at Kokoroko's live set
Such a good performance!
When everything, even music, is mass-produced, automated and easily reproducible, there's a lull that comes with having to choose one thing over the other. The choices blend together sometimes with surprising ease and little differentiability, and I become overwhelmed with having to pay attention to everything and nothing at the same time.
At times, I need to touch the thing I am making — whether that’s a physical thing or talking to the people who are impacted by my work — then I can understand its impermanence and fragility. My current field of work involves writing computer programs which do not decay, fade away, nor wither like plants into the earth. And perhaps that's why software, once adopted, becomes sticky and hard to let go; why work feels bloated with software for every single thing — messaging, writing code, video calling, planning sprints, testing, deploying, error tracking and so on, tacking onto my already-overwhelmed limited attention span. The trap I fall to sometimes is measuring my value by the lines of code and the features I ship. This measuring stick turns me into an engine for continuous production, plugging me into the never-ending machinery that is capitalism - always hungry for more of my time, my energy and my attention.
In attending Kokoroko's live performance in NYC, their music made me slow down and witness just how much they enjoy making music together. Being a black band from London, they weave together their individual personalities, tastes and passion for what they are creating together in such a tender and bold way. The members each adding a layer to the entire production that makes their performance fun and electric. I found myself in the moment slowing down, watching, swinging, singing - letting myself flow with the music, to each beat and lyric.
Of late, I have been trying to do more things with my hands and feet. Doing this has reminded me how limited my capacity is and I have to allot time and effort to getting done with what I need to or else I’ll over-extend myself. Submitting to the urge to want and have more eats away at the time for grounding activities such as going for a run, cooking a good meal, making something from scratch, feeling something in myself, surrounding myself with and enjoying being around people. The little ways in which I resist being totally sucked into a thing (whatever that may be), and allowing myself to seek out different interests, contexts and ideas matters; as it has taught me to have gratitude in where I am at this time.
I hope you keep writing!