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Gary Elbert details the myriad of emotions he felt as he undertook the Connemara 100 Miles By Gary Elbert “It is not the critic who counts. Not the man who points out how the strong man whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so B ACK IN THE DYING EMBERS of a surreal summer, an unusually crisp and clear Clifden morning saw the 2020 edition stumbles or where the doer of deeds could and shortcoming; but who does actually that his place shall never be with those of Connemara 100 begin. I was one of have done them better. The credit belongs strive to do the deeds, who knows great cold and timid souls who neither know the 51 competitors, a record number of to the man who is actually in the arena, enthusiasms, the great devotions, who victory nor defeat” — Theodore Roosevelt entrants who undertook the challenge.
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At the dawn of 2020, the intention was to run a 40-mile race and a 50-mile ultra in May before gradually progressing towards a 100-miler next year. A dangerous and virulent virus selfishly upended my personal athletic plans. I could now empathise with Carl Froch that time when the volcanic ash cloud disrupted his pugilistic plans. As the sobering reality of lockdown took shape, I sought a new target, a fresh challenge, something to get me out of bed at 6am and run for two hours in the rain and wind. Cancelled races fell like dominos. All that was left was the Connemara 100, Ireland’s toughest road race.
My immediate goals were to consistently increase my weekly mileage and improve my running economy. As a long-time fan of weight training and plyometrics I often felt my running style was too stiff and lacked efficiency. Most running coaches recommended regular sprint training alongside the long- haul slow mileage endurance work. The sim-
ple fact of the human body in general is that when it is challenged it will respond with growth. It will become more efficient, faster, and sharper. And so it proved. I became faster and my running economy improved leaps and bounds. I mixed 30km runs with track sessions on the track. I ran every day, sometimes at 6am and often between 4 and 7pm. I wanted it. I wanted to complete 100 miles in one day. I wanted to know could it be done and if so, what would it feel like afterwards.
Why run 100 miles? Why do anything? Why scoff a pizza and watch Home and Away? Why smoke a cigarette when you know it will give you cancer? Why ask another person why they do anything?
Knowing your why however is vital when undertaking endurance challenges. The supercomputer between our ears always veers towards avoidance of struggle and difficulty. And the computers signals are amplified after 50 miles of running and 30 degrees heat.
Why 100 miles?
Because the human body is more than capable of doing so. We as a species possess all the physiological hardware required to cover vast distances over a short period of time. We are nomads at heart, exploratory intelligent primates who like to roam and hunt and seek new territories not sat peering into a laptop
getting psychologically triggered by devious tech platforms.
Why?
Because I want to test myself. Because I want to apply myself to a difficult and meaningful task that will bring the very best out of me. I want to observe my mind, how it reacts in times of adversity. I want to study my mind, its weaknesses, its pretences, its tricks and ticks. And in this live psychological autopsy the aim is to apply the knowledge gained to apply in other areas of life. To become a better human.
This will be a serious test of my mental and physical resilience. I want to see can I pass the examination.
A sub 1.30 half marathon personal best kicked off May’s training followed by a first ever track marathon around the track in Westside Playing Fields. I remember almost packing it in after 33km as the rain started to fall. Building your mental toughness is vital for ultra-running and the only way to do so is to place yourself in such positions where your mind is screaming at you to stop but you consciously opt to control the narrative, re-calibrate the internal voice, changing it from automatic to self-directed. Much evidence exists of exercise changing the shape of the human brain. I can attest to it. The training of the body must be the primary foundation before the mind can then be retrained.
I used to smoke 30 cigarettes a day. Now I can run 90 miles a week. The transformation involved serious physical and mental rewiring. I enjoy that process. The journey continues. It is not the pursuit of happiness. Happiness is the pursuit. In the striving for mastery peace can be discovered.
By placing yourself willingly in adverse physical situations you are in effect challenging your brain and recalibrating what it thinks you are capable of.
Preparing for Connemara 100 served a timely reminder of the limits my own mind was placing on my concept of potential.
By mid-June I was cranking out 80 to 90 miles per week. I would run a marathon on a Sunday after already running a 100km in the previous 4 days. Monday evening, I was out on the road again. I went for the time on my feet approach. I ran fatigued, I ran when I did not want to. I keep churning out the miles. On any given week you could spot me on the motorway coming in from Oranmore or chugging along the Prom in the lashing rain. I refused to allow weather conditions to impede on what had to be done.
