2013 was a weird period in many lives, and mine was no different. G-Eazy had only released mixtapes at that point, which I particularly enjoyed, and Chiddy Bang was my favorite artist (while his position has been usurped and the grouping has broken up, they still have a special place in my heart.) Instead of studying for the SATs I would rant about why nobody should, particularly to my parents, who sent me to an English tutor anyway (this is how I discovered Christopher Hitchens, as it would turn out). On top of this all, I would spend most of my weekends playing chess, sadly wishing I could golf instead.
In the music blog scene (as Chiddy Bang should indicate, I first read about him on the old Pretty Much Amazing site), an up and coming producer named Jai Paul was all the rage. He had a couple of tracks out, and was rumored to be working on a full length album. Naturally, a mysterious producer like that would generate a cult following, of sorts, and so the album was constantly hyped up, its release eagerly awaited. However, the laptop with his album was stolen, and some of the tracks leaked. He promptly disappeared.
I would check in on various forums about the status of Jai Paul, and I was constantly surprised at how much active discussion there was about him over the years. People were meticulously dissecting his projects, analyzing his work and the leaks, and speculating on what he would do next. Eventually, along with his brother, he started a 'collective' called the Paul Institute, where they would bring their unique production styles and work with various artists on their tracks.
FABIANA PALLADINO - MYSTERY
This was released in late 2017, and marked a return to publicly making music, at least to some degree. For such a hyped artist, it was rare to see someone disappear from the public so totally, and with a track with Paul associated as a producer (and so clearly preserving his style) releasing, speculation whirled up again that a new album was coming out.
In 2019, he finally acknowledged the stolen material and some of the rumors surrounding them, and his long-leaked album was officially 'released', along with some new tracks.
LEAK 04-13 (Bait Ones) - Jai Paul
While I had heard the leaks a long time ago, I had long forgotten where I placed the hard drive that I had the original leaked files on. There's not much I care to add to the narrative, as I'd prefer to let the eclectic nature of Paul's production speak for itself. I can wholeheartedly say that I have never heard quite as unique a sound as Paul has.
Davos - Computer Magic
For the life of me, I can't remember how I found Computer Magic - YouTube recommendations or Soundcloud recommendations seem likely. However, her work has become some of my favorite to listen to. Her production style is remarkably clean and space-y without becoming overtly dreamy - a clearly audible, up-tempo beat is present in most tracks, with light synths overlaid. What makes her work so special to me is the fact that each track is energetic but not demanding, which allows it to be both actively and passively listened to, at any time of day.
READING
David Foster Wallace on John McCain: ‘The Weasel, Twelve Monkeys and the Shrub’
I don't mean to make a statement on the constant discussion on the ever-polarizing D.F.W., but rather I think that his overly verbose style works particularly well when discussing how insane the facts that we all know about McCain's life are, and how it makes an argument against (or at least implores us to analyze where it comes from) apathy. Though Young Voters aren't apathetic as much as far too overloaded with modern day politics, and though those politics are far more toxic than is healthy for the human, I read this article to remind myself to not just stick my head under a pillow and ignore it all, for there's no reason to do so other than 'it's easy'. The torrid definitions of the menial mechanics behind the campaign trails and the sheer audacity of some of these people being paid to do these things do their job as it makes you feel grim and bitter and cynical and yet, you are purposely put in this state so you'll be receptive as to why it's shitty to stay there.
Your Honor, Can I Tell the Whole Story?
A constant balance in how one thinks about systemic failures is necessary for sanity. On one hand, constantly harping on these failures at any opportunity raises awareness, but it alienates people who might need a moment away from thinking about a reality that is constantly, passively towering over them. On the other hand, constantly sticking your head under your pillow, like before, is just easy. There's nothing else to it. The story linked is a story of such abject failure in every single possible way, through individual circumstances, from every element of the court system to live up to it's intended purpose, to the lives that were, to you or I, objectively fucked beyond belief, but somehow found a way to not only make the best of it, but go far beyond what you or I would objectively think possible. Reading this and recommending others do it is the least I can do to keep my head from going under the pillow, and I'm thankful for the people who make the effort to write it.
A lot of times, when people have ideas about things they want to or should do, they overthink things. After over 20 years of writing (and running!), Murakami recounts some personal history about how he just, well, did things. And kept doing them.
I am Not Going to Talk About What Murakami Talks About When He Talks About Running, but he does have a longer, nonfiction book on similar topics called What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.