#Abasi Concepts

[thatfoxnamedfinley]

Do you bleed? aka The Rage of Dragons thoughts

Tau

my baby angel boi

my sad angry boi (mostly angry)

my dedicated boi

and the friends we made along the way

and the bloodshed

The audiobook narrator is GOATED; he can simultaneously make a character sound coldblooded and make other characters sound so warm it's so GOOD 11/10 recommend

I finished this book in 2.5 days, that's WILD

SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT BITCH

Ok so I think when it comes to characters, I connect with characters who have lost parents (not to beat the horse with a stick but I lost my mom to cancer in 2022 so I get REALLY emotional when characters lose their parents because I can summon that grief in a moment and recall that feeling of her being gone)

So when Tau's dad is brutally killed and Tau holds him in his arms and vows revenge on everyone involved I'm like

go off king, i support you 10,000,000,000,000,001%

But him also being claustrophobic? relatable

I also really loved how devoted he was. I'm someone who's all in or not at all and his obsessive devotion to becoming a weapon was so overwhelming and relatable.

DUAL WEILD BITCH shink shink shink shink shink

(Im always dual wielding daggers in video games if I can so when he starts fighting with two blades i SCREAMMMMEDDD)

UDUAK

I loved him. For a character who doesn't talk a whole lot, I really found him to be a moving character. Why? I think I like protector/defender characters. AND the narrator made his voice so sweet and deep and warm. When he said "Well met, Tau Solarin" and it SOUNDED like he was smiling warmly and they embraced?

PFFFFFfff bitch my lower lip trembled

And at the end when Zuri was nuked off the world (jfc I didn't think she was going to die what a TWIST!!!! ESP AFTER SHE JACKED HIM OFF LIKE A DOMINATRIX IN THE TUB AND THEY FUCKED BRO!!!! I thought she would be like, his reason to live and fight when it got bad in later books but nope Mr. Winter said YEEET) Tau was wailing his grief and Uduak was holding him and shushing him and I was like OOF this right here is a great character. I love Uduak. He's my favorite side character along with Themba, a man with situational awareness on 100% and also -100%.

Jiyaad was cool but...*smiles but cries*

Kellen is fine because he doesn't REALLY want to kill and be a dick and I think I see MAYBE what the author is trying to do. Either he and Tau will be a characters that have grudging respect for each other and even eventually protect one another one day or they'll be like best friends.

I also have a weird tingly feeling about Kana, the hedeni warlord's (what was that guy's name...? Achak I think) son. He seemed intrigued by Tau the moment he met him so either that will be a great dynamic or Tau will be miserable more miserable.

It's on fucking sight with Abasi Odili like WTF bro. Peace was actually going to happen but because ThE OdEHi doN'T SuRRenDeR now we're gunna be at a war and our entire people wiped out, ok ok ok cool cool just so I understand properly

ALSOOOOOO the African inspired cultural aspect was so so GOOD. I've rarely seen it in the fantasy genre and it was AMAZING. The characters and the terminology and how they spoke was just

The concept of Isihogo is INSANE. It's like...a spiritual world...? But if you don't pull power from it, even if the demons rip you apart you're fine irl but you may become demon-haunted. Which Tau...kind of is but just like, ignores it despite being terrified. Because my man does not QUIT. He literally is like "I'm gunna go ahead and train in this realm because I need to be better than I am with my swords and time passes slower and it'll help me with feeling pain as I get torn to shreds and with fear as I face immortal demons" and I'm like

Why do I also have a feeling that one huge spiky one is like....a demon king or something...? Tau was like "lol I'm here now so you gunna kill me bro?" after he took in power so Zuri wouldn't be killed and the demon was like !!!!!!! before Tsiora came and expunged him out of the realm. And Spiky!Demon was like SCReeeeeeeeecCH

Ou ou ou ou the twin guardian blades he got at the end PERIODTTTTT Tau is Champion, beetch

I want the Nobles to be so irate about it like "WUT WE CANT LET A LOW COMMON BE A CHAMPION GROSS" and the Tau be like

"Yeah cool no worries whoever has a problem can challenge me in single combat and if i lose (lol) then I'll step down as Champion" and then everyone be like

Such a good book, I really really loved it.

I'm kinda glad (I know how bad this sounds) that Zuri died because she was a good character with a decent arc that went out knowing she was probably going to die and I want Tau to be like, borderline EVIL with his revenge

His character is so interesting because he's so single minded and now that his one beacon of light is gone, he's gunna be INSANNEEEEEEEE

*content sigh*

ok thats all I feel I think

[terekusart]

Magic Monday

Meet Abasi, a khenra warrior from Amonkeht

On Amonkhet, khenra are typically born as twins. Abasi was presumed to have absorbed his twin in the womb and was born an only child. He was deemed a true warrior for defeating his twin in the womb.

As most inhabitants of Amonkhet before the Hours, Abasi was utterly devoted to the Trials. He thought of nothing but training, partaking in the Trials to prove his worthiness, and then dying at the hands of his god. Then came the Hours. All Abasi had learned over the years ended up being a lie. The god pharaoh came to destroy and reap his reward. The shock ignited Abasi’s spark and he planeswalked away for the first time.

Without the gods to devote his time and energy to, Abasi realized he had missed out on a lot. He finally took the time to indulge in pastimes he never dreamed of, ate too much, slept too much, everything in excess. Money was a concept he never heard of and quickly desired it. He took on odd jobs as hired muscle. Never once has Abasi considered returning home to Amonkhet. He wants to see what the multiverse has in store for him

[aogmgoose]

Week 6 (Lecture Reflection) – Japanese Aesthetic Principles

Week 6 covered an extensive range of compositional topics, from Wagnerian Leitmotifs to Japanese aesthetic principles. Although I am not well-versed in either of these concepts, two of the mentioned aesthetic principles piqued my interest. 1. Wabi-sabi – finding beauty in imperfection and impermanence. 2. Iki – sophisticated simplicity with a hint of sensuality. From a compositional perspective, this is something that I have been trying to adopt into my practice, particularly for drums and percussion. When I listen to other tracks, I notice a lot of subtle variation in the timing and velocity (something that my compositions lack). The concept of Wabi-Sabi's "imperfection" can be translated to a slight misalignment of MIDI information on the grid, enhancing the organic quality of a track. This reminded me of some of the discussions I've observed in the modern progressive metal scene, where people have noted that the instrumentation's technical complexity and musicians' virtuosity have reached a point where everything sounds too perfect. Now, imperfection has become a somewhat nostalgic quality that people reminisce about when discussing older recordings in these genres.

References -

(Beato 2021) - "The Modern Guitar Discussion w/ Tosin Abasi, Tim Henson & Misha Mansoor." https://youtu.be/6wb4AcfXSyo.

(Busque 2021) - "Perfection and Wabi-Sabi in music." [Blog]. Accessed 11/04/2025. https://www.mariabusque.net/en/blog/wabi-sabi.

(Frightbox Recording 2022) - "You Think Modern Metal Production Sounds Too Robotic? GET OVER IT." https://youtu.be/zA4bx1dISQQ.

