solipsistic NATION No. 26: Through A Glass Darkly

In 1 Corinthians 13:12 the Apostle Paul says “Now we see through a glass darkly.” The glass is a mirror which and to see through that mirror “darkly” is to have an obscure or imperfect vision of reality.

But what is reality?

The Compact Oxford English Dictionary of Current English says that reality is “the state of things as they actually exist.” But all we know of reality is perceived through our senses, which are imperfect. Further, the way we interpret what we perceive is a subjective experience. In a sense, there is no way to see reality but through a mirror darkly.

There are some who hold that since our sense are imperfect and since everything is a subjective experience the only thing we can truly know is ourselves. While reality is a consensual experience we are all of us living in a solipsistic nation.

Music is another subjective experience and trip hop, with its noir-ish lense, offers us yet another glimpse into a world seen through a glass darkly. Trip hop was a term coined by British dance magazine Mixmag, to describe DJ Shadow‘s hip hop instrumentals that changed-up the beat and mid-cuts, taking the listener on a dark musical journey.

I hope you enjoy today’s flight through the glass.

Photo Credit: Sy Parrysh

Kalahari Surfers “Versatile Flying Objects”

Chillerstadt “Heat”

Scanlan “Son”

Audiomoe “57 Spring”

DigiT aLL LoVe “You Keep It”

Monkeybacon “Roller”

Unorganized Crime “Alessandra”

Da Smee “Jahmin001”

Verbal Kint “The Temple (Smooth Trip Mix ft. Judie Jay)”

Anji Bee with Bitstream Dream “Love Me, Leave Me”

The Neybuzz “Dark Days”

Behavior “Anywhere But Here”

Collide “Razor Sharp”