ismael chang ghalimi

Mysteries

God knows how I adore life
When the wind turns on the shores lies another day
I cannot ask for more

When the time bell blows my heart
And I have scored a better day
Well nobody made this war of mine

And the moments that I enjoy
A place of love and mystery
I’ll be there anytime

Oh mysteries of love
Where war is no more
I’ll be there anytime

When the time bell blows my heart
And I have scored a better day
Well nobody made this war of mine

And the moments that I enjoy
A place of love and mystery
I’ll be there anytime

Mysteries of love
Where war is no more
I’ll be there anytime

From Out of Season. Lyrics by Beth Gibbons.

KPFA

For the past few weeks, I’ve been tuning to KPFA, the first community supported radio station in the USA. It was founded in 1949 by Lewis Hill, a pacifist, poet, and journalist. Listening to its programs has been a breath of fresh air, putting things in perspective. Highly recommended!

Stereolab Concert

Tonight, David and I went to Stereolab’s concert at the Fillmore. It was the third time I attended a concert from this all time favorite band of mine, and it was the very best of them. The groop seems to have found a new source of militant energy, maybe as a result of the current financial crisis. During the previous concert, May and I asked for Lo Boob Oscillator, without much success. This time around, our favorite song was played, in the original extended version that was part of the Refried Ectoplasm LP (1995). Joy! From the same LP, we also got treated to French Disko played at a very high BPM rate. Then Cybele’s Reverie from Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996), and Double Rocker from Sound-Dust (2001), among many other very cool tracks. The opening was made by Monade, with lots of tracks from their third LP, Monstre Cosmic. Awesome! Many thanks to David for the ride and for coming along, it was a lot of fun.

Chemical Chords

I’ve been listening to Stereolab’s latest LP, Chemical Chords, for about three weeks now. It’s the time it took for the new sound to sink in, and I finally like it. Expect a couple dozen more listening sessions before I’m in a position to tell you which tracks I like best, or why I like them better than others. In a world where everything seems to be collapsing, it’s good to know that some things don’t change.

Update 10/10/2008: I love Daisy Click Clack.

Third

Portishead’s latest LP is awesome. The Rip especially.

Totally worth the wait…

New Stereolab LP

My all-time favorite band Stereolab (the “groop”) is currently working on a brand new LP (Chemical Chords), and recently released one of its tracks (Three Women) on iTunes. I still need a dozen more listening sessions before deciding whether I like it or not, but I sure cannot wait to play the full LP. New concert dates have been set too, and May, Ellen, Dave, and I (the “gang”) will be at The Fillmore in San Francisco, CA on October 21, making it our third Stereolab concert together.

Jean-Michel Jarre

Tonight, my brother Nassim treated me to the premiere of Jean-Michel Jarre’s live concert for Oxygène’s 30th aniversary. The album sold over 12 million copies since its release in 1977 and has been re-mastered. It was played by Jarre and three other musicians, using vintage instruments in front of a small crowd of less than 300 people at the Théâtre Marigny. Oxygène was the LP that my brother and I listened to the most when we were kids, and to this day it lost nothing of its avant-gardist experimental spirit. So many memories are attached to this music that I shed a tear when Part II started playing. Thank you so much Nassim: you could not have given me a better gift for Christmas. Note to Jean-Michel: some friends and I would love to invite you for a performance in San Francisco.

Pocket Symphony

Tonight, I am listening to Pocket Symphony, the last LP from Air. As with any Air recording, I will need multiple listening sessions before I can form a solid opinion about the piece, but so far I must say that I like it. The tunes are reminiscent of Air’s later work, especially Talkie Walkie and the excellent 5:55, a collaboration with French actress and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg.

Gábor Szabó

The yoga teacher who introduced me to The Mermen also made me discover Gábor Szabó, a jazz guitarist born in Budapest in 1936. Today, I received a copy of The Sorcerer, an LP released in 1967. The entire album is great, but I especially like Mizrab, which was part of the compilation I got from my teacher. Exceptional!

Genesis on Tour

The English band Genesis is on tour this year, and will play at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA on October 9. I do not consider myself a fan of this band, but I and my brother Nassim loved Selling England by the Pound, released back in 1973, the year when I was born, so I might decide to go to the concert with a couple of friends. Let me know if you’re interested to join us.

