MUSIC MIND MAGAZINE
Music influences through the years, now visualised
Interview with PI11PI: "Look within. The world is changing, it always has been and always will be, but changes mean chances"
Photo: Pexels, lilzidesigns
INTRODUCING: MUSIC MIND MAGAZINE
It all started more than fifty years ago, listening to the radio and recording my favourite tracks. After my retirement I started to make my own music.
Now this magazine has been made that includes an overview of the music that influenced me and of the music I made.
Music and philosophy have been connected and combined in several ways as explained in the included interview (p 8). The magazine contains philosophical quotes and some philo-
sophical insights and learnings gained during a study that started in 2008 are published. You will also find an overview of movies and series I like.
In search for infinity I hope to leave something behind for my family, friends and other interested people.
A special thanks goes to my daughter who designed this magazine and all the images in it. Her artwork can also be found on the covers of many of my albums and tracks. ■
Photo L : Piet van Dam, artist at World of Pi | Pi11Pi
Photo R : private record collection of Piet van Dam
The Music
Listen to creative music with a lot of variation.
Highly recommended
Find out what is highly recommended by PI Music.
The Interview
With Piet van Dam, originator of The World of PI
Movies & Series
Find out more about movies and series that visualize or refer to infinity.
CONTENTS
Music Influences
Music influenced by pop, soul, jazz, experimental and classical musicians from the seventies onwards.
Infinite Philosophy
Discover 22 philosophers with a focus on infinity.
In FEATURED: Lyrics of the tracks on the album “Infinite Energy”
References
Check out the resources and learn more about infinity.
THE MUSIC
The World of PI is introducing PI11PI Music
The music was originally developed to be used in video clips made by me, but while composing tracks, it became kind of an addictive hobby and creating new tracks became a priority.
“Creative mixing leads to unexpected outcomes and tracks don’t get boring”
It’s amazing what you can do with a tool like Apple GarageBand. The number of loops and ways how to use them are infinite. The electronic music is difficult to characterize, but most tracks have a lot of variations and don’t follow a typical track structure. It’s also full of surprises.
Creative mixing leads to unexpected outcomes and tracks don’t get boring when you hear them a couple of times – that is, if you like variation. The music tracks are used in The World of PI videos covering memories and topics of interest, like philosophy.
11 Albums and 3 play lists
So far, 11 albums have been created, each containing 11 tracks. The album
PIlosoPI contains 22 tracks (referring to two philosophers per century/era).
There are 3 play lists. PI Remastered contains all remastered tracks and the play lists “PI Chill” and “PI Dance” contain similar types of tracks that are collected for those who don’t like all the variation.
Creating music
It started as a fun project, a possible new hobby after my retirement: making my own music. I like a lot of different kinds of music styles, but get easily bored when songs have little variations in them. A fixed beat or rhythm, although most popular, is not something for me.
I started to experiment with Apple’s GarageBand app. With more than 14.000 loops it’s a great tool to create a lot of different tracks. By taking a structured approach, by reviewing each and every loop, you can make sure you don’t end up with reusing the same loops. By not starting with a fixed drumbeat, you get the variation I was looking for.
My first fan was my youngest grandson. Listening to one of my first tracks (PussBobPuss), he started to hop on the
rhythm, making clear he liked it. It was a first confirmation that others liked my music and an encouragement to continue.
By using streaming service Sound Cloud to upload my music, I received more feedback through likes, reposts and number of streams.
365 tracks
So far, I have made 365 tracks of which 100 have been remastered by a professional studio. Several tracks have been remixed, extended or made shorter. All remastered tracks got new artwork made by my daughter Annemieke. More of her work can be found on @Annemiekevandam_art.
Out now:
Listen to the latest album by PI11Pi | The World of Pi, introducing Music Mind Magazine via the QR-code. ▼
Highly Recommended
van Dam | World of PI:
“Use a headset or earplugs. Or play my music in your car. Although I put a lot of effort in making quality music, I do realize that the sound quality is not the best that is available. The Apple Garageband App has its limits and can’t compete with a professional music recording studio and more professional equipment. However, when wearing headphones or ear buds I think the quality is quite good and also when playing my tracks in your car, the sound quality is great.” ■
Piet
Photo : Piet van Dam
This interview might be a bit puzzling, and it is, because there actually is a hidden “Word finder- puzzle” within the interview!
