"distant relative" i assume you are referring to my father?

Higher than the Big Trees Ch. 8

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Humble Pride: The Duality of Alec Lightwood Out Magazine Feature, June 2018 Article by Andrew Bronheimer Photos by Connor Murphy

Alec Lightwood. Heartthrob to millions, artist extraordinaire, last year’s Paris Fashion Week surprise when he walked down the Armani runway in a truly delectable teal suit with suitably dramatic eye makeup. Lightwood’s been the talk of the town for over a decade now. He released his very first song a week before he turned sixteen and the rest, as they say, is history.

Lightwood’s illustrious career has spanned controversy and continents and just recently has earned him the title Entertainer of the Year just a few months ago-- for the third time. For those that don’t know, Alec writes all of his songs and can play a variety of instruments including the guitar, piano, drums, and the clarinet.

Alec has just wrapped up his latest world tour. 128 tour dates, over a million tickets sold, and an estimated 700 million dollars in revenue resulted in a sold-out tour for a triple platinum album that puts this superstar at the top of his game.

We don’t see him falling anytime soon.

Because I’m obsessive about making a good impression to my guests, I showed up to the little cafe we had agreed to meet up at half an hour early. It gives me time to review my notes and take a breath, opening my mind for first impressions-- both good and bad.

The cafe in question is cute. It’s full of bright colors-- splashes of crimson mixed with ribbons of turquoise gives the place a kitschy, bohemian air. The pastry display at the front of the shop is beautiful with fluffy scones and gigantic cupcakes covered with a mountain of frosting.

It’s turning towards evening and the golden light adds to the summer ambiance. I was just debating between a piece of raspberry swirl pound cake or triple chocolate muffin when the little bell above the door chimed and in walked the man of the hour.

Alec Lightwood is even more stunning in person, dear readers. He’s sporting a five o’clock shadow that makes his face a little more rugged and his patrician features look carved from marble. He’s wearing slim fit pants in an alluring olive green with the bottoms rolled up to show surprisingly delicate ankles for such a tall man.

His navy sweater is just right, offering a lovely contrast from the pants and working well with his coloring.

Lightwood slips his sunglasses off and tucks then into the neck of his sweater. His eyes sweep across the surprisingly empty eatery before landing on me. Immediately, I’m a little intimidated. Razor sharp hazel eyes that show a surprising intelligence and his giraffe-like height are a little overwhelming when you’re a foot shorter and not expecting such attention.

In the next moment, Alec smiles and it’s a warm, engaging thing that instantly makes everything more comfortable.

We chat for a few minutes before deciding to order. Alec orders a coffee drink that is at least ninety-five percent sugar-- a concoction with caramel, mocha and whipped cream. We both choose a few pastries-- Alec goes for the dark chocolate scone-- and we settle in to our little table. He’s patient as I set my recorder up and seems content to happily munch on his baked good, giving the impression that he’s not bothered that I’m a little scattered today, of all days.

Then we begin.

Out: So, Alec, welcome back home. How does it feel?

Alec: (Laughs). Thanks, man. It feels great. I’m a New Yorker born and bred and while I love traveling nothing quite beats being home and taking that first subway ride after a while abroad.

O: You just wrapped up your latest sold-out tour. How did it compare to previous tours?

A: This tour was definitely the biggest on any scale, whether it was tickets sold, venue capacities, or effort. The crew was amazing every night, putting together sets and making sure that everything went off without a hitch. And the fans, well, they just continue to blow me away. Their enthusiasm is unmatched. While grueling-- it’s the longest tour I’ve ever done and covered the most distance-- it was indescribably brilliant. I had the time of my life and I hope everyone else feels the same.

O: World tour, check. What’s next for you, Lightwood?

A: That’s the million dollar question. I have a few months before I start recording my next album. I plan to take this summer and write most of the material for that record. Plus, I want to enjoy some time off. It’s been a year since I was last in New York and I want to get reacquainted with the city and with my family.

O: So, both work and play?

A: Yeah, I guess so. There’s always that push to think ahead in terms of my career-- what’s the next step, where can I go from here. I’ll definitely be working this summer. I have a few writing sessions lined up with artists I really admire and I’m excited to see what emerges from them. An Arrow in the Dark was a huge phase of that career, though, and coming off that album cycle kind of just leaves me with a desire to sleep for a century (laughs). I’m using this time to recharge and make my seventh album the best I can, the best I’ve ever done.

O: Can you tease anything from the next album?

A: I think this album might surprise the fans a little. I’ve been at this for over a decade. I want to stretch my legs and experiment a little. I don’t know what will make it on the record, but I need to change things up or I’ll get stale and that’s the worst thing for an artist to become.

O: So, you’re doing something different? We should prepare ourselves for something a little out of the box when we think of Alec Lightwood?

