#Beatdown leitmotif

[homestuck-music-tournament]

Time on My Side

Album: Strife! Composer: Tensei Leitmotifs: Beatdown, Black, Time on My Side Characters: Dave Strider, Dirk Strider, Derse, Jake English, Brobot, Hegenomic Brute, Draconian Dignitary, The Condesce

You may know this from:

[S] Prince of Heart: Rise up.

[S] Strife!!! (From MSPFA "Homestuck")

[sodapops0lstice]

SO WHO WAS GONNA TELL ME THAT BEATDOWN AND BIG SHOT HAVE THE EXACT SAME LEITMOTIF HUH???

[carcrash-ventass]

Spamton is portrayed with white skin, uses a typing quirk, and uses leitmotifs made by Toby Fox.

Spamton is an honorary Homestuck character.

Also he might also be referencing “Beatdown” in “Big Shot”.

[turtlemagnum]

honestly really liked that episode. it was actually really neat seeing an enemy be convinced into turning over a new leaf for once, even if he got killed by the other bad guy immediately. i'll miss you, terminator man...

i also really liked how ken used his brains by volunteering to join raoh's forces, because obviously where they're recruiting from would ultimately have more of a threat, y'know? good thinkin, ken.

it's honestly a bit weird to have the beatdown theme use the ai wo torimodose leitmotif when ai wo torimodose isn't being used anymore. don't get me wrong, both are very good, but i'm still not exactly used to the new theme. it does capture the more melancholy aspects of the series pretty well in my opinion, and it contrasts nicely with how bombastic ai wo torimodose was, but i can't say it's an improvement. still, at the very least it's a change of pace

[telaraneas]

the leitmotifs in homestuck frustrate me so much because of how ambiguous they are sometimes, which is kinda natural given the music was a massive collaborative effort with relatively little direction etc but jus sometimes. sometimes i think about how touhou music is one of the main melodies in heir of grief and i just get the tiniest bit sad. sometimes i just wish there had been a bit more consistency to what melodies are tied to what characters and themes, because when they hit as intended its The Best Musical Moments Of Homestuck

[stararise]

One of my favorite things about the difference in the Lloyd and Garmadon fights in SoG and Hunted, is the music. Yes, they have a marked difference in tone just listening to them, but if you pay attention to the leitmotifs used, they also add to the story. (Leitmotif = a recurring musical phrase that represents a character or idea.)

“Garmadon’s True Potential” (which plays during the fight in True Potential) is primarily focused on Garmadon’s theme (the Sons of Garmadon theme is incorporated into Garmadon’s theme, showing their role in his revival) and the Garmadon family theme, with absolutely no usage of the Green Ninja theme. The one time the Ninjago theme is used is when it cuts to the other Ninja, it’s never used to symbolize a heroic moment by Lloyd. When Lloyd starts fighting in earnest, at the end, there’s no desperate-but-heroic rendition of the Green Ninja theme - it’s the SoG theme followed by the Garmadon family theme.

Being scored like this makes the fight basically entirely about Garmadon; Lloyd doesn’t get any victories, in the animation or musically. Lloyd goes into this fight with the intent to save his father, not fight him, so the music reflects that by emphasizing the Garmadon family theme. Garmadon’s theme is dissonant and evil sounding, while the Garmadon family theme is sad, bringing down the whole mood of the fight. Because there’s only one cutaway to the other Ninja, there’s also no reprieve; while the music does get quieter/less noisy in some moments, it’s six straight minutes of unsettling dissonance and tragic violins/vocals.

To contrast, “I Can Resist You” (which plays during the fight in Green Destiny) has all three themes, and more (for example, some interjections by the Resistance theme when it cuts to the other Ninja). It actually focuses less on Garmadon’s theme. This time, when Lloyd argues with his father, the Ninjago theme is played. When Lloyd grabs the Dragonbone Blade, we hear a modified Green Ninja theme. When he deflects a bolt of Destruction, Green Ninja theme.

