#have we learned nothing from those recent interviews?

[smilindesperado]

Nopeee not doing that

[historicallyaccuratecheese]

I know this isn’t very in line with the usual “haha magnus archives worm lady” posts I usually make, but this is very important to me and I want to spread as much awareness as possible.

One of my favorite games of all time is Dead Cells, a fantastic indie roguelike developed by Evil Empire. Recently, it was announced that it’s upcoming 35th update would be the last one for the game. Now, let me start off by saying that on its own, this isn’t what I’m upset about. The fact that Dead Cells has gotten as much support as it has over the years is quite frankly incredible, and 35 updates, most of which have been free and very high quality, is an amazing amount of support. Rather, I am more concerned about the circumstances behind this announcement.

The announcement was…off, for a number of reasons. For one, Update 35 has been in Alpha and Beta on Steam for a while now, and it’s not exactly an update you’d expect the entire game to end on. Still quality, but not exactly a “grand finale.” Also strange was how long it’s been in alpha and beta, as it seems to have been in development hell for over six months. And finally, it’s clear that there was so much more planned for the game. For example, 2023 was said to be the biggest year for the game, and yet we only got two updates. Granted, one of those updates was very big, but not nearly big enough to really live up to the title of “biggest year so far.” By all accounts, it definitely seemed like there was some sort of internal issue that cut the planned lifespan of the game short. If so, that would be very unfortunate, but I would have been willing to accept there was probably nothing that could be done. However, recently some information about what actually happened has shown up, and….yeah I’m pissed.

For those who didn’t know, Dead Cells was originally made by a team named Motion Twin, but after the fourth update, most of the people working on the game left to form their own team, Evil Empire. Evil Empire has developed every update for the game since that split, and yet, they are rarely credited as the makers. Motion Twin is the company that promotes all of the new updates, as if they made them, and unfortunately very few people know which company actually makes the game. Recently, Motion Twin announced a new game called Windblown (proclaiming it was made by the same team as Dead Cells, when it certainly wasn’t), and based on recent interviews with Evil Empire, we learn that Motion Twin pulled the plug on Dead Cells against Evil Empire’s wishes. Evil Empire loved making the game, and planned to continue updating into 2025, expanding the gameplay and lore, yet Motion Twin decided to pull the plug, either to promote Windblown (which if so…why? You can have two games?), or simply out of spite towards Evil Empire, which seems unfortunately possible due to the fact that the devs do not seem to have the best relationship. And to add insult to insult to injury, Motion Twin straight up lied by saying that Dead Cells stopped development because they “don’t want the game to feel bloated”. ….THEY DON’T EVEN MAKE THE GAME WHAT THE HELL?!

So yeah…this is a really terrible situation. Dead Cells is a game that means a lot to me, it’s helped me through some very tough times and there are many other people who hold the game dear to their heart. So please, anything from a simple reblog to making your own posts about the matter goes a long way. Spread awareness about what’s going on. Tell people about how Evil Empire has put so much hard work, love and dedication into the game, and wishes to continue. Tell people about the lies that Motion Twin have been telling. Pressure the two teams into splitting away from each other entirely, so that Dead Cells might get a chance at continuing development. (Be respectful about it though, don’t commit any forms of serious harassment.) It would seriously mean a lot to me and many others, and I would greatly appreciate it :).

[kpop]

Music Spotlight: MIYAVI

Are you ready for a special Music Spotlight guest appearance? This week, we’re featuring popular singer/songwriter, guitarist, and actor MIYAVI to celebrate the release of his anime cover album MIYAVIVERSE. Check out our full interview below!

Tell us about your recent album, and what you hope fans take away from it.

The new one is an anime song cover album. We cover anime songs like Evangelion or Naruto or Hunter, classic ones. One of the reasons why we did that was because I am Japanese, so it’s great to relearn that content, and I’m sure so many of my fans will be familiar with those anime. It’s a fun process to bring those anime tracks to MIYAVI’s world. It’s a different kind of vibe—anime songs, J-pop. But once I start playing the guitar, it’s like the original universe of the sound—and that’s why we named the album MIYAVIVERSE. It doesn’t have to be only the anime songs—it’s more like when we covered ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, or ‘Youth of the Nation,’ or other Japanese tracks as well. Obviously it’s MIYAVI’s sound, but it’s a fun process to do a cover.

Your 14th studio album is themed around hit anime songs—what would you consider your favorite anime of all time, and your favorite opening/ending song?

My favorite is Dragon Ball Z. I know, it’s too classic, but that’s the thing I was watching when I was young. And every anime lover is going to respect Dragon Ball Z. To be honest, it’s too hard to cover that song—we can do it, but I don’t know if it's doable to perform on stage in a cool way. So that’s why we gave that one up.

Your illustrious career spans the last 20 years and multiple mediums—what would you consider the highlight up until now? Are there any major moments of growth you can recall?

Yes, a lot. First of all, when I moved to Tokyo from Osaka when I was 17 years old. I was kind of beginning to start finding myself as an artist. And then I became a solo artist, and then, you know, I started focusing on the guitars, and people started calling me a guitarist—so what’s my name? And then, in 2008, I started going on world tours, learning English, and acted in the film Unbroken with Angelina Jolie—so of course, you know these are big moments. And then I became an ambassador for UNHCR—that’s huge.

If you could give your younger self advice on how to cope with the pressures of society, especially in the entertainment industry, what would you tell them? Would you give your kids that same advice?

First of all, keep going and polishing up your skill, what you have—you know—your talent. That’s everything in the end. Nothing else helps you. I still just keep telling myself that. You know, it’s not about the connection or relationship or, of course, personality is counted—it’s included. More than that, as an artist, what you can give to the world is everything—so just keep going. As long as you have "it".

What are your biggest passions outside of music and acting? Are there any hobbies you turn to when you need to destress?

I play games. It’s a great connection with my daughters. It’s a huge connection, and then even while I'm away from home, I can still communicate with my daughters. And then it’s great to have something you share with your family. At the same time, it consumes a lot of time. So that’s the thing—once we start playing, it’s like we keep playing because it’s fun, and we go crazy. But at the same time, time is time, and I do need to work. But that is the hard part, and it is working well for our relationship. It is also the same thing if you play soccer or basketball or sports, it’s kind of the same thing.

This year marks your 20th anniversary, and in that time, you’ve racked up an impressive list of accomplishments. Is there anything you haven’t done yet that you’ve always wanted to? And are there any opportunities you regret not taking?

Basically, there are no opportunities that I regret not taking because I take everything. I never miss opportunities, as you know. When schedule conflicts, and some things that I was not able to do, there are some of course. But, personally, I never missed any opportunities in my life—so there is no regret. But there are tons of things that I have not accomplished, and want to accomplish. We haven’t gotten any GRAMMYs. These are not everything you know, but that's a great goal to have—and I have to work harder to accomplish it.

Want more MIYAVI? Check out his new anime song cover album MIYAVIVERSE here.

