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absolutebl · 5 months

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This Week in BL - Top 3 Are HEATING UP

Organized, in each category, by ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

Dec 2023 Wk 2

Ongoing Series - Thai

Honestly, 3 are neck & necking for top position! They are all so good in different ways. But The Sign had me hooting with laughter this week, so it scooped #1.

The Sign (Sat YT) ep 4 of 10 - This show is literally everything (except straight) all at once. It's BL, queer, band of brothers, romcom, erotica, paranormal, fated mates, mystery, suspense, slasher, and horror. It’s the king of genre mash-up chaos. I have no idea what I’m watching but I’m ON this ride. Is it a roller coaster? Is it a haunted house? Is it a twirl & hurl? Is there candy floss? Am I even tall enough? Who tf cares. All through the second scene, I was laughing. It was legit funny. Billy has great comedic timing. Guess he’s not just a pretty face.

Everyone should be watching this. Sure, it's madness but there is genius in it.

Last Twilight (Fri YT) ep 6 of 12 - Yech. August may be one of GMMTV’s least likable characters ever (and that is saying something). Meanwhile, MOAR language play! They spoiling me!

Mhok letting Day go then walking away at the party hurt so bad.

Argh this show is great!

Ep 6 so that kiss was right on schedule. I’m looking forward to the boyfriend eps before doom & pain in the new year. Carry on GMMTV.

Speaking of...

Cherry Magic (Sat YouTube) ep 2 of 12 - Oh they’re great. It’s great. It’s paced oddly, moving quickly through most of the key scenes of the original JBL in these first 2 eps. I think it’s intending to encompass more of the manga series than that one did. Which is good, cause that will get us all the way to The Library Kiss (TM). It's the best kiss in the manga. I also like the sides in this show (better than the JBL version).

My Dear Gangster Oppa (Thurs iQIYI) ep 8fin - What a lovely slightly unhinged little show. Tew, can we talk? Un-ironic suspenders, that takes courage. Also, the revolver was a crazy gun choice.

Final thoughts:

This show is just as ridiculous as its title. About a gaymer who falls in love with one of his in-game teammates, who just happens to be a IRL gangster. A real gangster, the kind that actually kills people regularly. The lead pair is doing their best with a ridiculous story and shoddy script, but I enjoyed it. Although I was grateful it wasn’t very long, what we got was oddly satisfying if, frankly, a little bit silly. Recommended. 8/10

That said, what's important about this BL is not the show, but the production and style. Let me explain... no, too much, let me sum up.

This is a chimera BL. Regarding characters: it has Japan's style otaku + Korea's style gangster + Thailand's style friendship group. It used Thai talent + Korean money (Kakao) & IP (adapted from a manwha) but aired on a Chinese channel globally (iQIYI). I'm delighted by the eclectic insanity of this production and truly doubt that any other genre but BL could ever produce like this. It's like diplomat's BL and it's the great wonder of our age that it happened at all. This BL deserves its place in the history books on production alone, even if that place is only in the footnotes. A remarkable little monster.

For Him (Thurs iQIYI) ep 3 of 10 - The sides are… messy. Using the same actor for the old bf is… odd. But in the end, this show leaves me smiling. Which means, I like it despite myself.

Bake Me Please (Mon Gaga) ep 4 of 6 - It's decent. It’s basically what I wanted Antique Bakery to be when I first watched that way back when (not to mention Bite Me). But there’s been so much BL since then that, for some reason, this is falling flat. I think it’s moving too fast for a Thai series. Although, say what you like, Ohm has to be one of the best soft kissers in the industry. He's just good at mouth tenderness.

Ugh, that doesn't sound right. But you know what I mean.

Twins the series (Fri GaGa) ep 7 of 10 - I love how First is so upset when Sprite starts chatting and being nice to Koh. Sprite is just a sweet easy-going likable boy. I enjoy Sprite as a main character, he’s a bubbly little communicator. And they had a cute kiss.

Pit Babe (Fri iQIYI) ep 5 of 14 - Because there was more Alan and Jeff and they were more key to the plot I was more into this ep. I do compare it to green smoothie down the pants in the Trash Watch.

Cooking Crush (Sun YT) ep 3 of 12 - Look OffGun are truly great. But I’m just not sure we need them in BL anymore. That said, it’s nice to see Off as "the one with the crush" for a change. Also, this show is only good when OffGun are on screen together, otherwise it kinda, well, sucks.

Night Dream (Sat YT) ep 1 of 6 - Cafe setting featuring a cook and a writer. *Seems awfully familiar.* Except these two are exes and this is a reunion romance. It’s stiff and very pulp but not bad (no crap sound effects) and I am a sucker for a reunion romance. That said, Rookie Thailand is not to be trusted, proceed with caution.

Absolute Zero (Weds iQIYI) ep 12fin - I'm grateful this is over. It was tense but for the wrong reasons - sadness and confusion. This final episode was fine, but that’s because it was mostly them being together + flashbacks. Plus all the familiar actor faces of the grown-up friends (hi, Karn my lovely, still stunning I see). But 2 of 12 episodes is not enough for the 10 of suffering and confusion that came before.

In conclusion:

A man is killed on his 10th anniversary resulting in a time paradox, for which the only solution is him never meeting his childhood sweetheart until later in life. Both lovers cycle back to the past at different ages, so that they each become their own 1st & 2nd great loves, but every time it ends in pain, until each also endures 10 years of separation. Finally it gets fixed, but leaves them with multiple memories of time's failures like temporal PTSD, and everyone around them has chronic deja vu. Me? I got both. This is one of those BLs that is high-quality with great acting but poor story. If you like your BL dwelling, maudlin, and tense due to angst and suffering, then you might enjoy this. But I just regret it, 6/10. Recommended only if you like confusing time travel emo pain.

In which case, just watch Tokyo in April is... instead. Give over Thailand, Japan does it better.

Middleman’s Love (Fri YT & iQIYI ep 6 of 8 - While our main couple isn’t working for me... the side couple isn’t working for me either. I really wanted to give LeoTai a chance, this is the 3rd show I’ve seen them in, and still nope. I like Jade a lot more when he’s sad. He’s a much more pleasant screen experience depressed. I would like him to stay hurt for a couple of eps, just so I can enjoy this show a tiny bit more. But then he just goes unhinged again. Argh. I just don’t like it.

My Universe (Sun iQIYI) Pisces of Me ep 17 of 24 - Codependent boyfriends in middle school planning for high school dealing with stuff. Including other boys being into them.

Playboyy (Thurs Gaga) 5 of 14 eps - Dear Playboyy, it's not you, it’s me… I hate you. You’re about as deep (and as palatable) as a shot glass of cum. While I'm sure you’re someone’s kink, you're my weakest link. Goodbye. DNF

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

VIP Only (Taiwan Fri Gaga) ep 5 of 10 - It’s cute but I don’t think BL in this short format is Taiwan’s strength these days. And this is quite slow and dull. Perhaps they should have whacked it down to 6 eps, not 10.

Sahara-sensei to Toki-kun (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 3 of 8 - This is one of those JBLs that I should like on paper but is failing me. The drag bit was ridiculous but handled gently. The kiss was… well… something wasn’t it? It’s all very odd. I like the photographer cutie character.

It's Airing But...

The Whisperer (Sun ????) 10 eps - Thai horror BL that ALSO involves cheating (what joy is mine). I don't think even the perfect single dimple can motivate me to watch. Word is... it's terrible.

7 Days Before Valentine (Weds WeTV) 10 eps - Giving me Luminous Solution vibes. I'm waiting to binge if it's safe.

Beyond The Star (Weds iQIYI) 8 eps - House of Stars meets Boyband. I was NOT impressed with ep 1. Been told I shouldn't bother.

