#Digital Bath EP

[shadow0haven]

Anyway I think Arthur should be allowed to call Larson a bitch while he plays the flute.

Also, ITEM GET! BA NA NAA NAAAA. YOU GOT AN APPLE! Both of these inspired by the Invictus discord and patrons 😆

[ID: Two images. The first image is a sketch in black and off white of Arthur Lester playing the flute like the live performance of Lizzo, looking very angry and covered in dirt and needs a shave. He is holding onto the flute and very disheveled while yelling "BITCH!" in a speech bubble.

The second image is of Arthur Lester in the pose from The Legend of Zelda Windwaker when you get an item, in a very chibi style fashion. He is disheveled and has dirt on him, a beard, brown hair, bright blue eyes with yellow pupils, a light blue and white shirt, brown pants and shoes, and a brown belt. He holds an apple that is red, green, and gold above his head suspended in the air and seems to be shining. He looks triumphant for getting it, his right hand curled in a fist near his chest. /End ID]

[adobe-outdesign]

DHMIS Easter Eggs and Background Details

A huge list of a bunch of background details, foreshadowing, and Easter Eggs I noticed on my second watch-through. Note that I’m only including things that are fairly obscure, rather than “obvious” items others have already pointed out (so I’m not including the symbol sightings, for example). Feel free to add on with anything I missed.

Episode 1

In the theme song, Red Guy is “you”, which makes sense as he’s usually the audience surrogate character

Among the briefcase’s papers is a sticky note with 1906 on it

Right as the briefcase leaves, the last line is “you can be the ones who dig a hole for a funeral” as foreshadowing to the next episode

Everyone’s name tag in the factory has their name except for Yellow’s, which just says “employee”

When Bird is talking to Red in the office, he says that they’ve only been there for “9 minutes”. This is at the 14 minute mark and they got to Peterson’s at 5 minutes in, so they have indeed been there 9 minutes

According to the Carehound poster, Peterson’s is closed Mon–Sat and is open for exactly 4 minutes at 10 PM on Sun

Red Guy framed and hung the fax the fax machine gave him on the wall

Before the song starts the briefcase is rushing off to his job, but when the song ends he tells Brendon it’s time for his bath (as in, they’re going home). Meaning that teaching/torturing the puppets was the job he was rushing off to

Episode 2

The orange with eyes that was in the very first DHMIS short is in the BG when Red checks his ID card

The gel teacher appears as an inanimate object while Duck’s in the bathroom during the Big Day song

The tissue box says “sad squares” on it

Yellow’s red overalls from the ending of the DHMIS 6 short appear on his bed

The make your new friend box claims the new friend is not, in fact, toilet trained

The cassette that Duck plays is the same song from the end credits

Stain mentions “some people think we’re in a simulation” during their song, which references both the end of the OG series and episode 6 of this show

The shovel at the end of this episode cameos at the end of the original DHMIS 6 short as a teacher

There are a bunch of maggots by real!Bird’s feet at the end before they start the song

Episode 3

The Chuddle Dollops are “warm lasagna flavor”

Lillie and Todney switch their shirts from brown to black and white stripes while at their house for some reason

The picture Todney holds up appears to show Yellow holding a very Dead Duck by the leg

When Todney and Lillie are measuring their heights, the names on the wall are “grandma”, “Todney” and “Lily” (spelled with a Y)

When they measure Yellow’s height, they also measure his feet. They’re getting his measurements so they know what size to make the outfit they stick him in later

Duck has the toasted bread slice child from earlier on the table when Red drops in

Episode 4

That triangle thing from the original series shows up on the bookshelf early on

The apple teacher from the last episode also shows up on the shelf, surprisingly not eaten

The pamphlets Warren holds up for the restaurant-style meal include one for Grolton’s Chiken

The trio’s digital style avatars from DHMIS 4 show up in the BG when they go online as well as the “nothing” sign from 2 and the clown painting from 1

There’s a phone in every ep so far, probably as a reference to the role phones played in the OG series. A phone ringing is what leads Red into the office in 1, Red says you have to schedule to use the phone in 2, Lily and Todney cut the landline in 3, and there’s a phone in Yellow’s brain that Warren uses to order food

The search results on Colin include “long faced individuals in YOUR area - looking to chat!” and “long faced man VS horse - the ultimate long face showdown!”

Episode 5

The recipe note on the fridge says “rat shin”, “pie”, and “egg soup”

The photo in the kitchen background changes to a different photo each ep

Bird’s clipboard includes “one Jason” at the bottom

Bird individually counting tiles instead of counting it as one floor is valid considering the floor extends infinitely during the blackout in 6

If I’m not mistaken Red walking into another room is the first time that’s ever happened in either the show or the shorts. Usually it just cuts to them already in a different room

There’s another phone on the wall in the living room

The train teacher’s eyebrows fall off in bike form and remain gone while in car form

Mullhoven’s name is on a signpost (and the teacher) during a song transition, and the poster under it says that this is a “neighborhood watch area” with a picture of a woman (maybe meant to be Lelsey? though it doesn’t look much like her)

Roy’s face is on a pirate flag

1906 reference on the second bus, which reads “terminal 196″ in all of the destination windows

The car has a worm button in it

Bird says “we’ve already seen a dead horse”, even though they haven’t

Mini-Tony on the dashboard

Time Child’s digital clock reads 19:06

Mulhoven is spelled differently every time it shows up

Some of the Mulhoven signs include “Nice Hair”, “Nice Road”, and “It’s shoes”

Another sign says “Quiz Night Fun: Every Morning (It’s fun!)”

People have pointed out the Roy cameo in the neighbors shot, but Duck is also a few windows down

One character is dressed like Lily (blonde girl with striped shirt and a red letter), though the letter appears to be “I” instead of “L”

Episode 6

The bill is from Roy-Electric and it’s for 19.06 pounds

Electracey’s last two numbers on her neck are 96

Final phone is the fake phone with a real phone in it. Duck also has a phone during the blackout

Drawing with the dead Duck from Episode 5 of the OG series pops up in the BG during the shredder scene

Crossword includes “Roy”, “gravel” (a nod to DHMIS 3), and “aspic” (DHMIS 5)

When Electracey is malfunctioning the sunlight outside flickers with the indoor lights, hinting at the dollhouse thing

One of the chalkboard drawings says “aspic” and another says “Roy”

Clayhill is also on the chalkboard but scribbled out

The electric clock in the house reads “20:06″ (as in June 20th)

The urn that Red smashes has Duck’s face on it, meaning it’s once again another dead Duck

Sketchbook is lying dead beside the other teachers in front of the fridge

The fridge from the opening also shows up, with the same character pictures (and Duck with a powerdrill, the one used for Stain in episode 2)

There’s a decapitated Duck with a TV where the head should be, which lines up with Yellow breaking the doll in the next scene

The symbols on the book are as follows: Red’s eyes, decapitated Duck and Yellow heads (Yellow’s showing him with wires instead of blood), Roy coin from Ep 1 with a worm, battery with a worm, shovel, Tony, and Yellow’s severed hand from Ep 1

[colde0channel]

Colde with Korea Herald Interview by  Hong Dam-young and Choi Ji-won Spreading love through music with spirit of resistance. Musician-turned-entrepreneur talks about creating ripples in new music wave. 

The high ceiling and spaced out arrangement of achromatic furniture inside Colde's office in Seongu-dong, Seoul, gave off a cool energy. But exceptions here and there nodded to his more dynamic tastes: the bright yellow cabinet, the brilliant red, heart-shaped chair, and the colorful array of books half-neatly stacked behind his desk. Colde entered the room still on his phone. After dropping his recent single “When Dawn Comes Again” last month, the singer-songwriter has found himself busy every day as the head of his music label Wavy. “You’re lucky to catch me in just a T-shirt and pants,” Colde told the Korea Herald as he sat down. “I’m almost always wearing dress shirts and trousers these days with meetings on end.” Just like his office, an unusual mix of minimalistic arrangements with overwhelmingly diverse tastes, Colde was a balance of two extremes. A singer-songwriter creating soulful R&B music just few weeks ago, here he was back as a label chief working around the clock to create content that adds value. A singer-songwriter-turned-entrepreneur Colde, real name Kim Hee-soo, may be better known to fans as a member of R&B duo Offonoff, in which he kicked off his music career in 2016 with single “Bath.” The duo soon made a name for themselves, winning the R&B song of the year at the Korean Hip-hop Awards in 2018 with “Gold” from their first studio album “Boy.” While just making themselves known to a larger audience, Colde made his solo debut with his first EP “Wave” in September 2018 and went onto launch his own music label Wavy the next year. Untimely these moves may seem for a rising artist, Colde explained they were just a part of a natural progress for him in his pursuit of music. “We were a part of this hip-hop crew Club Eskimo, and along with the other artists, we were more than happy just to be able to share our passion for music. But this happiness was crashed not by ourselves, but outside powers, a bigger system, like our labels, for example. This was when I developed the spirit of resistance against such systems.” He didn’t have to wait long to take control of his music, with the dissolution of his former agency coming in late 2018. “I had a clear idea how to brand my company. Although I soon realized there was much more to operating a label than just branding, I came to face my limits, strove to overcome such shortages and learned much in the progress,” he said. Starting off as a one-person label in early 2019, Wavy has grown into a company of over 30 staff. Last year, he launched a new label, Layered Island. Although the two entities are run separately, Colde explained they are closely connected to make up a part of his music universe. “When I talk about music with my staff, I often use the descriptions ‘aluminum-like’ or ‘wood-like.’ The former is the music we do at Wavy, the unconventional and avant-garde, with lots of digital touches. But as I continue such novel attempts at Wavy, a part of myself also wanted to keep things simple and natural. That is the sort of music Layered Island pursues.” Waiting for the dawn His music career was one of those cases where he followed his passion in making decisions. Colde explained writing songs and lyrics just came naturally to him since he was young. Although he was never formally trained in music and decided to major design in college, his innate passion led him to his Offonoff partner 0channel who shared a similar background in music as him. When he was in his early 20s, music was a means to express his unstable emotions. He spent many days walking around the city at dawn, which according to the artist was when he was most energetic. He’d delve into his thoughts, and most importantly, take action. “I would say I lived the day waiting for the dawn. I would watch the world go around as I took a walk, and returning home, I’d put it into music. Most of the songs I have released until now were inspired from this time of the day.” Among those songs inspired from his midnight strolls were his recent single “When Dawn Comes Again” featuring group Exo’s member Baekhyun. “The song was first written in 2019. Many find their minds become filled up with all kinds of thoughts at dawn, especially complex feelings of bygone relationships and faded emotions. This song was made to resonate with those who become nostalgic at the midst of dawn.” While Baekhyun’s soulful voice matched the overall atmosphere of the song, embodying the dark yet warm aspect of dawn, Colde said what the artist had to offer was more than just the right voice. “I think Baekhyun portrays the ultimate idealization of an R&B artist. Working with Baekhyun on all his solo work, I came to appreciate how much of a veteran he was with his music. Not only were his songs great, but he was able to perform them on stage so properly. I couldn’t ask for better.” Resistance for love, peace Colde’s goal as an artist is to “stay unconventional.” And what drove such efforts was the “spirit of resistance,” he said. “It’s a phrase I live by. I’m always thinking about how I could go against expectations; what kind of twists I could throw at this system and the scene.” One of his most radical attempts were with his most recent EP “Idealism,” in which he calls on listeners -- and himself -- to remember their ideals and passions. For this eight-track album, Colde not only attempted new genres of music, but he stripped away from his usual style to shave his hair short and dye them blue. His cover of girl group Aespa’s “Next Level” was also quite a shock to many of his fans, but to him, just another exciting attempt. But while he talks of resistance and fighting back, he says a message of love lies behind it. “I think what the world needs the most right now is love, and the people who could really make the value resonate in people’s hearts are pop-culture artists, whether it be filmmakers, novelists or musicians,” he said. His objective in spreading love is not something vague, but a clear goal deriving from his own experience with music. While he grew up listening to songs about love from 1980s singers like Lee Moon-sae or Yoo Jae-ha, it was not until many years later that he was able to really comprehend the messages. “Likewise, my songs may not instantly touch the hearts of listeners, but I believe my job is done once they are heard because the energy is already delivered. It will stay inside them until the moment their lives strike a chord with the message.” Looking to the future, Colde is embarking on a journey to create a new wave in the music scene. Among his many new interests is idol music, especially those from boy band Tomorrow X Together. “Their universe and the story they tell through it is very characteristic, and such coherent storytelling is essential especially in the K-pop industry. A story is what makes the music last through time. I myself as an artist also go through a long process of designing the structure of stories for my albums.” He says his whole music business has a clear story of its own: Artists of their own creative identities will form different layers to build an island, Layered Island, and surrounding that will be ripples of constantly transforming waves, Wavy. What more will join this compound of music is unforseeable. “My ultimate goal is for this movement to expand, flow to a vaster ocean. Being upfront and speaking up for myself as an individual didn’t seem right, and that’s how I came to found the labels. My role would be to build firm ground on which the artists can spread their creativity, with the hopes that their music will be able to influence the public.”

