The Island of a Thousand Days

No one would understand. He saw that this was the perfect spot. A place for quiet contemplation. A place of solitude. A private place. A private world.

It was perfect.

An ink sketch done using Faber-Castell technical pens.

"We're just waiting looking skyward as the days come down
Someone promised there'd be answers, if we stayed around."
'The Romance of the Telescope' Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Bright Spot in a rather Dismal Week

The only piece of good news in this rather dismal week is the announcement that the new Covenant single "Ritual Noise" will be released in January 2006. The single is from the band's upcoming album "Skyshaper".

In other news, it would appear that De/Vision has finished their new album "Subkutan". Let's hope it will be as electronic as the previous two.

The original information can be found at Sideline.

"Once again he's all alone
Here I am the king of stone"
'King of Stone' Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Byzantine Cavalryman, 14th Century

An ink sketch of a dismounted Byzantine cavalryman with a torch at night.

Illustration Friday Theme: Night

"You see the new sensation,
I heard it call your name.
You're running 'round in circles,
You're making right again.
(The) telephone keeps ringing,
Your head is in the sand,
(The) future is unfolding,
But it's not what you had planned."
'Call my Name' Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

After Action Report (05.11.2005): 'Sword of Rome'

I have waited a long time to play GMT Games' 'Sword of Rome'. The 'Sword of Rome' is a strategic level treatment of the struggle for supremacy on the Italian peninsula during Rome's early years. The wargame utilises a system that is similar to Avalon Hill's highly sought after classic 'Hannibal: Rome versus Carthage'.


Before commencing we tried a sample turn with 5 rounds. After which, we randomly decided who should represent which power.

The Greeks - Seow Buay
The Gauls - Wei Yi
The Romans - Chris
The Etruscans and Samnites - Shyue Chou

Turn 1
The game started with a Gallic onslaught. The Gauls (Wei Yi) plundered the Etruria. The Etruscans (Shyue Chou) deign to take the lands back and instead strengthened the support of their cities to 3.

Meanwhile, Chris activated the Carthaginians and engaged the Greeks (Seow Buay) in a few indecisive manoeuvres and battles in Sicily. Chris had three 'Neutral Power Activites' cards and he used them well. The Greeks (Seow Buay) were fully occupied in the south. I couldn't do much as most of my leaders require '2' and above cards to activate. I was holding too many '1' cards and I passed a few rounds. Then, the Etruscans (Shyue Chou) seized the Roman city of Capua which had a support value of '1'.

The Gauls (Wei Yi) then commenced besieging the Roman city of Narnia, capturing it. At that point, Wei Yi played a Desperate Times card and attempted to seize a first turn victory but was somehow unable to secure the needed VP.

Turn 2
The Etruscans (Shyue Chou) proposed an alliance with the Gauls (Wei Yi) who agreed after I pointed that the Gauls could plunder the Samnites (Shyue Chou) and Romans (Chris) while having clear lines of communication north to their bases (and also that the Etruscan lands are still independent and have not recovered from being plundered). Two Gallic armies began moving south. A Gallic army began plundering Roman and Samnite lands shortly after.

This provoked the Romans (Chris) who had just started beseiging Antium which belong to the Volsci and also attempting to take Narnia back through another siege. Subsequently, Chris activated the Transalpine Gauls who took a few of the Gauls' VP spots, thus sending the second Gallic army back north. Then, Chris ventured with another Roman army which proceeded to destroy the first Gallic army.

I had three 'Neutral Power Activates' cards but I waited for the Greeks (Seow Buay) to move west towards Lilybaeum. Following that instance, I played the 'Mamertines' card, and endeavoured to trap the Greeks a la Stalingrad, by turning the Greek city of Messana behind into an independent one while manoeuvring a Cathaginian army to offer battle. The Greeks (Seow Buay) managed to win a battle with both sides incurring casaulties and he rushed back to Messana to lay siege on it.

Towards the turn, the Etruscans (Shyue Chou) broke its alliance and attempted to seize two Gallic VP spots for an instant Turn 2 victory. I played a Desperate Times card but was thwarted by another card. Following which, the Gauls (Wei Yi) began guarding their lands with a Gallic army.

Turn 3
The Romans (Chris) managed to capture two cities and building another walled city. The Gauls (Wei Yi) and Romans (Chris) became allied. Weakened after the previous push, the Etruscans (Shyue Chou) began consolidating and grouping their two armies into one. The Gauls managed to re-capture their VP locations while preparing against the Transalpine Gallic army which was massing north.

The Greeks (Seow Buay) were re-building their support.

