#.:*・°☆ every note and lyric branded right across my soul (music.)

[prxserpines-blog]

                          there's music in the end. version I (classic)

at the ballet ☆ a chorus line;  we’ll go from there ☆ anastasia; in ☆ carrie; green finch and linnet bird ☆ sweeney todd; stupid with love ☆ mean girls; i see stars ☆ mean girls; my junk ☆ spring awakening; don’t do sadness/blue wind ☆ spring awakening; i can do better than that  ☆ the last five years; city of stars ☆ la la land; someone handed me the moon today ☆  anne & gilbert; the light in the piazza ☆ the light in the piazza; belle (reprise) ☆ beauty and the beast; stop your heart ☆ love’s labour’s lost; times are hard for dreamers ☆ amelie; our little world ☆ into the woods; i could have danced all night ☆ my fair lady; when he sees me ☆ waitress; sugar plum fairy ☆ the nutcracker; summer ☆ the four seasons; finale (andante) ☆  swan lake; flight of the bumblebee ☆ rimsky-korsakov; emerauds solo variation☆ jewels;

[thoughts-on-bangtan]

Hi! I hope you’ll answer this question bc it bothers me quite a lot.. https://www.quora.com/What-does-it-mean-now-that-BTS-are-partial-owners-of-Big-Hit-Entertainment do you think it is true what the second person (Christine Herman) said? After reading this, i started to wonder…what if BTS does really have only profit in mind while doing new projects these days? Maybe they don’t really care anymore about creative and meaningful lyrics and sound? With Butter and PTD…all this generic music sung in English. Of course they say “we wanted to make fans feel good”, “butter and ptd represent who we are” and all these things fans want to hear but.. do you really think it’s true? moreover, don’t get me wrong, i don’t find product placement in their reality shows as something terrible, i believe this is a normal thing, however, nowadays the members really film ads and do marketing a lot. so yeah, for some reason i began to question their integrity dhsjjss i hope you will understand from where my concerns come from and won’t find this ask stupid sjdjjdjd

After reading that persons answer I can immediately tell you that I basically don't agree with an overwhelming majority of what she said (even more so since a lot of it just makes her sound like a manti that hates the company and basically would want them to make music for free or something). Generally I don’t agree with most of the opinions this person holds, and also Quora really isn’t a good source for info or good opinions, most of it is written by mantis, haters, and toxic shippers with an agenda so most ARMY will tell you to stay as far away from that website as possible.

Anyway, her focus in that answer was on money, since BTS are shareholders (and how that’s a conflict of interest despite other artists doing the exact thing but no one really cares or ever thinks about it), but what she failed to consider and note was that Big Hit Music, so BTS' label, isn't part of HYBE in the sense that shareholding has no baring on it since BHM is private. So while BTS profit off of HYBE doing well, and have a small percentage of a voice as shareholders, that has nothing to do with BHM in the classical sense, even if BHM's earnings reflect well on HYBE numbers and the shareholder money. 

BHM was made private to ensure their artistry would remain untouched, that was the whole point of that.

Even if they weren't HYBE shareholders, take Namjoon as example. He has more than 170 KOMCA credits, is among the top 3 Korean artists with the most credits and is also the youngest of them all. It is said that his earnings from that alone can sustain his family for 3 generations over. Look at Hobi and Chicken Noodle Soup, that song was a hit and he paid the original creator of that song 2 million dollars upfront and earned a lot back due to how successful it was. Same goes for Hope World which, again, was and is still immensely successful. Look at Yoongi and his work both as prod. SUGA, featuring artist SUGA, and as Agust D, as well as the credits he holds for his work on BTS songs (giving him as well a total of over 100 KOMCA credits, just like Hobi). Bangtan have worked and continue to work extremely hard for their music, put their heart and souls into it, and it shows even if their style changed as they grew older and more mature.

Yes, money is a major motivator, but looking at the above paragraph, do you really peg the members as these corrupt money hungry sellouts with no music related integrity? Who would need to sign major deals and would throw away their passion to just release empty shells of music for the sole reason of money? Am I naive enough to believe that they don't care about money? Of course not, we live in a capitalist society and even if BTS wouldn't care about money anymore at this point, HYBE very much does, and yet still I can't find it in me to agree with any of what was said in that answer that person wrote.

More below the cut:

And that point about how Hyundai cars were sold out because of BTS, isn't that the point why literally any company ever hires celebrities to advertise and endorse their product? And sure, again, I'm certain they earned a lot on these deals, they aren't the first or last or only ones in the history of ever to do so. Besides, look at JK and what he's done for small companies, or Tae who wore a brooch made my a small creator at the airport which catapulted that creator into the eyes of millions of ARMYs enough so that they could move to a proper studio and earn money with their work. Or the modern hanboks JK wore which led to the brand being able to move into actual stores in malls because of their sudden new popularity and demand. Or him wearing a bracelet that helps whales with a percentage of the money from the sales of said bracelet. And for all of that JK and Tae didn't earn any money at all. JK himself said that he's more conscious of the brand he wears now because he wants to help smaller businesses in these trying times, not because they pay him to do so (especially since they would never be able to afford that), but because he's aware of the influence he has and how he can use it to help others. Sound very much like a capitalistic villain, right?

As for the product placement bit, have you been on YouTube recently? Have you noticed that many, if not most, YouTube videos by “bigger” creators (and by that I mean even people who are around the 100k subscriber mark) begin with them thanking whoever sponsored that particular video and give you a scripted minute to two minute long ad before getting into the actual topic of the video? And In The SOOP featuring Chilsung Cider, FILA clothes and the random mention of how good Samsung phones are isn’t much different from it, though really, if you’re not someone interested in fashion much, would you really notice or care that they wore FILA? It’s just...clothes? If it weren’t a BTS related show, would you even notice it much? And it’s not even like they mentioned those brands every five minutes or anything, just a few times, which sure sounded a bit out of place at times, but personally I thought it was easy to look past. That’s just how things work nowadays and it’s odd for people to behave like somehow BTS are the first and only ones to use product placements despite literally every movie and show doing it in subtle and less so manners.

The answer by that person you sent also mentioned the Hyundai song for their car IONIQ and, unsurprisingly, that person wrote it off as just some commercial jingle but I’d actually disagree with that. Not to sound like a Hyundai and Samsung stan, which I am neither of, but I actually think those two knew best how to utilize the artist they have spent millions on signing a deal with. Hyundai didn’t just write them off as pretty faces with a millions strong fan army behind them and that’s it, they remembered that they are musicians so they gave them a song and made a whole music video for it as well. And say what you will, it is a good song. Then, just a few days ago, Samsung stepped up their game and we were given Over The Horizon Prod by SUGA of BTS. For those who aren’t Samsung users, Over The Horizon is their signature ringtone and basically their company sound, and over the years different artists were asked to make their own version of it. And this time they reached out to Yoongi and asked if he’d like to do it as well. It’s kind of a big deal. Sure, Butter is used in one of their commercials much the way Dynamite was last year, but that’s beside the point. Would that person make the same claim about Imagine Dragons whose song Believer is also part of the ads for the new Samsung phones? I have my doubts.

Furthermore, and I don't want this to come across as mean toward you but, I think it is uncalled for to question their artistic integrity based on a total of 3 (three) English songs when last year alone we received 50+ songs, most of which were in Korean, among them the entirety of BE which was, according to the members, the album they were most involved in ever when it comes to both music and everything around it.

You can dislike their English songs, that’s more than fine, they have a very extensive discography you can listen to instead, but questioning their integrity based on them doing something that most, if not every, artist on their level does (as in sign ad deals with brands etc) is a bit much if you ask me. Does that mean indie artists whose songs get picked up for commercials (or for Netflix shows or movies) and thus it catapults them into the mainstream are also just money hungry people with no integrity and ones who don’t care about their music? Or is that, again, just a standard Bangtan is held to (as in that their integrity is questioned based on everything, even the most trivial/normal things) that only applies to them and no one else?

In the recent Weverse Magazine article about how Permission to Dance came to be there is a lot of talk about not only that song but also Butter and Dynamite, among the things being discussed and talked about they mentioned how the original lyrics for Butter were much more materialistic but that the members didn't like that so they asked for that to be changed. Likewise the original lyrics for Permission to Dance, as you'd expect from the penmanship of Ed Sheeran, were much more romantic, almost proposal like, which wasn't what the members wanted either so it was, again, adjusted in a way that would fit what they, as well as the A&R team, wanted. While you may not like these songs, they still had a say in them to a certain degree, could say yes or no and ask for adjustments. Why else would PTD take eight months?

While they might outsource their English songs, their main focus, so their Korean (as well as Japanese) discography is still centered around them, their lyrics, their songs, their sound. Of course you’ll also find outside producers and some lyricists on those as well, because that’s how music works these days, as in collaboratively, that doesn’t change anything at large. Their integrity is still very much there, their hearts are still in it, what other reason would any of them have to say that they want to continue for a long time, for Yoongi to say they want to figure out how to make their career last as long as possible, for JK to say that he wants to sing forever?

Admin 2 also wanted me to add that in their opinion, to a certain degree (though not fully of course), their English songs are like a way to laugh at and expose how shallow the English-centric music industry is. As in, while they made music in Korean with deep and meaningful lyrics, the US industry didn’t care but once they switched to easy to listen to sound with easy to understand English lyrics, they suddenly paid attention, are played on the radio, and even received a Grammy nomination which they wouldn’t have gotten for a Korean song ( A1: regardless how much Black Swan or Spring Day really would’ve deserved it...). 

[eisehaus]

Music is never the same after Obey Me. A Headcanon story...

Every song starts playing through as a scenario in your head. Which character is singing it, what's happening for this to take place? Now for this headcanon journey I would like to share this song...

Ruin My Life -- by Zara Larsson

Everytime I hear this song I can't help but have the following scene play through my mind. So I decided to write out the headcanon.

MC is female for this story--

Now let's set the scene. MC was a bartender and part time singer in a local band where she's from that does shows at dive bars before her time in the Devildom. Upon returning to the human world, she finds her way back into her old job. It was an easy enough position to regain, no one even questioned her disappearance for a year. It was a come and go scene after all.

After some time, MC is also able to reconnect with her old band mates to rejoin the fray and once again find the stage. The band books their first gig after the split from MC's disappearance at the bar she works at.

She's excited to get back on stage, her heart was desperately hurting after her departure from the Devildom. Song was her way of coping with everything that she kept bottled up inside. She'd written a new song that the band adored and was eager to debut.

They had seen how she was during rehearsal, knowing that the number came from her soul, telling a story they could FEEL. MC had the tendency to leave her heart on the stage. It was part of what made her so captivating.

The band is setting up about ready to begin their reunion debut performance for the small yet crowded dive bar.

And we begin---

Bandmate: MC, you sure about this? It's been a while after all. But we are glad you're back!

MC: *nods her head earnestly.* Definitely. My heart needs this.

Bandmate: Damn honey, I'm not sure what happened to you while you were away for you to write our opening song but I have to say, it's powerful. Maybe you can tell us eventually about the guy who broke your heart that no doubt was the inspiration.

MC: *remembering the demon brothers* Yeah maybe someday I'll tell you guys the story. It's quite the tale. *Then she giggles to herself as she grips at her chest*

Other Bandmate: *puts a hand on MC's shoulder* Well what do you say we rock this joint?

*The band steps out on to stage and MC approaches the mic*

MC: *looking out over the crowd* Good evening! How is everyone doing tonight?

Crowd: WHOO HOO!! YEAH!!

MC: Now that's what I like to hear! Some of you might know us, *whistles sound from the crowd which makes MC grin* so we're here to say, we're back bitches!! This first song is brand new, enjoy! *Turns to the band* HIT IT!

*The music begins and MC can feel herself melting into the melody. All the pain, all the ache, all the love, radiated from her core and tingled out to her fingertips. Her cue approaches and she brings the mic to her lips*

MC: I miss you, pushing me clooose to the edge --- I miss you... I wish I knew what I had when I left --- I miss you...

*She could feel her song consuming her and she leaned into that urge, letting it drive her*

MC: You set fire to my wooorld, couldn't handle the heat -- Now I'm sleeeeping alone, and I'm staaarting to freeze -- Baby, come bring me hell, Let it raaain over me -- Baby, come back to me --

*Images of her time in the Devildom started flashing behind her eyelids. Each and every precious moment dancing through her mind as she sang. She moved into such power as the chorus cued in, her voice and heart seeming to swallow the room*

MC: I want you to ruin my life -- You to ruin my life, you to ruin my life, yeah -- I want you to fuck up my nights, yeah -- Fuck up my nights, yeah, all of my nights, yeah -- I want you to bring it all on, If you make it all wrong, then I'll make it all right, yeah --I want you to ruin my life, You to ruin my life, you to ruin my liiiife!!

*The room disappeared around her as she let her emotions bleed out into the microphone. Tears begin to form in her eyes, though not enough yet to leave them as she opens into the second verse*

MC: I miss you, more than I thooought that I could -- I miss you... I know you missin' me too like you shoooould -- I miss you...

*Her chest grows tight, as her hearts pounds with such vigor... it's as if it's trying to leap out of her and burst*

MC: You set fire to my wooorld, couldn't handle the heat -- Now I'm sleeeeping alone, and I'm staaarting to freeze -- Baby, come bring me hell, Let it raaain over me -- Baby, come back to me --baby, come back to meeee

*As the second chorus sounds in, MC removes the mic from the stand and let's the passion take her body. The entire stage is hers now and she bellows out, becoming truely and completely captivating.*

*Then the cue for the bridge approaches in the melody and the tears begin to fall from her eyes, trailing down her cheeks*

MC: I miss you, I miss yooooou -- I wish you, I wish yooooou -- Would come back, would come back to meeeee -- Come back to me, come back to meeeeee

*For just a moment before the last chorus begins, MC glances out across the crowd. She could swear she could see seven familiar forms looming at the back of the room. But between the stage lights, the tears in her eyes and the music enveloping her she couldn't be sure. It, wasn't... possible*

*She brushes it off and let's the music recapture her, commanding the stage and the crowd for the closing chorus. Her bandmate chimes in on another microphone to sing the regular part of the chorus while MC takes to the overlaying power notes in harmony.*

*She finishes the lyrics with her head back bellowing the final note, and drops her hand as the music finishes trailing out. The crowd cheers loudly, whistles and clapping all layering over each other. But she swears there are a handful of voices among the cheers that sound, familiar...*

*MC brings her head back up to throw a huge smile out to the crowd and takes a deep bow. When she raises her head again, her heart stops. She hadn't been seeing things....*

*She replaces the mic on the stand and quickly turns back around to her bandmates. They were beeming at her, clearing proud of everything that had just happened.*

MC: I need you guys to switch up the next number and do one without me.

Bandmate: Wait what? What happened? Are you okay?

MC: *glances behind her to the back corner of the room just to double check before turning back to her band* only the greatest possible thing imaginable!

