#not quite as cinematic or artistic as the rest

[fuckyeahgoodomensfanfic]

Good Omens Fic Rec: Big Name Feelings

FANDOM AU! • Crowley is a BNF fic writer, and Aziraphale is a lurking artist who might be just a little parasocially in love with him. How they ever became friends is beyond him, but here they are: One month out from Prophet Con, and Crowley is asking him to be his boyfriend. Just for the weekend, of course.

Length: 103,997 words

AO3 Rating: Explicit / Spice Level 🔥🔥🔥

Best for: Safe in Public, Human AU, Slow Burn, Fake Relationship, Pick-me-up

Triggers: None

Read it here, fic by ghostrat

*Minor Spoilers* It's here! The finale of one of the most entertaining and immersive fanworks that I have ever experienced is finally upon us! I feel like most of you who follow me here are aware of this fanfic or have read it. However, for those who haven't or might come across this post later: I'm begging you to read this one. Buckle up; it's a long post today.

So, if you're not aware, this fanfic involves writer Crowley and fan artist Aziraphale. Crowley, being ace, seeks a boyfriend to shield him from unwanted attention during an upcoming convention. Aziraphale, smitten, agrees to be the fake boyfriend. This Arrangement is sure to work out exactly as planned!

Every one of the author's stories feels cinematic to me. The worlds are always so real and immersive, but this one, in particular, will have you feeling like you're actually watching the story unfold in real life. Some of that is achieved through embedded media like chats, artwork, and Tumblr posts, bringing a sense of reality to these conversations. The rest comes from really rich prose. You'll flow through it very easily, yet deeply.

The use of fandom and a convention as the backdrop for this fic was, to be honest, genius. I've seen attempts before, but none captured the spirit quite like this one. The fandom lore for The Nice and Accurate Prophecy (the in-universe fandom they're in) was rich enough for us to fully grasp the shape and feel of why they loved it so much, yet it never impedes the ongoing story. This story perfectly captured what it's like to be a fan: how friendships develop, how ideas and fan theories are freely discussed, the passion for a shared topic. The con, in particular, will fill anyone who has ever attended a fan convention with a strong dose of nostalgia and love. Oh, and having them in their 50s? Thank you! There is no age limit to fandom!

Having Aziraphale as the artist and Crowley the writer was not the most obvious choice, but it's one that worked amazingly well for the story! Crowley struggles with words and expressing his feelings in real life. However, in stories, he can build his own world and express whatever emotions are on his mind. Aziraphale, who does not wish to draw attention to himself in real life, expresses himself through his bold and beautiful artwork. His specialization in traditional, physical artwork is so fitting for him, though he's not unwilling to try new tech. There is a scene where they stumble upon some street art that Aziraphale had done. I teared up at that scene, and it's not even angsty! Just the casualness of it, how it's not Aziraphale but Crowley who boldly leads them to it, how Aziraphale doesn't sing his own praises. He's not self-deprecating, but he doesn't celebrate his work. He's still learning that he has value that's worth celebrating. At least now he has Crowley to teach him to be proud of himself.

They are both beautifully written characters. It's a real testament to the skill of the author to bring these characters into such a different reality and have them be unmistakably Aziraphale and Crowley. Sure, they're updated for the time and setting, but their souls are still the angel and demon we know and love. This setting is an amazing way to explore the different sides of their personalities. Crowley's asexuality, in particular, was one of the best depictions I've ever read. It brought a new level of understanding to me, and I'm sure many of you will feel a kinship with him. Really pay attention to what's being said here, there's some really deep and insightful passages that are worth analyzing. Like this moment, which may have been a subconscious thought, but again speaks to how deeply the author understands the characters.

This was such an amazing experience as a fan. I've never had a fic feel like this much of an event before. Every chapter drop was so exciting; I never knew what exactly to expect. And now, with the end being over 100k words?? Where did that word count come from! That's insane! I'm sad to leave this iteration, but I'm so excited for what's to come next. So please, if you haven't read this, give it a try. It's such a impressive work, so much time and effort was put into this and you can tell. It's not only a love letter to Good Omens, but one to fandom and fanspaces as well. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this journey

There are some explicit scenes towards the end, but they are all marked and skippable, so I'd say you're perfectly fine reading this in public.

Edit from after actually seeing the finale: no I’m not tearing up it’s just really dusty in this room. I’m being so normal rn 🥹🥹🥹

Read it here, fic by ghostrat

#good omens #good omens fanfiction #good omens fanfic #fanfic rec #aziracrow #good omens fic rec #aziraphale x crowley #Big Name Feelings #BNF #ghostrat #extra long #three flames #safe in public #human au #fandom au #artist au #writer au #slow burn #pretend relationship #fake relationship #friends to lovers #pick me up #BNFinale

[clarafyer]

MY PERSONAL ART TIPS! A big thread I'll be adding to

I too, was once a 10 year old gacha kid whose only drawings were a way too detailed catgirl persona and friends. I didn't have much in-person or online inspiration and help for a long time! So I'll help others earlier in their art journey (and perhaps the masters too, never not a good idea to try some advice!)

So let me spare some of you a few of the unnecessary mishaps during everyone's art life.

If you've never seen my blog before, hello! My name is Clara. I'm a neurodivergent teen artist, aspiring animator, and resident cat person. It's nice to meet you! If you'd like to know who you're taking advice from, here is some of my latest work!

Now without further ado, LET THE HELP COMMENCE!

STROKES: Fix stiffness in your poses!

To start off, a BIG thing I recommend for newish artists, is don't be afraid to draw loosely! The looser the lines, the less stiff the pose. And stiff poses are a very common issue within the community. Sure, your anatomy may look bad for the first while of drawing looser lines, but it will help you be more confident in strokes. The more confident the stroke, the more efficient an artist. The more efficient an artist, the faster you learn.

To practice loose lines, simply draw a long line as fast as you can. Over and over again. I know, that may seem boring, but it helps train your hand and arm to be faster. But if it's so much a hassle to do in your free time, then do it on the side of a worksheet if you're in school, or a sticky note if you're at work.

Speaking of practicing...

PRACTICE MAKES BETTER: Get over it!

I said the phrase wrong, didn't I? Oh wait, no I didn't. NO ONE IS PERFECT. And don't forget that! There will always be issues, problems, and mistakes in your art that you don't realize until the day after you've shared it with everyone you know. The artist is always their worst critic. So the best thing you can do is to keep at it. Practice your weak points to support the composition more, hone in your strong points to better make a focal point. Practice will always help, even if you don't see it. A slow pace is better than no pace!

"But Clara, what are my weak points? How do I know what I always mess up on!?" you may ask...

ANALYZING YOUR ART: Pros and cons!

Well, pick your latest finished piece and tear it apart (NO NOT LITERALLY OH GOD NO PLEASE-) I mean analyze it. Grab your pen and a separate paper, or just your notes app, and make a list of pros and cons in it. Doing this with multiple pieces is especially important, as with multiple examples, it's easier to find a pattern.

How about this, I'll give you an example!

Here we have a piece I made a few weeks ago. It's of my Western AU of my main cast of OCs. TIME TO NITPICK!

WEAK POINTS

- The clouds are too detailed compared to the rest of the composition

- The right horse seems very stiff (I already am aware I struggle with drawing animals nowadays)

- The funky hatching I did with the plateaus in the background just isn't working out as well as I thought it would anymore

- the god damn horse on the right

- The sky in the middle just seems far too empty. I could have added more indication of the sun at the top to add more noise

STRONG POINTS

- The color palette I chose blends well while having the colors still be sharp and clear against each other

- The entirety of the woman and her horse on the left

- The glitchy effect adds some zestiness to it that I love

- The whole thing looks quite cinematic, with a successful wide shot and the black bars imitating that of a movie's

- The inlines of the otherwise completely flat-colored silhouettes help define the overlapping shapes quite well

And there you have it, 5 pros and cons each I found in something you probably only noticed were little to none. No, I'm not bragging, it's an actual psychological phenomena where the artist notices so many more intricacies than the average outside viewer. Your mom isn't hanging up your art out of pity, GET THAT OUT OF YOUR HEAD! People love your art so much more than you do.

That's it for the first post. Don't worry, there'll still be more helpful tips coming! I just won't be able to fit everything in here with Tumblr's picture limit and all. Happy drawing!

#art help #art tips #my art #art advice #oc art #artists on tumblr #drawings #oc artist #art community #art #artwork #audhd artist #autistic artist #adhd artist #teen artist #drawing #Clara's Art Advice Thread

[pocima]

My seasonal music highlights: winter 2024 🧣

Welcome to a new series of my silly music-blogging. Starting it because I want to regularly properly write about and describe the songs I enjoy, and to present my own candidates for the unofficial “song of the season” awards. I already started an annual fav list for albums/EPs and wanted something less major and more presentable as a little playlist, not really in particular order. Enjoy! Note that I kept the list one song per artist, most have incredible new releases outside of the ones focused on, these are just my picks for the season or my most played. And let me tell you, countless artists are dropping new music and projects left and right and I’m getting FED. This list alone is extremely abundant and we’re barely 2 full months into the year. The competition for this year’s personal favorite album spots and the highlights for the next seasons is about to be real tough. Can’t wait. (GIF source: MV for Cyberia by Meth Math.)

❅ winter again - 4s4ki

What better way to start a songs of the winter list than with THE anthem of this winter season? With her ability to not only pull off but absolutely excel at the different genres she incorporates into her music, 4s4ki simply never disappoints. She went into the studio with a mission to give the famous Last Christmas by Wham! a true successor and the mission was wonderfully accomplished. In this mellow 80s pop influenced track, she channels her inner Cocteau Twins (word to that one YouTube comment in the lyric video) while longing for a loved one that didn’t seem to stay by her side not even to have some canned coffee and bento this holiday season. Now I’m gonna channel my inner platonic delulu and say that it was released just on time, when I was discovering and especially feeling Boy Harsher’s alternative 80s inspired music (collab when?). Ironic how a self-described reverse Christmas song ended up doubling my winter spirits. She never fails to give me exactly what I need. I love this woman. (Big ups to Magic sword but as I mentioned I’m keeping the list one song per artist.)

❅ 4eva - Shygirl feat. Empress Of

You know from my username that I’ve been loving what Shygirl has had to offer for quite a while now, and 4eva was my personal post-Nymph jam ever since I heard a snippet of it back in last September and neither the full studio version nor my intuition let me down. Shygirl’s rapping and Empress Of’s verse over the Kingdom-produced delicious wobbly synths indeed stay playing on my mind. Empress Of’s feature came as a tracklist surprise and I’m more grateful for it than I had expected. The jungle drums in the chorus, and honestly the structure of the song in general were unexpected to me as well, but nevertheless they took part in forming possibly my favorite dance track of 2024. Both the Club Shy EP and 4eva have secured firm spots in my favorites of the year.

