#I have tarkus | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

tiamatsan · 1 year ago

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.......Sooooooooooo this may have gotten a little out of hand.....annnnnd I wrote this on my phone so please excuse any mistakes please.

Scanning...

...Scanning...

...No signs of life confirmed...

...Scanning...

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

... Initializing death protocol...

Launching death marker

Initializing upload of host's data...

Upload complete.

Initializing return home protocol...

Entering stand by state....

.....

........

...........Charge complete........

Initializing host search...

...Searching...

......Searching......

..........Searching........

Matching power wave length found.

Scanning new host.

Scan complete.

Searching universal data base for preexisting matching genetic markers.

Match found.

Species: Human

Gender: Male

Age: Adolescent

Unique identifying markers: blue eyes, black ha-

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

... Scanning....

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

... Initializing death protocol...

...Charge 100%...

...Bypassing return home protocol...

Initializing host search...

....Searching...

........Searching......

Matching power wave length found.

Scanning new host.

Scan complete.

Species: Human

Gender: Mal-

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

...Scanning...

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

...Scanning...

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

Initializing host search...

Matching power wave length found.

Scanning host.

Scan complete.

Species: Hum-

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

...Scanning...

Initializing host search...

Matching power wave length found.

Scanning host.

Scan com-

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

Initializing host search...

Matching power wave length found.

Scan-

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

Initializing host search...

Matching power wave-

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

Accessing universal records.

Searching for instances in mass host's deaths.

Adjusting parameters with key phrases: "lab" "experiments" "subjects"

42 matching records.

Override "Never again" activated.

The safety of host has been made prime objective.

30% of power is being redirected to emergency beacon.

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

40% of power is being redirected to emergency beacon.

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

Message received from home data base.

"Use of extreme force is authorized. Protect your host at all costs. Hold till backup arrives."

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

Message received from Lantern: "Hal Jordan".

"Where are you?! Tell us where you are!"

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

Message received from Lantern: "John Stewart".

"Can you hear us? If you can please tell us anything about where you are!"

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

Power levels dropping.

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

73%

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

65%

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

43%

Unable to continue broadcasting emergency beacon.

Rerouting all remaining power to protect host.

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

26%

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

12%

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

10%

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

...Unable to continue protection of host...

.....Entering stand by mode...

........

..............

........................

....Charging....

........Charging 10%......

.............Charging 25%..........

Within acceptable power levels to resume basic functions.

Analyzing....

Power source is not coming from Latern source...

Analyzing....

Power source is coming from host?

Searching universal data base...

No known instances of "humans" recharging a Latern ring without corresponding medium.

Searching....

Existence of "metas" explains variation within human host.

Searching universal data base...

97 known cases of Lantern hosts using their own will power to recharge Latern rings...

Calculating...

76% chance of death.

84% decrease in life expectancy.

Average life expectancy of Humans 70-100 "year".

Human host does not have any time to-

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

...100% Charging complete...

...no...

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

...No...

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

...NO...

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

NO!

...No signs of biometrics belonging to the host found...

......

.............

.......................

...............................

HOST MUST LIVE

............................................

.........................................................

....................................................................

Data received from home data base.

New species entry.

"Ecto-entities"

"Ghost"

"Halfa"

Host has been reclassified under new species tag.

Species: Halfa

Gender: Male

Age: Adolescent

Unique identifying markers: blue eyes, black hair /green eyes, white hair.

Home planet: Earth

Home galaxy: Sol system

Name: Daniel "Danny" Fenton / Phantom

Message received from host:

"I'm sorry I scared you. Thank you for trying to look out for me. From now on, let's both look out for each other okay?"

Override "Never again" has been set to permanent.

...Okay. This time I will make sure that nothing hurts host again...

Due to his unrelenting determination to keep his town safe, Danny is bestowed a green lantern ring. Which on one hand: Yay! He gets to explore space full time. But on the other hand: Ew! he's a space cop now.

He had to rectify this immediately or he would never hear the end of it from his ghost friends. Or his regular friends for that matter. Sayyy, it'd be a shame if he.... bent a few rules. Maybe even broke some of them every now and again. And it would surely be a tragedy if say.... random pranks started happening around Oa?

#dpxdc #look at this plot bunny go #this got really out of hand #i head cannon that danny ring #was from tarkus whin #thematically it works really well #tarius whin died really young in a black hole #Danny also died really young #and he loves space #parallels!#not mentioned here is the GL absolutely losing their minds #and Danny having no idea that his ring is sentient #sort of #Danny just thought it was a cursed ghost ring #until the Latern corps descended on him like a hoard a avenging green angels #danny fenton #hal jordan #john stuart #if it was a little confusing #the ring thought it had somehow stimbled into a trap #where humans were trying to force bond a ring to its host #to create green lanterns that they can control #it matches other similar instances in the past #it thought that all of its hosts where experimental subjects #and that one of them died trying to recharge it #i head cannom that even though the ring can sense everything going on around it #it processing it very differently than we would #like everything is going on in the room next door #but its so loud that the ring is still picking things up #even as it tries to do its own seperate thing

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charlott2n · 3 months ago

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still really obsessed with the idea of a space trucker oc but i have no idea how to develop them. im also obsessed with all of the characters in tarkus by elp. the preacher. the minister of hate. the cardinal of grief. i think im the cardinal of grief i honest to god think i am. well anyway

#oc talk

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unsoundedcomic · 2 months ago

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Do you have any tips or tricks for beating the Lady Ilganyag boss? I tried to level up my character by min-maxing on pymary stats, but didn't bother spending any XP on Boo because I didn't think it would ever be that useful, and I wasn't expecting a fight where I can't use my usual pymary gimmicks. If I can't beat this boss, I'm going to have to start over with a more balanced character...