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) 10 eps - I find this series more fun to binge, so I'm waiting until after it completes its run next week.

Dear Kitakyushu (Thai/Japan movie) in theaters in country only, I know nothing about distribution.

Behind the Shadows (Korea movie) this is a historical I was interested in, but I've been told they kill the gay so I'm OUT.

Next Week Looks Like This

Still coming:

12/23 Dead Friend Forever (Thai horror) iQIYI

Original 2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED). With the end of the year upon us I'll do an "announced for 2023 but never happened list" soon.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

He so pretty.

I forgot how likable TayNew are, and frankly I think New is a better version of this role for me, personally. I like him a lot. He's a conscientious sweetheart. And a good egg. (Cherry Magic)

Ah the rooftop my old friend. (Last Twilight)

I would like to point out that it's no accident the naga's sex dream happened in the shower, he's a water creature after all. (The Sign)

(Last week)

#the sign the series #was very hot this week #this week in bl #bl updates #Last Twilight #Thai BL #cherry magic #my dear gangster oppa #my dear gangster oppa review #for him the series #Bake Me Please #antique bakery #twins the series #cooking crush #offgun #Absolute Zero review #bl reviewed #bl reviews

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dappercritter · 3 years

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Godzilla vs Kong: Brutally Honest Thoughts

(Took me long enough, eh? Depending on home video releases be like that.)

So first things first, I have a confession to make: I spoiled the movie before I watched it. I was impatient and they had only announced an HBO Max premiere in the states and a theatrical run in Canada at the time. Afterward, I got heads-up from a friend and immersed myself in the opinions of those lucky enough to see it early. I’m just saying that I have some preconceived opinions that I’m sticking to.

That said, Godzilla vs Kong turned out to be more fun than I expected! But you already knew that. Everyone did. The two kings of movie monsters had their rematch and this time it was with glorious Hollywood SFX powering it this time.

The human story was fun but it’s clear they stopped trying at this point. Team Kong stole my heart, especially Jia. Team Godzilla (although the Conspiracy Crew would be a more fitting term since they spend more time chasing down mysteries than trying to back or understand Godzilla) was more fun than I expected and their dynamic was surprisingly enjoyable. Bernie is actually kind of funny, it's nice to see Madison acting more assertive, and Josh was fine--he was the only sane man of the bunch but he was also the butt of the jokes. Still, all the hardcore conspiracy jokes got old fast and it feels off seeing the daughter of two scientists turn into an edgy conspiracy crackpot. Why not an edgy science major?

Team Apex are fun villains, especially Walter Simmons who's a great megalomaniacal CEO type, but Ren Serizawa is a joke. I like his actor's performance but he's just another footnote. Nobody bats an eye at his last name, although the only heroes he interacts with are Nathan Lind and he just misses Team Godzilla. He really could have just been any other villain, but instead, they had to sully Serizawa’s legacy further while robbing a good actor of some interesting material. (As is, it turns out he was just an egotistical jerk with daddy issues--an easy puzzle to solve on day one--after all...)

However, I still cannot and will not approve of the fact that somebody thought it would be a good idea to make the heroes of a sci-fi story into hardcore conspiracy theorists in this day and age. Likewise, I’m not a huge fan of how they essentially made the Hollow Earth into its own universe complete with a crazy portal and an environment with its own laws of physics, nor am I totally crazy about the huge leap in technology that was made between this and KOTM, or G’14 for that matter.

The monsters as awesome as they are, are the biggest mixed bag in the show.

Kong is at his best in ages, and while I am all for the new heroic warrior character that Legendary have crafted and I acknowledge that making him a worthy opponent for their god-tier Godzilla was going to be a hurdle, I think they did a splendid job. Seeing Kong using agility and acrobatics was a glorious sight to behold, and something about Kong becoming a tool-user and weapon wielder just feels right. It’s a far better demonstration of Kong as a “thinking animal” (*wink, wink*).

I’m much less thrilled about their treatment of his greatest opponent ever. After everything they’ve done to build up Godzilla as the incredible force of neutral good fighting to maintain balance and all the build up to ancient rivalry debating back to a great Titan war--even going as far as putting his name in front Kong’s this time!-- they’ve reduced Godzilla back to glorified bully for Kong. He only gets the minimum amount of sympathy from the cast of his movie before they go off to deal with the conspiracy plot or focus on Kong and the Hollow Earth. Worse still, he is somehow more powerful and more aggressive than ever for a good chunk of the movie which leads to an outcome I’m sorry to say we all saw coming. Somehow, I suspect that the reason behind this was how Wingard cited Godzilla vs. Mothra, vs. Destoryah, and Shin-Godzilla as influences for the monsters scale and story, which while cool and all, are all movies where he was played up as a mostly stoic antagonist rather than a three-dimensional character like Kong. (Though ironically vs. Destoroyah and Shin did a better job of making Godzilla feel more sympathetic and in both of them he was a walking nuclear reactor meltdown.)

Due to the unfortunate time constraints of the three-way deal between Toho, WB, and Universal at the time this was in production, Kong was unable to secure a proper sequel that could develop his skillset like Godzilla’s did. Nevermind the fact the filmmakers completely surrendered to the “nothing matters but the monsters” mentality that a chunk of the fanbase has been spouting since this universe unofficially kicked off almost 10 years ago. (Sidenote: Oh god, I’m turning in an old fart already.) As a result, the movie trips over itself trying to set up Godzilla and Kong’s rivalry as well as building up Kong as a worthy opponent to Godzilla while expanding on their shared lore, and as a result countless plot points set up in in the previous movie and tie-in movie are thrown out the window. I’m sorry to say but in spite of all hopes and illusions of grandeur, it’s safe to this damn thing is a Kong movie with Godzilla as the bad guy.

...at least until HE shows up. Yup, Mechagodzilla. The biggest spoiled twist of the centuries steals the show so the movie can pull a Dawn of Justice. But! It does it much better than the fractured DCEU’s most controversial entry ever could. Mechagodzilla’s inclusion gets a decent amount of build up thanks to Team Godzilla/the Conspiracy Crew, and when he shows up, does he make an impression! At first, I wasn’t sure how to feel about his inclusion or his design, but I’ve come to like this one. He’s basically a kaiju terminator built in Godzilla’s image made purely out of heavy machinery piloted by the best Ghidorah head. It’s a jarring change of pace compared to previous MechaG’s but it grows on you after a while. With the abundance of weaponry stuffed into him, he feels like a fitting update of the original killing machine, and even if his inclusion feels like an easy way out of the big showdown, it’s fun to see him played as a literal colossal heel for the kings to team up against. Not to mention he looks shockingly good with those red highlights. However, one still can’t help but wonder how and why he was made in this universe, or how he feels like pure heavy machinery one minute and then an extra-large Ultron unit the next.

As for the the big throwdowns we’ve all been waiting for... well, we’re still in the mixed bag deparment. While the fights are all exciting and excellently choreographed, and benefit from some more eclectic lighting and cinematograph, I’m sorry to say that as far as the rematch of the century goes they dropped the ball on this one.

Don’t get me wrong, the fights are all great in their own ways, but there’s a drastic change in the feeling of weight and power with the monsters. Godzilla, Kong, and even Mechagodzilla all feel strangely floaty in most of their fights. One moments they feel like true behemoths shaking the very earth with every movement and then it’s like they’re in Godzilla Unleashed, running, jumping, and throwing each other around with speed that feels that almost makes you wonder if the Hollow Earth’s gravity inversion stuff is leaking out into the world. While it’s all perfectly cool, you can’t help but wonder how Kong is able to leap between aircraft carriers and buildings, when Godzilla got the ability to blow a hole through the Earth itself, or how a colossal machine is able to move so nimbly or why it has to be flashing blue all the time.

