Music Or Die

for the last 2 or 3 years, I’ve been mostly really happy. ever since I quit music school (also see this post) I haven’t stressed much. well, of course I have because this is human nature we’re talking about but looking back, every little problem seems so irrelevant. so yeah, all in all, I’ve been really happy. and I’m looking forward to this life I live (song lyrics, The Killers - Spaceman) because I’m pretty damn sure it will be nothing short of spectacular.

but there’s this one period of my life, which lasted about 2 months, to which I look back with ultimate nostalgia, ultimate longing, and I’d basically give up the life I live now just to relive these awesome months again. it was the summer of 2008 (which sadly doesn’t sound as cool as in the summer of ‘69) before I went to Switzerland. so what was so awesome about it?

I’d wake up in the late morning, almost at noon, drag my ass in front of the computer and see if Jon was already online or not. usually he came online at the same time, because we had (and still have) a weird habit of going to sleep and waking up at the exact same time. I’d click open the MSN conversation window and usually the conversation went like this:

(both at the same time)
me: HEYYYYYYYYY
Jon: HEYYYYYYYYYY
me: lol
Jon: lol
me: wazzzzaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?
Jon: nothiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing I’m bored and out of cigarettes
me: what’s your plan for today?
Jon: that you come over and we make music and drink wine and smoke cigs
me: you read my thoughts. I’ll be over in an hour, meet me at the station

and then I’d quickly shower myself and get myself ready and run out of the house to catch the trolleybus to his place. on the ride I’d listen to The Foals - Cassius, various Birthday Massacre songs and sometimes maybe even Coldplay’s DAAOHF album.. can’t remember (note to self: write a post about Coldplay’s Death And All Of His Friends).

so the ride would take me 13 minutes and Jon would always be late even though I called him when I left the house and said “I’m almost there”. he’s one of the very few people whom I actually forgive this constant unpunctuality, because the quality time spent with him is worth it. and he isn’t late on purpose.

anyway, we’d go to this alcohol shop called Araxes and choose a wine - we both liked white wines - but the choice was always between two of them because they were the cheapest. Monte Cristo and Bollino - every estonian youngster knows them, I believe. so we’d argue a bit - should we take one bottle? or one bottle each? which one? white or rosé? somehow we’d always settle for one bottle of white Monte Cristo each. and 2 packets of Marlboro Menthol. and sometimes we’d hop into the market near the shop and buy some peas or whatever we were hungry for. we’d walk to his place (a fully furnished apartment in the Old Town of Tallinn.. how cool is that??) have troubles opening the door and when we’d finally manage to break in I would instantly take my place on the windowsill of his room. oh god, I remember this so well: me sitting on the windowsill, Jon would bring 2 glasses and a bottle opener from the kitchen, I’d open the window, Jon would light a cigarette, I’d open the wine and pour the glasses, he’d go and sit in front of his computer and be like “ok listen yesterday I had this great idea of a rave song and I made this on my flatmate’s macbook” and then he plays the most awesome dreamy intro of a song, and I instantly know we’re gonna make something of it. he plays the rest of the song, we discuss, I dictate what I like and what I don’t like, I make him change some little things but overall, I’m so fucking pleased that I get to make music with someone who is so fucking talented. then we mess around with the idea a bit, agree to record vocals at my place some time in the near future and then go on to do another thing we’re both passionate about - listening to music. I’d say “put on something awesome” and he’d almost always put on one of these songs: Love Spit Love - How Soon is Now, Orbital - Halcyon & On & On, Adele - Hometown Glory, something by The Birthday Massacre, usually Falling Down or Walking With Strangers. at first we’d sit on the windowsill and talk talk talk and sometimes even take pictures or polaroids and then he’d put on something more dance-y, something by Ladytron. and then we’d drink our wines and smoke the Marlboro and then we’d put on some of our own music and dance around and pretend as if we were performing live. then the discussion would always take this kind of turn: “OMMGGG I sooooo wanna perform this song live, it would be SO AWESOME! I love this song! how did we come up with something like this?!?!” and we’d dance around his room, on his sofa, on his windowsill with the volume up as loud as the speakers could take and well, basically, we’d just enjoy the moment. then we’d get tired and either go and get some more wine or I’d go and see my friends in a park nearby, only to return later in the evening (or rather earlier next morning?) and go on a drunken morning escapade with Jon and his flatmate. we’d go to the rooftop of what is probably the biggest and ugliest building in Tallinn that’s not abandoned - Linnahall - and watch sunrise. cliché much? I know! and then we’d go back to Jon’s place, have tea (?) and lay down on the floor and listen and sing along to Hometown Glory by Adele, which might just be the most perfect ode to a city I’ve ever heard (she wrote this song about London). the lyrics are general enough to be able to relate to them, especially

the people I’ve met
are the wonders of my world
are the wonders of my world
are the wonders of this world
are the wonders of my world

the world would be a better place if everyone heard that song.

and then I’d go home with the first trolleybus, only to return some 7-8 hours later and do the same routine again.

and whenever I think back on those days spent on the windowstill of that apartment, I think “the people I’ve met are the wonders of my world”.