#English rock band (New Wave

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

𝔗𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔰 𝔉𝔬𝔯 𝔉𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔰 – ℌ𝔢𝔞𝔡 𝔒𝔳𝔢𝔯 ℌ𝔢𝔢𝔩𝔰

[marejadilla]

Talk Talk, “It's My Life” (Official Video) "It's My Life" is a song by the English band Talk Talk. It was the title track on the band's second album, It's My Life (1984), released as its first single in 1984.“

[haveyoulistenedtothisalbum-poll]

Tracklist:

Up Against The Wall • Grey Cortina • Too Good To Be True • Ain't Gonna Take It • Long Hot Summer • The Winter Of '79 • Man You Never Saw • Better Decide Which Side You're On • You Gotta Survive • Power In The Darkness • Don't Take No For An Answer • Martin • Glad To Be Gay • Right On Sister • 2-4-6-8 Motorway • I Shall Be Released • I'm Alright Jack • Waiting For My Man (Live At London Lyceum 1977) • Power In The Darkness (2004 Remix)

Spotify ♪ YouTube

[theanaloglibrary]

The Stranglers, Friday the Thirteenth, Live at the Royal Albert Hall (London), 1997 First edition - 1997, Eagles Records (Eagle Rock Entertainment Limited)

Tracklist 1. Waltzinblack 2. Valley of the Birds 3. Skin Deep 4. Always the Sun 5. Face 6. Daddy's Riding the Range 7. Strange Little Girl 8. Still Life 9. Let me Down Easy 10. Golden Brown 11. Lies & Deception 12. European Female 13. All Day and all of the Night 14. Duchess 15. Down the Sewer 16. Five Minutes 17. No More Heroes

[caesthoffe]

oh to be a skinny punk boy in 1970s london

[britpop-band-tourney]

ROUND 1: Salad VS These Animal Men

SALAD

THESE ANIMAL MEN

These animal men for me

[retropopcult]

"One Thing Leads to Another" is a song by English new wave band the Fixx from their album Reach the Beach. It is one of the group's most successful singles, reaching number four on the US Hot 100 chart in 1983 while peaking at number two on the Billboard Rock Top Tracks and hitting number one in other countries.

Lead vocalist Cy Curnin has described the song as an indictment of dishonest politicians. "Once they start lying, they just can't seem to stop. After awhile I don't think they can remember the truth."

[the-hottest-band-tournament]

Round Two

XTC

Defeated opponents: America

Formed in: 1972

Genres: pop, art rock, new wave, post punk, art punk, progressive pop

Lineup: Andy Partridge – vocals, guitar

Colin Moulding – vocals, bass guitar

Dave Gregory – vocals, guitar, piano, synthesizers, Chamberlin, string arrangement, tiple

Albums from the 80s:

Take Away/The Lure of Salvage (1980)

Black Sea (1980)

Live & More EP (1981)

5 Senses EP (1981)

English Settlement (1982)

Waxworks: Some Singles 1977–1982 (1982)

Beeswax: Some B-Sides 1977–1982 (1982)

Mummer (1983)

The Big Express (1984)

Skylarking (1986)

Oranges & Lemons (1989)

Propaganda: Weird and wondeful, XTC made it a point to actively avoid any familiar approaches and clichés in their songs, and maintained a solid cult following. They also had decent success when they used a pseudonym to play psychedelic rock.

Journey

Defeated opponents: Extreme

Formed in: 1973

Genres: AOR, hard rock, soft rock

Lineup: Steve Perry – lead vocals

Neal Schon – guitars, backing vocals

Gregg Rolie – keyboards, harmonica, backing vocals

Ross Valory – bass guitar, bass pedals, backing vocals

Steve Smith – drums, percussion

Albums from the 80s:

Departure (1980)

Dream, After Dream (1980)

Captured (1981)

Escape (1981)

Frontiers (1983)

Raised on Radio (1986)

Greatest Hits (1988)

Propaganda: A band so hot (both in appearance and popularity) that even the abysmal music video for "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" couldn't hurt them.

[llorom4nn1c]

♡ A guide to emo, goth, and scene! ♡

So since I see a lot of confusion over certain subcultures are and the differences between them, I thought I would make somewhat of a master post basically outlining the characteristics and differences of three aesthetics that I see misinterpreted a lot. If I do at any point get something wrong, feel free to correct me because I really don't intend to spread misinformation.

🎀 Emo

Emo is a music based subculture that first emerged in the 80s out of the hardcore scene. The name emo came from the music genre emocore, which was short for emotional hardcore. The fashion is typically pretty casual, with some staples being straightened and teased hair with a sideways fringe, black clothing, band shirts, arm warmers, sneakers, skinny jeans, fishnets, arm warmers, wide leg pants, studded belts, and merchandise from various properties like Emily The Strange, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Ruby Gloom.

Since the early days of emo, the music in the subculture has expanded outside of hardcore and post-hardcore, and has since gone on to include alternative rock, horror punk, metalcore, pop punk, and screamo. Some of the most prominent artists in the scene are Avril Lavigne, Blink 182, Fall Out Boy, Green Day, My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco, Paramore, Pierce The Veil, and Sleeping With Sirens.

Since the subculture is mainly music based, fashion is not as important to being considered part of the scene. Therefore, not dressing in a specific way while listening to the music wouldn't make you a poser, but dressing emo while not listening to the music would. What is not considered emo is listening to a random genre of rock music. Bands like Metallica and Nirvana, while enjoyed by many emos, are not emo bands and therefore don't make someone emo. Furthermore, I can't believe I need to say this, but, contrary to what many people seem to think, kawaii people are also not emo. While it is common for kawaii people to listen to metal and other heavy music genres, their style is not at all similar to emo and they don't consider themselves as part of the subculture either.

🎀 Goth

Goth is probably the oldest subculture here, with it dating back to the 70s English punk scene, with bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Cure pioneering the culture. The post-punk band Bauhaus' debut single 'Bela Lugosi's Dead,' a song inspired by the famous horror actor Bela Lugosi, who portrayed Dracula in the 1931 film adaptation and also starred in White Zombie which is a film that's typically referred to as the first zombie movie, is often considered the first gothic rock song.

Goth is a subculture with many different sub-subcultures. Some of the most popular are batcave, bubble goth, cyber goth (formerly referred to as gravers), death rock, mall goth (formerly known as spooky kids), nu goth, romantic goth, steampunk, vampire goth, and, my personal favourite, gothic lolita. Contrary to what many people think, I don't consider aesthetics like pastel goth (which I do love) to really be a part of goth since it doesn't have roots in goth. Obviously I'm not going to go over every substyle because that would take way too long and would have to require its own post, but some common staples in most of these styles is lots of black, horror-inspired imagery, very big teased hair, black or red lipstick (red was the most common in the earlier days), and very pale almost white skin. Therefore, e-girls and emos (e-girls especially) are not goth. Also, the fetishisation of the 'big tiddy goth girlfriend' is very demeaning and offensive to goths, as well as just not funny at all because of how it objectifies and reduces them to simply walking breasts who wear black.

