I have shifted base to wordpress on recommendations from various people, not that i didn't like blogger. Then i got all nostalgic (about what? is a question you shouldn't pose for i myself wonder) and hence now I am Two.
My musical self would be all arrogant and critical on wordpress while my philosophical ego would linger on on blogger.
Here are the links! Happy reading people!
Musical Me: metalochak at WordPress
Weird Me: eccentricme-varun at Blogspot
Cheers!
Phokatcopy!!
I loved this guy's concept. Read the interview. For all students!! (India only) Awesomeness! Now i wish i wasn't in Patiala again. DU is gonna have a ball with one!
An Interview with Harsh Narang, Founder of Phokatcopy
Do check the site out too
An Interview with Harsh Narang, Founder of Phokatcopy
Do check the site out too
iBlab
22nd September and it has been raining incessantly. We’re halfway through with our exams and the weather couldn’t be more perfect for an outing of sorts.
Rain just gets me started and for once I felt like typing and instead of completing the already many pending articles, I chose to write a completely new one instead.
Hmm… The only issue I’m facing now, apart from the dozens others that are stuck on the back of my head like post-its on a refrigerator, is what to write on. How rain entices me is something I have already done once, so I won’t bore you with that. CWG would be one thing I could bitch about and how our (as a nation’s) incompetence has led to what the TOI recently reported to be a national shame. But I don’t want to, plainly because I’m not in Delhi and I’m not in a bitchy mood. About how exams are completely redundant and pointless, would be an issue on which many many students would sympathise with me. But I just don’t want to ramble on and give my views on it while I have two exams tomorrow. Even though all I would want to do right now is shout out and curse the family and the house of the damned professor and act in a blasphemous manner towards him or others whom I find extremely annoying (our ex-dean would top that list), I wouldn’t because it’s raining and that THAT would be a blasphemy on my part to utter swear words (PS. My roommate just made me swear, the bastard) while mother nature is busy flaunting herself so gracefully.
While I still think, I would like to recommend to those who have a ear for good Indian classical music, to download or watch the recording of the concert held in Royal Albert Hall, London in 2002 in honour of George Harrison’s (lead guitarist, Beatles) one year death anniversary. Anoushka Shankar starts the show with a beautiful piece on the sitar. A couple more performances by the “Indian Orchestra” as I call it (I don’t know if there is actually a word for it) conducted by Ms Shankar (hated it when she turned pregnant, "Mrs" would be on its way)and then the show takes a turn towards western influences. I personally found that dull. Your choice!
I learnt that Harrison had been inspired by the Indian culture and its music in the late 1960’s. Since then he had adopted Hinduism and worked for the well-being of this society. I always find it nice to learn of such things, sends a nice warm feeling down to my core. I admit Indian music is amazing, not that I can go on listening to it. But I’m not one of those fools who ridicule and huff or act aloof at the sounds of the sitar or the flute or shehnai. I unfortunately know quite a few people of my age with that attitude. As for adopting the religion, I really don’t see what could’ve fascinated him so?
Maybe there are some things that I’m yet to experience in life or stuff which would get rid of my attitude of “seeing is believing”. Maybe he liked the fact that we’re flamboyant when it comes to religion, or that we have the freedom to choose whom to worship, seeing there is no shortage of Gods. Whichever or whatever it be, it gives me hope, that my people couldn’t be all that strange and ridiculous worshiping a thousand Gods. For I have never understood the concept of that. I am yet to find my spiritual path in life, till then I shall roam around as the self-proclaimed agnostic. Neither here nor there.
I know I got another 70-80 years to think about that, and that I have two exams tomorrow, a degree later, a career, a marriage, a life to deal with before I’d want bother my conscience with such a meagrely and thought-provoking idea. Till then its material sciences and KOM (dumbass exams tomorrow) for me. Wish me luck!
Cheers!
Live Performance at the Royal Albert Hall- Opeth
A clip from the yet to be released DVD of Opeth's performance at the Royal Albert Hall. Amazing Song, Dirge for November. Fucking awesome! \m/ Can't wait any longer for the DVD
Moments!: Alhambra: Winter view
This is a beautiful blog i stumbled upon. Amazing clicks. This particular link is to a picture of a serene castle looking structure. Couldn't get better than this! :)
Apple has got FREAKING AWESOME!!!
So, today was a normal day, with me generally wondering why people crib about sitting in air conditioned rooms while I'm sweating it out in the sun. And how life is generally unfair to me, whether I had pissed Him off somehow. And what could have made my day even more exciting?