Bandmate: You mean he's here!?!

MC: *nods with visible excitement* Mmhmm! They all are!

Bandmate, confused: wait, ALL?

*The band members eyes follow to where MC had just looked and each of them nearly drop their instruments*

Bandmate: Holy god damn mother fucking shit MC!!! How in the fucking hell? How are guys that look like that even real?? Shit! And they're here for you? You really mean --

MC: *smiles the biggest smile at her bandmates* I'll be right back, I promise! Just do one song with out me, I have some men to tackle!

*And with that MC bounds off the stage, pushing through a confused crowd to leap into the arms of her favorite beings in existence, the absolute loves of her short, sweet, weird little life*

The demon brothers: Hello MC... We missed you too.

FIN

Do you have a song that plays through an Obey Me filter in your head? Let me know!

[hms-chill]

RWRB Study Guide, Chapter 8

Hi y’all! I’m going through Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue and defining/explaining references! Feel free to follow along, or block the tag #rwrbStudyGuide if you’re not interested!

James I (203): James I/VI (First of England, Sixth of Scotland) is known for both translating the Bible and being just... so, so incredibly gay. The book mentions that he promoted a dumb jock to gentleman of the bedchamber, but it leaves out that 13-year-old James would just make out with dudes in public, and that the dumb jock (George Villers) was James’s third serious adult relationship. His friends introduced him to George because his last boyfriend was bad for the kingdom. 

George Eliot (205): Mary Anne Evans wrote under the pen name George Eliot to escape the stereotype that women could only write romances. She wrote seven novels, of which Middlemarch is the most famous, known for their realism and psychological insight.

Daniel Defoe (205): A pioneer of the English novel, Defoe wrote Robinson Crusoe as well as a series of divisive political pamphlets and tracts.

Jonathan Swift (205): Irish political writer most famous for A Modest Proposal, a satirical piece that suggests cannibalism of infants as a more humane response to the British treatment of Ireland than letting them grow to starve in adulthood.

Dickens... “woman who languishes away in a crumbling mansion wearing her wedding gown” (205): Charles Dickens wrote stories concerned with the lower classes. This quote in particular refers to Miss Havisham from Great Expectations, who was left at the altar and refused to take off her wedding dress or even put away the food set out for the wedding.

Sense and Sensibility (205): This is probably Austen’s second most popular novel (after Pride and Prejudice); it follows the four Dashwood women in their move to a new home following the death of Mr. Dashwood. Like most of Austen’s novels, the opinionated narrator follows the women through a series of romantic mishaps, culminating in a happy ending.

Green American Money (206): Fun fact, British money is blue and orange and purple and all sorts of fun colors! It also all looks different, because (at least in Scotland) four banks are allowed to print pound notes, so there are four different designs all in circulation.

Sean Hannity (206): A conservative American political commentator.

Harvard rowing (206): Rowing is like... the bougiest of sports.

Pleiad (206): In Greek mythology, the pleiades were the daughters of the titan Atlas who became stars following his entrapment under the earth. They are remembered for their beauty and loyalty. Myths of the missing pleiad explain why only six of the seven stars are visible to the naked eye. According to some sources, the missing pleiad is Merope, who was shamed out of the sky for her relationship with a mortal.

Minute Maid Park (206): The baseball stadium associated with the Houston Astros baseball team; it seats just over 41,000.

Politico (207): An American political opinion news source.

Drop-kick Murphys (208): An American Celtic punk band. (listen here and here)

The Klan (209): The Ku Klux Klan, an incredibly racist organization that has been responsible for the lynching of thousands of people of color.

Kim Nam-June (210): Kim Nam-Joon, known as RM or Rap Monster, is the leader and rapper of the K-pop group BTS.

Milwaukee (211): The largest city in and main cultural center of Wisconsin, which is a “swing state”, meaning that it could go either way politically in a national election.

Seth Meyers (211): An American talk show host and comedian whose creatively titled show, Late Night with Seth Meyers, is liberal-leaning. He hosts celebrities and often chats about politics or the news.

Clear Crystal Quartz (211): Apparently the most “iconic” crystal, it is believed to be able to help with clarity and the achievement of goals.

Wimbledon (213): The oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious.

Royal Box (213): The royal box at Wimbledon is a section of the best seats, reserved for royalty and specially invited celebrity/politically powerful guests.

David Beckham (213): A former professional soccer player and current fashion icon known for being hot and wearing nice suits.

McQueen (214): Alexander McQueen was an openly gay British fashion designer who rose from a lower class background to become one of the most famous designers in the world. Though he died in 2010, his brand continues to be known for unconventional fashion shows and theatrical imagery. 

Dashikis (215): A colorful, ornate piece of clothing somewhere between a shirt and a tunic originally from West Africa.

Orangery (218): A very large greenhouse or conservatory designed for growing orange trees.

Woman at her Toilet (218): This painting shows a woman in her bedroom putting on her socks with a little dog next to her; you can see it here.

Baroque bed* (218): Baroque art was designed to show off a monarch’s power; it is incredibly extravagant (Versailles is pretty much the iconic Baroque thing; you can see more about it here).

The Killers (219): An American rock band formed in the early 2000s and known for having donated over $1 million to charity (they did “Mr. Brightside”). (listen here and here). According to McQuinston’s twitter, the song Henry plays is “When You Were Young”, which you can listen to here.

Dred Scott (219): In the 1857 Dred Scott v. Sandford case, the US supreme court ruled that the constitution did not extend to or protect Black folks. 

Nina Simone (219): An American singer/songwriter/political activist whose music spanned a variety of genres and whose activism focused largely on the civil rights movement and was largely influenced by her “friend” Lorraine Hansberry, a Black lesbian playwright. (You know Hozier’s “Nina Cried Power”? She’s Nina) (listen here and here)

Otis Redding (219): Considered one of the greatest singers in American pop music and was one of the foundational soul artists in the US. (listen here and here)

Brahms (219): A German composer known for sticking to more classical forms of music while his contemporaries often leaned toward more dramatic or opulent styles. (listen here and here)

Wagner** (219): A German composer who wrote both the music and the librettos for his operas; his works tend to be very complex, and he has been credited with beginning modern music. (listen here and here)

Romantic (219): Artistically, the Romantic movement was a direct response to industrialization that called for a return to and celebration of nature. Queerness was very much a part of this movement, as it was seen as a return to or celebration of one’s natural state (think Byron).

War of the Romantics (219): A music history term used to describe the split between conservative composers like Brahms who wanted to stick with the Baroque, opulent styles of the past century and radical progressive composers like Liszt, who favored newer styles that blended music with narrative and morals.

Liszt (219): A Hungarian composer known for a diverse body of work and his position as the leader of the radical progressive group in the War of the Romantics. (listen here and here)

Alexander Scriabin (219): Russian composer known for his atonal or dissonant music. (listen to the piece Henry mentions here)

Elton John’s “Your Song” (219): A song written before Elton John came out, but with his queerness in mind. In a 2013 interview, John referred to it as “a perfect song”, and that the lyrics (written by Bernie Taupin) got even better as he got older and sang it more. (listen here)

Consecrated (220): made holy.

DNC (221): The Democratic national conference, when members of the Democratic (liberal) party get together to prepare for a presidential race.

College Republicans of Vanderbilt University (221): Vanderbilt University is a private (and therefore more expensive) school in Nashville, Tennessee. Its location in the South and its price tag would both mark it as being more conservative.

Cage match (221): A type of wrestling match that takes place inside a steel cage; the most common way of winning is by escaping the cage, usually by climbing over the top.

Paul Ryan (222): A conservative retired politician and former Speaker of the House.

The Second Amendment (222): The second amendment grants Americans the right to bear arms (have guns).

Salon (222): An American news and opinion website with a politically liberal editorial stance.

Air Force One (222): the president’s plane

“My Canadian girlfriend” (223): A running joke that someone (often a high schooler) whose partner goes to another school or lives somewhere else is made up.

Five Guys (225): Five Guys Burger and Fries is a popular fast food burger chain across the US.

Vampire Weekend (225): An American indie rock band.

The general (226): the general election in November, when Americans would vote for their president

Plainclothes (226): out of uniform

The Beekman (226): A very fancy hotel in Lower Manhattan, near the Brooklyn Bridge.

NATO (233): the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; an intergovernmental military alliance between 29 North American and European countries.

----

*every time I read this, I flinch just a little bit. Baroque architecture is just... so much, and the concept of a Baroque bed when beds/bedrooms are supposed to be simple to help you rest... It’s just so much and I hate it with all of my being. I’m sorry if you like Baroque furniture, but especially for Henry, who dreams of a simple life where he can just write and be anonymous... It’s a big yikes.

** Literally no one asked, but his stuff is just... it’s so boring? Like I’m sure it’s great to fall asleep to or calm down to, but I tried to listen to it while I wrote this and I just couldn’t. Liszt is better, but he’s no Mozart. Also? Mozart wrote BOPS. ONLY. “The Birdcatcher’s Song” slaps and no one can change my mind on that.

----

If there’s anything I missed or that you’d like more on, please let me know! And if you’d like to/are able, please consider buying me a ko-fi? I know not everyone can, and that’s fine, but these things take a lot of time/work and I’d really appreciate it!

—–-

Chapter 1 // Chapter 7 // Chapter 9

[ohn1m]

The Art of Being Mino

The South Korean hip-hop star wowed critics and fans alike with his solo album ‘XX’; but is he any closer to discovering who the ‘real’ Mino is?

Mino's journey is an ongoing one and 'XX' is a chapter that marks an artistic coming-of-age on this wild ride.

Understanding Song Minho is kind of like catching lightening in a bottle; impossible to do but the idea itself is so dazzling, you need to give it a shot anyway. Tall and blonde with bleached eyebrows and sharp features, Song–better known mononymously as Mino–cuts quite the intimidating figure. He’s intelligent, polite and forthcoming on every answer and there’s an elegance to him that’s instantly appealing. There’s one little thing that proves to be more charming than any of this, however, and it comes in the form of a little note he sends on email after the interview; “Thank you for your interest!” it reads cheerfully, accompanied by a smiley emoji. “I hope we do it again when Winner’s back!” It’s simple but sweet and suddenly there’s yet another dimension to the chic, fierce rapper we’re used to seeing onscreen.

Before sitting down with Rolling Stone India for a conversation in December, the 25-year old musician’s schedule through 2018 included the release and promotion of a full LP with his band Winner, a Japan tour, a more extensive Asia tour, a series of performances across his home country South Korea, starring roles in several variety shows and a feature on YG Entertainment labelmate and his senior Seungri’s viral hit track “Where R U From.” November was busiest for him with the release of his first solo LP XX, a 12-track feast of hip-hop, tradition, emotion and culture. December finally closed with yet another single with Winner and a series of year-end performances in Korea.

While a bit of a break is warranted after the whirlwind of activity, Mino confirms he has no plans to take it easy in 2019. “Winner will release a full album this year,” he reveals cheerfully. “I cannot talk about our plan in advance, but we are preparing a surprise gift with a great musician!” The four-member K-pop band are working on their upcoming third LP and have already begun their tour schedules in full force– they’re currently on a six-city run of the United States with stops in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago and New York.

Over the past year Mino has embraced the avant-garde with ease, stepping away from his swag-heavy hip-hop image and slipping into a more elegant avatar.

As an artist, Mino is full of surprises with an evolution that’s been thrilling to map. He started his career as a rapper in South Korea’s vibrant underground hip-hop scene back in 2010 (when he was just 16) but success took a while to come along. He debuted briefly in 2011 with a group called BoM before its premature disbandment in 2013, and then finally signed with leading music label YG Entertainment as a trainee. In 2014 he got his big break after participating in TV channel Mnet’s reality-survival program Win: Who Is Next and ending up as a member of the winning Team A–which would go on to form Winner and debut that same year. He shot to fame quickly this time around, gaining attention as a solo artist after finishing as runner-up on the fourth season of South Korean hip-hop survival competition Show Me The Money in 2015. With several eyes on him, he wowed with a more bluesy, melancholic persona on Winner’s 2016 EP EXIT: E. That same year he and YG Entertainment labelmate Bobby announced a duo project titled MOBB, which showed off a completely different, swag-heavy, fun-loving attitude, but in that EP he included “Body,” a solo single that blended sex and passion with angst and regret. Winner’s discography as of late has been bright, tropical and electronic-pop and he’s able to adapt to it effortlessly as well. His career trajectory spells ‘chameleon’ and even in times of trial there’s a sense of chill around him, as though deep inside he knows everything’s going to work out.

Over the past year Mino has embraced a life of avant-garde with ease, stepping away from his swag-heavy hip-hop image and slipping into a more elegant avatar. He seems more comfortable and willing to express himself in ways outside of music. He’s always had fondness for art but now seems to revel in it, regularly posting images of artwork he’s created on Instagram, participating in media projects, exhibitions and editorials. Last year, he displayed some of his own artwork at an exhibit titled ‘Burning Planet.’ The pieces were a combination of installation art with media and performance art which explored the idea of burnouts, stress and humanity’s exhausting pace of birth, work, death. It’s morbid, futuristic and almost prophetical in its warnings about the pressure society puts on young people and quickly gained critical acclaim. Mino remains modest in the wake of all the praise, saying, “I do not know if I have had any talent when I was young, but I painted as a hobby since I was a kid. So I have become interested in art naturally. It was a very good opportunity to exhibit ‘Burning Planet’ with [eye wear brand and collaborator] Gentle Monster. It was a good time to learn and experience many things.”

It’s this artistic and emotional evolution which seems to have had the biggest hand in the creation of XX. “I wanted to give a tweak to my existing image, which I guess has been heavy with hip-hop and rap. I wanted to start afresh,” he stated at a press conference in November, according to a report by the Korea Herald. XX is an extension of his performance art–dramatic, creative with an ambiguous title to boot (he’s explained he wanted his listeners to have their own interpretations of it.)  The video for the lead single “Fiancé” features imagery around birds, dreams, fantastical landscapes and more. In addition to being involved in the entire concept, Mino also contributed to the set design–there’s a giant mural of a bluebird featured in the video which he painted himself. Several fans as well as popular YouTube channels like DKDKTV have attempted to decipher the meanings behind it and he’s thrilled to see all the various discussions. “It is one of the things I enjoy the most,” he says when I ask if he ever watches these theories. “Making parts that can be interpreted in various ways… I love watching them in various interpretations.” Could he tell us which theory got closest to deciphering his work? “I will never tell which one is correct or incorrect for more diverse guesses!” he teases.

