Bird Show
Lightning Ghost
Kranky

You know how I feel about headphones.

Or now you do. But what you don't know is that I've never been much of a Walkman fan. Preferring my headphone experience to be a personal one. One enjoyed at home. Relaxing on relaxing furniture.

I Like the sound of my outside world. The traffic and the birds. The children and the jackhammers. All of it, and music just seems a little out of place. Plus, a bit unsafe - I mean, I rely on my hearing to notice that truck turning more times than I want to admit.

I don't know, maybe I'm just afraid I'd get caught singing on the sidewalk one day.

However, when a friend of mine gave me his old iPod, I thought - what the heck. I filled it with Boris, Flying Luttenbachers and Fela Kuti, then turned the ear buds up and gave it a try.

Just as I thought.

I felt like my world was insulated from me, somehow. I was detached, watching and doing, but outside enough to be unconnected and uncertain.

Of course, my playlist Was a bit hyper.

I went back to my laptop and plugged in. Aimed more for ambient. Dumped on some Final, some Kemialliset Ystavat, some KK Null. Went on a walk. Kept the blue line shorter this time around so I could still hear the traffic on my right, the door buzz on my left, and Shawna saying Hi down the ways.

It was lovely. Background to my background. A little Hans Zimmer in my day.

Copyright © 2006 Alice Kenner