Goth music is, in my opinion, some of the most accesible and palatable alternative music. The most popular genres are dark wave, electronic rock, gothic rock, industrial metal and rock, new wave, and post-punk. Some of the most popular bands are Bauhaus, Evanescence, Joy Division, Marilyn Manson, Rammstein, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Birthday Massacre, and The Cure.

🎀 Scene

Scene is an aesthetic that originated in the 2000s on the website MySpace as a derivative aesthetic to emo. Many scene kids were considered emo posers because of their unconventional style and the music they listened to, which included genres ranging from crunkcore to metalcore, often being considered 'trashy' by other subcultures. Despite all of the hate towards scene kids, many embraced their label and many of the most popular people in the subculture started being known as scene queens who are also often credited as the first influencers. This included people such as Ambrehhhisdead, LedaMonsterBunny, and Melissa Marie Green.

Some staples to the style are colourful clothes, straightened and teased hair with colourful raccoon hair extensions, the scene swoop fringe, brass knuckles or diamond necklaces, bows, leopard print, zebra print, colourful shorts, tutus, tight clothes, sunglasses, knee high converse, band shirts, and merchandise of characters like Gir from Invader Zim, Gloomy Bear, and Hello Kitty. Personally, I would consider the modern rendition of scene, scenecore, to be a different aesthetic that, while it is pretty similar to scene, typically borrows from aesthetics like glitchcore rather than emo or mcbling.

Scene music is pretty diverse in what it provides, as it ranges from very heavy genres such as deathcore and metalcore to more pop and rap adjacent genres like crunkcore and neon pop. Some of the most prominent artists are 3OH!3, All Time Low, Asking Alexandria, Blood on the Dance Floor (unfortunately), Bring Me The Horizon, Brokencyde, Cobra Starship, Dot Dot Curve, Jeffree Star, Ke$ha, Metro Station, and Millionaires. A lot of the music is known to ignore many of the typically conventions of music, with the lyrics often containing themes relating to partying and sex.

That's it, byeeeee! ˚｡⋆୨୧˚♡

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

[jenctrl]

4221 - series - 4 2 2 1 profile✧˖*°

4 2 2 1 is a Japanese-Korean band under Mono and Hybe Labels. The band members consist of: Y/n, Eunki, and Yohan. They released their debut EP “kite” on March 6th, 2023, followed by their Japanese debut EP “物の哀れ” (mono no aware) on May 20th, 2023 before releasing their self-titled debut album “4 2 2 1” February 2nd, 2024.

4 2 2 1 Concept; 4 2 2 1 show off their ability to mix and play with different genres as a band without limiting themselves to one particular music style. Often doing so through lyrics that dwell in nostalgia for adolescence, love, yearning, heartbreak, melancholy and (questioning) the meaning of life. Their visual concept aims for a sense of nostalgia using anemoia (I.e: analog technology, dated brands, and 90s-00s) that culminate in a kind of cultural esoterism.

4 2 2 1 Members Profile and Info

Y/N

Stage Name: Y/n

Birth Name: Komatsu Y/n

Position: Vocal, guitarist, songwriter, front person

Birthday: June 30th, 2003

Zodiac sign: Cancer

Height: 5'8 (172cm)

MBTI Type: INFJ-T

Nationality; Japanese

More about Y/n...

EUNKI

Stage Name: Eunki

Birth Name: Lee Eunki

Position: Bassist, backing vocals

Birthday: January 11th, 1999

Zodiac sign: Capricorn

Height: 5'11 (180cm)

MBTI Type: ENFJ

Nationality: Korean

YOHAN

Stage Name: Yohan

Birth Name: Kim Yohan

Position: Drummer

Birthday: May 5th, 2001

Zodiac sign: Taurus

Height: 5'10 (178cm)

MBTI Type: INFP

Nationality: Korean

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

singles and EPs

EP title: kite

release date: march 6th, 2023

tracks:

- chum (orig. dosii)

- nouvelle vague (orig. wave to earth)

- just like a movie (orig. wallows)

- johanna (orig. suki waterhouse)

- let me go! (orig. the volunteers)

genre: jazz, lo-fi, and indie rock

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

EP title: 物の哀れ (mono no aware)

release date: may 30th, 2023

tracks:

- 共鳴 (空虚な石) (orig. lily chou-chou)

- 少女の官能基 (orig. tokenai namae) 

- virgin suicide (orig. uchu nekoko)

- グライド (orig: lily chou-chou) 

genre: shoegaze, indie rock, dream pop

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

single title: good looking (orig. suki waterhouse)

release date: august 11th, 2023

genre: dream pop

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

single title: more than words (orig. hitsujibungaku)

release date: september 1st, 2023

genre: original soundtrack (JJK), rock

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

single title: エロティック(orig. lily chou-chou)

release date: october 15th, 2023

genre; dreampop

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

single title: see you soon (orig. Wisp)

release date: december 8th, 2023 

genre: shoegaze

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

single title: love. (orig. wave to earth)

release date: january 5th, 2024

genre: indie pop

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

album title: 4 2 2 1

release date: february 2nd, 2024

tracks: ten (in the playlist below)

genre: Indie and alt rock, shoegaze

deluxe edition: four extra tracks in japanese and korean+bonus english track

☆Discography playlist☆

Miscellaneous;

Similar artists; wave to earth, wallows, whirr, lily chou-chou, tokenai namae, slowdive, wisp, weezer, suki waterhouse

Genre; Indie Rock, Alt Rock, Shoegaze, Dream pop

Average monthly listeners; 6.8 million

Top Tracks: Pleaser, 共鳴 (空虚な石), chum, good looking, francis forever, your face, love.

Label: Mono Labels is a new subsidiary under Hybe Co., which focuses on k-bands with the goal to expand globally. 4 2 2 1 is the first band to debut under the label, doing so with great success internationally and each day garnering more national fans. As of now there are no plans for any new bands to debut with all the focus being on 4 2 2 1' future projects.

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

Face claims; Y/n - Jurin (XG), Eunki - Jungmo (Cravity), Yohan - Beomsoo (xodiac)

[tragic-vaudeville]

8 BEAT GAG SCAN UPDATE‼️

Hi! I have (finally) finished scanning volume 4 of the series! I know I said in a previous post that i would upload a giant google drive folder with all my volumes (4-6) together at once, due to watermark issue from my app, but I've been able to work around it! So now I will be posting my other two volumes individually when I finish scanning each!!

Here's the link with the giant google drive! Before clicking the link I highly recommend reading the notes underneath for additional information!

Link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-4DHAZN44KbSGlEIr_oTjmL-zRTvJi3J

Notes:

For those unfamiliar with the 8 Beat Gag series: it's a Japanese magazine series featuring various 80s new wave, classic rock, post punk, and hair/glam metal musicians from various bands in fictional scenarios. The magazine has multiple storylines drawn from various artists, with the main storyline being drawn by Atsuko Shima!

