#starf and mattari

[starfraps]

Mode of Transport: An explanation of the songs of Have Some Fun!

 Ah yes, the first of a handful of collaborative tracks with one of my favorite human beings on the planet, the one, the only: Mattari 2600. It’s funny that this album ended up having only three collab tracks, and all of them were with Mattari, but it’s also fitting. The title is Have Some Fun! and it’s aptly titled, because the most fun I’ve ever had doing music - hands down - has been anything I’ve done with Mattari. Sorry, everybody else, but that’s just how it is.

Out of the three StarF & Mattari tracks on HSF!, however, Mode of Transport is the only song that was actually intended to be on this album. What about the other two? Well, we’ll get to their explanations eventually, but for now all you need to know is that I originally wanted to do a song in a similar vein to the last track - except all I would do is rattle off excessive amounts of nerdy vehicles from various games and movies. Not even vehicles necessarily, just ways to get around. Motion is a very important part of geek culture, it turns out, and some of the coolest properties have been based solely on the idea of fictional transportation (*ahem*...portal).

When I wrote this song I kept going back and forth on whether or not I liked it. Honestly I still sorta do. There are things about it that bug the shit out of me, mostly just things like “oh my god this beat is so excessive sometimes” or “this hook lasts just way too long,” or even just not liking the hook in general. I kind of wish I would have wrote a different hook, but for the purpose of this song it does do its job, and suffices in being catchy enough - or so I’ve been told. What I will defend to the death on this song, however, is the verses. I think all three verses are extremely solid.

Beyond the concept of simply rapping about nerdy vehicles, I sort of framed both my verses around a theme. The first verse being about flight or space travel and the second being about ground transportation. This actually happened on accident, as I was almost done wrapping up the first verse and realized I had inadvertently only mentioned stuff that keeps you, for the most part, off the ground. The outlier here is the mention of a Mario Kart go-kart, but I feel that I made up for it by specifically pointing out that it’s on everybody’s favorite level: Rainbow Road (which actually is my favorite Mario Kart level, okay? so stop judging me).

When it came time for Mattari to do his verse he actually came over to my house to write and record it, which was incredibly fun and felt like old times. The official lyrics that went out with the download still contain the fact that when we wrote his verse it was headed with “MATTARI SUX:” as a joke. The truth is that Mattari does not suck, and is in fact a much more entertaining and competent rapper than I could ever hope to be. His verse on this song is goddamn hilarious and way more clever than anything I came up with. I specifically remember us both working on some of the lines, and losing our minds laughing when we came up with the couplet “Or glide upon a dragon, high above the land // FUS ROH DUH, BITCH, I'M NEVER GONNA LAND.” Like first of all “fus roh duh, bitch” is incredibly funny, but the idea of rhyming “land” with itself, just in different contexts amused us both for some reason. Ending the final verse with the mention of fast travel was a stroke of genius. I love this man.

Similar to what I did with the previous track, I am now going to add a “read more” break and paste the full lyrics with links to each specific reference! Enjoy!

This is the way I get around, from here to there This is the way I get down, don't leer, just stare This is the way I get around, don't need no passport This is the way I get down, it's my mode of transport

It's a hop skip and a jump from my destination But I gotta rip it up in a stylish demonstration The way I travel leaves 'em stunned, I'm going the hardest Arriving fashionably late just for fun, showing in my TARDIS That's right I travel trough time and space, you know my identity I commandeered a ship and thereby gained me some Serenity Board derelict vessels to settle long dead scores Now I'm launched out in Starbug from the Red Dwarf And I'm plotting a course, of course I've got the style Launching out on rainbow road; go-kart for miles Single file ain't no thang when you play in four dimensions I built this Enterprise and I've figured your intensions At mention of my craft realize your talks all prattle, loser Jim Raynor's by my side, Hyperion, can't board my battlecruiser! Warning written in the clouds, just check the sky banner Single-handedly take you all out; Einhander

[HOOK]

But it can't all be up in the air, stop looking to the sky, huh? I rip up the terra, sporting fastest speeds on the gaia Every vehicle souped up; number one mod chaser Neon lighting, so exciting, all up in my pod racer Squad eraser; battle mechs, goliaths and seige tanks Observe noise laws? Nothing can quiet me, thanks! But it's not all destruction, I've got me a bitchin' light-cycle And a portal gun too! Interspatial holes, Right, I go Anywhere, anytime, I can't make my mind up, shoot That's alright I think I'll bounce around in a wind-up boot It's kinda moot to think you could beat me in the REDLINE. I'll leave you in the dust, ha-ha-ha, MACH FIVE! Talk derives from the cockiness gained from foes battle fear Even without mechanics I take em down with Shadowmere Do you catch my drift? I'll burn rubber in Paradise City Compared to my repertoire your silly ride is lookin' shitty

[HOOK]

MATTARI SUX: My taxi's pretty crazy, I'm beating time limits Destination's up ahead, dropping people off in it Any contest, I'll win it, man, I gotta go fast I'm a unicycle racer and you're 'bout to get trashed Better step upon the gas, now you're under attack boy Swingin' from a grappling hook, I'll kick you in the Sackboy Cruisin' round Pandora yellin' "CATCH A RIIIDE!" Cannon travel's pretty cheap, so go on and slip inside Or glide upon a dragon, high above the land FUS ROH DUH, BITCH, I'M NEVER GONNA LAND I don't think you understand, I'm too lazy to walk So beam me up, mother fucker, you can call me Spock Or I'll go down, down, down in a bathysphere My Atari tank makes sure my path is clear Take a good look around as the story unravels Or fuck it...I'll just use fast travel

[esonetwork]

Flopcast 306: MarsCon 2018 - Everyone Will Boil

New Post has been published on https://esopodcast.com/flopcast-306-marscon-2018-everyone-will-boil/

Flopcast 306: MarsCon 2018 - Everyone Will Boil

Flopcast episode 306! Despite a delightful series of weather-related delays and flight cancellations, Kornflake has returned from Minnesota with a full report on MarsCon! It’s one of our very favorite conventions, thanks to its Dementia Track of comedy music concerts, under the direction of our pal the great Luke Ski. Performers this year included Luke, Donita Smith, Marc with a C, StarF and Mattari 2600, brentalfloss, Power Salad, Devo Spice, Insane Ian, TV’s Kyle and Lindzilla, the Library Bards, the Faithful Sidekicks, Beth Kinderman, Karl Brown, and Carrie Dahlby! Plus: Dementia Smackdown Wrestling, Geek Bellydancing, Boob Tree (it’s a game), Use Your Words (also a game), and of course… Kornflake’s Dementia Water Aerobics! Hop in the pool, kids; we like to leave our fellow geeks soaking wet and exhausted.

Episode 306 complete show notes and links at www.flopcast.net!

[starfraps]

StarF & Mattari 2600 - Snow Ballin'

I already talked about this in my last post, as well as in the liner notes of the actual album, but here's a brief summary: I got together with Mattari and we made a 15 minute EP of absolutely ridiculous shit just for fun. It was done overnight! Seven tracks in one night of laughter and recording. You can listen to it for free, of course, and then tell us we're stupid.

FEATURING THOSE HIT SINGLES:

1. Makin' History 2. Moon Men 3. Ass Slammin' 4. Chairmen 5. Shovelin' 6. Like A Periscope 7. No One Pays Attention To Lyrics Anymore

Get it while it's hot!

<3 StarF