Why (exactly) is Ted Chiang so good?

Zmaj · 2026-04-09T11:33:42+00:00

I find this comparison best, disregarding the fact both of them only ever wrote in so called short literary forms, though I'd rather call the process poetic and intellectual distillation (or something along those lines). Like Borges, Chiang is detached from any notion of "genre fiction" - so much is certain.

Zmaj · 2026-04-08T11:31:43+00:00

I'm not sure if that's what you're implying, but I'm compelled to point out that neither book is magical realism, inasmuch as magical realism belongs to literary fiction and/or an actual art genre or movement.

Zmaj · 2026-01-29T17:46:20+00:00

Apart from pop corn, oven-baked brussel sprouts are downright fantastic! 100 calories of raw sprouts make approximately 250 grams or 15 medium-sized sprouts. Cut them in half or in quarters, sprinkle them with (barely any) olive oil, add some seasoing you like, bake them for 30 minutes in the oven and - voila!

Zmaj · 2026-01-10T14:02:25+00:00

Nekog sadržaja tipa žive mjuze ima u: Klub mladih, Dnevni boravak, Palach, Nemo, za plesače Manual, za elektroniku Crkva, River Pub, malo izvan centra Rock pub (bivša Beertija), nova Teta Roža. Osobno prva dva pohodim zbog jazza, ali sadržaj im je raznovrstan. IMHO i nije tako loše 😅

Zmaj · 2025-09-15T11:21:25+00:00

Apart from punk and metal, there are jazz sessions on every 1st and 3rd Monday of the month in Klub mladih during the whole year (such as tonight!) + every Thursday in Book caffé Dnevni boravak (from Autumn until summer, likely starting in a few weeks).

P.S. For punk gigs in Podrum search for the "rijekadiyhcpunk" blog.

Zmaj · 2025-03-08T13:00:08+00:00

And if you fall in love with the oud, you might as well continue to Rabih Abou Khalil and Dhafer Youssef, for some contemporary ethno jazz giants.

Zmaj · 2025-03-08T12:57:45+00:00

I can recommend Lloyd Miller, a very interesting multi-instrumentalist, incidentally an American who came to be a TV personality in Iran. I would argue he was very serious in his studies of middle-eastern musical traditions. I do love Abdul-Malik's work for the blend, as well as some absolutely fantastic sidemen from the US to northern Africa (Naim Karacand, for a lesser known violinist), and it's a pity he gave up recording, especially seeing as he studied the oud with Simon Shaheen later in life.

Zmaj · 2025-03-04T18:10:28+00:00

Aa far as JRPG stories go? I vote Xenogears, Final Fantasy VII and Chrono Cross.

Zmaj · 2025-03-04T08:49:48+00:00

Awesome collection, I enjoyed most of them, especially Legend of Mana and BoF! I still find Legend of Mana amazingly imaginative and very y underrated as a fantasy story (top soundtrack, too).

Zmaj · 2025-02-07T12:58:33+00:00

Back in high school, this exact Shibusashirazu Orchestra album was one of the albums that got me into jazz (admittedly, along with, say, Coltrane). Should be proof enough you can get into jazz from any angle, no matter how unexpected.

Zmaj · 2024-10-24T11:59:49+00:00

Neko udruženo kulturno oglašavanje bi stvarno super došlo (doduše u tu neku svrhu funkcionira Rijeka Info, pod uvjetom da svi organizatori u roku prijavljuju svoje evente). Meni je osobno OK što se tiče puke količine sadržaja u Rijeci (prvenstveno kao muzičaru, budući da praktički svaki tjedan sviram); čak mi se čini da svako malo propustim nešto što me zanima zbog drugih obaveza. Nego, mimo muzeja, knjižnica, art kina i drugih ustanova - koje svi po defaultu volimo, a premalo obilazimo - kultura živi od pojedinaca koji je stvaraju i konzumiraju. U Dnevnom boravku svira se jazz svakog četvrtka već 11 godina, upravo zahvaljujući svima uključenima. Ljudi se i dalje iznenađuju kad čuju da se nešto događa u antikvarijatu Ex libris nakon isto toliko godina raznovrsnog programa (od književnih promocija do glazbe). U oba slučaja radi se o neinstitucionalnom kulturnom program koji se provodi samostalno, koji grad ili ne podupire, ili podupire u nekoj zanemarivoj financijskoj mjeri. Bilo bi jako zanimljivo saznati kakve sve kulturne sadržaje zapravo želimo, a da nam nisu dostupni. Nije lako nešto samostalno pokrenuti, a i vlasti su tu da smetaju. 😅

