#EMI Catalogue

[coreyis-awesome]

hey moot! :D I've noticed you've been posting a bit abt ARGs lately, and I'm currently trying to find new ones to watch, are there any you'd recommend?

I’ve just started watching them recently.

So I’m just gonna list the ones I watched, and the ones I’d recommend.

The ones I watched are:

GÜBY & Friends.

The Mandela Catalogue.

TRYRED WITNESS ARCHIVES.

No Players Online 2019. (I watched Markiplier play this like..a while ago.)

Angel Hare.

The Oldest View.

Woodlands National Park.

The Smile Tapes.

The Children Under the House.

Stone Cold.

I think that’s it? I can’t remember anything else.

And for recommendations:

The Mandela Catalogue.

TRYRED WITNESS ARCHIVES. (This one is extremely good, but it does contain like..selfharm and shit like that, if that makes you uncomfortable.)

Angel Hare.

The Oldest View. (Starts off a little bit slow, but it gets progressively more interesting!)

Woodlands National Park. (Contains gore..)

The Smile Tapes. (Creepy as shit like wtf. 😭)

The Children Under the House.

Stone Cold. (Contains loud noises. Overall pretty good.)

Edit 5/22/24: I’ve also watched The Tangi virus, pretty good. Rip my woman Dr. Julia Williams.

Edit: 5/29/24 - I watched Dog Nightmares, um...what the fuck?

[hotwaterandmilk]

A couple of things I received in the mail this week.

Wada Shinji Artworks

Released in 2022 this book, which commemorates 10 years since Wada's death, covers an extensive assortment of artwork from the artist's catalogue including finished colour pieces, manuscripts and comments.

Truly if you're a fan of Wada this book is for you, it is very comprehensive; offering insight into his processes as well as exquisite finished artwork. It does something I'm normally not a fan of in art books, which is spread artwork across pages and combine several illustrations to a page in some places.

However, this book feels like a journey through Wada's career (grouped together by thematic elements like historical titles or suspense titles) and each page is composed in a particular way as part of telling this story so I actually don't mind it all that much. No, not the best for scanning but I don't think a book like this should be about scanning - it's about walking down Wada's path and rediscovering (or igniting) a sense of respect and affection for his works. In that sense, I really do think this book is successful.

I'm old but not old enough to have grown up reading Wada's stories (I was only introduced as a teenager with Sukeban Deka, which immediately captured me because it combined detective themes with action) so I can't speak as an authority on his works or career. But I believe most fans of manga will take something away from a detailed retrospective like this and as such, I highly recommend it.

Lab-Garnier's Magical Emi doujinshi

The latest in Asamiya Kia's long line of full-colour heroine doujinshi volumes which can veer between featuring cute, harmless pics, cheesecake shots and some more softcore illustrations (such as the one he did for Saimebi's Lebia). I had hoped this one would just be on the cute side of things given that Mai from Magical Emi is IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL however, this was not to be.

While there are a couple of fairly harmless shots of Mai, which I've included here, there is also a double-page panty shot spread and a bath illustration of her naked. 🤢🤢🤢 I had thought Yui from Corrector Yui eating ice cream in her book was bad enough, but this is on another level of NOPE. I'm posting this to save others from making the same mistake I did. This isn’t cute, it is gross ass shit.

Ranma 1/2 Ciao Magazine stickers

Ciao magazine shares a lot of shounen collab content, particularly Meitantei Conan, but in the November issue they actually included some Ranma content (timed obviously with the new anime series’ release).

While I’m not a big Takahashi-head, I had to get the magazine issue specifically for these stickers because I fell in love with the designs. Truly, an insert sticker sheet did NOT have to go this hard. If nobody else has scanned them I’m happy to do so, but Ranma has a lot of dedicated fans so it may not be necessary. I am happy I got these for myself though, very cute little insert that highlights Takahashi’s iconic artwork in a way that will appeal to young girls.

[scotianostra]

On October 20th 1938 photographer Iain MacMillan was born in Carnoustie.

After leaving Dundee high school in 1954, he worked as a trainee manager in a local jute mill, before studying photography at the Regent Street Polytechnic (now the University of Westminster). He returned home in 1959 to photograph Dundee tenements and street scenes - powerful images of a way of life about to disappear. His talent was soon recognised by magazines and publishers, and by the early 1960s he was getting commissions from the Lutterworth Press, the Sunday Times, Plays & Players and the Illustrated London News.

Later in the decade he took photographs for a book, The Sculpture of David Wynne, and for Wynne's exhibition catalogue, while also working on a photographic essay about life in the capital. The Book of London (1966) contains some of his best work, and brought him to the attention of Yoko Ono, who commissioned him to photograph her exhibition at the Indica gallery, in St James's. It was there that Yoko met John Lennon, who invited MacMillan to photograph the Abbey Road album cover.

MacMillan continued working with the couple on such projects as the Live Peace in Toronto album (1969) and Sometime in New York City (1972). He also collaborated on the film Erection, an animation of shots of a London hotel under construction with a soundtrack by John and Yoko.

By the mid-1970s, MacMillan was teaching photography in Stoke-on-Trent. As well as possessing a sense of composition and a lively imagination, he was a meticulous craftsman with a sound technical knowledge. He tried to instill these values into his students. In the 1980s his photographs were exhibited in galleries in Britain and the US, and on the continent. The BBC used his work in the series The Rock and Roll Years.

In the 1980s, after his parents died, MacMillan moved back to Carnoustie. He continued to take photographs of Scottish landscapes, his friends and families - and his beloved collie dog, Mac - often using a borrowed camera.

In 1993 Paul McCartney invited MacMillan to take another picture on the famous zebra crossing near the EMI studios in St John's Wood, this time of the Beatle and his Old English sheepdog. MacMillan contrasted the simplicity of the earlier picture by including a team of policemen, press photographers and a lively crowd. The resulting image was used on the cover of the album Paul is Live, thus scotching rumours that McCartney was dead.

