Losing reality, day by day, slightly
Thinking a lot about hypnagogia, since it's notoriously something Kevin Shields was big into around the time of Loveless, as a concept and as a lifestyle. I've spent a good deal of my own life in a sleep-deprived state due to my penchant for being up all night whether I have stuff to do the next day or not, and more recently due to a sleep disorder that a little machine I have rather neatly keeps at bay. Of course, the sounds on that record are so woozy in the most intoxicating way, so it's more than tempting it's inevitable to make a connection between the state of mind and those sounds...
There's this rare and rad book on the subject I used to have but stupidly sold ages ago -- now I can only find it from some shady site for $65, and Powells doesn't even have it, neither does ABE. I don't neeeeed it for my book but I'd like it.
You want a taste? Here is a taste (unedited transcript from my talk with Kevin last week): "The Isn’t Anything phase was big time all about sleep deprivation. I was young enough and strong enough, and not into drugs enough. You know, if you smoke a load of pot you can’t stay awake. So, then it would be like I was totally, I would get off on having two or three hours sleep a night , and just working constantly and I'd be making a record and making it; it was very enjoyable. But then the Loveless thing was a lot more about – I’d become more immersed in a general state of slight dislocatedness."
"By and large most of the lyrics come from, not so much the hypnagogic half-awake half-asleep, more the slightly trancey state that you’re in when you’re writing songs. And that does involve being quite tired. Most tunes I write mostly really late at night, or something. Or if it’s in the studio it’s in the state where after a few weeks of being in the studio not really getting good sleep."
"And for me, being in a roomful of electronic equipment I find quite mind altering as well, somehow. I don’t know why, but I feel very affected by a lot of electricity. And that’s why for me the record making process involves a lot of getting away from the studio. Because I find, being in there for a long time is kind of like, I’m going off; I’m losing reality, day by day, slightly. Do you know what I mean? That’s the other weird thing I never really got to understand. Maybe someday they’ll find out some people are more sensitive to electricity than others, or something, I don’t know. I think electricity will be seen in the future as an environmental hazard that some people are sensitive to in the same way as pollution."
This shall be one of the things I talk to Bilinda about this Sunday, since dating someone who has this penchant may not be the simplest thing in the world.
Dropped by the opening reception for Julianna Bright's show at Valentines tonight -- I was rather late and missed the musical portion unfortunately, but got to hang with several handfuls of awesome people (no, it wasn't an orgy, unfortunately -- these were some good looking people!) . Been so tired from ill health plus working too much so it was extra awesome to get out, be amongst pals and stuff. The art community in PDX may be small, but I'm constantly surprised at how many decent artists there really are here. And, like, how good the art at various cafes is. That's weird to me. Good weird, of course. But if a similar thing ever existed in Seattle, I never found it -- and I was looking... Today I adore Portland in all its rainy, chilly, gloomy glamor.
Dennis Cooper just posted his fifty favorite novels of all time -- someone tell that dude to READ MORE HAPPY BOOKS!!! Hah. Of course it's a great list, though Mann, Robbe-Grillet, Foster Wallace and Ellis never did much for me. More people should read Robert Walser and Dodie Bellamy of course; the world would be a better place. Me, I never date a girl who doesn't seriously (but not too seriously) dig Story of the Eye. But then, I only am interested in happy, smart perverts. Like Dennis! Although, I am not interested in him that way, which I'm sure he is thankful for. His blog amazes me 'cause the dude is insanely busy but has the time to seriously interact with all these people. Sure, it's partly flirting. But only part.
Ohhh, you came here looking for a song? Here is one by the awesome Portland free-wheeling band World. And just you wait until PDX's Plants release their debut in a month or so -- you will like it! Because I say so. And if you haven't, listen to Serena Maneesh (non-suck rock type music).
There's this rare and rad book on the subject I used to have but stupidly sold ages ago -- now I can only find it from some shady site for $65, and Powells doesn't even have it, neither does ABE. I don't neeeeed it for my book but I'd like it.
You want a taste? Here is a taste (unedited transcript from my talk with Kevin last week): "The Isn’t Anything phase was big time all about sleep deprivation. I was young enough and strong enough, and not into drugs enough. You know, if you smoke a load of pot you can’t stay awake. So, then it would be like I was totally, I would get off on having two or three hours sleep a night , and just working constantly and I'd be making a record and making it; it was very enjoyable. But then the Loveless thing was a lot more about – I’d become more immersed in a general state of slight dislocatedness."
"By and large most of the lyrics come from, not so much the hypnagogic half-awake half-asleep, more the slightly trancey state that you’re in when you’re writing songs. And that does involve being quite tired. Most tunes I write mostly really late at night, or something. Or if it’s in the studio it’s in the state where after a few weeks of being in the studio not really getting good sleep."
"And for me, being in a roomful of electronic equipment I find quite mind altering as well, somehow. I don’t know why, but I feel very affected by a lot of electricity. And that’s why for me the record making process involves a lot of getting away from the studio. Because I find, being in there for a long time is kind of like, I’m going off; I’m losing reality, day by day, slightly. Do you know what I mean? That’s the other weird thing I never really got to understand. Maybe someday they’ll find out some people are more sensitive to electricity than others, or something, I don’t know. I think electricity will be seen in the future as an environmental hazard that some people are sensitive to in the same way as pollution."
This shall be one of the things I talk to Bilinda about this Sunday, since dating someone who has this penchant may not be the simplest thing in the world.
Dropped by the opening reception for Julianna Bright's show at Valentines tonight -- I was rather late and missed the musical portion unfortunately, but got to hang with several handfuls of awesome people (no, it wasn't an orgy, unfortunately -- these were some good looking people!) . Been so tired from ill health plus working too much so it was extra awesome to get out, be amongst pals and stuff. The art community in PDX may be small, but I'm constantly surprised at how many decent artists there really are here. And, like, how good the art at various cafes is. That's weird to me. Good weird, of course. But if a similar thing ever existed in Seattle, I never found it -- and I was looking... Today I adore Portland in all its rainy, chilly, gloomy glamor.
Dennis Cooper just posted his fifty favorite novels of all time -- someone tell that dude to READ MORE HAPPY BOOKS!!! Hah. Of course it's a great list, though Mann, Robbe-Grillet, Foster Wallace and Ellis never did much for me. More people should read Robert Walser and Dodie Bellamy of course; the world would be a better place. Me, I never date a girl who doesn't seriously (but not too seriously) dig Story of the Eye. But then, I only am interested in happy, smart perverts. Like Dennis! Although, I am not interested in him that way, which I'm sure he is thankful for. His blog amazes me 'cause the dude is insanely busy but has the time to seriously interact with all these people. Sure, it's partly flirting. But only part.
Ohhh, you came here looking for a song? Here is one by the awesome Portland free-wheeling band World. And just you wait until PDX's Plants release their debut in a month or so -- you will like it! Because I say so. And if you haven't, listen to Serena Maneesh (non-suck rock type music).
posted by Mike McGonigal at 5:31 AM
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