thoughts i am having as i watch the older mv entirely too late

Yo, I saw your post about orientalism in relation to the "hollywood middle-east" tiktok!

How can a rando and university dropout get into and learn more about? Any literature or other content to recommend?

Hi!! Wow, you have no idea how you just pressed a button. I'll unleash 5+ years on you. And I'll even add for you open-sourced works that you can access as much as I can!

1. Videos

I often find this is the best medium nowadays to learn anything! I'll share with you some of the best that deal with the topic in different frames

• This is a video of Edward Said talking about his book, Orientalism. Said is the Palestinian- American critic who first introduced the term Orientalism, and is the father of postcolonial studies as a critical literary theory. In this book, you’ll find an in-depth analysis of the concept and a deconstruction of western stereotypes. It’s very simple and he explains everything in a very easy manner.

• How Islam Saved Western Civilization. A more than brilliant lecture by Professor Roy Casagranda. This, in my opinion, is one of the best lectures that gives credit to this great civilization, and takes you on a journey to understand where did it all start from.

• What’s better than a well-researched, general overview Crash Course about Islam by John Green? This is not necessarily on orientalism but for people to know more about the fundamental basis of Islam and its pillars. I love the whole playlist that they have done about the religion, so definitely refer to it if you're looking to understand more about the historical background! Also, I can’t possibly mention this Crash Course series without mentioning ... ↓

• The Medieval Islamicate World. Arguably my favourite CC video of all times. Hank Green gives you a great thorough depiction of the Islamic civilization when it rose. He also discusses the scientific and literary advancements that happened in that age, which most people have no clue about! And honestly, just his excitement while explaining the astrolabe. These two truly enlightened so many people with the videos they've made. Thanks, @sizzlingsandwichperfection-blog

2. Documentaries

• This is an AMAZING documentary called Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Villifies A People by the genius American media critic Jack Shaheen. He literally analysed more than 1000 movies and handpicked some to showcase the terribly false stereotypes in western depiction of Arab/Muslim cultures. It's the best way to go into the subject, because you'll find him analysing works you're familiar with like Aladdin and all sorts.

• Spain’s Islamic Legacy. I cannot let this opportunity go to waste since one of my main scopes is studying feminist Andalusian history. There are literal gems to be known about this period of time, when religious coexistence is documented to have actually existed. This documentary offers a needed break from eurocentric perspectives, a great bird-view of the Islamic civilization in Europe and its remaining legacy (that western history tries so hard to erase).

• When the Moors Ruled in Europe. This is one of the richest documentaries that covers most of the veiled history of Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain). Bettany Hughes discusses some of the prominent rulers, the brilliance of architecture in the Arab Muslim world, their originality and contributions to poetry and music, their innovative inventions and scientific development, and lastly, La Reconquista; the eventual fall and erasure of this grand civilization by western rulers.

3. Books

• Rethinking Orientalism by Reina Lewis. Lewis brilliantly breaks the prevailing stereotype of the “Harem”, yk, this stupid thought westerns projected about arab women being shut inside one room, not allowed to go anywhere from it, enslaved and without liberty, just left there for the sexual desires of the male figures, subjugated and silenced. It's a great read because it also takes the account of five different women living in the middle east.

• Nocturnal Poetics by Ferial Ghazoul. A great comparative text to understand the influence and outreach of The Thousand and One Nights. She applies a modern critical methodology to explore this classic literary masterpiece.

• The Question of Palestine by Edward Said. Since it's absolutely relevant, this is a great book if you're looking to understand more about the Palestinian situation and a great way to actually see the perspective of Palestinians themselves, not what we think they think.

• Arab-American Women's Writing and Performance by S.S. Sabry. One of my favourite feminist dealings with the idea of the orient and how western depictions demeaned arab women by objectifying them and degrading them to objects of sexual desire, like Scheherazade's characterization: how she was made into a sensual seducer, but not the literate, brilliantly smart woman of wisdom she was in the eastern retellings. The book also discusses the idea of identity and people who live on the hyphen (between two cultures), which is a very crucial aspect to understand arabs who are born/living in western countries.

• The Story of the Moors in Spain by Stanley Lane-Poole. This is a great book if you're trying to understand the influence of Islamic culture on Europe. It debunks this idea that Muslims are senseless, barbaric people who needed "civilizing" and instead showcases their brilliant civilization that was much advanced than any of Europe in the time Europe was labelled by the Dark Ages. (btw, did you know that arabic was the language of knowledge at that time? Because anyone who was looking to study advanced sciences, maths, philosophy, astronomy etc, had to know arabic because arabic-speaking countries were the center of knowledge and scientific advancements. Insane, right!)

• Convivencia and Medieval Spain. This is a collection of essays that delve further into the idea of “Convivencia”, which is what we call for religious coexistence. There's one essay in particular that's great called Were Women Part of Convivencia? which debunks all false western stereotypical images of women being less in Islamic belief. It also highlights how arab women have always been extremely cultured and literate. (They practiced medicine, studied their desired subjects, were writers of poetry and prose when women in Europe couldn't even keep their surnames when they married.)

4. Novels / Epistolaries

• Granada by Radwa Ashour. This is one of my favourite novels of all time, because Ashour brilliantly showcases Andalusian history and documents the injustices and massacres that happened to Muslims then. It covers the cultural erasure of Granada, and is also a story of human connection and beautiful family dynamics that utterly touches your soul.

• Dreams of Trespass by Fatema Mernissi. This is wonderful short read written in autobiographical form. It deconstructs the idea of the Harem in a postcolonial feminist lens of the French colonization of Morocco.

• Scheherazade Goes West by Mernissi. Mernissi brilliantly showcases the sexualisation of female figures by western depictions. It's very telling, really, and a very important reference to understand how the west often depicts middle-eastern women by boxing them into either the erotic, sensual beings or the oppressed, black-veiled beings. It helps you understand the actual real image of arab women out there (who are not just muslims btw; christian, jew, atheist, etc women do exist, and they do count).

• Letters of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. This is a feminist travel epistolary of a British woman which covers the misconceptions that western people, (specifically male travelers) had recorded and transmitted about the religion, traditions and treatment of women in Constantinople, Turkey. It is also a very insightful sapphic text that explores her own engagement with women there, which debunks the idea that there are no queer people in the middle east.

---------------------

With all of these, you'll get an insight about the real arab / islamic world. Not the one of fanaticism and barbarity that is often mediated, but the actual one that is based on the fundamental essences of peace, love, and acceptance.

WOTP Dom Howard Interview [INROCK - Muse (October 2022)]

Unparalleled rock trio Muse release first new album in four years, Will of the People.

"We don't want to do a best-of album or a compilation because we're going to keep making new music."

Dominic Howard/Muse INTERVIEW: AI ANAZAWA

Muse have released their new album ‘Will of the People’, their first album in almost four years since ‘Simulation Theory’ (2018). The band has always been big on the soundscale, but this time they've pushed each of the songs to their full potential, making the rock songs harder and the ballads more dramatic, creating what might be described as the ‘strongest’ album yet. The album was self-produced without an external producer due to the Corona disaster, but as you would expect from a seasoned artist, he knows his identity and what he needs to do now. Dominic, who agreed to be interviewed by Zoom, was relaxing in the sunroom of his London home with his dog.

—I saw a picture of you at a recent festival where you were playing drums in a full face mask, is that a new image for the new album ‘Will of the People’? Dominic Howard (dr.): We start the show with ‘Will of the People’ and we also appear wearing the masks that the main characters and groups that appear on the album cover and video wear. It's the opening song.

