Deadmau5, album title goes here

Picked this up a while ago - actually, picked this up on launch, got part way through to Closer and then went off and picked up Disasterpeace's Fez soundtrack. It's taken me a while to get through the whole thing a few times, and digest it. First impressions were that there were few striking pieces - except obvious singles Veldt and Professional Griefers.

It takes a while for the album to start; it picks up with Veldt, and hits its stride with Professional Griefers. Mid-album, Maths, There Might Be Coffee, and Closer, are all good tracks that keep pace, keep it going. For me, the album closes with Sleepless - there is little wrong with Failbait and Telemiscommunications per se, but they aren't as memorable, and serve more as a denouement; which is actually kinda cool.

There is a lot of hype around Deadmau5, and not entirely undeserved, but unfortunately it tends to warp expectations. I think i was expecting something great, something that would blo me off my feet, and sure enough, I was setting myself up for disappointment. I wasn't blown away by "album title", but it's actually a good album.

If you're an eclectic music collector like myself it's worth the investment - Deadmau5 is always good to throw on.

XCom: Enemy Unknown

Wow, highly anticipated, and it doesn't disappoint. For those that played the original some 15 years ago, they remained true to the core principles, such that waves of nostalgia still come back through the updated visuals and streamlined mechanics. For those that are new to XCom this is the pen-ultimate turn-based squad-tactic strategy game of all time.

Some have written of the appeal of peril, and they are correct to a certain extent - there's also a sense of great achievement when you learn something though. a particular mechanic, or how the (simulated) world works, and start playing it to your advantage.

Either way, XCom is an addictive and challenging experience. Overall, an amazing, awesome title.

By the way, after many Ironman-Impossible attempts, this is completely cool.

Disasterpeace, Fez

Was listening to some other stuff when I was reminded of Fez's awesome amazing soundtrack - so I did what comes naturally and checked my electronic music store of choice and found Disasterpeace's masterpiece! This is definitely worth mentioning because it is a beautiful rich tapestry of sound; very atmospheric, and perfect for, well, just about any occasion I could think of!

Definitely a highly recommended addition to any media library!

Dredd 3D

Dredd was great. Enjoyed this while on holiday in London, England - and saw it a second time back home in Toronto. Far better than the first. I don't know much about the Dredd comic, but this film fulfilled all expectations as a novice - guns, armor, and bloody-ultra-violence. I think the best move was casting Karl Urban, who as a relative unknown has no qualms donning the Dredd helmet and foregoing screen recognition. Dredd is the faceless dispassionate law. This was offset by the empathic rookie Anderson played by Olivia Thirlby. In terms of pacing, the film was a well-executed escalation in violence, and no player in the drama did anything ridiculously stupid.

Overall, thoroughly enjoyable.

I can't also say it wasn't enjoyable watching Cersei Lannister, aka Ma-Ma, aka Lena Hedley, get hers in the end!