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[ronnyramone]

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[umamidaddy]

Killer of Sheep (Charles Burnett, 1978) X “Auditorium” (Mos Def & Madlib, 2009)

A landmark in black cinema that was rarely seen mixed with an all-time great hip hop track that is now stuck in streaming purgatory over label disputes. This film was a labor of love by Charles Burnett who wrote, directed, shot, and edited this film, which unfolds like a Los Angeles version of Italian neo-realism with vignettes that show multiple generations of regular everyday life with the affects of poverty and “urban renewal.” The Madlib-produced Mos Def track from The Ecstatic, is a natural pairing as the album’s cover is taken from the roof-jumping kids in the film.

[dustedmagazine]

Dust, Volume 10, Number 7

Obsessed with Congo Funk in this month's dust

Without getting too deep into American electoral politics, let’s just say that we’ve been distracted lately.  We’ve been mired in the slough of despair, frantic in our bargaining with god and lately, a feeling fresh breeze of optimism—it’s been so long, we hardly recognized it.  But despite all that, the records keep coming, and we do our best to deal with them, not always with a fulsome 300-400 word review, but sometimes briefly, as here, in another edition of Dust.  This month, we cover the run of it, from fictional characters that somehow participate in bands, to guitarists on synth holiday to vintage Swedish death metal reissued and more.  Participants this time out include Jennifer Kelly, Byron Hayes, Bill Meyer, Jonathan Shaw, Christian Carey, Andrew Forell, Roz Milner and Ian Mathers. 

Apifera — Keep the Outside Open (Stones Throw)

Four Israeli jazzmen take a jaunt through psychedelic rock and prog, incorporating trippy vocals and squalling synth runs into a space-age fusion.  The musicians— Nitai Hershkovits on keyboards, the beatmaker (and evident link to Stones Throw) Yuvi Havkin, drummer Amir Bresler and guitarist Yonatan Albalak—have spent their careers crossing jazz with funk, hip hop and rock.   Here they push it even further with vocal tracks that hardly sound like jazz at all.  Trippy “Iris Is Neil,” for instance, delivers the title phrase in a keening vocal chant, as explosions of percussion go off like firecrackers on a string.  Squiggles of synth, arcs of electric guitar reach for the epic, but in a manner more like Yes or ELP than Return to Forever.  “Lucky Zoe” delves further into psychedelic pop, its wavery keyboards framing fanciful whimsies a la “Lucy in the Sky.”  “Theodor Marmalade” thumps a funky beat behind flourishes of keys and vocal narratives about desert fauna.  “Don’t you want to see the floating lights?” the cut inquires, and yes, I can just about make out strange, glowing objects in the sky. The instrumental pieces have a more conventionally jazzy feel; “I Love ECM” makes it case with light-fingered syncopations on rims and cymbals, liquid loops of bass and ice-chilled runs of electric keyboard.  “Sera Sam,” at the end, brings on the trumpeter Avishai Cohen for a lyrical turn.   

Jennifer Kelly

Majesty Crush — Butterflies Don’t Go Away

(Numero Group)

Butterflies Don't Go Away by Majesty Crush

A double LP or digital download from Detroit’s own Majesty Crush, the motor city’s answer to the sounds coming out on 4AD. With dreamy vocals by David Stroughter about being an obsessive fan or about bad relationships and a rhythm section kicking up a swirl of noise around him, Majesty Crush brings to mind about a dozen English bands without feeling particularly in debt to any specific group. Occasionally the guitar makes a really cool, almost crunchy sound, but mostly the music moves in the fog, blanketing the vocals in layers of distortion. They lack the fey lyricism of the Cocteau Twins or the dreamy harmonies of Lush but guitarist Michel Segal holds his own against Kevin Shields’s sheets of sound. Meanwhile, they invoke David Hinckley on “No. 1 Fan,” wake up with a bottle and a cigar in hand on “Brand” and dip into ambient spaces on three small interludes. The first half is made of their lone album Love 15, while sides three and four contain an early EP and singles, putting pretty much their entire catalog into one handy set. These Detroit guys seem unjustly forgotten, but thankfully Numero’s made their music easy to find.

Roz Milner

Dennis Callaci & Heimito Künst — First Light (Pass Without Trace)

Heimito Künst is one of many characters in Chilean novelist Roberto Bolaño’s The Savage Detectives, a tangled multi-narrative epic. The enigmatic Italian musician who produced the sounds underpinning First Light has adopted Heimito Künst as his pseudonym, likely in reference to the knotty soundscapes he builds from organs, synths and field recordings. On paper, Dennis Callaci’s lyrics and vocals seem like an odd pairing for Künst’s oblique audio collages. Callaci is half of the long-running lo-fi pop project Refrigerator and has helmed the Shrimper label for over three decades. His signature mid-range nasal utterances, more spoken than sung, populate the extraterrestrial ecosystems of Künst like strange seedlings peeping up from beneath loamy soil. First Light serves as a bridge between the mysterious and the familiar, another worthy entry in Callaci’s discography and a port of entry into an unknown artist’s body of work. 

Bryon Hayes

Buck Curran — The Long Distance (Eiderdown/Obsolete)

Buck Curran is a guitar devotee. He’s a fluent player, a custodian of historic instruments, a chronicler of esteemed players and a compiler of albums that pay tribute to others. But sometimes a guy just needs a change of pace; enter The Long Distance. Mostly competed in a single night, it’s Curran’s holiday from the guitar. Instead, he plays analog synthesizer, layering sweeping tones and helicopter-rotor cadences into something rather like a lost Tangerine Dream album. Curran explains in the album notes that each piece is connected to a memory of a person or place, which may explain the melodies’ intimations of yearning and melancholy. But if you’re not Curran, they might evoke other associations; this music could easily be repurposed for film soundtracks.

Bill Meyer

Rhodri Davies — Telyn Wrachïod (Amgen)

Back in the mid-20th century, kids motorized their bikes with clothes pins and playing cards. The customization might not have yielded much additional propulsion, but the sound was cool. It turns out that they were simply following in the footsteps of 16th century Welsh harpists, who attached brays (slips of wood) to their strings to get a loud, buzzing sound. Rhodri Davies has explored the harp’s options in all manner of settings — Fluxus happenings, minimalist compositions, rock bands, free improv ensembles, the list goes on. Recently he’s commissioned speculative recreations of instruments from centuries ago, which he then uses to play the sort of short, wheels-within-wheels pieces that he formerly played with instruments amplified to a Konono No. 1-level of distortion.  On Telyn Wrachïod he turns to the bray harp, which sounds rather like a cross between a banjo and a sitar. Each of its 12 tracks is spiky but so engrossing that you might find yourself hitting repeat a few times before you move on to the next one.

Bill Meyer

Desultory — Darkness Falls (The Early Years) (Darkness Shall Rise)

The repackaging and re-release of underground metal’s extensive archive of hyper-obscure demos and records continues apace. Darkness Falls (The Early Years) collects three demos from Swedish death metal outfit Desultory, originally independently issued on cassettes between 1990 and 1992. The record’s principal interest is its documentation of the sonic flexibility that informed the term “death metal” in the early 1990s; there’s just as much lightning thrash in these songs as there is moldering morbidity, especially the four engaging tracks on the band’s first demo, From Beyond (1990). The title track is especially pleasurable, in its sprinting, bludgeoning fashion — and this reviewer notes the added benefit of the title’s reference to an excellent H. P. Lovecraft story (is that you, Cthulhu?). Swedeath completists take heed. For the rest of us, it’s a fun release, and of some historical interest. Its relative necessity is open to debate — but hey, we didn’t really need that reissue version of Pig Destroyer’s Painter of Dead Girls on “black ice with metallic silver glitter” vinyl, either. Maybe Darkness Shall Rise should get some points for only releasing four different product versions of Darkness Falls….

Jonathan Shaw

Devouring the Guilt — Not To Want To Say (Kettle Hole)

Devouring The Guilt is a Chicago-associated (meaning two members live there and one moved away but remains connected) improvising trio. The line-up is pretty classic — Gerrit Hatcher on tenor sax, Eli Namay on bass, Bill Harris on drums. And so are the trio’s roots. Hatcher summons a burly tone, steers mostly clear of extended techniques, and gives occasional nods to free jazz heroes like Archie Shepp, Frank Wright and Frank Lowe. These familiar parameters establish a framework to display their collective originality, which lies in the personal vernacular they’ve fashioned. Namay is an alternately pithy and seething presence, plucking spare, structure-defining figures or bowing a maelstrom of woody sound. Harris pushes back against expectations that the drums should push the music forward by punctuating his clearly articulated attack with lots of negative space. Hatcher situates lyricism in long, understated tones and vigorously masticated phases, but also navigates unpredictably through the tight corners and sudden gaps that the other two set up.

Bill Meyer

Carol Genetti / Peter Maunu — Gleaners (Amalgam)

No matter how you approach it, Gleaners will stretch your mind. Just what are Carol Genetti (voice, electronics) and Peter Maunu (guitar, violin, mandolin) gleaning? Not other people’s music, that’s for sure. Maybe the languages of long-extinct species, confidences exchanged between dusty appliances that come to life after the staff leaves the thrift shop, ideas about what instruments might sound like if you see them in pictures. Even when Maunu resorts to rock-ish fuzztones or Genetti exhales an unspooling coo, their co-creations are resolutely sui generis.  Their partnership has been honed through years of regular performance, often with other Chicago-based musicians, which likely explains the brisk confidence that this resolutely abstract music exudes. Genetti is a ceramic artist as well as a musician, and the physical manifestation of this album comes in two forms. She made ten one-of-a-kind clay cases that you can mount on a wall; the regular CDs come in a folio adorned with close-ups of the art edition.

Bill Meyer

Dave Douglas — GIFTS (Greenleaf Music)

GIFTS by Dave Douglas

With sizzling guitar lines and a frontline horn duo of Douglas and James Brandon Lewis, you’d think it would be easy for this to be a mere blowing session. But it’s not. The music is frequently introspective and has a very ECM kind of ambience: it has this wide-angle sonic clarity where each instrument has room to breathe and let their notes slowly linger. The suite of Strayhorn songs in the middle doesn’t feel tired, either. Rafiq Bhatia’s chugging guitar keeps “Take the A Train” moving while Douglas and Lewis move in sync for the theme. When they stretch out, they’re sometimes playing against each other but always seem like they’re on the same page. Meanwhile Bhatia’s playing draws on Bill Frisell, making up for the lack of a low end with well-placed chords and sonic textures. These four make the music their own and it’s one of the year's most rewarding jazz records. 

Roz Milner

Samara Lubelski & Marcia Bassett — Indexical/Rhizome (Relative Pitch)

Samara Lubelski and Marcia Bassett are both well-established members of the U.S. scene that engendered the moniker “new weird America” back in the early aughts. Both have CVs that stretch on for miles. Lubelski is best known as a star in the MV&EE solar system, while Bassett churns out murkier sound pools in a variety of projects, such as Double Leopards and Hototogisu. The pair have a long-standing partnership unfurling phosphorescent drone webs through guitar and violin. This is their eighth recording, and it presents two extended string seances that coax electric spirit whisps from unseen worlds. “Indexical” is the lengthier of the pair and features zoned out but controlled guitar howl from Bassett alongside Lubelski’s rapid bowing. The undulations intertwine to become a radiant lattice of sound. Alien timbres infect “Rhizome,” which sways between a noise-drone wall of sound and hushed electronic whispers. Both are live recordings, showing off the raw magic that this pair of string sirens can conjure.

