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woollenpharaohs · 9 months

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So I have thoughts about this...

First of all I am now aware that someone posted an article to the New York Times speculating about Taylor's sexual identity which in my books is a no no on the basis of how publicly it was done. I think speculating about someone's sexuality is normal, as you would for a friend or someone you saw on the train, it's normal to dream or wonder, but to do so on a public forum like a famous publication crosses huge boundaries. Keep your though to a blog is what I always think. (Another reason why we should all have a Tumblr lol)

But I also have a problem with how that person (and how many people online) frame the argument. Like the first part of their claim is that there's a trend that Gaylors don't support other queer stuff. How can they know that's true? All that they're seeing of Gaylors is for example a specific account where they only post about Taylor. Internet is an escapism for many people and what they post to whatever account doesn't fully exemplify how they live their life.

I suppose as someone who actively speculates about real people's sexuality, I find it offensive to assume that the thing that is talked about the loudest is the only thing the person cares about?

Like yeah I won't shut up about definitely straight DJs being potentially bi because you never know what happens in someone else's life, but I'm also listening to queer musicians not even because I want to actively look for queer musicians but because I enjoy music that happens to be made by queer people. I just don't talk about the queer musicians that much I guess because it satisfies a need already? Whereas the unconfirmed stuff is exciting to speculate about. Artists that I like such as ARCA, Sofia kourtesis, porridge radio, PVA, Sufjan etc etc the list goes on, are queer and I'll throw my money at them for gigs or vinyl or whatever. But I'm not loud about it because they're confirmed queer I guess. Like there's nothing to guess, they're open about who they are.

Like when those people who say, Gaylors should invest more time in actual queer musicians, what that sounds like to me is the speculation should be redirected to already out queer people??? The clap back doesn't sound as good when you actually think about what they're asking.

I think the conversation absolutely needs to be, ok you're speculating but let's not do that in a way that the subject person can see. Like let's do that in an appropriate space. Let's not harass the person you're theorising about, let's keep those thoughts to a closed forum or hushed whispers between friends. Publishing an op-ed about someone's sexuality in the nyt or literally any publication is hugely boundary crossing. Agreed 100%.

But do you want that energy to be directed to someone else? An out queer person already going through their own shit? No. Asking if someone is queer, demanding them to come out, writing speculation on news articles - those sorts of things Should Not Be Happening. The people who do it need to tone it down and use safe spaces that already exist to have these discussions.

I guess the argument op is trying to say is actually queer people need to be supported and I get that, and I do DO that. And I think it's odd to assume that people don't just because they don't talk about it??

But even if it is true that there are people out there who exclusively listen to Taylor Swift, just accusing them and telling them they should be more moral about the consumption of music isn't going to influence people 100% to try new stuff. It should really be about redirecting how they talk about what they're theorising. And I fully acknowledge that the barrier between some random being able to talk to a celebrity breaking down in the way social media works these days has been such an impediment for people to realise, hey maybe the way I'm perceiving this is not true, but it's still fun so I'm going to do it in a way that won't harm the person. Like can't that behaviour change be the discussion.

In some respects it leans into why some rally so hard against ao3 allowing anything and everything. Like there's a safe space to speculate and explore sexual identity that isn't harming anyone. It's a dedicated space for weird thought and when people say you shouldn't listen to Taylor Swift if you want her to be a lesbian and think that's participating in queer culture to a """valid""" extent it's so so adjacent to people who say rpf shouldn't exist.

I guess I sympathise with gaylors in a way because I'm an rpf shipper, I'm not a Gaylor shipper and I never will be, but I understand where they are coming from with their passion and I understand why they're like that too, what motivates them to wish and pine and the validation that they yearn for. It's just they're in this unfathomable era where because Taylor is so famous and has a ridiculous number of fans, people feel confident in numbers to say what they think in a way that would normally be frowned upon. And the crowd mentality takes on and propels this theorising vehicle to the source because people Can Do That Now through social media.

Like I guess I look at what I do, theorising about randoms and bands nobody has heard of, and how I could easily be conflated with the behaviour of a Gaylor. The difference is the fanbase consists of just me and not 200,000 other Gaylors on X FKA twitter. And that's what I was trying to get at with my initial post about Gaylors. Because given it's often just me saying these insane things, first of all nobody else is listening. Second of all I have common sense and I'm not taking that to the person I'm theorising about. Like you just don't do that. And yet the Gaylors are going too far. They are crossing lines that fandom Olds know is not okay and THAT is what we should be talking about, not whether or not it's "valid" for them to think Taylor might actually like women.

Anyway I guess I resent the idea that this argument the person is having in the original screen cap could easily be translated to any other shipping thing and it's dangerous to think it couldn't. Like I get their point that people who listen to pop and think they're part of the queer community because they ship a girl who has been saying she's straight for 10 years is problematic but I don't think you can ignore the behaviour that lead to this. Redirecting someone's interest is not super easy, a lot of people might not even like other music that they're suggested to look at that is queer or not queer even. Like some people only listen to specific things and that's who they are.

But also I think the suggestion to listen to music made by actually queer people could be better received if the way we listen to music is assessed better. Like are the people only listening to Taylor Swift day in day out, what would get them to listen to other music? Promotion of other music by t swift herself? Easier access to and promotion of online radio stations playing local music, less reliance on Spotify, and so on. Like why people aren't listening to other queer musicians surely isn't because they're so obsessed with Taylor being gay. There must be other things influencing their listening habits. I guess I don't see the point of saying hey you there you listen to too much Taylor Swift go listen to this musician who is queer and you should like them because it's moral to do so. Like at least suggest someone who makes similar music? Idk maybe that's done for Gaylors, I'm not in the scene so I don't know if they're coddled or if even any of this stuff has been brought up a hundred times before. I'm just skeptical of the blanket statement 'just listen to actually queer music' because I don't think it's as simple as that. It's just really dismissive and reductive.

#long post #don't even want to tag her but yeah this has been on my mind #as my friend said when i said this exact rant to her #it's blame the individual not the system mentality in the screencap

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shikantazaart · 4 years

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Shikantaza Creativity Interview III - SPARTALIEN

At Shikantaza we are not content to just create art. We want to understand art. We want to understand the people who make art. Into the act of creation. Who are the people behind the art work? What motivates them? Where do they find their inspiration?

No two people think and act alike, so it is even less likely to find two artists who think and act alike. Yet, there will be crossovers, shared thoughts and shared experiences. Where do we adjoin and where do we diverge?

Our series of interviews with artists and creators aims to answer these questions.

In interview number three we speak to multimedia experimenter SPARTALIEN. You can find his creations here https://spartalien.com/visual as well as a collection of his work in the Shikantaza gallery.

1 - Starting with the most important question - Who is Memoria?

Memoria is Latin and means, when translated, memory / remembrance.

I named the merchandise for the album "2358" Memoria instead of Memory, because the main track titles are also translated into Latin.

I see my merchandise as small memories/artefacts. Not only because they are very rare, but because I can never go back to that time.

“Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things” - Cicero

2 - You work across different mediums. Do you have any preference for a specific form? When did you first find the format that was “you”?

I became really infected with the digital virus around in the late 90s when I built my first computer. A year or two later I started taking photos and manipulating them digitally. I also had a few printed, which allowed me to bring the digital into the real world. Then I discovered IRC and started learning a little bit of TCL. Since I had fun coding, I decided to learn the basics of web development because I needed a website to show my pictures to other people. In general, I was fascinated by the flow of information on the Internet. That distance is no longer a real hurdle when it comes to data transmission.

I've always loved music as a listener and small collector. I was then and still am one of those people who never go out of the house for long periods of time without a Walkman. Music production came into play when a couple of friends set up a small studio where they produced Techno/Psy. When I was there for the first time, I knew immediately that I wanted to try it too. A few old tracks from back then are still available on my website.

From then on, many of my projects have developed in the direction of music. The input for a program was often music metadata or it was a website that was about music in some way or another. But since I was still at the very beginning of my learning process, I kept discarding practically everything in order to improve it or to learn new things. Around 2001, I started a web radio with friends, which was online for several years. The music was mainly Downtempo, Trip-Hop, IDM and Ambient. Promos from unknown artists from around the world were also broadcasted.

The atmosphere, the feeling I got from this time - how the music finds me and not the other way around, how it can change people's thoughts - has never left me since then.

3 - Do you feel that each medium allows you to express yourself differently from the others? How do you choose which medium you work in any given moment?

Yes. But I think you can convey the same feelings with any medium. The question is how direct it is. For example, pain can be expressed with fire but also with a chair in an empty room. At the end of the day, in my opinion, it's not about the artist's intention but about the perception of the viewer and his or her subsequent thoughts and actions. For example, imagine you make a dark ambient track that you experience as sad and heavy, but someone else tells you that it helped to relax and develop thoughts.

In addition to all of this, each medium also has advantages and disadvantages when it comes to technical implementation. So, sometimes the choice can also purely depend on skill or resources.

We all have ideas and often out ambitions outweigh our resources. Sometimes we need more resources, but more often than not we need to chip away at our ideas until our ambitions and resources align.

4 - Do you seek different sources of inspiration for your music than you would for your visual creations?

It's everything in the world around me that inspires me. Everything I perceive and feel, so to speak. Most of the time I don't have a melody or a picture in my head. It is more of a feeling and then I look for the right tone or shape for it, so to speak.

5 - How closely are your creations connected to each other?

Very close one could say - through my thoughts that I have wrapped in it. I always had a bit of a problem putting my thoughts into words. I tend to stray through various topics when I talk about something. With music and visuals, it feels lighter and more natural to get to the point. The "message" doesn't always get through, but being able to do so is liberating and invaluable to me.

6 - If you were to direct people to a specific piece of work that you feel really nails what you are aiming for with your creations, which would it be?

This is a hard question. Maybe I would ask you to sit down and listen to the album "FLOATING HIGH" in one sitting. Since it felt like coming home to me while making it. The music is less intrusive and not as precise in its message as the previous releases. Like its cover art, where the clouds could be seen as opening or closing. I wanted to create tracks that leave more room for thought while still telling a story.

7 - You have “X minutes of peace” on your site. Why is this needed? Was this made for you or for others?

For others but also for myself. For me it is self-reflection that allows me to understand myself better. But since I have problems with "just switching off my head", the moments in which I just sit quietly and let the recording device do its work are very valuable. In moments like these I can really switch off and think about something very carefully. Asking questions even though I feel like I don't have an answer. Or simply enjoying the precious fresh air and sounds of nature.

Unfortunately, too many people don't have time for that kind of peace. Too much pressure is on them. They either get this or that, or they can't survive. It's so sad how the system works. I simply think that if everyone would have more inner-peace, the world would be a better place. But then again, what do I know living under a rock between mountains?

The videos should allow us to find peace for a few minutes, no matter where we are. So that new and hopefully useful thoughts can develop.

The series Let It All Go is actually the same thing, just with music.

For the really dark hours there is BRAIN I/O. From time to time I prefer to embrace the pressure. Difficult to describe. The concept is basically: don't think, just feel and record it. It's about things that I personally want to leave behind or at least want to learn to accept (not necessarily being okay with) them if I can't change them.

Peace is an issue for me. When I briefly find it only points the way to the next act. This is fantastic but self defeating. Why can’t we just stay in peace?

8 - When inspiration has left the building where do you look to find it?

I'm not really actively looking for inspiration. Somehow it doesn't work that way for me. So variety is important to me. That is why I usually have several side projects going on in the areas that I do not much publicize. Much of it never leaves my hard drive and is mainly intended to free my mind and get on to new ideas in the process. Coding, graphics, drawing, etc. But the music production is and remains the main focus.

9 - These are the questions I am asking all the interviewees. Why do you create? What is it that pushes you to keep creating?

The inner child is just too strong. I've been living for a while and I know exactly nothing. It kind of feels like that. So many things that you can create with the computer alone. I'm stuck in that loop where you just love to create things and learn - and use the new knowledge to create new things. Things!

10 - What would most assist you to create more works? Is there an ultimate goal for your creations?

More time and resources for sure. but most important to me is the feeling that my loved ones are safe. When I have to worry about their future because the system is going the way it is, it feels like a pile of stones in my head.

The creative / social goal of my art is relatively simple and based on my own experience. Art has helped me tremendously when I felt lost - or when I was just "bored". Taking time to really listen to or look at something can be very liberating.

My short-term financial goal is to generate a more or less regular income through art. But since I never released anything commercially before 2016, this world is still new to me.

My dream goal is to hear my music in film and games and to generate an income that supports my family.

Nonetheless, I think goals are here to create an initial path, not necessarily motivation.

I do not know of a single soul who has not been lost. Some never find their way back. Some don’t need to find their way back, they are happier in the place they found.

11 - If you were to offer a creator any advice what would it be?

Based on my own experience in no particular order:

Stay curious and open minded for different viewpoints.

Tutorials can limit your creativity. Sure, learn the basics, but explore as much as you can on your own and never be afraid to fail. It's a process, not a game.

On projects that take longer than a day to complete, set yourself a deadline when you want to have it completed. Not important if it takes longer, but in general that helps to stay more focused.

Very few things are easy when you start.

Limitations are not necessarily bad.

Don't wait for motivation to create. It will kick in usually a few minutes after you've started. Therefore keep your tools ready and organized so you can start creating at any time.

You can always turn off the internet.

Be open for constructive criticism.

Especially for the digital crowd, backup your stuff!

(All images and works by SPARTALIEN)

#shikantaza #art #music #video #visual #creation #peace

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defensefilms · 3 years

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Defense Films Names His Top 5 Favorite Rappers

In All It’s Infinite Glory And Magnanimity, Defense Gives You His Top 5 Favorite Rappers.

5. 50 Cent

To this day, when you need a playlist for a MMA class and the group is hella diverse, you’re not really sure which way to go with it, pop in that 50. Can’t go wrong with Get Rich Or Die Trying (the original), or even that G-Unit Beg For Mercy.

That run from late 2002-2005/06 was unlike anything you’ll ever see again. That was a perfect situation where there was organic support from fans and there were people at a business level, mainly 50, that knew how to turn it into the wave that it became and industry has been trying to replicate this ever since.

While most people remember is the numerous scandals, beefs and controversies of that time but it was the music that moved the audience. For all the ways 50 Cent’s success mirrors ruthless American capitalism, his debut album is low key one of the most inspiring albums you’ll ever listen to.

It’s a foxhole mentality on wax. It’s me-versus-you type thinking. It’s someone has to lose and I’ll be damned. It’s who ever has to get hit, is gonna get hit.

See the first time I listened to it, it was about “In Da Club”, “Wanksta”, you know the more palatable records that got on radio and all that but the more I listened the more I realized, it was actually built on the backs of songs like “Patiently Waiting”, “Many Men”, “Back Down”, “Don’t Push Me” and “Gotta Make It To Heaven”. On one side it’s as motivational as you can think of but it’s not the wacky kind of naivé motivational talk because it’s willing to get it’s hands dirty and go in to much grittier ideas.

Like his predecessors, 50 pulls off the trick of balancing easy-to-listen-to records on a foundation of graphic and aggressive songs.

Recommended Songs: Maybe We Crazy, When It Rains It Pours

4. Jedi Mind Tricks

I’ll give you props if you know who these man are but they are legends. Point blank. Violent By Design will forever rank as one of the great group albums in hip-hop history. Vinny Paz, Jus Allah and producer/DJ Stoupe The Enemy of Mankind, gave hip-hop a shockwave they weren’t ready for, especially back in 1999.

Hip-hop as a business wasn’t ready to market a group, whose themes were rooted in topics like government control, military warfare, covert control tactics, religion and psychological warfare. To have all that in one bundle wasn’t something that big time A&R’s were ready for.

Had they started this group in 2010, they would have walked in to a business landscape that was far more suitable to who they were as an act and as MC’s.

Even with that JMT still enjoyed a lot of notoriety and they definitely succeeded in establishing their following, despite the odds.

While Violent By Design may serve as the magnum opus of their body of work, their run really starts in 1997 with the Psycho-Social, Biological & Electro-Magnetic Manipulation Of Human Kind.

Yes guy, that’s an album title. You gotta think now, I was in high school the first time I heard this and I was very into conspiracy theories and nonsense, so this album hit me right between the eyes. The idea that someone could use the medium of hip-hop in this way was crazy and the album would have been more than 10 years old when I first heard it.

No, the hip-hop historians among us will argue that Wu-Tang were a better and more influential group and I’d tend to agree, I can also bust back and say, “these dudes took Wu-Tang’s formula and gave it a whole different edge.”

I’ll break it to you like this, Wu-Tang gave the world swordsmanship and the first projectile weapons like bow and arrows, spears and the likes. Jedi Mind Tricks gave the world gun powder, advanced modern explosives and semi-automatics. You see what I mean?

Recommended Songs: Untitled, Retaliation Remix

3. Jay-Z

No top rappers list is complete without my man. The only reason he ain’t higher is because, I rate a rapper more highly if they’re in the prime of their musical abilities. If this were an all-time list he’d be way way higher.

Beginning with Reasonable Doubt is really the only place to start when it comes to Jay. The production, the skits, the way every sentence was so tightly wound together, the word selection and sentence construction. It’s remembered as an album of hits because of tracks like “Cant Knock The Hustle”, ”Feelin It” and “Brooklyn’s Finest” but Reasonable Doubt was really defined by “Dead Presidents”, “D’evils”, “Politics As Usual” and “Can I Live”.

The first batch of songs gave the album some relatability, as far as depicting club vibes and nightlife glamour because that second batch of songs were all built on darker themes like betrayal, jealousy, greed, blind ambition and deception. That combination of themes as well as the production to match each one is why that album will always rank high among a certain listenership.

With that being said, never make the mistake of thinking Jay or any man is perfect. There’s like a 3 album run where there’s moments of dope-ness but not a truly complete album.

Still with that, songs like “Imaginary Player” and “Where I’m From” will rank among his best songs.

It’s only when you get to The Blueprint can you start to see Jay perfecting the art of crafting, whole, complete albums that bump from start to finish. The Blueprint was near perfection in this regard. “U Don’t Know”, “Heart Of The City” and “Momma Loves Me” will rank as his best efforts and yeah, I skipped a few.

The Black Album replicated the Blueprint’s listenability, while also dealing in topics that created an album that sounded very personal to Jay.

All told, the best parts of his catalogue are so strong that there is no denying his place on my list.

Recommended Songs: Dead Presidents, I Love The Dough

2. Action Bronson

I cannot for the life of me fathom how this man doesn’t get the love but the real ones know.

The mixtape download era (2010-2017 give or take), had many unlikely success stories. An overweight white guy, who grew up cooking in his parents deli/eatery, turned pro-chef then turned rapper, is beyond unlikely. Only the internet could allow this man to succeed and thank the hip-hop gods it did.

