The flag has left the area, the last symbol of the magic that happened there. Now, the Dunk festival area is a quiet meadow again, surrounded by the forest. Now, it is as if nothing has happened there. But we know. We remember those three days in May when Dunk! festival became the highlight of the festival season, again, already. Why? Because Dunk! is different. Dunk! is not about the money, unlike 99% of their colleagues. Dunk! is more. It's a record shop, a vinyl press, a label, a duo-festival with an American edition coming up. Dunk! is a brand. A trustworthy brand, one that looks forward and dares to experiment. We have seen that with the booking of Swans, And So I Watch You From Afar and Earth. Experiments which almost divided the audience in pros and cons.  

Once started as a post rock festival, anno 2017 Dunk Festival is some much more, something I can only applaud. There was ambient, drones, jazz and doom metal. There were electronic sounds and if you think about it, some parts by Ashtoreth were a-capella tunes. So there is diversity, but the questions is, how far can you take diversity into a festival like Dunk!? What's next? Who will be the next headliners or the next surprises? Will Spoiwo, Cecilia::Eyes or AmenRa return?

For this article, I started browsing through my music collection, which goes from Brahms over Russian Circles to Tiamat, Iron Maiden, The Levellers, Pink Floyd and all the way to Excrementory Grindfuckers and Oranssi Pazuzu. And that's only the non-electronic section. I looked at the records and wondered "would the Dunk! audience appreciate this?". You'd be surprised by some of the bands that made the cut.

Along with bands like Jesus and The Mary Chain or Cocteau Twins, Slowdive have been one of the major influences for all your post rock favorites. Their sound, which was amusingly named 'shoegaze' became the foundation for bands like Explosions In The Sky, Mogwai and Godspeed! You Black Emperor, or at least to Cecilia::Eyes, who delivered one of the greatest Dunk! gigs ever. So yes, why not Slowdive? They are back with a new album and haven't lost their touch. I've seen them on Rock Herk a few years ago and they still sound as magical as ever.

Come on. It's time. It's time for these Dutch progressive rock pioneers to climb their four stages on Dunk! festival. They have been making this kind of instrumental rock music for over twenty years. With the sound and light engineering Dunk! festival is known for, a concert by this quartet with be unforgettable for everybody. This website, Merchants Of Air, is named after one of their albums. It's time people. It's definitely time...

Perhaps it might surprise you that I throw in another extremely loud act, but if you can add Swans, you can definitely add Sunn O))). They too are legends, perhaps even more so than Swans or Earth. Of course, people might complain about it but people always will. I'm just sure that Sunn O))) would make an epic headliner.

Thanks to stunning concerts from The Void Of Expansion and Yodok III, Dirk Serries has opened the door for more jazz related experiments on Dunk! In that aspect, and because their resemblance to the Twin Peaks music, I think Radare would make an excellent addition. I have heard that they are working on a new album which should be a good reason to book these guys in the Stargazer and have it headlined by Bohren Und Der Club Of Gore or Dale Cooper, perhaps?

Last year, Telepathy blew me away with a breathtaking gig at Antwerp Music City. Their instrumental sludge metal is perfect for Dunk!. In fact, I was surprised that they weren't on the bill this year. Anyway, these guys are guaranteed highlights, I'm damn sure about that.

This year, Malämmar destroyed the forest with their crushing doom metal sounds. Well, Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard would make an excellent exorcist for the forest, especially with those vocals. 

Another one in the category "It's about time", is Belgian solo act Stratosphere. I mean, We've seen Dirk Serries, CHVE, Syndrome, Ashtoreth, Monnik and Barst, all highly regarded acts in the Belgian scene. Stratosphere is still very active today, recently having finished a mini-tour with Ashtoreth, which was an excellent learning experience for the artist. So, it really is time to give him his place on the bill.

