#i also listen to a bunch of ambient music

[fob4ever]

patrick stump & neal avron on tape notes podcast (12.15.23)

songwriting stuff, demos, lyric process, a bunch of things! they talk about the songs lftos, heaven iowa and smfsd.

long summary under the cut!

talked about how they sat outside “emo” because they leaned more towards hiphop/rnb, but also how they didn’t fit in the “pop” genre too and how they would be put on pop shows and “comparatively it was like slayer was playing” lmao “but we’re still a pop band!”

they experimented with reggae and 90s shoegaze and hardcore during the pandemic

they recorded most of stardust together in neal’s house :D at the beginning it was mostly just neal and patrick working together, at the end of the day everybody would come in to listen

patrick said he got “kinda obsessed” with streamlining pete’s lyrics in the chorus over the past few albums: “pete is very wordy. he has all these ideas that take up a lot of space.” and that their manager sat him down at lunch and said “don't do that. you guys used to ramble. why don't you ramble?” and lftos was the first song patrick put together after that convo

lftos writing process: patrick followed what he was feeling, and most of what he did in that song were things that years spent working in pop music had scared him off on doing.

the “every lover's got a little dagger in their hand” lyric tied it all together for patrick: “[i was] singing that line and EAGERLY emailing neal: listen to this!”

they play a little of the lftos demo (16:55). it's wild. VERY guitar-forward

“neal and i lost most of the demos for [folie a deux].” the burning of the library of alexandria. to me

talks about how the folie demos were infinitely stranger than the final versions, “psychedelic at times”

for stardust, they didn't really keep much of the demo stuff- patrick: “and my demos are pretty decent!”

lftos piano demo (21:35)

patrick: i want some drama. when i look back at our records, our best ones start off with a sense of melodrama

they play individual parts of the lftos instrumentation (31:25), andy's drums, pete's bass, joe's guitar. <3

bridges are patrick's favorite thing to write, because he just gets to play

patrick: "pete doesn't even send lyrics in lyric-form, he just sends words. and it's interesting when you see it- it's almost like one-liner after one-liner. and i'll just get an email of those, and then you kinda have to figure out what thematically goes together, what feels like the same song. but then i also try to keep lyrics together as much as possible, because i feel he's in a place where it does feel like one thought."

"when i read it, there's almost a passive thing where i just imagine what it sounds like to me. and [the lyrics for heaven, iowa] scared me a lot, because it felt kind of sparse, and i don't really like sparse- i don't really like singing by myself. [...] i don't like being so front and center, and i could tell that there was something really intimate about this song, and it was a big challenge for me."

everybody immediately went for the heaven, iowa demo- it's from the first stardust session and it took the longest to complete because patrick wasn't satisfied with just his voice over keys- "it was too naked."

patrick doesn't ask pete about lyrics because: "first off, he will not explain things. but second off, i think there is something to that. where i'll read his lyrics, and i'll interpret it one way, and years later i'll realize it's another way. there's so many double entendres that i've only gotten decades later, i'll be singing and go, 'OH it's a sex thing.'"

patrick really attaches to the story of a lyric, the craft of it, and then years later he'll be like "oh that was a HEAVY lyric. [and] pete must have felt that thing! i don't really question it when i'm writing- it's kindof unfair on him, like, should i check on him?"

heaven iowa instrumental demo/instruments isolated (53:30)

patrick would tell joe to "go nuts" on heaven, iowa!

neal talks about the ambient guitar pedal joe plays during heaven iowa and how it worked really well. patrick says this was the kind of thing that saved (the song).

patrick and andy double drummed at the same time in the studio for heaven iowa! <3

pete told joe to go "full slash" at the end of heaven iowa : )

patrick almost didn't send out the demo for the title track, smfsd! he was almost sure no one was going to like it, even though he liked it. but he sent it out, and it "kept surviving"

both patrick and neal brushed smfsd off because they assumed they "couldn't do that", but pete really pushed for it, which surprised patrick.

so much for stardust demo (1:25:07) patrick plays drums on it, sloppily. which he freely admits to lol. it is quite sloppy indeed

patrick: "i'm a drummer too, but andy and i are very different drummers. and it's very cool translating our things between each other, because he comes from metal (...) and i'm more a funk drummer."

lotsa joe layering in heaven iowa and smfsd : )

it was patrick's idea to do a lyrical callback in lftos/smfsd, and pete was hesitant about it. but patrick pushed for it, becasuse it made sense as "story beats"- "it's like 'empire strikes back'!"

patrick doesn't like to putz around the studio that much, he just wants to be recording something.

patrick: "my routine [during the writing of the album] was just to make it to the studio as on time as i can be- i have adhd, it's very difficult- but i'd be there within 10-15 minutes of when i was supposed to be there, and then we'd just work through it."

patrick's advice: FROM ELTON JOHN: when you find your producer that understands you, stick with them. patrick: "and that was on a record we didn't do with neal, and i remember thinking [makes unsure noises]..." also prioritize in the short-term, what's important. take a step back.

neal's advice: if music is your passion, do it, and do it all the time

patrick was afraid people wouldn't like him "rambling" in songs, even though it was honest and natural to him. he was terrified of doing it again, thinking people wouldn't like it. but people did! "don't subvert yourself too much."

the host asks for them to choose a stardust song to close out the podcast, and patrick chooses what a time to be alive :)

the end

[randomvarious]

Today's compilation:

DJ-Kicks - The Tracks by Stacey Pullen 1996 Techno / Deep House

Allow me to make one thing very clear here before diving into this release: this is *not,* I repeat, *not* the DJ mix version of Detroit techno legend Stacey Pullen's terrific volume in !K7's super consistent DJ-Kicks series. What this is instead is the double-12-inch version of it, which is markedly different. See, sometimes when labels put out a DJ mix on CD or cassette, they also release a different edition of it on vinyl too, and those ones usually come with fuller-length, unmixed versions of tracks that appear within the DJ mix itself.