MacMillan was modest about his own achievements. He retained a lasting affection for Paul and Linda McCartney, whom he described as "the most solidly down to earth and unaffected couple imaginable".

Iain MacMillan passed away on May 8th 2006 from lung cancer.

[funarisjournal]

Welcome Back, Emi~

Or, more specifically, "Welcome back ♡" - Manami Higa

Emi Nishino's been back from her vacation for a few days now. She's been cataloguing her adventures in England (so far. As of this post, she plans to talk about Paris soon) over on Instagram. It's been really fun seeing what sort of adventures she had. She was actually taking some English classes at Oxford for two weeks! Neat stuff!

But ohhhh my goodness. I had wondered over on Bluesky if there would be a welcome home party since there was a sending off party before Emi left. I was right~~

According to a post from Manami Higa tonight, it looks like they met up recently to have some yakiniku!

God, they look so adorable together. So happy together, too! I'm gonna cry~ 🥹💖

[UPDATE]

Emi made her own version of the post. Same photos used, but she had commentary:

"One week back in Tokyo! I had some delicious food with (Manami Higa's handle) ♡

Something funny already happened before we got together for this, and I was laughing so much, I wonder if I'll last the whole day 😂"

Just from the photos alone, though, she sure was laughing and smiling even after the funny thing happened! I'm glad to see them have fun. Friendships at our age (yes, I'm within their immediate age group, too) are so hard to find and keep. Cherish the bonds that form the strongest, like these two!

[singlesablog]

The Imperial Phase

“Left to My Own Devices” (1988) Pet Shop Boys Parlophone / EMI Records (Written by Tennant / Lowe) Highest U.S. Billboard Chart Position – No. 84

I was faced with a choice at a difficult age Would I write a book?  Or should I take to the stage? But in the back of my head I heard distant feet Che Guevara and Debussy to a disco beat

- from “Left to My Own Devices”

“We had been so disciplined at making four-minute pop singles, with the exception of "It's a Sin", which is five minutes. The idea was to have an album where every track was a single

- Pet Shop Boys on the idea behind Introspective

I used to joke with a friend that the two albums in Pet Shop Boys catalog that sat next to one another could have swapped their titles: Introspective (1988) could have been titled Behaviour (1990), and vice versa.  Introspection is from the Latin (“to look within”), and I guess this kind of works; an album titled Self Referential would not be nearly as catchy, if more accurate. Oddly, I always thought of introspection as being related to looking backwards, like nostalgia; in the case of the Pet Shop Boys it is perhaps just a case of inverse-ness (gay people were once called inverts), or even a thoughtful kind of literal thinking.  But who knows, they could have just pulled the title out of a bag.  The duo was never averse to fashion.

The album (if you are unware) consists of six extended tracks, and unlike the quote above, only 4 of them were released as singles, “Domino Dancing”, “Devices”, “Always on My Mind” (which preceded the record and was presented in a much different version), and “It’s Alright”.  “It’s Alright” and “Always on My Mind” are covers, “I Want a Dog” and “I’m Not Scared” are recycled cuts, so the album only contained two original songs, “Domino Dancing” (a huge hit all over the world) and “Devices” (an even bigger hit in the UK, but not in the US).  Like the EP Disco, an earlier collection of 6 extended cuts, it treated the form with respect, but also expanded the idea of what a proper album could be.  To my mind it is easily one of their very best, most original, and certainly most popular (internationally it is their best seller ever).  I love every track (with a small mark off for “It’s Alright”, which does grow a little tedious), but none as much as “Left to My Own Devices”, which is formally audacious and endlessly, thrillingly queer from a gay male perspective.

I was faced with a choice at a difficult age Would I write a book?  Or should I take to the stage?

Back to the idea of introspection, most young gay men have an intense inner life, and we of a certain generation (coming of age in the 1970s and 1980s) were forced to find our culture on our own.  “Left to My Own Devices” is a catalogue of the thoughts and ideas that might roam around in a bachelor’s world.  One of the slyer things about the song is that most of it is spoken word.  Here we find Neil rapping (again!) but instead of trying to create the beat the effect is more like reportage than singing.  The lyrics, as usual, are a collage of ideas carefully cut and pasted to create an atmosphere of bourgeois dandyism (“I phone up a friend who’s a party animal”, “we’ll do some shopping”)—I mean, there is a lot of tea drinking in these lyrics, and I can never be sure that this is either very gay, very British, or both.  I think the Pet Shop Boys, song to song, are generally more in search of a tone where content is concerned, and I also think that tone is always meant to elude you a bit.  As long as you are dancing I don’t think they care what you think, and one sure thing about Introspective is that this certainly is a dance record, and not well understood as one of the most purchased and successful House records ever made, and if you are ever in any doubt of that, please focus on the opening of “Left to My Own Devices”, where they employed an actual opera singer (Sally Bradshaw) to sing the word “house” over and over again as if it were an aria.

All of this can be seen as sardonic (their infamous “irony”) but I always prefer to think of it as sophistication; at the very least, Pet Shop Boys take their ideas and music seriously.  If you read my blog post on Chic’s “Good Times” you can easily understand the courage of performing this style of music in earnest in a world of the backlash that “Disco Sucks” created, which effectively took the bubbles out the late 70s, forced an entire world of music underground, and ironically exploded the genre into many different forms, some of which this record preserves.  There is a level of irony abounding in “Left to My Own Devices”; aside from the gay thing, perhaps that subversiveness is built into the genre of disco music itself.  The track did not really chart in the US outside of the clubs, but that hardly mattered: one could really enjoy Introspective as a gestalt, one long thought, or even one long track.  Whenever I find that I have an itch to listen to the album it is inevitably for the opening of “Devices”, where amidst a full symphony Neil opens with “I get out of bed at half past ten” and then proceeds to take you on a long ride describing a mundane day conducted by the best producers and mixers in the world.  It is the transformation of the mundane into the extraordinary, and also the testament of an inner life revealed.  In contrast to the general success of the album, perhaps “Left to My Own Devices” is the real innovation of the 6 tracks; it may not be the most American, or the most well-known, but being an invert myself, I must say: I rather like it that way.  Is it an irony that a disco record can make one feel seen?  Maybe not.  To some of us, hiding in plain sight just comes naturally.

