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thelensofyashunews · 21 days

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Mach-Hommy Explores Diasporic Duality on New Album #RICHAXXHAITIAN

Mach-Hommy–the acclaimed and prolific artist who keeps his government name unpublished, maintains no social media presence, and covers his face with a bandana of the Haitian flag–releases #RICHAXXHAITIAN, his first solo studio album since 2021, out now on all platforms. Released in time for Haitian Flag Day (May 18th), #RICHAXXHAITIAN channels the troubled political evolution of Haiti, as well as its rich cultural inheritance. Galvanized by the country's turbulent past, Mach-Hommy presents a beacon towards a better future.

#RICHAXXHAITIAN is the fourth album in a tetralogy of albums that examine Mach-Hommy's relationship with his homeland and provide a wide-ranging account of how its issues intersect with problems facing the world at large. While the first album in the series, H.B.O. (Haitian Body Odor), reclaimed an ugly stereotype, and his two acclaimed 2021 albums, Pray For Haiti and Balens Cho (Hot Candles), chronicled hardship and recovery, #RICHAXXHAITIAN is a small musical panacea for his homeland amidst poverty and political strife, combating the public's negative images of Haiti by focusing on the greatness and prosperity of the country's diaspora. Over the course of the album, Mach-Hommy emphasizes the country's potential, strategizing ways that his troubled homeland could become an exemplar of Black cultural and economic excellence.

#RICHAXXHAITIAN draws from a variety of musical styles, welcoming producers like Grammy-winning producer Conductor Williams, along with Multi-Grammy-winning producer KAYTRANADA, Grammy-nominated producer Quelle Chris, longtime associate Sadhu Gold, and others, to indulge their most creative impulses. The album progresses from vintage samples from the pre-rock era to futuristic electronic, jazz, and soul music, sketching a potential path for Haiti to evolve from developing nation to Afro-Futurist paradise.

Last week's single, "#RICHAXXHAITIAN," a collaboration with KAYTRANADA and L.A. legend 03 Greedo, exemplifies Mach in the latter mode, using a house-inflected instrumental and an interpolation of Afrobeat legend Odion Iruoje's "Ikebe" to provide a luxurious platform for both emcees to flex their hard-earned wealth. Focus track "COPY COLD," produced by Quelle Chris, draws from the other end of the spectrum. The song features a guest verse from Black Thought, who has long praised Mach-Hommy and called him one of his favorite emcees, as both emcees unfurl some of their densest verses to date. Originally recorded as a demo during a difficult period of Mach's life, nearly ten years ago, Mach was inspired to dust off the old tape with the hopes of collaborating with an emcee of Black Thought's caliber on the track. Over Quelle Chris's rippling piano instrumental, the two rappers beat against the current mode of label-driven rap beef, instead elevating the art of the emcee with kindred spirit collaboration.

03 Greedo and Black Thought lead a long list of collaborators that make #RICHAXXHAITIAN one of Mach-Hommy's most ambitious albums to date. Mach connects with R&B/jazz luminary HEPHZIBAH on "SONJE," an Afro-Futurist and psychedelic highlight that approaches the dissonant highs of 70s jazz fusion. Buffalo-based activist/singer/songwriter Drea D'Nur graces "POLITickle" with her luminous vocals, putting a button on a song that directly comments on how global capitalism tramples culture and fosters poverty. Mach rolls out the red carpet for Roc Marciano on the brief, but brilliant "ANTONOMASIA," as the two underground heroes trade verses over big band jazz samples and tribal drums. Mach feels right at home when rapping with frequent collaborators like Your Old Droog, Tha God Fahim, and Big Cheeko, providing a familiar anchor for longtime fans and ice cold bars for anyone who might not be familiar with their chemistry.

Born in Newark and raised in Port-Au-Prince amongst the elders of his culture, Mach-Hommy has always strongly identified with his home country's struggle, and his people's resilience. Haiti was the world's first Black republic formed as the result of a successful slave revolt. The Caribbean nation's very existence was a thumb in the nose of white supremacy, heralding the gleaming potential of Black self-government in the new world. Of course, the colonial powers could not let this stand: shortly after Haiti won independence, its former colonial overlord France levied a punitive tax, designed to cripple the young nation's economy and prevent it from growing into a power in the Caribbean. Still, despite the various man-made and natural disasters that have plagued the island nation over the centuries, the people of Haiti have grown strong, developing an influential cultural tradition and a vibrant diaspora, of which Mach-Hommy is a proud member.

Attempting to transform our modern dystopia into a utopia using only his rhymes and force of will, Mach-Hommy invites us all, from his most loyal investors to his freshest fans, to imagine a brand new world. With #RICHAXXHAITIAN, that seemingly impossible dream creeps ever closer.

“I’ve always wanted to rep for Haiti and the cultural and intellectual richness we’ve provided the world,” Mach-Hommy says. “From our musical styles like kontradans that have influenced world music, our natural resources which provide so much raw material for so many important advancements in technology, our thinkers that pioneered philosophical movements and Black pride, and our spiritual leaders who kept the religious traditions of Guinea alive and intact, the religious traditions of Ayiti….”

Buy #RICHAXXHATIAN on vinyl, CD, and cassette at Zotanica

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sunburnacoustic · 1 year

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An interview with Matt Bellamy in the Guardian, 17 August 2001. By Will Hodgekinson.

Matt Bellamy is the slight, angular, 23-year-old lead singer of the rock band Muse. He's sharing a flat in north London with a friend from his hometown of Teignmouth and the band's drummer, Dom. The flat has the air of a temporary home with only the bare necessities present and standard regulation furniture fills up the space between a piano in one corner and a computer in the other. For a flat occupied by three rock'n'roll-involved young men, it's surprisingly clean.

"We've been here a couple of months," says Bellamy, who talks in a rapid monotone. "I lived in Exeter for six months and I'll probably be here for six months before hopefully moving to the States. I'm living my life in six-month chunks at the moment."

Laying down roots is not on the current agenda. "If I'm in the same place for too long, I can't write anything. When things are changing, that's when the writing kicks in, whether that change be moving house, or losing a girlfriend, or making a new bunch of friends. Because that's when I get the urge of wanting to be in touch with the one thing that is constant, which is the feeling I get from making music. That's why the last album was called Origin of Symmetry - it's important to have that base when everything is in flux."

Being a child of the 21st century, Bellamy has dispensed with the notion of a record collection for something far more transportable - music stored on computer. "Since Napster went, the program you need is Morpheus, which can not only download music, but films and other computer programs as well. Perhaps I shouldn't be saying this, but I've got AI and all these films that haven't come out yet downloaded on to my computer. And with songs, you download the ones you want from somebody else's machine and form your own playlist."

When he's away from the computer, Bellamy uses a wristwatch-sized MP3 player to listen to music. "You plug a lead into the computer and put on the songs you want, so you can walk around with this and the quality is brilliant. It costs about £250. I'm on planes a lot and they always tell me to turn off my Walkman during take-off, but this is so small that they can't even see I've got it on. When you put these headphones on, it's absolute cut-off from the outside world. You can't hear kids crying or anything."

On the little MP3 player is a catholic range of music. Along with tracks by Rage Against the Machine, Weezer, American lo-fi favourites Grandaddy and funk-rockers Primus are blues tracks by Robert Johnson and European classical excerpts. "When I was about 10 my dad played me Robert Johnson, and that was the first time I heard music that made me feel something, even though what I'm playing on piano these days isn't blues but music from European history, be it folk, classical, or flamenco. I'm into Jeff Buckley's voice a lot too, as he was one of the first male singers who made me comfortable about singing in a female range."

Another favourite is the Belgian rock band Deus. "One of the best rock bands from Europe. They're too experimental for radio here so they've never made it, but they're huge in Belgium. They jump across all kinds of styles and will play anything from blues to disco in the same track. They've been around for about 10 years, and they did a tour supporting PJ Harvey in England, but apart from that, they've never had much exposure."

All of this feeds into Muse's own sound - emotional, heartfelt rock popular with troubled young men. "Chris, the bass player, is into his metal, and for some reason he's also obsessed by the Beach Boys, and he's got all those outtakes of Beach Boys tracks that you can get. Dom's into percussive things like Buddy Miles and the Aphex Twin. We all like Rage Against the Machine, while I listen to a lot of classical music and the other two don't really go there. We meet in the middle of all our tastes with what we do in the band."

From playing us noisy American rock on his computer, Bellamy goes to knocking out some astonishingly accomplished classical piano. "I play the piano for ages because I enjoy the experience of doing it. It's always been something of an escape, if you like," he says. "Then something will come from that and there will be the start of a new song, even if at that point it's just expressing a state of mind, a feeling of loneliness or whatever. I wrote a lot of the last album on tour, so I would often find a piano backstage at a venue, and just play it all day."

Occasionally, there's time for that most traditional of listening pleasures, the record. "Our producer, John Leckie, has opened me up to people like Tom Waits and Captain Beefheart, and even Jimi Hendrix who I don't think I would have listened to otherwise. After a day's session he would pull out a few records and play them in the dark. It was cool."

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ask-serendipity-sky · 9 months

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Soda Stereo

Before the day ends, I want to pay homage to Gustavo Cerati...

Do you all remember when Jin went to Argentina to sing The Astronaut with Coldplay?

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In this same concert, Coldplay covered some songs by Soda Stereo.

So Soda Stereo is one of the most influential pop/rock bands of Argentina and Latin America, led by the musical genius, Gustavo Cerati. Their songs are iconic.

When Cerati died on the 4th of September in 2014, after being in a coma for 4 years, his passing was felt all over Latin America. For 4 years, we all waited for him to get better until it was announced that he had passed.

I was in my car in the school parking lot when I found out. I cried and mourned for weeks.

He was absolutely brilliant. A true musical genius. Eccentric as hell. He thrived on that stage. There was something about him. His artistry. The way he performed and remained true to himself. To his whole self. I'm in awe still. Always will be.

(Fun fact: He is also known as The Little Prince)

I still remember when I heard Persiana America, my favorite Soda Stereo song, for the first time on tv. I was 12 years old and it was a Sunday. And since google wasn't really a thing, I archived the lyrics and band name in my brain. I asked my piano teacher about them the next day and she had no clue what I was talking about!

Anyway, 2 of their most famous songs are called Musica Ligera and Persiana America.

Now, I don’t care for Coldplay but my respects to Chris Martin for taking the time to learn the song in Spanish and pay homage to Soda Stereo.

I can't imagine how Argentinians in the crowd felt listening to the songs. Feeling this giant electric field in the air with the same vibe. Hearing hundreds of people sing the lyrics of the songs they grew up with.

Someone made a mashup of old concert footage with Soda Stereo and Coldplay. It's pretty cool to see Cerati and Coldplay on the "same frequency":

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And one of my top favorite songs:

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Ahh to think that Jin got to witness all this! It is iconic. The stuff that dreams are made of.

Bonus: My favorite rendition of Persiana America:

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#non bts #recommendations #soda stereo

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agentnico · 1 year

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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) Review

Oh. My. Gosh.

Plot: Miles Morales catapults across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. When the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles must redefine what it means to be a hero.

2018′s Into the Spider-Verse was a surprising hit that featured some of the most amazing animation ever put to screen, as well as being not only one of the best Spidey films, but also one of the top comic-book movies of all time. Additionally the inclusion of Nicolas Cage propelled that film to all kinds of new heights! Now following a successful box office run of that movie and a well deserved Academy Award win for Best Animated Feature, the first of two sequels is gracing our screens, and I am always weary when it comes to sequels to great movies, as one wonders if the creative team can retain the magic from the original.

At this point there should be a rule made in Hollywood to never bet against the duo that are Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Every time we find ourselves shocked whenever films involving these two come out and end up being some of the most superb cinema experiences. 22 Jump Street - a hilarious comedy. The Lego Movie - a uniquely animated movie that turns out to be much more than a simple cash-grab. Mitchells vs. the Machines - again another ground-breaking animation style with a wholesome story of family in the middle of it. Cocaine Bear - it’s a movie about a bear on cocaine, need I say more?! The list goes on, these two consistently deliver quality content and we should learn to accept this. So with Across the Spider-Verse I am happy to report that it’s another hit from these producers/writers, however not only is it a hit, it may just be a bloody masterpiece!

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is, put simply, brilliant! It’s everything that made Into the Spider-Verse great dialled up even more, and the result is honestly fantastic. Look, I watch a lot of movies. And yeah, movies are great and I love them deeply. But in watching so many films I have in a way lost that magic of being in awe every time I go to the cinema. Cliches and repetitiveness in films stick out like sore thumbs to me. However with Across the Spider-Verse I felt like a kid again, purely stunned in amazement at every single frame, engaged with the characters and story-line, not knowing where it will go next. Like I cannot reiterate how much fun I had watching this movie!

The animation...where do I begin? This is a gorgeous movie that retains that graphic novel look from the first movie, however due to the narrative being set in various universes, the animation team go a step further by having each reality animated in a different way. There are so many various art-styles used, and each one is absolutely gorgeous. Yet it never comes off as pretentious, instead all used in benefit of the story. There’s a certain sequence involving two characters having a dramatic emotional exchange of dialogue, and the use of watercolours and the changes in the background as the emotion changes throughout that scene was honestly some of the best and most powerful piece of animation I’ve ever seen. Not only the animation though, but the music. The music!!! Anyone seen that meme online featuring a guy playing a piano that’s on fire? Well that’s how hard composer Daniel Pemberton went with the musical score of this film. The way it amplified the action, embodied the tenderness of the emotional scenes, and played up to each character’s unique style, the music and sound design were absolutely spectacular! From a technical standpoint Across the Spider-Verse is a marvel.