—Oh, I thought it was hot in the summer (laughs). Dominic: (laughs). I can hardly see anything when I'm wearing that. I can barely see the drums in front of me, so I think Matt [Matthew Bellamy, vo. keys g.] and Chris [Wolstenholme, b.] have an even harder time. They'll be playing while trying to keep an eye on the fretboard. Plus, it's a full face, so it's hard to breathe. And there's a burning ‘Will of the People‘ logo right behind me, so my back is burning hot. But, you know, I'll do anything for rock‘n’roll (laughs).

“I was careful to avoid abstractions, and I was also very conscious of keeping it tight.”

—This album is especially Hard Rock, isn't it? A lot of albums made during the pandemic have been released one after another, but I have the impression that many of them are introspective because of the production environment, but this album is the complete opposite of that (laughs). Dominic: Yeah, it's a heavier, harder rock sound, less introspective… We were definitely working on some of it during the lockdown, though. I think everyone tended to be more introspective back then, and people were making music that sounded a bit more light-hearted, maybe not as bombastic as ours. Anyway, that kind of thing (introspective, light music) is not really our thing, it's more outward expression, more outlandish. Yeah, we haven't done an album as heavy as this one in a really long time.

—I read that you started this album as a response to a label proposal to release a best-of album, but why are you against the idea of ​​a greatest hits album in the first place? Dominic: Realistically speaking, best-of albums aren't what they used to be, are they? Nowadays, a person's top 10 favourite songs on Spotify are their best releases, right? Labels want to do best-of records because they want to promote the band, but we've always been against it because we feel like a best-of record is kind of the end of your career, you know (laughs). We don't want to do a best-of album or compilation because we're going to keep making new music. The labels might have come up with the idea in discussions to see if there was anything they could release during the pandemic, but we've always said no, let's make new material instead.

—I see. Matt describes the album as “best of new songs” and “a montage piece packed with the best of Muse.” Was that the band's goal or perception in the making of the album? Did you actually discuss such things? Dominic: Hahaha, we talk about it all the time. The whole time we were making it. But I don't think it was ever our concept. I'm sure Matt said that because we like the album that much and we think it's like our best album. I think he wanted to say that it's like a collection of the best parts of the band's old sound. It's got the heavy side, the pop side, the acoustic ballads like ‘Ghosts (How Can I Move On)’, it's got the best of what the band has always done. Well, whenever you're making an album, you always think: ‘This is the best album ever! Every song could be cut as a single!’ (laughs). I don't want to release it, or even finish it, unless I'm proud of it as an important representation of the band as it is now. In fact, we were very conscious of only including stuff that we felt was appropriate to be on the album. We didn't want to do anything too experimental… That's a bit of a misnomer. We were careful to avoid abstraction, to keep it to the point and concise, to know where to put the songs on the album, and to keep the production tight.

—There are only ten songs on the album. Do you have any regrets about not being able to keep it tighter on previous albums? Dominic: No, not really. When it's been a year or so since we put out an album, I do think ‘I should have done that’ or something like that, but I wouldn't really call it a regret. We've done some very experimental and abstract albums in the past, because that's what the album needed, especially the first three albums. The second album (2001's Origin of Symmetry) is longer and more experimental. I'm not saying that I want to get rid of that aspect of ourselves, I'm just saying that we've become more conscious of making tighter albums. And I've always wanted to make a 10-song album. We've had instrumental songs that made it 11 songs, so this time we decided to make an album of just 10 songs with songs on it (laughs).

—The content of the song this time is all very depressing, just a little bit… (laughs). Dominic: The lyrics (laughs)?

—Yeah. It's as realistic a fiction as you can get. Are these socio-political and environmental issues always something that comes up in the band? Or is this all about Matt's political views? Dominic: Mostly the latter (laughs). I think the surreal, political fictional world is where he's most comfortable writing. I guess it's easier to write about very personal things than to express them frankly. Of course there are parts of the album that touch on personal things, but I haven't done a lot of songs that are about personal things. Matt's style is to write about the emotions of what's going on in the world and apply them to an imaginary world. Naturally, we would talk about the topic and the direction we wanted the song to go in. But the music always comes first. Then the lyrics (by Matt) can take quite a while, but whatever idea it's based on, the three of us take it and put it into music, and eventually it's something we enjoy playing. The lyrics come after that, so it can be influenced by the vibe and feel of the song's source material.

—Oh, really? Dominic: So it's not the lyrics we talk about the most, it's the music (laughs).

—I see, the three of you live in different parts of the world. How did you make that music during the pandemic, especially during the lockdown? Dominic: It was tough. Especially in 2020, there were months when we couldn't do anything. But we still did things like exchange ideas virtually. Once we were able to get together, we started working in the studio in Los Angeles. Chris doesn't live over here, but we still had him come to LA, and when that wasn't possible, we continued working remotely. In the spring of 2021, we got together in London and we were able to work on it at Abbey Road [Studios]. It was a lot of work, but we found a way to work not only on music, but also on these things (Zoom interviews), and also on business, virtually, without having to move from place to place, didn't we? I think it's actually become more convenient for a lot of people.

—Did you produce this album yourselves because of the restrictions of the Corona Disaster? Or was it a reaction to the fact that your last album, ‘Simulation Theory’, involved a lot of producers? Dominic: It was probably both. It was a pandemic, so from the beginning Matt and I were in the studio alone, trying out different ideas, and we were comfortable with that. Then Aleks (von Korff), the engineer, joined us in the studio and the three of us were in what you might call a bubble (laughs). Of course we had to take coronavirus checks every now and then and be careful while working, but we got comfortable in that situation, and it felt different to invite other people in there. It would be a lot of work to bring someone else in. And we like production work too. We've always co-produced, even when we've had a producer, and we rather like the time-consuming, detailed work.

—Please tell me how did you decide to end the album on a hopeless note with ‘We Are Fucking Fucked’ (laughs)? Dominic: It's interesting to hear other people say the title of this song (laughs). It was the only song we had at the end of the album. If we'd put ‘Fucking Fucked’ anywhere else, it would have given the piece a weird vibe. It's a sarcastic, depressing type of song, after all (laughs). So I think it was right to put it at the end. At first I was thinking of putting ‘Verona’ at the end. That song has a fantastic, relaxed, outro-like feel to it. But I still think ‘Fucking Fucked’ is the right one.

—Which is your favourite song of the day? Dominic: It's hard to pick just one song, I feel bad for the others (laughs).

—Let's limit it to this morning's then (laughs). Dominic: Well, we've been playing ‘Kill or Be Killed’ live recently and it's a lot of fun to play live. Maybe there's a heaviness to it that we haven't ventured into before? It's pretty metal. And I really like ‘Won't Stand Down’. When we were working on the album, I was telling Matt that every song had to make the listener feel something, and we had to make the songs make us feel something, and he asked me what I meant, and I said that sometimes when we listen to our past albums… I actually listened to all our previous albums before we started making this album. Some of them were okay, some of them were a little bit terrible, but they still conveyed what we were feeling at the time. So I had a strong feeling that every song on this album had to make me feel something. ‘Kill or Be Killed‘, when you get into the chorus, it makes you feel it. I like everything else on the record apart from those two songs. And ‘Liberation’ is a lot of fun to play. We haven't done a piano song like that for a while. Is it reminiscent of ‘United States of Eurasia’ (2009's “The Resistance”)?

“What I really want to do is to go around to different sized venues here and there and stay in Japan for two or three weeks.”

—I also like ’You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween’. And it touches on the serious issue of domestic violence. Dominic: Yes, it does. It's a very fun song, but the lyrics actually touch on emotional abuse in the home. It's the same with ‘Won't Stand Down’. We know people who have been through that, and it's a very real issue that sometimes people don't realise they're going through it. It's such a serious thing with a very pop sound.

