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aaaaaaallljffourrhodri · 8 months ago

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Thanks to @fungifanart for giving me the ok to use the promt

Yuu loved his friends they were rowdy sometimes sure but that didn't stop them for being friends.

Yuu loved his friends even when they were rude with him.

Yuu loved his friends even when they called him out for having no magic

Yuu loved his friends even when they freeloaded at his dorm

Yuu loved Grim even if he would exchange Yuu's soul for some tuna

Yuu... didn't know if he actually loved his friends anymore.

It was draining for him to deal with them.

Time passed and Yuu barely couldn't stand them anymore.

Yuu was tired to be used over and over and over AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVE-

By the headmage... or for his friends... even willing to give up his living place for their well being. But if that was true why were the photo's of them taken by the ghost camera moving less and less everyday... maybe... just maybe he could...

The first photo Yuu ever took was the first one to come alive. And as he took it out of the photo album 3 of the five people jumped out of the photo. Ace, Deuce and Grim the only two remaining in the figure were Yuu himself and Crowley.

"Yuu... what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Yuu didn't even notice he was crying.

"Hey! I can't have a sad henchman cmon smile!" Said the Grim

"Prefect don't cry... you know that crying is lame when you smile it's better!"

One by one copies of their so called friends jumped out of the photos.

They were all... so nice to Yuu... Yuu wanted to be never apart from them.

Grim was preoccupied. The Prefect exited less and less put of his room nor to lesson. The whole dorm wrapped in a inky smell. Grim sensitive nose couldn't andle it. He himself was passing more and more night at other dorms than his own.

Grim looked around in class: their henchman wasn't in class... again.

Grim was terrified of Yuu... everyone was...

As Grim and the first year group (minus Yuu) was walking to Sam store they saw the prefect searching from something.

"Prefect long time no see!" Said Epel approaching Yuu. Epel was scared when he saw the look the prefect gave him "oh hi Epel as I was saying last night-"

"Last night? What do you mean last night?" The realisation hit Yuu in the face he was talking to the wrong Epel.

Epel backed away as the magicless boy began to laugh holding his head left eye twitching while looking around in desperation. Only to run away minutes later.

The other first year's whatced the scene unfold looking lost and with a newly gained fear of the magicless prefect.

Yuu returned to his room to his RƏaŁ friends he looked happily around the room recognising the now disfigured silhouette of Vil and Rook. He couldn't here anything as the ringing in his hears got louder and his vision blurry...

A crazed laugh sounded trough the whole campus.

Riddle Roseheart was going to the library to do a quick rewiev of alchemy for the test that was happening the day after. When the laugh reached his ears. He felt goosebumps.

Trein was displeased and worried. The prefect didn't show up to class anymore. He needed to confront the prefect about this!

As he came to the door of Ramshackle Lucius meowed (Trein be carefull there is something wrong with this place) opening the door Trein found sight of no one only a black liquid dripped infront of him. Noticing the familiar liquid, Trein ran back out before calling the professor emergency line.

"Trein I swear if this is another of your lectures about hygiene I'm closing this call." Said Crewel sounding annoyed "Not this time I need all of Yuu at Ramshackle now!" Trein closed the call.

After a while the professors arrived (and Sam too) "Trein what's happening why call us at the pup's dorm!" Asked Crewel amused "Come after me" the old history teacher said firmly

After that event, even the staff was afraid of Yuu.

Idia had never found a blot concentration bigger than ramshackle dorm. So much blot that it was scary. Even if the blot couldn't make the prefect go overblot it still affected his behaviour and healt. It was also strange how all of the blot came from an objected that didn't produce blot.

The prefect was taken by S.T.Y.K.S in a cage... like a beast without reason.

The prefect was not himself anymore.

The real prefect was living in an idilliac world were everyone was always nice with him and nothing did go wrong. Then he noticed something...

Wasn't Grim tail pitchforked? Why is it normal? The world started spinning around when suddenly Yuu found himself locked in a cage with cushion walls... was he? In an asylum?

What had happened? Where did all of his friends go... then he started to remember...

That day after he met Epel, the pictures stopped moving. No more of his friends were there... only distorted figures of them. After that, the memories were a fuzzy mess. All the good things that happened... was it all a sick dream? What was he doing in the real world while dreaming of such perfect place.

Black tears streamed down his face as he started to call for somebody... anybody...

A figure appeared at the door of the cell. Idia Shroud. The look in his face was full of dread and esitation, but he still entered the cell.

"Yuu... how are you feeling?" "Idia, why am I here? I don't know where I am. I'm scared. What's happening?"

Idia expression softened before running towards the prefect, hugging him: "Yuu I'm so glad you're back... the others are also gonna be so happy..."

Little did Yuu know that no one except the shroud brothers would see him as before for the others. He would be from that moment the human who turned in a beast. Yuu wasn't told that he had MURDERED a student during his beast like state... Idia covered it up... Yuu would live from that moment encased in a piercing depressing reality in eternity searching that idilliac word he once lived in...

From that moment Yuu would fear to death the ghost camera and the dangers that come with it.

#twisted wonderland #idia x male reader #implied relationship #disney twst #twst yuu #yuu angst #epel felmier #ace trappola #deuce spade #twst grim #vil schoenheit #rook hunt #mozus trein #divus crewel #twst sam #writing prompt #twst angst #going crazy #drug reference

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aois-amaterasu-painting · 9 months ago

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Interpreting the symbolism of the GazettE - Through Darkness to Enlightenment

The DOGMA cover is unconscious imagery. The Priestess in the eye of the storm. The only colors used are the alchemical ones (black, white, gold, red).

In Jungian psychology and alchemy Nigredo or blackness refers to the initial stage of the alchemical process, symbolizing the darkness, chaos, and dissolution that precede transformation and rebirth. It represents a state where the individual confronts their shadow aspects, unconscious fears, and repressed emotions. This stage is characterized by a sense of disintegration and descent into the abyss - depths of the psyche, where the old self must die.

The Nesthead is blackened out to signify that we are entering this 1st stage of the alchemical process. However, she is The Priestess who will come out of this transformative process as signified by her 7 pointed star crown. She (the soul) is surrendering to the darkness, knowing that she is immortal. To quote Ruki in Dogma - "The rite I must face is cloaked in darkness and isolation - Only there will truth be found" . Her right hand is dissolving the repressed trauma and the left has a tight grip on the demons (Solve et Coagula).

Moving on to the next image - it is the The Redefinition Tour cover art from right before the Dogma era. The Goddess of Death. The darkness is Feminine, the creator and destroyer. She oversees the Dark Night of the Soul process as the ruler of the Underworld. She is Yin. She is Izanami in Shinto, although this image is left quite ambiguous and could easily be seen as a death goddess of any other religion.

The Dogmatic Final poster. Skulls, crows, rot, decomposition and dying flowers all represent the alchemical Blackness stage. It is depression, isolation, pain, helplessness and despair. Choosing to embrace the Shadow - what is ugly, rotting, dying, unwanted and repressed. These are all common themes in Ruki's lyrics. A faceless priest represents the loss of identity while going through this sacred process. He serves as a mediator between God and the congregation. Ruki wore a priest's Stole throughout the whole Dogma era.

Dogma is the Dark Night of the Soul album. Heaviest sound, richest in symbolism. Ruki is both the priest conducting the purification and the one being purified.

Blemish lyrics: "I want to be reborn. Leave me alone. I had to stifle my cries when I caught sight of my own twisted shadow.[...]In darker dreams..(Help me) A goddess speaks to me.. and it seems.. (There’s no way).. I cannot see the light."

Let's analyze each symbol from the Dogma video separately:

(1) - starting from the bottom the Menorah is a symbol of universal enlightenment. Going up from that we have alchemical sulfur (evaporation, expansion, and dissolution), then the 4 elemental symbols, then Venus signifying the Anima (Jungian term) on the right. Simplified version of Bhavachakra mandala (which they use again while performing Wasteland live in the Dogmatic tour final) on the left. The Hexagrams in the center represent unification of the opposites (Light and Shadow, Yin & Yang). The blacked out face is the dissolution of identity (ego).

The image as a whole is reminiscent of the High Priestess in tarot (the Qabalistic path of Gimel, ruled by the Moon, which is the only light in the Dark Night). The black Pillar of Severity and white Pillar of Mercy behind him.

