ΔΙΑΧΕΙΡΙΣΤΕΣ ΤΟΥ ΧΑΟΥΣ

THIS IS A JOURNEY INTO SOUND

RainerFiedler - Are You Tired Sisyphos'?'

Label: Karete!Money!Super Fighter!!-KMSF

- 2 x Vinyl, LP, Limited Edition, Die-Cut

Country: Europe

Released: 2018 -

Produced by RainerFiedler

A Review (by DK®)

Have you ever thought of yourself as someone who's been tryin' to fulfill his dreams or-anyway-tryin' to accomplish a goal and this effort comes close to an end but,somehow you can't make it at once...and you have to try all over again? Well, this is what humans are like-at least those that have a dream to follow-ain't that true? Most of us we could say...coz there's no one really who will deny it-have been through this kind of process,more or less,regardless of the nature of this dream or vision or goal...coz life is full of these-and would be boring without it after all,right? And truth is, we never make it the first attempt...we just have to try over and over and over again...like havin' to push up a stone uphills till we reach the top but this stone falls down before we complete the task-then we have to try again.

Well, this ain't much different than the ancient Greek myth of Sisyphos, a guy who has been in this positon but (the myth wants) never stops tryin'...he's eternally pushin' up that 'stone', into the ages of the ages and so fourth. There's a lot more to this myth, but at this point ain't no...point gettin' deeper into this it, coz the Rainfiddler, a multi- musician from Hamburg chose this mythical 'frame' to start his artistic journey and 'travelled' through time just to expose hismself to the audiences through this timeless story:he named his first recording after the main figure of this particular myth. And sooner or later he will take you into the myth and beyond that. "This is a journey into sound", as heard on 'Paid In Full' by Eric B & Rakim. This is a fact.

Anyway, Rainerfiedler,believe me, doesn't seem tired at all.Took him 10 long years to complete this project which is-no doubt about that-a reminder of the artist's theatrical past-as a stage or/and a music directoe & more. The intermissions, the lyrics, the whole approach 'shouts out' the multi-cultural personality of RaineFiedler-the one he has developed trough different projects as the years gone by. The album, double, long & full, has made it all right-so far:the project "Are You Tired Sisyphos" had an unexpectedly positive feedback-specially in central Europe where critics and audience have seemed to have loved this bold trip into the world of rock, pop, indie or any-era-you-wanna 'place' it in. Even if the audience in these troubled times we're livin' in, seems to focus on 'shorties' & streaming 'sounds'

You won't find stereotypes in here-neither is an archetypal album. The truth lies somewhere in the middle as RaineFiedler-this well known vinil collector, music geek, producer, theater director whose career started longtime ago ago-practically when he was kid- uses material that can be found in different eras, but in his own terms & his special ways.

This is clearly a personal vision-even if more than 16 session musicians,not to mention artists from other fields, contributed so it would be completed.

The influences are all over, but don't expect to hear something that has a solid 'form', a certain feeling or a 'labeled' sound. You may reveal voices of the past and melodies you might have heard, here & there...Maybe, it's no exaggeration at all if we said this artist reminds a lot Frank Zappa, a do-it-all kind of figure, a guitar master, a fully concetrated musician with a clear vision. Joni Mitcell or Leonard Cohen are surely present in this album...and the harmonies may take you far to the seashores of California and the Beach Boys...or a (Death) Cab (for Cutie) may also offer you the backseat for another trip to a more minimalistic musical viewpoint & there comes Blaine Renninger-or Bob Dylan!

So is this album 'abstract'? well...the artist himself claims that "...Led Zeppelin was my first favourite band when I was a kid. As a teenager I loved Aerosmith but only their albums of the 70s. And though I am not the world`s biggest fan of the Beatles, the Stones or the Doors, they all had outstanding songs...the greatest inpact on me it was without doubt Dylan...Joni Mitchell also had a huge impact, she is such a phenomenon artistically, my personal all-time Number One female artist...slightly ahead of Kate Bush and Björk - who are the three goddesses in my Music Pantheon..." and "... Cohen? Sure!...or Damien Jurado or Tim Rutili-or those catchy guitar pop tunes that Robert Pollard came up with dozens of times..." His latest fave? Greek latest Stonerock-meets-trad sensation 'Villagers Of Ioannina City'.

So U cannot really label the guy-neither the album.

