With the new domain learnenglishtopix.com activated there will soon be a load of downloadable conversation topics for all learners of English from Pre-Intermediate level upwards.
Drop by soon!
Local heroes
In 1982, FAT FREDDY’S TIME GENERATOR and three other local bands of Canton Ticino (Southern Switzerland) produced an album titled TICINO MUSICA Vol. 2 as part of a trilogy to showcase young aspiring bands of that region. I’m extremely pleased to see that after 42 years, ALESSANDRO ZANOLI of RSI (Radiotelevisione Svizzera Italiana) has revisited that period and produced a podcast series to bring to life a time when local musicians and bands had few opportunities to show off their talents let alone immortalise them on records. As guitarist of Fat Freddy’s Time Generator I’m proud to have been part of that. To listen to the podcasts go to https://rsi.ch/s/2083641 (in Italian)
EFLB “Toro”
A sketch folder published by the German architect and artist Ernst Friedrich Brockmann (1920-1987) in 1962. Frequent visits to the Spanish region of Andalusia and a passion for bull fights brought forth this extraordinary collection of artwork. The folder was produced in collaboration with the art dealer Alfred Simon who also provided the preface.
Zucchetta
I am proud to finally present the “restored” version of an electric guitar that has accompanied me in its various editions for a good part of my life.
I got my first electric guitar around 1970 as a birthday gift from my parents. It was a Fender copy by Ibanez with a white body and a maple neck. Many years later I swapped that guitar with a friend who had an identical model but the body had natural wood finish which I liked better. I eventually ordered an original Fender neck for a lot of money as I wanted the guitar to look cooler and more professional. My friend, an apprentice carpenter, promised to fit the neck with special screws so that it could easily be removed. In doing so he successfully managed to ruin the neck and our friendship. Nonetheless I continued to play that guitar on many occasions and even recorded a vinyl with it. (See post: “40 years Fat Fredy’s Time generator“). Eventually further down the timeline I lent that guitar to another friend who, by storing it in an extremely dry room, sealed the end of the precious Fender neck and its playability.
During my time in Japan (1984 – 1993) I bought various replacement parts (a new neck, a bridge, several pick guards and even Di Marzio pickups which are still boxed somewhere in the house) but during those years I never found either the time or inspiration to restore the guitar, most likely because I had bought other guitars in the meantime.
About three years ago I felt it was time to have another go at some restoration work. To begin with I applied orange paint to the body and somehow rebuilt the electronics but the guitar remained in pieces for yet another two years. This year I decided to take a short cut and buy a pre-soldered Fender pickguard so to finally finish this job of ages. Say hello to: “Zucchetta” (Italian for pumpkin, a fitting name I believe)
You might ask yourself how Zuchetta sounds after all those years … well, drop in sometime soon and find out 🙂
40 Years of Fat Fredy’s Time Generator!
I finally managed to convert the vinyl we recorded 40 years ago into a digital format. What an amazing and moving moment to hear songs I haven’t been able to listen to all this time and to remember the circumstances and fantastic people who contributed to these pieces. Thank you Paola, Giorgio and Stefano for having been part of this unforgettable moment of my life!
Androbot
At the age of about fifteen, I was an avid reader of SciFi books. Perry Rhodan, a weekly digest-size booklet not unlike American style pulp magazines, was one of my all-time favourites. My dad, most likely inspired by my vivid descriptions of the Perry Rhodan characters, created this peculiar sculpture out of hinges, springs and other metal bits and pieces he had lying around in his workshop and gave it to me as a birthday gift.
More on my dad’s life and works of art and architecture can be found under:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Friedrich_Brockmann
A day out with my clones
The other weekend I had a fun day out with my four clone brothers skating on a rink near my home.
A plunge into the past
A student and friend of mine has recently had the opportunity to interview the great MICHAEL SCHENKER as part of his engagement with an online rock magazine called: VeroRocK.it.
When we discussed this upcoming interview in one of our lessons I realized that I had known this guitarist of international fame in my younger years when I lived in Hannover, Germany. My friend Raffaele was kind enough to mention my name towards the end of the interview and it seems that MICHAEL actually seemed to remember me. I’m absolutely honored! Here’s the link to the interview:
MICHAEL SCHENKER (MSG): a half century of immortality!
Birthday
It’s blowing out candles once more
‘n ever harder keeping the score
was it six before five?
or five before six?
never mind – it’s that cake I adore!
The Enchanted Garden
A short journey through an astonishing private garden exhibiting a collection of wonderous artwork created by German architect and artist Ernst Friedrich Brockmann (1920 -1978)
Ernst Friedrich Brockmann the architect (in German):
claque⊙net 