Month: September 2019

  • Ugress – Lost In Time

    Ugress – Lost In Time

    Time’s short, so this tune doesn’t waste any second to reach its climax. It takes us on a quick ride through groovy beats, it rushes to the spicy blend of dreamy voice and echoed synths and then immediately proceeds straight to the dancefloor.

    And then, just when you think you got it, it’s over. Thanks the Gods of Technology for effortless rewind capabilities (aka “abusing the replay button”).

    “All that I have inside will get lost in time
    This is all like fire
    And you take me higher
    You trip me off I’m flying
    Can’t you see I’m trying
    All that I have inside will get lost in time
    Your information is playing with my mind”

    You can listen to the melody for free, in good quality, on BandCamp, which is one of the best websites when it comes to supporting artists. You can also purchase the song (or album) from this same location. And in case you’re wondering, yes, I did purchase Ugress’s album :).

    https://ugress.bandcamp.com/track/lost-in-time^

    YouTube (decent quality):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miNvjkc2ZXU^

    For Spotify users (high quality):

    https://open.spotify.com/track/5KZojnBggNnXMbwYlraAqU^

    For Deezer users (high quality):

    https://www.deezer.com/track/593002352^

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/03832-UgressUnicorn-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Ugress – Lost In Time’ desc=’XXXXXX’]

  • Autechre – Basscadet (Basscadubmx)

    Autechre – Basscadet (Basscadubmx)

    Creatures made of sound roam the textured landscapes of Melodic Beauty Land. They call out to each other, either from depths immeasurable or from lofty heights. Their echoes fill endless voids, bringing the vibration of life. Close your eyes and ride your thoughts.

    YouTube (decent quality):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKeadZgsN10^

    For Spotify users (high quality):

    https://open.spotify.com/track/1QYs8HnVAu0vr1edoVGjDW^

    For Deezer users (high quality):

    https://www.deezer.com/track/29390041^

    And here’s the Discogs entry for whoever wants to buy this album:

    https://www.discogs.com/Autechre-BasscadEP/master/1799^

    This Weekly Song entry has been brought from the FaceBook archive of Weekly Song^. This exploration was originally started through a FaceBook page, about 13 months prior to launching Mentatul. Slowly but surely, the entire FaceBook archive will be brought here.

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/03827-AutechreBasscad-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Autechre – Basscadet (Basscadubmx)’ desc=’Creatures made of sound call out to each other, either from depths immeasurable or from lofty heights. Their echoes fill endless voids, bringing the vibration of life.’]

  • The HU – Yuve Yuve Yu

    The HU – Yuve Yuve Yu

    Blasting with originality, here’s a piece featuring heavy metal riffing combined with Mongolian throat chanting and other traditional Mongolian orchestration. This stuff sounds so damn good that I feel a new metal genre emerging!

    But what really stands out from this ground-breaking work of art are the lyrics. These words are a slap in the face of a way of life that has spread like a cancer in the world: hypercosumerism and rampant individualism (hyperindividualism). Oh, and the video is freakin’ awesome too!

    “It has been so long eating and drinking being merry
    How strange, how strange
    Taking our Great Mongol ancestors names in vain
    How strange, how strange
    Yet, would not honor our oath and destiny
    How strange, how strange
    Why the valuable ethics of ancestors become worthless?
    How strange, how strange

    Hey, you traitor! Kneel down!
    Hey, Prophecies be declared!

    You’ve born in ancestor’s fate yet Sleeping deeply, can’t be awakened
    How strange, how strange
    Blindly declaring that Only Mongols are the best
    How strange, how strange
    Born to live as nobles Yet, can’t unite as one
    How strange, how strange
    Why is it difficult to rise up our nation up?
    How strange, how strange”

    Ride high, ride well, The Hu! As the originality that blasted me straight in the gut when I first listened to this song, I know you are destined for great things!