❅ Deer Teeth - Sega Bodega

Father of music, first ever man in the music industry, smash hit sorcerer, my favorite producer of all time… However you may refer to Sega Bodega, you can always rely on him to create an entire universe in one record and take you there and back. With Deer Teeth, he tells a story of a sighting of a late mother laid to rest with her child in a swan’s wings along with 200 deer teeth (hence the song title), which brings with itself a tale of hope, sacrifice and eternity. With reversed and distorted vocals, the addition of Mayah Alkhateri’s siren-like voice and obviously Sega’s otherworldly production style, the tale transforms into a cinematic masterpiece in sound form. Extra note: perfect to fall asleep to in a road trip, tried and tested. Both Deer Teeth and his newer single Set Me Free, I’m an Animal are stunning masterpieces, and I know this will make my year-end album list real predictable but SB3 is the most solid candidate for the top spot as of right now. Save me Sega Bodega, save me…

❅ Ex-Girlfriend - Erika de Casier feat. Shygirl

New slow R&B earworms drawing on different nostalgic genres couldn’t be more perfect for the chilly season, especially when they’re delivered by the one and only Erika de Casier. She has this ability to mix the best musical aspects of the near past (namely the 90s/00s) with her very own sensuality, freshness and uniqueness. Her soft vocals over a down-tempo R&B beat to match come after an orchestral, arguably dramatic intro and the melancholic, yearning yet cocky-ish tone is set. Shygirl’s deep, almost raspy voice always shines with slow, gloomy instrumentals (also seen in Lapdance from Asia by Cosha) and this track was no exception, matter of fact it’s now certainly one of my favorite features of hers. I will be returning to this song not only on the colder days of March, but the whole year, or rather until it’s wiped off existence completely.

❅ Cyberia - Meth Math

Before the quirky experimental trio’s slightly overdue, highly anticipated debut album Chupetones (go give the best b-side Pócima a listen too), they released 4 singles and I was not at all aware beforehand of the release of the third one. Pressed play, was impressed, pressed the loop button and the rest (at least 80 plays within the first week) was history. The intro immediately catches your attention, and the descriptions of a sad-looking happily-dancing angel over toot sounds, ripping synths and bonking bass transition into happy hardcore perfection. The 3-second bit before the second chorus gets me the most, it’s like a minuscule break to slow down and reflect on the all the absurdity before resuming the alien dancefloor madness. This banger completes my Meth Math song holy trinity, which is now Tambaleo-Fantasía Final-Cyberia. Add Pócima into the mix if you wanna form the four horsemen. Whatever your personal favorite may be, we can all agree that Meth Math always come at us with excellence.

❅ dOpamine - OnlyOneOf

Hallelujah. We have finally reached an era where all lyOns can live in harmony and sleep in peace instead of fighting over title tracks and new lows for the group’s flaming hot garbage record label. Even their biggest haters (so-called “fans” with a strange superiority complex) were finally praising an OnlyOneOf title track, and with how good it really is I’d be admiring their dedication to hating their own faves if they didn’t. Anyway, dOpamine is one of their best, it really is. I’ve been hoping for them to get on the drum & bass train for quite a while now, and they did it with a bright, twinkling, breakbeat-incorporating twist. They don’t lazily dip their toes into dnb and breakcore and leave it at that though, the buildups and structure of the track stay fascinating and the bridge drifts (should I intend the pun?) into their gritty industrial side before the outro closing out the song on a vocally strong, passionate but never over-the-top note. While the whole mini is exquisite, the lead single ended up being my favorite. Simply put, OnlyOneOf never fail to deliver quality K-pop against all odds.

❅ Sorbet - Kelela (LSDXOXO Remix)

The pre-release singles off of the RAVE:N remix album were all incredible just like its album tracks, however this gem is particularly lingering on me and my February mood. This spin on Sorbet encapsulates the AM club aspect of the project in one re-envisioned tune. Kelela and LSDXOXO, who produced and remixed numerous of her songs, reunite as a power duo to turn the dulcet, sedate Sorbet into a Eurodance-coded amped-up slapper that will get anyone moving. You can tell the song is DJ set opener material from when the first beat kick. The chorus melody sticks to your mind and the late night-like sonic experience becomes unforgettable. The special encounter requiring dim lighting is now set in a flashy rave scene. Completely flipped scenario yet everything makes perfect sense. All in all, Kelela’s vision for her dance records is 20/20 and LSDXOXO’s execution never leaves you hanging either.

❅ Fuetazo - Isabella Lovestory feat. Villano Antillano

Born to embody camp, forced… no, also born to be a hit maker. Isabella is undebatably one of the freshest, most outstanding figures of neoperreo and neoreggaeton, and her eccentric flare still comes through in a single as a (hopefully) pre-album snack. Fuetazo was released early into the season and closed out Isabella’s activities for the year. While the playful chorus introduces a whip that comes and goes, Villano Antillano mentions vacations and 42-inch weaves with her tone that meshes with the cheekiness of the track, and their chopped up vocal bits go back-and-forth in the outro. With the Chicken, Kamixlo and Dinamarca producer trio, the instrumentals can’t go wrong. The hard-hitting dembow drums and the lighter synths and other aspects of the song create a contrast that feels like a breeze, maybe more of a summer one even but a confidence booster gots to stay on rotation regardless of weather or temperature.

❅ Messy Room - The Deep (+ mini EP review)

Had I postponed the release of my 2023 fave project list just a little, the Messy Room EP would have at least scored an honorable mention. For those who need a quick debrief: The Deep is an independent K-alternative artist whose discography radiates coziness and sweetness. Mayhaps I should say sugar, spice and everything nice. Taking part in the production of her music, creative direction and visual curation, she ticks all the boxes for the bedroom pop star that should’ve reached her target audience ages ago. While she’s taken inspiration from R&B and indie and still does, “resurfaced” genres such as UK garage, dnb and Jersey club are fairly newer additions to her range. I love all of these genres as you could tell and I adore the songs in which she uses them (got into her through the UKG bop Muah!), but surprisingly the track that glanced at her “roots” hooked me in the most. Maybe it’s because it contains the core “messy room” atmosphere of the EP, maybe it’s her soft vocals shining brightly, maybe it’s because she has the recipe to making a tune to unwind to. I hope this praise doesn’t sound like a jab at the rest of the EP because not a single skip is detected over there. In Brand New House and BAPPI, The Deep talks about deserving the luxuries and getting to the bag over garage and house beats. bow wow is about confidence despite troubles and annoyances, while 20’s is a self-reflection on the constant search for perfection and attempts to heal. The project is most definitely worth checking out if you want a bit of calm, refreshing new music, or if you’re looking for a multi-skilled artist to support.

One line section (music I loved but honestly don’t have as much to say about, so I fit my thoughts into one line/sentence)

❆ Gold On Me: Mother ABRA is back and I’m definitely checking out Groupthink after this, now it’s time for the album innit 🍽️ (should’ve definitely written about this in more detail but maybe another time soz)

❆ 4 noviosS: While everyone came to Club Shy to play, she entered with pen and paper and a goal.

❆ Perdió Este Culo: I have to give flowers where they’re due, I wish the La Joia album had more quality of this level though. (However shoutout to Sexy, La Que No Se Mueva and Sin Carné.)

❆ TYOSTAR: Can’t tell if their music is aimed at dudebros (disgustingly irritating audience) or hyperpop girlies (slightly less irritating audience) but they scored a night ride hit either way, definitely one of Starkids’ finest to date.

Thankies for getting here, and shoutout to @chuuuvi for pretty much directly fueling my writing process and inspo and @a-moth-to-the-light for inspo as well 😁

#keyboard.com #finally writing again yippee #bro spring’s highlight list already has 3 definite entries. it’s the first day of March. the food is too good #4s4ki #shygirl #empress of #sega bodega #erika de casier #meth math #onlyoneof #kelela #lsdxoxo #isabella lovestory #villano antillano #the deep #me when 2024

[alexturne]

The Car - Track by track: A test-drive of The Car

Article in Focus which goes through the album track by track. Shared and translated by Smilion:

1. There'd Better Be a Mirrorball

Let's get straight to the point: The Car is not a new Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, the album with which Arctic Monkeys radically turned its back on the arena rock of predecessor and chef d'oeuvre AM (2013) four years ago. Tranquility Base was Arctic Monkeys in space, a concept album like a Stanley Kubrick soundtrack. The Car is equally cinematic, but a lot wider, lighter and – yes – more accessible. Or as Alex Turner put it in the British street newspaper The Big Issue: 'The sci-fi is off the table, we're back on Earth.'

The proof is immediately provided in opener and forward single There'd Better Be a Mirrorball. No disco, but a break-up song packaged like a Bond number from the sixties. “Do you wanna walk me to the car?” Turner wonders. Walking to the car with your loved one will never be the same.

2. I Ain't Quite Where I Think I Am

Turner once again wrote the picket fences of the new Arctic Monkeys record solo, from behind his Steinway & Sons. It was only later that the rest of the group was brought in. More specifically during the European Football Championship of 2021, where they watched with the entire band between the recordings. (Turner gave his comeback interview earlier this year to the French sports newspaper L'Équipe for a reason.)

"In the summer of the European Championships, we spent two or three weeks with the boys as a band in the English countryside," says Turner. “I then stepped away from the piano for a while and enjoyed playing wahwah guitar again.” It's that wahwah guitar you hear in I Ain't Quite Where I Think I Am, a song that is just as much of Turner's side project The Last Shadow. Puppets could have been. Of everything you'll find in the trunk of The Car, this is by far the funky and catchy.

3. Sculptures of Anything Goes

Dark, cumbersome but fat: with a little good will you can consider Sculptures of Anything Goes as a distant relative of Humbug (2009), the third of the Monkeys produced by Josh Homme. Although the deep bass and pulsating electronic drums are actually unreleased Arctic Monkeys, and in that respect the song is more reminiscent of that rare time when Nick Cave – in Rings of Saturn from Skeleton Tree – suddenly started flirting with electronica.

More than anywhere else on the record, Alex Turner's on-again, off-again relationship with rock music is highlighted here. "I wanted to turn the rock band bit on and off," he told The Guardian. “On Sculptures, the rock band slide is opened here and there for a measure or two, only to be pushed back in.”

4. Jet Skis on the Moat

Summer 2014. A Canadian journalist speaks with Alex Turner and drummer Matt Helders in front of a concert hall in Toronto, on the shores of Lake Ontario, but sees his interview cut short when suddenly two men on a jet ski pass by and start calling for the Monkeys. (Things like, 'Which band is playing tonight? The Arctic Monkeys? Is that you?' To which Alex Turner: 'You bet!') Turner apparently had so much fun seeing Jet Skis on the Moat – there's the wahwahgi cakes again! — could be based on that particular interview from eight years ago. At least, that's what some Arctic Monkeys fans on the internet claim. Or they just have too much time.

5. Body Paint

The second pre-sent single, and according to many fans "the best thing Arctic Monkeys has played since AM", the British newspaper The Independent polled. Anyway, Body Paint is the most versatile song on the entire album, half a rock opera in which Turner croons like the Bowie of the mid-seventies over keys, guitars and strings. Lots of strings.

Turner wrote a large part of the string arrangements for this album himself and had them edited by Bridget Samuels, the artistic director of the London Orchestrate who previously produced soundtracks for films such as Under the Skin (with Scarlett Johansson), Jackie (with Natalie Portman) and Midsommar (with Florence Pugh) supervised. You immediately know why The Car sounds so cinematic and grand.

6. The Car

From big to small: title song The Car is one of the quietest on the record. Acoustic guitars predominate. The 'sleepy amigos' about whom Turner sings here only reinforce the mariachi feeling.

Incidentally, the album title came after Alex Turner saw a photo of patented hobby photographer Matt Helders with a car on the roof of an abandoned parking garage. "I immediately got the impression that that had to be the next cover," says Turner. "And if you get the chance to call an album The Car, you have to grab it with both hands."

