#for the record my top guess in ep 1 is 'what's the quality of life with no skin?' oh you just know that came from his mind lol | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dangermousie · 3 years

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2020 End of Year Post - kdrama edition

You can find my 2020 cdrama post here: dangermousie.tumblr.com/post/638449659546845184/2020-end-of-year-post-cdrama-edition

This is only going to cover kdramas that aired in 2020; if it originally aired another year, it’s not on this list.

It’s been a pretty lackluster kdrama year. There are probably only 5 kdramas I truly loved and only three of them I was really obsessed over. Better luck in 2021!

DRAMAS WATCHED

(In order of liking from least to most as opposed to pure quality; I am including if I’ve seen enough to make up my mind; yes I realize that’s inaccurate, but that’s my list)

42 Born Again - so bad, so incoherent, so insane, I have no idea why the leads signed up for it (and unlike some of the other watchers, I think it was awful from the very start.) There is literally nothing about this drama that makes sense.

41 Love with Flaws - a bunch of people who should be tried under the Geneva Convention.

40 Sweet Munchies - Jung Il Woo proves his inability to pick a functional script.

39 Meow the Secret Boy - if you ever wanted to bang a cat, this drama is for you. Not being a furry, however...

38 Do Do Sol Sol La Sol - I lost braincells just typing out this title.

37 When I Was the Most Beautiful - the only way it’s not the dumbest, most pointless melo of 2020 is because Born Again considerately came out the same year.

36 Woman of 9.9 Billion - if you want to watch an artsy French movie about miserable people, but only badly made, boy do I have a drama for you.

35 Lies after Lies - screams after screams.

34 Backstreet Rookie - people were up in arms about various problematic plots. I am a survivor of many plots much more problematic but even I couldn’t survive how utterly boring and annoying this drama was and how utterly irritating the leads were. This has taken Ji Chang Wook off my top favorites into “should I even check his latest Lovestruck in the City? Probably not” territory almost single-handedly (Melt Me helped, to be fair.)

33 Men Are Men - boring is boring.

32 Dinner Mate - two beautiful boring people eat out a lot.

31 Was It Love - no it wasn’t.

30 Alice - Joo Won in the shower can make up for a multitude of sins but not plot nonsense of such magnitude. When you find yourself thinking it would be better if he hooked up with the alternate universe version of his mother because at least then something entertaining would happen, you know it’s bad.

29 More than Friends - started out OK, then made me hate basically everyone and kept going.

28 Start-Up - honestly, it’s probably more decent than its place here, but the toxic and batshit fandom for it (the worst this year) made me feel like breaking out in hives any time it’s even mentioned.

27 The Spies who Loved Me - how to take a good cast and waste it.

26 Private Lives - it was good but it never took off with its concept and spent more time on the incoherent plot than the OTP which was its one strength. It’s a decent drama but coming after Heartless City and My Beautiful Bride from the same writer, it’s a disappointment.

25 Record of Youth - as high as it is due to Park Bo Gum hard carrying this entire awful drama on his shoulders and doing it so well I finished it. Alas, while he is in one drama (and that drama is great), the rest of the characters and the entirety of the script are a pointless useless mess.

24 Do You Like Brahms - excellent first third, mediocre middle, and terrible last third. I don’t know what musical term applies to this? Diminuendo, I think.

23 I’ll Go to You When the Weather is Nice - nice and mellow but nothing much happens.

22 Forest - mainly for Park Hae Jin’s excellent and frequently naked bod.

21 The Ballot - I didn’t love it as much as everyone did but it was well-made.

20 Hyena - more romance and less weird law stuff would make it better.

19 365 Repeat the Year - surprisingly solid.

18 The Game Towards Zero - see 365.

17 When My Love Blooms - very old fashioned, very lovely.

16 Chocolate - also very old fashioned and very lovely but also with Yoon Kye Sang performing medical procedures bleeding and shirtless. MMM.

15 (tie) Secret Royal Inspector - a fun if run of the mill sageuk.

15 Find Me In Your Memory - best melo this year.

14 Mystic Pop Up Bar - surprisingly good even though I wasn’t planning to check it out.

13 Where Your Eyes Linger - came out of nowhere but was tender and hopeful and lovely.

12 Itaewon Class - Park Seo Joon hard carries a drama that is already excellent. Love it.

11 Psychopath Diary - Yoon Shi Yoon is such a treat in a hilarious, cynical, dark comedy.

10 Kairos - more like ouroboros.

9 Queen Love and War - in a year where sageuks are very rare, this was solid and surprisingly moving and shippy.

8 The King Eternal Monarch - people didn’t like it but I did. It’s no masterpiece and both the leads and the writers have better dramas, but it was a lovely romantic fairy tale for me.

7 Mr. Queen - sharp, hilarious, and some of my favorite actors.

6 Psycho But It’s OK - healing, sharp cinematography and even sharper chemistry.

5 Crash Landing on You - the last ep pissed me off so much this drama is dead to me but I loved it so much until then I can’t place it lower in good conscience.

4 Train - who knew I would go this hard for an OCN drama or that OCN would do romance so well? But this time-travel mystery romance is just incredible and I shipped the OTP and rooted for the characters and loved every last bit of it.

3 Run On - this is the drama Record of Youth wanted to be but failed. Smart and lived in, you feel like you are peeking at real people, but also even four episodes in, I am so invested in the main characters separately and together, and care for them so much, it’s a little frightening.

1 (tie) Tale of the Nine Tailed - my perfect fantasy romance. I liked it better than Goblin, yeah I said it.

1 Flower of Evil - all the tropes I love in one incredible package. I would rewatch episodes waiting for new ones trying to puzzle the story and to stay withdrawal but it works just as well on rewatch. Lee Jun Ki brings his trademark tortured intensity and for once, both his leading lady and his script back him up and are worthy of that. It’s perfect.

FAVORITE DRAMA

It’s a tie between Tale of the Nine Tailed and Flower of Evil but if I had to pick just one, FoE, because it had me seriously obsessed and guessing about the protagonist and gave me the narrative tropes I love so much and an OTP that statisfied all my hurt/comfort kinks and then some.

WORST DRAMA

Born Again - honestly, this is so bonkers it almost becomes good but alas...

FAVORITE MALE CHARACTER

Do Hyun Soo/Baek Hee Sung, Flower of Evil - he is so messed up, so on edge, so traumatized. Yet capable of so much warmth and caring even as he himself doesn’t realize his humanity. FoE is basically a story of a man pushed and punished by the world for his entire life who, because of one woman, finds a safe place and peace and slowly comes to life without realizing it, and watching his desperation to keep this small bit of normalcy is so heartbreaking and exciting all at once. Plus, you start the drama thinking he’s a psychopathic serial killer and end it (if you are me) thinking he must be protected at all costs and if anyone even looks at him wrong they must suffer, and that’s quite a change!

FAVORITE FEMALE CHARACTER

Nam Ji Ah, Tale of the Nine Tailed - she is so funny and tough and smart and loving and amazing that I will totally buy that a literal demi-god will do anything and everything for her and love her for literal eternity.

NEEDS TO BE MURDERED

Dad in Record of Youth - yes in a year with serial killers and supernatural demons, I picked a normal character from a mediocre drama. It’s his everyday awfulness to his family that hits so hard and I am sad he never got his comeuppance.

FAVORITE SHIP

Ji Ah x Yeon - a fearless reporter and an immortal demi-god who’s been hoping for his human beloved to reincarnate. A really rare set-up where the OTP is equally ride or die, so compatible and completely BAMF. I got why he waited for her for that long and then fell in love with her all over again. Perfection.

Runner up: Flower of Evil - he is so messed up he literally does not believe he is capable of love or empathy, but he falls in love with her anyway and so utterly she permeates his entire life. She is tough as nails and only believes what she sees and is the sole person who believes in him against the world. She loves him but he needs her. She needs him but he loves her. They are amazing.

FAVORITE SECONDARY OTP

Seo Dan x Gu Seung Jun, Crash Landing on You, North Korean x Conman were so good I shipped them harder than the main OTP and the end of that storyline pissed me off so much I dumped the drama and didn’t finish it for months (and it’s still dead to me.)

NOTP

Record of Youth - it started out and they didn’t have much chemistry but the dialogues were interesting and I thought the chemistry would grow. It didn’t and deteriorated, their dialogues became boring and relationship had zero development (about as much as the supposed female lead.) I think we were supposed to feel bad they broke up and they were going for a bittersweet open ending, instead I found myself happy about the break up of two incompatible, chemistry-less people and hoping for the love of God they never get back together.

FAVORITE SCENE

Yeon and the bridge of knives, Tale of the Nine Tailed - Yeon choosing to undergo the creeptastic bridge of knives for a chance to save Ji Ah, who at that point he is not aware is the reincarnation of his Joseon love because, as he says, he doesn’t care if she is or isn’t, it just would be more horrible to have her die than to undergo the horrific torture he is undergoing, and then the sequence with his catching her, her weeping over him and the fact that she is the original Joseon girl revealed and all the bandaging and his watching her sleep and all that loveliness, is everything for yours truly.

Runner up: Hyun Soo having that break-down at the cliff at the end of ep 15 of Flower of Evil as Ji Won desperately tries to convince him she is alive and he finally stumbles to her.

Runner runner up (it’s my list, I will do what I want): Do Won preparing to blow his brains out to give a chance to Seo Kyung to live in Train.

BIGGEST CRUSH

Seon-Gyeom, Run On. Yeah, I know. Im Siwan is tiny, delicate featured and has a runner’s build, none of which are things that normally appeal to me. But his character is so odd, so honest, so unflinching in pursuing what he thinks is right, so incapable of self-pity despite plenty of reasons for it, and so ridiculously attractive when he smiles, I don’t even care.

BEST SCENE STEALER CHARACTER

Kim Bum, TotNT - I started out being annoyed by him and ended up looking forward to his scenes and being distraught by his ending.

NEEDS A SEQUEL

Honestly, none. I was fine with all the endings. I wouldn’t mind seeing post-end life of Tale of the Nine Tailed characters or the OTP settling into their literal new world in Train, but I am good.

TROPE THAT NEEDS TO DIE

Time jump that solves all the problems off screen or alternatively years pass and everyone is frozen - something that kdramas need to learn and need to learn badly. See Record of Youth, Brahms and Start Up.

FAVORITE TROPE WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF

Men who are ride or die for their OTP - this was a great year for this - the male leads of four of my five dramas were beyond anything on that scale (only exception is Run On because it’s still too early to tell there.) Yes PLEASE.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

This was a banner year for that what with Start Up, Do You Like Brahms, Record of Youth, and Private Lives all starting out well and nosediving off the cliff but winner is Crash Landing on You. I loved it so much for bulk of its run but the last episode pissed me off so much I deleted all my files and called it a day.

BIGGEST GOOD SURPRISE

Flower of Evil - I had no expectations of this drama and wasn’t even planning on watching it despite liking both the lead actors because yet another “look at evil serial killer be evil” drama with no romance was not my thing. Luckily someone convinced me there might be some romance and I peeked curiously. Honestly, their promo campaign was the most misleading and dumbest thing ever.

Runner up Psycho but it’s OK - I have never liked Kim Soo Hyun in anything before and the drama premise seemed WTF but it was shockingly good and KSH totally blew me away.

Hardest Working Lead

Yoon Shi Yoon - he starred in two (!!!) dramas in 2020 playing three characters and not only were both these dramas awesome in a lackluster year, but if it wasn’t for the fact that I knew it was the same actor and the fact that the characters shared a face, I would have never believed that they were played by the same actor. So good!

2020 DRAMAS I HAVEN’T SEEN THAT I MOST WANT TO WATCH

None. Covid Year gave me PLENTY of time

BEST NON-2020 DRAMA I’VE WATCHED IN 2020

My Beautiful Bride and Deserving of the Name - I was obsessed with both of them and honestly, they were much better than the bulk of 2020 kdramas I watched.

MOST ANTICIPATED IN 2021

The Moon That Rises in the Day, Hong Chun Gi, Joseon Exorcist, Island, Frightening Cohabitation, Snowdrop.

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my5hiningstars · 3 years

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@seokjinsel tagged me to post my top albums of 2020 (and i know there was no limit but i tried to cut it down to nine since that’s how many i posted last year) also in the time it has taken me to finish this post i was tagged by @floralminho too sjkdfh

idk who has been tagged but @silvertae, @yoon-river, @sapphicshawol if anyone wants to ✨

details under the cut!

