The Playlist of Life --- Trollheart's resurrected Journal

Trollheart · 05-29-2012, 05:25 AM

Trollheart · 05-29-2012, 05:29 AM

All right! All right! The worm admits it! There is one Wham! song that he actually likes, and this is it. Happy now, you've all found out the worm's dark secret? Humph!

Trollheart · 05-29-2012, 05:36 AM

… And they have escaped the weight of darkness --- Olafur Arnalds --- 2010 (Self-released, I think)

This is a little outside my comfort zone, as they say. Icelandic pianist and multi-instrumentalist Olafur Arnalds began his music life as a drummer with metal band Celestine and others before branching out on his own and broadening his musical base, releasing his first solo album in 2007. If you include EPs this is his fifth recording, but as a full album it's only his second. It's all instrumental, and based mainly around piano and sometimes cello, though with lots of other influences thrown into the mix.

Don't ask me what the title means, though it would appear to be some sort of quote as it starts with “and”; the fact that all the titles of the songs are in Icelandic doesn't help either, as there's supposed to be some sort of story running through the album, but not being able to read Icelandic I can't tell you what that story is, nor indeed what the titles mean. But in the final analysis that's not as important as the music itself, so let's get to that.

It opens with “Bu ert solin”*, a nice slow relaxed acoustic piano melody with cello slipping in and adding its mournful voice as the piano gets a little more solid, violins joining the chorus, and in fact it runs so seamlessly into “Bu ert joroain” that I scarcely realised I was no longer listening to the opening track. It's very relaxing, very ambient, the strings taking more of an active role now, the piano mostly a background, or indeed grounding instrument for the melody. However, “Tunglia”, up next, relinquishes control back to the piano, with the strings this time waiting on the keys, another slow relaxed melody that would probably make perfect music to read by, fall asleep to or calm you down after a hectic or bad day.

Halfway through, this starts to get a little more insistent, with percussion coming in and the strings picking up a little speed and getting more intense, a fuller sound allover, and then it all slows to a graceful pace for the solo cello ending, taking us into a piano melody on “Loftio verdur skyndilega kalt”, with just small touches from the violin and cello framing the edges of the piano music, everything again slow and sedate, a little mournful, a little morose perhaps but shot through with a vein of hope. The cello takes this piece to its slow conclusion and then hands over to the piano again for “Kjurrt”, another slow, stately piece with violins and cello just adding their own extra weight to the music at the right time, the piano very much the centrepiece here.

“Gleypa okkur” starts out on a soft yet somehow brighter piano line, cello and violin coming in quite early this time around, as does bass and drums, moving at a more uptempo pace than we've heard on this album to date, and the addition of the rhythm section changes the piece entirely, making it somehow less bleak and depressing and a little more uplifting. Halfway through the volume of all instruments increases, the added punch of the percussion filling out the music now, and it becomes more consistent, with what sounds like electric guitar --- possibly synthesised --- chiming in and creating its own little counter-melody, making this so far the most varied piece on the album.The drums and bass fall away in the last minute, leaving only the synth-guitar, and finally, the piano and cello to usher the song to its end.

Soft, gentle piano is then back for “Haegt, kemur ljosio”, with the faintest of strings which soon begin to swell and accompany the keys, the piano getting a little harder and the tempo increasing as the cello and violins surge forward, almost overtaking the entire tune, then a little bass finds its way in, and it's quickly followed by percussion which seems out of step, but in fact melds quite wonderfully with the overall tune, changing it and yet allowing it to remain the same, until the whole thing bursts out in an explosion of sound, light and colour like a firework expending itself high above the city. A great sense of joy and relief comes through in this piece, and it really changes the whole shape of the music.

Things go back to slow and sedate through for “Undan hulu”, with lonely soft piano and cello, and the album closes, all too soon, on “Bau haffa sloppio undanbunga myrkursins”, more piano and cello though a little more upbeat and solid, with bass filling in and the overall tempo raised a little more. Some nice percussion and drum loops open up the track and afford it something of a new identity, with a little brassy flurry at the end.

As far as ambient music goes, I find I'm feeling my way and discovering both artistes that appeal to me, and some who don't. This definitely falls into the former category. I love the way Olafur uses the barest minimum of instrumentation but yet manages to make his music sound both interesting and complete. I'll certainly be listening to more of his catalogue before long, though at the moment this is the first of his I have tried. It's left a lasting impression.