Since this series was made in Japan, the entire series is in Japanese; which means there are no volumes with english translations (unfortunately). *if interested in translating my scans, reply to this post or message me!

With each volume there will be 2 versions to read in separate folders; one will be a giant pdf version and the other will be individual png files of each page.

As of this moment currently, the only version of volume 4 available to read is the pdf version. Currently my google drive is struggling uploading each of my png files, but I will make a note once it's available!

In each volumes at the beginning have photoshoot pictures of some of the musicians featured in the series. Well, I accidentally forgot to scan the Bon Jovi photo that is after the Spandau Ballet photo. Therefore, the numbering on the pages are off. I'm sorry Bon Jovi fans for accidentally skipping your pookie bear, but I'm too tired to rescan and redownload a new pdf file. (I hope you understand)

Due to the Ink color on certain pages, some of the saturation of the colors might be an eyesore, and I greatly apologize for those with sensitive eyes! Specifically pages with blue ink are a little harder to look at.

You are allowed to download my scans and post them wherever! I would be more than delighted to see them out in the wild!! It would be nice that if you did repost my scans that you credit me (@/pawooonie) or provide a link to the drive folder for those interested to read, but you're not obligated to!! :3 *this applies to my future scans too

I will make another update similar to this one when I upload my other two volumes! Thank you all who saw my updates and have been patient, I appreciate it!! :D

[lovelybruises-backup]

A New Life

Pairing: Aged!Up!Neteyam × Pregnant!Olo’eykte!female!reader (Elä Oc)

POV: Third Person

CW: contractions, amniotic fluid (water breaking), very graphic child birth, unknowningly going into labor, cursing, small timeskips, tsaheylu, worried Neteyam, fluff and cute ending.

PSA: Neteyam is 23 and Elä is 20!!!!

Note From Author: this is a small snippet from a story that I am writing on Wattpad, decided to share it with y'all! There is no use of y/n, it's solely based off of my story that I am trying to write. It's my first ever written short story so please be nice! Any advice is welcome! Also PSA CHARACTERS ARE AGED UP!!

{Semi Proofread and also created at 1 am… oops 🙊.}

Summary: Elä was hanging out with Kiri when she started feeling sharp pains in her abdomen, little did she know it was the beginning of labor. So kiri helped Elä into the birthing pods and helped aid her for the first three-ish hours until she finally called for Neteyam. The sully family and Elä’s grandmother Mousai had awaited outside of the pods to give the couple privacy during the delivery. Adaku is Elä’s adopted son and Neteyam helped her raise him

Na’vi to English Translations: Tsmuke - sister, Mawey - calm, Olo’eykte - female role of clan chief

Elä felt normal. A little uncomfortable at the kicking of her baby and random pains, but mostly normal. One moment, she was laughing and goofing around with Kiri. Then the next moment, she felt a sharp jab in her stomach.

The sharp jabs of pain was overwhelming to Elä. "Ow, fuck." She said, before looking back to Kiri, who had been just as surprised.

"Kiri, take me to the birthing pods! Do not inform anyone..." Elä screamed when she felt another wave of pain. Kiri nodded her head and rushed to help Elä up so that they could go to the secluded pods.

As the two walked, Elä placed a hand on her stomach as she held in groans of pain. Kiri avoided the crowds of people by taking a short cut that was by the springs, "does it hurt?" Kiri asked as she looked to her best friend.

"Yes very much so" Elä gritted her teeth and whimpered, "shit!" Elä stopped suddenly and tried to push but Kiri ushered her to keep walking. "We're almost there, I'll help you set up okay?" Kiri said and Elä nodded silently as she was breathing heavy.

Soon enough, they arrived at the birthing pods and Kiri helped Elä inside one of them. In the pod, there was a spring like pond, a bed mat, herbs for the labor, bowls, towels, a mat inside of a basket to place the baby, food, water, supplements for the mom and baby. And an extra area for visitors, plus the pod was decorated with furs, flowers, faunas, also it was dimly lit for the mother to feel relaxed.

Kiri helped Elä prepare everything while Elä was rocking back and forth as she was sitting down.

"All done! What else do you need me to do?" Kiri asked as she worried for the young Olo'eykte, "there's a leather band that is in the basket of other necessities- gahhh!! Uhm.. get it and tie it to the hook and then wrap it around my upper arm" Elä said as she was slightly panting through the pain.

So Kiri grabbed the leather band and tied one end to the hook in the ceiling and then wrapped it around Elä's arm, Elä gripped tightly onto it as she adjusted her position.

Elä was squatting now and Kiri was dabbing at the sweat that beaded itself across her forehead. Elä glanced around and took note that it had been about a couple of  minutes since her last contraction. She let out a whimper as the pain wrapped itself from her lower stomach to her hips.

Her body began to move by itself, her hips were swaying. "I don't want to do this, I can't do this" she felt tears start to build in her eyes.

This wasn't how she wanted to have her first baby, she wanted to be held by her partner. She wanted to have whispers of encouragement in her ears, her tears wiped. But yet she kept forbidding Kiri from getting any help.

The pain finally finished, "I-I don't know what to do Kiri" she spoke with so much fear lacing her words, Kiri soothed her as best as she could. Elä just needed the contractions to become more frequent and then maybe she will allow Kiri to get help.

Elä rested her head on her forearm, her cheek pressed to her skin. "Th-this hur-hurts" she stuttered out, it was all pressure and it was uncomfortable pressure that was just adding to the pain.

"After this contraction, I'll check you and we can get you some pain relief I promise" Kiri said pushing her hips in more. She didn't know whether she was on back labor or not so Kiri just applied counter pressure to her hips.

"It's finished" she heard Elä whisper into her arm, "Do you want to lie down so I can check you or do you want to remain squatting while I check you?"

"Squat please" Kiri just nodded, "I'm gonna move your skirt now okay?" Kiri had learned over the past twenty weeks of Elä's pregnancy, that Elä didn't like to be touched.

Elä just nodded weakly, she knew that Kiri was going to have to check her. "Alright Elä, I'm just going to check now" Kiri said, she pulled Elä's skirt up just enough to do her checks. "It's going to be uncomfortable but I'll be quick okay?" Elä felt immediate discomfort as Kiri inserted her fingers into her cervix, she tensed. "Elä take a breath for me, the more you tense the more difficult it's going to be to check your dilation" Elä took a staggered breath, "Good" Kiri whispered as she felt Elä relax against her fingers. Kiri did her check as quick as possible, much to Elä's relief.

"Elä you are only about two centimeters dilated" Kiri said as she looked at Elä, "damnit" Elä huffed out as she realized this was going to be a long and very exhausting labor.

"where do you want to go?" she asked Elä who was still squatting. "Can I get in the water? Or is it too soon?"