Like the fight itself, this time the music feels like an actual fight instead of a one-sided beatdown, because Lloyd is musically represented by the Ninjago theme and Green Ninja theme. Garmadon’s theme and the family theme are still there, but the different instrumentation and harmonization lessen the impact on the mood. (Garmadon’s theme especially is played less and harmonized differently to make the overall music more melodic and thus feel less creepy.) Also, the music has “lighter” instruments like a flute, which the composers tend to associate with the heroes.

The unreleased portion of the soundtrack which plays after this track (starting when Lloyd gets the idea to use the Art of the Silent Fist) follows in a similar vein. During the parts where Lloyd is fighting Garmadon, the Resistance theme plays instead of Garmadon’s theme. When Lloyd gets his power back, the Green Ninja theme plays.

Musically, this shows the tide shifting as Lloyd starts winning. The Resistance theme is hopeful, really bringing up the mood. Garmadon’s theme only plays once more, at the very end when he’s lost his powers completely, and even then instead of being elaborated on in the usual continuation, a less dissonant variation is played which leads directly into the Green Ninja theme. It’s unified - there’s no interjection from Garmadon’s theme except at the end, signifying that the real fight is over.

tl;dr: In True Potential, the leitmotifs used are almost only Garmadon’s theme and the Garmadon family theme, which centers the scene on him and makes the fight one-sided musically. In Green Destiny, the Green Ninja, Ninjago, and Resistance themes give the fight more balance and focus on Lloyd’s victory. Also you should listen to the soundtrack because it’s good.

(Side note: Some people say that what I call the Garmadon family theme is simply Emperor Garmadon’s theme (and that he has two themes, I guess), but the Garmadon family theme only gets played in relation to, well, the Garmadon family. It’s just that a lot of the time, Lloyd ends up nearby when Emperor Garmadon gets screentime. Just listen to the musical cues for when he isn’t, though, and the 3-note theme gets played, not the family theme. [Unless he’s talking about Lloyd, which he does a lot.])

[simmonsized]

Really appreciated the other ask answered. Do you have any favorite pieces from the multiple Homestuck albums we’ve been graced with? Honestly, I’m still amazed how much music there is.

I'm afraid you've missed my in-person lecture about leitmotifs and the songs that relate to the striders specifically (insert a joke about sunsetter>sunslammer>moonsetter>moonsweater>stride etc etc not to mention beatdown/time on my side, the upward movement evolution etc etc here) but this is all to say that YES OF COURSE I DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Obviously I show favoritism towards Moonsetter is anyone surprised???? ha

The Unlabeled song from One Year Older

I was super into Flare (specifically the Cascade cut) when it first came out!

Hard to explain but i LOVE the Three in the Morning (RJ's I Can Barely Sleep In This Casino Remix) from vol. 4 (this is the song i listened to on literal repeat while i drew my Bro and Handmaid pic!!)

(back when dubstep was cool i loved coolkid a lot)

BUT I ALSO LOVE. GASP, WHEEZE. okay NOT official but SHOULD HAVE BEEN!!!!!!!!!!!! Alphamatic Replacement by Xauric is literally one of the best songs ever created for fucking homestuck and i stand by that AND speaking of this song!!!!!!!!!! The song on the official (cringes bc of content) "Beyond Canon" album SPLIT REALITY is also by the author and references it heavily and it FUCKS severely i could listen to this song all day because of the emotions it gives me in relation to my Opinions

AND we will say, lastly, Heir of Grief, for obviously, unnecessary to explain reasons :)

all this is to say, i'm a fan of the entire colours and mayhem albums and just like. all of it lol!!!! leitmotifs get me SO deeply i could talk about homestuck music all day it was hard to pick just a few!