Halsey - Manic (17th January, 2020)

every day i thank yoongi for featuring on this album and giving me a reason to listen to it. there was a week to a month at the start of lockdown (time meant nothing who knows) that this was just on repeat. it’s so well ordered as a full album which is So not expected from an album with So many singles and i Love it. some tracks i keep coming back to include: suga’s interlude (obv.), more, and still learning (but like, just listen to the whole album honestly)

BTS - Map of the Soul: 7 (21st February, 2020)

last year i absolutely adored mots: persona, and i guess this is almost kind of a repack? honestly as an Album if confuses me BUT i also loved so many of the new tracks i couldn’t leave it out. some top picks: ugh! (욱), we are bulletproof: the eternal, and filter (my top played bts song of 2020 on spotify oops)

5 Seconds of Summer - Calm (27th March, 2020)

listen lockdown was a weird time and i maybe had a brief 5sos Moment bc tbh it’s good pop! i listened to this whole album a bit, but i kind of whittled it down to the 8/12 songs i really liked (that are all on my top songs so i couldn’t Ignore it...). some of the favs are red desert, easier, and lover of mine

Day6 - The Book of Us: The Demon (11th May, 2020)

day6 literally have never released a bad song. it is actually impossible. a well constructed album top to bottom. musically interesting but never unpleasantly challenging? also yoon dowoon melting my heart with his vocal lines 🥺 what a band, what a group. i rec the whole thing but, let’s highlight day and night (해와 달처럼), love me or leave me, and afraid (also sungjin’s demo track for it i’m Still crying it’s so good)

Tomorrow x Together - The Dream Chapter: Eternity (18th May 2020)

i nearly picked txt’s other ep this year entirely bc i loved ghosting so much, but as a full set of tracks i like this one more. nothing could ever beat run away as a single, but can’t you see me did it’s very best. a quality sampling of what txt is capable of. picks: drama, can’t you see me?, and fairy of shampoo (wow txt’s SEO Sucks and their korean titles are so Long i’m not going to put them here)

Day6 (Even of Day) - The Book of Us: Gluon - Nothing Can Tear Us Apart (31st August, 2020)

it’s a perfect album. beautiful, amazing, chef’s kiss. i am a Sucker for a concept album in general but the way the story progresses with the denimalz interlude tracks is so Cute and Fun. it’s totally fine that it’s only 18min long bc i could listen on repeat for days on end. i adore every track but i’ll recommend the intro: landing, interludes ocean and forest, and Especially the outro: to be continued (just listen to the full album!)

Stray Kids - GO生 (GO Live)/IN生 (IN Life) (17th June/14th September, 2020)

i kinda fell off following skz for a bit after the I Am series ended and i wasn’t sure i’d ever get back into them, but then i saw chan’s arms and hyunjin’s Hair and something Snapped. (also the release of skz2020 with all the re-recorded ot8 tracks with those han vocals??) top tracks: god’s menu (神메뉴), ta (타), back door, any (아니) (so many so many any anything etc.)

Taemin - Never Gonna Dance Again: Acts 1 & 2 (7th September/9th November, 2020)

it’s not cheating if it really was released as a package... i maybe have a slight bias toward act 1, simply bc criminal is like, one of my top songs of 2020. that said i don’t think there is a single skip? the way he has grown consistently since debut while still keeping a certain taemin Flavour is so impressive. tracks i particularly love include criminal, clockwork and pansy (cries in shawol)

BTS - BE (20th November 2020)

i nearly considered paying $100 for this on my first listen i loved every single track so much. i was sceptical when i heard it was only 8 tracks (7+skit) but everything about it is beautifully Bangtan, but in a very fresh way for an official album. you really can feel the contribution of every single member to the production. stand-out tracks are blue & grey, dis-ease (병), and honestly i Still love dynamite.

Honourable Mentions: Twice - Eyes Wide Open (i didn’t listen to the album much bc i couldn’t Stop listening to i can’t stop me) GFRIEND - 回: Song of the Sirens (i love them and the shift in their style of singles since being affiliated with bh has been interesting?)

#tag games #mutuals #this only took me 2 hours it's fine #i've just been waiting to make this post all year jksdhfs #thank u both for the tags sjkd i was about to tag you rae when i saw the notif and had to change it #this is what i get for insisting i put links to everything in this post #as if y'all don't know how to use google #bangtan #day6 #shinee #taemin #txt #stray kids #twice #gfriend #those are the artists relevant to this blog kjsd #it's been a weird year for music i could have sworn there were so many more albums i loved this year #i guess i just Really Loved the ones i did #also there were some that didn't come out this year that i had on repeat #thank goodness harry styles came out in like the last week of 2019 or whatever like #oops it's a well produced pop album #also i listened to nfr a Lot but again it's a 2019 album so #THE TAGS BROKE I WOULD SCREAM IF IT WEREN'T 1AM IN THE MORNING #hopefully i fixed them but also rip

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go-go-devil · 4 years

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If You Have Ghosts: The Story of a Song

This is an informative/personal essay I wrote about the history of Roky Erickson’s well-beloved song, “If You Have Ghosts.” Honestly I should have written & posted this on the 1-year anniversary of his death back in May, but I completely forgot. This piece is mostly a study of Erickson’s original and the band Ghost’s famous cover of it, alongside some other things. I would also appreciate some feedback on this if you all don’t mind.

The information I used as a reference when describing the making of the original song comes entirely from Joe Nick Patoski’s writing on Roky Erickson’s career and the making of The Evil One (included as a booklet in recent vinyl additions of said album).

Throughout our lives there will be songs that capture us in ways that we cannot escape from. Oftentimes it’s as simple as an infectious melody that we refuse to discard from our memories, either due to it becoming attached to a pivotal part of our lives or because we cannot dislodge it no matter how hard we try. Other times it can be something that attracts us so much that we begin to covet it to the point of obsession, and it is through this attitude that the song transforms from merely a piece of music into a piece of ourselves.

“If You Have Ghosts” is one of these songs for me.

What can I say about this wonderful track that hasn’t already been said? It is fierce, yet subdued. It is both hard rocking joy incarnate and a solemn reflection of one’s self, and it says so much by saying so little. The reason for all of these seemingly contradictory phrases I’m using is because this song, unlike many others, is a shared entity that exists in multiple forms. Quite an odd way of stating that the song has been played by more than one band, but hopefully this essay will demonstrate how the meaning of the original piece can mutate into different forms while still keeping its essence intact.

There’s no better place to start than with the original, recorded in 1977 and released in 1981 by rock n’ roll legend Roky Erickson.

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Originally recorded as part of a four-song demo of what would later become his first solo record, The Evil One, “If You Have Ghosts” contains many of the themes Erickson presents in his music as a whole. Those of which being: horror-themed esoteric lyrics, high-energy playing, soaring guitar riffs, and a general sense of raw, psychedelic power.

In less than 15 seconds the song has already built itself up and blasted into your eardrums, but never does the melody ever resort to sounding like a wall of noise. Each instrument weaves its sound around each other like some tripped-out embroidery design in order to create a rich tapestry in the listener’s mind. The lyrics are as catchy and repetitive as any of Roky’s songs, yet for this one he sounds less like he’s singing but instead simply proclaiming each line like it’s a definitive statement.

“If you have ghosts, you have everything”

“One never does that”

“The moon to the left of me is a part of my thoughts and a part of me is me”

“In the night, I am real”

“I don’t want my fangs too long”

Barring a few other scattershot words present in the chorus, what you’ve read above is all that you get for what this piece is trying to say. Unlike most of the other songs from the album, whose lyrics clearly convey the story/theme presented, this one does not have a lucid form to it and thus its meaning can only truly be grasped through interpretation. Personally, I always saw it as a proud declaration of one’s deviance from society, with the rip-roaring instruments serving to show how this person’s mind finally feels free enough to run wild in the night, with only the moonlight and their own invisible spirits to guild them.

But of course, all forms of speculation can never undermine Roky’s own intent when crafting this song, which, unfortunately, is not nearly as liberating as my previous presumption…

“If You Have Ghosts” as we know it is a direct product of Erickson’s mental illness. There really is no way of sugarcoating it. After being diagnosed with schizophrenia in 68’, Roky was sent to various state hospitals in 69’, where he was subjected to multiple electroshock treatments by doctors alongside being heavily sedating with Thorazine. Even after he was discharged in ’72 he never fully recovered from the abusive “therapies” he was given, resulting in decades of battling intense mood swings and heavy drug reliance as well as making it difficult for him to record many of his songs in studio.

Roky was under one of these spells whist recording the vocals for this song. He was only able to sing the chorus once, and after recording was no longer able to remember any of the lyrics. Out of all the tracks, Producer Stu Cook had to put the most effort into inserting the vocals into this song using a complex progress called wild-syncing to place multiple takes of audio alongside the instruments without using synchronization. It’s honestly a miracle that we even have this song fully formed in the first place given the circumstances of its creation.

Despite all of the hardship and effort put into creating this piece, for a long while there didn’t seem to be as much appreciation for it compared to Erickson’s other work. Partially because it was not present on certain releases of the album back in the day as well as the fact that Roky seemed to rarely play it live in concert (even on YouTube, recordings of these performances are scarce). As much as I love this version of the song, even I’m willing to admit that if I were ever forced to rank each song on The Evil One, I would probably place it somewhere in the middle. What can I say? When you make an album that great, the competition can be fierce!

For many obscure classics, the story would end there. Yet another buried treasure forever existing in the mind of one musician. But that’s not what happened, for several decades later a new band from Sweden will emerge, different in form but identical in spirit to Roky’s sound, whose frontman will breathe new life into a once forgotten masterpiece…

…Or at least that’s what I would lead into were it not for the existence of this version.

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Interestingly, the first notable cover of “If You Have Ghosts” was not done by Ghost but instead by an English folk-rock group called John Wesley Harding & The Good Liars on the 1990 album Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye: A Tribute to Roky Erickson. This now-obscure album consisted of a compilation of various bands and artists covering the songs of, you guessed it, Roky Erickson. There was actually a great deal of artists present on this record, including several well-known musicians such as ZZ Top, R.E.M., and The Jesus and Mary Chain (and even Butthole Surfers too!).

I’ll be the first to admit that I am not at all familiar with John Wesley Harding or his backing band; however, I will say that this piece is a worthy follow-up to the original in it’s own right. It slows down the song to a level not unlike the many psychedelic songs that followed in 13th Floor Elevator’s wake, keeping the main melody in tack while filling in the gaps with many little flourishes as a means of expanding it into something new. I’m especially fond of the echoing effect given to the vocals, which gives the already obscure nature of the lyrics a more outwardly ethereal quality.

Anyway, on to what you’ve been waiting for!

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After enduring another two decades of invisibility from the public eye, the song was once again exhumed and resurrected by an emerging metal band named Ghost for their 2013 EP If You Have Ghost. Considering Roky Erickson’s wide array of demon-inspired songs, it’s interesting how Linköping’s residential Satanic metal group chose this piece as opposed to more well-beloved hits like “Night Of The Vampire” or “Stand For The Fire Demon,” many of which work perfectly with the band’s themes of evoking retro horror films and devil worship. It almost seems like they just chose “If You Have Ghosts” solely on the basis of it having the word “Ghost” in it. However, just one listen to this cover will quickly prove otherwise.

Right off the bat, the instruments and vocals are a far cry from the original. Unlike the previous J.W.H. cover that made sure to keep the main melody in tack while adding onto it, Ghost instead chose the more daring option of altering the melody and tempo of the piece significantly. From the ominous drawing of violin and cello strings in the opening seconds to the melancholic metal sound of the guitars throughout (with the rhythm guitar being played by none other than Dave Grohl, who also produced the EP), this version slows the once fast-pace beat of the song down until it becomes almost unrecognizable save for the lyrics. Even Tobias Forge’s singing creates significant contrast with the original; his silky smooth, haunting baritone guiding a melody once held by Roky’s hard-edged yells.

And yet… the spirit still remains.

Although the sound itself has been thoroughly converted to the stylings of Ghost, they still managed to keep the fierce energy that ran through the veins of Erickson’s version, albeit with a twist.

Both songs convey a contemplative examination of one’s mind, with instrumentals and singing that amplify the power one feels from this reflection. However, Ghost’s version differs in that it amplifies the sense of isolation and longing present in the lyrics. The music notably softens at the beginning of many of the verses, particularly lines like “One never does that” or “I don’t want my fangs too long,” only to grow in power through the repetition of each line. It conveys the feeling of the singer having to grapple with these feelings before they can fully accept them.

Nowhere is this more apparent than the band’s acoustic cover of the song.

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At this point, the piece has been stripped down to an entirely naked form, its themes conveyed only through the guitars of two nameless ghouls alongside Forge’s vocals (presented here in his previous stage persona, Papa Emeritus III). There is no triumphant shouting or swelling electric guitar solos here anymore, just a somber reflection gently carried by melodic strumming and mournful singing. Despite now being as far from a rockin’ tune as humanly possible, it actually manages to come closest in recapturing the sense of rawness in the original, albeit on the exact opposite scale.