Now, I have mixed feelings about this particular release here; on one hand, there is some really great mid-90s techno and deep house on this thing, and if you loved any tracks on the DJ mix version of the album, then, with this vinyl edition, you'd have the fuller-length, unmixed versions of its songs. But on another hand, this particular vinyl release is only limited to being a double-12-inch, so you couldn't possibly fit longer versions of every single song that was used in the DJ mix itself onto two records; electronic tunes are generally way too long for you to be able to do that.

So, given that constraining factor, I really don't think that the 7 songs that were ultimately chosen for this vinyl edition are really all that fully representative of the true nature of Stacey Pullen's very excellent DJ mix. Basically, if you've never heard this dispatch from the DJ-Kicks series before, don't bother listening to this double-12-inch to get your fill of it; go listen to the actual DJ mix instead; it's spectacular.

Still though, all of this isn't to say that there aren't bangers on these two records here, because there definitely are; especially the last two tracks: Kenny Larkin's "Q" and "Funk de Fino" by Gypsy. It's just that the actual DJ mix has a whole lot more bangers on it than this release does.

Kenny Larkin's "Q" does this wonderful techno thing of laying down placid string pads and then eventually unleashing intermittently disruptive bunches of stabbing and galloping snares atop it, while also allowing a thin and fuzzy membrane of liquid acid to fester between it all too. In fact, speaking of galloping rhythms, Chicago house pioneer Marshall Jefferson uses a pretty similar formula to that one on a great techno track of his own called "The Horse" too, which was released a few years after "Q." I wonder if he drew any inspiration from Kenny Larkin for it! 🤔

And Gypsy's "Funk de Fino" is a terrifically deep hybrid of chilly ambient techno and dubby progressive trance. This tranquil and pleasing beast only gets a little over 2 minutes in Pullen's mix, but here, in its full-length state, it takes up an entire side of a record, clocking in at over 13 and a half minutes instead! Sweet, sweet, steady journey here to close out this particular release. One of the pros of this vinyl edition of the album is that you get to hear this awesome tune in its entirety 😌.

But nevertheless, trust me, folks: while this has some quality electronic music on it, the actual DJ mix of Stacey Pullen's DJ-Kicks is still leaps and bounds better.

Highlights:

Silent Phase - "Psychotic Funk" Gerd - "Arkest's Blaze" Wulf-N-Bear - "Raptures of the Deep" Kenny Larkin - "Q" Gypsy - "Funk de Fino"

[polteergeistt]

Poorly made rant about Hypnosis

buckle up for some dumb analysis where i'm spewing amateur shit @pannee-dragon link for the tabs

So. Sleep Token isn't known for their incredible guitar solos. Most of the guitar stuff is only rhythmic. The thing that makes the guitars sound good is the layering. With this part, there are two other guitars (and most likely additional synth and stuff added with an editing software).

I think it's cool how the rhythm guitar is litteraly for the rhythm and not some sort of guitar harmony. It works just like the drums. Usually, when we think of the guitar, we think of a melody with chords and single notes but it's not the case here. It doesn't feel the same to me anyway. Also I labelled "chorus" a part where Vessel doesn't sing which might not be correct but don't worry nothing is correct here.

The verse feels like the first layer of colour in a painting. It's like an ambient thing. And for the bridge and breakdown, they are purely rhythmic as well. There is no other guitar, only drums and bass with that.

The sound and the melody we associate with the guitar in Hypnosis is made of two guitars with a tremolo effect : only one for the intro, then the second one comes in with all the other instruments. They sound cleaner than the rhythmic one.

Also. The bass. It's the exact same as the rhythm guitar (but in bass version but it's still the same). III and IV are basically playing the same thing during live performences.

When I listen to the songs, I like to imagine how they came up with them. For this one, I feel like II might've helped Vessel for the guitar. After II said he accentuates vocals and guitar parts with his drums, I can see that too.

I'm not a pro either and I don't know a lot about music theory but I can tell that this is no childgame. Like for a bunch of other songs of the record like High Water or Alkaline, they really worked a lot on the layering of sound samples and instruments.

[seherstudies]

Japanese Youtube Channels I like

Vlogs and Lifestyle

in living. - She does fashion videos, hauls or simply videos about her everyday life. Also has a bunch of different channels for specific things like eg games. Sorekara Travel - Ryo does travel videos in Japan with a very...ambient feeling? There is not much overlay with music. I don't know what I am saying. 5歳からの同級生とルームシェア - Kaito and Kouki basically showcase their everyday life as roommates and often make cooking videos. It's a good channel if one wants to here more casual conversation. Se-ya - Vlogs. Interior. The music selection is just top tier too with the jazzy&retro vibe he has going on. あっちゃん - Your typical vlogs with a chill vibe. I don't have much more to say what kind of videos he makes.

Cooking

Kiwami Meshi - Do you know 'The Way of the Househusband'? Yeah, that's basically this channel. Also made a few recipes already, really good!! ご飯が美味しいch - Because of the nature of the videos it is rather a reading than listening practice but they are incredibly soothing.

Gaming and Art

Peco - A kind of god when it comes to Zelda Breath of the Wild but is also playing other (Nintendo) games these days. Does mostly livestreams you can rewatch at any time. 花江夏樹 （はなえ　なつき）- Voice actor by day, youtuber at night. Just plays a variety of games, often with friends, and it's very entertaining. Archipel - Documentaries about Japanese creators and artists. 北原ユシキ/画景-kakkei- - Just an illustrator I really like who often streams. Watecolor with Shibasaki - Just a Japanese grandpa, or Japanese Bob Ross, teaching you how to paint.

[snurtle]

Nine people you'd like to get to know better! Weheheh.

Tagged by @criminal-sen I haven't done tag games in a while.

Last song i listened to: (squints) Uh. Dark ambient fantasy music for writers 10 hrs-- Fantasy tavern music for writers 3 hrs--- uh, uh, oh- shit- (i fumble the playlist and a bunch of videogame osts wearing tiny .mp3 trenchcoats go spinning out all over the floor. fuck. i'm not normally like this i swear. (i'm lying. i am. i love ambient music. and ska. shhh)

Favorite color: pink. there is no contest i'm sorry to say, pink is my shit. I would live in a cotton candy cave if I could. I am constantly one good decision away from animorphing into a fat, hot pink ceramic garden gnome in a wizard robe.