7. Big Ideas

Or as Turner calls it in the text itself: 'The ballad of what could have been'. The Arctic Monkeys frontman imagines himself to be a brilliant composer who, on his mandolin and with the backing of an orchestra, devised the theme song to a film about twins received by mass hysteria. Or something.

Big Ideas had a modest live premiere last week during the Arctic Monkeys showcase at Studio Brussel, but you can expect an even dreamier studio version.

8. Hello You

Besides I Ain't Quite Where I Think I Am, The Car's one and only uptempo song. The Arctic Monkeys from the time of R U Mine? will never return, as Matt Helders indicated in an interview this spring, but the guitar riff of Hello You is very reminiscent of Knee Socks, one of those other crowd favorites from AM.

Hello You, by the way, contains one of the funniest lines of text that Alex Turner wrote for The Car: 'I could pass for seventeen if I just get a shave and catch some Zzz.'

9. Mr. Schwartz

Brian from Brianstorm. Arabella from Arabella. Receptionist Mark from Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. Alex Turner has featured many characters in his songs over the years. Mr Schwartz's turn is on The Car. From the first time Arctic Monkeys played the song glued together by fingerpicking guitars live last summer, the identity of Mr. Schwartz has been conjectured. The most plausible guess came from a Reddit user who stumbled upon an Arctic Monkeys-linked Spotify playlist titled "Del Schwartz"—again: Monkeys fans obviously have a lot of time—and googled Delmore Schwartz, the late American poet. and short story writer who taught Lou Reed. Turner spoke to 3FM about 'a huge coincidence' and claimed that he had simply seen the name Del Schwartz 'on the back of a nineties Alfa Romeo'.

10. Perfect Sense

Favorite Worst Nightmare (2007) had 505, AM had I Wanna Be Yours and Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino had The Ultracheese. Well-aimed closing songs are a thing at Arctic Monkeys. Perfect Sense is also such a well-known ending, one where you can see the credits roll across the screen. And one in which Alex Turner repeatedly wishes you good night against the background of a battery – there they are again – strings.

Of all the songs on The Car, this would be the most suitable to perform with a string ensemble. Although it must be said right away: that will not happen. The Monkeys skillfully rejected an offer for a TV special with an orchestra. "Too predictable."

However accessible Arctic Monkeys in 2022 may sound, the spirit of the obstinate rock band is still there.

#arctic monkeys #alex turner #matt helders #jamie cook #nick o'malley #article

[heymrspatel]

✨ artist interview ✨

i was tagged by @you-are-so-much-better-than-that @mikhailoisbaby and @deathclassic to do this artist interview that chrissy whipped up off of the popular fic writer one! thanks for the tag even if i feel like a grand ol' imposter 😅

1. Do you post on Ao3? If so, how many works do you have on AO3? If not, where do you post? i do! i didn't before, but i was bullied by tumblr into doing so after they took down the art for "cinematic" lmao! then the pals encouraged me to upload the rest! i have 4 works: cinematic, kinktober, gallacrafts, and original art.

2. What is your total art count? 83! (including the zine stickers/tattoos)

3. What are your top 5 pieces by likes/kudos? i used the helpful stats website @suzy-queued suggested!

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? yes! i still think it's insane when people choose to leave nice comments, so i try my best to respond!

5. What is your current fandom, and what was the first fandom you drew for? shameless, hi. if we're talking about art that i've shared, then it's also shameless. but the first one just for fun was harry potter (yeaaa yeaaa 🙄)

6. Have you ever received hate on any art? yep lol

7. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t drawn for yet but want to? i guess the true answer is none. however, i get the urge to draw every time i watch something that i end up loving. recently i've wanted to draw for young royals and stranger things, but i never ended up doing anything. i would also be too shy to post 😅

8. What’s your all-time favorite ship? i've had many, but based on impact and inspiration i'd have to go with ian and mickey 💙

9. Do you draw outside of fandom? i do!! it's my favorite hobby! the only difference is that outside of this space i usually just sketch. so it's very different than what i share here.

10. What’s the an art piece you’ve drawn that came out completely differently than you expected? oh probably this one! it changed quite a bit and was originally drawn flipped around. i think it tells a different story depending on which way you look at it!

11. Do you draw smut? yes! the teasing kind. the "what's that hand doing?!" kind lmao

12. Have you ever had any of your art stolen or copied? not that i know of!

13. Have you ever collaborated on a piece? yea! i've collabed on art for fics with @whatwouldmickeydo and @metalheadmickey and on the zine and timeline with @you-are-so-much-better-than-that 🥰

14. What’s an idea you have that you have yet to draw? omg i have an entire list of ideas that just exist and may never come to life lol! they range from extreme fluff to absolute filth... my notes app: -kiss on the cheek/scrunchy face -mickey's head hanging off bed/mouth open/ian's hand wrapped around the nape of his neck -holding hands at the alibi alsdkfjlk

15. What are your drawing strengths? i would say adding details and tying the story i'm trying to convey together. and i like to think that i'm ok at giving them that tender and in love feel no matter the situation.

16. What are your drawing weaknesses? all of it? haha proportions and certain angles are really hard for me. hands and noses yikes! i am also terrible at drawing from memory. i usually draw with about 20 references pulled up on my laptop. like, i am the bozo googling "table". 17. What’s your favorite art piece you’ve drawn? it's gotta be the roadtrip one! but i also really really love this one:

18. What is one thing you’d like to tell people about your art that they might not know? i love adding/repeating little details that no one would really notice unless you're zooming all the way in or seeing a few pieces as a set. i built a color palette very early on that has stayed consistent throughout. i play a lot with blues and greens as a motif. and uh i'm still learning! everyday! with every single one!

19. What inspires or motivates you to create for fandom? i genuinely love doing it! i also love a prompt, that's why i started all of this with gallacrafts. and i just really love putting them in situations i want to see them in and drawing them stupidly in love!

but, i also hoard unhinged tags in my cheeks like a chipmunk lmao every series i've done was born from people screaming a version of "YOU'RE INSANE" at me 😂

20. And finally, can you describe your process a little? Do you have a favourite place to draw? Do you play something in the background? Do you do research or just go for it? Give us a little insight. i usually draw on the couch, hunched over like a shrimp. i’m normally up really late (i see 3am too often) and that’s when i get most of my work done. i typically watch something i've seen before so that i don't have to fully pay attention or i'll listen to music. i sketch a rough draft of what i want the final piece to end up looking like, then i do a shit ton of research and pull up a stupid amount of references. i have a really creepy pinterest board full of body parts lol! then i fight for my life and rage until the line work is fully done. after that, it’s smooth sailing with coloring and shading 😌

i'm feeling a little tag shy, but i'll tag @gallawitchxx @doodlevich @y0itsbri and @grumpymickmilk if you want to play! if not i'm just giving you some flowers 💐

#why the fuck do i talk so much? why was this so hard? #chrissy encouraged me to just ramble and that i did. i'm sorry about it. #artist interview #tag game

[socialbunny]

BOLD THE FACTS: My OG pookums >:3

I was tagged by this by some people actually, but I'm going to do it like. two more times (in two more posts with Darleen and Darren & Skip and Brandi and ??? maybe some other premades who're relevant in the DCU (dirk cinematic universe)) who really knows I might forget about doing the rest right after I post this so 😭

Starting with my pookies Dirk and Dustin, because I love copying nixie they're my original loves. these aren't concrete i change stuff a lot and a lot of these questions (?) i wasnt so sure on so whatverrrr :)

PERSONAL

$ Financial: wealthy / moderate / poor / in poverty

✚ Medical: fit / moderate / sickly / disabled / disadvantaged / non applicable

✪ Class or Caste: upper / middle / working / unsure / other

✔ Education: qualified / unqualified / studying / other

✖ Criminal Record: yes, for major crimes / yes, for minor crimes / no / has committed crimes, but not caught yet / yes, but charges were dismissed

FAMILY

◒ Children: had a child or children / has no children / wants children

◑ Relationship with Family: close with sibling(s) / not close with sibling(s) / has no siblings / sibling(s) is deceased

*i guess there's no place for parental relationships which whateverrrrrr. dirk and darren have a complicated relationship to me, one that's right in-between the pleasant's and the broke's. the death of darleen affected both dirk and darren greatly, of course, but it hit darren especially hard. darren did some shit that traumatized dirk badly and it left their relationship on the rocks up to present time. i don't think dirk takes darren seriously as his actual parent At All, and sees him as more of a liability than anything. THAT SOUNDS VERY MEAN BUT YOU NEED TO GET INSIDE MY BRAIN.

◔ Affiliation: orphaned / adopted / disowned / raised by birth parent / not applicable

TRAITS + TENDENCIES

♦ extroverted / introverted / in between

♦ disorganized / organized / in between

♦ close minded / open-minded / in between

♦ calm / anxious / in between

♦ disagreeable / agreeable / in between

♦ cautious / reckless / in between

♦ outspoken / reserved / in between

♦ patient / impatient / in between

♦ leader / follower / in between

♦ empathetic / vicious bastard / in between

♦ optimistic / pessimistic / in between

♦ traditional / modern / in between ??? dont really get this one

♦ hard-working / lazy / in between

♦ cultured / uncultured / in between / unknown ??

♦ loyal / disloyal / unknown (his "loyalty" is highly debatable. he's definitely not disloyal but the bar is kinda low)

♦ reliable / unreliable / unknown

BELIEFS

★ Faith: monotheist / polytheist / atheist / agnostic ?

☆ Belief in Ghosts or Spirits: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care

✮ Belief in an Afterlife: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care

✯ Belief in Reincarnation: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care

❃ Belief in Aliens: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care

✧ Religious: orthodox / liberal / in between / not religious ?

❀ Philosophical: yes / no

SEXUALITY & ROMANTIC INCLINATION

❤ Sexuality: heterosexual / homosexual / bisexual / asexual / pansexual

❥ Sex: sex repulsed / sex neutral / sex favorable / naive and clueless

♥ Romance: romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favorable / naive and clueless / romance suspicious

❣ Sexually: adventurous / experienced / naive / inexperienced / curious

the last two bullets that were here are irrelevant to me he's bisexual ;)

ABILITIES

☠ Combat Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

≡ Literacy Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

✍ Artistic Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

✂ Technical Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

HABITS

☕ Drinking Alcohol: never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / alcoholic

☁ Smoking: tried it / trying to quit / quit / never / rarely / sometimes / frequently / chain-smoker

✿ Recreational Drugs: never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / addict

✌ Medicinal Drugs: never / no longer needs medication / some medication needed / frequently / to excess *he does not take his meds lmaoooo

☻ Unhealthy Food: never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / binge eater

$ Splurge Spending: never / sometimes / frequently / shopaholic

♣ Gambling: never / rarely / sometimes / frequently / compulsive gambler

PERSONAL

$ Financial: wealthy / moderate / poor / in poverty

✚ Medical: fit / moderate / sickly / disabled / disadvantaged / non applicable

✪ Class or Caste: upper / middle / working / unsure / other

✔ Education: qualified / unqualified / studying / other

✖ Criminal Record: yes, for major crimes / yes, for minor crimes / no / has committed crimes, but not caught yet / yes, but charges were dismissed

FAMILY

◒ Children: had a child or children / has no children / wants children

◑ Relationship with Family: close with sibling(s) / not close with sibling(s) / has no siblings / sibling(s) is deceased

◔ Affiliation: orphaned / adopted / disowned / raised by birth parent / not applicable

TRAITS + TENDENCIES

♦ extroverted / introverted / in between

♦ disorganized / organized / in between

♦ close minded / open-minded / in between

♦ calm / anxious / in between

♦ disagreeable / agreeable / in between

♦ cautious / reckless / in between

♦ outspoken / reserved / in between

♦ patient / impatient / in between

♦ leader / follower / in between

♦ empathetic / vicious bastard / in between

♦ optimistic / pessimistic / in between

♦ traditional / modern / in between ??? dont really get this one

♦ hard-working / lazy / in between

♦ cultured / uncultured / in between / unknown ??