From 2012 to about 2018, Action was one of the only constants in my playlist. I still remember where I was the first time I heard “Brunch”. His catalogue starting with the Tommy Mas produced, Dr Lecter and boasting full collaborations albums along side Statik Selektah and the Alchemist, and of course the classic Blue Chips series. This man’s prime will be underrated.

If you’re going to take one chapter of Bronson’s art and study it, it’s going to be Blue Chips 1 and 2. Both are thematically perfect without ever trying to be. Which is what allowed Party Supplies to make production choices that grabbed you from the jump. From the first time you hit play on the opening of Blue Chips 1, you’re hit with the sound of falling shards of glass and a violin sound that makes the opening song un-skippable. The songs themes are also a perfect introduction to the man himself. Debauchery, expensive taste, hedonism, revelry, unabashed pleasure-seeking, drug use and just enough self-depreciation that you felt you were along for the ride rather than just a fly on the wall, turning your nose in disgust. It was a perfect mixtape, at a time when mixtapes were at a crazy dumb high standard.

It’s not so much that a rapper made punchlines about food, that would be an over-simplification and really missing the trick. It’s that he made everything he said sound like the dopest thing ever and the most underrated trick about his music is that he made grown man rap without needing to be thuggin’. A rare feat.

Bronson has since gone on to establish himself as a content creator/producer/food review guy but man, what he accomplished as a complete body of work is nothing short of astonishing.

Recommended Songs: Midget Cough, Bonzai

1. Headie One

So it’s late last year. I’m hanging with my boy Phil and Brown, we had just finished some content and Phil says “yo listen to this”. He proceeds to play Golden Boot and it hasn’t stopped bumping since.

A UK rapper with a lyrical nous and wit that rivals even legends like Jay-Z, but rapping over trap and drill beats. What Headie One is doing is not the norm and I’m talking in terms of his lyrics, sentence construction, word selection, metaphors, he does it all and like all the greats, he makes it look easy.

His collaboration with RV definitely helped mold him, with both the “Sticks and Stones” and “Drillers and Trappers” mixtapes giving you an idea of what Headie offers as a lyricist. He compliments RV’s brash, aggressive boasts with slightly less obvious but incredibly witty boasts of his own.

His discography though really starts to peak with 2018′s “The One”. That’s where Headie begins find a sweet spot between his lyrics, production and the themes of his songs. A mixtape like this can only exist via independent release because outside of the aforementioned “Golden Boot”, ain’t none of those songs getting any radio play especially in a country as “conservative” as England. Even in a genre saturated with gangsta/trap, “The One” stands out for what he accomplishes lyrically.

Headie would follow that by releasing “The One Two” in June of 2018 and he ascends even more in what he’s able to accomplish with the words.

The track “Banter On Me” should be in an all-time list somewhere for being the wittiest track of all time. The song is literally just Headie finding new and innovative ways to boast, call out and bait his foes. Hip-hop/Rap has plenty of beef songs that weren’t really direct call outs to any known public figure but were still definitely taking shots at someone. 50 cent’s “Wanksta” and “Officer Down” are some examples of such songs I can think of. Those did not really have the kind of wit Headie displays here. The constant streams of alliterations, double meanings, puns, metaphors, inferences and innuendos is just astonishing. There’s a real mastery of language at play here. The song is a lesson in language, no textbooks.

Headie has since released his debut album along with additional tracks for the delux version of the album. His debut studio release “Edna” does what studio releases are supposed to do. “Parle-Vouz Anglais” and “Aint It Different” will standout and are difinitely the most palatable songs as far as radio play. Those are the 2 songs I’d play for first time listeners.

Recommended Songs: Hard To Believe, Dues, Zodiac

#music #hip-hop #rap #50 cent #jedi mind tricks #jay z #action bronson #headie #headie one

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surveys-at-your-service · 3 years

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Survey #364

“you wanna know what zeus said to narcissus? / ‘you’d better watch yourself’“

Do you change your type of music regularly? Nah. I've ben all about metal and rock since middle school. Would you want to visit Tokyo, Japan, someday? It's not actually on my bucket list or anything, but I'd do it. Do you curse like a sailor? Sailors are better than I am, aha... Do you hear trains pass by where you live? No. Ever been in a race? Haha, no. Last time you’ve eaten a taco? I hate tacos. Do you like horses? Sure do! Do you like Starburst? omg YES. What is your favourite wild animal? MEERKATS!!!!!! :') Do you like hamsters? They're very cute, but I've never met a nice one. Do you eat bananas? Yeah, I like bananas, but I'm VERY picky with how ripe it is. There's like, barely a two-day span where I'm willing to eat them. What is your favourite bookstore? I don't have one. What is your favorite fast food joint? Sonic. Do you sweat easily? Ugh, you haven't the slightest idea. As a side effect of one (or two?) of my prescriptions, I have I N S A N E hyperhidrosis. I can stand outside for a millisecond in like 70 degree weather and I'm already sweating. If you could move (and SERIOUSLY think about this) where would you move? All factors considered, being entirely realistic, the mountain-y region of western NC. Why would you go there? I want to stay in NC to at least not be a massive ways away from my family, and I loooove mountains. Plus, there's a lot of cool places on the other end of the state. Do you want to travel? Yes. I want to see so much more than this boring 'ole state. What was the last vaccination you got? For Covid. Have there ever been any forest or grass fires in your area? There have been wildfires towards the beach, I believe? Any time it happened we would always get the smoke all the way where we live. Are you Italian? Not to my knowledge. Do you own an acoustic guitar? No. What is something you have given a lot of thought to lately? My physical health. When did you last swallow your beliefs to avoid an argument or confrontation? Recently. Can you roll your own cigarettes? I've never smoked, so. Are you mentally strong? I think so. I hope so. Are you physically strong? I am like, comically weak. Are you heartbroken right now? No. Do you ever get complimented on your eyes? What color are they? It's happened, but it's definitely not a regular thing or whatever. They're grayish blue. What facial feature do you like the best on a person? I'd say I'm most attracted to pretty eyes. What is the weirdest animal you’ve ever held? I helped hold a massive snake as a kid (I don't remember what it was), and I've also held a rose hair tarantula. I can't think of any truly strange animals by my opinion, really. Do you get extremely hyper when under the influence of sugar? No. Sugar seems to have zero effect on me, probably because I'm over-exposed to it thanks to soda... What about caffeine? Not at all, likely for the aforementioned reason. Have you ever tried any drugs? If so, did you regret it? Besides alcohol, no. I don't regret having drank as it was never a lot. Do you have any pregnant friends? A high school acquaintance is pregnant. I THINK she's the only one now? I swear I see a new pregnancy announcement on Facebook like every two days, and mind you I don't even have all that many "friends." That being said, I may definitely be forgetting someone. When ordering food, what do you usually get as a drink? Depending on whether they have Pepsi or Coke products, either Mountain Dew or Coke. When drawing something, do you try to be super precise or do you not care? I am so, so, SO obsessive over getting everything right, but things never come out as good as I want them to/imagine them. Have you actually read Twilight? I haven't. What about Harry Potter? Never read any of those, either. I started one in elementary school, but didn't get very far at all. Out of the two, which is better? I have like no interest in either, so. How often do you read books? It various. I go through like reading episodes, and then I don't read for months. Are you the jealous type? I'm not like, an insanely jealous person, but it's still the worst it's ever been at this point in my life. I hate it. Are you the type of person who gets jealous of people’s pasts? Nah, no reason to. Do you know anyone who faints at the sight of blood? Not blood, I think, but needles and drawing blood, yes. I know my dad's fainted at least once at the doctor, and Jason fainted when I was getting blood drawn at the ER. What colors are the eyes of your family members? Just about everyone has brown eyes but me, I think my maternal grandpa, and my brother. Are you related to anyone with red hair? Not to my knowledge. Were you a chubby baby? No, I was pretty average. What’s something that makes you incredibly nervous? Social situations with strangers especially. Asking for things. Public speaking/presenting. What’s the latest you’ve ever stayed up to finish homework/a project? God, I remember there was this one night in particular where I stayed up SO late, but I don't remember the exact time. I think I actually cried because I was so stressed and tired. How many vegetarians do you know? In my personal life, I don't believe I know any, but I could be wrong. Have you ever had problems falling asleep in class? I never did, even though I was always tired. Have you ever been on the barrier or front row at a concert? No. Favorite episode of Spongebob? The pizza one, probably. Or the Hash Slinging Slasher episode. What bug frightens you most? Wasps, probably. Are your parents supportive of you? Yes. <3 How often do you take the train to go places? I've never been on a train. Have you ever participated in a mock trial, or a real trial? No. Do you own a pocketknife, or any other kind of multi-tool? No. What was the last thing you took a video of? Hm... I honestly don't remember. What’s something that used to really stress you out, but doesn’t anymore? Thunderstorms. Have you ever had famous neighbors? No. Pick your three favourite vegetables. Broccoli, green beans, and uh... I'm blanking... Habitually I wanna say "corn," but I know it's not technically a veggie, but starch. Have you ever broken a movie or game disc? I think I have? What is your favourite type of cookie? Chocolate chip. Can you rap freestyle? Or at least sing raps from songs? Ha, no. Have you ever shared a house with a significant other? Yeah. Do you scream at scary parts in a horror flick? No. I might jump a bit, but not always. What do you spend most of your time doing? Watching YouTube. Do you really care what’s going on in celebrities' lives? More like the YouTubers I watch. Have you ever broken a plate/bowl? Accidentally by dropping them. When was the last time you felt like you didn’t have a care in the world? I couldn't begin to guess. Has anyone ever drunk called/texted you? No. Can you do a backwards london bridges? God no, I'd bust my back. What smiley do you use the most on the computer? (: maybe. Or :') Are any of your pets “overweight”? No, but why is "overweight" in quotations as if overweight pets aren't a real and serious issue? Has anyone ever bought you a ring? Yeah. On a scale 1-10, how funny are you? I honestly don't think I'm funny at all, so I'd put myself at a 1. Pretty recently though it was very surprising and flattering to have my dad and older sister point out that I'm "hilarious" with my wry sense of humor. I don't see it, but I mean, it was surely appreciated. What’s a song that is overplayed but you still like it anyway? I barely ever listen to the radio, yet I still know "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen is played a lot, but I could never get tired of it. Are you excited for Christmas? Christmastime is my favorite time of year nowadays, mainly because of how excited my niece and nephew always are, and we spend most of Christmas Day and usually Christmas Eve with them. I love the weather, the focus on togetherness, all that. What are you thankful for? Man, a lot. I try my best to never overlook all the truly amazing things I do have, like a loving and supportive family, a home, food and safe water, Internet haha, access to medical care (regardless of the complaints I have about American healthcare)... I've got a lot of bad going on in my life, but I've also got a great amount of good things, too. What do you think would be the hardest thing for you to give up on? Internet. What’s your favorite color combination? Maaan, don't do this. I really don't know. Probably two pastels, idk. Do you have any internet friends? I have more Internet friends than I do "real life" ones. What was the last song you listened to? "Deep Six" by Marilyn Manson earlier. How are you feeling right now? My arm is really sore from my second Covid shot, and I'm also having trouble breathing thanks to the dog (apparently, I'm allergic to whatever she is). I know it sounds bad, but I cannot wait 'til she's gone (from this house, no we're of course not euthanizing her). What color is the shirt you’re wearing? Burgundy. Do you play video games? Yeah, just not as much as I used to. Have you ever been to a club and had someone slip something into your drink? I've never been to a club period, and I don't plan on it. Do you know anyone who’s done ecstasy? Not to my knowledge, anyway. Are you on birth control? Yes, but only to regulate and soothe my menstrual cycle. My cramps were insufferable prior. Does your sibling have a significant other? All but my younger sister. Like she's in contact with who she calls "contenders," haha, but she isn't officially dating anyone. She's MEGA picky with who she dates. Have you ever cried at a real wedding? Yes, because it was very triggering to my PTSD. Any idea what you want for your next birthday? That's quiiite a whiles away, so I have plenty of time to think about that. I don't know if I'll be employed by then and thus able to buy some things myself, but I'll just say I won't be (because I'm I think rationally fearful that's where I'll still be). For Christmas I plan on just asking for a new terrarium for Venus plus better materials for it (like a proper temp gauge and hygrometer, etc.), and with that taken care of, then I might be interested in asking for a hognose for my bday, but idk. I'd want to ensure (s)he starts out with a perfect terrarium, and seeing as I want a hoggie morph, that's a lot of money in one go that idk if I'd be comfortable asking. So I'unno, maybe I'll go for a tattoo again. Wow, this was a lot of rambling for something so far off, pardon me haha. Are there any gadgets of yours that need charging right now? My Nintendo DS Lite, actually. I can't find the darn charger for it, and I really need to so I can bring it to Ashley's again for the kids to play the Pokemon game I have that they love. Aubree especially is really into it, and she adores Pikachu and Eevee. :') Which awards show would you wanna go to the most (e.g Oscars, Grammys etc.)? I don't even know what most award shows are for, if I'm being honest. I'm not really interested. What colour is your keyboard? Black, but each key glows red. Have you ever been called a skank/slut because of the way you dress? No. Are you a fan of acrylic nails? Not for myself; I think they'd drive me insane. I do, however, think they look nice on others.

#survey #surveys #questions #lyrics: ''deep six'' by marilyn manson

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briek58454521 · 5 years

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Cancel Culture?...

Okay.

I’ve seen this shit going around for a while. I feel obligated to correct the record.

In the wake of multiple Breadtube users being eviscerated by the public in the last year, I’d like to talk... about “cANceL cULTurE”.

But first, some back-round. I’ll be brief.

Over a year ago, Youtuber Lily Orchard’s video about Steven Universe blew up the internet, invoking praise from many facets of online culture, as well as a sizable backlash, as any video criticizing Steven Universe will invariably do. In an attempt at a response, Breadtuber Sarah Z uploaded a video titled “Bad Media Criticism”, which around 17 minutes in, talked about said video.

The response was filled with, let’s face it, lies and actual bad faith criticisms towards the content, misinformation, omission of context in important bits, and general shoddiness in action (yes, I’m biased. Reality is biased, sometimes). Criticism was swift to arrive, and the video provoked Lily herself to respond. And in the face of the factual corrections, and legitimate criticisms... Sarah doubled down, and in her infamous Twit-Longer, decided to continue to assure herself and others that her criticism was valid because regardless of whatever Lily actually said, it was still bad faith criticism.

A short while after that, fellow Breadtuber Lindsay Ellis uploaded a video discussing Black Ariel, claiming that the decision to make Ariel black was entirely a decision made because of “Woke Branding” to make more money off of people and continue raking in more and more cash, citing HBomberGuy’s “WOKE BRANDS” video essay. Many commented that this was rather racist, considering that Cartoon Network is just as much of a greedy bastard corporation as Disney was, yet, denounced criticism of Steven Universe, a show of Cartoon Network’s body of work, because “support minority voices”, with the same people commenting that this looked rather selective.

Lindsay doubled down on the criticism, and would continue defending it and publicly shitting the bed as more shitstorms (PLURAL) would erupt (lol).

After THAT, Breadtuber CONTRAPOINTS/ NATALIE WYNN would publish many videos that kept pissing of trans and non-binary viewers with a fuck-load of back handed remarks and general derogatory comments about them, as well as getting pissy that people ask for her gender and pronouns in public safe-spaces. In “The Aesthetic”, Natalie had a character playing the role of the people who make the CORRECT claim that gender is eternal and that you are what you say you are, and ANOTHER who was a truscum who would repeat the arguments that “kinda hypothetical” and, “kinda a weak argument”. This would create a backlash, and Natalie would respond with a thread that, contained a lotta shit, but also contained THIS BULLSHIT. Straight from the horses mouth, fam.

“I’m sure this is not the experience of many NBs. I’ll leave it to them to articulate what NB existence looks like in a binary world. I do not and cannot speak for them. But surely(sic) an account that begins and ends with “I’m not a man because I don’t identify as one” is pretty weak”

Later, after deleting the thread and getting more shit for it, she would upload an absurd non-apology video called “Pro-nouns”, where she would dress up like a fucking clown-ass Oompa-Loompa who just escaped from Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, and make several dumb-ass claims and a fuck-ton of truscum arguments, including stating that she “wants to be a convert” to “believe” NBs, and that she would listen and respect NB people’s beliefs ��so long as those beliefs are valid” After more backlash to that happened, she would continue this trend, platforming actual truscum like Buck Angel, selling anti-semetic reptilian agenda merchandise, and hosted a Patreon stream where she just... basically shat on everyone. She shat on people like HBomberGuy, for performativity in regards to the meme “Donkey Kong said Trans Rights” (yes, she is that desperate. She will accuse people who raise 340,000 fucking dollars of performativity and virtue-signaling), stated that older trans people would be considered truscum, and even that most of her friends were truscum.

The one thing that was consistent in these stories was the insistence that the criticism was just an attempt at Cancel Culture.

Cancel Culture is essentially the point where in an attempt to either exclude, harass, or target others for political views, religion, ethnicity, race, sexuality, gender, etc., people will devolve into many forms of online harassment and abuse of the media outlets, among other things, in order to silence the target, or deter the target from making an argument. It can even happen just because people don’t like someone.

For Sarah, this took the form of accusing the people criticizing Steven Universe of having a dishonest double-standard, because if a straight, white, cis-dude made it, no one would be saying shit about it. Even though the show is historically praised by WHITE progressives, and criticized by EVERYONE else.

For Lindsay, it was that the people making this claim were just fooled by the “Woke Brand” train.

For Natalie, it was “the Left is eating itself”.

I would like to say this right now. The only time I actually saw Cancel Culture in action was during the shitstorm that erupted with VivziePop and her pilots for Hazbin Hotel, and Helluva Boss came out and everyone was looking for a bunch of shit to bring up about Vivzie personally, her apparent “transphobia”, “homophobia” as understood by Steven Universe fans, and generally just a bunch of bullshit that Rebecca Sugar got away with when she pulled the same shenanigans.

That is Cancel Culture.

And the only reason I can see for it was just because Vivzie (to my knowledge, at least) isn’t a member of the LGBT community. (Those same people would respond to her stating that she plans on having Alistor, the Radio Demon, be ace with “Hey, did you hear something?”, btw)

(EDIT: I initially stated, as shown above, that Vivzie wasn’t a LGBT community member. She is. She’s bi. Apologies for getttin that bit wrong. I’d also like to mention that she’s Latin as well, but is also shit-talked for apparently being too white to be Latin.

So......yeah. Can’t begin to imagine why all of those mentioned weren’t given the same treatment.... Was there any doubt when Lindsay said she was Native?......)