I remember watching a recorded acoustic performance in Paris back in 2015 where Papa introduced “If You Have Ghosts” as being a song about “loneliness,” which is an interpretation I can definitely agree with. In fact, I would even say that with this acoustic cover brings the entire meaning of the song full-circle. Through its peeled-back, unflinching depiction of being enclosed in darkness and isolation, it serves as a perfect end-note for a song that began from such troubled origins by telling the listener that, despite all the hardships, this beautiful piece of music will never lose its everlasting spirit.

Thanks for giving us everything, Roky.

#rip roky erickson #we're gonna miss you baby #I hope you all enjoyed this analysis #this took me a week to write!#if you have ghosts #roky erickson #john wesley harding & the good liars #the band ghost #the evil one #if you have ghost #where the pyramid meets the eye #my writing #music analysis

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amphtaminedreams · 4 years

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The Eras of Lana Del Rey: Lookbook no.9

Hi to anyone reading,

Hope you’re okay! AND that you didn’t end up here because you searched the Lana Del Rey tag so you could see people ranting about her-you’re about to be very disappointed. Sorry. This is not about to be some Question for the Culture discourse because the world is bleak enough right now and the last thing we all need is to be reminded of that saga.

Being a Lana Del Rey fan is easy, they said. She’s not a controversial artist, they said. And yet 2020 had to do what it does best and fuck everything up.

Whether people like her or not, it’s made me so angry reading all the abuse she’s been getting about her appearance for the last couple of weeks, because I really thought that if we could agree on anything it was that attacking individuals for the way they look because you dislike something they’ve done (with the exception of shit like racist tattoos and blackfishing) is, you know, awful and judgemental as fuck? Like you do realise when you treat the word fat as a pejorative that the fat people you don’t have a problem with understood that you meant it as an insult too? I think what all those people tweeting about Lana’s weight, and that includes some of her fans, are forgetting is that she was in her early 20s when she was thrust into the limelight. As much as there’s this conspiracy that her dad bought her a career in the music industry, she’d made the decision to go it alone and had lived in a trailer park as a struggling musician for years. On top of that, we have the unreleased tracks with lyrics seemingly referencing an eating disorder in her younger years. OF COURSE her body is going to look different. Why is it that we treat weight gain as an inherently bad thing without any insight into the other factors that constitute a person’s “health”? It’s fucking insane that so many feel they have the right to comment on other’s bodies in the first place and it breaks my heart that she might be reading these comments. This wasn’t intended to necessarily be a rant about how much I love this woman but all the shit I’ve read about her on the internet these past few months have pushed me to it. You'll respect your queen of alternative music or I shall stan twice as hard on your behalf. You can thank me later when you come to your senses xoxo

I’d love to say it was intentional that I finally finished this post the week Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass was released but that would imply I have my shit way more together than I actually do. If I’m being completely honest, I’ve only heard L.A Who am I to Love You so far 1). because I want to wait for the hard copy for the rest and that doesn’t turn up til September and 2). because I do not have my shit together, lol. That being said, there is no doubt in my mind that I am going to love it-one thing I have always loved about Lana’s lyrics is how well they paint a picture and this is something that poetry only more freely allows for the exploration of. That ability to create such a strong narrative voice and atmosphere is a talent that extends to her visuals and the production of her records too, and is something I really missed when it comes to the Norman Fucking Rockwell era. I’m just going to say it: a strong aesthetic is to NFR as memorable songs are to Lust for Life. Lacking. Am I allowed to say that as a fan? The collaborations don’t do it for me, okay, and as as NFR is concerned, aside from The Greatest/Fuck It I Love You video which went down the whole neon surfer girl route, it’s hard to identify a cohesive theme. It’s understandable that at this point, she would want to just focus purely on the music, and it goes without saying that NFR will stand the test of time in that regard but I don’t think we can deny that when people think of Lana in the future, it’s not gonna be a green windbreaker that comes into their heads.

^Illustration credit to Filip Kozak (https://filipkozaksart.tumblr.com/?fbclid=IwAR3vwLX2pNxoFNhTPD1ky14LllPqlLtL1GxGlD79xuHxdtzcHLw-6aNBZWo)

And here’s where this Filip Kozak illustration comes into it; after years of it sitting in my camera roll for years, it finally has a use. There’s really nothing better to illustrate how mundane life has become this year than the disproportionate level of excitement my photo-hoarding-self experienced realising it would fit perfectly into this post and is thus eligible for deletion. Up there with being able to fit a whole box of biscuits onto the shelf at work rather than having to individually take out as many as I can and then shove them on top of the existing box of biscuits one by one. Truly riveting content on this Tumblr page. Back to the point-by using this as my stimulus for the post rather than the Lana Del Rey albums as outfits tag that went round on Twitter, I can conveniently exclude NFR as an outfit inspiration category, and that saves me from having to buy a charity shop windbreaker with its price bumped up 150% by some upper middle class Depop e-girl or boy who uses the word peng as a descriptor like it’s a nervous tic. To make up for leaving out NFR, I’ve tried to branch out a bit and do the outfits not just based on the music videos or album covers but also from street style and stage looks and photoshoots from around the same period too. It was hard not to be influenced by the general “vibe” and sound of the albums either when I was planning outfits, whether it’s the grand, orchestral instrumentals of Born to Die or the 70s psychedelic rock inspired riffs of Ultraviolence and hopefully that’ll show as well! Enjoy:D

Born to Die (Release Date: 27th January 2012)

It’s been 8 years, and when you ask most people what they think of when they hear the name Lana Del Rey, they’ll probably dismiss her as the one who sings about being sad and doing coke and sleeping with older men. That’s the Born to Die impact. Say what you want but it’s one of only a handful of albums released by a female artist to have spent more than 300 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart and it really established the mythos of “Lana Del Rey” because before all this, before all the think pieces from other women claiming she’d set feminism back hundreds of years with her music, before she ousted grayscale Effy Stonem as the queen of angsty teen Tumblr (which as you can probably guess was a subsection of the internet I was very much engulfed by, lmao), she was just Lizzie Grant, a relatively normal aspiring singer songwriter in her early twenties. But as Lana Del Rey, she was someone else-some beautiful, mystical being that personified the sentiment of being born in the wrong era. Whilst every other singer’s record labels seemed to be trying desperately to thrust them into the future and keep them on top of all the musical and stylistic trends, it was refreshing to hear someone whose music and visuals captured all the most glamorous elements of the past. Part Priscilla Presley/Jackie O reincarnation (the National Anthem video really illustrated how Lana is just as much a storyteller as she is a musician), part high level mobster’s wayward wife à la Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface, she was the good girl by day and the bad girl by night, and I think that’s a duality we can all relate to or would like to think we’re interesting enough to relate to deep down.

Her style from around this period was EVERYTHING. She had those grungy Tumblr girl elements, the camo jacket and the oversized pieces and the leather jackets, but she also heavily drew on the styles and silhouettes of the 50s and 60s with the beehives and the new look Dior inspired cinched waist dresses. Even now in 2020, I think this period is what most people would think if they were asked to describe Lana’s style. I made sure I got the grungy pieces in there with the chunky boots and the vinyl and the oversized leather but the foundation of her looks back then were usually these daintier throwback pieces like the white silk dress and the corset and the mint fur trimmed coat (House of Sunny’s Penny Pistachio coat).

Favourite lyrics from the album? “Now my life is sweet like cinnamon, like a fucking dream I'm living in” from Radio. Nobody asked but I’m gonna give it to you anyway.

Born to Die: The Paradise Edition (Release Date: 9th November 2012)

Lana’s Paradise EP contains probably my absolute favourite song of her’s, Ride, and with that, the beautiful opening monologue that will stay in my mind forever. This era was of course ushered in by Tropico, the short film that included the premiere of the songs Bel Air, Body Electric and Gods and Monsters, which established the ethereal tone of this period-it’s in the name, after all. Both the album and the videos were other-worldly and leaned heavily on religious symbolism which I’m sure pissed off many a middle-aged bible basher at the time. Most prominent in her lyrics were reflections on the freedom of the open road which corresponded with visuals of biker gangs and desert dwellers and modern interpretations of the Wild West, as was an attempt to capture the nature of the so-called “American spirit” which as Lana portrayed it shared more qualities with a kind of celestial, transient being than any kind of solid concept or identity. She played an emotionally detached stripper and a haunted saloon-style-bar singer (almost looking like a runaway bride) and Eve the “first woman” all in the same album and honestly, if that’s not iconic, I don’t know what is. We saw SO many incredible red carpet looks in this period too which built upon this idea of her as the fallen angel tempted by original sin that Tropico established; I feel like this era was all about laying bare the soul of the character she played, this broken, delicate but ultimately liberated being that was so dangerous to the idea of the strong, stable modern feminist ideal. She went about it in COMPLETELY the wrong way in a post that betrayed the ignorance of the privilege she has as a white female performer, but I think this is what she was getting at in it and Ultraviolence only went on to bolster her critics.

In response to the criticism she still receives about the choice to wear a Native American war bonnet in her Ride music video, I’d like to say that it really seems like she’s learnt from that-actions speak louder than words and so though it’s not my place to say whether this makes up for that error, the work she’s done with Native American reparations-focussed foundations since and the money she’s donated to the cause says a lot about her intentions. Again, I want to stress that it’s not my place to say! But it’s a detail that is often overlooked so I thought I’d mention it here.

“I was a singer, not a very popular one. I once had dreams of becoming a beautiful poet. But upon an unfortunate series of events saw those dreams dashed and divided like a million stars in the night sky, that I wished on over and over again, sparkling and broken. But I didn’t really mind because I knew that it takes getting everything you ever wanted and then losing it to know what true freedom is.”

Ultraviolence (Release Date: 13th June 2014)

AH, Ultraviolence. My favourite of Lana’s albums and imo, a masterpiece. ONE skip. ONE. Sorry Guns and Roses. I got stoned in my back garden and listened to this (for research purposes ofc, heh) and ended up deciding that this is what I want to listen to when I die (also whilst stoned). It sounds dramatic but listening to this album in that state of mind is such a heavenly experience that I’d be too zen to notice myself slipping away into nothingness on the basis that if I didn’t as long as I could stay in that bubble of awe, nothingness forever wouldn’t be so scary after all. I know, I know, that sentence has big Jaden Smith’s old tweets energy. But if an album is what helps me get over an existential crisis, I beg you allow me the nonsensical ramblings about how I felt like I was ascending into the stars.

Though in terms of the lyrical content the public perception is probably correct, I think the reputation Ultraviolence has as Lana’s darkest, most gothic album (which is something I’ve in incorporated into the outfits I put together) is mistaken; instrumentally and visually it drew more on 70s psychedelic rock and the bohemian counter culture of the period than anything, and her stage looks are a clear reflection of that, and also the outfits I was most excited to channel. It seems counter-intuitive to the moody atmosphere I associate the tracklist with but it’s my go-to summer album; it’s raw (probably her most stripped back work along with NFR, lots of the songs are barely edited) and it’s gloomy but let’s be real, hot as fuck-don’t bother making a sex playlist, just put Ultraviolence on shuffle, and you’re good to go. This was the album where Lana debuted some of her most criticised lyrics and where the notion that she glamourises abuse comes from, one of the points she also seemed to be getting at in the Instagram post, but imo it’s fair to say that she sang truthfully about the initial allure of a dangerous relationship and the nature of the mindset that facilitates staying with somebody poisonous where you do feel like you’re nothing without them. Turning horrific experiences into romantic tragedies is how Lana has always made her music and yeah, out of context there are some fucked up lyrics on the album, but policing how a woman expresses her trauma and complaining that she glorifies weakness because she wrote honestly about the reality of a complicated partnership is hardly any more “feminist” than the lyrics themselves. I can only guess that the reason Lana felt the need to bring up this criticism in 2020 is because these darker themes are going to be revisited in her upcoming album and that in spite of the issues with the way she expressed herself, this time critics will be more accepting of how she chooses to address these themes.

On a lighter note “yeah my boyfriend's pretty cool, but he's not as cool as me” will always be a great line. Simple but effective. If my boyfriend ever is cooler than me it’ll be doing Lana a disservice.

Honeymoon (Release Date: 18th September 2015)

Considering that a lot of other Lana fans are of the opinion that this is her best album, I find it weird that I really don’t remember all that much about this period, other than High by the Beach being released and then hearing Salvatore and Freak for the first time. I guess because she didn’t do a Honeymoon specific tour and didn’t make that many public appearances in this period? It was definitely harder for me to find visual reference points beyond the HbtB music video and the cover art, so I mostly drew on the general vibe of the album, a cinematic accompaniment to a summer in Italy or the South of France, filled with exotic instrumentals and the sense of impending romantic doom that Lana does so well. I suppose if I associate the visuals of this era with anything it’s idyllic florals and warm tones, bygone country club pool days, a rich American’s vacation in Southern Europe, long walks on the beach (and as our Lord and Saviour Jujubee once said, big dicks and fried chicken). Apparently inspired by Lana’s relationship with Francesco Carrozini, it’s a hazy story of some ultra-feminine, submissive archetype becoming unhealthily enchanted by a mysterious “foreign man” who’s ultimately not all that good for her, which as the story goes turned out to be quite prophetic. Going against the grain, it’s my least favourite of her albums after Lust for Life, but in spite of that, I will always remember how obsessed I was with the sax riffs (I think? I don’t know my instruments all that well so forgive me, lol) on Freak and I definitely understand why it’s a firm favourite for so many.

