TRAVEL DIARY

A weblog regularly updated by Jodi Rose.

  

VIEWING ALL POSTS FOR: OCTOBER 2004

Thursday, October 28, 2004

9:29 PM
Posted by jodi rose

woke up to birdsong and trees in bronte, had a gorgeous morning. swimming in the ocean pool, high tide white frothy waves breaking over the edge -my favourite thing in the world.

The full moon eclipse this afternoon definitely sent waves of positive happy vibrations wafting across the ether, and Julaine took me out for lunch to the new french cafe on broadway. Incredible pistachio creme brulee.... hmmm dangerous.
working on dance activism manifesto with sophea, oh and serious project production too for particle wave - but the dance manifesto is way fun.
and peculiarly apt discussion on 'the deep end' right now, about why aussie men don't dance. fear of looking like a fool, there being no goal or objective to dancing a couple of the suggested reasons. but people who do folk dancing as kids seem less inhibited - gideon drew comparison between people at raves dancing for hours and greek or israeli folk dances that go for hours - and of course sufi whirling dervishes, where you reach an altered state of mind and completely strip away inhibitions. (most of them without drugs).
Reading a book Vera lent me this morning, on the balcony at bronte - god I miss that place. It makes me so sad that sydney is all about having money now, and people who are just living can't afford to live in the spectactularly beautiful parts of the city. Anyway, it was written by a Sufi and talks about the mysticism of sound, vibrations and matter, all those lush juicy ideas that spark some kind of shivery resonance in me. Made the rest of the day much easier and smoother, having that calm ocean and focus at the beginning. Cute spanish lady chatting with me in the pool, and very fit blonde woman in change room - I like how people are friendly and open around the water - it's not all glam cafes and beautiful people.
Still surfing that king tide of melancholy, working to shake off the black dog, guess can't escape the end of project blues. Even by throwing oneself into another 6 huge ventures. Alright, serious grant writing to do now, wish me luck. or send money. whichever...

Monday, October 25, 2004

1:02 PM
Posted by jodi rose

Severin Bridge, Cologne (Photo by Jacob Kirkegaard)

Report:
Secret mission by international operative in Cologne...
Bridge recording and photos accomplished!
It's weird listening to sounds that I didn't record myself, and not having the memory of where they were from on the bridge, and what it was like there.

Excellent practice for not 'seeing around the edge of the frame'. Reading Walter Murch on film editing - 'in the blink of an eye' - oddly enough based largely on a lecture he gave at Spectrum films in the late 80's, which I attended. Talks about having to delete all the surplus information that you (as the director) have about everything that was going on to get a particular shot (or in this case; sound) for a film, and work only with what is actually there. Because that is all an audience will see, or hear. It's a process I'm attempting to undertake with the compositions, to hear them purely as sonic objects in themselves (the musique concrete, pierre schaeffer idea) and not keep referring back to how I felt when making the recording, or what I missed out on, or being self-conscious about all the glitches and noise. Hear purely through the sound, what works and what doesn't, in the context of that piece of audio and its relationship to the larger project.
He was very inspiring, and great to read those ideas again - one that had stayed with me all this time was when he talked about making the soundtrack for Apocalypse Now. Said, people were impressed by it having 100 or 200 tracks, but ideally, the ultimate goal of a sound designer was to use the fewest tracks possible, and do the most with least.
That what you are aiming for is to access the imagination of the audience, and 'excite emotions hidden in their hearts'... and 'produce the greatest effect on the viewers (or listeners) mind with the least no of things on screen or sound'.... that 'past a certain point of detail and exposition, you encourage the audience to become spectators not participants' and we want people to be so engaged that they actually create their own soundtrack, that adds to the one they are hearing from your efforts.

Saturday, October 23, 2004

9:00 AM
Posted by jodi rose

well, that was a dark and stormy moment.
today the sun is shining, the ball is rolling with new projects in helsinki, and my mum is visiting. so it's all good.
last night went to a concert by Mark Trevorrow at the City Recital Hall - a lovely cabaret evening - or jazzaret as mark said - and ran into people from varying strata of the past.
Got there early and had a moment sitting in Martin place, thinking about how far I've come from those one.tel days - yes, I'm not ashamed to admit the dodgy telecommunications co in my past - and there was Frederique at the show, fabulous as ever, back from stints at the offices in europe and searching for meaning in life..... we're going to workshop it over cocktails soon! Of course the delightful Sole drank champagne and looked after me, Ben away in Adelaide doing a gig for the night, Margaret and Bill and Dan and Monique all there.
Walking down Abercrombie St one afternoon this week, I heard a girl on her mobile saying "well, I live in the ghetto, you know'.
Thought HA! see, it really is a ghetto, and then - actually, it's not really that bad. A very gentrified ghetto this days.
Life isn't so bad really, need an attitude adjustment every so often. Also getting some work done, finally, makes a difference to state of mind - was just writing to-do lists and keeping up with emails for a while there, but seem to have broken through to a new level of productivity.
Wander along King St earlier in the week helped - ran into a family friend, Jeanne and had coffee at campos - I love that about Sydney, all these people just pop up here and there. Found a gorgeous book 'Lapland Journey' written in 1938 in that old-style adventure travel manner, that is assuaging my longing for Finland. For the time being, anyway.