[t3rra-bull]

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[poptod]

The Story of Golden Fish and Red Duck (Ahkmenrah x Reader, Ch. 4)

Ch. 1, Ch. 2, Ch. 3

Word Count: 5.7k AO3 Link:  The Story of Golden Fish and Red Duck

Day and night seemed to mesh together as confusion plagued your thoughts, twisting what you thought you knew and changing your memory. Maybe he wasn't all that bad, you convinced yourself one day, but the next you were assured of your hatred and happy he was gone. Despite how your rollercoaster of emotions might've changed hour by hour you didn't take the necklace off - even when you were confident in your resentment of the man, you couldn't deny it was well crafted, and fit your complexion rather well.

When you weren't tossing and turning over your emotions towards Ahkmen, you were wondering what the necklace said. As gorgeous as the inscriptions were they held no meaning, not to you at least - it meant nothing except a physical reminder of what you could've done different. You'd only interacted with the boy two times outside of the times you were required to, but apparently it was enough to warp your world view, something you both despised and adored him for.

Unas dealt with thoughts of his own, issues different from yours but similar in subject. From the many hours you continued to spend with him you garnered that he felt guilty, taking the blame that the whole situation had progressed the way it did, even though you both knew it truly, really was Ahkmen's fault. He was the one who'd decided to do something bad. He was the one who took the blame. He did all that to himself in order to spend time with the both of you, not that either of you could see that - you were both far too caught up in the idea of never seeing him again that the thought of him planning that purely to see you never crossed your minds.

"We're going to see him again, right?" Unas asked you, both of you enjoying your usual market trip all the while feeling very lonely, despite the fact that it had always been just the two of you. "Like, the Pharaoh can't keep him away forever."

"It's up to several things," you said, feeling like you'd rather be talking about something else as you took a bite of your honey cake. "First off, it's possible his father will forgive him and let him go outside, and all that. Besides that option, there's always when the Pharaoh dies, his eldest son will take the throne."

"Kahmuh, right?" Unas asked, receiving a nod from you.

"There's a possibility Kahmuh will forget about the whole ordeal and the ban will be lifted, but Kahmuh isn't the type to forgive and forget. He holds grudges. He still hates my sister just because she doesn't show an interest in him, which is -"

"Disgusting," Unas interrupted you, to which you easily agreed.

"Hopefully this whole thing will be solved in the next several years," you said with a sigh, picking away at your treat without any real desire to eat it.

"Years? That's going to be forever," Unas said, shaking his head at the thought.

"Well the Pharaoh isn't that old. It'll be a while till he passes away, and besides," you eyed him, lowering your voice, "saying aloud that you want the Pharaoh to die or be gone, it isn't exactly a great idea."

"I'm simply not willing to wait that long," Unas declared, sticking the rest of his sweets back in his bag, and crossing his arms. "We'll have to do something about it."

"... I'm not killing the Pharaoh," you said slowly.

"What? No, that's - that's sick," he shook his head, "I meant we're going to have to either sneak into the palace or sneak Ahkmen out."

"Which one's easier do you think?" You said, taken aback by your own readiness to commit another crime. Unas even noticed, turning to you with a furrowed brow, before looking back at the general crowd.

"I'm surprised you even want to help. Don't you hate the man?" Unas said with a laugh, the grin reaching his eyes and crinkling the edges there.

"I do! I just -" there had to be a way to say you wanted to see him again without actually saying you wanted to see him again -"I hate seeing you so upset."

Unas stared at you for a moment as you tried not to make eye contact.

"Right," he said. "I'd say getting him out would be easier. He's got a balcony, right?"

You nodded.

"Should make it easy. We could do a catapult, a thrust of some sort, something... something that would propel us into the air and to his balcony. Since it's so high up, you know."

"Right, yes it's high, but I feel that that's a bit overkill? Wouldn't a rope and a hook work just as well?"

"So you're telling me you have the strength to throw a roped hook fifty feet in the air?"

He did have a point, not that you wanted to admit it - your idea was purely based off the fact that you hated the idea of just throwing yourself into the air and hoping by lucky chance that you'd land on the tiny balcony Ahkmen had. Unas claimed to be smart, and you knew very well that he was good at mathematics, but you can't just predict a curve. Even if he did manage to do that, it sounded a foolish concept by itself.

"Maybe we could catapult the rope?" You suggested, more unsure of yourself with every word.

"Hang on, you might be onto something," he said, a vacant stare taking over his eyes as some sort of machine began to materialize in his mind. With a gasp he stood, leaving you with a pat on your shoulder in the center of the market, heading in the direction of his home.

As usual Unas was a very fast runner, and by the time you found him back at his house, sketch upon sketch, every attempt scribbled with countless notes, lay scattered at his desk and pinned to the wall. You tried to speak, the noise just barely coming out of your mouth before he was shushing you.

To your credit, you did try to stay for a good long while, sitting silently in the backdrop of his bedroom. His father was hardly ever home and his mother knew you well, so the length of your stay wasn't of any great importance. Your parents would know where to look for you, but by the time sunset came around, you were a little tired of being ignored and fully ready to head home. You told him this in a quiet voice, gently tapping his shoulder as you did.

"Alright," he said, still engrossed in his latest version, before realizing what you'd just said. He jumped from his seat as you shut the door behind you, chasing after you and finding you in the hallway. "Meet me tomorrow. It should be done then."

"Where and when?"

"Let's say midrise? And, um... just meet me here. I might need help moving this contraption," he decided, nodding as though to affirm himself.

"Are you going to name it?" You asked with a chuckle.

"Now's not the time for that. I need to - I need to get back to it," he said, not even leaving you with a good-bye as he rushed back into his room. Sighing and shaking your head, a smile crossed your face; as annoying as those phases of his life were, it was nice to see him so entertained with something.

By the next morn you were well rested (though you doubted you could say the same for Unas), and your mother had prepared a rather large breakfast for no specific occasion. Bowls of honey and dates sat on the table, surrounded by several different loaves, each one a different preparation for a different taste. Where your mother got the resolve to do things like this you hadn't a clue, but you enjoyed it anyway, and as the sun sat in the center of the sky, you thanked her and ran off towards Unas' house.

Twisting through empty and crowded streets you made your way to the front door, knocking once before his father was already opening the door. Surprised you almost jumped back, but managed to stay on your feet - the last time you saw his father must've been at least five months ago. Abasi was a very strange man from what you'd seen of him, which wasn't much at all and you shouldn't've drawn conclusions from the very few times you'd spoken with him, but he certainly was the only person you knew who could read hieroglyphs.

"Abasi, sir? Sorry for um, interrupting whatever it was you were doing, but could you read this for me quickly?" You asked, keeping your voice fast-paced; anything less would bore him. With shaking fingers you undid the knot at the back of the necklace, the cold pendant sliding down your collarbone till it came to your hands, and you handed it to him.

He looked at you strangely for a moment before taking it, doing a quick once-over. Taking very little care with it, he handed it back to you, his face still stone.

"This side says run away with me," he said, pointing to the face-up side on your palm, "and the other side says please... and your name."

"Oh..." you murmured, wondering how he could've gotten a pendant with your name on it so quickly. Before you could even hypothesize on whatever the pendant really meant, Abasi pushed you aside and left, leaving you alone with your confused thoughts.

