#SweDen Pelagic

[michaelnordeman]

Weasel/vessla. Here in Värmland, some of the weasels molt their fur during winter, mirroring the behaviour of those further north, while others retain their brown pelage throughout the year, akin to those in southern regions of the country. Värmland, Sweden (February 25, 2018).

[pleistocene-pride]

Vulpes lagopus also known as the arctic fox, white fox, polar fox, or snow fox is a small species of fox native to the polar regions of the Northern Hemisphere where it dwells throughout Greenland, Findland, Norway, Sweden, Canada, Alaska, and many Arctic islands. Being the only land mammal native to Iceland. Arctic foxes mostly inhabit tundra, taiga, and pack ice but can also be found in the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska. The color of the fox's coat also determines where they are most likely to be found. The white morph mainly lives inland and blends in with the snowy tundra, while the blue morph occupies the coasts because its dark color blends in with the cliffs and rocks. The arctic fox is a generalist omnivore which typically eats any small animal they can find, including lemmings, voles, other rodents, hares, birds, seal pups, fish, insects, and shellfish in addition to berries, flowers, seaweed, carrion, and bird eggs. Arctic foxes are themselves eaten by eagles, wolves, wolverines, red foxes, and bears. Arctic foxes survive winters and food scarcity by both hoarding food in buried caches and storing large amounts of body fat. Reaching around 18 to 27inches (46 to 68cms) in body length with typically 12inch (30cm) long tail, and 3.1 to 20.7lbs ( 1.4 to 9.4kgs) in weight, the arctic fox is a small canine with a generally compact body shape, long fluffy tail, short muzzle and legs, and short, thick ears. It sports numerous adaptations to the extreme cold such as fur covered foot pads and dense multilayered pelage, which provides excellent insulation. To prevent heat loss, the Arctic fox curls up tightly tucking its legs and head under its body and behind its furry tail. There are two genetically distinct coat color morphs: the white morph has seasonal camouflage, white in winter and brown along the back with light grey around the abdomen in summer. The blue morph is often a dark blue, brown, or grey color year-round. Both morphs sport distinct summer and winter coats. Arctic foxes form monogamous pairs during the breeding season (from April to May) and they stay together to raise their young in complex underground dens. Occasionally, other family members may assist in raising their young, forming larger socially dynamic packs. These larger packs are particularly common in areas where the arctic fox overlaps with the red fox. After a 52 day pregnancy a mother arctic fox may give birth to up to 25 young. The young emerge from the den when 3 to 4 weeks old and are weaned by 9 weeks of age. Under ideal conditions an arctic fox may live up to 14 years.

[atsvensson]

Techmiljardär köper fiskfabrik

Sweden Pelagics nedlagda frysanläggning i Västervik har köpts av den svenske tech-miljardären Pär Svärdson. Svärdson som är både civilingenjör och civilekonom började efter utbildningen arbeta på konsultbolaget Andersen Consulting, idag Accenture. Född i Bromma i Stockholm hamnade han i Västervik som tonåring när familjen flyttade dit. Han bor idag inte i Västervik utan utomlands. Han är i alla…

[everyonegetshugsandturnsintotang]

♫

[sciencespies]

Eerily well-preserved 17th century ship found in the dark waters of the Baltic sea

https://sciencespies.com/humans/eerily-well-preserved-17th-century-ship-found-in-the-dark-waters-of-the-baltic-sea/

Eerily well-preserved 17th century ship found in the dark waters of the Baltic sea

Divers from Finland have made an unexpected discovery while exploring the depths of the Baltic Sea, finding an incredibly well-preserved shipwreck dating back almost 400 years.

Volunteer divers from the non-profit Badewanne team more often come across wrecked 20th century relics sunk during the sea battles of World War I and WWII, so uncovering what appears to be a largely undamaged Dutch merchant vessel from the 17th century was a huge surprise.

The ship, an example of a Dutch ‘fluit’ (or fluyt), was found near the mouth of the Gulf of Finland, in the easternmost waters of the Baltic.

At a depth of about 85 metres (roughly 280 ft), the Badewanne diving team discovered this Dutch time capsule lying on the seabed, almost completely preserved and intact.

(Badewanne)

Showing only minor damage sustained from subsequent pelagic trawling with fishing nets, the vessel is otherwise frozen in a kind of 17th century stasis, the team says, thanks to the properties of the water in this part of the sea – where a combination of low levels of salinity, temperature, and light can enable sunk wrecks to survive virtually unchanged for hundreds of years.

In warmer waters, wood-boring organisms flourish, and can do untold damage to relics such as this, but here, the chemistry of the Baltic – and the unknown nature of the fluit’s sinking – have left us with a remarkable relic for further investigation.

Even the holds of the ship are full, the divers say, still carrying its stock of provisions and wares from when Dutch cargo vessels largely dominated seaborne trade in this part of the world, thanks in part to the pioneering advancements demonstrated by the fluit itself.

These ships, which in their first iterations emerged in the 16th century, sacrificed everything for their all-important cargo. Unlike other boats of the time that were designed to switch between serving as cargo ships and war vessels, the three-masted fluit bore a cost-effective and capacious design fully intended to maximise cargo capacity.

Because of this, it could carry as much as twice the cargo of rival vessels, and advanced rigging systems ensured its deft sailing capabilities could be controlled by small crews, which also made the fluit a more profitable ship to operate.

A view of the main cabin in the stern. (Badewanne)

Despite the design’s success and popularity between the 16th and 18th century, relatively few fluits survive to this day. Further investigation of this particular find could reveal interesting facts about these historical treasures.

“The wreck reveals many of the characteristics of the fluit but also some unique features, not least the construction of the stern,” says maritime archaeologist Niklas Eriksson from the University of Stockholm in Sweden, who will work with Finnish authorities and others to study the discovery.

“It might be that this is an early example of the design. The wreck thus offers a unique opportunity to investigate the development of a ship type that sailed all over the world and became the tool that laid the foundation for early modern globalisation.”

