#[Traversing To Ever-After- Vol 9]

[strykingback]

Penny hesitated to look at her friends again, maybe it was because of what her "death" did to them, or maybe it was because she herself had yet to come to terms with what has happened. She fidgets for a moment longer before smiling.

" salutations"

OST: Beyond this World

"No.. fucking way... P-Penny..." Blade would say with his eyes watering up walking up with his heart beating a bit as he recalls the moment Ruby and Him became friends with her. Which he pulled her into a gentle hug.

Louvel would waste no time and join in on the hug already softly sobbing.

Corona after a few minutes would walk up and join the hug as well tears rolling down her cheek.

Finally Kazura would come up behind the group hug being the strongest of the group to lift all four up in a firm bear hug.

[dioptre-hertz]

animal crossing pole vaulting

i have not posted on tumblr for a year and a half, but i had to come back for this.

for those of you who don't play the game: in animal crossing, you can get a vaulting pole that helps you cross wide rivers by vaulting across them. it's a cute little mechanic and pretty straightforward! but i was baffled as to the actual physics of how it helps you traverse more horizontal distance. in the half-a-day since this problem struck me, i have done plenty more thinking on the matter of canal jumping/river jumping, and after several hours' worth of research - including digging up my old university library login so i could access Mechanics of pole vaulting: a review, published in Sports Biomechanics, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 123-138 - i have successfully convinced myself that pole vaulting is in fact real.

to justify the wasted time and sleep, i will now share my findings with you.

let's first talk about regular pole vaulting, or as i will call it, "pole vaulting for height"; this is the olympic sport we all know and love. in pole vaulting for height, the principle is that you convert your kinetic energy during the run-up into potential energy by bending the elastic pole; then the pole unbends, propelling you upwards. essentially you trade your horizontal movement for upward movement, using the pole as a tool for energy transfer. pretty straightforward!

then there is "pole vaulting for distance", which is not an olympic sport, or any other sport. i found a single paper by a researcher named D. P. Sheehan, who, in his paper Beyond the the pole vault: catapult - the fourth jump, suggests a new kind of sport in which the techniques of pole vaulting are applied to optimizing horizontal movement rather than vertical. proper angling of the pole during its unbending phase would allow the vaulter to propel themself forward and potentially clear distances as great as 20m!

however, the members of the polevaultpower.com forums seem to question Sheehan's credibility as a scientist, given that he suggests techniques that they believe to be impossible to execute, not to mention that there are serious safety concerns regarding this proposed sport.

since Sheehan's paper was gated behind exorbitant fees, i decided instead to pursue a more historical angle. last night, my friend Filip linked me to a wikipedia article on the dutch sport of fierljeppen - an evolution of the actual tradition of canal-jumping with poles as was used in the netherlands in the past. intrigued, i did some digging and even managed to find this 1966 video demonstrating the technique. this is a highly instructive documentary; i strongly advise you all to set some time aside to watch it today.

as you can see in this video, the technique used in fierljeppen fundamentally revolves around *climbing* the pole, which is quite tall. here, the idea is to use the jumper's momentum to pivot the pole into the upright position, *climb* upwards on the pole, and thus gain a significant horizontal distance when the pole tips in the other direction. this makes sense for very tall poles that are already affixed to the bottom of the river at the time of the vault, but the practicality of this technique is called into question for smaller, portable poles.

the fierljeppen example is nevertheless instructive because it showcases, even without the active climbing technique, the core principle that allows pole vaulting to function as a means of crossing rivers, namely the vaulter's ability to push *down* on the pole and exert a force against the ground that counteracts gravity.

what had me initially stumped was the conundrum of how, if the pole does not contribute any additional forward momentum, it could aid in traversing horizontal distances. due to conservation principles, the forward velocity or momentum of the jumper surely cannot increase just by carrying a pole! if anything, the pole would slow you down on the whole.

however, by holding on to the pole, the vaulter is applying a downward force that increases their airtime. in the video above you can see that, even without actively climbing, the vaulters are actually raised upwards by the mere act of holding on to the pole; they are using their grip strength against the friction of the pole to negate the downward pull of gravity. so there is in fact a contribution, not from the pole, but from the vaulter's own upper body strength allowing them to grip the pole and exert a force through it. (in other words, the pole is *not* helpful if it bends too much or sinks into the ground when pushed down.)

another illuminating way to think about it is to imagine that, instead of having a vaulting pole, you have *extremely* long hands. although your jumping ability is not increased, you can then plunge your hands into the water, do a hand-stand in the middle of the river, and flip over onto the other side. i believe that this could potentially become Sheehan's proposed "fourth jump" when medical technology advances to the point where such hand and arm surgeries are realistic.

there is an additional wrinkle here, however. further research brought me to the article Recovery of muscle strength and power after limb-lengthening surgery, written by Barker et al., published in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in 2010. this study suggests that post-operation muscle strength may be very slightly diminished in subjects that undergo limb-lengthening surgeries, such as would be required in order to gain pole-vaulting handstand abilities. fortunately, the study concluded that there was no correlation between the amount of lengthening and the loss in muscle strength, meaning there should be no obstacle to hand or arm lengthening equivalent to the length of a typical vaulting pole.

will we ever be able to achieve the kind of arm surgery that would allow you to handstand across a wide river without the use of a vaulting pole? it's hard to say. but we may conclude based on these findings that the theoretical underpinnings are solid enough to allow us to dream. this concludes my seminar.