There’s a lot of going on in this movie. It’s relentlessly fast paced, with lines of dialogue spilling out like Niagara falls and so many jokes, Easter Eggs and references thrown all at once that it’s easy to miss things on your first viewing. So I imagine this movie will serve well as a rewatchable one, so that you can catch the details you’ve missed before. However through all this content thrown at you at 100 miles per our the movie never forgets to stay focused on telling its story, and fleshing out all the main characters. And yes, there are lots of characters in this movie, yet every single one feels unique with many layers, and that’s due to the writing and the superb voice cast. Shameik Moore is freaking amazing as Miles Morales. That tone of vulnerability, this maturity but still immaturity cascading and once more evolving the character from the first film... you can’t help but root for him and also believe in him. Hailee Steinfeld is wonderful as Gwen Stacy, that is both vulnerable yet strong, trying to navigate her way through life whilst dealing with the dysfunctional relationship with her dad and having to be the hero she is meant to be. Also it’s always impressive when actors can portray good chemistry using only their voices, yet Moore and Steinfeld have that to a tee. Oscar Isaac (who was but only teased in the credits scene of the first film) is appropriately moody with a dark edge, showing hurt, anger and fire in every line he delivers as the anti-hero Miguel. Jason Schwartzman as Spot has that usual comedic every-guy demeanour to him, however his character is then revealed to be more reckless than expected, and Schwartzman is easily believable as the psychotic villain wanting to dominate to prove his worth. Brian Tyree Henry as Miles’ dad, Daniel Kaluuya as a punk Brit Spidey, Shea Whigham as Gwen’s father....the list goes on. Honestly every member of the voice cast does incredible work. You end up caring for these characters, and are fully invested in them.

In terms of negatives there aren’t really many. I’d say to the beginning the movie focuses a little too much on exposition of bringing everyone up to speed on the events of the first movie, and I’m just there like “I’ve seen the first movie, get on with it already!” and also the fast pace delivery means certain lines of dialogue are thrown so quickly they are easily missed, yet again though, I feel that in rewatching the film multiple times I will find enjoyment it catching out those missed details. In the end though, Across the Spider-Verse is a fantastic Part 1 to a story that is left at an expected cliff-hanger ready to be picked up by next year’s Beyond the Spider-Verse, however as a middle movie of a trilogy it stands strong along the likes of Empire Strikes Back or The Two Towers, in that it continues to flesh out the characters in a meaningful and powerful way, the animation and music is ridiculously good, and overall it’s one of the best superhero films I have ever seen. Also, it manages to deliver the idea of a multiverse much better than anything the MCU is currently attempting to do, so yep, also a solid multiverse movie. There’s plenty of fan-service thrown in throughout though I never thought it felt forced, and overall this is simply superb filmmaking. Can’t wait for Beyond the Spider-Verse!

Overall score: 9/10

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the-hindu-times · 1 year

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Frank Turner

& The Sleeping Souls

We went to see Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls back in September at Brixton Academy and the Cambridge Junction. The sligtly ever-changing setlist on that tour gave us new album track 'Farewell To My City' at Brixton - a song about leaving London, played in London, and the only time we would hear this live. This was substituted for 'A Wave Across A Bay' in Cambridge (a beautifully penned song [coming from a different angle that no other songsmith could have attempted] about the suicide of his same-aged friend; Frightened Rabbit singer/songwriter, Scott Hutchinson). Along with the welcome return of 'I knew Prodlock Before He Was Famous', in time for the Cambridge gig, he then opened with it at a solo/acoustic show we attended, at Hyde Park Corner's Hard Rock Cafe for the 'Stop The Shadow' charity event. Comedian Chris McCausland's request for 'Worse Things Happen At Sea' was the rarest song in the set, as 'Be More Kind' and 'The Ballad Of Me And My Friends' were kept in from the previous tour, perfectly meant for one man and his guitar.

I grew up in Folkestone, watching live bands at the Leas Cliff Hall. We were lucky because it was always cheaper than tickets for London gigs, and it was a better crowd because everyone knew each other there from school, and it didn't really matter who was playing. Things are different now though. Frank had played the Leas, solo, in March 2020, and nearly 3 years later he was back with the Sleeping Souls. Officially the last night of the tour, the expected hardcore fans were there amongst the casuals who were no longer used to having original bands coming to Folkestone to play their venue. Of course, the setlist had changed from the last tour, with fewer new songs, and alternate ones from the other albums. 'The Road' was played full band, as opposed to his solo/acoustic version we had heard back at Brixton Academy. It was great to hear 'Long Live The Queen', as it hadn't been performed at any of those previous shows. Songs like 'I Am Disappeared' and 'The Way I Tend To Be' were noticeably missed after having gone down so well on the last run of dates. The whole night seemed to be set to autopilot; just going through the motions until we saw the real Frank with a solo/acoustic version of 'Tell Tale Signs'. That was to be played with the whole band the following evening at a birthday party to mark the 10 year anniversary of 'Tape Deck Heart'.

Shepherds Bush Empire was a totally different atmosphere to Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall. The band were feeding off the crowd and the crowd were moved by the band, and something magical was happening in the middle. It was more than just fans up for having a good time - it was just like it was at Kentish Town Forum when this album came out and it was mear impossible to get a ticket. Everything was real.

Holding back a lot of the album's songs for tonight, the album opener 'Recovery' had been a constant, which confused me when I heard Johnny Marriott (singer of support band, Pet Needs) mention to someone in the bar that he didn't want to miss the opening number because it was his favourite. He must have heard it every night on the last tour! It was actually a brilliant idea to open the show with 'Broken Piano'. It was the calm before the storm, which was the most energetic we'd seen the crowd and band for in a long time.

Nic Bennett

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suzzannessecrets · 2 years

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Ah yes, the Brandenburg concertos by Bach...one of my favourites by the composer. This is me on my way to the symphony event in our town this past weekend.

I haven't been for a number of years to something like this. When I sang in operettas and harmonic choir some years ago it was more common.

It was an excellent performance and I drank it in like a parched soul in a desert of sand. It was like smelling flowers of bright colours and muted textures, brilliant and yet moving the imagery of the landscape in my mind from buzzing bees in a colourful garden to the oceans' waves upon a cerulean blue expanse.

I am filled with it.

I was reminded of going to the symphony as a young woman when my mother had seasons' tickets the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and she took me often, instead of my step father Chris. She was at UBC working towards her Masters' degree in nursing while I worked as a nanny for a wealthy Shaunessy couple. She owned and operated a ballet studio and he owned a fancy restaurant on Broadway. They were nice people and their two young children were sweet. The arts were a big part of their life.

It was so engaging! I loved it. I am a singer and musician, among other vocations, and have always loved classical music and especially live performances ever since.

My father taught me to play guitar at 12. But right at that time, my parents offered me a chance to play piano. I remember feeling I would catch on quickly...but refused. I prefered the company of my dad to teach me guitar, and I do think that was the better- less traveled road- for me, at the time.

I did learn in 3 months of musicianship in high school how to write a concerto. But that was yesteryear...Perhaps some other lifetime I will pursue again my love for classical music of the great ones.

Mozart.

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theloniousbach · 2 years

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ON HORNS WITH VIBRAPHONES

We know well how jazz ensembles sound from piano/bass/drums to big bands and the piano is usually at the center of it all. Indeed solo piano is really the building block band. Lose the piano and you’re in foreign territory whether in a sax/bass/drums trio or the horns/bass/drums quartets, whether led by Ornette Coleman or Gerry Mulligan with Chet Baker. Sometimes, a guitar is the chordal instrument (Sonny Rollins on The Bridge) but that has felt inadequate, the guitar as a failed piano. Seeing Melissa Aldana with Lage Lund in April prompted a reconsideration that took me through Rollins, Paul Desmond, Joe Lovano with John Scofield, and Pat Metheny’s 80/81 and Song X with Ornette. Okay, the guitar is not a failed piano but the different opportunities that six notes over fewer octaves provides than the ten notes over more than seven octaves. More open spaces, maybe? A lightness?

I return to the question, this time with the vibraphone. At most four notes over three octaves. As with modern guitar effects there are variations in sustain rates, but it is even more of a percussion instrument than the piano.

This became an appreciation of Bobby Hutcherson who is at the center of this exercise—with Eric Dolphy on the landmark Out To Lunch but also key to some remarkable albums with Jackie McLean and Grachan Moncur III that are the reward of this effort. He’s also with Archie Shepp at Newport and Sonny Rollins on a middling early 1980s album of Sonny Rollins’ with a guitarist too.

Additionally, Stan Getz worked with a very young Gary Burton on Nobody Else But Me and Dave Holland’s Quintet replicates the McLean/Moncur/Hutcherson/bass/drums line up with Chris Potter and Steve Nelson. Finally, Behn Gillece with Boris Kozlov record with various horns (including on Play On with Small’s/Mezzrow’s young favorites Giveton Gelin and Nicole Glover) and Rudy Royston on drums under the tip of the hat to Dolphy name of Out To Dinner.

But it’s Hutcherson at the center of this reflection. First he’s a strong soloist worthy of being with Dolphy and Freddie Hubbard, McLean and Moncur and Lee Morgan, Rollins, and Shepp quite capable of navigating the bracing compositions of Dolphy and Moncur (who died just as I started listening to what he contributed). Indeed, I think it is these compositions—and not the vibes—and the players (again, Hutcherson fits. Period. Full stop.) that make this music so rewarding. Dolphy, McLean, and Moncur were pushing boundaries and testing what they wanted from hard bop while going freer. Maybe sparer harmonies helped, but somebody like Andrew Hill did the same thing as a pianist. And Hutcherson made plenty of spiky albums with the likes of Hill and McCoy Tyner.

Still, McLean’s One Step Beyond and Destination Out and Moncur’s Evolution are brilliant. Moncur does a big chunk of the composing and he created rich vehicles for exploration. Of course, I would like Evolution, but I do as it has a sweep and scope that befits the title It’s also very nice to have the reed voiced higher than the brass, reversing the usual trumpet/tenor dynamic. It probably is the Blue Note/1960s dynamic which Out To Lunch (always worth returning to) shares that, if anything, make these albums edgier and more vital than Out To Dinner of Holland’s magnificent band.

But I like Out To Dinner. Gelin does remarkable extended parallel improvisations with pianist Sean Mason that share a Blue Note connection to tunes and tradition with adventure and Glover has worked often in trios where she finds deep cut compositions from the 1960s/1970s. She too has adventure and edge but both she and Gelin are more lyrical and concise. Maybe the vibes provide different structures.

The other find is the Dave Holland Quintet which repeats the sax/trombone/vibes/bass/drum line up with those sonorities and agilities. Chris Potter is quite a sax player and Holland is of course wonderful on bass. He may be even better as a leader, including providing material for the band—and letting all of them contribute tunes. There’s lots to chew on in the tunes, but they just aren’t as urgent as Moncur’s. But that’s okay as this is a band that flourished when I wasn’t paying the kind of attention I am now.

So as with Moncur/McLean, I have some happy make up work to do.

Finally, Stan Getz doesn’t need a vibraphone to create ethereal melodies and create space. Still, it’s always good to hear him and to hear Gary Burton when young. The real curiosity is how out there The Knight Rides Again from the In Paris album is.

So no particular support for my working hypothesis that the vibraphone frees horn players in a particular way. But it’s just a wonderful rich possibility in the music. And there’s more music to absorb.

#jazz #2022

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ramp-it-up · 2 years

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Point of Contention

(Officially Christmas)

Pairing: Chris Evans x Reader RPF

This is part three of the A Starting Point Series.

Word Count: 4.7K (The smut just wouldn’t stop! )

Warnings: 18+, MINORS DNI. SMUT, RPF. Employer/Employee relations. Angst, sexual day dreaming, hate sex?, praise AND degradation kink combined, those arm veins, Chris’ piano hands, talk of spanking, talk of masturbation, talk of porn,talk of anal, fingering, teasing, clit clapping, finger fucking, oral sex (m/f receiving), raw sex, begging, breeding kink, fluffl. Not Beta’d.

A/N: This is for My #DJs2KHolidayVisit. Thank you so much for this milestone. This was an ask from @bloomingpresent and combined with the fact that I woke up like this, this got out of hand. Well, let me know if you all like it!

Notice: I no longer operate a taglist. Follow @rampitupandread to be notified when I post. DO NOT COPY, REPOST, OR TRANSLATE MY WORK.

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

You were arguing with Chris about telling Mark and Joe about you two having a relationship that extended beyond boss/employee. You wanted no parts of any seeming impropriety.

“How about we just tell them I’m resigning.”

“How about we tell them you’re going to be a partner?”

“What are you talking about, Chris?”

“Marry me, y/n.”

How could you say yes to that?

And so you didn’t. After the program that evening, you tried to compromise with Chris, You were terrified, and hid it behind a veil of workplace etiquette. You counter proposed waiting to get married, and no funny business at work. You two would only be together on the low.

Chris was having none of it. It was all or nothing. He wouldn’t hide how he felt any more. He’d wanted you for months. Loved you since he first saw you.

“I’m not some sidepiece that you hide away and use for sex.”

You laughed at Chris, but stopped when you realized that he wasn’t joking.

“You’re not serious.”

“I’m totally serious. You’re ashamed of me, Y/N.”

You gasped at him.

“…I’m ashamed of a world-wide movie star and political influencer?”

Chris clenched his jaw and raised his chin.

“Yes.”

You waved your hands in the air.

“….How…”

I haven’t won lots of critical awards, people think I’m just a pretty face, and I didn’t go to college.”

You smiled at him and moved towards him, hands on his suit lapels. “Chris…”

He shrugged you off.

“No. Let me finish. You are beautiful, brilliant, and accomplished. You have three degrees from very prestigious institutions, and I went to New York at 16 to become an actor.”

Tears came to your eyes at what he was saying. Is that how you made him feel?

“I understand it all now. We fucked and you caught feelings, but you could never be proud of being with a man like me. I get it.”

He looked down.