#Humans

[doomedandstoned]

SÂVER: Raging At Darkness, Stepping Into Light

~By Billy Goate~

When I heard that former Tombstones members were forming a new band called SÂVER, I knew it was going to be doomy, but I don't think I was prepared for an album of such immense breadth and ferocity. You think Slomatics or Conan can command a hall? Well, let's just say with S VER you're in the Hall of the Mountain King. As I listen, it's not hard to imagine an apocalyptic scenario where the SÂVER's powerful strains break out in the dead of night, echoing through nightmarish forests, over majestic mountains, and into the impenetrable dark of Norway's wild. I can't believe how perfectly this recording captures size, scope, and grandiosity of their sound.

They Came With Sunlight by SÂVER

A deep, quietly percussive bass note opens up "Distant Path" and is joined in short order by menacing reverb of the synth. Two minutes in, the guitar and drums join in the layers of crescendo. At last, Ole Christian Helstad joins the fruckus of this brewing storm, ever building, building, building towards its inevitably violent release. Five minutes into the song, a torrent of rain swells down, accompanied by a hail of steady notes on guitar. At the eight-minute mark, a terrifyingly grandiose symphony of raging vocals and the combined force of Helstad's explosive bass, Markus Støle's drums, and Ole Ulvik Rokseth's guitar brings us the apocalyptic moment we've all been waiting for. Simply put, it is jaw-droppingly huge. 'They Came With Sunlight' (2019) has officially begun.

The following track, "I, Vanish," would make a fine companion to Yob's "The Screen." It ticks and tocks and grinds its gears like the mechanical clock of some mad horologist, who watches each finely tuned movement closely to see if we are nearer to Doomsday. This and the succession of tracks that follow take us on an ethereal journey of sorts. The music gives a continual sense of flow -- whether with the echo of chords, the precise rhythms of repeated notes, or the fury of blinding tremolos, we are always moving, moving, moving. The complexity of movement may find some drawing comparisons with Black Cobra, Mastodon, perhaps even Tool and Meshuggah.

They Came With Sunlight by SÂVER

"Influx" breaks with this form just long enough to make us question what we thought was real. Are we awake in the real world or in some kind of a dream where the rules still aren't known? It feels like we are floating in a state of suspended animation. The lyrics throughout the album are obscure, making it hard to get a straight answer one way or another. Perhaps the point is to ponder the larger themes exposited by these opaque words, to free our minds to wander and explore the possibilities. I will say the interview that follows helps to clear up at least one or two mysteries for us, but overall the material remains high concept, abstract, and surreal.

They Came With Sunlight by SÂVER

"How They Envisioned Life" is the most heart-wrenching song of the lot. There is real pain here, as the singer lashes out with some of the purest rage on record at everything he believed to be true and faithful about his reality. There's also what appears to be a tug of war. The light wants him, the dark wants him. Is this a near-death experience? I'll let you be the judge.

"Step out of light!" - Dark Frozen by fright, left to survive Under the sky Leave!! Leave my soul to him!

They came - They saw How they envisioned life Embrace the warmth that I have left you with

Please let us stay Through depths and stone I see light

Leave – Leave my soul to him

They came - They saw How they envisioned light Your rage - minds covered This ancient hollowed out fight I have left you - Light

"Dissolve To Ashes" gets even stranger with references to "cosmic shuttles" and panicked attempts to find a path that will lead to light. Come to think of it, this is actually is starting to feel like the kind of things I dream about on the regular!

They Came With Sunlight by SÂVER

The ancient archetypal struggle between light and darkness comes to a head in the album's longest track, the twelve-and-a-half minute "Altered Light." There are hints that maybe the light isn't quite what it seems and that a little sleight of hand is involved when some people promise to show us the way.

I'd like to point out something I've not mentioned up to this point: melody. The riffs on this album are, for lack of a better expression, very "hummable." This means these little earworms will be working their magic on you long after you've walked away from the record. I've found myself humming or tapping the theme to this song at the grocery store, at work, while doing laundry, you name it. Look, I don't have the answers to the riddles presented by They Came WIth Sunlight. What I can offer you is SÂVER. Oh, and if you dig this kind of sound, be sure and check out Markus Støle and Ole Rokseth's other project HYMN.

Photograph by Adrian Kraakefingar Vindedal

Interview with SÂVER's Ole Rokseth

~Photographs by Pål Bellis~

“It sounds like war.”

Congratulations on a successful album launch via Pelagic Records and for debuting at the #10 spot on the Doom Charts with 'They Came With Sunlight' (2019).

Thanks, Billy! The response has been overwhelming. We are super stoked.

The last time we checked in, Tombstones had just disbanded and then I think I lost track of the story for a good two years after that. What was going on in the backdrop leading up to the formation of SÂVER?

We spent a year, more or less, in our rehearsal space after Tombstones, just writing new material without having a plan. I don't think it took that long before we knew we had to make something of it, so we talked alot about what type of band we wanted to start and what type of music we wanted to play. We all knew we wanted to do something different. So it's been a lot of experimenting with sounds and gear to get to where we are now.

What does the band’s name signify?

It means "sleep" or "sleeping" in an old Norwegian dialect, from out in the woods where Ole Helstad is from.

“We wanted to just leave.”

The opening line from “Dissolve To Ashes” starts with: “They came with sunlight” -- it’s also the title of the album. I’m used to song and album titles that refer to the menace of darkness and those that prey in the shadows, but here you’re anticipating the arrival of something with the dawn. Can you illuminate this?

I think that line, in particular, is spoken through someone or something else “on the other side.” The clean singing sort of amplifies that. At some point during the writing process, I painted this picture in my mind of three dudes just leaving the earth towards a better destination, in search of “The Light.” So most of the lyrics is based around that journey. I think people relate to that and that's why it's equally heavy as the typical “metal lyrics.” It's just about life, man.

“It's just about life, man.”

So much of metal is focused on pain, misery, death, subjugation, and very little is written about “the light” -- especially not in a style as heavy, so it really intrigues me.