[spnorwhatever]

listen but. Not to be pedantic on main about the music studies thing or anything but. You can’t just slap parts of the track onto scenes. without considering the parts of the melodies you’re using and whether or not you’re actually using the leitmotifs, and also like. the leitmotif MEANINGS.

the original scene with the MoC Dean beatdown was really good! Dean’s family dedication theme from Americana came on at JUST the right time! (”Dean. Stop”). It plays thru with imo very effective instrumentation (viola, it sounds like? and something kind of plaintive, maybe a synth? a woodwind of some sort?) 

it suspends and cuts off as Dean goes to stab down. there’s no scoring as he gets up. the scoring comes back as we see Cas revealed, with the blade next to his head in a book. a suspension note comes back in to ease it into the last few chords, which happen after Dean says “you and Sam stay the hell away from me.” the last few chords of the theme resolve as he says “next time I won’t miss” but the last chord resolves when we cut back to Cas, bloody, staring at the blade.

That’s incredibly effective! putting part of the “castiel’s theme + Americana” doesn’t... actually do much for that scene, especially bc you’d have to use the identifiable leitmotif to really convey meaning there. 

[epiglottalaxolotl]

Leitmotif for Chuvut. Heavily inspired by JJBA beatdown themes like Il Vento D’Oro. Has a suitably weird time signature to match her eldritch nature.

[bi-rezi]

if I made video essays they'd be music nerd shit mostly. my magnum opus would be an analysis of some of the hs music - about doctor, maybe, or the showtime theme, or maybe even the beatdown theme. I want to talk about leitmotifs. I want to do comparisons of the "I want" songs in Disney movies and musicals. I want to teach people how to spot autotune and other pitch correction because it is wayyyyyy more common than you think.

[homestuck-music-tournament]

FIDUSPAWN, GO!

Album: AlterniaBound Composer: David Ko and Toby Fox Leitmotifs: Showtime, Pumpkin Cravings, Harlequin, Sunsetter, Desperado, Megalovania, Vagabounce, Beatdown Characters: Tavros Nitram, Tinkerbull

You may know this from:

[S] Liz: STRIFE! (From MSPFA "Nightfall")

[S] Izzy: STRIFE! (From MSPFA "Scapecast")

[kitkat-the-muffin]

This is the song I imagine plays during the fight against c!Dream on January 20th 2021

Cause it’s got the Beatdown and MeGaLoVania leitmotifs in em and ya’ll know I love them Tommyinnit and Dave parallels

Also there is a bit in it where you can really hear the “c!Tubbo jumps in and smack the heck out of c!Dream” part of the fight that never actually happens in canon but would’ve if c!Dream wasn’t overpowered and only there to mess with their mental states

[heir-of-puns]

Homestuck Volume 10, One Year Later Retrospective!

Creata, by Seth “Beatfox” Peele: A very very good track to begin the last album. It just kind of embodies everything beautiful and epic about the finale of homestuck. Its beginning section is used in Collide, which brings you right into the first moments of the final battle and then, when you’re ready for the big hit and transition into Oppa Toby Style, the full version slams you with a full-out orchestra. Another thing I really really love about this one is its use of Song of Skaia. The original theme (Skies of Skaia) is used throughout the album, which I didn’t expect to be sure, but it works perfectly. We kind of forget about how important Skaia and universe creation is to the plot/lore of homestuck (which I think may have been one of the problems with Act 7 and our reactions to it but I won’t get into that).The lyrics are gorgeous too. Definitely check out the original Song of Skaia album by Mark Hadley and Tarien Ainuvë. I guess my only gripe is that the song is pretty obviously not a live orchestra or choir. That said, Beatfox did a damn good job with it. I would love love love to see a full orchestra/choir perform it.

Train, by George Buzinkai: The transition from Creata to Train may seem a bit jarring, but if Creata went straight into Of Gods and Witches we wouldn’t have time to relax. Train is just super fun, as are all of George’s songs. Speaking of, check out a bunch more songs like Train here! Also that track art tho. Not one of the strong tracks, but it doesn’t have to be with so many heavy-hitters.

Of Gods and Witches, by Tensei: Oh man, just. Goddamn. I just love this song so much. And what a beginning. The string part slams you full force and just when you think you’re getting comfortable with Jade's Pirates of the Caribbean Quest, Tensei’s classic guitar comes in. The swashbuckling nature of this one is a surprising choice for Jade, but every Jade song is a good Jade song and she definitely deserves such an awesome track. One gripe is that Doctor is referenced which has no connection to Jade but...whatevs I’m kind of weirdly obsessive about leitmotifs for whatever reason. I think Tensei said he did it to make the song 4:13. Worth it. This is one of my favorite strife-y tracks in the music canon for sure.

