#BUT SAME TEAM?? A MASTERPIECE 100/10

[tombofmemories]

A Day To Remember - Big Ole Album Vol. 1

[mylovesstuffs]

100 Reasons Why I Love SEVENTEEN !

A/N: Okay, let’s be real—this was both the easiest and hardest thing I’ve ever written. SEVENTEEN gives me too many reasons to love them, so narrowing it down to just 100 felt like I was betraying 1,000 others. But at least, I tried. This list is a mix of my emotional breakdowns, daily fangirl struggles, and moments where I stare at my bias list wondering how it got so wrecked (answer: SEVENTEEN). If you’ve ever felt personally attacked by their talent, visuals, or Hoshi’s tiger agenda, welcome to the club. And yes, I know I was dramatic at times, but listen, if SEVENTEEN can drop masterpieces out of nowhere, I’m allowed to be extra !

I didn’t keep it monotone or too serious as neither SEVENTEEN nor I are ever that serious so why should this list be? That being said, I genuinely love them with all my heart. If you think I’m trolling, I promise you, I’m absolutely not. Keep reading, and you’ll see that every reason listed here comes from a place of genuine love and appreciation.

1. The way they roast each other more than a barbecue on a summer’s day.

2. Hoshi’s tiger obsession – honestly, who wouldn't let him?

3. Seungkwan’s diva energy, which could power a small city.

4. Dino pretending he’s not the maknae when he absolutely is.

5. Woozi’s height jokes—yes, I'm (we're) going there.

6. Joshua being the gentleman but slipping on camera lol.

7. Dokyeom's laugh. That contagious sound deserves its own Grammy. Please nominate him.

8. How Jeonghan tricks them like it’s his life’s mission (or purpose).

9. The constant chaos of 13 people trying to talk at the same time.

10. Minghao’s perfectly timed “Please stop.”

11. When they do ‘rock-paper-scissors,’ it’s more intense than any K-drama and let's this game decide fates TT.

12. Joshua’s “I’m from L.A.”—okay, flex.

13. The Going Seventeen episodes that feel like survival shows (it fr is).

14. Dokyeom's ‘twoteen’.

15. Jun randomly living his philosophical life mid-interview.

16. Every time they forget Dino’s an adult now.

17. The fear in their eyes when Woozi holds a guitar. (Mingyu...)

18. Vernon being… Vernon. Is he confused, or are we?

19. Seungkwan screaming at literally everything—relatable king.

20. Mingyu thinking he’s subtle about being clumsy. He isn’t.

21. How they’re truly a family—you can feel the bond.

22. When they cried after winning their first Daesang.

23. How they protect each other without saying a word.

24. Seungcheol always being the dad figure they need.

25. The way they celebrate each other’s little wins.

26. Their constant gratitude toward Carats.

27. How Woozi composes music like a wizard.

28. How every member brings something unique and different to the group.

29. That time they promised to stay together forever (cue tears).

30. How they work so hard but still stay humble.

31. Daring to ruin my bias list every single comeback.

32. They choreograph like they’ve got 28 legs.

33. Do they have to look that good? Like, chill bro.

34. Why is their discography so perfect? No skips?!

35. How they make even random words sound deep (adore uuuu).

36. “13 members but one team” – poetic and unfairly cute.

37. How they can make me laugh and cry in the same hour.

38. Their concert VCRs—pure emotional damage.

39. How Mingyu casually models while being a cinnamon roll.

40. Every time Hoshi says, “I'm a tiger.”

41. Woozi’s producing. Absolute genius.

42. SEVENTEEN's choreography – they invented synchronization.

43. Kyeom’s voice. Heaven called; they’re jealous.

44. Seungkwan’s ad-libs that hit harder than my alarm clock.

45. Jun being an underrated vocal king.

46. Vernon’s raps – smooth like butter.

47. Minghao’s art – talented and soulful?

48. Dino proving maknaes aren’t babies anymore.

49. S.Coups’ leadership—he carries 12 chaotic kids on his back.

50. Jeonghan’s ability to make any concept work.

51. How they’ve sacrificed so much for their dreams.

52. The sleepless nights we know they’ve had.

53. When they talk about missing their families.

54. Seeing them tired but still giving their all.

55. Their honesty about their struggles.

56. Watching them grow from rookies to legends.

57. Knowing how much pressure they’ve faced as a 13-member group.

58. When they write letters to Carats and it feels so personal.

59. Their vulnerability in their music—‘Don’t Wanna Cry’ anyone?

60. Knowing they truly care about each other like brothers.

61. Hoshi’s hand gesture that looks like a paw.

62. How they never explain Vernon’s randomness.

63. Joshua being everyone's favorite Hyung-oppa-angel-gentleman.

64. Dino’s Michael Jackson dances—we see you, King.

65. Mingyu cooking like he’s on MasterChef.

66. Jeonghan cutting his hair and the world losing its mind.

67. When Woozi’s serious face becomes extra serious.

68. Their obsession with food—it’s basically another member.

69. Every time they express gratitude towards Carats, it feels like they truly mean it.

70. Seungcheol constantly babying his members, and we love it.

71. The way they manipulate my emotions like puppeteers.

72. They’ve made me spend money I don’t have.

73. I didn’t ask for this level of emotional attachment, yet here I am.

74. Their photobooks take up more space than my furniture.

75. Why do I know their blood types? This feels illegal.

76. They live rent-free in my head, and I’m charging them soon.

77. The way they casually drop bops while I’m still recovering from the last one.

78. Their lightsticks—why are they this pretty?

79. I tell myself I’ll bias one member, but they drag me into OT13.

80. They’re the reason I learned how to stream like a professional.

81. They make me feel like I’m part of something special.

82. Their love for Carats—it’s so genuine.

83. Every moment feels like they’re leaving a legacy.

84. They’re more than idols—they’re inspirations to me.

85. Their messages about youth and teamwork hit deep.

86. How they remind me that hard work pays off.

87. Knowing they’ve changed lives, including mine.

88. The way their laughter feels like sunshine.

89. They’ve taught me to appreciate every little moment.

90. They’ve turned 13 into my favorite number.

91. SEVENTEEN just being SEVENTEEN.

92. They don’t take themselves too seriously.

93. They’re down-to-earth despite their success.

94. The way they constantly grow but stay true to themselves.

95. Their genuine friendship—you can’t fake that.

96. They make being a Carat feel like being part of a huge family.

97. Their artistry—it’s unmatched.

98. Their passion, which is so contagious.

99. The fact that no other group could ever be them.

100. Because, honestly, they’ve made my life brighter in so many ways.

ⓘ There you go, a completely balanced (read: unhinged) list. What’s your favorite reason? Or did I just write all the reasons you already had?

[hectorlykos]

Masterpiece, re-experienced. — A Persona 3 Reload Review

Persona 3 Reload - 9.5/10 Hours Played - 127 hours (one run) Completion - 100% Platinum trophy Out of all the remasters/ports that Persona has received, this is the first time they made an actual remake and it was absolutely amazing. This really shows how much the Persona team has improved over the years in terms of understanding graphics, art style, game design and combat. Almost every single aspect of this remake is better than the original, adding lots of quality of life mechanics that made it significantly more fun while also being faithful to the source material. This remake is a testament of how Persona grew as a series over the years from a niche JRPG to being out in the spotlight as a bonafide AAA game. The original game already had a phenomenal story that will forever resonate with its audience, but P3R took that and further improved it to still tug the hearts of people who played the game multiple times now. Making all the social links fully voiced definitely made all of them more memorable and entertaining even those that were pretty bad like Kenji's. P3 has some of the best but also some of the worst social links in the series, which is one of its biggest critiques. I also appreciate the new addition of night time bonding with party members as it made the dorm feel more lively compared to the original. It also made the cast feel a lot more closer as friends, because it only felt like the original cast were only people working at the same goal instead of being genuine friends. It's not on the level as the friend group in P4, but this is def more than P5 which I appreciate. The new linked episodes of the male cast who disappointingly still do not have a social link were good enough to excuse its absence.

While most of the soundtrack stays the same, the new songs and covers were great. The new battle theme (It's Going Down Now) is probably my second favorite in the series. Color Your Night is an absolute bop and the new dorm music was great. In terms of graphics and art style, the original and remake are like night and day. There are more attention to detail and more expression in the environment throughout Tartarus and the city which made it feel more alive and vibrant. Some people tend to point out that the new vibrant look of P3R does not match the themes of the original's dark and gloomy, but I honestly think this new change is better. For a game that discusses the nature of life and death, making the game begin with a more colorful and cheerful city that is contrasted by the depressing and scary tones of Tartarus masterfully shows the contrast between both concepts. Additionally, as the story goes on, the city also becomes more dark and depressing similar to Tartarus which helps signifies the turmoil that is going to come to the world. It makes it feel not like a transition, but a convergence of light into dark. With this, not only does the change feel more intense, but it also matches up with the current situation of the game which is just amazing environmental storytelling.

Aside from that, the new QOL changes in the simulation gameplay and combat gameplay made the game more enjoyable. It is now way easier to upgrade social stats and social links with the new arcana cards you receive in Tartarus, night bonding and using the dorm computer. It actually made it more possible to complete all the social links in the game in one playthrough, which I did without any guides. In the combat side, the new changes were just amazing. Adding huge mechanics such as Shift (called Baton Pass in P5) made all the battles feel more smooth, plus the new Theurgy mechanic (which I hope will be also in future Persona games) added a unique special move for each character that helped them have more difference in their ability as a party member. Changing between different members was fun as the remake engages players to have different compositions depending on conditions.