Yes, well, I don't think there is any point in writing about stuff thats not from your own experiences and thought. We just sort of turned it all around and wrote about our journey away from death, shadows, and battleaxes. It was really about what all of us went through at the time. We wanted to just leave.

The tracks on They Came With Sunlight are huge. This and the recent Yob album are among the few that have been successful in writing cohesive long-form compositions that carry an effective dramatic arc. How does a piece like “I, Vanish” come together?

That song is based on a bass riff that Ole brought to the table one night. And I guess we just wrote it the way we know best. Weed, beer, and a sweaty rehearsal space with low lighting. We are all believers of repetition in music, and that song is all about that for sure. This whole album really came together naturally and I think it's because we all had a need to express ourselves in a different way than in other bands and we had a clear vision of what we wanted to do early on.

The production value is very high on the new album, capturing the depth, range, and power of your sound admirably. What have you learned about recording your sound now that’s different from when you first started recording albums with Tombstones a decades ago?

I always have all of these different ideas and thoughts on how to record the next album to make it better than what we have done before. But we always, at least in these types of bands, conclude that recording live is the only way. And having a studio tech that can provide good recordings of all the instruments is key. So we basically just do what we have been doing at rehearsals and know that the guys behind the desk just captures it at that moment. Joona Hassinen at Studio Underjord in Sweden was that guy, and he couldn't have done a better job. Everything sounded really good straight out of the mixing board, so we knew early on that this was gonna be a super heavy experience. That being said, we had a lot of weird accidents on this album, as well, that Joona decided to just leave in. Art by accident, dude. Always cool. We obviously added stuff after recording it live, but it's not really that far from it.

“Three dudes just leaving the earth towards a better destination in search of The Light.”

If nothing else, doom is surely infamous for its “low ‘n’ slow” approach. How in the name of Hades did you get such a damning sound on this record? What did you tune to, for example, on “Distant Path”?

It's that whole year of continuously hitting the rehearsal space, practicing and trying out different sounds. We knew we wanted to try and distance ourselves from all the other “doom” bands that are out there, but yet not losing ourselves and what we think sounds cool.

We tune in drop A, and the guitars have pretty thin string gauges to get that open, heavy sound. Not that much distortion either, to be honest. Most of the fuzz comes from Helstad's 215 bass cabinet. A Lot of the sound also came together after I bought a Fender Telecaster Deluxe and combined it with an older Peavey transistor head. Bringing a synthesizer to mix also opened a lot for us. I inherited a real passion for old and new synths from my brother. His collection of synths is out of this world -- thanks Pål.

As Joona said after re-amping the fuzz bass, “It sounds like war.” I will never stop trying out new gear and trying new weird shit, and that's a big part of me evolving as a musician.

Picking up from that last question, the level of tonal depth you were able to capture on this recording is truly remarkable. Without ever feeling muted or distorted, you’ve managed to capture the grandiosity and rumbling low-end of those bruising chords.

Joona basically just recorded -- with great technique and experience -- what we played then and there. If the song is heavy, and you believe in it, it's gonna come out heavy. No matter what amp you use or what pickup you have in you guitar. I'm pretty sure Jimi Hendrix would make a shitty B.C. Rich Warlock from 2009 sing and penetrate your soul in the same way he does with his Stratocaster.

What amps and gear did you use in the recording?

We recorded it live with the same set-up as we use at gigs and rehearsals. I won't get into all the pedal details. On guitar, I played through a stereo setup with 412 cabinets. Peavey Century Bass Series and and old Simms Watts 100. Well, bass was actually reamped, but Helstad uses his Rickenbacker 4003 through a Ampeg SVT Classic with an 810 cab and a Peavey Standard with a Peavey 215 cab. Markus, of course, can make any drum kit sound amazing, though I don't remember the particulars of what he used in this recording.

To record the synth parts, I borrowed his brother's Korg MS10 from the '70s. One of our all time favourite synthesizers, but it's old, rare, and not cheap, so recently I bought a Moog Sub Phatty that I bet you will hear more of on our next record. If people want to know more, we love talking gear. Come check us out live and have a chat.

How did you arrive at the decision to use synthesizers in these compositions, anyway?

I've been active in two other electronica-based bands: Gundelach and Hubbabubbaklubb. I got inspired by these two acts and my brother, who plays synth in those two bands, as well. As mentioned, he's got an enormous collection of vintage, kickass synthesizers. All of us love the sound of it and also electronic music, and we wanted to use that as a tool to divide our sound from the common doom band. You can expect more synth on the next album.

"Art by accident, dude. Always cool.”

How have your live performances gone so far? We’d love to have you back to the States sometime!

Really good! Again, the response has been overwhelming. As a band, it's really important to set goals, and we have met almost all of our goals to this date. It's crazy. We are really looking forward to next year! Playing the US has been a goal for all of us forever and is something we definitely want to make happen with S VER. Hopefully next year, Billy, we can meet up and have a beer.

The Great SÂVER Giveaway

The band has been kind enough to offer 15 free downloads of their new album to 15 lucky souls. Redeem one code below at pelagicrecords.bandcamp.com/yum.

