#Dystopian Deep Techno

[stardust-bridges]

Club Furies Premiere: Unknownfunction/Empath - Rebellion [Limit]

A few days ago we presented our first exclusive premiere of the collaboration between Empath and Unknownfunction, called Evils of Capitalism. Its concept is simple, but not easy: “To prioritize human welfare over profit and accumulation”. To this end, techno becomes impressionable as a sound in the service of people, not of a profit-driven control. This work of art was a result of an exchange…

[cybrsan]

Light It Up! — K.HJ, P.SH

STORY SUMMARY: The year is 2077, and the world is a lawless dystopia where tech giants and major corporations hold all the power. Kim Hongjoong and Park Seonghwa are an infamous criminal duo who have made names for themselves fighting against the "techno brainwashing" of society. Discovering they're on the brink of getting caught, they decide to go out with a bang—and who better to help them than their favorite plaything?

PAIRING: Kim Hongjoong x F!Reader x Park Seonghwa

RATING/GENRE: M ; smut ; criminal / cyberpunk / dystopian AU

WORD COUNT: 4.4k

WARNINGS: Arson, breaking and entering, clubbing, alcohol + drug use, pet names (doll, precious), rioting, violence

NSFW WARNINGS: Choking, creampie, cum stuffing, cunnilingis, deep throating, exhibitionism, fire play, fingering, free use, hair-pulling, knife play (light), multiple orgasms, play party, public sex, spitroasting, sub drop, threesome, overstimulation

A/N: Don't blame me, blame the MATZ m/v.

LINKS: Masterlist, cross-posted on AO3.

“And… there!” 

After days of meticulous planning, organizing, and making shady, back-alley deals, it’s finally done. The last camera is in position—everything is ready for the big event. All that’s left for you to do is step back and admire your work.  

Switching on your illegally procured holodeck, you press a few buttons and watch as the space around you completely transforms. What was once an abandoned warehouse is now a club that could rival any in the city center. Neon lights pulse to heavy synth, serving bots whiz from place to place,  and the makeshift bar looks inviting enough with rows of expensive bottles on display. Whether or not the liquor in the bottles is worth the price, well… Hopefully people will be too distracted to notice. 

The focal point, the one thing you are most proud of, is the transparent stage that extends at least 15 feet above the dance floor. Taking in the grandeur of it all is more than enough to get you excited for what's to come. You're certain that Hongjoong and Seonghwa will put on the performance of the century. 

Today is incredibly important for both of them, and the fact that they have trusted you enough to include you more than makes up for the long hours and strenuous work. They’re currently out setting up their "grand finale," which they have been painstakingly cryptic about. You have your suspicions, not that you need or even want to know the specifics. 

A low whistle pierces the air. "You really outdid yourself this time, doll." 

You turn to look at Seonghwa as he enters, and your heart practically skips a beat when you take in his appearance—he must have changed in preparation for the big event. His hair, pulled away from his face, lets you focus on his features; dark eyes, full lips, all beautifully accented by his smoky makeup. His outfit is one you haven't seen on him before, but it suits him perfectly, from the gold chains hanging around his neck to the deep cut of his silk shirt.  

"Thanks, Hwa," you reply bashfully, dusting off your hands on your jeans. "Just trying to do my part." 

He approaches you, a smirk tugging at his lips. The way he stares at you, drinks you in… it makes you feel like a prey animal who has found itself in the sights of a predator. You blush and cast your gaze to the floor, suddenly fascinated by the specks of dirt at your feet. 

"And you have done it spectacularly." He lifts your chin with his pointer finger, forcing you to look him in the eyes. "I think you deserve a reward." 

Seonghwa drops his gaze to your lips for just a moment before he leans in, closing the space between you with an almost agonizing slowness. The kiss is gentle and commanding all at once and you shiver, immediately pulling him closer. The fatigue, the stress—all of it melts away.

His fingers tangle in your hair, pulling on it with just enough force to make you gasp. His tongue slides expertly against yours, the taste of him something sweet and darkly rich, like cherry liquor. It’s addictive. But the moment ends too soon for your liking, leaving you breathless and yearning for more.

Seonghwa doesn’t pull away entirely, resting his forehead against yours as he lifts a hand to brush a stray lock of hair away from your face. He lets his touch linger as he traces a path down your neck, lithe fingers playing with the necklace dangling above your chest. Three dainty, silver hearts. One for you, one for Seonghwa, and one for—

The rev of a motorcycle engine cuts through the air, and your head snaps toward the sound just in time to see Hongjoong park his bike at the door. He takes off his helmet and shakes out his hair which you’re surprised to see is freshly dyed. It almost makes you laugh; of course even as he’s out running errands for his coup de grâce, he finds time for fashion.

“Not starting the party without me, I hope?”

Hongjoong’s heeled boots click pleasantly atop the concrete flooring as he walks over to the two of you. His synthetic fur coat is a bright orange, the complete opposite of what one might expect a criminal on the run to wear. But both he and Seonghwa have never been ones for hiding.

“Never,” Seonghwa replies, clapping a hand on the back of the younger’s neck. “Did you get it done?”

Hongjoong scoffs in a teasing manner. “Did you doubt I would?”

“Of course not.” Seonghwa squeezes Hongjoong’s neck once before letting go and clapping his hands together. “Looks like it’s time for the show.”

A few hours later, the party is in full swing. The once-empty warehouse is now filled to the brim with people dressed in cloaks and masks for the sake of anonymity. Some are on the dance floor, grinding against each other, while others have drifted toward the bar, downing shots and laughing.

Toward the back of the room, there's a group huddled around a table, huffing glitter, black lace, and who knows what other kinds of drugs. Meanwhile, others are tangled together on couches, lost in the throes of ecstasy. The air is so thick with the smell of smoke and sweat that it almost makes you dizzy.

A hand wraps around your neck from behind, pulling you against a warm body, and you gasp. “That’ll be us later, precious,” Hongjoong whispers, hot breath fanning against your ear. Your nervousness ebbs away, immediately replaced by eagerness.  “Do you like watching them? Or maybe you’d prefer to be the one being watched?”

You lean back against him, the hand around your neck a welcome pressure. “Both,” you breathe.

You feel his chest rumble with laughter. “Good.” 

He separates from you, and you turn to face him. He seems so confident, so excited, that it’s hard to believe he and Seonghwa are about to paint targets on both of their backs. Hit by a wave of anxiety, you lean forward and kiss him. He immediately reciprocates, nipping at your bottom lip and eagerly exploring your mouth with his tongue. 

Kissing him is always different than kissing Seonghwa. Seonghwa’s kisses are controlled, with a hidden power brewing behind them. There’s always a promise of more, a hint at what is to come when he finally lets go. On the other hand, Hongjoong kisses with reckless abandon. He is uninhibited, always ready to devour you whole. When he pulls back, a string of spit hangs between you before snapping.

“You nervous?” You nod, and he gently tweaks your chin between two fingers. “Don’t be. Those tech bastards have no idea what we have in store.”

“I just want the two of you to be safe.”

“And we will be,” he assures you. "After everything goes up in flames. Trust me, precious. Trust us.”

“I do.” And it’s true. You trust them with everything that you have.

“That’s our girl.” He kisses you again. “It’s time to go live.”

You take out your holodeck, and with the click of a button, all the cameras you set up switch on. You hurriedly switch channels through all the local stations, thrilled to see that it worked and the entire club is being streamed live to every device in the city. 

