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sage-nebula · 1 year

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Sonic Music HCs

Sonic: Punk rock. Punk music tends to be anti-establishment, anti-authoritarian, and often pro-environmentalism. These are all core beliefs of Sonic's, and so the lyrics would resonate with him deeply. Sound-wise, fast guitars and loud drums are his bread and butter. If music doesn't make your blood race and bones rattle, what's the point? He hates ballads; anything too slow or sappy puts him off. (Though, he has sang slower punk songs, such as "Roadside" by Rise Against, to Tails as lullabies when they were younger.)

Tails: Also punk rock, because it's what he grew up listening to thanks to Sonic. Plus, punk rock songs tend to be loud and busy enough to provide his brain with the stimulation necessary to allow him to focus on one project at a time. That said, Tails is fine with most music and thinks there's something to like in just about any genre.

Knuckles: Honestly could not remember ever hearing a song even once in his life before traveling down to the surface for the first time. Sure, birds would sing and chao would bang on drums, but a full on song? No. That said, when he IS introduced to music he likes instrumental hip-hop. Songs with lyrics frustrate him if he can't tell what the lyrics are, so he likes instrumentals with nice beats.

Amy: Amy loves anything you can dance to. Pop and hip-hop are the big ones, but she also thinks swing music and jazz can be really fun to listen and dance to, too. She's pretty amiable about music too, but she doesn't like anything that sounds depressing or moody. Bright, fun, happy songs are her style.

Cream: On the record, Cream only listens to classical music that Vanilla introduced to her basically as soon as she was born. Off the record she also listens to everything Amy listens to, and is very invested in learning all the dance routines.

Big: Has no preferences really, basically anything is fine with him, but he does have an impressive collection of bluegrass albums.

Shadow: His music taste was cultivated fifty years ago on the Space Colony ARK when Maria would play her favorite records and he would listen to them with her. However, listening to those songs now hurts him in a way he doesn't want to deal with, so he doesn't. He also thinks most modern music sounds like garbage, so honestly, he just doesn't listen to music period. That said, he does enjoy a wide variety of podcasts, from trivia and history ones to true crime ones. He doesn't like talking to people, but he does like to listen to people talking to other people who aren't him.

Rouge: She likes whatever is most advantageous to like in the given moment. She has a vast array of music knowledge so she can con her way into any fan space or event. That said, the music playing most often in her bar is R&B or oldies.

Omega: He likes listening to things like recordings of car crashes, building and tank explosions, malfunctioning machinery, air raid sirens, etc. He insists this counts as music. Rouge advises against arguing with him, and Shadow hopes you try.

Vector: He's a ska man through and through, but he does dabble in a wide array of other genres too, to expand his music education. The only thing he won't touch is EDM. He thinks Omega's car crash recordings have more musical merit than EDM.

Espio: Espio claims to only listen to indie artists that most people have never heard of and Charmy says he made up on the spot. When asked to describe the genre, he never can. He actually listens to a mixture of emo rock and rap.

Charmy: Pop, but specifically the Kidz Bop versions because Vector doesn't want to have to explain cuss words, and also because Espio hates Kidz Bop with a passion. He also likes EDM when he's mad at Vector for something.

Whisper: Lo-fi is her absolute favorite; it calms her down even in her worst mental health moments. But she also used to be a big fan of alt rock, and the wisps remember how she has a beautiful deep register for R&B.

Tangle: Just about everything and anything, but power metal is a particular fave and it's her dream to be able to play "Through the Fire and Flames" on a real guitar. (Note: she does not know how to play guitar.) She will lose her voice screaming metal at karaoke and will go right back to do it again the next night.

Jewel: Also a fan of power metal; similar music taste is one of the first things she and Tangle bonded over. She's fine with other music, but when she's listening to music while serenely completing paperwork, there's power metal shredding in her earbuds.

Lanolin: She likes a smattering of different things, but her go-tos tend to be more indie / alternative fares. Think things like Sleeping at Last for instance. Heavy guitars and drums aren't her style: she prefers more melodic pieces.

Eggman: EDM. If it isn't made by machines, he doesn't think it's worth listening to.

Starline: Only the most distinguished classicals; nothing low-brow peasants would listen to. Eggman's taste in "music" was the only turn-off Starline had.

Surge: Thrash metal, speed metal—if it is loud, aggressive, and full of screaming, she is all over it. She hates anything sentimental, slow, or sweet.

Kit: Thrash metal and speed metal, because that's all Surge will listen to, and the idea of listening to something else on his own has never occurred to him.

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earphone-jacks · 8 months

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My Hero Academia Class 1-A Music Headcanons

I've been catching up on the manga and thinking a lot about Jiro making a collaborative playlist to help her really connect with her classmates lately. Anyway,

Deku listens to soundtracks, like bombastic instrumentals from old superhero movies, and I like to think he enjoys some fantasy adventures too. He also likes J-rock, including some openings and endings from the anime. He's pretty open to recommendations no matter the genre, but generally prefers more mellow stuff to help him relax and study or just unwind after a long day, and tends to listen to the same small handful of his favourite songs anyway.

Bakugo listens to heavy metal, particularly extreme metal. He loves the blast beat drumming and harsh vocals. A lot of the lyrics are incomprehensible upon listening, but if you took the time to look some of them up, they'd give more insight to his more vulnerable side that he's too prideful to show. I also like the idea of him having a softer private playlist that nobody lives to speak of.

Ochako didn't really seek out new music on her own before high school and formed her taste mostly from the radio or recommendations from friends. She has a lot of fun going through the playlist and she's happy to listen to anything from bubbly J-pop to heavy metal. I think she'd be a big fan of Babymetal.

Iida also likes instrumentals for studying, but more classical, and with faster tempos that he can take his morning runs to as well, like allegro. Something like hardcore techno would be funny, maybe some sport anthems, and a few more mellow rock songs that he picked up from his brother for when he needs to cool down.

Todoroki was very isolated and had a really limited musical library before high school. He'd also just listen to some classical, traditional Japanese music, or whatever was on the radio, if anything at all. He later gravitates to edgy alternative rock, or anything with relatable lyrics that help him vent his emotions. I think he could use that.

Tokoyami likes goth, modern classical, anything mellow, dark and ethereal-sounding with poetic lyrics. His music is oddly calming and haunting at the same time. He doesn't like anything too loud or harsh-sounding, partially because it can excite Dark Shadow too much.

Tsuyu and Koda both listen to cozy movie soundtracks, like from Disney or Ghibli, folk, lo-fi, ambient nature sounds, anything grounding and soothing, or "cottagecore".

Momo listens to classical, traditional pop, or modern music with elements of either, like baroque/chamber pop.

Jiro is already confirmed to have a preference for rock, probably alternative rock, and punk. I'd like to think some metal as well, but she'll listen to almost any genre and has impeccable taste in everything. She was largely influenced by her parents, and maybe grandparents, so her library spans a few decades as well.

Mina and Toru both listen to upbeat J-pop, and I like to think one of them introduced the others to Little Glee Monster. Maybe some sappy or wistful love songs more in private. Mina also likes 70s pop, disco and hip-hop, the kind of music that just compells you to dance and sing at the top of your lungs, maybe some psychedelic space rock and sci-fi horror soundtracks.