Towards the end of the turn, the Etruscans (Shyue Chou) began to attempt to seize Gallic VP spaces again. This time, the Romans (Chris) tried subjugating my tribal lands and also besieging the captured Roman city Capua and eventually capturing it. The attempt to intercept that army saw the loss of a minor Samnite (Shyue Chou) army. The preventive measure would have worked if not for the Desperate Measures card I was holding. I played one before Seow Buay's round and was denied. And I played one before Chris' round and was again denied. Finally, I played one at the end of the 5th action round and was able to occupy a few Gallic VP spaces for a 11 VP win.

Thoughts on Strategies for the Etruscan and Samnite player

"When silence comes in, and creeps underneath the skin
If the lost word is lost and the spent word is spent
This is the time, this is the place where the story ends
Where the story ends
Where the story ends"
'The Story ends' Clan of Xymox

Sword of Rome: Thoughts on Strategies for the Etruscans and Samnites

From the game I have played, I realise that the Etruscans and Samnites are difficult to play since the Etruscans are sandwiched by the Romans and the Gauls and the Samnites are sandwiched between the Greeks and the Romans. With two cities, the Etruscans would have difficulty building a significant army. Similarly, the Samnites have three reinforcement areas. Here are my thoughts:

1. The Etruscans and Samnites must deny an alliance with the Romans in the early game. It does not mean that they should attack the Romans. Allying with the Romans in the early game would allow allow the Romans security to build up their cities, really a no-no. Numerous Roman walled cities in the long run are bad news. Besides, if there is a need to break alliances, the Etruscans and Samnites do not have many areas where they can reduce support (-3 support) and it would be dangerous to do so for the two Etruscan cities.

2. The Etruscans and Samnites must preserve a field army to force decisions. Other armies are always almost going to be larger and more numerous since the Etruscans and Samnites are two separate powers with half the strength of the Romans, Greeks or Gauls. Thus, it is imperative that they maintain a field army which can threaten and defend. If necessary, use the bribery ability or rough connection to avoid battles. Only engage if there is really a need or if there is an easy opportunity. (ie undefended Roman city, weak Roman army, etc)

3. Take the opportunity to seize a Roman city in the early game if possible. This can set the Romans back quick a bit.

4. Keep the Romans busy and don't let the Gauls keep you busy.

Session Report of 05.11.2005

"Strangelove
Strange highs and strange lows
Strangelove
That’s how my love goes"
'Strangelove' Depeche Mode

Meow is lost!

I am sad. Meow is lost. It has been four days since I have seen him. I called the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) this morning and asked if they had gone on a sweep for cats and dogs at my place. They told me that cats are not targeted. Phew.

He was a kitten when he first appeared in my kitchen one evening. I was reading a book in bed when I heard a 'meow' from the kitchen. I rushed downstairs and saw a little hungry kitten.

I fed him with leftovers. In time to come, he became part of the family and was affectionate. He would greet everyone with a 'meow'.

"When silence comes in, and creeps underneath the skin'
If the lost word is lost and the spent word is spent
This is the time, this is the place where the story ends
Where the story ends
Where the story ends"
'The Story ends' Clan of Xymox

The Cult of the Indulgent: Damien

This is the tribute to the Cult of the Indulgent. The obese. The numbers of the obese in Singapore has been multiplying. Fat little boys and girls now flood the streets. Hail to the new Every Man.


"Bought this guitar
At a shop called mars
But on the way back home
Strange things happened in my car
Started to play
All by itself"
'The Magnificient Tree' Hooverphonic

His Last Command

I just finished reading it last night. Wow! A great piece of pulp fiction. Engaging, tension-filled with twists and turns. Great fun.


I can't wait to read 'Sabbat Worlds'.

"Here's where the story fails
How did it come this far?
Here's where the picture pales
Is this the way things are?"
'The story ends' Clan of Xymox

Cult of Neil

This is a tribute to the Cult of Neil. Neil Gaiman appears to be just about the most popular comic book writer around here. Every designer, young person and comics fan worship him. Thus, I have a little tribute to the local Cult of Neil. Simple ink sketch.

The Awaiting Man

He stands waiting for the day.

A quite sketch. I am learning to use electronic ink markers on Painter IX. This could be better. Anyhow, it's an experiment.


"Hold your head up high-for there is no greater love
Think of the faces of the people you defend
And promise me, they will never see the tears within our eyes
Although we are men with mortal sins, angels never cry"
'Winterborn' The Cruxshadows

Lone Tree on a Knoll

A lone tree atop a knoll. One sees a lone tree on a hill top in almost every cliched film or advertisement. Anyhow, this piece was done using electronic oils.