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[thegrandimago]

Taken on 2022 26th February, this is the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), or torsk, @skansen at the Baltic Sea Science Centre beyond the plate. A fish desired for centuries as a delicacy, enough to create a series of mid-20th century skirmishes known as the Cod Wars. In Sweden, cod occur im the Baltic Sea and west near the benthic zone, sometimes open water, and from the shoreline up to 600m depths, but usually 10–200m. Spawning period vary based on region, though Baltic Sea cod spawn during the summer. Spawning happens in open water at a depth of up to 100m. Eggs and larvae are pelagic, eggs sinking to the bottom die. Cod are apex predators, making them ecologically important, but this also made then vulnerable to changes. Cod stocks in Swedish waters have decreased by an 80% average, while spawning biomass is estimated to have had a 60% decrease since the mid-1980s. Some stocks have declined even greater, with many of the local west coast stocks assumed extirpated. Recovery to historic stock sizes requires protecting local spawning stocks. #animal #animals #djur #wildlife #naturliv #natur #nature #fauna #aquarium #aquariums #akvarium #akvarier #fish #fishes #fisk #fiskar #cod #cods #vertebrates #vertebrate #rayfinnedfish #animalia #chordata #actinopterygii #gadiformes #gadidae #gadus #gadusmorhua #atlanticcod #torsk (at Baltic Sea Science Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/CbY1HtaKbJb/?utm_medium=tumblr

[swedeandsour]

LUHA - Blue Whale

Moving over with its slow haunt, LUHA takes a cue from one of her inspirations iamamiwhoami with her latest track “Blue Whale”. A deep and atmospheric track, “Blue Whale” beckons with its cetacean call; its slow sear and pipe-metal architecture trickling over LUHA’s frosted echoes. Not much is said about the artist at the moment, but like LUHA, a Swedish-singer of Philippine descent, the pelagic track reverberates a transoceanic vibe inspired by both the frigid shores of Sweden and the tropical climes of the Pacific. 

You can check out the track below:

[gunboatbaylodge]

Things to Do in Vancouver this Weekend: June 15, 2017

On this, the final weekend of spring, the Queers Arts Festival opens with a celebration of two-spirited peoples, and it’s Car Free Day on Main Street and in the West End.  Also opening this weekend – the Vancouver Art Gallery and Vandusen Garden are serendipitously doing a bit of a concept swap; head to the Art Gallery on Friday for floral installations and tranquil garden scenes, or head to Garden for a Zimbabwean sculpture exhibit.

Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing

Friday June 16

Monet’s Secret Garden Summer Gala Where: The Vancouver Art Gallery What: The heart of Vancouver will be transformed into a floral paradise by three of Vancouver’s top florists and an array of Canada’s finest event professionals. Large-scale floral installations and digital projections will rise up during the experience of the evening around which art lovers will mingle and celebrate the genius of Claude Monet.

ZimCarvings Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden What: Patrick Sephani along with visiting artist Peter Kananji will be showcasing works from over 30 Zimbabwean stone sculptors on the beautiful garden grounds and carving stone sculptures on site.  All works will be available for purchase. Runs until: Saturday September 30, 2017

Bittergirl Where: Arts Club Theatre What: This cathartic and catchy musical charts the romantic breakups of three women and the lively antics that ensue. 60s girl group music like Be My Baby, And Then He Kissed Me, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, and Where Did Our Love Go? provide the perfect backdrop for the bittergirls’ journey back to happiness. Runs until: Thursday June 29, 2017

The X Presidents

The X Presidents Where: The Biltmore What: Vancouver-based hip hop.

12 Minutes Max Where: Scotiabank Dance Centre What: Short, eclectic contemporary dance works by some of Vancouver’s most exciting and innovative up-and-coming choreographers. Tickets available at Tickets Tonight.

Cinerama Where: Spanish Banks What: A live cinema with no story, plot or actors, on the shifting sands of the low tide flats. I really have no idea what this is, but I am intrigued. Runs until: Friday June 30, 2017

Led Zeppelin Bicycle Ride

Led Zeppelin Bicycle Ride Where: Start at CRAB Park What: Bring ‘The Best of Led Zeppelin’ album on your player/speaker/system, big or small. After the music is synchronized, head out under Canada Place for some early acoustical bliss in the tunnel for a track or two, then on round the Seawall towards Stanley park, stopping again for a track or two in the tunnel under the Causeway. End at Third Beach to watch the sun set at 9:20 to the guitars.

BC Lions vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders

BC Lions vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders Where: BC Place Stadium What: It’s football time, mountains and oceans vs. the prairies.

Science World After Dark Where: Science World What: Play like a kid without the kids, drink-in-hand if you so desire.

F-O-R-M Where: 149 West Hastings What: A by-youth for-youth (ages 15-25) movement on screen film festival; created through a collaboration between 24-year-old independent dance artist Sophia Wolfe, Company 605 and Kristina Lemieux. The festival encourages community-building through events, workshops and short films that inspire youth artists and audiences to see movement from new perspectives. Runs until: Saturday June 17, 2017

East Side Flea Where: 1024 Main What: Over 50 local vendors, food trucks, a live DJ, artisan showrooms, seasonal drink specials, pinball and more. Runs until: Sunday June 18, 2017

Bison

Bison Where: The Rickshaw What: Vancouver metal band Bison headlines the Rickshaw in support of their new album You Are Not The Ocean You Are The Patient, out June 23rd on Pelagic Records.

    Saturday June 17

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Queer Arts Festival Where: Various locations What: The festival’s 2017 theme “UnSettled” presents work from a two-spirit perspective, exploring contemporary roles and experiences, as well as providing a platform for innovation and experimentation at the intersection between the Indigenous and queer art milieus. Runs until: Thursday June 29, 2017

West End Car Free Day

West End Car Free Day Where: Denman Street from Robson to Davie What: There are music stages and jam sessions to listen to, art being exhibited and created live on the street and plenty of places to grab a bite to eat or something to drink.

Art Party: Queer Arts Festival Opening Gala Where: Roundhouse Community Centre What: The Queer Arts Festival (QAF) is an annual artist-run multi-disciplinary summer arts festival that presents and exhibits with a curatorial vision favouring challenging, thought-provoking work that pushes boundaries and initiates dialogue.

7th Mariachi Festival Canada Where: The Vogue What: Featuring Mariachis from Canada and Mexico.

Mono + Low Where: The Imperial What: Mono is a Japanese instrumental post-rock band that is enchanting and heartfelt. Low is soft American dark indie. I think they’ll go nicely together. 