[mariacallous]

During the first months of the Russian invasion, in one of the frontline villages in the southern Kherson region, I met several firefighters – ordinary Ukrainian men in their 40s or 50s. Their prewar tasks involved putting out fires in the local wood or occasionally buildings.

Since the Russian invasion, they save houses burning from missiles and retrieve their dead neighbours. One of the men began to cry during our conversation. He left embarrassed, but shortly returned. I comforted the firefighters, explaining that even governors and mayors sometimes sob during interviews.

In the following months, I travelled from one frontline town to another. I met doctors, policemen, railway and communal workers, journalists, electricians, civil servants, government officials whose relatives are fighting and dying in the army. They escaped or are still living under Russian occupation, their houses and apartments destroyed. They acknowledged that they were emotional, often angry, horrified, but driven by a sense of duty. In the end this would help them move forward, and even be proud of what they did.

Russia invaded Donbas and Crimea in Ukraine in 2014; the country already knew what the war was. But since 5am on 24 February last year, all citizens have learned how to survive when a foreign army uses its might to destroy the peace. They have discovered how to act during an air-raid warning; how to live and work through blackouts; that they should not walk at night because of curfews. They have learned to forget about planes, as airports are closed, and how to be separated from family. People have adapted to many things, and also learned how to deal with emotions: that tears are nothing to be ashamed of. The initial shock and sadness have transformed into a bigger confidence and determination.

As for today – besides hope in victory, national pride, solidarity and compassion, which you see on the surface – one of the prevailing feelings among Ukrainians is guilt that we are not doing enough. In non-frontline towns and in Kyiv, life has returned to a kind of normal. We are preoccupied with thoughts of those who live under constant shelling or occupation. Those who are not in the army think of those who must fight daily; soldiers who survive think of the fallen. Those who left the country feel guilty about those who stayed.

I recently visited a standup comedy performance in a suburb of Kyiv. Self-depreciation is back following months when society was unable to joke about the war. One of the most popular gags is from a comedian comparing his efforts to those of soldiers and veterans. After Ukraine’s victory, he jokes, he would tell his children he spent the war sitting in an Odesa basement, tweeting that Nato should help by “closing the sky”.

Thousands of crimes have been committed by Russian soldiers on Ukrainian soil. The Ukrainian general prosecutor’s office says it has registered at least 71 000 violations of the customs of war. Since then it has become harder to talk to Russian colleagues. By colleagues I mean not propagandists, but just journalists who oppose the Russian invasion and Putin’s regime.

I still communicate with them, but many exchanges end with excuses about why Russian society can do nothing. They think that those who are against the war have nothing to do with the actions of their state. I do believe guilt is not collective, but shared responsibility exists.

Before Russia’s invasion I reported on totalitarian countries: Iran, Syria, China, Belarus. I understand how dangerous it is to protest in a state that is ready to kill its own citizens. The Ukrainians fought against this in revolutions in 2004 and 2014. In the end we built a government that defends its citizens.

It feels paradoxical that Ukrainians, who defend their homeland and are under attack, feel guilty for not doing more. Meanwhile, Russians who are opposed to war are uncomfortable speaking about personal responsibility, stressing that nothing depends on them. This can be explained not by a lack of empathy or bitterness, but by disempowerment and the detachment of Russian citizens. This is something the Kremlin wants from Russian society. Russians who oppose the war must transform their lack of empowerment into action, and find their strength.

Ukrainians have defended their country for 365 days without a break. They have saved many lives from Russian troops. Our task now is to transform a sense of guilt into a sense of duty. We need to preserve our strength.

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

Maggie and Nina interview with Cheryl Eddy for Gizmodo au, 10 July 2023

Good Omens fans know what it means to pine for a couple to be together. Season two adds more shipping to the mix with Nina (Nina Sosanya) and Maggie (Maggie Service), shopkeeper neighbors of bookselling angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen). If their names and faces are familiar, that’s because you’ve seen them together before: as Satanic nuns in Good Omens season one.

This time around, of course, they are completely different characters who just happened to be named after the actors who play them. They were “beyond thrilled” to return to Good Omens, Service told io9 at a recent press day.

Sosanya agreed. “There was a sort of shock when we first heard that the second series was happening, a bigger one when we realized that we would be in it,” she said. “Then there was the adjustment that you have to make when you’re not going to be playing the previous characters. And then, just delight when you find out you’re going to be playing something new and named after our own selves, which is unprecedented, really.”

Without getting into plot spoilers, we can say that Good Omens season two acknowledges the queer subtext that fans read into Aziraphale and Crowley (David Tennant) in season one, and brings it out into the open with these new characters. Maggie, who runs a record shop, has a huge crush on Nina, who runs a coffee shop and is unfortunately already partnered up. They’re lesbians, but Good Omens doesn’t make a big deal out of that fact; that’s just who these characters happen to be.

“Season one [really] connected with people,” Service said. “The Good Omens universe, it’s a place where you can just be—you know, you’re welcome, whoever you are, however, whatever. If something makes you feel ‘other,’ you’re not. You’re fine. You’re welcome. That reaction from the fans has painted into what they wanted to write in season two, to just absolutely make that message more than 100% clear and tell some more stories. It’s not a big deal [that they’re gay] it’s just who they are.”

Added Sosanya, “I think that’s what Neil does with a lot of his writing and with a lot of the graphic novels as well. Those characters, they’re not explained particularly, they just are. It doesn’t have to be justified in any way.”

Maggie and Nina are unique in Good Omens season two because they’re both mortals—even if they don’t realize at first that they’re surrounded by characters who are actually angels and demons. “They didn’t really know particularly that there are ‘sides’ to be taken, so they’re sort of working their own moral compass,” Sosanya said. “Following instincts, and trying to do the best they can and look after the people who look like they might need help,” Service added.

Said Sosanya, “And then, [once they do realize what’s going on], it’s not actually clear which side they would be on. They’re well-rounded characters—they could go either way. They’re just sort of experiencing it in the moment and seeing what occurs because nothing is as it seems.”

Both actors agreed they’d love to return for a hypothetical Good Omens season three, either as Nina and Maggie again or as another set of new characters—“any chance to spend any time in the Good Omens universe will be a great day in the office,” Service said. And they both think the themes of Good Omens are important ones.

“In both seasons, the question of what makes a good person, what makes a bad person is prevalent. I think much more in season two, [also] something about authenticity. But lots of parties seem to be searching for something and it might be within themselves,” Service teased.

Added Sosanya, “I also think that perhaps as a theme about learning to trust another individual. You can’t operate as an island. No angel is an island, and no demon is an island.”

