SOUNDTRACK: ACID MOTHERS GONG-Live Tokyo (2006).
Gong is a band that started in Paris in 1967 by Daevid Allen. The band is still active and has seen many many lineup changes over the years. From 2003-2004 the band included members of Acid Mothers Temple. They released a weird (well, all Gong albums are pretty weird) album called Acid Motherhood. And then released this live document in 2006.
The line up was Daevid Allen – guitar gliss, vocals/fx; Gilli Smyth – space whisperer; Josh Pollack – guitar, megaphone; Kawabata Makoto – guitar, voices; Cotton Casino – synth, voices; Hiroshi Higashi – synth, voices; Yoshida Tatsuya – drums, sampler; Tsuyama Atsushi – bass, whistle, vocals.
Gong used a sped up vocal technique a lot, which you can hear in the opening 40 second song called “Gnome.” Gnome introduces Acid Mother Gong and segues into “Ooom Ba wAH!” which is improvised processed sped up vocal nonsense.
“Crazy Invisible She” is a nearly 4 minute spoken piece by Gilli that segues into “The Unkilling Of Octave Docteur DA 4J.” This is a nine minute jam with trippy chords and a two note riff. There’s wild soloing and trippy space keys. “Avahoot Klaxon Diamond Language Ritual” has more nonsensical spoken word with wild drums and guitars. The guitar turns into a siren as chanting begins and segues into “Rituel: Umbrage Demon Stirfry & Its Upcum,” a three minute fast chanted piece with distorted voices and rocking chords.
“Jesu Ali Om Cruci-Fiction” is a ninety second swirling feedback segue into “Ze Teapot Zat Exploded” (“Flying Teapot” alternate title) a nine minute song that feels like a proper song. It starts with a riff and then the whole band jumps in. About halfway through someone starts singing (in English!).
“Eating Colonel Saunders Upside Down” sounds like a 7 minute transmission from outer space with a slow beat then turns into a kind of tribal chanting and ends with a high pitched voice singing a wild melody. “Vital Info That Should Never Be Spoken” is a spoken word piece in which the sound regularly cuts out making it very hard to understand this vital info.
“Parallel Tales Of Fred Circumspex” is a five minute recited piece about Frederick in English and possibly translated into Japanese as they go? Or is it something else? By the end he is chanting how everyone is nude. I guess the nude people then go to “The Isle Of Underwear.” I’m not sure why its called this as it is “Pink Lady Lemonade.” Aafter 8 minutes someone gently sings the words of “Pink Lady Lemonade.”
“Ohm Riff Voltage 245″is 8 minutes of faster and faster chanting with lots of drums. Then it turns into slow jamming until the end. It segues into “Totalatonal Farewell To The Innocents” which is full of soaring sounds and deep sing song chanting that turns into a bouncy jam. By the end, the gnome voice is back. And the show ends.
You have to be in a very specific headspace to really get into this.
[READ: June 20, 2021] Heartstopper 2
I enjoyed Heartstopper Volume 1 so much I couldn’t wait for Volume 2. The story is so sweet and kind, I was happy that volume 2 kept up that level of joy.
I also enjoyed that Iseman opened the book with a little drama, but that it was resolved pretty quickly.
In Volume 1 we meet Charlie, who is gay. He befriends a boy named Nick who is straight. Charlie is unlike anyone who Nick has hung out with–he usually hangs out with jocks. Charlie is so much the opposite it’s a breath of fresh a air for Nick. And suddenly, Nick realizes that he is falling for Charlie.
At the end of Volume 1 they kissed…
But as Volume 2 opens we see Charlie’s diary and he is very upset because Nick ran off and didn’t text or anything. He thinks he ruined everything. Then we see Nick trying to type his feelings in a text. He’s sorry for running off, he really likes Charlie, he was just scared. But he decides it would be better to say something in person.
The next morning, Charlie wakes to the doorbell. He is in his PJs and with behead and Nick is standing there. Nick explains everything and suddenly they are having a wonderful day together.
I love the way Iseman draws them–so sweet and loving.
And I really love Carlie’s sister Tori who in this scene just walks past with a juice box, sipping, as the boys are in the kitchen. Later in the book she sees them together, looks sideways at Nick and then whispers to Charlie well done.
In this book Nick asks how Charlie knew he was gay. And he explains his realizations and that he didn’t wake up and say “Ooh look I guess I’m gay!” Nick says he’s not ready to come out to people yet and Charlie is great and says that it s totally fine as he understands the pressure and what it was like for him when people teased him.
At school the two are inseparable. This upsets Charlie’s friends Aled and Tao who think that Nick is too straight and will just hurt Charlie. We find out a bit more at Charlie’s birthday party where Tao voices his concerns (and Nick overhears) but Charlie says the nicest things about him and Tao seems maybe convinced.
Charlie’s friends are very nice to Nick. Even Tao and Aled are polite to him. And then there’s Elle who came out as trans last year and moved to the all girls school. She and Tao crush on each other but won’t say anything. They have a great time bowling.
Two and a half weeks later at a band concert with the two schools, we meet the girl who Nick dated before Volume 1, Tara. She revealed she was gay (to him). She is at the rehearsal and sees Nick and tells him about her girlfriend. When Nick tells her that he’s dating Charlie (the first person he’s told!) she is so excited for him,.
One of my favorite jokes in the book is when Nick is talking to the two girls and one of his mates shouts from across the room, “A girl on each arm, get in there, my son.”
And Tara says, “Why are straight people like this?”
Late in the book Nick invites Charlie out with his mates. Things aren’t as cool with these bros, though. Christian and Sai are nice, but Harry who is a needler and asks Charlie what its like being gay. It seems like he’s having fun with Charlie, but he’s crossing lines left and right.
Nick apologizes and Charlie says he’s used to it. But later when Harry pushes Nick too far, they get into a fight and Nick comes home with a black eye.
The next day Charlie and Nick go to the beach and Nick professes his love for Charlie (to an empty beach, but still). When he gets home he tells his mum, who is wonderfully supportive.
I can’t wait for Volume 3. I’m fascinated to see that there’s already a 4 and going to be a 5. Please don’t let bad things happen in later books!
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