You stop the music and make the lights go out, causing a hush to fall over the crowd. You shine one beam of light directly onto the stage and you watch as Seonghwa steps out to address the throng of people below. He is captivating and has no problem commanding all of the power in the room. 

“Welcome one and all,” Seonghwa begins, voice booming over the speakers. “If you’re here, it means you are brave enough to fight against the corporations that enslave our society!”  

Hongjoong steps up next to him, and while he’s smaller in stature, he exudes no less power. However, he stays silent as Seonghwa continues, “We will not be silenced any longer. Tonight, we raise our voices in defiance; we will no longer bow down to those who seek to control us!” 

The crowd explodes into thunderous applause but immediately falls silent when Hongjoong raises a hand. "But tonight isn’t just about the revolution—it is also a celebration of our freedom, our individuality, and our unity. So let loose because everyone in the city is watching and we all know that, deep down, they wish they were us!” 

Cheers and shouts fill the room once again as everyone raises their glasses in solidarity. Your heart swells with pride as you take it all in. You have become a part of something far greater than yourself and, just like your boys, you are willing to do whatever it takes to see it through to victory.

You switch the music and lights back on and the party resumes in full force. People seem to go even harder than they were before, playing up their hedonism for the cameras. Seonghwa and Hongjoong have disappeared into the crowd, likely to mingle and spread their message one-on-one. 

Seonghwa favors the dance floor, hypnotizing those around him as he moves. A contented smile tugs at the corner of his lips as his hips sway to the beat, as beautiful as he is provocative. He flits from person to person, holding them close as he whispers into their ears. He occasionally catches you watching him, always making sure to tease you with a wink. 

On the other hand, Hongjoong stalks the perimeter of the room, moving from group to group. His skill lies in charming people with his words, and tonight is no different. Everyone who speaks to him smiles and laughs, completely enamored with everything he says. He shakes hands, claps shoulders, and you have no doubt that if people weren’t loyal before, they will be when he’s through.

You stick to one of the quieter corners of the room in order to keep an eye on the cameras. You need to make sure that everything is running smoothly both in and out of the club; the last thing you need is for someone to reveal your location or try to hack into your network and ruin everything. You also keep a close eye on your boys, making sure they stay safe.

It’s past midnight by the time they come and find you. Hongjoong sits on your left, placing a hand on your thigh as he leans toward you and kisses your cheek. His lips linger a moment longer than necessary, and as he pulls back, he purrs, “You should be out there, dancing, having fun.”

“I am having fun,” you say, taking the champagne glass offered to you by Seonghwa. 

Seonghwa sits on your right, throwing his arm around your shoulders and pulling you against his side. “You would be having even more fun if you put down the holodeck.” 

“But—”

Hongjoong takes it from you, throwing it haphazardly onto the cushion beside him. “Don’t argue.” 

He leans forward again, this time lightly nibbling your earlobe with his teeth. You gasp, knuckles turning white as you tighten your grip on your glass out of instinct. Seonghwa watches the two of you with half-lidded eyes, his hand trailing down your side and slipping underneath the hem of your shirt to trace patterns over your flushed skin.

“It’s a night for celebration, doll,” he murmurs. “You have done your job. The only thing we need from you now is… well, you.” He squeezes your hip and you jump slightly. “The badges will be here in a little over an hour according to one of my sources. While not as long as I’d like, it gives us just enough time to have a celebration of our own.”  

Your thighs clench in anticipation—you know exactly what he’s hinting at. 

"Lead the way, then," you say, setting your half-empty glass down.

Seonghwa’s gaze meets Hongjoong’s over your head, an unspoken agreement passing between them. They stand up and pull you toward the dance floor, surrounding you, one at your front and one at your back. You sway between them to a slow, seductive rhythm, closing your eyes as you let yourself enjoy their attention.

Seonghwa’s hands rest on your waist, pulling you against him as he starts to move his hips in tandem with yours, grinding against you. Meanwhile, Hongjoong cups your face, thumb tracing your bottom lip. His eyes are dark and intense as he captures your mouth with his own in a searing kiss. 

Seonghwa’s grip tightens, fingers digging into your skin as he watches Hongjoong devour you. He keeps one hand on your hip while the other snakes around to cup the back of Hongjoong’s neck, causing the younger to moan into your mouth at the touch. Now with a possessive grip on you both, Seonghwa gets to work nipping and marking the exposed skin of your shoulder. 

The room seems to disappear around you as they continue to explore you, their mouths and hands feeling like they are everywhere at once. It's intoxicating, even more so than the champagne you were drinking earlier. You feel Seonghwa’s hand trail even lower, disappearing under your waistline, snapping the band of your underwear against your skin.

You gasp and Hongjoong laughs against you, nipping at your bottom lip before pulling back with a satisfied smirk on his face. “Let’s give them a good show, hm?” 

You let the two of them drag you onto the stage, cheeks ablaze as you realize exactly what they’re planning. You’re hyper aware of the fact that you are being watched; even though most of the club-goers are lost in their own pleasure, the viewers that are steaming have nothing better to do than keep their eyes locked on you. 

Seonghwa clicks his tongue, squishing your cheeks between his fingers. “Look at our girl, acting so shy.” His fingers find your heart necklace, tugging at it just hard enough to make you gasp. “As if wearing this doesn’t mean we can do whatever we want to you, whenever and wherever we want.” 

Hongjoong takes a switchblade out of his pocket, flipping it open with a maniacal grin on his face. He uses it to cut away your clothes, exposing your body for everyone to see. Your knees shake and whether it is out of anxiety or anticipation, you can’t tell. 

He traces the tip of it against your skin, the cold metal leaving goosebumps in its wake. “We know you love it, precious,” he says. “Don’t you want everyone to see how good we make you feel? Think of all the viewers out there that will feel oh-so-scandalized but still won’t be able to look away. Not to mention all the greedy whores who will be getting themselves off to us, wishing they were in our places.” 

Seonghwa pulls you against him just like he did on the dance floor, once again letting his fingers tease his way down your stomach. But this time, he lets them travel even lower, dipping into your folds. 

“Look how wet you are just from this,” he remarks, bringing his fingers back up and spreading them so you can see the evidence of your own desire. He then extends them to Hongjoong who greedily laps at them, sucking them clean. 

You whine, trying to keep your legs closed from embarrassment, knowing anyone below the stage can look right up at you and see exactly how aroused you are. But Seonghwa won’t let you, shoving his knee between your thighs. Almost instinctively, you grind down on it, letting another pathetic sound slip past your lips. 

Hongjoong’s eyes glint with wicked delight at your reaction, his own hands reaching out to cup your breasts. “Someone’s eager,” he teases, tweaking a nipple between two fingers.

You hear a few wolf whistles from the crowd, a few lewd comments being thrown your way, but they only make you more excited. 

“I…” You’re panting heavily, making it hard for you to speak. You have to take a deep breath before trying again. “I want you. Please.”

“Anything for you, doll,” Seonghwa coos, returning his attention to your core. He pushes in one finger all the way to his knuckle with no warning and, if it weren’t for his hold on you, your legs would have buckled. 

“Fuck.” The curse slips from your lips, half whimper, half moan, as he continues pumping his finger inside your wet heat. 

Hongjoong lowers his head, taking one of your nipples in his mouth as he pinches and tugs at the other. You grip his shoulders for purchase as your head lolls back to rest on Seonghwa’s chest, whining at the onslaught of sensation. The feeling of Seonghwa inside of you while Hongjoong lavishes his attention on your breasts is unlike anything you have ever felt. 