[middleearthtolkienfantasyart]

☀️ ☀️☀️☀️

Arien the Maia-maiden first served Vána the Ever-young before she was charged to carry the vessel of the Sun. Arien was originally a spirit of fire whom Melkor was unable to deceive, or draw to his service. The eyes of Arien were said to be too bright for even the Eldar to look upon. In the Years of the Trees, Arien tended to the golden flower gardens of Vána where Arien would water the flowers with great bright dews collected from the great golden Tree Laurelin. Later, Arien was chosen by the Valar to carry the vessel of the Sun because she was the only one who was not afraid and could bear the heats of the great Tree Laurelin and so was unhurt by it.While in Valinor , Arien took a physical form similar to that of the Valar; but when Arien left Valinor, she forsook her raiment and became a "naked flame of fire, terrible in the fullness of her splendour"

☀️☀️☀️☀️

Later on, when the great Two Trees of Valinor were destroyed by Morgoth and Ungoliant, the golden Tree Laurelin managed to produce one last golden fruit before it died away. Subsequently Aulë, the Greatest Craftmans of the Earth, then created a vessel to hold the last golden fruit of Laurelin. However the Maia Tilion, chosen to steer the vessel of the Moon, had traversed seven times before the vessel of the Sun was ready. So after the vessel for the Sun also named 'Anar' was at last made ready, Arien carried the vessel of the Sun away up into the Heavens giving light to the World. Hence, Anar rose in glory and the first dawn of the Sun was like a great fire glowing upon the towers of the Pelóri Mountains in Aman. And the clouds of Middle-earth was kindled and there was heard the sound of many waterfalls. Then indeed Morgoth was dismayed and he descended to the lowest pits of Angband and also withdrew all his servants as well. There, Morgoth sent forth great reeks and darkness of clouds to hide his land from the the light of the Daystar. For of Arien, Morgoth feared with a great fear and dared not come close to her having indeed no power to do so now.

☀️☀️☀️☀️

It has been told that Arien was more powerful than Tilion who was drawn to Arien and occasionally followed Arien through the night sky but when catching up to her, the Island of the Moon became burned and blackened by Arien's heat when in close proximity to her. Moreover, the Valar stored the great radiance of the Sun in many vessels, vats, and pools to use for their comfort in times of darkness.As Arien was the "Guardian of the Sun", she was one of the most loved of the Maiar by mortal Men for her first journey across the sky was the signal of the Awakening of Men.

☀️☀️☀️☀️

Arien is a word that means "Maiden of Sunlight" in Quenya from áirë ("sunlight") and -ien, a feminine ending

☀️☀️☀️☀️

Other Versions of the Legendarium

In other writings, Morgoth wanted to claim Arien as a wife, and ravished her, upon which she abandoned her body and "died", leaving the Sun to travel through the skies uncontrollably and burning parts of Arda

☀️☀️☀️☀️

It was also stated that Arien, then named Urwendi, fell into the Sea and met her "death". Fionwë, later called Eönwë, a son of Manwë, defeats Melkor, driven by his love for Urwendi.

☀️☀️☀️☀️

In some versions, Fionwë, later named Eönwë, is the one who will kill Morgoth for his love for Urwendi (Later named Arien).

☀️☀️☀️☀️

It was told that Arien and her maidens, before the rising of the Sun, entered into F��s Almir which was a bath of flame that would make one pure

☀️☀️☀️☀️

my sources ☺️:

The History of Middle-earth, Vol.5: The Lost Road and Other Writings, VI. Quenta Silmarillion, Chap.6: "Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor"

The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chap. 11: "Of the Sun and Moon and the Hiding of Valinor"

The Silmarillion, Appendix: "Elements in Quenya and Sindarin names"

The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 1: The Book of Lost Tales Part 1, Appendix: "Names in the Lost Tales – Part I"

The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 1: The Book of Lost Tales Part 1, Chap. 9: "The Hiding of Valinor"

The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 1: The Book of Lost Tales Part 1, Chap. 8: "Of the Sun and Moon"

☀️☀️☀️☀️

Art by Middle Earth Tolkien Fantasy art by Corinna Springl

(Art by me )

[uclaradio]

UCLA Radio’s Best of 2017 - Music and Genre Directors

This year, UCLA Radio’s music director and genre directors compiled a list of their favorite releases this past year. Take a peek and explore some of our favorite albums of this past year. 

Alison Chi - Music Director

1. SZA - Ctrl

I don’t know a single person who doesn’t like SZA’s sophomore album Ctrl. There are so few albums that can capture people’s attention these days - it’s all about the singles and never the album as a whole but something about Ctrl is cohesive from start to finish. The way each song weaves into each other is seamless and you’ll truly be rewarded if you sit down and listen to the album straight through. Is there even a single bad song on this album? 

