#Season of Ice Soundscapes

[postmakerkiwi]

🍂 Acres of Autumn - Autumn Fairy Home 🧚‍♀️

Creaking branches and branching creeks sing across this autumnal land. Listen closely for the sounds of sheep and crunching leaves.

photos via GameFAQs

[miyakuli]

Raging Loop

Hungry Wolf

Take The Werewolves of Millers Hollow, sprinkle it with Japanese mythology, blend everything with a time-loop system, and serve it up at the macabre feast of Yasumizu village. This psychological horror visual novel is sure to delight your palate, but will you even dare to taste the experience…?

❤ Let's start with the main dish: the game's storyline. The story is intriguing and very rich in folklore, and I really enjoyed unraveling its mysteries as the revelations unfolded. In fact, I was surprised in many ways by the course of events, I couldn't anticipate many of the twists, and some of the secrets were well kept until the very end. ❤ As side dishes to the meal, the game offers us some very…particular characters. Their personalities are quite atypical, and we can glimpse both their sensitivity and their utter madness… but that's why we end up loving them all. The game also takes the time to develop them over the loops, making them all memorable and endearing individuals. Between our main protagonist who's as intelligent as Light in Death Note but with a nonchalant personality, a flirtatious but lunatic young woman, a teenage boy in a dress with super-powered instincts, a loving but depressive mum, and the list goes on….you can guess that the interactions in this group will never be boring and will provide you with scenes that are both delirious and uncomfortable. ❤ The game's overall design perfectly seasons the plot, with varied chara-design and beautiful (and creepy) illustrations. ❤ To round off the meal, you can wander through a flowchart whose chapters are unlocked by keys obtained each time your character dies. It's more than just an accessory for the player though, and plays an integral part in the story, just as it does in Zero Escape saga - a little icing on the cake.

However, I think that some of the food would benefit from a better balance of flavors. +/- All dialogue is dubbed in Japanese (and although the seiyuus are largely unknown, their acting is excellent). The soundscape is also really well done, despite being a little cheap…but some of the musical loops are a little too apparent and, above all, the heartbeat track… seriously, you can find much better in free sound banks. +/- The game takes its time to develop the story and characters while keeping a steady pace, so you don't feel the hours fly by…but there's an overload of explanations condensed into the last few chapters, a little indigestible. +/- Also, the ending could chill people's appetite, and I think this story direction will have an effect on the atmosphere of the game; replaying it won't have the same flavor knowing this outcome. +/- The don juan attitude of the main character towards almost all the girls in the game wasn't always necessary and a bit clunky in my opinion, although yes, these relationships will have an interesting impact. +/- In the end, the game is very linear, so it doesn't offer much replayability…but the bonus content does add some nice elements to the plot.

While I was well satisfied with this meal, a few elements left me with a slightly bitter taste. ✖ The sound balance is poor; if I put everything at the same level, some dialogues are eaten up by the music, but if I turn the voices up a little, they take up too much space. ✖ I wish we'd had more choice during the feasts; that we'd been much more involved in unmasking the culprits. ✖ The "hints corner" don't add much and break the creepy effect of the bad endings.

Raging Loop is a very savory VN, and despite the lack of interaction, it's a treat thanks to a convincing scenario set in a well-managed anxious atmosphere, and will easily keep you on the edge of your seat for several hours. Enjoy your meal.

➡ My personal VN ranking (in french) ➡ My Steam page

[aangussca]

Art Studio 2 Research: Artist's Archive/Inspiration Board on refining the visuals (mainly in the terrestrial segment of the short film)

The artworks below draw from nature in some capacity: aquatic, terrestrial and other environments. I will also include artworks that draw from organic forms in nature.

As such, all of these could provide visual inspiration for refining the animations I used for the projected film in Organic Space.

(NOTE THAT ANY PHRASES HIGHLIGHTED IN PURPLE COULD BE VERY HELPFUL IN MY APPROACH TO EITHER THE ANIMATIONS, THE INSTALLATION OF THE FINAL WORK, THE SOUNDSCAPE OR ALL THREE.)

Firelei Báez's Untitled (Premiere Carte Pour 'Introduction à L'Histoire du Monde) (2022, oil and acrylic paint on archival printed canvas)

Potentially relevant description excerpt: "She sees her art as a conversation with this earlier period [of colonialism], opening up space for questions and alternative histories. Here, she might be imagining the world represented by the Atlas ending in dramatic fires and floods. Or she could be continuing its traditions: her own imagery was inspired by the fantastical pictures of outer space transmitted by the James Webb Space Telescope in 2021 - today's equivalent of the eighteenth-century star map."

David Aspen's Waterscape (2005, synthetic polymer paint on white wove watercolour paper)

Potentially relevant description excerpt: "For Aspen, painting was as much an act/process as well as the creation of an all-encompassing colour environment. His early interests lay in international formalist/ hard edge painting, which gave way to a more nuanced and lyrical abstraction influenced by music, landscape and nature. Above all, his work emphasised colour and expressed his remarkable facility for tone, and interest in balancing interlocking shapes, colours, tones and light."

Pat Steir's The Wave - from the Sea - after Leonardo, Hokusai, and Courbet (1985, drypoint, etching, aquatint, spitbite and soapground)

Potentially relevant description excerpt: "In this tripartite composition, Steir vertically stacks quotations from three artists' images of the sea: Leonardo da Vinci's pen-and-ink drawing of a whirlpool (1507-1509); Hokusai's The Great Wave (ca. 1830-1832); and Courbet's 1869 paintings of waves at Etretat in Normandy. Steir described her ambition to "show people ways of seeing ... [how] artists see through time and place." She was struck by how these three representations of the ocean from different cultures and centuries somehow "carry the same feeling." Working from reproductions, Steir engaged in an act of translation and comparison that allowed her to consider her own relationship to time and art history."

