@alanranta.bsky.social
I rant about things, usually music, sometimes for money. Bylines seen in PopMatters, Bandcamp, the Georgia Straight, and Exclaim! Longtime juror for the Polaris Prize and Juno Awards. https://linktr.ee/alanranta ⓘ this user is a dork
Nathan Fake is a gem.
01.03.2026 09:51 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Trent Reznor’s name backwards is Ron Zertnert
#nineinchnails
01.03.2026 07:39 — 👍 6 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
Colin Cowan should be as famous as Cindy Lee.
elasticstars.bandcamp.com/album/hobbyist
Seriously, it's time for "Choir Practice."
youtu.be/n8REJyNoVEg?...
Smoke 'em if you got 'em.
01.03.2026 00:10 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
I just made a 9+ hour mix of reggae and dub from 1976:
bit.ly/reggae1976
As a side quest, I'll also be producing a 3+ hour mix of reggae and dub-influenced tracks. That one isn't ready yet, but it's cool to hear that sound spread. "Hotel California" was originally called "Mexican Reggae."
You are only saying that because it is true.
28.02.2026 20:24 — 👍 10 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this mix:
bit.ly/WZZZdriftsDO...
I put a lot of myself into this one, a lot of sampling and processing.
Links to all of the 1976 'Year of the Deir' mixes can be found here: https://linktr.ee/alanranta
Links to all of the 1976 'Year of the Deir' mixes can be found here: https://linktr.ee/alanranta
WZZZ 100.1FM drifts Downtempo '76
A 10-hour mix of mostly instrumental downtempo electronic music made to sound like a radio station that you are meant to fall asleep to, planting seeds for Boards of Canada and Broadcast, while the ad breaks trip you out.
DROPBOX LINK: bit.ly/WZZZdriftsDO...
Go where your mind is.
youtu.be/rhOCKj6i2X8?...
Run, Berta! Run!
youtu.be/jt1MHvidglM?...
Grant Morrison is an absolute legend. Did you ever see his speech for Disinfo? That guy has definitely had his Valis experience.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disinfo...
I would have gone more with something like the Shins, since that is more the tone of the movie as I recall, although you couldn't use the song from the movie or it would undercut the moment. It's a bit coming-of-age late-bloomer/mental issues drama, but it's mostly a romantic comedy.
26.02.2026 13:58 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Is that why I remember the arrow scene? I think so.
I also remember the funniest part of this movie being the shirt/wallpaper gag. Holy crap, is this trailer dripping with ennui. What an excessively intense song choice for the subject matter. Good song, though.
youtu.be/_CLzzUfDjUo?...
The dork from Scrubs hangs out with some people who shoot arrows in the air for fun (just to feel something, man), Princess Amidala is flaky, they are both kind of sad for no reason, and have pretty good taste in music. That's all I remember.
26.02.2026 13:44 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0You know, despite all of the Robert Anton Wilson talks I have downloaded, I really haven't heard/read much/any Alan Watts. Where should I begin? Did he do anything in 1976?
26.02.2026 13:37 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 2 📌 0
It is possible he's done ayahuasca with Neal Brennan.
youtu.be/FHrOkYoKz0w?...
People like to trash 'Garden State' these days, but that Shins moment was adorable. Sure, the movie is not exactly appreciating with age, but it was a pretty inoffensive comedy, and the Shins do legitimately rule. Saw them live at Sasquatch a few years back, and they were good there too.
26.02.2026 13:25 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Philip K. Dick = Dan Harmon
Timothy Leary = Jordan Peterson
Something that has occurred to me upon listening to extensive interviews with Philip K. Dick and Timothy Leary from 1976. Dick sounds just like Dan Harmon, and Leary has the same sort of pseudo-intellectual grifter JP nonsense going on.
I scored the GWG in two of my last three beer league hockey games, but I also speared the shit out of myself last game.
25.02.2026 22:58 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0I don't say this kind of thing very often, but this is a real man.
25.02.2026 16:35 — 👍 7 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0They sure do.
25.02.2026 16:02 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Does anyone remember 'The Compleat Beatles?' It was a bold title for a documentary produced the year after John Lennon died. I doubt people consider this to be the complete story anymore. That movie they made about people who forgot the Beatles was longer than this.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Com...
That being said, it is not the only 'Weird' Al mockumentary, @coreyatad.com. He made one that parodied 'The Compleat Beatles' years ago.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Com...
This is true.
25.02.2026 15:46 — 👍 6 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
You can also listen to this mix here:
youtu.be/t11hf9nrOh4
You can also listen to this mix here:
youtu.be/zJv8VLiWAic
Hope it works out for you. Looks like a good book. I see Ulf was a filmmaker too. If he was going to adapt that book for TV movie, it might sound something like this:
bsky.app/profile/alan...
You can also listen to part of this mix at these links:
youtu.be/zoYVEpfLZ_M
youtu.be/QrxWt8sI7dk
You can listen to part of this mix here:
youtu.be/6IEqevgENhA