Ideas in Progression

A digital space where music, travel, and storytelling converge.

Author: Ever

  • Nomadic Life: How, Why and When?

    Nomadic Life: How, Why and When?

    By Someone Who Said Fuck Enough

    The How

    Right then. Here’s the blunt truth: I sold everything. And before you jump to conclusions – I’m not homeless. I’m houseless. There’s a difference, innit?

    Having a physical house doesn’t make sense anymore when you’re living on the road, moving through cities, breathing in experiences instead of dust collecting in unused rooms. But you still need that bit of paper trail, don’t you? The state loves its paperwork. I’ve got a fiscal address because apparently, the taxman must be fed even when you’re running free. Some battles you lose before you start.

    But I kept the car. Oh yeah, absolutely. That tin beast is my ticket across Europe when the trains are cancelled or too expensive. House-sitting? Pet-sitting? Need wheels. Plus, it holds all the bits you actually need when you’re living out of packing cubes.

    The When

    Let’s not bullshit ourselves – the nomadic lifestyle isn’t for everyone. I know it. I’ve seen people try it and crash spectacularly back into the consumer rat race. So, check down if you qualify for this nomadic lifestyle and start whenever you like. The sooner the better.

    Here’s why I qualify for this particular madness:

    My sanity and I, we’re on the same wavelength. That’s rare, ain’t it? No children hanging off my ankles demanding stability. We can work online – the internet’s our office, the whole damn planet. Material things mean fuck-all to us anymore. Social status? Laughable concept. Vanity was something I left burning in the rearview mirror a long time ago.

    The Why

    Simple, really: freedom. The bloody right to decide what matters.

    No more tight agendas screaming at us every five minutes. Days don’t matter. Time doesn’t matter. What matters is waking up and choosing where you go, who you meet, what you do, without asking permission from a boss or a mortgage company.

    That’s freedom, mate. Raw and unfiltered.

    The Tips

    Listen up, because this part’s practical:

    Donate. Repurpose. Sell. Make peace with stuff leaving your life. I created a WhatsApp group with family and friends – bloody genius idea, honestly. Worked like a charm. Some things sold, others went to good homes, and yeah, some ended up properly discarded. Not everything deserves a second act.

    Embrace minimalism. Or existentialism, whatever floats your boat (there’s more on that in another piece I’m hammering out). You’ll be shocked at how much garbage you’ve been carrying around for “just in case” moments that never come.

    Keep watching this space, yeah? I’m about to drop my nomadic minimalist method – in small packing cubes, err… articles, hah! Sometimes the tech fails but the mission stays solid.

    Collect memories. Not things. 🚐💨

  • Road Trip Journal: The Seven-Week Nordic Odyssey – Part 2

    Road Trip Journal: The Seven-Week Nordic Odyssey – Part 2

    A Journey North Begins (again!)

    After two weeks back in Tirol, we were ready to re-start our trip to Tromsø. But to compensate we’d have to quicken our pace to reclaim those lost days.

    The Road Through Central Europe

    Our journey commenced with a brief pause in Germany, at the quiet town of Nörten-Hardenberg—a perfect stepping stone before crossing into Scandinavia.

    Next came Denmark. We chose Aalborg as our Danish waypoint, allowing ourselves a moment to breathe before the sea crossing that would carry us onto Norwegian soil.

    Into the Land of Fjords – (Some) Places We Passed Through

    From Hirtshals, the ferry departed for Kristiansand, marking our official entry into Norway proper. What followed was a whirlwind of coastal highways and mountain passes: Lyngdal, Lindum, Eidfjord, Hemsedal, Dovre, and Langnes each offering their own slice of Nordic wilderness.

    Then came (one of many) maritime leg that defines much of northern Norway: a ferry traversing Bodø–Røst–Værøy–Moskenes, before finally reaching our ultimate destination—Tromsø.

    Perhaps a contrarian take: Norway’s beauty is so relentless that it loops back into repetition.

    Let me explain…

    When you traverse thousands of kilometres in such compressed time, you inevitably encounter fjord after fjord, waterfall after waterfall, red house after red house Each magnificent. Each worthy. But after a while, even perfection wears thin.

    What I learned in this trip had nothing to do with Norway. Everything to do with me: staying longer in one place beats one night stays.