—Will you be touring the world after a few shows in the UK in October? Dominic: Yeah, we'll play some smaller theatres in the UK in October and then maybe next year we'll tour overseas, including Japan. We really want to go to Japan. What I'd really like to do is spend two or three weeks in Japan, doing a few more shows here and there at different venues of different sizes. The last few times I've been here, I've been limited to a few cities due to time, schedule and production. Sometimes you have to sacrifice the creative side and the fun side of it.

—You have the authority to do what you really want to do, so by all means make it happen. Dominic: Well, yeah (laughs). Anyway, we'll find a time when it's possible and we'll try to fit it into the schedule.

—By the way, there is a sign of a dog from earlier. Dominic: This is Olive, a Boston terrier (he says, showing me the dog stretched out and relaxed in front of him). He's very clever. Where's Floyd? Maybe he's upstairs. They're both very clever.

—Who's going to look after them while you're away from home? Dominic: Actually, I tend to take them with me. Olive is just over a year old and I only got her last year, so she's not ready yet, but Floyd has been all over the place, he's been on a tour of America with me, he's been in Europe. He loves it. He's always happy to play with all kinds of people backstage. Olive likes people too. When the show is over, she jumps in the car and goes to the hotel with me, and every night when she gets into her new hotel room, she jumps up on the bed with great joy (laughs). So I take her with me when I can, otherwise I ask family or friends.

Recorded on 20th July, 2022 in London.

Translator’s Notes: If you’ve noticed it, then you might’ve wondered why the Japanese journalist and the article itself doesn’t use the words “Covid-19” and “pandemic” (other than Dom himself). As I’m not a Japanese native, I don’t fully know the answer either, but I did pay attention to Japanese news over the years to pick up on information. In Japan, the government and the people do know and use the word COVID-19, but unfortunately the name that COVID-19 took in Japan was this: 新型コロナウイルス感染症 / Shingata Coronavirus Kansenshou / new coronavirus infection.

As you can see, that is a whole mouthful that no one has the time to say all of that out loud -even including the word Covid-19 itself- so they shortened it to just using ‘コロナウイルス / Coronavirus’ and ‘コロナ / Corona’ instead.

So I got used to seeing that whenever an artist or celebrity in Japan was confirmed infected by Covid and had to cancel events, they just announce on their blogs and on X [formerly known as Twitter] that they got Corona. And some of these words became familiar to me as well.

コロナ禍 / Korona-ka = Corona Disaster / Covid-19 Pandemic コロナ緊急事態 / Korona kinkyuu jitai = Corona Emergency / Lockdown

BTW, I wasn't sure what Dom's other dog's name was. I know of Floyd, but I can't remember the second dog's name. Was it Olive or Oliver?

Magic From The Beyond

The Big Jazz Band version of the main theme played at the end of Good Omens 2 episode 4 is my favourite. I'll only remember to be quick enough with the clicker some of the time, to hear all of it, but even less than that would I be paying attention to actually watching the credits.

So occasionally when I wasn't completely in my head enjoying the music, and my eyes were open, the closing credits would arrive on this screen and I would make a mental note to learn about Anthony Owen.

In Season One Episode One of Good Omens, Anthony Owen is listed as 'Magician' in the closing credits at 50m10-12s.

After an attempt to find out more in the usual places - IMDb and Youtube (Full performance of Oil and Water by Anthony Owen) - the best source was this podcast episode by Vanishing Inc Magic dot com, recorded weeks before his death in 2019:

Excerpt from the transcript:

"

The Insider: Recently, I don't know how recently actually, but you worked on the mini-series of Good Omens. How did that come about and what did you do for the production? Did you love the book before you started doing it? I can't wait to see it because I've loved the book for ages. That was 14 questions in one, pick any of them and answer it.

Anthony Owen: The answer is, yes I worked on Good Omens.

The Insider: Okay.

Anthony Owen: No, I still haven't read the book. What did I do? I taught Michael Sheen sleight of hand magic.

The Insider: How was he?

Anthony Owen: He's a great fan of magic. He loves magic, he loves going to The Magic Castle, he's a good friend of Derren's. He was a brilliant student of magic and sleight of hand and really got into it and loved the idea of it. The character he plays is quite a fun thing because he's playing a sort of bumbling, not very good magician at a children's party. Teaching someone how to be a bad magician actually was well within my comfort zone and abilities. What was interesting for Michael was because he's a Welsh boy from the valleys he was able to tap into the ... Tommy Cooper [ wikipedia | youtube: Ed Sullivan show | youtube: the best of Tommy Cooper, including the "Indian Rope Trick" ] was a sleight inspiration for him in playing that role. Yeah. It'll be interesting to see how it is in the final cut and what they've done with it, I'll look forward to seeing it.

The Insider: Go and read the book, it's great.

Anthony Owen: I have it on my shelf. I read the relevant pieces that I needed to read to do the job that I did.

"

Sadly, Anthony's untimely death meant that he didn't get to see Good Omens when it was released on the 31st of May, 2019.

He is honoured here in Good Omens 2, in more ways than one.

Firstly, as there doesn't appear to be another 'Magician' in the credits for this episode, approximately four years later, can it be assumed that Anthony Owen taught Michael Sheen enough sleight of hand to be used across the entire three seasons of the series (and Michael Sheen has kept up his skills with regular practice)? That the skills performed in this episode are Anthony Owen's teachings remembered, and credited with a memorial?

Then, there's this:

If you search 'Anthony Owen' on Prime Video, here's what you will find...

... a treasure trove!

Apart from there being a few "Anthony"s and "Owen"s, it's quite a specific selection for a bunch of titles that don't seem to have any connection to Anthony Owen himself. (edit, Sunday 17th March 2024: and here I was, expecting to see some of the titles listed on IMDb, but no.)

17 titles, presented in the same order every single time (Update, Wednesday 20th March, 2024: the order has changed)

- not alphabetical, nor chronological by release date. Might they be readable in some kind of order though? Also, it kind of feels like there should be an 18th title, for a nice neat 3 x 6, right?

(Update, Saturday 23rd March 2024: well well well, an 18th title has been added. Note the title name, Snapped, and the two items shown in the thumbnail image - a Polaroid and a derringer! specific to S2E4, nice!)

Update, Saturday 30th March 2024: a 19th title added this week - Survivor season 43. If at the end of next week, this playlist maxes out at 20 and does not continue to grow in the weeks afterward, might it be that 6,6,8 is happening; that season three will contain 8 episodes after all?

Update, Thursday 4th April 2024: IF this is the end of the campaign, then they've ended early, adding not one, but two more titles - three, if counting "You Can Go Now" twice as it is shown; the correct year of release, 2022, then the second entry for "2023" with a separate thumbnail image and its description including the title in all-caps as if being shouted at and dismissed, ouch.

Still, a brilliant move, to end "unpredictably" (just as a certain group of two 'sides' had been working together all along, but acting predictably, in order to check-mate their real opponent, for a game of Chess lasting for most of their existence).

Hints, clues, themes and references galore - given in the titles of films or episodes, descriptions (sometimes of a particular season), images or symbols seen and/or lines spoken in the trailers (some have two trailers, for example I highly recommend watching the full trailer for You Hurt My Feelings) - even "special spoilers" star Sadie is in here!

You don't even need to watch any of these titles either. Just do what Anthony did :)

Coincidental that Good Omens 2 was released on Anthony Owen's Birthday?

It's lovely to have included Anthony Owen in what feels like a mentalist-style trick from The Beyond.

