#an astounding solo career

[horsegirl]

I will say I am partial to Gary for being incredibly bland and a freak at the same time. But Paul McCartney is my favourite beatle so not too surprising. Don’t ask my favourite member of Panic

#seriously believing you have a predestiny as a popstar and decide to pursue that singing 70s pop in working men’s clubs 8 days a week #and then you audition for a boy band in the back of a gay club #and now you’re an egomaniac popstar #and then the arguably more talented but under appreciated on leaves the band and has #an astounding solo career #while you flop incredibly hard and can’t even stand to hear yourself sing in the shower for like 5 years #and develop a debilitating eating disorder for the next decade #and commit tax fraud #ALL WHILE BEING A TORY #it’s just too funny

[bluwavez]

˗ ˋ 🌊 HOT NEWS ! ﹕ DEEPDIVE OFFICIALLY LEAVES FLOWERBANK!

By THEENEWWAVE | MARCH 3, 2024

"We're out of there," Finn Lee says in a selfie with Kiwoo outside of the Flowerbank Entertainment building. After months of a silent legal battle that erupted with the postponement of Noah Son's highly anticipated solo debut "GUILTY" also known as Flowerbank's Biggest Fumble that resulted in the idol exposing Flowerbank for improperly managing the once chart-dominating boy group.

Since DeepDive was acquired by Flowerbank in 2023, the group has had a singular comeback, which was later revealed to have been funded by the members themselves. The album "The Lagoon" would become the highest-selling boy group album under Flowerbank by selling an astounding 2,740,000 copies within the first day but that apparently didn't matter to the professional bag fumblers, Carmen and Iseul.

After the postponement of Guilty, Noah would file a lawsuit to terminate his contract with Flowerbank, backed by Son Jinhwa, the CEO of Mydol Entertainment, and his father. A day after Noah filed for contract termination, Finn Lee and Bae Kiwoo filed their notions for contract termination. Four days later, the rest of DeepDive Hwang Jisung, Jacob Lee, Kang Woobin, and Park Woojin would file to terminate their contracts, all being represented by Mydol-funded lawyers.

Just a few short weeks later, Flowerbank would relinquish all rights to DeepDive and release all seven members from their contracts. Within the same week, Sirens would be invited to attend DeepDive's Mydol contract signing, following the newly founded tradition of public contract signings

All seven members of DeepDive would debut new hairstyles at their contract signings. Finn's new long blond look would cause mass hysteria on Twitter.

"It's an honor to have DeepDive back. We're already discussing their comeback and the release of Noah's solo mini album. Please, stay tuned and give them lots of love and support," Son Jinhwa would announce at the contract signing to the excitement of Sirens in the crowd.

A majority of the DeepDive members seemed pleased with the fourth company transfer of their long winded career. Kiwoo, Woojin, and Jacob remained silent on social media while the other four members would celebrate through Instagram posts.

  [ +1029, -384 ] this group has been through seven wars, 24 different members, flopism, musical terrorism, and so much more

      [ +863, -271 ] flowerbank will burn for separating venus and deepdive...sick bitches

      [ +726, -485 ] mydol is going to try to buy venus next at this point lol

      [ +620, -139 ] jinhwa is such a good dad!! weird guy and a shotty business man but he loves his kids so much

      [ +578, -387 ] flowerbank is soooooo stupid for fumbling these guys. their one album under them literally outsold haute pink's entire career 💀

      [ +502, -208 ] FINN LOOKS SO GOOOOD!!

      [ +458, -139 ] why are we acting like jinhwa didn't verbally abuse these boys for years 😭 this is not a good thing and he should be in PRISON...

      [ +453, -87 ] do you realize how overworked they're going to be again? sirens hate these boys so much. why are they celebrating this??

      [ +324, -108 ] i cant believe the last venus and deepdive interaction we got was a stupid ass klara and jacob vlog...

#˗ ˋ 🌊 dive deeper ﹕ underwater ! #ficnetfairy #fictional idol community #kpop fanfic #kpop oc #idol oc #kpop addition #oc kpop group #kpop au #fictional idol oc #bts addition #fake kpop group #fictional idol group #fake kpop oc #idol au #idolverse #fake kpop idol #stray kids addition #Vimeo

[flamingplay]

Everything Everything's Mountainhead: a Track-by-Track commentary from AppleMusic

Everything Everything lead vocalist Jonathan Higgs thinks that the thread running all the way through the Manchester quartet’s catalogue is the urge to encapsulate the effect on humanity of living in this time. “That’s really what all our albums are about,” Higgs tells Apple Music. “It’s a varying degree of looking inward and outward, observing how it feels to be alive in this place in this time. This one is very much looking outward for the most part.” “This one” is Mountainhead, Everything Everything’s seventh record and another astounding leap forward from one of the UK’s most inventive bands. It mixes pulsing synths and gleaming guitar licks, euphoric electro grooves and art-rock dynamism—music where the strange and the soothing seamlessly overlap.

The album pairs a dystopian concept about a society which has built a huge mountain and its people live in the shadowed pit it has created at the bottom (a “Mountainhead” is someone who believes the mountain must continue to grow taller no matter the cost) with some of their most rhapsodic pop hooks yet. It’s all been created with the confidence that there is an audience for this sound. “It always feels like we’ve got a lot of goodwill from the last thing we did, so a lot of people are waiting for the next thing we do,” says Higgs. “I think people really liked the last record [2022’s Raw Data Feel] and this one’s better.” This is the sound of Everything Everything on the crest of a wave, confidently hitting new peaks seven albums into their career. Allow Higgs to guide you on a journey to the top of Mountainhead, track by track.

“Wild Guess”

“This was a little demo we made on tour with Foals back in 2017 or something. I put a vocal on it but it was all sung an octave up from what you hear, which was ridiculous. We happened to rediscover it and were like, ‘Remember how ridiculous this song was? Maybe it’s fine to do it now.’ There was just something about the confidence of that big fat solo beginning the record, no vocal for ages and it’s not very nicely played. It’s the same recording Alex [Robertshaw, guitarist and keyboardist] did backstage into his laptop all those years ago. It just felt like this was a good way to start a record, basically, like, ‘Fuck you. Here’s your big fat solo that sounds awful and you’re going to have to wait for your vocal.’”

“The End of the Contender”

“This is vaguely about Ronnie Pickering [ex-boxer who went viral in 2015 for a road rage incident] and people of his ilk, but it’s also about the creep of capitalism and how it’s seeping into everything. I’ve tried to put a reference to money or electricity on every song, so he talks a lot about it in that song—whoever ‘he’ is. Obviously, ‘It’s all about the Benjamins’ is quite a cheeky thing to sing in the chorus, but I don’t think I’m going to get sued for it.”

“Cold Reactor”

“This is setting out the stall of the record. It really hinges on the human element of it and the desperation of it. The ‘I haven’t left the house’ line, somebody being quite isolated and communicating through screens and emojis, felt very relatable. There’s a sad longing for connection that you can’t quite get to that runs through it and because it has this rushing feeling of everything coming to a point, it really emphasises the desperation of it. It was a question of getting the right sort of heartbreaking-versus-hopeful tone and trying to get across a lot of exposition in the verses in quite a short time. It feels like a film script in terms of its simplicity.”

“Buddy, Come Over”

“This is about cancel culture a little bit, it’s got this dark-side- and underworld-type feeling to it. There’s a line, ‘Make me a website so I can completely ruin my life’ and that made the guys laugh quite a lot. Sometimes when that happens, we’re just like, ‘Yeah, let’s go down this path.’ It fell together quite easily, it was more like a really fun one to play live, like, ‘What can we play that feels good in the moment rather than trying to get all these tracks on the go.’”

“R U Happy?”

“This is about the effect of isolation, living in cities, living now and asking the question, ‘Are you happy? Does all this stuff make you happy?’ in the simplest way I could, which is to literally say, ‘Are you happy?’ over and over again. There’s definitely a through line of being an animal and the ‘dance in a skeleton way’ line was me saying if there’s a skeleton there, you’re dead but if there’s a skeleton there, you’re alive as well, talking about being alive and trying not to be sad all the time.”

“The Mad Stone”

“This is more about the religious element to the idea [of the album]. It’s more like a spiritual song in its presentation and its content. It sounds like an argument between two or three people who really believe in this idea of the mountain and people who are very doubtful about it. The thing on top of the mountain [in the chorus] is this big mirror that reflects you over and over again into infinity—that’s the more magical element of what might be at the top of the mountain. I was trying to come up with a metaphor for an idea of something that would be an actual goal that someone might want to get to, but it’s also really obviously selfish and self-aggrandising. It took an afternoon of singing it to get the chorus right, getting it so it just didn’t sound silly—being understood and not sound like I’m mumbling.”