“You could be a bad motherfucker, but that don’t make you a man.” was truly a cultural reset of a line.

-on an unrelated note, OMG, I never realised how I have my mouth open in literally every fucking photo I take, somebody tell me how to pose, please and thank you-

Lust for Life (Release Date: 21 July 2017)

Lust for Life is a controversial one. On the one hand, I appreciate that this album was the victory cry of a happier, more independent, politically-aware Lana in spite of it apparently being a far more optimistic sounding album than the one she wanted to release, but on the other there were way too many collaborations for me and this meant that the album lacked a sense of cohesion and the characteristic narrative thread that usually runs throughout her tracklist. Aside from Love, Cherry, Get Free and Tomorrow Never Came, most of the songs on the album aren’t hugely memorable and it’s a crying shame that a collaboration with STEVIE FUCKING NICKS of all people left so much to be desired. Coming from two witchy icons, I expected something absolutely magical so maybe I was setting myself up for failure, but come on. We could’ve had a real anthem there.

Aesthetically speaking however, this is one of my favourite eras for Lana, which is unsurprising when you consider the tracklist contains references to both Woodstock and Coachella. I’m not gonna lie, I think seeing Coachella fashion in my early teens was my style awakening-I remember seeing Vanessa Hudgens’ outfits and being like, wow, I want to be her (oh, what a fall from grace)-so the late 60s/early 70s flower power groupie style Lana adopted in this period really spoke to me. It was all long hair and dreamy pastels, and this era included some of the most head-to-toe coordinated looks we’ve ever seen from her. Of course I couldn’t completely abandon the grungy touches that I love, that I tend to associate with the early Lana street style days and the Paradise and Ultraviolence music videos rather than with this album, but I’m never gonna pass up an opportunity to whack out a good floral two piece and putting together Lust for Life inspired looks is the perfect excuse to do that.

So, that marks the end of this post! If you made it to the end, thank you so much for reading! I have a Yesstyle lookbook and review to edit but now that I’ve finished that, I’m trying to go down more of a style inspiration focussed route with my lookbooks rather than just putting together outfits from clothes I’ve just bought (though I might still do one every so often to bring in a new season-let’s just ignore the fact that they’re all blending into one bc climate change for now, one catastrophe at a time please universe). I find that if you have a specific idea in mind of what you want, it’s super easy to find something similar on Depop and Ebay and that way you avoid buying new things and also take old things off a person’s hands that might otherwise end up being thrown out by a charity shop and then dumped into a landfill from there. Something I’d LOVE to do before this year is out is put together a lookbook based on the most stylish TV shows of the last decade, but that probably won’t be for a while-even so, if you have any recommendations of series to watch which could fit into this category, let me know!

To finish, I need to go a little bit off-topic so forgive me, but I truly don’t know why this even needs to be said: WEAR A FUCKING MASK. IT IS NOT A POLITICAL ISSUE. IT IS A BASIC HYGIENIC PRACTICE THAT HELPS SPREAD THE STOP OF A HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS DISEASE! RUDIMENTAL SCIENCE! NOT A CHANCE TO PROVE HOW “EDGY” YOU ARE! SERIOUSLY, STOP MAKING A FUCKING PANDEMIC ABOUT YOURSELF! NOBODY ENJOYS WEARING THEM BUT THEY HELP PROTECT OTHERS! SO UNLESS YOU HAVE A VALID MEDICAL REASON NOT TO BE WEARING ONE, DON’T BE A SELFISH PRICK!

Sorry to sign off on a rant-y note with something that has nothing to do with Lana, lol, but all the stupidity has been grinding me gears lately and I had to let it out on behalf of all retail workers: if we can wear a mask for 9 hours at a time, YOU can tolerate the mild discomfort of wearing one for 10 minutes. I know this doesn’t apply to the majority of people but there’s always a couple of arseholes, isn’t there!?

Stay safe,

Lauren x

#ldr #lana #lana del rey #fashion #fashion blogger #style blogger #outfit inspo

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ayankun · 4 years

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yalright let’s do this

AGENTS OF SHIELD SEASON ONE REWATCH COMPLETE BREAKDOWN MEGAPOST

hella spoilers for the entire canon up through season 5, but not 6 because I only saw it the once and am having a hard time remembering ANYthing about it.

I cannot determine specifically what it was about this season that caused to be branded “literal garbage” in my mind-hole for seven years.

Best guesses:

there’s some cheesy stuff that probably didn’t sit well with me at the time, and, at the time, there was no way of knowing that that kind of stuff was going to be ultimately eradicated

there’s some good stuff, like character stuff and plot stuff, but it didn’t successfully implant positive emotional responses in my brain-hole, leading me to be frustrated/offended at its own self-importance

there’s some stuff that just Doesn’t Work. I won’t call anybody out, but there are some main side characters whose casting, in my opinion, leaves much to be desired. when it comes to acting ability, I feel that it’s important to have the ranges of your entire cast match each other. if you’re gonna hire B-listers, at least make sure they’re ALL B-listers. if you’re gonna splurge and get some S-tier talent, pleeeeease don’t embarrass the B-listers by thinking you’re doing them a favor by including them on your project. Understood, this opinion is highly subjective and I can’t expect everyone in front or behind the screen to buy into it, but it’s definitely a pet peeve of mine that causes strong reactions in me*

some of the plots are tired and/or straight up boring. I got through them easily this time through because I was able to focus on the things I like, which is largely character interactions and re-learning the backstory for stuff that I know will continue to be important later on. imagine listening to your grandpa’s stories about his life, but instead of telling you the cool stories about going to the moon or whatever, he’s telling you in great detail about the time he got his shoelaces stuck on like, a rusty nail sticking out of a fence. It’s not a great story but it does explain why his mom only bought him velcro shoes after that and one time when they were trying on shoes in the store a couple of years later, some other kid started making fun of him for having velcro shoes and long story short your grandpa’s relationship with that kid is what got him interested in astrophysics and also he married that kid twenty-five years later -- but right now the story is specifically about spending forty minutes trying not to get tetanus.

Now that I’m older and wiser, what really surprised me throughout, though, was that not only was I not having any type of reaction that validated my “literal garbage” classification, I was noticing that there was A Lot of stuff that ticked a lot of boxes.

I’m talking technical stuff, the textbook basic filmmaking stuff, the stuff that I subjectively find objectively “Good” because it means that creative decisions were made with intent and were also executed proficiently enough to make that intent clear.

I’m talking SYMMETRICAL NARRATIVE which has to be one of my all-time favorite techniques, one that I personally use a lot, and I’m very biased in responding favorably when I see it, so I think ultimately this is a huge reason why this season cannot be classified as garbage this time around. Because it shows that they cared! It shows that they had A Plan! It’s an emotionally satisfying technique that can be used to great effect when tipping the audience off to how far we’ve come from where we started. It creates this nice tidy structural loop which I find very appealing.

Just real quick, you see this in individual episodes or even scenes, too. Here’s a classic A+ example from episode 2:

Simmons has given Skye a bottle of water as a gag because that’s what happens on planes, and that bit is a set up to this bit, where Coulson is talking about how he rebuilt the Bus from the “studs up” and it demands to be treated with kid gloves; ergo:

Only to have the thing completely wrecked over the course of the episode. In the denouement, “just starting to warm up to this place,” Coulson says ruefully, righting a broken glass as if that will put the plane back together; Skye immediately tosses a coaster down and moves the glass on top of it.

As a callback, it juxtaposes the starting-state and ending-state in your mind and highlights the contrast between the two. And it’s also a nice character-building beat where you, the audience, get to observe Skye’s character in that she remembers a trivial detail that happened to be important to Coulson. You also get to see Coulson observing the same, and you understand a little bit more about both of them. *chef’s kiss*

So this is a pretty powerful and common technique, and I guess you could say that any well-resolved narrative is by definition going to recall you to the specifics of how it started. Like ep 1 we start with Mike and Ace, their call and response “what are we/we’re a team,” and an understanding of Mike’s desire to be his kid’s guardian and hero and his desperate search for the tools that will allow him to become that. In the finale, we see the pay off where Ace (via Skye) reminds Mike of this motivation, and Mike is finally in the position to protect his kid by taking out the Big Bad.

But I don’t want to go through the list to demonstrate that everyone’s character arcs likewise left them in a thematically resolved position relative to where they started. Obviously this is an expectation of all (well structured) narratives.

(And I don’t really mean to talk about callbacks themselves, such as Fitz’s obsession with monkeys or May’s repeated demand of “don’t call me that.”)

Stuff that only comes up at the beginning and the end. Here’s the kind of symmetry that I mean:

Skye’s use of GPS encryption and the location of the diner where she first meets Mike. Both topics come up in ep 1, and are revisited in ep 20 when she’s stalling for time against Ward and brings him to the diner by telling him that it’s the GPS coordinates necessary for decrypting the drive. It says, last time you were here, Skye, you were living out of a van and fangirling over people with superpowers; now you’re an official agent of SHIELD (fun while it lasted, anyway) and you’re currently doublecrossing your own doublecrosser who was directly responsible for transforming you into the competent spy you are today.

Same thing: the only time we see Lola fly is at the end of ep 1, when Coulson and Skye are heading back to the Bus, and in ep 20 when Coulson rescues Skye from off the Bus.

Ep 2: 0-8-4. We’re introduced to the very first object with the titular designation, and Simmons idly wonders “imagine what it would do to a person.” Ep 22, it’s used to evaporate Garrett. Same ep, we also meet the little, what even is it, that dendrotoxin EMP (??? I don’t recall whether the gadget is named) that Ward uses, and Coulson uses it in ep 17 to incapacitate Garrett.

Similarly, all the cool alien gadgets we spent the first few episodes gathering and locking up, including that first 0-8-4, are all broken out into the wrong hands in ep 18.

Also in ep 2 we are introduced to the idea of being thrown out of the airplane and Skye & co specifically prevent Ward from being sucked out. We’re introduced to the concept of Coulson’s cellist! Fury also makes a cameo (”talkin to me about authority”) !

It’s a little later on, but ep 6 has Simmons jumping out the plane, and Ward proving his Good Teammate status by jumping out after her (while Fitz is struggling on his way to do the same). Ep 21, Ward boots FitzSimmons out the plane, and in ep 22 Fitz finally has the chance to properly save Simmons himself.

Ep 19 Coulson has a chance to save his cellist (again)

Ep 22, Fury comes back all Deus ex Machina and relinquishes authority of SHIELD directly to Coulson.

There’s also some dialogue recycled on purpose to make a point, like Fitz-Simmons introductory scene is recreated almost verbatim in ep 21:

Ep 2, talking to Skye about his mission vs ep 18 talking to Raina about his mission

(gotta admit, the man took this role seriously. check out that cheekbone game he achieved in such a short time)

And again, Ep 1 Ward vs Ep 18 Ward. They even framed it the same!!

All this to say, Season 1 is Structurally Sound and it has my blessing.

Now let’s move on to the list of things I liked that surprised me:

It’s pretty well polished, visually. Joss Whedon’s veteran control of the director’s chair is readily apparent in the pilot, setting the visual tone for the series. There are some made-for-tv shots over the course of the season, sure, and the least impressive compositions tend to involve CGI backdrops, but they do make the most of their interior sets and work hard to dress up various LA locations to, er, inspire the idea of the international scope of the show. In my last update, I talked about ep 8 The Well in the context of Quality Directing, so it definitely goes above and beyond the basic shot-reverse shot when it wants to.

Ward. Just for the record, I think Brett Dalton is great at his job and really brought exactly what they wanted to this character. Eps 1 and 2 are a little shaky and stiff, but everyone’s performances are, as they let these characters coalesce around them. I remember not liking Ward when I was watching this live, and honestly I think this was intentional. He’s that character that you expect that you’re expected to like, you know, the traditional cocky savior type that lots of those fancy heroes are. But because he’s so tropey in his characterization, you’re just ... over it? And then when they flip the script and you’re supposed to hate him -- WOW. It’s like two Christmases at once. They took something you were already doing and rewarded you for it.

I’m not unaware of the “redeem grant ward” phenomenon. I’m aware that the character had fans who were honestly drawn to and appreciative of the character before that persona was revealed to be a lie.