Can you find the titles of all the first 100 tracks?
Interview with Piet van Dam, Originator of the World of PI and the man behind PI11PI Music.
Piet was born on the 11th of August in the year 1959, is married to Judith, has two children and two grandchildren. He enjoys the good things of life as much as possible (“Maximum Enjoyment”), likes going to the movies, theatres, museums, going out to diner, drinking good wine and beers (IPA). Since he retired three years ago, he created the “World of PI” and I would like to learn more about it. Time for an interview!
What is the World of PI all about?
As you might know, PI is an infinite number. PI (π) is one of the most important and fascinating numbers in mathematics. It has an infinite number of digits in its decimal representation. PI is also the first two letters of my first name and the World of PI is about my life. Now I am retired, I have time to reflect and explore new topics of interest. During my life, the infinite – infinity – always had my interest and the books I read, movies I saw, the never ending elements in it, triggered and intrigued me. That’s why I like, for example, science fiction so much. Explore new worlds and ideas. Think and dream outside the box. After my retirement more time became available and The World of PI was created using Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube. ▶
The Interview
Photo: Pexels, felixmittermeier
Overviews of interesting topics where made, grouped and regrouped. Many sources were found, consumed and thought through. I am happy with what I have achieved so far. The eagle has landed, but there is more to do.
Can you give some examples of a topic of interest?
The laws of physics is an example. Motion, thermodynamics, electrostatic energy and gravitation are some of the key laws, but other aspects like low and high entropy are also interesting. I knew and heard about it all, but I wanted to get a better understanding on it before diving into the micro cosmos of bosons, quarks, muons and Higgs particles. Scientists are still looking deeper and deeper in our smallest world, what looks
like an infinite effort. Will they ever find the smallest or are they lost in a tunnel vision?
The quantum world is another one. This topic was a completely new area for me, but now I know a bit more about it. Concepts like the wave function, string theory, singularity, entanglement and quantum superposition are mind boggling. It inspired me to look deeper into other topics like transformation, Mandelbrot sets, metamorphosis and big bangs.
"It became clear to me that in the end, it all comes down to energy."
What did you do after studying these topics?
Well, basically what I also did during my work: I simplified it. In my job as HSE manager, I was often confronted with complex situations that needed simplification before you could implement it on all levels in the organization. Keeping things simple works for everybody. I tried to simplify these concepts and made simplified short videos for each topic. In some cases I added things that helped me to get a better understanding.
It became clear to me that in the end, it all comes down to energy. Grow, evolution, species, transitions, invisible things that happen in the light and in the dark. Black spheres, even Gods, it’s all
Photo : Piet van Dam, artist at World of Pi | Pi11Pi
Photo P9 : private record collection and laptop of Piet van Dam
energy. There is no beginning and no end. Energy is immortal. From this understanding I developed my own concepts about how I look at life.
What do you mean by own concepts?
During my philosophy study some time ago, I specifically focused on philosophers who elaborated on infinity and related phenomena. For me it is a reference and some of the ideas I am working on are about the limits of thoughts, that everyone has their own truth, that it’s unbelievable that people belief stories that are written by man and often made by man. There are some hidden origins, idioms, but in the end nobody knows it all. Only together and not without the other, one can discover small parts.
In the current chaos there is a lot of absurdism, distortion, degradation and disturbance. We have some dark passages to cross, some dark arts to counter and fires to put out. One might feel insecure about it all and it sometimes looks like it will never end, but there is always hope.
Looking back, what were some key learnings for you?
Having an open mind is important. Listen and observe the world around you. Wonder why. Ask yourself questions. Who, what, why, when and where is this leading? What’s behind it? Look at it from different perspectives. Challenge what you see and hear. Eyes can be deceiving (deceiving eyes), opinions
of others are always coloured (mine too). Things said and written in the past will probably be different then originally intended. A Chinese whisper echo that got distorted over time.