“TV Dog”

“This was a demo that Alex had made that he called ‘Coney Island’ and we all thought it sounded like a New York string quartet. Coupled with that title, it opened up a few little avenues on the record, some strings that appear on other songs. I had about twice as many lyrics and we were like, ‘Is this song going to develop into a bigger thing? Are we going to bring the drums in?’ and then we were like, ‘The most poignant thing you can do is just hear it for a minute and a half, a couple of good lines and then it’s gone.’ Alex went down to a cathedral and recorded loads of ambience in there and put that all over the track in the background, so you get this sense of it being in a huge space.”

“Canary”

“If some of the other songs feel like you’re on the mountain, this one’s very much in the pit, it’s being in the dark. It’s the canary in a coal mine, a warning song that just so happens to fit very well with the larger concept. It’s the darkest underbelly of the album and the imagery is the most fucked up. It feels like a warning about something bad that’s coming, which tends to be where I often find myself as a character in my songs—as a warning character. This was a big production number for Alex, I think he wanted it to be a bit Björk or something.”

“Don’t Ask Me to Beg”

“I started with layering up vocals, I was trying to make a kind of choir thing. I was listening to Massive Attack, even though they don’t really use choirs. We tried different rhythmic schemes for ages to try and get it sounding less white-boy funk and cool. It took us ages working on the drums, actually, and then trying to re-record all of those cluster vocals. I think we just gave up in the end and used the demo ones, so no one knows how to sing those parts. If we have to do it live, we’re going to struggle!”

“Enter the Mirror”

“This is about a friend of mine who was struggling and I wasn’t sure if he was going to make it through. It’s a song about singing to him as if he was gone and remembering our childhood. I haven’t really worked out what it means yet. I think I wanted to say that we’re both the same deep down, even though there’s two of us. But there’s also the mirror on top of the mountain, which might be like you find yourself if you go into it. I don’t know, I’m still a bit too close to that song to even fully say.”

“Your Money, My Summer”

“This was another demo from around the same time as ‘Wild Guess’, something that we thought was just a bit too silly to do something with back then and now, I guess we didn’t. In the past, we would have had a litany of reasons why we wouldn’t do that and now it was like, ‘This is good.’ It’s definitely the most relaxed track of ours you’ll ever find. You won’t find us playing like that anywhere else, a sort of Chili Peppers rhythm section. We would usually run a mile from that stuff but we were just like, ‘Why are we running?’ It’s an example of us being relaxed with each other.”

“Dagger’s Edge”

“This was an older demo. It always had that feeling of being a song of two halves. I think I wrote the second half and Alex wrote the first. We’d binned it because we thought it was too silly. It does sound pretty light-hearted in the first bit, but then the tone changes. I’m taking the piss out of somebody and saying a lot of ridiculous things and then suddenly just turn into this really desperate old wise man on a mountain. No other band could do that and I really believe that that’s very much our thing—a song that sounds like Dr. Dre and I’m taking the piss out of a guy, calling him those ridiculous names, and then suddenly, a harpsichord comes in and it’s turned into a really existential thing about everyone turning into bacon.”

“City Song”

“This is another one that’s got that New York strings thing going on. I wrote the demo and it was much more hip-hoppy. It’s got a hip-hop speed, but, stylistically, that’s been shed. I was trying to do like a David Byrne-style lyric, the sadness of mundanity or trying to make mundane things special. I think there was also some elements of the Mark Fisher book Capitalist Realism, where he was talking about how impersonal it can be to work for a big company where no one really knows each other. I wanted to get across that feeling of isolation, but also no one really knowing who you are and no one knowing each other, living under the lights of the city and it all being very anonymous.”

“The Witness”

“I’ve barely listened back to this because it makes me quite emotional. It was about witnessing somebody go through a weird transition, thinking that it might be a kind of religious experience. It was written on guitars but Alex swapped out the guitars for synths because it sounded like a Radiohead-type song, two guitars picking and a sad guy with a falsetto. It was just like, ‘People would like it but this is really music from 25 years ago that we could do standing on our heads.’ It’s what we were trained to do, we’re good at it, but it wasn’t pushing us in any direction. So we swapped out the guitars for synths and we made a few other weird changes.

#Everything Everything #Mountainhead #I saw someone asking about whether there's a Radiohead-ish song on this album too and choked when saw that there IS xD #Jonathan Higgs #here for Alex discovering his inner Bjork

[dustedmagazine]

Henry Kaiser — Mahalo Nui (Metalanguage)

John Fahey was 27 years old when he recorded Requia. While parts of it play as a sincere ceremony of remembrance for people who meant something to him, it was nonetheless the work of an ornery young man. That provenance showed, especially on the spectacularly trollish, side-long musique concrete composition, “Requiem For Molly.” Henry Kaiser knows all about Fahey, guitars experimental music, and Requia in particular. He’s recorded a couple albums of his own using that title, and posed for one of them in a visual homage to Fahey’s record. But Kaiser’s also managed to live a longer life than Fahey, very different but no less astounding. He has been able to carry on a career as a boundary-straddling guitarist who gets to play whatever he wants with pretty much whoever he wants and also to work as a research diver with a specialty in under-ice video work.

Several tracks from this projectstarted out as a COVID-era project, when Kaiser included among the regular YouTube videos that he posted from lockdown with shout-outs to recently passed musicians, such as Steffen Basho-Junghans and David Lindley. Over time, the partings tend to proliferate. Kaiser found himself with ten mostly-solo tracks that shared two criteria: they memorialized fellow travelers who adventured with him upon or under the ice, or who made music, films or musical instruments; and they continued Kaiser’s decades-long determination to do more with the guitar than it previously had been able to do. These became Mahalo Nui.

Born in 1951, Kaiser has now lived long enough to know loss in ways that Fahey could not when he recorded Requia in 1967. Across its two sides, Fahey dug deep into sorrow and respect, and also let fly some ill-focused antagonism. You’ll some sorrow on Mahalo Nui, particularly on the sole non-solo performance, a slide guitar trio in honor of David Lindley. But you’ll hear a lot more joy and gratitude; the album’s title translates from Hawaiian as Thank You Very Much. “Hard Time Killin’ Spoonful Requiem For Paul Hostetter” mashes up Derek Bailey and Skip James gestures with more glee than rue; perhaps Kaiser assembled the performances from licks that the late luthier loved? The glistening tones and complex timbres of “Antarctic Requiem For Liz Sutter & Bija Sass,” which is named after two of his fellow Antarctic travelers, evoke a state of drifting wonder and weightless solace.

In 1990, I caught a Kaiser solo concert and came away as impressed with the looming height of his effects rack as I was with his music. He’s never been afraid to indulge the possibilities of technology and technique, and there have certainly been times when they have gotten the better of him. That never happens on Mahalo Nui. The occasions when he foregrounds technical interventions, such as the school of psychedelic blurs on “Mysterious Requiem For Paul Plimley” and the real-time combination of scything slide guitar and MIDI-controlled piano notes on “Some Of The Great Ancestors Inside My Guitar,” pay off real musical dividends. This record makes a strong case for both the technical and emotional aspects of Kaiser’s art. One caveat for those who prefer physical formats; if you go to Kaiser’s Bandcamp page, this title is only offered as a download. However, it is also available as a CD if you’re willing to search a bit.

Bill Meyer

#henry kaiser #mahalo nui #metalanguage #bill meyer #albumreview #dusted magazine #solo guitar #experimental guitar #digital delay #requiems

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

After todays signings we saw lots of comparisons between Louis this year and Louis in 2014 (because of the hoodie) and everyone came to the same conclusion: he doesn't age. What I want to say is, that it's probably result of him having really good life now, look: this year is probably the busiest he's ever been as a solo artist, in retrospective it should remind us of one directions work ethic (tour first half of the year, postproduction and view recordings during tour, album roll out and release time on november) but he was alone (carring all the shows, interviews, being the main focus all the time), also this time he injured himself. twice. And he still managed to look much happier, much healthier (even with broken arm) and much stronger than he did in 2014! On both signings he looked as if he had a good night sleep and a beauty mask before. This year was a really good one for both him and us, I'm happy knowing he managed to have a good time, he seems to be in a good place now and I'm having faith in the future for more!

Louis does indeed look happier compared to 2014, even being as busy as he was (doing touring, recording, and post-production work, while still clubbing and hanging out in yachts!). Louis does indeed carry his whole career himself. He leads, his team trails behind him.

It’s astounding how joyful Louis looks now, how cute but also how free, in a way. In the middle of this madness, he’s carved out a sane space.

