MONO Played KL Performing Arts Center, KL

if there is one band i can trust to consistently tour this region that isn't a dadrock band, it is MONO. for the past 10 years, they have toured Kuala Lumpur at least four times. their first show i ever attended was held in the abysmal Zouk club where the sound system simply wasn't suited for MONO's dynamic sound palette. needless to say, it was a disappointing show mostly because the venue was shite to begin with. their next show i attended was in KLPac - which was a significant step up from their Zouk show because the sound for the most part had a better dynamic range. plus, the band employed a string quartet to accompany them for a number of songs, adding more variety to their setlist for that stop in their tour. it certainly was a better show, coming off the release of their latest LP, the magnificent "Hymn to the Immortal Wind" which they had been promoting in that tour. the fan favourites came pouring out, and i for one couldn't be happier with the overall show. the band had toured this region another time to support their "For My Parents" LP some four or five years ago, though i wasn't around to attend their show at the Bentley Auditorium.

fast forward to 2017, and the band makes their way once more to KLPac - playing a setlist that sounds very much like a greatest hits show. the band opened with "Ashes in the Snow" and immediately segued into "Death in Reverse", a cut from their latest LP, "Requiem for Hell". the entire show was a nice balance of MONO's ferocious tracks ("Requiem for Hell", "Recoil, Ignite"), and also their more sentimental tracks ("Pure As Snow (Trails of the Winter Storm)", "Dream Odyssey"). glaringly missing are the band's older works prior to "Hymn...", including the fan favourite "Yearning" from their "You Are There" LP. setlist aside, Pentas 1 has proven to be the comfiest venue i've ever attended a gig in. second front row with numbered seats may sound rather un-rock, but for MONO's brand of music, there's no better way than to partake in the music other than being seating, closing your eyes, and letting the feedback carry you through the setlist. my previous gripes with subpar sound system are finally quashed, as Pentas 1's dynamic sound system was certainly capable of differentiating even the most hushed of guitar pluckings. or maybe its because my ears are not trained directly in front of a wall of speakers like in their previous shows? the band bookended their show with another cut from "Hymn...", the lovely "Everlasting Light" which if i recall correctly was  also played to close their last show in KLPac.

while the entire show lasted a mere one and a half hours, the voyage through MONO's latter day body of work was satisfying as the band played all my favourite tracks from their respective LPs. even the meandering title track from "Requiem for Hell" was hard-hitting and delivered with great fervour. i admit that MONO's output this past few years have been somewhat lackluster, but for a band that soundtracked a great deal of my undergraduate college years, they will always have a special place in my music library. here's hoping the band will continue to make music and tour the South East Asian region again.

One Year

one year apart from each other's graduation ceremonies. amazing how time passes so quickly.

Helios 40-2 1.5/85

i took the plunge, and am now a proud owner of a Helios 40-2 1.5/85 lens. this particular unit already had a Canon EF mount attached to it, which saves me the trouble of picking up another M42 to EF mount converter. this is surprisingly a mammoth of a lens, weighing nearly one kilo. this gives the lens a solid feel to its build, though i imagine it'll be a challenge to shoot on the go. as one would imagine, it is a manual focus lens that requires a little bit of patience and luck to nail the perfect shot. i admit i haven't had the proper chance to field test the lens, but so far i'm rather pleased by the results. shooting wide open gives a softness to the photographs, and closing down several stops, the photographs come out surprisingly sharp like the Helios 44-2. not pin sharp, but sharper than what i expect from a lens of this reputation.

though this isn't my first time playing around with an 85mm lens, it is nice to actually own one. it gives me more to play with, granted i don't break my back or neck lugging this beast around. here's hoping a field test happens soon enough.

The Greatest View: Tokyo City View, Roppongi Hills

last time, i went up the Tokyo Skytree and copped a view of the city along the Sumida river. the view was great and all, especially at night, but nothing quite compares to the view at Tokyo City View. like the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building and the Tokyo Skytree, the reflective glasses are a bummer if one wants to photograph the night view of the city, though with a little bit of ingenuity and some patience, i managed to capture my favourite photograph of the entire trip. Tokyo really comes to life in the night time, all the activity happening on the ground level bottled in one fantastic view of the city,

Takao-san

an hour's train ride to the south western peripheral of Tokyo takes one to Takao-san, famous for being one of the many nature-centered vantage points where one can view Fuji-san on a clear day. the hiking trail up to the peak was a leisurely affair - along the way up, one may indulge in Takao-san's many snacks including their famous matcha ice-cream and red bean cakes shaped like the tengu of the mountain. on that particular January morning, our hike up was pleasant thanks to the generally warm and clear weather. to make things a lot more magical, it had been snowing here in Takao-san a week prior to our arrival, so the trails were covered in a blanket of snow. for yours truly, this is the first time i've ever set foot on snow, which adds to the excitement of the hike up. the peak, sitting 499.5 meters above sea level, was brimming with people - hikers, couples, a surprisingly large amount of old folks, school kids, and the odd traveller or two. everyone was wandering about, admiring the view of Fuji-san, opening up their bentos for a picnic at the peak, taking selfies after selfies, and generally having a grand time at the top of Takao-san. we settled for lunch at the vegetarian soba restaurant at the peak, with a fantastic view of Fuji-san and the mountain range it sat on to accompany us for lunch. nothing quite feels as comfortable as that one moment where my bowl of soba arrived and i started slurping up the delicious noodles. it truly is amazing how the world is such a beautiful place, and the chance to experience its awe and beauty is something i'll never get enough of.