“Fiancé” has also been appreciated for its unconventional combination of trot, a form of Korean folk music, and trap. To do this, the track samples Korean veteran singer Kim Taehee’s 1969 track “Soyanggang River Maiden” and blends it with bass-heavy, rolling trap and Mino’s drawling rap. “There was no intention to use ‘Soyanggang River Maiden’ from the beginning,” Mino says. “When the song was almost 80 percent complete, [YG Entertainment CEO and music producer] Yang Hyun Suk gave me an idea of putting a part of ‘Soyanggang River Maiden’ as a sample source, and it fit perfectly into the message and vibe of this song.” The haunting sample had younger fans enthralled and searching through YouTube to listen to the original track while applauding Mino for putting a limelight on Korean pop culture and history. Because in addition to the retro sound, the music video for “Fiancé” is a fever-dream blend inspired by the Korean Joseon dynasty and modern-day angst. In the clip the rapper wanders between fantasy and reality, dressed as an emperor as he searches the past, present and future for his one true love.

“I was getting to love myself, and everything [about that experience] is in this album.”

Is it possible that with younger artists like him using older genres like trot or paying homage to their history in music videos, it can help young listeners appreciate tradition a little bit more? Mino reveals that wasn’t really his intention at all. “In fact, I considered this song for older people than younger people,” he says, adding his plan was to erase misconceptions about hip-hop and ‘young’ music in the minds of older generations. “Even if the genre of hip-hop is popularized, it is still hard to catch up with higher age. So it seems like sampling of ‘Soyanggang River Maiden’ was a good plan for this song.” “Fiancé” has indeed added to the buzz around rappers defying expectations and stepping into traditional musical and visual territories. Hip-hop no longer has one definition and inspiration can come from anywhere. For Mino, the ideas for “Fiance” and XX came from several fragments of art. “I have so many things inspiring me, so I do not know which one to say first,” Mino says. “Among them, some works of  (Italian painter) Piero Fornasetti, various plants–especially blue roses– and the Japanese anime Devilman were in my mind. However, it’s my inner self that affected it the most. I stayed alone in the studio every time so I could be deeply involved in my work and I looked back upon myself.”

XX as a whole has been well-received thanks to its use of complex metaphors, puns and double meanings in its lyricism, but for Mino, making this record was about finding his true self. “I got down to work in earnest in the beginning of 2018 for this album,” he says. “It contains various songs ranging from a song written two-three years ago to a song written two weeks before the album came out.” The rapper has written and composed each and every track, taking a dive into his own psyche to unleash several different sides of himself. In a video teaser right before XX‘s release, Mino explained he’d made the album by “grating [his] soul into it” and the result is an LP that is diverse, clever, saucy and undoubtedly one of the best hip-hop albums of 2018. Lyrically, he tackles everything from waiting for a lost love (“Fiancé”) to calling out obsessive fans (“Agree”) and bold eroticism (“Hope”). He gets emotional on “Alarm” and “Her,” exploring heartbreak, his relationship with his fans and self discovery. “I was getting to love myself, and everything [about that experience] is in this album,” Mino tells me. “I got a lot of thoughts and experiences from it and I am so proud of the production process.”

It’s clear from the get-go that wordplay is key; in the vicious introductory track “Trigger,” Mino uses syllables in its Korean title to play on the curse word ‘shibal,’ blazing through verses of self-praise with swagger, while on “Rocket” he drops references to art, Korean mythology and more. It’s the realest taste of what he’s truly capable of and it surprises and delights in equal measure. The impressive roster of collaborators on the record include YG Entertainment’s biggest in-house producers Choice37 and Millennium, comedian and actor Yoo Byung-jae and up-and-coming vocalist Blue.D, among others. There was one artist, however, that Mino was particularly excited to work with. “It was all fun, but working with YDG was extremely impressive,” he says proudly of his collaboration with the Korean hip-hop veteran on “Bow Wow.” “It was one of my dreams from my childhood.”

Mino at a press event for ‘XX’ in November 2018.

With XX being his first massive solo effort, Mino confesses there were hurdles along the way that he hadn’t expected. “The toughest part was familiarity,” he says, adding, “When I listened to songs hundreds of times to make a song, I always got confused. That’s the hardest thing to me.” Working alone means more pressure and he says he finds it more peaceful when he’s working with the members of Winner– Hoony, Yoon and Jinu. “When I work alone… I get sensitive because I am dissatisfied with any result. When I work with Winner, it’s really a load off my mind. Each member has their own roles, and I think we fit in nicely with each other.”

Mino’s journey has been wild, difficult, rewarding and a little messy–we’ve covered a lot of it over the course of the interview, but it still feels like we’re scratching the surface. He seems to agree; there’s a lot more he wants to consume and learn and a lot more he wants to show all his fans, old and new. “I am always thankful to fans who have supported me from the beginning and everyone who has known me since yesterday,” he says. “I will try to put a little more of my own personality and style on next album, and I also want to challenge something that no one expected.” While the search for the ‘real’ Mino continues, XX is a chapter in his story that marks a significant turn; he’s found a balance between the sexy rapper we see with Winner, the exuberant hip-hop dudebro he turns into with MOBB and the expressive poet he is as a soloist. It might not be lightening in a bottle just yet, but it’s pretty damn close.

[whydoyouwantmyname]

Imagine everyone realizing...

A/N: all the italics are lyrics from the song Tear in my Heart by Twenty One Pilots

My heart is my armor She’s the tear in my heart The songs on the radio are okay,

But my taste of music is your face,

Sam didn’t realize Dean was in love with you until he was sitting in the back of the impala, driving to the first case they had ever taken you on. It was easy, a simple salt and burn, one that Dean thought the researcher would love to go on.

A normal car ride consisted of two things, snacks and rock n roll. And while there were plenty of snacks in the car, the speakers were dead. Not a single musical note filled the space, however it wasn’t silence that met the boys ears, rather your laughter as you and Dean just talked the whole way. Sam would chime in on occasion but he more enjoyed watching the way Dean would glance at you ever so often, or how he would smile when you would, or how he never once went to turn on the radio. He seemed completely content with the fact that your voice was the sole thing radiating throughout the small enclosed area of the impala.

You fell asleep in my car I drove the whole time

But that’s okay I’ll just avoid the holes so you sleep fine

I’m driving here I sit

Cursing my government

For not using my taxes to fill holes with more cement

Castiel didn’t realize Dean was in love with you either until you were all in the Impala, in front were the Winchester boys, in the back a wide awake Castiel and you. You, however, were fast asleep, your head rested against the window, your breathing shallow, and your eyelids fluttering. Every few minutes Cas would catch Dean continuously glancing up into the rearview mirror and his lips would grow wide in a smile at the site of your sleeping form leaning against the window.

However his smile soon turned into curses once he hit a bumpy patch of road, “ what the fuck is with this town! Wouldn’t you think if the road was this bad the town workers or somebody would invest in fixing it!?”

“Dean, we have driven on much worse...” Sam started however his statement was cut short at the sound of your head bouncing off of the glass and slight groan exiting your perfectly pouted lips.

“You okay Sunshine?” Dean asked as you slowly sat up straight, sleep still present in your eyes as you replied.

“I was until this dumbass road made my head bounce of the window.”

“Well we will be the Motel soon, then you can take the perfect nap.” He smiled in reply, before Cas whispered, “If you would like you can sleep upon my shoulder, I saw it in a movie once.”

“Thanks Cas.” You smiled before you leaned down, sleep taking you back over in seconds as Cas continued to look at the sky. However he couldn’t help but notice in the corner of his eye the look Dean was giving him in the Rearview. And it was then that it all made sense.

Sometimes you gotta bleed to know That you’re alive and have a soul But it takes someone to come around To show you how

Crowley sat in the bar, his drink in hand, and his brand new knight of Hell at his side. He watched the knight battle against the local village idiots in a game of darts, each victim falling prey to Dean’s hard eyes and devilish grin. Even the woman were not safe from the harsh, care free attitude of Dean, being a demon suited him, or at least Crowley thought so. That was until Dean’s phone came to life, and this time Crowley wasn’t there to press ignore, cause just by the way Dean’s harsh features softened, and he began to look as he did before the black eyes, he knew it was you.

Dean withdrew from the game, leaving a twenty on the table as the reward for beating him at his own game. His finger lingered over the talk button for a second, but soon the callused pad of his thumb suffocated the button, and the phone was to his ear. 

“Hello Beautiful.” He said, his voice not as gruff, he appeared to be calming, as he slowly sat beside the king.

“I told ya, I don’t want you...”

“I know, but....”

The king could tell you were arguing with him about finding him, wanting to know where he was so that you could infect his veins with purified blood. As you argued though, Crowley took note of how Dean’s temper was, if any other citizen of the bar acted that way with him, that citizen, male or female, would have been thrown, or at least tasted the sharp tongue of the eldest Winchester. However with you, he was calm, and almost smiling just at the sound of your voice, demanding he come back to you and his brother.

“Listen [Y/N],” Crowley heard him whisper over the sound of his own thoughts, “You know I would come back to ya if I could, but we both have seen what this mark can do, and I refuse to have you get hurt from it.”

Then Crowley remembered the way Dean behaved when Sam called, he screamed, and fought and was not as calm and loving as he was right now. It almost seemed like he was talking to just some stranger when Sam called, but with you it was like he was talking to some long lost.....

And that was when Crowley Realized......

My heart is my armor She’s the tear in my heart 

Dean didn’t realize until it was too late.....

Amara was in full swing, her power was growing, along with her obsession with the one and only Dean Winchester. 

Dean might have been fighting his feelings towards you, but Amara could see that he was losing that battle, and so were you, she could see that you both were meant for each other, the perfect balance for one another, true Soulmates, and even though you both denied the urges to move forward, Amara could see that if she truly wanted to be Dean’s sole obsession, she would have to rid of you.

It was a basic hunt, some vengeful spirits were creating havoc in a local hotel. You and the boys figured it would be a nice break from the whole Amara mess, since not even Chuck could figure out how to stop her. 

“We split up, Dean take the ground floor, Sammy takes second, Cas takes the top, and I’ll take the basement. We find anything, we radio in on these.” You instructed as you handed out the walkie talkies you bought. 

“And why do we need these?” Cas asked, “Why can we not just use our cellular devices. or our voices?”

“Because, I think they will make us look cool.” You smiled

“Or like those freaks on Ghost Facers.” Sam joked as you shot him a look

“Well sweetheart, I think they look amazing.” Dean chimed in, thinking it was very cute how you were taking charge of this case, and how much you have grown as a person since they had first met you. 

“Thank you Dean, now let’s go find some ghosties.” You smiled before entering the empty hotel, each of you going to your assigned floor. 

The basement was dark, and a cold breeze drafted through the small, damp space, as you swept over the darkness with your small beam of yellow-orange light. You slowly moved across the concrete floor, making sure not to disrupt anything in case...

“Hello [Y/N].” A light voice sounded, the darkness completely surrounding the source of it, but you knew exactly whom it belonged to.

“Amara.” You replied, “Always a pleasure to hear from you, tell me will you be smiting any angels today?”

“No, but after this I will be making love to the Eldest when I am done here.” She taunted, before lifting her hand, and using every force of power she had to throw you against the wall, several metal pieces falling from the shelf above you, clanging against the flooring. You tried with all you might to move, yet she was pinning you to the wall and floor, as she strolled towards you, her dress trailing behind her as she raised her fingers to her chin. 

“How upsetting, I don’t see what Dean ever saw in you, I am not even using all of my powers and yet you still can’t get out of my hold. Face it [Y/N] you are weak.”

“And you are a bitch.” You spewed.

“Well see, I wouldn’t have to be a bitch if you had just stayed away from the Winchester boys, and I wouldn’t have had to make this fake story of ghosts in  a hotel to lure you all here. But this moment was inevitable, since your soul and Dean’s soul have always been bonded, longing for each other, as the flesh denies their needs. Tell me, when did you first realize you were weak in the knees for my emerald eyed prince?”

“He is not yours, and he will NEVER be yours.” You hissed, “Not while Sammy and I are...”

“And that my dear is why I am here. You are the only rock in my path, and in order to clear my path to world domination, and to Dean’s heart I must remove you, which is a shame. I think if the story line was different we could have been great friends.” 

“Go to Hell.” You hissed, before your whole vision went dark, and though you could no longer hear her, after the echo of the crack died away Amara whispered, “No darling, you go to hell.”

“Third is clear.”

“Second is clear.”

“First is clear.” 

The three men’s voices one at a time came over their walkie before they all gathered on the first floor, sitting among the stairs to discuss where the spirits could be, and waiting for the one feminine voice to echo out of the old speakers. Dean’s gut twisting as though he already knew something was wrong, every second bringing another knot to his fear and worry, and after 120 seconds, he took off toward the basement door without a word, the other two trying to protest as he raced down the creaking wooden stairs.

“[Y/N]” He shouted once he hit the hard concrete, not caring what came for him. He swung his own yellow beam around the darkness, until it reflected back at him when it hit upon a out of place copper vase. He slowly approached as his light remained fixated on it, and once it had been reached he slowly trailed his light forward, until his light illuminated a single, light brown, leather, lace up boot, which looked identical to the pair you were wearing when you left the bunker with the guys that morning. Dean’s feet moved faster then before, his knees hitting the ground as his flashlight dropped beside him. His hands met your face as the tears began to pool, the panic in his body swelling up as he softly pleaded for you to wake up, to move, to do anything. 

He was so consumed in his own mind, that he failed to notice the light of the other flashlights, or the fact that your eyes weren’t closed, but just cloudy, or that your neck had been broken. All he knew was that you weren’t waking up, and the core of his soul shattered at the fact that the love of his life never got to hear him confess his love.

PART TWO!!!!