KEYSSS my dear mutual congratulations on 1K likes aaaah you deserve all of them! May I henceforth ask for a platonic BSD matchup? I go by she/her and I don't have a preference for which gender I want to be matched up with :3

Personality: I personally don't know what my mbti is, so I'll just give a short description of my personality. I find myself to be more of a listener, but with the right type of person (really quiet or someone chaotic) I can talk for hours. People say that I'm nice and smart, but I doubt myself sometimes. I am physically affectionate with my friends, and often flirt with them only if they're not in a relationship. My friends like to banter with me and I like to tease them/make them laugh, but if they like to sit in silence then I'm perfectly fine with that as well. Sometimes I am too sacrificial and am bit too much of a people pleaser, but I am working on setting down boundaries and saying 'no'

Hobbies: I like to read books more than I like gaming and watching videos. I also like to learn new things, no matter how hard they are, because I am quite curious about a lot of matters. I can speak English and Mandarin, and I am partially fluent in French. I also love to play the piano because I find it calming <3

Topics I like to discuss: Honestly I can talk about anything as long as it's not something that I'm uncomfortable with (which I only have a few). I normally like to discuss history, books, travelling, and any funny things that happened recently in life

Things I hate: I don't hate a lot of things because I am a firm believer of the quote that love transcends all animosity, but what I really do hate are people who willingly do bad things and do not feel sorry for it. I normally am quite forgiving, but once somebody crosses that line too many times without genuinely trying to improve, then they've lost their chance

Something that makes me unique: I'm actually more of a classics person than a contemporary person. What that means is that I prefer classic books, classical music, classic movies, and old history etc. I do like watching a modern film every now and then, but I find that nothing captivates me more than the antique things. I'm probably one of the few girls my age who is more caught up with the 1700-1900s than the 2000s ahaha. I also am more of a jewellery girl than a clothing girl, and my favourite jewellery is silver jewellery :)

Preference: I'm okay with being matched by a character that commits crime, but as long as they aren't too crazy about it

What I value in others: I value loyalty, respect, and communication in others, as I believe that those are the three key points of any relationship. Bonus points if I find them fun to hang around with, and that they won't twist my morals and lead me down a darker path

Something I can't stand in others: Honestly anything that makes a toxic relationship; dishonesty, disrespect, and not listening to what I have to say

Remember to take your time my dear, and once again congratulations on 1K likes! Let's get that to 1K followers >:D

SILVER I'M SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG!! I was almost done with it and then it was literally all lost, but I still got it done. thank you so much, darling, and I hope you don't mind the wait.

I match you up with Tetcho! he's a silly little man, please take care of him.

He loves listening to you. There is nothing he would rather do than listen to you talk about the things that you are interested in, and he is not affected by what other people have to say about your interests. He would be ticked off at anyone that judged someone for their preferences in media and entertainment. He would not force you to try his food, but if you do like any of the combinations he would be glowing with happiness for the rest of the week. He is always a little sunshine, though, and is nothing but supportive. He loves what makes you strange, and he loves that you love what makes him unique, too. He would not let harm befall you. He would rather be stabbed a thousand times than for you to get a paper cut, and would be even more devoted to justice after meeting you because he would want to make sure that no filthy criminals can hurt you. He would not let Jouno make fun of you or your friendship. He would probably stab his ass again, and would start doing it more if you found it funny. Either way, Jouno will eventually make peace with you. He would love to listen to you play the piano, and might even pick it up himself if he has the time. He could also learn another instrument solely so he could teach it to you. He would be a non-judgemental teacher but he would definitely be a little strict. Secretly, he is a little scared that he is too overbearing when teaching you things. Overall, he would value similar things to you in a relationship. He is an honest man who communicates well, if not sometimes too bluntly, but he would do his best to always respect you. If someone else is to disrespect you, however, all hell breaks loose. Jouno and the Huntings Dogs will obviously get lighter punishments, though, and I don't expect them to cross any lines. He would, without a doubt, try to keep you as far away from his occupation as possible. Your safety is his priority, and he could not live with himself knowing that he was the reason why you were targeted by a criminal group. He gets anxious about how you are doing, so he will send a variety of texts about how you are doing throughout the day. It's a little heartwarming knowing that you're always on his mind. Because of his constant worrying about your safety, he absolutely loves to hold you in his arms so he knows that nobody can hurt you. Sometimes, though, he just wants you to hold him instead because he is always dealing with things for other people and he just wants someone to do the same for him.

that's all for today, I hoped you liked it darling! <33 have a wonderful day or night :)

if you get this, answer with your top 5 music artists and send it to the last 7 people in your notifications Rose💜

This ask was more difficult then I suppose it's meant to be, because I mainly listen to songs, not artists. A lot of the time, I find one or two songs from the same artist that I really like, and then I have no idea what else they've done, so answering this required some thinking. Thank you @my-rose-tinted-glasses for making me sit down and actually think about what artists I like, and not just what songs I happen to vibe with at the moment!

Spoiler: it's a lot of Korean music, and what makes me come back to an artist is most often their voice.

Isaac Hong I found him through the OST for Strangers From Hell (along with The Rose, The Vane and Yaori) and then rediscovered him when I watched the reality show Super Band. I love his voice and I love the way many of his songs swell and sweep me along. He's done a few more OSTs lately, so if you've watched a lot of kdramas, chances are you've heard his music somewhere.

Give Childhood Memories 내 기억 속의 소년, Close Your Eyes and Ruin a listen!

LeeHi This woman has an absolutely amazing voice and can do widly different songs. She's got a lot of great songs of her own and has done a whole lot of fantastic collabs with various artists as well.

1, 2, 3, 4, FXXK WIT US and Breathe are some of my favourites, but be warmed: Breathe never fails to make me tear up.

Iniko What a voice!!! (Have you noticed a theme yet?) Their voice is otherwordly and all it took was a few seconds of a short clip for me to get goosbumps and be absolutely blown away. Their acapella videos are a treat. Their music is different and powerful and I love it.

Luna, The King's Affirmation and Jericho are definitely recommended!

Woosung and The Rose As mentioned, I first found the indie rock band The Rose through the OST for Strangers from Hell, and then some time later I found the singer Woosung and fell in love with his voice - and then it took me an embarrassing amount of time to realise that Woosung is the singer for The Rose, and his solo songs are what he did to stay active while the rest of the boys did their military service. (Yes, this is the level of research/knowledge I usually have about artists. Virtually none, that is.)

Sorry, Strangers and Wonder are some of my favourite The Rose songs, while Phase Me and Face are some of my favourite Woosung songs! Psst! I have been told that the piano key he's hitting in the Face MV is the G note...

Bibi Once more, as with all of these: The Voice!!! Bibi has a husky voice coupled with a bit of an attitude that I can't help but love! I found her through a show called The Fan (where I also found Car the Garden and Youra) and she keeps delivering!

Long Time Ago, Animal Farm, Vengeance are some of her songs that I think you should check out! The MVs are delighfully bloody, but maybe go for a lyric video if you don't want to see heads roll.

Long list under the cut, because I can't help but cheat:

BTS: the group that first got me into Korean music in 2016, when I'd previously only been interested in Korean movies. They put out so much music I can't keep up and they're possibly the only group where I've listened to enough of their discography to have a favourite album: Wings.

Mamamoo: a group of fantastic ladies who are excellent performers and fantastic singers! They know how to put on a show and how to have fun on stage. They're also challenging Korean stereotypes and norms, which of course gives them extra points in my books.

Jessi: now here's a lady who isn't afraid to speak her mind and who breaks Korean stereotypes for breakfast. She's a girlboss who raps and sings and does both hard-hitting hip hop and emotional ballads.

King Mala: a recent find, but what a find! So many good songs that made me feel like as absolute badass, and the lyrics are great fun and often delightfully kinky.

GSoul: a warm hug and a sigh of relief as you relax. Close your eyes and lean back and give his RnB songs a listen.

