#(It's sound NOT real music but if possible to add musical instruments then it is at once.)

[luck-13]

MUSIC STREAMING (eg. SoundCloud, Spotify): usage of applications & sites (the work of machines, not even search results) use a lot of water as well. Because of global use of such services, machines are piping hot and ought to be cooled down. (This together with chat bots was what I'd known before this post.)

Important from comments: Google's results use AI as well. What to do?

(Text version of the screenshot):

wrenfea is there no way to turn it off for google searches? I have to use google for work

brightmoontrigon @wrenfea you can add the &udm=14 URL parameter to google searches to remove the AI overview and ad results. udm14.com is one way to do it easily, but you can also do it manually

Y'all I know that when so-called AI generates ridiculous results it's hilarious and I find it as funny as the next guy but I NEED y'all to remember that every single time an AI answer is generated it uses 5x as much energy as a conventional websearch and burns through 10 ml of water. FOR EVERY ANSWER. Each big llm is equal to 300,000 kiligrams of carbon dioxide emissions.

LLMs are killing the environment, and when we generate answers for the lolz we're still contributing to it.

Stop using it. Stop using it for a.n.y.t.h.i.n.g. We need to kill it.

Sources:

[rowanwritestoomuch]

How to Make a Playlist for Your WIP

Do you just desperately want your brain to rot about your characters? Do you want to feel inspired lyrically toward growing plot points? Do you need to input auditory stimulation while you write? Don't you just want to go apeshit about your wip?

But every time you make a playlist for your project, it's got 10 songs you eventually get sick of and the vibes are all over the place? Or is it too aesthetic to improve your process and flow? Do you have a hard time considering even what genre of music would fit the tropes and themes you are playing with in your current work?

Well, do I have some tips for you, motherfucker.

Make sure you set aside some time to do this because it's going to take all day.

Let's go ahead and start by doing the usual thing; add every song that rots your mind about your characters to your playlist, right now. Good, that's a baseline. Now, click on each of those artists, and listen to their entire discography--- or just the first ten songs. I have found consistency in the voices I'm hearing can really improve my immersion in juxtaposition to a playlist that only features a single song from each artist, which can be jarring in my ears. By adding these songs to your list sequentially, you can listen to blocks of sounds or moods without reorganizing your list excessively. Alternatively, this can give your shuffle a greater variety, because songs from the same artist will be cast all over the list instead of grouping up on accident. If you find the song you're hearing is an outlier within the artists music after listening to a few tracks, it's okay to move on from that vibe. Don't add things that don't fit the vibe just because it's a new song that you like, remember to only toss those in your general library. We are creating an atmosphere here, people.

Our next stop is going to be some character building, which will help you overall, so don't skip it. Consider for a moment-- what is your character's favorite song? (Or if your canon exists outside our current world, what would their favorite song be if they were sitting next to you right now?) Add that to the list, listen to other songs in the same genre or discography, and add songs you think they would like. These Do not have to be songs that fit the themes of your story-- such as, if you are writing a grimdark, but your character loves Britney Spears, add Toxic to your playlist. Give your character as vivid and real of intersts as your own.

If you are existing in a fantasy-based timeline, consider what kind of instruments your fantasy world would contain, and find the most niche tracks you possibly can using those intruments. Find out what sounds you like and what sounds you don't, and move forward from there. Listen to classical, listen to death metal, listen to pop, listen to synth, listen to folk, all using the instruments of your world. When you find sounds that fit into the place you are creating, add those tracks until you feel a genre is forming. This can be lyrical or non-lyrical, don't confine yourself. Immersion is so important, and the sounds of the world in which your character lives should be as real and vivid to you as the world around you. Because in that moment when you think 'huh, they should really have some sensory input right now.' You will be hearing what sounds they would hear in the distant public places, the elevator noise, the market sounds, the stillness of night, the bright waking of morning, and in all those places, there is music. Let them hear it.

Now, if you are existing in an earth-based timeline, you can do something extra cool with the advice above--- listen to music that your character would have listened to growing up. For example, I was born in the 90s, but my main character grew up between 1975-1990, that would have been the era of their childhood and teenage experience. And what is more important to kids than music, I mean, c'mon, we were all teens with a favorite (and least favorite song). Listen to songs of the time in genres you think your character would enjoy, and add ones you think they would want to hear on the radio or own a hardcopy of to your list. Don't add the ones you think they'd hate (unless it helps you), but do consider, would they hate this song? And why? For extra depth.

Think about their life. What song played at their wedding? What song was chosen for their class prom? What song did they sing at Summer Camp? What would they choose at Karaoke when they are sober? Which song would they choose when they're drunk? Which song do they want to hear during a break-up, what makes them want to dance? Do they like lyrical or instramental, can they play music or sing themselves? Are they bad at it? How do other people feel about their tastes? Do this for every character that's important to you. It'll help.

If you are writing inside your own culture, do make sure to include some of those tracks on your list--- things you may have heard at the supermarket growing up, or while walking down the street, in your grandma's kitchen, or something your character may reflect on fondly. If you are writing outside your culture, I have a single all encompassing tip that will help you far beyond playlists---

Research. Research to avoid stereotypes. Do not confine your characters within stereotypes, but do search for niches, inside jokes, cultural booms, impactful tracks and oft-referenced lyrics. Do this by asking questions. One thing I gleened immensely from Stephen King's On Writing is that he asked a lot of questions; do not rely on ChatGPT or Google to be your only source. Go to the Library, go to your neighbor, ask a stranger, post out polls on forums. Ask questions. The best way to be sensitive and immersed is to respect the experiences of the people around us. We do not need to water down or sanitize their experiences for our own comfort or with insecurity-- you will not fail your characters or your readers if you include the experiences of real people around you. The goal is to reflect that spark of life with accuracy and grace in your writing. You create multidimensional characters by sowing in bits and pieces of depth that you've gained through careful listening. To be a writer is to be a reader of the world around you. Only you can prevent flat characters, so don't be afraid to ask questions.

Now that you've done your research, add all that stuff to your playlist.

Let's look at your characters again; what do their voices sound like? Consider adding songs by artists that really sound like your character, especially if they have the same mood or feeling you are going for, but sometimes even not. If you can hear the voice of your work inside the song, it'll be useful. Some people have deep and graveled voices, some are light and airy, and the way they sound can affect speech patterns and how the people in the world around them percieve the things they say. This extra level of introspection can develop a character further than you would ever imagine. Give it a try. Writing an old man? Listen to Willie Nelson. Go on. Listen to Willie.

OKAY--- It's getting pretty chunky now, isn't it? I have one more thing for your to keep in mind;

Avoid pre-made playlists by others. These can often be surface level and I find myself wondering if my playlist is 'good enough' or has the right 'aesthetic' after listening to alot of these mood playlists on youtube. That isn't what matters. What matters is that you get in the zone. What matters is your characters. What matters is the flow, the vibe, the feeling, the mind-numbing waking hallucinations that bring life to the page, the mood. What matters is you and getting it on the page.

Always remember, write because it hurts if you don't.

til next time

[cadere-art]

What’s one food/drink in your world that sounds amazing

Do they have any musical instruments, if so is it based off of any really world stuff?

Tahen cultures have all sorts of taboo around fire. This is taken to an extreme in Ranai, where open fires are completely forbidden and one must own a special permit to tend a cooking fire. As a result, Ranai cuisine is renowned for it's wealth of raw, pickled, and otherwise marinated foods. Bcause Ranai's territory is an archipelago where fish and seafood is the main source of protein, makwa, acid-cooked fish akin to our world's ceviche, is a staple. Real-life ceviche being delicious, it is only logical that fictional ceviche would also be*.

Bird-fish makwa is an ancient traditional meal of the archipelago. It has three main ingredients: gruel of uciwici, an oat-like, distinctively purple grain rich in anthocyanins, dried and salted kelp, and shrimp and crustacean meat marinated in sumac vinegar. Eggs, herbs, and tart fruits are sometimes added as toppings. Bird-fish makwa most salient tastes are tartness from the sumac vinegar with salt and umami from the seafood and kelp, on a base note of mild and nutty sweetness reminiscient of brown rice from the mashed uciwici. The name of this recipe is a mistranslation of the meal's name from Wetki to Ranaite Tahen.

Jimeleu makwa is a classic ceviche which puportedly originates from the town of Jimeleu, where the soils and climate are conducive to the growth of citrus trees. Jimeleu ceviche consists of diced white fish acid-cooked in lime juice with horseradish, white beans, and cold-cooked uciwici grains. The marinade is usually clear, with a green tinge from the lime and horseradish. Common variants add cold fish broth or cream of green peas to water the ceviche into a soup. Jimeleu makwa is sour and spicy, and variants with cream of green peas have a distinctive sweetness.

Cici-Uli makwa is reminiscient of tataki or carpaccio. A large, white-meat fish is cut into filets which are marinated in a mixture of sumac vinegar, oil, and seasonings (including, but not limited to, salt, horseradish, and tart fruits akin to pincherries). The marinated filet is then cut into very thin slices and served with crunchy seeds and sliced sweet onion. Only the external edge of the fish has cooked: the main flavor of Cici-Uli makwa is that of the raw fish itself. This type of makwa requires very fresh fish.

*Note that I have not tried to make these The Most Palatable Possible - especially the first one!

