#I just love my funky little German art films

[ukulelegodparent]

Watching the lesbian Sisi movie rn and by god yeah

[gerogerigaogaigar]

Madonna - Like A Prayer

After establishing a persona of material excess and precision vapidity Madonna just went ahead and released an emotionally honest personal album. The fact that it not only works but ranks as one of her best albums is a testament to her skills as a performer and songwriter. Funky danceable tracks and slower tender ones mingle side by side without ever resulting in mood whiplash. I think that all of Madonna's 80s output has significant merit, but Like A Prayer is my favorite.

The Rolling Stones - Aftermath

Rolling Stone wants me to listen to the US version of this album. The US version replaces Mother's Little Helper with Paint It Black and cuts several tracks to bring the album's length down. I will not play along. I'm gonna review the UK edition. So anyway this album really hates women. It starts Mother's Little Helper, which berates housewives for having pill addictions and then goes into Stupid Girl, a song that just hates women for existing. Under My Thumb is about dominating a woman until she lacks any autonomy. Just wretched stuff I really love it. Why'd they write these? They're so unnecessarily mean. The Stones were experimenting with some psychedelic sounds in the first half but from Goin' Home onward they really just default back to being a wannabe American blues rock band. Btw I'm being harsh because you probably already know if you really love or really hate this kind of music, but for the record I love it. The mysogyny is so comically extreme that it genuinely makes me laugh. Stupid Girl could be an incel anthem. It should be.

DJ Shadow - Endtroducing.....

This album transcends everything. It exists out of time out of genre. Endtroducing..... stands alone as a human achievement that is only paralleled by the sublime geometry of Islamic art, the elaborate architecture of gothic cathedrals, the surreal beauty of German expressionist film. In case you can't tell already, I'm not gonna be normal about this one. The album comes from the hip hop and turntablist scene of the 90s with the ethos of plunderphonics and an atmosphere that draws equally from funk, soul, and R&B as it does from ambient, tape music and drum & bass. It doesn't sound like anything else I've ever heard. Hypnotic bass grooves will transition into frenetic drum loops and back before picking up a melodic element from three tracks ago and turning it into a new drum solo or bass groove. It moves so smoothly and with such deliberation. Every sound is irreplaceable. I don't have a singular favorite record, but this one has a particular Enigma Of Amigara Fault effect on me. Like this is my album, it was made for me.

Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires Of The City

I don't mind Vampire Weekend, but they are little more than a generic indie rock band with futile aspirations towards art rock and baroque pop. Many of the songs keep up enough energy to not leave me totally bored, but they never really capture my interest. I'd be much happier if Ezra Koenig focused his efforts where they belong, convincing Netflix to give him another season of Neo Yokio.

The Who - Live At Leeds

There are at least four versions of this album out there. The original only contained six songs out of the 30ish played during the concert and the version I have is the 95 cd release that contains 14 tracks. The expanded version has some tracks from Tommy and a real nice version of B-side Heaven And Hell, but I will focus on the six original tracks, Young Man Blues, Substitute, Summertime Blues, Shakin' All Over, My Generation, and Magic Bus. I love the choice of tracks. Three covers and three older singles. Nothing from their recent album Tommy. And all the songs are performed so much rougher and heavier than their album counterparts. My Generation goes on for 15 minutes and includes interpolations of songs from Tommy and extended guitar solos. It ends on a seven minute version of the objectively lame Magic Bus and they make it kick ass. The who gives a shit energy of this concert is apparent and the fact they released this at all is great, it's one of the best live albums because it actually sounds like a live show.

Prince - Dirty Mind

Prince was so fucking good. This is the horniest album. Every song is about sex, even his breakup songs are really fucking horny. And what the fuck is up with Sister? What maniac would write that? What a legend. This is such a funky danceable album, but it's over so fast. You can basically listen to this and his debut back to back and that would equal a full length album. Unfortunately we don't get to see much of guitar god Prince on this one, but every prince album from the 80s is good so who cares?

