Month: January 2010

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Gedichtendag 2010

Donderdag laatstleden, 28 januari 2010, was gedichtendag. Een dag:

  • waarop de immer menselijke Joke Van Leeuwen de fakkel van het Antwerpse stadsdichterschap overdroeg aan de geweldig aparte Peter Holvoet-Hansen. Wat een indrukwekkende reeks stadsdichters hebben we daarmee al niet gehad, met -niet onbelangrijk- schitterende resultaten die poëzie en stad perfect verbinden, vaak tot op een fysiek-levend niveau.
  • die uitnodigt tot een kleine bijdrage:

opGEBORGEN KIND

de lichter licht het deksel
van gedichten niet

dichter komen doet
de lichter
niet
hermetisj woorden woordenloos
deksel van stalen taal

ongehoord in woordenland

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Holiday killer on the loose

It seems like phenomenal duo Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale had a clear mission for Batman: The Long Halloween. It feels like they revisited the material of Frank Miller’s Year One and wanted to pick up and elaborate on the gangster theme. In a way they continued their re-portrayal of the winged crusader as a superclass detective, as they had begun in Batman: Haunted Knight. But they went beyond these 3 previously published Halloween stories. Would this 13-chapter tale then best be known as Year Two (the only true successor to Miller’s subliminal work)? Well, nevermind. The questions is irrelevant as this work has more than enough quality to offer by itself.

I made a promise  – to my parents – that I would – rid the city – of the evil – that took their lives.

There’s a killer out on the Gotham streets. Nothing new so far. Seems to have a murderous appetite to kill on holidays. Likes a riddle. Harvey Dent, district attorney, vigilantly and relentlessly chases the bad guys from the good side of the law. It takes a while for him to accept the big bat as a companion. But together with commissioner Gordon they create a bond to hunt down the head of Gotham’s main gangster family, Carmine Falcone (“The Roman”). A war commences.

Frustration grows with some defenders of the law. The Maroni family gets involved. Things get out of hand as all villains seem to be getting out of Arkham Asylum. In the meantime Bruce Wayne/Batman gets to deal with more than violence with Selina Kyle/Catwoman. He finds himself victim to a strange and dark attraction. The death of Alberto Falcone, The Roman’s son, causes his gigantic aunt to go nuts. And it leaves some questions on whether the poor son was consciously left out of daddy’s imperium. And what links the late doctor Wayne to The Roman?

It all fits together in this tremendous and superb tale of murder and mystery. Giving birth to the notorious Two-Face. Two sides to the end. All’s well. Ambiguous yet. Who’s Holiday? How many are Holiday? Luckily at least Gilda still believes in Harvey Dent.

Batman: The Long Halloween was clearly a major source of inspiration for the first new generation Batman movie Batman Begins.

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Start the haunting hunt

My fascination for the Batman started ages ago. Over these years I’ve always carefully considered authors and works. To my great satisfaction.

My most recently consumed work is Batman: Haunted Knight, by the great Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, magically supervised by (the late) Archie Goodwin.

3 Halloween tales of the Dark Knight:
In Fears (1) Scarecrow tries to exploit the fears of the caped crusader (a huge flock of… crows?) getting the bat to be vulnerable… a little anyway. In Madness (2) the Batman avenges the damage to his childhood memories by the Mad Hatter. The Ghosts (3) of foes and his past (Year One!) appear after an encounter with Penguin (and bad shrimps?) to make our tired warrior -fascinatingly- show a softer side.

I got to know (and appreciate) Loeb with the 2-part Hush story, and the follow-up to this Haunted Knight, The Long Halloween.

What makes Loeb so good is not that he tries to re-invent the Batman. He rather uses Frank Miller’s re-inventions but combines it with a ‘back to the roots’ angle of superclass detective. As such he portrays the Batman with his classical opponents in superior and exciting tales of (murder) mystery.

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More than weather to talk about

Red Lorry Yellow Lorry had the unspeakability of their name to cope with but also commercially failed to reach a wider audience during their 80’s existence. Beyond their control because they’ve created a couple of songs that do transcend gloomy wave. But, still, their sound was quite… 80’s. A good time to re-love it.

Their Best Of told me I’m still in touch with their sound. Although its quality could use some remastering. Drums that (literally…) echo Joy Division, hesitate between human and machine, baritonesque vocals, sparkling guitars (familiar to Banshees and Bunnymen), a driving bass. A bit of March Violets (only the voice distantly resembles The Sisters). Higher than wave.

“i’m so soaked to the skin

and write songs to reflect my profound perceptions

you want to talk about the weather”

and write such poppy dreariness

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Het Springende Volk

Het Springende Volk bekwam zijn naam nadat het verlangen naar vliegen (via de inademing van lucht) leidde tot een onstopbare wil tot springen en rennen. En het verdiende onsterfelijkheid door de Spaanse conquistadores (alvorens met de noorderzon te verdwijnen) op te zadelen met volgende cryptische inscriptie:

U Zult Versteld Staan Van Onze Beweeglijkheid!

