title, what title?

... sonra bizim için gelecekler. Grup Yorum 25. Yıl konseri, İnönü Stadyumu'ndan Çav Bella ile bu tutuklamaları protesto ediyorum.

Two years ago I wrote a blog post about Mr. Cohen's importance to me during pivotal moments of my life ( http://actoker.blogspot.com.tr/2014/09/deciding-to-grow-up-with-leonard-cohen.html ). I read it twice over to thank the great poet, musician, Zen Buddhist priest, father, writer on the day of his death. As someone of his creed, I believe he returned to the emptiness where he came from, with the gladness of knowing having touched the lives of many lives in their troubled times. Let us hope we can share a similar faith... I recommend once again to watch the beautiful documentary "I'm Your Man" to remember the man. Here is my favorite from the documentary: If you can stand the poor sound quality, this interview about his time in the Buddhist temple and his view on depression and relations is a gem: Here are my previous post about Cohen: http://actoker.blogspot.com.tr/search/label/leonard%20cohen

Zwei Legenden  sind die letzte Woche gestorben... Ich möchte denen mit zwei Lieder huldigen. Ars Longa, Vita Brevis. Wolfgang "Wölli" Rohde 9. Januar 1950 - † 25. April 2016 Prince Rogers Nelson 7. Juni 1958 - † 21. April 2016

Malik Isaac Taylor (November 20, 1970 – March 22, 2016 Rest in peace Five Foot Assassin...

I've been interested in Nina Simone's music lately after reading this article about this interesting artist: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/03/10/fierce-courage-nina-simone/ Trained to be a classical pianist, she was refused entry to conservatory in the segregated USA. When she was making money singing the blues, she interspersed Bach and Beethoven in popular tunes. What she was really good at was being really honest about the rotten state of the country. Take this part from her song Missisipi Goddamn: Oh but this whole country is full of lies You're all gonna die and die like flies I don't trust you any more ... ... You don't have to live next to me Just give me my equality Everybody knows about Mississippi Everybody knows about Alabama Everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam Still rings true... My interest her gotten a new level after listening to her Dylan covers, which she takes to a whole different level...

Yakın zamanda ilk defa baba olacağım. Büyük bir ihtimalle ve Maradona izin verirse bir kız babası olacağım. Pınar'ın benimle paylaştığı, Robbie Willams'ın kızına yazdığı bu şarkıyı çok sevdim. Bir erkek ve bir kız ebebeyni olan Anne'ciğim ve Baba'cığım de benimle aynı duyguları paylaşır diye şarkı sözlerini çevirdim buradan da paylaşmak istedim. Öyle yabancılarla tanışacaksın ki, Hayvanat bahçesindeyim sanacaksın. Bir ikisi dışında, Hayal kırıklığı. Bazıları kızgın olacak, Bazıları acımasız, Çoğu çılgın olacak, Pek bir azı temiz.. Genç adamlarla dansa gideceksin, Masum tut danslarını, Hatta öpüşmesen de olur aslında. Zamanını kendini kahraman sanan aptallarla boşa harcama, Seni aldatacaklar, Bizim gibi gariplerden şaşma. Tüm günlerinde, tüm gecelerinde, Yanında olacağım, Tam yanında. Nazikçe yaşa hayatını, Beni yanında istersen, Bana ihtiyacın olursa, Senin için orada olacağım. Seni sevmeleri için zorlama onları, Açma tüm telefonlarını, B...

Perfect song for a rainy day: Can't get enough of that thin mercury sound: Dylan: The closest I ever got to the sound I hear in my mind was on individual bands in the Blonde on Blonde album. It's that thin, that wild mercury sound. It's metallic and bright gold, with whatever that conjures up. That's my particular sound." Rosenbaum: Was that wild mercury sound in "I Want You"? Dylan: Yeah, it was in "I Want You." It was in a lot of that stuff. It was in the album before that, too. Rosenbaum: "Highway 61 Revisited"? Dylan: Yeah. Also in "Bringing It All Back Home." That's the sound I've always heard... Source: 66 Playboy Interview (link: http://www.interferenza.com/bcs/interw/play78.htm )

It occurred to me last week that it has been 10 years since I have joined last.fm , making it the second oldest web application that I am using after gmail (11 years). In 10 years, I have listened to 94,775 songs from 4,512 different artists. That's almost 26 songs per day! Ars longa, vita brevis! Here are links to my all-time favorite tracks: http://www.last.fm/user/Realaphex/library/tracks?date_preset=ALL_TIME all-time favorite artists: http://www.last.fm/user/Realaphex/library/artists?date_preset=ALL_TIME all-time favorite albums: http://www.last.fm/user/Realaphex/library/albums?date_preset=ALL_TIME Keep-on listening...

These two songs summarize my feelings these days perfectly.