Gain new insights. There is so much to learn and you are never done. In this changing world where so many things are happening, you might feel lost. Most is outside your sphere of influence, but you can make a difference for people around you and those connected to you. Keep it simple and start with yourself. Look within. The world is changing, it always has been and always will be, but changes mean chances.
How do you want to conclude this interview?
Well, the last things I would like to say is just do the right thing, respect others, be honest, show appreciation and keep smiling. Carpe diem, seize the day and enjoy the colours of live. Think positive, dream and keep searching! ■
“Concepts like the wave function, string theory, singularity, entanglement and quantum superposition are mind boggling. It inspired me to look deeper into these topics.”
Movies & Series
The movies & series listed below all address infinity in some shape or form. Between brackets you can find the time when the text is spoken. Posters of these movies & series are stored in Pinterest, follow the QR -code. More to come!
PI - System in chaos (1:11:11)
The syntax lays between the numbers, but if the brain cannot make images of what it sees, then nothing is seen.
Avatar (2:00:00) T
Hey see a network of energy that flows through all living things. They know that all energy is only borrowed and one day you have to give it back.
Spinoza (22:22)
Nobody is born and nobody dies (we are all an integral part of the universe).
Interstellar (2:24:01)
It's infinitely complex. They have access to infinite time and space.
Foundation (Series 1 - Episode 7 “Revelations” - 50:11)
All of us…are a part. You, me and my little girl and boy, my mother and my father, everyone
who’s ever been, every plant, every animal, every atom, every star, every galaxy, all of it.
Doom Patrol (Series 1 - Episode 1 - 3:33)
Are you ready Mister Morden? Repeat after me: The mind is the limit. The mind is the limit. The mind is the limit.
Space Odyssey (Part Jupiter 1:57:22)
Look behind the Infinite.
His dark materials (Series 2, Episode 2 31:44)
Come and sit here. Try to empty your mind. Go with your thoughts to a kind of no man's land and then it will come naturally.
The Matrix reloaded (1:50:11)
Your life is the result of an infinite number of choices.
Dispatches from Elsewhere (Series 1 - Episode 9 - 6:22)
Stories are manipulations of time, of space, of point of views. They show us what we want to see.
M.C. Escher Journey to Infinity (1:02:33)
A circular regular tessellation, logically bounded on all sides by the infinite small, is a thing of miraculous beauty. ■
Movies & Series
Image: Pexels, Mikebirdy
Music Influences
The music that influenced The World of Pi
The seventies. It all started with the band recorder I got from my father. Listening to the radio for hours and recording tracks I liked. The band recorder was replaced by a tape recorder and later I started to buy my first L P’s, mostly pop and disco music. I remember the excitement of listening to an album for the first time, some disappointments, mostly very happy feelings and sometimes excitement. Examples are albums from The Clash, The Human League, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, 10CC, The Nits, The Undisputed Truth, Sly and the Family Stone, Funkadelic and Stevie Wonder.
The eighties. In the eighties my music taste turned to rock and later jazz. Pink Floyd, The Clash, Deep Purple, Genesis were some of the great rock bands I listened to. Brand X, Bill Bruford, Al Johnson, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Al Di Meola were some of my favourite jazz musicians.
The nineties. In the nineties I turned to more experimental music. Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, King Crimson. Pere Ubu, The Residents and Joy Division are some examples. Together with my wife Judith, I also started to take an interest in all kinds of classical music.
The year 2000 onwards. From about the year 2000 onwards music played a lesser role because of work and growing children. More relaxed music was played in our home, like music from Enya, Sarah Brightman, Cat Stevens, Il Divo and Norah Jones. From time to time I bought a CD or got one as a present. I kept my records and CD player and when finding time I kept listening to all my music, including those from earlier days. When at home there is also some music playing. In my car or when I go for a run are other moments to listen to music.