Post black metal, maybe not something everybody likes it but Deafheaven had been named a few times on Dunk 17. Perhaps they would indeed fit in there ànd bring a decent dose of blackened intensity to the whole thing. Bands like Alcest or Lantlôs also fit in that area, or maybe Belgium's own Drawn Into Descent?

This one may come as the biggest surprise of the entire list, but think about it. Orbital headlining on day two, turning the big blue tent into an atmospheric party zone for a few hours. There have been electronic acts on Dunk! festival before, so why not have one headline it. This surely is one I'd like to see. The Orb might also work

Psychedelic strangeness from a mesmerizing level and a weird but immersive live show, that is something I'd like to see on an open minded festival like Dunk! I'm sure that ​Master Musicians Of Bukkake will enchant a large part of the audience. Imagine this in the forest. What an experience that must be!

See, I easily managed to find ten non post-rock bands that would make great additions to this festival. I can add more too, Biosphere maybe, Converge or Monkey3. Or how about some strange folk with Wardruna? But in the end, of course, the good people at Dunk! always succeed in creating an awesome and diverse line-up, regardless of genres. I'm sure that they will come up with some musical delicacies for their next festival. It will be wonderful anyhow...


Serge

Wait, what? I know, that title sounds somewhat weird but there is a very good reason for this article. Professor Charlotte De Backer from the Antwerp University shared a remarkable tip to help you study. She claims that being somewhat depressed actually makes you absorb more and you will remember the subject matter a lot better. And perhaps, yes, think about all the things you remember from when you were sad and compare them to your happy memories. There might indeed be a difference. Anyway, we at Merchants Of Air know quite a lot about depressive music. Furthermore, we just want to help. So here are ten songs that will put your in that much needed negative mood.

For utter despair and depression, there is no need to start lightly and build up from there. No, you need to be as depressed as possible as soon as possible. Let's just dive deep into the funeral doom sound of this Belgian project.  I couldn't find the long version, which lasts for 21 minutes but this one might give you a decent idea.

If distorted guitars and growling vocals are not your thing, try the dark jazz scene. For this, Bohren Und Der Club Of Gore is a perfect example. They slowly drag you into that perfect mood to study psychology or philosophy. 

Because goths are the most depressed people on earth, they are better students. At least, according to this study tip. So yes, this angsty skin crawler by German act Das Ich deserves a spot in this playlist. 

Or how about this tearjerker by Jacques Brel, performed by jazz diva Nina Simone. With the life she has had, tears will definitely flow and fall on your books.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have always been a solid provider for downer songs, songs you can listen to and cry because of the sheer emotion they showcase. 

The musical magic between Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry has delivered plenty of emotional beauties but The Host Of Seraphim surely is a  tune to listen to while laying in a fetal position and crying your eyes out.

English doom metal deities My Dying Bride have been synonymous with depressive music since the very beginning. It's no surprise that whole generations of adolescents carry this band in their hearts. 

The nineties not-so-very-goth scene were a great era for emotional music with the previously mentioned My Dying Bride, Tiamat, The Gathering, Moonspell and this masterpiece by English band Anathema. 

Of course we can't leave out the dark ambient and martial industrial scene. There are a lot of depressed people roaming in that strange and gloomy corner. You might not know, but this tune by act by Swedish musician Henrik Nordvargr Björkk truly is a classic. 

Obviously, there is such a thing as depressive black metal and in that Danish act Nortt is one of my favorites. Just listen to this beatdown track and you'll be sinking into a cesspool of misery before you realize it.

This is probably one of the best known songs by Trent Reznor and his Nine Inch Nails project. It was also beautifully covered by Johnny Cash but for this list I prefer the original.

Shoegaze legends Slowdive have always come up with beautiful emotional ballads and 'So Tired' is - in my opinion - one of the deepest, guaranteed to get that subject matter into your head.

To represent the world of soundtracks I selected a deeply emotional piece by Zack Hemsey. This thing is a stunner. Composers like Hemsey know their way around their deepest emotions, which obviously improves their musical abilities. 

