I was afraid this piece would again sit in a pile of unfinished tasks as I continued to tumble down the rabbit hole of time. forcing myself to sit down and sprint with my thoughts. the summary is this: I was in New York for a long week in November. It was my first time, and it’s likely an experience I will never forget.
my mind played Frank Sinatra's Theme from New York on a loop, with snippets of every American media I'd ever consumed flashing through my mind’s eye. one vivid memory stood out as I shuttled along the Coney Island Express: the moody cover photo of Requiem for a Dream. a scrap-work collage, it featured a vintage-blue shot of Jennifer Connelly standing on a wooden bridge at Brighton Beach, juxtaposed with an image of dilated pupils—the raw, haunting spectre of heroin addiction in the 1950s. the remains of those characters linger in some form, still in my imagination. Coney Island Dreaming. Clint Mansell's genius OST. have you seen the movie?
New York feels like a real-life split-second video montage of all kinds of life. A freakish, mischievous air persists—you can see what they meant by Gotham City. It could easily house a few Jokers, whether the likes of Joaquin Phoenix or Heath Ledger. It's maddening and exciting. the stomach-churning descriptions of blistered, rotting flesh in Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs bubble up to the top. history, struggle, and success all coexist in its realest form. main-character energy is wildly present—from middle-aged Chinese men unwinding in Chinatown parks after work to youthful punks thriving in Bushwick and the infamous, fiercely talented stars of underground New York jazz prowling the alleys like stray cats by nightfall.
in many ways, it feels like the new world. the city’s inhabitants seem worn out, yet full of life. there is warmth and compassion. from the 27th floor of a Manhattan complex—if you’ll indulge me, a source of voyeuristic pleasure—the lives of many unfold through yellow-lit square windows, like cockroaches in a matchbox, experiencing the mundane together. it’s exhilarating—processed life. it's not something I would want every day, but a dose here and there works wonders.
big highlights: a band called Maniacs of the Fourth Dimension drove me nuts at Ornithology Jazz Club in Brooklyn, where a lot of Mezcal was involved. and a freshly opened Jazz bar in Washington Square called Midnight Blue had wonderful sax action. maybe this should’ve been a Yelp review, but instead, it will sit here in this little Substack. on behalf of the adventure, here are some quick links to incredible tunes and other things. enjoy!
in no particular order (jazz, punk, electronics)
1/9 Now He Sings, Now He Sobs by Chick Corea Trilogy because my partner and his dad are very big fans 2/9 Maniacs of the Fourth Dimension playing live at Smalls for the mindblowing time of my fucken life in NYC 3/9 Resort by Skee Mask one can never have enough Skee Mask. real craftsman geeking it out in his studio. be sure to check out his recent interview on RA 4/9 A Soft and Gatherable Star by Jabu on my repeat since it’s release, also wrote a little review for it on Inverted Audio (if you’d like to read) 5/9 Metal.Wet by Soft as Snow I love these rundown bedroom productions of deconstructed pop, looped electronics all fiery and rusty, sugary-sweet nonchalant singing, makes for a very intimate setting 6/9 Japanese post-punk, goth & new wave curated by Death Is Not The End on NTS plenty of funky riffs, serves a good gothic winter 7/9 Hessle Audio ft. Ben UFO and Hassan Abou Alam on Rinse FM club energy peaking through, nothing like it. razor sharp cuts from Egypt’s notorious Hassan Abou Alam, all productions piping hot 8/9 Squared Roots by SeeFeel icy, eerie, and crispy winter. although it's a sequel to their Everything Squared album from earlier this year, I love this one even more 9/9 Suddenly from Peter Cat Recording Co.’s BETA Album sweet pop fills my heart with joy, desi band core, forever on my list
next week there’s a lovely interview in store and hopefully more of these in the new year? see you then xx