---

Behaviour (1990).

Tennant later regretted the release of Introspective so soon after the previous album, Actually, feeling that it pigeon-holed them as a dance act.  The melancholy follow-up, Behaviour, generally considered to be their finest achievement, was a relative failure.

I was surprised to learn that “The imperial phase” was actually put into the vernacular by Neil Tennant. The imperial phase is the period in which a musical artist is regarded to be at their commercial and creative peak simultaneously, and was coined to describe the group's feelings on their career circa "Domino Dancing" (1988). Critic Tom Ewing described three criteria for defining an artist's imperial phase as "command, permission, and self-definition".

It was genius producer Trevor Horn who came up with the line “Debussy to a disco beat” tossing it off while laying down a track.  Tennant, ever the historian, collaged it into the song, and gave Horn a writing credit on the b-side “The Sound of the Atom Splitting” as compensation.

Apparently, Neil Tennant’s mother was upset at hearing him sing “I was a lonely boy, no strength, no joy, in a world of my own” but it seems that this is just a character he was play acting: he apparently had a happy childhood.

"In a secret life I was a Roundhead general" – [In British history] the "Roundheads" were the pro-Parliamentary forces during the English Civil War of the mid-1600s. The name "Roundheads" came from the fact that they generally wore their hair trimmed short, unlike their opponents, the long-haired "Cavaliers" who supported King Charles I. (And in case you're not up on your British history, Charles I was ultimately defeated, deposed, and beheaded.) Again, Neil has pointed out that, as a child, he himself would actually have been far more sympathetic to the Cavaliers (in contrast to his more anti-royalist sympathies as an adult). 

- (Directly quoted from geowayne.com)

Pet Shop Boys are still recording. Nonetheless, the Boys 15th studio album, was released April 26th, 2024 to near universal praise.

-----

This post was written using analog techniques to collate facts.  After deciding on a topic, one Wikipedia entry will naturally suggest another, and then I let those concepts create an environment of creative association rather than mere fact finding. I do cross reference sources to find what is most interesting.  While some small details may be disputable, none is used for any other reason than to open up the idea at hand, and to support the belief that most pop songs are indeed works of art, with the great ones renewing themselves endlessly.

[archoneddzs15]

Sega Saturn - Thunder Force Gold Pack 2

Title: Thunder Force Gold Pack 2 / サンダーフォースゴールドパック２

Developer/Publisher: Technosoft

Release date: 6 December 1996

Catalogue No.: T-1808G

Genre: Compilation / Horizontal Shooter

Time for more classic shooting action with Technosoft's Thunder Force Gold Pack 2. This time we have 100% perfect copies of the Mega Drive hit Thunder Force IV and the arcade entry in the Thunder Force series called Thunder Force AC which was also released on the SFC/SNES by Toshiba EMI in Japan and Seika Corp in North America under the name of Thunder Spirits. Sadly, the SFC/SNES version is pretty poor. An interesting fact for those who don't know. Thunder Force II MD was in fact a cut-down version of Thunder Force II originally for the Sharp X68000 computer with a few overhead sections thrown in.

Technosoft has learned from their mistake with the first Gold Pack by actually "emulating" the original Mega Drive and Arcade sound and not just streaming it from CD like they did with the first collection. The music on Thunder Force AC seems to be 100% spot on while the music in Thunder Force IV is 99% perfect. There seems to be just a tiny difference in some of the songs. Nothing that would spoil the fun though.

This is defiantly worth picking up for Thunder Force IV alone but with the added bonus of Thunder Force AC you can't go wrong.

Here's just a quick history of the Thunder Force series.

1983 - Thunder Force - appeared on various Japanese PCs such as the Sharp X1 and NEC PC-8801

1984 - Thunder Force Construction - appeared on various Japanese PCs such as the NEC PC-9801 and Fujitsu FM-7

1988 - Thunder Force II - appeared on the Sharp X68000 home computer

1989 - Thunder Force II MD - Mega Drive remake of the Sharp X68000 game, and the first Thunder Force game to see a worldwide release, launching day-and-date with the Sega Genesis in North America

1990 - Thunder Force III - Mega Drive

1990 - Thunder Force AC - Arcade

1991 - Thunder Spirits - Super Famicom (SNES) conversion of Thunder Force AC published by Toshiba EMI in Japan and Seika Corp in North America

1992 - Thunder Force IV - Mega Drive (also known as "Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar" in North America)

1996 - Thunder Force Gold Pack 1 - Saturn (TF2 & TF3)

1996 - Thunder Force Gold Pack 2 - Saturn (TF-AC & TF4)

1997 - Thunder Force V - Saturn

1997 - Thunder Force V Special Pack - Saturn (same as TF5 but includes a Best of Thunder Force arranged soundtrack audio CD)

1998 - Thunder Force V "Perfect System" - PlayStation (the only TF5 version to see a North America release published by Working Designs/SPAZ)

2000 - Thunder Force VI - Dreamcast (never completed or released)

2001 - Technosoft bought out by pachinko maker Twenty-one Company and merged into Twenty-one's R&D division

2008 - Thunder Force VI - PlayStation 2 (developed and published by Sega)

2018 - Sega Ages Thunder Force IV - Nintendo Switch (developed by M2 and published by Sega)

2020 - Sega Ages Thunder Force AC - Nintendo Switch (developed by M2 and published by Sega)

[invisibleicewands]

A Very Royal Scandal review – Michael Sheen is excellent as Prince Andrew in THAT interview

If you haven’t seen the lively Scoop, Netflix’s version of the catastrophic (for him) Prince Andrew Newsnight interview about his relationship with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, then you might find more to appreciate in A Very Royal Scandal. This is the second time the story has been given a “real events, fictionalised for dramatic purposes” preamble in the same year. As with Scoop, it’s a buffet of top-tier acting talent. Here, Ruth Wilson is Emily Maitlis, and takes the deep voice very seriously, while Michael Sheen is Prince Andrew, and Joanna Scanlan his adoring and doomed private secretary, Amanda Thirsk. The performances are predictably strong, but it lacks the heft you might expect from a such a heavyweight cast, and from a series that follows the excellent A Very English Scandal and A Very British Scandal.