Jeff Satur: his music videos with his many different alter egos have given birth to the #jeffcest tag - need I say more? This guy sure has a vision and he seems to be having great fun doing what he's doing and we get to have great fun enjoying the stuff he puts out, so what's not to like?

Ten: now this guy is mainly on the list becuase of his performances, but what performances he puts on!! This guy can dance, and I don't know how many times I've rewatched his Devil performance from Hit The Stage which he did when he'd only just debuted. Apart from his individual songs, he's also part of NCT, so he's part of a whole lot of songs in a variety of different languages.

W!

!!!!! getting one ask for this game surprised me tbh, two is incredible and you need to know that if i were a golden retriever i would be wagging my tail SO fast

anyway, they've done a fair number of things that have surprised and delighted me, but my favourite is and always will be the moment they broke out in song during TATINOF.

To provide some context there- at the time, youtubers doing a show the way Dan and Phil did was absolutely UNHEARD of. No one had ever done anything like it before, and no one really knew what to expect. The show I saw was in Seattle, near the end of the US leg of the tour, but Dan and Phil had asked everyone to avoid spoiling the show for others, and I'd managed to avoid any spoilers that WERE out there pretty much entirely. I went in blind.

That day was the best day of my life. Not solely because I was seeing TATINOF; Seattle is my favourite city and we went on the underground tour and ate a pizza that was almost bigger than our table and went to the pop culture museum, where they had a Dalek and a Cyberman and a bunch of other really cool movie/show props, but seeing Dan and Phil was definitely the highlight of the day.

I'd been depressed for almost a decade and actively suicidal for going on six years at that point, but when I first discovered Dan and Phil in the fall of 2015, I realized for the first time that the way I was feeling and had been feeling wasn't just a natural part of growing up. They seemed so alive and so so happy in a way I'd never seen from an adult before, and it gave me hope that maybe I could feel that way again, too. So they meant and still mean a great deal to me. They saved my life.

TATINOF had just begun touring the UK when I started watching, and then in early 2016 they announced they were coming to America. Now, I'm Canadian, and I was living in Kelowna, BC, so I was understandably disappointed when the nearest show was in Phoenix, Arizona, too far to travel to. But then, a month later, they announced more dates, and Seattle was among them. So I begged my parents to get me to Seattle for the show.

Mom bought my ticket, and Dad arranged a Seattle trip. Mom offered to buy me a VIP ticket, by the way, but I thought about it and then decided I'd rather have a regular ticket in part because I was such a new fan and in part because the thought of standing in front of them and being seen made me want to spontaneously combust. (I did get a VIP ticket to II, and then I ended up spending the first half of the show hyperventilating bc I got too excited/overwhelmed lmao)

I remember specifically choosing a balcony seat because while I knew Dan didn't enjoy audience participation from an audience perspective, I wanted to play it safe. Just in case. And Dan did make some jokes about asking for audience participation, so I'm actually glad I did. My heart could barely handle things as is!

The show was... indescribable. I'd taken art to submit to crafty corner, and while it wasn't chosen, I was absolutely beside myself just knowing they'd seen it. And during the show, they took things so much farther than anyone ever expected them to, with the suggestive themes of the fanfiction part (brokeback montain references?? only one tent??? this was YEARS before they came out, mind, and they'd NEVER really leaned into or encouraged that sort of thing before) and then Dil being revealed as the entity causing everything, and then, on top of literally every amazing incredible thing they'd already done in the show, they started SINGING??

We knew they did little songs for things like baking videos, but that was a FAR cry from performing onstage, and they were hardly professional singers, so a musical number was absolutely the last thing I expected to actually happen. I absolutely screamed myself hoarse during the course of that show, as did most everyone else in that theatre, but I don't think I've ever screamed so loud as I did when they started singing.

So... yeah. That's my answer.

(ask game here)

Why by ONF - a production analysis

DISCLAIMER: This was written as part of a larger work done for school. It doesn't quite go in depth the way I would like to because I had to keep it short!

I would like to analyse one of my favourite songs of all time and my favourite pop song of all time, 'Why' (2019) performed by my favourite boy group ONF and produced by my favourite producer, Hwang Hyun of music production team Monotree (also known as the Mozart of Kpop). The song is described by the producer as 'Future Trap', which I assume is a combination of Future Bass and Trap.

Something I like about Monotree is that they often make breakdown videos of songs they've produced, going through the logic pro session and explaining the different techniques they use. I often come back to these breakdown videos to pick up methods from them, and also it's just plain fun to see your favourite songs broken down and explained. One such video was made for 'Why'.

'Why' was produced in Logic Pro, another one of the sons of Fairlight CMI. There is an endless amount of advancements and differences between the two programmes, but I will comment on a few. First of all, the waveform visualisation in Logic Pro is incorporated into the arrangement view. While this is something that has come to be expected of music softwares nowadays, I think that being able to see the wavelengths in different tracks is important to understanding the mixing and levels of your piece. Additionally, they look cool. Another thing that looks cool is that you can color code the tracks, and here Hwang Hyun has chosen to make the drum tracks purple. This is another one of the small things we take for granted that greatly increases quality of life. The sections of the song are also color-coded at the top of the window, allowing for enhanced visual representation of the song.

In the intro of the song (0:08), there is foley sound of running used. On first watch of the music video, one may assume it was an extra effect for the video, but the step sounds are part of the actual mix. I am a fan of the use of foley sounds in music.

At 0:27, a riser sample is audible; the end of the riser sample is then delayed and panned left and right in the mix. You have to listen closely to catch it, but I think it's a nice touch.

The rhythm sequencing of the drums can be seen here. 

There is an array of drum samples here, and in the intro specifically there is a trap hi-hat loop on top of a snare. The snare loop has dry delay put on top of it, resulting in a sort of echo-effect that I think adds to the techno-apocalypse atmosphere of the piece. Although not visible in the session view they show, I would also like to point out that the hi hat gets panned to the left, adding dimension as a clap sound comes in on the right later in the intro. 

So, in just the drum tracks, we can see a combination of looping and sampling along with the delay effect originally made from tape recorder techniques emulated digitally.

They also employ a synth bass (of course, because it's future bass). I think that the bass here may be sidechained to the percussion tracks to create that pumping effect. 

Interestingly, Hwang Hyun describes the guitar part as "The Guitar Nobody Knows Is Guitar". There are four layers of tracks here, with each one focusing on a different layer of frequency. Additionally, the tracks are de-essered, which I assume is to prevent the tracks from being too sibilant from all the layers. This results in a plucky sound. 

This layering technique is something Monotree use a lot in their music, and I find that it is done very well in a way that you may process the layers as one cohesive instrument when they are actually a bunch of seperate things. 

This layering is also seen in 'Popping', which Hwang Hyun also produced, wherein what sounds like just a flute is actually layered with a piccolo, flugelhorn, trombone and synth bell to create a fuller sound.

People often say that modern music production is simplistic by nature in comparison to classical music; I agree with this to an extent. While it is much easier and more accessible to produce music, it does not make it more 'simple'. The fact that music production is streamlined and advanced like this lends to creating complex layers of instruments like this.

Looking at the amount of tracks used in 'Why' makes me feel faint. Especially the amount of vocal tracks, which is what I will discuss next.

Much of the vocals in 'Why' are layered with vocoder, a form of processing that breaks down and synthesises speech. Originally used for encrypting communications in wartime, it now serves the much more fun purpose of making a cool robot voice effect. In the rap/talking part, the vocoder adds a layer of melodic/harmonic material through extracting the pitches in the track and processing them. When the vocoder processed track is played by itself, it results in a very daft-punk esque vocal line, but when layered below the dry vocals, it adds a layer fo dimension and creates a dark atmosphere that I feel relates to the concept of the song, which according to the singers and producers, is supposed to be a story about forbidden love between a human and an android. So, I find the robot-like effect of vocoders effectively used here for the narrative as well. 

