We had a link from Wired as the opener this week, on how the work/life balance has become irretrievably skewed (https://www.wired.com/story/how-work-became-an-inescapable-hellhole/ if you’re interested) but we realised you all know this already. So let’s put that nonsense to one side and instead centre up the nonsense you have come to know and love over the last several months.
This week, scary sound effects, an iconic bus route and a really rather funky musical instrument you can all play.
Now is the time, here is the place. This is The Cut.
Some towns have that one bus route that seems to tie the whole place together. For our home town of Reading it’s the number 17, running right through the middle. In Birmingham it’s all about the circular route taken by the number 11. An interesting bit of psychogeography awaits as Jon Bounds of Paradise Circus takes us up to the top deck…
Rob writes: most of my professional life has been spent working with archive film of all gauges and conditions, from spotless to falling apart. It’s all part of the restoration process, opening a window into times past. Digital techniques have given us opportunities to make the view clearer, moving on from repairing scratches and splices to colouring black and white footage. The question is how far can you take the work? At what point do we move from restoring footage to making up things that were never there in the first place? It’s a complex and fascinating issue speaking to notions of how we view, interpret and use archive material…
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/history-colourisation-controversy
In a tastier revisit of old-time technique, we were fascinated by this Atlas Obscura report on a very special circumnavigation of the globe by Spanish sailing ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano—and the even more special cargo she’s carrying…
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/wine-aged-at-sea
We’re sliding deeper into spooky season, so we loved this Vice article on how skilled Foley artists create the sounds that add so much to moments of horror in your favourite scary movies. You’ll never look at a stick of celery the same way again…
https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/m7j5wa/horror-movie-foley-artist-sounds
Food delivery services like Just Eat and Deliveroo have banked it big over the months of The Situation. But most of us are cooking much, much more. It’s not just about sourdough bread. For everyone, getting good, nutritious and varied grub on the table every day can be a challenge—which is why the big cube riders have done so well. There are a ton of tips and tricks around to help the newer home cooks out there to make something delicious in a hurry. This New York Times article gives you the framework to get organised and build your own menu!
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/05/dining/cooking-foundations.html
We have alway been big fans of the worlds of Supermarionation. From Thunderbirds to Joe90, the minds of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson brought us an exciting vision of a possible future. It was a stylish vision too, largely thanks to the design skills of Sylvia. She gave Tracy Island and W.A.S.P HQ a modtastically chic feel, with every detail considered. MessyNessyChic has more…
https://www.messynessychic.com/2018/09/05/the-marvellous-mod-world-of-sci-fi-supermarionettes/
A note from the Ninth Art Desk: Comics guru and hedge wizard Alan Moore poked his hirsuit features over the parapet, ostensibly to talk about his new film project The Show. Of course, all the interviewers wanted to know about was how pissed off he was with the comics world he was this week. No-one should have been surprised by the reaction or the headlines it generated. It feel to Alan’s daughter Leah to provide some much-needed context.
We were more interested in this Comics Journal chat with artist Jacen Burrows, whose collaboration with Moore on the dense exploration of Lovecraftian mythos, Providence was viewed by many as a high point for both creators. Burrows has carved a niche as an uncompromising artist who does not flinch from depicting some very dark stuff. But his clarity of visual storytelling and sharply observed characterisation make him much more than a gore hound.
We’re going to finish with a couple of online music links. Tim Burgess of The Charlatans has built a community around his Twitter Listening Party. It’s a brilliantly simple idea—he picks an album and a time to start playing it, and everyone is encouraged to listen and chat along. It’s a lovely, inclusive way of using social media and hugely popular. Tim’s just pushed out a Spotify playlist featuring one track from each album that’s been at the party, which gives an idea of the broad range of music on offer. For more, check out https://timstwitterlisteningparty.com/
Virtual and soft synths are all over the place nowadays. You no longer need ton of cash and a big back room to build up a fine collection of classic squelches, squawks and beats. They can still, however, be a bit tricky to get your head around. Some are as ferociously complex as the hardware they emulate. We therefore really dig Roland’s new 808303.studio, which places the iconic sounds of their classic drum machine and bass synth in an super-easy to play but authentic-sounding package. But don’t take our word for it. We now hand you over to A Guy Called Gerald.
https://www.musictech.net/news/make-free-acid-beats-in-your-browser-with-rolands-808303-studio/?amp
With the man himself on deck, there can only be one choice for our Exit Music. Old school ravers, front and centre. Get out your big and little fish and also your cardboard boxes. It’s time to get on one. Sorted.
See you in seven.
EXCUSES AND HALF TRUTHS 