Alex Katz seasonal paintings (oil paint on linen)

Row 1: Spring (2023)

Row 2: Summer 21 (2023), Autumn 5 (2022)

Potentially relevant description excerpt: "In many instances, [Katz] omits the horizon lines that are typical of traditional landscape painting a decision that, when paired with the large scale of his works, produces the illusion of environments with no clear beginning or end. "The sensation of color is what I wanted," says Katz. "It's the sensation of seeing." [These series of seasonal paintings] celebrates the artist's ever-evolving approach to interpreting the natural world. These days, he often begins with photographs shot on his phone or small painted sketches, which he subsequently transforms into large-scale compositions. Working intuitively, he paints at a high speed and frequently completes an entire painting within a single morning. He cheerfully describes this all-or-nothing process as "Hold your breath and hope for the best.""

Jan Erik Waider's Frozen Colours of Winter series (2023-2024, photographic prints)

Potentially relevant description excerpt: "My focus as a landscape photographer is clearly on abstract perspectives, especially concerning water and ice: landscapes that are constantly changing and never look the same on any given day. I spend a lot of time in countries like Iceland and Greenland, but winter can also lead to incredibly exciting compositions in Germany with the necessary frost, especially in the macro field of photography. In contrast to Iceland, there is a lot more vegetation and trees, and therefore a plethora of colors in the ice: frozen leaves from autumn, grasses, or pine cones."

Nicole Hone's Hydrophytes (2018, short film with 3D-printed moving sculptures)

Row 1 sculptures: 'Imp Root', 'Feather Nurse'

Row 2 sculptures: 'Nomadic Cleaner', 'Haven Flower'

Potentially relevant description excerpt: "“I have always been fascinated with nature. It inspires my design ideas and aesthetic. For this project, I became particularly interested in botany and marine life. I was amazed by the way sea creatures and corals moved, and I wanted to reflect similar qualities in my designs. They can respond to external forces such as gravity, water ripples or currents, and interaction with people or other 3D prints in real life,” Hone said. “Their man-made composite materials behave uncannily similar to living organisms.”

She went on to explain that each Hydrophyte has a unique character that is defined by both their style of movement and appearance. The colored lights that illuminate the printed plants were chosen to “complement each personality and amplify the emotive qualities of the film,” and the functions of each plant were inspired by the effects of climate change on marine species. “As the 4D printing experiments developed from abstract shapes into more plant-like models, their appearance and movement helped me think of which function would best suit each character,” she added."

[tempe-corals]

Medusa to be continued …

ZÄRTLICH GEHT DIE WELT ZUGRUNDE: STILL LOOKING FOR MEDUSA – by NINA M. W. QUEIßNER & LINDA WEIß radia season 52 – show #1008 (radio x) – playing from July 22 to July 28, 2024

ZÄRTLICH GEHT DIE WELT ZUGRUNDE: STILL LOOKING FOR MEDUSA is a tribute to corals, the sensitive critters of Gaia’s underwater realms, showcasing their profound ability to forge symbiotic relationships. Corals, as holobionts for zooxanthellae, epitomize interdependence; as reefs, they offer shelter to many marine creatures; as strong formations, they modulate the ocean’s ebb and flow into gentler currents. As the ancient ancestors of Medusa, they hold the spirit of nature’s often misunderstood and transformative powers. Medusa herself, a female figure of Greek mythology, represents the recurring theme of metamorphosis and the complex dynamics of power and seduction, banished to safeguard the male gaze.

Through a rich saturation of marine bioacoustics, noise pollution, mythic tones, Nina M. W. Queißner and Linda Weiß beckon you to immerse yourself in the deep, dark blue soundscape. Here, lose your way, welcome the feeling of otherness, and give yourself to the waves of yearning, and acknowledge cold shivers. Picture Medusa, whose symbiosis sustains the life that thrives beneath the waves.

underwater sound recordings: Coral reefs (Red Sea, Egypt), shipping traffic on the Main River and the English Channel of the Alabaster Coast; additional sound recordings: Baking soda in water, hot oil, ice cubes, crystal glass and water, tadpoles, rain on polyamide, etc., synthesizer, melodica, Sansa.

image: detail tentacular beings under salinity stress, space sound installation Looking for Medusa, Senckenberg Naturmuseum, Frankfurt a. M. (DE), 2023, photo by Linda Weiß.

concept/production: Nina M. W. Queissner

[domers-group8]

Neel - Research

Idea 1:-

Concept: 

A visually stunning aerial journey through diverse, contrasting real-world environments, accessed and transitioned between via shimmering, chrome monolith-inspired portals.

My First concept “Earthbound Portals” is inspired by portal parkour or portal switching in Minecraft. But instead of pixelated biomes and blocky mountains, we’ll switch them with the unfiltered beauty of Earth. Imagine the hyper-realistic environments: a rainforest-like Amazon rainforest, the dunes and desert like the Sahara desert, snowy mountains like the Himalayan mountain range and so on.

The portal is inspired by the Utah monolith only in a hollow rectangular format. The chrome monolith portals act as adrenaline-pumping gateways, whisking the audience between environments in a dizzying blur of light and sound. The camera swoops and dives, mimicking the disorienting rush of transition, before settling into smooth aerials that showcase the breathtaking landscapes in all their glory.

