#absolutely killer bassline

[harmonictechnicality]

model!steve and voice actor!Eddie (part 2)

part 1 here | ao3 link here | the temp is up on this one so like... dni if under 18 pls

Steve spends a lot of his spare time at the gym. Comes with the territory of modeling or whatever. Gotta keep himself strong, without developing bulging muscles. Gotta keep himself toned, without becoming too lean. Somewhat of a balancing act to this media fuckery circus.

Times are changing, yeah maybe. But not for puffy-lipped preps with killer bone structure. Steve still falls under the category of stereotypical Pretty Boy, and he’s chill with that. Fucking owns it.

Most days…

He’s currently cooling down on the treadmill - brisk walk, almost a jog. It’s a good pace for multitasking some adult shit that he needs to get done. Staying hydrated, keeping his photoshoot calendar up-to-date, answering a few emails. Yada yada.

Steve takes a swig of his seaweed (more like arsenic) smoothie. Opens the top email that reads:

The Fallen King - Final Commercial Cut

Right. Steve almost forgot about this particular shoot. Well, tried to repress the thoughts of that mega-douche director who kept referring to Steve’s ass as ‘prime real estate.’ Fucking creep.

He scrolls down to the attached file and slides his headphones back over his ears.

The ad opens with a wide shot of Steve draped over the throne, fog swelling around the bottom of the screen. The music is an eerie cello solo, set to a heavy bassline. 

Just another oversexualized cologne campaign, he thinks. Probably will barely feature the product because they paid big money for Steve’s body. Gotta get their fill of it (ha, they fucking wish Steve would fill them up).

But then the narration rolls into his ears and the room does a somersault. Practically inverts it’s axis at the sound dripping in Steve’s ears:

‘The mighty will fall from grace…’

“Oh shit.” Steve almost wipes out on the treadmill, has to catch his fall on the side bars. His knees are tingling, calves molten and shaky. Already half hard, which is definitely going to be a problem in these flimsy, mesh gym shorts.

‘Forbidden love and public slander…’

But that voice. That tone. That sinful register set in the minor key of Holy Fuck.

‘Will bring them to their knees.’

Alright, that fucking does it. Steve pauses the video before he’s fully tenting-out in a goddamn fitness center. Packs up his shit, chucks the sludge smoothie in the trash, and finds an empty stall. Emphatically locks it.

“Agh, damnit!” Steve's thumb slips over the screen and exits out of the video. It scrolls back to the top of the email - a new message has been added to the chain.

Seriously, what obnoxious fucker does ‘Reply All’ these days?

The new message reads:

Great work, team. (Sorry for being such a vocal slut.)

(… Not that sorry though.) - Eddie Munson

That’s right - the voice artist. Almost didn’t recognize the voice, but the repressed memory of that day comes flying to the surface when Steve sees the name. 

He recalls the guy being objectively cute too. Not in the California ‘sun-kissed skin’ kind of way. More in the Seattle ‘rain forces me to be a pale homebody’ kind of way. His eyes were something else though. They reminded Steve of the sepia tone filters he used in his early modeling portfolio. No way in hell Steve could ever forget knockout eyes like that.

The locker room is empty. Steve reopens the video, raises the volume high enough to mute out the thin hum from the air conditioning unit. Only wants to hear Eddie’s voice. That’s it. 

He’s already touching himself when the first phrase falls out of the headphones. Can’t even help it now that he’s alone. It’s all too good. Works himself up all stuffy and sensitive by the time the new part comes up:

‘Drenched in their guilt. Soaked in their shame.’

Fucking christ.

‘Choking on worthless confessions…’

Nope. Nope. Absolutely not. Choking? Worthless? What is this, a sado hotline? Steve feels the heat spreading on his neck, flushed over in a non-exercise way. There’s a thump in his dick, has to squeeze his fingers around it. Like his body needs a reminder to calm the fuck down.

‘Until all that is left of them is desolate darkness.’

Pretty sure the raspy exhale after every phrase is going to do Steve in, saturate his last ounce of dignity with want. Eddie’s breathing is taking Steve’s breath away, and that’s an outright mindfuck. Earfuck. 

Something is getting fucked, and somehow, Steve still needs more.

While the song sustains, Steve strokes himself to the percussive rhythm. 

‘The Fallen King. The scent of secrets.’

The hiss on the last syllable fades into the music till everything fizzles out, going dead silent.

Well, everything goes silent except for Steve, who is utterly rattled. Can hear his dense breath and it’s way too noisy for a public space. The pulse in his neck is irregular, hitched the fuck up. His smartwatch is buzzing, alerting him that his heart rate is elevated, which duh. His whole body feels like it underwent some sexual awakening in the middle of a fitness center. 

And, sure. That’s a common place for people to realize how gay and desperate they are, but not like this. Not with zero visuals of sweaty bodies. 

Before he starts the video over to… finish the job, a phone call lights up his screen. Because of course it does.

He reads the name and swipes it open. “What’s up, Buckley?”

“I need coffee.” Robin whines, already pouting into the phone speaker no doubt. 

“You always need coffee.”

“Yeah but like… it tastes better when you buy me coffee.”

“Oh, so you want to mooch off of your own client?” Steve teases because he can. They can annoy the shit out of each other and write it off as endearment. “Pretty unprofessional of you, Ms. Manager.”

Robin groans. Makes it a long one too - probably to show off both her annoyance and lung capacity. “Fuck all the way off, you were my friend first. Always friends first.”

“Always friends first.” Steve agrees. She’s right, usually is about most things. Robin has been his manager since his last agency went bankrupt from pouring their funds into promoting Fyre Fest. And everyone knows that turned out to be an entire fuckshow.

Honestly, it’s easier this way - Robin being his manager. They get to hang out more, he has more input on gigs that he’s interested in…

Interested in. Huh. The metaphorical lightbulb flicks on in Steve’s voice-drunk brain. Having his best friend as his manager is also convenient when Steve needs the phone number of a certain co-worker.

“Alright, fine.” Steve has a sly grin on as he talks. “I’ll bring over some coffee.”

“Thank god.”

“If!”

“Ugh.”

He huffs out a laugh. “If you can send me the cast and crew contact sheet from the Fallen King commercial.”

“Ew, why?” Robin asks, sounds totally repulsed. Valid, that shoot was Objectification Station.

But truly, Steve’s not in the mood to make up an excuse. He’s sore and sweaty and half-hard. So he just gets to the damn point. “Look, do you want coffee or not?”

“Okay okay.” That’s one way to speed up the process. Caffeine threats - works every time. “Dropping the file to you now.” 

“You’re the best.” Steve sings.

“I know, I know.” And the line clicks dead.

Okay. This is not a booty call, it’s not.

Steve is just texting a semi-stranger to tell him that his voice is potentially the hottest thing he’s ever heard. Okay, he’ll definitely phrase it better than that, maybe throw a few emojis in there to normalize the tone. Soften it up to sound very un-stalkery.

Yeah. Not a booty call. And if Eddie happens to send an audio message, and Steve happens to jerk off to it… still not a booty call, right?

Pathetic, maybe. But not basic, thank fuck.

He types, then re-types the message out way too many times before settling on this:

Steve: Great work on the commercial voiceover! Got ur number from the call sheet. hope that’s cool.

Steve hits send before realizing he didn’t have the goddamn common sense to introduce himself. He’s not even a rookie at hookups, why is he suddenly so frazzled by this guy?

“This is Steve by the way…” he mumbles into an audio message. Hits send, then quickly makes another:

“The… model guy.”

The model guy? What in the flustered hell is going on with him?

A chime notification goes off maybe two minutes after Steve sends the last message. Which is like… hot. Shameless fast texters are a millennial turn-on, for sure.

It’s a voice text, so Steve takes thirty seconds to calm down whatever involuntary throb just happened in his sweatpants. He sucks in some air and presses play:

“Pretty sure all the kids these days just send a ‘u up’ message to people they wanna dick down at midnight.”