And honestly, it’s not that I like OR dislike Ward at all. As a person. It’s annoying that he’s a cocky bad-boy. But it’s sweet when he plays nice with Simmons. It’s embarrassing that he and May have “a thing.” But it’s cathartic when he opens up to Skye about his past. And Then, the sequence where we know he’s Hydra but Skye doesn’t. And Then, the sequence where Skye knows he’s Hydra but he doesn’t. And Then, his weird yucky confusion where he still wants to pursue something with Skye or doesn’t want to put down puppy-dog-eyed Fitz.

As a character, Ward is a great character. His set up is so bland that the twist does appear to come out of nowhere, but on a rewatch all the groundwork is there. His characterization as a baddie is enthralling. I’m forecasting into season 2 a bit, but you want to follow his nefarious exploits just as much as you want to see his ex-friends smash his face in. Brett Dalton played it right, A+ good job. It makes Framework!Ward just that much more of a beautiful thing, to get to see what it would have been like if the Season 1 persona had actually been the man.

Also as covered in the last update, I was really very pleased to see how much character work was being done in this season. Because I only watch and rewatch starting from the second season, there are important plot points that I’d been grudgingly attributing to this season about which I’d forgotten the specifics, such as, what’s the deal with Gravitonium, howcome we hate Ward so much, where did they get that memory-torture-machine, why are you acting like I recognize Titus Welliver’s character? What surprised me was how much of a focus there is on character development as well. A lot of good origin story stuff, like how green FitzSimmons is and how soft and good-hearted Skye is and all the reasons we respect and trust May and all the reasons we would follow Coulson to the ends of the earth. Watching a found family start to put down roots is worth it, too, ten times out of ten.

The tie-in stuff wasn’t as overstated and stifling as I remembered it being. They were allowed quite a long leash even this far back. Centipede is based on Extremis, but helms a a unique narrative. The Asgardians-of-the-week are just MacGuffins for driving character stories. Turns out all of SHIELD has been Hydra all along! Sucks to be you, a show about the Agents of SHIELD ... oh wait, Daddy MCU’s insane twist is mirrored in the DNA of your team’s composition AND baked into your overall season arc? Well then. Carry on!

Engaging with Season 1 explicitly as a prequel is a powerful thing. First time through, I had the distinct realization that “too much of a good thing” was at play regarding Coulson. He’s everybody’s favorite MCU character in 2013, hands down, but ... getting intimate with him for 40 minutes a week really waters down his mysterious G-man appeal. BUT. After spending six+ years with the man, Season 1!Coulson is a precursor to the 3-dimensional Director you’ll fall in love with, rather than a distortion of the one-liner MCU!Coulson you thought you wanted.

So what’s next! Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and here all all the things I associate with AoS that were not present in Season 1:

Robot hand.

DaISy JoHnsOn

AGENT/DIRECTOR MACK where is he I need him

Fitz’s facial hair

Their underground SSR base with the exposed brick, I miss that place all the time

Hive, Bobbi*, Hunter, Kyle MacLachlan, Maveth (everything** about Seasons 2 and 3, really). Robbie Reyes. Aida and Kasius!! I know these things are temporary, but they’re so important to the best bits and I love them.

Getting to see episode after episode where there are scenes at a time containing a majority (up to 100%) of women and/or POC characters with executive agency, and none of those characters are token or temporary but were placed there with intent to normalize a diversified cast.

My absolute favorite episode of all time, 4x15 Self Control.

Things I am not looking forward to:

**Lincoln. I’ve seen these seasons four times and just now I had to google his name because I wasn’t sure it wasn’t Logan. He’s garbage and I’m glad he’s dead. Other opinions are available.

Misc. Thoughts

*I said I wouldn’t name names but Adrianne Palicki is a C-lister who can swing a B+ if the stars align. I love Bobbi, though, especially the way the character’s reputation precedes her, how her adorableness complements her badassness. In fact, the character’s a great foil to May, who is also a badass lady and S-tier agent but has a completely different approach to being those things. Bobbi’s a reminder that badassness and aloofness are not correlated at all. Also there’s a headcanon out there that she’s non-binary (one of the reasons she prefers Bobbi over Barbara) and that is a concept I can get behind. Bobbi’s perfect and I’ll fight you if you don’t agree.

Poor Trip!!!!!!! When you always start from Season 2, he’s really just a flash in the pan, there and gone. I’ve always been like, “well, he didn’t really have a home here, no carved-out niche, so I guess getting Coulson’d and becoming something to avenge is the best a character like him is gonna get.” But now that I see that he comes late to the game as a literal stand in for Ward, his story is that much sadder. He was never intended to BE a character. He’s introduced with Garrett as a pawn/distraction during this arc’s who-is-Hydra shell game, he’s kept to demonstrate what kind of friend and agent Ward should have been, his defining character trait as a gentle flirt only serves as a catalyst for Fitz’s coming to terms with his feelings for Simmons. The poor guy is just a walking plot point, up until the bitter end. :<

I had entirely forgotten and/or never tracked the fact that Fury put together Coulson’s team specifically to monitor him after project T.A.H.I.T.I. I’d forgotten the distrust Coulson has for May after he perceives that she has betrayed him by being a part of this. It’s a season-specific reveal that is literally never mentioned again. It’s important to the fabric of the narrative of that particular arc, offering up May alongside Ward and Trip as fodder for the aforementioned shell game, but the true inciting incident of this entire show just gets swept under the rug and ceases to matter. I’m kind of :/ about that.

When you’re bi and non-binary, you’ll get a lot of mileage out of wanting to be/be with Daisy and/or Fitz, don’t judge me

In conclusion, Season 1 is the opposite of literal garbage, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is my favorite show and my favorite MCU movie, Daisy Johnson is my favorite Marvel superhero (not related to Season 1 but still true), and nobody had better spoil Season 7 for me pleaAAASE don’t let it happen.

#agents of shield #aos #so I guess this is what I ended up doing today #v productive

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technicolortheshow · 4 years

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BOHREN & DER CLUB OF GORE

My Bloody Quarantine part 1

The last six months have been pretty shit, hey? It looks like there is no future anymore... global warming, COVID-19, Australia on fire, wars... shall I go on?

ANYWAY, we are not here to talk about a stupid government led by a buffoon with a mop in his head (ops!) but to praise one of the bands who kept me company during this bloody quarantine of mine: BOHREN & DER CLUB OF GORE. This German act, in fact, hung out with me during the several nights of insomnia, which, trust me, were devastating, loooooong and cold. Cigarettes after cigarettes, wine after wine, I thoroughly enjoyed the discography of the quartet and I thought it was time to write something about them.

Because of the slow-moving and nocturnal nature of their music, a doom jazz plenty of end-of-the-world ballads, or, in their words "unholy ambient mixture of slow jazz ballads, Black Sabbath doom and down-tuned Autopsy sounds", I happily matched their records to these apocalyptic months. Just like a dark noir by Leo Malet, or a Terry Gilliam dystopian movie, Bohren & Der Club of Gore managed to convey, over the last 25 years, a deep sense of ethical abandonment and claustrophobic imprisonment. There is no future in the music of the German band, no escape from reality, which is doomed and looped into an endless limbo. A not long time ago - which now seems AGES ago, to be honest - I went to the White Cube for the latest Kiefer’s exhibition. I believe that the combination of BCG music and Kiefer’s artworks pretty well.

Over the last months, while listening to them, between a Medoc and a Nebbiolo, I was picturing the band in a smoky “bar at the end of the world”, channelling some kind of Tom Hillenbrant’s dystopian political setting or a Lynde Mallison’s grey cold painting. The best description, though, comes from the band website: “Dear friends of nighttime drives, remote bridges to nowhere and empty multi-storey car parks”. Club Silencio state of mind, indeed.

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The ensemble has constantly been releasing high-quality records since 1994, with the first doom jazz album called MOTEL GORE - albeit the first release was a 1992 cassette filled with post-hardcore noise published under the name of Langspielkassette. MOTEL GORE is, as someone brilliantly described it “audio pointillism”. I think this similitude is accurate: the band did draw tiny dots of obscure, eerie, music on canvases of sound. “Die Fulci Nummer” drives me mad, with its spectral adagio: it’s so good it would’ve been great in the Fulci’s masterpiece Non si Sevizia un Paperino. “Cairo Keller” is charming and evocative, reminding me of a possible soundtrack for Lovecraft The Nameless City. Extra points for the brilliant reference of the cover.

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in 1997 BCG published MIDNIGHT RADIO, two hours of lynchian-LA-night-driving-without-a-destination soundtrack. if it is true that its predecessor "Gore Motel" is more song-oriented, and therefore a lot easier to listen to - it’s evident that Midnight Radio is more rewarding in its own special way: it’s a journey in the darkest corner of your mind. Yes, because the journeys BCG offers are not only external but often internal. The band has developed over the years a therapeutic dialogue between the listeners and their consciousness. Jungian jazz music anyone? LET’S DEBATE!

By the way, while writing this article, I’ve realised how difficult is to talk about BCG music without quoting several cliches - everyone always ends up referring to the same stuff:” car parks”, “night drive”, “Lynch”. But I have to admit, in this case, it’s definitely true! Listening to BCG can really inspire these topics under our skins, as trivial as it sounds! The point is: they do it better than anyone else, they have been doing this forever and they represent the top in this particular sub-genre. With the results of a cinematographic component in their music that leads to these night drive scenarios, post-modern inner state of minds. Bravo!

Let’s go back to Midnight Radio, to BGC and their discography. It’s undeniable that their music fits perfectly in the set of the SLOW TV/MUSIC/YOUTUBE movement. From The Norway train to this 1986 Canadian TV show called “NIGHT WALK” (which, by the way, looks freaking awesome), from Andy Warhol’ “SLEEP” to Kiarostami or Tarkovsky cinema, the slow movement has left an imprint to contemporary culture. Arguably, BGC, with their long holistic records, is part of the movement. Calming the listeners and bringing them into a meditative state of mind, without being mindfulness - luckily. The point is: BCG makes you think about yourselves, finding out that you are someone you should be scared of! Know yourself, fear yourself!

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All that Jazz came in 2000 with the thrilling “SUNSET MISSION”, thanks to the help of saxophonist Christoph Clöser. In this record the band opened up the sound, literally letting some fresh air to enter their music, easing the claustrophobic moods of the previous albums. A hint of lounge-ness came in, due to the mellow, yet sophisticated, sax of Mr Clöser. It is still quintessential BCG, with the nihilism of the band raising up form the bass. Slow, reiterated bass lines are running through the record, giving to Sunset Mission a gloomy, hypnotic cadence. The liner notes include a quote from Matt Wagner's Grendel comic book, which reads: "Alone in the comforting darkness the creature waits. As confusion reigns on this hellish stage, the deafening grind of machinery, the odious clot of chemical waste. Still, the trail of his ultimate prey leads through this steely maze to these, the addled offspring of the modern world.

According to many people, 2002 ‘BLACK EARTH” is BCG masterpiece. I don’t know yet, as I REALLY like them all. What I can say is that Black Earth sounds a lot more accessible, with an even more developed sense of ‘lounge-ness’ which was not so evident in the previous records. Blach Earth is a good record. Perhaps the trick here is the balanced tempo of the saxophone. Perfectly played within the songs at the right time, Christoph Clöser’ sax conveys an open jazzy sound. One of my favourite directors ever is Jean-Pierre Melville, his movies are everything I like in term of style and plot. Noir a là Dashiell Hammett, but French and without hope - give me more of this, Hollywood, please! Enough of fucking Marvel heroes, give me noir hard-boiled movies!

Black Earth could have easily been the perfect great soundtrack for Mr Melville’s movies - especially, IHMO, Bob le flambeur. Think about it: a french man, with a cigarette in his mouth, gambling his life for a young woman, in a dirty Marseille, with the BCG slow tempo doomed jazz. yasss please, give me more. Or a glacial Alain Delon killing his lover for money.

Black Earth was followed up, in 2005, by “GEISTERFAUST”, which is considered a slower than ever version of the former album. In Ghost Fist (this is the translation) Bohren & Der Club of Gore has stripped down its sound to the bone, becoming more gentle and less aggressive without any compromise. 5 songs only, named after the 5 fingers of the hand, for an hour of dark jazz. Again, excellent quality.

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I have been buying BCG on CD, I think this music on vinyl does not sound perfect UNLESS you have an extremely high-quality sound system, Like some classical music issue, where you need to hear the pianissimo of the piano and single notes, BCG music deserves a very clean medium, I would say CD is the best.