Link: https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210823000798

[independentartistbuzz]

7 FROM THE WOMEN: MISHA PENTON

Misha Penton is an amazingly versatile artist known for her work as a singer, composer, and filmmaker. 

She has been recognised for her unique blend of art song, sound poetry, and chamber electronica. Her upcoming projects include the release of a music video titled “Earthshine” in celebration of the winter solstice 2023, along with a performance and release party in collaboration with Sawyers Yard Houston, where she is based.

Additionally, she has a forthcoming EP inspired by a 19th century fairytale book in the works. 

Misha’s diverse body of work has been featured at prestigious institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Dallas Museum of Art, and Rothko Chapel. She has worked closely with influential mentors in voice, opera, and experimental voice, including Lois Alba, Kathleen Kaun, Katherine Ciesinski, and Richard Armstrong, and has collaborated with organisations like Houston Grand Opera, Liminal Space Contemporary Music Ensemble and the Quartus Chamber Players.

Penton holds a BA in Music from Skidmore College, as well as an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College, and a PhD in voice and composition from Bath Spa University UK. 

We caught up with Misha for an Exclusive Interview below! 

What Have You Been Working to Promote Lately?

“Earthshine” is my new single and music video. The work celebrates the winter solstice season, the longest night of the year. This dark and introspective time is a pause before the lengthening days bring us toward summer. I love the idea of going inward and engaging with stillness before the beginning of a new cycle. Earthshine is the dim glow on the darkened part of a crescent moon — the reflected sunlight from Earth shining on the night side of the moon. My music video and song conjures the subtle illuminating energies of beautiful things unseen or unnoticed. I created “Earthshine” to honor the cycle of the seasons. I often work creatively with the wheel of the year: the solstices, equinoxes, and moon phases. Noticing these cycles taps into the ebb and flow of natural energies. I sometimes feel caught up in our fast-paced and chaotic digital world. Observing the waxing and waning of the moon or remembering the tilt of the earth and the changing angle of the sun feels grounding.

2. Please tell us about your favorite song written, recorded or produced by another woman and why it’s meaningful to you.

So many! I’ll choose “Moments of Pleasure” by Kate Bush from The Red Shoes. The lyrics capture fleeting, beautiful images of her life with a rip-your-heart out vibe. And her singing is intimate and deeply connected to the emotional experience — “Just being alive / It can really hurt / And these moments given / Are a gift from time / Just let us try / To give these moments back / To those we love / To those who will survive.”

3. What does it mean to you to be a woman making music/in the music business today and do you feel a responsibility to other women to create messages and themes in your music?

My music is about following my creative vision and that’s what I encourage other artists to do. Stay inspired by surrounding yourself with others committed to their unique journeys, only do projects worthy of your time, skills, and attention (in other words, say “No” a lot) and always honor your work.            

4. What female artists have inspired you and influenced you?

Björk, Kate Bush, and Annie Lennox, for their unique music, musicianship, embrace of technology, and beautifully crafted and singular images. Meredith Monk, for her innovative vocal compositions and large-scale theatrical performances that blend classical, folk, and experimental music. Cathy Berberian, the mid 20th century contemporary classical and opera singer—she’s the grandmother of vocal new music and avant-garde singing. Diamanda Galas who is utterly unique, stunning, and fearless. And of course, the soul, blues, jazz, and R&B greats like Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald — and artists who took up their mantle like India Arie, Alicia Keys, Lauryn Hill, and H.E.R. There are so many amazing artists—too many to list!                                                                                                        

5. Who's Your Favorite Female Icon (dead or alive) and why?

Audrey Hepburn. Funny Face with Fred Astaire is probably my favorite of her movies. It’s set in NYC and Paris in the 1950s and features the Gershwin classics, “How Long Has This Been Going On?” and “’S Wonderful.” There’s a great scene set in a bohemian coffeehouse in Greenwich Village and another where she floats down the Daru staircase at the Louvre in a red Givenchy gown. She embodied elegant and fashionable stardom (she was a muse of Hubert de Givenchy). She was also an activist and humanitarian, working with UNICEF and raising awareness of global children’s needs.                                                         

6. What was the most challenging thing you have had to face as a female artist?

Challenges or unfair professional situations usually evoke my anger and I’ve used that anger as a catalyst to create my own work. I only do projects that are a good fit for me artistically and personally. In the past, I’ve worked with men who were immature and not nearly as hard-working and intensely creative as I am. My work deserves far better—so I strive to create an ideal environment for my work, myself. Don’t take any sh*t from anyone. Do your own thing and you’ll find the right creative tribe.                             

7. Finally – Where can we find you online? Website | Instagram | Facebook |

Spotify | Apple Music | Bandcamp | Misha on Streaming Platforms

Misha has been praised for her ability to create immersive musical experiences, incorporating layered voices, swirling guitars, and electronic textures. Her collaborative efforts with other artists contribute to the richness of her work, showcasing a diverse range of influences and creative approaches.

We look forward to hearing more from her in the upcoming year! 

[doomedandstoned]

Ohio’s Maharaja Decry Addiction in Furious New Doomer, “Soulless”

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

Artwork by Nicholas Schukay

I'll never forget seeing MAHARAJA at Ohio Doomed & Stoned Festival some years back. Though formed in 2013, I had not encountered the band's music until we put together our compilation Doomed & Stoned in Ohio in 2017. Their stage presence the following year was urgent and fierce, as the Gem City trio belted out powerful, lumbering chords and vigorous, entrancing rhythms.

A follow-up to their debut album, Kali Yuga, Maharaja now brings us the EP 'Aviarium' (2022). Its four tracks are bathed in a dark, hazy atmosphere. Savage, unhinged vocals intersected by hot, razor sharp riffage pulses hypnotically and sometimes stabs at you like a knife. Drums are wild and convulsive, often engrossingly tribalistic.

The cacophony of sound resembles to me the fluttering of feathered creatures, with guitar effects miming their chirps and cries (see the massive "Ballad of the Flightless Bird"). Lyrics bear witness to the slow deterioration of our social fabric as it is corroded away by isolation, depression, neglect, and a mélange of self-destructive behaviors. In short, the loss of meaning, dignity, and purpose.

Says the band:

This album is a definite move in our new direction towards a more aggressive sound. Lyrically and thematically, the album is about our home, Dayton, Ohio. Being inspired by real events as well as observational insight, the album converses drug addiction, murder, police violence, and the effects of living in a turbulent, depressing place. Sonically, we wanted to capture the weight and intensity of these elements: death, hysteria, tragedy, violence. Each song has its own story, terrible and true.

Before us is the first single from Maharaja's upcoming release, entitled "Soulless." Reverberating notes wake us up to a new reality. Drums dig in furiously as a barrage of fuzz surrounds us. Voices rail in pissed-off unison against this helpless hopeless hell sphere. Guitar feedback screeches with agitation, finally breaking into an array of rainy, dissonant chords, whilst bass and drums grind maniacally.

The song's meaning? Maharaja tells us:

"Soulless" is about drug addiction. It’s a song from the perspective of a person overdosing and dying. All the songs are inspired by where we live. Addiction is hitting everywhere real hard. As someone who has battled with addiction, I wanted to write a song that would harness what it feels like to chase death.

On a whole, the record is simply devastating. Maharaja's Aviarium drops December 9th in digital and vinyl formats via Seeing Red Records (pre-order here). Mix it with Conan, Torche, and Kurokuma on your next playlist, and stir in some Mr. Bungle just because.

This is the Doomed & Stoned World premiere of "Soulless."

Give ear...

Aviarium by Maharaja

LYRICS

Inversion. Bile out my mouth. Eyes rolling back. Grey matter pouring out. And then... It’s all over What have I done? Should I give in and die? Tame yourself. Your brain lies. Calm hands. I just want to fucking die. All my trembling insides pour out. And then... It’s all over Eyes wide, and then...

Follow The Band

Get Their Music

[vonlipwig]

I'm thinking about mundane lost media. The kind that doesn't garner a cult following. The kind that is never noticed because no one knows it's lost. They didn't know it was there to begin with. The kind that just drops off the internet one day because the server short circuits or the website is closed or something changes and it's gone. And it's like it was never there. And no one mourns its loss.

On an old mp3 buried in a drawer, I found six tracks from a band I once loved. They only ever released one ep in the mid-00s. It contains my favourite Christmas song of all time. There is no real trace of them left beyond a sparce Wikipedia page and a few clumsily captured videos of them playing live on youtube. You can't find these tracks anywhere online. You can't buy their digital ep any more. The myspace page that was their main access point has been gutted and is no more than a tracklist.

As I listen to these songs I think: this is lost media. These could be one of the last few copies of this media in existence. If I drop this mp3 player in the bath, pass it too close to a magnet, lose it on the tube, they'll be gone. And I won't be able to find them again.

No one is searching for these songs. No one is mourning their loss. There is no forum full of rabid fans desperate to listen to more to life or sirens in the city again.

There is something terrifying about this. What do I do with these songs? Do I have a responsibility?

What would you do?

[coredrill]

me: man why’s sushio not credited on any of these eps :/

sushio:

meanwhile in 7&8:

ep7:

mmmmmmmmmm timeskip. (to clarify timeskips are VERY hit or miss for me, i feel like they often end up unsatisfying bc of the amount of development/events deemed unnecessary to the story that occur offscreen. like when it’s not done expertly it means that the writers have failed at telling a story. anyways w the benefit of hindsight the ambiguousness of the amount of time for this one is lame. has it been a month? a year? why’s david so hardened but everyone else is the same? why’s david already succumbing to cyberpsychosis when he’s known to have a high tolerance for it?? this was 100% the video game guys’ way of being like “DAVID CHANGED” but it doesn’t work well for me tbh.)

(i adore both of ttgl’s timeskips btw)

REBECCA KICKING THE SHIT OUTTA THIS DUDE LMAO

kiwi’s alive 😭

YES REBECCA I LOVE INSANE WOMEN

david flipping around w the word “broken” flashing in the bg trigger’s subtlety hits right AS ALWAYS LMFAO

why’s david’s new design look like when dudebros draw simon as their own ugly wish fulfillment 😐

NOT THE “TALES OF TRAUMA” POSTER FNDNNDBDBSNDNDJSJS

“i feel better in cyberware than in my own skin” ah so this is a story abt lack of identity and how being a kid when the system is stomping your parents into the dirt leaves them with hopes for you that you don’t care abt but also you don’t have the chance to develop your own self and hopes bc of that same system. got it 👍

THESE BITCHES ARE NAKED IN FRONT OF GIANT ASS WINDOWS?????????????? (viral voice) PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!!!!!!!!!

LUCY BACKSTORYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!

ok so i DO LOVE the concept of an “old net” with hidden secrets like digital archaeological ruins like that’s SO GOOD. HOWEVER lucy being “only kid from childhood experiment who Made It” is too fuckin kiznaiver for me 🤢

(i do still enjoy lucy tho)

YES BIG FAN OF THE ANIMATION GLITCHING OUT OVER RANDOM PARTS OF THE GUY AND THE “DENIED” OVER LUCY. i also love when lucy’s made creepy that’s so good

ep8:

is that stephanie sheh :)( (with the benefit of hindsight aka i read the credits and typed this up after: no it is not lmao)

welp :/

OHHHHHHHHHH WAS DAVID LIKE A TEST SUBJECT OR SOMETHING. DOES HE ALREADY HAVE THE CYBER SKELETON????? AND THAT’S WHY HIS BONES FLASH WHEN HE POWERS UP????????