And that wasn’t the case with any of the aforementioned. Natalie wasn’t “cancelled” until she kept shitting on people for the fiftieth (hyperbolicly fiftieth) time. Sarah was never cancelled. She got away with slander, and was quickly forgiven just because she’s a leftist. Lindsay is getting away with excusing away, and flat out DEFENDING PEDOPHILIA, AND IS STILL POSTING. She ain’t cancelled.

Cancel Culture may happen sometimes, genuinely, like with Vivzie, but those are the exceptions that prove the rule. It’s mostly just “this person said I sound completely contrary to what I believe, it must be (insert cause)”

It’s Lily’s fault, it’s a dishonest double-standard, it’s the radicals, it’s Woke Brand brain-washing, it’s “bAd faITh cRitISIsm”, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...

Let me tell you something. In Sarah’s case, not all criticism is because there’s a dishonest double-standard. And even if it were, that doesn’t make doing something horrible because of your identity the right thing to do. Because NO ONE should be putting in the most racist, bigoted, and frankly gross and disgusting shit in their work, regardless of whether you’re white, black, gay, lesbian, trans, NB, Gen Z, Boomer, etc. Like the human zoo, the Amethyst-Garnet fusion, Bismuth, the Pearl-Rose dynamic, the Nazi woobification, and the blatant disregard for the very people the show claims to be an ally too.

See also, the N-Word.

Despite the belief that white people can’t say it while black people CAN, black people don’t use it in a conversation formally, and can’t really use it ANYWAY because it’s still a fucking slur. And if you say it in public, there will be consequences, whether it be social repercussions, or legal action. And people have been saying it less and less as a result of this attitude becoming more present.

In regards to Lindsay, we know, bitch. We fucking know. We know that Disney wants our money like crazy. We know that this could be just another woke branding thing. We know that brands aren’t our friends, we know, we know, we know, we know. We know, Lindsay, we know. But, don;t chat shit about it if you aren’t going to criticize Cartoon Network for Steven Universe, Amazon for selling Pride merch, and Target for Pride clothes. Because then we know that you’re being very selective about what you’re labeling as “woke branding”.

In regards to Natalie, SHUT THE FUCK UP. SHUT THE FUCK UP. That is literally all you have to do. Just SHUT. THE FUCK. UP. And accept that you aren’t as woke as you like to think you are. The left isn’t eating it’s own by disowning shitty people. It’s doing itself a favor for it.

Remember R. Kelly? Everyone said that black people were just turning on each other when actual, legitimate evidence came forward, showing that he;s a FUCKING PEDOPHILE. And that attitude would continue for almost three decades before someone FINALLY said, “No, this man is dangerous, lock him up”. You know the phrase “A few bad apples?” People only say that, and just ignore the rest when defending shitty people on the Left, mostly because they don’t want to disown them. The phrase, however is ACTUALLY “A few bad apples SPOIL THE BUNCH”. If you don’t weed out the bad ones, they’ll spoil the tree.

Most of this bullshit would have been solved easily if ANY of the aforementioned had looked at their behavior, ACTUALLY apologized, expressed due diligence, and STOPPED FUCKING DOING THE SHIT.

The only reason people get away with this is because A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET HAVE FUCKING TERRIBLE PRIORITIES.

People take more offense to someone shutting down an opinion rather than someone being a scumbag.

People jut decided not to care about Sarah’s lies ENTIRELY because “It’s Lily”.

People defended Lindsay entirely because “Fuck Disney”.

People defended Natalie because “The Left is eating itself, we need to support minority voices”.

Because the myth of Leftist-Cancel Culture is just an excuse to not have to change. To not commit. To not put in effort. To not expand time to bettering yourself or the environment around you. To jerk off to how woke you are while criticizing others who tell challenge that. To wax poetic because it’s good for your ego.

It’s not just them. It’s many of their fans, and hundreds of thousands, if not, millions of people on the internet. And by far, their worst deeds aren’t that they inadvertently or otherwise attract Nazis, keep sucking off incels, truscum, TERFs, pedophiles, and other facets of human garbage while disemboweling others for far, FAR lesser crimes on the basis that they aren’t woke or nice enough for their liking, or EVEN the harassment that they’ve engaged in, caused, and instigated.

It’s that they’ve convinced themselves that by doing all of the above, that they are in any way superior to the people they cry foul against. The people who call them out on their bullshit when it arises. The people who raise $340,000 for their OWN people while the most they’ve done is play dress up and recycle Eddie Murphy’s shtick for the 500th time. The people who are part of the very minority voices they claim to support yet disregard on the basis that they said some mean words, or argued in bad faith, or just have a personal grudge against the people that they criticize. The people of color who FLAT OUT know better than them, yet, who they write off at every possible opportunity as just believing that companies care, or that Disney is good, or even just write ‘em off as having the wrong priorities or being stupid, as if they are in any way super clever and superior for coming to a conclusion that many more talented, creative, intelligent, and just frankly BETTER people came to years ago.

They are MORE PERFORMATIVE, more ENTITLED, more ARROGANT, more IGNORANT, more UNAWARE, more BIASED, more SELFISH, and more SELF-INDULGENT than a good 98% of the people they criticize.

They hate these people so much...because they hate looking in mirrors.

And Leftist Cancel Culture is just a manifestation of that psychological projection. Simple as.

If you skipped to the end, fuck you. No TL: DRs in this neck of ‘da fuckin woods

#wokebrands #lindsayellis #lily orchard #contrapoints #cancel culture #entitled brats #entitled people #lgbtq #vivziepop #projection #steven universe #r. kelly #n-word #bad faith #breadtube #sarah z #briek (not that one)

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a-wandering-ghoulette · 5 years

Photo

MyRock ; issue n°44 (Jan/Feb 2017) A Nameless Ghoul from Ghost interview.

Photos: Manon Violence Interview: Mark Renton

2017 has been the year of all records for Ghost! After an exceptional concert at Hellfest, a nicely lead Download Festival (despite voice problems) and a France tour still in minds, the band then launched a triumphal American tour. Meanwhile, the satanic clergy also draw its awesome “Popestar”, EP lead with drums beating by the heady single “Square Hammer”. Telephonical talk with one Nameless Ghoul to take stock on the past, the present and future of this definitely fascinating band.

//Before continuing, note this issue is still available for international orders on their online shop. Direct link to this issue’s page in source! Don’t be surprised by the first cover shown there, it’s litteraly a two covered mag… The mag is meant to be read in 2 time: you start by one side, no matter which one, and when you reach the middle, you have to close it and flip it then tadaaa you have more to read on the 2nd side!//

(Read the full interview under the cut and feel free to point out mistakes!)

Hello, who’s calling? Nameless Ghoul: Hello! I’m one of the Nameless Ghouls.

Which one? Which instrument do you play in the band? N.G. : I’m our clergy’s official spokesperson. I’m also Ghost’s founder, main composer and, most of the time, I play guitar.

How do you feel at the approach of Papa Emeritus III’s end of reign? Because there’ll certainly be a new Papa Emeritus soon… N.G. : You’re right, we’re close to the end of a cycle. Personally, I always saw change as a good thing. It’s stimulating. We still have a lot of concerts to give in 2017, but I think I can safely say that at the end of the next year, all Nameless Ghouls will be tired of Papa Emeritus III! It’ll be nice to see a new leader coming to guide us.

How would you describe the personality of Papa Emeritus III compared to his predecessors? N. G. : First of all, Papa Emeritus III is an entertainer! He loves projectors, he loves the public, and he loves success. The first Papa Emeritus was someone very rigid, very strict, and very solemn. A real son of a bitch! (laughs) To be honest, we don’t miss him at all! Papa Emeritus II was a pervert a little bit sadistic, and, in hindsight, I think he wasn’t very at ease on stage. He wasn’t a showman, unlike Papa Emeritus III! Him, he’s the guide we missed to rise up the quality of our shows, to reach the step above and communicate with our fans. We will be eternally thankful for his work. I believe he have paved the way for his successor…

Precisely, what are you waiting from the future Papa Emeritus IV? N.G. : Well, I want him to be scary. That he bring back something more tenebrous, while remaining spectacular. Broadly speaking, I want the next album to come back to a gloomier atmosphere.

Fueled by ego

On a more personal viewpoint, what is your relationship with your character? N.G. : What’s exciting me the most with Ghost, it’s that the project is a real challenge for the individuals involved. Everybody is on an equal footing. Furthermore, there’s something really thrilling to embody a character which is a part of yourself, but never totally you. Traditionally, rock stars always reach the point where they fuse with their creature. In the end, rock’s always been fueled by ego. Even if you’re part of a fully honest and underground band, you’ll always have this desire to be under the spotlights, to be recognize, famous and loved. Those pretending the contrary are liars. Roughly, no matter the music you make, you all secretly dream to be a kind of Justin Bieber. (laughs) To be masked is something very different. It’s a kind of anomaly in the entertainment system. Because every day, you never receive the admiration you deserve. When I’m not on stage with Ghost, I’m going back in anonymity. It’s very positive for me. I would say, my character brings me some stability in my daily life. But I’m aware my case is a bit special since I’m Ghost’s main composer and thus I’ll always be linked in a way or another to this project. But being in the obscurity is sometime more complicated to manage for the other Nameless Ghouls…

This mystery surrounding Ghost inevitably attracts the fans curiosity. This year, some of them started a vast quest to discover your identities. We imagine it’s part of the game, but what are you feeling regarding it? N.G. : From the beginning, we knew it’ll be impossible to keep the secret until the end. It’s already a miracle we held this long. (laughs) Personally, it doesn’t matter. I think the work accomplished pays its own way. I mean, our albums, our concerts and our universes are that strong they succeed to supplant the reality. Today, people don’t care to know who’s under Papa Emeritus’ hat. When they come to see us play, they want the real Papa. It’s a bit like if our creature ended up escaping us to live its own life.

2017 has been a successful year for Ghost, with appearances in huge festivals, a colossal American tour and the worldwide success of the EP “Popestar”. How did you live that? N.G. : This year has been amazing on every points, really! We’ve been able to see how much the band has grown by federating more fans. However, I’m not someone who contemplate our success and congratulate myself. The past doesn’t interest me. But the future does. When we take a step forward I always try to have in mind the next one. 5 years ago, we played at the Olympia supporting In Flames and Trivium. It happens that on 11 April next we’ll come back, this time as the headliner. But instead of rejoicing, I like to tell myself: “OK, it’s cool, but what I really want to do is Bercy!”. And if one day we make it to Bercy as the headliner, I know in a corner of my head there’ll be the Stade de France. I’m ambitious. (laughs)

I come from extreme metal.

Ghost is one of the rare bands to link metal to the general public. Do you think it explains this popularity? N.G. : I think, yes. We see more and more diversity in the public at our gigs. Of course, there are metalheads with long hair and battle jacket, but there are also hipsters, girls who usually listen to pop music, and alternative rock lovers. I find it fantastic. You know, musically, I come from extreme metal. It’s been in my genes since my teenage years. I listen to many other things, but it’s where I come from. It’s my identity and it’s what forged my mentality. At the point that, when Ghost began to be successful, I started to feel guilty. I had that feeling I transgressed underground metal’s tactical rules, which are systematic rejection of success and popularity. It took me a lot of abnegation to understand success isn’t nefarious, on the contrary, it’s the reward for an hard work. And deep down I think I was scared to be rejected by my own community, to be treated like a sellout.

Have you ever been confront to animosity from fundamentalists metalheads? N.G. : Oh yes, mostly now! On internet, some start to let their hate flow on Ghost. But it’s OK, I understand. Myself, if I wasn’t in the band, I think I would hate Ghost. (laughs) Because in metal, once a band makes money, they’re sellout. It’s like this and I accept it. It’s also an old metalhead’s thing. People who were here during the rise of the extreme genres grew up with a certain code of conduct, with a more rigid thinking. By the way, I’m going to tell you a secret: some of my best friends abhor Ghost. They hate the band. They don’t understand what we do, they think it’s crap. But it’s nothing. They can. They stay my friends after all. (laughs) It’s different with kids, they are more open minded. But in hindsight, I’m figuring out that me too, in my daily life, I’m an old fart. (laughs) I listen to a small amount of new things. Nothing give me more joy than a good old “Master of Puppets”, a “Seven Churches” by Possessed, or a King Diamond, my hero!

King Diamond & Merciful Fate.

Would you say King Diamond was the biggest inspiration for Ghost, in terms of theatricality? N.G. : Indeed! As far as I remember, I’ve always listened to King Diamond and Merciful Fate. At home, my mother listened to a lot of 60’s and 70’s classic rock, like Beatles, Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. My brother, him, listened to harder stuff like AC/DC, Sex Pistols, Rainbow… I liked all of this, but when my neighbor introduce me to King Diamond I had the feeling to be someone special. I was listening to this crazy stuff that no one else knew at home! I was 8 and, at this age, as you can imagine, I was very marked by his albums’ visuals. King Diamond is the one who open me the door to this gloomy universe which is now find in Ghost.

Kid from the 80’s.

We also guess an interest for the 80’s! If previously you made a cover of Depeche Mode, your EP “Popestar” offer us covers of Echo & The Bunnymen and Eurythmics. N.G. : I’m a kid from the 80’s, it’s the soundtrack of my life. I think it’s mostly thanks to the radio, which was always switch on at home. I like all classics: Mike Oldfield, Nik Kershaw, Eurythmics, Midnight Oil… When I was a teenage, I kind of liked to show of and act like a thoug one who only listen to extreme metal, but secretly, in my bedroom, I listened to Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet and Bronski Beat. (laughs) And, in the end, Ghost is exactly this: a mix of Kiss, Depeche Mode and Merciful Fate with a bit of Pink Floyd over it, especially “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn” and “A Saucerful of Secrets”.

On your last EP, there is the heady single “Square Hammer”. It’s the first time you embrace that clearly pop’s codes. Is this song representative of the sound you would like to have on the next album? N.G. : You know, album after album, each time we ask ourselves how far we can go. It was already the case with “Infestissumam”. At the time, we wondered if the song “Ghuleh/Zombie Queen” wasn’t too much. After a moment of hesitation we were like “Fuck! Black Sabbath made ballads so why not us?”. On “Meliora”, we wondered if there weren’t too many ballads. Then, when we composed “Square Hammer”, we found the title too direct, too effective. We were scared our fans wouldn’t understand. We’ve always had this metalhead consciousness tugging us. But in the end, we thought a good song is a good song, no matter the shape. So to answer your question, I think our next disc will wander further more into these melodies, indeed.

You have a break until the resumption of the tour, on March. Will you write the new album while you’re at it? N.G. : Of course! I’m already on it, I have some new songs… And a good idea where I want to go with this album, but it’s too early to talk about it. The problem is the 2017 tour will extend and I’m not sure we’ll have the time to finish the recording before going back on the roads. I think we’ll finish it in late 2017, with a potential release in 2018. Earlier seems difficult to me! All I can tell you is that visually, the next album’s imagery will come back to something way darker than “Meliora”.

What can we expect for your next date at the Olympia, on 11 April next? N.G. : I saw today that our concert is sold out, it’s amazing! It’ll be very alike shows we gave in the USA this year. We have a stage structure more sizable compared to the last time we came in France. Visually, the show will be impressive, but we’ll also play some rare titles. The only deception is we won’t have the pyrotechnical effects, because they aren’t authorized at the Olympia. So it’ll has to work doubly hard! You know, we love to play in France. We are always very well hosted here. Moreover, what I most loved since the release of “Meliora” it’s to play again and again in France. I really saw our public grow out there when it comes to Hellfest or Rock en Seine. To feel appreciated like this is the greatest reward. Furthermore, the food is succulent in France, people are lovely and you have this attitude a bit impertinent which is rather close to that of Ghost. France, it’s our second home. We’re eager to be back at the Olympia and to party with you! (Translator note: Ooooh you and your sweet like honey words~ We love you too, dear.)

Bonus anecdote:

(Almost) naked with James Hetfield! Our new friend Nameless Ghoul is an ultimate fan of Metallica. Before becoming friend with James Hetfield, he met him in circumstances rather… embarrassing: “Metallica, it’s the greatest band in the world! I hadn’t have time to fully savor their last album but I’m so happy to know they’re alive and in great shape. It also means they will tour, and thus we’ll get the occasion to meet on the road. James Hetfield has been one of Ghost’s first supports. I had the chance to meet him several times, and since we often message each other. The first time he’s been introduced to me, the situation was rather… surrealistic. We were in our lodge, changing ourselves, and here come James Hetfield suddenly appearing by the door to say hi. And you know what? I was in underwear! It was the most embarrassing situation of my life! I was there, in underwear, in front of my greatest idol! How embarrassing!”

#the band ghost #Nameless Ghouls #papa emeritus iii #special ghoul #tobias forge #interview

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okietrish · 5 years

Text

Darling. Chapter 1.

This is chapter one of a fic I’ve been messing around with lately. I’m obsessed with it already and have many MANY ideas and theories in mind for how this could go. I’m proud of this. Please enjoy and LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.

I love you all, thank you for you kindness and support.

Please enjoy.

____________________________________________________________________

Your morning started out with the usual blasting alarm sending you quickly into the normal routine. You know the drill, it begins with an exasperated groan, then you get up and get dressed, makeup, hair, the usual “simplistic but kinda trying” look. After you’re finished, undoubtedly rushing after procrastinating on the internet for far too long, you get picked up and head to your interview of the day to talk about your new single and what you have in store. The fact that this is normal now, mind boggling, but normal... Extremely new, but this is what your life has become. Writing music, playing music, talking about music, and you get paid to do it! The thought alone brings butterflies into your stomach. This is all you’ve wanted for so long.

The drive to the radio studio was simple, an iced coffee was placed in your hands to perk you up; the sheer excitement coursing through your veins was enough for you to get going, but turning down a coffee is sacrilegious, so you accepted the caffeine kick with a smile. You were giddy, to put simply, there’s no other way to describe it.

Being guided through places like this, a very professional environment in the center of the music world, was always fascinating. The walls were lined with pictures of rock legend after rock legend, you couldn’t help but gawk as you walked by. The people you idolized staring down at you judging as to why you’re walking the same walls as they once did, intimidating. They most likely have sat where you are about to sit. Your ass will be where many rock god’s asses have sat before. Giggling aloud at the thought caused a few people in front of you to turn around with a questioning look. You shrugged it off and continued to appreciate the intimidating place around you, trying to forget how crazy you seemed for giggling at the walls...