Here is a list of suitable environments that can be included in the clip:

Rainforest: Lush canopy, vibrant flora and fauna, mist rising from the jungle floor, calls of exotic birds and insects. (Summer, rainy season)

Desert: Vast sand dunes, wind whistling through canyons, distant mirages, occasional cacti and desert wildlife. (Day, hot and dry)

Arctic Region: Icy plains, snow-capped mountains, frozen oceans with glacial floes, eerie silence punctuated by cracking ice and howling winds. (Winter, twilight)

Ocean: Deep blue expanse, white-capped waves crashing against unseen reefs, playful dolphins, migrating whales breaching in the distance. (Sunny, calm)

Volcanic landscape with bubbling lava, geysers, and plumes of smoke.

Bustling cityscape with towering skyscrapers, honking cars, and the murmur of crowds.

Lush green meadows dotted with grazing animals, babbling brooks, and chirping birds. (Spring, sunny)

Transitions:

Portals: Shimmering, reflective chrome monoliths integrated subtly into the environments. Upon entering, a blinding flash followed by a whooshing sound as the scene cuts to the next environment.

Camera Movement: During transitions, quick cuts and zooms create a dynamic, disorienting effect. Within environments, slower, sweeping aerial shots showcase the vastness and detail of the landscapes.

Soundscape effects:

Hyper-realistic sound effects are specific to each environment: raindrops in the rainforest, sand blowing in the desert, ice cracking in the Arctic, crashing waves in the ocean.

Subtle ambient music that complements the environment without being intrusive.

Conclusion:

This concept provides a strong foundation for developing a truly captivating and immersive experience that transports viewers to the far corners of our planet in a thrilling, parkour-inspired journey.

References:-

Minecraft (2009). Xbox, PC [Game]. Mojang, Stockholm.

www.youtube.com. (n.d.). The Best Minecraft Seeds for 1.19. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YgKlv2Xom3w [Accessed 27 Jan. 2024].

‌Wikipedia. (2023). Utah monolith. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_monolith#:~:text=The%20Utah%20monolith%20was%20a [Accessed 27 Jan. 2024].

www.youtube.com. (n.d.). Amazon 4k - The World’s Largest Tropical Rainforest Part 2 | Jungle Sounds | Scenic Relaxation Film. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es4x5R-rV9s&ab_channel=ScenicScenes [Accessed 27 Jan. 2024].

www.youtube.com. (n.d.). The Most Surreal Desert Landscapes 4k - Deep Relaxing Film. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0K25IMYxl0&t=293s&ab_channel=DeepRelaxingFilms [Accessed 27 Jan. 2024].

[werewolvesandaccordions]

Glazunov – The Seasons (1900) This work is an “allegorical ballet”, that is it isn’t plot driven but rather symbolic. It is written for a large orchestra and is full of lush, gorgeous music. I’ve listened to it a handful of times, and it has really grown on me because of the gorgeous orchestral writing, and the ways that the simple melodies change color throughout. It’s also interesting to see this order of the seasons. Usually we start with Spring and end with Winter, but this ballet starts with Winter and ends with Autumn, making the trajectory start with coldness, drama, and the sense of “death”, then coming back to life, and then ending with a winding down of nature, falling asleep almost, instead of a defeat. It opens with a shimmering introduction, the invocation of winter. Winter opens with a flute fluttering up and down scales, trills, trying to recreate snowfall. This theme gets a short set of variations, each depicting a different winter storm; frost, ice, hail, and snow. We get fun passages with the winds and with plucked strings over chromatic harmonies. At the end of the section, a solo harp plays glissando passages to guide us into the next season. Spring opens with bird song, and pretty flower music, and it’s easy to think of Tchaikovsky here. We shift into Summer, with a gorgeous figuration played on a celesta and harp, the strings sing out the main melody. The brass soon enters, filling the soundscape with a rich texture. Here we get variations for different figures of mythology; naiads, satyrs/fauns, and despite the pastoral subject, the music carries a ballroom atmosphere with it. There is also a lovely barcarolle variation of the main theme that makes the melody soar. After an energetic and dramatic coda, depicting the satyrs trying (and failing) to kidnap the Spirit of Corn, we get a rowdy bacchanal for the introduction of Autumn. Mixed in is music meant to recreate falling leaves. Here the music shifts from quiet and restful to rowdy and mischievous. At the very end, we get a soft reiteration of the theme, high winds and strings, as the scene fills with stars overhead. The brass joins, and we get a large grand coda. Movements: 1. Winter 2. Spring 3. Summer 4. Autumn Orchestra: Minnesota OrchestraConductor: Edo de Waart

mikrokosmos: Glazunov – The Seasons (1900) This work is an “allegorical ballet”, that is it isn’t plot driven but rather symbolic. It is written for a large orchestra and is full of lush, gorgeous music. I’ve listened to it a handful of times, and it has really grown on me because of the gorgeous orchestral writing,…

[dariaandjanelanefanboy]

