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dustedmagazine · 3 years ago

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Dust, Volume 7, Number 12

Phuong Tâm

It’s our last Dust of the year, the closing segment of a tradition that has now been going on for seven years. Turns out we like having a forum for short, pithy reviews. We like being able to take a chance on low-profile records, oddball records, music we might not have a full 400 words to say about, but enjoy in our way. This time around, we’ve got vintage Vietnamese rock, a pre-Wallflowers Jakob Dylan band, Nathan Salsburg’s pandemic devotional and lots more. Contributors include Ian Mathers, Justin Cober-Lake, Bryon Hayes, Bill Meyer, Jonathan Shaw, Jennifer Kelly, Patrick Masterson and Ray Garraty.

Black Tape for a Blue Girl — The Cleft Serpent

The Cleft Serpent by Black Tape For A Blue Girl

Sam Rosenthal has been making music as Black Tape for a Blue Girl for 35 years now, but beyond that constant he’s always been unafraid to completely reconfigure what kind of music that name applies to. With The Cleft Serpent he’s got a brand-new trio (himself on electronics, Aarktica’s Jon De Rosa on vocals, and Henrik Meierkord on cello), a dark and starkly compelling neoclassical bent to the music, and a narrative voiced by De Rosa that follows an immortal narrator through beautiful and wearying centuries of existence. War, love, enmity, revenge, apathy, pathos; there’s an attempt to convey the weight of what all that time would do to a mind and heart, and the graceful sweep of the music at least makes it feel accurate. On the one hand we could never really know, but on the other this kind of story always tells us more about our non-immortal selves, as this one does.

Ian Mathers

The Bootheels — 1988: The Original Demos (Omnivore)

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In 1988, few people would have heard of Luther Russell or Jakob Dylan, though the latter, of course, had a decent name for music, and Russell had some professional songwriting in his lineage, too. Three decades or so ago, they were kids just making their own way in the industry. Together with future Wallflowers guitarist Tobi Miller and drummer Aaron A. Brooks (who would go on to work with a number of acts), the pair started a short-lived band called The Bootheels. On 1988: The Original Demos (taken from rehearsal recordings), the group sounds much rawer than would be expected. Rather than the pop-rock that Dylan would go on to, the Bootheels draw largely from the Replacements, an act that Miller and Russell had bonded over. In the set's liner notes, Dylan notes that the band was essentially Russell's and it sounds like it, though without the funkier sounds that would help inform his later work. The disc gives fans of the artists a clear look at their beginnings, but it works beyond that (and, in fact, it seems somewhat disconnected from the Wallflowers). With catchy hooks and a strong melodic sense, these teens were already on to something, and their underground rock poses a curious hint at a road not taken.

Justin Cober-Lake

Laura Cannell & Kate Ellis — These Feral Lands: October Sounds (Brawl Records)

OCTOBER SOUNDS by Laura Cannell & Kate Ellis with Adrian Crowley, Milène Larsson & Chris Watson

Violinist Laura Cannell and cellist Kate Ellis have been issuing EP-sized recordings each month of 2021. On each installment, their glistening timbres and rustic evoke the designated time; on this occasion, they get a bit of help from some heavy contributors. October Sounds opens with a Swedish folk air that is first sung by Milène Larsson in its original, and then recited in English while the strings conduct a hall-of-mirrors exploration of the melody. The rest of the EP comprises a geographical sandwich. On top and bottom are a pair of collaborations with field recorder Chris Watson, whose captures of birds and their environments sets the string players’ alternately questioning and seething phrases beyond the reach of electric light. In between them, strings set the scene while Adrian Crowley narrates a tale of New York City psychic remove with a wry twist at its end.

Bill Meyer

Concrete Winds — Nerve Butcherer (Sepulchral Voice)

Nerve Butcherer by Concrete Winds

If, like this reviewer, you are perversely charmed by the additional “-er” that Concrete Winds have appended to the already thematically fraught term “Butcher,” the band’s new record may be for you. And good luck with it. You could call Nerve Butcherer a celebration of excess — but really, there’s little of the celebratory on offer here, just ten tracks that whizz past in fewer than 27 minutes, frying brainpans and abusing inner ears as they do so. Not quite death metal, not quite thrash, not quite grind: for sure, one of the most engaging things about Nerve Butcherer is how singular it is. The band comprises Mikko and P.J., both of the now-defunct Finnish death metal outfit Vorum. The duo appear to have hit on a formula: about three minutes worth of spastic and deeply chaotic riffing and bashing, harshly barked vocals in a more-or-less imperative mode and the occasional dash of phased and flanged soloing. Add titles like “Noise Trepanation,” “Paroxystic Flagellator” and “Astomatous Vomiting.” Repeat. When Concrete Winds drop into a trot, rather than blowing along at a gale-force sprint, the results can be compelling; see “Flaying Internecine,” which is likely the best track on the record. But mostly these guys just want to play as rapidly and as violently as possible, while retaining some trace elements of that thing that we call “song.” Yikes. Nerves sufficiently butchered, thank you very much. Or is that butcherered.

Jonathan Shaw

Anla Courtis + Stefan Neville — Roots Of A Knob (Soft Abuse)

Roots of a Knob by Anla Courtis and Stefan Neville

Unfold the J-card of this cassette, and you’ll find a photo of a washing machine that’s seen better days. Note the mailing address of the musicians who made it (one’s in Buenos Aires and the other in Auckland), and you’ll know that their sounds had to cross some water in order to get together. But pop the tape in the boombox, and you’ll know in short order that the duo’s relationship to water is, well, sub-aquatic. Twanging guitar, dragging drums, whirring synths and captured voices all sound like they’re patrolling some oceanic terrain so deeply submerged that the only lights to be found come from appendages attached to fish with weirdly hinged jaws. At such depths, nothing moves very fast, and the concerns of environments rudely battered by the sun just slip away. Feel the stillness, embrace the murk.

Bill Meyer

Erb / Mayas / Hemingway — Dinner Music (Veto)

Dinner Music by Christoph Erb / Magda Mayas / Gerry Hemingway

This improvising trio assembles one drummer who toured with Anthony Braxton back in the 1980s with a saxophonist and a pianist who spent those years touring the hallways of their respective schools. They are united in their disinclination to let their instruments’ histories dictate what they’ll do with them. This concert recording, which dates from that moment in autumn 2020 before the cases ramped back up and the clubs shut back down, explores combinations of pure and impure sounds which evolve from amplified factory-like clatter to baleful late-night reveries. There are long passages where it’s easy to forget that instruments are involved, but never a moment when one wouldn’t want to listen.

Bill Meyer

Godless — States of Chaos (Self-released)

States of Chaos by GODLESS

Godless play fleet, furious, thrashy death metal, evoking the stylistic wild west of the mid-1980s when metal’s various contemporary forms hadn’t yet resolved into their distinct sounds and attendant sensibilities. But hold on a second — wild west? Likely we should note that Godless writes, records and plays in Hyderabad, India, which makes things pretty interesting. Since Modi’s ascent to power, India has become increasingly nationalist, and that nationalism is difficult to uncouple from an equally fanatical Hindu fundamentalism. That’s all bad news for the country’s religious minorities, but especially for its 200 million Muslims, whom Modi has subjected to continuous inflammatory rhetoric and scapegoating. India is anything but godless, and its archaic blasphemy laws could make the dudes in Godless vulnerable to criminal charges, depending on how witlessly or cynically the statutes might be applied. Both in spite of and because of all that complicated context, States of Chaos seems determined to have a good time. Check out “Cormorant,” which chugs and crunches along with a headlong malevolence that conjures a sort of ghastly hilarity. One could wish that Godless had more listeners; they’re a talented band making effective music. But maybe it’s a good thing that death metal still mostly flies under the radar in India.

Jonathan Shaw

Grave of the Opal Golem — C.E.L.S. (Crunch Pod)

C.E.L.S. (CRUNCH 209) by Grave of the Opal Golem

This may be Grave of the Opal Golem’s first release, but it’s not Jason Stevens and Dave Madden’s first time playing together (just the first time under this admittedly fantastic name). After a significant break away from working together, they return with a ferociously focused 43-minute collage that veers through various levels and types of samples, synthesis, and noise. First half “Solstice I” fittingly begins with horror movie titan William Castle giving his classic audience warning from 1959’s The Tingler, but rather than trying to layer on jump scares, Grave of the Opal Golem proceeds patiently, building to some real thrills. The more intense moments are powerful enough it can seem like a shame when proceedings subside momentarily, but over the length of the composition that pacing proves extraordinarily valuable. C.E.L.S. also includes an excellent cover of Coil’s “Her Friends the Wolves,” and given how hard that duo are to cover satisfyingly, its quality is a good indication of how fertile this particular grave is.

Ian Mathers

Honey Radar — Play-Box Relay / The Legendary Guitar Amp Voice Memos (self-released)

Play-Box Relay by Honey Radar

We’re fond enough of Honey Radar around these parts to remember when they were still based in Indiana, so it’s no surprise that the Philly quintet’s latest twofer of material has been received warmly to these ears — enough to suggest it’ll be showing up on those Most Overlooked lists you’ll be reading come January. Play-Box Relay is easier on the ears in its efficiency (though I’d happily listen to “Plum Scouts” go on for another 10 minutes). Its gently sloppy noise-pop makes for a practically angelic counterpoint to the devilish dervish that is The Legendary Guitar Amp Voice Memos, a bleedin’ raw 2019 recording from Johnny Brenda’s Tavern in Fishtown (the Corn Dodgers look delicious, by the way). I’m reminded of the occasion I heard that first Purling Hiss LP in a radio station booth and could’ve sworn the music was melting the vinyl right there on the deck; turns out that was just my face, but the Memos provided herewith offer a similar experience, just terribly noisy, feedback-addled rockers prone to induce severe tinnitus. Can’t recommend either enough.

Patrick Masterson

Max B — Negro Spirituals (EMG \ Phase One Network)

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New York rap’s scene has become perverse; the city once known as a hip hop capital now has so degraded a rap music scene that its best representative technically isn’t in New York anymore. Max B is still waiting his early release from the state prison (as he puts it in one of the new tracks, “they gave me 75 in the can”). But thanks to Max’s label, producer Paul Couture and French Montana, we have another Max’s project, this time a full-length Negro Spirituals. The incarcerated artist continues plowing the field now abandoned by younger generations, namely catchy songs with classical verse-chorus structure where Max B himself sings almost all the choruses. This is a good old Max, horny (“Porno Music 3”), dreaming of revolution and prison reform (“Revolution”) and justice for all black people:

“Soon as I step out that motherfucker bought a van I had the cash 40 acres and a mule Own a 120 acres Momma sing the blues we got land.”

It’s even hard to single out standout tracks because it’s jammed with catchiest tunes. Free Max B!

Ray Garraty

Monte Espina + Liz Tonne + Louise Fristensky — Pueblo Glórtha (Round Bale Recordings)

pueblo glórtha by Monte Espina + Liz Tonne + Louise Fristensky

Monte Espina is the duo project of Venezuelan-born musicians Miguel Espinel and Ernesto Montiel, who have taken up residence in north Texas. The pair have been slowly amassing a collection of improvisatory electroacousic recordings and posting them on their Bandcamp site. Drawing from a deep well of creativity, they actively seek likeminded partners for collaboration. On this set, they’ve teamed up with Louise Fristensky, who is their most active sparring partner, and Liz Tonne. Tonne was active in the Boston electroacoustic scene before relocating to Dallas, where she met up with Espinel and Montiel, performing sporadically with them ever since. Montiel channels spirits through manipulating objects on his guitar, while Espinel mangles percussive implements and autoharp. Tonne extends her voice beyond the realm of the human, conjuring up both animal and spiritual entities. Manipulating a plethora of instruments and implements, Fristensky binds this sonic emulsion together. Incredibly intricate, these improvisations are like miniature worlds unto themselves. Each visit yields a wealth of wonders.

Bryon Hayes

Jessica Moss — Phosphenes (Constellation)

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Jessica Moss has a lot of great work under her belt (everything from 15 years with Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra to touring and playing live scores with members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Fugazi and Dirty Three), but her solo work is of more recent vintage, starting with 2015’s Under Plastic Island. Phosphenes, her accomplished and moving new release, starts with the side-long, three-part “Contemplation” suite, which focuses on her (solo and layered) violin to stunning effect. It’s too hopeful to be a requiem but too melancholy to be quite anything else. The second side features upright bass from Godspeed’s Thierry Amar on two of the songs, before ending with the rapturous “ambient vocal duet” over strings, guitar and piano of “Memorizing and Forgetting.” The result blurs the lines between post-classical and post-rock, but mostly just stuns.

Ian Mathers

Phuong Tâm — Magical Nights: Saigon Surf, Twist & Soul (1964-1966) (Sublime Frequencies)

Magical Nights - Saigon Surf Twist & Soul (1964-1966) by Phương Tâm

The first track on Magical Nights: Saigon Surf, Twist & Soul (1964-1966), a collection of singles by Vietnamese chanteuse Phuong Tâm, is “Có Nhó Ðêm Nào,” loosely translated as “Remember the Night,” and it’s a remarkable distillation of numerous modes of mid-1960s pop: yé-yé, surf rock, B-movie-soundtrack kitsch. Many of the 25 songs collected on this new compilation from Sublime Frequencies are similarly multivalent and dizzy confections, punctuated by warping vibraphone, dudes in distant “woah-woah” chorus, guitars reverbed into undulant liquidity. And Tâm gamely flirts, moans and chirps—you can just about see her doing the Mashed Potato to “Lòng Trai 20 (The Heart of a 20-year-old).” But beyond the weirdly candied pop surfaces, there’s a socio-historical relevance to the music. As Tâm was singing and dancing, American boots were gathering in Saigon in ever-increasing numbers, and the neocolonial resonances of the songs were meeting their material counterparts in the city’s nightclubs and bars. One of the most affecting tracks is the jazz-inflected “Ngày Phép Cùa Lính (A Soldier’s Day of Leave).” The closing verse translates to “Let us say ‘farewell’ for now / I know you realize that at the front / Where I return, the rifle is my true love.” Even in its feather-lite pop tunes, Saigon couldn’t shake the weight of the American war. Not sure Magical Nights is the title that best captures that complexity, but the record is surely a strange conjuncture of sounds and social change.

Jonathan Shaw

Matt Robidoux — At Dust (Already Dead)

at dust by Matt Robidoux

Matt Robidoux has an odd perception as to what pop music is supposed to sound like. Since when do birdsong, oblique piano melodies, and the sound of rushing water combine to form a catchy tune? This is a rhetorical question, the answer of which is: when Robidoux gets his hands on those sounds. Add whimsical, surrealist lyrics and you have the recipe for an outré pop song. Taking up the mantle once worn by the Elephant 6 collective, Robidoux wields instrumental passages, found sounds, and electronics with the skill of a master arranger. Joined by a small army of friends and collaborators, he ties what should be disparate sound sources into neat little sonic packages that in lesser hands would completely fall apart. His mellifluous voice slides across this musical circus, gleefully espousing nonsense, which at times gets a tad tiresome. Overall, the saccharine lyrics are secondary; it’s the bizarre and intricate music that truly makes At Dust worth investigating.

Bryon Hayes

Nathan Salsburg — Psalms (No Quarter)

Psalms by Nathan Salsburg

“How good it is to sing praises to our god,” begins Psalm 147, the first of the verses Nathan Salsburg reinterprets, in Hebrew, against a warm, stirring background of acoustic folk music. The psalms have always been meant for singing, for celebrating, and Salsburg does just that, with sharply limned guitar-runs, swells of string and brass sounds, melancholy reed instruments and voices, often twined in harmony. A long-time devotee of archaic music, both American and otherwise, Salsburg has lately been delving into his Jewish heritage. Before this, his last recordings were the Landwerk series, long meditations in which he played along with sampled Yiddish and klezmer 78 records. These compositions are sprightly, agile and rooted in Appalachian folk; except for the guttural sonorities of Hebrew, they would fit readily into song-based albums like Third. And yet, there’s a trace of Sephardic in the drone that hums under “Psalm 19,” a bit of mystical chant in the contours of “Psalm 47,” a middle-European melancholy in the trumpet solo in “Eili, Eili and Psalm 42.” While not trying to mimic older Jewish sounds, Salsburg is aware of them and willing to let them seep into his songs. A passel of collaborators—Salsburg’s wife, the golden voiced Joan Shelley, the Israeli folk artist Noa Babayof, Will Oldham, James Elkington and Nick Macri, among others—stop by for a song or two, in a casual way that might well remind Salsburg of his days at Jewish summer camp singing around the fire. This is a lovely album, not at all off-putting or heavy, but full of quiet reassurance as Salsburg and his compatriots make their joyful noise to the lord.