Bryon Hayes

Joe McPhee With Ken Vandermark — Musings Of A Bahamian Son (Corbett Vs. Dempsey)

Joe McPhee’s been toting folders full of poems and brief musings to gigs for years, but in recent years they’ve assumed an increasingly prominent place in his performances. Now, he’s finally put 28 of them on record, punctuated with nine short soprano sax/clarinet interludes that he improvised with Ken Vandermark. Oppression gets defied, history acknowledged, but most of all, love gets its due. McPhee muses about folks from the neighborhood, jazz heroes that inspired him, old friends now gone, and the balm and galvanization imparted by music itself. Abstract but tender, the interludes amplify this sentiment, showing by example how much appreciation for life and fellowship can be invested in a few tones.

Bill Meyer

Kate Nash — 9 Sad Symphonies (Kill Rock Stars)

On 9 Sad Symphonies, Kate Nash leans into her musical theater background, with skillfully crafted arrangements that incorporate classical orchestrations reminiscent of the film musicals from the 1930s-1950s.  As on most of her albums, she tweaks her sound and musical partners, here working with producer Frederik Thaae. There is a sauciness to her lyrics, which even go so far as describing lunch breaks in toilets. All is not a lark. Nash seeks to exorcize personal demons on “Vampyre” and “My Bile '' is a bracing assessment of a broken relationship. 9 Sad Symphonies may have a bucolic surface, but the singer-songwriter ventures down dark pathways where stars of the Silver Screen would have likely feared to go.

Christian Carey

Occulta Veritas — Irreducible Fear of the Sublime (I, Voidhanger)

Occulta Veritas plays an avant-garde variety of black metal, long on complexity and idiosyncratic compositional sensibilities. It’s abrasive and disorienting, and not especially fun to listen to — which yes, that’s the point, but there’s a huge amount of this sort of thing circulating through the metal underground at any given point, and deliberately distancing music from listeners’ parameters for pleasure can be a tough prospect in that oversaturated context. For this reviewer, the record’s engagement with the theoretical concepts of Jacques Lacan (big-deal psychoanalyst, post-structural Daddy and important player in France’s academic politics of the mid-20th century) helps Irreducible Fear of the Sublime stand out. It’s pretty great that one of the songs is called “Metonimia,” since Lacan’s projection of metonymy along a diachronic axis of spatio-temporal relations fits the music’s tortured snarls and chaotic, off-kilter arrangements. The utterances want to go somewhere, but the structures those utterances are trapped in make meaningful progress a near impossibility. It would be even better to have a lyric sheet, to get more than just the tantalizing engagements with Lacan provided in song titles (“The Mirror Stage,” “Bound to Incompleteness” and so on). There’s an overheated quality to the record that’s additionally compelling: This is your brain; this is your brain on Lacan. But it would be useful to know what specific ideas accompany specific sounds and turns in the music’s syntax. Or is it all just sound and fury, signifying nothing?

Jonathan Shaw

J. Pavone String Ensemble

Reverse Bloom by Jessica Pavone

The current edition of Jessia Pavone’s String Ensemble is reduced to essentials. There are just three players including Pavone, who plays viola, Aimée Niemann on violin, and Abby Swidler switching between those two instruments. The language is likewise paired down on Reverse Bloom. The first two pieces (of four) emphasize long tones that hiss and sigh at a deliberate pace, evoking an uneasy state. “Obstructed Current” pushes against the prevailing vibe with jolting, energetic phrases that move joltingly out of synch. The closing piece, “Embers Slumber,” likewise explores contrasting elements, which resolve by settling into a deliberate, belly-breathing rhythm. The album charts a course towards a grounded state that’s not so much a happy ending as a sonic enactment of the honest word that gets you through.

Bill Meyer

Keith Rowe / Gerard Lebik — Dry Mountain (Inexhaustible Editions)

Dry Mountain by Keith Rowe / Gerard Lebik

Despite having his name on the spine, Keith Rowe did not play on this record. However, he did originate the process of sound (re)imagining that it presents, and his cover image of a wiggling digit raises the question — how deep does a fingerprint go? The score of Dry Mountain originated from the imprint Rowe’s gear left on a sheet of paper. Rowe and Gerard Lebik interpreted that score and then handed a recording of their performance to three visual artists, who created their own scores based on what they heard. These scores were then played by the group of electronics, string, and percussion players heard on this album while listeners drew responses to the music, which they then handed to the musicians, who played them on the spot. The further you get from the first piece heard, the further the music gets from Rowe’s sound world; in a reversal of Alvin Lucier’s I Am Sitting In A Room, the music gets segmented and defined.

Bill Meyer

D. Sablu — No True Silence  (Yes We Cannibal)

No True Silence by D.SABLU

D. Sablu is a New Orleans punk lifer, late of Casual Burns and Feverish, but forced (or inspired or motivated) by COVID to strike out on his own.  No True Silence is Sablu’s first full-length, and it’s a killer, a slaughterhouse frenzy of punk /garage/ hardcore and a little metal, all chopped up with chainsaws and spraying all over the walls.  Indeed, you’ll have to stand well back from the player when you first put the record on, because it leads with “Bomber Stomp,” a two-minute assault of lumbering, heavy punk that sways noticeably as it comes down on the ones and twos.  Sablu lets off a howl near the end that raises the hairs on my neck, because it’s so sulfurous and tortured.  “69 Forever” lights a new wave hook on fire with a blowtorch; it’s catchy as hell but blows you back with sheer volume and aggression.  The brief “World Peace” is pure, adrenalized chaos, drums galloping wildly, guitars flaring, bass buzzing and Sablu screaming “World pee-eeea-eace!” like a banshee.  Fun stuff.  Turn it up.

Jennifer Kelly

Mark Sims — Take Me Faster (Carousel Horse Records, Old 3-C Label Group, Anyway)

Take Me Faster by Mark Sims

Deindustrialization has hollowed out the Midwest’s economy, leaving shuttered factories and empty main streets all across the central American states.  Mark Sims, a bricklayer when he’s not performing, sings with the soft, wry melancholy of a man left behind by tectonic shifts, finding solace in well-turned melodies and plain-spoken turns of phrase.  It was fashionable half a decade ago to interview Ohioans in diners about their economic circumstances; Take Me Faster provides the same sort of snapshot of dislocation and disappearing opportunity.

For instance, in “Hold On To Me,” the narrator is driving long-distance to a job somewhere, trying to find a song on the radio and thinking about home.   “Money comes and goes so quickly/I could work a million hours/and still be broke when I die,” Sims confides, against a radiant lattice of picking. The song is unassuming, and kind of perfect, a distillation of the struggle to stay connected and human in a low-wage high-uncertainty economy.

The songs are simply arranged, a mesh of Sims’ dusky, resonant voice and acoustic guitar, mostly, with a little synth in the background for texture.  And yet, this is more than enough, as on the haunting “I’m Always by Your Side,” where Sims’  voice lifts up through the sadness, fluttering soulfully in the upper registers before drifting back to earth.  These songs don’t pull any tricks or do any somersaults, but they’re satisfying all the same. 

Jennifer Kelly

Jason Stein / Marilyn Crispell / Damon Smith / Adam Shead — Spi-raling Horn (Balance Point Acoustics/Irritable Mystic)

spi-raling horn by Jason Stein, Marilyn Crispell, Damon Smith, Adam Shead

The trio of Shead, Stein, and Smith first convened with the former two’s duo shared a bill with Smith. They recognized in each other a common aesthetic intent, a shared wish to improvise within a particular set of parameters; there’s no predetermined material, but a collective intention not to be confined to jazz. They’ve all listened closely to the great 20th century European free improvisers, and part of what they’ve taken from them is an intent to fashion their own language. There’s no soloing here, although occasionally someone will drop out if that’s what the music requires. And when they invite a fourth musician into the action, they participate as an equal contributor, not a featured guest. Marilyn Crispell’s associations with musicians as disparate as Barry Guy, Anthony Braxton and Joe Lovano reveal her to be an artist similarly concerned with fluent exchange, not ego-boosting display. But she’s also a stern bringer of velocity and complexity on this recording, which is the studio half of a single brief encounter which took place in Chicago in the middle of 2023. Dense assertion, abrasive texture, and bursting co-existence cohere into a seven-part sequence of collaborative invention.

Bill Meyer

SUSS — Birds & Beasts (Northern Spy)

Birds & Beasts by SUSS

Gorgeous hovering tones of pedal steel, guitar (with e bow), keyboards and synths coalesce in these cuts, each a glowing, vibrating meditation on the beauty and fragility of the natural world.  SUSS, from New York City, explores many of the same haunted textures as Chuck Johnson and Pan*American, letting sustained notes linger in shimmering layers of slow-moving sound.  “Overstory” encases picked acoustic notes in a translucent amber of pedal steel arcs and violin, letting the sound grow as slowly—and as enormously—as old growth forest.  “Flight” follows a more pronounced rhythm than other cuts, its steady pulse of strumming beating like wings on a long trip south.  The disc is not all sunshine, however.  “Prey” lurks in ominous buzzes and hums of feedback, building threat into dark-toned dissonance and animal screeches into wails of guitar.  The long closer, “Migration,” pulls taut with anticipation, its beat like a metronome, its melody unfurling in the wheeze of harmonica and the shifting twang of pedal steel.  SUSS often gets tagged as cosmic country, but which country?  Unearthly, luminous and beautiful. 

Jennifer Kelly

Their Divine Nerve — Return of the Lamb (Staalplaat)

The Return of the Lamb by Their Divine Nerve

Dmytro Fedorenko and Jeff Surak have been collaborating for about 20 years now, but this first album as Their Divine Nerve appears to be the first time the self-described “Ukrainian-American noise duo” have collaborated on record at length. But right from the churning, thumping 14+ minute opener “The Infinity Book” here it’s clear that their long association has led to a certain sympatico comfort with each other. Whether on the more overtly aggressive shredding (not guitar riffs, actual shredding) of “Glowing Skulls” or the more pensive, droning likes of “Dignityphobia,” here the pair have arranged a rich, expansive (71 minutes on CD, plus about another half hour in bonus material on digital) feast for anyone looking to add some variety to their noise diet. By the time the CD thunders and shudders to a half with “Civilization Was Never Civilized” the listener may not know anything more about the titular lamb, but it’s clear its return is momentous indeed.

Ian Mathers

Various Artists — Congo Funk: Sound Madness From The Shores Of The Mighty Congo River (Kinshasa/Brazzaville 1969-1982) (Analog Africa)

Congo Funk! - Sound Madness From The Shores Of The Mighty Congo River (Kinshasa/Brazzaville 1969-1982) (Analog Africa No. 38) by Analog Africa

Mobutu Sese Seko was a murderous tyrant, but he changed African music forever when he invited James Brown to play Zaire 74,  the three-day musical festival put on alongside George Forman and Muhammed Ali’s epic Rumble in the Jungle.  American funk transformed an already vibrant musical scene like a chemical catalyst setting off an explosion of electrified, psychedelic soul in Kinshasa and Brazzaville.  Congo Funk! collects 14 incendiary cuts from the 1970s and 1980s — culling from an original haul of over 2000 sounds — not a dud in the bunch and more than a couple of revelations.  M.B.T’s eponymous “M.B.T.’s Sound” is one of the best on this two-disc set, all brassy swagger and intricate polyrhythmic percussion, as is Orchestre National du Congo’s full-throated celebration “Ah Congo!” with its wild call and response, feral sax play and unhinged drumming.  Lolo et L'Orchestre O.K. Jazz’s “Lolo Soulfire,” sets up a Stax-like groove and lives in it, slouching and swaggering like Booker T in a fever.  Fire.

Jennifer Kelly

Ricki Weidenhof — Church (We Be Friends)

Church by Ricki Weidenhof

A member of Pittsburgh avant-collagists Sneeze Awfull, Ricki Weidenhof examines a life of religious ambivalence and search for identity on their solo album Church. Working through a range of styles that illustrate and amplify those themes, Weidenhof produces an emotionally rich and sometimes challenging fractal mosaic. The wonderfully titled suite “Raptured in Formal Violence” contrasts liturgical solemnity and a babel of religious voices with jittering house to capture that mixture of dread and ecstasy the Church so often induces. At the other of the scale “Dreary Field” is an Arthur Russell inspired idyll of acoustic guitar and cello as Weidenhof singsof the past “I finished that game of hide and seek long ago/Only it was still at play/I remember the last place I had hidden.” “Extinction Meditation” begins in a similar vein, the religious and personal entwined with vivid imagery, before a chaos of multi-tracked vocals, distorted beats, and razor strings. A powerful, heartfelt record that deserves a wide audience.