The room you were placed in was set up with two large desks pressed against each other creating a giant table in the middle of the room. Chairs were littered among the many sides, microphones stretched out like tree limbs, one landing right in front of the seat you were instructed to sit in. The large, two monitor computer faced away from you. The walls were lined with sound buffering fixtures and small trinkets and decorations. You only felt at home in this room. An apparent ease washed over the room as James, the man who was interviewing you, walked in and greeted you and the room of people.

James, a kind man much older than yourself, most likely in his mid 60’s, was a rock fanatic who was well listened to across the country. A man well respected all around; his opinion was impressionable. Without any hesitation James eased right into the interview by welcoming the listeners and introducing you with passion and a shocking amount of energy for 8am.

“Good morning Los Angeles! You’re listening to 98.5; a rock station for old ears.Today we have an up and coming artist, one of my personal favorites in the scene right now. She has a single out now called “Exposition of a Lonely Man,” which we will listen to in a little bit. It’s a psychedelic vibe, sounds as if Janis Joplin and Stevie Nicks had a love child and it produced a song. This is the wonderful and very talented Y/N Y/L/N. Good morning Y/N, how are you feeling today?”

“Morning James! I’m feeling wonderful, you’re throwing me some very kind compliments plus I’ve got a coffee, so I can’t complain much.” You couldn’t help but smile at the realization of what’s going on. As you leaned into the microphone more you discovered the faint smell of lavender filling the room, it was naturally calming.

“Coffee is the key to my heart! Now Y/N you’re fairly new in the public eye, so let’s get some background info. You have a sound to your voice that is, well, seemingly archaic these days, and yet you’re only 20 years old, what influenced that?” James looked at you kindly, evident in how much he loved his job and took pride in his skills. His smile brought a sincerity to the conversation, like you were talking to an old friend, confiding in a loved one.

“Being completely honest, and I’m slightly ashamed to say it, I grew up listening to bubble gum, pop 40’s junk...” James’ jaw physically dropped in shock.

“What?! How does that make any sense?” He laughed as he spoke. Conversation was seemingly effortless for him. You noticed he picked a good career.

“I know, I know. And I loved it too...” You laughed along. “I can pinpoint the exact time where my love for ‘good’ music blossomed. I was 12, in the car with my dad when he finally got fed up with my pop B.S. He demanded to have the aux cord. I complained, but quickly shut up when he played this long, chaotic song that I was having a hard time keeping up with. I remember thinking ‘how does he know all of these words?! This is insane!’ That song ended up Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen!” You laughed at the memory, how seemingly ridiculous it sounds to not know anything about rock music, specifically the arguably most well known song in history. You took a deep breath before watching James intently as he laughed.

“That’s amazing! So did you both just start listening to old music? How did it develop after that?” James was obviously intrigued by the odd beginnings of your life. You continued with a nostalgic smile.

“It became our thing, ya know? Every time we got in the car he would play different artists ranging from Queen, The Beatles, Sinatra, The Temptations, he even had a crush on miss Etta James! We would play this game, he would play a song and I had to guess who was singing, then we would switch and he would have to guess. My dad was a lovely man who had a passion for music and the history of rock and roll. He didn’t play any instruments, but he sang at the top of his lungs with passion and love. My musical ear began because of him. I owe a lot to him.”

The smile you showed was genuine, though the memories of your dad still ripped a whole in your heart. No matter how much time has past, losing him was the worst thing to have ever happened to you; two years felt like it lasted a lifetime, but only five minutes at the same time. He was the most important person in your life, your confidant. Life without him was normal now, human beings are creatures of inept adaptation skills, so you got use to it. It’s bizarre to think about, but it’s how life works.

You continued talking to James about your double EP that was going to be released in a week’s time. You spoke with passion and electricity while describing your life’s work and the meaning behind it all. The fire within you was enchanting. Music was the reason you lived. It is everything you do, everything you think, you’re even convinced your breathing pattern has a good rhythm to it.

Interviews were some of your favorite part of the whole music industry ordeal. Getting to discuss your dictations, other artists you adore, and being able to just sit for a few minutes and sit in the success you’ve made for yourself was always a breath of relief.

Signing off of the interview, you said goodbye to the listeners and to Jame’s as well, quickly followed by a genuine goodbye off the record.

“Y/N thank you so much for coming in, you’re a kind soul. You’re not just honest in your music, you were so open with everything. You’ll make it far kid, no doubt.” James gave you a quick hug. He reminded you of Santa Claus a bit, his rosy cheeks were quite the contrast to his stark white hair and stubble. What an adorable old rock enthusiast.

“Thank you, that means so much. And thank you for having me, It was so much fun!” You spoke with him for a few more moments before getting called away by your manager Chelsea. With a final goodbye you found yourself walking quickly through the maze of hallways once again. The rock legends staring at you from the walls seemed to have a softer look to them now, perhaps they welcomed you into their exclusive club of wretched rock history shenanigans after your interview. You smiled at the thought of being a rock star, but just singing was enough for you. The idea of actually having music out there in the world, having an effect on other people’s lives, it made you nauseous in the most exhilarating way.

Pulling you out of your thoughts, a fresh iced coffee was placed in your hands as Chelsea began her daily speech.

“Okay Y/N we have one more interview across town in about 2 hours and then you’re done for the day. I know you’re friend Matt is throwing a party tonight, just please be careful and mind what you post.”

You stared at her as you sat down into the backseat of a black Ford Explorer, shocked by the lack of expectations coming from the trusting New Yorker sliding in next you you.

“Mind what I post? What do you think I’m going to do Chels? Get on his kitchen counter and flash the room?” You snorted a laugh at the idea. Quickly cut off by Chelsea snapped her head in your direction giving you a wide eyed look?

“Really? Like that is so unlike you?” She laughed as she continued to glare at you. Your cheeks perked up as you smile seemed to take up your entire face.

“You’re right, sounds like something I would do...” The cackling from the backseat was uncontrollable now. Chelsea was 27, a little older than you, but much more like a sister than anything else. She was kind, knowledgeable, but most importantly didn’t put up with your bullshit. It was a lovely friendship.

Chelsea took a deep breath before beginning again as the car began to drive through the streets of L.A. “Also, I have a phone meeting tonight with potential tour options for you.” She smiled proudly at your shocked look. “And before you even ask, I’m keeping it to myself for now. It’s a late meeting due to time zones, but I’ll call you as soon as I can if I hear anything worth sharing.” You stuck your pinky out for her to grab, an undeniable childish way to stick to your word, but it was a habit you couldn’t break.

Chelsea grabbed your pinky smiling at your confusing nature. An old essence of life radiated from you; an old soul was the basic way to describe your mantra, but it was far more complex than that. You carried yourself with strife that was disassociated with people your age, but at the same time you did things like make pinky promises in the backseat of a car while sitting with your legs crossed and having the childish smile plastered on your face. The balance between innocence and spirituality was enticing.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Matt’s party was in full swing. All of your friends were here, the four of them sticking to one corner in the massive house, your small circle stagnant is the chaos. Nonetheless, the house was full. Alcohol was flying into shot glasses, people forgetting their lives for a few hours, apparently forgetting their limitations as well.

You were feeling good, properly drunk, but still very much in control. Music was blasting through the speakers, though muted by all the noise coming from the mass crowd of young adults. A few hours had passed since you first arrived. Matt was sprinting around like a mad man attempting to keep some sort of organization in this madhouse. He was a loud guy who loved everyone, a perfect host for a memorable party, or a black out party depending on what road you chose for the night!

You were sitting on your Jack and Dr. Pepper combo while talking with your friend Em when you felt your phone vibrate in your pocket. You quickly glanced down at the name, trying not to be rude to Em while she told you all about the girl she is talking to and apparently in love with. When Chelsea’s name showed up you had to excuse yourself.

“Em I’m so sorry! This is my manager and I have to take it. Excuse me.” Em smiled at you and gestured that it was fine. You began to quickly move through the crowd, bumping into what seemed like every single person; maybe you were drunker than you thought. After moments of being lost in the forest of tall college boys you finally made it outside. It was quiet in the backyard, a few people gathered around a fire, but nothing too distracting, so you accepted the call.

“Chelsea! What’s up bitch!” You screamed into the phone while pulling some surfer/LA local accent. A giggle suppressed from the other end of the call.

“Jesus Christ Y/N. Sounds like your having a good time!” There wasn’t any judgement in her voice, only amusement.

“Of course darling, I know how to party. Anyways, what’s up? Why are you calling at...” you pulled the phone away from your ear to check the time, “...1:00 AM? Woah! How is it one already?! That’s crazy.” You trailed off immediately forgetting what you were even going on about. Chelsea caught on to your drifting mind.

“Okay. Y/N. I have good news. You know the band Greta Van Fleet?”

You scoffed at her question, suddenly becoming extremely sassy, “Do I know about Greta Van Fleet... psshhhhh.” You continued to babble, your New York accent coming out in your quick words. “Girl I talk to you about them all the time! We stan Greta in this house bitch. Iconic legends with that good hair... Becky with the good hair... WATERMELON!”

“Fucking hell Y/N stop babbling!” She snapped at you, obviously suppressing her laughs at this, or at least what was suppose to be, business call.

“My bad. Okay, but Chels why are you asking me about Greta right now? Did you call to fangirl?” Genuine confusion flooded your mind as you began walking along the side of Matt’s pool. It was nice out, a cool brisk breeze was cooling down your Alcohol induced heat.

“Y/N I just got off the phone with their management...” she drifted off towards the end, waiting for you to cue in.

“Okay, how was that?” You asked, more confused than before. You slurped the end of your drink, obnoxiously shifting the ice around at the bottom in attempts to get every last drop.

“Fucks sake. You’re going on tour Y/N. Greta wants you to open for them for 2 months. If it works out well, then they will sign you for longer.” She was yelling into the phone at this point.

A numb feeling rushed through your body quicker than anything you’ve ever experienced. The red cup previously holding your liquid crutch was discarded to the ground, forgotten about completely. You began pacing even quicker, grabbing your hair in attempts to ground out self in some way.

“Jesus Christ.... oh fuck. ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” You were shouting now too, distracting the people around the fire from the joint they were passing around.

“Yes. Completely serious. You’re going on tour with Greta Van Fleet!” She screeched into the phone, obviously excited about the whole ordeal as well.

“Chelsea they are a real rock band! They have the stage lights and the tight jeans and the screaming fans and mysterious ways about them! How am I suppose... how did I... WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?!” You were shifting your feet back and forth, some sort of happy dance naturally possessing your limbs.

“Y/N I love you, alright? I’m so beyond proud of you. I’ll talk to you more about this tomorrow Okay? I just wanted to tell you tonight. Have a safe night, call me when you wake up?” You smiled even wider at her words.

“Alright. Okay. Ummm thank you? Thank you for this. This is amazing. Absolutely sick. I’ll call you in the morning! Jesus Christ... Okay. I love you, bye!”

“Bye!”

To say you were a bumbling mess was an understatement. The news you waited for arrived. A tour, you were going on fucking tour! A tour with a band you idolized and admired. Your shock faded a bit as pride took over. Music was the one thing in life that you made for yourself, an industry you ventured into alone after your dad’s death. You did this.

You shoved your phone back into your back pocket, picked up your discarded solo cup, and sprinted into the house. Slamming the sliding glass door drawing attention to yourself by both your friends and the strangers scattered around the room. There was a quick pause in conversation as all eyes turned to you.

You took a deep breath before making eye contact with Matt from across the room, a look of concern present on his face. You broke out into a giant grin before shouting at the top of your lungs.

“I’M GOING ON TOUR BITCHES!!!” Matt looked at you in shock and began sprinting towards you. Your other friends escaped from the corner of the room and ran as well. Matt grabbed you by the waist, picking you up and pulling you into a death grip of a hug. Everyone cheers surrounded you. Friends, strangers, some folks who just walked into the party and had no idea what the hell was going on, they all cheered and poured some drinks. Any excuse to drink right? Except this was the start of something insane.

You looked around at everyone who were still buzzing with energy. The bottle of Jack Daniels was passed to you. Taking a giant swig from the bottle, you lifted it into the air and screamed out in a mix of excitement, terror, nervousness, but mostly happiness. You’re life was changing, you felt the shift in the air during the rest of the night. This is it. The rest of your life is beginning.

__________________________________________

Tag list (to be added just shoot me a message!):

@dontumisfire

@myownparadise96

___

Thank you for reading! I appreciate and love all of you!

-Trish

#Greta Van Fleet #Greta Van Fleet Fic #Jake Kiszka #Josh Kiszka #Sam Kiszka #Danny Wagner #gvf #original piece #im so excited over this you guys have no idea.

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santmat · 6 years

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PODCAST: Kirpal Singh's Instructions For Holding Satsang, and, The Three Levels of Satsang -- A Sant Mat Satsang Podcast Edition of Spiritual Awakening Radio With James Bean @ Youtube: https://youtu.be/3li3fPeuJIs

OR Listen to, and/or DOWNLOAD, the Podcast MP3 @ The Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/InstructionsForHoldingSatsangSpiritualAwakeningRadio

* A Secure Yellow Donate Button is Located at the Radio Website: http://www.SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com/announce.html

Below Are NOTES About Today's PODCAST (2-6-19):

Today's Program -- Contents -- Outline:

Satsang is a term that means association ('sang') with the Eternal Timeless Truth or God ('Sat'). Satsang means "association with Eternal Truth" as well as "association with God," and is to some extent comparable to "church" or "temple," but not in any institutional sense. A saying of Jesus in the New Testament provides a good definition of a Satsang meetup: "Where two or three are gathered in My Name, I am there in their midst." When devotees or initiates of a Saint sit together for spiritual instruction and meditation, the Masters teach that there's a great spiritual energy present, a stronger manifestation of the loving Presence of God and a kind of 'communion of Saints,' past and present. Satsang is also an experience of spiritual community, an opportunity to be uplifted by the collective energy of our brothers and sisters on the Path, for we're influenced by the company we keep! Devotees make this a time and place of spiritual Remembrance, and this helps to keep us on the Path.

The format of Satsang can include: a spiritual discourse, instruction on putting the Path into practice, a video or audio of the Master giving a talk, readings from the writings of the Masters, the reciting or singing of banis, bhajans or kirtans (hymns of worship composed by Sants), and silent group meditation. It's considered the greatest of blessings if it is a Master who conducts the Satsang in person (or in this age of live streaming, via the web).

The effect of Satsang is that of DIVINE REMEMBRANCE, thus, with such a spiritual boost, encouragement and support for the spiritual journey, those who go to Satsang are much more likely to stay-on-the-Path and put effort into their own daily spiritual practice at home. Thus will the life of the Bhakta (lover, devotee, disciple) become more and more God-intoxicated by imbibing the spiritual wine, the nectar of divine love.

People's Attention Drowning in a New Age Soup: In an Age of Junk Food Spirituality and Endless Internet Memes, What Satsang is NOT -- Satsang is intended to be an oasis, a refuge from the agitations of the mind, maya/illusion, the labyrinth of the world (and astral plane);

Instructions for Holding Satsang, The Purpose of Satsang, Satsang Apart from Rituals, Subject and Scope of Satsang, Love and Service the Basis of Satsang, by Sant Kirpal Singh;

Extracts from Letters of Huzur Baba Sawan Singh About Satsang;

Authentic Traditional Satsang Templates True to the Path: "For the subject of a talk, we may take up the hymns from any scripture, preferably from the Masters of the Sound Current. It may be supplemented by apt quotations from the parallel writings of other Master Saints. The Holy Gospels themselves are full of such material as may fit in with such a context. The illustrations from various Masters are essential so as to bring out the essential unity in the teachings of all the Saints." (Kirpal Singh, Instructions For Holding Satsang)

The Three Levels of Sat-Sang: The First Level of Satsang (Association with God), The Second Level of Satsang (Association with the Saints), The Third Level of Satsang (Association with the Writings of Sages and Saints), by Swami Sant Sevi Ji Maharaj;

The jayanti (birthday celebration) of Kirpal Singh is February 6th. Sant Kirpal Singh (6th of February, 1894 – 21st of August 1974).

Kirpal Singh Books -- E Books Relating to the Teachings of Sant Kirpal Singh, Ruhani Satsang and Sant Bani Publications -- Sant Mat Radhasoami Books, The E Library: Kirpal Singh Section: https://SantMatRadhasoami.Blogspot.com/2019/01/kirpal-singh-books-sant-mat-radhasoami.html

* Do you have some questions you've always wanted to be able to ask? Seeking information on how to be initiated into the meditation practice (the Inner Light and Sound of God), or trying to locate a satsang meetup in your area of the world? Email me here: James (at) SpiritualAwakeningRadio (dot) com

* An Introduction to Sant Mat Spirituality and Meditation: https://SantMatRadhasoami.blogspot.com/2019/01/introduction-to-sant-mat-and-radhasoami.html

In Divine Love, Light and Sound, Jai Sat Naam, Jai Guru, Satya Raam, Radhasoami, Bandagi Saheb, Peace Be to You, James Spiritual Awakening Radio

God is the Ocean of Love, and Souls are Drops from this Ocean.

* Sant Mat Radhasoami Books -- Free e-Library Online: http://www.SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com/library.html

* And: Sant Mat Radhasoami Books -- Free e-Library Online: https://SantMatRadhasoami.blogspot.com/2019/01/sant-mat-radhasoami-books-main-page-e.html

* Podcast Archive -- Collection of Podcasts @ Youtube: https://www.Youtube.com/user/SantMatRadhasoami/videos

* Podcast Archive: MP3 Download Page @ The Internet Archive: https://Archive.org/details/@spiritualawakeningradio

* Podcast Archive: MP3 Download Page @ HealthyLifeNET: http://hosted.EarthChannel.com/HealthyLife/spa-od.html

* Radio Website: http://www.SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com

* Like the Sant Mat Radhasoami Page @ Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/SantMatRadhasoami

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* The Sant Mat Radhasoami Blog: https://SantMatRadhasoami.Blogspot.com

#Satsang #KirpalSingh #SantMat #Radhasoami #HuzurMaharajRaiSaligram #Simran #Meditation #Sikh #Kabir #Sant_Mat #Satsang #Sants #SantMatSatsang #संतमत #राधास्वमी #संतमतराधास्वमी #SantMatRadhasoami #RSFaith #RS #RadhasoamiFaith #SuratShabdYoga #Radha-soami #Radha_Soami #Radhaswami #SantMatSatsangPodcast #JamesBean #SpiritualAwakeningRadio #Podcasts #Spirituality #InnerPeace #MaharshiMehi #KirpalSingh #IshwarPuri #SwamiVyasanand #SpiritualTalks #SpiritualPodcasts #SpiritualRadio #SpiritualPoetry #Vegetarian #Vegan #God #Consciousness #ShriGuruGranthSahib #Bhajans #Poetry #Bhakti #Nirguna #Formless #InnerLightAndSoundMeditation #Religion #QuanYinMethod #Mysticism #Gnostic #Gnosticism #SpiritualClassics #Mystics #Saints #MastersOfTheEast #ThirdEye #Naam #Shabd #India #Initiation #PathOfTheMasters #Diksha #Deeksha #SoundCurrent #OutOfBody #NearDeathExperiences #SoulTravel #Heaven #Ascension #HigherPlanes

#podcasts #youtube #spirituality #meditation #james bean #satsang #sant mat satsang podcasts #spiritual awakening radio #spiritual retreats #spiritual meetups #spiritual gatherings #spiritual meetings #santmat #sant mat #radhasoami #surat shabd yoga #inner light and sound #path of the masters

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emilieautumnarchives · 3 years

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V-Mix Radio Exclusive Interview (July 2002)

Archived from EAOnline, circa 2002 Last Accessed: 3/24/2022

V-Mix: You manage to successfully blend a unique array of sounds and styles in your music, much of which you would never believe you could put together in a rock song. Yet, you’ve done it. Since your sound doesn’t seem to conform to the standard format tags, how would you describe it?