---

The answer to the second question is a bit less interesting. In short: yes, they do have music instruments! However, I am profoundly not musically inclined and this (as well as sports) is a thing where I show my biases as an individual: I have done roughly 0 musical worldbuilding, and it is unlikely that I will ever do more than the bare minimum (when I remember that the world should, to feel alive, have some music). About Ranaites, I can say that they have a variety of instruments, especially winds and percussions. Bamboo is an important material for their woodwinds and percussion instruments. A large shell is used as a traditional wind instrument. I imagine they have some sort of relatively simple string instrument, and a slightly more complex one with better acoustic imported by members of the Oumdashen diaspora. Ranaites have inherited a taste for passive music such as windchimes from the archipelago's original inhabitants, the Wetki. Shell windchimes are a popular fixture of gardens throughout the archipelago.

[poppitron360]

i love epic too! and i think ur super smart so can you share any cool things that you noticed/learned about it?

So I think my favourite song in Epic in terms of the composition is probably Scylla.

Btw this analysis barely scratches the surface of the composition/production of this song alone. I could talk for hours about this.

Also if I use any words you don’t understand, please please please ask me to elaborate and explain further (please). I tried my best to make it as easy to follow as possible but I grew up around this stuff so I tend to under-explain things and assume everyone knows what I’m talking about.

Most of the time when you’re recording vocals, you record the singer singing the melody two or three times (this is called double-tracking, and it makes the voice sound richer and better) and then you record the harmonies in the same fashion.

But with Scylla, they just recorded the singer singing the melody a bunch of times, and then pitch-shifted some of it to the harmonic note. When using any kind of DAW (Digital Audio Workspace (Sidenote but from what I can tell from the vids, Jay uses GarageBand, which I believe is free for most devices)), manipulating a note- changing the tempo, or in this case, changing the pitch- of a naturally-recorded instrument like a singing voice will make it sound really artificial.

(I love this because it’s clear that Jorge doesn’t have the best equipment and he’s using it to his advantage. Something recorded on a crappy four-track tape recorder in your bedroom can sound so much cooler than something recorded at Real World Studios or Abbey Road with the world’s best recording equipment- but only if you know what you’re doing.)

Also, in the context of Epic, the more synthetic, artificial, and electronic sounds are reserved for the mythical characters- the gods and monsters.

Taking a quick re-listen to Scylla’s song, I’ve noticed she’s harmonising on the 3rd and 5th of the note (now, I don’t have perfect pitch (which is when you can tell what note it is just by ear) so I could be wrong).

This is a very simplified explanation, but basically any key has a scale, and most chords are comprised of the root (the first 1st note in the scale) the 3rd note, and the 5th note. You can add or take away extra notes to make it ✨sparklier✨.

So she’s harmonising on the 3rd and the 5th, and her harmonies are mostly moving in parallel motion (in the same way) with the melody. This gives a clean, sweet, consonant feel. (Consonant= not dissonant. Dissonant= “smushy”)

Most of the melody is conjunct (moving in steps- no big leaps) and also descending, like you’re falling down in steps with her. Then, at the end of each line rising back up again.

Except for “Deep down” which is disjunct (big leap), moving downwards. You are plunging into the depths.

This has a chilling simplicity to it. And the fact that it’s repeated over and over and over again makes it almost sickening. I love it.

What I love about this is the duality of simple, beautiful elements, and dark, haunting elements.

So! You have the combination of:

The main vocal melody being sung by a natural voice- imo showing how Scylla was once a beautiful nymph

The harmonies being sung by a pitch-shifted voice, giving it a strange, creepy, artificial, “mythical” sound to it- as established by the other uses of electronic instruments in Epic to show myth

Consonant harmonising on the notes of the chord, which is something we are trained to hear in music and feels very “right” and “natural”

The parallel motion of the harmonies, which give a simple feeling- you’re not being sent out in loads of directions. You’re falling down with her.

The descending nature of the melody taking you “deep down”, then rising back up.

The continuous repetition of this simple melody line

The fact that it’s sung in a minor (sad) key

Ultimately these two factors create a stark contrast- a juxtaposition- which creates a super cool and bone-chilling effect. The only thing I can relate it to is something akin to a creepy children’s nursery rhyme from a horror movie. It’s unlike any other song in Epic just because of how twisted it feels. This beautiful, creepy song being played as you hear Ody’s men screaming as she slaughters them

(While we’re on the topic of the screams, in music production there is this thing called “panning” which (if you’re listening in stereo and not mono) controls how much to the left or right the sound is coming from. This is why I love to listen to Epic, specifically this song, on headphones, because you can hear the men being gruesomely killed all around you.)

Also “Drown in your sorrow and fears/choke on your blood and your tears/bleed ‘til you’ve run out of years” is just a mood and a half (there’s a whole other post I could write for the literary analytics of the lyrics- how she uses imperative verbs. It’s a command. It’s an instruction.)

And so when Odysseus joins in with Scylla singing “We are the same you and I…” it really hits home just how much of a monster he’s become- how unfeeling he was when he sacrificed his men. This is so subtle but in my opinion it’s what really turns him. Jorge is using all of these contrasting techniques to make Scylla seem horrific and creepy as fuck, and Ody is empathising with her. He is relating to her. I just… *shivers* wow.

[sweetmariihs2]

I MADE A 🎊FEAST OF FOOLS🎊 INSPIRED PLAYLIST!!

Lmao I don't get nothing to do this. But I think it's fun and I love to share the crazy stuff I make.

I don't know what happened to me, I just decided that I wanted to make an "ambient" playlist inspired by the scene of the Festival Of Fools (tm) in The Hunchback Of Notre Dame. I think it happened when I was practicing my habit of searching for similatiries between my hyperfocuses and the songs I like, and it had enough potential to make a playlist about it. And since Spotify doesn't allows me to add little notes to each one of songs in the playlist, I'M GONNA MAKE THIS HERE ON TUMBLR, BECAUSE I NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT

I would also like to point out that the songs are put in order of the events during the whole scene. From the moment Quasimodo arrives at the festival, the party and parade itself, Esmeralda's dance, Quasimodo's humiliation, Esmeralda's "justice" discourse and running from Frollo's guards. Yes I have songs for each one of this events in order that match the lyrics and sometimes even the instrumentals :)

These parts are like, "divided in sections". Idk how to explain it to you, but I do this often, it's like "part 1 of the playlist, followed by the part two, then part three..." it's like dividing the playlist in acts yk

And I thought it was better if I came here to explain each one of the songs instead of just waiting for someone to find the playlist somewhere and discover by themselves

So let me explain the reason why each one of these songs were added in that playlist, specifically (yes i'm autistic how did you found out)

First section of the playlist - Start of the Feast Of Fools!!🎊🎉

That's where I put the "start" of the festival. The court of miracles is included because let's be honest Clopin eats it up every time, and this song has such a strong Topsy Turvy vibe too.

Feast Of Fools - When Quasimodo arrived.

Topsy Turvy- The start of the festival itself.

Court Of Miracles - Because it makes sense, our party goes on

Second section of the playlist - The festival!

I was really excited to talk about this one, Cure For Me it's so Feast Of Fools/Clopin coded idc

Cure For Me - It's a song about self acceptance, being proud of who you are - despite having hateful people out there, it's not your fault, their hearts are bitter, yours shouldn't get too (which really reminds me of the whole topic of the movie, Quasimodo, Esmeralda...) That's the meaning! Now, the visuals and instrumentals just give those jester vibes. I feel like a clown in the best way possible. You should totally search for the visuals, like the music video or just the photoshoot! Aurora (the singer) dresses and dances like a jester, along with misterious masked figures. It just feels like a party in Venice. As you can see, there's two versions of Cure For Me; the first one is the studio one, the second one is acoustic. I decided to add the acoustic because it's inspired by brazillian's bossa nova, it has a choir of people singing, played by real instrumentals, it just sounds more like... someone singing in the streets. I like both versions!

I've Got A Dream - THAT'S SO COURT OF MIRACLES CODED I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO SAY IT JUST IS. All those dangerous people reunited and threatening the protagonists of death while singing an upbeat song and showing that deep down they're not so bad just makes perfect sense. (Lmao we're really finding a lot of similarities between HOND and Tangled aren't we?)

Kingdom Dance + Kingdom Celebration - I don't even need to explain but I will for the minority of people who don't get this one. It's the song that plays in Rapunzel's village during a festival, they dance and have fun, and the second song is a similar song that plays at the end of the movie. It was also made by Disney, which makes it better.

Third section of the playlist - The party continues!! They're for immersion lmao

These are a bunch of circus/medieval festival songs I choose to add a bit more of "realism". I didn't just added them randomly, I searched for medieval songs, medieval festival songs, circus music, VINTAGE CIRCUS MUSIC WITHOUT MAKING IT HORROR AND SCARY (it's rare but happens every time lmao), and even inside those playlist, not all of them made up to get here.

I made this part just in case you wanna pretend you're inside the festival bc I know how it feels to enjoy daydreaming and being delulu, I know I know

Fourth section of the playlist - Esmeralda's dance!

Actually not all of these songs are part of the Esmeralda's dance section. I know *the crowd starts to boo

I just feel like they're not really part of the last section. So I'm gonna explain why did I put them in the playlist:

Some Type Of Skin: Aurora often sings about being a sensitive person and wishing the world was kinder, this song is not different. I can't explain exactly why this song reminds me of HOND, there's something in the quotes "however much it feels to bleed, it's only temporary", "we're good people and we both deserve peace" and the happy instrumental that just makes me want to dance and wish for a better world with her. To be honest, it kinda reminds me of Esmeralda! But Idk. It's a bit unrelated, I just wanted an excuse to add this to a HOND playlist. Let's pretend it's just part of the festival.