    YouTube (decent quality):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4xZUr0BEfE^

    For Spotify users (high quality):

    https://open.spotify.com/track/6J2VvzKwWc2f0JP5RQVZjq^

    For Deezer users (high quality):

    https://www.deezer.com/track/657085202^

    And here’s the Discogs entry for whoever wants to buy this album:

    https://www.discogs.com/The-Hu-Band-Yuve-Yuve-Yu/release/13114151^

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/03821-TheHuYuveYuveYu-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’The HU – Yuve Yuve Yu’ desc=’A piece featuring heavy metal riffing combined with Mongolian throat chanting and other traditional Mongolian orchestration.’]

  • Social Activism and Treading Carefully

    Social Activism and Treading Carefully

    Somebody in a position of power once told a newcomer: “You have a choice. You can be an insider or an outsider. If you are an outsider you’ll retain your right to say anything you want, whatever you believe in but know that you’re going to be persecuted, you’re going to be vilified and you’ll be jettisoned. On the other hand, you can choose to be an insider, to play the game… If you chose to be an insider you’ll be given information that outsiders don’t have, you’ll be given… an opportunity… to make some… small tiny changes within the inside, but the one rule that you must respect, is that insiders do not tell outsiders the truth, and they do not turn against other insiders.”

    Well said. Except for the fact that it’s not all black and white. There is no absolute boundary between insider and outsider. Boundaries fluctuate with every situation and for every piece of information. This is very important, because it’s what successful activism is all about.

    Activism is defined as: “efforts to promote, impede, direct, or intervene in social, political, economic, or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society.”

    There are many ways through which activists can voice their message and act on it. Just like an activist’s relationship with a system is complex, so is the activist’s spectrum of action.

    Throughout history stretches a long list with names of activists that were persecuted, tortured and even killed. Sometimes, their suffering or death only accelerated the changes they fought for.

    But there’s an even longer (and mostly unknown) list with the names of hidden activists. Those that have treaded carefully and taken fewer risks in order to ensure their safety and thus, the longevity of their work. These are the little-known heroes that operated patiently, within the confines of a system (and often working around the system), changing it from the inside, slowly but surely (and often collaborating with the “outsiders” more than we will know in this lifetime).

    The overall effect

    What determines the success of a message? The shock and confrontation approach, or a slow and careful process of sculpting society? A sprint prodding others to act, or a marathon of implementation? The answer is: any mix of the above. That’s where an activist’s strategy comes into play. And let’s not forget that chance also plays a role.

    Activism requires a great understanding of society. Careful messaging (writing and presenting) is a must. However, the success of an activist is not determined only by skillful messaging, but also by the careful orchestration of one’s social interactions.

    The first thing on an activist’s mind should be how to ensure the most positive outcome with the least amount of risk and effort. In thinking about this, it is useful to consider the three pillars of activism: the relation with the insiders, the intensity of one’s message and the scale of one’s actions.

    The activist’s relation with the in-group

    Whatever an activist militates for, there is a social group that does things (very) differently. Within this group, there are counter-activists and leaders.

    The quote we started with is a very simplified view on the extremely complex interactions that occur between social groups. Can an activist even consider ejecting oneself as far from the insiders as possible? This all but removes the possibility of using diplomacy – the exquisite art of negotiation and trading with knowledge.

    There’s a saying: “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”. How else can an activist truly understand the opposite camp? The word “enemies” is a bit too strong: a wise activist understands that there is no enemy, just different points of view. This understanding will lead to a healthy relationship with “the insiders”. This is more than a necessity; it is a prime ingredient of success.

    The intensity of the message

    “Change your beliefs, or die!”

    Could, by any chance, such a threat cause people to assume a defensive intellectual stance? Could any message accompanying such a statement be discarded? Of course yes and of course it will.

    The exaggeration above serves to illustrate the point that when crafting any message, a deep understanding of its target audience is paramount. Even if that audience is the activist’s own group, messages that are too radical are likely to alienate the opposition and do more harm than good. The opposition is likely to push back with comparable force.

