Music for a lifetime: Our Desert Island Picks
In this episode of The Middle of Culture, we embark on a deep dive into our Desert Island Albums--the five records we could never live without. But rather than just picking our favorites, we each approach the challenge uniquely, considering which albums we would be most devastated to never hear again. The result? A conversation filled with passion, nostalgia, and a mix of classic and experimental sounds. Along the way, we also touch on bad movie nights, tabletop gaming, the wild world of Mahjong, and the struggle of tackling massive fantasy novels. Tune in for an engaging discussion about the music that shapes us and the unexpected paths our cultural obsessions take.
Welcome back!
• Peter and Eden catch up on life, touching on:
• Why modern society feels like a "hellscape."
• Eden's unique take on a book club (it's really just a reason to meet at a bar and talk about books).
• A foray into Bad Movie Bros, a community dedicated to watching and laughing at terrible films.
• Highlights from their recent March Badness-- including absurd movies like The Core and the utterly bizarre 1980 film The Apple.
Cultural Tangents & Side Discussions
• The joys of intentionally bad movies and their ability to bring people together.
• The absolute madness of The Apple, a musical disaster that features a literal rapture via a spectral Buick.
• Eden's ongoing quest to master Riichi Mahjong-- and the realization that half of the players in Mahjong Soul are either total newbies or unbeatable experts.
• Peter's thoughts on Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson and the daunting length of his books.
• Tsunami Sea by Spiritbox and why Peter thinks they are the next big thing in metal.
• Bioluminescence by Dawn of Ouroboros, blending prog, death, and jazz influences.
• A surprising deep dive into Poppy, a genre-defying artist oscillating between pop, metal, and chaos.
Main Segment: Desert Island Albums
• How We Chose: Instead of just picking favorites, Peter and Eden each framed our choices as "Which five albums would I be most sad to never hear again?"
• No Live Albums or Compilations Allowed!
Our Picks:
• Eden's Five:
1. Koyaanisqatsi (Philip Glass) -- The haunting neoclassical score from the experimental documentary.
2. Systems/Layers (Rachel's) -- A genre-defying, deeply personal post-classical album.
3. F# A# ∞ (Godspeed You! Black Emperor) -- A post-rock masterpiece of apocalyptic soundscapes.
4. The Harp of New Albion (Terry Riley) -- Experimental piano music with a tuning that bends reality.
5. Promises (Pharoah Sanders & Floating Points) -- A jazz masterpiece that Eden describes as the finest piece of jazz music ever recorded.
• Peter's Five:
1. Through Silver and Blood (Neurosis) -- An impenetrable wall of sound and raw emotion.
2. Terrasite (Cattle Decapitation) -- A brutal yet oddly cathartic death metal record.
3. Slow Forever (Cobalt) -- A riff-heavy American black metal album that never gets old.
4. Dreaming Neon Black (Nevermore) -- A concept album of insanity, grief, and power.
5. Folium Limina (The Otolith) -- A haunting, violin-infused post-doom album that Peter has written three books to.
Honorable Mentions:
• Rush's Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures (though both hosts realized they could mentally replay these albums in full without ever hearing them again).
• Mariner by Cult of Luna & Julie Christmas.
• Catharsis by YOB.
• Chopin's Opus 28 Preludes, specifically Amy Kobayashi's recording.
Final Thoughts
• Reflecting on how music shapes personal identity and memory.
• The joy of rediscovering albums that remain impactful years later.
• Eden's experience revisiting The Harp of New Albion and realizing its timeless brilliance.
• Peter's increasing excitement for The Otolith and the music that fuels creativity.
Thanks for listening and join us in two weeks for another fun episode!