In Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, the world-famous concert pianist visits a truck stop. Behind sunglasses and under a large trench coat, the waitress asks if he wants "the usual." Then he listens. Chatter overlaps with the usual restaurant clatter before he tunes into a middle-aged trucker nearby telling a story about a young hitchhiker, a Québécois either dictating his order or his memoirs, a shady pair of pool players. Gould's ears pick up rising intonation and slowing tempos in speech, and gently conducts the seemingly disparate conversations with the tip of his index finger. As Gould's breakfast of scrambled eggs, salad and orange juice hits the table, Petula Clark's "Downtown" playing from the counter radio returns. The composition ends. 

On Sunday, after a long bike ride with my family, I spread out on a blanket by a lake, covered my eyes with a bandana. Several gaits of runner passed by — heavy, light, fast, squishy. Muffled Spanish from a park bench 50 feet away. "... gratuitous sex scene…" The whoosh of bike tire tread. Birds sing. Crickets drone. Celebraaaate good times, come on! A toddler cries in the distance. A preacher on the radio: "I desire to be humble…" Huff. Puff. Rustle of leaves. "Papa!"

How rare to sit still, listen and conduct the air. —Lars Gotrich

Playlist: Viking's Bubbles

Stream the Viking's Choice playlist via BNDCMPR. Tracklist below: 

Juçara Marçal, "Um Choro"
Boris, "Question 1"
Chrisman, "Lupupu"
Taras Bulba, "Barune (Mystic Fog)"
Gwenifer Raymond, "Cattywamp Stomp"
DUNZA, "Xstatic Daze"
The Callous Daoboys, "What is Delicious? Who Swarms?"
Babel, "Breathe"
Blind Idol, "Love Canal"
Wędrowiec, "Śmiercicha / Bird Wedding"
Cotton Casino (feat. Higashi Hiroshi), "The Dreamer"
Adamantis, "Storm the Walls"
Castrator, "Tyrant's Verdict"
KANGA, "Home"
Truth Cult, "The Bodies That You Keep"
The Paranoid Style, "Barney Bubbles"
Tyshawn Sorey, "Two Over One"
The Books, "All Our Base Are Belong to Them"
Jason Anderson, "Name This (Live)"
Tender Slit, "GEMINI"
Les Rallizes Dénudés, "The Last One (ver. 2)"