Andrew Forell

Wormed — Omegon (Season of Mist)

OMEGON by Wormed

It’s hard to say anything meaningful about Wormed — pretty much everything about the band is absurd, or at least verging on it. To identify some key elements of the absurdity: the “vocals” of Jose Luis Rey Sanchez (appearing on Omegon, as always, under the appropriately throaty appellation Phlegeton — Sanchez is likely referring to the mythic river, but all I can think of is phlegm…), for whom the unappetizing term “throat fart” might have been coined; the sheer nuttiness of the band’s tech death wankery, which the band has actually moderated a wee bit for Omegon; the fact that Wormed have been at it since 1999, mostly developing a continuous narrative of a fictional cosmos, full of conflict among evil extraterrestrial forces, multiple timelines and a protagonist named Krigshu (some song titles from this record are indicative: “Aetheric Transdimensionalization,” “Gravitational Servo Matrix,” “Virtual Teratogensis”). You figure it out. Beyond the music — more tech than slam, but still seeking some sort of apotheosis of that quality death metal freaks name “brutality” — what’s most engaging about Wormed is the band’s ability to sustain the absurdity and to seem absolute serious about it. Maybe that makes the Spanish band especially well-suited to our times. Or maybe we just haven’t gotten the joke yet.

Jonathan Shaw

[rabbitechoes]

better late than never!! this has been a hectic month, well i guess months now that we're into october, but i made it! hurricanes be damned, i'm getting this month in review post out!!! anyway, here is a compilation of all the reviews i've written this month - this time presented in chronological order of when i wrote them rather than ranked from best to worst. i also decided to remove the scores from these as i want people to focus more on my words than a silly number :3 to check out my thoughts on some of the songs that dropped this month click here!!! also feel free to follow me on rate your music and twitter <3

What's Wrong With New York? - The Dare

◇ released: Sept. 6, 2024 ◇ genres: new rave, electroclash, dance-punk

The Dare's debut is a well-produced, yet gimmicky dive into debauchery made by someone who would rather be at home listening to The Smiths on vinyl and reading some highly acclaimed postmodern literature.

my review of What's Wrong With New York?

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Manning Fireworks - MJ Lenderman

🥇 BEST ALBUM OF THE MONTH

◇ released: Sept. 6, 2024 ◇ genres: alt-country, slacker rock

MJ Lenderman's songwriting is drenched in personality and, above all else, very effective. he can make u laugh one moment and then deliver a line that hits u like a truck the next. his new record is fantastic.

my review of Manning Fireworks

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Endlessness - Nala Sinephro

◇ released: Sept. 6, 2024 ◇ genres: jazz fusion, space ambient, progressive electronic

with her brilliant sophomore album, Nala Sinephro has made a strong case for being perhaps the most exciting composer in both jazz and electronic music in the current decade.

my review of Endlessness

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Cascade - Floating Points

◇ released: Sept. 13, 2024 ◇ genres: tech house, IDM, progressive house

a few years after his magnificent collaboration with the late Pharoah Sanders, the new album from Floating Points is a retreat into the world of house music that has him further refining his skills.

my review of Cascade

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My Method Actor - Nilüfer Yanya

◇ released: Sept. 13, 2024 ◇ genres: indie rock, indietronica, bedroom pop

Nilüfer Yanya's amazing new record is defined by a bustling intimacy and warm, minimalist instrumentation that make these songs feel visceral in unconventional, but incredibly satisfying ways.

my review of My Method Actor

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143 - Katy Perry

◇ released: Sept. 20, 2024 ◇ genres: dance-pop, house, pop rap

Katy Perry hoped everyone would fall for this self-serving and desperate attempt at a comeback record so she wouldn’t be relegated to obscurity and the occasional greatest hits tour for the rest of her career.

my review of 143

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In Waves - Jamie xx

◇ released: Sept. 20, 2024 ◇ genres: house, future garage, progressive house

Jamie xx has returned with an album full of life-affirming house bangers that can inspire optimism even in those who are poisoned by cynicism.

my review of In Waves

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The Thief Next to Jesus - Ka

◇ released: Sept. 19, 2024 ◇ genres: drumless, east coast hip hop, abstract hip hop

this new record from Brooklyn rapper Ka is one of the most thoughtful and powerful rap releases of the year. everything from the lyrics, to the themes, to the storied production leaves a profound effect on u.

my review of The Thief Next to Jesus

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SOPHIE - SOPHIE

◇ released: Sept. 27, 2024 ◇ genres: EDM, bubblegum bass, ambient, dance pop, tech-house

the polarizing posthumous self-titled record from the late great SOPHIE is unfortunately a mixed bag. it's packed with ambitious ideas that unfortunately don't stick the landing.

my review of SOPHIE

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13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto With Bison Horn Grips - Xiu Xiu

◇ released: Sept. 27, 2024 ◇ genres: experimental rock, neo-psychedelia, post-industrial

Xiu Xiu's fourteenth album ranks among their best. it's concise, brilliant, and insane containing some of the strongest material of their storied and ambitious catalog.

my review of 13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto With Bison Horn Grips

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this section will be used to briefly discuss projects i didn't write full reviews for, but i still want to shed some light on. beginning with ...

RAVEPOP - r u s s e l b u c k

If you're in the mood for some playful, eccentric furry dance music look no further than RAVEPOP. There are some heaters on this thing. Namely the bouncy party-brained "TOO MANY PEOPLE" and the in-your-face stylings of "EVIL MUSIC for BAD DOGS." There's a lot to enjoy on this relatively short record. Not every song hit for me, but I think it's worth checking out!

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Russell Boring - JOBA

I was really looking forward to this record from BROCKHAMPTOM alum JOBA. The singles he released leading up to it were some of the strongest post-BH material from any of the former members. Unfortunately, those songs ended up being the clear highlights on the record. While not a bad record by any means, there's just so much potential left on the table. The focus on intimate ballads with a 70s-tinge wasn't the way to go, in my opinion. These songs pale in comparison to the bombastic, glamor of songs like "American Fever" and "People Need People." The latter being the best mixture of both the sweet and the glamorous. Overall, Russel Boring was a little underwhelming, but perhaps I set my expectations too high.

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Like All Before You - The Voidz

This record baffled me. This new record from The Voidz is a mess. Julian Casablancas and crew sound asleep at the wheel with these lazy, formless songs that just drone on and on and on. Hardly any song left any kind of lasting impression. It was just a painful listen, each cool moment is undercut by a litany of absolutely sleep-inducing ones. Like the A.I. album cover, Like All Before You feels lifeless and unimaginative.

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log off and go outside!! - NOISE ARTIFACT

This new EP from NOISE ARTIFACT is pretty awesome. A short collection of vulnerable electronica cuts that are full of surprises. These songs balance soul-bearing vulnerability with deeply enjoyable pop songwriting very well. A one-two punch of big feelings and catchy tunes. Definitely give this one a shot!

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Quiet Warp Xpress - RiTchie & FearDorian

A few months removed from RiTchie's debut solo record, which I thought was great, he teams up with 17-year old producer FearDorian for this EP. Quiet Warp Xpress features really cool production and beats, many of them feel pretty ahead of the curve, but what drags this EP down is RiTchie's performances. He doesn't give these beats the energy they deserve. They need a less lethargic presence to breathe more life into them. I love RiTchie's rapping, but this EP feels a bit like a clash of styles.

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[kickmag]

R.I.P. Quincy Jones

Music giant Quincy Jones died November 3rd at age 91 after battling pancreatic cancer. Jones' career spanned seven decades, starting in the 1950s' as a jazz arranger. He began recording solo albums in 1955 after touring Europe with multiple jazz orchestras and almost starving with his own band, The Jones Boys. By the late '50s, Jones had met Frank Sinatra, and six years later he started arranging and conducting the bands on his albums. The '60s also gave Jones the opportunity to produce hit pop records for singer Lesley Gore. He started scoring for films and wrote soundtracks for The Pawnbroker, In the Heat of the Night, In Cold Blood, The Italian Job, and the 1975 cult classic The Wiz, where he met Michael Jackson.  There were many other films he created music for and he famously produced The Color Purple in the '80s after discovering Oprah Winfrey. Television was another arena that benefitted from his music. Jones wrote the theme song for Sanford and Son and composed for the Roots miniseries and The Bill Cosby Show. No other African-American had the job of musical director and conductor of The Academy Awards before Jones. Mercury Records made him the first Black music executive when he was hired as the musical director of the company's New York division. 

The American public always connects him to his production work on Michael Jackson's most important solo albums, Off The Wall, Thriller, and Bad. Thriller has gone down in history as the best-selling album of all time. The '80s was the era when he released his album, The Dude, which had appearances from his goddaughter singer Patti Austin and James Ingram. It was Jones who brought together the biggest names in pop music for the "We Are The World" recording session to raise money for the Ethiopian famine in 1985. His trailblazing ways touched the world of hip-hop when he released his Back on the Block album in 1989, which had appearances from rappers Ice-T, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee, and Big Daddy Kane. Thirteen-year-old R&B singer Tevin Campbell got his big break singing the Jones' "Tomorrow (A Better You, Better Me)" on the album. Quincy Jones' reach expanded into television production in the '90s when he produced The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, which was Will Smith's first acting job, and In the House, which starred LL Cool J. He also produced The Jenny Jones Show and the comedy show Mad TV. In 1993, Jones co-founded Vibe magazine with David Salzman.  In his seven-decade career, his reach was felt in multiple genres of music and media. He even appeared as himself in several television shows. He was just as committed to his humanitarianism by lending his support to the NAACP, GLAAD, AmfAR, Peace Games, and Maybach Foundation. His We Are The Future project launched in 2004 to help poor children survive and pursue their dreams. Jones' accomplishments are too many to list because his contributions to pop music and culture are unlike any other artist before and after him.  He opened up his life to the public by publishing his autobiography in 2001, The Complete Quincy Jones in 2008, and the 2018 documentary, Quincy. In 2022, he published a book of life advice, 12 Notes: On Life and Creativity.

 

[insomniac-jay]

Angel Members Lore Dump

Maya was born in Georgetown, Guyana. While she wasn't necessarily rich, she was well off and grew up comfortably. Marlon and Tamera Harrison, her parents, were both educators; a piano teacher and university professor respectively.

Maya Harrison

She loved music from a young age. Maya began teaching herself how to play various instruments, starting with the piano, and to sing. Then she began writing and composing her own music. The next instruments she taught herself to play were the guitar, violin, and flute. She joined her school's orchestra while continuing to be a pianist. By the time she reached high school, she was considered a prodigy.

Inspired by Donna Knightley to pursue music as a career, Maya started as a backup vocalist for various singers. She also did competitive piano and posted videos of herself singing covers of her favorite songs on the Internet.

Stellaluna Ricci

Stellaluna was born in Florence, Italy to wealthy parents Kwame and Eniola Ricci, a former footballer (soccer player) turned entrepreneur and music producer. Her father is of mixed Italian and Ghanaian descent while her mother is Nigerian. Her and her sister Sole were raised to be debutants.

As such, Stellaluna grew up to have a number of skills including ballet, equestrianism, and most importantly: singing. The last one was her most favorite. Her original dream was to be an opera singer. She started singing with her church's choir before moving on to local singing competitions. Stellaluna also sang for commercials and advertisements.

She began writing her own songs, hoping to perform them one day.