Jennifer Kelly

Marcel Sletten — Vicious Kisses (Sound as Language)

Vicious Kisses by Marcel Sletten

Vicious Kisses billows with ambient synths, floating slow-blooming tones like soft clouds over peaceful sonic landscapes. However, its author Marcel Sletten rejects the label of electronic artist, insisting that his music is more influenced by Elvis Costello than Cluster. With that in mind, the insistent piano chords in “Sleepless Nights” take on a jazzy, soulful air, like a vamp from a pop song run adrift in deep fog. Similarly, “Kali Yuga” sits on a beat that splinters and decays as you listen, but which evokes chilly, poorly lit dance floors and a mordant, sardonic pop sensibility. “Redwood Tree,” another beat-driven cut, clonks and clatters and samples a pensive guitar. Yet there are also moments of undiluted and surreal beauty, like the slow simmering long tones that vibrate through “Inner Richmond Sunset” or the buzzing immanence of “Aquarian Sun.” Vicious Kisses always sounds like a synth album, but not just a synth album.

Jennifer Kelly

Sons of the Sun — Sons of the Sun (BBE Music)

Sons Of The Sun by Sons Of The Sun

Sons of the Sun resurrects the lush, layered production of classic 1970s soul, in an aesthetic only lightly touched by the hip hop era. The project is a remote collaboration between conservatory trained Texas bass player JTronius and the London-based multi-instrumentalist Maverick Quest, but the vibe is communal, bringing in contributions from a far-flung group of collaborators. The sax that drifts in over the sinuous, hip-shifting groove of “Underwater Dreaming,” for instance, comes from sometime Erykah Badu reedist Jelani M. Brooks; the simmering, multi-layered vocals meet in harmony across geographies and time zones. These are subtle, laid-back compositions, seething with slippery, soulful vocal runs and stirring to life in syncopated beats. It’s an album that calls us to consider the meaning of it all in pensive “The Journey,” but also asks us to move that ass in a hand-clapped, bass-bumping celebration called “Shake It.” Spiritual, uplifting, glossy and full-blown, you might hear a little bit of Earth Wind & Fire in the sweep of multi-voiced harmonies or Erykah Badu in the swirls of psychedelic soul.

Jennifer Kelly

Wizard Of — Psychic Degradation (Self-Released)

Psychic Degradation by Wizard Of

Toronto producer Robert McCully has conveniently made a Spotify playlist containing the music that influenced him during the creation of Psychic Degradation. Its contents vary widely, ranging from Machinedrum to Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass to Angel Olsen. But there’s one influence missing from the list: grief. McCully tragically lost his father last year, and this album honors his memory. Ostensibly a collection of dance-adjacent electronic music, McCully’s obsession with horror movie scores and his roots in metal, noise, and drone permeate this recording. The beats are punishing at times, and the sinewy bass lines will pierce your skull. Disembodied voices issue forth bloodcurdling shrieks and moans. All is not bleak, however. McCully does allow hope to mingle with despair. Brightness peeks through the clouds of “Celestial Being,” and by the time “Glimpses” arrives to close out the proceedings, any semblance of darkness has disappeared. The final sound we hear is that of a door closing, symbolizing McCully moving further along his grief walk, as he turns his back on the shadows and moves toward the light.

Bryon Hayes

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jemch · 3 years ago

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How It’s Made Index（S01~S10）

How It’s Made是由 Discovery Channel 制作一款王牌节目，又被翻译为制造的原理或造物小百科，本片从2001年推出至今，涵盖了几乎所有的制造技术，非常适合机械专业和对此感兴��的同学。希望大家享受这趟制造的艺术之旅！

第一季推出时间为2001-01-06至2001-03-31

S01E01 Aluminum foil, Snow Boards, Contact lenses, Bread. 铝箔，雪橇板，隐形眼镜，面包

本集看点：铝锭是如何一步步用轧制工艺压制成像纸一样薄的铝箔的；

S01E02 Compact Discs; Mozzarella Cheese; Pantyhose; Fluorescent Tubes. 光碟，奶酪，女式连袜裤，荧光灯管

本集看点：CD光盘是怎么从模具注塑出来的；玻璃管的热弯，以及荧光灯复杂的自动化制程；

S01E03 Toothpicks; Acrylic Bathtubs; Helicopters; Beer. 牙签，玻璃纤维增强塑料浴缸，直升机，啤酒

本集看点：牙签的制作，是类似于螺钉，是先用木材做成木板再切割而成；塑料的吸塑制程，玻璃纤维+树脂强化制程；碳纤维制作的飞机支架；

S01E04 Hearing Aids; 3-D Puzzles; Rubber Mats; Toilets 助听器，三维拼图，胶垫，抽水马桶

本集看点：用模具制作陶瓷的加工制程；

S01E05 Copy Paper; Jeans; Computers; Plate Glass 复印纸，牛仔裤，电脑，平板玻璃

本集看点：浮法平板玻璃的制作过程；

S01E06 Nails and Staples; Safety Glasses; Fabrics; Bicycles 钉子，护目镜，布匹，自行车

本集看点：一卷钢丝的艺术之旅；透明塑胶模具的高亮抛光；线全自动编制成布；自行车架的焊接与喷涂工艺；

S01E07 Kayaks; Safety Boots; Electronic Signs; Cereals 皮划艇，安全靴，电子招牌，麦片粥

本集看点：热塑性塑料的成型方法加工，不需要压力，只需要加热和摇晃即可；LED制成的大型广告或体育比赛显示屏

S01E08 Trucks; Adhesive Bandages; Computer Circuit Boards; Liquors 卡车，创口贴，计算机电路（PCB），酿酒（威士忌）

本集看点：SMT和波峰焊制程（单面器件），目前手机等产品已经主要使用回流焊制程；

S01E09 Steel; Apple Juice; Aircraft Landing Gear; Cosmetics 钢铁，苹果汁，起落架，化妆品

本集看点：钢铁是怎样练成的；车削和铣削加工，喷砂工艺，外观电镀处理；

S01E10 Holograms; Package Printing; Skin Culture; Canned Corn 全息摄影，包装盒，皮肤培植，罐装玉米

本集看点：还是不懂的全息摄影和底片冲洗；

S01E11 Plastic Bags; Solar Panels; Plastic Gasoline Containers; Hockey Sticks 塑料袋，太阳能电池板，塑料汽油桶，曲棍球棍

本集看点：塑料袋通过聚乙烯吹膜制程制作；吹塑制作塑料桶；

S01E12 Aluminum Screw Caps; Chocolate; Pills; Pasta 铝瓶盖，巧克力，药丸，面食

本集看点：铝合金的拉伸制程；

S01E13 Bicycle Helmets; Aluminum; Car Brakes; Lithium Batteries 自行车头盔，铝，汽车刹车，锂电池

本集看点：聚苯乙烯发泡注塑；电解铝制程，制作成铝锭；电池是怎么卷出来的；

本季资源链接：

magnet:?xt=urn:btih:e1ec692441019f65979f29e09bc9f84b3bdf563e&dn

第二季推出时间为2002-09-07至2002-12-07

S02E01 Eyeglass Lenses; Granite; Potato Chips; Microprocessors 眼睛镜片，花岗石板，薯片，微处理器

本集看点：塑胶镜片的抛光和AR镀膜；芯片的封装制程；

S02E02 Honey; Fiber-Optics; Bricks; Pipe Organs 蜂蜜，光纤，砖块，管风琴

本集看点：玻璃管拉丝成为光纤；

S02E03 Personal Watercraft; Wine; Office Furniture; Ice Skates 水上摩托，葡萄酒，办公家具，溜冰鞋

S02E04 Winter Jackets; Animation; Mushrooms; Gold Rings 冬季夹克衫，动画片，蘑菇，金戒指

本集看点：用熔模铸造工艺制作魔戒；

S02E05 Hydroponic Lettuce; Construction Wood; Recycling; Fishing Flies 水培莴苣，建筑木材，垃圾回收，假蝇饵

本集看点：完全工业化种菜；

S02E06 Diamond Cuttings; Wood Doors; Paintballs; Newspapers 切割钻石，木门，彩色球，报纸

S02E07 Carpets; Drinking Water; Laser Eye Surgery; Acoustic Guitars 地毯，饮用水，激光眼科手术，吉他

S02E08 Fiberglass Boats; Clothes Dryers; Bubble Gum; Fireworks 玻璃纤维艇，干衣机，泡泡糖，焰火

本集看点：玻璃纤维+树脂制作的船体上盖；钢板制作圆筒；

S02E09 Steel Safes; False Teeth; Airplanes; Maple Syrup 保险箱，假牙，轻型飞机，枫糖浆

本集看点：来了，玻璃纤维+树脂制作的飞机机身；

S02E10 Gummies; Aluminum Cans; Fish Farming; Bronze Sculptures 花色软糖，易拉罐，养鱼，青铜雕塑

本集看点：可口可乐，来一罐！

S02E11 Aluminum Pots and Pans; Artificial Limbs; Peanut Butter; High Intensity Light Bulbs 旋压铝制品，假肢，花生酱，高光灯泡

本集看点：用旋压而非拉伸制作的铝合金罐子和盖子，两种方式各有优势；

S02E12 Cars; Grocery Carts; Rapid Tooling and Prototyping; Collectible Coins 小汽车，购物车，快速模具成型，纪念币

本集看点：钣金的加工制程，电阻焊；3D打印树脂零件，浇铸工艺及其模具制作；银币复杂的图案转移过程；

S02E13 Ball Bearings; Electrical Wires; Lost Wax Process Casting; Automated Machines 轴承，电线，熔模铸造，自动化机器

本集看点：钢球的制造过程（冲压+研磨）；熔模铸造的金属铸造件，熔模本身也是通过模具制造的；极其舒适的全自动化制造过程合集；

本季资源链接：

magnet:?xt=urn:btih:543050ad51e44c744d235680efec5db2693724f7&dn

第三季推出时间为2003-10-01至2003-12-30

S03E01 Pre-inked Stamps; Cranberries; Cotton Yarn; Road Signs 原子章，酸果，棉纱，交通标志

本集看点：丝印网板的制作过程；

S03E02 Combination Locks; Pottery; Recreational Vehicles; Erasers 字码锁，陶器，休闲拖车，橡皮擦

本集看点：如何用模具制作陶罐；

S03E03 Wheel Loaders; Vegetable Oil; Hand Tools; Cotton Swabs 轮式装运机，植物油，手动工具，棉签

S03E04 Temporary Metal Fences; Asphalt Shingles; Polystyrene Products; Hard Candies 金属栅栏，沥青屋面板，泡沫板，花式硬糖

本集看点：泡沫发泡制程；

S03E05 Horse-drawn Carriages; Artificial Eyes; Dog and Cat Food; Mirrors 老式马车，假眼，猫粮和狗粮，镜子

S03E06 Yogurt; Candles; Neon Signs; Bookbindings 酸奶，蜡烛，霓虹灯，装订

S03E07 Prepared Mustard; Violins; Nuts and Bolts; Toilet Paper 芥末，小提琴，螺母螺帽，卫生纸

本集看点：螺杆的滚丝螺纹制程，螺母是钢丝在高温下压制而成的，螺母的螺纹后加工CNC制成；

S03E08 Fresh Cut Flowers; Adhesive Tape; Tofu; Lottery Tickets 鲜花，胶带，豆腐，彩票

S03E09 Inflatable Watercraft; Couscous; Modelling Dough; Wicker Products 充气筏，蒸粗麦粉，玩具胶泥，柳条编织

S03E10 Wind Generators; PVC Gloves; Thermo-Formed Glass; Fire Trucks 风力发电机，塑胶手套，热塑玻璃，消防车

本集看点：手工让平板玻璃热成型成精美盘子；

S03E11 Radiators; Hatchery Chicks; Filo Pastry; Cross-Country Skis 汽车散热器，孵蛋机，薄生面片，滑雪撬

S03E12 Electric Baseboard Heaters; Moulded Pulp Containers; Chicken; Video Games 电加热器，纸浆（鸡蛋）托盘，鸡肉，电脑游戏

本集看点：钣金连续冲压过程；

S03E13 Fire Fighter Boots; Garden Tools; Automated Machines; Gypsum Board 防火靴，园艺工具，自动化机械，石膏板

本集看点：新一期极其舒适的自动化流水线；

本季资源链接：

magnet:?xt=urn:btih:724f7b0bbf3278e4eec84db6c0373551017fb874&dn

第四季推出时间为2005-01-04至2005-03-29

S04E01 Plastic Bottles & Jars; Mail; Eggs; Handcrafted Wooden Pens 塑料瓶，邮件分拣，鸡蛋，木柄定制钢笔

本集看点：塑料瓶的吹塑制程（舒适）；鸡蛋是怎么生产的；

S04E02 Plastic Injection Moulds; Automotive Oil Filters; Filing Cabinets; Blown Glass 塑料注塑模具，汽车滤油器，档案柜，吹塑玻璃

本集看点：塑料注塑模具的加工制程：CNC加工、EDM电极加工，以及双色注塑过程；钣金柜子的加工制程；美女是如何吹玻璃的；

S04E03 High-Precision Cutting Tools; Stained Glass; Semi-Trailers; Recorders 钻头，拼花玻璃，拖车，木直笛

本集看点：涡流加热，通过热处理后软化或硬化金属；

S04E04 Conga Drums; Metal Plating; Buttons; 康茄鼓，金属电镀，纽扣

本集看点：金属电镀制程；

S04E05 Grinding Wheels; Compost; Window Blinds; Milk 砂轮，堆肥，百叶窗，牛奶

S04E06 Brushes & Push Brooms; Blackboards; Smoked Salmon; Zippers 木刷子，黑板，熏鲑鱼片，拉链

本集看点：毛刷组装时的金属U型倒扣固定住刷毛；

S04E07 3D Commercial Signs; Hardwood Floors; Corrugated Polyethylene Pipe; Mattresses ��体标牌，硬木地板，聚乙烯管，床垫

本集看点：大型塑胶型材的成型过程；弹簧的制作过程；

S04E08 Ceramic Tiles; Nuts; Steel Forgings; Skateboards 瓷砖，果仁，炼钢，滑板

本集看点：炼钢和轧钢；

S04E09 Car Engines; Flour; Recliners; Envelopes 轿车引擎，面粉，活动躺椅，信封

S04E10 Plastic Cups & Cutlery; Special Effects Makeup; Gold; Harps 塑料杯和餐具，特技化妆，黄金，竖琴

本集看点：热成型一次性塑料杯；简单一些的塑料管型材制作过程；金锭的制作过程；

S04E11 Countertop Laminate; Frozen Treats; Children's Building Blocks; Detergents 表面压片，雪糕，儿童积木，清洁剂

S04E12 Architectural Moldings; Pulleys; Industrial Rubber Hose; Sheet Vinyl Flooring 装饰嵌条，滑轮，橡皮管，树脂地板

S04E13 Putty Knives; Garage Doors; Electric Motors; Wool 油灰刀，车库活动门，电动机，毛料衣物

本季资源链接：

magnet:?xt=urn:btih:0e69c6104b7c64173fa6ef64df6d7a801dd95f6f&dn

第五季推出时间为2005-09-07至2005-11-29

S05E01 Paving Asphalt; Marshmallow Cookies; Loudspeakers; Electronic Door Locks 沥青石料，葵糖饼干，高音喇叭，电子门锁

S05E02 Wood Burning Stoves; Orthoses; Ballet Slippers; Buses 木炭火炉，矫正鞋具，芭蕾舞鞋，公共汽车

S05E03 Robotic Arms; Tattoos; Sanitary Napkins; Concrete Pipes 机械手，纹身，卫生巾，水泥管

S05E04 Hockey Gloves; Snack Cakes; Remoulded Tires; Wastewater Treatment 曲棍球手套，点心蛋糕，轮胎翻新，污水处理

S05E05 Ambulances; Dining Room Tables; Diatonic Accordians; Acrylic Awards 救护车，餐桌，手风琴，有机玻璃工艺品

S05E06 Alkaline Batteries; Wheelchairs; Flutes; Cowboy Boots 碱性电池，轮椅，长笛，牛仔靴

本集看点：学习一下最常见类型电池的制作原理；

S05E07 Golf Balls; Furniture Handles; Parking Meters; Room Dividers 高尔夫球，门扣，停车计时器，房间屏风

S05E08 Suits of Armour; Street Light Poles; Bent Hardwood; Membrane Switches 铁盔甲，电灯杆，弯曲硬木，薄膜开关

本集看点：可以看到锅仔片的结构原理；

S05E09 Sulkies; Bagpipes; Yule Logs; Fishing Lures 单座两轮马车，风笛，圣诞节原木形大蛋糕，假鱼饵

S05E10 Goalie Pads; Lapel Pins; Cardboard Boxes; Crystal Wine Glasses 守门员护具，衣襟徽章，纸盒，水晶杯

S05E11 Cement; Caskets; Soft Drinks; Glider Rockers 水泥，棺材，饮料，摆动式摇椅

S05E12 Kitchen Knives; Mannequins; Socks; Hypodermic Needles 厨刀，人体模型，纱袜，针头

S05E13 Electrical Panels; Kites; Eyeglass Frames; Toothbrushes 配电板，风筝，眼镜架，牙刷

本季资源链接：

magnet:?xt=urn:btih:997cae2b195f96293de6b35858cc50fdc73431f3&dn

第六季推出时间为2006-01-04至2006-03-29

S06E01 Three-Wheeled Vehicles; Baseball Bats; Artificial Bonsais; Trombones 三轮摩托，棒球棍，盆景，长号

