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discoscoob · 3 years

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Constellations | Loki x Female Reader

Loki (Marvel) x Doctor Who

Pure fluff and smut of Loki and you making love in a dome observatory beneath colliding galaxies.

Part Ten | Part Twelve | Chapter Index

Words: 5.1k

Warnings: Jotun Loki, smut, oral: male receiving and unprotected sex

Read on AO3

Loki observed you with a raised eyebrow as you returned both the psychic paper and the sonic screwdriver to the Doctors jacket pocket.

“Did you steal those?” Loki gasped, although you could tell from how exaggerated it was that his shocked reaction was playful.

“Borrowed.” You corrected him with a shrug.

“Where is your auntie and the Doctor? Did you... did you pilot the TARDIS yourself?” Now Loki looked genuinely amazed. “How were you able to track me down so quickly?”

“I connected my consciousness to the TARDIS through the telepathic interface and thought about you a lot and she brought me straight to you...” You affectionately patted at the console like you would a pet. “She’s smart.”

But Loki noticed the way your brows pinched together and your eyelids lowered over your eyes as your affectionate patting of the console switched into more of a nervous movement, you were far too interested in tracing the intricate lines which ran between the different toggles and buttons. Loki reached his own hand out to cover yours, to pull your focus back into the moment.

“What is it?” He gently nudged you.

“Donna and the Doctor... they found out about New York... about you. I tried to tell them that you weren’t in control... I think the Doctor understood... but Donna... she thinks you made the whole thing up... that you can’t be trusted.” The entire time you spoke, you avoided Loki’s eyes as you kept your gaze focused on your interlocked hands hoping he wouldn’t pull his away.

“And what do you think?” Loki asked as he brushed his thumb along the back of your knuckles.

“I trust you... does that make me a fool?” You finally looked into Loki’s eyes, wanting to hold contact as he answered to search for any traces of dishonesty.

“Yes,” Loki nodded and your face dropped as your eyes slightly inflated, “if you were anyone else,” he added as he caressed your jaw with his palm. “I don’t know what I have done to earn your trust but it is something that I would never wish to destroy.”

You leaned your face into his palm with a slight blush as you let your eyes fall shut, you planted a lingering kiss on the back of his wrist. “You had me for a second there.”

“Twice in one day.” Loki proudly smirked.

“Hmm... Moby tho?” You lifted a judgemental eyebrow, recalling your encounter in the Judge’s office, and his face twisted with a cringe.

“Not my finest moment, I’ll admit.” He chuckled at himself slightly before he began walking backwards, pulling you along with him by your hand. “I have something which I would like to show you.” He told you to ease away the confused crease between your brows.

Loki quietly guided you through the corridors of the TARDIS, since neither of you wanted to deal with a confrontation from your auntie just yet, you had came to an unspoken agreement that you would avoid her for now.

“After the Dark Ages... when I...” Loki began, keeping his voice low.

“Avoided me for three days?” You finished for him and Loki shamefully avoided your eyes as he nodded.

“I explored the depths of the TARDIS,” he softly explained after letting a moment of silence wash over the both of you, “and I found a room, which I imagined sharing with you whenever I visited it.”

By the time he was finished speaking he had halted in front of a sealed door and was grasping both your hands in his own, he let his hands stroke up both your arms, until they eventually reached your shoulders and he manoeuvred you so that your back was facing his front.

Loki brought his hands up to your face and used them to cover both your eyes, plunging you into darkness. He felt your eyelashes brush against his palms as you slowly blinked.

“Do you still trust me?” You felt his breath fan over the shell of your ear from his close proximity.

“I do.” You confirmed without hesitation.

You heard the sound of the sealed metal door slide open before Loki guided you forward, your footing was clumsy due to your lack of sight but Loki made sure to keep a slow and steady pace as he walked you into the room.

You startled slightly once you heard the door seal back shut behind you and Loki soothed you with a gentle shush in your ear before he brought you to a stop.

“Ready?” Loki whispered and you nodded before he removed his hands from your face and rested them back on your shoulders.

Once you blinked your eyes open your breath caught in your throat at the marvellous sight before you. Loki had stood you in the centre of a dome observatory. Beyond the glass panels above you, every colour your eye could see twirled and intertwined, both spiralling and colliding with one another while mimicking the shape of clouds, amongst glimmering Swarovski crystal stars which provided you with the only source of light as they shone down on the pair of you like a mirror ball. The floor of the observatory perfectly mirrored the scenery above, creating the illusion that you were completely submerged in the depths of space, floating between colliding galaxies.

The stars reflected in your dilated pupils as your eyes stretched wide with amazement and your jaw dropped as you failed to conjure any words which would come close to justifying how captivated you were by the wonder before you.

Loki circled you until he was stood before you and you reluctantly pulled your focus away from the stars to instead admire them as they floated in the reflection of his eyes.

“This morning you asked me something...” Loki began as he held both your hands in his, “you asked to know what I really looked like and I didn’t understand why you would ever wish to see that part of me. It isn’t something which I have ever fully accepted about myself, but it is a part of me no matter whether I like it or not and as your beloved it isn’t right that I hide parts of myself from you, especially since I have gained your trust, you deserve full openness and honesty.”

“Loki, if you’re not comfortable... I don’t want you to feel forced into revealing your true form to me. I was wrong to pressure you and I should have respected your boundaries.” You admitted making sure that he was sure about his choice.

“I don’t want to hide anything from you, I’m certain.” Loki assured you before he planted a kiss on your forehead and began backing away, you stepped forward to follow him but he gave you a stern look which told you to remain where you were as he widened the distance between the pair of you.

Loki closed his eyes and you expected to see the green shimmer wash over his body to reveal his true form but instead a darker shade began to spread over his skin, at first you thought it was a shadow as it creeped over half his face until it began to cover every inch of his skin.

Once his entire face turned a cold shade of deep blue, the purples, pinks, reds and greens of the galaxies above reflected off the high points of his face, giving his skin different hues. His cheekbones glowed with a hint of purple, while the bottom of his forehead reflected the green glow, which combined with his skin tone, created a cyan highlight over the top of his eyes, which were still hidden behind his lowered eyelids.

Markings rose over his face in the shape of fine lines, three of them ran across the side of each cheek just beneath his high cheekbones and another set ran down the front of his chin, while on his forehead three lines ran parallel in the shape of a semicircle which disappeared into his hairline.

You looked down to his hands, noticing the blue tone had spread over them by now and just like on his face, thin lines rose across the back of his hands and fingers and his fingernails turned black.

You chanced taking a step forward but Loki finally lifted his eyes, revealing a pair of crimson irises, and fixed you with a warning look that told you not to come any closer.

“Loki, what is it?” You could sense there was a reason he was maintaining his distance and you doubted he was just hoping that you were short sighted so you wouldn’t be able to see him properly from far away.

“I have never been touched or touched anyone in this form. When I went to Jotunhiem with my brother, the frost giants would give the warriors frostbite from their touch alone. I don’t want to hurt you.” Loki shared his concern with you.

“But may I come closer? I won’t touch you, I promise.” You paid attention to the hesitant look in Loki’s eye before he subtly nodded and clasped his hands behind his back as you slowly closed the gap between the two of you, until you were about arms length away from him.

Loki appeared nervous as he let his eyelids cast over his eyes once again and lowered his head to stare at the reflection of the galaxies on the ground, avoiding your curious gaze as you let your eyes cast over every visible inch of his body, amazed by his otherworldly form. He was like nothing you had ever seen before and you were completely captivated by him, even the constellations above couldn’t steal your attention away.

“Please don’t hide your face.” You softly pleaded.

“You don’t have to pretend that you find this form appealing,” Loki shook his head letting his dark hair curtain over his face, “I know this is disparate to the standards of beauty on your planet, I do not seek or expect validation, my one and only intention is to honour your trust and be completely open with you.”

Innately, you reached your hand out with the intention of brushing his hair away from his face and behind his ear, momentarily forgetting about the promise you had made not to touch him. When Loki caught sight of your movement, he flinched and instinctually blocked you by catching your wrist in his fist, causing you both to stiffen with alarm once you realised you had made skin on skin contact.

Loki snatched his hand away almost instantly, as if he had touched something scalding hot, while you cradled your wrist in your palm and inspected it. To both your surprise, you were unharmed. All you had felt when Loki touched you was a slight chill which rose goosebumps along the back of your forearm, but you received no injury, no frostbite.

Tentatively, you began stretching your fingers out towards Loki’s hand which hung limply by his side, he warily watched your movements but made no move to pull his hand out your reach since he was just as curious as you were. Your pointer finger lightly brushed against his own, rivalling the touch of a feather, causing his hand to twitch slightly at the ticklish sensation that ran through it. His hand was cold to touch, like he had just came inside from a long walk in a winter storm, but his touch did not hurt you so you slowly reached out further until your fingers were interlocked.

Loki looked at your intertwined fingers as if his eyes were playing tricks on him before he hesitantly gave your hand a gentle squeeze with his own, just to make sure it was truly there and not a figment of his imagination and you gave his hand a squeeze back in return as you took a step closer to him.

“I’m not pretending.” You told him honestly and Loki pulled his gaze away from your hands to look into your eyes for any sign of insincerity. “I love the way that your skin glows different hues as it reflects the colours of the galaxies surrounding us.” You traced the pad of your thumb against the purple tone on his cheekbone, as your eyes studied his face, “the way the stars mirror in your eyes, they outshine even the finest rubies.”

Loki leaned into your touch as you moved ever closer, you traced the pad of your thumb over the ridges of his face and Loki let his eyes flutter shut in response to your soothing touch. You were fascinated by the perfectly aligned markings.

“Do all frost giants have identical markings or are they unique to each one, like fingerprints?” You curiously whispered and Loki’s eyelids calmly rose open as he looked down at you, almost dumbfounded by the genuine interest you displayed in his true form.

“They’re all different...” Loki slowly answered as he watched the way your eyes roamed his form with nothing but pure intrigue.

Your thumb travelled across his cold skin until you found markings that disappeared under the collar of his shirt.

“May I?” You looked up to his eyes for consent as your fingers rested over the top button of his shirt.

Loki was looking back at you, his cheeks appeared to be a deeper shade of blue than the rest of his face, it almost looked like a blush, while the bottomless depths in the centre of his ruby red eyes expanded, as constellations swirled inside them. “You may.” Loki granted you permission in a hushed tone and you felt his Adam’s apple bop against your fingers as you unfastened the top button of his shirt.

You loosened his tie and slipped it from his neck, letting it cascade to the floor to be forgotten, before you returned to unbuttoning his shirt. Once it was completely undone, you peaked at his bare chest, the markings from his neck ran parallel along his collarbones and stopped at the edge of his shoulders. A single line ran down the centre of his chest and stopped above his belly button. Two lines on either side ran parallel until they diverged in opposite directions and disappeared around either side of his narrow waist. In groups of three, completely symmetrical lines on either side of his hips, arched down towards his pelvis and disappeared beneath the waist band of his trousers.

Moving your hands underneath his shirt you gently encouraged it off his shoulders and gravity did the rest to slip it from his body. The same narrow markings ran down his biceps and forearms, the lines spiralled around like the pattern of a candy cane until his elbows where the lines gathered close together and completely circled his arm like a band.

“Are you okay with this?” You double checked with Loki, your hands were resting on his shoulders, you didn’t want to push him beyond his comfort, he had remained uncharacteristically quiet the whole time. Loki simply nodded and you furrowed your brows, not entirely convinced.

“Are you su–“ you didn’t get the chance to finish asking him before he hooked his cold hand around the back of your neck, sending shivers down your spine, and he dragged your lips towards his own. His other arm encircled your waist, securing you close to his body, you felt him fist at the back of your thin blouse to drag it out from where it was tucked into your trousers so his hand could gain access beneath it. As his cool fingers ran along the dip of your spine, goosebumps rose along your skin and your fine hairs stood on end.

“I’m sorry, I just– I never imagined I would ever be touched in this form and even if there was a chance I could be... I doubted anyone would ever want to.” Loki admitted, as he rested his forehead against yours with his eyes closed.

You nudged your nose against his affectionately, “I find it difficult to keep my hands off of you.” You admitted as you wrapped your arms further around his neck and pulled him down to once again mould your lips to his.

Loki could sense from the way you looked at him, your body language and lack of hesitation that this wasn’t a performance, your words and actions were completely true and sincere. The fact he was in his jotun form slipped from the forefront of his mind as he allowed himself to indulge in this moment which he shared with you, without allowing any other thoughts to enter his mind, his attention was entirely focused on you.

Loki lowered the pair of you to the floor and you prepared for your back to come into contact with the hard surface but instead it met a soft fur blanket and cushions which you were certain hadn’t been there beforehand. You couldn’t be bothered to find the words to question it, instead moans of pleasure escaped between your parted lips as Loki’s cool mouth attached to the column of your neck and left hungry open mouthed kisses down your collarbones and over your chest, as he skilfully unbuttoned your blouse with one hand.

The fact his lips were cold created a whole new foreign sensation which you weren’t used to and it caused your sensitive body to become even more responsive. Once Loki had slipped your flimsy blouse from your body, you put your palms on his shoulders and pushed until he rolled onto his back and you straddled him.

Loki couldn’t hide the stunned expression which crossed over his face from your unexpected gain of control, you wanted to make sure he knew how much you admired his true form and how grateful you were that he trusted you enough to let you see it.

“Let me worship you.” You whispered against his icy lips.

“If you insist.” Loki grinned in return after a short quiet pause where he put little effort in masking the affect your words had on him.

As you followed the markings on his chest all the way down his belly, to the top of his trousers, Loki sunk his fingers into your hair and gently scratched the tips of his black fingernails over your scalp, which sent pleasant shivers through your entire body.

You quickly popped open the button of his trousers and pulled down the zipper, eager to reattach your lips to his cool flesh, you dug your fingers into both the waistband of his trousers and his underwear and dragged them down together until his hard member sprung free.

“Darling?” You heard Loki whisper and you gently shushed him as you planted warm kisses along his marked thighs, while your hands rested on his bare hips, which involuntarily bucked as your lips moved closer to where he needed you.

You purposely made your fingertips lightly drag across the point where his hip met the top of his leg to send a ticklish sensation through his abdomen, you smiled to yourself when you felt Loki squirm slightly beneath you, before you wrapped your fingers around the base of his length and you heard his breath catch in his throat.

You looked up at Loki through your lashes to find him already staring down at you with his pupils blown and his lips parted ever so slightly. Without breaking eye contact you opened your mouth and licked a stripe straight up his cock from the base to the tip, you weren’t sure where this surge of confidence to take had control come from but the way Loki responded only encouraged you to continue.

“Gods...” You heard him whisper to himself as his eyes rolled into the back of his head, which fell back limply between his shoulders as his grip in your hair tightened once you wrapped your warm mouth around his cold and sensitive tip.

You slowly dragged your lips back off his length with hollow cheeks, relishing in the response you gained from Loki, you dared to try and take him even deeper as you reattached your lips and sunk down until you felt his tip at the back of your mouth before you slowly pulled back up.

“I fear your mouth might take me to Valhalla.” Loki strained as he bucked his hips in search of more friction, your cheeks heated at the praise, spurring you on to please him further.

Sinking back down on his length, you dragged your hand at his base up and down where your mouth couldn’t reach as you began to bob your head. You felt yourself grow wetter in your underwear simply due to the affect you were having on the God beneath you. Using your free hand you unbuttoned your suit pants and dug your fingers into your underwear to rub the pad of your middle finger over your sensitive clit.

Moans escaped your mouth, sending vibrations through Loki’s hard cock which increased his pleasure, he couldn’t control the way his hips bucked into the warmth of your delightful mouth, making you choke slightly as his blunt tip hit the back of your throat.

Loki immediately lifted his head to check on you but you had quickly regained your composure as you continued to pleasure him, unfazed, but he noticed your hand buried into the front of your own pants and he drew his brows together because that just would not do.

Using his hand which was buried in your hair, he gently dragged your head up, causing a whine to leave your throat as he slipped from your mouth but he tenderly soothed you as he brought his hand to your cheek and encouraged you to crawl up his body.

“What were you doing?” Loki softly asked you, by now both your hands were resting on either side of his head in order to hold yourself up as he stared up directly at you with one hand stroking through your hair, while the other traced patterns along your bare back.

“Sucking you off?” You answered, but your tone made it sound more like a question as you drew your brows together with confusion.

“What else.” Loki prompted you and your mind cleared with realisation but you were still confused as to why he was drawing attention to it.

“Playing with myself...” You said feeling your face begin to flush, certain now that this was the answer that he was looking for.

“Mhm,” Loki nodded in acknowledgement before he switched your positions, pushing you onto your back so he was looming over you, his stare grew even more intense as the galaxies were no longer reflected in his eyes causing them to grow darker. “Why?”

Suddenly you began to grow nervous, like you had been caught doing something you shouldn’t have, “because I wanted to?” You asked, as if he already knew the answer and you were making a guess hoping it was the right one.

“You wanted to?” Loki cocked his brow, as he slowly trailed his hand down your stomach and buried his hand into your underwear just like you had, you twitched slightly at the cool sensation on your heat, as he dragged his fingers through your folds, gathering your juices on them, he lightly nudged your clit before he pulled his hand back out of your underwear.

“You’re completely soaked,” he stated, “you resorted to pleasuring yourself while I’m right here and perfectly capable of taking care of all your needs.” If you weren’t mistaken, you’d say Loki seemed almost offended, you weren’t sure if you should’ve apologised or not.

“What about you?” You tried, after all you were taking care of his needs.

“My love, I will not see you go neglected as I chase my own pleasure.” Loki told you, as he dragged your trousers and underwear down your legs, revealing your most intimate area to himself and the galaxies above. You moved your legs like you were on an invisible bicycle in order to completely pull them off your body and left them in a messy heap on the floor while Loki unlatched your bra, leaving you completely bare to him.

He didn��t hesitate to run the blunt head of his cock over your folds, causing you to jump at the unfamiliar feeling of such a chilling temperature on your heat, you wondered how it would feel inside you. You didn’t have to wait long to find out as Loki began sinking himself into you, both of your senses and sensitivities were heightened due to your contrasting temperatures, you felt every inch of his length drag against your hot walls, while Loki almost came instantly from the feeling of your tight heat surrounding him.

“Oh my god, Loki,” you gasped as you tightened your arms around him as shivers shot through your spine hand in hand with pleasure while your abdomen tightened and your walls fluttered against his cool length. Loki allowed himself to bask in your response before he began rolling his hips in a steady rhythm.

Once again you began to move your hand down towards your clit but Loki quickly grabbed both your wrists in his fits and pinned them on the plush cushions scattered around your head.

“If you keep insisting on taking responsibility for your own pleasure, I will be left with no choice but to restrain you.” Loki warned you and the suggestion sent the pit of your stomach swirling.

Loki picked up on the way your eyes widened so slightly at the mere thought of being restrained and completely at his mercy and realised that might be something you would be interested in and he stored it in his memory to explore at a later date, for now he made sure to keep your wrists held together in one of his large hands, as he brought the other down to your neglected clit.

Your back immediately arched into his as you gasped with pleasure and he increased his pace, creating more friction for the pair of you. Loki’s marked back glistened with the many hues from above, as it arched and rolled with each hard and direct thrust.

“Please, Loki...” You whined as you felt your release coiling in the base of your stomach, you just needed a gentle nudge over the edge. You moved your leg slightly, giving Loki the room to change the angle of his deep thrusts and you instantly screamed with pleasure as he unexpectedly hit the perfect spot inside you, instantly sending your orgasm crashing over you as you chanted his name along with some added curse words.

Loki came immediately after you as the way your walls clenched around him as your release surged through you had ignited his own explosion.

While you recovered from your orgasm, you watched Loki’s face as his eyes closed and his lips parted before a backdrop of constellations which shone behind him like a nimbus and you thought it was the most breathtaking sight you had ever seen.

As his pleasure gently evaporated, he slipped himself out of you and rested by your side, a warm ivory skin tone began to spread over his body as he returned to his usual form. His body temperature instantly rose and you snuggled into his chest in search of warmth, since laying with his frost giant form had left your own skin cold to the touch.

Loki conjured another blanket and tucked it snugly around the pair of you as he wrapped his arm around your shoulders and secured you in his safe and comfortable hold and you let out a quiet content sigh.

You believed the moment couldn’t have been anymore perfect, you were resting in the arms of the person you loved, in post orgasmic bliss, underneath a view very few people would ever have the privilege of enjoying.

It took you a moment to realise it, but you immediately stiffened as soon as you realised what you had considered Loki as. The person you loved.