To view the music influences visualised, turn the page. ▶
MUSIC INFLUENCES through the years
Arbeid Adelt! 10CC Björk The Clash Deep Purple David Bowie
Talking Heads Godley & Creme Talk Talk Nits Adam and the Ants The Cure
Peter Gabriel Gentle Giant Pink Floyd Emerson, Lake & Palmer Styx Uriah Heep Yes The Temtations The O’Jays Funkadelic Stevie Wonder Commodores Mother’s Finest Sly & the Family Stone The Undisputed Truth Rufus Ohio Players Graham Central Station Devo
Infinite Philosophy, from Antiquity to the 20th Century.
Introduction
Philosophy is one of the first special topics of interest explored. Reading books, participating in philosophy reading groups and visiting seminars helped in getting more insights related to infinity. Several videos and posters where made, covering the different time periods and geographical areas. From the east to the west and in all centuries interesting readings can be found. You wonder why some of the ideas, concepts, thoughts of philosophers in different times have so much overlap. And although different words where used, they all point in the same direction, the infinite.
Voices from the past
The different philosophers selected, have been chronologically grouped and cover Antiquity, India, China, the Middle East, the Middle Ages, Early Modern and the 20th century. In a booklet called “All is wrong” a detailed description of all philosophers
was made. Below, some of their quotes, partly used for track titles in the album PIlosoPI.
"Detailed description in the booklet: All is wrong'"
1. Antiquity
The soul is immortal, exists before birth and will live on when the body dies (beginning & end of a cycle). Platosportsman, politician, philosopher (427346 BC)
Time is infinite. Movements in the cosmos have no beginning and no end. God is the unmoving mover. Aristoteles - scientist (384-322 BC)
2. India
The Soul and primal matter are without a beginning and end. Creation of the universe is therefore a never ending evolution. Vedic period (1500-600 BC) Time therefore plays a crucial role in everything what happens in the world. Buddha - prince (566-486 BC)
Infinite Philosophy
3. China
Dao is the ongoing never ending change. Nothing is constant, everything changes. Zhuang Zi - advisor at court (360-280 BC)
The great transformation on all levels. It’s all connected and every disturbance in one level influences the others. I ChingBook of Changes (206-220 BC)
4. Middle East
The are Five internal principles; matter, space, time, the spirit of the world and a Creator. Al-Razi - physician, alchemist, philosopher (854–925AC) God exists and amongst other things he is immaterial, powerful, of pure good and self-subsistent. Avicenna - physician, astronomer, thinker and writer (980-1037AC)
5. The Middle Ages
Being and not-being. “Being infinite” and “infinite being”. It makes it possible for man to gain knowledge of the infinite (approximately). Thomas van Aquinoteacher (1225-1274 AC)
The divine spirit is the origin of the world and present in each human as a miniature replica of the world (microcosm). By looking inwards man can discover the divine language, although they are contradictions! (The solution lies in the infinite). Nicolaus Cusanus - philosopher, theologian, mathematician, astronomer (1401-1464 AC)
6. Early Modern
The vastness of space matter is unlimited and every piece of matter is infinitely divisible. Descartes - scientist (15961650 AC).
God is infinite, eternal and unique. Everything that is, is in God. Nothing can exist or be understood outside of God.
When man comes to understand that everything is an illusion, he need not fear death because the spirit is eternal. Spinoza - philosopher (1632 -1677 AC) The entire universe and system of creatures as a whole is infinite or has infinity in it. Anne Conway - British philosopher (1631-1679)
7. The 20th Century
Man is in a relation with infinity in a world with an infinite number of interpretations. Nietzsche - philosopher, composer, poet and philologist (1844-1900 AC)
Every state of consciousness is a continuation of the past transitioning into the present. Time flows - Time creates. Bergson - philosopher (1859-1941 AC)
Life has no meaning the moment you lose the illusion of being eternal. Sartre - philosopher (1905-1980 AC)
The dimension that breaks open the totality is that of the infinite. Levinas - professor, philosopher (1930-2004 AC)
Birth is not the beginning and death is not the an ending, but merely points on a continuum. E. Kübler-Ross - psychiatrist (1926 - 2004) ■
Photo:
“Although different words where used, they all point in the same direction,the infinite.”