Kirishima is also confirmed to like 80s rock, like Eikichi Yazawa and Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi. I'd also think he likes stuff from as far back as the 50/60s as well, since Yazawa is the closest thing to Elvis from Japan that I know of, and that he picks up some more modern hard rock and metal mostly from Bakugo and Tetsutetsu as well.

Kaminari and Mineta both listen to J-pop, mostly from female idols that they think are cute. Besides that, Kaminari likes pop rock/punk and a lot of English music, and seems to have formed a lot of his taste from whatever was popular on the radio or social media with the occasional unexpected banger. He also had a dubstep, Vocaloid and hyperpop phase.

Sero is almost as adventurous as Jiro with music. He has a talent for finding underrated indie bands, and songs in a few different languages as well.

Aoyama also listens to some classical, but more opera, as well as French pop, some disco and house that he can vogue to. It's mostly upbeat but there's some sad-sounding songs in there as well that the others can't translate.

Shoji doesn't have much to contribute, being a minimalist, but he generally likes the more mellow indie stuff. He can get overstimulated easily.

Sato and Ojiro both like upbeat stuff, and enjoy music more as background noise for training, or baking in Sato's case. I also think Sato would enjoy the girls' bubbly pop music, and Ojiro would like some traditional stuff. Idk man they're nothing characters

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hansolmates · 8 months

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the leak | 03

banner by @theluttleprince

summary; hansol vernon chwe is crying at his doorstep like a taylor swift music video, and you’re for some reason there to help pairing; hvc / reader (f) genre/warnings; neighbors to friends, friends to lovers!au, slice of life, fluff, angst, tw—cheating, mentions of pregnancy related to cheating, profanity w/c; 1k a/n; i dont know how i feel about the added *issue* in the story—a very handsome issue, but here u go! [masterpost]

You’re now acutely aware of the fact that there is another living, breathing body behind the walls of your apartment.

You really took for granted the fact that your neighbors were quiet (which in fact, were not neighbors at all because it’s been empty for the past year) because now you feel nothing but self conscious as you pad around your home.

If it was any other neighbor, sure, you’d be dandy! However, it’s Vernon, and because you had a teeny tiny noncommittal attraction to him in college, it’s manifested into full blown self-consciousness. You really just can’t get over yourself.

Lo-fi hip hop blends through the walls, invading your space as you absentmindedly stir the fresh pasta you bought on sale at the market. It isn’t your music, it’s Vernon’s, muffled by the wall that connects your kitchen.

This hyper awareness is killing you. You haven’t spoken to him since that morning when your sleep was interrupted by his rush to move in, simply because you wanted to give him space. It’s been a week and you feel like your space is closing in on you.

You know you want to talk to him, that little pesky voice in your head sings, you want to ask if he’s okay.

“Ugh!” you tap your wooden spoon against your nonstick pan, flicking the water away. Your eyes float over to your simmering sauce on the stove, a cream sauce with a little squeeze of tomato paste. It’s almost done thickening.

Distracting yourself from your neighbor with the pretty brown eyes, you grab your phone, scrolling through your missed messages.

[3:08] Jihoon: hows the leak?

[4:02] You: still dripping

[4:11] Jihoon: I can come over tonight and fix it

With a snort, you grab the tongs and start scooping the al dente pasta from the boiling pot into the simmering sauce.

However, your sink is perfectly fine. That's because Jihoon is an efficient landlord.

(The only thing dripping is you, and you’re the only leak he’s planning to fix tonight.)

Haha, ha. You could cringe at how silly this whole situation is.

If you told yourself ten years ago you’d be hooking up with your landlord, you’d laugh yourself to death. Lo and behold here you are, having a casual fling with your grumpy yet unfairly skilled landlord.

To be fair, your sink was leaking the first time! Whether or not it was on purpose so that Jihoon could come see you, is a secret Jihoon refuses to tell.

He is pretty, yet masculine. There’s something feline about his gaze, the way his skill in both the bed and his practice intrigues you and mollifies you to his command. Like that one time last week when he did that thing with his fingers—

“Fuck me,” you curse yourself, plating your completed pasta. After emulsifying your sauce with the perfect amount of pasta water, you occupy yourself with dinner.

Jihoon is a good distraction, but not as intrusive as—

“Ow!” Vernon’s muffled voice echoes the wall between you, and you wince at the pain that lines his voice. Did he just drop a barbell? Does he lift?

Belatedly realizing you cooked too much pasta to fit on one plate, you grab another ceramic plate a second scoop of pappardelle.

Blowing at your stray hairs, the question stabs you in the brain: invite Jihoon to dinner, and have everything work out as it always does?

Or—or?

Five minutes later and a very demanding pep talk from your conscience, you have a plastic wrapped plate of pasta and you’re waiting for Vernon to answer his door.

After a few seconds of hearing shuffling and more things falling to the ground, your new neighbor finally flings the door open. “Oh, hi!” His face is rapidly changing, going from surprised, to confused, and then a big D-mouthed smile when he notices what you’re holding in your hand.

You’ve seen that Youtube Shorts girl who exchanges meals with her neighbors, and you wonder if she feels just as awkward as you do.

“Hi,” you breathe out, “did you eat dinner?”

You couldn’t even let out a “how are you?” because you wanted to cut right to the chase. Say yes and eat, or say no and you can ask Jihoon if you can move to the bottom floor.

You squirm under his gaze, your bare feet feeling cool on the bare tile and your fingers hot due to the plate being under the stove just minutes before. He’s looking unbearably soft, his caramel hair bouncy and his grey sweat suit big and bubbly around his frame.

“Nope,” he pops the ‘p’, eyes still clinging to your hands, “did you?”

“Oh, no. I just finished making this,” you proffer the plate up higher to meet his eyes, “and was wondering if you wanted some.”

Instead of taking the plate and saying thank you, he replies, “you love pink, don’t you?”

“Huh?”

“My Melody clock, pink Crocs, and now pink sauce,” he bobs his head back and forth, “unless that’s just a coincidence.”

“Oh, well—”

“I bet if I come into your apartment right now, the pan you used to cook this pasta is pink.”

You huff, and if you weren’t holding the plate you’d be crossing your arms. Who knew he could be so cheeky? When you don’t answer right away he says, “I’m right, am I?”

It’s mauve, actually. Instead, you retort, “I guess there’s only one way to find out?”

Vernon’s irises soften, and you wonder how long it’s been since he’s eaten a meal with somebody. Taking the plate you’ve made out of your hands, he reaches a palm out to hold open your door, “Thanks.”

Letting yourself in, you watch as he steps into your apartment gingerly. He gets a really good look at it this time, compared to last week when he was only concerned about getting out of a bad relationship. His eyes float over your walls, probably looking for all the pink things in your apartment.

He sets himself at your table, and before you sit down next to him, you send out a quick text.

[5:06] You: raincheck, i have a friend over for dinner tonight

#vernon x reader #svt x reader #vernon fic #svt fanfic #svt fic #seventeen fanfic #svt imagines #svt fluff #vernon

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lookismaddict · 1 year

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Lookism Characters and Their Tastes in Music ♪ (Headcannons)

Daniel Park:

Daniel likes alternative/indie pop, Soul, and R&B. He likes any song that gives a chill vibe to it and songs with nice lyrics.