After converting to Westian religion following Yezus himself, I have had what one may call an Hip-Hop epiphany. Here is a list of old and new Hip-Hop tunes that I love, and I intend to keep up to date. A separate selection from his Highness' music will follow.  

Still my favorite Daft Punk song after all these years:

Hugh Masakela'yı ve Coal Train şarkısını şans eseri televizyonda keşfettim. Güney Afrika'nın Apartheid rejimini ayakta tutan kömür madenlerinde çalışan, sevdiklerini yaşatmak için onları bir daha görmemek için onlardan ayrılanların hikayesini anlatıyor, Jazz-Afrika ritmleri-taklit seslerin birleşimi ile. Coğrafya, zaman değişiyor, acılar değişmiyor. Aklıma karıcığımı Almaya'da özlerken seyrettiğim ailesinden ayrılmış bir Nijer'li genç bir balıkçının belgeseli sırasında karaladığım şu satırlar geldi: Ne cok ozlemisim seni! Özlemin sanki: Mağralarda yankılanan martıların uğultusu, Ve Nijer'li balıkçı çocuğun burnunda, Unutayazdığı ana baba kokusu. Sokakta yaşayan Suriye'lileri, havaya uçurulan öğrencileri, uyurken katledilen polisleri, tezkere beklerken öldürülen erleri, bebeğine kavuşamadan öldürülen astsubayı düşünürken hep şu acılı düşünce geliyor aklıma. Analara çocuklarının, çocuklara babalarının, babalara doğdukları yerlerin kokusunu unutturuyo...

I can think of one performer who cared about his audience as much as The Boss did. It's Freddie Mercury. It is amazing how much emotion Springsteen can imbue to this Post-rock anthem of Suicide.

Fuck the 00's (oughts??). 90s was the shit.

Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen - Wenn mein Schatz Hochzeit macht Yollara düşmüş bir Delikanlı'nın Şarkıları -  Sevgilim Evlendiğinde (Nikah Masası) Tatlı sevgilim evlendiğinde, Mutlu bir düğün ile gelin gittiğinde, En acı günüm olacak! Odama, küçük karanlık odama kaçıp, Sevgilime, O tatlı sevgilime ağlayacağım... Mavi çicek, solma sakın! Tatlı kuş, Söyle şarkını yeşim çimenlerde, Ne güzel bir dünya bu, Ne güzel! Ne güzel! Söylemeyin şarkınızı! Açmayın çiçeklerinizi! Sussun tüm şarkılar! Gece olsun ve uykuya dalayım bir an önce, Acımı düşünerek, Acımı... Doğumgünün kutlu olsun Mahler!

Here is a seminal proto-punk/rock band from Boston, that links Velvet Underground and Krautrock to Punk and Talking heads. I am not sure if it is unlucky that they did not do a second album or it is a blessing that their only album remains a gem, unspoilt by commercial pressures.

Today Leonard Cohen celebrates his 80. birthday. I have to thank my sister for introducing him to me and the man himself for making me an adult. I can remember clearly that rainy September evening in my Berlin apartment where I was aimlessly playing God of War on Playstation and listening to "The Songs of Love and Hate" on the side. A struck of luck meant I had the mental energy to concentrate on the lyrics of "Dress Rehearsal Rag" during one of those loading screens. It is a violent attack on the vanity of a young man (or a woman). There I was, wasting my time on a silly game, and the life outside was flowing continuously, not caring about me. I had to do something. After a trip to Amsterdam, I took the decision to give a thrust to my PhD. But this rush also had its toll on me, I was very very anxious about where to start and how to go ahead. Fortunately, Cohen came to my help again. In the 2006 Berlinale I had the luck to attend the premiere of "I...

I've been fascinated by the Zen belief that most important decisions are to be made within 7 breaths. Of course this rich historical Philosophy is not urging us to rush our decisions. Rather, what it contends is that our first reaction to important decisions, which happen in 7 breaths, are usually the ones that we make and spend the rest of our long decision process for convincing ourselves of. This is not some magic happening in our brains, or attributing some metaphysical importance to our instincts. The decision that we make in the first seven breaths are actually the manifestation of our long time thoughts that have been "boiling" for a long time.  What I have experienced in the last few years is that songs or everything related to songs are excellent facilitators of becoming aware of such decisions that we have made but not were aware of. When I think of few important decisions I've taken in the last few years are all associated with a song that made everything...

  The legendary radio producer, record collector and promoter of modern music John Peel loved Northern Irish Punk Band Undertones anthem-of-a-song Teenage Kicks (link to the video: http://youtu.be/wAtUw6lxcis ) so much that he had it inscribed on his tombstone. I really do not know or care if I want a tombstone, but if I do, this song should be on it: Seriously, there is hardly any other song that fills my veins with so much pure elan.