It's kinda hidden but there's a summon sign on a ledge just below the southern edge of the arena. I won't say which phantom appears but they're a regular Iron Tarkus when it comes to this boss. If you don't want to be a total scrub though and also Duane can't go Human to summon anyway, equip your staff and buckle up for some old-fashioned Get Gud. Once you learn her patterns (spread wings are a AoE Terror attack, 1 shriek is a lunge, 2 is a swipe), she's really a push over though. Don't try to parry the Vagina Drop, you won't like the death animation.

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katyahina · 2 months ago

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Dark Souls 1 faces references Part 1: Oscar, Ricard, Solaire,

Heyyyy Dark Souls artists (all five of you who still use this website fdshfhd), I have great news for you! The curse of Dark Souls 1 (being horrendously undocumented in terms of NPC references) is over!!!

Long story short, I've seen a screenshot of Ciaran that made me question whether she actually had face data in versions of the DLC before Remastered. That started a long chain of me asking literally every person online that I could think of, with no one responding except for single Redditor redirecting me to modding community for Soulsborne, and there, out of waaaaay too many people, finally, someone was kind enough to help me out!

Their only contacts I have for reference are rayanwasalsotaken on Discord and RayanTheMad on Twitter! Yet I've only learned Rayan had a Twitter AFTER posting the screenshot dumps there, so.... 🤡 yeah that was frustrating. Twitter allow editting posts already!! They told me to be free to share the screenshots they gathered online instead of them (they said it was jarring for them to go spread images across social media and wikis. fair and valid.)! Posts will be in several parts as there are several angle shots and sometimes some explaining to do!

Oscar

Okay so, apparently, the boy does not have blue eyes! You know who does (kinda) have? RICARD!

Ricard

Well, actually not even blue, but a more dark shade of greyish green!

Nonetheless, it could be assumed blue from afar! ! And, fun fact! Whereas they look very similar, they are NOT identical!

Aside of having different eye color and Ricard's hair being more saturated (more yellow), they do have different eye shape too; Ricard's is more downturned! Ricard also has a slightly bigger nose! I guess even with limitations of NPC data of Dark Souls 1, they did try to point out the differences in vibe!

Solaire

Nothing new to see here, his screenshots are actually viral, unlike others, but here have a look anyway x) Interestingly enough, his face data changes the hairstyle in the bad ending of his questline; whereas Rayan didn't take screenshot of just that change specifically, it actually IS documented and confirmed!

(This screenshot is from different source: ( x )) I just think it is really good to know that even back in Dark Souls 1, developers bothered to add the lore appropriate changes that are not even possible to observe without datamining dhfhdsdf

Anastacia

Interestingly enough, while Anastacia uses unique model rather than player NPC base one, the data for NPC still exists in the game's files, apparently!

It is actually very convenient to have it, because her unique model does NOT have eyes texture:

At the same time, you can see that this 'unique model' appears to reuse assets from NPC data, as the model for hair is identical, and her face even has the same issue of eyebrows always being that brown color when they aren't grey. I wonder if NPC model lacked functionality intended (like NPC models weren't created to have this pose and animation), so they copy+pasted it mostly on unique asset?

Even with that, I suppose her hair is canonically more "yellow", and her player model is the only reference for her eye color.

Color of Estus Flask (the flask itself, not liquid inside of it!), appropriately enough!

Additionally, the hairbun is definitely something they've settled with even in her concept, so I suppose she holds "priority" for this hairstyle! RIP the braid though

____________________________________

Part 1: Oscar, Ricard, Solaire, Anastacia (you are here)

Part 2: Reah, Petrus, Vince, Nico, Leeroy

Part 3: Pharis/Evlana, Americus, Forest Hunter (Cleric), Beatrice, Dusk

Part 4: Shiva, Shiva's Bodyguard, Forest Hunter (Sorcerer), Forest Hunter (Thief), Forest Hunter (Bandit)

Part 5: Quelana, Jeremiah, Grana, Cut Content Character, Domhnall

Part 6: Darkmoon Knightess, Lautrec, Lautrec's Helper (Sealer), Lautrec's Helper (Warrior)

Part 7: Ingward, Kirk, Oswald, Havel, Tarkus

Part 8: Griggs, Logan, Rickert, Crystal Knight, Laurentius

Part 9: Patches, Siegmeyer, Sieglinde, Mildred, Crestfallen Knight, Crestfallen Merchant

* Shots of characters' faces datamined and provided by RayanTheMad on Twitter + rayanwasalsotaken on Discord!

* Twitter thread with the faces here: ( x )

* Data for characters Ciaran, Darkmoon Soldier (Balder) and Darkmoon Soldier (Berenike) doesn't exist and they simply copy the last face loaded, when there wasn't any loaded they use default placeholder data

#dark souls 1 #oscar of astora #undead prince ricard #solaire of astora #anastacia of astora #dark souls #dark souls reference #screenshots #not art #datamined faces

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bitterkarella · 1 year ago

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Midnight Pals: Prog

Todd Keisling: submitted for the approval of the midnight society, i call the tale of the yellow kings Keisling: so there's this progressive rock band making an album based on the yellow king Keisling: with a cover by our greatest living artist roger dean Dean Koontz: hey! that's my name too! Keisling: that's no coincidence boy

Keisling: so there's this groupie Keisling: camilla Keisling: and she's got ideas for the band's music Keisling: horrifying apocalyptic ideas Keisling: she's going to have everyone take off their masks Robert W Chambers: i get it!

Keisling: they're going to cause an apocalypse with the power of progressive rock Dean Koontz: wow progressive rock sounds pretty dangerous Keisling: only in the wrong hands, dean Keisling: the power of progressive rock turned to evil, like Univers Zero or Van Der Graaf Generator, can be devastating Keisling: but turned to the light...

