I wonder if there is internet in this scenario? Cos in that case I’d definitely take my iPad instead of the book.
“…basic needs are provided for…” 
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Hah, I do completely understand how Internet could be thought of as a basic necessity, but I kind of hope there would be no Internet were I try spend a year in a cabin alone.
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I was only half serious there, tbh.
Sure! I mean I have a cabin and there’s 4g there. You’d have to go pretty far up north not to get any 4g or 3g signal in Finland.
I actually make a conscious effort not to use social media when I’m there, would be quite a bit easier if there was no internet at all.
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If I’m on my own in a cabin for a year with full internet access I’m gonna need to sub out one of my books for a year’s supply of Kleenex.
Sorry mods.
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It’s definitely tough, my list didn’t mention headphones. 5 pieces is tough. I couldn’t do it with 5.
I love lonelyness and to be into the wild. No problem about it.
But one year is long… more than what I like, I’d bring what can take me busy.
Book
Lao Tze, Tao Te Ching
Instruments
My modular system
Digitakt
Fender Precision bass
Strings for bass
No records. I don’t want to hate the music I love after twelve months.
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In a previous existence, before I had a wife and family, I spent a decade or so retreating whenever I was able, mostly amongst Buddhists but on a couple of occasions alone. Although my longest solitary lasted only a week, I was really brought up short by how uncomfortable things could get when confronted by the undiluted experience of being me (where the only distractions were scriptural texts, food and scenery).
As the title of a book points out; “Wherever you go, there you are”.
In fact, the thing that prompted me to post, in part, was the reflection that nowadays I don’t have the impetus to formally retreat and get away, such is the magic of everyday life. However, if I was given the option to do it, I would much prefer to get away and spend the uninterrupted time creating, rather than staring into the void or “working on myself”. Though there’s no guarantee that this would necessarily be more creative than the current opportunity that pops up once the kids have gone to bed.
edit: The first time I ever took a solitary retreat, I had booked about 4 or 5 nights in a remote cottage in North Wales. After the 2nd night, I bailed and drove to the coast, booked myself into a seafront hotel and drank 3 pints of bitter. 
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You know, lately I’ve actually been wondering where to go in the world for a kind’ve ‘music retreat’. I Google it, but I wind up with a lot of swishy washy type stuff, group sessions with people hanging out with acoustic guitars and banjos.
I’ve been to art residencies before, but they are competitive, and often operate within guidelines for who can come, what the conditions are (ie you must do x and y while u stay)…
But more and more I just want to go stay at ‘awesome music resort place’. It’s like a resort with all the usual stuff, health things, pool, great restaurant, beach etc, but it’s theme is it’s for contemporary music or something.
You don’t have to be ‘accepted’, ‘submit a proposal’ or any of that stuff. You just pay and go. Enjoy your beautiful time being creative and rejuvenating yourself, access to studio tools, other artists, social events etc.
I know Banff Centre in Canada is pretty open in this way, I think you pretty much can just pay and go. I would love to see more of this type of thing in the world. Creative retreats, not just ones that focus on yoga or diet or what have you.
But often things fall in two camps - electronic music, or sound art. Sound art being more critical, electronic music more broad.
Ambient music as a term is a bit too Eno, but I do like the idea of an ‘ambient music’ retreat. Where that’s what everyone there is into, making, discussing. The sound around the facility would be interesting to all and no one would get in anyone’s face that way - ie still keep the meditative vibes.
Anyway just thinking out aloud.
If I had all the money in the world I would make a place like that.
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- Octatrack
- Field recorder
- Classical guitar
- The Beatles - Complete Scores
- The Beatles Collection
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Moog Model 10
MPC Live 2
7-course lute
Book: The Lord of the Rings (I read it often and have done for decades)
Book: Sherlock Holmes Omnibus Edition (I never tire of these stories)
I think I’d rather listen to no music than the same couple of albums for a year. I can always make my own with the instruments I’ve chosen.
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I think that we always get what we truly want. If I have too much free time for play music (in my current life it never happens ) I tend to waste it and to be less creative, because I think to have “time enough” and my desire is asleep.
When I have few time to play my will is very strong and I find myself to be more creative.
Probably one year in a cabin my imagination could be “sterilized”.
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- BOOK: hitch hikers guide to the galaxy (original radio play on tape)
- MUSIC: autechre - incanubula
- MUSIC: boards of canada - music has the right to children
- GEAR: hydrasynth
- GEAR: mpc live
id probably smuggle in a couple other records 
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As others have said, I wouldn’t take any music as I wouldn’t want to hear the same thing time and again… plus, it would be interesting to hear how my music evolved over the course of a year with no external musical influences.
On the presumption that you probably couldn’t Neal Stephenson’s Baroque Cycle as a single book I’d probably take Alasdair Gray’s Lanark and War & Peace as they’d give me plenty to keep me occupied with over the year. Though, I might be tempted to take Nam Jun Paik’s We Are In Open Circuits for inspiration as I’ve always had a notion to do an album in tribute to him and it would be great to have all his writings collected - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMUJB5aFvdo
Gear wise:
M8 Tracker
Arturia Microfreak (hard to think of a wider range of synthesis options in such a small package)
Korg Opsix (or a Modwave when it comes out - not experienced either but would be important to have a really flexible keyboard)
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Isn’t this basically what Justin Vernon did? Didn’t work out too terribly for him, I’d say. Right…
Fantom 6
Digitone
Yo La Tengo Fakebook
The Vulgar Boatmen Please Panic
Russell Banks Rule of the Bone
I was in from “ You’re given the opportunity to spend 1 year living in a cabin on a mountainside, alone.”, but in many ways the past year in Montana has been an Outer Limits variation of that. 
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Haven’t really been keeping up with what’s what so I had to look him up. Anyways, for anyone who’s interested I came across an interview that mentions the whole mountain cabin thing.
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I think at this point it would be fair to count a trilogy as a single book for the sake of this little exercise. Lord of the Rings has been mentioned at least twice and both the collected Sherlock Holmes and HP Lovecraft as well. And that’s just off the top of my head. Plus, I wanna cheat that way too.
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- My modded drum kit
- Hydrasynth
- Evolver
- Analog Rytm
- Complete Shakespeare. Yes, I do have a copy as a single book so it’s only kind of cheating. It’s as heavy as my unabridged OED.
That system at the cabin had better be banging. My drums are loud, even for drums.
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I think that’s fair entirely, although I think technically LotR is a single novel released as three books… not sure where I read that.
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