Damn. Eddie’s voice sounds totally different, but just as sexy. Like amateur porn sexy. Is amateur audio porn a thing? It should be.

Steve quickly saves the audio file and types back.

Steve:  Ok pls don’t mention ‘kids’ while I’m trying to flirt with u

Eddie: Waitwaitwait So we're definitely flirting right now? I actually interpreted that correctly?

Steve: Like u said It’s midnight So… *shrug emoji*

And a phone call comes through. Eddie’s contact name flashing in a harsh light, too blinding and too unexpected. Steve’s heart is hammering at his rib cage, suddenly so fucking nervous. He waits until the last ring to answer, buys himself some time cause god knows, he needs it.

Steve takes a breath and swallows. “He-”

“Okay, so you do realize this is the sewer rat voice actor guy from the commercial shoot, right?” Eddie interrupts, sounds out of breath. “And not like… a fellow model or Timothee Chalamet’s cousin or something?”

That earns a hearty laugh and eye-roll from Steve. “He is so not my type.”

“Thought he was everyone’s type.”

“Nah.” Steve rolls onto his belly, very giddy and disarmed by the ease of the exchange. His nerves are set aside, replaced with his usual confidence. “More into sewer rat voice actor guys.”

“That… is some very specific criteria.” Eddie coughs or maybe it's just a dry laugh. He sounds pleased as hell, so laugh seems more likely. “Holy shit, I’m flirting with a model!”

“You’re cute." Steve should not be so charmed right now, but the impulsive honesty is really doing it for him. "Dorky, but cute.” 

Eddie mumbles something incoherent, then clears his throat. Speaks quieter this time. “So why’d you text?”

“So why’d you call?”

“Just, uh… needed confirmation that this is real life.”

Steve lets out a ‘hmm,’ thinks of a proper response to that. “If I was there, I could pinch you. Ya know... so you’d know it’s real.” Okay. Maybe not proper, but whatever. It’s late. His brain is half scrambled from hormones and exhaustion, cut him some slack.

“Would do a lot more than pinch you if you were actually here.” And sure, Eddie might have mumbled that, but Steve clearly heard it. He heard exactly what Eddie just suggested.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Fuck, we’re doing this?” Eddie whispers.

Steve turns onto his back again, lets his hand wander down. “If you’re into that. Like hearing your voice, Eddie.”

“Like hearing you say my name like that.” And Eddie sounds like he means it. His tone is smoothing over, the same way it did in the narration. “You sound so worked up already.”

Steve moans, chest falling hard enough that the phone slips. Has to reposition it to get all that good vocal seduction back in his ear.

“God, wish I could see what you look like right now.” Eddie exhales, getting that nice rasp that Steve likes so much. It’s sultry and rich. Breathless at just the right moments. “Bet you’re lying down, aren’t you? Phone wedged between your neck and ear cause your hands are too busy to hold it properly. Am I right?”

“Yeah.” Steve pushes past the waistband of his sweatpants, then his boxers.

Eddie hums. Growls. “The things I’d do to you like that. Lying down, looking so eager to please. Saw how good you are at taking direction that day of the shoot. Does that apply in the bedroom too, baby?”

“It… fuck.” Steve strokes himself slowly. Can barely get the words out cause it feels like he's chewing on Eddie's voice. Swallowing every syllable. “Yeah, it does.”

“See - that’s the problem, isn’t it?”

“Problem?”

“That I don’t know what you’re into. How you like it.”

“Pretty open to… trying things.” Steve reassures, eyes closing to soak in every sensation. “Just keep talking.”

And thank all that is holy, Eddie does just that. He keeps talking. “Can’t stop thinking about that pretty neck of yours. How I’d kiss it, suck on it till your skin goes tender and soft under my lips. Till your head rolls back like it did in that video.”

Eddie's words are syrup. Heavy and tempting. “I’d let you rest it on my shoulder while I get my hands all over you. See what sweet spots drive you wild, get you to squirm for me.”

Steve's grip tightens, pumping at a pace that’s close to getting fucked. A pace that makes it easier to pretend that it’s Eddie’s hand wrapped around him, making his vision blurred and spotty - even with his eyes screwed shut.

“Eddie, you’re… oh my god.” Steve whines, knows it must be pretty fucking loud with the speaker smushed against his cheek. “You’re so good at this.”

Eddie shushes him, sounds like he’s snickering a bit. “I’d tease you like that until your thighs start to tremble. Until you beg me to go further. End the torture.”

“Fucking christ…please.” Guess Steve really is that good at taking direction. Or maybe he’s extra easy for guys that turn his brain into liquor. Too busy begging to know which one it might be. “Keep going.”

Eddie’s laugh is dark and rough. “Sounds nice hearing you beg like that. Like sin.”

Feels like sin too. 

Steve’s fingers are slicked nicely with precome. The friction of his palm is making everything warmer, better. And stirring all of those feelings up with Eddie’s voice? Fucking hell, Steve is close. He’s so damn- “Okay, okay. If we don’t stop, I’m gonna-”

“I know.” Eddie purrs, sweetly mean. “Thought that was the point.”

“Cannot believe I'm about to say this, but maybe…” Steve has to dig his hand out from his boxers to complete the sentence. Knocks his head against the wall because his behavior is totally batshit right now. “Maybe I want to see you again first? Is that weird?”

His skin sort of tingles from going this long without finishing. Never solved the blue-balling issue back at the gym either, so Steve’s on the verge of climax insanity right now. Didn’t think he’d discover an edging kink at the ripe age of twenty-five, but eureka. Here it is.

“Not weird.” Eddie’s voice returns back to a calmer one. The one that doesn’t make Steve want to bend over and get fucked so hard that his organs shift around. “I mean, I’m weird, sure. But wanting to complete this in person is not weird. Very un-weird, in fact.”

“You talk a lot.”

“Yeah well… voice actor.” Eddie says, sort of deadpan. “You couldn’t see that, but I just did ‘razzle dazzle’ hands.”

Shit, Steve really likes this guy. He just used the phrase ‘razzle dazzle hands,’ and Steve is still horny for him. Wow.

“Is tomorrow too soon?” Steve manages to say before overthinking it.

“Tomorrow-tomorrow, or like today-tomorrow?” Eddie asks. “Cause it’s past midnight.”

Right. Booty call time moves at an entirely different pace than normal time does. “Today-tomorrow. If you’re free.”

“Free as a dead composer’s anthology of music.” Eddie answers happily.

Steve opens his mouth to respond, then shuts it because what? What does that even mean? Is that a yes or a no? Goddamnit, his head hurts. Too many questions, not enough orgasms.

“Most classical music is royalty-free.” Eddie clears his throat, sounds like he’s tapping on something. “… So yeah. I’m free.”

“Right.” Steve chuckles, hard to believe he’s unapologetically gushing. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, Eddie.”

“Great. See you today, Steve.” Eddie is still snorting at his own joke while the call ends.

They haven’t sorted out any of the details yet, but it doesn’t matter. It’s happening. It’s real.

So real, that he wants an actual date with Eddie before steamy phone sex. He wants to make Eddie laugh before making him come. That's like... unheard of for Steve. Uncharted.

Damn.

Today-tomorrow can’t come soon enough.