♦ loyal / disloyal / unknown

♦ reliable / unreliable / unknown / DEPENDSSS

BELIEFS

★ Faith: monotheist / polytheist / atheist / agnostic / n/a ??

☆ Belief in Ghosts or Spirits: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care

✮ Belief in an Afterlife: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care

✯ Belief in Reincarnation: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care

❃ Belief in Aliens: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care

✧ Religious: orthodox / liberal / in between / not religious

❀ Philosophical: yes / no

the broke's are ethnically jewish (brandi's side), but aren't really religious to me.

SEXUALITY & ROMANTIC INCLINATION

❤ Sexuality: heterosexual / homosexual / bisexual / asexual / pansexual

❥ Sex: sex repulsed / sex neutral / sex favorable / naive and clueless

♥ Romance: romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favorable / naive and clueless / romance suspicious

❣ Sexually: adventurous / experienced / naive / inexperienced / curious

the last two bullets that were here are irrelevant to me he's bisexual ;)

ABILITIES

☠ Combat Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

≡ Literacy Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

✍ Artistic Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

✂ Technical Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none

HABITS

☕ Drinking Alcohol: never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / alcoholic

☁ Smoking: tried it / trying to quit / quit / never / rarely / sometimes / frequently / chain-smoker

✿ Recreational Drugs: never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / addict

✌ Medicinal Drugs: never / no longer needs medication / some medication needed / frequently / to excess

☻ Unhealthy Food: never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / binge eater

$ Splurge Spending: never / sometimes / frequently / shopaholic

♣ Gambling: never / rarely / sometimes / frequently / compulsive gambler

#chat #dirky #dustbin #idk if i'll do this again actually its so long for no reason andsome of these i really dont like LMAO

[pinkiepiebones]

For Special (since he really is like your oc at this point lol): 1, 5 [Papa Emeritus the Fifth], & 24

1. How would you best describe yourself?

-"Uhhh, is 'charismatic, sexy demon' enough of a descriptor? Ehehehehhhh."

2. What's your profession, and how skilled do you think you are at it?

-"My profession is that of ghoul coach, and I'm pretty damn good at it, not to, uhh, to jerk myself off, here. I am responsible for making sure that the band ghouls are properly utilising their innate shapeshifting and camouflage abilities to appear on stage simply as humans in costumes and not, uhh, not the Hellspawn that they are. Well, the Impera helmets, those're real helmets- I couldn't figure out how to shapeshift the tubes and then teach this to them, so the ol' Archbishop who illustrates the albums whipped a little somethin' somethin' together. But the rest is all ghoul skills, heheh. I did formerly work as the spokesghoul for the band an' I still miss it sometimes. I am quite antithetical to what a ghoul is, y'know; I'm quite chatty an' curious. Gettin' to talk as a job was a very good, uhh, position for me. Oh well."

3. Where do you live, and what is life like for you there?

-"When I am not on the road with my siblings and my snug- er, with The Artist Formerly Known as Papa Emeritus the Fourth, I reside within the church, as all ghouls do. I am living - well, I am not alive so I cannot quite be 'living,' I think- I am residing mostly in Copia's apartments, y'know, spending time with him, but I am also known to roam the ceilings an' the halls, just to say hi or whatever. I don't go to the catacombs though. The weird ghouls reside down there."

4. Do you have anyone particularly close to you?

-"Ehehehehehehehhhh, uhhhhh, yes, I do. It is Copia. I have been by his side for half of his life. I reckon I'll stay by him 'til he, uhh, kicks the bucket, an' then I'll follow his spirit wherever it wanders."

5. Tell us how you feel about [Papa Emeritus the Fifth]?

-"Well firstly I wish he would have chosen a new Papal title. I wish Copia had chosen a new one, too. We just- we gotta move away from this batshit family and its drama! I know, from the perspective of marketing, that name recognition and fuckin', uhhhh, cinematic universes are the moneymakers, but also, Nihil's dead and his influence upon this particular branch of the church has got to be relinquished. ... What was the question? Oh! Right, Vee. I am of two minds of him. First, he is very retro-future. He is someone who is trapped in 1987 and looking forward to 2001, you know? He thinks old flippy phones are the height of communicative technologies and calls my touchscreen phone sacrilege. But I think I can talk him in to covering 'The Hell of It' from Brain de Palma's "Phantom of the Paradise" and dedicate it to Nihil, which would be great. I tried to get Copia to do this very thing but he didn't think he could do Paul Williams's vocals justice. I know he could have. Ehehehh, maybe now that he is retired I will ask him to sing it just for me..."

#oc ask game #special ghoul #ghost bc #papa emeritus v

[biggestsimponhere]

Well because I am in a mood to die I will say Narcos because I've been trying to avoid the hot papi that Javi is.... but why not suffer. Or to safe my soul you can dump me into the pedro pascal cinematic universe 😂 I'm pisces 🐠, dark ginger hair, blue eyes, can do both a classy look but also catch me in a baggy hoodie with a messy bun. Favorite artist - florence and the machine. Favorite flower - austin roses.

Favorite food - anything from Italian cuisine, and for some personality traits: well like a true fishy I am a ball of emotion. Also people say that I have a resting bitch face that makes people feel like I'm judging everyone while for most of the time I'm just zoned out thinking about my books. Also, hella clumsy... idk if's there's a day when I'm not rocking a single bruise. I'm super shy because my anxiety ain't too kind of me but when you crack that outer shell... yeah I can waffle for hours about the most random things. Eee I am so excited for this!!! Thank you, bab!🤍✨

Bubbles, I ship you with Joel Miller

You two would work to balance each other out with his more grumpy and stoic personality, you would bringen light to his life.

As for your clumsiness, joel would find it adorable and would catch you everytime you stumbled.

Libra and Pisces make wonderful romantic partners. They can communicate with one other. Their shared desire to serve people and the world surrounding them. They are most suited for each other since their excitement, vitality, and yearning for a genuine connection are quite excellently.

Pre-outbreak!Joel would love to take you out for dinner at the little Italian restaurant around the corner from his house of course he already knows all the staff so he doesn’t take you there until he’s sure you’re the one. He introduced you and they all loved you instantly.

Post-outbreak!Joel - Pre Jackson would try to find you anything slightly Italian even if it’s just 20 year old chef boyardee

Jackson!Joel would cook for you, he had learned plenty of Italian dishes to cook for you!

Both Sarah and Ellie respectively love you, they’d listen to you talk about whatever you want to talk about!

#biggestsimponhere #biggestsimponhere asks! #joel the last of us #joel miller x reader #joel miller #the last of us fanfiction #the last of us #pedro pascal

[ohihopeicanchangethislater]

Disclaimer: I love The Mandalorian, and intend no hate toward the show, the characters or the filmmakers.

I'm loving The Mandalorian season 3 so far. It's growing Din and Grogu in new ways and is really giving the show a new tone, letting the outside galaxy go for a bit (M-ANDOR-lorian episode excepted, which I loved) and really focusing on the Mandalorians as a people and a culture. I'm excited to see where the rest of the season goes.

BUT

The music this season has just been... unremarkable?

I've had The Mandalorian theme stuck in my head since I heard it back in 2019, head bopping like the cat.

I listen to the soundtrack probably more than the average person should (Ludwig Göransson has been in my top 5 Spotify Wrapped artists for the last few years because of it.

But I'm just not feeling it this season. I don't think there's been one scene where the music stands out to me unless it's a theme I'm remembering from a previous season.

I feel the same way about The Book of Boba Fett. The only things I really found remarkable about that score was the Tusken Raider dance and the theme song because they actually said his name, which is something my mom actually does with the Star Wars theme.

I don't mean any hate toward Joseph Shirley, I'm sure he's a great guy, but I feel the same way about the Obi-Wan Kenobi soundtrack too.

The Mandalorian is Thematic, each episode and each character had its own sound, its own feeling like John Williams, and Göransson wasn't afraid to let the music take over the scene, very Ennio Morricone.

Andor is very subtle, grounded and gritty, matching the show, while also rising to anthemic heights when the scene calls for it. Very cinematic, epic, if not quite as much of a bop as Mando (more of a banger).

I just don't get the same feelings from BOBF and Obi-Wan as I do from Mando and Andor, and I'm missing Ludwig Göransson's touch on Season 3.

#the mandalorian #mandalorian #ahmed best #kelleran beq #bobf #book of boba fett #andor #andor sw #andor series #andor show #star wars #obi wan kenobi #star wars opinion #star wars music #ludwig goransson #the mandalorian music #joseph shirley #nicholas britell #one way out #this is the way #music theme #like a bantha #pedro pascal #grogu djarin #Grogu #bo katan kryze #the mandalorian season 3 #doctor pershing #coruscant #mandalore

[newmusickarl]

5-9’s Album of the Month Podcast – Episode 6 Out Now!

The June review episode of the 5-9 Album of the Month Podcast is now available - and it might just be my favourite episode yet!

As ever I take a seat alongside 5-9 Editor Andrew Belt and Check This Out’s Kiley Larsen to review five high profile album releases from the past month in music, and ultimately name one as our Album of the Month at the end of the discussion.

For this episode, the five albums discussed are:

PARANOIA, ANGELS, TRUE LOVE by Christine & The Queens

Off Planet by Django Django

Chaos For The Fly by Grian Chatten (Poll winner, thanks for voting!)

The Art of Pleasure by Janelle Monáe

Guy by Jayda G

If you want to listen to the June episode or any previous episodes simply click the link below, but also be sure to follow 5-9 Blog on Instagram and Twitter for more news and polls relating to the podcast, along with other great content like film reviews, sports articles and more.

Listen to the June 2023 episode here

Learn more about the Album of the Month podcast in my interview with Left Lion here

Album & EP Recommendations

My Back Was a Bridge For You To Cross by ANOHNI and the Johnsons

Once upon a time, I refused to listen to ANOHNI and the Johnsons’ music.

You see when this unknown album to me titled I Am A Bird Now beat one of my favourite albums of all time in Bloc Party’s Silent Alarm to the 2005 Mercury Music Prize, I couldn’t quite believe it. As a 15-year-old kid at the time, I think I gave half a listen to ANOHNI’s record and then squawked endlessly at the injustice of the decision. Years later though when I had finally matured (my music taste along with it), I listened to I Am A Bird Now properly and saw the beauty that the Mercury judges had seen in that record years earlier.