APPLE RELEASED A NEW iPOD TOUCH 4G!! with a CAMERA! It is awesome. Since the net started I've been sitting on the net researching and viewing videos, reading blogs and articles. Reading the pros and cons. Such pessimists. This by far, according to me is the best thing they could have come up with. Finally a product people would buy without thinking twice, iPhone or iPod and that whole issue!
Since I have very happily lost my iPod, i might have a chance on getting this one, fingers crossed.. hopefully the prices in India wouldn't be that high, about 11-17k. Trust our government to come with some stupid clause doubling the price of imported products.
About the features, FaceTime looks a bit redundant for the Indian crowd, but i won't mind goofing about with it. The HD recording capability, Apple deserves a bow. The resolution upped to 960x640 and with the new gaming app people are just going to forget about society, as a friend of mine was kind enough to point out to me. Revolution it is. The usual 8,32,64 GB space more than enough i'd say. Plus it looks really slim and weighs 101gms. Amazingly light. I'd most probably drop it from the auto again (for those who aren't aware, that's how i lost mine earlier)! :D.
Also they came out with a new nano model. Touch screen, very spunky. hopefully ranging from 6-8k. Limited features, but since I've never used one before I really can't say whether the touch is an improvement or just another flashy yet classy feature. :)
iTunes 10 also out. Im on "Reptile" by Dimmu Borgir, dunno why but the music sounds richer, or maybe I'm just fascinated with anything Apple right now. The look is kinda classic though. Less colourful more direct. Symbols look more primitive but otherwise things are where they are. Not a bad update.
Thank you Apple! Yet again!!
(PS. My download speed reached 2mbps, life is good, quite different from how it started today!)
APPLE RELEASED A NEW iPOD TOUCH 4G!! with a CAMERA! It is awesome. Since the net started I've been sitting on the net researching and viewing videos, reading blogs and articles. Reading the pros and cons. Such pessimists. This by far, according to me is the best thing they could have come up with. Finally a product people would buy without thinking twice, iPhone or iPod and that whole issue!
 |
| Why aren't there Indian faces there? Still, I love Apple. |
Since I have very happily lost my iPod, i might have a chance on getting this one, fingers crossed.. hopefully the prices in India wouldn't be that high, about 11-17k. Trust our government to come with some stupid clause doubling the price of imported products.
About the features, FaceTime looks a bit redundant for the Indian crowd, but i won't mind goofing about with it. The HD recording capability, Apple deserves a bow. The resolution upped to 960x640 and with the new gaming app people are just going to forget about society, as a friend of mine was kind enough to point out to me. Revolution it is. The usual 8,32,64 GB space more than enough i'd say. Plus it looks really slim and weighs 101gms. Amazingly light. I'd most probably drop it from the auto again (for those who aren't aware, that's how i lost mine earlier)! :D.
Also they came out with a new nano model. Touch screen, very spunky. hopefully ranging from 6-8k. Limited features, but since I've never used one before I really can't say whether the touch is an improvement or just another flashy yet classy feature. :)
iTunes 10 also out. Im on "Reptile" by Dimmu Borgir, dunno why but the music sounds richer, or maybe I'm just fascinated with anything Apple right now. The look is kinda classic though. Less colourful more direct. Symbols look more primitive but otherwise things are where they are. Not a bad update.
Thank you Apple! Yet again!!
(PS. My download speed reached 2mbps, life is good, quite different from how it started today!)
Genius! Hallelujah
This happened while I was writing on Bree and its ridiculousness. Apple did a kickass job with introducing the genius function in the iTunes player. I know it has been there for a long time but it is so amazing.
While writing about the aforementioned article, my head was a swirl of naked chafe. Like a mosquito buzzing about my head while I’m trying to hit the sack. Hence I put on Immolation – A Token of Malice. I was in the mood for more. It’d be really bugging were I to switch windows every time to put the appropriate song, and thank God! Enter Genius!
That little neutron icon is a bliss sometimes. The same sort of music sorted automatically from my library and even suggestions to artist that I don’t have that might interest me. The atmosphere it creates is so awesome! Like it reads my mind, although why “Say it Right” by Nelly Furtado was in that playlist beats the crap out of me :D...
8-10 songs down in the newly created playlist and I’m done with my article. Now for some smooth stuff to get me all drowsy and I put Riverside. “I Turned you Down” ringing in my head while my eyelids get heavy, my head has reached Shangri-la.
And Genius is almost always accurate. Apple says it goes well beyond genre in generating playlists. The company anonymously sends information about your library to the iTunes Store and combines that with data from other users to fine-tune playlists and buying recommendations. Suggestions show up in a Genius sidebar in Itunes. Awesomeness! Great job Apple! For heaven's sake get the iPhone right this time! $ was such a looker yet a poorly though out product. Get the genius right this time! Cheers!!