    The Midnight Sun Paradox

    The midnight sun is undeniably magical—until it sabotages your circadian rhythm entirely.

    Time itself seemed to dissolve. I’d awaken, greet the bright, unrelenting sunshine, congratulate myself on a solid night’s rest, only to discover merely two or three hours had passed by. It turns out I do not enjoy daylight only; I require the night as well.

    Those who call this land home, enduring months of unbroken light followed by months of profound darkness, command my utmost respect.

    Chasing Quietude Over Crowds

    In enjoy the most the quieter corners of any landscape.

    In Denmark, guidebooks insisted the eastern side housed the essential attractions. Because of that we drove west instead.

    Norway presented a similar revelation. We began along the classic touristic routes but quickle grew weary of them. So we detoured into silence. Again.

    Wild Camping Triumphs

    To name standout favourites from both countries, I must acknowledge our wild camping experiences. We stumbled upon facilities equipped with toilets and shelter in the absolute middle of nowhere—and they were immaculate. A stark contrast to our encounters on the Camino de Santiago—but that, dear reader, is a tale for another article and another occasion.

    The Skagerrak Strait, Denmark — a part of the North Sea, and the Kattegat, which connects to the Baltic Sea, converge at this location.

    Vega Islands, Norway— near the Artic Circle, it was our first wild camping (with benefits!) in Norway.

    Final Thoughts

    Some journeys teach you about the world. Others teach you about yourself. This one, I believe, did both. The north called to us, we answered, and somewhere between the fjords and the endless summer light, we learned that perhaps the greatest discoveries aren’t found on any map—they’re found in recognising what truly moves us, and what simply impresses us.

    Until the next adventure – Safe hikes!

    e.

    If you missed the first part of our Nordic Trip, you can read it here.

  • New Short Video: Denmark’s West Coast

    New Short Video: Denmark’s West Coast

    From the Scandinavian coast—this stretch near Lemvig speaks for itself:

    Howling winds, deserted horizons, the kind of solitude that reminds you to seize the moment.

    Carpe diem.
    e.

    Watch Me!

  • Books: The Meek One

    Books: The Meek One

    Review: The Meek One – Dostoyevsky’s Devastating Portrait of Guilt

    In 1876, Fyodor Dostoyevsky produced one of his most psychologically harrowing works: “The Meek One” (Кроткая), alternatively translated as A Gentle Creature. Though overshadowed by monumental novels like Crime and Punishment, this novella stands as concentrated genius—a claustrophobic monologue dismantling the human psyche under pressure of irreversible loss.

    Written as stream-of-consciousness confession, the piece unfolds over mere hours following the suicide of the narrator’s young wife. An unnamed pawnbroker, pacing alone while her body lies waiting removal, attempts frantically to reconstruct how their marriage collapsed into tragedy. The subtitle—”A Fantastic Story”—suggests psychological extremity rather than supernatural embellishment, marking territory where rational explanation fails and emotional truth reigns supreme.

    This structural choice proves essential. We receive nothing but the narrator’s version of events—an unreliable voice increasingly desperate to justify itself even as evidence mounts against him. His memories contradict, his logic spirals, his proclamations of love curdle into accusations. By denying readers any objective vantage point, Dostoyevsky forces us to inhabit the same suffocating isolation gripping our protagonist.

    The work explores interconnected themes: guilt that refuses acceptance, emotional alienation reducing marriage to transactional coexistence, masculine pride preventing acknowledgment of error until irrevocably too late, and despair born from crushing social conditions combined with personal failure.

    Furthermore, Dostoyevsky anticipates developments in psychoanalytic theory regarding repression and projection. Our narrator deflects blame onto external factors rather than confronting actions leading inexorably downward. Readers witness exactly how denial operates until complete breakdown ensues.

    For anyone willing grappling with darkness without lanterns lighting path forward, seek this text diligently. Prepare to brace impact lingering long after final page turned.

    “He insists he loved her. He reads her as submissive because it suits him. But the longer he speaks, the more that label starts to fall apart.”

  • Off the Beaten Tracks: 1000mods

    Off the Beaten Tracks: 1000mods

    My take on 1000mods – Desert Dust & Amplified Reverie from Corinthian Rock

    There exists something rather remarkable about bands hailing from obscure places yet carving out significant space within the global heavy music landscape. Enter 1000mods, stalwarts of stoner and psychedelic hard rock from the rural village of Chiliomodi in Korinthia, southern Greece.