Fast forward to 2016, I was even more blown away by ANOHNI’s solo debut, Hopelessness, with its cutting political commentary and dazzling experimental synth-pop melodies. In a stacked year for new music (my favourite ever in fact), it would finish 11th in my Top Albums of 2016 list, but in any other year it could’ve easily been a Top 5 contender. So now, 7 years on from that record and 13 years after the last ANOHNI and the Johnsons album, she has finally got the band back together for some new music – and I’m pleased to say it’s every bit as outstanding as those two previous efforts.

Whilst thematically My Back Was a Bridge… picks up partly where Hopelessness left off - looking in despair at humanity and the current state of the world but with personal tales scattered in there too - sonically it couldn’t be more different. This time around the electro-pop of that album has been replaced, with this collection of songs instead beautifully backdropped by bluesy guitars and sweeping orchestral strings. ANOHNI’s own inimitable vocals then remain the ever-present constant, her voice frequently making the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Not a moment is wasted across the album’s concise 40-minute runtime either, with sublime opener It Must Change, the gospel-like refrains of Can’t, the soaring rock riffs of Scapegoat and Rest, as well as the mesmerising balladry of There Wasn’t Enough just some of the many highlights here.

Without question this is one of the finest records of the year so far, with ANOHNI once again hitting heights few other artists can reach. Incredible songwriting, stunning vocal performances and some beautifully cinematic instrumentation - this one is quite special indeed.

Listen here

Angels & Queens by Gabriels

It’s crazy to think that just a couple of weeks ago, myself and a lot of other people weren’t even aware of this Compton-based soul trio. That all changed though when Elton John invited frontman Jacob Lusk to join him for a performance of Are You Ready For Love during his instantly iconic Glastonbury headline set. In that one moment, Elton quickly put the band on everyone’s radar if they weren’t already – a testament to his greatness by being such a champion for new music and artists. Now striking whilst the iron’s hot, Gabriels have delivered their debut album which has quickly become one of the most critically acclaimed records of the year. Does it live up to the praise it’s received so far? Very much so.

With seven of the songs initially released as a shorter project in September last year, listeners early to the party would’ve already gotten insight into Gabriels’ richly textured soul through moments like the orchestral R&B of the title track, the operatic, Succession-theme-esque Taboo and haunting closing track, Mama. However now the full scope of the project has been revealed it is sure to be even more breathtaking to both new and existing fans alike, with goosebump-inducing ballad We Will Remember and the mind-blowing, gospel-soul trio of Love and Hate in a Different Time, Glory and Great Wind some of the standout moments.

Similarly to the ANOHNI and the Johnsons project, this is another colossal work from the past week that is sure to leave you floored. Instantly timeless, expertly crafted and exquisitely-produced, this is another staggering collection of songs that is sure to feature highly on multiple year-end lists come December – at this stage, my own included.

Listen here

The Greater Wings by Julie Byrne

Whilst I always enjoy reading everyone’s “Albums of the Year so far” lists over the summer and using them as a guide to check out some records I might have otherwise missed, there is a reason I don’t do my own and this past week is a prime example. As soon as June finished, three records have come out of nowhere to easily rank amongst the year’s very best. Joining Gabriels and ANOHNI is American singer-songwriter Julie Byrne, whose third album is a devastatingly beautiful meditation on heartache and grief. Summing it up perfectly here’s what friend of the blog Kiley Larsen, who recommended the album to me, has to say:

“Byrne is one of those singer-songwriter talents whose transcendental voice is more than worth the price of admission, and she wisely continues to focus almost exclusively on a minimalist presentation of her vocal beauty. Her past work found her mostly accompanied by fingerpicked acoustic guitar, but The Greater Wings excels at painting the vocal focus while adding celestial synths and well-placed strings. These haunting textures are most apparent on “Summer Glass,” which links the two phases of The Greater Wings, but every song is must-hear. The album rightfully carries a heavy air, but Byrne wonderfully mixes gratitude alongside grief - one has to be in the right mood for The Greater Wings, and many oncoming autumns listens should only solidify Julie Byrne’s latest as a still blossoming career high and one of the year’s best.”

Read Kiley’s full blog here

Listen to The Greater Wings here

I Don’t Know by bdrmm

Another super strong effort that’s been in heavy rotation the past few weeks, British shoegaze outfit and cult favourites bdrmm recently released their brilliantly hypnotic sophomore album - I Don’t Know. The evolution from their debut is immediately apparent, as the raw rock soundscapes carry over from that album but feature noticeably more refined production and are now occasionally filled with some more electronic elements too.

Boasting this more expansive sound, it makes for a spellbinding experience that surpasses even that of their debut, with dreamy opener Alps, the spiralling guitars of We Fall Apart and the blissfully epic, aptly-titled The Final Movement all worth tuning in to hear for yourself.

Listen here

Música del Corazón by Justin Nuñez

Now if country rock music with some welcome Latin-American flair is your thing, then look no further than this sensational debut from New Mexico-based singer-songwriter, Justin Nuñez.

Packing plenty of charm and simply beaming with those warm, timeless Southern state sounds, this is one record you’ll find yourself returning to again and again. From The Black Keys’ style stomp of Forget Our Misery to the Brazil-inspired love song Open Road and heartbreaking acoustic lament of Momma, it’s a strong introduction to Nuñez’s music that boasts plenty of potential for the future.

Listen here

Pink Tape by Lil Uzi Vert

And finally on the albums front this week, whilst it may have been a drab year for hip hop so far, I’m pleased to say that Lil Uzi Vert has delivered one of the more fascinating and experimental hip hop records of 2023 thus far – albeit not for everyone. At 90 minutes and 23 songs + bonus tracks long, it’s definitely a patchy listen but there’s enough intriguing moments here to dip in and discover.

The crossover tracks in particular are some of the highlights as Lil Uzi Vert enlists metal heavyweights Babymetal and Bring Me The Horizon for two blockbuster collaborations, whilst CS sees the rapper deliver his own cover of System of A Down’s Chop Suey no less. Whilst this will be sacrilege to some no doubt, I’m sure some will enjoy this chaotic take – even as parody.

However, the most surprising and most fun highlight is Nakamura, which sees Lil Uzi sample WWE wrestler Shinsuke Nakamura’s awesome entrance theme, transforming it into a huge summer anthem. Weird, wild, wonderful.

Listen here

Also worth checking out: Time Will Wait For No One by Local Natives, Dead Club City by Nothing But Thieves, In The End It Always Does by Japanese House, Slugs of Love by Little Dragon, 3 of Us EP by FLO

Tracks of the Week

Troubled Waters by The Streets

The big comeback this week was that of legendary British MC Mike Skinner, who announced The Streets are finally back and would be releasing a new visual album this October titled The Darker The Shadow, The Brighter The Light. Whilst they did release a mixtape back in 2020, this will excitedly mark The Streets’ first new album since 2011’s Computer and Blues.

This first taster track shows plenty of promise for the new record too, with a captivating electronic beat backdropping Skinner as he turns his attention to society’s accountability and hedonism, with cutting lines like “Outside of the nightclub, I don’t know what to do – inside of the nightclub, it’s too dark to care.” A very welcome return and I already can’t wait to hear more.

Listen here

The Trench Coat Museum by Yard Act

Well, who was expecting this?! A band that built their following and earned themselves a Mercury Prize nomination from crafting short sharp slices of post punk the like of those found on their acclaimed debut The Overload, the Leeds band have taken a sharp left turn with this incredible new single.

At eight minutes long it’s nothing short of epic, channelling their peers in the Working Men’s Club by delivering a single filled with big rock riffs and a psychedelic vortex of synths. I love it and recommend that its best experienced alongside the zany and surreal music video that you can watch below.

Watch the music video here

Vampire by Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album SOUR was one of the surprise highlights for me in 2021, a brilliant and concise pop record with a welcome splash of punk energy. Now readying her highly anticipated sophomore effort titled GUTS, vampire is the anthemic first single. With some similarities to her blockbuster hit driver’s licence, it suggests that Olivia will continue her rapid trajectory into superstardom.

Listen here

Hippodrome by Jamie T

Released a couple of weeks back to coincide with his triumphant headline show in London’s Finsbury Park, this is a typically fantastic new single from Jamie T. An instant gem that features all his signature hallmarks, I can see this one being a live favourite for years to come.

Listen here

Time To Run by Tycho

Whilst the summer weather may have disappeared from the UK as quickly as it arrived (sad face), the sun-soaked electronic singles are still arriving and this one from Tycho might be one of the best of the year so far. A cool neon-soaked groove propelled by a big funky bassline, if you’re in the UK it’ll help you pretend the rains and clouds don’t exist – at least for a little while!

Listen here

Now U Do by DJ Seinfeld & Confidence Man

Also serving up one of the songs of the summer, whilst Confidence Man’s recent collaboration with Daniel Avery was a blast this one with DJ Seinfeld is somehow even better. With an absorbing, string-tinged groove and some throwback vocal manipulation, this one will have you joyously dancing around your front room like it’s the early 2000s.

Listen here

Where Are Your Kids Tonight? By CMAT featuring John Grant

Irish singer-songwriter CMAT may have only released her highly acclaimed debut last year, but she has wasted little time delivering the follow-up. Crazymad, For Me is due for release this October and if this latest collaboration with John Grant is anything to go by, it is sure to be another cracker.

Listen here

Pendulum by Spanish Love Songs

Having got into the American rockers off the back of their 2020 album Brave Faces Everyone, Spanish Love Songs’ No Joy is already one of my most highly anticipated records for this coming August. My expectations for their record are only escalating with each new excellent single too, as Pendulum marks the album’s spiritual title track through its anthemic, emo-tinged chorus of “I know what they say when I walk in the light, there’s no joy in my life, there’s no joy when I’m right.”

Listen here

If I Could Turn Back Time by Deaf Havana

And finally this week, I always like to include a fun cover if I can and this is a surprisingly sublime one as rock duo Deaf Havana deliver this amazing cover of Cher’s classic single. Putting their own unique spin on the track with some soaring strings and atmospheric electronics, if it wasn’t such an iconic song, you’d easily mistake it for one of their own.

Listen here

Also worth checking out: Overdrive by Post Malone, The Skin and the Glove by Drab Majesty, A Little Bit Further by Tourist, On Purpose (For My Future Daughter) by Bellah Mae

REMINDER: If you use Apple Music, you can also keep up-to-date with all my favourite 2023 tracks through my Best of 2023 playlist. Constantly updated throughout the year with songs I enjoy, it is then finalised into a Top 100 Songs of the Year in December.

Add the playlist to your library here

#new music #best new music #albums of the year #album recommendation #album of the week #best of the year #song recommendation #new music friday #anohni and the johnsons #it must change #my back was a bridge for you to cross #gabriels #julie byrne #justin nunez #bdrmm #lil uzi vert #podcast #music podcast #the streets #yard act #olivia rodrigo #jamie T #tycho #dj seinfeld #confidence man #cmat #john grant #spanish love songs #deaf havana #cher

[mesillusionssousecstasy]

THE IDOL 1x05: Review

The big winner of this episode is the song “Like a God” by the Weeknd.  And I liked some of the cinematic shot of this episode. C’est chiadé.

The big loser of the entire series are the make-up and the cloths (I’m laughing at Natasha Newman-Thomas the so-called “Costume Designer”). 

This final episode unveils the casualties from Jocelyn and Tedros’ fallout, which leads to a massive struggle for power and control. 

But it’s absurde to say that Tedros is Jocelyn’s victim. 