It’s fascinating and fun but you just can’t help but wonder how we got from almost posthuman disaster and war movies exploring how we’re at the mercy of the ancient almost mythical forces beyond our comprehension, we’ve found ourselves smack dab in the middle of Bayformers meets Jurassic World levels of Hollywood absurdity where anything and everything can and will happen in the name of getting to the monster fights. Although I can’t say I’m surprised given the director’s take on Death Note made some questionable choices with it’s take on the infamous cast while still coming up with some genuinely inspired choices. Still, all things considered we could have gotten worse compared to ther cinematic universes made by WB and Universal.

As for some misc. thoughts to close up this rambling mess:

-The soundtrack is fantastic. A great continuation of the feel of Skull Island’s mixtape with some truly wonderful picks. Special mention goes to the opening and ending songs, and they GOT AN ELVIS PRESLEY SONG IN HERE! YES!!! The three kings of pop culture together at last!

-While this movie didn’t need to be any more overstuffed, it would have been nice if the rest of the Titans didn’t disappear entirely from this movie. I get that Godzilla: Dominion already explained what happened to them all more or less, but it really is a missed oppurtunity that we never got to see another Titan war. Or Rodan attacking Kong to avenge his pterosaur bretheren from days long past. Speaking of which...

-“Save Mothra” jokes be damned, Mothra would have been a welcome gues star, not just to help break up the big fight, but to show off Godzilla’s softer, more protective side. And yes, I want more Mothzilla. Shut up, we deserve it.

-Boy, Monarch sure does a whole lot of nothing up-top, huh?

-The cinematography is a great update but there’s a little too much neon lighting, especially in the Apex HQ and the Hollow Earth throne room. It feels like they’re trying just a little too hard to sell the more futuristic, Hollywood sci-fi feel.

-The score is... great but not that great. Of course, I’ve always had mixed feelings about Tom Holkenburg (AKA Junkie XL)’s music. I liked Kong’s themes, but they REALLY dropped the ball with Godzilla’s theme. Mechagodzilla’s works really well as long you ignore that it’s just Godzilla’s theme in this movie with an ominious choir added in.

-The new Hollow Earth creatures are all perfectly fine. Actually, I thought they were another highlight! Especially the Warbats, Hellhawks, and Doug the Titanus Foetodon Man.

-I want to do a release the extended cut campaign but I don’t think any of us have the energy for that s**t anymore.

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reallygrossstuff · 3 years

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DirkHalDave - Party Tricksters

Not a request today, but a commission! A friend wanted Dirk getting tag-teamed by some snack-happy tricksters, and I aim to deliver. Let me know what you think!

Knock-knock-knock.

Dirk gritted his teeth tighter, focusing with even more intent on the project in front of him. He was in a good groove, edging into hour five of his work session, so whoever wanted his company would just have to wait their turn. If they were someone he wanted to see anyway, they’d know to message him before coming anyway.

And yet.

Knock-knock-knock-knock-knock.

The gaps between knockings were growing shorter, the intensity of the impact growing. Even if Dirk could continue to ignore it, he ran the risk of his visitor knocking his door down if they continued. With a quiet groan, he forced his knees to unbend, rising to his feet and trudging to answer the insistent knocking – and arriving a moment before the lock snapped off its frame, causing the door to swing inward and narrowly miss his nose.

“I’ve got to say, literally knocking down my door is a new brand of bullshit, man.” Dirk groused, still blinking off alarm from the forced entry.

“Haha, sorry, man!” The voice was familiar in tone, and alien in every other way. Dirk took a shocked step back as Dave floated through the door, giddiness dripping off his every move almost as much as chocolate dripped off the dipped strawberries perched in his vibrant green hair. His short cape blew in its own wind as he fidgeted in mid-air, a dangerous grin plastered to his face. “You were just taking so long, we didn’t want to run out of time for the party!”

Dirk didn’t even have time to question ‘we’ before the answer became clear, and Hal of all people traipsed in through the still-open door. “You were taking a long time, Dirk. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were something less than sugar-tastically stoked for the celebration.”

Well, at least Hal being in on this explained why he hadn’t warned Dirk about his uninvited guests, even if the rock candy microchip on his head and the garishly trickster-coloured suspenders and tie he wore invited more questions than it answered.

“Alright, who the fuck thought unburying the hell-candy from wherever we shoved it after last time was a good idea?” When that only got a light giggle from Dave and an incrementally wider smile from Hal, he tacked on, “and how does it even work on you, I didn’t give you tastebuds! Or a goddamn stomach!”

“Aw, come on, it’s not a crime to want some fun!” Dave floated closer, seemingly allergic to touching the ground as he curved himself loosely around Dirk, getting a glob of chocolate on his shirt in the process.

“And you’d be surprised what, pardon the word, miracles a juju like that can weave. Who needs tastebuds when it’s so obvious it’ll taste scrumptious?” At least Hal had the wherewithal to close the door behind him. “Of course, then we realised it’d be downright mean to exclude you from the oodles of fun we wanted to have, so we came right over.”

“Yeah! So now it’s party time! You don’t mind hosting, right bro? It’ll be soooooo much fun!” Heart-shaped shades hovered an inch from Dirk’s own glasses, not quite tinted enough to hide the wide, almost manic red eyes behind them.

Dirk wanted to say no. He wanted more than anything to say no. “Sure,” his mouth said, knowing better than to refuse a trickster. “Just don’t make a mess of the place or anything.”

“Of course not.” Hal scoffed, as if his companion hadn’t just forced open Dirk’s door. “We’ll be superbly civil, I promise. Heck, you might not even notice we’re-.”

“Party!” Dave cheered, instantly flying further into the apartment. “Hal, c’mon and help me, you know there’s no party without food!”

“Right!” Hal’s train of thought was abandoned immediately at the suggestion, the android nearly giving Dirk whiplash as he flashed past to accompany Dave. Soon the two were enthusiastically emptying their sylladexes, dumping a hellish variety of party foods across Dirk’s kitchen counter, his workstation, his coffee table, and just across the floor once everything else was covered. There were bags of chips and party-sized soda bottles, alongside massive bowls full of chocolate-covered strawberries and rich, already-melting cakes. The overall impression was that someone had googled ‘party foods’ and just bought everything they saw on the list.

“This is the opposite of civil, assholes.” Dirk stepped forwards to gather some of the food into his own sylladex, even as his impromptu guests continued piling every surface high with more. “Two people don’t need this much food, this is fucking excessive.”

“Two people might not, but three should just about finish it all.” Hal’s grin slanted, somehow becoming more sinister without losing its bright glee. “Stop being such a party-pooper, Dirk, or Dave will have to show you how to enjoy something sweet for a change.”

“Ooh, I should do that anyway!” Finally Dave stopped pouring food out onto the floor, instead collecting an eclectic mix of it and approaching Dirk. Somehow, this didn’t feel like an improvement. “You’re always so sour, man, but I bet you’ll love this! Just give it a try!”

Dirk didn’t get a chance to voice his opinion on giving any of ‘it’ a try – as soon as Dave finished his sentence, he forced one of the crisp bags open with a loud bang and shoved a heaping handful between Dirk’s parted lips.

“There you go! We’ll start easy, I know you like chips and soda! And then once you’re not so grumpy, you can try all the tasty chocolate stuff too!”