Generations of students already know that classical music is one of the best to listen to while absorbing the boring subject matter. So we go with a masterpiece by one of the greatest ever, Mozart's 'Requiem'.

I could put the entire 'Disintegration' album in this playlist but that would not be fair to all the others. So I picked 'The Same Deep Water As You' to close this list. Of course, 'Disintegration' is an absolute masterpiece and this tune will make those tears flow...

Today we returned from Europe's greatest atmospheric music festival, Dunk! with sunburned skins, aching knees and a head full of beautiful memories. Although I'm not mentally capable of writing down a full review today (that will follow soon), I wanted to share some of the greatest moments from this amazing happening. 

First of all, I’ve never been a fan of Pantera. As a matter of fact, my knowledge about them is limited, but I sincerely think that The Great Southern Trendkill is an album that should always be evaluated. It truly deserves the attention not only of metal enthusiasts, but everyone who loves a heavier sound. Why? Because it is a classic of groove and thrash metal. And will remain as such for a long time. The album was released more than twenty years ago, on May 7, 1996, and here we see Dimebag Darrell and Phil Anselmo in their best shapes. Even so that the ninth track – a song titled Floods – contains what some consider being Darrel’s finest guitar solo ever. 

On this period, Pantera – which was by then already a very successful and established band, with a fifteen years career –, had begun its way towards disbandment. After The Great Southern Trendkill, Pantera would release only one more album, 2000’s Reinventing the Steel, and, in 2003, the band would definitely split for good. During the recording of The Great Southern Trendkill, tensions between the band members were already exceedingly high, especially between Anselmo and the rest of the band. So much so, that Anselmo recorded the vocals in another studio, far away from where the band recorded the instruments. All of this done – I think – with the clear intention of not worsening the disrupted and thoroughly complicated relationships between them.   

Nevertheless, the album has pretty high standards on creative, technical and production values. The harmonies and the general melodies of the songs expresses detailed shape and vitality, and you can almost feel in each and every musical note the beauty of their vehement dedication. Even people who are not too much drawn to this genre of music – or their style in particular – can’t avoid feeling their gigantic and amazingly intense musical power.  

Another point that should be highlighted is the fact that groove and thrash metal are thoroughly well combined together, to the point where you can’t really distinguish where one genre finishes, and another begins. While it is not uncommon for these two genres to stand together and perfectly complement each other – another great example of a band that amalgamated these genres exceedingly good was legendary American band Fear Factory [at least, in their first albums] – Pantera excels on this art, and to an extent that becomes impossible not to recognize their majorly impeccable level of excellence. In fact, it is impressive the high standards of dedication and professionalism the band was able to maintain, given the problematic relationships the band members had at the period the album was recorded. Each and every person who knows a little about the history of the band is familiarized with the fact that Phil Anselmo – mainly by virtue of his drug addiction and substance abuse – was not an easy person to live with. He was deemed controversial due to some of his antics, like in one occasion upon which he addressed the audience with the Nazi salutation (although he later apologized for this behavior).

The Great Southern Trendkill is a fantastic album, that, more than any other record in modern heavy metal history, deserves to stay – well, already are – in the annals of mainstream metal. With even some flavors of country rock brilliantly and organically added to it, the creativity and the audacity of the band will always remain a great symbol of longitude in a sonorous miraculous paradise. And while listening to it, I couldn’t avoid to feel – because of genre limitations – some similarities with famous Brazilian metal bands Sepultura and Soulfly, although these two would never be, even at their maximum capacities, as great, significant, genuine, competent and restless as Pantera. 

If you have never heard The Great Southern Trendkill, I’m really inclined to suggest you to do so. It is probably the highest exemplar on groove/ trash metal those genres ever produced. And despite the extensive length of the album – it is approximately sixty seven minutes long [although I have listened to a version that included bonus live tracks] – you will not feel time pass by! You will be captivatingly drawn to a world where every sound was designed to penetrate your soul deeply, in an excruciatingly true, but, vivid, honest, sincere and pleasant manner.  