S06E02 Springs; Pavers; Pianos; 弹簧，路砖，钢琴

本集看点：各种弹簧的全自动制作过程；

S06E03 Ropes; Billiard Tables; Sailboards; Cymbals 绳索，台球桌，帆板，铙钹

S06E04 Seatbelts; Windows; Wax Figurines; Hot Air Balloons 安全带，塑钢窗，小蜡像，热气球

S06E05 Air Filters; Billiard Cues; Ice Sculptures; Suits 空气过滤器，台球杆，冰雕，西服

S06E06 Escalator Handrails; Highlighters; Guitar Strings; Wigs 自动扶梯扶手，荧光记号笔，吉他弦，假发

S06E07 Traditional Bows; Coffee Machines; Mascots; Hammocks 传统的弓，咖啡机，吉祥物，吊床

S06E08 Fiberglass Insulation; Wooden Ducks; Gumball Machines; Exhaust Systems 玻璃纤维隔层，木鸭子，口香糖球售卖机，排气管

S06E09 Chains; Bagels; Vinyl Records; 链条，硬面包圈，唱片

S06E10 Windshields; English Saddles; Butter; Post Clocks 挡风玻璃，英式马鞍，黄油，柱钟

本集看点：夹层玻璃的制作过程；

S06E11 Individual Transporters; Canoes; Electric Guitars 双轮代步车，雪松独木舟，电吉它

S06E12 Residential Water Heaters; Air Bags; Jelly Beans; Ice Resurfacers 宅用热水器，气囊，胶质软糖，冰面修整器

S06E13 Amphibious Vehicles; Putters; Model Ships; Drumheads 水陆两用车，高尔夫球杆，轮船模型，鼓面

本季资源链接：

magnet:?xt=urn:btih:2575f1794b6554ba85b38125e673a95ecb7bb668&dn

第七季推出时间为2006-09-05至2007-03-30

S07E01 Footballs; Electric Guitar Amplifiers; Marbles; Airplane Propellers 橄榄球，吉它扩音器，玻璃球，飞机螺旋桨

本集看点：精美的艺术品玻璃球；先锻造再CNC成型的结构件；

S07E02 Engine Blocks; Jawbreakers; Drum Shells; Drums 引擎铸模，硬球糖，爵士鼓

本集看点：引擎的模具制造和浇铸过程；

S07E03 Lighters; Fossils; Hockey Pucks; High-Pressure Cylinders 打火机，化石，冰球，高压钢瓶

本集看点：铝合金的多次拉伸成型过程；

S07E04 Balloons; Wallpaper; Frozen French Fries; Incandescent Light Bulbs 气球，墙纸，炸薯条，白炽灯泡

S07E05 Matches; Carousel Horses; Fine Porcelain; Fuel Tanks 火柴，旋转木马，细瓷，汽油箱

S07E06 Glass Cookware; Soap Bars; Steel Drums; Firefighter Uniforms 玻璃炊具，肥皂，铁皮鼓，防火服

S07E07 Crayons; Wooden Kayaks; Lawnmowers; Gold Chains 蜡笔，木伐子，割草机，金项链

S07E08 Inflatable Safety Devices; Braille Typewriters; Carbon-Fibre Cellos 安全气囊，盲人打字机，碳纤维大提琴

S07E09 Carbon-Fibre Masts; Fortune Cookies; IMAX Projectors; Roller Chains 碳纤维桅杆，好运饼干，IMAX 放映机，滚子链

S07E10 Firefighter Helmets; Nautical Compasses; Packaging Tubes; Hand Saws 消防员头盔，罗盘，包装软管，手锯

S07E11 Halogen Bulbs; Cellulose Insulation; Aluminum Ladders; Bamboo Fly Rods 卤素灯，纤维绝缘层，铝梯，竹制飞蝇钓竿

S07E12 Drill Bits; Photo Booths; Stamps 钻头，照相亭，邮票

S07E13 Yacht Wheels; Braided Rugs; Automobile Thermostats; Chisels 游艇方向盘，编织毯，汽车调温器，凿子

本季资源链接：

magnet:?xt=urn:btih:06d33183a0f6ea98b8a64257d73ae0ce870082c6&dn

第八季推出时间为2007-01-02至2007-04-03

S08E01 Motorcycles; Clay Pipes; Drumsticks; Whistles 摩托车，水泥管，鼓槌，哨子

S08E02 Glass Bottles; Hacksaws; Goalie Masks 玻璃瓶，钢锯，守门员面具

本集看点：极其舒适的玻璃瓶模具制造和吹制成型制程；

S08E03 Lacrosse Sticks; Frozen Fish Products; Flashlights; Paintbrushes 长柄曲棍球杆，油炸冻鱼肉，手电筒，油漆刷

S08E04 Deep Cycle Batteries; Tins; Optical Lenses 蓄电池，白铁罐，光学镜头

本集看点：镜头的打磨抛光制程，以及多层镜片结构；

S08E05 Pistons; Paint Rollers; Parachutes; Chimneys 活塞，油漆滚筒，降落伞，烟筒

本集看点：先锻压成型再CNC的典型结构件；由钢板卷成圆筒的典型制程，提前制作倒钩结构进行预固定，自动化制程不需要；

S08E06 Fishing Reels; Miniature Houses; Kitchen Mixers 渔线轮，迷你房屋，厨房搅拌器

S08E07 Photographs; Fur Tanning; Welding Electrodes; Electric Violins 照片，毛皮制革，电焊条，电子小提琴

S08E08 Horseshoes; Dishwashers; Graphite Fly Rods; Pizza 马蹄铁，洗碗机，石墨飞蝇钓竿，比萨饼

S08E09 CO2 Cartridges; Pretzels; Scissor Lifts; Skating Rinks 二氧化碳弹药筒，椒盐卷饼，剪式提升机，滑冰场

S08E10 Pro Hockey Sticks; Bronzed Shoes; Treadmills; Computers 职业曲棍球棍，古铜色婴儿鞋，跑步机，掌上电脑

S08E11 Handcuffs; Caulking Compound; Propane Tanks; Forensics 手铐，堵缝剂，丙烷罐，法医学面部再造

本集看点：上下焊接的冲压铝罐制程；

S08E12 Fur Coats; Hearses; Outdoor Lighting Fixtures; Golf Tees 毛皮大衣，灵车，室外照明器材，高尔夫球座

S08E13 Manhole Covers; Range Hoods; Artificial Logs; Snowmobiles 下水道井盖，抽油烟机，人造原木，雪地摩托

本集看点：简单一些的金属铸造制程；

本季资源链接：

magnet:?xt=urn:btih:c04d9b7696663c9326761cf99038907f5db5f089&dn

第九季推出时间为2007-09-21至2008-04-06

S09E01 Solid Tires; Cheesecake; Canoe Paddles; Globes 实心轮胎，奶酪蛋糕，独木舟短桨，地球仪

S09E02 Boomerangs; Barbeques; Pinball Machines; Strobe Lights 回力镖，烧烤炉具，弹球机，闪光灯

S09E03 Wooden Bowls; Chainsaws; Stackable Potato Chips; Jet Compressor Blades 木圆盆，链锯，马铃薯片，喷气压缩机叶片

S09E04 Steel Wool; Ranges; Carved Candles; Slot Machines 钢丝棉，炊具系列，雕刻蜡烛，老虎机

S09E05 CCD Semiconductors; Airline Meals; Paper Cups; Trumpets CCD半导体，航空餐，纸杯，小号

本集看点：先进制程之相机CCD感应芯片制作过程；

S09E06 Padlocks; Hair Clippers; Wooden Shoes; Synthetic Leather 挂锁，电推剪，木鞋，人造革

S09E07 Racing Shells; Stainless Steel Sinks; Leather; Pedal Steel Guitar 划艇，不锈钢水池，皮革，踏板钢铁吉他

S09E08 Swords; Pontoons; Grandfather Clocks; Fuses 剑，浮船，落地大摆钟，保险丝

S09E09 Bumpers; Lighting Gels and Camera Filters; Steam-Powered Models; Candy Canes 保险杠，滤色片，蒸汽模型，苔杖糖

S09E10 Umbrellas; Outboard Motors; Silver Cutlery; Tape Measures 雨伞，舷外马达，银制餐具，卷尺

S09E11 Scalpels; Oil Paints; British Police Helmets; Ice Axes 手术刀，油画颜料，英国警察头盔，冰斧

S09E12 Bacon; Snowblowers; Luxury Cars 熏肉，扬雪车，豪华轿车

S09E13 Automatic Transmissions; Silver Miniatures; Hot Air Balloon Baskets; Darts 自动变速器，银制微型复制品，热气球吊篮，飞镖

本季资源链接：

magnet:?xt=urn:btih:a9aa449eda3eeaa8d9e9d91996dde5510940630f&dn

第十季推出时间为2008-06-11至2008-09-03

S10E01 Magnets; Cooked Ham; Silver Teapots; Crash Test Dummies 磁铁，火腿，银制茶壶，撞击测试人体模型

本集看点：用线圈磁化的磁铁；对于收口的茶壶，内芯位置冲压模具应该是用可变形的橡胶；

S10E02 Curling Stones; Refrigerators; Aluminum Baseball Bats; Opalescent Glass 冰壶，冰箱，铝制棒球棍，乳白玻璃

S10E03 Levels; Hot Dogs; Abrasive Grains; Sandpaper 水平尺，热狗，抛光粉，砂纸

S10E04 Ice Cream Treats; Wooden Golf Clubs; Aircraft Wings; Car Battery 冰淇淋，木制高尔夫球杆头，飞机机翼，车用蓄电池回收

S10E05 Automotive Fuel Pumps; Cricket Bats; Change Machines; Ductile Iron Pipe 汽车燃油泵，板球，纸币找换机，球墨铸铁管

S10E06 Wooden Barrels; Fire Hydrants; Automotive Seats; Cathode Ray Tubes 木桶，消防栓，汽车座椅，阴极射线管

本集看点：老式CRT电视是如何制作的；

S10E07 Stainless Steel; Football Helmets; Resin Figurines; Laboratory Glassware 不锈钢，橄榄球头盔，树脂小塑像，实验室玻璃器具

本集看点：不锈钢轧制制程；玻璃管的热切割制程；

S10E08 Fire Extinguishers; Doughnuts; Shock Absorbers; Banjos 灭火器，甜甜圈，减震器，班卓琴

S10E09 Dress Forms; Boat Propellers; Duvets; Faucets 女装人体模型，小艇螺旋桨，羽绒被，水龙头

本集看点：注塑的融模，再进行浇铸；

S10E10 Bronze Bells; Wooden Airplane Propellers; Charcoal Briquettes; Gas Log Fireplaces 铜钟, 木制螺旋桨, 木炭和煤气炉

S10E11 Ice Cream Cones; Tent Trailers; Shoe Polish; Pliers 折叠刀, 皂石, 变压器和传统雪鞋

S10E12 Steel Shipping Drums; Police Whistles; Miniature Train Wagons; Glass Blocks 油桶, 警笛, 微型车厢和玻璃垫块

S10E13 Pocket Knives; Soapstone Products; Electric Pole Transformers; Snowshoes 蛋筒, 篷式挂车, 鞋油和钳子

本季资源链接：

magnet:?xt=urn:btih:3e5cd2ae716c8363111416709f962ae68ec36a60&dn

#how it's made

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noloveforned · 3 years ago

Audio

we're kicking off the fall schedule with a new theme tonight. tune in to wlur at 8pm to see where we're headed!

we wrapped up our summer theme last week (or i guess winter if you're listening from argentina)- every week we started the show off with a track from an argentinian alternative rock band from the last thirty or so years. we heard from: plum, juana la loca, ciento siete faunos, suarez, peligrosos gorriones, los violadores, los brujos, babasónicos, and bestia bebé.

no love for ned on wlur – october 1st, 2021 from 8-10pm

artist // track // album // label bestia bebé // el podio del tc // gracias por nada // discos laptra broken baby // get the piss up // late stage optimism // poor man * the muslims // illegals // fuck these fuckin fascists // epitaph * algebra mothers // in and out of order // a-moms = algebra mothers // third man spodee boy // suicide // dark times 7" ep // chunklet industries nowhere // dead alive // nowhere // jurassic pop cheekface // running back // emphatically mo' ep // new professor * little hag // brass knuckle keychain // leash // bar/none * the garrys // fallen woman // get thee to a nunnery // grey la jvnta // calma en la calles // tres carmelitas cassette // third uncle bad indians // baby please come back // split 7" w/ milk dick // glad fact los yetis // delirio // nadaísmo a go-go // munster daniel romano's outfit // tragic head // cobra poems // you've changed the shivas // if i could choose // feels so good / feels so bad // tender loving empire * the turtles // too much heartsick feeling // the turtles present the battle of the bands // white whale cameron knowler // lone prairie // places of consequence // american dreams brigid mae power // didn't it rain // burning your light ep // fire lester st. louis // ultra, seeping, malted // nyc liminal series, volume two: cello compilation cassette // chaikin jeff kimmel, ishmael ali and bill harris // a sounding bell // a pound of salt // 577 travis laplante and jason nazary // shape of disintegration // tunnel to light cassette // tripticks tapes expanse all stars // heru khuti (midday) // solar suite at sixty third street beach // sonic healing ministries junius paul // two minute warning // ism // international anthem esperanza spalding // formwela 3 // songwrights apothecary lab // concord george benson // nothing's gonna change my love for you // twenty/twenty // warner bros. marcos valle // naturalmente // marcos valle // som livre maze mountain // the powers of your mind // gangster music, volume one compilation // all city jenevieve // midnight charm // division // joyface pearl and the oysters // treasure island // flowerland // tip top mac mccaughan // dawn bends // the sound of yourself // merge * richard hamilton // there had 2 be u // memory palace cassette // tetryon tapes bad bad hats // awkward phase // walkman // don giovanni lisasinson // soy una punk // tú y yo digital single // elefant ducks ltd. // fit to burst // modern fiction // carpark *

* denotes music on wlur’s playlist

#wlur #radio shows

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fiction-in-my-blood · 4 years ago

Text

Switching Sides: Part 2 (HLITF)

Aaaannndddd once again I would LOVE to thank my girl @theshove for being my editor in chief and making my writing reach a HIGHER level I could never reach without your help. Thank you so much for making sense of my poorly grammar-ed sentences haha.

Also, if anyone possibly wants to get on a tag list I’d be happy to make one

👉👈

If you wanna catch up, Part 1 is right here! Happy reading :)

Premise: Growing up in a life of crime in a Japanese mafia, Atsuko Motomori has seen enough injustice to last her a lifetime. To try and give back to the universe her family has taken so much from, she dreams of being a detective from a young age. Her twin, sharing her disgust for her father and many uncles, just wants an ordinary life away from the crime, paing and suffering. Instead, she wants to be in the spotlight with the soft notes she makes with her cello. In their escape of 2015, on their coming of age birthday, they must split ways, never to be together ever again. If one was found, they didn’t want the other dragged down with them. Atsuko, having changed her name and appearance as best she can without a scalpel, sets off to start her life of car chases and arrests.

Four years in a seemingly dead-end police station in the middle of nowhere, being passed over time after time for promotion, Atsuko finally gets a shot at her dream, having been sent to an academy for the best candidates in the country by her boss who had always kept an eye out for her. After discovering her boss may have made her bite off more than she could chew, Atsuko must become the slave of a dominating instructor!? Who so just happens to be the captain of the most famous police unit in Japan? Not to mention a total knockout! Will Atsuko finally achieve her dream? Or will her new instructor put her through the wringer?