However, the most important and easily the best change in the game is Tartarus. In the original, it was one of the most tedious and most excruciating experiences of all time. While great as a concept that matches the themes and storytelling, it's "fun" aspect was just not there. It was just an near endless grind climbing through up the floors that are almost identical to each other without any variety or additional mechanics and structures that could have made the struggle bearable. Thankfully, all of this was improved by the remake by not only making the floors better to look at, but also adding more variety into it with the Great Clock and Monad Doors which helps with both leveling up and gaining more resources that would make your team better. Not only that, the new dash and ambush mechanic made the pace of Tartarus way faster as it helps with faster advantages instead of just stalling and waiting for enemies to turn their backs. Back then, I used to just hate Tartarus and say to myself "GET ME OUTTA HERE" while now I just say "YOU CAN'T GET ME OUT OF HERE". It's a miracle what the folks at ATLUS has done, props to the team.

I can't express enough how much I love this game. While P3 is still my least favorite out of the modern Persona games, it doesn't mean that it is not a masterpiece itself. As a game who made me cry the most in any piece of media ever, experiencing the game in a more modern way was special to me. The fact that this game, which I hold dear and close to my heart, is what I think is the least good modern Persona game, just signifies how amazing this series truly is. Please play it. It is peak fiction. It is fire. It is kino. It is raw. It is goated. It is a masterpiece.

[longformeditions]

LE070 Kasper Bjørke The Beast. The Tree. The Man. 17.2.2021

By now Kasper Bjørke has built a long, impressive back catalogue these past fifteen years, while continuing to push forward, exploring new territory—both as a solo artist, in various studio collaborations, and as a remixer and as a DJ. On his acclaimed fourth solo album After Forever (2014) Kasper created a new take on contemporary, melancholic synth pop, merging his productions into a multi coloured soundscape with echoes from Post Disco/Punk, Kraut and New Wave. It was a step away from the disco and house sound, that brought him into making music in the late 1990s. The full remix version of the album, After Forever Revisited (2015) included luminary interpretations—where especially the Michael Mayer remix grew into a proper club anthem.

Kasper then released a club workout of his own, Fountain of Youth (2016), a seven track mini-LP which was accompanied by remixes from Weval, Gerd Janson, Marvin & Guy, Multi Culti, Thomas Von Party and Marc Pinol. In 2017 Abstraxion and Kasper Bjorke teamed up for their second collaboration, the EP Matin / Nuit, and Kasper also co-produced another EP, entitled Black Magic together with French artist Colder, released on New York label Throne of Blood, along with remixes by The Golden Filter, Mutado Pintado (Paranoid London) and Pilooski.

Simultaneously though, Kasper was working on something entirely different, which would turn out to be a milestone in his career. The ambient album, The Fifty Eleven Project (released on Kompakt Records in October 2018) is a two hour long completely beat-less ambient voyage. Credited as the efforts of a quartet, since Kasper recorded and composed the 100% analogue album together with his musician friends Claus Norreen (Synthesisers), Jakob Littauer (Piano) and Davide Rossi (violin, viola and cello). The album was highlighted as number five on ‘The 10 Best Contemporary Albums of 2018’ in The Guardian and on ‘Best of 2018’ lists on i-D Magazine and XL8R, while Musik Week named it “A shimmering, nocturnal masterpiece” and Uncut wrote “sketch lines between the modern chamber music of Ólafur Arnalds and the collapsed-star ambience of early Tangerine Dream”.

Artist notes: I made this piece during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic during lockdown. I spend a lot of time in the countryside of Denmark with my family—right by the ocean, in the summerhouse, and this is where I recorded the music. It is actually the only piece of music I worked on during that time and somehow stands as a personal diary of those months in isolation. I tried to let the composition evolve in a natural flow, from airy soundscapes and field recordings, mixed with classical elements, which then around half way turn into a repetitive, hypnotic structure that draws on techno patterns and influences. The title The Beast. The Tree. The Man. comes from a famous quote by the native Indian chief Seattle (1786–1866), who was speaking about the symbiotic relationship between nature, man and wildlife…something to think about during the climate crisis, “All things share the same breath—the beast, the tree, the man. The air shares its spirit with all the life it supports”.

I use deep listening and in particular ambient music in my daily life as a way to calm down, as a de-stress tool and to contemplate or spark creativity…even while running. I have no doubt that ambient music has a healing effect on the mind and can really help in dealing with anxiety, which I also have done in the past.

[maximuswolf]

Indies suffering from saturation

Indies suffering from saturation I spend way too much time playing video games. While I do play AAA games, most of my enjoyment comes from indies. There is just so many amazing ones and getting a solid 9/10 game for $10 that gives me 50 hours of good content is just great.It just incredible what solo devs and small dev teams can do. A lot of these games have incredible writing and gameplay and sometimes amazing innovation. The only thing these games typically lack is just graphics which for me even with a high end PC does not bother me personally.For example I’m currently playing the Silent Hill 2 remake (which I know isn’t a small indie) and so far it’s amazing but I couldn’t help but think back to Fear & Hunger 2. You compare these games side by side and Fear & Hunger kinda looks like a joke. But this $10 game made by one person gave me the same level of dread and butt clenching tenseness as I’m currently feeling in Silent Hill 2. The atmosphere is just as immersive and the writing and world building just as brilliant imo. (Fear & Hunger did also sell really well).So what’s the problem?I’ve noticed there are just so many indies out now of an incredible level but the sales are insanely low.Like I will play an indie and it will be incredible and after I look at reviews and they will all be extremely positive. I think yeah this game is going to hit it big.I check on the game a year later and it’s sold like 100 copies. Sure it’s a one dev indie but it still took them 4 years of fulltime work everyday to make and it only sold 100 copies.There are 100s of games like this. Like there is an actual over saturation of incredible indies.An incredible indie used to stand out but now it’s commonplace.You then couple that with the fact most people only game at a surface level and if it’s not popular they will never come across it.These same people I will also see complain about gaming being at a low point with nothing to play.These games are not even hard to find. Like Steams advanced search things can easily let you find games with incredible reviews within a niche.I just think it’s just interesting actually having so many incredible games, incredible no longer stands out.Like I remember when super meat boy came out, everyone was all over it and blown away by how amazing it is and that a small dev could make an indie blow up like this.Now something like Wooden Ocean comes out which imo is a masterpiece and no one has even heard of it.Kind of worries me it just won’t be sustainable for smaller devs to pour their heart and soul into these kind of games to see no sales and get outsold by generic game 47. So we will start seeing less games like this.I don’t know what the point of this ramble was. Submitted October 11, 2024 at 10:20AM by Dungeonvibes https://ift.tt/yJi7ADE via /r/gaming

[chorusfm]

Noah Kahan and Olivia Rodrigo Announce RSD 7″

Olivia Rodrigo and Noah Kahan are teaming up for a special Record Store Day release. Details below. Fbruary 22, 2024 – Santa Monica, CA – Multi-Platinum singer-songwriters Olivia Rodrigo and Noah Kahan team up on a special live recording that will be available at participating independent record stores as part of the celebration of Record Store Day. Olivia Rodrigo “Stick Season”/Noah Kahan “Lacy” - FROM THE BBC RADIO 1 LIVE LOUNGE will be released on April 20 via Geffen/Mercury/Republic.   The 7-inch colored vinyl features three-time GRAMMY® Award winner Rodrigo covering Kahan’s breakout hit “Stick Season” on Side A and GRAMMY® Best New Artist nominee Kahan delivering a stunning rendition of “Lacy” from Rodrigo’s chart-topping sophomore album, GUTS, on Side B. “Stick Season,” the lead single from Kahan’s 2022 album of the same name, has been certified 2x Platinum in the U.S. “Lacy” was named as one of the best songs of 2023 by Variety, which noted, “Rodrigo makes poetry out of insecurity like nobody’s business.” More information and participating stores at recordstoreday.com. ABOUT OLIVIA RODRIGO:   Hailed by The New York Times as “a songwriter of rather astonishing purity,” Olivia Rodrigo took up piano at age seven and began crafting her own lyrics at 12. On her record-breaking, culture-defining debut album SOUR, she offered up a wildly resonant account of her very first heartbreak. Featuring her 5x Platinum breakthrough single “drivers license,” SOURmade history as the longest-running debut album on the Billboard 200 top 10 this century, landed at No. 1 on Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Albums of 2021 list, and earned Rodrigo three GRAMMY® awards.   At 20, she released her highly anticipated second album GUTS – a body of work that magnified the raw power of her genre-bending sound while delving deeper into her vast and vivid inner world. Recorded with SOUR producer Daniel Nigro, GUTS was praised as an “instant classic” by Rolling Stone and a “masterpiece” by the Los Angeles Times. Lead single “vampire” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and returned to the top spot in September 2023 – coinciding with the No. 1 debut of GUTS on the Billboard 200 and Olivia on the Artist 100, thereby giving Rodrigo a chart triple. The album’s 11 other tracks all appeared in the top 40 of the Hot 100, making Rodrigo the first artist to chart all songs from two career-opening albums in the Hot 100’s top 40. GUTS topped the album charts in over 13 countries.   In late 2023, Olivia released “Can’t Catch Me Now” from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (Music From & Inspired By) which won the 2023 Hollywood Music In Media Award for SciFi/Fantasy Film and a SCL Award for “Outstanding Original Song For A Dramatic Or Documentary Visual Media Production.”    On Friday night, Rodrigo kicks off the North American leg of her sold-out GUTS tour in Palm Springs, CA at the Acrisure Arena. The tour continues Saturday night in Phoenix, AZ at Footprint Arena before making its way across North America, Europe, and UK, with stops in Miami, Toronto, New York, London, Manchester, Glasgow and more before wrapping in August with four massive shows in Los Angles at the Kia Forum. The Breeders, PinkPantheress, Chappell Roan, and Remi Wolf will join on select dates across the tour. See tour dates HERE. ABOUT NOAH KAHAN: Over the past year, GRAMMY®-nominated Vermont singer & songwriter Noah Kahan has exploded from his New England roots into the global mainstream and has been touted as one of this year’s biggest and best new artists. At the core of his music are vulnerable lyrics and an unfiltered yet relatable honesty, as the critically acclaimed artist pens songs straight from the heart and cracks jokes with his signature, self-deprecating sense of humor.    Across his three albums and an EP, Kahan has garnered global renown for his singular mix of Folk, Americana, and Rock, landing more than five billion streams, a Double Platinum Certification for his hit single “Stick… https://chorus.fm/news/noah-kahan-and-olivia-rodrigo-announce-rsd-7/

[texicancountry]

Frank Ray: Never Too Late to Make a Name in Country Music

Sitting indoors at any venue along Nashville's Lower Broadway Friday morning during the peak of CMA Fest 2023 is a great place to spot country music royalty in the wild. June 8-11 marked country music’s invasion of Music City.