“That’s why you don’t want anyone to know we’re together.”

“That’s not true. Listen, we can tell-“

He put his hand up and cut you off.

“No. It's alright.”

“You get your wish. I’ll leave you alone and you can continue at work. It will be like we never happened. Believe it or not, I am a pretty good actor. Despite the lack of awards.” Chris got up from the table at Sunset Terrace and went to his room. When you got to yours, the connector door was closed and when you tried the knob, it was locked on Chris’ side.

You raised your chin, damned if you would knock and ask him to let you in. You tried not to let him hear you crying that night.

That was three months ago. Work went on as usual, which was easy for you, because Chris had to fly out to film in LA. You only saw him in paparazzi photos and in company conference calls, or ASP videos. Or those damn piano videos that got you hot and bothered every time. When you had tele conferences, Chris was always cordial when you spoke, but cool. You knew that you blew it, so you threw yourself into work, drowning your feelings in paperwork.

You were trying to be strong, but you opened your text thread with him a million times to start a conversation. More than once, you saw the thought bubbles that indicated that he was looking at it too, but you just stared and they eventually went away.

You couldn’t believe this was happening.

You’d had a three day fling with your boss and now things were hella awkward.

One day you went into work and the office was buzzing that Chris had hooked up again with one of his exes in LA. There were paparazzi photos everywhere of them coming out of a restaurant together, his hand on her back.

You went into your office and sat, immobilized for thirty minutes, unable to do anything but the images in your mind. It was too late. You realized that you weren’t brilliant; you were just an idiot. Then Mark called about the event in Boston the next week and you went into work mode, grateful that you were busy.

Chris flew in for the event, a live town hall with the governor of Massachusetts, three days ahead of time. There was a lot to prepare.

You could tell he was in the building by the texts flying across your phone, and also the weird energy in the air. Everyone was excited while you were full of dread. You stayed in your office when everyone else found an excuse to be on the main floor to get a chance to talk with him.

Mark, Joe, and Chris walked by your open door and the hair on the back of your neck stood on end.

“There she is.”

You looked up to see those eyes staring at you ruefully. Your heart lurched as you gave all of them a small smile and got up from your desk.

“Hey Mark, Joe. Hello, Chris. How are you?”

You stood in front of him, posture perfect, as always which caused your figure in the gray pencil skirt and emerald green silk blouse to be pronounced. Chris trained his eyes on yours, careful not to descend any further. Not down to your lips, not to your neck, not to those beautiful breasts or that stomach with those ticklish spots he learned in three short days, and not to the generous swell of your hips under the skirt where he could picture those legs and thighs supporting that glorious ass.

Chris wasn’t imagining what it felt like to be inside you and how your pussy clenched when he made you cum. And his heart wasn’t skipping a beat as he remembered you saying “I love you,” in that sexy murmur of yours.

Three months wasn’t long enough to forget all that, he was afraid. And he wasn’t over you. But he had to be professional and treat you as such, and not as the love of his life.

“Hello. How are you, y/n?”

You stared at him because you wanted to tell him the truth, but you just cleared your throat.

“I’m…good. Just working overtime to get ready for the Governor.”

“Yes, Chris is just a Scrooge of a Boss, making us work the week of Christmas.”

Joe made a joke and he and Mark laughed while Chris made a face.

“C’mon, I’m not your Boss. We’re partners. And we’re all colleagues.”

Chris never liked to be called ‘Boss.’ Except…

“Oh. I think Chris is a really good Boss.” You were trying it now, affected by being in the same room, hell, the same state as him. You licked your lips as you shifted, the wetness pooling in your panties.

Chris did a slight double take, which was only perceptible to you. His mouth opened and his pupils dilated and you could tell he was remembering the last time you called him Boss. His cock was on the way to a raging hard on and he couldn’t have that. This was business. He stepped back and continued the path that he, Mark and Joe had started to the boardroom.

Mark looked back at you while Chris strode ahead, his long legs putting distance between you.

“Meeting in 10.”

“Okay.”

Your voice was as weak as you were. Holy shit. This was going to be a ride.

You could hardly concentrate on the meeting because you were hyper aware of everything about Chris. His hair cut, his beard, his pink lips as he bit the pen he was using to take notes. The way he avoided your eyes, the way his shirt bulged over his biceps. Was it possible they were bigger? And why did you want to ride them? Fuck, his smell. That cologne that activated the muscle memory of your cunt. You were hot and bothered. But you tried to keep it together.

Chris was in shambles. He was a good actor, and right now, he was acting as if he was paying attention. You were sitting up straight in your chair, as always, and that was his kryptonite. He followed the way your shoulders were straight back and your breasts were forward and thought how pretty you’d look with your upper arms tied behind your back as he fed you his cock. Or fucked you from behind. Or both.

He had to bite on his pen to keep from moaning at the thought. He couldn’t look at you or he might get hard again, and that wouldn’t do. So he kept acting.

Out of the corner of his eye, you shifted in your chair, crossing your legs, and he could swear that he could smell your pussy. Surely that was impossible. He must be hallucinating. And surely you had possessed his soul. He picked up his St. Christopher medal and touched it quickly, then sat up in his chair. He could be strong.

You saw Chris fiddling with his medal and it caused your pussy to clench when you remembered him fucking you with it swinging in your face. You’d practically hypnotized yourself with a memory when you were called out.

“Y/N?”

“Yes?” You were startled out of your dirty reverie by Mark’s voice.

“I said, will you be ready to meet with Chris later and practice his talking points around diversity for the town hall?”

Chris glanced at you. He looked like he wanted to run. Your heart sank.

“Oh, sure. What time, Boss?”

This time he knew you were doing it on purpose. He shot you a look and you smirked, just enough to confirm his suspicions.

“Let me check my calendar. I’ll get back with you about an exact time, but probably sometime this afternoon.”

Chris spoke as if he were a professional and not your sex slave who wanted to throw you on the boardroom table and fuck you in front of an audience.

“Got it, Boss.”

You nodded and wrote some notes as if you were not a nasty little cumslut who wanted to climb under the table and suck her employer off.

You were all walking back down the hallway and you peeled off toward your office. Chris followed you saying loudly, “Hold up, I want to go ahead and meet. I have a couple of ideas for the…”

He closed the door behind you two and locked it, stopping what he was saying. You turned around and looked at him quizzically.

“...The what?”

“The hell are you doing, Y/N?”

You stood there and crossed your arms.

“What are you talking about?”

“Calling me ‘Boss.’ Are you trying to..” Chris lowered his voice a little and stepped toward you.. “Are you trying to get me worked up? Why are you calling me that again?”

I want you to throw me on the couch and stretch me out for that cock again, Chris, is what you thought, but what you said was, “I never wanted to stop calling you that, Chris. You’re the one who broke it off with me, remember? You’re the one who stopped calling and texting. You dropped me like a hot potato. What? So you could go back to your old habits?”

Chris cocked his head at you, a half smile playing on his lips. Were you jealous?

“Are you talking about…? That was just dinner with someone who used to be a really good friend before we got together. That’s all. I didn’t fuck her, y/n. I haven’t fucked anyone since Asheville.”

You saw the sincerity in Chris’s eyes, then looked down to hide the smile of relief on your face.

“But why would you care? You turned down my proposal. What was I supposed to do?” Chris couldn’t let it go.

You looked up at him, as hurt as he was.

“Idk, Chris, Maybe listen?”

There was no doubt of your ire in your modulated whisper.

“I was terrified, Chris. I didn’t want to end things, I just wanted to take it slow.”

Chris raised your chin with his fingers, this first touch after so long shooting electricity through your body.

“Take it slow and keep it on the low?”

He moved near you and you were ready for the kiss, but he spoke instead.

“Is that what you want?”

“I… I don’t know.”

Your brain was scrambled by the pheromones and the raw animal need of not having who you wanted for the last three months. And by the fact that that someone you wanted had his hands on you right now. You were still unsure.

And Chris still felt some kind of way. He needed you to be as sure of him as he was of you. Maybe three months away from him hadn’t tortured you as much as it had him. He swallowed his feelings and decided to put them to use.

“Well, do you know if you want me to make you cum? It was all I could think about in the boardroom.”

You gulped. “I’m..C-Chris. I….”

Chris moved even closer, his breath fanning your face.

“What did you call me?”

You snapped your mouth shut, heart beating in your ears. He released you and walked around you, admiring your body. He wondered if anyone else had had the pleasure while you were apart. No matter, he’d make you forget them.

Chris sat down on the couch in your office behind you, molding his hands to the shape of your ass in the grey pencil skirt.

“I feel like you wore this just to torture me. You knew I was coming, right?”

His soft baritone whisper and his hands on your body made you tremble.

“Well, I’m going to give you the attention you want. C’mere.”

He said it as he slid your skirt up your thighs with his long, thick fingers. He felt the garters on your thighs. He was a grown man, but he pulsed in his pants like a teenager. You had dressed up for him. He licked his lips.

“You’re going to wrinkle it, Boss,” you complained while you squirmed, trying to pretend you had free will in this situation. Once he got that tone with you and his voice dropped an octave, you were done for. Done in by your own desire to be fucked stupid by this man.

Chris’s hands stopped moving to your thighs and then went to the button on the back of your skirt. He unbuttoned and unzipped it, letting it fall to the floor.

“Pick it up.”

His tone was cold, merciless. And damn, it made you hot. You squeezed your thighs together to contain your dripping, and then bent over by the waist, legs straight and ass in Chris’s face.

He smacked it hard, watching it jiggle and making you whimper as you picked up your skirt and placed it over a chair.

Damn, he missed your sights and sounds. “Turn around.”

Chris leaned back, legs wide open, and rolled up the sleeves on his dress shirt. You chewed your lips when the veins on his forearms came into view.

“C’mere.”

He looked up at you, his blue eyes dark now.

“And remember who’s the Boss.”

Oh shit. You stood there for a second, letting him get a view of you in your shirt and panties. And shit, the garters and stockings.

“I said, Come. Here.”

He pointed between his legs where you noticed his boner. You licked your lips, wondering if he was going to demand a blow job. If so, you were ready to hit the floor.

“My make up..”

“You’re talking too fucking much. Sit down between my legs. I’m not going to pull it out. This is the office.”

He was mocking you. You pushed down your feelings and moved in front of him. Chris’s eyes were drawn to the apex of your thighs, which were clad in emerald green lace. He stared at it, then up at you, hands on the back of the couch.

“Take that blouse off too. Don’t want to get it messy.”

His evil grin was everything. You quickly obeyed, revealing a matching bra. Chris licked his lips and growled lowly.

“Now turn around and sit down.”

You sat down properly, legs together, crossed at the ankles, and hands on your thighs.

“Stop it.” Chris huffed in your ear as he leaned forward, hands on your arms. “You’re being a brat. But whose brat are you?”

You just shivered at his touch and didn’t answer him. You were always going to be his. And you both knew. But neither of you would say it out loud.

He moved his hands down your arms, brushing your nipples through the lace and down your thighs to your knees and silk stockings, which he forced apart and spread wide against his own.

“Keep them open, or I’ll fucking spank you so everyone can hear.”

As much as you wanted to be spanked, you didn’t want to scream like a whore for everyone. You thought you took the best option. But Chris had something for you.

“Now keep your hands away from mine. I mean it.”

He whispered in your ear, deep voice vibrating in the air down to your exposed cunt.

You were getting wetter and slightly wary of what he was going to do. You nodded.

“Yes, Boss.”

That voice. Chris pushed his hard cock into your back and you arched, resting your shoulders against his pecs. Just feeling his body through his clothes was enough to get you close to cumming.

Chris started moving his hands over you, rubbing and flicking your nipples with this forefinger and thumb over the lace, wasting no time in being rough with you. You bit your lip, squirmed and moaned quietly in your throat.

When you tried to close your legs for friction, Chris moved his hands down and hooked your thighs over his, spreading you even wider and seating you firmly on this clothed cock. If someone came in the door, you’d be exposed. That thought made you even wetter.

“These panties are so pretty on you, against your beautiful skin.”

Chris’s voice was in your ear and his hands were on your panties. You squirmed, needing him to slip his fingers inside the lace.

“Let me help you with that, you’re getting them out of place with your squirming.”

Chris’s fingers slipped inside the edges only to spread out the fabric and straighten it over your mound. You moaned as his fingers smoothed the material, flitting over your clit with delicate strokes that never stayed where you wanted them.

You tried to push your pelvis up, but he just moved his hands and then gave your a clit a sound slap through your panties. You jolted up, but Chris’s hands went to your hips and pulled you back down on his, where you could feel his hard cock.

“That won’t do. Stay still while I fix your clothes.”

He was trying to be strong, but Chris couldn’t help but place small kisses on your neck and ear as you writhed in agony on his lap. He wished he’d set up a camera between your legs. You were so fucking sexy.

Chris grabbed the green lace of your panties in his fist and bunched it up, pulling it up roughly between your folds, making it twist and turn its way against your twat. He rubbed the fabric over and down onto your clit, making your hips jump at the friction and pressure. Damn, he was torturing you so well. You bit the inside of your mouth to keep from yelping.

Chris pulled it taught, so that the panties went deep and rubbed against your ass and your cunt, making your leg automatically try to close and your arms come up to grab his arms while he warned you in your ear.

“Careful, beautiful. Don’t wanna be spanked, do you?”

All you could do was gasp as he pressed the fabric down over your clit and tap it down, and then moving it, the cold air of the office hitting your cunt when Chris couldn’t help himself any longer and started rubbing your clit with just one finger, shifting to tapping it like he was hitting a piano key. How he loved playing your body.

“Look at you, whimpering between my legs like the nasty little slut for my fingers that you are. What do you want?”

You couldn't answer as Chris started using all of his fingers to play with your clit, hitting it hard like he was playing a song. You started moving your hips in a circle and Chris mirrored with his fingers, giving just a few satisfying rubs before he started tapping again.