Giving In To The Love - Once again, this song is about hoping for a better world. BUT, IN THIS CASE, the context and lyrics are a bit different. I already spoke about this in other post I made, but the main topic of this album is how radical religious people sometimes harm more than they help. That post is great, the songs are amazing and they fit so well in the context of HOND, BUT, I'm just focusing on this playlist this time. This song I'm talking about has quotes like "I'm tired of the rules and your corrections... (self-explanatory) I want to live my life, be all of it's pages... (try things, love without being considered sinning, stuff like that) And underline that I am not an angel... (I'm not 100% pure, I'm a human) 'Cause if I'm not pure, I guess that I'm too much! I never know how to keep in, keep in touch... (self-explanatory) If I'll be somebody, I'll never let my skin decide it for me; I never had the world so why change for it? [...] ...Giving Into The Love." The music video is Aurora in a garden with statues that sometimes portray hateful and painful moments, like someone separating a gay couple, for example. At the end of the song the statues come alive and learn that loving, talking, making friends is better than being hateful. They all then go to take a swim in the lake. Yay! That was also a song I just wanted to fit in here. Let's pretend it's also part of the festival, it won't hurt a single fly

NOW THE TIME WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR:

Rythm Of The Tambourine - That's an extra song added in the Hunchback Of Notre Dame musical. The people involved wrote these songs inspired by the ones in the movie, they added new original tracks AND OFFICIAL DELETED DISNEY HOND SONGS to the musical. That's an original track, and it's an extended version of Esmeralda's dance during the song Topsy Turvy, she sings here, and it lasts more. There's like Quasi's, Frollo's and Phoebus' reactions to Esmeralda's dance. It's a musical after all, so... and it's really good!

Artemis - It's one of Aurora's songs again! I never quite understood the meaning of this song though. The song is about the goddess Artemis, and it has a sexy and somehow dangerous and threatening tone to it. She sings in a low tone about decisions someone can make about the goddess (I believe so), since I can't explain you the lyrics, it will be better if I just show it to you.

I just feel like this song is the personification of "fire Esmeralda" to Frollo. I can't explain why. The instrumentals remind me of Venice, there's an accordion in the middle of the song, which somehow still sounds sexy and misterious. If you'll hear to the song, you will know what I mean.

ARE YOU READY FOR THE GRAND FINALE AKA THE BEST PART OF THE PLAYLIST IS FROM HER TO THE END?

FIFTH SECTION OF THE PLAYLIST - QUASIMODO'S HUMILIATION

*eating my own hand* if you know these songs (c'mon guys you're on tumblr) you know that's already great and we're not even in the best part yet (It WILL GET BETTER THAN THAT)

Pity Party: If you're not familiar with Melanie's songs, which is hard to believe if you're someone who grew up in the internet, this song is part of an album called Cry Baby. This album tells us the story of a little girl called Cry Baby, she was bullied and abused throughout her whole life, sometimes based on the singer’s life, and it was a big comfort for this huge outcast group we know on the internet (including myself), often criticizing society in her lyrics. This song specifically is about Cry Baby's birthday, but no one showed up for the party. She organizes the party perfectly and wait for her "friends" to arrive, but they don't which makes her question why, wondering if they're just making a cruel joke, and wondering that maybe if she had took different decisions in the decoration they would have shown up, but at the end she notices that it's because people just don't like her, and this drives her to madness, basically. She sings "It's my part and I'l cry if I want to", while proceeds to cry and destroy the decorations and toys she had scattered around, who she pretended were her friends, but then noticed that they're just... not real people and that she's alone. Reminds you of someone?

When Quasimodo was choosen as the "king of fools", people choose him because he had "the ugliest face in Paris". It was something good, because he was being treated as a king, but it was also bad because it wasn't for good reasons... people were just mocking him. (Lyrics)"Maybe it's a cruel joke on me, whatever, whatever" yes it is a cruel joke. The parallel between them is that they're being delusional and telling themselves that "those people aren't really mean, are they? They like me. It's just that *excuse*". But after sometime they notice that they're just convincing themselves of that, and well, yes... people don't like them indeed. In a day that was supposed to be a party, the best day ever for them. "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to [...] I'm laughing, I'm crying, it feels like I'm dying"

The Contortionist: Melanie again! This song is more about an abusive relationship. Her abuser twists her like she's a contortionist, and that's not being pleasurable to her. The person claims that they love her, in one second they're loving her, in the other their pushing her, pulling her, grabbing her, and twisting her like a contortionists. It vaguely reminds me of that terrible scene, so I added it here.

Show And Tell: YOU'RE NOT MENTALLY READY FOR THIS ONE. I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO START HELP. THIS ONE IS SO IN CHARACTER THAT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PUT INTO WORDS. Do you remember when I mentioned that Melanie had that "Cry Baby" album about a girl with the same name? That girl went to school now and the album is called "K-12"... it's also a story. In this song, the protagonist did something that broke the principal's rules (he's supposed to be interpreted as a political leader or authority figure, this whole album is a metaphor for society) and the principal, an ugly bastard old guy, decided to punish her for that. Inside the context of the album, which is really surrealistic btw, she's turned into a ventriloquist doll to be waved around in front of the whole class (the society, people). In the music video, she's a little doll being controlled by the teacher to dance while all the students watch, laugh and shout, as if her suffering was entertainment to them. The principal knows that, and he doesn't care, because "she deserves this treatment" (she didn't do anything). At the end of the music video she's thrown by te teacher at the public, and they destroy and hurt her, because it is with her suffering that they entertain themselves with, until she's a broken porcelain doll.

The whole song and music video is a metaphor about how the artists are treated nowadays. The methaphor behind being a ventriloquist doll is how people control you to sell you to people, and the people are the students. They watch you close, have fun with your suffering, and they don't care about your boundaries. REMINDS YOU OF SOMETHING? HUH? SOMEONE? SOMEONE OUT THERE?? (lmao I thought this would be funny)

The ropes pulling her around, making her "dance" for them while she's clearly unhappy with everything. All of these lyrics. Shut up I'm not okay

Cry Baby: It's the opening song of the album "Cry Baby". Talks about her character, she's crying in front of everyone and they're laughing at her for it, calling her a cry baby, while they don't know and don't give a damn about her kind and soft heart. You get why this matches Quasimodo don't you

Mr Potato Head: Another one of Melanie's songs. This one is not exactly related to the huniliation scene but it fits Quasi's character and I just wanted to add. This song talks about beauty standards, how people are modifiying themselves in an obsessive search for beauty, without realizing that they are erasing their own identity. She says ironically "No one will love you if you're unattractive [...] will a pretty face make it better?"

THIS LAST SONG. OHHHH I HAVE A POST ABOUT IT. YOU SHOULD CHECK IT OUT. PLEASE DO IT. THIS ONE IS ABSURD.

You Keep Me Crawling: That's part of that one Aurora's album about the harm that religion causes sometimes, and this song, You Keep Me Crawling, can be interpreted in two ways: as an abusive relationship, or as someone's experience in christianity. In the first verses, the lyrical self is trying to understand why the "abuser" treats them that way, why do this person makes them feel less, at the same time somehow excusing what this person is doing to them.... "maybe if I forgave you more, or that, I wouldn't be treated that way... maybe you never meant to do that? To make me suffer? That wasn't your intention, right?" and they start to question "but why do I feel less when I'm around you? Why do I feel smaller? Maybe it's because I need to serve someone..." and in the chorus the singer just repeats in a pleading, beautiful and yet deeply saddened way "So you keep me crawling on my knees, Lord you keep me crawling on my knees..."

In the next verse, though, she starts to wonder if that if she act a certain way, this abuser will understand, "If I keep confessing (religious hints) maybe if I'll believe that you never meant for love to hurt for me, maybe you'll feel a bit of sympathy..." and then she starts to noticed that, maybe, this situation can't be fixed... this person can't be fixed... and it reminds me of the scene where Frollo tries to stab Quasimodo, and Quasi finds out that the evils in the world that Frollo spoke about so often were just him. The person that was manipulating and abusing him was Frollo. And in that part of the song Aurora starts to notice that it's the abuser's fault and not hers, "why do I make you feel stronger? Why do you keep hunting like an animal? Maybe it's because you need to own someone..." and she keeps on singing "lord you keep me crawling on my knees", but this time, in a more desperate and heartbreaking way. Her emotions are stronger here. And the song ends with "maybe if I stop believing you will see that giving into love should never hurt for me... giving into love should set me free..." which is clearly a reference to the song I mentioned "Giving Into The Love". "Loving shouldn't hurt, so what you do to me it's not love, it's abuse". It reminds me of Quasimodo and Esmeralda, both in their own ways.

Last section of the playlist - "Justice!"

EHEHEHEHEHEHH THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR *rubs my hands in a villainous way lol*

The Principal - This song is part of the "K-12" album that I mentioned. You remember when I told you that this album was about a school that was a methaphor for society? The principal was made inspired by a real political figure the singer doesn't support, and this song is about the character itself, and his role inside the story. The protagonist, who's singing the song, absolutely hates him, and she's the only one who was brave enough to tell him what she thinks of him in his face, without fear of punishment. All the other students are silenced by him, they're all afraid of saying out loud what they feel in fear of punishment, but she's not. In the song, she grabs a phone and says to him everything she thinks of him. "sneaky, greedy, money-seeking, always peeping, fucking creepy, got it on the down low, so you think you're always sneaky - what If I had told your mother... her son was a cruel mother fucker?"