Warnings: Language, reference to sexual activity/forceful nature.

~~~~~~

‘A servant? Did he confuse that with a full-time aid?’ I tried to reason with his wording of my job title. As the room was lit by the setting sun and filters out into the corridor, I stood there in silence, thinking about what I'd just gotten myself into.

"Motomori, who will you partner with?" Ishigami closed the book of names and held it under his arm, keeping a close eye on how I was reacting. Letting my eyes meet each one of the detectives' before me, I took in a deep breath to calm my nerves.

"Instructor Kaga, please," I announced. Although he seemed the most stern out of all the men, I took that as a sign of someone worn away by his experience. Which only meant there was more to learn from him. Right?

The announcement of my choice of instructor led Shinonome to laugh at my bravado. "Now that's something. Choosing Hyogo is pretty fitting for our little overachiever." The youngest instructor couldn't help but sound amused as the man I had chosen showed a concerned expression. As he looked me up and down, I stood with more confidence than I really had.

After the Captain's silent review of me, Ishigami progressed through the other pairings. I glanced at Kaga and saw him taking a phone call. "Yeah... I'll take care of it." With his back turned to me, I only heard a minuscule amount of the conversation.

"Kaga, you'll be going after this person." When the other Captain tried to hand over a folder, which I was sure had the case we should be working on inside, Kaga continued his conversation while pointing in my direction. He told Ishigami to give me the folder holding the information we'd need for the undercover assignment.

"These are documents for the instructor." Ishigami frowned, obviously tired of Kaga's dismissiveness. Kaga begrudgingly took the folder before thrusting it into my chest.

"Read it." He demanded and then finished his phone call.

"I'm sure you understand, but-" Ishigami was cut off by Kaga crossing his arms.

"I understand perfectly well." His mood seemed to worsen as the two talked. They continued to bicker as the rest of the instructors watched. I'm sure it was difficult to butt in on the Captains' discussions.

"Squad leaders should get along..." Shinonome frowned as we watched, me not knowing what else to do except just stand there.

"These two will go as far as a fistfight." Instructor Soma's comment made me worry that all the expensive equipment in this room would be damaged if someone didn't intervene soon enough. When Soma directed a question to Goto to see if he agreed, the messy-haired man just stood there in silence.

"I can hear all of you." Kaga scowled as he took a cigarette out of his suit pocket. I knew smoking wasn't allowed in the building, having seen the signs next to most of the doorways, however I decided it best not to make him aware. ‘I mean, he has worked here longer than me.’

‘He is the freaking instructor, Atsuko.’ The voice in my head made me want to metaphorically face-palm. It was clear just by the way the instructor stood he didn’t care much for rules or regulations.

"Don't get in my way." As he walked towards the door, Kaga made what sounded like a threat to me.

"Didn't even think about it." I forced a smile, knowing full well he would likely trample over me if I took even a step out of line. If I was going to learn from this man, I would have to watch what he did instead of asking questions.

"What're you standing around for? Come." Turning back to where I had been standing, I woke myself up from the pit of despair I had thrown myself into.

‘What did you think was going to happen?’ I quickly followed as he gestured me over with a jerk of his head.

~~~~~~

Sitting in the Captain's car, I couldn't help but feel anxious with the silence that thickened the air. According to the file given to us by Ishigami, we had to infiltrate a beach bar... But we were heading in the opposite direction from the sea. We were driving downtown.

"Umm, sir, the file says the destination is-" Kaga, once again, cutting somebody off mid sentence.

"Shut up," he spat, taking me aback with how rude he was.

‘I guess that ‘scum’ comment wasn't too out of character for him, then’ I thought, stricken into silence but sighing on the inside. I turned to gaze out the window, praying that I could get through the day without being caught out for being inferior to what my file suggested.

~~~~~~

When we stopped, I found myself inside a love hotel. My heart raced with worry, recognising the name as a brand my father ran when I was still living at home. He was a gang leader. With a strong mafia at that. He had his dirty little fingers in every industry that had some form of shady business going on. It's what made me hate him so much. The things he did, the things he made me watch, it's what made me want to become a detective. I wanted to pay the universe back for all the bad stuff he had done, and maybe one day find the evidence to arrest him. God knows, the police he had under his claws and henchmen doing his dirty work had delayed that for long enough.

We made our way to the room booked for us, or, more aptly, for Kaga. Meanwhile, I tried to hide my face from the receptionist as discreetly as I could, not wanting them to somehow recognise me. Even though I did my makeup differently from when I was younger, had dyed my hair black from its original brown, dressed differently and even held myself differently, there wasn't much else I could do to change my appearance without making it trackable. I couldn't get surgery because then I would be in the government system; I know, somehow, they'd be able to track me, even if the profile I had now was completely different.

"Hey, um... What're we doing here?" I asked as I closed the door behind me, the eeriness of the red room making my eyes dart around for any hidden cameras or listening devices. I remembered my father telling me about all the politicians he had on tape and all the people he’d bribed with that information.

"I'm pretty sure I said shut up." Kaga spat, also inspecting the room. I frowned at his rudeness and flipped the switch that turned on the electricity for the room. All the lights went out, causing Kaga to spin around and glare at me in the darkness.

"Don't you know what your position is? Don't interfere." His frown deepened as he stormed back to where I was standing. He was obviously offended I had turned off the lights.

"Love hotels are famous for secret cameras. They're turned on when the electricity switch is flipped. I thought you wouldn't want to risk getting caught." I smiled up to him with a spiteful thought hidden behind it. ‘This guy…’

Probably annoyed with how much sense my statement made, Kaga turned back to the centre of the room. ‘Is he really that easily annoyed?’ I chuckled to myself, not wanting to be reprimanded for intentionally frustrating my instructor.

The two of us were now alone in a dark room with nothing but a bed and mirrors on the ceiling. Not to mention a love hotel. I was painfully aware of what the room represented and everything that had ever happened in it due to the stillness in the air with the air-con off. Memories of what my father encouraged my sister and I to do in our youth flashed back, causing me to shake them out of my head.

"Why're you so nervous?" Sitting on the large bed, Kaga raised his brow at me while I stood awkwardly away from him. I could see a concerned look on the Captain's face as he brought me back to earth. I could tell he wasn't concerned about my feelings, but rather about how naive and stupid I must seem. I didn't want to walk any further into the establishment than I had to, so I stuck my ground.

"N-No reason." I grew shy, knowing I had no connection to my past life on my file and not wanting him to have a clue to think I would.

"Oh?" A mischievous grin grew on my instructor's face and my senses heightened. With that, Kaga grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me down onto the bed aggressively. Even though he was only holding my wrist, I struggled to move. My heart began to race in fear of what he was trying to do. Growing up with the most erratic people as guardians, I didn't want to guess what his plan was.

"This morning was totally screwed up, thanks to you." He frowned down at me, that same demeaning look conveyed on his surprisingly handsome face. You would never guess his personality was as cruel as he was if it wasn't for the eternal crease between his brows. Feeling the anxiousness of an expected punishment, my breath gets caught in my throat.

"How do you plan on making it up to me?" His grin returned as he held my wrists harder than necessary. Despite the smirk, his eyes were cold and expressionless. There was no way I was going to allow what he was insinuating to happen, so I pushed against his hands with all my might while somehow snaking my foot high enough to push on his stomach.

However, before I could attempt to catapult him off, he covered my mouth with his hand. I looked at him like he was crazy, but because I hadn’t done much training lately, I couldn’t push him off me.

"Don't talk." He hissed, rising up from being inches away from my face. Then, I saw him pull something from my ear. It was an earpiece, making me wonder when he was able to put it there, not to mention without my knowing it was there. "This will make for a huge amount of evidence." He explained to himself. My mind, already in disarray, went into a confusion like no other. "It was worth the effort of getting it on." He looked at me suggestively as I sat up with unsure thoughts.

‘So... He didn't lead me here for something worse?’ My brows furrowed as I thought back to the moments leading up to this, embarrassed and angry that I thought it would come to that. It was concerning to see his demeanour change from what I just saw to the victorious look on his face. He looked down at me, still sitting on the bed with a dejected expression, seemingly noticing my staring.

"What're you just sitting there for?" He laughed at my appearance, my apprehension rising due to how laid back he was. Maybe it was because of where I was, but I was more sensitive to the casual restriction he just put me in. I looked away, not wanting to say something I'd regret.

Then, I felt him leaning over me and I quickly turned my gaze back to him. I panicked. His face was nearer than I expected it to be as he jerked forward. I jumped back, the memories of intimidation tactics used on me before resurfacing from my past.

"Did you really think I was being serious earlier?" He almost laughed at the notion. "Unfortunately for you, I don't have any problems with women." He inched closer again and it took everything in my being to not smack that pretty face of his. If I assaulted a detective, I would be expelled from the academy and likely arrested. Not to mention the scene it would cause being dragged out of here. "I'm not so desperate that I'd go after some inexperienced brat." He smirked before getting up from the bed, talking to me like I was the idiot.

"What did you bring me here for..." Having had the time to understand that I would be safe and de-escalate my anger, I quickly regathered myself and straightened my back. "...If not for my training?" Looking at his suited back, I started to think back to why I was actually here.

"I've got more important things to do than that useless nonsense." He explained spitefully.

‘Then why become an instructor?’ I scowled to myself, knowing full well this man had no intention of teaching anyone anything.

"Well, thanks to you so boldly choosing me, I pulled off some undercover work." He turned with another victorious smile. I was frozen silent, not knowing what would come out of this intimidating man's mouth next. Then, he pulled out his cellphone.

"It's me. Yeah... the bug was a success. I've got enough evidence, so I'm withdrawing. You keep on going, sneak in and stay on the guy's tail." When he ended the call with his subordinate, the Captain quickly headed for the door. I was still frozen, trying to calm my racing heart from the panic I was in before.

"What're you doing?" Kaga turned back to me. "Staying?" My gaze darted up at the horrifying idea.

"If you are, go search the room next door. Make sure you come back here." At the mere notion of real detective work,. Before I could say a thing, the frowning returned.

"Too bad. You're not ready." The curt response was a deep cut to my confidence. Searching a room for anything fishy was probably one of the only things I came to the academy being able to do. But, before I could speak my piece, Kaga turned and left.

~~~~~~

By that night, the long, rigorous day had completely worn me out; I'm sure my classmates also fared the same. I arrived at the dorms the academy made us stay in and threw myself onto my couch. ‘Could Kaga's mission possibly be for an investigation on my father?’ I thought back to where the excursion took place and the idea made my heart flutter. For years I had wished and prayed for retribution for all the wrong-doings my father and his goons had accomplished. The thought of his vicious crimes being aired out like dirty laundry brought a smile to my weary face.

Getting off the comfortable couch, I retrieved a box from under my bed. It was small and light; there wasn't much in it. I opened it to find loads of old photographs. Some of them were heartwarming: my twin sister and I playing around or hugging each other.

But, I’d only put them in there to hide what I was really storing: Pictures of crime scenes my father had left out in our living room or secluded garden. I once caught him in the act; that photo was in there too. I had an old tie with blood on it. A passport with a different identity than I had registered into the academy with. My mother's ring was knocking around in there somewhere.

I hardly knew my mother. There are no pictures of us together and no one talked about her after she left us. The ‘family’. She couldn't take what my father and his ‘brothers’ did any longer and ran away, leaving her two daughters behind. I'm pretty sure she's dead now. Otherwise my father would have found her at some point.

I came to realise that soon before my 18th birthday that my father didn't really care about us; he just wanted a lineage. So, I somehow convinced my sister to run with me. I assured her that I had a plan that would get us the lives we wanted for a little while. I had trained to go on the run; my father taught me all the techniques the cops used to track fugitives. That, along with a little help from a friend from my youth judo club, was all I needed to get us new identities and places to live. It wasn't easy at first, having to split from the person you had literally been with since birth. But, it was the only way to ensure one of us would be safe if the other was caught.

It was also difficult to work up a good enough resume to get myself into the police force. The name Atsuko Motomori had never existed before four years ago. It was risky to lie about the qualifications I had when, in my past life, I never gained any. I was homeschooled to ensure I wouldn't be coaxed away by true, lawful policemen investigating my father or my ‘uncles’.

Looking through these memories and reliving my awful excuse for a childhood, I happily remembered why I was condemning myself to this place and people like Captain Kaga. I wanted to make sure my sister and I would be safe. And the only way I could do that was by locking them all up for the rest of their lives.

As I mulled over the bloody scenes within the box, I heard a knock at my door. I jumped, not used to company, and knocked the box off my lap.

"Crap!" I whispered to myself, trying to clear everything away as quickly as possible.

"Who is it?" I called out after collecting most of the contents, having double-checked the area for any compromising pictures.

"Atsuko~! I come with food!" The cheery voice of my only female ally chimsed from the other side of the door.

"Naruko, what're you doing here?" I questioned while opening the door. The food she was trying to bribe me with was a pack of potato chips and a soda from the vending machines downstairs.

"I'm pooped, so I thought you might be even more worse off." The bubbly attitude helped her push herself into my dorm room.

"You're not wrong there." Happy to have some form of womanly friendship after so many years of trying to keep to myself, I lazily followed her to the couch.

"So how was it with the Satan reincarnate?" She giggled to herself, lowering her voice at the insulting part of her question. Maybe she feared he would hear her. I wouldn't be surprised if they had us under surveillance to see what we did after hours. Or if the Captain had supersonic, selective hearing.

"It was... an experience." Trying to keep up my half of the deal I made with my instructor, I put on a tired smile. Kaga promised to pass me if I didn't tell anyone he had bunked the undercover training.

"You want a drink? I think I've got some tea somewhere." Quickly attempting to change the subject, I wandered off to the small kitchenette in the corner of my room.

As I prepared the beverages, Naruko spoke up out of nowhere.

"Oh, Atsuko, what's this?" She called out and my blood ran cold. ‘Did I miss a picture? Was it something possibly incriminating?’ Wild thoughts circulated my brain at the possibility of getting caught. Having gory images of dead men stored away in my room wouldn't be easily explained.

Hesitantly, I turned with a questioning smile, just waiting for her to let out some form of horror or disgust. Instead, though, I found her looking at an old polaroid photo with a loving smile.

"You didn't tell me you had a sister!" She asked and I cocked my head, glancing at the image she waved at me. It was of my sister and I, building sandcastles on a beach when we were kids. My heart stopped as I remembered the scene.

That picture was of the day before my mother left. She had somehow convinced my father to let her take us out- which was a strange occurrence. Even if my father wasn't overbearing, which he definitely was, she didn't like going out much. It was summer and hot, and we would only annoy him, being locked in the house. I'm pretty sure I remembered at least three bodyguards surrounding our section of the sand, though.

I smiled at the painful memory, a happy one buried underneath so much hurt, and looked at the brown-haired girl with two short pigtails, dressed in a pink bathing suit. I don't think I've had a smile that big on my face in a long time.

"Well, I, uh..." Not knowing how to respond, I just made noises.

"She must be so proud of you for making it into this academy." She laughed and the statement only hurt me.

"She's not really in my life anymore." I smiled sadly sitting next to her so I could look at the picture more in-depth. I could see a sliver of a man in a suit to the left of the picture's edge, closest to where I was, and something was slightly poking out of his waistband. To Naruko, it probably looked like a shadow of a tree or something less sinister than what it was, but it was likely one of the bodyguards with a gun hidden away.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry, Atsuko." Naruko sounded so sad to hear I wasn't in contact with my sister anymore. We did look really happy in that picture.

"Nah, it's alright. That's just how life goes." I took the picture from her and looked at it for a bit longer, concentrating more on my sister's face, even though it was an exact replica of mine, before slipping it through the crack between the lid of the box and the box itself. I didn't want my new friend catching a glimpse of anything in there.

"You sound so wise," Naruko giggled, maybe trying to help me feel happier again and lighten the mood.

"You make me sound like an old man," I laughed, jokingly hitting her arm like I was offended.

"You shouldn't say such wistful things then." She laughed back as I headed back to the kettle to pour us some tea.

We chatted for a little longer, mainly about what her training had consisted of, before Naruko went back to her room. Once she was gone, I sighed, glad that the picture she had found underneath my coffee table wasn't anything more frightening. Sliding the small box back under my bed, I began getting ready for a good night's rest.

~~~~~~

Waking up the next day was... rough. Staying up later, thanks to Naruko, and the subconscious worry I’d because of what happened at the love hotel, I’d probably only got a few hours of sleep.

‘Right, I have to get today right, at least’, I told myself, throwing my legs over the side of my bed. Ishigami already had it in for me because of the train situation - I'm sure all of the special instructors did - but I wasn't going to let that stop me from doing my best. ‘For us.’ Thinking back to the picture that had been found on my floor, I used that as encouragement to continue my life as though nothing had happened.

~~~~~~

In my first class, I could see Naruko already sitting down. She commented on how she hadn't seen me in the cafeteria for breakfast. "I wonder whose fault that is?" I playfully blamed her for making me wake up late. As we continued to chat mindlessly, I couldn’t help but think back to the limited facilities the academy had for women. ‘Well, at least the food and living quarters are good.’

"The real lectures are finally going to start today." Likely having it easier than I had yesterday, Naruko had a fire of ambition in her eyes. Luckily, our first class was in the classroom and not martial arts training, otherwise her passion might hurt someone. Our lectures consisted of a wide range of expert topics ranging from using tracking equipment to how to de-escalate a situation to undercover work.

As we discussed what we would be studying here, the memory of how I was handled yesterday manifested on my wrists. I rubbed them, trying to get rid of the feeling of Kaga's hands.

"Something wrong?" Noticing my anxiousness, Naruko peered into my face. As I told her “I’m fine”, she remembered how we never talked about my experiences yesterday.

"I'm pretty sure I passed. If not, I don't think I'd still be here." I laughed off the subject, knowing how strict the instructors seemed to my friend.

"Did you hear? Students who failed were severely punished." An uneasy expression laid itself on Naruko's face and I also started to feel sympathy for those that weren't as lucky as us. As we wondered about what the punishments were, Naruko got that grin she’d had during the ceremony yesterday.

"I wonder what kind of punishment I would have gotten." The excited aura she was giving off only made a chill run down my back thinking about how much worse the Captain could be.

