grab bag vol. 4

Hello RSS Clubs and Email Subs! It’s Friday and that means random things. This time I thought I’d share a few YT videos in my history from the last couple of weeks. Looking through the list of videos that I pulled up, there is an ordinary exotic theme here, to me at least. These videos may not be exactly your jam, but maybe there is something about them that interests you. Seeing into someone else’s algorithmic silo is interesting; YouTube is so vast that it’s like looking into a foreign country that you didn’t even know existed!

Adventure things

I do have a penchant for the weirder adventure content. Exploring mines, urbex, and weather things. Those will all attract my attention. This week wanted to show me some different stuff, bay hiking and kayaking in weird currents, and sailing into storms solo.

1. Tsunami Island / Gifgas is one of my regulars. I like his balance of long takes and only enough talking to explain what is going on. The scenery is ordinary and interesting and not the stuff you usually see. This one is unusual even for him- there are not any trains. I love it!
2. Quicksand! / The algorithm provides. I recommend just muting it because the wind noise is horrendous. The Tsunami Island video alludes to quicksand problems in the Mont St. Michel bay, something I had no idea about. This video is a demonstration of developing quicksand, sinking into it, and escaping. Fascinating!
3. Erik Aanderaa / Turning to a different sort of adventure, this guy just sails, no bs. He sails in the North Sea, and often solo. That’s pretty nuts. This one though, there is a lot of talking and some wind noise, and the cuts aren’t that long. Big waves and stormy weather though. If you want less danger sailing but still adventure (and less talking), I recommend Tupaia.

Cozy things

In contrast with all that vicarious risk taking, there are also several videos that are just chill. Again the emphasis is on longer takes, less or no talking, and ordinary scenes. Take a break and enjoy some quieter moments.

1. Maigomika / This Canadian couple are renovating a house in the Japanese mountains. It’s not hyper-craft fetish, that would be Dylan Iwakuni’s work. That stuff is cool too, just not all that relaxing.¹ Maigomika is more “come along with me while we do the chores” type content. So weird and awesome that it can be a genre with episodic content, because YouTube. The other that falls into this category but less approachable is Martijn; he’s sort of in between.
2. Imamu / More “come along with me while we do the chores” stuff here, this time it’s all cookery and family life. This is a Japanese family that lives in Canada.² It’s just ordinary things with no direct to the camera talking. Long takes, normal stuff. So nice.
3. Oria / This is a new one, I’m not endorsing it, but the algorithm did surface something that’s fits in with this mix. This is some skater kid in, well, I don’t know where. Maybe LA? It’s just a few minutes of them doing their skateboard practice, learning some new moves or applying their trade to some new playgrounds. Long takes, no talking, just doing things at an approachable, relatable level. I might check in from time to time. How is this stuff such a thing? It’s amazing.

Music things

Now for the music. We’re in a golden age for this stuff. There is a lot of it out there, and a lot more coming all the time. I’m sure you can find a DJ or musician to match your own taste. These are all no-talking.

1. Peripheral / Some guy in London or somewhere. I may have listened to one other before. This one had good grooves. I gotta be honest though, these single guys playing records in their just-too-well-put-together living rooms, they’re pretty hit or miss. I can’t say if this channel is consistently good. This one was though.
2. Martin Stürtzer / Long time listener. Martin’s series of home concerts are fantastic. Very few don’t work for me. He’s got a cat, he’s got tea. He’s got lots of synths!
3. James Grant / Father of Anjunadeep, so this is pro level stuff. It’s good Deep House.

There you go, that’s the grab from the bag! Hope you enjoyed it! Maybe comment me a video from your recent history? What’s something totally different from what I’ve got here that amazes you?

jg