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Jazz de nuit again on their seventh album “DOLORES” published in 2008. This record is pure Badalamenti, pure Lynch in the night. Within the ten songs of Dolores, the core idea of slow-music is even more highlighted, with no guitars at all on the whole album and a sedated keyboard-based mood. In 2009 the band released a 10 minute EP called “MITLEID LADY”. it is strange, because, albeit recorded just after Dolores, it sounds way more gloomy and somehow different. It is BCG but has another level of sophistication compared to the previous record. This step further in the direction of stylistic accuracy is confirmed two years after, in 2011, with another EP, this one named “BEILEID”. The cover of the record is a reference to the famous Edward Gorey, or at least I believe.

The record includes the cover of "Catch My Heart" by German heavy metal band Warlock, with vocals from Mike Patton. I believe this is the only song with a singer in the entire catalogue of the band. Beileid is a cinematic mood-changer composed of pained saxophone solos, and ghostly string sections, an album that will sweep your mind away into dreamland. A must-have IHMO.

In 2013 the ensemble released “PIANO NIGHTS” probably the warmest record of the band. The Piano obviously helps a lot in making the sound softer and brighter - candle lighted rigorously. A German Gothic feast, with a touch of Teutonic expressionism - who remembers the movie The Hands Of Orlac. BCG should definitely play the soundtracks of this movie. A twisted, dark, thriller with Gothic and expressionist elements. After many years, the band introduces the

Finally, in 2020, the band published “PATCHOULI BLUE”. A pristine, unique, summa of their work, which manages to sound similar to other releases of the band, yet unique, with something different, like a small accent. 50s noir glam, Badalamenti, German Gothic, Slow-Movement philosophy are all elements we can find in this record, but there is something else: a hint of electronic, which can possibly open new territories to the band. I am curious to see if they will become a techno ambient act in the like of Gas (joking).

Aristotle once said that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I guess this is the whole point in BCG’s music. The synergy the band has been consistently showing over the last 3 decades, and the constant refinement of their own skills.

VIVA BOHREN!

#bohren #bohren & der club of gore #gothic #german #noir #leomalet #melville #alain delone #jazz #ambient #doom jazz #angelo badalamenti #lynch #mulholland drive #gas #grendel #nightmoves #anselm kiefer #expressionism

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mysterylover123 · 4 years

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My Top 10 Halloween Episodes

mysterylover123

Happy Halloween Everyone!

I’ve been rewatching my favorite shows’ Halloween episodes as a means to prepare for the holiday (and get ideas for things to do!) and I’ve decided to compile a list of my Top 10 favorites. These are the episodes I consider the best, the most packed with spooky goodness and Halloween surprises, of all the shows I’ve seen. Let me know if there’s one I should check out!

#10. The Simpsons “Treehouse of Horror V”

“NO TV AND NO BEER MAKE HOMER SOMETHING SOMETHING.” “GO CRAZY?” “DON’T MIND IF I DO!”

While I do wish Simpsons had stopped at Season 10 like most, I can still acknowledge its absolute mastery of the Halloween episode with this annual anthology. And like most, I can also concede that the best of the best, the creme-de-la-creme, is the 5th one: The Shinning parody of course, first and foremost, is absolutely classic and deservedly so. Having recently endured a week without power, and thus NO TV AND NO...NOT BEER BUT COFFEE...I totally get where Homer is coming from. The other two segments, and other Halloween eps, are also strong as well. But you can’t have a proper TOP 10 HALLOWEEN EPS list without a Treehouse of Horror. So here it is!

#9. Spectacular Spider-Man The Uncertainty Principle”

“Twas the night before Halloween, and no folks were stirring, not even Green Gob...lan.”

Spidey is one of the few superheroes with both the whimsical roster of characters and the appropriately spooky rogues gallery to make for great Halloween episodes. While Spider-Man and his amazing friends in 1981 started out with it’s own Goblin Halloween ep, my nod has to go to Spectacular’s ‘Uncertainty Principle’, a suitably creepy episode featuring all the stuff you want around this holiday. The cast in whacky costumes, spooky decor, and creepy plotlines about the Green Goblin and the arrival of the Symbiote. It’s even more horrifying in hindsight when you find out what’s really going on in the series finale...but for itself, it’s a suitably spooky time. Also, Spider-Man dressed as Spider-Man for Halloween.

#8. Angel “Life of the Party”

“Some are saying it’s an even better ritual sacrifice than the one last year.”

The absolute master of the Halloween episode is uncontrovertibly the Buffy-verse. I have 3 entries on this list alone, and it was hard to resist including a forth. But for now, let’s start out with Angel’s sole incursion into the Halloween genre, an Office Party ep from their 5th season. Spoiler alert: Season 5 is about Team Angel taking over Wolfram and Hart and trying to use it for good. The Halloween party there is a big deal and Lorne is going nuts from planning it. Consequently, we get a wild ride of demon guests, LorneHulk, Team Angel doing crazy things, and whacky Halloween decor. Spike smiling and partying out like a loon is definitely worth htetheprice of admission.

#7. Friends “The One w/ the Halloween Party”

“I am a woman who spent a ton of money on this dress and wants to wear it until she is too big to fit into it.”

I had actually never seen the Friends Halloween episode until this year. I definitely enjoyed it; the cast’s costumes are funny, the various Halloween antics are adorable - especially Rachel being pushed around by candy-randy kids - and the Halloween-y atmosphere is quite convivial. Though as a comic book nerd, I must point out how completely absurd Joey’s suggestion of ‘who would win, Catwoman or Supergirl’ being Catwoman. Like, seriously? A nonpowered thief vs a freaking Kryptonian? Even people who don’t read comic books should know the answer to that one! Were people in the year 2001 really that clueless? But anyway, on a more somber note, this was apparently the first one they shot after 9/11, and ended up Lisa Kudrow’s favorite, because a stranger thanked her for making them laugh. Aw!

#6. South Park “A Nightmare on Face Time”

“Oh, and Kenny? Stay gold.”

SP has a number of Halloween episodes, but my favorite has to be this one from 2014. There’s two main plotlines and they’re both Peak Halloweeny goodness. First, there’s Randy reenacting The Shining as his new Blockbuster video goes under due to Netflix stealing business, which is absolutely hilarious. Then there’s the boys as The Avengers, hoping to win a costume contest despite Stan having to FaceTime. This part is full of trick-or-treating goodness, with each of the costumes being perfect for the kid (WE HEAR KENNY’S VOICE! ALBEIT DISTORTED!) and the comedy of how seriously everyone takes Stan’s ipod battery dying being absolutely killer. Certainly wins the prize for Funniest Halloween Ep Ever. (Also, Kyle’s thor costume. Thor would obviously look so much cooler with that hat.)

#5. Buffy “Halloween”

“It’s come as you aren’t night!”

The second of the Buffyverse Halloween entries on the list. Not just a great Halloween ep but a great Buffy ep too, this one is absolutely rolling in seasonal riches. Pumpkin patch vamp fight! Halloween decorated Bronze! Ethan Rayne turning everyone into their costumes is such a clever gimmick, and as usual with a Buffy ep they do more with it than just that. Noblewoman!Buffy, Military!Xander and Ghost! Willow are each a treat to watch as they try something new with their lives. I’m a little annoyed by the “not like other girls” sappy Bangel ending, but otherwise, this one is just golden. (My shipper heart rejoices in the Cangel Bronze Date and Buffy being awfully flirty with Willow as well, for the record).

#4. Parks and Rec “Halloween Surprise”

“You can’t plan your future, Leslie. You just gotta let it happen.”

Parks and Rec is another one with a plethora of great Halloween eps to choose from (something about blonde female leads I guess). This one takes the spot for being the most substantial, plot-wise, of all four, including lots of changes in the story and a great lesson at the end - though also for having the best costumes (Rosie the riveter Leslie! Princess Diane), the best celebration (Screening of Death canoe 4 Murder at blood Lake sounds like an absolutely delightful way to spend a Halloween) and the best ending (BEN PROPOSES TO LESILE OMG). The only thing it’s missing is April, who only cameos at the start. But she gets plenty to do in the other Halloween eps, so I’ll forgive it.

#3. Frasier “Halloween”

“I’m Waldo. From Where’s Waldo. You know, the guy you can’t find because he blends into the crowd.” “I don’t know, but I’d love a demonstration.”

Frasier is absolute peak sitcom comedy, especially with the Farce plotline. This one is a great, sophisticated classic, with Niles throwing a Library association ball - which means everyone must dress as a character from literature. Niles is Cyrano, Martin is Holmes, Frasier and Daphne are from the Canterbury tales, and Roz is O from the Story of O. The real conflict of the ep is “Is Roz Pregnant” and everyone mistaking who’s pregnant by whom. The climax is Niles proposing to Daphne who he thinks is the one pregnant from an imaginary fling with Frasier. It’s funny, glib, and absolutely whacky, with some extra Halloween shenanigans to keep you occupied, like Niles’ weird old-timey theme and the parade of trick-or-treaters constantly interrupting the skits demanding candy. Definitely don’t miss this one!

#2. Gravity Falls “Summerween”

“We’re getting older, there’s not that many Halloweens left!’

There’s definitely something about supernatural shows and Halloween episodes that just creates that extra level of quality. GF is a great show all around, and this little gem of a Halloween ep is one of the best of the whole series. It’s got everything: The Summerween Trickster, the trick-or-treating, the try-hard scares and the mad dash for candy. My favorite thing about it, though, would have to be the conflict between Dipper and Mabel about what to do for Halloween. They were always debating whether it were better to grow up too soon or try to stay a kid, and this one uses Halloween to illustrate that: Dipper torn between the Grown Up party and the Kid Trick-or-Treating, and the poignant way that rings true for all of us here in the US - that day when you finally realize you’re ‘too old’ for trick-or-treating - really makes this one strong.

Hon Mentions: The other Parks and Rec episodes; Buffy All the Way; the camptastic Smallville episode “Thirst”, the How I met Your Mother Halloweens

#1. Buffy “Fear Itself”

“Don’t taunt the fear demon!” “Why, can he hurt me?” “No, it’s just tacky.”

Like I said before, no one does Halloween like Buffy does Halloween. And this one is the best of the best, of the best. Everything you could want from a Halloween ep is right here. Pumpkin carving, check. Crazy party, check. Whacky costumes, check. Spooky real scares, check. The Gang’s costumes are a parade of awesome (ANYA AS BUNNY!) and the concept of exploring each member’s Greatest Fear is an absolute winner. I love every time a TV show tries to do a Greatest Fears episode, because it’s just a concept I get a kick out of - such a great way to explore our characters’ most primal needs! - and this is b y far the best. The atmosphere, the subject matter, the costumes, and the writing, which is seriously killer in this episode (”Prepare to have your spines tingled and your gooses bumped by the terrifying...Fantasia.” “Maybe it’s because of all the horrificthings we’ve seen, but hippos wearing tutus just don’t unnerve me the way they used to”) all make this, in my opinion the best Halloween ep of all time.

#the simpsons #treehouse of horror #Halloween #halloween episodes #spiderman #spectacular spider man #angel #friends #the one with the halloween party #south park #buffy #Buffy The Vampire Slayer #Parks and Recreation #frasier #gravity falls #summerween #top 10

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aaronafgash · 6 years

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Best Songs Under One Minute: A Top 10 List

A majority of songs released throughout history have followed similar structural patterns: most, in some order, utilize a verse, chorus, bridge, hook, and refrain. To fit all of these sections, songs tend to be around three to six minutes in length, depending on factors such as tempo and repetitions of individual structures. Things start to get interesting, though, when artists start to shrink down songs under the traditional three minute mark. Which sections will be cut out? Will there only be a single verse or hook? How will an artist tell a story or capture an emotion in such a limited amount of time? I became fascinated with these sorts of questions, and it led me to paying more and more attention to the best “short” songs. Here is my top 10 list of songs under one minute.

10. Sometimes (Mix #9) - Erykah Badu (0:44)

R&B music was being redefined in the late ‘90s, with songwriters like D’Angelo and Maxwell leading the pack of new-age soul artists. These artists paid homage to greats who came before them in the genre, but added more current hip-hop elements to spice up their songs; “Sometimes (Mix #9)” perfectly exemplifies that sentiment. The song begins with a light bongo drum pattern and distant background vocals, but soon, the mood changes: a harder hitting drum pattern overtakes the previously heard bongos, and in comes Erykah with a smooth, laid back verse. Badu rides the beat like an MC, with lyrics like “I’ve got the paper stacked, and a pimped out track,” but she does so while singing in her unique tone. It’s hard not to believe that artists like Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliott were influenced by previous Badu songs like this one.

9. Demons - Sampha (0:54)

Before the Drake and Kanye features, before “(No One Knows Me) Like The Piano,” before touring with the xx, Sampha was a lesser-known songwriter from South London. “Demons”, the first track off of his 2013 EP Dual, gave us a taste of what was to come with the artist we know now. The track begins with Sampha leaving a voicemail, quietly stating “I rang you earlier but you didn’t pick up.” Immediately, the track begins, driven by a repetitive, dragging bass drum, and distinctive piano chords. Sampha chimes in, singing “I guess I don’t believe you / And I think you don’t believe, too / So take all these demons and go.” It’s a short ballad that introduces us to Sampha; he may now be a world-renowned artist, but he’s still battling his demons just like the rest of us.

