The Hard-Boiled Wonderland

[Book Reviews]

Hitomi Kanehara: Autofiction

Posted by Martin  [Tags: Hitomi Kanehara]

Hitomi Kanehara is an interesting lady. As I always do when reviewing an author for the first time I make a point of reading the biography blurb at the beginning of the book to get a feel for his or her background; Kanehara’s is, to put it mildly, unconventional. Her status as a professional writer, aided by the endorsement of well-known author Ryu Murakami whose edgy and controversial works bear quite a similarity, is all the more surprising given that she dropped out of school at an early age, left home as a teenager and started her career by e-mailing drafts of her work to her father, who works as a literary translator. Add to this the fact that Autofiction is focused on a twenty-something female writer who also had a colourful early life, and you have to wonder where the inspiration for this striking novel came from.

This possiblility that the book’s title should be taken literally is dangled in front of the reader’s nose from the outset but whether it’s a clever bluff on Kanehara’s part is another matter. Either way, the character of Rin and the events of her life are a fascinating read. The first chapter picks her story up soon after her wedding, then successive chapters take up the narrative at points earlier on in her life; telling stories in reverse is nothing new of course (taken to extremes in the likes of the movie Memento) but in this case the approach serves to dig into the troubled psyche of the protagonist, peeling away layer after layer of insecurity and paranoia as it goes.

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[Guitar gear]

My guitar DIY modification project part 1: Before

Posted by Martin  [Tags: DIY projects]

I was all geared up to write another guitar review but I’m currently planning something that is hopefully interesting enough to be worth sharing. I’ve decided that the second-hand ‘98 Squier Affinity Stratocaster that has been my ‘second guitar’ (read: my backup when my main one goes out of tune/breaks) is the ideal subject for screwing up modifying to be better suited to the music I’m playing. I’m a complete novice to this sort of thing, beyond the regular changing of strings and a recent pickup switch repair to my old Ibanez (more on the latter at a later date) so I’m deliberately working on an inexpensive and mainstream instrument. Because it’s such an average ‘off the shelf’ guitar the replacement of parts will be affordable and relatively straightforward too.

This is roughly what it looks like, before the onslaught

[1 Comment]

[Music Reviews]

My Bloody Valentine live 2008: Manchester Apollo

Posted by Martin  [Tags: Live Events, My Bloody Valentine]

It’s strange to think that the last time MBV played a full live show I was in my final year of primary school; suffice to say that after sixteen years then, expectations were high but at the same time nobody was entirely sure what to expect. As it stands, we have yet to hear any new material so all that we have to comfort ourselves with is that the new record is, in the band’s own words, “three quarters finished” and that the recent performances held so far in London, Manchester and, later this week, Glasgow, are providing them with a bit of extra motivation to get it completed.

The move back into the rigours of playing live and facing their fans once again seems to be taken in a somewhat tentative fashion judging by the timid and restrained on-stage presence that helped cement the ‘shoegaze’ title that their music is supposed to be categorized under. The support act for the evening, Spectrum, proved to be a well chosen warm-up outfit for the occasion, however: their ambient post-rock atmospherics (not dissimilar to Spiritualised, a band that was spawned from Spaceman 3 as Spectrum were) set the mood perfectly; and perhaps promises a comeback for Peter Kember too. The main event of the night was of course MBV’s comeback, which proved to be quite an experience.

[3 Comments]

[DVD Reviews]

Tony Takitani (feature film)

Posted by Martin  [Tags: Haruki Murakami, Jun Ichikawa]

This post is partly inspired by Bateszi’s recent observation of how little those of us in the English-speaking world hear of drama- and realistic fiction-style Japanese cinema, and partly because a review for the movie adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s short story Tony Takitani is long overdue. The original story, by the way, is currently available in the Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman compilation of his short stories; another book on my ‘To Review’ pile.

The man of the film’s title is a graphical artist with a solitary life and an unconventional childhood. His mother died when he was born and his often-absent father is a travelling jazz musician; a man “as unsuited to being a father as Tony was to being a son,” to quote the narration, itself quoting the original text. Tony Takitani is skilled and successful professionally but despite an agreeable personality and lucrative career he is something of an introvert. This life of solitude changes when he marries a woman with a passion for clothes and understands the true meaning of loneliness.

[2 Comments]

[DVD Reviews]

Mushishi (live-action feature film)

Posted by Martin  [Tags: Katsuhiro Otomo]

After being captivated by the animated version of Yuki Urushibara’s award-winning graphic novel series I was really looking forward to seeing the Mushishi universe in live-action form; not least because it’s directed by Katsuhiro Otomo in his debut outside the realms of animation. As it turns out the results are somewhat disappointing: while it’s visually stunning only part of the Mushishi magic shone through and I can’t say with certainty that it’s something those unfamiliar with the franchise will appreciate.

The story is set in historical rural Japan, following the life of Ginko, a mushishi. Mushishi are experts in the field of mushi, primitive and supernatural life forms that cannot be categorised as animals or plants. As a mushishi Ginko is part naturalist and part witch doctor: he travels the countryside, studying how mushi live and using his knowledge to help people whose lives are affected by them.