“Are you all right?” Loki lifted his head to look down at you, having picked up on the way your body had stiffened against him and the way your pulse picked up as his felt the beat of your heart hammering against the side of his bare chest.

“I just... I just remembered what I saw on the projection,” you quickly saved yourself, “will you tell me where it was from?”

Now you lifted your head and rested your chin above his armpit as you looked at him with concern, although you were attempting to cover up the real reason you had unexpectedly stiffened, you were still anxious about what you had saw and Loki had promised that he would explain it to you later, you decided what better time than now.

Loki’s eyelids lowered as he looked down and let his head fall back against the cushions and you noticed the way he swallowed nervously, as you watched him closely in silence, giving him time to gather the right words.

“Remember how in Pompeii I told you I am a glitch in the timeline and I’m not supposed to exist?” Loki jogged your memory and you nodded against his shoulder.

“After I attacked New York and I was captured by my brother and the Avengers, I stole the tesseract and used it to escape – in the original timeline that never happened, originally I was captured and Thor took me with him back to Asgard. By escaping with the tesseract I created an alternate timeline of events. The projection was showing me my alternative life... and that moment you saw... that was my death.” You didn’t miss the way Loki’s voice trembled slightly as he explained it to you which caused hot tears to gather underneath the edge of your waterline, while it felt like a fist tightened around your heart.

“That... that’s not going to happen to you now though, right?” You worried and Loki once again lifted his head to look you in the eye as he rose a comforting hand to your cheek.

“No, darling. I’m on a different path now. One I am taking with you by my side.” Loki assured you and brought a smile to your lips and a warmth to your chest that soothed your racing heart.

You planted a kiss on his lips, pouring all your emotions and feelings into it, which caused it to deepen as your lips moved against each other’s in a lazy rhythm until you lifted away with one last peck before you returned your head to his chest.

“Let’s sleep here tonight, under the stars.” You said as you closed your eyes, finally realising just how tired you were.

#loki #loki imagine #loki x reader #loki x female reader #loki x you #loki marvel #loki smut #doctor who #tenth doctor #donna noble #tom hiddleston #loki series #jotun loki

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dossi-io · 3 years

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An introduction to DeVita

Do you want to learn all about the AOMG artist DeVita? This article will cover everything you need to know about the third female member to join the labels roster.

The content of this article is also available in video format, embedded at the bottom of this article.

Prelude

In early April of 2020, the Korean hip-hop label AOMG ambiguously announced that a new artist was signing onto the label. This label was grounded by the Korean-American triple-threat; Jay Park, who’s also one of its executives. This is a label with a very organic feel and artist-oriented nature, which stands out compared to many other music labels.

On April 3rd, the label’s official Instagram account posted a video. It was titled, “Who’s The Next AOMG?” where fellow AOMG members talked about this upcoming recruit. They sprinkled small hints and details by sharing their thoughts on the artist without mentioning who.

Around the world, fans immediately began speculating on who this could be. The major consensus was that it had to be the solo artist Lee Hi, due to reporting like this: “AOMG responds ‘nothing is confirmed’ to reports of Lee Hi signing on with the label”

A few other names got thrown in fan speculations like Hanbin (B.I), previous member of IKON, Jvcki Wai, and MOON (문) aka Moon Sujin. This despite a few of these already being signed to other labels.

On April 6th, three days later, the account was updated with a part two. This time dropping more hints, which would exclude many names from fan speculations.

On the 7th of April, the label’s official Instagram account posted a short teaser. The video sported an 80’s retrofuturistic setting, with a woman turned from the camera, dressed in all black, rocking braids, and some glistening high-heels. As it seemed to be a female, some were now certain that it had to be Lee Hi. A small few actually guessed correctly that the one who would be joining AOMG would be Ms DeVita.

Finally on April 9th, it was official! She debuted with the music video, from which the teaser clips was taken from, EVITA!, which accompanied the release of her EP, CRÈME.

What does the name DeVita mean?

The name DeVita, draws inspiration and meaning from two things. Firstly, Eva Perón – also known as Evita – who was Argentina’s former First Lady. When Chloe was learning about Eva’s life, it inspired her to combine “Devil” and “Evita”, thus creating “DeVita”. The name signifies the duality of how both Eva Perón and DeVita could be perceived. Either being a devil, or an angel depending on the eye of the beholder. Secondly, Salvatore Di Vita, a character from Cinema Paradiso, was also a source of inspiration.

An introduction to DeVita

Chloe Cho – now known under the artist name DeVita – was born and raised in South Korea, until the age of eleven. In 2009, she moved to Chicago, where she would learn English.

In 2013, she went back to Korea and participated in the third season of the show; K-pop Star. A talent show, where the “big three” (the three largest music labels in Korea) hosts auditions to find the next big k-pop star. However she didn’t win, therefore neither got signed.

Later on, she returned to Chicago and graduated high school. After reflecting on what she wanted to do next, she decided to make music. In 2014, her pursuit to become an artist brought her to the talent show Kollaboration. On this show, she performed covers and actually ended up being a finalist. Despite her talents, she did not triumph as the winner of the show.

Not letting these losses stop her, she started releasing music on Soundcloud. The earliest release I could find, Halfway Love (Ruff), was from 2016. Her catalogue consisted of both covers and original music.

One day, Kirin, an artist and CEO of the music label 8balltown Records, was introduced to DeVita’s music. He liked what he heard and the two linked up. In May of 2018, WEKEYZ, one of 8balltown’s producer duos released a track titled Sugar. This track featured both DeVita, and the AOMG rapper Ugly Duck. This was the beginning of many collaborations to come.

On August 28th of 2018, just a few months later, AOMG released Sugar (Puff Daehee Mix).

This was a remix done by Puff Daehee, the alter ego of Kirin. Along with this track, it was accompanied by a music video starring Kirin, DeVita, and Ugly Duck. For most people, this was their first time seeing DeVita.

DeVita continued doing features on many songs by Korean artists while creating a little buzz for herself. There’s one notable feature, which could be seen as an important milestone in her career. That is her feature on the track Noise, from AOMG artist Woo Won Jae’s project, titled af.

In a tweet a few days after the release of CRÈME, she shared the significance of this moment.

“I was still making minimum wage working at a restaurant back when Noise dropped- I wrote my part during my shift on the back of this receipt paper. This was about a year and a half ago. A little bit after that I got a call from Pumpkin at 3am Chicago time. He said Jay wanted to meet in Philly in 4 hours. They put me on a plane and the rest is history.”

The phone call she mentioned in her tweet, about Jay wanting to meet, must have been made around September 2018. Jay was performing in Philadelphia at the time. The moment they met in Philadelphia was actually captured through a photo of the two. However, this picture ended up getting removed later on.

Fast forward a few months and Jay had just released his Ask About Me EP. The project focused on a western audience, so he went to the States on a promo run. During his visit, he also met up with DeVita once again, as can be seen here.

Finally, on April 9th, her being signed to AOMG was officially announced and she debuted with her EP titled CRÈME. Her joining AOMG, looked like something that happened pretty naturally. The vast majority of artists she had collaborated on tracks with happened to be AOMG members. Getting comfortable with the AOMG family, likely made the decision to join crystal clear.

Artistically

Just a quick look at her body of work thus far, a majority of it is in English. However, she has no issues singing in Korean, as proven by her feature on Code Kunst’s; Let u in. The tone in her voice has this sort of mixture of many singers, a melting pot of sorts. It reminds me of Audrey Nuna, SAAY, H.E.R, some vocal riffs from Dinah Jane, and at times, just a tiny bit of Ariana Grande.

As an artist, she’s still in the early stages of carving out her own unique sound and style. There’s incredible potential here, but her distinct identity is not completely there yet. I see before me a caterpillar that within a couple years, will transform into a butterfly, with its own identifiable pattern to spread its wings out on.

From what she’s shown so far, I would say she seems most comfortable doing R&B and soul music. However, beyond a quick description I prefer to refrain from categorizing her. Mostly because artists generally feel limited when categorized. More importantly, because we have no idea what she has in store for the future.

Debut EP: CRÈME

CRÈME is DeVita’s “crème de la crème”. She constantly modified the tracklist to present her debut project in a way that held her personal standard; essentially presenting us her best tracks. The result is CRÈME, which consists of five tracks, with a runtime of fourteen minutes altogether.

This EP showcases the fact that she is a competent songwriter, able to write some soulful, emotional ballads. It is completely in English and all the tracks are written by her, telling both life stories of her own and that of others. A majority of the production was handled by her “musical soulmate”; TE RIM, but other notable names, like Code Kunst show up as well.

Tracks:

Movies, introduces the project in a very gentle manner. In the track, DeVita paints a picture of a criminal couple, getting a rush, by committing crimes together. The lyrics feel inspired by movies like Bonnie and Clyde. My initial thoughts were that, for some ears, it could possibly be “too” calm as an opener. It doesn’t demand attention the way EVITA! does. Simply put, it’s not a bad track. I would just have put this track later on in the EP.

EVITA!, is something different compared to what I hear from others in the K-R&B lane. I love the 80’s aesthetic in both the track and music video. Sonically, the nostalgic saxophone riffs, warm lush synth pads, thumping bass line, results in a trip back to the 80s. With this recipe, topped with DeVita’s “current” contemporary soul and R&B voice makes for an interesting combination. The music video had that futuristic 80’s look with the neon colors, and I loved how the guns she played around with looked a lot like the “Needlers” from the Halo franchise. The title is once again just like DeVita’s name, an ode to the controversial Eva Perón. The instrumental was originally used by TE RIM, the producer of the track in 2017. His version has the same title as DeVita’s version and I recommend giving that one a listen as well, as it has a different feel to it. This track was definitely one of the highlights of the EP.

All About You, is a simple yet beautiful piano love ballad. Originating from her own tales of love, her vocals effortlessly capture what she felt during these moments.

1974 Live, is yet another ballad, but this time, with a calm guitar backing, playing a poppier R&B chord progression. DeVita’s voice is given a lot of space to be in the center of the track. As soon as I heard this track I became curious. What was the significance of this year, which would have her title the track as such? My questions were left unanswered… until the EP had marinated a while, when she tweeted: “1974 Live is about Christine Chubbuck”. In case you’re unfamiliar, Christine Chubbuck was a television news reporter, who made history in 1974. She was the first person to commit suicide live on air. According to her mother Christine’s suicide would on paper be due to an unfullfilling personal life. All throughout her life, she had experienced unreciprocated love. With this information tying back to the track, it becomes a lot less ambiguous and reveals a more cohesive narrative.

Show Me, is the final track of the EP, featuring immaculate production from the talented CODE KUNST. The sound is very moody, which fits her voice like a glove. This is my favorite performance on the entire EP, both lyrically and vocally. The lyrics present someone who’s fed up dealing with men, who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. Now she’s looking for love with someone who’s honest and “real”.

With the project being a year old now, it has already gotten her nominated for both Rookie of the Year along with EVITA being nominated for Best R&B & Soul Track in the 18th iteration of the Korean Music Awards.

A majority of listeners seemed to enjoy the project. Many seem to be in love with her voice judging by the endless amounts of praise she has received, often described as painfully addicting, soothing, smooth, and so on.

I also asked a friend who’s a huge fan of Korean music, especially the hiphop and r&b scene to share her thoughts on the project. Here’s what she said:

"This whole project is empowering, in particular the tracks Show Me and EVITA! DeVita being a new artist, managed to impress me and many more listeners through this EP. As mentioned earlier, empowering lyrics with unique melodies and beats. Especially with the track EVITA! The fact that 1974 Live and EVITA! was referring to, two historically important women, is something that I love. This is one of my favorite EP:s of 2020 and DeVita is now included in my list of favorite artists." @Haonsmom

From what I’ve seen, only a few have been vocal about not really being too fond of the project. Some were left a bit disappointed, as they were expecting more hip-hop and R&B from an AOMG artist. The lack of “danceable” tracks was also a concern to some. Despite these criticisms, one thing was always mentioned; the girl has a beautiful voice and is obviously talented.

After listening to this EP, I hear a lot of potential. Being an EP with just five tracks, it definitely avoids overstaying its welcome. It’s brief enough to allow a listen through the entire project, no matter what you’re doing. My favorite tracks would have to be Show Me and EVITA!, but I found the whole project to be enjoyable. This EP is sprinkled with lovely vocal performances and simple but captivating production. I do still stand by my opinion that Movies would have fit better later in the tracklist if you’re chasing that mainstream ear.

I think the way EVITA! kicks you in the face, demanding attention, would’ve been a better fit as the opening track. In contrast to the other tracks, the energy level is unique, making the placement feel odd as the rest of the tracks have a chill vibe. All in all, this project gave me a taste of the “crème” but left me with a curious yearning for what this chef will whip up for dessert.

Bright future ahead

The addition of more female artists to the AOMG roster was much needed. Hoody was the first and only female member for about four years. This was the case up until late 2019, where she was then joined by sogumm, who had just won AOMG’s audition program called SignHere. Now funnily enough after DeVita, Lee Hi actually did end up officially signing with AOMG on July 22, last year.

Based on what I’ve heard during Devita’s Kollaboration days, she has improved immensely. This topped with her leaving the impression of someone passionate about their craft, bodes well for what's to come. She seems to be someone who'll constantly evolve.

Following an artist, at the early stages of their career, is something that I always find exciting. With such a lovely debut, I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for DeVita.

To view the content of this article in video format simply play the video embedded below.

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The first image in article: Original photo, pre-edit from @jinveun

Gif from the Sugar Puff Daehee MV: @moxiepoints

#devita #krnb #jay park #aomg #h1ghrmusic #8balltown #kpop #review #korea #uglyduck #chloe devita #chloe cho #kirin #evita!#crème #moon sujin #khh #korean hip hop #krap

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sanstropfremir · 3 years

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would love to hear ur thoughts re. these street woman fighter's performances and who you would personally vote as the "better dance crew" in how they interpreted each other choreos and the song.

this was for their first elimination round (ep4) and it was interesting to hear from the judges + why they gave the points they did. (i'm not entirely sure if you're watching the show's episodes. they are roughly 2 hours long. so if you would like more context, pls let me know! i wrote brief comments underneath each one as well as the winners [spoilers ahead!]. assuming you are not: for this mission, each crew is paired with another crew and they have to choreograph one of the soloist songs. songs were "split" into two parts: part one [would be one song] and part two [another song]; one crew would choreograph one part and follow the other's crew choreograph for the other part.)

1. boa - eat you up (want choreo) + better (ygx choreo). dance crews: ygx vs want

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCfK_qWAhM0&ab_channel=MnetTV

winner: ygx. boa gave 151 pts to ygx and 49 pts to want (the biggest gap in points between crews), sharing that although want choreographed eat you up, ygx was more cohesive (pointing to how want wore hats and it was messy). additionally, ygx had better stage presence and was able to capture the camera more. also, because ygx is the only crew to have a b-girl and use it in their routine, the judges applauded want for doing the best they can.

2. cl - doctor pepper (wayb) + hello bitches (prowdmon). dance crews: prowdmon vs wayb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEEpZ9SrvaE&ab_channel=MnetTV

winner: prowdmon. judges shared that doctor pepper's routine is a trademark of wayb and that they should have been the standout. however, they felt like prowdmon did it better.

3. hyuna - crazy (4minute) (coca n butter) + i'm not cool (hook) + lip and hip (hook). dance crews: hook vs coca n butter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1ikpPKEA30&ab_channel=MnetTV

winner: hook. the two dance crews are VERY different in terms of style. coca n butter is described to be more hip-hop while hook is definitely more reflective of the current/newer trends. (when hook was first introduced in the show, they were known as the crew who was famous only for tiktok dances.) the judges shared that hook was more fun and interesting, given their stylistic choice of wearing the pink wigs. whereas it seemed for coca n butter, they felt like something was lacking (they showed something but it didn't feel they did.)

4. jessi - what type of xx (lachica) + nununa (holybang) + gucci (holybang). dance crews: holybang vs lachica

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtZzI11oyqc&ab_channel=MnetTV

winner: lachica. (this was the only battle where both crews came in v close pts. whereas for the other crews, there were huge point-gaps.) judges had a hard time choosing, sharing that for lachica they were more detail-oriented while holybang had better teamwork.

imo, i agree with the judges' choices. though i would have to say i think wayb did their routine (doctor pepper) better than prowdmon. they stood out to me then, but when it came to the second part (hello bitches), prowdmon was better. i loved lachica's performance - it was v clean + reminded me of something a kpop group would do (which like, the crew largely works with kpop acts like chungha, boa's better, etc. so it makes sense).

this was LONG. thank u if u do read it and post! i miss the kingdom "era" when u would post weekly reviews. the two are v different but this new mnet competition show is the only one i'm invested in. i'm not sure if it's big internationally? i know it is v popular in korea right now. while i've only seen i-fans talk about the show as it relates to chaeyeon (want) because she's an idol. - swf (streetwomanfighter) anon :]

omg this is so long and well organized, forget me writing reviews anon you should do it!! i'm not currently watching the full episodes but i've been catching the few clips that pop up in my youtube recommended occasionally, so i definitely don't have all the context but i'll take a crack at it!

ok so my assumption/from what i can tell, they have a bit of leeway to alter the competing group's choreo as needed to better suit numbers and formations. i also went and found the individual versions of these because why did they make them so small on the split screen, don't they know i'm old and wear glasses. also: MNET FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY STOP MOVING THE FUCKING CAMERA. WE DO NOT NEED SCROLLING VERTICAL BOOM SHOTS OF THIS. just keep the same lens at eye level it's really not that hard. this is like, one of the worst possible ways to shoot dance it is SO annoying. ok i'm done bitching about that let's go.

1. boa - ygx vs want i agree with the big point gap on this one, and i think want made a couple of choices that were not cohesive enough, and obviously they also got set up to fail by ygx. actually i think both groups made choices that were not particularly good, but ygx had more of the skills to back up what they were doing than want did. breaking is very difficult and requires a lot of upper body strength and a higher centre of gravity, which are two physical traits that are less common in women. personally i wouldn't have tried to break to better because although boa songs do have more of a beat than other idol music, it's still not at all the right type of music for breaking. it's gotta be fast, breakers rely on speed, because it's all about momentum; they're literally throwing themselves around the stage. here's the final from battle pro 2019 for example. the music is basically beats only; heavily lyric based music, like idol music, is bad for battling in general because there isn't a lot of consistency. i have more to say about this but i'm getting off track. basically by choosing to handicap the other team (because they don't have a bgirl at all) they shot their own bgirl in the foot because the song is too slow to properly show off her skills. i applaud want for making bold choices, like the hatwork and attempting the breaking, but ultimately when combined with their styling the performance looks disjointed. also they have some formation cohesion issues that make it look a bit like they'e struggling to keep up, even with their own choreo.

2. cl - prowdmon vs wayb i agree with the judges, i think prowdmon bodied the wayb choreo. i actually thought that was their choreo at first. they have the best presence that i've seen of all the groups and the performative "hard bitch" attitude fit in with their genre setting. wayb had several mistakes and synchronization issues that in my opinion made them look sloppy in comparision to prowdmon, who were sharper and had two more people to put into formations. 3. hyuna - hook vs coca n butter ok personally i don't like either of these choreos, but i'm agreeing with the judges here, i think hook's was the mildly more engaging. i can tell that they're very young and do mostly short form tiktok content because i see a lot of eye catching moves, but i don't see a lot of strong connective tissue between those moves. they have good ideas but they also really struggle with putting people into formation and balancing it out well. it doesn't help that they're a seven member crew going up against a four member one, so they have three extra people to figure out what to do with. there's a lot of empty space where there are members waiting in position for a group formation. it also doesn't help at all that they (mnet) appear to just be rawdogging the songs together without any kind of mixing, which is a huge detriment to groups that have to choreograph for two in their section. i'm not cool and lip and hip have two totally different feels and kudos to hook for at least trying to get them to at least visually be cohesive when mnet is go girl giving us nothing sonically. coca n butter has much more of an old school hip hop style, so putting these two up against each other was (probably a random lot draw) an interesting choice. personally i would have been more interested to see hook against want with the boa tracks and ygx against coca n butter with the hyuna tracks. however, i think the reason why coca n butter's stage felt like it was lacking is because they tried to emulate hyuna, without having the stage presence or the weirdness of hyuna. it feels like they're trying too hard and there isn't really any personal character in the piece, versus with hook, who embodied hyuna's weirdness a little more authentically and took a completely different direction. 4. jessi - lachica vs holybang lachica took this one easily, although their formations were a bit wonky for nununana, they covered it fairly well and i think they managed the best transition between songs (between nununana and gucci). they were sharper with good stage pictures and had a good gimmick with the double fringe on the gloves and hats. holy bang had some issues fitting their extra person into the what type of x choreo, but they did well with their own choreo. however, like with coca n butter and hook, because lachica took a new visual spin, this felt too derivative of jessi, so it wasn't that interesting for me to watch. i do think they are one of the groups on the stronger end of skills and presence. --- as far as visually what performances i liked the best, since would this even be a writeup by me if i didn't talk about design, here's a quick breakdown:

prowdmon - got some rudimentary setpieces, got a theme, got some fun variations on a uniform look; excellent for what i assume was limited budget capacity and also it's a dance crew show.

lachica - great continuity of effect in costuming with the fringe, and using the gloves as a mouth/lip effect was one of the most interesting choices of these routines.

hook - the pink wigs and the black latex on the checkered floor was a nice gimmick that was a bit of a nod to hyuna's weird without being too derivative. i'm not expecting a whole lot because these are dance crews but i think this was a decent amount of styling effort.

want - they made a bold choice with the hats and even though it didn't quite pay off for them i still respect it.

coca n butter/ygx/holybang/wayb - ygx and wayb did basic hip hop type styling and while it's absolutely fine, it's just boring. holybang went for a directly inspired jessi look, and although yes bodysuits, overall it wasn't that interesting either. coca n butter get props for doing a costume change and actually incorporating that into the choreo but it feels too much like it's trying to be hyuna weird with the caution tape strapped over their tits and asses.

