Thursday 5 November 2020

THE TAKING




Ok.  I'm thinking
there are a lot of things
that aren't working here
time to make changes



T H E  T A K I N G
volume up - 720p














optimized for night vision




a jim lamarche remix
from the album TWO LIVES

assembled in photoshop, logic audio & final cut

featuring the Roland System 8















DIRECTED & PRODUCED BY:
Intuitive Society

CAMERA / CUT:
Monika Vaskorova

CHOREOGRAPHY / PERFORMANCE:
Dasa Horvathova



 read more of Jim's blog posts here 


listen to the album ONE LIFE  >>>  HERE
(play all)















see the TEMPLE REDUX album/page here >>>



see the ONE LIFE album/page here >>>
http://www.jimlamarche.ca/onelife/


see the new TWO LIVES album/page here >>>
http://www.jimlamarche.ca/twolives/


see the new THREE LIVES album/page here >>>





Tuesday 3 November 2020

US & THEM - a discussion on ideological preferences




A few months ago, I engaged in a discussion with a friend whom I’ve known for years (my age) at the fitness centre where we both swim here in High Park Toronto.  This was our first exchange on the subject of politics and I was surprised to find out he was a hard-line Conservative, Trump loyalist and anti-masker.   Never knew that about him.  Eastern European in descent having lived in Canada most of his adult life, a musician, Dad like me (retired/daughter same age) but having been employed in a ‘real job’ for many many years, having endured some tough times earlier on and carrying a whole lot resentment.






 



Our ideological preference was a discovery for both of us and there was a newfound moment of alertness that eased somewhat as the conversation continued.  The word recoil comes to mind.  That said, I believe we both softened once realizing that a serious conflict wasn’t worth the trouble, nor should it dampen the hundreds of casual disclosures we’ve shared over the years.  Safe to say we have a genuine fondness for each other as fellow humans.  I’m wishfully thinking it’s what years of experience has taught us, both knowing that our intransigence on this topic would likely not waver … appreciating our differences and prepared to incrementally explore them in that moment.  Silence …


“So you’re a Trudeau lover”, he defiantly asked with a peering indignant look … “you think we should have open borders and let anyone in who wants to come here” sensing a tension escalation in his practiced broken english.  His assertion was more a stubborn proclamation this time; not so much a question but more a statement (of fact), like he already had me figured out - one of them.   What I got in that moment was his need to widen the polarity as far as it could go, stretch it tight … his white, my black - his right, my wrong … his freedom - my threat to that freedom; all the crazy crap amplified over the past 4 years.  In this world the light switch is either on or off, light or dark - no greyscale let alone colour.  Conclusive.









“No, I’m not a Trudeau lover just thankful it’s him running the country”, I said.  Now he’s looking even more agitated with a ‘what’s that supposed to mean’ look.  Continuing … “well let's just say that I respect all those who have made this their home, here now”.  Confused silence … “but Jimmy this is not their home” he said, really needing me to get this.  “Yes it is” I calmly reiterated.  “As for open borders, definitely not” I said … “but we need educated newcomers with skills for our economy to survive & compete globally” (thinking go easy).  “Immigration law in Canada is strict and there’s a very real criteria/rules one needs to have to qualify to stay & work and it’s not so simple”.  “Ok” he said, “so then they get here then they bring their whole family here too, when there are ‘real’ Canadians who are unemployed and need help”.  Everything is stretched to the max thinking this is going to be a tough sell, articulating my (obviously flawed) reasoning.  "You see, Canadians often lack the skills/education needed/required for the job, that's why most of the doctors in rural Canada were born in other countries - supply & demand".   Now there's a sense of internal fuming in the silence, continuing.  "Your fruits & vegetables ...  foreigners often do things and go places we 'Canadians' won't do or go to - we need them."


Wrapping my wet suit in my towel and putting it in my gym bag, zipping it up.  Quiet.  His head now shaking almost in disbelief (thinking it just might explode).  Black or white, light or dark - no variation.  The troops are dug in and they’re not going anywhere - pause.  Twenty seconds passing, looking over at him.  “They need to be deported … sent back”, he defiantly remarked.  Extended silence.