[shemakesmusic-uk]

Everyone needs to have Maja Kristina on their radar immediately. She is an incredible artist that is straight out of our pop dreams. Her whole self-titled EP is absolute perfection. Maja has released the song ‘Jessica’ off her EP as a single, and she couldn’t have made a better pick. ‘Jessica’ is a new take on a breakup song that we hope to see much more of. It’s written with the mindset that the person that cheated is at fault, not the person they cheated with. That is the mindset everyone needs to have! Maja sings, “Cause she seems really nice, and I think in the end, Me and Jessica could be friends.” We love to see women lifting up other women, instead of adding to the teardown. It’s a breath of fresh air. Normalize shaming cheaters, but not other manipulated women. [via The Honey Pop]

Lucia & The Best Boys have shared a new video for ‘Forever Forget’. It’s a cut from the band’s recent EP The State Of Things, it arrives alongside the news that their upcoming support tour with Dream Wife has moved back to 2022. Speaking about the video, director Rianne White says: “'Forever Forget' is a landscape of a feeling. Lucia and I wanted to create a piece of choreography that exists in a solo otherworldly space shaken up by an unsettling sensation of feeling trapped. Guarded by multiple camera perspectives, this movement sequence is shattered like a mirror into pieces and dominated by a blinding sensation of overwhelm, refracting the internal electricity of the brain into view. This video is a portrait of inner turbulence, liberated by Lucia’s untamed and magnetic expression of self. Frontwoman Lucia Fairfull adds: “The 'Forever Forget' video concept has kept completely true to the meaning of the song, 'Baby you've taken me to higher places. It hurts if it's just in my head', is the first lyrics of the chorus. The video portrays this with an other-worldly head trapped space, along with the choreography expressing a state of wanting to escape your own mind and thoughts. The lyrics throughout speak directly about wishing you still had what you once did, but having to face the reality that it is no more, and then trying to erase the memories from your head and move on. Making videos has always been one of my favourite parts about being an artist and over the last year I’ve really detached myself from the idea that I need to be perceived in a certain way and have enjoyed being more adventurous with Visuals. I have imagery almost as soon as I’ve written a song so bringing it to life, and creating different characters to go with them is something I really feel helps to get across what I'm saying. I couldn't have brought these ideas to life ('Perfectly Untrue' & 'Forever Forget') without Rianne and Furmaan, and can’t wait to make more with them.” [via Dork]

Foxes has returned with news of her forthcoming EP Friends In The Corner, alongside sharing new cut 'Kathleen' to accompany the announcement. 'Kathleen' is Foxes' first release of 2021, and follows December's 'Hollywood', which will appear on her upcoming EP alongside last year's 'Friends In The Corner', 'Love Not Loving You' and 'Woman' singles. The new track is produced by Courage (Stormzy, MNEK, Ray BLK) and Charlie Hugall (Halsey, Florence and the Machine), and is an ode to her grandmother Kathleen. Foxes, real name Louisa Rose Allen, says of the single, "My grandma, Kathleen, has always given really good advice so on one visit I thought, ‘why am I not recording this?’. A couple of weeks later in the studio I happened to be going through my voice notes of random melodies and lyrics I’d saved and stumbled across her words of wisdom and within 20 minutes we’d written it with all her advice from the notes. I kept that exact recording of her talking at the end of the song. I don't think I’d be a songwriter without her." She adds, "For me, 'Kathleen' closes the chapter of the last year. Focussing on creativity during lockdown has been essential for me – it’s given me so much strength and positivity. Almost without realising, I ended up writing a whole new album. The new songs have a really different energy and need to exist together as a record. But first I need to release 'Kathleen' as it’s such a special song for me and just seems so right for now. It felt right to wrap these songs up together as an EP before the new album gets released later this year." [via Line Of Best Fit]

The Sydney-based three-piece Middle Kids release the cinematic title track and video from their hotly anticipated second album, Today We’re The Greatest, out now via Lucky Number One. 'Today We’re The Greatest' features a heartachingly beautiful performance from lead singer Hannah Joy and showcases the juxtaposition of her compelling songwriting. The grandiose and romantic notion of the song’s title is offset by the repeated refrain “life is gory and boring sometimes” which both closes the song and also the album – reveling equally in the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. About the song, Hannah explains: “This is a simple song of people being TINY and our lives being FLEETING but in that we are EPIC and GREAT. It’s finding the beauty and majesty of the every day. Therein lies life and meaning. LIFE IS GORY AND BORING SOMETIMES: it’s both hectic and mundane and we have to accept both.” 'Today We’re The Greatest' is accompanied by a stunning music video directed by W.A.M. Bleakley and filmed on the Kiama costal path in Australia.

Pacific Northwest native pop singer ALITA has released her new music video 'I’m Not Your Mother'. The video is a 50's inspired homage to empowerment and subverting antiquated gender roles. It was co-produced by ALITA & Zach Nicita (VERITE, Anne Marie, MS MR), and co-written by ALITA & Grammy-award-winning songwriter Jesse Saint John (Lizzo - Truth Hurts). “I wanted to create a visual world that put the song into a little more context," exlplains ALITA. "The song has a lot of classic & almost retro influences, from the old movie voices of women to the genre-blending pop, r&b, soul production. I wrote, ‘I’m Not Your Mother’ as a reflection on my own relationships, but I also know how shared of an experience this is for so many women. I see it every day in my friends' relationships, in my own family dynamics, in media. It’s constant. So we pulled in moments from old movies & tried to sprinkle in some history into the song as well. For the video, I wanted to honor the sonic storytelling with an exploration of the modern and classic roles women play. I wanted it to be a little weird & left of center, so there’s a lot of strange Easter eggs throughout the video. We’ve evolved as a species over the years, thank God, but instead of women being expected to be a homemaker, for example, there’s still this expectation for women to take care of and take responsibility for the men in our lives. It just may look a little different than it did 50 years ago. The application has changed, but the subtleties and impact remain. My goal was to tip my hat to that in the video, and just make something that looked nice.”

Glüme's Instagram bio reads "Walmart Marilyn," offering a succint intro to the LA-based artist's DIY approach to old school Hollywood glamor. She recently signed to Italians Do It Better, making her label mates with Chromatics and Glass Candy with whom she shares a penchant for bittersweet and melodic synth-pop, the perfect backdrop for a struggling ingénue. This week she debuts 'What Is A Feeling,' taken from her forthcoming debut album The Internet, due next month. 'What Is A Feeling' was written after Glüme, who has the rare heart condition Prinzmetal angina, was informed that her emotional health was starting to affect her physical condition. Over a chugging bassline and drum claps she questions the very make-up of her existence, asking questions including "What makes me work?" and "What makes me hurt?" Not even a doctor's orders can keep her away from temptation though, with the chaos of conflicting feelings tied up tight in the song's restrictive confines. “I had a doctor once tell me my feelings were doing my heart more harm than good," Glüme says via email. "I left wanting to completely disassemble my emotions and throw them in the trash. I studied emotions from physical and philosophical perspectives to see if I could outsmart them. But feeling less wasn't an option.” The Internet is out on April 30 via Italians Do It Better. [via The FADER]

Singer, songwriter, and producer ZAND is known for their uniquely brash brand of self-described ugly pop, and the iconic look that accompanies it is almost as distinctive. New single 'Bald Bitch' is ZAND’s most compelling earworm yet, its crunchy synthesised bassline driving beneath Blackpool accented pseudo-rap and the buzz of an electric razor. It’s the fourth and final cut to be lifted from last year’s Ugly Pop EP. ZAND isn’t afraid of controversial subject matter, with previous singles tackling topics such as misogyny and the stigma of sex work. 'Bald Bitch' is no exception to this trend, with ZAND squaring up to and superficial detractor chosing to comment on their appearance. 'Bald Bitch' is the next installment in the story of an artist who refuses to cow to convention. [via Line Of Best Fit]

Korean-American musician Jessi says she hopes her new song ‘What Type of X’ will inspire listeners to be “more confident”. The singer-rapper noted that “the most crucial thing” for her is self-love and how important it was for ‘What Type Of X’ to reflect that. “I am a woman of strong mentality and for me, loving myself is the most crucial thing. If you do not love yourself, nobody will do so. On top of that, you have to be surrounded by people who give off positive vibes,” she said. “Through the song, I want to tell people to be more confident and hope they remember that being different is not wrong.” Jessi co-wrote ‘What Type of X’ with Psy, who is the head of her agency P Nation. Psy. She shared that the lyrics were originally written in English before Psy helped to translate them, adding that the duo “did not argue as much as we did in the past while working together”. The singer also noted that, compared to her previous releases, she did not have as much time to prepare for this comeback. Calling herself a “perfectionist”, Jessi added that she feels like she is not fully ready to perform the song on stage yet, although she says she’s “quite content with the single’s quality”. [via NME]

Newcastle-based trio Cat Ryan have shared the official video for their latest indie-pop stunner ‘Mary Shelley Song’. The band has this to say on the clip: “Our film student friends, Briana and Gabi offered to film a music video for us and it was the first opportunity we’d had to film a professional kind of video. The first thought I had was to have a film noir style video. I think Lucas came up with a loose storyline and the idea to have it in reverse. We all quite liked the idea of a murder plot and with some tweaking of the narrative and, with the help of Briana and Gabi, the ideas came to life.”

[cherrystreet]

I wrote this directly after I left my first Harry Styles concert. My emotions were more elevated, and now that I’ve had some time to sit and reflect, I feel a little less raw. Keep that in mind.

I definitely got carried away, just needed to type it out, I guess. It seems a bit mad, and I’m slightly hesitant to post, but maybe someone else can resonate and understand.

Music does fucking weird things to you, man.

Warning: it’s pretty aggressive in terms of “I miss this fucking boyband so much, I cry about it,” but you all know.

It’s not just a boyband.

You get it.

I saw Harry Styles at the Chicago Theatre on September 26th.

Several people have asked me for an update.

First disclaimer: this is less of a concert play-by-play and more of a word vomit. About One Direction. About Harry. About the hiatus, the crazy shit it’s made me feel over the past two years, the future. All a bunch of nonsense - or maybe not - thoughts.

Honesty hour ensues.

Let me preface this by saying I’m grateful. So beyond grateful for all my experiences. I won’t take advantage of that. I never have. Never will.

One Direction holds an interesting pull over millions of people. Me included. I fell in love with them on a whim - it wasn’t intentional. I don’t understand it. I can’t make sense of it. I can’t explain to others why I’m so invested. But at this point, I don’t bother with an explanation. I love to love them.

“One Direction is broken up. You still listen to them?” The amount of times I’ve heard this. I’m homesick for people who don’t know I exist. Moderately crazy, but shows the extent of the soul this band put into their music and performances and relationships with each other. And us. I feel tied to it.

Is any other fandom like this? I don’t know. Nor will I ever know.

Anyone who knows me knows I’ve had a very difficult time with the whole “solo” endeavor. One Direction is the biggest and most important part of my early 20’s, and for it to stop so abruptly and without any closure has taken an embarrassing toll on me. My best friend and I have become sickeningly close during our travels - we’ve experienced seven shows together, one of which was out the country - and to me, One Direction concerts became a place to make some of our deepest memories that no one else can replicate, or understand. I met friends - my Rita - through this band. I met you guys. It’s been two years of wondering and waiting if and when they would make a return into our lives, and then. Instead. We got solo Harry. Full force.

I understand the point of the break. I get it. Overworked. Shit management. I’ve exhausted the topic in my own mind, and with others. Doesn’t mean I’m jumping for joy over it. I’m a 1d stan at heart; I support them as individuals, but when it comes down to it, my loyalties lie with the band.

I’ll be candid and real, which I’m often not on this blog. I initially jumped on the “1d went on hiatus because of Harry” bandwagon. My original logic: he said he was the one who initiated it. He was the one who had solid plans. Louis said he fought it. Niall said he wasn’t ready for it. And after closely paying attention to hundreds of interviews since 2015, Harry has clearly showed his gratitude toward the band - don’t get me wrong - but he’s the only one who hasn’t talked about a return date. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t want to give false hope. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t know and doesn’t want anyone to read too much into his words. Maybe he’s moved on. Whatever the case, I shied away from his career at the beginning and couldn’t get excited like everyone else seemed to be. It hurt my heart to see him so happy and thriving away from the pieces that helped him with his start, his life. Honestly, I know I would have felt hesitant about whoever happened to go fully solo first (Zayn doesn’t count - that’s a very different situation). Sure, Niall and Louis had singles out last year, but it’s not the same as embracing a new album, a new identity. It just so happened to be Harry first.

Second disclaimer: I hate that the band isn’t together, but I could never hate any direct member for that. Ever. No one is specifically responsible. And I know that.

My vision is clouded. Selfishly, I didn’t want Harry (or any of them, really) to fall out of love with the past because I wasn’t ready to fall out of love with it. It’s brought me so much joy and love and laughter and experiences. It feels like I’m begging please don’t move on without me. I’ve found a major piece of myself because of this band, and as ridiculous as it sounds, I now feel a little lost. Being 25 is weird enough in itself, in terms of career and relationships and generally just being, and now take away the part that gave me stability and my independence, and I’m just. Wandering. Waiting for something to happen to make me feel as happy as One Direction did.

Reading that back sounds ridiculous. But I’m not the only one here.

I know what this looks like, what it sounds like. I know how skewed my perspective is. I’m doing my best to fix it.

I have Harry’s album memorized. I love a few songs, like a few, dislike a few. I guess that goes for every album. His style has changed from what we’re used to, as has some of his lyrics, but the quirkiness is still the same. The heart is still there. I knew it would be.

I was overwhelmed walking into the show. It’s been over two years since I’ve seen a member of 1d on stage in front of me. I had high expectations - expectations for his performance, expectations about how I wanted to feel once it was over. The venue was beautiful. It was the perfect place to listen to this album live for the first time. Echoey and full of charm and personality. Crystals. Velvet couches in the box seating area. Marbles floors and winding staircases. Pink hues across the stage. Simple, effective lighting. Harry. All Harry. No more crowds by the thousands, no more booming music, no more larger than life stage. Somehow, I felt more anxious.

He did not disappoint. But then again, I didn’t expect him to. For the past three years, he’s always done the best job at captivating my attention whilst performing. Nothing has changed in that sense.

It felt like the final nail in the coffin for 1d, kind of. My friend’s words. It’s too hard to imagine him doing this and then going back to a place where he doesn’t get to 100% put his whole self into what he’s doing, and has to share and compromise on ideas. I understand that. It would be counterproductive to work backwards. It wouldn’t be impossible, but it would definitely feel less organic.

Not just for Harry. For all of them.

Doesn’t mean I’ve lost faith, though.

“It’s been two years since we’ve last seen each other,” he said, “and in those two years, I missed you so much.”

I cried from the moment I sat down until I got back to my hotel room.

I like to be overwhelmed by music. But not like this.

I think part of it is because this was only the fourth night of his tour. It’s still brand new. I’m still not well acquainted with it. New territory, uncharted. I sound so ugly for being so conflicted about solo endeavors, especially when I know there were people who won’t get the chance to see him and I did. I’m grateful, I promise. I’m working meticulously to sort my brain from my heart.

I’m seeing Niall in a few weeks. God help me if I feel this royally fucked over from him, too.

Harry has not left behind his roots. That much was clear. I don’t think I was ever really worried about that part, because he’s pure and kind and appreciates everything in his life for what it is. He would never speak an ill word about 1d. Ever. I don’t think he has any ill words. I sobbed when he performed WMYB. I loathe that song. It felt like a small piece of home, anyway, him using their start as a part of his start. He looked gorgeous. He sounded like a dream. He doesn’t have as much room to prance, but he made do. No catwalk, no problem. I missed his voice. His speaking voice, preaching to the crowds about love and bravery. His terrible jokes. His gratitude. Christ, it felt so good to have him in front of me again.

Kiwi was exceptional. The crowd went off. SOTT was overbearing in a beautiful way. Hearing everyone scream “woman!” all at once was a Goddamn experience. The room was deafening for the entire show.

It wasn’t the same. I didn’t expect it to be, but I wanted it to be.