(2) - Light is Consciousness and Shadow is all that is repressed and unwanted. Unification of these opposites is the goal. Upside down triangle is Yin. I'm interpreting this as there can be no enlightenment with Greed. It matches well with the societal critiques Ruki often expresses with his lyrics.

(3) - In Buddhism there's a saying no mud - no lotus. It is a symbol of transmutation. The Moon is Albedo (whiteness)- the insights you gain when embracing and examining your Shadow. And the Orthodox cross at the top is a symbol of salvation and redemption in Christian mysticism. It represents the transformative power of Christ's (Sun) sacrifice and the possibility of spiritual rebirth and renewal for humanity. The vertical bar of the cross is sometimes interpreted as the axis mundi, or cosmic axis, which connects the earthly realm with the divine realm. It is the path of ascent from the material world to the spiritual world.

(4) - Is again the hexagram but with the Leviathan Cross in the center, which is another symbol for sulfur. Interestingly, it is put over the censer - the burning of incense is often associated with purification rituals in mysticism. The fragrant smoke is believed to cleanse the sacred space and purify the participants, preparing them for spiritual practices or encounters with the divine. Sulfur in alchemy represents the soul of all materials and living things. Sulfur is synonymous with consciousness and the expansion of thought. To the ancient alchemist, it’s properties are dryness, heat, masculinity, evaporation, expansion, and dissolution.

(5) - Around the circle we have symbols of different religions - starting with the top it's the Menorah, Hamsa hand, Shinto shrine, Ohm, something with the cross, Celtic and Scandinavian symbols and an 8pointed star. I would interpret this as saying all the different religions of the world have the same goal that is enlightenment.

Moving on.

The nest symbolism is interesting. The main character on the Dogma cover is called Nesthead and there is a lot of time spent showing the forming of a nest during Coda live. Coda lyrics: "If I have to forget my true self in order to seize the whiteness, then give me blackness deeper than anything. Beneath this patch of sky, flowers cover the soil where corpses sleep. The beautiful deformity proceeds towards the dazzling darkness, the end and the beginning."

Nests could symbolize the concept of home or refuge, creating a secure place in the living darkness. In Buddhism, the idea of finding refuge in the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha) is central. Just as a bird seeks safety and shelter in its nest, Buddhists seek refuge in the teachings of the Buddha, the Dharma (the path to awakening), and the Sangha (community). Nests, being temporary structures built by birds for the purpose of nurturing their young, can symbolize impermanence and the transient nature of existence. In Buddhist teachings, impermanence (anicca) is one of the Three Marks of Existence, highlighting the fundamental nature of all conditioned phenomena to arise and pass away. Reflecting on it teaches about the importance of non-attachment, letting go of clinging to things that are ultimately fleeting. Nests are created through the efforts of birds gathering materials and constructing them meticulously. This could symbolize the interconnectedness of all beings and the importance of cooperation and collaboration. In Buddhism, the concept of interdependence (pratityasamutpada) underscores the idea that all phenomena are interconnected and dependent on each other for their existence. Buddhism emphasizes living in harmony with nature and cultivating respect and reverence for all living beings.

I interpret the Nesthead herself as Ruki's Anima (in Jungian psychology Anima is what guides a man through the wilderness of collective unconscious). It's rather obvious Ruki identifies himself with her because of the similarity of poses, clothing and the gorgeous gold armlets they both wear.

Moving on to the Dogmatic Final Live:

The Wasteland live visuals are very interesting. (Keep in mind it is played after Goddess and they had t-shirt merch saying "Goddess from the Wasteland").

Buddha is depicted headless which reminds me of the goddess Vajrayogini. Her severed head form (Ucheyma) represents the annihilation of the ego (remember the Dogma lyrics "I'll be a brain-dead god"?).

The many hands of the deity suggest it's ability to engage in multiple activities simultaneously for the benefit of sentient beings. This may include granting blessings, bestowing teachings, offering protection, and guiding others along the path. The Trishul (trident) represents the overcoming of the three poisons of ignorance, attachment, and aversion.

Vajrayogini is a personification of the cognitive function of the transformative power within consciousness. Her iconography symbolizes the transmutation of negative emotions and defilements into enlightened qualities, she is wisdom and compassion. She is associated with the transmission of esoteric teachings. Her color is blood red and her fire burns the Shadow. She is often depicted within a hexagram. Something that the GazettE also used during Sludgy Cult live:

Moving on to NINTH:

The Ninth cover is so fascinating because the veil makes me think of Binah, the pose and child makes me think of Mary & the Holy Ghost. But the scarlet colour screams Babalon.

Binah sephirah is the dark, receptive womb of creation, often associated with the color black, which symbolizes the hidden, formless potential from which all manifest reality emerges.

The veiled aspect of Binah is the concealment of divine mysteries and the incomprehensibility of the divine essence to human understanding. It suggests that the divine wisdom is veiled from ordinary perception and can only be understood through intuitive insight and spiritual revelation.

Babalon the Scarlet Woman in western esotericism is the Qabalistic path of Daleth (Translates to door, gate. This Path is the door by which the spirit enters the world. It is the third and final path to exist entirely above the Abyss (Da'at) in the realm of spirit). It is the path that connects Binah and Chokmah sephiroth (The 2 of them would be similar to Izanami and Izanagi in Shinto as the mother and father of all existence or Yin/Yang).

Daleth is also the Venusian Empress card in tarot. She is associated with fertility and pregnancy. Bab (as in Babalon or Babylon) in ancient Hebrew means Gate of God. This is the womb and Star Gate from which you are reborn as your true enlightened self (Rubedo/redness).

I always think Babylon's taboo is a reference to this. The "Ade due Damballa" chant repeated in that song is from Chucky and translates to: "Give me the power, I BEG OF YOU". I see it as asking Babalon to let you Cross the Abyss. However this is just my interpretation, the lyrics are quite obscure. But look at Ruki performing it live with the red laser to the heart. So reminiscent of the album cover art:

Moving on to MASS and Blinding Hope:

The doves. In Roman mythology, doves were sacred to Venus. The dove's association with Venus can symbolize the divine aspect of love, representing unconditional love, compassion, and harmony. In mystical traditions, love is often seen as a unifying force that connects all beings with the divine source.

Blinding Hope lyrics: "This darkness blinds out our eyes. Crying out for a change, we take all this hope and fight. Come back to the light"

Venus is linked with themes of transformation and renewal, particularly in her role as the Morning Star (lucifer or Lucy) heralding the dawn (coming out of the Abyss). The dove's symbolism of purity and renewal reflects the potential for spiritual rebirth and awakening.

The Mass cover is a dream-like collage of imagery from the collective unconscious. Many unconscious parts have been integrated - I interpret the panther as tamed instincts. The fire is burning the Shadow. Death goddess is still there, but no longer a central figure, instead of holding a severed head, her hands are in prayer position. The work of contemplating Maranasati ("mindfulness of death" in Buddhism) is done. The cube is from the DIM cover but it's empty and clear unlike back then, when it had someone trapped inside. Lyrics from DIM scene: "We chase away the crows that gather around us. Their squawking cries ceasing, until every one of them has fled. Our utopia is so twisted and distorted that we have to sew it back together before it unravels".

The upside down pyramid is recurring image since the Magnificent Malformed tour, it is another depiction of the Feminine Yin and the subconscious.

Nox is the primordial goddess of the Night in Roman mythology. Nox lyrics: "Chased by silence. The drowning answers are always beautiful. What is left behind. Lamenting over common asuras".

(Common asuras suggest a broad existential/spiritual lamentation over the universal experience of grappling with desires, attachments, and the inherent suffering of existence.)

There is calm and serenity in the Mass cover image - compared to the storm and heaviness of Dogma. It's still Night but there is a lot of light. It is no longer crows surrounding our vehicle but the peaceful doves. (Although the crows are still there). All the pieces are gathered (the Shadow emotions are transmuted and the knowledge is acquired). Now we just need to finish the alchemical process. The gas station (with it's sign being the only scarlet red thing in the picture (the Red goddess is fueling our journey forward)) is the last stop before arriving at the destination.

The red Mass Final poster makes me think of the path to Rubedo/Redness and the end of the individuation process. In Jung's words: "the Self...embraces ego-consciousness, shadow, anima, and collective unconscious in indeterminable extension. As a totality, the self is a coincidentia oppositorum; it is therefore bright and dark and yet neither"

Alchemy, individuation, enlightenment and crucifixion-rebirth of Christ ultimately mean the same thing.

