Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Black Mass Rising

BLACK MASS RISING movie (Official Trailer). Not totally sure what it is, but the soundtrack features a bunch of sweet bands.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The Meissner Effect

The Meissner effect is the expulsion of a magnetic field from a superconductor during its transition to the superconducting state. The German physicists Walther Meissner and Robert Ochsenfeld discovered the phenomenon in 1933 by measuring the magnetic field distribution outside superconducting tin and lead samples.[1] The samples, in the presence of an applied magnetic field, were cooled below what is called their superconducting transition temperature. Below the transition temperature the samples canceled nearly all magnetic fields inside. They detected this effect only indirectly; because the magnetic flux is conserved by a superconductor, when the interior field decreased the exterior field increased. The experiment demonstrated for the first time that superconductors were more than just perfect conductors and provided a uniquely defining property of the superconducting state.


Explanation

In a weak applied field, a superconductor "expels" nearly all magnetic flux. It does this by setting up electric currents near its surface. The magnetic field of these surface currents cancels the applied magnetic field within the bulk of the superconductor. As the field expulsion, or cancellation, does not change with time, the currents producing this effect (called persistent currents) do not decay with time. Therefore the conductivity can be thought of as infinite: a superconductor.
Near the surface, within a distance called the London penetration depth, the magnetic field is not completely canceled. Each superconducting material has its own characteristic penetration depth.
Any perfect conductor will prevent any change to magnetic flux passing through its surface due to ordinary electromagnetic induction at zero resistance. The Meissner effect is distinct from this: when an ordinary conductor is cooled so that it makes the transition to a superconducting state in the presence of a constant applied magnetic field, the magnetic flux is expelled during the transition. This effect cannot be explained by infinite conductivity alone. Its explanation is more complex and was first given in the London equations by the brothers Fritz and Heinz London.


Perfect Diamagnetism

Superconductors in the Meissner state exhibit perfect diamagnetism, or superdiamagnetism, meaning that the total magnetic field is very close to zero deep inside them (many penetration depths from the surface). This means that their magnetic susceptibility, χv = −1. Diamagnetics are defined by the generation of a spontaneous magnetization of a material which directly opposes the direction of an applied field. However, the fundamental origins of diamagnetism in superconductors and normal materials are very different. In normal materials diamagnetism arises as a direct result of the orbital spin of electrons about the nuclei of an atom induced electromagnetically by the application of an applied field. In superconductors the illusion of perfect diamagnetism arises from persistent screening currents which flow to oppose the applied field (the meissner effect); not solely the orbital spin.
Very recently, it has been shown theoretically that the Meissner effect may exhibit paramagnetism in some layered superconductors but so far this paramagnetic intrinsic Meissner effect has not been experimentally observed. Mario Rabinowitz and his colleagues showed that a virtual violation of the Meissner effect is possible.


Consequences

The discovery of the Meissner effect led to the phenomenological theory of superconductivity by Fritz and Heinz London in 1935. This theory explained resistanceless transport and the Meissner effect, and allowed the first theoretical predictions for superconductivity to be made. However, this theory only explained experimental observations—it did not allow the microscopic origins of the superconducting properties to be identified. Nevertheless, it became a requirement on all microscopic theories to be able to reproduce this effect. This was done successfully by the BCS theory in 1957. However, both phenomenological Londons’ theory and microscopic BCS one describe the Meissner effect in its steady state only and cannot explain the transient stage when the supercurrent grows from zero to its steady value. Indeed, under initial conditions of the Meissner effect, Lorentz force equals to zero, and there are no other electromotive forces in superconductor to accelerate the electrons. This fundamental problem of the conventional theory of the Meissner effect has been pointed out by J. E. Hirsch in The Lorentz force and superconductivity [2] . He has also proposed the dynamical explanation of the Meissner effect in Spin Meissner effect in superconductors and the origin of the Meissner effect [3].