Jerry Lee Lewis - All Killer No Filler

Oh fuck off. Jerry Lee Lewis couldn't maintain a rock career after he married his thirteen year old cousin so he became a mediocre country musician because that was the only crowd that would have him. So why the fuck would I want a compilation? He has like three good songs and then most of his career sucks ass. Here's an alternative. An album that definitely isn't on this list but should be. Mustt Mustt by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Ali Khan was an amazing vocalist who sang Qawwali, which is Sufi devotional music, and Mustt Mustt was his first attempt to develop a Qawwali fusion style. This album is an amazing combination of traditional Qawwali and alternative rock styles. Don't listen to Jerry Lee Lewis, listen to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan!

Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Coldplay are not Radiohead. This is so sad because they really want to be Radiohead. If you like this album then I'm sorry. But also you should listen to OK Computer by Radiohead because that is what they were trying to make here.

[incorrectpeterparker]

Hey y’all! I hope you’re all doing well and are staying hydrated! Today is a kind of special day and milestone because one year ago today I came home from the grocery store for the last time before lockdown, and decided hey during this time why don’t I create a Tumblr blog, and here we are now! I had no clue this blog would become so big and receive so much attention, nor was I prepared for everyone’s kindness and support, and I certainly didn’t expect to meet my partner in chaos ( @madame-ree ) here, but I’m so happy all of this has happened!

Some of you may have been here from the beginning of April (when I found out this url was available and I changed my name from gwenstacyyy lol), or you may have just followed this week, and I thought it’d be a little fun for you all to get to know the chaotic mind behind this blog. Without further ado, and apologies for the long post, here are 22 facts about me on the 22 of March:

1. my favorite marvel characters are peter, loki, carol, wanda, and steve (pre endgame lol)

2. my favorite marvel movies are ragnarok, far from home, infinity war, the winter soldier, and ant-man and the wasp

3. my favorite marvel series (so far) are ofc wandavision and agent carter

4. i am going into film so if you want to talk about my favorite movies and series outside of marvel feel free to dm me! (my inbox and asks are always open)

5. i haven’t been as active on here lately because i am an athlete (post submissions would greatly help👀)

6. i am a writer and i can write pretty much any piece across any genre

7. yes i am from the midwest and i do have a strong midwest accent

8. i speak french (i am ethnically french and german)

9. i LOVE to read anything from classic literature to popular series today (feel free to dm me about books and give suggestions)

10. my favorite color is yellow (and if you know me you know why i love blue lol)

11. i’m always wearing funky socks, in fact i only own one pair of socks that is a solid color

12. i look like a stereotypical nerd with big glasses, converse, and several books in my bag at all times, and i love it

13. i am really short (only 5’0” / 152.4cm tall)

14. i love birds i think they’re all pretty and majestic

15. i only listen to music when it’s on the car radio because otherwise i get distracted

16. i’m not the best artist painting wise but i want to sell art somehow this summer bc why not

17. i am a very stereotypical pisces

18. i just turned 18 earlier this month

19. i am an iced coffee addict

20. my name isn’t really bri and i don’t actually have thoughts so basically i’m just a liar

21. my other blogs are @incorrectmarvels, @incorrectgwenstacy, and @bribean, and my inactive instagram account is sadlokihour (i’m still signed in in case anyone wants to reach out to me there)

22. my favorite season is spring so lately i have been very happy, and i hope you all are happy too and hydrate and get some rest, i love you all💛

[hetmusic]