My final heavy week involved a sevenday, 100-mile training block which began at 6am on a horrendous morning of hailstones in Connemara and finished sprinting up the hills and trails around the Algarve town of Lagos. Returning
home to taper and self-isolate I began to relish the challenge now which was so tantalisingly close.
A year ago, I was eliminated on day three of Ultimate Hell Week, the RTÉ television show where civilians take on the Irish Army Ranger selection course. The performance haunted me for months. I approached Connemara 100 as a shot at redemption.
It was a sumptuous crystal-clear day when 51 brave athletes jogged out of Clifden. Ultrarunning is about troubleshooting problems as much as the actual running and on the day, luck blessed myself and my team. Between mile 40 at Maam Cross and mile 56 at Leenane the demons screamed loudest as the heat exceeded 30 degrees. I had the impression at one stage of the mountains mocking me. How dare you come here and disrespect this sacred ground.
Leaving Leenane at 7pm, hobbling, it looked like a tall order. 44 miles to go with the legs seized, dehydrated, sunburnt, limping out of the town where the Bull McCabe sank pints. Hobbling, damaged, limping but still moving forward.
Undefeated.
Unwavering.
Resolute.
Resilient.
The camaraderie amongst the fellow runners is what keeps you going. These events have a magical and reality shifting psychedelic quality. They offer an experience that distils the very best of human beings in their purest form. We are running from one point to another and we are willing to endure pain and suffering to do so. We want to overcome. We want to achieve. We want to accomplish. We want something to make us smile if we’re lucky enough to reach old age. We want to sip whiskey on a rocking chair while looking back on a life with some big proud shiny moments that mix with the whiskey to warm the soul.
Running back down the Inagh Valley 62 miles in and surfing off a second wind as the heat died down, I felt a warm glow of satisfaction that money cannot buy. Its very difficult to describe the spiritual effects of participating in these events, they offer a corridor into a higher plain of consciousness.
We headed into the night renewed and refocused. But just when you think you have dispelled the demons they will return; one of many life lessons packed into an ultra-event. Before turning off towards Roundstone you are greeted with an impossibly cruel sign stating Clifden 15km.
I cursed the race director “Why didn’t he just leave it at 80 miles!”
The night crawled in and we marched on to Roundstone, alternating between walking and running fuelled by Tailwind, Nurofen, and thoughts of the finish line.
Leaving Roundstone, Clannad’s ‘Newgrange’ oozed from the car stereo as I plodded on. We allowed our minds to wander alongside the music. I thought of the millions of Irish people who lived and died, the pain and suffering that haunted these lands during the famine. The poverty, the poetry, the misery, the ghosts of our past seemed to rise from the dark fields around us as we ploughed on deep into the night.
Spotting the lights of a crew car ahead my chief crew member remarked.
“Time to take a few souls, kid”.
Reaching Clifden at 5am, relief washed over me in repeated waves. A final hilariously cruel twist means a runner must lap the town 3 times before crossing the finish line.
By then I had mentally checked out and ended up losing 4 places. This is something I aim to fix next year.
I was neither elated nor emotional.
I expected to finish. My training had brought me here, I knew the work I had put in. I knew what I had done in the three months prior. The experiences and emotions shared along the way with people from all walks of life provides the fuel to keep you going when times get hard. Another valuable lesson learned in the crucible of endurance. The man in the arena. That old Roosevelt quote. The credit belongs to the man in the arena.
Do you want to be an observer or do you want to be a participant in the arena of life?
Hard times, negative thoughts, and challenging situations are a revolving and relentless fact of the human condition.
This race was a reminder of the deep reserves of resilience, respect, and empathy we all possess when we strip away much of the unnecessary and destructive elements of modern life.
I was one the of lucky 39 who finished the race in conditions more suited to California than Clifden.
A sub 24-hour finish and memories that will last a lifetime. Moments engraved in my brain triggering new fresh narratives pulsating with hope and anticipation.
All for less than a hundred quid.
Shout out to all those lovely people who were a part of the journey.
Roll on 2021.
First Year Diary
By Aine Fogarty
Hey everyone, my name is Aine Fogarty and this is my first-year diary. In this diary I will document my experiences during my first year here at NUI Galway.
I am studying Arts with Creative Writing. I am from Offaly and I went to the Sacred Heart school in Tullamore.