Khai Dreams, mxmtoon, Keshi, etc.

He enjoys listening to Lo-Fi too, while he just lays on the ground in his house, relaxing, contemplating about events in his life until he accidentally falls asleep.

Sometimes, he sends Jay a text message asking what songs he’d recommend and Jay would send him a three-page list of songs in an online document

Zack Lee:

Hip-hop, Rap, and R&B

Consists of hyped artists like Drake, 21 Savage, A$AP Rocky, Lil Uzi, etc.

He used to be a big fan of Kanye West, but after Kanye’s multiple controversies, he stopped listening to his music because he now believes that he’s trash.

But on days when he feels down, he listens to artists like Joji. *insert Glimpse of Us here while Zack cries a river*

Vasco:

Vasco is into the older classic 60s-80s bands: Queen, Bon Jovi, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Journey, etc.

Prefers the oldies with meaningful lyricsm rather than the new songs on the radio

However, he enjoys listening to more of the earlier 2010s boy bands like One Direction, and Backstreet Boys from the 90s. (He even listens to that one song that Daniel and Duke made, on repeat since he asked Duke to send him a copy of that song.)

Doesn’t mind listening to some classic 70s songs from Air Supply, Bee Gees, Earth, Wind, and Fire, etc. in peaceful late night jogs

Jay Hong:

R&B and Soul (boujee tastes 💸)

Frank Ocean, Daniel Caesar, Steve Lacy, Khali Uchis, etc.

He has similar tastes to Daniel as well, and recommends Daniel tunes that provides relaxation and chill vibes.

The both of them would sometimes sit together during classroom break, and Jay would share one of his Airpods with Daniel. He’ll play songs that he thought that Daniel might like while he helps him do homework.

Jay even tried to ask Duke if he could get a copy of the song that he and Daniel performed at the festival. It took Duke a while to understand what Jay was trying to say, but he did manage to send it to him at some point. Once he got the song, he secretly played it on repeat for over a month.

Mira Kim:

Pop, Alternative/Indie (But a lot of people don’t know that she’s interested in this genre. Many assumed that she’s into K-pop like Zoe, since they’re both close.)

Clairo, Mitski, Marina and the Diamonds, Halsey (Especially her Badlands Album), Melanie Martinez, Lana Del Rey, etc.

Sometimes listens to R&B/Soul too (like NIKI, Justine Skye, Kiana Lede, etc.) whenever she chills on her bed

Whenever she studies in her room, she likes putting these songs on in the background to help her get in the zone

Zoe Park:

HUGE K-Pop fan

Other than BTS, she’s also a fan of other groups like NCT, ATEEZ, Stray Kids, ENHYPHEN, The Boyz, Blackpink, TWICE, Red Velvet, G-IDLE, LE SSERAFIM, STAYC, NewJeans, etc.

Also listens to older groups too and goes on a K-pop marathon late at night while doing homework with BIG BANG, Super Junior, INFINITE, VIXX, EXO, ToppDogg, iKON, etc.

She also loves listening to the older girl groups like 2NE1, Girl’s Generation, Wonder Girls, F(x), Girl’s Day, AOA, etc.

Eli Jang:

Eli likes to listen to bands such as Cigarettes After Sex, The Neighbourhood, Arctic Monkeys, The 1975, etc.

Loves the cool vibes of these Alternative/Indie bands with a hint of low sensuality to them.

He’s also interested in listening to artists like Chase Atlantic.

But of course, he doesn’t listen to these songs around Yenna. He doesn’t want her to acquire such vulgar words, and he doesn’t want to ruin her innocence. (Listening to these types of songs was like a guilty pleasure for Eli.)

Vin Jin:

Vin Jin listens to rap artists that inspire him and his style in rapping and hip-hop

Listens to K-Rap by Flowsik, ZICO, DPR LIVE, Jay Park, Dok-2, Simon Dominic, Dumbfoundead, etc.

His celebrity crush is Jessi and he’s a major fanboy if he ever sees her in person

Wants to reach international levels of Asian rap, like Rich Brian’s level someday, who’s a part of 88rising

Mary Kim:

Mary mostly listens to female rap artists that give off BBE ✨

She LOVES Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Saweetie, Lizzo, Doja Cat, etc.

Also listens to badass female K-rappers like CL, Jessi, HyunA, Lisa from Blackpink, etc.

Sometimes, she even listens to other artists like Audrey Nuna, REI AMI, BIBI, etc.

Johan Seong:

Listens to edgy rock bands (post-hardcore, metalcore, and punk) 💀

Consists of Pierce the Veil, Sleeping with Sirens, Bring me the Horizon, I Prevail, Of Mice & Men, Breaking Benjamin, etc.

On nights when he walks his dog Eden, he likes listening to bands such as Paramore, My Chemical Romance, Green Day, etc. (Edgy bands that give off low vibes.)

His fav song is Take me to Church by Hozier, even though it isn’t even close to punk.

Since Zack is a fan of hip-hop, he discovered darker hip-hop genres one day and he thought of Johan while listening to them. He then recommended Johan to listen to Hip-Hop Punk Rap and Horrorcore Trap Metal. Mostly artists like Suicide Boys, Freddie Dredd, and even CORPSE.

Johan digged the song reccs that Zack offered, and now he goes to him for more artists to listen to.

Jake Kim:

Jake is into love songs by Justin Bieber, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, even Big Time Rush. (Similar to Vasco’s tastes)

He also enjoys listening to R&B and Soul music by Chris Brown, Jason Derulo, Usher, Ne-Yo, etc.

Sometimes when he’s home alone, he’d sing in front of the mirror while pretending to serenade someone by smoothing out his hair seductively, blasting these songs all night.

I like to believe that this man got a good voice, so of course, he’ll nail these songs if you take him to karaoke.

Samuel Seo:

R&B and Trap Soul is his way to cope

Certain nights when he likes to feel sexy while standing naked in front of the window to his condo, he blasts music by Jeremih, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Tory Lanez, Bryson Tiller, Trey Songz, etc. (similar to Gun’s type of music but thank god he doesn’t know that they have similar tastes in music)

When he feels low in spirit, he drinks to songs that are relatable to him and has the same vibe as his mood like 6lack - PRBLMS, SZA, The Weeknd, Travis Scott - Power is Power, blackbear - do re mi, Russ - Overdue, etc.

Samuel listens to these types of songs on occasion though, and doesn’t have time to sit down and actually listen to them since he’s always been so busy with work.

Gun Park:

Similar to Jay Hong’s taste in music, he got “expensive” tastes in music as well ✨

Late at night while drinking alone, he likes listening to sensual R&B. (Some days, The Weeknd, Bryson Tiller, Tory Lanez, etc.)

During his workouts, he enjoys listening to rap and hip-hop from artists such as, 21 Savage, Meek Mill, Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Denzel Curry, etc. (Songs that get his blood pumping, while working out.)

Sometimes, he also listens to K-Chill R&B artists, like DEAN, Sik-k, Crush, DPR LIVE, Jay Park, etc. whenever he goes out on late night drives in an expensive car.

Gun HATES the music that Goo puts on whenever he’s driving themselves to any destination. He gets annoyed whenever Goo takes the AUX chord and plays weird songs from “sus” artists such as DBangz, Lil Boom, and sometimes Yung Gravy.

