Knuckledragger

Today I went out and made use of a full frame IR sensor and superwide zoom (more on that later). Afterward I visited my 95 year old Grandmother and helped her install a new stereo. A Bose WaveRadio. Before I get brought up on elder abuse charges, it was me who picked the damn thing out. My imbecile uncle bought it for her. To replace the previous Bose WaveStation (the really big fuck-off one) that no longer read CDs. Said uncle dropped the Bose off, but made no effort to install or remove the old unit. Here's a shock, wiring up Bose gear is a righteous pain in the ass. Trying to get the WaveRadio to work with an external FM antenna is a less on in frustration. I wasn't able to get it to tune in AM stations, period. I also then had to explain the (black, cryptically labeled) remote to my poor grandmother. When I left she was able to play CDs, tapes and FM radio, so it was mostly a success. Now I'm going to make friends withy my Scotch cabinet and forget any of this happened.

The first photo is in fact Pete, but I was wrong on the date. It's from the recording sessions for the second Fires of Ork album in October of 2000. Peter and Jenny Gibbert recording the vocals for "In Heaven" in Traben-Trarbach, Rheinland-Pfalz, October 2000. Pete and Kathrin Kruse at Grevenburg, Traben-Trarbach, 1993. Katherin sang the vocals on "Talk To The Stars" from the first Fires of Ork album. Katherin in the studio. I think the OOF guy on the left is Pete.

Sup heads? My radio show is on the air two hours early, in case you wanted to listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPMt2cgk3-k

The information age is a wacky thing. I'm Facebook friends with Geir Jenssen (the man behind Biosphere and a god in his own right in the world of ambient music.) He was personal friends with Pete Namlook. They recorded two albums together under the name Fires of Ork. Geir is an accomplished landscape photographer. Today he posted some some previously unseen photos of the recording of the first Fires of Ork album in 1993. They're a little underexposed and out of focus, but given that they were taken with a manual focus camera and print film using available light, they're pretty good.

Times Square, New York City, facing south from 46th St. & Broadway, 1972

Well hello, Carly. Pretty existential song you've got there. Also something something legs.

My FB feed has been blowing up this morning with news of the passing of Peter Kuhlmann AKA Pete Namlook. There's not much info on news sites, but I did find this article on Resident Advisor. It's difficult to overstate the significance of Namlook in the world of ambient music. He founded FAX +49-69/450464 Records (usually known just as "FAX"), which put out a massive catalog of releases in the las two decades. Most FAX recordings had painfully small pressing numbers. I remember in the 90s it was nigh on impossible get most of their stuff in the States. Fortunately, some of it was released in the US by Instinct Records. In the age of the mp3 (and the FLAC) it's a different story. I'm not posting any track by Pete, for a couple reasons. First off, there are so many (So. Many.) that trying to pick one would take the rest of the day. Secondly, many of the really good ones are over 20 minutes. Lastly, much of Pete's music is meant to be heard as an entire album. I might put one up later.

That Petraeus Blingee inspired me to check out that site. *shudder* I made the following: all up in this motha fucka!

Wow. This is more or less the line of separation between disco culture and electro & techno.

Available Novermber 19th: Blue Lines 2012 remaster, deluxe edition. Sweet jesus.