[virtuacore]

Knock (노크) 못참겠네 (Moschamgess-ne; I Can't Stand It) (1997) periodical old kpop power hour of power (POKPHOP) 1집

what better way to start off this series than with my favorite song from this era ever. the obscurant one-and-done group Knock's "못참겠네" (Moschamgess-ne; I Can't Stand It) is a profoundly strange, groovy banger that's like... you ever hear something and then never stop thinking about it for like, two-plus years? yeah, this is that. it's riding a crazy, pointillistic disco-house flow somewhere between Deavid Soul and Akufen, Cassius trading their vinyl for ROMplers, maximalist microhouse: as skeletal as it is stuffed with little details, spangles and accents, filter sweeps and microsamples. it's things like the molecular reduction of "That's the Way (I Like It)" in the intro, the track snapping into a nocturnal, jazzy hustle, the thumping kick and its accompanying squirrely bassline bending itself into a möbius strip, multiple hard-panned samples jumping out of the mix at the same time, or the digi-horns, space drums, pulses, beeps, whirls, pagers and phones all going off in parallel, and god knows what else (there's a lot more!). and the trio dovetail with and riff on all this racket perfectly, ooh-la-la harmonies colliding with angular co-ed rap geometry, sweetened sing-song into a perfect hook as sassy as it is yearning. and the breakdown after the first chorus is pure madness, a couple bars at a jagged clip and then "it's about that time I put you back on track!" in the center channel and "it's disco time, baby!" out of the left before devolving into gang chants and scream-raps. then it gets itself together and locks back on to that hellacious groove. totally devious.

it's a small thing, too, but I greatly appreciate this song knowing how good its hook is and beating the hell out of it as such. so many hits (and not-hits) of the time just sorta end, you know? here they drop the drums a second, bring them back and then hammer the hook into your brain over and over, layering the intro rap and a bunch more of those laser pulses on top. anyway... this song fuckin' rules so hard. what also fuckin' rules? this song's video!

the MV is so, so, sooooo good. a low-budget urban daydream of 90s street scenes (shout out to Freetel!), passing trains, underpass dance rituals and rain-slicked parking lots, all lit by colorful strobes and fogged-out flood lights, absolutely killer fashion (and at least two killer wigs), crazy fresh dance moves, just a bunch of grooving and messing about with friends on the street corner with a tinge of X-Files and Jet Set Radio, all linked together by an unimpeachable sense of cool. the image of the group just vibing on top of those cars while shrouded in fog and light? simply iconic. the video's mysterious nocturnal energy and heady, kinetic rhythm is the perfect match for the music, and the combination is a revelation.

the rest of Knock's sole album also rules, even if none of the other songs quite rise to the level of revelation that the title track does. every song is a keeper, whether the off-axis G-funk of "YAMMA" and "Bad Girl", the cartoonish lilt of "오리", or the infectious duo of "Miss Miss" and "너 친구맞니?!", which both utilize the structure of a four-on-the-floor hook juxtaposed with a funky syncopated rhythm for the verses. "연습게임" is mystical and subterranean, and even the requisite album-closing ballad "I feel in your eyes" is a jammer: slow-and-low, spare yet lush, unpretentious and memorable. the whole record's united by the same off-kilter soundworld that animates the title track—the same ROMpler full of samples bouncing every which way, instruments all over the place, bits and pieces of voice and sound accenting everything, almost like a fourth vocalist. it's full of hooks, microhooks and grooves, all anchored to a mad sense of rhythm and space. all these joints have been stuck in my head for ages, basically! it's always it's the weirdest, galaxy-brain tunes that go nowhere and are doomed to obscurity, ain't it.

download in FLAC or V0 (ripped from my CD... scanned, too!)

bonus fun fact #1: the female rapper with the buzz-cut is named Z-E (지이)—after Knock fizzled out, she linked up with a rapper by the name of Turtleman to form the trio Turtles (거북이), who scored hit after hit until Turtleman's tragic passing in 2008. Turtles were a universally beloved trio, and deservedly so—they also absolutely rule.

bonus fun fact #2 and #3: "못참겠네" (plus "YAMMA" and "Bad Girl") was arranged by one Jegal Min (제갈민), one of the unsung heroes (see also: Shin Young-sub (신영섭)) of the original 1992-1994 "rap dance" craze that was dominated by Seo Taiji, Hyun Jin-young, DEUX and others. like many a failed pop star, he then found far more success in production and management. one of his backup dancers, Kim Jung-nam, later found stardom as half of the legendary Turbo (터보).

bonus fun fact #4: future entries in this series will absolutely not go on this long. i just really love this song, yeah?

tumblr exclusive bonus fun fact #5: periodical old kpop power hour of power (POKPHOP) is a series i've started on my cohost page but to a certain extent this tumblr has been on a POKPHOP for seven whole years now

hat tip: Old Kpop추억의뮤비 and 58RNA3QD

[a-moth-to-the-light]

Giving Itzy An Album

[my top ten itzy songs]

Okay so, I've been wanting to do this for forever! I'm a really big fan of Itzy, and, like every fan of Itzy, I see SO much unused potential in their music. The members have this ridiculously attention-grabbing presence on their songs, and I just think they would be fantastic rock stars!! (I was there when "Nobody Like You" dropped, and I'll never forget it.) So, through this post, I'll be making my Itzy-rock vision a (sort of) reality.

Album Title: kiss & cry

Concept: Your dad's hazy memories of the 70s. Brightly colored, heavily romanticized, aggressively chill, a tad bit psychedelic!

1. Round & Round -- iiso

I mean, this is a kpop album! So I wanted the album intro to be something that's trippy in a house-music kind of way, on-trend but still blending well with my carefree, psychedelic-rock-inspired vision for this album.

2. WORLDEND -- negoto (TITLE TRACK A)

When I say Itzy are rock stars in my heart, I mean this. I love the members' vocal tones, but so many of their releases don't seem to have any idea at all about what suits them. Negoto, though, has vocals that I find beautiful in the same way I do Itzy's--they're unusual, fascinating, and they bring SO much energy to the table. And that's why I've been dreaming of hearing Itzy on this song for three years now! With a melody like this, already designed to bring the best out of a whiny vocal style, I think Itzy would sound absolutely wonderful. This song is very pop-leaning, and there's just SOOO much energy in that chorus--Itzy deserves a song like this, 100%.

3. Scarlet Begonias - Live at Barton Hall, Cornell... -- The Grateful Dead (PRE-RELEASE)

Yes, I'm going to leave this song exactly as it is, except for adding Itzy's voices to it. Yes, there will be a two-minute sample at the beginning, consisting of The Grateful Dead asking the audience to please take some steps back. (It fills me with joy every single time I listen to this song. You can't make me get rid of it.) Yes, it will be 11 minutes long. (Look, after a release as boilerplate as "Cake", I reserve the right to make this one a little weird! I don't even mind "Cake" as much as most people seem to, but let me have my thing.) With its cheery melodies and humorous youthfulness, I think "Scarlet Begonias" fits Itzy better than you'd expect!

4. Ah Yeah -- Hyolyn

I don't know, this one just felt right! It's light and fluffy and a little strange--that weird distorted instrumental is so Itzy to me! I also love the way rapping & singing kind of overlap, running into each other, in the prechorus. I think the members could really show off their skills in this one! I actually think its vibe fits quite well alongside "Scarlet Begonias", too, despite all the genre (and era) differences!

5. shinkaigyo -- The Back Horn (PROMOTED B-SIDE)

"Ringo" but better. Though a lot of the other songs on this album aren't super dance-y, a choreography to "shinkaigyo" would be KILLER. So much intensity, and that BASSLINE??? I love that this track brings Itzy weirdness to rock, and it also has this really satisfying chorus that, I dare say, we all loved so much about early Itzy tracks like "Wannabe".

6. Love Spell -- GFRIEND (TITLE TRACK B)

Itzy's music tends to lean into these cool-girl personas, with lots of attitude & ad-libs, but I've strayed away for it from most of this album--"Love Spell", though, has that classic Itzy attitude, with some great rock influences, too! (guitar go grrrrrrrr it brings me so much joy)

7. I Know I'm Not Wrong -- Fleetwood Mac

A little silly, a little angsty, with absolutely incessant energy in its instrumental--I can see Itzy having SOOO much fun with this!

8. BEEP BEEP -- Ruann

What's a psychedelic-rock inspired album without some gorgeous tropical house to zone out to? Okay, yeah, this album would probably be fine without it. But like, it fits too well? And after "Bratty", I need more cutesy music from them!