Dirk’s responding “mmmph!” was all but drowned out by the crunching of chips within his mouth. He puffed his cheeks up, ready to spit the snacks out, but the moment his lips parted again Dave was there with one of the soda bottles, squeezing it with such force that Dirk had no choice but to swallow, or risk dying from suffocation on cheap party goods.

That set the pace for how Dave treated him. Dirk never opened his mouth without being silenced by more food, never gasped for breath without having to quickly brace for another splash of sugary drink. The taste was fine, good even, but each morsel just tasted of so much that it became almost tiring to endure. Not to mention that the giddy trickster seemed to have no sense for complementary flavours, alternating sweet and savoury, rich and plain, chewy and gooey with such reckless abandon that soon everything tasted like everything just from osmosis.

Thankfully for Dirk’s tired mind, Dave’s corralling seemed to be leading him towards the couch. Each forced mouthful gave him a little shove towards it, each invasion of his personal space made him flinch backwards, until his legs hit the food-covered furniture and he collapsed onto it with a muffled ‘oof’.

Had the feeding been any less taxing, Dirk would’ve had a lot of time to think on the deteriorating state of his clothing. His shirt was riding up something fierce, but even that didn’t save it from straining over the upper half of his stuffed gut. His jeans clung tight around his waist, filling Dirk’s ears with the sound of creaking stitches even after the button popped and the zipper was forced open. His shades were, first, covered in crumbs and smears from the messy feeding, and soon after knocked off entirely by an overly expressive gesture from Dave.

As things progressed, Dirk only became less able to react. Sugary sodas and chocolate bars might have been a distraction, but when Dave moved on to unbearably ripe chocolate-coated strawberries and rich, layered cakes thick and gooey enough to risk clogging his throat, his mind was fit to shut down entirely. There just wasn’t room for anything else beside the taste – even his vision was going funny, fogging and tinting as if he was still wearing his shades.

It should’ve been a relief when Dave relented, floating back to give Dirk both space and time to process the world once again, but the taste lingered in his mouth, in his mind, dulling his response to Dave’s announcement. “Okay, that’s a good start! Um… Oh. I didn’t go too far, did I?”

Dirk just groaned, still trying to clear his throat from the rushed meal. Before he could get himself together for a proper reply, Hal took charge. “I’d say you didn’t go far enough, bro. Sure, Dirk’s enjoying himself, but is he having the gummy-funniest time possible? I don’t think so.”

“Oh, no way! Look, he’s barely smiling!” Some part of Dirk piped up that he wasn’t smiling at all, for the record, but the sentiment never made it into the air. “Can he fit more fun, though? He looks kind of full…”

“Don’t worry.” Through his stupor, and the phantom lights in his eyes, Dirk managed to be intimidated by Hal’s smirk as he approached the couch. He raised one metal hand, and all it took was a puff of a sugar cloud to turn it into a wide, heavy-duty hose end, his stripwound arm turning transparent so Dirk could see something inside. Something neon green, speckled with glittery flecks, that dripped from the hose’s end even before Hal stuffed it in Dirk’s mouth.

“I’ll make room.”

The paste was thick, cold, and almost painfully sweet. The sort of artificial sweet that made Dirk think of his old snack stashes in his last apartment in unkind terms. It seemed to fill every gap and hollow in him, bloating his stomach almost as severely as it bloated the rest of him.

Cloth tore violently. Denim shredded. Even the couch groaned worryingly as Dirk expanded. Where before he’d simply looked overly stuffed, the more of the paste Hal forced down his throat, the more he looked like this sort of feeding was a regular occurrence. His face grew heavy, chins sagging until they touched his collarbones. Whatever fight was left in his arms was snuffed out as they grew too ponderous to leave his sides, which similarly swelled outwards with new love handles. The back of the couch bent slightly as his new ass-flab forced itself against it. All that preserved his modesty was the still-growing spectacle of his belly, forcing his chunky legs to spread and hanging trembling inches off of the trash-coated floor.

Whatever tank Hal was pumping from wasn’t endless, though, as much as it felt that way in the moment. Eventually, once he was thoroughly filling the couch and in no fit state to lift a finger, the hose left his mouth, turning back into a hand just so Hal could give his wobbling cheek a teasing pat.

“I’d say that makes for a mouth-whetting first course. What about you, Dave, any morsels of wisdom to add?”

“Nope! He looks like he’s having loads of fun! Now, for the second course, I was thinking-.”

-ify!

A blinding flash of multicoloured light filled the room. Dirk blinked as quickly as he could, failing to banish even half of the strange spots from his vision. His face and breasts obscured a large portion of his vision, and he was in no fit state to analyse the rest, but something definitely seemed… different…

“Ugh, my head… yo, Hal, the hell’s all this?”

“My initial assumption is some sort of intense party, though there’s no course of action that would explain my lack of memories. Or my sudden ability to have a migraine.”

Dirk’s stomach chose that moment to gurgle loudly, the tacky candy paste upsetting it to the point he had to let out a paper-shaking belch.

The silence that rang after his belch was deafening, leaving Dirk alone with his abused stomach, until, in two voices:

“Oh, shit.”

#homestuck #really gross stuff #dirk strider #dave strider #hal strider #fatstuck #stuffing

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rukafais · 5 years

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Arioso

Meaning: Airy, or like an air (a melody);

It’s a rare land that celebrates the Troupe’s arrival; rarer still that those remaining understand what it means for the Troupe to act and live as they do. Grimm seizes the opportunity and repeatedly tries to pull Brumm away from thoughts of practice and performing to have some fun for once, and finds himself meeting unexpected resistance.

“I’m not good with crowds, master,” Brumm protests. He seems oddly reluctant to go outside; while the musician is normally reclusive, he’s not usually this prone to hiding himself away.

“A few groups of bugs is hardly a crowd.” Grimm sort of waves a hand, as if the idea of such a small gathering being enough to make Brumm anxious is a ridiculous idea; he’s dealt with such things before with no real issue.

“Mrmm...I’d just rather not, master.”

Grimm tilts his head, peering thoughtfully at his musician. Brumm stares right back, for once, and it’s only the flicking of his horns that gives him away as to how flustered he is to hold that gaze.

He’s gotten bolder, lately. The Troupe Master thinks it’s charming.

“Oh, very well,” he sighs, a little more dramatic than he strictly needs to be. Relenting at last, being the first to concede their little staring match. “I won’t drag you anywhere you don’t want to be. But do come out and see the festivities, my dear musician. It doesn’t have to be with me,” and here he drapes himself across Brumm’s shoulders and feels the musician’s breath hitch in an interesting way, “though I’ll be sad to be so bereft of your company.”

He departs as rapidly as he came, leaving Brumm with a pounding heart as always.

The musician presses a hand to his chest for a moment, attempting to control his breath, and continues his practice. The notes are rusty, this instrument of choice has not been used since before he joined the Troupe, but he wants to get this right.

(He wants to surprise his master, for once. He wants Grimm’s attention in the same way his master surely knows Brumm looks at him, entirely flustered and openly enamored.

Maybe it’s selfish, or greedy, to want the full extent of his master’s attention - just for a little while, the length of a song. There are certainly worthier bugs who have tried, and failed. More talented or more striking, in looks or personality or skill, who have offered so much more and been refused.

But he remembers; a melody from a dream, a bone-deep longing, an old, old exhaustion that sends Grimm into deep slumber and ancient wounds that pain him in the cold - and in the end maybe it can be selfishness, and it can be giving back, too.

Grimm has been and is a performer, a ringmaster, a leader; those roles are what he lives for, and the spotlight is where he thrives - but never truly an audience, part of the crowd, with nothing to do but attend and listen.