2. Giraffage - Too Real 3. Slowdive - Slowdive 4. Turnover - Good Nature 5. Land of Talk - Life After Youth 6. Cigarettes After Sex - Cigarettes After Sex 7. Julien Baker - Turn Out the Lights 8. Valerie June - The Order of Time 9. Slow Dancer - In A Mood 10. Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked at Me

Megan Hullander - Rock Genre Director

1. King Gizzard & The Flying Wizard - Flying Microtonal Banana

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s Flying Microtonal Banana was the first in a series of five albums promised to be released in 2017 (one of which has still yet to come) including a concept album ridden with the drama of human and non-human emotions, a jazzy collaboration with Mild High Club, and an album given as a gift to fans - the rights of which are “owned” by all. Flying Microtonal Banana is unique in that the band customized their instruments in effort to find spaces between existing tones, or “microtones.” The album is named for one of these instruments which does, in fact, look quite similar to a banana. 

2. Thee Oh Sees - Orc 3. The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Open Minds Now Close 4. Alex Cameron - Forced Witness 5. Ron Gallo - Temporary Slave 6. Ariel Pink - Dedicated to Bobby Jameson 7. Ty Segall - Sentimental Goblin 8. ORB - Naturality 9. Kikagaku Moyo - Stone Garden 10. Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile - Lotta Sea Lice

Gabe Cortina - Rock Genre Director

1. Limp Wrist - Facades

Featuring Martin from Los Crudos on vocals as well as members of Hail Mary, Devoid of Faith, By the Throat, and Kill the Man Who Questions, the versatility of Limp Wrist sound has never been more apparent. Identifying as queercore, the band has a fast hardcore sound and lyrical themes concerning gay identity politics. The mixing of album is something which also stood out to me, it’s able to polished without sounding over produced. Martin’s vocal style perfectly matches the killer riffs and speedy drums in both intensity and aggression. Halfway through this album, the band’s sound switches to a disco-ey almost dark-wave- techno sound which they pull of with perfection. This album is solid and I highly recommend it to both longtime fans of punk and people who are looking for an introduction to punk music alike.

2. Despise You / Coke Bust - Split LP 3. Gay Kiss - Rounded Down 4. Exit Unit - St 2017 5. Glue - S/T MLP 6. Lumpy and the Dumpers - Those Pickled Fuckers 7. Goolagoon / ACxDC - Split 8. Burnout - West Coast Tour 2017 CS 9. Sex Prisoner / Harm Done - Split 10. Meth Leppard - Discography 2015-2017

Gabe Punk Genre Director Top 10 Albums of 2017 from anon-10212970514769336 on 8tracks Radio

Alana Enriquez - Pop Genre Director

1. Beach House - B-Sides and Rarities

This compilation happened to be release on a day where I had only gotten around an hour of sleep the night before, and I cried within one minute of the first track. It’s Beach House at their most dreamy, their most blaring, their most haunting. Old tracks with new renditions and fresh ones meld into something spellbinding that doesn’t require the logistical unity of a formal album. B-Sides and Rarities has been on a weekly rotation for me for the entire second half of 2017, and probably for the entirety of 2018, unless they release something else for me to cry to during my morning routine. 

2. Florist - If Blue Could Be Happiness 3. High Bloom - Implied Sun 4. Alvvays - Antisocialites 5. The Drums - Abysmal Thoughts 6. Slowdive - Slowdive 7. Steve Lacy - Steve Lacy’s Demo 8. You’ll Never Get to Heaven - Images 9. Pedro Infante - Cien años... pensando en ti 10. Big Thief - Capacity

Alana Myers - Pop Genre Director

1. Wolf Alice - Visions Of A Life

Looking back at this past September, I remember sitting in my apartment late at night, counting down until midnight when Wolf Alice’s second record Visions of a Life would be released. I haven’t ever heard anything quite like Visions of a Life before, and I think the reason it resonates so much with me is the way it perfectly encompasses the feelings that come with the uncertainty of young adulthood, and the feelings of life in general - love, anger, sadness, extreme joy, and everything in between. The album digs itself into darkness, but at its core, lies a piece of work that is ambitious, honest, and a solid listen from start to finish.

2. MUNA - About U 3. Tei Shi - Crawl Space 4. Declan McKenna - What Do You Think About the Car? 5. Stormzy - Gang Signs & Prayer 6. Will Joseph Cook - Sweet Dreamer 7. HAIM - Something to Tell You 8. Lorde - Melodrama 9. Paramore - After Laughter 10. Circa Waves - Different Creatures

Alex Saakyan - Pop Genre Director

1. Lana Del Rey - Lust For Life

With an album cover that graces a smile, cheek to cheek of Lana Del Rey, it is no surprise as to why this record has been nicknamed as Del Rey’s first ‘happy album.’ Retiring from the ‘sad girl’ aesthetic of her previous records, Del Rey delivers an optimistic and authentic approach to her music. With tracks like ‘When the World Was at War’ and ‘God Bless America’ we see Del Rey take a more honest approach from her Americana aesthetic as she speaks of the hard times people in this country face. With tracks like ‘Get Free’ she delivers her mission statement: “Finally, I’m crossing the threshold/From the ordinary world/To the reveal of my heart,” She’s honest, she’s free, with a much optimism and a lust for life. 

2. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN. 3. Lorde - Melodrama 4. Kelela - Take Me Apart 5. Majid Jordan - The Space Between 6. Harry Styles - Harry Styles 7. Calvin Harris - Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 8. Tyler, the Creator - Flower Boy 9. Dua Lipa - Blow Your Mind 10. Kesha - Rainbow

Christian Wright - World Genre Director

1. Jay Som - Everybody Works

Melina Duterte’s sophomore album is a bedroom production jewel. Every song, incredibly cohesive as a whole, traverses the beautifully lush sonic worlds her mind seemingly conjures up. That’s not to say the ten tracks that span Everybody Works are simple happenstances that fall together nicely; they definitely sound like labors of love. Rather her voice, certain of itself, transmits to the listener so powerfully, making sense out of all the disorder that comes with self-doubt and personal struggle. “Won’t forget to climb,” she sings on E.W’s. final track, “For Light,” beautifully steering the qualms of trying to make it in this world.

2. Nikolas Escudero - Synthesis 3. Haley Heynderickx - Unpeeled (Live) 4. Fleet Foxes - Crack-Up 5. Bedouine - Beduoine 6. Japanese Breakfast - Soft Sounds from Another Planet 7. Lomelda - Thx 8. Hand Habits - Wildly Idle (Humble Before the void) 9. Kevin Morby - City Music 10. Wednesday Campanella - Superman

Ethan Lee - Jazz Genre Director

1. Nick Hakim - Green Twins

Nick Hakim blurs the line between psychedelic, soul, funk, rock, and jazz with his debut album, Green Twins. With lush melodies to command his songs and a spacey approach to recording production, Hakim creates his own unique sound and challenges the notions and implications of a music genre.  With a brand of sound that emulates Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Hakim's soundscape fills in colorful textures with his diverse instrumentation on top of steady, pulse-like rhythms.  From spacey, reflective post-R&B rock songs like "Bet She Looks Like You" to jazzy, rhythmic pulses in "Miss Chew" and slow, soulful ballads like "Needy Bees," Green Twins has just about everything you need in a debut album from an artist as complex as Nick Hakim.

2. Tyler the Creator - Flower Boy 3. Kamasi Washington - Harmony of Difference 4. Rex Orange County - Apricot Princess 5. Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah - Diaspora 6. Moses Sumney - Aromanticism 7. Steve Lacy - Steve Lacy’s Demo 8. Brockhampton - Saturation II 9. Smino - blkswn 10. Antonio Sanchez - Bad Hombre

Mark Edmonds - Electronic Genre Director

1. Moon Boots - First Landing

First Landing is Moon Boots' debut album. Moon Boots manages a deep overtone with techy-melodies. 'Never Get to You' is a standout track that will light up any dance floor or pool party. 

2. Rezz - Mass Manipulation 3. Oliver - Full Circle 4. Various Artists - Anjunadeep Vol. 9 5. Illenium - Awake 6. Giraffage - Too Real 7. Four Tet - New Energy 8. Odesza - A Moment Apart 9. Cosmic Gate - Materia Chapter.Two 10. Bicep - Bicep

Beliz Urkmez - Electronic Genre Director

1. Lorde - Melodrama

For me, Lorde's music means emotion in its purest, most honest form. Her sophomore album, Melodrama, captures her youth, her growth, her path to becoming a woman of her own and loving herself and all the ephemeral experiences in between. Mastering her craft, Lorde finds a cohesion between her atmospheric synths, harmonies, beats and the bittersweet wisdom in her lyrics. Especially in "Liability," a beautiful piano-ballad where she sings, "I understand, I'm a liability/ Get you wild, make you leave/ I'm a little much for everyone." Lorde is truly one of a kind and Melodrama proves she is one of the best artists today.

2. Gorillaz - Humanz 3. London Grammar - Truth Is a Beautiful Thing 4. HAIM - Something to Tell You 5. Alexandra Savior - Belladonna of Sadness 6. Temples - Volcano 7. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds - Who Built the Moon? 8. Wolf Alice - Visions of a Life 9. Cigarettes After Sex - Cigarettes After Sex 10. Mura Masa - Mura Masa

Alex Ivanova - Folk/Singer-Songwriter Genre Director

1. Kiran Leonard - Derevaun Seraun

This is probably the most sonically beautiful album I’ve listened to in years. 22-year-old Kiran Leonard blends voice, piano, and string trio into an album with each movement representing a different piece of literature, seeing as the album was written to celebrate the re-opening of Manchester’s Central Library. The album is intensely personal, and raw, as Leonard’s voice is in the spotlight, accompanied by mournful accompaniment. I recommend this album endlessly.