 

Wagner

After the dissolution of Oasis, the Gallagher brothers have mostly disappeared from mainstream media. Although they were both somewhat decently plausible musicians, with a certain level of talent, everybody knew that what they had special was their turbulent relationship with each other, as well as with other mainstream musical acts, like their fellow British Blur. All of these feuds were what really kept the media interested in them. Their terrible relationship was also the main reason behind the end of Oasis.

After Oasis ended, both brothers went their separate ways. The time spent apart from each other was also seen as a possible means of reconciliation, since a period of absence from each other’s lives meant that the strains in their relationship would inevitably cool off. And apparently, their mutual animosity indeed disappeared, or at least, softened a little.

While Noel started a solo career, under the name Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Liam formed a band called Beady Eye. The band recorded and released two albums, then disbanded, for unspecified reasons, after a brief career of almost five years. In the end of this month, Liam will release his first solo album – after he repeatedly denied doing so on twitter –, titled As You Were. 

Nevertheless, we can’t deny the fact that the media has lost interest in them, as well the Gallagher brothers themselves apparently had also lost interest in the media. Well, why in the world they would be interested in appearing in mainstream media, anyway? They are both in their mid to late-forties, they are not young fascinated and impressionable rock stars any more. And far more important, they have achieved success with their musical careers, they are already rich and famous. So why bother, right?

But there is no denial that the Gallagher brothers – at least musically – functioned very well together. But separately, not so much. The greatest talent of Oasis was indeed Noel, who was the main songwriter of the group. He was also a decent singer, and a talented guitarist. As for Liam, he was a very good singer, and an average songwriter. And there was this chronic problem, the constant comparison with the Beatles. For a significant portion of the public has never seen Oasis as a mature or fully complete band, just a modern analogue version of the famous Liverpool quartet. While this fact is true – at least partially –, it is exceedingly relevant to the history of the band itself, that enormously acknowledged their sonorous debt to the most famous of all British bands. 

After Oasis, though, it seemed that the musical autonomy of both brothers was at risk, but Liam far more, since his musical talent was way more limited, he hadn’t too much of an experience as a songwriter, and was way too dependable on other artists and musicians, something that never was an issue for Noel. Being enormously rich, though, a lot of people in the media, as well as the public, speculated that Liam would cool off, relax, enjoy life a little, as well as his money. But then Liam kicked off Beady Eye, surprising people who thought that he would remain stagnant. In the first years, the band apparently was doing fine. Unexpectedly, the group disbanded in 2014. In the following years, Liam denied the possibility of embarking on a solo career. Now, evidently – on the verge of releasing his debut solo album –, he has run backwards on his “promise”.

Both brothers seemed to have matured in recent years, since the break-up of Oasis. Liam, in special, may be discovering his true musical identity and abilities, keeping a deep journey throughout his own musical tastes and endeavors. Of course, we cannot expect too much from him, we all know that the real talent and creativity behind Oasis was Noel. Liam is a good singer – he has a great voice, for sure – but he hardly will be more than that. 

Be as it is, the years are passing by. And we all feel relieved that, for a lot of time now, since the end of Oasis, the headlines in the news are not about incidents concerning the Gallagher brothers anymore. 

Wagner

Autarchism at first may sound a too idealistic ideology to function properly, and if you share this opinion, you are a very reasonable individual in your sensible perceptions of the world, as well as the human nature. But at least in those fields of life upon which we attain a certain level of autonomy, we may choose to act like autarchists.

Of course, for more practical and general purposes, autarchism can be rendered completely useless. We all need a government. Without laws and authority figures, for example, we would never feel safe. A general state of autarchism would only function safely if all people in the world were inherently good, honest and benevolent. But since this is not the case, to advocate for general autarchism is not only complete nonsense, but a terrible irresponsibility.