TMR TALKS TO...WWWATER | The Most Radicalist

In this interview feature, we get to know the most radicalist up and coming stars on the planet.     This time we speak with Belgian wunderkind WWWater. Early last year, Belgian-French artist Charlotte Adigéry caught our attention with a new project - WWWater. A musical lifetime thanks to her family meant that performing and singing was nothing new to the artist, and after forming a band and contributing to many others, the path was well underway for the young talent. It wasn’t until a magical encounter with a waterfall in Martinique (a place that forms part of Adigéry’s familial heritage), that WWWater as we know it emerged. There’s no doubt a spiritual, otherworldly quality to the genreless sound in tracks like ‘Pink Letters’ and ‘WWWater’, from the artist’s debut EP, La Falaise. More recently, Charlotte Adigéry has been on tour with the fantastical Glasgow band Young Fathers, performing a couple of her old tracks, but mostly treating audiences to new sounds in a high-octane, punk showcase. Anyone who’s seen WWWater live will have had their appetites whet for the next load of music, sure to be even more creative and true to the heart and soul of this effervescent musician.

TMR: Hey Charlotte, how are you? You’re currently on tour supporting Young Fathers, how has the experience been so far? Hiya! Couldn’t be better! I have been living on a cloud since the tour with Young Fathers. The band and crew received us so well and they apparently picked us to do the support very thoughtfully. It’s been a match made in heaven and I’m very grateful to be part of this adventure. And the UK audience is a dream. Such warmth and support... TMR: There’s a shared sparsity, hidden depth and spiritual presence in both yours and Young Fathers' music, but where does this sound originate for you? Happy that state comes across in our music as well! I found that music helps me tune into what matters most for me, being only here and now and connecting with people beyond the ego. That’s where I go to when I’m on stage, it’s easier for me to channel into that on stage than anywhere else actually. I try to stay as self-unaware as possible so I can tune into where making music comes from for me. From a gut-feeling. Plus the stories in my music are mostly autobiographical concepts that I explore; call it soul-searching, for lack of a better word. TMR: Speaking of origins, some listeners may have first come across you via Soulwax’s Belgica, which featured your track ‘The Best Thing’. How did that collaboration come about? Felix van Groeningen, the director of Belgica asked Stephen and David Dewaele to make the soundtrack to the film. During that time they were looking for someone to interpret one of their songs in the film, so I was supposed to lipsync a Microkorg-sung lead vocal. I was already super excited to feature in the film without any real musical contribution, but then Felix decided he wanted a more vulnerable, emotional ending so he asked Stephen and David to write a song that would fit the new ending. The brothers asked me because they’d heard from people that I was a good singer (their words!) and so we tried out some things and I ended up interpreting their song. TMR: Had you been making music for a while prior for that? How did you first get into making music? Yes, I had. When I was 18 I started a band with some friends and family, it was funky pop and we spent infinite hours in the cellar of my cousin’s house to rehearse. I always felt the music-virus but when I started with this band, I felt it was something that was going to stay for life. My mom sings as well so I always loved singing, it was like another way of communicating between us. We sang and danced a lot at home. She learned me how to sing in harmony for example... After my first band I started to say 'yes' to everybody who needed a singer in their band. I did reggae, blues, dance, and so on… Until I ended up singing with two popular Belgian acts and I felt like I had my own story to tell. That’s how WWWater was born. TMR: Like yourself, Soulwax is a Belgian based project, who are some of your other favourite acts from the country? Soulwax is absolutely amazing, we had the honour to do some support shows for them with my DEEWEE release (made with Bolis Pupul). I’ve seen the show quite a bit but I still cannot sit/stand still whenever they’re playing. They