The 100-degree pre-summer temperatures beyond the roof-top bars’ entrance doors make the celebrity watch a bit more of a sport. Country Music superstars such as Carly Pearce and Luke Combs are in a near sprint as they run inside to cooler and fresher surroundings.

Among those making a mad dash indoors is a guy wearing white joggers, a bright orange and black Hawaiian shirt, and a black snapback ball cap. It's Frank Ray, one of the headliners for the CMA Fest concert today, whose big smile indicates that even the scorching heat isn't going to keep him from burning up the Dr. Pepper Amp Stage.

I sat down to talk with Frank Ray Gomez and asked the 33-year-old former police officer about his life-changing decision to trade in his badge, uniform, and the profession that had long been his dream to pursue his passion.

"On my last day as an officer for the Las Cruces Police Department, I picked up my CB radio and sent out an emotional and tear-filled goodbye to my fellow officers, thanking them for all their support and urging them to please stay safe out there,” said Gomez.

He was born in New Mexico and raised between his home state and Texas. Gomez—known as Frank Ray on stage—says he was deeply influenced by the Mexican music of his culture and 90s country, regarded as the genre's golden era.

He said his love for country music began early. He spent his childhood emulating his idols—George Strait, Freddy Fender, Tracy Lawrence, and Rick Treviño—singing and performing whenever he could. He eventually made the practical decision to pursue a career in law enforcement, seemingly leaving his country music dreams behind.

"Ten years into my law enforcement career, I thought my time to shine as a country music artist had passed. I considered focusing solely on songwriting, but fate had other plans after I opened for Keith Urban at a local concert and caught the eye of a local promoter."

Gomez’s career took flight, and he began to make a name for himself on Texas country radio and the Texas dance hall and club circuit.

Despite his newfound musical success, there was one problem: Gomez was still a police officer. However, his wife's unwavering support eventually led him to commit to his music career fully.

“She's why I made my Grand Ole Opry debut in November 2021, and she's why I'm playing CMA Fest tonight. Without Emily, there's no Frank Ray in country music."

Since Gomez signed with BBR Music Group’s Stoney Creek Records in 2021, he said he's begun to see his dreams materialize. He started with successfully releasing the visualizer for his Latin-infused country track "Streetlights," followed by his Top 20 hit in the Fall of 2022, "Country'd Look Good On You." His current single, "Somebody Else's Whiskey," is country music radio's most added single the week ending March 10th and is anticipated to give Gomez his first Top 10 hit on Billboard’s Country Chart.

Gomez told me that he and his team strive for his brand of country music to have a distinct Latin flavor. “I want my music to be authentic to all my traditions and influences.”

These cherished customs embody the essence of Freddy Fender's quintessential mid-1970s masterpieces, such as the poignant "Before the Next Teardrop Falls." Gomez's artistic perception is steeped in the melodious legacy inherited from Vicente Fernández's ranchera classics. Tracy Lawrence's golden hues of '90s country music are also vital to Gomez's music.

As he prepares to take the stage tonight, Gomez said, "It's honestly the honor of my life. I realize that I can really make an impact on the culture and make an impact in this industry. I want to set a good example for my kids and other kids with the same dreams I had growing up."  

[iamburdened]

Chapter 16 made me nervous in a way very few movies have ever done, much less shows.

I think last time I was squirming in my seat that much was when watching Endgame and this is talking much. I have been keeping up with MCU for the last 10 years and I knew that movie would kill at least one of my favorites. But The Mandalorian? I haven’t know this show nearly as long as that but the connection is the same.

I was so worried with Boba when the Imps attacked him. I was sure Cara was going to die when her gun didn’t work. I 100% thought Gideon was going to kill at least one person when he got the blaster. The army of robots got me certain we would loose someone at the very least.

I believed Disney would finish the season with a mind blowing cliffhanger and let us wait a very angst year (or however long it will take) for a continuation. And they didn’t do that. They chose to give us the end we needed even if it was the one we didn’t want. They did right by the characters they created and we learned to love so much.

It’s 🤯🤯🤯 to me what happened here. I keep seeing Star Wars fans who have been disappointed with the franchise for a while say how much this single 45 minute episode took them back to the golden times.

I can’t speak for them, so I will say what this chapter did to me: made me realize how The Mandalorian is one of the best shows happening and that we can trust the team to not fuck this up.

TL;DR: Chapter 16 is a masterpiece, even more if we consider it’s only the freaking 16th chapter of the show, with short 45 minutes. They didn’t have years to get us hanging, they didn’t have a 3 hour long journey to show each character, but they still managed to make us feel for them in a way few other productions ever could.

[akari-hope]

Hey bud. Tell me your favorite thing about twewy or ace attorney. Dealer's choice. :)

FDJHSBKNGFD mal ily-

okay so fun fact actually, both twewy and aa fall into the category of 10/10 games for me. like, i like a lot of games, but very few do i actually think are perfect. both twewy and aa i think are absolute masterpieces. and playing through the aa trilogy again and twewy final remix absolutely solidifies that for me. they’re super different games ofc, but oddly the reasons i like them so much are pretty similar, so i can kinda cheat and answer both at the same time-

the soundtrack and sound design in general. both are absolutely iconic for their soundscapes. you KNOW what twewy sounds like. you KNOW what ace attorney sounds like. i hate when games sound the same as each other, so when the audio stands out that’s a huge positive for me. plus, absolute bops on the osts of both. no one is immune to “twister” or “objection”, we simply are not!

this isn’t so much a “favorite” but i really do have to commend the localization teams for both. both had a LOT of japanese specific humor that i know HAD to be a gigantic pain in the ass to try and get right in localization, and a lot of the changes to make the ideas more accessible to western audiences are great imo. you’ll never get a perfect translation or localization of anything just bc of how language works, but aa 100% keeps the spirit of the original, and twewy is like a damn masterclass in how to make it work.

the characters. i mean obviously both are very character focused kinds of games, so ofc you’d expect the characters to be memorable and enjoyable. but the characters REALLY do stick with me. and what’s more is both have antagonists/rivals that are almost MORE enjoyable than any other character in the games. i won’t go into too much detail bc some of that stuff is major spoilers, but yeah reapers and prosecutors my beloveds <3 but at the same time neither falls into “annoying protagonist” territory, which...idk i feel like it’s super rare to find media where the protagonist and antagonist are equally enjoyable, so i really appreciate both of them for that.

also both have made me legitimately cry over certain story beats so like i know something is good if it does that to me! aa: justice for all really fuckin punched me in the face when i played it for the first time, and the entirety of week 3 in twewy is just me losing my mind, so like very good times all around.

[kateknowsdramas]

hi! what are your fave dramas of all time? (:

Oh, Nonnie. You had to ask me the most difficult question, didn’t you?  I have such a difficult time making decisions. I have 19 (soon to be 20) 10/10 dramas on MyDramaList so I guess I’ll list some of the ones that should be 20/10. 

Hospital Playlist

This is the medical drama that’s not a medical drama. It’s all about the friendship of our leads. Their humor, loyalty, struggles and how they come together as a team to support each other through it all. Plus, the cutest little U-Ju! I couldn’t be more in love with a show and I’m so happy we get to see them back for Season 2.

My Country: The New Age

Angst. More Angst. Topped with a boatload of Angst. But, man, this show is a masterpiece. Woo Do Hwan, Yang Se Jong and Jang Hyuk are the trifecta of amazing actors (and the rest of the cast is stellar). It will punch you in the gut but from the first episode, it’s a fantastic ride. 

Mystic Pop Up Bar

It’s amazing. Honestly. It’s funny, moving and the writer doesn’t try to pull tricks on the audience. What you think is going to happen, happens but knowing it doesn’t lessen the suspense. This is the first Hwang Jung Eum show I’ve liked because she balances the silly (that doesn’t go over the top) with heartfelt moments. 

Fight My Way

This will always be on my list. Park Seo Joon and Kim Ji Won make magic in this show. Friends to lovers is a favorite trope and they are so perfect together. The secondary couple makes it even better and there was never a moment where I was bored. 

Just Between Lovers

Ugh. My traumatic babies. I just love this show that focuses on two very broken people healing from their past and how they go through that struggle together. Junho and Won Jin Ah are amazing together. Great, now I miss them.

What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim

It’s Park Seo Joon and Park Min Young? Do I have to say more? Aside from their amazing visuals, what I love most about this show is that it subverts to many tropes. Horrible parents? Nope? Halfway point break up? Nope? Second lead drama? Nope. Creepy power dynamic? Nope. It’s just a fun, sweet show about our OTP and how they come together in the end. The office staff are equally as fun and sweet. Plus, one of the hottest love scenes in a drama period.

