Period of Change

Undergoing a period of change: I had surgery, I got published and I went on vacation. Plenty of new music reviews in this episode.

A word

What's The Matter With Me? Podcast is sponsored by Hoppin Hot Sauce. Order it on Amazon.

JWH Live!

Writings By John Winfield Hoppin is live, because my editor said I needed a writer's website. I think it's pretty nifty..

Selfie Edict

Subscribers get the selfie for as long as we all live. It's a lifetime subscription

Shout outs

https://twitter.com/MarchandsPetRat/status/1779926937177358503

Shout outs to Marchandspetrat, hockey s-poster living with MS

Shout outs to Rocky, Cousin Eric

Gotta write up questions

Nerve Bumps (A Queer Divine Dissatisfaction) by Dax Pierson

Upcoming interview subject Dax Pierson

Shout outs to the Sandman who turned me on to James Wavey Snowy Beach, which was added recently at KFJC.

Psychedelic hip-hop from San Francisco

James Wavey Snowy Beach by James Wavey

Publication Dream Comes True

I was accepted on a piece of writing, and for the first time I made a signed agreement. Follow JWH Live! to hear more about the writing.

In the days before surgery

In the run-up to surgery, in a lot of trigeminal neuralgia pain, I increased my dosage and I felt like it was too much. Trying to even things out, I reduced by 25% overall, and it helped return me to the land of the living.

No coffee, no ibuprofen.

On a day when I would usually be recording, I went to the hospital to have surgery, my third RF Rhizotomy and fifth neurosurgery on my trigeminal nerve overall. I had two MVD (microvascular decompression) surgeries to begin with. Recovery is much easier with rhizotomy. MVD literally bores a hole in your skull, and it takes a lot of recuperation to heal. Hospital stay from rhizotomy can be as short as a few hours.

New tunes

In advance of surgery, maybe to take my mind off it, or to give myself something to look forward to, I bought some tunes.

Opera Glossolalia

Spontaneous Musical Invention by Thomas Buckner sings Robert Ashley

Robert Ashley is a composer of 1980s opera. There's a lot of talking in the libretto. The gatefold record comes with a cool book with photos. I really like the Recital label because they have interesting packaging. The record is one of 350.

Instructions?

Whiplash by Asha Sheshadri

This record is like sound art, but at the same time it's a record. I'Layered, specific, related to site. Like getting a bunch of jumbled-up instructions for a treasure hunt, cryptic. Edition of 200.

Chewing Gqom

The Gqom Trilogy by DJ Scriby // DJ Marillo // DJ Skothan //

Gqom is known for its beats which have a minimal, raw and repetitive sound with heavy bass. It is mainly described as having a dark and hypnotic club sound. The style of beats does not use the four-on-the-floor rhythm pattern which is often heard in other house music."Gqom" Wikipedia article

Digging this record - I'm new to Gqom, but I like it. The release is by three different DJs, a triple EP.

Drunk in Love by Elvin Brandhi & Lord Spikeheart

This is far out. File under extreme vocal performances. The feeling is metal, but the sound is electronic. Tense, spastic. Questionable in a good way, challenging material.

Numb

Now I'm back from surgery and my face feels different. Talking and eating and I'm sure other things that I'm not noticing are affected. Familiar disassociation after surgery.

It's a matter of deciding how I feel about the things that are different. First, I have to accept them.

Updating the map

After surgery, it takes time for my body to properly calculate changes in sensation, and adjust the body's size map accordingly.

In tune

The piano is tuned

Out on my own

Drove to Oakland by myself and went to a couple of friend's houses for about 3 and 1/2 hours. It was the first time in 16 months.