Dark Night of the Soul

It's good to be back, despite hardly anyone come and hardly anything to attract attention.

Every year of this moment we wish for a brand new and great year, just not sure whether it will be another this year.

When I was listening to Dark Night of the Soul last year, I was so shocked that the masterpiece couldn't even been published. Now I am holding the record on hand, but the great mind is gone.

Wish you are happier there, with that horse, Mark...

Falling Down

A dying scream makes no sound
Calling out to all that I’ve ever known
Here am I, lost and found
Calling out to all
We live a dying dream
If you know what I mean
And all that I’ve ever known
It’s all that I’ve ever known

Catch the wheel that breaks the butterfly
I cried the rain that fills the ocean wide
I tried to talk with God to no avail
I called him up in and out of nowhere
I Said if you won’t save me, please don’t waste my time…

No sure whether I will like this song at all, if it’s not coming as the mysterious Japanese anime東のエデン’s OP. Not a fun of Oasis, but this one rocks.

Blogspot can’t be viewed domestically again from last month...WTF...There is nothing to hide, only fears…

Pet Shop Boys, Yes, Etc.

Band：Pet Shop Boys
Album：《Yes》
Label：Parlophone / EMI
Date：23/03/09 (UK) / 21/04/09 (US)

我们需要立刻摒弃主流媒体铺天盖地的观点：《Yes》的发行是宠物店男孩找回昔日风采的惊艳回归。告诉我他们什么时候不中用了，我也会立刻告诉你，你是个大骗子！ -- The Independent

宠物店男孩并不需要一个终身成就奖，或一张新专辑，甚至是时髦的派头和过人的聪慧来向世人展示他们有史以来最棒流行乐队俱乐部的会员卡。但是对于每一个经常光顾宠物店的顾客，《Yes》都是一份出色的辩白，一份多年来最好的礼物。 -- BBC Music

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2009年2月18日，当Neil Tennant和Chris Lowe站在位于伦敦西区Earls Court的舞台上领取英国最权威的的奖项The BRITS Awards所颁发的音乐杰出贡献奖时，不知这两个已在乐坛打拼近30载的老将作何感想？是翻看一下功绩薄细数自己已数不清的唱片销量和排行榜金曲后就此功成身退，还是抬头遥望不远处的国王大街(King’s Road)，那个当年两人缘分开始的地方然后头也不回继续前行？

一个月后，宠物店男孩(Pet Shop Boys)的第10张录音室专辑《Yes》在英国发行，这就是老男孩们的答案。从第一张的《Please》开始，他们的专辑就以一个英文单词命名，这个良好传统一直延续到现在。“是”，简简单单的一声吼，是对过往辉煌满足的自我肯定，也是对现在与未来更具信心的自我宣言。也对，从86年起全球唱片5千多万的销量加上22首英国排行榜前十金曲，人家有闲庭信步的本钱。

《Yes》以主打单曲《Love Etc.》开篇。在如今经济危机人人自危的大环境下，Tennant用那仿佛永远25岁的歌声告诉我们生活不是只有权力和金钱，我们最需要的，其实是爱。 《Did You See Me Coming?》由灵巧的吉他和轻快的舞曲节拍引入，一首秉承一贯极简复杂化的阳光流行曲，身体和大脑的有氧运动看来要同步进行。专辑后半部分的《King Of Room》《Legacy》亦或氛围亦或弦乐化，其犹如暮年将近的迷惑感有别于整体积极乐观的基调，也许我们应该把它归结于老男孩们人过半百的自省吧？

《Yes》继续秉承着Pet Shop Boys一贯的流行艺术，“真诚而主观，浅显而真实，轻松而企盼，刺激而新潮......”

Best Beef Noodles

The lost chopshop in Wuhan is found, as well as the irresistible taste from the best beef noodles...