One Spring Night

A soft, quiet show that really gets to the heart of love, loyalty and that everyone is worthy of someone to love them the right way. Not only is the OTP amazing, but the stories of the sisters and how they support each other is fabulous.

Be Melodramatic

What can I say about this show other than it’s hilarious, heartfelt and healing. Three H’s! The cast is fantastic and there’s so much meta in this show. I haven’t laughed so hard during a show probably ever. I mean, it’s worth watching for the Whisper Fight alone.

Extraordinary You

So..so...meta. It’s a show that people either loved or hated. I loved it. Sure, the story got a little bogged down later in the show, but that didn’t take away how much I loved the creativity of the story and rooted 100% for our OTP. 

Thirty But Seventeen

We all had the same thought starting this drama. How are they going to portray a love story between a mentally 17 year old woman and a thirty year old man without it being creepy and gross? Well, they did. And it’s probably the best ‘healing’ drama ever. Again, this show avoided so many tropes - no noble idiocy or villains. All the characters were so pure.

Encounter

I love me a Noona romance and this one delivered. Again, it subverted some tropes while it embraced others but still managed them well. Park Bo Gum and Song Hye Kyo were so well matched and I rooted for them all the way. 

I think I’ll stop there or you’re going to get a huge post! Thanks for the ask, Nonnie!

[blackkudos]

Biz Markie

Marcel Theo Hall (born April 8, 1964), better known by his stage name Biz Markie, is an American rapper, beatboxer, DJ, actor, comedian, television personality and spokesperson. He is best known for his 1989 single "Just a Friend", which became a Top 40 hit in several countries. In 2008, "Just a Friend" made #100 on VH1's list of the 100 greatest hip hop songs of all time.

Markie has been called the "Clown Prince of Hip Hop."

Early life

Markie's career began on Long Island and he graduated from Patchogue Medford High School in 1982."Biz Markie Shows, Concerts, & Tickets 2020". EventBrite.com. Retrieved March 29, 2020.

Career

1980s

Biz Markie was interviewed in the 1986 cult documentary Big Fun In The Big Town. Markie released his debut album, Goin' Off, in 1988, which attracted a fair amount of attention, largely due to the lead single, "Make the Music With Your Mouth, Biz". The album also featured the underground hit singles "Nobody Beats The Biz", "Vapors", and "Pickin' Boogers".

On October 10, 1989, Biz Markie's second studio album, The Biz Never Sleeps, was released on Cold Chillin'/Warner Bros. Records, produced by Biz, his cousin Cool V and Paul C. The single "Just a Friend", in which he alternates between rap and singing, became Markie's most successful single, reaching #9 on the Billboard charts.

The song interpolates the 1968 song "You Got What I Need" by singer/songwriter Freddie Scott, whose basic chord and melody provided the base for the song's chorus. "Just A Friend" was ranked 81st on VH1's 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders in 2000, and later as number 100 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop in 2008.

The music video, directed by Lionel C. Martin, chronicles the rapper's woman problems.

1990s

Markie's third studio album I Need a Haircut was released on August 27, 1991, on Cold Chillin'/Warner Bros. Records and was produced by Biz Markie and his cousin Cool V. Sales of the album were already low when Markie was served a lawsuit by Gilbert O'Sullivan, who claimed that the album's "Alone Again" featured an unauthorized sample from his hit "Alone Again (Naturally)". O'Sullivan's claim was upheld in a landmark ruling, Grand Upright Music, Ltd. v. Warner Bros. Records Inc., that altered the landscape of hip-hop, finding that all samples must be cleared with the original artist before being used. In accordance with the ruling, Warner Bros., the parent company of Cold Chillin', had to pull I Need a Haircut from circulation, and all companies had to clear samples with the samples' creators before releasing the records. This development reflected the increasing popularity of hip-hop and the financial stakes over which releases were set. Biz responded in 1993 with the mischievously titled All Samples Cleared!, but his career had been hurt by the publicity emanating from the lawsuit, and the record suffered accordingly. Additional bad news came when the video for the track 'Toilet Stool Rap' was labeled Worst Video of the Year on the Fromage show from Canada's MuchMusic.

For the remainder of the decade, Markie occasionally made television appearances, including guest appearances on In Living Color (including as contestant Damian "Foosball" Franklin in the recurring game show sketch "The Dirty Dozens" and as Marlon Cain in "Ed Bacon: Guidance Counselor") and in a 1996 freestyle rap commercial on MTV2. He also made numerous guest appearances with the Beastie Boys on Check Your Head (1992), Ill Communication (1994), Hello Nasty (1998), and their anthology The Sounds of Science (1999). He also rapped on the song "Schizo Jam", on Don Byron's 1998 release, Nu Blaxploitation (Blue Note/Capitol) and worked with Canibus on the first track on the Office Space soundtrack (1999). He also rapped on the track "So Fresh" alongside Slick Rick on Will Smith's 1999 album Willennium.

In 1996, Markie appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation CD, America is Dying Slowly, alongside Wu-Tang Clan, Coolio, and Fat Joe, among others. The CD, meant to raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic among African American men, was heralded as a masterpiece by The Source magazine.

In 1997, a sample of a Markie recording appeared in the Rolling Stones' song "Anybody Seen My Baby?" from their album Bridges to Babylon. His part was shortened on some radio versions. Biz also teamed up with Frankie Cutlass on his third single and music video titled "The Cypher Part 3" with some of Marley Marl's Juice Crew veterans.

In 1999, Markie appeared on Len's song "Beautiful Day" on their album You Can't Stop the Bum Rush, as well as on Alliance Ethnik's album Fat Comeback.

2000s

In 2002, Markie appeared in Men in Black II, with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, essentially playing an alien parody of himself, whose native language sounded exactly like beatboxing. Between 2002 and 2003 he appeared in episode 5 of the TV series Fastlane playing himself as a nightclub DJ. In 2003 he appeared in the international television series titled Kung Faux performing a series of voice over characters featured in a variety of episodes. In 2004, his song Vapors appeared on the soundtrack of Rockstar's popular videogame Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas which featured an old school hip hop radio station, Playback FM. In 2005, Biz detoured from his recording duties to appear on the first season of the television show Celebrity Fit Club which challenged celebrities to lose weight by a combination of diet and exercise. Biz Markie lost more weight than anybody else in the competition. That year, he was also in an episode of The Andy Milonakis Show.

Biz Markie was a cast member on Nick Cannon's Wild 'n Out, seasons 1 and 3. Biz also does the beatboxing segment, Biz's Beat of the Day on the Nick Jr. show Yo Gabba Gabba!.

Biz Markie began 2008 opening for Chris Rock's "No Apologies" tour. Biz Markie's act includes spinning records ranging from old school hip hop to Lynyrd Skynyrd and then performing "Just a Friend". Biz Markie's playlist includes the following: "Children's Story" by Slick Rick, "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang, "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson, "Holiday" by Madonna, "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham!, "It Takes Two" by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, "The Breaks" by Kurtis Blow and "Robot Rock" by Daft Punk.

In December 2009, Biz Markie appeared in a RadioShack commercial, repeating the line: "Oh Snap! Guess what I saw!" from his song "Just A Friend". That same year saw his debut with Andy Milonakis in television commercials for the commercial Internet service Tune Up.

2010s

In 2010, Biz Markie appeared on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, providing commentary throughout the series. Biz Markie himself was not included on the list. On November 9, 2010, Biz appeared on The Aquabats! new EP, Radio Down! in the title track. On November 11, 2010, Biz sat in with The Roots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and performed "Just a Friend" with actor Jeff Goldblum.

In 2017, Markie appeared several times on the MTV2 game show Hip Hop Squares, a spin-off of the popular game show Hollywood Squares. That same year he made an appearance in the track "2012 (You Must Be Upgraded)" by The Flaming Lips, alongside Ke$ha.

In 2013 Markie toured with the Yo Gabba Gabba! live show. That year, his song, "Just a Friend" was featured in Saints Row IV, which included a Pop station 107.77 The Mix FM.

He appeared on the CN show Mad, as the Hip Hop Hobbit.

He voiced rapper Rhymez and his DJ, Tiny Timmy Scratch It, in the Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja episode "Hip Hopocalypse Now".

He guest starred in the SpongeBob SquarePants episode "Kenny the Cat", in the episode's title role. His voice acting work also includes the voice of Snorlock the Beatboxing Slug in an episode of Adventure Time.

In 2014, he appeared in the Syfy network movie Sharknado 2: The Second One. That same year, he threw a ceremonial first pitch for an Oakland Athletics baseball game.

In 2016, his song, "Just a Friend" was featured in the Netflix Series Love as an ending theme for episode 4. He also makes an appearance in a song titled "The Noisy Eater" off the album Wildflower by The Avalanches.

In 2016, he appeared on the Fox TV series Empire as himself, where he performed the song, "Just A Friend."

In 2017, he appeared in the season 3 finale of the ABC series Black-ish. He performed a personal version of the song, "Just a Friend", in which he added the names of the characters.

Discography

Studio albums

1988: Goin' Off

1989: The Biz Never Sleeps

1991: I Need a Haircut

1993: All Samples Cleared!

2003: Weekend Warrior

Compilations

1994: Biz's Baddest Beats

1996: Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks

1998: On the Turntable

2000: On the Turntable 2

2002: Greatest Hits

2006: Make the Music with Your Mouth, Biz

2009: Ultimate Diabolical

2009: "Yo Gabba Gabba"

2010: The Aquabats Radio Down!

[makeste]

Favorite BnHA OST Tracks

anon I never thought this day would come. (థ ｪ థ) 

I fucking adore this OST. and no one has ever asked me about it. which is fine, but I think we all need to just take a moment to acknowledge that the BnHA soundtrack fucking slaps. I’m not just saying that as a fan of the series; I’m saying it as objective fact. it’s up there with Zelda and Game of Thrones and How to Train Your Dragon. this soundtrack deserves all the love. and up till this point I’d resigned myself to loving it quietly, but now you have unlocked pandora’s box so I just hope you’re ready!!