There are better times to think about this, you told yourself, but even as you climbed the steps and crossed the hallway to Unas' room, you couldn't stop going over it. It was personalized, with such an obvious intimate message, and as you opened Unas' door, you tied the pendant back around your neck - out of sight, out of mind. Still it seemed to weigh down on you, heavy against your chest.

"Good morning!" Unas exclaimed, yanking the door open just as you set your hand on the handle. You jumped back, caught surprised by his outburst - you had expected him to still be at his desk.

"Morning, Unas," you said, breathing slow and shaking your head to calm your suddenly raised heart rate. Taking your hand he lead you to his desk, sitting you down in his seat and pushing you towards the many sketches lain about his desk, scattered and disorganized.

"That one," he pointed to one pinned to the wall with a knife, "that's what we're going to be making. I know what parts we need, I made two sheets." He then proceeded to dig through the pile of papyrus, somehow managing to pull two identical sheets out of there as if he knew where it was all along. Handing one to you he took the other, and you looked over your own.

"Unas, I don't think we're going to be able to find all this stuff," you said slowly, going over the list. Several very specific bolts, strips of tough wood, metal hook that wouldn't break, a fifty foot rope - you'd be lucky to find even one of these in the trash heaps in an entire month. At that rate, it'd be easier to just wait for the day Ahkmen would be released of his family's own volition. At the bottom of the list lay the hardest material, your eyes bulging as you read it; 5.5 feet of linen.

"I think we'll be okay," Unas said, halting when he saw your expression.

"Linen? Are you joking? It's so hard to get it’s used as fucking currency, and you want five feet of it?!" You slapped the paper back on his desk, your hand making a hard slap with the wood.

"Hear me out, okay?" He said quickly as you stood, approaching him with your hands clenched into fists. "It's so simple to make, trust me, okay? You can trust me, you've done it before, now isn't any different except.. except we're saving the love of your life from imprisonment!"

You nabbed his list from his hands, looking over it again before tossing it to the side, still holding a death glare with him.

"Let's get some things straight," you hissed, backing him up into a wall. "Number one, he's not the love of my life, I don't even like the man. Number two these are ridiculous materials, and third -"

"You're on board, aren't you?"

"Of course I am, but I'm not going to be happy about it."

Shopping list in hand and a hefty amount of gold rings with you, the two of you set off in your usual direction; the dump house. It hadn't been long since the two of you had last seen it, actually it was just yesterday you'd been there, but somehow the heaps were never familiar. The sight of them you were accustomed to, yes, but exactly what the heaps were composed of was always a mystery. Each time you came (including this time as well) it felt as though the entirety of it had been cleaned and an entirely different type of trash had been dumped there.

Immediately you set off to work, Unas taking the lower floor and you taking the upper, lists in hand as eyes scraped meticulously over the piles. Several things caught your eye, and on any other day you would've run downstairs excitedly to show Unas, but there was a mission today - a real mission, that could actually help someone, namely Ahkmen. Not you. This mission was not for you.

"Holy FUCK!" Unas shouted, surprising you out of your close inspection. You ran downstairs, your mostly empty bag clanging against your thigh as you came to stand beside Unas, wondering what in the hell could've gotten him so worked up.

"Everything alright?" You asked.

"Everything's perfect! Forget the bolts and the sticks, well - everything but two bolts, we still need those," he said, marvelling at a large, thick piece of wood in a Y shape.

"... right," you mumbled, heading back upstairs after that shock. As distant as he usually was, there were moments where he would get far too excitable, scaring you in the process.

Fortunately he didn't have another outburst of energy the rest of the morning, and by noon you'd found the bolts and nails you needed - all that remained was the linen, the hook, and rope, which the both of you knew you needed to buy. Anything else would've been too cheaply made to support what you needed, thus the two of you left in high spirits, heading in the direction of the market.

Busy, as usual - weeding your way through the crowd you came to the best blacksmith, which you could only afford due to your status. Entering the small building, the first thing you noticed was the heat; unbearable, surrounding every inch of your skin and clogging up your nose with an awful burning smell. Somehow, even with the midday sun blazing overhead, it was hotter inside. Unas even cringed a little, though wasn't deterred in the slightest. He went straight to the counter, waiting for the man to notice him, and as he did you scoped the shop out. A hook wouldn't be all too hard to find, there were many uses for them. Your only issue was you needed a specific hook.

"Hi, I'm Unas," he introduced himself to the worker, who looked him up and down, took his glove off, and shook his hand.

"Idogbe. What do you need?" He asked, his voice surprisingly soft, especially for his build, which must've been taller and stronger than anyone you'd met.

"We need a sort of hook, one that can sort of.. attach, you know?" Unas explained poorly, gesturing vaguely with his hands as Idogbe watched unamused.

"You mean a grappling hook?" He asked after letting Unas suffer under his gaze for a good two minutes.

"Yes! That'd be perfect," Unas said with a smile, turning back to you in a self-satisfied manner. You exchanged odd facial expressions with him, getting slowly weirder and harder to do, till Idogbe returned to the desk from the back room.

"This'd be a good one, withholds quite a bit of weight. Rope attach here, weapon attach here," he said, pointing to the various holes and inserts at the bottom of the hook.

"Wonderful. How much for it?"

"Let's say 90?"

You could physically see Unas' eyes bulge out of his head at the price, and for the first time you laughed at his misfortune. Drawing nearer, you kept your mouth next to his ear as you whispered.

"You handle this, wrangle the price - I'll head in the linen direction," you muttered, to which he agreed.

It wasn't hard to find a fabric store, and even less difficult to find a good price - the woman manning the store, named Kakra, was clearly new. You hated to take advantage of that, considering she was practically stuttering on every word, but there were more important things for you to do. Kakra would have to deal with a price she shouldn't have let you buy at.

Around an hour or two after noon, you reconvened at the market's center, sitting on the edge of the massive crystal water fountain. After a quick show of wares, you made a quick stop at Nizism's for food, and headed back to Unas' home. There he constructed the contraption as you sat on his bed, daydreaming about how different your life could've been. Not towards anything in particular, you were fine with how you were - just different scenarios, something to pass the time as afternoon turned to evening.

"Is it done yet?" You asked, still staring up at the ceiling, tossing a wooden ball between your hands.

"Yes, actually, which is surprising considering how many times you've asked me that," he said, a clear annoyance in his words.

"Well how else am I supposed to know when I can look over?" You asked, frowning.

"It's not a surprise, you could've looked over whenever you wanted to!"

"Really? Oh," you said, sitting up and watching him finish up. "It's usually a surprise."

He backed away from it, the large Y structure now having the two ends of the linen wrapped around each protrusion except the bottom one. It didn't look particularly special, or new, but you knew better than to say anything. In all actuality it was a very plain thing, without decoration or pizazz, but you supposed it wasn't really the time to deal with that.

"Then, we have the hook," he said, raising the hook in the air, the rope tied to it, "and there's a special weight in the hook, gives it more momentum, so we place it like this..." he set the hook in the linen, pulling the material back as it stretched, "and when you let go -" he let go, and the hook crashed into the wall with a loud clang. "There you go!'