"Elä, this is your labor. You can do or go anywhere you want, if you want to go into the water and stay there for six hours then you can do that. Just listen to your body"

"I want to wait for a bit, I'll stay squatting then I'll go to the water" Kiri nodded her head, but hesitated "you must call for my brother so he can help aid you in the labor" Kiri spoke truthfully.

Elä knew. It was very common when the male would attach his queue to his mates to help aid her in labor. But Elä refused, "no.. I need to do this myself-" Kiri rolled her eyes at her best friend, "stop being stubborn and just call him when it becomes too much. There's only so much I can do" Kiri said as she rubbed Elä's back to help ease the pain, Elä groaned in acceptance as she stayed squatted and swayed lightly.

3 Hours Later

Another powerful contraction gripped her and Elä pushed, bearing down with what little strength she felt she still had. She could feel her baby sitting low in her body, ready to be born, but she had been straining for hours now without success.

Elä was panting with sweat and tears coating her skin. Kiri was helping with dabbing away the sweat, giving her sips of water, and rubbing at her back and hips to help ease the pain. Kiri was also helping with checking Elä's dilation progress.

"Elä you're now four centimeters, do you want to go into the water now and call my brother?" Kiri asked, Elä was breathing heavily as she felt exhausted. "Yes and yes Kiri please" she whimpered out as she felt completely useless and kept focusing on her breathing.

"I'm going to leave you here while I go and prepare the water. If you want you can come with me or stay here?" Kiri said as she stood up from the squatting position she was in behind Elä.

Elä held up her hands, Kiri linked her hands with Elä's and pulled her from the squatting position to stand up straight. "I'll call my brother with the comm device. But first let's get you settled" Kiri said as she untied the leather belt from the hook and helped Elä to the pond and helped her undress her lower half.

"If I ask for any pain herbs, you need to tell me no because I want this birth to be natural and in the water" Elä mumbled as Kiri tied the leather belt to another hook and then tied up Elä's hair, "okay okay."

It had been an hour since Elä had got into the water, she was completely bare from the waist down. "unggghhhh there's so much pressure, make it stop" she moaned out, she had her arms around Kiri's neck as she swayed in the water. "That might be your water, it's trying to break" Kiri pointed out as she tried soothing Elä. But the girl was in too much discomfort and pain to even try to relax.

"Make the water break please" she begged as the pressure was at an all time high. "Deep breaths Elä, give little pushes, it should help break your water" Elä bared down ever so slightly but it just made the pain worse. "Fuck, fuck, fuck" she swore as the pain was so much worse. "I said little pushes Elä"

She tried one more time, and finally she felt relief, "oh thank god, that's so much better" Kiri just ran her hands down Elä's back. "I guess your water has just broken" Elä just nodded against Kiri's shoulder, "That means there's nothing against you and your child. Do you want me to check your dilation again?" Elä nodded once again.

Kiri had learned that Elä was only ever vocal during the contraction, any other time she was just silent. "Six centimeters, you are doing really well Elä. Another centimeter then you can push but I'm going to call in Neteyam" Kiri alerted as she held down the button on the comm device, "Neteyam? Hello!" Kiri spoke into the device.

"Kiri? Is everything okay? What's the matter?" Neteyam's voice spoke through, "I'm fine big brother but listen to me very carefully. Elä is in labor and we're at the birthing pods, she is six centimeters dilated. Come now! Hurry!! She needs you" Kiri said in urgency and it was silent.

"He will come, don't worry" Kiri reassured Elä.

So far Elä's birthing experience had been good, it was calm. The room was dimly lit, the water was warm and felt amazing on her hips. Kiri had been calm and quiet. It was perfect for her, it helped with the pain all together. The atmosphere was amazing and she would love to do it again in the future if it was going to be like this again.

Elä immediately pulled away from Kiri and began to squat in the water, she wrapped the leather belt around her upper arm, she felt the need to be on her own. "Don't touch please" she whispered as her head fell forward.

Kiri nodded as she heard commotion outside, "I'll be back" standing up, Kiri walked out of the pod and saw Neteyam running with their family and Elä's family behind him.

Kiri ran halfway to meet them.

They all came to a stop and Neteyam was panting softly, worry written all over his face, "is she okay? Which pod is she in?" Neteyam asked frantically. Kiri tried soothing her brother, "mawey brother. She is in that pod straight ahead, go to her now" Kiri said as Neteyam nodded slightly and ran straight to the pod.

Kiri informed her family and Elä's family about the situation and she wanted everyone to wait outside until further notice or just in case Elä needed any help. Hence why Mousai was there ready in case of any problems.

Neteyam finally made it to the pod and entered the quiet pod, except for the soft whimpers that made his ears perk up. "My love?" He called gently as he made his way to the pond, he came face to face with his mate squatting in the water, completely bare from the waist down.

He could see the sweat drenched on her skin, she was using the leather belt as support that hung from the ceiling. "Neteyam" she weakly called out to him, Neteyam kneeled down at the edge of the pond and Elä reached out to him with her hand that wasn't holding onto the belt.

"I'm here my love" he soothed her as he took her hand and immediately planted a kiss to her knuckles, "I'm so scared Neteyam... it hurts" she whimpered as tears were steaming down her face. "Shhh my love, it's gonna be okay" he said softly as he grabbed ahold of her other hand and loosened it from the belt so that she could hold onto him.

Elä felt the crushing pain of another contraction and immediately snapped wide awake as her grip on Neteyam's hands were tightened. "Ahhhhh!!!" She screamed and Neteyam pushed the throbbing pain in his hands away as he soothed his mate.

"You're doing so good my love, when you're ready, I'll help aid you" he reassured, Elä nodded feeling absolutely exhausted. She rested her head down as she remained squatting.

Elä felt another contraction hit, it was worse than the rest. She let go of Neteyam's hand and moved one of her hands to her opening and applied pressure, "the baby is crowning... ahhhhhhh"

"Mawey my love, I'm right here. You're doing great" Neteyam cooed at her as he placed a kiss on her head, "it's okay. remain calm love, our child is going to be here very soon" he whispered as Elä moaned through the contraction.

"I can do this, I can do this" she chanted as the contraction carried on. The contractions had gotten closer, and more painful as the labor went on. She just knew that she was going to meet their child soon and that was making it easier.

This contraction seemed like it lasted forever, it felt never ending. Suddenly all Elä felt was pressure, she knew what this meant and she couldn't help but bare down. She tucked her head to her chest and grunted as she bared down. It was actually a relief to push, it gave her body purpose. "I'm pushing!"

"Keep pushing! Come on baby, but only push when you feel a contraction" Neteyam said from outside of the pond. Neteyam was in awe of his mate, to him, Elä was doing amazing for her first labor. He had only ever seen this much relaxing atmosphere with his mom when she gave birth to Tuk.

Elä pushed until the contraction was finished, she felt her child move further down her birth canal. "Neteyam- I need you... please" she whimpered out as she sat up, Neteyam immediately got into the pond and leaned his back against the barrier of it and pulled Elä to his chest. Elä bended her legs as her back rested against Neteyam's chest.