[markantonys]

wotseries did a little article about the south africa filming which apparently officially started today, and there's nothing crazy in it but i'm so desperate for crumbs that i'm bringing the little tidbits i found interesting to you all!

they speculate filming will last about 2 months

they speculate some tanchico scenes may be filmed here as well as aiel waste scenes

crew members spotted include people associated with all of the season's directors (block 1&4, block 2, and block 3). which might mean the waste scenes (and/or possibly tanchico scenes) start as early as 3x01/2 and/or span as late as 3x07/8 (the director for blocks 1&4 is the same, so we can't say for sure whether they're there for both blocks or just one of them). wotseries does specifically say they believe they may be filming for material as early as 3x02.

they are confident that rosamund pike, daniel henney, madeleine madden, ayoola smart, and josha stradowski are involved in the filming. (actually, they said they were confident about the first 4 and assumed josha was also there since rand yknow has to be there, but i'm 99.9999% sure josha mentioned being part of this filming in the december interviews, so i'm confident.) so it does sound like exclusively the waste crew right now, and thus i'll take the tanchico speculation with a grain of salt, although of course it could be that there are tanchico scenes that are scheduled for later in the shoot and those actors may arrive at a later date.

now for some of my mini musings! first, season filming length. this would put s3 filming at april 2023-april 2024. s2 filmed july 2021-may 2022 and started airing in september 2023. the s2 film end date-air date gap would put s3 at august 2025, while the s1-s2 air gap (1 year 10 months) would put s3 at july 2025. could be we're looking at summer 2025, or could be that amazon wants to alternate septembers with ROP and will put WOT s3 at september 2025, or could be they want and are able to start getting seasons out a bit more quickly and are hoping for spring 2025. who knows! i'll be very curious to learn ROP s2's release date and potentially get a sense whether alternating septembers is their plan or whether they're aiming to start having a fantasy season out every 8-10 months instead of every 12.

second, The Mat Question, given the recent rumor that mat will be part of the tanchico plotline. donal is starring in hadestown which is happening right now, so he's obviously not involved in this filming - at least yet. possibilities are:

a) most/all of the filming is for the waste, and mat is not part of that plotline at all

b) mat is part of the waste plotline in some capacity, but all his scenes were already filmed in the studio and donal doesn't need to participate in the south africa shoot

c) donal does need to participate in a portion of the south africa shoot and an understudy will take over his part in hadestown for a bit while he's doing that (i know nothing about how long-running theater productions work, so i have no idea whether or not it's likely that he would take a theater job or be hired for a theater job if he already knew he wouldn't be available for a chunk of its run)

i don't really have any guesses at all here. mat is destined to be the most mysterious and hard-to-predict character of every season!

third, i'm thrilled to have unofficial confirmation that madeleine is part of this filming and i hope to soon see an end to the "egwene will go back to the tower instead of accompanying rand & co straight to the waste from falme" nonsense haha

fourth, the potential timeframe of the waste plotline. that it spans episodes 3-6 is totally unsurprising, so it's the bookend blocks i'm most curious about. arriving at the waste in 3x02 makes sense to me - this would give them a whole episode with the gang together in falme, and then everyone can split up to head off on their trips. there's also a bit of a possibility that the suspected 3x02 material could be just the end of the episode, and rand's group spends most of the episode in a different place such as caemlyn (a theory i love very much and will hold onto as long as i possibly can!). i thiiiiiink previous leaks placed rand's rhuidean visions in block 2, and in the books the rhuidean trip is just about the first thing they do upon arriving in the waste, so it could be that their arrival is sorta like the 3x02 cliffhanger and then we dive into rhuidean and such in 3x03.

then for block 4. again, we don't know for sure whether this director is here for anything to do with block 4 or only for block 1, so this might be a moot point. but the potential block 4 i can think of for rand's plotline is either a) they're still in the waste all the way through 3x08 as in TSR, or b) they leave the waste sometime in 3x07/8 and go to either cairhien or tear for a big battle. option B would probably still involve some waste scenes in this block even if they ultimately end in a different location, so i don't even know why i'm bringing up anything to do with block 4 because we're no closer to guessing the location of rand's crew by the end of 3x08 than we were before!

[elrielsgarden]

Elain & ACOTAR 5

The next book in Sarah J. Maas's bestselling series Court of Thorns and Roses, though highly debated among the fandom, is 100% going to be Elain's. It has to be.

SJM states in a Q&A/interview transcript in the A Court of Frost and Starlight special edition: "But I do know that the Cassian and Nesta book is next. And I know what I want to write for the second spinoff, but I'm keeping the door open after that."

She also states in that same transcript: "When spring came, I was heavily pregnant-so I was really nesting-and we realized that the garden beds were pretty overgrown with ivy. There was literally ivy everywhere: in the garden beds, wrapped around the trees, crawling up the sides of the house. So I went into this obsessive, I-need-to-rip-out-every-last-strand-of-ivy-before-I-have-this-baby mode. And I remember the entire time I was ripping out the ivy, and trying to get some semblance of order into the garden beds, I just slipped into Elain's head. Elain is a gardener, and everything I did during those weeks became research for her book."

From these two remarks from SJM-within the same interview-we learn that she knows who the next book after A Court of Silver Flames will be, and she also knows she will be writing Elain's book. Therefore, the next Court of Thorns and Roses book will be Elain's.

This next ACOTAR book will be Elain's, and hers alone, in the sense that the title will revolve solely around her, just as A Court of Silver Flames does with Nesta. Of course, ACOTAR 5 will feature another POV, that of Elain's love interest.

Many people refer to ACOTAR 5 as "Azriel's book," but SJM has stated many a time what she says in a January 2024 TODAY interview: "I've always been drawn to writing women that can't be placed in any definable category." The focal point of every book SJM has written is the women, and so Elain will be the center of her book-not her love interest. This person will be Azriel.

The people who refer to "Azriel's book" are right about one thing, however. Azriel is set up in the ACOTAR series and in the most recent installment of the Crescent City series, House of Flame and Shadow. Both Azriel and Elain have been primed for their romance and future plot by SJM.

It is also crucial to point out that each of the spinoff novels are about side characters from the first three, automatically removing the possibility of "Azriel's book" having anything to do with Gwyneth Berdara, who arrived in the story in ACOSF.

Further, the title of Elain's book will revolve solely around her character, just as A Court of Silver Flames does with Nesta. Nothing about that title suggests Casein's involvement in the book, though of course he is the love interest and other POV. Elain's book, then, will follow this pattern, A Court of ________ _____, describing her character. Yes, Azriel will be the second POV, but just as with ACOSF he, the love interest and second POV, will likely not be indicated in the title.

In conclusion, the next book in the Court of Thorns and Roses series will belong to Elain Archeron, and be titled after her, and will feature Azriel as her love interest in the second spinoff novel. 🌸🦇

[hollowtones]

ive been listening to your wikipedia streams while working at my new job, and i was wondering if you had any plans for another wikipedia stream in the future?

whether or not you do, i just wanna say that those wikipedia streams are my favorite vods to listen to, and i learn so many things from them :)

Vague plans for future ones, but nothing concrete. Unless I have an idea that I want to specifically do with other people (like the fuckin Video Games As Art list, I wanted to do that with Mike & Puzz specifically & we waited months for the right moment), I kinda just do 'em off the cuff when I find something tasty.

If you want something similar but specifically related to a video game, my recent (& final!) "Pikmin" stream was at least a couple hours of reading wiki entries & a developer interview, which is similar enough in my head, haha.