The symbol of Self and the astrological Sun is a circle with a black dot in the center. The dot is the ego but the self encompasses it, as well as all the other elements, it is whole. The path towards this wholeness is a spiral.

Which brings me to Ruki's IG posts (some from as early as 2013):

(1) Spiral out - keep going. It's all individuation symbolism and alchemical colors. (2) Bowie was known for being really into Thelema, (where Babalon is the main goddess) especially during his most successful years. Ruki is a huge Bowie fan and has posted about him multiple times. Pic3 is from Black Moral Rad - again the Sun symbol in the center is for individuation, and at the bottom - The Sun and Moon are are opposites that need to be reunited. Pic4 is the Unkle - War Stories album cover. The most famous song on it is called Burn my Shadow, quite straightforwardly referring to Shadow as a Jungian term. (I really wanted to include these because I was listening a lot to both Bowie and this Unkle album during the time he was posting about them and the symbolism ties nicely to what I talked about earlier)

In the Mass tour final DVD teaser:

Pitch black night that we are moving through - doves heralding a new dawn - spiraling in Redness.

The Pale lyrics: "The dusk is disappearing, the shadow creaks in sorrow, until it disappears in my heart. The spinning night grows pale, as I embrace the meaning I’ve been looking for."

Both Ninth and Mass are a continuation of Dogma. We see Babalon for the 1st time in early Dogma era- on the 13th anniversary announcement. We see her hat from the Ninth cover on the 13th anniversary poster. The car and the panther from Mass cover 1st appeared during Ninth (the car in the Ninth limited edition book and the panther during the tour):

And finally the Mass Final DVD cover:

Pic 1 - A leap of faith. Releasing the need for control and surrendering to the divine, trusting the higher power. The circular red hue around the car and doves indicate the Goddess' presence. Water and sea represent the depths of the unconscious mind and its mysteries, as well as the interconnectedness of all life. The water where we are falling has a circular red spot which looks like the Japanese flag. The red in the Japanese flag is called "circle of the sun" so it's referencing both the journey to Self as well as foreshadowing the next album which we know will be heavily influenced by traditional Japanese culture. (They also had a huge Japanese flag during the live)

Falling lyrics: "To be reborn again, I’m gonna fall"

Pic 2 - Submersion, completion, coming back to the source. Boundary dissolution, merging of individual identity with the collective consciousness. Transformation, both spiritually and emotionally. A state of unity and integration is achieved. Rubedo signals alchemical success and the end of the Great Work. The way "TheFinal" is written looks like "TheEnd" at the end of a movie. And if we consider the Redefinition tour (2014) as the intro to Dogma (after all that's where Dogma documentary starts) - it has been a 10 year long journey leading up to this point of finality. Part 2

Part 3

#the gazette #jungian analysis #symbolism #analysis #pbm

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black-arcana · 5 months ago

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EPICA's SIMONE SIMONS Releases Music Video For Second Solo Single 'In Love We Rust'

EPICA singer Simone Simons has released the official music video for her second solo single, "In Love We Rust". The track is taken from her debut solo album, "Vermillion", which will be made available on August 23 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Simone, who has been a pioneering force within the world of metal for over two decades as part of EPICA, worked on "Vermillion" with her musical partner and longtime collaborator Arjen Lucassen (AYREON).

Arjen is no stranger to Simone's soaring operatic voice, one that can stir even a gargoyle's stone heart to tears. Together they have crafted a sonic universe that befits the influential figure she is. "Vermillion" emerges as a gargantuan goose-bump generator, a universally touching, stellar tour de force.

Simone and Arjen state about "In Love We Rust": "The video was filmed in just one take to keep it as pure and raw as possible. We opted to keep it in black and white so as not to distract from the song or the performance.

"'In Love We Rust' is quite different from our first single 'Aeterna', which shows how diverse this album is. This is one of our favorite songs. We hope you love this as much as we do."

For more than 20 years, ever since she was a teenager, Simons has been carving her own path as a woman within the world of metal. As a lead singer, icon, and role model for a whole generation of female metalheads, the EPICA lead singer remains one of the most prominent key figures in all things metal. After eight albums and countless global tours with her band, Simone Simons finally found the time to release her first solo album — a moment 15 years in the making. Her breathtaking debut "Vermillion" is a stunning feat chronicling her storied past as well as her rise to fame, and showcasing her many different influences ranging from prog rock to film scores to metal to electronic elements.

Of the timing for her eagerly awaited foray into the realms of a solo career, the Dutch singer says with a disarming grin: "EPICA has my priority and I always have the liberty to do other musical projects besides my career in EPICA. Yet I never had the time to dive into a project to this extent."

When "Aeterna" was first released a month ago, Simone and Arjen stated: "'Aeterna' is the big, epic opener of the album and it comes with this amazing video too, directed by Patric Ullaeus. It definitely sounds the closest to EPICA and AYREON, blending powerful Latin lyrics with a touch of an oriental feel. We've tried to strike a balance between the mighty, bombastic sounds and the more atmospheric parts. Since it's the first track people will hear from this album, it's super important to us and we're really excited for people to hear it!

"'Aeterna' takes the point of view of a star about to go supernova to explore how everything in the universe is interconnected, like a cosmic web made from stardust. It deals our deep emotions, consciousness and other mysteries of life that science still can't fully explain. Essentially it's a reflection on our place in the vast universe and the connections that bind us together, as we're all, to quote Carl Sagan, 'made of starstuff.'"

"Vermillion" track listing:

01. Aeterna 02. In Love We Rust 03. Cradle To The Grave (feat. Alissa White-Gluz) 04. Fight Or Flight 05. Weight Of My World 06. Vermillion Dreams 07. The Core 08. Dystopia 09. R.E.D. 10. Dark Night Of The Soul

This past March, Simone told Mexico's Summa Inferno that EPICA's follow-up to 2021's "Omega" album will likely be released in 2025.

"I love the songs so far that we've written," Simone said. "There's more [songs that have been written] than fit on the album. So it's gonna be cool. And we won't tour that much this year. So we are focusing on the EPICA album and the 'Symphonic Synergy' shows [where EPICA will play alongside an orchestra], which is a lot of work."

In November 2022, EPICA released "The Alchemy Project" through Atomic Fire Records. The EP was co-written and performed with diverse guests ranging from extremists like FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, Niilo Sevänen (INSOMNIUM) and Björn "Speed" Strid (SOILWORK) along with melodic masters like Tommy Karevik (KAMELOT),keyboard legend Phil Lanzon (URIAH HEEP) and Roel Van Helden (POWERWOLF) to a once-in-a-lifetime song with Simons, Charlotte Wessels and Myrkur.

Just one day after the release of its anniversary reissues "We Still Take You With Us" and "Live At Paradiso", EPICA celebrated 20 years of existence live in September 2022 at 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands, the same place where they played their first show (supporting ANATHEMA) back in 2002.

EPICA was formed by guitarist/vocalist Mark Jansen after leaving AFTER FOREVER in 2002, and the band quickly gained attention outside their home country, taking big steps towards becoming the leading symphonic metal superpower they have long proven to be. After their ambitious debut "The Phantom Agony" (2002) and the surprisingly eclectic sophomore work "Consign To Oblivion" (2005),the road took them to new heights via their first concept masterpiece "The Divine Conspiracy" (2007) and their global breakthrough "Design Your Universe" (2009). 2012's opus "Requiem For The Indifferent", 2014's bedazzling "The Quantum Enigma" and "The Holographic Principle" (2016),cemented their reputation as not only one of the hardest-working metal bands in the business but also as one of the best. With "Omega", the final part of the metaphysical trilogy they began with "The Quantum Enigma", they reclaimed the throne without so much as the blink of an eye, amassing three million-plus streams during the first week of the album's release.

youtube

#simone simons #in love we rust #vermillion #Youtube

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briar-moon · 3 months ago

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Red Rising Characters as Tortured Poets Department Songs

Darrow: i'mgonnagetyouback

-> "Whether I'm gonna be your wife or / Gonna smash up your bike / I haven't decided yet / But I'm gonna get you back"

Cassius: I Can Do It With a Broken Heart

-> "I was grinning like I'm winning / I was hitting my marks / 'Cause I can do it with a broken heart"

Mustang: The Alchemy

-> "He jokes that it's heroin, but this time with an 'E' / 'Cause the sign on your heart / Said it's still reserved for me"

Sevro: Florida!!!