And she proceedes to sing about his behavior, how he forces people to stay silent and follow him, when everybody thinks the same as her, but they're too afraid to say it out loud. "I've tried to make you listen, but you won't, it's your way, right? Killing kids all day and night [...] you're shooting at the angels while claiming your the good guy" it's like he's hurting the purest beings (angels) while he's claiming himself as the right one there. It's a song about protest, really, you should check it out.

A Soul With No King - Another one of Aurora's songs that has confusing lyrics! The instrumentals really do remind us of a medieval dance, most specifically a witch one, and I'm sure she did this on purpose. The lyrics, though, have some quotes that remind me of Esmeralda, but it's hard to explain exactly. It looks like Aurora is opposing against someone somehow. She starts somehow menacingly with "I know you know me... and you always will... like a man with no wisdom, and a soul with no king." She later continues "I know you fear me" and repeats "nothing will ever change, no gain, no shame; call out my name when you need me again" (we know very well that Frollo hates and loves Esmeralda at the same time, he wants her, and he's afraid of her somehow. But when he wants her and "needs her", he "calls out her name", you know what I mean? Hypocrisy). "If you know who I am, why don't you call my name?", (Are you afraid huh? Are you're afraid of calling my name?)

There are two quotes in this song that particularly catch my attention: "you speak of the devil like he's not your friend, when the world starts to burn give water to men" (you say you hate the devil but you're no better, and the part about the world burning is very ambiguous, but it reminds me of Frollo's actions) and my favorite one: "But if this is what you want, why speak of right and wrong? You still go in for the kill..."

This girl would be white men's nightmare if she was alive during medieval times (just like Esmeralda is Frollo's nightmare probably). You should DEFINITELY check this one too because it's not only the lyrics, but also the instrumentals, they both fit very well with HOND.

The Devil Is Human - OHHHH I HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY. IT'S 1 AM I'M TIRED I WANT TO SLEEP ARRGGGGH. In this song, Aurora pretends that she's talking to God, but she's actually calling out bad christians for the absurds they force people to swallow. Not only bad christians but also some... well... outdated social norms that are in the bible and they're also harmful to today's society. This one sounds like Esmeralda is talking directly to Frollo too. I want to sleep so I'll stop here but it's really worthy of your time. And I also spoke about this song in that other post I mentioned here, is that the third time I talk about this? I don't know, it's just a good post

Churchyard - This song talks about hate. Someone (a man) is saying hateful words towards the lyric self, saying that she belongs in a churchyard, she should be dead- and that she can walk away but she won't go very far. The lyric self, then, tells us this information very calmly, and sings about knowing that this person is bitter, blinded by the hate in his heart, and she hopes, truly, that one day he'll notice what he's doing and regret his actions. It's a really good song. And that's how we finish the playlist (and the festival), during Esmeralda's persecution.

I made this playlist for funsies!! I make relations to my hyperfocuses and songs all the time, and I want to share, I NEED TO. Now you guys can hear to the playlist and pretend you're in the Feast Of Fools with me lmao

[thesinglesjukebox]

NEWJEANS - "HOW SWEET"

Breaking up: it's like sugar sometimes...

[6.69]

Rachel Saywitz: NewJeans has found a comfortable home in the production of DJ and electro-trot producer 250, whose musical style has become so singular that I'd start putting him up there with some of the other K-pop producing greats like Brave Brothers, the late Shinsadong Tiger, or Sweetune. His method continues to work well on "How Sweet": adding a little shimmering twist to American club genres (Miami bass in this case), seamless transitions from section to section, and the light vocal touch of every girl's vocals. But, as with the greats, I sense a slight loss of luster with the constant repetition. How many underground genres is 250 going to fish out of the Western world's murky waters to can up and ship out with a shiny new label? The catches are going to dry up eventually. [7]

Kayla Beardslee: NewJeans’ early singles smashed, bringing them ridiculous and unprecedented success for a first-year K-pop rookie group, because they delivered masterfully crafted pop songs in deceptively simple packaging. "Hype Boy" plows through enough memorable hooks for an entire album in a minute and a half, yet sounds so breezy and youthfully optimistic that the music doesn’t feel like work at all. Beneath the soft swells and whispers of "Ditto" is an instrumental that has a beautifully subtle touch with intimacy and a topline that stays in constant motion even as it tantalizingly holds itself back. In comparison, “How Sweet” is more of an underachieving graduate of the Tortured Poets school of songwriting. In each section of the song, they pick one melody with a limited dynamic range, hammer it into the ground, then tick the box and move on. For a Coca-Cola ad, it’s pretty flat.  [5]

Mark Sinker: Chirpy song about how breaking up with u is great and also v easy bcz u suck and I never liked u! Happily the real-world backdrop (MASSIVE INDUSTRY DRAMA pitting label against manager) cannot possibly ground this as a metaphor. The delivery turns the tale of the change from oops non-allegory into smilingly blank-faced stonewall. [7]

Iain Mew: They stretch simplicity as a virtue further than ever, relying almost entirely on immaculate floaty vibes. The almost is crucial, though; the "...now that I'm without you" kicker adds just enough bitterness to keep this from  feeling completely blank. [8]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: "How Sweet" is one of the most powerful kiss-offs we've had in years because it treats the end of a relationship as something so effortless, so natural, "like biting an apple." Even when lines are acerbic ("toxic lover, you're no better"), they are delivered with the exact amount of lift needed to signal both disgust and nonchalance. NewJeans do not care about this ex anymore, and they wield their restraint with grace; this is living well as the best revenge, and the song is potent because it feels like mist on a hot summer day. Producer 250 has always known how to excavate the potential of a minimalist pop song, and he's found an especially strong avenue here with the skeleton of an Atlanta bass track. The regional style (and specifically the Ghost Town DJ's track "My Boo") has had a large impact on K-pop since "Body Party" got big, but 250 makes it a more congenial affair: the hi-hats are low in the mix, the handclaps have more pop than the kick, and it all feels muted so the bubbly synth melodies and percussion—the latter approximating the "Triggerman" sample used in bounce classics—can flutter about. "How Sweet" is the most everyday that NewJeans has sounded, and it's all the more biting for it. [7]

Ian Mathers: It's devastating enough to get a "I'm doing better without you" message delivered with such nonchalant cool, but to make it a bop too? Really drives the implied "I probably didn't care that much in the first place" home, ouch. [8]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: A very NewJeansian take on the break up-come down song; it's a harder feeling to make sound giddy, but they pull it off here. The fragments jutting out from the sing-talk ("like biting an apple"; "no drama, it's good karma"; "little demon in my storyline" most of all) are thrilling and deranged, the kind of phrases that become involuntary mantras and mutterings when you make your way out of something all-consuming and are faced with the shock of the new. Most of the writing about NewJeans centers on their musical trappings, but the Miami bass riffs here are more perfunctory than their prior dalliances with drum-n-bass and Jersey club. That's not to say that it's a bad song — that bassline itself, rubbery and grooving, is gorgeous — but that it shares less with the perfect grooves that "OMG" and "Ditto" than first appears. [9]

Oliver Maier: Unusual for NewJeans both in that it is kind of a retread (think "OMG" 2: Not As Good) and that the performances are really quite listless. The thing about girl groups from anywhere in the world is that their songs tend to implode the moment it sounds like they aren't having fun. [5]

Jonathan Bradley: There's not the great shock of the new provided by genre experiments like "Super Shy" or "Ditto," but the R&B-lite of "How Sweet" gets some extra mileage from burbling percussion runs and photon-light electro textures. Switching between English and Korean lines in the hook is smart songwriting as well as smart globalization; it adds variation to a melody that threatens to run out of ideas after a mere three-and-a-half minutes.  [6]

Michael Hong: Initially put off by how weary the vocals sound -- NewJeans have always been low-key, but they've never sounded so spent. But it starts making sense when you consider that NewJeans are just as much about the experience of sharing these milestones as they are living them. Backed by a laser show of synths, "How Sweet" is about convincing yourself that you're okay after a heartbreak and proving it to your friends. This exhaustion makes the sharper moments more effective: the wistfulness of "it's like biting an apple" longs harder, and the snarky "I'll see you out" that closes the track is a truly satisfying line read. With every chorus, the bitter tartness lessens and the the sweetness pops brighter. [7]

Alfred Soto: The relaxed sensuality is what I wanted from this week's Tinashe track. The melodies are sticky and sweet. [7]

Nortey Dowuona: The drum programming is a bouncy, yet flimsy kick snare pattern full of glittery lasers and clinking closed hi-hats. At first, it overwhelms you, with the rising hit arriving every four bars and doubling during the post chorus, but once you pay attention to the looping, ghostly synth melody, you feel toward a handhold in the wind. [6]

Isabel Cole: I get so excited by the aliens-attacking space-laser sounds at the beginning, and then it all mellows out to make room for an uninspiring vocal line delivered uninspiringly. Things perk up a little in the chorus (I remain a sucker for handclaps!), but unfortunately the actual melody continues to be the worst part of the song, to the extent that I think I'd prefer an instrumental version. [5]

Katherine St. Asaph: The melody on the verses sounds like something off PinkPantheress's Heaven Knows, which is some real influencer-becomes-influenced ouroboros shit. But "How Sweet" settles into a chorus that's undeniably itself, frenetic but small: kind of like "Let the Music Play" recreated by one of those miniscule Helmacron ships from Animorphs in tiny zaps and little plinks. And I do mean "settles": there's less fizz in the pop than there could have been, and NewJeans' vocals range from effortless to affectless, unbothered to unengaging. [6]

