#ar-catalog

[dylanconrique]

AHHHHHH, WE FINALLY GOT OUR SEASON 7 REWNEWAL!!!!!!!!!

[garadinervi]

Gego (Gertrud Goldschmidt), Tejedura, 1990 [Private collection, Austin, TX. © Fundación Gego, Caracas]; in Gego: Midiendo el infinito / Measuring Infinity, Texts by Julieta González and Cindy Peña, Edited by Arely Ramírez, Graphic Design by Carolina Oliva, Fundación Jumex Arte Contemporáneo, Ciudad de México, 2022, p. 45 (pdf here) [Exhibition: Museo Jumex, Ciudad de México, October 19, 2022 – February 5, 2023]

[haarute]

a display of Argentinian inflation, as shown by three random anime games that appeared on my steam store

first game, release date 2019: 650 ARS

second game, release date 2021: 2500 ARS

third game, release date 2023: 9000 ARS

these games are all the same price internationally, but as they haven't been updated locally, their price reflects how much 60USD has shifted its worth translated to my currency over time

and this is without mentioning the +75% - 98% tax lmao

[lliminall]

(Yan) “Chrollo, why were you crying before? ….Are you alright?”

tags: gn reader, yandere, chrollo being big sad and a little bit unhinged

In the dark shadow of the room, you could almost convince yourself that Chrollo is praying as he glances up at you. Sat hunched on the bed, elbows resting on his knees, hands folded against his forehead as his dark eyes open to meet yours. It would be a funny thought, if it wasn’t so unsettling to see a man of his composure unraveling before you.

For a moment he says nothing, and you wonder if you shouldn’t have said anything about it at all. If you should have stayed in the bathroom and pretended to busy yourself in the shower for another half hour. It feels almost violative to witness him in this state. Your hand itches to flip the switch of the bathroom light, plunge the room into darkness and wipe the image of that expression from your mind.

Chrollo stands and crosses the room in just a few short steps. His hands find rest on the curves of your cheeks, thumbs meandering along the lines of your face.

“I’ve lost someone very important to me,” he says. “Someone I should have been able to protect.”

His eyes are sad, too sad for a man of his kind. It’s wrong on his face, wrong on his body, for someone who’s caused so much grief to be crumbling under the weight of it himself.

“One of your friends again?” you ask.

“Yes,” Chrollo answers with a sad smile. “One of my oldest friends. And there is someone on this boat who is determined to take more from me.”

Your stomach churns nauseatingly. You aren’t sure if it’s the motion of the sea or the man in front of you causing it. Chrollo pulls you into his body, pressing his forehead against yours. He looks at you like he wants to absorb you through his skin. Catalog every detail, every sight, sound, and touch of you in the library of his mind. It feels too much like he’s bracing to lose it. To lose you.

“I see now that I’ve been an idiot,” he says. “Arrogant. An arrogant fool. I didn’t understand how close I was to losing all of you.”

Nausea. Cold, creeping nausea. You want him to drop this unfamiliar act, to become the strong and unwavering force he has always been to you. He can’t be weak. He’s made himself into the only support you have, and he can’t be weak now.

Something sharpens in his gaze.

“But I won’t make the same mistake again. I’ve been weak before, in a long distant past. Did you know that?” He smiles at you as you shake your head. “No, and I won’t be again, now or any time in our future.”

His hands tighten around your face.

“I will be anything, become anything, do anything it takes to keep what belongs to me.”

Nausea. Nausea. Your hands press against his chest in a weak attempt to put space between yourself and this man you don’t recognize. He can’t be this now. Fraying at the ends. He has to be your only constant. Your strong and unbroken constant.

At the pressure on his chest, Chrollo seems to find himself again. The edge in his eyes softens and he’s looking at you again like you’re his favorite dog, shivering while the thunder rages just outside your shelter. Firm hands press your face into the warmth of his chest.

“Chrollo, please. You’re scaring me.” The tremble of your voice muffles into the fabric of his shirt.

“Don’t be afraid, love,” he says. “Nothing is going to to take you from me. And if he tries to—“ his breath catches with a wave of emotion. The fingers in your hair tighten.

The air around you becomes thick with something powerful and suffocating, something cold and cruel that makes your joints lock and skin prickle. It fades as quickly as it comes, and Chrollo breathes slowly, deeply beside you. His hand caresses your hair in slow strokes, an imitation of comfort that does more to ground himself than to sooth you.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t cause you to worry about this.” Warm lips press into the crown of your head before he tugs you away from his body to look into your eyes. “You’re safe with me. You always are.”

There’s a knock on the door. He leaves you to turn and pluck his coat from the bed, taking the warmth of his body with him, and you are left standing in the chill of the room with cold skin and damp hair.

“I’ll only be gone a moment,” he says. “Dry yourself off quickly. We’ll be moving rooms again tonight.”

He steps into the hallway where another voice greets him, and the door clicks shut behind him.

Your hair is dripping onto the tile beneath your feet. Chrollo’s voice fades into the depths of the hallway, further, further, until it’s gone.

You lock the door with shaking hands.

[ramblingoak]

Picking Out Tulips

~ Tales From Lucifer's Hollow ~

This can be directly blamed on @forlorn-crows and their encouragement for this silly story 💙

Mountain x Rain ~ this is just a random little snippet from a future fic called Petal For Your Thoughts.

Warnings: Rain being head over heels for Mountain and his freckles, sfw, about 900 words

Rain smashed into the door, groaning and immediately feeling like the biggest idiot alive.

“What’d you do?”

“Ugh, nothing.  I’m fine.”  Rain tried to swat at Mountain’s hands but the big ghoul easily pushed them away.  He couldn’t help but sigh when Mountain gently pushed some of his hair back, his fingers running along his forehead and over the small bump that was already forming.  He opened his eyes, squinting up at the tall ghoul but when he saw Mountain grinning down at him he immediately closed them again.  “Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were thinking about it though.”  He let Mountain lead him back into the bathroom, pouting when he looked in the mirror and saw the red mark on his forehead.  “This is your fault by the way.”

“My fault?  What did I do?”

Rain barely suppressed a shriek when Mountain’s big hands gripped his waist, easily lifting him up so he was sitting on the counter.  Their faces were level now and Rain couldn’t help but get lost in Mountain’s green eyes.  The little flecks of gold sparkling in the bathroom lights.  There was a smattering of freckles across his cheeks and nose.  They appeared again along the earth ghoul’s shoulders and even further down on his che–  

“You’re doing it again.”

“I’m literally standing here.”  

Rain huffed, doing his best to look at a point on the wall behind Mountain.  There was too much of him on display.  Too much skin and hair and horns and oh, was that his tail slipping up his le–

“I thought we agreed no,”  He gestured vaguely between them both, his frustration growing as Mountain’s smirk got bigger.  Rain groaned in defeat, leaning forward until his head was resting against Mountain’s warm chest.  A soft ‘ow’ left him at the pressure against the bump on his head.  “You’re being too sexy.”

Mountain’s chest vibrated under his head, the ghoul apparently finding great amusement in Rain’s predicament.  When Rain leaned back with a raised eyebrow Mountain shook his head, following him back so he could press a kiss on the tip of Rain’s nose.

