaze Errol asked me if I wanted to come down and hang out with Mike and Jared from Lymbyc Systym the night before the show. He wasn’t sure he could spend some time with them with all the commitments you find yourself submerged with when [ READ MORE ]

two spinning spheres in a bed of stars

This is definitely a period of transition. We are two months away from our big move to Toronto, and as much as we want to believe there are still 8 weeks left to departure, the number of errands and chores is staggering: preemptive healthchecks, various visa applications, and other logistical details which remind me just how [ READ MORE ]

Manila – part 2

The sun rises before 6 AM this time of year in Manila, so when you finally go back to your hotel after a whole night of playing, drinking, talking and driving around, you realise that the city is getting ready for a new day. Scrap that: the city is always ready, one way or another. [ READ MORE ]

Manila – part 1

So the week-end came and went, and what a week-end this has been. If I ever needed a reminder as to why we go through the highs and lows or composing, recording, believing, doubting and (hopefully) gigging, this trip sits at the top of my self-motivational experiences. And it’s really all about the people you [ READ MORE ]

returning home…and beyond

———— Funny how time works. Last week was mostly spent at the Recital Studio from morning until late evening, Monday through Thursday, setting up, rehearsing, improving, changing, improvising, performing, tearing down and packing up. And now that this show is over, it somehow feels like the whole process was a long-forgotten dream, a distant memory. Maybe [ READ MORE ]

all systems go

This is it! The stage is set, the instruments are all plugged in, and the whole recital studio looks stunning. As the concept suggests, there is no traditional seating plan for the show, and instead we have 80 tatami mats lying on the floor for the audience to comfortably watch the animation hanging over their heads. I [ READ MORE ]

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