As Seonghwa adds another finger, Hongjoong’s lips mark a path from your breasts, to your stomach, and then lower as he sinks to his knees in front of you. He grabs your thighs, fingers digging into your skin, just as his tongue finds your clit. His tongue draws figure eights around it as Seonghwa continues to pump his fingers relentlessly inside of you. 

“T-too much…” you gasp. But neither of them slow down—if anything, feeling how close you are makes them double down on their efforts. Hongjoong sucks your clit into his mouth at the same time Seonghwa adds a third finger, curling them inside of you. 

Seonghwa kisses the back of your ear, his hot breath making you shiver. “You’re so beautiful like this,” he murmurs. 

That small bit of praise is all it takes to send you tumbling over the edge, eyes rolling back as your body goes taut with pleasure. Hongjoong eagerly laps up your release, only prolonging your orgasm. Seonghwa gently removes his fingers from you and you hear rather than see when he brings them to his mouth, tasting yourself on his skin. 

Hongjoong pulls back, licking his lips to clean them of your release before his trademark smirk returns. “I think it’s time for you to return the favor, precious. Don’t you think, Hwa?” 

Seonghwa trails a hand down your spine, humming. “I don’t know if she can handle it.”

“I can,” you gasp, eager to please them just as they did you. “I can, I promise. Anything you want.” 

You almost jump from surprise as some spectators in the crowd start yelling their vulgar suggestions as to how exactly they think you should please your partners. You’re sure if you looked at your holodeck, the live chat would be filled with similar comments as well. 

Hongjoong laughs, grabbing your face in his hand. “Don’t worry about them. You can have us however you like.” 

Blushing, you say, “You choose.” 

His eyes light up and he immediately looks behind you to Seonghwa. Just like earlier, some sort of silent communication passes between them, and then you feel Seonghwa’s hand on the small of your back, urging you to bend over. 

“Why don’t you show our Joong what that pretty mouth of yours can do while I fill you up, hm?”

You barely have enough time to nod your agreement before Hongjoong is unbuckling his belt and freeing himself of his constraints. You nearly salivate at the sight of his cock, red and wanting. He grabs your hair and pulls, tugging you forward as much as he can with Seonghwa’s bruising grip on your waist keeping you in place. Tears prick at your eyes but it’s as pleasurable as it is painful, and you take him into your mouth eagerly.

The head of Seonghwa’s cock teases your folds before he finally pushes forward into you. He starts moving at a slow, torturous pace, pulling out of you before slamming right back in. Each thrust propels you forward, forcing you to take Hongjoong deeper into your mouth. You feel so full, so used. It’s incredible.

“Look at her,” Hongjoong coos, staring down at you. “Look at how well she takes us.” 

Seonghwa just groans, grinding into you so deeply that you have to choke back a moan around Hongjoong’s cock. He’s gotten quieter, his thrusts sloppier, a telltale sign that he is losing himself in his own pleasure. Meanwhile, Hongjoong’s grip tightens around your hair, guiding your head back and forth on his length. Each thrust cuts off your air supply, making you see stars.    

Seonghwa’s hand snakes around to your front, fingers finding your swollen clit. You moan again, and Hongjoong echoes you as the vibrations travel up his cock. 

“Shit,” he curses. “So fucking good.” 

Seonghwa’s thrusts grow increasingly erratic and you hear his breath hitch; instinctively, you clench around him, and he spills into you. His release sends you spiraling into your second orgasm of the night, walls fluttering around him as you milk his cock of every drop. 

Hongjoong pulls out of your mouth not long after, squeezing the base of his shaft to prevent himself from following the two of you over the edge. The second Seonghwa steps away from you, he is taking his place, forcing himself inside of you before any of the elder’s cum can drip out. 

“Hongjoong,” you gasp, nearly falling forward from the force of his thrusts. Seonghwa maneuvers himself so that he can support you, holding you in his arms as Hongjoong pounds into you with bruising force. 

“Gonna fill you just like Hwa did,” he growls. “Make you mine. Ours. You’re ours.” 

“Can’t… can’t…” Words escape you, your mind going blank. 

“Yes, you can,” Seonghwa says, stroking your hair. “You can take it. You can come for us one more time.”

His voice is comforting, but you also hear the command in his tone. You choke out a sob, nodding weakly as Hongjoong guides your hips back against him again and again. You can feel another orgasm coming on already, the coil tightening in your stomach. Seonghwa continues to murmur words of praise, stopping only to pepper kisses along your heated skin. 

The coil snaps and you cry out as you come undone, Hongjoong’s cock still buried deep inside of you. His hips stutter and he curses, his warm release mixing with Seonghwa’s. He slowly pulls out and you can feel as some of their cum trickle down your thighs. You collapse against Seonghwa completely, no longer able to stand on your own two legs. 

You feel light-headed and blood pounds in your ears, muffling the cheers you assume are coming from the crowd. You’re too far gone to be embarrassed, and a lazy smile tugs at your lips—the three of you surely gave them the show of a lifetime. 

Suddenly, you feel heat lick at your skin, and you snap back into yourself fully, cringing away from it. Your eyes focus, and you see Hongjoong flicking a lighter open and closed, open and closed.  

“There’s our girl,” he remarks. He brings the lighter to your skin again, just close enough for you to feel the heat of it without it burning you. “I think we were a bit rough with you, precious. You were totally out of it, shivering and everything.” 

Seonghwa is behind you again, rubbing his hands up and down your arms. You press further against him, squirming as the heat tickles your skin. 

“Back with us?” Seonghwa asks.

You nod. “Yes, yes, I’m fine.” 

“Okay. Hongjoong—enough.” 

Hongjoong stops immediately, flipping the lighter closed with a tsk. “Fine. It’s gonna get hotter in a minute anyway.”

Now that you’re focused, you finally hear the shouting and crashing coming from below. The very people who were just watching you on stage are now rioting, destroying the warehouse and everything in it. The cameras, the bar, all of your hard work—now there is just destruction, everywhere you look. 

You shoot up, hurriedly dressing yourself so that you are no longer the only one naked as panic begins to take hold. “What’s going on? Seonghwa, Hongjoong, we need to—”

You waver on your feet, nearly tripping. Luckily, Seonghwa catches you. “Calm down, it’s okay,” he says, hushing you. “This is all part of the plan.”

Hongjoong gestures to the crowd, pointing out some things you missed. “See how some of them are drenching the place with gasoline? We’re gonna light it up.” 

Maybe you’re still delirious from your multiple orgasms, but you are having trouble understanding what the two of them mean. “Why? I thought… I don’t know what I thought.”

“This was all a distraction,” Seonghwa explains. “The club, the livestream, us putting on a show. We did it so that all eyes would be on us, and all the badges would be wasting their resources trying to find our location.” 

You nod slowly as the pieces begin to come together. “So, while I was setting all of this up…”

“We were out there. Planting bombs at some of the biggest tech headquarters in the city.” Hongjoong smiles, spreading his arms wide. “Our coup de grâce, just like we’ve been saying.” 

Despite all of your suspicions, this is something you never would have been able to guess. Before you can even begin to truly comprehend the magnitude of what they’ve done, sirens pierce the air. Everyone screams and begins to run out of the warehouse. Seonghwa grabs your hand, and nods to Hongjoong. “Now!” 

Hongjoong throws his lighter to the ground below and flames erupt instantly, devouring everything in sight. Luckily, most of the crowd has already escaped, and you feel confident no one should get caught in the aftermath. Still, it’s pandemonium, and smoke fills your lungs as Seonghwa pulls you closer, shielding you with his body as he hurries toward the nearest exit. 

