Fait-divers on fear

"Fear is a difficult opponent. It promotes a battle not only against the body, but advances powerfully over the soul, and when the soul is captured, it no longer gives us peace of mind." Tolentino Mendonça (free translation)

Fait-divers on randomness

Genuine, verifiable randomness — think of it as the property possessed by a sequence of numbers that makes it impossible to predict the next number in the sequence — is extremely hard to come by.

The Cure - alone four tet remix, 2025

“Just after Christmas I was sent a couple of unsolicited remixes of Songs of a Lost World tracks and I really loved them. The Cure has a colourful history with all kinds of dance music, and I was curious as to how the whole album would sound entirely reinterpreted by others. This curiosity resulted in a fabulous trip through all eight songs by 24 wonderful artists and remixers and is way beyond anything I could have hoped for. Giving our recording royalties from the project to War Child helps make Mixes of a Lost World an even more special release.”

REM - gardening at night live, 1985

"We were driving at night after a show (I don't remember where), and I was at the wheel of our old car, with a rental trailer in tow. One of my three passengers aimed a directive at me. Rather than inform me of his desire to evacuate his bladder, he instead suggested that I pull over so that he might engage in the task of roadside 'night gardening.' To four guys in their early twenties this was a glaring catalyst for a new song."

The Lightning Seeds - permanent danger, 2022

"This intoxicating 10 track collection will kick start a soundtrack to summer with the feel good warmth of ‘Sunshine’. Most of the songs are written by Ian Broudie. One of the album highlights, ‘Emily Smiles’, was co-written with Terry Hall while ‘Great to Be Alive’ is a co-write with James Skelly (the Coral)."

Soft Science - sadness, 2023

"Sacramento’s Soft Science have announced details of their forthcoming fourth album, which is their first since 2018’s Maps. Titled Lines it features ten tracks and is due to be released on September 08 2023. The band have also lifted the first single from the album, in the shape of Sadness. It’s a guitar lead song that swirls and jangles amongst shoegaze and dreampop influences. Heavenly stuff!"

Duo Movida - bachata calingue, 2014

"Bachata is a genre of music that originated in the Dominican Republic in the 20th century. It contains elements of European (mainly Spanish music), indigenous Taino and African musical elements, representing the cultural diversity of the Dominican population. A form of dance, bachata, also developed with the music."

REM - bittersweet me, 1996

"Bittersweet Me" is a song by American rock band R.E.M., released as the second single from their 10th studio album, New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996). Like much of the album, the song originated while the band were on the road for the Monster tour, although the song was only ever soundchecked and has never been played live as part of a concert.[1] The song was a bigger hit in the United States than the first single from the album, "E-Bow the Letter", except on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, where the first single's number-two peak bested the number-six peak of "Bittersweet Me".

Pet Shop Boys - the only one, 1999

"The best thing, in fact, about this track is its superb, imaginative production. Just listen to the way Neil and Chris slink their way into it with soft, subtle electronic squiggles and burps"

Patti Smith - these are the words, 2018

"Tonight before sleeping I am contemplating the last twelve years with Pope Francis. Though not a Catholic I was drawn to this kind, openminded and staunch humanitarian. I felt safer knowing he was among us, doing his best to follow and preach Christ’s teachings. It is fitting that his last words to the public should strongly focus on Peace. May he ascend to a loving place visited by the doves of the air. Below is a song I wrote with Tony Shanahan for Wim Wender’s documentary film, A Man of his Word on Pope Francis. Now I must seek sleep, saddened that we will begin a new day without him."

Beach Vacation - it soothes me, 2022

"The track captures a sun-soaked lush dreamy rock sound that has a bit of early Beach Fossils in it, with some gorgeous sounds that feel like the best summer with your friends that you wish you could turn the back towards this very instant."

Tears For Fears - advice for the young at heart, 1989

"Advice for the Young at Heart" is a song by the English band Tears for Fears, taken from their 1989 album The Seeds of Love. It was released as the third single from the album in February 1990. The song was written by Roland Orzabal and keyboardist/singer Nicky Holland. The lead vocal was sung by Curt Smith (the only track on The Seeds of Love album that he sang solo lead vocals on)."

Midlake And John Grant - roadrunner blues, 2023

"We became like brothers during that time. I don’t get to see them often enough. I don’t think I want to live in Texas at this point in my life, but I often think about that time in Denton and the incredible people I know now because of it, and sometimes I am very tempted to go back there just so I can be around them. I had a blast doing these songs with them as I knew I would and I hope we get to do more in the future.”

Isaac Hayes - theme from shaft, 1971

"Theme from Shaft", written and recorded by Isaac Hayes in 1971, is the soul and funk-styled theme song to the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film Shaft. The theme was released as a single (shortened and edited from the longer album version) two months after the movie's soundtrack by Stax Records' Enterprise label. "Theme from Shaft" went to number two on the Billboard Soul Singles chart (behind "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" by Marvin Gaye) and to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States in November 1971, and number one in Canada in December. The song was also well received by adult audiences, reaching number six on Billboard's Easy Listening chart and number four in Canada. The song is considered by some to be one of the first disco songs."

Emma Anderson - the presence, 2023

“It’s one of the album’s catchiest moments and also the one that possibly/probably sounds most like my previous bands thanks to the layers of guitars.”

The Durutti Column - detail for paul, 1981

"LC, or Lotta Continua (Italian for Continuous Struggle) is the group’s masterpiece. Recorded on a four track in chief songwriter Vini Reilly’s home in 1981, the album could be considered the first ever “bedroom lo-fi” record to be released in the professional sphere. Despite the intentional limitations put in place by Reilly’s decision to record with a four track, the album itself is a sonic triumph. Cosmically cascading Latin guitars echo from the inside of some distant black hole, saturated by copious amounts of reverb and tape delay manipulation. Keir Stewart’s basslines politely bounce around in the back of the mix, not to take away from the brilliance of Reilly’s guitar work, while Bruce Mitchell’s tribal-jazz fusion rhythms keep everything somewhat grounded to Earth."

Pope Francis

It's so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone.

Morreu o Santo Papa Francisco

Que notícia mais triste. Morreu um Santo, talvez o maior Santo que a Igreja Católica alguma vez teve!

The Smiths - there is a light that never goes out live, 1986

"a testament"

Easter

"It's so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone. The world is full of dark derelicts. The better way - the Marulli of that old Rome would have known it - there comes a time for decent, honorable retirement, not dramatic, not punishment of self or family - just good-by, a warm bath and an opened vein, a warm sea and a razor blade. The ground swell on the rising tide whished into the Place and raised my legs and hips and swung them to the side and carried my wet folded raincoat out with it. I rolled on one hip and reached in my side pocket for my razor blades and I felt the lump. Then in wonder I remembered the caressing, stroking hands of the light-bearer. For a moment it resisted coming out of my wet pocket. Then in my hand it gathered every bit of light there was and seemed red - dark red. A surge of wave pushed me against the very back of the Place. And the tempo of the sea speeded up. I had to fight the water to get out, and I had to get out. I rolled and scrambled and splashed chest deep in the surf and the brisking waves pushed me against the old sea wall. I had to get back - had to return the talisman to its new owner. Else another light might go out." - John Steinbeck, "The Winter of Our Discontent"