Welcome to the twenty-eighth ceremony of Ephemerata: reflections, observations, and life at the edge.

I’m doing this to stimulate discussion around what I find interesting, and also to share things before they disappear into the void of my journal.

CONTENTS

1. Strolling
2. Apps disappearing soon
3. Asides
4. Music

STROLLING

Finally launched my podcast last week after describing with a short trailer.

The first episode features Judy Perly, who has been running a Jewish restaurant and folk music venue in Toronto for over 40 years—we had a wide-ranging conversation that touched on recipes and expertise, giving people characters, creative funerals, and much more. I ended up making some music in the process too.

Feedback so far has been generally positive and curious for more, which I take to be a good sign.

APPS DISAPPEARING SOON

My iOS apps are currently free and will disappear from the App Store in February 2022; read Going fully web to understand why. Download before they’re gone to avoid eternal regret.

ASIDES

[I love seeing someone living their extraness.]
— Elena

Hear - Advanced Listening. An app that listens to your environment, adds filters, plays it back to you via headphones in real time. Filters include ‘relax’ (drone in the background higher frequencies turn into water dripping), ‘happy’ (as if raining and everything is echoed with long decay), ‘sleep’ (combination of waterfall or white noise and echoes the environment); each filter has various levels that can be customized. Fun to play with, regardless of whether it actually helps you chill out or doze off—I’m curious to try them with more intention. (via Beat)

Notes from a mystic:

[Bliss is just a word: you can desire it but not know what it is. Only one who has tasted it can give it to you, and without doing anything: from their presence alone the unknown flows toward you.]

[A master is an availability, not a teacher. A teacher may not know, having perhaps learned from other teachers. A master gives you a taste.]

[A great teaching doesn’t give you instructions for doing, as it is concerned with your being.]

❤️

Help me continue creating projects that are public, accessible for free, and open-source, consider becoming one of my financial backers.

MUSIC

All the following items can be accessed as a one-click playlist via Joybox without accounts or sign up—just open and play.

I had the privilege of attending a Musical Potluck for Interintellect members, and would like to share some of my favourites:

• Clogs: Kapsburger from Lantern (2006). Pure instrumental bliss in this journey that lasts just two minutes. Simple harmonies on guitar that surprise by shifting with subtle voice-leading (often changing one note of the chord at a time). There might be hints of Bach in here, or maybe I’m just projecting what I want to hear. (via Kasra)
• Amit Trivedi: Shubhaarambh from Kai Po Che ! (2013). Soundtrack for a Bollywood film, with lyrics in Gujarati. The introduction has a strong time feel without any rhythmic accompaniment. There’s bagpipes (!), and I know how odd it might be to feature that in Indian music, but the duduk-like instrument called ‘shehnai’ went right to my heart. (via Vivek)
• Lisa Hannigan: What’ll I Do from Passenger (2011). Starting hook got my attention right away. Bright, sunny vibes created with vocals, strings, bass, percussion, and clapping; some of it would normally feel cliché to me, but I enjoyed this. The constant offbeats create a deep swing effect: your body will move. (via Daniel)
• Murali Coryell: Softly Let Me Kiss Your Lips from Eyes Wide Open (2000). Prepare yourself for nine minutes of ‘stank-face inducing’ blues vocals, guitar solos, lush organ chords, straight on the triplet drums, scatting… Imagine starting your day with this. (via Norm)

More

Check out Fleeting Arrivals for more music.

(I heart music)

I always love receiving music. Send me recommendations anytime, anywhere!

That’s all folks!

Feel free to reply and share any reflections you might have, or just say hello. Have a great week 🙂.

If you enjoyed this, please consider sharing on Twitter or WhatsApp or Email.

(I also have a more sporadic private mailing list if you’d like to hear only when new projects are released.)