Music selected by ammel. This project asks the artists who created it to select books for ammel.
The third person to appear is Newcastle-born DJ/producer Edmondson, who has previously provided us with a musical commentary (page here ).
Edmondson has been working on his song "Diamond Life" since 2006, which was released in 2016 with "Flamingo Tripper". His listener base is steadily increasing, and the first record I stocked after I started preparing for ammel was from his label "lissoms". And it was none other than Edmondson who kindly agreed to be the first to select books for this project. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to him once again. Thank you!!
"Over the last few years, as my time has been consumed by laptops and digital formats, I've largely given up on reading long reads in favor of shorter articles and essays. But one of my all-time favorites is Junot Diaz's The Brief and Wonderful Life of Oscar Wao."
- After learning about this book, I read the Japanese translation and finished it in one go! As it is highly regarded worldwide, I found the structure of the book extremely interesting, with various issues and themes emerging as the perspective of the story changes. Once again, please tell us the reason for choosing this book and the thoughts behind it.
"I read it a few years ago, so I'm a bit hazy on the details, but what inspired me to pick up this book was a friend of mine picking up a copy of his previous book, Drown. They'd found it in trash in the street!"
"I've always been interested in demographics and the migration and intersection of different cultures, and 'Oscar Wao' is a brilliant (and largely autobiographical) insight into the Dominican-American experience after Diaz moved to New Jersey as a child."
"The book is filled with extensive footnotes about Dominican history, culture, and the dictator Trujillo, some of which take up entire pages."
"From what I remember, it's basically a retelling of a true story, with a lot of surreal, science fiction twists. It shows the narrator's struggle with two cultures and identities - an old-world mysticism, the curse of Fucu - playing out in the context of everyday suburban America."
"I also related to the fact that he wasn't a prolific writer and would spend years rewriting versions of his compositions. That was a huge encouragement for me as I learned about music production and began to understand the creative process."
With his roots in Newcastle in the north of England and having moved around the EU, he has an objective insight and interest in culture, and it is clear that he puts it into electronic music. His style is similar to that of Junot Diaz and " This resonates with the content of "The Brief, Wonderful Life of Oscar Wao ."
On a personal note, when I was reading a book that had been selected for me at a bar, a foreign woman sitting at a nearby counter looked at the cover and said, "Junot Díaz... " I muttered. "Do you know him?" "Of course." "This is the first time I've read him, what do you think?" "He's amazing." I'll never forget the exchange. I recommend everyone to read it too.
If you see a book wrapped in glassine paper in a storefront, with the shadows of the letters faintly reflected,
Please feel free to pick up a copy and ask who selected the books.
Music created by people who treasure that book or whose lives were influenced by it.
It is available at ammel.