Hongjoong follows after you, but lags behind as he keeps looking over his shoulder at the fire with a sadistic grin on his face. “That’s how we do it,” he yells, voice barely audible over the blaze.

“Get yourself together,” Seonghwa barks. “We need to get out of here before the cops realize what’s going on and find us.” 

Suddenly, Hongjoong trips, his foot catching on some loose debris. Seonghwa reacts instantly, yanking him back to his feet and throwing an arm around his waist. The three of you continue onward as the heat of the fire licks at your back. You crash through one of the exit doors, and stumble away into the night, disappearing into the sea of masked faces. 

All across the nation, devices light up with the same headline: “City in Chaos as Blazing Inferno Distracts from Large-Scale Bombing of Tech Giants.”

“Nation-wide manhunt underway. Suspects Kim Hongjoong and Park Seonghwa believed to be connected to an underground criminal group called The Black Pirates…” 

NETWORKS: @cromernet @kflixnet @pirateeznet

TAGLIST: @yessa-vie @nebulousbrainsoup @ad0rechuu @sanniesbunnie @seonghwaddict @fruitcakebin @kickti @abby-grace @fireseo @yunhofingers @ohflorah @oiminho @baekbao @byuntrash101 @hyukssunflower @thatnerdytomboy @straykidsholicleigh

[clowningaroundmars]

punkflower hcs bc i need to see more of them being cute teen boys together.... like, playful and creative and stuff

looong long wall of text under the cut (no nsfw)

♡ miles and hobie definitely exchange art often, even collabing on some punk zines and graffiti pieces occasionally. hobie also makes mixtapes on cassettes and slaps a million stickers on them just for his bf. miles appreciates the kind gesture but reminds hobie that he doesnt have a cassette player. "yet," hobie tells him with a wink :)

♡ miles draws a million little doodles for hobie on scrap paper, post it notes, hobie's gear, hobie himself. ofc hobie loves them all, esp when he gets to go home with his arms and chest covered in stars, cartoons, graffiti, and hearts

♡ miles is a lot more shy about dancing in public than hobie is, but whenever they manage to have any downtime at all hobie will wrap his arms around miles and sway them around. if music is playing anywhere, hobie will bop to it and get miles to join in

♡ hobie's love language? touch. any kind, anytime, anywhere, for any reason. words of affirmation come next

♡ miles' love language? quality time, and he's big on kissing. hobie isnt much of a kisser but loves his sunflower just the same, and does not complain at all when miles places little kisses on his hands, ears or his back

♡ sometimes hobie will be a lil mean to miles just as a flirty thing. just usual teenage boy stuff like kicking miles' sneakers, manspreading to get into his space if they're sitting anywhere together, using his height to bully miles into a corner away from everyone so they can flirt some more, crashing into miles on purpose just to be annoying

♡ anytime they get to go on multiverse missions together they somehow manage to get into the craziest shenanigans. breaking into a zoo to stop a villain from mutating the animals, saving a group of schoolkids on a field trip from a killer robot (?), one time hobie even drove a runaway car to stop it from crashing right into jamaica bay and miles was scarred for life

hobie tries to control the car as he haphazardly swerves it around pedestrians and barely manages to miss a group of elderly people.

miles clings onto his seat for dear life. "HOBIE!! you're gonna kill us man, where'd you get your license from!?" he yells.

hobie scoffs. "license?! i said i could drive, mate, i aint mention nuthin' 'bout no license!"

♡ hobie's universe is set in the 1970's and living in a dystopian police-state means it's too risky to bring back a phone with him, so he's often left out of spiderkid groupchats. miles still tries to keep him up to date on the latest memes and inside jokes though. they also have their own inside jokes too

♡ hobie wouldn't bring a smartphone with him anyways since he's so mistrusting of tech in general. video games, laptops, and "smart" tech mystify him, and smart watches? forget about it. when miles gets one for christmas one time, hobie clowned on his bf so hard the watch was never seen again

♡ that being said, they love exchanging music often so the only piece of technology hobie ever brings back to his dimension is an ancient half-busted ipod (it was probably rio's at one point) filled with music miles managed to download for him that week. spiderman-ing and living as a homeless teen means hobie doesn't get much time to explore genres outside of the UK punk scene and listening to brand new genres is often a trip! hobie finds out he loves drum n bass, grindcore, industrial techno, UK drill, deep house and 90's hip hop

♡ hobie gets miles to make him cool posters for whatever venue he plans on (or doesnt plan lbr) playing at every now and then

♡ rio LOVES hobie. hobie is the perfect gentleman (gentlespider?) around her and often tries to help her around the house when he can. miles... does not enjoy how much his mom favors his partner. jeff is also not so crazy about this smart-mouthed punk

♡ miles and hobie absolutely swap clothing as often as possible, with hobie "borrowing" miles' clothes more often. miles' parents keep commenting on how much of a rockero he looks with all the punk stuff and hobie never returns clothes without having altered them in some way (pins n bits everywhere, a mysterious rip or two here n there, pinned-up sleeves, etc)

♡ miles is absolutely horrible at cooking and feels left out when he sees hobie helping his mom in the kitchen. he desperately tries to learn, but it's a wonder how he hasnt sliced his fingers off yet trying to peel and cut platanos so they can make tostones

♡ for a person who's built like a lamppost, hobie is shockingly graceful with his movements. he always slips around a room like a cat and miles is so jealous of that. long gangly limbs should be a deterrent from moving like That and yet here he is, practically pirouetting around miles for fun

♡ which is a total TRIP when they go out swinging around a city. once the mask is on, every movement hobie makes is chaotic, frantic and unpredictable. spiderpunk and hobie are very different people sometimes

♡ rio often points out hobie's thinness as a typical hispanic mom does ("jóven, pero tu 'ta tan flaco, hobie honey come eat! i have leftovers here!") and miles also agrees that hobie could eat a lil more too. he is always sneaking bits of food into hobie's pockets or bags, saving fries and last slices for his partner. sometimes hobie brings home armfuls of tupperware filled with caribbean food back to his boat

♡ in return, hobie is like a magpie and brings back shiny gifts for them, some handmade stuff too. miles' drawers and nightstand are filled with jewelry, bottles, knickknacks, and other handmade accessories. his walls are filled with collages and zines hobie makes for him and rio bought frames for some of the pieces he makes her

♡ the first person to say "i love you" was miles, but by accident. after realizing it, he was nervous as hell worrying that hobie would clown him to death since he didnt seem like a big romantic. instead, hobie went nuts about it in his own hobie way, writing lyrics about miles' face when he said it, doodling them together more often, teasing miles about it often but lightheartedly. he flaunts miles' love whenever he can

♡ miles has a lethal puppydog face and he KNOWS it! one 🥺 look and hobie immediately folds and gives miles whatever he wants. but not before hemming and hawing about it first, playing up his hesitation just to make miles laugh

♡ speaking of laughter, hobie does Thee Most just to see his bf laugh or smile. he will always goof off in the bg, crack jokes every 2 secs and pretend to get hurt sometimes. hobie is naturally sarcastic and goofs off in general anyways but around miles he dials it up to 200

♡ hobie tries to get miles in on the whole anarchism thing but 1. the texts and manifestos from his dimension are different than miles' and 2. miles is a teen boy. he doesn't know anything about the theory of alienation or effective mutual aid and won't really care at the moment. "mm, you'll learn all 'bout it soon enough, though... eventually," hobie muses

♡ miles is not as big on pet names as hobie is. hobie has like 24984 nicknames for miles but miles mostly sticks to just calling his partner by his name. one day during history class tho a lightbulb moment happens, and when they meet up again miles is excited

"hobie!! guess what, i really got it this time. i have a nickname that i know you're gonna love!"