“Want me to make you cum? Who else has done that over the past few months?”

“N-no one Boss. Just me. No one else.”

Chris rewarded you with some sound circles and you moaned, thinking you were going to get to cum, then he slapped your clit a couple of times.

“So what did you think about when you got off by yourself? D’you watch porn?”

Chris stopped all movement and just held you open to the air, looking down on your clenching, quivering cunt.

“She’s beautiful, you know, so wet and so pretty for me.” Chris grabbed your hair. “Answer the fucking question!”

“Not a lot, I just thought of you mainly… And even when I watched porn, it was always you, Boss.”

You were trying to catch your breath when Chris leaned over and spit, a long string of saliva descending down toward your pussy. You watched in ecstasy. Then he gave you some long awaited rubs.

“Did you dream of that? Because you know this pussy is mine. Right?’

“Yes, Boss, Yes!”

And he started rubbing your clit hard, grasping your nipple and twisting it as you writhed in his arms.

“Damn straight, and don’t you ever forget it. I should make you fucking squirt, but the cleaning staff might have questions.”

He plunged three fingers in your sopping wet cunt, the obscene sound wetness just embarassing at this point. His thumb played your clit like a guitar while he finger fucked you and you came frighteningly hard, gasping and shuddering in his arms, just like in his dreams.

Chris lifted his fingers to his mouth and his eyes rolled back into his head as he tasted you for the first time in weeks.

“Fuck, you trying to make me eat you out right here? In the office? And then fuck both your holes, and then make you swallow my fucking cum? You dirty little whore.”

“I was just planning on teasing you a little bit, but that pussy is just too good.”

Chris pushed you down onto the floor, the rough carpet making your knees hurt. He pulled his dick out and you smiled, licked your lips and opened wide.

“Fuccccckkkkk! I’ve dreamed of that. Shit.”

He leaned over and spit in your mouth, then pointed his cock at you, which you slurped up happily. Chris pushed your head down so that your nose met his patch of hair at the base of his cock.

“Shit, I’d never thought I’d say this, but keep it quiet with the slurping, sweet baby jesus.”

Chris leaned back and pushed his pelvis up for you to throat fuck him, moaning quietly until he felt that he was on the edge. Then he pulled you off of him and moved you so that you were leaned over the arm of the couch.

“Don’t have time for all that I want, but…” He dragged his cock through your wet, sloppy folds easily sliding into your tight, tight, channel. “... fuckkkkkk baby. So fucking tight, but so fucking wet. Is that all for me, my sweet, dirty girl?”

How was it that this man always had you drooling into furniture while he fucked you? You were an incoherent mess.

Chris’s pants were down by his ankles as he looked down to see your pussy gripping him and trying to pull him back after pulling out.

“You really should see this shit. Shit’s truly amazing.”

He watched your juices froth to make cream as he pistoned inside you. Then he leaned over and whispered in your ear.

“Shit, I’m, I’m inside you again without protection. How does that always happen?”

You just whimpered.

“This time, I’m pulling out...”

Chris put his hands on your hips and you started begging.

“No! Please, please, fuck, please, don’t I need it. I …. I fuckingggggg oh fuck!!”

You whisper/cried as you came, pulsing around Chris and milking his cock, the cum spurting from him and surprising him with its force.

“Shit!”

Chris whispered as he just held on and his dick took over. He let his cock pump spunk inside you and then got down on his knees to lick the few drops of your combined fluid that was leaking out. You jumped at his rough tongue on your sensitive cunt, and moaned the effects of your aftershocks into the couch cushion.

Chris pulled up his pants and sat beside you as you lay curled up on the couch, staring off into space.

He looked down at you and tapped your shoulder.

“C’mere.”

You looked up at him and then happily scrambled into his lap. He held you tight, another one of his dreams. He adjusted your panties again, which you were still wearing, this time for modesty.

“Are you okay?”

“Fuck yes, Boss.”

You looked up at Chris and he smiled, kissing you good for the first time in three months.

“You always fuck up my plans, Baby.”

“Hmmm?” You looked at him.

“I was going to be cool and plan a romantic proposal, but when you said you were going to quit in Asheville, I just blurted it out. And that scared you. And then we had that fight.”

“Chris, I’m not ashamed of you, just the opposite, I’m so proud that you love me…”

“Shhhh. Please let me finish.”

Your heart sank. Did he still love you?

“And then I was going to come in here and be cool and aloof when I saw you in person. But then I saw you and I was just going to talk to you and set you straight, and then it changed to toy with you and set you straight, and then I end up fucking you raw again.”

He looked down at your face.

“What I’m trying to say is that we’re magnetic. We fit together and lock. I love you, Y/N. I loved you every day we were apart. And I just can’t stand not shouting it from the rooftops.”

You leaned up and kissed him again.

“I love you, Christopher Robert Evans. With everything. And I’m so proud of you and everything you’ve accomplished. You don’t have to have a degree to do what’s right and good. And you’ve done that. A thousand times over. I couldn’t want a better man. So, let’s go out here and let everyone know what’s up.”

You grinned at him and got up to put your skirt and blouse back on, going into your private bathroom. Chris had a chance to think clearly.

When you told everyone, then it would be all over the news, everywhere. He didn’t want to have to share you just yet. Maybe you had been right.

He got up and went into the bathroom where you were reapplying lipstick. You winked at him in the mirror, happy as can be.

Chris turned you around to face him.

“You were right.”

You cocked your head as he explained.

“Let’s wait until the new year. Let’s tell our folks, spend the holidays together, and then, we’ll make an announcement. I’m not ready for the world to be in our relationship just yet.”

Chris looked at you sheepishly, waiting for you to be angry.

You could be mad, but you were beyond that. You were just grateful that you were back together. You slid your arms up around his neck and kissed him, getting lipstick all over him.

“Whatever you say, Boss. But I think people will figure it out when you go back out there with that goofy look on your face.”

Chris started nuzzling your neck again.

“Mmmm maybe you’re right, because this goofy look is because you’re officially mine. I can’t wipe it off my face. I’ll have everyone sign gag orders.”

You slid down to your knees when you felt his cock perk up again. The sound of his zipper was loud in the little bathroom as Chris looked down on you.

“Did you say ‘gag,’ Boss?”

Chris smiled as you kitten licked his tip.

“Holy shit, Merry Christmas to me.”

#djs2kholidayvisit #chris evans #ask dj #chris evans smut #chris evans imagine #chris evans x black reader #chris evans x reader #Spotify

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luniellar · 3 years

Text

The Union: Prologue - Sebastian Stan X Chris Evans X Reader

Summary: This fictional story takes place between the three kingdoms that hold great power in the untouchable lands located in Europe. Despite the modern developments in the other countries, these three kingdoms, Callisto, Europa and Io, exist hidden from the rest of the world and embrace the cultural customs shared for centuries from the early human civilizations.

You are the daughter of the Europa Kingdom led by your father, King Jovian. This year you reached the fruitful age of 21, meaning that it’s finally time to fulfill your duty as the princess of Kingdom Europa. The arranged marriage between Kingdom Europa and Kingdom Callisto has been something that your father planned for a long time to finally bring peace between the three kingdoms. Whether you like it or not, you are the key piece to it all. King Stan of Callisto is who you will be sharing the honor of the arranged marriage. He is known by all as a man of savage fighting nature and very few words. You know there is no hope wishing for the passionate love your father and mother shared, but will you be able to bring peace to this land to fulfill your father’s last wishes? Links: Prologue | 1 | 2 |

Warnings: Inappropriate languages Word Count: 1.8K

Feeling the warm silky sheet underneath your hot skin, you tossed around for the 81493th time on the bed. How has no one found a way to pause time? Were we not the same people who were racing to get humans in space and encounter extraterrestrial life? Letting out a deep sigh, you sat up from the unnecessary large bed that could fit all of your servants. You always promised a slumber party with your helpers since you were very young, but it looked like that was never going to happen.

The moonlight was brighter than usual and lit up most of the room as it filtered through the lavender stained glass. The faint color bounced off your white marble walls and floor creating a soft mood around the familiar space you grew up in. Your chest hardened and your eyes welled up with tears as you had to come to the realization that you kept pushing back until now.

This was the last night you were going to spend here.

You knew since birth that when you turned 21, you will be married off for family business. Your father wanted to push this marriage back as far as possible, but he knew it was inevitable too. Most noble girls were married off before 21 so the husband could rest assured that he was guaranteed a virgin. But your father made arrangements so you could enjoy life as a princess for another few years before leaving home forever and only visiting on the few national holidays scattered throughout the year.

The relationship between you and your father was like nothing else in the world. You didn’t have any memory of your mother since she passed giving birth to you. However, despite the lack of her physical existence, you always felt close to your mother. Every night when you were young, your father told you bedtime stories of your mother. How amazing, kind, and courageous she was. As you grew up, your father took on both the father and mother role teaching you everything from basic defensive skills to sex education. You naturally smiled as your mind replayed those memories.

You felt a warm, salty liquid trickle down your face. Once it started, there was no stopping as the tears poured down your porcelain skin. Knowing that your eyes are going to be puffed up on marriage day, you turned your head up to the ceiling hoping to stop the tears. The word homesickness was not enough to describe the feeling you were feeling. How can you say goodbye to the most precious 21 years of your life?

Your father always assured you that the family you will be marrying into was one of great status and nobility. The Callisto Kingdom’s only male heir, King Sebastian Stan was well known in between the three kingdoms as a fierce leader. He had more victory in wars and battles under his belt at the age of 28 than anyone in the history of the three kingdoms. Like most arranged marriages, you only saw photos and paintings of him and never met him in person.

From the gossip around the castle, you were able to catch the rumors of King Stan. Most of the gossip almost always commented on his rough, but flawless exterior. Twenty eight years of fighting and training were ingrained into each muscle fiber. Some even gossiped about his calm and respectful manners in public which was a huge contraction to his fierce exterior. But out of all these rumors, there was one rumor that did keep you up at night.

When you were reading in the garden last week, the gardeners were gossiping about King Stan and his love interest. You quickly lost interest in your book and moved closer so you could hear them better between the bushes.

“I heard someone saw King Stan bring in a beautiful blonde female into Castle Callisto. He even witnessed them kissing in his bedroom suite.”

“Sh!” A high pitched voice cut through the lower one that just spoke. “Are you crazy?! The princess comes out to read in this garden. You don’t want to be caught gossiping, especially on matters as scandalous as this.”

“Oh,” the lower voice mumbled back softer. “Poor princess…”

Huh. Cheated on before your marriage. You swallowed your pride and silently walked away from the bushes. You would think that the virgin bride custom was something these kingdoms removed right away after centuries and centuries, but it was the most important custom that was honored. On the contrary, the ability for the king to have a harem of wives was perfectly normal. As long as he treated each woman with some half-assed respect, all was forgiven. This was why you respected your father’s undivided love for your mother. His love for her still burned bright like the sun.

You laid back down on your soft bed, sinking back into the silk covers. Your eyelids heavied down and all you saw was darkness. Tomorrow you were going to meet this quiet, mysterious, and cheating King.

✧✧✧

There was a solid knock on the door with the announcement from the familiar voice. “Princess Y/N, we are coming in to bathe you. The King has asked us to make sure you are prepared for the wedding.”

“Come in.” You responded. When you opened your eyes the sun was just starting to come up from the horizon, the room was still casted in a shade of melancholy blue. The large main doors creaked open and a group of at least 7 helpers came rushing into the room. The last two that came in very carefully were carrying a bundle of white fabric covered in crystals that scattered mini rainbows all around the room.

It was finally happening.

✧✧✧

Every helper stared at you in admiration as the last one made finishing touches to your hair. Tears welled up in their eyes as they smiled. You looked around the group taking in each of their familiar faces. The oldest helper, Lisa, who has been with you since birth stepped up to adjust the flower crown. Your chest felt like a ton of bricks crushing on your heart.

“Princess, you are breathtakingly beautiful. The King is a very lucky man. Your mother would have been so proud to see her kind and beautiful daughter blossom into a graceful woman.”

“Lisa,” you started to say back before your voice choked. At that moment, all the other helpers started to cry in sadness and happiness.

Through a flood of tears, you stood proudly and bowed to them. “Thank you so much for my time here at Castle Europa. I will never forget each of you. You were all like my mother to me.”

“It was our pleasure, Princess.” They replied in unison, returning your bow. The bittersweetness stung your heart.

✧✧✧

You stood behind the large ornate doors to the main hall. The elegant piano music played from the hall behind the door. Once these doors open, you will be walking down the aisle. You will meet eyes with your father for the last time and lock eyes with your husband for the first time.

Husband.

Your heart thumped louder in your chest anxiously. There was no more time for tears. You were representing Kingdom Europa today. It was the first step to everlasting peace.

With a loud sound, the tall doors opened wide. The all-white and crystal decorations of the main hall came into view. The brilliant summer sun showered the hall and the crystals scattered rainbows across the ceiling. The main hall of Castle Europa has never been so beautiful.

As the music continued, you stepped on to the velvet scarlet carpet that lined the aisle. The crowd was murmuring praises of your beauty and purity as you continued down the red line, keeping your eyes casted down until you reached a pair of dark brown leather boots.

You slowly raised your gaze up and met his face for the first time. He was much taller than you had imagined. You measured that you barely reached his shoulder height. Your eyes locked with his eyes. His eyes were a shade of blue, but not the kind of blue like the deep oceans of Europa. It looked as if it was mixed with some shade of green. You realized it resembled a shade of jade you received as a gift in the past.

It was too intimidating to stare at it for too long as you felt your face heat up. Your eyes quickly blinked away from his eyes and traced his porcelain skin. He had a well groomed stubble that covered the bottom half of his face. It made him look older, truly like a regal king of his kingdom. Despite the stubble, his strong jaw lines were still very noticeable.