My friend kept saying, “One Direction is so dead and I couldn’t care less.” I care. I hate the division amongst the fans, amongst the media. “Pick a team.” I don’t want to. Right now, my friend loves Harry more than One Direction as a whole, so she doesn’t understand. I’m not going to try to make her. The crowd chanted “Harry” during the encore, and my heart hurt in the strangest way. I told Rita about it. “Ugh. Just Harry.” I knew she’d understand. She almost always does.

I love Harry Styles. With my entire heart. He was happy on that stage. Even while I stood in the back with my face in my hands, I could see that. I’m happy he’s happy. I love nothing more than a happy Harry. The world is a better place when he’s smiling.

That doesn’t mean that I don’t feel unsettled.

It’s out of my control. Accept the good that comes along with changes. Something I’m learning. Something I’m sure all five original members of One Direction are also learning.

I’m seeing him again on Saturday, in Boston. I’m hoping the initial shock will be mostly worn off and now that I know what solo 1d feels like, I’ll feel more ready for it. More ready for his sequined suit, his smile, his note changes, his band that isn’t the one we’re all used to, the harmonies that bleed together as if it was fate, the lack of three other boys who I miss terribly.

Maybe he misses them as much as I do.

I saw Harry Styles at the Chicago Theatre on September 26th. He was stunning. He moved me to tears. He ran with a rainbow flag, made us scream about pizza, looked beautiful in the neon pink lights. It wasn’t One Direction. It wasn’t better. It wasn’t worse. It was just different. And that’s what I’ll keep telling myself. Embrace being different. It’s what Harry does, after all.

I’m profound in the art of making five days worth of clothing fit into one carry on bag. I can memorize new albums in 48 hours if I have the right determination. I’m able to meticulously plan trips to new cities and venues like it’s nobody’s business. I’ve yet to master the ability, however, of separating love and music.

But I guess those are technically the same thing, anyway.

Thank you for a beautiful show, Styles. Thank you for allowing us into your life, for staying true. I’ve missed you, as a whole, as an individual. I’ll see you on Saturday.

Stay tuned for a second update this weekend. I’m sure it will be much different. I’ll be sure to post some photos, as there will “mainly be prancing.” And what a shame it would be to miss that.

xx Shelly

[covid19worldnews]

Another Now by Yanis Varoufakis

When Margaret Thatcher coined “Tina” – her 1980s dictum that “There is no alternative” – I was incensed because, deep down, I felt she had a point: the left had neither a credible nor a desirable alternative to capitalism.

Leftists excel at pinpointing what is wrong with capitalism. We wax lyrical about the possibility of some “other” world in which one contributes according to one’s capacities and obtains according to one’s needs. But, when pushed to describe a fully fledged alternative to contemporary capitalism, for many decades we have oscillated between the ugly (a Soviet-like barracks socialism) and the tired (a social democracy that financialised globalisation has rendered infeasible).

During the 1980s, I participated in many debates in pubs, universities and town halls whose stated purpose was to organise resistance to Thatcherism. I remember my guilty thought every time I heard Maggie speak: “If only we had a leader like her!” I was, of course, under no illusion: Thatcher’s programme was despotic, antisocial and an economic cul-de-sac. But, unlike our side, she understood that we lived in a revolutionary moment. The postwar class war armistice was over. If we wanted to defend the weak, we could not afford to be defensive. We needed to advocate as she did: out with the old system, in with a brand new one. Not Maggie’s dystopian one, but a brand new one nevertheless.

Alas, our lot had no vision of a new system. Instead, we were in the business of bandaging corpses while Thatcher was digging graves to clear the way for her spanking new spiv capitalism. Even when we were putting up a splendid fight in defence of communities that deserved defending, our causes screamed “anachronism” – fighting to preserve dirty coal-fired power stations or the right of male rightwing trade unionists to reach sordid deals behind closed doors with the likes of Robert Maxwell and Rupert Murdoch.

Just as when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, we on the left – social democrats, Keynesians and Marxists alike – had the sense we would live the rest of our days as history’s losers, so in 2008, with Lehman’s collapse, those living the ideology of neoliberalism saw history erupt with similar soul-destroying force. Some years later, surveillance capitalism forced tech-evangelists, who thought they had seen in the internet an irresistible global democratic force, also to shed their illusions.

Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, in September 2008. Photograph: Richard Drew/AP

Two years ago I decided we need a blueprint, a sense of how democratic socialism could work today, with our current technologies and despite our human failings. My reluctance to attempt such an undertaking was immense. Two people helped me overcome it. One is Danae Stratou, my partner. From the week we first met, she has been telling me that my critique of capitalism meant nothing unless I could answer her pressing question: “What’s the alternative? And precisely how would things – like money, companies and housing – work?”

The second, and most unlikely, influence was Paschal Donohoe, Ireland’s finance minister and president of the Eurogroup. A political opponent who thought little of me as a finance minister (a mutual assessment), he was kind enough to write a generous review of an earlier book of mine. While Donohoe liked my account of capitalism he thought the book’s ending, in which I tried to sketch some features of a postcapitalist society, was “most disappointing”.

He was right, I thought. So I decided to write Another Now.

In a bid to incorporate into my socialist blueprint different, often clashing, perspectives I decided to conjure up three complex characters whose dialogues would narrate the story – each representing different parts of my thinking: a Marxist-feminist, a libertarian ex-banker and a maverick technologist. Their disagreements regarding “our” capitalism provide the background against which my socialist blueprint is projected – and assessed.

•••

Capitalism took off in earnest when electromagnetism met share markets at the end of the 19th century. Their coupling gave rise to networked megafirms, such as Edison, that produced everything from power stations to lightbulbs. To finance the huge undertaking, and the massive trade in their shares, the need arose for megabanks. By the early 1920s financialised capitalism roared, before the whole juggernaut crashed in 1929.

Our current decade began with another coupling that seems to be propelling history at dizzying velocity: the one between the enormous bubble with which states have been refloating the financial sector since 2008, and Covid-19. Evidence is not hard to spot. On 12 August, the day the news broke that the British economy had suffered its greatest slump ever, the London Stock Exchange jumped by more than 2%. Nothing comparable has ever occurred. Financial capitalism seems finally to have decoupled from the underlying economy.

Another Now begins in the late 1970s, straddles the crises of 2008 and 2020 but also sketches out an imaginary future, and concludes in 2036. There is a moment in the story, on a Sunday evening in November 2025 to be precise, when my characters try to make sense of their circumstances by looking back to the events of 2020. The first thing they note is how drastically the lockdown changed people’s perception of politics.

Before 2020, politics seemed almost like a game, but with Covid came the realisation that governments everywhere possessed immense powers. The virus brought the 24-hour curfew, the closure of pubs, the ban on walking through parks, the suspension of sport, the emptying of theatres, the silencing of music venues. All notions of a minimal state mindful of its limits and eager to cede power to individuals went out of the window.

Many salivated at this show of raw state power. Even free-marketeers, who had spent their lives shouting down any suggestion of even the most modest boost in public spending, demanded the sort of state control of the economy not seen since Leonid Brezhnev was running the Kremlin. Across the world, the state funded private firms’ wage bills, renationalised utilities and took shares in airlines, car makers, even banks. From the first week of lockdown, the pandemic stripped away the veneer of politics to reveal the boorish reality underneath: that some people have the power to tell the rest what to do.

The massive government interventions misled naive leftists into the daydream that revived state power would prove a force for good. They forgot what Lenin had once said: politics is about who does what to whom. They allowed themselves to hope that something good might transpire if the same elites that had hitherto condemned so many to untold indignities were handed immeasurable power.

It was the poorer and the browner people who suffered most from the virus. Why? Their poverty had been caused by their disempowerment. It aged them faster. And it made them more vulnerable to disease. Meanwhile, big business, always reliant on the state to impose and enforce the monopolies on which it thrives, boosted its privileged position.

The Amazons of this world flourished, naturally. The lethal emissions that had temporarily subsided returned to choke the atmosphere. Instead of international cooperation, borders went up and the shutters came down. Nationalist leaders offered demoralised citizens a simple trade: authoritarian powers in return for protection from a lethal virus – and scheming dissidents.

Demonstrators gather outside Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ $80m New York City penthouse, to protest the retailer’s treatment of workers during the pandemic, in August. Photograph: John Marshall Mantel/SIPA/REX/Shutterstock

If cathedrals were the middle ages’ architectural legacy, the 2020s will be remembered for electrified fences and flocks of buzzing drones. Finance and nationalism, already on the rise before 2020, were the clear winners. The great strength of the new fascists was that, unlike their forerunners a century ago, they don’t need to wear brown shirts or even enter government to gain power. The panicking establishment parties – the neoliberals and social democrats – have been falling over themselves to do their job for them through the power of big tech.

To stop new outbreaks governments tracked our every move with fancy apps and fashionable bracelets. Systems designed to monitor coughs now also monitored laughs. They made earlier organisations specialising in surveillance and “behaviour modification”, like the infamous KGB and Cambridge Analytica, seem positively neolithic.

What was the moment when humanity lost the plot? Was it 1991? 2008? Or did we still have a chance in 2020? Like epiphanies, the fork-in-the-road theory of history is a convenient lie. The truth is we face a fork-in-the-road every day of our lives.

•••

Suppose we had seized the 2008 moment to stage a peaceful hi-tech revolution that led to a postcapitalist economic democracy. What would it be like? To be desirable, it would feature markets for goods and services since the alternative – a Soviet-type rationing system that vests arbitrary power in the ugliest of bureaucrats – is too dreary for words. But to be crisis-proof, there is one market that market socialism cannot afford to feature: the labour market. Why? Because, once labour time has a rental price, the market mechanism inexorably pushes it down while commodifying every aspect of work (and, in the age of Facebook, our leisure too).

Can an advanced economy function without labour markets? Of course it can. Consider the principle of one-employee-one-share-one-vote underpinning a system that, in Another Now, I call corpo-syndicalism. Amending corporate law so as to turn every employee into an equal (though not equally remunerated) partner is as unimaginably radical today as universal suffrage was in the 19th century.

In my blueprint, central banks provide every adult with a free bank account into which a fixed stipend (called universal basic dividend) is credited monthly. As everyone uses their central bank account to make domestic payments, most of the money minted by the central bank is transferred within its ledger. Additionally, the central bank grants all newborns a trust fund, to be used when they grow up.

People receive two types of income: the dividends credited into their central bank account and earnings from working in a corpo-syndicalist company. Neither are taxed, as there are no income or sales taxes. Instead, two types of taxes fund the government: a 5% tax on the raw revenues of the corpo-syndicalist firms; and proceeds from leasing land (which belongs in its entirety to the community) for private, time-limited, use.

When it comes to international trade and payments, Another Now features an innovative global financial system that continually transfers wealth to the global south, while also preventing imbalances from causing strife and crises. All trade and all money movements between different monetary jurisdictions (eg the UK and the eurozone or the US) are denominated in a new digital accounting unit, called the Kosmos. If the Kosmos value of a country’s imports exceeds its exports, it is charged a levy in proportion to the trade deficit. But, equally, if a country’s exports exceed its imports, it is also charged the levy. Another levy is charged to a country’s Kosmos account whenever too much money moves too quickly out of, or into, the country – a surge levy of sorts that taxes the speculative money movements that do such damage to developing countries. All these levies end up as direct green investments in the global south.

But it is the granting of a single non-tradeable share to each employee-partner that holds the key to this economy. By granting employee-partners the right to vote in the corporation’s general assemblies, an idea proposed by the early anarcho-syndicalists, the distinction between wages and profits is terminated and democracy, at last, enters the workplace.

From a firm’s senior engineers and key strategic thinkers to its secretaries and janitors, everyone receives a basic wage plus a bonus that is decided collectively. Since the one-employee-one-vote rule favours smaller decision-making units, corpo-syndicalism causes conglomerates voluntarily to break up into smaller companies, thus reviving market competition. Even more strikingly, share markets vanish completely since shares, like IDs and library cards, are now non-tradeable. Once share markets have disappeared, the need for gargantuan debt to fund mergers and acquisitions evaporates – along with commercial finance. And given that the Central Bank provides everyone with a free bank account, private banking shrinks into utter insignificance.

Some of the thornier issues I had to address in writing Another Now, to ensure its consistency with a fully democratised society, included: the fear that powerful people will manipulate elections even under market socialism; the stubborn refusal of patriarchy to die; gender and sexual politics; the funding of the green transition; borders and migration; a bill of digital rights and so on.

Writing this as a manual would have been unbearable. It would have forced me to pretend that I have taken sides in arguments that remain unresolved in my head – often in my heart. I, therefore, owe an immense debt of gratitude to my spirited characters Iris, Eva and Costa. Above all else, they allowed me seriously to ponder the hardest of questions: once we have conceived of a feasible socialism that blasts Thatcher’s Tina out of the water, what must we do, and how far are we willing to go, to bring it about?

• Another Now by Yanis Varoufakis is published by Bodley Head. To order a copy go to guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.

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https://www.covid19snews.com/2020/11/02/another-now-by-yanis-varoufakis/

[dstrachan]

Livia – Wiccan singer-songwriter casts her spell

I never cease to be amazed by the number of music submission suggestions that land up in my in-trays, both physical and electronic.  There simply aren't enough hours in the day to allow me to give every single one a fair hearing.  I'm not sure what actual percentage of these end up being listened to in full, but I would love it to be higher.  The tracks that do end up in my playlists may vary considerably, but to me they are all special, and once a month I select one as my 'track of the month' – to reach that position a track must be extremely special.

Livia's 'Natural High' was my selection for January 2020, a year that has turrned out to be extremely memorable for so many reasons, in many cases for very negative reasons.  Livia's track and her other music, however, is memorable for many excellent and positive reasons.

I am not a dedicated follower of specific genres – to my mind every genre offers a wide range of quality spanning the spectrum from perfection to uninspiring.  'Natural High' ticked a great many boxes for me right from first hearing: the intelligent and motivational lyrics accompanied by a hypnotic tribal rhythm immediately captivated me.  Reading her press pack further intrigued me, particularly the details about her experience with a mainstream television 'talent' show.  Where others may have become disheartened and given up she appears to have drawn on her inner strength to strive onwards and upwards.

Noting that she has created her own brand of 'magick pop' had me recalling a favourite album from 1970, Gong's 'Magick Brother' featuring the genius of Daevid Allen and his 'mystic sister' Gilli Smyth.  Next I watched the video which further impressed me with its mystic imagery, fire, bubbles, rainbows, illuminated hula hoops and even a glimpse of Brighton West Pier (so many of the great musicians that I have come across since starting my second life on community radio turn out to have some links to Brighton, but that's another blog post!) – I was further hooked and desperate to check her music out further.  I did and wasn't disappointed with the pleasing diverse range that I found.  Each track has its own distinct mood and feel whilst managing to encompass Livia's basic approach to creating her desired 'magick pop' fusion of styles.