[sanstropfremir]

also sm is very good at solo careers, like it is so so so incredibly rare for most group members to do even mildly well when they go solo but sm is so good at it. like shinee? literally every single member has an extremely successful solo career. and like you could argue that hybe (bts) or yg (bp) have that too but genuinely 90% of the views and streams on those are from fans that would stream even if they screamed into the mic for an hour, but sm has even people who arent into kpop tuning in. like taemin? some people genuinely didnt know he was in shinee because they knew all his solo songs but never heard of shinee itself. and taeyon from snsd with invu? joy with red velvet with annyeong that literally somehow went viral on tiktok with ppl who dont even know kpop?? AND WHEN EVERY COSPLAYER KNEW "SHOW ME" BY KEY FROM HOW FAMOUS IT GOT!!! for all their faults you can never criticise sm when it comes to music itself

and that's saying nothing about how i think baekhyun is the best selling soloist of all time currently?? obvs and also boa, but she's always been a soloist. the fact that less than a decade ago they decided they were gonna try to launch a solo career from a group and it popped off so hard that they've been able to do it with every other group since is ASTOUNDING

#sm's entire catalogue is certified hits they have been so remarkably consistent in that one regard #sm w #text #answers

[popentertainmentconcertreviews]

David Kushner & Chance Peña – Webster Hall – New York, NY – September 7, 2023

Chance Peña is a musician known for his soulful and captivating music. Hailing from Lafayette, Louisiana, Peña gained widespread recognition after appearing on the hit TV show The Voice in 2015, where his unique singing and emotional performances endeared him to audiences. Since then, Peña has continued to evolve as an artist, blending elements of folk, indie, country, and soul into his music. His heartfelt lyrics and soul-stirring melodies are captivating and worldly, something from an old soul.

Peña opened the show with unreleased tracks "Cruel World" and "Thaw," raw in vocals and lyrics accompanied by passionate guitar, reminiscent of the late Johnny Cash. Peña then followed up with a unique cover of Kid Cudi's "Pursuit of Happiness" the crowd singing along with every word. Peña perfectly set the tone for the rest of the night as the lights dimmed, and David Kushner took the stage.

Chicago native Kushner is truly a star on the rise, currently based in Los Angeles, Kushner gained attention last year with a pair of hit singles, "Miserable Man" and "Mr. Forgettable" both found on his debut EP, “Footprints I Found.” His emotionally charged songs and astounding baritone voice touched immediately touched listeners around the globe. Hearing him live feels like you’re listening to a solo man choir, his voice is something of a heavyweight boxer, every note he hits just punches you right in the chest. Kushner opened his set with unreleased but stadium ready track "Dead Man," a teaser to his upcoming album and followed up with a tender performance of "Cigarettes."

Kushner took time to dedicate his performance of "Mr. Forgettable" to his late grandfather who passed away due to Alzheimer's. The crowd sang along with everything they had as Kushner delivered a soulful performance. Kushner is brooding with emotion and absolutely captivates the audience; his vocals are haunting and the strums from his guitar compliment him perfectly. The fans cling to every word, shouting every lyric as he performs "The Georgia Rain" and "Burn," heart torn confessions of broken love and closed the night with the fan favorite and the jumpstart to his career "Daylight." Kushner is a promising budding artist full of potential, a truly undeniable talent.

Natalie Orozco

Copyright ©2023 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: September 9, 2023.

#David Kushner #Chance Pena #2023 #Concert Review #Webster Hall #New York #Natalie Orozco #Thomas Gracia

[the-hidden-writer]

Like music drifting in the air (Invisible, but everwhere...) (3/3)

Part 3 Summary: A forbidden melody, a concert disaster, and a dead scientist. Julia gets more than she asked for on what should have been an ordinary day.

Words: 6,874 

AO3: [Here!] Part 1: [Here!] Part 2: [Here!]

Thanks for you patience with this fic and I hope you enjoy the conclusion!

CW: mentions of blood and injury

3. Siebren de Kuiper

Complex.

Julia tried to push her way through the panicked crowds, her heart racing.

There were people surrounding her on all sides; some trying to get to the exit, some tending to injuries, and others trying to find people they knew amongst the hundreds packed in the entry hall. She heard the sound of sirens- at least the emergency services had arrived.

Her mind was foggy and adrenaline was rushing through her veins as she tried to comprehend what had happened in the past thirty minutes.

Having finished work for the day, her manager had given her permission to sneak into the concert hall to catch the last piece of Sander Visscher’s grand new composition. Het Universum, the suite was called. It meant “The Universe” in Dutch and Visscher had claimed that it was highly inspired by Holst’s The Planets, with the intention of taking you on a journey through space but going farther than our solar system.

The first piece in the suite was “Vliegen”, the piece that was supposed to have debuted last year but had been taken off the programme due to the rehearsal incident. The second movement was “Tranen van de Maan”, meaning “tears of the moon”. Visscher didn’t reveal his inspiration for that one. The remainder of the songs continued to travel farther and farther away from the Earth, becoming grander and more complex in turn.

The finale (which Julia had entered to catch the start of) was titled “Zwart Gat” and had been very controversial behind-the-scenes. This was because according to her boss who had checked the sheet music beforehand, it was very irregular, in multiple senses of the word. There was no key signature nor time signature and there was a lot of unnecessary dissonance. Her boss didn’t use the words “badly written” but they were definitely implied. Visscher had argued back, claiming that the piece would be the pinnacle of his career and would work in a way that couldn’t be described on paper. Not wanting to upset the already highly successful maestro, her boss had relented. That wasn’t the cause for its controversy, though.

The problem was that the orchestra had never rehearsed it in full.

Her manager had once again confronted Visscher about the matter, claiming that he couldn’t expect to perform it for the first time in front of audiences anticipating a phenomenal finale. Nevertheless, Visccher insisted that the players had been practicing in their own time and all would be well for the concert. He did seem nervous about it though, her boss had confided in her. Julia personally tried to trust the old man and not dwell on it too much.

So that was the piece she had walked in just in time for. The guest announcer had introduced the piece (praising Visscher’s astounding new work and making an offhand joke to the audience about the De Kuiper Incident, which got her a few laughs) and the orchestra had begun.

All had seemed fine at first. The music itself was… difficult to describe. It was unlike anything Julia had ever heard before- there was so much dissonance, and instrumental timbres that clashed were being used anyway. Julia felt slightly sorry for Visscher knowing that her boss was probably right about the unfinished state of the piece.

And yet, somehow, it still managed to sort of work. It was able to have that strange trademark Visscher effect on her body. It was eerie and unsettling and some of it sounded wrong to her ears but she couldn’t say why. It began as a quiet piano solo but gradually more and more instruments were added until it was so loud that it felt like the sound was swallowing you whole, and for Julia standing at the very back of the hall, that was saying something. She had to give Visscher credit, for being named after a black hole, the piece was doing well to be able to create that sickening feeling in her stomach.

In hindsight, maybe that feeling was more literal than she first thought.

It was easy to get lost within the music, so she couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment that people started to rise from their seats. It wasn’t until the entire room was floating a few feet in the air that the screaming started. Everything (and everyone) began to move upwards, higher and higher.

Amongst the panic of almost a thousand people, most of the players continued to play, and from where Julia could see through the floating bodies, it seemed as if Visscher was continuing to conduct in the air as well. Maybe they had been so focussed on getting this piece right in their first attempt that they hadn’t even noticed- it wasn’t that different from Visscher’s technique, after all. Either way, “Zwart Gat” accompanied the terror of the flying audience.

Nearly eight feet in the air, it wasn’t long before the sound of screams overpowered the orchestra. Julia had been frozen in fright- her mouth open but unable to make noise. The only thing going through her head had been: I’m going to die.

Then suddenly the room started to be dragged towards the stage, someone had let out a loud, guttural bellow…

…and everything fell to the ground.

The chaos that had ensued afterwards was just a blur in Julia’s brain. The music stopped, gravity suddenly seemed to work again, and lots of people were hurt. The fire alarm started blaring a few seconds later and those who weren’t injured hurried to call the emergency services.

Julia was lucky to land on her shoulder. It was sore, but it could have been a lot worse. She was a lot more worried about the elderly among the audience.

During the mayhem of everyone trying to get out, Julia felt as if she had a responsibility as a staff member to help. Hurrying backwards, she held the hall’s main doors open to let everyone else rush out. As she did, she heard speculation between the shouting and crying. Some sort of graviton attack seemed to be the general theory. She heard the word “Toblestein” a few times but had no idea what it meant.

Once everyone who seemed to want to leave was out, it suddenly occurred to Julia that she should probably check on the performers too.

So that’s where she found herself- squeezing her way through the people packed in the entrance hall to get to the corridor that led to the rehearsal room further inside, mentally trying to remember as many names and faces of Sander Visscher’s orchestra as she could.

After what felt like forever and with tears beginning to form in her eyes from the overwhelming sights and sounds of people around her, she finally managed to get to the quieter corridor to be able to break into a run to get to the rehearsal hall.

Forcefully pushing the doors open, she let out a loud sigh of relief at seeing the room full of the musicians who all seemed to look okay.

Pat, her violinist friend, rushed up to her.

“Julie! Are you okay?!”

Julia tried to get her breath back and a few tears fell onto the floor.

“I’m fine,” she answered, her voice quivering. “What about you guys? Is everyone okay? Is everyone here?”