But – more or less – can we share a factual and true state of autonomy in more general and personal fields of life? For a fact, the government can’t command each and every aspect of our lives. Doesn’t have that right. And, depending where you live, the government has an enormous power to interfere in your life, and sometimes in your personal choices. And – being totally realistic – almost never for your own good. 

Autarchism shares similarities to a lot of other political and ideological schools of thought, like libertarianism, anarchism and anti-statism, to name just a few. Nevertheless, all of these ideologies shares the pragmatic resolution that the state is the mother of all evils, and, as such, should be extinguished vehemently. But this highly depends on where you live. If you live in a wealthy country, with a highly functional and competent government – like Switzerland, for example – you have nothing to complain about. At least, if compared to someone who lives in a terribly corrupt and impoverished socialist country, like Venezuela. Who would exchange a very good and decent life, that has quality and abundance in all sorts of things, for the opportunity of a life somewhere else, with a higher degree of autonomy? Literally, almost no one. But if you live in an impoverished country, with an authoritarian government, of course, the answer probably would be very different. But being almost an idealistic principle, autarchism is almost impractical in real life, since it advocates the right of each and every individual to be its own supreme master, with no state rules to demand for any interference. And – like I wrote some lines above – this would function correctly and satisfactorily only if all human beings were inherently good and genuinely generous. 

But as an idealistic goal – and specially, a more personal autonomy principle – autarchism deserves some merits in the life of an individual that knows how to apply its quorum. It is all a question of perception, intelligence and sensibility. But, conclusively, human beings are still far more harmless than governments. Then, it is completely comprehensible the constant meritorious and objective notion of ideologies who have in their agenda the outwardly extinction and repulsion of the state.     


Wagner

Hồ Chí Minh was a communist political leader, and president of Vietnam, from 1945 to 1969. Under the political label of communism, he founded the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, when he declared his country’s independence from France. During this time, Vietnam was a divided country, split into North and South, before unification under the communist regime in 1975.

Like all communist states, totalitarianism was a common feature in the country’s political system, and a cult of personality developed around Hồ Chí Minh, aimed to maintain the population under mind control, and to create an almost sacramental image of the supreme political leader to the general public. 

The current Vietnamese political agenda is very diligent in suppressing everything concerning Hồ Chí Minh’s romantic affairs with women. Exactly like the Nazi Party regarding Adolf Hitler, the Vietnamese communist party portrays Hồ Chí Minh as a chaste celibate, who had no time for personal matters, being inherently and completely committed to the nation, to the revolution, to the development of the country and the well-being of its people, unconditionally. He was portrayed as the ideal leader, a glorious and altruistic savior, destined to free his country from evil and misery. Unavoidably, a thoroughly mandatory adoration cult developed towards Hồ Chí Minh – a common feature in communist states –, and even his father is venerated throughout the country, having temples in his homage. 

Although the West tended to see and to portray Hồ Chí Minh as a “moderate” communist, who was unlike his more “radical” political counterparts, like Mao or Stalin, this was merely a sordid fabrication from ingenious sympathizers.  Hồ Chí Minh, like all communist leaders, saw no problem at all in murdering political opponents, to capture and kill their relatives, wage conflagrations for power purposes or to engage in belligerent conflicts to assure his control. Nonetheless, a myth was created, with the purpose to portray Hồ Chí Minh in a positive light. But there isn’t a single spark of truth in these affirmations whatsoever. Hồ Chí Minh was no different from all other communist leaders. His endless, ambitious and voracious thirst for power was unprecedented in his country’s history. And all the bloodshed generated by it was typical of communist regimes.  

