I started off using Buster Keaton as a model for Inspir’s AI header images, but switched over to Albert Camus and got infinitely more variety in those prompts than with good ol’ Buster. Granted, it’s probably highly correlated with how I’ve bothered requesting images, and not so much that Midjourney just gives boring pictures of Buster Keaton, so don’t write him off that quickly.
But then I tried Alan Watts as a model and good grief did those come back in a blast of color. So yeah, there’s probably something intrinsic to the associated environments and people that historical characters have which AI picks up on. Neat.
Music: Landing
A good friend of mine and phenomenal photographer, Chris (also mentioned in my Year in Review 2023 article), has decent and diverse taste in music, though he really excels with keeping his on the Shoegaze scene. He also introduced me to Ringo Deathstarr (also mentioned here) last year, but the most recent on has been the floating, dreamy soundscapes of Landing.
Landing, from Connecticut, does a good job of capturing the sleepy, buzzy power of shoegaze, a genre shaped by icons like My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive. Grab some of the introspective depth of Mazzy Star, mix in some of the celestial vibe of the Cocteau Twins, add the reverb-drenched guitars of Ride, and then throw in a few more references to more obscure shoegaze acts, and you’ll create a swirling collection of shimmering feedback.
Just like any good Shoegaze group, Landing’s music occasionally seems to make time stop. Get a taste of their particular hypnotism below.
Movies: Samurai Cop
I love schlock. B-movies. Cinematic failures. They’re real, audacious, cute, even, sometimes. They tell you a whole lot about the zeitgeist of the day, in zany and often unpredictable, or at least unimaginable ways. The blockbusters get a decent scrubbing before theatrical release, but the bottom of the barrel doesn’t even have the connections for review, much less the budget, making them some of the most honest cinema out there.
That, of course, doesn’t mean that B-Movies are good. Often far from it. But they sure are interesting, and 1991’s Samurai Cop doesn’t disappoint. Its an epic tale of misplaced dialogue, over-the-top innuendo, unnecessary jump cuts, and so much more, so if you’ve got the stomach for The Truth, grab some popcorn and the cheapest whiskey you can find and tuck in.
Games: Exit 8
This is yet another game that is not available for macOS but is on Steam, which doesn’t do a very good job of warning you to not buy a game you can’t play. So I bought Exit 8 excitedly because it’s sufficiently quirky for my tastes and without noticing the lack of an Apple logo in the game description signifying that it is not compatible with macOS, and can’t play it because I still haven’t bothered installing Parallels.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t like the concept, which is what I’m talking about here. I’ve mentioned my interest in non-violent games a few times over the last year, especially those that fall vaguely under the Psychological Horror genre, and Exit 8 certainly seems to play by those rules.
Is it, though? Well, that’s where you come in. If yr a Windows user, go grab it on Steam and lemme know how it stacks up. I’m dreadfully curious.
Wellness: Kickboxing
Well, sort of. More like a rather large step in the right direction towards actual kickboxing. As longtime readers may remember, I’m a pretty big fan of hot yoga, and patronize Lava’s facilities around Tokyo usually about 5 times a week. That’s a lot of hot yoga!
And I still do that, but there was a neat development recently, one which actually is reflective of a larger theme surrounding my move over to Meguro. You see, one of the deciding factors on the place I chose was proximity to the above mentioned Lava’s studios, and I went with one within a 5 minute bike ride. “Awesome,” I thought, but little did I know it would be more awesome.
You see, turns out that some Lava studios have special classes not offered anywhere else. I was partially aware of this as the Ginza studio that I go to has (unexpectedly) EMS classes, and another class that lasts only 20 minutes and involves an electronic body suit that I imagine also takes about 20 minutes to put on. That seemed… excessive.
Now, the studio near me also has these unique lessons, but fortunately they are both more attractive than emergency medical services and do not require a hazmat suit. No, the lessons there are for “kickboxing,” which is partially true as there are kicks involved in the boxing. Its more hot punching bag practice than kickboxing proper, but I’m cool with that as I figure I’m probably kinda shit at it so starting slow makes some sense.
Anyway, its great, whatever it is.
I Can’t Be The Only One
There’s a whole world of stuff out there which I do my damndest to explore, but I’m only one guy and can always use additional pointers. So! Chime in with what’s caught your eye these days, something that gives you that curious sense of excitement and wonder, that leads you down paths you didn’t predict and which provide you with joy.