Glazunov – The Seasons (1900) This work is an “allegorical ballet”, that is it isn’t plot driven but rather symbolic. It is written for a large orchestra and is full of lush, gorgeous music. I’ve listened to it a handful of times, and it has really grown on me because of the gorgeous orchestral writing, and the ways that the simple melodies change color throughout. It’s also interesting to see this order of the seasons. Usually we start with Spring and end with Winter, but this ballet starts with Winter and ends with Autumn, making the trajectory start with coldness, drama, and the sense of “death”, then coming back to life, and then ending with a winding down of nature, falling asleep almost, instead of a defeat. It opens with a shimmering introduction, the invocation of winter. Winter opens with a flute fluttering up and down scales, trills, trying to recreate snowfall. This theme gets a short set of variations, each depicting a different winter storm; frost, ice, hail, and snow. We get fun passages with the winds and with plucked strings over chromatic harmonies. At the end of the section, a solo harp plays glissando passages to guide us into the next season. Spring opens with bird song, and pretty flower music, and it’s easy to think of Tchaikovsky here. We shift into Summer, with a gorgeous figuration played on a celesta and harp, the strings sing out the main melody. The brass soon enters, filling the soundscape with a rich texture. Here we get variations for different figures of mythology; naiads, satyrs/fauns, and despite the pastoral subject, the music carries a ballroom atmosphere with it. There is also a lovely barcarolle variation of the main theme that makes the melody soar. After an energetic and dramatic coda, depicting the satyrs trying (and failing) to kidnap the Spirit of Corn, we get a rowdy bacchanal for the introduction of Autumn. Mixed in is music meant to recreate falling leaves. Here the music shifts from quiet and restful to rowdy and mischievous. At the very end, we get a soft reiteration of the theme, high winds and strings, as the scene fills with stars overhead. The brass joins, and we get a large grand coda. Movements: 1. Winter 2. Spring 3. Summer 4. Autumn Orchestra: Minnesota OrchestraConductor: Edo de Waart

mikrokosmos: Glazunov – The Seasons (1900) This work is an “allegorical ballet”, that is it isn’t plot driven but rather symbolic. It is written for a large orchestra and is full of lush, gorgeous music. I’ve listened to it a handful of times, and it has really grown on me because of the gorgeous orchestral writing,…

[tinas-art]

Glazunov – The Seasons (1900) This work is an “allegorical ballet”, that is it isn’t plot driven but rather symbolic. It is written for a large orchestra and is full of lush, gorgeous music. I’ve listened to it a handful of times, and it has really grown on me because of the gorgeous orchestral writing, and the ways that the simple melodies change color throughout. It’s also interesting to see this order of the seasons. Usually we start with Spring and end with Winter, but this ballet starts with Winter and ends with Autumn, making the trajectory start with coldness, drama, and the sense of “death”, then coming back to life, and then ending with a winding down of nature, falling asleep almost, instead of a defeat. It opens with a shimmering introduction, the invocation of winter. Winter opens with a flute fluttering up and down scales, trills, trying to recreate snowfall. This theme gets a short set of variations, each depicting a different winter storm; frost, ice, hail, and snow. We get fun passages with the winds and with plucked strings over chromatic harmonies. At the end of the section, a solo harp plays glissando passages to guide us into the next season. Spring opens with bird song, and pretty flower music, and it’s easy to think of Tchaikovsky here. We shift into Summer, with a gorgeous figuration played on a celesta and harp, the strings sing out the main melody. The brass soon enters, filling the soundscape with a rich texture. Here we get variations for different figures of mythology; naiads, satyrs/fauns, and despite the pastoral subject, the music carries a ballroom atmosphere with it. There is also a lovely barcarolle variation of the main theme that makes the melody soar. After an energetic and dramatic coda, depicting the satyrs trying (and failing) to kidnap the Spirit of Corn, we get a rowdy bacchanal for the introduction of Autumn. Mixed in is music meant to recreate falling leaves. Here the music shifts from quiet and restful to rowdy and mischievous. At the very end, we get a soft reiteration of the theme, high winds and strings, as the scene fills with stars overhead. The brass joins, and we get a large grand coda. Movements: 1. Winter 2. Spring 3. Summer 4. Autumn Orchestra: Minnesota OrchestraConductor: Edo de Waart

mikrokosmos: Glazunov – The Seasons (1900) This work is an “allegorical ballet”, that is it isn’t plot driven but rather symbolic. It is written for a large orchestra and is full of lush, gorgeous music. I’ve listened to it a handful of times, and it has really grown on me because of the gorgeous orchestral writing,…

[hushilda]

Glazunov – The Seasons (1900) This work is an “allegorical ballet”, that is it isn’t plot driven but rather symbolic. It is written for a large orchestra and is full of lush, gorgeous music. I’ve listened to it a handful of times, and it has really grown on me because of the gorgeous orchestral writing, and the ways that the simple melodies change color throughout. It’s also interesting to see this order of the seasons. Usually we start with Spring and end with Winter, but this ballet starts with Winter and ends with Autumn, making the trajectory start with coldness, drama, and the sense of “death”, then coming back to life, and then ending with a winding down of nature, falling asleep almost, instead of a defeat. It opens with a shimmering introduction, the invocation of winter. Winter opens with a flute fluttering up and down scales, trills, trying to recreate snowfall. This theme gets a short set of variations, each depicting a different winter storm; frost, ice, hail, and snow. We get fun passages with the winds and with plucked strings over chromatic harmonies. At the end of the section, a solo harp plays glissando passages to guide us into the next season. Spring opens with bird song, and pretty flower music, and it’s easy to think of Tchaikovsky here. We shift into Summer, with a gorgeous figuration played on a celesta and harp, the strings sing out the main melody. The brass soon enters, filling the soundscape with a rich texture. Here we get variations for different figures of mythology; naiads, satyrs/fauns, and despite the pastoral subject, the music carries a ballroom atmosphere with it. There is also a lovely barcarolle variation of the main theme that makes the melody soar. After an energetic and dramatic coda, depicting the satyrs trying (and failing) to kidnap the Spirit of Corn, we get a rowdy bacchanal for the introduction of Autumn. Mixed in is music meant to recreate falling leaves. Here the music shifts from quiet and restful to rowdy and mischievous. At the very end, we get a soft reiteration of the theme, high winds and strings, as the scene fills with stars overhead. The brass joins, and we get a large grand coda. Movements: 1. Winter 2. Spring 3. Summer 4. Autumn Orchestra: Minnesota OrchestraConductor: Edo de Waart

mikrokosmos: Glazunov – The Seasons (1900) This work is an “allegorical ballet”, that is it isn’t plot driven but rather symbolic. It is written for a large orchestra and is full of lush, gorgeous music. I’ve listened to it a handful of times, and it has really grown on me because of the gorgeous orchestral writing,…