(if true trigger y’all are so good at your jobs 😭)

OHHHHHHHH AND THAT’S WHAT LUCY FOUND AND WIPED WHILE SHE WAS IN THE BATH OR WHATEVER AND WHY SHE KEEPS MEDDLING (with the benefit of hindsight: AND why she tried to tell david he wasn’t special)

kiwi calling lucy mysterious LMAO

i wanna see kiwi taking lucy in and training her and lucy looking up to kiwi and cutting her hair like kiwis (with the benefit of hindsight: 😭😭😭😭😭😭)

david and rebecca bff agenda i just wish they didn’t make rebecca into him 🥴

why aren’t there nips in the digital world

LMAO at this serious conversation in front of the sex poster AND THE TALES OF TRAUMA POSTER

ahhhhhh so david’s gonna die saving lucy

DTR SIGN??????????

NOOOOOOOO NOT KIWI BETRAYAL :(

anyways tonight’s take is much the same as yesterday’s in that the story is not rly doing it for me but the characters are decent (tho i like david less, prob bc of the timeskip) and the animation is still a TREAT to watch so. ALSO I CANT WAIT TO WATCH THE SUSHIO EPISODE HOLY SHIT ITS GONNA GO SO HARD

[steve0discusses]

S5 Ep 4: But His Name Backwards is Nomolos????

World is still kind of a mess, so lets go back to Yugioh, during an arc that is so incredibly tame that no one has died. Not even a little bit. No one has risked the destruction of the ecosystem with Pegasus’ historical fanart drawn on digital playing card. No angry gods have done really anything. They’re all on break.

Except for Pharaoh, but Pharaoh isn’t that angry anymore ever since the Orichalcos thing. He mostly just talks about card matches I couldn’t care less about because it’s Grandpa and Joey.

hey you know what bro just noticed that I haven’t noticed over these past 4 seasons--Look at Yugi and Yami’s hair.

Yugi’s hair has 3 extra floppy down bangs by his eyes. I just always assumed those were the same number as Pharaoh’s bangs--but turns out no, those are Pharoah’s streaks but flopped down.

Which means when he de-charges, his hair just flops over directly into his eyes.

And now I have an urge to animate something for the first time in years (spoiler: I do not have the time to animate this.) because WHY would they never animate this hair flop for us??? The POTENTIAL.

Grandpa spends most of the time saying “Joseph, can you guess what card I’m holding???” and Joey is like “Why would I tell you that? I’m trying to play a game? Would you stop explaining the rules? it’s getting kind of weird.” and I got a little bit of an insight into what the homelife of Yugi Muto must have been like growing up with a Grandpa who is just always talking about cards.

It does explain why Yugi plays so freakin slow, though.

(read more under the cut)

This is clearly just a visual gag but also maybe this is also how the Doctor just gets around?

Speaking of visual gags and getting around, it’s our two most inconsequential minibosses, refusing to leave the series.

Y’all let me know last time that we are in fact, still in America, and I guess this is proof of it, because there’s no other way they could have walked here. I mean Yugioh is real bad at geography but they seem to have a good grasp of a big ass ocean existing betwixt Japan and the US.

Not sure where they got those rad Hobbit outfits, though. If this is their new look, I’ll accept it.

(Yes, this is a new font. Again, I’m trying out stuff to try and make it accessible. I will figure this out before the season is over)

Honestly, I didn’t think Rex and Weevil could get much worse than being dead. Thought that maybe waking up in a hospital bed after joining the Big Bad would be enough of a wake up call to the direction their life is heading.

But, considering that this arc has no real villain so far other than a guy who likes the color purple and bathing in milk...maybe that’s fine. It’s not a BAD thing to play cards, necessarily. This doesn’t make them bad people...it’s what you do with those cards.

Like destroying a Caltrain with it, for instance.

Unless of course, the amount of energy it takes to do a card hologram is the same amount as an NFT, in which case I guess that would make them bad no matter who you play against. But we live in a universe with Noah in it, who probably had enough energy pumped into that orb to fuel like 15 Americas. Fossil fuels seem to be just fine in this universe.

In fact I don’t think it’s ever come up? Surprisingly, Seto Kaiba has never had to deal with an eco terrorist, unless you counted Raphael. That is hella rare for a 90′s early 00′s show. I feel like they were contractually obligated to have at least one fossil fuel episode.

Well, good for the Yugioh universe, who managed to solve the energy crisis off screen. Good for them.

PS Hawkins said this and afterward was like “I just want you kids to appreciate what you’re seeing here today.” and it’s like damn Hawkins. Condescend much? This old guy is like King of Throwing Shade While Appearing to be Helpful.

Anyway, the gimmick of Solomon Muto is that he plays a bunch of history cards. Arthur Hawkins was super excited about it, but I feel like the other kids were like “We straight up have never heard of any of these old ass cards for a reason.”

Bro has informed that this card also sucks ass IRL, and like...I’m not surprised.

(grandpa’s font has also changed to something he’s actually wearing, and to something that is way more legible.)

To think that during the time Grandpa spent trying to get this dragon working, he could have been researching the damn God Cards and helping Pharaoh figure out his past history. Youknow...that history stuff that he devotes his entire life to studying.

Course, maybe Grandpa was smart enough to know NOT do that. I feel like Grandpa putting the brakes on revealing Pharaoh’s history is reason enough to just not open that Pandora’s box, but that will be another arc, I guess. This one we’re just showing some ancient dragon merch to sell toys to kids IRL. Gotta have your episodes to remind you that Yugioh is in fact toys.

Also, Hawkins proceeded to point out to Yugi in a way without literally saying it, that Yugi doesn’t go home often enough to distract his Grandpa with cards.

Which Hawkins followed up by throwing shade at Joey Wheeler for the rest of the match, since he was the only one here who stans Grandpa. You can see who Rebecca gets it from, is what I’m saying.

Joey reveals his only motivation to be here--which should be to get a plane ticket. Like their only reason to be in this tournament is already done?

But his other motivation is silly.

uh huh.

Tristan really did lay this specific dunk in the show. He is being given a plane ticket to do nothing. Wow, Tristan.

At least Joey’s motivation isn’t based on fixing some girl. For once Joey is just doing this for himself and not for a relationship that will never happen for at least several years, or to be a Father for his oblivious Sister. Thank you, show. Course I say that, and there could be another Mai arc right around the corner.

Anyway, there really isn’t much else to say about this arc other than Joey has finally bested his mentor in a card game. Still can’t best Yugi or Pharaoh or Seto or hell, probably even Tea or Mokuba if they ever pulled out cards again...

...but he bested Grandpa, who got polished off by being beaten up by several thug-like holograms.

Not sure why he fell over other than...something in the holograms must be real in this universe. There’s no other reason this would happen!

(honestly I can’t handle Grandpa’s face. It looks. SO BAD. There’s something  offsetting about it that I really do not like, and I think it’s the eyes and the tiny nose and the very skeletal bone structure--I don't like it)

Like every person here is convinced that Yugi’s grandpa is one step away from keeling over and it’s low key hilarious to me. The man has died and been resurrected. You think Pegasus did that bad of a job??? Grandpa Muto will likely outlive all of you.

This show really can’t lift Joey without taking two more punches to get him back down. Like the show keeps telling me that Joey is a complete idiot, and he kind of is, but I want to point out that he is a talented idiot who was second in most of the tourney’s he’s been in and he should have killed Marik straight up if he wasn’t like struck by lightning first.

Yes, he got distracted and raced after Mai last season so he prematurely died, but that was clearly just a phase because I don’t see Mai here.

Yes, in the actual show, they each said “ohhhh” and it’s like...the brain damage on these kids. We need to get them back to school.

I think there’s like 30+ other characters introduced but the only ones I know are Rex, Weevil, Leon, and...the girl who hugged Yugi once? I don’t remember her name. But they’re probably next. I feel like this is a bit of a slower arc, but hey, if anything it’s easier for me to cap.

anyway, if you just got here, this is a link to read these in Chrono Order!

https://steve0discusses.tumblr.com/tagged/yugioh/chrono

I’ll have you know I wrote this whole thing thinking Nomolos is a Fleet Foxes song and it hellllllllla got stuck in my head, but it turns out the word I was thinking of is Mykonos.

[thesunlounge]

Reviews 370: Coyote

I have been mostly absent as of late due to the pressures of completing my PhD studies, but now that the work there is finishing, I am trying to return to regular reviewing. And for months and months now, one of the records I’ve most wanted to discuss has been Coyote’s Buzzard Country, released last year on their home station Is it Balearic? Recordings. In fact, my delay has been so extreme that, not only has Coyote released an accompanying Buzzard Country Remixes 12”—which I will cover here as well—they have also dropped the incredible Return to Life 12”, and even announced a new 2xLP slated for the summer called The Mystery Light. But better late than never, and there is no way I can pass up the chance to at last write in depth about the music of Timm Sure and Ampo. I say “at last” because, despite the fact that I consider Coyote amongst my very favorite recording artists, you would be forgiven for not knowing that by scanning the Sun Lounge archives. Though I’ve had opportunity to discuss their work here and there via remixes (such as on Blank & Jones’ Relax: The Sunset Sessions 2 and Joe Morris’ Cloud Nine 12”), by some strange turn of fate, Coyote has released no vinyl of their own since this blog’s inception...something that only changed very recently. Indeed, prior to 2020, the last time the duo put out solo works on wax was their stunning 2016 run, which included the Song Dogs LP, the Fight the Future 12” on Clandestino, and the seventh EP in their long running self-titled series on Is It Balearic? Which is not to say they weren’t active, and in fact, Timm Sure and Ampo delivered a really great set of digital singles and EPs in collaboration with Music for Dreams, and additionally, they remained active with remix and DJ work. As well, Buzzard Country was due quite a bit earlier than 2020, but was unfortunately plagued by production delays. To at last get to the point, this is all a roundabout way of saying that I am really excited to have plenty of Coyote to write about now and in the future, so that I can finally pay proper tribute to this foundational duo of the modern balearic beat. 

As I’ve explored the balearic soundworld, Ampo and Timm Sure have always been beacons of light guiding me on my path, whether through their eclectic productions as Coyote, through the curation of Is It Balearic?, Über, and the Magic Wand edit series, or through their mixes and DJ sets, which are typically loaded with unheard treasures that lean towards the trippier and dubbier ends of the chill out spectrum. And it is this tendency towards the psychoactive that most endears me to Coyote, for the duo have always championed an authentic balearic spirit, one that foregrounds the music’s connections to the hippie hedonist heydays of Ibiza, to the second summer of love, and to a spirit of ecstatic abandon, one that is equally imbued with a magical sense of melancholy…of a feeling of being in paradise, but knowing it can’t last…as if the moments of revelatory magic—of wild nights dancing and sunrise comedowns—are tempered in real-time with senses of longing and regret. Which brings me finally to Buzzard Country, Coyote’s fifth full-length LP and a pitch-perfect encapsulation of their signature mixture of wistful melodic nostalgia and daydream seaside grooving. Across the album, baggy beats morph between downbeat disco, stoner dub, and world exotica while bottom heavy basslines work the body. Echoing vocal samples thread around hand drums tapestries, emotional washes of synthesis flow over radiant piano chords, and at crucial moments, the exotica guitar flourishes of longtime collaborator Saro Tribastone carry the mind away to lands of faraway fantasy. As for the Buzzard Country Remixes 12”, the A-side is given over to the Hardway Brothers, who brilliantly transform the album’s “Sun Culture” into varying landscapes of ultra deep Chain Reaction style dub wizardry. Then on the B-side, Woolfy vs. Projections and Max Essa respectively flip album stand outs “Shimmer Dub” and “Ranura de Marihuana” into their own specific strains of equatorial dancefloor euphoria, with each remix pushing the mind, body, and spirit towards maximal beach boogie mania. 