Quiet Tokyo

Tokyo, being a bustling metropolis, surprisingly has some spots that are incredibly quiet and serene. walk the quiet streets of any suburb outside of Shibuya and Shinjuku, and you'll be surprised at being able to listen to your own thoughts. the temple grounds also evoke a zen-like feel, not only in the horticulture and landscaping, but the general hushness leaves its visitors at peace. for all the insanity that is the Tokyo subway system, the bright neon lights, blaring speakers, and chaotic streets of Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, and Akihabara, it's no wonder the Japanese take their time to envelop themselves in the tranquil of the shrines, bookstores, and that little walk through the suburbs before one has to jam themselves in the subways. i personally love the contrast - it makes Tokyo such a dynamic city.

Nightcrawler: Tokyo

never in my life have i returned to the same foreign country within the span of a single year. it is no secret to the people i know that my initial visit to Tokyo was indeed one filled with astonishment, gratification, revelations, and unfortunately too short-lived. a second trip was eventual, however it was only the issue of when it would occur. wanderlust took over, and there we were touching down into Haneda International Airport, scrambling into a local cab and getting literally lost in translation.

the neon lights of Tokyo reflect upon the taxi's windshield, we turn a corner and a familiar sight comes into view. the Shibuya crossing remains as busy as ever - thousands of Tokyoites scrambling across the street and dispersing into hundreds of directions. the lanky dudes in swanky coats, their sweet darlings hanging onto their arms keeping up in their high heels. this is the Tokyo i always envision in my imaginations - the infinite lights, the indefatigable people. the organized chaos, and the kombinis that never close. we disembark outside our hotel and make our way to the reception, greeted by an elderly receptionist who struggles a bit with his English, but was fairly able to comprehend our queries and requests. he comments on how we got ourselves the big room, when in fact it is probably three fourths the size of my room back home. hardly a problem - it is Tokyo, after all. i am back in Tokyo, and i am glad to be back.

Purple Reign

one fine afternoon i stumbled across an online article that highlighted photographs of African war children taken with the Kodak Aerochrome. the purple hues intrigued me immensely - landscapes of green were replaced with purples, adding an otherworldly feel to the photographs, as if the sight of militia children bearing AK-47s isn't already alienating enough. given that the Aerochrome doesn't exist anymore, i chalked it up as a passing peculiarity. then Lomography went ahead and introduced the Lomochrome Purple XR, though by that time i figured it was near impossible to procure a roll here as the film scene had long dissipated.

well, i did manage to procure a roll during my second trip to Tokyo last January (of which i've yet to blog, but we'll get to that someday), although i've yet to finish that roll (i'm ashamed to admit that the amount of photowalks i've gone on this year has taken a complete nosedive, but that's also for another day). in absolute boredom and simply for shits and giggles, i googled a simple infrared photoshop guide and processed some of my photographs. the results came out rather intriguing - perhaps not as intriguing as the remarkable shots of the militia children, but it'll do until i actually finish my roll of the Lomochrome Purple XR. also, the reworking of old photographs is an incredibly rewarding process - of which i (once again) hope to discuss elaborately in the near future.

Days with Chloe

"coffee?"

google maps. convoluted roads of greater Kuala Lumpur. sunday drivers. lengthy discourses. the potent whiff of coffee. painstakingly taking photographs of our meals. oh, and cake. lots and lots of cake.

when i am out with Chloe for a weekend brunch fix, a plethora of situations transpire, of which most of them involve the details mentioned above. Sundays are always the best for cafe hopping - everyone is at ease and in a chipper mood (unless they're on the road), the light shines somewhat differently, that first sip of coffee elicits a deep sense of elation, and the conversations drift aimlessly as the afternoon progresses. over our cups of coffee we discuss our muses, our aspirations, our disappointments, anxieties, loves, meals we've had, gossip - all in hushed tones among the crowd of young people yet to realize the ennui of adulthood. and we move on, to the next cafe, hoping to find a delectable dessert to arrest the sourness of everyday life - if only for that afternoon. we drove a lot, from the heart of the muddy confluence, to the fringes of Putrajaya. a temporary getaway from the ennui plaguing our lives, at least for yours truly. what better way to feel bored than to feel bored together with someday else.

thank you for all the coffee days! Montreal is cold, but i'm certain there are plenty of fantastic coffee joints around the city.