Reviews – Page 575 – Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld

Keisei: the returning

Posted on May 2, 2013August 6, 2026 by Inara Pey

Update: Keisei has closed.

Back in September last year, I visited Keisei, Daddio Dow’s fabulous region, and was captivated. To my shame, I admit I’ve not had any real opportunity to get back since, despite the region being so evocative.

However, when a personal invitation arrives from Daddio, asking me whether I’d like to pay a visit and see what is new following some work he’s carried out, I was grabbing my camera and heading straight on over.

“I’ve done a bit of remodelling,” Daddio told me, “but what I think you and your readers will really get a kick out of is not so much the sim, but the trees I’ve found by Mitsuko Kytori of Hayabusa Designs. These trees and plants are marvels and deserve to be recognized, photographed and admired.” I have to admit that having seen them, I can only agree.

The changes made to the region are both subtle and widespread, and definitely make Keisei a place to visit once more. I’m just irritated that due to the “ERROR: LLDrawable::destroy: Illegal deletion of LLDrawable!” crash when using the snapshot floater, and which seems to be prevalent in SSB/A-enabled v3 viewers, I’m restricted grabbing screen caps a lot of the time on regions which are either busy or (as in this case) use a sim surround. This tends to make for a Growly Me.

Among the changes made are a number of new private residences – so please take care should you explore; the majority of the region is open to visitors, but some of the houses are equipped with security systems, and all visitors are asked to respect residents’ privacy.

Other changes within Keisei include a relocation for the bath house, which comes down from the sky while the tree house spa now sits up at 1,000m. The arrival point has been beautifully re-worked, and elements of the coastline remodelled; all of which adds up to a lot to see and enjoy.

The region remains a photographer’s delight, and I really do urge anyone into SL photography who has not visited Keisei to do so; there are so many opportunities here for some stunning images – and the entire region naturally lends itself to a host of windlight settings.

I have to confess that I’d actually missed the place as I nosed around and snapped away. This is a region which really is worth the time to visit. And if you’re looking for an oriental-themed home, there are a couple of parcels available for rent as I write!

A trek through the Taiga

Posted on April 29, 2013April 9, 2021 by Inara Pey

When I first hopped over to Taiga after coming across it in the Destination Guide, I think the region may still have been under development, as there was a small lake in the middle surrounded by trees – and not a lot else.

It’s changed rather a lot in the couple of months or so since. The coniferous forest, common to the region’s real world namesake is still there, but the land has been a little more terraformed, and the lake now has a couple of buildings on the shore, an arrival point has been added and there are various other points of interest to explore.

Walk outwards from the arrival point and follow the banks of the lake to where a small river leads into it, and you’ll find a bridge upstream and a track you can walk along and into the forest. Or you can walk around the lake to the buildings on the far side and then on to a campsite with sleeping bags ready, tents pitched and a pot of coffee simmering over the flames, all ready for a night under the stars. And keep an eye out for the local wildlife!

Object rezzing is open here, so those who wish to add their own items to a scene – props for a photo session, say – are free to do so. The return time is set to 300 minutes, so make sure anything you do put out is taken back before you leave. It may eventually come back to your inventory anyway, but my explorations were a little spoiled as I walked under the trees and tripped over three abandoned clothing and shoes packs someone had left behind after unpacking.

The Russian / Siberian feel to the place isn’t limited just to the landscaping either; the primary language used in the introductory notecard is written in cyrillic script, as was much of the text in open chat. I’ve no idea if the region is the hub for a Russian / Balkan / Northern Eurasian community – but seeing it did add to the ambience of the place as I wandered around.

There are some rules within the note card which should be read – the region is General rated, so the owners request no nudity or adult activities (which include portrayals of drug use, violence, etc.), or the use of adult poseballs / gestures. All quite reasonable enough and a mirror of the ToS for General-rated areas.

I’m not sure how frequently items and objects might be put out by the group operating the region, but at the time of writing a steampunk flying boat was hovering over the lake, offering some interesting photo opportunities for those so inclined, and the sim surround gave a real feeling of flying over a wild and largely untamed land when standing on the deck.