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

11:39 AM
Posted by jodi rose

Drifty, dreamy, floaty headspace. I'm tired of always having lists of things to do, working until late every night, and being so dislocated from my surroundings.
It's a really strange feeling, having this vivid sense of disconnectedness - which in itself is usually the antithesis of intensity, but at the moment is the only sensation amongst the numbness. It's been going on for days now, maybe weeks, slowly sinking deeper into chronic melancholy, settled around me like the hazy morning mist that just won't clear. Still functioning, at most levels, but there's something vital missing. A sense of joy maybe, or connection in day-to-day life. Most of the emotional life I have is going on somewhere in the ether - its been nearly 2 days since checking my email, and I'm suffering anxiety and withdrawal pangs which is bizarre and unhealthy, but kind of interesting.
Probably shouldn't be writing all this, on the eve of a publicity blitz for the radio program and if I ever get over this great wall of resistance, the CD's.
It could so easily be taken out of context, and read as instability, or whatever - but hey, playing the mad artist card today, alone in the fog sending out flares to anyone listening. beep beep beep says Jacob.
(still listening to the same CD, its been a marathon epic rave this morning)
And, you know that's the reality of life in this world, your circumstances and level of external success or recognition may change (or not) for the better (or worse) but inside is still exactly the same mind and emotions and experiences that you've always carried with you. (the fabulous intellectual guru Justin would say at this point that the more success you have, the bigger the plaque on the office door, the more of a hollow fraud you will feel.) Maybe you can refine some responses, learn to shift perspective, or overcome fears and self-doubt, but nothing really seems to make a lasting dent in who you are - guess I'm confessing to a belief in an 'essential self' who is present throughout your life. Hoping not to be reincarnated, if such a thing exists, I'm so existentially exhausted that this had better be the last ride.
Ok, new CD: ~scape compilation, my preferred german label for electronica hope they release mine!
Pip reminded me today, that we're both 'lucky' we live in this amazing country with incredible opportunity that we basically take for granted, (Lisa would say here, unless you're indigenous and living in absolute poverty in Bourke, or down the road from us on the block, with no access to the kind of cultural, employment and social opportunities white people have) and moan about stuff that really doesn't matter. Her head is in Kabul, she's going back there next year after working for 3 months earlier this year on women's rights and equality - another hard road to tread. We've discussed all those questions too - who do these people think they are, going into another country and telling them, well this is the way you should run it, and do things, and democracy works like this for us.... hmmm, does it?
There's a photo going round the email circuit, about people who voted liberal - I'll try to find it and attach here. No-one you speak to seems to know anyone who did, but maybe that's just a reflection of the left-wing bohemian ghetto circles I travel in.