TA Inskeep: I'm absolutely here for NewJeans giving us a little bit of ecstasy. If this kicks off a revival of second-wave freestyle, I'll be very happy. (Someone call Sabrina Carpenter to the white courtesy phone, stat!) [8]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: “How Sweet” is the most subdued and pedestrian newjeans have sounded. The beeps and blorps and percussion taste sweet, but the vocals are bitter and dull. But when the production has so many dynamic flourishes, and the meta-narrative around the group is so interesting, the score floor is high.  [6]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

[silence-like-a-dead-man]

Bruce Wayne Music Taste Headcanons

(really quick so i deleted this playlist while cleaning out my yt unfortunately grrrr but yeah i meed to start fcking posting the stuff in my notes app that i've been keeping there for years)

Disclaimer & Huge Spoilers for The Batman (2022): This playlist is made mostly with pre-flood Batman in mind. I think that Bruce post-flood and post-Vengeance-arc has a broader and brighter music taste than the one I've curated for him. I may make a completely different playlist for post-flood Bruce because I believe that his music taste changes drastically when he enters his Hope arc.---------------------When he's in his cave, the music he listens to does not exist to calm him down. He purposefully listens to depressing, negative music with vulgar lyrics because he wants to stay in his misery, in his thick swamp of grief that is the Batcave. Bruce definitely has taste that leans towards the dark and the heavy (grunge, numetal, heavy metal, hard rock) but I think every once in a while he finds a song that he likes that doesn't fit his playlist genre-wise but he adds it anyway, most likely because he enjoys the lyrical content. (example: Excursions by A Tribe Called Quest is hip-hop, but the lyrics fit his life story extremely well, and the song itself is in Minor and feels very 'thick' and swampy due to the upright bass melody throughout the instrumental.) I think Bruce views lyrics as the most important aspect of the music he listens to. It's not enough that he vibes with a song, or that the song SOUNDS like something he would listen to. He needs to either relate to the lyrics or at least appreciate the lyrical content. I think Bruce listens to music that came out around the time he was born (he's a 90's baby in this Universe, age is late 20s-early 30s). He doesn't know a lot of new music, or even new pop culture because he's an absolute recluse and I don't think this man even knows who Beyonce is. He doesn't search for new music. He hasn't moved or touched anything in his parents' room because he wants to remember exactly what the room looked like the night they were killed. He doesn't want to get a new haircut or new clothes, he doesn't care about the newest ball or charity event or trend, he doesn't want new friends or acquaintances. He is the epitome of depression and PTSD. This may be really weird to say but I don't think pre-flood Bruce understood his privilege at all. He seems mildly confused whenever Selina brings up the fact that she's had life experiences that he couldn't possibly relate to because he's a rich white man. There are songs I wanted to add to this playlist (example: Alright by Kendrick Lamar) that talk about police brutality, political corruption, anti-government sentiments and the like, and I ended up NOT adding those songs because I don't think pre-flood Bruce had a good-enough grasp on the concept of privilege, ACAB, class differences, etc yet. A Kendrick song would be better suited for post-flood, "Hope" era Bruce.

(AN: Well, here's my first real fandom post on here! I think at some point I'm going to post my Billlie (kpop group) lore study, which may be used in momosunrise (YT)'s upcoming Billlie lore video, of which I am the original writer of in case anyone was wondering

(AN 2: I also may be posting a part 1 of a "Cillain Murphy filmography review" at some point, where I cover every film he's ever been in from 1997-2008. Be on the lookout for that!)

[fatehbaz]

The character-specific leitmotif/theme stuff in Daniel Pemberton’s score for Across the Spider-Verse:

In opening sequence, “Spider-Woman (Gwen Stacy)”, Gwen’s material going through like 3 different formats immediately. Beginning with that calm/dreamy atmospheric stuff to indicate her most private experiences and domestic space (at home). Warm but sad. And then overlaid over the atmospheric stuff at 1:17 to 1:30 you hear what will become like an easily-recognizable Gwen motif/theme thing, though in this first reveal it’s distinct/memorable but it’s really quiet and almost completely alone and distant (she’s lonely). And even the structure itself of theme is like taking steps out and then back in, climbing and then stepping back down (like it’s reaching out, and then retreating again, like the traumatized Gwen). But then as the on-screen stuff transitions to Gwen’s public life/personae and exploits as energetic drummer and superpowered fighter at 1:33 we get like an explosive outburst of a much more action-oriented Gwen theme, and though earnest it sounds kinda like pastiche of like optimistic 1990s adventure (kinda like Gwen, earnestly wanting to engage with the world, but with like a veneer of forced/half-joking sunny Californian friendliness).

And then Miguel arrives, and in the part from 0:00 to like 0:30 in “Spider-Man 2099″ there’s the first declaration of Miguel’s theme with blaring distorted elephant trumpeting alongside like dirty techno pastiche. Nice. Instantly memorable though its first statement is singular and unadorned with any other accompanying music (very distinct/clear, like the first announcement of Gwen’s theme; and traumatized Miguel feels alone, like Gwen). Real cybertronic/laboratory feeling to it, evoking Miguel's mad-science-y world. Anyway, the theme is scary. A dangerous animal crying out in the dark night. Like you’re being hunted by a cyberpunk predator thing. Alarming and threatening and primal in a similar way to the first film’s Prowler theme (after all, while Kingpin and The Spot are arguably the chief threats to the wider world in the first and second films respectively, it is instead The Prowler and Miguel who are more like personal rivals/counterparts to Miles, and both, in a way, are a kind of family to him).

Then that spectacular and exhilarating moment in merely 20 seconds at 0:46 to 1:04 in “Indian Teamwork” where Miles is central (on-screen, even the other Spider-People around him are impressed, naturally taking cues from his leadership) and it’s the now-familiar electronic/hip-hop record-scratching Miles Morales sound/motif from first film, but as Pavitr appears on-screen, now it’s announcing itself aided with South Indian percussion instrumentation. And as their combined efforts lead to a climactic moment of heroism there is the triumphant general Spider-Man brass fanfare/theme (as the screen shows a money-shot, Miles and Pavitr effortlessly coordinate and cooperate, the two stars of the sequence), but the Spider-Man theme is backed not just by Miles’s electronic stuff but now also by like a powerful Karnataka sangitam vocal chorus, in harmony, as a kind of indicator for Pavitr.

And then the track during the finale (“Start a Band”), where Miles is trapped and defeated and basically stuck in a version of hell, with suspenseful strings. Before a threatening msked stranger he asks “Who are you?” (1:07), and awaiting any possible answer it’s like almost silent but with like a single metronome like a ticking time bomb, and then in response there’s like a little idk like “Doom” motif (1:12) when Prowler-Miles reveals his face (Oh no). But then the score adds the now-famous trademark Prowler theme howling (1:25) just as the menacing figure indeed confirms “you can call me The Prowler”. And then when we see Miles’ face as he considers the predicament and the electronic/hip-hop Miles motif comes back but now it’s punctured by an even more powerful doom motif (1:48), the doom now a part of his identity, as if Miles can’t ever escape the ramifications of what’s about to go down, whatever follows. Then the Prowler howling, still an alarm of sorts as in the first film, now also becomes like a desperate plea, crying in the night, and then as a levitating demon-like Spot appears on-screen outside of Miles’s family’s home about to “take everything” from him the general Spider-Man theme shows up again but it’s desperate and backed by the high-pitched pleading version/form of the Prowler howl. And almost like a response to the plea for aid, we cut to Gwen’s whereabouts (she’s committed to rescuing her friend) and the like Gwen motif of forceful garage/post-punk drums come in, and then as we see like Hobie’s tell-tale fractured glitch effect framing her (he’s committed to helping his friend, too) the electric guitar Hobie motif backs Gwen’s drums, as Gwen’s drumming becomes more insistent and confident (like her throughout this story, and now rather than running away from danger, Gwen is running towards the challenge). So that Miles’s electronic beat, Gwen’s drumming, and Hobie’s guitar coalesce, forming a coherency, and, finally, together, the Spider-Man theme. And we finally cut back to Miles, accepting the reality and seriousness of the situation, as the general Spider-Man theme rises despite and amidst all of the cacophony, with an expression of defiance and resolve, his fingertip alight with electricity on the verge of unleashing his power. End titles.

Fun stuff.

[extraplugins01]

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[violin-check]

Can you give me your opinion on Data from Star Trek playing the violin?

https://youtu.be/2QvoGy_OilA?si=qwrupCHFxU1-9YAU

Here's the video link for anyone curious, and, right away, I would guess based on the editing and camera shots that the actor didn't actually know how to play violin. It's fairly common that if the actor doesn't know, the shots with be taken in a way that kinda hides the actual playing.

[I.D. Two screenshots From Star Trek of Data playing the violin. In the first he is shown from the left side with mainly the side and some of the bottom of the violin showing, his left hand on the fingerboard in a fist-like shape. Due to the angle, only his bow hand is visible and none of the arm, but his thumb is very straight on his bow hand. In the second image, he is shown from the front, with his bow about halfway between the frog and the tip. His bent wrist is in the lower corner. As for his left hand, his thumb is sticking up behind his fingers as he plays. End I.D.]

For example, these two shots are basically all that's shown of Data playing, which means that any major issues with his bowing technique are easier to hide. His arm is either obscured by the instrument, or not in the shot at all. From what I've noticed, if they try not to show the actor actually playing the violin, it's probably because they can't play it.

With that said, onto the critiques!