"spill," hobie says as he throws an arm over miles' shoulders.

"so you always call me sunflower all the time, right? and your name is ho... bee. get it? so i was thinkin' i'm gonna call you 'honey bee' now. y'know, you're not the only one who's got corny ass nicknames! it's good, right?"

hobie has to fight not to grin like a jackass

♡ hobie's sleep schedule is atrocious so whenever miles can manage it, he tries to wrestle his partner into any bed and tucks him in. hobie is touched that his sunflower cares so much about him ♡

♡ miles almost never gets permission to sleep over other friends' houses but on the rare occasions he does, he leaps into portals and goes to visit hobie in his dimension. his fave part of New London is hobie's boat, bc they set up a big hammock for them to lay in, feeling the sway of the boat and letting it lull them to sleep. not to mention that the boat itself is totally badass, and hobie more often than not encourages miles to cover it in graffiti

♡ hobie lowkey (but highkey) loves when miles gets a little bossy, forceful or stern. he loves ribbing miles about it (the "ill do it, but not cuz you told me to" line in mumbattan was a total joke from hobie btw LOL) and saying corny shit in response to a demand, but he loves seeing miles being confident and calling the shots every once in a while. it makes him proud

♡ if they can, miles and hobie try to gather up as much food as they can and take it over to the F.E.A.S.T. that's in hobie's dimension. miles meets hobie's "family" there and gets to know the community, which feels so much more tight-knit and welcoming than Visions. once miles gets over the major jarring differences between his world and hobie's, he finds he LOVES New London

♡ miles and hobie teach each other slang from their countries and time periods, you can't change my mind. miles walks around saying shit like "bloody 'ell" and "septic" all the time. the one time hobie said "deadass" completely unironically, all of the spiderkids DIED laughing

♡ miles learns that EVERY spider is a total dweeb in some way shape or form. even hobie! hobie's awkwardness comes out when theyre in big groups of people. hobie is oddly comfy with performing in front of crowds but when he's invited to parties and tries mingling, it's so... sooo awkward. miles secretly rejoices when he finds out hobie's weakness

♡ i'm an adhd hobie truther and i hc that miles buys hobie the weirdest fidget toys he can get his hands on. along with his switchblade, jewelry, and whatever he stole that day, hobie carries various different fidget toys in his vest to keep boredom at bay

♡ hobie definitely writes songs for miles but takes a very very very long time to actually admit it. miles finally finds out when one of hobie's songwriting notebooks falls open when hanging out in his boat, and hobie comes clean about it. with miles' encouragement tho, hobie makes the decision to add some of those songs into the usual setlist his band performs

♡ if miles ever has time, he tries to attend whatever gig hobie and his band has going on. he loves to see hobie perform on stage, his energy and stage presence is always electrifying

[randomvarious]

Today's compilation:

Maschinenfest 2000 2000 Rhythmic Noise / Power Noise / Avantgarde / Industrial / Hard Techno

Well, much like its 1999 predecessor, Maschinenfest 2000 is another comp that is unfortunately way too intensely hard and heavy for yours truly 😔. The idea of an electronic music festival taking place in a nuclear bunker deep underground in the German city of Aachen, which is where Maschinenfest originally spent its first handful of years, is certainly intriguing, but it's also most definitely not for me. However, if you're the type of person whose music taste consists of the Venn Diagrammed middle between noise, industrial, and hard techno, this 2000 double-disc might be more to your liking than Maschinenfest 1999, because while 1999 definitely has a bunch of similar stuff on it, it isn't fully rhythmic like this one is (and 1999 also has one less disc too).

So everything on here is dance music in some capacity, but it's not dance music for the faint of heart; this is stuff that was specifically made for post-apocalyptic ravers who sleep on beds of rusty nails and find the whole dystopian idea of having to wear a gas mask in order to avoid breathing in irradiated air enthralling rather than spooky. Lots of loud and distorted, crackling noise set to hard, pummeling rhythm here, and if you've ever found the residual sounds made by enormous industrial machinery and power tools in a factory to be soothing rather than dissonant, you'll probably wanna check this thing out.

Released in anticipation of the second annual Maschinenfest, these two discs from Germany's Pflichtkauf label certainly showcase a distinct type of electronic dance music, but this stuff is clearly niche for a reason. Ultimately, I'm glad that there's an outlet for avantgardist people who can delight in this significantly harsh sonic aesthetic, but I severely doubt that I'll ever end up cottoning to it myself.

No highlights.

[cyberpunkonline]

Poetry in the Pulse of Neon: The Role of Verse in Cyberpunk Media

Racing through the realm of digital entertainment, poetry might seem like an unanticipated passenger aboard the high-speed, neon-lit trains of cyberpunk. Yet, in this clashing world, the true allure comes alive. While Raz has already delved into the connection between poetry and video games, this piece dives into the sprawling, electrified streets of cyberpunk media.

Poetry Amidst the Techno-Chaos Cyberpunk, known for its grungy cityscapes, bleeding-edge tech, and rebellious undercurrents, surprisingly, pulses with a human beat. This genre, teeming with futuristic anomalies, brings poetry into its fold, presenting an emotional counterpoint to the mechanical heartbeats. Think of William Gibson's "Neuromancer", where the prose itself often takes on a poetic rhythm, illustrating the dance between man, machine, and soul.

The Resonance of Rhyme in Rebellion Rebellion is a core theme in cyberpunk—whether it's battling authoritarian overlords, defying mega-corporations, or challenging one's own augmented reality. Poetry, a time-honored voice of dissent, naturally finds its niche here. Recall the cryptic poems in Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner," derived from William Blake's "Songs of Innocence and Experience", they set the tone for the film's exploration of humanity and artificial life.

Emotional Catharsis in the Digital Age Digging deep into the psyche of cyberpunk reveals a contemplation on identity, morality, and the essence of humanity. Amidst the techno-jargon and virtual vistas, it's the emotional crux that anchors the tales. The poetic soliloquies of the protagonist in Neal Stephenson's "Snow Crash" offer moments of introspection, bringing to light the character's internal battles amidst external chaos.

An Unlikely Pair The merging of poetry and cyberpunk seems incongruous at first glance. While poetry evokes a sense of timeless emotion, cyberpunk thrusts us into a potentially dystopian tech-fueled reality. However, their combined power is undeniable. For instance, in Richard K. Morgan's "Altered Carbon", poetic reflections interspersed within the narrative amplify the story's exploration of life, death, and what it truly means to be human.

Conclusion As cyberpunk's digital universe flickers with neon and buzzes with electric life, the soft echoes of poetic verse offer a grounding touch. Far from mere ornamentation, poetry in cyberpunk serves as a bridge, connecting the vast digital expanse with the enduring human soul. In a world increasingly interfaced with tech, perhaps it's the poetic word that keeps our human essence alive and pulsating.

- REV1

[radioactive-earthshine]

Okay now that I’ve had a minute to think about it, my biggest want would be: a new Birds of Prey book for the modern age. Babs is disconnected from the Batfamily and is a leader of her own team. Dinah co-leads the book, with emphasis on her martial arts skills, common sense, and emotional intelligence. There are no other mains, but rather each arc Babs calls up different (usually female) heroes that suit the situation that she and Dinah don’t usually work with (Zatanna, Jesse Quick, Jessica Cruz, Jo Mullein, Natasha Irons all come to mind immediately) - there are so many underutilized female heroes, it’s a perfect concept.

