On going to the heart of things

2/25/2007 1:01:00 PM

I remember reading somewhere that the Asians do not associate sex with morality. That is why they do not understand the link we Westeners make between sex and shame.

That probably also explains why the Asians have been much more successful than the corrupt Anglosaxon film empire at depicting the darker sides of human nature. The bravest among you can go and see for yourselves:

Lies, Korea 2000

My absolute favourite. A casual affair between a middle-aged man and a young woman goes twisted in Fellinian proportions. Saw this at a film festival, uncut. It was nice to watch all the intellectuals walk out, shaking their heads.

Tokyo Dekadence, Japan 1992

The Japanese tell me that this film is about Japan at the time. Great soundtrack by the usual suspect, Ryuichi Sakamoto.

The Isle, Korea 2000

A lyric masterpiece. Twin Peaks on steroids.

Audition, Japan 1999

Not for the casual traveller. I am probably the only Westener who thinks this film is funny.

A love letter to Korea

2/22/2007 5:50:00 AM

It was not easy to grow up as an aspiring guitarist in the '80s. And the only reason was not that some of the most interesting music at the time did not come from guitars but from machines called Fairlight, DX-7, Juno and LinnDrum.

It was about money.

It's nice to know that Rickenbacker guitars are still polished by old ladies under the California sun and that Gibson guitars are still made in the good old Nashville. But it's discouraging to know that getting one means that you will have to spend your whole summer holiday at a factory and eat beans for three months. Getting a Gretsch guitar would have meant a bank robbery.


As a musician, I am so glad that the correlation between price and quality has all but disappeared in guitars. As an economist, I should probably write a worried piece about this development.

Mon essentiel

2/19/2007 1:05:00 AM

Musicals are one of my favourite perversions. Some people think they are just watered-down opera. So what?

For quite some time the greatest musicals have come from France. "Notre Dame de Paris" already touched the softest spots of my soul. Now I'm totally enchanted by "Le Roi Soleil".

It's great to find lyricists who really perfection their art. I can't think of a more perfect verse than this:

"Je fais de toi mon essentiel

Tu me fais naître parmi les hommes

Je fais de toi mon essentiel

Celle que j'aimerais plus que personne

Si tu veux qu'on s'apprenne

Si tu veux qu'on s'apprenne"

When the king sings this to his lover, I really have to fight back tears. Every time.

Where have all the pop journalists gone?

2/15/2007 1:58:00 AM

Pop journalism is in a pitiable state. I cannot understand people who pay five quid to learn about the brand of Liam Gallagher's cigarettes or the hotel Jennifer Lopez is staying in.

Luckily the old farts still have their moments.

the NME

Behind all the hype this magazine maintains a genuine interest in what really goes on. A very lively website.

Guitar Player

The only one with interesting interviews like the one with Daniel Lanois (Feb 2006). It's great to learn that even the greatest sounds are still produced by accident.

Billboard

Still going strong. Has a very good nose for new talent.

The Great Unknowns

2/12/2007 4:36:00 AM

The world of showbiz is of course unfair. There is so much great music that should be out there for all to hear instead of Justin Timberlake. I particularly regret the fact that the following are not in the Top Ten all the time:

The Church

A major influence on musicians, especially guitarists, but virtually unknown outside the connaisseur circles. Their Starfish album is still one of the greatest recordings ever made with electric guitars.

K's Choice

If these people came from New York instead of Flanders they would be superstars. World class songwriting and two incredible voices. "Not an addict" has not aged one bit in ten years.

Travelling Joni Mitchell

Features the world's best living guitarist, Kevin Mulligan, and a great singer. Their shows are the best fun a Joni Mitchell fan like me can have with his clothes on.

Hello, I'm Johnny Cash

2/8/2007 11:34:00 PM

Music and film are a difficult match. I know of very few examples where it's been a marriage made in heaven, like these:

Walk the Line

Shows that state-of-the-art 3-D sound engineering does not have to mean spaceships and dwarfs. When Johnny sings the Folsom Prison Blues to Sam Phillips for the first time a shiver goes down my spine, which happens very rarely.

Breaking the Waves

Does the unthinkable - changes the way you listen to an old song.

Lilja 4ever

The last few minutes of this film give a new meaning to soundtrack. Made me physically sick, which I guess is a good sign.

Radio killed the videostar

2/6/2007 12:20:00 PM

I can't tell when exactly I lost interest in pop radio but I associate it with the appearance of stations like NRJ and KissFM. They use music like chewing gum - chew it until it tastes like shit and then spit it out.

The damage that companies like SBS have done to radio broadcasting is probably irreparable. You will burn in hell for your sins.

Without stations like Pure FM and Radio Helsinki I would have lost faith altogether. Hearing a band like The Blue Nile on the radio at prime time gives an incredible boost of hope.

On DVDs

2/5/2007 12:13:00 PM

I'm still resisting the clarion call of the iPod since for me the order of songs is sacred. For my purposes, the most interesting medium is currently the DVD. It's great to be transported to another space with it.

Here are my favourite DVDs today:

1. Depeche Mode/ Devotional

Really captures an era. This is before these guys became the Rolling Stones of pop. Great camerawork.

2. Placebo/ Soulmates Never Die

Do you know that feeling when at some point a show becomes larger than life - as if touched by the hand of God? This DVD shows such a moment.

3. Yö/ Kolmen illan varietee

Oh, that Finnish midsummer sky!

But things can of course go horribly wrong on a DVD as well. A couple of examples:

1. The Smiths/ You've got everything now

A rip-off. A sacrilege. The people who put this together "should die in a car pile-up", to paraphrase Morrissey.

2. New Order/ Finsbury Park

Why?

On lyrics

2/2/2007 1:04:00 PM

I hate it when a songwriter reveals what his/her lyrics "really" mean. It really kills everything for me.

I thought that "Every Breath You Take" was about state control - it was really about an obsessive man. I thought "With Or Without You" was about fatalistic love - it was about heroin. I thought "Louise" was about two lovers - it was about a bloke who couldn't get it through his head that his ex never loved him.

In my ideal world, neither the singer nor the listener really knows what the song is about. That's why the Smiths were so great.

Day one

This story began to unfold seven years ago. With the help of my diary, I will now take us there and use time as a creative instrument.

2/1/2007 6:39:00 AM

The Best Gigs in 2006

Since I love lists and since I am a music fetishist rather than a real musician, I will begin with a definitive list of last year's best gigs:

1. Muse, Paris Bercy, 15 December

Lo and behold! So 21st century, so furious, so schizoid, so me. No questions asked, just paranoid answers - about everything and everyone. "Starlight" as the second number was a bit too much. I lost track of space and time.

2. Placebo, Antwerp Sportpaleis, 28 November

It is disarming when everything is perfect from the first second. "Infra-Red" is the ultimate first song. And "Running Up That Hill" turned into a fantastic noise symphony. Great graphics. But Brian, why did you loose that lovely hairdo?

3. The Human League, Ancienne Belgique, 21 December

It's so pathetic that every critic feels the need to mock their shows. They're great! And this music is not outdated at all. Fantastic costumes. And all instruments were white! So cool.

4. The Cardigans, Ancienne Belgique, 18 April

I love her voice.

5. Bauhaus, Lookerse Festen, 9 August

A very dark August night. Getting chilly. You know the story...

Rise and shine

This is an outlet for https://soundcloud.com/man-tray - an exploration of art in the 21st century. I will very much play it by the ear.