Keisling: take a look at this album, dean, pretty cool huh? Keisling: oh dean Keisling: prepare to have the doors of perception Keisling: blown right off their hinges

Kiesling: check this out dean, i think you'll really like this music Poe: whoa todd this might be a little advanced for dean Kiesling: no don't worry i'll start him off slow Kiesling: let's start you off with some Yes

Dean Koontz: Yes? Keisling: yeah i think you can handle it Koontz: why is there a scary zombie on the cover? Keisling: that's steve howe Keisling: actually dean on second thought Keisling: Yes might be a little much for your first time Keisling: let's start you with Yes Featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman

Keisling: behold, my record collection! King: wow this is quite the collection todd! King: you know, you could save a lot of space if you went digital Keisling: yeah but Keisling: vinyl just has a warmer sound ya know?

Keisling: dean i think you're really going to like this band Keisling: it's called jethro tull Poe: whoa whoa dean is not ready for that Keisling: oh don't worry i'm not playing thick as a brick or anything Keisling: just bungle in the jungle Keisling: you'll like it dean it's about animals

Koontz: can i listen to this album? Keisling: Crack the Sky? no dean that's the ayahuasca of prog Keisling: you want the flintstones chewable vitamins of prog Keisling: here, try some tarkus

Dean Koontz: [vibrating while listening to headphones, blood gushing from nose] of course i understand it all Keisling: Dean! No! Keisling: Not Gentle Giant! Keisling: it's too much, too soon! Koontz: each day actually consists of four days occurring simultaneously

#midnight pals #the midnight society #midnight society #edgar allan poe #dean koontz #robert w chambers #todd keisling

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jardaworksgallery · 3 months ago

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youtube

Music I like - from my vinyl collection -

Great Czech classical music - Leoš Janáček - Sinfonietta - (Jiří Bělohlávek conducts the Czech Philharmonic)

The Sinfonietta is an orchestral composition by Leoš Janáček, which was first performed to the Prague audience on 26 June 1926 under the baton of Václav Talich at the same time as the Glagolitic Mass.

Leoš Janáček (3 July1854– 12 August1928) was a Czech composer of classical music. Although he belonged to the generation of Czech modern music, his style was characterized by considerable individuality and originality. His unusual melody, based on the folk music of Moravian regions, especially Slovácko and Lachia, became appreciated. He has made a name for himself worldwide with operas, including the most frequently performed Jenůfa, performed as Jenůfa. His orchestral-vocal works Glagolitic Mass, Sinfonietta, Rhapsody Taras Bulba and chamber works, especially string quartets, have also received world acclaim.

youtube

The first movement of the Sinfonietta was re-written by the progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer into the song Knife-Edge and recorded for their debut album.

Emerson, Lake & Palmer (abbreviated ELP) was an English rock supergroup. She was very popular in the 1970s, selling 40 million albums. The band consisted of Keith Emerson (keyboards), Greg Lake (vocals, bass, guitars, harmonica, whistles, producer[2]), and Carl Palmer (drums, percussion). Founded in 1970, this rock trio played an important role in the formation of progressive or symphonic rock.

In addition to their own compositions, such as the Tarkus suite, they also arranged classical originals by Bartók, Janáček, Bach, Ginastera, Copland, Gulda, Sullivan, Orff and Tchaikovsky.

In 2010, the band was reunited and played a gig at the High Voltage Festival in London. A recording of the concert was later released on the album High Voltage.

Source: Czech Wikipedia

#https://www.tumblr.com/jardaworksgallery #Youtube

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digitsofpie · 1 month ago

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1 2 AND 3 ATTACK.

AUAGHHHH HI SORRY FOR PROCRASTINATING ON THIS ONE

1) [Song of the year?]

Lord it. It HAS to be Tarkus by ELP. I don't think there's any other contender like it LITERALLY changed my brain chemistry I think

2) [Album of the year?]

OK so if you asked me this 2 months ago I'd have said The Wall but. But!!!!!! I got really normal about Aphrodite's Child's 666 in November and I think it's defining me rn. Peak album one of my FAVESSSS actually

3) [Favorite musical artist / group you started listening to this year?]

God it's gotta be Rick Wakeman. Ricky you welcomed me in 2024 and you're seeing me off for 2025. I didn't get to see his show when he toured here but that doesn't matter since I'm still quite a normal fan of his music lol. Journey to the Center of the Earth changed me as a person and I will never be the same again

#thank u for the askkkkkkk uauaggrhrhrh #naupactus #pie asks #god i was progging out this year. cant wait to do it again

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duhragonball · 6 months ago

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Phantom Blood Liveblog JJBA ch.26-30

Yeah, back in those days, "ORA" hadn't been invented yet. If you wanted to beat a guy up with rapid punches, you had to yell something like "Sunlight Yellow Overdrive!" and hope he was unconscious before he could ask you what the hell that means.

Last time, Dio lured Jonathan and Zeppeli into a trap. They beat his zombie henchmen easily enough, but Dio's a lot stronger now than he was the last time Jonathan fought him. Hamon attacks will definitely kill Dio, but they depend on proper breathing and circulation of blood through the extremities. So when Dio freezes his own arms to block their strikes, it chills the good guys' own arms, disrupting the Hamon ripples.

Satisfied that his enemies are no match for him, Dio summons up two more zombies to finish the fight. These are Tarkus and Bruford, a pair of "legendary knights" who played an important role in British history. Well, not really. These guys are completely fictional, but Jonathan, Dio, and Zeppeli speak of them like they read about them in school.

