The Thaw & Die Grenze

Jeff walks to the edge of Berlin and explains why the Here Be Monsters feed has been quiet for so long.

On the way, Jeff talks about plans for upcoming episodes, looks at the ways that moving to Berlin has changed him, and discusses a pair of films featuring Tilda Swinton: Cycling the Frame (1988), and The Invisible Frame (2009). Both movies feature Swinton riding a bicycle around the entirety of the Berlin Wall—or, in the case of the latter, where the Berlin Wall used to be.

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Field recordings heard in this episode (starting around the 17:20): a former site of the Berlin wall in Marienfelde ~ birds and insects near Portbou, Spain ~ canoe paddling near the in Germany’s Spreewald ~ geese and peacocks calling on Peacock Island (Pfaueninsel) ~ dusk crickets near Locarno, Switzerland ~ a massive pipe organ that was part of Italy’s submission to the 2024 Venice Biennale ~ public transport boats in Venice revving their engines ~ Jeff singing in a bathroom while a faucet drips ~ Water splashing against cement in Banyuls-sur-mer, France ~ Hiking the Walter Benjamin memorial trail on the France / Spain border ~ Baby goat at the peak of a mountain on the France / Spain border ~ A canal boat passing in Amsterdam, Netherlands ~ An announcement bidding visitors to be quiet while visiting France’s Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg.

Producer: Jeff Emtman
Music: The Black Spot