Referring to him by his first name ... “Where were you born?”, I asked.  “Lithuania” he earnestly replied.  Contemplating the fallout of where this was going, still risking it … “So maybe you need to be deported too” I said.  His jaw slightly dropped.  Dumbfounded, disgust.  “You’re crazy” his last words to me, walking away.  I’ve seen him a dozen or so times since and it’s almost as if that conversation never happened.  Like we both know not to go there.  


I’m fine with that.




 



Tuesday 20 October 2020

WELCOME HOME - a 3 part mini-series by Jim Lamarche





in peace, sons bury their fathers
in war, fathers bury their sons

herodotus




ONE LIFE
WELCOME HOME
FAITH




(below screenshot)








WELCOME HOME
a 3 part mini-series
sound up



















optimized for night vision



a jim lamarche remix
from the 3 part mini-series - WELCOME HOME
and from the album ONE LIFE


assembled in photoshop, logic audio & final cut



featuring the Roland System 8















 read more of Jim's blog posts here 



listen to the album ONE LIFE  >>>  HERE
(play all)




thanks to Alex, who gave me the idea to do these
bite sized - mini-series things

coming soon
DIWALI 20













Monday 19 October 2020

MEMES (a collection of jimlamarche.ca memes)


 MEMES 
(a collection of jimlamarche.ca memes)


It's a hobby of mine
creating memes (mostly political satire)

I've taken some and am posting here
Feel free to share (one or all) if you wish.





















































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Sunday 11 October 2020

NO REVIVAL



one needs to understand the masculine
to heal the feminine



N O  R E V I V A L
volume up














optimized for night vision





a jim lamarche remix
from the album THREE LIVES
closure
assembled in photoshop, logic audio & final cut
featuring the Roland System 8

source music
tal richards & alexandra norton
'revival'

source visual
unbroken (2014), universal pictures (vobile)















 read more of Jim's blog posts here 



listen to the album ONE LIFE  >>>  HERE
(play all)









Wednesday 30 September 2020

MOROCCO



here's looking at you kid

humphrey bogart - casablanca



M O R O C C O
volume up














optimized for night vision





a jim lamarche remix
from the album TEMPLE REDUX
assembled in photoshop, logic audio & final cut

featuring the Roland System 8


dance footage - w club marrakech
by tibor lenzi

source track courtesy: shanty deep


read more of Jim's blog posts here 













listen to the album ONE LIFE  >>>  HERE
(play all)




FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH
the story behind morocco


august 1994
cherry beach, toronto

I worked late sessions at the studio
leaving at 2am and hearing this thumping
a block away back on cherry
so dark - stars - crickets 
(thinking) what the hell

curious, I went to check it out
it was a rave - full throttle - a sign of the times
later finding out the owner quietly rented out 
the massive empty warehouse
to kids - thousands - insane
in & out in 12 hours

thinking 'how did they know'?
illegal and very temporary 
AND incredibly elaborate
technically

I walked right into it
from the door onto the dance-floor
dj up high on a riser - huge quad sound
middle eastern/indian theme/music
2 rooms - hundreds dancing
bellydancers in heels, guys barefoot - ok
everyone lit like it's diwali
bollywood up on projection screens
ambitious - colourful

hijabs & berkas
and not a whole lot of clothing




O R O C C O



I walked through the dance-floor
lazer lights, sound, the vibration
being rubbed against - along the way
and finally (slowly) into the lounge area
on the other side - hookah tables laughing, black hash
buying a (spiked) kool-aid for $20

watching for an hour
in utter amazement
a year later there were no more transient raves
anywhere in toronto - city clamped down
gone (wonderful memory)








Sunday 13 September 2020

SLIMEBAG



steal a little and they'll put you in jail
steal a lot and they'll make you king


bob dylan




S L I M E B A G
volume up


 









a jim lamarche remix
w/forest dub/runo


visuals: apocalypto
directed by mel gibson



assembled in photoshop, logic audio & final cut
featuring the Roland System 8


TEMPLE REDUX  



see the ONE LIFE album/page here >>>














see the new TWO LIVES album/page here >>>
http://www.jimlamarche.ca/twolives/


see the new THREE LIVES album/page here >>>