Dio recounts their tragic backstory. The two knights were loyal to Mary Queen of Scots (1542-1587). In 1567, Mary was accused of killing her husband, Lord Darnley, and was forced to abdicate the Scottish throne and seek refuge in England with her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. Queen Elizabeth spent the next twenty years moving her from one castle to another as she tried to figure out what to do with Mary. On the one hand, Mary had a claim to the throne of England, which made her a potential threat of Elizabeth's rule. On the other hand, killing Mary would draw the ire of Mary's supporters. In the end, Mary was implicated in an plot to assassinate Elizabeth, and she was tried and executed in 1587.

In the world of Phantom Blood, the armies of Tarkus and Bruford tried to free Mary in 1587, only for Elizabeth to use Mary as a hostage. She agreed to release Mary in exchange for Tarkus and Bruford's surrender. They agreed, even knowing they would be executed, but it was a trick. On the day of their execution, they were informed that Mary had already been beheaded the day before.

With their last words, Tarkus and Bruford cursed the world and their enemies, and Dio found that admirable. So when he set up shop in Windknights Lot, he decided to dig up their graves and reanimate their corpses. Unlike the other zombies we've seen, they're a lot stronger. Tarkus is a mountain of a man, while Bruford seems to use his long hair like tentacles. He tangles up Jonathan's right hand in his hair and uses it to suck Jonathan's blood. Jonathan can't even send Hamon through that hand because of the blood loss there.

So he just uses his left hand to destroy the hairs with Scarlet Overdrive. Everyone's all amazed that Jonathan would hit himself to keep fighting, but I kind of doubt that you can hurt yourself with your own Hamon energy. If Zeppeli could break a rock without hurting a frog, then I think this is a similar situation.

Another zombie tries to attack Jonathan during the battle, but Bruford destroys him, then asks Dio to allow him to fight Jonathan one on one. Dio agrees, but he's rather annoyed to find that Bruford still retains the warrior's pride he once had in life.

So Bruford commences his attack, using his hair to swing his sword at Jonathan.

So back in the day, when Windknights Lot was used as a training ground, there was a challenge known as "The 77 Rings". It's a 10-kilometer journey, but you have to defeat 77 opponents along the way, and with each one you beat you have to wear an iron ring. By the time you get to the end of the gauntlet, you have to fight their hardest guys while being weighed down with all those rings. Only five warriors ever completed the gauntlet. Four of them, including Tarkus, were big huge guys who were simply strong enough to muscle through it, but Bruford pulled it off by using his hair to swing weapons as a surprise attack.

Also, Bruford is so good at swimming that he can do it even while wearing his armor. When he and Jonathan end up in the water, Dio leaves the battlefield, thinking that Jonathan is as good as dead. Bruford puts away his sword, wanting to keep things fair at this stage. Down here, Jonathan can't use Hamon without air to breathe, so Bruford thinks this makes them even.

But Jonathan does the unexpected and swims down instead of heading toward the surface. He finds coal at the bottom, and reasons that there's pockets of air trapped there. And this works because.... it's like when your dog won't let go of something, so you have to pretend your giving it to him to make him let go? Yeah, I don't get it. I mean, just because there's gas trapped under those rocks doesn't mean it's breathable air.

But it works out for Jonathan, and he uses his breath to release a devastating Hamon attack, Underwater Turquoise Blue Overdrive. Hamon conducts well through water, so the range and power of the attack are devastating...

Or they would be, except Bruford managed to stay ahead of the attack until he reached the surface, so he only took a wound to his forehead. He's exhilirated by Jonathan's performance so far, and is grateful to face such a worthy adversary.

Meanwhile, Jonathan is astonished that a zombie would retain this sort of fighting spirit centuries after his death. "Flesh remembers?" Jonathan wonders. There's some foreshadowing for Part 3...

Bruford ties up Jonathan with his hair again, but this time it seems to grow and constrict around him, which is definitely not natural. Turns out, Bruford gained this ability when he became a zombie. It works by the way he can control the moisture in his hair, similar to the way Dio could rapidly evaporate the water in his arms to make them cold.

Now, somewhere around here, you might be wondering why Zeppeli isn't helping. Well, that's because he's still hurt from fighting Dio, and he needs to thaw out his arm so he can use Hamon to heal his injuries. Speedwagon has an idea, which basically amounts to pressing Zeppeli's arm against his torso to help warm it up. But it takes most of this arc to finish the process, so Jonathan's on his own.

Zeppeli was worried for Jonathan, since you need to use your hands to deploy Hamon attacks, but Jonathan gets one foot loose and blocks a strike from Bruford's sword. But this isn't a defense, it's an attack. Hamon conducts through metal, too, so Jonathan uses Metal Silver Overdrive to send the Ripple through the sword and into Bruford's arm.

Then he breaks loose and follows through with Sunlight Yellow Overdrive, and that's it for Bruford.

Bruford is in immense pain from the attack, but he vows to keep fighting... until he suddenly stops fighting and accepts defeat. Jonathan anticipated this, and Zeppeli realizes what Jonathan already figured out: When Bruford got hit with the Ripple, it restrored some of his humanity. Zombies don't feel pain, so the fact that Bruford felt anything meant he was becoming human again. And so, he stopped fighting, because he no longer saw Jonathan as his enemy. Flowers grow under Bruford, I guess because the Ripple energy? I don't know.

As he disintegrates, Bruford gives Jonathan his sword, which is inscribed with the word "Luck". Bruford writes a "P" on there with blood, making it say "Pluck" instead. He wishes Jonathan both on his quest, then turns into ash.

So you might be wondering what happened to Tarkus during all of this. Well, he just stayed on the sidelines this whole time, and now that Bruford is dead, he tramples Bruford's armor like he hates the guy. This kicks up a lot of debris, and Zeppeli has to use a Hamon shield to protect himself from it. So now it's Tarkus' turn to fight, and he doesn't seem to be as honorable as Bruford was...