Bree=Shit
Ok. So apparently bree is in the “in” thing nowadays. Every forum you go has at least a handful of wannabe vocalist wanting to know whether it is for everybody to make that ghastly racket or not. And quite frankly i don’t know what the whole fuss is about. I had recently gone into this craze of having a brutal death fiesta. I couldn’t have found a way more worse that that to waste my time.
After about a dozen youtube videos all consisting of bands with awesomely horrid album art and very similar looking names (mind you, similar looking, all thorny and symmetrical) i narrowed down to Defeated Sanity which according to me was the most bearable. While their album was getting downloaded, i heard another playlist consist of Putrid Pile, Dying Fetus, Guttural Secrete and Cemetery Rapist. What have these people got against people as such? Why would i want to listen to a guy screeching about his infected intestine or about some mass rape/murder of women. Yes, i get the fact that deranged thoughts occur a man once in while, I myself have had my share of masochistic or twisted dreams involving huge hammers and squashed heads smashed onto the wall while a truckload of bile wait for their chance to get under my axe. Yes, i’ve very happily written about it all, but i don’t go on advertising about it generally. Whereas these bands, they’ve made it their job to tell their fans how exactly “putrid” they can be. The fact that they advertize it so much, seems to me as though they’re just showing off their skill at pig squealing.
Let’s analyse their music. I’d be fair by saying to each his own taste. I’m not contradicting the point i stated about nonsensical lyrics, because frankly, not one guy would get a word being growled or squealed. Not even the guy doing the growling or screeching. To me the snare sounded a bit off (typical for all of the bands I heard, hence maybe that’s the way it is done) otherwise the music would be something I’d listen to while watching a bloody gruesome fight or a similar scenario. Gets your blood boiling. But once the squealing starts its like, “what the fuck went wrong with the recording studio?” Its sounds like utter crap, it is most probably anyway, I didn’t bother checking with the lyrics there.
Anyway by this time “Chapters of Repugnance” the album I’d put on download was done. I liked what I heard, but the same flaws were present here too. Plus the name of the songs really put me into perspective, showing me exactly how sad my vocabulary is. Introitus, Consumed By Repugnance, Carnal Deliverance, Salacious Affinity, Engulfed In Excrutiation, Coerced Into Idolatry, Blissfully Exsanguinated, Calculated Barbarity, Lurid Assimilation... This is the playlist. I needed a dictionary. And some of the words don’t even exist. Anyway that’s beside the point, the vocals made the entire atmosphere dead gloomy, but with this primitive tribal rhythm ringing in my head. The following painted quite a picture in my head.
Fetus punctured
Through the womb
Decollated
Sputtering stumps painting the streets
Awaking, drugged, bound and gagged
Strapped onto the table
Mutilated with the hacksaw
Narcotic unstable
But i must say, had the squealing not been there, if grindcore, deathcore or brutal death or whatever other synonym you can come up with, were squeal free then I’d say these bands would be quite epic too. Not because of their ideology, but their music. I discovered a new narcotic today, and i will continue searching for that band that has this music minus the squealing.
Ps. This video. Something that I stumbled upon. Ignoring the squeals, i’d say it is pretty good music! Putrid pile \m/ :D
Opeth's New DVD!! Fuck yes I want it!
Hell yeah!! You read that right! Opeth is coming out with a brand new DVD featuring their performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London. For those of you who haven't a clue about what an EPIC band Opeth is, first and foremost i pity you. Next thing I'd suggest would be to utilize your bandwidth to download their entire discography or buy the Cd's, instead of buffering on youtube/redtube/facebook. Get a life people!
Official Website
Last.fm Link
Anyway I hope I get a good print. Its due out on september 21st. Most probably It'll take ages for it to come to India. And that sucks. But still, thank you google and piratebay for helping us out. Here's the link to where i got my info from. Also there is also a tracklist for the set. Fuck awesome!! Can't wait for it!
Source
Actors Actors Everywhere....
"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages. At first the infant, mewling and puking in the nurse's arms; then the whining school-boy, with his satchel and shining morning face, creeping like snail unwillingly to school. And then the lover, sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad, made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier, full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard, jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel, seeking the bubble reputation even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice, in fair round belly with good capon lin'd, with eyes severe and beard of formal cut, full of wise saws and modern instances; and so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon, with spectacles on nose and pouch on side; his youthful hose, well sav'd, a world too wide for his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,turning again toward childish treble, pipes and whistles in his sound. Last scene of all , that ends this strange eventful history, is second childishness and mere oblivion; sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything."
