irsinkast

My recently discovered American connection Daniel Miess asked me to write a bio so there’d be some reference to the posts of my work he may be including in his poetry project. (Don’t feel obliged, by the way, Daniel. I know that most of my work would not qualify as poetry when scrutinised) I’ve written some biographies in the past. Mostly for one of the bands I was playing in. And next to doing performance video shoots it’s probably one of my most hated parts of being in a band. But it has to happen, because the audience wants to relate to the musician or to the author or to the artist. But you have to understand that it really sucks to be at the centre of things when you are actually too introverted to occupy such a space. It was never the reason I started writing or making music. Quite the opposite really. Because I don’t like it at all, I will do it in the only form that will give me some fulfilment. Here goes: I

When The School Of Life, which I absolutely love, asks me to fill out a survey, I fill out the survey. One of their questions was whether I had any feedback for them. Here’s what I had to say to that: “No feedback, only questions from my troubled mind. How can we use our power as consumers to effectuate change and put real pressure on the elite that organises and benefits from our consumption? How can we, as consumers and fans, truly motivate our popular linchpin figures to actually use their position to influence both producers and consumers towards social fairness and ecological awareness? The tools for influencing these mechanisms seem to be in place but there is no one with a working plan to move people away from their personal profiling needs and direct them towards a unified response to the ruling economic and political mayhem. I believe that TSOL could be one of those linchpins and formulate

I could say I am shocked but all of this did not come unexpected at all. Depressed as I may be, it was no surprise. To most, the closer to home it hits the clearer the sound of the turmoil and the greater the need to express outrage. I do not want to downgrade any of the recent events but I sure as hell won’t let you do that to any of the others by cutting the line to get retribution  for your personal pain. For our collective pain. If we truly believe in peace for all then there can be no favourites nor hierarchy. I have always aimed not to let myself be overly influenced by the laws of proximity in judging the morality and the atrocity of man. But I must admit that especially now, this is proving very hard indeed. I am affected, as a human and as a friend of those that are even closer to the core. I am looking at our small world and hoping that we can transform these feelings of outrage and disgust

I am no altruist. And I would not take pride in being one either. Humans have a natural state that makes us all savvy individuals as much as a mindless herd. An ambiguity I lovingly embrace.  But the things I would like to see happen for humanity and the planet in general might have an altruistic ring to them. I wish humans would become more aware of each other and actively work at a balanced planet. Because even if you are a total bastard you have to realise that none of us can eventually survive without it. And in the most obscured regions  of your consciousness and on your clearest of days, you must also recognise that every decision you make, every day, has an impact on that balance. As inconsiderable as that impact may be to you, its bearing is quite real and present. Some and maybe most people, on a global scale, are unquestionably in a position so precarious that they can not afford to spend time, energy, money or whatever on meditating these decisions. When you are a m