TRACKLISTING

1. Bu ert solin
2. Bu ert joroin
3. Tunglio
4. Loftio verdur skyndilega kalt
5. Kjurrt
6. Gleypa okkur
7. Haegt, kemur ljosio
8. Undan hulu
9. Bau hafa sloppio undanbunga myrkursins

* = As all these titles are in Icelandic, and they don't use the same character sets as we do, I've interpreted as best I can and taken my best guess as to what certain letters --- which don't exist in our alphabet --- are best translated as. In other words, a letter that looks like a b could be a d, but I've done the best I can. I may have got it totally wrong, but I can't install an Icelandic character set just for this review, and anyway, I don't know how it would display on the web.

Trollheart · 05-30-2012, 04:57 AM

Trollheart · 05-30-2012, 04:59 AM

After the revelation of his embarrassing little secret yesterday, the worm has to rebuild his street cred! So how about this one from Def Leppard?

Trollheart · 05-30-2012, 09:22 AM

Right then, enough of this rock and/or roll! It's time to listen to some proper music! Seriously, classical music paved the way for everything --- everything --- we listen to today, and there are some amazing compositions to be heard, if you just take the time to appreciate them. In this section I'm constantly trying to educate people to the beauty that lies within so much classical music, and even though everyone will have heard “Largo” or “O fortuna” via advertisements, films or TV series, or even “mashed-up” in some godawful mix, not everyone knows the rich variety and talent that is out there, just waiting to be discovered. So let me be your guide. Again.

This is one of my all-time favourites, from Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943), a beautiful piece that crops up all over the place, probably one of the most relaxing piano concertos I've ever heard. This is his piano concerto no. 2 in C Minor.

One of the most famous composers of all time, and one of the “three Bs” --- with Bach and Beethoven --- Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) is recognised as a master of his craft, and he's one of those faces you'll see when those advertisements for collections of classical music (“On nine CDs! NOT available in the shops!”), as he is one of the most recognisable, along with Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. This is his double concerto for violin and cello.

On the heavier side of things we have Wilhelm Richard Wagner (1813-1883) --- usually referred to as just Richard Wagner --- who composed dark, dramatic German operas based on the Ring Cycle legends of his people; the tales of Sigurd and Siegfried, and the Twilight of the Gods, known in Norse legend as Ragnarok. We will return to Wagner later in the year, but for now here's one you surely have heard at some point, used as it has been in most military or just action movies, or when high drama and a sense of tension, excitement and courage is called for. From that four-cycle opera, “Der ring des nibelungen”, this is taken from “Die walkure”, the most well-known piece from it, “The ride of the Valkyries”.

And if you think you've heard this before, you're right. Richard Strauss (1864-1949) composed many operas and orchestral works during his life, but his legacy outside of classical connoisseurs is this one, from the opera “Also sprach Zarathusthra”, which you'll recognise as the epic theme to the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey”. It's the introduction, called “Sunrise”.

Finally, we have Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (1839-1881), who's known principally for his work “Pictures at an exhibition”, but also for this one, “Night on Bald Mountain”. Again, you'll recognise parts of it.

Trollheart · 05-31-2012, 04:18 AM

Trollheart · 05-31-2012, 04:22 AM

Humph! No-one thinks of giving the worm holidays! Invertebrates need a break too, you know. Oh well... at least he can pretend....

Trollheart · 05-31-2012, 11:47 AM

What is it about living in Ireland that annoys me most? Is it the string of incompetent governments we've had over the last ten or more years? The rising rate of inflation? The political scandals, the devaluing Euro or the absolute gall of our current government (puppets of European masters) has in asking us to vote for a treaty which will forever ensure we pay back irresponsible and uncaring speculative investors? Is it the fact that it rains so much here? Or even the fact that so many are emigrating to find jobs, and that if I had children I would at some point be waving them goodbye at Dublin Airport or down at Dublin Port as they headed off to search for a new life, one in which they can be appreciated, valued and contribute to society?

Well, yes, all those things anger and annoy me. But the biggest daily annoyance, embarrassment and fly in the ointment to my mind is

How can two totally inexperienced, pointless brothers completely lacking in talent be now the bloody ambassadors for this country? They've represented us at Eurovision TWICE (thank God they haven't won either time), kids love them, they're role models for thousands, probably millions, and they DO NOTHING! They don't write songs, they don't play instruments, and they certainly don't sing. The best that can be said of them is that they sort of cavort about onstage like two totally immature idiots (which they are) and hope that people don't see through them (which they don't). Has it now come to a point where talent is not only irrelevant, but actually discouraged? In a world where you can be famous for being famous, is it no longer necessary to do anything, just to make an impression?