Beatup, by Clark Powell and Astro Kid: Beatdown is a song with a very interesting history in homestuck, not only because of its associations with Bro and his rooftop...ahem...training of Dave, but also because it was unfinished versions of Beatdown which caused the whole Bill Bolin thing. So Beatdown being featured so heavily on the album is a fun callback to the good ol’ days. And this is such a good version. That base. Makes you want to play it as party music or something. With the track art featuring both Dave and Dirk, I like to think of it as Dave’s reclamation of Beatdown, alongside his rooftop talk with Dirk and the reclamation of his identity since Bro’s death.

You Killed My Father (Prepare to Die), by Team Dogfight: Another one of my faves, though that doesn’t mean much because at least half this album are faves. This is pretty much number one on my list of songs I really want someone to do a full fan animation to, a la Rex Duodecim Angelus. Team Dogfight is amazing both as a group and as individual artists. Yishan Mai/Catboss (drums, mixing) has done tons of LOFAM music, including the Dance tribute songs (MeGaDanceVania, Dance-Stab-Dance, and Emissary of Dance) and so many others I can’t list them all. Listen to his solo stuff (especially Jar of Feelings), you won’t regret it. Will Ascenzo (orchestra, choir) has got to be one of my favorite musicians of all time. Her stuff is just...oh man. Check out Rust Apocalypse for more hs content, and also all of her original albums. DJ最テー (guitars) did Violet Prince and Iron Knight I believe, two tracks which have very much been growing on me lately. I just realized viaSatellite (bass) did Clockstopper (with infiniteKnife) which is my absolute favorite Dave song in the entire canon. David "Dirtiest" Dycus (synths, composition) and Ian White (trumpet) have also done tons of great LOFAM stuff. This song is just so fun and epic and cinematic. A+ yo.

Sound Judgement, by Malcolm Brown: First off, sick transition. Second, say what you want about the end of Terezi’s arc, but the fact that she got her own badass song on the final album says something about how amazing she is. Malcolm Brown is just the king of cinematic pieces, and this one is no exception. It does such a good job turning a pretty simple leitmotif (The Lemonsnout Turnabout/Terezi’s Theme) and making it super epic, which is a word I will keep using throughout this retrospective because I can’t think of another one. The main tune (hook?) of this one is also beautiful and emotional, both as the bells at the beginning and end and as the orchestra/guitar bit at the climax. Its use of Harlequin is obviously a reference to her fight with Gamzee pre-Game Over, though Harlequin is coincidentally also used in reference to John. So it fits both her pre- and post-Game Over arcs. 

Aggrievocation, by Mark Hadley: Considering how much it was used in Volume 5, I feel like we’ve forgotten about Aggrieve. Or maybe it was just me, whose intro to Rose’s music was almost all Chorale for Jaspers references. Aggrievocation was therefore another unexpected surprise, and damn I love it. It makes a nice little trilogy, too, with the original Aggrieve and Aggrievance from Vol.5. This would be my favorite badass Rose song if At the Price of Oblivion and Dance of Thorns didn’t exist

Stride, by Kalibration: I’m surprised neither official nor fan musicians have capitalized on the fact that Dave makes his own music in-canon. While we all know if he were from post-2009, he would deal exclusively in vaporwave, I like to think that Stride is the kind of thing he makes once he finally gets good. And considering the track art, I love the idea of him and Dirk making it together. This song exists in canon for all I’m concerned is what I’m saying. Also, this would make a great walk-around theme for either Dave or Dirk. This is the first of two great Moonsetter remixes on Vol.10, which is yet another happy surprise on this album. Moonsetter seems to have become a kind of hybrid Dirk/Meteor tune considering its original track art on Vol.9 and its use in Vriskagram. But we all know that Moonsetter is the official Gay theme now and I embrace that wholeheartedly. I...still have no idea where Showdown actually comes in though?