-> "Little did you know your home's really only / The town you'll get arrested / So you pack your life away just to wait out / The shitstorm back in Texas"

Victra: But Daddy I Love Him

-> "I'd rather burn my whole life down / Than listen to one more second of all this bitchin' and moanin' / I'll tell you something 'bout my good name / It's mine alone to disgrace"

Lyria: Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?

-> "I was tame, I was gentle 'til the circus life made me mean / 'Don't you worry, folks, we took out all her teeth' / Who's afraid of little old me? / Well you should be"

Theodora: Clara Bow

-> "Beauty is a beast that roars down on all fours / Demanding more / Only when your girlish glow flickers just so / Do they let you know / It's hell on earth to be heavenly"

Tactus: I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)

-> "The smoke cloud billows out his mouth / Like a freight train through a small town / The jokes that he told across the bar / Were revolting and far too loud"

Roque: The Tortured Poets Department

-> "I laughed in your face and said / 'You're not Dylan Thomas, I'm not Patti Smith / This ain't the Chelsea Hotel, we're modern idiots'"

Ragnar: The Albatross

-> "I swept in at the rescue / The devil that you know / Looks now more like an angel / I'm the life you chose / And all this terrible danger"

Sefi: The Prophecy

-> "A greater woman has faith / But even statues crumble if they're made to wait"

Pax Sr.: So High School

-> "Truth, dare, spin bottles / You know how to ball, I know Aristotle"

Evey: My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys

-> "'Cause he took me out of my box / Stole my tortured heart / Left all these broken parts / Told me I'm better off / But I'm not"

Dancer: Fortnight

-> "And for a fortnight there, we were forever / Run into you sometimes, ask about the weather / Now you're in my backyard, turned into good neighbors"

Eo: Cassandra

-> "Bet they never spared a prayer for my soul / You can mark my words that I said it first / In a mourning warning, no one heard"

Julian: Robin

-> "You got the dragonflies above your bed / You have a favorite spot on the swing set / You have no room in your dreams for regrets"

Volga: I Hate it Here

-> "I hate it here so I will go to lunar valleys in my mind / When they found a better planet, only the gentle survived / I dreamed about it in the dark, the night I felt like I might die"

Orion: So Long, London

-> "And you say I abandoned the ship / But I was going down with it / My white-knuckle dying grip / Holding tight to your quiet resentment"

Lysander: The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived

-> "You kicked out the stage lights, but you're still performing / And in plain sight you hid / but you are what you did / And I'll forget you, but I'll never forgive / the smallest man who ever lived"

Should I do other albums?

#red rising #golden son #morning star #dark age #iron gold #light bringer #darrow of lykos #darrow au andromedus #cassius au bellona #virginia au augustus #sevro au barca #victra au julii

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wen-kexing-apologist · 13 days ago

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9 Fandom Peeps to Get to Know Better:

Got tagged by @solitaryandwandering !

3 Ships You Like:

1. Han Baram and Im Hantae, Sing My Crush

Every time I see them, I never fail to smile. And every time I see them I have to forcibly restrain myself from rewatching the show because I love them so goddamn much and I miss them all the fucking time.

2. Kenji and Shiro, What Did You Eat Yesterday?

I mean....what else is there to say about them? They are elite, I love them, and I wish them a million years of happiness.

3. Makoto and Personal Growth, Ossan no Pantsu ga Nandatte ii janai ka!

NOTHING HITS LIKE THIS FUCKING FATHER CHANGING HIS ENTIRE WORLD VIEW BECAUSE HE REALIZES THAT HE IS LOSING TOUCH WITH THE FAMILY THAT HE LOVES. NOTHING!!!!

First Ship Ever: Raven and Beast Boy

Last Song You Heard:

Uhhhhh....honestly, I do not remember what I last listened to. So instead I will supplement with the song that has been constantly stuck in my head for the past few months, thanks to Twinkling Watermelon

youtube

It's so pretty, it's only like a minute and a half, and there is NO OFFICIAL SONG RELEASED FOR IT SO I HAVE TO MAKE DUE WITH SOME RANDOM PERSON'S KINDA SHITTY AUDIO RECORDING ON SPOTIFY. TWINKLING WATERMELON CAST PLEASE RELEASE AN OFFICIAL CAST ALBUM OF THE SONGS!

Favorite Childhood Book: Treasure Island

This was the book I was read almost every night as a child.

Currently Reading: The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife

I finished the audiobook for The Water Outlaws today and The Bruising of Qilwa yesterday. And with the completion of The Water Outlaws I have read/listened to 60 books since May!

Currently Watching: Jack and Joker (but I'm thinking about dropping it), Love is Like a Poison (but I'm behind on it), Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo (which I am loving), and Love in the Big City (which I am so glad to have on my screen)

In addition, I finished a binge watch of The Fall of the House of Usher yesterday and just put a hold on Alchemy of Souls. And I literally just started a rewatch of Gyeongseong Creature 10 minutes ago. I am also thinking about picking up Blue Canvas of Youthful Days.

Currently Consuming: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Currently Craving: Some good goddamn disability rep in film and television.

And yes I do mean good representation in an actually good show.

tagging: @happypotato48, @shortpplfedup, @sorry-bonebag, @telomeke, @slayerkitty, @so-much-yet-to-learn, @emotionallychargedtowel, @doyou000me, and @my-rose-tinted-glasses

#tag game #Youtube

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fake-married-my-dead-fiance · 1 month ago

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tagged by @dangermousie

1. why did you choose your url?

It's a joke about Alchemy of Souls Season 2

2. any sideblogs? if you have them name them and why you have them.

This is my sideblog. My main is Musings on Jane Austen

3. how long have you been on tumblr?

2 years total, but less for this sideblog. Maybe 1?

4. do you have a queue tag?

No, I find those odd.

5. why did you start your blog in the first place?

Because I can't be gushing about Kdramas on my main, I keep my blogs very subject pure.

6. why did you choose your icon/pfp?

It's from Alchemy of Souls, which I was obsessed with when I made this blog.

7. why did you choose your header?

It's from Moon in the Day, another Kdrama I love.

8. what’s your post with the most notes?

The runner up is a Lovely Runner text post

9. how many mutuals do you have?

Don't know how to check

10. how many followers do you have?

652

11. how many people do you follow?

Sideblogs can't follow, but around 200 total. Probably 5 Kdrama blogs that I really like.

12. have you ever made a shitpost?

Yes

13. how often do you use tumblr each day?

Too much. It's my highest use app usually.

14. did you have a fight/argument with another blog once?

I don't know if I have on this blog.

15. how do you feel about ‘you need to reblog this’ posts?

Die.

16. do you like tag games?

17. do you like ask games?

18. which of your mutuals do you think is tumblr famous?

Dangermousie?

19. do you have a crush on a mutual?

Lol, no. I would need to be able to see them for that to be possible.

20. what is the last song you listened to?

Something from the soundtrack of Love Between Fairy and Devil

21. what are you currently watching?

An anime called Love is Hard for Otaku, also The Forbidden Marriage at the same time

22. sweet/ savoury/ spicy?

Sweet and savoury

23. what is your current relationship status?

Married with kids.

24. what is your current obsession?

Flower of Evil, The Forbidden Marriage... I was obsessed with No Gain No Love recently but the ending didn't wow.

25. what are nine albums/ songs you've been listening to lately?

I've mostly been listening to Kdrama OSTs: It's Okay Not to be Okay, The Forbidden Marriage, Alchemy of Souls, Castaway Diva, Doom at Your Service, Feel You from Flower of Evil, Happiness, Lovely Runner (especially the Eclipse stuff), Sh**ting Stars, and Moon in the Day

#tag game #I don't really tag though #do it if you want!

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taylortruther · 8 months ago

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hey! did you see shakira's interview with zane lowe? one part that I found very interesting was that she used exactly the term “the alchemy” to describe the process of transforming tears (her grief over love lost, the separation, etc.) into diamonds (songs from the new album that she is very proud of having achieved do and publish to the world). I found it interesting because the alchemy is one of the last tracks on the standard version of ttpd, so it would be super interesting if taylor went down this path of writing a song talking about how music literally changes her life and helps her process things. what do you think?