“I’ll try to tone it down.”  He winked, grinning when Rain sighed again.  “Seriously though, how did you hit your head?”

“I came out to ask if you had a spare toothbrush and got uh, distracted.”  Rain couldn’t help but pout when Mountain just stared at him, knowing there was more to the story.  “It was the glasses.”

“Glasses?  Wait, my reading glasses?”

“Yes, you big idiot.  You were just sitting there in bed with your stupid glasses and your stupid tulip catalog.  It was hot.  Sue me.”

“So the sight of me in glasses, picking tulip bulbs out, was too much for you huh?”  Rain nodded primly, choosing to count the freckles on Mountain’s shoulders instead of meeting his eyes.  “Well, I’ll have to warn you next time I’m going to wear them.”

“All the skin didn’t help either.”

“I like sleeping in the nude, you’re lucky I’m wearing shorts.”  

Rain fell forward again, although this time he hooked an arm around Mountain’s shoulders and pushed his nose against the earth ghoul’s neck.  He smelled so good, like the woods and moss.  Like a garden of wildflowers basking in the sun.  It took all of his self control not to slip his tongue out and taste Mountain’s skin.

“Can we go to bed now?”  Mountain didn’t answer, but he wrapped an arm around Rain’s back and then hooked his other one under the water ghoul’s knees.  He easily lifted him up off the counter and carried back into the bedroom, smiling down at Rain’s pout.  “Show off.”

He yelped when Mountain dropped him onto the bed but quickly moved under the covers, burrowing down under the warm sheet and soft quilt.  Mountain climbed in after him, sliding an arm under Rain and tugging him close.  Rain watched him reach over to the side table to grab his discarded catalog but he hesitated at the last moment and looked back towards him.

“Are you going to be ok if I put my glasses back on?”

“I hate you.  Take me home.”

“Help me pick out some tulips first.”

Rain sighed, doing his best to focus on the pictures of flowers and not his extremely attractive boyfriend.  Mountain was almost too good to be true but Rain could see himself getting used to this.  To nights snuggled up in this big bed next to his big earth ghoul.  He spread his hand along the quilt, turning from the catalog to admire the design.

“This is nice, where did you get it?”

“I made it.”

Rain couldn’t help it, he started laughing.  His whole body was shaking with it.  When he managed to look up at Mountain, he started laughing harder.  The poor ghoul look bewildered, probably wondering what the hell was wrong with him.  Rain grabbed the catalog and tossed it onto the floor as he moved to straddle him.  Mountain’s hands quickly grabbed his waist, moving under Rain’s shirt and spreading up his back.  

With delicate fingers Rain took his glasses off and set them onto the table before reaching up to bury his fingers in Mountain’s thick hair.

“Of course you did.”

Mountain’s mouth tasted like tea and toothpaste and a hundred other things Rain never wanted to forget.

Read two other snippets: here and here

Tales From Lucifer's Hollow will be an au series centering around a small town and the daily lives of the ghouls and humans that live there.

If you'd like to be added/removed from the tag list (or if I accidentally left your name off) of this fic or any of my others please leave a comment or send me a dm! Thank you 💙

My Masterlist ~ My Archive of our Own ~ My Ko-Fi Tip Jar

[sortiarus-de-naturas-daemonum]

Vassago: An Infopost

Vassago is a Demon appearing in the Book of Offices/Oberon, and The Lesser Key of Solomon/Ars Goetia.

Book of Oberon Catalog 1-3. The 3 Vzago,99 whoe takinge humaine forme, hath power to make one wise & invissible, & to chaunge mann into another forme, or liknes, he getteth love & favour of all men, & giveth true aunswere of all thinges, he appeareth like an aungell, & is right true & faithfull, in all his doeinges.

Book of Oberon Catalog 2-

Dyelagoo,5 a greate prince, he appeareth like a bewtifull Aungell, & is very trusty in all thinges he is comaunded by the m[aiste]r, & he maketh one I[n]vissible, & maketh one to transforme ^them^ selffe into another shape, & willingly, he geveth the love of woomen, & telleth the places of hidd treasures, & giveth favour of frends & enemies, & under him he hath legions.

Lesser Key of Solomon- (3.) VASSAGO. - The Third Spirit is a Mighty

Prince, being of the same nature as Agares. He is called Vassago. This Spirit is of a Good Nature, and his office is to declare things Past and to Come, and to discover all things Hid or Lost. And he governeth 26 Legions of Spirits, and this is his

Seal

What you can work with him for:

♡ Love Magice

♡ Finding lost and hidden things

♡ Obtaining Riches/Money

♡ Learning History

♡ Divination

Offering Ideas:

Gold Coins, Angelic Imagery (To represent his Angel appearance), Heart Imagery, Faux Feathers, Crystals

Sources:

Lemegeton- https://drive.google.com/file/d/18NQ3XNRBqMvVADKEil9_j1WevjiLGnN8/view?usp=drivesdk

Book of Oberon- https://drive.google.com/file/d/18HPOg09iaW9RF7KBKX7cFJHbk6zN0OoJ/view?usp=drivesdk

[udon-udon]

For those in Vancouver, I'll be at The Summerfest tomorrow at BCIT! My catalog's the same as AR's Catalog, but I'll also have a new sticker!

Girls Band Cry acrylic standees have also been restocked!

[singlesablog]

The Imperial Phase

“Left to My Own Devices” (1988) Pet Shop Boys Parlophone / EMI Records (Written by Tennant / Lowe) Highest U.S. Billboard Chart Position – No. 84

I was faced with a choice at a difficult age Would I write a book?  Or should I take to the stage? But in the back of my head I heard distant feet Che Guevara and Debussy to a disco beat

- from “Left to My Own Devices”

“We had been so disciplined at making four-minute pop singles, with the exception of "It's a Sin", which is five minutes. The idea was to have an album where every track was a single

- Pet Shop Boys on the idea behind Introspective

I used to joke with a friend that the two albums in Pet Shop Boys catalog that sat next to one another could have swapped their titles: Introspective (1988) could have been titled Behaviour (1990), and vice versa.  Introspection is from the Latin (“to look within”), and I guess this kind of works; an album titled Self Referential would not be nearly as catchy, if more accurate. Oddly, I always thought of introspection as being related to looking backwards, like nostalgia; in the case of the Pet Shop Boys it is perhaps just a case of inverse-ness (gay people were once called inverts), or even a thoughtful kind of literal thinking.  But who knows, they could have just pulled the title out of a bag.  The duo was never averse to fashion.

The album (if you are unware) consists of six extended tracks, and unlike the quote above, only 4 of them were released as singles, “Domino Dancing”, “Devices”, “Always on My Mind” (which preceded the record and was presented in a much different version), and “It’s Alright”.  “It’s Alright” and “Always on My Mind” are covers, “I Want a Dog” and “I’m Not Scared” are recycled cuts, so the album only contained two original songs, “Domino Dancing” (a huge hit all over the world) and “Devices” (an even bigger hit in the UK, but not in the US).  Like the EP Disco, an earlier collection of 6 extended cuts, it treated the form with respect, but also expanded the idea of what a proper album could be.  To my mind it is easily one of their very best, most original, and certainly most popular (internationally it is their best seller ever).  I love every track (with a small mark off for “It’s Alright”, which does grow a little tedious), but none as much as “Left to My Own Devices”, which is formally audacious and endlessly, thrillingly queer from a gay male perspective.