---

as a final note/question to you, my lovely invested swf anon, what's the format of the show? are there stages like this every episode to review? if these were from the fourth one only, is there anything worth me reviewing in the first three? i'm not particularly interested in the aggressive competitive nature of the show and editing so i don't particularly want to watch the full two hour episodes, but if you think it's worthwhile for me to review stuff then i will. otherwise if there's a set structure (like with kingdom) i can seek out the stages specifically and review them if i know what i'm looking for.

#street woman fighter #swf #swf reviews #i dont really know what the international reception is. the very few people ive seen talking about it on twt #have been insane kpoppies disrespecting boa. so not the best ifan showing so far #am i back in my review era already???? we shall see #(while i still have like EIGHT different asks left. if you wonder why im taking so long to get to some of them. that is why)#(OH plus the first half of the stylings post. and the fabled fave choreos post. so many things in my drafts rn)#(but also please dont stop sending me questions it makes me very happy. the gerbil in my brain is just slow)#dear anon who just asked me about red lights and kink. mwah you are welcome to slide into my dms anytime you like #wait by putting kink in the tags did i just invite a bunch of pornbots onto this #whatever lmao #might need to start a new organizational tag for this because it's only kpop adjacent. thoughts for later #text #answers #ngl these group names are gonna drive me insane. why are all dance crew names so fucking weird

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olliepig · 3 years

Text

Centre Stage - chapter 5

As always, massive thanks to the ever amazing @willow-salix for her general cheerleading and betaing.

And, as usual, the whole thing is available on AO3 here.

*************************

“It’s a green light! Just go, will you?” Scott fumed, waiting for the car in front to move at the obvious filter light that had come on what felt like eons ago.

London traffic frustrated him no end, but today his tolerance for it was at an all-time low. Everything about getting there had seemed to take forever, and the joy he had felt soaring above the clouds once again had been short lived. He'd found himself wishing more than once on the flight from the island that he had chosen to bring his beloved One instead of the private jet. Despite the ultra-sonic plane being one of the fastest in the world, it was nothing compared to his ‘Bird, with whom the seemingly interminable four hours would have been slashed to just one, but he had made his decision and he was now having to live with the consequences.

However, even with the reduced flight time he’d still have to cross the congested city, and there was unfortunately no way of making that go any quicker. Selene always told him to take the tube, but the thought of heading into the dark tunnels wasn’t something he thought he could face so soon after the blackness of the Oort Cloud. So, he was stuck with crawling his way through the busy streets, his sleek, high powered car no use against the gridlock.

Sighing in frustration as the traffic light turned to red once more, he slumped back in his seat, wishing he still had John with him for company. They had gone their separate ways once the plane had landed, but having his brother present on the flight over had been a blessing that Scott was very grateful for. They had spent the majority of the time in companionable silence, each lost in thought as they tried to process the amazing events of the previous days but similarly desperate to reach their destination and see their respective partners. Having someone there, even if it wasn’t the person he was desperate to see, had calmed and grounded him.

After all the extreme emotions stirred up by their Dad’s rescue, Scott found he was craving normality above all else. Being able to do what he did was incredible, but at that moment, perhaps more than ever, he just wanted to be able to collapse on the sofa with Cat in his arms. He needed her like he’d never needed anyone before, and his overwhelming desire for her was in danger of taking over all else, his whole body aching for the comfort and safety of her touch.

Finally throwing the car into gear and inching forward, he sighed again, resigning himself to the fact that he was going to have to be patient, almost sure that another half hour wouldn’t kill him.

*****

Unable to settle in one spot, Cat prowled around her flat, her impatience taking her on a well-worn route around the room, stopping briefly at two different windows before winding back to the sofa for a brief sit down until nerves got the better of her and she started up again. Despite knowing that the chances of Scott covering the distance from the airport so quickly on a rainy October evening were slim, she’d lost track of how many times she had started pacing since finding out that he had landed and her frustration was growing steadily, her body not allowing her to rest until she had seen for herself that he was safe and well.

The past 48 hours had been torturous. The overwhelming fear that she had felt while he was deep in the Oort Cloud had completely engulfed her, leaving her unable to focus on anything else, but at least that, she had expected. What had surprised her was the impatience that had plagued her since she knew that the rescue had been a success and he was home. Her desperation to see for herself that he was safe had taken her completely aback and that, combined with the sheer intensity of her feelings over the previous days, had forced her to confront the reality of just how much he now meant to her.

Pausing in her circuit to watch a car making its way up the street, her heartbeat quickened in the hope that it was the one she was waiting for, and she realised in a sudden moment of clarity that everything that had happened since he had kissed her at Penny’s was completely inevitable. She was hopelessly infatuated with him, even she had been able to see that, and there had never been even a shred of doubt in her mind about his feelings for her. But until now, she had been holding back, not allowing herself to truly experience the depth of her feelings for him, and she had no idea why.

No more, she promised herself, sagging in disappointment as the car continued up the street into the distance. He didn’t deserve it, and she had no desire to do anything that could hurt him. Now that she knew how she truly felt, she couldn’t deny it any longer, nor did she want to.

Checking the clock, she threw herself back onto the sofa with a groan, unsure as to how it was possible that only a few moments had passed since the last time she had looked. It had been over an hour since he had landed and she was at least certain that the time was drawing near for him to arrive.

The sound of the buzzer for her door jolted her out of her reverie, sending her hurtling across the room to answer it, her heart rate now in the region that would give cardiologists cause for concern. Scott’s smooth, deep voice over the intercom when she answered was like a balm to her senses and she almost wilted with relief as she heard him open the building door. Finally, he was only four flights of stairs away.

Scott took the steps two at a time, sure that someone must have added in extra flights since he last been there. The last two days had been some of the toughest of his life, going from the lowest low of thinking they had been too late, to the unbelievable high when his dad had grabbed his hand and stopped him sliding off the edge of the planetoid to an uncertain fate amongst the debris. None of that mattered to him at that moment however. All he could think about was getting to the top of the stairs and finding comfort in the arms of the woman who was waiting at the top for him,

Finally, he was at the top, and his heart leapt as he saw his beautiful Cat framed in the open doorway, the look of longing written on her face drawing him inexorably towards her. Their eyes locked together, he took a shaky breath as he crossed the distance between them in five easy steps and enveloped her in his embrace, relief flooding through him as he took a couple of steps forward, forcing her further into the hall and allowing the door to slam behind them.

Savouring the feeling of familiar strong arms wrapped around her, Cat buried her face in his neck, holding on as tightly as she could. Breathing in the scent of his skin, all her fears over the past five days were gone in an instant. She clung to him, pressing herself against his warm body as she felt his hand snake up and tangle itself in her hair.

Shivering in anticipation, she felt his hand tighten around the strands as he encouraged her head back, their eyes meeting briefly before her lips were crushed under his in a bruising kiss. His lips were hot and firm against hers and he parted them with a groan as they deepened their kiss, allowing her tongue access.

Desperate for more, he kissed her again and again, hard and insistent, lost to the intensity as his world ceased to exist beyond the woman in his arms. All his senses were focused completely on his burning need for her and he could feel his body responding. The blood pooling at his groin caused a delicious ache when she pressed herself against him again, making his knees buckle as he struggled to regain control.

His obvious desire stirred something in Cat and her body cried out to feel his skin against hers. Without breaking their kisses, she reached under his jacket, fumbling to pull the back of his shirt from his waistband. Sliding her hands up his back as the garment came loose, she moaned softly as she felt goosebumps prickling his soft skin.

Scott groaned and attacked her mouth with renewed vigour, totally lost to the sensations she was unleashing in him. The feeling of her hands on his back made him desperate for more. His hands found their way under her jumper, tracing up her back, feeling her shiver as she pulled away, her breathing heavy as she met his eyes.

“That’s quite a hello,” she smiled, trying to get her breathing under control but struggling under the intensity of his desire filled gaze that was holding her captive. She could feel his calloused hand still on her back, the hard skin in stark contrast to the softness she could feel as she gently traced her fingers up underneath his shirt.

“Well, you know me, I don’t like doing anything by half,” he grinned back, relishing her touch, loving the playfulness in her tone and the way her eyes were hungrily watching his lips as he spoke. “Do you remember that thought I told you to hold?”

Extracting her hand from under his shirt, Cat reached up to gently stroke his cheek, nodding as she was taken back to the intensity of their farewell in that same hall five long days before. Without warning Scott moved, lifting her up as he kissed her again. She could only cling on, wrapping her legs around his waist as he carried her to the bedroom.

******

Cat huffed, flicking her hair over her shoulder again to get it out of her way while she focused on sewing ribbons onto the four pairs of new pointe shoes that would see her through the next couple of days of rehearsals but she really didn’t want to move to get something to hold it back. Not only did she have everything carefully laid out just where she needed it, but Scott was also sprawled on the sofa, engrossed in the movie they had put on earlier and she didn’t want to disturb him.

She wasn’t really paying much attention to it, but the act of doing something so normal after the week they had just experienced was a welcome relief. Moments like this took her back ten years, and she could quite easily believe that they were still in her flat in Richmond, relaxing before she had another week of rehearsals and he was back on duty with the Air Force.

Movement beside her jolted her back to the present as Scott pushed himself upright with a grunt, untangling his long legs from hers. He leaned in to kiss her on the cheek before he ambled out the room, his relaxed gait making Cat smile as she turned back to her sewing, glad that he was finally feeling at ease after the stresses of the previous weeks.

Out in the hall, Scott paused in indecision before heading into the bedroom. Contrary to Cat’s belief, he hadn’t really been paying attention to the movie either, instead spending his time watching her out of the corner of his eye. He found himself entranced by the way her hair kept cascading over her shoulder as she worked, the light catching it in a mixture of reds and golds as it moved before being flicked back to where it had come from. But no matter how much he enjoyed watching the colours dance across the strands as they fell, he could see how frustrating it must be for her and, once he heard her huff in annoyance, his mind was made up.

Moving with a conviction that he didn’t feel, he strode across to investigate the top of her chest of drawers, not completely sure of what she might need but sensing that he was likely to find something close to where he’d seen her put her hairbrush earlier. For the first time since he had known her, he found he was glad that she had not been blessed with the tidiness gene as he quickly grabbed her brush along with a selection of hair ties and pins that lay scattered across the top of the unit.

Crossing back across the living room, his precious bounty filling his hands, Scott was gratified to see that Cat hadn’t moved yet, still engrossed in her task and giving it her full attention.

“What’ve you got there?” Cat asked, her curiosity piqued by the way he was trying to sidle into the room without her noticing.

“Never you mind,” he replied with a grin, angling himself away from her as he walked behind the sofa so she couldn’t see what he was carrying.

Placing the ties and pins down on the top of the cushion, Scott gently ran the brush through the copper strands that he loved so much, suddenly nervous that this was a stupid idea as he watched carefully for Cat’s reaction. To his great delight, she put down the shoe she had been darning, which he took as enough of an invitation to carry on.

Sighing happily, Cat closed her eyes as a small smile played across her lips. She had no idea what had prompted him to lavish such attention on her, but she was definitely not going to complain. His gentle strokes with the brush made her scalp tingle, the sensation radiating out down her neck and into her shoulders. She leant back into the soft cushions, feeling Scott lift all her hair out of the way as she did so, letting it drape over the back of the sofa.

Her mother sitting behind her, talking about her day as she gently brushed her hair before bed one evening was one of the very few happy memories she had from her childhood. It was something she had clung to in the years afterwards, bringing it out and reliving it whenever the loneliness of being all but abandoned in favour of a new boyfriend got too much for her to bear. Now, some twenty years later, the feeling of Scott doing the same with such care took her right back to that heady feeling of being the centre of someone's world, making her heart soar as her smile grew larger.

Once he was sure that he had all the tangles out of her hair, Scott surveyed the selection of things he had brought through with a small frown. He’d seen enough women put their hair into a ponytail to make an educated guess that it was probably the quickest and easiest thing he could do. Grabbing a hair tie, he started to gather her hair, brushing it up and away from her neck, smoothing it out as he went and making sure that he didn’t miss any stray bits. Happy that it seemed to look the way he’d seen it when she’d done it herself, he secured it with the band before leaning forward over the back of the sofa and wrapping his arms around her.

“What did I do to deserve you?” Cat asked, nuzzling into him and kissing his cheek, her heart so full it felt ready to explode.

“Must’ve been something very bad,” Scott replied with a smile, echoing her reply when he had asked the same thing a few days before. Kissing her forehead gently, he disentangled himself before vaulting back over the sofa and landing next to her, his smile turning into a grin as she rolled her eyes at him and shook her head fondly.

“It looked like your hair was annoying you so I wanted to help,” he continued, surveying his off centre and rapidly sagging handiwork. “Sorry it’s not very good.”

“It’s perfect,” Cat countered, pulling him towards her for a lingering kiss before resting her forehead against his as she murmured quietly, “you’re perfect.”

The air seemed to settle around them as they sat motionless, neither willing to break the moment.

Cat’s heart hammered in her chest as the words crept into her head that she was powerless to deny any longer. She’d known for a long time, she realised, but had been too stubborn to accept it. To accept him.

Despite their history, she had somehow fallen into the trap of seeing him as Scott Tracy, the endlessly capable commander of International Rescue, but the last week had changed that. The way he had trusted enough to confide in her before the rescue, his desperate need for her reassurance when he had arrived that day and the simple act of care he had just shown in tying her hair back for her had combined to open her eyes to the fact that underneath all of that, he was still just Scott from Kansas, the same man she had lost her heart to a decade before.

“I love you,’ she breathed, so quietly it was barely audible even to herself.

Cat’s words sent a jolt like lightning through Scott’s heart and a small smile crept onto his lips as he leant into her, pressing their foreheads even closer together while he processed the implications of what she had just said. Finally, he was able to say those three words that had been in his head every time they were close without fear of scaring her away. He knew it was fast, but he put his all into everything he did and it wasn’t the first time that he’d fallen so completely for her.

“I love you,” he whispered, feeling like a weight had been lifted from him as he found her lips, brushing them tenderly with the lightest of touches.

Feeling Cat’s hand snaking around the back of his head, fingers sliding into his hair as she pulled him closer. Scott deepened their kiss, his tongue gliding across the seam of her lips, groaning when she granted him entry. For the second time that weekend he was lost in her, but in contrast to his all-consuming need of before, now he wasn’t sure he’d ever felt so at peace.

Cat melted into his kiss, giving herself to him entirely as his warm lips caressed hers, showing her again and again just how much he meant the words he'd uttered that made her heart soar. As their kisses deepened, she tasted the residual sweetness of the popcorn they had shared, mingled with the wine that now sat abandoned on the table beside them but, buried underneath, was the taste of Scott himself, something she had grown to associate with peace and now love.

Unbidden, her lips began to curl up in a smile, causing her to break their kiss to let them split into the grin that had been threatening since he had spoken. A heady mix of euphoria and contentment overwhelmed her, leaving her breathless as she took in the man in front of her, his eyes glittering, dimples on full display, as a matching smile spread out across his face.

Scott could feel the happiness radiating out of her as they sat grinning at each other like loons. There were no more words that either of them needed to say. Having spent the last two months holding back from telling her the true depth of his feelings, his heart was fuller than he could ever remember it being.

“Your eyes are sparkling,” he observed, drinking her in as he tried to imprint this moment into his memory forever.

“You’re one to talk, have you seen yours?” Cat laughed, feeling lighter than she had in months.

“Touché,” Scott grinned, settling himself back on the sofa and opening his arms in invitation.

Cat didn’t even need to think about it. Abandoning her shoe preparation until later, she snuggled in beside him, her head resting on his shoulder as he held her, his fingers gently tracing up and down her bare arm, raising goosebumps on her flesh.

Smiling to himself, Scott placed a gentle kiss on her forehead as they lay quietly, not needing anything from each other but to be together.

#Scott Tracy #thunderbirds fanfiction #thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds 2015

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betweenthetimeandsound · 3 years

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Three Minutes to Eternity: My ESC 250 (250-241)

(Author's note: I intended to have the list ready by 1 September, but I was a bit lousy in compiling the final spots on there. As a result, they will seem a bit shoddy, but there will be good summaries, I promise! And there will be honorable mentions soon enough.)