I believe that the biggest theory about this song so far is about turning metals into gold and the analogy of taylor saying that her last relationship was golden, but I wanted to bring this other perspective to see what you think :)

i haven't watched it but i know @wavesoutbeingtossed did and has talked about it a lot!

i think a lot of creatives feel this way about their arts. i know i do. it can feel like magic! somehow, you conjure melody or poetry or an image out of nothing! how does it work? where does it come from? no one really knows (although lots has been said about the study of creativity and the brain.) it's like trying to study the soul.

so personally i could see the alchemy being about a few things: "deep blue but you painted me golden" - how love can change a person; "use my best colors for your portrait" - how you can turn a situation or person into beautiful art; or maybe it's "a part of writing that we don't understand" and "why i've spent my whole life trying to put it into words" - how wonderful and curious that she still loves it, is doing more of it, wants to expand on it.

#the alchemy #ttpd predictions

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rainbowdaisy13 · 5 months ago

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Hey Rainbow, figured I’d ask some silly questions to lighten any lingering sad moods. :)

What would you say is your favorite TS album? If it’s TTPD, what did it replace?

Is The Alchemy a Kaylor-y song or more satirical?

What’s your favorite fruit and/or veggie?

Which Taylor album is best for a dinner party?

Would you rather spend a night in watching movies or a day outside (both with loved ones)?

Bless you for this Anon 🙏🏼

*TTPD is my new favorite simply because it’s the most honest she’s ever been in her art *IMO*

*It replaced Rep which forever will be that bitch to me 😍

* I truly don’t know about The Alchemy as I haven’t deep dived it yet but the process of Alchemy is magical and mysterious and regarded as fake by the scientific community. Those are all words I would associate with Taylors lived experience

* Since I was a baby I have struggled to eat most veggies—they feel like bugs in my mouth(normal!) But I’d say my fave veggie is potatoes and green beans and my fave fruit is apples and pears

*Hmmmmm for a chill dinner party I’d pick evermore, for an upbeat party vibe I’d pick 1989, hosting other tortured souls, TTPD

*A day outside! Living in Minnesota, we get like 5 months of decent weather so spring and summer I’m outside as much as I can be

☀️Thanks Anon this was light which is lovely ☀️

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tayfabe75 · 6 months ago

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What are your thoughts on The Alchemy? All the football references make you think it's about Travis, but if you take them away, the rest of the song just doesn't make sense for him in my opinion. Especially with “this happens once every few lifetimes” from it and “once in 20 lifetimes” from cardigan.

Hey, anon! Honestly, I'm so glad you asked about this song. When I first heard 'The Alchemy', I was cackling at what I believed were obvious football-related red herrings… This suspicion grew exponentially when Taylor decided to mash it up with 'Treacherous' of all things!

And of course, it's "touch down", not "touchdown":

Which implies some sort of aircraft… an airplane? (Perhaps a UFO? 🛸)

Even if it is a sports reference, who's to say it's not rugby? Especially when paired with the word "blokes"… Also, what's with the word "blokes" anyway? Americans don't say that! lol And Taylor sang it with a heavy accent during the acoustic set…

Now, I know what you might be thinking, since I've seen a few 75 fans get upset with Taylor over this song, assuming it's super petty and she's making fun of Matty. Well, part of my personal ethos is to give people the benefit of the doubt rather than automatically assume malintent. So, my thinking is that even if Matty truly did ditch Taylor because he couldn't take the heat of her fan's burning pitchforks and he thought he was doing her a favor by leaving… the absolute last thing she would do is write songs making fun of him for it. The woman who wrote 'Peace'?! Nah, I don't buy it!

I firmly believe that Matty gave TTPD his blessing. I think it's chiefly an album reflecting an earlier time in Taylor's life, a time she couldn't write about any of that stuff without giving away Matty's identity and personal details of his life that he did not want to be public (it was not just her story to tell). Now, though... Matty has since shown incredible vulnerability and bravery in discussing his past addictions, and frankly, humanizing addicts for his impressionable young fans! Taylor, too, has great empathy for those struggling with addiction - something she spoke about a few times throughout the 1989 tour (gee, I wonder why…) usually preceding the song 'Clean'.

And though they have at least a decade-long public history, Matty was only recently "inducted" as a muse into the "Taylor Swift Cinematic Universe". If I had any, I'd bet money that Taylor had the green light to write this album from Matty, himself (and that he's been easter egging the hell out of it leading up to its release!)

Like you, "once every few lifetimes" immediately reminded me of 'Cardigan'. Of course, you have a reference to heroin (see above), and someone getting out of a hospital… making this song almost sound like it's, at least in part, from Matty's perspective. Ditch the clowns, cut the amateurs...

And, whoever's heart is reserved, the sign is not still there for someone they just met, right? If it is about someone new, then it sounds more like a restaurant reservation or something. Not the most romantic metaphor (and frankly, a strange one if you ask me!)

Further, the song is from 2023:

Anon, I just can't suspend my disbelief enough to hear this as a song written for someone she just started dating (way more "unhinged" than the exchange of "I love yous" with someone you've known for ten years, anyway...) But! I very well could be wrong. Hopefully time will tell.

Lastly, there's something called an "alchemical marriage", which is a sacred union that transcends the physical realm into the spiritual, joining twin flame souls together. Do with that what you will...

Thanks for the ask! 🤍

#answered #speculation: ttpd

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sheisanimposter · 7 months ago

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Some first TTPD thoughts now that I’ve listened a few times and processed a bit:

- My fears of an album made mid tour coming off as rushed have been somewhat confirmed, there is a reason most artists don’t produce albums during an active tour. Taylor’s best written songs were made during the pandemic when she had to slow down, and it benefitted from a ton of collabs. That level of quality simply can’t be reached during a huge tour like this with her insane schedule.

-Lyrically, so much of this hits close to home as a woman around her age. As a 92 millennial, her albums are often released in perfect timing with a relevant chapter of my own life because she is about 2 years older than me, so when she releases an album expressing her feelings from 2 years prior it ends up being just in time for me, this album is no exception. Sentiments of being in a relationship with men who refuse therapy, trying to appease them, waiting for marriage or babies, that intuitive feeling of time running out: this was written for millennial women.

-That being said a poem is not a song, converting poetry to music that translates the original meaning isn’t easy, and it feels like she handed a book of completed poems and random verses to jack and asked him to produce music for it quickly. In songs where the lyrics are really strong it’s often overshadowed by repetitive music that doesn’t match the personality or the intricacy of the writing style. Some of the songs are actually more enjoyable to read as poetry which is what we’re all doing with lyrics we’re sharing and analyzing.

-Some of the lyrics feel rushed too, you can hear in songs like down bad that she meant what she said and it was raw and real and fully expressed from her insides, but then songs like alchemy are reciting a cringey conversation and it’s not even poetic, it just feels like filler in some spots

-the vibe is telling me she rushed this on purpose because she needs public closure of this chapter to start something new sooner than later, whether that’s career wise, family wise, or both

I’m not saying I don’t like it because I very much do, but I’m enjoying this album moreso as poetry with a little bit of background music, whereas albums like folklore felt whole with lyrics and music that complimented one another and translated the message more clearly. Overall though, I actually just wish she waited another year to release this so it could have been reworked one more time through and come out fully cooked. Folklore and evermore is some of her best work because of the world making us all pause and slow down, she was able to put her soul into the details, which is just impossible to do while also performing a massive production tour. It’s not a bad album but it could have been better and feels like a draft at times for me. That being said, the underlying tone of a chapter ending is not only emotional for me as a fan, but as a 32 year old woman who relates to this vague theme of transition wholeheartedly.

#ttpd #taylor swift #writing #poetry #music #don’t come at me

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therappundit · 1 month ago

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PUNDIT PICKS: "THE CREAM" of the Crop [My Favorite Albums of 2024 (*so far*)]

ICYMI, my ongoing series on the best of 2024: https://therappundit.tumblr.com/post/756082881246461952/the-pundits-picks-more-of-2024s-finest-part

***Please note: the selections on this list had to have dropped by 8/31/24, FYI***

Back in June/July, I began compiling what would become my ongoing "best of" list for 2024. I wasn't trying to rank my favorite music at that point, I was mostly concerned that the weekly onslaught of new music throughout the year could lead to a noteworthy piece of art missing these ears, and slipping through the cracks. I wanted to close out *the summer* with a list of my favorite albums of the year up through the end of summer, and I planned on releasing that list to public scrutiny at the end of Labor Day weekend...

It is now October.

Welp, plans are meant to be flexible, I guess. 😬 Timing be damned, I want to share with the world all of the shout-outs I possibly can, the cream of the crop, my favorite albums of the year as we closed out the summer season (bring on hoodie season, that tends to be when I feel like me the most).