Audrey Laurens-MacDonald

Audrey was born in Queen's. Gillian worked as a plumber and her mom Ke'Ana worked at a deli.

Before she became a singer, Audrey wanted to be a rapper. She started rapping at 12 and performed at school talent shows, amateur nights at local music venues, and other places. She based her style off of characteristics of drill and battle rap as well as elements of hip hop.

In high school, her and few friends formed a music group called FFF (Fierce, Fabulous, Famous) under the name OG Audrey. However, she needed to learn how to sing since it was going to be a pop group. She got singing lessons from her school's music teacher. Audrey left FFF shortly before becoming a member of Angel.

Kamala was born in Bombay, India as the middle child of four girls. Her father Darshan was a chef and her mother Ishani was currently working as an accountant.

Kamala Singh

She kept her love of music hidden because she thought her parents wouldn't approve. She was mostly fascinated by electronic and synth. Part of her free time was spent watching videos on how to play the keyboard. Kamala used some money she got from relatives to secretly buy a keyboard (which is the one she still uses to this day) to practice.

Kamala's musical talents were eventually discovered when she played at one of her cousin's weddings. Everyone was shocked but enjoyed her performance. She confessed to her parents that she wanted to be a musician and that she hid this from them because she thought they wouldn't approve. Her mom said it was fine as long as she got to be in charge of her finances.

Shauna Black Crow

Shauna was born in McAllen, Texas to singers John Black Crow and Maria Sofia Black Crow.

She was a member of the Black Crow Family Band, consisting of her, her siblings, parents, and a few aunts and uncles on her father's side. Essentially she was a child star before she was a child star. Shauna played the guitar with her older sister Dove and brother Eddie. She stayed with the band for a long time until she joined Angel. In high school, she joined her school's mariachi band to expand her musical range.

Being a big star based on her own merits and talents was always her dream. She grew frustrated with her and her siblings being known as just John or Maria Sofia Black Crow's children and vowed to become a big star.

Tsubaki Chisaka

Tsubaki was born in Kumamoto, Japan. Their parents, Hachiro and Toyoko, were members of the Catholic church. Hachiro worked in finance (red flag) while Toyoko was a stay at home mother.

Unlike the others, Tsubaki didn't consider music as their career choice. In fact, it started out as just a hobby to them. They sang in the choir for a bit before Toyoko pulled them out. They didn't really like the music they had to listen to, especially in the years leading up to their parents' divorce and their own pessimistic feelings towards the church. But because worldly music was banned in their home and they weren't allowed to have their phone outside of school or errands (another red flag), they didn't have any access to other types of music.

Tsubaki discovered grunge music through an American cousin (who was also in a band stay with me here I'm slowly building the celebrity world) who also taught them how to play the bass guitar. They were taken to their first garage concert after Toyoko and Hachiro sent them to stay with an aunt for the summer. Another thing they were exposed to was queer culture.

[cybe4]

CyBER

CyBER (hangul: 사이버) is a fictional co-ed group consisting of 8 members: Inso, Daelia, Kai, Willow, Atsuki, Fred, Moon and Ash. They debuted on July 15th, 2019 under FUTURE Entertainment who co-write or co-produce much of their material. They are the first co-ed group under FUTURE Entertainment , overall, all over the Korea industry. Originally a hip hop, metallic group, they expanded their musical style to incorporate a wide range of genres, while their lyrics have focused on subjects including mental health, cyber security, relationships, self-doubt, off age actions, and uses of drugs.

CyBER debuted in 2019 with the single album Iron Heart. CyBER released their first Korean and Japanese-language studio albums, Iron Pulse and Digital Inferno, in 2020. The group experienced a drastic fight among themselves, making no albums after that leaving the fans in confused but after, they talked it out and are living peacefully. None told anyone what and happened between them and kept in under themselves, everyone respects their privacy didn’t ask further.

CyBER made their first English album on 2022 “Play Along” which got millions of supports and love.

GREETING: “Unbreakable, Unstoppable. Hello, we are- CyBER!”

FANDOM NAME: CyHEART

OFFICIAL COLOUR: Electric purple.

LIGHTSTICK: (took this from Pinterest)

-The light stick comes with two keychains to attach it at the end of the light stick. The packaging comes in a box which has one member’s photocard and CyBER’s keychain.

-The lightstick has the official colour of the group, Electric purple, but it changes according to the members representative colours.

LOGO: (took from Pinterest)

MEMBERS:

•Kang Tae 'Moon'

Leader, Main Rapper, Producer, Composer, Sub vocal.

April 14, 2000

Aries

Korean

Representative Emoji: 😼

Representative colour: 💜

MBTI: ISTP

Height: 6'0

• Bae ‘Inso’ InSeul Rapper, Sub Vocal, Producer, Center.

September 12, 1998

Virgo

Canadian-korean

Representative emoji: 🐹

Representative colour: ❤️

MBTI: ENFP

Height: 5’4

• Sim ‘Atsuki’Atsuko Rapper, songwriter, lead dancer.

January 1, 1999

Capricorn

Thai-Korean

Representative emoji: 🐺

Representative colour: 🧡

MBTI: INTJ

Height: 5’3

• Kim ‘Fred’ Sub-Vocal, Beatboxer.

October 30, 1997

Scorpio

Australia-Korea

Representative emoji: 🐻

Representative colour: 💛

MBTI: ESTP

Height: 6'2

• Zhao 'Willow'

Main Vocal, Visual, main dancer.

November 18, 2002

Scorpio

France-China

Representative emoji: 🐭

Representative colour: 🤍

MBTI: INTP

Height: 5'3

•Yu 'Kai' SangWoo

Vocal, Visual, sub rapper, lead dancer.

June 20, 2001

Gemini

Korean-China

Representative emoji: 🐶

Representative colour: 💙

MBTI: ENFJ

Height: 6'4

• Ito 'Ash' Asher

Lead vocal, lead rapper.

June 14, 2003

Gemini

Japanese-Italian.

Representative emoji: 🐰

Representative colour: 🤎

MBTI: ENFP

Height: 5'11

•Im 'Daelia' Daehee

Vocal, Maknae, lead dnacer.

August 12, 2004

Leo

Korea.

Representative emoji: 🐼

Representative colour: 🩷

MBTI: INTJ

Height: 5'4

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[xsulsulnooboo]

New sims townies ideas

1. Amara Vasquez

• Aesthetic: Bohemian

• Traits: Loves Outdoors, Creative, Cheerful

• Aspiration: Freelance Botanist (Gardener)

• Origin: Mexico

• Appearance: Wears flowy, earth-toned clothes, lots of handmade jewelry, and has long, wavy black hair. She has a warm, glowing complexion and often walks barefoot.

• Backstory: Amara was born in a small town in Mexico, surrounded by nature and wildflowers.

She spent her childhood outdoors, fascinated by plants and their healing properties. Now, she lives in a cozy home with a wild garden in the city, making her own herbal remedies. Amara's dream is to open an apothecary shop and teach others about natural healing.

2. Sakura Tanaka

• Aesthetic: Cyberpunk

• Traits: Genius, Ambitious, Loner

• Aspiration: Chief of Mischief

• Origin: Japan

• Appearance: Sakura has neon-colored hair (often pink or blue), sharp makeup, and futuristic, tech-inspired clothing. She's lean with a cool, detached vibe, always wearing a headset or high-tech accessories.

• Backstory: Born in Tokyo, Sakura was always fascinated by technology. She became a top hacker in the underground scene, making a name for herself in the virtual world. Despite her rebellious streak, Sakura's main goal is to fight corruption in the corporate world, though she's willing to bend the rules to do so.

3. Mia Rossi

• Aesthetic: High Fashion / Chic

• Traits: Snob, Self-Assured, Perfectionist

• Aspiration: World-Famous Celebrity

• Origin: Italy

• Appearance: Mia has flawless skin, sharp cheekbones, and always wears the latest fashion trends. She prefers sleek, form-fitting dresses, bold makeup, and high heels, with platinum blonde hair styled to perfection.

• Backstory: Raised in Milan, Italy, Mia always dreamed of the runway. She worked hard to climb the fashion industry ladder, and now she's a well-known model and fashion icon. Mia is driven by fame and success, but she also has a secret passion for designing her own clothing line.

4. Aisha Carter

• Aesthetic: Athletic / Streetwear

• Traits: Active, Bro, Outgoing

• Aspiration: Bodybuilder

• Origin: USA (Atlanta)

• Appearance: Athletic build, muscular arms, and legs. She wears stylish athletic gear, often in bold colors, with her hair in braids or a high ponytail. Her style is a mix of streetwear and gym clothes.

• Backstory: Growing up in Atlanta, Aisha was always into sports. She played basketball in high school and eventually became a personal trainer.

Her goal is to open her own gym and inspire young women to embrace fitness and strength. Aisha is all about community and often organizes local sports events.

5. Leonardo "Leo" De Luca

• Aesthetic: Classic Italian / Sophisticated

• Traits: Romantic, Family-Oriented, Ambitious

• Aspiration: Successful Lineage

• Origin: Italy

• Appearance: Slicked-back dark brown hair, a well-groomed beard, and sharp, tailored suits. He exudes confidence and style, often accessorizing with watches and leather shoes.

• Backstory: Born into a wealthy family in Florence, Italy, Leonardo grew up appreciating fine art, good food, and family values. Now a successful businessman, he balances his corporate life with a deep desire to build a close-knit family of his own.

He dreams of being a role model for his future children, passing down his love for culture and tradition.

6. Jamal Thompson

• Aesthetic: Hip Hop / Urban Streetwear

• Traits: Music Lover, Creative, Outgoing

• Aspiration: Musical Genius

• Origin: USA (Brooklyn)

• Appearance: Jamal has dreadlocks, wears oversized hoodies, gold chains, and streetwear brands. He has a laid-back, cool demeanor, with tattoos that reflect his artistic and cultural roots.

• Backstory: Raised in Brooklyn, New York, Jamal always had a deep connection with hip-hop culture. He began writing rap lyrics and producing beats as a teen, inspired by the rhythm of city life.

His dream is to become a world-famous rapper and producer, using his music to inspire and tell stories from his community.

7. Bjorn Eriksen

• Aesthetic: Outdoorsy / Adventurer

• Traits: Loves Outdoors, Active, Loner

• Aspiration: Outdoor Enthusiast

• Origin: Norway

• Appearance: Tall and muscular with a rugged, weathered look. He has a beard and long blonde hair tied in a bun, often wearing practical outdoor gear like flannel shirts, cargo pants, and hiking boots.

• Backstory: Bjorn grew up in the rugged landscapes of Norway, where he learned to appreciate the power and beauty of nature. He's an avid hiker, fisher, and survivalist, often disappearing into the mountains for days at a time.

Bjorn prefers solitude and is happiest when he's surrounded by forests, lakes, and wildlife. His dream is to travel the world and conquer every major mountain.

8. Ethan Park

• Aesthetic: Tech-Savvy / Modern Geek

• Traits: Genius, Geek, Ambitious

• Aspiration: Computer Whiz

• Origin: South Korea

• Appearance: Wears graphic t-shirts, hoodies, and glasses. He has short, neatly styled black hair, and he's always carrying a laptop or some sort of gadget. He has a casual, nerdy look, but with a sharp edge when it comes to his work.

• Backstory: Ethan was born in Seoul, South Korea, but moved to Silicon Valley to pursue his dream of working in the tech industry. A programming prodigy, he's working on a start-up that he hopes will revolutionize the gaming world. Though he's a bit socially awkward, Ethan is determined to become a leading tech innovator, while staying connected to his geeky hobbies like gaming and comic books.

[asianpopfan]

Hopefully SM Entertainment are aware of the potential popularity of Riize in Europe. Especially with their last eat comeback Impossible.

