I feel like ars nova is a potential goldmine for 21st century reinterpretation especially since bardcore is a thing now. Imagine my delight to find this-
Here's my apocalyptic take on the beat generation. It's a cover of an old Rod McKuen song; I've changed the lyrics a little. I'm still working my way through the Ableton tutorials, so it might sound halfway professional someday—not today, though.
I like this one a lot. Lyrics, and a link to the original, below the cut.
I looked over the mountain
and saw a lamb insane
With seven eyes and seven horns and tongues of writhing flame
The same old ancient story
The same old ancient song
The central holy fact is that the weak should fear the strong
Come alive in the regeneration
brand new body and a troubled new mind
Come alive in the regeneration, and everything is gonna be fine!
I cannot hear the music
I cannot stand the smell
As little baby's little souls fall screaming down to hell
It does not have a moral
It's never ever fair
When babies cry forevermore while angels darn the air
Come apart in the degeneration
soul on fire with a troubled new mind
Come apart in the degeneration, and everything is gonna be fine!
a crowd came to the mountain
it seemed to be the place
they saw a stranger standing there, a mask upon his face
The softness of a serpent
The wisdom of a dove
enthralled with holy terror at this great unholy love
And people fall like pebbles
And people rise like smoke
forever up to heaven like some great eternal joke
The punchline leaves you gasping
The rhythm's out of joint
With God of this you can be sure the cruelty's the point
Come alive in the regeneration
brand new body and a troubled new mind
Come alive in the regeneration, and everything is gonna be fine!
You wonder what the game is
it can't be just for fun
As angels build a castle in the center of the sun
A million stores deep
A million stories tall
And that's about the only thing they really dig at all
Burn in hell, call it heat generation
brand new body and a troubled new mind
Join the band, call it beat generation, and try to hit the right note on time…
Come alive in the regeneration
brand new body and a troubled new mind
Come alive in the regeneration, and everything's gonna be fine!
Original song: "The Beat Generation" by Bob McFadden and Dor (Rod McKuen--Dor is "Rod" spelled backwards)
When the dark flood came
We wrapped ourselves inside a dirty blanket
Citing different opinions
On whether we should move
When the houses came
They ate up everyone like they were fishes
Saying, "Come on, come on
It's the end of the world"
And then I saw your face
You're turnin' skin into a dirty secret
I watched the beauties, watched the fire
And the fire burn the beauty in their eyes
When I took the blame
We laid in ruins tryin' to quote your phrase
We're yelling, "Someone's got the answers
But I'd rather think there's nothing to be found"
'cause when I fly solo I fly so high
'cause when I fly solo I fly so high
'cause when I fly solo I fly so high
'cause when I fly solo I fly so high
I fly so high, don't touch me now
(SPOILERS for TMA, and all of TMAGP episodes so far)
Okay, here me out
Tmagp1: Darla wants to hear Arthur's voice again. She even says: "I just couldn’t face the thought of the rest of my life never hearing him again, I had to try" and later on she even says: "But I had to know, so I went to the cemetery."
Tmagp1: RedCanary wants to know about the Magnus Institute. They want to know why it's listed under 'cleared' when there's no evidence of it. Hence why they go and explore it.
Tmagp2: Daria wants that absolute perfection. She wants to change who she is and get out of that dark place. When she talks about the thing that she felt was missing, she says, "... and that’s when I decide I need a tattoo. I had a couple already – just little things on my shin and my wrist – but I decided I needed something big. Something that really changed my look." She also mentions when talking about Ink5oul that "they just kept pressing me about my life, about why I wanted the ink" instead of asking what design she wanted. And when she got the tattoo she describes herself as now being, "Someone I wanted to know more about." Afterwards she even says how "For the first time ever [she] wanted to attempt a self-portrait. Something real and physical, [she] wanted to feel the brushes in my hands and the oil on [her] fingertips." I think a lot of her statement is about her desire and impulsive need for that perfection and that wholeness that she has been aspiring to for her whole life.