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[Music Reviews]

Sennen: Where the Light Gets In

Posted by Martin  [Tags: Sennen]

After their debut mini-album Widows and a couple of singles, the Norwich four-piece Sennen have finally released their first full-length effort Where the Light Gets In. I won’t pretend I wasn’t looking forward to hearing how they had fared during their latest studio sessions - from their university days to playing various venues in their home town to their contract with Hungry Audio, the band had been wearing their shoegazing heart on their collective sleeve while honing their own distinctive sound.

I’ll get the lazy and somewhat unhelpful comparisons out of the way before reviewing the record proper: as the band’s name suggests, they owe much to shoegazing legends such as My Bloody Valentine and especially Ride, a fact that is evident when you consider how things like spacey, jangling guitars and wistful harmonised vocals are present in both this and the early efforts from the old dreampop scene. What matters here though is that Sennen have carved a niche for themselves so the comparisons I’m drawing here have a positive connotation: whether it will garner the same long-term acclaim as the likes of Nowhere I wouldn’t even hazard a guess, but this is still one of the best new UK guitar rock albums you are likely to hear this year.

[1 Comment]

[Music Reviews]

Muse: Black Holes and Revelations

Posted by Martin  [Tags: Muse]

I can remember a time when Muse were dismissed by many as Radiohead soundalikes; ironically at the time when the latter were moving away from the alternative rock and indie-based roots. four albums down the line, Muse seem to be following the same pattern in experimenting outside the guitar-orientated territory but in truth they have been pushing the envelope for some time now. In the case of Black Holes and Revelations the efforts of the Devon trio have crystallised into their most consistent and startling piece of work to date; crucially it still feels like a natural progression from their existing back catalogue.

The eclectic blend of alt-rock, metal, classical and electronica that has earned the band their reputation has continued to evolve, providing a backdrop for frontman Matthew Bellamy’s lyrics encompassing personal issues, politics, conspiracies and the supernatural. It’s a heady and volatile mix, which has over the years drawn criticism for being bombastic and pretentious; Muse have always kept their artistic excesses more or less in check but in this record they use this to their advantage. It’s their most ambitious and daring album so far but the gamble pays off.

[3 Comments]

[DVD Reviews]

Control (feature film)

Posted by Martin  [Tags: Anton Corbijn, Joy Division]

Anton Corbijn is a logical choice perhaps as the director for a music biopic: he has an extensive CV both as a photographer and film maker in the company of rock and pop artists, not to mention having first-hand experience with working alongside Joy Division, the earlier incarnation of the band that would later be known as New Order. His style makes an interesting transition to Control, an unavoidably gritty and ultimately tragic adaptation of Touching from a Distance, the story of Joy Division’s frontman Ian Curtis told from the point of view of his wife Deborah. It charts their first meeting as teenagers and follows Curtis’ tragically short life as a young husband and father, then vocalist of an upcoming band through to his eventual suicide from a combination of illness and personal demons; most importantly it is keen to portray Curtis the man rather than Curtis the rock icon.

[1 Comment]

[Music Reviews]

Depeche Mode: Some Great Reward

Posted by Martin  [Tags: Depeche Mode]

To date, Depeche Mode’s high water mark has always been 1990’s Violator LP but their 1984 effort, Some Great Reward, can also be considered a milestone in their career. The fact that it was recorded in partly in Berlin may have heightened the influence of electronic trendsetters Kraftwerk but the main reason why this record is, for me at least, a turning point in their back catalogue is where it hones the dark yet catchy signature sound that they are known for today. Much of the lyrical content turns away from the politics and social commentary (such as Construction Time Again’s Everything Counts) towards a stance that is more personal and introspective; this increased emotion is juxtaposed with a crisp, almost industrial synthesised sound that is very much a product of its time but somehow still feels fresh nearly a quarter of a century later.

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[Book Reviews]

Ursula Le Guin: the Earthsea Quartet

Posted by Martin  [Tags: Ursula Le Guin]

I’m a fan of fiction that deals in world-building - the creation of not just foreign lands but entire alternate worlds and universes holds so much room for the writer’s imagination. My appreciation of the likes of Pullman, Tolkein and Le Guin does not stem purely from the portrayal of fantastical environs far-removed from our own though. Such fiction often incorporates ideas and issues of our own world but in doing so presents these ideas and issues in a refreshing and different light that helps us understand them in a new and possibly more productive way. Ursula Le Guin for example has addressed topics as far-reaching as politics, organised religion, racial and gender prejudice and the balance between humanity and nature in her fictional work centred on the world of Earthsea.

The first four full-length Earthsea novels (the fourth originally intended to be the last, but more recently followed by The Other Wind) are available in paperback format as one volume, which is a convenient and appropriate way to approach the series. They are self-contained works but take place chronologically, which means reading them in such an order is, to my mind at least, strongly advised but not essential. Earthsea is clearly far-removed from planet Earth in the Twentieth Century but as with similarly themed literature, it can be read as fantasy/alternate universe or equally as an allegorical work that deals with subject matter that is universal to both the world of Earthsea and our own. For all its talk of magic, dragons and distant lands, each novel has a lot to say about human nature and how we perceive our own world, here and now.

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