2. The Spirit of the Beehive - pleasure suck 3. Jay Som - Everybody Works 4. Joan of Arc - He’s Got the Whole This Land Is Your Land in His Hands 5. Kindling - Hush 6. Синекдоха Монток - MMXVII (Parts 1 & 2) 7. Phoebe Bridgers - Stranger in the Alps 8. Sidney Gish - Ed Buys Houses 9. Tagubu & Klimperei - I Don't Remember The First Time  10. Nnamdi Ogbonnaya - DROOL

[junker-town]

The 2017 Life Championship tracker: Where is Butch Jones’ award this week?

We’ll track the made-up title belt’s movements all year. South Carolina took it from Tennessee in Week 1.

Who has the Champions of Life belt?

Nov. 21 to Nov. 27, 2016: Tennessee

Nov. 27 to Dec. 26, 2016: Vanderbilt

Dec. 26, 2016 to Sept. 2, 2017: NC State

Sept. 2, 2017 to current: South Carolina

Wait, what is the Champions of Life belt?

In 2016, Tennessee squandered a 5-0 start and wins over Florida and Georgia and lost the SEC East race to the Gators. But Vols coach Butch Jones emphasized the positives:

Jones on this senior class: "They’ve won the biggest championship – that’s the championship of life”

— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) November 21, 2016

Tennessee became the Champions of Life in that moment, period. (This was one of several goofy motivational statements by Jones.)

Unfortunately, Tennessee lost to Vanderbilt right after Jones’ comment. That means the Commodores took the Life Championship Belt away.

We made you something, @VandyFootball http://pic.twitter.com/Z6G5jiKpfV

— SB Nation CFB (@SBNationCFB) November 27, 2016

Then NC State beat Vanderbilt in their bowl game. That made the Wolfpack the Life Champions for a solid nine months heading into the 2017 season. But then, in Week 1, South Carolina beat NC State to take the belt for itself. Congrats, Gamecocks:

And that’s how we got here.

We’re going to track the movements of the Life Championship Belt all season long.

The rules are simple: If you beat the current Life Champ, you become the Life Champ. That gives the belt a chance to traverse the entire country in one season.

When’s the next Champions of Life title match?

South Carolina plays at Missouri on Sept. 9 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

Can Tennessee somehow get it back?

Tennessee plays the Gamecocks on Oct. 14. So if Will Muschamp’s team can win five more games to start 6-0, the Vols will get a chance to win this thing back as soon as Week 7. A chance to become the first-ever two-time Champions of Life champ is awfully tantalizing.

[stormyrecords-blog]