Vocoders aside, there is also just. An impressive and almost absurd amount of harmonies in 'Why' where simpler pop songs may just use vocal doubling and call it a day.

Overall, I feel that 'Why' is a good example of the methods employed in pop music production, with an array of techniques used that I take as inspiration often.

HI TODAY'S REMINDER IS PHANTOM!!!!! ok strap in this is gonna go on for a bit

1. the OPULENCE. the DIAMONDS, the chandeliers, the beating heart tied up in golden chains god it was a visual feast and that's before I've even gotten to the members, which

2. THEY LOOK SO FUCKING GOOD. Hendery??? Xiaojun????? Kun with those fucking red contacts staring straight into my soul???????? there's so many to pick from but the black outfits? yummy. all of them all at once please

3. the SONG omg i missed wayv title tracks so muchhhhhhhhhhh ughhh i love how grandiose it sounds while still being so current which tbh is a line wayv title tracks always ride perfectly (people say kickback wasn't all that and yeah it's not my favourite but it's still really fucking good). also WHEN did Winwin's voice get that deep??? and Hendery, sir? Yangyang at least warned us in rain day, but the other two… once again: yummy

4. I'm sure someone smarter than me will analyse the music video properly and tell me what's actually going on but the one thing i did notice was the set with the black outfits changing in the second half with the chandelier falling and the statues broken and the ground falling in and I'm sure that means something but my brain could only focus on how fucking hot i find them dancing among ruin

5. they're… they're actually back. like for real for real. like there's a song and an album (which i will listen to tomorrow but I'm v much looking forward to). there was a stage? which by the way. also extremely hot. i love how much puppet imagery there is in the choreo, it ties in very well with what little i understood of the lyrics. which, don't get me wrong, i love their music, but their lyrics do read a lot like a theology comprehension text and I'm not always up to the task.

i just. fucking love them so much. and this song. I've been falling off nct slowly these past few months but… they really just proved why they were the unit that got me hooked in the first place. can you believe we survived the drought? we really made it all the way through. good job us

Hiii, I've said this before and I'll say this again out of all of the NCT universes Wayv gets the absolute best styling,concepts, and songs. Nothing against dream or 127 I love them all equally but Wayv has had way less misses with title tracks then 127. I just cant accept 2baddies. I can't. It has not grown on me.

But seriously they look amazing it's still giving Vampire princes and I love it. And the song like it sounds like a Wayv song but kind of matured and refined in a way. Yangyang's voice surprised me but luckily we found out he has the range and I love when he switches it back to his natural voice. And Hendery and Winwin normally have deep voices but like it sounded so much deeper I could feel it in the depths of my uterus. And only Felix's rap in victory song has ever done that. Like it just was so good then Xiaojun and Ten off setting the depth with their higher voices and Xiaojun's high notes will always hit the spot every single time and Kun's mid tempo voice kind of melds it all together. Like they finally returned to us after years they've done it.

No I feel you with Stray Kids pulling me by my ankles I also felt myself slipping from NCT but Wayv really just came in and was like not on our watch. And I can't wait to see them promote fully after two years. They deserve all of our love and support. Now to listen to the album while shopping for lingerie because what else are you supposed to do while listening to a Wayv album

March favourites

With another month done, it's time to look back at my favourite tracks and albums of March, whether these are freshly released or have been round a while, here's some of my top listens from the past month!

BRAINWASHED- Waterparks

Waterparks are pretty well known in the scene by now, so even if you aren't a fan it's hard to ignore their new releases. 'BRAINWASHED' might be one of my top songs they've released as singles for their upcoming album 'Intellectual Property' as I'd previously heard it when I saw them live, but hearing the actual studio version just made it more impactful. With a catchy chorus that can be played over and over again, I'd even go as far as to say this is one of the best singles they've released in the build up to their new album.

listen to BRAINWASHED here!

18+- Scene Queen

Scene Queen came back with a bang as you can tell as soon as you listen to this song, and calling out predators in the scene has never been so forward. This is an issue Scene Queen is very passionate about, and this song definitely got alot of attention, with even people who aren't her usual listeners commenting on her bravery for releasing a song that isn't sugar coated at all. This song sums up all you need to know about Scene Queen, that being that she isn't afraid to be loud and proud about what she believes in. The lyrics are clever and the screams brutal, so make sure to support her in her debut album that should be coming later this year!

listen to 18+ here!

Hold Me Like a Grudge- Fall Out Boy

Fall Out Boy definitely know how to make a banger comeback, and this album just proves it. My personal favourite was 'Hold Me Like a Grudge' as its such a fun song to listen to. You get the usual amazing lyrics paired with an upbeat instrumental that honestly reminds me alot of 'Save Rock and Roll' from 2013. The music video also sticks out to Fall Out Boy fans as it is a continuation of their previous video for 'This Ain't a Scene' which is of course a fan favourite and perhaps one of their most iconic songs, which really tops off this song for me.

listen to Hold Me Like a Grudge here!

$20- Boygenius

This one may seem odd compared to the others as it is less alternative and more indie leaning, however the trio consisting of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker never fail to impress, and this is the song from their debut album 'The Record' I'd reccomend the most. It's the most upbeat song on the album, and contains a spine tingling guttural scream from Phoebe Bridgers, which usually you wouldn't expect from an indie trio. It won't be for everyone, however I feel like both the lyrics and the vocals stand out on this track, each voice complimenting the other two without any outshining.

listen to $20 here!

Freak Of Nature- Heart Attack Man

Heart Attack Man are a band I'd reccomend to every alternative person, and hopefully will be a band that becomes a staple in the scene. With a discography full of deep cuts, there's something for everyone while still keeping a distinct style that makes you instantly recognise it as them. Although the previous still being applicable, this new song still feels fresh, and would go amazingly hard live, so let's hope for a UK tour soon

listen to Freak Of Nature here!

Fandoms: Riverdale, Dark (Netflix show), and Person of Interest for the ask game...? I've only watched 'Dark', but know the other two through friends. Not sure if you have experienced any of them already, but I hope whatever you are going through/feeling calms down soon, and best wishes ^^

okay person of interest has not seeped onto my dashboard so i cannot infer a single thing about it and i know that the first season of dark has a similar premise to the first season of str*nger th*ngs of Kid Goes Missing For Spooky but it's german and presumably not Unbearable and that is all i can tell you because it occasionally makes an appearance on my dash but not enough to guess at more of the plot. RIVERDALE on the other hand

even if i watched every single episode of riverdale i do not think i would be able to summarize its overarching plots and themes, or even describe its Essence™ without being wrong. i'm obsessed with its origin story. birthed solely out of gay spite like aphrodite from sea foam. the first season it's pretty normal ish and is just grimdark archie the second season there's a serial killer the third season there's a weird thing with knock-off d&d and i think that's the one where chad michael murray runs a cult??? i cannot tell you how many seasons there are or which season we are on but i can tell you that i saw a video of archie & friends undo brainwashing and start a union by singing bread and roses??? it sounds like it should be fake and yet i typed 'riverdale bread and roses' into the search bar on youtube dot com because i could not believe it was a real thing And Yet I bore witness to riverdale bread and roses with my own two human eyes. there's a subplot where archie gets attacked by a bear and then is set to the LEOPOLD AND LOEB DETENTION CENTRE bc the showrunner wrote a not officially sanctioned play where archie riverdale dates actual historical murder gay nathan leopold (!!!!???) apparently cheryl is a witch now like they've gone full supernatural and there was a paradox episode where it's revealed that jughead is somehow Powering The Entire Universe through storytelling and there are multiple versions of the characters that somehow bleed into the core universe? frankly that's a really fun and interesting way to play with both genre and its source material i firmly believe that the endgame is a) angels in america b) gay archie confirmed also they keep doing musical episodes even though they're Not Good which i think is hysterical that they just keep happening. i watched a video breaking down the musical episodes and like they are largely sonic nightmares and the songs are shoehorned in AND YET they keep happening. they've done carrie (CARRIE!! what 17 year old kid who watches the cw knows the extremely infamous and short-lived musical disaster that is carrie the musical! that was 100% just for the writers + theatre freaks), heathers, hedwig, next to normal, and AMERICAN PSYCHO (again WHOMST is this for!!!!!! i'm delighted) i genuinely want them to try and do great comet. unironically please mangle my favourite musical. gay kevin can play anatole bc he's the only one with the range. i want to watch cole sprouse to carry the weight of dust and ashes on his back while wearing his stupid little jester cap. sidenote i'm shocked that they didn't do west side story considering there ARE teen gangs!!!