When these two gombeens appeared on the X-Factor they were laughed at by Cowell, who has been known to champion more than one questionable artist, so when he sneers and says you're no good he usually has good reason, and good instincts. But they were let through, and though they didn't win the contest, they might as well have, as our very own Louis Walsh, possibly needing a new wing built on his castle, signed them and unleashed them on the public. Now even the president is talking about them, and no doubt soon they'll have an audience with the pope (if they haven't already done so). In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if His Holiness travelled to see THEM! No, seriously, I know that wouldn't happen, but in this mad world it seems anything can.

WHAT is the appeal? Okay, so the young kids think they're great because they're just like them, and they do what they want to do, but come on! How long is that sort of attitude going to last? How long before you're found out? Well, if the Irish people (and, let's be fair, you lot outside Ireland too: you have as much to answer for as the stupid people of my native Ireland!) have their way, probably never, as they seem happy to lavish praise upon praise, award upon award and honour upon honour on these two talentless brothers. Their parents must be very proud (and probably still don't understand how this happened).

It's obviously paying off though. In 2009 these idiots were unknown, and three years later they're reported to be worth almost five million! I ****ing hate them, but even more I hate the machinery of populist --- what shall we call it? I know: let me invent another word! --- sheepery --- that created these two dancing, grinning, cavorting little monsters. I suppose you can't blame the two lads --- they do a lot of good charity work, and that can never be denigrated --- if people make you famous then milk it, why not? Make your money while you can, cos it will not last, that's for certain: can you see them doing their ridiculous act at forty? Nah, they'll have two major motion pictures under their belt and probably have books ghost-written for them (”My life with John in Jedward” by Edward and ”My life with Edward in Jedward” by John, probably!), have their own line of clothing and perfume and god knows what else.

But the people who put them there? Shame on you. Shame on you X-Factor, for not voting them off before they had a chance to even be known. Shame on you Louis Walsh, for turning them into stars, which they have no right to be. Shame on all the politicians, for using them (positively and negatively) in their campaigns, and thus giving them more exposure. And shame on every Irish person who grins and says “Yeah, they're not so bad!” They ****ing are! And it's your fault! And shame on you too, Jedward, both of you, for making me embarrassed to be Irish.

I wonder if there's any room on that emigration boat?

Trollheart · 05-31-2012, 05:41 PM

05-29-2012, 05:25 AM	#1291 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	__________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

05-29-2012, 05:29 AM	#1292 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	All right! All right! The worm admits it! There is one Wham! song that he actually likes, and this is it. Happy now, you've all found out the worm's dark secret? Humph! __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