Currently watching: nothing atm, though I did recently start talking to a fanfiction author that I loved the work of. Turns out he's a writer too, and he gave me free copies of like ten????? of his sci-fi books?? full ass e-books??? damn. god damn. so nothing to watch, but E V E R Y T H I N G to read. I'll leave reviews as I finish them.

Sweet/savory/spicy: no. salty. sour. where are the real options!!! inquiring minds need to know!

Relationship status: uhhhhh idk ask @archvillain

Current obsession: sad evil men who are convinced they're doing the right thing at a high cost, not committing atrocities and burning the world. also DRAGON AGE. This fucking franchise. It's eating my life. I started systematically combing The Masked Empire for every instance where Felassan is mentioned or has dialogue for fanfiction research purposes. Truly the actions of a mentally well man. I'm hyped-against-all-hope for the release of the fourth game in the series, Dreadwolf. Apparently it's slated for this summer? I won't hold my breath... and yet.

I also enjoy chewing violently on mad scientists, though that interest has been dormant as of late (<3 Mayuri Kurotsuchi <3) .

I'll tag...

@accidental-hero obligatory tag in ask games. I KNOW you but shhh. Just tell me what you're up to.

@archvillain do i know you? yeah i want to know you better wawawaa @recurring-polynya I've missed your houseplant updates as of late! I started gardening in earnest again this spring and thought about you. @whipplefilter I was torn on whether or not to tag B3 here!! :D Either way your presence is always a fun bright spot on tungle dot hell. @kurjakani Your haunted-eyed old men and love of vast lonely spaces is deeply compelling. That's pretty cool!

And... whoever would like to play!

[dustedmagazine]

Listed: The Spatulas — Part 1

The Spatulas churn out uneasy jangle pop straight from the garage — or, more literally, the storage unit where the band met to play and beat back their pandemic frustrations. Their sound is built on blunt yet psychedelic melodies, chopping guitar, and rhythms that lurch then steady themselves. Assembled in various forms over the last several years, the Oregon-based quartet released March Chant, their first EP,in December of 2023. Alex Johnson found it “raw and charming…a full band record [that pairs] the relief at venting your anger and the goofy waywardness of distracting yourself with a joyful noise.”

Miranda's List: A bunch of songs that seem to make me me...

Mope Grooves — Look At The Time, 2018

Catchiest song ever. My friend Stevie made a bunch of wonderful music in her lifetime and was a beautiful person. Everything she put out on her label, See My Friends Records is great, and she included many of my fellow Oregonians on Mope Grooves albums. Our previous Spats drummer, Kyle closes out this song "Look At The Time" with that wave of nostalgic synth sound.

Pip Proud — De Dum De Dum, 1967

The original recording of this Pip Proud album is golden all the way through. I listened to this alone on a sheep farm in Oregon in the middle of rainy winter in 2021 and it influenced my writing a lot.

Nico — One More Chance, 1983

Nico at her most gothic rock. I love this echoey version — makes me wanna dance! The beat is great. Ambient synth sounds abound; her vocals incredible as ever... The origins of The Drama of Exile, her fifth album — so full of drug-addled dysfunction!

Pearls Before Swine — Playmate, 1967

One Nation Underground is one of my most listened-to records; the grooves are worn. I used to cover the opener song, “Another Time” pre-Spats, with my Partners, Buddies and Pals. “Playmate” is the upbeat, second song on the album, a cover of an old children’s song, which I think is perfect for me. “(Oh Dear) Miss Morse,” is another hit on side A, on side B it's “Uncle John” and “Surrealistic Waltz.”

Grace Slick & The Great Society — Often As I May, 1966

This song propels you along. It sounds so beautiful, like a traditional folk song, yet a Slick original. Great fun to sing along with this gal.

Lou Reed — Waves of Fear, 1981

Robert Quine’s guitar hits the spot, and with Lou’s voice and guitar, those lyrics — so hard!

Yoko Ono & Plastic Ono Band — Why, 1970

The most adventurous and exciting song ever. Yoko’s primal screaming, with John’s guitar wailing, and Klaus, and Ringo clipping along... WHYYYYYY????? A brilliant reminder to LET IT OUT.

The Bats — Made Up in Blue, 1986

Beloved. Great bass. The song that I think put this Flying Nun band on the map, leading up to another special full album, Daddy’s Highway from 1987, the year I was born. The accompanying music video is a treasure!

Broadcast — I Found The F, 2005

We’re so lucky to have the album Tender Buttons, and the band Broadcast. The album was made while singer Trish Keenan’s father was dying of cancer, six years before she herself died of pneumonia from swine flu. Knowing this makes it all the more eerily personal and sweet-sounding for me. Both my parents were dead by the time I was 32, so I’m familiar with making art as a response to grief.

Don Cherry and Organic Music Theater — Om Shanti Om, 1976

This is the full live performance at RAI Studios in Rome, Italy, for television broadcast. Listen to the ~47-minute album Om Shanti Om as much needed meditation. Imagine also all Moki Cherry’s tapestries in full color, as featured in the Blank Forms book I was so engrossed in last summer.

[cursedvibes]

Tagged by @voxofthevoid

Thank youuu!

Favourite colour: blue

Last song: Jericho by Iniko

Last movie: The Green Knight. Love it! For some reason Netflix only had the German synchro, but it was surprisingly good. They even matched the font for the title cards. I'm gonna watch it again around Christmas for the right vibes. Might even become a Christmas tradition.

Other stuff I watched this year: Talk to Me and The VVitch are the ones who left the most impression on me. I also recently finished the Pluto anime. It's interesting watching it now after reading the manga years ago. The anime makes it more obvious to me that the story isn't really suited for sci-fi. It's just the 90s including its conservative values with some high-tech thrown in. The story itself is good, it has a meaningful message and great soundtrack, but it doesn't fit with the expectations I have for sci-fi stories. It doesn't innovate much and the function of the robots is barely explained in depth. It's too non-technical for a story that requires technical explanations. You can also feel Tezuka's influence because Urasawa is usually much better with female characters and queer themes. Robots can marry (heterosexuallly), but gay people don't exist lol Monster was written almost 10 years earlier and is much better at this.