Over three steady episodes, it follows Maitlis and her Newsnight team as they pursue the interview with, and allegations against, the Prince, before re-creating the interview and exploring the fallout. Scoop focused on the producer Sam McAlister, played by Billie Piper, and turned her dogged pursuit of the sit-down into a sort of thriller. This sidelines her almost completely. Instead, it sticks with Maitlis and the Prince, fleshing out their private lives and offering a more in-depth character portrait of each, as they move towards their shared fate. It is elegantly done, though it ambles forward rather than sprinting for the finish line.

That means Maitlis at home, with her husband and sons, having a post-work vodka, talking to her whippet and Googling the links between Epstein and Andrew. We join her as the BBC is under pressure from the right-wing press and the government for its seeming partisanship. Maitlis is rebuked for a Brexit-inspired, on-camera eye-roll, and while Paxman and Humphries would be applauded for that kind of thing, she says, she still feels she has to prove herself. The Andrew interview would be perfect. “I’m not losing out to bloody ITV,” she booms.

The TV industry stuff feels pleased with itself, particularly when it is placed against the absurdity of royal life, shown here to be a surreal catalogue of hunting, golf, fine dining and charades. This goes far deeper into Prince Andrew’s world than Scoop did, and you can see that it is fascinated with his psyche, and the question of not only why he would do the interview, but why he seemed to think, in the immediate aftermath, that it had gone rather well indeed.

We get to meet Fergie (Claire Rushbrook), loyal and amoral, who describes herself and Andrew as “the happiest divorcees in the world”, and has sent her ex-husband off to his old friend Epstein with “a fucking begging bowl” to settle her many debts. Sheen’s Andrew is a near-tragic buffoon, a man-child who believes that he is charm personified, but berates his staff with endless “fuck offs” and furious tirades. If the drama makes an effort to humanise him, it does so through his daughters, Beatrice (Honor Swinton Byrne) and Eugenie (Sofia Oxenham), who by the end appear to if not accept, then at least comprehend the mess their father has made.

A comparison to the later Crown here is inevitable, not least because this spends so much time in the royal households, and runs into the same problem of trying to dramatise very recent history, still fresh in the minds of most viewers. It is hard for it not to dip into caricature. Still, Sheen is great as the ranting Prince – “I am the second fucking son of the fucking sovereign” – but the underplayed star of the whole thing might be Alex Jennings, who plays the late Queen’s private secretary, Sir Edward Young, a smooth master of the old ways. He warns Thirsk against the Newsnight interview, explaining that the royals need protecting from themselves. They live a “frictionless existence”, he says. They will never know what it is to miss a train, because the train will always wait for them if they are late.

The fallout from the Newsnight interview had no intention of waiting for the Prince. This ends with a closeup of that 2001 photograph, of Andrew with the then 17-year-old Virginia Guiffre at Ghislaine Maxwell’s London home, re-created with the actors for both A Very Royal Scandal and Scoop, but also powerfully left in its original form in the final moments here. It is a reminder that this isn’t a simple case of a stupid man making a stupid mistake. When Maitlis replied to Andrew’s description of Epstein’s behaviour as “unbecoming”, she did so with an astonished rejoinder that Epstein was “a sex offender”. Like Maitlis, A Very Royal Scandal handles itself with comportment and class, but as a drama, it is too frictionless for its own good.

[x-heesy]

🆂🆆🅰🅶 🅰🆃🆃🅰🅲🅺

Yo... Eski-boy in the building

December madness

This ain't a fluke, this ain't a parody

I be in the hall of fame and art galleries

Vision in my head before Amy did Valerie

Gradually you felt like you knew me and added me

I am not a present, ain't nobody wrapping me

Shoulders ahead, many women they love tapping me

Chatting about how I come across unmannerly

Like I'm in a bike gang, Sons of Anarchy

Step on to the track, burn calories

Pekker got me on the higher salary

Heavier riddims, I got the clarity

Nobody pushed me, nobody carried me

Search for comparisons you're only gonna find similarity

I blaze weed, it controls my sanity

Without I couldn't defy gravity

I'd be a floater, and you'd be mad at me

I'm from the hood and I ain't new to tragedy

6 in the bloodclart morning, you follow me

I run bass, I'm the Bass Odyssey, of course you're dodging me

For me to act like I never knew you? It would be odd of me

It would be cold of me, it's the older me

In effect, directly from the L-O-N

East side tech, got bangers, got manors

But no respect for goal-hangers

Wiser the older I get

I said, nobody's fucking with the shower man flow

I said, nobody's fucking with the shower man, bro

You'd better know

Man can't handle these levels and I'm sorry bro, you gotta go

Draw from the pain that I had and the brain that I had

From the days when the money was low

Might sound crystal clear, we're like wolves

Walked in the dance, in the war you froze

My ability is a par, that's why I don't wanna use it

It's lary, start showing off with the music

Shows you, why I lived this why I do this

Shows you, if I'm complacent and abuse it

Got it installed in my skin, I was born to win

Maintain so I can't loose it

I don't know why you wanna question my flow in the game every day, man prove it

Popping, I got a vibe that's popping

Won't work blud if your vibe ain't popping

I've spent so many hours on the radio

Ask anybody car most of them locked in, popping

I get it done get it popping

Been here for years and the style ain't stopping

Got a whole back catalogue of songs, but it's a new day got a vibe what's popping

Don't get stuck, roll with the times

You're there in the past, we've grown with the times

Who do you know from the new generation?