"So the hook is supposed to go up to his balcony?"

"Yes indeed, we just need a place in which we can launch it from," Unas said with a smile, clearly happy with his little invention.

"Somewhere we won't be seen, obviously," you said, scratching your chin as you thought of the layout of the palace, the surrounding brush and hills, trying to think of somewhere you'd be hidden that would also allow you to actually be able to aim correctly.

"That's the difficult part," he said, snapping his fingers.

"That's the difficult part? Didn't you play 90 rings for the hook?"

"Yes, but it wasn't really my money, so it doesn't bother me," he said with a shrug. You hummed in acknowledgement, still thinking of where you could launch from. Then it hit you - something you'd somehow forgotten from many years ago.

When you were around three years old, that was when you were introduced to Ahkmen - at the time you were actually rather friendly with each other, for some reason. He was cute, at the time, that is. Before you really knew what status was, before you knew that stalking was a thing that you really shouldn't do, you snuck out of your house late at night, hiding in the well kempt bushes surrounding the palace. From your vantage point you could easily see Ahkmen's balcony, though you hadn't known it was his balcony at the time - you'd thought it was just a balcony he frequented. Just then your mind connected it; you realized that balcony from all those years ago was his.

"Unas," you said slowly, your eyes glazed over as genius struck you, "I know exactly where we'll set up shop."

After a quick run to your parents house to notify them you'd be staying at Unas' for the night, you began packing for the trip. Fortunately you wore mainly red and black clothes, which would be perfect for disguising yourself in the shaodws. Unas, on the other hand, wore white and brown clothes, and after noticing this, you leant him your own clothes which were a little small on him.

Half prepared to go, Unas hoisted the invention on his back, securing it with the linen. You kept the rope and hook in your bag, and the two of you snuck out his window, keeping low on the rooftops in an attempt to stay hidden. Somehow it worked, even though you were almost caught about five times. Those five times started up your heartbeat, racing in your chest as you got closer and closer to the palace, the guards becoming more numerous as you did.

Hiding away in the bushes, you watched as torchlight cast shadows on the walls, and soon guards made their round, disappearing down the side of the palace. Motioning silently to Unas, he moved forward, setting up his contraption by digging one end into the soft ground to stabilize it. Using your utmost concentration to not rustle the bush around you, you helped him set the hook in the linen, pulling it back as far as you could.

"Are you sure this is going to work? 'Cause if it doesn't, we're going to have to run like hell," you whispered to him, the linen stretched in your hands.

"We're about to see if it'll work," he answered, an answer that was not in the least comforting, but had a valid point. Taking a deep, shaky breath you pulled it back just a little more, pointing it upwards by angling down. Now on target, you closed your eyes, took another breath, and released.

"This has to be one of the most stupidest things I've done," you whispered, your eyes still clamped shut. A quiet clinking sound came from far above you, and Unas hit your shoulder, a soft gasp leaving him. Slowly you opened your eyes, following his gaze to the balcony, where a silver hook gleamed in the moonlight, safely attached to the railing and a rope dangling down from it.

"I can't believe it worked," he breathed out, still in utter shock.

"You didn't think it would work?" You hissed. "This was your idea!"

"No time for that, we need to climb now before the guards get back," he said, hiding the contraption in the bushes and rushing forward. You followed, gripping the rope tight as you climbed after him, the knots you'd previously made in the rope making the journey much easier.

"This is dumb," you muttered to yourself as anticipation plagued your anxious nerves, reminding you how badly Ahkmen would make fun of you for trying so hard to see him again.

Gripping the rope tighter you hauled yourself up, letting Unas situate himself before climbing over the railing yourself, brushing your clothes off as if they were dirty. Which, to be fair, after kneeling in the dirt for so long, they weren't exactly clean.

Inside Ahkmen's room, a single rushlight was lit at his bedside, giving the room a faint, yellow glow. Somehow undisturbed by the racket you and Unas made, Ahkmen lay sleeping in his bed, the covers strewn carelessly about his mostly-naked body, which you pointedly ignored. Unas stared without thought, only brought out of his little trance when you elbowed him.

"Don't stare," you told him. "That's weird."

"Not even half as weird as your horrible flirting tactics," he said, not bothering to look at you as he approached the bed.

"There's - okay, first off, no, and second off, this is a lot more stalker-ish than I originally anticipated," you said, careful to keep your voice down, inching forward as Unas slowly came to stand directly beside Ahkmen's bed.

Looking at you he picked up a large book which had been sitting at his bedside table, a furtive grin overtaking him as he lifted it above his head. Color draining from your face you rushed forward, knowing he was going to wake up the whole palace in the worst way possible, but before you could grab the book from him he slammed it down on the floor. A loud clang bounced around the room, startling Ahkmen awake, the silk sheets dripping down his skin like water as he sat up.

Eyes wide and panting, Ahkmen looked between the two of you, attempting to say something but nothing coming out.

"Unas!" He finally got out, his eyes still bulging in shock.

"Ahkmen!" Unas said, opening his arms with a wide smile. Laughing, Ahkmen stood from his bed, wrapping Unas up in a tight hug. Unas returned the sentiment with just as much enthusiasm, patting him on the back as they parted.

"What are you doing here?" Ahkmen said, still smiling brightly at the two of you.

"Unas missed you," you answered dully, your arms crossed as you watched the scene before you, a mild amusement clear on your face.

"Really? And you didn't?" He said, his voice low and teasing.

"No," you said.

"I don't have much time to be honest, I've got lessons in the morning and I haven't been studying," Unas said, something you didn't even know until then.

"You're taking lessons? What for?" You asked, feeling only a little betrayed that he hadn't told you, but patient for his answer.

"I'm going to be a scribe like my father," he answered, nodding his head with his hands on his hips.

"I feel you'd do better as an architect," Ahkmen said with a pat to Unas' shoulder. You hadn't thought of it before, but Unas would make a good architect - he had an eye for both design and technicality.

"Perhaps so, but a son always takes up his father's mantle."

"When I become Pharaoh, which I will," Ahkmen said, glancing to you as he wrapped an arm over Unas' shoulders, "I'll make you chief architect. How does that sound?"

"I - excellent, actually, if you were really going to become Pharaoh," Unas sputtered out, clearly flustered by both the contact and the idea of such a position belonging to him.

"Aren't you third in line for the throne?" You said with a chuckle, drawing nearer to the pair of them.

"Yes, but I am the favorite son, so I have that going for me."

"... right."

You tried to make the best of your short time with him, playing several games of Senet (Unas won each time) before you'd exhausted that, moving onto word games and other such things. Desperately you tried not to think about Unas leaving for the night, which would leave you alone with Ahkmen - the thought had crossed you that you could just leave with Unas, but Ahkmen had already brought that up and was adamant that you stayed. The idea of it alone wasn't horribly terrifying, but the remembrance that this would be the first occurrence of you spending time alone with him absolutely was. Ahkmen, sitting across from you, didn't look in the least bit anxious.

The three of you spent a good deal of time breaking into fits of laughter, and as you leaned back the cool of the pendant landed right below your neck, tensing you up and reminding you of the message he'd written. He had to have written it, you'd decided that a while ago, considering your name was on it. Fiddling with it, you engrossed yourself back into the conversation, putting the thought of that in the deepest corners of your head. You'd deal with it later.

