In the past decade, we’ve witnessed countless cases of companies breaking the law or harming the environment in their frenetic quest for profits. The most recent high profile case is Volkswagen’s cheating in the emissions scandal. Or was the toxic spill from a mine in Brazil worse? In case we’re undecided, perhaps the disastrous explosion in China can take the prize? All of these happened in the space of four months in 2015.
How did right-wing Polish magazine “The Network” manage to jump onto the international stage last week? By slapping an ominous warning, on top of an image featuring a white woman groped by brown hands. It’s a clever composition, combining the terrifying specter of rape with the prototype of the blonde angel attacked by the dark forces.
The image insidiously connects to the collective consciousness of the European Christianity, to which it gives dire warnings about our “values” being under imminent threat.
Sit back and enjoy the brain massage. From the very first listen, this masterpiece blew my mind and tears welled up in my eyes. If Infected Mushroom and Pink Floyd would have ever collaborated, this is how the result would have sounded.
Even the lyrics are perfect. There are just a few words to be heard, but these are important, meaningful words. I’m referring in particular to the notion that “you are me”. There is a deep existential truth buried in this statement, at least as far as certain life philosophies are concerned.
Another month, another revelation about the intelligence of other beings sharing the ride here with us, on Earth. Especially during the past couple of decades, our understanding of the various creatures inhabiting this planet has advanced formidably, not only as a result of technological advancement but also due to our maturing as a species.
We’re starting to awaken to the fact that we should perhaps take more care of our ecosystem and the beautiful planet we live on. With this step forward, comes a perpetually-renewing interest in other forms of life.
This is what happens when an artist mixes electronic dance music together with powerful, evocative Mongolian chants, Gregorian choirs, and a mysterious voice delivering a deep, meaningful message. It’s one of the most moving melodies I’ve had the pleasure of hearing. It’s also quite an easy listen, which is why I flag such a song as “a wolf in sheep’s clothing”.
Enigma has always been one of my favorite musical projects. Michael Cretu is the man behind the name. Back in the when of this song, the early 90s, Michael was married with German pop singer Sandra and it is her voice you will hear. Inside the intricate cathedral of sound, her words speak of change, of courage, of hope.
The Haka is a traditional ancestral war cry from the Maori people of New Zealand. A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of seeing this video, which features the Haka ritual performed at a wedding. It may seem a bit… strange, at first. But watch it all the way and check how you feel afterwards.
The energy that these people are able to project is off the chart. What chart? I don’t know and it doesn’t matter. Words pale in comparison with the raw life erupting from these Maori. With their every breath, they go beyond concepts and patterns. This is pure existence, with the volume turned to eleven.
What is the word “forget” doing in the same sentence as the name of this rising star in the world of automobiles? It all starts with an article I read on Wired a couple of weeks ago. The author is busy praising General Motors for beating Tesla in creating the “first true mass-market electric car”.
The article is far from being objective. It reads like a standing ovation for GM and its CEO, with very little regard for the full picture. There are two glaring mistakes. I’ll perform a little experiment and demonstrate how easily the author of the article could have improved upon the objectivity of his work, just by adding the following two paragraphs.
Parov Stelar is known as one of the pioneers of electro swing. This musical genre, as its name implies, is a mixture of electronica, jazz and swing. Parov sometimes collaborates with various singers and today we’ll be listening to one of these collaborations, namely with Lilja Bloom.
Not only is this melody a body-mover, but it’s also a mood-lifter. Witty lyrics, beautiful voice and groovy music, all the ingredients of a good listen. It takes skill and talent to mix the old and the new with such success. If you like what you hear, your next challenge is to check out a few of the other songs where Parov and Lilja have worked together.
As you might know, on the 7th of February 2016, North Korea launched an “Earth observation satellite”. Governments across the world were probably right in condemning the operation. The same type of rocket can also be used for nuclear warfare. What about the satellite? Well, apparently it’s tumbling in orbit, useless.
Fun fact: there are about 2000 satellites orbiting our planet and an estimated 300.000 pieces of space junk. On average, we’re losing one satellite per year. A collision between two satellites could have dire consequences.
Every single person that I’ve witnessed give virtual reality a try has been floored by the experience – especially the ones that didn’t see it coming. Even those who knew what it’s all about came back with amazed expressions once they took off the HMD (head mounted display) for the first time. I placed my bets on the fact that virtual reality is going to skyrocket faster than most people expect it to.
The rather expensive hardware required will definitely make some customers think twice. However, there are already plenty of gamers out there who own powerful hardware. They will be joined by early adopters who will make sure that they can properly run most of the VR experiences. They will show these programs to relatives and friends, which will feed the wave of excitement. And so, a new technological revolution will begin.