A: I guess that’s a takeaway. I just want the fans to go into things with an open mind. I’ve lived a lot in the past two years and those experiences will probably show up in my next album. I’m looking for new shit, man. I don’t want to put any parameters on my art-- who knows what’s going to come out.

O: Speaking of living a lot, you’ve been linked to several men, including Emmy-winning Actor Jason Desker. Can I ask if anything is going on there?

A: Sure, you can ask. Doesn’t mean I’ll answer. But, truthfully, there’s not much to say. Jason and I met up at an after-party and the next day rumors were swirling around about the two of us. I can tell you, 100 percent truth, that I am single and unattached. I’m not in a relationship and I haven’t been in one for years.

O: But what about all of the rumors?

A: They’re just that. Rumors. False gossip and idle speculation.

O: No one’s caught your eye, then?

A: No.

O: Okay, then. There’s the truth straight from your lips. Now, Alec, you’ve been out since almost the beginning of your career, which began when you were a junior in high school. What can you share about your own experiences coming out during such a turbulent time?

A: I’ve known I was gay since I was a little kid. Absolutely no doubt about it. It took me years to learn the name for what I felt and even longer to reconcile that part of me with everyone else’s expectations. When my family asked if there was anyone special I had me eye on, I’d shrug and deny anything, offering that school and sports were taking all of my focus. My siblings knew everything wasn’t what it seemed, but they let me have that shield to hide behind until I was ready to admit to the world that I wasn’t straight.

At the very start of my career, there was a lot of contention between a lot of parties on what my image should be. I kept quiet for months and was well into my senior year of high school when I decided to make my public move. I was the captain of the soccer team and had been going out with one of my teammates for a few months.

I was just fed up with it all. I had a hit song on the radio and the whole damn school knew about the two of us-- it was almost an open secret. The guy at the time was in the closet but ready to come out and I was standing in his way. So, the day we won the state tournament, I kissed him in front of a few thousand people out on the field. IT was an incredible high and I don't think either of us could believe what I'd just done.

Shit was a little crazy after that. The media took to the story like a house on fire and things at school and home were a little hectic for awhile. But I felt a lot of relief and everything was worth it in the end.

O: That’s quite a story.

A: (Laughs). Yeah. It was dramatic as hell and I caught a lot of heat for it, but I was just tired, you know? I was a month from graduation and planning to go on tour right after that and it was almost like, it was now or never. So, I chose now. The moment I did it was a cathartic release. All that weight just dropped from my shoulders. That isn’t to say that things were smooth sailing, because like I said there were a lot of parties that were unhappy with me and my irrevocable decision. My coming out wasn't just for my own mental health or peace of mind-- it was a deliberate business decision that I knew would impact my career from the second I went through with it, but I haven’t regretted anything. If sharing the absolute terror and relief I felt helps anyone, then I have no problem talking about my story.

O: You have a lot of fans and are a role model to many of them, especially those in our community. Do you have any advice for them?

A: I’d say, just share your truth. That sounds like such after school special bullshit but it’s true. Even if you are straight or cis, you can still be going through things that are difficult to handle or acknowledge. Once you start living your best life, is when you start really living. There will be hate and ignorance and all that bad stuff but being free and unapologetic about it is a powerful balm to any insults or accusations that might get hurled your way. Remember, there’s nothing wrong with what you feel. You’re valid and it’s going to be okay.

O: Wise words, Alec. Now that you’ve been out for almost a decade, can you share your ideal man? Give some of us some hope (laughs).

A: I don’t really have a type, man. I like intelligence and wit and kindness. I’m pretty basic that way. I can’t explain what catches my eye because it seems to change every time. I’ve been with guys who were vastly different, from a broker in the London Stock Exchange to a drummer in a Brazilian metal band. I don’t limit myself.

O: So no teasers on who we might next see you with?

A: Not really. All I can offer right now is that I’m looking for someone who sees beyond Alec Lightwood in all capital letters. I’m just a guy and when I do fall for someone it’s going to be real. Who knows when that will happen but I’m in no rush. I have a lot on my plate and things will happen when they’re meant to.

O: With that last statement, let’s end things with a fun tidbit. What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened on tour?

A: Embarrassing, huh? That’s certainly a different direction. There was that time in Dublin that I ripped my pants and my cartoon underwear showed for almost the entire concert and I didn’t know. But, I think I’d have to say that the most embarrassing thing that ever happened on stage was when I fell. It was an open arena and it was raining. Not too hard, but enough to make things slippery. I was in the middle of the dramatic chorus when I slipped like a cartoon on a banana peel. Everything was silent for a moment before I got my breath and stood up. By ass hurt like hell but I was only halfway through the set. I could feel my blush for the rest of the concert. It was awful.

O: And on that note, thank you Alec for agreeing to talk with Out Magazine.