Shows I dropped this year/didn't finish: Only csm I think. I'm just gonna wait till it's over and then catch up. Maybe. If there was anything else I didn't finish, it didn't leave enough of an impression that I remember.

Currently reading: JJK weekly and I've gone back to The Twice-Dead King: Ruin by Nate Crowley because I miss Necrons.

Currently listening to: HUMAN-LE by 核P-model. I've been playing it constantly lately. It's the best way to get me out of a bad mood. Also a bunch of lofi/ambient music and the new Layers of Fear soundtrack.

Currently working on: My Kenjaku pregnancy fic. I'm about 1/3 done and currently at 10k words (including full outline and notes for the future), so it's gonna get long...

Current obsession: Still jjk, but Houseki no Kuni is also a good contender

Tagging if you want: @zbengui @hxhhasmysoul @galaxynajma @yukisdomain @keniaku @jokepool

[ueberdemnebelmeer]

it's been a fruitful year of discoveries, rediscoveries and deeper dives into discographies i wasn't as familiar with so coming up with a trimmed-down selection was challenging but here's my own 2023 "wrapped"!

2023 RELEASES

💿 "genshin impact: millelith's watch" soundtrack disc 1 [and it has to be disc 1], hoyo-mix — i know nothing about it other than it being a video game, loove the music tho

💿 "ok. respira" + "red light (EP)", elodie — are they good? it's radio-friendly pop and EDM but do i like them? absolutely

🎵 i wanted to include paranoïa, angels, true love by christine and the queens but despite having listened to it in its entirety a bunch of times i definitely picked favourites and slightly ignored the rest? so: "tears can be so soft" + "angels crying in my bed" + "marvin descending" + "to be honest"

🎵 same hat for so!yoon!'s episode 1: love -> "in (void)" [one of thee most intros] + "smoke sprite" [give me a solo version i beg u] + "till the sun goes up" + "exit"

🎵 "de selby (part 1)", hozier

🎵 "nothing lasts forever", sevdaliza feat. grimes

🎵 "tik tak tok", silica gel feat. so!yoon!

🎵 "床 (lie)", no party for cao dong

🎵 "ghosts again", depeche mode

K-POP (and related) CORNER: "psycho", jun 🌸 "god of music" + "super" + "fire", seventeen 🌸 "the rizzness" + "guilty", taemin 🌸 "rover" + "sinner", kai 🌸 "coolAs", key 🌸 "o (circle)", onew 🌸 "10x", shinee 🌸 "nevertheless", billlie 🌸 "golden hour", mark lee 🌸 "screen time", epik high feat. hoshi 🌸 "attitude", fromis_9 🌸 "fighting", BSS feat. lee youngji 🌸 "better things" + "drama", aespa

(RE)DISCOVERED IN 2023

💿 listened to kino for the first time, fell in love! i've had the black album (кончится лето/konchitsya leto, муравейник/muraveynik & кукушка/kukushka 😘👌) on rotation lately but i have a bunch of faves you can send an ask about if you like <3

💿 delved deeper into cocteau twins' discography but i basically played "heaven or las vegas" [been waiting for a copy to drop at the local used cd stores to no avail] and this faye wong x cocteau twins playlist *a lot*

💿 also had a massive depeche mode phase in the spring; tended to stick to their 80s/90s releases and "violator" is probably their most popular album but for good reason!! do check "waiting for the night" from it + this is my tag for further track recs

💿 "bié records meets shika shika" — it's a project from two labels, one beijing-based the other argentinian, whose artists marry electronica with ambient and folk music; they matched their artists together to remix each other and this compilation is the result

💿 "raven", kelela

💿 "trececerotres (EP)", daniela lalita

🎵 "a pure person (單純的人)", lim giong — one of the best opening scenes in cinema ever! millennium mambo's soundtrack has been temporarily taken down from spotify so you have to look for it in chinese characters

🎵 "dancing elephants", rochelle jordan — specifically this performance

🎵 "yo-soul", lim kim

🎵 "spring breeze", hiperson — love love the production here

🎵 teresa teng's cover of "長崎は 今日も雨だった" (a rainy day in nagasaki)

[deityofhearts]

Hiii I have some music recommendations for you!! I have no idea about your tastes but here are some works I personally like :)

For classical music I would really recommend Maurice Ravel (an impressionist composer, just like Debussy (which is also worth the listen!!)).

Ryuichi Sakamoto is not strictly classical, but he has a discography filled to the brim with beautiful soundtracks. I highly recommend listening to his album BTTB (Back to the basics), which is compromised of songs played on the piano and only the piano. One of my favourite little tunes is put your hands up (which he made a version of that can still be found on YouTube but is not on Spotify).

For ambient music I have a couple different recommendations:

Flica Flica is a Japanese ambient artist who has a bunch of different albums all with a different vibe. Cirrus for example is mostly centered around a soft piano, one of the few albums I'm able to listen to while reading.

Camiidae Camiidae's album music for bugs is perfect for when you want to feel like a little critter in a big wonderful garden. It's full of satisfying little noises :)

In Love With a Ghost In case you don't know ILWAG yet, they are very much worth a listen!! They are one of the most important artists when it comes to the lo-fi hiphop genre. My favourite album is healing, their entire discography is great tho.

Hiroshi Yoshimura Hiroshi Yoshimura was a pioneer in ambient/ environmental music way back when. I'd start with the album Green.

Jinsang Jinsang makes very pleasant lo-fi music using a lot of samples. I'd recommend checking out his album Life

Appex Twin Apex Twin is a widely known artist with a discography. For bloopy beasts, I recommend the album Syro. If you want a darker, piano that is drowned in reverb vibe, go for Drukqs.

Dictaphone While we're on the topic of darker ambient music, Dictaphone falls under the umbrella of the "dark-jazz" and ambient genre. If you feel curious about this, I'd recommend checking out M=addiction

I hope this is not too much!! I may have been a little too pumped about sharing some music hahaha :)

this ain’t too much at all!!! Thank you sm for the recs, I super appreciate and am going to check them all out asap!! Also I love the info you provided for everything you’ve suggested!!