    Though sources trace their genesis to 2005, it was summer 2006 when childhood friends solidified into the three-piece force we recognise today.

    Nearly two decades on, this Greek powerhouse has become an undeniable staple of the international underground circuit.

    Sonic Signature

    What distinguishes 1000mods within stoner rock’s crowded terrain is their refusal to settle into mere riff-repetition formulas. Dani G. anchors vocals and bass, Giorgos T. delivers guitar work oscillating between precision and fuzz, and Labros G. drives relentless percussion. Together, they produce a wall of sound considerably larger than three individuals should reasonably achieve.

    Essential Listening

    • Vidage – Their trademark fusion of melodic heaviness with cosmic atmosphere
    • Low – A masterclass in slow-building tension before eruption
    • Electric Carve – Perhaps their most recognisable anthem, peak Stoner-era execution
    • The One That Keeps Me Down – Emotional weight beneath the fuzz
    • Road to Burn – Live intensity captured in studio form

    What should you expect from 1000mods

    If your tastes incline towards My Sleeping Karma’s cosmical approach, Truck Fighters’ swagger, Monkey 3’s atmospheric density, or Mothership’s blues-soaked sludge, neglecting 1000mods would be a mistake. Two decades of consistent output and unwavering commitment mark them not merely as participants—but architects shaping the scene’s trajectory.

    In short: your speakers will thank you. (your neighbours maybe not so much…)

  • Road Trip Journal: The Seven-Week Nordic Odyssey (Part 1) The First Attempt

    Road Trip Journal: The Seven-Week Nordic Odyssey (Part 1) The First Attempt

    So, we finally did it. After years of planning, we packed the car, strapped a tent to the roof, and pointed our headlights north. Our goal? A seven-week epic from Austria to Tromsø, Norway.

    The grand plan was ambitious: traverse northern Germany, hug the east coast of Denmark, catch a ferry across the Skagerrak, and drive deep into the Norwegian Arctic. Once we reached Tromsø, the script would flip. “Team B” would take the wheel for the final leg, while we flew back to our home base in Tirol.

    But as any seasoned traveller knows, the map is rarely the territory. This is Part 1: The First Attempt. Spoiler alert: It didn’t go exactly to plan.

    The Gear: Survival of the Fittest (and Coziest)

    We weren’t just winging it. For a seven-week stint in the Nordic chill, our setup had to be bulletproof. We stripped the car down to essentials, prioritising warmth and efficiency:

    • The Shelter: An easy-pitch tent (because nobody wants to wrestle with poles in the rain).
    • Sleep System: Winter-grade sleeping bags paired with inflatable cushions and camping bed frames. No cold ground for us.
    • The Kitchen: Full cooking facilities and a portable fridge to keep the provisions fresh.
    • The Secret Weapon: Meal prepping. To save time and sanity, we organised two menus a day and bagged all ingredients into seven separate, sealed packs—one for each week. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, sorted.

    The Road: Rivers, Sheep, and Lighthouses

    Our first night was a warm-up in Germany, pitching up beside a river. The facilities were spotless, the vibe serene, and the location perfect. We liked it immediately.

    As we pushed north, the scenery shifted. The rolling hills gave way to the hypnotic, flat expanses of Denmark. We encountered long stretches of road with no curves and almost no traffic—a driver’s dream. But the real stars of the show were the locals: the sheep. We saw more sheep in a week than most people see in a lifetime. And yes, the lighthouses were everywhere, standing sentinel along the coast like silent guardians.

    Denmark: Wind, Wit, and Welcome

    Crossing into Denmark brought a few specific lessons for the uninitiated:

    • Dress Code: Bring appropriate clothes. It’s a flat country, which means it’s also a very windy country.
    • Language: Don’t panic if you don’t speak Danish. You can navigate the entire country speaking German or English with ease.
    • The People: Friendly, attentive, and helpful. Whether in stores, supermarkets, or at the campsites, the Danish hospitality was a highlight.

    The Bitter Truth

    Then came the call.

    On our second week, just as we were finding our rhythm, my doctor rang. My monitored condition required my immediate attention back in Austria. The dream of reaching Tromsø in one go had to be paused.