"Take some breaths, this is the time to relax until the next contraction" Neteyam instructed. "I need you-... I can't do this.." Elä cried as she felt the exhaustion weigh itself on her body.

Neteyam smiled at his mate and moved his braid in front of him and grabbed ahold of Elä's braid. He saw the tendrils dancing as he held his braid and Elä's. Soon enough he attached the two queues together and a rush of euphoria flowed through him but subsided as he felt Elä shift.

"Another one" Elä moaned out, she once again tucked her head to her chest and pushed. "You are such a good pusher, our child will be out in no time" it was true, through the bond, Neteyam could feel the baby shifting and within the next few pushes at this rate the baby would be born.

Neteyam then looked over his mates slouched position and kept his eyes trained to Elä's opening, she was doing really well.

"Can you see them yet" Elä said as she bared down as hard as possible. Neteyam looked between her legs and saw the smallest amount of pitch black hair between her legs.

"Yes I can, our child has pitch black hair" Neteyam encouraged, Elä smiled as much as possible as she pushed. She was so close. Elä's body relaxed as the contraction finished, "I need to rest" she said and Neteyam nodded as he laid her head back along with her tense body against him.

"Rely on me, I'm here" Neteyam said as he pushed the little hairs that was sticking to her forehead back and just kept whispering sweet nothings in her ear.

Elä prayed beneath her breath to Eywa. To give her strength, to watch over her child. This child is a symbol of their love.

After a few minutes of rest, she felt another contraction, she shrieks as she bared down. Neteyam noticed that his mate was shying away from the pain, "don't shy away from the pain, the pain is what will bring our child out" Elä just bared down harder, she wanted the baby out now. "It hurts so much!!!" she shrieked as child moved closer.

Neteyam felt the pain wash over him in waves through the bond, he sucked on his teeth with a slight hiss underneath his breath as he pushed his strength through the bond. He then saw the hair of his child become more visible. "The baby is so close, once their head is out then all that's left is their shoulders" Elä brought her hand down to her vagina and felt a thin layer of hair. "My baby" she whimpered as she stopped pushing, keeping her fingers on the baby's head.

Another contraction ripped through Elä, causing an inhumane sound that came out of her mouth is piercing and everyone outside of the pod heard it and flinched. Elä did not care, the pain of childbirth will turn even the most dignified woman into an animal. It is burning, it is agony.

"A little more my love" Neteyam spoke as he kept pushing his strength forward through the bond to help his mate, even through the bond, Neteyam was taking away bits and pieces of her pain to help.

Neteyam watched as the baby's head started to emerge from Elä's opening.

Soon enough Elä felt her opening pull back against the head, the entire top of the head moved outside of her, there is a terrible stinging sensation and yet there is some relief in giving into the urge to push. Elä kept pushing on the next pain and felt half the head being forced out. Neteyam tells Elä to try not to push on the next few pains, and to just pant through it but the urge is too strong so Elä pressed down a little. More of the head comes out as she screamed and grunt.

Neteyam had grabbed a cloth that was close and gently patted at her face and neck, trying to remove the layer of sweat coating her body. Elä's hair was matted and damp around her face.

The pains are now practically overlapping each other, and with strength born from the sheer frustration that Elä had managed to push the whole head out on the next one. Which leaves her body with a pop and she gasped.

Neteyam tried speaking to Elä but all of her senses are overtaken by the burning down below and the pressure of the shoulders pressing against her groin.

Elä's body is screaming at her to push, and she followed its orders but she couldn't manage to move the shoulders. Elä grunted, she could feel Neteyam trying his hardest to help her through the labor.

Over the next ten pains Elä tried to move the shoulders, having little success. Neteyam began to softly pray to Eywa. On the eleventh pain Elä decided to give herself a rest for a minute, but the pain of not pushing is almost as bad as the pain of being filled with the head of the infant. Elä gave up and pushed again at the next urge.

"Nnnnnuuuggggghhh! AHHH! NNNnuuuugghh!"

And one shoulder is pushed through, the burning feeling returning to its height minutes before as it was with the head. Over the next three pushes Elä gets the other shoulder out, and with one final heave and loud piercing cry the rest of the child is released from her.

Their child was released into the water along with a mixture of fluid. Elä immediately pulled the baby from the water and on to her chest. The baby gave a loud cry as it rested on her mothers chest. Neteyam smiled with tears in his eyes as he reached over to the outer part of the pond and grabbed the basket filled with stuff for the birth.

He immediately sprung to action and began to wipe the baby, the blood from its face and back.

Once the baby was clean, Neteyam nestled back behind Elä and she fell back against his chest, her eyes shut, her breathing heavy.

Neteyam had cut the cord binding it to Elä, tying it off with a soft thread. The baby continued to cry, loud and angry cries that were the most beautiful sound Elä has ever heard.

Holding the baby to her chest, Neteyam and Elä both studied the baby's little face. The baby opened its mouth wide as it wails, eyes squeezed shut. Neteyam noticed a faint mop of pitch black hair on top of the babys head.

Elä parted the child's legs and smiled brightly, "it is a girl" she announced softly. Neteyam sniffled as he looked over Elä's shoulder and admired his newborn daughter.

A girl. Eywa has blessed Elä with a baby girl, a future Tsahík. Her daughter. Elä thanked Eywa for blessing her and Neteyam with a daughter, a child to rule after them. Her heart felt so full it might burst, but whether or not she was to die right here the only thing she could focus on, was the newborn daughter in her arms. The baby slowly stops her crying and when she opens her eyes and gazes up at Elä, eyes wide. Elä and Neteyam stared back at the infant, lost in her features that they realized she was a splitting image of both her parents.

Neteyam grabbed ahold of the infants queue and Elä did the same. Elä removed her queue from Neteyam's as a hiss left his lips at the pull. Now at birth, the mother and infant are to create tsaheylu. So Elä lightly attached her queue to the baby's and the bond was created. The baby cooed at her mother. Neteyam smiled as the bond was complete. Pulling apart their queues, Neteyam and Elä went back to admiring their newborn.

The baby's skin was a dark blue with light blue stripes, her hair was a beautiful ink color, bioluminescent spots decorated her skin, the baby's eyes were a mix of white and yellow. She was definitely special. Elä felt a wave of exhaustion overcome her, so Neteyam lifted Elä up carefully and carried her over to the bed mat that was covered in furs, pillows and blankets.

"I love you Elä, rest. I'll clean you up and the baby and then break the news to our family" Neteyam said as he kissed Elä on the forehead, Elä nodded and drifted off the sleep.

Neteyam took the baby from Elä's grasp and cradled her to his chest as he began cleaning up the pod. He then cleaned up Elä and had put on a more comfortable outfit and then he cleaned up the baby.

Neteyam stepped out of the pod and saw his family and hers waiting patiently. His family and Elä's looked at him waiting for him to say something.

