From Hamburg With Love

(dates back to 23/03/08)

Though I love Hamburg for its haven and that very special smell in the air (part drunken sailor, part dead fish), there's one epic, EPIC fail about this city: no wifi. Like, no-fuckin-where. Or at least everyone 'saves' them with a password, which is simply ridiculous in my eyes.

Therefore, I - by far! - wasn't able to get as much work done as I scheduled for myself.
Of course, this is nothing I could only complain about, since I met so many friends these days I wouldn't have given myself the time to otherwise. Also, I spent hours and hours at the Endless Pain tattoo convention, as well as walking the streets of Hamburg now that it finally stopped raining, hailing and snowing.
Yay for real life social interaction & getting dirty ;)

Also, I kept connection to the outer world via Twitter, a service I wonder how I ever could live without before now... and which is also partly implemented to a kinda 'urban hacking' game I'm very proud to be able to introduce to you, kindest readership, today:

Urban Takeover, developed (or rather, still in the process of being fixed) by the 72dpi army, makes you tag your city by putting up stickers on the urban environment and thus 'claiming' these objects/spots/streets/hot chicks/whatever. For every claimed spot the player (or team) gets points; also, there's some bonus for photographs taken, weirdest objects & spots, highscores, etc.
I guess the best way to get an idea what it's all about is to check out their site, the flickr group or the twitter account - and, of course, get involved =)

In other news, I got myself a bunch of new music (as usual), which I'd - at least partially - would like to share with you as soon as I'm back in Vienna again. Promise.
Or, if I can ever get hold of these in a digitalized form:

DJ Da Cut - Ostinato
DJ Spooky vs. Dave Lombardo
Peeping Tom - s/t
Kostnice - Finsterfelden
Amy Winehouse - Back To Black

Special thanks go to lovely & great video artist Kewagi and photographer Michi Inmann at this point, who drove my attention to Amy's album. Which goes perfectly along with a long late night of wine & cigarettes.

I'll be heading over to Berlin again at the end of the week & will report back from all the fun we'll most likely have there, the super-yummy food we may enjoy, and the re:publica.
Totally excited to meet some very gorgeous people there again!

Besides, it's only a couple of days until I get my next two tattoos - can't wait.
Yay for ink <3

A Dead Scene

Yesterday night I went to a show of the most awesome mathcore maniacs Dillinger Escape Plan (1.1/1.2b) - supported by hardcore doyens Poison the Well (2.1/2.2b) and the unbelievable jazzcore avantgardists Stolen Babies (3.1/3.2b/3.3) - and was simply blown away.

If ever they happen to crash into your town, go have a look.




DEP

Calculating Infinity
Irony Is a Dead Scene (feat. Mike Patton)


Stolen Babies

There Be Squabbles Ahead


Also, I want to introduce you to Urban Takeover - a super fun game developed by a bunch of amazing friends - which just recently had its alpha version launched ...


Go have a look at the instructions & be part of it!

Going Emo

I heart Mineral!

Originated in the mid-90ies from Austin, Texas, they had a heavy influence on subsequent emo and indie bands, especially during the late 1990ies in the Midwest of the States.
When they broke up in 1998, singer Christopher Simpson founded The Gloria Record, a band I can also warmly recommend to any emo-rock fan.


Check out their great music (which I upped on Mediafire as I promised, for your dearest convenience):

The power of failing (1997) + February (o my gosh, I love that song just so much) &
End Serenading (1998)


Take care!

Enlightened

Tonight I passed the Heldenplatz in Vienna, and this is what hit my eyes:


Unfortunately, I only found articles about the 80.000 candle-light installation in german (as to be seen here in Die Presse, for instance) - but I think it's incredibly beautiful as a sight itself!


In other news, I haven't found much sleep within the last weeks; nor did I find enough time to spend on all the things I'd love to get done.
But I'm looking forward to going to Hamburg and Berlin the next weeks, meeting some awesome friends and artists I haven't seen in a while, and return all recharged on rest and motivation again.

Also, my life is pretty much turned upside down.
Which doesn't sound like news at all. Maybe I should've adapted to that situation by now ;)