If there are some victims, it would be Dyanne and Leia for sure! 

First thing first, for the first time, Jocelyn called him a con man and a fraud in front of everyone, while Tedros is still high on drugs (after so many days). We also learned that since forever Tedros has this crazy plan to meet with Jocelyn and make her fall in love with her. Why during this entire conversation, Chloé is wearing the costume of the Devil?

Also, what’s up with Xander who is now living in the basement with the rest of Tedros’ family knowing that he’s got a big bedroom upstairs. Oh and apparently no one is working at the night club anymore, right? They are all hanging at Jocelyn now.  To this point, I still don’t understand the purpose of the character “Head”, the guy covered with tattoos, can he sing too haha. Oh sorry, we now have a name: His name is Mitch.

The way they are treating the poor cleaning ladies again. 

It was so fucked up to watch a room filled with grown up people watching “kids” almost naked and sexually dancing for them, especially Chloé, who is supposed to be underage. Her outfit was so disgusting and didn’t highlight her body, nor her ass. 

Yes, Sam Levinson has especially something with young lady’s ass. At least, we didn’t have sex scene in this episode, thank god! 

At the beginning, Jocelyn rallies the cult together and offers them something Tedros could never: a chance at true stardom and sharing their art with the world. It wasn’t just a victim in distress trying to remove a toxic presence in her life, but also a power move on Jocelyn’s behalf to secure the credit and ownership over the Family, and this new era of her career. Throughout all the chaos, Jocelyn blows away Nikki, Finkelstein, and Chaim with her four new artists as well as her three new singles. Jocelyn proved to herself and those in doubt that her artistic instincts and her ability to play the Hollywood game is unmatched.

Watching Nikki try to win Tedros’ favor in order to claim ownership of the new talent while Chaim and Destiny were discussing working as an independent label really underscored how, at the end of the day, this is a business and money is at the forefront of their minds.

While Rob career is destroyed and no one give a fuck about it. They even want Jocelyn to have no part in it. 

Well, as expected, Dyanne was chewed up and spit out of the Hollywood machine just like a million other aspiring idols. You see, Nikki, only presented Dyanne with an offer because of her doubts regarding Jocelyn’s career. Now that she has seen the true potential of Jocelyn’s new era, all of the support and power they were willing to give to Dyanne has been taken and given back to Jocelyn. I know some of you may think Jocelyn requested to screw over Dyanne, but, again, I think the true villain is the record label. They made Dyanne sigh away her life and rights away to the label, and I’m assuming she cannot release music without their direct approval or oversight. Given that the World Class Sinner lawsuit is most likely a lie to cover up their renewed interest in Jocelyn, Dyanne’s career is over before it ever even started. 

I’m wondering what Leia wrote to Jocelyn in her letter. Where did she go?

This leads to Tedros reputation, which wasn’t much to begin with, to be completely smeared in the public eye, which was quite terrible to watch when the three of them where laughing because they ruined him entirely knowing that he is the one responsable for this entire world tour. This effectively kills the interest in his night club and causes him to shut down his business. And, none of his cult members desire to be attached to him or known as his students of art, because of the horrendous controversies surrounding him. What’s truly interesting about this sequence of events is that it’s somewhat hinted at from the beginning of the show. Some of you speculated that a character was going to die at the end of the season, and you all were right for the most part. However, it was not a literal death but more so an ego death. The idea and concept of Tedros, something that he prided himself in crafting, was completely killed and destroyed by the power and might of Jocelyn’s will. In the end, he is just the failed con man, Mauricio Jackson (reference to Mickael Jackson of course). Does this mean that Jocelyn was the mastermind all along? And was everything she told Tedros, and everyone else, a lie? Let’s start with what I believe to be true: I think Jocelyn was definitely in a dark place grieving the death of her mother, and that she hadn’t processed her trauma in a healthy way. We hear about and see her having mental breakdowns as she copes with her loss, which also manifests itself as self-harm during her darkest moments. Being surrounded by these feelings that weigh her down and cloud her vision, I do think it affected the way she felt about her music on a deeper lever. Now let’s go into what I don’t believe to be true: I don’t think Jocelyn is a victim of the people around her, and I don’t think she is without agency or power. The title reference the source of her power: she can sense that others will idolize and follow her. We see at the beginning of the series how Jocelyn can reflect what other people want or believe to be true about her, and she uses that to her advantage. She will allow people to exploit her to a certain point, but she will always come out on top. Remember, it has been alluded to that she has been in the industry since childhood (btw how old is she now??), and you can’t remain that famous and relevant by being complacent or a pushover in the Hollywood system. I mean Dyanne was in it for two seconds before she became a nobody in the blink of an eye. I believe that is why, when Tedros asked about the hairbrush, he realizes that part of her background was made up in order to give him this illusion of power over her. While I’m not saying she wasn’t abused by her mother, because their relationship did seem toxic and all-consuming at times (just listen to the lyrics of “Like a God”, I feel as though she may have taken some liberties about how it all happened. We’ve seen Jocelyn’s history with self-harm, so maybe the bruises and scares she spoke about. We’ll never know, because no one bothered to step in and intervene, which I believe to be true, so only Jocelyn and her mother know the truth. In the end, Jocelyn got what she wanted: inspiration for her new era of music and a wildly successful comeback. So much so, that she sold out a world tour in three weeks, all of her new singles were massive hits on the charts, and the honestly around her life and trauma created a ride-or-die massive hits on the charts, fanbase with undying loyalty. And, to the confusion and anger from her team, she reveals to them and her fans that the man who inspired her, and whom she loves, Tedros, even though Vanity Fair’s article destroyed him and she is indirectly responsable for it. This goes against everything now that everyone knows who is Tedros, Mauricio Jackson. How people/her fans will accept that Jocelyn’s boyfriend was a pimp and a criminal. How could they forget that. 

That’s why Destiny wasn’t surprised when she saw Tedros invited backstage. She was the one inside the house watching everyone and everything during a week. I think she was smart enough to realise who was in control during all this time.   

I love the mirror scene with Jocelyn coming from them. The symbolic of it. 

It took me a moment, but it started to click when I realized this was another facet of Jocelyn’s utter control of her situation and the people around her. She needed to lean into the idea that Tedros was nothing but trouble to the people in her inner circle, so that she could ask them for their help to strip him of his power and everything he had when the moment was right. That way, despite his ego and manipulations, she was always 10 steps ahead of him and the one in control all along. 

I’m wondering if she will even think of opening her own music label with Tedros’ artists. That would be very interesting. 

I honestly thought the show did a fair job at layering the different perspectives of exploitation in the music industry and raised a lot of provocative questions regarding the creative process and digging into the source of what inspires art that resonates on a deeper level. I hate to break it, but not everything inspired comes from a place of rainbows and sunshines, nor is it a smooth and linear process. On the contrary. Similar to Jocelyn’s story, it may take a journey into the darkness in order to find the light that may connect to and inspire others. And, at the end of the day, whether you watched it out of love or you watched it out of hate. The worst thing art can do is exist without stirring some sort of an intense emotion, regardless of what that emotion may be. Anyway, I’ll be listening to the full music album of the series on repeat starting tomorrow, for the next week or so. 

Tedros, be careful for what you wished for. 

ps: What happened to the publicist, Benjamin, he ran away with the audience? hahah

#the idol #the idol 1x05 #the idol review #the idol thoughts #the idol 1x05 thoughts #the idol hbo #hbo series #hbo the idol #jocelyn x tedros #music industry #thoughts #pensées #tedros #mauricio jackson #dyanne #leia #jocelyn

[appears]

L

It's Ayumi Hamasaki's birthday on October 2 and we're extending the celebration in true ego-maniacal, splashy celebrity fashion, by drawing out the festivities for an entire week! Each day I will briefly discuss a totally random item chosen (not by me) from my Ayu collection. Prepare for praise, disappointment, and controversial opinions backed by love and respect as we take a casual look back in this blurry snapshot of her career. Happy Birthday to our Party Queen, Ayumi Hamasaki!

Ayumi Hamasaki's Love songs-era is one of the most interesting and disputed in the singer's career. For many, it is the moment where Ayumi ceased to be an artist known primarily for her work in music (and to a lesser extent, fashion), and the moment she became a full-blown tabloid celebrity worthy of pity. The moment that all began was this single L, for which a music video was shot that featured the Austrian model/actor Manuel Schwarz who would become Ayumi's first short-lived husband after a whirlwind romance and spontaneous marriage in Las Vegas.

In hindsight, we know that L is one of the last physical singles that Ayumi would ever release, following only three more singles four years later, and the penultimate that would be released in a plethora of versions that featured varying content and jacket art. Released in September of 2010, the single is a triple-A side that features the ballad "Virgin Road," and the pop/rock tracks "Sweet Season" and "Last angel." All of these tracks are produced by legendary artists: "Virgin Road" and "Last angel" by Avex's forever-gold Tetsuya Komuro, and "Sweet Season" by beloved bad-boy and king of nostalgia, Noriyuki Makihara. But all of them bear the unmistakable imprint of Ayumi Hamasaki herself.

"Virgin Road" is incredible, one of the first Ayumi ballads I remember liking since 2009's "You were," which while not that long after, seemed like an eternity in Ayu years. I was fairly unimpressed with her previous albums NEXT LEVEL and Rock 'n' Roll Circus, and was looking for something that spoke louder to me. "MOON," "blossom" and "crossroad" were not it. But "Virgin Road" was. It's an opulent, orchestral ballad that, despite its rising crescendos, never erupts into the full-blown sound-saturated atmosphere of many Ayu ballads like "HEAVEN" or "No way to say." It's a bit more shy in that sense, relying on organic instruments over synths to produce a a warm-blanket kind of a song that somehow feels as simultaneously hushed and sacred and grand as a cathedral, or say, an entire centuries-old institution based on a bond between two people. The music video is the kind of cinematic PV a song like this deserves: a just-married couple cruising through the heat-waved desert robbing banks and convenience stores, partners in love and crime, as Ayu’s white dress picks up the dirt and grime of the Earth and of life itself, as they evade capture. The whole video is shot in a stark, violent black-and-white, all the more to bring out the rugged terrain and contrast with the final seconds that bleed into color. It's an improbable and totally fantastic take on what happens when two people vow to spend the rest of their lives (or 13 months) together.

Komuro's other contribution is very different, relying on Ayumi's business-as-usual approach for "Last angel," with perhaps a bigger focus on synths. But despite those dance elements, what's most unusual is how un-Komuro this songs sounds, a credit that would seem almost phoned-in if the production itself wasn't so impeccable. Nevertheless, it's the least important new song here, with Makihara's "Sweet Season" the honeyed companion to "Virgin Road." "Sweet Season" is classic Makihara, from the mid-range tempo to the prominent acoustic guitars and ever-present piano chords, which you can really hear in the instrumental version. It's not quite a ballad, nestling into that comfortable soft-rock zone of wistful melancholy that he perfected at that stage of his career on a song like “Firefly ~ Boku wa Ikiteiku”. It's a gentle, raw-nerve of a song that Ayumi never lets get too treacly, mostly by exposing the vulnerability, and impossibility, of such earnestness with the music video's twist ending. It's all the more heartbreaking for its refusal to indulge too deeply, past the point of honesty.