#250: Harel Skaat -- Milim (Israel 2010)

“האור נרדם, דמעות של דם, שורפות לי בגרון, ידית שרוטה, תקרה שמוטה, כשאני שר לך את השיר האחרון” “The light fell asleep, tears of blood scorch my throat Scratched handle, sloping ceiling When I sing to you the last song” Curiously, I already knew of Harel Skaat before hearing of Eurovision: I listened to a few of his earlier tracks when I found him singing with another Israeli pop artist, Dor Daniel. I particularly liked משנו ממני and כמה עוד אפשר. Milim is a requiem for what was once lost—the presence of one whom the narrator really loves. The imagery used in this song adds to the melancholic feel—a classic ballad of sorts, with a lot of emotion. And the performance from Harel was very good, even though he butchered a note at the end. Maybe it was the pretty blue lights that really accompanied the mood of the song. Personal ranking: 7th/39 Actual ranking: 14th/25 GF (grand final) in Oslo

#249: Tina Karol -- Show Me Your Love (Ukraine 2006)

"You see it in my eyes, my heart is on fire Don’t hide your love away, don’t wait another day" As mentioned in the note, I had a hard time determining the last few spots on my list. I went through the results of both sorters and picked what I felt in the time. Show Me Your Love is a bit odd, but with the accordion intro striking right away, it deserves a place here! While an overly simple song with stilted lyrics, Show Me Your Love is still a bunch of fun. From the boppy beat to Tina's infectious presence on stage, one can't help but smile as this comes along. And there was a jump rope right in the middle of the performance--never change, Ukraine. :) Personal ranking: 5th/37 Actual ranking: 7th/24 GF in Athens

#248: Alan Sorrenti -- Non so che darei (Italy 1980)

“Non so che darei per fermare il tempo Per dormire al tuo fianco solo una notte Non so che darei per sentirti mia Per tenerti vicina solo una notte” “I don’t know what I can give to stop the time To sleep beside you only for one night I don’t know what I can give To take you close to me only for one night” Recently, I find myself humming to this a lot, because it's so calming and nice. I particularly like Alan’s vocals in this song! He really conveys the pain of losing (or on the verge of losing) the one he loves, expressed by the melancholic lyrics. Together, they form a song which is just as beautiful, if not more so than the winner of its year. Despite its 6th place, it became a continent-wide hit, which was quite deserved (just like a good number of Italian Eurovision songs over the years, haha)! Alongside that, Non so che darei also had the only black conductor at Eurovision while there was an orchestra, along with a couple of women playing fake guitars. For some reason, I imagined they were holding umbrellas instead, but I clearly remembered wrong... Personal ranking: 3rd/19 Actual ranking: 6th/19 in Den Haag

#247: Sanja Vucic ZAA -- Goodbye (Shelter) (Serbia 2016)

"I lick my wounds So that I can keep on fighting" Another last-minute choice, but this is an important song, both in 2016 and now, unfortunately. Despite the advances in women's rights over the decades, domestic violence still persists across the world. Goodbye (Shelter) tells the story through someone who's struggling to get out of a toxic relationship, and there's a mix of vulnerability and strength in the lyrics. Of course, lyrics don't make up the whole song; the music also conveys the story through a dramatic build and beautiful strings. Considering the 2016 contest, it does get a bit lost amongst the crowd, but it feels like a musical number in all the right ways. Also, the performance told the story well, and Sanja is a wonderful singer (she also sings a cover of one all-time favorite you will see towards the end, hehe). I even would shed a tear at points. Personal ranking: 8th/42 Actual ranking: 18th/26 GF in Stockholm

#246: Remedios Amaya--Quien Maneja Mi Barca? (Spain 1983)

“El verde de tus ojos verdes, mírame, Que mira que yo te mire, mírame, Que mira que yo te mire” “The green of your green eyes, look at me, Look at me, so I can look at you, look at me Look at me, so I can look at you” One of those songs that can be defined as an acquired taste--the people who love it enjoy its subversive status in the Eurovision canon for being unapologetically Spanish, while the people who hate it will dismiss it as just a bunch of noise. This is a song which is part of the “New Flamenco” genre popularized since the 1960s, which mixes up flamenco music with other genres, such as rock or electronic music. Quien Maneja mi Barca ‘s studio cut has nebulous lyrics combined with an electronic beat, which is alright at best. I found it quite hollow and quite forgettable there. I prefer it in its orchestral form, which fuses synths and concert instruments fantastically. It definitely amps up the drama with Remedios’ voice, and made me appreciate this very distinct entry. Personal ranking: 6th/20 Actual ranking: Joint last (with Turkey) in Munich

#245: Marianna Efstratiou - To diko sou asteri (Greece 1989)

"Μα στο βραδινό τον ουρανό το δικό σου αστέρι ψάξε βρες Γιατί οι σκιές στο πρώτο φως μοιάζουνε φοβίες παιδικές" "But in the evening sky, search and find your own star Because the shadows in the first light seem to be childish phobias" While To diko sou asteri sounds a bit safe in the grand scheme of things, I think its lack of pretension is what makes this little song shine. The lyrics encourage one to find their star and encourage the listener to pursue what they believe in without any fear. Marianna's vocals also add to this song in that they're quietly hopeful and sweet. Also, for some reason, I got some "True Colors" vibes while listening to it every time, despite there being some differences. Both have this relaxing, calm vibe to help the listener on their journey through life. Then again, True Colors doesn't have some nice flute flourishes throughout the song, haha. Personal ranking: 4th/22 Actual ranking: 9th/22 at Lausanne

#244: Dina -- Amor d'agua fresca (Portugal 1992)

"Peguei, trinquei e meti-te na cesta Ris e dás-me a volta à cabeça" "I picked you, bit into you and put you in the basket You laughed and made my head spin" 1992 is one of the most average years at Eurovision--after the chaos that was 1991, it seems like the songs and production sought something safer, and the whole thing felt really bland. Amor d'agua fresca is anything but dull--it's bubbly and sweet, with quite relaxed atmosphere. The combination of instruments--particular the guitar in the beginning and Dina's vocals-- really help with conveying a mood. But after that, we have the lustful lyrics, describing a romance through enjoying different fruits, which was quite different for me... But hey, different makes things quite a bit better in life! Personal ranking: 4th/23 Actual ranking: 17th/23 in Malmo

#243: Lucia -- Él (Spain 1982)

"Él me perdona porque es un pedazo de buen pan Y me trata con paciencia Sé que no debo ser cruel Que le debo confesar que él a mí, no me interesa" "He forgives me because he’s a scrap of good bread And he treats me with patience I know that I shouldn’t be cruel That I should tell him I’m not interested in him" One interesting thing about me is that I'm a sucker for tango music. There's a sense of drama when one listens to it, and even more so when people get on the dance floor. While I've only danced it a few times, when one does it right, the connection between two people is quite powerful, and you could fall right into a dream. El definitely amps up the drama--Lucia is in a conflicted relationship, but she plays the "player" role quite well. It's very flirty and seductive, and you could immerse yourself in the story. While the dancing was a bit too much for a stage as small as 1982's, it's still quite fun to see. Also, it was sent as a way of supporting Argentina in the Falkland Wars, which is quite interesting... Personal ranking: 4th/18 Actual ranking: 10th/18 in Harrogate

#242: Gabriela Gunčíková -- I Stand (Czech Republic 2016)

"I am thanking you, you made me You are my air, I’ll always care" For those who have an aversion to ballads, why is that? I find it annoying because there can be ones where they can touch you and tell a story. Life can't always be happy bops with heavy beats (or it's because they don't really inhabit my musical atmosphere most of the time...) I Stand sounds like a derivative ballad sonically, but it carries itself with such grace and grandeur. The instruments add to the drama of the song, which thanks a special person for their help in their life (though the lyrics above can come off as a bit co-dependent...or so I've heard) And Gabriela delivers this with the necessary composure and grace the song desires. It feels like a highlight track from a musical--one where two characters meet again and the narrator wants to recognize the latter's good deeds before they're gone forever. Thanks to that, the Czech Republic gets their first grand final appearance (though getting 0 televote points once there was harsh...) Personal ranking: 7th/42 Actual ranking: 25th/26 GF in Stockholm

#241: t.A.T.u -- Ne ver, ne boysia (Russia 2003)

“Кто-то понты а кто-то маньяк, Кто-то как ты, кто-то как я.” “Someone's a psycho and someone's a maniac, Someone like you, someone like me” If I’m right, I may have heard this song without knowing this was from Eurovision. It was because there was a period between middle school and high school where I love t.A.T.u’s music, and this was one of their singles. Ne Ver Ne Bosia is compelling and dark, with an interplay about the people around them using an old Soviet proverb as the title. It’s gripping and intense, and brings the listener into this crazy and mad world they're enveloped in. The performance, on the other hand, almost couldn't have been worse. The vocals were really ropey (especially from Lena, who would usually be trusted to help Yulia), and it didn't come over as a great listening experience. While I love it, t.A.T.u were really lucky they competed in the televote era, as they would've been struck down hard by the juries. (and the worst part: there will be a couple of poorly-performed entries which will be quite high on this list...) Personal ranking: 6th/26 Actual ranking: 3rd/26 in Riga

#esc 250 #esc top 250 #eurovision song contest #esc israel #esc italy #esc 2021 #esc serbia #esc portugal #esc greece #esc russia #esc czech republic #vintage eurovision #three minutes to eternity #esc ukraine

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morethanmuses · 3 years

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Ten Women Inclusive Bands To Check Out This International Women’s Day.

This list is for those of you who want to discover some more modern, punk/alternative bands with women at the helm! Here are ten of our picks (in no particular order).

1. Meet Me @ The Altar

Formed remotely in 2015 after the girls met online, Edith Johnson (vocals), Téa Campbell (guitar) and Ada Juarez (drums) recently signed to Fueled By Ramen after gaining attention online in 2020. They are teasing new music in follow up to their 2019 EP ‘Bigger Than Me’ and their 2020 singles ‘May The Odds Be In Your Favor’ and ‘Garden’. They offer some much needed representation for black and brown girls in the more mainstream alternative scene and hopefully they will help open the door to more recognition for WOC in these genres.

Spotify

Our favourite track(s): Beyond My Control, Tyranny, Garden, May The Odds Be In Your Favour, Caught In The Middle (Paramore cover).

2. Stand Atlantic

While they have been a band in some form since 2012, Australia’s Stand Atlantic began going by the name in 2014. They’ve gained steady momentum since releasing their debut EP ‘Sidewinder’ in 2017, touring with the likes of New Found Glory and State Champs, quickly making a name for themselves in their own right. Their relatable, down to earth approach to social media has helped garner them a faithful fanbase, along with the stellar debut album ‘Skinny Dipping’ (2018) and sophomore album ‘Pink Elephant’ (2020).

Spotify

Our favourite track(s): Push, Lost My Cool, Hate Me (Sometimes), Drink To Drown, Your Graduation (Modern Baseball cover), Righteous (Juice WRLD cover).

3. Meg & Dia

Sisters Meg (guitar) and Dia (vocals) Frampton have been playing music together since they were children. In 2004, they began writing original music together under the name Meg & Dia. They released their debut acoustic album ‘Our Home Is Gone’ in 2005. They reworked some of these tracks for their album ‘Something Real’, having recruited a full band to fill out their sound. They enjoyed popularity on MySpace, especially with their single ‘Monster’, and consequently played Warped Tour in 2006. Over the years they have explored many genres within their music, combining rock with folk, indie, and most recently pop. After a break in 2012 in which Dia pursued her solo career, she was a contestant on (and almost won) The Voice US. In 2019, the girls reformed to play the final Warped Tour, and released their fifth album ‘happysad’.

Spotify

Our favourite track(s): Monster, Inside My Head, Dreams Like Oceans, The Broken Ones (Dia Frampton solo), Teenagers.

4. Sonic Boom Six

Fronted by Laila Khan (Laila K) and Paul Barnes (Barney Boom) Sonic Boom Six formed in 2002 in Manchester, UK. Blending punk, ska, grime and hip hop with lyrics focusing on social commentary to challenge issues such as racism and sexism. Known for their energetic live shows, the band has a strong underground following, and have played festivals such as 2000 trees and Warped Tour. Their single ‘For The Kids Of The Multiculture’ was featured in the video game ‘The Sims 3′ expansion pack ‘Showtime’.

Spotify

Our favourite track(s): Monkey See Monkey Do, While You Were Sleeping, Meanwhile Back In The Real World, Virus, From the Fire to the Frying Pan.

5. Hot Milk

Another export of Manchester, Hot Milk began releasing music in 2019 with their debut EP ‘Are You Feeling Alive?’. Fronted by Hannah Mee and Jim Shaw, who both share vocal and guitar duties, they don’t want to be confined to any one genre and prefer having the freedom to write whatever they feel like. They have supported the likes of Foo Fighters, as well as playing Download, Slam Dunk and Reading & Leeds festivals. Mee has also spoken openly about her sexuality, and is currently in a relationship with Bonnie of Stand Atlantic.

Spotify

Our favourite track(s): June Gloom, Candy Coated Lie$, Awful Ever After, California’s Burning.

6. The Skints

Formed in 2004 in London, The Skints are a reggae punk (or ‘tropical punk’ as they describe themselves) band. Vocal duties are often traded between multi-instrumentalist Marcia Richards, guitarist Joshua Waters Rudge and drummer Jamie Kyriakides. Marcia will keep audiences guessing what new instrument she might play from song to song. Onstage - on top of vocals - she plays guitar, keyboards, sampler, melodica, flute and alto saxophone. Their fourth studio album ‘Swimming Lessons’ (2019) reached number one on the Billboard reggae chart. The band have played with the likes of You Me At Six, Mayday Parade and NOFX. They have never signed with a major label, prefering one-time licensing with independent labels in order to retain creative control over their music.

Spotify

Our favourite track(s): Just Can’t Take No More, Where Did You Go?, Let’s Stay Together - Live at Electric Brixton (Al Green cover), Learning to Swim.

7. Courage My Love / Softcult

Courage My Love are a Canadian band formed in 2009 by twin sisters Mercedes (vocals, guitar) and Phoenix (drums) Arn-Horn and joined by Brandon Lockwood (bass) in 2013. Early releases were pop punk/alternative rock, but the band has transitioned to a more synthpop sound on later releases. Their EP ‘Becoming’ was nominated for Breakthrough Group of the Year at the JUNO Awards. They later re-released ‘Becoming’ as a full album in 2015. Phoenix self-produced their latest EP ‘Spectra’. During 2020, Mercedes and Phoenix began making music under the side project ‘Softcult’ which has a grungier sound.

Spotify

Our favourite track(s): Kerosene, You Don’t Know How, Stereo, Original, Everybody’s Lonely, Another Bish (Softcult).

8. Mint Green

Mint Green are an indie/punk band from Boston. Founded by frontwoman Ronnica and drummer Daniel, the pair are joined by bassist Tiffany and guitarist Brandon. They released their debut EP ‘Growth’ in 2016 and continue to grow a dedicated fanbase through their live shows and outspoken social media presence.

Spotify

Bandcamp

Our favourite track(s): Take Care, Callie, Changing, Motion Sickness (Phoebe Bridgers cover), Adore You (Harry Styles cover).

9. Pinkshift

Baltimore based Pinkshift began releasing music in 2020 and have quickly gained popularity. Inspired by 90s grunge and 2000s pop punk, they pull from various individual influences and combine them with their shared love of angsty rock. The band consists of Ashrita Kumar (vocals), Paul Vallejo (guitar), Myron Houngbedji (drums) and Erich Weinroth (bass).

Spotify

Our favourite track(s): Rainwalk, Toro, On Thin Ice, i’m gonna tell my therapist on you.

10. Forever Emerald

Forever Emerald are a pop rock band from Los Angeles. The band consists of vocalist Devin Papadol, guitarist Brodie Higgs and bassist Tay Fischer. They released their debut EP ‘Safer Space’ in 2019, and while lockdown may have stopped them from touring, they have continued to provide fans with livestream gigs and teasers from the studio where they’re working on new music.

Spotify

Our favourite track(s): Candy, Safer Space, So Sure.

#iwd2021 #women in rock #women in punk #our picks #women musicians #meet me at the altar #meet me @ the altar #sonic boom six #the skints #forever emerald #stand atlantic #meg & dia #pinkshift #mint green #hot milk #courage my love #softcult #woc in punk #queer women in music

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twilight0wanderer · 4 years

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Animorphs Playlist: Rachel

I mentioned in my Marco songs post that I had lists for all the Animorphs and a couple people asked for more, so here we go.

“Woman King” by Iron and Wine

Blackbird claw, raven wing Under the red sunlight

Hundred years, hundred more Someday we may see a Woman king, sword in hand Swing at some evil and bleed

Starting off, just the title of this song screams Rachel to me, and the hits just keep coming. The whole song (heck, the whole EP) is about female power and presence. The lyrics blend the violent and peaceful, the stern and sensitive, the mundane and the exceptional, just like Rachel, who refuses to be written off as a beauty queen or a berserker or a top student or a second mother but combines all of those and more into her character.

“Playing With Fire” by Them Lost Boys ft. Lexi Forche

The air is thick with smoke and I can’t breathe All your secrets pouring in and out of me Shut your mouth, lock the door, throw away the key You can’t be messing with me. Don’t be messing with me!

This one runs on pure emotional association. The aggressive beats intercut by more contemplative sections, slow builds and sharp drops, and the repeated refrain of “Don’t be messing with me” all sonically and essentially capture Rachel.

“Magus Perde” by Jethro Tull

Tough are the soles that tread the knife's edge Break the circle, stretch the line, call upon the devil Bring the gods, the gods' own fire In the conflict revel

A running theme among many of my choices will be more thematic or emotional connections (as seen in the previous entry). I could probably articulate the connections given enough time and words, but that would be dissecting the proverbial frog. Instead I’ll just point out that besides the lyrics listed above (which are pure Rachel Warrior Princess), this song is the closing track to the album Passion Play, and in keeping with the historical origins of the concept is a meditation on life, death, and rebirth.

“Winterborn” by Cruxshadows

Discard regret That in this debt A better world is made That children of a newer day might remember and avoid our fate And in the fury of this darkest hour We will be your light You've asked me for my sacrifice And I am Winterborn

About the only good thing to come out of reading 2/3 of Ghost several years ago (Oh John Ringo, No!) was being introduced to this song. This is a song about willing sacrifice in defense of others. More than that, the verses are from the perspective of a higher power providing reassurance and comfort, while the chorus is the statement of the person sacrificing themselves. The parallels don’t just jump out at you, they club you over the head and go through your pockets for loose change, so I’ll leave it there.

“The March of Cambreadth” by Heather Alexander

Midnight mare and blood red roan Fight to Keep this Land Your Own Sound the horn and call the cry How Many of Them Can We Make Die!

This might be the least nuanced association here: when it comes to fighting, Rachel was the Goddess of War long before Kratos stepped on the scene. This song is for the part of her that revels in the fight.

“White Flag” by Joseph

I could surrender but I'd Just be pretending, no I'd Rather be dead than live a lie Burn the white flag

While this song also invokes the imagery of war, the intent is broader - refusing to let circumstances force you down, living life whatever the situation is. Rachel’s ability to live in the moment let her continue to enjoy the parts of her life outside the immediate scope of the war, whether that was appreciating teen idols, laughing at her cousin’s complete lack of chill at a school square dance, or taking time to build her relationship with Tobias. These aspects faded as the war began to encroach onto everything, but she managed to maintain her life longer than some of the others.

“Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” by Paul Simon and Ladysmith Black Mambazo

And she said honey take me dancing But they ended up sleeping in a doorway By the bodegas and the lights on Upper Broadway Wearing diamonds on the soles of their shoes

This was a late addition, but as I was writing this post I realized that I have a post-war Rachel-Tobias song but nothing for their relationship during the war, and this just jumped out at me. This song, to me, captures the difference in their initial positions in life and society, and how little they let it matter to them. They can be just as happy flying together or hanging out in Tobias’ meadow or Rachel’s bedroom as they could be at a dance or the mall or another more traditional venue. It also captures a sense of her refusal to let him cut her out and their willingness to meet in the middle.

“Bird Song” covered by T-Sisters

If you hear that same sweet song again Will you know why? Anyone who sings a tune so sweet Is passing by Laugh in the sunshine Sing Cry in the dark Fly through the night

Sleep in the stars Don't you cry Dry your eyes on the wind

This is my post-war Rachel and Tobias song, although it could apply equally well to the rest of the Animorphs after her death. Initially written by Jerry Garcia in memory of Janis Joplin, I picked this particular version because I love the harmonies and it’s three women singing it. This is another emotional association, no great character examination, just mourning for a dearly loved friend.

“This War” by Sting

And you can see the coming battle You pray the drums will never cease And you may win this war that's coming But would you tolerate the peace?

This song is written as an explicit condemnation of war, but I interpret and apply it here to Rachel’s own mixed feelings about the war, her love for it, and her place in the world without it. While she’s not financially profiting, she does find herself more at home in battle (especially as the series goes on) and this song - to me - captures her fear that in giving more freedom to that part of herself she’s losing other elements of herself. I personally believe she would have had a better chance than some might expect had she survived, but we’ll never know.

“Riot” by Three Days Grace

If you feel so filthy, so dirty, so f---ed up If you feel so walked on, so painful, so p---ed off You're not the only one refusing to go down You're not the only one, so get up

This was already on my Marco list, where I said it was my song for him, Rachel, and Tobias. Whether they’re stirring s#!t with each other because they’re bored or burning down the world because at this point who cares, this is the song for my feral children.

“Yellow Flicker Beat” by Lorde

I'm a princess cut from marble, smoother than a storm And the scars that mark my body, they're silver and gold My blood is a flood of rubies, precious stones It keeps my veins hot, the fire's found a home in me

I’m sure I’m not the first person to connect this song to Rachel. Katniss is a different person, but as a song for a fighter who still can’t escape their war, it maps onto Rachel pretty well.

God is a DJ by P!nk

I've been the girl, middle finger in the air Unaffected by rumors, the truth, I don't care So open your mouth, stick out your tongue You might as well let go You can't take back what you've done

This song comes back to the joyful nonconformity of Rachel’s character. She is who she is, and she doesn’t care what you think about it or expect from her.

Marco’s List

#Animorphs #Rachel Warrior Princess #music #actually Rachel is the one I have the easiest time finding songs for #for some reason...#Censored because I don't know where Tumblr draws the line after their clean-up act a couple years ago #and I'd rather play it safe #post #Fandom #Character Songs #playlist

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chaospanics · 3 years

Photo

February roundup! This time with a graphic oooo (this is also the cover of the spotify playlist I made collecting all the tracks I posted to this account this month).

I kind of dropped the ball listening to new releases this month and my backlog is already out of control. My full list of February releases is pretty short so I think that providing the whole list of what I listened to in a month is not going to work as I tend to be playing catchup every month after January lol. I’ll think about a better solution for March, maybe a google doc?

Anyway, here are my highlights:

Bathe Alone - Last Looks

Last Looks is Bathe Alone's debut full length LP. While writing the majority of the music over the course of a year in 2019, Bailey's ultimate goal was to write a sonically cohesive experience you could lay on the floor and stare at the ceiling to.

Black Country, New Road - For The First Time

Recorded with Andy Savours (My Bloody Valentine) during the early part of this year and then finished at the end of the nationwide lock-down, the album is the perfect capturing of a new band and all the energy, ferocity and explosive charge that comes with that whilst also clearly the work of a group who have no interest in repetition, one-note approaches or letting creative stagnation set in. Featuring six new songs including reinterpretations of early tracks "Sunglasses" and "Athens, France," For The First Time is a sonic time capsule that somehow manages to bottle the past, the present and the future... Indeed the band found they had to stop themselves running too far ahead in order to document this album in a way that felt as truthful as possible.