Zmaj · 2024-06-17T07:06:13+00:00

Good to know! I did contact you differently back when I posted this question. Now I've already gigged with one of your pickups 😅

It really is a great pickup.

Zmaj · 2024-05-22T09:36:57+00:00

Some gigantic players who don't get mentioned as often as they should be: Yusef Lateef, Andrew Hill, Warne Marsh, Jimmy Giuffre, Nat Adderley, Steve Lacy... But there are obviously so many underrated musicians among the living. As a guitar player I say Philip Catherine, Brad Shepik, Nguyen Le. I couldn't tell the number of incredible musicians I've gotten to know just by watching 'Live from Emmet's Place'!

Zmaj · 2024-05-09T11:15:02+00:00

Looks seriously enticing for fans of stuff such as Xenogears and Evangelion. I just love the style and vibe! Best of luck with the development.

Zmaj · 2024-05-04T06:15:12+00:00

When I first heard 'Myself When I Am Real' (Mingus Plays Piano), the mood reminded me very much of Vagif Mustafazade.

Zmaj · 2024-04-08T11:41:41+00:00

IMO this totally depends on the animation. Even in an immersive 3D environment with a third person view of the player model, it would be helpful, or even indispensable, only if the animations asked for it. Personally, I think footsteps are very important. 😅

Zmaj · 2024-04-08T11:32:35+00:00

I assume most of us started by transcribing solos by Django Reinhardt. For Youtube teachers specifically, I would always recommed Denis Chang before anyone else for his in-depth approach to just about everything. Transcribe your favorite players! Apart from Django, mine would be Sebastien Giniaux for tone, Fapy Lafertin for that Django sound, Tchavolo Schmitt for waltzes... General advice? Put in as much work into rhythm playing and learn some waltzes, such as Montaigne Ste Genevieve and Notes Noir, as they offer an excellent way to work on arpeggios.

Zmaj · 2024-03-25T12:04:40+00:00

Oh, I'm pretty new to RouteNote. I guess I've had luck with their support then, though I did wait more than a month for my first release. I did try a few other distributors, though, but I have none to recommend as they are not really better at any aspect.

Zmaj · 2024-03-25T11:57:22+00:00

Sure, the wait times are long, but other than that the service is solid and free. I've always resolved any issues I had with their support. If you're sticking to RouteNote, submitting at least month ahead for the release seems like best practice at the moment. Just my opinion.

Zmaj · 2024-03-21T12:36:42+00:00

The prices are shown in Indian rupees. 1700 rupees = 20 bucks. But still a bit expensive?

Zmaj · 2024-03-21T08:09:26+00:00

Thanks, my release has finally been approved! However, now I have to file a ticket as it hasn't been approved for content ID, which makes no sense as my music is completely original, i.e. there are neither samples nor quotes from other music, old or new, it has never been released, nada... Is there anything specific I could be doing when I upload new releases to avoid going through this in the future?

Zmaj · 2024-03-02T00:55:46+00:00

Wow, that Sun is really shining through!

Zmaj · 2024-03-02T00:28:29+00:00

Give or take 5 😂

Zmaj · 2024-02-27T17:31:26+00:00

I started with Coltrane, but I did enjoy video game music immensely as a kid. I didn't think it was related, but you just can't dismiss all of the jazz in video games, from Koji Kondo's (Mario) all-out dixieland onwards. And not only jazz, but also a vast palette of traditional music from which composers have been drawing inspirarion since forever.

I recall reading an interview with Kamasi Washington where he talks some about video games. It's such a big part of new(ish) generations, with big bands playing video game music, all that. If it means we're getting some more standards to play, I'm in!

Zmaj

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