We talked for a few more minutes, informally, before I had to leave for my next appointment. Alec was ushered by a photographer right after I left for the spread you can see in the following pages.

Lightwood is a powerhouse. He has the voice of a generation and a kind heart. He’s self deprecating and one doesn’t get the impression that he’s just another stuck-up celebrity out of touch with the average person. By all accounts, his fans are rabid over him and it’s not hard to see why. He’s a professional at all costs and is always engaging with fans on social media. With over eighty million followers on Twitter and Instagram, it’s undeniable that Alec has built an admirable foundation of support.

Watching behind the scenes videos and fan blogs, it’s obvious that there’s a rapport between Alec and his fans that not every artist is fortunate enough to have-- or cares enough to curate. There’s respect and love from both sides.

Alec Lightwood isn’t just a pretty face. He works as hard as his discography and grueling schedule indicates. The day we had the interview, Alec had a meeting with his record company board and met with the people at ABC for his Good Morning America appearance. His day didn’t end until almost dawn, as the photoshoot took hours after our sparse dinner. But Lightwood didn’t complain. A trooper, he seemed genuinely interested in our conversation and from what the photographer and wardrobe team told me, he took direction well and had fun with the shoot-- even though he had been up for almost twenty four hours at that point.

Alec Lightwood is an enigmatic man. He guards his life zealously. Everyone sees him stumbling out of clubs with a different guy on his arm every week. Everyone has seen his interviews and fans catch glimpses of the man behind the scenes, but that’s all they are. Brief looks into the private life of America’s favorite celebrity.

It makes one wonder about what lies beneath the surface. From our conversation, Alec had a wit and bluntness that’s admirable in the upper echelons of America’s darlings. He has a brother that owns an award-winning gym in Brooklyn with a mile-long waiting list and a sister that’s featured on countless magazine covers herself-- Isabelle Lightwood is set to appear in the Victoria’s Secret show in the fall and has racked up quite a following of her own.

This family is determined and, above all, generous. It’s been a pleasure watching Lightwood grow from the somewhat awkward teen to the self-assured man he is now, comfortable with his fame and the scrutiny of millions. This is the second time Lightwood has graced our Magazine’s cover and it’s always a delight. I, and the team at Out Magazine, wish Alec Lightwood all the luck on his next album. We can’t wait to hear it!

An Arrow in the dark, Lightwood’s sixth studio album and latest release, is out now and can be found online and in-store at a variety of merchants. See below for more details.

At the time of press, Chocolate Raspberry, his latest single, had sold over five million copies and was topping the charts at No. 1.

Word on the street has it that fans can expect another single to drop soon-- the acoustic and dark-toned Empty Hearts.