For those of a photographic inclination, this is the kind of region where playing with Vincent Nacon’s natural cloud maps (either self-installed or by using Firestorm) can be an interesting experiment. I flicked between the various options and settled on Altocumulus for a number of shots.

Those looking for a natural, open region will probably enjoy Taiga. Things can occasionally get a little busy around the arrival point, but there are plenty of places to wander and simply enjoy. For my part, I finished my trip with a quick “flight” on the flying boat.

Ascension: rising through very mixed feelings

Posted on April 28, 2013August 31, 2013 by Inara Pey

Update: An alternative viewpoint as to the reason for the music venues has been posted in the comments, which is also worth reading. Ziki Questi has also posted on the installation as well.

Ascension is a full sim art installation by Mantis Oh (Cari Lekebusch in real life) as a part of the 2013 Artist in Residence series at the Linden Endowment for the Arts.

Mantis Oh is well-know is SL art circles, and his work tends to fuse ancient and futuristic elements into his builds – and this is much in evidence here, as the visitor is invited to explore a tall tower sitting to one side of a region filled with strange plants, hovering buildings and structures (from Mantis Oh’s Hybrid Productions range) and a huge and very futuristic Sphinx, and which features ancient-looking symbols scattered throughout.

It is – to be clear on this point – a very impressive build and very photogenic. Whether it qualifies as a full sim art installation as a part of the LEA’s Artist-in-Residence series, however, is a matter of personal interpretation.

The LEA’s blog piece on the installation reads:

Ascension is a combined art installation and sound experience that encourages the visitor to explore the seven levels of a cubic, tower like structure. Loosely based on the seven chakras (energy centres) of the human body, visitors begin the journey by stepping down twelve steps that each release a musical note underfoot, before entering the base level room which is bathed in deepest crimson red. Music and sound are intrinsic to this build, and you can create your own unique musical compositions by stepping onto the trigger objects on each of the levels. If you explore the sim with friends, together you can create sound patterns in a truly social and fun environment.

So far, so good – and it has to be said that a trip through the tower is an interesting diversion (you’ll need sound and particles, etc., enabled and be prepared to poke and prod at things). You start at the base level, as the description notes – analogous to the root chakra, and work your way up via teleporters to the uppermost crown (or “spirit” in this case) level. Each level presents a different environment in which you are encouraged to walk on things, touch things and play with things to create sound and light, either on your own or in the company of whoever is with you, be they friend or fellow visitor.

This is all fine, and very much in keeping with the idea of an art installation. What troubles me is that it isn’t actually something which requires the provisioning of a full region. The tower takes up less than a quarter region area. The rest of the region, while undoubtedly visually stunning and photogenic, came across – and I’m simply being honest here – as being more about using the provided space as a promotional opportunity than as a medium for expressive art.

Alongside the tower there are no fewer than three dance venues in the region – the “Beach Club”, the “Ultra Club” and the “Sphinx Club”. According to the LEA’s blog post on the installation these are “designed to host seven Techno music and DJ events that will take place during the lifetime of the build and well-known Techno DJ’s from real life record label H-Productions will be performing in-world.”

Now there is absolutely no reason why music and art cannot mix, or for music to be used as an art form in and of itself. As such, were these “clubs” to be used as an extension of the main exhibit itself, one could understand their inclusion. However, from the given description in the LEA blog, this appears not to be the case; the implication is that the venues will be used to host techno parties promoting Mantis Oh’s real-life record label, and this leads me to very mixed feelings on the installation.

It might be argued that the dance venues offer a means of presenting techno as a progressive form of art, and are therefore in keeping with the aims and ideals of the LEA. However – and I’ve wrestled with this exact issue for a considerable time in writing this article – I cannot escape the feeling that such an argument is perhaps hollow. Certainly, given the immersive nature of SL, I would suggest that if the intent is to demonstrate “techno rock as an art form”, then it could perhaps be achieved more immersively and interactively than slipping it a few dance floors and inviting people to come boogie down.