I do not go to the disco and I have no Intent of ever entering one. But I know somewhat the kind of music they play in there. In my country (Italy), usually Spanish and Latin American pop songs like Maluma etc, Italian summer songs, 2000s-2010s American pop summer hits like Rihanna, Albanian and Rumenian songs as well and of course the couple of songs that simply vibe, not necessarily from these places! And many French hits as well.

Riize would be massively popular not just for their music in the disco but they have the potential to be sensational also because of their performance and dance.

I think that if they aren’t already doing that, SM should focus on growing their popularity in Spain, France and maybe even here in Italy.

Also if they become sensational in France, they might indirectly also be known in West Africa, it’s not exactly our personal style of dancing or even music, but people do enjoy different foreign styles form time to time. They have this Parisian and West African gaze in their dance and choreography and I know that all the YouTube and TikTok hip hop dance channels will be covering their songs.

Kpop idols nowadays are extraordinary performers on stage, especially males. They have an amazing consistency in keeping their own bars high.

If the estimated revenue is enough, they should invest in that instead of USA. Because I KNOW the revenue would be much higher if they “risk”.

It would also be a great chance to be known and attract potential future employees or artistic business partners. Such as choreographers, producers, artistic directors etc.

For them to actually bloom in Europe/west Africa. They first must actually perform on television as well as some events there. Like how kpop idols do all the time in USA. Unfortunately we do not often have mini stages in TV programs for that but some(few) do! 2 appearances with both Siren and Impossible will make their popularity skyrocket.

[lboogie1906]

Felix Gary Gray (born July 17, 1969) is a film director, film producer, and music video director. He began his career as a director on numerous critically acclaimed and award-winning music videos, including “It Was a Good Day”, “Natural Born Killaz”, “Keep Their Heads Ringin’”, “Waterfalls”, and “Ms. Jackson”.

He made his feature film directorial debut with the comedy Friday. He has since directed the films Set It Off, The Negotiator, The Italian Job, Be Cool, Law Abiding Citizen, and Straight Outta Compton. He directed the eighth installment of the Fast & Furious franchise, The Fate of the Furious, which is the 19th-highest-grossing film of all time.

He was born in New York City and raised primarily in South Los Angeles. He discovered a natural talent for video cameras with his AV class in high school.

He started working as a camera operator on programs such as Screen Scene. He had a bit of a part in the comedy Major League. He got his first chance to direct music videos, starting with a video for the hip-hop group WC and the Maad Circle. He directed The Negotiator while earning him both Best Film and Best Director awards at the Acapulco Film Festival.

He directed The Italian Job. He garnered the Best Director award at the Black American Film Festival for his work on the film, which surpassed the $100 million mark at the domestic box office. His next film was A Man Apart.

He received the Ivan Dixon Award of Achievement from the Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center and was named one of the “50 Best and Brightest African Americans Under 40” by Black Enterprise magazine. He was honored by the African American Film Critics Association with their Special Achievement Award and was recognized by the Artist Empowerment Coalition with the Artist Empowerment Award that same year. He received the Pioneer Director award from the Pan-African Film and Arts Festival.

The Fate of the Furious became the first film directed by an African-American to gross over $1 billion worldwide. He will direct an adaptation of the video game franchise Saints Row, with a screenplay. He will direct the heist film Lift. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[slyarte]

NEW ALBUM ANNOUNCEMENT

On December 1st I will finally publish something new on Bandcamp! This is a b-sides and remixes album, including unreleased tracks and alternative versions (and including 4 bonus tracks available with the full purchase!). Here's the teaser! ENJOY!

PRE-ORDER NOW (3 tracks are already available for streaming and download!): 

 Il 1° dicembre pubblicherò finalmente qualcosa di nuovo su Bandcamp! Questo è un album di b-side e remix, che include brani inediti e versioni alternative (e include 4 tracce bonus disponibili con l'acquisto completo!) Ecco il teaser! BUON ASCOLTO!

PRE-ORDINA ORA! (3 tracce sono già disponibili per lo streaming e il download!) 

[jimiminily]

🌹𝐻𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑦 𝐵𝑖𝑟𝑡ℎ𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑌𝑜𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑖🌹

Enjoy your 31! 💜

09.03.2024

Happiest 31th bday Yoongi 💜🎂🎉

A realization hit that we won't get to see 31 y/o yoongi cuz he's a public service officer (alternative military service) and I'm crying :( we'll see 32 y/o yoongi back and im not ready, that's 469 days away.. aww I miss him so much I can't anymore ☹️ I love u so so so so much yoongi haven't heard from him since he started since 22 sep 2023, he's discharged and done when it's 21 june 2025 and that's so far away ☹️☹️☹️I have such a soft spot for him my loml come back soon healthy and happy ♡♡♡ happy birthday :( 🎂

🐱🎂🏞️>>🏃🏃‍♂️>>🥹💜👍

More Photos

Happy 31st Birthday to the gorgeous, super talented record-breaking, history-making Million-seller rapper, singer-songwriter, composer, dancer, record producer & Global Icon, the One & Only SUGA who rings in his birthday on top of the world, trending at #1 on X worldwide with #HappyBirthdaySUGA! 👏🥳💥🥇🌎🎂3⃣1⃣ 👑💜

SUGA became world famous with BTS, the Biggest band in the world, and is a hugely successful Solo Artist in his own right and one of the Best K-Rappers of All Time! SUGA is the 1st Rapper to sell 1 MILLION Album units in its 1st day and holds the record for the Biggest debut of a Rap Album in United World Chart history! SUGA's debut solo album, D-Day (2023) debuted at #2 on the US Billboard 200, tying him with BTS bandmates Jimin, Jungkook and V as the highest-charting South Korean solo Artists of all time! He is the 1st and only Asian Act in history to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Rap Songwriters Chart and also the 1st and only Asian Act to enter the Top 10 of the Billboard Rap Producers Chart! SUGA is the 1st and only K-Soloist in History to have 2 albums reach over 700 MILLION streams each on Spotify with D-2 and D-DAY! He is the 1st Asian Rapper to reach 3 BILLION Streams on his Spotify Profile across all credits and the 1st Male Act and only Rapper with multiple albums reaching 100 x #1's on iTunes! He is also the 1st Rapper to have 4 songs hit #1 on iTunes in 100 countries! He is the 3rd K-Act with the Most #1 songs on US iTunes! SUGA is the 1st Rapper to earn over $3 MILLION in one arena-concert in US history! He is the 1st and Only K-Soloist in history to enter the Billboard Top Tour Year End Chart, scoring the Highest grossing tour by a K-Soloist of All Time in history and holds the Highest grossing tour by an Asian Soloist in US Box Office history!

SUGA is a full member of the Korea Music Copyright Association and has songwriting and production credits on over 150 songs, including Suran's "Wine", which peaked at #2 on the Gaon Music Chart and won Best R&B song at the 2017 Melon Music Awards. SUGA has won numerous other accolades including 5 MAMA Awards and Best Rap & Hip-Hop Performance in 2023, a Golden Disc Award and a Melon Music Award and was nominated for Top K-Touring Artist at the Billboard Music Awards!

SUGA is also a major philanthropist and has donated beef to 39 orphanages, ₩100 million (US$85,810.58), ₩100 million (US$84,726.68) to the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association to help prevention and relief efforts in his hometown of Daegu, ₩100 million (US$87,416.41) to Daegu's Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital to support child cancer patients unable to access treatment due to financial difficulties, a 2nd donation of ₩100 million (US$87,416.41) to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help victims of the extensive wildfires along the country's eastern coastal area, another ₩100 million (US$87,416.41) to the Korean Save the Children Foundation for the purchase of blankets, mattresses, and school supplies for children in southern Turkey and northern Syria!

SUGA is also a leading Fashion Icon, being the Global Ambassador for the Italian luxury brand Valentino!

🎁H͜͡a͜͡p͜͡p͜͡y͜͡🎁

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[freelaugh-channel]

Project Blue Beat feat. Laniki - perfect world

Laniki (Nicole Pellicani) is an Italian singer who has gained recognition as a backing vocalist for renowned artists such as Elisa, Marco Mengoni, Ultimo, and her participation in Eurovision with Francesca Michielin. Project Blue Beat is a YouTube channel dedicated to music production of various styles, including hip hop, reggae, pop melodic vox beat and many other genres.

"Furthermore, the music in the 'Like a Boss' of Free laugh-channel videos is produced by Project Blue Beat" Link : Free laugh - channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOsFLiwK_aaKlvanAEoSDjg

[mak3itr7ght]

pair: Namjoon x fem!reader (Sing au)

genre: Animation movie, fantasy, romantic.

Movie: Sing

*Is it possible for a human being the a koala's nephew? Well.. nothing is impossible~

Namjoon's pov

The Moon theater.. the world's most beautiful theater, in my opinion.

My uncle, Buster Moon, is the chief of this amazing theater and I really admire him.

Since I was a child, I come here to watch the shows' premiere.

To be honest, at first, they seemed boring...

But.. I've really felt sorry when I discovered that the whole building just collapsed and that my uncle lost everything.

Because..yes, for him, this theater is his life, above all, 'cause my grandpa worked hard for buying it for his son.

Luckily, my uncle's positivity never betrayed him, not even then:

He setup a pseudo theater with the remains of the old one, and obviously, with the help of his crew too, then bring a mind-blowing show.

He managed to rebuild the Moon Theater, and after several adventures, he managed to debut together with the other members of the crew in the famous town of Redshore City, in the Crystal Tower Theater, just think... that even the great Clay Callway was part of the show and now...it's part of the crew!! But I think you already know all the details, don't you?

It seemed like a hopeless situation! But my uncle's voice was still enthusiastic as he told me what had happened and it was also full of amusement. After hearing this story and seeing for myself the show that brought uncle Buster and his crew to their current fame, "Out of This World", literally a whole new world opened up for me.

I started to appreciate theater more and also started to develop the dream of wanting to bring my own show. I've always loved hip hop and rap for as long as I can remember.

I always had a deep connection with music, through my lyrics I tried to express myself and most of the time I was able to do it great, in fact, I still do it now.

Even at school I spent hours writing down lyrics, and I got numerous scoldings from the teacher because I completely forgot about the lesson.. one day, I even rapped the verse of one of my songs, out loud, during a class test... despite this, however, I was a model student!

Anyway....

other times, I did Freestyle battles with my other classmates or older students and... I always won, modestly. And  when I don't write lyrics or produce songs, for lack of inspiration, I take refuge in books or in nature. Books inspire me a lot and also thanks to them I have the pleasure to flex my open mind.

I like reading especially under the huge oak near my house, with the sounds of nature accompanying my reading sessions.

Going back to my big dream... before becoming interested in the theatre, I didn't have a real dream, in fact one of the songs I am most emotionally attached to, is "No more dream", written before my conversion. I would love to include it as an introduction to my show.. but I never had the courage to talk about it with Uncle Buster.. but today I know it's the right day to tell him!

I'm sure he'll take my idea and help me make it happen! I run to the theater with a USB full of songs that I recorded. I enter into my uncle's office, almost breaking the door, because of the emotion, and find Miss Crawly, my uncle's over 100 year old secretary(Johnny and Ash speculate that she has existed since the time of the dinosaurs) cleaning the desk.

'Good morning, dear Namjoon!! Did you sleep well?'

After all, she's a sweet old lady.

'Good morning, Miss Crawly! Yes! I slept very well!

Can you tell me where I can find uncle Buster?'

I ask, impatiently.

'Oh, Mr. Moon is downstairs, he's helping the guys carrying their suitcases!'

I am perplexed.

'Suitcases?'

'Yes! The tour starts today! Don't you remember?'

Oh god the "Out of This World" tour.. I totally forgot about that.

I won't see my uncle for months... And I'll have to postpone the realization of my dream... again...