“Everyone here’s fine.” Said Pat, rubbing Julia’s back gently. “Not everyone’s here but everyone’s been accounted for on our group chat.”

Julia felt like crying again, but mostly out of relief now.

“Are you hurt?” Pat asked, and they left Julia’s side to grab a bottle of water from a table at the edge of the room. “Here, have some water.”

“Thanks.” She replied, taking the bottle and managing a few sips before noticing the lack of elephant in the room. “Wait, where’s Visscher?!”

“I think he’s okay too.” One of the other player’s spoke up, to which Pat nodded.

“Yeah, he brought us back here, apologized, told us to check our instruments, and left. No idea where he went.”

Julia had an idea.

She took a deep breath. “I’ll try and find him.”

“Hey, text me if you do, okay?” Said Pat. “Everyone’s worried about him. This was his big concert and for someone to attack with a graviton weapon…”

There was that theory again!

“Why is everyone saying that?” Julia asked, genuinely confused why everyone was jumping to that conclusion..

“I mean what else could it be?”

That was a good point. She literally helped manage the building so she knew for a fact that there was no technology in the walls or anything similar that could do it artificially, so what else would even have the power to lift the entire hall into the air?

“Yeah, I guess…”

With one final look around the room at the recovering instrumentalists, Julia left the rehearsal hall with one destination in mind.

As she walked along the hallway, trying to block out the sounds of distress from the entrance (at least the fire alarm had been turned off), she dwelled on the possibility of an attack. Graviton weapons were incredibly scary from what she had heard, but also extremely rare and difficult to get your hands on. Only the military had used them, so how would a terrorist get a hold of one?

But there was one much more worrying question:

Why?

This was just an orchestral concert, what would anyone have to gain by targeting it? She didn’t see any casualties among the audience (though there were a large number who were injured) so it wasn’t a very successful attack, if so. The only thing remotely special about this concert was that it was the debut of Visscher’s Het Universum suite…

…Was someone targeting Sander Visscher?

A newfound fear pooled in Julia’s gut as she knocked on the door to Visscher’s dressing room.

“Sir? Sir, it’s Julia, are you okay?”

There was no response.

Frustrated, she called out again. “Sir! Please, just tell me you’re okay and I’ll leave you alone.”

She had been so sure that he’d be in there! It was his number one place to avoid the crowds and he would need it now more than ever. Maybe he couldn’t hear her? Or maybe something had happened to him?

Suddenly concerned for his safety, Julia made a decision.

“Sander, I’m opening the door. If you don’t want me to come in then tell me now.”

She waited thirty seconds. No response.

Julia opened the door.

The room used to be an instrument storage room, but since the pre-existing dressing rooms were very small and cramped for a man of Visscher’s size, they had converted it into a dressing room especially for him. He’d been very grateful and had immediately decorated the room with little ornaments that didn’t really have a purpose but seemed to make the old man very happy.

They were going to remove the old upright piano from the room, but Visscher asked for it to stay. Playing the piano was a good outlet for stress, he’d said. Helped him calm his nerves.

As the door slowly swung open, Julia noticed that though the piano lid was open, it was not being played.

Sitting on the stool that looked so tiny compared to him was Sander Visscher. He was facing the wall to her left and his back was hunched with his head hanging low. His silver hair was disheveled and the glasses had fallen off his face. Although he was still wearing his impeccable tuxedo, his white bowtie was undone and hung loosely around his neck, and it even looked like some of the top buttons on his shirt were undone. His posture made it seem like there was some invisible force weighing him down.

He looked… drained. He didn't seem to have noticed the door had been opened.

“...Are you okay, Mr Visscher?” Julia asked softly.

He acknowledged her with the subtlest of movements; a slight tilt of the head which was only enough so that his red eyes could meet hers, brimming with tears.

Now able to see his face, Julia saw the stream of blood running from his large nose.

She forced herself out of shock and into practical-mode.

“S-Sir, your face!” Her eyes quickly scanned the room for tissues, but to no avail. “Is there a first aid kit in here?”

It took him a few seconds to reply quietly, turning his head away from her again. “No.”

His voice sounded hoarse.

Julia started to panic even more and moved to leave. “Don’t worry, there’s one in the rehearsal room. I’ll just go get-”

“No!” Visscher repeated, a little louder, causing her to freeze in place.

“Just let me-”

“No.” He said again, more resigned this time.

“Uh… okay?” Julia wasn’t sure what to do. If the elderly man had landed on his head then he probably needed immediate medical attention, but then again his face didn’t look bruised at all. Maybe his nose had started bleeding from stress? Either way, the maestro didn’t look as if he was alright in the slightest. She couldn’t just leave him there. “Is there anything I can do to help? Anything at all?”

“No.”

Well, this was going great. He wasn’t talking to her but he wasn’t making her leave, either. Which was probably a good thing.

“The emergency services are here.” Julia said after a few minutes of awkward silence. “There are paramedics out front helping people right now, I can fetch someone for you if you want?”

No response. The man’s eyes were squeezed shut.

“The police are here too.” She continued. “They’re searching the hall and trying to find out what happened. They think it was probably a terrorist attack with a graviton weapon-”

“No.” Visscher shook his head gently. “They won’t find anything.”

No..? “What do you mean? Do you know what happened?”

Julia silently prayed that Visscher wasn’t involved. There were another few minutes of tense silence.

“It’s my fault.” He said eventually, his voice cracking- causing a twinge in Julia’s heart. “I should have known better than to think I could live like this again.”

Now Julia was just confused. She shivered involuntarily as that inkling of fear traveled onto her skin. Something about this whole conversation was starting to feel off.

“What are you talking about?” She asked, unable to speak louder than a stage-whisper.

Visscher’s reply turned that inkling into downright terror.

“I did this. This is because of me.”

Before Julia had the chance to ask him to elaborate, she caught some movement through the corner of her eye. Some of the ornaments on the desk at the side of the room (a few model animals, a Newton’s cradle, a metronome) were floating in the air. She quickly turned back to Visscher, worried there was another attack, but the words fell away when she noticed his outstretched fingers.

Fingers pointed towards the desk. The desk where there were objects floating.

Every bone in Julia’s body told her to get out.

She didn’t move. “A-Are you doing that?”

Visscher said nothing, but he relaxed his hand and all the floating items clattered back onto the table. So… that was a new development.

Julia was trying her best to understand what was happening. She was failing.

“You…” The implications of this display were very, very bad. She thought back to the concert. “Why did you…?”

“I didn’t mean to.” Visscher’s voice was thick with tears. “I-I-I… I lost control, a-and I couldn’t see, and the music- oh, the music…”

So it was an accident, that was good. No, it wasn’t good, but it was better than if he’d done it on purpose. As for how he’d done it… Julia decided to ignore all of the questions racing through her mind and to focus on her crying colleague.

“It’s okay.” She said in an attempt to comfort him, taking a step closer to the man (whose shaky breaths were deafening in the small room). “I’m pretty sure nobody died, and you say it was an accident. Don’t blame yourself, Sander.”

“Siebren.” He said between the silent sobs that wracked his frame.

Thoughts started to zoom through her mind at a million miles an hour.

He said ‘Siebren’. Was that his actual name? Or was that the name of the person they needed to blame? The Dutch name seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite remember…

Her heart stopped.

Siebren… wasn’t that the first name of Dr. de Kuiper?

Siebren. Siebren de Kuiper. The De Kuiper Incident, an infamous failed attempt at creating a black hole that cost the lives of a number of scientists and astronauts. The De Kuiper Incident, the incident that had been joked about during the introduction of the suite’s finale, Zwart Gat. Zwart gat, dutch words that meant…

Black hole.

So many connections were starting to form, but she didn’t know what to make of them. Logic told her that this must be Siebren de Kuiper himself, and yet Siebren de Kuiper was dead. She wished she knew what he looked like so she could compare and disprove her notion.

As she fought the urge to pull out her phone and do a quick search, something must have shown on her face as Visscher- no, de Kuiper spoke up.

"They gave me a second chance, I… this shouldn't be possible-" He bent even lower down and his large shaking hands clutched the back of his skull. "Nnnngh…"

The words 'Are you okay?' didn't really feel appropriate anymore, so Julia just hesitantly took another step forward to show him that she was there if he needed it. She couldn't bring herself to say anything, though.

Sander Visscher, the polite old conductor she had come to know over the past few years, was actually Siebren de Kuiper the dead scientist, renowned for his failure?

A small part of her felt resentful that the only nice music director she knew was harboring such a massive secret. The bigger part of her recognized that the man in front of her, whoever he truly was, looked to be deeply in pain.

“Please let me get a doctor.” She offered hesitantly. “I swear I won’t say anything about… what you did. Who you are.”

He didn’t hear her. Still clawing his own head, his eyes were open and staring directly ahead at the wall. It was really starting to freak her out.

Julia quickly realized that his fingers were digging into where those scars had been, and felt the need to take initiative. “No no no, Sir, you can’t do that.”