All together, this is a real whopper of a triple-A side single, even if "Last angel" is a bit of a step back.  Unfortunately, the Type-B of the CD-only version (there was also a Type-A), has one of the worst track listings of all of them, opening (opening!) with an acoustic cover of TM NETWORK's "SEVEN DAYS WAR." Ayumi has done a few covers of TK songs throughout her career, not unusual as an artist signed to a record label that still feels it owes its existence to him, but it's a definite push to feature this as the first track on a triple-A-side single, one that seems like it comes more from contractual obligation, or some sort of ego-satisfying agreement in exchange for Komuro's involvement with not just this single, but the eventual album that it would end up on (I’m just speculating). The other CD-only version of this single features orchestral versions of the TMN song and "crossroad" (though not as the first track). All versions shuffle the order of the tracks.

At the time that this was released, all of the craziest drama was still to come, but in the mean time, we got three great songs, with two phenomenal producers that Ayumi had yet to work with in her long career -- can’t believe it took this long! Unfortunately, this also ignited my imagination, wondering what other sky’s-the-limit collabs would possibly yield (Ami Ozaki? Mariya Takeuchi? Tetsuji Hayashi?) Dream no small dreams!

#ayu #ayumi hamasaki #j-pop

[neonun-au]

WARNINGS: lengthy, fic spoilers, death tw??

It has been a whole month, but hello again! I'll get straight to it, OK?

I finished even the new addition to the series, by the way!

I just want to say how cinematic it was to read every installment in your NCT series. Beginning from Yuta — which I greatly wanted to scream about after the announcement of his upcoming movie since it resembles greatly the image I have of him in your story — I was in awe with how I perfectly saw the streets of Tokyo. I am familiar with how their streets look like, for certain, but I am also certain that one misplaced description can throw me off, so for you to describe the alleys and the colors of the night, and how alone Yuta was, how he has to stay away from every fragment of his past — picturesque.

With Sicheng, it was like a psychedelic ride. I do not even know what in the world that means, but that was how I felt about it. The detachment from everything from how he must feel to the random yet fateful presence of Y/N, and how one's concern — whether on a surface level or deep — can pull you out of the limbo of hopelessness and maybe, just maybe, give you one last thought about another try. That's how I felt about it. It was just... it kind of hit a nerve... whew.

And, of course, you already know about my thoughts on Jaehyun's ♡

Johnny's and Jeno's quite scared me, but not in a bad way, of course. With John's, I sort of skipped through the part where it said it was a ghost!au, so when the time looped, I was like, "What the—hello?!" But, truth be told, the idea of a fiance not returning home to me is already a stake through the heart. The imagery that he was at war and dying in it and I was expecting him to come home... man, that's not something you read and want to read about in a fan fiction everyday, but you wrote it so well that the idea of his ghost reenacting his death, and probably having the memory of his partner the last thing he held on to, and Y/N having to receive the news... it gives me endless white vibes, and I am sad again, but, like, artistically sad, y'know?

Jeno's greatly reminded me of Pirates of the Caribbean if I would see it in the dead sailors' viewpoint. The buildup from Jeno believing he may make it till the loneliness gets too much to bear that he must be hearing things, but then, he actually is not is quite saddening. How you used the best terms to describe it, how you portrayed the image of his old man telling him not to succumb to the loneliness... chilling, ma'am. Brava.

Taeyong's reminded me of Love and Monsters (Dylan O'Brien) haha~ but only in the aspect of a dystopian world and being apart from his partner and he's in search for her. I like how you skipped the yada-yada and went straight to how normal it has become for the world to be... that, but creeps in the fear of things going worse than they are, and in comes Taeil. How you portrayed him to be your harmless stranger who is only ever just in need of safety and shelter like the rest of their world, and the regretful desperation he displayed to someone who helped him all because he, too, needed to survive... the note he left... and the scribbling that Taeyong left... damn. You wrote such a raw and empathetic scenario so well, I still recall it well after a month of not reading it anew.

And Renjun's... might be among my favorites. It must be the lack of dialogue yet the colorful portrayal of a bond physically broken by the cycle of life that caught me. You did not even have to divulge what exactly happened, just that his future has gone... you have a knack and a skill for writing about death and the introspection it can incite amidst the topic. I find that remarkable of you. You made a person's grieving process poetic with your words. How you mentioned his partner's body to have been cremated and how he could not have anything of her to hold on to in the physical world, that tugged at my heart for some reason. Maybe it's how you pressed on the idea of things having their end at some point, how raw and factual it is that only memories can last, though even those, too, will fade in time.

What I like about this series is how it felt like a short film of slices of life. The lack of dialogue in some is what captures me — you describe them and convey them well that a dialogue is not quite necessary. You know one of those films, like, with reels, and it's like it just hits you with a wave of nostalgia, truth, possibility, and introspection? That was how it felt, and I may not ever be able to express it well, but you write emotions well that I do not ever think I can find another one in this site that actually expresses themselves well through words. You do not need smut, romance-centric plots to capture an audience, though I strongly feel you need more simply for how well you tell stories. People need to appreciate literature more...

Anyway! That's that! That was pretty long, I apologize, but, as promised, here is my lengthy feedback! ♡ I hope you've been well, Mads. Looking forward to more of your NCT (or just anything of yours, really) stuff ♡ — review anon

!! I also thought the announcement of his movie was WILD when I saw it I was like OH MY GOD !! this is my yuta !! and i am working on a massive prequel/expansion fic for that one so hopefully it lives up to the hype/everything when / if it does end up getting released ! ive never been to tokyo, so its nice to hear that the atmosphere/setting in the fic do sort of reflect it !

ahahaha yeah on topic of the johnny fic....it definitely is not something that people want to read in fanfiction generally. which is why i get that there is little interaction with these fics LOL they're very niche and very....non-fan ficy. most people are here for the fantasy, right? and these...do not fulfill anything in that sense. artistically sad hfdjskafd haha yes yes that is the goal ;)) well sorta

also v happy you liked the jeno one ! it was my favourite before the most recent addition (the renjun fic) and i still have some small soft spot for it. i love horror haha

this is my favourite idea of an apocalypse au tbh !! so many of them are centered around the dramatics of the actual apocalypse, which is fair, but i REALLY like the idea of exploring how the world would be once the dust settles. once it becomes the new normal, y'know? i had considered doing a massive expansion of this one as well and i might still look into it but...i just love the idea of the world building that exists there. something sort of ambient and poignant about it

the renjun one is my absolute favourite as well so i am so happy that you responded well to it. minimal dialogue seems to be something i am rather drawn to. maybe because i am quite an introspective person myself? but idk...i just love writing introspection haha and showing things through description etc etc

ah !! like a collection of short films yes i love that !! different slices of different aspects of life. i also never fully realised until now just how much i write death as a theme in so many fics. how it just....is. i wonder what that says about me lol i like to think i dont write it in an exploitative way tho haha i would hope

i do want to write more larger, romantic fics ! it sort of pushes the boundaries of my writing and my abilities because it isnt really what comes super naturally to me as a writer, but i love doing it and i just love romance as well. hopefully i will be able to dive deeper into some more plot heavy fics sooner than later haha <3

thank you thank you thank you again ! i hope you enjoy the rest of that angst series as it comes out slowly, slowly. and if you read anything else from me in the future ! you know i love to hear about it hahaha

#reviews #review anon #replies #thank you so much again !!! #throwing so many hearts your way #will return to this to re-read and consider hehe

[writing-portfolio]

Into The Spider-Verse's Impact On Animation

“Into The Spider-Verse’s” Impact On Animation

Pixar is known as a hub of inspiration, a corporation that supports expression and creativity above all else. They value their artists' creative visions and strive to tell unique and poignant stories. Or, at least, they used to. As Pixar and Disney continue to melt into an indistinguishable soup of formulaic storytelling, it can be easy to feel as if the entertainment industry has become stagnant (Tyler)., “Pixar Is Still Struggling To Move Beyond its Phase One”). The Princess And The Frog, released in 2009, was the last time Disney studios released a completely stylized film with a unique art style. The “Pixar look” of cartoonish eyes, smooth faces, and photorealistic rendering became hugely popular for its, at the time, revolutionary visuals. Other studios were forced to imitate this art style or risk being left behind. And animation, especially animated feature length films, experienced a decade of trying to replicate the “Pixar style” with very little room for unique expression from animators. This art style functioned as a cue to audiences that this movie was aligned with Disney's family friendly and safe values. And, most importantly, the “Pixar look” sold movies (Vega, “How Spider-Verse Forced Animation To Evolve”). The thing is, we get burnt out on safe rehashes, reboots, and repetitive films. The same goes for visual style. “Art needs to evolve” states Bloop Animation (Bloop Animation “Spiderman "Into The Spider-Verse": 2d or 3d?”). And Spiderverse was about to spark that evolution. 

No one is going to argue with the fact that Marvel is very mainstream. It's actually a part of Disney’s eldritch horror of a franchise monopoly.  Except for (at time of writing) one tiny fragment. Spiderman (Lue, “Why Disney Won't Buy Spiderman Back From Soney”). And while being far from obscure, the separation between Spiderman and the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been enough to let the franchise experiment in the past with edgier films like Deadpool or Venom. But no one quite expected the direction they would take the character in their 2018 animated film. 

Miles Morales was a character introduced in Spiderman Ultimate Fallout number four, a comic arc exploring the ramifications of the death of Peter Parker’s Spiderman. Miles was a completely fresh and unique take on a story that had been told to death. His personal arc and many storylines in Ultimate Fallout’s run dealt with relevant issues in a nuanced but bold way (Marvel, “Character Close Up”). Miles’ was the perfect story to tell with groundbreaking visuals and animation that would rip convention apart. 

"Into The Spider-Verse’s” animation process was hugely complicated. It combined computer-generated imagery (CGI) used to render 3d images and 2d detailing hand drawing overtop. It took a team of 800 artists over four years to complete (Maine, “It Took The Artists On ‘Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse’ "A Painstakingly Long Time To Make The Movie”). And the studio wasn't even completely sold on the project. Soney doubted the success of “Spider-Verse" because the visual look of the movie was completely different from any other successful movie at the time (Vega, “How Spider-Verse Forced Animation To Evolve”). Miles was one of the more obscure characters in Marvel’s roster and this contributed to the doubt. But the movie earned 138 million dollars in twelve days at box office (Maine, “It Took The Artists On ‘Spider-Man: "Into The Spider-Verse”  A Painstakingly Long Time To Make The Movie”) and was immediately renowned for its story and, especially, its animation. 

Some ways that “Spider-Verse” played with the animation status quo were, first of all, its base style. It was more realistic in its character’s proportions but had artistic and stylised details, the opposite of Pixar's previous standard. It looked like a series of drawings and embraced that fact, rather than trying to look like a live action film. It used halftones (those little shading dots) to imitate early comic books that couldn't afford to shade in color and used solid black and stippling instead. It didn't use a blur on backgrounds to add perspective, it instead mimicked comic book misprints. These misprints were also a staple in cheaply produced early comic books, caused when printers would layer ink improperly. This would lead to objects sometimes having a halo of another color around them. "Into The Spider-Verse" used the same sort of double vision effect on its environments to add depth and perspective (Vega, “How Spider-Verse Forced Animation To Evolve”). 