Cal Fish - Plastic Flag

Plastic Flag as an effort began in Berlin in the summer of 2017. Admittedly listening to Calling out of Context most mornings, Cal was carefully piecing together loops from cassettes found on the streets and beats made on an iPad. Over the next year Cal built the songs through performance and experiment and when they returned to Europe the following summer began sewing together discarded and gifted polybags into flags to be shared and used in performance. The album plays with eclectic combinations made possible by bringing together the idiosyncratic clock of tape loops, highly quantized beats, and seemingly endless drones pursuing and freezing Cal's vocals and flute remarks. In content Plastic Flag is a whimsical snapshot of an earth filled with Plastic, Cars, Power, Dance, Love-Attempt, Poisoned Ecosystems, and Longing!

Mogwai - As The Love Continues

Scottish post-rock band Mogwai have released their ninth album As The Love Continues. The band has been a pioneering staple of the genre for over 25 years, expanding into soundtracks for documentaries and TV shows around the world that have allowed them to expand beyond just the dreamy rock music they create. Though their soundtracks can be intertwined with their regular artist albums at times, this has the feeling of a proper album to build on a legacy cemented among the greats...This isn’t an album where they completely rewrite their playbook and that is fine. They don’t need to do that. It is nice to feel relaxed with a new Mogwai album. Like most of their projects, the pacing is measured, but there are moments of exaltation where every element bursts with the energy of a kid at the end of a sugar high. (Magnetic)

White Ring - Show Me Heaven

With their DIY ethos while dwelling on the outskirts of pop music, White Ring have developed a unique style while pushing the boundaries of accessibility and musical genre. They have created a piece of art that is brimming with symbolism and underlying tensions, that seduces, scares and comforts in equal measure. (Darla)

And a couple leftovers from January:

Crystal Canyon - Yours With Affection And Sorrow

On its second LP, Yours with Affection and Sorrow, this Portland dream-pop quartet isn’t interested in the kind of hooks that reach out and grab you by the ear. These musicians are more concerned with creating atmospheres using shoegaze tempos, hushed vocals, enigmatic lyrics and layered guitars. If it takes a while to reach us, that’s OK. (Mainer)

Divide And Dissolve - Gas Lit

Gas Lit is our fight for Indigenous Sovereignty, Black and Indigenous Liberation, Water, Earth, and Indigenous land given back. Gas Lit is fighting against the dispossession of our people, land, water, and spirit. Gas Lit is a call to transformation and freedom. Gas Lit seeks to make a contribution to undermining and destroying the white supremacist colonial framework.

Albums I’m really looking forward to in march include releases from Pierce With Arrow, Xiu Xiu, and Ben Howard.

my last.fm ～ spotify

#txt #2021.n #2021.2

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theunholygrails · 4 years

Text

Very Differently

Summary: This isn’t really new, just something I never got around to posting here. Basically my take on Budapest with an OC added to the mix for fun.

Masterlist

Zdravstvuyte

The shadows cast from the wastefully clad guests in the soft angles and indecipherable masses were notably more elegant than the calculating frowns of their creators. A gloved hand traced along a freshly polished curling oak banister as Sonja made her was to join the babbling benefactors. Leaflets of conversations rustled not long enough to take root but simply flew past on the careful air of disinterest her fellow hosts held about them. With a sharp nod of her head and a demure curve of her lips, she joined the nearest transaction.

Arms dealing can be tricky business when neither party particularly trusted the other.

Jewels painted the necklines of her most generous buyer and in their pristine surfaces, she could make out the warning flash of the smallest red dot. Sonja shifted with a subtle flip of her hair to block the shot and simultaneously tapped her earpiece.

“Ma’am, I do believe my husband is coming down with something fatal.” she said.

Even if she did not have a husband to speak of, the message was abundantly clear—the event was compromised because Black Widow herself was present.

“Take care of it, Chief. I need this night to be spotless.”

“Got it.”

Security hustled onto the floor at Sonja’s signal to escort each of the dozen or so guests back to their armored vehicles.

With the prompting of her boss in her ear, Sonja slipped out the back door to attempt to uncover any tracks the Widow might have left behind.

The wet asphalt did little to help her heels find traction as she scanned the nearest buildings for the optimal vantage point the spy must have taken to train a snipper on people under her protection. With the rest of her security team busy locking down the premises, she was left to the goose chase even though looking for tracks from this particular prey was about as promising as searching for footprints after a storm.

She tensed when something popped right beside her ear and the sharp slap of metal hit her cheek. She scolded her hammering heart and forced a calm gaze to the arrow that kissed her skin and was now imbedded in the wall. Her hand went to the dual blades tucked against her thighs knowing full well that any assassin after her would not be foolish enough to miss twice.

A test of her ear piece told her its signal had been knocked out somehow. A heavy pair of boots splashed down beside her and she whipped into a defensive pose before the archer could cut her mission short.

The man kneeling across from her had his bow pressed to the ground and his black stealth suit clinging to him like any woman in her proper mind would in a scenario a little less lethal than this. Given a situation where she were allowed to use her real name and wash the blonde dye from her hair, she might have done just that because his looks were wasted on the dark, filthy streets of Samara, Russia.

“Hello, easy, Chief. I’m not here for you. Sonic took out your communications, also I was listening in a little bit, Ma’am is a weird name. Is that like the birth one or did she rename herself that? I’m looking for the Widow. You know anything?”

“Does anyone?” she flicked her blades so they would glint in warning beneath the lazy stars.

“They sent one person out to challenge her? Seems a little under kill. Unless you’re just the bait.”

She advanced a step to show just how much of a danger she truly was. His mouth curved up in amusement when he rose from his crouch. “You’re not going to let me leave,” he said.

“I fear my boss will want to speak with anyone chasing her.”

“Knew better,” he sighed. “Alright, let’s do this before I have to check out of my hotel.”

Her first swipe cut only into nothing as he swiveled around to her back. She feigned left, sweeping her right foot back to catch his ankles.

“Woah, who taught you that?” he demanded, dancing over the attack.

While she paused to process his stunned remark his completely unstunned body cracked his bow against her forehead. She grabbed at his forearm, twisting until it clattered free of his grip. “Quiet, American.”

“Was it Hill?” he carried on. “You with S.H.I.E.L.D?”

Now she faltered and he did not take the opportunity to jam any of his color coordinated arrows into her temple.

“I wasn’t told of another operative here,” he babbled.

She slammed her shoulder into his chest and landed him flat on his ass where she could properly threaten him.

“I’m handling it.”

“This is about as under control as a mouse wrestling a snake.”

“You realize I’m pinning you right,” she demanded, dropping her knees to either side of his hips and pressing the flats of her blades against either of his wrists.

“That means nothing. I’m letting you. Just so you know, they asked me to do your job first. Also, the first and last fight I had with the Widow ended with my jaw dislocated. That was back when I cornered her in Milan. That makes me a mouse too.”

“Sadly, I think that just makes more dinner for the snake instead of an overwhelming force.”

He shrugged his eyebrows and glanced down pointedly. With a sigh she crawled to sit beside him as he grunted and rolled onto his stomach. Hands propped under his head as princess worthy blue eyes fluttered up at her. “Feel better? I think you missed bruising one of my ribs if you wanted a clean sweep.”

“I was going to ask why Fury didn’t tell me you were coming, but pretending you don’t exist does seem to be the only way to deal with your bullshit.”

“Supposed to be super top fucking secret but since you kind of outed me, not cool by the way, want to work together to charm a snake?”

“Is she a spider or a snake, man? Make up your damn mind.”

He rocked back, clutching his knees as a laugh barreled through him. “Oh, I like you. You don’t get a say now. We’re working together. Got something more stealthy than that yellow dress?”

***

She did not give one rat’s ass how he got into her apartment only that he could have possibly blown her cover.

“Brought flowers. Told the doorman I wanted to surprise you.”

“Was the surprise that I had a boyfriend?” she deadpanned as she shrugged off her bulky overcoat.

“Fiancé, when he asks but that’s not why I’m here. I need your help bringing her in. She vanished, shook all my tracking abilities. From what I hear, you’re pretty handy with the underworld system.”

“If you hear anything then I’m doing my job wrong. Why would you want her brought in anyway? Isn’t protocol to take out someone that rouge and dangerous?”

He gave his knees a firm pat before pushing off them to match their heights. “I think she could prove an asset. I made this call. If it goes south, it’s on me. I know I’m asking you to compromise yourself but from what I can tell, the Widow is more involved in mafia’s inner working than the little crew you head. We find her, we get you your hot target too.”

“Ma’am is a pretty cold-hearted bitch from ghost chatter I’ve picked up.”

A tug of his grey hoodie secured it around his face for a safety net just in case anyone was spying in from the dirt smeared window to their right. Sonja was afforded no such luxury because her face was always bared to the world. She was buried way too deep in her world of shit to risk disguises. “Funny. We should work well together.”

“What’s your clearance?” She demanded.

The space of her apartment was deemed worthy of her retailer to host grand parties of up to a dozen people but she already felt stuffy with his confident presence entirely too close to her though he remained clear across the green wallpapered room with his feet twisting into her recently purchased, hand woven rug. It was probably worth three times his ratty boots with its intricate depiction of a fanfare of angels descending the heavens; this man was no angel.

“Alpha.”

“That doesn’t exist. Ten is the highest. I would know, I was the reason they created it.”

A tilt of his head told her he was only amused with her declaration and not in awe like all other inferiors she came across. “Welcome to Alpha then. I’ll fill you in on the plane.”

“I thought you didn’t know where she was.”

“I said she shook me. That doesn’t mean I don’t know her well enough to predict where she would go. Pack light, Budapest can be unforgiving this time of year.”

“Got a name?”

“Got a code, Hawkeye. Yours?”

“Zero.”

***

Being nearly run over three time while crossing a single street was a personal record for Sonja. Hawkeye was weighed down beneath a tan backpack filled with waters, old and clunky laptops, maps, granola bars (as if she could live off of those along), and a very distinct lack of weapons. Hawkeye had insisted on leaving them behind because airport security did not make exceptions for undercover agents and using a private jet would raise too many eyebrows. He had extracted her daggers from her and then held his hand out expectantly for the spares he could not have known she kept tucked neatly between her planner and wallet in her purse. She felt slightly less naked when he tossed his bow as well but still would rather not relying on their combined wit and charm since her partner appeared to be painfully lacking in both and making up for it with 100 proof sarcasm.

The wind buckled with the weight of the dry air it carried and tugged at the ends of Sonja’s hastily dyed and chopped off brunette locks. A sunhat kept the loose waves mashed against her face and even bigger sunglasses kept the prying sun at bay along with Hawkeye’s dancing glances back to make sure she was keeping up with his soundless steps.

“Come on,” he called even though the only closer she could have been to him would be to just piggyback it.

“Where is the safe house again?” she called over the roar of traffic.

He pause while a couple bustled between them, their heads bent in deep conversation then nodded politely to a minister though she doubted his devilish grin could even point out a church. “Next block. You wanna take over bag duty? I’ve got this crick in my neck I haven’t been able to shake since the plane.”

“That’s because you were stupid enough to sleep on the plane. On my shoulder no less. There’s a drool stain.”

The bag was tossed at her chest where her hands caught it without the aid of her gaze leaving his. “If your posture was more slumped we wouldn’t have this problem.”

“Excuse me for remaining vigilant.”

“Trust me, your people don’t know you’re missing yet. You’ve probably got until noon.” His eyes skipped between his blank wrist and the sun overhead to judge the time. “And once we get set up with internet, I will clear the airways of anything we might have left behind. Say, do you think you could give me some sort of reaction? The constant dead expression is a bit intimidating.”

“I can see why the Widow dislocated your jaw, you talk too much.”

She spotted the covert insignia for S.H.I.E.L.D. and pushed past him to key in the day’s number sequence for entrance. There was distinct absence of air conditioning when they entered the stale room sitting on the basement level of what appeared to be the back of a tourist ice cream shop. Hawkeye’s bulky jacket hit the floor then his paisley shirt was tossed over the back of a chair that used to be sand colored but appeared to have been recently stained with globs of red. His back hit the ground as he fiddled with the window unit and Sonja set to toeing along the perimeter of their quarters.

She came across the outlet first sitting adjacent to the Ethernet cable in the far right corner. After depositing the backpack for him to fiddle with later on, she peeled off her overcoat and tank top while she stuck her head into the bathroom to check on the water situation. What trickled from the sink was lukewarm at coldest and the pressure in the shower was laughable but at least the toilet flushed and air freshener hung from the doorknob. Its orange tree shape was swinging in the next moment as blessed air filled the cramped space.

Sonja emerged from the bathroom with her sports bra held away from her damp skin. “Guess you are useful.”

“Do me a favor and check the freezer.” He toed off his boots as he walked, adding more of his shit to the mess that made her fingers twitch to clean only slightly.

“Think they left us frozen dinners? Because you’re health nut bars are not going to cut it Hawk.”

“I’ll order pizza for us,” he called with a wink as he tapped away on the booting up monster of a laptop.

She grumbled her response and pried open the rusted closed freezer doors that concealed an inside that somehow felt hotter than the oven of a city. Two metal cases rested inside, one smaller and snugly sitting atop

“You know how to defuse bombs right?” she called, eyes tracing the otherwise empty white cubicle for any wire or trigger.

“That’s a no. They’re presents from Fury.”

She did not move to take his word for it but instead carefully shifted the boxes sideways while sliding her hand where they sat in case it was weight sensitive. When she felt only the sleek, flat bottom, she cautiously picked up the bottom box from either edge with just the tips of her fingers and walked it as far away from Hawkeye as she could manage.

“For Christ’s sake, Z. I special requested those. Look, the code is 1971 on the bigger one and all zeroes on the other because I’m brilliant. If those don’t work then you can pull out your bomb squad suit.” He strode over, task forgotten, and squatted beside her kneeling form. “I’m not sure whether I’m offended you don’t trust me or flattered you’re trying to keep my out of harm's way.”

She flinched when he keyed in the numbers and passed her the first case carelessly before punching in his own and flipping the lid up to reveal and brand-spanking-new carbon fiber and purple streaked bow.

“Stealthy.” Sonja pulled out her own sleek new dagger set. Four blades so sharp just the skimming of her fingers drew their first blood. “Gorgeous.”

“I’m going to assume both of those were for me. Look, since I slept earlier, you take this round and I’ll wake you when night says it's time to move.”

When she made no move to do as such, he groaned and jutted out his hand. “Clint,” he said.

“What,” she snapped.

“That’s my name. Clint Barton. 1971 is the year I was born.”

“Is this supposed to make me trust you?”

“What? You want my social security number? Passport? Birth certificate? To be honest, I have so many of those I probably couldn’t pinpoint the original for you.”

She glanced down to hide the smiled curving up her lips and tucked a single dagger into her calf high sock. After refolding the hem of her khaki shorts, she felt composed enough to meet his impatient blue eyes. His smile was quick and brilliant and caught her so off guard she returned it, still vulnerable from the previous moments.

“There she is. Listen miss bomb technician, that why they call you zero? Because of the countdown? Anyway, if you don’t sleep you risk both our asses tonight and I happen to have a fine ass. As a gentleman I have not checked yours out but I am willing to bet that it’s at least half as good as mine.”

“If I go to sleep will you shut up?”

He touched his scarred knuckles against her cheek and lugged his new toys over to the ancient ones where he set up shop for the next few hours. The flimsy mattress with springs poking out every few inches was tucked away between the window and the front door and Sonja barely got her coat down on it before her head crashed against her arm for her pillow and her eyes tapped out.

***

do svidaniya

Clint’s version of a gentle awakening was a kick to her foot as he passed by. Of course, her leg swept out in defense and he landed face first on the mattress beside her. Her groggy eyes blinked open at him and promptly scowled at the dumbfounded expressions holding even his usual smart ass comment at bay.

“We better be under attack,” she grumbled, failing when she attempted to remove her already asleep arm from beneath his heavy torso.

It took him an alarming number of seconds to compose an answer and she squinted through sleep crust to glare at him. His lips parted then apparently he discovered them too dry to speak because his tongue swept out and at this proximity, so close she would not even have to reach to strangle him, the smell of his lingering bubblegum toothpaste pulled her fully into reality.

The same abrupt force that stilled him froze her from shoving him off the bed. She blamed the dreams still singing to her but the more likely cause was his hand which had by the damnation of some god landed on the dip of her waist, not her ass or her breast, which would be far simpler to explain the skip in her chest.

His recovery was like watching a runner recover from a particularly nasty hurdle “Afraid your mafia is running a little behind schedule, so we have to go out and meet them. Gear up.”

He grunted when her knee sent him rolling to the floor next.

“What time is it, Hawk?”

“2100. Think you bruised my bladder.”

Her change of clothes were swept up and the bathroom door slammed between them and the meager form of water she coaxed from the sink drowned out the breath she heaved from her lungs. The woman staring back at her was faded and spotted where the mirror was tarnished from the years without maintenance.

There was scarcely enough time to worry about saving her own skin let alone playing guess that hormone with an archer she met two days ago. A quick coaching session of her emotions and the addition of a black beanie, matching under armor shirt, and a lightweight bullet proof vest she emerged, undoing the button to her shorts after regretfully noticing the absence of the last bit of her uniform.

Clint lounged in front of the air unit in identical gear, hands folded across his pulled in knees so that the muscles fought against the fabric of his shirt. “Didn’t know pants were optional,” he called as she neatly folded her shorts beside their supply bag and produced the cargo pants that would be hiding her weapons for the evening. “I did appreciate that silky number you wore for me on our first mission,” he continued.

A belt secured the bottoms and after shoving her feet into the boots she stomped one down dangerously close to his most vulnerable bits and offered a sweet smile down at him.

“Think the world has one too many eunuchs as it is. Next time you want me to tie your laces try a nice ‘Clinton, would you be a dear and tie my fucking shoes?’”

“Don’t I feel like Cinderella?”

Deft fingers made quick work of her laces and she was still admiring the knots she could not even begin worrying about how to undo when he stood and shouldered his bow.

“Let’s go catch a spider, Z.”

“Let’s take down the Samarian crew as well while we’re at it.”

The night was their friend, lending its heaviest cloud cover from the stars that dared shine from the moonless sky as they jogged through the still bustling city’s alleys.

They passed a meat truck making a last minute delivery and Clint offered the driver the nod of his head before prodding Sonja’s body to pick up the speed as if they were out for a jog instead of on the tracks of the most dangerous woman on any side of the world. She shifted out of his reach, none too content on having her mind replay its earlier clash with emotions for the rest of the mission.

The building where Clint’s found surveillance footage last picked up her image was tucked between the river and the last wall of structures. A fishing shack where Sonja doubted the lights from the horn riddled bridge now stretching over their heads could penetrate if a paid professional like herself were taking shelter there.

Rounding the last bend on the downward slanting street, Clint caught her belt loop and pulled her against the crumbling brick building that smelled like moss and moldy bread. She bent her knees to keep from slipping down the slope on the loose cobblestones beneath their feet and still managed to subtly maneuver further from him because his aftershave was making repeating the plan like a mantra in her head a thing for the birds.

“Hey, you with me, Zero? You remember what we talked about?”

“Not dying or the not fucking up part?”

“See, I knew you weren’t listening to me.”

“Relax, Hawk. I’ve been doing this since I was toddling.”

“Really? Diapers for me.”

She swatted his arm when his blue eyes danced with humor and closed her own to reel herself back in.

“Seriously, though, you up for this? Because I can go in alone…”

“Like, hell, Hawk. You’re long range, I distract. Stick to it.”

He held out his knuckles wrapped in fingerless gloves that would help his aim. With a laugh disguised as a groan, she knocked hers against his and watched as he began scaling the fire escape to the tops of the connected houses leading to the perfect vantage point.

It took the coaxing of the restless waves to remind her that she too did not have the fortune of sitting still and allowing her already spiraling life to make Budapest its final resting place.

The traps took precious time to pick out--a motion detector from the front porch, a snoring dog with paws running in the air when she slipped around to the side, an electrical ward along the single sealed window, and finally a good old fashioned set of cans on the roof she managed to climb on. Sonja crouched on the narrow ledge of the none-too-secure roofing tiles, still off balance from her misjudged landing.

The cans, a mix of unopened green peas for which Sonja could not blame her and chili whose lids appeared to have been ripped off by bare hands, were stacks to at least twice her height and made a perfect circle around what she had to assume was another vulnerable entrance. From her original distance of spotting from the bridge with Clint, it had appeared merely another level of the shack which she could scale but now was proving to be just a pain in her ass. She circled on feet quieter than death to the side where Clint could see her and held out her hands helplessly.