She moved forwards, reaching out to gently pry his large hands away from his scalp, when the air crackled dangerously around her. Frightened, she pulled back in an instant. She could’ve sworn the very air had folded in on itself in front of her, as if creating an otherworldly barrier between them.

No touching, then. Got it.

As much as she desperately wanted to get help for what she now realized was an unstable man, she was struck with the memory of the conductor after his very first concert. Visscher, as she failed to think of him as anyone else, had been hiding away from the masses of people in this very room. The gratitude on his face when she’d told him she’d keep people away had never really left her. It was so genuine, so appreciative.

Yeah, Julia definitely couldn’t bring herself to get anyone, although she knew that he would be found eventually. Until then, she would stay here and make sure he didn’t truly hurt himself. Or at least she would try to do that to the best of her ability. She shut the door and sat down on the cold wooden floor.

She waited a whole hour.

The entire time, Dr. de Kuiper didn’t move from the piano stool. He wasn’t silent though, as his mournful mutterings and mumblings echoed around the small room. Every time Julia tried to respond, her words fell upon deaf ears. Eventually, his whispers turned back into sobs, and all Julia could do was give him space. By the end of the hour, she was glaring at the analogue clock as its ticking started to drive her to madness.

Their trance was broken by Julia’s phone pinging.

Dr. de Kuiper’s head snapped upwards, startling her more than the sound did.

Heartbeat getting faster, Julia slowly pulled her phone out of her pocket, trying not to take her eyes off the suddenly alert maestro. She glanced at the notification- it was a text from Pat. Then she read the message and her heart sank.

Siebren stared at her expectantly, almost as if he knew exactly what it said without needing to see it.

She took a deep breath.

“Overwatch is here. They’re looking for you.”

The way the man’s shoulders sagged as he let out the weariest sigh she’d ever heard made her wish she could take the words back.

If someone had told Julia when she woke up this morning that Overwatch would come to their building looking for Sander Visscher, she would have claimed the joke made no sense- it needed to be semi-realistic to be funny! But with everything that happened today, as well as Visscher’s real identity, suddenly the idea didn’t sound so far-fetched.

“How much time has passed?”

She was yanked out of her thoughts by the man speaking up for the first time in what felt like forever. He was looking at her again.

“Uhh, just over an hour, I think.” She answered, genuinely unsure.

Siebren sighed again. “Even sooner than I expected.”

“Should I…” Julia tried to think of a way to ask without being insensitive, “let them know we’re in here?”

He began to move, which made her think for a moment that he hadn’t heard her, although he was only turning himself around to face the piano keys again. With his back to her, he said. “They would find me anyway.”

“...I’ll take that as a yes.”

Her fingers shaking, Julia typed out a reply, then let out a long sigh and leaned back on the closed door.

Looking at the old man in front of her (or at least his back, as she could see his hands were shaking as they hovered over the piano keys) she was having a really hard time accepting that this wasn’t Sander Visscher.

Except it was. Visscher hadn’t changed, neither in appearance or personality. It was Sander Visscher, but it was someone else too. Someone who she was fairly sure she was never supposed to meet.

“Why is Overwatch looking for you?”

Julia knew it wasn’t her place to ask, but she had such a strong feeling that if she didn’t ask now then she would never find out. Today had been so strange and terrifying and after this revelation she needed some sort of closure.

De Kuiper sharply turned his head to look at her when she spoke, and a part of her felt so bitter when his eyes widened with recognition at the sight of her. As if for the first time, even after she spent over an hour here in this room, sitting with him and refusing to let him suffer alone, he realized that it was Julia in the room with him.

“I-I…” His sudden nervousness and stutter sounded so much like the Visscher she knew that it made her want to cry.

“Um…” He hesitated, and she could almost visualize his brain trying to catalog her presence and everything that had happened. When he spoke again, after a long sigh, the resignation returned. He seemed more lucid and had realized it was too late to backtrack.

“I hurt a lot of people. If I’m with them, it is safer for everyone.”

Julia definitely felt like crying now. After a few moments of absorbing the information, she opened her mouth to respond (comfort, reassure, anything-) when there was a sharp knock on the door behind her, causing her to jump.

Siebren seemed to spring into action, using his fingers to quickly wipe the tears from his face and using his undone bowtie to wipe the blood from his nose. Julia herself rose to her feet and, after noticing that the maestro had finished removing all evidence of pain from his face, opened the door.

She couldn’t help but let her jaw fall open at the sight of the Tracer on the other side.

They locked eyes. So many questions seemed to cross both of their expressions.

But it was only for the briefest of moments, because soon the hero’s attention was on Dr. de Kuiper, and Julia was left to gape at the Mercy who was also at the door.

“Hey doc.” Tracer said quietly, in a way that Julia had never heard from the screen.

The maestro- no, scientist was still facing the piano.

“It didn’t work.” He said quietly but with a hint of genuine frustration.

Mercy gave Julia a wary look before stepping forward and shutting the door behind her. Julia tried to suppress her inner fangirl and convey that she was only here because she’d been trying to help. She wasn’t sure if it worked, but she wasn’t sent out at least.

The doctor’s eyes were filled with pity. “I’m sorry, Siebren. I truly, truly am. I don’t know what triggered it to malfunction, but this isn’t your fault, so don’t you dare blame yourself.”

“But you don’t understand, it is.” Siebren countered angrily, turning to face the new arrivals. Julia winced upon seeing that his attempt to wipe away the blood with silk had resulted in smearing it across his cheeks. “I should have known this would happen! I was a fool to try and recreate it, I was too ambitious- I-It’s the same mistake as before, I-”

Mercy rushed forward and cut off his rambling with a loud gasp. “Siebren! Are you hurt? Let me take a look at you.”

She reached into her bag for something as Siebren pulled back.

“Ah, don’t worry. It’s only my nose. I think it’s stopped now.” It looked like he’d calmed down a little after being interrupted.

Mercy handed him a wipe. “That indicates that it broke rather than had a malfunction.”

Although she had no idea what they were talking about, Julia noted that Mercy’s voice had taken on a sadder tone.

“...Which means I will need to examine your head. I’m sorry.” The medic finished.

“I’m aware.” The man sounded far less angry now and more… defeated. There was a sad acceptance to his words. “Let’s go, then.”

“Wait!” Said Tracer. “You want to go now? Don’t you want a few days to settle? The check doesn’t have to happen straight away, right Ang?”

Mercy nodded. “She’s right. Come on, we’ll take you back home then we can fetch you when you feel ready. You’d only have to stay for a few days, I just need to make sure today’s incident didn’t cause any damage.”

Silently watching from the corner of the room, hope sparked in Julia’s heart. He’d only need to stay for a few days? The way they were talking about this situation made it seem like the man had been fretting over nothing and he was not being sent back to Overwatch (because apparently he'd been there before).

Which is why it shocked her when Siebren politely declined.

“No, thank you. It’s been a nice few years, but I don’t want anything else put into me.”

Something clicked in Julia’s brain as to what they could be talking about and she felt sick.

“I’m ready to go back.”

His response seemed to catch the Overwatch agents by surprise too.

“...Are you sure, doc? We’d be happy to have you back, but are you sure you’d be happy there?”

“It’s so good to see you again, Siebren, but we’re only here to check on you after what we heard. We aren’t by any means trying to bring you with us.”

Siebren stood up, and for the first time in forever Julia was struck with how tall the man was. She’d gotten so used to it that it had become an unimportant thing about him. But when standing in front of famous Overwatch agents, ones she greatly respected who looked so small compared to him, it seemed like his towering height helped with his argument.

He picked up his rucksack and reached across the room to place his few belongings into it. “Let’s go.”

Tracer shared a look with Mercy, and Julia could only guess what was said between glances.

“Right now?” Tracer hesitantly asked again to the man double her size.

Siebren nodded, all the sorrow drained from his face leaving it painfully neutral. “I’m ready. It's more painful the longer I stay here.”

Julia might have imagined the quick side eye sent in her direction. Her blood ran cold anyway.

Tracer looked ready to argue again when Mercy placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Do you want to stop at your apartment? Or would you rather we collect your things?”

“You can do it.” He answered, voice lacking emotion. Like that dreaded music that started all this, it sounded wrong.

“Alright.” Mercy said. Her voice was calm and firm but her face betrayed her sadness and reluctance. Julia really wanted to speak up in defense of Visscher before he walked out of this room forever, but knew it wasn’t her place.

It hadn’t been her place to know any of this either…

Screw it.

“Please, Sir!” She called. All three heads turned to look at her in surprise. “Please don’t leave. Think about how successful you are! Are you really going to just leave that behind? This can all be covered up so easily- I’ll do it myself if I have to.”

The maestro’s mouth twitched.

She continued. “The music world loves you, your orchestra loves you, and I think Overwatch loves you too. Everyone only wants what’s best for you, and while you’re the only one who can make that decision, I don’t want you to make the wrong one. I care about you, Sander.”