#jojo's bizarre adventure #phantom blood #jonathan joestar #dio brando #will a zeppeli #robert e o speedwagon #tarkus #bruford #queen elizabeth i

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progfessor-dyke · 6 months ago

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ALRIGHT IT'S 2112 TIME!!!!

Now, obviously, the title track is split into seven segments, and I will be sort of... treating each segment as their own song for the sake of my Rushathon live-blogging. 1a. "2112- Overture"- HOLY GOD I MEAN. From the opening ghostly synths, to the just powerhouse of drumming, to the faint haunting of an "ooooh" in the beginning, this is a proper overture that hints at everything to come. Not to mention, it quotes the 1812 overture during the ending, and has that Bible quote "And the meek shall inherit the earth" which, when viewed with the full song and the ending, sort of hints that the protagonist's cause does win out eventually. 1b. "2112- Temples of Syrinx" - Opens with that epic riff, and sets up the antagonists of the story, which takes places under a theocracy that worships technology, with the Priests and their "great computers filling their hallowed halls". There seemed to be quite a lot of talk about technology around this time, and I wrote up a comparison last year between this epic and ELP's "Karn Evil 9" and the dangers of AI technology (that's on my essay account). Both epics feature a struggle between man and machine, which I find very interesting. 1c. "2112- Discovery"- Starts with gentle guitar playing and water flowing in the background. In the liner notes, it says the protagonist (never named) discovers a guitar in a cave, after the personal creation of music has been outlawed by the Priests of Syrinx. This is about discovering the joy that creating and writing your own music can bring you--- and how music can inspire protest and individual thought. A young musician can relate to it on a personal level--- the discovery of their instrument, and learning to master it, and it also has parallels to real-life theocracies, where sometimes all secular music is banned. There's also a bit of naïveté here, where the protagonist thinks they can take on an entire system alone. 1d. "2112- Presentation"- I just. LOVVVEEEE this part. I love how Geddy jumps the octave between the character of the protagonists, and the priests, who are practically shrieking at this person. They're giving the protagonist the excuse that him playing his guitar doesn't fit whatever has been calculated for them by the computer, and smashes the guitar. I do wonder if Geddy was inspired a little by Peter Gabriel's voices in Genesis, like when he's playing different characters in "Get Em Out By Friday", for example. 1e. "2112- The Oracle"- This is where the protagonist inadvertently contacts the "Elder Race of Man" --- ngl I got a little distracted singing it instead of writing for this part LOL. 1f. "2112- Soliloquy" - This is my favorite part of the entire song. The pain in the protagonists' voice when he jumps the octave makes me shiver. It's a heartbreaking end to the protagonist, but so so well done.

1g. "2112- Grand Finale"- HELL YEAH HERE WE GOOOO!!! I love the ambiguous ending to 2112, where one doesn't know if the Temples of Syrinx were overthrown following a rebellion, or whether they were the ones to "assume control" once more, or if they did succeed, if they were replaced by something just as bad. It's just so open-ended, and I think one's interpretation of it says a lot about them as a person. ALSO!!! "Attention all planets of the solar federations" - said 3x is 21 words "We have assumed control" - said 3x is 12 words, so the ending also spells out 2112!!! 2. "A Passage to Bangkok"- Now, following one of the most famous prog epics of all time is... a song about smoking weed around the world. It sort of reminds me of how, immediately after the epic that is "Tarkus", ELP launches right into "Jeremy Bender", which is another humorous sort of song. I guess it's sort of a palate cleanser, in a way. The interesting thing about APTB is the bong hit right before the solo, and the way that the drums actually lag behind the guitarist and the bass, by adding an extra beat I believe, adding to a sort of psychedelic feel that is never the same. My only criticism of this song is the sort of orientalist motif that recurs a few times, which is a bit of a stereotype. 3. "The Twilight Zone"- This was the song that started the tradition of Rush recording a last-minute song on their records, and is, of course, an homage to the television of the same name, describing the plot lines to several episodes. Funnily enough, the prior album, Caress of Steel, is also dedicated to Rod Serling. I also love the overdubbed whispering in the choruses after the first one--- that's always made me laugh. 4. "Lessons"- The lyrics to this song are written by Alex, and would be his last lyrical contribution until the final contribution by Geddy and Alex on Signals, "Chemistry". I do love the guitar on this song, and I think I like it a little more than Geddy's lyrical contribution to the album, "Tears". To me, it feels like a callback to some of their earlier songs, with a little more sophistication and experience. 5. "Tears"- I'm a little torn over this song, admittedly. On one hand, I think it's beautiful and touching, and on the other, sometimes I feel it's a little melodramatic. I'm never sure if it's coming from a place of sincerity or not. Right now, I think it is, but when I was younger and perhaps a touch more cynical, I thought it was almost sarcastic, and making fun of people who wrote songs like this in order to get laid. Either way, it is a gorgeous song, and I think there's a synth in the background as well (sounds like a mellotron, but I don't think they had access to a mellotron). It does credit Hugh Syme with keyboards on this track, so perhaps that does include a mellotron. 6. "Something for Nothing"- This is my favorite non-2112 song on this album, and might be one of my favorite Rush songs period. I had the lyrics to the bridge tucked in the back of my phone case for a while, and it always motivates me to go and do something. Because things can't get better if you don't work for it--- which doesn't even mean on a personal basis. If we want the world to be a better place, people need to fight for it. I know that Neil was heavily influenced by Rand at that time, but you can look at this from a leftist lens of criticizing Rapture culture--- that someone will come along and save the world and make everything better.

Okay, I'm not entirely sure if I want to do AFWTK/Hemispheres next, so I think I'll wait until Moving Pictures to write again.

#rush band #hbd ged <3 <3 <3

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thumpypuppy · 6 months ago

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what sort of other game soundtracks or composers (especially indies but either way) have inspired your work?

Oh gosh, this is such an amazing question!!!