8. Her Majesty - The Beatles (0:23)

Written in jest about Queen Elizabeth II, “Her Majesty” is the Beatles shortest song in their spanning discography, yet in 23 seconds, it captures everything that makes the group so undeniably excellent. The subject matter is, of course, silly; Paul McCartney is singing about loving the Queen as if she’s a normal, everyday woman that he’s trying to court at a bar. But when he sings “I wanna tell her that I love her a lot / But I gotta get a bellyful of wine,” he’s still

able to make what is clearly a joke a relatable topic of conversation -- only the Beatles could make a song like this one

7. Track 14 (Chix) - Jai Paul (0:51)

Jai Paul is a mysterious artist. Since 2011, he has only (officially) released two songs. The lack of material left fans yearning for more music, but in 2013, an unidentified Bandcamp user uploaded what looked like Jai Paul’s 16-track debut album to the site. A day later, Paul tweeted out that what was uploaded was a collection of demos that had been previously stolen from one of his laptops. Regardless of how or why the music got out, it undeniably exists, and it is an outstanding piece of work. On “Track 14”, which fans nicknamed “Chix”, Jai Paul shows off his eclectic sonic pallette; in just 51 seconds, we hear a beautiful stringed orchestra, glittering electronic synthesizers, and poetic lyrics of frustration and devotion: he sings “I don’t know what you mean / I’m always on the scene / Your time and your company / Let me get you home with me.” If Paul’s unreleased demos are of this quality, I can’t imagine what an official studio album would sound like. But even if that project doesn’t see the light of day, at least we have this.

6. Fertilizer - Frank Ocean (0:39)

Acting as an interlude on the critically acclaimed Channel Orange, “Fertilizer” sonically comes off as a fun little pop track, but in one poetic lyric, we quickly discover that Frank is not singing a happy song. When he sings “Fertilizer / I’ll take bullshit if that’s all you’ve got,” he’s attempting to elicit any sort of response from a person who he loves and cares about; even if they aren’t going to tell him what he wants to hear, he’ll take it. In a 2012 Esquire article, Gavin Matthew’s affirms this, stating that “Ocean begs for his love not to treat him like the titular bullshit. But the sorrow in his voice and the painful laugh track tell us he’s not having much luck.” Frank’s unparalleled writing abilities allow for him to pack a surprising amount of meaning into shorter tracks; he may or may not appear later on this list.

5. Parachutes - Coldplay (0:46)

Most people today know Coldplay as one of the biggest bands in the world, with pop hits like “A Sky Full of Stars” and “Something Just Like This”, but at their best, Coldplay gave us well- produced albums of interesting, unique alternative music. Their debut album, Parachutes, balanced bright, upbeat tracks with calmer, acoustic songs to create a near-perfect alternative masterpiece. The project peaks, though, on the title track “Parachutes”: here, Chris Martin, backed by only an acoustic guitar, sings quietly of fidelity and commitment, with lyrics like “ Here I am and I’ll take my time / Here I am and I’ll wait in line, always / Always.” The gentle nature of the song allows listeners to feel like Martin is personally telling them his story, and that quality makes for a captivating track.

4. Intro - Brandy (0:49)

Brandy burst onto the scene in 1994; at 15 years old (!!!), she had just released her self-titled debut Brandy, and soon, the album was receiving critical acclaim. Eventually, Brandy went on to go 4x platinum, allowing Brandy to establish herself as a successful R&B solo artist. While Brandy was an excellent project , the topics of her songs were (understandably) a bit childish considering her age. So when Brandy released her next album, Never Say Never four years later in ‘98, she knew she had to prove that she could be a grown up. Any doubts that critics might have had immediately went out the window when Never Say Never dropped, and “Intro” perfectly set the tone for Brandy’s newfound maturity. The production of the track is tighter and darker, and Brandy sounds like a totally different artist; while she may just be singing “Never say, never say, never say never” repeatedly, her tone is now provocative and seductive. Her experiences with love and life have given her a new outlook on relationships; in an interview around time the album was released, she stated “I’m not the little girl I was when I made my first record.” Brandy grew up, and “Intro” sets the tone perfectly for her transition into adulthood.

3. Commes des Garcons - Frank Ocean (0:53)

On “Commes des Garcons”, a track off of the criminally underrated visual album Endless, Frank Ocean weaves together a complex love story over playful, tropically-infused production. Frank cleverley sings of infidelities (“We was dating on the side / He was seeing double”) and makes witty sexual references related to items you’d find at a local hardware store (“All this drillin’ got this dick feelin’ like a power tool”). To close out the song, he repeats the phrase “Commes des Garcons”, which means “like boys” -- in doing so, Ocean is referencing his coming out letter in which he brings up the first time he fell in love with a man. Just as he did in “Fertilizer”, Frank makes efficient use of his limited time on “Commes des Garcons”, but this time, he’s telling a sophisticated story.

2. Beach is Better - Jay-Z (0:55)

No one expected 44-year-old Jay-Z to include a Mike-Will-Made-It produced trap anthem on his 2013 album Magna Carter Holy Grail, but he did just that with “Beach is Better”. For all the album’s flaws, “Beach is Better” immediately became one of the best Jay-Z songs we’ve heard in the last decade. The beat is slithering and metallic at first, but suddenly, monstrous 808- drums kick in with mesmerizing synth blips that give the production more melody and a plethora of different high-hat patterns to give the beat a sense of chaos. Jay-Z is at his absolute best, rapping about what he loves flaunting the most: his wife, his money, and his dominance in the rap game. Lyrics like “Girl, why you never ready? / For as long as you took you better look like Halle Berry / Or Beyoncé...shit, then we gettin’ married!” exemplify peak Jay-Z boasts. In an interview with MTV, producer Mike-Will was quoted saying “[Jay] was like, ‘Man, let’s do something so effortless,’ and that just stuck with me when he said ‘effortless.’” This idea of effortlessness for both Jay-Z and Mike-Will resulted in a track where they’re both in their comfort zones, and the combination allowed for a perfect rap interlude.

1. Elephant Parade - Jon Brion (0:28)

In composer Jon Brion’s “Elephant Parade” off of the soundtrack to the 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, there are no sophisticated lyrics to analyze. There are no complicated allegories or connections to make. There is simply a piano and an acoustic guitar, softly playing together for 28 seconds to construct a short song. But those 28 seconds provide some of the purest, most blissful musical moments you could ever capture. Brion’s ability to create so much out of so little is remarkable; “Elephant Parade” is everything you could ask for in a sub-minute song, and it does so using two of the most basic, universally-known instruments known to man. To this day, it strikes a certain emotional chord with me that I have a hard time putting into words. The ability to leave a listener speechless is nearly an impossible task, but “Elephant Parade” manages to do that to me. For that reason, it’s my favorite song under one minute.

#music #minute #song #sampha #frank ocean #jay z #brandy #jai paul #coldplay #badu #hiphop #r&b #pop

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matts4-blog1 · 6 years

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track # 5 : vittosong

youtube

Aim

vittosong’s aim was originally to be a sort of nice sounding love song that somebody would play through a terrible cassette player, much like what happened back in the 80′s when some people would make mix tapes for people they really cared about.

that was the conceptual direction behind me making the track but the reason why I decided to make this track in the first place was pretty much as a joke. I gave one of my mates a dollar one time and he decided to thank me by making a love song for me. it was a pretty good gag but I felt like it I could take it up a notch and create a fully serious song that I could “confess my undying love” for him.

so pretty much this song started as a joke and still makes me laugh when I hear it back because it reminds me of how dumb we were acting, but in a sense doesn’t that then capture as a whole an emotion in which I’ve felt for a person in my life? I think it does and for that I feel like this track is representative of what those positive friendships and connections I’ve had in my life, kinda all of the times where I’ve put my nihilism and all the distractions in life to the side and just had fun and been funny I guess.

trying to encapsulate that feeling I recorded a guitar loop with my phone again and tried my best to make it sound as cute and lovey as I could then based the rest of the track around that loop.

Elements

as mentioned before, the main aspect of this song was the guitar sample with that sort of cassette and lo-fi feel to it to hit that 80′s love song vibe, I used several different effects that I go over in the screen recording. but it’s position in the mix is the most dominant factor since it was what the rest of the song was based around.

the other accompanying elements are kept quite simple but are used just to accompany and strengthen the lo-fi feel with a drum loop with a hip-hop beat as a sort of homage to the lo-fi hip-hop genre and a bass line that plays underneath that. the bass in this song unlike the rest of the songs in the EP is quite understated and isn’t too intrusive to the rest of the elements produced in the track, which is quite a different angle than what I took in the other tracks but I decided to do this because this song was more about other people and my interactions with them rather than focusing on myself and what I liked. even that is really quite reflective of my thoughts surrounding social interaction and friends in general, that I find it quite hard to open up to people and let them into my heart, but when I do I find myself caring alot more about them than I do for myself. yeah that whole soliloquy is just from the way the bass is included into the track.

finally the last element included in the track is the vocal synthesizer pad that I include during the last half of the song. I decided to use this because it sort of represented the social interactions this song as a whole was about, it was almost like I was personifying the guitar and I was talking as the guitar to the other elements of the track. the vocal synth is sort of a response to that communication and that I feel encapsulated the essence of me and my friends humor, connection and feelings.

Influences

this track had a few different influences that affected all different parts and effects of the track itself but mostly the biggest genres that influenced the tracks feel was: lo-fi hip-hop and R&B

1. Talk 2 U - Brent Faiyaz

youtube

this tracks guitar sound remarkably similar to what I created, almost to the point where I think we used the exact same chords and such. I listened to this song after I had created the loop and used as a sort of point to base off how I could base the song around the specific guitar loop, but bringing it out forefront more so than what Talk 2 U did.

2. mist - eli filosov [ p h i l o ]

https://open.spotify.com/track/73dvECkYBxq0mwNU8raxIz?si=CZvHSeKRTmiuL9RfF6vt6g

couldn’t find the youtube version so here’s the spotify link ^

the way philo manages to integrate a guitar loop into his song with bunch of different crushed low quality noise played within it to create this sort of retro feeling is something that I tried to capture in my piece. this song also I feel really capitulates the lo-fi genre as a whole quite well.

Conclusions about the track

so retrospectively I feel as if this track is able to capture how I felt about the moment of me and my friends sharing a common humor and a funny moment quite well, but as with multiple other songs in the EP, it feels as if something is missing from the track and the overall impact of the track isn’t as strong as it possibly could have been. that again is due to the level of knowledge surrounding the usage of Ableton and my limited musical theory knowledge which does inhibit the final track a lot.

its position in the EP however s quite well suited as it follows on from the dark and deep feelings presented by too many and the idea around this song being about my connection with other people really ties in well with the next track “ccc” and the themes that are presented in that track.

Future iterations & directions

in the future I think I would come back to this track to really just fill it out, it feels as if there is a certain element missing in the song which at this point of time, I don’t really have the knowledge to know what that element is. one idea that could be made a reality is the absence of vocals, this track would be quite well suited for me to either sing over the top of or rap, which would make it more personal but I think that even after that the track would still be missing something in terms of musical layers.

#creativeaudio

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airadam · 6 years

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Episode 109 : Sunny Days, Dark Times

"If you mad, take it up with God, it's how he designed me"

- Havoc

My goodness, it was tough to get this episode completed - but here we are, celebrating the ninth birthday of the podcast! Thank you all for your continued support; it's knowing that you're waiting for the show every month that keeps it going :)

As mentioned on the show; RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services) could make very good use of donations right now.

Beatnuts show, September 19th, Whiskey Jar, Manchester - catch me on the wheels in the early going!

Twitter: @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

Nas ft. The-Dream & Kanye West : everything

It seems that seven-track albums are the style right now. I still need to give "NASIR" some more listens, but this song stood out by a mile to me on the first hearing. I'm not here for Kanye West right now but he and his team do nail the production on this one, and he and The-Dream knock the sung vocals out of the park. Nas' mostly solid rhymes, with some gems in there (especially the third verse), are somehow my third favourite thing on this song, which is at least partially due to the seeming anti-vaccine sentiment in the second verse. He's either wrong, or just dropped some clumsy lines - you be the judge.

Power Glove : E-240

Power Glove are an Australian who the gamers amongst you may know their work from the soundtrack of "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon". They're mostly known for 80s-style synthwave, but this has more of a chilled 90s vibe, which I think they execute really well. You can get this on their "EP II".