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

11:16 AM
Posted by jodi rose

It's so delicious coming home from a walk in the rain to snuggle into favourite red/black mohair comfort jumper and work from home.
Listening to Jacob Kirkegaard CD 01-02 released by Bottrop Boy - gorgeous delicate minimal layers of subtle sound texture. perfect for dreaming away a rainy morning.
Sydney has this incredible spring rain, it's not like the melbourne drizzle, but comes down thick and juicy and really really wet. The few metres between our kitchen door and my studio was enough to make me wish I'd brought an umbrella out. And it goes on for days and days, this tropical lush downfall, forming black rivers snaking along the concrete. Sadly not much use to anyone, which is a shame when the city apparently has only 90 days of water supply left. Hmmm, alternate methods, recycling, collecting rainwater in urban areas for gardens, washing etc?
Oh no, Sydney water plans to drill deeper and siphon off 'excess' from other places - great longterm solution guys. Reading the paper this morning at Campos coffee - missenden road, went there with Dad a few weeks ago after the laughing in the park - very cosy, dark wood, jazz always playing, coffee smooth and creamy and rich. Completely olde-worlde, I heard the waitress this morning telling a girl using her palm pilot that Laptops weren't allowed - it's a fine line, she said, this isn't really a laptop, but people stay in here for hours on them. I kinda like that - the anti-technology; my notebook and pen didn't attract any untoward response although I could also have been there for hours writing.
Anyway, the ex-head of Sydney water is quoted in the paper today saying that it's against that companies business interests to encourage recycling or alternate methods of collecting water, as there goal is to make people consume more and pay them for it. I find that extraordinary, that businesses can be so short-sighted and self-interested and completely work against the interests of long-term sustainability, environmental concerns and encourage waste and over-use of natural resources. Although it happens all the time, so why should it surprise me today?
Someone in melbourne invented a really cool water tank in the form of a fence, so that inner city terrace houses that don't have room for a large water tank could install them - that kind of thing needs to be standard practice. But no, it's like alternate fuel, we must use oil because it makes so much profit....
Ahh well, guess it's back to bridges for me. The esoteric abstract doesn't let you down like that..... (wry smile)
Did a guest lecture yesterday for Heather-Grace's Radio students (Mass Comm, Macquarie Uni) and talked to them about the radio program I've just finished for ABC Residency, choices, process, how and why. It led to some interesting questions and discussion - one girl asked 'why sound'? I don't often get to articulate some of these ideas, and it's really satisfying to have more engagement than the usual 3 minute conversation. Talking about how sound actually moves through your body, and affects you physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I find myself overwhelmed by the constant noise of post-post-modern western capitalist society, the flow of information, entertainment, advertising, conversation and messages to consume consume consume... leave me exhausted, numb and hollow. My hope is that something like the bridge sounds can open a tiny sliver of a gap in this incredibly dense empire of signs and signals and sounds, that it could be closer to silence than noise - and give just a brief respite from the constant pressure to conform, produce, perform, consume.
That's why I struggle so much with the concept of releasing this CD - I really have trouble with the idea of adding more stuff to the world, that's going to end up remaindered for $5 on the bargain tables along King St. With all the other music and sound and writing that people spent years pouring their heart and soul into. Oh well, maybe along the way someone will listen and be changed by it. Maybe not, it could all be a grandiose delusion of artistic adequacy. But hey, either way it keeps me busy and feels like filling in the time of my days on this earth with something meaningful and worthwhile.
It's curious how people develop their own interests to a point where everything outside that range of vision seems unimportant - I know I do it too, it's a huge effort to engage with politics, or the world around me sometimes - and not a particularly rewarding one at the moment, and I guess if you don't have that kind of devotion and commitment to what you're doing then nothing really happens. More power to us all, obsessive and strange as we are!!!

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

11:15 AM
Posted by jodi rose

yes he was elected.

I love this country, but it's breaking my heart.

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

10:49 AM
Posted by jodi rose

Sunday Lunch
Ben Fink's mum Margaret
gorgeous, stylish, fascinating people as always, and of course Margaret's divine food and fabulous style.
David - fabulous queen in his 'late youth! - told us stories about hiding a hip flask in his nude suit at the Paris Opera, (many years ago) on stage 'dressed' as venus with 40 pound wings on his back - I'd need a drink too!
Don Fish, who was very taken by bridge project and quite dashing, ran an arty shop 'kaleidescope' in woollahra in the 70's. Liza Minelli came in to be filmed wandering around, apparently she quite trashy and very unattractive.

The lovely Mark Trevorrow was there too, and invited us all to his show on Friday night. He told a story about meeting kd lang with Paul Capsis when
they were performing at the gay games, she was being the big star, and Paul insisted they be introduced, the surly dyke with headphones just
said, KD, this is Mark and Paul. Mark tried to tell her they were actually performers as well: 'we're a couple of the other turns', 'what?' she said,
'you're a couple of turds??....'
so that's their new band name, a coupla turds.
enough name dropping for now, there's work to do!

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

12:31 PM
Posted by jodi rose

The drive home slightly harder work, didn't leave til 4pm so had to make sure Lisa stayed awake until we finally got back at 2am. It's quite a wild feeling driving into the darkness, you could be about to fall off the edge of the world, and the lights of the freeway kept blurring and imagined they were a runway and we were about to take off into space.
Lucky I wasn't driving :)
Lise experimented with the cruise control, kept us overtaking the trucks but not speeding too much, and the stunning emerald green rolling hills replaced by glimpses of insanely bright stars. Such a joy to see that landscape all green and verdant, after the last few times when it was dusty cracked earth during the drought.
Hello again global warming - already 36 degreesC today, one degree less than the hottest october day on record in australia. (got to 38.4, the hottest October day in Sydney since records were started in 1859 or so) for my northern european friends, think of that heat in april in helsinki. yeah, right. Makes it hard to work when your brain turns to mush and the waves are calling......