Coyote - Buzzard Country (Is It Balearic? Recordings, 2020) “Soaring” begins with buzzard calls and hovering breaths of synthesis evoking a new dawn. Ripples form in the ether via bubbling squarewave synth leads, and pulsating dub bass sits beneath a blanket of sighing strings. The carrion calls continue streaking through the mix and celestial pianos rain down while echoing playfully across the spectrum. Plucked bass electronics bounce in counterpoint and hesitate woodwind glimmers call to mind flashing laser lights beneath a beautiful sea surface…almost as if a flute has been transmuted into a rapid fire fractal vibration. At times the strings back away, leaving layers of rainbow colored ocean ambiance to flutter and dance, all before ending with white noise delay oscillations that mimic the swell of ocean waves. Then in “Soft Top Saab,” an echo-soaked voice muses on the sunrise, with chills running down the spine as the solar affirmations are increasingly surrounded by space age string synths, and by Sara Tribastone’s mystical guitar filigrees. Reversing melodies enter the spectrum and swell the heart while shakers and tambourines hold a gentle beat. Tribastone’s guitar serenades softly overhead, with plucked textures of synthetic wood and stone dancing in the background. Further delay-laced pianos fade into view, with the track ebbing and flowing…growing and receding…and sometimes backing down into understated back and forth between guitar and piano, wherein harmonious brass layers and swells of spectral space glitter moving at the periphery. The result is a conversational interchange between seaside melancholy and romantic nostalgia, one which is eventually superseded by cosmic flutters, soft six string dances, and the spoken spells of a reggae mystic, who gives thanks to the sun, and its bounty of restorative light.

Dusty acoustic guitars and sunrise vapors introduce “Shimmer Dub,” while dancing dub bass portends the first real taste of a groove. A rocking hypno-rhythm comes into focus and laid back snares guide the infectious glide, while tablas roll overhead and evocative vocal layers thread through the mix. Steel pan synths are seen through the titular shimmer and wavering wavefronts of blurred melody wash over everything, until the mix drops down into a haze of stoned exotica comprised of a minimalist pallet of tabla rhythms, bleary-eyed pads, and thrilling vocal incantations…the effect like awakening on the shores of some faraway ocean paradise, with visages of desert caravan rituals preceding in the distance. The dubbed out groove eventually resurges, with passages given over to extended echo percussion experiments and the fragile songs of tropical idiophones. Feminine vocals glow like some intoxicating gas of multi-hued magic, and springy basslines guide the body while hi-hats and snare work through a psychedelic skank. Smoldering currents of ether move through the stereo field and moments of subtle intensity erupt from the horizontal vibe out…with airy woodwinds shrouded in static, claps cracking, and hand drums creating webs of groove mesmerism. And as the beat starts to vaporize, echo oscillations set the air aflame amidst fantasy orchestrations.

“Ranura de Marihuana” bathes in echo acoustic guitars that seem beamed in from some distant past…these evocations of classical folk music futurized via layers of fx. An ecstatic scream washes the mix clean, and a four-to-the-floor kick drum emerges to pound in the void, while overhead, Flamenco-indebted guitars spin webs of magic and reverberating vocals call to the spirits of sea and sky….sometimes whispering, other times shrieking wildly into the night. Sub-earthen bass movements are felt more than head, with exotic dub lines moving far beneath the surface. Bongos and congas pop and nervous shaker patterns lead the downbeat disco strut, while guitars work through further Mediterranean hooks and Iberian flourishes. A moment is given over to heavy bass and kaleidoscopic hand percussion–with scatting vocals, reverberating snaps, and lost souls wailing in desperation–and when the groove snaps back, there are touches of tango kissing the preceding, which bring to mind a rose-in-mouth glide across some dark and mysterious dancefloor, wherein spindly psych folk guitar melodies work the mind and airy drum rhythmics entrance the body. The kick climbs back towards dancefloor strength, with desert mystic percussions moving all around the mix and vocals morphing though fever dream echo layers. Elements from across the track refract through oscillating delay machines, and touches of rave haunt the rhythms, especially as subsonic basslines and subdued breakbeats work together.

A single piano note brings light to the darkness in “Sun Culture” and layers of radiance rain down in the form of heart-melting piano chordscapes, with some of that Screamadelica soul bliss suffusing the progressions. Warming pads envelope everything and deep dub pulses walk down white sand beaches, with shakers and lysergic breaths giving shape to the groove. Hi-hats, snare taps, and beachside bongos enter and buzzing guitar notes give off waves of golden light while overhead, liquids drip from the roofs of ocean cliff caverns. The single piano note continues to glow while souflul chords hold the mind in a state of psychedelic rapture, and space age ethers blind all vision as they spread outwards, then recede. Coyote move the track progressively towards a state of horizontal bliss, with almost everything washing away except the summery piano incantations, which are so soaked in reverb as to generate billowing cloudforms with every single note. Hushed rhythms return and hand drums take on a slight sense of urgency while pads generate layers of oceanic warmth, resulting in an audial invitation to greet the rising sun, and a naturalistic tribute to crashing waves and drifting clouds.

Intergalactic pads breath in “Dos Canas,” with tones wispy and suffused with inner light. Palm-muting electric guitars dance like bubbles through the ocean blue, and a touch of kosmische ambiance is soon tempered by bulbous dub basslines and splayed out layers of percussion, wherein the mechanic and organic merge seamlessly. Electroid sketches and seed shakers move in time as a slow and low balearic skank emerges, with glorious tones of brass pulsing overhead before ascending to the heavens on currents of humid tropical air. Hand drums circle the mix as the heavy atmospheres recede, leaving vaporous rhythms and golden synth strands to intertwine. Heartwarming chords give off mirage shimmers as the dub bass works its way back in, bringing with it further layers of world drum delirium. Soft sirens pan before giving way to more of the ascendent brass synthesis, and hisses of white noise add layers of subtle psychotropia. Snares are blasted into bursts of desert sand and all throughout the mix, various strands of melody and harmony are caught within oscillating delay cycles…progressively distorting and roaring into the ether. Shakers and 16th note hi-hats lead the groove while bongos and idiophones dance playfully against the snare and kick, until it all breaks down into an ambient outro of serene static, sighing strings, and layers of phasing rainbow light.

“Feedback Valley” closes the show with synth incantations portending the glow of a glorious sunrise, while shakers generate an infectious shuffle. Tribastone and his acoustic guitar explore Flamenco landscapes and a four-four kick drums hits against the body while layers of synthesis radiate compelling colorations. Babbling voices ride a serpentine synth sequence and touches of acid bass move in support, with cut-off filters opening as the snare drops, creating a head-nodding and body bopping groove that lifts the spirit towards the sky. The sequential electronics are so effective as they bob and weave through the mix, creating an effortless vibe of beach dance perfection…of hands-in-the-air euphoria and the abandonment of all worry or fear. Additional touches of six string sunshine push the mind every towards the shores of Ibiza and during a breakdown into burning delay feedback, synthesizers filter into solar squelch and guitars drift towards psychedelic delirium. A slow yet anthemic snare roll calls to mind big room trance as it brings the groove back into focus, now with 3D synth snaps firing in the left ear as the ever-present sequence reduces to a calming purr. Tribastone continues letting loose threads of sunshine lysergia and points of synthetic light swell into magnificent globes of blinding incandenscence. And towards the end, an echo-shrouded choir of the sea sings beneath a brief guitar fantasia before it all washes away in a scream of oscillation.

Coyote - Buzzard Country Remixes (Is It Balearic? Recordings, 2021) The Hardway Brothers take “Sun Culture” into ultra-deep territory across two versions on the A-side, with the first being the very aptly named “Balearic Channel Remix”…which is of course a reference to the work of Mark Ernestus and Moritz von Oswald. Underground warehouse kick drums pound beneath hissing space fluids, as a low down Chain Reaction-style groove emerges, though with its eyes locked on a melting sunset panorama. Liquiform chords flow into cold industrial caverns and string synths suffuse the reverberating spaces with splashes of sunshine, while sub bass motions vibrate the soul. Shadowy tracers flit across the sky and DMT vibrato waves squiggle at hyperspeed, yet their effect is blunted and muted. Claustrophobic clouds fade in then out while melodic piano chordstrokes reflect in strange ways off of glowing walls of stone, their effect like gemstones glimmering underwater, yet with their luster sanded away by the march of time. Muted dub chords are caught in crackling delay chains and the deep kicks and jacking bass never relent in their heads down, hands-in-the-air stomp. Snares are reduced to a whisper and shaker patterns cause head-bobbing hypnotism as funky chords bring touches of liquid fusion grooving…only as if proceeding in the middle of a dub techno fever dream. Insectoid chitters move in from all corners of the mix, sawing sirens swirl into screams of feedback, and all the while, drum circle flourishes are shattered into a web echoing delirium.

Next comes Sun Culture “(Hardway Brothers Meet Monkton Uptown),” which sees the bass going even deeper somehow, as growling riddims menace the mind and rattle the ribcage. We soon find ourselves in another subaquatic dub techno dopamine dream, wherein kick, snare and hi-hat lock in for maximal hypnotic effect. Sometimes the bass guitar of Duncan Gray seems to take on a post-punk drug chug edge, and at some point, the rhythms pull away, leaving chopped up voices to decay into the void. Bassline and beats return and streaks of feedback sing softly over everything, while fogs of seafoam move at the outer edges of the stereo field. Clouds of solar static are seen from millions of miles away and traces of flamboyant fuzz guitar are submerged into a pooling vortex of deep dub delirium, emerging stretched out and mutated into currents of neon starshine. Gray's melodic basslines serenade through the underground club grooves, those funky chords return to sing their 70s fusion songs within layers of sighing feedback, and increasingly, the mix is overwhelmed by distorted blasts of drug-induced haze. Abstracted voices filter from one ear to the other…their unintelligible spells of esoteric mystery pushing the mind ever further towards astral activation. And towards the ends, the original tracks Primal Scream-style piano chord structures can just be heard amidst feedback fires, delay detritus, and morphing vocal abstractions.

In the Woolfy vs Projections mix of “Shimmer Dub,” the original track’s hand percussions intermingle with gurgling rhythmic fluids…the effect like wandering upon some tribal jungle ceremonial. Big blasts of downer synth bass are soaked in reverb, repetitive synth pulses tickle the mind, and pillowy arpeggios flow into view while those familiar synthetic steel drums shine in the sunlight. Fingers roll across myriad skins as the kick drum drops away, leaving the mind to swim in a world of equatorial energy. Then, as the bass drum resumes–with shakers never relenting–a new bassline emerges, bringing with it a heavy touch of wiggling squiggling Italo boogie. The vibe is hesitant…anxious even…with a persistent refusal to lock in, and as bass bursts grow in intensity, the rest of the mix begins reverberating into a balearic dreamscape. Following a delirious pause, the track explodes into flamboyant disco funk perfection, as sweltering chord hazes melt from the sky and bouncing basslines join an infectious and tropically tinged body groove. Chords scat, virtual marimbas dance, synthetic steel pans shimmer across the spectrum, and swells of white light synthesis overwhelm the mind...the whole thing as massive a groove as there could possibly be. Touches of electro kiss the rhythms and futuristic synth riffs fire as we back down into a swinging breakbeat, with rapid keyboard riffs locking into heady funk cycles and stadium-sized tom tom fills splaying out across the stereo field. Guitar licks are soaked in sunshine as they lead a dubwise swing, and as we explode once more into the block rocking groove, double time shakers and hats push the vibe towards dance party mania…all as coral-colored leads rush through star ocean fx clouds.