I go, feeling down, with Miss Crawly, downstairs where i find uncle Buster on his own. I run to hug him and wish him a safe journey. I'm sure this tour will take the show even higher and I'm so happy for the whole crew. This has always been my uncle's biggest dream and then... he deserves it, he has gone through everything to achieve this goal, he worked hard, all of the members worked hard.

'Listen, Nam, I want to give you a very important task!'

Uncle's voice always energizes me, he's always so full of positivity, one of the many reasons I admire him.

'What kind of task??'

I ask, curiously.

My uncle is unpredictable, you never know what can go through that hairy head.

'I want to entrust the teather to you!!'

HE WANTS TO DO WHAT?

...

...

I don't know what to say, I can only gasp. I told y'all, my uncle is unpredictable... but I didn't that much..

'I'm sure you're the best person to run our wonderland! And then you will not be alone! Miss Crawly will be there to help you!'

I can't say anything, but I think uncle felt my happiness. That theatre, that place of wonder, would become mine, temporarily, but mine.

my uncle smiles. I knew he would understand anyway. He always told me that he finds a little bit of himself in me. And there is no more beautiful compliment for me.

'But now, if you'll excuse me, the bus is leaving!! I love you, my nephew!!'

And after hugging me again.. he goes away, leaving the whole theater in my inexperienced hands.. But come on... at least there's Miss Craw-

'Namjoon!! Have you seen my glass eye????'

...okay maybe it will be more difficult than expected..

As I help Miss Crawly in looking for her glass eye, hoping I haven't already crushed it and shattered it into a thousand pieces under my foot, without realizing it, in my head there is a tangle of thoughts and ideas but, obviously, the most accentuated one, and which let a toothy smile appear on my face, is certainly to make my biggest dream come true. It seems a bit as if uncle already knew..and therefore he had literally left me a blank check..because when Uncle Buster is absent with the company, generally, the theater remains closed..

I turn around, looking at the building keys, in my hands.

Now it almost seems as if uncle, with this move, told me "Hurry up and seize the moment, my nephew" By now I'm almost 30 years old, I want to bring my own show and I'll try now, moreover, I also want to discover myself and I really want to identify myself as Namjoon Moon and not just "Buster Moon's nephew". I run to the office to move all the songs I've written down over the years to my uncle's computer, at least the most suitable ones, and I start writing the script for my show. As soon as I conclude the first draft of the storyline, I realize that it is already evening.

I decide to print the script and, while looking for a stapler, I finally find the Miss Crawly's glass eye, I have to advise her to put more glue on it..

After a week finally the plot of my show is finished and ready to be put on stage. I also adjusted the melodies and lyrics.

Now the main problem ... the actors / singers and dancers .. I think it will not be a piece of cake as my face is little known beyond my neighborhood, also I have never presented myself as a public figure, but it won't be bad to try, right ? Maybe my surname will help me in this case.

'Miss Crawly!! Can you please print some flyers for the show's auditions? I'll send you a draft!'

Miss Crawly's office is literally attached to my uncle's, so between our offices there was just a transparent window. So i asked her to print the flyers with all the info about the auditions, like the time of the event, it will be tomorrow at 9:30 PM.

Hope we will be able to deliver all of them in time... 

After printing enough flyers were printed, the Miss Crawly's fan just decide to 'share' them by flying them out of the window...well...so.. the teather itself is trying to help me. 

I remember that this happened to uncle Buster too, when he was still in debts .. maybe it will bring me good luck too. I cross my fingers..

I'm going to move here, for this period. I will sleep in uncle's room. Yes, he sleeps in the theatre, did I already tell you that this theater is literally his life? Probably yes. Now that I think about it, I'm starting to bond with it too. I feel that... something beautiful, really beautiful, is about to happen.

Y/n's pov

"I'd still catch a grenade for ya

Throw my hand on a blade for ya

I'd jump in front of a train for ya

You know I'd do anything for ya.."

I love this song. I've always been a big fan of Bruno Mars and this song is one of favorites of all the time. I've always imagined what it was like to feel a love so strong to get to the point of, take a grenade, jump in front of a moving train, put your hands on a sword... in summary, sacrifice yourself for your loved one. I feel a love like that for singing, not for a person, every now and then I take some lessons, but I've never performed on stage, and I don't think I would ever be able to, as much as I wish. I love to hum when I read. Yes, I also love to read, especially psychology books. But tonight was different. Instead of starting one of the novels I bought at the bookstore today, my friends literally dragged me to the disco and... I'll be honest... it was not only the first but also the last time I'll set foot in such places... it's not my cup of tea I've always been a person who doesn't like these kinds of entertainment. For me, leisure is reading, on the comfortable bed in my room, singing outloud when I'm alone, taking walks on the hill behind my house, or... going to the theater!! We have one of the most renowned theaters in the nation in town, the Moon Theater! Actually my passion for singing was born right there! Before that.. I didn't have a real dream and I was desperate because I wanted to find one!

I went to the show that Mr. Buster put on after the fall of his theater and from the very first performance, in which Mrs. Rosita and Gunter danced and sang to Taylor Swift's "Shake it up", to the last performance, in which Meena, I love her voice, sang "don't worry about a thing" by Tori Kelly, Johnny's performance too, where he sang "I'm still standing" by Elton John, i admit i had a big crush on him for a few months.. In summary, my life has changed since then, and I still go there often... that place has something magical about it... it's a land of wonders.. now that I think about it, they staged a show on 'Alice in Wonderland' too! That's one of my favorite shows. I really should go there, these days, who knows what show will be scheduled... I get lost in thoughts, remembering the shows I went to watch in the last period, while I take one of my friends to her house, who is completely drunk, then, a paper sheet stuck to my face. I take it, seeing that it's a flyer for auditions... FOR THE MOON THEATER!!!! Either there is someone spying on me... or finally the wind is blowing in the right direction.. Okay. Maybe tonight didn't was the best of my life..but what if it was fate?

BUT.. THE AUDITION IS TOMORROW I HAVE TO HURRY!!

I hurry to take my friend house and, at the speed of light, I comeback home then I spend all night looking for the right song for tomorrow's audition and.. after evaluating about 1294 songs... yes.. exactly .. I opted for the usual, 'Grenade'. I realize it's 4 in the morning, I panic, and I immediately go to sleep, I have to collect these 5 hours of sleep or at least I'll try. I just hope I don't panic or shy on that...big, huge, stage...help. I noticed that Mr. Moon won't be there, this audition was launched by his nephew, Namjoon, I've seen him in the past, at the theater, a few times, but I've never spoken to him.. I hope he has inherited his uncle's dreamy and positive vibe. In my heart, I feel that something beautiful, really beautiful is about to happen.

Namjoon's pov

I wake up with the sound of uncle Buster's alarm clock, I set it at 6 so I would have 3 hours to organize everything better. With Miss Crawly we check the stage, the lights, the props, clean up the entrance and even uncle Eddie came to help us! I call him uncle, but he's practically uncle Buster's best friend and the nephew of the great Nana Noodleman, who financed the theater when the building completely collapsed. Full of anxiety, I run to the office to double-check the script and when the time comes, I see people approaching the entrance, leaflet in hand. I'm so excited but at the same time.. scared. A few minutes before the entrance opens, I decide to go through a sort of "secret passage": It is located in the part of the ceiling above the stage, uncle Buster always brought me here when I was little, other times I used to come here alone, to have a sort of "VIP seat" and better follow the show. My uncle, every time he has to start the shows, comes here, sits on the fake moon and then he slides down... what an entrance, right? I think I'll adopt it too, maybe it will become the signature of the Moon family hehe. I go down to the grandstand and as soon as 9.30 am I immediately ask Miss Crawly to open the doors. There are almost 200 people .. wow. I didn't expect to attract so much attention, but as I said before, my surname and the name of the theater helped me. However my goal is to create my own name, not to live in the shadow of uncle Buster and the Moon Theater.

I breathe a sigh of relief and welcome the candidates one by one.

'Hello creatures great and small, welcome to Moon Theater, I am Namjoon Moon and I am ready to show you new shades of the magic of this wonderful theater! And I want to do it... with your help!'

I tried to be as convincing as possible. Now let's start the auditions. Some performances were good but... not suitable for my show.. others were perfect: A couple who duet 'Shallow' by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper... wow what chemistry, what chemistry.. she has a sweet and strong voice, just like Lady Gaga's, incredible, he has a very low voice, very sensual...I like it; Another couple, he rapper and dancer accompanied by another girl, only dancer, on the notes of an unreleased song, 'more'...wow... they have a great complicity too. She literally seems to burn for him, I bet the whole theater, that those two aren't "just colleagues" as they said in their presentation, he has a bit hoarse voice, the perfect voice for a rapper, moreover, he manages to change his flow in a second, finally here we can talk about full-blown Rapper. Together, they'll set audiences on fire, I'm sure;

A guy, another rapper, brought his unreleased track called 'Daechwita'...HE RAPS BETTER THAN EMINEM. Wow wow wow I'm getting excited, another rapper with all the skills, who manages to insert a certain sensuality even in a song that has a completely different topic. And finally, three other boys, with different but beautiful voices, who respectively brought, An unpublished track, 'Abyss', this boy's voice is high, but not too much, sweet and ringing, 'Snowman' by Sia, the other's voice is almost feminine, but for me it's not an insult, on the contrary, I admire his voice, it manages to reach such high notes that it's enviable even by the best singer in the world..and 'falling' by Harry Styles, this boy has a particular voice, I don't know how to describe it, but he reminds me so much of Johnny, he's a born singer, you can see it in his face.

In the evening, I marked the names of those six boys and two girls in my diary. I have found some real talented people, however.. I feel that something is still missing.. I don't know.. 

As I'm about to close the entrance, I see a girl running towards me. "SORRY SORRY SORRY!! I WAS VERY LATE YOU MUST FORGIVE ME! Is there still time for another audition?" I can't tell her no, just because she could be the 'thing' that is missing in my show. 

Y/n's pov: 

Mr. Namjoon, oh my..calling him mr. seems a bit of an exaggeration since we probably have a few years difference between us, anyway, he was very kind to let me do the audition, just like I thought,  at the end, he is Buster Moon's nephew. This morning I didn't hear the alarm and I continued to sleep peacefully until 5 this afternoon.. I'm mortified.. it seems like fate wanted it to go this way. This feeling of being on a real stage is strange.. but at the same time I'm scared.. so scared 

'Whenever you want! Y/n! I'll start the base'

I can already hear the start of the song but I feel almost paralyzed.. 

'I-I..'

I can't even speak.. Namjoon shuts down the music, gets on stage, and approaches me, putting a hand on my shoulder.

'I know someone who started out like you, and now she's on tour and she's the best singer in my uncle's crew, I assume you know Meena, don't you?'

I nod. She is my idol .. and I didn't know that she was scared, like me, at the beginning... 

'My uncle encouraged her to sing by saying a line which souynds like his 'motto', "Don't let the fear stop you from doing what you love most." 

So now, even if you're a little scared, let it go away and sing, you will feel good.. then.. it's a love song, right? You will definitely have a boyfriend, so think about him, and let your feelings go free, they will sing with you.'

 Wow, Namjoon looks so much like his uncle in this aspect. I'll follow his advise. Although..I haven't a boyfriend.. but... I'll let myself go...let's get it!

Before starting to sing I turn my gaze to Namjoon, he has a beautiful smile on his face, which calms me down, he also has dimples, how cute~ I heard the base and.... Here I am, singing, without thinking about it, and, incredibly, during the chorus, the only person that comes to my mind is.... Namjoon.. Him? A boy that i just met few minutes ago? Crazy stuff... but... okay, I'm in the theater where anything is possible, so, it's okay.

" Yes, I would die for ya, baby But will you do the same?"

My head decided to change the lyrics, without my permission. I connect with the real world again and I see Namjoon and his secretary standing, clapping, I hear more applause coming from behind the scenes, where I see a group of people smile at me. 

'Well! Smile Y/n Y/s! Even your colleagues were amazed by your voice!' 