"I think I'd best be going, now. At least now one of you can win at Senet," Unas said cheekily, winking at the two of you seated on the floor as he stood.

"Be safe, alright?" Ahkmen said quietly, smiling when Unas nodded.

"Of course. Also, I'll be picking up the launcher, you take the rope with you, got it?" He asked you, and you nodded your agreement. With that you bid your good byes, and he set off climbing down the rope, leaving you alone in the hazy light of Ahkmen's room.

"Is he always like that?" Ahkmen asked when he was assured Unas was gone.

"Like what?"

"You know, that good at playing games," he clarified.

"Ah," you said with a smile, leaning back. "Yes. Unas has always been one for puzzles and strategy games. Drives me insane, but you get used to it after a while."

"He's a little odd, but nice," he remarked, fiddling with his clothes as he avoided your eye.

An uncomfortable silence (at least for you) spanned over the next few minutes as the various games and messes you'd made were cleaned up. By the time you set the last pencil on his desk, he was sitting on his bed, legs dangling off the side as he watched you.

"You're still wearing the pendant," he noted quietly, gesturing to the necklace heavy on your skin. You looked down, fiddling with it again.

"Of course I am," you mumbled, instantly regretting the words when he perked up.

"I just - I thought you might throw it away," he said with a shrug.

"No... why would you think that?" You sat on the floor in front of you, looking up at him.

Anytime now and it'll be the perfect time to ask him about what it says, you thought, almost tensing up imagining it. Just like the one you were having, that conversation would be horribly intimate and would probably screw up your image of who he was in your mind. Again. How many times had he changed in your head?

"I don't know, probably the fifteen hundred times you've told me you hate me? Might've been that," he said, laughing bitterly, fingers digging into his mattress till the knuckles whitened.

"I don't really hate you, I just -" exasperated you looked to him, trying to find a way to say what you meant without insinuating something. He met your gaze, looking almost hopeful for your next few words, only for you to disappoint him. "I dislike you."

"Yeah, I know," he mumbled, turning so he wouldn't have to look at you anymore. "Sorry for keeping you from leaving. You can go."

"Gold fish, I -"

"No, it's fine," he said, huffing as he hid under his covers.

"You always find a way to change who I think you are," you finally said, an admittance that he'd been on your mind - you'd thought of him. "Every time I think I've wrangled down who you are, figured out what makes you tick, you change it completely. I don't know if that's a talent or a flaw. Either way... good night."

You reached up behind your neck, untying the necklace and setting at his bedside table, within his clear eyeshot. As you made for the balcony, his sheets rustled behind you. He turned you around, necklace in hand and so close to you your face was almost touching his chest. Confused, you tried to ask him what he wanted, but he just put the pendant back around your neck, tying it and smoothing it out once he'd finished.

"It's yours. You can throw it away if you want," he said, almost venomous in a way you'd only seen in his father. Sometimes you forgot he was still a prince. He was still powerful, and he could still make you do whatever he wanted to. But he didn't - he went back to bed, turned his back to you, and let you leave.

You made down the rope, unhooked it (with a little trouble), and snuck back to Unas' house, where he sat at his desk studying. At his side were three rushlights, illuminating sharp shadows across his face, the ink of his pen scratching into the papyrus.

"How'd it go?" He asked without looking up.

"Oddly. We got in a fight but this time it wasn't just a stupid fight... I think I hurt his feelings."

"What did you say this time?"

"I said I dislike him."

"Oo, wrong choice of words," he exhaled sharply, wincing when he turned to look at you, flopped hopelessly over his bed.

"This must be the first time I've actually felt bad about hurting him. A year ago I would've been rejoicing," you grumbled, slapping your hand over your eyes as though to shield you from your horrible choices.

"That's probably because you actually like him now. I mean, you aren't admitting it, but you do. I'd go so far as to say, in complete and utter honesty, that you have a little crush on him."

You sat up, almost gagging at the thought.

"You can't be serious," you laughed, almost loud enough to wake his mother, but you knew to keep quiet.

"I am. I think you're actually making a big mistake, and you need to recognize that you genuinely like him," he said, and you knew he was telling the truth - not a hint of a smile. Sighing, you fell back down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"I'm so fucked."

"Your words, not mine, but precisely."

[thetakenpokemon]

Act 2 - Dread Stirs in the Sands

[Location: Venhara - Venhara Palace] [PoV: Neferhotep, Eleventh Queen of Venhara]

The Venharan Lucario before me bows once more. “Thank you my Queen for taking your precious time to listening to what I have to say, with your word I shall leave presence.”

I nod my head, keeping a small yet gracious smile on my lips. “You have my permission to leave, my subject.” I dismiss. Upon hearing this, he rises to his feet and turns and walks out of the throne room.

As he leaves the entrance, two of my sapphire guards close the giant pair of doors. With no one except them as witnesses, I let myself sigh as a tired frown returns to my face. I slump in my throne, rubbing my forehead.

Although I’ve often been tired of audiences, as of late I’ve actually grown to appreciate them due to the...distraction they provide.  I’ve had a pit in my stomach for the past few weeks, a dread that has been eating me ever since that fateful day of what the Sand Striders have found in the Dunefields of Den.

“I wish you were here, mother.” I whisper to myself. “You would handle this situation far better than I.”

The doors before me open suddenly, making my head perk up. Normally there would be an announcement of who it is that’s having an audience with me, so if there is no declaration being made...

I feel a grin form on my face as Tetishuri strides into the throne room, her signature cool smile on her face - and said smile widens somewhat upon seeing me.

“Teti!” I shout happily, standing up from my throne. Throwing courtesy to the wind, I run up to her and pull her into a hug - yet keeping enough distance so that we don’t impale each other with our chest horns.

“I see that you’re feeling better, Nefi.” She chuckles, returning my hug. Her gaze looks at my eyes, her smirk widening. “I see that your servants have done a great job with your makeup, since those bags under your eyes are barely noticeable.” Her eyes twinkle. “Still staying up late playing that handheld~?”

I pout, giving her a playful shove. “It’s not my fault that the games are addicting!” I say indignantly.

That handheld is a small gaming console from overseas, said device having been gifted to Tetishuri by a small Lopuny, in which Tetishuri then gifted to me. I’ve had such fun playing with it ever since I figured how it worked, and it has been the best form of distraction to keep me dwelling on...recent events.

“You still have your royal duties.” She chuckle at me, giving me a playful shove back. “It would be unfortunate if the Queen of Venhara were to oversleep after staying late playing games.”

This is one of the things I love about Tetishuri, for she treats me like a friend instead of a queen when we’re out of the public eye. She has been one of my strongest pillars in keeping me sane.

“But I haven’t come here for pleasantries, sadly.” Tetishuri then says, her smile turning to a frown.

And all pleasant things have to end, it seems. Can’t help but be unsurprised, as much as I hate to say. With a heavy sigh I turn and walk back to the throne, sitting down on the plush silk cushion and resting my hands on the armrests.

