Roo

On Villeneuve I've been like this: Great: Sicario Strong, worth seeing in cinemas: Blade Runner 2049, Prisoners, Incendies Cringey but okay watch: Arrival, Enemy He has tendencies which I really dislike, especially when tackling heady concepts. Villeneuve films ultimately can't resist the juvenile urge of Cianfrance-esque, twisted generational melodrama coupled with b-grade, suffocating Lynchian gravity and Nolan-cranked circuitry. In some cases the story and filmmaking is strong enough to overcome this, but Enemy is like a repository for his irritating traits, and Arrival's third act kills the film for me. He is a tantalising director, one of the only guys regularly making blockbusters nowadays who is often worth checking out, but to a point.

thanks for this list. I thought at first that your #3 was the Samuel L. Jackson movie Deep Blue Sea lol. Fat City looks promising, really looking forward to checking out The Duellists too. Phantom Thread was also on my year end list, definitely think it is Anderson's most mature movie (guess that sounds pretentious, but it really sinks its teeth in like none of his other films, saw it like two months ago and still think about it sometimes). My favorite Anderson film is Inherent Vice, fucking hilarious and a really fun time, also the story was adapted by one of America's most gifted novelists, Thomas Pynchon. Haha yeah that was why I felt the need to qualify with director/year. I get that same feeling with Phantom Thread. I wasn't as adoring of the film on release, but those 2nd and 3rd viewings were knockouts that (like you) linger. I read Inherent Vice around the time that film was announced (early 2013 I think it was), it ended up being my first Pynchon (an author I've come to adore). So have a lot to thank PTA for certainly. I think his 5 new millennium films are far superior to his more derivative, nakedly influenced but still very impressive 90s films. I've been on an obsessive Ridley Scott kick of late, finding that I dig almost all his films and can rewatch them endlessly, and The Duellists is an out-and-out 3rd best almost on level pegging with Alien & Blade Runner. My top 10 from Ridley would look like this: 10/10 1. Blade Runner (final cut) 2. Alien 3. The Duellists 9.5/10 4. Legend (although beware, took a few viewings to fall on its wavelength, initially came off as a laughable misfire. Only seen Goldsmith cuts) 9/10 5. Thelma & Louise 6. Kingdom of Heaven (theatrical is fine, but pref Director's Cut) 7. Alien Covenant (seems a very divisive, poorly received film but I love it, easily the best Alien film since Alien3) 8.5/10 8. Matchstick Men 9. The Counselor 8/10 10. White Squall Also 8/10: Black Rain, The Martian, Gladiator Most of the rest are solid to decent. Exodus and Robin Hood are the only ones I don't rate in some way, but I'll give them another chance at some point.

I adore Vineland as well (despite how unwieldy it feels at points, and seeming protagonist Zoyd disappearing for such a vast chunk). Mason & Dixon is the only one I prefer. Bleeding Edge was also treated rather unfairly on release I felt, I expect that to grow in esteem as well, very much of the Vineland/Inherent Vice mold in that it doesn't scream masterwork but is still better than most everything else getting published. That moment in Pynchon's Vineland where Zoyd Wheeler is bleakly night driving and singing mournfully along to Take It To the Limit always gets me. Some of Pynchon's musical references you never forget, and that song changed for me forever after Vineland. As mentioned, I still haven't touched the initial phase stuff like Gravity's Rainbow, V and Lot49.

These were the ten best films I finally saw for the first time in 2018: 1. Johnny Guitar (Nicholas Ray, 1954) 2. NGE: The End of Evangelion (Anno & Tsurumaki, 1997) 3. The Deep Blue Sea (Terence Davies, 2011) 4. Suspicion (Hitchcock, 1941) 5. Suspiria (Dario Argento, 1977) 6. Phantom Thread (PTA, 2017) 7. Fat City (Huston, 1972) 8. Marie Antoinette (Sofia Coppola, 2006) 9. California Split (Altman, 1974) 10. The Ghost & Mrs Muir (Mankiewicz, 1947) So far in 2019 The Duellists (Ridley Scott, 1977) has been amazing, entered my top echelon of favourites and will be nigh impossible to beat for the overall year.

On Faulkner, last month I finally caught up with Light in August and The Reivers. Absalom, Absalom! (which I've read a few times now) happens to be my favourite novel, but no other Faulkners have ever really delivered anything near as strong for me, although Light in August is the 2nd best I've come across and does feel like a warm-up for Absalom, Absalom in many respects. The only others I've read were during 2010-11 (The Sound and the Fury, As I Lay Dying & The Wild Palms), and I remember the least about As I Lay Dying. I generally dig his work, could spend forever reading about tales in that county. In the last year or so I've been finally delving into local writers Patrick White and David Malouf (who like Auster has a voice I strongly relate to), as well as progressing further through the Aubrey-Maturin series (for which I have deep affection), and I've got Against the Day lined up (still haven't touched anything prior to Vineland, read everything else since). Pynchon & O'Brian are worth owning, as they are the sort of novels I'll read again and again.