Max Essa’s take on “Ranura de Marihuana” sees a four-four kick smacking with infectious disco dance energy and hand percussion flowing all around. A snare crack introduces another groove indebted to Italo boogie, with big bottomed synth basslines accentuating the vibes of beach dance euphoria. Shakers spread into sandy clouds of atmosphere and heatwave pads sweat and squelch as starlight arppegios race across the sky. The vibe of Ibizan melancholia is here perfected, causing body and soul to merge in hedonistic ecstasy, and though the track resembles one of Essa’s characteristic blue ocean dancefloor cruisers, its a little slower and baggier than usual, which fits completely with Coyote’s zoner stoner vibe. Seascape pianos bring a peaktime fee and at certain moments, the groove momentarily recedes, only to rush back in on an infectious snare crack. Ivory melodies are increasingly strange and psychotropic as they flutter across the mix, with decaying vibration tails carried away on an aqueous breeze. The radiant piano chords and vocalizations from the original swim into the stereo field as Essa barrels down into a heavy bassline stomp, with every pulling away aside from smeared out voices and 70s prog rock pads that evoke a string orchestra tuning to the sounds of the stars. Further clap cracks bring back layers of equatorial euphoria and the vocals are used to incredible effect, with echoing snippets repurposed as anthemic hooks. Pianos continue their alien dance over relaxed disco rhythms and snapping funk basslines, and as we move towards the end, claps and basslines fire rapidly as vocals morph through slapback oscillations…all before dropping into one last expanse of seaside dancefloor magic, with dub disco beats, infectious world percussion rolls, and a pleading voices diffusing towards a gorgeous sunset horizon.

(images from my personal copies)

[goldenkamuyhunting]

The fanon wiki lists Tsukishima's first appearance to be chapter 13, with Capt. Wada. The anime also shows this as well. The man resembles Tsukishima, but is it really him? In the manga version I'm reading (I'm reading it online so the volume versions might be different), he just looks like a generic soldier. The first truly recognizable Tsukishima can be found in chapter 70, so shouldn't that be his first appearance? (I'm sorry it's hard to understand, I have no idea what I'm talking about.)

It’s a good question.

So let’s clear up some things. The online version uses the volume scans for the first 10 volumes, in short up to chap 100.

They then moved to a scanned version of the magazine version up till chap 152.

From chap 153 onward (if I’m not wrong) they used the digital version of the magazine version.

So scanlations come from the magazine version from chap 101, but quality increases from chap 153 due to them using the digital version of it.

So basically yes, for chap 13 you were reading the volume version.

Now... when do Tsukishima truly appear for the first time?

In chap 70 which is the first time in which we hear someone (Tsurumi in our case) say the name ‘Tsukishima’?

We know for a fact Tsukishima was around earlier than that.

A Japanese fan managed to ask if soldiers that were looking like Tsukishima were his relatives and Noda replied they’re all Tsukishima... even though his name was never mentioned back then.

Question number 5 (30 March 2018)

Q: I’m curious to see a soldier that looks like Sergeant Tsukishima in book 4 chapter 31

& book 5 chapter 46.

Is he a brother of the sergeant?

A: They’re all Tsukishima. [Translation from Golden Kamuy Central]

Sadly he didn’t ask about the guy in chap 13 but the fact that those guys are all Tsukishima though, confirms that Tsukishima was around prior to chap 70 but the character design for Tsukishima wasn’t established right from the start.

The beard changes shape, the clothes vary.

This lead fans to assume that since Tsukishima was around PRIOR to his official apparition, Tsukishima was meant to be the identity of the following soldiers:

- The guy murdering Wada in chap 13 (same eyes, beard, similar nose although a bit more marked than Tsukishima)

- The soldier with Tsurumi in chap 34 (same face but missing beard)

- and this guy who also appear in chap 46 (same face and same clothes Tsukishima wears in chap 46 but beard missing)

It’s also worth to say that as Noda draws characters in very different ways the fact that those characters are instead VERY SIMILAR seems to support the idea they were meant to be all the same character.

The anime seems to side with fans as it confirmed all the above speculations using Tsukishima instead than a random stock soldier.

Ep 3 (chap 13 scene)

Ep 8 chap 34 scene

Ep 10 chap 46 scene

Tsukishima’s voice seems the one to be used in Ep 2 to tell Tsurumi Ogata has regained consciousness (chap 7 in the manga) but, same as in the manga, we don’t see the speaker.

If the anime confirmed the fan speculation in accordance with Noda or on his own it’s up to speculation as we’ve no idea. What we know is that they had stock soldiers they could have used instead of Tsukishima who, in the first series, didn’t really need to be used as the anime had no idea there would be a second series for quite a while as this is tied with the success of the first series.

Anyway, how common it is for a character design not to be established right from the start?

Common enough although the changes can be small or relevant...

...though I dug into this more in another ask, in which I also analyzed Tsukishima’s character design changes.

Character design changes are sometimes fixed soon, Tsurumi’s design was immediately corrected for the volume version so that in the following chapters he appeared with the right design, Henmi and Usami’s design were fixed the chapter after the one he appeared, but sometimes not to sooon.

Ogata’s character design was changed at his second apparition but there was no way to fix it on the volume version and Noda didn’t even try to do it with the flashbacks showing Ogata in vol 1, Vasily’s character design was fixed only when the chapters were transposed in the volume version in short months after he appeared on the magazine.

It changes from case to case.

But yes, you might argue, who says we should accept, as the anime did, that the guy who drew Wada out and shoot him is Tsukishima? Can’t he be a stock character?

As long as Noda doesn’t confirm it, everything it’s possible and, even if he confirms it, actually everything remains possible, after all Noda even retconned the time in whcih Wilk was jailed and wrote out of the story one of the fake skins so let’s keep in mind this is his story, retcons are an uncomfortable but valid way to fix things in a story and he’s human and can forget details.

Honestly, unless Noda has a better plot in mind for him, I believe it would be detrimental to Tsukishima if that guy were to be a stock character.

Tsukishima is basically Tsurumi’s right-hand man and, since Kikuta is in Noboribetsu and Koito in Abashiri, the higher in rank. It makes sense to send him to Captain Wada, to draw him there, and it makes sense Tsukishima, the higher in rank after Tsurumi, would do that work so as to set an example for the other soldiers.

We know Tsurumi made clear to Tsukishima he would have to do dirty things and Tsukishima agreed.

We know he did dirty things, like taking part to the massacre of all the guards in Abashiri. We know he chased Tanigaki, planning to kill him and, while I like to think he wouldn’t have sunk killing Inkarmat, her unborn baby and Huci, he might have been forced to do it if things were to take the wrong turn. He threatened to kill Koito, he was aware the three Russians would be killed so as they could be considered the culprits of the kidnapping he took part in and he even commented on how they let Ogata kill Hanazawa, clearly aware that the guy would be killed and which consequences this would have for the 7th.

And let’s not forget that Tsukishima knows that Tsurumi wants to go at war with Japan for the ownership of Hokkaido because there’s no way the emperor will let him take Hokkaido without fight.

So it’s not like killing Wada, which for Tsukishima was likely just another pet of the central governement, to protect Tsurumi, is this big of a thing in terms of actions.

However it’s meaningful for us, for the story and for the character that Tsukishima is.

We’ve this guy, this guy who does, as his first thing, something terrible like killing a superior officer, this guy who’s generally around Tsurumi... but we don’t think much of him beyond that he should just be a minion among other minions so we shouldn’t feel concerned about him.

In whatever work no one cares about the soldiers of the ‘bad guy’, they’re just minions whose duty is to do evil and be killed off by the hero... but this applies, in a way also to the soldiers in an enemy army.

Sugimoto himself will say he persuaded himself the Russians were just ‘bad guys without a soul’. We don’t bother thinking at what each soldier in a army felt, which sort of person he was, if he sided with his commander or was forced to take part to that war. They’re all just ‘enemy soldiers’ without a real identity and representing minions as just ‘enemies’ without a real identity is, undoubtedly a narrative expedient but also something that mimicks how humans see the enemy armies.

Only in this story, in Tsukishima’s case, it turns out that minion that killed Wada is not just a minion we shouldn’t care about and could easily forget.

He has a name, he’s a person, a likable person, with feelings, a guy who loves long baths and who feels bad when Edogai dies. A guy who believes Tsurumi’s victory will bring benefits for everyone, a guy who’s capable. And the more the story goes the more this random minion is fleshed out more and more.

In a way Tsukishima stands in for all the minions in Tsurumi’s army.

While the other characters are quickly introduced, we get a name, we get some characteristics, they immediately rise out of the ranks of minions to become characters, Tsukishima doesn’t do it that fast.

It’s impossible for Noda to introduce us to all the 100 minions Tsurumi has, but, Tsukishima’s story in a way reminds us that they are all like him in truth, people with a name, people with feelings who could have a deep backstory behind themselves, who might have noble goals.

Many of us will feel really sad if the minion that Tsukishima is will die.

Plus, showing Tsukishima around, doing tasks and being effectively Tsurumi’s right hand man is a good idea in itself so as to establish Tsukishima as an existing character in the universe and not something Noda pulled out of his hat only at chap 70. Tsukishima existed, did things, was around, Noda showed him around, we were the ones who hadn’t given him the right importance in the beginning.

So yes, not only I believe the one killing Wada is meant to be Tsukishima but I also think it’s a great idea plotwise, one of which the character that’s Tsukishima benefits.

However, unless you consider the anime an official source, so far we’re still without an official confirmation. It might come in the future, it’s possible that Wada was another piece of the Ogata’s rebel group plot or that Wada was actually tied to Kikuta in some form or that Kikuta will just investigate on his fate.

Or maybe Noda will never tell us.

So ultimately it’s up to you decide for yourself.

If you ask me that guy is Tsukishima... but that’s just me.

I hope this will help. Thank you for your ask!

[jiggyraps]

Best K-Pop, 2010-19

In the first great k-pop decade, SNSD set the bar and no one has jumped it yet. Who will?