To start off, I’ll tell you a few things about myself. I spend most of my free time reading and writing fanfics, which is why I gravitated towards a course with creative writing. I’m a die-hard Harry Potter fan and embarrassingly, I love Twilight too.
When I decide to take a break from reading, I usually will binge shows on Netflix. At the moment, I’m re-watching Misfits for the fifth time!
My acceptance into first year creative writing was a shock. When I received my calculated grades, I was below the points needed for it. Thankfully, the course points dropped drastically, and I secured a place.
Galway has been the city I have dreamed of experiencing college in for years, and to finally have achieved it was an amazing feeling as I’m sure many of you felt too.
Starting college wasn’t easy though. Moving away from home was scary and making new friends was daunting to me, but in the end, I had nothing to worry about. I’m living in Corrib Village and my roommates and I get on great.
Orientation week as we all know was very different this year. The online introductions to subjects helped me greatly with making my decisions on what subjects to take, but it was still sad not to be able to experience it in person on campus. I ended up choosing English, Philosophy and Psychology to go along with Creative Writing.
Even though lectures and tutorials will mainly be online this year I am still looking forward to
Final Year Diary
by Tom Molloy
Typical, just when I thought not being able to have a proper night out this year might be an incentive to get into shape and make my Fitzgibbon debut, clubs and societies have no idea what will or will not be taking place this year. I’ll play it safe and just stay grossly unfit.
Seriously though, I hope that in the midst of this ongoing pandemic we can be afforded the opportunity to enjoy a relatively normal final year. That said, it is important we do not lose sight of what is really important. The health and safety of our friends and colleagues.
It is difficult to see how college life can resemble anything close to normality for the first semester of this year at least. It is going to be difficult to adjust but we have no other option only to get it done.
Although the final year of your undergrad is supposed to be all about the grind. You only get to do it once, unless you have to repeat, or you’re one of those people who have like twelve different degrees. It is a year that is supposed to live long in your memory.
This year will do that, but for different reasons. These novel circumstances however, might be an added incentive to check up on friends, making sure that they are doing well and keeping on top of the workload. Above all else though, make sure you look after yourself and limit your close contacts. The virus hasn’t gone away but, if we can be clever about it, we’ll be back to normality before we know it.
From my personal point of view, I’m worried about how I am going to study online. I am the type of student who has always tried my best to keep my
the experience and have no doubt that making friends will be just as easy as it would be face to face.
I will admit I am nervous about the upcoming weeks of lectures and tutorials. It’s going to be quite a change from secondary school, and I bet it won’t take long for assignments to start piling up and deadlines start approaching.
The events planned for us will help lessen the stress of all the assignments! Replacing the barbecue this year is a pizza evening and it should be a great opportunity to meet new people and have some fun.
With the stress of upcoming lectures and tutorials, I am very excited to sign up for Societies and Clubs. Part of the college experience is trying new things and to push yourself out of your comfort zone, and joining societies is where I will begin. The virtual societies fair will give me the chance to see what all the societies are about and sign up for ones I’m interested in being a part of. The Potter society, the LGBTQ+ society and the feminist society are already on the top of my list!
I am really excited to continue this diary and document my experiences of this year! college work on campus, be it in the classroom or the library. I treated college like a nine-to-five, with all of my notes done by hand, picking up my laptop only to write an essay. It’s going to be difficult not to let that line get blurred when all learning is online. Only time will tell. I foresee a lot of bookings made for library places.
Aside from all the Covid talk, your final year is when you are supposed to be at your most comfortable in college. Your friend groups are cemented, you know your favourite places to hang out, and the city is now your second home. You’ve come a long way since freshers’ week. Maybe take some time now and then to reflect and congratulate yourself on how far you’ve come and the effort you’ve already put in.
This is the start of something different in life now. Whether you undertake a postgrad, go straight into the working world, or go drink sticks of Heinomite with the ‘rock lads in the ARKBar, you will meet all sorts of fascinating people from all kinds of backgrounds. All other things aside, why not get excited?
Mature Student Diary
By Gary Elbert
BA Connect Journalism with Psychology, Sociology and Politics
Mature student. It is a curious phrase. You never hear the phrase ‘immature student’. I suppose I am a mature student. Heading into my final year as an undergraduate, I reflect on my journey so far. The Access foundation programme was the key to returning to education. After many years in the wilderness, harbouring vague notions of further education, it was the kind and supportive NUI Galway Access team who awarded me a place on the programme back in 2016.