Let's just say that the overall sound 'fits' more to a European audience than an American one-not that ain't got enuff 'americana' in it. It's just that the music fans in the old Continent prefer this sound more, compared to the ones on the other side of the Atlantic ocean-with the exception of the few who will love it, no matter where they're from. Music is universal and global and Rainerfiedler knows this well enuff...the songs point any direction.

It all sounds a bit crazy...but this meltin' pot seems to have worked out fine with the first attempt. The stone has been...carried all the way up, close to the top...and the top is always ahead, specially for an artist who had just released his debut album-even if its a double one & took him that long to complete. Quite a long journey-if you'd ask me...

RainerFiedler doesn't seem ready to stop. The artist has already got a whole new stash of songs for his next album.The journey goes on and on and on-the album is so full of different styles that if someone would try to label it as folk-kraut-pop-rock-indie...but we've been through all that, haven't we? Hear is believing and that's exactly the point of the video clips in here-to give us the big picture.

And, please, forgive me for the enthusiasm, but this DIY work-not raw, not polished either ( the production seems to have met the artist's demands)- exceeds way above the the usual 'pop gem'...it's so promising that deserves a 'look'-through listening, at once.

As for epilogue, I'd definitely say-or admit- that the myth of Sisyphos still stands today-as for ever.Indeed. But If i'd try to rate or rank this album so you would have a better 'view',I would ask you to imagine that the album is a car:it's an old one,maybe a T Ford,hot rod,year 1934 and it is a pick up...only its engine is German made, it's a BMdouble' underneath and it's strong enuff to take you anywhere...but it looks so good, only romantics would purchase it.

Don't hesitate-take that ride...

T H E I N T E R V I E W

'I do what I feel I have to do and I think that is

basically what being an artist is all about'

1. How come and you named your project "Are U tired Sisyphos'"? what is the connection of the myth and your project?

- This is quite a long story. Being as much into theatre and literature as into music, it feels kind of self-evident to stumble into Greek mythology-when you`re a young man and begin to think about the "big questions" you start looking for answers in literature or philosophy or religion.

Greek mythology that directly led to the old tragedies, so I ended up reading every piece of old Greek literature that was translated and availablehunting in second hand book stores as many of the old books were not in print for decades.

So when I travelled to Athens I just had to visit the Dionysos Theatre, I took a seat and looked around and enjoyed all the pictures that popped up in my imaginationThis is a unique cultural heritage if you ask me. I can`t think of anything that compares to this! I was especially fascinated by those guys who were eternally punished in Hades, mainly for simply being human beings and doing good for humans and/or "cheating" the gods. Being punished for doing good - what a thought. What`s the moral behind these stories? Why did these people have to suffer eternally? Eternally, so every new day brought back the suffering from the previous day and all days before and it would continue forever! Prometheus, though not in Hades, and Sisyphos were the most striking characters for me and that led to scribbling a piece of drama based on Prometheus .

To me Sisyphos does not just stand for the creative human being who has to start all over again and again and again - remember, once more: eternally! He can`t die! - but in fact he is a symbol for any human being. Is there any better description of all our achievements including all failures than the punishment of this guy? All our striving for a better world, a better life, for truth, peace, justice, equality et al that we seem to work for for so many years or decades or even centuries, so many individuals´ life times - and then it takes a flick of the switch and within seconds everything is broken once more, another war, another man made desaster, another period of everything going down again.

But since I had become a stage director, the Greek tragedies remained central to my work. One of the recent pieces I directed was Iketides by Aischylos. It is still such an amazing piece after more than 2000 years! So I write songs but also lyrics and poems and prose. And some of the ideas simply sound better in a musical context.Like the title track of the album. And suddenly I thought that this line, Are you tired, Sisyphos?, is also the perfect line if I want to describe my own life.

2. Do U feel you belong in some kind of 'genre'? -Do U believe in 'genres'?

- I guess there`s none I really feel at home with. Am I a singer/songwriter? To a degree certainly. An indie rock artist? Partially. I don`t know, it seems easier to say what I am not! ;-) It`s one of the advantages when you are a single artist compared to a band. As a single artist you can just do what you feel like. If your manager and your label lets you! (laughs)

But then, I really don`t care much about that. If you want to call me anything, fine. My music seems to remind some people of Radiohead, others of Leonard Cohen. Errr, really? What I hear most is that I sound like Steve Kilbey. I mean I love The Church but I don`t hear that at all. Even my Mum once told me she heard me on the radio and it turned out to be The Church. (laughs)

So may I quote XTC here? This is Pop! :)

3. Are you a fan of analog sound, analog 'process'-in the makin' of an album- or are u a fan of (as Moby put it once) "...anything that produces music it's ok with me..." ?