And in no particular order, here are some of my favorite albums of 2024 [*up through the end of summer*]: Out Of The Blue by Blu & Shafiq Husayn, Lil Old Town by DJ Lucas & DVNTBEATS, WE DON'T TRUST YOU by Future & Metro Boomin, Pinball by MIKE & Tony Seltzer, For Hustlers Only by WB Nutty, MMCHT by Nickelus F., The Pride & Glory by Teller Bank$ & Ed Glorious, Nubian Cruiser by Ronday, Black Box: JOSHUA IS DEAD by Joshua Virtue, Black & Whites by Big Hit, Hit-Boy & The Alchemist, the First to Make Contact When We Dap by R.A.P. Ferreira & Fumitake Tamura, Shadowbox by Mavi, EMBERGO_ by Nakama., DOOF & ESCEE 2 by Doof, Escee & August Fanon, So Much Enrgy & Sav by Ysr Gramz & enrgy beats, Mr Beat The Road by Bossman Dlow, soul food for the family by rimhan, WATCH THE THRONE by Jaeychino, Marciology by Roc Marciano, PLAYWAY OR NOWAY by RRB LILMEL, My Story Got Stories by Bruiser Wolf, BIG MYAAP, NOT THE LIL ONE by Myaap, The Tonite Show The Sequel by Curren$y & DJ.Fresh, Nobody Planning To Leave by ShrapKnel & Controller 7, CHUPACABRA by JasonMartin & DJ Quik, Scoob Wav by WTM Scoob, LOYALTY: BIRTH OF SUPER RUFUS by Rufus Sims & Billionaire Boyscout, Flint 2 Detroit by YN Jay, Plea$e Don't Think I'm Actin Funny by Bub Rock, BLUE LIPS by ScHoolboy Q, Memoirs In Armour by Navy Blue, Can't Go Bacc by Nino Paid, Day Shift, Vol. 1 by Lil Tre, Pigmen In the Vitreous by Knoweye, Brown in America by HOODLUM, Alchemy by Jay Cinema & Chow, All Infinite by Kooley High & Tuamie

24. A Forsaken Lover's Plea by Chuck Strangers

(I always look forward to new Chuck, who frequently racks up accolades as a producer, but never seems to get his just due as the great MC that he is. A true double-double threat with every release.)

23. Deathtape 2: We Gon' Need Each Other by Quelle Chris, Cavalier, and Denmark Vessey

(Any time one of these artists releases anything, you know it's must-cop art....so naturally when they all collaborate, they make one hell of a short but sweet haymaker of a project.)

22. DECON$TRUCT!ON by Maassai

(What was pitched as a collection of loosies recorded over the past few years came off as a sharp, memorable showcase for one of Brooklyn's most talented MC's.)

21. Save The Bees by Big Flowers & Messiah Musik

(Big Flowers is part of one of the greatest communities of exciting NY talent that we have seen in years, so pairing the thoughtful MC/producer with Messiah Musik - one of the most potent producers in underground hip-hop right now - yields a palette of sounds and messages that feel stronger with every listen.)

20. WOODSTOCK '99 by Nick Satchel & dp0mmy

(Nick really seemed to put his foot down into this one, shining alongside an old friend in Atlanta-by-way-of-St. Louis producer dp0mmy...who continues to raise the bar of what he can achieve sonically, remaining one of the greatest secret weapons in hip-hop right now. More on dp0mmy in the weeks to come...) 👀

19. Bag Man Julio by Jaysanityy

(A name you are sure to be more familiar with in the near future, the DMV's Jaysanityy is one of the most complete artists you will find in underground hip-hop. Check out any of his work, and I guarantee you will wonder why he's not already mentioned in the same breath as artists like Mavi, Pink Siifu, and Maxo.)

18. 74: Out of Time by Ol' Burger Beats

(Another fantastic, less heralded producer helms this compilation album, which is stacked with great songs from some of the indy world's finest, and sounds far too cohesive to leave off of my favorite album list.)

17. WAKING UP AND CHOOSING VIOLENCE by YUNGMORPHEUS & Alexander Spit

(Few MC's are able to sound so cutting with their words without sounding enraged quite like YUNGMORPHEUS, who has steadily put out some of the best rap music out of anyone's catalogue over the past 5-6 years. He's joined by another one of 2024's MVP's, Alexander Spit, who happens to be one of the most skilled producers at creating cool instrumentals to help support, rather than outshine, the messages of his MC's collaborators.)

16. This Too Shall Pass by Yo OG

(Rapidly becoming onf of my favorite MC's, No Label collective's Yo OG - sometimes shortened to just OG - is strong enough to carry an album on his own, but when he joins forces with other talented affiliates from No Label, it's clear that this whole team is about to be a force in hip-hop music.)

15. Black Blues Brothers by HALAL BOYS

(Representing Phoenix AZ, I knew nothing about Lord Ra and Gorgeous Jefe heading into 2024, but leaving 2024 they're high up on my radar as one of the most exciting duos I have heard in a while.)

14. Memory(ummm) by Sleep Sinatra & bloomcycle

(Speaking of 2024 MVP's...Sleep Sinatra is a tried and true veteran MC/producer that seems to be going the fine wine route, while bloomcycle - the producer alias of previously mentioned Big Flowers - also seemed to be making an impact on various different projects this year. Together they created a standout album, equally effective as a tightly made cohesive personal work as it is a collection of great collaborations with fellow amazing artists.)

13. SOLACE by Marco Plus

(To make a name for yourself coming out of Atlanta's deep, deeeeep music scene, and to do so without being already tied to a major industry name, or even delivering the "typical" type of crossover rap music that the ATL is known for, is pretty impressive. But once you hear Marco Plus spit, it's not too surprising. His ear for beats is only surpassed by his hungry delivery on the microphone, so of course it's no surprise that this year he has received dap from some of the most established artists in the ATL, like JID. I would say keep an eye out for Marco more in the future, but my guess is that he will knock down more doors and make a name for himself without anyone having to dig too deep to find his work.)

12. Almighty So 2 by Chief Keef

(Am I surprised that Chief Keef dropped one of my favorite albums this year? No, I'm more surprised that in 2024 I am so eager to hear his work at all. I was woefully late to - dare I say, straight up refused to board - the bandwagon for Keef. He has been buried on my "happy for him and his success, but I don't feel the need to hear anything else from this man" list since the "Bang" video. Sure, I dug more than a few Keef cuts over the years, here and there, while he was putting in work on project after project to become a better all around producer and recording artist. He really understands rap, trap, and how to deliver a sonically appealing album that in spite of his relatively limited subject matter, doesn't come off as cookie cutter. Almighty So 2 has been very well received, but garnered some "meh" responses from his core base, since this is probably his most accessible, polished, mainstream-ready project to date. But make no mistake, there is no lacking in raw energy and clever commentary, both are provided in abundance here, and we're all better for it. I can now say what I began to feel back with 4NEM in 2021: I am a Chief Keef fan.)

11. PERSEVERANCE by Jay Cinema & JUNE! as JUNECINEMA

(Sure they share great chemistry as MCs & Producers, but what shines through the most on PERSEVERANCE is their pure love of music. It's one thing to come off hungry, but to come off as being excited just to make and release music? That's become an increasingly rare commodity. JUNE! and Jay Cinema have really put their mark in underground hip-hop over the past two years, and this album feels like a culmination of their growth and confidence as recording artists. Take Jay's classic NYC MC swagger, plus JUNE!'s delivery that often reaches construction site levels of gravelly, then interweave clear shout-outs to their loves and musical influences, and you get a dope underground collaboration with strong replay value.)

10. Sour Dub by Rich Jones & SINAI.

(A unique talent that threads the needle between singing and rapping in a casual and authentic way - possibly the best to juggle both since a certain famous Canadian actor/rapper/singer, Rich Jones is always guaranteed to put out some interesting work. Here he joins forces with SINAI. a.k.a. Sleep Sinatra - and boy what a year he's had - and the two deliver some of the most grounded, feel-good somber music that I have heard in quite some time. I'm not sure if "feel-good somber music" is even a thing, but if it is, Rich & Sleep are maestros at the artform.)