transcend any geographical border, they make universal music. I really love ALL the artists they collaborate with on DEEWEE, as for my compatriots Boris Pupul, Asa Moto and The Future Sound of Antwerp are masterpieces waiting to be discovered by the masses. I love Hong Kong Dong for their playfulness and exquisite taste. I love Hiatus, a hardcore band from Liège, I love Joy Wellboy, The Germans, Raketkanon, Tristan, Beraadgeslagen and... so many more. TMR: Belgium has such a rich and varied music scene, what do you think the secret is there? Belgium is a rather new country, they were part of The Netherlands until 1839, so I feel like we are still in the creation of a national identity. You could compare musical Belgium to a studious and curious 20-year old…  There’s a certain playful exploration in the musical landscape of Belgium, but it’s hard to speak about a Belgian sound. We still need to grow out of making what already exists. And tell our own story. Ours can be as exciting! Jacques Brel was well aware of that! I also feel like there’s a place for all kinds of arts in Belgium. Art seems fairly democratic, from my perspective. We have cultural centers in every town and village, music contests, a LOT of festivals and you can study arts for free! But we’re still working on including the ‘new Belgians’ in that landscape… Although a lot of platforms try their best to do so. TMR: Although of Belgian nationality, you also have Martinique and Guadeloupe heritage. Do you also take inspiration from these cultures in your songwriting? I actually have the French identity but always lived in Belgium, yes. I do, more and more. These two countries have such a rich musical identity. We have Zouk, Biguine, lent Kompa from the Haitians etc. We suffered the same history as the Afro-Americans, which a lot of today’s music comes from. It is such a rich source of inspiration and I’ve inherited that gut-related connection to music from my family. We spent hours singing and dancing together, my aunts encouraging the younger cousins to perform for them, to Shabba Ranks and Edith Piaf. TMR: Your first single under WWWater was the prayer-like, alternative dance track ‘WWWater’. How was the initial reception of the debut? I tried not to get too self-conscious again about how people would receive it. It was my first EP and I feel like I’m learning so much about myself and my musical identity by putting myself out there and playing live, so I see the first EP as a first little chapter in a long story. The music I make now has evolved a lot, it’s rougher, dirtier and has new dimensions to it. I hope people liked the EP off course but I mostly hope they keep their ears open for what’s coming next. TMR: Following on from that, we had ‘Pink Letters’, a gentler song with an important message as portrayed in the music video. Does living in the present and cherishing your friends and family help to keep you grounded? Yes! Friendship, love and self-love keep me grounded. TMR: Both of those tracks feature on your debut EP, La Falaise, released last September. Have any of the EP songs become your favourite to play live? ‘Mine Yours’ and ‘WWWater’ still make a lot of sense to me. ‘Mine Yours’ sounds innate and natural. ‘WWWater’ contains all the elements I was exploring at that time. The samples, the simple but effective voices. We only play those two live now, all the other songs are new. TMR: Where your sound is arguably most different is on ‘Mine Yours’, with those electronic and vocal loops, soothing guitars frets and your pure voice, What does this song mean to you? I felt so free of any inspirational blockage when I made that song. I didn’t have any intentions making it, I was just having fun and I realise that that’s when my music sounds best. The lyrics tell the story of an Italian couple who immigrated to Belgium to work in the coal mines (+/- 250,000 Italians did immigrate to Belgium after WWII to work in the coal and steel industry.) They worked so hard to have a new and better life, that they lost the most precious they shared. TMR: It’s almost been half a year since the EP, so what’s next for WWWater? We’re going to release a single marking the new sound and dimensions of WWWater in May. Then we’re going to focus on our live shows and make the best show we can for the festivals. After summer I’m going to start writing the album. See how far I get by myself!