Intruding on my thoughts, the instructor delivering our lecture walked in and started the lesson. When it was over, I rushed to change into the attire I would need for our next bout of training on the grounds.

~~~~~~

As Naruko and I arrived on the pitch, everyone was lined up in front of Instructor Soma. He frowned at us, stating how late we were. "Sorry about that, Instructor. We took too long in the shower room." Maybe too casual with the man because of his usual laid back aura, we both bowed deeply.

"Yes, there's no women's locker room, is there?" A small smile finally returned to his face as we rose again. "It's the first time, so I'll go easy on you. But, I won't go easy on you next time." Even though he looked kind, anyone could tell he didn't give any leeway.

"There won't be a next time, sir," I replied rather confidently and the instructor almost seemed amused.

Naruko and I went to line up in the very back. The girl who couldn't seem to keep her feelings to herself whispered to me about how nice he seemed and how good looking he was. Thinking back to how Kaga treated me, I couldn't help but quietly agree. ‘There would definitely be no such leniency with him.’ I thought about all the awful punishments or torture methods the Captain could know as we continued our training.

Soma had us perform a fitness exam. We hadn't had a break since the class started when he called out my name to be tested. I stretched the pain out of my legs quickly, not wanting to cramp up.

"Woah, Atsuko! You have a scary look in your eye!" Naruko, as tired out as I was, laughed nervously. You might say I was competitive. I would say I was trying to prove my worth to the classes of men who didn't think I belonged here.

"Just tryna keep my head in the game." I jumped on my toes as the instructor called out my name again. "Coming!"

Jogging over to him, I noticed that even the guys were looking visibly tired due to our endless training. I, on the other hand, although exhausted, had trained like this since I could walk. I was used to being able to hide the physical pain in order to not get shouted at for being weak.

~~~~~~

For our last lecture of the day, feeling like I had been brought through the wringer, we all filtered into the Monitor Room. Maybe too nervous yesterday to get a good look at the room, I overheard my classmates gossiping about the surveillance equipment surrounding us. Not only were there cameras of the school grounds, but some screens showed destinations all over the country.

"Don't you think just using this room would make for an easy investigation?" Overhearing one student comment, I couldn't help but agree. Knowing how much the pictures under my bed were worth, who knows how vital a video of a crime would be to an investigation. You just needed to be able to prove they weren't doctored.

As the instructor lectured, I noticed Naruko resting on my shoulder. "Come on, Naruko. Just a bit longer." I shook her while keeping an eye out for anyone that might rat her out.

"You can talk. You're a machine, Atsuko," she whined under her breath.

Suddenly, before I could laugh at her comment, another voice spoke up behind us.

"Sasaki, go to the medical office if you're drowsy." Instructor Shinonome piped up and we both jumped to attention, having not felt anyone around us. Even though the man was grinning, there was something evil behind that childish face of his.

"Ah! S-Sorry! I'm okay!" Naruko instantly woke up at the prospect of getting punished.

"If anyone else wants to sleep, you can tell me. They put you through it on the first day, so I expect you're all tired." Shinonome's offer almost sounded like a chance to get us expelled. Or, it did to me anyway. Everyone else looked relieved at the kind sentiment.

"Okay, that's all for today's class then. Great work everyone." A cheerful smile returned to his face as I eyed him suspiciously. The man I saw in the shower room on my first day was hidden under that friendly persona he had on.

"Oh, right. Can those who I call stay after class for a moment?" And there it was! The not so innocent catch to his kind offer. Those who would be called were definitely being thrown to the wolves in order to save the rest of us.

As Shinonome began to read out the list, he directed his gaze to the monitor. He called out a few names before looking directly at me. "Lastly, Atsuko Motomori." His face had no note of malicious intent, however, I couldn't help but not trust it. As I gasped to myself, he dismissed our classmates.

"Atsuko, what did you do?" Naruko whispered as our free classmates shuffled out around us.

"I-I don't think I did anything?" I panicked, thinking back over the day, trying to find anything that could warrant me being reprimanded. Looking over to those also called, I could see they were just as nervous. Why were we the one's held back?

‘Maybe... Kaga's mission was discovered?’ I couldn't help but wonder if we’d been caught as Naruko left me sitting where I was.

"Don't be so nervous. I'm not going to get angry." The happy smile on Shinonome's face helped calm the others in the room. Even I was somewhat relieved by his words. "How were they? The lectures?" Directing his question at me, Shinonome looked over.

"Educational! It's wonderful how good the facilities are." Trying to get on his good side, I didn't want to let myself look withered as I kept my voice light.

"Well, the class seemed sleepy. Sasaki looked like she was nearly asleep." The comment didn't sit right with me, this being an elite academy and all.

"Well, as you said, they put us through it," I laughed, trying not to put Naruko in any deep water.

"So, are you going to fall asleep on us as well? I'd have to punish you then." Shinonome cast me a look that probably didn't seem like anything to the other men in the room. But, to me, it seemed as untrustworthy as the rest of him.

"Don't count on it." Not wanting to divulge my past of intense training, I just showed a soft smile. To be honest, I wouldn't mind a nap right now, but I wasn't going to admit that. The thought of any kind of punishment, which would likely be some form of harassment from him, had me on edge.

"Too bad. I wonder if any students who I can have fun with will turn up soon?" His mischievous appearance reminded me of the look Kaga gave me yesterday and my eyes darted away. Even though Shinonome seemed actually happy and there was no emotion in Kaga's eyes, the concept of teasing made me uneasy.

‘It's scary how he can talk like that and still smile.’ I thought about how his words didn't match the expression as the doors of the Monitor Room opened again.

Throwing my gaze to the door, I watched Ishigami, Goto and Soma make their way inside. "You're all immediately going to be assigned as student aides to the instructors." Ishigami didn't miss a beat as all attention landed on him.

"Simply put, you'll help the instructors file documents, prepare lectures and such," Soma added, helping the confused students out. I was shocked. I hadn't done anything special to get me a close position to any of the instructors, let alone have to deal with their grunt work. "Since we must continue our normal duties as Public Safety officers while we teach, we won't always have the time." With that comment, I finally understood why Kaga would agree to become an instructor- so he wouldn't have to do any of the work if he had a capable enough aide. I pitied the person that would have to undertake that role.

"This is good experience, so although it will be difficult, we ask that you try." The encouraging words from Soma were much more trustworthy to me than Shinonome's slightly eerie ones.

"Each instructor will get a full-time aide. Following the instructors will be an important role." Goto, as blunt as he had been at the introduction ceremony, crossed his arms as he stared down at all of us. Somehow, the silence that followed was more anxiety invoking than anything Shinonome could say. Soma was right, though. Being so close to an instructor all the time would be a perfect learning opportunity.

"We will now announce the aides," Ishigami announced, retrieving his clipboard once again. "Instructor Kaga's aide will be Atsuko Motomori." The Captain was as stoic as ever as he read out the list. I, on the other hand, couldn't be more shocked. ‘Kaga seemed so annoyed by even my mere presence yesterday, why would he want me as an aide? He already thinks I'm a screw up because of the train incident.’

"What?" Ishigami glared at me as he heard my wordless gasp.

"Nothing, sir. Sorry." I bowed my head in embarrassment of drawing attention to myself as I pondered over the events in the love hotel that could get me the chance to become an aide. ‘Is it because I chose him yesterday?’ I panicked, thinking back to the misplaced bravery I’d had when picking an instructor.

"Isn't this a good thing? You're one of the few to come back with him safely." Ayumu smirked at my worrisome state. ‘The only reason I was safe is because he didn't actually train me. There was no chance to get in harm's way. Except for the possible fallout of someone recognising me.’

"Shinonome, refrain from talking." Ishigami quickly progressed through the list of aides. Once he finished, he turned to me once again. He explained that Kaga was on an investigation mission and that I should go see him when he gets back. I hesitantly agreed, glad to have the time to prepare myself while he was out working. Unlike our permanent instructors, the guys from Public Safety weren't always around, which is probably why they need the help.

As we were dismissed, I tried to remind myself what a good learning opportunity this could be.

~~~~~~

When the time came to see Instructor Kaga, as Shinonome had told me back in the Monitor Room, I headed to their staff room.

"Excuse me." I knocked on the door before opening it to find an office-like space. Kaga was sitting at one of the many chairs at the large table in the centre of the room. I stood in front of him in order to introduce myself.

"I'm Motomori. Starting today I will be serving as your full-time aide." Straight-backed and trying to not look uncomfortable under his discerning gaze, I explained why I dared talk to him.

"Oh?" His brows frowned, once again judging me for all I was worth.

"I just came to let you know Instru-." However, before I could blame Ishigami for sending me here, I was interrupted.

"A full time aide?" He even seemed to ponder the idea before flat out rejecting me. "Useless, I have no need for an aide, so go." His blunt response threw me off a little. To be honest, I was surprised he didn't unenthusiastically jump at the idea for someone else to do his work. Losing the optimistic view of this assignment, I tried to explain that it had already been decided.

"Don't need it." He quickly interrupted me again before turning his back on me. "Tell Ishigami for me," was the final thing he said before expelling my presence from the room.

~~~~~~

‘That was rougher than I thought it was going to be,’ I thought as I stood in the hallway, looking at the door signed 'Staff Room'. ‘But, I can't afford to back down here.’ More afraid of what Ishigami would say than what Kaga could do, I raised my fist to knock on the door.

After hearing no reply, I began to get desperate. "Instructor, please!" I call out, not wanting to go back to Ishigami empty-handed.

"Shut up." The door flew open and there's Kaga, glaring down at me. The sudden action made me jump out of my skin in the silent corridor. "Let me spell this out for you since you don't seem to get it." The oncoming lecture was apparent when I felt like he was going to start insulting me for being so persistent.

"I have no need for some useless piece."

I won't lie, that statement struck home. The whole 'chessboard' way of thinking about people lower than you was exactly how my father treated us. I once confronted him about my mother's disappearance and all he could say was "she didn't know how to play the game. She's useless to us if she doesn't want to compete." That wording was something I never understood. How were you supposed to lead anyone if you didn't think anyone less than you was capable enough?

As I thought about Kaga's statement, I tried to ignore the relation to the man who raised me. "If you give me a chance, I'm sure it'll get Ishigami off your back. He'll only complain to you if I go back to him now." I tried to reason with the side of him that hated his Captain counterpart and a wave of irritation flashed through his face. "I can do anything! I can file for you. I'll even do chores. Please!" I begged, hoping I was getting through to him. Maybe the idea of a maid would make him reflect on the idea. Then, he finally looked at me without that concerned expression.

"Anything, you say?" He looked me up and down as I agreed, not thinking about the consequences of those words. Then, he narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth.

"You can be my servant." The growing smirk on his face made me a little uneasy. It was that same grin of victory he’d showed when he’d collected the evidence from the love hotel.

"Excuse me?" Was all I could utter out to ensure I’d heard him right.

"You can be my full-time servant. How many times do I have to say it?" The disconcerting frown returned as his eyebrows creased together again.

#HLITF #hlitf ayumu #hlitf kaga #hlitf goto #hlitf ishigami #hlitf soma #hlitf shinonome #hlitf fanfic #voltage games #voltage fanfic #oc #ooc #her love in the force #crime #mafia #mob #police #detectives

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junkychaos · 4 years ago

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appearance on SENYAWA - ALKISAH(wv sorcerer productions/france 12" marble green vinyl+cd 2021)

WV Sorcerer is honored to present you the new album of Indonesian avant-garde duo SENYAWA: “ALKISAH”. ▼WV 050 / 051: https://wvsorcerer.bandcamp.com/album/alkisah-cn-special-edition “ALKISAH” describes a story of a collapsing civilization, the people realized the end is near and intended to create a better world for the future to survive the apocalypse. Nevertheless, the destruction is inevitable and doomsday is upon them. Deep and powerful drone/industrial/tribal sound delivered directly from Yogyakarta of Java Island. For this special edition, we have gathered several artists from Mainland China and Hong Kong, from psychedelic guitar feedback, dark pop, electric cello drone, tribal techno to harsh noise, every musician presents their own imagination about each chapter of "ALKISAH". ▼Remix artists: 盛潔 gogoj a.k.a Sheng Jie / Zaliva-D / 卓奇 Chucki / 33EMYBW / Nerve / 若潭 ruò tán / 王子衡 Wang Ziheng / TORTURING NURSE / Beau Mahadev / 李劍鴻 Li Jianhong ▼CN Special Edition includes: -12" Marble Green/Black LP - Reverse-board Heavy Gatefold Cover - Obi & Full Lyrics - Exclusive Remix CD (9 tracks from artists of Mainland China & Hong Kong) - Postcards x12, Recording Session Photos - Large A2 Poster (Limited edition of 300, 150 copies of each color, and only a part of the whole press to sell outside CN) Tape version will be released by 無害 Mouhoi and 琪琪音像｜Qiii Snacks Records. --------------------------- SENYAWA Wukir Suryadi: custom instruments Rully Shabara: lyrics, vocals Recorded & mixed by Iwan Karak at Eloprogo, September 2020 Soundscape of Eloprogo recorded by Tesaran Digital version mastered by Marlon Wolterink at White Noise Studio LP mastered by Cordey Lopez Remix tracks mastered by Cyril Meysson Minang proverbs on “Kabau” compiled by Taufik Adam Drawings by Sopeng Design & layout by 若潭 ruò tán Recording session photography by Reza Darwin DECENTRALIZATION SHOULD BE THE FUTURE

https://www.facebook.com/torturingnurseforever/posts/4449292815084073

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rinkuplastic · 6 months ago

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How do I determine the superior quality of BOPP tape?

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By considering these factors and collaborating with reputable BOPP tape manufacturers, Rinku Plastic you can confidently select superior quality tape that meets your packaging needs and ensures the integrity and security of your products throughout the supply chain. Investing in high-quality BOPP tape not only enhances packaging efficiency but also reflects positively on your brand reputation and customer satisfaction.

#bopp tape #bopp tape manufacturer

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2bstudioblog · 4 years ago

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Konami’s wheels are turning... slowly

Lot’s of interesting news heading to our heads this Monday from what I heard from Yong Yea’s video about Konami wanting to outsource their IP’s to 3rd parties.

Obviously, Akira Yamaoka has kinda given away a strong hint that he’s working on a project with Bloober which in this case would be the long awaited SH remake or the direction they had with PT before it got cancelled. Akira Yamaoka also decided that (too late) he wanted to amend the article from his interview and release it later down the line. It’s very unusual that these news happen, but we all know Yamaoka is most famous for his music in Silent Hill.

Which brings me to a funny story about my own involvement of a Silent Hill game. I mentioned this on a podcast that I was part of 2 Konami-owned IP’s that went into another direction and killing off their franchises which have been like dead bodies in a morgue for the last 7 years.

I got the request to write industrial-metal music for a Silent Hill (of course at this time I only knew the IP and their most famous version of the game has been Silent Hill 2.) game. First I was of course very excited to be part of the series, but I jumped to early until I found out it was a Pachinko-machine (A japanese style pinball-game mixed with a touch-screen and a one-armed bandit and a slot-machine in one.), and my heart sank a little. I think I produced 4-5 cues for the machine, but I’m glad that nobody will be able to hear my “mediocre” masterpieces because all you would hear are metal-balls falling into a tray. But the thing about this machine, it had taken cut-scenes from Silent Hill 2, upscaled or even re-mastered/remade the graphics which would have looked great if it was its own game. But it was the same thing they’ve done with all their other IPs when those transfer over to this kind of entertainment. All what was left of it, Jim Sterling turned the game into a Meme and all I can hear is the -”HIT THE LEVER!” and the effects overpowering the music behind it. But I’m glad it didn’t go further then that. Technically here, Silent Hill(s) died with the arrival of the pachinko-slot machine and the series have tried to re-establish itself ever since.

Another game I was a part of was a Castlevania (Dracula in Japan) themed Pachinko-slot machine, with the revolutionary phrase “Erotic Violence” in it’s PR material and video-commercial. I mean, they took the music production part of this machine very seriously because I wasn’t aware of the “EV” part. I just thought it would be a machine praising the history of Castlevania. I was assigned to re-write and re-orchestrate a few songs from Neo-classical Metal music into more Progressive Metal style, and I was super-proud of this one because they had the sheet-music already available for me. All I had to do was re-arrange some parts for a string-quartet (1 cello, 2 violins and 1 viola) and I believe it was engineered and recorded by famed engineer Kenji Nakai who was under and working with famed engineer Mr Bruce Swedien (Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones).

From that moment me and Mr. Nakai stroke a friendship because he has a passion for Progressive Metal and he asked me if I could send more songs his way. From this we both have been incredibly busy on both of our ends, but I hope we can be able to work on something in the future. I have a feeling that might be soon.

So a long story short, Konami spent a lot of money for recording, they approved everything and we were done. But when it turned out to be a pachinko-machine and not a world-wide videogame release, I just had to facepalm myself, asking the question why they keep doing so many poor decisions. Why leaving all those fans out in the cold and really start making Castlevania mean something. This void of “lots of fancy things, but no substance” started right here...

