CottonSalad: Digs as I move to the UK

CottonSalad 08.25.21	See ya in 3 years, USA.
Avagantamos 08.26.21	if you enjoyed 2, check this out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLj1w34U0qo
Deez 08.26.21	Worse decision youll ever make
JohnnyoftheWell 08.26.21	Why would you move to the UK- oh you're moving from America? Best decision of your life maybe. Which area? I'm probs moving back next year and am already dreading the faff
CottonSalad 08.26.21	Haha, thanks Deez ;) Starting a research PhD in Huddersfield - small city up north between Manchester and Leeds.
CottonSalad 08.26.21	@Avagantamos - is this one of the soundtracks they ghostwrote?
Deez 08.26.21	I know it well. Absolute shit hole. Leeds is a good night out though with plenty of live shows of they ever happen on the reg again and yeah mancs only over an hour away
Avagantamos 08.26.21	could be! you never know... those guys are so mysterious
CottonSalad 08.26.21	Wasn’t sure if that was your way of telling me you aren’t a fan of that record lol
CottonSalad 08.26.21	Definitely looking forward to some gigs, yah / was based in nyc from 2014-17, and saw a lot of great stuff.
Sinternet 08.26.21	of all the places to go you go huddersfield? please don't take it as representative at least
DavidYowi 08.26.21	Congrats on going for your PhD dude! Now you'll become the only sput user who has a PhD
Pon 08.26.21	Despite loving atonal serialist modern classical bs I've never tried Ferneyhough for some reason. Also congrats on going for your PhD [2] :o
CottonSalad 08.26.21	Haha, I feel like someone else around here is hiding the fact they’ve made this decision at some point? Thanks though! …but yeah Sinternet, I’ve definitely had to explain myself a few different ways about my decision to go there - I’m honestly really excited about the work going on, but I’ll easily take your advice about it not being representative lol
CottonSalad 08.26.21	Ferneyhough is an interesting cusp between older and newer traditions - got into him after loving Elliot Carter’s string quartets (especially no. 1 and 5) for a while, but for getting into him other ways? Maybe someone like Wolfgang Rihm (Jagden Und Formen) would be a good place to start.
botulist 08.26.21	“Now you'll become the only sput user who has a PhD” hey hey, I’ve got one. What’s the research in? Because this is either a grand moment of your life or a fucking waste of time and money
Lasssie 08.26.21	THE STREETS
ReturnToRock 08.26.21	@Cotton I did my UK Masters in Huddersfield. Lived there for a year. If you need any tips (on 2016 Huddersfield, at any rate) let me know. Ditto the UK lifestyle in general, especially from a foreigner's POV.
CottonSalad 08.26.21	Figured we’d find at least one! What was yours botulist? Mine is music improvisation, performance practice and composition, intersected with ML/Neural Networks created by these guys: www.FluCoMa.org . They’re paying me to be there, but I’ll let you know about the waste of time lol Nice! I’ll keep you in mind ReturnToRock, small world hah…I lived in Finland for a year, as my first foreign experience, and loved it.
keaton_86 08.26.21	Embrace K cider.
GhandhiLion 08.26.21	Woah that sounds really interesting.
CottonSalad 08.26.21	Yeah, I’m excited! Not entirely sure what will come out of it, but I’ve got three years?
keaton_86 08.26.21	The UK kicks ass. Don't let jaded people tell you otherwise. Make sure you go to glastonbury next year, it's amazing.
CottonSalad 08.26.21	Will definitely do that. Sounds like a perfect getaway.
Pikazilla 08.26.21	UK lol Stay out of West Midlands, and saf London, fam
zakalwe 08.26.21	The UK like the world has changed a lot in the past 20 odd years but at its core it’s still one of the best places to live and the absolute best for. Footy Cricket Pubs Pies Piss taking Curry Countryside Castles Cathedrals Absolute lack of bullshit. You can try it but won’t get far.
ReturnToRock 08.26.21	@Pikazilla how you gonna slander West Mids like that bruv?
Pikazilla 08.26.21	RtR, I used to go to uni there. Coventry and Birmingham are shitholes. Soz not soz.