http://www.themostradicalist.com/features/tmr-talks-to-wwwater/

[laura2017-blog1]

Letter of Intention

Dear All,

I'm Laura, 20 years old and I wish to apply for the Character Animation line. Please find my portfolio here: http://laura2017.tumblr.com/

My love for animation goes way back. I still remember how I got my first photo camera in 5th grade. There were so many stories in my head that wanted to get out. So whenever I had a friend over, we would grab my old Barbies and photograph them in story sequences. It was so difficult to photograph them in a way that our hands supporting the puppet wouldn't be seen. Naturally, I was thrilled to be able to record videos with the next camera I got. I still have some videos saved where I would dress my friends up in costumes and let them run through our neighbourhood to get my stories on the computer screen.

As a young teenager, I discovered my love for drawing. I used to draw days and nights just copying photos or drawing cartoon characters I liked. But what has changed my approach to drawing was a semester at TDA, which I attended fall 2016. After my rejected application last year, I was determined to get better. With my teacher Maja Vendelbo I studied anatomy and tones; the concept of core shadows blew my mind. It's still incredible to me how much I improved in such a short time span. (Here's my old portfolio: http://lauraischneider.blogspot.dk/) Moreover, I never would have believed how amazing an environment Viborg is. The students, teachers, and professionals are all so kind, fun and encouraging that I really feel this is the best place to thrive as an artist. My time here has been the most humbling and inspiring time of my life. I want to attend TAW because I want to improve and learn so much about the field I love; create interesting characters and bring them to life. When I think about studying at TAW, I'm just filled with happiness and excitement, and an eagerness to work hard.

Film and Drawing both being dear to me, I feel that animation is the perfect combination of my passions. Yet I think animation leaves a sense of wonder that live action movies do not. I really look up to Satoshi Kon and especially his work „Paprika". For me, this film is a great example of what makes animated films special. It merges the lines between reality and fiction through its fast pace and matching scene transitions. Paprika is a movie that truly lets you dive into the dream. Compared to "Inception", which presents the dreams as almost logical, too constructed, Paprika is much more imaginative and therefore I think it fits better.

I am convinced that the choice of medium is essential to tell a story properly. Take the classic "Jungle Book", which has so much charm, given by the rhythm of the traditional animation. While the 2016 remake was visually absolutely stunning, it didn't have quite the same impact as the original one. The animals seemed more relatable in the older one, as they were caricatured. The 2016 movie's ape king Louis threw me off – because the set was so realistic, the singing felt out of place. In a cartoon movie, you can get away with funky movement; it is an illusion of life after all. Still, it is certainly amazing to see how far the integration of 3D and live action has come until now... and how much further it can go!

After graduating from High School, I knew I wanted to work in the Animation industry. So I applied for an internship at the 2D Animation studio "Trickstudio Lutterbeck" in Cologne. I enjoyed my 6 months in their team, learning about puppet rigging and animation. Thanks to the time there I am proficient in Photoshop and intermediate with Toon Boom.

In addition, my colleagues and I would visit the Zoo once a week after work and observe and sketch animals. Now, drawing from life has become a habit of mine or the closest I've ever been to an addiction. I draw everyone, wherever and it's almost like a diary for me.

When my internship was over, I got the chance to intern at the VFX studio "Pixomondo", in their Frankfurt office for 3 months. There I looked at animation from a new angle, working as coordination. It was exciting to be part of this big studio, especially since they were working on the dragons of "Game of Thrones" when I came. Naturally, both studios were very different, the size of the team and thus the communication was most striking to me. While I was helping to communicate between the different departments at Pixomondo, at Lutterbeck we were all sitting in a big room together and would just call each other. However, they were also similar in one regard: both studios relied on good teamwork. I am of the opinion that animation is a team effort and everyone needs to be reliable and confident to communicate their side of the story.

Besides Art and Film, a passion of mine has long been Journalism. Together with a classmate, I was the chief editor of our High School's newspaper for well over 3 years. We instructed a team of around 15 students and had to take care of accounting, creating content, as well as getting it laid out and printed. It was a good lesson for me, as I learned how to lead and also work together with a team. Without all of our combined efforts, we never would have achieved 2 issues per semester, winning as many regional awards as we did.