[fictionaladoptionpolls]

Rei Ayanami

Age: 14*

Home: Tokyo-3 (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

Blood type: Blue Fanta

Likes: …

Dislikes: …

Unit: -00

Evangelion’s older than some anime fans, even people like me who’ve never gotten around to watching Eva know it, it’s not a spoiler. But for the sake of people who haven’t heard much about Evangelion beyond the basics, I'll avoid anything more obvious than that.

Blood type has been changed as a joke.

Rei is fine. She’ll tell you that if asked, and she certainly looks fine on the surface. She doesn’t look happy, but it doesn’t seem like much of anything bothers her. She takes everything in stride, despite being a child soldier fighting an apocalyptic alien threat in Neon Genesis Evangelion. If Asuka is the iconic tsundere, Rei is the iconic kuudere.

What’s a kuudere? It’s a character (usually a girl) who seems calm, composed, and perhaps callous on the surface, a surface which hides her true emotions. Which are usually some mixture of kindness and affection for the main character, but Rei is a child soldier fighting an apocalyptic alien threat in Neon Genesis Evangelion.

I mean, that normal kuudere core isn’t completely absent. Rei does care about most people she knows, especially Shinji. She even occasionally shows emotion by lashing out at people who are mean to those she cares about! But those sorts of feelings are drowned out by a bunch of other neuroses, some focused on stuff I promised not to clarify further. The others are mostly clustered around her role as a child soldier etc, which has given her a martyr complex that Jesus Christ would consider excessive and unhealthy.

She’s also dreadfully undersocialized and doesn’t really…get social norms. Sometimes this is funny, like when Shinji harem-protagonists onto her naked body and she calmly asks if he’s going to get off. Mostly, though, it’s just sad.

What does Tumblr have to say about Rei (that isn't an overt spoiler)?

Idk man all the eva kids need a new loving home, they are all... unwell.

evangelion music headcanons r so funny because no i don't think rei listens to music, i think she listens to ambient sounds. if she does listen to music, it's classical. i think that before she made friends she didn't even consider music an option or just listened to music gendo gave her and only started opening up to new stuff after the other kids introduced it to her.

“It began when the director told me, ‘It's not that she doesn't have emotion, but that she doesn't know what it is.’ His technical request was that I should read my lines as flat as possible. But she's obviously not a machine; she's a human being, flesh and blood. It's a huge difference between ‘not having emotion’ and ‘not knowing emotion.’ After all, she could develop feelings, once she learned…”

(that one was quoting an interview with her voice actress)

asurei au where everyone is gay and nothing hurts

[t1meslayer]

Going in for round 2!

I had a lot of fun with my Debrief for "Stone-Cold Lovers (Ch. 3)," and I think there's a bunch of interesting, insightful aspects to my writing here given Splatoon's setting offers plenty of aquatic-themed worldbuilding.

So, let's get into it! Check out my full author's commentary below the cut — but only after you've had the chance to read "By Moonlight," my latest Splatoon fanfic.

I've been playing Splatoon since the 2015 original on Wii U. But to be completely honest, the series never hit me until Splat3. I never bought Octo Expansion (though I did watch most of it), so "Return of the Mammalians" may have just become the first time I truly appreciated how insane the series' lore is. Playing through the final battle during a road trip back from San Francisco with a couple of buddies is something I'll remember forever.

I also fell in love with Shiver and Marie as a couple, spawning a whole host of fanfictions.

But that's neither here nor there. Because this story is about Pearlina.

(The featured image evolved over time)

Another consequence of my foolishness circa Splatoon 2 is I didn't realize how much I liked Off the Hook's music. In fact, the origins of this very fanfic came from a brief obsession with Marina's piano-playing prowess on songs like "Tentacle to the Metal" when Splatoon 3 released in 2022. A connection to the 1st Movement of "Moonlight Sonata" was baked into the premise by their similar set of three notes playing in succession.

Though, I should be clear: I am not a classical music nerd, nor any kind of music nerd. I have a pretty terrible ear for music, and as a result don't listen to much (video game soundtracks notwithstanding, most of my ambient noise is YouTube videos, TV, or podcasts).

If we want to get really deep into the weeds of how pathetic I am, my main attachment to "Moonlight Sonata" stems from Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak (2002) on the GBA.

My rendition of Marina playing the song even ends at essentially the same point as this game's usage, since it's baked into my soul.

When's Hamtaro coming to Nintendo Switch Online, cowards?

That being said, I largely based the in-universe playing on this video by Rousseau, a YouTube channel that creates fancy visuals for piano covers of classical and pop music:

My original plan was to have Eight gift the Beethoven book to Pearl and Marina as an oddity acquired through raiding Grizzco facilities following "Return of the Mammalians." However, the idea came back in full-force with the release of Splatoon 3: Side Order. There was a brief period where I considered applying to the Pearlina zine "You and Me Against the Universe!" with something similar, but that was before I fell into my drive to write for zines.

Side Order definitely feels like a test run for more fleshed-out Roguelike modes in future Splatoon games, but I'm enjoying it all the same. And I just had to include tidbits of lore like Eight joining Off the Hook's world tour.

As one final note on "Moonlight Sonata," this is the first time I've written a musical performance as prose. My Mariver fic "Harmonic Frequencies" ends with a bit of choreography for Deep Cut's tribute to "Calamari Inkantation," but that's about as far as it goes. Luckily, my sister is studying Music Education and Music Performance in college (and she graduates soon!), so I was able to lean on her as a source of knowledge.

She just had to suffer through my insufferable gay seafood to get there.

Her main advice was to think of writing musical prose not as a literal translation of sheet music, but instead to really hone in on the emotions of listening to music. It took a bit to figure out the right balance between describing the performance itself and the more emotive images it conjures in Pearl's head, but I love the outcome!

My sister said, "Also the moonlight stuff is fire af." Clearly I've peaked.

===

Fun Fact: She told me I should look into the creepier aspects of "Moonlight Sonata" while writing. Did you know that the song is dedicated to then-16-year-old Countess Giulietta Guicciardi (per Brittanica), a student whom he fell in love with (per New York Times)?