EA: It’s true that there’s too much variety within my music (and a lot of other music for that matter) to categorize it in any one genre, but for general radio usage, we like to say its Adult Alternative, whatever that means these days. I call my music “Fantasy Rock,” but I don’t think there’s a format for that yet.

V-Mix: ‘Chambermaid’ is an incredibly powerful track, and uses lots of imagery to tell its story. Is this from personal experience? What’s the story behind it?

EA: Firstly, thank you very much. “Chambermaid” is one of those muses that just flies in the window, grabs you by the throat with her claws, and says, “Feel that? Well, pass it on.” She’s a good girl in a bad world, and she finally got pissed off enough to through the death card in some guy’s face. The details of the story are not from personal experience, but the sentiment is. In the song, this woman gets tired of being pushed around by her lover, so she throws him into the moat and closes the drawbridge. She also wears camouflage corsets to dinner, so I guess that part is me.

V-Mix: You’re one of the few artists that have not only embraced Internet radio, but have successfully harnessed its potential power. What do you think the future of the medium is, and as an artist, how would you like to see it evolve?

EA: Sadly, internet radio is undergoing some really tough times as a result of the latest fines imposed upon it. I think that, three years from now, we will look back on this era as one of the most ridiculous times in music. I mean, the vast majority of mainstream music takes “shit” to a whole new level. The major labels, after experiencing some financial losses in the past year, are petrified by the wrath of their shareholders and will accuse anyone in order to get out of the hot seat themselves. Of course, the RIAA exists solely to support and protect the major labels, so their conniving blather is to be expected. It’s all about control. The majors could capitalize on the advance of the internet (radio, downloads, etc.) and turn the new diversity offered to listeners into increased cash flow, but they can’t have that because, despite their potential gains, they would then be losing the absolute control of the public ear. When people have the opportunity to expose themselves to a larger variety of music than mainstream radio offers (via internet radio programming and various file sharing services), they will not buy less music, they will buy more, but their tastes will also not be as easily dictated, predicted, and manipulated, resulting in loss of marketing control for the labels. They can’t operate in a system where they can’t predict what will be successful. It’s what their whole empire depends upon, and the moment you introduce that question mark into the equation, they’re running around like decapitated chickens, accusing everyone with a modem of thievery. Ultimately, every single artist on, or affiliated with, a major label, is a pawn on the chessboard of global society. I’m not saying all artists on major labels are rubbish, because that isn’t true; some artists happened to get their break on major labels, and have gone on to produce quality music. Still, their releases are coordinated by the label to suit the label, their media is orchestrated by the label to suit the label, even (and especially) their controversies are hatched by the label to suit the label, and their ultimate purpose is to control what you hear, what you see, what you think, so that they can go to their shareholders and say, “We guarantee that this will sell, we guarantee that next year this will sell, we guarantee that the year after that this will sell, and because we dictate public taste through our omnipotent control of ALL media (which everyone knows is the most powerful entity in the world), we will never fail.” That’s what shareholders want to hear, and that’s what the majors are going to tell them, at the expense of internet radio, independent media, independent artists, artistic creation of any kind, and ultimately, YOUR freedom. Fight like hell.

V-Mix: You’ve been touring the Midwest quite a bit recently. Any Mid-Atlantic tour plans in the works?

EA: I’m actually contemplated touring schedules as we speak, and I’d love to expand my normal touring regions into the Mid-Atlantic and beyond. I think it’s about time.

V-Mix: Who, if anyone, inspired you to become the incredibly diverse musician that you are today?

EA: I don’t believe I can point to any one or two musicians in whose footsteps I have followed, though I am certainly an admirer of many. I’ve gleaned inspiration from a handful of artists that came before me and combined what I learned with my own claustrophobia when it comes to being boxed in to a certain mindset, a certain category. I’m inspired by the strength and gorgeous female power of Annie Lennox. I’m humbled by the songwriting craftsmanship of Sting. I’m intoxicated by the unnaturally beautiful voice of Morrissey, and I learned how to play the violin more from the albums of Nigel Kennedy than from my master teachers. Put that and a pinch of Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Etta James, Eric Clapton, Hildegard von Bingen, and a Celtic reel all together in a snow globe filled with glitter, shake it up, and smash it against a wall. Add wings, and you have me.

V-Mix: What artists do you enjoy listening to now?

EA: Anything I can illegally download. Just kidding. I listen to the old as much as the new, so my iTunes playlist is populated by a combination of Vivaldi (Fabio Biondi doing “The Four Seasons”), Erasure (I’m covering “Love To Hate You”), The Smiths (“The Queen Is Dead”), and the new Moby album.

V-Mix: You’ve played everything from small intimate clubs, to some of the great concert halls of the United States and Europe. Which do you prefer, and why?

EA: Both types of venues have their charms as well as drawbacks. In concert halls, you have the honor inherent in playing such beautiful venues, and you get to play music that would never fly in a rock club, for example, Barber’s Violin Concerto with full orchestra. The drawback is that you have the distinct feeling that you are not reaching the whole of society, but only those that can afford season tickets to the opera. I respect those people for helping to keep high art alive, but they are not the only people that count. In rock clubs, the nice ones anyway, you get to be wild and loud and shocking, and you feel like you are actively changing the outlook of the people you’re playing for. The drawback is that, at least when you play the violin, you have to convince people that they’re in the right place.

V-Mix: In terms of songwriting, at what moments do you find yourself most inspired?

EA: I find that, unlike a lot of musicians I’ve read about, I am most creative when I’m actually nearing happy. Only then do I have the proper distance from a sad or difficult situation to actually write intelligently about it. The only exception to this was in the case of “By The Sword,” which was composed and recorded on 9/11/01. In general, I think what makes a real songwriter is the ability to transpose oneself into an infinite number of dimensions and record accurately and with elegance what one experiences. I’ve purposely developed my mind so that I can float from one world to the next, constantly gathering seeds, and then arrive back home to plant them, usually inexplicably dressed with one striped sock on and a “My Little Pony” T-shirt I didn’t know I had. It’s nothing more than advanced daydreaming.

V-Mix: You’ve been pursued by major labels, but chose to follow your own career path. Why did you decline major label backing, and have you ever regretted the decision?

EA: I’ve actually worked with major labels in the past, which is why I feel somewhat qualified to criticize them so harshly. I was first courted by a major in my teens and spent a summer locked in a studio, writing songs that were promptly torn apart by the producers, a team of fat, rich, Europeans who thought it was fine to slap my ass. I wrote “Rapunzel” (from the upcoming album “Enchant”) at that time, but it was rejected because they said that “Rapunzal” was an ugly word, that no one knew who it was anyway, and that it would never go over well in Japan. They hated “Chambermaid” because it was supposedly about “lords and ladies.” I was told to stop introducing my fiddle into my songs because they said that the general public was intimidated by anything that remotely reminded them of “classical” music. I was told that I had to add more words like “love” and “baby” to my songs because “that’s what people want,” and again, so that it would do well in Japan (their theory was that those are the only words that the Japanese would understand, and you have to give them something to sing along to). I was told to get a tan and cut my hair so that I would resemble the average fashion model as opposed to something more exotic. When I questioned the system, I was told that if I did not comply, I would never be able to buy my mother a house. When I complained, I was told to shut up because I was embarrassing them in front of their backers. Bearing in mind that this particular brand of hell is the norm, not the exception, who in their right mind would regret any decision that enabled them NOT to work with people like this?

V-Mix: What do you most hope to accomplish?

EA: Everything.

#emilie autumn #v mix #2002 #interview #interviews #enchant era

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bluedreamcarts · 3 years

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Buy Your Gmail Account In The Easiest Way!

Buy gmail accounts There could be numerous reasons why you may need to create another Gmail account and email address. Perhaps, you might be keen to make good use of the Google tools to which an individual can only get access after signing up for Gmail. You might have got fed up with other email service providers who offer little storage capacity for your mailbox. You might be in real need of a professional email service that you can hardly imagine from other email service providers. Whatever the case could be, creating a Gmail account is a relatively convenient process that can be done in a couple of minutes.

This speedy process requires an internet connection to begin with. You may choose a PC or a Smartphone to get done it. A Smartphone with internet access would be ideal equipment as you will receive a verification call or password on your phone to finish with the email signup. Let's find out in detail about how to create a gmail account first.

How to open a Gmail account?

To begin with the process, begin by heading off to the Gmail home page. To reach the home page, you will need to enter the URL www.Google.com or gmail.com into the address bar of your browser. Alternatively, you may simply type "Gmail" in Google search and click on the official link of Gmail that appears first in the organic search. It will also take you to the Gmail home page.

Now, you will find a sign-in box where an email holder normally keys in the Gmail username and secret key to login to his Gmail account. Since you are starting with the process, you will simply need to click the link saying "Create Account" in order to proceed to the Gmail registration page.

Steps to Creating Your New Gmail Account

1. Enter your basic information:

Enter your basic details such as your name, gender, and date of birth. This is the point where you will pick your Gmail username and it could be anything as per your wish. It's best to choose your name initials in the username which makes sense when you apply for jobs in the future. Also, it needs to be unique or else Gmail won't approve it.

2. Choose a username:

Buy gmail accounts As soon as you are done with the Gmail username, you can proceed to create a password for your email. Always go for a long password that contains a good mix of numbers, alphabets and special characters. The strong password adds an extra layer of security to your account. So, pick accordingly. Once you have entered it, type it again to confirm it in the box provided for the purpose.

3. Link your phone number and existing email:

Now, Google will ask for your phone number or your existing email address for the purpose of securing and linking it to your new Gmail.com account. This feature gives your Gmail account an extra layer of security and you can proceed with the two-step authentication.

4. Agree to the terms and you are done:

Now, agree to Google's TOS, and enter the Captcha as shown in the picture to prove that you are a human. Click on the next step. Bingo! You have successfully signed up with Gmail and can access the inbox now.

If you have even a passing interest in the topic of GMail, then you should take a look at the following information. This enlightening article presents some of the latest news on the subject of GMail.

Google's email service has stopped playing hard to get.

Google's Gmail, operated on a test basis since last spring, this week dramatically increased the potential number of users of the Web-based service. The move could mean Google is getting ready for a public rollout of Gmail -- a development that would heighten Google's competition for usage and advertising dollars with Yahoo! and Microsoft's both of which offer free Web-based email services as well. Some subscribers to Gmail -- which since it launched has been available only by invitation from Google or current users of the service -- this week discovered that they had 50 invitations to Gmail that they can pass on to friends and acquaintances. Previously, Google has doled out no more than a half-dozen invitations at a time to Gmail users.

A Google spokesman confirmed Friday that some users of the service were getting an increased number of invitations, saying it was part of Google's continuing efforts to expand the service. The spokesman, however, wouldn't provide any information about when Google might bring Gmail out of its test phase into general release.

Even in its limited release, Gmail has already remade the landscape of free email service on the Internet. One of the service's distinguishing characteristics is that it provides users with 1 gigabyte of free storage space. At the time Gmail debuted, Yahoo!, for example, was offering users a maximum of six megabytes of free storage.

Since then, Yahoo! has raised its storage capacity on free accounts to 250 megabytes and has upped storage capacity on paid email accounts to 2 gigabytes.

Now that we've covered those aspects of GMail, let's turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

When Google announced acquisition of dMarc Broadcasting, a digital media solutions and services firm, it became clearer Google has no intentions of stopping at the arbitrary boundaries of the Internet. DMarc is in two businesses: technology and a media network that places ads digitally and remotely into rotation on stations with the dMarc technology. The station ad sales manager can specify what radio ad inventory to release to the dMarc radio network.

This acquisition puts Google in the traditional radio advertising business with a platform that's already partially self-serve and runs much closer to real time than existing ways of buying radio advertising. Sound familiar? It's like AdWords with digital audio files, and radio stations, geographies, and dayparts instead of keywords. If you currently buy radio advertising, Google will soon have some new things to offer you. Buy gmail accounts news, but perhaps Google will implement its famous auction methodology for radio ads, controlled by its combined system. If that happens (and I'm betting it will) the insertion order (IO) process that guarantees ad rotation will be replaced by an ad-spot auction running in near real time. Soon you'll be bidding for each defined group of ad spots against all the other marketers who want to reach the same audience. In an auction for radio or TV ad inventory, you're fighting every marketer, not just industry-specific competition.

Buying media is going to get a lot more interesting. Most analysts and pundits view this acquisition as Google's lateral expansion into other ad media that can be defined, priced, trafficked, and delivered to the media source digitally. And they're right. If highly valuable, easily definable, scarce advertising assets are allocated in an auction, media buyers and marketers must get used to an entirely new way of buying advertising space in radio, TV, cable, and perhaps print for pre-identified ad placements. Yet there's another fascinating potential facet of the dMarc deal fewer analysts are talking about: the applicability of digital audio/video ad marketplaces to podcasts and streaming Internet radio. ITunes and its competitors distributes paid content and ad-supported, free podcasts. However, most podcast platforms don't dynamically insert the ad into a podcast based on recipient. Wouldn't it be far better if podcast ads were targeted to each listener, making them more relevant? Of course it would. The premise of better targeting and improved relevance is an underlying concept behind the AdWords and AdSense systems. These systems already narrowcast text ads, specifically at users who either have performed a search or are engaged in narrowly focused content.

With digital audio/video ad targeting and trafficking, an advertising system can easily use more than context to target ads. Podcasts or streaming Internet radio shows consisting of news, for example, often provide a poor contextual basis for ad targeting, just as they do in analogue form. But podcasts are often subscribed to on an individual basis, and online radio could require registration. Individual user registration becomes a killer advantage in targeting ads in a more relevant way, even better than targeting at the household level. If Google, MSN, Yahoo, or any other ad server knew I'm about to have my first child (which I am) together with my Zip Code, age, and gender, it could use that data and a podcast's context to serve me advertising so relevant I may actually listen -- or watch.

Suddenly, repurposing audio and video content for online podcast or real-time distribution will have an ad-supported model that provides existing content owners with a new source of revenue and stimulates new content development. If I can spare the time, I'll put together some podcasts of my own as soon as the ad revenue models or pay-per-view infrastructure has proven itself.

Though as history has proven itself those who get in early reap the greatest profits.

#Buy gmail accounts

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jonathantaylorthomas · 7 years

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Diary entries, as a rule, don’t constitute art. Songs do.

That’s what drew me in to Taylor Swift and her music upon the release of her 2006 debut album, “Taylor Swift,” and that’s what has kept me closely tracking the remarkable arc of her career since then, up to and including today’s release of her sixth album, “Reputation.”

From the beginning, Swift — then a precocious, uncommonly smart, gifted and ambitious teenager — has written deeply personal songs that often sound like they’re ripped directly from the pages of a diary.

That hallmark of her songwriting has nurtured an especially close bond between Swift and her fans, along with her savvy use of social media from the outset. It’s also given her detractors no shortage of ammunition with which to attack her for everything from a new hairdo to her choices of dates to the logistics of selling tickets to her concerts.

The double-edged sword of success — and the fame and fortune that have accompanied it to stratospheric levels for her — inform many of the songs on “Reputation,” possibly the most anticipated album of the always-intensive fall season.

As one of a small handful of music writers offered an early listen to the new collection, I’ll venture to call it her most focused, most cohesive album yet.

In large part that reflects her dramatic narrowing of collaborators compared with her previous two outings: Nine of the 15 new songs written and produced for the most part by Swift with superstar producers Max Martin and Shellback, the other six in tandem with indie rock band Fun front man Jack Antonoff.

They conjure a sense of foreboding to illuminate her songs of betrayal, heartbreak and disappointment. There also are plenty of bright spots celebrating new love and new maturity in her outlook, most framed in dance-floor-conscious beats and employing inventive sonic textures that expand on or outright defy conventions of contemporary pop-R&B music production.

I’d also say that in many ways “Reputation” echoes one of Bob Dylan’s greatest lines of the last two decades: “I used to care…but things have changed.”

'Reputation' echoes one of Bob Dylan’s greatest lines of the last two decades: 'I used to care…but things have changed.' — -- Randy Lewis I say that based on many hours I’ve spent with her since first traveling to Nashville to interview her early in 2007, not long after her debut album put her on the map in country music circles.

Case in point: “Reputation” is the first album for which she’s given no interviews in advance. (I had sat down with her for extended talks about each of her previous four albums, “1989,” “Red,” “Speak Now” and “Fearless.”)

Additionally, only a small handful of music critics were invited to hear this album in advance (The Times’ pop music critic Mikael Wood was not).

She did once again hold several playback sessions for fans in recent months, as she did when “1989” was being readied for release three years ago. But no reporters were allowed to look in on those as a few did for “1989.”

Things have changed, indeed.

What struck me initially about Swift’s music was the refreshing viewpoint she brought to her songs, which sounded, for a change, like what real teenagers might think, feel and say.

That was a big part of what prompted me to single her out at the end of 2006 as one of the artists most worth watching in the year ahead, and to travel to Nashville a few months later to interview her about her ambitions.

So many other young pop and country acts spent most of their time attempting to pass themselves off as preternaturally mature, often singing of experiences well beyond their years.

That initially sparked my respect for her as a young artist—not just a pretty face and perky personality who’d been handed a batch of songs written by others and instructed by her handlers on what to say, how to dress and where to stand.

Clearly that resonated with a lot of listeners as well, and launched her on a meteoric rise: first in country music, and then to her place today as arguably the biggest pop star on the planet.

Along the way she has held tight to the innate understanding of social media platforms she expressed to me in 2008, shortly before her sophomore album, “Fearless,” was released.