Konami are turning their wheels a little bit too late and too slow until now. After they got rid of Hideo Kojima (Who I believe was thinking of the international-market rather than the domestic one), Konami had only one thing on their minds: Making money quick and domestically. No more wasted time on translations, straight for the gambling crowd. No need to write interesting stories. No need to introduce kids to this adult material. They wanted to earn it back as fast as possible. But we all see their decisions put them on the map as a “black-company”, who mistreat their staff, shaming them out in the office for overstaying their lunch-breaks. Moving staff from one business to another, from a programmer to a Konami-fitness Center-staff, or as a toilet-cleaner at a Konami-owned pachinko-slot gambling hall. The management of the company has been horrendous for the full-time employee. I’m glad I was not part of these later projects and only wrote stuff for them for Pro Evolution Soccer series from 2009-2012. (My work on 2010-2012 was unfortunately un-credited work. :(

Metal Gear Solid V - The Phantom Pain In My Ass

When the playable teaser called Metal Gear Solid - Ground Zeroes, came out on the PS3 and later on the PS4, it was an introduction for the new graphics engine designed by Hideo Kojima’s team, simply called The FOX-Engine. Basically this “game” was more of a demo rather than a full-product. But it looked great and with a fantastic score by Akihiro Honda, Ludvig Forssell and Harry Gregson-Williams, it had everything going for it to become something really awesome. It became a standard approach from Hideo Kojima now to produce “Playable Teasers” to show a great concept while offering a 3-4 hour short campaign, showing off the engine’s graphical capabilities.

Still, the story was under progress and I knew early on that Hideo Kojima really didn’t want to do it after he always felt that Metal Gear Solid 4 was final. But here is the curse of the die-hard fans, and I’m sorry to say it. No matter how many Iron Man movies Marvel crams out, at the 3rd movie, I started to feel “This does not feel like Iron Man anymore”. But that’s what the fans wanted and is a standard in the movie industry. Always produce a trilogy. Indiana Jones has always been the 3 movies from 1981-1989. The 4th one doesn’t really need to be called Indiana Jones at all. It was there I felt, just like with Metal Gear Solid V, they were beating a DEAD RACE HORSE.

I can’t deny the talents on display for Metal Gear Solid - Ground Zeroes. It laid down some really cool foundations for the gameplay, but I still believe the better game-series for stealth was beaten by the likes of Splinter Cell and most recently Thief. Stealth in MGS has always felt a little bit childish and I only really enjoyed MGS 1, MGS 2, tried to play MGS 3 (still have it one my Vita!) and will try to finish it. MGS 3 has felt like the TRUE Zeroes experience, with the inception of the story and lore behind the cloning of Big Boss. MGS 4 finally brought it all to a great finale and I felt, there is NOTHING more to tell. MGS 1, 2 and 4 is the Trilogy, MGS 3 serves as the Prequel and I see nothing wrong with that.

Mission - Erase Kojima’s Legacy

The making of MGS V - The Phantom Pain is kinda true to it’s title. Can you feel the nostalgia? Or are we just imagining the sensation of a Metal Gear Solid game past it’s prime? The missing link? The missing limb? And with the worlds biggest cop-out of everything that had to do with story was completely missing.

Each mission is playing out every time the same, with an intro to a TV-show, giving away massive spoilers to who would appear in the mission, you do your thing (not so much of story, just a “go-here, do that approach, sneak back out, head to pick-up) rinse and repeat. I wonder how much of this was Kojima’s fault? I don’t think he was up to it. I’m sure he fought for more story but the big heads didn’t want to listen to what makes a MGS game a MGS game. The new management had now already played the hand to disown the man who put Konami on the map for games since the mid 80s.

The game is no longer marketed like before. The tagline “A Hideo Kojima Game” no longer exists and will never be part of Konami’s mission of erasing the person who gave them their fame and the recognition that a game carrying the name Konami was a brand of quality for any gamer out there. Me myself, personally only played PES because of the stellar animations, but its recently since 2012, I stopped playing the series. FIFA had already cheapened itself, PES likewise. Updating the graphics, but the same old animations have been recycled back to the PES3 days. Maybe there’s been an update in the collision engine, but otherwise everything stayed the same, with the huge amount of data collected from previous years of motion-capture, why do it all over when its all about the brand recognition? Saving money on processes wherever possible. Simple Math. And here it is. MGS V is not a MGS game.

We already knew it was going to be a massive budget behind the game of MGS V. But what can Konami do to save money on MGS V? They already have the Fox Engine running from Ground Zeroes. The assets for “Snake” (I’ll let you know why I put quotation-marks around it) and standard models will extend somewhat. Oh, yes, let’s save money on a character that doesn’t speak (Quiet), over-sexualize the character to start a fan-base of people who just dig character design, animated a sexy “shower” routine for the character for boys to go nuts over. What about voice? Let’s not really try to sync the voices to the mouths. Let’s have the guy from “24″ record his performances onto tape-logs. Kiefer Sutherland would have been a good “Snake”, but I understand now that you are not “SNAKE”. The game explains pretty soon at the end that you are just a Medic and all the tapes you’ve been listening to is the original Big Boss. You never where the character of Snake. Even though this all could have been handled better, Konami wanted to save money wherever possible. We also knew David Hayter was not asked or put forward to return as “The Voice of Snake”. But in this case I start to wonder myself, David Hayter might have dodged the biggest bullet in the most expensive, commercial and very controversial game of all time once Konami decided to kill everything that built up their reputation.

Even during production Kojima managed to start working on PT. The game Konami “silenced” after it was released on the PS-store. Guillermo Del Toro and his friendship with Hideo Kojima’s dream-game was put on ice. All because Kojima was about to get frozen out of the company that was according to Konami “Wasting too much bloody money”. I might get blacklisted for saying this, but once the new management started to mess with the other IPs for just domestic/gambling market, that’s where everything went sideways. Konami wasn’t treating their heritage with respect.

It took them 7 years to realize their mistake! And now, for those who wants to be part of 3rd party developers who would get a crack at a new Castlevania, a new Metal Gear Solid (remake I hope), Konami has realized that the only way they will survive (Yeah, Metal Gear Solid Survive killed them HARD) is to let other’s take over. Maybe my dream of scoring a Metal Gear Solid game would be somewhat more possible now rather than working in the confined space of limitations posed by the higher ups at Konami. Let 3rd party developers breathe life into the IPs because I know there are smarter ways to tell a story and I would gladly like to see the return of David Hayter in the seat, without having to deal with the blank-face approach that he was faced with every time he had to audition for Snake in MGS 2, 3 and 4! David Hayter is a fantastic writer, actor and voice-actor. He has the chops and I think we are all ready for either a re-make or a better follow up to MGS 2 and the time between that one and MGS 4.

#Metal Gear Solid V #the phantom pain #Konami #Hideo Kojima #Akira Yamaoka #Yong Yea #Castlevania #Pachinko #Silent Hill #PT #Ground Zeroes #harry gregson williams #ludvig forssell #3rd Party #Bloober team #remake #Metal Gear Solid Remake

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flexibond55 · 1 year ago

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WHY CHOOSE BOPP TAPES OVER OTHER ADHESIVE TAPES

Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene, also known as BOPP tape, is a thin and flexible adhesive tape used for various forms of industrial and commercial packaging. Polypropylene is one of the most widely used thermoplastics in the world today and is produced in large quantities. There are many ways to use it in various applications, such as packaging, textile fibres, food packaging, medical gadgets and many more.

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High strength and durability BOPP tape film is a great choice for applications where you need a strong adhesive that will last because of its exceptional tensile strength and endurance. It is often made using a high-grade polypropylene resin that is biaxially oriented, which greatly increases its strength compared to conventional non-oriented polypropylene films. So if you are looking for a permanent, durable and strong adhesive tape, BOPP tape is the choice. Flexibond, one of the top BOPP tape manufacturers in India, produces highly durable and high-strength bopp tapes.

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Flexibond bopp tape is the best option that will securely seal irregularly shaped goods while being flexible enough to secure heavy shipments during transit, as it is one of the top bopp tape manufacturers in India.

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thesunlounge · 5 years ago

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Reviews 302: Georgia

Georgia, the duo of Brian Close and Justin Tripp, are seemingly at the height of their powers, having already graced 2019 with two incredible works: the mutant future rhythms and splattered fractal psychedelics of Time, released through Firecracker Recordings, and the more bucolic mysticisms, new age atmospherics, and ethno-jazz spiritualisms of Immute on Ekster (though this album is not without its own sharp corners, featuring as it does a spectacular devolution into chaotic bass music). And in a refusal to slow down, Tripp and Close have now released Side Tracks on Métron Records. As told on the label’s Bandcamp, the album finds its genesis in sample banks recorded independently by the two artists…audial snapshots ranging from ”field recordings of roosters in New Mexico to sculpted synthetic sounds,” which were then shared, manipulated, and layered into a pair of immersive and surreal sonic environments each occupying a full side of tape, with the B-side featuring a heady voice performance from multi-disciplinary artist Tauba Auerbach. As ever with Georgia, the visual aspects of Side Tracks are as arresting as the sounds, with illustrations from New York artist Gravé mesmerically layered across all facets of the cassette, obi, and case…an expressive, enigmatic, and multi-dimensional landscape echoing well the music’s abstracted fourth world textures and dream logic mutations.

Georgia - Side Tracks (Métron Records, 2019) The A-side is given over to “Hassan”…a cubist jungle constantly in flux and blown through by granulated currents of white noise. Synthesizers quiver on the verge of orgasm and virtual string plucks generate abstracted elevator musak, with everything anchored by pads that wash in like ocean waves before fading into sudden silence. Insect mating calls proceed within breaths of static as the mind is circled around by outer-dimensional typewriter fx and cyborg approximations of doorbells and windchimes. New age starlight smears into an impressionist blur, glass-toned fusion pads squiggle through exotica patterns, and watery jazz spiritualisms flutter like clouds while bass pulses swell beneath a rain of gemstones. Mermaids sing deep sea lullabies awash in child-like curiosity and play harps constructed from spaceage crystals, with each string pluck creating ocean motion flutters. There are momentary flashes into silence and each time, as the track resumes, it has evolved into something stranger, with Tripp and Close increasingly favoring polyrhythmic harmonies, weird descending note clusters, and maddening sequential multi-layers that seem to fall over themselves. Diamond-toned melodies waver like a psychotropic mirage above flower fields made of emeralds, with abstracted angels singing through spacetime rifts. Elsewhere, we find ourselves afloat on a river made of liquified light, one that flows through hypergeometric rainforest growth, with birds chittering and monkeys laughing. Electronics mimick robotically bowed cellos or tremolo guitar psychedelics, which come together with blissed out chord riffs for some semblance of a floating groove. And near the end, insect wings beat against giant gong-like structures while instruments of glowing stone resonate within cavernous fractal chambers.

On the B-side, “Prime Aire” comes to life on jet engine drones, atonal feedback bursts, and tectonic murmurations. Tones of metal stretch out and sickly drops of liquid hit glass surfaces…their echoes decaying across the spectrum…while pounding reverberations and aquatic contrabass shadows generate a bebop body pulse. Rainbow gases escape from sea-floor vents and then develop into ambient house chord progressions while gongs vibrate amidst the underwater sound layers. Elsewhere, sub-bass liquids reverse in time and slowly evolving polyrhythms sourced from modulating church bells intertwine with temple chants as a three note xylophone arp spreads out across the length of the keyboard. Tauba Auerbach’s anodyne phrases occasional loop…”the energy will make its way through”…all while sampled breaths cycle in time with the dream jazz narcotics. Mermaid voices are pulled towards the sky via UFO tractor beams, conch shell horns bend into currents of darkness, waves of sunlight refract through crystalline blue waters, and glitchy tambourines are sprinkled through the mix until all rhythmic elements vaporize, being eventually replaced by a mutant kick drum. We then find ourselves in some strange stretch of Throbbing Gristle-style darkness, all smeared out industrial psychedelia and cold vocal sexuality. The shadowy atmosphere are countered by warm chord blasts and synthesizers that scat like elephants and as we leave behind the corridors of galactic murk, Close and Tripp return us to their future jazz synth-bass bop and its glowing cloudforms of insterstellar gas. And as Auerbach’s intonations of “slightly hotter / slightly cooler” repeat over oceanic crystal chords and harmonious dissonances, dub delays descend from the sky like a meteor shower.

(images from my personal copy)

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iitmanagement · 3 years ago

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Office Stationery Manufacturer and Stationery for Office

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dustedmagazine · 4 years ago

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Dust Volume 7, Number 3

Black Country, New Road

One of the funniest parts of Martin Amis’ Inside Story concerns an up-and-coming novelist, constantly asked at literary festivals to differentiate between his short stories and novels and just as consistently coming up with new ways to say that the short stories are, well, shorter. Same deal with Dust. These abbreviated reviews are, indeed, shorter than the full-lengths, but otherwise well worth reading. And, hoo boy, are there a lot of them this time. Contributors include Ian Mathers, Jennifer Kelly, Bill Meyer, Tim Clarke, Patrick Masterson, Arthur Krumins, Eric McDowell, Justin Cober-Lake, Andrew Forell, Ray Garraty, Jonathan Shaw and Bryon Hayes.

Aarktica and Black Tape for a Blue Girl — Eating Rose Petals (Projekt: Archive)

Eating Rose Petals by Aarktica and Black Tape for a Blue Girl

Aarktica’s Jon DeRosa and Black Tape for a Blue Girl’s Sam Rosenthal have known each other for a long time, but this release is the first time they’ve actually worked together. Rosenthal was so struck by the title song, one of the few from Aarktica’s 2019 release Mareación to feature DeRosa’s vocals, that with the latter’s permission and participation he created the almost 19-minute “Fleeting Rose Petals”, which features the original track backwards with wordless additional vocals from DeRosa, plus additional material by Rosenthal before and after it. The original (also included here, along with the closing “Valley of the Roses” which features Rosenthal further reworking the additional material from “Fleeting Rose Petals”) already felt like a single lambent moment in time suspended and held, and by reworking and reconfiguring that material over a full 37-minute span that effect is only intensified.

Ian Mathers

Altaat & Euter — Split (Ikuisuus)

split by Altaat / Euter

Two experimental drone outfits from Finland play extended abstract compositions on this split LP. Altaat’s sidelong “Palava Palaava” sounds like an orchestra tuning up in a wind tunnel as it splices long bowed tones with the rush and whir of large machinery. But however, chaotic that may sound, the actual effect is quite serene, the om of dissonant overtones melting into a white noise background of rattling, humming, whooshing mechanical sounds. Altaat’s Niko Karlsson and Miki Brunou, along with Jari Koho, subsume the noisy clatter of the post-industrial era into a dream-like, beckoning hiss. Euter, also a duo but not willing to give up personal names, works a less organically grounded sound, filling an expansive, echoey space with chortling, wobbling synth cadences, metallic clangs and staticky, between-stations blare. The long “Slowly Underwater,” unfolds in chilly surreality. You get the sense of vast metal furnaces blowing out corrosive chemical clouds, of mechanical sensors picking up and sending signals and of chittering, hurrying life amid ruins. (No, I’m not hearing anything especially watery.) “Magnetic Mammals,” which follows, is similarly machine-like and ominous, picking up vast, sirening sounds as if from a distance with bubbling bursts of radio interference in the foreground. Altaat’s side is certainly closer to conventional Western classical music, but Euter finds some intriguing, disquieting spaces. Makes you wonder what they’re putting in the water up there in reindeer land.

Jennifer Kelly

Rrill Bell — Ballad of the External Life (Elevator Bath)

ballad of the external life by Rrill Bell ////// aka The Preterite

One of the challenges of early electronic music was its labor intensity; it could take months of recording, processing, card-punching and pondering to come up with a few minutes of music. But tools change, and with them, opportunities for access open up. The music of Rrill Bell, a German-based American musician, makes that lengthy process shake hands with instant performance. Originally trained as a percussionist, he works mainly with tapes, which he records, uses in performance, and in the course of performance, records over and re-uses again. But in concert, he tends to improvise with these materials, making split-second decisions that occasionally get preserved for potential re-visiting.

If that sounds like a recipe for frenetic sonic action, it’s not. Mr. Bell’s tastes in original sounds tend towards bells and environmental captures, and he rarely crowds the mix. Tones squiggle and unspool, unidentifiable bumps appear and disappear, and birds chirp at the periphery. It’s easy to characterize this as ambient music, since a low-volume listen is pleasant but undemanding. But keep in mind that successful ambient music must be interesting as well as ignorable, and the dream-like sound walk of Ballad of the External Life still delivers.