Of course all that time spent exploring Livia's music was time that I couldn't spend checking out other submissions but that's just the way things go – I certainly don't regret  investing that time even if I may have overlooked other musical gems.  All things considered, in many ways I believe that my playlists are assisted by a generous dose of karma and the good stuff will always find a way of attracting my attention.

I was privileged enough to be able to chat with Livia about her music and creativity and included an interview in my 'Views From The Edge' show during week commencing 20th January 2020.

Her album 'Journey Of An Empath' is a true pleasure to experience, each track is great but if I were to pick out a few in addition to 'Natural High' the list would include: 'Burning Up', 'Give Me A Sign', 'Read Your Mind', 'Playing With Time' and 'Broken Soul'.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to wish Livia all the best for the future and to express my sincere thanks for providing me with a set of great audio IDs to use in my shows.

For more details check out her website liviamusic.com

[prxserpines-blog]

.:*・°☆ tags !!

[thesinglesjukebox]

CHARLI XCX FT. CARLY RAE JEPSEN - BACKSEAT [6.57] Charli, Carly Rae and PC Music? Nah, that's not really in our wheelhouse.

Ryo Miyauchi: The humming synths and the ghost harmonies of "all alone" resemble the static heard when the radio dial is adjusted perfectly to pick up a feed from two FM channels. Both broadcasts play independent from another, each scene unique to the singer who sings them: Charli's escape from hell via partying turns self-destructive while Carly Rae Jepsen's LA hallucination finds two cold souls together in bed. And just when the two stories see eye to eye, this metallic black hole of a noise swallows them whole. [6]

Austin Brown: It's a never-ending source of fascination for me to watch artists like Charli and Carly navigate the pop industry, invested in the artistic potential of transcendent escapism but resistant (to varying degrees) to its dominant tropes and business practices. Lines on "Backseat" like Charli's "I want it all, even if it's fake" and Carly's "I got a thirst for distraction I can't take back" are declarative to this effect, as is the mushmouth muttered repetition of "all alone" in the chorus. In opening the Pop 2 mixtape, it serves as a mission statement of sorts for Charli. "Backseat" isn't nearly as confrontational as Vroom Vroom, which eschewed melody entirely at points and suffered as a result, but it's not full-on bubblegum either, warping Charli's voice and discovering decay and regret in its more grating corners. One point off for letting Carly show her up in the lyrics department, but it's not like she had a choice in that matter. [7]

Anthony Easton: That this starts and ends with melodic noise, and that the subtle metal grinding throughout the rest of the track keeps asking the questions: how do we make pop, nad what does the form of pop mean now, outside of the populist? It's a lonely, almost toxic song, and that it is written and performed by two great pop performers who (with the exception of one or two singles) do not sell well, makes it a fascinating example of formalist expansion, a kind of pop for pop's sake, which would all seem so academic, if it wasn't so fantastic to listen to. [9]

Alfred Soto: They belong together: figures who inhabit pop, approximate stars, scoring the occasional hit. The haze through which this song emerges has the texture of L.A., its smog and the way pop stars, approximate and otherwise, create cogs in the machinery. Because they hesitate about going for the jugular, "Backseat" takes a back seat to even itself. This is why Carly Rae Jepsen and Charli XCX remain approximate pop stars. [6]

Eleanor Graham: In How To Be A Woman, Caitlin Moran describes "How Soon Is Now" as the sound of The Smiths "speeding past us, light-decked and vast, like the Millennium Falcon." "Backseat" is the daughter and heir of that big, spacey nothing-in-particular. Against the synthy void, light bounces off the industrial clanks and screeches, like a city collapsing in slow motion. The opening lines speak to the cinematic kind of glamour that acknowledges its own hollowness but revels in itself anyway, for a lack of anything else. The parties with strangers won't help you figure it out, but you can look out the window in the backseat and imagine that the neon lights are falling on your face in exactly the way you want them to, imagine yourself as violet-coloured and monumental and extra-planetary as the chorus. [7]

Leah Isobel: Given the overlap in Charli and Carly's audiences and their similar places in the modern pop pantheon, it makes demographic sense that they'd collaborate eventually, though sonically their music isn't all that similar; Charli is all neon-bright pop hook, while Carly is more of a singer-songwriter type. "Backseat" does an admirable job of blending their separate worlds into one as Charli integrates fully into her femmebot act and Carly tugs on the high notes with so much, um, emotion that she runs away with the song, at least until the final third explodes the whole thing in a haze of electronic shrapnel. The secret overlap that makes this all work is that both singers have an intimate knowledge of pop-as-machine, if from different angles. They sing to each other from across an impossible divide, the cyber girl and the real girl, able to comfort each other but not to heal. Pop 2 has bigger and better pop songs, but none sketch out the album's psychodrama quite as thoroughly as this one. [7]

Maxwell Cavaseno: Charli XCX's fans insist that her brand of pop does more than the pop she constantly proves she's incapable of writing consistently -- not because she hasn't tried, but because frankly people who aren't captivated by the thought of Charli XCX don't care. The same could apply to Carly Rae Jepsen, the apparent genius of the straight ahead anthem who can't manage to convince so-called 'stupid normies' she's even made a song since "Call Me Maybe." "Backseat" sounds as uncomfortably unabashed as people who cannot separate their philias from their feelings, as the duo rapturously claw at the neon and chrome slidings like half-magpie half-harpies sounding less like a song and more like jarringly reductive fetish art for so many who've singed their corneas by refreshing their Tumblrs a few too many times, and maybe that's the point. Maybe this is the fitting result for the hyperconnectivity of the 'alt-pop' stars who can't succeed at bridging past the voracious net addicts who enshrine them as stars before they actually soar; their relationship becomes a specific kind of fan-service as tether, and in their desperate symbiosis do their damnedest to ensure that this isn't just fantasy, but that it really matters. [1]

Will Rivitz: A word to the wise: if a song is to arrive at a triumphant moment of climax most of the way through, it needs to merit that high. That is precisely what "Backseat" does, smokily snaking through neon rubble until it soars into the sky with its gorgeous trapdoor bass while the voices of Charli and Carly diffuse into the ether. It's the most gorgeous pop song in a very long while, and it grows and glows so perfectly that every moment feels earned. [9]

Sonia Yang: This is a perfect marriage of my perception of each of their thematic tropes; Jepsen's dreamy pining undercut by Charli's wryness. Even the music seems to echo this: smooth 80s-inspired production characteristic of the former's songs marred just the right amount by darker, more dissonant synths from the latter's work, almost in conjunction with when each vocalist makes her entrance. The true beauty is how distinct their voices sound even under layers of autotune; Jepsen floats and flutters while Charli errs sharp and sardonic. "Backseat" sparkles but isn't saccharine, it's melancholy but not weighty. And like a fever dream, it ends almost as quickly as it began. [8]

Katherine St Asaph: Charli ft. Carly, singing about love and, better yet, the solipsistic swooning of getting lost in songs in cars at night alone -- music-geek fanfic of such a high degree I'm shocked it wasn't previously an Archive Of Our Own category. A. G. Cook still can't quite shake the bratty/saccharine dichotomy through which PC Music tends to cast its singers, but "Backseat" is about as well-executed as it gets. It helps that Charli and Carly push their respective roles into the uncanny -- the former's voice has seldom been so robotically narcotized, the latter approaches Nicola Hitchcock levels of vocal shiver. Extra point for playing their respective accents on "half" off each other; I kinda hope it wasn't planned. [9]

Stephen Eisermann: This is the most compelling I've ever found Carly and it's on a track she's only featured on! The production does wonders for her normally nasally tone and the ethereal production and blend of these two lovely voices is entrancing. The lyrics touch on lost love and a wanting for more, nothing too out of ordinary for either artist, but here it feels especially poignant -- probably due to the production. Plus, the addition of the synths and sparkles towards the end of the song are perfect -- if one could ever turn Carly and Charli's voices into sound effects, it would be that starry/sparkly sound. It's all so... magical. [8]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: PC Music-minded catharsis wherein processed vocals and attention-seeking production turn the humanness of the song into something uncanny, revealing something even more human about our desire to escape a reality that overwhelms us. "Backseat" reaches that blissful headspace in its final chaotic stretch, but it renders the rest of the song a slog in comparison. Even so, Carly's vocals are too clean and (ineffectively) awkward for the track, distracting too much from achieving the same goals that define easyFun and A.G. Cook's other tracks. "I want it all, even if it's fake" sings Charli. I do too, but I'm not convinced they believe it. They're in the back seat... shouldn't they be taking the wheel? [4]

Will Adams: I've made peace with the fact that Charli seemingly has no interest in making an actual album in favor of mixtapes that pour on the feature credits for maximum OMG (hi Carly). But I still can't get past my recent revelation that her current aesthetic is really not far from that of her early mixtapes, only sullied by the PC Music touch: Auto-Tune purée, flat synths and hokey car screeches. [5]

Joshua Copperman: Charli's music leaking (down to her unfinished demos) has become something of an in-joke on Reddit and other sites. If someone told me this was one of the demos, I would believe them. There are some stirring melodies and some nice ear candy moments, but it sounds like AG Cook and co. put so much time into the vocals that they forgot to flesh out the backing track. As a result, not much elevates this above Charli's previous kiss-offs (or Carly's kiss offs.) The biggest letdown is the breakdown at 3:15; there was nothing to actually strip back in the first place, and the synth arpeggio feels like it was obtained from a P.C. Music Synth Presets folder. "Backseat" is still good enough, but frustrating in how close it is to being great. [6]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox ]

[cjwritesfanfiction]

Hidden Voices

Summary: Thomas Jefferson, world renown, critically acclaimed rapper has lost his inspiration. In an attempt to start over and regain his lost inspiration, he made the bold decision to move to New York City. There, he meets a quick witted barista named Alex, who unknowingly becomes the source of Thomas's knew found inspiration. Author's note: Uploaded on mobile (like usual lol) tag list: @katzun my dude! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crowds were annoying. If there was one thing that Thomas Jefferson hated, it was crowds. Every time he was in a highly populated area, he was bombarded with selfie, autograph, and hug demands. Mobile phones meant that he was always in the public eye. . . Always being in the public eye meant that there was no escaping his personal hell - overly pushy fans. Thomas Jefferson was a rapper who had recently moved to New York City. He used to live in San Francisco, but he found that he was loosing his touch. He was lacking inspiration, so a move to a new place seemed to be the logical step. He had grown up on a farm in Virginia, but he found his creativity really sore in the city. His agent had recommended New York City because he had an office just blocks from Thomas's lavish, rooftop apartment. It made it easier to get to the studio, but Thomas found it was harder to get away from fans so early in the morning. You see, Thomas was not a morning person at all. He was a self-diagnosed insomniac, who normally wouldn't get up until noon. However, he had to run on New York time and kept a nine to five job, just like his agent and the people who worked at the studio. Getting up at seven in the morning didn't exactly set him up to be the friendliest person. But, he didn't want to upset his fans either, so Thomas did everything in his power to avoid them all together. Currently, Thomas was trying to get his coffee maker working, so that he didn't have to go to a crowded coffee shop where there might be a lot of people. If there was one thing about Thomas that didn't change over the years, it was his old cheep habits. Thomas had owned that same coffee maker since college, and it seemed today was the day it finally died and gone to coffee heaven. Thomas swore under his breath and hit the coffee maker one last time before gearing up to deal with people. He threw on a thick coat to combat the harsh New York winter, a pair of brand new pair of sneakers that he had gotten for free to promote, and a flat bill cap that he had bought during college. Now, it was considered vintage and cool. Thomas took a deep breath and opened the door not ready to face the world outside. As soon as the door opened, Thomas's eyes stung from the icey wind. It was negative four today with wind chills down to negative seven. Thomas trudged along the sidewalk in search of a coffee place. It was times like this where he really missed the warmer winter weather of San Francisco. But, it was also frigid days like this that kept people inside and out of his face. Eventually, Thomas found a coffee shop on Broadway (which was a couple blocks from the studio) called, "Cafe 525 ". The cafe looked ridiculously cheesy. Musical posters hung on the walls and memorabilia covered nearly every other counter, crook, and crevis in the cafe. It was clear that the cafe was musical themed, and being right off of Broadway, Thomas understood why. He was just confused by the name. Thomas walked inside jumping at the sound of the loud bell that rang when he came in. Instead of the Broadway music he was expecting, soft 90's rap played throughout the store. Someone in the back of the store swore, and the music quickly switched to some song Thomas didn't recognize from "Cats". He frowned and walked up to the counter and rung the bell alerting the staff he needed service. "Yeah, yeah keep your pants on! I'm comin'" A voice yelled from the back. Thomas blinked. He certainly wasn't expecting that. No matter, the worker would change his mind after he found out who exactly Thomas was. After a few moments, a short, black haired man worked out. Thomas nearly smiled at how hot the man was despite being what seemed like five foot tall. He had long black hair tied back into a neat pony tail. Facial hair outlined his mouth and accented his lightly pink lips. Chocolate brown eyes stared back at him in annoyance. It seemed his barista wasn't a morning person either. . . Maybe, they had chemistry right off the bat. The man grumbled and took out a black marker from the inside of his purple smock and placed it behind his ear. "What do ya want?" The man asked. Thomas chuckled and leaned over the counter flashing the cute man an award winning smile. "Well, good morning to you too darlin'. You don't sound too happy to be at work. Can I get your name?" The man rolled his eyes and pounded his number into the POS system. "If you're just dying to know, I have a name tag. Now, are you gonna order or just waste my time?" Oh. . . Thomas forgot about that. His eyes drifted down to the man's name tag. Alex. It was probably short for Alexander. . . It was fitting for him. Alex seemed to be quick witted,  and sharped tongue. Thomas liked that in a man. It kept things interesting. "As much as I love flirting with you, I need coffee for the rest of the day. I'll have a venti-" "Let me stop you right there. This isn't a Starbucks. Small, medium, or large?" Alex asked rolling his eyes. . . Tourists. . . Thomas was quiet for a moment. Did Alex really talk back to him? "Large. I'll have a large dark roast with a double shot, and a strawberry muffin." Alex nodded and entered the order into the computer quickly before looking up at Thomas. "Alright, anything else?" Thomas smirked and winked. "Your number." "You're funny." Alex smirked back and took the muffin out of the case, packed it into a bag, and slid it across the counter.  "I'll get your coffee." Thomas took the bag and set it on the nearest table in favor of watching Alexander instead of eating the muffin. "Don't you need my name?" "I know who you are." Alex muttered pressing a button on the espresso machine. "Forgive me for not bowing down or begging to get your signature Mr.Jefferson." He said sarcastically brewing a fresh pot for Thomas's coffee. Thomas grinned and leaned against the counter just looking at Alexander. He had never had someone act like this knowing who he was. It was nice. "And what do you think of my music?" He hummed watching Alex start the second shot of espresso. Alex was clearly a fan of hip hop from what he heard earlier. "I think it's terrible." Alex deadpanned finishing up Thomas's order and ringing it through the computer. "It lacks feeling and passion. I could write a better rap song than anything you have written." Alex smirked. "That will be $5.29 by the way." Thomas clutched his fists and his jaw clenched. His music lacked feeling?! Thomas put his heart and soul into his work! Most of the songs he had written came from his own experiences! How dare this barista insult him like this?! He was going to- No... He couldn't let Alex win. He had to turn this around and use it to his advantage. "If you think it's terrible surely you wouldn't mind a little wager?" He purred. Alex looked annoyed and pissed off that Thomas didn't flip, which is what he was going for. Perfect. "I'll come back in a week. If I write better lyrics than you, than I get to take you on a date." "And what if I win?" Alex asked folding his arms. "Depends. What do you want?" "Sign me as your lyricist. I'm tired of you ruining rap for the younger kids. I can fix it." Thomas should be offended, but there was no way Alex would actually win. He was just a barista. He shook Alex's hand and grinned. "Deal." He said. With that, he made his way out the door. He needed to go to the studio. There was no way he was going to let Alex have the pleasure of winning. As he walked out daydreaming of the potential date he had with his cute barista, he never once realized that Alex had written his number and the word asshole on Thomas's cup. . .