Skaian Overdrive*, by Thomas Ferkol: Ah, that good ol’ asterisk. Legend says that the music team video released in tandem with the album claimed Vol.10 included a track called Skaian Starstorm, which someone eventually realized was not the name of this track and was in fact an Astro Kid song from LOFAM 2. In correcting himself, Thomas (or whoever put it together, so probably RJ) placed the asterisk in the song title, which of course means that it is included as part of the title on the bandcamp page and on downloadeds. Who can say for sure if it was intentional or not, but I appreciate that we’ve all just accepted it as part of the title, either as a wink-wink or without knowing the backstory. Anyway, this is a great song for the Battlefield. I love Thomas’s metal stuff.

Freefall, by RJ Lake: It took me embarrassingly long to realize this was, in fact, a remix of RJ’s early version of Cascade (Beta). Cascade (Beta) itself has got to be one of my absolute favorites (which, again, doesn’t mean a whole lot) and this version is so much fun. It’s funky, epic, and I really really love those drop/clap bits. And it’s so great seeing a Cascade remix on the final hs album, harkening back to what was probably, for good or bad, homestuck’s apex.

Moonsweater, by David Ellis, Alto and Tenor Saxophone performed by Malik Refaat: My roommate is a jazz snob from New Orleans and he heard me playing this and came over to my side of the room to say it was really good and ask who it was by. Which, I think, is a major victory for homestuck music and a moment of pride for me. So apparently this is a great song even by jazz snob standards, which is sick as hell. Overall, just a fun bouncy song and another cool use of Moonsetter. And it’s nice to see the Midnight Crew featured on the album, whether they have anything to do with the song’s origins or not. Yeah the song is a bit long, but I can forgive it. Question though: is it sweater like sweat or sweater like the item of clothing? Plz advise. One is significantly weirder than the other and I assumed it was that one until recently. Another mystery which doesn’t need solving but heck if I’m not gonna try and solve it anyway, so nice work.

Castle, by George Buzinkai: Another fun, simple track from George. Again, check out his album of similar stuff I linked to above, and support George with your money and appreciation! The track art makes me think of this one as a song for the post-retcon Meteor Crew sneaking through Derse to save Jake and Roxy.

Skaian Happy Flight, by Seth “Beatfox” Peele: A fun remix of Skaian Ride, harkening back to the old days of Vol.5. A bit of a filler piece, but a fun one. Beatfox said he intended this one as a tribute to the music from the Never Ending Story. As such, notice the little Hussie riding Falcor in the background of the track art.

Voidlight, by Thomas Ferkol: Mmmm the more Calliope tracks the better. Thomas said this one was written as a tribute to Callie’s void bubble and her loneliness hiding in them which, yeah it works perfectly. I also like to think of this one as a theme for Alt-Calliope too, though, not only because I am starved of Alt-Callie Content, but also because those themes of loneliness Callie experiences in the void are mirrored really poignantly in Alt-Calliope’s characterization in-comic. A beautiful piece overall.

Beatdown DX, by Curt Blakeslee: As I mentioned earlier for Beatup, it’s neat seeing Beatdown come back full force on this album. Especially this one, which is a straight-up remaster of the original by its original creator. It’s awesome, especially considering that I don’t think he’s done anything else for the comic since the original Beatdowns from way back when. The original is purposefully harsh to reflect...yeah...but this one finally puts it to its full potential. The amazing track art (brought to you by the creator of Terepy herself) really drives the point home about what Beatdown represents for Dave’s character. I like to think of this one as how Bro sees the song/rooftop battles. Heroic, clean, fun, badass, classic video-game style. And we see from the art that what Bro is doing is none of those, and the original reflects Dave’s perspective on what was going on: harsh, dissonant, aggressive, violent. I do wish that this was included before Beatup on the album, since it represents the exact thing Dave reclaims with that version, as I mentioned earlier.

