Super long day yesterday at Lonesome Dog Studios with the lads from Forest Bed.

We recorded 4 tracks in 10 hours (including load in, studio set up etc all that jazz). We still have vocals and synths to record in a few weeks but they can be done from home. It won’t be long until we get our demo out, which hopefully means we should be playing some gigs soon after.

I first recorded in a studio … 20 years ago 😩. At 36 I now appreciate that the time spent there is all work not play. I experienced yesterday as non stop ‘paying attention’.

It’s about focusing on your own role, and performance. It’s listening, It’s being respectful of band mates time and the fact they’re doing their own thing to the best of their own ability too. Fucking up is totally human. Besides you probably played it correctly in another take, so don’t sweat – copy and paste instead.

The all concentration required was definitely tiring, but rewarding. I’m really happy with how everything is sounding. It’s also nice to hang out in the company of friends/dudes working towards a collective endeavour.

If you live in SW London our experience at Lonesome Dog was awesome and reasonably priced. If you’re looking for somewhere to record. Check Em Out.

Prasheen Naran engineered us – super nice guy!

Heres some photos:

Photo 365

Permanently Moved

From Penny Theatre to Social Media

TikTtok is like an algorithmically weaponised talent show from the 18th century

The Ministry Of My Own Labour

• Call with Ross planning our New Centre Course later this year
• Had a nice call with MPF, about possibly doing something together with his students
• I’m glad I got the coordination vs governance podcast out – unlocks a lot of other thoughts and writing
• Part 4 of the writing course I’m taking. starting to put the novel plan together
• Spreadsheetin’
• I’ve filled 6 pages of my notebook this week with ‘plans to finish’

Dipping the Stacks

Building Expansive NFT Universes: CC0, Fidelity, & On-Chain Bundling — simondlr.com

NFT creative universes are undergoing an exciting phase of wild experimentation: emphasising free IP, new economics, and remixing. As these universes develop, there’s three key components that can help foster success:

The Billionaire’s Bard | Rob Madole

Neal Stephenson might be the most influential novelist among business tycoons since Ayn Rand. What does he believe?

Meet me in the metaverse | New Humanist

The metaverse promises to connect everyone and everything. Should we fear its impact on intimate relationships?

“Time spent on app” and what it’s doing to our minds

What screenlife and “time spent on app” is doing to our brains. Also: Vampire capitalists, St. Patrick’s Day in New England, suspense vs. surprise, and more.

Who Is ‘That Girl’ And Why Is TikTok Obsessed With Her?

The ‘that girl’ trend is promoting an unrealistic version of perfection.

Reading

This week I finished Sand Talk by Tyson Yunkaporta for the second time. Its such an important book. I’m glad I did the close re-read. Deeply engaging with its content, meaning etc transforms its content in to a whole other book entirely.

I blasted though Steel Tread by Andy Clarke. A claustrophobic Warhammer 40k novel about a tank crew trapped in dire circumstances. The ending was a bit too upbeat for me, I think everyone should have died. But hey ho, thats just where I am with fiction at the moment.

At the time of writing, I’m about 35% of the way though Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games by Matt Barton on my Kindle. It’s really inspired me to go check out some really old CRPGS. I know my friend Costas many years ago was getting in to the old Apple II Ultima Games. Need to catch up and get a beer lol.

I’m alternating Desktops with The Elusive Shift by Jon Peterson its a book about how the early Dungeons & Dragons community grappled with the nature of role-playing games, theorising a new game genre. Whats interesting to me is how concurrent it is with CRPGS and the history of computing.

Music

thejaymo.net Spotify Playlist

Mabe Fratti – Será que ahora podremos entendernos?

I continue to be drawn to music that is ‘sculptural’ it seems. Será que ahora podremos entendernos? (Will We be Able to Understand Each Other Now?) is an album with that feeling. Each of its 9 tracks feels like a sonic instillation. Vocals float over synths, field recordings, held together by Fratti’s deeply emotional cello performances.

Originally from Guatemala, Mabe Fratti found her self locked down in the artist compound La Orduña, outside Mexico City during the pandemic. This album is the result of that experience, there are many collaborations with musicians who were with her during the Mexico’s isolation period.

This is one of the most beautiful albums i’ve heard in a long time. Wonderful. Check it out.

Remember Kids: