See? That theme thing is popping up again as I’m reviewing and then cutting the previously all inclusive posts up into more bitesized chunks. This time around it seems to be a more visceral bent, lots of flesh but not exactly gore. We’ve got Khanate’s abyss skin-crawling aural annihilation, Adam Curtis’ exploration of an undulating vat of human tissue, the sure-to-be-a-classic-someday simplicity of Vampire Survivors, and then a big rock.
Oh well, can’t be perfect. Enjoy!
Music: Khanate
Contemplative, jarring, and notably without peer, Khanate's newest album, To Be Cruel (which, I'm guessing, is a play on Swans' 2014 album, To Be Kind?), resumes the band's characteristic sprawling sonic bulldozer-ism where it left off - at the razor thin line between genius and insanity.
Artistry's a fickle pursuit, a calling that can be easily mutated by the undulations of prescribed scenes or atmospheric pressures of surrounding environments despite the group's intent, but Khanate seems more than capable of taking the last 15 years of turmoil and wrestling it into their massive, dissonant sound, and not the other way around.
Movies: The Way of All Flesh
Adam Curtis is kind of a no-brainer for me when it comes time to reach for a documentary, probably coming in below Werner Herzog, making him #2 I guess.
His style’s quite interesting, in that I think it can be viewed as both lazy and highly integrated, but either way I think it’s probably hard to not call it meandering. Adam has a real knack for tying together disparate strands into a cohesive whole that at least sound plausible, which depending on the flick also lends itself to being quasi-conspiratorial.
However, this feature - which is actually an episode of the BBC’s Modern Times series - is considerably more narrow in scope, and traces the history of the HeLa immortalized human cell line taken from Henrietta Lacks in 1951 - unbeknownst to her - and continually used in medical research up to today.
Games: Vampire Survivors
This is a hilariously simplistic and wildly addictive throwback to the days of yore. The first 5 minutes I spent playing it, I was all, “wtf is this” because basically all you do is navigate your character. Attacks are automatic. But then the hordes came rushing in. Then the hundreds of unlockable items came within reach. Then the combination of skills became apparent. And now I bristle with excitement every time I say to myself, “hey, stop doing serious stuff and just sit back with a game.”
Highly recommended, both just as some entertainment but also in observing what some really masterful user experience design looks like.
Wellness: Makuyama
Makuyama in Yugawara, Kanagawa has a pretty great history with me. I first started going because one of the farms I chip in on is nearby. Then I started hiking there, which is how I discovered bouldering and began doing that. Then I started taking my clients there for regenerative retreats and discussions. And now I’m here, typing about it.
But seriously, that “regenerative” thing. You need it. You deserve it. You’ve been working so damn hard in the trenches that even if you don’t know it, I can pretty much guarantee that You. Are. Exhausted. The world we live in these days demands so much of our time and energy, with fewer opportunities for proper rest and relaxation.
And that’s where “regeneration” comes in. I feel like a lot of the time R&R is miscategorized as, simply, fun. Which, sure, that’s part of it, but that’s a really childish as well as myopic stance to take on the matter. Like, business hurts us kind of like bouldering hurts climbers. There are rewards associated with the activity, as well as risks, both of which are balanced - or, at least, are balanced by good businesspeople and good climbers alike - and then either accepted or rejected.
If rejected, then homeostasis continues, but if accepted, then resources are leveraged in pursuit of the goal and, likely, a few scratches and bruises are gotten along the way, either physical or metaphoric. Simply put, if we don’t take the time to nurse our wounds, they’ll just get worse and grow in number. While I find the contemporary Wellness© Industry extremely toxic, it does stem fro a kernel of truth which is the need to take care of yourself because your damage threshold is finite.
Regeneration is more than just a buzzword or an excuse for leisure. It's about healing, recuperating and preparing ourselves for the challenges that lie ahead. We often equate leisure with fun, but it's much more profound. It's akin to the bouldering climber nursing their scrapes and bruises after a challenging climb, or the businessperson taking a moment to breathe amidst the hustle. The concept of wellness, despite its commercialization, stems from an essential truth: we need to take care of ourselves, acknowledging that our capacity for stress and damage has its limits.
This brings me back to Makuyama, a sanctuary amidst Japan's natural reserves. Here, regeneration takes a tangible form. The act of hiking in the heart of nature, breathing in the fresh air, soaking in the panoramic vistas, is more than just a physical activity. It's an immersive experience that engages all your senses, allowing nature to seep into your being, thus aiding in reducing stress, boosting your mood, and promoting overall well-being. The health benefits associated with being outdoors, especially in a place as serene and enriching as Makuyama, go beyond any wellness trend. It's about reconnecting with ourselves, with nature, and with the fundamental rhythms of life. So, find the time to give yourself the regeneration you deserve, starting with a hike through the sublime trails of Makuyama.
The End of the Road
That’s all for now, folx. Hope you enjoyed the unseasonality of this post, which originally came out in June but would’ve been much more approriate for October. But hey, you kinda can’t time these things, so take it for what it’s worth!