#23 On Reflection
or, background sounds for catching elusive light
Hello from Estonia, where I’ve been living for the last 5 weeks. Today the sun rose at 8:50 and was back in hiding by 3:20pm, with a balmy high of 27 / -5 degrees. I’m here as an artist in residence at TYPA, a print and paper making center in Tartu, Estonia’s second largest city.
I came here to use an obsolete printer called a mimeograph, intentionally in the winter. I knew it would be dark most of the time, a thing I was actually looking forward to. The few brief hours of sunlight that occur are typically obfuscated by clouds. I must admit tho, while the darkness does not make me depressed, I don’t think, I did not expect the euphoria I now feel on the rare sunny day. It has made me even more aware of the light and where it isn’t. I’ve been taking photos of reflections from southern facing buildings, the only light northern facing surfaces may get for months. This turned into prints made on the mimeograph, transcribed in a type face I’ve designed. It’s both pretty conceptual, and really not at all I think. Somewhere in the in between. You can see documentation of the entire show here on my website, since I assume you will not be passing through Estonia in the next month.
Anyways… This is the playlist I made to accompany me walking around in the cold/snow/dark, chasing light. It’s loosely ordered but honestly I’ve mostly been playing it on random, and suggest you do the same. It includes multiple contributions from dear friend Emily Tareila’s playlist she made me for this trip. The Estonians all said it was way too sad of a playlist, and while I don’t agree while wearing headphones, it maybe was a little bit of a bummer as background at the opening. I do however think it’s a perfect compliment to when you need a break from Christmas music, which if you are new here, or forgot, and were hoping maybe there would be a Christmas playlist, a few years ago I made what I believe is a near perfect playlist.
#23 On Reflection
Mari Kalkun - Leelu
The Weather Station - Stars
Naima Bock - My Sweet Body
Adrianne Lenker - Free Treasure
Field Report - Marigolden
Coma Cinema - Her Sinking Sun
Black Market Karma - Hedgehog
The Weakerthans - Virtue The Cat Explains Her Departure
Bon Iver - Awards Season
Little Wings - Look at What the Light Did Now
Laura Marling - Caroline
Wild Pink - Track Mud
Fred Again - where will i be
Joseph Shabason - Broken Hearted Kota
Beach House - Take Care
Loma - A Steady Mind
Leif Vollebekk - Mississippi
Bahamas - Lost In The Light
Feist - Get It Wrong, Get It Right
Frightened Rabbit - Blood Under The Bridge
The National - Dark Side of the Gym
Clams Casino - Water Theme
Mizu - Realms of Possibility
Gia Margaret - Mourning Dove
Tom Waits - If I Have To Go
Yasmin Williams - Virga
Curly Strings - Lõpp
Jónsi - In Plain View
Jon Guerra - Let A Little Light In
Damien Jurado - Throwing Your Voice
Basa Basa - Love, Love, Love
Owen - The Only Child of Aergia
Mary Lattimore - And Then He Wrapped His Wings Around me
Sylan Esso - Slack Jaw
Florist - This Was A Gift
Madi Diaz - Weird Faith
Deptford Goth - Code
Julie Byrne - I Live Now As A Singer
Marika Hackman - Blood
Fionn Regan - O Avalanche
The Dream Academy - Please Please Please let me get what I want
Billy Bragg & Wilco - Someday Some Morning Sometime
Dustin Tebbutt - (in.)Fading Light
Mariah
Mark Isham - The Times Of Harvey Milk
Nathaniel Rateliff - Rush On
Claude Debussy / Fazil Say - 2 Arabesques
Gregory Alan Isakov - Light Year
The Tallest Man On Earth - Like The Wheel
Ethan Gruska - Crowded City Street
George Winston - Some Children See Him
Pinegrove - Endless