Because I didn't.

===

My presentation of Pearl changed a fair bit over the course of this writing. Pearl's They/She pronouns were pretty spur of the moment, and the idea of They/She Napoleon has since become a running in-joke between me and my beta reader, the incredible artist Trybard (who was the source of my great screencap preview post that I blocked out for anonymity of personal socials).

Pearl with full tattoo sleeves was also a sudden decision that's entirely inspired by a Twitter post; I unfortunately cannot find that post anymore, it disappeared after I shifted pages. Likewise, Pearl learning Octarian is part-cute girlfriend stuff, part-excuse to use the joke about them reading Beethoven as "Beat-Havin'" that came to me in a flash of divine inspiration.

Marina doesn't get nearly as much love in the personal headcanon department, it was Trybard who suggested she might wear a citrus-y perfume smell. I added the motor oil.

I also added the fact that she's living it up in Pearl's downtown apartment, and lending out goofy manga-themed sleep shirts.

Off the Hook's apartment setting only includes the windowed hallway and main foyer (which I hope adds to the sense that Pearl is rich enough to afford the most ridiculously huge apartment of all time). However, there are two tidbits about the setting that I quite enjoy:

First, did you catch the bit about the charred piece of hull? I wanted to keep it subtle in writing, but my intent was referencing the NILS Statue! Did Pearl or Marina take the trophy? Who knows.

Second, Off the Hook's wall of records went through hefty trial-and-error. I settled on the idea of giving them Gold/Platinum/Diamond records (ala the real-world practice of Recording Industry Association of America certification) while listening to the collective works of Off the Hook. Given this is pre-Splat3, I imagined that the new recording of "Nasty Majesty" and their Splatfest theme "Color Pulse" would have among the most attention.

I also imagined that Splatoon wouldn't just use an exact 1-1 copy of our record certifications. Thus, the Recording Industry Association of Inkadia (RIAI) was born.

Rather than using precious metals to delineate sales, I decided to go with the more Splatoon-feeling marker of "neon records." I actually did a minor amount of research, predominately leaning on the website of Brigham Young University physics and astronomy professor Harold T. Stokes to figure out Neon's color spectrum.

Using this, I equated:

Violet = Gold (500,000 sales)

Green = Platinum (One Million sales)

Yellow = Double Platinum (Two Million sales)

Red = Diamond (Ten Million sales)

I even formatted the text to look like an actual RIAA plaque, just with the color's name rather than a literal record. AO3's HTML formatting can only go so far.

I used the "acronym" formatting to add extra context in the form of each song's to-date sales, which was all I originally planned to say. Learned all about that option in my horrific opening chapter to the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fic "Paradiso," in which Arven has a nightmare that breaks the text "House of Leaves" style.

And that, my friends, is all she wrote.

I could go way deeper into the minutia Pearl's boisterous tone or Marina utilizing mechanical terms, but the broad strokes of where certain ideas originate seems like a better use of my "Debrief" time. Let me know what more you might want to see me discuss going forward, or what ideas for Splatoon fics you wanna see added to my eternal backlog! (The poll-winning Stardew Valley piece has to take priority now — no more game release distractions~)

Though, as one final note: Yes, the title is a Sailor Moon reference.

You're welcome.

[losercomputers]

Miku, Kikuo, My Childhood.

Not to sound lame or anything, but I hold a special place in my heart for Hatsune Miku, specifically her features in Kikuo's discog. Though, I def feel like this is a given, being that I raised myself here on this very internet, exposed to anything and everything vocaloid (and just a bunch of cringe weeb shit, in general, lol), and that I like the color blue, and miku has that long ass blue hair haha.

But I guess my point here, especially regarding this blog, is that Kikuo (aka Asian melancholic btw) was a major catalyst in encouraging my current ongoing love for electronic music, and while in the midst of listening to Miku 4 earlier today, I had the sudden urge to start writing about it.

Now now now, let me just say that Kikuo is a fucking MASTER track-maker. Their compositions are just soooooooo blissful to listen to and his tracks pay great respect and homage to their rightful sub-genres of orchestral, DnB, synthpop, ambient, glitch, etc while simultaneously portraying highly cryptic and evocative imagery via his lyricism.

I think if it weren't for the language barrier (I know a very super minimal amount of Japanese), I would have very different perspectives on life right this very moment had I even had a vague understanding of what any of Kikuo's lyrics meant, and another thing that I love about Kikuo is their attention to detail and clever use of Japanese colloquialisms.

"If I fall to hell, I'll be saved. If I rise to heaven, I'll meet you again. I love you, begging to be constricted in comfort. I love you, gasping in a childlike voice, "Strangle me, More, more"."

LIKE?!?!???!?

Love and companionship may be the very death of us and yet we struggle for it so badly. We fight tooth and nail for it, even if it suffocates us, even if at times we know it is the martyr of breaking us down and building us back up over and over again. As humans, we love that bullshit.

;

However, this is only one of the lighter themes that Kikuo explores...

A lot of the narratives they depict are typically quite grotesque and/or abstruse. From tracks that explore themes of abuse and suffering to tracks containing discourse on the concurrence between intimacy and cannibalism, they do not hold back.

So I'll keep this short and sweet and wrap this up here (or else I'd end up writing an entire dissertation on this).

What once stemmed from an innocent love for vocaloid music has now blossomed into me writing whatever the fuck this blog post is, and also experiencing a series of several mini existential crises after unpacking and developing my own interpretations of Kikuo's tracks.

Here's to Life, Death, Love, and Kikuo.

AND MIKU OFC

[nicolos]

Hi, this is very random but I LOVE your edits!! SO SO much!! And I wanted to ask (if you feel like elaborating but no pressure!) about your editing process (I am a complete newbie). I am in awe of the connections you draw in your edits - do you first choose a song and then try to match the content to it or the other way around? And if you don't mind me asking which program do you use? And how do you get clean audio without the background music? ((I would greatly appreciate your advice if it wouldn't be too much of a burden, wishing you the loveliest of days<3))

hi there!! first off this is so sweet, and I really appreciate hearing that you like my edits!it's always so exciting to get that kind of feedback, esp since video edits arent smth ive done a Lot of or my primary form of fanwork, i guess

For some elaboration - I assume you mean the black sails edits (?), so I'm going to be answering for those. On the whole, I don't have a super well-defined process, so it definitely varies edit to edit, but in general, I tend to work off themes or ideas rather than audio! Especially since I'm not usually working with lyrics, in which case it would be a totally different story.