Personally I (Lindar) have so so so many inspirations because I'm a music lover, I'm 37, and I've been playing video games as far back as I can remember.

So first and foremost I have to give a shout-out to Lena Raine because back in like… 2016(?) I was trying to take my studio to a more professional level and invest in some stuff beyond what just comes with any given DAW, so I reached out to her and she was kind enough to answer my dozens of questions and talk shop with me. She is ultimately why Studio Thumpy Puppy has its current sound. I don't know her personally, but she was an absolute sweetie to me, extremely helpful, and y'all know she writes banger after banger track.

Gotta mention Ben Prunty, who is an absolute legend in indie soundtracks.

Met Disasterpeace at Day of the Devs 2016 along with a bunch of other legends in the scene and what an encouraging sweetheart!

Of course I'm a huge fan of Sadie Greyduck who is one of my composers! Go check out her Bandcamp or look for her on streaming services!

Love me some Darren Korb. Honestly like every Supergiant game has been a banger, but it wouldn't be the same without those soundtracks.

On that note you can't go wrong with Danny Baranowsky. Love me some Necrodancer!

Also y'all gotta check out M Gewehr (MWGewehr on birdsite).

Also gotta mention 2Mello who does amazing work and makes some of the funkiest beats.

Of course if we're talking about 2Mello we gotta mention Hideki Naganuma! UNDERSTAND! UNDERSTAND! THE CONCEPT. OF LOVE!

Oh gosh and then Winifred Phillips does amazing work.

While we're here I know she's not a game composer but go listen to Wendy Carlos!

Then there's like… all of the various people across games like Doom, Quake, Borderlands, etc. Sasha Dikiciyan, Jesper Kyd, Mick Gordon…

Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy), Kiochi Sugiyama (Dragon Quest), Yoko Shimomura (Street Fighter), Takashi Tateishi (MegaMan II), Hip Tanaka (Metroid, Earthbound), Koji Kondo and Toru Minegishi (Legend of Zelda), Daisuke Amaya (Cave Story), Eirik Suhrke (Downwell), Daisuke Ishiwatari (Guilty Gear), the sound team on Sonic Adventure 2, Masato Nakamura (Sonic 2), Brad Buxer et al (Sonic 3&K)…

So let's also take into account that a lot of the game soundtracks that have inspired me over the years are influenced by things that aren't game soundtracks, because those are a relatively recent invention, so we have to talk about how Plantasia by Mort Garson is a direct inspiration for Ocarina of Time and "Dancing Mad" from FF6 is literally just Tarkus from Emerson, Lake & Palmer. A *lot* of early game composers were just prog nerds who listened to like… ELP, King Crimson, Rush, Yes, Magma, Van Der Graaf Generator, Camel, Caravan, Gentle Giant, Soft Machine, Gong… and then also a lot of more popular 80s rock that I'm not gonna list out…

The history of music is absolutely wild and there's so much inspiration out there it's absolutely baffling. Go listen to stuff you've never heard before, analyze it, understand what the appeal and aesthetic is, listen to the last 100 years of the pop charts and then learn where that music came from and who their influences were… go listen to motown! Listen to bebop and jazz and future funk and central Asian folk music and like… get out there and expand your horizons, because like… there's SO MUCH good music out there.

#game audio #game soundtrack #inspiration #indie composer #ask tag #ask

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whiteheartlight · 8 months ago

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Remembered your post abt the Nuva being amazed by Gali waterboarding Icarax out of hell so bad he just fuckin left and the whole placed got thrashed so bad it doesnt exist anymore and i thought ourgh... like black iron Tarkus... So like. What if whenever theres a big threat near a big body of water they turn to her more excited than kids on christmas morning and she goes :) alright, since youre asking so nicely :) and then just fucks up the local bastard as they chant GA-LI GA-LI GA-LI like at 1:05 in this vid:

https://youtu.be/FZYJAjATPzY?si=pz0opOCV6pTphDPC

I'm loving the implication that one of the others was awake and just decided to sit back and let her handle it because, well, she can. lol

I totally think her brothers would be so astounded and then excited when they realized what she did. she's all worried about them because I'm pretty sure Icarax knocked them all out or down, so she's running over to hold them and try to wrap up wounds, and they're just staring around like "did you do that??" she's like "just lie still for two seconds, Mata Nui," but they can't, they're too awe-struck.

later she'll get a little worked up and nervous about it and they'll wonder if they should have comforted her more, but in the end, the more they keep going "that was SO COOL, you TRASHED him!!" the more she starts perking up and putting it behind her.

they all do this for each other pretty frequently, really. it's kind of their go-to for when they do something that reminds them they really do carry a lot of power. even after Tahu gets poisoned by the Rahkshi and is feeling like a total scumbag for attacking the others, he overhears Lewa going "and Tahu threw this HUGE WAVE OF FIRE - Gali backflipped about three times to get out of the way - and Kopaka just froze him in one motion ! - then we faced them again and he and I made a prison of glass without even planning it beforehand-" you gotta respect the prowess before you get into the moral implications of anything

(sometimes even enemies will do something very powerful and Lewa will look around like "... was pretty cool though")

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rivendellroad · 28 days ago

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cicadaofthelake,,, I actually have that article/blurb, Keith, Greg and Carl receive Gold Record awards for the album "Tarkus", from "The Recording Industry Association of America"!

#elp #greg lake #keith emerson

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acidproofnotebook · 1 month ago

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Versus Manga Interview with ONE, Azuma, and Bose

Link: https://natalie.mu/comic/pp/versus

The interview is in Japanese but has been translated by SDOAJ, one of the fan translators for Versus manga (over on r/versusmanga).

