I know I haven't posted any new music in awhile, so here's a little Christmas present for you. A couple of impromptu sketches I recorded recently:

Crunch Sketch (5.8mb mp3)
Sweep Sketch (1.9mb mp3)

This Saturday in Philly: HOLI-BREAK-FEST

Too much of a good thing

I'm finding that the "digital photo effect" is starting to make its way into my music and video experiences as well. What's the DPE? My ability to produce and acquire has far outstripped my ability to consume. Produce from my own digital camera. Acquire from friends, family, Flickr, etc. This has a couple of ramifications:

1. I feel behind all the time.
2. Because there is so much to consume, I don't enjoy each individual photo as much as I did when they were physical prints. I click through fast.
3. Because of 1 and 2, sometimes I don't even bother.

I have been thinking about this quite a bit recently. Especially as to how it relates to context and meaning. Music has become so easy to acquire, it is everywhere, we constantly listen to it. It has become meaningless. It is no longer something special or magical, which it once was. To this end, I have actually been doing a music "fast" the past few days, avoiding listening to music as much as possible. I find that I am actually craving it now.

Matt has asked for my feedback on his recent correspondence with the scientist Aubrey de Grey.

First of all, perhaps it's just a matter of wording, but I disagree with the idea that aging is something that you can "cure". A cure implies a disease. Aging is not a disease. It is an integral part of life. It is the passing of time. Even if this technology comes to be, those who use it will still AGE, and they will still DIE, their bodies simply won't degenerate over time.

One factor that was left unmentioned is that of wealth. These treatments and technologies will surely be expensive. And what happens when only the wealthy can afford them? Money makes money over time, and as those who can afford the treatments live longer and longer, the separation between rich and poor will widen dramatically. (This is the reason for the estate tax, so that extreme wealth doesn't accumulate within families over generations.)

Should it be stopped? This is a moot point, because if it is possible, it will happen. There is no stopping the development of technology, whether we like it or not. If there is a desire for something (and there is a HUGE desire for this), and there are the means to make it happen, it WILL happen somewhere. Ban it in one country, it will happen in another.

In the end, I don't believe that living longer (and even being healthy all the time) will necessarily improve the QUALITY of people's lives. It will always take a certain wisdom to live a happy and fulfilling life, regardless of its duration or material prosperity.

Some beautiful new paintings up at gl0tch central. Reminds me of a digital glitchy pointilist-period Chuck Close.

Bruce aka Chronkite has posted a new EP on his site. Nice stuff. Reminds me a bit of Four Tet or Daedelus.

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