No one, cus you don't roll with the times

I don't get blocked man roll with the lions

I will never get lost man go with the signs

When I was a kid I was in 9 mass lots

Friday night man might go to the chimes

If you hear me sound whack tell me I'll get my to bag to pack

I'll leave there and I'll never come back

I'm sure of myself

You're raw in a crew, but I'm raw by myself, I could tour by myself

If its shanks you're looking for turn back now bro

I'll bust a roundhouse kick like Shaodow

Straight in ya chest, hurling dub plates in ya chest

That flows without breaks, I'm the best

6 in the bloodclart morning, you follow me

I run bass, I'm the bass Odyssey, of course you're dodging me

For me to act like I never knew you? It would be odd of me

It would be cold of me, it's the older me

In effect, directly from the L-O-N

East side tech, got bangers, got manors

But no respect for goal-hangers

Wiser the older I get

And I think for myself, I was born on my own

I don't wanna false friend in my zone

Tell a brudda don't chat to man, it's alright

Stay on your side, don't wan' it with our side

Enough of them are too ropy

Can't cope with all the vultures

We don't want ya here you're like ulcers

We ain't vibing with you cause you're fake bro

When I speak it's truth we're like hey bruv

Let me move on step up the pace

I had to chill a bit when I got her wet in the face

Have you ever seen a devil when you step in the rave

Versace shades and screw face step in ya face

And say what

I'm too London I've realised

At 22 I was getting texts from XL and EMI

Looking like a walking pound sign

Bait as you like they saw my cold town side

Don't rub your wins in the face of the hood

The outcomes not gonna be good

I know the, real ones I don't wanna be shook

I had to, take time so the quality's good

And now I'm back in the mix back in the combo

Back with an umbrella back with a poncho

If you got a good vibe you can holler me

Six in the bloodclart morning you follow me

@ro3000 @2020blaq #bounza 🕺🏼☠️🕺🏼

6 In The Morning by Wiley

[randomvarious]

Today’s compilation:

Now That's What I Call Music 1998 Pop / Pop-Rock / Alternative Rock / Dance-Pop / R&B / Teen Pop / Bubblegum Pop / Post-Grunge

Alright, folks, here it is: the ultimate rush of late 90s nostalgia; the first installment in the most pervasive compilation series to ever grace US shores; and partially, my own personal guiding light that originally inspired me to start this whole dumb V/A comp-collecting hobby of mine and its corresponding blog in the first place; it's the Mount Olympus of repackaging contemporary pop hits; the one and only Now That's What I Call Music!

Now, maybe you don't know this about Now, but this *whole fucking enterprise* actually dates all the way back to 1983 in the UK. That's when and where the first Now compilation of any kind was ever conceived. And what made that such a monumentally important moment for the music industry, when there'd already been plenty of contemporary V/A successes before it from the likes of K-tel and Ronco, is that for the first time ever, eclectic powerhouse pop music labels were joining forces themselves to put out these hits albums by supplying songs from their very own respective catalogues. And, as you could guess, these efforts wound up selling like total hotcakes 🤑.

Following Now's immediate success in the UK and Ireland, other countries would soon decide to set up their own version of the series. South Africa, New Zealand, and The Netherlands would all begin in 1984, Australia would make a release in '87, and Canada and Japan would start in '88. But for some reason that escapes me, it took the US an *extremely* long time to follow suit. It wasn't until October of 1998, with Virgin, Polydor, Capitol/EMI and Universal reaching an agreement to collaborate, that the moment would finally come to pass, though: Now would have its historic US arrival.

This album, as you might expect, is really just like turning on a top-40 radio station sometime around 1998. It's largely an excellent mix of songs that got tons of airplay from that era, with different slices of all the pop and rock goodies you remember, and maybe one or two that you forgot, like "Never Ever" by All Saints, a UK girl group that had two top-40 hits in '97—that one included—and then completely disappeared from US airwaves, while continuing to string together seven more straight top-tenners back home through 2006.

And something that may surprise you, as it did me, is that despite the massive airplay that some of these songs received, they actually didn't make Billboard's coveted Hot 100 chart at all. The Backstreet Boys' "As Long as You Love Me," Fastball's "The Way," Harvey Danger's "Flagpole Sitta," Tonic's "If You Could Only See," and Everclear's "I Will Buy You a New Life" all failed to make that chart. I mean, that Tonic track was probably the most played rock song on the radio in 1997! Why such a disconnect between airplay and Hot 100 placement? I genuinely don't get it.

This issue was somewhat remedied by Billboard a little after a month following this album's release, though. In December of 1998, Billboard ruled that there would no longer be a prerequisite that a song be released as a physical single in order for it to make the Hot 100. This former rule explains why a song like "As Long as You Love Me" never made the chart, because it was actually never released as a single in the US, but it still doesn't explain the lack of showing by all those other songs I listed above since they were all released as US singles. Did people really just not buy them despite our airwaves being saturated with them 🤔?

Anyway, it's always a good time with these trips down memory lane, and I'm glad that I finally got to tackle this opening shot from the most popular series of them all. Learned some intricacies along the way about the music industry I was never aware of too 👍.