new arrivals 3-1-17

stormy records13306 michigan avedearborn, mi 48126 313-581-9322 hello friends of stormy!!great used jazz lps in this week - django, herbie, miles, and a bunch of meat and potatoes rock and roll, with added dashes of experimental and sound effects lps. moog, kodak - it's bee a good week for interesting used lps!! in TODAY Goblin - Profondo Rosso (LP)  $32.99Goblin - Suspiria (LP)  $32.99Goblin - Tenebre (LP) $32.99goblin soundtracks for horror films back in stock!! always a spine tingling listen!! Coil - Astral Disaster (LP)  $26.99In 1998, Coil were invited to record at Sun Dial’s studios beneath the London Bridge Hop Exchange—a studio originally know as Samurai Studios, originally built and owned by Iron Maiden. The premises in Victorian times was an old debtors prison which had three underground levels, and still had the original chains, manacles and wrought iron doors from the old prison. This caught the attention of John Balance, who was very keen to record there. Coil spent a number of days recording at the studio during Halloween 1998. With Gary Ramon’s help, they developed a number of tracks, some of which resulted in this LP. Ramon produced and mixed the Astral Disaster recordings, as well as playing guitar and sitar on these sessions. A version of the album was later remixed by the band and released on their own label—but the Prescription mixes as released in 1999 are unique. This rare album was part of the legendary subscription-only Prescription label album series in the late 1990’s, issued in an edition of 99 signed and numbered copies, long since sold out. (If you are wondering, originals fetch £700+). This is the first time the album is being released officially since 1999. Taken from the original masters, this reissue comes with original sleeve artwork, insert, and the facsimile signatures of John Balance and Peter Christopherson that came with the first issue. Yellow vinyl limited edition of possibly the rarest of all Coil recordingsRecorded in 1998 at Sun Dial studios, in the bowels of a Victorian era debtor’s prison Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (2xLP)  $44.99Fire Walk With Me is an altogether more brooding affair than the Twin Peaks series soundtrack. Badalamenti won a grammy for the title track of this LP and it’s not hard to see why- it’s dangerous, and bursting with smokey jazz thanks to Jimmy Scott. We went back to the master tapes in the Warner Archives and had this recut to fit across two LPs as the score clocks in at 51 minutes. It sounds incredible and punchy, but super nuanced too.Director approved artworkComposer approved audioSleeve notes by film critic Mark Kermode (approved by David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti)Vinyl re-master by Tal Miller at Warner ArchivesLaquers cut by David Cheppa at Plush Vinyl2 × 180G Cherry Pie vinyl425gsm Gatefold sleeve housed inside a bespoke black die cut outer jacket with black spot varnish finish, complete with obi strip Angelo Badalamenti - Twin Peaks (Original Soundtrack) (LP) - 2nd Pressing  $32.99“I’m glad that after 25 years, Death Waltz Recording Company has re-released the original soundtrack for Twin Peaks for a new audience to enjoy. This is my defining work as a composer and I’m happy it will get a fresh listen” – Angelo Badalamenti 2016 Hayes McMullan - Every Day Seem Like Murder Here (LP)  $31.99Bluesman. Sharecropper. Church deacon. Civil Rights activist. Hayes McMullan should be a name on every Blues aficionados’ short-list and thanks to the preservation fieldwork carried out by one of the genre’s greatest researchers some 50 years ago – it might soon be. Born in 1902, Hayes McMullan was discovered by the renowned American roots scholar, collector and documentarian Gayle Dean Wardlow. Wardlow, author of the seminal blues anthology Chasin’ That Devil Music – Searching for the Blues, may be most famous for uncovering Robert Johnson’s death certificate in 1968, finally revealing clues to the bluesman’s mysterious and much disputed demise. Moreover, in his tireless and committed mission to preserve the Blues for future generations, he captured McMullan’s raw talent on tape and on paper. Wardlow recorded these sessions, transcribed the songs and now, writes the sleeve-notes for this landmark release. Wardlow and McMullan met by chance on one of the former’s record-hunting trips, in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi, in 1967. Having introduced himself to McMullan on a hunch, it turned out this unassuming elderly man had not only heard of Wardlow’s idol, Charley Patton, but had played alongside him in the 1920s, as part of a brief musical journey that took him from the plantation to the open roads and juke joints of the Depression-era South. Striking up a friendship that was deemed unorthodox in 1960’s Mississippi, Wardlow traveled to McMullan’s sharecropper’s shack and convinced him to play guitar for the first time since he quit the Blues for the Church in the 30’s. “Hayes was playing like no one I had ever heard,” Wardlow writes with amazement. Wardlow visited McMullan on a handful of occasions, always taking his recorder, a guitar and some whiskey with him. It was during these visits that Wardlow captured – with surprising clarity – the songs that make up Everyday Seem Like Murder Here. Hayes McMullan passed away at the age of 84 in 1986, his talent and legacy largely unknown. “Reflecting now on our brief time together, I marvel at the small glimpse of something much larger I was lucky to have captured,” writes Wardlow. “The few old snapshots I took, the handful of tunes we recorded, and his brilliant performance of “Hurry Sundown” captured on film are all that’s left of the musical legacy of Hayes McMullan, sharecropper, deacon, and—unbeknownst to so many for so long—reluctant bluesman.” Konami Kukeiha Club - Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest OST (LP)  $27.99Mondo is proud to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Castlevania franchise with the premiere vinyl release of the original soundtrack to the 1987 Famicom / Nintendo Entertainment System sequel: Simon’s Quest. Featuring both the NES and FAMICOM versions of all 9 BMG tracks from the game. Musically, Simon’s Quest is the origin of one of the most popular of Castlevania BMG, “Bloody Tears.” A staple of the sonic landscape for the series, here it is as the soundtrack to your daylight encounters across the dangerous Transylvanian landscape. It is one of the catchiest 8-Bit tunes to ever come out of this era of Konami games and an example of the best of what