[indiaalphawhiskey]

Hello India! Because I unfortunately belong to the overthinkers club, I´ve been recently thinking about that "famously sexy" quote especially after H´s extra sexy outfit yesterday. And I would like to share some of my opinions about this theme which maybe goes hand in hand with H´s sexuality.

As we can see how Louis is becoming more and more confident and open every show - his tanktops, his smile after barricade ripped tank top and how he came back half naked looking beyond happy, his interaction with fans, dancing and just feeling himself - I have no doubt that H is very the same. When I think back to that Better homes and gardens´ interview he said something like how he struggled with himself and felt that his sex life was the only thing that was truly his and he felt ashamed of that. The Harry we can see on stage these months is - as I personally see it - very open person who no longer struggle to be truly himself, being proud and comfortable of his sexuality (no matter how he identifies) and he loves his body. Of course, there´s a factor of being on stage and put up a great show but I don´t think he´ll be able to do it as he does if he won´t be confident and won´t feel it. Yes, there are all those marketing strategies how he´s sold as a sex symbol mostly for female audience and I see this very similar to how Ricky Martin has been sold during 00´s - he has very sexy videos where he´s making out with woman, his body was (and still is) very ripped and mostly half naked. Back then even my child self (I was about 10 years old) saw him as a total sex god. And now he´s openly gay, still doing very sexy photoshoots....because he´s proud and he´s feeling himself. But I see something different with Harry being more open and giving hints of his queerness - something Ricky Marting wasn´t probably able to do back then - his total sexy gay outfits (yesterday he looked like he´s literally came on stage from gay bar), his banana dick, penis jokes and gay innuendos are just a few which came to my mind now. And there´s his role for MP and those sex scenes which he was able and comfortable to shoot which also speaks volume. Writing this, his stunts with women and interaction to some het signs are just to get away with everything queer he does. And the last question to think about - for whom is he famously sexy? He´s sold as a sex symbol for female audience mostly but....but does it mean that gay men don´t see him as a sex symbol too? What if his actual target are gays and never women (but heteronormativity makes us feel like it´s primary for women) - we will never know because he will never tell and that´s probably good because he´ll loose most if he just come out. Sorry for longer message, hope it´s understandable what I´m trying to say - not everything we think he´s sold as and primary for whom might be true and his inner target can be totally different.

I think, to stay mentally healthy, Harry has very much learned to compartmentalize between his personal and professional life.

I tend to think the fandom struggles with this compartmentalization because it feels so drastically different from what he seemed to want when he was younger and how much he visibly pushed against that overly sexualized image (which he still does, btw, because enjoying being sexy and inviting sexualization will always be two different things).

But yeah, I think the fandom doesn’t know how to reconcile his personal acceptance of his status as a sex symbol with the way he used to push back so fiercely against it. But really, I think it’s just a conscious, strategic adult decision.

This is not to say I agree with forcibly closeting anyone, or using closeting/stunting as currency to win back inalienable rights and personal freedoms. I absolutely do not and I wish the world was not this way at all.

But I’m also aware that we live in this reality, where the entertainment industry will continue to commodify people because there’s nothing that stops them, which means playing into that role allows him other freedoms, because anyone with any kind of professional career understands that making yourself “worth the trouble” and irreplaceable, especially in such a finicky industry, is what’s going to allow for both creative control and longevity in your career.

At the end of the day, I think it all boils down to cost. We like to think of stunts in a vacuum - either they exist or they don’t, and everything else stays the same - but the truth is, that’s not the way it works. Rather, it’s a lot more likely that stunts are a constant part of being That Kind of celebrity, particularly because of Harry’s profile, how he shot to fame, and how he has always been marketed, and what he has managed to do is gain enough leverage and popularity to exchange participation for something/multiple things: creative freedom, personal expression, rainbow flags every night, sparkly bi music… the list goes on.

And, as easy as it is to say it’s black-and-white not worth it… do we really mean that? If we had a printed receipt that said the cost of being allowed to fly a rainbow flag every night and play a starring role in a queer film and write songs like She and Find Line and Little Freak and helping fans come out and saying “we’re all a little bit gay” was one (1) stunt every year, would we, as a fandom, be willing to make the trade? Would we be willing to go back to the way it was in the 1D days, where everything he did and said was so tightly monitored that a glimpse of anything rainbow would send us into cardiac arrest and growing his hair was the biggest act of authenticity and rebellion he could manage?

And more than that, do we even have the right to have weigh in on something we know nothing about the complexities of, and that neither affect our life/our career/our future/the way we’re allowed to move about the world as a person/artist?

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Idia Shroud Bloom Birthday Personal Story: Part 3

"Happy Birthday"

(Part 1) (Part 2) Part 3

[Ignihyde Dorm – Birthday Party Venue]

Riddle: So now, here is the final question.

Riddle: “What would you like to do in the coming year?”

Idia: …Go out.

Riddle: EH!!???? I DIDN'T JUST… MISHEAR YOU THERE, RIGHT?

Idia: Nooope. Thanks for the predictable response.

Idia: Ortho gathered some data that the hamburger shop down in town was real good.

Idia: Looks like they got a limited event going on too… So I'm thinking I wanna go ASAP.

Riddle: Is it really that good? I don't really see the appeal…

Idia: Ah, how like you. Didn't expect anything else.

Idia: Also, I bet I could chill at Whistle Park near the port all day long. That is, until my energy and stamina depletes.

Riddle: You'll be outside all day long!!?? …Apologies. What would you do at Whistle Park?

Idia: I mean… Obviously I'd be gaming.

Riddle: YOU'D GO ALL THE WAY OUTSIDE JUST TO PLAY A GAME!?

Idia: YEAH, SOOOOO―!!!!!!!!

Idia: When I heard that a new game for my favorite series was going to be released, I jumped online to access their site, and…

Idia: YOU CAN'T IMAGINE THE IMMENSE DEPRESSION I FELT TO LEARN THAT IT WAS A LOCATION-BASED GAME!!

Riddle: …A-A location-based game…?

Idia: One of those games that rely on the location information from your phone. There's been a ton popping up recently trying to get everyone to get up and move around.

Riddle: Ah. So are you really going to that hamburger shop to get something to eat, or…

Idia: Obviously I'm going because it's a designated spot to get game items, and battle others, duh?

Idia: And speaking of which, Whistle Park is one of the best places on Sage's Island with a ton of those spots. It's the most efficient place to make my rounds.

Riddle: Ah, that's more like it. But for it to even drag you outdoors… That game must be particularly invigorating.

Idia: I mean, not really? It's got a pretty common gameplay, and I planned on ignoring it, 'cause it's not relevant to a shut-in like me.

Idia: But then Ortho was all, "Hey, let's play together, Nii-san!" and started looking up all the hotspots on Sage's Island…

Idia: Looked like we could have more fun with it than I thought, so I said fine, I guess…

Idia: …I guess it wouldn't be terrible to be able to adventure with Ortho while we're here for school.

Riddle: The interview has now concluded. Thank you for the interesting conversation.

