The premise of LAST WRITES is simple. Our guests face their final rest, but before Death claims them they are granted a few parting earthly pleasures, the memories of which will travel with them into the great unknown. What makes these questions appealing and insightful for me is that these are not necessarily our guests favorite things, but those they most want to experience one last time before they shuffle off this mortal coil.

TODAY’S DEPARTING:

MARK BURFORD
aka Field Lines Cartographer

I came to know Mark through Vayse, having appeared on a few episodes together. We even got to partner-up on 2024’s Vayse Hallowe’en Special, with us as co-hosts, but I’ll never forget our first “sit-down”. It was Hallowe’en 2023. Buckley, Hine, Burford, and myself gathered around a virtual campfire and shared spooky stories and we had so much bloody fun. It was one of those rare moments when bonds of friendship are forged in an instant.

I felt an immediate connection with him and getting to discover his music was such an unexpected delight. As Field Lines Cartographer, Mark Burford creates sonic landscapes, visceral and emotional. With sound, he paints on an astral canvas a wave of synthetic dream strands that come together to create a magical pocket universe. It’s the sort of music one hears in their mind when staring at Steve Ditko’s Doctor Strange art. It is the whale song echoing through infinite space, crossing dimensions, and interplaying with the very fabric of temporal reality.

He is one of my favorite people in this current manifestation, but the candles grow dim, as they do for all of us, when the shadows draw near. Mark has created strange and unusual pathways with his modular sorcery, but none so strange as the road that has led him to the Occult Detective Mortuary where his Last Writes await.

LAST MEAL
My last meal would be a vegetarian samber curry: it’s probably my favourite thing, the spicy heat tempered with zingy lemon, full of lovely pulses & lentils, plenty of garlic & coriander. Accompanied with some perfect pilau rice & a garlic naan bread. If Death wants to take me, he’d better be ready for some spice.

LAST BOOK
The last book is a really difficult one: do I opt for one final re-read of one of my favourites, or do I seize this last chance to explore something I’ve not gotten around to so far ? I think I’m going to choose the latter. Many good friends, people of excellent taste & opinion have told me I must read Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. Knowing the synopsis, it does indeed sound exactly like the type of thing I’d love – I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. So, one last chance, gladly accepted.

LAST MOVIE
My last movie is a much easier one. I think I’ve seen Blade Runner 138 times (I’m kind of losing an accurate count now, obviously) so why not 139 times ? I absolutely adore every single thing about this film, the concepts & philosophical conceits & questions at the heart of it still make me think & are becoming increasingly relevant with every passing year. The score. I mean, Vangelis – what a soundtrack. It’s just beautiful. And then talking of beauty – just look at it: there’s still nothing that can hold a candle to the look of this film…it’s stunningly gorgeous, especially in the 25th anniversary Final Cut – digitally remastered & all the VFX tidied-up beautifully. And If I’m going out, well, is there a better role-model at your end than Roy Batty ? I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe…

LAST SONG
The last song I’m going to hear ? Wow. This is kind of impossible… I think the only way to tackle this is a quick, gut-response kind of thing, not overthink it.

I guess there’s a kind of sweet-melancholy to your last moments,  so I’ll go for my favourite song by one of my all-time favourite bands – Do Nothing by The Specials

Perfect to go out to & something I’ve been listening to since being a child, basically, something that reminds me of home.

FIRST PERSON YOU WOULD LIKE TO MEET ON THE OTHER SIDE
My dad. I sadly never got to say bye to him properly, he went downhill so fast, almost unexpectedly & so by the time I saw him again he’d already just slipped away, I must have missed him by an hour or so. So I can tell him ‘thank you’  & how much I’ve missed him from beyond the veil. I can picture him now, his arms wide open & that sparkle in his eye.”Wotcha, cock”‘ he’d say. 

Heartfelt responses. My thanks to Mark for sharing his Last Writes with us. I never take these connections for granted and appreciate when our guests bleed for us.

Until next time, I will be here, in the shadows…