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

12:26 PM
Posted by jodi rose

sue and marta in edinburgh gardens

Arrived Saturday evening and had a quiet night at home with Philippa - reliving the year I was there. Picnic all day sunday in Edinburgh Gardens, north fitzroy - lovely company, gorgeous sunshine but atmosphere blighted by urban primitives doing there tribal drumming all afternoon. sure they were feeling the rhythm, but for everyone else was obnoxious noise pollution and very unpleasant. and I used to be hippy and at 19 even spent time in the forest of SE NSW protesting about logging, but those days are gone now...
Anyway, I'm glad to have had the chance to say goodbye to Philippa, and help with all the packing and sorting from her house, which was an oasis of lushness and homely delight for my last year in Melbourne. Sad to have her going, but very exciting at the same time, it's so inspiring to see how quickly life can change and you can be off on a new adventure. We're going to be making excursions to the ice hotel in sweden next year, and she's checking out hungarian bathouses for weekend holidays during my various residencies. Just a long hot summer of hard work to go in between now and then.

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

12:21 PM
Posted by jodi rose

there's a track winding back... on the rd to gundagai

Driving to melbourne was kind of enjoyable - felt like a day-long cafe crawl with some freeway in between. Stopped at the train restaurant next to the dog on the tuckerbox, then voted in Gundagai.
sadly fred nile and nationals most prominent how-to vote cards - a very sad indication of the eventual result. too depressed to even think about it. leaving the country soon.

Friday, October 8, 2004

1:22 PM
Posted by jodi rose

a very select audience about to listen....

This is the day, your life will surely change...

YAY ME!!!

Russell and I just finished the final (really) mix and bounce of all the bridge pieces for Radiophonic Feature program. It's so exciting to have closure.

Once I download all the information and decisions that have been swirling around in my head, I'm looking forward to having some brainspace for new ideas and getting other projects done.

Driving to Melbourne tomorrow with Lisa and Julaine - road trip! It's an arduous 12 hours but hey we'll have fun. Will be there for Philippa's going away picnic on Sunday - she's leaving to bring the joys of soap opera to countries like Ukraine, working in European drama development with Grundy international. It's so great to see good things happening for other people.

Anyway, time for the listening session of my work and then a few beers and maybe handmade noodles in chinatown.

Monday, October 4, 2004

9:41 AM
Posted by jodi rose

Happy Birthday Ben!!!!

It's a beautiful sunny day outside and I've been for an early morning walk, which is part of my new routine necessary to have the energy and time to get everything done these days, and now getting into preparation for the final bridge piece. In the studio this week with Russell, finishing them all to sparkling, radiophonic broadcast quality. We have a listening session on Friday, and they will be aired in December. It's been good having the distance of a months break in between, made it very easy to hear which bits needed to be cut, and re-shape some of the rougher sketched montages. Now I'm pretty happy with them all. It will be such a relief to finish something of this scale and complexity - didn't realise when I started just what I was getting myself into. But I like the medium, it's very different to writing, you can get your teeth into ideas and play with sound - two of my favourite things! and I have ideas for some more radiophonic features in the pipeline, which will form a triptych of journey pieces. Crossing bridges, floating in the Baltic sea and getting lost in the forest. What does that say about me, I wonder.......

It's a strange bubble state I'm living in, I do look up occasionally to see what's happening in the rest of the world, but the news is usually all bad, so it's more satisfying and sanity-enhancing to keep working with this intense myopic focus on my immediate projects. There are some long-range plans as well, but for this week just getting through each day and getting the work done is all I can do.

My lovely cousin Kim tells me she reads this journal when she needs a break from politics - writing up to 18 articles a week for the local newspaper - hi Kim!

It feels so self-indulgent sometimes to be completely dedicated to my own creative work - but then, as Julia says, using your creativity is your gift back to the universe. or words to that effect.
And hey, we're living in a country where there is NO arts policy, it's certainly not on the agenda for next weeks election - and so in a way I guess it is politically subversive to actually spend your time, energy and focus on artistic pursuits. The idea of contributing to the cultural capital of the nation really doesn't even make a blip on the radar -now if I could swim or run really fast, or jump really high that would be something worthwhile.

Maybe I can buttonhole the Prime Minister when he leaves the building today, and have a rant at him - there was a big white stretch car out the front, number plates C*A and flock of discreet dark suited men talking into their sleeves, hovering around the doors, pacing on every level and huddled with the regular ABC security - we don't have many people that 'important' in the country, so I'm guessing it was little johnny.
Now, back to the Indooroopilly Bridge, which is about to lose 4 and a half minutes.