#ALSO DID A LOT OF SPIRAL COMPOSITIONS IN HIS BIGGER PAINTINGS

[eyesocketinchworm]

this user is normal about renaissance artists

[lovemesomesurveys]

[yourheaventonight]

Where have you been all my life? I’ve always been right here.

Can you recite the Greek alphabet backwards? Nope. Or at all.

What social networks are you a part of? Like every main one.

Which of your fields of interest are you a total expert on? I’m not a total expert on anything.

What is one thing you will never understand? Why I’m like this.

Do you blog? This is it.

What was the last movie you watched? Godzilla vs Kong.

^Would you recommend it? Yeah, I enjoyed it. Admittedly, I was mainly interesting for Alexander Skarsgard, but I did think the movie was good.

With whom did you share your last awkward moment? My life is an awkward moment.

When was the last time you got all dolled up? It’s been yearsss.

Gimme yer best shot and insult me. Go ahead. Uh, no.

What do you think makes a person attractive? Physical attributes, certainly, but personality traits and who they are as a person makes a person attractive to me as well. Even more so.

Out of everyone you know, who has the worst taste in music? I don’t think anyone I know has bad taste in music, I share a lot of the same music taste.

^How about the best? ^^^

Can guys REALLY pull off skinny jeans? They can wear whatever they want.

What is one thing you missed out on that you wish you hadn't? I missed out on a lot of my 20s I feel like, it feels like a complete blur. I don’t know what happened to them. And now I’m in my 30s and I feel like I’m missing out on those, too. Just life, in general for the past several years. Everyone around is me is doing things and living life and I’m just wasting away.

What was the last thing/place you decorated? My room for Christmas.

Have you just recently started listening to any new bands? No. It’s been a long time since I’ve discovered any new bands.

How many windows/tabs are open on your computer right now? Two windows, 7 tabs.

Would you rather date someone really skinny or really overweight? I want to date someone based on other things. 

Let me in on a little secret of yours. Nah.

What is one habit you had as a child? Nail biting/picking. 

^Do you still have that habit today? Sigh, yes.

Is there someone you wish you were closer with? Yes.

^What's stopping you from being closer with them? I’ve been so distant and withdrawn from everyone.

Besides air, what was the last thing you inhaled? The scent of my ramen earlier.

Which point in life do you think is hardest? (i.e. childhood, adulthood...) For me it’s been the past few years.

How was life going for you, say, six months ago? Not well.

^Is that the same as today, or have things changed? Things have changed, but not in a good way.

Who was the last person to make you frown? It’s been things I’m struggling with doing that, not a person.

^Was anyone able to turn that frown upside-down? No.

What was the last non-papery substance you drew on? I have no idea.

What is one thing you wish you had the courage to do? Get certain things checked out and taken care of that I’ve put off for too long.

Which is bigger: Your iTunes library or your CD collection? My iTunes collection was definitely better. I haven’t used iTunes since like 2012, though, and I don’t have any CDs anymore.

What is your one true weakness? I’m just weak.

When is the last time you had hot chocolate? It’s been a couple years.

Composition notebooks or spiral notebooks? Why? Spiral. I just like them better.

What is the most bizarre compliment you've ever received? That I looked pretty for someone with polio. I don’t have polio, but they assumed I did just because I’m in a wheelchair. Also, what does that even mean? “For someone with polio.” Wtf?

Do you identify more with guys or girls? I think I relate more to girls.

When someone you know is sad, how do you go about cheering them up? I kinda suck at that and don’t know what to do or say.

Has someone ever accused you of not being creative enough? I say that about myself. I lack creativity or any artistic ability. 

Starbucks coffee or Dunkin Donuts coffee? I’ve only had Dunkin’s coffee a few times, but I’ve had Starbucks countless times and I do like it, so I’ll go with that. I do wish I had a Dunkin where I live cause apart from the donuts, I’ve heard they do have good brewed coffee.

Do you crack under peer pressure? Yepppp. And it doesn’t take much.

What do you think deserves more attention than it already gets? Hmm.

What song never fails to get stuck in your head? Songs I hear in commercials.

