My 9 Movies

My 9 life movies (in random order)

Discolored 2

Restoring life in a world drained of color

A visually gorgeous surreal adventure (in more or less the same vein as the first Discolored game, but this time with optional enemies and bosses), in which we are trying to return color to an entire world rendered completely gray and almost lifeless by a malicious organization.

Gabriel Knight 1 - Sins of the Fathers (20th Anniversary Edition)

And there was light

The first time (about a decade and a half ago) that I attempted to install Sins of the Fathers on my then Windows 98 SE PC, I was met with bitter disappointment; the game just refused to run properly, defying any and all workarounds. It was only in 2015 - thanks to its drastically revamped, 20 year anniversary edition distributed on Steam - that I finally got to play this legendary adventure, rightfully considered as a cornerstone in its genre.

Serena

Twists of plot, twists of fate

A nice, atmospheric little game telling the story of a failed writer who finds himself locked in a wooden house in the forest, unable to remember his recent past. An exploration of his surroundings gives him some clues which make him doubt his own actions and motives. Serena seems to be his wife, who has disappeared under suspicious circumstances. But what exactly happened to her, and why?

The Fidelio Incident

Visions, guilt and reversals

Inspired by Beethoven's only opera, as also suggested by its title, The Fidelio Incident recounts a plane accident that ends up separating a young couple, Stanley and Leonore, in a vast snow-covered landscape littered with half-dead jellyfish and giant animal skeletons. During a desperate search for his beloved wife, Stanley's apparently lost memories gradually resurface, painting a not so rosy picture of his past...

Blake Stone - Aliens of Gold

The mass escape of "experiments"

One of the first games of the genre (if not the very first, in fact) that I had the chance to play, from a demo that came with a new PC back in those heroic times.

T-Ho: Fit to Mold

A feathery touch of modern nostalgia

In a world where the ease and safety of ephemeral standards imposes a more and more alarming uniformity in artistic expression, inspiration drawn from purer, time-resisting sources can make a notable difference. South Korea based singer/songwriter Tim Haagenson (T-Ho) from Minneapolis proves that when stylistic "loans" and influences from the past are dexterously molded into a modern perspective, they can play a crucial part in the creation of a personal signature.

Disciples of Bob: New Roman Tragedy

Decline and fall of the New Roman empire(s)

It was the band name that first caught my eye: intrigued, I ran a search for "Disciples of Bob" - which yielded a few unrelated and inconclusive results, seemingly having nothing to do with the little musical pearl I was listening to; or, on second thoughts, maybe they were all connected with it in some way. Whatever the case, New Roman Tragedy remained a gripping collection of songs worthy of an attentive listen, or many.

Ralph Buckley: Mary Magdalene & The Song of Solomon

An armful of modern protest ballads

In the materialistic, hypocritical apathy of our century, Ralph Buckley is one of those stubborn voices of protest - a modern troubadour of freedom (which in itself has ended up being a fairly relative concept, especially considering the way this world has turned out and what it threatens to become in the future).

Project System 12: Blood and Roses for Lady McBeth

The Dark Lady, the blood and the roses

A beautiful and gripping title and an alternation between darker and luminous, tender and energetic themes, with the eponymous track being one of the highlights of the album. The reference to a "canonically" sinister literary character such as Lady Macbeth could not be better accompanied than by blood and roses, both symbols of femininity and metaphors for the dangerous facets of the human soul.

Blood Ruby: Recent Songs

Girl power

Interesting blend of voices, with an echo of something between Nina Persson and Tracey Thorn - not the kind of female voice that appeals to me personally, but with a very distinct timbre and colour that enhances the atmosphere of the songs. Their lower notes are sweet, showing perhaps the real "character" of the voice. Ethereal guitars and keyboards, robust but not overwhelming percussion. The lyrics are beautiful, some of the melodies "difficult" enough to make a difference.

Ralph Buckley: cocoa krispies & lucky charms

The cruel poetry of addictions and obsessions

After his rather self-explanatory album Fuck the War (which included a little jewel entitled Butterflies), Ralph Buckley makes a spectacular comeback with an album that bears a deceptively colourful cartoon figure on the cover, and the equally deceptive title cocoa krispies & lucky charms.

Hektor Thillet: Egocentric Youth

The bearable lightness of being

Well, in fact this is a single that doesn't take itself too seriously, and for me at least, the cover is a clear indication of that. It's sensual in an ironical, self-deprecating way, and all that pink (strawberry and stuff) gives a note of exaggeration which I dare say was intentional.

Convey: Convey - EP

Promising!

Very nice vocals, high-spirited rhythms, vigorous melodies, general atmosphere reminding of some of the best '90s bands.

The beautiful minimalistic cover is another plus.

Kray Van Kirk: Seven Years Light, Seven Years Dark.

Wonderful songs, a stunning voice

This is one of the very first albums I discovered on Jamendo, and one of those that are seldom made any more. Each song is a jewel of rare beauty, combining splendid melodies and a voice of crystalline perfection with lyrics that tell sensitive, nostalgic stories from the distant or more recent past, from the dreamlike world of maritime legends and fairy tales.

starfirefive: All Lyrics Are Lies

Songs never lie...

And how can they, since they are born from the deepest, purest darkness of the soul and the mind, from the very essence of feelings and experiences... This album is rather raw material (with distinct references to Depeche Mode), but I wonder whether some more elaboration would actually do it any good.

Project System 12: Digital Spaceland 4

Sensual expressionism of the post-space age

Besides the powerful beauty of the music, one of the elements that always impress and pleasantly surprise me in both Digital series by Project System 12 is the titling of the tracks. Titles that could also refer to paintings or other works of visual art; unexpected combinations of words, pieces of sentences that seem to have been cut out of a narration, references to mythical events or unknown stories that the listener is tempted to "reconstruct", using his/her own imagination and feelings.

Equals Conquest: Manifest Destiny

Ambitious, with beautiful vocals

A very well-made work whose cover art concept predisposes for the dominant atmosphere. I liked the lyrics in most of the songs; the melodies are pleasant to the ear in spite of the somewhat dark themes, while the voice is beautiful and expressive. It's the kind of music you can listen to again and again, and always discover something new.

Project System 12: Digital Childrensland 1

Paradise lost, revisited

It is always welcome and refreshing to see an original idea applied to well-known material. This album takes us back to the lost paradise of childhood, through beloved, universally familiar melodies.

Project System 12: Digital Wonderland 10

Heaven, Hell and the universe

Last in the series, the tenth Digital Wonderland album constitutes the epilogue to the fantasy saga of the same title. Powerful compositions of a cosmic magnificence are interspersed with dark, ominous ones or lighter and more playful, all characterised by enticing melodiousness and great beauty of form.