Unfortunately, his legacy was perpetrated in the Communist Party of Vietnam, that rules the country with a terrible and excruciating inflexibility, inherent to this political form of government. Forced to revere a mere human being, people living in communist countries are terribly dilacerated by their own government, that enslaves their people for the purpose of absolute control. And if we can attribute a legacy to Hồ Chí Minh, this is the only he truly deserves: his contribution for the enslavement of his own people, under his image. This is everything he has done for his people. An enforcement of a totalitarian governmental behavior, that has forbidden all legitimate forms of free expression, in favor of a dreadful slave mentality, where people live in constant fear, for the sake of maintaining their own lives.     


Wagner

Altamonte Springs is one of those real, quiet, typical American suburban cities, that we usually don’t see in movies, nor television shows, neither it is mentioned in books, or anything related. And yet, it is there, with its skylines, companies, attractive malls, normal people, everything we could expect in an average city, growing in the speed of modernity. It is one of those cities that reveal another side of the United States. A more comfortable, ordinary, almost redeemed “normal” United States. The United States of the average American, people like you and me, who has their own lives, and are not involved at all with politics, or with the glamour of Hollywood. On the contrary: these things are deemed unworthy, even irrelevant, to these people. And how little we know about this side of the United States. The United States of the common, ordinary Americans, that never is presented in mainstream media. This is the beautiful side of the United States. 

The beautiful charm of these cities are spread everywhere throughout the country. Altamonte has a population of almost forty two thousand people. But, of course, it will keep growing. Besides, it has that aspects of a beautiful, cozy small town, with warm attractions and a certain kind of splendor, upon which most major cities are simply destitute. It is the kind of place where you can live in peace quietly, for the rest of your life, without the apprehension of anything ever going to disrupt your tranquility. Cities like these have their own inherent atmosphere of joy and amazement. 

With a very high generated income, the quality of life is proportionally satisfactory. Schools, educational centers, colleges and universities guarantee the instruction of youngsters, and recreational parks are also spread everywhere, for a city with such a small size. 

Apparently, the city has been using its picaresque charm to explore the tourism industry. Since all beautiful small cities have great potential to attract people from the big cities – that sometimes need desperately these heavenly havens to seek a refugee from the turbulent life of a metropolis – given their inherent charm, appeal, calmness and serenity, Altamonte Springs has everything to grow large on the scope of these ambitions.  


Wagner

I know, Trekkies and Star Wars Fans haven't always been seeing eye to eye but you can't not love this golden oldie by The Firm and its amazing clay animation video.

It's David Bowie, it's a classic, it certainly deserves a spot on this list, don't you think?

Of course, the dance industry have also thrown their fair share of space influenced tunes into the world, like this massive hit by The Prodigy.

This anthem by progressive master minds Rush will takes you on a journey towards a black hole. You have been warned...

Another delightfully trippy space rock tune by psychedelic geniuses Ozric Tentacles. 

Well, that's true, there's no denying that. Enjoy this groovy and immersive anthem by the original masters of space rock.

This space ambient project by founding member of Red Sparowes and Battle of Mice, Josh Graham is an absolute must for everyone who love to dwell in the darkest regions of outer space.

This beauty by krautrock legends Ashra will gladly guide you along the planets and stars, just close your eyes and imagine your beautiful trip.

On the somewhat more electronic side of the musical universe we find this massive hit by Germany's electro pioneers Kraftwerk.

Right, back to guitars and now we're dealing with something spacey, fuzzy and naughty, courtesy of stoner rockers Space Fisters. 

The world of black metal also knows a thing or two about the cosmic infinity that surrounds us, just ask epic industrial black metal act The Kovenant. 

Some more fuzzed out goodness, this time for the amazing Farflung. Space rock at its finest, and perfectly capable of getting you out there.

Of course, Black Sabbath's supernaut has to be on this list. Without them, some of the other bands might never have existed...

Here you go, some hip hop fun with undoubtedly one of the best acts that this scene has even seen. 

Hey, look, a whole list of space songs without mentioning 'The Final Countdown' or 'Spaceman', isn't that nice. Let's end with this piece of educational genius by comedy masterminds Monty Python.

Serge