- When it comes to listening to music I am totally analogue. I was a kid when I started collecting records, 7 inches first, later mainly LPs. Vinyl records have always been a treasure to me. Well, guitars too but that`s a different story.

When the CD appeared I bought some of my favourite albums as a second copy but after a while I realized it`s somehow not the real thing and sold them. So my home has always been - and had to be! - crammed with books and records.

4. Does High Technology has a place in today's music? In our life?

- I`m really not a fan of streaming. Sure, there are positive aspects but I feel it makes music worthless, it is becoming something like, well, instead of going into a café and taking a seat, talking to people or looking at people or reading a book... you get your coffee to walk away. Digital equipment is just amazing. as a teenager I was using those old tape machines. You can`t really compare it to today`s possibilities. It`s like comparing a bicycle with a racing car.

I also have to admit that technology gave me the chance to go for it all on my own in the first place! Without a label and all that! I love technology. We just have to learn which one is really useful and especially we also have to learn of how to use it. Almost every person I know admits that he or she is overwhelmed by the pressure of being permanently online, being on social media all the time. It`s creepy. For quite some years I carefully select which technology to use and when. I surely spend too much time with my laptop - but I work with it. If I find the time to listen to music I run immediately to my turntable and put on some vinyl! ;-)

Yes, if I think about it: We urgently need to learn to understand which technology is good and which is not. So we can avoid to end up being addicted to idiotic inventions like nuclear power plants. :)

5. Would you prefer a hi tech or a perfect analog studio or a hideout in a mountain,e.g., with the basic 'tools' for playin' and recording?

- I enjoy recording in a decent studio just as much as recording in my living room. I really love both! And I often thought of using one of this old tape recorders that produce a terrible sound but give you a pure idea of a song - like earlier Guided By Voices or Sebadoh stuff. But if some guy like Daniel Lanois came along with one of his original ideas of where to record and how... Why not? ;-)

Still, in general I like the idea of being able to record almost anywhere. I spend a lot of time on trains and enjoy working on music there on my laptop, on the arrangements or the lyrics, not necessarily singing or playing instruments on the train. (laughs) So if I may modify the Moby quote you mentioned: Anywhere I can produce music is ok with me.

* There is so much great music out there! You just have to go and find it. Just go to your local record store - it's worth being supported anyway! - and pick up a bunch of albums from artists you haven't heard about and listen to them and I am sure you'll be rewarded *

6.What was the initial idea for this project? Influences, sounds, faves- or your idea of the perfect piece of work as u always imagined it?

- Uhhh, I don`t think there is something like a "perfect piece of work", neither should be. I was dreaming of releasing an album since I started "writing" songs at the age of nine or ten - before I learned to play an instrument. I took grandma`s knitting needles and used the sofa as a drum set, humming melodies... Strangely enough many of them got stuck in my mind until today. When I was 16 I couldn`t wait any longer, scraped all of my pocket money and rented a small recording studio for three hours to record two songs that I released as a 7" single.

Oh! I just realize now that even then I decided to produce it on my own, apart from asking a guy from school to play some drums. I contacted a pressing plant and made 200 copies that were sold rather quickly. And even way back then the main idea was only to break even with it. It seems I was never really interested in making lots of money.

So the plan of releasing a proper album existed a very long time ago, even as a double vinyl. Could it be that Sisyphos is the longest making album in the history of music? I used some sketches I recorded in the mid-90s! So there is a span of roughly 22-23 years. I should probably send the info to the Guiness Book Of Records! ;-) I always loved the concept of a double album: Thinking of Blonde On Blonde, Freak Out, Physical Graffiti or London Calling...They would not have been the same with the limitations of a single album beyond the pure number of songs. Yet when I finally decided to go for it and also to produce it on my own I first thought of a single album.

Having in mind that some friends always made jokes that when I finally release my music it would be a ten LP box, I was kind of humble, wasn`t I? The whole idea of buying a vinyl album, listening to it entirely and more than once or twice, possibly reading the lyrics on the inner sleeve... all this seems to be a thing of the past as people`s attention span get shorter and shorter for various reasons. But then there will always be small groups of connoisseurs who love to take the time to sit down, put on a record, sit back and listen...

It`s a bit like with movies. As you can guess by now, if I want to see a movie I go to a cinema. And it`s not just me, there are still people in there. Despite all the streaming options or home cinema etc. ;-)

7. What was the feedback-can you say you'repleased? Do you believe your music has a more European "colour" or is more of a "universal" kind?