Paradigm for the Higgs mechanism

The Meissner effect of superconductivity serves as an important paradigm for the generation mechanism of a mass M (i.e. a reciprocal range, λM: = h / (Mc) where h is Planck constant and c is speed of light) for a gauge field. In fact, this analogy is an abelian example for the Higgs mechanism, through which in high-energy physics the masses of the electroweak gauge particles, W±
and Z are generated. The length λM is identical with "London's penetration depth" in the theory of superconductivity.


Observation

Before the discovery of high-temperature superconductivity, observation of the Meissner effect was difficult, because the applied fields had to be relatively small (the measurements need to be made far from the phase boundary). But with yttrium barium copper oxide, the effect can be demonstrated using liquid nitrogen. Permanent magnets can be made to levitate.



Saturday, September 24, 2011

Paramnesia - Illumination



I downloaded this because Lurker of Chalice has a song called Paramnesia so i figured this might be some good ol' Lurker worship. I was pleasantly surprised to find that 'Illumination' has a bit more personality and originality than that. Paramnesia might have taken some cues from Wrest (such as some choral vocals, some subtle/not so subtle gothiness, etc.) but certainly not enough to be just another 'clone' band. I totally recommend this tape for anyone that's down for some lo-fi, experimental black metal.

Oh yeah, and you can buy the tape here. Do it.

Here.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Book of Kings Preview

I'm just going to assume that you're as excited about this as i am.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

NDE - Krieg Blut Ehre Asche


NDE is a belgian duo that make some super intense and moody black metal/death industrial. Programmed and/or sampled drums are used to their fullest potential to provide the martial beats underneath grating synths and super riffy, yet atmospheric, guitars. The vocals range from european-dictatoresque yelling and shouting to full on hellish shrieks, all recorded ultra lo-fi and distorted...no, decimated...with plenty of feedback filtering in. 'Krieg Blut Ehre Asche' came out in 2009, I first heard it in 2010, and have recently rediscovered how incredible this album is. I hope I don't forget about it again until next year.

Here.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Anticon.

My late teen years consisted almost entirely of me and my 3 friends hanging out at each other's houses, going to shitty suburban punk shows, watching mystery science theater 3000 like it was going to be outlawed soon, and listening to Anticon records. Sure, i looked like a punk, listened to punk music, and went to punk shows...but my true love was this crazy, absurdist rap music that was unlike anything anyone had ever heard before. Here are the records they put out that totally changed my young world:


"Themselves: Them" This is two members of anticon, Dose One and Jel, with Dose handling the rapping and Jel doing all the beats. Dose was always my favorite out of the bunch, and still remains my favorite rapper of all time. This is Themselves' first album, back when they were just called Them.

Download (Sorry, all i could find was a megaupload link.)



"Sole: Bottle of Humans" I wasn't big on this one when i first heard it, but my friend Luke was obsessed with Sole in the way that i was obsessed with Dose One. Bottle of Humans grew on me after a while, though, mostly because of how much luke liked it.



"Buck 65: Man Overboard" I bought this record from Buck 65 himself when i got to see him perform in Portland, ME in 2000. His live show was so much more of a real show than i had ever experienced at a hip hop show. After i saw him live and bought this record, i went on a two or three month binge of listening exclusively to Buck 65.



"Clouddead: Clouddead" Clouddead was/is Dose One and Why? rapping and Odd Nosdam making the music. This is still one of my top 5 favorite albums ever. It's a completely enveloping experience. The beats range from having some kind of traditional 'bounce' to them, to being super ambient, atmospheric, and almost heavy. The album has a real sense of sadness and nostalgia about it that few, if any, hip hop records have ever had.



"Themselves: The No Music" This is the second Themselves release. It's a way better album than the first one, in terms of sounding like a consistent whole and not just a collection of songs. It's also way more experimental without sacrificing their hip hop roots.