Riddle: The only remaining task for you is to simply fly on the Birthday Road. Here, please take this broom.

Idia: You just say "simply fly" like it's nothing… And on top of that, I gotta use a super fancy broom like this? I'd only draw attention to myself.

Riddle: Is that bad? It looks to me to have a tranquil and classy feel about it… It suits both you and the outfit you are wearing today.

Riddle: I am certain that Ortho is impatiently waiting for you to come out, as well. You should hurry and go, at least for him.

Idia: Hiee! There's that signature Riddle-shi straightforward praise like it's nothing! I can't stand it… I'll just have to run away to the venue, I guess.

Idia: Become one with the wind, I'm becoming one with the wind, I am one with the wind… Grit my teeth, and go!!

(Part 1) (Part 2) Part 3

[askvectorprime]

Dear Vector Prime, have you ever spent time with and helped Nightbeat crack a big case?

Dear Sympathetic Sleuth,

Why yes, on many occasions. I've found that we are a most excellent team—though on occasion while assessing the evidence, he must remind me of important details such as "time flows from past to future" and "the culprit probably isn't a multiversal singularity".

Most recently, he asked for my support for the "Matter of the Missing Metroplex Messages" case. Hoist and Grapple had completed the blueprints to integrate Metroplex into Autobot City, but those plans had suddenly vanished from Teletraan-I without a trace. Optimus Prime put Nightbeat on the case, and he interviewed everyone who'd accessed Teletraan in the previous week, including Sideswipe ("I don't really know what a blueprint is. Is that a new kind of rubsign?"), Sparkplug (valid alibi—he’d been playing with young Daniel at the time), and Cliffjumper, who only noted in his paranoid way that some of Teletraan's keys felt "grimier" or "not smooth like usual".

After many frustrating, fruitless days of searching, Nightbeat called me in, hoping that my time powers might help resolve the puzzle. Borrowing Nightbeat's magnifying glass and his fedora, I went back in time to when the data was last known to be present on the computer, and I saw nothing out of the ordinary—except for tiny red and blue smudges on Teletraan's keys. Empty-handed and feeling insecure about my detective skills, I returned to the present and showed Nightbeat the photograph I took.

Nightbeat's optics flared behind his visor, and with a big grin, he told me that he'd solved the case. Walking over to Teletraan, he bonked the console firmly—and the console winced! It detached from the rest of the Ark, transforming into Mainframe, who had spray-painted himself with a nice (and cheap, as Cliffjumper later noted) golden sheen to match Teletraan-I. For all the good he was at being a computer, he was not adept at spray-painting himself at first. I had helped after all!

Mainframe explained that he didn't want to leave the Ark; it was quieter than the bustling Autobot City and wanted all of his friends to stay too. Optimus, who was both kind and just, sentenced Mainframe to six months of community service at Metroplex in assistance to Hoist and Grapple, in addition to six months of daily maintenance of Teletraan-I, which he had hidden away in storage. In the end, everyone won: Mainframe learned to appreciate Metroplex while being allowed to live at the Ark, Nightbeat got to brag about solving one more case, and as thanks, I got to keep his fedora!

[hobbyarchivist]

The Daughters of Eve on playing for The Beatles

(For those who don't know, The Daughters of Eve were one of the first all-girl rock bands, formed in the 1960's in Chicago, and had a song you might have heard that recently went viral called 'Hey Lover'!)

Here are some outtakes from my (soon to be published) article of my interviews with The Daughters of Eve:

Andrea: You know, my parents were very interesting. They were always very aware of what was going on in the world. They were very political, very sports-minded, very into music and entertainment and so if there was a new Broadway musical that came to Chicago, they always got tickets for the family and we got to see it, or when Elvis Presley was on the rise, I was in kindergarten but my parents got us all tickets to see Elvis Presley. I think I fell asleep in the midst of the concert because I was 5 years old when we went. My parents were always into-- if a famous politician came to town, we went to the rally. Queen Elizabeth passed through Chicago in 1958 or ’59, some point in there, and sure enough we were out in front of Buckingham fountain watching her motorcade pass by. We were always involved in what was current and happening in the city. And so, when the Beatles came to town, my parents got us tickets and so we went, my parents got tickets for Debi, myself and my best friend Sue. My dad took us to the concert and he said ‘Hey, why don’t you girls throw your guitars in the trunk’ and so we did. And while we were in watching the Beatles, my dad was outside of the venue, the amphitheater I think it was, talking to all the staff and somehow found out which hotel the Beatles were in. So, when we exited the concert, we all got in the car and my dad said ‘lets go to the hotel where the Beatles are and you girls can just take out your guitars and just start singing the Beatles songs’. And so sure enough we did, and at some point  The Beatles all looked out their hotel window— which it wasn’t a big high rise, they were probably up probably, in my memory, maybe the fourth floor. I do remember they all looked out the window and waved to us. And what a thrill!

Debi:  It was just an acoustic thing with the three of us singing. We sang their song, we serenaded them after the concert. But after they looked out the window... it was so weird. It was Andee, me, and my friend Sue. My brother and I used to have ‘hootenannies’ at our house on the weekends and we would play there, my brothers band would play in our basement in Chicago in our house. We started so kids would have places to go and parents knew where they’d be so they agreed to it. We served coffee and sodas and popcorn and it was fun. It was one summer we did that and then Suzy, Andee and I had a little singing group. The three of us would do all the Beatles songs and we would harmonize like the Beatles so when we went to the concert, one of the last concerts that they played in Chicago, we went to their hotel. I guess her parents drove us there. Then we got out and serenaded them. This is way before DOE. I think Andee was all of 12. We were really really young, we were just learning about life. Bob Dylan was coming around, a year later Joan Baez and Buffy Saint Marie. People like that, the folk music scene was very popular back in those days. And Newport jazz festival. It was a different time, it was fun. There was no computers, nothing like that, you had to make your own fun and something really cool came out of it.

[ear-worthy]

SmartLess Podcast Welcomes Presidents Biden, Obama & Clinton

SMARTLESS’ UNITES PRESIDENTS BIDEN, OBAMA, AND CLINTON FOR HISTORIC PODCAST INTERVIEW

While one former president is in court defending himself against hush money payments to a porn star and to a Playboy playmate, three other Ex-POTUS's discuss gun violence, foreign relations, Biden’s re-election campaign, what they miss about being in office, the State of the economy, passing the baton Between Presidencies, and more on the Smartless podcast.

SmartLess hosts Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes have brought together three U.S. Presidents, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton, for a historic podcast interview.

The momentous episode is available early on Amazon Music/Wondery+ here. It will be wherever podcasts are available on Monday, April 29.

The podcast interview was recorded in-person recently with the hosts and the Presidents in New York City.

SmartLess with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett is a podcast that connects and unites people from all walks of life to learn about shared experiences through thoughtful dialogue and organic hilarity.

The award-winning podcast was launched in July 2020 and is consistently among the top five most listened-to podcasts monthly. Guests have included Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Don Cheadle, Larry David, Greta Gerwig, Idris Elba, Kristen Stewart, Pedro Pascal, Selena Gomez, and many more.