- I am indeed totally pleased with the feedback and also totally surprised. I really didn`t know what to expect as I never confronted anybody with my music. So when people reacted enthusiastically I thought oops, that is nice. Especially as I know I am not the world`s greatest singer. And a couple of people even ordered two copies of the album. That really feels nice.

To me, the point of being an artist is that you offer something, you present your vision and then people can decide to take it or leave it. This is luxury of course. With a label in the back I couldn`t be so relaxed.

So, European? Well, it`s certainly not K-Pop! But then the "universal" language of Pop is some kind of amalgam of mainly African rooted music that made it`s way via North America to Europe. And as I don`t dare using Indian or Arabian scales it is at least somehow western. :) The feedback so far it is pretty evenly shared all over the world, on various continents but yes, the vast majority came from Europe. None from Africa so far. I have to work on that. :)

8. What era do you feel closer to? 60s,70s etc...or is it all about a blend of each era?

- There are obviously many influences but also many styles that don`t do much for me. But I`d say every era has something. There is and was great music at all times, just as there is loads of rubbish at every time. Yet I `m surely not trying to blend as many styles as possible. When I pick up a guitar - which is when most of the songs come into being - I never think of what comes out in the end. Not the style, not the sound, I just start playing. Whatever comes to my mind.

9.Do you think that workin' with a lot of musicians- as u did - can be repeated ? Maybe u would like to do somethin' with less people?

- Working with these people surely was one of the most exciting and satisfying aspects of making the album. I am really grateful of having the chance to do that. So if possible, it will surely be repeated! But I don`t think of how many people are required when I start recording. When I`m done with the basic arrangements, I sometimes think, well this and that could be great right here. So I guess the next album will require just as many people as the previous one. I still have some hundreds of song sketches in the drawer and that is no exaggeration.

I started working on the second album a while ago and... it will take some time, yes, but not as long It`s difficult with living in so many worlds, in the theatre, in the music and, most important, for some years now being a father which takes much of my time and is the most precious to me. And it`s so great when you hear your kids humming something and you think, wait, I know that tune. :) Or you come home and hear they have your music running on their record player.

10. The next step...what would we expect? Could you ever see your self play hard rock?Or blues? or music to dance to? or hip hop? Any connections with other forms of art in your future plans?

- There are always many things happening at the same time. As I said I`ve started working on my second album. It seems I`ve cheated on everyone including myself when I said I`d release only one album but then the feedback really motivates me to do more. Perhaps I would continue even if the feedback had been terrible If everything runs fine, I can see a light in the tunnel by the end of this year. But that is really hard to tell and I need to be realistic.

Apart from that: I am also writing music for a soundtrack of an arthouse movie that is about to appear in 2023 which is something I wanted to be doing for a long time. I am not supposed to say much about it but that of course will include lots of instrumental, atmospheric stuff. Or maybe there will be a compilation of other music I wrote for other people`s theatre productions. And I`d like to do something like a ballet or modern dance.I also did some small piece as a kind of theme music for a Swiss film festival a few months ago.

As far as styles are concerned: I don`t like to limit myself, If one day something similar to Thin Lizzy`s Cowboy Song pops up in my head, I might as well end up writing a hard rock song. LOL But I`m not planning that! It`s already clear at this stage though that there will again be a rag bag of styles on the next album. When I take that Gibson semi-acoustic I always get into Bluesier stuff. When I pick up the Telecaster, I get into these indie riffs - this is how "A room full of toys" came into being by the way. It happens unconsciously. It`s like the guitar tells me what I should play. (laughs)

But I don`t see myself doing hip hop or so. Dance? Well maybe in terms of Motown or Stax influences. Now you got me! When it comes to dancing, I am really old fashioned: My favourite music to dance to is 60s Soul music. ;-)

11.What do you feel about live performances as far as what you do? Can it be done? Shall we expect a live show sometime soon?

- Unfortunately I`m one of the not so rare species of people who feel extremely unwell on a stage. I always felt totally sick before a show. Can`t even tell you way, it`s just the way it is. This is also a reason why I didn`t become an actor but a stage director instead. But then exactly the point of being a stage director who knows how to put things on stage makes the thought very tempting. Presenting the Sisyphos material in a theatre with a certain set up... Wow!

But I would not want to limit the songs so apart from a band I`d need a full orchestra or big band. A big band that can also rock. Who is gonna pay for that? LOL But who knows? 11. Where would u like to hear your music? Would it be clubs & bars, homes or maybe on the radio? What do U feel is more important rite now for this album to be found(among these 3 "destinations"?)