Babs is not only Oracle and is still disabled, but the writer has done some intense thinking about how Oracle’s power and influence isn’t over tech, but over information. This Oracle is at the height of her powers under technofeudalism and occasionally struggles to make the “right” choices because of it. (It’s already pre-crisis canon that Oracle has swayed elections!!) This Oracle isn’t a hacker, but a single woman who has access to so much data, so many algorithms, that she is like a mystic to ordinary people (and Dinah, who’s our pov character for the detailed stuff; she’s a grounding influence to Babs). The writer has not only read but understood books like Capital Is Dead: Is This Something Worse and is excited to play with what could happen by throwing Babs into the dystopian horror of the attention economy.

Because of these considerations, the plots are primarily offensive rather than reactive - think Leverage. We can have supervillains, but only if Babs is hitting them first (and they’re tech/finance/fossil fuel bros). Bat and arrow fam members (including love interests) can briefly show up, but more on the social side than for work; if Dick does up it’s brief and plot-unimportant; the narrative takes pains to emphasize that the relationship between Barbara and Dinah is the central one in both their lives (I’m not opposed to DinahBabs but I do mean it in a QPP way), and they like it that way.

Babs at her full powers as Oracle frightens me and I'd love to see her in a modern age waging literal techno war against ai-bros. This comic could be a narrative on today's deep and troubling implication for the use of ai, but this is just a small sample of what could be done.

Each issue or arc could also be about certain problems within the digital landscape of our economy and society. I feel like the one delving into the right to privacy would shake Babs quite a bit considering the blatant and outright violations of that perpetrated not just by her, the Batfam but many many members of the extended League. (honestly this is the one thing that bothers me so much about some of their practices and if I found out that ANY of my coworkers or friends were 'spying' on me for any reason, I would feel so violated and I am not sure how much I could trust any of them again or anyone who knew about it and didn't tell me).

This is just where MY mind goes and could be part of this series with of course everything else you suggested.

There is so much potential here.

Tell me what you would do if you had full creative control to write for DC with NO push back from editors and who would you piss off the most with your unhinged creative wiles?

Again, do not be a DICK to anyone if their self indulgent fantasies irritate you or if you otherwise disagree with them; learn how to scroll, move on or block. Thanks!

[spawn-universe]

Record Day 2024 Re-Released

Spawn The Album

Format: 2 x LP

Label: Legacy

Quantity: 2700

Release type: RSD Exclusive Release

Throughout the '90s, the crossover and blending of styles and artists was ever-present, specifically in the genres of hip-hop and rock. Taking that a step further, mixing techno with nu-metal, breakbeat with rap, and DnB with hard rock, was 1997's soundtrack to the film Spawn. To match the dystopian wasteland aesthetics of the film, this double LP is pressed on smoky red vinyl, and features the likes of Metallica, The Prodigy, Tom Morello, Cypress Hill, Moby and Slayer, just to name a few.

Take the plunge deep into hell with Spawn and his foes for this sonic beatdown of a soundtrack on Record Store Day 2024!

[eireemee]

The Land of Six Kingdoms

(From top right moving clockwise) The Rowe Kingdom, The Blanco Kingdom, Green Castle in Dream Forest, Queen Sollohah of the Siren Isles, High Elves at Dragon Stone

The six kingdoms make up to the cyberpunk/fantasy world of Dystopian Scramble.

The Kingdom of Rowe is the largest kingdom and spans across Strangerville proper and valley, Techno City, the town of Evergreen Harbor and parts of the Barren.

These modern citizens believe in embracing both the advancement of technology and the power of the occult. King Alejandro Rowe II welcomes all, no matter their background. During the decade of his reign, many refugees have settled within the borders of the kingdom. Outside of the barren, the king is well liked by his people for his tolerance. But some do question whether his motives are actually pure.

Ava Delaney, a small town sim moves from Evergreen Harbor to Strangerville Valley in order to the join the Rowe Arm forces. She has dreams of seeing the world. But life on her own is a little bit tougher than she expected.

The Blanco Kingdom is ruled by King Davion Blanco and his heir and nephew, Duke Wyndell Blanco.

King Davion Blanco's great grandfather was a distant cousin of the Rowe Family bloodline. After being banished from the Rowe Kingdom for attempting to overthrow the sitting king, King Daunte (then Baron Daunte) journeyed west with his followers and settled in the long abandoned frontier town of Moonwood Mills. He soon learned the town was not abandoned but actually was overrun by packs of werewolves who lived under the mountain and in the tunnels under the town.

A bloody war ensued between the human settlers and the packs. It seemed the humans had no chance against the veracity of the wolves. However, the tide did turn when King Daunte made a pact with a powerful dark witch.

The werewolf packs were massacred to near extinction, and the few survivors escaped to take refuge in other more welcoming kingdoms. Only the most dangerous wolves still live deep in the surrounding forests.

After winning a war against the powerful werewolf packs and their long alliance with the dark witch/necromancer, Baroness Melisandre, many wonder if the Blancos are still human themselves.

Green Castle in Dream Forest is ruled by Princess Lilliana Wood and her younger brother and heir, Prince Terran Wood. Their half brother Prince Leaveye Wood also lives nearby in his flying steam engine with his shadow guard and travel companion, Ryah Oakensteel. Dream forest is one of the three magical outlands. It is also the only place you may spot an elusive unicorn outside of sylvan glade.

Green Castle has the strongest ties to the magical realm. Their warriors are fearsome, and their magic is very powerful.

They have no interests outside of their forest and only seek to protect it. But the High Elves and their dragon fire are always a looming threat. So, they may be convinced to seek an alliance with another powerful kingdom.

Siren Isles is ruled by Queen Sollohah Orchano, whose siren song is the most powerful in the six kingdoms.

Queen Sollohah rules alone from Sea Stone Castle and will not allow any mermaid to enter the magical hall, not even her sister, out of fear that someone may steal her power. Mermaids and kelpies are free spirits who love to travel the world, fall in love, and very rarely marry. She has two children with Chief Taku who is chief of a nearby island village. As a merman, he is constantly attempting to get her to settle down with him, but Queen Sollohah is too busy with millions of subjects under the sea.

The High Elven Kingdom of Taratosa is ruled by King Elvenore Guerin and his dragon riders.

King Elvenore's younger brother is Prince Elvon the famous dragon knight and he has two daughters, Princess Nollette and Princess Avorra. He also has a younger half-brother, Prince Arrant (who no one ever mentions).

The larger adult Guerin dragons are sometimes spotted flying around Dragon Stone Castle's turrets, but the family keeps the younger and much smaller dragons close at hand.

The Guerin family has a strong alliance with the Russo Family, one of the oldest human bloodlines in the six kingdoms. Most Russo descendants are easily identifiable by their flaming red locks. They once ruled Taratosa before the dragon riders descended and burned their kingdom to cinders.

Duke Lionel Russo attempted to reach for more power by marrying King Alejandro Rowe's sister, Dutchess Annabelle, tying the Russo bloodline to the Rowe Kingdom. However, in the process he broke his long engagement to King Elvenore's awkward youngest daughter.

The Taratosa kingdom has recently announced Princess Avorra's engagement to Duke Wyndell Blanco. The news has shook the entire six kingdoms.