[tigerstrikesasteroidnetwork]

CHI / Artist In Residence: Latham Zearfoss

Artist In Residence:  Latham Zearfoss Residency Dates: December 17, 2022 - February 18, 2023

Tiger Strikes Asteroid Chicago is pleased to announce that Latham Zearfoss will be our next artist in residence. This residency will allow Zearfoss the opportunity to execute a new iteration of his ongoing “Stalagmite Creamsicles” project, a seasonally-iterative body of work comprised of ice sculptures dyed with natural dyes that contain seeds for a native garden that will bloom where they are left to melt.

Zearfoss produces time-based images and objects about selfhood and otherness. Often collaborative, these works ask: how do we come to know ourselves as social human subjects? Across media, Zearfoss’s work is anchored in the belief that identity is a cumulative, political effect, inherited through a kind of collective bargaining. These themes find evocative, sensual resonances through dramatic shifts in color and light, reverberating soundscapes populated by disembodied voices, queer iterations of the not-noticed and everyday, and “soft borders”—spatial markings of undetermined significance that invite participation, transgression, and even penetration.  Zearfoss’s residency is organized by Jaclyn Jacunski.

Above image credit:  Latham Zearfoss with latex molds, 2021

Artist Bio:
 Latham Zearfoss works in Chicago, where they produce time-based images, objects, and experiences about selfhood and otherness. Outside of the studio, they contribute to collective motions toward joy and reflection through social projects such as a queer dance party (Chances Dances), a critical space for white allyship (Make Yourself Useful), and an itinerant conference on socially-engaged art (Open Engagement). Latham graduated from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a BFA in 2008 and the University of Illinois at Chicago with an MFA in 2011. They have exhibited their work, screened their videos, and DJ’d internationally and all over the U.S.

Organizer Bio: Jaclyn Jacunski is an interdisciplinary artist who exhibits both locally and nationally. She earned her MFA from SAIC and BFA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and she has taught at SAIC and Harrington College of Design. Jacunski’s practice stems from involvement in social and political causes, and she seeks to find understanding in political controversies that surround the land and community acts of resistance. Jacunski was a BOLT artist-in-residence at the Chicago Artists Coalition, and she has exhibited at ICAs in both Portland and Baltimore. Her work has been featured in the Chicago Tribune and Hyperallergic.

[strangerthings4theories]

The First Rule of Analyzing Stranger Things: The Upside Down Is Symbolized By Water

I’m not kidding. This symbolic relationship is so important to the show that I consider it the foundation for everything else... including my assertion that Billy is alive. 

Wherever water shows up - rain, baths, showers, pools, the ocean - the Upside Down is not far behind. Nine times out of ten, the pattern holds true. And if I went through every example, this post would be HELLA LONG. So I’ll just hit a few highlights...

1) The Upside Down is designed to look and sound like the deep sea.

As someone who’s fascinated by the deep sea, I freakin’ love the Upside Down’s design. Walking through the place is like walking on the ocean floor. Stuff that looks like barnacles and seaweed covers everything. Spores float through the air like the particulate matter we see in the ocean. In S1, Hopper and Joyce even wear "dive suits."

The music and sound design emphasize the deep sea connection. Billy’s trip into the Upside Down gives us the perfect example. If you listen carefully to the sound in the scene, it creates an underwater ambiance. When Billy first steps out of the phone booth, we hear wet, squishy sounds. Every other sound has heavy reverb, and we hear no high frequencies, just low ones, as if the soundscape is muffled by water.

So yeah, the Upside Down’s likeness to the sea is pretty obvious. But the connection affects more than the way the Upside Down looks and feels. It even affects key plot choices.

2) El first encounters the Upside Down in “the bath.”

In S1, we get a series of flashbacks showing El’s training in the lab. Her training culminates in her meeting the Demogorgon and opening the first gate into the Upside Down.

Remarkably, she doesn’t even hear the Demogorgon until she’s in the water tank. The first time she runs away. The second time, Brenner forces her to approach it, and all hell breaks loose.

Symbolically, she’s being submerged in the Upside Down. That’s why she meets the Demogorgon in the tank. Later in the season, when she wants to project her mind into the Upside Down, she uses a kiddy pool to recreate the tank (aka, she’s symbolically submerging herself again).

3) Barb encounters the Demogorgon in the Harringtons’ pool.

The scene begins with Barb perched on the diving board, dipping her feet in the water. Then the Demogorgon shows up, Barb flashes into the Upside Down, and... well. We all know what happens next.

(This scene creates a parallel with Billy that is extremely significant. I’ll explore it at length in another post.)

4) Will’s “dead body” is found in the water.

The people of Hawkins aren’t aware of the Upside Down. When Will’s “body” is found, his death is chalked up to drowning. Thankfully, we as the audience are in on the secret; we know Will’s alive. HOWEVER, his drowned “body” being pulled from the water represents the threat he still faces: the Upside Down has taken him, and he could very well die there.

The threat is underscored by my next example...

5) When Hopper and Joyce rescue Will, he’s portrayed as having (almost) drowned.