Video Game Music has to offer. IN ON THURSDAY RUSSELL, ARTHURInstrumentals 2LP  $34.99"Remastered double LP with 12 page booklet including liner notes by Tim Lawrence, Ernie Brooks and Arthur Russell. All material previously released on the Audika CD compilation First Thought Best Thought (2006). Before disco, and before the transcendent echoes, Arthur wanted to be a composer. His journey began in 1972, leaving home in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Heading west to Northern California, Arthur studied Indian classical composition at the Ali Akbar Khan College of Music followed by western orchestral music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, before ending two years later in New York at the Manhattan School of Music. Traversing the popular and the serious, Arthur composed Instrumentals in 1974, inspired by the photography of his Buddhist teacher, Yuko Nonomura, as Arthur described, 'I was awakened, or re-awakened to the bright-sound and magical qualities of the bubblegum and easy-listening currents in American popular music.' Initially intended to be performed in one 48 hour cycle, Instrumentals was in fact only performed in excerpts a handful of times as a work in progress. The legendary performances captured live in New York at The Kitchen (1975 and 1978) and Franklin St. Arts Center (1977) feature the cream of that eras downtown new music scene including Ernie Brooks, Rhys Chatham, Julius Eastman, Jon Gibson, Peter Gordon, Garrett List, Andy Paley, Bill Ruyle, Dave Van Tieghem, and Peter Zummo. Pitchfork lauded Instrumentals Vol. 1 as a masterpiece and one of Arthur's 'greatest achievements'. Americana touching on Copeland, Ives, and maybe even Brian Wilson. Instrumentals Vol. 2 is a moving, deeply pastoral work performed by the CETA Orchestra and conducted by Julius Eastman. Also included are two of Arthur's most elusive compositions, 'Reach One', and 'Sketch For Face Of Helen'. Recorded live in 1975 at Phill Niblock's Experimental Intermedia Foundation, 'Reach One' is a minimal, hypnotic ambient soundscape written and performed for two Fender Rhodes pianos. 'Sketch For Face Of Helen' was inspired by Arthur's work with friend and composer Arnold Dreyblatt, recorded with an electronic tone generator, keyboard and ambient recordings of a rumbling tugboat from the Hudson River. For this remastered vinyl edition, a key part of Arthur's musical life has been restored. The sparkling, multidimensional results take the listener closer to Arthur's coast-to-coast journey: his iconoclastic determination to combine pop and art music; and his desire to make music that would resonate in the present and, ultimately, across time." BROTZMANN/VAN HOVE/BENNINK PLUS ALBERT MANGELSDORFFElements LP   $34.99Peter Brötzmann: tenor saxophone; Fred Van Hove: piano; Han Bennink: drums, voice; Albert Mangelsdorff: trombone. Recorded during the Free Music Market, August 27 and 28, 1971, in Berlin. Designed by Peter Brötzmann. Part of the legendary "Berlin Trilogy" originally released by FMP in 1971 (FMP 0030). 180-gram vinyl. One-time pressing of 500. First standalone reissue. "What reveals itself in the über energetics on display here is the ability of one quartet to take so much for granted and yet express so much in the process. Van Hove, for instance, shuns all conventions in his approach to the piano: he quotes Liszt and Schubert as well as Ellington and Peterson then wipes all of them out with his elbows as if erasing a chalkboard. His 'Florence Nightingale' is a perfect example. Texturally, he creates diversions from the fury while never disengaging from it. Brötzmann and Mangelsdorff are out and out challenging each other to see who can destroy their instruments first, and Han Bennick is the most proactive percussionist in jazz history. His use of anything and everything while simultaneously playing a trap kit that creates time is astonishing. Elsewhere, on Brötzmann's 'Elements,' African percussion and slow, long opened tonal drones by Mangelsdorff create a backdrop for the other two to explore without rushing in. Brötzmann enters almost tenderly, looking for a room to exit out of, but engaging himself in the microtonalities created by the rhythm section. Van Hove's long augmented chords create a mode for not opening but splintering that exit and Brötzmann ushers the band through in a hurry heading for the outer reaches of the possible. . . . one of the best documents of the period on any continent." --Thom Jurek, AllMusic, 1991 BROTZMANN/VAN HOVE/BENNINK PLUS ALBERT MANGELSDORFFCouscouss de la Mauresque  $34.99Peter Brötzmann: tenor saxophone; Fred Van Hove: piano; Han Bennink: drums, voice; Albert Mangelsdorff: trombone. Recorded during the Free Music Market, August 27 and 28, 1971, in Berlin. Designed by Peter Brötzmann. Part of the legendary "Berlin Trilogy" originally released by FMP in 1971 (FMP 0040). 180-gram vinyl. One-time pressing of 500. First standalone reissue. "Brötzmann's regular trio was joined by the trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff, one of the most respected German jazz musicians, who has managed to keep abreast of musical developments for more than a decade. Those who remember him only for those fine early-sixties albums (like Tension, on German CBS) will be in for a shock, because he's updated his playing all the way. On 'Couscouss De La Mauresque', for instance, his tonal distortions rival those of Paul Rutherford, as he backs Brötzmann's wailing with a rip-snorting obligato. He has the advantage of being a virtuous technician, so that some of his wilder flights are truly breathtaking. . . . Mangelsdorff's technique doesn't hinder his fire, either, and he's well able to stand up to the rest of this very hairy band. Van Hove and Bennink obviously know each other inside out by now, and you'll hear few more exciting passages of music than their interlude during the trombonist's solo on 'Couscouss'. Bennink is getting further into textures every day, and on this album makes great play with his steel-drum and many unidentifiable implements, thus giving the music a great deal of variety. If you wanted to buy just one of these records, it would be very hard to choose because the level is so high throughout." --Richard Williams, Melody Maker, February 5, 1972 BROTZMANN/VAN HOVE/BENNINK PLUS ALBERT MANGELSDORFFThe End  $34.99Peter Brötzmann: tenor saxophone; Fred Van Hove: piano; Han Bennink: drums, voice; Albert Mangelsdorff: trombone. Recorded during the Free Music Market, August 27 and 28, 1971, in Berlin. Designed by Peter Brötzmann. Part of the legendary "Berlin Trilogy" originally released by FMP in 1971 (FMP 0050). 