Specifications for Radeon RX 7700 XT and RX 7600 XT

AMD's next generation game-oriented graphics card with RDNA 3 architecture is planned for the second half of 2022. The company's patent reveals that a chiplet-based design for graphics processors is under development, which may be relevant already for RDNA 3. The data circulating around the Navi 31 circuit speaks of both a Multi-Chip Modulessolution (MCM) and 15 360 stream processors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA7s8_WuLkM Specifications are now also reported for Navi 32 and Navi 33, which are relevant for what is assumed to be the Radeon RX 7700 XT and Radeon RX 7600 XT, respectively. The figures are compiled from a number of different delicacies and are not entirely improbable, but should be taken with a pinch of salt. The next generation is still at a relatively early stage, which means that most numbers, even if they are correct, can change before launch. Specifications for Radeon RX 7700 XT and RX 7600 XT Product nameRX 7700 XTRX 6700 XTRX 7600 XTRX 6600 XTDistrict nameNavi 32Navi 22Navi 33Navi 23Processnod5 nm/6 nm7 nm6 nm7 nmCircuit typeMCMMonolithicMonolithicMonolithicKernels10 2402 5605 1202 048Memory bus192-bit192-bit128-bit128-bitInfinity Cache384 MB96 MB256 MB32 MBTBP300 W230 W200 W160 W (Names and specifications are speculative and based on rumors.) According to the information, Navi 32 looks like Navi 31 is based on one chiplet-design with several smaller circuits on a substrate. Navi 32 replaces Navi 22 and quadruples the number of cores, from 2,560 to 10,240. With current pricing, it is difficult to say that graphics cards like the RX 6700 XT belong to an intermediate segment, but the RX 7700 XT seems to be moving even further away from it. Possibly the specification may refer to an RX 7800 XT rather than the RX 7700 XT. Infinity Cache looks up from 96 to 384 MB, but the memory bus remains at 192 bits. Unlike its two larger siblings, the Navi 33 retains the same monolithic circuit type as before. Compared to Navi 22, this is a little more than twice as many cores, 5,120 instead of 2,048. The RX 7600 XT is also the same 128-bit memory bus as its predecessor, the RX 6600 XT. However, the unchanged memory bus is offset by an eightfold increase in Infinity Cache, which goes from 32 MB to 256 MB. If the figures are correct, it is a real step up in performance for all products, at least on paper. Just as with the Navi 31, the same width of the memory bus remains as the current generation graphics card has, which could be somewhat narrow. It remains to be seen how well the properly increased amount of Infinity Cache will compensate for that. It should be noted, however, that no specifications have been confirmed by AMD at present and thus may change a lot during the remaining year. RX 7700 XT Faster Than The 6900 Xt For 500 Dollars  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdYnm830f7M RDNA 3 could revolutionize the mid-range: Possible specifications of the Radeon RX 7700 XT and RX 7600 XT The RDNA 3 architecture will give life to the Radeon 7900 XT RX, RX Radeon 7800 XT and Radeon RX 7800, and will also be present in the Radeon 7700 XT and Radeon RX 7600 RX XT. According to the latest information that I have been able to read, AMD will make the leap to an MCM design, but with nuances , since it will maintain, in theory, a monolithic core design in the Radeon RX 7600 XT and lower. I know what you are thinking, why would AMD do such a thing? Well, very simple, to maximize the value of an MCM design by limiting it only to those graphics solutions with such a high shader count that, in short, it is not economically viable under a monolithic core design. Our more advanced readers will already know what I mean, when you transfer the design of a chip to the wafer, it has certain chances of success that depend, among other factors, on: - How advanced, and mature, is the process used. - The complexity of the chip. - The minimum number of functional elements that each chip must have. This means that moving a chip with 15,360 shaders to the wafer will be much more complex, and expensive , than bringing a chip with 7,680 shaders to the wafer. In the first case, you are more likely to get a high number of non-functional chips, that is, of GPUs that do not come out with all those shaders running smoothly. That would, in theory, be the shader count of the Radeon RX 7900 XT . Under a monolithic core design, we could only fall back on that chip option with 15,360 shaders, and it would be very difficult to achieve a high success rate on the wafer. In contrast, with an MCM design, we could combine two 7,680 shader chips to create a 15,360 shader GPU , keeping a lower cost on the wafer due to the greater simplicity of that chip, which will translate into more functional units per wafer. In graphics cards with a lower shader count, such as the mid-range and low-end, the MCM model would not have as much weight, since the chips needed to manufacture them would be perfectly viable, both economically and technically, under a monolithic core design. . This helps us understand why the Radeon RX 7700 XT would have an MCM design, while the Radeon RX 7600 XT will retain a monolithic core GPU. Navi 31 GPU Concept Diagram Navi 31 GPU Concept Diagram Possible specifications of the Radeon RX 7700 XT and Radeon RX 7600 XT Now that we have a clear distinction between MCM and monolithic core design, it is the perfect time to review the possible specifications of the Radeon RX 7700 XT and Radeon RX 7600 XT from AMD. The first will be a mid-range graphics card based on the Navi 32 graphics core , and will use an MCM architecture, while the second will be a mid-range graphics card based on the Navi 33 chip , and will maintain a monolithic core architecture. . Both will be manufactured in the 5nm process, although the possibility that AMD will use the 6nm process to free up TSMC a bit is not ruled out. The Radeon RX 7700 XT will feature: - MCM architecture at 5 nm / 6 nm. - Two interconnected GPUs, each chip will have 5,120 shaders, which leaves us 10,240 shaders in total. - 160 CUs (computing units, 80 for each chip). - 160 ray tracing acceleration units, if AMD keeps the base we have seen in RDNA 2. - 192-bit bus. - 384 MB infinite cache. - GDDR6 memory (quantity and speed not specified). - TBP (Total Board Consumption) of about 300 watts Navi 32 GPU Diagram For its part, the Radeon RX 7600 XT would have a much more modest configuration, although if the specifications that we are going to see are met, there is no doubt that it would be very powerful , even for a mid-range model. These are its keys: - Monolithic core architecture in 5 nm / 6 nm. - GPU con 5.120 shaders. - 80 CUs (computer units). - 80 units of ray tracing acceleration, if AMD keeps the base that we have seen in RDNA 2. - 128-bit bus. - 384 MB infinite cache. - GDDR6 memory (quantity and speed not specified). - TBP (Total Board Consumption) of about 200 watts. Although some rumors are beginning to say that the first graphics cards based on the RDNA 3 architecture will arrive later this year, I think it clearly does not make any sense. This is a date that is practically around the corner, and AMD just introduced the Radeon RX 6600 XT . Ignore these information, it is most likely that the first graphics cards based on RDNA 3 will arrive from the second half of 2022 , and that the Radeon RX 7700 XT and RX 7600 XT will debut between the end of that year and the beginning of the next. RX 7600 XT VS The RTX 3090 - Which is Better https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdgeZoxb8WA Read the full article