Her eyes widened.

“S-Siebren.” She quickly corrected.

The Overwatch agents turned back to look at Siebren, whose lip had started to quiver. After a few seconds, the emotionless mask cracked, and the frown was evident on his face.

“I care about you all too.” He replied shakily. “I-I… I just can’t bring myself to stay here when I could hurt you again. Maybe… maybe we could keep in touch, though? I could visit, sometimes?”

It was phrased as a question that wasn’t directed at her.

Mercy smiled too, small and relieved. “Of course you can. Just say the word and we can arrange it.”

“I’ll fly you over anytime!” Tracer agreed.

After what felt like an eternity of a day, Julia finally smiled too. “I’d love that! Please keep in touch. I’ll miss you.”

Slinging his rucksack onto his broad shoulder, Sieben wiped away stray tears. “You’ve been very kind, my friend. This was not as bad as I imagined. Thank you for not giving up on me.”

“Never.”

Of all of the ways she thought today would go, she wouldn’t have been able to think this up even in her craziest dreams. Sander Visscher, the man that she’d gotten to know and befriend over the past three years, was a dead man in disguise. Not just any dead man, either. Dr. Siebren de Kuiper, the infamous astrophysicist whose name had become synonymous with Icarus. She’d never given much more thought to the man. Another scientist, another experiment, another failure- despite its epic proportions.

But after today… she might rethink what she took from similar stories. Who knows, you might just meet them in person.

“‘Scuse me love, is there a back exit we could take? We don’t want to scare anyone when we come out.”

It too Julia a second to register that Tracer was talking to her. When it clicked, she answered quickly.

“Oh, yeah! There’s a stage exit that nobody should be using right now. I can show you the way if you want?”

“Sounds perfect! Don’t worry about directions, I can find it quickly myself.”

Siebren cleared his throat.

“Er, do I have to walk?” He asked sheepishly. “After all this, I’m very tired.”

Julia answered before the others got the chance to. “Don’t worry, there’s wheelchairs out front. I’ll go grab one-”

“I don’t think that’s what he meant.” Mercy interrupted, before furrowing her brows in thought. “As long as there’s nobody around, I don’t see why not. Just don’t overdo it.”

“Wonderful!”

Julia watched in awe as Siebren (mood greatly improved) rose upward until he was floating a few inches off the ground.

“You can fly?!” Julia asked incredulously.

He let out a weak chuckle. “Ah, not exactly. It took me some time to master, but what I do is that I adjust my own gravitational field to counter that of-”

“You’ll have to save it for next time, doc, we’d better get a move on.” Tracer cut him off.

“Ah yes, of course. My apologies.”

Mercy, adjusting her bag as she prepared to leave, turned to Julia. “You understand that this is all highly sensitive information, yes? Siebren is officially recorded as dead in order to protect him, and his unique abilities should be kept as secret as possible.”

“Which means you can’t tell anyone.” Tracer added.

Julia nodded solemnly. “I understand. I can imagine they’d probably be very dangerous in the wrong hands.”

She didn’t like the way all three of them winced.

“I’ll also need your details, if that’s alright.” Mercy continued. “It will be a difficult one to cover-up so having somebody on the inside to help could be very useful.”

Okay, so even though she’d suggested it herself in the first place, the idea of being part of a grand cover-up scheme sent a thrill through Julia’s body.

“Right, yeah.” She said. Mercy handed her a very fancy-looking phone which she quickly punched her name and phone number into. “There you go.”

“Wonderful, thank you.”

Everything suddenly felt very final. Even though she’d already cried multiple times that day, Julia felt herself fighting back tears as everything caught up to her.

Mercy seemed to catch on.

“Don’t worry, this isn’t goodbye.” She leaned in closer. “I will make him talk to you, whether he wants to or not. More for his sake.”

The statement was so firm and determined that Julia didn’t doubt her in the slightest.

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Tracer said cheerfully, zipping past Julia to open the door. Mercy followed, with Siebren floating not too far behind.

He looked down as he passed by her. As he craned his neck downwards and she craned her neck upwards, she was hit with a bittersweet sense of deja vu.

He must have felt the same way, as just like their first interaction, he extended a hand for her to shake.

She held back tears and shook it, once again feeling so small compared to him.

“Thank you, Julia.”

His words struck deep within her heart as she realized that this was the first time he’d used her name since their very first meeting.

“Anytime, Sander.”

After one final satisfied smile and nod, she watched as Siebren followed his friends out and gently floated down the corridor, leaving Julia with more answers and somehow even more questions about the enigmatic maestro.

At least this time she knew how she could get them answered.

~-.-~

Misunderstood.

“It all happened so suddenly. One moment we were counting down, the next moment we lost contact and alarms started going off. It was terrifying.”

“How many people were in the control room at the time?”

“Oh, I don’t know. About fifty people? Not all of us were assigned to their team, I know that some were there for Horizon too, but I think everyone was keeping track of the experiment. History could have been made, y’know?”

“I’m sure that’s how they felt, too. How many people were on the station at the time?”

“Eleven people. Seven were astronauts that worked there, the other four were Dr. de Kuiper and his team of three.”

“And there were two survivors.”

“Yeah, they, uh… sorry, it’s still hard for me to think about. God, I… y-yeah, they were two of the astronauts. Furthest away from the event. They’d been injured by the gravitational anomalies, but they were alive. We believe that four were alive at the time, but two died in critical condition, unlike the ones that were closer because their bodies… B-But we didn’t know that until we regained contact.”

“Crushed?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“I understand, it’s hard to think about. We’ve only heard it, but actually seeing it must have been scarring.”

“It was.”

“I can’t imagine what that control room must have looked like.”

“Most of us were silent. There were alarms going off, but when something like that happens, or even when you have no idea what really happened, there’s nothing you can do but wait. I do remember Keller barking commands, though, since she was in charge of de Kuiper’s ground team. She might’ve said something to me, I don’t really remember.”

“Did you ever meet Dr. de Kuiper?”

“Never personally. I remember I asked him a question during his initial experiment pitch and then formally introduced myself when he was meeting his team, but I didn’t know him very well beyond that. I, um, remember he was passionate, though. I think a lot of his confidence had been transferred onto us, so none of us ever thought such a catastrophic outcome would even happen.”

“Do you think that he had any idea? Surely he must have considered that he could be leading his team to death?”

“Maybe. He tended to ramble a lot, I guess he was kinda endearing that way, so I’m not surprised about how loyal his team was. They knew the risks. I think for them, the worst outcome was a black hole swallowing our solar system, so this tragic middle ground wasn’t ever an option. Not for Dr. de Kuiper, at least.”

“And their skulls were crushed.”

“Um, yeah…”

“You were part of the team sent up afterwards. What did you feel as you boarded the station?”

“We were given a bit of warning, but I don’t think anything can really prepare you for something like that. I’m still in therapy, haha… sorry, I, er… it’s hard. The first thing we noticed was that the artificial gravity had failed.”

“Which, ironically, Siebren de Kuiper helped pioneer?”

“...That’s right. I never thought about that… damn.”

“Sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. I think that was the last thing on my mind once we’d gotten to the experimental chamber.”

“We’re yet to have that described, apart from the state of the bodies.”

“That was the biggest shock. The chamber was massive, set to withstand great amounts of force. There was a protective field-”

“Which failed.”

"'-Which is the part that failed, that's right. I made my way inside, and… there were these rings of blood in the air. Have you, um, ever seen a diagram of an atom?”

“Yes, and we can show one on screen.”

“Well… that’s the best description I can find. There were orbitals of blood and the contents of the room, slowly circling around. Collins, Jansen and Kappel were there too. What was left of them was circling around too, their limbs in gruesome arrangements. Then the nucleus of the atom, right in the center also floating, was…. Dr. de Kuiper. J-Just the same as the others.”

“Is it harder to describe him because he’s to blame?”

“S-Something like that, yeah. Um. No, otherwise he was just the same as the others. What did I say? Yeah, limbs all-”

Julia turned off the TV.

The documentary definitely shed a little light on the incident, but something about the way they presented Dr. de Kuiper (as a foolish, over-ambitious man with no regard for the safety of his team) didn’t sit well with her at all. Especially not since she knew the man personally, and anything they would probably go on to describe about him would have all been lies. She wondered if they would still talk about him that way if they knew he was still alive. She also wondered if Siebren had watched any of these.

For his sake, she hoped he hadn’t.

Whatever actually happened up there was his business, not hers, and probably not the world’s either. Maybe he’d tell her someday in the long email chain they had going. Or maybe not, she wouldn’t ask.

He seemed happy, and Angela (as she’d come to know Mercy by) reassured her that he was healthy too. It seemed like things had worked out for him.

She looked over to her laptop, where the screen still showed the sheet music for the new symphony he’d sent her. Something less ambitious, but equally beautiful. She knew that the orchestra that had commissioned him would be more than happy with it.