"It's a girl" Neteyam voiced with tears brimming his eyes, everyone gathered around to congratulate Neteyam on becoming a father. Jake hugged his son, but they pulled away from each other when they saw Adaku inspecting his newborn sister.

Neytiri was talking to him softly since the infant had fallen asleep. Everyone was enamored by the small bundle of joy.

Soon enough after showing the baby to his family and hers, Neteyam went back into the Pod with Adaku this time.

Neteyam joined Elä's side and planted a soft kiss on her forehead, which she woke up to. "Hi" she whispered softly, Neteyam smiled, "you did so well my love. Everyone loves our daughter already" he chuckled.

Elä smiled, Neteyam sat on the edge of the bed with Adaku on the other side of Elä. Neteyam helped Elä sit up against the pillows and held out her arms for her baby. So Neteyam handed the baby to Elä and watched as his mate cradle the infant to her chest.

"What are we gonna call her?" Neteyam asked softly, Elä smiled, "Adikia... will be her name" Neteyam's heart swelled with love as he watched his mate with the infant.

Neteyam looked at Adaku as he saw him looking at the baby in curiosity, "Adaku meet your new baby tsmuke... Adikia" Elä's smiled brightened as the name of her daughter was finally given. The baby opened her mixed colored eyes at the mention of her name and cooed loudly at the people around her.

Adikia made fussy noises and Elä had adjusted her so that the baby could nurse. Adaku laid down, tucked away into his mothers side while Elä was breastfeeding Adikia. Neteyam admired his mate and his two children. He was happy. He was home.

After a long thirteen hours, the little baby girl was born out of blood, sweat, and tears. This was the birth of Adikia, this was a new bead on Neteyam's songcord, and Elä's.

©️softsnowydreamer 2023. |❀| All rights reserved. Do not repost, reupload, translate, modify, or claim my work as your own.

[sophaeros]

The Strokes for Crossbeat, May 2011 - English Translated Interview

A Change Is Gonna Come: The Strokes

This band has 5 filters, and only the best filters will pass through. Maybe it's our ambition to always be perfect that drives us. The five different perspectives brought by each member have culminated in a new The Strokes!! The latest work "Angles" in 5 years with increased diversity, its production background and their current situation Interview ◎ Hitoshi Sugiyama Translation ● Satoshi Katsuta

After the release of their third album, "First Impressions of Earth" in 2006, which was the heaviest album in the band's history, The Strokes were thought to have completely stopped their activities and each member focused on their solo work. However, according to Nick Valensi (G), who answered the interview this time, the truth is that the band had started working on new albums several times during that time, but they had not achieved sufficient results. It is true that Julian Casablancas (Vo) had begun to express his stress about writing songs as a band, and there may have been a big gap at that point between the musical egos of each member that had grown with their careers and the sound that was required of The Strokes. However, time passed and the gears were meshing again. Their latest album, "Angles," which will be released on March 23rd, is their first in five years, and it is a fresh and ambitious work that suggests that this is the beginning of a new Strokes.

This time, Joe Chiccarelli, an engineer who worked with the White Stripes and The Shins, was brought in as producer for several songs, and full-scale work began at Avatar Studios in New York. With each member sharing ideas from the songwriting stage more than ever before, the proportion of new and developed songs has increased dramatically, such as the opening "Machu Picchu," which brings a fresh surprise with its reggae-like rhythm. “Two Kinds of Happiness” goes from urban new wave reminiscent of The Cars at their peak to straightforward rock and roll, with what you could call the third development being the heavy "Metabolism," and simple rock and roll such as "Under Cover of Darkness" and "Taken for a Fool," which were released in advance, adds an accent. The last song is "Life is Simple in the Moonlight," which closes the album with a slightly lingering aftertaste. This is the new Strokes, a new form of ensemble. With each work, the angles of the five members, which spread further and further out, once again intertwine in a complex way and land in one place. The subtractive rock and roll, which had a perfect form no matter where you cut it, has evolved over time into a diverse rock and roll that incorporates various musical elements.

Perhaps those who expect their early musicality will be surprised at first. However, if you read their comments, you will understand how meaningful this work was for them. Coincidentally, in 2011, the White Stripes, who competed with them as the two biggest bands of the 2000s, announced their disbandment. However, these five members are still looking to the future.

I think everyone became more confident in their songwriting abilities. No one hesitated to present their ideas during the songwriting stage.

──Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. "Not at all. (In Japanese) Konnichiwa! Itadakimasu! (laughs). These are the only two words I know in Japanese, but it's fine because I won't have any trouble at a sushi restaurant! (laughs)"

──Hahaha (laughs). I listened to "Angles," and it's an ambitious work that makes the most of each member's individuality more than ever before, while also retaining the Strokes' unique style. "Yeah, I'm so excited that the new album is finished. I'm so happy to be back together as a band. That break felt so long. (sighs). When we made the first three albums it was really crazy. Everything was developing so fast. After that we took this long break, so now that we're back it feels like... the start of the second chapter. I'm so excited."

──First of all, I want to ask you about your long break. Solo albums were released by the other members of the band. What did you think about that? “Did I like them or not?”

 ──No, can you tell me how you felt about everyone leaving the band for a while and starting their own solo careers? "Well, I'll be honest with you. I was a little frustrated because I wanted to keep doing only The Strokes from the beginning (laughs). But the others were like, 'No, wait a minute. We want to try something different,' and they did this and that. I didn't understand that feeling, and I still don't understand it. But looking back, maybe their solo activities were necessary for the band. I think that doing solo activities made each of them feel moved again by working as The Strokes, and they realized how special it is to be part of a band."

──In terms of the actual production, have you noticed any changes from each member? "I think everyone has become more confident in their own songwriting abilities. We've changed our sound with every album, and I don't feel like our sound has changed drastically, so I can't say that there's a specific part that reflects that. In other words, the musical elements and sources of influence are the same as before, but this time, no one hesitated to present their ideas at the songwriting stage. That was a big difference."

──You started working on a full-scale album with Joe Chicarelli at a studio in New York. What was the specific trigger? "Actually, even during the time we weren't active, I was frequently telling everyone, "Let’s record." At that time, we had already written a lot of songs, and I wasn't interested in side projects, I wanted to write songs as The Strokes. So I was always pushing everyone to "get in the studio." In fact, we all got together in the studio a few times to record, but it just didn't seem to work. At that time, the other members' activities were prioritizing their solo work, so we stopped in the middle of the studio, started again, and repeated this process twice. Then, finally, the time came to make a new album. All the elements were in place for a new album, and everyone felt like doing it. Yes, there's no other way to explain it. All the conditions were met.

“Looking back, I think it was the right timing to make this. We've been really lucky. We've always appeared on the scene and released our works at the right time. When our first album came out it was great because we appeared at a time when other rock music was... terrible. We took a break after releasing our second album, but that was also great. And now that we're coming back on the scene, I think the timing couldn't be better. If we'd released this new album four years ago, people wouldn't have been as excited as they are now. It's not calculated, but somehow it works out (laughs)."