-William Shakespeare
These are words everybody would’ve heard or said atleast once in their life. What i want to propose is what is what Shakespeare said is to some extent literally true. What if the guy next to you has the sole purpose of being the guy who sits next to you? No other role, no other purpose. What if that man was just the guy who sits next to you while you travel?
Now you’d say that this was somewhat inspired from the movie Matrix. I’d just like to say that i’ve had this idea ever since my 7th grade where this rickshaw guy helped me out on spot of trouble and was gone before i could thank him. That’s when i got to thinking whether this world i lived in was all just a script. All planned out, waiting to unfold, waiting to surprise me, bring me glee or pain.
Maybe it was my paranoia then back in 7th or maybe its because i think and read too deep into things, but this hypothesis i concluded to has a basis in facts or atleast things that for now cannot be explained. Say there was a grand plan, maybe not revolving about me but a group of people, there would be beings aware of it, thus having the knowledge of the alleged “future”. And thus walks in Nostradamus. He’s just one. There have been many a number of people who’ve so rightly predicted the paths that lie ahead for mankind. And they did so in riddles, never a straightforward answer, not because the future is a blur but because the more ignorant we are the easier they can puppet us. For example if i know that a bus that i’d travel in would explode, i wouldn’t step on it, thus ruining their plan. Now again im not saying that Nostradamus was a bitch not to tell us about hitler, im just implying that my or shakespeare’s idea of a stage might actually been true. Maybe things happened for a reason. The crusades, the black death, the plagues, the wars, holocaust and even the current nuclear tensions, there must be a finale to all this. Im not godly guy, so im not saying that He is responsible for whatever that happens. Maybe the End does lie in 2012. Maybe December 12th 2012 is indeed the day we all have played our parts in the grand stage that has been mankind.
It makes my life a lot more simpler if i go by my philosophy. All i need to do is assure myself that something good is in store for me. They have planned it, They wouldn’t let me down. That in my opinion though is the cowardly way out.
Say nothing is wrong with the world, no one is meant to do anything for you, then you’re just a sitting duck with opportunities just passing you by. And even in my world of actors and lies, It’ll be foolish of me to wait for my chance at good things in life. Were i me, I’d fight my way, oppose the system wherever it flawed and wherever it denied me a pass to succeed.
More to come....... :D
If Only it Were Perception
Today I heard from a person, “perception is everything”. I disagreed.
My people were over at my place, and as usual i was expected to entertain. (That is another thing I’d like to blabber about, but then I’d be side-tracking the main agenda for now) I started of by informing them about my latest loss (look for a previous entry of mine to understand which one), got lectured a bit. That was the point though, giving free and unneeded advice is something Gen Y is really good at. Then it came to my college and marks, let’s not get into that ( murky waters, dangerous to venture there). Finally came the moment, “Varun play something on your Casio”.
First of all, this pissed me off. Casio? CASIO? Who the fuck are they kidding? Seriously people, learn to call it the synthesizer or at least a keyboard. Secondly, do I look like some circus clown here to please everyone? No. Then why that tone?
Anyway, I didn’t have the balls to say it to their face so i proceeded to play my “casio”. I start out with a really complex song i’ve been trying to learn by David Lanz. The look on their face wasn’t too encouraging! I thought maybe im playing it real bad. I wish it were that. No, what they said was play something funky! Or at least happy birthday! Had there been a hammer in the vicinity, Delhi papers would’ve had a field day reporting a brutal triple murder in Dwarka :D.
I made an apologetic face and said no i don’t prefer music like that ( not to mention to my embarrassment, i didn’t know how to play happy birthday! :D ). Then Mr. X informed me that the best pianist was from deep purple or some band which sounded awfully similar. I informed him about the differences between popular and best, cheeky of me, but he had touched a nerve. That’s when the phrase i began with in the first place was uttered. And i couldn’t imagine why anyone would say that? How big an ignoramus some tend to be really shocks me. More than 80% of the artists ever borne by this world have gained recognition only in the twilight of their time. Most getting their worth generations later. Their talent, their skill being recognized finally but to its full extent. Many of these examples have greatly overshadowed their “popular” contemporaries. They have become legends, even though throughout their lifetime they might’ve struggled.
Talent is something you do not measure with popularity, but with quality. Did it achieve its purpose? That is what counts.
My people were over at my place, and as usual i was expected to entertain. (That is another thing I’d like to blabber about, but then I’d be side-tracking the main agenda for now) I started of by informing them about my latest loss (look for a previous entry of mine to understand which one), got lectured a bit. That was the point though, giving free and unneeded advice is something Gen Y is really good at. Then it came to my college and marks, let’s not get into that ( murky waters, dangerous to venture there). Finally came the moment, “Varun play something on your Casio”.