“Blogging has been really fun because I like to let people into my life as much as possible,” she said back when MySpace was still the dominant social media outlet for most musicians, well before Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and, her new favorite outlet, Tumblr, took over. "I think it's important for the people who keep you going and support you and have your back out there in the world to know that you're thinking of them all the time.”

She quickly learned, however, that it’s not a big leap from having someone’s back to stabbing it, a harsh reality Swift has faced through intensely public Twitter feuds in recent years with Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, among others.

Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and other social media platforms magnify vulnerability and hypersensitivity with snarky comments and images, making adolescence and young adulthood seem more perilous than ever.

She acknowledged the vipers in the room directly on her third album, “Speak Now,” with “Mean,” a song in which she transformed one blogger’s nasty comments about her into a hit song. That’s one tool with which she’s avoided the “Don’t get mad; get even” path of revenge, instead drawing illumination and creative inspiration out of the many barbs tossed her way.

Yet the more famous she’s become, and the more followers she’s cultivated, the more the world at large apparently feels entitled to pass judgment not only on her art but on her life, topics she takes on in several of the new songs on “Reputation.”

That’s a fact of contemporary life Swift recognizes in “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things.” In fact, it may well become an anthem for the Twitter generation, for whom every fleeting thought seems worthy of sharing with the world at large: “Did you think I wouldn’t hear all the things you said about me? And here’s to you… ‘cause forgiveness is a nice thing to do/ (laughter) I can’t even say it with straight face!”

I’ll go as far as to suggest that the whole “Reputation” theme of the album isn’t solely about Taylor Swift and her place in the world, but examines the extent to which most of us now live out our lives in public thanks to the omnipresence of social media, and the multiplicity of ways that plays out.

Indeed, in each of two elaborate 72-page magazines she has created for an exclusive deluxe edition of the album (available in the U.S. at Target stores), she includes an open letter noting, “This is the first generation that will be able to look back on their entire life story documented in pictures on the internet, and together we will all discover the after-effects of that.”

Another facet of Swift’s career that’s impressed me is the way she has respected her place as a role model for young women in general, and other female musicians in particular.

Among the many ways that’s manifested are her personal donation of $500,000 to disaster relief efforts when Nashville, and much of Tennessee, was flooded in 2010 — before she reached her 21st birthday. She ponied up an additional $1 million last year for flood victims in Louisiana after launching her “1989” tour there.

She wielded her industry clout to politely but firmly chastise Apple for initially placing some of the financial burden of a free trial period for its new streaming service in 2015 on songwriters with a plan that would have withheld their royalty payments — an idea the tech giant abandoned in response to her open letter.

Even when she briefly succumbed to the temptation to respond to a perceived diss from Nicki Minaj over yet another VMA Awards show in 2015, Swift quickly apologized and held out an olive branch rather than continuing to ratchet up a war of tweets.

As recently as August, she turned the tables on a lawsuit filed against her by a Denver radio host who claimed he was unfairly dismissed from his job after she complained that he had groped her during a post-concert meet-and-greet. She filed a countersuit in which she asked for, and won, a token $1 jury award after she took to the witness stand to speak out not only in her own defense, but on behalf of other sexual harassment victims.

Yet bloggers galore still seem determined to take her down for any number of issues, lately many of them revolving around the way she has set the stage for today’s release of “Reputation.”

A plan to create an incentive that would give priority for buying concert tickets to fans who most enthusiastically click away to watch her latest videos or place advance orders for the album was blasted as exploitative.

She’s also come under fire for not being vocal enough about alt-right demonstrators who have attempted to co-opt her music into endorsements of their positions, reminiscent of Charles Manson’s bizarre misinterpretation nearly 50 years ago of the Beatles’ “Helter Skelter,” which he insisted was a coded message to him to start a race war.

Then there was the much publicized dissing of her last year from Kanye West in his song “Famous” in which he rapped that she owed him sex because he made her famous by snatching the spotlight from her at the infamous MTV Video Music Awards in 2009 — despite the fact she had scored multiple hit singles and sold millions of albums well before that incident.

She kept a relatively low profile last year when West and his wife, Kim Kardashian, spoke and tweeted ad infinitum that she had given him her consent about the way he portrayed her in “Famous,” offering only a terse denial that that had been the case.

When she released “Look What You Made Me Do” as the leadoff single from “Reputation,” she took flak in many quarters for a perceived belated response and for keeping a feud going long past its natural shelf life.

But based on how I’ve watched her process other life events, what I hear in the song is a woman who recognizes the hurt an ugly life situation has thrust upon her, and who owns the consequences of how it that has played out for her, emotionally and psychologically.

“I don’t trust nobody and nobody trusts me,” is how the sadder-but-wiser Swift portrays herself in this scenario. “Look What You Made Me Do” isn’t an exercise in the blame game; it’s an acknowledgment of loss over defenses one has been forced to erect out of self-preservation.

In a broader sense, the payoff I’m after in “Reputation” has nothing to do with any shade she’s throwing at West and Kardashian, or whether in other songs she’s leaving any clues on her breakups with Tom Hiddleston or Calvin Harris.

Many eyes, of course, also will be focused on whether “Reputation” extends her streak of albums that have sold more than 1 million copies in the first week. She’s the only artist to do so with three consecutive releases.

The only thing that matters in the long run is how she’s evolving as a songwriter, a singer and a record producer.

Will anyone care in 10, 20 or 50 years — heck, in five, even — who the “him” is in “Getaway Car,” when she confesses, “I wanted to leave him / I needed a reason”? What’s much more likely to stand the test of time is the whip-smart form the song’s expression of romantic betrayal delivers: “It was the best of times / The worst of crimes / The ties were black / the lies were white / In shades of gray and candlelight.”

Her commitment to growth as an artist is something I sensed more than a decade ago, when we first met in the bunker-like basement of her then-fledgling record company, Big Machine.

And it’s still why I fully expect to be as interested at what Swift writes at 37 and 47 as what she’s delivered at 27. In my book, that’s the only reputation that matters.

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wobc-fm · 4 years

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SleepWalker Freshman List 2020

Written By Amari Newman Quentin Zimbalist

We are SleepWalker Entertainment. Starting off as a radio show on Oberlin College’s WOBC 91.5fm in 2018 dedicated to highlighting underground Hip-Hop and the community that surrounds it, we have expanded into the journalistic side of music, publishing various reviews, lists, and articles related to music. These have ranged from album of the year lists to interviews with different musicians who have performed at Oberlin including Suzi Analogue, VRITRA, Ethereal, NappyNappa, and SIR E.U. Right around this time last year we published our very first “Freshman List,” built off of XXL magazine’s idea of highlighting artists relatively new to the rap game who gained a lot of attention in the most recent year. Seeing how XXL’s list seemed to increasingly lose touch with the current wave of genuine Hip-Hop, SleepWalker looked to create our own list of new(ish) artists who we believe are making important impacts on the direction of the genre. The following list will highlight the breakthrough rappers, producers and visual artists of this past year, who we believe people are listening to and want to experience.

Rappers: Producers: Visual Artists:

Pop Smoke (RIP) Evil Giane Nitetive Visuals

Baby Smoove Adé Hakim Revenxnt

Hook Axl Beats DVD CITY

Baby Fifty JWords The Realest Photographer Ever

Babyxsosa Hi-C Brick Productions

Camden Malik DamnJonBoi 1Drince

BKTHERULA GAWD She Skin

Pop Smoke:

Sleepwalker wanted to write a tribute post to the late young superstar, Pop Smoke. The young Brooklyn-born prodigy emerged in the public eye in January with his hit record, FLEXIN, and followed that up with the song of the summer, Welcome to the Party. Pop Smoke’s 2019 was one of the greatest breakout years of all time within the hip-hop music industry, and it was apparent that he would remain a star for years to come. His death was a tremendous tragedy for not only those within the Hip Hop community, but millions of his fans across the world.

Rest in Peace, Pop Smoke.

Baby Smoove:

Baby Smoove, one of Detroit’s newest household names has actually been dropping music for quite some time now. The oldest song of his I could find was Supersonic, a track he dropped in 2012 under the name “Bandcrew Smoove”, he used a few different aliases before finding his current stage name. Smoove holds onto instrumentals in an incredibly natural way. Sliding in and out of rhythm, on and off of the beat, he always finds his place when the downbeat comes back around. His quiet, inflectionless delivery is a stark contrast to his lyrical content. Smoove raps about his lavish lifestyle, he enjoys splurging on the indulgences he lived without as a child. Other Detroit artists recognize Smoove’s prowess and collaborate with him when allowed. Recently he has worked with big name artists and producers from all over the city like Veeze, Icewear Vezzo, Rocaine, Michigan Meech, and Topside. Needless to say, Baby Smoove definitely earned his position in life, and on this list.

Songs to listen to: Palm Angels, Hellcat, Free Game

Hook

From Riverside, California (Inland Empire /IE) the 21 year old has been gaining steady recognition for her unorthodox flow and distinct style. Hook has been making music since she was 9 years old, travelling and performing in an R&B/Rap group with her step-sisters. As Hook got older, she shifted her focus onto her solo career, garnering a lot of attention throughout the underground with the release of her mixtape “Bully” in early 2019. Hook has made a name for herself for her deliberate flows that incorporate elaborate mid-verse pauses, laughs, gasps, and signature ad libs emanating an unparalleled energy that makes a listener's body uncontrollably convulse from pure pleasure. In the latter half of 2019 and early 2020, Hook put out a few more mixtapes alongside her debut album Crashed My Car, which displayed her steady evolution in sound and abilities to make great music. A frequent collaborator of legendary underground producer nedarb, Hook has also worked with Bootychaaain, WorkingOnDying, RCB and even comedian/rapper Zack Fox. More and more people are becoming aware of the greatness that is Hook, making the rest of 2020 even more exciting for herself and supporters.

Songs to listen to: I’m Shinnin, HEEM, Stand It

Baby Fifty

From Southeast, Washington D.C., the 19 year old’s nonchalant delivery of bars describing rampant death and destruction over any type of beat has quickly solidified himself as one of the most exciting rappers in the city. Fifty’s spaced out delivery accompanied with lyrics packed with punchlines, lingo, double entendres and signature ad libs allows each one of his sinister bars to imprint itself on any listener’s mind. There are very few rappers who can make you feel like everything they say is true, and Baby Fifty is one of them. Every song feels like he is having a calm conversation about the lethal activities he partakes in on a casual Monday. Fifty remains pretty individual in his output with his last few projects being featureless, but he has worked with frequent collaborator Hu$tle, MoneyMarr, and Cheecho. Fifty is one of the youngest and most respected artists from the DC area, and will continue to raise the bar for the remainder of the year.

Songs to listen to: sunniD, Walkout, Roll Out

Babyxsosa

The 19 year old Richmond, VA native grabbed attention from the whole underground with the release of the GAWD produced single “EVERYWHEREIGO” in the middle of 2019. She then joined the New York-based collective Surf Gang and continued to pump out amazing music, including her newest EP BABYXOBAMA. Even though her recognition is relatively recent, Babyxsosa has been releasing musical content since 2015 making waves in the Richmond area as a DJ and producer. Her musical experience is clear in her diverse selection of beats, and complex structures of harmonies and verses. Babyxsosa’s high pitched voice allows her to casually hit octaves that sound perfect in your eardrums, and her mastery of switching between rapping and singing mid-verse creates a distinct flow that only sosa can achieve. She has collaborated with fellow Surf Gang members Evil Giane, Polo Perks and Pasto Flocco, and has a notable catalogue of collaborations with fellow Richmond artist and freshman GAWD. Babyxsosa has undeniable potential, which she fulfills with every new release, making the rest of her 2020 an exciting sight to see.

Songs to listen to: UBERXL feat Polo Perks, PUSSY FREESTYLE, DOWN

Camden Malik

From New York City by way of Sacramento, California; Camden Malik has proved time and time again that he is beyond worthy of his place on this list. I was made aware of Camden when I saw him perform Live this past summer. I attended a Show Me the Body show in Ridgewood, Queens because of the opener, MIKE. During MIKE’s set, he allowed some friends of his to perform their music as well. Among these friends were big names such as Pink Siifu and King Carter, as well as Camden Malik, whom I was unaware of at the time. He performed his track “Dreams”, and it was easily the best performance of the set. Malik seemed to hit every word of the song, captivating the entire crowd as he spit circles around the mic in his gold-rimmed glasses. After the performance, I began researching him, only to find his stockpile of music on the internet, recently working with artists like ZelooperZ and Darryl 10k. He finds ways to pack all of his rhymes with meaning, while placing them into pockets of the beats that most artists would not even know existed. I truly think this guy could rap over anything and I can’t wait to see what he brings to 2020.

Songs to listen to: Lie Detector, Hear da Same Thang, World Different (ft ZelooperZ)

BKTheRula

From Atlanta, Georgia, BKTHERULA is proving to be one of the most exciting female rappers coming from the area. She started putting out music in 2017, but gained attention at the beginning of 2019 for her underground hit “Faygo.” BK continued to pump out hits throughout 2019 including her biggest hit “Tweakin Together.” BK’s punch-in delivery mixed with her high vocal octave is entrancing, and is combined with a myriad of futuristic melodies and next level 808s, making her music impossible to not bob your head to. She has enhanced her singing capabilities over the year dropping her debut project Love Santana where more than half of the songs explore her melodic capabilities that hit a sonic sweet spot, giving a soothing massage to a listener’s heart and mind. But BK can follow up any ballad with an intense barrage of strictly bars, that automatically gives you the stank face. This past year, BK has worked with Atlanta producers Digital Nas and Rxlvnd, and has been a frequent collaborator of Autumn! and fellow freshman Hook. In fact, the two artists are rumored to have a collaborative mixtape that could be released at any moment. BK already stands apart from the flood of artists who gained attention in 2019, and her willingness to explore her capabilities on more experimental releases gives her the potential to truly skyrocket to another level.

Songs to listen to: LEFT RIGHT, UH HUH, DAMN

Producers:

Evil Giane

Surf Gang CEO evilgiane is probably at the forefront of the New York City underground right now, and moving upward at an astounding speed. Giane has been producing for a few years now, using other monikers such as YUNALOE and aloevine before adopting his current alias. Originally, Aloevine dropped mostly house music tracks, but he began releasing hip-hop beats a few years ago and has not slowed down since. Giane’s trademark sound these days consists of clean and punchy drums, and uplifting melodies, though through his leaks and posts online, it is clear that this producer’s talent extends way beyond his sound, as his drill and even experimental punk beats rival some of the greats. Recently, Evilgiane has placements with a plethora of up and coming stars; HOOK, Babyxsosa, and Pasto Flocco, as well as songs with established underground heroes like Black Kray and BootyChaaain. I’ve already called 2020 as the year of Surf Gang so it only makes sense that Giane will continue to fly as the CEO. Expect big things.

Songs produced by Evil Giane: MOH BARETTA - ALL4U IV, POLO PERKS - RICH GIRL/starpower, Hi-C - tr3nd1ng t0p1c juiced

Adé Hakim

From the Bronx, NYC, the 21 year old rapper and producer has been putting out music as far back as 2014 under the name Sixpress. Adé is a member of the [sLUms] collective, and has helped curate the next phase of New York’s sound that gained a lot of mainstream popularity this past year. Hakim incorporates a wide range of sonic layers in his production including violins, horns, cries and moans from blues songs, piano riffs, and video game effects. These are all stretched, reversed and changed in pitch, creating a brand new authentic melody. This is accompanied by snares, claps, kicks and 808s that are also adjusted, giving them a mechanized sound that allows the expansive nature of his production to fully form. Listening to an Adé Hakim beat sounds like you are strolling through a busy robotic construction site with headphones on that is playing Miles Davis at half the normal speed in one ear, and the Sonic The Hedgehog videogame score in the other. Hakim has worked with a large number of New York legends in the making including MIKE, King Carter, Medhane and Navy Blue, and has expanded his sound past the city working with NAPPYNAPPA, Pink Siifu and Earl Sweatshirt. Adé Hakim is one of the most positive artists in the game and his constant output of good will continue to come back to him for the rest of the year.

Songs produced by Adé Hakim: LIKE ME, MIKE - PLANET, Sticking to My Roots

Axl Beats

If this list was based sheerly on streaming numbers, Axlbeats would be at the top. Axl found himself in 2019 getting placements with world renowned superstars such as Travis Scott and Drake. Luckily, Here at Sleepwalker we believe in more than numbers on the screen below the song, but we wanted to acknowledge AxlBeats’ accomplishments nonetheless. The London Based Producer’s career began in 2016, where he became locally popular for flipping Chicago style drill beats into more modern, new sounds. Axl then rode the drill wave all the way to Brooklyn, producing for artists like Sheff G, Fivio Foreign, and Pop Smoke, as well as A-List Celebrities Rich the Kid, and Jay Critch. Axl ended his 2019 incredibly strong, by producing Drake's drill inspired track “War”. If you haven’t heard Axl beats by now you may need to check and see if your radio is still working, but you will definitely hear him in 2020.

Songs produced by Axl Beats: Drake -War, Fivio Foreign - Wetty, Travis Scott feat Pop Smoke - GATTI

JWords

From Union City, New Jersey, JWords is rapidly making waves across the Hip-Hop and Electronic community. Releasing music as far back as 2015, JWords produces intricately structured soundscapes that incorporate digital synths with complex progressions, and old soul samples. The jazzy layout of her bass patterns, and mystical sounds that accompany them, reminds one of a chandelier of chimes flowing in a slight breeze. JWords can also switch it up, creating fast paced and unique sound structures that sound like futuristic versions of Salsa and Bachata, which she notes are heavy influences on her musical output. Her preference of hardware in music creation gives it a more genuine feel, and contributes to her next-level live performances. Listening to JWords feels like traveling through the ocean in an underwater spacecraft at 1000 mph, but the speed isn’t overwhelming, it's actually very soothing. Now a member of the NeverNormal Collective, JWords has been garnering attention throughout the past year. She’s worked with MIKE, Suzi Analogue, King Carter, and Nappy Nina, while also performing with other contemporary greats at live shows throughout New York City. She released her debut EP Sin Senal earlier this year and recently led an Ableton-sponsored beat making workshop. The momentum is only building for JWords, and 2020 seems like it will be her breakout year.

Songs produced by JWords: Stay Away, Shine <3, Numb feat MIKE

Hi-C

A member of the infamous Reptilian Club Boyz (RCB), Hi-C has been making waves in the underground as far back as 2013. Adopting various monikers like HighCee and C Boogie, the Richmond-based artist has always stood apart for his futuristic and majestic melodies, reminiscent of the soundtrack to a final boss battle in Ninja Gaiden, that are combined with hard-hitting 808s and kick patterns. This sound is leveled up by an insane assortment of sound effects that range from soundbites from Super Smash Brothers, SoulCaliber, Dragon Ball Z, Nascar races, thunderstorms, gun shots, applause and evil laughs. This past year, Hi-C’s talents seem to have been collectively noticed by the underground, landing him features and placements with fellow RCB members Diamnodsonmydick and Cartier’GOD, along with Surf Gang, Hook, Marcy Mane,and NolanBeRollin. Everything is lining up for Hi-C and RCB to reach massive heights in their musical content and impact on the general rap culture this year.