Canada 150 Art Show Where: Kimoto Gallery What: 150 pieces of original Canadian artwork by fifty plus artists from Vancouver and the region. The theme is not maple leaves, hockey nor Tim Hortons, instead it is diversity; featuring works by both emerging and established artists, who do what they do, devoted to their professional practices. Runs until: Saturday July 15, 2017

Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Dallas

Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Dallas Where: BC Place Stadium What: It’s soccer time, or if you are not from North America, it’s football. But there’s also “American football” which was yesterday. Anyways. This is the one with the round ball.

BC Highland Games

BC Highland Games Where: Percy Perry Stadium (Coquitlam, BC) What: Bands, dancers, entertainers, whisky tastings and even a haggis hunt for the kids.  There will be British cars and British food, sheep dog demos, Quidditch, an expanded beer garden with entertainment, and a grand finale celebrating 150 years of Scots in Canada. Like the sound of the Indian Dhol? The Royal Academy of Bhangra Dancing will dance with with Scottish highland dancers.

Plywood Cup Where: Granville Island What: An outdoor fundraiser which involves making a boat out of plywood in ninety minutes! Each team of four is given a bag of nails, two sheets of plywood, and some duct tape, with which to build a seaworthy craft. Then some lucky member of the team paddles it across False Creek and back!

Teddy Bear Picnic Where: St. Andrew’s Park (North Vancouver) What: The event is free and features a variety of entertainment for everyone including Music with Marnie, face-painting by Looking Glass face painters, Jump for Joy bouncy castle, clowns Dilly & Donna—and the ever-popular Teddy Bear Clinic,Teddy Bear cookie decorating, storytelling, arts and crafts, and concession stand.

Shakespeare After Dark Where: The Rio Theatre What: A fusion of Shakespeare and improv. In the first half of the show, you’ll witness a scene from the Bard monkey-wrenched by a cast member leaving the rest of the cast to improvise around them. Then, in the second half, see a  Shakespearean tragedy, but improvised based on audience suggestions. With a genuinely drunken professional actor volunteering every night, no two shows are ever the same.

  Sunday June 18

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Main Street Car Free Day

Main Street Car Free Day Where: Main Street, from around Broadway and south What: The biggest of Vancouver’s Car Free Day festivals spanning 21 blocks, Main Street has 15 stages and mini festivals along the entire street. This is a fun, family-friendly event with kid-zones, skateboarders, funky artisan shops and popular food vendors. You can really taste the flavour of Main Street with extended patios from many restaurants.

Wolves in the Throne Room

Wolves in the Throne Room Where: Venue What: Atmospheric, dark, doomy and beautiful Cascadian black metal.

Pop-Up Roller Disco

Pop-Up Roller Disco Where: Robson Square Skating Rink What: Classic roller rink vibes with big hair, short shorts, long socks, and all of the disco, funk, R&B and glam rock you can handle. There will be prizes for best costume, free beginner quad and inline lessons from 6-7pm, and limited skate rentals.

Summer Solstice at Mountain View Cemetery Where: Mountain View Cemetery, 7:00pm & 9:00pm What: Twenty-five community dancers have been rehearsing twice a week for two months, led by choreographer Daelik of MachineNoisy Dance. Jocelyn Morlock’s Blue Sun for violin and viola will provide the soundtrack for this celebration of the solstice.

The Super Dad Show Where: Vancouver Improv Theatre, 2:00pm What: The SuperDad Show pokes fun at the foibles and complexities of what it means to be a father these days. Based on audience suggestions, VTSL’s quick-witted improvisers could explore such relevant topics as “the sensitive Dad”, “Dads and their love affair with the barbecue”, “hockey Dads”, et cetera.

  Ongoing

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F-O-R-M Where: 149 West Hastings What: A by-youth for-youth (ages 15-25) movement on screen film festival; created through a collaboration between 24-year-old independent dance artist Sophia Wolfe, Company 605 and Kristina Lemieux. The festival encourages community-building through events, workshops and short films that inspire youth artists and audiences to see movement from new perspectives. Runs until: Saturday June 17, 2017

Song of the Open Road

Song of the Open Road Where: Contemporary Art Gallery What: Bringing together artists from Canada, Eritrea, Ireland, Sweden, and the US, the exhibition includes works that combine thematically to interrogate ideas rooted in photographic histories, engaging ideas such as veracity, recollection, remembrance, belonging, staging, and how the image documents and records these or is evidence of differing realities. Runs until: Sunday June 18, 2017

East Side Flea Where: 1024 Main What: Over 50 local vendors, food trucks, a live DJ, artisan showrooms, seasonal drink specials, pinball and more. Runs until: Sunday June 18, 2017

Creative Visions: Hong Kong Cinema 1997-2017

Creative Visions: Hong Kong Cinema 1997-2017 Where: The Cinematheque What: This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). To celebrate, the HKSAR Government takes great pleasure in presenting a number of specially curated film programs on Hong Kong cinema in 10 cities across Europe, North America, and South Korea, in addition to four cities in Mainland China and in Hong Kong. Runs until: Friday June 23, 2017

Hamlet Where: The Cultch What: Presented by The Sandbox Theatre. Runs until: Saturday June 24, 2017

Velopalooza Bike Festival Where: Various locations What: A full calendar of cycling events, parties, rides, and workshops. Runs until: Sunday June 25, 2017

Hand to God Where: Arts Club Theatre What: In a church basement in suburban Texas, three troubled teenagers meet weekly to express themselves through puppetry and learn to avoid the devil at all costs. Things take a twisted turn when one student—Jason—creates a hand puppet that is possessed with a delightfully dark personality of its own. Runs until: Sunday June 25, 2017

Up Close

Up Close Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden What: All the artists represented in this group exhibition find their inspiration while painting on location at VanDusen Garden. The Vancouver en plein air group, initiated in April 2011, zooms-in to the lush vegetation that provides a new dimension of foreground details. The subjects are varied, and so is the medium. Runs until: Tuesday June 27, 2017

Queer Arts Festival Where: Various locations What: The festival’s 2017 theme “UnSettled” presents work from a two-spirit perspective, exploring contemporary roles and experiences, as well as providing a platform for innovation and experimentation at the intersection between the Indigenous and queer art milieus. Runs until: Thursday June 29, 2017