I have... let’s see... six BnHA-related playlists right now lol. out of these, three are composed of tracks from the OST (the other three are my character-inspired playlists. wait, did I say three? actually there’s four of those. so seven in all. good lord). this soundtrack gets a lot of play, you guys. when I like something, I have a tendency to put it on repeat until I’m sick of it. so if I never get sick of it, you can imagine how that ends up going.

I was going to do a top ten of this, but then I went through the playlist and wrote down all my favorites and there were like thirty. I briefly entertained the idea of just saying FUCK IT I’LL JUST POST THEM ALL!!!!, but I had to sit myself down and lecture myself about having some goddamn self control. so I narrowed it down to like... twenty-three. and then finally down to seventeen. soo, it’s a top ten, plus seven honorable mentions. this is the best I can do guys. this is taking everything I’ve got, so please just humor me this once.

I promise this post won’t be super long. I’m not even gonna put it under a cut. I will restrain myself. okay here we go.

 10. Bombing King!!

Katsukiiiiii. I couldn’t not put this here, who the hell do you think I am. it’s perfect for him. it’s rowdy (I love how it just crashes in with those opening drums and guitar without so much as a how-do-you-do), but it’s got a real drive to it, and a fucking legit leitmotif that can be cut into sections and remixed in any number of ways (see: number 4). if you want to make it sad you can make it sad. want to make it even more badass, you can definitely do that. it makes me excited because there’s so many ways to play around with it for his future character development.

9. Cavalry Battle

this track makes me want to go out and cause a ruckus. it’s so full of energy and there’s an optimism to it, but like a clever, resourceful optimism. I love when the melody smooths out at around 1:14. it’s like, the team is coming together and we’re gonna kick some ass. they should play this in promos for the Olympics.

8. Nevertheless, Go Beyond

this makes me want to save the world. this one actually gets bonus points for the title because it’s so emotive, and somehow nails the exact feeling that the music manages to convey. even when you can’t go on, go on. you’re a hero. people are depending on you. get up.

7. All For One

ooooooohhhhhh my gooodddddddd. “The Power of All For One” is arguably the creepier track, but this one is more epic. it sends chills down my spine. he’s so fearsome. only the strongest of the strong can hope to defeat him. good vs evillllllll. god the bass in this is so good. and the vocals. and the frenzied urgency of the strings. and the Inception-stype WHOOOOOOOM at the end ugh.

6. Your Power

I almost went with “I Absolutely Won’t Use the Heat (Left)” because it’s so sad and haunting, but in the end this version won out because, as with the All For One track above, it’s the more epic of the two. I really consider them to be two parts of the same track though. anyways, so Todoroki’s motif is hands down the most haunting on the OST. fact. it’s so goddamn tragic?? and this version of it has that resounding drum beat that to me feels like a kind of grim determination. it’s a great track, and perfect for that theatrical Todoroki family drama lol.

5. My Hero Academia

this traccccccck. is so good. it makes me picture someone standing on the edge of a cliff at dawn looking down on the city below. it’s just got this kind of legendary feel to it somehow. this is an “only the beginning of the adventure” type of track. I also associate this with Iida unveiling his Reciproburst during the Sports Festival arc, because it was used so fucking well during that scene. “everyone, there’s less than a minute left...” I honestly get chills every time I watch that. it’s like quintessential BnHA.

4. Katsuki and Izuku

guys. I don’t want to throw the word “masterpiece” around all willy-nilly, but this. this, right here, is why I like character motifs so much. because you can play with them and wind them apart and together and bam, just like that you’re telling a fucking story. so anyways, in case you didn’t know, this track combines You Say Run/Jet Set Run (a.k.a. Deku’s themes) with Bombing King!! (a.k.a. Katsuki’s theme). bringing the two of them together through the power of music ffff why am I so weak to this shit. when You Say Run kicks in at around 26 seconds I fucking looooose it. then when Katsuki’s theme first joins in at around 52 seconds I lose it all over again. this is a better arrangement of it than Bombing King tbh. which is perfect, because the whole point of their story is that the two of them make each other better! anyways, they just complement each other so perfectly. IT’S LIKE THIS TRACK IS A METAPHOR FOR SOMETHING YOU GUYS. waiting on the anime to fucking use this in season 4, since it went unused in s3 despite them having all the opportunities in the world smdh. they might actually use it in the upcoming movie, come to think.

3. You Say Run

obviously. what else is there even to say. this is a fucking tour de force. chills every time. I know y’all came here for 2:05, but honestly the whole track is a rush from start to finish. I’m literally not exaggerating when I say that this music taught me the meaning of plus ultra. like on a spiritual level. music is cool. please don’t be mad at me that I only put it at third. if anything, that ought to tell you just how much I love the #1 and #2 tracks.

2. Hero A

I can play this on repeat for hours. not an exaggeration. this has the highest play count of any of my BnHA tracks. I’m not a naturally energetic person. I want to be, but I’m not. but this track is like a fucking life-hack to get you pumped the fuck up. and it’s so catchy, and it makes you feel so good, like you can really do anything. it might not be easy, but you can do it! I actually like the “you can be a hero/you say run” motifs in this track even better than the original tracks tbh. especially when it goes a bit quieter and then builds up again starting from 1:45, and then the percussion kicks in again, and it’s like something out of a Rocky movie. this track makes me fucking believe. it makes me want to try.

 and before we go to number one, here are some runner-ups. (by “some” I mean a fuckton more of them but my descriptions are shorter. compromise)

 You Can Be a Hero - the track that proved it’s possible to simultaneously make someone feel more inspired than they’ve ever been in their entire life while also causing them to ugly cry

Heroic Fighting Battle Song - why is the season 2 OST so fucking good

Go Seize It! - why is the season 2 OST so fucking good

The Threat of Offense and Defense - this theme makes me want to solve difficult puzzles very dramatically

Battle of Deku - this is just here because of Deku VS Kacchan part 2. I 100% associate it with that fight. it’s a great track, but it wouldn’t quite stand out among all the other tracks if it wasn’t for that. but that fight does exist, so now this track makes me think of rivals throwing down and it’s great

Yoarashi Inasa - specifically the part that starts in at 1:14. it’s like the Naruto and FLCL soundtracks had a really funky baby

People Always Reaching for the Top “the winner of the U.A. sports festival is...” the only reason this track isn’t higher is because I don’t feel like it stands quite as well on its own as some of the other tracks. but with context?? god. I love how this was used at the end of Bakugou VS Todoroki. it was just the perfect cue for that scene. so good.

 ...bonus runner-ups because I’m a fucking liar and have no self-control at all

 From Me to You - this is the one used when Kacchan joins the scooby squad. it’s quiet and sad and hopeful all at once. the perfect theme for something ending and something else beginning

Rampaging Evil - I associate this with Tomura. it’s badass and usually means that some hardcore shit is happening

Predecessor’s Sworn Friend - this track is some straight up Cowboy Bebop shit. badass grandpa gettin to work

 okay, without any further ado let’s finish up with number one

 1. One for All Vs. All for One

good. versus. evil. this is epic incarnate. how is it so good. I have so many feels about it oh god. it’s so desperate and so determined at the same time. it perfectly conveys this image of one person, almost at their limit, standing alone against something terrible, and somehow reaching deep within themselves to summon the courage to fight. it is beautiful. it is powerful as shit. it may just be the most heroic thing I’ve ever heard.

 so that’s my top ten twenty! rest assured, this is still leaving a lot out. like the rest of the entire goddamn soundtrack. god this series fucking spoils us.

[yourfanvivitran]

It should come as no surprise that John Carpenter and Dan O’Bannon were students in the same film class, that they created Dark Star together, and that they both had a great affinity for 1951’s The Thing From Another World. If you put Ridley Scott’s Alien, which O’Bannon wrote, next to Carpenter’s The Thing, the parallels cannot be contended. A group of people, bound together almost exclusively by their careers, are isolated and trapped in their own environment with a murderous monster. One by one, they are picked off by this alien beast and are forced to pull out all the stops just to survive. The tension in both movies is suffocating. The suspense stays well after the credits roll.

So, why did Alien excel and why did The Thing fail?

Alien was heralded as a science fiction-horror masterpiece, raking in over $200 million at the box office. The Thing, although now recognized as one of Carpenter’s best films to rival even the likes of Halloween, barely exceeded its $15 million budget by $4 million. What’s more is that critics panned The Thing almost unanimously after its 1982 release. And to what point?

When you compare the 2 movies, it objectively doesn’t make much sense. When you sit down and watch The Thing, without even thinking of its much more popular predecessor, it still doesn’t quite add up. There is not much I can say about The Thing that hasn’t already been said before. It’s well-known, now - the writing, the acting, the practical effects, the cinematography? Masterfully done. No arguments. So what went wrong?

The most popularly accepted explanation was that it just wasn’t the right year for it. In 1982, The Thing had to contend with the Summer of Spielberg, being critiqued alongside horror giant Poltergeist and science fiction treasure E.T. How could a stark and grim story of distrust and gore stand alongside such beloved classics?

But in tandem with these films and also calling back to the success of Alien, Carpenter cites reception from various focus groups: they hated the ending.

It should be assumed at this point that if you have not yet seen The Thing, you are sorely missing out. All the same, however, be wary of spoilers.

The end of The Thing is bitter, to put it lightly. Childs (Keith David) trudges through Antarctic snow, lit by the burning wreckage of Outpost 31, towards R.J. MacReady (Kurt Russel) who sits alone, already half buried. They observe their inevitable deaths, and drink to the supposed demise of their shapeshifting predator.