Songs produced by Hi-C: No Emotionzzz, DOMD feat Hook - BRATZ, DOMD feat SickBoyRari - King Lamagra

DamJonBoi

The Detroit Hip-hop scene saw a flourishing 2019. Reaping many of the benefits of this newfound popularity was the incredibly versatile and talented DamJonBoi. 2019 gave Jon placements on underground smash hits with talent like Teejayx6, Sada Baby, Kasher Quon, FMB DZ, Drego Baby, and Lil Beno. On top of all of his 2019 placements, he had a strong end of 2018 producing Drego & Beno’s “Recipe 2”, which has amassed over 5 million views on Youtube and a plethora more streams. Aside from producing, DamJonBoi has been laying down vocals of his own. His smooth voice and classic Detroit style inflection work amazingly in his songs, many of which showcase his lavish rockstar lifestyle. Needless to say, JonBoi is up now for 2020.

Songs produced by DamJonBoi - Super saiyan, Brainstorm Feat. Babyface Ray, Teejayx6 - Dark Web

GAWD

The 20 year old Richmond, Virginia native is one of the most hardworking artists in the game. Holding the largest discography of released songs on our list, GAWD has nearly 1,200 tracks just on his SoundCloud. With a vast amount of monikers including 65 Cent, Black John Stockton, DJ Lil Stank, and Lil Coochie Burp, GAWD has consistently been dropping great music since 2014. His production consists of Pharrel-like synths and chord progressions matched with signature distorted 808s that often fall in a simple 4/4 pattern. His addition of piano runs, harps, and video game effects to this formula elevates his sound to another level. Every GAWD beat is pleasing to the ear and always has a bounce, no matter how different they are from each other. Even though he has been on the scene for years, GAWD has gained a lot of attention this past year as his collaborations with fellow Richmond artist Babyxsosa have grown in popularity. On top of collaborations with Karmah and RCB, GAWD did a DJ session with Noble Spell in New York for Corpus Radio this past summer. It seems like he is finally getting the necessary recognition for years of hard work, and it's exciting to see what the rest of 2020 holds for him.

Songs produced by GAWD: 65 Cent - CHANGE TALK, Babyxsosa - EVERYWHERIGO, RCB - #bloodthisrsty #711

Visual Artists:

Nitetive Visuals

The 20 year old videographer based out of France has stood apart from the surge of artists producing intricate edits for the current output of music videos. Nitetive has been releasing video content since 2017, often consisting of minute long edits of rappers like A$AP Rocky, Playboi Carti and Lil Uzi Vert being put in alternate dimensions, video games or outer space. In 2019, Nitetive began to focus on producing full fledged music videos. Although he has shot and directed a good amount of videos, Nitetive has gained a reputation for his ability to edit footage. Collaborating with other visual artists including MarkoVisuals and fellow freshman Brick Productions, Nitetive has gotten to edit some of the most mind bending music videos of 2019 and 2020. Nitetive’s visuals consist of a fast paced barrage of glitches, rainbow styled effects, shattering glass and datamosh transitions, and 3D animations that place the viewer in an alternate reality. With footage that is often reversed, layered on top of one another, and switched between crystal clear and VHS quality, Nitetive’s videos are truly mind bending. The quick flashing of logos and important lyrics throughout his videos make the viewer feel like they’re watching a sped up hypnotization reel that’s subconsciously tricking them into becoming cool. In the past 6 months, he has worked with the likes of Pi’erre Bourne, SickBoyRari (Black Kray), Bladee, Cyrax and K$upreme. Nitetive seems to get better with every release, making 2020 exciting for what else he has in store.

Videos edited by Nitetive: SickBoyRari (Black Kray) feat Bladee - Blue, Pi’erre Bourne - Try Again, Cyrax - Breeze

Revenxnt

If 2019 gives any indication as to how someone’s 2020 will go, then we should all keep our eyes peeled for Revenxnt this year. This Newark, NJ based visionary had a high point in 2019 of producing a Pusha T video for Vogue. Besides being a video artist, Rev also produces music (with placements like Sha Hef, Grimm Doza, and DA$H), is a prolific painter, and even dabbles in clothing design. A typical Revenxnt video consists of interesting colors, often double exposure shots and ambiguous angles, lots of adjusting focuses, and quick transitions. All these elements come together to create glitchy looking masterpieces that will undoubtedly stand the test of time. Recently he has made some masterful instant classic visuals with the likes of Medhane, Mavi, and Moh Baretta. Rev has an amazing internet presence, always tweeting his mind and uplifting his followers. A staple post of his will be a photo wad of money with the caption “IF YOU READING THIS YOU’RE GETTING MONEY TODAY” One thing that is for sure about is he will never stop hustling and never move backwards. I have no questions about 2020 being as big a year for Revenxnt as ever.

Videos directed by Revenxnt: Medhane - Allegedly, Moh Baretta - Phew, Mavi - Sense

DVD CITY

Based out of Detroit, Michigan, the collective of visual artists have been putting out content since 2015. Originating as VHS Country, the group has stayed true to its roots putting out visual mixes that incorporate off-coloring VHS-like effects. Various clips are layered on top of one another and fast forwarded, reversed or flipped sideways with frequent freeze frame trails filling the screen. These clips include viral youtube videos, infomercials, orchestra concerts, anime, hockey fights, animals, Mandelbrot sets, Tekken, WWE clips, and Kung Fu movies. Those watching a DVD CITY exclusive may believe their youtube webpage has gone haywire with effects that make the viewer feel as if they are watching 20 VHS films at once that are being fast forwarded and rewinded at the same time, but at different speeds. In the past year, the collective has produced music videos and snippets for Akai Solo, Pink Siifu, GAWD, MIKE and JWords. They also did the visuals for Never Normal Records’ most recent annual 4/20 live stream. The collective is pushing audio/visual boundaries to a new length with their consistent output and in-tune video references that are bound to entrance any viewer.

Videos directed by DVD CITY: DVD CITY 24//5GHOTSPOT, Black Sand - 2K4ev, DVD CITY 22//JWORDS

Brick Productions:

The Richmond-based videographer has been releasing content since 2017, and immediately started gaining notoriety throughout the underground for his diverse capabilities in making any type of music video. Brick’s ability to incorporate close zooms, still frames, and 3D animations into footage that can be of the highest or lowest of qualities is practically unrivaled. This is enhanced by transitions that take advantage of intentionally shaky camera footage that is often at a high frame rate, making some of the cleanest videography out there. These quick and clever transitions engage the viewer, but at a pace that is perfect, giving them a moment to fully enjoy the beauty of each shot before it is followed by another. That being said, Brick can also flood the screen with a flurry of effects including colored trails following body movements, crows flying in the background, Dragon Ball Z characters quickly appearing, snow falling, and flames engulfing the screen. This past year, Brick Production’s diverse visual output has landed him collaborations with SickBoyRari (Black Kray), Hunned Mill, A$AP ANT, Trippie Redd, Cyrax and Bootychaaain. He has also worked with Utmost, a Richmond-based skating company, in their recent collaborations with DC Shoes and Round Two. Brick Production is steadily evolving, learning how to merge creative and off the wall editing with smooth and straightforward shots that find happy balances with every new release. The rest of 2020 is his for the taking.

Videos directed by Brick Productions: Black Kray - PERIODT, Sunny2point0 feat Trippie Redd - Man Down, BOOTYCHAAAIN - MESSROUND

Realest Photographer Ever

Being the most secretive artist on our entire list, it’s hard to pinpoint when exactly the Realest Photographer Ever started dishing out creative content. The artist made their debut under this name with frequent collaborator Zelooperz for his video “Bootleg” in mid 2019. Their use of footage that looks like it's been shot off an iphone, shows a minimalist yet effective approach to making videos. Clips of people doing regular activities, such as chilling on a couch, hanging out by a river, or walking through a city, is manipulated and arranged in a way that creates a brand new reality that is incredibly engaging. An entire screen can be full of different scenes from different places at different times, allowing one to find something new every time they watch a video. The Realest’s perfectly timed transitions, reverse playbacks and freeze frame layers eliminates any need for fancy visual effects. Their straight forward visual production has landed them collaborations with Earl Sweatshirt, Zelooperz and Caleb Stone this past year. Since the Realest has no accessible social media, other than a Youtube page with 3 videos on it, it is hard to tell what they have in store for the future, but whatever it is, it will be great.

Videos directed by The Realest: Earl Sweatshirt - EAST, ZelooperZ - Going on a Date, Zelooperz feat Earl Sweatshirt

1Drince

One of the members of the ClockWork Productions collective, 1Drince has been delivering top tier videography to DMV based artists since 2018. The Washington D.C. native has gained a lot of attention the past year for his frequent collaborations with fellow freshman Baby Fifty, directing 10+ videos for the rapper over the past 9 months. His use of menacing shots and close zooms will send chills up your spine. Drince’s smooth transitions and high quality footage perfectly captures the chaotic and deadly energy of the people he shoots often flashing drugs, money and weapons of all shapes and sizes at the camera. He is able to perfectly capture the feel of every song he does a video for, thoroughly enhancing it. Every time one hears a song, they automatically think of the Drince video that accompanies it. In addition to Baby Fifty, he’s worked with MoneyMarr, Baby 9eno, Q Da Fool, Big Flock, YungManny, and RXPeso this past year. Drince and the ClockWork Productions team continue to solidify themselves as the go to videographers for DMV artists, making it exciting to see what they have in store for the rest of the year.

Videos directed by 1Drince: Baby Fifty- One On One, MoneyMarr - Cable Box, YungManny & Big Flock - TPA

She Skin

From Salem, Virginia, She Skin is the most versatile visual artist on our list. He started his visual output as far back as 2012, releasing creative and distinct skate videos. He soon transitioned into making music videos during the 2014/2015 SoundCloud Golden Era, providing music videos, visualizations, cover art, production and audio mixes for Divine Council and other Richmond-based artists. On top of videos, She Skin also established his own line of merchandiseincluding acrylic pieces, figurines and t-shirts.

Clearly, She Skin’s extensive catalogue sets him apart from the typical definition of a freshman, but he is on this list because it seems like he is finally gaining the recognition and praise that has been years past due. In addition, he seems to have found a signature look for his videos. His high frame rates and frequent zoom-ins are meshed with intentionally shaky camera work that cuts the artists in and out of frame at perfect moments. This is accompanied by sped up, slowed down, and chopped footage that creates a feeling in his videos that is unsettlingly soothing. She Skin has recently done videos for SickBoyRari (Black Kray) and hernbean5150, while releasing a series of minute long snippets from other Richmond artists including FHN Mook, Karmah, and Hunned Mill. He has also collaborated with Utmost throughout the years, providing pictures for the company’s most recent collaborations with Round Two and DC Shoes alongside fellow freshman Brick Productions. Even though She Skin has been a present and respected force in the underground for years, it seems like 2020 is shaping up to be the year his capabilities become known across the country and world.

Videos directed by She Skin: Herbean5150 - Felons, SickBoyRari (Black Kray) - Feel My Pain, FHN Mook - Undaground Sluggroad

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golden-dauntless-tigress · 5 years

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DRRM Kwentuhan

Who is Engr. Rivera?

Engr. Benigno Rivera is the former DRRM Head of Parañaque City. He was assigned by Mayor Edwin Olivarez himself to be the one to handle all the plans for each barangay and suspend classes during calamities. In his office, almost all resources are stored there. He even told me that their office is just one call away if ever there are any other resources needed by one of the barangays. Although, he is pretty sure that all barangays of Parañaque City is provided with the proper first aid kits and rescues.

About Hazard Identification

The barangay have experienced quite a number of calamities such as typhoons, earthquakes, fires and even ash falls! As per Engr. Rivera, the barangay rarely experienced earthquakes and ash falls, except for the typhoon that usually hits every month of every year, which caused flood to various areas of barangay San Isidro. Although the most striking hazard the community have experienced is the fire that caused the major loss of the homes of the informal settlers. I have known that this major fire started with a rice that was left to cook for an hour. I asked Engr. Rivera to at least state how the LDRRM officials of Parañaque know specifically when and where a calamity will hit, and according to him, this was tracked through technology.

Social media also became a way to disseminate the information, wherein one of his colleagues, Dr. Teodoro Gonzales, is the one suspending classes during calamities wherein this will be spread to barangay officials through the use of Viber, a social media platform that allows us to communicate with other people through text connected with an internet. But it does not stop there. Radios and televisions are also vital devices in knowing various information regarding upcoming hazards or calamities.

About Vulnerability, Elements & People at Risk Assessment

When asked about the most dangerous area in the country, Engr. Rivera told me that Baguio, for him, is the area with the most possible number of damage for its steepness which may result to landslides -- may it be through typhoons or earthquakes. In terms of which area in the barangay will be most affected with calamities, he stated that:

“Kahit saan pa man sa barangay San Isidro, slums area talaga, since hindi naman matibay ang foundation ng bahay ng karamihan. As an engineer, alam ko kung gaano ka-hindi ligtas yung mga ginagawa nilang bahay. Dito rin usually nagkakaroon ng malaking sunog, since tabi-tabi yung bahay. Flammable materials pa yung gamit nila, like kahoy at yero.”

He also believed that calamities eventually creates a huge impact not only to the infrastructures being built in the place, but also to the people and to the community. Calamities do indeed take a toll to the people’s source of income. Engr. Rivera also claimed that during his childhood years, even before the years he became a successful engineer, life seems to be unfair for them. His family lack money and food.

“Imagine the sacrifices na my parents had to endure. Lima kami magkakapatid, lahat bata pa. Tapos magkakaroon pa ng kalamidad na makakasira sa source of income namin sa isang araw. Syempre magbabaha, eh jeepney driver ang tatay ko, isipin mo yung hirap nun.”

Now that Engr. Rivera is already the head of the Planning Development of Parañaque and the former LDRRM head, it is one of his goals is to improve the drainage system and the evacuation plans of not just the barangay, but the whole city. With this, he mentioned the several evacuation areas within the vicinity of barangay San Isidro. It is advised that when everything goes wrong, the evacuation centres are always open to the public, wherein the rescues, first aid kits and relief goods are there to cater to the community. Although, in terms of typhoon and if the place is not flood prone, it is better to stay indoors with prepared on-the-go kits. In terms of the most dangerous area to be in during calamities, he honestly told me that buildings that are under construction and the slums area are two of the most vulnerable places in the barangay, because as he stated “andoon halos lahat ng panganib.”

When asked about the current problem/s the barangay is currently experiencing, with no doubt Engr. Rivera stated that the lack of discipline and unity is what hinders the barangay to develop more as a community.

“They can’t help na magkalat, which results to clogged drainage. Andiyan pa yung makikipagkwentuhan muna sa kapitbahay bago tapusin yung niluluto. I can’t deny it, matigas talaga ang ulo nung iba.”

Honestly speaking, Engr. Rivera claimed that teaching morals to the community is hard, because he believed that one stubborn can only be stopped once they have learned their lesson. Although, the best thing to do to resolve this problem is through activities and seminars that will benefit not only the people but the barangay itself.

About Capacity & Disaster Management Assessment

Before the calamities are even announced, the LDRRM officials ensure that all relief goods, rescues, first aid kits and evacuation centres are all prepared and in good condition. The barangay also conducts various seminars for the community regarding DRRM and on what to do before, during and after any calamity. Luckily, I was able to personally see the resources available for the people of not just barangay San Isidro but the whole Parañaque.

Fortunately, I was also able to see the hazard map of barangay San Isidro, wherein it detects four components: (a) Flood Hazard Map, (b) Fire Hazard Map, (c) Fire Hydrant, and (e) Evacuation Area.

Conclusion

At the end of our kwentuhan and community walk, I cannot deny that there are still areas that have clogged drainages and smelly wastes, and there are also these people who continuously practice the wrong way of disposing garbages, but I have realized that the barangay had developed for the betterment of the community [thanks to the officials of the LDRRM who gave their all for the people]. I did notice the growth it underwent from my childhood years up to now.

It is also funny how the problems of the barangay resembles the situation of our country, wherein people still actually lack discipline and unity -- not only in disasters but in every possible point. With this, I can say that addressing the issue will never be easy, but with unity I guess this is where we can stand as one. Although, in terms of disasters, the best way to address this is to actually practice the right way of preparing before, during and after disasters. I am pretty sure that it is also advised that we listen to what the officials order us and it is a must that we keep our eyes, ears and mouth open.

As a member of this community and this nation, the most possible concrete solution I can do to address the vulnerabilities is to be an advocate of life. I know how life can be so important to all of us and it always saddens me to see people dying from calamities, so in order to address this, I will do my very best to support the officials’ plans for the community/country as long as it is for the betterment of everyone. This may sound too cliche but I will start the change with myself. We cannot stop calamities from happening, but we can make a solution for it.

Through discipline. Through unity.

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subwaysurfersmod-blog · 6 years

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Best Music Downloader Apps For Android 2019 That Are FREE!

If you belong to homo sapiens class, you need to have some habit to unwind the pressure or strain within. No matter which habit it is, you need to have at least one to get rid of anxiety. Here is where music comes into the picture, it is better to have your favorite music collections to spend your time peacefully. The digital music downloading apps or services changed the way it used to be.

When it comes to listening music, smartphones replaced the legendarily dedicated music players in past decade. With the appropriate free music download apps for your smartphones, you can jolt your music train to reach the relaxation destination. Let’s see some of the free yet best music downloaders for Android 2019, by which you can download your favorite songs or MP3 file right into your mobile phone.

10+ Best Music Downloader Apps For Android 2019 1. 4Shared Music 4Shared Music is a biggest file-sharing website; it makes downloading MP3 songs a breeze on mobile devices including Google Android & Apple iOS. The UI is simple and straightforward; that doesn’t annoy you. Even if you aren’t from the technical background, you’ll quickly get used to the 4Shared music. After all, the user interface is quite old, who cares!

Best Android Music downloader 4Shared Music Downloader

With over 50 million user base, it stands out. Best part, you’ll also get the cloud storage of 15 GB for storing all music and other files. The music files aren’t of high quality still, works in many cases. To experience, the depth of song better get some bass boosters for Android. So that it aligns with your need!