Yeah, she decided. Things had worked out in the end.

Thanks so much for reading! Feedback is greatly appreciated :D

#overwatch #fic #sigma #sigma overwatch #overwatch sigma #siebren de kuiper #maestro sigma #mercy overwatch #angela ziegler #tracer overwatch #lena oxton #i'm really proud of this one

[caralara]

Or end bg before the doc or it will be his fall. Larries wont pay for it i know more than half fandom will wait what solo louies say and then decide if they go or no. louis fandom is 80% larries if we dont buy louis just disappears, also put him there talk about fatherhood i imagine some shit as it's good seeing your kid at your concert (lmao) the kid is 7 it's a turning point force larries to decide i want to still follow and spent money on someone who have a fake son forever or he is a dad for real so he is a shitty person who i followed all this time

Thats what will happen. I pray that your theory will happen

I’m astounded at all the statistical data you’ve gathered, can you tell me where your sources are for 80%? And how you know that half the fandom won’t pay for the doc if there’s bbg content? And how they will do it when we’ll only know when the tickets are already bought?

All of this to say I get your point but there’s no need to fear monger. I Trust Louis. It’s not like he doesn’t know. It’s not like he’s drawing it out just for shits and giggles. He is heavily involved in the business side of his career, he knows what’s going on, he actually knows the data. He has a plan. It will be okay.

#anon #babygate #bbg

[fyexo]

221101 INTERVIEW: What’s Next For Lay Zhang? – West, Infinite Lands, and the Next 10 Years

When he made his debut as a member of K-Pop boy group EXO, the next ten years felt far away for 20-year-old Lay Zhang who had spent the previous four years studying and training nonstop in order to compete in SM Entertainment’s fierce debut group competition.

But, after a decade, the now 31-year-old global superstar emerged as one of the most successful musicians of his generation, breaking record after record, adding achievement after achievement, and establishing himself as the multi-talented Lay Zhang of China.

Despite all of his achievements, the multi-hyphenate refuses to be described as “successful.” “I don’t think I am very successful,” he said.

In an interview with the Philippine media in support of his most recent album, West, he said, “For me, [being] successful is a moment.”

These remarks are no longer surprising to those who have followed his career and development; Lay Zhang never stops. He has a relentless zeal for improvement and a strong sense of duty to his community, profession, and nation.

“We have to keep our mind to look ahead. Dream big and never give up. Always try your best —that will make great things happen.”

True to his words, he accomplished great things, and his most recent album, West, is proof of his unshakable dedication and hard work.

Lay Zhang gave his fans a five-track album, West, with the single “Veil” in September to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his debut. The album is a follow-up to his album East from 2021.

While East plunges into the world’s Eastern side and transports listeners on a fanciful eastward voyage, West transports listeners on a westward journey and lifts the curtain on the world’s mysteries.

Through the inventive use of oriental musical instruments, symbols, and expressions as well as the fusion of traditional and contemporary components, it creatively tells the story of the difficulties we confront and the path we travel in everyday life.

As someone who is proud of his Chinese heritage, it is also significant for him to include his culture.

“I am a Chinese person first before an artist. I want to share the good things about my culture. I hope to inspire others to do the same.”

Lay Zhang brought out his producer side to create an astounding album in West – now one of his “children”, together with Lose Control, Winter Special Gift, Sheep, Namanana, Honey, Lit, Producer, and East, among other releases.

The album’s songs “Veil” and “Understand,” which encourage listeners to lose their masks and reveal their true selves, are among Lay Zhang’s favorites. Notably, the international superstar added an English version of the album’s lead track, “Veil,” in an effort to connect with his global fanbase. “As a Chinese person, Chinese comes easier to me. I also want more people to know what I am singing about, so [I came out with an] English version as well,” he explained.

Given his busy schedule, many are curious about how he balances his roles as a brand ambassador, producer, actor, singer, songwriter, and more.

“It’s not difficult. Every day, I try to do something. Everybody can create something new.”

Nonetheless, he acknowledged the challenges he has as a solo musician. “Being a solo artist is a little bit though because you have to do all things by yourself,” he admitted. But being a solo artist also offers him the independence and flexibility to experiment around with ideas.

Lay Zhang made his solo debut in 2016 with Lose Control, his first extended play. The EP landed at number one on the Gaon Album Chart and is the ninth best-selling album of 2016. Following the release of his debut solo album, he had a string of extremely popular albums that broke sales records and furthered established his unshakeable position as one of China’s and the world’s most loved and acclaimed stars.

And, for him, the greatest achievement of all is the adoration of his supporters.

“My achievement is that I have lots of fans who support me. I can see the fans’ love and support. I have a lot of motivation to do a lot of things and keep doing what I want to do.”

Fueled by this love, and in true Lay Zhang way, the singer-songwriter will continue to refine himself in order to improve and uncover his sound with each record. More than perfection, the “Veil” singer seeks progress—-constant growth and steps toward the fulfillment of a dream, such as his Grandline 2: Infinite Lands concert tour.

As part of the Grandline 2: Infinite Lands tour, the multi-hyphenate completed three concerts in three Asian cities. On October 17, he began his concert tour in Malaysia, his first offline performance since the pandemic, followed by Singapore on October 19, and Bangkok on October 22. He intended to unite his audience through the concert tour, inspiring them to think bigger, dream bigger, and just keep moving forward, hence the concert’s title, “Infinite Lands.”

Lay Zhang also promised to bring the breathtaking views of Infinite Lands to his Xbacks in the Philippines. “My Philippine Xbacks, thanks for your support and love. I hope we can meet soon and immediately,” he remarked.

In the last 10 years, Lay Zhang has made a name for himself, solidified his position in the industry, and paved the way for other young musicians. With his extremely outstanding career and all of his accomplishments, we came to ask: what’s next for Lay Zhang? And, as always, the singer-songwriter strives to give his all every day.

“The next ten years are so far and yet so close. When I was 17 years old, I did not [think] it’s very quick to be 31 years old. Time goes by. [But] for me, I don’t want to waste time, so every day, [I] just do my best [in] whatever I can do.”

When Lay Zhang first took the stage as a member of EXO ten years ago, the next ten years seemed so far away. But years later, the singer-songwriter is still here — never quitting and continuing to lead an industry for the next generation of musicians who will look up to him.

Are you ready for the next decade with Lay Zhang?

The group interview was attended virtually by Danica Lacson.

Words by Danica Lacson | Edited by: abbyinhallyuland

source: hellokpop

#exo #lay #t: interview #hello kpop

[opera-ghosts]

OTD in Music History: Composer, pianist, and organ virtuoso Cesar Franck (1822 – 1890) is born 200 years ago in France. After showing remarkable promise as a child prodigy – he entered the Paris Conservatory at the age of just 15, and within two years he had already won a “Grand Prix d’Honneur” for an astounding feat of transposition in a sight-reading test as well as a First Prize in fugue and a Second Prize in organ – Franck enjoyed a long and rather uneventful career working as a church organist, while also steadily teaching and composing on the side. As an organist, Franck particularly noted for his magnificent improvisations; indeed, on the basis of a mere twelve major completed organ works, he is now widely considered to be one of the greatest composers for that instrument since J.S. Bach (1685 – 1750). Rather ironically, given his start as a celebrated child prodigy, however, Franck only reached his full maturity as a composer in his final years: It is his "Variations symphoniques" (1885), "Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano" (1886), "Symphony in D Minor" (1888), "String Quartet in D Major" (1889), and series of solo organ pieces that mark him as one of the most powerful and important French composers of the latter 19th century. Franck also left behind an important legacy as a teacher, and his most famous pupils include Vincent d’Indy (1851 - 1931), Ernest Chausson (1855 - 1899), Geuillame Lekeu (1870 - 1894), and Henri Duparc (1848 - 1933). PICTURED: An c. 1880’s cabinet photograph showing the elderly Franck, which he signed and inscribed to a female admirer.

#César Franck #Romantic composer #composer #classical composer #pianist #organist #music teacher #teacher #pedagogue #Romantic music #Classical music #music history #Romantic era #Romantic period #Paris Conservatoire #Franck #Symphony #Chamber music #piano #Chamber #conductor #photography #Conducting #orchestra #music #professor

[kimseokjin2024]

Jin trends on MelOn and Twitter after the release of #TakeTwo

On June 9, BTS released a highly anticipated digital single titled 'Take Two', captivating fans with its dreamy and romantic vibe, perfectly suited for the summer season.

Renowned for his versatility and exceptional vocal range, Jin seized the opportunity to showcase his extraordinary talent in 'Take Two'. From his mesmerizing upper and lower registers to his mind-blowing adlibs, Jin left listeners in awe. He was trending on MelOn search and Twitter after the song's release.