It also used frame rates in an interesting way. Most movies are animated with twenty four frames per second (animating on ones). This means that every second you are seeing twenty four pictures that, played one after another, convey motion. At the beginning of “Spider-Verse", Miles is animated every twelve frames (on twos), meaning that he looks choppy and ungraceful compared to the more experienced spider-people. By the end of the film, Miles is animated every twenty four frames (Bloop Animation “Spiderman "Into The Spider-Verse": 2d or 3d?”), showing his Character development  and his acceptance of his role as the new Spiderman.

Following "Into The Spider-Verse"’s release, other animated projects started mimicking parts of its style and implementing more and more stylistic choices. Netflix’s "Arcane" was released in 2021 and shared some of “Spider-Verse’s” visual and thematic elements (Red “Detail Diatribe: Arcane's Unbreakable Bonds of Love (And Why They Suck)”). "Arcane" was rendered in 3d and details and lighting were digitally painted over top. "Arcane" also saw huge success from both critics and audiences. The fact that the “Spider-Verse style” had been used to achieve stunning visuals twice in a row lent merit to it as a trend (McLean, “Legendary Artistry: How ‘"Arcane"’ Became a Popular and Critical Hit of the Moment”). Pixar’s, and by extension Disney’s, visuals had represented wholesome and family friendly values in the eyes of parents for two decades. That was part of the reason for the style’s huge success. Everyone wanted to be like Disney. “Spider-Verse's” style was quickly becoming associated with nuanced storytelling and well written characters (Vega, “How Spider-Verse Forced Animation To Evolve”).

(Top: Netflix’s "Arcane". Top left: Netflix’s “The Sandman”. Bottom left: Netflix’s “The Sandman”)

The “Spider-Verse style” as a trend only continued to pick up steam. Replicating its unique visuals was a long process, but animated properties using parts of the style only continued to pop up. 2022’s The Sandman episode 11, Dream of 1000 Cats, used similar 2d detailing techniques as “Spider-Verse”. This technique was once again used to pay homage to a property's comic book origins. The show replicated some of the comic panels of its source material exactly with the help of highly detailed and stylised animation. 

Many other projects have made leaps forward in animation since 2018 and “Spider-Verse”. In this example the influence is less obvious and may not even exist at all. But its unique looks seem somehow linked to the “Spider-Verse” look, whether intentional or not. “The Clone Wars” is a Star Wars spinoff that first aired in 2008. It never tried to replicate Pixar’s popular style and instead had a more realistic but sharp look. Earlier seasons obviously lacked budget and looked very rough in comparison to “The Clone Wars: Final Season”. This season aired in 2020 as a sort of stand alone story. It featured the characters from “Clone Wars” after a timeskip and acted as a bridge between the Star Wars movies and animated shows. The visual style had made a very noticeable improvement. Part of this came from its higher budget and use of motion capture (ING,“Star Wars The Clone Wars: Ray Park as Darth Maul - Official Behind the Scenes”). But another contributing factor came from the embrace of the show’s unique look. "Into The “Spider-Verse" made committing fully to a visual style profitable and it seems possible that Clone Wars may have picked up on that. But that's definitely treading into conspiracy board territory. 

The most recent film to follow this trend is Dreamworks’ “Puss In Boots: The Last Wish”. The movie uses many staples of the “Spider-Verse style” including 2d detailing and playing with frame rates. It actually uses lower frame rates to show that a character is skilled at fighting, making it look like they are moving faster than the movie can handle, rather than making them look clumsy (Red, “Moviestruck Episode 49: Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (2022) ft. OSP Red”). Not much was expected from the Shrek spinoff’s sequel, but it had gorgeous visuals and a great story, further associating the “Spider-Verse” look with quality storytelling. 

Since the release of "Into The Spider-Verse" in 2018, animated projects have been making leaps forward in the quality of their visual aesthetics. Using elements of “Spider-Verse’s” groundbreaking visuals, animation has entered a new era with clear trends and stylistic choices. This steady increase in films with this look has led animators to embrace 3d animation as an artistic medium and make creative choices within the constraints of that medium. CGI has been used along with 2d animation for decades, but only recently has it been used in such a wide variety of visually interesting ways and in such mainstream properties. Animation has evolved so much and become so much more sophisticated in just the last five years. And so many recent animated projects would not have achieved such gorgeous visuals or widespread success without "Into The Spider-Verse", a movie that refused to bend to the status quo of the animation industry (Vega, “How Spider-Verse Forced Animation To Evolve”).

[creativecourse]

Embracing the Storm Information Your Path to a Breakthrough in Editing and Self-Expression Your images are beautiful, but they don't always live up to their full potential. They’re lacking that certain something you can't quite put your finger on. You've nailed THAT look but now your images just blend in with the rest of your feed. The Golden Hour is never long enough and you struggle with imperfect light. One look at your RAW images and you know the magic is there, but hours in Lightroom leave you frustrated. You buy more presets but they're all starting to look the same and now you're just wrestling with someone else’s style. What You'll Achive... Develop a unique editing style that truly represents your vision. Efficiently organize and manage your photos in Lightroom. Master Lightroom's powerful tools and capabilities. Streamline your editing process, saving time and energy. Consistently produce captivating, emotive images that resonate with your audience. Why Choose Embracing the Storm? Comprehensive Learning: Catering to all learning styles with a mix of video tutorials, written content, and practical exercises. Personalized Approach: Develop your own unique editing style, rather than just mimicking others. Expert Guidance: Benefit from the expertise of Twyla Jones, known for her emotive, cinematic style, technical prowess and innovative thinking to use tools like no other. Community Support: Join my exclusive Facebook group for continuous learning and networking opportunities. A step-by-step approach to developing a consistent editing style and workflow, making it easier to achieve the desired results with minimal effort Who is this course for? Aspiring photographers seeking to awaken their inner Light(room) and ascend to creative enlightenment Creatives tired of searching for the “magical preset” (spoiler: It doesn’t exist) Photographers who want to be able to simply look at an image and know how to bring it to life without presets Creatives who desperately have a need to stop working with someone else’s vision and establish their own body of work Seasoned photographers yearning for a rebirth of their skills and artistic vision Magic makers tired of the tedious hours of editing, longing to create captivating images while also enjoying more quality time with your loved ones Seekers of truth who long to join a community of enlightened photographic artists What You’ll Learn In This Course? 01 – Feeling Exposed Stirring art starts long before you log into Lightroom. In Module 1, we’ll go over everything you need to do before the very first edit. You’ll master the ability to expose for your conditions so every desired detail remains dazzling while your images stay sharp. The 3-2-1 System will ensure you never lose a precious file to broken hard drives or a corrupt SD card. Staying organized may not sound sexy – but neither is losing that perfect image. This method will keep your photos in check so you can spend more time with your family and less time searching for lost work. Optimizing your Lightroom catalog is going to save you SO much time, give you the ability to edit ANYWHERE from ANY computer and have you speeding through the culling process 02 – Shedding Some Light Module 2 will dive into the tools you have at your disposal and how to use them to perfect your work. You will learn: Show & Tell: Every single module in Lightroom is broken down with screenshots to show you specific examples and explanations. Secrets To Live By: All my favorite shortcuts that will save you hours and make editing a dream. Bringing It All Together: This series of watch-while-I-work videos has you sitting in on editing sessions so you can see exactly how these techniques and tools are applied in real time. 03 – The Art of Editing Editing is an art in itself. This is where your unique vision really shines. Watch and edit-along with examples of different lighting, skin tone, and environments to master tricks like:

The secret to shooting in harsh light (that has nothing to do with your camera). Because editing can’t save a poorly shot image, this one trick will save harshly lit sessions again and again. How to synchronize your session images to save you hours (and hours) of time so you can create gorgeous deliverables clients remember. Customizing your own presets not only further speeds up your edit and introduces consistency, but generates a profit source with the click of a button 04 – Finishing Flourishes It’s all in the finish. In Module 4, you’ll dive into the finishing details of both portraits and processes that will set you apart, including: The beauty of combining Photoshop with Lightroom and tips to improve the performance of both. The must-have plugin that will save you time and money while boosting your customers’ awe. The pro’s process to posting on social media without being glued to your phone. You’ll be able to share your work and live your life. AND SO MUCH MORE!! More courses from the same author: Twyla Jones

[lalune-brille]

A luminous legacy that conquers all fears.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ I ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ Preface.

“Graceful as a willow tree, in the soft embrace of the moon, she moves gracefully getting ready to introduce herself to the world! Her words, a sonnet whispered throughout the day. Painting dreams with strokes of pure joy and leaving a trail of stars wherever she walks”

⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ II ⠀⠀ ⠀ A brief information ⠀

Meet Shalunne Amandine, a lady who finds her sanctuary in serenity—you can simply call her Shalunne or Alun! Speaking of personality, she has taken the MBTI test some time ago and has determined that she belongs to the INTJ personality type. Rest assured, she has reached her early twenties under the zodiac sign of Gemini, and marking her transition into legal age. In terms of pronouns, she prefers feminine ones (She/Her). She uses her Twitter account as an expression of random things in her thoughts, not infrequently to share TMI(s), interact with friends, etc. She is a bit selective in following people on her account. She is also very much affectionately entwined with her beloved heartthrob, Adamian.

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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀III ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ Her interests

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In the world of desire, she is a tapestry woven with threads of interest and devotion.

﹒⟢﹒ Movies Series K-drama

She is drawn to movies, series, and K-drama. She is actually open to any genre, but she prefers thrillers, war, science fiction, horror, and drama. For reference, the best movies or series that come to her mind would probably be: Inglourious Basterds (2009), Jurassic World (2015), Little Women (2019), Where the Crawdads Sing (2022), Anne With An E (2017), Stranger Things (2016-Present), Vincenzo (2021), Our Blues (2022) with every amazing cinematic work in it. In addition to the references above, she also makes a watching list (which might be updated) with her watchmates, as well as her closest friends for leisure time. Here's a page that you can visit to find out more references about movies & series that they have watched:

﹒⟢﹒ Group(s) & Music

She has been a K-POP enthusiast for quite a long time. In more recent times, she's been more inclined towards staying updated on girl groups, holding a profound admiration for acts like aespa, ITZY, NewJeans, Girls' Generation, and other talented groups. However, when it comes to boy groups, EXO will forever hold a special place as her ultimate favorite! When it comes to music, she doesn't have a set favorite or a particular genre preference. She enjoys songs that resonate with her individual taste. Other artists who have captivated her with their music include NIKI, Taeyeon, Somi, Yerin Baek, Keshi, Taylor Swift, and many more.

﹒⟢﹒Other interests

Other things she enjoys are dancing and discussing social issues which she then puts into written form. Due to one or another reason, she hasn't been pursuing it much lately and hopes to continue to find activities that she enjoys. She loves spicy food, and sometimes sweets, too. Her favorite drinks are mineral water, milk, and matcha! She plays games for the fun of it like Plato and The Sims 4. She's a massive lover of dogs and cats.

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⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀IV ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Notes

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﹒⟢﹒ Before you follow

Shalunne is open to any kind of friendship, she is an open-hearted soul, and always ready to welcome and cherish connections with those around her. She may not always be online or there may be times when she is invisible for a few days on her timeline, but feel free to approach her either through direct messaging or simply mentioning her. There may be some situations where she uses unpleasant words such as swearing, so please pay attention and make sure that you are at least 15 years old! Do not follow her account if you are a racist, unable to respect her favorites, anyone who spreads hate speech in public, problematic, and have no intention of interacting.