Gun punched Goo one time when he started blasting “Thick ****** and Anime Tiddies”. Gun would yell at him saying, “What is this trash?!” and the fight would eventually escalate to another one of their side-of-the-road brawls

Goo Kim:

This man’s taste in music is ALL OVER THE PLACE. Just chaotic.

Although, he has some shared music tastes with Gun. (Mostly similar tastes in Hip-Hop songs.)

He enjoys listening to fun and bouncy music, that goes with his moods really well (Pop or hip-hop, it doesn’t matter to him. Just no country music. He, “can’t stand that shit.”)

On days when Gun is annoyed with Goo, he’ll intentionally play country music just to annoy Goo just to get back at him, while going on long drives anywhere. Goo would eventually punch Gun on the arm, almost causing the car to swerve, until Gun decides to pull the car to the side of the road and fight him then and there.

LOVES listening to very weird, unhinged music. Mostly by artists like Yung Gravy, Bbno$, Lil Boom, Dbangz, etc. (probably even Pink Guy)

Goo is a big fan of Tyler the Creator, since he’s also a big goofy guy who doesn’t care about anyone else but himself and making money (through his music). Not only does he like his unique style and music, but he finds him very admirable for not caring about people’s thoughts on him, no matter what type of outrageous or unusual things he says.

He definitely enjoys listening to popular anime OPs and OSTs from anime that he liked when he’s at home.

DG:

DG doesn’t have a preferred taste in music, but he enjoys music outside of his own demographic.

Since he always listens to K-pop 24/7 (because of his job), he doesn’t mind listening to other types of music as well, and seeks out for new music to listen to.

He is very open-minded. Some days, he’ll listen to American Hip-hop or Rock (Kid Cudi, Childish Gambino, etc.) and other days he’ll listen to Latin Trap. (Farruko, Bad Bunny, Ozuna, etc.)

During his trips overseas, he’ll listen to traditional Japanese instrumentals to relax while riding in his private jet. The music would often lull him to sleep, as it is calm and perfect for someone who’s constantly busy.

Eugene:

🎼 Likes listening to classical music while reading a book, or doing paperwork. (Mostly dark academia classical music.)

Beethoven, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Bach, Franz Liszt, etc. makes him focus and concentrate.

Also, he’s an enthusiast of the historical American “Jazz Age”, which was music from the 1920’s. (But his interest in jazz is not limited to just that era. He likes jazz all the way to the current jazz of today.) 🎷

Eugene has exquisite tastes in music. Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, and Chet Baker, gives him comfort and puts him at ease.

He collects vinyl records of these famous artists, and likes listening to jazz music while sipping on a cup of tea or coffee, admiring the sweet tunes of the Roaring Twenties while looking out the window from his office.

Not only does he like classical, and jazz music, but he’s also interested in Traditional Pop. (The forefathers who started pop and got famous in Las Vegas shows.)

Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Paul Anka, etc. puts him in a very festive mood, especially while sitting in his office while putting together a blueprint of his devious plans.

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voidsentprinces · 3 months

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#{ might be splitting hairs near the end there }#{ look there's hundreds and I am making a lot of sweeping general statements with these choices but I only got 12 options so I gotta boil }#{ it down }

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odayakajanai · 7 months

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Vocaloid Songs You Might Have Missed - September 2023

Hi, welcome to my blog. I'm a long-time fan of the Vocaloid scene. In recent years, numerous Vocaloid star producers have broken out and become household names in Japan, while others have cornered the utaite market and find continuous viral success on YouTube and Nicovideo.

I want to highlight some of the best yet-to-be-discovered music being produced with Vocaloids and other vocal synths.

More under the break.

This is a personal list, so I'm mostly avoiding certain kind of song that I call "vtuber bait." I've struggled for weeks to articulate what that means, because I'm wary of saying that everything I don't like is "vtuber bait," but it's the kind of thing where you know it when you hear it, right? No hate (mostly) but there's just so much of it out there.

I left some notes on the most standout or interesting songs on the list, but I'll throw my weight behind every one of these being worth your critical listen. Finally, excuse the broad categories. It's mainly for my own organization, but it's also no fun to start a song expecting one thing and getting a face full of distorted gabber kicks.

Full playlist here, individual tracks below.

Pop

フールフールフール / ゆきち feat. 初音ミク Reminds me of namigroove. A lot.

Daze Heat / Rulmry feat. 初音ミク

.mp3 / イナナキ feat. 花隈千冬、重音テト

下の階の人へ / ノアミユウ feat. カゼヒキβ Lo-fi hip-hop beats with interesting chords and one of the stranger vocal synths currently out there.

愛してるときは同じ言葉で / Eiguft feat. 初音ミク

天使のニューゲーム / 阿修 feat. 鏡音リン

点 / Aa feat. 花奏かのんβ

死刑執行 / ドラネコ feat. 小春六花、ずんだもん Zundamon execution song.

Ranunculus / NoR feat. 初音ミク

Rock

リビングデッド / タオ feat. 初音ミク This song and the previous one are probably the closest to "vtuber bait" on the list. What's the throughline: song structure? A thumbnail image that suits drawing your own character in its place? I don't know.

焦燥 / kinoue64 feat. 初音ミク This one actually came out as a single earlier this summer, but was out with the album in September. It's rare enough to get Miku shoegaze at all, let alone anything this good, so I figured I could bend the rules a little.

ブリキの心臓 / Kay Kamio feat. 花隈千冬

Electronic

八月 / サセガワ feat. 初音ミク Miku over a 2 step beat.

アイドレイン / NAL feat. 重音テト

ドリミンガル / うめみや feat. 可不 Umemiya giving some serious Yasutaka Nakata energy.

sui / ukaihi feat. 初音ミク

film / 初音ミク、ナースロボ＿タイプT

KEEP YOUR HEADACHES / いおぎりょう feat. 重音テト Finally, Teto hyperpop!

虫我 / Kolaa feat. 言和AI It feels like the Chinese synths are way more rare in the wild, or maybe they're just walled in on bilibili. This one is insane.

PC_Angel / Kizuari feat. 初音ミク There's a lot of skittering programmed drums on this month's list, but I think this song has my favorite. Kizuari (and kinoue64) both got a shoutout on Patrick St. Michels' excellent Make Believe Mailer last week. Their albums can be purchased on Bandcamp.

感情透過性 / 橘しとら feat.初音ミク

#music #vocaloid #hatsune miku #kagamine rin #kasane teto #kafu #hanakuma chifuyu #nurse robo type t #yanhe ai #utau #utauloid #cevio #cevio ai #kazehiki beta #kanade kanon #koharu rikka

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da-birb-writes-sometimes · 11 months

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Driving Habits -Scarabia Edition

Can they drive? If so, what kind of drivers are they? What are their car habits?

Characters; Kalim Al-Asim & Jamil Viper

Content; mentions of road rage, Jamil deserves a vacation & a pay raise

Word Count; 300+

Find the Rest of the Series; Heartslabyul, Savanaclaw, Octavinelle, Pomefiore, Ignihyde, Diasomnia

Author’s Note; As a reminder, do not put my work — or others for that matter — into AI as it steals. Link to Masterlist

Kalim Al-Asim

Doesn’t drive. He has staff and Jamil, and also a magic carpet so he’s told he has no reason to learn. He wants to learn but the last time he tried, he got stuck in a ditch with a very tired-looking Jamil. “Let’s go again! The eleventh time is the charm!”