I'm so happy to be in The Strokes and I'm having so much fun writing songs with them. I'm so excited about this moment.

──By the way, how did the actual work on the album go? "Before we started recording, we gathered in the rehearsal room for about 5-6 months and exchanged various ideas. It was a lot of fun. I've been writing songs for the past few years, making demos and emailing them to the other members, so the other guys already knew what I was thinking. Then, when we gathered in the rehearsal room with those songs, the other members also came up with a lot of ideas. One person would write an intro, and the other members would write the chorus that matched it. At the same time, the guitar solo would be completed, and we would all put together the various things we had created like a puzzle — that was the process this time."

──Now that I think about it, since your debut album "Is This It," which was composed almost entirely by Julian, your contributions to the songwriting have visibly increased with each album. "That's right. And this time, the songs/parts were created through collaboration among all of us more than ever before. We all wrote the songs together, and everyone contributed ideas. It felt great. It's been a while since we've been able to work like that. It was really exciting to move forward in a new way.

“But there were also some difficult aspects. When you collaborate closely, even if you have a vision for a song or an image for a certain part, other members may have different opinions or try to shape it in a different way. As a musician, you want to stick to your own ideas even if the other members' ideas are better. So we all had to learn to compromise." ──Ah, I see (laughs).

"We wrote songs like that for five or six months, then took some time off to let the songs mature. We had about 18 or 20 songs at that point. Then, when we finally got around to recording, Julian wasn't in the studio because he was on a solo tour. So we said, 'We won't all be there, but let's start with just the four of us.' It was a bit strange (laughs), and a new endeavor. In a way, I think Julian was happy that he wasn't there. At the beginning of production... it seemed like he didn't want to be too involved in the studio work."

──What does that mean? "He has a habit of giving his opinion on every detail, so it seems like he wanted to get away from that. But this method was really, really good. First, we went to a big studio (Avatar Studios) in New York City. It's a pretty expensive place! (laughs). We recorded 13 songs there. But after that, we all talked about it and listened to the songs again, and we decided, 'We're not 100% satisfied with this.' We continued recording at Albert's (Hammond Jr.: G) house. He has a house in the suburbs of New York, so we re-recorded a lot of the songs there. Some of the songs were completely rewritten, and some of the arrangements were changed significantly at that point. Here, the songs changed again. Albert's house was in the woods, so it was a completely different environment to work in, which was also an interesting experience. All the albums we'd made up until then had been recorded in the middle of Manhattan. Working with just the five of us in the middle of nowhere felt like a completely different world. I think that through that, we became closer than we were before."

──As a result of everyone's ideas being reflected, the songs on this album are more varied than ever before. There are songs that sound like The Cars, some that sound like reggae, and some that sound like Thin Lizzy, which honestly surprised me. "A lot of different ideas came up during the production of this album, and some members wanted to write funky songs, while others wanted to write hard and heavy songs. Some members wrote songs influenced by the 70s, others that sounded like the 80s. On the other hand, some members wrote futuristic and weird songs. So I personally think it's the most diverse album I've ever released. Every song has a different vibe, right? That's because all the members wrote the songs."

──Does the title "Angles" also have the meaning that "this is a work that brings together the different perspectives (=angles) of five people" during this process? "I personally like this title because I felt that all the album titles up to now were long. Following the debut album "Is This It", the second album "Room on Fire", and the third album "First Impressions of Earth", this album has only one word. I thought it was cool and different from the previous ones. In one article, Albert explained, "The new work was born from all angles. That's why we chose this title," and I thought that was a good reason too!"

──(laughs) Since you guys first appeared on the scene as the main players in the rock and roll revival, you have changed your musical style in complex ways without being confined to that framework. What do you think you have achieved with this new album? "I don't know what we have achieved musically, but I think we made this album with survival in mind. To work as a band again (laughs). We were able to make this album because we got together again, and we want to make the next album too. This is not just our latest work, but also a stepping stone to the next one. Because of this album, we can make the next one, and the one after that — that's how I feel. In fact, there are still many songs left that were not included on this album. I have continued to write songs since then, and Julian has also been writing. There is a lot of good material. So I can't wait to make the next one. It's been 10 years since our debut, but I still have a lot to say through music."

──However, many changes have occurred among your rivals, such as the breakup of The White Stripes, with whom you have worked hard together for the past 10 years. What do you think about this? "I like The White Stripes, so I'm sad that they broke up. But I understand. I think Jack (White) was frustrated that everything he was involved in was labeled a 'side project.' But now that The Stripes have broken up, I think everyone will understand that everything Jack does is important to him. 'Everything he does is something he puts his heart and soul into.' When something 'dies,' people start to look at it with kinder eyes. They were two people who created something great, so it’s better than letting it go on for too long and ruining it.”

──So why do you think the Strokes continue to release albums and keep evolving even as the scene changes like this? "(Laughs) I don't know. It's a good question, but unfortunately I don't have the answer. When the five of us get together, we put in a lot of effort to 'make the best thing we can.' It's like there are five different filters in this band, and they only let the best through. We have high standards, and we give each other harsh criticism in order to achieve them. So... I guess it's our ambition to always be a perfect band that drives us."

──What is the happiest or most memorable event in The Strokes' past 10 years? "There are so many, so it's always changing. But I can definitely say that right now is the happiest moment because I'm so excited. We have a new album coming out, and we're doing a lot of things with it this summer. 10 years ago, the happiest moment was performing on stage as a headliner in the UK, but now I'm really looking forward to performing at that huge festival in Japan (Summer Sonic). We're also going to be performing on a really cool TV show in the US. I'm really excited to be working with this band again. I'm really happy to be a part of The Strokes, and I'm having so much fun writing songs with them. I'm really excited about this moment right now."

A summary of the band members' true selves and their diverse solo works

Text: Jin Sugiyama

Julian Casablancas Born August 23, 1978. Real name Julian Fernando Casablancas. As the frontman and songwriter, he wrote almost all of the songs on the band's debut album "Is This It". Since the release of their previous album, he has released his latest album “Phrazes For The Young” (pictured). His music is a mix of various elements such as new wave, 80s-style electropop, folk/country, and straightforward rage rock'n'roll, and in a sense it is the template for the band's new work. His all-time favorite song is Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come".

Nick Valensi Born January 16, 1981. Real name Nicholas Valensi. Nick, who plays guitar with Albert Hammond Jr. and is at the heart of the Strokes sound, is a fan of the Velvet Underground and The Cars. His inclinations must have had a major influence on the direction of the new wave-influenced new album, and Nick's guitar solos are more prominent than ever in this album. During his break, he participated in the songwriting for British singer Sia's "We Are Born" (pictured) in 2010. He is also the only member who did not release an album as a side project.