Download 4Shared Music 2. Google Play Music With every walk of the current technology, Google seems to a part of that. In one or other way, the best example would be Google Android. It wasn’t left behind in the music industry, for that Google Play Music is the great place loaded with tons of tracks. With this Android app, one can easily play the local music or stream online music.

Google Play Music Player & Downloader Google Play Music

You can download tracks in various formats like MP3, ACC, WMA, FLAC, and OGG. If you’ve one Google account, you are ready to get your songs list. Inbuilt radio is useful if you aren’t completely satisfied with the music collection.

Now listen: shows the last heard music songs. Stream and download music from over 20000 tracks. Radio is inbuilt for offline entertainment. Create and manage all your playlist with one Google account. My library feature helps you to sync across all your remote devices. Google Play Music Download QR-Code Google Play Music Developer: Google LLC Price: Free 3. Rock My Run If you are a fitness junk, then Rock My Run would be your partner in crime, that’s what they proclaim; Best workout music. Since it’s a running music app it requires users to register an account or login with existing one, to have the better record. It has got some cool features to mention like Beats Per Minute (BPM), align your footsteps with the music you are listing.

Those, it helps users to stay cherished with the music that makes your workout hours wonderful. The notification control panel may help you for easy access. Most of the music is of Western, so if you need any other then this app not for you.

Rock My Run Music Downloader Rock My Run Music Downloader

The mybeat feature is something that is super cool; with this feature let the app recognize your Heart Beats Per Minute (BPM) and adjusts the music as per your BPM. Unfortunately, this feature isn’t available for the Android users, as per my assumption it may arrive shortly.

Download or stream your favorite music songs. My Beat features are impressive for iOS. Sync all your music with one account. Free to download music from vast public domains. RockMyRun - Best Workout Music Download QR-Code RockMyRun - Best Workout Music Developer: Rock My World Price: Free+ 4. Angami Angami is based on the Arabic class, it primarily pitches the Arabic songs, but you’ll also find other as well. It is the premier app popular in the middle east of the Asia, especially in Arabian countries. Being an Arabian mp3 downloader for android, it offers features like streaming, downloading and favoriting your music.

You can also create and manage playlist to add songs directly without even downloading to your phone. Searching music is never so easier, thanks to its advanced search that includes music videos, DJs, and situation of the music like Happy or romantic. If you didn’t fit smooth with music downloads, then you can grab your hands on Radio which is internet based.

Angami Music Angami Music

Registering an account enables users to connect with their friends and know what they are playing. After all, Angami isn’t entirely free, and it is the premium app with ads. But I can say the ads are worth the songs and features it offers.

Download songs and listen to them in offline. Easy to share with your friends through the social web. Personal DJ features rocks. Find the songs by artist irrespective of the language. Subscription needed to enjoy more. Anghami - The Sound of Freedom Download QR-Code Anghami - The Sound of Freedom Developer: Anghami Price: Free+ 5. Wynk Music To spice things up, we brought you the Wynk Music Downloader, for Indian and global music at your fingertips. The Sad part, it’s not free you have to pay 99 Rs (~1.5$) per month to enable the unlimited music download and streaming. But I bet it worth every penny you spend.

With over 2 million songs, you have no limit ( Rahman to Rihanna ). It also works as the music player; it plays the local song you have. It works like the Android Download managers to get the stuff. If you have unlimited internet bandwidth, then you are ready to explore. If didn’t, then you can activate the data saver mode to save the bandwidth.

Wynk Music Downloader Wynk Music Downloader

Previously, it allowed only Airtel subscribers to use the Wynk Music but now they have removed that restriction and it’s open for everyone. As the time of writing this article, you’ll get one-month free Wynk Plus subscription with every new registration.

Download or stream regional or international music. 1.8 million songs in their database. Quickly find music as per genre or artists. The tendency to download or stream music with one click. Wynk Music - Download & Play Songs & MP3 for Free Download QR-Code Wynk Music - Download & Play Songs & MP3 for Free Developer: Airtel Price: Free 6. Free Mp3 Downloads Free MP3 downloads is a worth for trying the app that helps you to find your desired artists songs. This is one of the best apps for downloading music for android phone. This app is simple to use, and the music is free to download as well.

Top Best MP3 Downloader For Android 2016

You won’t face any copyright infringement, and you’ll get the music from the “free to use” public domains. The primary source will be from the Jamendo website, which has tons of the songs in their database.

Download or listen to the songs online. This app is available in various languages. You won’t find any commercial music. Artists directly upload their music, so no more infringement fear. Kostenlose Mp3 Musik Download QR-Code Kostenlose Mp3 Musik Developer: Programitas, MB Price: Free 7. Gaana Gaana is another great free music download apps for android for Indian. Like Wynk Music, you need the Gaana+ subscription to download the music, but you can listen free without even registering an account. But the amount of music you’ll get with Gaana is limited to top listeners pick, you don’t get every music you need. With the beautiful and easy to use user interface you could access over 10 million songs. Best part, you don’t have to create your playlist, they have playlist according to the music genre so that you could get instant access.

With the beautiful and easy to use user interface you could access over million songs. Best part, you don’t have to create your playlist, they have playlist according to the music genre so that you could get instant access. It is one of the best Mp3 music download app by far.

Gaana Music Gaana Music

Apart from that, even you could set up and manage your playlist as per your choice. As of writing this post, you’ll get free Gaana+ subscription with every registration done through the Facebook account. Make sure you grab before it ends.

Gaana Music - Hindi Tamil Telugu MP3 Songs Online Download QR-Code Gaana Music - Hindi Tamil Telugu MP3 Songs Online Developer: Gamma Gaana Ltd Price: Free+ 8. Music Paradise Pro Music Paradise Pro is the game changer app out there on the market. It searches for the music you entered in all the search engines and curates the music for you. But, the user interface is quite old, but still, leaves you a lot on your plate.

Music-Download-Paradise-Lite

Apart from the UI concern, it supports most of the pro features. It supports multiple file download support along with optimized downloading speed. All the free music downloads for the Android phone will be stored safely in your memory card.

Download Music Paradise

9. iTube Being free, iTube enables you to stream or download the song to your mobile. Best part, it is completely free I mean there is no in-app purchases or hidden charges. Regarding the availability of the songs, you’d be surprised. It crawls the music with tons of search engine and shows the downloading link in no time. After all, the rating of iTube in the Play Store tells you the rest of the story!

Not available as of now

10. SuperCloud Music Downloader SuperCloud Music Downloader is one of the old and versatile Android application to get your needs satisfied. It fetches the most of the music for downloading and streaming online. The user interface is decent which isn’t convoluted. You can search for the music by name, genre or artist involved. Overall, it will be a fresh move to download music. Sadly, it is not available in the Play Store; you have to download the APK file.

Download SuperCloud Music

11. SoundCloud Music soundcloud-music

SoundCloud is the hands down music streaming service, but it also enables you to save the music files to offline in the SoundCloud Go version. Though you won’t find some indie movie songs, still it worth the try. Like most of the free music download apps for android, you can create and manage playlists for individual situations like Workout, party, and other things. It also has the default templates, which can be editable.

SoundCloud - Music & Audio Download QR-Code SoundCloud - Music & Audio Developer: SoundCloud Price: Free 12. Napster Napster is one of the free music downloader app, apart from Music you can also listen to FM radio stations. With over 40 million songs from 35 countries, you would get the endless opportunity to explore. You will also get 30 days free trial to test the service, once you are satisfied you can go ahead. Managing playlist is a breeze, create and manage unlimited playlist as you wish.

Napster Music Downloader Napster Music Downloader

Best part, there is no irritating ads or popup in the middle, you can listen to the music peacefully. If you are into radio, then check out some of the FM transmitter apps for Android.

Napster Music Download QR-Code Napster Music Developer: Rhapsody International, Inc Price: Free 13. Hungama Music It is one of the regional music streaming and downloading app available for Android & iOS. With over 3.5 million tracks from several languages, you have some wide range of choices. Things we like a lot with Hungama are, The discovery feature is simply awesome. You can find new music tracks from different artist to resonate with your mood and it works flawlessly most of the times. Once you find the song, you can also view the lyrics right within the app, which is a boon for those karaoke nerds.

With the Hungama pro subscription, you can get an ad-free user experience along with the auto download features. You can listen to the music even in offline, if you have logged from the app, obviously you can’t play the downloaded songs from third-party music players.

Hungama Music - Stream & Download MP3 Songs Download QR-Code Hungama Music - Stream & Download MP3 Songs Developer: Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. Price: Free+ These are some of the music downloading apps we often use, there are many other applications also out there including Spotify (only if you have an active subscription), Music maniac and others.

Summing up, Downloading music for your phone is never going to be an easy task. With these best free music downloader apps for Android 2019, you can quickly get MP3s ranging from classic to western. After all, most of these are free to use. So definitely a win-win situation! Let’s know what app you use to download movie songs or Mp3 in the comment section below.

Also, share this article with your family & friends who might get benefited from this. Keep visiting Android Crush for more such posts!

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fridaynightbordercrossing · 6 years

Text

An Interview With Almalafa

Almalafa is one of the most important bands to understand the development of a ska and reggae scene in Tijuana. With a trajectory that has gone for more than 18 years, they tell us about their trajectory.

THE BEGINNINGS

"In those years, we had some friends that were singing, Roxana and Ivette, who did not sing at all(laughs). There was also Carlos Monarrez on Guitar, Jorge Martínez on bass and Julio Martínez on drums. We knew the people of Babylón XX, who played then as Cairo, that was between '93 or '94, so they invited us to play "

"The first important show was the Rock 94 Marathon behind the Jai Alai, they connected us. At that time, we had a demo that was produced by El Chino Perales. In addition, for that festival, we had our first interview for radio, which was connected through Jorge, keyboardist of Babylón XX, who was the boyfriend of Betty Juárez of Stéreo Amistad at the time. We were hungry to be known and we were looking for where to play. "

"In '97, the band was well formed with a metal section and with Isaac as a vocalist, we had the songs ready and we were looking for a studio and an engineer who could record as well. Nessie recorded in Los Angeles, that was an option, but we listened to Nona Delichas and we talked to Rubén Montoya and with him, we recorded at Sweet Sound in National City. With the album ready, we were always looking for large venues to play. We played at Mexicali En La Playa, which in those years was good, there we met Mario Alberto from More FM 98.9, we delivered him the tape and so, we went into the radio little by little".

"The songs were liked and the band got a lot of fans, people thought that the band was foreign, not that it was from Tijuana. Once we played at Club Dosis in Pueblo Amigo and we met El Gato from Mexico City, he brought bands from there and had a sales tent at the Tianguis Del Chopo. He was the first to take the cassette to Mexico City, and that was the first time we went there, even in the Metro, they sold it for 20 pesos. After more bands came out like Los Kung Fu Monkeys, Dead Panchos, and Esos Gueyes and we made the Mexican Ska Fest 1 in Studio 1 of More FM with 1500 people, we invited Chencha Berrinches from Los Angeles with the support of Eduardo Cruz through the Institute Municipal of Art and Culture".

CALIFORNIA CONNECTION

"Playing in California was a good time for the band. I do not remember if they found us online, but who called us was Sergio" Lavis "Peralta for the Skalifornia Fest that was held at the Terraza Jamay, which was a party hall straight from the '70s. After him, we hooked with Jorge Leal from Ecléctica, who later became our manager in the United States and was the one who got our record trough Option Sónica USA ".

"With the album, we started playing in the best places in Hollywood like The Roxy, Key Club, Conga Room, House Of Blues, The King Theater, Whiskey A Go-Go, The Palace and The Knitting Factory. In addition, we also played in Anaheim at JC Fandango's, obviously in San Diego at Brick By Brick, SOMA, Open Air Theater, Cafe Sevilla and Over The Border. We were also in Chicago, in the Aragón Ballroom with Brujería. But what is a fact, is the list of names of bands and artists that we alternate in all these places: Los Pericos, Autenticod Decadentes, Tijuana NO !, The Specials , The Wailers, Fidel Nadal, La Mosca Tse Tse, Karamelo Santo, Garrobos, King Chango, Wisecracker, Chris Murray, G Spot, Vicentico, The Aggrolites, The Skatalites, Un Kuartito, Sekta Core, Salon Victoria, Panteon Rococo, Maldita Vecindad , Molotov, General Public, Victims Del Dr. Cerebro, Okploide, Alika, 2 Minutos, Antidoping and many more. The reviews appeared in magazines such as La Banda Elástica and Retila, in those times we played more in Los Angeles than in Tijuana".

"In fact, at a point we considered staying in California for a while, it would have been interesting to stay for months and record there, since there are good studios, but we have a family, that occupies a large part of our time. When we went to Mexico, we slept in a small room, we were without nothing, 2, 3 months. You have to know how to have control of that, because if you can not stand it is difficult. People have said to us a lot of bullshit, but if people knew that we played from the nastiest punk places in Mexico to the nicest places in Hollywood, we've been working hard".

"More FM was very strong with rock music, all of Tijuana began to listen to us. What happens is that because of their politics, the radio stops helping you, they take away the spots. At that time, we were strong in Los Angeles, in Tijuana we did not play because there was not a record to show people. On the other hand, in Tijuana it is difficult to get paid, you have to pull your people, assure them something. Nobody takes risks, then, it is difficult in that sense. We used to do our events, but we stopped doing them because we did not have a record, but we're starting over again".

SOWING THE SEED IN MEXICO

"With the Psicodelic Ska album in the market, we returned to Mexico City to festivals and PP Lobo arrived and offered to release the album under his PP Lobo Records label. He already had signed the bands that we the most popular there like La Matatena, Sekta Core, La Tremenda Korte, so he offered to distribute the album. We also participated in the first two Mexican ska compilations, Skuela de Baile 1 y 2 that had very good distribution, and that helped us to get promoters to take us to Mexico City. Almalafa had the best recording, best vocalist and most original concept. Maybe it is bad to say it, but, we were better in everything and we influence many bands from there. For example, listen to El Fantasma De La Rana of Sekta Core and it sounds like Quemare Tu Sepultura or a song from Panteon sounds like Psicodelia and there are more".

"The ska scene in Mexico continues and strong, there are ska shows everywhere, in Tijuana, Guadalajara, Monterrey, DF and even in Los Angeles, we are in the 3rd. Ska wave. New bands come out in every city. Here in Tijuana, ska bands are the ones that move the most, as I see it, making shows, looking for venues, and this is part of what we have planted bands like Tijuana NO !, The KFM and us. There is a strong scene with an audience".

"Many people have a very bad concept of ska bands, not all of them are like that, but, we have an evolution, we are playing more things. We are Mexican Ska but it's boring to play just that, that's why we're putting more thing, having more fun, that's why there are very varied things on the second album. In terms of lyrics, each band has its own way of protesting. We talk about not wanting wars, but we do not talk about what happened in the past, we talk about the present, talking about positivism and good vibes, it's a way of a protest seeking peace. We can not be a single genre band, we have to change it, but as for the band's concept, we play what we play, we're not going to change, so we play with any type of band, we are what we are, that's our satisfaction".

MI PELIGROSA TIJUANA

"We feel more mature, musically, we are better musicians than before and that helps us make better music, lyrics, and arrangements. We are going to give you a mixture of rhythms very different from those of the first album, combined with the Alma-style ska. Also, more aggressive voices and choirs, something that did not have the first album. The sound of this album is more raw, not as clean as that of Psicodelic Ska. In this recording, the studio is better and we use Rubén Montoya as an engineer again, we feel very comfortable with him ".

"This record was a medium length process, like 2 years, a lot of time, but it was because of the expensive of the studio. We recorded it in the Studio EQ of Los Tucanes De Tijuana. With the profits of the shows, we bought blocks of 5 or 10 hours. Actually, it was not very comfortable, we worked against the clock, pressured by time and cost, but in the end, I am quite pleased with the result. It was also a long process because when it was already recorded new things were coming out in the arrangements and we were changing them again. This record can be considered to be within the ska movement, but that does not mean that Almalafa does not play anything else ska. Almalafa is a versatile band that likes to combine ska with rhythms such as Danzon, Bossanova, Jazz, etc, that could change on a future the musical course of the band".

"Imagine that at this time we had released two albums, things would have been different, but now, things are like that and we go with it. Exactly I do not know what would have happened, but we would be a little more advanced. There is a time, in which, I do not know, it's like a challenge in all bands where there are difficulties, but thank God, we get along, we have been able to keep the band, we are more understanding among ourselves, we are still here and we do not think about stopping in a very long time".

"At the start, we played making noise, looking to structure a song, build the band and not think about the result. We do not do thinking that the songs are going to hit, we compose and make then for our liking. We were lucky to have been in a compilation of Sony Music, where the first track was ours. A lot of people knew about us and had a good response and it was a good achievement. Also with Ubeerse Records in Germany with whom we had the distribution of the album, there has been a good response from over there and even from Indonesia".

"Technology makes things easier, but we are old school. We recognize that computing and the internet are an important tool, and in that case, it is better to be independent, we can do anything with the record, we can put it anywhere. What we want is promotion, that is what we are fighting, whoever distributes it, gives us something to work. If we were signed, the problem would be that we would be without promotion, without that, there is nothing. There are bands that been freeze by companies. In fact, there are many bands that even the company decides not even releasing or distributing their record, which is worse. You are learning to be independent, to move without that "help", since you do not know if it is for good or for bad, so we want to be the owners of the material. Peter Gabriel, to give an example, sells only his material and is dedicated to touring the world. The most well-known bands are able to pull their own deals. We like to have control, so that is why nothing has ever been signed. We are not interested in the transnational record companies, we will be independent until death, (the big ones) do not take care of the bands".

IN CONCLUSION

"Almalafa continues, and will continue to make music, recording it, making videos and playing here and there, where it is possible, traveling to other cities. We have a necessity to create and present music, and if it is well accepted by people, much better. With the time we have, it is easier, the promoters are looking for us to participate in their festivals and it allows us to play for more people".

"We have been playing for more than 15 years, but we have reinvented ourselves, we have again that hunger to go on tour and record new songs. In music we are in a super point of creation, we are getting the very good stuff. And what we have left this year is to return to Mexico City and start recording Volume 2 of the album Mi Peligrosa Tijuana, we are ready to start recording, there are 10 full songs and we want to start working on that".

UPDATE

They finally released Mi Peligrosa Tijuana and in fact, it is their finest release, showcasing their uncanny ability to make great songs. They celebrated their 20th year being featured in the Pepsi Ska Fest in Mexico City with good reception. Still are going strong, going back to California and doing some special shows.

(Compilation of interviews conducted between 2000 and 2012 for RadioTrac in Bulbo Broadcast, Trac! Trac! Trac!, JarCore Radio and No Cover in Spanish)

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#Tijuana #interview #Ska #Reggae #Music #culture

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