Daily Archives: August 24, 2021

Another day of writing lay ahead of Lawrence, the King Ghostwriter of Blurbs. He spilled the cereal into the glass bowl. He poured the milk. He made the coffee. He fed Geraldina, the elderly French Bulldog. He noticed a text from his friend at the publishing house.

"Need 15 blurbs by noon!"

"Well, shit," said King to the lavender walls.

He splashed some water on his unshaven face, then sat down and let the hyperbole stream forth.

"This collection is jaw-dropping. I picked my jaw up, drove myself to the hospital, and kept reading while I sat in the waiting room, holding my jaw in place."

"An epic novel. So goddamn epic that you might injure your ego reading it."

"A spellbinding, earth-shattering, soul-shaking thrill ride to the edge of sanity."

"Almost as satisfying as a pastrami sandwich."

"A kaleidoscopic wallop of word-spells."

"Peculiarly trance-inducing. As if written by a seagull on a cruise ship at dawn."

"A decent way to spend a few hours after dinner."

"Tender yet ruthless. Sidesplitting yet serious."

"A novel that contains something for everyone, but not quite enough for me."

"A fantastically baroque journey to the center of the psyche."

"Good enough for most."

"A harrowing read, full of hoots, gasps and claptrap."

"A desultory swim in the swamp of disillusionment."

"A high-wire act full of wit, devastation, levitation and annihilation."

"A ferocious yawn."

The King Ghostwriter of Blurbs pressed send on the email. Phew. Another day's worth of extreme wordsmithery to his friend at the publishing house to help keep the lights on.

Next, the King Ghostwriter of Blurbs took a shower and got to work writing his unending life's work. A single sentence whose word count now eclipsed one million. One day he would have to submit this to his friend for the edit of all edits. Maybe his friend would reply, "Good enough." Or maybe he'd die before sending the document at all. Maybe he would print it out and leave it all in a drawer for dramatic effect.

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The King Ghostwriter of Blurbs - Splice Today

This is a big moment forAbove & Beyondfans as the trance titan trioAbove & Beyondare not only releasing a new single again, but its with long time Oceanlabcollaborator Justine Suissa, titledAlmost Homereleased via Anjunabeats.

Certainly an emotional release for both the artists and fans alike, Almost Home is set to be one of the most special releases of this year, and it also coincides with their massive upcoming ABGT450 event in London this September. Releasing their first track together in over four years, the artists come together once again at last. Creating a sense of unity and power within this track, it has come just at the right time, and also happens to be Above & Beyonds first club track of 2021 starting it off with a high.

We all know that Above & Beyond and Justine Suissa are an epic pairing, but this is further proven with Almost Home. Punching synths carry Justines unique power-driven vocals forward, creating a strong foundation to build upon. Uplifting and energetic yet filled with passion and emotion at the same time, this is the beauty of an Above & Beyond and Justine Suissa collaboration, and this rare feeling that drips from the track cannot be found anywhere else or be replicated. Also, in true Above & Beyond fashion, a Club Mix version of the track has been released alongside it, giving avid listeners different versions to excitingly explore.

This is a track that we originally wrote with Justine some years ago. Like many musicians during the lockdown, we buried ourselves in the studio and had plenty of time to pick through old ideas. Almost Home, with its 80s production influences, caught our ear. We sent it across to Justine again, and she rewrote the second verse to reflect her feelings on it today we wont tell you what its about though, well leave that for you to decide. This track started in quite a different form, so weve also done a Club Mix to bring it a bit more up-to-date. Its quite emotional to think that well be able to play this one live for you all very soon. Take care for now! Above & Beyond

Almost Home is out now, and you can stream it below.

Image Credit: Above & Beyond (via Facebook)

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Above & Beyond return with stunning new track 'Almost Home' - We Rave You

KATHMANDU, AUGUST 23

The origin of Gai Jatra, or the 'Holy Cow Festival', is traced back to the period of King Pratap Malla (1624 to 1674 A.D.) of Kathmandu. To this day, the Newah community of the Kathmandu Valley and other Newah settlements celebrate the festival in memory of the deceased family member.

In Thecho, a Newah settlement of the valley, a typical dance known as Jogi Pyakhan, or the 'Hermit Dance', accompanies the Gai Jatra procession.