Brumm hopes that when the song comes, when the time is right - for the space of a melody, his master can forget everything but the music he loves.)

He continues to practice.

Just this once, he’s sworn Divine to secrecy, as much as she can be sworn to anything; the idea had clearly amused her (or appealed to what sentimentality she had, or both), and so she had agreed not to say anything if he asked.

“He’ll like it no matter what, you know,” she says, with a fond little smile. “It’s the thought that counts. But you won’t stop there, will you, lovely?”

She’d pinch his cheeks if they weren’t masked. (How she does it with no conventional fingers is - possible. A sight to behold, sometimes. But possible.) Instead, she laughs.

“Ohh, lovely! The two of you, you’re so similar sometimes! So worried, so eager to please each other. You’re so funny to watch!”

He has nothing to say to that, except to feel embarrassment heating his face. She notices that too, of course, and laughs again.

He grumbles, but not very much.

He stops mid-note as Grimm appears in an explosion of sound and red smoke.

He’s a riotous whirlwind of colour, bedecked in flowers and gaudy fabric; ribbons and garlands hanging off his slim frame like he was born to wear them. He laughs with a ring in his voice that Brumm hasn’t heard in some time, and the musician’s heart skips several beats, all at once, and doesn’t stop.

(When Grimm is happy, it makes him look more wonderful to Brumm than any spotlight or angle ever could.)

He presents himself like a performer waiting for applause, with that satisfied, knowing smile on his face.

“You look -- amazing, master,” Brumm says, at last, finding the words and barely managing not to stammer them out. He sounds breathless - he knows he does - but he doesn’t mind.

(Grimm is resplendent and beautiful and smiling and he wishes, so badly, that he could preserve this moment forever.)

“You’d see more of it if you joined me, my dear musician,” he says, and there’s a hint of longing in that tone, easy to miss for someone who doesn’t know him well. Brumm knows him perhaps too well for his own good, and thus it’s impossible to overlook. “Will you still not?”

“I miss you when you’re distant,” he had said. Brumm’s heart twinges with guilt and that same longing.

“Mrmm. Later, master.” He wants to - though his desire is quiet, it’s no less intense - but he needs this to be perfect first, as flawless as he can make it.

“I’ll hold you to those words, you know,” his master says, kneeling before him (another thing that makes his heart jump) with a smile. Close enough to hear that constant heartbeat, close enough to touch. “Let me seal it for you, my friend.”

It’s teasing and joking and not really a joke at all, but asking permission. Brumm laughs breathlessly, surprising himself (surprising Grimm too; there’s a slight, almost imperceptible widening of his eyes) and says “Of course, master-”

The mask is gently plucked off his face as if it was never there, that shallow barrier between the two of them easily removed.

The kiss is rougher than he expected (not violent or painful, because though Grimm is fully capable of being violent when he needs to, it’s never present in this nameless, fervent bond between the two of them), shakier and more passionate than his carefree tone had suggested. His master’s hands wind tightly into the fabric of his hood with a silent insistence that makes his chest ache.

The kiss steals his breath and words and replaces them with a warmth he gladly surrenders to, and he hazily thinks that he should understand by now that he’s not the only one who wants these affectionate moments between them to last forever.

Grimm seems reluctant to pull away, but he does at last. He presses his forehead against Brumm’s with a quiet, satisfied sigh. Brumm merely blinks and tries to focus, still in a pleasant daze.

“It’s a promise, then,” his master murmurs, eyes crinkling into red, pleased slits, his grin playful and wicked (and just a little unfocused, which Brumm doesn’t miss and feels satisfied about). “Don’t keep me waiting too long, my dear musician.”

He steals another kiss while his master is right there, and savours the surprise it gets. Then Grimm laughs and pulls away completely, stepping back and vanishing in another explosion of crimson smoke, and Brumm tries not to become immediately and utterly consumed by the embarrassment that’s caught up with him after the events of the last few minutes.

In the next room over, Divine cackles, and Brumm tries not to defy all known laws of how the world works and disappear completely.

(The warmth stays.

It, too, works its way into the song.)

When he finally steps outside, Grimm is almost immediately there to greet him. His master doesn’t quite sweep him off his feet, though he certainly does everything but; soon enough, Brumm has his own set of decorations, though it’s more modest than Grimm’s eclectic collection of accepting, apparently, everything given to him. (He wears it well. He always does. His master seems incapable of wearing something badly, ever.)

He’s not used to celebrations. He’s not used to being so unimportant and important all at once; here, he’s just a part of the festivities, rather than someone to be pitied or questioned or even threatened (which has happened). But the bugs here sing and dance under the empty sky and feed the fire that burns bright and hot and throws out embers and sparks like stars; chasing off the old to make way for the new, they explain.

Brumm thinks that makes sense. He wonders if, in his old land, they ever did it that way, for farewells and funerals. He no longer quite remembers what they did.

(Memories and pain, walking hand in hand. There’s a bittersweet taste to it; hurt fades, but so do the ashes of his previous life, crowded out of his head by all he’s done and heard and seen here in his service.)

“No regrets,” his master says from behind, and Brumm almost jumps, but of course he would pick up on it. He’s sensitive to Brumm’s moods, as ever. “Just for a little while, my friend. Leave your worries behind.”

(It’s what he appreciates the most; when he has no words to give, Grimm simply interprets. Much of the time, he’s right. When he’s not, he asks, plainly. It makes communication easier.)

A hand finds its way onto Brumm’s shoulder; the musician holds it there, fingers twining tight, unwilling to let go. Grimm laughs, clear and bright and far younger than he’s ever sounded before, and it’s another shard of memory he wants to keep.

The fire burns low, and the music starts; they’ll build the fire in time to the sound of voices and instruments.

Would you like to join in with us? he’s asked, and he says -- yes.

They go around, taking turns. Some are choruses. Some are quartets, trios, duets; some sad, some happy. Some remembering who they’re singing it with, and some remembering who they weren’t.

“You didn’t bring your accordion,” Grimm notes, like he’s suddenly realised something, and Brumm doesn’t reply because it’s his turn.

The song has no lyrics that he’s made; he works his voice like he would play his instrument, because he’s not good enough at words to capture the feelings he has. Instead, he sews together words from all the songs he knows that might fit, those things he learned long ago and far away. Songs from a land that once lived, and now lives only in his memories.

(He dares to glance at Grimm, just once, and finds that though their eyes meet, his master is the one to divert his gaze. There’s adoration there, a helpless and unrestrained affection that softens him entirely and makes him vulnerable.

It’s all he could have ever asked for, and more besides.)

It ends with a song he’s played before; new growth, new beginnings, flowers and lovers in spring. It’s only because he has his mind on singing, pushing his voice to deliver that last effort after years upon years of silence, that he doesn’t show shock when his solo abruptly becomes a duet, and Grimm finishes the performance with him.

They pass on to the next person, and the next, the sound rising into the night sky. The songs continue.

“So that little mystery solved itself, it seems,” Grimm says, his voice rough, and Brumm coughs and takes a moment to answer, because even with all his warming up and practice, he is still, in truth, rusty. (He might never not be; this was special. He doesn’t know if he’ll ever do this again, relying on his voice alone.)

“It was a gift, master,” he says, quiet once more. “I...mrm. Wanted to surprise you.”

“Consider me surprised, then!” He laughs, and then it stops abruptly, and Brumm feels his master’s arms around him, his master’s head resting gently on his shoulder. Ready to withdraw if he needs to, if it’s too much. His eyes are soft, his look relaxed and fond rather than sharp and attentive.