9. Chill -- Chung Ha

Itzy's vocal power that really draws me to them, and I think "Chill" is a perfect song to center that. It's straightforward, with melody lines that are blunt & heavy-hitting--I think it could be pretty easily rearranged into a ballad/soft song that would bring out the best in the Itzy members' vocals.

10. joyrider -- second thoughts

Peak Itzy + guitar agenda--this song is just so much fun?? It's not really a happy song, but it feels just as euphoric as classic Itzy hype tracks are, and I think their vocals have the perfect energy to carry a half-angsty, half-humorous chorus like this one.

11. Stop Making This Hurt -- Bleachers

This track is literally made for screaming karaoke on the highway, and I know Itzy have the energy to do it justice & make it our comfort song of the year.

[rararazaquato]

okay so apparently some people aren't aware of "you're mine", the absolutely batshit insane baldi's basics fansong.

so, baldis basics. a shitpost of a video game intended to parody edutainment content and also possibly satirize the fledgling mascot horror genre. it was getting compared to tattletail and bendy and the ink machine left right and center. at the same time, a youtuber named dagames is making fansongs for those mascot horror games (he's got some real popular fnaf ones out there).

the story goes that people in dagames's comments section keep bugging him to make a baldi's basics song. but, obviously, there's nothing all that serious happening in this game. it's a parody that was made for a gamejam in, like, a week. people keep asking for it, though, so dagames gives in. he makes the song.

except he intentionally makes it as vulgar, sexual, and controversial as possible, with lyrics like "hi there, welcome to my hooker palace" and "don't eat ass in the halls".

i will give a content warning here because this is, ostensibly, a song about an orgy occurring in a schoolhouse, with all the uncomfortable implications that come with such a topic. however, it's in a sort of "tactless edgelord" way that doesn't dwell on it that much. whether that makes the content more acceptable or less acceptable is honestly a matter of personal opinion. listen with caution if you're sensitive to anything of a sexual nature, and take care of yourself.

anyway, here's the sexual baldi's basics fansong with the killer bassline.

[kommuunrecords]

SLASKERYGER - Frlt.Jrdn

Frlt.Jrdn [SINGLE] - SUPPORT https://kommuunrecords.bandcamp.com/track/frlt-jrdn Æ- fOLLOW https://www.instagram.com/slaskeryger/ 01. Frlt.Jrdn An amazing deep house track fashioned in the old school way of producing beats. Slaskeryger's absolute killer sampling method works well with the flow of the drum machine sequence. Bassline's punch wont be missed here either. Cover art done by artist Martin Schreiner qbg.no/en/artists/martin-schreiner www.instagram.com/m.a.b.io.s/ Kommuun Records https://www.instagram.com/kommuunrecords/

[duorogue]

Group of three LANCER pilots, designed as enemies for a 3v3 arena oneshot (in case one of my players is out that week). The synergy of the team is balanced by the fact I can barely play one character without missing things let alone three. I find that, given the lack of stakes and general speed of LANCER combat, that a 3v3 tends to last around the length of a regular session, and works surprisingly well.

Crescendo and Bassline sprites by Carcosa, being Dog and Glimmer Chiliad; Flow's sprite is The Burning Heart of the Woods, by Ashen One; all three were taken from Retrograde Minis' chop shop, which can i just say is absolutely incredible and shows off some top tier artists.

Below is the builds they're running, and some descriptions. Generally pretty simple gameplans, unlike the last team with both a lich and a goblin...

DRUMBEAT // GLIMMER CHILIAD (LL6) HASE: 0/2/0/6 SSC Death's Head | Core Bonus: HEATFALL COOLANT SYSTEM, OVERPOWER CALIBER Talents: CRACK SHOT 3 | NUCLEAR CAV 2 | TACTICIAN 2 | LEADER 2 Weapon: CYCLONE PULSE RIFLE Systems: Core Siphon, Siege Stabilizers, External Ammo Feed, Autoloader Drone, Personalizations

Overcharge loop with loading weapons, death's head edition. Abuse Extrenal Ammo Feed and Autoloader Drone to reload the CPR with quick actions, plus getting bonus damage off of nuclear cav. Probably explodes the moment you get in close, but with 20 range, that amount of damage, and allies, that's not exactly guaranteed.

CRESCENDO // ANNOYING DOG (LL6) HASE: 2/4/2/0 PI-OF Lemongrass | Core Bonus: AUTO-STABILIZING HARDPOINTS, SLOPED PLATING Talents: BLACK THUMB 3 | TECHNOPHILE 3 | HOUSE GUARD 2 | BONDED 1 (Volcano) Weapons: BLACKSPOT TARGETING LASER (Auto-stab) | DAZZLER/DAZZLER Systems: Active Defense System, Cargo Walker, Carrier Clamps, Cherenkov Manifold, Dampening Amalgam

Homebrew stuff! Castor & Pollux being the source. The idea of the Lemongrass is that it's constantly gaining Ion charges, and whenever someone attacks the Lemongrass or an adjacent ally, it spends those charges as both damage to the attacker and reduction on the damage dealt to the ally. The entire setup here is support; Black Thumb 3 to do some ally support, Technophile to pilot the mech while black thumb is active, house guard and bonded to do house guard and bonded things. Blackspot with auto-stab is more or less crit-fishing (this is a build that would benefit from tactician 2 as well, since the Lemongrass can fly) for more ion charges, though the lock-on is nice, and the dazzler is to annoy anyone who tries to get up close. Basically all those systems are defensive ones, providing difficulty or damage reduction, though I would like to highlight the Cargo Walker, a size 2 deployable that allies can mount, and moves on the deployer's turn, 2 spaces. This will give Drumbeat the extra height to proc tactician 2, as well as make it even more annoying to hit them even with siege stabilizers up.

FLOW // THE BURNING HEART OF THE WOODS (LL6) HASE: 0/2/0/6 IC Pollux | Core Bonus: SUPERIOR BY DESIGN, OVERPOWER CALIBER Talents: NUCLEAR CAVALIER 3 | BONDED 3 (Crescendo) | HOUSE GUARD 2 | PROSPECTOR 1 Weapons: DISPLACER | THERMAL LANCE (OP cal) | NEXUS (HUNTER-KILLER Systems: Argonaut Shield, Solstice Shield, Reactor Failsafe, Stasis Barrier, Personalizations, Custom Paint Job

More Castor & Pollux! The Pollux's primary frame trait is gaining overshield at the end of turn based on how much heat it has. With 6 Engineering and Superior By Design, this is a cap of 16. LL6 is a bit low to finish the entire build, since I did want the drake's superheavy, but the Displacer is too important. Sure, 10 energy in burst 1 at range 10 is nice, but the real juicy bit here is the 10 heat (self), instantly setting up the entire build. After this, it's a mix of tossing around various strong (but heat-building) systems and weapons, and trying not to explode from overheating, partially helped by Crescendo's Black Thumb 3. There's not much to this except being a Big Boy Who Is On Fire.

Though a notable aspect of this is, due to being one scene, each team gets a single core power between all three characters. This team is built with FLOW's core power as the primary one, being able to 1/round deal damage equal to half it's current overshield. An extra +6 or more on a hunter-killer nexus is pretty useful, and ensures consistent damage even when playing it safer in regards to heat cap.

[airadam]

Episode 163 : Cold, Rolled.

"...while she was waiting for her son to shine."

- Mystro

Ok - last month was a bit chilly but this one was ridiculous! As 2022 ends, we loosely have a winter/Xmas theme scattered through the selection, some brand new releases that deserve sharing, and many other gems including a Grand Daddy IU production after he passed away this month - RIP to him. 