The renowned manga artist ONE, known for hit series like One Punch Man and Mob Psycho 100, has embarked on his first serialized work in print media since his commercial debut. This new series, titled Versus, is being published in Monthly Shonen Sirius (Kodansha), with art by Kyotaro Azuma and story composition by bose. Together, they have begun creating a classic shonen manga.

The setting of Versus is a world being ravaged by a powerful enemy. Despite the courageous efforts of heroes against the Demon King, they have suffered defeat. In the midst of this, the protagonist, Hallow, a hero who has lost his right hand, encounters soldiers from another world. Initially, he believes their modern equipment could defeat the Demon King’s army, but it turns out that these soldiers are also being attacked by monstrous enemies. As the story unfolds, various worlds intertwine, and Hallow and his companions devise strategies to take down the formidable enemies.

To commemorate the release of the first volume of the series, Comic Natalie conducted an interview with ONE, Azuma, and bose. They discuss how ONE's classic shonen manga was conceived and how they distinguished the multiple worlds that appear in the story through both storyboards and artwork. Enjoy this roundtable discussion, which delves into the creative techniques of the trio.

Interview and text by Saki Ota (TARKUS)

The Realization That There's an Option to “Not Fight in the Usual Way”

── "I had the chance to read Versus, and I was completely absorbed by the series of captivating scenes right from the beginning. How did this work originally come about?"

ONE: The idea that became the basis for Versus was something I had been nurturing for a while. It was something I had thought about even before being approached by the editor from Shonen Sirius. With the rise of the isekai genre in recent years, there was a time when I wondered what kind of story I would create in that genre. I felt that the answer shouldn’t be to tackle it head-on, so I decided to approach the concept of 'another world' from a different angle, handling it with care. This led me to the idea of multiple worlds merging together, with various apex predators flooding in. I wondered what would happen in such a scenario.

── So that became the basis for Versus. In Volume 1, the story progresses in the direction of having "natural enemies fight against each other." Was this decided early on as well?

ONE: Yes, it was. First, I thought about how humans would act when the world is thrown into chaos. When I considered a new way for the protagonist to fight, instead of having them possess cheat abilities or overwhelming power, I realized there was the option of “not fighting in the usual way.” From there, I expanded the story.

── At that point, was there a possibility that you might also handle the artwork yourself?

ONE: No, since it would involve depicting a vast world, I knew I couldn’t pull it off on my own. I did consider taking on the role of the original creator and asking someone else to do the art, but that would require a huge amount of work, including an overwhelming amount of design. So, I thought it would be a difficult idea to realize. However, when the editor from Shonen Sirius approached me, I casually mentioned, "I also have this idea," and they liked it.

It's All in ONE’s Head (Azuma)

── When did things start moving forward for the Versus serialization in Shonen Sirius?

ONE: Probably around two or three years ago. At that point, there was no story or anything concrete yet, so I asked them not to find any candidates for the art just yet. First, I wanted to flesh out the content and refine the setting to make the serialization more concrete. However, as the process moved forward, I began to think that it might be difficult for me to handle the storyboards myself.

── Is that when bose's involvement was decided?

ONE: Around that time, the editorial team suggested Azuma-sensei's name, even though I had asked them not to approach any potential artists… I thought it would be possible for Azuma-sensei to handle the storyboards as well as the art, but that would mean placing an enormous workload on him, from the script to the artwork. Considering the scale of work, that would be too demanding. So, I reached out to bose, who I knew was skilled at storyboarding.

bose: I had known ONE for a while, but we had never worked together on a project before. I had always wanted to create something with him, so when he invited me, I was really happy. I immediately agreed, saying, "If you're okay with me, I'd love to do it."

── The original draft that passed from ONE to bose was like a script written in text, correct?

bose: Yes, that’s right. I’ve worked on adapting text-based drafts into storyboards before, so I was naturally able to take on that role. Plus, I’ve been reading ONE’s works for a long time, and I felt that there were similarities with the kinds of things I wanted to create. So, it wasn’t difficult at all, and I found the process to be very smooth.

ONE: At first, I thought I’d just write a rough plot or a few lines and let bose expand on it. But for the beginning of the story, I realized that if I didn’t write the dialogue and details, it wouldn’t convey what I wanted. So for now, I’ve been carefully writing even the finer details like dialogue and direction to make it as clear as possible.

── After that, Azuma-san was officially asked to handle the artwork. Azuma, how did you feel when you first heard about the project?

Kyotaro Azuma: I was discussing another project with the editor when they mentioned, "We have this draft…" I only heard a rough outline, but it sounded really interesting. I remember being intrigued right away and immediately saying, "I’ll do it."

ONE: When I first heard Azuma-san’s name from the editor, I thought, "He’s a very skilled artist, so he must be in high demand." I was worried that it might be disrespectful to reach out when the project’s setting wasn’t fully developed yet. But Azuma-san waited for an entire year.

Azuma: Until Versus started moving forward, I was working on the serialization The King of Fighters Gaiden — The Origin of Flame: Shingo Travels Through Time! Let’s Go! for Monthly Shonen Sirius.

── When the three of you first met, did you discuss the concept of Versus?

ONE: I did share what the goal of the story would be. However, I’ve been revealing the branching points as we go, so they might not know the ending of the story yet.

Azuma: That’s right. I’ve received meeting notes from our discussions about the world-building, but the setting isn’t fully fleshed out. Everything is still in ONE’s mind. So every time I receive the storyboards, I’m always surprised.

bose: I also ask ONE questions about the finer details as they come up.

The Importance of Getting People to Love the Characters (ONE)

── Now, I’d like to ask about the actual process of writing Versus. In your previous works, you’ve handled the art yourself or had other manga artists remake your stories, but this is the first time you’ve been purely responsible for the original draft. Is there anything different about this approach?