The sixth and final kingdom was overthrown by rebels and now lays in ruins. The free desert people are still fighting to stay free, as both the Rowe and the Blanco Kingdoms have interests in the barren. It is still not clear what sparked their intertest but there are visible traces of the strange visitors who may have created the infamous Cybernetix...

let's get into it... next

[boredtechnologist]

Microsoft BOB for the PC

Reviewing Microsoft Bob from a deep philosophical perspective invites an exploration that transcends its surface as a user-friendly interface software and delves into existential and dystopian themes.

1. The Illusion of Simplicity in a Complex World: Microsoft Bob, designed to simplify the computing experience, can be seen as a metaphor for the human desire to create order and simplicity in an inherently complex world. This pursuit, while seemingly benign, raises existential questions about the human condition. Are we, as humans, constantly seeking to simplify and control our environment because the raw complexity and chaos of existence are too daunting to confront directly? Microsoft Bob's cheerful and simplistic facade can be interpreted as a veneer over the dark, underlying chaos of the digital world, reflecting the existential dread of facing the true complexity of existence.

2. The Dehumanization and Infantilization of Technology: The interface, characterized by its cartoonish graphics and oversimplified user interactions, can be viewed as a philosophical commentary on the dehumanization and infantilization of technology. In an effort to make technology more accessible, there is a risk of stripping away the nuanced, complex interactions that form the basis of human intellect and creativity. This approach could be seen as a form of techno-paternalism, where users are not encouraged to engage deeply with technology, but rather to passively accept a sanitized, simplified version of digital interaction.

3. The Dystopian Aspect of Artificial Assistance: The virtual assistants in Microsoft Bob, intended to help users navigate the software, can be interpreted as harbingers of a dystopian future where human agency is increasingly outsourced to digital entities. This reliance on artificial assistance raises philosophical concerns about the erosion of human autonomy and the potential for a future where our ability to think, act, and make decisions independently is diminished by over-reliance on technology.

4. The Alienation of the Individual in the Digital Age: Microsoft Bob's attempt to create a familiar and friendly digital space ironically highlights the alienation of the individual in the digital age. The software's homely, comforting environment, filled with inanimate objects imbued with anthropomorphic qualities, underscores the solitude and isolation experienced in a world where human interactions are increasingly mediated through digital interfaces. This alienation is a critical theme in existential philosophy, reflecting the modern individual's struggle to find genuine connection and meaning in a technologically dominated landscape.

5. The Simulacrum and Loss of Authentic Experience: Philosophically, Microsoft Bob can be seen as a simulacrum – a representation or imitation of a real environment that eventually replaces the reality it seeks to emulate. In this sense, the software’s attempt to recreate a familiar physical space within the digital realm can be viewed as a loss of authentic experience. This concept resonates with the work of postmodern philosophers like Jean Baudrillard, who argued that in a world saturated with simulacra, the distinction between reality and representation becomes blurred, leading to a detachment from the real and an immersion in a world of artificiality.

6. The Existential Paradox of Choice and Simplification: Finally, Microsoft Bob’s design philosophy of simplifying the user experience paradoxically limits the user's freedom of choice and exploration. This paradox reflects the existential dilemma of freedom versus security – the desire for a safe, manageable environment versus the need for freedom, complexity, and the authentic challenges that come with it. The software's approach to user interaction embodies a philosophical tension between the comfort of simplicity and the existential richness of navigating complexity.

In conclusion, Microsoft Bob, while ostensibly a user-friendly interface, presents a rich ground for deep philosophical exploration. It engages with themes such as the illusion of simplicity, the dehumanization of technology, dystopian aspects of artificial assistance, alienation in the digital age, the loss of authentic experience, and the existential paradox of choice and simplification. Through its design and functionality, Microsoft Bob becomes a symbol of the complex existential and philosophical challenges inherent in the interaction between humans and technology.

[thefakegeekg1rl]

When stalking the hallways and boardrooms of a dystopian megacorporation, you never know just who might be a cyborg programmed for corporate espionage... and murd3r.

Our next spotlighted performer, Emerald Ivy (@em.erald.ivy), will be taking the stage with an act inspired by 90s cult cyberpunk classic Cyborg 2 - Glass Shadow, a deep cut for the true fans out there. (Fun fact: Cyborg 2 was the first lead role for one Angelina Jolie) Come check out this talented spy-borg at Cyberotica - A Techno-future Cabaret, July 12th at the Newport Theater.

Get your tickets here: http://rb.gy/srqhq6

Can’t make it in person? No problem, because the future is now! We’ll be livestreaming the show for you to watch from the comfort of your government-issued apartment cubicle.

[stardust-bridges]

Club Furies Premiere: Unknownfunction/Empath - Manifest [Limit]

One of our favorite producers teams up with Unknownfunction, an Australian artist who explores the relationship between structured rhythm and tempered sound. With influences as diverse as Autechre and Oscar Mulero, new aural combinations are synthesized from both ordered and random elements. Empath and Unknownfunction present Evils of Capitalism on Limit – the Australian artist’s label. Comprised…

[future-sushi]

Work Details

Software

"Future SUSHI" includes two robots serving as the restaurant's managers, each engaging with guests.

The face of the artist, Etsuko Ichihara, was captured via 3D scanning and replicated in full-color resin to create masks for the robots. These masks, combined with motion programming that mimics Ichihara's movements, simulate a dystopian human clone using current technology.

The robots feature chest-mounted tablets that display menus mimicking the UI of Japanese sushi restaurants. They cyclically make and serve sushi while sequentially introducing every item on the menu. After presenting the last item, the robots experience a memory scramble, prompting them to restart the menu presentation from the beginning.

Another smaller robot is equipped with multilingual support to accommodate a global audience. This robot reacts to voice recognition from the audience to recommend sushi items and intentionally incorporates bug-like behaviors, such as sporadically revealing a different personality.

The robots utilized in the installation are humanoid robots from Softbank Robotics, specifically Pepper and Nao. The application development software used is Choregraphe.

[From Curator's critique by Dr. Lena Fritsch, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford]

Ichihara's use of humanoids, which have also appeared in a number of her past works, mirrors Japan's interest in linking humans or animals with technological objects, often in a light-hearted manner.

I agree with technology researcher Sone Yuji, who has examined Ichihara's works through the lens of Japanese "techno-animism", arguing that there is a strong tradition of animism in Japan: it can be found in a "wide range of phenomena, beliefs, and practices, accounting for a wide range of spirits, gods, ancestors, ghosts, or malevolent monsters. Expanding on this idea of animism, a sense of social agency that blurs distinctions between organic beings and inanimate objects, and between humans and technological things, can also be assigned to the man-made-something that indeed appears to be deeply rooted in Japanese culture. Ichihara's art combining elements of Shintoism, Buddhism, and traditional culture with cutting edge technology represents a distinctively Japanese approach that cultural anthropologist Ann Alison has found in technological toy creations such as the Tamagotchi, defining it as the "animist unconscious".

Hardware

This installation comprises a combination of multiple devices:

[Food Samples]

The future sushi has been recreated using the traditional food sample technique from Japan's food industry. The artist interviewed scientists about future food trends and related scientific technologies, combining this evidence with their imagination to conceive and create future sushi under the policy of "half science, half fantasy." A total of 18 types of sushi were produced. 

Here are examples of Future SUSHI.

- 2030 / Cultured Fish Meat SUSHI BABY - A sushi larva being cultured in a petri dish, very popular among citizens. Eating is prohibited since it is a companion sushi.