Bewegen. In beweging blijven. Beweeglijkheid. 50 Levensdoelen. 50 Reisdoelen. En dan moeten kiezen. Niet stilstaan. De aarde rond. GO-GO-GO! Je hebt 1 week. Vertrekken lastig? Het moet. Er moet een afscheid verwerkt worden. Een dood. 32k uitgedeeld worden. De mineur van een ineengeslagen smoel vergeten. Door beweeglijkheid!

Het zalige UZVSVOB (You Shall Know Our Velocity!) is een multiversum van innerlijke dialogen, niet-terugdraaibare herinneringen en bizarre ontmoetingen. (beginnende) Mannen op zoek. Een hoekig dagboek.

Eggers ten voeten uit. Zoals in zijn door een vergelijkbaar onmogelijk ogende afkorting kenmerkende debuut EHVVDG. UZVSVOB past alleszins helemaal in het uitmuntende McSweeney literarium.

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Top 2009 Music

Here’s my top 2009 music, presented in 3 categories (descending order):

Cat1: Superb – Surprising – Strong – Sparkling

1. I’ve put Editors at #1 with In This Light And On This Evening, thanks to the Cuttings II bonus CD. That’s what avoided an ex aequo with Starsailor. Going beyond this evening into This Night. Increased experiments of multi-layered electronic rock.

2. Starsailor‘s All the plans just happens to be a true masterpiece that combines, reinforces and pushes all that they’ve done before to a higher… plan… and beyond. The Deluxe acoustic bonus shows the melodic strength to their songs. My second best #1.

Cat2: Surprising – Strong – Sparkling

Some artists caught my interest and took me by surprise:

3. Bat for Lashes highlighted the shadows of Two Suns with her ethereal tunes of enlightened darkness.

4. Florence + The Machine produced an incredible debut that rages as an auditive storm pulling out the air of our Lungs.

5. The Horrors have painted a bunch of wild and dark songs in Primary Colours outgrowing ancient influences.

Cat3: Surprising – Strong or Sparkling

Familiar faces, sometimes hiding behind new masks, have given evidence of their musical qualities without necessarily transcending it.

  • Julian Plenti showed up saying he Is… Skyscraper. Although his voice says Paul Banks, his musical incarnation says differently.
  • Axl Peleman heeft ons een prachtig tweede plaatje in zijn sappig Aantwaarps In ‘t Gezicht gesmeten.
  • Peter Doherty showed a great song writer side to his talents on the fabulous Grace/Wastelands.
  • Brett Anderson has over merely 3 solo albums evolved to an extraordinary artist, with Slow Attack to prove that he definitely no longer needs unlimited electricity to be very powerful.

Cat4: Here to stay

Familiar names that have produced decent work, but had no desire to look for groundbreaking experiences:

Jerry Fish and the Mudbug Club – The Beautiful Untrue / Laïs & Simon Lenski – Laïs Lenski / Sting – If on a winter’s night / Arctic Monkeys – Humbug / Franz Ferdinand – Tonight / Morrissey – Years of Refusal / Rammstein – Liebe ist für Alle da

Cat5: Out of competition

  • Cecilia Bartoli gave new life to great compositions from the Napolitan School of castrati on Sacrificium
  • British Sea Power gave new life to the old life of a Man of Aran
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Plastic Image (very unlimited)

Once upon a time I used to drive my parents (especially my father) totally mad with the existentialist screaming and the early experimentalist patterns of musical chaos of John Lydon and his (in)famous Public Image Ltd (PiL).

My recently purchased Plastic Box compilation truly shows all incarnations of this influential, staggering, daring, confronting and adventurous band. The perfect introduction with enough tasty special stuff (mixes, limited editions and live tracks) for the connoisseur.

Rotten’s personal post-punk Public Image anthem starts off the journey into the psychotic, provocative, multiwoven soundscapes of First Issue and subsequent albums. Groundbreaking. Dragged into a world of drums, dub and percussion based madness to be fast forwarded into -what seems- danceable rock music against a poptoned horizon. Down the charts with it. The genius of Cassette / Album / Compact Disc. End up sweating on hard Happy (?) rocking energy, culminating in the live assaults (at the BBC) of That What Is Not …joyful.

Cynical to date. Unlimited. Striking. But conventional? NEVER. Mind.

I guess mr. Lydon himself wasn’t too enthusiast about this record company spawned PVC box because the booklet is a mashup of some of his public quotes, intended to look like he wrote a full text.

Just a little example of Lydon’s sense for adventure:

Continue reading Plastic Image (very unlimited)

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Engagement of a project manager

Is there a hidden secret to the success of software projects?

Of course there is not. No silver bullet. But often was I asked for such a secret and often have I wondered on the subject.

My My.Fragility framework grew out of an attempt to describe my recipe. And although I firmly believe in this toolbox, there is simply… more. An undefinable extra?

Intrigued by the term ‘Engagement Manager’ I ran into a great blog post that essentially states that a Project Manager must be involved in Sales. And Legal, technology, Accounting, etc. To act cross-functional.

– Hey! That’s not new. That’s my way of doing Project Management.

– Okay, okay. I understand. Finally. It’s not the traditional view.

So, there you have it. My secret. Vision and attitude. Beyond pure delivery. A continuous and steady focus on satisfying and lasting working software, beyond politics, small talk and short-term reactivity.

Dedication, engagement, commitment. The will and the force to be more than a Project Manager, to be… Engagement Manager.