    It was a bitter pill to swallow. We packed up the tent, folded the camping beds, and turned the car around. The freedom of the road clashed violently with the reality of health. But life goes on. We aren’t giving up; we’re just hitting pause. We’re heading back to Austria to sort things out, with the intention of picking up the thread in one week.

    The journey isn’t over; it’s just entering a new chapter.

    Coming Up: More on the return leg, the medical detour, and how we plan to finish the job in Part 2.

    Want to see the sheep, the lighthouses, and the campsites? Check out the photos on my Instagram.

    Safe travels, and keep the wheels turning.

  • pg.lost: Where Melancholy Meets Mayhem

    pg.lost: Where Melancholy Meets Mayhem

    If you’ve ever wanted to have deep feelings while headbanging, Swedish outfit pg.lost is your sonic prescription. Formed in 2004, this post-rock quartet specialises in the kind of emotionally charged, instrumental soundscapes that make you question whether you’re listening to a symphony or a riot.

    From Rebranding to Resonance

    Here’s a bit of trivia for your next music quiz: pg.lost wasn’t always called pg.lost. Originally christened Before You Give In, the band endured enough lineup turbulence to make a soap opera look stable. Eventually, they settled on their now-iconic moniker—and wisely stopped changing it every Tuesday.

    The Sonic Alchemy

    What makes pg.lost so compelling? It’s the friction between beauty and brutality. Their compositions throb with profound melancholy, yet there’s always that dirty rock ‘n’ roll undercurrent lurking beneath the surface.

    Their discography showcases this dynamic range beautifully. Versus and Oscillate stand as testament to their ability to balance introspection with sheer sonic force.

    Essential Listening

    New to pg.lost? Start here:

    • Eraser – A masterclass in building tension
    • Ikarus – Where tragedy meets triumph
    • Vultures – Dark, brooding, unforgettable
    • Versus – Title track that defines their ethos
    • Monolith – Monumental in every sense

    The Current Line-Up

    • Mattias Bhatt – Guitar
    • Martin Hjertstedt – Drums
    • Gustav Almberg – Guitar
    • Kristian Karlsson – Bass, Vocals

    In Their Own Words (Well, Their Influences)

    pg.lost operates firmly in the post-rock atmosphere alongside Explosions in the Sky, Mono, and Mogwai. But where those bands might lean towards the prog-contemplative, pg.lost brings a distinctly Scandinavian grit to the table.

    Put simply: if you enjoy music that makes you feel things you didn’t know you were capable of feeling, pg.lost deserves a permanent place in your playlists.

  • Alberto Burri: The Tar-Smeared Rebel

    Alberto Burri: The Tar-Smeared Rebel

    Born: 12 March 1915, Città di Castello, Perugia, Umbria, Italy
    Died: 15 February 1995, Nice, France

    Let’s be honest: most artists play it safe. They paint pretty pictures, frame them nicely, and hope someone buys them. Alberto Burri? He didn’t paint. He violated canvas.

    Alongside Lucio Fontana and Piero Manzoni, Burri stood as one of the pre-eminent Italian multimedia artists of the twentieth century. But here’s where it gets interesting: while the American avant-garde was busy flinging paint across walls in their “Action Painting” circus, Burri took a different route. He didn’t just throw things at the wall—he studied the wreckage.

    The Tar Revolution

    Burri first hit the post-war art world like a sledgehammer with his Catrami (Tars) series. Tar resins weren’t just his medium—they were his weapon. Black, viscous, industrial. He used tar as both base and colour, turning the very substance of decay into art.

    While other post-war abstract painters chased spontaneity and self-expression like teenagers at a mosh pit, Burri worked with surgical precision. His approach was methodical, almost clinical. He was the first to explore organic decay and hazardous destruction of materials—not as accident, but as intention.

    These sculptured canvases were so bloody innovative that he made friends with two seminal American artists: Cy Twombly and Robert Rauschenberg. Creative ideas flowed between them like electricity.

    “The Words Don’t Mean Anything”

    Here’s the thing about Burri: he didn’t trust critics. Not one bit.

    “The words of the critics don’t mean anything to me; they talk around the picture… what I have to express appears in the picture. For the rest, I have nothing to add.”