Albert Hammond Jr. Born April 9, 1980. His father is singer-songwriter Albert Hammond. He met Julian when he was 13 years old at a school in Switzerland they both attended. He has a deep knowledge of singer-songwriters such as the Beach Boys and Buddy Holly as well as Matthew Sweet. After releasing the band's third album, he produced two solo albums. Both were orthodox song albums that placed emphasis on composition. His latest work is "¿Como Te Llama?" (photo). He plays rhythm guitar in the band, and supports the solid Strokes sound alongside Nick.

Nikolai Fraiture Born November 13, 1978. He has been friends with Julian since they were young. He is the bassist and has the most gentle temperament in the band, and enjoys Neil Young and Leonard Cohen. However, his melodic bass lines, which make use of high notes and intertwine with the guitar and vocals like a chorus, are one of the major characteristics of the Strokes. During his break, he released his solo album "The Time of the Assassin" under the name Nickel Eye. (Photo) Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner, Regina Spektor and other New York musicians from the 00s participated in the album.

Fabrizio Moretti Born in Brazil on June 2, 1980. He moved to New York with his family at the age of four, where he met Nick and Julian at school. He plays drums in the band, but also sings and plays guitar in his solo projects, making him a flexible musician. During his break, he released his self-titled debut album (pictured) as Little Joy with Rodrigo Amarante of Los Hermanos and his girlfriend Binki Shapiro, and received high praise for his compositions. He is also known for his interactions with Devendra Banhart, with whom he formed another project, Megapuss.

A review of the 10 years of the Strokes, who led rock in the 2000s

The Strokes' debut album was the prototype for the rock and roll revival that swept the 2000s. The tight-sounding drums, the ascetic bass that didn't swing, and the two guitars that were devoid of any unnecessary effects, created a primitive sound of just bones and muscles that reminded people of the excitement of primordial rock and roll once again. The second album, which followed, was a work in which they began to experiment with various sounds, while sticking to a guitar band style that did not use synths or programmed sounds. It was quite strange and interesting, with the guitar deliberately imitating synth sounds and playing reggae-style songs with a sparse bass.

While the first two albums were compact, lasting just over 30 minutes, the third album, which is over 50 minutes long, is probably the heaviest and longest work in the band's history. While keeping with the flow of the previous two albums, the sound, which also incorporates grunge and heavy metal, is simply strange and oppressive. And the latest album, "Angles," is unusual music that is the ultimate experimentation of the Strokes. Each song changes its expression many times within a single song, and from grunge to reggae and 80s pop, it appears one after another from surprising angles in a hot pot state. There is a strong determination to never follow anyone else and not play predictable music. For better or worse, there is too much information, but strangely, the sense of stagnation and oppression is not as prominent as in the previous two albums, and it is nice to see the airiness coming back.

Yoshiharu Kobayashi

[chevvy-yates]

103.1 TECHNOI⚡︎E FM

A fictive/headcanon radio station fit for Cyberpunk 2077 presenting German ebm artists. It is Ryder's overall favorite station he likes to listen to every day.

The first of two spotify playlists with a collection of songs I imagine to be one of Ryder's favorite radio stations (in my headcanon) he listens to when he e.g. drives around in the city or got it running in the background in his apartment. Had a hard time chosing the word 'Technoise" for one of them, yet I went with this one for the more ebm, industrial and dark wave focused tracks. I think it does fit better to the overall 'Technoise lore' (see further below) than the hard tech stuff on the second playlist. Some of the artists are already in business since the 80s/90s and especially Faderhead I would have loved to have in the game as he did a whole EP named '2077' dedicated to Cyberpunk when it came out. Overall these songs sound very 'tech'-like and each of them has this base of a repeating beat or melody and even words that stick to your ears. Some of them have actually lyrics, too, some are English, most in German.

—

109.6 HELL BUNKER FM

Mostly a hard techno playlist Ryder listens to, especially when he's working out. Most of these songs get played at 'Chrome Chamber Rave' a fictive/headcanon event occuring every 1st Saturday per month at the 'Hell Bunker', located in the underground of the Dark Matter Bld. Japantown.

This one is for the more hardcore ravers. When you listened to the other one first then for this one you may understand my decision why I've splitted it up. The beats are harder, there is much less to non lyrics and singing – all is focused on beats, repetition and other sounds. Wanna work out? Take this list if you like it. However, I've placed a few more 'melodic' ones in between so you can take a little break from the harder tracks. These are mostly by the artist 'Klanglos'. Also placed some with opera singing (Venezia, Hardtechno Anthem, Bella Ciao, Fortuna and Ameno) as it is the kind of techno Thyjs surprisingly will find good (because Ry will definitely listen to his music at home and even drag soldier boy to CCR).

—

All cover artwork done by me.

⚠️ READ: Please do not repost/reupload any of my art (the cover pics) here or to any other platform, or I will be forced to do anything to get it annihilated.

Why two?

There's two of them as I wanted to separate the (hard) techno beats from the more ebm (electro body music), dark wave and industrial ones which I also minimized to German (and one Austrian) artists only. I like the idea it is a station that plays only German as I've read in one of the many lore books that 'Technoise' is a German music genre:

"Technoise and its various derivations dominate much of the German scene. If you're hip, you already know about Technoise. If not, listen up. Technoise is quite popular with the discerning young punk; it was popularized by Germany's own NetWerk actually, you've got your Overlay style from London, Jazznetic from Rotterdam and Echo from Frankfurt. In addition, there are people producing Frock (Fractal Rock) all over the place. The good thing is, Technoise is quite easy to produce. You only need a small computer, some software and you're ready to buzz. Those of you with a message might miss the political attitude, but you're missing the point. Technoise is strictly for partying, tripping and dancing. People meet and dance up to the runner's point. Maybe that's a political statement in itself, oder?" — Eurosource Plus The New Eurotheater Sourcebook for Cyberpunk

Now I do not know how exactly the 'Lore Technoise' does sound as I can imagine it very well having more rock elements (as they speak of 'overlay style from london' (like punk back then swapping over to Germany in the mid or was it late? 70s -> German punk bands formed but also the New Wave came to exist, spread into the goth genre and so on, also Industrial so both ways; rock and electronic elements etc.) so I may have my own headcanon for it, while others maybe interpret it differently?

I definitely see some political messages in some ebm and industrial songs as well but a lot also are focused on something else less political. And if we go pure (hard) techno, it's definitely just for 'partying, tripping and dancing'. I can't say if it will stay like this, if I delete some songs or add new but for now I think it's good. If you want you can follow one or even both playlists. I would be happy about it though I know it's not everyone's music taste. ;)

And yeah ofc I placed Ryder into the covers, it's playlists for him, so yeah. If I ever do it with my other boys I'll do that the same way.

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I'm also working on a list for Chrome Chamber Rave that will be even longer and have more songs by the artists that are already on Hell Bunker, but it's more for personal reasons as I started to dive so deeo into it I also searched pics that help me imgine how the location looks etc. Maybe I'll make another post for it, maybe not.