Recent Digitals

2014 came and went with only 12 entries - averaging one post a month. by far the least i have posted on 23, and it certainly feels like the least photographs i have taken since i started picking up photography. where did the romance go? what happened to the photographer's mantra of bringing a camera everywhere he goes? what about all those unused films i have yet to expose?

it's not to say that i've given up photography completely - i've been procrastinating blogging about them. to a certain extent, it is true what they say about Web 2.0 killing blogging. why put in all the extra word counts in a medium no one reads anymore, when you can instantly publish your words and pictures with the tap of your cellphone screen? i know i've fallen prey to Instagram and all its surface prettiness, and how fundamentally simple it is to convey my photographs to the small audience i have. all with just a little bit of VSCO Cam shoeshine, a painfully bland upbeat caption that doesn't span more than 140 characters, some hashtags to bloat your likes, and you're good to go.

outside of my cellphone, i still take photographs with my DSLR. in fact, in the interim of my absence from 23, i have upgraded my 400D into a 6D. i have blogged about my desire to upgrade my gear, and to finally make the leap into full frame felt absolutely liberating to say the least. i have full rein of my gear, and the only thing that's stopping me from taking more photographs is me! well, to be fair the disappointment of adulthood catches up with you, and you find yourself doing more of the things you have to do, rather than the things you'd rather do. this entry is starting to sound like a disgruntled twenty-something's displeasure for the system. it's not like i've been completely devoid of the pleasure of photography. i'm just displeased at how much less photographs i've been taking over the last three years, and how i can't be arsed to do something about it. or have i?

the other thing i have been doing during my absence is attempting to finish off all my rolls of 120 film! the final roll has been quite a slow one, what with the many lazy weekends at home that ultimately led me to realize that 2015 is nearly one quarter over! fingers crossed that i'll actually finish that final roll of 120 film before the year ends. and don't get me started on the 35mm films. many a times i ponder on yet another 365 project to finish off my films, or at least dedicate a block of time to rekindle my love for film photography. but my new 6D - she's so shiny. and new. and awesome.

Chvrches Played KL Live, Kuala Lumpur

there i was back in KL Live once again. my previous pilgrimage to the venue was more than a year ago, and like a rabid fanboy, i was there an hour before the doors opened for that epic show. this time around i got there right as the doors opened, but already there was a sizable crowd waiting in tow to see the hottest indie act to hit our shores this year.

the hottest indie act?

Chvrches play a blend of synth pop that is catchy and genuinely great to listen to. i generally lump most of these mainstream indie bands into the "guilty pleasure" pile if i happened to enjoy a tune or two from them, but for some reason Chvrches play a respectably progressive kind of pop music - and i spell these words out post-irony.

anyway, they clearly were the hottest act in town because the sizable crowd generally consisted of college kids of the undergraduate variety (that being said, i am a sort of college kid, though of the graduate school variety) that when i think about it were probably around the age of 8 to 12 when the then hottest indie act, Arcade Fire came out with their magnum opus, Funeral. my point being, i felt pretty old amongst these nubiles and fresh-out-of-highschool faces.

to kick things off were a DJ duo of which i had no idea who they were at first (they were +2db) with their brand of chilled out ambient techno. it got the crowd going for a bit - i personally thought they played some decent remixes of none other than the headliner's big hit, "Recover", as well as an odd choice of remixing Justin Timberlake's old classic, "My Love". to think that single came out way back in 2007, when these kids would've most likely been 12 to 15 then - unaware of the significance of JT's pop music renaissance from Justified to Future Sex / Love Sounds. i don't suppose they even recognize the song? again, it's me feeling the pinch of approaching 30.

after pretending to bop to +2db's music for awhile, Chrvrches came on stage and blasted away with "We Sink". it became apparent to me that KL Live's sound system was complete shit as the instruments bled into one another. i basically couldn't tell the instruments apart as i would've easily done when i listen to their records at home or in the car. and to no surprise, Lauren's vocals were heavily buried underneath the mix.

the sorely lacking audio department was somewhat made up by the band's absolutely fantastic light show. laser pyramids envelop Iain and Martin while hazy lights blanket Lauren at center stage - it was unlike anything i've experienced in a gig so far (stopping short at something you'd expect at an EDM show, but that's a line i'll probably never cross). it was mezmerizing, to say the least. coupled with the band's synth pop tunes, the light and sound show complemented each other really well.

the show ended after an hour - what with the band having only released one record and a couple of soundtrack entries so far. the band closed their main set with the crowd-pleaser "The Mother We Share", before returning for a rousing encore. i wasn't sure i got my money's worth, no thanks to KL Live's shitty audio department. for what it's worth, the light show made up half of the entrance fee for me, plus i got to see my waifu Lauren and her band play. also, props to the doorman for letting me bring in my camera. how i wish i had a decent zoom lens with me that night.

no one belongs here more than you