Agallah : Don't Wanna Be The Last

I think this was the track that made me go back and check the catalogue of the group who were sampled by Agallah for this beat! This is taken from his "Doomsday" mixtape and has been a favourite of mine ever since I was bumping it in a red Corolla like the Puerto Rican driver in Masta Ace's "Born To Roll" and the "J.A.N" re-record :)

Rapsody : Special Way

Going with another repurposed 80s ballad on this one, with Khrysis on production. A song of love, delivered in Rapsody's flawless style, this is yet another great track from "She Got Game". Have you got yourself a copy yet?

Rakim : Remember That

I really didn't appreciate "The 18th Letter" enough when it first came out, but I keep going back to it and finding tracks I unjustly overlooked. This particular one finds Rakim reminiscing over his early experiences of Hip-Hop and the NYC club scene of his youth, with DJ Clark Kent supplying the beat.

Devin The Dude : Gotta Be Me

I can't say I can relate to the smoking experience, but this is a tune I enjoy nonetheless! This is the title track of his seventh album, with Cozmo basing the instrumental on a classic soul number, and Devin's lyrics making the whole thing a great summertime tune.

The Mouse Outfit : Children Of The Stars (Instrumental)

Just the beat from one of my favourite tracks on the "Escape Music" album - gorgeous production work. Do pick up that album if you don't already have it, along with their latest release "Jagged Tooth Crook".

Jasiri X : The Whitest House

You can always rely on Jasiri X to be the man with the take on current events, and this is a heavy one. It opens with a sample of the author and educator Ta-Nehisi Coates before the beat drops in and Jasiri tackles the evils of the Trump regime. As usual, the best place to get his singles is on his Bandcamp page.

The Alchemist ft. Mobb Deep : Carved In Stone

A longtime favourite of mine from the excellent "Insomnia" compilation, with raw Mobb rhymes (including this month's epigraph), and Alchemist killing it on the beat - I don't know where he got the sample, but it's a great one. Listen closely and you'll hear it's an example of a no hi-hit drum part, with kicks and handclaps along with some low tom-type rolls making up the entirety of the drum programming. Rhyme-wise, the late great Prodigy opens things up but I think Havoc absolutely shines here!

Smoke DZA & Pete Rock : Last Name

Given the names of the two artists who created the album, "Don't Smoke Rock" is just the best possible name. Apparently a new album is on the way, but for now have a sample of the first collaboration. The beat isn't one that immediately makes you think of Pete Rock but obviously has the quality, and it suits the MCing perfectly. Smoke DZA does have a kind of smoked-out vibe, but is right on top of things at the same time here.

Blu & Nottz ft. Exile : The Man

I don't know if it's just me, but the first verse sounds very different to the other two - and is clearly the best! Blu & Nottz' "Gods In The Spirit, Titans In The Flesh" is a new release but essentially a merge of two separate EPs that the pair had previously released, with this track originally being on "Titans In The Flesh". Nottz, though mostly known as a producer, gets on the mic here to close the track and definitely shows he belongs, but Blu just kills that first verse.

A Kid Called Roots : Hip-Hop

He may not be a household name, but A Kid Called Roots (I presume it's like A Tribe Called Quest or A Pimp Named Slickback, you say the whole thing) has quietly produced for quite an array of artists, from Canibus to Xzibit. This beat is from the 1997 "Hydra Beats Volume XIII" collection, with ten tracks from this producer - all named after a producer or executive, except this one, it seems!

DJ Jazzy Jeff ft. The Trinity: Wide Awake

The third instalment of the "Magnificent" series seems to have quietly snuck out, but it's an album well worth checking out! Rhymefest, Dayne Jordan, and Uhmeer make up the on-mic crew for this track, with crystal-clear rhymes over lush production. A nice extra touch is Jeff's scratching with a famous sound much beloved by the turntablists of the world!

The Foreign Exchange : June

It's somehow unfair that Phonte is such an amazing MC and got that singing voice, but we're the beneficiaries when he gives us stuff like this! Phonte and Nicolay's joint project has gone from strength to strength, with this new single being another gem in their catalogue. The low notes give us the high point of the production, with Nicolay killing it on the synth bass!

Children of Zeus : All Night

Last month we had the A-side of this single, but I just couldn't resist that "You're A Customer" sample after all! Konny Kon and Tyler Daly each shine at what they're best known for on this cut, with the overall result feeling like (in my opinion) a super-upgraded version of what some of the R&B/rap combination tracks were trying to do in the late 90s/early 00s. Big tune, and one which sets the table for the release of the long-awaited debut album "Travel Light" in July!

Smith Brothers : Real Live

Nothing conscious or pretty here, just pure gangster business from Smoothe Da Hustler and Trigger Da Gambler as The Smith Brothers (they actually are the Smith brothers in real life) on this 2000 single. I thought the beat here was a good one to blend to from the CoZ track, with the staccato synth line and tough drums. I only have this as a promo 12", which unfortunately doesn't have a production credit printed, but DR Period might be a reasonable guess.

DJ Spinna : Let It Speak

It's always a good time to play some Spinna, and with him being under the weather recently, right now it's doubly so. Dope beat from the "Unpicked Treats Vol 1" compilation.

Mobb Deep : Play

This may be one of the only ever completely radio-friendly Mobb Deep tracks! I don't think this is a well-known one, but I originally heard about it on the Juan Epstein podcast. From the soundtrack of the Keanu Reeves film "Hardball", this one sees Prodigy and Havoc doing it for the kids but absolutely maintaining their own rugged style. If you ever stumble upon the original sample, I think you'll enjoy that track too.

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

Check out this episode!

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genesiselijah-blog1 · 6 years

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The Story Of The ‘I Ain’t Even Charging Bruv 2′ EP. How Everything Went Wrong. . .

Ok. It's Friday night (Or it was when I originally posted this on facebook) and if you're reading this you're either home and bored out out and bored. I'm gonna tell you a story. A story of when I really realised that the music game is not about talent or quality of music. Ok so you ready? I'll take that as a yes. It all started in 2012. Early 2012. I was at a high point musically. Painkillers & Pilkington (https://genesiselijah.bandcamp.com/a…/painkillers-pilkington) had just dropped and had done really well. Radio 1 play. Psalms (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQrYMQ0Cf98) was my highest viewed video at the time. Life was good. So now it was time to drop new music. This time I was gonna go all out. Heres what happed. . .

So my idea was to drop an EP so good people would really notice. First I'd have to have it hosted on a big platform. At the time SBTV were killing it and I'd just done a warm up session that summer so Jamal was cool with that idea. . .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYN_JdsLwaM

Track 1: Underground King. My goal was to drop 7 of the best tracks I'd ever done with the biggest artist I could get at the time and really make some lasting music that would push me to that next level. So the first track was a track called 'Underground King'. This track was actually written in Brighton a few weeks before the first Boom Bap Festival. I was up there shooting a video for another artist and all though I was aware that the festival was happening I wasn't really aware who was on the line up. All I knew was I wasn't. As I was going around Brighton I saw one of the flyers and saw the names that were on it. I got pissed. How the fuck can you have a uk hip-hop event like that and not invite me?? I went off on twitter. You know how I do. I think either Dike or Gizmo inboxed and told me to chill but I was too far gone. Then I reached for pad (Yeah I was still writing bars at that time). I had to remind people who I was. So this happened. . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-s2BHEeN3Y

Track 2: What I'm On. This was a track I did with Boris Berlin. We had previously done an EP (https://genesiselijah-beezwax.bandcamp.com/.../civil-unrest) together and as far as modern sounding beats in UK hip-hop he was way ahead of his time. I wanted something that would really bang and this beat had that feel. The flow is fire. The hook is big. I love it. We filmed the video at English Frank's Hip-Hop Ain't Dead night and had a bunch of cameos. I loved this vid cos it really gives you the vibe of the night. Unfortunately SBTV but a Mic Righteous Xmas advert before it which is just fucking annoying (Sorry Mic I still love you bro haha) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g3W-zmjoJM

Track 3: Alive. Ok so now we're getting serious. So I had this beat from the amazing Anton Nutty P Flanders. First of all I have so much love for Nutty P. Not just because he's top 3 producers in the country but for some reason he's always been up for giving me beats that he could have sold for thousands to bigger artist. I'm so grateful to even be one that guys radar. Anyway so yeah I have this beat. It's fucking hard as fuck. Now a little while before I'd built up a really good relationship with an MC called Context. I'd jumped on a bunch of his tracks and then he'd got signed and whatever and was doing really well. I asked him to drop a verse and his brother Well Read to jump on the hook. I wrote the hook with his brother voice in mind. I really wanted a crossover record. Like a pop/dubstep/grime rap track. Once it was done I knew it was gonna be a smash. It just sounded so radio ready. Anyway all it needed was a video. I hollered at Context to do the vid but he wanted to rewrite his verse. . .WAIT WHAT??? Bro. . .the track is done. It's out. It's on the SBTV Bandcamp page! I have a camera NOT A FUCKING TIME MACHINE!!! FFS. . .I was gutted. I still love Context but I was so pissed off at the time. I felt like my chance to have a hit was dead before it even had a chance. . .But hey. Life goes on. https://genesiselijah.bandcamp.com/.../alive-feat-context...

Track 4: What We Do. Fuuuuuucking hell!!!! Ok this track is fire. First of all some how I managed to get a beat off Teeza Musič. That in itself had me so gassed! I asked Polly Yatesto jump on the hook and she came through and smashed it. The beat was just so next level and her voice on it just gave it a different feel. I loved it. Then it gets mad. So hollered at Loudmouth. he came through with fire. I mean some of the funniest punchlines. Man had me cracking up! But I also got a verse from Swiss. He is one of my idols. A So Solid legend. We all know he's nice but when e sent me the verse I was in shock. Yeah me and Loud did our thing but he killed us and every MC within a 10,000 mile radius. Fucking hell. Fucking hell. Listen to this. . .https://genesiselijah.bandcamp.com/.../what-we-do-feat...

Track 5: Coming Up. Damn. Even I forgot how sick this is. Hiram O'Connell is a PHENOMENAL producer. Like world class. He's one of the only producers I would ever do a full project. he's incredible. So hollered at 2 of my favourite MC's for this one. Pyro Rapper Barz to me is a flawless lyricist. Go check his music. Every verse. Flawless. He's one of the only rappers I would ever do a full joint project with even though he'd kill me on every verse hhahaa. But yeah he came through and killed it. So at the time Dream Mclean was about to go clear. He was signed to chase n status and as there's no way the label would have cleared the verse we had to keep it hush. That meant no video. No radio push. Again I was gutted. But this is the game. he killed that verse too. Pure flames all round. . . https://genesiselijah.bandcamp.com/.../coming-up-feat..

Track 6. Army. This was another mad one. Ok so this was produced by Sibling who is Little Donatella's (Love & Hip-Hop Hollywood) brother. For some reason they have always shown me love. He was another producer that has worked with some massive artist but chooses to work with me and always goes out of his way to tailor make beats for me. It's not like "yo I got these beats" it like "Yo I've made this track with you in mind and think you should come at it like this". I got so much love for him. Any way he hits me up with a concept. I love it. He then gives me a hook! He smashed it. I was blown away. I remember Emmy Williamson telling how much this song meant to her. It made this song mean so much more to me and one of the reasons I had to put her on my album 2 years later. But yeah I went hard on this one. . .https://genesiselijah.bandcamp.com/.../army-feat-sibling...

Track 7: Yuck. There was no way I was gonna put out an EP without a Dead Man Walkn beat. These might be two of my best verses. I went hard. I went over hard. I went so hard that one time I performed this in a club full of metal heads and they went so crazy we couldn't even finish the song. The beat is. . .Yuck. It's just nasty. The bars. . .Nasty. I don't even know what more I can say. As for the video. I was so much fun making it. It's very disturbing also. . .You'll love it. Well actually that's not true. No one really did love it. Today it has only 6652 views. And what makes that sadder is that the video dropped almost a year before the EP hahaa. Fucking brutal. Again. That's life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9y8AvyqbyA

So there you have it. A project that I put so much blood sweat and tears into that pretty much just got ignored but everyone apart from the SBTV staff and my core supporters. Someone tweeted me yesterday and said "Your bars have got so much harder" If we had been face to face I would have laughed straight in to his. My verses on this project and all the ones before it were so fucking hard. I dropped so much knowledge and insight and did it with so many patterns, multis and punchlines it would give your average baggy jean backpacker a chubby just in the first 2 bars. But it was never really appreciated. To date it has only been downloaded from my band came 344 times. I'm not sure what it did on the SBTV Bandcamp but I'm guessing way less. To put that in to perspective How To Loose Friends And Alienate Listeners is on 857 and has only been out for 3 months. I'm sure there's a moral to this story but for the life of me I can't find it. But yeah. Support the music you love and the person who makes it will make more of it. . .Have a great weekend. 5AM In Wakanda is out now. . .https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x16oAp8-WF4

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