also veronica sings daddy lessons at some point.

hiiii 🎤 and 🌟 with ace ?

🎤 tell you a song I wasn’t into at first, but now love i was not very into follow when mx dropped that like, found it to be an extremely disappointing tt for them but it definitely grew on me over time (i think it was the repetitive nature of it that i didn't initially like) which is more than i can say for fantasia bc i still don't really vibe with her but that's okay.

🌟 send w/ a group, and I’ll talk about my favorite era, concept, and/or album marti i'm so upset about this bc how am i supposed to choose between hjzm era and siren era 😭 i simply won't do it actually they are both my favourite they are both transcendent and absolutely some of the very fucking greatest executions of concept for any bg ever. like entirely insane how they've done all that and they're still flops. favourite boys (ESPECIALLY the dir. cut) is the most spectacular music video ever which is why i'm scared of it and have not yet giffed it kdjbgjskgb, like the sets are crazy and the styling is absolute fucking perfection like. WHO the fuck thinks of mixing the hanbok with band tshirts and making it editorial? but i'm SO glad they did. and it's colour graded to absolute fucking perfection too jesus christ. the album is so fucking beautifully designed and the concept photos are absolutely crazy. and like the concept photos for siren dawn? there's a reason i bought all versions of that album and it's because it's absolutely fucking perfect (aside from the one glaring issue of the shoe choices for those veil photos but that's a very minor detail) and like personally whenever i look at that one gifset i made from the bts video of hyung line in the water looking like fucking real ass mythical creatures i'm just like yeah. this is what art is about actually. and then THE actual MUSIC... hjzm has baby tonight which became my most listened to 2020 song despite only having had it for what, 3 months? it's also a pretty much perfect album imo. and siren dawn is like an epic voyage across the sea to experience like U ARE SO INSANE FOR THISSSSSSSS!!! sick and fucking twisted that we won't get anything new from them for 500 years i'm so upset truly.

send me an emoji! 💘

Hello hi! I saw that your doing match ups for The quarry. This is my first time asking for a match up so apologies if I'm shit at it

I'm 5ft tall, bi (leaning towards men),she/her, mixed and am British (unfortunately). Been writing and drawing since I was a kid and now have it as my job! I dress in a more grungey/metalhead fashion and always have messy hair lol. I love video games, mainly open world and survival games and im a vinyl and cassette tape collector! Favourite animals are bears, cats, pigs and crocodiles. I have a cat called Elvira. I'm also a really good cook (hopefully) and love cooking soups. My favourite foods are potatos and pineapple. I am a Music freak and mostly listen to music from the 70s to the early 2000s but I know some songs as old as the 30s. My favourite music genres are metal, rock and rap. I may come off as uninterested and cold at first glance but people have told me that once they've gotten to know me, I'm actually a very caring and emotional person.

I have no clue If I've done this right but hopefully I have :) I wonder who you'll match me with

i match you with.. dylan!

he is sooo into your style. it's what draws him to you at first. he asks you about where you got your clothes and how you make your hair look so nice but so messy at the same time. he's fascinated

he loves playing video games with you and he tries to influence you to make bad decisions in them. he thinks your reactions are hilarious whenever something bad happens to a character

he'll buy you vinyls/cassettes that he knows you want and can't find if he sees them. it's just spontaneous and it doesn't have to be for a special occasion. he just does it

he loves when you cook for him. it doesn't matter what it is, it could be the simplest thing to make but he will enjoy it completely

he really loves your music taste and always asks you for recommendations on what he should listen to. he think it's awesome that you listen to music that spans across decades and don't stick to one specific genre

Points of Interest (March - May)

Hey friends! It's been a while but rest assured I still want to keep this series going! Due to how the year is nearly over, I'm going to be double posting this and the next POI so you've got more to read!

(I should note with each topic I wanted to talk about there were supposed to be sketches accompanying them, however they've ended up taking longer than expected so for now both POI entries will have no pictures, but at some point they will be updated with the sketches, I'll be sure to leave an update notice when that happens)

With all that said...

April Fools Day

Honestly I don’t recall much happening for April Fools Day this year, and personally I’ve not released an April Fools video in over 4 years because I never manage to get any ideas (even the video I did release in 2019 isn’t up anymore since it was on my old YouTube channel and I’ve never reuploaded it). Sometimes April Fools events are memorable, such as in 2015 when YouTube included a button that when clicked played a sample of Darude - Sandstorm and any searches done in the YouTube site would suggest “did you mean Darude – Sandstorm by Darude?”

Alternatively on a smaller scale you have a specific person making something that’s memorable on said day, for example the YouTuber Jim Gisriel did an April Fools video where he “reviewed” the shows from Butch Hartman’s Oaxis streaming service, in the video Jim Gisriel talks about shows from the year 2032 that don’t actually exist which often parody other existing shows from Nickelodeon or even shows that you'd never expect to get mentioned like Attack on Titan. If you don't know much about Nick or Butch Hartman then the video won't really be noticeable to you as it's one of those cases where it's only funny if you know the context, but if you know the context of what's being referenced then that combine with how Jim is clearly trying not to break out laughing at several points in the video makes this one of my favourite April Fools videos ever.

I also like to give a shoutout to my friend Fupaboychris who updated his old cover of The Swamps Theme from The Smurfs NES game into a certain famous song used in bait and switches, it's a short and simple video but if you're like me who has knowledge of chiptune, high quality rips and the composer Alberto Gonzalez then you'll love this silly April Fools video for what it is.

London Trip

Okay so this is going to be a bit weird because I’m going to have to remove a lot of details for privacy reasons but it’s such a big event to happen I can’t not talk about it.

So for a long time I was involved in this expedition which involved a lot of activities relating to exercise, camping and teamwork which eventually ends with you getting your award for doing so, now what makes getting the award interesting is you have the choice to go to a ceremony as well and in my case, the ceremony was at Buckingham Palace! So the weekend was spent in London and when the day came I was sure to take pictures since being invited to Buckingham Palace is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I’m not sure I’ll ever get again. There was music, food and drink and event stalls where both other participants and noticeable presenters (like radio hosts) gave speeches relating to confidence, pushing yourself, etc.

I did do other things in London after the event but this one without a doubt is the main attraction for obvious reasons and honestly I still can’t believe that it actually happened, it’s funny because the expedition itself lasted about 8 years with there being an additional 2 year wait due to the amount of people that participated (and also due to lockdown), being invited to a grand place is always the end result of finishing the final part of the award so I wasn't too surprised but actually being in such a famous place is again, something that may never to me again and the day itself went by in flash. It’s one I’ll never forget for sure.