“Guards!” I shout to the Sapphire Warriors standing by the throne doors. “I shall be holding no more audiences for the day.” I glance at Tetishuri, and another thought comes to my mind. “You are all dismissed.”

They nod their head, but I could notice some of their expressions of disappointment. It’s very clear that they wanted to listen to whatever it is that Teti has to say, but they obeyed nevertheless. As the throne doors close behind them, my gaze turns back to Tetishuri.

“What is it that you have to tell me, Teti?” I ask, tiredness filling my voice.

“Sand Striders Abasi and Massika have returned.” The leader of the Sapphire Warriors speaks, straight to the point as always. “They have found more tracks, this time severa morel pairs of them.”

The pit in my stomach grows bigger. “M-More?” I stutter, my eyes widening.

She nods her head grimly. “It seems that whatever caused those tracks after that storm, there is more than just one creature.”

I grab my head. “By the Queens...” I whisper.

“The Sand Striders followed the tracks to the end, however the tracks ended just as suddenly as the first.” She finishes.

I’m not sure if I should be feeling this worried or not, but after being informed by the Guardians of Twilight of what they dealt with recently...

...I feel that I really should be worried.

They fought what seems to be a Scizor whose origins are completely unknown, possessing a power whose likes has never been seen before. On the day of its death, a large storm appears in Venhara followed by the tracks of something completely unknown.

Am I...overreacting? Am I getting incredibly stressed for no reason?

It is...a coincidence, for such events to happen within the same day. Perhaps something else caused that storm, such as a rogue Thundurus or Tornadus.

...Yet that doesn’t quite explain the tracks, and the concept of a rogue Legendary isn’t really that much better...

“...Tetishuri?” I eventually ask after a lengthy silence.

During this period the other Lucario waited patiently, and upon me saying her name she nods her head. “Yes, Nefi?” She responds back.

“I’d...like to ask you a question.” I slowly continue, my voice apprehensive.

“Ask anything, I am here.” She responds again, giving me a comforting smile.

I wait for several more minutes, contemplating my choice of words.

“Am I...making the right choice?” I finally ask, my voice hesitant.

Tetishuri walks over to me and pulls me up from the throne and into a warm embrace, allowing me to rest my head on her shoulder. “You are making the best choice from the information that you know.” She answers into my ear. “You are worried for your kingdom.”

I feel myself relaxing. “I’m not overreacting?”

She pulls away, looking me dead in the eyes. “We both heard what the Guardians of Twilight told us. You are no overreacting. You are acting in response to a possible threat to the kingdom, as a Queen of Venhara should.”

Whatever doubt that clouded my mind vanishes completely after hearing those words. “Thanks, Teti.” I say softly to her, a smile of relief forming on my lips.

“Anything for my Queen.” She simply responds back with a mischievous smile.

I give her a playful shove. “Come on, you know I hate it when you call me that.” I whine. “I have to deal with it enough when we’re under the watchful eye of the public!”

Tetishuri merely laughs in response. “But I enjoy the reactions that it brings!”

I stick my tongue at her.

She blinks at me before crossing her arms. “Sometimes you make me wonder how old you truly are, seeing how often you behave like a pup.”

A blow a raspberry for further measure.

She raises an eyebrow in response. “Yes, I often wonder indeed...”

As a formulate a retort, Tetishuri speaks up again - cutting my train of thought from forming a brilliant response. “Before I forget, I do have one more bit of news - positive this time.”

"Well, that’s a welcome change.” I sigh.

Tetishuri nods. “I’ve received word from the Guardians of Twilight. There has been a slight delay, but the Night Watcher that’s coming to investigate will be arriving in two weeks. They’ve assured me that it’s one of their best for this environment.”

Now this caught me curiosity. “Best for this environment?”

She nods again. “Their skills are considered unparalleled in desert climates among the Guardians of Twilight. If there is a threat in our kingdom, this Night Watcher will surely find it.”

More relief fills me. “That’s...very assuring.”

“I agree, however I feel that some of the Sand Striders will probably have a bone to pick with this Night Watcher.” Tetishuri smirks.

I blink. “Bone to pick...?”

Her smirk grows. “An expression I picked up during my most recent visit to the Guardian of Twilight’s Headquarters.” With that she takes a step back, bowing her head. “As much as I’d like to continue this conversation, I have a few duties left for me to attend. I will see you again later today, Nefi.”

Without another word she turns and walks towards the giant doors.

A scowl forms on my lips. “You still didn’t tell me what that expression means!”

No response came from Tetishuri, who is currently opening the giant pair of doors with a push of her hand.

“Teti! What does it meaaaaan?!” I shout before running after her, my behavior surely being something that would bring great shame to the Venharan Queens before me.

--------------

[Location: Venhara - Dunefields of Den] [PoV: ???¿?¿¿?]

...

<>CONNECTION ESTABLISHED<>

...

<>LOCATION - UNKNOWN|REALM - UNKNOWN|TIMELINE - UNKNOWN<>

<>INFORMATION INCONCLUSIVE<>

<>SCAN KNOWN DATA COLLECTIVES|OBTAIN TRACE INFORMATION<>

<>COLLECTIVE INFLUENCE: 0%<>

<>COLLECTIVE TRACE: 0%<>

<>MATTER CONVERTED: 0%<>

<>CONCLUSION: REALM UNTOUCHED<>

...

<>SETTING OBJECTIVES FOR AESIVE SUBJUGATION COLLECTIVE<>

<>STUDY|LEARN|CONVERT<>

<>SETTING OBJECTIVES TO AXIS MINDS<>

<>OBJECTIVE: MERGE REALITY WITH COLLECTIVE REALITIES|TIMELINES<>

<>OBJECTIVE ASSIGNED TO AXIS MIND: ENKELADOS<>

<>OBJECTIVE: INTEGRATE WORLD INTO COLLECTIVE NETWORK<>

<>OBJECTIVE ASSIGNED TO AXIS MIND: PANAKION<>

<>SUITABLE|PREPARE|RELEASE<>

<>CONVERT MATTER|ESTABLISH FOOTHOLD|CEMENT EXISTENCE<>

...

...

...

<>AESIVE SUBJUGATION COLLECTIVE: DEPLOYED<>

[talamega]

day 93

I've been aware for some time that Abasi Concepts parted ways with their partner Falbo Designs who was responsible for guitar manufacturing. But recently I came across Tosin's statement on the reason for this, published via Sevenstring.org. Having read this I was quite befuddled. Frank was accused of things that weren't nice at all, such as money misappropriation, violation of the deadlines, poor quality control and things like that. So I keep asking myself, how person having such an experience and reputation like Frank could end up like this? How Tosin and Andy could choose such a luthier? I guess, if a person is capable of doing such things, there should be some rumors circulating at least. And finally, how a luthier with the Name could shit up his reputation cheating on such famous and prominent people in their area. I've seen Frank's response and it wasn't satisfying apparently. I believe, Abasi Concepts have all the evidences confirming their words, but all in all this situation is quite bizarre.