“No in?” He said over the ear piece.

A shake of her head was the answer she knew his strapped on night goggles could pick up.

“Alright, hold on.”

“Clint!” she hissed out as an idea struck.

“Hell of a time to break out the Christian name.”

“Knock out the electricity on window.”

“I know you remember how these sonic arrows work. Our communication will be cut off and I know you’ll miss this sweet watchful voice, Z.”

“Sonja,” she whispered, hunching down on her knees and throwing a finger down as if he did not know the window she intended.

“No, sonic.”

“That’s my name you moron. You’ve got to trust me. Just shoot it.”

There was that hesitation from him again, she was beginning to understand how his head worked. The job was simple, something he was trained beyond reason for, but she was a variable he had to carefully calculate into the equation.

“Alright. I’m right behind you.”

“I know. Just don’t miss.”

She heard the smile in his response, “I find your lack of faith disturbing.”

“Are we really resorting to quoting Star Wars right now?”

“Fire in the hole, Sonja.”

The arrow struck home with a muted thwack and Sonja slid down onto the windowsill throwing a thumbs up into the now unresponsive night as she jimmied her dagger around to unlock the window. A second blade joined her free hand when she ducked inside.

The first thing she noticed was the complete lack of interior decoration just like their own safe house and the second unfortunately was that the insides were also void of any inhabitants. Why so much security without anything to protect?

There was a knock at the front door and a moment later Sonja remembered the power surge would also have affected the motion detector. She wearily trudged over before sliding into a defensive position when she flung the door back.

She saw the Black Widow first and her arrogant smirk followed by the prompting of an arrow to her skull.

“Plan B then?” Sonja called as Clint jostled their target into the room.

“I thought we agreed this was the more likely alternative,” he said. “Making it plan A.”

Sonja shrugged and pulled the handcuffs from her calf pocket before moving to snap them securely around the Widow’s ankles. The woman grunted as a green glow filled the room and a shift of her hips proved her unable of even lifting her feet.

When Sonja straightened and reached to tuck a stray strand of hair back into her braid, the woman finally spoke. “Props.” she said.

“Thanks, we’ve been practicing that last bit for hours now. I was really worried about the execution.” Clint strolled around to the front of their captive, pockets bulging with confiscated weapons.

“Not you, Barton. I knew you were on my ass for months. Her I wasn’t even looking for.”

Sonja crossed her arms. “Case. Point. What’s your real name?”

“Natasha Romanov.”

The plain reply jarred both her and her partner equally and Clint took her arm, walking her as far back into the room as he could manage before inclining his forehead to make the whisper easier hear. “She’s going to try to play a game with us. Anyone around her is instantly compromised. I need you to stay with me.”

A sharp nod answered him and his grin danced with mischief as he swung back around to stroll over to Natasha with his bow forgotten and swinging in his left hand. Sonja did not even feign relaxation but rubbed her thumbs over the sweating hilts of her daggers.

“This about the Avengers initiative? I read all about it last week,” Natasha said.

“You know it is. That’s why you let us capture you.”

“Let?” Sonja’s arms slipped from their protective frame.

Clint pushed on, feigning deafness when Sonja knew good and well his hearing aids were in. “You’ve got a nasty ledger and S.H.I.E.L.D. only wants to help you rectify it through the Avengers.”

“Avengers?” Sonja questioned.

“I’m fine where I am,” Natasha retorted giving the glowing shackles weighing down her feet a good tug and only ending up on her knees which, despite the powerless position, she somehow conveyed was right where she wanted to be.

Clint sighed and dropped as well. “You’re fine painting every city you go to with blood for people you don’t even know? The Avengers are going to protect the world and we want you to be a part of that.”

“Cute speech. Did Sonja feed it to you? You’re not bright enough to try the emotion ploy.”

Sonja was too busy puzzling how she knew her name to reply. That’s when the first bullet cut through the air and buried itself clean in Clint’s left calf. When he keeled forward in pain, Natasha swiped the gun tucked into the back of his belt and began firing to cover all their asses.

Lurching forward, Sonja kicked the door shut and pried her pistol from her belt as her back smacked against the wall. “Clint!” she called when he finally lifted himself from the ground.

“You led the Samarians here!” Natasha shouted as bullets pelted the door and walls relentlessly.

“Whoops,” Clint managed.

“Damn right you’re gonna need my help with the Avengers if you can’t even manage to stay off their radar. I assume you at least had an escape route in place.”

Clint wiped his bloody hand off on his shirt and primed an arrow for release should their defenses be breached by the crew. “Boat out back.”

“You’re gonna have to uncuff me.” Natasha called, firing precisely through an already fragile portion of the wall to produce a thunk of dead weight only a few yard away.

The deadly accuracy made Clint hesitate as he added in yet another variable, but Sonja just tossed the keys without a word and returned to keeping her gun aimed at the door.

“Barton go first and we’ll cover you,” Natasha called as she dodged a bullet cutting entirely too close to her brain. When she sat up straight again a line of red across her forehead added to her already flaming hair and scarlet pjs look.

Clint’s gaze snapped to Sonja unwavering in its unspoken question: would she be ok alone?

“Get out of here, Hawkeye,” she added the last bit to help him depersonalize, to remind him this was just a mission and all lives involved were expendable. “I’m right behind you,” she continued when he did not move.

His mouth curved up as he heaved himself onto mostly steady feet and sprinted to the backdoor while Sonja and Natasha laid down cover fire until both were down a clip. “Together?” Natasha called.

“Hell, why not?”

Sonja leapt up first, followed shortly by the much faster woman. The night air was thick with humidity that only pooled more sweat on their skin. On the free side of the house, a man screamed as the now awakened guard dog set to work. The other side was occluded by the closely stacks buildings and on the water just ahead, Clint revved the waiting engine of the speed boat.

Natasha waded into the water and slung her leg over the side, hauling herself on board in one fluid motion. Sonja had time to see her eyes go wide before she heard the other female voice cut through the night, “Chief!”

A sword was leveled at her instead of a gun and Sonja had the absolute pleasure of facing her old boss when she turned around. “Ma’am,” she replied without a trace of emotion.

She heard the cock of Natasha’s gun along with the wiry draw of Clint’s bow and briefly wondered if he could even keep his hands steady at the moment due to the blood loss.

“Or is it Agent Zero now?”

“Whatever you prefer, Ma’am.”

“Shall we settle this like the duals of old or has all your honor gone through the window with the american?”

Sonja heard Natasha grumble about being ignored as she tucked her gun into her pocket and produced a dagger. The other hand reached for her back pocket slower all the while keeping her opponent's gaze fixed on her words. Ma’am’s bulky henchmen fanned out behind her patiently waiting to be allowed to have some fun with the traitor and spy.

“What can I say? He brought presents.”

She waited the appropriate ten seconds for the meaning behind her words to smash into Clint before she pulled the pin. The homemade grenade sailed from her hand while her body was flung in the other direction. Her side slammed into the boat and Natasha just managed to get a drip on her belt before Clint slammed the throttle into its highest gear. He was ducked on the floor by the steering console for safety just as Natasha had thrown herself beneath the low walls at Clint’s advisement.

“When did you even have time to make that?” he demanded, driving blindly down the wide river.

“You’re the one who apparently knows everything,” she snapped.

“Christ, I’m sorry, alright. You weren’t cleared to know.” He paused then turned to her while Natasha huffed and took over driving. “Zero failed missions?”

“Guess again.”

“Zero like you were the original?”

“You’re not cleared, asshole.”

***

Natasha made airports her bitch with the new fresh faced S.H.I.E.L.D recruits scurrying behind her toting her luggage and a flight attendant rushing to retrieve her properly iced water. She shot Sonja a lazy wink but the other woman was too busy scowling away any potential disturbances to do anything other than reshoulder her backpack.

Clint took the lead, his reputation sending the herd of freshmen scattering in his wake of glory. Sonja quickened her steps, determined to talk to him now that the paramedics aboard their evac copter were no longer shooting him full of drugs.

“You’re not careless,” she said once she matched long legs to his abrupt stride.

“Think Nat will make them carry her?” he mused, wincing when he stopped focusing on his uneven gait.

Sonja caught under his arm and he glanced over through sleep deprived blue eyes and the tangles his cropped hair had somehow managed to tie itself into. “You gonna make me carry you?” she countered.

“I’ve got it.”

The usual airport crowd of proud mothers, blubbering fathers, and excitable kids ready to go off and make lives for themselves meandered past them. Sonja wondered what life awaited her back at S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters.

“I was born there, you know. S.H.I.E.L.D that is. Born and raised. I don’t exist to our government because S.H.I.E.L.D doesn’t. I’m nothing, I’m just zero.”

“I let the Samarians follow us,” he admitted in the breath after she finished her confession.

“I know. You’re not careless. You needed a common enemy for us to get Romanov on our side.”

“I was going to apologize for ruining your original mission, but I think all of earth takes precedence. We wouldn’t have made it out of there if not for you.”

“Taking out Ma’am was my mission Clint. Yesterday was the first time I saw her in person. I spent years working my way up through the ranks only to figure out I would only ever be important to her when I betrayed her.”

“You’re welcome, then.” He leaned in when he sang it and she gave his face a shove away as they exited the building through sliding glass doors and reached a junction in the sidewalk where she would climb into the car that would carry her home and he would get in his rental and drive out to his next mission.

“How long has it been since you’ve been stateside?”

“Just four years. I haven’t been home since I was a teenager, though when I completed my training.”

“You don’t have to face those bastards, you know. I’ve got something involving lightning and a hammer waiting for me. Could use some backup I trust.”

“Sounds alpha level. I’ll leave you to it.”

He nodded, shifting his weight off his bad leg and closing the humming space between their bodies just enough for her to notice it was deliberate. Her hand shifted under the strap of her bag while she toed at some bits of loose gravel beneath her sneakers.

“Guess this is goodbye, then. Keep an eye on Nat for me, will you? She respects you.”

“Only because she was comparing me to you.”

His mouth pulled up in a smile she had grown all too accustomed to seeing regularly and had truthfully taken for granted now that he was leaving. The civil term of closer inspection crossed her mind as she leaned in further still followed by the embarrassing real word she had been searching for--a kiss.

She could not even recall the last time she had kissed someone without an ulterior motive. She expected him to politely return it or to laugh and tell her to collect herself, not for him to bite her lip and slide his lips between hers like the whole damn earth might spin off course if he did not. His hands were soft in her hair and his hand slid down tracing over her cheek so that his fingers replaced his lips when he reluctantly pulled away.

“Put a pin in that, Sonja?”

“You mean like when I pinned you? Or what I pulled the pin on the grenade?”

“No explosions and no more beating me up.” He punctuated his sentence with a rushed kiss to her forehead. “Unless we can twist those into kinky things.”

“Oh, it’s possible,” Natasha called as she strolled past and climbed into the waiting black SUV.

Sonja gave his chest a push and took two controlled steps backwards simply because if she didn’t there was no guarantee either of them would be setting out on their respective journeys today.

“Goodbye,” Sonja said.

With a wink that sent her spiraling higher than the pyres of Moscow’s finest cathedrals Clint Barton was gone.

#clint barton #clint barton fanfiction #clint barton smut #clint barton x reader #clint x reader #hawkeye #Avengers #avengers headcanon #avengers smut #avengers imagine #avengers drabble

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fluidsf · 3 years

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Polar Visions Amplitude reviewing -

John Wiese - Deviate From Balance

Released on 15 June 2015 by Gilgongo Records

Reviewed format: CD album

Connected listening - there are various ways to order a selection of John Wiese’s further discography. The Helicopter mail-order stocks various John Wiese releases as well as Sissy Spacek releases and releases by by John Wiese in collaboration with associates, you can find it here: https://helicopter.storenvy.com/collections/924921-john-wiese

Several solo releases by John Wiese are also available on physical and digital format from his Bandcamp page here: https://johnwiese.bandcamp.com

Many releases on Gilgongo Records are available on physical format through their mail-order store here: https://gilgongorecords.storenvy.com

After looking at one of Sissy Spacek’s recent new albums Featureless Thermal Equilibrium in the previous Polar Visions Amplitude it’s time today for the first of two follow-up reviews in which in this case we’re focussing first on one of John Wiese’s past solo albums, Deviate From Balance. Released back in 2015 on both a 2 LP vinyl package as well as a CD version on James Fella’s label Gilgongo Records our look is on the CD version which features the packed 79 minute album in full and what a collection of pieces it is. While the Sissy Spacek album showcases John Wiese’s talent in mixing Grindcore aggression with monolithic Noise screeches as well as maxing out the energy throughout, Deviate From Balance showcases John’s more restrained side in a collection of 10 tracks encompassing mostly live recorded compositions and improvisations that are leaning more towards intense choppy sound collages and noisy electro-acoustic interplay of acoustic and electric instrumentation with John’s electronics with a more conceptual edge to them. However while some of the titles of the 10 pieces suggest a somewhat philosophical or technical meaning behind these pieces, listening to these reveals a much more playful and raw sense of composition and performances from John and all musicians and artists involved in this album. Whilst John’s sound can be related to Free Improvisation, his rapid-fire editing and manipulation of sonic material on this album is much more complex and dazzling than many other artists and carries John’s signature knack for surprise, high frequency distortion crunches as well as shifting and abusing lo-fi sound recording equipment and electronics in as many ways as possible, almost as if they turn into crumbling fragile rocks. Disintegrating broken sound and dadaist absurdist humour is a recurring theme in John’s sound, making for an album that is much more enjoyable than overly academic contemporary Tape Music can be at times. Besides John’s sonics the involved musicians on this album are definitely an important element that adds many rich colours to the 10 pieces, featuring musicians like guitar virtuoso Oren Ambarchi, violin artist Jon Rose, sampling expert David Shea and drum machine musician Ikue Mori as well as many others. Before we’re diving deep into the 10 tracks on Deviate From Balance, let’s have a look at the packaging design of the CD version. The CD comes in a neat glossy oversized gatefold sleeve showcasing John Wiese’s minimalist design, artwork as well as a very colourful artist photo of John by Martin Escalante on the back. In terms of artwork I do like the photo-collages and art pieces on the inside of the gatefold a bit more than the cover this time as while the cover does highlight the general collaged, choppy nature of the album well in a visual manner, its subdued grayscale grainy images aren’t as striking as John Wiese’s other album covers but still, it’s a decent cover and the typography is quite stylish and repeats on the spine in a similar manner. The aforementioned imagery on the inside of the gatefold showcases both grayscale abstract art in the form of archaeological artefact style fragments on the left panel as well as a film roll like photo collage of a rather disturbed looking lady blowing up a balloon. The abstract images are a bit similar to the album cover though with darker and more distinct contrast but the photo collage also adds another good visual reference to the packaging regarding the tracks themselves in that balloon like squealing and screeching can be heard on some of the pieces and it also seems to refer to the album’s quite off the wall type of abstract humour. The left panel additionally features all album credits neatly laid out so you can find out all about the involved artists and recording locations plus sources. The CD itself comes in a convenient little black envelope with plastic protection and features a more LP like label design featuring simply the artist name, album title and Gilgongo label logo, somewhat similar to a Japanese mini-LP replica package. Now that we’ve looked at the package, let’s pop in the CD and dig in.