His looks in person were nothing like the photos and paintings you’ve seen of him. The person standing before you was much more determined and had a charismatic aura surrounding him that he carried with him. He was undoubtedly one of the most attractive men you’ve encountered and you could confirm the validity of the rumors and gossip of his looks.

The ceremony proceeded without any issues except for some sobbing in the crowd. You glanced over at your father a few times who sat upright in his throne seat and smiled back when your eyes met.

"Sebastian Stan of Callisto, will you have this woman, Princess Y/N of Europa, to be your wedded wife, to live together in marriage, will you love her, comfort her, honor her and keep her, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, so long as you both shall live?"

“Yes.” He replied. His voice was like velvet. You wanted to hear more of it, that one word was not enough.

"Princess Y/N of Europa, will you have this man, King Sebastian Stan of Callisto, to be your wedded husband, to live together in marriage, will you love him, comfort him, honor him and keep him, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, so long as you both shall live?"

“Yes.” You replied.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife in this union of Kingdom Europa and Callisto. You may now kiss the bride.”

Completely unaware that there was going to be kissing during the ceremony, you stared at King Stan with wide eyes in surprise. King Stan bent down without hesitation and his rough lips collided with yours. The kiss was hot and passionate as his tongue pressed into yours quickly exploring your mouth. You pressed your eyes closed to drown out the whispered in the crowd as he claimed you his for the first time. He pulled away after a moment leaving you breathless. As he pulled away, he murmured something into your ears only so you could hear. You froze as you processed his words.

“I will be looking forward to tonight, my queen.” His velvety voice whispered.

----

Hey all! The other day I had a random writing inspiration and started drafting a few words that ended up developing into a 1.8K word mess. I definitely feel vulnerable sharing this since I never wrote stories in a new world, but I hope you guys enjoy. The first official chapter will be announcing Chris Evans as a character (guess what role he will be playing!). Please look forward to the series and send me any feedback you have! Thanks!

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newmusickarl · 3 years

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Album & EP Recommendations

If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power by Halsey

Halsey’s evolution across her career has been quite something to witness. Having begun her career in pure pop territory, her artistry has developed over time with each new record seeing the American singer-songwriter up the ambition and scope of her music. Now with this her fourth album, Halsey has gone bigger than ever, teaming up with Nine Inch Nails members and Oscar-winning composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for her boldest work to date.

Produced entirely by Reznor and Ross, Halsey describes this new record as “a concept album about the joys and horrors of pregnancy and childbirth.” Naturally with any concept record there is going to be a cinematic feel, however Halsey has gone one step further and even delivered a full theatrical film to accompany the album, the trailer for which you can watch above. Although I am yet to see the film, there is no doubt that the musical portion is a mightily ambitious and accomplished project, with each song seamlessly segueing into the next despite the array of styles and genres across each track.

It may still be a pop record at the heart, but with the masterful touch of Reznor and Ross, Halsey also brings in some industrial rock elements, as well as a bit of pop punk in places too. However, it is not just sonically that Halsey pushes the boundaries but also thematically as well, using the album’s concept to press the issue of feminism and misogyny within the lyrics. Arguably what’s most striking about this record though is how tightly constructed everything is here – under the watchful eye of Reznor and Ross, the dramatic production is inch-perfect.

Most importantly, the songs here are just fantastic, from the religious imagery and glistening synths that lace the wonderful melody of Bells of Santa Fe, to the raw, grungy guitars of You asked for this. There’s also the atmospheric piano ballad 1121, where Halsey really flexes her impressive vocal cords. Pulsating, stylish electro-pop single I am not a woman, I’m a god is another standout. Once you have been amazed by all of this, the gentle plucking and raindrop like xylophone of stunning closer Ya’aburnee arrives to really blow things away.

In a year packed full of outstanding pop records, Halsey has delivered, for my money, one of the best of the lot. With Reznor and Ross holding the reigns, they help Halsey deliver on her epic vision with both style and control. It’s one thing to attempt a record like this, it’s another thing to pull it off as expertly and vibrantly as this – hats off for this one!

Listen here

Screen Violence by CHVRCHES

Also delivering their fourth album this week was Scottish synth-pop group CHVRCHES who, whilst predominantly maintaining their vintage sound, have lyrically pushed themselves into darker territory on this new record. Probably their finest work since their debut, frontwoman Lauren Mayberry takes no prisoners as she tackles sexism and misogyny, calling upon her own experiences within the industry to really illustrate the issues being put front and centre.

This is highlighted best on electric single Good Girls, a track Mayberry wrote “after listening to some friends arguing about the present-day implications of loving certain problematic male artists – I was struck by the lengths that people would go to in order to excuse their heroes and how that was so juxtaposed to my own experiences in the world.”

Other highlights include He Said She Said, a glistening synth-driven pop banger that’s contrasted against razor-sharp lyrics with a defiant message at its core – catchy, but also powerful and thought-provoking. There’s also the superb collaboration with The Cure legend Robert Smith, How Not to Drown, which is a moody, atmospheric, and synth-soaked belter of a track. Although it is incredible right the way through, the real spine-tingling moment comes during the song’s outro thanks to the ghostly vocals of Smith being cast over some hauntingly melodic guitars. Outside of the singles, the rawness of heartbreaking closer Better If You Don’t leaves the biggest impression.

All in all, this album ranks amongst their best work and although it may not be quite as dramatic or impressionable as Halsey’s album, there’s still plenty to which you’ll want to digest and ultimately keep returning.

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How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last? By Big Red Machine

The National’s Aaron Dessner and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon have certainly kept themselves busy over lockdown. It seems they weren’t satisfied with just taking Taylor Swift’s music to incredible new heights on 2020’s folklore and evermore, as they have now also released their second album under their Big Red Machine guise. The most noticeable thing about this second record is that the duo have extended their collaboration further this time around, bringing in renowned artists such as Ben Howard, Sharon Van Etten, Lisa Hannigan and Fleet Foxes, as well as two more collaborations with Miss Swift herself.

Given the talent involved, it is no surprise that this makes for a really special and stunning collection of songs. There’s wonderful electro-folk track Mimi, which sees singer-songwriter Ilsey Juber join Justin Vernon on lead vocal duties. Phoenix sees Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes and Anaïs Mitchell join in for a wonderful, horn-backed number. This track in fact isn’t the only time Anaïs Mitchell steals the show, as her beautiful, soothing vocal performances on opener Latter Days and closer New Auburn arguably provide the two best moments of the entire album.

The two tracks with Taylor Swift are also fantastic, with Renegade offering a sweet, pop cut that wouldn’t be out of place on either of Swift’s last two records. The better of the two though is Birch, a piano-driven, string-tinged ballad which sees Swift simply providing back-up vocals to Vernon’s haunting folky croons. It’s stunning and possibly my new favourite collaboration between the three artists.

Ultimately this is just a superb album, with Dessner and Vernon thriving alongside their chosen collaborators for a collection of songs that will frequently both move and astound you.

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Donda by Kanye West

Easily the most talked about album of the week, after several launch events and many, many delays, Kanye West finally released his long-awaited tenth studio album, Donda. Now anyone who knows me knows that I am not a fan of excessive, bloated albums, so with Donda clocking in at almost 2 hours long it was always going to struggle to win me over.

As expected, this is another West project that struggles with inconsistency, with moments of brilliance balanced out with plenty of moments that ultimately underwhelm. Although it has more high points than Ye and the production is more polished than Jesus Is King, there is no track as good as Ghost Town and sonically I found it less inspired than Jesus Is King in many ways. I’m not sure just yet if this is indeed the worst West album, but it is certainly down there in the bottom half for me.

That said, there are still some great moments to be found here. Once you get passed the massively irritating Donda Chant opener (honestly, so painful!), the Jay-Z featuring Jail offers an anthemic rock-influenced gem to get the album started properly. From there The Weeknd featuring Hurricane, the Lauryn Hill sampling Believe What I Say, the heavenly melody of Kid Cudi feature Moon and the organ-backed closer No Child Left Behind provide some of the other highlights. However possibly the finest moment comes in the form of Jesus Lord, a 9-minute epic that sees West deliver some of his best bars in years, returning to the social-consciousness that made him a star in the first place.

If you are a fan of West’s recent gospel-influenced work, then this album will reward you for your patience if you stick with it. For me, although there are some moments I enjoyed, the length was just too much, with this album having the same inconsistency problem that The Life of Pablo had but without reaching the same heights as that album did when it was at its best. Disappointing, but still somewhat worthwhile.

Listen here

The Awesome Album by Mouse Rat

And finally on the albums front, if like me you are a big Parks & Recreation fan, you’ll be pleased to hear that Chris Pratt’s fictional band from the show, Mouse Rat, have finally released their debut album this week. Featuring classics such as 5,000 Candle In The Wind and The Pit, this one is a lot of fun for fans of the show.

Listen here

Tracks of the Week

Good Ones by Charli XCX

Coming off the back of the definitive lockdown album How I’m Feeling Now that earned her both a Mercury Prize nomination and a place in my Top 5 albums of 2020, Charli XCX has returned with a new synth-driven banger that packs in an insanely catchy hook and wonderful 80s vibes.

Listen here

Family Ties by Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar

Also making his return this week was King Kendrick who delivered a fantastic new collaboration with his cousin Baby Keem. Over a brilliant horn-driven beat, the two family members go toe-to-toe and bar-to-bar across this concise hip-hop banger.

Listen here

Alone by Rag N Bone Man & Nothing But Thieves

A remix of a track from Rory Graham’s latest album Life By Misadventure, this version sees Conor Mason of Nothing But Thieves join in on vocals, along with some triumphant rock production that replaces the stripped back nature of the album cut.

Listen here

Spirit Power & Soul by Johnny Marr

The brilliant first track from his forthcoming new EP, Spirit Power & Soul finds legendary guitarist Johnny Marr in fine form, sonically calling back to his days with Bernard Sumner in Electronic. Built on a masterful central riff, pulsating synths and a big anthemic chorus, it’s a belter!

Listen here

Nothing Else Matters by Chris Stapleton

And finally this week, we’ve had plenty of great, unique covers of Nothing Else Matters by Metallica already this year, with Miley Cyrus and Phoebe Bridgers already offering their own take on the classic song. However, I’ve always got time for another and this 8-minute epic from country singer Chris Stapleton is just as dazzling, thanks to some amazing bluesy guitars and his textured vocal performance.

Listen here

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thequibblah · 3 years

Note

⭐️ would love some commentary on that dancing scene (or really any commentary on the various parties thrown by the marauders) from the party happening next to the Potions Club party ⭐️

WELL WELL WELL

"This is...a lot of trouble to go to." "It's the Marauders. They love trouble."

i love writing party scenes (as i'm sure you all know lol) and one of the best/worst things w the marauders parties is striking a balance between their, uh, audacious plans, and what's realistically possible at hogwarts without getting caught. (aka literally why i made up the dodgy lodgings). i went back and forth so long on whether or not they could plausibly have managed that with slughorn's dinner next door, but then was like ah whatever the party has to happen for plot reasons so.... plot ex machina??

anyway, i love using parties to establish character — what a brilliant stage of teenage performance they provide. i love contrasting the hogwarts parties to, say, evan wronecki's — for instance, how lily and co. are more at ease in the former, as seventh years, with their classmates hosting, than they were at evan's nye bash

i also love that it gives me space to establish who is and isn't popular, so to speak, but also who acts or doesn't act the way we presume popular kids will act

doe, for instance, who is by all accounts a level-headed and non-wild person, has a more exciting time on net at marauders' parties than mary (drinking game, kissing remus), though she's not a big drinker and isn't really into parties. but she's comfortable in her own little social circle at a bigger event (like with michael at evan's) and so isn't bothered at all by the marauders' do, because...

She did, in fact, trust the Marauders. Her general belief in the inherent goodness of people notwithstanding, she didn't think they would do anything to harm their friends. Intentionally.

this bit always makes me laugh

as with many things, i feel very saddened that i didn't get to make more out of the fools' olympics (although one could argue that The Dance was a pro) — as in, i wish i'd been able to squeeze more of it into the story itself. i could probably come up with a list of tasks and who completed them LOL

WAIT OH MY GOD I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THIS it just might be my favourite part of this chapter

"How did you do that?" Gillian said, glancing between the other two girls. "Just — drink it without a second thought?" "Practice," said Mary. "Scottish — constitution," David said hoarsely. "I once drank some of Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mass Remover," said Priya.

priya is all i aspire to be

can i say, too, it's hilarious to me how many people worried niamh would be a james love interest? i feel like you will not rest easy on that count until he and lily are together... but that is not where the danger lies babes

circling back to popularity/unpopularity, another fun outlier. gillian is first established, in 33, as someone with friends (we see her around sara and in the seventh-year ravenclaws' compartment) but she's not exactly at ease at the party either — recall how she hesitates when mary invites her. only later, in 38, do we realise that our opinion of her has been skewed by the narration (from doe, who naturally assumes any friendly, nice person must have a wealth of friends and be floating through life; and mary, who naturally assumes anyone she isn't bored by must have the social skills of a medieval noblewoman at court), and she's a bit of a pariah in her own house

david, on the other hand, is just flat-out not in his element. and not because of the drinking or the, er, general revelry (see: summer with mary!), even though he doesn't partake much in either. unlike doe, the company breaks rather than makes his enjoyment — he's acutely aware, the whole time, that his cooler, more liked brother is around:

"Not your scene?" "What gave it away?" said David drily. As one they looked at Chris...

