A relatively sleepless night which included a fantastical dream. I was taking part in some sort of competition, I appeared to be in a unique world, a place like something from the film and novel Ready Player One. The prize was some solid gold statues modelled like Egyptian buildings and statues, and these were hidden in a huge vat of Lego; actually somewhere in one of several vats. I enjoyed reminiscing about the Lego pieces to my fellow competitors, who felt like allies or friends, impoverished children looking for treasure and an escape from their life. In particular I remarked upon the beauty of the transparent yellow cylindrical pieces, demonstrating how I used these to replace the Lego men's heads. I looked in the last vat (these vats were large, the size of shipping containers), which had not yet been looked in and I found the statues.
Envious people saw me and tried to take the statues and I found myself running from a gang. They started to fire weapons at me, missiles which streaked in spirals by and exploded in puffs of grey smoke, like something from an arcade game. I managed to avoid the enemies, and hid some of the statues in a lock-up garage or somewhere similar. I awoke soon after this, but I thought that I had escaped with the gold.
There are elements of childhood, hope, escape. Why Egypt? Magic, a connection to ESAUM? Life feels difficult now, perhaps anxious for the country, yet I'm achieving good things for and by myself, even though I feel as separate from the world, and as distant from any popular or financial success, as ever.
The day started slowly but I continued to push on with work and made good progress with the (experimental) re-recording of the Marius Fate album, with a new arrangement for Looking For A Lover, House Of Glass, Masculinity Two, and Two Kinds Of Animals. All are, for now, in an initial stage however. I will be working on all of the tracks at once and revisit them all over time to ensure an even balance and feeling.
I also assembled lyric sheets for the Burn of God and Remembrance Service albums, for social media posts:
What is missing is any live performances of any of my work. I have little incentive for these, and always shy away from applying for anything. I'm occasionally amused that I was put in charge of publicity for both my original art club and the Creative Crewe organisation, when I dislike anything connected with publicity or promotion, and seem to be particularly bad at it, too.
In the night I thought of forming a punk band where the members wear bags on their heads. Members can only sing each other's work (to avoid ego problems) and members must swap instruments every so often, too. My only idea for a track was called Anthem for Doomed Youth - perhaps it could even be a punk version of the war poem.