I was faced with a choice at a difficult age Would I write a book?  Or should I take to the stage?

Back to the idea of introspection, most young gay men have an intense inner life, and we of a certain generation (coming of age in the 1970s and 1980s) were forced to find our culture on our own.  “Left to My Own Devices” is a catalogue of the thoughts and ideas that might roam around in a bachelor’s world.  One of the slyer things about the song is that most of it is spoken word.  Here we find Neil rapping (again!) but instead of trying to create the beat the effect is more like reportage than singing.  The lyrics, as usual, are a collage of ideas carefully cut and pasted to create an atmosphere of bourgeois dandyism (“I phone up a friend who’s a party animal”, “we’ll do some shopping”)—I mean, there is a lot of tea drinking in these lyrics, and I can never be sure that this is either very gay, very British, or both.  I think the Pet Shop Boys, song to song, are generally more in search of a tone where content is concerned, and I also think that tone is always meant to elude you a bit.  As long as you are dancing I don’t think they care what you think, and one sure thing about Introspective is that this certainly is a dance record, and not well understood as one of the most purchased and successful House records ever made, and if you are ever in any doubt of that, please focus on the opening of “Left to My Own Devices”, where they employed an actual opera singer (Sally Bradshaw) to sing the word “house” over and over again as if it were an aria.

All of this can be seen as sardonic (their infamous “irony”) but I always prefer to think of it as sophistication; at the very least, Pet Shop Boys take their ideas and music seriously.  If you read my blog post on Chic’s “Good Times” you can easily understand the courage of performing this style of music in earnest in a world of the backlash that “Disco Sucks” created, which effectively took the bubbles out the late 70s, forced an entire world of music underground, and ironically exploded the genre into many different forms, some of which this record preserves.  There is a level of irony abounding in “Left to My Own Devices”; aside from the gay thing, perhaps that subversiveness is built into the genre of disco music itself.  The track did not really chart in the US outside of the clubs, but that hardly mattered: one could really enjoy Introspective as a gestalt, one long thought, or even one long track.  Whenever I find that I have an itch to listen to the album it is inevitably for the opening of “Devices”, where amidst a full symphony Neil opens with “I get out of bed at half past ten” and then proceeds to take you on a long ride describing a mundane day conducted by the best producers and mixers in the world.  It is the transformation of the mundane into the extraordinary, and also the testament of an inner life revealed.  In contrast to the general success of the album, perhaps “Left to My Own Devices” is the real innovation of the 6 tracks; it may not be the most American, or the most well-known, but being an invert myself, I must say: I rather like it that way.  Is it an irony that a disco record can make one feel seen?  Maybe not.  To some of us, hiding in plain sight just comes naturally.

---

Behaviour (1990).

Tennant later regretted the release of Introspective so soon after the previous album, Actually, feeling that it pigeon-holed them as a dance act.  The melancholy follow-up, Behaviour, generally considered to be their finest achievement, was a relative failure.

I was surprised to learn that “The imperial phase” was actually put into the vernacular by Neil Tennant. The imperial phase is the period in which a musical artist is regarded to be at their commercial and creative peak simultaneously, and was coined to describe the group's feelings on their career circa "Domino Dancing" (1988). Critic Tom Ewing described three criteria for defining an artist's imperial phase as "command, permission, and self-definition".

It was genius producer Trevor Horn who came up with the line “Debussy to a disco beat” tossing it off while laying down a track.  Tennant, ever the historian, collaged it into the song, and gave Horn a writing credit on the b-side “The Sound of the Atom Splitting” as compensation.

Apparently, Neil Tennant’s mother was upset at hearing him sing “I was a lonely boy, no strength, no joy, in a world of my own” but it seems that this is just a character he was play acting: he apparently had a happy childhood.

"In a secret life I was a Roundhead general" – [In British history] the "Roundheads" were the pro-Parliamentary forces during the English Civil War of the mid-1600s. The name "Roundheads" came from the fact that they generally wore their hair trimmed short, unlike their opponents, the long-haired "Cavaliers" who supported King Charles I. (And in case you're not up on your British history, Charles I was ultimately defeated, deposed, and beheaded.) Again, Neil has pointed out that, as a child, he himself would actually have been far more sympathetic to the Cavaliers (in contrast to his more anti-royalist sympathies as an adult). 

- (Directly quoted from geowayne.com)

Pet Shop Boys are still recording. Nonetheless, the Boys 15th studio album, was released April 26th, 2024 to near universal praise.

-----

This post was written using analog techniques to collate facts.  After deciding on a topic, one Wikipedia entry will naturally suggest another, and then I let those concepts create an environment of creative association rather than mere fact finding. I do cross reference sources to find what is most interesting.  While some small details may be disputable, none is used for any other reason than to open up the idea at hand, and to support the belief that most pop songs are indeed works of art, with the great ones renewing themselves endlessly.

[spnscripthunt-inactive]

[tvickiesims]

Date Rewards Roses Default Replacement

Another thing I made for my game but decided to share due to all the feedback I received on my post.

This file replaces two rose bouquets with a peony bouquet (Maxis rose bouquet) and a chocolate box (Maxis single rose). It’s entirely based on a replacement by @alienpod so all credit for the package file goes to them. My attemps at doing it myself resulted in broken meshes and textures so I gave up. Maybe one day I’ll come back to it to rework it properly.

Please note that since this replacement is based on a cloning method (replacement by GUID), it can interfere with mods and unhiders (like this one by @shastakiss). But I included a second version that unhides both rewards in catalog (bouquet is in deco-flowers and the box is in deco-misc). Be sure to keep only one version! Also, note that bouquets from older dates (before you installed this replacement) will keep their Maxis look.

Peony bouquet is my conversion from the Peony set by @ars-botanica (3611 polys). Chocolate box is my conversion of a chocolate box deco object by RightHearted (1182 polys).

Thank you to @trofysisters for giving this replacement a test and suggesting ribbon recolor🤗

Compressed, clearly labelled, picture included.

Download at SFS

[ar-rc]

Dalamud

"In the beginning, we simply prayed to the twin moons─for Dalamud to one day shepherd our souls to the bosom of His mistress. But it all changed when Dalamud began turning red. More and more of us began believing that He was our savior. That we must prove our loyalty with our lives, else we would suffer eternal damnation…"

As cited from The Raven:

Our ordinarily peaceful community has been racked by a series of abductions. Upon learning of these heinous crimes, most folk would be quick to suspect the hand of the evil Empire, and this reporter was no exception. In the course of my investigations, however, I have come to the conclusion that a doomsday cult calling itself the Lambs of Dalamud is the likeliest culprit.