A group of 11 barefoot males in exceptional attire exits the narrow entrance of one of the houses on a busy lane of Thecho. One of them is dressed in a yellow wrap and carries a Kalash, or 'sacred water vessel'.

The fake matted and braided dreadlocks on his head and a fake cobra curled around the neck depict him as Lord Shiva.

The remaining men wear caps and shirts which are yellow or maroon coloured.

Clad in a Rudraksha Mala, or 'blueberry prayer beads' around the neck, each of them holds a yellow sheet of paper with lyrical verses printed on them. The lyrics is meant to inform the heavenly god about the name of the deceased person, the day, month and year of the passing and also the names of the entire family members who are left behind.

Some stanzas describe the last wish of the departed to see the family living together.

On the street, the group assembles in a circle with the Shiva look-alike in the centre.

Some hold a Jhyali, a traditional folk percussion instrument, while others the Rudraksha Mala. A few members outside the group play the Khairani, another percussion instrument.

The beating of the Jhyali and Khairani together conveys the message of death to the heavenly god. Slowly the rhythm makes the dancers move in rounds, later turning them into a trance. The audience lines up to shower them with money and rice grains into the cloth pouches. The dancers stop at 11 different places for the act, each of which lasts for 10 to 15 minutes.

The Jogi Pyakhan is believed to have started by a group of Newah enthusiasts called Dapha Khala in Thecho. Jit Govinda Maharjan, Kajee or the 'team leader' of the group, the Nhyecchen Dapha Khala explains, "It is difficult to manage the group these days for lack of finances and the busy schedule of the participants."

So only a couple of dances take to the streets during Gai Jatra these days. The Dapha Khala trains the dancers belonging to its own group or other interested persons of the same locality to prepare for the day at the request of the family. Involvement of young members of the community in the act shows their eagerness to carry the cultural heritage forward.

A version of this article appears in the print on August 24 2021, of The Himalayan Times.

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Jogi Pyakhan, the hermit dance - The Himalayan Times

If youre familiar with underground electronic dance culture, youll know that dancing to electronic music has been among the most fun and exciting forms of DJ entertainment worldwide. For some people, the rave is simply an annual occasion, something that takes place outdoors, usually in public places like the central parks and malls. Other people see it as a lifestyle, an art form, and they tend to take part in parties every week or month. If you think about it from this perspective, you might realize that the rave scene is really more similar to a community or a culture than it is to a type of music. Its a party where everyone is accepted.

So, what makes a good party? Is there a secret code or a set routine that a DJ should follow when he is dancing to electronic music? Some people think that the answer to this question is that there isnt one. What you should do when you are at a rave is follow your heart and your gut when you are downing drinks with friends. Youll probably end up having a blast.

One of the best things about dancing to electronic music at a rave is that you dont have to follow a set routine. For example, its perfectly acceptable for one dj to start the evening with a drum solo and then take a break for a few minutes so that another DJ can freshen up. In fact, its a common sight for two or three DJs to switch back and forth between sets of continuous drum beats. They dont ever stop and go.

The best thing about dancing to electronic dance music at a rave is that the DJ knows every song inside out. He knows how to transition from one song to the next. He knows how to mix a song according to the audiences rhythm. This makes dancing to electronic music at a rave all the more fun because you have such a good time exploring each song. Most importantly, dancing to rave music just feels good.

Another reason why dancing to electronic music at a rave is fun is that the DJ is the master of ceremonies. Unlike a rock band, a DJ has no microphones, backup musicians, or synthesizers to make his music. He uses his knowledge of what the crowd wants and brings it to them. The crowd no longer has to sit there and take a chance with a DJ. Instead, with dancing to rave music, you have your groove on and can let loose with your own energy.

When dancing to electronic music at a rave, its important to get your feet moving. Theres nothing worse than standing in one place while someone else is spinning a beat. The energy level among the crowd can be dramatically increased by a lively DJ. A professional is always knows when to throw in some dance music to keep the party going.

One of the best things about dancing to electronic music at a rave is that you dont have to go to a club. You can go online, check out a couple videos, and start dancing the night away. Its that easy. A good DJ knows what hes doing and has an arsenal of songs to choose from. You can even dance to hip hop, pop, and trance without leaving home.

Dancing to rave music at a party can be as spontaneous as you want it to be. You can go online and find a list of music thats perfect for dancing. Then contact a local DJ to get the baddest new songs on the radio. Or get your hands on some dancing craze CDs and head to a local club. No matter where you choose to dance, dancing to electronic music in the right atmosphere is the best kind of dancing there is.