Best Songs

1. SNSD - “Oh!” (2010) 2. HyunA - “RED” (2o14) 3. f(x) - “Rum Pum Pum Pum” (2013) 4. Cosmic Girls - “Secret” (2016) 5. EXO-K - “History” (2012) 6. SNSD - “Flower Power” (2012) (i know this song is in japanese, idc) 7. AOA - “Miniskirt” (2014) 8. Super Junior - “Mr. Simple” (2011) 9. Taeyeon - “Love in Color” (2017) 10. Narsha - “Bbi Ri Bba Bba” (2010) 11. Red Velvet - “Bad Boy” (2018) 12. Girl’s Day - “Something” (2014) 13. Kara - “Step” (2011) 14. 2NE1 - “Missing You” (2013) 15. AOA - “Heart Attack” (2015) 16. Stellar - “Sting” (2016) 17. Infinite - “The Chaser” (2012) 18. Sistar - “Alone” (2012) 19. B2ST - “Fiction” (Orchestra Ver.) (2011) 20. CLC - “Hobgoblin” (2017) 21. AKMU - “Melted” (2014) 22. EXO - “Bad Dream” (2018) 23. SNSD - “Run Devil Run” (2010) 24. Big Bang - “Fantastic Baby” (2012) 25. 2NE1 - “I am the Best” (2011) 26. Younha - “Airplane Mode” (2018) 27. SNSD - “The Boys” (2011) 28. BtoB - “Wow” (2012) 29. SNSD - “I Got a Boy” (2014) 30. Red Velvet - “Automatic” (2015) 31. Oh My Girl - “Closer” (2015) 32. HyunA - “Bubble Pop!” (2011) 33. Hoody - “Golden” (2018) 34. After School - “Love Love Love” (2012) 35. Hello Venus - “Show Window” (2015) 36. IU - “You & I” (2011) 37. Suran - “1+1=0″ (2017) 38. f(x) - “Red Light” (2014) 39. Tiffany - “Talk” (2016) 40. Twice - “Ooh Ahh” (2015) 41. IZ*ONE - “La Vie en Rose” (2018) 42. Stellar - “Mask” (2014) 43. Produce 48 - “Rumor” (2018) 44. 2NE1 - “Follow Me” (2010) 45. Gain - “Bloom” (2012) 46. Girl’s Day - “Expectation” (2013) 47. IU - “Twenty-Three” (2015) 48. B1A4 - “OK” (2011) 49. Trouble Maker - “Now” (2013) 50. Brown Eyed Girls - “Hot Shot” (2011) 51. AOA - “Good Luck” (2016) 52. Lim Kim - “Awoo” (2015) 53. Red Velvet - “Happiness” (2014) 54. Heize - “And July” (2016) 55. U-Kiss - “Neverland” (2011) 56. EXO - “Obsession” (2019) 57. Brave Girls - “No Rush” (2017) 58. VIXX - “On and On” (2013) 59. NCT U - “The 7th Sense” (2016) 60. BESTie - “Love Options” (2014) 61. Block B - “Nice Day” (2013) 62. Sophiya - “Therapy” (2017) 63. f(x) - “Pinocchio (Danger)” (2011) 64. BTS - “Blood, Sweat, & Tears” (2016) 65. Chung Ha - “Snapping” (2019) 66. Taeyang - “Eyes, Nose, Lips” (2014) 67. Jooyoung - “Wine” (2018) 68. Hello Venus - “Sticky Sticky” (2014) 69. SNSD - “Party” (2015) 70. Oh My Girl - “Liar Liar” (2016) 71. JYJ - “Be My Girl” (2010) 72. 4minute - “Whatcha Doin’ Today?” (2014) 73. Hyolyn & Jooyoung - “Erase” (2014) 74. Taeyeon - “11:11″ / “Why” (2016) 75. Seohyun - Magic (2017) 76. Hyolyn - Paradise (2016) 77. 9Muses - “Figaro” (2011) 78. Taeyeon - “I Got Love” (2017) 79. Red Velvet - “Peek-a-Boo” (2017) 80. T-ara - “So Crazy” (2015) 81. HINAPIA - “Drip” (2019) 82. EXID - “I Feel Good” (2012) 83. Gain - “Fxxk U” (2014) 84. IU - “Bbibbi” (2018) 85. Apink - “I Don’t Know” (2011) 86. Infinite - “Back” (2014) 87. GFriend - “Wish” (2019) 88. Dal Shabet - “Someone Like U” (2016) 89. Spica - “Tonight” (2013) 90. After School - “Flashback” (2012) 91. iKon - “Killing Me” (2018) 92. DEAN - “D” (2016) 93. Orange Caramel - “Magic Girl” (2010) 94. BTS - “Fake Love” (2018) 95. T-ara - “Sugar Free” (2014) 96. Apink - “%%” (2019) 97. f(x) - “Electric Shock” (2012) 98. ATEEZ - “Say My Name” (2019) 99. Super Junior - “Bonamana” (2010) 100. HyunA - “Babe” (2017) 101. BLACKPINK - “Boombayah” / “Whistle” (2016) 102. After School - “First Love” (2013) 103. Wonder Girls - “Be My Baby” (2011) 104. CLC - “No” (2019) 105. f(x) - “Rude Love” (2015) 106. Orange Caramel - “Bubble Bath” (2012) 107. Momoland - “Jjan! Koong! Kwang” (2016) 108. Sistar - “Touch My Body” (2014) 109. EXID - “Ah Yeah” (2015) 110. Mamamoo - “Egotistic” (2018) 111. KNK - “Sunset” (2019) 112. Jay Park - “Solo” (2016) 113. Red Velvet - “Umpah Umpah” (2019) 114. Zion.T - “Eat” (2015) 115. 4minute - “Is It Poppin’?” (2013) 116. PRISTIN - “Black Widow” (2017) 117. Narsha - “I’m in Love” (2010) 118. Sistar - “Lonely” (2017) 119. SHINee - “Dream Girl” (2013) 120. Yuri - “Into You” (2018) 121. SUNMI - “LALALAY” (2019) 122. Rania - “Pop Pop Pop” (2011) 123. Crush - “Outside” (2017) 124. Bumkey - “Bad Girl” (2013) 125. G.Soul - “Tequila” (2017) 126. SHINee - “Beautiful” (2013) 127. Brave Girls - “Whatever” (2016) 128. TVXQ! - “Spellbound” (2014) 129. Zion.T - “Babay” (2013) 130. SAAY - “ZGZG” (2019) 131. K.Will - “Please Don’t” (2012) 132. Lee Hyori - “Swing” (2010) 133. 2PM - “A.D.T.O.Y.” (2013) 134. Rainbow - “A” (2010) 135. EXO - “Love Me Right” (2015) 136. 4minute - “Volume Up” (2012) 137. U-Kiss - “DORADORA” (2012) 138. Ladies’ Code - “Pretty Pretty” (2013) 139. NCT 127 - “Superhuman” (2019) 140. CLC - “Pepe” (2015) 141. Big Bang - “Blue” (2012) 142. Infinite - “Breathe” (2014) 143. BoA - “Smash” (2015) 144. Orange Caramel - “Lipstick” (2012) 145. miss A - “I Don’t Need a Man” (2013) 146. SHINee - “Hello” (2010) 147. Block B - “Shall We Dance” (2017) 148. Sistar - “Miss Sistar” (2013) 149. B.A.P. - “Feel So Good” (2016) 150. Seven - “Digital Bounce” (2010)

Best Albums

1. Taeyeon - My Voice (deluxe edition) (2017) 2. f(x) - Pink Tape (2013) 3. Younha - Rescue (2017) 4. SHINee - The Misconceptions of You (2013) 5. Red Velvet - The Red (2015) 6. Hoody - Departure (2019) 7. AKMU - Play (2014) 8. Infinite - Season 2 (2014) 9. EXO - Exodus (2015) 10. f(x) - Four Walls (2015) 11. Wonder Girls - Reboot (2015) 12. Hoody - On and On (2017) * 13. SNSD - Oh! (2010) 14. Kara - Step (2011) 15. DEAN - 130 mood : TRBL (2016) * 16. Mamamoo - Reality in Black (2019) 17. Red Velvet - Perfect Velvet (2017) 18. Taemin - Press It (2016) 19. 2NE1 - To Anyone (2010) 20. Taeyeon - Purpose (2019) 21. SHINee - Odd (2015) 22. B2ST - Fiction or Fact (2011) 23. Taeyang - White Night (2017) 24. NCT - NCT 2018 Empathy (2018) 25. 9Muses - Prima Donna (2013) 26. IU - Palette (2017) 27. Jonghyun - She Is (2016) 28. Sistar - Give It to Me (2013) 29. BTS - Wings (2016) 30. SNSD - The Boys (2011) 31. VIXX - Voodoo (2013) 32. Zion.T - Red Light (2014) 33. Super Junior - Mr. Simple (2011) 34. 2NE1 - Crush (2014) 35. Jonghyun - Poet | Artist (2018) 36. Block B - Blockbuster (2012) 37. BTS - Love Yourself: Tear (2018) 38. SNSD - I Got a Boy (2013) 39. TVXQ - Spellbound (2014) 40. Girl’s Day - Love (2015) 41. EXO - Don’t Mess Up My Tempo (2018) 42. B1A4 - Ignition (2012) 43. SHINee - The Story of the Light: Epilogue (2018) 44. 2PM - No. 5 (2015) 45. BoA - Woman (2018) 46. TVXQ - Humanoids (2012) 47. 4minute - 4 Minutes Left (2011) 48. Got7 - Present: You (2018) 49. GFriend - LOL (2017) 50. Cosmic Girls - Happy Moment (2017)

Best Mini Albums (EPs)

1. G.Soul - Circles (2017) 2. Tiffany - I Just Wanna Dance (2016) 3. f(x) - Electric Shock (2012) 4. 2NE1 - 2NE1 (2011) 5. HyunA - A Talk (2014) 6. Big Bang - Alive (2012) 7. Exo-K - Overdose (2014) 8. Narsha - Narsha (2010) 9. SHINee - Sherlock (2012) 10. Seohyun - Don’t Say No (2017) 11. G. Dragon - Coup D’Etat (2013) 12. Brave Girls - High Heels (2016) 13. AOA - Good Luck (2016) 14. CLC - Crystyle (2017) 15. Taeyeon - Why (2016) 16. 4minute - 4minute World (2014) 17. PRISTIN - Hi! PRISTIN (2017) 18. Heize - And July (2016) 19. Hello Venus - I’m Ill (2015) 20. Zion.T - Mirrorball (2013) 21. U-Kiss - DORADORA (2012) 22. Red Velvet - Ice Cream Cake (2015) 23. SNSD - Hoot (2010) 24. Lim Kim - Simple Mind (2015) 25. IU - Chat-Shire (2015) 26. Red Velvet - RBB (2018) 27. Jooyoung - Fountain (2018) 28. Myname - 1st Mini Album (2013) 29. Apink - Pink LUV (2014) 30. Twice - Page Two (2016) 31. BTS - Love Yourself 承 ‘Her’ (2017) 32. NCT 127 - Limitless (2017) 33. SUNMI - Warning (2018) 34. EXID - We (2019) 35. SUMIN - OO DA DA (2019) 36. Jun Hyoseong - Fantasia (2015) 37. BLACKPINK - Square Up (2016) * 38. AOA - Like a Cat (2014) 39. Block B - Very Good (2013) 40. Sonamoo - CUSHION (2015) 41. (G)I-DLE - I Made (2019) 42. SNSD - Mr.Mr. (2014) 43. Spica - Russian Roulette (2012) 44. MBLAQ - Sexy Beat (2013) 45. Rainbow - So Girls (2011) 46. SuperM - SuperM (2019) 47. miss A - Touch (2012) 48. T-ara - Black Eyes (2011) 49. Dal Shabet - B.B.B. (2014) 50. Psy - Psy 6 (Six Rules), Part 1 (2012)

Best Producers / Songwriters

1. Kenzie 2. Brave Brothers 3. GroovyRoom 4. Duble Sidekick 5. J.Y. Park 6. Shinsadong Tiger 7. Hitman Bang 8. Primary 9. Misfit 10. Black Eyed Pilseung

Best Soloist: IU, runner-up Crush Best Girl Group: SNSD, runner-up f(x) Best Boy Group: SHINee, runner-up EXO Best Rapper: HyunA, runner-up ZICO Best Vocalist: Taeyeon, runner-up Hyolyn

* Denotes a mini-album or single album I recategorized using common sense

[luvneedsnosyt]

My Favorite Albums of May 2020

Here’s my monthly list of albums released in May I was feeling, and some other discoveries made during the month.

Previous Month’s Lists: January, February, March, April

You can find my list of my favorite albums of 2019 here And my list of my favorite EPs of 2019 here

Best:

ALMA - Have You Seen Her? Genre: R&B / Synth-Pop

Proof: Worst Behavior (w/ Tove Lo) / Bad News Baby // Bonus: Bad News Baby (Digital Farm Animals Remix)

Blanche - EMPIRE Genre: Indie Pop

Proof: Empire / Till We Collide

Buscabulla - Regresa Genre: Latin / Pop / Dance

Proof: El Aproeto / NTE

Car Seat Headrest - Making a Door Less Open Genre: Alternative / Indie Rock

Proof: Can’t Cool Me Down / Deadlines (Thoughtful)

Carly Rae Jepsen - Dedicated Side B Genre: Pop

Proof: Stay Away / Comeback (Feat. Blachers)

Charli XCX - how i’m feeling now Genre: Synth Pop / Dance

Proof: i finally understand / anthems

Deante’ Hitchcock - BETTER Genre: Hip Hop

Proof: I Remember / I Got Money Now (Feat. J.I.D.)