"This magnificent tree
Appeared in my mind
Even without leaves
It’s strength was divine"
'The Magnificient Tree' Hooverphonic

My favourite Techno, Trance and Ambient Albums

Orbital - Insides
Orbital - Snivilisation
Orbital - Green album
Orbital - Brown album
Underworld - Second toughest in the infants
Underworld - Dubnobasswithmyheadman
Banco de Gaia - Heliopolis
Banco de Gaia - Last Train to Lhasa
Air - Moon Safari
C.J.Bolland - Electronic highway




The majority of them are from the 1994-1996 period. Of course there are a lot more but these are my favourites.



"Hold your head up high-for there is no greater love
Think of the faces of the people you defend
And promise me, they will never see the tears within our eyes
Although we are men with mortal sins, angels never cry"
'Winterborn' The Cruxshadows

Roman Legionary 3rd Century BC

A simple ink sketch of a Roman Legionary.


"Blue Hawaii, Piccadilly whore
A cocktail is what I'm longing for
Blue Hawaii, Piccadilly whore
Roger fell asleep you know"
'Club Montepulciano' Hooverphonic

The Synthpop Torchbearer: Todd Durrant of A Different Drum

Todd Durrant of A Different Drum music label single-handed* rescued synthpop from oblivion in the early nineties when the advent of grunge drowned out almost everything else. Today, there is a thriving synthpop underground due to his persevering efforts.

In the early nineties, the marketing executives at many record companies have made the shift from marketing synthpop and the music of the New Romantics to grunge (Nirvana, Green Day and other crap), techno (early techno like the Shamen, 808 State) and rap. This new trend saw synthpop bands dropped or relegated to the back catalogue and finally getting deleted. Slowly, synthpop became extremely hard to locate. In many instances, they became extinct. Radio stations soon adjusted to this new trend and the format and programming did not include synthpop.

Synthpop and some varieties of electronic music were difficult to locate in stores in the early nineties. A Different Drum, based in Smithfield, Utah, was an avenue and it provided an online store for synthpop releases of all kinds. From mass-market releases to independent American synthpop and German synthpop, A Different Drum was a mecca of synthpop and electronic music CDs.

Through his store, he introduced a whole range of German, Scandinavian and other European synthpop, ebm, darkwave, dark trance, futurepop and ebm. His introductions and his online store gave widespread exposure to them.

Todd Durrant went a step further, he released synthpop CDs under A Different Drum label and held synthpop festivals inviting bands such as Alphaville. Synthpop bands from Europe like Wave in Head, De/Vision, Daybehavior, Alphaville and KeiTheVez were released on his label. At the same time, many CDs including wonderful CD singles from American synthpop acts like Brave New World, Cosmicity, A Covenant of Thorns were released. After a decade or so, A Different Drum has released over 100 synthpop and electronic music CDs including compilations, remix albums and samplers.

Today, A Different Drum with a few other labels like Synthphony Records and Dancing Ferret represent synthpop in the USA. The synthpop underground lives today and is thriving through small independent labels and distributors despite the dictates of large mainstream labels and radios.

*There were a few others like CAT from the CATCompilation series and Information Society which were subscribing to these ideals. However, their efforts were shortlived.

Playing the Blues: A View of Depeche Mode's 'Playing the Angel' release

Depeche Mode is now a bunch of middle-aged artistes who are best remembered for their edgy, dark, underground eighties dance hits like 'Strangelove' and 'Everything counts'. When they first burst upon the scene in 1981-82, they were playing a brand of futurist pop like 'New Life', 'Dreaming of You', 'Photographic'. Their sound were unusual and totally different from the prog-rock of the seventies. It was a milestone. This was then followed by a few darker albums with industrial sounds and themes. These albums were innovative, trendy-setting and daring despite being hated by traditional hidebound critics.

Today Depeche Mode are blues pretenders with a bad case of the rock-god syndrome.

Previously, I felt that Gahan and Depeche Mode were able to express and give a personal sense of darkness and anguish that is uniquely Depeche Mode. Martin Gore's lyrics and songwriting captured that mood well and created a form of electronic darkness of that is distinctly their own. Depeche Mode was individual and different from the typical rock band. From 1993 and after, Gahan's lapse into the rock-god syndrome and Gore's venture into the blues territory, Depeche Mode veered towards a electro-blues mode with rock vocal leanings. There were stomping stadium rock ('I feel you') and gospel numbers ('Condemnation'). The vocal stylings and lyrics began to reflect that new direction. Bands evolve. And Depeche Mode did. Gahan and Gore had spoken of their personal heroes in interviews and have covered their favourite artistes in solos and compilations. Sadly, in an interview, Depeche Mode has even compared themselves to middle-aged rocker crap like R.E.M. and U2 and they claimed to have nothing in common with their contemporaries (ie other New Romantics, "we are rock/blues gods now, they are poor people with no money and we hate their hair-dos.") A case of hubris for these New Town Boys...