“It was truly wonderful,” he murmurs, and there’s an aching, quiet vulnerability in his voice. (Grimm knows, more than anyone, how much time it must have taken his musician; how much effort, how much courage.) “Thank you, my friend. Thank you very, very much.”

Brumm twines his fingers with Grimm’s and says nothing much at all, his eyes soft under his mask. He removes it, after a moment, to turn his head and press a slight kiss to his master’s cheek; it elicits a little sigh, a small and shaky laugh.

They stay like that for a while, surrounded by music. Brumm feels no regret or embarrassment, only a quiet sense of contentment.

This tenderness between them, that soft and vulnerable response to his song, is worth more to him than all the admiration he could ever receive.

#hollow knight #togetherslapping words #grimm #brumm #grumm #ok going to bed now zzz

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joemuggs · 5 years

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PERCEPTION OF DOORS

Was reminded by a conversation yesterday about the art of the club door person, and dug this out, which I wrote for the Amsterdam Dance Event annual back in 2014.

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If you want a clear view of how clubland operates, why not ask its guardians? The men and women who stand at the doors – whether to take money, pick and choose who gets in, or act as enforcers of rules – are the first and last people clubbers will see in their night out, and are uniquely placed to assess what makes the clubbers themselves tick. They are the interface between club, clubber and promoter, and able to provide a (more-or-less) sober overview of what goes on. But frequently, too, they are the filter: they are the one person more than anyone whom by their choices, defines the nature of the crowd on a given night. As such, they are not just list-tickers, cash-till operators or hired muscle, but are a vital cog in the club's cultural machine, a part of the club's personality. And plenty of them are as big a music lovers as the promoters or DJs too. So from London to New York, Glasgow to Pretoria to L.A., we present the past, present and future of these essential sentinels and unsung heroes of the night.

BIG FRANK

Big Frank, aka Faafaga Samuelu, is a true Los Angeles legend. The imposing Samoan-American was a school friend of underground hip hop DJ/producer Kevin “Daddy Kev” Moo, and they threw parties together from Junior High onwards (“I was the muscle, he was the brain,” laughs Frank; “a perfect combination”). But Frank was also a hardcore gangbanger in his late 1980s / early 90s adolescence: “I remember him showing me a sawed-off shotgun in 8th grade while we were riding the bus to school,” says Kev, nonchalantly. Frank served serious jail time in the late 90s, but when he came out, Kev was there, happy to team up again.

Kev founded the legendary Low End Theory – hub of the psychedelic, electronic “L.A. beat scene” that spawned artists like Flying Lotus, Gaslamp Killer and co – in 2006, but by 2011 it had become so popular, hosting the likes of Thom York and Erykah Badu, that their host venue's bouncers were shaking down clubbers for bribes to get in. This was the moment when Frank's demeanour, reputation and willingness to turn up with an AR-15 assault rifle came into their own, and perhaps unsurprisingly the previous security stepped aside without any trouble to make way for him to take over on LET's Wednesday nights.

Since then, LET's reputation as a friendly spot has only grown. “Being the familiar face of the club,” says Frank, “is great fun and oftentimes just lots of funny. And if you're coming to us, you'll be more comfortable if you feel like you know the guy at the door – and a cool farewell at the end of the night helps as well!” Now in his 40s, he is happy to be a cool head, mainly in the background: “I have different reasons for being in the scene still,” he says; “What's still there is the love for music, but now my desire to be in the crowd is gone. The times of getting fucked up and bumping rap at a back yard party is long gone. What makes me happy, though, is the presence of the forty-somethings and even older folks that attend our club. It helps me feel like our push to progress the music is appreciated. As if all this time in the scene produced something that my generation can be proud of – not just slangin' and gang bangin'.”

In South Africa, house music means more to people than almost anywhere else on earth. And Tebogo “JR” Modiba knows this more than most – his laid-back House 22 parties in Pretoria are an oasis of sophistication and unity in a society still riven with violence and harsh divisions. He ended up working the door there by default: “House 22 started an purely by-invite-only underground deep house joint,” he explains; “so as the founder, I had to work the door in order to overlook the invitations myself. Over time, we have opened up to the general public, but we still keep a close eye on disruptive elements who might not understand and appreciate the underground deep house culture.”

Like all the best doormen, though, he's not just there to filter people out. “The door is the most important part of the business,” he insists. “That's where punters, especially first timers, should start experiencing what the atmosphere of the club is like. All of that depends on how the doorman welcomes them and treat them.” In fact, his biggest problems are cops (“those fellas have serious anger issues, especially when they see people having fun while they are working – and they're the biggest tax collectors too, [taking money] to allow you to operate without interrupting your business with constant inspections, or to protect your patrons from being harassed”) and the weather. One time the mainly-outdoor House 22 venue was hit by tennis ball-sized hailstones, causing a near stampede for cover, which JR was able to only just keep from becoming mass panic.

All his efforts lead to a club where passion for music rules – and so it should, when JR's own love for house still drives everything. At the drop of a hat, he will reel off favourite DJs' names– Vinny Da Vinci, Christos, Glen Lewis, Jimpster, Atjazz, Ralf Gum, Andre Lodemann, Andy Compton & The Rurals, Lars Behrenroth, and Louie Vega – and those of beloved festivals that inspire him like Sónar, ADE and Southport Weekender. And you just know there's no bullshit when he says: “I don't think I am ready to live without my house music, the club life and the people I have met and we became one house music family. Not any time soon.”

JAY CLOTH

London gay scene institution Duckie is more than just a club – as “Purveyors of Progressive Working Class Entertainment”, its team have created a multi-headed beast with art events, talks and exhibitions worldwide. But Duckie's soul resides in its bacchanals every Saturday night at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, still presided over by the same team that founded it 19 years ago: producer Simon Casson, radically eclectic DJ duo The London Readers Wifes, compere Amy Lamé and “box office artistes” Father Cloth and Jay Cloth. Jay is extraordinarily proud to be on the door - “Duckie is unlike any other London Club and IS gay culture to me,” he says, though cites inspiration from a motley lineage of misfit clubs past like The Bell, Marvellous, Daisy Chain, Lippy and anything involving cabaret monster David Hoyle (née The Divine David).

“I am very proud that Duckie is a very friendly club,” says Jay, “and the team of 'Cloths' that work the door set the tone by being as welcoming as possible to all.” As anyone who's been to the club knows, though, they may be welcoming, but you have to step up to the mark and contribute to the wild energy. Jay will turn away “stag and hen parties, anyone too obviously drunk, too obviously high, anyone rude, anyone wearing fur” and only welcome celebrity guests “as long as they are willing to pay the same as everyone else – we are very egalitarian.” “What makes me really happy,” he says, “is when the mix of people is so extreme I wouldn't want to be anywhere else on earth.” His only fear is that “around 1am some nights when the Wifes announce they are about to play their favourite record of all time, I worry the floor might give in!”

ANGELO FABARA

Anyone who thinks that garish clubwear and superstar DJ culture started with EDM should look back to early 90s New York – which truly was the best of times, and the worst of times. Clubbing was a performance then, with the self-proclaimed Club Kids creating atmospheres so decadent and sights so eye-popping that it could feel like the last days of Rome. The Limelight was the heart of all of this, and bringing some kind of order to the chaos was Angelo Fabara. Angelo was an out-of-towner, drawn as a teenager to NYC's clubs like moth to flame by the “idea of community foremost, but then the escapism it offers to young people to safely experiment with.”

