What is in-between

"The cinema is the only art which, as Cocteau says, 'films death at work'. Whoever one films is growing older and will die. So one is filming a moment of death at work. Painting is static: the cinema is interesting because it seizes life and the mortal side of life."

-- JL Godard

The dull bits cut out.

"I don't want to film a "slice of life" because people can get that at home. They don't have to pay money to see a slice of life. And I avoid out-and-out fantasy because people should be able to identify with the characters.

Making a film means to tell a story. It must be dramatic and human. Drama is life with the dull bits cut out."

-- Alfred Hitchcock

Fucking in a convent cell is the closest to Heaven I'll ever be.

You Don't Make Heroes Out of Warlocks!

I wasn't that convinced by the Jesus Camp documentary, feeling it was a bit too much of a freakshow trying to shock us into politically correctness. But nonetheless, the subject is relevant and confronting and an interesting look into tragic fun:

On such a winter's day

RIP Denny

New Dolores

Dolores does another Milow music video, choose your version here:

Quicktime (large)
Quicktime (ipod)
Windowsmedia Player

Directed by Isaac E. Gozin
D.O.P. Rik Zang
Produced by Jonathan Vandenbroeck
Editing by Stijn Deconinck
Picture by statik

Put Your Money On For A Sexy Time.

YouBeautiful Memories

Igor's & Hemdjes Music List

Senor Igor does the album listing as well:

0. FM3 - Buddha Machine

1. Amen Ra - Mass III
2. Shora - Malval
3. Aidan Baker - The Sea Swells a Bit
4. The Ocean - Aeolian
5. Manyfingers - Our Worn Shadow
6. Tim Hecker - Harmony in Ultraviolet
7. Om - Conference of the Birds
8. Ignatz - s/t
9. Kanding Ray - Stabil
10. Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words - Old Ghosts, New Ghosts, All Ghosts
11. Liars - Drum's Not Dead
12. Isis - In the Absence of Truth
13. Ocean - Here Where Nothing Grows
14. Cat Power - The Greatest
15. Keith Fullerton Whitman - Lisbon
16. Ellen Alien & Apparat - Orchestra of Bubbles
17. Amute - The Seahorse Limbo
18. The Goslings - Between the Dead
19. Sickoakes - Seawards
20. Max Richter - Songs From Before

And baldie oldtimer Hemd adds:

Shora - Malval
Om - Conference of the Birds
Amen Ra - Mass III
Keith Fullerton Whitman - Lisbon
Kanding Ray - Stabil
Tim Hecker - Harmony in Ultraviolet
Isis - In the Absence of Truth
Twin Zero - the tomb to every hope
Paavoharju - tuote akatemia unien savonlinna
Year of no light - Nord

PS: also don't forget to check the glitchpunkyouth & elefanten style.

Best Albums of 2006!

I finally made my mind up about the 2006 top ten list. It has actually been really difficult to choose and define a list that represents this past year fully. I truly hated excluding some records but also at the same time felt the spectrum wasn't as broad as it has been in my record player, which is why the songs list serves as the perfect sidedish. You will also notice there's a lot of Swedish music on my list and that two 2005 albums (Ignatz & Devendra) made the final roll call but I just had to include these. Expect the same thing in 2007 btw, I have still this whole 2006 list waiting to check out.

As far as the online critics list goes, I'm truly appalled at the omission of certain albums (Current 93 being the most obvious here), plus surprised at the popularity of certain other albums (Tv on the Radio?). But I must also admit it's good to see The Knife, Joanne Newsom and Cat Power get some props. So if you'd like to check the critics, here's a few links to their lists:
Pitchfork, Tiny Mix Tapes, Dusted, Boomkat, Popmatters and Stylus.

My heart goes out to all these amazing Swedish musicians that I just couldn't fit in this year (mainly Tsukimono, Jonas Lindgren, Viktor Sjöberg & Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words), keep your spirits high and I'm sure a beautiful future is awaiting.

Other favorites that I had to exclude and get my warmest sympathies: Tom Waits, Cat Power, Wixel, Helios, aMute, Isis, Sickoakes, Kanding Ray, Shora, Xiu Xiu, Joanne Newsom, Ghostface Killah, Spankrock, Machinefabriek, Wooden Wand & The Vanishing Voice and Gnarls Barkley.

But now on to the big list. See all you readers again next year. This is the final list that will be posted.