nicolas jaar

adventure awaits

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“I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act.”
“I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act.”

 

the weekend is here and i am very peaceful. i have made it through an assimilation period (prolly just the 1st) with working and have branched out with a few endeavors. i agreed to do some training for an organization before i realized how much time it would entail and am having second thoughts. i have come to realize that second thoughts are natural and i’m glad to have them before a task starts.

am getting ready to head out of town and will connect with a new friend that i made there last summer. looking forward to this. starting a new recovery support and skills group. i connected with a recovery coach i know who has agreed to participate in this group and i’m now excited.

have also made a couple more steps toward starting the new not-for-profit. the most amazing aspect in all this is encountering my own fear. fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of barriers, fear of confrontation. i read a tumblr window today which said “adventure awaits- go find it” this is just where my head may need to go.

i looked up some 12 step sayings today.

“If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.”

“Happiness keeps You Sweet, Trials keep You Strong, Sorrows keep You Human, Failures keep You Humble, Success keeps You Glowing, But Only God keeps You Going!”

“The sleeper gets nothing but the dream.”

so i post nicolas jaar again today. his sense of sound, syncopation, and juxtaposition give me goose bumps every time. i also appreciate his work ethic and his sense of moving on. he certainly seems an artist. he starts something, collaborates, and moves on. i can definitely relate to this.

 

This entry was posted in 2nd stage recovery, 2nd stage sobriety, Buddhism, emotional sobriety, life on life's terms, music, recovery and tagged , , , , .

consolation

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Fear is generally a very uncomfortable feeling - Buddhists would call it therefore a form of suffering. We do not like to be afraid, but still, our fear can keep us from harm for example as it makes us hold back when we see a snake or a fast car straight in our direction. So, yes, we need to realize danger and be alert, but once we are alert, we cannot do much more than whatever we think is best in the situation. If we let our fear take over completely, we can even 'freeze' and become completely helpless. Similarly, many of us are afraid for quite irrational things, meaning things that do not really pose any threat to us. For example, fear of spiders, small enclosed spaces or large spaces. Life can become really difficult, simply because illogical projections and delusions are taking over our normal, rational mind and small things can begin to determine our whole life. In that case, we can start to talk about having a phobia.
Fear is generally a very uncomfortable feeling – Buddhists would call it therefore a form of suffering. We do not like to be afraid, but still, our fear can keep us from harm for example as it makes us hold back when we see a snake or a fast car straight in our direction. So, yes, we need to realize danger and be alert, but once we are alert, we cannot do much more than whatever we think is best in the situation.
If we let our fear take over completely, we can even ‘freeze’ and become completely helpless. Similarly, many of us are afraid for quite irrational things, meaning things that do not really pose any threat to us. For example, fear of spiders, small enclosed spaces or large spaces. Life can become really difficult, simply because illogical projections and delusions are taking over our normal, rational mind and small things can begin to determine our whole life. In that case, we can start to talk about having a phobia.

questions come and go. certainty fades from light to dark with strange rythym and tone. i know and the i don’t. and then i think i know. color is not crucial today. it’s almost winter after all. introspection has been served up for nearly a month. it’s been a fasting of sorts that has left questions strewn about just like a tsunami might toss around lawn furniture.

and in the aftermath of a hurricane, one cannot deny the loss or struggle. but one definitely needs to let go, clean what debris one can, throw out the junk that’s ruined and re-asses needs and priorities before moving on. the consolation is movin on. not because i really want to, but because i can.

This entry was posted in 2nd stage recovery, 2nd stage sobriety, Buddhism, emotional sobriety, life on life's terms, music, recovery and tagged , , .

sunday sounds

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"Jungle invades the weed grown parks where armadillos infected with the earth eating disease gambol through deserted kiosks and Bolivar in catatonic limestone liberated the area." and "The name is Clem Snide - I am a Private Ass Hole - I will take on any job any identity any body - I will do anything difficult dangerous or downright dirty for a price -" And the shock factor is non-existent. It’s 2013, you can write all you want about cocks in rectums, on every page even (as Burroughs laboriously did) and I won’t even bat an eye. "Evening touched our rectums."
“Jungle invades the weed grown parks where armadillos infected with the earth eating disease gambol through deserted kiosks and Bolivar in catatonic limestone liberated the area.””The name is Clem Snide – I am a Private Ass Hole – I will take on any job any identity any body – I will do anything difficult dangerous or downright dirty for a price -”

“Evening touched our rectums.”….. William S Burroughs “The Soft Machine”

my intention is to start a sunday posting with some exciting (to me) sounds that make up my weekend. today is another offering from “other people” with dave harrington and nico jaar helping to steer this collaboration. the mix starts out with burroughs doing one of his infamous book readings – this one inspiring the title “the soft machine”. (we human beings are the soft machine btw)

i love the music. i hope you do too!

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the right groove

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While he knocked it out of the park last year with the Dave Harrington collaboration Darkside (especially “Paper Trails” and “Golden Arrow“) Nicolas Jaar is also in another duo that’s worth your attention. Just Friends, the producer’s project with Sasha Spielberg, previously covered Leonard Cohen and now has shared the soulful and atmospheric original track “Don’t Tell Me.” You can grab the 10″ single of the song on Record Store Day, and stream it below.... stereogum..
While he knocked it out of the park last year with the Dave Harrington collaboration Darkside (especially “Paper Trails” and “Golden Arrow“) Nicolas Jaar is also in another duo that’s worth your attention. Just Friends, the producer’s project with Sasha Spielberg, previously covered Leonard Cohen and now has shared the soulful and atmospheric original track “Don’t Tell Me.” You can grab the 10″ single of the song on Record Store Day, and stream it below…. stereogum..

pop music has changed over the years and i have certainly tried to change along with it. much to my dismay, i find that there are many genres out these days that have no spiritual connection to my experience. often times dance music- or techno- seems soul-less and without a story.

this is not the case in terms of nicolas jaar. for some reason he has captured my imagination and my heart. with every release i am reminded that music is about a human story and about an experience. i find myself bopping and tapping with every recording and every play. his imaginative interweaving of new recordings, beats, samples, and live vocals promises me that the magic of performance and the intelligence of storytelling have not frozen. i feel a little more alive with each play.

here is a link to nicolas jaar and dave harrington’s online music magazine “other people”- always worth a look and a listen for me.

other people

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