A lot is left out to die in the snow.

According to Carpenter, this ending was seen by test audiences as too dismal. And rightfully so, when you take into consideration the other popular releases of 1982. Carol Anne is ultimately saved, along with the rest of her family, at the end of Poltergeist. Elliot embraces E.T. before he finally returns home. And going further back, even Ripley is able to escape the xenomorph by the skin of her teeth and secure herself the title as one of the greatest “Final Girls” ever put to the silver screen.

And what of MacReady and Childs?

Well, that’s up to your imagination, Carpenter told a test audience member who asked who the final host was at the end of the movie.

“Oh, god. I hate that,” they responded.

As a writer, this loose ends style of concluding a story is almost expected from a lot of modern works. It’s written this way in order to haunt the reader, to linger and adhere itself to the real world in the most sardonic of ways. Think Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” or Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.” This almost anticlimactic close of the curtain arrived in the literary world long before it found its place in film, but it’s a big point of contention in mainstream criticism.

Dark or incomplete conclusions have been met with the most scathing of responses. Beware the black cutaway of Sopranos fame. Or the near-universal outcry against the third Mass Effect game that grew so much, the developers created a morsel of DLC content that maybe kind of confirmed a more optimistic fate for our dear Shepard.

But even for the horror genre, The Thing seemed unprecedented. The only fate darker to fall upon a mainstream protagonist was Ben’s untimely death in Night of the Living Dead. The tragedy of both movies is palpable - all this trouble to survive against inhuman killers, all this trouble to outlive something gruesome and maybe even make the world a better place, and what was left to show for it?

In short, Carpenter’s science fiction terror was too much of a bummer.

I personally did not take much of a liking to horror until much later in life. My parents didn’t filter the media I consumed as much as they probably should have, and I was scarred early on by movies as cheesy and entertaining as The Lost Boys and Blade. It wasn’t until late adolescence and into college that I set out to catch up.

My roommate at the time of this resolution had been a fan of horror her whole life, her favorites being Halloween, Candyman, and The Thing. Having already known a good deal about the former two, I decided to strap in for The Thing for the first time ever.

These days, I always have several soap boxes on retainer, just waiting for the next unwitting recipient of my usually-beer-induced rants. Brian Jones was killed, Jaws single handedly endangered sharks, banning books is a stupid practice, representation in media is important, etc. Predictably, one of these soap boxes is the general lack of appreciation of The Thing, both at the time of its release and today (it does not even make the top 100 on Rotten Tomatoes’s highest rated horror movies).

And yet, at the same time, if The Thing had achieved the credit it deserved upon release, I may not like it as much as I do today.

I make a point to not read too much about movies I am feverishly anticipating, and revel in the feeling of going into a well-known movie knowing as little as possible. Most of the time, it makes for the best viewing experience, but I’m sure I don’t even have to point this out.

This was my experience seeing The Thing for the first time. I was on winter break, staying at my parents’ house for the holidays. Everyone else had gone to bed, and I stayed up late in the living room, curled up under layers of blankets, content in perfect darkness save for the television.

I had no idea what to expect, as I had not been spoiled by any TV show making any blatant references and had not done any prior reading into the film itself. And I was absolutely delighted from beginning to end.

What stays with me the most is the special effects. It’s true what they say - that practical effects hold up better than CGI alone. And the production team didn’t cut any corners in this department. Stan Winston and his team, who were later responsible for the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, helped construct one of the best animatronics in the movie. Rob Bottin, who brought this constantly-morphing creature to life from conception to every last slimy detail, went on to be hailed as a genius in his special effects career. And there is definitely something to be said for the work of cinematographer Dean Cundey whose masterful control of lighting and framing is best seen in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

The extent of my knowledge of the titular creature was that it was an alien. That it was an alien who could consume multiple life forms and take on their shapes was both exciting and terrifying. There’s creative genius in this premise that thrills the science fiction lover in me, and also fascinates the bookworm in me. I had been a fan of Agatha Christie novels as a teenager, and to see a new and outrageous take on the And Then There Were None structure was incredibly novel to me.

The appeal wasn’t just that there was something out there, lying in wait to torturously pick off it’s victims one-by-one. It was that it could have been anyone.

At its core, horror as we know it has deep roots in whodunnit style murder mystery. With the rise of the giallo and the sensation of the slasher, horror movies of this nature are far from uncommon and can be seen as late as 1996 with the Scream franchise. Carpenter himself spurned a new kind of fear with his breakout success with Halloween by refusing to give a bodily face to its main antagonist. Here, with The Thing, he takes the eponymous killer character to the next level by giving it the genetically inherent function of deceiving its prey. Not knowing the true face of your murderer has proven to be inherently bone-chilling.

Even now, hundreds of horror movies under my belt later and still constantly learning, I keep coming back to The Thing. I really cannot think of another movie in my wide array of favorites that I love more than The Thing, and I truly believe it has everything to do with me not knowing anything about it upon my first viewing. Every other movie I can name on my (similar to the subject) constantly changing top 10 list of most beloved horror flicks was, at some point, spoiled for me in some capacity.

Think of how often the twins in The Shining are referenced in cartoons, of all the head spinning jokes made in reference to The Exorcist. Anthony Hopkins’s portrayal of Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs has become so infamous, that I knew his dialogue (and Buffalo Bill’s) long before I ever saw the movie in full.

I don’t blame these references for ruining these movies. As a super fan, I understand that compulsion to pay tribute. It’s no one’s fault and to their credit that these films take lives of their own. But the repercussions don’t age well in terms of initial viewing experiences.

All that being said, I truly cherish how much I was not exposed to this movie. The unpredictability of the creature and the quiet, looming despair that comes with it create a horror unlike any other.

Although it was a box office flop, The Thing is now a welcome and praised name in both science fiction and horror. Even Quentin Tarantino made it known that The Hateful Eight was primarily inspired on several fronts by Carpenter’s underrated work. However, it has not pervaded pop culture like so many other horror classics have left their indelible mark on film vernacular. And to that end, I hope it remains in that slight shadow of anonymity for all future enthusiasts.

[jmsa1287]

With Her Quarantine-Themed Opus 'How I'm Feeling Now,' Charli XCX & Her Clique Level Up

Charli XCX has been at the forefront of pop music over the last decade and with "How I'm Feeling Now," a quickly-made album created entirely in quarantine with a madcap collection of Internet musicians and input from fans, Charli goes to the next level.

Between 2014 and 2017, Charli XCX almost became the next Lady Gaga. She had released bonafide hits like her Billboard Hot 100 top 10 banger "Boom Clap," from the soundtrack for the tragic teen romance "The Fault in Our Stars." She wrote songs for huge pop stars like Selena Gomez, will.i.am, Blondie, the K-pop group Twice. She was also featured on chart-toppers like Icona Pop's "I Love It," and Iggy Azalea's no. 1 hit "Fancy." But instead of choosing a path where she'd work with producers Max Martin and Pharrell, Charli looked further ahead, stayed online and became the most interesting pop star currently working.

Last week, she released "How I'm Feeling Now," what she's calling her fourth studio album. It arrived on streaming platforms after the British musician announced its conception about six weeks ago on April 6 via a Zoom chat with fans, stressing that it would be a D.Y.I. project with them while she's under lockdown and in quarantine at her Los Angeles home. With 11 songs and a 37-minute runtime, the album, a collaborative effort to be sure, is a masterpiece where Charli makes the most vulnerable and powerful album since Beyonce's 2013 self-titled surprise release. It's an urgent piece of emotional art that finally unifies Charli's ethos and talent into an impressive synthesis of sounds, songwriting and style. And it arrives at a vital moment.

"HIFN" follows her eponymous album from last year — a collaborative effort in a different way as it features several popular artists (Lizzo, HAIM, Christine and the Queens, Kim Petras, Troy Sivan, Sky Fierrea, Cupcake, Big Freedia and more) contributing vocals and felt like, at the time, it was meant to elevate Charli's status in the pop world. It's Charli at her most polished — so much so that the edginess of her music was scrubbed too clean and not everything worked. Her frequent collaborator A.G. Cook, the leader of the internet-dwelling musical collective PC Music, had his signature 00s computer nostalgic sounds bump up against other producers' ideas. A few years before "Charli," she shared the four-track EP "Vroom Vroom" — a maximalist effort from Cook and SOPHIE (another prominent member of PC Music who has had a successful solo career while working with huge names like Madonna) that marked a pivotal career turn for her; a flag signaling that Charli had fully invested in PC Music's chaotically beautiful inorganic sound. In 2017, she released back-to-back mixtapes: the stellar "Number 1 Angel" and the critically acclaimed and fan-adored "Pop 2." Over the release of those four projects, her partnership with Cook grew, morphed and worked out its kinks. On "HIFN," Charli and Cook — both credited as executive producers — unite their best talents while welcoming other sounds from producers, like BJ Burton (a Bon Iver collaborator who is also credited an executive producer), Danny L Harle (who got his start with PC Music as well), Dijon, Palmistry and Dylan Brandy, one half of the mind-bending duo that feels like the logical evolution of PC Music, 100 gecs.

At a time when major-label pop stars are delaying the release of their music — like Lady Gaga, who put off her long-awaited sixth album "Chromatica" a month-and-a-half due to the coronavirus pandemic — Charli is seizing the moment. (Similar to Charli, rising pop star Dua Lipa bumped up the release of her disco-inspired sophomore album "Future Nostalgia" a week back in March.) By directly working with fans — asking them to submit phone footage for music videos and gathering their input on songs by sharing demos to social media and hopping on Zoom chats — Charli has turned her new project into something beautiful and hopeful during a time when most of us are craving any sort of interaction, never mind from a legit pop star. The pandemic is forcing everyone inside and closing us off from family and friends. But Charli is rising to the moment — a moment that feels destined for her —reaching out to her fans to make something that's so of our time.