I remember the excitement I felt upon walking into the first floor of the library. A deep repository of knowledge and ideas; the product of millions of hours of study, toil, and labour stretching across many centuries of civilisation.
I remember picking up a book, ‘The Intellectual Life of The British Working Classes‘ detailing the autodidactic intellectual explosion amongst the proletariat in the decades after the Enlightenment and during the Industrial Revolution. The book describes the emergence of libraries fuelled by a rapid thirst for knowledge amongst people historically alienated from education.
If you are looking for academic inspiration look no further. It is a huge and detailed read, packed with awesome stories of ‘ordinary’ people allowing their intellectual curiosity to triumph over their lowly economic positions. To quote one reviewer, Johnathan Rose, author of the book, “believed the fundamental motive behind the modernist movement was a corrosive hostility toward the common reader”.
Rose poured scorn on how writers and academics sought to elevate themselves above the public with “unnecessary and exclusionist Marxist jargon, modernist obscurantism, and postmodern opacity”. Orwell was another critic of such deliberate obfuscatory practices. To sum up, the approach was and can often be; “I am going to write in such a tortuous and jargon heavy manner because that will make me look more intelligent and learned. And to hell with the transfer of ideas to the general population. Leave that to the tabloids.”
“Mutual Improvement” societies sprung up across Britain fighting not only against establishment educational apartheid but also against an unease and distrust of education amongst the ‘working classes’ themselves. Looking closer to home, considerable weight is still given to the notion that the iron grip on thought and morality exercised by the Catholic Church deliberately stunted the intellectual development of the Irish labourer and factory worker. The Church actively discouraged intellectual inquiry amongst the masses it could be argued. Why study when you can continue to suffer and guarantee your place in heaven?
Class as a concept has been shunted aside in favour of other more superficial identities. But the basic concept of the advancement and improvement of the underclass remains a topic of fascination to this diarist.
I recall receiving top marks for a Sociology paper during my access year. The sense of confidence and joy that little academic pat on the head gave me was transformative. I had spent years under the unfortunate assumption that pursuing my intellectual interests was futile in the labour market I occupied. Indeed, book groups amongst young working-class
Comhairle Chomhaltas na Mac Leinn AN FÉIDIR LEATHSA BHEITH AG CEANN AN tSLUA?
men remain conspicuous by their absence.
Bí í d’Ionadaí Ranga! Le tuilleadh eolas a fháil, dean teagmháil le su.education@nuigalway.ie
What’s the status for Macnas 2020?
By Rachel Garvey
Last year Macnas celebrated its 33 rd anniversary by wreaking havoc out onto the streets of Galway city during the spooky month of October, a couple of days prior to Halloween, but this year the locals will not see an annual parade.
Instead, the masters of storytelling will cause their mischief online and although this year will prove to be a completely alien experience in regards to another parade cancellation, people are still grateful that Macnas have found a way around the Covid restrictions to celebrate and perform their epic and strange tale.
SIN spoke with Macnas’s Executive Producer, Brídín Murphy Mitchell who gave some insight into what is in store for Macnas 2020.
“Unfortunately, due to the Covid restrictions, it won’t be possible for Macnas to stage our usual parade anytime soon as it always attracts crowds of 60,000 plus onto the streets.”
“However, we do have an exciting project called Gilgamesh unfolding over the next six months. Gilgamesh is the world’s first hero’s journey, and originated in Mesopotamia and is the earliest surviving work of imaginative literature written on 12 stone tablets over 3,000 years ago”
Brídín also shared the news about Macnas 2020 with information regarding what to expect from their project,
“The story centres on Gilgamesh, which will be a dramatic new interpretation of the world’s oldest story, a young tyrannical king who rules the majestic city of Uruk. He is a superhuman, meaning he is two-thirds god and one-third man and is obsessed with fame. Gilgamesh, being a cruel and unjust king wants to find the secret to immortality to become a god and live forever. The citizens of Uruk cry out to the gods for help.
In turn, the gods listen and create a wild man sent to challenge and rival Gilgamesh by the name of Enkidu. Along the way, one will encounter monsters, marvels, creatures, and gods in a story which explores contemporary themes of human relationships, power, corruption, loneliness, friendship, love, loss, revenge, mortality, and death.
