Detail in Breitenseeer Lichtspiele, Vienna’s oldest cinema. I was there for a Christmas film, but the programme has music films too, from Element of Crime or Drahdiwaberl, for example.

NSFW

I am very sorry and I know that I am really late to the party here, but I need to bother you with Billie Eilish again. This is just brilliant.

The YouTube video (directed by Eilish) is a beatiful minimum budget production with 430 Million views so far:

The song has its own - very informed - Wikipedia-article with dozens of critics praising it (and her and them). My personal view, however, is that, again, Reddit, has the most insightful comments. The Subreddit on her has > 1 Mio members. Is there anything on her that can’t be found there? And is there anything an AI could not create out of all this data?

What strikes me in this song, in particular, is how perfectly accurate some details are realized. Listen, for example, on how “water” sounds at 2’ 14’’ in “But my head was under water”. Again, also the interplay between her voice and the technical means to record it, are crucial. You hear every breath and every articulation detail so well - just as if she was whispering directly into your ear - and this creates a sense of intimacy and direct communication that is, for my ear, very rare. It makes me believe that I feel her/their mood (and their sadness) in that moment.

NSFW-Playlist

Let me just remind you, if I may, that I collect al NSFWs in a Spotify-Playlist. Just in case you want to do some kind of an annual review.

Thank you for your interest in this that I very much appreciate!

Prospect

I am a week off, next week (and have, despite all the caution I live with, a nasty cold, that arrived, just in time, two days before Christmas; no, it’s not COVID, I tested every day). I’m, however, planning to send a Weekly on Friday, as usual.

Retrospect

I put all content of our conference on platforms on YouTube, as announced las week. You can find it here:

This is, over all, in all its facets, to me, probably the best description of where Europe and Austria currently stand with platform regulations and why we have, seriously, reasons of concern.

This edition of Ben Thompson’s Stratechery on YouTube fits well into the picture and fundamentally criticises the Euopean approach in DMA and AIA - in particular the seize of the fines going beyond European market revenues.

Some of his - very interesting and relevant - texts on the matter from earlier this year are freely available as well, for example here, here and here and one should read them before 2025 (and in particular before January 20 2025).

Look and Feel

Phettbergs Nette Leit Show

Due to Hermes Phettberg’s death, ORF is broadcasting his “Nette Leit Show” again and it’s worth having a look into this to be reminded (or confronted) how much has changed in the last 30 years. The sound quality is just a joke, it’s also unebelievable how slow things are (the intro?!), the director calls into the show via a landline telephone etc. “Robin” wouldn’t be possible any longer either, I assume.

But Phettberg is just great, also 30 years later. He was a person really interested in his vis-a-vis and therefore asking truly curiously.

Extra-NSFW

Let me share with you a song for the new year, hoping that wonderful Max Raabe is right.

Daisy

enjoyed the party but is also happy that Christmas is, finally, over.

© Anna Forgó

Have a wonderful week! And happy holidays, If you are/go on vacation!

Kind regards

Nikolaus (Forgó)