Who is your favorite vocalist? Why? Chester Bennington is one. His voice was incredible.

What is your most overused emoticon? This one: 😬 Do you ever name objects? (i.e. mp3 players, guitars, cars, etc.) Nah.

When was the last time you had a bagel? Hm. It’s been awhile, actually. I don’t even remember. Can you lick your own elbow? No.

What time during the day/night is your mind most active? At night when I’m up alone.

What color ink does your favorite pen have? I have a nice set of colorful pens that I really like.

What was the last thing you licked? My lips.

Who was the last person in your bed besides yourself? Just me. Can you touch your tongue to your nose? No.

What flavor mouthwash do you use? I don’t. Mouthwash irritates my mouth.

What tends to distract you most? I just find myself zoning out a lot. Like, someone will be talking to me and I feel myself getting overwhelmed quite easily and drift out and it doesn’t mean they’re boring or talking about heavy things (sometimes they are). I get like sensory overload. Or I’ll just be sitting in bed and zone out.

Is the perfect man or woman a myth? Yes. No one is perfect.

How do you feel about Bob Marley? I like a couple songs.

What's your favorite fairy tale? I liked reading or listening to all of them when I was growing up. <<<

Do you know who Tom Jones is? Yes.

Tell me one fact you know about horses (without using Google). They have manes.

When was the last time you had to walk up or down stairs? Well, never since I’m in a wheelchair.

Tell me one unique quality about your own handwriting. My handwriting is shit.

What daily chore do you secretly enjoy? I don’t enjoy any type of cleaning.

Has a child ever asked you a question you found difficult to answer? Definitely. Kids ask a lot of questions about everything and anything.

Name five books you've read in the past year. I’ve read a ton more than that, but I’ll give you the latest 5: Cold Highway, Cold Threat, Cold Hunt, Cold Truth, and To Die For.  You can probably tell the first 4 are by the same author, Mary Stone. The last one is by Willow Rose.

^Are any of those books your favorite? I’ve enjoyed ‘em all. I’ve read a lot of books from both authors.

Are you a person that enjoys re-reading books? I don’t re-read books, actually. 

Which hobby is the lamest: stamp collecting or spoon collecting? I wouldn’t call either of them lame just cause it might not be something I’m personally interested in. Those bring some people joy.

What do you daydream about most often? My mind wanders off to random stuff, stuff I’m dealing with, stuff I’m anxious and stressed out about, etc.

Why is your favorite band your favorite band? I’ve listened to them since middle school, so we have a lot of history. I really just connect and relate to their lyrics and I love their music.

Do you have a favorite talk show host? Nah.

What do you wish you could afford at the moment? A beach home with my own private beach area. 

What is the most unusual color you've ever painted your nails? I can’t think of any “unusual” colors that I’ve painted them. 

Which sounds the most refreshing: a hot shower or a cold one? I always take hot showers.

Have you ever made your own soap? No.

What's your favorite popsicle flavor? Not a popsicle fan.

Can you sleep with socks on? Yeah, I always have socks on.

When was the last time you were pissed beyond belief and why? I’ve been frustrated and pissed with some things I’ve been dealing with lately. 

Name a band with the word 'red' in their title. Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Do you have a favorite candle brand? I’m not a candle person. I just go for the room sprays.

How many years until you turn 38? 6. D:

What is your opinion on taxidermy? I find it super creepy and weird.

Would you ever want to own a body part in a jar? Uh, no.

What is the worst thing you have ever done to your own hair? Let it get really knotted up. :/

What do you think makes you a good girlfriend or boyfriend? Nothing.

What qualities of yours do you think could potentially harm a relationship? I’m a total mess, I wouldn’t make a good girlfriend. 

How often do you indulge in a favorite food from your childhood? I eat ramen regularly.

Have any of your childhood habits carried over into adolescence/adulthood? My damn nail picking habit. 

What is the nicest thing you've done for someone else in the past 24 hours? Nothing.

What sort of conditions do you require in order for you to fall asleep? It needs to be cool and I have to have the TV on.

What is the first band that comes to mind when I say 'dark'? Uhhh.

Do you have a favorite punk band? Green Day.