Gilgamesh will come alive on screens in the west of Ireland, and burst onto the streets of Galway city and county where audiences can also experience the adventure live and follow the story out into the wilds of rural Galway in December, before playing out in the Black Box Theatre in March 2021”
Speaking about the event Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture CEO, Patricia Philbin, said
“Macnas is a formidable company that has always been exciting and ambitious, pushing the boundaries of theatre and storytelling. Gilgamesh is a project which challenges these possibilities even further, working in a new way and exploring new platforms. We are excited to see it unfold across Galway and online as part of our European Capital of Culture celebrations. Audiences are in for a treat”.
However, with great appreciation from Macnas fans towards its organisers for hosting the event online, there also comes a great deal of disappointment due to the parade’s cancellation.
Individuals young and old have always expressed a huge interest in Macnas in the years previous, and with that interest it has sparked growing curiosity among Galway’s locals in the city centre, rural areas and beyond, who converge onto the city every October to look on at these mischievous performances.
Although the experience won’t be the same as watching the parade in person, the online experience will be just as enjoyable; Macnas wouldn’t dare to disappoint its audience.
Emmy awards 2020
By Alice O’Donnell
Lights, cameras, action, applause?
Referred to by host Jimmy Kimmel as the “Pandemmys”, this year’s Emmy Awards had to be adapted to the current climate and it was certainly different from its 72 previous versions.
A reflection of the past year, this year’s Emmy Awards were full of social distanced hosting, group zoom calls and was performed to an audience of cardboard cut-outs.
A core element of this year’s Emmys was its lack of a live audience. Instead, the producers relied heavily on collective streaming. Cameras were set up in each of the nominees’ homes, inadvertently adding a feeling of personal connection between the at home audience and the stars. Creating more excitement and tension, Emmy producers were stationed outside each of the nominees’ homes and once the winner was announced a key worker would present the trophy to the winners live on air.
Of course the flip side of this is that the losers had to watch the producers leave with their almost – Emmy, (for a glimpse of this sad reality check out Ramy Youssef’s video on Twitter where he waves goodbye to his Emmy).
As always, the show was touched with calls for political activity and justice. US Supreme Court Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who sadly passed away a few days previous, was remembered in acceptance speeches.
Regina King wore a shirt that called for justice for Breonna Taylor and Mark Ruffalo was among those who called for the public to vote in the upcoming American Presidential Election. Anthony Anderson invited host Jimmy Kimmel to chant “Black Lives Matter” with him. The fact this was all done in the home of celebrities only served to
By Alice O’Donnell
Did you know you can watch animals at Dublin Zoo all from the comfort of your own bed? Or even take a tour around Disney World without even leaving your house? Due to Covid-19 limiting the number of visitors that galleries, exhibitions, and theme parks can take, many places have resorted to bringing their attractions to the visitor instead. Although this idea of virtual tours was mainly aimed for the period of lockdown, many museums and theme parks have chosen to leave their virtual tours up. Below are some of the top places you can visit for free all from the comfort of your own home. Disney World As someone who has never gotten to experience the most magical place on earth, I do appreciate being able to go through the theme park Google Street View style. The huge amount of areas to explore is staggering, including Disney Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom Park and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park.
Although for obvious reasons a virtual tour of Disney World Resort is lacking the atmosphere, food, and rollercoaster experiences of a real- life visit, it is still a great way to spend a rainy afternoon. The other downside I had was that I found it quite confusing to navigate, and the area map was not as clear as in other virtual tours.
add to the importance of their messages, rather than subtracted from it.
Sadly, there were no wins for Ireland. Normal People missed out on all four of their nominations, with director Lenny Abrahamson and writers Sally Rooney and Alice Birth going home (or rather staying home) empty handed.
The show also missed out in the ‘Outstanding Casting’ category, and Paul Mescal lost out on the Lead Actor award to Mark Ruffalo.
Fiona Shaw was nominated for the second time for her role as Carolyn Martens in Killing Eve and also sadly lost out.
But who won big this year? Without a doubt Schitt’s Creek dominated the Emmys, nabbing a a million visitors every year. Although no virtual tour has been established yet the zoo does have live webcams from three of their enclosures. The elephant webcam looks out over their pond and visitors are encouraged to look out for the matriarch Bernhardine, her sister Yasmin and their daughters Asha and Anak.