Highlights:

Janet - "Together Again" Backstreet Boys - "As Long as You Love Me" Fastball - "The Way" Harvey Danger - "Flagpole Sitta" Spice Girls - "Say You'll Be There" K-Ci & JoJo - "All My Life" All Saints - "Never Ever (Single Edit)" Tonic - "If You Could Only See" Hanson - "Mmm Bop" Cherry Poppin' Daddies - "Zoot Suit Riot" Aqua - "Barbie Girl" Radiohead - "Karma Police" Everclear - "I Will Buy You a New Life" Lenny Kravitz - "Fly Away" Marcy Playground - "Sex & Candy"

[addwebsolution]

How Much Does It Cost to Develop an eCommerce Mobile App

By 2027, the total annual revenue of the eCommerce industry will reach a staggering USD 5.56 trillion. To put that into perspective, it is more than the GDP of the UK. And that will grow as more people prefer to buy products and services online.

This has encouraged small and large businesses to actively participate in doing more commerce business. We know this because we have worked on many eCommerce app development projects. One of the most common questions is about the eCommerce mobile app development cost.

‘How much is it to develop an eCommerce mobile app?’

We will answer it in this post and a few essential factors you need to know about before hiring eCommerce app developers.

Factors That Influence eCommerce App Costs

Let’s look at the factors that decide the cost of eCommerce app development in 2023.

How complex the app is

Developing an eCommerce app like Amazon or Flipkart is a massive task as it involves extensive work and development. And the app is highly complex due to a variety of features.

A few of the elements that make the app complex are:

User account creation.

Payment gateways.

Product catalogues.

The check-out process.

Rewards systems.

EMI payment options.

The more complex the app is, the more expensive the development process is. If you are a small business looking to sell your products, that will cost you less. 

Platforms the app is being developed for 

If you want to develop the app natively for iOS and Android, that will cost you a lot. It will take a lot of time, and you also need to hire different production teams to work on different app iterations.

This is also going to cost you more money.

The best way to avoid such issues is to do the required market research and create an app that caters to your target audience.

Using a cross-platform app development approach is also highly recommended.

Integration and use of third-party APIs 

Creating features natively for your app can increase the overall cost of development, as a developer needs to spend time on it. And that will take more time and money out of your pocket.

Instead, you can integrate third-party APIs to bring all the capabilities and functionalities to your site.

Since they already have working features, you don’t need to worry about their performance.

Whether you want maintenance 

Other factors to consider when building an eCommerce app are regular updates and maintenance. You can enter an AMC contract with the eCommerce development company you are working with if needed.

That’s going to cost you extra. However, you can also do that if you want to have an AMC outside of the existing contract.

Either way, maintenance is a crucial element of any app. And the more complex the app is, the more it will cost you. 

Customization and design requirements 

Suppose you want a highly customized eCommerce mobile app with an impeccably unique design that will take time and cost you more. Developing customized apps right from the ground up is a time-intensive process.

Opting for that will save the time needed to complete the project, which naturally makes the app cost more.

The same thing happens with the design, too. You may use templates or themes available with a few edits. And that brings the cost down.

Where your development partner is located 

If you hire eCommerce app developers in the US or the UK, that’s going to cost a lot of money because they charge higher. On the other hand, choosing a partner from India or the Philippines can cost you a lot less money.

There are several reasons for this, and the biggest reason is that labour in India and the Philippines is more affordable.

Hence, you get impressive value for every dollar you invest in the project. And you can get all these without compromising on the quality.

The app development process 

Yes, that’s right. Depending on the development process, the cost can vary.

Let’s say you are developing a new eCommerce app right from scratch. It takes time to be ideated, planned, and executed meticulously.

This takes a lot of time. 

Instead of that, you can build a clone of an existing app.

And that will cost a lot less as the idea is already there. You must clone the app to fit your products and brand preferences.

Payment gateways 

Payment gateways are essential for accepting online payments. But they will cost a lot as integrating them takes time and effort.

Depending on your business, these options change, such as:

Hosting payment gateway as needed into the app.

Integrating the API.

Setting up alternative payments.

Effectively embed the payment gateways into the app.

Integrating mobile wallets as per your needs.

The Cost of Developing eCommerce Apps

We hope you understand the factors affecting the cost of developing an eCommerce app. This is how we explain the cost to our clients. We educate our clients when they want to know about the project's cost.

Here is a table with the approximate amount for developing an eCommerce app. 

Benefits of Having an eCommerce App for Your Business

While developing an eCommerce app is a considerable investment, it has the potential to take your business to the next level.

Here are a few advantages of using ecommerce apps.

Ease of use 

It enables your users to buy products and services more conveniently. They can buy your products anywhere—while travelling, from their office, or at home.

And that can make your business more user-friendly, improving your sales.

Customer experience 

Having an ecommerce app improves the overall customer experience. The convenience they can enjoy is unparalleled. And this will positively influence your business. 

Brand awareness 

People will use it more when your business has an excellent eCommerce app. And they will talk about it in their community, friend circles, etc. This is great for your business as it can expand your brand awareness.

A competitive edge 

You can trump your competition with a high-performing and intuitive mobile app to sell your products. As you offer a more convenient way, you can also attract users from your competition

Improved sales 

Selling products and services at the store and from your eCommerce app leads to more sales. And you can also reach more people than you could not previously.

How to Develop an eCommerce App on a Budget?

An intelligent approach and expert eCommerce app development company like AddWeb Solution can help you build an eCommerce app on a budget.

Here is what you can do.

Step 1 

Don’t release the app with all the features at first. Develop only the most important factors first and add more features later if your users need them.

Step 2 

Shopify, WooCommerce, etc., offer many pre-built eCommerce platforms. Use this to save time and money.

Step 3 

You must work with an agency that can offer you affordable services. AddWeb Solution in India is an excellent option to do that.

Step 4 

Instead of using proprietary software programs, develop the app using open-source platforms and technologies. Some of the open-source technologies are even better than their paid counterparts.

Step 5 

You can also reuse the code from your previous app. If you can use some parts of the code, it would reduce the overall development cost for sure.