Bittergirl Where: Arts Club Theatre What: This cathartic and catchy musical charts the romantic breakups of three women and the lively antics that ensue. 60s girl group music like Be My Baby, And Then He Kissed Me, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, and Where Did Our Love Go? provide the perfect backdrop for the bittergirls’ journey back to happiness. Runs until: Thursday June 29, 2017

Cinerama Where: Spanish Banks What: A live cinema with no story, plot or actors, on the shifting sands of the low tide flats. Runs until: Friday June 30, 2017

Laurent Craste: Revolution’s Small Collateral Damage | Épuration II, 2016, porcelain, glaze, 14.8 x 27.9 x 27.6 cms

Laurent Craste: Revolution’s Small Collateral Damage Where: Back Gallery Project What: Of French origin, Laurent Craste has been living and working in Montreal for the past 25 years. His practice focuses on the exploration of the multiple layers of meaning of decorative objects: ideologically, aesthetically, and through their sociological and historical dimensions. Runs until: Saturday July 1, 2017

Million Dollar Quartet Where: Arts Club Theatre What: Inspired by true events, this rocking jukebox musical takes you into Sun Records Studio on December 4, 1956, to witness the famed recording session that brought together rock and roll legends Presley, Cash, Lewis, and Perkins—for the first and only time. Runs until: Sunday July 9, 2017

Canada 150 Art Show Where: Kimoto Gallery What: 150 pieces of original Canadian artwork by fifty plus artists from Vancouver and the region. The theme is not maple leaves, hockey nor Tim Hortons, instead it is diversity; featuring works by both emerging and established artists, who do what they do, devoted to their professional practices. Runs until: Saturday July 15, 2017

Means of Production Where: CityScape Community Art Space (North Shore) What: Through weaving, rug hooking and stitching, five textile artists explore the value, meaning, and metaphorical possibilities of methodically making work by hand in a digital age of increasingly rapid advancement. The title draws on Marx’s theory of alienation, which asserts that our humanity is created through production – essentially we are what we make. Runs until: Saturday July 15, 2017

The Vienna Model: Housing for the 21st Century City Where: Museum of Vancouver What: Explore housing in Vienna, Austria, through its portrait of the city’s pathbreaking approach to architecture, urban life, neighborhood revitalization, and the creation of new communities. Runs until: Sunday July 16, 2017

Dance in Transit Where: Various outdoor locations What: A continuous supply of dancing during the warm months —at no cost. Watch it, try it, and see if you love it. Runs until: Sunday August 27th, 2017

Xi Xanya Dzam – Those Who Are Amazing At Making Things Where: The Bill Reid Gallery What: Xi Xanya Dzam (pronounced hee hun ya zam) is the Kwak’wala word describing incredibly talented and gifted people who create works of art. The exhibition is both a showcase and a critical exploration of ‘achievement’ and ‘excellence’ in traditional and contemporary First Nations art. Runs until: Sunday September 4, 2017

Pictures From Here

Pictures From Here Where: Vancouver Art Gallery What: Featuring photographs and video works from the early 1960s to the present that capture the urban environment of the Greater Vancouver region, its citizens and the vast “natural” landscape of the province. Runs until: Sunday September 4, 2017

Sunday Art Market

Sunday Art Market Where: Jim Deva Plaza What: Local artists, vendors and makers, largely from Vancouver’s West End, along with musical and other live performances and artist-led workshops to drop into. Runs until: September 2017

Panda International Night Market Where: Richmond, BC What: A diverse market in Richmond, with shopping, food, beverages, and a game zone. Runs until: Monday September 11, 2017

Flora and Fauna: A Summer Art Show Where: The Fall Tattooing and Artist Studio What: An artistic summer celebration of all vibrant, colourful, living things. Runs until: Friday September 15, 2017

Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival Where: Vanier Park What: What do you say to watching a live production of Much Ado About Nothing, The Winter’s Tale, The Merchant of Venice or The Two Gentlemen of Verona in a custom-built tent on the beach while sipping wine, beer, and munching on a picnic lunch themed to the play? Yes! Right? After 28 years, this festival has hit a stride of near perfection (and don’t even get us started on the amazing costumes.) Runs until: Saturday September 23, 2017

Shipyards Night Marlet

Shipyards Night Market Where: Lonsdale, North Vancouver What: Food, art, music, entertainment, shopping, a beer garden, and you can bring your dog! Runs until: September 29, 2017

ZimCarvings Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden What: Patrick Sephani along with visiting artist Peter Kananji will be showcasing works from over 30 Zimbabwean stone sculptors on the beautiful garden grounds and carving stone sculptures on site.  All works will be available for purchase. Runs until: Saturday September 30, 2017

Mount Pleasant Farmers Market Where: Dude Chilling Park What: Amble over and pick up some afternoon picnic supplies, groceries for the week, and Sunday dinner fixings from 25+ farms and producers. Each week you’ll find a fresh selection of just-picked seasonal fruits & veggies, ethically-raised meats & sustainable seafood, artisanal bread & prepared foods, craft beer, wine, & spirits, handmade craft, and coffee & food trucks. Runs until: October 8, 2017

Traces of Words: Art and Calligraphy from Asia

Traces of Words: Art and Calligraphy from Asia Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology What: Words and their physical manifestations are explored in this insightful exhibition, which will honour the special significance that written forms. Varied forms of expression associated with writing throughout Asia is shown over the span of different time periods: from Sumerian cuneiform inscriptions, Qu’ranic manuscripts, Southeast Asian palm leaf manuscripts and Chinese calligraphy from MOA’s Asian collection to graffiti art from Afghanistan and contemporary artworks using Japanese calligraphy, and Tibetan and Thai scripts. Runs until: Monday October 9, 2017

Richmond Night Market

Richmond Night Market Where: Richmond, BC What: There’s a dinosaur park! Anamatronic dinosaurs! Also – live performances, carnival games, over 200 retail stalls and over 500 food choices from around the world. Runs until: October 9, 2017

