Month: May 2023

A beat that seems out of time (with the one you feel in the metronome of your mind) mix

Metronome in full swing
Metronome in full swing

Another mix using the Pacemaker device. However this time I have been experimenting with the later beta versions of the Pacemaker device firmware, which includes beat aware looping. It’s great but I find the native digital recording of the Pacemaker device unreliable when using it. I thought I had found the solution. But in the end I recorded the output directly using the analogue output.

The result is a completely unedited mix. Not quite as smooth with the cross fading but its just such a raw mix, I had to put it out.

First put together in Barcelona but the digital recording was all over the place, later I re-did the mix. This mix moves at a heavy pace and is fully of lovely progressive/tech beats with little lyrics. Perfect for hitting the treadmill, scooting down the motorway or what ever you fancy doing at a pace. Look out for the my beat into Inferno long mix, simply can’t stop bouncing my head to that section.

As always you can listen to it on my mixgarden or via peertube.

Here is the complete tracks used.

  1. [00:00] Fall to Pieces – Jonas Steur feat. Jennifer Rene
  2. [03:40] M.I.L.F. – Laurent Garnier
  3. [08:35] My Beat (Ambassador extended remix) – Blaze
  4. [11:10] Inferno – Carl Cox
  5. [16:18] Interlinked – Thomas Schumacher
  6. [23:02] Predator – Predator
  7. [26:40] Fiction (Extended Mix) – Jerome Isma-Ae & Alastor
  8. [31:04] Shnorkel (Thankyou City Remix) – Ido Ophir, Miki Litvak
  9. [35:42] Pǝsnɟuoɔ (Confused) – Laurent Garnier

Technique and symbols, street art tour done properly

Our guide for the epic street art tour

I have been meaning to write about this incredible street art tour I went on in Lisbon. The tour we were on was 3 hours long and many didn’t survive the full tour but me and my partner did and were so much wiser for doing so.

There was so much to say but here are some of the key parts.

The viewing angle can make all the difference

Street art from an angle

Our guide showed us different examples where something was transformed into a whole new experience when stood in the right place. The one above is well loved and exists in many photos. However our guide talked about the importance of angle and viewpoint. When we moved to the carefully marked ground point, you could see the outline of the building in front obfuscating the other half of the street art.

Unique technique

Brush strokes as unique technique

Uniqueness is obviously key in street art and our conversation with the tour guide was fascinating as he asked if I preferred technique or message. Coming from Bristol, it was about the message but he pointed out one of my likely favourite artists now (Utopia).

Utopia's fingerprint style upclose

Those things which look like brush strokes are not, they are unique ways to spray and it requires a lot of time and practice. So much so, its like a fingerprint.

Subtle statements about politics and religion

When you see the devil face you can not un-see it in street art?

Although our guide valued technique over statement. He did show us another piece I had seen previously. The first time I had seen it, it was all about the amazing tile design in Portugal but our guide, pointed out something which looks like eyes, then the mouth. Almost like a devil faces (once you see them you can’t un-see them!). I was thinking where is he going with this, then he pointed out the small church it faced and stoked up the long running issues with Catholicism in Portugal. He left with the point to me, you don’t need to make statements so explicit for them to have an effect.

Highlighting the missed

The panda likes...

Once last thing which I didn’t really see previously was other street artists highlighting other work. For example the panda can be seen across Portugal in different styles but its not about the panda. The panda likes something and is drawing attention to something important or great.

The panda likes the gay fishes

The panda likes the gay fishes which symbolises one of Lisbon’s first gay clubs and has been there for decades but is easily missed.

After this street art tour, I’m going to be a lot more choosy about which ones I pay for in the future!

Public Service Internet monthly newsletter (May 2023)

Weaken encryption cyberpunk

We live in incredible times with such possibilities that is clear. Although its easily dismissed seeing the environmental impact of ChatGPT, the fascination to force people back into the office and that musk interview.

To quote Buckminster Fuller “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”

You are seeing aspects of this with a new right to repair for up to 10 years. how solar got so cheap and John Oliver’s 2nd reaction to cryptocurrencies.

Weakening encryption is a idea which needs to die

Ian thinks: There is so much to say about the potential UK online safety bill, when it comes to encryption. In my personal experience, weaken encryption is no encryption. I’m not the only one. There is a reason why no one uses MD5 anymore.

Using photosynthesis as a source of clean energy?

Ian thinks: This energy hack is exciting to say the very least. Although very exciting its very early. I certainly encourage reading the details of the Cambridge research here.

Heating our homes using abandoned coal mines?

Ian thinks: Novel use of the many shut down coal mines, is a gem of not just an idea but something being put into practice in other countries.

The bright future of Homomorphic encryption, 

Ian thinks: This interview with Rand Hindi of zama.ai is very enlightening. The idea of Homomorphic encryption at every level is fascinating. Could it be quantum resistant? Well Rand certainly thinks so. I also expect we will be hearing a lot more about this in the next 2 years and will be a building block for the public service internet.

Bluesky finally on Android but join the waiting list

Ian thinks: Its good to finally see an Android version of Bluesky, as there is growing interest in Bluesky and the actively developed AT protocol. There is also a lot of pumped up tension from some about Mastodon vs Bluesky which is just nonsense and a waste of energy.

The danger of stochastic parrots

Ian thinks: This very shared piece calls out the real problems of the new range of “AI Chatbot.” Bender runs through history and her challenging sometimes ignorant experiences talking with those evangelising the AI future. Its well worth the read if you haven’t come across it somewhere else already.

The stochastic parrots which drives us insane

Ian thinks: Jaron’s thought on the affects of AI on our well-being is spot on. Be it consistently doubting, double checking or just the overload of AI generated content. It always makes me think an adversarial AI bot working for you makes a lot of sense.

The detailed evidence of the impact of social media on teen girls

Ian thinks: This very detailed post outlines with countless data points summarising the effect of social media on young girls. Just incase you were not clear already?

Is Kevin Kelly’s technium, unrealistic or genius?

Ian thinks: This interview was a difficult one to hear, mainly because I usually find Kevin Kelly a good thinker. However his general thoughts on tech will save us, painful to listen to and it runs through most of his thoughts. Worth a listen with a sharp critical mind.

Find  the archive here