He was soon part of that community. In high school he went to the Limelight every weekend, but after getting into NYU, this quickly switched to going nightly. As a face on the scene, he says, “eventually was asked to promote some nights which led to my being hired as a junior door / guestlist person under the guidance of the more veteran door people at the Limelight. I worked there for about a year and a half after which I worked at Twilo for another year at the height of rave / club music coming to NYC.” New York can be a scary city, and Angelo had to learn fast how to turn away the crazies who might later follow or lay in wait for someone who had offended them: “I worked out I needed to give them a bigger reason they couldn't come in,” he says, “like 'the venue's at capacity', rather than quipping slights at their character which I may have done when I first started.”

As a doorman, though, he didn't just have to keep the badasses out: he had to help create atmosphere. “I let in anyone I knew was a great dancer,” he says, “or had a great look: people who made the dancefloor flourish or were nice eye candy. You also had to educate people who came to the clubs to make an effort because everyone else was taking the time to look impeccably chic or coming up with a look that just added to the design and visual language of the scene at that time. If you were a suit, I wouldn't let you in, if you came as a group of guys I wouldn't let you in, if you didn't look the part you would have a harder time at the door. Much later in life, I compare it to Walt Disney who always started his stories off by making his characters literally step through a door into a fantasy world, transported to another place. I wanted to be that person that showed you through that door.”

The scene famously turned bad. “A lot of people died from drugs,” recalls Angelo sadly. “Heroin became big in the 90s, and Michael Alig murdered his club kid friend Angel, which ended the reign of Peter Gatien's clubs like USA, Palladium, Limelight, Tunnel which were the best clubs in NYC history, places with a creativity you just don't see nowadays.” Angelo stepped away from the scene, moving into culture reporting with Microsoft's 'Sidewalk' site – but he never lost his love for what had first inspired him as a kid. “I still think about how easily I made friends on the dancefloor and how so many of us are still friends today 22 years later.”

BOB WONG

Glasgow is one of the most beloved, yet notorious, clubbing centres of the world, known for the utter lunacy, in both the good and bad senses, of its crowds. So it's nice to know that its scene has a calm centre in the affable and unflappable Bob Wong, the head of security (“I prefer 'doorman' or 'steward' but that confuses people, so I usually end up saying 'bouncer',” he laughs) at the Glasgow School Of Art – a venue that has hosted everything from the most manaical techno to the heaviest dub to avant garde noise events.

Bob is a true lover of and participant in Glasgow's underground scene – indeed, in researching this article, his was the first name mentioned by every Glaswegian we spoke to. “Scots know how to party!” he says simply as explanation of why he loves the scene. “You can't beat seeing likeminded people – people of all ages, race, colour, sexuality, social background etc etc etc – switch off from their daily grind of the working week and completely lose themselves, intoxicated with their poison of choice, in the music they love and really go for it on the dancefloor.”

This no-nonsense attitude and affection for the crowds runs through everything he does. “I, and the rest of my team are there to ensure the punters have a great night, and more importantly a safe one: safe from themselves and each other when they inevitably get carried away.” And to do this he insists on a friendly culture: “I hated working with macho 'bouncers',” he continues, “who could only brag about how many fights they'd won or how many girls they've slept with – so when I finally became head steward, I made a point of having only people with a similar mindset to mine on the team, and it makes a difference to everyone.”

Has he ever been scared, surrounded by punters when they “inevitably get carried away”? “You're probably expecting a mad story here,” he smiles, “about some kinda riot or a scenario where I've been stabbed or shot at – but no... if I ever get into a situation where I'm in a fight where my life is being seriously threatened then I can honestly say I'll have failed at my job. My scariest moments have to be the occasions where drunken punters have thought it was a great idea to slide down the banister of the stairs from the cloakroom on the top floor of the Artschool – a 4 level building – and have fallen over the edge and down between the flights of stairs... Thankfully no-one ever fell past the next floor but, all the same, hearing the thud and seeing them hit the floor you automatically assume the worst when they go limp and unresponsive! Thankfully and surprisingly there have never been any fatalities in my time (don't jinx it Bob haha!), just a few fractured vertebrae...”

#clubs #doorpersons #los angeles #new york #club kids #glasgow #ravers #low end theory #gay clubs #hip hop #johannesburg #house music

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blkwidowsweb · 5 years

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A Conversation with Chosen Few Guest DJ, Emmaculate!

Raised by a Father and Mother who were a musician & abstract painter, respectively, Eric Welton AKA Emmaculate was groomed for the arts. As a child he dug into his parents’ and older brother’s record collection spanning from The Beatles & James Taylor to Run D.M.C. & The Fat Boys. Growing up on the outskirts of Chicago, he was exposed to the sounds of House Music in the late 80’s as a young teenager. In 1990, Eric started collecting House & Hip Hop records and learning how to blend. One of his close friends had an older cousin who was a DJ with an extensive record collection, but was incarcerated. Eric’s friend brought this collection over to his house, which turned out to be a treasure chest of 80’s House Music. The obsession began. Eric’s mixtapes quickly caught the ear of some older guys in the area. They took him in under their wings, taught him much more about the music & culture, took him to legendary record stores Importes Etc & Gramaphone, & introduced him to a professional recording studio. This all led to Eric starting to DJ basement & house parties as a teenager, some thrown by a budding young promoter, Julius the Mad Thinker (co-founder of Mi Casa Holiday), who is one of Eric’s high school friends.

Eric was nicknamed Emmaculate as a play on words because of his immaculate attention to detail & quality. He developed his DJ’ing & production skills in House Music & Hip Hop, and became one of the go to producers and sound engineers in Chicago. He has worked as a producer and mix engineer for many top Urban Music artists in the US, as well as DJ’d countless events. Over the years, Emmaculate forged relationships with some of the Chicago legends of House Music, giving him an invaluable education and mentorship.

2017 marked the year that Emmaculate began releasing music as an artist himself. His break out single, “Do It” ft. vocalist Kaye Fox, was released on Terry Hunter’s T’s Box Records and reached the top 10 Soulful House chart on Traxsource. Since then he has released several singles, remixes & an EP on T’s Box, Dopewax, & S&S Records. He has played live sets at Mi Casa Holiday in Mexico several times, as well as Amsterdam Dance Event in 2017 & 2018 for T’s Box & Chosen Few DJ’s. His sounds are eclectic... sometimes hard, acidic, dreamy, jazzy, funky, & soulful... a cosmic slop of organic technology". I first spoke with Emmaculate two years ago (Check out my first conversation with Emmaculate here). Since then, his career has grown rapidly. I recently had a chance to speak with Emmaculate for a second time about his continued growth, his new projects and playing this year’s Chosen Few Picnic and Festival!

Black Widow: It’s been two years since my last interview with you and quite a bit has happened with you and your career. What has that journey been like?

Emmaculate: It has been an amazing journey. I’m very happy I made the decision to change the route of my career. I spent many years working in the studio producing other artists; predominately R&B and hip hop artists. I wasn’t just producing music for them, I was helping them with their marketing and promotion and helping them manage their business and the decision to put that same effort into myself, by releasing my own music under my own name and working on branding myself…was a great decision. I’m also glad I made the decision to start working with Terry (Hunter). It has been such a blessing. We’ve developed a really good, reciprocal working relationship. He’s done so much to help me and provide his platform for me to release my music and more. It’s all happening faster than I expected honestly.

Black Widow: I know! Just two years ago, we met and I recorded vocals for your re-release of your song Fenix. You have quite a few releases since then with Kaye Fox and others, remixing and of course producing. You’ve been very busy.

Emmaculate: Yeah, I’ve released three records with Kaye Fox, done some instrumental tracks for the 2087 project, remixes packages on various things and the Glenn Underground remix of my track, The Light did excellent. I’ve been able to work with quite a few incredible artists, Mark Demayo, Mike City, Alex M. I have an EP coming out on Youruba records with Osunlade. Even on the DJ side, I’ve been able to play ADE twice, SouthBySouthwest, and it’s just been one thing after another and I’m very happy with the momentum. I’m just keeping my nose to the grindstone.