Tmagp3: Samuel wants to stay hidden. He wants and he "need[s] to get up, get out of here for treatment." He wants to get better and most of his delirious thoughts are the things that he wants, or feels like he needs. E.g. "I so much want to see it [the sun] again. This night seems endless. I want to be warm again. I am terribly afraid. Thank god for Maddie. I need to treat her better."; "I just need to rest."; "I need to be careful or we’ll drift apart." And then obviously as the narrative continues, Samuel wants to grow and 'put down roots'.
Tmagp4: The narrator wants to be revered and accepted into the Royal Court Orchestra of the Palatinate. He wants to show off and impress. The violin "was a creature with needs and purpose of its own. The needs were simple enough. Blood. Flesh." It has these needs and desires.
So far, I'm interpreting it to be that everything so far can be interpreted as a desire of sorts, varying in the strength and intensity of it. Obviously, fear is still a big part of it all, because if you want something so badly, aren't you afraid of it being stolen from you? Of it being out of your grasp? Of it being unachievable or impossible in some capacity? Of it being a lie?
Even Sam wants to find out more. He wants to know the why and the reason for things. Gwen wants Lena's job. Collin wants to fix all these bugs and keep Freddie running. Alice wants to just get on with it because she found out that wanting to know the 'why' of things is dangerous.
I think that somehow when the Web took all the Fears into a different universe, they morphed into something else. Or they changed to fit what was the most prevalent thing in that universe, because after all, everyone wants something, even if it's something small and inconsequential. Life and aspects of it has always been characterised by that desire for something. Like people wanting food, shelter, safety, love, warmth, happiness, etc. And I think since the Web was so intwined with Jon and Martin, it absorbed some of their emotions when it found its way into this new world, because after all Jon and Martin wanted to stop Jonah/Elias, to stop the apocalypse, to destroy the Panopticon, to be safe, and they wanted each other. I think the wanting and fear of things are really entwined in it all, though this could be absolute bullshit haha
a little edit i made for @somerandomdudelmao’s apocalypse series. i wish i could do something more impressive like make a whole animatic or something, but i hope this is still good :>
Song: “Time Adventure” - covered by the Marcus Hedges Trend Orchestra
A classical symphony in four movements, inspired by @thesiltverses! The most recent episode swept me away in a river of creative inspiration, and I couldn't help but follow this stream to whatever murky depths it wanted to take me.
Creative thoughts and details beneath the cut.
The Whitegull River Symphony is written in f-Minor for a full symphonic orchestra. My rendition was created in FLStudio, using Spitfire's BBC-Symphonic-Orchestra plugin, as I am just one mediocre violinist without an entire orchestra at hand.
First Movement: River Angels, Allegro Assai
The first movement is dominated by the steady rhythm of the celli and violae, who act as the slow waves of our murky river. Among these waves, the faithful have prepared a sacrifice. Their hopeful prayers flick aross the water in the first half of the movement, and are answered by the scutteling, chittering spawn of the river in the second half.
Second Movement: Pilgrimage of the Prophet, Adagio
In the second movement, we focus entirely on our favorite little prophet (whose brilliant performance inspired me to make this. The existence of this symphony is your fault, @sassylich). He marches on through the silt with slow steps, while the clarinet plays his theme. His little schemes behind the scenes are played by the string section, the obvious warning signs are announced by the horns. Nevertheless: In the end, everyone is playing his tune.
Third Movement: The Withermark, Andante
And here we go, the river's might is unleashed. The angels of the river god approach unstoppably, drawn here by the prophet: His clarinet is setting the tune for the overwhelming wrath of the trawlerman. Nothing can stand in its way, but after the tides have calmed, new life can grow in their wake.
Fourth Movement: Katabasis, Allegro Assai
Katabasis, the descent into the depths. Nothing escapes the greedy maw of the Trawlerman, nobody can float above, untouched. All the instruments we've hear so far return, desceding into the roiling depths of the bassline. This is not a comforting or hopeful ending, this is an apocalypse.
this song literally has everything. fucking orchestra string section in the beggining. heavy metal guitar lead. multi harmony chorus. DRUM. religious imagery. apocalypse. i don’t want to go i just want to be invited. what would you trade the pain for.