The New York Trilogy, Moon Palace and (slightly lesser extent) The Music of Chance are the best Austers I've read. So far I've found his 21st century stuff more mixed, lots of cool stuff (like his film observations in The Book of Illusions and Man in the Dark) but slightly lacking. Auster is always an easy pick-up with distinct consistency and a voice I find relatable, but I get the sense his earlier novels are his most successful. I also agree that The Crossing is the best of McCarthy's Border Trilogy.

Seattle is one of those sets which has a bit of latentcall and violvoic mixed together at once (around the 54min mark).

Portsmouth & Utrecht are 2 of the very best, worth a tenner. I'd like to think those ones are in demand, so you feel more satisfied if that is the $10 initiation, rather than a less memorable one. I imagine they were the first LIVE WAVs you've tried to purchase through the Store (especially as you haven't bought an oldie like Utrecht), and those sets might have been the first set added to basket, or in bulk were just chosen at random. One of them will have to be at that price, once only.

That's a really cool video, nice to see a song we love given the drum cover treatment.

I don't think it particularly requires close attention to detail, I just meant a uniform duration cut-off (say the last 12 minutes) cut together in chronological order. I personally love the sets as is (in full and in context), and reading someone's detailed, descriptive sectioning take of a particular set can be a fun diversion (to a point). I'd probably never listen to a variations mix, but it seems like a quick, easy (and potentially illuminating) project that might be a useful alternative for the complainer types less likely to listen to several soundboards, or who are struggling to get into it and make a foothold.

NY overall is solid, but has lots of cool moments like this scuttling climax at 50:48 Someone someday should do a super mix of each set from around 12 minutes left until end, the land of the off leash discoveries.

Portsmouth is on constant loop with me, the god of smooth. Best I've heard since Krakow. So jealous of those who were there live.

I find all the sets really different once you get to know them, they all have different personalities which make the connective familiarity completely fresh. You just have to spend time with them individually, which is hard when 19 soundboards land in your lap, but I know I'll be mostly dedicating my time towards Portsmouth for the next couple days. Eventually a set feels a bit played out for now and you explore another one. I find it easiest to treat them as individual albums which are all somewhat remixes of Krakow.

Resident Advisor still haven't fixed this fail. Embarrassed for them.

*Krakow

According to RA, 19 previously unreleased autechre sets came out today including some European sets like Dublin, Brussels & Dublin... Electronic music credibility is revoke!

I've also learnt to do the 10 listen week-per-set type approach. The Portsmouth one is a nice addition, becoming obsessed with it. Also picked up NY, Chicago, Denver and Seattle. That will do me for a while, also will keep an eye on comments regarding the others. Shame that the Australian Open and "slow summer" train specials have just finished on tv. Always like to turn down the volume and crank the music in January.

I was obsessed with Fear of a Black Planet during the 1st half of October 2015. Whereas on WATMM we would fantasize over a pitch black plAEnet. "I require the solace of the shadows and the dark of the night. Sunshine is my destroyer" 3 listens of Portsmouth, nice getting to know you.

I've picked up NY, Denver, Chicago, Seattle and Portsmouth for the time being. That batch should keep me happy for a few months, dates fairly spaced out, few dates and places of personal significance, will report my findings in due course.

Portsmouth sounds so good! They are fairly affordable in total.

Great track, but if I had to pick my least favourite off elseq1, it might be this one. The other 4 are just more special to me.

Thanks Yu for this exciting new year announcement! WDA locked in for Feb, the track samples are exactly what you promised!

Honestly given that it’s only one seller I don’t find that price credible. I didn’t do any research outside discogs either - I mean, I was going to buy it either way. It’s the only time I’ve ever seen it at a brick & mortar shop. I’d believe it more if it was a used copy but this one’s sealed. I'd believe it. I've haunted Seefeel semi-regular on eBay for several years and the prices always feel rather steep, S/T aside (ch_vox especially dear for obvious reasons). The sellers clearly feel there are people out there willing to seek, bid and pay. Quique is a weird one in that I've seen the vinyl around in person as well, but online it doesn't go cheap.

That is delightful news, thanks for sharing this with some of us lucky fans here. 2019 looks a whole lot brighter already!

I wouldn't be surprised if all the reviewers received a 2 track sampler (t1a1 & all end).