Solar Voyage, by Marcy Nabors: Oh man. This song. This song is such a great tribute to some of the most iconic songs in homestuck. Starts out with a pretty much one-to-one rendition of Ruins, then hits that sick-ass drop and flare beat, then that guitar. Oh man, that guitar. I wish I could make people feel the way that guitar makes me feel. And then to top it all off, another tribute to the iconic Explore. Three classics which work beautifully together. Also this one is a collaboration from pretty much everyone: Arrangement by Michael Guy Bowman, Marcy Nabors, Clark Powell, and Erik Scheele , Piano by Erik Scheele, Guitar by Tensei, Vocals by Paul Henderson and Marcy Nabors, Drums by Jamie Paige Stanley. The whole gang. And then that transition to.......

Feel (Alive), by Luke Benjamins and RJ Lake: This fucking song, I swear to god. It gets me so pumped. Every single time I listen to it I bounce along. I usually prefer songs with leitmotifs for added Emotions, but this has got to be one my top completely original pieces in the music canon. It goes so hard, it doesn’t even need a subject. The track art makes it a Meteor Crew (plus Jade) tribute, though, so I like to think of it playing as the Meteor is hurtling towards the Alpha session and their imminent doom, with everyone having lived three years of emotional turmoil and pubescence. Truly a masterpiece.

Breeze, by Erik Scheele: Yeah it’s a bit of a filler piece, but it’s a classy filler piece. I just imagine John chilling up in the clouds, free and relaxed. Maybe he packed a lunch for a little sky picnic. I don’t think it was written with John in mind but it’s called Breeze, so I dub it a John piece, so there. And then a tantalizing transition into...

Starfall, by Jeremy “Solatrus” Iamurri: I know we all thought of this one as just a little transition piece into Ascend originally, but after listening to it over the course of a year (!) I’ve grown to really love it. Solatrus has some amazing and unique stuff and out of everything he’s done, including solo albums, this is probably my favorite. I still can’t quite place exactly why I love it so much, there’s just...something about it that’s beautiful and ethereal and just really really cool. I like that the artist decided to go with a tribute to both Rose and the Reckoning for this piece, as it really works for both of them for similar reasons as above. It’s another one that transcends a subject, though, and I am a-okay with that. And then that transition into...

Ascend, by Tensei: No final album is complete without a big tribute to some of homestuck’s most classic tunes. I am such a sucker for those kind of songs and this one is just so much fun. That base drop though. That’s a good base drop. I can never help but laugh, however, at Tensei attempting to use it to make Johnradia canon which...a) is a boring ship b) the art doesn’t even suggest they’re romancey it just gives cool feelings about badass god tiers extending a hand to those who have Ascended and c) the song was, of course, used in the Credits and constitutes our current, but probably final let’s be serious Last Music in Homestuck, and the only ship we associate with it now is Rosemary getting Rosemarried which I think is a very poetic backfire for Tensei. But credit where credit is due, Tensei is still one of my favorite artists and he really delivers a super fun tribute to everything homestuck. 

Lilith in Starlight, by Malcolm Brown: Yeah, there isn’t really anything about this one that hasn’t been said a bunch of times. It’s so great having a full song dedicated to Rosemary. Including Blind Justice Investigation (I am not typing that out in Terezi’s quirk), Do You Remem8er Me, Black Rose/Green Sun, Sound Judgement, and others, it truly makes Malcolm Brown the musician king of gay homestuck ships. Yay Malcolm. But seriously, this is a beautiful piece. Gorgeous references to Rose’s and Kanaya’s themes (have I mentioned how much I love Black/Rose Green Sun? I really love Black Rose/Green Sun), and a fun, dancey rhythm which always makes me think of it as Rose and Kanaya’s wedding dance number. Imagine them spinning each other around as everyone claps and oohs and aahs. Good content.

Thanks for Playing, by Max Wright: Ya know, I never give this one the credit it deserves. This is a beautiful piece of music and combined with the track art, it really hammers in the emotions of the end of homestuck. There they all are, staring into the distance as the universe they’ve just created comes into being. Emotions. I really need to appreciate this song more.