By the way - as well as all my other social media accounts, I'm now on Mastodon, since Twitter seems to be falling apart - you can follow my account on @airadam@mastodon.me.uk

Twitter : @airadam13

Twitch : @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

Shaquille O'Neal ft. Jay-Z and Lord Tariq : No Love Lost

I'd almost forgotten that this track existed until I was going through the "S" section of my wax! Shaq was certainly a competent MC, if not a standout, but he was consistently able to leverage his status into some memorable collaborations. Even in 1996 when this track was released on the "You Can't Stop The Reign" album, his third, Jay-Z was a big feature to get, and Lord Tariq was not long off dropping the enormous hit "Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)" with Peter Gunz. Production comes from Poke and Tone (Trackmasters), and it's a chill head-nodder that definitely brings back memories of the era. Side note: there's another version of this cut from the DJ Clue "Fall Pt.1" mixtapes that also features Nas!

Kev Brown : Myrrh

The don of the bassline dropped a surprise Xmas project last year, the sixteen-track and appropriately-named "The Kev Brown Holiday Special" and generously offered it at a discount this month. This track goes straight for the nativity angle, with those choral voices floating around the the classic eighth-note sleigh bells and the kind of solid, chunky, funky foundation that Kev has absolutely mastered. This wise man from the east (coast) delivers 🔥

Jointhedots, Dubbul O, and Berry Blacc : Right Now

Brand new flavour from Manchester! I was literally waiting for them to bless me with a copy of this track before recording this episode, so convinced was I that it'd be another in a streak of excellent singles, and it does not disappoint. Dubbul O and Berry Blacc, who are the vocalists for their live performances, combine to provide the vocals on this one, with Berry showing his versatility by singing on the haunting hook as well as spitting the second verse. JTD's production, headed up by Defty, is based around a classy bassline, and everything else falls into place perfectly around it. Another release worthy of your support!

Smif-N-Wessun : Nothin' Move But The Money

Nineties classic! This was an underground and mixtape staple shortly after it was recorded, but...it never actually got released. This track was supposed to be on "Dah Shinin'", Smif-N-Wessun's debut LP, and would even have been first single, but they couldn't clear the sample, and so it had to be dropped. Shame, as it's an absolute killer, with Da Beatminerz taking the original track and manipulating it over to the dark side like Palpatine, creating a perfect canvas for Tek and Steele to get busy, weaving in and out of each other's bars like the legendary duo they are. If you see a copy of this (which will usually involve some kind of bootleg vinyl), just grab it!

Tiny Hearts : Snow Cold

I can't even remember how I stumbled upon this cut, as I totally missed it on its 2013 release on the "Stay" EP,  but this definitely felt like the right time of year to drop it, certainly if the well-below zero temperatures in this area were anything to go by! Tiny Hearts is the combo of Detroit production legend Waajeed, and the duo of producer/composer Tim K and singer Deanne Reynolds of DEDE. Reynolds' dreamy, ghostly vocals are a great compliment to the heavy synth bass and machine drums, and this is the kind of thing that could fit nicely into all kinds of headphone mixes as well as moving a big sound system - even if it's no club tune.

Cookin' Soul x A Tribe Called Quest : Butter Cookies

I thought I was the only one in my immediate circle to catch this release when it was announced, but I had multiple people either sending me clips or posting it on their own social media within the first couple of days! Cookin' Soul has been doing his thing since the mid-2000s, never being afraid to experiment and blend approaches together, and the new "A Tribe Called Xmas" tape is no exception. As you can imagine from the name, it blends Xmas influences and samples into the beats, then combines that with the songs of A Tribe Called Quest to produce an irresistible seasonal flavour! This particular song makes me smile for two reasons; firstly, as it's a reworking of "Butter", one of my favourites from "The Low End Theory", and secondly, because it's titled after the delicious Danish biscuits which are, all too often, not to be found in the tin as you might expect! 

BusCrates : Early Morning

Silky synthy jazzy vibes out of Pittsburgh, taken from the "Internal Dialogue" release. Those synth sounds are so luxurious - if you follow BusCrates on Twitch, you might have seen a glimpse of his awesome collection of hardware, and he knows exactly what to do with it.

Grand Daddy IU ft. O.C., Marquee, Ximone, and Money Harm : Party & Booze

With the untimely passing of Grand Daddy IU this month, I decided not to go back too far, but instead to take a different tack and feature some of his more contemporary material. Given the season, the track selected seems somehow appropriate, and it wouldn't be a party without guests - which this track has by the houseful! IU is behind the boards on this and the rest of his 2020 project "The Essence", and it's got a nice vibe, kind of 80s but with the low-end bump that so much of that era lacked added, subtly. RIP.

DJ Mentat ft. Mystro : Waiting

Real. Just real life all over this brilliant track, which was hidden away as a B-side on the "When I Give My Heart To You" single by DJ Mentat, but is also easily available on Bandcamp as well. I don't even want to talk about Mystro's lyrics - they speak better for themselves than I ever could. 

Grand Agent and Pete Rock : This Is What They Meant (Ge-ology's Fried Fish n' Cornbread Remix)

This is one of the incredibly small number of tracks where Pete Rock's mix might not be the best one! His beat has been replaced here by Ge-ology's excellent work, but you still get Pete on the mic alongside the underrated Grand Agent. This is taken from an EP which contains two different Ge-ology remixes plus the original lick - so take a listen yourself, and let me know if you agree about which the best version is!

Nas : Michael & Quincy

Another brand new track, taken from one of the most notable releases of the year, "King's Disease III". Nas pays homage to and likens himself and producer Hit-Boy to the the storied, legendary pairing of Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones, most explicitly on the final verse, weaving in life events and some of the famous track titles. Hit-Boy keeps the change-ups coming through this active, dense track to great effect; I may not have been convinced (at all) when he broke out with "...Paris", but he's proven himself time and time again since.

Mark B & Blade : Use Your Head (Instrumental)

Heavy, bassy, pounding, uncompromising, and arguably the best beat on a straight B-boy level from the vinyl version of the excellent "Hitmen For Hire" EP. RIP Mark B.

Skitz ft. Estelle, Tempa, and Wildflower : Domestic Science

For those from countries with a different educational tradition and lexicon, "domestic science" was the old name for the school subject that included cooking, sewing, and other household skills. As I digitised this B-side earlier in the month, a thought popped into my head - with a male producer and an all-female MC lineup, who was it that titled the track...? Either way, it is a clever flip of the phrase in the sense of the lyrical content being straight down-to-earth Hip-Hop about surviving at home in the UK, both in life and in the music industry. This was a strong, proud track which was the first full song on Skitz' seminal 2001 "Countryman" project, and set the tone for the heat found throughout the rest of the LP.

EPMD : Can't Hear Nothing But The Music

On this podcast we like to bring out the album cuts that don't get the most shine, and this is a prime example - track three on 1992's "Business Never Personal", produced by the duo and Charlie Marotta, it's a rugged, rumbling cut perfect for the jeep sound systems of the time.

Ice-T ft. Buckshot : Eye Of The Storm

I will continue to assert that Ice-T doesn't get enough props for all he's done in Hip-Hop. Twelve years after his debut LP "Rhyme Pays" (but sixteen after 1983's "The Coldest Rap"), he's right here holding up his end of this track from "The Seventh Deadly Sin" with Black Moon's Buckshot in true OG style. The producer, Ross Avila, is a singer/songwriter with a long catalogue of beautiful love songs to his name but this...is not one of them. Dark, frenetic, with the kick drum pattern dancing all over your head, this is rawness.

Little Brother : Carolina Agents

Tucked away on the "2K6 : The Tracks" compilation from a long-ago version of NBA 2K is this LB track that would likely have escaped your notice. 9th Wonder on the beat, of course, with Phonte and Big Pooh taking the first and second verses before going back and forth on the third. It's quite an uptempo track compared to much of their output, but they handle it flawlessly, representing their home state with a heater.

[DJ Spinna] Big Twan : One Time 4 The Lyricist (Instrumental)

It was many, many episodes back that I played the vocal version of this, but the beat deserved an airing just by itself - great work by the versatile DJ Spinna on the Hip-Hop tip. Not to say that the rhymes aren't quality, but it's worth picking up this 12" just for the instrumentals!