As mentioned, I came away from Ascension with very mixed views. The trip through the tower is an interesting diversion, and as a photographic, set the entire build is impressive. Both of these points can make a visit worthwhile. However, I cannot escape the feeling that the three dance venues are less about any expression of art and more about the promotion of a specific genre of music for the sake of entertainment – and that as such, there are better venues outside of the LEA where this could be achieved.

Far Away in Dreamland

Posted on April 21, 2013November 13, 2015 by Inara Pey

In their time, AM Radio’s builds in Second Life gained legendary status – and rightly so. Sadly, with the passage of time and other things, his builds have all but vanished from SL, leaving just The Far Away up and running – and even that was recently endangered.

The Far Away is beautifully minimalist in its execution and design. Smaller than AM Radio’s other SL art pieces, it covers a little under a quarter region and presents a simple tableau of a wheat field in which sit a few carefully chosen objects – the most noticeable of which is a large, rusting locomotive – and around which a box has been placed which forms a panoramic vista which adds huge depth to the piece and gives it a TARDIS-like feel of being much bigger on the inside than when seen from without.

The other prominent items in the piece are a dining table with violin atop and china cabinet nearby, and a table with a radio set, apparently just abandoned by whomever have been using it.

The windmill presents visitors with the opportunity to escape gravity’s hold for as long as they wish – as Richard Burton’s O’Brien tells us, possibly a little out-of-context, “The Law of Gravity is nonsense. No such law exists. If I think I float, and you think I float, then it happens.”

I could draw some parallels between Burton’s words and the installation, and while they might not fit with anything AM Radio had in mind when selecting the audio clip, the parallel would perhaps seem appropriate. Nineteen Eighty-four was Burton’s last film, for example, and The Far Away now stands as AM Radio’s last surviving work in Second Life, as I mentioned at the top of this piece.

However, such parallels are perhaps superficial and beside the point. While Burton has long since sadly departed, The Far Away survives. That is does is in no small part to Ziki Questi, who has stepped in to ensure the parcel on which the installation stands remains for as long as AM Radio is happy to have the piece rezzed in-world.

Ziki did so, not because she sees herself as any kind of saviour of AM’ Radio’s work, but simply because her passion for art meant that she could not stand by and let what is widely regarded as a classic Second Life art installation vanish into the ether, simply because it is so well-loved. This is something she expressed to me as we discussed her decision recently. “I know that many people love AM’s work and visit The Far Away frequently,” she told me, “And that it resonates in beautiful ways, providing people with a sense of solitude and quiet, but also a shared sense of delight and wonder.”

Personally, I’m glad she did step forward; it’s encouraged me to dig out some old photos of the build and caused me add it to my list of places to re-visit.

Perhaps I’ll see you there when I do.

Fantasy Faire: a Drax Files special

Posted on April 19, 2013March 28, 2023 by Inara Pey

This weekend marks the start of Fantasy Faire 2013 in aid of Relay for Life Second Life. Ahead of the opening, Draxtor Despres brings us a special segment of The Drax Files, focusing on the event, as seen through the eyes of one of the principal movers and shakers for the event – Zander Greene. It’s a wonderful and moving insight to the event and one which – once again – speaks to the heart of what Second Life can, and does represent.

Zander’s involvement in Fantasy Faire and RFL came as a direct result of the loss of his father, and anyone who has lost a loved one through cancer cannot fail to identify with his opening comments. These remarks, coupled with his views on the incredible potential and capabilities inherent in Second Life which, can for me, lift this segment of The Drax Files to new heights.

Fantasy Faire 2013: opening on April 20th

“Relay for Life of Second Life is probably the most cost-effective fundraising effort on the planet,” Zander observes, in discussing the effectiveness of SL as a practical medium. “You can’t imagine the scale of something like Fantasy Faire being done in the physical world. The cost would essentially be the cost of nine big-budget feature films plus a nine-day convention. There is no overhead [in Second life] except the time we donate, and we’re bringing thousands of people together who are separated by so much distance, we’d likely never have even know of one another’s existence … and a virtual world just erases all those barriers and gives us the means to do something that is really good.”

