The End of the World

Anyone who thinks the end of the world involves floods and great balls of fire is mistaken. The end of the world will look like this...

Dreams

I have been having some extraordinarily vivid dreams lately, something a put down to an increase of bulgur wheat in my diet and my practice of having a Single Malt as a nightcap. In one recent one I was involved in a protest on the side of a hill, for what I do not know. Next minute I was among some Union officials who where moving furniture into a tunnel in the side of the hill. Suddenly the place was full of Zombies and I had a bright pink Boa Constrictor snake as an ally in what was to become a full-on rumble. The Boa Constrictor let itself be eaten by another (larger) snake and then constricted it from the inside in a gory mess. I helped by performing BMX bike tricks, knocking off Zombie heads with my front wheel whilst doing 'wheel stands.'

Last night I woke in a cold sweat and repeatedly asked where I was. I cold not recognise my room for some time. Previous to that I had been riding a large mechanical Moa bird (being operated from within by an old friend, Wok, whom I have not seen for some years). We did battle with some Maori warriors. Managing to escape the skirmish the Moa and I found ourselves in a large car park where we loomed upon an elderly Japanese man. The look on his face turned from incredulity to absolute horror.

That was when I woke up asking where I was.

Art Criticism

Garrard Updaten - Posa v Motorhead

The venerable Garrard has been placed in a test plinth with an Origin Live Tonearm and a Denon 103R cartridge. Also a 1964 vintage Leak Stereo 20 now replaces the Conrad-Johnson on the bass duties. I had the Leak refurbished with new caps and a completely rewound power transformer. A Chinese Yaquin valve phono stage replaces the Conrad Johnson pre-amp. The change in sound quality is a revelation - deeper bass - pace, rhythm and timing are spot on with the Garrard's metronome like speed stability and the Denon 103R seems to synch really well with the arm. In fact both the Garrard and the Denon 103 were used in the broadcasting industry throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s so there is a nice synergy there. The treble horns still need some calming - at the moment a second Stereo 20 is on duty but they really need a Single Ended Triode 300B amp or suchlike - hmmmm...


Toltec puts good juju into the Leak for much auspicious rocka-rolla.

Yes it looks like a 1950s oven top crossed with a school science project but the sound ahhh the sound...

Peter Posa rips 'White Rabbit' and inhabits real 3D space but ultimately Lemmy destroys him with weight and authority - the sound of chaffing leather thighs is clearly audible. God what IS that smell...?

Chinese phono stage complete with Star Wars Sandpeople eyes for valve covers - two sandpeople died for this phono amp but it was worth it.

It's a mess and it could kill you.

More expensive than hard drugs but not as dangerous...

Japanese Horns

The Japanese are great fans of horn-loaded high efficiency speakers, valve amps and massive idler turntables like the Garrard 301. I have a 301 gathering dust and feel a restoration project coming on...

Of course this can lead to madness...

Art Criticism

Public Service Announcement

What a lazy blogger I am. Mr can't-be-arsed. I will really try harder least I lose the three regular readers I have. Yesterday I graduated with a Master of Fine Arts. I did not attend the ceremony. I did, however, attend the after party and got monumentally trousered. My brain and eyeballs hurt a lot today.