DMC, Chuck D, Ice-T, and DJ Jazzy Jeff : Me And My Microphone

In keeping with DMC's recent moves into the comic world, this song is like one of those issues when the superheroes from many stories all combine to take down some supersized threat! Icons across the board on the mic and turntables here, with Bumpy Knuckles taking on production duties. You can't come with a soft beat for a lineup like this, and this cut has the kind of banging rock sensibility which I think could give this some appeal outside the core Hip-Hop audience. This either had to start or end the episode, but ultimately I think this was the right place to have it, allowing it to breathe and play out right to the death.

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

Check out this episode!

[ariyadaivaris]

the subclasses of gay are When You Were Young gay, Mr. Brightside gay, and Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine gay. this is science, and i am a scientist

[skyfri-slj]

when i was talking about breaking my neck to music, i specifically had these songs in mind

[celebrationcyanide]

My BLACK PARADE LIVE RE-REACTION

'Cause I wasn't joking, lol (ALSO: WARNING, it's really fucking long!, I'd like to apologize at the start if it's all totally shit, I took notes while I was blasting it out at like 1:AM instead of sleeping and got weirdly philosophical or nerdy or whatever)

THE END

Honestly, how You start a album MCR aside, it sucks You in as Gee & the rest of My Chem lure You into there sick little, twisted badass spell there about to cast on all us listeners & has a weirdly mezmerising quality to it- what with all the humming and whimsical chords!?!? And of course sets a true set-up for the search absolute SCOPE of this album with it's explosive (and iconic) "I encourage your smiles, I expect You all CRY!" + "When I grow up, I want to be NOTHING AT ALL!"

DEAD!

Now with the stage set, My Chem gets to go wild and Holy shit, they do just that, with swaggering guitar work by Ray Toro & Frank Iero, bouncy, hauntingly funky bass by Mikey Way & ethereal vocals by Gerard Way, it almost makes You forget it's a brutal Pop-Punk song all about telling You about how DEAD! You are!

THIS IS HOW I DISSAPEAR

A scene from a Gothic Horror story ripped out of a page & recorded by My Chemical Romance, it has a incredibly heavy & ear-awakening riff compared to MCR's (un)usual, putting You in a fancy, front-row seat to this wild Piss-Kink having, gender & sexuality ambiguous New Jersey flavoured rat show, honestly it's really hard to describe lol, but is has that 'aesthetic' that I just love in some songs, kinda thing You blast at max in your headphones to feel badass a couple of times, AKA lowkey a bad (goth) bitch anthem I'm just sayinggg

THE SHARPEST LIVES

The like, all-time deepest song to My 8th grade-self (I am officially a year older than him! GET OWNED!) it starts with a really rad bassline & creepy cool whispers by Gee & Frank speaking like a serial killer in a fucked (and totally epic) gory horror movie, an the speak about burning lights so bright that the sun is ashamed to rise and be. It's pretty much pure badass, a great song to listen to late at night instead of sleeping, imo

WELCOME TO THE BLACK PARADE

The International Anthem. The life savior. The masterpiece. The center of the show. The alpha wolf. The apex predator. The savior of the broken, the beaten & the dammed. This song has saved My life multiple times, I'm willing to bet it has done the same to countless and I KNOW that it will for years later on. It's by far the most amazing piece of music My ears have blessed by, since the very beginning. It's honestly incredible how much a song can mean to so much people- words can barely contain it- and the anthem won't explain it.

Paint it black, take it back, shout it loud and clear and We'll carry on.

I DON'T LOVE YOU

This song, it grabs your heart and tears it apart. It creates a moody, poetic, yet oddly beatiful atmosphere, a true story of woe & loss, perhaps the musical equivalent of any good 'aesthetic' movie. It creates it's own world and sticks You in, just for a couple of minutes. It's a great comforter to, for both true heartache & pure teenage lonliness. (Gessus that sounded cringe lol)

HOUSE OF WOLVES

It breaks the little spell & pity bubble that I Don't Love You makes and shatters it into Punk Rock pieces, serving as the patient's 1st true glance at hell, it welcomes You with knives hanging behind it's back.

In this chapter of the story, our mc, the patient discovers the pits he's been dammed to & relishes in & against his sins from the living the world.

Musically the song makes You wanna get up, scream, start a riot, summon the devil, sacrifice your BFF under the Norwegian blood Moon, jump on top of a bar and start dancing, become a teenage edgelord OC, all of that shit in one.

CANCER

The pity bubble strikes back with more raw honesty, emotion & sincerity then either of it's 2 predecessors, set--out to make the "Most emotional song ever" by Gerard & in My eyes he damm delivers.

I remember playing this a lot as a kid, when I was going through a lot of thought stuff, I would sit in My room & cry to this lol. It was beatiful as a 8th grader, and it's more beatiful now.

MAMA

The trans youth anthem & war agenda all poured into one HELL-ish delite! The guitars are heavier than the 9 circles themselves and You can't but help to picture our protagonist for this song, a War veteran dying in a battle he never asked for, stationed in his place of death. He writes notes to his mother, begging for forgiveness, begging for a apology, begging for any kind of sweet repent. But it's far to late.

Mother War listens to nobody and cares for no-one.

AND OH MY GOD THE ENDING HOLY SHIT THEY WENT SO HARD ON THIS SONG FOR LIKE NO REASON OMFGGG LMFAOOO---

SLEEP

THE true most underrated song on this entire album imo, it paints a not-so pretty portrait of madness caused by rejection, misunderstanding, isolation and a sheer lack if cares, the results of years of suffering and the psychological effects if being sent to the afterlife ain't practically nice for our cancer patient protagonist.

The song is loud, booming, atmospheric & dramatic enough for Broadway.

If re-worked, it could make a amazing villian song but as it is, it remains a strong personal, powerful emotional atomic bomb of fucking song.

Oh and the screams. The fucking SCREAMS at the end are so good I give You no shit.

TEENAGERS

What may seem like a southern-style catchy hard rock throwdown tells a brutal story about the truth of High School, it tells us about the outcast, the freaks, the kids everyone hates who wear to much black, does to much weird things, rebels to much & is just to EdGy for most people.

At least at first glance- this sing is more than just a Edgy teenager song- it's a SUICIDE song.

"It was always about these kids in the parade who had killed themselves and regretted it" in Gerard's own words, this is what happens when people don't care, when they don't reach out, and when nobody chooses love.

(ALSO sorry if that got weirdly dark lol, I wrote all this shit late at night and just going off what Gee said XD)

DISENCHANTED

Taking a tender-yet strong tug at everyone's heart strings comes Disenchanted.. around the 3rd but still just as, if not more as effective emotional centerpiece of the album, it tells a tale of nostalgia & regret. Our MC, the patient, reflect on his previous (all to short) life and sees that none of it was really spent worthwhile, he breaks down, regretting everything he has done and chose, wishing to have more, wishing to have anything, wishing to live.

Also that sweet guitar solo & Ray's harmonies in this song with Gee's sweet song... oh my fucking god..... this is a musical experience, I love this song SM like deadass fuck it LIVEASS

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

The true ending and the final battle, after our MC has suffered, suffered & suffered through the afterlife he has finally decided to cling on his last hope, he fights back against the world, he lashes out against defeat- he makes a stand even if it kills him in the inside.

This song means a lot, to a lot of people, not to be a broken (favorite?) Record lol but this song helps Me a lot to this day, it's about never giving up, it's about choosing love over hate, life over death, hope over misery. Hope is not perfect, plastic or overtly preppy, Hope has blood on her hands and revenge in her heart. She carries on living no matter what for herself and what she wants in her life and can not be stopped, and will not stop. (Sorry if that was cheesy asf btw- but also this is MCR I'm writing about, wtf did You expect lol?!?!)