180-gram vinyl. One-time pressing of 500. First standalone reissue. "The great thing about this trilogy/set is how naturally everything flows. . . . each subdividing of the group, each solo excursion, feels smooth and logical, as though the player(s) in question had nodded to the others as if to say 'Gimme a minute here, I've got an idea,' and received assent in response. There's all the ferocity any free jazz diehard could ask for, but it never goes on so long that it becomes schtick, and it's always countered by passages that are genuinely beautiful in the most conventional, you-could-play-this-for-your-mom sense. Even without Mangelsdorff, Brötzmann, Van Hove and Bennink were a remarkably empathetic and attuned team, and when he joined them (and these records document their second and third times playing together, ever), everyone's game was raised." --Phil Freeman, Burning Ambulance, 2013 Dominatrix: Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight LP $19.992017 edition. "The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight has a long and storied history among connoisseurs of '80s New York dance music. Combining catchy, deadpan synth-pop and classic '80s electro hallmarks with the provocative edge of leather-and-lace sex culture, it remains a worldwide dancefloor staple to this day. Despite its popularity, little has been known about the song's background. The brainchild of producer Stuart Argabright (nee Arbright, a member of the groups Ike Yard and Death Comet Crew); alongside DJ and remixer Ivan Ivan; Kenneth Lockie (from Cowboys International, and early Death Comet Crew); and vocalist Claudia Summers; the song's dominating female subject was based on a person whom Arbright had dated. The song -- and a banned-by-MTV video that today could be mistaken for a Victoria's Secret commercial -- became a club smash at famed Danceteria and other urban meccas. But, despite some leather-clad live dates in 1984, the group itself was short-lived. This special Get On Down vinyl edition is sure to be coveted by fans and collectors. Beyond four original mixes of the song (12", Chants, Dominant and Beat Me) that fans know and love -- this full-length LP includes the newly unearthed song 'Play It Safe' and the rarely heard, hypnotic 'City That Never Sleeps,' in addition to the rare 1984 'Scratch Mix' of the original title song, with cuts by the legendary DJ Red Alert. The deluxe vinyl package is accompanied by a 16-page glossy booklet with text by writer Dave Tompkins and input from Argabright and Ivan Ivan. Additionally, fans will be thrilled into submission by visuals and press clips relating to the original release on Arthur Baker's Street Wise Records; the song's provocative video; as well as the dominatrix culture in New York City at the time which inspired this unlikely smash hit." Moondog: Viking Of Sixth 2LP $26.992017 repress, originally released in 2005. Tremendous gatefold presentation and one of HJR's most impressive documents to date. "The first overview of Moondog's amazing artistic life -- including recordings spanning from 1949 till 1995, with numerous 78s and various other vanished records revived for the first time (not to mention a couple of Weegee photographs!)." JULIE'S HAIRCUTInvocation And Ritual Dance Of My Demon Twin   $18.99Julie's Haircut - Italy's premiere psychedelic explorers - create a deep-end approach to sonic innovation on Invocation And Ritual Dance Of My Demon Twin, their debut release for Rocket Recordings. Seven albums into their mission, the band find themselves at a new plateau of small-hours elucidation and revelation that may summon the specters of the wayward squall of early Mercury Rev, the shamanic allure of Dead Skeletons, the freedom of Miles Davis, the repetition of Can, or the wild soundscapes of Amon Düül II to some, yet essentially sound like no one but themselves. The result is a record built on trance-like repetitions that grows to a mantric intensity, summoning atmospheres redolent of the psychic and surreal transgressions of its title - a double-helix tribute to both Frank Zappa and Kenneth Anger. Coruscating guitar overload and jazz-tinged blow-out collide amidst hypnotic soundscapes like the shamanically inclined "The Fire Sermon" and the eleven-minute motorik magnificence of the curtain-raiser, "Zukunft". Atmospheric restraint, glacial texture, and immersive groove play as large a part in this blinding and beatific sound world as droning darkness or overheated amp tubes. Lucier, A: Music On Long Thin Wire CD $14.991992 release. First released on Lovely Music in 1980. A 50-foot length of taut wire passes through the poles of a large magnet and is driven by an oscillator; the vibrations of the wire are miked at either end, amplified, and broadcast in stereo. The thin wire is set vibrating four times at four different frequencies; what results is not the low drone one might expect from a long, vibrating wire, but a complexity of evocative, ethereal chords. Music On A Long Thin Wire is a classic example of Alvin Lucier's investigations into the physics of sound and the sonic properties of natural processes. CHRISTIANSEN, HENNING  $29.99Opus 67 Strategygetarts A Symphony, Hommage A Richard Demarco LPOpus 67 Strategygetarts A Symphony, Hommage Á Richard Demarco is a previously unissued recording by Henning Christiansen from 1971. In 1970, the Richard Demarco Gallery in collaboration with the Kunsthalle Düsseldorf organized the exhibition, Strategy: Get Arts. This celebration of art from Düsseldorf was held at the Edinburgh College of Art during the Edinburgh International Festival. The title of the exhibition was a palindrome created by André Thomkins and featured works by Joseph Beuys, Claus Böhmler, George Brecht, Henning Christiansen, Robert Filliou, Dorothy Iannone, Mauricio Kagel, and Dieter Roth amongst others. Opus 67 Strategygetarts A Symphony, Hommage Á Richard Demarco was sent to Richard Demarco as a gift following the exhibition. Having returned to Denmark, Christiansen, along with sound technician Peter Sakse, created Strategygetarts, a sound collage incorporating field recordings from urban spaces, supermarkets, a boxing game, etc. The sole "musical" element is a piano motif which repeatedly punctuates the recordings. The first side moves forwards, the flip back. A reverse groove will set you straight. Opus 67 Strategygetarts A Symphony, Hommage Á Richard Demarco comes in a high-gloss sleeve, featuring two original artworks by Henning Christiansen; Edition of 500.