Similarly, the penguin webcam is a fabulous opportunity to see the animals up close, especially if you tune in 2:30pm for their daily feed.
The African Savannah webcam is my personal favourite due to the vast number of animals that call the exhibition home, including rhi
win in nine categories, including ‘Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series’ (Catherine O’Hara), ‘Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series’ (Annie Murphy) and ‘Outstanding Comedy Series’.
Zendaya’s win in the category of ‘Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series’ is also worth mentioning. The 24-year-old managed to beat acting veterans such as Jennifer Aniston, Laura Linney and Olivia Coleman, as well as last year’s winner Jodie Comer, who had held the record for the youngest win in the category at the age of 26. Zendaya’s win overtook Jodie’s record, making her now the youngest Lead Actress winner.
Zendaya won the award for her work in the TV nos, giraffes, zebras, and the very rare scimitar - horned oryx. These webcams are a lovely thing to pull up and leave on your computer when you are working and quickly put you in a relaxed mood. Smithsonian Natural Museum of Natural History The Smithsonian Natural Museum of Natural History is one of the most famous museums in the world, ranking as the 11 th most visited museum in the world. Founded in 1910, it now holds over 145 million items, as well as being the home of series Euphoria, and in her speech acknowledged and thanked the young people working to make the world a better place.
Overall, the Emmy Awards of 2020 were wellreceived. Although being praised for its adaptability and the remote acceptance speeches, many felt the in-studio hosts’ jokes and banter fell short without its usual buoyancy of studio laughter.
However, while some award ceremonies opted to either delay, cancel or pre - record their shows, the Emmys must be praised for their ambition and initiative to create a live, adaptable Emmy Awards for 2020. As the saying goes, the show must go on. And for the 72 nd Emmy Awards night it most cer
Virtual tours, the new craze as people stay home
tainly did! numerous animal specimens, fossils, meteorites, and human artifacts. The virtual tour being offered by the Smithsonian is well work a look. It is extremely easy to navigate and the picture is very clear. With the 360° camera used you can turn and zoom in on various parts. The only downside I found with the tour is that it is not possible to move through the exhibition using your mouse, and instead you have to jump forward to the next point. However, this can be forgiven due to the huge amount of virtual free tours the Smithsonian offer, including past, present, and permanent exhibitions as well as narrated tours.
To find it, simply look up virtual tours on the Smithsonian Museum website.
National Gallery of Ireland The National Gallery of Ireland is one of my favourite museums in Ireland, and the virtual tour does not disappoint. In a Google Street View manner, you can easily navigate your way around the gallery. If a particular painting grabs your interest you can choose to view it fully, with the website also offering a full biography of each painting.
The virtual tour is well worth the visit. Unlike the Smithsonian Natural Museum virtual tour or Disney World Resort virtual tour, the National Gallery of Ireland’s virtual tour comes very close to mimicking the full experience of being there in person, minus the crowds. It is a pity they have not included their entire collection in the virtual tour but the part they have included is done to an extremely high standard.
Joji – Nectar album review
By Daniel Brennan
Joji’s ascension in the world of music is unlike that of many others who possess his skill – for years he was best known as his YouTube persona Filthy Frank, who made all those edgy videos you liked when you were 16. But he’s far more than just a young adult with too much time on his hands jumping around being silly in a pink suit now, and Nectar is the most obvious proof of that yet.
By Donagh Broderick
What if there was a podcast dedicated to talking about artificial intelligence, martial arts, philosophy, internet culture, and love? Well if that sounds like it’s up your alley, the Lex Fridman podcast is for you.
Viewers of the Joe Rogan experience may be familiar with that name, as Lex has appeared on the popular podcast four times – his last outing on the hit podcast coming just last month.
Founded by the titular Lex, a Russian MIT graduate who specialises in artificial intelligence and machine learning, the weekly show hosts experts in the field of science ranging from Elon Musk to Michio Kaku to Jack Dorsey, as well as renowned thinkers and philosophers of our day such as Steven Pinker, Noam Chomsky, and Richard Dawkins.
The podcast engages in conversation with them in the areas that these people specialise in while also not being afraid
His breakthrough projects, 2017’s In Tongues and 2018’s Ballads 1 showed great promise in areas, and featured hit songs like ‘Yeah Right’ and ‘Slow Dancing in the Dark’, but also felt lacking in substance to some extent. On Nectar, that issue is more than resolved. On this project, Joji is a far more mature songwriter than on his previous albums. The instrumentals have more depth, his vocals have improved, and most notably, he’s developed a real knack for pumping out catchy, poppy hooks on almost every single song. to veer off in other directions from diet to their thoughts on the current political culture online.