    On the other hand, weak messages won’t achieve anything. Crafting and presenting a balanced message is at the very heart of meaningful activism.

    The scale of the actions

    Even though messaging and diplomacy are actions themselves, this third pillar of activism is about those concrete actions that contribute to the intensity of the message and complement diplomatic efforts.

    The scale of an action is the number of people becoming aware of it. This is not necessarily related to the number of people whose opinion is influenced by the action. Some may be indifferent, while some may see the action as a threat and steer away from the direction desired by the activist.

    Never start big: at a small scale even wrong actions may be beneficial, as they may lead to valuable lessons. However, even a good action at the wrong scale will have undesired effects, damaging a social activism campaign. More than anything, actions make or break activists.

    The predictable activist

    Whatever would one’s stance be in regards to each of the three pillars of activism, this better not change often. Vocal activists should stay vocal, patient diplomats should continue working diligently. A chaotic way of working will erode trust, which is arguably the most valuable currency an activist possesses.

    Activism is a profession like any other. And like any professional, the activist should deliver with constancy and predictability. Unpredictable activists make larger waves, but do so by taking risks that can jeopardize themselves and their campaigns.

    Treading carefully

    There’s a hidden activist in all of us. I wish for everybody to listen to that inner voice and find where we can make even the smallest difference. The world needs it now more than ever. We live in a period where the actions of the many are necessary to revert the mistakes of the few.

    But tread carefully. Let us not repeat the mistakes of the past. We seek evolution, not revolution^. The activists we need aren’t those that reject dialogue, but those that understand that opposites attract. Be and let be^.

     

    Disclaimer: despite what I’ve been writing on this website, I do not consider myself an activist. The closest “role” I can describe myself as is historian.

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  • Silent Rider – Black Crown (feat. Camille Corazon)

    Silent Rider – Black Crown (feat. Camille Corazon)

    Melancholy and happiness are dancing together. This melody achieves an exquisite balance between joy and sadness when it comes to both the instrumentals and the vocals. The lyrics, though, tip the scales in favor of melancholy.

    “Wear a black crown
    State of my mind
    Everything that I see
    Is my own lie
    Don’t you see me
    as I fall from grace?

    Oh oh, lady’s a liar
    ‘Cause you know she didn’t even fight
    As I do every day
    ‘Cause I’m a weak child
    She wore a black crown
    Like so”

    YouTube (decent quality):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRmC88mDK7Y^

    For Spotify users (high quality):

    https://open.spotify.com/track/1qbGvuC0Eco0iN8qN4pNPG^

    For Deezer users (high quality):

    https://www.deezer.com/track/83612074^

    For SoundCloud users (high quality):

    https://soundcloud.com/silentrider/silent-rider-camille-coraz-n^

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/03816-SilentRiderBlackCrown-Thumb.png’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Silent Rider – Black Crown (feat. Camille Corazon)’ desc=’This melody achieves an exquisite balance between joy and sadness when it comes to both the instrumentals and the vocals.’]

  • Zymosis – Kycyu

    Zymosis – Kycyu

    Sweetness drips from every vibration of this delicate gem of a song. It’s a soul-healing lullaby blessed with a beautiful, gentle voice and a sacred atmosphere.

    As a bonus, the cover of the EP this melody is from is a perfect match for such art.

    You can listen to the melody for free, in good quality, on BandCamp, which is one of the best websites when it comes to supporting artists. You can also purchase the song (or album) from this same location.

    https://sentimony.bandcamp.com/track/zymosis-kycyu-24bit^

    YouTube (decent quality):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xlf5yHFymQ^

    For Spotify Users (high quality):

    https://open.spotify.com/track/3zqUdbT2rS2daK1DPGXQg6^

    For Deezer Users (high quality):

    https://www.deezer.com/track/510878662^

    [ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/03809-ZymosisKycyu-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Zymosis – Kycyu’ desc=’Sweetness drips from every vibration of this delicate gem of a song.’]