When he’s with Jamil he suggests music requests, and Jamil relents. Typically he chooses to play pop music or sing-alongs.

He is not allowed on public transit alone, Jamil or one of the other staff must be with him. One time he did though, and ended up becoming fast friends with this one guy with a saxophone on the bus.

Can be found dancing in his seat to whatever is playing; he gets told to stop because it’s ‘distracting’ but after five minutes of tapping his foot, he starts boogying in his seat again and singing.

Always has some sort of travel device on him, and may-or-may not ditch the vehicle if they get stuck in traffic. Yes, he hears them yelling at him to get back and the honking, but this is so much faster!

Jamil Viper

Great defensive driver. He had the best lessons since Kalim can’t drive. He also has to drive Najma around whenever she visits or she’ll tattle or blackmail him.

When he’s alone, he’ll mainly listen to hip-hop, rap, or lo-fi; which one he plays depends on his mood and energy level. He gives up the aux for Kalim, but will bicker with Najma over it. People see a tired person driving and someone bopping along in the seat next to him; it’s quite comical and reminds you of a tired parent.

He cannot spare to leave his phone on silent, and has his phone hooked up to the speaker so he can take calls while focusing on the road.

Tries to keep his car clean, but Kalim and Najma leave their stuff in there all the time. You would think it’s Kalim’s car and not Jamil’s by the amount of belongings in there. There are also slight hints of Ace and Floyd whenever he drives them to games; those two aren’t allowed to drive to games.

Has quiet road rage; just take deep breaths, mutter insults, and imagines the driver spilling hot coffee all over themselves.

#twisted wonderland #twst #twisted wonderland headcanons #twst headcanons #kalim al-asim #twst kalim #kalim al-asim headcanon #jamil viper #twst jamil #jamil viper headcanon #‘are those helium balloons?’ ‘yes’ ‘for fucks sake I told you-’ *muffled bickering as car floats away*#kalim still misses his saxophone friend #scarabia headcanons #also if kalim and najma were in the car at the same time they would bicker about who gets the front seat

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murderofsomeone · 14 days

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What's up Mos, its me, creature, back with another interview, this time its lemon related

What music (genres and/or specific artists) do the characters like?

Does anyone in funkytown have unique clothing/jewelry?

Who is Garrett talking to in hip hop cherry pop?

What song have you had the most fun coming up with a story for?

What was the first song you came up with a story for?

What song has been the hardest to fit into the storyline?

What arc has been the most enjoyable to write so far?

What are some LD songs you want more people to listen to?

What items are baby lem not trusted with?

What are some items unique to funkytown?

If you could physically eat lemon demon songs what ones would you eat and why?

ironically a large amount of the cast don't really listen to music/have strong opinions on it, LD himself is one of the few denizens to have specific tastes (TMBG, Oingo Boingo, Talking Heads, Faith No More, DEVO, etc etc you know the pipeline). another character with defined music taste is indie cindy who likes lo-fi (obviously), hyper pop, and other scenecore genes.

funkytown is in a constant state of returning to a lack of identity, so as of right now most culture is just taken from human culture, but it definitely gets more abstract the longer something doesn't get interfered with.

zordechai the magnificent (wizard from the view-monster promo) has a side gig on running an ice cream shop, which is loosely based on the film. garrett is aware of zordechai's true identity during the song, hence why he's there to begin with.

lifetime achievement award and completely because the animation in my head is killer.

mold en mono is the reason the ncu exists beyond a simple concept. it was the first time I stylized Neil as he is now, drew the office fruits, "baby" lemon, and lucifer (who fun fact did not used to be a fruit object head, he was a demon in similar appearance as diablo).

I definitely end up having the most issues with bonus tracks (I don't think I used hardly any from damn skippy besides the instrumentals), but those are kinda an outlier since they aren't my focus to begin with. ones I particularly struggle(d) with are: chu chu rocket (got removed entirely since it's a cover), movie night, fire motif, hazel's modus operandi, bill watterson, consumer whore, between you and me, flamingo legs, everybody loves raymond, goosebumps (entirely because I don't read goosebumps), and ancient aliens (it's on its 3rd or 4th rewrite). this does NOT mean I don't like the songs it's just hard to write for them.

dinosaurchestra was complete smooth sailing and honestly my favorite arc, it's a nice change of pace from how serious things become and have been.

oh boy oh boy, listen to these: toy food, bottom line, funkytown (obviously), mold en mono (obviously), matches and nails, pineapple, behold the future, the machine with live backing, creepy, I know your name (crappy 4 track version), and happiest shit ever (some of the links might be broken/link to the wrong somgs my apollo cheese

lemon demon is actually a horrible influence and does not care if he carries any sharp objects, in fact he encourages it. baby lemon is smart enough to not do something stupid but that doesn't make him immune to getting grounded. I think the car keys and anyone else's phone is what he's banned from having access to, but this will not stop him

like I mentioned before, funkytown has an inherent lack of it's own culture, so any unique items would probably be the god relics like the magic 8 ball and spirit phone.

the machine because mmmm sheet metal

#that took awhile to write oops #long post #letterbox to hell mos #lemon demon #something something ncu

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ankle-beez · 2 years

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[ID: A four-and-a-half star review of "Entergalactic" by ankle-beez on Letterboxd that reads, "lo-fi animated romantic hip-hop drama about finding yourself and others to watch and be entranced by. more stuff like this please"]

#entergalactic #angel.post #my letterboxd reviews

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starandcloud · 9 months

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MCU Loki Headcannons

Uses all pronouns

His favorite season, he likes the delicate balance of "Will I burn or will I freeze?" of Earth

He loves to read those romance books with Gods and Goddess, not cause he wants to be put into the shoes of the MC but because he enjoys pointing out things wrong with the book. Fucking nit-pick

He really likes the wooded mountain sides, it feels like home

His favorite way to waste time is by fucking with people. Whether its a huge prank or a small one, he enjoys it Chaotic lil fuck

Dark Pop, Lo-Fi, Sing-Alongs, Ballet, Country, Dubstep, Pop, Rap, Hip-Hop, Pagan Metal, Viking Metal, Folk Metal, Pop-rock, Dance pop, Pop punk. All somehow fit in his playlists

He has small scars above, and below, his lips from when the dwarves sewed his lips shut for lying to them. A few smaller scars litter his skin, playful kids and one to many tumbles earned him his fair share of scars

When Loki becomes nervous he pick at his nails and cheeks on the inside of his cheeks

I can see him having ADHD, so they have a lot of soothing techniques. Like covering a sheet of paper with her favorite words or shape. Just Loki things

When they have nightmares, they tend to just walk the nerves and stress off

He has a fair share of collectibles from his devotees. Things that don't spoil are his favorite

Loki's most prized possession is a little, wittled, wooden horse a devotee gave him

They do this thing when they have to do something special. He fiddles with a small bottle of sand (shaking it three times) and then takes a hot bath. He says it "Melts away the nerves"

Rainy days he's either out in the rain, playing in it like a child OR bundled up in blankets by the fire. No in between

MASSIVE "doodler". His doodles are more of actual art pieces and he does write poetry, but not that often. It takes more brain power

This bitch starfish sleeps. Leg over there arm over his face one leg off the bed other arm under him chaotic sleeper, you cannot share a bed with him.