It's a bit hard to see in the first screenshot, but the thumb of his bow hand is kept straight as he plays, which is not proper technique. The thumb should ideally flex and straighten, with different positions depending on what part of the bow is moving against the strings at a given time. The idea is that if the hand is moving properly, the bow can stay perpendicular to the strings and produce a better sound quality.

In the second image, his wrist is too bent for the part of the bow he's playing in. Since he's in the middle of the bow, his wrist should be much closer to straight than bent. Again, this would mess up the bow's path on the strings and make the sound quality wonky.

His left hand seems a little off to me, mostly with how his thumb is sticking up high enough to be seen over his fingers. This position is impractical when it comes to shifting to higher positions on the fingerboard, which he does towards the end of the video. Then again, at the point in the video where he's playing very high on the finger board, the shift isn't actually shown. (Possibly because the actor couldn't do it reliably, and they were more focused on showing Data's fancy vibrato anyway.)

However, he does seem to be holding the violin correctly, as he's actually using the weight of his head on the chin rest to keep it in place rather than trying to hold it up with his hand. So points for that at least.

A lot of his movement, and especially his vibrato, seems very still and mechanical. Given that Data's a robot I'll assume this was a character choice lol. The general sense that I'm getting from this video is that Data is supposed to be a skilled violin player, but there's a lot of small technical issues in how he plays that would add up substantially. Someone playing with that kind of technique in real life would not be making music that sounds that nice lol.

Given that there's also several places in the video where the audio doesn't actually sync up with what Data's bow and fingers are doing, I think it's safe to say that the actor was faking it and the sound was added over the video later lol.

[naktigonis]

quick question, how much of the deepwoken ost was made with real instruments and do u have any tips at composing video game music? very new and dont have the experience like you do

greetings, anonymous asker from a year ago! once again, i Apologise for. making the folks in my askbox wait for over a year... D:

most of the Deepwoken OST, as mentioned here, was made with virtual instruments - mostly these plugins!

as for tips for new and aspiring composers, i answered a similar question here! but i guess to add tips specifically for people wanting to compose video game music - get a good bunch of references for whatever you're making music for. whenever i make tracks for the Deepwoken OST, i always ask for pictures or footage of the thing i'm making music for (be it an arena or a bossfight); and i always ask the developers for details - what's the vibe of the place? is there any lore to it? any specific characters or factions or concepts related to it? what sort of emotion do the devs hope to convey? and are there any specific already existing tracks out there they'd like the finished piece to sound like?

i guess also - don't be afraid to experiment! breaking out of your comfort zone is a great way to improve. and, best of all, there's no 'proper' video game music - so you can make whatever. there's genres, sure - but video game music is a broad church that defies genre. any genre can be video game music. classical / symphonic music can be video game music. trippy psych rock can be video game music. retro synthwave can be video game music! the possibilities are endless. whatever genre of sound you can produce, and define as music, can also be a video game soundtrack.

hope this helps (belated as it may be) - good luck on your journey!

[ghostowlattic]

Heyo mate,

I really love your art, happy to find you at tumblr. I'm just wondering, are those digital or real creations? Your art looks so real but also seems like digitally created. You haven't used any tags for this information. Btw your art is amazing and really magical, thanks for existing ^^

Have a wonderful day and sun & moon keeps bring you good luck! Farewell :3

-Lona

Thank you much! I wrote some replies to this, all which ended up rather long winded, so instead as short as possible reply for you and others.

I really just love making music. I'm mostly a musician, songwriter, composer. Piano/keys but I play a lot of musical instruments or use things for soundmaking. I do have many sorts of visual arts posted but I'm 99.9999% certain you mean the recent deluge of AI assisted images I've been sharing which, are a blend of AI, diffusion/Midjourney, personal images, photos, but those are not real objects as far as all those terrariums etc go.

I try to actually tag anything I use for the most or just add 'generative'. Anything that doesn't pick up crypto peeps really. Anyhow, it's all more of a dreaming visual diary for myself and others. Or a bit of visual reflection of my musical brainscapes. I often use a mix of my own photographs images, fed into an ai model or two. But I don't promote myself as an artist really. I don't even mind selling prints of mine for the sake of health care and rations but, otherwise it's for just ideation, inspiration, dreams. People can enjoy it any way they want.

There's a lot I could say about it all and the good and terrible of ai or tech in general but would take up too much space here, I'm really not much of a tech bro person either, but I don't hate machines. We are an entire universe of jiggly energy so, whatever. At very least I like the notion of infecting such things with as much love and beauty and good ole weirdness especially if some is unstoppable for better and worse. This is all for the sake of it. Really, a ton of those images are already made so, vs just leaving them in a folder I figure I may as well share some for others to see.

Anyhow, thank you kindly Lona - and anyone else, if you like the images/blog feel free to check out my bandcamp or soundcloud or my music/video posts here. I think its rather visual and odd beautiful in its own ways also. Sorry for the longish reply but it's also for others who wonder or who send me inquiries lately.

I do like this Glenn Gould quote on art, 'The purpose of art is not the release of a momentary ejection of adrenaline but is, rather, the gradual, lifelong construction of a state of wonder and serenity.' – Glenn Gould

I love 'art' being for personal expression or communication of things which go beyond language and reference, for music at least. Yet I also love the romantic notion reflecting things which leave us in a state of wonder that seem larger, Nature, etc. VS just self expression and human stuffs. I guess to me I don't see much point of personal expression if it doesn't include a bit of awareness of not being the center of the universes.

Most of all I'm a biopheliac and sound lover. Very open always for collabs of artistic natures as well. Music, arts, film, games, public expressive dance terrorism, whatever.

[bhavay-karwal]

Music and Travel for Unleashing Creativity

One's life is not complete without music. It brightens your disposition whenever you're having a bad day. It is a body's enlightenment for a calm mind. A person's body and mind can relax to the music's melodies. The energizing beats inspire us to think creatively, which aids us in accomplishing our objectives. It is one such art form that resonates with the listener and connects them to the depths of the composers' subconscious minds. Whether it may be Eminem's pain in ‘Mockingbird’, Taylor Swift's love in ‘Love Story’, or Pharrell Williams' joy in ‘Happy’. It all constitutes their emotions portrayed to us by their music and words of choice. It this their creativity that was unleashed while writing the lyrics of their songs. 

Similar to how music can help someone express their creativity, travel can do the same. The quiet and soothing atmosphere is provided by the mountain roads. The possibilities on the empty roads are endless. Some may lead to the temples in Vrindavan, while others may lead to the beaches of Mahabalipuram. It aids in many different types of thinking, whether it be the soft roar of the ocean or the loud sounds of the bells. 

Similarly, unleashing creativity allows us to express ourselves, our emotions, and our feelings toward others and ourselves. It's time to join me in this melodic journey as we explore how amazing music and travel can be while unlocking our creative minds. 

Creativity is all about connecting new dots, in your own way. 

Creativity is indeed about connecting the new dots but not forgetting the old ones. It is about breaking free from the conventional thoughts of society and making your new thoughts a part of the existing society. The beauty of making new connections is that it is a very private process. Every person contributes their own special perspectives, experiences, and knowledge to the discussion. What might appear to be a collection of unconnected dots to one person may reveal a complex network to another. It is through this unique perspective that fresh, creative concepts emerge and create something new in society. Connecting new dots can be a curvy process as not everyone in society might accept it. Though creativity is not only shown in art but also in real life. So it's better to unleash creativity and look for all the alternative possibilities to enhance it and make it a part of your life.

Harmonious Wanderlust: Travel as a gateway to creativity. 

A world of opportunities and sources of inspiration is revealed when traveling to new places. By immersing yourself in various cultures, environments, and experiences, you can gain new insights and be more creative. The sensory overload of discovering new places, interacting with diverse people, and taking in breathtaking natural wonders can inspire previously dormant creative sparks. Each location offers a distinctive combination of sights, sounds, and flavors that can spark your imagination, from busy city streets to serene natural landscapes, helping you in being creative and soothing your body to relax in the moment. 

 A symphony of cultures: Experiencing Music through travel.

Music and travel go hand in hand. Every place has its own tune to add to a person’s life. Music serves as a universal language and helps people in making their bonds with others, no matter their age, caste, creed, religion, etc. Each culture has its own tunes, rhythms, and instruments, offering a fascinating window into the soul of a nation. Especially in India, traveling to a variety of cultures that have a great effect on the music as there are various cultures that have their way of portraying their emotions through music. By engaging in different music cultures, a person can broaden their perception and get a deeper understanding of the world, fostering cultural sensitivity and expanding their creative palette. 

Travel is an investment that makes you free-spirited.

Travel is something that you can do if you only love it. There is no 50-50 in this. There is either everything or nothing in it. It provides a person with a platform to self-express. It empowers you to embrace your creative side and bring out the best in you, embodying the free-spirited nature in you. Whether it clicking photographs or documenting your travel through your writing, it fosters the freedom of expression. It embraces you to share your creative side and show this unique world through your perspective. It encourages you to live in the present, follow your intuitions and pave the way for your own path.

Sonic Souvenirers: Capturing Travel Experiences through Music

Every song that we hear has its own journey and every journey has its own music. The music that makes us relate to the journey that we have been on. Every time when we hear that one song, we relate it to our journey, the travel we had completed, and the memories that we made. These are the acting sonic souvenirs of our travel experiences. The personalized playlists that we made after every stop of our journey, revealed our emotions at the moment, embracing the present with the tunes of soothing music and some laughers. With this we can preserve the essence of these moments forever and embrace the experiences, using them as an inspiration for creative future destinations. 