05-29-2012, 05:36 AM	#1293 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	… And they have escaped the weight of darkness --- Olafur Arnalds --- 2010 (Self-released, I think) This is a little outside my comfort zone, as they say. Icelandic pianist and multi-instrumentalist Olafur Arnalds began his music life as a drummer with metal band Celestine and others before branching out on his own and broadening his musical base, releasing his first solo album in 2007. If you include EPs this is his fifth recording, but as a full album it's only his second. It's all instrumental, and based mainly around piano and sometimes cello, though with lots of other influences thrown into the mix. Don't ask me what the title means, though it would appear to be some sort of quote as it starts with “and”; the fact that all the titles of the songs are in Icelandic doesn't help either, as there's supposed to be some sort of story running through the album, but not being able to read Icelandic I can't tell you what that story is, nor indeed what the titles mean. But in the final analysis that's not as important as the music itself, so let's get to that. It opens with “Bu ert solin”, a nice slow relaxed acoustic piano melody with cello slipping in and adding its mournful voice as the piano gets a little more solid, violins joining the chorus, and in fact it runs so seamlessly into “Bu ert joroain” that I scarcely realised I was no longer listening to the opening track. It's very relaxing, very ambient, the strings taking more of an active role now, the piano mostly a background, or indeed grounding instrument for the melody. However, “Tunglia”, up next, relinquishes control back to the piano, with the strings this time waiting on the keys, another slow relaxed melody that would probably make perfect music to read by, fall asleep to or calm you down after a hectic or bad day. Halfway through, this starts to get a little more insistent, with percussion coming in and the strings picking up a little speed and getting more intense, a fuller sound allover, and then it all slows to a graceful pace for the solo cello ending, taking us into a piano melody on “Loftio verdur skyndilega kalt”, with just small touches from the violin and cello framing the edges of the piano music, everything again slow and sedate, a little mournful, a little morose perhaps but shot through with a vein of hope. The cello takes this piece to its slow conclusion and then hands over to the piano again for “Kjurrt”, another slow, stately piece with violins and cello just adding their own extra weight to the music at the right time, the piano very much the centrepiece here. “Gleypa okkur” starts out on a soft yet somehow brighter piano line, cello and violin coming in quite early this time around, as does bass and drums, moving at a more uptempo pace than we've heard on this album to date, and the addition of the rhythm section changes the piece entirely, making it somehow less bleak and depressing and a little more uplifting. Halfway through the volume of all instruments increases, the added punch of the percussion filling out the music now, and it becomes more consistent, with what sounds like electric guitar --- possibly synthesised --- chiming in and creating its own little counter-melody, making this so far the most varied piece on the album.The drums and bass fall away in the last minute, leaving only the synth-guitar, and finally, the piano and cello to usher the song to its end. Soft, gentle piano is then back for “Haegt, kemur ljosio”, with the faintest of strings which soon begin to swell and accompany the keys, the piano getting a little harder and the tempo increasing as the cello and violins surge forward, almost overtaking the entire tune, then a little bass finds its way in, and it's quickly followed by percussion which seems out of step, but in fact melds quite wonderfully with the overall tune, changing it and yet allowing it to remain the same, until the whole thing bursts out in an explosion of sound, light and colour like a firework expending itself high above the city. A great sense of joy and relief comes through in this piece, and it really changes the whole shape of the music. Things go back to slow and sedate through for “Undan hulu”, with lonely soft piano and cello, and the album closes, all too soon, on “Bau haffa sloppio undanbunga myrkursins”, more piano and cello though a little more upbeat and solid, with bass filling in and the overall tempo raised a little more. Some nice percussion and drum loops open up the track and afford it something of a new identity, with a little brassy flurry at the end. As far as ambient music goes, I find I'm feeling my way and discovering both artistes that appeal to me, and some who don't. This definitely falls into the former category. I love the way Olafur uses the barest minimum of instrumentation but yet manages to make his music sound both interesting and complete. I'll certainly be listening to more of his catalogue before long, though at the moment this is the first of his I have tried. It's left a lasting impression. TRACKLISTING* 1. Bu ert solin 2. Bu ert joroin 3. Tunglio 4. Loftio verdur skyndilega kalt 5. Kjurrt 6. Gleypa okkur 7. Haegt, kemur ljosio 8. Undan hulu 9. Bau hafa sloppio undanbunga myrkursins * = As all these titles are in Icelandic, and they don't use the same character sets as we do, I've interpreted as best I can and taken my best guess as to what certain letters --- which don't exist in our alphabet --- are best translated as. In other words, a letter that looks like a b could be a d, but I've done the best I can. I may have got it totally wrong, but I can't install an Icelandic character set just for this review, and anyway, I don't know how it would display on the web. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

05-30-2012, 04:57 AM	#1294 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	__________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

05-30-2012, 04:59 AM	#1295 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	After the revelation of his embarrassing little secret yesterday, the worm has to rebuild his street cred! So how about this one from Def Leppard? __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

05-30-2012, 09:22 AM	#1296 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	Right then, enough of this rock and/or roll! It's time to listen to some proper music! Seriously, classical music paved the way for everything --- everything --- we listen to today, and there are some amazing compositions to be heard, if you just take the time to appreciate them. In this section I'm constantly trying to educate people to the beauty that lies within so much classical music, and even though everyone will have heard “Largo” or “O fortuna” via advertisements, films or TV series, or even “mashed-up” in some godawful mix, not everyone knows the rich variety and talent that is out there, just waiting to be discovered. So let me be your guide. Again. This is one of my all-time favourites, from Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943), a beautiful piece that crops up all over the place, probably one of the most relaxing piano concertos I've ever heard. This is his piano concerto no. 2 in C Minor. One of the most famous composers of all time, and one of the “three Bs” --- with Bach and Beethoven --- Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) is recognised as a master of his craft, and he's one of those faces you'll see when those advertisements for collections of classical music (“On nine CDs! NOT available in the shops!”), as he is one of the most recognisable, along with Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. This is his double concerto for violin and cello. On the heavier side of things we have Wilhelm Richard Wagner (1813-1883) --- usually referred to as just Richard Wagner --- who composed dark, dramatic German operas based on the Ring Cycle legends of his people; the tales of Sigurd and Siegfried, and the Twilight of the Gods, known in Norse legend as Ragnarok. We will return to Wagner later in the year, but for now here's one you surely have heard at some point, used as it has been in most military or just action movies, or when high drama and a sense of tension, excitement and courage is called for. From that four-cycle opera, “Der ring des nibelungen”, this is taken from “Die walkure”, the most well-known piece from it, “The ride of the Valkyries”. And if you think you've heard this before, you're right. Richard Strauss (1864-1949) composed many operas and orchestral works during his life, but his legacy outside of classical connoisseurs is this one, from the opera “Also sprach Zarathusthra”, which you'll recognise as the epic theme to the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey”. It's the introduction, called “Sunrise”. Finally, we have Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (1839-1881), who's known principally for his work “Pictures at an exhibition”, but also for this one, “Night on Bald Mountain”. Again, you'll recognise parts of it. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