Deviate From Balance starts with Wind Changed Direction which is one of the most atmospheric pieces on the album. The piece blends organ like drone, chopped up distorted recordings of what sounds like children’s voices, machinery as well as other Industrial noises together to form a quite surreal mysterious soundscape. Quite like the title suggests the music sounds quite like you’re floating through the clouds right after the wind has changed direction. The drone feels both calming but also a notch ominous whilst the auto-panned chops of sound are both vaguely abstract and at times recognisable with John varying between distorted and resonant shards of crunchy sound and cleaner metallic elements. The voice samples hint somewhat at sonified memories, they sound like fragments from the past, conversations or event you might remember from childhood though the actual words are unrecognizable. This first piece is definitely one of the most straight-forward compositions on here in terms of structure with the drone both introducing and rounding off the piece as in both cases it eventually fades into the background. A quite lush start of the album. Following piece 356 S. Mission Rd continues the soundscape like approach but in a more ominous manner sounding quite like a cross of dark sounding orchestral music samples with strange hollow metallic resonances and washy shifting noises. The metallic resonances bring plenty of subdued Industrial shine to the piece but the aforementioned orchestral samples are what draws me into this piece the most as the screechy dissonant strings combined with ever so slightly differently timed horn crescendo suggest an ever apparent danger which is getting closer but just like in an abstract nightmare is stuck in a loop with the danger never reaching further than a certain indiscernible point. The shifting noise elements add some rawness to the piece which suggests some kind of turntable manipulations going on in the piece, a lovely brooding collage piece this is. Segmenting Process For Language, the next piece, is where things start to get more chaotic and free-wheeling though still very much controlled. The track featuring a live performance recorded at East Brunswick Club in Melbourne, Australia consists of wild and inspired mixtures of saxophone, (junk) objects, percussion, drums, guitar and noise as the musicians move into always differing “segments” made up of shards of sound, wildly swirling melodies, chords and tones. This does make for quite some literal clashes of sound but rather than being one of the more random sounding Free Improv performances the sections of interplay follow a much more recognisable structure in that certain droning tones as well as feedback lays somewhat of a base underneath the bursts of sonic mayhem. Whilst there are a whole lot of things happening in this recording I would like to name a few particularly enjoyable bits. These include the short bursts of squelchy synth swirls, resonant ground vibrating feedback laden noise, the hilarious goofy but still playful wordless vocalisations spat out by the musicians but also the at times disturbing dissonant chords which are formed and culminate in an absurdly, almost 50’s Horror film soundtrack like waves of organ droning at the ending of the piece after which we can hear the only applause that could be fit in on the tightly edited CD. An inventive juxtaposition of out of the blue musical absurdism with the more dadaist lightning strike like approach of collage based Harsh Noise carrying John’s seal of quality. The next track Superstitious does match its title rather well in terms of the sounds within and it’s the most Noise focussed piece on Deviate From Balance though still more along the lines of a layered soundscape. After the instrumental interplay of Segmenting Process For Language we’re back to a more noticeably composed piece which moves through various phases emitting a definite ambience of superstition through somewhat disturbing concrete sounds, noise and tones. Its beginning featuring chopped and quite heavily scrambled recordings of a scared woman wailing as well as various other waves of distorted sound and tone overtime moves to the climax of the piece which is an extended section of the aforementioned noise from by a nicely low end grounded stream of screechy sound featuring especially piercing high frequency sound manipulations quite like some kind of dystopian alien machinery, though your interpretation might definitely be much different. Regardless of how you interpret it, the piercing noise does give off quite an intense feeling of dread and fear and while the sounds used in the piece are sometimes somewhat recognisable, like dirt like crumbling sounds, coffee cups, car related sounds etc., again they’re manipulated and structured in such shifting and distorted manners that they feel like sudden waves of mind imagery than things you can really grab onto. The finale of the piece in which John frequency manipulates a continuous tone is quite gripping too and Superstitious as a whole sounds quite like both a physical and mind gripping piece. Cafe OTO is the track that follows and it’s obviously a live recording that was made at Cafe OTO. Moving back to the more improvisation based style of collaborative group performances that John Wiese has done together with other musicians this piece has a more continuous flow of sonic events and instrumental interplay and a generally might lighter edge to it than some of the other pieces. Especially the percussion blended with effect manipulations and saxophone performances are particularly good on here with percussion clattering, clinking, jumping around the room in quite hilarious surprising manners moving from crystal like tinkling to shells and wooden percussion whilst the saxes wildly swirling melody lines and screeches form sweet tonal abstraction that are wild but not going overboard and staying well in tune with the other elements of the performances. The “spat” out vocalisations are quite matching with the saxophone performance and whilst somewhat more subtle for most of the recording, there’s also some tasty, albeit less abrasive crashes of objects near the end of the recording. Again, John Wiese’s talent in highly abstract but always varied and uncompromising electronics and instrumental performances combined with the excellent inspired energy of all musicians that appears in his group performances shines through with the fun and details in the layers created making this suitable for many repeat listens. The following track Battery Instruments (Stereo) does work quite like an extension of the sounds from the Cafe OTO recording, though in a bit more minimalistic fashion being made up of mostly small, clicky and quite sounds. A collage of instrument, objects, electronics as well as short vocal bursts the piece puts the freely moving aspect of John Wiese’s group pieces into more of microscopic lowercase territory. It’s the shortest piece of the album at 2:12 minutes and works as kind of transition from Cafe OTO to the quite abrasive walkman Noise collage piece Memaloose Walkman, showcasing various crackling, scraping, spiky sonic details, a mysterious subdued drone as well as some quite tasteful bass string scratchings all panned quite widely (as this was originally a multi-channel piece). A sweet short piece this one. The aforementioned piece Memaloose Walkman then follows and it’s quite straight-forward in nature consisting of a mono tape collage of various recordings of gunshots. Besides splices and perhaps a bit of pitch adjustment there’s not much manipulation added to this but as a Noise piece it’s quite effective letting you hear the different swishing phased textures of shots from various guns as well as some bits of talk and music in between with a layer of crunchy saturation on top of everything. Simple but effective. Afterwards Dramatic Accessories continues within the Noise territory as a piece of quite a lot of instrument / object and especially turntable abuse featuring quite a lot of bassy and wild distorted screeches mixed with chopped recordings all presented through some crazy panning. One that will especially please harsh heads, within Dramatic Accessories there are various sections in which John and the other artists involved use all kinds of methods to create a variety of sounds ranging from the shifting kind of turntable warble, clicks, grating washes of distortion, chunks of feedback, amp hiss and metallic ringing. However whilst there are a lot of distorted sonic events happening within this piece, there is some sense of dynamics within however, created by the wild panning as well as shifting the phase and using some of the room acoustics and feedback of equipment to create some loud / softer / loud sections leaving some headroom for the sounds to not fully max out and become a bit overblown. The garbled object and instrument chops are clattering around often but strange distorted disturbing recordings of voices are also thrown in the mix making for an at times frightening but thrilling ride of unpredictable sounds. One element that is recurring throughout the wildly fluttering barrages of different sounds are certain grounded tones that bring forth some kind go base for all sounds to lean on as they continue changing in at times rapid manners. All in all Dramatic Accessories is another enjoyable sonic ride on Deviate From Balance in which rich and uncompromising textures are brought out in memorable ways through some fine inspired performances from all people involved. Solitaire follows, which is one of the two longest and final pieces on Deviate From Balance, at 11:15 minutes. In terms of approach the piece is somewhat similar to Dramatic Accessories but with the difference that rather than using vinyl, tape is being used here as one of the elements that create the various sounds within the piece. Solitaire follows a more continuous structure than other pieces on Deviate From Balance in that it’s mostly based on a set of repeating patterns within it's structure acting a bit like the compositional and performance equivalent of mechanical processes. Whereas Dramatic Accessories featured experiments with both clean and distorted sounds, Solitaire moves more into a quite crunchy rough direction featuring shards of chopped up instrument and music recordings, junk objects, voices as well a various especially percussive and resonant concrete sounds that ever continue to change in form. These repetitive patterns do give some kind of rhythmic drive to the piece but change often enough to not become sampler like and are more akin warbled broken tapes as the recordings are mercilessly abused through speed manipulations and ever increasing distortion. This is combined with a constant shift of stereo phase, through which on headphones you get the idea that the shards of sound are flying over your head and are forming 3D shapes in between your ears. A great listening experience which even works as the distortion gets quite murky and harsh nearing the end of the piece. Whilst the pattern style, on the fly pitch warbles and crunching noises carries on throughout, it’s great how some depth is slowly forming near the end of the piece, in which soft ticking percussive bits are being scattered between out ears and rimshot like ticking sounds are added for nice clean percussive accents. A very fluid piece in terms of progression and sound work which shows that whilst John Wiese’s solo and band works might at times sound very free-flowing and chaotic, he’s always got quite some noticeable control and focus within every piece, inspired and always different. Final piece Segmenting Process (Oregon) is indeed somewhat related to the earlier Segmenting Process For Language although in the case of this recording the segmenting of the several parts of the piece is even more clear. Being the longest piece on Deviate From Balance at 21:45 minutes the piece is also one of the most introspective and “organized” sounding tracks on the album as in here we can find the by now familiar mixture of acoustic, electric instrumentation with both electronic sounds and manipulations but also a more restrained approach to the Noise elements John Wiese has explored in various ways in most tracks before this one. Rather than almost overtaking the non-electronic instrumentation either through loudness or sharp (harsh) frequencies, the Noise is more in tune with the instrumentation as being a part of a blend of various sonic elements. This is also helped by the fact that with the larger group setting featuring brass, percussions, drums and more the piece required a larger venue to be performed which gives the piece some welcome acoustic space, adding some room ambience and keeps the piece nicely dynamic. Sounding most similar in approach to Electroacoustic Improvisation the pieces segments blending vibrant instrumental performances which vary from fluttering percussive tones, noises as well as more drone focussed falling and rising tones with crackling, noisy, humming, distorted, sample based and glitchy electronics sound quite like the piece is based on a mixture of dreams. Like a sonic interpretation of a dream world the piece moves from segment to segment with all of them featuring somewhat recognisable sounds like the instruments themselves or voices mixed with shaped abstract noises but everything carries some kind of mystery within it, which is especially caused by the somewhat unnerving textures created by the brass instruments within the performance. The absurdist humour element is still apparent within the piece however with at times goofy squeaky noises, drum kit hits, tinkling bells and other pointy bits of abstract sound keeping things nicely playful and light but still powerful as always. The flow of the piece also helps to keep things captivating and interesting throughout as its length might take some listeners a bit to get into it but with so many different events happening throughout there’s never any idleness in here. And with this last piece I’m getting into the conclusion of this review of John Wiese’s Deviate From Balance. I award this album a Polar Visions Amplitude of 85 dB, recommending you to definitely check out this album. Deviate From Balance showcases both John Wiese’s compositional and performance talents through a varied selection of recordings in which you can hear John’s approach in various settings ranging from surreal sound collages, Noise infused instrumental improvisations to rough tape manipulation and Electroacoustic Improvisation. Never resorting to mere academic musical studies John Wiese’s pieces on Deviate From Balance keep hitting the ears and mind in excellent and inspiring manners and will be a great discovery for fans of free spirited contemporary music, both analog and digital based sound collage works, (Harsh) Noise fans as well as anyone into inspired improvised music and will be a great addition to the collection of fans of John Wiese and Sissy Spacek.

Deviate From Balance is available on CD from Gligongo Records mail-order store here: https://gilgongorecords.storenvy.com/products/20648396-john-wiese-deviate-from-balance-cd-gggr-077

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thesunlounge · 4 years

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Reviews 361: R_R_ (Reinis Ramans)

Very few things in music make me happier than when Growing Bin goes ambient, and the newest exploration of horizontal stylings released on the label–the Train of Thought LP by R_R_–is truly something special. R_R_, short for Reinis Ramans, is an alias of Reinis Semēvics, a multi-faceted artist, composer, and lecturer based in Riga, Latvia and working in music, soundtrack, and radio. As described by Patrick Ryder in the press note for the LP, and as suggested by the soothing liquid visage on the front cover, Train of Thought is “inspired by the rhythmic movement of water and how its rippled reflections bend our perception”–and the album sees a wide range of field recordings, samples, acoustic instruments, and synthesizers combining for a sonic experience that is as meditative as it is beguiling. Water, as a thematic centerpiece, is heard in many forms...sometimes cleansing and pure, other times corrosive and blended with noxious chemicals…and birds and insects sing while the sounds of seaside cities filter into the stereo field. Synthesizers, orchestral samples, and otherworldly electronics morph and mutate between billowing clouds of subsonic smoke, spaceage cascades of radiant tropicalia, progressive electronic and new age sequencer studies, and droning choral incantations while pianos and digitized mallet instruments alight on polychromatic dream explorations. Elsewhere, bouncing basslines, IDM drum fx, and hand percussions coalesce to sweep the body towards alien island paradises and at certain crucial moments, four-four kick drums emerge to lead muted and vaporous expanses of oceanic deep house. As well, the entire album is artfully arranged and segued, with the individual compositions seamlessly flowing into and out of one another, creating the effect of a delirium hallucination.

R_R_ - Train of Thought (Growing Bin Records, 2020) Synthesized dream sonics descend over effected wave crashes at the start of “Entering,” with the sonics evoking mirage-like visions of leaves falling from trees. The melodic temperament of the track soon changes however, as the feathery pad descents are replaced by pooling clouds of black smoke and boat engine drones, with a vibe not unlike the murky ambiance of II by Wilson & Tanner. The immersive and softly caustic waves of sound grow ever denser as smoldering bass currents swirl slowly…their sounds evoking the mutated arias of an extra-terrestrial druid choir while scraped metals and abstracted clacks fill the air. As the track progresses, the mind wanders along desolate beaches adjacent to abandoned industrial factories, as sea-horns blow from unseen sources and air brakes releasing at nearby bustops. The inky hazes of unsettled ambiance hovering above the horizon eventually fade away and at some point, all sense of melody or tonality disappears, leaving behind the sounds of a decaying seaside city and a thick, soul-swallowing buzz. And as the track ends, post-classical angel breaths are carried on fluttering echowaves, crickets sing their chirping serenades, and the field recordings of lapping water return, only this time free of fx, with a sound clean and pure. The heavenly organ-esque tones of “Opposite” are birthed from this liquid soundworld. Chiming pads intertwine with sleepy-eyed keyboard phrases to bring atmospheres of a cosmic lullaby and hypnagogic bass pulsations float the body and spirit while treble frequencies shimmer at the edges of the mix...like myriad insect wings vibrating in anticipation. Dreamscape synth leads mimic the refractions of sunlight on a rippling ocean surface and after a sudden fade to silence, phased and flanged reveries of post-classical romance swim around each other, resulting in a glorious sunrise ritual blurred by layers of alien filtering, wherein shadowy formations reference previously heard progressions.

Field recordings of water and insects are slowly brought into focus at the end of “Opposite,” from which emerge the lulling arps of “Luminosity”…like fantasy sequences of kankyō-ongaku-inspired innocence. Cymbals tap out breezy rhythms and FM-synth star clusters descend from the night sky as gently physical tom tom rhythms give the horizontal groove a soft tribal pulse. Bleary synth arpeggiations continue their sleep-inducing dance and at some point, the rhythms cut away, leaving bass notes to pound like currents of heavy air. Wailing streaks of muted brass synthesis work into the mix alongside vaporous rhythmic accents and as further melodic cascades fall onto the mix, they bring with them drunken dream energies and whooshing celestial winds. The barely-there rhythms are given further hypnotic momentum by soft shaker murmurations and certain drum hits fly out through liquid dub fx chains. Phase-shifting wisps of fragile keyboard magic blow in from the edge of the mix, chill-out tracers and minimalist synth cycles dance joyously overhead, and galactic chimes swim through star oceans as rimshots work against the rhythmic flow, though the effect is brief and the track eventually breaks apart. Segueing into “Opening Up (Improv Take),” echo fx comprised of either birdsong or drum detritus move backwards in time, with manic repetitions obscuring Ramans’ REM-cycle piano explorations. Eventually, the clicking delay tracers recede, leaving glowing piano incantations to work through clouds of sustain pedal resonance, which overlap to create slowly moving vortices of ivory ambiance. And increasingly these tales of piano sustain and decay are caught through delay and reverb machines, which morph the sounds towards aquaeous fogbanks and deep sea cloudforms even as the playing grows ever more intense and accelerated, with runs of joyous abandon struggling to be heard within a droning maelstrom.

A fade to near silence introduces “Deleting Doubts,” wherein the pianos of the preceding track briefly re-emerge, with clustered notes generating clouds of deep sea ambiance. A Berlin school sequence diffuses in while asymmetrical delay fx move in counterpoint, resulting in a dance of psychoacoustic splendor. A four-four kick enters alongside emotional bass slides and the whole thing evokes into a sort of hyperventilating slice of Yume Bitsu-style post rock, with dub fx ricocheting across the mix and further sequential synth patterns entering to harmonize with the percolating kosmische electronics. Gentle hisses and glitches intermingle with birdsong and isolated three note piano melodies beam in from an entirely different song while woodblocks and rimshots bounce around the mix. And as sequences fade through echo chambers while sonars ping across the sky, huge roaring swells wash the mix clean, until all the remains is birdsong. “Melodic Harmony” begins the B-side, with further birdsong samples being quickly disturbed by unsettling liquid gurgles and extra-terrestrial laser whistles. White noise atmospheres flow over emotional basslines while IDM electronics flash cross the mind and as the track progresses, the vibe grows increasingly tropical even as it pushes towards alien landscapes, with a sound not unlike the work of X.Y.R, especially on Big Chill. At some point, equatorial chords drop, bringing with them soothing balearic vibrations and a sense of seaside warmth, which is only enhanced as metalloid taps form into a hypnotizing horizontal groove…the effect like watching a cinematic sunset on some faraway exo-planet, where the horizon explodes in colors never before imagined. During an ambient breakdown, birds sing again over hovering solar wavefronts and braindance cymbal FX, out of which emerges a completely transcendent passage, wherein instruments evoking a marimbas made of human breath executes minimalist fairy dream dances in the style of The Swan and The Lake. And effortlessly, the strangely swaying island life groove resumes around the angelic idiophones and now features muted brass fanfares reaching towards a sunburst sky.

In “New Wind,” a choir sitting at the center of existence blows out waves of blackened radiance, through which swim psychotropic laser clusters. Angelic hazes diffuse through the darkness, bird chirps echo, and cooing brass synths bring rays of warming light as a four-four beat and bassline pulse through the shadows. Further beings from celestial skies breath wordless melodies and echoing toms beat in tribal anticipation while hi-hats shimmer before resolving into focus, with everything coming together like the lunar ocean new age and rainforest club experiments of Sign Libra. Imagine a dance party on the seafloor, only as if heard thousands of feet away on the water’s surface, with throbbing and blurry rhythms causing the heady and body to fully zone out. We move from open water to the seashore in “Step by Step,” as effected waves crash and crystalline keyboards dance in a spirit of tropical effervescence. Blurred piano chords land like gemstones as they anchor a developing groove, which is constructed from the ritualist pitter patter of hand drums and tom toms. Leads awash in vibes of new age and coastal jazz sparkle like diamonds in the sunlight, alternately descending down infinite scales or alighting on understated solo explorations. Melodic bubble cascades glow in hues of ruby, sapphire, and emerald and are given further shape by a smacked snare, which imbues the track with a sort of dubwise riddim flow, one bringing evocations of Gaussian Curve’s balearic bliss outs and the Growing Bin classic Overworld by A.r.t. Wilson. Synthesized FM sequences join the island sway as the melodic and rhythmic begin to blur, with additional ceremonial drum layers joining in and seagulls crying overhead. And the track seems to space out as it proceeds, growing airier and landing increasingly like a dream…like a tropical paradise only remembered, with the mental visage blurring around the edges as the mind flits between scenes both real and imagined. As for “Outro,” whooshing waves and descending dream energies are joined by swells of ethereal string synthesis…as if an eternal orchestra of ocean and sky is bidding the listen farewell.

(images from my personal copy)

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theroundtrip · 5 years

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THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2018

77. Polish Doom. Just those two words should be enough to consider it good. Intense and everlasting.

Moon Wedding by Shine

76. Demonauta are synonym of quality, sweet warm fuzz and great vocal harmonies.

Temaukel, the spirit before time by DEMONAUTA

75. Groovy and fuzzy rock, with stoner, psych and punk mixed all together.

Licancabur by Red Sun Atacama

74. Fantastic blend of doomy retro rock with folk and psychedelic. Tunes for fans of Jess and The Ancient Ones, Blood Ceremony, etc.

Blues for a Dying Planet by Spiral Skies

73. Covers of zamrock artists, MC5 and Hawkwind done in an ecstatic way.

ECSTATIC VISION - Under The Influence by HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS Records

72. Fully instrumental Stoner Doom, atmospheric and enjoyable.

Deus Ex Machina by Cloud

71. Another great heavy rock band emerging from Peru, carrying with them excellent riffs and even better solos.

Cosmos by Rito Verdugo

70. Heavy blues rock with superb jam moments, mad solos in here.

THE GRAND ACID by THE GRAND ACID

69. Cosmic boogie rock! Amazing debut record.

Activation Immediate by Freebase Hyperspace

68. Ethereal Doom Metal coming from the masters who started it all.

Eternal Return by Windhand

67. I've seen somewhere the term "doomgaze" applied to Easy Death...it seems to fit.

Welcome by Easy Death

66. Amazing 70's inspired rock coming from Spain. From the same vein of Prisma Circus

Resurrect the Dead by Electric Monolith

65. The only artist out there mixing psychedelic, drone, ambient, space, synthwave and krautrock this good.

ego therapy by Surya Kris Peters

64. A fresh breeze of bluesy rock, with enough groove to make you move.

Love Jail by Dommengang

63. Eastern scales and heavy psych rock merge so well together

Electric Dream Demon (LP) by GNOB

62. Heavy blues doom with one foot in the 70's era and another in the modern times.

Hazemaze by HAZEMAZE

61. Extraordinary heavy psych rock n roll coming from one of the best Israeli bands. I've probably heard the title track 100 times.

Red Eyes Blues by Heavy Stone

60. Hazy doom, hazy riffs, catchy tunes, superb album.

Calm Black Water by REZN

59. Heavy metal delight. Maybe the most interesting band emerging within the Heavy Metal/NWOBHM scene in these last years.

Burst Into Flame by Haunt

58. Heavy blues rock masters! On the prowl since 2008, always releasing killer albums.

Death's-Head Hawkmoth by Lonely Kamel

57. Amazing stoner doom with saxophone? Count me in.

The Wizard by Merlin

56. Psychedelic, blues , krautrock and stoner make a hell of a blend. One of the best debut full-lengths this year gave us.

Krautrocker by Zen Bison

55. Fantastic released of doom heavy rock, filled with enormous riffs and sludgyesc vocals, kinda unique

54. The quality of the doom metal in here is incredible, carrying echoing vocals, obscure riffs and majestic solos.

Tomb Of Doom by Tar Pit

53. Well, Satan's Satyrs really don't sound like anything else happening right now. They managed to create their own sound, based on all their previous influences

The Lucky Ones by Satan's Satyrs

52. Psychedelic doom metal, with great garage rock touches. Another outstanding record.

Mindtripper by Magmakammer

51. Hypnotic psychedelic krautrock coming from the land who gave it name.

We Are Not in California by Black Voodoo Train

50. Fuzzy Heavy Rock with galloping Heavy Psych, addicting grooves and fully Spanish lyrics.

Ritual en Carcosa by Kamadeva

49. Wicked Doom Metal, perfect for fans of Electric Wizard and similar stuff...

Kult Of The Wytch Goat by wytchgoat

48. The Californian fuzz masters can't be stopped. The classic of fuzzy stoner rock, with the magnum opus "Il Mostro Atomico".

Clone Of The Universe by Fu Manchu

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47. Retro hard rock sang in Swedish, with that illustrious Swedish quality.

Oblivious - När Isarna Sjunger by Gaphals

46. A monstrous bong arrives with monstrous riffs. 420 Doom!

Light the Dankness by Belzebong

45. The best garage punk rock record of the year. Dear Satan, I write you..

Bison Voodoo by The Graveyard Groupies

44. Psychedelic hard rock with sax jams and Hendrix'ean vocals you can't forget

Get In The Van by BearSloth

43. Superb heavy rock with Laura Dolan singular vocals

Helltown by Electric Citizen

42. Fantastic fem fronted heavy psychedelic hard rock!

Paradise & Nadir by Willow Child

41. Exceptional organ-driven doomy heavy rock with two kinds of vocals.

Act One by Alms

40. Most good motorcycles run on gasoline. This is a bad motorcycle, it runs on blood.

✠ I Tread On Your Grave ✠ by The Death Wheelers

39. Filthy and nasty sludge doom. Super heavy. Extra points for the cool song names

TONS - Filthy Flowers of Doom by HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS Records

38. Amazing progressive rock band, heavy without a guitar, only bass, drums and a hell of an organ.

Tube Alloys by Blå Lotus

37. We knew how good Crypt Trip were with their previous releases but this is their breakthrough album. First rate heavy rock

Rootstock by Crypt Trip

36. Heavy blues influenced doom with amazing vocals, their best one yet

Holy Grove II by Holy Grove

35. Freaky and creepy space psychedelic punk! My mind of garage punk rock

Night Fight by Flying Hair

34. Occult doom metal, tending towards the epic side. Absolutely amazing

Midnight Mirror by Tempelheks

33. Immense doom metal soaked in horror and synth sounds, always fuzzy and haunting

The Golden Dwarf by Satori Junk

32. Extraordinary debut album, featuring fascinatingly blends psychedelic rock with blues and stoner rock, carefully driven by a krautrock atmosphere and some drone inputs.