Black Widow: What do they say, “Booked and Busy”!

Emmaculate: Absolutely, it’s all about focusing on the work, the creativity and putting blinders on the distractions. As long as you stay focused on creating, all the other stuff lines up on its own.

Black Widow: What have been some of the best lessons you’ve learned over the past two years?

Emmaculate: There’s a lot of noise and negative noise if you choose to listen to it or give energy to it but like I said earlier, I’ve learned to just focus on the work, the music, the creativity. I’ve learned to stay focused on what we do it for; it’s about the love of the music; the creative and personal artistic expression. Its fun…you have to remember to have fun with it. It’s not supposed to be stressful. This is art. It’s supposed to be what we love and it’s a choice. Staying focused on creativity and treating people well, that really sums it all up.

Black Widow: Has your creative process changed? Do you approach making music differently now?

Emmaculate: I’ve learned quite a bit over the last few years. For the people who read the credits, you can see I do a lot of remixing, editing and final mixing of records. I’ve mixed the majority of Terry’s records over the past few years and by working with him and seeing his process, I’ve learned. It’s always something new to learn and watching him and how he builds records has been a great learning experience. He’s a master at his craft and it’s led to me working with other artists and watching how they do things. As an engineer, working with Joey Fernandez has been great. He’s another master at his craft. He’s taught me some tricks of the trade in terms of mixing and things like that. We just all have a good synergy because we always bounce ideas and critique one another. Even as a DJ, watching great DJs do their thing is very inspiring. There are always takeaways from being in the midst of fellow creatives. I’m a sponge, I love the experience of being around some of the greats and observing what they do and taking that influence and applying them in my own way.

Black Widow: I definitely relate. I remember not knowing much about songwriting and song structure because I was a poet. Being around Terry and Mike was great because I was learning how they put my words to music and how they place them and even now over the years, connecting with other songwriters and vocalists is so inspiring to me. It’s nothing like sharing space with other creatives. You just learn so much.

Emmaculate: I love drawing inspiration off of what other dope people are doing. Competition can be positive and fun or it can be negative in spirit. I believe iron sharpens iron so you want to be around people who are great at their craft. It can’t be ego based, fragile, and paranoid and negative spirited.

Black Widow: I agree there are so many artists in this scene and there is space for everyone.

Emmaculate: There’s enough opportunity to go around for sure. Every success from any artist here draws attention to our city as a whole and makes it more likely for all of to get more opportunities. That’s how I approach it.

Black Widow: Building those relationships and connections with others in the industry is important. It helps because it’s another form of support. I remember my 1st performance and being so scared. After I performed, I remember Terisa Griffith being so complimentary to me. It really did something for my confidence and it was such a small thing but it meant a lot. I remember thinking Terry threw me under the bus [laughter] when he asked me to perform with such an incredible lineup of experienced talent but he really did it to make me better and it was a huge learning experience for me.

Emmaculate: I have a similar story. At the T’s Box party, ADE in 2017, Wayne (Williams) and Alan (King) were doing a tag team at the T’s Box Party. I’ve been DJing professionally since 1990 but it was my first time DJing in Europe. I remember Terry saying; hey…get in on the tag team! That was my first time playing with Wayne and Alan [LAUGHTER] So here I am, my first time playing in Europe and I’m in a tag team with legends. [LAUGHTER] You know…you have to get uncomfortable in order to grow. Being nervous and uncomfortable is a good thing. It pushes you to the next level.

Black Widow: I completely understand that! Every experience is a learning one; good and bad!

Emmaculate: What you said is key…stay focused on improving your craft. You have to always push yourself to improve and be better.

Black Widow: My dad would always say, whatever your art is, it’s a muscle and you have to work that muscle every day. You have to make space for your craft. I think I’ve really come to a greater understanding of that since “Fenix” honestly.

Emmaculate: You know what’s funny about Fenix? Terry never told me what he had up his sleeve when he was doing that version. Julius and I had done the song on our own label years ago. One day he called me and asked me why I called it Fenix. I explained it to him and he said ok and that was that. When I heard what you wrote, I was like, WOW, that’s perfect! It’s amazing that we never had a conversation about this when you wrote it because you articulated exactly what I wanted the song to say. That’s the way the universe works.

Black Widow: My dad call’s that the “collective consciousness”

Emmaculate: Exactly! Your dad is a wise man. That’s exactly what it is and we just happened to be tapped in…all three of us. It worked.

Black Widow: I loved that opportunity so much because after making Rough, I wanted to do something different and show a different side of me. Don’t get me wrong, I love “Rough” but…

Emmaculate: I think you made it clear in the song, how much you love it Rough! [LAUGHTER]

Black Widow: [Laughter] True, but it was just a piece of who I am and I wanted to share another side and Fenix gave me that opportunity!

Emmaculate: Absolutely! I still play it and the acapella version all the time.

Black Widow: We are totally getting off topic! [Laughter]

Emmaculate: I know! But it’s all good!

Black Widow: What was your reaction when you got the call to play this year’s Chosen Few Festival?

Emmaculate: Terry called me a few weeks before the official announcement and tricked me. I honestly never expected to get booked to play this year. I thought it might happen one day but I never thought it would be this year. Terry says, "What are you doing on July 6th"? I remembered that date but said," Whatever you got for me". He says, "Does that date ring a bell"? I’m like yeah that’s the day of the picnic. When he called my daughter’s mom was around and he said to put him on speaker phone. He tells her not to make plans for July 6th and told her I was playing the picnic this year! I was like WOW! That’s crazy! Thank you! It was such a pleasant surprise.

I’m so honored to have that opportunity. A Friend of mine said it best; The Chosen Few Picnic is like the Superbowl for us. I feel like I get to play in the Superbowl! I’m excited about it. I’m looking forward to it and I’m a bit nervous too but it’s a good nervous! [Laugher]

Black Widow: Have you thought about your set?

Emmaculate: I have but I never pre-plan a set. I call it “Planned Improvisation”. All Djs have a glossary of blends that they know work. I’ll usually create a separate crate for a gig and put a collection of records together that I think work for and then wherever it goes…it goes. I’ve learned to just go with the flow and the mood. You think you are going to approach a set one way and it goes a different way. I have a few different thoughts on how to approach it so you’ll just have to see. I have a diverse musical palette so it will definitely be interesting.

Black Widow: I’m sure! I can’t wait to see what you do!

Emmaculate: I’m looking forward to it! I’m grateful and humbled that they thought of me. I can’t wait to take it all in and hear the other DJs too! It’s just a great time!

Black Widow: I agree! There’s nothing like it. My only advice would be to take that moment in. That moment on that stage…It’s going to be incredible! Thank you for speaking with me today!

Emmaculate: No doubt! I definitely will! It’s always a pleasure.

You can catch DJ Emmaculate this year at the Chosen Few Picnic and Festival on July 6th, The Groove Society at Celeste Every Tuesday and the Soulnic Experience at Pier 31 on August 3rd. He will also be at the Amsterdam Dance Event and Mi Casa Holiday this October!!

Instagram - @djemmaculate

Twitter - @djemmaculate

FB - https://www.facebook.com/djemmaculate

Mixcloud - https://www.mixcloud.com/djemmaculate/

Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/djemmaculate

You can find Emmaculate’s latest releases on Traxsource! https://www.traxsource.com/artist/327722/emmaculate

The Countdown is on! See you at the Picnic!

-Black Widow

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