...and mary has intuited as much too, even though she has a lot more in common, superficially speaking, with chris than david

so, i think while i was writing this chapter i made a post complaining about how, as much as i love juggling the constraints of historical fiction, i hate that music from the 70s limits me in terms of tracklists. i.e., when i say a certain record is playing i can't just hit shuffle and go somewhere entirely different to set the mood shortly thereafter

this problem was because i wanted, NAY, NEEDED, to have "martha my dear" playing in the aftermath of that mary and david interaction. of course, time passes in that section break, but since "come and get it," which they talk about it, is a sirius song (though it could be a mary song), and i feel too strongly about needle drops to let that conversation go without a soundtrack. germaine even correctly guesses the white album is on because of mary:

Apparently Mary got fonder of the White Album the drunker she was.

...and of course the song itself makes me squeal with how very mary it is — not that it is something she would listen to, necessarily, or identify with (it would hold up too close of a mirror, ha), but it sounds like it could've been written about her ("hold your head up, you silly girl/look what you've done/when you find yourself in the thick of it/help yourself to a bit of what is all around you," which really sums up the entirety of her portree holiday, lol)

BUT! if "martha my dear" is to play here, then i have some Serious Chronology Concerns. i knew germeline had to kiss and jily had to dance and ideally in that order. but what would those scenes be soundtracked by!!!! i was limited to side two of the white album!!!

so i did the healthy thing and panic-listened to the white album. "don't pass me by" was, right away, an easy lock for the dance, because it's danceable, but not in a way that would've scared lily off. lyrically, it feels GREAT for jily in this moment, on the cusp of lily's realisation ("waiting for your knock, dear [...] i don't hear it, does it mean you don't love me anymore?" vs OF COURSE "don't pass me by [...] 'cause you know darling, i love only you"). i feel about "don't pass me by" the same way as NYT critic nik cohn: it's "straight ahead and clumsy and greatly enjoyable, backed by a beautiful hurdy-gurdy organ," which, if that isn't everything i wanted to evoke with the dance itself!!!!!!

ok we'll circle back to this, but onward with the musical discussion

thus i had four songs to choose from, between "martha my dear" and "don't pass me by," for the germeline scene — "piggies," "blackbird," "i'm so tired," and "rocky raccoon." the latter is on my sirius playlist, so auto-no; "piggies" is, well, like that, so also a no. "blackbird" is a certified germaine classic that was written personally by paul mccartney for germaine, but it seemed too introspective for the moment. i don't think i'd ever listened to "i'm so tired" before this panicked searching, and honestly it must be some wild luck that it is. just SO RIGHT!!!! it's so lethargic and tortured and angsty and, well, a bit of a stoner song, so.... it's THERE

AND NOW for the dance! true story, i initially wanted jily to have a real conversation, after the party. i had the dance in there and then james would catch up with lily after to be like, "hey i was wrong actually, you should write to petunia." but then i realised i wanted james and sirius to have a conversation about the bike/money, and i wanted it to strike a different chord, tonally, than the jily conversation. then i realised it would be too much to have both and i'd need to condense that conversation into the dance. VERY nearly cut the dance in favour of the conversation but wow i am glad i didn't

The tinkling piano signalled the start of the next song; she extended a hand, very matter-of-factly, to James, "Come on, this is a good one."

not pictured: james having a fucking breakdown

obviously, i could have gone the route of a genuine dramatic dance, but as previously mentioned lily would have chickened out, and i wanted to have this be an experience she could look back on and pine about because of how fun it was and james totally doesn't like her back

Loath as she was to admit it, this most indelicate of waltzes suited the plodding chords of "Don't Pass Me By." And worst of all, once they had stopped stepping on each other's feet James started to sing, in the poorest possible Ringo imitation she had ever heard in her life.

by the way, attentive readers of blink three times will recall:

He finally starts to lead — thank goodness, because she’s not the one who was forced into formal dance lessons as a child...

so in 36, this is james being drunk, but it is also james being silly on purpose because not only is he JAMES and so he must take the mick, he also knows it will put lily at ease

okay, and this bit:

"Don't pass me by, don't make me cry, don't make me blue," they both shouted rather than sang, "'Cause you know darling—" Lily broke off, laughing, dimly aware that she had done so to avoid saying I love only you while staring right at him.

from the FIRST MOMENT i picked out "don't pass me by," i knew i knew I KNEW that lily would have thoughts about this line. at this point in the story if someone questioned her about it she would probably have a full-scale breakdown about her male friends vs her female friends ("but no... i suppose i wouldn't mind saying it to remus.... but that's different!" how is it different, lily? "it's different!")

anyway, the bottom line is she could NOT abide saying it. i enjoyed writing that because 1. same girl and 2. it felt like a nice bit of close foreshadowing for her realisation, which i knew was coming soon. so that's a really circular way of saying, i knew what it meant but ideally to readers it was just oh this will mean something far-off in the future!!! which is usually true for me but SURPRISE babey it was just two chapters away!!!

note btw that lily "falls for james"

Lily spun faster than she’d intended to. The room was a brief, kaleidoscope blur. Then there was James. “Jesus, Evans,” he said, steadying her as the next track began.

>:)

and after i thought tracklists would fuck me up, i turned them into my WEAPON!!

Huffing, she stepped out of his arms. (There were some songs you could sing along to with your mates, and “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?” was not one of them.)

(so, you know, keep in mind that for the rest of this conversation, paul is in the background howling "no one will be watching us/why don't we do it in the road?")

also:

"...I’m not drinking tonight, but I’d better get the royal treatment after we win on Saturday."

and then what happened <3

wait jesus oh my god i really went hard on this huh

She only saw its result: the easy grin had given way to an expression so serious it was almost sweet.

LILY??????

and hey, remember when:

...because in chapter 26:

Dex’s measured opinions about the wizarding world seemed more the result of upbringing and inexperience than ill will, but Lily had not expected a radical change of heart.

...but then in 36:

He was right, damn it. And a part of her had known all along, had sought him out expressly so that he would say the opposite thing to her. He’d gone and proven her wrong. She broke the staring match first [...] “What brought on the change of heart?” “It’s a long story, and I expect it’ll have an unsatisfying end if I told it to you.” Lily scoffed, but James had on that maddening grin that meant he would not budge. “Oh, all right.” Softer, she added, “Thank you.” He began to back away, towards the bar. “It’s give and take, Evans.”

in conclusion, i never forget, besties

#i literally had to retype this entire fucking response #i hate tumblr #but anyway #be warned i talk about the beatles :/// in here #ask me #anon #director's cuts #36

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ask-the-crimson-king · 3 years

Text

Music Shill of the Day: "JUDAS" by Lord of the Lost

PART 2 of 2: "SALVATION"

Welcome back to part 2 of me shilling the fuck out of Judas and telling you, the lucky reader, of why it's so great. If you didn't see part 1, here's a link. Beware, it's long as fuck. LINKS TO ALL SONGS WILL BE PROVIDED. All songs will be rated on a scale of 1-10; 1 - garbage. Horrible. Why did you let this leave the studio. 5 - average. Meh. Not horrible, but not impressive. 10 - fantastic. Thank you for this existing. I love this too much. I will make a final post about my overall thoughts separately as well as give the top 5 songs of the album. BUT FOR NOW, we venture ever onwards. STARTING WITH--

13. "The Gospel of Judas" - 9/10

Starting off EXTREMELY strong with a very excellent piece with a brilliant message.

These lads said "happy last day of Pride, please take this video and this song" and I say thank you because. Watch the video. Careful with some people malding over them becoming "political" by adding a pride flag in the comments (but there are plenty of responses shutting them down since LOTL has regularly been supportive of the LGBT+ community and very vocal about that support).

This song is meant for those who are outcasts in society for being who they are, whether it be from gender-based, sexuality-based, race-based, whatever. Great intention and a great message.

The song itself, I find myself liking the choruses more than the verses. I'm not a huge fan of the "Judas, Judas" parts, but it works well enough for the song. Not quite an absolute banger of a song, but still really fucking good.

14. "Viva Vendetta" - 9/10

This song is fascinating for two reasons. The first; it features a full 386 person choir. The second; its instrumental was given to 32 different artists, with no title attached, to see what they'd do with it. That's really fucking cool.

As for the actual piece, it has a very nice, flowy, bouncy beat all throughout. I like it. It's something to vibe to, most certainly. It has almost a bit of an 80s feel to it.

The instrumentals are very neat, with the guitars making a very nice sounding bassy groove. Though there does seem to be acoustics used throughout as well, and the occasional synth. Overall? Dope as fuck song. It's genuinely awesome. It slaps.

But. As much as it slaps. A challenger approaches. A song I had been anticipating for over 3 weeks since I heard the "Track by Track" 30s preview.

15. "Argent" - 11/10

Okay. Okay. I know. Priest? Slaps. Born with a Broken Heart? Beautiful. Death is Just a Kiss Away? Love the strings. But.

But, dear reader. Allow me to enlighten you as to why this is, in my humble opinion, the best song on the album.

Let us start with the wonderful, Arabian-sounding vocals to open it. And then the introduction of the piano, it begins to build. And build. And then the guitars and the drums kick in, along with that industrial sound in the back.

It keeps growing and growing, then it begins to cool for the verse. Everything is still there, just waiting. Slowly, everything keeps growing in intensity. It builds and builds along with the vocals of the first verse.

Then we transition to a pre-chorus for a small calm...

Are you out there? Are you out there? I suffer... Your thirteenth suffers!

And then...

IT GOES OFF!

ARE YOU OUT THERE? I'M CLINGING TO THE DARK! ARE YOU OUT THERE? MY FALLEN COUNTERPART! BETRAYAL BURNS, LIKE THE SILVER IN MY HEART! ARE YOU OUT THERE? THE ERROR OF THE STARS!

The best chorus of the album. Without a doubt. There is so much raw emotion here barely simmering at the surface. As my friend @hoholupercal-adopts said;

"It captures ethereal rage, suppressing emotions, sorrow, bliss, and a love and need for hope."

And he is so spot on with that. It is beautiful. It is intense. It's amazing.

And then we come right back to a verse. And we start again, and after the second chorus we enter a small break of calm.

As the bridge starts up, the vocals from the beginning return, along with Chris' wonderful and soft yet gravelly voice with the slowly building instrumentals behind him...

The error of the stars... The error of the stars... A searing oath on the circles of the heart, Are you out there?

The error of the stars...

A brief pause, and then it smashes itself right back into that insane chorus.

This entire song is so powerful. Its so... so raw. So full of just a mix of emotions that it almost feels overwhelming. I just. I love this song so much.

If there is any song you listen to off "Judas", please make it be this. I cannot stress enough how fantastic this piece of incredible artistry is. It is, apparently, "Globalization in practice" according to Chris Harms himself. It is so beautiful. Please listen to it. Do yourself a favor.

16. "The Heartbeat of the Devil" - 8/10

This song has a great groove to it. I like the choice for using electronic drums. It has a very 80s feel about it. Very nice opening, with very open sounding verses and then a very nice chorus.

The piano also works as a nice accompaniment, as per usual at this point. The song is a fine song indeed, it really is grand. However its missing a few things that keep it from a 9/10 or a 10/10. Not entirely sure how to pinpoint what they are, but they're there.

Overall, a grand song, as most of these songs have been. Also this is a song for the Emperor of Mankind and it's funny cause it's number 16, which is Horus' number. But you wanna know what else else? It isn't the only ironic incident of this happening.

17. "And it Was Night" - 10/10

This song took me a bit. Off its intro with the synths, I wasn't vibing with it too much. With the introduction of the guitar and drums, I started to get into it. For the verse, I was still uncertain. That kinda odd synth was back. But it still sounded fine, I supposed.

However. The chorus is, ironically enough, where it shines the most.

It sounds beautiful. There, everything reconverges after the break in the verse, along with the backing choir, and it is simply...

It sounds ethereal. It sounds dreamlike. It sounds perfect for a song entitled "And it Was Night".

Everything afterward sounds great. The elements used in the intro and the chorus are used a bit more in the following verse, and the chorus just hard carries this song to a 10/10. It is fucking fantastic. It has some raw emotion within it, similar to Argent, but instead on a more... dreamlike, hopeful level. Kind of like childlike hope and wonder.

Also I've had 2 people tell me it's a Lorgar song and I agree wholeheartedly. Plus its #17. So ha.

18. "My Constellation" - 6/10

The vocals are fine, and they remind me of a song I can't really put my finger on. But this song just doesn't really do it for me. It has plenty of nice emotion and power with it, but the instrumentals feel kind of... weird. They fit, somehow, but they feel like they shouldn't.

It's still a very above-average song for the musicality of it alone, and the very pretty lyrics. Plus the vocals of the chorus are also nice. But it's still just missing things. It's not that great, but it's definitely an above-average song. One of the weaker entries on this album, but that's not saying a lot since this album is still fucking amazing as a whole.

19. "The Ashes of Flowers" - 8/10

The synths in the back of the intro with the piano sounded kind of odd at first. This is a song that doesn't have much buildup, it just goes along for about a minute and then BAM, intense instrumentals.

I do appreciate such songs as much as I do those that build. Those that slap you in the face will usually, indeed, slap. And this song does, for the most part. There are some bits that sound a bit janky to me, but it is a good song. Very strong entry on the list. At times it shares in that "these don't feel like they should fit together" vibes as its predecessor, but it only happens twice at most. Very gospel-sounding song, especially with how it sounds around the 3:30 mark, with the choir and Chris singing.

20. "Iskarioth" - 9/10

Now we got that more classic sounding heavy metal on the album. I grew up listening to stuff with this sort of style. But of course, the song has some newer elements added in. I love the riffs, though. They sound great. Love that classic sounding over-overdrive on the guitars. Love how it carries into the second verse. The beat and rhythm have that classic metal feel to them as well.

The chorus is, as most on the album thus far, very powerful and clean. The heavy riffs from the intro and breaks between chorus and verse are absent, leaving room for Chris and the backing choir to shine alongside the beautiful piano.

The break for the bridge that slowly builds to the final chorus is very nicely done, and I like how the guitars were added back in. An extremely strong song. Very well done. Love it.

