Palestinian Mazen Maarouf was raised in Lebanon, and recently forced into a double exile in Iceland after criticising the Syrian regime. We follow him from Reykjavik to Paris as he works on the translation of his third poetry collection into French.
Video Rating: 5 / 5
Album: Panopticon [2004] Post-Metal, Atmospheric, Post-Rock, Sludge, Experimental, Avant-Garde 1. So Did We [0:00 – 7:30] 2. Backlit [7:30 – 15:14] 3. In Fiction [15:14 – 24:12] 4. Wills Dissolve [24:12 – 30:59] 5. Syndic Calls [30:59 – 40:39] 6. Altered Course [40:39 – 50:37] 7. Grinning Mouths [50:37 – 59:04] Panopticon is the third full-length album by Los Angeles, California based post-metal band Isis, released by Ipecac Recordings in 2004. The album’s title is derived from philosopher Jeremy Bentham’s panopticon prison ideal and philosopher/historian Michel Foucault’s later allegorical appropriation of the concept. The liner notes also include quotes from technology writer Howard Rheingold and futurist Alex Steffen; as a concept album, Panopticon’s focus is on the proliferation of surveillance technologies throughout modern society and the government’s role in that spread. Critical response to Panopticon was generally very warm; as it followed 2002’s critically acclaimed Oceanic, many reviewers were quick to hold the two in comparison. The consensus was that Panopticon represented a progression, of sorts. The album’s sound continued Isis’ departure from the strictures of sludge and metal — which had been the hallmarks of their earlier material — and continued along the trajectory of post-metal, achieved by heightened use of melody and clean vocals. Band members Jeff Caxide — bass guitar Aaron Harris — drums Michael Gallagher — guitar Bryant Clifford Meyer …
Video Rating: 4 / 5