“He’s not breathing! He’s not breathing!” Joyce cries. As Hopper pumps Will’s chest, he talks her through giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Finally, Will jerks upright with a gasp, all to the tune of “When It’s Cold I’d Like to Die” by Moby.

I don't want to swim the ocean I don't want to fight the tide I don't want to swim forever When it's cold I'd like to die...

Literally, Hopper and Joyce just saved Will from the Upside Down. Symbolically, they pulled Will from the water, then gave him CPR like a lifeguard would.

(The lifeguard connection is HUGELY IMPORTANT FOR BILLY OMG, I’LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE BARB POST)

Other details of the scene support this reading. Will’s vest makes it look like he’s wearing a life preserver. Meanwhile, the library around them looks like a shipwreck on the ocean floor. There’s even a “porthole” in the background.

6) When the Upside Down takes Heather, she’s portrayed as being dragged under the ocean.

We start with El finding a bathtub full of ice. Already we have the association with water - cold water. Then Heather pops out of the tub, begs for help, and gets sucked back down. After that, we’re hit with one of the most significant visuals of the show: Heather disappearing into the green-tinged darkness, reaching for the surface, as El screams her name.

Again, we see that being taken by the Upside Down = drowning. Tragically, no one reaches Heather in time to save her.

7) Billy's first experience of possession is surrounded by water symbolism.

When Billy wakes from his nightmare about the Upside Down, his eyes reflect the pool like he’s seeing water all around him. Not coincidentally, he looks like someone splashed him from the pool while he was asleep. Gasping for breath, he stumbles to the pool showers and literally submerges himself in water. Here, the Mind Flayer scorches through Billy’s mind, making His presence known for the first time.

It’s here that the Mind Flayer forces Billy to claim his first victim. Soaked from the shower, Billy attacks Heather and pulls her into the stall with him.

Symbolically, he’s been dragged into the ocean too. We’re left wondering if he’ll ever escape.

»»————-　✼　————-««

These are just a FEW of the many, many examples I could use. Like I said, wherever water shows up, the Upside Down isn’t far behind. This rule applies to rain, bathtubs, pools, even glasses of water at times.

With a little deduction, the rule also gives us a back door into a crucial revelation.

Billy is alive, and he’s coming back from (or through) the Upside Down.

More on that soon~~

[postmakerkiwi]

🧜🏻‍♀️ Sandy Archipelago - Mermaid Coast 🐚

Unwind on these tiny beach islands connected by boardwalks crusted in salt and barnacles. Waves roll onto the land from every direction, and you might even make out the splashing of mermaids.

photos via GameFAQs

[aceforestnymph]

HELL YEAH!! @nightybreeze I WOULD NEVER PASS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THE PODCASTS I LOVE!

The White Vault is a horror podcast that begins with a repair team sent to investigate a strange signal coming from an outpost near Ny-Alesund, Svalbard. Once they get there, they quickly become trapped by a huge and unrelenting snowstorm, their radio signal is cut off and they're completely isolated from the rest of the world. After a groundbreaking archaeological discovery, the team becomes increasingly aware that they've caught the attention of Something lurking beneath the ice.

aaaand that's about all I can tell you without giving you too many spoilers lol the third and fourth seasons take place on literally the opposite side of the globe but are nonetheless connected

the story is told trough bits of found footage assembled by The Documentarian, who is seemingly detached from the story in the beginning but becomes more and more involved in the mystery later on.

(Also, her voice is SOOO beautiful and pleasant to listen to and it's definitely not one of the reasons I listened to a rpg podcast her voice actress is in OR contemplating listening to another +200 eps rpg podcast just so I can hear more of her voice XD)

the show is captivating and horrifying and the soundscape is so good!! but the thing that impressed me the most is the language and cultural diversity. There are so many different languages spoken in this podcast! I've never seen or heard anything with such an international cast before!!

so yeah, I hope you'll give it a go. the last season begins in October so now would be the perfect time to start listening to it 😅

[kneipho]

Hope Springs Eternal Part Two.

--

One should be cognizant of tread marks of a different kind that await all of us.

But attitude is key. A timeless trait.

More fodder this for that colourful cryptic creation I’m churning about in my brain.

One could not help but notice the dwellings in this compact charming but claustrophobic town.

They were spreadeagled to a fault with scant regard for privacy or personal space.

Neighbours like nodding polders wave from their aluminum polycarbonate verandas.

The sort with integrated guttering and moulded frames.

All packed together like crates in a warehouse.

A carbon copy of some construction company’s catalogue.

The trailing shrubs, wilting flowers in mosaic porcelain propagators, superimposed trellises and overstocked pools to name but a few.

They only served to reinforce their stylish if somewhat stifling similarity.

I was mindful of today’s appointment thanks to my tarnished gold watch and the sonorous chiming of the nearby chapel clock.

Of course one must not overlook Mr and Mrs Ispy as they were nicknamed locally.

The naughty snoops who were minding everybody’s business bar their own.

Adam and alma ahern were their names.

Aunt Virginia had some scathing words about their type.

“Some people base their whole world around tittle tattle.

They are grounded in matters that smart folk view with Olympian disdain.”

One can just imagine the cocked ears and protruding noses feasting on every scrap of scandal real or contrived.

Theirs was an in-built antennae always aligned for mischief of the murkiest kind.

They had an ubiquitous presence.

You never knew what hedge or door they might pop out of.

They sniffer dogged their way around every trail, route, and byway in pursuit of some scurrilous rumour.

Encylopaedic were they on shenanigans of all kinds.

A satellite dish for backstabbing and intrigue.

Some were even so unkind as to suggest that they spied on each other.