When it comes to fostering and releasing our creativity, music, and travel work in extraordinary harmony. The power of melody can spark our imagination and serve as the ideal background for it to soar. In the meantime, travel opens doors to inspiration by introducing us to fresh people, places, and experiences that broaden our perspectives and pique our curiosity. We can access a rich source of creative expression by immersing ourselves in the symphony of cultures, listening to music, and dancing. In addition, music's capacity to act as sonic souvenirs enables us to record and replay our travel memories, imbuing our upcoming creative endeavors with a sense of our travels.

So, embrace the harmonious relationship between music and travel, whether you're a musician looking for inspiration or a traveler looking to unleash your creative potential. Allow the melodies to lead you, the locations to inspire you, and the rhythm to carry you to a world of limitless imagination. Allow the transforming power of music and the mind-blowing wonders of travel to enthrall you, and then watch as your creativity soars in ways you never imagined. Let your creativity flow, allow your spirit to soar, and start a symphony of exploration.

[liminalcathag]

you know what. i don’t like harry styles, i’m more of a weird diamanda galas person these days, but i’ll listen to this playlist to see what the shit this person is talking about. fuck it. (i will also not go out of my way to make this interesting to read. eat it or don’t!)

• i’m listening to pas de deux first. the version they have on there is this one. it’s fine.

• cellophane by FKA twigs actually isn’t a bad fit. it’s just as soft, has rising tension in similar ways. certainly entirely different genres but ok. i’m interested.

• tomorrow never came by lana del rey & john lennon’s kid sounding terrifyingly like him. this is also very soft. i have no strong opinion on it. if it appeared on the radio i’d space out and tune in after it ended, but i can see people liking it. it’s a radio quality song. take that as you will.

• old money, also lana deal rey. this is slow also with rising tension. hm.

• chelsea hotel, leonard cohen, nice. i can’t tell how it hits the same feeling besides being slow, but that one cohen song about janis joplin. it’s a nice song. i don’t get the similarity but i like this song.

•sesame syrup, cigarettes after sex. alright so this is another slow song with the impression of the singer singing softly and very close. i always thought this song sounded like something for a twin peaks background tune. no real problem except we’ve firmly lost the rising crescendo feeling and have utterly wandered from the topic song. not a crime, but i’d say op is using this playlist for Nice Slow Songs With A Specific Feel. that feel has vanishingly little to do with pas de deux.

• let it be, the beatles. not my favorite. nothing similar to pas de deux to me.

• at last, etta james. ok so i can conceptualize how this ended up here. op is clearly referential to an idea of what slow crooning decades old music that falls in line with lana del rey’s entire schtick. i like this song alright but it very much made it click what the theme of this playlist is more about.

• love me tender, elvis presley. the instrumental orchestra ish background is back. i’m bored. i don’t like this. i see what direction this is going in. the playlist at least is cohesiveish, but it’s a very specific interpretation of what feelings op gets from pas de deux for sure.

• moonlight sonata, beethoven. ok yeah this is one of the other songs everyone knows. it’s obviously soft and fine, missing the in-your-ear about to tenderly caress my face with acrylic red nails feeling from the rest of the songs. yes even elvis. i think that possibly, this is just The Other Song You Add When You Reference Orchestral Music.

• finally. i got down to it. i’ve never heard this song. sign of the times, harry styles. piano sounds ripped off from hey jude. it’s slow, less in my ear, a lot less slow than a lot of the others. reverb voice kicked in oh my god. ok so it also has a rising crescendo but besides that it really is an anomaly feeling on the playlist imo. it sorta kinda matches hey jude. zero to do with pas de deux

• starry starry night, lianne la havas. sighs. some people would really find meaning and like this song but it’s firmly not my thing. it reminds me of the narnia movie ending soundtrack. it’s also slow and in your ear soft singing, if you were wondering what the actual theme of this playlist mostly is.

• i know, king princess & fiona apple. i’m a fiona apple fan ish but this is not extraordinary machine. i’ve never listened to king princess before. hm. it’s very much firmly a song that’s in your ear soft singing with a slow background and you should expect this now.

• something on your mind, karen dalton. i haven’t listened to this since my bob dylan moment. i’m mystified with what this has to do with anything, sounds different from every other song on the playlist. i guess it’s slow? wild. nice fiddle though. big fiddle fan.

• till death, japanese breakfast. sad ish. slow. about celebrities (hold your overflowing tears). this is following that lana del rey like, slow twin peaks music thing. it’s fine. i like this band sometimes but not this one. nothing at all to do with the nutcracker or Tchaikovsky even a little.

• adagio/clouds, harris & lisa harris. might be the same person i’m not double checking honestly. INCREDIBLY SHORT. this is more piano music by itself, slow. a little bit more like pas de deux. not a ton, but it’s much more in the same vein. we’ve Returned to the topic. if i’m being uncharitable, i would’ve picked something with a little more to sink my teeth into comparing to to tchaikovsky.

• carnival of the animal no 13 the swan, this version specifically. i don’t hate it. i’ve listened to a chunk of saint-saëns before. i especially like the piano at the end of this one. it does, to me, stand to say that carnival of the animals is supposed to be light hearted and more of a funny thing. it’s very funny to me that it’s on this playlist anyway. doesn’t stand out from the other piano and orchestral stuff on this playlist but. very funny to me.

• o mio babbino caro, instrumental from gianni schicchi. this version. it’s non operatic which surprises me because i feel like if you’re going for the whole ~femme fatale thing~ you’d have your girl kicking someone in high heels and shooting them to operatic elegance in the background. i don’t know i’m just a lesbian. it feels as in place as the previous but precious little to do with pas de deux especially in feeling and mood to me beyond being slow.

• i love you. it’s a fever dream., the tallest man on earth. slow guitar while a man cries. i listen to punk so i should be enjoying myself but idk. i’ve never heard this song and have no emotions about it at all. i don’t know, it’s very jarring to go back to after the pseudo should-be-opera. nothing to do with pas de deux at all in mood or feel.

• you don’t know how lucky you are, keaton henson. we’ve returned to a guy almost whisper singing enough that my broken phone makes his voice sound interestingly crackly. this is very sad for him. i respect the sadness. i love leonard cohen. i have no clue how this has anything to do with pas de deux.

• two slow dancers, mitski. i haven’t heard this because i’ve only listened to a handful of mitski songs (throw trash now), but it’s following firmly in the vein of sad shit to slowly be crooned at about. i’m glad she told her fans that there’s more to her than being sad. i don’t think op got the memo. it’s fine, i’m also noting a slight rising ~feeling~ that’s a little more actually like pas de deux. i prefer francis forever.

• a la volette, this version. i don’t know this song but i especially don’t like original flavor french as a language much so i had a headache on impact. that being said it has a catchy rhythm, it’s in the same vein of sad slow crooning or whatever. maybe op had a bad break up. 2/5. nothing to do with fucking pas de deux in emotion, feeling, or sound for me.

• i get along without you very well, nina simone. very few people can sincerely deride nina simone and i won’t try, i love her music and had a gay little poster of her in my room as a kid and totally wasn’t gay about it. that being said op is quadrupling down on the break up music. nothing to do with pas de deux but i’m seeing the girlboss projection picture coming together.

• across the universe, fiona apple. i like this one. i’ve always liked her lyrics and she shines in this one pretty well, we’re still in femme fatale break up music central however. what i would say about pas de deux goes without saying i think.

• if the world falls to pieces, young summer. i’m very tired of sad break up music now. this isn’t my thing but it is firmly in theme with the rest of the playlist that isn’t pas de deux. i hope op gets much much better relationships. i hit skip out of personal exhaustion.

• faustian bargain, adeline troutman. i love the title. i love faust. this is not about demons 👎. it’s another break up song. that’s perfectly fine and goes with the rest of the playlist, but. i don’t like it. maybe i’m just tired. it’s got the vague orchestral background while a voice very lana del rey ish, i winced at rhyming blue with canoe but that’s not a real critique it’s just very not my thing. who is pas de deux?

• hilltop road, lake isabel. i like this offhand a lot. don’t know it, do enjoy it, i think we’ve returned to decent piano music that makes me feel less on edge than eighteen break up songs. would recommend. it’s delightful. a lot more to do with pas de deux than before but i wouldn’t say it overwhelmingly is alike. 4/5

• qué sera sera, billianne. i feel like i heard this in a movie once, or my grandmother played it. not a complaint. love the lyrics. very catchy. i also remember wax tailor sampling someone singing this. it’s fine. thank god it’s not a break up song. glad you emotionally healed a bit op. nothing to do with the nutcracker, tchaikovsky, et al.

• immortality, celine dion & bee gees. another fucking break up song. i don’t like this. i’m very tired by this point of break up songs, and that is affecting my review, but yes. it is another slow sad song about relationships, ok. cool. whatever. it’s not bad, the guitar comes in reminding me of that one commercial. that’s not a bad review, it’s just a very particular sound that dominated all the women on heroine i knew in childhood that showed me practical magic. this is a shout out to women on heroine, i love you, i don’t want to listen to sensual rock anymore. nothing to do with pas de deux.

• colourblind, taylor janzen. op has a very particular taste in women singers sometimes and she sounds very similar to lana del rey et al, which means not bad but this is another break up song. i’m losing my goddamn shit. its affiliation with pas de deux can be surmised by my previous reviews. i’m sure someone else who is not me would like this.