As far as relationships go, what are your biggest deal-breakers? Abuse and cheating. <<<

Be honest: do looks really matter to you? They’re like a bonus to me. <<<

Congratulations! Someone sent you flowers! What kind do you hope they are? I’m not picky, just a pretty assortment perhaps would be nice.

What type of underwear do you personally prefer to wear? Hipsters.

What is the grossest chore you've ever been assigned? Nothing gross.

What band (BESIDES IRON MAIDEN) comes to mind when I say 'iron'? I got nothin. 

Have you ever done something simply because you were of age? I had to go out and buy alcohol the day I turned 21.

Do you think it's worth it to tell someone you had feelings for them when you don't have them anymore? Wait, tell them I used to have feelings for them but don’t anymore? If I don’t anymore then why tell them about when I used to? Unless of course we were in a relationship and I no longer felt that way.

What color shirts do you tend to buy most often? Black.

Have you ever done something you once thought you'd be too chicken to do? Yeah.

Where would you rather go: Portland, Oregon or Portland, Maine? Portland, Oregon.

Name a band that begins with the letter Y. Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Tell me about someone who has made a huge impact in your life. My mom most definitely has.

What can I usually find you doing at 4pm on a weekday? At that time any day I’m likely still sleeping.

What's a food you love but don't get to eat very often? I only eat the same few foods, so I eat them quite often. Like, I eat Wingstop 3-4 times a week...

Do you dot your lowercase i's? Yes.

What's the first song on your iPod/mp3 player that comes up under P? I use Spotify on my phone for music, but anyway nah I don’t feel like doing that. 

Do the words 'Amon' and 'Amarth' mean anything to you? No.

What's your favorite mythical being? I don’t really have a favorite.

Don't you hate surveys that end abruptly? As long as the question itself isn’t cut off, which I’ve seen, or it’s a numbered one and a question is completely missing then I don’t care.

Let's end this survey with a smile; tell me something funny. I’m not in a good mood to think of something funny right now.

[rockrevoltmagazine]

INTERVIEW: DELAIN

Interview with Martijn Westerholt of Delain

RockRevolt spoke with Martijn Westerholt, co-founder of the Dutch symphonic band, Delain. A lovely conversationalist, Martijn spoke about their recent projects and where they came from. Read on!

Your released Hunter’s Moon here on February 22nd, 2019. It’s the final in a trilogy (Luna Prelude and Moonbathers). Would you mind painting a picture for us regarding what a listener will appreciate from the trilogy standpoint. 

Delain’s Hunter’s Moon

It’s a bundle collection of material. There are four new studio tracks on there and 10 recorded tracks from a live show we did. A very special live show and from the same show we also made a Blu-Ray so people can see it as well. The four new tracks contain some material from our upcoming album we will release later this year and some unique tracks which will only be on this bundle and will not be available on this upcoming album release. 

You released the video to Masters of Destiny last month. The visual journey is incredible. Can you give me the story behind the incarnation of Masters of Destiny and how it evolved into the versions we hear today? 

I started with making kind of a movie score concept. The way we always write is we write with three people. One of us makes an idea – a concept and then we sit together and we evolve this into a song. Then it goes back to me for the musical part because I’m also the producer so I tweak on it. For the lyrics, it also goes to Charlotte. She not only writes together with us, but also writes the lyrics. Then, in the end, it culminates again with me. Then we mix the album. This song is a little bit different. Most of the time we have songs which are more of a box structure and this is more like a composition. It’s not really a logical chorus structure. It’s almost kind of a movie score. That’s also something we wanted to radiate with the video. This is a little bit of how everything came together and then evolved into what you hear and what you can see now. 

Did you learn anything new from this experience? 

Well, you kind of learn, it sounds very unoriginal, but you kind of learn every record again. There are elements where the music brings you and there are also things which are more of the same way you work and your own style and your own DNA. I think this song really came together really well. For me it was not a lot of new stuff but I think for Charlotte it was. She’s experimenting a lot more with her vocals in ways she didn’t do before. In that regard, it is a little bit different. 

You chose Iceland for the backdrop of the video. Tell me about your thought process for that video development. 

