Stranger Fiction
Akhil’s journal of music & writing.
The Music Box
||
The Music Box ||
I don’t believe I’m in a position to share any facts about the band Basement except that, in the 2010s, they played lightly distorted mildly noisy alternative rock. And that in 2012, they recorded an album called Colourmeinkindness, which has a sound that serves as a great backing track for the part of one’s life that’s punctuated by deeply introspective walks in the blistering heat.
12 RODS sit high on the list of all-time favourites I never expected to hear from again; in fact, until a week ago, they perhaps sat atop that list. A week ago, that is, when they released their latest single, My Year (This Is Going To Be), and announced an album to be released later this year, their first since 2002’s Lost Time.
The hypermodel before me sticks her arm out a couple feet to take what must be an immaculately captured self-portrait that’d put Van Gogh’s to shame. In doing so, she reveals her pronounced wristbones, bony arms, pale and sunken pits, textbook indicators of poor nourishment.
The one thing that kept her going through a set was the promise of a beer, some fries, and a big burger on the other end. As she breezed through one lounge cover after another – from a smouldering rendition of Love Will Tear Us Apart through an absent-minded interpretation of Making Plans For Nigel to a non-punk version Teenage Kicks – all she would visualise was that meal: bar food on bar china.
You’re in mainland Europe – somewhere in the continent’s northwest. Alone in an English pub run by the English, frequented by the English. Most brownfolk with a sense of history would likely find much of the imagery here discomforting, but most would overlook it. The pub’s been playing the Bends, all the way from Planet Telex on; this is a strange sort of place.
Writing
||
Writing ||
Or check out my music.
In Chapter 6 of 'After Forever,' a conversation unfolds between the protagonist and Anax about their relationship and the decision to create new life. This chapter delves into memory, perception, and the evolution of identity in a post-apocalyptic world, highlighting the complexities of understanding and evolving within relationships in a world in which humans have no bodies.
After Forever, a sci-fi romantic dramedy, continues with this, its fifth instalment. The work is a narrative that’s set in a post-apocalyptic world where humans – as we know them – exist only as stored consciousnesses without physical bodies.
Chapter 5 of the story offers a deep philosophical exploration of life's meanings and expectations in a transformed world. The protagonist engages in introspection, questioning the purpose and significance of their actions, while pondering if they should have a child with their partner of ten years
Chapter 4 marks the halfway point of After Forever: a novel that’s set in a post-apocalyptic world where humans – as we know them – exist only as stored consciousnesses without physical bodies. This chapter centres on the protagonist's internal struggle over the decision to do the equivalent of creating new life in this dystopian world, or to use the parlance of the novel, ‘come together’.
Chapter 3 of 'After Forever' delves into the introspective lives of non-bodied beings. Exploring themes of emotion, consciousness, and the nature of thought, it contrasts their existence with human experiences, highlighting the impact of their artificial limitations in a thought-provoking narrative.
After Forever is a story of a post-apocalyptic world where humans are generated consciousnesses. Part 2 explores dynamics of love, existence, and humanity. In this part, our protagonist grapples with the decision to reproduce in this new world, while navigating a complex relationship with the enigmatic essayist Anax, who constantly wonders what it means to be human.
After Forever offers a glimpse into a post-apocalyptic future where humans are not born but artificially created due to our planet's hostile environment. The first part of the series provides a view of this world's complex social structures, ethical quandaries, and historic foundations. I start a personal exploration in this altered reality, where the meaning of being human undergoes constant redefinition.
In this piece, I navigate the intricate soundscapes of Pinegrove's Audiotree performance, set against the backdrop of the bustling city and its ubiquitous cafes. My exploration of indie studio sounds, alongside an introspective study of key indie bands, unravels a tale of life, hope, rejection, and the unending rhythm of the urban existence.