Pexels, Felixmittermeier
FEATURED:
Follow the link in the QR-code to listen to the album "Infinite Energy" by The World of Pi on Spotify. ▼
Infinite Energy. Follow the number PI!
3.14 . From here to infinity
Forget about Time. Forget about space. Forget about all you think you know. Close your eyes. Don’t think. Feel. Feel the energy. Feel the energy inside you. It flows. It’s what drives you. It’s what connects you. IT is you. You can do anything. You can go everywhere. Your energy will. From here to infinity.
3.141 . It’s energy that drives all
It’s energy that drives all. It’s energy that creates all. Creates all the beauty. Creates all the ugliness. It flows through time and space. It’s everywhere. It’s in music. Hear it. Feel it.
Lyrics from tracks on the album “Infinite Energy”
3.1415 . Energy is mysterious
Energy is mysterious, beautiful and brutal. It creates a variety of species and food. It builds and destroys. Why, Why, Why?
3.14159 . Energy can neither be created nor destroyed
The law of the conservation of Energy - Energy can neither be created nor destroyed - only converted from one form of energy to another.
3.141592 . Any object with mass can be converted to pure energy
Any object with mass can be converted to pure energy, and vice versa. You have experienced it when you where conceived. You will experience it again when you die.
3.1415926 . It’s all energy (remix)
The Almighty. God. Allah. The Creator. Infinite Spirit. Ein Sof. The Prime Mover.
3.14159265 . Keep searching
Many belief. Many belief in a god. Some belief there is nothing. Some belief they know. Some just don’t bother. Some keep searching.
3.141592653 . Don’t assume Don’t assume . Don’t assume that what you see and hear is the truth. Eyes can be deceiving. And do you really understand what somebody means? Don’t assume. Opinions of others are always coloured (this one too). Don’t assume it is all true. Check check and double check. Don’t assume. Don’t assume that what you read is the truth. News, stories are often manipulations and maybe only tell you what you want to hear. Stories in book written in the past will probably be different then originally
intended. A Chinese whisper echo that got distorted overtime. Misunderstandings. Translations. Interpretations. Falsifications. Assumptions.
3.1415926535
. Open your mind . Open your heart
We live in a world with many different realities. A world of randomness. A world where old laws do not apply. A world of chaos. A world where the same thing can have a different meaning. We have entered a quantum world. It’s a world where different perspectives clash. A world where we only see what we want to see. A world where we only hear what we want to hear. But although our perspective might differ we are still connected. Connected on many different levels. And our reality
interferes with my reality. For better or for worse. So open your mind. Open your hart. Let’s find common ground. Open your mind. Open your heart
3.14159265358
. Think positive and dream
Think positive and dream. Do the right thing, respect others, be honest, show appreciation and keep smiling. Carpe diem, seize the day and enjoy the colours of live. Think positive and dream.
3.141592653589
. To infinity ■
Publisher: The World of Pi Delft, The Netherlands
Editor: Piet van Dam
Annemieke van Dam David van Paesschen
Graphic Design: Annemieke van Dam
Photography: Piet van Dam
Judith van Dam
Artwork: Annemieke van Dam
Copyright © 2024: Piet van Dam
Photo's: artwork by @annemiekevandam_art on album cover, L: It's All Wrong, R: Infinite Energy
The imagination of thought, Jan Bor & Errit Petersma 25 c of Eastern Philosophy, Jan Bor & Karel van der Leeuw
25 c of Western Philosophy, Jan Bor & Karel van der Leeuw
On the borders of thinking, Jan Bor
The beginning of Infinity, David Deutsch
Beyond Infinity, Eugenia Cheng To Infinity and beyond, Eli Maor
Annemieke van Dam UP NEXT IN FEATURED: It's All Wrong
Addicted to infinite, Walter Beukers and Jaap Godrie
I Ching - The book of changes, Richard Wilhelm
Seven wrong short stories, Piet van Dam
It’s ALL wrong, Piet van Dam