Those familiar with celestial lore will know that the lesser moon Dalamud is held to be the loyal hound of the goddess Menphina. As might be inferred from their name, however, the Lambs of Dalamud have taken him as their lord and savior. Religious hardliners will doubtless cry heresy, but such trifles will keep—there are far more pressing matters at hand. Cults have been on the rise of late. This comes as no surprise to scholars, who explain that the current climate of uncertainty renders folk vulnerable to the offer of salvation touted by entities they would otherwise spurn. Naught is new about cults—they have existed since antiquity, and are harmless for the most part. Every so often, however, one will emerge whose unsavory ambitions threaten to plunge society into disarray. And by my reckoning the Lambs of Dalamud is such a cult, capable of committing unspeakable evils in the name of their fanatical beliefs.

Now, I must confess that the case against them remains inconclusive. Nevertheless, I shall relay to you what I have learned, that you might form your own opinions on the matter. First of all, no sooner had the Lambs of Dalamud arrived to propagate their faith than the first case of abduction was reported. From refugees to war orphans, people from all walks of life began vanishing without a trace. To further implicate the cult, there is a man who claims his daughter was taken in front of his very eyes by a mob donning robes of crimson in a sick imitation of Dalamud’s bloody hue. 

As if all the talk of the Seventh Umbral Era did not cast a dark enough shadow over our lives, folk now durst not leave their homes for fear of the cult; only the gods know what horrible fate awaits those taken.

...

As cited from the Encyclopedia Eorzea:

 In the throes of the sixth, and feared-to-be-final sun, fear and uncertainty reigned supreme. While most struggled to simply find the will to endure, some endeavored to take advantage of the waxing confusion. The most common beneficiaries of this chaos were bandits and brigands who lined their pockets to bursting with ill-gotten coin. There were others, however, who sought a different prize - blood - and were not above treachery and deceit to fulfill their desires. Tales abound of hapless adventurers who found themselves unwittingly participants in enterprises most foul, pawns to the dark hands that moved them about the board. The Lambs of Dalamud were one such consociation.

...

There is much speculation as to the true origins of the Lambs. Most believe their inception recent - perhaps as an attempt to find answers for the pandemonium that slowly unfolded in the final twenty summers of the Sixth Astral Era. Others bettered versed in imperial sociopolitics claim the cult a strategic plant by the Garleans - more specifically the VIIth Legion and Nael van Darnus - to slowly foster chaos in Eorzea while the Empire regrouped following their defeat at Silvertear Falls. And then there are still some who point back further, citing the infamous ‘lost’ 4th Astral Era - a time when vague recollections of the Allagans’ technological marvel overlapped with a re-embracing of religion would have proven the perfect sod for a lunar cult to take root and thrive. History is rife with records of ancient peoples who looked to the moon for guidance, the vestiges of those beliefs ever apparent in modern religion, most notably in the portrayal of Menphina, the Lover. While the name ‘Lambs of Dalamud’ does not appear in any scholarly work older than the Sharlayan exodus, it may not be unreasonable to assume that they have mayhap existed, in some capacity, for countless millennia. This theory is further substantiated by the name Dalamud itself, a word whose linguistic origin appears to have been derived from Bahamut - the selfsame primal recently revealed to have been captured and exiled to the heavens by the Allagans some five thousand summers previous.

Lambs doctrine teaches that Dalamud-loyal hound to the moon, Menphina - would one day heed the summons of His Flock and return to the Land to wreak havoc on the unfaithful. Only those who had proven their loyalty in life would be spared and led to their rightful place amongst the stars. It was commonly believed that this loyalty was best demonstrated through self-sacrifice in the upholding of their belief, and that the Hound, knowing the scent of His true followers, would come to collect them in the Seven Hells for the journey heavensward.

Content in the anonymity of their worship, the Lambs of Dalamud remained decidedly hidden from the public eye - that is, until a rare meteor shower drew the cult from the shadows. It is about this time members began to break their silence, claiming allegiance with the brotherhood, and actively working to recruit new members. Still, their actions did not warrant immediate alarm. Local governments often chose to ignore the cult, thinking their time would pass, as was the case with most fringe sects of Twelve worship - a sect being how most often the Lambs were categorized. It was not until the lesser moon changed hue that the direction of the Lambs’ actions took a dramatic turn - a violent one - as is documented in an incident at Owl’s Nest.

...

It is around this time that a nameless adventurer (recollections of the individual are vague, with little agreements as to race or gender) arrives in idyllic Owl’s Nest, nestled in a secluded valley in the Coerthas eastern lowlands. There he (or perhaps she) is approached by one of the hamlet’s respected elders. The man claims his wife has been abducted by the Lambs of Dalamud and taken north to Gwyr-Aen to be sacrificed. Sensing the severity of the situation, the adventurer agrees to rescue the wife; however, upon arrival at the ancient stone circle, he finds no helpless captive, only crazed cultists who are all too ready for him. The adventurer emerges victorious from the ensuing battle, but there are no cries for mercy from the fallen cultists, only shouts of elation, for they have been made martyrs in the eyes of their Lord savior. The rite is complete. The adventurer has spilled the blood that will summon Dalamud back to the realm.

...

Not ten summers past were the climes of Coerthas much milder, and rare was it that snow befouled the region’s rolling meadows and lush valleys. It was in one of these secluded dells that a small community of shepherds and farmers founded old Owl’s Nest. Here lived the cultist Foxe until his sudden disappearance come the fall of Dalamud.

...

Despite numbering in what religious scholars estimate to be the thousands, the Lambs of Dalamud all but disappeared from the public eye immediately following the fall of the lesser moon. Scattered reports from across Eorzea suggest there may still be factions that continue the blood rites; however, their numbers are insignificant. Wither, then, did all of the Lambs go? It is quite possible that the beliefs of those cultists who survived the Calamity were dismantled by the revelation Dalamud was naught but an iron prison for the aetherial manifestation of a long-dead wyrm. Having lost faith, they simply abandoned the cult and returned to their old lives. Word from the Far East, though, may suggest otherwise. Adventurers and traders have brought back with them tales of intrigue - a swelling of the ranks of those scattered tribes who pledge spiritual allegiance to the Dusk Mother, Nhaama, and the abductions that have followed. Is it merely coincidence, or could this prove the beginnings of something sinister? Only time will tell.

...

Whispers of sanguine-cloaked knaves and blood-fueled rites of summoning can still be heard in Ul’dah’s alehouses, as miners tell their tales of strange shadows gathered in long abandoned shafts deep in the mountains of northern Thanalan.

...

Established during the Gelmorran age, this subterranean crypt (Tam-Tara Deepcroft) has long been used to inter Gridania’s dead. In the wake of the Calamity, however, its silent tunnels came to echo with the sinister whispers and furtive footfalls of the Lambs of Dalamud - a doomsday cult whose members worship the red moon as their savior. Rising to infamy as the sun set on the Sixth Astral Era, these twisted souls kidnapped hapless citizens to offer as blood sacrifices to hasten their god’s coming. With Dalamud’s fiery destruction, however, their prophecy went unfulfilled, and it appeared as though the flock would scatter to the winds. Alas, the flames of fanaticism are not easily extinguished, and the embittered cultists swore vengeance against those who denied them their salvation, plotting to use the remains of the dead to call forth a dread voidsent. Hard-pressed to deal with the threat, the Gods’ Quiver petitioned the aid of adventurers, a band of whom braved the crypt’s dark depths to put an end to the cultists and their baleful ambitions.