It’s kind of for a movie score vibe. We really envisioned this landscape you could see and Charlotte being in it and the band being in that, making it big and epic. We asked a couple of video companies to make a script with us then we would choose one and the one we worked with eventually, we decided to go to Iceland. For example, there is a beach where Charlotte is singing and that’s a very famous beach which you can find back in a lot of shows and movies, for example in Game Of Thrones, this beach is featured. The funny thing was actually the record company wanted the other song Hunter’s Moon for the video. But we wanted to do something different because Hunter’s Moon is indeed again a more box structured song. It’s totally fine. I love that song. But we thought this song would work better with the video, that’s why we went with this song.

Hunter’s Moon has 10 songs that are recorded live. What do you feel a listener walks away with after listening to a live recorded performance vs. studio performance? 

You keep hearing the vibe of the evening and that’s really cool. Also there are some features there which you cannot find on the album. For example, we played the song Scandal. That’s a Queen cover. We did that together with Marco. Marco who is on this live recording a lot because it’s from a show where we played almost all songs we recorded with Marco. And Scandal is a song where he isn’t recorded on the album, but we did it live because it worked so well. That’s an example of a difference you can find on a live recording together with the vibe a little bit. When you record and write a song, it’s always a question of how it will do live. When I hear it the first is always exciting and sometimes you are very pleasantly surprised and sometimes you’re also disappointed that it doesn’t come out live that well. It makes a difference and that’s why I think it’s nice that people can check it out. 

The artwork is by Cam Rackam. It’s gorgeous. What are your thoughts? How did you discover that you wanted to go with that artist? 

That’s a very good question because that’s Charlotte’s department. Charlotte is very much into art! She also has a educational art background. She did gender studies for example so this is totally her department where I have no say whatsoever. 

What did you think? Was it a good idea or do you feel like you would need to get in there at some point to make some changes? 

At first I didn’t like it at all. But I’m very conservative with some things and we worked with Glenn Arthur before this and that work was really well. It’s also very unique for band in our genre to work in that kind of style. Then Charlotte came with this and I really had to get used to it. Oh flowers! And it looked so sweet! And the skeletons! Isn’t that skeletons again but I have to admit that I was really wrong about it on first impression. Now I really like it and seeing it back, it’s very stylish and it’s kind of macabre as well with the flowers and the skeletons. It’s a mixture of both. So, I changed my mind about it. 

So you learned something about yourself there. 

Yes! I did absolutely. 

You released a Live Blue-Ray from the Dance Macabre tour. What highlights from the tour can a fan expect to appreciate from this? 

Before this we recorded the DVD called A Decade of Delain where we celebrated our 10th anniversary. However, this was a very intimate setting and the Dance Macabre tour is a bigger setting. The venue capacity for example was way bigger, so production-wise you could do much more and also very important, Marco wasn’t present on the previous DVD. This tour is a little bit about highlighting his contribution to our entire catalogue. There are like six or seven songs we did with Marco, which is a lot and we played them live together. That’s special. And there were songs which we didn’t play on this previous DVD which are featured here. It’s just a different vibe. The Paradiso 10th anniversary DVD is more intimate and this is a little bit more grand.

I’m going to take a step back and dig into your past a little bit. As a child did you envision yourself doing what you do today? 

No, absolutely not. I started learning piano I think when I was eight just at a normal music school for kids and I kept doing that until I was 15-16. Even when I was in a band for Within Temptation I even had lessons then. When I played with Within Temptation I thought this is all really cool but I’m not sure what I’m going to do when I grow up.

That’s okay. I still don’t even know what I’m going to do when I grow up. 

No it’s true.! A lot of people have that right. It’s true. I wonder if something is wrong with that anyway. I don’t think so because it keeps your options kind of open and keeps your mind open. I think it’s even a good thing. 

Yes! It keeps it fresh. 

Yes. Then I got sick. I don’t know the English word for it. It’s kind of this flu which makes you really tired. Some people have it a year. I had it almost 10 years. In this period, I quit Within Temptation then I started Delain. This kind of spiraled out of control in a good way and now it’s my job. 