INTERVIEWS CLIPS AVAILABLE HERE:

Sean Hayes: Do you all miss something specific about holding office, obviously except for you because you’re in office, but do you guys miss something?

President Biden: I miss not having an office.

President Obama: Well, look, everybody talks about Air Force One.

Sean Hayes: Yeah, sure.

President Obama: Marine One. It’s pretty convenient, I won't lie. But I’ll tell you the thing I miss the most. Remember those music concerts I used to do at, you can basically invite anybody, and you have this concert and I mean we got you know Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney.

Sean Hayes: Everybody will show up.

President Obama: They’ll show up. And they do these rehearsals the night before a lot of times and you can kinda sneak down and could just sit there and watch Mick Jagger practicing with BB King or something on a blues night. I do miss that.

President Clinton: I miss the fact that they don’t play a song when you walk in a room anymore.

Sean Hayes: We should’ve done that today.

President Clinton: I was lost for three weeks when I left office. But let me tell you something serious, this is one reason that I so badly want President Biden to be re-elected. What I really miss is the job. Not doing it, I'm glad, I believe in the two-term limit strongly, but what I learned was on the worst day, when nothing was going right, problems are everywhere, there was still something you could do that would make somebody's life better. There is no job like that on earth.

Sean Hayes: I love that.

Clinton: And I want somebody..

President Obama: Who appreciates it.

President Clinton: …that I trust to make the most of that every day. Cause they’ll be bad days no matter who gets elected. But he’ll get up and he’ll start thinking about that. And I think his opponent will be thinking about…

President Obama: Himself.

President Clinton: …yeah, who I can get even with, who I can send away. Joe Biden will make the best of the bad days.

Jason Bateman: And the team that you have assembled and your comfort with deferment. For me personally, I love leaders that have the confidence to hire those that they respect, that might make them a little nervous.

Will Arnett: And also not to think that you're the…

President Obama: That you’re the smartest guy…

Will Arnett: Yeah, that you’re gonna have every…. We had leaders like that in the middle part of the last century who were put into government by presidents of old, and they made a lot of decisions that they thought they were right about, and they were terrible people. And when that happens, when you think that you’ve got all the answers, is the moment you don’t.

Jason Bateman: Like Ron Klain, bringing us out of COVID. It’s just on and on and on, the way in which you’ve surrounded yourself with the absolute best this country has to offer.

President Biden: I made a commitment, having an administration that looks like America. I have more women in my cabinet, I’ve appointed more Black Circuit Court judges than every other president combined in American history. I’ve kept my commitment about putting a Black woman on the Supreme Court. I’ve had an opportunity to go out and get the best people - and by the way, I sometimes pick up the phone and ask these guys who they think are the best people. And I’m looking for people that most of all, not just are good, but care about what they’re doing.

Jason Bateman: Whereas the other guy is only hiring people that won’t talk back and that’s…

President Biden: Oh mine talk back.

CLIP 2 - Download Here

Sean Hayes: What are the issues coming up that people are focusing on that you believe are the wrong things, or they may be the right things, and what should they be focusing on?

President Biden: I think they should be focusing on a couple of things. Number one, we’re gonna, in the second term, God willing, we’re gonna make sure that we do something about gun violence in this country.

Will Arnett: Yes.

President Biden: The idea that we allow assault weapons to be sold, and magazines with 100 rounds, is just bizarre.

Will Arnett: Well, President Biden, I’m so glad to hear you say that because that was gonna be my other question. Which is, the Democrats never say we want to take your guns away.

President Biden: Absolutely not.

Will Arnett: You never said that, you said we gotta be smart about what’s going on.

Jason Bateman: You don’t need to kill a deer with an AR15.

Sean Hayes: Right.

President Biden: The Second Amendment, when I taught law school, the Second Amendment wasn’t absolute ever. You weren’t able to have a cannon when you were, you know, the liberty is ordered with the blood of patriots. I mean, it’s a bunch of crap.

This episode of Smartless will be available wherever you get your podcasts on Monday, April 29.

[elmaestrostan]

Not much we don’t know, but still a little treat for a press conference free week!

(As someone who always tends to be running a little bit late - usually because time doesn’t flow how I think it does - his reputation for tardiness makes me love him even more haha)

Article under the cut:

When Unai Emery talks to the media at Aston Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training ground, it offers an insight into his idiosyncrasies.

Emery, the person, is reluctant to be seen, so there’s a tendency for every public-facing action to be football-centric. Lighter comments and questions around off-the-field matters are kept to a minimum and, in some ways, that is telling in itself.

Naturally, a Premier League manager or head coach of Emery’s eminence is not obligated to lower the barriers surrounding his demeanour away from football if that is how he feels most comfortable. That decision is revealing, though, of the 52-year-old’s general character.

Emery is a blinkered personality, focused solely on the next challenge and nothing outside of his immediate football bubble. Such a close level of introspection can leave you unaware of outside perspectives — ultimately contributing to his demise at Arsenal, where he was sacked as Arsene Wenger’s successor after 18 months in November 2019. In the aftermath of that departure, he accepted he had not paid enough attention to matters beyond his immediate sporting concerns, clouded by his obsession with tactical systems and improving players individually.

Emery is immersed in building football structures and watches hours of footage. He carries out analysis while on treadmills, in long team meetings and at home — even after sometimes working 12-hour days. This all indicates a highly focused and singular mindset, something that comes across in his communication style during interviews.

At Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training ground, the press conference suite is separate from the main building, with Emery walking down from his office, situated upstairs and overlooking the gymnasium, and across the car park to reach the room.

It means the written and broadcast media can see him coming by looking out of the window and this often provides some light relief, given timekeeping is not exactly his speciality. Emery likes his press conferences at the same time every week, regardless of when Villa are playing that weekend. Invariably, media members are told to convene for a 1.30pm start on Fridays.

Emery arrives through a side door, accompanied by Villa’s head of communications, Tommy Jordan, and Damian Vidagany, his close aide and Villa’s director of football. Vidagany, at press conferences, serves as Emery’s right-hand man (literally, he always sits to his right) and is there to clarify any questions or answers Emery does not grasp. This ties into the feeling that Villa’s head coach has learned from his errors at Arsenal. Vidagany is personable and well-liked.

Emery has Vidagany as reassurance when speaking to the media but his understanding of English has shown a marked improvement since his first spell in England five years ago. He is accustomed to the Midlands press pack and their accents, having watched BBC crime drama Peaky Blinders, which is set in Birmingham.

Vidagany acts as a safety blanket in areas Emery perhaps feels vulnerable in and helps to deal with those shortcomings. He meets Emery next to the stadium tunnel after games before accompanying him to his media duties. Sources, who remain anonymous to protect relationships, who have been involved in recent transfer dealings speak highly of how clear and purposeful Vidagany’s communication style is.