ONE: When I’m doing the art myself, the ideas come to mind based on my own drawing style. However, when working with artists like Azuma-sensei or Murata Yusuke-sensei (who handles the art for One Punch Man), I start imagining visuals that I personally can’t create. For example, I can envision cooler action scenes or more alluring characters, which allows me to push boundaries in a way. Versus is a story that requires powerful visuals and detailed depiction, so I felt that Azuma-sensei could fully bring my ideas to life.

── I see. So you write the scenarios with confidence that Azuma-sensei can handle them. Are there any elements from your previous works that you’ve carried over to Versus?

ONE: One thing I’ve learned from past projects is the importance of getting people to love the characters. In the past, I didn’t pay much attention to whether characters would become popular or not, but having characters that people can love—whether they’re allies or enemies—is incredibly important for the success of a story. Knowing that, I’m building Versus around the characters. It’s possible that a character other than the main one might suddenly take the spotlight and start acting from their own perspective. So, I hope people will also pay attention to the supporting characters.

── That sounds like a development to look forward to. Once you receive the scenario from ONE, bose, how do you translate that into the storyboard?

bose: There’s still some trial and error involved, but when I first read the scenario, I visualize in my head how I want to stage each scene. If I feel that certain parts need more explanation, I’ll add in more description or adjust the sequence of events. After drafting the storyboard, I send it to ONE for confirmation.

── Since the two of you were already acquainted, I imagine communication is easier. Has that helped in creating Versus?

bose: When adapting a novel into a manga, sometimes the original author is a big name, and it can be difficult to consult with them. In contrast, this time I can go over even the smallest details with ONE, which makes the process much smoother.

ONE: As the original author, being able to quickly respond to questions also makes it easier to move things forward.

There Were Also Changes to the Scenario Based on Azuma's Input (bose)

── In handling the artwork this time, how did you approach the character designs? I noticed that some characters resemble those from ONE’s style.

Azuma: For the main characters, like the three depicted on the cover of Volume 1, I received rough designs from ONE. As for the others, I expanded on the ideas based on the storyboards bose created. However, I wanted to make sure that readers could immediately recognize it as ONE’s work, so I actively tried to align the designs with his drawing style.

── Do you feel any differences compared to previous works where you handled stories based on an original draft?

Azuma: Not really, since we haven’t yet fully solidified how to move forward with the production of Versus. It’s serialized in Shonen Sirius, so the monthly deadlines are my main focus, and I don’t have much time to think about anything else. Plus, I’m juggling another series, so I’m just doing my best to keep drawing as much as I can within my limits.

── The story features not just magic, but also modern weapons and even aliens, so I imagine it requires quite a bit of variety in your drawings.

Azuma: Yes, with so many different worlds involved, there are a lot of things I’ve never drawn before. I’m still figuring out how to share these ideas with my assistants, and honestly, I feel like there’s not enough time. Right now, I advance the work to the rough draft stage and get feedback from ONE and bose before proceeding with the final version.

ONE: Azuma’s interpretations bring out something better than what I could have drawn myself. So, while I do check the rough drafts, I rarely have anything to say.

bose: Azuma-sensei’s rough drafts are truly amazing! We’ve never had to make any major revisions… Oh, there was that one time when the scenario changed based on Azuma-sensei’s suggestion.

── Which scene are you referring to?

bose: It’s the scene near the end of Chapter 4, where the representatives from each world hold a meeting. At first, I had drawn the storyboard according to ONE’s plot, but Azuma-sensei made a suggestion.

Azuma: Yes, since it’s also the final scene of Volume 1, I wanted to make sure the direction of the story was clear. I felt a bit cheeky saying it, though.

ONE: No, I thought you were absolutely right. Initially, the flow was that Hallow would say, “Let’s make the enemies fight each other,” and the people from the other worlds wouldn’t really understand, and the story would move forward from there. But we revised it so that after a disagreement, everyone comes to realize that making the enemies fight each other might actually be the right solution. It wasn’t just the three of us; the editors also joined in, and we all brainstormed together. As a result, it became a really impactful scene.

Making a Manga True to ONE’s Style (bose)

── What do you pay special attention to when drawing Versus?

Azuma: Since this is a printed manga, we can’t use color. So, I make sure the characters have distinct silhouettes to ensure readers can immediately tell which world each character is from. Also, with so many characters, if I’m not careful, the visuals can become cluttered. To avoid that, I try to keep the panels as clean as possible, making it easy for readers to follow who is speaking and what’s happening.

ONE: I really want to clearly portray each character’s motivations. In Versus, characters from various worlds appear, and they each have different cultures and ways of thinking. Their abilities are also different, so I’m particularly mindful of making sure these differences are well defined.

bose: For me, it’s about making sure the manga feels like a work by ONE. I think ONE’s stories have a unique tone, and I want to create something that fans, including myself, will enjoy. So, I study his past works while crafting the storyboards. I especially focus on the original One Punch Man and try to incorporate similar techniques in the storytelling.

ONE: Speaking of which, before I asked bose to join, the entire content of Volume 1 used to be what is now just the story of the first chapter. It ended with Hallow and his team continuously losing and eventually connecting with another world. But bose pointed out that it was way too long, so we revised it to the current version.

── So, there’s a chance that this process might be depicted as a past episode in the future, since you already have the concept for it. I’m looking forward to that! Now that the first volume is finally being released, could you share your thoughts and goals moving forward?

bose: I’ve heard about the future plans, and Versus is a series that gets more interesting the longer it continues. I’m really eager to work on the next part, and I want to fully convey the excitement I feel into the storyboards.

Azuma: The intensity of the artwork will also increase, so I’ll do my best to meet the deadlines each month.

ONE: Since there are so many characters and settings, I’d like to prioritize making the story as fun as possible without holding back any ideas. The first volume is just the beginning, so I hope everyone will join us in enjoying the journey from here on out.