Colleagues? Does this mean...THEY GOT ME? AM I SERIOUSLY IN??!!!?!?!? I smile, beaming more than ever , also looking at my new colleagues. All thanks to Namjoon. I can't wait to work with him... ah and of course with the others too... 

Our leader, as it got late,sent us home, saying that rehearsals would start early the next morning, repeating us to not to be late.. I feel particularly involved, hearing that sentence.. As soon as we left the theater we decide to spend the evening, eating out to get to know each other better. Everyone is so nice. There are ten of us in Nam's crew, including him, who obviously is a rapper, although I haven't had the opportunity to hear him yet: There are Seokjin, Taehyung, Jungkook and Jimin who have the role of singers, and I am among those , along with a certain girl whose nickname is Luv, she seems very nice and knows her stuff, she showed us a part of 'Blank space' by Taylor swift and I love her tone of voice. Furthermore Jungkook and Jimin are also dancers, Taehyung is a good dancer too, but Namjoon decided to give him only the role of singer. Then there's Yoongi, Hoseok and Angie, the other girl, who is, as I understood, Hoseok's girlfriend, or at least, they claim they're just colleagues, but in my opinion they're either hiding something from us, or they're together without even realizing it... Yoongi and Hoseok are rappers and the latter is also a dancer, together with Angie. We make quite a good gang. I haven't had such a nice evening in quite a while. I rushed to sleep, eagerly awaiting the morning. That morning which actually arrived right away. This time I woke up on time and immediately run to the theater where Hoseok, Angie, Taehyung and Luv are already waiting, the others are probably arriving. At 9 Namjoon and Miss Crawly welcome us into the theater and take us to the rehearsal room. There are different rooms to rehearse, one for dance, one for singing, one for rap and many others! I feel like I'm living a real dream! After we settle in, Namjoon makes us gather on stage and announces that first he would let us stage a provisional show and then he would reveal the real show with which we will really debut... such a mysterious boy.. The others are a little perplexed, but something tells me that I have to trust him, I'm sure he has something great in store for us! And he'll have his reasons for keeping it all from us, for now.

timelapse  

About 2 months have passed since then, we have bonded a lot among us  and Namjoon has also proved to be more present than expected, especially with me. We get on quite well together, to tell the truth, I think I'm falling in love with him.. but I feel that, for him, I'm just a person to admire.. it hurts, but that's okay.. maybe time will open Namjoon's eyes. For now, in his heart, there is only room for the show that he dreams to take on stage. The day of the provisional show arrives, obviously not public, but  the show will be attended by Miss crawly, Nana Noodleman and her nephew Eddie ... I admire Nana .. but ... that lady scares me a lot .. 

From behind the scenes, I see Namjoon, standing on the fake wooden moon, on which Mr. Buster always climbs for opening his shows. 

'All creatures great and small...' 

Namjoon's pov:

As I recite the opening of the show, I am very nervous. In these months, I haven't been able to say anything about the real show to my crew.. mostly because, I hate to admit it, but I'm scared abou that too . I'm scared of their opinion, that they might disagree.. here's what I didn't inherit from uncle Buster , his leadership.. his ability to keep the attention and the authority, while remaining the cute koala  he actually is, remaining professional.. he just convinced Ash to sing 'Call me maybe'!!! 

I'm afraid to show my songs to the public.. So, I put this show on the spot, to prove to the others, but mostly to myself, that I can do it. As soon as the presentation is over, the show begins.. I will have to perform last, with Y/n, I admire that girl a lot, she has a wonderful voice, and she is so kind, but when she wants, she can also be tough, I'll be honest . I noticed that we have many things in common, she also likes reading and walking in nature and above all she discovered her dream thanks to the Moon Theater too. I admit I've developed pretty strong feelings for her, but I have to take them apart, we're colleagues, we can't be anything else.

I just admire her. 

The show seems to go smooth as butter, I also included some of my unreleased stuff, like 'Jamais vu' that Hoseok, Jungkook and Seokjin will sing, 'Friends' that Jimin and Taehyung will sing, since they told me they've known each other since elementary school , for Yoongi , honestly, I gave him all the freedom he needs, he told me that his dream is to become a composer, so I decided to let him use another unpublished work of his, 'people'; For the girls, I gave them already famous songs. I don't know... there were some songs in which I saw them more, compared to my unreleased ones. For Luv I opted for Katy Perry's 'ET'; for Angie, I decided to make her dance on Shakira's 'Whenever, wherever'; For Y/n, I assigned her 'Rolling in the Deep' by Adele, a sort of remix, in which i added a rap part written by myself. During my performance with Y/n...it was a bit tense but..everything seemed to be going well even if, I'll be honest, there's something wrong..I hope it's just my imagination. After the show, the boys ran, exhausted, behind the scenes. I'm about to reach them when I hear my name being called. I turn around and see Nana asking me to go over her.. I have a weird feeling.. 

Y/n's Pov: 

The show went pretty well. My fear didn't stop me, and that's very reassuring, although, I admit, taht during the duet with Namjoon, I thought about the fact that he probably doesn't prove the same things as mines... which spoiled the mood. I tried to keep everything hidden, but I'm afraid that I failed... who knows what Nana thinks of our chemstry, will she consider it up to Buster Moon's crew's? At one point, as soon as we see Miss Crawly take Nana to her limousine, we catch Namjoon join us behind the scenes, with a look.. a bit gloomy. 

'hey Nam!! Is everything okay?'

 Taehyung asks. 

'What happened?' 

asks Yoongi.

 'Did Nana say something bad?' 

Jungkook asks 

'Did Miss Crawly lost her eye again?' 

Angie's usual way to resolve the situation.. 

' guys, let him explain. Boss, what's going on?'

 Luv silences everyone, giving Namjoon space to speak. 

'Guys, I don't know if we can perform the show..' 

Namjoon lowers his head.. I don't understand.. 

'WHAT?!'

I shut my mouth, realizing I've screamed. 

'yeah.. Nana called me aside because she wanted to see the real show I had in mind. I showed her the storyline and everything and she said that the audience probably won't like it.. and I'm not cut out for this role.. I'm sorry guys.. I know I shouldn't listen to her.. She could definitely be wrong, but..' 

Namjoon can't finish the sentence, his voice shaking.. how I feel bad for him.. he can't give up.. not at the first difficulty. I see Nam rushing upstairs to his office, leaving us all speechless and confused. 

'Y/N, you should go..' 

I hear Seokjin's voice telling me to go to Namjoon. 

'Me?'

I answer even more confused. 

'It's evident that Namjoon gets along better with you, maybe you will be able to understand what happened and to convince him to don't give up' 

So...to the others' eyes Namjoon and i have a sort of connection... I hate seeing him like this, during the rehearsals he was full of positivity but at the same time quiter than his uncle. He has a dream and he can't let it go like this. All right. I'll go talk to him. I nod to the others and run upstairs. 

Namjoon's pov;

Nana's words occupy my head. 

Flashback

'I'm sorry Namjoon, but I think you're not cut out for that.. Theater is more, romantic, more, magical, it's not hip hop, or whatever.. I appreciate this little show you put on here, but you won't go far if you continue like this, I don't think this is what your uncle taught you.. Then you see that there is a sort of tension among you and your crew, you should have faith in them, so that they will have it in you. .' 

End Flashback

Those words reverberate in my head like a drum... I ran away from the guys too, they'll think I'm a loser, that they trusted the wrong person and indeed, now they're all probably already at home.. Nana said it, they don't trust me.. 

'Namjoon'

 A familiar voice takes me out of this hurricane of thoughts. 

'Y/n.. I thought you were back home..'

'I would never move from here, even if the building were collapsing again, like in the past..'

Y/n sits next to me. 

'Tell me what happened and what Nana exactly told you'

 Y/n always manages to calm me down, with her slightly low but sweet voice, for a few seconds, my thoughts disappear. So I decide to tell her everything... 

'But Nam!! You don't have to listen to her! Do you realize that you could bring about a revolution in the theater?? A bit like Goldoni did it with the Venetian theater!!!!'

'Y/n! Do you understand that... I.. I'M SCARED'

I almost yell at her without realizing it, I can feel something wet coming down my cheeks.. Am I crying? Really? Is Namjoon Moon seriously crying? Y/n puts a hand on my head, bringing it to her shoulder. 

'It's normal to be afraid, boss. But, as you told me that time, when I looked like a lost, scared animal, on that stage below, "don't let fear stop you from doing what you love most". If the show goes badly.. Never mind. We will try again! But think if it will go well, if you are successful, your dream will come true and... I will be happy to be part of it. And then.. there's a crazy chemistry among all of us, you've always been there, with Miss Crawly, together with us, supporting us like never before in these two months.. Do you remember when I didn't want to try that high note in Ariana Grande's 'Problem'? I was just trying it with you and we stayed until the next morning trying it. Or when Seokjin and Taehyung had a fight over that cup of ramen?...you rolled up your sleeves and made them reconcile, or when Hoseok thought he couldn't make that pas de deux with Angie because they'd never tried to dance on a slow song like 'in the name of love'? When, with a lot of patience, you taught Jungkook to play the piano, just because you wanted so much to make him sing 'I'm still standing'? You tested all of us. And we trusted you blindly. 

You understand it? We are here with you. And then there's one thing you have to give up..being liked by everyone. Remember that nothing and no one has ever succeeded in pleasing everyone. You may prefer some musical genres to others and you preferred the nine of us to other artists, during the audition, who will have been as good as me or Luv or Seokjin or Yoongi or others in the crew. It's Okay, Namjoon. We are doing something we love. Let's not care about the opinion of others, we are talking about dreams, something that goes far beyond a simple opinion of others. Look around.. This theater, this wonderland has always helped us. Even Mr. Buster, your uncle, has always been close to us, still during the tour. And then.. there's a phrase that Mr. Buster has always repeated loudly.. "When you hit rock bottom, do you know what the most beautiful thing is? It's that the only direction you can go is... up"..so Namjoon Moon, you are not like your uncle, and trust me, you are perfect just the way you are, and you are a fantastic leader, even if you don't notice it..my lead-em..our leader'

 Y/n is right, she is right in everything she said.. We are talking about dreams, not opinions.. I tested all the crew and they passed it.. now that I am put under the test.. I have almost failed. Yes... almost.. because now.. we're going up. Up to the moon. I have my crew, I have Y/n and there is also my uncle and the others supporting me...

I have decided. I have to put this show on stage and it's going to be AMAZING. I look at Y/n and smile at her. God how grateful I am to her.. what if I hadn't allowed her to audition?... where would I end up now? I don't know, nor do I want to know, from now on, one only looks straight ahead. I hug her tightly.  She doesn't hesitate to hug me back and, I feel like she's sobbing... she's crying too.. I feel a strange feeling in my heart.. but for now I can't give it weight. I smile at her and only after being reciprocated, I take her hand, that delicate little hand, and we immediately run downstairs. As I go down the stairs I see all the boys surprised, but I can feel a certain happiness in their eyes. Their gazes are spreading.. relief? I don't know, but this makes me relieved too. They are my first real best friends, almost my second family, even though we know each other from few months, I feel there was a reason why I chose them that day. In front of me, in front of us, I can already see a future brighter than the sun. There will be obstacles.. but hey, where's the fun otherwise? 

'Well guys, sorry for what happened earlier. I'm ready to tell you everything and above all, today.. I'll tell you know about the show that will take us to the top.'