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What Makes Dancing To Electronic Music So Fun And Exciting? - One EDM

In the modest, uplifting drama "Confetti,"Amy Irving provides compassion and support as Helen, a writer in New York City who helps Chinese immigrant Lan (Zhu Zhu) and her gifted but dyslexic daughter Meimei (Harmonie He) find a proper education. Helen is initially reluctant about this arrangement, but she soon comes to appreciate the sacrifices Lan is making for her daughter.

Irving is radiant on screen, playing an elegant woman who has suffered a terrible loss herself. Helen is confined to a wheelchair. She reflects on her own setbacks as she assists Lan and Meimei with their struggles, caring for them in as much as they care for her.

As she does in her best performances think Izzy Grossman, in "Crossing Delancey" Irving projects an intelligence that engenders trust. The actress can express all her emotions in just a simple sigh or piercing glance (as when Meimei slurps at the table in "Confetti.") The film develops themes of shame and trust, but also selflessness. Helen becomes as a fierce an advocate for Lan and Meimei as they combat dyslexia.

The actress spoke with Salon about "Confetti," singing, reading, dyslexia, and stage fright.

"Everyone has a story," Helen says in a recording she makes advocating for Lan and Meimei. So, can I ask, what is Helen's story?

She was in a terrible car accident with her son; that's why she's in a wheelchair. She kind of shuts down and has a very limited life because of that. Her world fell apart. She lives in darkness and negativity and what happens through having this family from China enter her world, helps her get out of her writing world, and back into life. The writing was therapeutic for her, and it was a good excuse for her not get back into the world.

"Confetti" has you playing a writer, which makes me think of your role in "Crossing Delancey," which also had a literary bent. I am very curious about what books you read.

I'm reading this amazing book that James Lapine wrote, "Putting It Together." It's so wonderful. I have to say, "Sunday in the Park with George" is the most brilliant musical ever written. It's my husband's and my favorite. We even have a gigantic poster of it that James gave us in our house. We are such big fans. I almost didn't get on this phone call because I was just turning pages reading this book. It's so delicious. Very delicious. That's what I'm reading at the moment. I am more of a novel reader. I finished all of the Patrick Melrose novels. I read sometime in French. Or try to. I've been taking French lessons. I don't understand it when people speak to me, though. Something shuts off.

I heard if you can play music, you can speak a foreign language.

I am very musical. I've been doing more music than acting lately because my son Gabriel has been managing a group called Goolis, and they asked if I'd sing some songs with them, and we ended up doing an album together. Ten songs from my life that he did new arrangements on. I sang with the band. It was a very cool experience it was a little terrifying, but also just wonderful. Just before COVID hit, we played a few bars downtown, and we were getting ready to launch, but then had to shut down. We set up a studio in the house and my husband and I play every day and I sing every day. I sang in "Honeysuckle Rose" with Willie Nelson. I am trying to get past my incredible stage fright, which I've always had, but to sing is even more frightening. I am trying to [perform] so when it's time to launch this album, I'll be able to get up and actually do a show.

Try karaoke!

Karaoke scared me too!

"Confetti" is also about disability. Helen is in a wheelchair; Meimei struggles with dyslexia. What are your thoughts on how the film presents its issues of disability?

Ann Hu wrote and directed this based on her own story. I don't think she wants to make a Public Service Announcement. She wanted to make an entertaining film, and I think she accomplished that. It's an important subject to be illuminated and she was the person to do it. My husband has dyslexia. I am very aware of how it affects your life. What is interesting for him was that he didn't know he had it; he never got diagnosed. He was just challenged in ways like reading that he learned to muscle through and got to the other side of it. It was only 10 years ago he was diagnosed. And he thought, "Now I get why I've had to work that much harder, and why I go left when I should go right." It helps to recognize it and not take it on as a deep insecurity and shame as many people do.

"Confetti" addresses issues of shame. I was particularly struck by a revealing scene where Lan talks about feeling like an imposter. Helen projects a certain confidence, and steeliness, which is invigorating,

I think Lan had plenty of steeliness! I love the device of glasses the fact that she looked like she could read and wasn't illiterate. It is so important that we accept all of our flaws and accept ourselves. Meimei turned her dyslexia into something beautiful in what she was able to create.