[zukadiary]

Bakumatsu Taiyouden / Dramatic “S”! ~ Snow Troupe 2017

nngg…

I always feel this weird sort of out-of-body sense of detachment in the Tokyo theater. It’s not home, I’m not grounded… you leave and it’s just Tokyo, no bowl of homemade oyakodon and sympathetic conversation waiting for you with open, friendly arms. I wound up watching Sou’s taidan here too, also in blistering heat. I so wish I’d seen this in Takarazuka, more times, and without such a vast sea of heads in front of me (although having the opportunity to read the July GRAPH talks first added some lovely nuanced depth to the pain).

I did not expect to be this invested in Chigi when my much-loved Sou left. The evolution of my interest in Chigi went from “I wish Kaname was still here” to “eh, I guess” to shattering my personal record for in-theater crying (and I’ve cried in *a lot* of theaters). She lasted longer than I expected, and no one leaving with her is a huge shock, but this taidan is gutting me. I love this Yukigumi so much. I’ve loved a lot of Yukigumis, but this one has its hooks in me real deep. And it feels like its soul is being torn out. 

At my first viewing my friend flawlessly described Bakumatsu Taiyouden as “distilled essence of Chigi ft. Miyu’s beautiful voice.” It’s a perfect, lovingly crafted tribute to the Chigi-est parts of Chigi, which also means it’s an amazing troupe show.  

::insert 7 minute crying break::

Koyanagi-sensei transformed what I thought was a really mediocre movie (that had me particularly worried Miyu would get shafted) into such a playful, fun, well-orchestrated musical. There are so many opportunities for ad-libs I think I could have gone every day of the run and not gotten tired of it. Even though I’d seen the movie, it was a bit difficult to follow at first; Chigi uses a silly voice and a lot of slang, and it’s kind of a slice of life story with a lot of random happenings going on as opposed to one continuous plot line… but it gets easier once you have a general picture of the character relationships. EVERY CHARACTER’s personality comes across so clearly even with no background (which was soooo refreshing after three viewings of Yamataikoku no Kaze), and I adore Koyanagi-sensei for how well she executed that. 

Chigi’s character, Saheji, has contracted tuberculosis and has come to this inn/brothel by the sea to live out the rest of his life (I thought tuberculosis was highly contagious, but *SHRUG*). He winds up meddling, mostly hilariously, in all of the brothel’s drama. The best parts should be seen fresh so I won’t spoil them, but in general, this was so on-brand for Chigi’s comedic abilities, and it looked like she was having a TON of fun. Saheji and Osome (Miyu’s character) aren’t romantically involved, but they play off each other so well and there are so many opportunities for primarily MIYU TO TEASE CHIGI that it’s just beautiful. 

Miyu is so heartbreakingly good in this show. Her growth over her tenure with Chigi has been incredible, and her Osome is overflowing with sass and confidence. She’s also dancing the best I’ve seen her dance and singing like an absolute angel; the last time I saw her live was in Kenshin when her voice was broken, so I was beyond happy to hear this. I’m so glad she’s going out on such an amazing performance, but also IT HURTS SO BAD. Lord I hope she continues a career on stage, because she is really blossoming right now… and depriving the world of the full bloom would be such a travesty.

The other taidansha: Anri landed the role of a lifetime with Koharu, Osome’s rival (and almost equal in terms of importance), and she slayed. Dai and Gaori don’t have a ton of stage time, but they each have their own very funny and memorable scenes, so charming that they don’t feel slighted. MomoHina and Miki are primarily dancers, but they get their time up front.

Daimon is the calm and collected leader of a team of hot-headed isolationist samurai comprised of Kiraha Reo, Tachibana Kou, Kanou Yuuri, Hinata Haruki, Suwa Saki, and Manomiya Rui (interestingly, Kari may have had more stage time than anyone other than Chigi and Miyu). And Shou I guess?? She seems to be part of their team but not 100% on board with their plans, which are to blow up the foreign traders’ living quarters. It’s definitely an amusing group; Daimon’s character is all SERIOUS BUSINESS, but between the ridiculousness of their plot and the buffoonery of her comrades it’s just as silly as everything else going on.

I was fawning over Saki after my jet lagged, unfed live viewing of Takarazuka senshuuraku. Unless she was particularly on fire that day, I’m not sure exactly what hit me quite so hard then… BUT, I DO really like this character for her. She’s the spoiled, kinda flamboyant, completely useless son of the two kumichou innkeepers, and she wore that really well. Since Kenshin was the first place I saw her start to level up, it was nice to see her do such a good job with something that could not be more different. 

HIME was used properly, which is REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME. 

My heart’s not really in summary and analysis… I just want to gush. Spoilers ahead.

Dramatic S is a roaring river of tears. 

It doesn’t have a flashy theme; it reminds me of My Dream Takarazuka in that way, all soul-crushing lyrics and simple but sharp, passionate dance numbers. I find myself referencing most of the scenes by the color of the suit, versus “the pirate number” or “the gigolo number” or, you know, “the passion of the christ number,” etc. There isn’t a scene I don’t love, and all the music is beautiful; I’m excited to cry my eyes out at work while listening to the CD. 

The part choreographed by Bryant Baldwin, in particular, was a spectacle. It wasn’t a flashing lights and glitter spectacle, but the dance was cool, aggressive, and visibly challenging, and it was full of little Chigi things—a Lupin heel click, a kizuna fist pump…

My kangeki schedule last year included HOT EYES!! and The Entertainer, both of which featured breathtaking special top star numbers: Maakun’s barefoot dance to Chopin under blue starlight, and Micchan ascending from the floor singing while playing a glass piano. I’ve had my fingers crossed since leaving The Entertainer that Chigi would get hers. At first I thought she didn’t, but she completely did. You’ve probably at least seen the mint green outfits in pictures floating around if you haven’t seen the show; they’re from this cruel, devastating Kizuna number. Everyone is in it, everyone is gushing Yukigumi pride… everyone lines up and Chigi looks at them one by one. Chigi’s masterpiece is this close-knit family she built, and they showed it off absolutely spectacularly. I have no idea how they’re going to be able to do it the last time without breaking down.

The kuroenbi is also devastating. Every otokoyaku (except for the newly assigned 103rds) is in it, because that’s what Chigi wanted. I lost it every time they knelt down on the stairs in her direction.

It’s hard to decide whether the Kizuna number or the duet dance is the most awful part. The dance is so stupid and tender and terrible, I need them to stop touching foreheads and looking at each other like that on loop in my memory so I can stop crying and see my damn screen. 

……….

But as if that’s not bad enough, the song is so incredibly beautiful… Chigi starts singing it up on the stairs, and when she meets Miyu to dance Daimon’s voice takes over from the kage box. I was hoping that would happen… in her personal book’s Special Talk, Tomu mentions how much she loved dancing to Daimon’s voice, because it created a whole world she could get lost in. It did, and it was a lot… arguably too much. Honey and silk and love and admiration and maddeningly soft at times…

On a personal note, whoever thought of giving first Miyu and then Daimon to Chigi is an absolute genius. Not only did they support her in the exact way she needed to be supported, but she took these two insanely talented but somewhat shy/awkward ladies and nurtured them until they bloomed into something so BEYOND… And I seriously can’t think of a top 3 whose collective chemistry I love more. 

And on an even more personal note, as a Daimon fan, I watched Fancy Guy in my despair on Tuesday night and was struck anew by how awkward Daimon was when she came here, and how despite my JOY at my FAVORITE coming to MY TROUPE of all places I couldn’t help but think “Oh honey, I’m so sorry…” And now I get choked up looking at this bit of a photo…

…because look at how fully entrenched she is in our warm beautiful family, I’m so overflowing I genuinely can’t stand it. 

I remember Lupin shonichi too clearly for it to have been 2.5 years ago, even though I wasn’t there. It was New Year’s Day and snowing. How fucking perfect is that?

Chigi, I really can’t thank you enough for this ride. 

[waalm]

KEEPING THE SOUL OF THE SONG INTACT

WAALM Tribune has the pleasure of interviewing ‘Peter Linseman’, owner of Music Mentor Productions (MMP), a CCMA nominated recording studio & Independent Record Label. 

WT: For our readers who get to know you for the first time, please tell us how did it all start, how you entered the world of music and music productions?

PL: I have always been interested in literature and poetry as a youngster and then started playing the drums in my teens. I played for my first band called The Acrylics when I was 14 or 15 and I remember having to sneak into the bars to play the gigs! It was a punk rock band and I just remember playing as fast and hard as I could, just trying to keep up with the super energetic tempos. I started writing songs on my drums but my lyric sheet was on my tom-tom and I keep poking holes in it! So I started on the guitar, in order to have chords to accompany my songs and melodies. Next, it was finding a way to record the songs and a reasonable way was creating my home studio. And then releasing our songs and also learning how to do that ourselves, same with marketing, etc. etc. Music Mentor Productions started when I created the first Songwriting and Music Business Courses offered in Canada at the continuing education program for the Toronto District School Board in the mid ‘90’s. I registered MMP as a production company and music publisher at that time.

WT: You have several artists under your management, how do you balance this on top of producing, co-writing or even performing?

PL: It's a juggling act at the best of times and I have a few mantras that help me. The mantra I say the most lately is "there is always enough time for everything". Aside from creating a two year and five year career plan, the label and artist have an unending stream of tasks and staying on top of social media is a full time job in itself. So my mantras are "what is the next most important thing to do" and "go as far as you can and from there you can see further". My favourite artists/projects are the ones I get to do it all, especially writing and producing, like my new artist Dr Ally K. I'm so proud of Ally, my long time friend, music collaborator and actual GP Doctor! 

WT: What was your biggest challenge as a producer? Could you overcome that challenge? If so, how?

PL: I had an epiphany when I was commissioned to co-write and produce a ten song musical way back! Actually, it was a project that Dr Ally K brought to me – a full-length musical about the world of gene splicing, playing God, letting nature take its course, etc. I'm a ‘hands on’ person and have learned everything by doing it, and with the guidance of some great mentors along the way. 

I remember the moment, when I was a couple of songs into the musical and I stopped with a realization that I'm in over my head. The pop opera type songs were fine but the more classically based musical numbers were brand new to me. I thought about the music deeply and remember thinking to myself - there are only 12 notes on a scale and songs/production have similarities across the board, like counter melodies, harmonies, beats, shots, etc. I have never looked back! I finished Orchids with Ally and this musical was attended by thousands including a thousand health-care professionals in the Canada-wide performances of ‘Orchids’.

WT: What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a producer as well as a manager?

PL: Creating music out of nothing has always had the greatest appeal to me personally. The next most appealing aspect is seeing an artist successful in any realm of the entertainment industry, especially getting them 'signed' or helping them up to the top level of the game. A recent and very rewarding occurrence is when Mosi calls me Maestro! 

WT: How do you see the role of music in the society today?

PL: I'd like to think that my role is to create and produce music that can touch as many people as possible. I've always tried to keep the soul of the song intact and simply enhance it with production. My favourite creations have a positive emotional impact whether it's being moved physically, emotionally or spiritually. 

WT: In your view, what are the characteristics of a responsible artist/musician/songwriter?

PL: A responsible songwriter/musician needs to be sensitive to the music and its life in the music industry, as well as to the artist and their vision. A responsible artist should realize their position as a highly visible role model/idol and also the ages of their demographics. I believe the best artists in the world are great role models especially for the impressionable demographics. 

WT: It is more than five years now that you are collaborating with Mosi Dorbayani and WAALM and during all these years, many notable projects were released. Which ones are among your most favourite, name three?    

They have all been memorable and it's hard to pick three! But if I must choose, it would be the songs where I not only get to work with Mosi, but I also have the pleasure of working with Kate Todd and Carla Sacco. These are amongst my favourite people on the planet!

WT: You’ve just co-produced a new EP album ‘Sealed with A Kiss’, with Carla Sacco, who also voiced the project. What is your anticipation?

PL: Carla and I are anticipating a great reception to these wonderful selections of songs, which are all about love and joy. They are each unique and the production has its own little universe for each of them. But as we've always experienced with Mosi's creations, they all have a great commercial appeal and pop sensibility to touch the most amount of hearts. We will also promote these songs that we are also very proud of, starting on the relaunch of my website as well as our social media and anticipate a quick response bringing awareness to WAALM as well as Carla Sacco. 

WT: Recently, in his social media, Mosi Dorbayani wrote the following about you: 

“ In my view, 'Peter Linseman' is a superstar musician in his own right. He has many slashes (/) after his name but yet humble and friendly. Wearing several hats contributing to Canadian music, he is a dedicated professional, who mentors and promotes young talents. His facilitation to boost artistic career of those who are new to the world of music is exemplary. What I personally admire about Peter is that he does not necessarily produce just for the industry, but for the quality music. Hence, his productions score continuance success.” – How do you see yourself in context of music ? 😊

PL: Mosi is a brilliant man! Wow! What flattering and humbling words from Mosi...it’s a rare feeling in this business but Mosi seems to create this feeling constantly amongst myself and my artists. To answer the question: what he said! Mosi has said it all and as I mentioned earlier, I protect the soul of the creation and at the same time support it with production that has a very wide audience and appeal, which is a lot like what Mosi creates. 

WT:  What music enthusiasts should expect from you in 2019? Tell us about your other forthcoming projects and events.

PL: There are many great projects being released internationally including this EP, ‘Sealed With A Kiss’ with Carla Sacco, which I am very excited about. As I mentioned previously, I am re-launching my new website and also a new Facebook page for my independent label Music Mentor Productions.

