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seen from United States
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books I’ve read in 2023 no. 071
The Antiquity Affair by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Marie Thorne
“I’m on tenterhooks, facing the likely prospect of either sudden, terrifying or slow, agonizing death, but Tess is with me, finally, truly with me, and I feel such relief, such life rushing through me, that I cannot see how anything will top this moment for me ever again.”
Phenomenon: Enchanted Wine
I would like to start by thanking whoever sent us the handle of wine dating back to 1781. No name or address was disclosed, so I’m hoping whoever sent us such an incredible piece of history is reading this. Even if it wasn’t some kind of enchanted item, the date on the bottle alone is staggering. All the wines I looked up floating at a similar date are literally hundreds of thousands of dollars, which is. Obscene. I can’t imagine how it came into your possession, or why you wanted to pass it on to a couple of clowns like us. Thank you.
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to test whether or not the wine was a bona-fide enchanted artifact. When we found the note and read that the handle would never run out so long as nobody looked down the neck, Liam uncorked the top to pour a glass and peered into it. He says he’s sorry, and really can’t apologize enough.
-L.K
PHENOMENON STATUS: UNRESOLVED
On this week's episode, we're discussing historical fantasy, and Freya makes a truly brilliant point about what this genre really IS. The tentpoles today are The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley, A Criminal Magic by Lee Kelly, and “Duende” b...
On this week's episode, we're discussing historical fantasy, and Freya makes a truly brilliant point about what this genre really IS. The tentpoles today are The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley, A Criminal Magic by Lee Kelly, and “Duende” by astolat.
What We’re Into Lately
Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho
Glitch
A Marvelous Light by Freya Markse!
Tor.com
Dr. Manhattan
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
Hornblower by C.S. Forester
Loveless anime
“Dangerous If Unbound” by astolat
Person of Interest
Hamilton
Black Sails
Downton Abbey
Temeraire series by Naomi Novik
P.G. Woodhouse books
Judging accuracy with the Bill and Ted test
Hild by Nicola Griffith
Georgette Heyer’s books
The Hornblower books by C.S. Forester
A Dalliance with the Duke by AMargeurite
An Ever-Fixed Mark by AMarguerite
Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
The Glamourist Histories series by Mary Robinette Kowal
Everfair by Nisi Shawl
The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark
For Next Time
The Circle of Magic series by Tamora Pierce
Transcription
The transcript of this episode is available here. Thank you as always to our lovely scribes for their hard work!
Nothing more painful than reading a book and obsessing over it knowing there is no fandom. I'm genuinely itching for discourse but I have nobody to talk to about it!!!
I know far less about the world than I'm comfortable with. That needs to change, and if I need to walk this serpentine line to learn, so be it.
Lee Kelly & Jennifer Thorne, The Antiquity Affair
History strikes me as a sine wave, ever-shifting but repeating, over and over.
Lee Kelly & Jennifer Thorne, The Antiquity Affair
From The Shelf | 5 Masterpieces From The Electronic Archive Of The Emerald Isle
Ireland, home to some of the greatest electronic musicians on the planet. Here's 5 of my favorite Irish records from the last decade, fresh from the shelf.
New Jackson - The Night Mail
Originally pressed in 2011 on Bodytonics 'POGO Recordings' imprint and later remastered on Mano Le Tough's 'Maeve' label in 2019 - they do not come better than this. Accurately painted as a 'below the radar anthem' by the RANSOM NOTE, 'The Night Mail' is a unique endeavor, unlike anything I have heard since its release.
Driven by rolling arpeggios, droning bass rhythms, and euphoric synth lines, all glued together by a masterfully blended vocal - it is everything you've ever wanted from an electronic record. A testament to the impressively broad catalog of sounds represented by David Kitt's 'New Jackson' moniker.
A record I could never afford on Discogs before its re-issue, but one that now sits contently on my shelf.
Stream | Buy
Kev Sheridan - Losing Someone Is Never Easy [Alone In Berlin EP]
Another beauty from the ever-growing back catalog of Mano Le Tough's 'Maeve' and a record close to my own heart - Kev Sheridan's 'Alone In Berlin EP'.
Snappy snares, lush pads, and melancholic chords - all combine to create this minimal yet emotionally eclectic affair.
It's not often emotion is encapsulated efficiently in a club-driven track, but Kev hit the nail on the head here. Packed with subtle tones of adapting to life abroad and produced at the hands of pure talent.
'Losing Someone Is Never Easy' earned its place on my shelf a long time ago and there it remains.
Stream | Buy
Lee Kelly - Our Place In Time [Excerpts From Layers Of Identity]
Daire Carolan's First Second Label [FSL] has never really failed to disappoint since its conception in 2011, with contributions from a broad array of Irish talents like ELLLL, Sputnik One and Thrust's Glimmerman - but there's just something about Lee Kelly's 'Excerpts From Layers Of Identity' that ticks all the boxes for me.
Mesmerizing strings, low-frequency basslines and underlying arpeggios complete 'Our Place In Time', a track I've had on repeat since it came off the press in 2019.
Stream | Buy
DeFeKT - Split My Mind [Magnetic Resonance]
"Few artists have been as pivotal in Ireland’s electronic evolution of the past decade as DeFeKT" [DJ Mag].
A playful affair with underlying tones of darkness and raw emotion, this EP is something truly special. Written in the midst of Matt's ongoing struggles with MS, this record is an immersive experience, one that allowed me to connect with an unfamiliar world.
'Split My Mind' became an instant dance floor anthem when it hit the shelves in 2019. Pounding kicks, acid basslines, lush arpeggios and mesmerizing pads - all the keys to my heart, served immaculately on a plate of wax.
Here DeFeKT uses his craft as an outlet to contextualize his experience and solidify his reputation as a modular mastermind who never falls short of the mark.
Stream | Buy
Bicep - Glue
There are few tracks in existence I vividly remember hearing for the first time, this will always be one of them. Responsible for nearly 200,000,000 streams on Spotify and now casually disregarded by many as "overplayed" - 'Glue' is an undeniable masterpiece.
Comprised of mellow breakbeats, stuttering synths, harmonic pads and a vocal that will enlighten your soul, this track as much an experience as it is a piece of music [so much so that the live version has become an 8 minute escapade].
Records that have seen the club as much as 'Glue' has are few and far between and armed with memories and beer stains, mine has probably seen the inside of my record bag more than it has my shelf - After all, records were meant to be played...
Stream | Buy