Onsite / Offsite Tsang Kin-Wah

Onsite / Offsite Tsang Kin-Wah Where:  Vancouver Art Gallery What:  This large-scale composition transforms English texts to form intricate floral and animal patterns. The work draws from discriminatory language that appeared in newspapers and political campaigns in Vancouver during the 1887 anti-Chinese riots, the mid-1980s immigration influx from Hong Kong and most recently, the heated exchanges around the foreign buyers and the local housing market. Runs until: Sunday October 15, 2017

West End Farmers Market Where: 1100 Comox St What: Located in the heart of Vancouver’s busy West End, this laid-back Saturday market looks onto beautiful Nelson Park and adjacent community gardens. Each week, shop for the best in local, seasonal produce, artisanal bread & prepared foods, craft beer, wine, & spirits, ethically raised meat, eggs, & dairy, sustainable seafood, wild crafted product, and handmade craft. Hot food & coffee on-site as well. Runs until: Saturday October 21, 2017 (Saturdays)

Trout Lake Farmers Market Where: Trout Lake What: This is where you’ll find the vendors who have been doing it since the beginning; what started as 14 farmers ‘squatting’ at the Croatian Cultural Centre back in 1995 has grown into Vancouver’s most well-known and beloved market. Visitors come from near and far to sample artisan breads & preserves, stock up on free-range and organic eggs & meats, get the freshest, hard-to-find heirloom vegetables and taste the first Okanagan cherries and peaches of the season. Runs until: Saturday October 21, 2017 (Saturdays)

Kitsilano Farmers Market

Kitsilano Farmers Market Where: Kitsilano Community Centre parking lot What:   A great selection of just-picked, seasonal fruits & vegetables, ethically raised and grass fed meat, eggs, & dairy, sustainable seafood, fresh baked bread & artisanal food, local beer, wine, & spirits, and beautiful, handmade craft. Kids and parents alike can enjoy entertainment by market musicians, a nearby playground and splash park, and coffee and food truck offerings each week. Runs until: Sunday October 22, 2017 (Sundays)

The Lost Fleet Exhibit Where: Vancouver Maritime Museum What: On December 7, 1941 the world was shocked when Japan bombed Pearl Harbour, launching the United States into the war. This action also resulted in the confiscation of nearly 1,200 Japanese-Canadian owned fishing boats by Canadian officials on the British Columbia coast, which were eventually sold off to canneries and other non-Japanese fishermen. The Lost Fleet looks at the world of the Japanese-Canadian fishermen in BC and how deep-seated racism played a major role in the seizure, and sale, of Japanese-Canadian property and the internment of an entire people. Runs until: Winter 2017

Bill Reid Creative Journeys | Image via the Canadian Museum of History

Bill Reid Creative Journeys Where: The Bill Reid Gallery What: Celebrating the many creative journeys of acclaimed master goldsmith and sculptor Bill Reid (1920–1998), this exhibition provides a comprehensive introduction to his life and work. Runs until: Sunday December 10, 2017

Amazonia: The Rights of Nature

Amazonia: The Rights of Nature Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology What: MOA will showcase its Amazonian collections in a significant exploration of socially and environmentally-conscious notions intrinsic to indigenous South American cultures, which have recently become innovations in International Law. These are foundational to the notions of Rights of Nature, and they have been consolidating in the nine countries that share responsibilities over the Amazonian basin. Runs until: January 28, 2018

Emily Carr: Into the Forest

Emily Carr: Into the Forest Where: Vancouver Art Gallery What: Far from feeling that the forests of the West Coast were a difficult subject matter, Carr exulted in the symphonies of greens and browns found in the natural world. With oil on paper as her primary medium, Carr was free to work outdoors in close proximity to the landscape. She went into the forest to paint and saw nature in ways unlike her fellow British Columbians, who perceived it as either untamed wilderness or a plentiful source of lumber. Runs until: March 4, 2018

What are you up to this weekend? Tell me and the rest of Vancouver in the comments below or tweet me directly at @lextacular

Inside Vancouver Blog

[michaelnordeman]

The Roe deer buck has lost one of his antlers and the other one will soon follow. This often occurs in November, so he's right on schedule. By now both he and the doe are sporting their extra thick winter coat. The winter pelage is estimated to be twice as effective as a thermal insulator. They also have some extra fat reserves to sustain themselves through the winter. Värmland, Sweden (November 19, 2023).

[ds4design]

The Best Underwater Photographs of 2016 Are Out of This World

Images Copyright Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition 2016

This year may have been a rough one up here on Earth’s dry surface, but beneath the waves ocean life flourished and dazzled. The world’s most prestigious underwater photography competition has just announced its winning images for 2016—and they’re absolutely spellbinding.

The Ocean Art Photography competition has been ongoing for six years, and with each iteration, contestants seem to find new ways of capturing the alien beauty of life underwater. 2016 saw prizes handed out to 95 photographers from over 60 countries, in categories encompassing science (marine life behavior, reefscapes, and nudibranchs) and camera technology (wide angle, novice DSLR, and super-macro), not to mention the occasional highly-conceptual image of a dude repairing a beamer engine at the bottom of a pool.

Below we’ve collected a few of our favorite portraits of ocean life to come out of the 2016 contest. Be sure to check out the Underwater Photography Guide’s website for the full compilation of last year’s most mesmerizing aquatic imagery.

In “Blue Lasso” a the Pacific Man of War jellyfish shows off its infamously toxic, electric blue tendril used to paralyze prey. The photograph, shot by Matty Smith using a Nikon D810 camera, took first place in the Wide Angle photography category, and was additionally awarded Best of Show.

In “Mirror Mirror,” a green turtle and a human say hello on a snorkeling trip in the Great Barrier Reef. The photograph, shot by Troy Maybe using a Nikon D200 camera, took third place in the Wide Angle Photography category.