• dear soulmate, laufey. this is slow acoustic guitar picking over a very sad woman, reminds me deeply of the ukulele dark era of lesbian music covers. not my thing. thankfully, thankfully, thankfully, not a break up song. kinda dreamy. it’s in theme with the rest of the playlist, and has a slow rise from acoustic to some orchestral elements in it. slightly more pas de deux than the other romance songs.

• unchained melody, elvis presley. i wonder if op saw the biopic or something, or if they just genuinely like elvis presley. listening to this playlist is the longest contact i’ve allowed with mr presley besides lilo and stitch and it’s not the worst impression i guess but it’s made me decide i don’t like his music very much, actually. maybe i’m just tired. it has a rise in tension as it goes that’s a little more like pas de deux. i think. this is the end song of the playlist. i probably need to relisten at this point to remind myself what that song sounds like.

• i have listened to pas de deux again. wow. it’s so good. my favorite break up song.

in conclusion: well that sure was two hours.

op doesn’t deserve bullying for weirdly naming their dark academia aesthetic femme fatale from suburbia break up playlist. op also doesn’t have the worst taste in music ever. however, i don’t like elvis presley now. take that as you will. goodbye.

could we maybe be serious for like three seconds

[audioloops009]

Sample Pack Download Empyrean Deep Cinematic

Unleash the full potential of your projects with Empyrean Deep Cinematic, a breathtaking collection of loops and one-shots curated by Blind Audio. Designed to evoke powerful atmospheres, this pack offers an intricate selection of Characterful Strings, Moody Melodics, and Heavy Drums—perfect for scoring films, creating experimental ambient music, or even adding cinematic depth to your next chart-topping hip-hop track.

Why Choose Empyrean?

Empyrean stands out for its ability to provide a unique cinematic experience while being versatile enough to enhance any genre. Whether you're producing Cinematic Scores, Experimental Ambient tracks, or even crafting hard-hitting Hip-Hop Beats, Empyrean is the toolkit you need for endless inspiration. The pack includes sounds from both classic analog and digital synths, real-world instruments, and high-quality field recordings, making it a well-rounded collection for sound designers and producers alike.

Key Features:

Atmospheric Loops and One-Shots: A fresh spark of inspiration with deep and unique sounds designed for cinema, yet versatile enough for all genres.

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Versatile Sound Sources: The sounds are derived from analog and digital synths, live instruments, and field recordings for an authentic, rich sound.

Perfectly Synced: All loops are rendered at 100 BPM and in the Key of A Minor, making it easy to mix and match for seamless production.

Whether you’re working on a Cinematic Masterpiece, Ambient Experimentation, or any genre that needs deep, atmospheric sound design, Empyrean is a must-have. It also pairs perfectly with its predecessors, Synthetic Cinema – Electronic Score and Elysium – Deep Ambient, for even more sonic possibilities.

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15 Melodic Loops

09 Piano Loops

31 String Loops

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11 Drum Loops

26 Percussion Loops

12 Instrument Hits

09 Synths

19 Bass One-Shots

55 Percussion One-Shots

Add cinematic flair to your projects today. Download Empyrean Deep Cinematic from AudioLoops and take your sound to the next level!

[sahilscapstoneresearch]

Week 5, Oct. 2nd

Accessible Audio / Topic #1, Speculation

Point of View: The gap in knowledge around accessible audio is that sound in software isn’t inherently bad, it’s just badly designed.

My research focus is to explore new possibilities for the incorporation of audio design (and maybe haptics too?) in digital softwares to create more accessible and immersive digital user experiences.

Idea #1: Audio-based smart glasses that add frequencies and sounds into the user’s environment to indicate their surroundings (obstacles, certain objects, and actions). For example, when the user comes close to a wall, they will be able to use their ears to sense the presence of an obstacle. A device like this would be targeted to people with visual impairments.

Artistic Precedent #1: Electropages: 5G Connected Bike Helmets Demonstrate Intelligent Safety

“A new bike helmet with integrated technologies to prevent accidents. Like autonomous cars, the helmet integrates sensors and a camera to scan the surrounding environment for objects and obstacles whose data is then streamed to a cloud-based service.”

Artistic Precedent #2: Zoomax: Top 5 Assistive Technologies for the Well-being of the Blind and Visually Impaired

Smart canes are “outfitted with a technology-driven audio navigation system and a collection of sensors to make it easier for those with visual impairments to feel safe when navigating surrounding environments.

“Smart canes can not only identify and warn the user of obstructions but can also be connected to smartphones. From voice-assisted GPS navigation to real-time descriptions of places and objects, smart canes offer more possibilities for those visually impaired.”

“Users of smart canes can set their destination before they leave their house and then receive audio guidance as they walk.”

“By applying ultrasound to detect above-ground impediments, WeWalk smart cane facilitates daily navigation with voice commands, public transportation information, and object detection.”

“Users can receive timely voice feedback with a Bluetooth headset: the intelligent voice system will inform the user that they are passing their favorite restaurant, warn them of low or hanging items or obstacles that appear in front of them, and alert them in advance to avoid such obstacles.”

Seeing AI (developed by Microsoft) - Users can “utilize their smartphone’s back camera to recognize and describe the environment around them, converting the everyday invisible into an audio experience.”

The program can recognize objects, language, and even people.

Idea #2: A series of public sound art installations that utilize sound to encourage human interaction.

Artistic Precedent #1: PBS NewsHour: Sound Artist Christopher Janney Makes Music for the Public Arena

Janney refers to the interactive part of his installations as the “social foil.”

Janney acknowledges that public and interactive installations perform well on college campuses.

Janney wants to “make art a part of everyday life,” similar to my interest in utilizing sound to the fullest in everyday life.

Artistic Precedent #2: Thefuntheory.com: The World's Deepest Bin

It’s interesting how they use sound to draw people in!

The Fun Theory: “We believe that the easiest way to change people's behaviour for the better is by making it fun to do. We call it The fun theory.”

Artistic Precedent #3: MTA: Reach New York, An Urban Musical Instrument

About the project: “A green painted rectangular structure is suspended from the subway platform and engages travelers with its ability to produce sounds. Travelers place their hands in front of the box-like apparatus on the subway platform and a burst of musical notes are released on the opposite side, playing to the person on the other side. The hand motions elicit an outpouring of sounds that evoke urban life and bring about duets between strangers waiting for their respective trains.”

Janney describes this work as "a foil for getting total strangers to interact with each other."

Idea #3: Phone launcher application that explores and prioritizes sound accessibility on the user’s home screen, providing a more comfortable, accessible, and immersive experience.

Artistic Precedent #1: Makeuseof: Windows 11 Sounds: Get Familiar With the New Calm System Sounds

“Microsoft has precisely orchestrated the system sounds to make them feel softer.”

The new Windows 11 startup sound is “soft, low-pitched, and has a certain roundedness, making it very smooth and making you feel cozy, unlike ever before.”

The system sounds change, depending on whether the UI is set in light or dark mode.

Artistic Precedent #2: Calm Tech Institute: Creating Calm Tech Experiences

“Products designed with Calm Tech Principles create more harmony in people's lives, developing long-term value and greater brand loyalty.”

“The right amount of technology is the minimum needed to solve the problem.”

“Technology should require the smallest possible amount of attention.”

Incorporating audio in system UI lets users focus less direct attention.

Technology should “seamlessly integrate into our lives without overwhelming us.”

Research Reflection:

My research this week helped me gain a better understanding of non-digital technologies that are helping people with visual impairments. I found the information I learned to be very intriguing and it helped guide me during the process of surfacing ideas. I also researched more into Christopher Janney and public sound art installations, spending time brainstorming potential public sound installations. Lastly, I stumbled upon 'calm tech' in my research, which I had no idea existed. The concept is really interesting and can even intertwine with 'accessible tech.' I am excited to further explore these ideas!

Works Cited:

Brown, Sam. “5G Connected Bike Helmets Demonstrate Intelligent Safety.” Electropages, 15 June 2021, www.electropages.com/blog/2021/06/5g-connected-bike-helmets-demonstrate-intelligent-safety. 

“Top 5 Assistive Technologies for the Well-Being of the Blind and Visually Impaired.” Zoomax, www.zoomax.com/low-vision-information/top-5-assistive-technologies-for-the-well-being-of-the-blind-and-visually-impaired/#:~:text=Audio%20Navigation%20Systems:%20Smart%20Canes%20for%20the%20Legally%20Blind&text=Smart%20canes%2C%20in%20contrast%20to,advance%20to%20avoid%20such%20obstacles. Accessed 9 Oct. 2024. 

“Sound Artist Christopher Janney Makes Music for the Public Arena.” YouTube, PBS NewsHour, 19 Nov. 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2XXiK9u2_I.

Thefuntheory.com. “The World’s Deepest Bin - Thefuntheory.Com - Rolighetsteorin.Se.” YouTube, Rolighetsteorin, 7 Oct. 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbEKAwCoCKw. 

Janney, Christopher. “Reach New York, an Urban Musical Instrument.” The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, 1996, new.mta.info/agency/arts-design/collection/reach-new-york.

Khawaja, M. Fahad. “Windows 11 Sounds: Get Familiar With the New Calm System Sounds.” Make Use Of, 14 Nov. 2021, www.makeuseof.com/windows-11-new-calm-system-sounds/#:~:text=New%2C%20Calmer%20Sounds%20for%20a%20New%20Windows&text=This%20change%20is%20coupled%20with,that%20meant%20more%20irked%20users. 

Case, Amber. “Creating Calm Tech Experiences.” Calm Tech Institute, Calm Tech Institute, 12 May 2024, www.calmtech.institute/post/creating-a-calm-tech-experience.