Loki hugs... protectively. Like he'll have both arms around your waist holding you close OR they'll have one arm around your waist and the other crossed over your back so his hand in almost on your shoulder

He's naturally flirty with everyone, but he's more-so with someone he genuinely likes. He'll leave everyone gifts and do small things around HQ to make peoples lives easier. EX: If Natasha's favorite cup was on the highest shelf *cough* Thor *Cough cough*

Loki would be able to finish a fucking project. Whether it's a small one or a huge one, he just doesn't have the attention span and/or patience to finish a project

If he found out he only had a day left to live, he'd keep is a secret. He wouldn't tell anyone and would spend the day making other's day happier, he'd spend the day at the park or just doing little things he enjoys or things he's always wanted to do. Like pottery or painting

Their spirit animal is a black cat or a white snake

He's definitely a Slytherin with Hufflepuff traits

#loki laufeyson #mcu loki #marvel loki #loki odinson #loki #loki headcanons #faeriesberries

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futurecorps3 · 10 months

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hello darling!

many congratulations on the 800 followers milestone, im so so proud of you for getting so far; it's entirely well deserved and for you to put in the time and effort to organise an evident with so much thought is incredibly considerate of you, thank you so much for doing so (ɔˆ ³(ˆ⌣ˆc)

on that note, i'd love to participate in your celebration if that's alright with you, my love

i'd like to request a 🩸 Kir Royale please for the Harry Potter Fandom, Marauders era, if you can, but im not opposed to Lightening Era either

and just some info on me :

i love men <3 ; i am open to listening to all sorts of music genres so long as it fits the mood, however, i tend to lean more towards R&B/Soul/Hip-Hop, Indie and Alternative Lo-fi, my favourite movies are all studio ghibli or animated movies, my top love languages are acts of service, quality and physical touch. i love deep conversations and listening to people tell me their story - getting to know more about other people is one of my favourite things to do. i want to be a mother one day, im a hopeless romantic who is very much into self-care and self-pampering, i also love baking, especially cookies and apple pie. i love art but enjoy paper crafting and watercolours the best and my aesthetic would be soft girl/light academia. i love my friends and family and value them above anyone else to the point where, if they were threatened/hurt in anyway, i would get incredibly angry and overprotective, which is rare for me to be.

some bad traits now... TT^TT time to expose myself - i can get pretty lazy, i tend to get into planning my life a little too much, i have perfectionist tendencies, im horrible at replying to people and can't resist chocolate and donuts or dairy products even though im lactose intolerant...i also tend to ramble sometimes for example, this paragraph XD

p.s thank you so so much for the kind mention in your celebration event post, you really didn't have to since you did most of the work, nevertheless, that was still so incredibly kind of you so thank you c⌒っ╹v╹ )っ huggies for my lovie!

Honey this means the world! Thank you so much mwah mwah kisses

James! Like I can totally see him baking with you (while eating the ingredients as you do so hehe), spoiling you with art supplies under the condition you paint something for him, and that whole protectiveness of friends and family screams Prongs!! He also dreams of being a dad one day so yeah <333 I actually headcanon him being lactose intolerant too so dw, he’ll eat the things you shouldn’t with you shamelessly. ❤️

p.s Thats the least I can do to reciprocate how sweet and kind you’ve been! Huggies all the way back for u

#Lola’s 800 follower celebration!#🩸Kir royale #james potter headcanon #james potter fluff #james potter x reader

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c1tyhaunts · 4 months

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—OC DETAILS MEME ;; @shivasdarknight: 🎶💯 for all of your girls .o.

🎶 MUSICAL NOTES — what type of music does your oc like? do they listen to music very often? (also asked by @bornfornothin!) 💯 HUNDRED POINTS SYMBOL — share three random facts about your oc that others may not know. this post already got super long so some of it will go under the cut

Terrah

🎶MUSIC TASTES— She's the kind of woman to end her day with her record player, spinning vinyls until the wee hours of the evening to bedtime. While she's sketching out new machine designs or writing up new reports, she's listening to music. I'd say in a given day, she's spending 60% of it listening to music. Favorite Sound Profiles: Sensual, Rhythmic, Solid Vocals Favorite Genres: R&B (70-2010s), Hip-Hop (70-90s), Country (70s-80s) Music on her "Liked Playlist": ✦ Tennessee Whiskey - Chris Stapleton ✦ Fast Car - Tracy Chapman ✦ Me & Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul ✦ You Dropped a Bomb on Me - The Gap Band ✦ I'm Every Woman - Chaka Khan

💯RANDOM FACTS ✦ As I mentioned in a previous post, Terrah is terrifyingly good at putting apart, fixing, & destroying anything mechanical. This is primarily for equipment that she can get her hands on, and more for those with explicit mechanical components like in a car or fridge. ✦ Because of her deft hands, when she was still in college, she started a side hustle fixing other people's cars or computers. From the circuit board to the full system, she found a solution to the problem and charged a hefty amount. ✦ On the flip side of this, she's not computer savvy. She's not a programmer or even on social media that much. She's good with the CAD programs & analytical tools she has to use for work, but anything IT-related? Ask someone else because she won't be the woman to figure that out.

Lilah

🎶MUSIC TASTES— Funnily enough, I don't think Lilah actually listens to music that often, as she's more likely to consume a podcast or watch a TV show over listening to a song. She does occasionally put on music while she's writing. She much prefers going to a live concert. On a given day, Lilah is probably spending 30% of that day listening to music. Favorite Sound Profiles: Angry, Boisterous, Genre-Bending Favorite Genres: Pop (2000-2010s), Indie (2000-2020s), Rock (90s-2020s), Lo-Fi/Instrumental (2000-2020) Music on her "Liked Playlist": ✦ Girlfriend - hemlock springs ✦ Good 4 You - Olivia Rodrigo ✦ Cobra - Megan Thee Stallion ✦ Bitter - FLETCHER ✦ Phonies - Dorian Electra

💯RANDOM FACTS ✦ Due to growing up in a small town that was hyper-fixated on her appearance & mere existence, Lilah occasionally has anxiety attacks if she feels like a lot of eyes are on her. She doesn't like to be stared at by strangers, and if there's a creeping feeling that she's being followed, it will trigger a panic attack. Ironic, given her dream profession. ✦ After she got herself established in her career, Lilah is just prone to taking spontaneous road trips to herself - only taking her sachel, money, a book, and an idea. She would then take that as a 2-week sabbatical where she'd write up a new novel in that timespan and bring it back to the world. ✦ All of Lilah's novels are short reads (~60-70K words a piece), and they all explore aspects of her understanding of life & love. She's self-published, normally posting her books under her pseudonym. All of the books tell her story at different intervals, and if someone knew her, they could read it and know that these "fictional, coming of age" stories were about her.