Step 6 

Many eCommerce app development companies offer multiple engagement options. Opt for a fixed-price agreement option, which ensures more value for your project and reduces costs.

Related Article: VueStorefront Headless Commerce A Modern Solution for eCommerce Challenges

Why Choose Us for eCommerce App Development?

When hiring eCommerce app developers, you must hire a reliable eCommerce mobile app design and development company like us.

And if you are wondering why AddWeb Solution is unique, here are a few reasons.

Our expertise in the industry 

AddWeb Solution is among the most respected agencies offering eCommerce app development services. We have earned that image by working on diverse projects from large and small businesses during the last decade.

This expertise enables us to work on diverse eCommerce app projects innovatively and deliver the best service at all times.

Trained and skilled developers 

You can hire eCommerce app developers confidently from AddWeb Solution. They have the experience and qualifications to do what they are doing. Our practice is to train each of our developers in the latest technologies and frameworks as they are released.

So, you never have to worry about the talent working on your project when you choose AddWeb Solution's eCommerce app development services.

Streamlined development process 

Imagine if you have not planned your app development. The result is a waste of resources in terms of money, time, talent, etc. But that does not happen at AddWeb Solution.

We plan every single project we undertake, eCommerce app development or not.

This helps us deliver the project on time, ensure value to the client's investment, and make it easier for them to quickly take their product to the market.

Advanced eCommerce apps

We believe in creating apps that help your business grow. And technology plays a massive role in that. Having realized this, our team of expert eCommerce app developers always leverage the latest technologies to make your app.

This empowers your app with all the features and advanced functionalities you need to impress your existing and prospective customers.

Multiple QA processes 

Quality means the world to us as an eCommerce development company in India. We have multiple quality assessment processes and tests to keep the apps we develop at the highest echelon of quality.

Regardless of your industry, your app will always comply with industry standards and often exceed the benchmarks of global quality expectations. Son, you don't need to worry about the quality of our apps.

Conclusion

eCommerce apps help sell your products and services and reach more users easily. Most people worldwide use a smartphone, so you can make your app available to them to encourage them to buy from you. This is a marketing strategy that many businesses have used and has proven highly effective. However, when developing an eCommerce mobile app for your business, you must hire eCommerce app developers who can deliver value and quality. And that’s something we can offer you aplenty.

We have served numerous businesses looking to expand their reach and sales through dedicated eCommerce mobile apps. We have always served tailored eCommerce development services that exceeded their expectations.

Source: How Much Does It Cost to Develop an eCommerce Mobile App

[musiconanironingboard]

31 March 2023: Computer World, Kraftwerk. (2020 Parlophone reissue of 2009 Mute/EMI editions of 1981 EMI Germany release)

In the spring of 2008 I saw German electronic-music giants Kraftwerk perform in Milwaukee and thereafter experienced an urgent quest to obtain the rest of their catalog that I didn’t own, which was basically everything except the fourth Kraftwerk album, 1974′s Autobahn. During this frantic phrase I wanted everything: German-language editions, English-language editions, and whatever oddities I could find. Much of the band’s catalog had fallen into disarray, including a period where the frightfully bad label Cleopatra obtained rights to some of it. An organized regrouping of Kraftwerk’s legendary works was necessary, and in 2009 this finally happened, beginning with a proper release of The Catalogue (or Der Catalogue, depending on what version you bought), a box including the eight Kraftwerk albums recognized by the band as canonical (they’ve disowned everything prior to Autobahn). Promo copies of a once-scuttled edition of the box had been available at steep premiums on the secondary market for a while, and more than once I almost sprang for it. When The Catalogue finally appeared as an official release, I bought it on CD. Separate vinyl editions of the eight albums from the box were issued, and I started collecting those piecemeal. Of course, as I often do, I approached this task in a half-assed way, and before long some of them were out of print and impossible to find. Kraftwerk’s global licensing arrangements during this period were complex, and depending on what territory you bought these 2009 vinyl reissues from, they’d be on either Mute Records (Germany) or EMI (the rest of Europe). The notion of imports changed a long time ago, and there was no guessing what version a store might have in stock; of the four that I bought during this run, three were on Mute and one, Radioactivity, was on EMI. The art design and packaging is consistent across these two territories’ versions, so while I like consistency I really didn’t care, so long as I accumulated them. Like I say, though, I took too long and the option vanished. At the very least I managed to purchase the first four in chronological order. I figured I’d try to acquire the remaining four somehow, probably on the secondary market, but I didn’t make any effort to do so.

Come 2020, the band’s licensing apparently changed once again, for there was a sudden rush of the 2009 vinyl issues reappearing in stores. The art design and packaging looked exactly like the Mute/EMI editions I’d collected a decade previous, but if you looked closely these 2020 versions had two differences: they were now on colored vinyl, something that seems obligatory in current-day record manufacturer, and they were now on the Parlophone label. It really wouldn’t be the same as completing my collection of the 2009 Kraftwerk reissues, but from a distance they look the same and these 2020 Parlophones were much cheaper than I expected them to be. When I stumbled across this copy of Computer World at Chicago’s new storefront Graveface Records earlier this year, I don’t think it was more than $22. I’d previously seen stores wanting $42 for Kraftwerk reissues that were Mute/EMI leftovers. I’m not sure why it took me the better part of three years to realize these things had been reissued, but part of it was probably I could never remember which ones I still needed and so I just skimmed over the Kraftwerk bin, to worry about it another day. I finally made a note on my phone about what titles I was lacking, and the day I visited Graveface and saw Computer World I was able to check that note for the first time, and all of the other information I share here followed that discovery.

Above are the front cover of Computer World, sticker showing this to be on coloured vinyl, and back cover.

Below are the front and back of the booklet. The front looks identical to the album cover, but looking closer you see the booklet has no words on its front.

Below are both sides of the inner sleeve.