[guitarnacle]

H.R Giger, 1940-2014

(Long) list of works:

1, 2 and 3: What I assume are early versions of the Pisces, Capricorn and Ares statues from Giger's 'zodiac fountain' project, 1996. Pictures by Louis Stalder from https://www.hrgiger.com/zodiac.htm

4 (and 6): The "Harkonnen Chair" series. 1981, created from fibreglass for the never completed film 'DUNE' (dir. Alejandro Jodorowsky). 4 is from https://www.hrgiger.com/chairs.htm (no image credit)

5 (and 28): Giger's microphone stand designed for the band 'Korn', in roughly 2001. 1 of 5 works in that series. (side note the website I found it on through google images is a gaming website that also apparently hosts pictures of Giger's Korn mic stand??) also referred to as 'Nubian Queen' on his website.

6: See 4

7: Concept art of the "space jockey" in 'Alien', 1979. Giger also directed the creation of the alien and set (!!).

8: 'Mirror Image' 1977, airbrush painting.

9. Depiction of the alien life cycle for the 1979 'Alien' film.

10. part IV of Giger's N.Y City portfolio, 'Torso 456'. 1980-1982.

11. One of the 'Birth machine baby' sculptures, inspired by the 1967 drawing "Birthmachine".

12: Part of the 'Erotomechanics' series, 1979.

13: I couldn't find much on this one, on Giger's website it is called 'Bei Sydow-Zirkwitz' and the image I found of it is an (unverified) print being sold online that claims to be an original lithograph/stone print from 1976. Also calls it "Promethius New York city." They seem to be largely the same, I just chose this one for higher quality.

14. 'Homage to S. Beckett I', 1968 (This series is one of my favourites and this one is often linked to Dali's painting 'The Great Masturbator', which I thought was interesting).

15, 16: Photographs by Pino Carafa, from Giger's Nov-Dec 1996 exhibition in Milan. The head has a placard that looks like it reads 'Mask 11', but with a quick look into it I couldn't find a proper name or identification for these pieces except for their presence in the past exhibits on the HR Giger website.

17: 'Drawing for sil/Sil's baby', 1994 (?) a sketch I only found because of the Giger database which is an amazingly detailed and and easy to access record of literally everything Giger ever did, here it is (https://www.littlegiger.com/gigerdb/index.php) the images are tiny however :(

18: Noracyclin (contraceptive-pill) 1965, same source as above - H.R Giger has said this and the 'birthmachine'/baby theme throughout his work are (partly) demonstrations of his fears for the planet due to overpopulation

19: From the page on Giger's website about the bars across the world that use his designs and imagery. The image is an example of the bar in Gruyères, Switzerland, which opened in 2003.

20, 21 and 24: 'Biomechanoid' statues, the one with the green/blue finish created 2010, the silver one 2002.

22: A photograph of H.R Giger and a model from one of the 'Alien' films. From the Giger Work Catalogue, image owned by Matthias Belz, as are 20, 24, 25 and 26.

23: 'The Great Beast', Giger's concept art for the 1985 film 'Poltergeist'.

24: See 20 & 21

25: 'Guardian Angel', sculpture from 2002. Could also be the rusted version.

look here 👆 in particular for more excellent images that will blow your tits clean off

these are just some of my favorites that i wanted other people to know about, his website, catalogue and database have so much more PEACE AND LOVE

[cordeliawhohung]

I'm here to sprinkle your inbox with love :)

I was just about to reread As You Wish for the umpteenth time when I realized I couldn't figure out which one of your works was my favorite because everything you've written has been an absolute joy to consume and I don't think I've walked away from a single one unaffected or not clinging to your words with the last fraying shreds of my sanity.

Seriously, it's a problem. My head hurts from scrolling through your entire catalog trying to choose, which then caused me to fall down an emotional rabbit hole leading to me blubbering in your inbox.

(honestly if it wasn't for the fact that I'm a Soap girly first and foremost and therefore have to be at least slightly biased towards your Ares fic on sheer principle I don't think I could pick between them with a gun to my head)

So since you turned me into a giant tangled yarn ball of feels tonight I'm making it your business and forcing my appreciation and affection down your throat. If I could pack half as much punch into my own writings as you do plucking on our heartstrings in yours then I would be a very happy woman ❤️

eek jessie! you're too sweet ):

it honestly amazes me that people still read As You Wish LMFAO that fic feels so old. (i plan on expanding on it and turning that into a 2 novel og work eventually...) it's also so crazy to me that people would even deem anything i've written worth rereading ):

again, seriously you're too kind i literally don't have the words but just know i'm blubbering over here in my corner of the internet <3

[shadowron]

Troll Bodyguard: A Better Troll Archetype for Shadowrun (1st Edition)

Art by @skullchicken

In my experience, Trolls are like Deckers: everybody basically makes the same one.

Trolls are the only metatype that get modifiers to all of their attributes, and the only one to get a -2 penalty (to both Charisma and Intelligence). This naturally cuts out several runner roles: 

deckers and riggers (quickness/intelligence/reaction based), 

magicians (willpower/charisma based), and 

rockers (charisma).

Rockers! They make the most useless archetype suck even more

Sorry Bambi

Which isn’t fair! 

For 1st edition, they are the only metatype worth playing!

Trolls get +5 Body and one level of natural dermal armor, so really +6 Body: the most fragile troll is more rugged than the buffest human. Between that, the +4 Strength and +1 Reach - trolls are made for melee combat. 

So what kind of troll character builds do we see in 1st edition?

Core rulebook: None. No dwarf either.

Street Samurai Catalog: Troll Street Samurai

Who, famously carrying an Ares MP Light Machine Gun and Panther Assault Cannon, is ranged combat primarily, with only an Armed Combat of 3. Want to make a real samurai?

Give them one of these:

For those who didn’t bother to click through and read my razor sharp take on the Troll Sam - give them a pole arm (like the actual historical samurai weapon shown above), (Strength)S3 damage with +2 Reach, so against non-trolls with non-reach weapons they’re at Target Number 2. With Armed Combat 6 they’re getting 5 successes on average, staging up the damage to Deadly.

For an unarmored target, this will mostly likely remain fatal. An “average” troll will have a Strength of 7; rolling a Body 6 will only get 1 success on average. Sorry! Need 3 to stage it down to Serious.

But hey - this is why you wear armor! Need at least an Armor Jacket (Impact 3) to survive a troll pole stabbing, and Full Heavy Armor (Impact 6) to have a chance to stab it back.

Pictured: Troll Pole

Sprawl Sites: Former Troll Bounty Hunter

Not sure if this is an improvement over the Troll Street Samurai -- too much reliance on ranged combat.

Also from Sprawl Sites is the Troll Bouncer contact:

While this would actually be a great background for a character -- after all, how many adventures include a club or bar? But I think we can do better. We will do better. 

Let’s make a better troll shadowrunner.

Troll Bodyguard

Following in the tradition of the Decker & Elven Decker, Merc & Ork Mercenary & Dwarf Mercenary, we’re going to make this the metatype counterpoint to the Bodyguard:

Gotta have the Tres Chic clothing...

The human Bodyguard archetype has Attributes at Priority 4 (30 points), Tech at Priority 3 (400,000 ¥), Skills at Priority 2 (24 points), with Race (human) and Magic (none) taking up the rear. Looking at the table:

Always look at the table.