21. "A War Within" - 9/10

Strings are back. I'm a bitch for strings. I love them when they're used in metal. I love them when combined with an organ and piano. I love them also when combined with great vocals. The opening verse leading to the pre-chorus, the repetition, the build to that powerful chorus, it's wonderful. The piano, as always, twining beautifully with the vocals.

The fucking cello solo with the leitmotif is fucking amazing. Favorite part of the song. It's so beautiful.

Very, very excellent piece of music. This song is a 9 for sure. Not quite a 10 since, while the chorus is nice, it could've used a bit more intensity. The pre-choruses where the rhythm picks up and everything feels more urgent is where the song shines for sure. Without a doubt.

22. "A World where We Belong" - 8/10

An interesting somber song that blends the heavier and intense pieces with this overall feeling of melancholy, yet hope. This song doesn't have an instrumental intro. Instead, Chris just starts right off singing. This song definitely feels like a sort of cheesy church song. But it does have a nice message to be found within the lyrics, and it's a nice and slow song too.

Good pacing. Good vocals. A good song.

23. "Apokatastasis" - 10/10

So. Um.

This song is an instrumental that's basically entirely strings.

The name means "the restoration of equilibrium after the apocalypse", and it serves as a respite for the album. A breath of fresh air, similar to Be Still and Know.

However, where Be Still and Know had the various members of the band show up, this one has them quieting down. It features the leitmotif once more, and it definitely has that feeling of peace and quiet. The album, until now, has been a bit chaotic. There's been a lot of emotion, power, and just... feeling.

This is a beautiful piece. It truly is.

10/10, easily.

Now let's wrap up the album.

24. "Work of Salvation" - 9/10

Soft, gravelly vocals greet the listener after that beautiful respite, paired with a lovely choir and piano as well.

Slowly, we get that buildup again. The organ comes back. The song feels very much like "The Death of All Colours", only this time with instrumentals backing instead of just vocals. A nice callback after this long journey.

This song works as a great ending to the album, a very nice catharsis. It isn't overbearingly powerful, but it isn't too soft either. It matches the mood of its predecessor and of that of the album wonderfully.

I'll talk about that in the post after this, but wonderful song.

It even ends with a beautiful, and almost sad rendition of that leitmotif on piano. As if lamenting that the journey is over. A beautiful end to a wonderfully amazing album.

#rip me cause tumblr ate the original reviews for the first 4 songs #i had it done and was about to start my constellation when it bugged and it was all gone #pissed me off lmao #ah well #music shill of the day #judas #lord of the lost

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funigami-games · 3 years

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A dream come true! The Prince's Heart is getting a Voice Over

When we started The Prince's Heart, we never thought we'd find so many wonderful persons willing to collaborate on our project. Here we are now, a month later, with an entire crew of professional and aspiring Voice Actors willing to help us realize our Visual Novel!

Special thanks to our amazing Casting Director, Jacob Wilson, who directed the whole Voice Over process.

Let's meet the entire cast (in order of appearance in the game)!

Nick Chang as Edward (Protagonist)

I was born in Manhattan, but raised in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, where I currently reside. I also proudly identify as a 2nd generation Asian American (half Hong Kong via my mother, half Taiwanese via my father) and a member of the LGBTQIA+ community (gay and demisexual). Since childhood, I have had a distinct love of music and performance. Having played violin from 4th to 12th grade and sung for even longer, I used music as a primary means to express myself growing up. As I progressed from high school to college, I discovered online voice acting, but it was not until my time in graduate school that I formally decided to become an actor. My interest initially stemmed from a desire to help out in localization projects, but over the time I have spent voice acting, I have come to not only develop a great appreciation of the craft of acting, but also further deepen my love of music and rekindle my love of performance. With my singing experience as a basis to my unique perspectives, I hope to bring sensitivity, curiosity, and innovation to every project I work on!

Jacob Wilson as Adam

I’m a voice actor, Casting and voice director based in Dallas Texas. I’ve been working in this field for almost four years Now. It’s a journey that has taken me literally around the world and I’m so thankful for all I’m able to do and have accomplished. Being a part of amazing projects like this one are what fuel me to pursue my passions. I realized I was bisexual when I was 18. It’s a group in the LGBT+ community that continues to get flak from seemingly all over. But my faith in it and myself has always been unshaken. Outside of VO I am a drag artist in the making under the name “Twilight Stunning”, who I’m going to show more properly in the coming months! I’m so thankful I’m in the position I am, and I can’t wait to see what we have in store for y’all!

Bradley Gareth as Michael (Main Character)

Bradley was raised in Western Pennsylvania, learning piano from age 5 and taking up local community theater at age 10. He pursued the performing arts throughout high school, consistently participating in high school musicals and chorus festivals during his tenure there. At the end of high school, he also took multiple classes in musical composition and began doing online voiceover work.

During his time in college, Bradley participated in numerous professional and amateur voiceover productions both online and at the University of Pittsburgh's student radio station, WPTS Radio. While at WPTS, Bradley also began writing advertisements and online content for websites.

Now out of school, Bradley continues to lend his voice to multiple productions, dabble in musical composition, and provide content writing for WrightlySo.com.

Jared Prize as David (Main Character)

Singing provides me with some of the greatest joy in life. Outside of that, I love voice acting, hiking, and hanging with friends. My day job involves working with computers, so I like to find a bit of an escape into the creative-realm during my free time. My sexuality has always been a struggle, but I find comfort in not putting a label on it (at least for now). Mostly, I am very excited to be a part of an ambition team of lovely people. Working within a project like this brings excitement during the process, and even more-so while waiting for the final piece! I hope you enjoy what's to come xo

Marisa Duran as Lady Marie

Hey there, I’m Marisa Duran. I’m an actress working and living in Dallas, Texas.

I caught the "theatre bug" at a young age. My parents will tell you that it started when I was two years-old, dancing around to the Barney theme song. I agree wholeheartedly.

I grew up in a suburb on the east side of Dallas and was fortunate to have the opportunity to explore a city known for its rich culture and artistic influence. My passion for theatre was fueled by the many musicals that toured through town and I quickly decided that I wanted to spend the rest of my life as a professional actor.

In 2016 I graduated Magna Cum Laude from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas with my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre, emphasis in Acting. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working with multiple professional theatre companies in the DFW area. I’ve also expanded my career into the worlds of film and voiceover, landing roles in short films, webseries, and commercials, and lending my voice to over a dozen anime titles at FUNimation.

Art has the power to heal, to change, and to empower. As an artist, I believe that my purpose on this earth is to tell stories, and through these stories I hope to make a positive impact and leave people better than I found them. I consider it an honor to be able to use my talents in such a profound way.

Whenever I’m not rehearsing or recording, you can usually find me at my day-time marketing job, playing video-games, or drinking coffee at a local coffeeshop.

Kiba Walker as Zachariah

Born Arthur Lee Walker III in Tacoma, Washington, Kiba Walker is an American actor, musician, director, writer, and performer based out of Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas.

Kiba trained under the likes of various industry professionals such as Shane Sparks, Donyelle Jones, Tony Oliver, Betty "Waters" Kennedy, Chuck Huber, Sonny Strait, Chris Rager, Justine Reyes, Lorette Spicer, Bill Quinby, Angie Irons, Dan Lorge, Holly Clark Lorge, Spencer Christian, and many others. With 16 years of collective industry knowledge, Kiba has performed with the likes of Alice Underground, The Stereo Killers, Frankly Fictitious, CRVSH, Grant Davis, Ashley Ann Farley, Steve "Warky" Nunez, BASH!, Ryland Lynch, Ross Lynch, Will Jay, and more.

Voice over came to Kiba in his later years, around the age of 18, when he found his love doing an ask blog for Tumblr. From there, he took the craft seriously and networked profusely with various actors and companies in the voice over realm. His first roles were as Boku Temagawa in "Love Games" and Mike Connelly in "Zoolaplex".

Since 2014, he's been cast in various other projects including MY HERO ACADEMIA, HORIMIYA, GENSHIN IMPACT, FRUITS BASKET, ONE PIECE, SAINT SEIYA (2019 Sentai Dub), BLACK CLOVER, BOFURI! I DON'T WANNA GET HURT SO I'LL MAX OUT MY DEFENSE, CAUTIOUS HERO: THE HERO IS OVERPOWERED BUT OVERLY CAUTIOUS, CASE FILE NO.221 KABUKICHO, CAMP BUDDY, FULL SERVICE, TO TRUST AN INCUBUS, TO LOVE RU, O MAIDENS IN YOUR SAVAGE SEASON, EARTHLOCK, POPUP DUNGEON, SOMETHING IN THE DARK, RADIANT, and many more!

He's also directed such titles as FULL SERVICE, IDUEL: BATTLE FOR STARDOM, ISHIDA & ASAKURA, THE TITAN'S BRIDE, and CAMP BUDDY.

As a musician now, Kiba currently has one album out, titled "XO", that released in May 2016. He runs a music channel called "KibaKovers", adapting anime and video game openings into English for a broader audience, as well as regular Top 40 covers. He is also one of the champions of the hit Fort Worth Drag Competition, The 3, as Salem Moon!

Mike Young as Sir Tiphis

Hello, I’m Mike Young. A dynamic, versatile and different British VP voice actor with gravitas, who can turn on various shades of Bristol, and run the spectrum of silky smooth, to warm and friendly.

Under the brilliant tutelage of Tanya Rich, my road to a professional voice acting career begin in 2018, having produced a wide variety of stories and audiobooks.

I lend my talent to a range of different projects:

Hard sell and soft sell commercial and corporate scripts

IVR for telephone systems and mobile apps

Instructional e-learning courses

Promotional adverts and trailers

Public service announcements

Character narration for video games, film, audio dramas and books

…and more!

I love it all, I do it all! And if you like what you hear, contact me! I’ll be sure to make your project gurt lush.

#visual novel #visual novels #yaoi #voiceactor

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cristalconnors · 4 years

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BEST SONGS of 2019

20. “MOTIVATION”- Normani

“Why would we ever do something instead of falling into the bed right now?”

Watching the 2019 VMAs, it was easy to feel despondent about the current state of mainstream pop. And then Normani descended from a basketball hoop, breaking up a string of lifeless performances of cookie-cutter top 40 with a preposterously physical tour de force that harkened back to an era when pop fame felt like something closer to a meritocracy, when talent mattered more than spectacle. It felt like a major arrival: at last another pop goddess that truly had all the goods. The public may not have caught up to her quite yet, but “Motivation” is a statement of purpose for Normani: I’m here, I’m very fucking talented, and I’m not going anywhere.

19. “SO HOT YOU’RE HURTING MY FEELINGS”- Caroline Polachek

“I cry on the dancefloor, it’s so embarrassing”

The charms of “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings” are seemingly endless. First, there’s that title that makes you chuckle the first few times you hear it. Then, there’s the pre-chorus that title is effortlessly plugged into: a crystal clear image of lovelorn insecurity placed atop a sublimely simple melody that builds into a harmonious, show-stopping chorus. But the song’s zenith has got to be that bridge, marrying a mind-bending, distorted vocal solo that more closely resembles electric guitar with the singsongy refrain “show me your banana,” effortlessly striking a balance between the highbrow and the silly, casting Polachek as the carefree pop diva she perhaps always should have been.

18.“WAY TO THE SHOW”- Solange

“Candy paint down to the floor”

“I want it to bang and make your trunk rattle.” I think about that quote a lot when listening to “Way to the Show,” the grooviest track on When I Get Home- the one whose meandering funk bass line and countless key changes build to an explosion of synth runs and gun cocking, showcasing Knowles’s growth as both a songwriter and curator of mood as she crafts a singularly hallucinatory, heavenly vision of Houston and the sounds that raised her.

17. “WONDER BOY”- ARTHUR RUSSELL

“I’m a wonder boy. I can do nothing”

The back catalogue of notorious perfectionist and genreless chameleon Arthur Russell is so vast, so varied that even 27 years after he was taken from us, we’re still being treated to new material. Every single song of his that’s been released posthumously, including all 19 tracks of Iowa Dream, feel like their own revelation, each of them a uniquely dazzling bucking of all your expectations of what a song of his should sound like. “Wonder Boy” is unique in how tidily its melancholy, frosty images of impermanence sum up the tragic story of Arthur Russell the man- the brilliant artist who never found success and only ever managed to put out a single album while he was alive- the wonder boy who could do nothing.

16. “I THINK OF SATURDAY”- Moodymann

“I called you on Thursday... I called you on Friday...”

“I Think of Saturday” starts simply enough, listing the days of the week almost as a gimmick, evoking soul and early rock filtered through a house lens, until halfway through the song when the beat drops away, introducing a brief sample of Joe Simon’s “With You in Mind” that’s followed by the reintroduction of the beat, but now accompanied by a recurring distorted, dissonant chord that reframes the song as a sinisterly rousing account of unrequited desire and delusion that refracts itself over and over again.

15. “SOFIA”- Clairo

“I think we could do it if we tried”

The opening bars of Clairo’s “Sofia” sound like a really good Strokes knock off, but the song quickly reveals itself to be something vastly more interesting, unfolding itself steadily over the course of three minutes as she and producer Rostam Batmanglij subvert well worn pop tropes to craft an exquisitely textured, soul-baring, and ultimately hopeful anthem for young wlw everywhere.

14. “LARK”- Angel Olsen

“What about my dreams?”

Olsen’s widescreen, abstract vision of a break-up song is thrillingly unbound from the constrictions of song structure and narrative, favoring instead the visceral power of strings and drastic dynamic contrast to craft a symphony in miniature, a “journey through grief” as Olsen herself describes it, that announces the bold, panoramic vision of her fourth album.

13. “WALK AWAY”- (Sandy) Alex G

“Someday I’m gonna walk away from you. Not today...”