Below is side one’s label.

Here is a shot of the translucent yellow vinyl.

Below are two other vinyl copies I own: on the left, the German original Computerwelt (EMI) and a US original Computer World (Warner Bros.). If I really wanted to go wild, I’d dig out all of my CD editions, but I’m skipping that. To illustrate just how many different labels this album has been on over the years, one of my CD copies is on Elektra.

[sathyaled]

Where can I get the best offers on LED TVs?

In today’s digital age, a high-quality LED TV is more than just a luxury—it’s a gateway to a world of entertainment, education, and information. Whether you’re a movie buff, a sports enthusiast, or someone who enjoys binge-watching TV shows, the quality of your TV plays a crucial role in your viewing pleasure. But with so many brands, models, and retailers to choose from, finding the best TV offers online can be overwhelming.? Look no further than Sathya TV Store.

Why Choose Sathya LED TV Store?

Competitive Prices

At Sathya, we pride ourselves on offering competitive prices that cater to all budgets. Our extensive range of LED TVs ensures that you will find something that fits your financial plan without compromising on quality. From basic models to high-end smart TVs, there’s something for everyone.

Exclusive Deals and Discounts

One of the standout features of shopping at Sathya is our exclusive LED TV online price. We regularly update our promotions to ensure that our customers get the best value for their money. Whether it’s a festival sale, a special promotion, or a clearance sale, you can always find an attractive offer that makes purchasing your dream LED TV even more exciting.

EMI Options

Understanding that a new TV can be a significant investment, Sathya provides flexible EMI options. This allows you to spread the cost of your purchase over several months, making it easier on your wallet. Buy TV online with easy EMI plans to make your shopping experience hassle-free.

Wide Range of Brands and Models

At Sathya TV Store, variety is key. We stock a wide range of brands, including Sony, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, and more. Whether you’re looking for a 32-inch TV for your bedroom or a 75-inch TV for your living room, you’ll find an impressive selection of models with different features to buy TV which suit your needs.

Excellent Customer Service

Our commitment to excellent customer service sets us apart. Our knowledgeable staff are always on hand to guide you through the process of selecting the perfect LED TV. From explaining the latest features to helping you compare different models, we ensure you make an informed decision.

Easy Online Shopping

Can’t make it to the store? No problem! Sathya offers a seamless online TV shopping experience. Our website is user-friendly and allows you to browse through our extensive catalogue, read detailed product descriptions, and make purchases with just a few clicks. Plus, enjoy the convenience of home delivery, ensuring your new TV reaches you safely and promptly.

If you’re looking for the best offers on LED TVs, Sathya is your ultimate destination. With competitive prices, exclusive deals, flexible EMI options, a wide range of brands and models, excellent customer service, and an easy online shopping experience, we ensure your journey of buying LED TV online is nothing short of delightful.

[peterviney1]

Harvest

The recent addition to AROUND and AROUND is EMI’s Harvest label (follow link).  EMI’s prog label’s glory years were brief, yet in a short time they accumulated a catalogue which is now disproportionately high in collectability. Pink Floyd was the obvious centre, but key early 70s albums were on Harvest.

[scotianostra]

On October 20th 1938 photographer Iain MacMillan was born in Carnoustie.

After leaving Dundee high school in 1954, he worked as a trainee manager in a local jute mill, before studying photography at the Regent Street Polytechnic (now the University of Westminster). He returned home in 1959 to photograph Dundee tenements and street scenes - powerful images of a way of life about to disappear. His talent was soon recognised by magazines and publishers, and by the early 1960s he was getting commissions from the Lutterworth Press, the Sunday Times, Plays & Players and the Illustrated London News.

Later in the decade he took photographs for a book, The Sculpture of David Wynne, and for Wynne's exhibition catalogue, while also working on a photographic essay about life in the capital. The Book of London (1966) contains some of his best work, and brought him to the attention of Yoko Ono, who commissioned him to photograph her exhibition at the Indica gallery, in St James's. It was there that Yoko met John Lennon, who invited MacMillan to photograph the Abbey Road album cover.

MacMillan continued working with the couple on such projects as the Live Peace in Toronto album (1969) and Sometime in New York City (1972). He also collaborated on the film Erection, an animation of shots of a London hotel under construction with a soundtrack by John and Yoko.

By the mid-1970s, MacMillan was teaching photography in Stoke-on-Trent. As well as possessing a sense of composition and a lively imagination, he was a meticulous craftsman with a sound technical knowledge. He tried to instill these values into his students. In the 1980s his photographs were exhibited in galleries in Britain and the US, and on the continent. The BBC used his work in the series The Rock and Roll Years.

In the 1980s, after his parents died, MacMillan moved back to Carnoustie. He continued to take photographs of Scottish landscapes, his friends and families - and his beloved collie dog, Mac - often using a borrowed camera.

In 1993 Paul McCartney invited MacMillan to take another picture on the famous zebra crossing near the EMI studios in St John's Wood, this time of the Beatle and his Old English sheepdog. MacMillan contrasted the simplicity of the earlier picture by including a team of policemen, press photographers and a lively crowd. The resulting image was used on the cover of the album Paul is Live, thus scotching rumours that McCartney was dead.

MacMillan was modest about his own achievements. He retained a lasting affection for Paul and Linda McCartney, whom he described as "the most solidly down to earth and unaffected couple imaginable".

Iain MacMillan passed away on May 8th 2006 from lung cancer.

[corazzino]

Ottorino Respighi, Sarabanda P015a, first recording

Emy Bernecoli and Elia Andrea Corazza are proud to announce the first live recording of the rediscovered Sarabanda P015a by Ottorino Respighi. The Sarabanda for violin and piano (P015a) is a short composition consisting of three pages dated 1897, here published for the first time. The original manuscript is part of the private archive of Potito Pedarra, cataloguer of Ottorino Respighi’s…