Emery offers pleasantries, and is often holding a sheet of paper with key lines of messaging or questions from the broadcast section. The embargoed part of the session, where the Villa head coach talks to the written press, comes after he has spoken to broadcasters. Embargoed quotes are not allowed to be published until an agreed time, usually 10.30pm that day.

The Spaniard is often late for his media duties, the delay often due to training sessions overrunning and, subsequently, pushing him back in terms of having lunch and a shower. Despite its derisory usage during his time at Arsenal, strangely mocked on social media and beyond, Emery still says, “Good afternoon” or, “Good evening” at the start of every interview, a preface for his first answer.

Emery answers most questions at length, particularly open-ended ones when he can riff. The first question after a match generally asks for his general assessment and he can go through the 90 minutes chronologically — unless he does not like the question or quite grasp the sentiment, then his retort can be short or, before the start of his answer, he takes a prolonged inhale of breath.

It has become known that Emery usually takes a long time getting to the stadium’s press conference suite following games — it can be well over an hour after the final whistle. This does push journalists’ deadlines, with Emery — once he has completed his initial broadcast-media interviews — taking a post-match break to decompress. The delay means he is measured and reflective when he does eventually arrive, regardless of the result

Emery has a list of buzzwords and repeatable phrases that are delivered in response to run-of-the-mill questions. It is why journalists have to choose their wording and themes carefully to ensure they get as insightful a response as possible.

For example, if a reporter is vague when asking about Villa’s tactical system or changes made during a game, Emery will repeat phrases such as “being demanding in our structure” or expressing how he wants his players to “keep the idea”. Moreover, any mention of Villa Park’s home crowd will frequently end with Emery detailing the importance of “connecting with our supporters”.

When he is — painfully in its predictability at times — asked about the strengths of the upcoming opponents, his response will inevitably centre on Villa having an “organised structure” and him expecting a “very difficult match”.

As for connectives, he uses “more or less” frequently and with his English improving impressively, has started to incorporate British football sayings, such as “bad day at the office”.

Emery is an earnest talker but when the cameras are turned off after the broadcast section, he tends to have a more relaxed demeanour. Questions about fellow managers he rates highly stoke a different fire, however. He is increasingly fervent on the touchline, animated in press conferences, and relishes the process of analysing the game’s best coaches.

Before Villa’s performance for the ages against last season’s treble winners Manchester City in December, it was put to Emery as to how he would finally beat City manager and countryman Pep Guardiola.“Keep trying,” he said with a wry smile.

Emery similarly shared that level of respect with Ange Postecoglou following the win at Tottenham Hotspur 10 days before. After, he explained that he had enjoyed watching and learning the Australian’s tactical nuances in preparation.

When speaking about his squad individually, Emery has stock responses for certain players. The list is as follows:

Emiliano Martinez — “A fantastic goalkeeper”

Douglas Luiz — “You (Douglas Luiz) can do more, you’re so important”

Leon Bailey — “He needs to be more consistent away from home”

John McGinn — “A leader… Super John McGinn”

Ollie Watkins — “He does more than just score

Emery is undoubtedly emboldened by his ‘triangle of power’ comprising of him, Vidagany and Villa’s president of football operations Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo — universally known in football as Monchi.

Monchi accompanies Emery to every game on the team coach. In press conferences taking place abroad — during Villa’s pre-season tour of the United States last summer and before the Conference League fixtures against Legia Warsaw and AZ Alkmaar — Monchi has sat towards the back of the room.

Emery’s press conferences may be often and fairly routine, but they provide an understanding of his character and why, in part, he has been able to fully settle since joining Villa 17 months ago.

[rainbowsky]

Hello, rainbow! hope you’re doing well!

i feel really silly asking this, but how do you view dd’s relationship with his fans? what do you think about it?

i’m new to the fandom so i’m kinda confused, and really don’t know if this has been addressed already.

i feel like every time i see him interacting with fans he looks really annoyed? maybe fed up?

i know lately there has been a lot of instances where he got his privacy invaded by “fans”, and that strains the relationship. but i don’t really know how it was before.

i really really like and support him in everything he does, and i know my thoughts might be misplaced. but i wanted to know your thoughts, if you’re willing to share.

Hi Anon, hope you're well too! 😊

Sorry that I'm so late in answering some of these asks. I've been very busy IRL and haven't had much time lately for Tumblr. I'm trying to get to the ones that are still somewhat relevant.

I got a few asks along the same lines of this one, after DD's recent Chunzhen live (more on that event here).

Disclaimer: This response is for all the anons who asked me this question, not just the Anon above. In fact, the above ask is the least judgmental/critical version of this ask I could find, which is why I'm answering it and not some of the others.

This question comes up a LOT whenever new fans see DD in interviews or at fan events, and especially at live endorsement event fan meets, which I believe he mostly hates (because they're boring and contrived and call upon him to be fake, and he's not fake).

Here is the Chunzhen event with Eng Subs.

People seemed to have an especially big reaction to his response (at 50:15) when he was asked if there's anything he wanted to do with his fans and he said, "Nothing." Which is just a very honest answer, quite typical of the DD we know and love.

And let's face it, what a STUPID question. What on earth would DD want to do with his fans? They don't treat him like a human being. What does he even have in common with most of them? As a star, what's he supposed to want to go camping with them or something? They'd spend the whole time screaming and fawning over him.

Anyway, this sort of response always gets negatively interpreted, and fans read a lot into it and often he gets painted as harsh, ungrateful and mean.

I think a lot of it comes from the toxic positivity that is rampant in most cultures - the idea that we have to come across as exuberantly pleasant or else we're being negative or bad.

DD is a very honest, straightforward person who tells it like it is. That means that sometimes he comes across as harsh to some people, but that's just the cultural judgments/assumptions talking - it's not an accurate assessment of who DD is or what he's really like.

There are expectations around how people should look and behave, and when those expectations aren't met, their behavior is interpreted as negative.

As an autistic person I get this a LOT in my life, and I absolutely hate it. It's one of the things I most loathe about interacting with neurotypical and mixed groups of random people who I'm not familiar with and don't have a trust bond with.

Because I don't have a lot of facial expressions, because I don't deal in subtext and I am forthright and honest, I very frequently get interpreted in negative ways - as 'harsh', 'cold', 'rude', 'blunt' or 'intimidating' - when in fact I'm just talking normally, and when in reality I'm actually happy or cheerful about what I'm talking about. People misread me entirely and take everything I say as having a negative tone, and project all these negative ideas, motives and subtext onto me about what they think I really mean or what they think I'm thinking about them. (More on all that here).

It even happens here on my blog.

It's a big part of why I identify with Lan Zhan so much. In fact, that's how I first learned about GG and DD - because my sister saw The Untamed and thought Lan Zhan was just like me, and urged me to watch the show.

We can hopefully all agree that Lan Zhan isn't a hateful, mean, harsh person. We can agree that he's actually a kind, loving, noble person with a lot of deep emotions and a compassionate heart. It's just that his way of expressing that is different from most other people's way of expressing it. Wei Ying is one of the few people who can see and accept Lan Zhan for who he is, and in return he gets the gift of seeing how funny Lan Zhan really is, how soft-hearted and kind.