I think the drift towards that direction will continue tempered with whatever producer they choose in subsequent albums which is not unlike what Madonna is doing except that Madonna probably does less (not even the songwriting!). Some producers may stamp their signature on the resultant effort while others are less authoritative, so we are likely to see a variety. The uniquely Depeche Mode sound, supposedly crafted by the now departed Alan Wilder is gone.

'Precious', easily the best track on the album, appears to be a concession given the current direction. Despite the 'new-style' vocals, 'Playing the Angel' appears to have less of a pronounced 'blues and rock' feel (except 'John the Revelator' and a track or two) than the previous two. 'John the Revelator' is possibly the worst track on the album and it would probably be better to have been a B-side. The track is littered with blues stylings and harmonies which is extremely grating and it detracts from the album. Perhaps, if the vocals can be changed...

The Gahan-penned tracks (with his compatriots from his solo album 'Paper Monsters') proved surprisingly to be in the Depeche Mode vein despite his often stated rock-god pretensions. 'Nothing's impossible' is possibly his best track on 'Playing the Angel' and as such, is quite a worthy track. Note also that none of the Alan Wilder compositions have ever made it to any Depeche Mode album. (Except in the B-sides of singles)

For me, stand out tracks include 'Nothing's impossible', 'Damaged People' and 'Lilian' and the feel of these tracks do re-capture a little of the gloom in 'Black Celebration'.

On same topic regarding some critics describing 'Playing the Angel' an electro-dance album, I am not surprised as I think these critics have obviously not listened to it. The tracks here have to be radically remixed or stripped to be playable in a discotheque or club and I can't see how the tracks can stand on their own in a discotheque. Imagine 'Precious' coming on after a Perfecto or DJ Tiesto track. I don't think so. It would seem that often critics pigeon-hole Depeche Mode without ever really listening.

With 'Playing the Angel', Depeche Mode has in a way, come of age, they have lost the mantle of electronic (and synthpop) pioneers, taking on the distorted sounds and directions of other industrial bands, tempered with the decidedly average songwriting (at least for this album). Depeche Mode has, in my opinion, never really been comfortable or confident with their pioneering synthpop which has influenced so many other bands, and ultimately, they became a follower and slave to commercial rock radio. (MOR or AOR).

'Playing the Angel' has grown on me quite a bit. The album track arrangements with 'Introspectre' interspersed in the nineth spot as a musical interlude and 'Precious' coming in at the fourth spot did give a certain sense of integrity, a wholeness that is consistent to the overall theme.

All in all, 'Playing the Angel' is a good worthwhile album although lacking the greatness of 'Violator', 'A Broken Frame', and 'Some Great Reward'.

My favourite Depeche Mode albums (Ranked from favourite to least liked)**

1. Violator
2. A Broken Frame
3. Music for the Masses
4. Some Great Reward
5. Black Celebration
6. Speak and Spell
7. Songs of Faith and Devotion
8. Playing the Angel
9. Exciter
10. Construction Time again
11. Ultra

My first impressions of 'Playing the Angel'.
My first impressions of 'Precious'.

*Again, not a review but a view of the album.
** Excluding compilations, singles collections, live albums, remix albums

"So bury fear for fate draws near and hide the signs of pain
With noble acts, the bravest souls endure the heart's remains
Discard regret, that in this debt a better world is made
That children of a newer day might remember, and avoid our fate."
'Winterborn' The Cruxshadows

Chung Hwa Pencil

The humble Chung Hwa pencil. It is actually the premier pencil in China. I have used them. Not bad at all. I have also used Sea Lion and Great Wall pencils.

I have also used generic pencils from hotels and convention halls to draw. Those conventional hall ones are usable but the quality is not there. They break easily.

Current Books

I am always reading several books at the same time. I read a chapter on 'The Guns of Singapore' from Karl Hack and Kevin Blackburn's 'Did Singapore have to fall?' The chapter discussed the myths of the fortresses guns from several perspectives including the ability of the gun to fire landward, the suitability of the ammunition (APC or HE) and the distribution of various guns.

I finished John Hussey's narrative of 'Marlborough'. The 1711 campaign and the breaching of the Ne Plus Ultra lines is noteworthy.

For 'On Point: The United States Army in Operation Iraqi Freedom', interesting points includes the planning, execution and subsequent lessons from the gunships' deep strike. I have yet to read the entire volume and will do so within the next few years.

As for fiction, I am still reading Mary Gentle's 'Ash'.

"My feelings - as usual - we will slaughter them all"
Iraqi Information Minister, Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf (Baghdad Bob)

Pencils

I use a variety of pencils. The ones I use most frequently in the past were the Berol Venus and the Venus pencils. Excellent stuff.

I have used Staedtler and the Schwan Stabilo ones too.