The guitarline is rad, the song is amazingly cathartic, the harmonies are healing, it's all magical!

BLOOD

A bizarrely entertaining ending to a musical masterpiece of a album & a story, it leads a nice fancy old timey style & a ominous ending to our tale.

ALSO IT JUST JUMPSCARED ME AT MAX VOLUME IN MY HEADPHONES LMFAO-

Anyway, Stay Alive, Never let them take the light behind your eyes & sharpen your knives

Kiljoys, makes some noise

- XOXO P4rty V4mpyre

[betweenlands]

for the spotify wrapped game: 14 :)

#14 is Doritos & Fritos by 100 gecs! i'd say "i can't tell you why this one is on my wrapped but i absolutely can -- it's because it slaps. it's because it has a really, really good bassline and a killer bridge and is just a stellar song. my dad likes this song, that's how good it is

creatively, we very much associate this song with the Alexes (for people new around here -- we have a multiverse of redheaded minecraft bastards), mostly due to the aforementioned bridge (and the tv's tuned to cable / and i'm sleeping when i'm able / but the tv's on so loud / it hurts my brain). this is i think more of a jukebox or animatic song than it is a fic song, i'm not sure what we'd write based on this.

[gregthecoolnerd]

So my buddy, @hikari-ni-naritai tagged me in a music meme to list some albums you've listened to recently. So challenge accepted, though mine are probably gonna be a little more different.

Swamp by Lil Darkie

Lil Darkie is one of the most eclectic artists I've discovered in recent years. While he's mainly known as a rapper, he does so many songs under different genres, it's crazy. Swamp is a good example of this containing songs that can be classified as rap, but also punk, metal, alternative rock, folk and ambient songs as well. Even the rap songs fall under different sub-genres of rap such as experimental hip-hop, alternative hip-hop, trap metal, punk rap and even straight up traditional hip-hop. Darkie is also a gifted lyricist making fun of conformity, censorship, bigotry and many of the other ills of society as well as opening up about his own personal life. If you have an hour and twelve minutes to spare, I highly recommend it.

Glow On by Turnstile

Turnstile started off as your typical band heavily influenced by the punk scene of the 80's to 90's taking obvious cues from guys like Sick of it All, Black Flag, Bad Brains, Suicidal Tendencies and Leeway. However with their last album, "Time + Space," they began to incorporate some more eclectic influences, which on this album, they go more full bore on. The album is still punk, but it's got bits of everything from metal, to grunge, to acid rock, to pop, to funk and R&B thrown in. It gives the album a really unique feeling that makes it a lot of fun to listen to and one I would highly recommend.

Dimension Hatröss by Voivod

If you ever wondered to yourself, "What would it sound like if you merged Rush, Motörhead and The Ramones together into a single band," then boy do I have good news for you. Voivod is just the band to answer that question and boy do they do a great job doing it. This album is pure thrash metal genius, with a proggy and experimental feel to it, following the insane exploits of the band's cyborg mascot, Korgull. It's a kick ass and amazing concept album full of killer riffs and solos, sweet drum parts, fantastic basslines and lyrics that sound like something you'd read in an old issue of, "Heavy Metal," or see in an old 80's sci-fi anime. Really awesome stuff.

U-Void Synthesizer by Machine Girl

The best way I could describe the sound of Machine Girl’s music for the most part would be that it sounds like a lawnmower fucking an old 56k modem to death while a dude screams lyrics about his hatred for authority and society. Definitely not to everyone’s tastes, but then again, that’s the point. But if you want a unique combo of glitch, breakcore, drum n’ bass, industrial, punk and metal, you can’t go wrong.

Song Machine by Gorillaz

I didn’t think Gorillaz would ever make another album that could match the genius and eclecticism of Demon Days and it’s companion D-Sides ever again. But lo and behold they proved me wrong and delivered with Song Machine, an absolutely wonderful collection of songs spanning many genres of music with collaborations from Robert Smith, Beck, slowthai, Slaves, ScHoolboy Q and many others. Simply a wonderful listen.

That’s all I have right now. I don’t really have anyone to tag, so whoever stumbles across this can do it.

[cosmic-chelonian]

CLASSIC DOCTOR WHO OPENING THEMES - pros and cons

let's assess the relative merits of wum-in-ne-nums, oo-wee-ooos and much more!

1963

opening shwoop: alas, absent

wum-in-ne-num: TWANGY GRITTY! FULL OF CHARACTER! The Original Wum-in-ne-num™, you might say.

background: some very nice white-noise shwoopage, gives the thing a bit of texture and the idea of travelling through a time vortex

oo-wee-oo: perfection doesn’t exi-

middle eight: something about the resonance of the tune bugs me, but still gorgeous

VERDICT: there's no other word for it. Iconic. While, as a synth-head, I prefer some later themes, this one was absolutely pioneering for the time and lasted the show a good fifteen years, with some tweaks. The main tune has an eerie quality that all future iterations fail to capture.

1980

opening shwoop: damn, that's the majestic swoop we've all been waiting for. Hits you like a slice of lemon wrapped around a large gold brick. Peak shwoopage right here.

wum-in-ne-num: a fruity and distorted sound with a lot of character. Has such a sense of forward momentum, unlike the slightly more laid-back '63 iteration. I don't think there are many synth sounds in the world I love more that this particular wum-in-ne-num. I just *snivels* love it so much

background: nice fluttering noises. Somebody had a lot of fun playing about with their Moog. Gives me Morgenspaziergang vibes.

There's a lot going in in this theme, but I don't mind the thick texture. Special shoutout for the woo-woo-wooooo wooooo woo-wooo that takes over from the tune. Yeah, I heard you. Nyowm, baby.

oo-wee-oo: like an alien screaming through the cosmos about its own weird mix of joie-de-vivre and latent cosmic angst. Translation: bloody gorgeous.

middle eight: WHY, WHY, WHY WOULD YOU GO AND RUIN IT? Suddenly the alien has a Metebelis marsh frog stuck in its throat, and I'm the one with cosmic angst. A very harsh synth sound which doesn't go with the altogether mellow effect of this theme. Hearing it break into the middle 8 is like sunbathing at the Eye of Orion when the planet suddenly plays host to an impromptu Disaster Area gig. Translation: yeurgh.

VERDICT: my personal favourite tune with its killer combo of groovy wum-in-ne-num and killer oo-wee-oo. Plus it's SYNTHY. Yum.

1986

opening shwoop: solid, but a bit harsh in the high tones. Not much between this and 1980 though.

wum-in-ne-num: again, solid bass. A bit more faithful to the 'plucked' sound of the original, but I personally prefer the 1980 variant. It's still a synth bass, though, and it still slaps.

background: magic! space! time! the flutter noises are back, even weirder than before! But wait... this time our alien has been joined by the spectre of a trans-dimensional cat meowling about its own none too paltry share of cosmic angst. Not going to lie, I dig it. It really makes this version of the theme.

oo-wee-oo: ehhhh I mean I kind of like it. It's a bit less characterful that the 1980 one.

whatever the hell happens to the main tune: I mean... it is criminal to change the golden 1963 tune, but actually this gets away with it. It's still very clearly Doctor Who, it has the wum-in-ne-nums to keep that vibe, so it can afford to go into chaos-at-the-cattery mode.

VERDICT: a little out there but still a solid synth track with impeccable sixth doctor energy. Pretty good considering how quickly this one was knocked up.

1987

shwoop: a bit more low-key than previous examples of introductory swoopage, but it's quite a beautiful example imho

wum-in-ne-num: "hahaha what's that? I think you mean t t t-t t-t t-ttt-" Yeah. I'm sorry, 1987, but one does not simply change the Sacred Wum-in-ne-num. Naughty theme. Bad.

background: what did you do with my beautiful flutters? Unfortunately the stuttering bassline and lack of other other background noise means this tune loses some of the necessary momentum. Rather than flying through the time vortex, it feels like we're trying to roller-skate away from Daleks trying to be careful not to lose our balance.

oo-wee-oo: I actually have a secret soft-spot for this. Like most of this theme, it's a touch over-stylised, but I think it sounds kinda spacey. Good job.