DD is like this. He's sweet, charming, funny, kind. And he's also very unique, not like everyone else. He has his own way of expressing himself, and he has never been one to put on a fake face for fans - at least, not in his solo career where he's been at liberty to be himself.

We shouldn't read anything negative or judgmental into this.

Whenever DD has a live fanmeet for an endorsement brand my inbox fills with asks about his supposedly being 'off' or 'upset' or even 'angry', and I think if he is any of those things, it's not about what fans seem to assume. It's not some personal thing or some beef he has with fans. It's quite simply discomfort about being put into an event he doesn't enjoy and feels bored by.

DD isn't a salesman. He's not that kind of guy. And these events, they really call upon those kinds of skills and behaviors. They call upon the star to be a cheerful, up-beat shill for whatever ware is being hawked, and that's not something DD seems to feel comfortable with.

If it was a cool Lego set or some skateboard parts and accessories or a motorcycle helmet he'd probably light right up and knock it out of the park. He'd probably sell the shit out of those things. But drinkable yogurt or massage equipment or facial masques - not really something he's going to get fired up about.

DD isn't fake and isn't really capable of pretending to be interested in something he's not interested in. That's a feature, not a bug. That's a good thing, not a bad thing. HE'S SINCERE.

Once you've become more familiar with DD as a person you'll start to see that it's just his personality. And his fans - the ones who've been with him for a while and know him well - they see him for who he is and they love him for it. They know that he's not going to blow smoke up their ass or give them a bunch of fake sweetness. They appreciate his honesty and accept him for who he is.

Someone is likely to ask me if maybe he was upset about the way Chunzhen was handling the event/the situation with turtles, or if he was sticking it to solo fans after the fucked up demands they've been making and the way they've been abusing his team, so I'll address that here as well:

I doubt it, but it's possible.

Whether solos accept it or not, DD does care about turtles. At the very least, turtles are an important part of DD's fan base (and are not involved with the demands and other BS), and I doubt he would appreciate seeing them mistreated by one of his brands.

Turtles aside, I doubt he enjoys dealing with controversies, or with fan demands or with the way they've been slandering his team online. It's possible either one of those issues - or even both - impacted his demeanour in the event.

But like I said, I really doubt it. He was behaving how he usually does at these things - bored and eager to get it all over with. I didn't see anything unusual to suggest he was particularly upset or angry. He was just doing his job, earning his pay. Nothing more.

[bwarchives]

Behind The Beats: Hookage's Steady Rise To The Top

photo credits: BACKYARDSTORIES BOTSWANA

In the first edition of our interview series, we have hookage, a music producer/beatmaker born and raised in Francistown and Gaborone. He produces a wide variety of genres. The producer says his exposure to different genres( hip-hop, rap, neo-soul, rnb, deep house, etc.) and cultures nurtured his ability to produce different genres.

He has produced for a variety of artists and musicians locally and internationally, but notably, he’s produced for Kaysotheenigma's “Cherry Bomb,” which won 'Best Female Single' at the YAMAs, as well as three songs off her debut album “Fifth Heaven."

How did you come up with the name Hookage?

So i got the name from the anime series, Naruto but i added a twist to it. In the series, the original word is “hokage” and this is the title given to the leader of the specific village . So i added an extra “o” to honestly avoid copyright infringement issues but the meaning behind the name stands because i view my music and audience as my “village” and it’s my responsibility to take care of them.

How did you get into music production?

It started off as me playing music production games on my tablets as a child around the ages from 9 to 13 because i had always had this deep-rooted interest and passion for music but never really knew how to get into making my own stuff. So in grade 8/form 1, i met someone who taught me how to use Fl Studio and so i started making beats in 2017

We really like your ability to blend different genres into one track, who or what would you say has influenced your style of production?

Honestly, it’s an amalgamation of different producers and artists as i take different things from the individually. For example, i love the way Pharell Williams approaches his beats and certain chord progressions, where with The Alchemist, his ability to chop up samples the way he does or even just finding the samples he does is amazing then artists like Smino or JID, who manipulate their voices to sound a certain way whilst also using their voice as percussive instruments is also insane.

One of our favourite tracks by you is Need U, what's the story behind the track,who's on the vocals?

With that song, the whole thing is honestly a different song that didn’t have any drums on it but just vocals, keys and bass. i can’t even remember the original name of the song but i separated the song into those different layers and added drums of my own. I initially wanted to keep it for myself but i knew i had to at least post it

You've worked with numerous artists across different genres,out of all these collaborations which one would you say is your favourite?

I don’t think i can put a finger on my favorite because we all work together but if i had to choose right now, it would have to be spacerover and lucas chubbs

Which artist would you like to work with that you haven't yet?

There are so many artists i really want to work with atm but for now it would have to be K.alahari without a doubt

Before you performed your set for Backyard Stories, they revealed that you learned how to dj with vinyls from your dad, how was the whole process?

So it’s an interesting story because my dad and his brothers are all former Djs but had their own preferred genres hence why i have the variety of genres between house, hiphop, rnb etc. It was mainly my dad teaching me but the whole process of actually using vinyl was hard but i caught on quickly because i never used digital djing software so i had nothing to reference.

So Botswana was recently introduced to the music collective 'Ascension Pleas' and how it came about but, we'd like to hear from your perspective about how you met the others, your music production process and how being part of the group benefits you as hookage?

So as we explain prior, it really was just coincidence because we didn’t really even have a motive to be at UB apart from rehearsals for Pablo%8’s show that week and we then just decided to work on something. In terms of meeting them, i had already known banzai the longest as we already been working since 2021 but i met Lucas Chubbs and spacerover last year, same with briann bc but that we met at UB was the first time me and BC (briann BC) made music together. For the time being, i usually just give them old beats i didn’t have use for but recently we’ve been working hard with the new beats i’ve been making. I usually make a beat then send it to them to see if they feel it then the decision is made whether to use it or not. Me being apart of the group let’s their audiences become aware of who i am and possibly follow me in my journey and on the other hand, it let’s me share my love for music with like minded people who i can consider my friends and that deep love for music is something you can’t share with anyone

A lot of new generation artists and creative platforms have been emerging in Botswana, which one would you say has stood out the most?

I would firstly say you guys because i’ve seen you guys grow so rapidly but it’s because of your authenticity. Other artists that have really caught my eye are borus, chrysus, emo, mantra, magadi. there are so many more but they’re just a few to name

Favourite producer from Botswana?

it would have to be Simba the Indigo, one of the members of K.alahari

Out of all the songs you produced, which one stands out the most to you?

It would have to be some unreleased, song name titled “Honesty” which will feature on my debut album. It might be my best produced song at the moment

What's next for you, Hookage?

I’ve been quietly working on my debut album which is set to drop next year. This album is what I’ve been working on apart from working with other artists, just slowly piecing it together and it’s going to be a great start for me to establish not only as a music producer but an overall musician.

instagram: @hookagesamaa

stream hookage: campsite.bio