Oliver Arditi

Blog archive

  • Dwelling together

    Dwelling together

    A labyrinth can be a lonely place. In a short story by Jorge Luis Borges, Asterion, the most famous of labyrinthine inhabitants, is consoled in his solitude only by a prophecy that his redeemer will some day seek him out. That redeemer, the son of Aethra, fathered by both Aegeus and Poseidon, is the mythical… Read more

  • For the readers

    For the readers

    There’s something wonderful about being immersed in the world of a book, something which for me is even more pronounced when that world is invented. Even when a secondary world is dystopian, like Margaret Atwood’s theocracy of Gilead, there’s something about inhabiting it which excites the explorer in me, which makes me feel both immensely… Read more

  • This stomping mechanistic racket

    This stomping mechanistic racket

    This, stomping, mechanistic racket has the distinct sound of its era, despite sounding decidedly atypical. Its huge, rectangular, electronic drum beats have that 80s electro vibe, and its guitars are heavy in a harsh, post-punk sort of a way. KMFDM is a band with a recognisable sound, and the elements of that sound are present… Read more

  • Complex simplicity

    Complex simplicity

    This sweet-natured, simple tale of friendship and love is as straightforward as comics get – except that it’s completely backwards. Unusually for an English-language publication, it’s laid out as a manga, running from right to left, from the front cover, through each page, to its conclusion. When I first picked it up I wondered if… Read more

  • For the birds and bees?

    For the birds and bees?

    Money, it’s a gas Grab that cash with both hands, and make a stash – Roger Waters Generally speaking, I think of money as a crime. I can imagine, quite easily, a variety of economies in which it does not figure, and I analyse its function in the real world as a commodification of both… Read more

  • Plugged, but not hinged

    Plugged, but not hinged

    If you’ve heard of Perhaps Contraption you’re probably under the impression that they’re an avant-garde brass band, and you may even have seen them marching around summer festivals pushing a pram and making noises that are neither plugged nor hinged. Their debut album, ten years old this year, is something different however (i.e. it is… Read more