Renewed Return, by Marcy Nabors: Man, who knew Warhammer of Zillyhoo could make me so emotional. This might be my current favorite on the album, though that changes monthly tbh. Especially since this is a real live orchestra and choir! I love that!!! It includes some great overlooked pieces like Calamity and Revered Return, too. Man I’m getting tired. But this is such a great song, and kind of the emotional climax of the album for me. Whether it has much to do with Jane or not, it’s just another great song for the end of homestuck and all the emotions that entails. And this has got to be one of my favorite renditions of Doctor. Rereading the lyrics, it really does seem like they were written for Jane and her resurrection powers actually. Resurrection is a theme throughout the comic in multiple forms, and paying tribute to that through Jane is so great, even regardless of her unacceptable lack of songs.

THIS Pumpkin, by Alexander Rosetti: And topping off the list of surprising returns of old songs, here we have a full-on orchestration of Pumpkin Cravings of all things. The original is such a fun little tune, and not one you would expect to work so well with an orchestra. Alexander Rosetti said the style was very much a tribute to Danny Elfman, which yeah I totally see (hear) that. It’s also great seeing a piece for Problem Sleuth on the last album for the media masterpiece it directly lead to. And finally...

Conclude, by Seth “Beatfox” Peele: It’s interesting that rather than go with a big epic finale, the album takes a softer route. It starts out as a more soothing Creata, then hits you (me) right in the emotional soft spot that is Showtime (Piano Refrain). The first track of the comic, featured in the last track of the last album. And then of course there’s no forgetting Homestuck Anthem. When not focusing on the piece, it can be a bit boring honestly. But when actually listening to it, it really is gorgeous. Kinda reminds me of John Williams’ Star Wars stuff actually, now that I think about it. An excellent finale of a finale of a finale.

There you have it, Vol.10 One Year and Several Hours Later. This took a really long time. Plz appreciate my hard work and the lack of sufficient sleep I am getting tonight.

[translationandbetrayals]

The seven-pages MUDA

[SPOILER ALERT, SPOILER ALERT, SPOILER ALERT] Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 5, Vento Aureo or Golden Wind, has to have one of the most exciting, intimate and well-designed writing on the whole saga. After finishing part 3, fans requested Hiroiko Araki (Jojo’s mangaka) to stop killing beloved characters, and so the light-hearted part 4 was conceived, but fans are never really satisfied, so they wanted a return to a deeper storytelling. That’s one of the things that made Araki write part 5 as it is, a part in which we get strongly accomplished characters with obscure and heart-wrenching back stories and some major deaths that go harder than ever on our feelings. The main character, Giorno Giovana (GioGio), is also a writing experiment as he is a Dio-spawn conceived with Jonathan’s body, he represents a blend in the duality of good and evil and a truly interesting character with its own values and principles.

Among the most remembered scenes there’s a beatdown that has won the fans heart and hype for being animated. The 562 chapter of the series relates the resolution of the fight between Giorno and a minor antagonist, Cioccolatta, whose back story isn’t minor: He’s a doctor with a passion for human suffering, it is told that when on duty he would neglect his patients just to see them agonize in pain, and that’s just a part of his story. The battle between our hero and antagonist is, at first, frustrating because Cioccolatta is a tricky enemy, but ends up being one of the most rewarding because of a turn in the events that reminds us of the typical from the series with a fresh take and also with a 7 sequential full-pages of Giorno beating the sick being that is Cioccolatta while shouting his inherited MUDAS and a full of rage WRYYYYYYYYY.

This scene has been growing between fans ever since its release but has gotten more and more hype since 2013 thanks to internet communities; this made it, maybe, the most anticipated scene to be animated in the now running David’s Production anime adaptation. And that moment, happened on 21st May, in the episode number 31 of Vento Aureo’s anime, marking a 22-year gap between the release of the original chapter. Come to think of the people that died waiting for this moment, MEGA- F. And all we can say is that DP delivered, with a truly wonderful 30 second scene, solid voice acting (the script included 41 無駄 or mudas) and beautiful animation, the 7-page Muda hasn’t stopped to be posted and flattered on Youtube, Tumblr, Reddit, Instagram, among others social media networks, releasing the fandom creativity once more with different leitmotifs, manga voice-overs and illustrations. May some fans rest in peace now, the 7 page muda has been finally animated wonderfully. My quote for the day is: "無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄無駄WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY無駄無駄無駄"

[rainywishes]

Homestuck Music Starter Kit

So homestuck has a lot of music, right? Like so much good music that it is a little overwhelming to know where to start? I’m not an expert but I would like to help if at all possible. This list is an attempt at a buyers(?) guide to the homestuck discography, which aims to point people in the right direction who may just now be listening to the homestuck soundtrack.