The Troll Bodyguard will have Race at Priority 4, and can still have the same Tech Priority as the human Bodyguard; we can just take the exam same set of equipment and cyber. Take Attributes at Priority 2 (20 points, a ten point drop) and Skills as Priority 1 (20 points, a four point drop). 

Here’s were we blatantly abuse the rules.

Trolls get -2 to both Charisma and Intelligence, but ability modifiers are assigned after attribute points are assigned, with a minimum of 1 and maximum of 6. Other than Essence, which can take on real number values, all other attributes must be positive integers. So if you assign 3 points to Charisma, it drops to 1. If you assign 2 points to Charisma, it still drops to 1, since that’s the lowest it can go. So unless you’re going to assign 4 points (to get a 2), you may as well only assign 1. 

Yes, this erases the attribute penalty, but you are ending up with a 1 for an attribute, so it’s not so bad.

Attributes

Body: 9 (12) Quickness: 3 Strengh: 8 Charisma: 1 Intelligence: 1 Willpower: 5 Essence: 0.2 Reaction: 2 (6)

Since we’re just porting over the Bodyguard’s stuff, we have factored in Wired Reflexes 2 (compensating for the low Reaction) and Dermal Plating 3 to factor in, on top of the natural troll dermal armor of 1, giving us a body of 12. 

Plus Partial Heavy Armor. 

And Skillsofts! 9 of them, to be precise, which will compensate for the loss of skill points. 

Skills

Armed Combat: 6 Firearms: 4 Negotiation: 4 Unarmed Combat: 6

Cyberware

Air Filtration: 5 Dermal Plating: 3 Skillwires: 3 Smartgun Link Wired Reflexes: 2

Gear

Skillsofts:

Bike: 3

Car: 3

Computer: 3

Electronics: 3

Etiquette (Corporate): 3

Etiquette (Street): 3

Etiquette (Tribal): 3

Etiquette (Military): 3

Projectile Weapons: 3

Colt Manhunter (Smartgun Link, Firepower Ammo, Reactive Trigger, Extended Clip) Ammunition (Heavy Pistol, 50 rounds, Explosive) Armor Clothing Tres Chic Clothing Partial Heavy Armor High Lifestyle (2 months prepaid)

Contacts: Choose 2 from

Bodyguard Gang Boss Ork Mercenary Mr. Johnson

[school56df]

Instagram marketing: update your strategy for 2024 Creating shoppable Instagram posts to enhance e-commerce sales

Creating shoppable Instagram posts to enhance e-commerce sales instagram remains a powerhouse in social media advertising and marketing, evolving with new functions and trends that can considerably enhance your brand's presence. As we step into 2024, it is crucial to stay in advance of the curve with techniques that resonate with modern-day audiences. This guide will explore the best Instagram advertising strategies for the 12 months, from leveraging new gear to know-how user conduct.

Embrace Authentic Content

Best practices for Instagram Reels to boost brand visibility in 2024, authenticity remains on the heart of a hit Instagram marketing. Consumers are more and more skeptical of overly polished, inauthentic content material. They are seeking for actual connections and real tales from brands. Here’s the way to include authenticity

Behind-the-Scenes

Share the inner workings of your commercial enterprise. Whether it’s how your products are made or daily office moments, displaying the human facet of your emblem builds agree with.

Customer Stories: 

Feature user-generated content (UGC). Highlight how your services or products are making a distinction to your clients' lives. This not best validates your emblem however additionally fosters community.

Transparent Messaging: 

Be open approximately your brand values, project, and any demanding situations you’re dealing with. Transparency fosters loyalty and deepens connections together with your target market.

Leverage Reels and Short-Form Videos

Reels have turn out to be a central a part of Instagram's environment, and in 2024, they may be extra vital than ever. Short-shape movies are quite engaging and have the ability to head viral. Here’s how to make the most of them:

Creative Storytelling: 

Use Reels to inform a compelling story in a concise format. Think of innovative approaches to exhibit your merchandise, share tips, or entertain your audience.

Trendy Challenges: 

Participate in or create trending demanding situations and hashtags. This can substantially boost your visibility and engagement.

Tutorials and How-Tos: 

Create instructional content material that provides value. Quick tutorials or demonstrations can entice visitors who are interested in your niche.

3. Optimize Shoppable Posts

Instagram's shopping features are evolving, making it less difficult for customers to buy at once from the platform. Optimize your shoppable posts to streamline the shopping enjoy:

Tag Products: 

Use product tags on your posts and Stories to permit smooth shopping. Ensure your product catalog is updated and as it should be reflects your stock.

Shop Tab: 

Utilize the Shop tab in your profile to characteristic collections or income. This makes it less difficult for customers to browse your services.

Exclusive Offers: 

Promote confined-time gives or special discounts thru your shoppable posts to pressure urgency and conversions.

Leverage Data and Analytics

Data-driven choices are key to refining your Instagram approach. In 2024, focus on using analytics to apprehend your audience and optimize your content:

Insights

Regularly evaluate Instagram Insights to song engagement, attain, and follower demographics. Identify which content material performs pleasant and why.

A/B Testing 

Experiment with extraordinary kinds of posts, captions, and codecs. Use A/B checking out to decide what resonates most together with your audience.

Competitor Analysis

Keep an eye on your competitors’ performance. Analyze their techniques and adapt what works on your logo.

 Utilize Augmented Reality (AR) Filters and Effects

AR filters and effects are gaining traction as interactive and immersive tools. They can drastically beautify consumer engagement:

Branded Filters

Create custom AR filters that reflect your logo’s identity. Encourage users to strive them out and share their studies.

Interactive Experiences

Develop AR reports that have interaction customers in precise methods, which include digital try-ons or gamified content.

Collaborations

Partner with AR creators to increase modern filters that could broaden your attain and enchantment to new audiences.

Foster Community Engagement

Building a strong community is essential for lengthy-term achievement. Engage along with your audience meaningfully to cultivate a devoted following:

Respond to Comments

Take the time to answer to comments and messages. This indicates which you price your fans and are responsive to their remarks.

Host Q&A Sessions

Use Instagram Live or Stories to host Q&A classes. This permits for actual-time interplay and helps cope with your target market’s questions immediately.

Contests and Giveaways

Organize contests or giveaways to reinforce engagement and attract new followers. Ensure the prizes are relevant to your brand and enchantment to your target audience.

 Collaborate with Influencers

Influencer marketing stays a effective approach. In 2024, cognizance on authentic partnerships with influencers who align together with your brand values:

Micro-Influencers

Collaborate with micro-influencers who've a niche however notably engaged following. Their recommendations regularly sense more non-public and sincere.

Long-Term Partnerships: 

Build long-term relationships with influencers in preference to one-off campaigns. This fosters deeper connections and more constant promotion.

Sponsored Content

Work with influencers to create subsidized content material that feels herbal and aligns with their non-public style. Authenticity in those collaborations is fundamental.

Optimize for Search and Discoverability

Search Engine Optimization (search engine optimization) isn’t only for websites; it’s additionally essential for Instagram:

Keyword-Rich Captions

Incorporate applicable key phrases into your captions to improve discoverability. Think about what phrases your audience would possibly use to discover content like yours.

