(Source: motherjones)

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Norwegian Arms - A Perception to be Proven Partially Inaccurate

from Сибирь Sibir’ EP download here

Norwegian Arms - Сибирь (Sibir’) EP  (click picture to download) So, I’ve been sitting on these songs for a while. I’m not entirely sure why, but I guess it’s because like all things I release, I’m insecure about giving them away, cause I’m not sure how they’re going to come back.  They’re free, or if you want to pay a little you can. on my bandcamp (click). Alternately, you could click the picture. These are two songs which, although also about experiences in Russia, they just don’t fit with the other music. Sonically, they’re a little different, instrumentally, they’re on a guitar. There’s a possibility that they’ll appear on the full length we’re to be recording this fall, I’m not entirely sure yet. If they are, they’ll appear somewhat differently. One was written while holed up inside a Siberian apartment in the dead of winter. The other was written prior to moving to Russia, but guessing what the experience of the first would be like. So they’re both about the same thing, only the first is the reality and the second is the preconception. I feel the order works that way, although it might seem initially backwards.

Norwegian Arms - Сибирь (Sibir’) EP  (click picture to download)

So, I’ve been sitting on these songs for a while. I’m not entirely sure why, but I guess it’s because like all things I release, I’m insecure about giving them away, cause I’m not sure how they’re going to come back. 

They’re free, or if you want to pay a little you can. on my bandcamp (click). Alternately, you could click the picture.

These are two songs which, although also about experiences in Russia, they just don’t fit with the other music. Sonically, they’re a little different, instrumentally, they’re on a guitar. There’s a possibility that they’ll appear on the full length we’re to be recording this fall, I’m not entirely sure yet. If they are, they’ll appear somewhat differently.

One was written while holed up inside a Siberian apartment in the dead of winter. The other was written prior to moving to Russia, but guessing what the experience of the first would be like. So they’re both about the same thing, only the first is the reality and the second is the preconception. I feel the order works that way, although it might seem initially backwards.

Say it out loud, but if you whisper
The air whispers back in small anecdotes
It may be frigid but the frost is yours 

2011.

2011.

2011.

2011.

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there are cities in Russia that are closed, where foreigners cannot enter without a permit or a special pass. this song is about one of these cities that contains a nuclear power plant. this is one of a batch of songs about my life in siberia that I will be recording over the next few months. download at http://norwegianarms.bandcamp.com

Река Томь: зима

This is the closest thing to white without being artificial. 
until your eyes adjust all you see is white separated by a few gray horizontal lines at various distances
and then a few small vertical brown growths from what used to be the ground. 

the gray horizontal lines congeal into bursts of vertical growth
genetically, not seasonally white.
biome indicators

the white isn’t smooth, though
there is a definition to it
like lumpiness
a minor topography
dips down in the middle
where the river was
rises again on the other side

the sky is cloudy and therefore it means it is only slightly darker
than all of the other white. it shares a reverse topography with the ground
in atmospheric lumps.

Excerpt from ‘Snow & Dog’ ‘It’s probably best if we go on our hands and knees. That way we won’t fall through. ‘What?‘Like this.‘Oh, okay. Three people were creeping across the snow that was probably four or five feet deep and frozen on top. It was hard to tell how far the ground was from the surface. They were making their way towards the river, having recently walked through a rather villagy street of the city they were in. They were making their way to the river because the photographer from France was taking pictures. Looking out across the river, it was hard to tell where it ended and the other bank began. The river itself had been frozen for about four months, many said it was frozen to the bottom. ‘They’ll probably have to blow it up’ one old lady on the street had said. There was a lot of snow on the river. It didn’t look like a river at all, just more snow. It was white and white and white. The sky was a little bit gray. The girl tried to stand up and her foot sank about two feet into the snow. She laughed and looked at the other two. She pulled her foot out and her boot was stuck and her legging was covered in snow. She steadied herself on the shoulder of the boy in order to brush off the snow and put her boot back on. Then she pointed towards the river. ‘See? Nothing. The boy and the photographer nodded silently.  Near the river the snow had become hard enough to walk on. They stood up and started walking north along what would normally be the bank, back in the direction of town. The girl walked fastest and the photographer walked behind her. The boy tried to take a picture of the whiteness on his camera phone. It didn’t turn out so well.  He walked faster to catch up with the other two. In the meantime the photographer had started taking pictures of some trees. His camera would click maybe once a minute. Slow. The boy looked at the girl and she was already looking at him. Then she turned her head away and looked at the river. Then she looked at the ground. ‘Do you like this place?‘Yeah, it’s beautiful. I can’t believe I live here and I’ve never seen this.‘I know lots of places like this one. I can take you there. The camera clicked behind them. ‘I want to take you more places like this, but alone.‘Why alone?‘So it will be just us. She looked at him when she told him she said it would be just them. He looked at her and then he looked away. Then she walked over and put her head on his shoulder. She breathed two or three times and the cloud of her breath mixed with his and became a larger breath cloud.  ‘You know I like you.‘I know.‘You don’t want to be with me?‘I can’t‘Why not?‘You know. She kissed him and he let her. She looked at him again, kissed him again. He turned towards where the photographer had been.  The photographer had walked farther north without their noticing. A dog came out of the forest and started barking at him. The photographer backed up and looked at the other two. They ran up to him and looked at the dog. The girl looked at the dog closely. ‘It’s a girl, it probably just has puppies somewhere. Just keep walking and she’ll leave us alone.  They walked and the dog kept barking. They were silent and the dog’s barks were very loud. The boy felt very nervous. The girl did not feel nervous but she was a little sad. The photographer thought he took one or two really good pictures. Then the dog went away once they had walked far enough. Photo: Helen Stuhr-Rommereim (site)

Excerpt from ‘Snow & Dog’

‘It’s probably best if we go on our hands and knees. That way we won’t fall through.

