1. |
Cloud of Dreams
03:25
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woke up one morning
singing phrases from a dream
into his mobile phone
his note book out of reach
in the morning
it doesn’t matter
one fleeting impression
among many others
dream diary in the cloud
in the morning
a cloud of dreams
geo-tagged, metadata,
dreams no longer forgotten
from this morning
this song, singular thing
thing, ephemeral thing
a memory from a bar
a run around the park
in the morning
dreams all encoded,
uploaded, to a cloud
[there’s no one listening in]
from pillow to server
in the morning
a cloud of dreams
related to a data subject
pseudonymised fragmented
from this morning
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2. |
Off Off On
04:25
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what with this, and that
what with when, and how
what with chaos, and form
what with how, and where
where with why, and whom
this which when, and where
what with shape, and substance
why, with what, and when
what with warp, and woof
with what weft, and weave
what with all, and nothing
who, and when, would think
when with where, and tear
when with thus, and thou
what with truth, and justice
what with this, and that
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3. |
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in this month at this hour
the sun reaches over into the yard
and draws up cool shadows
the remnants of night
in this month
at this hour
the sun reaches over
and draws up
slakes its thirst
in the cool dark shadow
at this hour
at this time of year
the yard is an oven
when the sun has slaked its thirst
in the long shadow
remnant of night
this hour
this time of year
the yard is an oven
when sun’s unquenchable thirst
swings the angled shadows
against the wall
draws up shades
this time of year
this hour
the sun reaches into the yard
slakes its thirst
at in deep cool shadows
remnants of night
embedded in the ornate carvings
over the door and windows
at this time of year
this hour
the yard is an oven
the sun reaches its tongue of fire
draws up
slakes its thirst in the remnants of night
as if darkness could be drunk
from where it hung
against the ornate facade
the yard becomes an oven
at this time of year
this hour
the sun reaches over
slakes its thirst in the long cool shadows
those remnants of night
that hung
seem to soften
our early hammering
the yard is an oven
this time of year
at this hour
the sun reaches over
slaking in one gulp
devours deep cool shadows
those remnants of night
that hung
muffling the rhythmic
ring of our hammering of chisels
the yard is an oven
at this time of year
at this hour
the sun reaches over
to devour the long cool shadows
those remnants of night
that hung muffling
the rhythmic ring of our
hammering chisels against stone
at this time of year
at this hour
the yard is an oven
the sun has reached over
to devour
the long cool shadows
those remnants of night
that hung
muffling the rhythmic ring
of our hammers working the stone
at this time of year
this hour
the yard is an oven
the sun reaches over to devour
the long cool shadows
to abruptly drag them up
leaving a few rags here and there
at this time of year
in this hour
the yard becomes an oven
as the sun reaches over
to [give our] devour
long cool shadows
to abruptly drag up its gift
leaving patches
snagged in bischen mouldings
at this time of year
this hour
the sun reaches over
into the deep cool shadows
that hang in the yard
drags them up
leaving only scraps here and there
this time of year
this hour
the sun reaches over
and slakes its thirst
sharply drags up
to devour
the deepest shadows
that hang in the yard
at this time of year
this hour
the sun reaches over
to slake its thirst
to devour
deep cool shadows
it hung in the yard
at this time of year
at this hour
the sun reaches over into the yard
to devour the deep shadows
that hung there giving us succour
to slake a constant thirst
and those remnants of night
leaving only scraps
snagged in broken mouldings
this hour
the yard becomes an oven
the sun reaches over to devour
long cool shadows
that hung
slaking a thirst
in the remnants of night
this hour
this time of year
the yard is an oven
the sun reaches over
to devour
to withdraw
those remnants of night
that hung here
at this time year
the yard becomes an oven
each of us working here
cutting stone
contrive a shield
against the glare
this hour
this time of year
the yard is an oven
the sun reaches over
to devour
those cool remnants of night
at this time of year
the yard becomes an oven
each of us here
working with stone
contrive a shield
against the glare
this hour when the sun arches over
to devour
cool remnants of night
that hung here
abruptly dragged up
all shade
at this time of year
at this hour
the yard is an oven
the sun reaches down
into the yard
to slake a thirst
when darkness draws
the remnants of night
at this time of year
this hour
the yard is an oven
no sea laps here
the sun reaching down
drags up cool shadows
that hung here
leaving only remnants of night’s dark air
at this time of year
this hour
the yard is an oven
no sea laps near
the sun reaches down
drag cool shadows away
leaving only remnants of night darkened air
at this time of year
this hour
the yard is an oven
no sea laps near
the sun reaches down
drags up
the long cool shadows
leaving only
remnants of night
in hollow cut vines
scrolling over windows
at this hour
the yard is an oven
no cool river laps near
the sun drains
all shade that hung here
leaving only rags
snagged under hollow cut vines
hung over the windows
at this time of year
this hour
the yard is an oven
no cool river runs near
no sea laps
the sun at this hour
draws away those remnants of night
that hung here
leaving only rags snagged
in broken mouldings
of this time of year
of this hour
(when the) sun abruptly takes back
its gift of shadow
and within it darker remnant of night
that nourished the early hours
at this time of year
in this hour
the yard becomes an oven
as the sun draws cool air
folded in the last remnants of night
that hung here
at this time of year
the yard is an oven
in this hour
the sun burns away
in the remnants of night’s moist air
that nourished
only rags left behind
snagged in hollow cut
of vines scrolling in spirals
of acanthus leaves
at this time of year
at this hour
the sun abruptly withdraws
its gift of shadow
and with it the last remnants of night’s moist air
that nourished the early hours
leaving behind only dark rags
in this hour
at this time of year
the yard is an oven
the sun moves over
drains away
those moist folds
in the remnants of night
that hung here
leaving only rags
snagged in hollow moulded
vines that snake over windows
the yard here is an oven
at this hour
at this time of year
when the sun’s insatiable thirst
drains away dark moist air
from the remnant of night
that was our succour
at this time of year
in this hour
the yard is an oven
the sun’s thirst seems insatiable
drains moist folds
the remnants of night
that hung here
only rags are left
the yard here is an oven
at this hour
at this time of year
the sun’s insatiable thirst
drains dark moist air
from those folds
in the remnants of night
that hung here gave us succour
no river Bevida runs
no Sea of Caesarea laps the stones
the yard is an oven
at this time of year
in this hour
the insatiable sun
drains the cool dark air
from the last remnants of night
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4. |
Without Moment
03:40
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moving across the bay
song of cicada crackle
hissing from trees
electric night
moving in from the bay
anticyclonic rain
in hanging dark cloud static
through misty haze
into the light
in the darkness of day
and now
without moment the storm
that blows in tonight
is riding the crest of the bay
and then
without movement in the
cold morning light
was rounding the west of this day
dragonflies, ants, and moths
locusts, termites, and beetles
firefly night
deep in the light
warm afternoon autumn
silver light water steel
grab and hold swell kite ripples
morning glows red
frost, snow, and drought
moving across the bay
and soon
short and long waves will cross
the beach some night
riding the north of a day
and when the
long dusk short twilight
in warm evening sun
the white full moon will rise again
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5. |
Riverside Living
02:49
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turning the tide on the river
getting higher every day
down by the creekside
high spec apartments
higher and higher and higher
every day
selling place to the foreigners
nothing gets in their way
down by the river
water and networks
slower and slower and slower
every day
turning their backs on the village
(but) nothing just goes away
sewage and bandwidth
the tide and the rainfall
higher and narrower and higher and narrower
every day
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6. |
Home Economics
04:20
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I live in a dynamic city destination
I live in a global statement
a global benchmark precinct
marries culture and design
cosmopolitan natural beauty
prime vibrant waterfronts
prime heated pool, prime gymnasium
prime features, prime location
stunning waterside address
canvas, bench becomes a gym
a running track or a cafe
unique natural water way
visionary vibrant evolution
world city retail class
leisure dining global statement
a connected complete community
I am happy in my home
I must be happy in my home
I should be happy in my home
you must be happy in your home
you should be happy in your home
you are lucky to have a home
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7. |
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in the landscape
dry and dusty
something stirring
after the fire
mushroom weather passing through
elusive enigmatic
neither plant or animal
the mushroom makes the forest
the symbiopoietic
self-organising system
through mycorrhizal networks
the mushroom makes the forest
stripped back down to its binary code
in assemblages of objects
termites larvae and crow tree sand
the snouts the limbs the branches brush the sky
insect eye fruit
pushing from soil
berry lush trees
fertile and loam
the fauna in the flora
simultaneous assemblage
a pineapple animal
with cauliflower foliage
on the broccoli mountain
the pandanus umbrella
the fauna in the flora
shadows cast dry river bed
the glacial sky and tree mountain
with fruiting bark, eyes in the sand
trees with face and feathered branch
the green fruit red blue rainbow riding through
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8. |
Pattern Accumulating Dub
06:30
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percentage clear clouds
1705UTC
sea level pressure
17,850 kHz, June 25 10:48UTC
The signal is weak
13,710kHz
12,035
UTC 20:52
clouds percent broken clear
Few Overcast Scattered
Russian Channel Marker
Precipitation
level pressure snowfall
diurnal temperature range
20:33 UTC
The Voice of Vietnam in Russian
announcing number & letter groups
snow depth
Mean Wind Vector Magnitude wind chill
15,435kHz
dewpoint temperature
7,260kHz
quarter diurnal reading
April 22
military parade style music
11,735 kHz
USB E07 "The Englishman" Russian numbers station
a lot of fading and noise
December 11
UTC 20:52
heat index
Voice of Indonesia with Arabic language speech and music.
few overcast scattered
The Voice of Mongolia
Radio Thailand, a regular visitor
daily minimum temperature
North Korean Broadcasting Service
Jul-16
17:15UTC
Korean weather broadcast
Asian drift net fishing beacon, on five minute cycle
9,730kHz
9,665kHz
cooling, clouds, snowfall
jamming signal in background
15,435 signal had men talking, like a news or interview
UTC 1643
Fair to good signal with low modulation and some noise/fading
11:48 UTE 1.762MHz CW "2AFVW 2AFVW 2AFVW"
heating degree days
17:05UTC
Radio Vanuatu
China with male & female chatting in Chinese, sounds informal.
16:45UTC
Christian music national anthem
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9. |
Sickness Country (live)
10:28
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scramble up from the track
in the breath of the heat on the wind
past the smoke of the fire
scrubby grass and the river is dry
butterflies, blackened tree
plateau, savannah, falls, and floodplain
pandanus spiralis
stones underfoot, the walk to the ridge
and there Myormu
waiting for me
sickness country
and in rock escarpment
in the deep past
Miyamiya
and the camera phone
brow trickles waterfall sweat to the ground
from the mountain below
Google Earth, or a video drone
as the ground is above
captures fatal painting photograph
the rainbow came through
tail lights and explosions below
and this sickness country
all that you can see
is what you’re told
you can see [to see]
peripheral night
Soon after twilight
flashes of light
when the sickness takes hold
nausea, vomiting, appetite loss
dehydration, confusion
cells degraded by autophagy
bone marrow syndrome
cutaneous blisters ulcers
sweat glands atrophy
DNA clustered damage takes hold
somewhere…
over the rainbow
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10. |
subsong
03:19
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where will, it go, such song sung low
beyond, right now, where will it go
ever, nearly, subsong sung long
next verse, blank verse, verse in reverse
it fades, dissolves, forms and resolves
from verb, to noun, amplifier
cyber, corpus, hallucinate
inner, body, experience
visceral, embowelled, corporeal
somebody, song body, conscious being
volume, song mass, chorus corpus
sung into being, life of its own
to play, to sing, subsong so slow
where will, it go, such song sung low
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11. |
And on the Heath
13:36
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It’s bound to fail
this impossible landscape
It’s over there
always the past
out of place
and out of time
we can’t observe
the boundless heath
all we do is
point to things
for all we see
the camera phone
might as well be
in selfie mode
the heater’s on
the windows are thin
I’m trying hard to
to keep this warmth
smile with us
in the morning
the best music
we play it all for you
again the same car
driving more slowly
and other traffic
moves toward camera
before indicating
taking left turn
stationary cars
pedestrians
all grey up on
the black heath
low edge of cloud
shallow depth of field
forms rectangular
metallic sky
green underneath
and seen between
oblique squinting
ochre sunlight
dull glow diffuse
overcast
and on the heath
sirens, police
crows, ducks, and geese
a Tuesday in
the afternoon
up on the heath
early winter
crisp and chill
mounds in circles
bus rattles past
sirens and geese
crows and police
mind how you go
raven or crow
light on a branch
skeletal tree
on Whitefield Mound
birch, fir and gorse
camera pan
speeding van
rain falls in grey
far away
back on the heath
I try to write
the sense of site
invoke the place
the here and now and
back in time
in '88 or '73 or '99
It’s bound to fail
this impossible landscape
It’s over there
always the past
out of place
and out of time
we can’t observe
the boundless heath
all we do is
point to things
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Steven Ball London, UK
Steven Ball has been working as an artist since the early 1980s, in film, video, sound, installation, and performance, and has been a member of the post-punk DIY group Storm Bugs. In 2014 he started writing and recording songs as a solo project, being particularly concerned with experimenting with which kinds of texts might constitute a song lyric. ... more
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