A lot of my black sails edits specifically are about highlighting a specific theme and how its paralleled over the show, so finding parallels usually is just me trying to remember different scenes which demonstrate the same concept, kind of. I have a file of the whole shows subtitles pasted into one place, so I do a lot of Ctrl+f with keywords (the 'you and i' video was built off literally just that) - and then try to arrange it in a way that makes sense for the BS narrative as well as the point im trying to make in the video. i also really love finding completely different conversations that feel like call and response, and setting them up against each other. Parallels! Contrasts! Etc

I try to work with an audio already in mind, though, generally, just because the flow is kind of determined by that. I didn't for the partners video, and I think it's a bit weaker for it, though i did adjust the music to suit it later. Picking a song if I have a theme in mind is really just going thru my soundtracks playlist, which is like 30% of all music I listen to, and picking smth with a vibe that fits + a pace and length that I think the video will match. (Sometimes I will also just cut the song down a bit)

The program I use is kdenlive, which is an free and open source video editing tool! It's not got quite as many features as smth like davinci resolve, but I find it works for my purposes, which are really just cropping, pasting, and a tiny bit of sharpen/recolour. that said kdenlive has a bunch of other features and options that I simply don't use and also don't know how because I haven't experimented, so its not like snip and move clips around is All you can do with it.

re: the background audios... this one is actually a process lol. i have high qual versions of all the BS eps with 6 channel audio, and ive made versions of each episode where ive isolated the central channel which usually has dialogue. however this channel also will have some slight background music or ambient sounds, so it's not really just the dialogue - but it works for the purposes of the video, where lower sounds like that may get hidden by music anyway. ymmv, it depends scene to scene, but I don't need it to be perfectly clean so it works for me. Ive isolated these channels through ffmpeg, which is a command prompt based editing thing, and isn't difficult to learn but isn't exactly the most user-friendly thing, i guess? However I understand ( @dykementality confirm?) that davinci resolve lets you just isolate audio channels of any clip you're editing, so like, that's an option. i Can give more detailed instructions on ffmpeg, or at least on the code that I use to make files w isolated audio, though honestly I've forgotten how to install ffmpeg (though it can't have been too difficult or I wouldn't have bothered)

I hope that helped you a little, pal! If you have any further clarification I'd be happy to help w/ what I know! And I hope you have a wonderful day also!

[bvannn]

Weekly Update February 9, 2024

The sick has returned. I took my medicine for it this morning but so far it doesn’t seem like it’s gone away, but admittedly my symptoms today could be the result of me having a bad day and it being cold outside, and not necessarily the sick. That’s also why I’m posting this update earlier than usual. If it persists tomorrow I’ll know it’s more surgery side effects, and maybe I’ll message my doctor if it stays throughout the week again. Last week went pretty well so I want to assume this week being messed up was just a fluke. I still got some stuff done, though.

I got a bunch of drawings done, most of them epithet erased and fanart rather than OCs but that’s fine. Fwiw I did get a few more comic pages done, though not one a day like I was hoping. I’ll try another tonight, maybe more if I’m in a good mood. I’m also starting to listen to more music, which should hopefully get inspiration flowing a bit better so I can do more OC art as well.

I still got an animation shaped void I need to fill but haven’t figured out what to do yet. I’d like to try something to music but I gotta get a song done first. So I’ve been trying to work on music but I’ve been so scatterbrained that it’s a bit hard. I’m hoping this weekend I’ll have time, but good chance I’ll try to spend it keeping my mood high instead. I guess I could do some OC animation tests, figure out how clip studio animation works too. Maybe.

Music: been toying with some slow ambient instrumental stuff, and that bigger edm one with the piano I posted a sample of a while ago. Turns out EDM is super easy, so if I can find reasons to keep doing it I will, although admittedly I’m not as big on it as I am on other genres. I’m close to done on that EDM one, partially because it’s supposed to be kinda short. I haven’t touched lyric stuff, I might have to soon though since my congenial medical bs is flaring up again too, and lyrics are luckily something I can do while bedridden. Idk I like how the instrumental is going.

I redid that melody I posted the other day for the ambient track, admittedly didn’t change much but I swapped the third measure out, dropped a few notes, and actually tried it on a lower bpm and with some reverb because I forgot to do that for the samples I posted (whoops), and it sounds fine. I need some other parts for that one still, maybe I’ll use placeholders and just figure out the rest of the instrumentation bc I got that half finished.

Haven’t touched vocaloid again yet. Maybe I’ll make some quick demos so I can understand how tuning works. I’ll probably pick a memey or old song and if I make anything presentable I’ll post it.

Been looking for more VSTs too, I compare it to looking for new brushes whenever you’re dissatisfied with your art. Vital has been good for EDM, basically fixed all my problems for me, again. Also started messing with decentsampler again and it’s probably going to fix my problems when I’m working on that ambient track.

I think this weekend and next week I’ll aim to get some time with the big fancy keyboard and just unload a bunch of recording at once. Force myself to finish shit. Tonight I’d like to as well, but that depends on how bad my homework ends up. And if I get flare ups again. I’m still working on dealing with that condition but I need two or three more surgeries before it’s really going to be gone. And I have to wait for those. I’m not worried about money for now since I’m pretty sure I can get a decent job after I graduate (and at a minimum I can go back to the job I had last summer which I liked and paid pretty well). Right now I don’t have a source of income but I think I’ll be fine, I just need to not spend money, which I’m pretty good at. Next week I’ll focus on music stuff first, throw in some drawings if I can, and keep at those comic thumbnails. Once those are done I’ll start on pages.

[azantiss]

Week 3: An Album a Day 2024

15. Rakshak, Bloodywood

Rakshak is a metal album that uses influences from the Indian folk genre. it has really hard hitting songs that are fun to count along to and very loopable. the lyrics are in a combination of Hindi and English and are so punk at all times. this is an album to rile up motivation and make you want to jump around if i have ever heard one. some highlights include 'Gaddaar,' 'Aaj,' and 'Chakh Le.'