Middle eight: Hem, yeah. Nice enough noise.

VERDICT: just groovy enough not to be criminal, but it's a fine line.

Discuss!

[froggywritesstuff]

Could I get an Encanto (Romantic) and Stranger Things (Platonic) Matchup please?

so I’m Lexi and my icon is me! (I’ll also attach another photo here for a closer look! 👇)

I’m 21, she/her, 5’4, & ISFP.

Pros? I’d say I’m playful, weird sense of humour, talkative, loyal as a dog, great listener, smiley (albeit I’ve got resting bitch face), sarcastic, and most would probably describe me as either adorable yet cursed or adorably cursed. I’m definitely not a stranger to being called a cryptid lol

Neutral? I’m very sensitive, socially awkward, tend to ramble a lot, I can be a bit of a pack rat, mildly superstitious, and am a bit of a perfectionist

Cons? I’m shy, anxious, a little clumsy, stubborn, non-confrontational (unless truly needed), and can be petty/passive-aggressive

Likes/Hobbies: Playing bass, secondhand shopping, animals, DIY projects, music, art, photography, and horror movies

Dislikes: Being underestimated, my passions/interests being mocked (let’s just say I’ve always been a bit of a black sheep 😬), being interrupted (I’ve had trouble in the past with coming off as quite literally invisible to peers), and...country music? 🤷🏾‍♀️

Fun facts about me:

* Sometimes I write music (mainly just basslines though)

* I once accidentally won an art show (Yes I do mean accidentally. I wasn’t even planning on entering until I was basically forced to🤡)

* Erm…I used to work at a daycare?

Hope that’s enough info. Thanks in advance!

(Holy fuck you’re so pretty)

Your (romantic) Encanto matchup is…

Dolores

You definitely met while you were babysitting Antonio or something

She saw you two bonding over your interest in animals, and thought you were cute

Dolores usually doesn’t have many people to talk to, so she knows she can always come to you

She doesn’t always get your sense of humour, but it still makes her laugh

She tries her best to help you if you ever seem nervous or shy out in public or something

She loves listening to you ramble about literally any topic

Overall, she loves hearing you talk

She finds your clumsiness absolutely adorable

She absolutely adores the fact that you play bass

Like, she’ll hear you play from a mile away, and instantly feel better

She also loves the music you write, and always wants to hear it

She’s loves all of your art, and seeing/hearing it makes her day

You two organise movie nights every week, and watching horror movies with you is the best part of her week (even if she gets scared most of the time)

She can definitely relate to hating being underestimated and feeling invisible, which is one of the first things you two realised you had in common

When you told her you accidentally won an art show, she was so happy for you (a little confused on the accidental part, but still happy)

She doesn’t always know how to show it, but this girl loves you and would do anything for you to know that

Your (platonic) Stranger Things matchup is…

Robin

You two bond over your hatred for country music

You probably met in band class when she heard you play bass, and you two became fast friends

She’s one of the few people who really understands and loves your sense of humour

She tries to help you in be more confident in social situations

She loves watching horror movies with you, and she’s definitely the type of person to laugh at the most inappropriate parts

She’ll do her best to help you not feel so invisible, knowing how that feels

(she draws on your shoes when she thinks you’re not looking)

(you draw on her shoes when you think she’s not looking)

@killer-qu33n-of-disaster hope you like it!

[volaile]

p :)

omg….. p for peri…… :)

pain killer (summer rain) - turin brakes (my dad loves this song and has it in his playlist thats always on repeat and hes right for it. its a good ass song)

patterning vibez - dizzee rascal (sorry. im going to force u to listen to a legend of the uk bassline scene. this ones an upbeat feelgood banger)

peaches n cream - snoop dogg ft charlie wilson (OHHHHHH. THE FUNK)

players - slum village (a bit of old school rap for ur soul. like chicken noodle soup)

professional griefers - deadmau5 and gerard way (hey its the mcr guy. anyways an absolute banger of a tune. makes me a little bit violent makes me want to gnaw on someones arm)

[lovejustforaday]

2021 Year-end list - #7

Smiling With No Teeth - Genesis Owusu

Main Genres: Synth Funk, Neo-Soul

A decent sampling of: Psychedelic Soul, Alternative R&B, Synth Punk, Conscious Rap, Dance Punk, Art Pop

This was actually a last minute inclusion. This record was the very last LP on my list of things to check out this year and I listened to it maybe three days before publishing this list. Maybe it’s recency bias but godDAMN this sounds fresh.

Also side note: this guy is younger than me? What the hell?

Kofi Owusu-Ansah a.k.a. Genesis Owusu is an Australian artist who recently went solo after performing alongside his older brother Australian rapper Citizen Kay as the Ansah Brothers. Over his still relatively new career arc, he's moved beyond the world of hip hop and gotten into making soul music with a punk edge and a taste for sonic experimentation.

On his debut LP Smiling With No Teeth, Genesis Owusu has made a name for himself as somewhat of a dark horse in the music world, generating spooky funk noises and pondering over the great social malaise of our times. I gotta say that this record honestly really took me by surprise; I didn't exactly know what to expect going in mostly blind, but the production and the songwriting are both really tight and fully-formed for a debut LP.

I love how this record sounds so slick and classy but yet is also so morbid, punk, and in your face. The album really embodies two very different voices in one person. I can visualize Owusu wearing a fancy tuxedo that’s been torn and lacerated all over, performing these songs while on stage at a big rowdy mosh pit inside of a luxurious concert hall.

The album immediately establishes an off-kilter tone with the freaky synth paychedelia of "On The Move!". This bleeds into "The Other Black Dog", a frantic dance-punk chase scene that introduces the album's core motif of the "black dog", a metaphor for the depression that follows Owusu wherever he goes. This is a really great one-two punch of an intro that immediately gets the adrenaline rushing.

"Centrefold" is a disorienting synth funk puzzle. It's as if the song has been run through a washer-dryer cycle and all of the dye colours ran off and got mixed up.

Of all the many fascinating angles Owusu takes on this record, I think he arguably sounds his best while making pretty straightforward neo-soul. "Waitin' On Ya" is like a 90s Lenny Kravitz song updated for the 2020s, with staccatoed falsetto vocals and an undeniable groove. I don't really see it talked about quite as much as the music, but Owusu really is a clever lyricist, particularly on this track. And I promise this will get stuck in your head, but fortunately it also fucks hard and therefore rightly earns its place in your noggin.

"Black Dogs!" is my favourite punk song of the year, which is really crazy seeing as how this is a neo-soul album. The absolutely pounding percussion with the funky post-punk bassline is a killer combination. This is music to flail your body around to. It's also really poignant commentary, bending the "black dog" metaphor to describe feelings of being perceived by others as a monster based on his race.

Owusu also proves that he's still a capable rapper as well, with exqusisite conscious rap takedowns of racism on the flashy "I Don't See Colour" and the more experimental "Whip Cracker". Truly, he's a jack of all trades.

The flow of the album itself is slightly off. The highlights for me were definitely clustered together, with whole runs of 3 or 4 brilliant tracks being followed by 3 or 4 just solid tracks. But there's enough really crazy highs here for me to mostly overlook this aspect of the tracklisting.

Anyhow, I'm really glad I decided to get this one in before the end of the year. Genesis Owusu has really turned a lot of critics' heads with this surreal, almost lynchian neo-soul record, and rightfully so. Smiling With No Teeth is one of the coolest and most original records to come out in 2021 and I can't wait to see what he's gonna do next.

9/10

Highlights: “Waitin’ On Ya”, “Black Dogs”, “Centrefold”, “The Other Black Dog”, "Smiling With No Teeth", “Whip Cracker”, "I Don't See Colour", "On The Move!"