The Mermen

Every week toward the end of our Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga class, a slightly psychedelic track is playing on our teacher’s iPod. Last week, I inquired about it, and learned that the track is called By the Sea I Will Stay Forever, and is from the 1989 Krill Slippin’ LP by The Mermen, a band from San Francisco, CA. I got a copy of some tracks today, and they sound pretty darn cool. If you want to chill out, make sure to check it out.

The Devil and Daniel Johnston

Tonight, May and I watched The Devil and Daniel Johnston [IMDB], an engaging documentary on the life of manic-depressive polymath artist Daniel Johnston, directed by Jeff Feuerzeig. The music and lyrics of Daniel Johnston are very much akin to an acquired taste, and I will not blame if you do not feel like developing an appetite for it. The guy is totally out there, and his art a faithful reflection of his personality. Nevertheless, it is often difficult to separate genius from madness, and here is a case where both seem to mix without any form of restraint whatsoever. Kurt Cobain was a fan, and I was a fan of Kurt Cobain. Should being a fan be a transitive relationship?

Haptonomy

According to my father, the interactions May and I are having with our little pea-in-the-pod through touch and sound have been theorized into a science called haptonomy, which was originally developed by Frans Veldman. I have no way of telling wether Veldman’s work has any merit from a scientif standpoint, but I can already report that singing Stereolab tunes when the music is playing in the background seems to trigger quite a bit of foetal activity. The exceptional BBC Radio One Sessions recorded between 1991 and 2001 with John Peele (R.I.P.) are topping the charts currently, trailed by Idir’s A Vava Inouva.

Imitation Electric Piano

Today, May and I drove to Oak Park, CA to celebrate Christmas with May’s family. On the way there, we listened to one of my favorite LPs, the newly-released Blow It Up, Burn It Down, Kick It ‘Til It Bleeds by Imitation Electric Piano. This band was formed by Stereolab bassist Simon Johns and guitarist Andrew Blake. I loved their first LP, Trinity Neon, with a special thing for King Evil (Track #4). This second LP is even better, thanks to vocals by Jo Bramli, whose high-pitched voice will either delight you or make you cringe. I fall into the first category, while May falls into the second, so I had to listen to the LP while she was sleeping. Relatively Good Times (Track #5) is pure bliss.

A Vava Inouva

As kids, my brother Nassim and I loved a couple of tunes more than any other. Among them, A Vava Inouva from Berber singer Idir, released back in 1976. Recently, I got a copy of Identités, which features a more recent interpretation of the song we loved so much. I like to sing it to the little bean that is currently cooking in May’s belly, and it seems to trigger more dancing than any other melody I know. A legacy is born.

Back Online

After 106 days of silence, I am back at the keyboard. This little party got me busy, then the gods of business decided to turn a good eye on Intalio, which got me even busier. Things are back on track now, and readers should expect regular daily posts moving forward. In the meantime, I am listening to the excellent 5:55 from Charlotte Gainsbourg, with music from Air. I love this type of collaboration. Many thanks to Arnaud for introducing me to this great LP.

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

Fifteen years ago, my friend Gweltas made me discover some fantastic lieder from Schubert sung by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and played by Gerald Moore at the piano. This superb collection produced by Deutsche Grammophon includes Die schöne Müllerin, Winterreise and Schwanengesang. I got a copy last week and cannot listen to anything else when I’m at home. Pure bliss! Thank you Gweltas. Thank you so much.

Thievery Corporation

Dave, Hugo, Jacques-Alexandre and I went to a Thievery Corporation concert in San Francisco tonight. They performed with a fantastic crew of singers that would switch for every other tune. I was glad to finally put faces behind names, especially for Lu Lu, a French singer featured in The Mirror Conspiracy. Groovy!

Forrest Gump

Lately, I have been listening to the original soundtrack for Forrest Gump, the 1994 movie starring Tom Hanks. This collection of 34 American classics is remarkable, especially the second CD, which offers great tunes from the 70s. Nassim, you would love them.

Walk the Line

On my way to Europe, I watched Walk the Line, a chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash’s life. A couple of years ago, Dave made me discover this artist, and I immediately fell in love with American IV: The Man Comes Around. Johnny Cash’s interpretation of Depeche Mode’s Personal Jesus is one of my favorites. The movie is pretty good, and Reese Witherspoon’s acting as June Carter brilliant. Now, I need to get a copy of American V: A Hundred Highways, Johnny Cash’s last recorded album.