-2050 / Second Stomach Install Sushi - A sushi that assists gastrointestinal functions of mankind with a degenerated digestive organ.

-2070 / Deep Sea Fish Sushi - As a result of marine resources depletion, deep-sea fish are now served for human consumption. Not so sure about freshness and taste so deep-frying is recommended. Eating it raw is unsafe.

[Sushi Plate devices]

Illuminated sushi plates themed around "Future Sushi" were developed. Magical circles created by laser cutting shine with small LEDs, imagining the sushi appearing in the present day through a portal from the future society. Devices made by 3D printing are embedded in the underside of the plates, powered by Eneloop batteries, and can be switched on and off. The coloring is designed to match the form of each sushi.

[Sushi conveyor]

The sushi conveyor, symbolizing the representation of automation and the relentless flow of time prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, was chosen for its relevance. Using real conveyor chains for sushi ensures stable operation.

[Magical dystopian security gate] As a boundary marker of the dystopian worldview, a security gate stands at the entrance to Future SUSHI. When humans pass through, it detects "future contraband," causing magical circles to light up randomly. Implemented with Arduino, infrared sensors, and Neopixel, it reacts to human passage through the gate. Only children are exempt from the contraband detection (with an exclusion setting for children's height).

[Other objects of the installation] -Mysterious Sushi Showcase: A showcase that contains replicas of such futuristic ingredients as brains, cultured salmon roe, artificial wasabi, and natural fish aged for 70 years.

-Future SUSHI Price List: A list of future SUSHI prices. The currency is NY (Neo YEN), and prices are estimated to be 100 times the current prices due to inflation.  With the note: "Survival tax and oxygen charges are not included.”

Technical Requirements

[Equipment provided by the artist]

Essentials: - 18 food samples of futuristic sushi - 18 rotating sushi plates - Eneloop batteries (AAA) x20 and a charger

Items to send according to exhibition requirements: - Humanoid robot / Softbank Nao (for overseas exhibitions, a smaller robot will mainly be used) - Robot face masks - Rotating conveyor (for overseas shipping, a lighter and simplified mechanism will be considered; for a previous exhibition in Graz, Austria, a full-scale product conveyor was sourced locally, so using the same fixture might be possible) - LED mechanism for magical circle gate, circular acrylic, Arduino - Other decorative items and equipment can be provided as needed - Note: For a minimum package excluding the robot, shipping costs from Japan to Austria are approximately 450€ (based on previous exhibition experience in Graz). Items can be customized according to budget and exhibition content

[Equipments by Ars Electronica]

- 1 monitor - 1 PC for robot control - 1 display fixture for the robot - Fixture simulating an airport gate - Power supply

[Space requirements]

- A space of 5m x 5m is desirable, ideally with at least one wall - A dimly lit space is preferable for LED visibility

[Required persons and support]

- Having staff familiar with the robot control app (Choregraphe) is desirable; the operation is straightforward and can be performed by anyone - Daily battery replacement for sushi plates is necessary

[Notes]

- The design and content of the exhibition can be flexibly adjusted according to budget and space requirements

[jasonsutekh]

Virtuosity (1995)

A rogue AI gains a human body and begins a murder game with a re-instated police officer, recently released from prison.

 As with many dystopian techno-nightmare films there’s a great deal of already established lore that the audience is thrown into so that it can gradually unravel and we can learn how each aspect can be exploited. It also allows for some unusual but visually useful effects, most notably the glass healing, which if not the most stimulating is at least different.

 Easily the weakest aspect was Russell Crowe. Although he works roughly as the villain, it’s mainly because he’s already difficult to like. The performance is overshadowed by the other actors in any shared scene and the attempt at evil charisma rarely lands well. Seeing his ass also reduced the quality of my overall experience on this planet.

 There was some subterfuge in the narrative that worked out fairly effectively, although it wasn’t clearly explained how or when exactly the twist was engaged. An attempt was also made to very briefly relate the subtext to ethics and religion although it’s passed over so quickly and more used as an excuse for the antagonist to behave as he will than a deep facet to explore.

 It’s always difficult to relate to cops as main characters because they separate themselves from the ethics of regular people and are therefore less accountable so threats become incidental and collateral a reduced issue. Some other layers are included in the plot but they’re thin and it mainly relies on already existing conventions of the genre.

 4/10 -It’s below average, but only just!-

[miss-deep-electric]

Recondite's Equilibrium is one of his tracks released on the Berlin Label Dystopian.

[stellocchia]

It's Sunday baby! You guys know what that means!

Ongoing:

Fool's Gold by MollyPollyKinz

Chapters: 2/?

Sort of a magical girl AU that has strong Miraculous Ladybug vibes. Either way, it's a Crimeboys focused AU where they're not related, and we have Awesamdad, so, you know, that's definitely a win

His Deafening Silence by tiredauthor

Chapters: 4/?

Dystopian AU. It starts off with Someone in Manburg's government taking an interest in Tommy's ability. Because of this he is taken from his family and assumed dead. Because of this Phil, Wilbur, and Techno form a rebellion, and, years later, Tubbo is part of it and he meets a peculiar avian hybrid

And In The Darkness, I Say "Fuck!" by Maerit

Chapters: 3/?

Phil, Techno, and Wilbur recently moved to a creepy cabin in the woods. Wilbur is convinced that there's something supernatural going on and he manages to convince his brother to help him get proof of it on tape

I Asked for a Monster and You Gave Me a Fairytale by Anonymous

Chapters: 11/?

Cryptid AU. Tommy has been suffering from hanahaki all his life. Getting adopted by Dream considerably worsened that and he doesn't have too long to live. He decides that he doesn't want to die from suffocation but would much rather get some of the dangerous cryptids in the forest to adopt him. He gets adopted instead

Stay underneath my wing by sircantus

Chapters: 15/?

Zombie apocalypse AU. Tommy and Wilbur are brothers but they got split up. Both find help on their way back to each other. Tommy finds help in a grumpy hermit that has taken a whole town to himself, and Wilbur in a kind-hearted adventurer that can and will shoot you if you're being a d*ck

Completed:

An Eternity To Love You by FractalFiction

Chapters: 1/1

Fluffy crimeboys Vampire AU

live wire by vsendy

Chapters: 11/11

Band AU that focuses on the rivalry between sbi and Dream Team. Also, if you enjoy your good old Techno and Wilbur content this is your fic, they're actually the main focus

The Witch's Tower by SilverWing15

Chapters: 9/9

Tommy is Dream's familiar. Or, well, was, before the man went off the deep end with his obsession for dark magic. Thankfully Wilbur comes along and Tommy has a second shot at being a witch's familiar

on a cliff by the sea by sunphroggy

Chapters: 4/4

There's just. So much going on this one. It's apparently inspired by Ponyo, but I've never watched that, so. Either way, Kristen and Phil were together a long time ago and they had two kids together, Kristen then was forced to go back to her domain to do her work as the Goddess of Death. She adopts a little sun drop that fell from the sky, but she never forgets the rest of her family. In an attempt to make his mother Happy Tommy goes to search for Phil, and things get hectic from there

I don't want familiarity with your mind by plantform

Chapters: 1/1

Honestly, I highly recommend the whole series this work belongs to. They're all great! As for this one: it's set in the Dream smp, Tommy pisses off a witch and gets cursed to reading people's minds. That's a lot less fun than it might sound

[cncrtabstraction]

we’re still looking out for brutalist aesthetics beyond architecture.

check out SOUND DEBRIS, our techno collection at soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/cncrtabstraction