Demon of the Fall 08.26.21	'Starting a research PhD in Huddersfield' Woah, yeah that's a leftfield choice. Weirdly the closest I've gotten to spending time there was passing through the place on a train, that's despite living not too far away. Travelling to Leeds/Manc/Sheffield shouldn't be too difficult at least (if it sucks... no idea, but I've heard... erm, things). Apparently some decent pubs around there mind, always meant to check. Good luck!
Demon of the Fall 08.26.21	@Pika: yeah Coventry is pretty high up on my list of least fave places I've visited in the UK. Birmingham is so big I'd hesitate to say the same, but my limited experiences there left me underwhelmed.
CottonSalad 08.26.21	I had no idea there was such a vibrant opinion on England in the Sput community lol Mostly excited about English Breakfast tbh, gonna die young anyway
Deez 08.26.21	Another absolute shit hole, Birmingham. Horrendous place Birmingham only surpassed in Shitness by Middlesbrough.
Demon of the Fall 08.26.21	'I had no idea there was such a vibrant opinion on England in the Sput community lol' You'll find a lot of us arguing about which places are the shittiest, possibly leading the uninitiated into thinking it's some sort of tribalism... only to find out later the person doing the criticising actually has concrete ties to the place.
Sinternet 08.26.21	if wales counts there's no worse place in the uk than merthyr tydfil, holy fuck that place is depressing sticking to england very little is as soul-sucking as chatham
Deez 08.26.21	I mean Cornwall way is beautiful but absolutely full of twats. Lake District is wonderful. Scottish Highlands are incredible. As are parts of Wales. London's cool to dip your toe in now and then and get the fk out but foreigners love it. Liverpool has become a great city over the years (the centre at least), Newcastle's are great night out. Music scene in manc/Leeds is great. York is a fantastic little place. There is food things about it. Shame it's infested by gobshites and everywheres closing cos of post brexit food shortages. So bring 3 years worth of tinned food! Good and bad same as anywhere.
Deez 08.26.21	@sin hahahha Wrexham too. Horrendous place
Demon of the Fall 08.26.21	York's a great city, if Cotton is coming to live in Yorkshire then it'd be silly not to visit.
CalculatingInfinity 08.26.21	In the summer on a sunny day, the Cotswolds is heaven.
Ryus 08.26.21	went to liverpool and was kinda amazed how white everyone was lol like i knew it wasnt a very racially diverse place but wow
CalculatingInfinity 08.26.21	Liverpool rules, had a fantastic time there for four years.
Ryus 08.26.21	nice place to visit yeah. saw about ten different dudes throwing up/pissing in the streets lol. cool place in general though
Sinternet 08.26.21	yeah i really liked york when I was up there, a lot of character. always heard great things about newcastle too but never had the chance to go really. cornwall is very pretty but echo the locals being very distant and unfriendly. really most of the south-west coast is a bit of a wasteland unless you just wanna go to the beaches. bournemouth is probably the only city worth visiting and is good fun, and then of course you go up a bit and you have bristol and bath which are lovely. down my way southampton and portsmouth are both boring as shite with naff all to do and high crime rates. everyone should go brighton though, home town pride but one of the most vibrant and cultural cities in europe, especially for music and the arts in general. great foodie city too.
Deez 08.26.21	Liverpool used to be a mess when I grew up but it's come in leaps and bounds over the years and is a really nice place the centre of town now. Very European like the buildings around there Shame it's lost is world heritage label due to building a new ground there but whatever. Brought mates from all over the world who loved Liverpool. Hahah never really recognised how white it was. Makes sense with mostly Irish immigrants etc many if the suburbs are a lot more multi cultural but not to the point of Yorkshire/London etc I guess
GhandhiLion 08.26.21	> if wales counts wtf man :[
Deez 08.26.21	Yeah Brighton is great too
Demon of the Fall 08.26.21	Brighton is great (3). I've never been to Liverpool, which seems like an odd anomaly I need to address at some point. The other big city I've never been to (in England) is Bristol, off the top of my head I have the rest pretty much covered.