Though "HIFN" is an impressively made album with music that sounds like it simultaneously comes from both the past and the future, it's untimely successful for being a cathartic and freeing album. Charli has full creative autonomy here and isn't constrained by label meddling. "HIFN" is loud, abrasive, sad, confident and sexy. It's a patchwork of sounds that are stitched together by Charli and Co. where she jumps from genre-to-genre (and sometimes from mico-genre-to-micro-genre) in a matter of seconds, similar to the 100 gecs album "1000 gecs" from last year. It'll give you whiplash where songs are so complex and intricate it's hard to believe it was made in about a month, like on the pulsating and glitchy "Claws," co-produced by gecs' Brady, bounces from love-song to a rave banger that gives way into an eruption of static. To call "HIFN" visceral would be an understatement as a number of tracks are and raw; walls of sound pummel you like on the opener "Pink Diamond," where she sings, "Every single night kinda feels the same I'm a pink diamond/ I need space" as a cacophony of synths and sound effects ram into each other.

"HIFN" defies expectations in many ways; not only that it exists and is excellent from start-to-finish, but the songs themselves are like puzzle pieces arranged in such a way that they pull tricks on what you expect from convention songwriting and producing. Production on "HIFN" is constantly shifting with some tracks initially feel like two or three songs slapped together but careful listening is rewarding as it's revealed how stunningly crafted they are, like "c2.0." That song begins with a sludgy beat but sheds itself to reveal a slick pop song, sounding nothing like the first 90 seconds. It also interpolates Charli's self-titled album cut "Click": "I miss them every night / I miss them by my side / Catch my tears when I cry / My clique on me for life," she sings about the lost days and nights with friends.

Songs you think are about to end go on for another two minutes (like the ethereal and wound-up "Detonate," an album highlight) and songs that you expect to climax collapse inward, like the epic "party 4 u" — the album's best song. It's a lovelorn track full of yearning about throwing a party for a crush who never shows up. It's a simple message (when you're into someone but they don't quite reciprocate those feelings) that's been expressed millions of times throughout the history of pop music - but not quite like this. It opens with an otherworldly synth and builds and builds until it reaches its apex. But instead of a release of sound that you expect, "party 4 u" — the longest song on "HIFN" (nearly 5-minutes) — goes silent and starts from the beginning, becoming one of the most powerful moments on the album.

The track also brings "HIFN" full circle in a profound way. It's a song that's been around for a few years and, after leaking online, it quickly became a fan favorite where people would request it at shows. Charli and A.G. Cook said they always considered putting it on an album but Charli said she was "hesitant...because I like the mythology around certain songs." Nevertheless, Charli said that including "party 4 u" on the album might seem "small and silly" but "it's the time to give something back." Indeed, it's a payoff for those who have invested in the world-building and mythology Charli has created for the last five years as "party 4 u" closes with a live recording from a concert in which fans are requesting the track itself, prior to its official release. It's a beautiful sentiment that propels the album and Charli and her team to a new level of artistry.

[dnpsuck]

once you get around to listening to lover what did you think !!! im v curious on your opinions about it heh

thank u for wanting my opinion. i thought i was gonna make it a brief review thingy but i cannot be brief for the life of me. i’m sorry. anyway,

i’mthankful it’s a long album because based on me! i knew i’d like it. not thatme! is a masterpiece or anything but it’s brighter and more fun than herprevious era which i Did Not like. i know reputation is, taylor swift history-wise, important. it’san album she did no press for and allowed the songs speak for themselves and i really like this idea and the sentiment behind it, i’m just Not A Fan of the execution. edgy taylor swift doesn’twork for me. don’t blame me slaps tho. i’ll probably compare these songs to alot of reputation, sorry.

anyway. loveris a more colorful album and probably my favorite pop album from ms. swift, i’m not good at like. Grading things so i won’t be like ‘this is a 8.5 kind of album’ cause like. i don’t know numbers? what you need to know is that it’s a good album. let’s gowith the tracks:

may i add that this is not coming from a taylor swift fan, however i have several friends who are into taylor swift so it’s hard not to get the slightest 2nd hand interest. 

i forgot that you existed: was excited as soon as it started! theproduction is lighter and less dramatic. i feel like contrary to reputationwhere she was kind of obsessed with the people who hurt her and betrayed her inthe previous years, this song is a nice way of letting go. a nicer, yet stillkind of shady, revenge by being like. Oh. You Mean Nothing To Me Anymore.

fave lyrics: “it isn’t love, it isn’thate, it’s just indifference so.. yeah.”

 cruel summer: the chorus…. amazing! i remember reallydisliking her reputation singles, especially “ready for it” because it was veryunnecessarily dark and, again – in my opinion – dark and edgy doesn’t work fortaylor swift.  BUT, rfi had that chorusthat escaped the intense beats and kind of went back a little to her 1989 eraand it’s the one thing from the song that i actually tolerated. and i feel likeall of cruel summer is song that fits the melody of the rfi chorus better thanrfi itself. does that make sense?

fave lyrics:the entire bridge but especially: “i don’twanna keep secrets just to keep you” and “i love you, ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard?”

lover: 11/10. fucked me the fuck up. it’s a song aboutlove that isn’t a still-too-fresh-and-uncertain love, or some angsty love. it’sjust love. she’s properly in love and is singing about it with somuch care and certainty. it’s a happy song about the one she loves and how could i hate it? bestsong in the entire album. probably my 2nd fave taylor swift song ofall time

favelyrics: “with every guitar string scar onmy hand” so much is being said in this one fucking line. i absolutelyfucking love it. the fact that this song was 100% written by her is a big plus.

the man: honestly was kinda stressed about the kind of discoursethis one could cause, especially cause of the lack of addressing the whitenessof it all but idk. this is her ownexperience so how much can we ask from her? and also in many ways this feels like 5years late but i’m not gonna complain about this. better late than never (andshe has addressed sexism in her songs before so it’s not like she’s just starting at feminism). she’s made severalpoints w this one and it sounds good. 

favelyrics: the part where she’s like “what if i was bragging about the models i’mfucking?” cause like. girl is aware of aspecific group in her fandom and i appreciate the little nod (it being real ornot)

archer: love the lyrics. this was like. the 3rdsong from this album that she released and i was So Relieved to actually SEEsongwriter taylor swift coming through. it’s a great song about self hatred andreflection, etc. but i’ve listened to it enough times to know i’m gonna be skippingthis one when i’m listening to this album. 

favelyrics: “screaming ‘who could ever leaveme darling?’ but who could stay?”

 i think he knows: the chorus and her vocals… *chef’s kiss*. loveit. cute crush song. more mature yet fun style that works for her. 

fave lyrics:all of the chorus.

miss americana: i get it, i see the politics of it all but. i’mgonna skip it. soz 

favelyrics: “my team is losing, battered andbruising i see the high fives between the bad guys”

 paper rings: YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSS. again, pure,happy, bubbly, unashamed love. a love bop that i adore. 

fave lyrics:“i like shiny things but i’d marry youwith paper rings / i hate accidents except when we went from friends to this”

corneliastreet: it’s a nostalgic song that i can’t decide if it’s exactly abreak-up song or not. i like to think the “sacrednew beginning / that became my religion” lyrics are a nod to her bestreputation song aka don’t blame me. i’m so-so on this one but it’s definitely notbad, don’t think i’ll be skipping it for now. 

favelyrics: “that’s the kinda heartbreak timecould never mend / (…) and baby i get mystified by how this city scream yourname”

 death by a thousand cuts: eh? it’s nice and soft and sad-ish but. idk.not right now - since the album is still pretty fresh to me - but i’ll probablystart skipping this one eventually. 

favelyrics: “you said it was a great love,one for the ages / but if the story’s over why am I still writing pages?”

 bondon boy: i am so sorry for every londoner that had tolisten to this one. i could hear it being offensive as soon as she startedsaying those words. it sounds nice and fun but jesus christ taylor. it’s likesomeone from her label said “you gottamake it clear you’re fucking that joe dude or your album won’t sell” andtaylor immediately googled ‘british slang’ and wrote this song. 

fave lyrics:“but something happened i heard himlaughing / i saw the dimples first and then i heard the accent” i’m asimple phannie. i hear the word dimples i think of dan

soon you’ll get better: bro. was not ready. you can hear thepain and fear in her voice. the chorus kind of reminds me of “never grow up”(aka my fave taylor swift song), etc. the sad, almost hopeless addition of “cause you have to” is so heartbreaking. it’sa personal and gorgeous yet sad song, and she goes back to her country roots for this one,so that’s nice. absolutely beautiful. 

fave lyrics:hard to choose but “you like the nicernurses you make the best of a bad deal / i just pretend it isn’t real / i’llpaint the kitchen neon, i’ll brighten up the sky / i know i’ll never get itthere’s not a day that i won’t try” i hate, hate, the notion ofromanticizing a sad and scary situation like this one, and i think i understandthis as less of romanticizing and more of sympathizing with, cause i’ve alsobee in this situation with my family – but because it was just a few days agothat phil revealed his father’s battle with cancer, i couldn’t help but thinkof him too and how much he must have feared for his dad while still trying to keep it together for everyone around him.

false god: love the sax. i know i will fully love thissong at some point. i know it. i’m just not there yet. i like the parts when she has torush her words. i’ll get there with this one. 

favelyrics: “they all warned us about timeslike this / they say the road gets hard and you get lost”

 you need to calm down: fun, boppy, cute. i get what shewas going for and appreciate it. it’s a more carefree pop song and i’m okaywith it. not unskippable though. 