I`m a nerd when it comes to LISTENING to music, it requires a quiet place like a living room. With a decent turntable. The act of putting on a vinyl record is somehow a celebration of music, a sacred act! ;-) So if I have to decide for one option only, my vote is clearly: Home!

Clubs or bars could be great if you think of single songs If I think commercially my album should be played on the radio - although I don`t even know if I`d get royalties. But I don`t mind. If somebody finds my music somewhere and can relate to it, it`s fine enough for me.

12. Do you aim at "making it big" out of music? Would U like to make a livin' out of it or you believe you should every time, focus on what u have in mind and ignore the cost?

- Ha! Very tricky indeed! I seriously think that an artist should not think of money first. Money never was that tempting for me. I`m simply not interested in most of the things you can buy. Well, old vinyl records might be an exception. And guitars, of course. I do have a few not really cheap ones. But that`s about it really. Fancy house, fancy car, fancy clothes... oh dear.

When you experience some real tough things in life, you just see that money can`t help at all. And I mean, the older you get, the more you realize what`s important in life and it`s surely not the material things, full stop.

So I guess there are two honest answers: Yes, I would like to make some money with it especially to properly pay the musicians who really gave a lot for it.

When I planned to completely produce the Sisyphos album on my own, I send the musicians my demos and told them, listen, I`d like to do this and here is what it sounds like and that there`s no money involved, all you`ll ever get from it is a free copy. Plus my eternal gratefulness. And the amazing bit: They all joined nonetheless. Not a single musician I asked told me to f.. off. They all decided to contribute and they did it in an spellbinding way. That is something that really made me happy. Still, a little budget for the next album would be helpful. :)

The second honest answer: No, if that means I would have to change something here or there, if someone told me how to make more money out of it. Some people try that. They tell you something about this marketing rubbish like "your unique selling point" et al, that kind of stuff, as if there was no difference whether you were making art or selling strawberry jam. The marketing terror totally f...ed up this planet by the way but that`s a different story.

The question is just: Why would I do that? Call me a fool but this type of prostitution is not what arts should be about. There might be a song on this on the next album, possibly the first one on side A! ;-) Plus: There are far too many big companies that have far too much power. Do I really want to join these ranks? I guess this question - Why would I do that? - is one that is with me every day on many, many occasions.

By the way: Have you read Naomi Klein`s "No Logo"? An amazing book!

13. Do you feel that sum kind of a sprecific crowd 'gets' your music better? Do you believe young people of nowsays can relate to your music?

- That`s really hard to tell. On the one had it`s pretty disillusioning. It seems there are not many people left who can relate to music that is not, well, how to say, industrially created fast food. And that is not only valid for music. If you look at the influence that social media has, not only on teenagers. But on a more optimistic day, I`d think of even very young people who get into things.

When I turned 15 I went out buying old Blues and Jazz records or old Stax and Motown albums. And if I can do it, everybody can. ;-) So there is hope! So...far,what I can tell from the feedbacks I received it`s mainly people who pay some attention to the music they listen to and to the lyrics as well. Which is not much of a surprise to me as it is obviously my own approach. But as the attention span of people gets shorter and shorter, there are less and less people who listen to an entire album or anything you have to dive into. Which is a little sad.

I mean, let`s face it: In terms of how to live our lives or what to achieve in life, we all follow the images that are presented to us by the big players of consumer capitalism, the entertainment industry, the beauty industry, the media - all present their "brave new world"-options in movies and TV series and images that permanently pop up on our phones. People are permanently being bombed with images of how to "organize" their lives. All this material, superficial, hollow nothingness... I`m pretty sure that "the best things in life" are not only free - But I`m drifting off...

I do what I feel I have to do and I think that is basically what being an artist is about. And when I present to the public what I have to offer people can take it or leave it.

I guess that money-fame-power-triangle is just some kind of, well, solatium. But yes, there is so much great music out there! You just have to go and find it. Just go to your local record store - it`s worth being supported anyway! - and pick up a bunch of albums from artists you haven`t heard about and listen to them and I am sure you`ll be rewarded

14. What do you believe about music business today? Would you like to sign a contract or work mostly independently? Would U believe that business in music today is somethin' an artist should avoid and why?