Disclaimer: All the homestuck music is good, and if at all possible you should get the entire discography. However the discography is extremely expensive if you try to buy it piece meal and sales of it’s entirety are few and far between. The reason of the list Is to highlight the music that I believe  are the bare minimum for enjoying the soundtrack of homestuck.

Let’s begin

1. Homestuck Vol.1-4 

Listen from where it all started!!(or at least a rerelease of where it started since the originals albums are no longer for sale). If there is one album that you can get on this list, get this album since many of the key leitmotifs in the comic come from songs on this album.

Recommended Tracks: Showtime (Original Mix) and Beatdown Round 2

2. Homestuck Vol.7: At the Price of Oblivion

Widely considered to be one of the best homestuck albums, Vol.7 offers some of the strongest music in the entire discography. I personally like how varied the songs are despite the generally darker tone of this particular album.

Recommended Tracks: At the Price of Oblivion and Let’s All Rock the Heist 

3. Homestuck Vol.9

Do you like a metric fuckton of good music? then Vol.9 is the album for you. This album is by far the most varied, most quality(well second most after the one below), and most expansive albums in the discography. I like to think of this album as a spiritual successor to Vol.5, hence why I’m recommending over it(and it won’t be the last time either.) 

Recommended Tracks: Anbroids V2.0 and Ugly Betty

4. Homestuck. Vol.10

It’s only fitting that the last album in the discography gets a place on this list. While I won’t call it the best homestuck album, It is by far the one with the most amount of heart and soul put into it. Every artist brings their A-game as every track feels like a swansong to each of the composers time with homestuck and for the comic in general. I also have some personal connection to this album, as this was the first numbered album I got to experience the release for. 

Recommended Tracks: Renewed Return and Freefall 

5.The Felt

In my opinion, this is the best none-numbered album hands down. Very weird and experimental, but equally haunting and melodic, The Felt captures the supernatural nature of time bending gangsters. Also is the better of the two intermission-centric albums, since The Felt outclasses Drawing Dead in terms of quality and variation.

Recommended Tracks: Jade Dragon and Scratch 

7. Medium - By Clark Powell 

On the more ambient side of the discography, you have the first solo album from by Clark Powell, Medium. Each song is distinct, taking the bizarre nature of each of the beta kids’ planets and extrapolating it across 8 tracks. Definitely a good listen for down time or creative projects.

Recommended Tracks: Heat and Wind 

8. Alterniabound

One of two albums centered around the iconic(or infamous) trolls. Alterniabound is a diverse album, with many distinct songs ranging from epic to completely goofy. It also has lots of hidden extra tracks that are pretty good too, if you’re into that.

Recommended Tracks: Nautical Nightmare and The Blind Prophet(Bonus Track) 

9. Strife 

Do you like intense anime-inspired metal? Then Strife would be right up your alley. This particular album sets out to bring high octane, pulse-pounding, battle themes right to your ear drums. Also Strife 2 is coming out soon at the time of writing this, so listening to the prequel might be a cool experience.

Recommended Tracks: Dance of Thorns and Knife’s Edge    

10. Cherubim 

A short musical interlude centering around the two of the bizarre characters in the Homestuck universe. Duality is the main theme of this album, as it alternates between the happy, albeit somber, tones of Calliope’s themes and the twisted and sinister themes of Caliborn. I think this album does a good job at establishing the personality of the two quite well.

Recommended Tracks: Carne Vale and The Lordling  

I hope that this helps some one.