Why do you think Helen advocates for Lan and Meimei? The film wisely lets the audience connect the dots. What are your thoughts on her life and backstory?

Ann and I decided you don't get to know everything. [Helen] has retreated from life before Lan and Meimei turn up in her life. Her taking them on helps bring her out of her darkness.

Did you ever see "Shadow Magic"? The reason I did this film was because of "Shadow Magic," a period piece about bringing film to China, starring Jared Harris. The way Ann was able to depict what film is, and Jared's character is trying to explain it in China, was so beautiful. She did something extraordinary in that film. If anyone is going to able to help understand what dyslexia is, and go into the mind and the visuals, she would be able to do it.

"Confetti" is very much about selflessness. What are your thoughts about Lan's sacrifices for her daughter? She is a champion for her daughter.

I don't think of a mother helping her kid as a sacrifice. It's just part of the job. Isn't it? I worked a lot less because I was raising kids and wanted to be a mother more than anything else. But I don't think of that as a sacrifice. I had children, and made that choice, so that's what I'm going to do. Lan has a purpose. I think it enriches your life more. The challenges she took on and the fight she took on, and the people she met because of it. The world gets richer. She's out there doing it. I like your word "champion" better than sacrifice. She never sways from her goal. I love the way Zhu Zhu played Lan. She is a very thoughtful actor. I loved watching her process, and what she took in, and how she thought things through. I have no idea what the director was saying to her. It was always in Chinese. I was totally left out whenever they were talking.

Your career has been defined by some iconic roles, from Sue Snell in "Carrie," Hadass in "Yentl," to the aforementioned "Crossing Delancey," and even "Bossa Nova." I always want to see more of you because you so often project sophistication, intelligence, and no-nonsense in your roles. What decisions have you made and the roles you've taken?

You never know going into something how it is going to hit, or how it's going to be. I take it one day at a time. Something comes across your desk and you think, "I never thought I wanted to play that." But I've never done it, so that's much more fun. When I was offered "Yentl," I turned it down. I thought: another sweet young thing, I was doing "Amadeus" on Broadway, and I loved being back on the stage. Then Barbra wooed me, and I am very glad she did. It would have been really stupid to turn that role down, and it turned out to be a much more interesting role than I thought it was. I did have an amazing experience on that film.

Martha Clarke asked me to do a production of "Chri" in New York on the stage, and it was a piece with two world-class dancers, one world-class pianist, and one actor. It was the story of Chri done through dance, and the actor was telling the story in character while Alessandra Ferri one of the most beautiful dancers on earth and Herman Cornejo, the lead actor of the American Ballet Theatre, were doing this amazing work. I just got to stand on the side of the stage and watch this beauty happening. That's why I wanted to do that. It wasn't about needing to be seen, or to do this role. I wanted to be a part of this world. It was a new world for me, the dance world.

The same things when I went and did "A Little Night Music." Isaac Mizrahi directed me and Ron Raines at the St. Louis Opera House. I was singing with opera singers and there was a 60-piece orchestra, the St. Louis symphony orchestra. It was mind-blowing, the experience. It wasn't what I thought I'd be doing when Isaac offered it to me. Again, I have terrible stage fright, so it was the most terrifying thing I've ever done. I had to see a behavioral therapist who had to put me in trance and say, "And now the orchestra is tuning up . . ." My heart starts to beat, and he tries to help me calm my heart. To act with opera singers you don't go out saying, "Oh, this is what I want to do next." It was whatever came up for me. That it sounded like I was going to learn something or have a new experience.

Yes, I always want to see more of you.

I just did a film called "A Mouthful of Air." Amy Koppelman wrote the book. She had done a film of one of her books called "I Smile Back" with Sarah Silverman. And she decided she wanted to direct this one herself. It is her first time directing. I had the opportunity to help someone like her, a novelist, bring her work to life. It wasn't a role I needed to play. Amanda Seyfried stars in it. I loved Amy's energy, and who she was, and we became friends. The experience on the set it was fun being there for her and holding her hand through it. She did a wonderful job but had to cut a bunch of me out. [Laughs] But I loved doing it. That's the kind of thing that makes me happy. Being in a good playground.

"Confetti" is in theaters as of Aug. 20.

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Amy Irving on her new film "Confetti," stage fright and the big role she almost turned down - Salon