Formerly known as the Artificial Intelligence Podcast, Lex has changed the title recently to his own name in order to reflect his own desires for the podcast to be a place to talk about topics and ideas other than just the science of AI.
While fundamentally a science orientated podcast, the layman can easily find something to enjoy there too. That is because as well as being a scientist, Jiu Jitsu is a major part of Lex’s life and he never misses an opportunity to talk at length to a guest about it if he can. This is another aspect of what makes Lex such an intriguing host. Unlike most people in his field Lex has a deep desire to constantly improve himself and push his limits to become tougher both physically and mentally and not just be intelligent.
While not possessing a distinct Pictured: Joji, and, below, cover art for Nectar
The most notable songs on Nectar are the singles that were released in the weeks and months leading up to the full album’s debut. ‘Gimme Love’ might just be my favourite song of the year so far, with the song’s catchy refrain being stuck solidly in my head since the single’s release in April.
The pounding bass line and drums in the first half give way to soulful vocals from Joji, as well as a gorgeous piano line, harmonised vocals and string section to bring the song to a beautiful peak. The song feels like a far more refined version of what Joji was trying to do on previous projects, with the production and songwriting being complete standouts.
‘Run’ is a complete break from the norm for Joji though, being a mix of a rock and pop ballad. His trademark falsetto vocals are met with a guitar riff and harder-hitting percussion, leading to a rather unexpected guitar solo at the end of the song. Trust me when I say that it works.
‘Sanctuary’ is a spaced-out pop banger, plain and simple. The chorus especially is another example of just
The Lex Fridman podcast
how far he has come as a pop songwriter, accent, Lex’s tone of voice can perhaps be a bit monotonous to some, but his message of love and kindness and his nuanced takes and observations on controversial topics as well as the topics themselves discussed are sure to be of great interest to anyone.
As Lex loves to point out about himself, his Russian background means he tends to romanticise bizarre things and that certainly comes across in his love of classical literature and taste in music.
In an internet landscape of hatred and intolerance, Lex is striving to be a voice of empathy and love for those who listen to him.
With Lex broadening the scope of his podcast, profiling characters such as JiuJitsu coach Ryan Hall, and a chat with former navy seal turned ultra-marathon runner David Goggins also in the pipeline, now is the optimal time to jump onboard the Lex Fridman podcast which can be found on YouTube, Spotify and on Apple podcasts.
and you’ll have “If you’ve been waiting for falling in love, babe you don’t have to wait on me” running laps around your head in no time.
The first half of Nectar is excellent, but sadly in the second half the narrative of a relationship not quite coming together gets a bit tired, as well as some relatively similar instrumentals to the first half of the project. Songs like ‘Normal People’, ‘Afterthought’ and ‘Mr Hollywood’ are good songs on their own, but overall if they were cut-out, the album would have a better flow at around 45 minutes in length rather than the total 53 minutes, and the romantic story being told would progress at a more expected pace, in my opinion.
The final three songs pick up the pace again both narratively and musically – ‘Reanimator’ is a much - needed change of pace instrumentally, with electronic producer Yves Tumor taking the reins. Once the drums kick in about a minute and a half in, it felt like I was loading into a Gran Turismo race in the absolute best way possible.
Penultimate track, ‘Like You Do’ is a great piano ballad and marks the first point in the album where this relationship feels more normal- No one loves me like you do. There’s an overriding feeling of dread throughout too, almost like Joji has realised too late that this was more than a fling. Joji’s vocals are the focal point here, and he gives a great emotional performance.
‘Your Man’ is the final song, carrying elements of the two previous songs – a more electronic inspired instrumental as well as a conclusion of the story – as well as tying the album up nicely; “I’ll be your man, oh man”.
Overall, Nectar demonstrates a much more musically mature Joji, whose songwriting is the shining light on this album. His improved vocals, song structure and production provide a much more substantial project than anything he’s released before, and show that he’s ready for the leap into pop superstardom. Despite the album maybe running a bit long at points, the content is so consistently good that I already can’t wait to see where he goes next.
Score: 8.5/10