 All my crew smiles at me, Nana has already made a mistake about this, there is something magical among us. After making the guys sit in the stands, I go on stage, starting to tell a sort of presentation on which I have been working on for the past 2 months: 

The show will be called "The most beautiful moment in life" And it will talk about the story of a group of friends, a boyband, which will be us 7, Seokjin, Yoongi, Hoseok, Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook and me, Namjoon. They will debut with a song "No more dream" and, after several songs, they will reach a point in their career, where, they will lose themselves and decide to think about their solo works, to find what they had lost, they will release a song as a " ""goodbye""": 'Yet to come'. During their solo projects, three of them will find their twin flame, Hoseok will find a fan, Angie, from another nation, younger than him, but a sort of harmony will born between them that will set everything on fire ...thanks to Angie, Tae will come introduced to Luv, a friend, who will become Tae's twin flame, even if Tae is initially uncertain about his feelings.

And then, there is Namjoon, who finds.. Y/n... with her, he will be able to find his way.. The group will come back fully united and, in the end, there will be the grand finale, where they will all sing together 'For youth', as a love song for their fans, because after all Hoseok and Tae have found love among them, stating that, they will continue to sing for a long, long time to come.' 

Before speaking again, I catch my breath, addressing my friends, my crew.. I explained everything... putting my soul into it, as if the show had come to life in my head while I was telling it.. I admit I didn't explain all like this to nana.. i'm very tense.. this is literally the show i've been working on for all my life, this is the business card of the most important dream of my life.. i'm afraid of what they might think, what the public will think, what uncle Buster will think.. I'm afraid to express my weak point, but fear won't stop me. I'll make my dream come true...or die trying. 

'so.. What do you guys think?'

 I say, in a surprisingly confident voice. After a few seconds, I hear a clap. I look closely at the origin of the sound and I see her, Y/N.. I can see her hands becoming red from clapping so much and observing her closely.. she has tears in her eyes... 

Y/n's pov: 

I can't help but applause, Namjoon only showed us an outline of the show.. yet here I am, with red hands, still clapping and with tears in my eyes.. I think I understood what "reduced" me like this: The feeling with which Namjoon laid out these four lines of plot. His eyes sparkled, as if he were showing his greatest treasure. He brought it all out... and I feel so lucky to be one of the first people he did that to. 

'READY TO SOLD OUT AROUND THE GLOBE MR JOON?'

 I scream without even thinking about it, and soon after, I see Namjoon with tears in his eyes, for the second time today, but those are different tears, he is happy. I turn to the others and they are moved too, intent on applauding and rooting for our leader. I can't wait to start rehearsals for this masterpiece...and to be honest, I'm really happy to be Namjoon's twin flame, at least in this show, the most important project of his life? WHY DID HE CHOOSE ME? Aish.. I don't know, but... I love him, I love him to death. Now I'm starting to really understand what Bruno wanted to say through "Greande". 

Timelapse

Another 4 months have passed since then. We've been working hard every single day, and the debut of 'The most beautiful moment in life' is in two days. There's a lot of anxiety in the air, you can almost touch it, but at the same time, we're all excited. The general rehearsal started yesterday. In the end we decided to insert a choreography for all the songs of the "bangtan boys", the name of the boyband, so Namjoon, Seokjin and Yoongi went started dance lessons, the choreographer of the Mr. Moon's crew also helped us, Nooshy, although she could help just a little, since she is on tour with his crew, but with several video calls we managed to compensate. Then we have some ACEs here, Angie and Hoseok, who, personally... are scary when they have to play dance teachers.. Luv and I are saved, we will also have some steps in our duets, but nothing too difficult. Speaking of Mr. Buster, as soon as we told him the date of the premiere, he immediately moved the date of his show to that evening, in order to be free to see his nephew's debut. I'm so euphoric I can't stand still aaah. Ah and about the relationship between me and Namjoon? Well... nothing new, we just seem like best friends, and I don't have the slightest intention of confess my feelings.. just being with him is enough for me, so I've kept my feelings a little apart, at least for now. 

'Anxious?'

Angie interrupts my thoughts. 

'Well.. you don't?'

 I add, laughing. 

'Okay okay you're right Y/n. And.. tell me... there are rumors that you will confess to Namjoon during your duet, I hope they are true!! Now Miss Crawly too ships you two!!'

Angie comes up to me giving me a little nudge and a mischievous smile.. BUT WHO HAS SPILLED THIS RUMOR?

'Are you kidding?????? But I would never think of confess to him in that situation!! Whoever put up this voice got screwed up.'

I reply, but I already know I'm blushing, Angie's giggle is proving me that. 

'Mh okay... but what if it will be Namjoon who will confess his feelings for you, instead? What would you do then?' ...actually I had never analyzed this option.. But... naaah 

'Don't worry too much, it won't happen, Namjoon only feels admiration for me, at least that's how he made me understand..'

 I say with a slightly despondent voice, lowering my head . 

'And let me understand.. do you think two lovers can't feel admiration for each other? In my opinion, loving someone also means being a fan of your loved one, I could be wrong.. but my instinct tells me that I'm more right than you think hehe'

 Angie winks at me, then goes back to practice.. she's not entirely wrong .. maybe it's my greatest wish, to be Namjoon's lover.. who knows... 

'Y/n!!! We have to try 'Love'!! Run!!!'

 You speak of the devil... here he is calling me haha I better go.. 

' I'm Coming.. Nam!!!!' 

Timelapse 

Namjoon's pov: 

It's the day of the show and to my immense surprise.. we did a sold out... There is not a single empty seat out there.. And there are also journalists, critics.. All here for my show... 

'So.. guys! Come here'

We'll all get in a circle. 

'It's the big day... let's go out there... and show them who we are.'

 'YES!'

They all answer in chorus.. my gaze obviously goes to Y/n, you can see she's as anxious as I am, but I know what she's thinking: "Let's do it", so let's really do it. Through the usual path, I hold on to the fake moon and signal to uncle Eddie to start the special effects.. Let the show begin.. 

'Creatures great and small!!!! It is a pleasure tonight, having you here with us, Today.. you will be witnesses, of a revolution. Today... I'm going to tell you a story... which... starts like this...'

 Author's pov: 

With the lights off, 'The most beautiful moment" in life begins: 7 guys, who have already reached their twenty years old, who still can be considered teenagers. All brought together by their passion for music, but there is also something else that unites them, the question ... "What is my dream?" What's your dream?...' 

You can already hear the voices of the journalists, the audience taken by that hip hop rhythm, by the coordinated steps, by the voices of those seven guys.. that no one would have ever imagined seeing climbing the highest peaks of the world. And if you don't believe me.. keep watching, how mankind itself has evolved over the centuries, how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly... these guys have changed, passing from the hip hop of 'No more dream', 'We are bulletproof', 'N.O', 'Boy in luv', 'Danger'; To the sweetest and most melancholic notes of 'I need u' and 'Run'; To the energy of 'Fire' and 'not today'; To the sensuality of 'Blood, sweat and tears ';

To the fairy love of 'DNA' and the strength of 'Mic Drop', the unhappy love of 'Fake love', the redemption of 'Idol'; To the genuine love of 'Boy with luv'; To the poetics of 'On' and 'Black swan'; To the sweetness of 'Life goes on'; Up to the freshness of the singles 'Dynamite', 'Butter' and 'Permission to Dance'; And then? And then... here they are... When you are in a group.. sometimes you can lose yourself.. so. The seven stars have decided to put an end to the first chapter of their career with 'Yet to come'..

 'You and I, the best moment is yet to come..'

 And start a second one.. From which...they will come out many surprises. The dancer, the bearer of hope, met a fan of his, spoke a different language than his, or so it seemed, and had two hopeful green eyes.. he didn't necessarily need her, yet his eyes saw her not as a fan , but something more.. She had kindled a flame in him.. it was up to him whether to put it out or feed it... 

'Equality is you and me..'

If the flame of love burned on one side, the one of doubt was next to it, a singer, with a voice so low, almost chilling, who fortunately, or unfortunately, found himself together with his dancer friend, when the fateful encounter took place, the green-eyed girl had a friend with her, with sea-colored eyes, in which the singer was almost shipwrecked .. It almost seemed like a dream .. but the boy with the frozen voice could not give in, perhaps out of fear, out of cowardice, out of disbelief, he wanted to let her go but ... 

'Never mind, I' I'll find Someone like you..'

No one would ever be like her.. so the boy relented. And he did not regret it. Three boys find their Beatrice. 

Well, I'm about to tell you about the Third, perhaps the one who least expected a gift like this from life. The rapper, the leader, walking down that country road, starts humming an almost improvised song, but his singing gets a response. Another girl there, humming with him, for him. in love they could try each other.. But... there was something.. he still didn't know, that love that was blossoming in him, for that girl, who sang with him.. 

'Is this love, yeah Is this love, yeah Sometimes I know, yeah Sometimes I don't, yeah'

Namjoon's pov: 

Wait... I have Y/n right here in front of me... I wrote this script before I even knew her.. I .. I've done everything without thinking about it until now... now that my mind is free.. now that all this is about to end.. I have her in front of me, this woman, the woman who has never stopped supporting me , to stand by me.. the woman who.. without realizing it... I seriously loved and that I'm loving even more, now that I'm aware of it. Fuck the royalties, admiration and all... I love her.. 

Y/n's pov:

I hear the music finish... I sang with Namjoon for the umpteenth time, yet today was different- I feel.. something soft on my... lips... wait... N-Namjoon? Is Namjoon kissing me? Yes... he's doing it.. and I'm kissing him back?... My body no longer responds to my mind.. I feel like I'm lost in a limbo, as if time has stopped... it's such a beautiful feeling...Did he do it for the scene? We've never talked about kissing...was it out of enthusiasm? Possible... but... I feel something special, as if with these kisses he is trying to tell me something.. When the curtain is about to cover us, I can clearly see an "I love you", mimicked from Namjoon... I smile at him miming "me too". We don't have enough time to talk.. We have to sing 'For Youth'... Throughout the song we kept exchanging glances and smiling at each other... I don't know what happened to him.. but I'm glad he opened his eyes. I am happy that this wish of mine has been fulfilled. But...wait! Did that crackhead Angie know something? Who knows... she's Cupid's descendant there... apparently. After the show, I thought too much on me and Namjoon, when I realize that, in front of my eyes, in our... eyes, there is the loudest audience: Who applauds, who cries, who laughs, who smiles, who screams... And... there's also Mr. Buster and his crew in the audience.. Nana, all the critics, my family... They're all there.. To frame this magical moment.

My gaze can only go towards the others, all moved, and on Namjoon, my Namjoon, on his knees, moved more than all. 

Namjoon's pov:

 There was my uncle there in front of me, my idol, the others, the delirious audience, Nana winking at me, that sheep, she had done it on purpose to tell me those things.. 

' YOU WERE GREAT MY NEPHEW!!'

uncle's screams could only increase that idyllic feeling I was already feeling, my gaze then falls on Y/n, who already was looking at me, smiling, that wonderful smile... We stood there applauding for more than 10 minutes to then go backstage and of course the first thing I did was hug my sweet Y/n. 

'You did it' 

She says smiling even more. I dry her tears. 

'We did it together, all of us' 

I add, before giving her a kiss. 

'GROUP HUG' 

I hear Jungkook's screams and then everyone else all over me and Y/n. Miss Crawly was there too!!! And then... I see my uncle coming towards me, smiling like never before. 

'I'm so proud of you, Namjoon'

 I smile at him.. 

'It's all thanks to you, uncle, and...to my crew' 

I hug Uncle Buster, a little harder than other times. Then I see some dudes coming towards me. 

'These gentlemens want to offer you a contract... my dear nephew, apparently this is just the beginning.. this show will remain on everyone's lips for a loooong time' 

I turn abruptly towards the others, we all look at each other with wide eyes.. 

'So what? Are we going to climb this peak?' 

'OBVIOUS' 

they yell in chorus, my guys. Y/n runs again to hug me.. 

Alright, I was right.. something beautiful, really beautiful.... it really happened.. But.. The most beautiful moment.. is yet to come.

Author's Note

so... i decided to translate from italian to english all the one shots i wrote and the ones i'll write in future! Hope that this one helped you to have faith on your dreams and to never give up!