Hormonizer by Sex Blender

31 . Astrodome reached a new composition level with this record, drawing influences from heavy psych, jazz or stoner, creating a fully instrumental trip of soundscapes.

II by Astrodome

30. Crushing doom with seriously groovy heavy riffs, doomy atmosphere and mighty vocals.

Wicked Worlds by Birnam Wood

29. Dada garage rock n roll, with plenty of psychedelia and weird noises to keep you satiated.

Lotka-Volterra by Hoodooed

28. Excellent 70's organ driven hard rock extravaganza, superb playing in here

"Blood's thicker than love" by BLOOD OF THE SUN

27. Heavy rock/metal with NWOBHM and lots of classic rock hints, a perfect mix.

Set Fire To The Sky by Hypnos

26. Majestic church organ hard rock, with grunge and punk influences. Great debut work!

Cake! by Ozymandias

25. Classic rock with lots of NWOBHM influences, killer twin guitar harmonies and brilliant compositions.

II: Sojourn by Wytch Hazel

24. Unbelievably great desert rock coming from the godfathers themselves. Mind bending tunes

YAWNING MAN - The Revolt Against Tired Noises by HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS Records

23. The masters of the fuzzy afrobeat, groovy and catchy.

You Will Know Nothing by Here Lies Man

22. The acid Punk Rock, the sonic psychedelic destruction. Grab a chair and feel the gain.

More Hearing by OGOD (Over-Gain Optimal Death)

21. Magnificent blend of heavy blues and heavy rock, with a beautiful organ presence and western touches.

Seven Storms by Mountain Dust

20. Psychedelic stoner doom, fully instrumental and loaded with fuzzy psychedelia

Solar Hawk by Saturno Grooves

19. Skate heavy psych rock coming from San Diego's marvelous world

Smolyk by Petyr

18. Riffs after riffs..crazy good Speed Rock, punk, thrash, whatever, just bang your head

Hashteroid by Hashteroid

17. JIRM did really a number with this one, combining the force of heavy rock and the mind bending power of psychedelic in a singular way

Surge Ex Monumentis by JIRM

16. Inventive heavy psych rock that seeks new ways of putting different sounds together, a stunning debut

Halcyon Daze by River Cult

15. Proto doom, hard rock, doomy rock, whatever you want to call it. Amazing unique sound that follows the steps of the doom origins.

Dunbarrow II by Dunbarrow

14. Dark psychedelic heavy metal with a wide range of excellent influences, including prog and black metal, couldn't be better

Torchlight by New Light Choir

13. 70's influenced heavy rock, with lots of psychedelic vibes going on and a huge godzilla devotion.

Blast by Sons of Geezora

12. Exceptional rock album, with psychedelic, experimental and doom touches. It would work great as a movie soundtrack

Hymns by Jack Harlon &The Dead Crows

11. Doom metal meets dark jazz. Absolutely amazing record from start to finish.

Feast for Water by Messa

10. Instrumental heavy psychedelic rock coming from Puerto Rico veterans. Let yourself loose in these jams

Gran Muro de Coma by La Iglesia Atomica

9. Fans of speedrock, you got another fast train coming right at you muito

Cheated Death by Against the Grain

8. Heavy rock inspired by the 70's golden era, with amazing guitar work and awesome organ sounds.

Path of Virtue by Vvlva

7. Tropical heavy psychedelic rock, fully instrumental with prominent bass grooves, playful guitar and a constant joy throughout the record.

Psilocibina by Psilocibina

6. The doom album of the year.

Slave To The Grave by Alastor

5. Excellent heavy rock, you will not hear anything like this.

Hard Wish by PUSHY

4. Dreamy heavy psychedelic rock coming from one of the best Spanish bands emerging in the last years.

Moon by Holy Mushroom

3. Heavy metal with hints of progressive, thrash and doom, what a blend. Their best record yet.

Livin' Oblivion by BLACK WIZARD

2. Rock n Roll never sound so heavy! Loud and fast, metal and punk, killer with no fillers.

Under The Influence by Anguish

1. The slutch metal returns! No more words are needed.

TRANSCANADIAN ANGER by DOPETHRONE

#best of #doom metal #stoner metal #stoner rock #heavy rock #hard rock #psych rock #instrumental rock #fuzzy socks #punk rock #heavy metal #hardcore punk #sludge metal #stoner doom #psych doom

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dustedmagazine · 5 years

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Listed: Woven Skull

Image Credit: Edel Doherty

In 2008, the core trio that make up Woven Skull began gathering together in the home of two of the members, set deep in the bogs and forests of County Leitrim: an empty, sparse area in the northwest of Ireland known for its myths of shee, tales of lake monsters, and calls of otherworldly beings in the still of the night. Several years experimenting with combinations of instrumentation, kitchen utensils, seashells, footsteps, chimes, recordings of cats purring and frogs mating led to their current sound which combines densely propulsive guitar, distorted mandola and endless cyclical rhythms. Woven Skull strip and scrape what they can out of minimal instrumentation to teeter on the brink of total sonic meltdown creating engulfing, raw primal drones and damaged rock manoeuvres. This sound draws on the influences of the combined backgrounds of the trio with Aonghus (guitar) and Willie (percussion) born and bred in Dublin and Natalia (mandola) born in Ukraine and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. Of their most recent LP, Isaac Olson wrote that it was, “More serious than Sun City Girls and more playful than Bardo Pond... a great introduction to your new favorite cult band.”

A selection of sounds that we brought to listen to in the van during our last tour.

Agathe Max—Gypsy In a Church (Greasy Trucker Records)

A Gypsy In A Church by Agathe Max

Agathe Max and I first met when we shared a bill at a Baba Yaga's Hut gig in London. She was with her duo Mésangeand I became completely bewitched by her playing. Live, whether with a band or on her own, Agathe creates a mesh of violin magic mixed through a mastery of pedals. No action seems superfluous. Her violin bow might thump off the neck during a section that is fed into a loop and you wonder if it was maybe an accident only to find that the build up of the rhythm created by that slight thump singularly drives the whole next passage. It is meticulous. The Gypsy in a Churchalbum is Agathe solo and acoustic with two long improvised tracks. It came out on cassette in 2016 on Bristol's Greasy Trucker Records. Side A is recorded in Bristol in St. Thomas's church and Side B is from St. Leonard's in London. The spaces creep into the recordings. It makes good driving music because you get lost in time as the violin bounces around the church walls and suddenly the day has faded, twilight is spilling across the sky and and that night's venue is just around the corner. (Natalia)

Patrick Farmer & David Lacey—Pell-Mell the Prolix (caduc. Recordings)

Pell-Mell the Prolix by Patrick Farmer & David Lacey

A really tightly structured, interruptive and continually surprising concrète-ish composition by this duo of percussionists. Beautiful wood-block and dub segments deserve a mention. I found ‘Pell Mell’ to be more accessible than their earlier recording ‘Pictures of Men’ (equally worth checking out but perhaps more dense and angular in places). Ephemera of personal obsessions lumber up against indistinguishable rumblings, a passage is carved between the figurative and the unknowable. (Aonghus)

Chrissy Zebby Tembo & Ngazi Family—My Ancestors (Mississippi Records)

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When you're stuck in traffic on the M1 between Brighton and any other part of the UK and you start to wonder why in the hell did we come to this country on a bank holiday, it's time to fire up the dashboard kettle, make a press pot of joe and throw on some Classic 'Zamrock' from 1974. This is hard rock coming straight outta Zambia, thankfully made available on vinyl at an affordable price courtesy of Mississippi Recordsin Portland, Oregon. This has become one of my Desert Island records. Sabbath infused riffs dipped in some 13th Floor Elevators psych with an explosiveness that's purely African. Before you know it, three tightly packed lanes of English Midlands holiday makers turns into three lanes with one else around. (Willie)

Tadlaouia—moul el koutchi rouicha et tadlaouia

youtube

I like to play the same albums both in the shower and in the van. I'm not quite sure why. Maybe these activities send me into the same zone? This tape gets a lot of listens in both places. I love the melding of Tadlaouia's voice with Mohamed Rouicha's string playing action. I know nothing of Tadlaouia aside from this album but I keep on eye out cause I’d love to hear more. I picked this tape up at a stall stacked floor to ceiling with cassettes. I choose it purely based on the cover. It coulda gone either way but sure, look at that shimmer in her smile. You know it's gonna be gold. (Natalia)

Angharad Davies, Tisha Mukarji & Dimitra Lazaridou-Chatzigoga—Outwash (Another Timbre)

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Three super-focused improvisations for violin, piano and zither. Shimmering drones and creaks set against more melodic playing. Moves slowly from one area to another, acoustic instruments sound like electronics and at other times like themselves. Angharad Davies played at the same festival as us a few years back, performing a piece which consisted of her bowing a single tone while gradually unwinding the string accompanied by a really subtle tape element (or that’s what my hazy memory tells me), ruled! (Aonghus)

Miles Davis—On The Corner (Columbia Records)

youtube

Raw minimalist soul funk jazz. Totally stripped down. Enough hi-hats and trumpet wah wah pedal to keep you fuzzed out and yer head boppin'. It is such a ballsy record. But then again, Miles could get away with anything. Perfect for a morning drive on tour to get the brain aligned when you don't know what the day will bring. (Willie)

Creedence Clearwater Revival —”Sinister Purpose”

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When in a vortex of stalled traffic that makes me feel like my life is melting into nothing in front of me, I like to put Sinister Purposeby Creedence on repeat (though, in fairness, any Creedence will do). Everything always just seems better then. And should the traffic never end and the van never move again, well at least there's Jon Fogarty to sound out our impending demise. (Natalia)

Bob Dylan—Self Portrait (Columbia)

Listen on Spotify

I’ve been listening to ‘Self Portrait’ a lot over the past while. I’m not hugely knowledgeable about Dylan even though I’ve heard a lot of the oeuvre over the years. A cursory google before I wrote this text tells me it’s regarded as one of his worst... not so sure about that. Opens with the sublime “All the Tired Horses”... Dylan himself not singing on it kinda blew me away as an idea for an opener when I first heard the album. Gets into weird country crooning... his version of “Days of 49” is another highlight. Things get patchy and weird but whatever... the “Blue Moon” cover is pretty funny. I’m second-guessing myself having just seen all the negativity surrounding it and started to spin “Blonde on Blonde” just to check... nah... I still think it’s good! (Aonghus)

Samandtheplants—Flaming Liar (Them There)

Flaming Liar by Samandtheplants

A few different names and guises flock from the incredible studio of musician, artist and producer Sam Mcloughlin. This album as samandtheplantsis such an absolute joy that you can have it on repeat for hours and it gets more interesting. Two disc set of almost purely vocals and harmonium. Very lo-fi, raw and total magic. Sam's Lancashire accent coming through and adding a genuine feel to the recordings as real English folk music without it sounding too twee or dated. I'd advise anyone to go looking for Sam Mcloughlin's work, including his sound sculpture work and his N. Racker project. (Willie)

‘Fort Evil Fruit’ Cassette Label

youtube

We here at Woven Skull are all big fans of Fort Evil Fruit. Label boss Paul has a keen ear for what's what. It's handy to stock up on all the newest FEF releases before a tour and gradually listen through them while zoning out on the revolving landscape outside the window. One of my favorite things that came out on the label in the last few years was Crevice’s debut album. The trio from Cork all play in a variety of other bands and solo projects, run labels, have radio shows and add to the general awesomeness of Cork City. Roslyn Steer's vocals on Black Box kept swirling around inside my brain for weeks after first hearing this so listener beware! It’s catchy business. (Natalia)

#dusted magazine #listed #woven skull #agathe max #patrick farmer #david lacey #chrissy zebby tembo #ngazi family #tadlaouia #angharad davies #tisha mukarji #dimitra lazaridou-chatzigoga #miles davis #creedence clearwater revival #bob dylan #samandtheplants #fort evil fruit #crevice

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ashxpad · 3 years

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Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN Sports Lens Review: Worthy of Attention

The long-awaited Sigma 150-600mm for mirrorless cameras has finally arrived. Available for Sony E-mount or Leica L-mount, does this redesigned super-telephoto zoom meet the expectations of real-world wildlife photographers?

Build Quality and Design

The Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS is one of the company’s better-looking lenses. There’s no glossy finish anywhere and it’s not gaudily large and over-industrial in style. In my opinion, the matte black finish is an immediate relief compared to the unsightly off-white Sony 200-600mm lens.

In all, the lens weighs four pounds 15 ounces (2.2 kilograms) with the lens hood attached. That weight is spread across the 10.5 inches (26.7 centimeters) length and can be handheld, which is how I photographed with it for my review. At 600mm, the lens physically extends out to about 14.5 inches (36.8 centimeters). The lens diameter is 4.3 inches (10.9 centimeters) which fits well in my hand and it takes 95mm filters screwed to the front. Sigma appears to have done well to ensure there was no extra bulk here.

Sigma 150-600mm DG DN at 150mm.

Sigma 150-600mm DG DN at 600mm.

Zoom Ring

The zoom can be operated either by twisting the ring or, by design, pushing and pulling at it directly near the lens hood. There’s a three-stage switch on the left side to which controls the zoom ring tension: locked, tight, or smooth. The locked setting only works at 150mm to prevent zoom creep. I found that the tight setting adds enough tension to avoid accidental shifts in focal length. On the other hand, I felt that the smooth setting was not as smooth as I would have preferred, although this may be more of a physics issue as the weight of the lens physically extending out naturally places a certain amount of tension on the ring.

This lens has a variable aperture that from my testing breaks down as follows: from 150mm to 172mm, the widest aperture is f/5. From 173mm to 365mm, the widest aperture is f/5.6. That leaves f/6.3 being the maximum aperture through the rest of the range from 366mm to 600mm.

For comparison, the Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 lens switches over right around 300mm, so for those hankering over a third-stop of light, this Sigma is an improvement.

Zoom ring tension control switch.

Focus Ring

Looping back to the focus ring, I’m not a fan of its design. It’s awfully narrow and what is worse is that only a portion of the ring that moves is covered in rubber grip. For such a small area, I wish Sigma could have at least placed the rubber ribbing over as much as possible. For wildlife photography, manual focusing becomes very important in certain situations where there are foreground elements and dense foliage at play, and I use it every day I’m out. On the plus side, it does have smooth rotation to it with an appropriate amount of tension to the glide. In the video section of this review, I will discuss its poor functionality further.

One other complaint about both the zoom and focus rings comes from Sigma’s combination of rubber hardness and the wide, triangle-shaped ribbing. After a while, the weight of my camera and this lens starts to dig into my hand and the ribbing starts to feel like little knives. This is in contrast to the Sony 200-600mm I own and Canon telephoto lenses I’ve used where the ribbing is flattened at the edge and doesn’t stick out so far. I’ve never thought of this as a possible issue until using this lens.

Tripod Collar

The tripod foot and collar feature a couple of great design choices. For one, the foot incorporates an Arca Swiss-compatible plate so that no additional add-on is necessary. The collar itself also has notches every 90 degrees so the foot can be set perfectly level by feeling the groove rather than having to eyeball the alignment with markings. This really comes in handy when shooting off a gimbal when I wanted to go from landscape to portrait orientation. Because of it, I did not have to take my eye out of the viewfinder to check level alignment.

A downside I find with the included tripod foot is that it’s quite short. As someone who shoots handheld, I still appreciate having the foot there and I use it as a carrying handle for my setup. With this foot, I can only awkwardly cram three fingers in rather than a more comfortable four. Again, with the weight being a factor, I begin to feel the discomfort of carrying like this for longer periods of time. I guess I can always buy the eye-rollingly expensive TS-81 foot that Sigma sells separately.

Image Quality

Inside, the lens uses 25 elements in 15 groups including four “F” low-dispersion elements and two extra-low dispersion elements, plus a dust and moisture resistant coating on the front element.

The image quality of this lens is where you will get your money’s worth. I find that there’s solid clarity and contrast throughout the focal range, good sharpness, well-controlled color fringing and flaring, and the bokeh shape from the nine rounded aperture blades melt away out-of-focus objects pleasingly.

As one would expect for any telephoto lens, there’s heavy vignetting when shot wide open at either end of the zoom range. At 150mm, I found that by f/7.1 the vignetting was largely relegated to the far corners and by f/13 it was completely cleared up. On the 600mm end, by f/9 the vignetting was largely moved to the far corners and by f/13 it was gone.

Likewise, sharpness improves as the aperture is stopped down to its sweet spot. Shooting at 150mm, I find that each third-stop down shows good improvement at the center up until f/7.1 where it starts peaking. By f/14 the center looks as sharp as it did wide open at f/5 and continuing to stop down from there continues to soften the image. Both f/20 and f/22 are really soft in the center. Moving to the corners, I saw that f/11 is where it meets peak sharpness for 150mm.

Looking at the center sharpness while at 600mm, things are a little bit different. My testing showed that there are big jumps in improving center sharpness when clicked from f/6.3 to f/7.1 and then again from f/7.1 to f/8. The improvements from here on out are not as drastic, but it looks like f/11 is the lens’s true peak sharpness in the center at 600mm. For the corners, I saw f/16 as the peak sharpness for 600mm.

600mm at f/6.3. Left: full image. Right: 100% crop.

Close focus at 150mm.

Close focus at 600mm.

This lens does come equipped with image stabilization which I thought worked adequately as I saw no change in what I’m used to seeing with my Sony 200-600mm. It works well for handheld shooting and I have no complaints as far as this feature goes.

It’s the same story for autofocus, likely thanks to the switch out of the Hyper Sonic Motor from the DSLR models to a stepping motor for this mirrorless-first redesign. From my experience, the Sigma 150-600mm DG DN can competently track birds in flight and quickly sweep the focus plane to hunt down subjects. I never felt I was missing anything due to the autofocusing system during my review period.

Using the Lens for Video

From the older 150-600mm lenses made for DSLR mounts to the 300-800mm f/5.6 Goliath, Sigma has been producing well-favored super-telephoto zoom lenses used by filmmaking enthusiasts and professionals for a long time. A number of pros own these Sigma lenses for their personal setups and then rent out the wildly expensive glass when out on assignment.

I spent a couple of evenings using the lens on my Sony FS5 camera rig to record video. My primary subjects were hummingbirds out in a patch of jewelweed. Everything in the video below was filmed with the Sigma 150-600mm DG DN.

vimeo

The 150mm to 600mm range was very helpful to create a variety of shots just using one lens (effectively 225-900mm on my FS5). The push-pull zoom was also nice to quickly change focal lengths. While the lens is not parfocal, it does hold itself together enough to where I never lost my subject and simply needed a fine adjustment after zooming in and out.

In the end, I think the downsides outweighed the positives for me when it comes to video. The biggest issue I have is that the focus ring does not have a linear response. This is a massive disappointment, especially when you consider how well-liked Sigma’s DSLR lenses have been to wildlife filmmakers. Without a linear response focus ring, no two focus pulls are the same and instead, it all depends on how fast the ring is being twisted. As a result, smooth tracking of subjects was a big problem with this lens.

It’s not a new issue for Sigma super-telephoto zooms, but another problem is the counterbalancing. Having my fluid head balanced for the lens sitting at 150mm is going to be off when it changes to 600mm since it physically extends and the weight of the glass shifts locations. I would up balancing for around 300mm as a compromise which was okay, but not ideal considering it’s nothing I think about with the Sony 200-600mm I own where the physical size is always fixed at any focal length.

The Tradition Continues

Sigma has earned its reputation for building high-end lenses and selling them at mid-tier prices. This continues with the new 150-600mm DG DN where final image quality looks terrific and the $1,500 price makes it hard to overlook it when shopping for a super-telephoto zoom.

Are There Alternatives?

The E-mount version of this lens is clearly taking on the $2,000 Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS that came out a couple of years ago. What I find interesting is how Sigma with this lens and Tamron with its new 150-500mm lens have been picking away at the design and building features to improve certain things over what Sony made. Neither have made everything better across the board, and the Sony 200-600mm still maintains sole ownership over a few things that make it truly special, but the fact that some flaws are being patched and both Sigma and Tamron charge less for it makes coming to a decision among the three much tougher.

The Sigma features variable tension control on the zoom ring, an Arca Swiss plate built into the tripod foot, notched positions on the tripod collar, a screw-down lens hood, and can zoom out to 150mm f/5, all of which improve upon the Sony. On the flip side, the Sony doesn’t telescope and change physical size upon zooming, has a much wider focus ring that is a linear response, has a quick-release tripod foot, and can accept the company’s 1.4x and 2x teleconverters.

Should You Buy It?

Yes. Undoubtedly there will always be a question of whether to buy this lens or the other options available, but looking at the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS alone it is well worth the consideration and it will not let you down.

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