fave lyrics:“and i ain’t tryna mess with your self expressionbut i’ve learned a lesson that stressing and obsessing bout somebody else is nofun”

 afterglow: i don’t know yet. probably one i’ll skip. notbad, i don’t think there’s a song in this album that is necessarily Bad, butthis one is just not really memorable. 

fave lyrics:don’t have one actually. soz

me!: definitely not a masterpiece BUT introduced usto this era which is probably her best pop era. i loved the absolute changefrom the reputation era, bringing back colors, bringing back fun, introducing amore politically active taylor swift, etc. i also like the idea that she knowsthat this is not her best work but she knew that if she was gonna make a catchyradio friendly pop song, she’d make one that’s about self love, etc. 

fave lyrics: i’m a simple girl, “me e e e, o o o oh”

 it’s nice to have a friend: this folk-y vibe? works? is thisfolk? sorry if im being dumb. but it has a lonely vibe, it’s kind of really sadin a way, but it’s lovely at the same time. 

fave lyrics:“something gave you the nerve / to touchmy hand”

 daylight: a song about letting go and forgiving herselffor her past mistakes and learning to focus on the good parts of her life, morespecifically her lover. like new year’s eve was to reputation, this is a nicesong to wrap this album. 

fave lyrics:“you are what you love”

[onestowatch]

Nilo Blues Pays Homage to Cult Anime Film Akira in “Akira Harakiri” [Premiere + Q&A]

Photo: Frank Lin

The city of Toronto never ceases to amaze us. What can arguably be considered the epicenter for a new wave of hip-hop, Toronto has become notorious for generating underground sensation after sensation. Through their cultivation of hypnotic and innovative soundscapes, to their impeccable flows and lyricism, Toronto has solidified an extensive roster of industry frontrunners, and Nilo Blues is proving to be the newest addition to the team.

Despite being a self-proclaimed poster child for Generation Z, the 21-year-old is anything but ordinary. Growing up in the Toronto art scene, Blues encompasses what it means to be a multi-hyphenate creative, utilizing his talents as a singer, rapper, dancer, and producer to tell stories that grapple with his Asian identity within the context of western society. 

His debut single, “No Risk Involved,” is an intrepid statement on Asian cultural identity and showcases how Blues’ struggle to live and create beyond rigid stereotypes has ultimately fueled him to pave his own way, in music and life. His nuanced and complex approach to the modern trap soundscape mirrors that of his own evolution and understanding of his own personal identity. Woven within his uncompromisingly honest storytelling and conviction lies the infectious hooks, melodic arrangements, and unsparing production of a true, multi-hyphenate artist. And despite “No Risk Involved” being the official introduction to his discography, we’re here to tell you that it’s just the tip of the iceberg for Blues.

As we patiently await his debut EP, set to release this summer, Blues gives us a peek at what’s to come with his most recent drop, “Akira Harakiri.” Explosive and audacious, this track has the power to cause havoc to the silencers of a corrupted system. Compiled within roaring trap-laden beats and terse hip-hop rhythms, Blues’ adroit vocals and dynamic fluidity convey a sense of fervor, all while challenging the status quo of Asian representation within American culture. 

“Akira Harakiri” pays homage to the anime that Blues grew up with, most notably the raw tenacity of Akira and the thriving energy of Dragonball Z, which influenced its sonic foundation and cinematic execution. In an effort to gain a more comprehensive understanding of his artistry, we spoke with Blues about his position in the current Toronto-trap soundscape and what motivates him to create breakout tracks like “No Risk Involved” and “Akira Harakiri.”    

Ones To Watch: It seems like dancing used to be a significant part of your life before music. What sparked your transition?

Nilo Blues: Growing up I was surrounded by music, whether it be at home or in the dance studio. I always had this natural appreciation for music grow in me because of all the different sounds I was surrounded by. I remember having 10-hour dance rehearsal days and then coming home to record photo booth videos of me and my best friend spitting melodies and lyrics over beats we found. I started producing at 16 when I discovered the iMaschine app for iPhone. I would spend hours trying to cook up beats until one day I decided to learn Ableton Live. My mentor cracked it on my laptop and started showing me the ropes, instantly I was hooked. My musical journey honestly started out from me just wanting to make music I could dance to. I owe a lot of myself to dance. 100%.

Has being a dancer influenced your creative process at all?

Dance has influenced me creatively in many different aspects of the process. Growing up as a dancer, you immediately instill a high level of discipline and work ethic as a young child. We were training like athletes and expressing like actors. It shaped the way I hear music (especially my own), it developed my approach on execution and staying on my P’s and Q’s, and it allows me to perform and add a visual component to the sonics. I grew up admiring Michael Jackson, James Brown, JT, Usher and now Bruno Mars. They all hold all aspects of their art to such a high standard. I’m trying to set that exact same standard and quality, through my own vernacular.

Growing up in what can be considered as the epicenter of Canadian hip-hop, do you think Toronto, and the artists that have put it on the map, have influenced your sound at all?

I started learning how to make music right when the 2015-2016 Toronto rap boom happened, so definitely. I feel like Toronto artists collectively do such an amazing job at emulating the vibe of Toronto. At a time where Toronto was only synonymous with Drake (the GOAT), The Weeknd, and PND, Toronto artists really stepped up to the plate and let the world hear the type of shit we’re on. It's super inspiring, and I just want to keep pushing the envelope. I’m trying to land where no one has before, and make my mark in everything I set my mind to. I’m hungry and I want to get great shit done. I thank Toronto and the lively music scene in the city for sparking that.

Your first single “No Risk Involved” highlights the misrepresentation of Asian identity in mainstream culture. Why was it so important for you to create your own narrative and debunk westernized versions of Asian culture and identity?

My family was the main inspiration for wanting to evoke that conversation. Western media loves to exploit the great ideas from different cultures without ever giving credit to the cultures that cultivated them to begin with. They perpetuate false narratives and generalize us in order to keep control. I’ve seen what my family has gone through in order to even be here. My mom is Filipino, and my dad is Viet-Chin, so I’ve had my fair share of perspectives at a young age. One thing I can guarantee is that Asians aren’t as one-dimensional as the media portrays us to be. It’s about genuinely telling our stories, and being able to control the narrative in the world we share with the culture.

How was it filming the “No Risk Involved” video? Did you have a vision for how you wanted it to look?

It was amazing. I definitely felt back in my element while performing on-screen. The positive energy and hard work by everyone on set was the difference-maker. I feel like that energy shines through the video. I’m so grateful to have had such an amazing cast and crew, they fucking killed it. As for the concept, NRI was one of the very first concepts I started developing with my team. Had my first meeting with Angelica Milash, the director of the video, and everything clicked. The inspiration was drawn from aesthetics you’d see in legendary Hong Kong movies like Young & Dangerous. We also based the female looks on different characters from movies that included Asian characters with exaggerated Asian female stereotypes.

You once tweeted “I love good music but when an artist can pull off a great visual it tells you a lot about that artist.” Do you think it’s important for artists to be active creative directors in the videos they come out with?

Personally, I love dipping my fingers in every pot when it comes to my creative direction. I believe it takes a strong team in order to create beautiful shit, and, as the artist, I want to lead the team to victory. If one of us wins, we all win. Being active as a leader is what’s important. Sharing ideas, and building with the people around you. That’s how the best ideas shine through. You just gotta be a leader with this shit. Take control of your vision and work together to execute. If you aren’t paying attention to every aspect of your craft, you’re only going to see one perspective. At the end of the day, no one will execute your own ideas better than yourself. We all have that capability.

Your newest single “Akira Harakiri” is inspired by the 1988 cult cyberpunk film Akira. How did this iconic anime influence your lyrical and production process?

I wanted the essence of the track to emulate the same essence of the movie. The production was what sparked the idea. Colin Munroe was working on the beat while we bounced ideas around and I instantly felt the beat belonged in an anime. Akira was an automatic click. This song is supposed to feel like a song The Capsules gang would bump around Neo-Tokyo. I loved the dynamic between Kaneda and Tetsuo in the film, and wanted to combine the charisma and poise of Kaneda with the maniacal energy of Tetsuo. That’s also something I want to tap into on the visual component as well. This song is an homage to a visual masterpiece, as well as an iconic moment in film and culture.

What are some of your favorite anime films?

I grew up watching anime on TV like Dragonball Z, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokémon, Digimon. As I grew older, I wasn’t exposed to as much as before, but I rediscovered my love for it in high school when I binge-watched Death Note twice in succession. Now I’m trying to watch as much as possible. I feel like I have so much to catch up on lol.

What are some of your goals for 2020? Both as an artist and as a human being?

I want to work on killing the urge of having a cigarette or vaping again. I quit at the end of 2019, and started working out four times a day with my trainer. I’m trying to stay consistent in doing my laundry but that shit fucking sucks. I'm trying to meditate more, as I’ve recently picked up on transcendental meditation and want to keep consistent. Other than that I wanna keep dropping cool shit and repping what I know best. I wanna keep pushing myself to my limits and keep evolving. I hope people find strength in my music and I want to evoke new thought and conversation.

What can we expect to hear more of in your future projects?

More genuine energy. You’ll definitely be able to feel exactly how I felt when creating the music, from the growing pains to the gratitude. More singing too. You’ll be able to identify the spectrum of my sound, and how dynamic it is.

Who are your Ones to Watch?

I’ve been on my hip-hop shit as of late, so I’ve been bumping a lot of Kaash Paige, Fivio Foreign, The Kid LAROI and shit. Deb Never is an artist that I've been wanting to work with personally. Out of Toronto, definitely keep your eye out for Stefani Kimber. One of the most talented artists I’ve ever heard and a great human being. She’s definitely one of my top Ones to Watch artists.