    In Burri’s view, an artwork must speak for itself. No commentary needed. No explanation required. Just the raw, scarred truth staring back at you.

    The Influence

    His preference for raw materials carried the unmistakable influence of Jean Dubuffet and the Art Brut movement. Burri combined painting and relief sculpture into something entirely new—something that refused to be categorised.

    Great Read Warning !!!

    Book: Burri; Maestri del XX Secolo
    A must-have if you dare. It’s not for the faint-hearted, much like Burri’s work itself.

    Bottom line: Burri didn’t make art for comfort. He made art that demanded you look at what others tried to hide—the decay, the damage, the beautiful mess of existence. And that, mate, is punk as hell.

    What do you think? Should art comfort us or confront us? Drop your thoughts in viaminimal@gmail.com

  • The Cartography of Nothing:  Mapping a Life Without Borders

    The Architecture of Less

    For years, I dreamed of a life unbound by geography—a existence defined by movement, not an address. But let’s be honest: freedom isn’t cheap, and it certainly isn’t easy to fund while paying rent on an empty flat. So, I did the only logical thing: I liquidated my entire existence.

    Collect Memories, Not Things

    I had long considered myself a minimalist, well before this lifestyle became a curated social media trend. Yet, despite that mindset, I discovered that getting rid of everything you own is far harder than simply boxing it up and moving to a new place (in my case; no place)

    Dare To Be Different

    The 2019 transition wasn’t without tremors. As usual, my “family” offered zero support, entrenched in their conservative modus vivendi. – I wear the ‘black sheep’ badge with pride. Why adhere to the prescribed linear march? Corporate drudgery, a flashy car, a beachside flat, offspring. I harbour no judgment for those who find fulfilment in that script, but it was never mapped for my feet. My compass points elsewhere: no borders, new customs, acquiring cultural depth. Money is a tool, not a trophy. Vanity? Abandoned long ago.

    Nine-to-Five? Hard Pass

    I have no desire to fund a boss’s luxury fleet or endure petty micromanagement from “work mates”. Now, I dictate my own priorities. Minimalism, coupled with location-independent work and house-sitting, dissolved the rigid structures of calendar days, weekends, and fixed hours into irrelevance.

    The Fine Print of Fate

    A word of counsel for those eyeing the leap: invest in quality, not quantity. Ignore the frenzied consumerism of Black Friday; buy functional, enduring items. And boycott the monolithic convenience of online stores in favour of local, (in my case) European commerce. To me, the hyper-consumerist USA-model was always hardly a template worth following.

    This is my perspective. But be careful what you wish for: you might just like it.

    Yours in freedom,
    e.

  • Off the Beaten Tracks: Long Distance Calling

    Off the Beaten Tracks: Long Distance Calling

    Long Distance Calling hit my radar way too late in my journey through the instrumental realms of Rock and Metal. Honestly, I still don’t get it—while I was already deep in the RUSH catalog from day one, Long Distance Calling keeps popping up in every “essential prog bands” list in those specialised music mags. How did I miss this?

    The Basics: Formed in 2006 in Münster, Germany, Long Distance Calling carved out their own lane in the post-rock landscape. Their sound? Think adventurous post-rock that isn’t afraid to wander into post-metal territory when the mood strikes.

    What Makes Them Tick: Here’s the thing—they’re built on extended instrumentals that create atmospheric soundscapes hitting you right in the chest. No filler vocals, just pure sonic architecture.

    The Lineage (Some of Their Influences): You can hear the DNA of PORCUPINE TREE, LUNA, and ISIS woven throughout their discography. They’re instrumental, progressive, contemporary—all the descriptors fit. Call it instrumental atmospheric rock, post-metal, or post-rock; whatever label you slap on it, the music speaks for itself.

    Essential Listening – Start Here:

    Black Paper Planes

    Voices

    Aurora

    Trauma

    Nucleus


    IMO: For Post-Rock/Metal heads, this is essential listening. Each album carries a central theme that anchors the whole experience. The songwriting is playful, packed with ideas and stylistic shifts. Sometimes they drop samples that make you wonder if you’ve heard them elsewhere—but you can’t quite place them. That mystery is part of the magic.

    Bottom line: If you’re into instrumental music that breathes, builds, and blasts, Long Distance Calling deserves a permanent spot in your rotation. Better late than never.