We are releasing a six song EP for my new artist Dr Ally K as we speak. I am so proud of the work that Ally and I have done together and have mentioned some of our previous collaborations in this interview. Every track on this EP is cutting edge urban pop production with a great lyrical message. Up, Up & Away - EP by Dr Ally K on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1aArMYujAxVAz1he5K24cY

We will be launching an album that has been in the works for a few years called ‘Out Of The Wreckage’ by a brilliant artist name Melanie Joy. We have gone over the songs meticulously in the production stages and Melanie is an English major and uses it to write lyrics that make you stop and think! 

We will be releasing some original music from Carla Sacco this year and it will be the launch of a new chapter in her solo artist career. Carla is super talented on all levels, the greatest vocalist and performer I’ve had the pleasure of working with, an angel on this earth with a heart of gold...I’ve stopped searching Neil Young! Carla is also the chosen voice to represent and incredible songwriter from Oregon, Mina Whitesides and we will release an EP with a collection of songs sung by Carla, initiated by Mina. 

We've already released the single ‘Dance Children Dance’ and we released an inspiring video, with most of it being shot at Carla’s performance at Youth Day in 2018.

We have just released John Chris Ford’s heart breaking new single called ‘Break It’. http://www.musicmentorproductions.com/john-chris-ford.html

JC is a very talented country artist whom I am proud to get the opportunity to produce and manage. There is a lot more to come in 2019, so keep in touch!

WT:  Thank you for taking time attending this interview.

PL: My pleasure. 

Related Links: 

‘Sealed With A Kiss’, the EP Album on Spotify: 

https://open.spotify.com/album/2nIVNmsX2oxGrAlxxDB4ca?si=PvhqfYUMRkCKSwmdUZet9g

Carla Sacco’s Interview: 

http://waalm.tumblr.com/post/182254784039/artists-the-provoking-leaders

MMP Official Website: http://www.musicmentorproductions.com/

MMP FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/musicmentorproductions/ 

[sonofhistory]

Someone asked me to describe home,

        Alexander Hamilton once had a home. Alexander once had a home in another’s arms. He once had a home on the right side of a cot in an icy cabin amidst a war. He once had a home with his lover’s soft breath on the back of his neck, careful wrists around his stomach for discreet touches. For a four year period of time, Alexander Hamilton had a home in a man with a three syllable name and a fire branded into his spirit. In a way, he wished he could forget the months of suffering he’d endured at Valley Forge. A playful youth, wisps of auburn red hair curling out from beneath his braid, his lover threading their gentle fingers through the strands and soothing his aching soul.

        As a child, he concluded that his home was with his family. His father left, his mother passed and that glowing light that seeped from the end of the tunnel grew brighter- beckoning him, even as he was separated from his older brother James. Alexander Hamilton not once had a home. Even Eliza’s comforting arms around his shoulder, her sugary sweet voice in his ear- begging him to bed. For that moment, those arms were his and he’d lean his head back to capture the taste of his cracked and dying lips to repay for not giving him a last. But they were never his, and instead Eliza’s creamy pressures took his place.

          Eliza was a goddess wrapped in a mortal's body, and his past beau was the earth- holding down his feet in iron fists. But Eliza was only in his cage and every petty little thing led back to his man. In the spaces of his brain he recollected when her hands slid across his shoulders- taking the place of his touches and his silent glances. Eliza was not him. Eliza would never be him. Her large dark doe optics glancing up at him as if he guarded the world in his palm with reliance- her gaze could never restore his. His were so glittering, his were so pure. When Alexander studied the tides reverberate around the harbor, in those crashing waves of marine and silver- Alexander saw his scrutiny. He was forced to stumble away as tears began to brim the rims of his lids.

        There was naught Alexander craved more in the world to have to peer up into his lovers visage because they were much taller than he was, he dreamed of calloused hands across the rip of his chest and yearned for the thrill of indecency. More than twice Alexander would slap a hand across his infatuates mouth, teasing a finger of silence across the line of his lips. Because Eliza was so sweet, and there was not anything of deprivation or desire or lust in their relationship. It was the idea that Alexander needed him, and they demanded him too. There was not one being in the galaxy that had made Alexander so complete- in his benevolence and the caverns of his soul- an empty place. It was replaced when his lover caught his wrist one night and twisted him up into a gut wrenching kiss. No alcohol brewing on either tongues or disgust written in.

        The tips of Alexander’s fingers turning frost bitten next to the fading fire, his lover’s boiling breath cupping his appendages and padding his fingertips across the wrap and cravat of his neck- untying it and tossing it aside before digging into the dip of his breeches. Heavy breathing and for the second- they weren’t so cold anymore. They could forget about the blood underneath their fingertips, they could forget about the growl in the pit of their stomach, they could forget anything but each other.

         Because for four years, Alexander Hamilton found home in a man named John Laurens.

         But, John Laurens was gone.

         And Alexander, was still here.

And I started talking about your hair color

         It was just light brown. But there was not a single “just” about it. It was John’s and John’s only. Lots of people had muddy hair- but nobody had hair like John. John Laurens had hair that Alexander lay and twisted his fingers in it all night. Threading and re ringleting again the strands into to separate organizations and paths. Alexander could never sleep, too involved in beaming at the way that John’s chest hovered every few seconds before lowering and steadily inhaling in again. A miniature circle of life happening right before his sight.

          Alexander chose to not fall asleep. In the chance that was too exhausted and was forced to shut his eyes- he always woke up with screams reverberating out of his throat. John would pin his shoulder down and force him awake as he flailed around wildly throwing fists, punches to the air. He’d sob resonantly, tears glistening his eyes and trailing silhouettes down his cheeks, John wouldn’t speak in this episode and would wrap his arms around his torso, humming comfortingly in his ear till he had fallen asleep again. Alexander ripped on his hair, a vigorous detail and marking embrace. In the morning they’d both wake, and when John winced while slipping his uniform over his arms- Alexander noticed the scratch marks he’d made in his frenzy.

         Maybe there was the perfect, almost mesmerizing way that his hair strung in front of his eyes. Like thicket of vines and ivy pines. It was never tucked behind his ears- classic as a required braid twisted down his spine. At the end of the day, Alexander tugged the crimson ribbon from John’s hair, hypnotized by the way it cascaded down his spine and flatten against his collarbone. When his shirt was slung to the ground, Alexander tamely pressed his fingertips against the line of purple bruises crescendoing across his neck like a string of amethyst pearls.

         Not ever a hair out of place, and they wavered in the wind, catching and flowing down his rear majestically. John Laurens’s hair was his roof, the topping foundation to the brigade. For John didn’t mind when Alexander caressed his bloody fingers through his scalp or used his cracked fingernails to brush the flowing shower. Alexander would narrow his focus through the somber of his New York bedroom, vigilant up with guided hope in his chest on the occasion that he would find Eliza fast asleep at his right side. For a glimmer of dependence, he thought it was John. But John’s hair wasn’t so dark, and Eliza’s didn’t gleam in the candlelight like John’s did. It was then he’d realize,

         John Laurens was gone,

        And Alexander was still here.

And the sound of your voice,

        John’s voice was a metaphor. Honey melting and stirring into a temperate cup of tea- he can’t see nectar with John. His voice was a waterfall, flowing in his ears. Miracles only happen in fairy tales, to Alexander- John was a fairy tale written perfectly for himself. A miracle in his creation. On the dusks he’d spring awake from his nightmares, the water filling his lungs from the hurricane or John’s fallen body in his arms he’d arose to John’s biceps around his waist, his head curled flawlessly into the L shape of his neck. His lover’s pleasant hum echoing in the war shell of his ear. The notes of the song meeting together like such stainless, melodic, puzzle pieces. John’s voice was Alexander’s song.

         He’d never consign to oblivion John’s rugged stubble on the back of his neck, or the calmly gasp on his cheek. Alexander always reminisced what they talked about on those bitter windy gloom, with frost slicking the windows. Alexander just listened to the sound of his speech, and in turn listened to his lover listening to him. It was the sound of his harmony that didn't go right through him, stuffing up his lungs and dragging him down to drown. John’s vocals caused him to float, and the pearling sea of navy swirls captured beneath his feet.

         His voice made him soar, piercing through the sky, senses heightened high, grating at his skin, for every little word, scraping down like sin, liquor on his tongue, bottle from within. The only music Alexander willed to hear was John’s in his ear, whispering how much he loved him. For Alexander, every rhyme looks the alike, but does not sound the same, every, “hello” that he spoke choraled like, “Come here”. Intimacy coloring his lyrics, taking all his words- Alexander would string them in the heavens.

         They deserved that.

And the taste of your lips,

        John tasted like melted gold. When Alexander tasted his lips, the collided stars bursted in his cranium, allowing him to see all the tincture he’d never seen- John was not just one shade, he was every last one. Their consolidation was like liquor and the separation, an after wash of burning rough liquor resting on his tongue. The needy sensation of craving to relish John Laurens’s rough, flaking lips on his own. In the cracks of his skin, Alexander could lick the blood and the biting. He’d catch John teething at the inner flesh of his cheek in a irritable bought. His lover would trace his touch across the tips of Alexander’s nails in contrast to own terrifying habits.

            “Now, what made you bite them this time, Alex?”.

          He’d never answer and chose simply. Falling in love with the way their hands felt intertwined together. When Alexander tasted his lips, he realized how much he’d been starving. Deprivation waving the pitting catacomb of his abdomen. He got John’s appetite in his jaw and Alexander dismissed that he was starving or that the moldy bread he’d ingested the day before simply hadn’t been enough. John satisfied his lust, John fed his soul.

         John tasted like satisfaction, pressed into a wine and as it passed his lips- he was impossible to resist. Alexander tasted the passion in colors shining bright, Alexander sensed the panic hidden beneath his eyes, Alexander tasted lust, written idols in the sky. It was magical how John put his anxieties to rest, in the flickering flame of the candle translucent in the night, he dove into his eyes, starved all of his fears and tasted all his dreams he kept coiled beneath his bones.

        Because after just one taste of his love, Alexander realized that he had been deprived his entire life.

how your eyes seem on my back,

         There was not just one location. Alexander Hamilton found references and subtle innuendos to everything John Laurens without even searching. John’s were a brilliant teal, inside he found ice from snowy mountains and elevations so steep, he saw castles building in the sky, sloshing salty sea waves crashing and rolling in, gentle tender tides. Every royal he saw was John Laurens’s eyes and every sunset in the heavens was flame to the fire of his regret.

          He should of stayed and fought, instead of cowered away in fright.

          He should've been by his side when he died.

          He should've made sure that the last things those beautiful blue eyes saw were his own gleaming down in resurrection.

           He should of touched his hand to his lovers cheek and kissed him goodbye.

         But he did not.

         And Alexander Hamilton would never know that last thing that John Laurens’s eyes ever saw.

         What was the last thing his wandered brain thought as he riveted up at the sky?

        He was desperate to justify John Laurens’s eyes, but to reveal his eyes you had to resolve the man himself. Because hidden behind his eyes, there was a man. A man more than his physical capabilities. To Alexander, John Laurens was more than just a man. Alexander constructed words for John when he had none, and John discovered the colors, when Alexander’s eyes blinded him. In the waves sloshing in his optics, Alexander slipped beneath the waves and was lost.

          Could he never be found?

           Alexander died the day that John Laurens passed, for he was still stuck in John’s eyes- and those were shut fast. His beautiful gaze tended a break from the wondrous sight of love. He marked into his eyes and saw starry moonless nights, and knew that he was home. His eyes weren't just blue, Alexander studied them- sometimes they chuckled, and sometimes they cried, but they always had power to console what was right. He saw every hue of life, a hint of his demise.

         Because everything would kill him, cigars on a smoking night, or alcohol sipping dew- they’ll all kill him in the end. Alexander chose the boy with the blue eyes- and together their spirits both died. Alexander didn’t need a milky sky on a sunny day- John Lauren’s eyes were the heavens and his mind was the center. At the end of the day, it never mattered because the sea and the sky both envied his eyes. Generous as he was, John would give one eye to the sea, and another to the sky- to make Alexander’s world more beautiful to live.

         Alexander sometimes regretted falling for the boy with the baby blue eyes.

         Only because he worried one day he’d forget, what it felt like to breathe underwater.

And how your skin feels like,

        The smooth skin of John’s back were a marble track that Alexander’s fingers danced upon. There were no creases or wrinkles on his skin, no messy freckles dotting the surface. His body was clear except for the symmetrical scars on both of his forearms and shoulder, one two inches above his heart. Sometimes the immigrant would turn over on the cot, and John would kiss his shoulder blades- and for that split second, the weight of the world was lifted.

        He’d trace a line connecting the two scars into a life line of fate and protection. It snapped when John was shot three times. Alexander was told he was found on his back, his pupils glaring straight up the silver lining in the clouds- that’s where he was now. Could he fly there? Alexander always envisioned their bare exterior fondling again in front of a fire on the cool stone base- he’d follow more lines from his fingertips to collect three more bullet scars in his nails.

         But Alexander never saw John Laurens again. So how could he collect his scars when there was no where to gather them from?

        John traced poetry in the freckles scattered across his nose- he not once read them out loud and somehow Alexander knew what they were about. He laid his head on top of his chest and listened to the ocean, like a tiny child with a sea shell to their ear. If Alexander recognized his younger self on a desolate island in the Caribbean, would he warn him about the boy with ocean eyes and marble skin? Or would even that not be able to discontinue himself from loving something to true.

         Because poetry was when his perception ceased thought and just felt.

        Alexander longed to learn the lyrics of his life, memorize each line so he could sing the most handsome song- both of their hearts entwined. There was inferno they both shared, sifting, flickering high- but when half the fire revolved to smoke- Alexander got burned. His skin charred and flaking, maybe he’d blow away into the shine.

          With John Laurens, Alexander danced beneath the stars, drinking it the night. He’d trace his fingertips along the curves, waxing and waning across his chest- ribs and collarbones collide. With John Laurens, he always found the north star in the man of marble stardust skin.

Until I realized,

         For four years, Alexander Hamilton had a home. He had a place, and had a purpose and he had a castle they had both built. Alexander found his home in a man named John Laurens. Only when he met him did he realize that his home set course for disaster, tumbling down to earth. In his haven, there was a man with honey colored hair, voice like a metaphor, who tasted of sweet wine, his eyes were like a sea of stars and was made of marble skin. John always told him he was a boy with glistening sand, skin. Some may say Alexander didn’t find a home, for perhaps he just found love. Because you cannot make homes out of humans, life isn’t a fire to keep you warm, arms are not walls to protect you.

         Lies. Alexander Hamilton will whisper proud and true. Because in a body beneath the soil, you’ll find Alexander Hamilton’s soul wrapped in a gorgeous satin ribbon in the space where a man's modest eyes once lived. How could he not have a sanctuary, when he was buried with him? A heart of gold stopped beating, two glistening optics laid to rest, god broke his heart to prove that he only takes the best.

        Alexander Hamilton once had a home.

         Alexander found a home in the boy with blue eyes.

They had expected to hear a place.