05-31-2012, 04:18 AM	#1297 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	__________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

05-31-2012, 04:22 AM	#1298 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	Humph! No-one thinks of giving the worm holidays! Invertebrates need a break too, you know. Oh well... at least he can pretend.... __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

05-31-2012, 11:47 AM	#1299 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	What is it about living in Ireland that annoys me most? Is it the string of incompetent governments we've had over the last ten or more years? The rising rate of inflation? The political scandals, the devaluing Euro or the absolute gall of our current government (puppets of European masters) has in asking us to vote for a treaty which will forever ensure we pay back irresponsible and uncaring speculative investors? Is it the fact that it rains so much here? Or even the fact that so many are emigrating to find jobs, and that if I had children I would at some point be waving them goodbye at Dublin Airport or down at Dublin Port as they headed off to search for a new life, one in which they can be appreciated, valued and contribute to society? Well, yes, all those things anger and annoy me. But the biggest daily annoyance, embarrassment and fly in the ointment to my mind is How can two totally inexperienced, pointless brothers completely lacking in talent be now the bloody ambassadors for this country? They've represented us at Eurovision TWICE (thank God they haven't won either time), kids love them, they're role models for thousands, probably millions, and they DO NOTHING! They don't write songs, they don't play instruments, and they certainly don't sing. The best that can be said of them is that they sort of cavort about onstage like two totally immature idiots (which they are) and hope that people don't see through them (which they don't). Has it now come to a point where talent is not only irrelevant, but actually discouraged? In a world where you can be famous for being famous, is it no longer necessary to do anything, just to make an impression? When these two gombeens appeared on the X-Factor they were laughed at by Cowell, who has been known to champion more than one questionable artist, so when he sneers and says you're no good he usually has good reason, and good instincts. But they were let through, and though they didn't win the contest, they might as well have, as our very own Louis Walsh, possibly needing a new wing built on his castle, signed them and unleashed them on the public. Now even the president is talking about them, and no doubt soon they'll have an audience with the pope (if they haven't already done so). In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if His Holiness travelled to see THEM! No, seriously, I know that wouldn't happen, but in this mad world it seems anything can. WHAT is the appeal? Okay, so the young kids think they're great because they're just like them, and they do what they want to do, but come on! How long is that sort of attitude going to last? How long before you're found out? Well, if the Irish people (and, let's be fair, you lot outside Ireland too: you have as much to answer for as the stupid people of my native Ireland!) have their way, probably never, as they seem happy to lavish praise upon praise, award upon award and honour upon honour on these two talentless brothers. Their parents must be very proud (and probably still don't understand how this happened). It's obviously paying off though. In 2009 these idiots were unknown, and three years later they're reported to be worth almost five million! I ***ing hate them, but even more I hate the machinery of populist --- what shall we call it? I know: let me invent another word! --- sheepery --- that created these two dancing, grinning, cavorting little monsters. I suppose you can't blame the two lads --- they do a lot of good charity work, and that can never be denigrated --- if people make you famous then milk it, why not? Make your money while you can, cos it will not last, that's for certain: can you see them doing their ridiculous act at forty? Nah, they'll have two major motion pictures under their belt and probably have books ghost-written for them (”My life with John in Jedward”* by Edward and ”My life with Edward in Jedward” by John, probably!), have their own line of clothing and perfume and god knows what else. But the people who put them there? Shame on you. Shame on you X-Factor, for not voting them off before they had a chance to even be known. Shame on you Louis Walsh, for turning them into stars, which they have no right to be. Shame on all the politicians, for using them (positively and negatively) in their campaigns, and thus giving them more exposure. And shame on every Irish person who grins and says “Yeah, they're not so bad!” They ***ing are! And it's your* fault! And shame on you too, Jedward, both of you, for making me embarrassed to be Irish. I wonder if there's any room on that emigration boat? __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

05-31-2012, 05:41 PM	#1300 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	__________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018