They knew everybody and wormed their way into everyone’s confidence when they could!

Gossips at the cutting edge of trivia.

“Oops ….oh no! I’m about to crash.”

I said with my voice trembling.

Lost concentration for a minute.

My notepad and pen skating on a footpath that resembled a small scale ice rink.

Aunt virginia’s word’s about focus were never more valid.

“There goes my poem on …a mudpatch.”

Despite this sudden intrusion I kept my balance but maybe lost something valuable.

A tumult of events on the ground and overhead took place.

Shrill birds chirping and circulating in the sky, swooning and swooping like a scene from an Alfred Hitchcock movie.

As I slowly regained my balance I walked wearily and warily towards the diary with said verse.

The lines were smeared with mud.

Uncannily like a lady’s mudpack.

The heartfelt lines were still legible.

Well, just about.

My heart was beating for various reasons now.

I had a 4pm deadline to meet with forty or so minutes to spare.

Yet there were so many distractions.

An embarrassment of diversion sometimes towered above that stultifying uniformity which threatens even the most imaginative town architecture.

Or was my mind playing tricks on me with all the soundscapes and stimulation of the senses?

The downside of being a poet and writer perhaps?

Virginia’s words of wisdom coming back to haunt me but would I listen ?

The real world and fantasy can segue into one another with distinctions blurred and the usual proneness to exaggeration.

Were the exotic whiffs of Bombay mix recipes emanating from a market place bazaar or some nearby dwelling?

Were they just an illusion with factual elements mixed in?

Either way a favourite haunt of both the Ispy’s and the teen couple I had spoken to earlier was a marketplace.

Both had their own agenda with the aherns being the

more devious!

“Pumpkin seed baps on spits reeking of sesame oil with the most aromatic seasonings wafting everywhere or so I thought.

Incense and Moroccan spices taunting the nose of this stroller on a mission. But also setting off rumblings in the tummy that couldn’t be sated immediately.”

A very vivid image of Virginia with her Mona Lisaesque demeanor appeared.

I was juggling her insights on punctuality and other matters and trying to act on them.

Was I clutching at an ebbing twilight zeal or a burgeoning young at heart momentum?

Distractions make inroads into time but I felt I was being drawn to them.

Did I hear the raucous sound of docker’s voices barely audible but imaginable above the booming traffic?

Were they coming from somewhere close?

Maybe the ships trademark foghorn was setting off an overactive mind or had I supernatural powers at this point in my life?

Whatever the truth, there’s been many a threadbare naval yarn I’ve overheard.

The type that has been twisted, embroidered, embellished even marinated on seas high and low.

Gag induced guffaws billowing upwards as smoke from a chimney stack.

Uproarious bonhomie drowning out the offloading of fetid fish catch.

The vortex of a spiraling timeline giddy with impulse and image drove me on in defiance of their colour and charisma.

But before I knew it a wafer thin voice called out from the corner shop, the location of my rendezvous.

“Hello. Hope spring. I’m your date.

Bang on time both of us.”

A spritely lady in her late sixties with profuse greying hair.

Her eyes were so expressive and sparkled with life.

“Don’t know if I shared my last name when we first met.”

“You did.” I replied.

Virginia, would be proud of my recollection.

“Did you get my call earlier this morning reminding you of the date?”

Hope Spring queried.

“I must have missed it.” Said I archly.

“I also wanted to ask how the poem was going?

We started talking casually as you were writing it.

You were having trouble naming it.”

She said.

“I couldn’t think … how about?”

We both spoke at the same time and laughed.

“Hope ….hope springs eternal!”

The good of it all had us in stitches. I doubt my aunt Virginia would have approved with her dislike of such humour.

“Have you got the poem with you?” Hope enquired.

“No. Sorry, hope some of the lines are a bit muddied.” A reply that made me blush.

Virginia would have scowled.

“Maybe the next time we meet you’ll have it done.” Hope again.

That sounds promising I muttered to myself.

“Yahoo…..you two love birds.

Have fun. See you at the local coffee house.”

Sonia and Winifred’s message as they passed by on their bicycles jolting us out of our conversation.

“Lovely people. Maybe we should take their advice and head off that way.”

Hope placing her right hand on mine.

I nodded in agreement.

“I’ve had this strange feeling all day that I’m being watched… another presence.

Ever had that feeling?” Miss Spring enquired

innocently.

“As I haven’t been in this town for long

it seems more intense than the usual curiosity.”

She continued.

“Shortly after I arrived in this

area I met a charming couple called the aherns.

They warned me of gossips who fed on eavesdropping and misfortune.

Maybe that’s it. I’m certainly grateful for their warning.” Said Hope.

I could barely restrain myself at this bizarre twist that Virginia would definitely

have found amusing.

At that I walked towards the cafe with Hope while craning my neck, taking in all all my surroundings and noticing everything!!

–

Sunday Submission: @mantrabay

Photograph and short story part two by mantrabay copyright protected

[piilopirtti]

Is it worth it to get sky? I want to get into it but I don’t know if I should and I want your advice

Hi sweet anon!

Short answer: Since you are already showing interest in it, I’d say go ahead and try! I find it gorgeous and relaxing and the community is awesome. It is free(!) to download and play, easy to start and learn and also easy to stop at anytime! So you won’t really lose money or even much time if you decide to see what’s it all about. You’ll only be one experience richer!

That’s about it in a nutshell, but then I also went and wrote longer loveletter version if anyone’s interested so here goes:

I remember visiting foreign country with my family when I was like, 4. I had a five-minute-friendship there with a local fellow kiddo. We didn’t share language, I don’t know how toddlers use telepathetic powers to connect, but that’s what we did. I remember holding hands with her and leading her and showing her to my parents with pride.