Avian

🎶MUSIC TASTES— Although melancholy seems to follow Avian's aura, her music speaks differently to that. While she's working the night shift, she has her headphones ringing more upbeat, optimistic music. While her tastes are varied, they do lean more towards older tunes and music that touch on some gospel with strong vocals. These are also tunes that Avian's dancing through during the night as she's organizing medication. In a day, about 70% of Avian's time is spent listening to music. Favorite Sound Profiles: Soulful, Strong Instrumentals, Old School Favorite Genres: R&B (60-90s), Blues (50-70s), Folk (50-80s), Jazz (40s-2010s), Gospel (90s-2010s) Music on her "Liked Playlist": ✦ FREEDOM - Jon Baptise ✦ My Way - Aloe Blacc ✦ Easy Living - Billie Holiday ✦ Into Each Life, Some Rain Must Fall - Ella Fitzgerald, The Ink Spots ✦ Hound Dog - Big Mama Thorton

💯RANDOM FACTS ✦ Avian is classically trained in ballroom dancing thanks to her dad - it was one of the few activities he got her into so she didn't become a complete shut-in. Specifically, Avian can swing dance, waltz, and foxtrot. Avian enjoyed the dancing part but did not enjoy the part with her weird partners hitting on her afterward. ✦ Avian is "technically" religious but in a spiritual way. James never forced her to go to church with him but did guide her to learn how to use religion that best suited her & her lifestyle. She didn't buy into religion much until her father passed away, and so she leans into spirituality as a way to keep herself sane. I wouldn't consider her a bible humper, but Avian does wear a cross of Christ as her own grounding point. ✦ Because of her previous dance experience, Avian is a lot more quick-witted than a lot of people give her credit for. This was shown once when she got to step in for an intramural sport in high school. Her friend pushed her to play softball for a game against another school and Avian killed it. It was the one time a group was begging Avian to stay on the softball team but she said no because Avian didn't like sports.

Elvira

🎶MUSIC TASTES— Elvira rarely listens to music, and if she does, it's typically in between flights or trains she's on as she's traveling. She doesn't dislike music, per se, but she's one of the few people who rather sit with her own thoughts than let them be flooded by music. She's a very passive listener, and she may put it on in the background if she's cleaning or cooking, but again, she may prioritize listening to the news or putting a TV show on. Most music to Ivy is supposed to be played at a party, anyway. About 20% of her day is spent listening to music. Favorite Sound Profiles: Boisterious, Goofy, Rhythm Over Lyrics Favorite Genres: Rap/Hip Hop (80-2020s), Reggae/Soca (90-2000s) Music on her "Liked Playlist": ✦ Rock, Paper, Strippers - Teezo Touchdown ✦ Fye Fye - Tobe Nwigwe ✦ Murder She Wrote - Chaka Demus & Pliers ✦ So Special - Mavado ✦ Here Comes Trouble - Chronixx

💯RANDOM FACTS ✦ A lot of Ivy's current black/gothic style was inspired by her mother; Ivy grew up looking over the old Polaroids of her mother and her long black locs & black lipstick idolizing how powerful she looked in those old pictures. Because of this, that has influenced a lot of Ivy's current wardrobe. She actually locs her own hair in honor of her mother. ✦ Ivy transitioned early thanks to her mother's support. After Ivy's father left their lives, her mother took pride in her child's choice and assisted in giving Ivy the life she wanted. This required Ivy to transfer schools so she could start with a clean slate, but by the time Ivy was 13, she could start living her true self. ✦ Ivy has been arrested a handful of times, but never charged. This was mostly throughout her young adulthood, as she was often the one stepping into fights to break them up to protect other people. She has gotten lucky that her connections ran deep with good people to avoid the actual time, but the old Manchester police department likely knows Ivy by name, and they're waiting on the day she falls back to rock bottom.

#▶⌜ch. terrah v. sparkz⌟#▶⌜ch. lilah eve lyons⌟#▶⌜ch. avian delilah esparza⌟#▶⌜ch. elvira t. delauris⌟#▶⌜terrah sparkz. lore⌟#▶⌜avian esparza. lore⌟#▶⌜lilah lyons. lore⌟#the only thing i'md oing for the holidays because it hits on my favorite thing: music and random muse facts #THANKS ENYA #▶⌜elvira d'angelo. lore⌟

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ms-nesbit · 1 year

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batfamily as music genres (and bonus secret genre they hide from the others)

bruce: grunge // lady gaga's born this way album

dick: space disco and kpop // "dad" rock

jason: post-hardcore and punk // taylor swift

babs: concept rap and conscious hip-hop // space disco (fuck off, dick)

tim: cloud rap and new orleans jazz (he's open about his choices and will fight u on it)

steph: sandstorm by darude and other notable viral hits // horrorcore (specifically the misfits)

duke: lo-fi and taylor swift // emo (thx jason)

damian: horrorcore and concerto // celine dion

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caltropspress · 28 days

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RAPS + CRAFTS #21: Andrew Mbaruk

1. Introduce yourself. Past projects? Current projects?

I’m Andrew Mbaruk, a Black poet living in Vancouver, Canada. I make "literary lo-fi rock rap," drawing from my diverse reading of poetry and classic literature for the "literary" aspect; – it’s "lo-fi" due to the imperfect sound quality, "rock" as the music predominantly features electric guitars, and "rap" because, if I had to use just one genre to categorize it, it’d be rap–I’m obviously rapping in the songs.

On one of my songs I describe my style as “assistant-professorial and janitorial”--it’s a blend of literary, academic, and philosophical elements with a touch of real-life experiences, viewed through my postmodern/modernist collage aesthetic.

Some of my recent albums are Why I Am Not a Painter (a 2023 song anthology), Black Squirrel: A Memoir (an autobiographical album through Extraordinary Rap), and Oiseau=textual: the flying rap album (centered around birds). Collaborations include Affect Theory and the Text-to-Speech Grandiloquence with Rhys Langston, Papier-Mache Chalet with Th’ Mole, Ultraviolet Flamingo with Vellum Bristol or Jouquin Fox, and Hip-Hop, With a Twist of Lemon with Mantis the Miasma.

Currently, I’m working on a series of lo-fi rock rap albums, each titled Abolish Canada. Abolish Canada [1] and Abolish Canada [2] are already available on my Bandcamp page.

2. Where do you write? Do you have a routine time you write? Do you discipline yourself, or just let the words come when they will? Do you typically write on a daily basis?

I write whenever I’m awake and in the mood, which is often at home. This could be in the middle of the night or just as frequently in the afternoon. Currently, I find myself in the writing room...surrounded by books... On my desk are three old dictionaries and a book of selected poems by Wallace Stevens, alongside an energy drink can and crumpled papers... Scattered throughout the room are various poetry books, and books on theory and philosophy, from Marx and Hegel to Frank B. Wilderson III and David Marriott... These books are mostly on a couch doubling as a larger desk, and atop an old synthesizer from the 1980s... On the floor stand an electric guitar and amp, alongside pedals and tangled cords at my feet... Two walls are giant windows, one of which is usually open even in winter (I’m often smoking). I’m undisciplined, though I still write almost daily – though there’s the occasional lapse, like these past few days...

3. What’s your medium—pen and paper, laptop, on your phone? Or do you compose a verse in your head and keep it there until it’s time to record?