I doubt these albums will have the same impact on you as they did for me, but they're still totally worth checking out if you like hip hop, or just weird music in general.



Friday, June 24, 2011

The Golden Mix, Vol. III

March's Golden Mix was created for my friend Nathan from Virginia as part of a mix tape trade. I put a bunch of Chicago bands on it (Indian, Ga'an, Sun Splitter, Bongripper) so that he could check out what we have going on here. Also, i threw a rough version of a new Monument song on there for him...and now you get to here it, too. Aren't you lucky...


The Golden Mix, Vol. III (March 2011, c90)

Side One:
Sam Ballard - Catch That Train
Cough - Crippled Wizard
Orthodox - Solemne Triduo
Murmuure - Reincarnate
Grails - Doomsdayer's Holiday
Ilsa - Frosthrower
Indian - Shill
Ga'an - I of Infinite Forms II
Monument - To Birth Such Beloved (The Misanthrope)

Side Two:
Dolorvotre - DMT
Cult of Youth - Lace Up Your Boots
La Otricina - Yellow Mellow Magic
Sun Splitter - Cairn of Old Eyes
Bongripper - Worship
Alash - Ene-Sai

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

The Golden Mix, Vol. I

I'm going to start making mixes each month for you. I actually started back in January, i just haven't gotten around to posting them. So here's January's, and we'll slowly catch up to the present. This mix was made for my friend Tim for his 26th birthday.

(By the way, i designed these mixes to be copied onto tapes.)

The Golden Mix Vol. I (January 2011, c47)

Side One:
Benedictine Monks of St. Michaels: Kyrie Christe Eleison
Horseback: Invokation
Codeine: Second Chance
Woven Hand: This Beautiful Axe
Rome: Herbstzeitlose

Side Two:
Celeste: De Sorte Que Plus Jamais Un Instant Ne Soit Magique
Suncarcass: Svalbar I
Current 93: Passenger Aleph in Name
Benedictine Monks of St. Michaels: Te Lucis Ante Terminum

Young Bear

Check out these sweet pictures of my buddy Cody's band Young Bear. If you're into ultra pretty, heavy and oppressive drone/ambient stuff, listen to Young Bear. And if you live in Seattle, go see him live. I mean it.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Others

Just a quick reminder that there are other blogs that could eat mine up and shit it out next to a creek:

Frequency LSD


The Whim


Threshold Signs


The Cabinet of the Solar Plexus

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Sol Y Nieve

First, sorry i haven't been posting much, life is hectic (blah blah blah). Second, my next couple of posts are going to be kind of self-indulgent, so please excuse me. I run a small tape label called Sol Y Nieve and i figure it's only fair i share all of my releases with you. If you feel like buying the actual product, please go here.


Monument - I: Atmospheric, experimental, mystical black metal.




Ten Thousand Miles of Arteries - Exorsa: Blackened industrial power electronics. Side A is the demo from 2006 called Holy Monuments. Side B is the demo from 2008 called The West Was Nothing but a Dead Beast.




Teeth Engraved With the Names of the Dead - Kosmiche Death Worship: Drone/doom/death noise from Oakland. My first release that isn't one of my bands. Really, really amazing and scary drone.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Forgotten Spell - Descrated, Decayed, and Still Holy



I'm presently listening to this album for the first time so i guess i can't say that the ENTIRE tape is amazing, but it doesn't show any sign of slowing down. I'm so into it i needed to do something about it - so i'm sharing it with you. I won't go into a lengthy and wordy review because this band will transcend every opinion you have about them. Just imagine if Deathspell Omega was a part of the Black Twilight Circle and you might start to have an idea. Super lo-fi recording mixed with intense and intricate melodies that are constantly morphing into something else just before they are about to fall apart. True black metal at it's finest. And the drums are real. Ha.

Oh yeah, and you can still buy this tape. I'm going to soon. Please do it so that good labels can stay alive.

Here.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny


1976 must've been an awesome year.

Here.