Bill Meyer

Black Country, New Road — For the First Time (Ninja Tune)

For the first time by Black Country, New Road

“Sunglasses” erupts out of a blare of feedback, a roar of guitar noise that splinters and disintegrates as you trace its melody. Synths sound like police sirens. It’s all very slow and ominous, and for a minute, all those Slint comparisons make sense. And then it resolves into something like an indie rock song, spoke-sung over thunderous drums by one Isaac Wood, he of the tremulous voice and the unreliable narrative, whose art song proclivities may bring bands like Wild Beasts to mind, though without the fey falsetto. The song is a marvel of bravado and doubt, working the soft seam between ordinary male adolescence and mental illness, and the sunglasses play a key part. Says Wood, “I am looking at you with my best eyes and I wish you could tell/I wish all my kids would stop dressing up like Richard Hell/I am locked away in a high-tech/Wraparound, translucent, blue-tinted fortress/And you cannot touch me.” (Also, later, “I am more than adequate/Leave Kanye out of it,” which strikes me as brilliant for reasons I can’t fathom.) The point is that there are startling, riveting lyrics here, of the sort that you could make a case for leaving it unadorned, but Black Country, New Road is not interested in simplicity. The rather large ensemble includes not just the regular rock instruments but saxophone, violin and synths, all knotted up in proggy complexities and paced by a drummer (Charlie Wayne) good enough to give Black Midi’s Morgan Simpson a run for his money (the two bands are aligned and friends and Black Midi gets a name check in one of the songs). Indeed, the opening track of this six-cut collection is aptly titled “Instrumental,” a whirling gypsy klezmer cubist fantasy that is, if anything, nervier and more complicated than the vocal tracks. This is exciting, volatile stuff that could go anywhere from here.

Jennifer Kelly

Deniz Cuylan — No Such Thing As Free Will (Hush Hush)

No Such Thing As Free Will by Deniz Cuylan

Everything about Deniz Cuylan’s solo debut is understated. Six instrumental tracks running to just 27 minutes, released on the fittingly named Hush Hush Records, No Such Thing As Free Will seeks to evoke something subtle and universal out of minimal ingredients. There’s a robust architecture to this music, generating a sober, contemplative mood. Arpeggios on nylon-string classical guitar cycle around in precise arcs, gently bolstered by piano, clarinet and cello. The space in opener “Clearing” shyly invites the listener in; the record reaches a modest peak in the bright harmonics of “She Was Always Here” and the almost joyful elegance of “Flaneurs in Hakone”; then the music recedes into a melancholic fog on the closing title track. It’s telling, therefore, that Cuylan has worked as a soundtrack composer — his music feels complementary, receding modestly into life’s scenery rather than commanding the spotlight.

Tim Clarke

Arnold de Boer — Minimal Guitar (Makkum)

MINIMAL GUITAR by arnolddeboer

Somedays you just don’t do what you’re supposed to do. At the end of the last summer, Arnold de Boer decided to extend his holiday by a day and take a walk around town. When he got back home, he sat down, picked up an instrument and listened to the music that came out of his fingers. The music was no more expected than the activity that preceded it. Instead of the rough, voltage-enhanced intricacy of the music he plays with The Ex or his one-man band, Zea, de Boer played a set of acoustic guitar solos. Neither ostentatious nor self-consciously rustic, de Boer’s playing tends to zero in on an idea and see where it wants to go. Each rhythmic pattern, decaying harmonic, or rap on the body proposes an idea, which de Boer either explores or restates with minimal variation. Ah, there’s that word. This isn’t a study in minimalism, but an appreciation of how little you need to do if the original idea is sound.

Bill Meyer

Dusk + Blackdown — Rinse FM Mix January 28, 2021 (Rinse FM)

Rinse FM · Keysound (100% Keysound Production Mix) - 28 January 2021

I’m not sure there’s a place left on the internet better suited to explaining the rise of grime, dubstep and its attendant mutations than Martin Clark’s aging Blogspot under his Blackdown alias. From ground zero in London, Clark has been documenter, eyewitness and participant alike, a true lifer fully evidenced by his longtime partnership with Dan Frampton, aka Dusk, showcasing new music on their monthly Rinse radio show and Keysound Recordings record label. They’re an essential part of the culture, so it’s especially pleasant when they serve up some of their own riches. After the traditional December year-end roundup show, Dusk and Blackdown came roaring out of the gates in January with an all-Keysound broadcast in the middle of the night that features gobs of unreleased rollage over its two hours. It’s a nice reminder that though time may pass, URLs may cut out and memories may dim, some are still putting in the work one release, one radio show, one listen at a time. The sound is the key is right.

Patrick Masterson

EKG — 200 Years Of Electricals (Bandcamp)

200 Years of Electricals by EKG (Ernst Karel & Kyle Bruckmann)

Most things don’t hold their value. Why should time be any different? So, if Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote 100 Years of Solitude in the 1960s, EKG might as well proclaim 200 Years Of Electricals in 2021. EKG is Kyle Bruckmann (double reeds, analog electronics, organ) and Ernst Karel (analog electronics, microphones). The duo first convened in the mid-1990s, when both men lived in Chicago, and Karel was mainly known as a trumpeter. They’ve carried on in sporadic fashion ever since, playing increasingly rare concerts as each man moved away from his original home base. They’ve turned snippets from these shows into subdued musical constructions, which they’ve issued on a number of compact discs over the years. For their first release in over a decade, the duo, who currently both live in the Bay area, have ditched the trumpet and the physical album format, and incorporated some of the field recordings that have become Karel’s main sound material in his solo work. But in other respects, this effort is every bit as concerned with iteration and inevitability as Marquez’ book. When you flip a switch, something hums. When you layer quiet sounds, they don’t necessarily get louder, but they do exert a stronger magnetism upon your ear. And you when spread your quietness over a vast stretch of silence, efforts to follow the sound inevitably do strange things to your sense of time. Wait, how many years have we been listening to that crackle? Why stop now?

Bill Meyer

Michael Feuerstack — Harmonize the Moon (Forward Music Group)

Harmonize the Moon by Michael Feuerstack

Montreal-based singer-songwriter Michael Feuerstack sweeps aside all extraneous fluff on his new album, Harmonize the Moon, zeroing in on precise finger-picked guitar parts, vivid lyrical imagery and a stark, affecting tone. He has a knack for smuggling blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments of understated wonder into traditional-sounding folk songs you’ll imagine you’ve heard somewhere before. Indeed, he wryly admits to recycling the past in the opening song: “I used to be a singer, bumping around in the astral plane / Picking up astral trash, to polish it up again.” Though the foundation of guitar and vocals carries most of the weight, there’s tasteful reinforcement from vocal harmonies, electric guitar, lap steel, bass and drums. Amid these clean, spare arrangements, some of the lines stop you in your tracks, like the following from “Too Kind”: “The world is broken mirrors, traps and triggers / And cold blood pools in the kindest eyes.” With 10 finely honed songs running to just over half an hour, everything is measured and rather lovely. (Beautiful cover art, too.)

Tim Clarke

Michael and Peter Formanek — Dyads (Out Of Your Head Records)

Dyads by Michael and Peter Formanek

Virtuoso bassist, stalwart sideman, solid bandleader, fearless improviser, intriguing composer — Michael Formanek is all of those things, but he’s also a cool dad. At least that’s what it looks like from the outside. Not only did he include his son, Peter, in his musical activities from an early age, giving the youngster a chance to sit in with the likes of Tim Berne and Jim Black. Upon Peter’s return home from college, he joined him in a working duo. Dyads is their first recording, and it is testimony to the merits of giving the kid first-hand experience in the family business. Peter, who plays tenor saxophone and clarinet, has learned the merits of having a bold tone, a flexible improvisational approach and a way with a tune. Their performances unfold with a combination of patience and pith, which permits the listener to savor the elegance with which each musician supports the other.

Bill Meyer

Chris Forsyth & the Solar Motel Band — Rare Dreams: Solar Live 2.27.18 (No Quarter)

Rare Dreams: Solar Live 2.27.18 by Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band

Chris Forsyth teams with Sunwatchers Peter Kerlin and Jason Robira at London’s Café OTO for expansive, incendiary jams that will remind you like a physical ache of what you’ve been missing in live music this awful year. “Dream in the Non-Dream” is a wide-horizon, endless vamp, driven ever forward by Kerlin and Robira in lock-sync, while Forsyth ratchets up tension with a car jack, then spins it off in wreckless, fiery abandon. “The First Ten Minutes of Cocksucker Blues” similarly balances rigor and open-ended-ness, marking off the measures with a hammering, repetitive cadence that becomes a mantra over time. There are also two Neil Young covers, both tending towards the electrified, Crazy Horse side of things, a slow by blistering “Don’t Be Denied” and a raucous “Barstool Blues” from Zuma. It’s all great stuff, and it might hold you for a month or two until we can all crowd up to the stage again.

Jennifer Kelly

Alexander Hawkins — Togetherness Music (Intakt)

Togetherness Music by Alexander Hawkins

Whether you listen to him in duos with Evan Parker or Tomeka Reid, small bands like the Chicago/London Underground or Decoy, or leading his own ensembles, English keyboardist Alexander Hawkins accompanies and improvises with an astute perception of the situation’s requirements. The title Togetherness Music can be taken several ways. The six-part suite combines parts from two different commissioned pieces, and it brings together elements of free and conducted improvisation, scored chamber music, and some discrete electronic interventions. Passages showcasing Evan Parker’s intricate soprano saxophone lines and Mark Sanders’ kinetic percussion contrast and coexist with rich and patiently evolving string passages executed by the Riot Ensemble. This music feels less like a sum of differing approaches than the expression of a cohesive in which all Hawkins’ good ideas fit together.

Bill Meyer

Russell Hoke — The Melancholy Traveller (Round Bale Recordings)

The Melancholy Traveler by Russell Hoke

This release follows up on the archival compilation A Voice From the Lonesome Playground from 2016 of Hoke’s material from small run releases of the 1980’s. With the new material here, Hoke delves into the unadulterated sound of voice and guitar or banjo, with mainly his own songs of loneliness and also the singularly bittersweet moments of existing as yourself, free and detached from society. Also covering two beautiful takes on Sandy Denny songs, which fit into the UK/US traditional direction of the rest. The album rests in the same delicate territory as other folkies such as Connie Converse, Jackson C. Frank, or even the more sedate songs of Daniel Johnston. What brings the album together is the expressiveness in any given moment of a song. The tact and execution consistently bring the emotion of the songwriting home.

Arthur Krumins

In Layers — Pliable (FMR)

Pliable by In Layers

In Layers puts up a middle finger against anyone who thinks that European unity is a passed fancy. The quartet’s members come from Portugal, Iceland and Holland, and their collective experience encompasses Nordic music theatre, lyric free jazz and the tooth-powderingly loud trio, Cactus Truck. But the music they make doesn’t really sound like any of that. Guitarist Marcelo Dos Reis, drummer Onno Govaert, pianist Kristján Martinsson and trumpeter Luís Vicente improvise music that is spacious enough to frustrate viral transmission, but composed of elements hefty enough to tip a scale. There’s plenty of bravura playing, but the displays are subordinate to the music’s abstract cohesion. You won’t hum it, but you won’t forget it, either.

Bill Meyer

Just For the Record: Conversations With and About “Blue” Gene Tyranny

Composer, writer and pianist Robert Sheff, better known as “Blue” Gene Tyranny, collaborator with everyone from Iggy Pop to Robert Ashley, passed away at the end of 2020. Just before that, David Bernabo’s documentary about Tyranny’s life and work, and more generally about the avant garde world Tyranny was a vital part of, how much of it almost vanished and the ways it continues to be vibrant even today, was released. For a while Just For the Record was available to rent, but this year Bernabo made it available for free on UbuWeb Film. It’s a wonderful watch for anyone who’s a fan of “Blue” Gene’s work, for sure. The conversations with him are near the end of his life, but his evident joy in music and art and people shines through, and the conversations with Joan La Barbara, David Grubbs, Kyle Gann and others cast new light on both his history and work and importance and the group of artists that he worked with and around. There’s so much here you almost wish for a miniseries instead (one episode on reissue labels and blogs, one on Robert Ashley’s operas, one on Tyranny’s time as a Stooge…), but given how overlooked artists like “Blue” Gene Tyranny often are, it still feels like a gift to have what’s here.

Ian Mathers

Kariu Kenji — Sekai (Bruit Direct Disques)

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Sekai is a COVID-era exercise in circumstantial lemonade-making. Kariu Kenji’s band, OWKMJ, executes intricate, quick-changing jazz rock with aplomb. Stuck alone at home, he has made a solo record that never betrays his prodigious dexterity as a guitarist. Instead, Kenji has fashioned an album of low-key, keyboard-heavy bedroom pop. It is low key, almost to a fault, since you could easily miss the subtle fault lines between clean and distorted sounds, let alone the moments when he unobtrusively pulls the rhythmic rug out from under a song. The songs poetically render small memories and quietly absurd scenarios, which are considerately translated for the benefit of people who won’t understand Kenji’s all-Japanese crooning.

Bill Meyer

Kid Congo and the Pink Monkeybirds — Swing from the Sean Delear (In the Red)

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Kid Congo Powers has been in more great bands than anyone I can think of — The Cramps and The Gun Club to start with, but also Nick Cave’s Bad Seeds, Divine Horsemen and, just last year, the Wolfmanhattan Project with Mick Collins and Bob Bert. That’s exalted company all round, and his latest, with Pink Monkeybirds, is no slouch alongside any of them. It begins with a vamping, churning, soul-funk-psychedelic “Sean DeLear,” which commemorates the recently deceased Bay Area punk-fashion icon in exultant, chandelier-swinging style. All three side one cuts are bangers, spinning out Sam & Dave bass-and-drum foundations into dayglow garage extravaganzas, but the 14-minute b-side “He Walked In” takes things in another direction, slowing the pace down and letting the music smoulder, a trippy hippy flute weaving through heat-shimmered desert psychedelia. Like the opener, it’s an elegy, this time to Gun Club front man, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, a haunted surf rock dreamscape where spirits dwell.

Jennifer Kelly

Katy Kirby — Cool Dry Place (Keeled Scales)

Cool Dry Place by Katy Kirby

Katy Kirby makes a stripped down, lofi pop that aspires to bigger things. Even low-key, acoustic strummed, bedroom ballads like “Eyelids” are always on the verge of busting out into flute-y, melismatic diva choruses. Even the tender “Cool Dry Place,” dreams of a big pop payoff and gets there in the end. And the single “Traffic!” is strung through with the tension between its muted, all-natural melody and the crescendoing climax that waits at the end. Here Kirby’s plain, wholesome voice gets threaded with fluttering autotune, not because she can’t hit the notes, but because that’s how big pop songs sound. This is the opposite of Katy Perry doing carpool karaoke. It’s acoustic, unadorned versions of songs that long for mainstream gloss and glamor.

Jennifer Kelly

The Koreatown Oddity — “Breastmilk” b/w “My Name Is Dominique” (Stones Throw)

Breastmilk by The Koreatown Oddity

“I got the hook-up from my baby mama / While you fetish freaks get it off the black market.” If the cover art left any room for doubt, the lyrics soon make it clear that Dominique Purdy’s approach to the subject of his latest single is every bit as literal as it is cartoonish. While albums like last year’s Little Dominiques Nosebleed put the Koreatown Oddity’s powers as a storyteller on full display, the rapper’s rhetorical mode here is ostensibly argumentative, with appeals to the all-naturalness — and deliciousness — of his preferred “regimen”:“You looking at me like I’m a strange human / But you drinking cow’s milk — fuck is you doing?” In the space of just two and a half minutes, he also achieves a hilarious upending of a range of hip-hop tropes, from the objectification of women to the glorification of illicit substances, not to mention MC braggadocio. There may even be a comment on fatherhood in there, too, for anyone who really wants to go looking.

The b-side of the 7” offers something different altogether, a stiff-legged but hypnotic beat beset by periodic electronic splatters and the somewhat manic refrain: “My name is Dominique and I’m a fresh musician.” Indeed.

Eric McDowell

Bobby Lee — Origin Myths (Tompkins Square)

Origin Myths by Bobby Lee

A swamp-gassed shimmer hangs over Bobby Lee’s electric blues, as notes bloom and waver and subside like ghostly lights in a humid dusk. Bobby Lee, the man, lives in Sheffield, England, but his music dwells in some lysergic delta, in the south but not entirely of it or anywhere else. Listen to the way that notes flicker in the steady runs of “Broken Prayer Stick,” a regular cadence of them left to warp and wander in steamy sunshine. Or the way that sustained tones drift like seaweed in “Looking for Pine and Obsidian,” losing themselves in thickets of overtone and echo. Bobby Lee would likely find a kindred spirit in Tarotplane’s PJ Dorsey or in William Tyler in a transcendental mood. Like them, his blues drift towards revelation but very, very slowly.

Jennifer Kelly

Nashville Ambient Ensemble — Cerulean (Centripetal Force)

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Thinking of Nashville doesn't typically bring to mind ambient music, nor does the image of pedal steel guitar typically suggest the work of an electronic composer. Nashville Ambient Ensemble, though, mixes those elements. What makes the group's debut album Cerulean feel special isn't its oddness — other acts, of course, do this sort of dreamy work — but that the Nashville elements remain so present. Pedal steel player Luke Schneider does much of the work to create that feel. The instrument itself has long since moved out of its traditional settings (a quick dip into the music of Susan Alcorn, for example, can prompt a fun rabbit trail of the guitar far removed from Western swing), but composer Michael Hix and this group enjoyably maintain the country signifiers even while moving into far spacier terrain. Some of the album pushes toward psychedelic swirls, but the ensemble restrains these gestures. As they head west out of Nashville, they resist simply playing a given genre with a gimmick. Cerulean isn't spaced out country, and it isn't twanged-up ambient. Instead, the group develops its own curious space.