Somehow, Sky has managed to capture just that, that effortless way children co-exist and socialize in a world full of wonder.

These five-minute-friendships with other players might be my favourite thing. It’s like that feeling in real life where you open the door to a stranger and they smile and thank you. In Sky I run about on my own business and casually interact with others along the way, dance on the ice with a stranger, help to recharge a stranger, exchange polite bows with a stranger. They are little things that give me joy in this godforsaken year of isolation.

At first I was a bit wary of the social aspect and found it almost overwhelming to always have other players around me. But the community is possibly the nicest gaming community I’ve ever seen. (To be fair, I haven’t seen many communities.) People are out there to have a good time! You can choose if you want to engage in socializing or not and other players are usually very respectful if you choose not to. It feels very welcoming place to be in thanks to them. I might log in just to sit around and chill and feel at ease.

Of course, if you’re not an antisocial hermit like I am at times, it is a place where groups of friends hang out and have fun together! (Even I have managed to form lasting friendships, which I thought couldn’t be possible when I started.)

It’s easy to pick up and easy to put down, it doesn’t take up much time, and that’s a plus for me. I’ve been struggling lately to make time for gaming. It has started to feel like a commitment (”I can’t start this 50 hours+ game!”) and a waste of time (”How can I play when I could be i m p r o v i n g myself?”), which is absurd since I enjoy playing. Adulthood I guess. Sky has helped me to lower my bar, I might play 15-minutes per day and feel satisfied. I might decide to play longer than that and feel satisfied! It’s just that easy to casually grab the phone and have fun while drinking the morning coffee. It helps to remember that it’s okay to do things just for enjoyment and relaxation. (And on the days you’re truly short on time, it’s also a plus that you can indeed stop at 15 minutes!)

And yes, it is free. It has no free trials that expire or ads to plague and pressure you into buying some kind of ”full version”. Personally, I don’t feel pressured to buy any in-app purchases! I have done some, but it was after becoming familiar with the game and deciding that yes, I do want to invest my time to Sky. But they are not mandatory!

Last but not least: So visually gorgeous and enchanting soundscape. It’s better to go and experience them than try to put into words here.

-

No game is perfect of course. Some possible negatives include:

Repetitious. Once you feel you’ve seen everything in the overarching storyline , existential crisis hits the skychild! Some focus on collectibles, some start OOBing, some come around only to play the seasons that occur every few months. This issue ties in with the:

Grinding. The game can get grindy in a long run. It can get exhausting if you start to feel inclined to get all the time-limited cosmetics and rewards. I’m trying to avoid this gotta-catch-em-all –mentality and get only what I really like, not because I feel I ”must” have something because everyone else does . Some enjoy it tho, no judgment here!

System requirements. The game is heavy! My previous phone was laggy, my current overheats if I try to use higher fps. It drains the battery fast. It can take away from the enjoyment if your phone is older.

Controls. Well, that no longer bothers me but it was an obstacle in the beginning. Having never played a mobile game like Sky, the controls felt awkward and frustrating even. They feel natural today, but it took commitment to get past the awkwardness.

If you decide to visit the sky kingdom, welcome!

We just got this ice-rink. It’s neat.

[werewolvesandaccordions]

Glazunov – The Seasons (1900) This work is an “allegorical ballet”, that is it isn’t plot driven but rather symbolic. It is written for a large orchestra and is full of lush, gorgeous music. I’ve listened to it a handful of times, and it has really grown on me because of the gorgeous orchestral writing, and the ways that the simple melodies change color throughout. It’s also interesting to see this order of the seasons. Usually we start with Spring and end with Winter, but this ballet starts with Winter and ends with Autumn, making the trajectory start with coldness, drama, and the sense of “death”, then coming back to life, and then ending with a winding down of nature, falling asleep almost, instead of a defeat. It opens with a shimmering introduction, the invocation of winter. Winter opens with a flute fluttering up and down scales, trills, trying to recreate snowfall. This theme gets a short set of variations, each depicting a different winter storm; frost, ice, hail, and snow. We get fun passages with the winds and with plucked strings over chromatic harmonies. At the end of the section, a solo harp plays glissando passages to guide us into the next season. Spring opens with bird song, and pretty flower music, and it’s easy to think of Tchaikovsky here. We shift into Summer, with a gorgeous figuration played on a celesta and harp, the strings sing out the main melody. The brass soon enters, filling the soundscape with a rich texture. Here we get variations for different figures of mythology; naiads, satyrs/fauns, and despite the pastoral subject, the music carries a ballroom atmosphere with it. There is also a lovely barcarolle variation of the main theme that makes the melody soar. After an energetic and dramatic coda, depicting the satyrs trying (and failing) to kidnap the Spirit of Corn, we get a rowdy bacchanal for the introduction of Autumn. Mixed in is music meant to recreate falling leaves. Here the music shifts from quiet and restful to rowdy and mischievous. At the very end, we get a soft reiteration of the theme, high winds and strings, as the scene fills with stars overhead. The brass joins, and we get a large grand coda. Movements: 1. Winter 2. Spring 3. Summer 4. Autumn Orchestra: Minnesota OrchestraConductor: Edo de Waart

mikrokosmos: Glazunov – The Seasons (1900) This work is an “allegorical ballet”, that is it isn’t plot driven but rather symbolic. It is written for a large orchestra and is full of lush, gorgeous music. I’ve listened to it a handful of times, and it has really grown on me because of the gorgeous orchestral writing,…