If you could go back and do it all over, would you make any changes? 

No I don’t think so.

Connect with Delain (click icons):

INTERVIEW: DELAIN was originally published on RockRevolt Mag

[datblog16]

Amazing God

I recently came across an article on yahoo about a picture that was recently taken by NASA. It showed a video of a picture taken recently by NASA's Hubble Telescope, which is its most powerful telescope.

http://youtu.be/udAL48P5NJU

“The largest NASA Hubble Space Telescope image ever assembled, this sweeping bird’s-eye view of a portion of the Andromeda galaxy (M31) is the sharpest large composite image ever taken of our galactic next-door neighbor.Though the galaxy is over 2 million light-years away,The Hubble Space Telescope is powerful enough to resolve individual stars in a 61,000-light-year-long stretch of the galaxy’s pancake- shaped disk. It's like photographing a beach and resolving individual grains of sand. And there are lots of stars in this sweeping view -- over 100 million, with some of them in thousands of star clusters seen embedded in the disk.This ambitious photographic cartography of the Andromeda galaxy represents a new benchmark for precision studies of large spiral galaxies that dominate the universe's population of over 100 billion galaxies. Never before have astronomers been able to see individual stars inside an external spiral galaxy over such a large contiguous area. Most of the stars in the universe live inside such majestic star cities, and this is the first data that reveal populations of stars in context to their home galaxy. Because the galaxy is only 2.5 million light-years from Earth, it is a much bigger target in the sky than the myriad galaxies Hubble routinely photographs that are billions of light-years away." __________________________________________________________

Psalms 8:3-4 - When I consider your heavens the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?

Imagine for a second that your dad was this famous architect, and he had recently built a huge cathedral and you walk into it and see the great steeples, and the pillars, and detailed craftsmanship, the painted ceilings, the marble floors, and just the beauty of this structure, and all of a sudden you realize that it was your very own father who designed and built this.Take that feeling and multiply it by a million, thats how I felt. Yet at the same time, I felt so insignificant.

Now what David said makes so much more sense. "what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"

Why would a God who holds these stars in His hand, and stretches out the galaxies like sheets, why would He care about me, about my life, about my education, about my future? Why would God care about anything that I say or do? In John 3:16 we read, "for God so loved the world", but why?

The truth is we are God's most precious creation, His most prized possession, with whom He longs for a relationship with. About no other creation was it ever said that they were created in the image and likeness of God. Not even the angels were created in God's image. For no other creation did God step down from heaven to become one of us, and not only that, but to go on and die for us.

How amazing is it that this incomprehensible God can want to be so close to me? How astounding is it that I can call Him my Father? What a privilege is it to be called His friend.

Isaiah 40:21-26 - Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? 22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. 23 He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. 24 No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. 25 “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

This same God goes on to call Abraham, in chapter 41: 8-10, his friend and encourages and comforts his people.

So often we get blinded by our own petty issues, or our seemingly significant problems, that we forget who our God is. We've all heard of the saying, “don't tell God how big your problems are, tell your problems how big your God is.” But you know, thats kinda hard to do when your problems are all you see. So what do you do? Open your eyes, look out at the night sky, look at the beauty of a rose, admire the workings of the organs in your own human body. You just cant help but be in awe of God's greatness.

Psalms 19:1 - The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

To sing that our God is Great is truly a complete understatement, because we will never be able to describe his immensity; there is no word in the dictionary that would do justice for explaining how awesome He is. I'm reminded of the Chris Tomlin song:

Indescribable, uncontainable, You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name. You are amazing God All powerful, untameable, Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim You are amazing God Incomparable, unchangeable You see the depths of my heart andYou love me the same You are amazing God

To know that the God of the universe, the creator of trillions of stars, loves me and calls me His own. I no longer feel insignificant.To know that to the creator of a billion worlds, I am His world, because He cares for me and wants to be with me, what greater comfort do we need.

1 John 3:1a -  See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 

What great comfort it is to be called the children of the God of the universe. With such a privilege, there is no reason for us to ever live in fear of what comes our way, because we know that the God who holds our hands also holds the stars in place.

God bless you.