Justin Cober-Lake

Neutrals — "Personal Computing” b/w “In the Future” (Slumberland)

Personal Computing by neutrals

The clever punk lifers in Neutrals upload two incisive songs about technology here. The a-side, “Personal Technology,” bashes antically through a tale of a young man with an, ahem, very committed relationship with computer paraphernalia, amid crashing, Clash-like chords and rumbling bass and drums. As noted when Neutrals’ 2020 EP Rent/Your House pried Dusted’s Jonathan Shaw away from black metal mid-last year, the front-person Allan McNaughton retains a Glaswegian accent, despite decades stateside, which gives these two cuts a rough Northern post-punk glamor. But the obsession with last year’s state-of-the-art, the excruciating torture of “loading,” is all Silicon Valley, enjoying BDSM with its peripherals. The b-side takes a somewhat more expansive view of technology, asking a la Dan Melchior what happened to the flying cars we were promised. Both are sharp and stinging and utterly catchy. I’d call it old school except for its fascination with the new.

Jennifer Kelly

Nun Gun — Mondo Decay (Algiers Recordings/Witty Books)

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Mondo Decay is the audio component of a recent collaboration between Algiers’ multi-instrumentalist Lee Tesche and visual artist Brad Feuerheim (who drums on four of the tracks). The two bonded over a mutual love of 1970s Italian cannibal zombie films and their soundtracks. Joined by fellow Algiers member Ryan Mahan and a roster of guest vocalists including Mark Stewart (The Pop Group), ONO and Mourning [A] BLKstar, Tesche reconfigures the soundtracks to make explicit the connections between present conditions and the socio-political turmoil that informed the original films. Musically that means claustrophobic dub inflected industrial grind, hip-hop influenced cut-ups, mutant disco and plenty of noirish saxophone. Nun Gun emphasizes atmospheric atrophy and deliberate decay with great and pointed effect to create a terrifically dark soundtrack to accompany the book of Feuerheim’s bleak photographs of post-industrial malaise.

Andrew Forell

Oui Ennui — Virga/Recrudescence (self-released)

Virga/Recrudescence by Oui Ennui

In the words that accompany the release of Jonn Wallen’s second album of 2021, he says that “when rationalizing yet another synthesizer purchase, I've often remarked to myself, ‘Well why wouldn't I want that color? I'll have it.’” It’s that attachment to messing around with new toys, a mass of streaks of rain appearing to hang under a cloud and evaporating before reaching the ground (“Virga”), the recurrence of an undesirable condition (“Recrudescence”), and what seems to be a whole lot of Brian Eno (“Oblique Strategies”) that informs these two extended avant-garde digressions. “Virga” is a roaring 24-minute star birth that veers into plinking helicopter rotaries without warning at one point, while “Recrudescence” covers more ground both literal (it’s 39 minutes) and figurative (woodland creatures, Space Age percolations and various rhythms sprout up throughout). Likely better experienced at high volume in a small club setting, we’ll have to settle instead for our headphones barely handling another intriguing development in the ongoing Oui Ennui experiment. How long before DFA co-founder Jonathan Galkin stops lurking in his Bandcamp buys and starts offering him a deal, I wonder?

Patrick Masterson

Payroll Giovanni \ Cardo — Another Day Another Dollar (BYLUG Entertainment)

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At some point in his career, Payroll Giovanni switched from worker to boss. His new album with the producer Cardo is another chapter in the Boss of All Bosses saga. Songs on the CD approximate the language of business manuals and the cheap sloganeering of workers union reps. Work harder, save more, invest, save again — the usual tips handed down to the unfortunate few who didn’t make it like Payroll did. By the middle of the album, you start to feel like you are at a stakeholders meeting where the CEO went for rapping instead of a PowerPoint presentation. When the rapper fails, it’s hardly the producer’s fault, so Cardo just plays up to Payroll with lazy, muzak-ish beats.

Ray Garraty

Rio da Yung Og \ Nuez — Life of a Yung Og (Southern Giants/Ghetto Boyz)

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Rio da Yung Og has been working with a lot of producers (and quite a few of them later got their fame because of it), but up until now he hasn’t released a collaboration with a single producer. His EP with Nuez came out of nowhere but it is a nice change of beats. Up to now, Rio has mostly recorded his raps with very bassy beats. Nuez provides a Southern vibe, more relaxed and less heavy on the bass, which allows to Rio shine. At this point it’s evident that Rio da Yung Og saves his best lines for his solo work (just compare this EP with simultaneously released Heatcheck EP, a collaborative work with artists of varying degrees of talent). In fact, the whole 21 minutes seem to be recorded in one single sleepless studio session with Rio freestyling his way through under the heavy influence of lean. This is Rio at his most desperate, just before his five-year bid in the federal pen. On “Whatchu Need” and “Last Call” (thanks to Nuez’s production) he sounds close to the early Scarface in a paranoid mode.

Ray Garraty

Ben Roidl-Ward and Zachary Good — arb (Carrier)

arb by Zachary Good and Ben Roidl-Ward

A decade back, bassoonist Ben Roidl-Ward and clarinetist Zachary Good were students at Oberlin College. The two friends formed a duo, The Arboretum, which performed new works. Nowadays they teach and perform separately, but share an apartment in Chicago. When the city got locked down and their gigs dried up, they revived the band, after a fashion. The six pieces on arb (named after that first project), which clocks in at just under half an hour, focus on a single musical phenomenon. Each musician plays sustained multiphonics (a technique whereby a horn player sings or hums a note while playing another) that are pitched close enough that their sounds interfere as well as blend with one another. The interactions can be dramatic; on “Guby,” the clarinet sounds like it is keying morse code into the fabric of the bassoon’s timbres. Listening to this music is a bit like staring at a heat mirage; the harder and longer you focus, the less certain you are of your own perceptions.

Bill Meyer.

Rotura — Estamos Fracasando (Self-released)

Estamos fracasando by Rotura

This new EP of melodic anarcho-punk from Barcelona is deceptively breezy stuff. Rotura’s guitars have some crunch and the rhythm section is tight — think Subhumans c. Rats meets Orange County in 1982. But the alto vocals of Silvia (no last names provided) are clean and tuneful, and there are seductive hooks galore. All the musical excitements and pleasures contrast with the intense reports of misery and struggle in the lyrics. “Pisadas (Confinament)” sounds like a COVID-period song, documenting the sound of footsteps resounding through a network of deserted streets and abandoned shops; “Sobrevivir”engages the manifold alienations and inhumanities that attend the refugee crisis in Europe’s Mediterranean nations. Upbeats subjects, those ain’t. But the music keeps your hips shaking and your head nodding. Rotura constructs lively sonic spaces in which to encounter some sharply political punk discourse. One of the EP’s best songs is “Palabras,” which sets to music a poem included in Svetlana Alexandrovna Alexievich’s The Unwomanly Face of War (1987); like much of that book, “Palabras” speaks in the voice of a female combat veteran of the Soviet Army, one who served in World War II. It’s a terrific song, from a very good punk record.

Jonathan Shaw

Sahara — The Curse (Regain Records)

The Curse by Sahara

Argentine miscreants Sahara bill themselves as a “stoner doom” band, and one wonders why anybody would willingly self-apply a label so surpassingly stupid to music they made and presumably care about. The middle-schooler-with-a-magic-marker degree of technical polish on the art for the cassette’s j-card doubles down on the crispy-fried semiotics — but sort of lovably so. This reviewer was rather charmed. If you can penetrate the choking layers of weed smoke and unironic hesherdom to press play, you may be pleasantly surprised. Sahara’s songs don’t evoke Kyuss or Acid Witch nearly so much as Blue Cheer, and that’s a really good thing. It’s power-trio, bluesy-boogie music, played by dudes who cut their teeth on Master of Reality and No Sleep ‘til Hammersmith (with just a little Physical Graffiti in the mix, for the boogie). While no wheels are being reinvented (or competently balanced, for that matter), there’s a winning rawker quality to the enterprise, kicked up a notch or three by the unambiguously great time these guys are having playing the tunes. It won’t be for everyone: it sounds like it was recorded in someone’s Dad’s garage, and the songs have titles like “Altar of Sacrifice” and “The Curse (instrumental).” But if you love the fact that they included “(instrumental)” in parens, it could be for you. Buyer beware: when listening, you may find yourself suddenly craving a sheet of brownies. The entire sheet.

Jonathan Shaw

Bernard Santacruz / Michael Zerang — Cardinal Point (Fundacja Sluchaj)

Cardinal Point by Bernard Santacruz & Michael Zerang

French bassist Bernard Santacruz and Assyrian-American percussionist Michael Zerang have encountered each other in larger ensembles on either side of the ocean since the turn of the century, but it took them until the autumn of 2019 to record a distillation of their musical concord. Beyond their shared history, they are matched in depth of experience. Both were born in the latter half of the 1950s, and each has passed through a myriad of improvisational settings on their way to developing their respective styles. Santacruz is an economical player with a beautiful, rounded tone. Zerang can supply whatever rhythm you need, but whenever freed from time-keeping requirements, he gravitates to sounds that project the movement and friction required to make them. So, while this is a record made with drums and a double bass, it’s by no means a groove-bound affair; melodic fragments confront seething ruptures, and strings and skins knot together into thickets of texture. Each man maintains his individuality while they jointly solve the problems of collaborative music-making.

Bill Meyer

Ignaz Schick & Oliver Steidle — ILOG2 (Zarek)

ILOG2 by Ignaz Schick & Oliver Steidle

These two German gentlemen lay down a bizarre yet intriguing hybrid of free jazz, hip hop and musique concrète on their sophomore effort as a duo. Schick is a serial collaborator who divides his time between turntablism and saxophone skronk. Steidle, on the other hand, is rooted in the free jazz world as a drummer. Together they conjure two distinct modes: ADHD-inspired percussion-and-noise workouts and atmospheric electronics-forward soundscapes. Between these two disparate personalities, the more aggressive one tends to dominate. It’s in this high-energy state that the duo dwells in the worlds of hip hop, jungle and free jazz. Steidle’s drumming is out in front, as he deftly throws himself around the kit with the enthusiasm of Lightning Bolt’s Brian Chippendale. Schick takes an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to noise-making. His Bomb Squad-meets-Pierre Schaeffer method of weaving snippets of speech, instrumental passages, drones, and blasts of noise is the perfect foil for Steidle’s frenetic skin-pounding. Schick and Steidle tug at the outer limits of beat-making with their unusual blend of electro-acoustic sound, and while they let a slight touch of the ethereal temper their blaze, the sparks still fly.

Bryon Hayes

John Tejada — Year Of The Living Dead (Kompakt)

Year Of The Living Dead by John Tejada

On Year Of The Living Dead, John Tejada chases the human through machines, seeking the traces of connection and shadows of loss blurred by the conditions we continue to live through. His minimal dub-inflected techno is immaculately produced and composed rather than constructed. Suffused with warmth and emotional depth, Tejada employs a sonic palette the elasticity of which makes his music generously expansive and resonant. Melancholy chord progressions, heartbeat percussion, a bottom end in turns ominous and cocooning. The 4X4 structure provides a framework in which Tejada is free to focus on the granular aspects of tone, pitch, ebb and flow so that while on the surface his brand of microhouse may sound “all the same” there is both plenty of interest for home listeners and danceable beats for the more active. There’s no abrasion here, no confrontation, little to challenge but Tejada’s music moves along with the relentless soft power of molten molasses.

Andrew Forell

Tree — Soul Trap (self-released)

SOUL TRAP by TREE

Tremaine Johnson is one of those heads who’s been around the block. He’s gotten that MTV airtime, he’s done records with Chris Crack and Vic Spencer, he’s outlasted a car company that sponsored one of his EPs, he’s performed at Pitchfork. But maybe more than anything, the Chicago rapper and producer wants to make sure he doesn’t forget his roots as the father of “soul trap” — and you don’t, either. Following steadily on from 2020’s abbreviated The Blue Tape and nearly two years on from his last proper full-length We Grown Now, Tree has lost none of his step as he rounds 40 years aboard this tainted orb exuding the confidence of a relaxed auteur rowing through verses and songs at his own pace; his sandpaper vocals sound at ease with his beats as he addresses negotiating parenthood, bills, the creation and maintenance of his art. Though these tracks had reportedly been sitting around for years before Soul Trap’s release, listening to this album only goes to serve the greater point that the man has a style out of step and time with his contemporaries. That’s worth more than remembering; it’s worth celebrating.

Patrick Masterson

Dave Tucker / Pat Thomas / Thurston Moore / Mark Sanders — Educated Guess (577 Records)

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Hale, hearty, and steeped in the lore of a multitude of American underground art movements, Thurston Moore always seemed like a guy who was creatively rooted in his native soil. But he seems to have found solid footing since moving to England. On this record, he fits right into an improvising ensemble that is composed of Café Oto regulars. Keyboardist Pat Thomas, drummer Mark Sanders and guitarist and electronic musician Dave Tucker, who convened the quartet, are all long-standing members of London’s improvised music scene. But Moore, a punk from way back when, was probably quite tickled that Tucker played with the Fall for a brief spell in 1981. The sound they develop over the course of this set is pleasingly unbounded, with fragments of monster movie sound design and some jungle-style drum machine beats that could have been pulled from a pirate radio broadcast in 1994 sharing space with cavernous prepared piano, restless percussive exploration, and Moore sounding just like himself, but respectfully restrained when the moment demands.

Bill Meyer

Karima Walker — Waking the Dreaming Body (Keeled Scales)

Waking the Dreaming Body by Karima Walker

Karima Walker’s second album considers the full-ness of empty space. Her songs, if that’s what they are, arise out of soft, slow drones that fluctuate in a natural way, like tides or winds or aurora borealis. They incorporate natural desert sounds captured from near at hand as she locked down in Arizona, and they unfold in a sublimely gradual way as if, like the growth of plants, the movement of continents, the melting of snow, they cannot be rushed but must proceed on their own terms. She sings, a bit, in brief, dream-haunted phrases that seem as distant and unknowable as the organ tones that swell around her. “Reconstellated” best represents her eerie blend of human and electronic sounds, internal dialogue and the wide spaces of the natural world. She murmurs, “Sonoran sky plays a movie/Draw a line to the stars inside of me/Write it down, tell your friends/I know where I am but I can’t tell where I started,” against a blipping, percolating atmosphere. The title track is, by contrast, several orders folkier and more conventional, a gentle conjunction of acoustic guitar and Walker’s clear, trilling soprano, as she considers the way the ineffable intersects with the mundane. “Seems every morning starts the same way, waking the dreaming body,” she croons in this track near the end of the album, coming up into the daylight after a long nocturnal exploration.

Jennifer Kelly

Whisker — Moon Mood (Husky Pants)

Moon Mood by Whisker

Bassist Andrew Scott Young and multi-instrumentalist Ben Billington are luminaries of Chicago’s experimental jazz and electronic scenes as members of Tiger Hatchery, soloists and collaborators with a range of local groups. In Moon Mood the duo performs two lengthy improvisations for double bass and electronics. Young’s bass is to the fore, and his bow work is particularly expressive as he explores the registers of his instrument. Billington works a number of patches to interpolate all nature of blips and plinks and squelchy runs that respond to and interrogate the bass. The workouts are as much an investigation of sonic limits as a demonstration of the sympathetic interaction between natural and artificial sounds, if that is even a worthwhile dichotomy these days. Moon Mood is a fascinating conversation well worth eavesdropping on.

Andrew Forell

Wode — Burn in Many Mirrors (20 Buck Spin)

Burn In Many Mirrors by Wode

The guys in Manchester-based band Wode play black metal, but they don’t wear corpsepaint or futz around with severed goat’s heads and candelabras. That’s a good thing, because their music has bombast aplenty. Any additional theatrics might send the project over into a species of irritating kitsch. When Wode’s music works — as it does on “Lunar Madness,” the first track on the band’s latest LP, Burn in Many Mirrors — it’s muscular stuff, with terrific momentum and gut-thudding energy. Throughout the song, vocalist Michael Czerwoniuk does his usual stuff, chewing the sonic scenery, plentiful groans and gurgles punctuating all his shouting. Even in the maximalist context of black metal vocals, he’s a handful. But on “Lunar Madness,” there’s enough interest and excitement generated by the rhythms and riffs to offset his histrionics. A couple songs on the record are shaped by oft-handled forms, and rely overmuch on Czerwoniuk’s outsized presence; upon listening to “Fire in the Hills,” you may find yourself flashing on the self-parodic antics of Jim Dandy Mangrum, or on metal heroics that were already tired on records like Bark at the Moon. That’s too bad. When Wode clicks as a unit, they can make compelling sounds. “Sulphuric Glow” moves at a dead run for nearly the entirety of its five minutes, and while Czerwoniuk’s vocal stylings are still a bit much, the riffs are fluid and furious. If he could just dial stuff back to 11, folks might be able hear the rest of the band. They’re pretty good.

Jonathan Shaw

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