“Number Nine. Number Nine. Number Nine.”
John Lennon
Finally, after the passage of much too much time, ULTRAsomething Magazine EXORCISM 09 is now available for sale on the ULTRAsomething STORE.
It was certainly not my intention to allow 10 months to pass between issues, but the gap was not born from the vapid void of laziness. Rather, it was caused by my choice to:
- Design and release the extensive, career-summarizing So Far So So photography/blog anthology book last December (available through the ULTRAsomething STORE).
- Assemble and master a 2-volume, 25-year retrospective album of ULTRAsomething music (now available on all major music streaming platforms as linked in the “Reminder” section at the bottom of this post).
- Re-code the entire ULTRAsomething website from the ground up and create individual, annual PDF archives for easy, offline reading.
- Re-build the magazine template in Adobe InDesign, to replace my old Affinity Publisher template (thus allowing me total nuanced control over the rich black images contained within).
Now that my past legacy has been tidied up, I’m back to expanding it further with new content. And thus comes EXORCISM 09. Of course, I’m fully aware that my legacy is entirely inconsequential for both humanity and our eventual Ai overlords, but I’m not doing it for them. I’m doing it for the enjoyment of the future race of aliens who will one day come and re-colonize the planet, and who are most certainly responsible for tinkering with my DNA.
In a feable effort to sell this new issue, I’ve sprinkled a few sample photos throughout this article. I say this every time, but I think it’s my favourite one yet — which is a good thing, ’cause it means I haven’t peaked yet.
Below is the Apologia for EXORCISM 09.
Some people claim to have a spirit animal —a bear, an eagle, a lion. Name a critter, and there’s likely someone somewhere who feels a kinship with it. To the best of my knowledge, I have no spirit animal. Instead, I have a spirit home — Tokyo. And like a man who empathizes with a wolverine but can never be one, such is my relationship with Tokyo. An ocean separates it from my actual Vancouver home. Literally. The entire Pacific Ocean.
I’ve been fortunate enough to make the journey numerous times through the years, and I strive to spend at least two weeks there every year. So essential is this, that the first expense I budget beneath ‘food’ and ‘shelter’ is ‘Tokyo’. I shall never buy another car. My devices creak and wheeze through a 7- or 8-year update cycle, rather than the more typical 2 or 3. I possess exactly one look, which blithely ignores fashion cycles and wardrobe conformance. But Tokyo sojourns? They’re non-negotiable.
Still, I consider myself extremely fortunate to call Vancouver Canada home. Legally bound as I am by the borders of North America and without benefit of a time machine, I can’t think of a single place on this continent I’d rather live at this particular time. And so, I am a man of two cities — a fact plainly evident in the pages of Exorcism 09.
Barring catastrophe, disaster, or catastrophic disaster, I will be releasing EXORCISM 10 in the fall, and an album of entirely new ULTRAsomething music in December… gotta keep those culturally savvy new aliens happy.
© 2026 grEGORy simpson
REMINDER : As you’ve likely realized, ULTRAsomething is neither an aggregator site nor is it AI-generated. Serious time and effort go into developing the original content contained within these virtual walls — even the silly stuff.
If you’ve managed to extract a modicum of enjoyment from the plethora of material contained on this site, please consider making a DONATION to its continuing evolution. Actual product, including ULTRAsomething Magazine and the So Far So So anthology book are available for purchase in the ULTRAsomething STORE.
And for those looking to engage with the site’s musical content, please check out the 3-hour, 47-song, 2-volume ULTRAsomething compilation album, which is available on all the major music streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music:
Sounds, Tracks & Soundtracks (vol 1)
Sounds, Tracks & Soundtracks (vol 2)
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