‘What?
‘Like this.
‘Oh, okay.

Three people were creeping across the snow that was probably four or five feet deep and frozen on top. It was hard to tell how far the ground was from the surface. They were making their way towards the river, having recently walked through a rather villagy street of the city they were in. They were making their way to the river because the photographer from France was taking pictures.

Looking out across the river, it was hard to tell where it ended and the other bank began. The river itself had been frozen for about four months, many said it was frozen to the bottom. ‘They’ll probably have to blow it up’ one old lady on the street had said. There was a lot of snow on the river. It didn’t look like a river at all, just more snow. It was white and white and white. The sky was a little bit gray.

The girl tried to stand up and her foot sank about two feet into the snow. She laughed and looked at the other two. She pulled her foot out and her boot was stuck and her legging was covered in snow. She steadied herself on the shoulder of the boy in order to brush off the snow and put her boot back on. Then she pointed towards the river.

‘See? Nothing.

The boy and the photographer nodded silently. 

Near the river the snow had become hard enough to walk on. They stood up and started walking north along what would normally be the bank, back in the direction of town. The girl walked fastest and the photographer walked behind her. The boy tried to take a picture of the whiteness on his camera phone. It didn’t turn out so well. 

He walked faster to catch up with the other two. In the meantime the photographer had started taking pictures of some trees. His camera would click maybe once a minute. Slow.

The boy looked at the girl and she was already looking at him. Then she turned her head away and looked at the river. Then she looked at the ground.

‘Do you like this place?
‘Yeah, it’s beautiful. I can’t believe I live here and I’ve never seen this.
‘I know lots of places like this one. I can take you there.

The camera clicked behind them.

‘I want to take you more places like this, but alone.
‘Why alone?
‘So it will be just us.

She looked at him when she told him she said it would be just them. He looked at her and then he looked away. Then she walked over and put her head on his shoulder. She breathed two or three times and the cloud of her breath mixed with his and became a larger breath cloud. 

‘You know I like you.
‘I know.
‘You don’t want to be with me?
‘I can’t
‘Why not?
‘You know.

She kissed him and he let her. She looked at him again, kissed him again. He turned towards where the photographer had been. 

The photographer had walked farther north without their noticing. A dog came out of the forest and started barking at him. The photographer backed up and looked at the other two. They ran up to him and looked at the dog. The girl looked at the dog closely.

‘It’s a girl, it probably just has puppies somewhere. Just keep walking and she’ll leave us alone. 

They walked and the dog kept barking. They were silent and the dog’s barks were very loud. The boy felt very nervous. The girl did not feel nervous but she was a little sad. The photographer thought he took one or two really good pictures. Then the dog went away once they had walked far enough.

Photo: Helen Stuhr-Rommereim (site)

Hand In Goat

What’s it like
to put your hand inside of an animal
feel around some organs and
assorted body parts

put your hand on its heart
and squeeze/pull/rupture something
near the heart
maybe feel the blood pour out
of a major artery/vein?

Do you feel:
Like a man
Connected with nature
Still drunk from yesterday? 

Just got featured in Tuvan’s finest online news source. Click the pic to see the article. Google Translate if you don’t know Russian. my favorite quote: Брендан Мульвихилл, США, исполнил песню в стиле кантри, сыграв на мандолине (струнный щипковый музыкальный инструмент небольших размеров) – удивил многонациональную аудиторию. lol @ not actually playing country.

Just got featured in Tuvan’s finest online news source. Click the pic to see the article. Google Translate if you don’t know Russian.

my favorite quote:

Брендан Мульвихилл, США, исполнил песню в стиле кантри, сыграв на мандолине (струнный щипковый музыкальный инструмент небольших размеров) – удивил многонациональную аудиторию.

lol @ not actually playing country.

Russian Words I Think Are Beautiful 9: Barbarian

Russian Words I Think Are Beautiful 9: Barbarian

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The USSR - Tuva Isn’t As Close As I’d Like It To Be

download at http://theussr.bandcamp.com

TRAIN 2 TAIGATRAIN 2 ABAKANTAXI 2 KYZYL GONNA SLEEP IN A YURTGONNA KILL A SHEEPGONNA LOOK CUTE 4ALL THE TUVAN GRRLZ I WANT TO SWIM WHERE VLAD VLAD PUTIN SWAMI WANT TO TAKE OF MY SHIRT LIKE HE DIDI WANT TO HAVE A ‘CULTURAL AWAKENING’  GONNA THROAT SINGGONNA CLIMB A MOUNTAINGONNA GO 2 A DISCO INSIDE A STADIUMW/ A SECURITY DETAILSO WE DONT GET ‘KNIFED’  TIME 2 TUVA 

TRAIN 2 TAIGA
TRAIN 2 ABAKAN
TAXI 2 KYZYL

GONNA SLEEP IN A YURT
GONNA KILL A SHEEP
GONNA LOOK CUTE 4
ALL THE TUVAN GRRLZ

I WANT TO SWIM WHERE VLAD VLAD PUTIN SWAM
I WANT TO TAKE OF MY SHIRT LIKE HE DID
I WANT TO HAVE A ‘CULTURAL AWAKENING’ 

GONNA THROAT SING
GONNA CLIMB A MOUNTAIN
GONNA GO 2 A DISCO INSIDE A STADIUM
W/ A SECURITY DETAIL
SO WE DONT GET ‘KNIFED’ 

TIME 2 TUVA