Hashtags

Use a combination of famous and area of interest hashtags to attain a broader target market. Research and update your hashtag approach often.

Geotagging

Tag your posts with vicinity statistics to attract local followers and seem in vicinity-primarily based searches.

Cross-Platform Promotion

Integrating your Instagram strategy with other structures can expand your reach

Link Sharing: 

Share your Instagram content material on different social media platforms and encourage cross-following. Provide direct links in your Instagram profile.

Content Repurposing: 

Adapt your Instagram content material for different platforms, which include turning Instagram Reels into TikToks or weblog posts into Instagram carousels.

Unified Campaigns:

 Create cohesive marketing campaigns that span multiple channels. Ensure your messaging is constant and reinforces your brand’s identity.

 Maintain a Consistent Posting Schedule

Consistency is prime to preserving target market engagement and increase

Content Calendar: 

Develop a content calendar to devise and agenda your posts. This facilitates make sure a steady go with the flow of content and stops gaps for your posting time table.

Optimal Timing: 

Post at times when your target audience is most energetic. Use analytics tools to determine the fine instances in your precise followers.

Varied Content

Effective Instagram hashtag strategies for niche markets mix up your content types, including photographs, motion pictures, carousels, and Stories. This continues your feed exciting and engaging.

[ultravioletfuture]

ULTRAVIOLET VISIONS: We Are Back Online!

May 10, 2024 - portal.rwb

Welcome back everyone to a brand new edition of ULTRAVIOLET VISIONS! It's been months since our last blog post on here and it's honestly been long overdue for some updates. Before I get into the usual music recommendations, discussions, and shoutouts, I just thought I'd give an update on everything going on with me and the label and some explanation for certain delays like with shipping and these blogs.

In August we will be hitting our 2 year anniversary since UVF's initial launch and it has been an absolute blast working on this project. Since Day 1, I've wanted to build a platform to emphasize and promote all of the amazing music I've been a fan of in this scene and giving them a place to really shine and highlight them for the hidden gems that they are. Every single release felt like such a great success in my mind, regardless of sales or numbers, but mainly just due to the fact that we were able to turn someone's digital release and give it a tangible, physical form. With music being so heavily emphasized in the digital space these days, there's a special feeling when getting to hold a physical release in your hand like a tape or a CD. Things have changed a ton since the start of this label (mostly for the better!) and it's been a hard time for me personally to balance everything going on in my busy life. I still have every bit of passion and determination inside of me to continue on with this project as when I first started 2 years ago, but I definitely feel like in the past year or so I haven't been able to live up to my ambitions and fulfill the goals I strive for. There's a lot more I could be doing to improve the whole experience on everyone's end regarding UVF and I really want to focus on just cleaning things up and trying to stay on top of new releases and updates. Currently we have a couple releases lined up for UVF that I'm excited to share, but I wouldn't feel comfortable continuing to put releases out knowing there are still delays for orders. Once all pending orders have been shipped out, I can't wait to continue on with expanding the UVF catalog and sharing more music with you all. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to me with any concerns regarding your orders and I'd be happy to give you any info you need.

With all that being said, let's kick things off with a recap of all the latest updates regarding artists on the UVF roster!

UVF Updates

Spring Dream

On April 21st, TRUMAN! hosted the "Spring Dream" show at Complex24 in Denver, Colorado with most of the returning roster from the previous "Snow Dream" show. Truman was kind enough to invite me to play and with some planning, I was able to book a flight for the weekend and play my first ever live show!

Our trip to Denver was amazing and we had such a great time hanging out with everyone for the show! This was actually the first time I would be meeting any online mutuals so it was pretty nerve racking, but everyone was insanely kind and welcoming. Since starting our Lunar Data Garden project, Truman and I have gotten to know each other a ton and meeting in person for the first time was pretty surreal. Despite all the nerves, Truman was a great host and took us all around Denver. As soon as we landed we got some Korean BBQ and just yapped in person for the first time. The next day would be our one big day to pack as many things to do as possible before we had to really get into "show mode" come Sunday. We got these fire breakfast bagels, went to the Museum of Nature and Science, visited the Aquarium, stopped by a 4/20 music festival downtown, and ended the night at this super cozy bar with one of the best burgers I've had in forever. I swear all I was thinking of in my head after touring around Denver that day was "God a bacon cheeseburger and a beer would fucking smack right now" and when dinner came around it's like Truman read my mind immediately lol. Sunday rolled around and I met up at Truman's apartment to practice our sets when I met Sam (sigiliyph) and Aiden (Atekin) for the first time! They were super chill and we all practiced our sets for a couple hours before the show. Truman and I rode together to the show and bonded as we feasted on Wendy's Biggie Bags. When the actual show started, the energy was super sick and intimate in comparison to any other show I've been to. It's been a while since I've gone and been to any concerts or shows before so just being around people interested in similar music as me in this super underground venue was such a nice feeling. Without going into extreme detail over everyone's set, I just wanna say that everyone killed it and brought so much energy to the show that night! The whole night felt like it flew by so quickly and the thought of finally having to leave was starting to kick in. Shoutout to Luxury Noise, Big Baby Profit, Charlotte, Astrid, Aiden and Sam for sharing this night with and being super chill people to talk and hang out with! Thanks to Big Baby Profit for setting things up to get our set's recorded! You can watch both my portal.rwb set as well as the world's first Lunar Data Garden set over at the ULTRAVIOLET-FUTURE youtube channel. The Lunar Data Garden set will also be compiled into a Live Album over on the LDG Bandcamp page so be sure to support us there as well.

New scarecrow_ Album, "Our Shadow"!

Progressive Vaporwave artist scarecrow_ is back with their latest album "Our Shadow"! After the release of their ambitious double album "Flora & Fauna", scarecrow_ returns with another 10 boundary pushing tracks that further expand their already vast and intricate take of the NUWRLD style. Starting off the album, "Awake" takes us on a 7 minute expansive journey through multiple different switch ups that somehow blend coherently into each other. The track ranges from it's bright and punchy vocal stabs in the opening to it's melancholic arpeggio passages in the midpoint. I love the way that scarecrow_ can pack so many different styles and layers into one track while constantly keeping the listener on their toes, waiting to see what happens at every turn. Other standout tracks to me include "Lover" for it's tight groove chaotic energy throughout the track. "Station" is a track that takes you on a slow journey down a dramatic path of hard hitting drums and waltz-like melodies. At the halfway point, the song comes to a halt and transforms into this eerie slow building vocal chant that increases in energy as layers of drums and synths pile on top of each other beautifully. The vocal refrains on this track are very reminiscent of something you'd hear on a Giant Claw record. The penultimate track "Separate" is an instant favorite of mine for it's mind boggling production. Easily being the glitchiest track on the album with chops that will leave your ears begging for more, "Separate" is what I can only describe as a stroke of pure genius and masterclass in song structure and creativity. One of my favorite tracks I've heard all year for sure. "Just For Now" ends the album off on such a bittersweet note, wrapping the album up beautifully with a bow on top before crashing into it's destructive and explosive end in the later half of the track. Overall, scarecrow_ proves themselves once again as being one of the most forward thinking artists to come out of the Vaporwave genre in recent years and continues to expand the sound of their already vastly diverse catalog. As always I HIGHLY recommend this album as well as any of scarecrow_'s previous works. If you go into this extensive catalog of music with an open mind, I promise you'll come out the other end with your mind blown. As the title suggests, when I first discovered scarecrow_'s music 2 years ago I was truly "Never The Same" ;) . As previously mentioned, scarecrow_ also released their last album "Flora & Fauna" on ULTRAVIOLET-FUTURE! The album is available on CD and Minidisc if you would like to support both scarecrow_ and I in the process. Personally, this was one of my favorite albums of last year and I was super proud of how the whole CD and Minidisc design came out.

