#1 - WHAT IS THE ONE ALBUM (OR EP OR SONG) THAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE THE VERY NEXT MUSICAL THING THAT EVERYONE PRESSES PLAY ON THE NEXT TIME THEY FIND THEMSELVES THINKING “WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NOW”?

Brian Eno has probably had the biggest influence on my musical life. Eno sparked my interest and love for ambient music, but The Tired Sounds Of by Stars of the Lid fueled my passion for it.

This double album is the beauty of stillness encapsulated. It has just enough melody to keep you engaged, but acres of expansive space to let your mind wander and be a bit mischievous. A sublime album with a perfect balance of light and shadow that appeals to the body and the soul. It is music that slows down time allowing you to appreciate every small wonder that surrounds you. I could listen to “Requiem for Dying Mothers, Part 2” on repeat for a week.

#2 - WHAT IS THE ONE MOVIE OR TV SHOW THAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE NEXT IN EVERYBODY’S NETFLIX QUEUE (OK, DOESN’T HAVE TO BE NETFLIX, WE’RE ALL INTERNET ADULTS HERE AND KNOW HOW TO FIND ANYTHING ONLINE, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER)?

The one film that always rises to the top of my mind when asked for a film recommendation is Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Amélie (Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain).

I don’t know what goes on in Jeunet’s mind, but I find him to be an unparalleled visionary with a storytelling ability that holds a big picture while every minute detail is carefully accounted for. Like most of my favorite art, he envelops you in an enchanting new world where your emotions are heightened and the experience leaves you with a slightly different view of life. He is a master of creating an atmosphere with color and sound and deftly uses music to catapult you into his universe. I met Jeunet at a film festival 15 years ago and handed him a CD of my film music. I’m still waiting for that call. ;-)

#3. I (AND BY “I” I MEAN “THE PERSON THAT IS READING THIS”) AM GOING TO THE LOCAL BOOK STORE (OK, MAYBE THE LOCAL LIBRARY FIRST) TO FIND THE VERY NEXT BOOK THAT I WILL BE PUTTING SOME EXTREMELY VALUABLE ‘ME-TIME' ASIDE FOR. WHICH BOOK WOULD YOU GET, IF YOU WERE ME (AND, I SUPPOSE, YOU HADN’T ALREADY READ WHAT YOU’RE ABOUT TO SUGGEST)?

For some reason I most often find myself buried in dense texts exploring how the brain works, human psychology, creative thinking, and philosophy. When I finally come up for air and want something lighter to read that won’t make me crosseyed five minutes after I crawl into bed, I lean toward writers like Milan Kundera, Nikos Kazantzakis, David Mitchell, Kafka, Camus, and Nabokov. OK… when I say “lighter,” I mean at least fiction, and something that is hopefully not written by a scientist or researcher! My search for something new to read that was in a similar wheelhouse as some of these writers led me to Haruki Murakami.

So far, I’ve read four of his novels—all of which made my mind fire on new cylinders. His books straddle reality and fantasy with both precision and abandon. You enter his world thinking it is the same as your own, but quickly find yourself in a dream state that you are more than willing to submit to. His love of music and honor of history’s lessons are beautifully woven into his novels. He has a talent for making us feel deeply and for challenging our perceptions. For an emotional, personal story with a more linear timeline I’d recommend Norwegian Wood. If you are looking to have your mind warped a bit then I suggest you enter the Hard-Boiled Wonderland at the End of the World.

#4 - WHAT IS THE ONE WEBSITE (OR JUST ANY OLD INTERNET THING: APP, GIF, SERVICE, WHATEVER) THAT YOU WOULD GET REALLY DOWN IN THE DUMPS ABOUT IF IT WERE TO SUDDENLY GO AWAY?

We live in a time of infinite possibility, yet heart-numbing despair. Climate change, species decimation, pollution, violence, and growing racial, social, and financial inequities are daily reasons to simply want to ‘give up’. One of my favorite artists and thinkers, David Byrne, founded Reasons to be Cheerful, an online magazine that highlights good people doing good things in the world.

It is easy to think we are completely screwed if we allow ourselves to believe the talking heads who continually and unrelentingly spew the latest sensational story about all that is wrong with the world. David Byrne, who has always been a keen observer of humankind, noticed that there are untold numbers of people around the world working creatively toward solutions to the problems humanity faces. I can’t think of a more important or needed website in existence today.

#5 - AND FINALLY… PLEASE GIVE ONE COMPLETELY UNAIDED RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU THINK EVERYONE SHOULD START DOING / USING / WATCHING / EATING / THINKING / QUITTING / ETC-ING TO MAKE THEIR LIVES A LITTLE BIT MORE BETTER AND/OR BEARABLE.

Move to another country (preferably one that uses a different primary language than your own) for an extended amount of time. Sounds crazy, I know! But the benefits and life-enriching possibilities are endless. And it may be more do-able than you think.

I moved to Mexico from California for a year and a half with my family of three, and on New Year’s Day 2021 we began our next adventure in Portugal. Just to make it happen involves lots of out of the box thinking and disruption of the status quo: “Will my employer allow me to take a sabbatical?” “Can I figure out how to work remotely?” “What do I do with all my stuff?” “Do I need all this stuff?” “Can I reduce my living costs and unnecessary spending to save enough money to not have to work while away?” “Can I rent/sublet/give up my living situation while I’m gone?” Taking yourself out of your comfort zone by living in a place where you are going to be learning new words daily, having to navigate new neighborhoods, constantly meet new people, and learn a new culture will sharpen and open your mind, give you a new appreciation for other places (or possibly where you came from), challenge your preconceptions, build self-confidence, and potentially present opportunities and possibilities you’ve never been faced with before. “Will my job be waiting for me when I get back?!” That may not matter to you anymore after your experience!

OK folks, there you have it. Things that Chrystal Für thinks you should consider incorporating into your day/life. Before you log off and go uproot your life to another country, make sure to follow Chrystal Für on the Facebook / Instagram / Twitter and then also give ‘I’m Losing You’ a listen below…

…and if you like what you’re hearing, go do some further chrystal-für-flavoured audio exploring over on the Bandcamp / Spotify.