His emotional delivery moved people to tears and inspired thousands of appreciative compliments about his vocals on social media. Jin effortlessly infused the song with a fresh, romantic, and playful tone, making every line captivating and unforgettable. SBS News even used Jin's verse when reporting on BTS releasing a new track.

Ten years into his career, Jin continues to astound audiences with his incredible vocals, consistently breathing a new life into each subsequent release. The demand for his first solo album is incredibly high, fueled by the artist's reputation for delivering the unexpected yet mind-blowing music.

Source: Allkpop

#kim seokjin #seokjin #jin #BTS #김석진 #진 #방탄소년단 #jin news

[rochelledelborrello]

I have been a huge fan of Jack White for decades. For me he represents the epitome of creativity, artistic drive and artistry. White is a unique individual who is always pushing himself, performing, writing new music, preserving music history, moulding new vinyl records and designing new art.

White is always putting out something new and worthwhile out into the world and its inspiring to witness.

If you don't know White's enigmatic blues guitar sound, then you are missing out on one of the most astounding instrumentalists around. From his indie rock beginnings in his hometown of Detroit, to massive worldwide success with the White Stripes and a stunningly brilliant solo career this man keeps getting better with age. His extraordinary drive, determination and desire for collaboration makes him a constant inspiration for any creative trying to make something out of what he loves.

Read a little more about my love of the inexplicable, impeccable Mr Jack White.

#jack white #white stripes #blues man #eclectic listening #music review #music tastes #a babel of words #music

[thedemostop]

Who is the Richest Rapper of All Time 2024

In the context of hip-hop, rap is more than just music; it uplifts the emotions of its listeners. Rappers are becoming into more accomplished lyricists than in the past, and some have achieved actual success. When we look at the extravagant lifestyles that these heavyweights of the music business lead, one question immediately comes to mind: Who is the richest rapper?

Top richest rapper in 2024

Dre – $1.3 billion

Actually named Andre Romelle Young, Dr. Dre is an American rapper, producer, and businessman. In the 1980s, he became well-known both solo and as a part of the rap group N.W.A. With a net worth of $1.3 billion, Dr Dre net worth is one of the richest rappers.

Music career: His music career, both as a rapper and a producer, has been highly successful, with albums like “The Chronic” becoming classics.

Beats by Dre: In 2014, he sold his brand ‘Beats By Dr. Dre’ to Apple for $3 billion, significantly increasing his wealth.

Strategic investments: He has made strategic investments, including the Apple stock he received in the Beats deal.

Drake – $250 Million

Aubrey Drake Graham, better known by his stage name Drake, is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and businessman. One of the most recent "Who is the richest rapper?" contestants? Drake has a total net worth of $250 million.

Music career: Drake’s music career has been incredibly successful, with numerous hit albums and singles. He is among the most-streamed artists globally and has made substantial earnings from album sales, streaming, and touring.

Acting: Drake's breakthrough performance came from his part as Jimmy Brooks in the Canadian television series Degrassi: The Next Generation, which paved the way for his subsequent success in music.

Business ventures: Drake's brand has grown to encompass a number of economic endeavors, like as his whiskey line, Virginia Black, and record label, O.V.O. Sound.

Endorsements and partnerships: He has apparently received a sizeable upfront payment from Universal Music Group as part of a long-term collaboration, and he has landed rich endorsement deals with well-known companies like Nike.

Eminem – $350 Million

Rap's Deity Marshall Mathers III is actually Eminem's true name. In the music industry, he is well-known for his witty rhymes and lightning-quick rapping. Eminem, who is reputedly worth $350 million, is the quickest rapper in the world.

Music sales: Eminem’s income primarily comes from his music career, including album sales, concert tours, and streaming revenue.

Shady Records: He founded his record label, Shady Records, which has signed and promoted various artists, adding to his wealth.

Acting: His role in the semi-autobiographical film “8 Mile” on Sirius XM channel called Shade 45 earned millions at the box office.

Jay-Z – $2.5 Billion

Shawn Carter, better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is a highly accomplished rapper, producer, and businessman who is regarded as one of the all-time greats. His astounding $2.5 billion net worth is a result of his immense impact extending beyond music to a wide range of commercial endeavors. He is therefore the richest rapper according to the rating.

Jay-Z's music career, which has a repertoire worth millions of dollars, has been the cornerstone of his riches.

Business ventures: He owns a wide range of businesses, including Roc Nation, an entertainment organization, Armand de Brignac champagne, D'Ussé cognac, and investments in startups like Uber.

Asset growth: His assets include a significant art collection, real estate, and cash investments.

Strategic sales: His fortune has expanded even more as a result of his astute business decisions; such selling his streaming service Tidal.

Diddy – $1.4 Billion

Diddy, whose real name is Sean "Love" Combs, is a multi-talented entertainment entrepreneur with an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion. His entrepreneurial endeavors, prudent investments, and musical prowess have brought him money.

Music royalties: Diddy's music career has been extremely successful, with royalties reported to have brought him $100 million..

Bad Boy Records: One major source of his riches was the record company Bad Boy Records, which he created.

Fashion: Sean John, the clothing line, set fashion trends and contributed to his net worth.

CÎROC vodka: His partnership with CÎROC vodka has been a significant financial success.

Revolt T.V.: He also launched Revolt T.V., a music cable network.

Investments: Diddy has invested smartly in various industries, including technology and beverages.

Kanye West – $500 Million

Kanye West is an American rapper, fashion designer, entrepreneur, and producer. His estimated net worth dropped to $500 million in 2022 as a result of his anti-Semitic outbursts on social media, which led to his losing collaboration with Balenciaga and Gap on the Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga brand.

Music and fashion: Kanye's accomplishments in the music business, including his several successful albums like The College Dropout. His fashion brand, Yeezy, surged in popularity and made a substantial contribution to his wealth.

Yeezy brand: The Yeezy brand has been a significant source of revenue, especially in light of his collaboration with Adidas. The brand was making billions of dollars in sales at its height.

Berner – $410 Million

With a net worth of $410 million, Berner—real name Gilbert Anthony Milam Jr.—is a rapper and entrepreneur who ranks among the top 5 richest rappers. He is under contract with the Taylor Gang of Wiz Khalifa.

Music: he has also released around 40 albums, many of which have topped Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Cannabis brand: His Company, Cookies, offers a wide range of marijuana strains and related products globally and is worth $1 billion.

Conclusion

The moniker "richest rapper of all time" is entirely arbitrary and determined by a number of variables, including sales of records, sponsorships, investments, and other endeavors. But when talking about the wealthiest hip-hop artists, names like Diddy, Kanye West, Dr. Dre, and Jay-Z are frequently mentioned since they have all made significant financial successes in their respective fields—music and business.

#dr dre net worth #kanye west net worth #drake net worth #eminem net worth

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

We all know Louis and Harry spent a couple of years barely interacting at all and their team even let rumors spread that they hated each other, but around the MITAM promo era they suddenly started talking and blatantly staring at each other again in interviews and sharing jokes. Do you think they were pushed into interacting enough to make larries more excited for the album since it would be their last? It's just weird that they suddenly stopped ignoring each other in interviews.

The interaction between Harry and Louis during MITAM promo sold the narrative that they were friends, at the least.

You know what exemplified the narrative that promotes every single one of Harry’s relationships, to prepare 1D fans for for Harry’s solo career?

The single Perfect, co-written by Harry and Louis and the answer to Taylor Swift’s Style, released on October 21, 2015, with Home on the B side.

Thinking about that cynical maneuver now makes me wonder about how thoroughly and how deeply the fandom was manipulated during 2015.

It’s all water under the bridge, but it’s still astounding to me.

[sarockradio]

"ROCK MOVES"

with Julie Reynolds

WED & THURS 2PM

This Week:

From Daddy Cool to Mondo Rock, and also as a solo artist, Ross Wilson has amassed no less than 26 ARIA Top 40 hits.

Ross Wilson is one of Australia’s most awarded, respected and well-known artists.

From the legendary band Daddy Cool whose number one anthem Eagle Rock and debut album “Daddy Who?” smashed all previous sales records in Australia.

In an astounding 50 year career he has delivered non-stop smash hits, ‘Cool World’, ‘State of The Heart’, ‘Chemistry’, ‘No Time’, and ‘Come Said The Boy’

As a solo performer, Wilson has never been out of the limelight.

Twice inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, Wilson’s live performances are legendary.

He joins us to talk about his life, travel and inspirations.

"ROCK MOVES"

with Julie Reynolds

WED & THURS 2PM

LISTEN LIVE @

WWW.SAROCK.COM.AU

#listenlive #adelaidemusicscene #adelaideradio #sarockradio #southaustraliaradio #supportlivemusic #australianmusic #radiostation #internetradio #rockmoves #musicinterview #juliereynolds #rosswilson #DaddyCool #MondoRock

https://www.sarock.com.au

#sarockradio #internet radio #radio #interview #music #julie reynolds #ross wilson #daddy cool #mondo rock #aussie rock #rock moves