“Walk Away” evokes the sense of being trapped, stuck in a cycle of recognizing unhealthy relationships or habits and being unable or unwilling to do anything about them, looping the simple two line refrain over and over and over again to weave a hopeless, woozy tapestry of crunching beats, acoustic and electric guitar, mournful piano and harpsichord, and distorted vocals.

12. “THIS COUNTRY MAKES IT HARD TO FUCK” (BJÖRK REMIX)- Fever Ray

“That’s not how to love me!”

Björk isolates the most memorable line from Fever Ray’s “This Country”- “this country makes it hard to fuck!”-and explodes it, distorting it and stretching it across a fearsome sample of the droning, discordant flutes from “Song of the Alféreces and Dances of the Chinos,” evoking a kind of tortured funhouse mirror image of the current state of reproductive rights that rightly recasts Fever Ray’s song as a horror film.

11. “ABOUT WORK THE DANCEFLOOR”- Georgia

“I was just thinking about work the danefloor...”

“About Work the Dancefloor” is Georgia’s ode to the cathartic, restorative powers of the dancefloor, where your worries fall away as you melt into the crowd and language abstracts itself, as evidenced by that perplexing chorus that doesn’t seem to mean anything- and why should it? When you’re lost in her pounding bass and gurgling synths, that incoherence is strangely comforting. You can cast whatever meaning you want onto it and work through it physically, together.

10. “GONE”- Charli XCX & Christine and the Queens

“I try real hard, but I’m caught up by my insecurities”

The jelly squiggles that criss-cross Charli XCX and her collaborator’s faces on the artwork released for the singles from her latest album Charli suggest a kind of symbiosis, a cosmic intertwining of sorts. But only “Gone” achieves a true melding of the minds, where Charli and Chris’s best and boldest instincts collide, complimenting one another seamlessly in this dizzying vision of insecurity and isolation that unravels into a stunning pop abstraction.

09. “CELLOPHANE”- FKA twigs

“Why don’t I do it for you?”

Usually for FKA twigs, more is more. Her songs are busy, even the slower ones, packed to the brim with glitches, unusual rhythms, and a million little details that pull attention, giving them texture and making them extremely immersive listening experiences. “Cellophane” pares those idiosyncrasies back. They’re still there, but the focus is twigs’s voice, which bends and cracks and really emotes in a way we’ve never heard. Her voice is naked and unvarnished, allowing her to be truly vulnerable in a way we’ve never heard either, and it’s heartbreaking.

08. “CINNAMON GIRL”- Lana Del Rey

“If you hold me without hurting me, you’ll be the first who ever did.”

“Cinnamon Girl” is the culmination of every other ballad she’s ever written. They were practice and this is the real deal- a painterly missive on tumultuous love that reads like a pained confession whispered in confidence, something Lana’s always done well, but her composition has never been so exquisite or immersive, so beautifully in concert with her poetry or her velvet voice, or so flawlessly constructed, effortlessly building toward a show-stopping finale that asserts Lana as the postmodern princess of Americana.

07. “COOKIE BUTTER”- Kim Gordon

“Industrial...metal...supplies...”

“Cookie Butter” has got to be the most stunning showcase of the power of Kim Gordon’s voice, as she drags out some vowels, muffles others, attacks consonants and bends words until they don’t sound like words anymore, all atop a trance inducing beat drives towards the song’s unlikely climax- Kim Gordon saying “cookie butter” in the most impossibly distinct way you could imagine that carries the weight of an EDM drop, leading the track into it’s disorienting second half that both clarifies and obscures the half that came before it. Haunting and addictive.

06. “CATTAILS”- Big Thief

“You don’t need to know why when you cry.”

To hear Big Thief talk about the process of writing and recording “Cattails” on their episode of the Song Exploder podcast, one is struck by how organic it was. Adrianne Lenker describes it as a “magic wind” that swept through the studio, the song kind of falling out of them in one take. That sense of life comes through in the song, the simple, sublime repetition, bounce, and build of it sounding like a transmission from deep within the soul, a cosmic image of nostalgia and grief that is as cathartic as it is heavenly.

05. “GOD CONTROL”- Madonna

“I think I understand why people get a gun.”

“God Control” is ostensibly about gun control, though you’d be forgiven if you had a hard time discerning what exactly she’s trying to say. Like some of her best work, it’s provocative and maybe a little empty, but damn if it isn’t supremely interesting and compelling as hell. Madonna taps into a sense of apocalyptic malaise and skepticism of authority that feels at times remarkably in tune with the public consciousness, at others a grotesque caricature of it, to uniformly fascinating results as she spins a deranged disco yarn that, once those swirling strings hit, is downright euphoric.

04. “GOLD TEETH”- Blood Orange, ft. Gangsta Boo, Project Pat, & Tinashe

“We gon’ rumble in this ho!”

Blood Orange takes Project Pat’s “Rinky Dink II/We’re Gonna Rumble” and explodes it, gifting it both playful levity and added depth with a rollicking beat minor chord synths respectively, effortlessly criss crossing Hynes’s many disparate strengths and interests in the most effortlessly rousing and joyful track in his entire ouevre, elevated by the powerhouse Three 6 Mafia reunion verses of Gangsta Boo and Project Pat himself.

03. “INCAPABLE”- Róisín Murphy

“I don’t know if I can love, in all honesty.”

“Incapable,” Róisín Murphy’s virtuosic disco epic, stops time. That indelibly simple bass line loops over and over and over again until you’re lost in it, the song slowly building itself on top of it, adding claps here, hi hat there, rising towards a stunning sequence backed by whooshing synths where the song really comes alive, where an almost boastful breakup anthem morphs into a glamorously melancholy self-indictment in which she ponders that maybe it’s her there’s something wrong with, creating a dazzling dichotomy between the pitfalls of introspection and the bliss of the dancefloor.

02. “MOVIES”- Weyes Blood

“The meaning of life doesn’t seem to shine like that screen.”

“Movies,” appropriately, plays out with a big screen gloss. Those arpeggiated synths feel like they’re slowly expanding as Natalie Mering coos atop them, wondering how if movies are fake, how come they’re more real than anything in real life? As the synths suddenly give way to frenzied strings, the song splits itself open, giving itself over wholly to the melodrama, the sweeping enormity of feeling that Mering so masterfully conjures as she longs for the vitality, the simple answers, and the meaningfulness of movies.

01. “DO YOU LOVE HER NOW”- Jai Paul

“There’s a time for everything.”

On June 1, 2019, when I first read the news that Jai Paul had released new music, news so momentous it was accompanied by a red “breaking news” banner on Pitchfork’s home page, I immediately found my headphones and sequestered myself. I knew whatever I was about to listen to would require my undivided attention. Quite frankly, I was shocked it existed at all. After the notorious, devastating leak of his music in 2013, he’d exiled himself so thoroughly that it was easy to believe he was just gone forever. But here it was, the second coming- two (2!) new songs, effectively doubling the amount of (completed) material he’s released in an official capacity.

Pressing play, I was a little nervous that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations, that it might somehow diminish the work of his that I’d loved so much, that changed the way I think about pop and R&B. That didn’t end up being a problem. While “He” is excellent, “Do You Love Her Now” is maybe the most stunning piece of music he’s ever written. Billowing, moseying guitars provide the heartbeat for what starts as a straightforward, sublimely simple send up of 60′s and 70′s R&B. But this Jai Paul we’re talking about, and nothing he does is simple. Nuances and complexities creep out organically from the fabric of the song- synths whiz in and out, harmonies soar to the forefront of the soundscape seemingly out of nowhere and fall away just as suddenly, crafting an immersive, richly textured listening experience that is unpredictable, washing over you like a wave, building, cresting, and crashing over and over again.

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groupiesoutrageously · 4 years

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Excerpts from a Nikki Squire interview by Paul Secord, 2000. From the Notes From the Edge website.

PS: How did you get interested in music?

NS: I always loved music, especially singing, so my friends and I would regularly put on shows in one of the houses in the street and all the children would come and I would be the singer.

However, when I became a teenager, I knew that the East End wasn't where I wanted to be forever. I was ambitious and so I went to business school in the evenings, Corona School of Drama in the day, worked a Saturday job, eventually working in the West End. I started my own business and took piano lessons, always listening to music, some of that being: ska (Prince Buster), reggae, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Mingus, Stevie Winwood, The Beatles, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Neil Young, Stravinsky, Holst, Bob Marley. All of these artists are as they come to mind not in order of time or preference and of course there are still others like Cream, Iron Butterfly, the Eagles, Led Zep (Kashmir being one of my favorites) — I’ll stop there!

PS: How and where did you first meet Chris Squire?

NS: Chris and I met in the then-famous Speakeasy Club. I think the best music club of that period, not a jazz club, but a place where Derek and the Dominos (Eric Clapton), Jimi Hendrix, Keith Moon, and others from the list I have already mentioned, played.

Everyone in the business frequented the place, it was excellent, and on the evening of the 12th of August 1970, we began what was at first a friendship and the rest, as they say, is history!

PS: What was your life with Chris like?

NS: [...] In the very beginning Chris and Yes had not yet finished recording The Yes Album. There were only the two previous albums, Time and a Word and Yes, so full-on success and international success was yet to come. Therefore as a couple and with Carmen, a family, there were so many different dynamics to our lives, we were both around twenty-three and things were exciting.

We lived in North London, then later in Notting Hill Gate in London. Chris was touring in America and Yes were becoming more and more successful. In those days we both disliked being separated but, as they say, it goes with the turf. Having said that, Carmen and I did go on tour quite a lot, Carmen would always sit on Chris' bass speaker with her little legs swinging in time with the band.

In December 1972 we bought a house in Virginia Water in Surrey, known as "New Pipers.” Chandrika, our second daughter, was born a few months later, in February 1973. We set about renovating, and redesigning the home. We also built the recording studio under the house. Relayer was recorded there, along with Fish Out of Water, the Esquire album and many other projects — but both Chris, myself and the girls lived with builders for years!

We tried, and succeeded in many ways, to have a normal family life, along with the builders, the recordings, rehearsals, touring, business meetings, school functions and family get-togethers — it was varied and never dull.

[…] We were all vegetarians and lived on organic food (since about 1970) so food preparation was quite a big thing. In the grounds of the house we had a kitchen garden, so we had homegrown produce too. Chris and I took an active interest in matters of ecology and health and cultivated the land surrounding the house using organic methods. I studied health and diet extensively (I am involved in this still). It was incredibly busy sometimes and took a tremendous amount of organizing. Then in the summer of 1977 Camille was born — the youngest of the girls. We lived at home, toured together (whenever possible), lived in other countries together took holidays, we were, in every sense of the word, a family — and we loved each other.

PS: You mentioned your second daughter, Chandrika. That is a very interesting name; is there a story behind it?

NS: When Chris was young, he had a very good friend called Darian. Darian's father was Indian and his mother English. They lived in Hampstead in London and were an extremely interesting family. Chris spent a lot of time at the family home and there was a bond between him and them. Chris and I had visited together, very artistic people I remember. They also had a daughter in this wonderful family called Chandrika, this name was passed on to our daughter. An Indian name by origin, Chandra (pronounced “chundra”) means Moon. So Chandrika means “Little Moon.”

PS: What kind of influence did you have on Chris' writing with Yes and his solo work?

NS: In between all that I have already spoken of above, there would be many times where I would sing with Chris at the grand piano or Chris would sing something to me and I would give an opinion or an idea. The same with the guitar or the bass and downstairs in the studio it would be the same too, or I would watch him working and learn. Chris has a brilliant sense of harmony and is a fine musician, singer and bass player, so being there and taking it in has certainly influenced me!

He would always carry stacks of 'out-take' cassettes from the studio and practice vocal harmonies to and from London, which was an hour long journey at least, I would be there and sing them with him, or make a suggestion perhaps, or simply be there.

What influence I have had specifically on Chris is not for me to say, but we certainly shared a lot of musical and family life together. Creating music, by it's very nature, is a tapestry of people, times, moments, influences and inspiration, taken in by all we see around us — therefore how could we not have influenced each other.

PS: Did you and Chris ever write together?

NS: Yes; it's very difficult to say all the small bits here and there that we may have contributed to each others songs, a few words, a line, or even one word, but all of the elements I have just mentioned have happened.

For the most part, this question is answered above, but one song that does come to mind is "Red Light Ahead." We sang that song together so many times — I have always loved it. Some of the same lyrics feature on the closing vocal that Chris sings on “What You've Been Saying”, one of the tracks on the Esquire album. Although I write all my own lyrics, it wouldn't be unusual for Chris to make an appearance like that, with his lyrics and vice-versa, this being an example of one of the subtle crossovers that inevitably would occur in our life as it was.

PS: What role did Chris play in the early days of Esquire?

NS: Chris was always very supportive and would listen with interest to the developing demos. He was not staying at the house very much, sometimes living and recording in London and sometimes in the U.S., although I would often play him the tracks down the telephone line — to get his opinion on the tricky bits!

If Chris was at a particular Esquire recording session, he would give his undivided attention as any dedicated musician would. Sometimes coaching me whilst singing — and he was tough, I had to do it perfectly and reach the high notes spot on.

I always enjoyed working when Chris was around. I think Chris's influence was with me, whether he was there or not, always thinking if he would approve of my approach to a vocal, a lyric, a harmony etc., embracing a standard that I had not only admired in Chris but in Yes as a band and it's members.

Chris and I worked closely on "To the Rescue" with Nigel and Charlie in a studio in California, called Record One. Although the song had already been written and was in demo form, Chris embellished the song tremendously as well as singing harmonies, some of those prominently in the middle eight. Then, of course, Chris and Esquire were together for all the mixing of the album at Ocean Way studio in California too.

There were long times apart and long times together whilst the Esquire album was being written and recorded, but, as I have said, Chris's musical influence was there throughout for me personally, I think it always will be.

#nikki squire #type: girlfriend #chris squire #yes #yes band #photoset #edit

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