16. GUTS, Olivia Rodrigo

this is a pop album and it was enjoyable. i love that it leans more into the rock genre than her first album. it has some really unique to hear in pop elements like triplet rhythms and a lot of dragging out phrases that you really don't hear in pop much. some tracks i enjoyed were 'the grudge,' and 'all-american bitch.'

17. Somnia, ABBOTT

Somnia is really beautiful and full of ambient piano, electronic, and instrumental elements. this was a no-skip album that seems great to put on loop in the background. it has the balance i enjoy with ambient music that is enough interesting elements to keep attention just enough but still be able to focus on something else during it. it also plays with some fun time signatures and rhythms. some of my highlights are 'Shuffle' and 'February 30.'

18. Stick Season (We'll All Be Here Forever), Noah Kahan

i like this album so much more than i was expecting. it's folksy and kind of singer-songwriter-y. acoustic sounding everything. this is incredibly dramatic and so much better than just the few clips from it i have heard on repeat on social media. it has a bunch of buildups and sudden changes in pace or volume that worked really nicely. there was also a nice variety of songs and many songs in three, so that is great. some of my highlights include 'Northern Attitude,' The View Between Villages,' and 'Everywhere, Everything.' i think noah kahan is like if thirty seconds to mars was a folk band tbh.

19. Bright Nights * Dark Days, Cavo

Cavo is an album for those who want to want to be a cowboy. one of the highlights, 'Champagne,' has an incredible head-banging screaming section that is amazing to listen to on repeat. another highlight was 'Ghost,' which is a beautiful and emotional piece. this album is hard rock but i would venture to say it. fits so cleanly into the 'y'allternative' joke genre. this album is amazing and has great imagrey and music that many people into different genres may enjoy.

20. I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, My Chemical Romance

this is mcr's first album and while it took a minute to get into, it has some really incredible raw feeling tracks, emotionally and musically. this was less heavily produced than all their other albums. some of my highlights included 'Early Sunsets Over Monroeville,' 'Headfirst for Halos,' and 'Demolition Lovers.'

21. Room's On Fire, The Luka State

i found one song off of this album years ago, 'Bury Me,' and have loved it since. this album truly does live up to how amazing that one track is. this is an indie rock album with touches of emo/punk, or at least similar sounds to many in those genres. this a relatively depressing album and reminds me of some very specific other groups. some of my favorite tracks were 'Bury Me,' 'Room's on Fire,' and 'Kick In The Teeth.'

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again no problem 12/20/22

feelin...fizzy. feelin...scattered. let's make up for it with twelve (12) photos and a three part making section

listening

unloved’s new album has been out for some weeks but ive had Sorry, Baby on loop most of that time. it’s got the sort of fluttery bubbly electronica i associate with heist scenes or when someone wants to convey there is technology bubbling away in the background. cf a lot of the ambient music for the fallout 4 nuka cola world dlc. i also wish i had a better comparison.

-

reading

fallow weeks. it’s so funny how mack’s face changes in different light. she has such an angular teen face right now but you would not know it from this photo where she has eyebrows.

-

watching

rewatching a bunch of westerns as i knit. even tho i rarely rewatch shit, i want to be steeped in the vibes bc the days are very short and the nights are very long and the cowboys spark joy. The Great Silence (1968, dir. Corbucci) knocked me flat for a full twelve hours as it did for my first viewing. i remain mildly bemused by Death Rides A Horse (1967, dir. Petroni) but im glad mr van cleef got to have his tits out?

i also saw Gallowwalkers (2012, dir. Goth, starring Wesley Snipes). a weird west/horror sort of direct to DVD thing. there is very little to recommend this movie. it is largely incoherent. it has a lot of on-screen rape and sexual assault and women getting thrown around. i could not put together this movie in chronological order if you put a gun to my head. however, it does Look.

the costuming is what i can only call “capcom video game”. some of the worst wigs i have ever seen in my life are in this movie.

yes this man has two iguanas sewn to his head, bc the schtick of the film is the undead need to continuously get new skin sewn on. how they acquire the skin is shown in great detail.

unfortunately (fortunately?) the baddies have nearly all the good lines.

-

playing

beat the elite four in Pokémon, beat Team Star, beat Arven (that sucked. i felt so bad at the end of that) can’t quite beat my best friend/arch rival. more puttering around needed. or perhaps i need to actually learn how types work instead of hitting everything with one of my flamingo’s three different kinds of big kick. let me in the crater!!!

-

making

knitting again!!! i will update when i have a full repeat done bc right now it doesn’t look like very much. beloved mutual and real/life co-conspirator @itsybitsydragon passed along two gently loved cat trees for my chief henchwoman and she (the cat) has taken to them quite well!!! lovely to see her (my dear friend, i can see my cat any time i want), very worth shuffling a lot of furniture around.

I did promise a cast iron update but it’s a disappointing and slightly baffling update. this is Four (4!))) layers of seasoning and it's still not evening out. it's covered, bc it's not rusting, but it does look like fucking shit. it is dry to the touch and not tacky.

there are several potential causes, i think:

couldn’t quite get all the old seasoning off and this is somehow affecting the new seasoning (but it shouldn't be reacting this weirdly to the flaxseed oil? or really at all?)

i didn’t manage to completely neutralize the vinegar bath with baking soda?

the layers are maybe slightly too thick or slightly too thin? the weirdest looking parts are in the parts where i did manage to get the old seasoning off and down to bare metal

perhaps my ancient electric oven is not quite getting up to that nice 450-500F i want? i inadvertently left my oven thermometer in the old lair and haven't remembered to get a new one, but the smoke point of this oil should be like 225-230F, and i know for a fact my oven gets above that bc i have not yet given myself food poisoning

this is probably perfectly fine and safe to cook with but it's a little bit too much problem solving for me right now, and like @morrak i'm probably going to get deeply annoyed at some point and have at it with some naval jelly. unfortunately that will have to wait for more clement weather.