"Heaven's Medallion", a New Album under the Two Circles side alias, out://of//bounds

After the release of their all encompassing record "Inbetween Everything" back in December 2023, Two Circles is back with a brand new album under their more ambient/slushwave side alias out://of//bounds! "Heaven's Medallion" delivers us a heartwarming and enchanting collection of 6 songs that take your mind through a journey that can only be brought by Two Circle's signature charm. The first track "Amulet (魔法)" warps us into an empty plane as a heavenly landscape begins to slowly expand before you. The track slowly envelops every nook and cranny in your brain with its lush pads until suddenly you are stuck with a yearning melody as you stare into heaven itself. "Sailing the Cloud Sea // City Limits" is s slow 2 part endeavor as you traverse through this 10 minute trek. "Sailing The Cloud Sea" is a relaxing boat ride as you stare into a sea of clouds before you and lose yourself in the bright pink skies. Reaching the second half, the clouds begin to clear as we enter "City Limits" and view the city thats ahead of us. Beautiful ocarina melodies flood our ears as we arrive at our destination and dock for now. In "世界の木" , we are confronted with the almighty "World Tree" as we seek for answers from within through the means of connecting with the environment around us. A melancholic resting point to gather our thoughts before continuing on the rest of our adventure. Dawn approaches as "Eventide Nightfall // Moon In Front" brings us into a dreamy, spiraling lullaby where we can slowly melt away as layers of synths cascade onto the night sky. "The Balance of Many" leaves us to gather our things as our journey comes to an end. Pillowy synths build up as we connect one last time with the heavenly atmosphere that's been painted before our eyes. After travelling through clouds and dreams, "Heaven's Medallion" is there in the end, waiting for us to reach out and grab from the skies. As always, this new out://of//bounds adventure doesn't disappoint and will leave you filled with emotion and a sense of what I can only describe as 'home". With every new installment, I'm consintantly blown away by how effortlessly Two Circles is able to build entire worlds in front of you and paint sonic masterpieces for you to pick apart and add to your library of emotions. In case you missed it, Two Circles released their magnum opus "Inbetween Everything" on ULTRAVIOLET-FUTURE late last year! Minidiscs have sadly sold out but the album is still available on CD if you'd like to pick up a copy and support both Two Circles and I. The album is also accompanied by a spectacular visualizer that's available to watch on the UVF youtube channel as well as Two Circle's youtube channel. I can tell they put their entire heart and soul into the visuals they created so I highly recommend you all check it out whenever you get the chance.

UV Spotlight

Moving on from all the happenings with our UVF artists, I wanted to share a couple albums that I've been a fan of and have had in my rotation recently!

"Accela" by Lila Tirando a Violeta

I discovered this album while randomly digging through Bandcamp a few months ago and have been pleasantly surprised with how heavy yet beautiful this album sounds. "Accela" is a mind-melting amalgamation of heavy distorted electronic music with brilliantly crafted sound design experiments sprinkled throughout. The album is entrancing yet abrasive leaving you stranded in this desolate landscape filled with prickly electronics and hellish growls. Definitely might be a more challenging listen and not for everyone but has definitely peaked my interest since first discovering it. The album is also available on cassette through their Bandcamp page if you'd like to support Lila Tirando a Violeta either physically or digitally!

"No More Tears" by Venus Death Trap

Venus Death Trap seems to be an artist that popped up out of nowhere but has made quite a splash with this latest record to come out on Business Casual. "No More Tears" is a brand new hour long record with 17 tracks ranging from bright, upbeat tracks like “You Know I Love You, Right?”, to more NUWRLD styled tracks like “Love Me” that are very reminiscent of albums like “I’ll Try Living Like This”. I’m always happy to hear any new albums in the scene that take heavy inspiration from acts like death’s dynamic shroud so this will be right up your alley if you’re looking for more music in that style.

"👁​点​击​と​👁" by 👁️‍🗨️📲

Legendary Vaporwave duo 👁️‍🗨️📲 delivered with a monumental new album, “I Click With My Eye”. Honestly, I couldn't give all my thoughts here and could probably do an entire video on this album, but in short, this feels like the ultimate culmination of Vaporwave as a genre up to this point in time. A time capsule of sound that has just taken the past 10 years of Internet culture and jam packing it into a 50 minute experience. The Visual Album that accompanies this album is a must watch imo and truly elevates the entire album to a whole new level. 👁️‍🗨️📲 has truly cracked the Vaporwave code and concocted a generational album. The album was released on Kats kill Records along with a beautiful vinyl release that currently has a couple copies left on overstock so grab one while you can!

"The Wrong Side Of The Soul" by アバドン

アバドン (aka Abaddon) released their latest record "The Wrong Side Of The Soul" towards the end of last year, and ended up on my AOTY list. The album is filled to the brim with Abaddon’s usual fusion of heavy electronic instrumentals and glitchy vapor fueled vocal sampling. Abaddon has slowly and slowly perfected their style and you can see them finally reach a point with this album where they are able to show off their creative ideas to the fullest. The album was also accompanied by a gorgeous cassette release under Cityman Productions so be sure to snag a copy for yourself!

"ミ​ラ​ー​リ​ン​グ TOWER" by NUWRLD Clubhouse

Every year, the NUWRLD Clubhouse discord server comes together to form a yearly compilation made by various artists in the mixtape club. This year we decided on finally making a remix compilation of DDS remixes titled "ミ​ラ​ー​リ​ン​グ TOWER"! The compilation features 36 remixes of various songs from the vast DDS catalog. This has been a big passion project for members of the mixtape club and we are super happy to finally have it put together and released! Unfortunately, the compilation is only available to mixtape club members at the moment, but many of the artists have released their remixes on their various platforms to check out. Nevertheless, the DDS mixtape club is one of the best things this scene has to offer and would be a great excuse to check out over 3 years worth of NUWRLD monthly mixtapes! Also big shoutout to Two Circles for coming up with the cover art for the comp since they did such an amazing job I seriously can’t get enought of it!

Finally, I just want to give a huge thank you to everyone out there that checks out and reads these blogs! Writing these blogs up has taken up a lot more of my time than I had expected which is why I haven’t gotten one out in a while, but I figured we were long overdue for a new post. As always, it would be greatly appreciated if you share the blog with your friends or anyone who might be interested and be sure to join our Discord as well as follow us on our social medias to keep yourself updated with all of our releases. Hope you all have a great Friday or whenever you end up reading this and I’ll catch you on the next blog post 💜

-portal.rwb from UVF