During 2017-2018, I primarily used pen and paper for my writing. But, since then, I’ve transitioned to typing most of my raps on a computer. Occasionally I’ll compose a verse while walking, relying on my Android. The inconvenience of keeping verses in my head until I can write them down...that’s a problem I face during work shifts – cleaning Vancouver’s streets, e.g....and one song I crafted mentally while washing dishes at a burger bar. Using a recording medium like paper or a word processor is best though – it allows me to carefully consider connections between different parts of a verse, because I have the entire composition visible on a page or on a screen.

4. Do you write in bars, or is it more disorganized than that?

I used to have a more disorganized writing style, especially in the first few years of this rapping project... Initially, I didn't even see my work as a part of rap. It was only when I started collaborating with other rappers and producers that I began to structure my writing in bars.

While there are still moments when I write in a more formless manner, I stick to a more regular form these days, lines that last four beats. Typically, I'll create four lines that rhyme (using slant rhymes) entirely parallel to each other:

(e.g., “abnegating dactylic hexameter his vacation, a trip with dead passengers the Latin pages of literate Sapphic verse as the painting's acrylic red flags ablur”),

followed by another set of four, or maybe a couplet or two

(in this case, “as heroin mixed with the China White terror, his literary dynamite exposing the Pindaric champion; explosions, the thin shards of glass in him”),

and then another quatrain or couplet, or sometimes a set of six or eight rhyming lines, or sometimes more...and so on.

I never thought I'd become so formal or strict in my approach. I've always been inclined towards poetry that adheres to (for example) Charles Olson’s "projective verse", but surprisingly, weirdly, this structured approach is working for me now.

5. How long into writing a verse or a song do you know it’s not working out the way you had in mind? Do you trash the material forever, or do you keep the discarded material to be reworked later?

It’s different with every verse and song. Sometimes I’ll finish the entire thing and throw it out/delete it. Usually some part of the aborted material returns in a new form. I work in a "collage" style and see my rhymes as Deleuzian rhizomes, so I can easily connect my rhymes like Lego... It’s totally acceptable within my project to incorporate disparate fragments – unless the lyrics are focused by a constraint, as on my album about birds (Oiseau=textual: the flying rap album) or the one about the Iran-Contra scandal (The Iran-Contra Project).

6. Have you engaged with any other type of writing, whether presently or in the past? Fiction? Poetry? Playwriting? If so, how has that mode influenced your songwriting?

I’ve written poetry, fiction, a screenplay... The rapping basically grew out of my experiments with print poetry – I started making poems called "phonotexts," recorded poems, in 2014... I made a spoken word album called Phono=textual: a novel in mono... It took about three years for these "phonotexts" to become rap songs.

7. How much editing do you do after initially writing a verse/song? Do you labor over verses, working on them over a long period of time, or do you start and finish a piece in a quick burst?

I try to edit as I write, then I'll record the thing, sometimes using some instrumental that I'm not actually going to use – just to hear it, so I can edit it some more. Then I record the song immediately. It usually takes a few hours or an evening.

Sometimes I work on a song for a few days.

8. Do you write to a beat, or do you adjust and tweak lyrics to fit a beat?

I begin with the words and a rhythm usually... I write lyrics, then I make the drums, then I record the verse or verses, then finally I'll add guitars and synthesizer and whatnot.

9. What dictates the direction of your lyrics? Are you led by an idea or topic you have in mind beforehand? Is it stream-of-consciousness? Is what you come up with determined by the constraint of the rhymes?

I usually begin with one small idea, just a line or a few words, and I grow a verse or verses from the one idea through free association, playing with meaning and rhyme. I’m often propelled by chance, but just as often propelled by a thematic goal, and this can change midway through writing.

10. Do you like to experiment with different forms and rhyme schemes, or do you keep your bars free and flexible?

I’ve sneaked sonnets into my raps, and I’ve invented something called “rhyme chiasmus” (a rhyme scheme where two rhyming sounds are repeated in a chiastic pattern for many bars) but I’m usually freer.

11. What’s a verse you’re particularly proud of, one where you met the vision for what you desire to do with your lyrics?

The song "Electrons," track 01 of Abolish Canada [1]...though it goes on a bit too long I think, the bit right at the beginning is very good maybe. That song, and in fact the entirety of Abolish Canada [1]... That’s where I’ve most closely achieved much of what I intend with my words.

12. Can you pick a favorite bar of yours and describe the genesis of it?

My lines make their meaning through the relation to other lines. So, my favourite passage in my writing – "the human soul stuck in your body / fluent in post-structural ornithology” – is shaped by what surrounds it.

The song is called "Under the Oiseau=text." It’s about reading and about birds. And about reading birds as signs, an ancient practice.

I thought of these words because a bird, a pigeon, rose flapping before me as I walked along Commercial Drive in Vancouver. I decided to make an album about birds in that moment, and began writing "Under the Oiseau=text" as soon as I got home. Here’s the lyric in its context:

sans serif, these words upon my gravestone bearing the withered flower tossed - the Baudelairean inner albatross, the human soul stuck in your body fluent in post-structural ornithology . . . . . .his words draw you a map of the geographer perched upon a branch in the binoculars, this scholar of math as it pertains to flight, the neurographer mapping the brain with light

13. Do you feel strongly one way or another about punch-ins? Will you whittle a bar down in order to account for breath control, or are you comfortable punching-in so you don’t have to sacrifice any words?

I shorten lines and always try to do verses in a single take.

14. What non-hiphop material do you turn to for inspiration? What non-music has influenced your work recently?

Afropessimism, John Ashbery’s poetry, nature, the congressional report on the Iran-Contra scandal, and the letter N. Also, I collect and read dictionaries.

15. Writers are often saddled with self-doubt. Do you struggle to like your own shit, or does it all sound dope to you?

Some of my stuff I dig especially, other stuff I’m okay with, most of the stuff I don’t like no one can hear anywhere. Grand Lunatic I’m not crazy about, Andra Mbalimbali I’m not crazy about, Neuro=textual: a novel of ideas is not my favourite of my albums. From late in 2022 and throughout 2023, that stuff I like – though I’m on the fence about some projects like Black Squirrel and The Iran-Contra Project. The earlier stuff evinces potential realized by Oiseau=textual: the flying rap album and Abolish Canada [1]... That’s how I see things.

16. Who’s a rapper you listen to with such a distinguishable style that you need to resist the urge to imitate them?

Rappers who depend less on rhyme and just say really interesting shit, like AKAI SOLO or my friend Jouquin Fox, I can’t do that. I tried using a little less rhyme on The Iran-Contra Project, my concept album about Iran-Contra, and I’m sure I can’t do that. The constraint of rhyme is essential to my style.

17. Do you have an agenda as an artist? Are there overarching concerns you want to communicate to the listener?

Yes, I am trying to communicate many things to the listener. I am saying nothing specifically, and consequently saying many different things. (Any one of these different things I could write about at length, but it has been recommended to me that I just leave it at “I am saying nothing specifically, and consequently saying many different things” – nice and succinct.)

RAPS + CRAFTS is a series of questions posed to rappers about their craft and process. It is designed to give respect and credit to their engagement with the art of songwriting. The format is inspired, in part, by Rob McLennan’s 12 or 20 interview series.

Photo credit: unknown (hit me up)

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