He goes on to make a number of valuable and thought-provoking comments which, given the recent moves to relaunch LL’s “become your avatar” campaign are particularly relevant and worth future discussion. However, as this is a preview video, and I’ve banged-on quite enough about promoting Second Life over the past few years, I’m not going to diving into a long diatribe here.

Instead, I’m going to leave you to enjoy another excellent segment of The Drax Files, together with some very pertinent words from Drax himself, “Thousands will come together this week in order to celebrate life, humanity and free expression while at the same time battling the dark forces of a deadly disease in a way that has tangible, measurable REAL WORLD impact!”

Of castles in the Skyes and walks in the woods

Posted on April 18, 2013April 9, 2021 by Inara Pey

There is a theme running through many of the locations in Second Life that I’ve visited and blogged about. It may not be obvious to some, but it is there all the same; so much so, that I thought it was about time I blogged about it. Or the person behind it. Or his own regions. OK – all three.

The theme is not that I tend to opt for more rural / country-like regions over urban developments or that water and trees feature rather a lot (although the latter are somewhat closer to it than the former). The clue is actually in the picture below.

See the bridge? Does it seem familiar? Well, possibly because you’ve seen it here, or here, or here, to mention just three of its appearances in this blog. It is the work of Alex Bader and while he is probably best known for his stunning and evocative castles, is also perhaps deserving of the title, “landscaper to the sims” because the chances are than when you are visiting one of the many picturesque regions across Second Life, you’re going to be seeing / walking on / crossing / standing under one of his creations – and more than likely passing many of them.

The home for Alex’s works are his twin regions (one full, one homestead) of Skye Elgol and Skye Neist Point. Both are nome to Alex’s Skye Studios and his range of landscaping accessories and impressive castles.

I’ve previously written about the value of in-world shopping in terms of the opportunities it brings to experience some truly marvellous regions. Both of Alex’s regions are further proof of that – although I suspect people will be more drawn towards the somewhat less developed (in terms of castles) Skye Neist Point.

These are both regions which have been creatively designed as showcases for Alex’s work. In fact, it’s fair to say that while exploring them, and outside of the castles themselves – all of which are quite magnificent – it would be very easy to overlook the fact that just about all that is on display has been crafted by Alex.

Because it is a homestead, Skye Neist Point is the more natural of the two, with the focus on woodlands, walks, Alex’s distinctive bridges, and coastal scenes (which again will be instantly familiar to the seasoned SL traveller). Here lay deep gorges, winding paths leading up hillsides, all of which offer breathtaking vistas and viewer guaranteed to delight and get cameras working.

Things are a little more crowded in Skye Elgol – but this is to be expected, given it is primarily the home of Alex’s castles, as mentioned; but even here there are places to wander and explore and vistas worthy of the camera’s eye.

Both Skye Elgol and Skye Neist Point stand as stunning examples of what can be achieved in 16 acres of virtual land given time and a sprinkling of imagination. As such both serve as excellent demonstrations as to what can be achieved when seeking to landscape a region and present something which is going to enthrall and delight.

Whether or not you’re into castles makes no difference; I cannot overstate the value in visiting Alex’s regions and taking time to explore them. You don’t have to buy a castle – although I’m sure he’d appreciate it were that to happen! – but there is more than enough here to tempt the eye and pocket, from the bridge featured at the top of this article through to Alex’s marvellous rutted tracks and his oh-so-life-like trees.

It’s hard to imagine anyone not enjoying these two regions – again with the emphasis possibly on Skye Neist Point. However, you don’t have to take my word for it: go see Alex’s work for yourself!

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Category: Reviews

Keisei: the returning

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A trek through the Taiga

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Ascension: rising through very mixed feelings

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Far Away in Dreamland

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Fantasy Faire: a Drax Files special

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Of castles in the Skyes and walks in the woods

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