Macau

清明时节，呼吸着饱含水分的粘稠空气，努力睁开仍旧迷蒙的双眼，便挤上了开往拱北的大巴。

虽然计划总赶不上变化，但出行前的功课总是要做的，至少，心里踏实。不过这一次完全是无组织无计划之行，我唯一的努力还是临行前于6点25分之后五分钟之内边穿衣服边吃面包喝牛奶之下完成的。成果是：议事堂前地某间Starbucks楼上的“边度有书”和“边度有音乐”，加上每日限量版意大利来记猪扒包。已经习惯了每到一地便搜寻当地的独立书店和唱片店，这一次也是小有收获。没有计划意味着一切都是未知的，到处都是惊喜，对于严格紧绷规划好的神经，倒也是绝佳的休闲。

到澳门，除了名胜古迹，享受澳门小吃和赌场小试身手当然是必修课。人挤人的大三巴牌坊没有想象中的壮观，倒是午夜寂静的渔人码头更让人留恋。微弱但温暖的灯光在潮湿的空气中是模糊的，就像透过万花筒看到的世界般迷蒙。小羡慕一下某同学的胃口，猪肉干猪扒包胡椒饼黄金饼咸酥鸡牛杂珍珠奶茶之辈照单收下，可怜的第一包猪肉干甚至没有盼到第二天的太阳；再小羡慕一下某同学在金沙的神勇，上好的人品加上该出手时就出手的果断，澳门行的所有花费赌场就这么给她报销了。至于我嘛，借了点运气之下小赌怡情，算是收支平衡，唯一的overhead就是4个小时的宝贵时间了。

要不是瞪大眼睛去找“边度有音乐”，是很容易错过它的；狭小的楼梯入口和十分不起眼的招牌和一墙之隔Starbucks的张扬形成鲜明的对比。之前英国的独立唱片店去过不少，和许多昏暗拥挤略带沧桑感的后街唱片店比起来，“边度有音乐”就像一个20岁的年轻女孩，拥有白皙光滑的肌肤和淡雅的清新。眼前，是窗外无比喧闹的街道；耳边，是德日女子暖电组合Rist专辑《Weekend》里声声入耳的温柔；身旁，是在地上撒娇的淘气铃铛猫咪。那一刻，心里无比的清凉，平静。最后入手No.9的2008年新专《Usual Revolution And Nine》并顺手抄走Flica的宣传leaflet (见上图啦)。被太多暖电CD诱惑，没把《Weekend》带走，残念啊。。。

Pin-to is the Musica?

Placebo - Battle For The Sun [Single]

http://www.placeboworld.co.uk/

Brain Molko终于要回来了。在原鼓手Steven Hewitt离队而沉寂3年之后，新专辑《Battle For The Sun》计划在6月8日发行。新成员的加入会改变Placebo风格的想法是多余的。Battle For The Sun，这首点题的最新单曲被乐队放在官网免费下载，一上午我已狂听10多遍，可以说中度中毒。当今摇滚乐坛绝对的妖艳派领军人物Brain,10多年来那副中性迷人的嗓音魅力丝毫不减，倒好像是陈年老酒越来越来有味道。新曲以间歇式的吉他和层层递进的鼓声开始，进入高潮之后新引进的钢琴和弦乐元素和Brain的歌声相辉映，绚丽得耀眼。安慰剂带来的竟是又一次的快感。阿里巴巴变，新专辑快出现...

Sleeve Design Lately

Amazing images hypnotise the eyes...

No Turning Back

Gui Boratto - Take My Breath Away (Kompakt 2009)

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I’m not a huge fan of minimal techno and know nothing more than just few artists or record labels. But still The Field from Sweden and Brazilian Gui Boratto, both of German techno holy heaven Kompakt, are those names make the ticks. If digging back the year end highlights of 2007, I’m very confident you will come across those two names frequently among various music media, like Pitchfork and my rewind of course XD…《Form Here We Go Sublime》and 《Chromophobia》, from the artists respectively, were simply impressive melodic minimal techno epics. The wait isn’t long, because you can embrace Gui Boratto’s brand new effort at March 23rd 2009, or even earlier than that. I have to say 《Take My Breath Away》is another great effort, at least as good as the last one. Interestingly I do like its non-techno moment better, where (surprisingly) New Order style guitar prevails (though within seconds) and more indie electronic or IDM moments occur. Then needless to say the best piece is the only vocal track No Turning Back accompanied with that unselfconscious and comforting voice. It’s been around my headphone for days, and it gets you into ecstasy (Same thing happened to Gui’s 2007 album’s only vocal track Beautiful Life as well).

...They can say there was one different world which you just don’t understand...

...I can show you the way but I know that you’ll never be there…
...All the time all the sigh on your eyes I’ll never forget…
...All I know there’s not time there’s not life there is no turning back…

Take my breath away, coz there’s no turning back, at the age of 25 Orz …^^...