- Oh dear, this will sound disillusioned. Let`s be honest: The evil has won, a long time ago. The music business is NOT about creativity and it has probably never been, it`s not even about music - it`s just about making the most money with the least artistic input. It`s not even a secret

But maybe there are two ways of looking at it. If you`re mainly into music for commercial reasons then go for the industry. If you dream of appearing on billboards or having your own sneaker production or your underwear or fragrance line, then this type of business is just what you need. If you think all this is ridiculous nuisance that is only there to poison our minds and you tend more to think of yourself as an artist who has something to say apart from "I want to be a star" then stay away. (laughs)

It may sound a little simplistic but: The music business today is just like all other big businesses and it has been for some time - with the exception that their means of increasing profits have become more and more perfect. And as long as the kids buy it there will be no revolution. Don`t be a dreamer: They are only in it for the money! It`s toxic! Even if there is something potentially dangerous coming up like Punk or Grunge or maybe even Rock'n'Roll in its beginning in the 50s: It took them just weeks to swallow the whole movement Think of what Hip Hop was in the beginning

To finally answer your question: Although there are few independent record labels I really like - definitely NO contract whatsoever! As my main goal in life is not to be getting rich, I can afford to be stubborn! Artistic freedom is priceless! I mean, I even manage not to have a photo of myself anywhere on the internet.

15. Is there an artist -or a band -you would love to have a chance to work with in the future?

- If I could I`d invite all my favourite artists, well, the ones that are still alive at least

But if we play a game and I could put up a dream band: I guess I`d want two drummers, not exactly Grateful Dead style but I was amazed by the tricky stuff I saw from Mark Brzezicki in the early Big Country days.

And for the parts where we are about to tear down the roof I`d want Orri Pall Dyrason. On guitar I surely want Donald 'Buck Dharma' Roeser, the greatest poet of the electric guitar. And for some power chords underneath I`d surely ask Bob Mould.

We`d have Mike Watt on bass, then there should be horns and strings and lots of percussion and mallets... You see, I`m already getting lost here.

So, vocals? For male vocals I could think of John Cale, I really like him as a singer. And for female vocals my favourite is Georgia Hubley. And if I want some extraordinary vocal effects I`d ask Lisa Gerrard.

But finally: What`s my part in there? I can just stay at home then! (laughs)

16. Three words: Politics. Media. Globalization. What is the relation of music to all of these, IF there is any?

- Well, politics is originally a greek word, isn`t it? And if we nail it down to the core it simply means: The things that concern all of us. It is a tragedy of our times that so many people say they don`t care for politics. It`s like saying you don`t care for your own life or that of your love ones. And it makes people prone to conspiracies et al. Politics even means who you can have sex with. So saying you`re not interested in politics is, well, a little stupid to say the least.

Plus: You simply can`t be apolitical. If you shy away from politics it means that you`re actively supporting the forces in power. It really makes me furious that so many people say, politics is too complicated for them. The details can be tough but the basic apporach is fairly simple. I mean, just think of Prince! He was able, especially on his early works, to sing of sex AND politics at the same time! :)

Media is an important part in that. By controlling the media of your country or manipulating those of another country you can easily get your ideas into politics - or, like we`ve seen a couple of times in the recent past: You can even have laws exactly the way you want them. But if you look around and see all those crooks in power: Trump, Johnson, Bolsonaro, Erdogan, Putin, Modi or just look what`s going on in the Philippines right now... All these guys have teams that use the manipulative possibilities of the media.

Same about social media. The more entertainment , the easier it gets to manipulate people. Bread and games. I often say some developments are like "Athens to Rome": Theatre became circus, democracy became tyranny, and philosophy... Ah na, I would need to get deeper into this.

Which leads us directly to globalization. Globalization could be a very positive thing, bringing people together. If it only means that multinational companies can do whatever they want, we have a huge problem. The corporate globalization made all cities look the same, all people look the same, all music sound the same and all films look the same... Just slightly exaggerated, of course. ;-)

What I keep repeating like a mantra for years: It is not about the question capitalism yes or no. The question is if we manage to get over the neoliberal version that - apart from turning everything into a product - ruins the planet, produces injustice, takes from the poor to make the rich even richer, breeds violence and even terrorism as large groups of the population feel they`re not needed anymore ... Or if we manage to finally come to a version of a "fair" capitalism that plays with rules we have to set up, to put focus on fair trade etc.

The funny thing is that capitalism produces enough so that we simply wouldn`t have to suffer from poverty, starvation and all that. It could be used for something positive! And everything it is so fragile. As we see now, it just takes one man`s idea to destroy everything within seconds. Which is the point where we get back to Sisyphos, don`t we?

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