Dijon - How Do You Feel About Getting Married EP Genre: alt-R&B

Proof: rock n roll / hunni

Fred again.. - Actual Life EP Genre: Electronic

Proof: Adam (Act Like) / Me (Sorry)

Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist - Alfredo Genre: Hip Hop

Proof: Look At Me / Something to Rap About (Feat. Tyler, The Creator)

GRiZ - bangers[5].zip EP Genre: Electronic / Dub Step / Dance

Proof: My Friends and I, Pt. 3 (Feat. Probcause & Chrishira Perrier) / Spaceship Ride // Bonus: Solo (Feat. Probcause) / Medusa (Feat. Wreckno)

Hayley Williams - Petals for Armor Genre: Pop / Indie Rock

Proof: Sudden Desire / Pure Love // Bonus: Simmer (Caroline Polachek Remix) / Dead Horses (Glass Animals Remix)

Illenium - ASCEND (Remixes) Genre: Electronic / Dance

Proof: Good Things Fall Apart (3LAU Remix) w/ Jon Bellion / In Your Arms (Alan Walker Remix) w/ X Ambassadors

Jason Ross - 1000 Faces (Remixes) Genre: Electronic / Dance

Proof: Known You Before (Trivecta Remix) Feat. Emilie Brandt / Shelter (No Mana Remix) Feat. Melanie Fontana

Jonah Mutono - GERG Genre: alt-R&B / Soul

Proof: The Low / Circulation

Kehlani - It Was Good Until It Wasn’t Genre: R&B / Soul

Proof: Grieving (Feat. James Blake) / Open (Passionate)

Kygo - Golden Hour Genre: Electronic / Synth-Pop / Dance

Proof: Broken Glass (Feat. Kim Petras) / Higher Love (Feat. Whitney Houston) // Bonus: Forever Yours (Avicii Tribute) w/ Sandro Cavazza

Lady Gaga - Chromatica Genre: Pop / Dance

Proof: Stupid Love / Replay

Little Simz - Drop 6 EP Genre: Hip Hop

Proof: one life, might live / where’s my lighter (w/ Alewya)

Mahalia - Isolation Tapes EP Genre: R&B / Soul

Proof: Plastic Plants / Too Nice

MAITA - Best Wishes Genre: Indie Rock / Alternative

Proof: A Beast / Perfect Heart

Matoma - RYTME EP Genre: Electronic / House / Dance

Proof: Don’t Stop The Rhythm (Feat. Bryn Christopher) / Beside You (w/ Captain Cuts Feat. Georgia Ku) // Bonus: The Bender (The Him Remix) (w/ Brando) / Time To Go

Perfume Genius - Set My Heart on Fire Immediately Genre: Indie Pop / Alternative

Proof: Without You / On the Floor

RAC - BOY Genre: Synth-Pop

Proof: Passion (w/ Louis The Child) / Better Days (Feat. St. Lucia)

Ric Wilson & Terrace Martin - They Call Me Disco EP Genre: Hip Hop / neo-Jazz / Soul

Proof: Breakin Rules (Feat. Crobin Dallas) / Chicago Bae (Feat. BJ the Chicago Kid)

Ro James - MANTIC Genre: R&B / Neo Soul

Proof: Last Time / Be Mine

Tchami - Born Again / Buenos Aires EP Genre: Electronic / House / Dance

Proof: Buenos Aires / Proud (Feat. Daecolm) // Bonus: Proud (Steffan City Remix) Feat. Daecolm / Ghosts (Vowed Remix) Feat. Hana

Tiësto - The London Sessions Genre: Electronic / House / Dance

Proof: Ritual (Feat. Jonas Blue & Rita Ora) / Over You (Feat. Becky Hill)

Various Artists - Ophelia Presents: Advent Volume 1 Genre: Electronic / Dance

Proof: Thrillogy - Enough (Feat. Gallie Fisher) / Amidy - Fix You

Varsity - Fine Forever Genre: Indie Rock / Alternative

Proof: Runaway / Shaking Hands

The 1975 - Notes On A Conditional Form Genre: Indie Rock / Alternative / Pop

Proof: Me & You Together Song / If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)

Bonus:

A Deluxe Edition of one of 2019′s smoothest albums

Lucky Daye - Painted (Deluxe Edition) Original Release: May 2019 Genre: R&B / Soul

Proof: Fade Away / Shoulda (Feat. Babyface)

Others:

Alec Benjamin - These Two Windows, April - New Conditions EP,  ARTHUR - Hair of the Dog, Bad Bunny - LAS QUE NO IBAN A SALIR, Baril - One More Rush EP, Baths - Pop Music / False B-Sides II, Bishop Nehru - Nehruvian Tuesdays: Vol, 1, Diplo - Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley Chapter 1: Snake Oil, Drake - Dark Lane Demo Tapes, Future - High On Life, Hailee Steinfeld - Half Written Story EP, Jacob Latimore - C3, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Reunions, JoJo - good to know, Long Beach Dub Allstars - Long Beach Dub Allstars, Moses Sumner - græ, Mourning [A] BLKstar - The Cycle, Noah Cyrus - THE END OF EVERYTHING EP, Pure X - Pure X, Rileyy Lanez - Beautiful Mistakes EP, Roy Woods - Dem Times EP, Shakey Graves - Look Alive EP, Sweet Whirl - How Much Works, TeaMarr - Before I Spill Myself, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down - Temple,  Tourist - Wild (Remixes) EP, Vistas - Everything Changes in the End

[wolffyluna]

TMA Liveblog: Up to Ep 44

To every season turn, turn, turn, there is a reason turn, turn~

I keep trying to do these liveblogs three episodes at a time-- and keep failing at that, and doing 4 or 5. Woops. (I think the issue is that because I tend to listen to them while walking to and from a place that’s about 20 minutes away, I end up listening to them in multiples of two. ...unless I get cliffhangered and then listen to an extra one to get to 5 episodes.)

So, it’s a new season, and I have people looking gleefully forward to my reactions to it (and my reactions to Jon’s mental state in particular) so I’m looking forward to it with an appropriate amount of dread!

And oh boy, is Jon being ridiculously paranoid right now. Which is... almost reasonable. I say ‘almost’ because-- look, the amount of paranoia he has is A Lot, and Probably Too Much, but he also plausibly has someone who might want to murder him? It’s not paranoia if they really are out to get you, as they say. And better to be way too paranoid and alive than not paranoid enough and dead.

Even if Jon’s paranoia is patently ridiculous. “Oh, Martin’s being nice to me, it must be a cover up!” And I’m like, Jon, no, use Occam’s Razor, my dude. He could be out to get you-- or he could a coworker that respects you, feels survivor’s guilt about accidentally leaving you and Tim behind and you both getting wormed, and possibly is also concerned that you have returned to work with relatively fresh wounds?*

Also, if Martin was in on it-- why would he tell you he found Gertrude? You didn’t know how Gertrude had died before this, let alone whether she was actually for realsies dead! It’d be in the interests for anyone in on it for you to not know that she was shot/was definitely dead/was in the tunnels with a bunch of tapes. (Though, putting my really paranoid hat on, if Martin did already know about Gertrude’s death, and got separated from Jon in the tunnels, he might say he found Gertrude just in case Jon+Tim had already stumbled on her, to not break his cover. ...but this is hellaciously paranoid, and unlikely to be the case.)

...and of course the tunnels lead to the tunnels under a panopticon. Because where else would they lead? (Also, on an irl note: Jeremy Bentham, whyyyyyy. I know that at the time, on paper, a panopticon would look more humane than the other kinds of punishment available, but Bentham whhyyyyyyyyy. I want to like you!) I do not like panopticons, Sam I Am. Especially considering Jon feeling like he’s being watched all the time. Especially not in a place of power/full of spooky stuff (because I’m pretty sure these tunnels connect to the Old Passages.)

And there’s the Lost Jon’s Cave Thing in the tunnels too. Jon expresses confusion about why there was an arrow leading down if he was told to leave, in no uncertain terms, after going down. I have a theory on that: the Lost Jon’s Cave Thing and whatever drew the arrow aren’t the same thing. I mean, separate paranormal things have been antagonistic towards each other before: see Michael and The Spiders** vs The Worms. This might just be another example of that

Alfred Grifter sounds alarmingly like the guy who took over Ivy Meadows Care Home-- but they seem to have super different MOs. Harmful sensation and rampant disease and rot don’t seem like super natural bedfellows (if you’ll pardon the pun.)

Also, HELLO BASIRA! She’s also an interesting case of how the Masquerade is... I don’t want to say ‘unnagressively’ or ‘unofficially’ enforced, because neither are quite right when talking about the government or the police? But another form of Masquerade enforcement other than ‘fiddling with the books’ and ‘just shoot it’.  The concept of the Section 31 form, and most people’s drive to avoid it all costs, is an interesting form of Masquerade enforcement. Also, heeeey Lightless Flame! I wonder which Leitner made you/you are associated with. (And in the dumbest case of nerdsnipery ever: I got distracted trying to work out whether, if you were creative enough, you could fill a bath with boilling water via a kettle. It took me a minute for the rest of my brain to kick in and realise, no, this was actually just a dumb cover up and you don’t need to work out if it was possible.)

And Hello Gertrude! I, like Jon, am confused why she is recording things. I originally had the thought ‘maybe she’s checking the veracity via the records on tape vs digital’...then I remember this recording was made in the 90s. I don’t think digital audio was super a thing back then. Apparently the tapes are my organised than the archive, and I think I have a theory about that: let’s say you were pretty sure someone was Out To Get You. You have some information you need, but you can’t let the people out to get you know you have it. First, you put that information in a format (tape) and a place (in secret underground tunnels) that’s hard to get. Any attacker would have to find the bloody things first, and audio is much harder to ‘skim’ to find out what someone knows. Secondly, you throw all the easily accessible information into disarray as possible. Sure, it’ll make things harder for your successor to sort through-- but your successor May Be Out To Get You. Making it harder for your successor is an advantage. This of course assumes Gertrude was also paranoid, but that doesn’t seem like a super unreasonable assumption.

It also looks like the Circus of The Other may be this seasons Big Thing, like the worms and Prentiss were last season. Not only is it mentioned in the first Gertrude statement, but also the first Basira statement as well (”...but unless they can point to the ghost or the spooky clown doll...”) ...I have mixed feelings about this. Because the Circus of the Other definitely contains some things I find super spooky (eg the unfinished tiger was super effective horror, in my opinion), circuses and clowns themselves I’m... not that scared by. I’m almost unscared by them, because ‘threatening clown’ is almost a contradiction to me. (Oh no, the really goofy thing is threatening me! I’m so scared!) I’m pretty sure I will end up appropriately spooked by this season, but after the hole that was made for me that was season 1... it’s an eensy bit of a letdown. But that’s okay. Now it’s the turn of people who are scared of clowns to be spooked :)

(Also, Jon’s gonna get captured by evil clowns, isn’t he. I think I heard something about a circus capturing him, which I may have mis-remembered wildly because I was trying not to remember it. But he’s going to get captured by spooky clowns. *sigh*)

*Sidenote about horror: I had a discussion with some other TMA friends about  how different episodes hit different horror notes, and what episodes people find freaky varies a lot. So I should probably note that my visceral nopes are injury and injury related things, with a sidenote of the fact that sometimes people perceive you when you don’t want them to. This is almost certainly affecting my analysis. And also my tendency to be ‘is Jon on enough antibiotics? And gah, why is he treating his wounds opening up in such a blasé manner?’

**...would be a good name for a band

[nuclearblastuk]

BLOOD EAGLE | RELEASE OFFICIAL VISUALISER FOR 'WALL OF HATE'

BLOOD EAGLE | RELEASE OFFICIAL VISUALISER FOR 'WALL OF HATE'

Denmark based death metal band BLOOD EAGLE unleashed their album 'To Ride In Blood & Bathe In Greed' unto the world on November 22, 2019 via Nuclear Blast.

Today, the band release the video visualizer for 'Wall Of Hate' off part III of 'To Ride In Blood & Bathe In Greed'. Watch the video here: https://BloodEagle.lnk.to/WoH

The band comments, "What time is it? It’s grind ‘o clock! This song is about one of the biggest political controversies of all time. A true monumental failure for humanity. 'Wall of Hate' is a portrait of a xenophobic, warmongering presidential candidate, spreading fear and terror - which by no means deserves a mention. In the famous words of Barney Greenway 'Make love, not war' - we support that and hereby spread the grinding gospel."

Order 'To Ride In Blood & Bathe In Greed' digitally or stream the 3 EP's here: bloodeagle.lnk.to/ToRideInBlood Listen to the band's new tracks in the NB New Releases Playlists: http://nblast.de/SpotifyNewReleases / http://nblast.de/AppleMusicNewReleases

The album was produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studios. All artwork was created by Rune Stigart.

The band comments, "We are honored to have signed with one of the world's leading record labels, Nuclear Blast Records! The excitement level of BLOOD EAGLE finally finding the right home to release new material, is higher for us than we can ever express. There are people who want to hear this band, as was evident in the reaction to our performances on multiple European festivals in the last couple of years. We are excited and grateful to be working with the guys at Nuclear Blast, as they strongly will help facilitate and take the EAGLE to the next level.