[effectsdatabase]

Last week's top 20 videos (2020, week 05)

Top 20 videos last week (January 26 - February 1)

WILL IT CHUG? - MXR Dime Distortion (by Ola Englund)

Horizon Devices & Abasi Concepts at NAMM 2020 (by Horizon Devices)

EBS BassIQ ENVELOPE FILTER // Blue Label (by BassTheWorld)

Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver vs. Darkglass Microtubes B7K Ultra (by Bassic Gear Review)

Dumble Blues Tone // Steel String MKII Demo (by Vertex)

Carl Martin Acoustic GiG Video (by Carl Martin)

Ibanez TSV808 featuring Tomo Fujita (by Ibanez)

THERMAE: Analog Delay / Pitch-Shifter Tutorial w/ SEF (Your Favorite Enemies) (by Chase Bliss Audio)

Electro-Harmonix Attack Decay Pedal Demo (by GuitaristMag)

Danelectro Back Talk Reverse Delay pedal - NEW FOR 2020 (by R.J. Ronquillo)

Fuzz Face vs FZ-3 vs Rusty Fuzz (by TC Electronic)

Hotone Ampero demo (by guitarworld)

Alexandr Misko Playing "Billy Jean" Winter NAMM 2020! (by ToneWoodAmp)

Ebow Acoustic Guitar: Here's How I Made it Work! (by Chords Of Orion)

VOX New At NAMM 2020 - VALVENERGY Series Pedals (by Vox)

BOSS OD 200 Hybrid Overdrive (by Mike Hermans)

Shift Line Twin MkIIIs (by deniki4)

Warwick Star Bass drive test: A+ Buzz V.2 + Shift Line Olympic MkIIIS (by Shift Line)

Jackson Audio Headquarters (by Jackson Audio)

Keeley Electronics: ECCOS (by Burgerman666)

Overviews of the previous weeks: http://www.effectsdatabase.com/video/weekly

from Effects Database http://bit.ly/2v2bOeu

[thephilosopheroftheboudoir]

Grim History

Nigeria’s Ogu Omunwanyi: The Aba Women’s War of 1929

    During the 1920’s, trouble began to stir in southeastern Nigeria. British colonialists had begun to encroach on what they thought of as the “dark heart of Africa”. The region was primarily populated by tribal Igbo people, though members of several other tribes also called that land home. They lived according to their own laws, customs, politics and economic structures. This way of life was so different from what the English people knew that they could not make any sense out of it. Their attempt to dominate the Nigerian people for their own economic gains led to chaos and soon the Women’s War had begun.

    Upon arrival, the British colonialists began building houses, factories, courthouses, and colonial administrative offices. The Igbo people also had their own traditional versions of houses, courts, and tribal meeting places. At first they were not bothered by the presence of the new people. But by 1925, the British had chosen a team of men to act as the puppet government for the colonialists and begun employing the local people as factory and farm workers.

    In 1927, the British thought that their industries and businesses were not running efficiently enough; they blamed the Igbo for this shortcoming even though a worldwide economic depression had reduced the need for palm oil, the biggest export industry in Nigeria. They decided that Nigerian society was too disorganized to serve the needs of the modernized colonialists. Frustrations among the Igbo people had been growing because the  wages paid by the colonialists kept shrinking while the prices of food kept rising. Hyperinflation set in and the currency began dropping rapidly in value. No matter what the Nigerians did, the British had an insatiable appetite for cash and kept increasing the amount of money they sucked out of the local population.  Some of the African people were even being forced to work without pay. In 1928, the British declared that they would be raising taxes but in exchange more schools would be built and the roads would be repaired.  The Igbo women who frequented the market at Aba, along with women from six other nearby tribal villages, began to show signs of anger.

    The colonial administrators made a plan to collect taxes by taking a census of the local population. English officials and sometimes members of the Igbo puppet government went to each house to count the number of possessions owned by each family unit. They counted each piece of clothing, every door and window, each farm animal, every tool, every dish, and whatever else they could find in order to declare them taxable items. The worst part of it was that each woman was counted as a piece of property, especially since the locals practiced polygamy and the husband of more than one wife should be able to afford to pay higher taxes. This made the Nigerian women furious. Traditionally the tribal people of that region allowed women to be part of the economic decision making in each village and then the colonialists objectified them by reducing their value and status to that of windows, spoons, and goats. In addition to that insult, the British never came through on their promise to use the tax money to improve the schools and roads.

    By November of that year, the women of the region began gathering on the road leading from Abasi Township to the market at Aba  to protest. The demonstrations were peaceful but passionate with chanting, singing, dancing, and beating on drums. Some women dressed in ritual clothing and some wore dresses made from palm leaves; some women stripped off their clothing and danced nude, an Igbo tradition that represented defiance, aggression, and sometimes the potential for violence. Some of the women went off in groups to “sit on” the men running the colonial administration. “Sitting on” a man was a traditional term that meant surrounding a man in his property, getting very close to him, shouting at him, insulting him, and verbally humiliating him. This practice was a customary way of publicly shaming men who had violated social norms of decency. The Igbo men would never go to the defense of a man being sat on because they knew he had done something to deserve it. Besides, they also knew that no physical violence would take place and, as annoying as it could be, at the end of the day when the sitting on was over, everyone would return to their ordinary way of life.

    The British colonialists, however, had little knowledge of southeastern Nigerian social customs. They thought the women had become crazy, hysterical, and completely out of control. Meanwhile, news of the protests spread rapidly through the surrounding provinces. Women began cutting telegraph wires while others went on a rampage destroying factories, looting stores and banks, burning administration buildings and destroying whatever British property they could find. Extra police and peacekeeping troops were called in but they did not have enough manpower to put down the riots. A British doctor became so scared and agitated that he got in his car and ran over two women. The crowd of frenzied, rioting women began to swell through December and after the murders they decided to start attacking the soldiers. The officers started shooting them and soon more than 1,500 women had been slaughtered. The rioters calmed down and the British retaliated by burning down several villages nearby.

    By the end of the year, the British government was embarrassed. They recalled all the Nigerian colonial administrators from the region and replaced them with new men. Meetings were held with the leaders of the Women’s War and a new political system was established, one that allowed women to both voice their grievances and have a say in governmental matters.

    Some would later say that the outcome of the Aba Women’s War of 1929 was beneficial because it brought attention to the chauvinism and sexism inherent in the colonial mentality. Some would also question the concept of “civilization” itself. After all, the British colonialists were never invited to southeastern Nigeria, their taxation was humiliating, and still they saw themselves as being the ones who were responsible for teaching the “primitive” African people how to be modern. But the so-called “primitive” people had planned to bother and harass the British and destroy their property but never to hurt or kill them. In the end, it was the “civilized” British who committed mass murder in response.