First of all, this pissed me off. Casio? CASIO? Who the fuck are they kidding? Seriously people, learn to call it the synthesizer or at least a keyboard. Secondly, do I look like some circus clown here to please everyone? No. Then why that tone?
Anyway, I didn’t have the balls to say it to their face so i proceeded to play my “casio”. I start out with a really complex song i’ve been trying to learn by David Lanz. The look on their face wasn’t too encouraging! I thought maybe im playing it real bad. I wish it were that. No, what they said was play something funky! Or at least happy birthday! Had there been a hammer in the vicinity, Delhi papers would’ve had a field day reporting a brutal triple murder in Dwarka :D.
I made an apologetic face and said no i don’t prefer music like that ( not to mention to my embarrassment, i didn’t know how to play happy birthday! :D ). Then Mr. X informed me that the best pianist was from deep purple or some band which sounded awfully similar. I informed him about the differences between popular and best, cheeky of me, but he had touched a nerve. That’s when the phrase i began with in the first place was uttered. And i couldn’t imagine why anyone would say that? How big an ignoramus some tend to be really shocks me. More than 80% of the artists ever borne by this world have gained recognition only in the twilight of their time. Most getting their worth generations later. Their talent, their skill being recognized finally but to its full extent. Many of these examples have greatly overshadowed their “popular” contemporaries. They have become legends, even though throughout their lifetime they might’ve struggled.
Talent is something you do not measure with popularity, but with quality. Did it achieve its purpose? That is what counts.
Just to inform you guys, i wouldn't be posting any more album's download links, I'd review them (hopefully in an unbiased manner). Its not the end of the world anyway. Google zindabad!! :D... download it illegally, i don't give a rat's fart, just that i won't give anymore links. Dunno what came over me, but I'm feeling all goody two-shoes sorts. Please still read me! :D
This obviously is does not mean I'm following my new found agenda to the word. I'll still download, I'm not a douche :D.
The Final Kickoff!!
In minutes the FIFA world cup 2010 is about to begin!! España for the cup!! thier first ever!! Hope they kick some dutch butt!! Paul's with us on this one...
Gonna miss the excitement (which costed me quite a lot :D) and a reason for cold beer... i wish the argentine had made it, but nonetheless, i'd like to to see the oranje look green today :D...
AND IT BEGINS!!!
Ps. Spain does win! And a beautiful match that was, thrilling till the last minute of the extra offered after the 90 minutes. The Dutch did a good job of losing, putting up a strong defense, just not strong enough for the spanish conquistadors!! Good play!!
In Sorte Diaboli
This is an album released by Dimmu Borgir in 2007. Declaring itself to be black metal, i think it does a much better job as a fusion of death, folk and black at the same time. Percussion is handled amazingly by Hellhammer (Jan Axel Blomberg) and the clean vocals are just as brutal as the one's that are shrieked out :D. The album name means " In direct contact with Satan" gisting exactly what the lyrics and the message which the band wants to convey.
For my sins
I will ask no forgiveness
For my sins
They are not to forgive
The playlist:
1. The Serpentine Offering
2. The Chosen Legacy
3. The Conspiracy Unfolds
4. The Ancestral Fever
5. The Sacrilegious Scorn
6. The Fallen Arises
2. The Chosen Legacy
3. The Conspiracy Unfolds
4. The Ancestral Fever
5. The Sacrilegious Scorn
6. The Fallen Arises
7. The Heretic Hammer
8. The Sinister Awakening
9. The Fundamental Alienation
10. The Invaluable Darkness
11. The Foreshadowing Furnace
12. Black Metal
9. The Fundamental Alienation
10. The Invaluable Darkness
11. The Foreshadowing Furnace
12. Black Metal
I liked "The Serpentine Offering" the best although the instrumental track "The fallen Arises" is also amazing... listen to the rest and tell me what you think.
Download: Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli
Password: musictechandmore
David Lanz
This man's a genius! Not only are his compositions most melodious and relaxing, also the complexity with which he plays is not to be doubted. those of you who do play the piano would know exactly what Im talking about. My roommate and I had once tried to cover one of his tracks "Love Lost... Love Found"... We ended up cursing him more than crediting him. For, every note he takes may make perfect harmony with the whole aura of the song, it just wouldn't stick to the scale.. I love his compositions and take it as a challenge to cover as many songs of his as possible and post them online soon.. till then enjoy the track below, i just discovered it today.
http://www.davidlanz.com/
ps. what a head of hair!! amazing!
pps. His songs are best to woo girls. Just an option guys reading this can use ;)
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