9. 3rd Shift by J.U.S. & Squadda B

(I'm not as familiar with Squadda B as I probably should be, but I know he made an impact as one half of Oakland's Main Attrakionz. Here he delivers engaging, diverse production for Bruider Brigade's J.U.S, who I am more familiar with, as he has been near the top of my personal "most slept-on MC" list for several years strong now. Together their chemistry is sublime, with Squadda's slappin' beats providing ample space for J.U.S to speak his mind over.)

8. F.U.N. T.O.Y. by Sideshow

(Alexander Spit got busy on this one, tossing a varied collection of sounds at Sideshow to work with. In turn, the L.A. MC delivered another interesting piece of work, touching on a rolling list of thoughts, but not staying long enough in any one passing thought to reach a completion. While this could be problematic for a lot of artists, for Sideshow it works quite well, in my opinion. F.U.N. T.O.Y. feels like the equivalent of going on a long drive alone to clear your head, and jumping from song to song on the car radio. That might not be the most purposeful and effective drive in the world, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable or thought provoking. Sideshow is the epitome of a "leave them wanting more" MC.)

7. The Thief Next to Jesus by Ka

(The writer's writer returns. At this point, I don't know what else can be said about this man's pen, but from a longevity standpoint, let's talk about how challenging it must be to maintain a certain level of elite rapping - and well into one's fifties. Ka's experience as a MC is well documented, but as a producer, Thief lives amongst his finest, dare I day accessible production work. Here he keeps the darkness at bay with powerful soul, grit, and determination, delivering a fantastic album that doesn't denounce the purposes of devout faith, but parses the complexities behind keeping a religious mindset in today's world.)

6. sunscreen by shemar & Child Actor

(Likely the shortest project on this list, but surely one of the year's most potent. shemar speaks to a generation of artists that have grown up in and around NYC accepting the music of artists like Armand Hammer, and not as "alternative underground rap", but simply where the bar happens to exist today. In turn, on sunscreen shemar comes off with a stream of consciousness flow and a chip on his shoulder, which when combined with the raw and majestic smokiness of Child Actor's instrumentals, makes for an ear gripping listening experience. This is peak 3:00am on the L train music.)

5. Los Angeles by Blu & Evidence

(I'm not sure if any other MC can brag about having the sheer volume of dope music drop within the first 3/4 of a calendar year at Blu's level. The underground vet seems to be enjoying a hungry renaissance, releasing three albums by my own personal deadline for this list (another great piece of work with Exile has also been released since). The news of Blu releasing a full project with fellow west coast underground legend Evidence, was only surpassed by the actual final product. Los Angeles is a sonically phenomenal, lyrically on-point love letter/indictment of the coast's most infamous city. Hip-hop history is stacked with unforgettable releases that perfectly capture the soul and feeling of L.A. life, but I don't know if it's ever been done this successfully with such a full a collection of beautifully curated vintage 90's underground vibes.)

4. Different Type Time by Cavalier

(Cavalier had a great year. Folks in the know have been not-so-patiently waiting for this one, because whenever Cav drops anything it might not be the loudest album in the room, but it will always be one of the finest. When fans learned that this album was going to be released through modern day Def Jux-esque powerhouse and bily woods boosted record label Backwoodz Studioz, even higher expectations were bestowed upon Different Type Time. Cavalier might not be a New York City resident anymore, but the feeling across this album is an open diary of a wizened New Yorker, a grown man in the rap game that's seen enough light and darkness to know that day to day life will always end up being somewhere in the middle. Similarly to other razor-penned MC's like Ka and Skyzoo, Cav is not preoccupied with knockout punchlines as much as he is focused on making each bar land like it's own story, each a bittersweet memory over a swooning jazzy backdrop.)

3. Service Merchandise by Previous Industries [Open Mike Eagle, Video Dave, Still Rift]

(Sometimes the only thing capable of being funnier than a great stand-up comedian, is a group of old friends just shootin' the shit together. Comedy is dependent not only on well-written jokes, but also impeccable timing, chemistry, and a certain level of connection with the audience. Open Mike Eagle, Video Dave, and Still Rift have no trouble making a connection with their audience, and they know their voices well enough to probably finish each other's sentences, and stick the landing on any cultural reference within a verse. Service Merchandise is an underground rap album that could only be made during these times by middle-aged hip-hop artists that have long since come to terms with the fact that they just aren't destined to be flashing rollies in glossy rap videos surrounded by gyrating bikini models...and that's okay. Stacked to the brim with nerd nostalgia, pop culture references, and thematic homages to fallen retail chains - not to mention expert rapping, lyricism, and a laundry list of some of hip-hop's finest underground producers - Previous Industries excel at balancing the art of waxing nostalgic without dismissing the positivity that could come from the present and future. Fellow writer/music thirster, the great Son Raw, spoke positively of the album as well, matching it to De La Soul vibes, and surely that's a comparison to be proud of.)

2. #RICHAXXHAITIAN by Mach-Hommy

[The mysterious Mach man strikes again. After what felt like a long enough delay to start asking "is it actually dropping, or was it scrapped?", Mach-Hommy released #RICHAXXHAITIAN in May to strong reviews, albeit with less hype than what came with the first album listening session back in 2023. A handful of familiar guests, as well as a handful of expected trademarks (Mach is still successfully "flippin' _____ like" whenever possible) made the album feel like a Mach album, but musically he was working with a higher level of pristine selections. Without losing any hint of his unpredictability or raw delivery, Mach managed to work in an additional layer of polish or two, curating each song on the album as if "this could be the one". Thoughtful, culturally attuned to his Haitian American status, and as willing to dip a toe in experimental territory as he's ever been, if #RICHAXXAITIAN isn't Mach-Hommy's most well-rounded album thus far, it's damn near close.]

1. Sewaside III by Mike Shabb

(Montreal, stand up. Whatever Mike Shabb may lack due to his youth, he more than makes up for it with his body of work in hip-hop, utility knife of talents. Shabb is an elite beatmaker and MC, and he possesses a rare assortment of skills that work equally well with both trap and boom-bap sensibilities. He may have the highest ceiling of any MC on this list, because like other gifted artists like MIKE, Earl Sweatshirt, and Vince Staples, he represents a modern MC that doesn't see a problem with placing Lil Baby and Roc Marciano back to back on the same mixtape. Sewaside III is a great representation of how Shabb continues to grow more polished with each release, without sacrificing his raw underground essence. Staring at the last few months of 2024, if this one ends up being my favorite rap album of the year when the ball drops on Dec. 31st, I will be quite fine with that.)

Next up...my favorite SONGS of the year (*as of the end of summer*)...thanks for reading, and stay tuned!

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drsilverfish · 2 years ago

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Dean’s Soul in the Bardo - The Art of Dying 1x06 The Winchesters

Catching up British-time, so a bit late to the party as usual, and coming to it fresh, as I like to do, without jumping into the time-line first.

Screeches a bit because I am overwhelmed.

This episode suggests that, on one level, we can read every character in The Winchesters as manifestations of Dean’s consciousness, as he hovers in the “bardo”, the liminal realm in Tibetan Buddhism, between death and reincarnation.

Mary - the leader and hunter who wants to get out of hunting; John - filled with wounded rage, Daddy-issues and violence; Carlos - the fabulous bisexual who dares to get into therapy and to go after the men he wants; Lata - the abused child who manages to chose love over violence - ALL OF THESE ARE ASPECTS OF DEAN WINCHESTER’S being, his experience/ soul/ desires <sobs a little because it’s beautiful>.

Now I’m back on my meta, I’ve previously mused on The Winchesters as a reparative narrative told by Holy Ghost Dean Winchester; a counter-point to the traumatic narrative of Supernatural.

1x06 The Art of Dying offers further illumination and elaboration on that concept, namely:

The episode title, “The Art of Dying” is a George Harrison song, the right time-period for The Winchesters (1970), from his album All Things Must Pass.

The Beatles, in keeping with the hippie counterculturalism of the time, were interested in Eastern spirituality, particularly Hinduism and Buddhism, and this Harrison song was inspired by his reading of Timothy Leary’s The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on The Tibetan Book of the Dead (1964).

Harrison’s lyrics are about the religious philosophy of perfecting the soul through cycles of reincarnation:

“There'll come a time when all of us must leave here There's nothing Sister Mary can do, will keep me here with you As nothing in this life that I've been trying Can equal or surpass the Art of Dying....