Reference

Vollmann, William T., Rising Up and Rising Down: Some Thoughts on Violence, Freedom, and Urgent Means. Ecco Press, 2003.

https://grimhistory.blogspot.com/

[stockgreys]

Songster bass

#Songster bass series#

More and more gear blurring the line between modeling and analog! I love it!ģ-channel preamp with a high voltage 12ax7. TwoNotes ReVolt Analog Amp Sim (stab: moog ring) 00:21:55 7 string drops first, 6 string next year. Then, as if from nowhere, Ernie Ball Music Man drops the Tosin Abasi artist model.Ĭlearly borrows design language from other EBMM guitars, so that’s cool. New double cut shapes from Abasi Concepts. Thing of the week (stab: Meris Enzo) 01:05:58Ībasi Concepts has two new models, but then Tosin Abasi gets an artist model from EBMM? (stab: hoof reaper) 00:15:10

#Songster bass series#

Uses the familiar “9” series pedal layoutĮffect and dry output, controls for dry and effect volume as well as control knobs for each sound. Some are pretty convincing, but others mimic things that mimic strings like Melotron, Juno, PCM Keyboard, and more Thank you to our Patreon supporters! 01:06:18īrian Gower and Kyle McIntyre of The Tone Jerks Podcastįree helix preset for the week (stab: LG Canaglia) 00:39:23ĮHX String 9 (stab: WA Monument) 01:03:50įeatures 9 different string ensemble and string synthesizer sounds Thing of the Week (stab: Wampler Dual Fusion) 00:55:45 We have cool Spotify stats such as the Top 5 artists our listeners are listening to. Spotify Stats (stab: Big Ear Loaf) 00:50:01 What do we think about a company like MXR coming in and doing this? Suggested $149, still isn’t out yet though Kind of like the partnership they did for the Timmy MXR custom shop is doing one up with papyrus font Mini pedal version of the famed Analogman Prince of Tone, which is the PCB version of one side of the even more famed King of Tone MXR Duke of Tone (stab: Mr Black Supermoon) 00:40:56 has kindly donated the Loud/Louder at 100% cost which allows us to MATCH your donations. Loud/Louder from Chadderbox Effects! Donate to Planned Parenthood, send us your receipt, you’re entered to win. We’re doing a giveaway! (stab: OBNE Haunt Fuzz ) 00:20:00 Check out their socials for more info on the plan, and hit their website for any resources you may need! Lastly, CSP is also discontinuing the Gravity Bomb boost! Get one!Ĭoppersound is donating proceeds from direct sales through the month of July to Planned Parenthood. Pick your own finish, pickguard, knobs, and hardware (this can be disabled via internal dip switch)įREE customization of the pedal when ordering direct from CopperSound. Hold the switch for 300ms or more and it’s momentary. SmartBypass system allows for momentary OR latching. Super wide tone sweep, master volume, toggle switch on the back for each mode Now features two channels, the Strategy V1 circuit AND a new overdrive option The strategy has that wicked Fender Strat design, and Version 2 keeps it going VR games: Duck Season and A Fisherman’s TaleĬoppersound Strategy V2 (stab: SUPA PUSS) 00:10:22 Thing of the week (stab: Caroline Olympia) 01:08:21 Keeley Caverns V2 (stab: Caroline Kilobyte) 00:31:23 Planned Parenthood winners (stab: CB Antichthon) 00:23:41Īndrew Walsh has won the Loud/Louder from Chadderbox FXĭerek’s Novo Serus J is ready!! (stab: WA Monuments) 00:25:30 $1, $2, $3, $5, and $10 tiers are now availableĪdditional perks for those tiers are coming soon.

[mrfountain]

Great Daniel - Intro (Mp3 Download)

Great Daniel – Intro (Mp3 Download)

Great Daniel Intro Mp3 Free Download EeZee Concept global new signee and talented gospel young art Great Daniel who has been trending fast all over the internet and social media platforms since he announced his debut project is here today with a fresh new hit track which he titled “Intro” off the just released project to bless our life. VERY HOT: Great Daniel Abasi ft EeZee Tee Mp3 Free…

[tianajefferiesart]

This essay—a development to a previously published article titled “Curating for the Age of Blackness” published in Mousse 66, Winter 2018-2019—departs from personal encounters with works by Carolyn Lazard, Ima-Abasi Okon, Cameron Rowland, and Abbas Zahedi. It attempts to draw relationships (from echoes to tensions) between the practices of these four artists. The resulting observations will enable to sketch out the contours of an updated conceptualism: one that is intimately linked to social justice but doesn’t try to “do justice;” one that embraces blackness without labelling it. That renewed conceptualism is concerned with the obsolescence of the concept medium, finds its value in transactionality, and is busy practicing unworlding.

[dustedmagazine]

Astasie-abasie — Molecular Gamelan (Shame File Music)

Astasie-abasie is a project by Australia-based film, video, installation and sound artist Ian Andrews whose sound work has encompassed sound collages constructed from electromagnetic recordings, turntable experiments with DIY cartridges, tape loops, recordings of human heartbeats and field recordings. For his project astasie-abasie, Andrews constructs systems to capture the world of sounds generated by small objects through the use of contact microphones, home constructed cartridges and diaphragm microphones, utilizing mechanical means to activate the objects and applying minimal editing to the outcomes. For Molecular Gamelan, Andrews utilized small metal object like washers, activated by hand drills, film winders and modified turntables, all caught in close aural focus. While the processes he uses delivers aleatory results, a careful listen to the ten pieces, ranging from three to five minutes, reveals a volatile balance at play. There is clearly a steady hand at play with clear decisions as to how to set up for each track and how to amplify and capture the results while at the same time revelling in the underlying instability of the approach.

 Listening to the ten studies, one is submerged into Andrews’ practice of sonic research in which he references Pierre Schaeffer’s concept of “acousmatic listening” – a sound that one hears without seeing the causes behind it. In talking about his methods, he further explains that “The aim is to achieve an almost ‘automatic’ mode of music performance that involves minimal human intervention, in such a way that the composer / performer is constantly surprised… By instituting a mechanical process that is somewhat beyond the artist’s control, a disconnection occurs that liberates the compositional or improvisational process from subjective and arbitrary decision-making. The function of the constraint is, as Fluxus artist Dick Higgins says, ‘to place the material at one remove from the composer’.”  

The first resonant pings and clangs of the opener, “Pantang,” Andrews elicits the timbres and reverberations of the metallophones of a gamelan, though the aleatoric rhythms bear little resemblance to the coursing structures of that tradition. Without knowing the sound sources, though, it would be easy to peg this as a piece for various chimes and bells, from trebly pings to darkly tolling bass sounds. But each successive track zeroes in on its own sonic qualities, from the more brittle clatter and jangle of “City of Crocodiles,” the darkly tolling peals of “Vicissitudes” layered with subtle rustles or the slow open knell of “Brace Sea” with richly layered overtones. The orchestral density of “Expulsion” are countered by the hisses and hums that fill out the sound field of “Steam Room in Buitenzorg,” possibly through the introduction of field recordings or from the ambience of the close-miking of the mechanical devices of the setup. Closing things out, Andrews cycles back to the sounds of the opening tracks with the crinkles and clanks of “Decoy Bird” or the microscopic sputters of “Strung Intervals.” Across 45 minutes, one becomes completely immersed in Andrews’ research into the sound world of small objects in which the constraints of the systems he devised to activate the source materials deliver a constantly evolving cycle of pieces imbued with an astonishing range of sonic depth and detail. 

Michael Rosenstein

[foundationsofdecay]

i know these aren’t really his brand anymore but i’m just imagining the kind of riffs ray toro could play using abasi concepts j larada

[selectricguitar]

^&**^ Abasi Guitars Concepts Larada J8 5A Quilted Maple Red/Maple https://ift.tt/3immgRi