Deez 08.26.21	Honestly for the amount of little rats there are in Liverpool it's incredibly friendly. I love how Zak just pops up from fking nowhere when England's mentioned like one of those things you smack with a hammer at the funfair to defend queen and country hahaha
zakalwe 08.26.21	Haha Too fucking right deez lad
DoofDoof 08.26.21	Have a friend who lives in Huddersfield, very quiet place, some good pubs Heading to Leeds in two weeks for a weekend with the lads - only been once before, seemed alright, had expected the worst from the reputation
CottonSalad 08.26.21	Thanks for all input! It will at least guarantee I don’t have to put effort into making an opinion of my own - intention is a curse. Down to connect with anybody in the area Doof, shout me if they are down to give local recs. As of right now, I will be doing a short term let for September while I get familiar with the city.
Deez 08.26.21	Great crack leeds, some proper nutcases like but the music scene is great and all the less trendy places are sound. The more high street places like everywhere are shite but I love Leeds.
botulist 08.26.21	@Cotton - biochem
CottonSalad 08.26.21	Nice! Was yours a grand moment or a waste?
botulist 08.27.21	bout half and half. hahahaha. i was working in a cool progressive medical research facility a few years ago that had a lot of interesting abstracts happening. after covid hit, most of the money went to virology and epidemiology, and following an audit that summer, all our funding got redirected. so i'm currently working with as a counsellor with young offenders and recovering heroin addicts (which i'm really enjoying). so on good money years, it's grand, but i don't get to work in my field as much as i'd like.
CottonSalad 08.27.21	Whoa, definitely sounds like a pretty serious up and down haha - seems like you’ve adjusted quite well either way, all of that sounds super nourishing!
botulist 08.27.21	cheers, man. yours sounds very interesting! tell me more
BigPleb 08.27.21	Good luck, Cotton! I'm not too far from you, I reside in Liverpool. Hit me up!
CottonSalad 08.27.21	Honestly, my ability to give any decent summary that lacks jargon is pretty limited rn lol…as the project unfolds I’ll happily share. In general - I have an experimental vocal practice (somewhere between overtone singing and fry screaming), and write notated scores for guided improvisation. I am interested in the intersection of those things into a performance practice “situation” that promotes improvisers and other music makers to collaborate with this machine learning FluCoMa software in live environments that expand acoustic possibilities and formal considerations. How exactly that isn’t just a lofty ideal is a little beyond me as of now ;) Will do Pleb! Appreciate the vibes.
TheSonomaDude 08.27.21	One of my good friends is a Sputter from Huddersfield. I will be flying there next March. Congrats on your studies, have a safe move!
CottonSalad 08.27.21	Haha, that’s amazing. Who knew a small textiles town was such a hub on Sput!
keaton_86 08.27.21	Just gonna jump in here to say Birmingham does indeed suck. Some of of wifes family is from Wolverhampton. Jesus... what a place.
romulanrancor 08.27.21	Yeah that’s me, Been in the Huddersfield area my entire life lol. Small world Not exactly the nicest town or anything but a lot of the surrounding villages are actually really nice
zakalwe 08.27.21	‘In general - I have an experimental vocal practice (somewhere between overtone singing and fry screaming), and write notated scores for guided improvisation. I am interested in the intersection of those things into a performance practice “situation” that promotes improvisers and other music makers to collaborate with this machine learning FluCoMa software in live environments that expand acoustic possibilities and formal considerations.’ This will go down a storm in Huddersfield, they’ll lap it up. Next stop Doncaster.
Deez 08.27.21	Hahahhahha
CottonSalad 08.28.21	lol, probably true
Sinternet 08.28.21	its just what scunthorpe was mising!
beefshoes 08.28.21	Basically growing up with Skins, Inbetweeners, The Office, and the Cornetto trilogy made me want to move to England so badly as a teenager. I can't help but envy your position, and enjoy it to the fullest. Can't wait to finally be able to visit at some point.
ReturnToRock 08.28.21	@Cotton i advise finding accommodation through the Uni. I went from a place with bedbugs (yes really) that was basically used as a dumping ground with some people in there, to a great house share (then to another shit one, but that was my housemates' fault not the landlady's.)
CottonSalad 09.04.21	Whoa, that sounds terrible RTR - sorry to hear that :/ I’m settled in, just south of the center off Lockwood, and ready to live the dream!
sonictheplumber 09.04.21	nice dude. fish n chips. blackadder
CottonSalad 09.04.21	That was lunch today ;)