Washing Machine door seal repair- wait what?

Okay so this requires some backstory: When I was growing up, washing machines were my life (well I had other interests of course, but those took a backseat compared to this one up until I became a teenager), in fact my first exposure to YouTube was from the washing community (yes that’s a thing) around 2008 and because I watched so many videos about washing machines as a pre-teen it's resulted in many of those videos bringing a great sense of nostalgia to me as weird as that may sound (I could go into detail about individual channels I watched during that time but that would derail what this point is actually about so I’ll cover it another occasion, maybe).

I think around 2012 was when I started to lose interest in domestic appliances and started branch into more types of content (for example I remember this period of time was when I really starting getting into video game reviewers) which resulted with me not really paying attention to my old interest with domestic appliances anymore since I was now attracted by new types of content on a site that was rapidly growing and changing with each year (in fact in hindsight I think I spent too much time on YouTube but again that's a topic for another time), nowadays my “interest” relating to washing machines is less about them on their own and more so the fact I have an interest in electromechanical engineering which means sometimes domestic appliances are attached to it.

So imagine my surprise when not only did I start seeing washing machine content pop up on YouTube again (mainly as a result of memes e.g. the end jingle some appliances would play at the end of the cycle) but how I finally was in a position where my knowledge would pay off because the door seal on our washing machine had a tear, meaning water would leak out which lead me to look up information on washing machines that I haven’t done in a long time.

I admit, it was harder than I thought, despite using a video tutorial as a reference guide what I intended to take 2 hours actually took around 6 (I did have lunch during that time but it took way longer than I planned) however despite this the repair was a success! Honestly it feels so weird that after all these years that my knowledge would in fact be useful, albeit in a tricky way because I’ve had little experience working on domestic appliances and it's one of those cases where theory and practice can make a lot of difference in how good you are.

Topic End: Epilogue

So we've gone through a holiday event, a holiday I've been on and also something I did which I never expected to happen in my current life, this part of 2023 was certainly memorable!

Like I said at the start there's one more Points of Interest post I have after this so be sure to catch that one as well!

See you there!

Joining The "Band" Wagon · Part 1

There's been a music-related post circulating on Facebook, in hopes for others to join and put a pause on the boredom. So, I decided to join the "band" wagon... no pun intended!

So! Here goes...

BAND I LOVE: Issues ~

Issues have stolen my heart - especially their frontman Tyler Carter and his insane vocals. I only started to listen to them 2 or 3 years ago and I have been in love ever since, so much so, that their latest album "Beautiful Oblivion" was my favourite album for the whole of 2019. It's INSANE!

BAND I CAN LISTEN TO OVER AGAIN AND AGAIN: Fall Out Boy ~

I just find their music so goddamn catchy, fun and upbeat; it just puts me in such a good mood. It's any emo kid's anthem and I feel so nostalgic when I listen to them, especially "This Ain't A Scene" and "Grand Theft Autumn". They remind me of simpler times, like on the bus to and from school; headphones in and blasting FOB from the old iPod nano, muting the world around me and zoning out.

BAND I THINK IS UNDER APPRECIATED: Seraphim ~

I was introduced to Seraphim when my boyfriend sent me one of their cover songs to listen to because he was addicted to it, and therefore... I also became addicted. I only really listened to their covers, because it was interesting to hear rock/heavier versions of popular songs, such as their version of "The Night" originally by The Weeknd. They've done a few other covers, but then I discovered their song "Dust Eater" (and the acoustic version, which I actually prefer) and then their album "Shades of the Future" named after the title track. I think this band is so under appreciated; mainly because not a lot of people I know have heard of them. So if you get a chance to listen to them... please do! You won't regret it.

BAND THAT MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH MUSIC: 30 Seconds To Mars ~

I still get goosebumps to this day whenever I listen to 30STM. Mainly because I was (and still kinda am) obsessed with Jared Leto and his spine-tingling voice and screams. Especially the contrast he has; from the angelic tones in "Alibi" to the raw emotion in "The Kill". That music video is still one of my favourites to this day and incorporating Stephen King's "The Shining" gave it huge bonus points. 30STM definitely made me fall in love with the rock genre even more and had a helping hand in shaping my true emo form.

BAND I THINK IS OVERRATED: Green Day ~

This doesn't mean that I don't enjoy the occasional song, I'm just not particularly the biggest fan; leading me to think they're a bit overplayed and overrated (a bit like Nirvana... I'm sorry!). I tend to roll my eyes whenever "Wake Me Up When September Ends" plays. More like, wake me up when this damn song ends. Please.

BAND I HATE: Enter Shikari ~

I cannot stand this band and I apologise to anyone I offend, but I just strongly dislike (a better phrase than "hate") them, especially their songs "Jonny Sniper", "Juggernauts" and "Sorry, You're Not A Winner". I don't know what it is, but I just cannot get on with those songs and the band in general. They're kind of like my marmite... and I hate marmite too.

I don’t know if you’re already aware of them but I came across a group called TAN with their debut song du du du (they were formed out of a show called extreme debut:wild idol). I’m OBSESSED with the song for some reason and wanted your thoughts on the music video.

tan my second gen flop group reject beloveds......... you're obsessed with the song bc it's fucking GOOD that's why!!!! also i was not kidding they are hardcore channelling second gen with everything they've fucking got: from the song itself (r&b is decidedly not on trend rn) to the fact that the mv was filmed with $12 but they refused to use any location filming that would smooth out the rough edges to the prop based choreo to the STYLING!!!!!!!!! it is absolutely not reflected in the mv at all but all their music show stages are based around this black/white/gradiant duality styling that is soooooooooooooooo 'we have $8 and some pocket lint and a stray safety pin but by god we're gonna make this work' of second gen like my eyes blew out of my head every new stage i watched. like look at this!:

if someone had told me that was from 120322 instead of from 220312 i would have wholecloth believed them. the only thing that gives them away is that there isn't enough eyeliner. the ONLY thing. and i'm not even joking this is not at all a one off, this was a dedicated intentional choice that they upheld for their ENTIRE promo period:

but by far my favourite is 220326 music core where they have GRADIENT TUXEDOS!!!!!!! actually my other favourite is this gradient pink inkigayo stage, because obviously. it would have been so easy for their stylists to just slap some generic fourth gen type normal clothes on them (which to an extent they did do in the mv), but instead they really dug into this old style coordinating + themed outfits. the mv struggles a bit because there are a lot of ideas happening but see also aforementioned budget of $12. obviously companies wanna put out something big for a debut mv so i don't fault them there but i think they should have encorporated more of the opposites theme of the styling+choreo into the visuals of them mv itself. they could have done a lot more with light/dark imagery and with the umbrella in the choreo they could have gone for a gentleman/'kingsmen' concept that would have been a lot cleaner of a visual and also would smooth over some of the visual discrepency between the fact that one of the members first debuted TEN YEARS AGO and the maknae is still 17, and they can't really do the sexy second gen concept i think they were partially trying to go for. the gratuituous ass shot of taehoon was extremely funny though. you can do very stylized mvs for cheap (see my cheap mvs post!) and i think if they had done something similar to knk's sunset or even oneus' valkyrie (speaking of other insanely good debuts) where there's a heavy emphasis on lighting and camera angles and editing, it would have made much more of an impact. the less money you have to work with the harder it becomes to make maximalist decorated sets work, and sometimes you do have to sacrifice in some areas. regardless of that though i think their debut was success and if you haven't listened to the rest of their mini you should because all the songs fuck (i really hope we get a comeback from them because i want the second half of fix you so bad) and it's very pretty clear that they're all talented and have the vocal chops to back themselves up; see this acapella cover!!

anyways i'll leave y'all with this parting meme that i made when they first debuted: