Some popular trends strike a chord with me and curated solitude is definitely one of them. Just the sound of the concept is appealing. I was aware of the existence of curated playlists and reading lists, but "curated solitude" was a new concept for me. Maybe, I live in oblivion. Curated solitude is the collective name for the intentional, conscious act of creating, protecting, and designing alone time to escape overstimulation, recharge, and foster self-awareness. It began as a wellness trend, and involves mindful choices like silencing phones, walking without headphones, or simply declining invitations to prioritize yourself over constant social connection. I thought curated solitude was aimed at old people like myself. But, oh no. The target is group is the younger generation who are slaves under their mobiles and in need of a social media detox. They are so stressed out that their solitude needs to be curated by others. Curated solitude resonates with me. I picture myself in my old age listening attentively to Bach Goldberg Variations just like Dr. Hannibal Lecter ("Ready when you are, Sergeant Pembry") in the psychological horror thriller Silence of the Lambs. And clearly, without the need of a steel cage.   

We live in a world full of feeds, algorithms, reactions and endless attention seeking. However, most things flashes by without leaving an imprint. I'm very thankful for that. Then something out of the ordinary happened. I received a letter complete with envelope, airmail etiquette, stamp and sender address (in the real mail). It was a letter from Dad Horse, or more precisely a 16-page leaflet in German and English. A couple a weeks ago Dad Horse made a grand exit from social media, read more here (opens in a new window). The leaflet, or bullentin as Dad Horse prefer to call it, contains upcoming shows, link to his Substack page, links to merch in the US or EU, link to Bandcamp. You could also join the cult and become a member of the order of the cult (a patronship). There are three different levels (hybrid saint, modern saint and hardcore saint). I will probably not become a saint, but I will continue to buy his Keller Gospel music. The leaflet also contains personal and well-written texts from Dad Horse himself. The music industry is crazy. Playlists have replaced knowledge, taste and curiousity. The old Andy Warhol saying "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes" is now down to nanoseconds. What once upon a time was borrowing a few beats from other artists has become stealing the whole piece without remorse. AI-generated music is nowadays being reviewed, which must be a contradiction in terms if there ever was one. Streaming is slowly but surely suffocating creativity. I was both surprised and encouraged by the old-school leaflet from Dad Horse. It was personal, neat and handy. As always, interpersonal relations is the key to everything.  

    

The Builders and the Butchers will be releasing their seventh studio album on April 3rd 2026. I have preordered a cd copy. The new album has the omnious title "No tomorrow". Frontfigure Ryan Sollee comments: "The overarching message is that we can find hope in each other and still lead lives full of joy and creativity even when systems and leaders fail us. We believe we have much more that unites us, than divides us and that music is one of the best ways to create a connected shared experience for people." Keeping on playing music seems like the only thing to do. The octet orchestra on Titanic kept on playing music, intending to calm the passengers for as long as they possibly could, during the ship's sinking in the early hours of April 15, 1912. No comparison intended and I apologize for giving that impression. The Builders and the Butchers never disappoints. The dark gothic folk band has been going for 20 years and always delivered consistent good quality. I expect nothing less this time.    

Audiophiles are a dying breed. Some sources claim that more than 40 percent of the audiophiles are over 65 years. There is no next generation to take over and replace them. Should we be surprised? No. Hobbies come and go. I can take myself as an example. I have a stamp collection that no one is interested in. It's more or less worthless today. The workings of supply and demand is unnostalgic and brutal. Back to the imminent audiophile extinction. Should we be saddened? No. They did their utmost best to scare people away. It's a heavily male-dominated, unhelpful community with elaborated suppression techniques. They brought this on themselves. It's all very well to be sorry now. There's a growing awareness and effort to attract younger, more diverse participants, including women. I think it's too late for that. This ship has sailed. Should we be concerned? Yes. There are 17 Global Goals (officially known as the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs). It should be 18. Goal 18 should be Clean och Good Sound (corresponding to Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation). The 18th goal of sustainable development is needed to ensure uncompressed and well-sounding music for all. 

"You don’t become cooler with age, but you do care progressively less about being cool, which is the only true way of being cool. This is called the Geezer’s Paradox." A "geezer" is slang for a man, but its meaning varies by region: in the US, it usually means an odd or elderly man (often mildly derogatory); in the UK, it just means "guy" or "bloke," sometimes implying a streetwise, charismatic, or even shady character, but not necessarily old. The term comes from an old word for a masked actor (guiser). The most famous "geezer" in the world is Terence "Geezer" Butler, bass player and lyricist in Black Sabbath. When you are young you are very concerned with what other people think in general and what they think about you in particular. You are very vulnerable when you are 14 years old. To see a group of young teenagers interact (female in particular) is close to watching shoal of fish in an aquarium. They move around in a (seemingly) erratic manner and are here, there and everywhere. Obviously, there are stages in life which you must pass. When you become a "geezer" you stop caring about what other people think. But, no one will notice that you are cool. This is the double Geezer's Paradox.