Apart from the school club, I have been working freelance for the newspaper "Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger" for around 4 years now and I enjoy sharing my views and giving my audience food for thoughts. The same goes for my art - I always try to incorporate stories, ever since I read the book "Drawn to Life" a few months ago. Walt Stanchfield stresses how important the storytelling and the simplicity in a drawing are. Before, I would just draw a pretty picture, without much thought in the backstory. Now, I find the storytelling to be the most fun. With the basic skills I learned at TDA, I just want to bring interesting characters to life and tell their stories. In studio "Ghibli" movies, I really enjoy the characters. Take "Princess Mononoke" e.g., where they are all relatable to some extent. Even the ‘villain' has a motif and is not just evil; it's not just black and white. Eboshi (the antagonist) wants to save her people from the wild animals, and that is why she wants to kill the God of the forest. At the end of the movie, she realizes her fault and wants to rebuild the city in a better, righteous way. I really like this development in her character. "Frozen" on the other hand has generic characters with little development. Not only is Prince Hans a boring villain with little motivation. But even the main character, Elsa, acts without a goal and I do not see her as a good role model for children – and they are the main audience. Mostly, she behaves like an angry teenager. To put it in a nutshell: Good movies have a message they want to convey, just like good drawings hint at a deeper story. And interesting characters need to have a motif and need to grow with their challenges. That, for me, makes a great film.

An example I would like to mention is „Persepolis", which has simple, graphic style. Yet, it shows the character growth and the change in her world in a touching way. I think we as artists hold a responsibility to our audiences to entertain them and but to make them feel and reflect on a deeper level, as well. It is a privilege to share your views and to show how you see the world. Therefore, I want to use the skills I learn at TAW to create films with both a meaningful story and beautiful visuals.

For the future, I think the industry will rely more on smaller studios. In our global time, a lot of independent studios can reach a larger following now and get a better exposition. I also hope that the animation industry in Europe grows further. In Germany animation is unfortunately not really being invested in. It's a pity that what little 2D animation there is, is being outsourced to China because it would otherwise not be affordable. That takes away from the art form and treats it like a mass product. But stunning projects like "Song of the Sea" show that the co-productions in Europe can be successful, both artistically and financially. I look up to "Noerlum" and I hope to contribute to the art of animation just like they do. As for the medium, I feel there are a lot of options to explore: Take the "SPA Studios", which I admire, for example. Their innovative approach to 2D animation with a 3D look is very promising and I can't wait for their project "Klaus" to come out!

Born to a Spanish mother and a German father, their two cultures surrounded me growing up. Maybe that is why I am so intrigued by new cultures and languages. In 10th grade, I got to spend 5 months as an exchange student Nova Scotia, Canada. I really benefitted from being away from home as that made me more self-reliant and open for new perspectives. Besides that, I have traveled a lot throughout western Europe, of course spending many summers in Spain. The most precious travel memories are from a one-month Interrail trip through Italy I made alone last spring. Instead of sleeping in Hotels I tried out Couchsurfing and got to be more close to the actual life there. It was super interesting learning about my new found friends‘ lives and stories. Now I'm living in Viborg and learning Danish, which is luckily very similar to German. The reason why I like languages besides the culture is also because I want to be able to communicate with as many people as possible. I believe that Animation is communication in its essence. Work by Sylvain Chomet like "The Triplets of Belleville" and "The Illusionist" demonstrate this, as they work without words and yet communicate brilliantly on many different levels - through the story, the characters, the atmosphere.

Jean Giraud (Moebius) with his grand imaginary worlds is pure creativity. How he incorporates storytelling into his art is unrivaled and always lets my imagination run wild. I also like Käthe Kollwitz and her way to process personal experience through her work. They make her artworks feel precious and intimate. I would also like to mention Andreas Deja and his work on Scar in "Lion King" or "Dschafar" from "Aladdin". It is amazing how he manages to give the characters distinct facial mannerisms that make the characters feel real. On the other hand, I adore Ryan Woodward's flowy, seamless animation style. There are so many great artists out there and I hope to find my own voice, just as they did.

I am very lucky that my family absolutely supports me and my dreams. So they offered to finance my education. In addition, I have some savings from my internships.

 Viborg is a special place and I would be overjoyed to get the chance to learn here for the next 3 and a half years. I want to develop my art so much more and I know that there is no better place than TAW for my goal to learn the art of animation in an international environment. I sincerely hope you got to know me a little bit in this letter and that we will meet at the interview.

 Yours faithfully,

Laura Schneider