A bobtail squid flares its tentacles for a fraction of a second before making a quick escape into the darkness. “Amazing squid,” shot by Dennis Corpuz using a Nikon D7000 and Nikkor 105mm macro lens, took first place in the Macro category.

Sabella spallanzani, a marine worm that lives in warm Mediterranean waters off the coast of Italy, twirls its feather-like gills to create a truly out-of-this-world display. “Dancer sea worm,” shot by Lorenzo Terranea using a Nikon D7200 and Nikkor 105mm macro lens, took fourth place in the Macro category.

Pike are generally camera-shy, but this one didn’t seem to mind being photographed beneath a canopy of lilies in a lake in southwestern Sweden. “World of a Pike” was shot by Tobias Dahlin using a Nikon D7100 and Nikon 10.5mm fisheye lens. It won first place in the Cold Water category.

In “looking,” two roosters share a gelatinous snack—perhaps a jellyfish?—off the coast of Tenerife, Spain. The photograph was shot by Joaquin Gutierrez using a Canon 5D Mark III and Canon 8-15mm lens. It won first place in the Portrait category.

A swarm of Box Jellyfish aggregate to form a terrifying pillar of tentacles, for what may be some sort of mating ritual off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa. “Tentacle Tornado” was shot by Geo Cloete using a Nikon D300 and Tokina 10-17mm lens. It won first place in the Marine Life Behavior category.

Two zen toads and a few hundred unhatched young put your family reunions to shame. “Mating Toads” was shot by Gino Symus using a Canon 7D and Sigma 17-70mm lens. It won second place in the Marine Life Behavior category.

A Portuguese Man-O-War jellyfish is not a snack for the faint of heart—the creature’s tentacles are almost as toxic as cobra venom. Undaunted, a pelagic sea swallow appears to be feeding on a giant jelly’s air sac, in this striking photo captured in Ponta Bay, Mozambique. “Predator and Prey” was shot by Jenny Stomvoll using a Sony NEX5 and Sony 18-55mm Lens. It won first place in the Mirrorless Behavior category.

Welcome to the hypnotic undersea forest found....inside the 2 centimeter tall body of a common sea squirt. “Our Enchanted Forest” was shot by Lawrence Alex Wu using an Olympus c5050Z camera. It won first place in the Compact Macro category.

If you needed any proof that Pokemon truly do live among us, just check out the trippy deep sea nudibranchs (re: sea slugs) that seem to have inspired at least a few of Nintendo’s fantasy critters. “Mating Pikachu” was shot by Dennis Corpuz using a Nikon D7000 and Nikon 105mm lens. The image won fourth place in the Nudibranchs category.

In a heartwarming display of cooperative parenting, at least a dozen male Red Irish Lord fish are shown here guarding their egg masses in the Nootka Sound in British Columbia. “Under My Wing” was shot by Chad Tamis. It won first place in the Supermacro category.

Eva, a native of the aquamarine waters of Northern Queensland, reportedly loves posing for the camera—even when she’s trying to grab a little calamari lunch. “Got It!” was shot by photographer and sea turtle rehabilitation director Christian Miller using a Nikon D800 camera and Tokina 10-17mm lens. It won first place in the Pool-Conceptual category.

[Underwater Photography]

[atsvensson]

Inte direkt en nyhet att det finns indragningsområden för trålfiske

Inte direkt en nyhet att det finns indragningsområden för trålfiske

I Sverige finns en trålfiskegräns på 4 sjömil förutom i Halland där den är tre sjömil. Innanför trålfiskegränsen finns så kallade indragningsområden där trålning är tillåten. Det finns i Skagerak, Kattegatt, Östersjön, Bottenhavet och Bottenviken. I Skagerak och Kattegatt är det främst för kräftfiskets skull. Kräfttrålarna får fiska i indragningsområdena om de använder kräfttrål med rist så att…

[riffrelevant]

SÂVER Share Smoldering 'Dissolve To Ashes' Official Video

SÂVER Share Smoldering ‘Dissolve To Ashes’ Official Video

(Photo By: Mikkel Fykse Engelschion / Effects By: Simen Sandbæk Skari) Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker, Senior Writer/Journalist ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway, Owner/Chief Editor

The March 8th release date for ‘They Came With Sunlight‘, the increasingly anticipated album début from Sweden’s SÂVER, via Pelagic Records, is inching ever closer. (more…)

[atsvensson]

Ny sorteringsmetod tar vara på hela fisken

Ny sorteringsmetod tar vara på hela fisken

När det gäller kött är det självklart ta hand om olika delar av djuret för att så mycket som möjligt ska bli mat. Inom fiskindustrin rensas mer än hälften av fiskens vikt bort och når aldrig våra tallrikar. Detta är kostsamt för miljön och går stick i stäv med den svenska livsmedelsstrategin. Nu har forskare på Chalmers tagit fram en ny sorteringsteknik som gör det möjligt att ta vara på fem fina…

[atsvensson]

Svenskt pelagiskt fiske

Pelagisk fisk är fiskarter som rör sig i stim i det fria vattnet (inte i närheten av botten), exempelvis sill, skarpsill och makrill, men även mindre kända arter som tobis, taggmakrill och blåvitling. Svenskt pelagiskt fiske 2019 ca 90 % av hela den svenska volymen som är 180 000 ton per år. ungefär 2/3 av det totala landningsvärdet som är 1 100 miljoner kr ca 450 heltidsanställda vilket…

[atsvensson]

Scandic Pelagic i Sverige har återigen blivit Sweden Pelagic

Scandic Pelagic i Sverige har återigen blivit Sweden Pelagic

Danska Scandic Pelagic A/S har sålt sina svenska dotterbolag och deras verksamhet till Västkustfisk SVC AB. Västkustfisk SVC AB var tidigare minoritetsägare i det danska bolaget och den andelen har överlåtits till FF Skagen A/S som därmed är enda ägare av Scandic Pelagic A/S. Nytt namn för hela den svenska verksamheten är Sweden Pelagic. De svenska bolagen har därför också bytt namn Sweden…