On a musical note, we took all our inspirations from NAPALM DEATH, BOLT THROWER, MORBID ANGEL and a tad (like 2%) of MASTODON and threw them into the musical cooking pot. The result is our new release, 'To Ride In Blood & Bathe In Greed' which was released as three EP's in September, October and November. Out on Nuclear Blast Records."

More on 'To Ride In Blood & Bathe In Greed': 'Feed On The Blood Of Man' OFFICIAL VISUALIZER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRI8omrnxHI 'Unsung Zeros' OFFICIAL VISUALIZER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Hz2uf_smcw 'Impact Irreversible' OFFICIAL VISUALIZER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVeI0wMH3oY 'Doctrine Of Death' OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8N9HKdVHDg 'Kill Your Tyrants' OFFICIAL VISUALIZER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adaQYsNsHjk 'Eyes Sewn Shut' OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giQ5lnJ1lPY 'A Life That Rots Away' OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXxegYnmx-w

'To Ride In Blood & Bathe In Greed' track-listing:

Part I 01. Feed On The Blood Of Man 02. Unsung Zeros 03. Impact Irreversible

Part II: 01. Eyes Sewn Shut 02. Doctrine Of Death 03. Kill Your Tyrants 04. For Those Who Remain

Part III: 01. A Life That Rots Away 02. Worship The Wolf 03. Wall of Hate

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BLOOD EAGLE is a death metal band comprised of former members of VOLBEAT, MNEMIC, HATESPHERE, ILLDISPOSED and RAUNCHY, founded by two ex-guitarists, Franz Hellboss and Mircea Gabriel Eftemie (formerly of VOLBEAT and MNEMIC). After playing for years in their own respective bands, the two guitarists decided to team up and consolidate their passion for punk, grind and death metal alongside their best friends and touring partners. The band surfaced and raised traction for the very first time in 2013, by releasing a 3-song EP for free download, recorded at the Antfarm Studios with Tue Madsen (MESHUGGAH, BEHEMOTH, THE HAUNTED) at the helm. Playing select shows and festival appearances, the band kept writing material but never released it to the masses, until five years later.

So what do you get when you throw NAPALM DEATH, BOLT THROWER, MORBID ANGEL and a  dash of MASTODON into a musical cooking pot? The answer is; BLOOD EAGLE. Glorified by the metal media as a Danish "supergroup" consisting of metal veterans, according to the band there is nothing super about it, other than their good friendship and love for old school death metal. BLOOD EAGLE is an unstoppable force, launching their long-awaited debut album in three parts: 'To Ride In Blood & Bathe In Greed' I, II, III via NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS.

BLOOD EAGLE is: Michael Olsson | Vocals Mircea Gabriel Eftemie | Guitars Franz Hellboss | Guitars Mikael Ehlert | Bass Morten Toft Hansen | Drums

www.facebook.com/bloodeagle.dk www.instagram.com/bloodeagle_dk www.nuclearblast.de/bloodeagle

[thedigitalhuman]

East Asian technological innovations have long outpaced those in the West. Products that sound like recent or even future innovations to most Westerners have been available for decades in Asia, particularly in Japan. These include:

· A handheld device that enables customers to order food and drinks from their karaoke room.

· A button attached to the table that customers push to alert a waitress.

· A slew of vending machines that sell everything you can imagine: alcohol, ramen, underwear, umbrellas, rice, newspapers, cell phones.

· Love hotels where guests can check in discreetly without interacting with other human beings.

Tourists visiting Japan for the first time often feel compelled to take a photo of the ubiquitous high-tech washlet toilets. These fixtures are hardly new; they have been on the market since 1980 and have more than 80 percent market penetration. Years before the Internet of Things became a phenomenon in the West, Japanese people were using their mobile phones to run their baths remotely while in a cab. They were also using a single card on their phones to buy groceries from a store, get green tea from a vending machine, and pay the fare for trains and buses.

Evidence from cross-national academic research suggests that the speed of innovation adoption has historically been significantly faster in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan than in the U.S. Aside from various market conditions and economic factors, why have Japanese people historically been more comfortable than Westerners with the new and the strange?

Stream or download the podcast here Digital Human: Series 18, Ep 1 - Animism

[affirmationshrines]

Photo 1:

The first Viewpoint magazine I read called ‘RISE UP’ actually speaks about this magazine as its ‘sister’ and recommends reading it as the topics link. As soon as I saw ‘Spirituality’ on the front cover I got excited and opened it to a random page, the page being something I’m really interested in and got even more excited to explore the book. 

Page 3 of the book: IN GOOD SPIRITS

‘’Messages of self-awareness, respect for others and self-love are noticeably consistent’

‘Design’s roll in the new spirituality is enabling one supporting customers in their quest for a satisfying internal life. Key concepts include empowerment, enlightenment, vision, awe, wonder, calm and tranquility. Products, services and concepts that embed an extra layer of genuine meaning will find favour with adherents of the new spirituality. And beauty and joy also have their places - along with a deep appreciation of originality and creativity.’

‘Design in itself can be a spiritual practice. The process of making, and the absorption and engaged flow it involves, leads to a deep connection between maker and craft.’

Photo 2: 

This image reminds me of my little spiritual space at home, using objects like candles and incense to aesthetically make a room peaceful and aid in wellbeing.  Later in the magazine there is a page dedicated to the creator of this work, Yield Design, Florida. It’s all about ‘playing with our emotional connection to scent, the series draws on elemental notes in these majestic spaces and distills feelings of wander and awe.’ This links with my want to connect to people emotionally through work, I’m thinking about how scent can be a part of the project.. 

Photo 3: 

This image is visually pleasing, i’ll be looking deeper into this exhibition. The exhibition is called Wisdom of the Earth teamLab: A forest where Gods Live - Earth music&ecology, Kyushu, Japan.

Page 13 from this book: 

The term ‘Wellness Design’ sticks out to me, I’ll be researching further into this.. 

Photo 4:

Time over Time by Dawn Bendick. Bendick also has a section in the first Viewpoint magazine, ‘RISE UP’, where her piece expresses her feelings towards climate change. In this book she describes this piece as ‘a way of tapping into our peripheral senses and heightening awareness of changes in seasons, atmospheric light and weather’. She uses found objects, stones, crystals and glass to create her pieces. This reminds me of wanting to use my own stones and crystals in this project, but how? 

Photo 5:

Ritual Empowerment. This page describes my own spiritual practice and how intention and ritual are one of the ‘most powerful manifestations of the 20th-century’. This page reminds me of WHY I’m so focussed on self discovery, self love, connection to the planet, Earth connection, human connection and so on.. I have been very disconnected in the past, I wasn’t aware or conscious of anything at all, navigating through life based upon what the media and my family told me. 

I want people to make the transformation I made, to become better, happier humans. To be in tune with their passions and desires. If we evolve individually we will evolve together, it is a collective conscious effort. 

Page 19 from book:

The caption - ‘ELEMENTAL HEALING - A global shift towards urban living is driving a feeling of psychoterratic disconnect.’ this section ‘explores a restored value in nature and the race to preserve it for future generations.’

What’s interested me about this section of the magazine is ‘The Tonic of Trees, The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing’ by Julia Plevin. Plevin says that her ‘psychological malaise’, which means psychological discomfort, is an effect of her concrete-jungle urban surroundings. I feel exactly the same.. I notice that the more time I spend in nature the happier I am, my positive mindset is consistent with my nature explorations, especially in the forest. 

I spend a lot of time in nature when i’m home in Cardiff, I live within walking distance from natural woodlands, a river and a bus ride away from a mountain. This article is making me think of bringing nature into the home..? How can we connect to nature living in the concrete jungle? 

Page 33 from the book:

‘Philosophers and psychologists are now suggesting we should acknowledge spiritual intelligence’ 

Photo 6:

This is the page that I immediately got excited about, this photo basically describes me at home, just kidding.. or am I?

I’m drawn to the colours, immediately thinking about the Crown Chakra and what the colour purple means to me spiritually, how it’s the highest vibrational colour, the colour of ‘magick’.. the name of the installation is ‘You Are Magic’ by The Hoodwitch which is basically what I want people to understand when looking at all of my art work, even when listening to my music, because it’s true. We are impossible beings with infinite creative power, why are so many so sad, stuck, lost? Why is the planet so sad, stuck, lost, with such powerful creatures living on it? 

Of course the crystals in the background caught my eye too, there are lit up Selenite towers on the floor which i make and sell as well as a Quartz crystal grid in the background.

Photo 7, Page 41:

‘Studio Swines Ware Practice Duplex in collaboration with A/D/O focusses on the relationship between nature and technology, with many of the pieces incorporating plasma to capture bursts of light similar to those observed in the sun, stars, and comets.’ There isn’t much written about the installation in the book so i’ve found it on Dezeen.  This reminds me of using my nature, crystals and stones, and linking them with technology.. digitally designing? 

On this page there is a section called ‘The Spirit of Connection’ which talks about how ‘21st-century spiritualism is all about connection: to ourselves, to others and the wider environment.’ which is basically what my work is all about. It says that ‘Viewpoint has frequently touched on the role of creatives and brands as enablers, and on the importance of supporting positive movements within the global community’ - this makes me really happy, to know that the artistic work of us spiritual young people is being recognised by such large, important art magazines! I honestly didn’t realise that my concepts and ideas have been explored creatively already. I feel like i’ve found my place in the design world by reading this magazine.

Page 73:

‘People are increasingly seeking to experience heightened states of mental wellbeing’ - I hope to cause these experiences with my work.. 

Viewpoint describes the spiritual youth of today as ‘putting their faith int eh power of the metaphysical, where science and mysticism combine to create therapeutic sensorial experiences using immersive colour, light and sound’. Exactly what i’d like to do!

Photo 8:

The images on this page remind me of Lepidolite Mica, an iridescent shiny light, flaky stone often used to make glitter. It’s bringing me towards using stones and crystals as materials, or using their beauty as inspiration for colour, texture, form, light..

Page 89:

‘Tom Sewell explores the relationship between humans and nature at a time when GPS, modern medicine and supermarket deliveries are accessible at the touch of a button. He investigates the interplay of the elements and the spiritual world through delicate drawings and totemic sculptures.

Sewell reflects on his ventures into nature, from the firths of Scotland to London’s Epping Forest, in order to create assemblages of organic matter, climbing rope and naturally died fabric. His ritualistic installations show respect for the natural world as well as hinting at a new mystical practice for the modern day that celebrates the rotting, uncanny beauty of the woods and the wilds.’

I’m intrigued by the concept behind Sewells work rather than the work itself which is why i’ve not shown images. He’s doing exactly what i’d like to do.

Page 104: 

‘PRACTICE BEING IN YOUR NATURE’ “We are in a pint in the world where we’ve become very disconnected. Things are super-fast - we are very top heavy, we think so much. And we lead life from a strange sense that we are in control or can control everything, so we become detached from our energetic systems and our nervous systems” - this makes me think about how we no longer rely on our natural compass, our intuition or ‘gut instinct’.. aiding towards more disconnection.

Page 107 - 117:

A few pages about artists that, bellow are the ones that stand out.

I relate to Rachel Wingfield on very deep levels. ‘I feel very passionate about certain topics such as climate change and mass extinction’ - Rachel Wingfield

Shama Rahman speaks about flow, the work her and her crew does ‘addresses our ability to be in flow, harnessing the ability of our own consciousness’. 

Ben Lindsay speaks about church and says that ‘apart from down the pub, it’s rare that you see such a mix of people’ and how the church accepts a mixture of people, it accepts everyone.’ This reminds me of the art space, the art gallery, exhibition, the creative project.. how art and design bring people together, not leaving anyone out. Everyone can relate to it, everyone can connect. 

Photos 9, 10, 11:

I practice modern witchcraft and haven’t found a better explanation than what’s said by The Hoodwitch in this article. I’m now drawn to expressing/demonstrating my own personal spiritual practice as it’s a clear example of what i’m trying to portray through my work, I am proof that my methods and ideas work towards connecting to ourselves, connecting to the planet and consciously evolving positively.