There'll come a time when most of us return here Brought back by our desire to be a perfect entity Living through a million years of crying Until you realize the Art of Dying “

A theme which fits well with the Ouroboros (serpent swallowing it’s own tail as it ascends) narrative of latter-day Supernatural, which drew on Jung and esoteric alchemy to manifest the Winchesters’ journey as the journey of the soul towards God.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead is the Bardo Thodol, which means “liberation through hearing in the intermediate state”. It is a 14thC esoteric text (or possibly older but that’s when the written text we have dates from).

John, Mary, Lata and Losy all struggle with pain, parent-induced and violence-induced and hunting-induced trauma, but they are able to communicate their feelings to one another in a way which is strikingly and remarkably different from the enormous struggles with emotional articulation which animated Supernatural, which we watched Dean suffer with throught his life.

So we can read The Winchesters as Dean’s revelatory hallucinations in the liminal state between death and liberation (or rebirth) - his revelatory sexual and emotional healing soul-dreams (in which, and what could be more Freudian, he returns to the scene of his parents).

And look, Lata is teaching John, who surived being possessed by the vengeful spirit of abused-as-a-child and violently out-of-control Mac, how to meditate and achieve higher consciousness (with an image of a globe in the background):

And isn’t it interesting that the rare type of vampire which Mac’s vengeful spirit first possesses is called a “soucouyant”, which means (incongrously, one would think) “carefree” in French. But not so incongruous if The Winchesters is about the journey of Dean’s soul to liberation, to bliss, to being “carefree”...

#Supernatural #The Winchesters #The Winchesters meta #SPNWin 1x06 #The Art of Dying #Holy Ghost Dean Winchester #I am in love with this concept #The cycle of death and rebirth #Ouroboros narrative #The Tibetan Book of the Dead

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thelensofyashunews · 3 months ago

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LEON BRIDGES ANNOUNCES SELF-TITLED ALBUM, "LEON" OUT OCTOBER 4

Today, GRAMMY�� Award-winning Texas recording artist, songwriter, and performer Leon Bridges announces his fourth full-length LP, Leon, releasing on October 4, 2024, via Columbia Records.

Pre-order/Pre-save is available now HERE.

The highly anticipated release notably marks Leon’s first album in three years and is heralded with today’s unveiling of his new single, “Peaceful Place.”

Filmed in Leon’s own peaceful place, the outskirts of Mexico City, the official video gives a candid look at the recording of the album, showcasing Leon’s explorations as he finds inspiration in the culture with his newfound state of mind that no one can take away.

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Says Leon in a personal letter to fans announcing Leon, “Leon has been a long-time coming. I started writing pieces of it as far back as Gold-Diggers Sound. They didn't fit what I was trying to do with that album and I tried moving on. But I couldn’t shake them because they're part of me. And, if I'm honest, also because I think this is some of my most excellent work yet.

In many ways, Leon has been in the works since my childhood. This record is about simpler days. It's about time spent in my beloved Fort Worth and the experiences that made me the man I am today. It's soulful music in the truest sense - it's imbued with my soul.

I'm excited to share these stories about my home, about nostalgia, about my upbringing, about where I'm from, with all of you. I hope this music brings you back to your roots and your journey.”

Recorded and produced by Ian Fitchuk (Kacey Musgraves, Maggie Rogers) at El Desierto on the outskirts of Mexico City with co-production from Daniel Tashian (Kacey Musgraves) in Nashville, Leon features 13 handcrafted tracks spotlighting Leon’s signature storytelling and organic genre alchemy. Leon unfolds as his most poignant, powerful, and personal body of work to date as the man himself takes you through the streets he knows best, the things he holds dearest, and the memories of the people and place that shaped him. This record is unmistakably Leon.

Leon follows his third studio album Gold-Diggers Sound, which was released back in 2021 to unanimous acclaim and serves as Leon’s third album (out of three) to receive a GRAMMY® nomination for R&B Album of the Year. It bowed in the Top 20 of the Billboard 200 and incited the applause of Pitchfork, Clash [9-out-of-10], NME [4-out-of-5], and Rolling Stone [4-out-of-5], among others. Just this year has seen Leon collaborate with Gunna on “clear my rain,” release “Chrome Cowgirl” for the Twister movie soundtrack and join Kacey Musgraves on “Superbloom,” a duet for the extended edition of her Deeper Well album.

Leon Official Tracklist:

1. When A Man Cries

2. That’s What I Love

3. Laredo

4. Panther City

5. Ain’t Got Nothing On You

6. Simplify

7. Teddy’s Tune

8. Never Satisfied

9. Peaceful Place

10. Can’t Have It All

11. Ivy

12. Ghetto Honeybee

13. God Loves Everyone

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black-arcana · 6 months ago

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EPICA's SIMONE SIMONS Releases Debut Solo Single 'Aeterna'

Simone Simons has been a pioneering force within the world of metal for over two decades as part of EPICA. Now, alongside her musical partner and longtime collaborator Arjen Lucassen (AYREON),she embarks on the journey of her debut solo album, "Vermillion".

Arjen is no stranger to Simone's soaring operatic voice, one that can stir even a gargoyle's stone heart to tears. Together they have crafted a sonic universe that befits the influential figure she is. Due on August 23 via Nuclear Blast Records, "Vermillion" emerges as a gargantuan goose-bump generator, a universally touching, stellar tour de force.

Alongside the announcement of her debut solo record, Simone has released a video for the album's first single, "Aeterna". You can watch the clip below.

Simone and Arjen state: "'Aeterna' is the big, epic opener of the album and it comes with this amazing video too, directed by Patric Ullaeus. It definitely sounds the closest to EPICA and AYREON, blending powerful Latin lyrics with a touch of an oriental feel. We've tried to strike a balance between the mighty, bombastic sounds and the more atmospheric parts. Since it's the first track people will hear from this album, it's super important to us and we're really excited for people to hear it!

"Vermillion" track listing:

This past March, Simone told Mexico's Summa Inferno that EPICA's follow-up to 2021's "Omega" album will likely be released in 2025.

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#simone simons #aeterna #vermillion #Youtube

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thesinglesjukebox · 3 months ago

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SOPHIE FT. KIM PETRAS AND BC KINGDOM - "REASON WHY"

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"Last up today, a reimagined, revisited SOPHIE demo"

[6.82]

Ian Mathers: When someone as brilliant as SOPHIE dies as young as she did, with so much work underway, it's hard not to place too much weight on whatever we're left with. I deliberately avoided looking up any context here; for now, at least, I just want to hear this as a new SOPHIE song I hadn't heard before, with no extra information colouring how I'm hearing it. And it just... sounds good. I love that vocal loop in the background. I will listen to this again, a lot, and I wish this wasn't one of the last times I'll have the experience of hearing a new song from her. [9]

Jonathan Bradley: Sophie's pop avant garde has found a posthumous mainstream presence this year in the from of Charli XCX's Brat, and while that album has its highs, it is thrilling to hear this much focus and intensity restored to a sound that had come to be dominated by event and memification. The hook, a quasar emission from an astral Kim Petras, resists literal interpretation ("in your mind/in your eye/take a little look inside"), but Sophie's heady club thump makes it sound soul-piercing, a dance taking place in the cavernous space of the psyche as much as upon a physical floor. A song of dark spaces punctuated by brilliant neon, its power is in its sense of purpose, even if the ultimate reason why is to surrender corporeal form and be subsumed into gleam and thump. It doesn't quiet its anguish so much as make it vaporous — photonic even. A bonus: Petras has never found a party so conducive to her inconstant but palpable talent; she should drop by here more often. [9]

Katherine St. Asaph: Better as a reflection of SOPHIE's mythology than her music, or even her experimentalism; the tinny synth chords just recall "California Gurls." [5]

Tim de Reuse: For all the people who cite her as inspiration, for all the breathless praise and all her purported influence, it's striking that years after SOPHIE's passing even her disciples have never replicated her particular alchemy. I think it's just that nobody has the chutzpah to arrange a mix like she does. Ultra-clean, ultra-crisp, overstuffed trop-house, all sharp edges, no air; Kim Petras wailing, half-coherent, dragged along by Sophie's velocity and struggling to keep up. BC Kingdom sound lost. A real earworm is halfway to irritation, she's saying. A real earworm has claws. [9]

Brad Shoup: Because it's by SOPHIE, I'm looking for angles that may not exist: something more playful than the club-synth murmur or Petras' over-it posing. BC Kingdom try to bring things into the realm of the existential, or the interpersonal; Petras pats them on the head and sends them to the bar. [5]

Nortey Dowuona: The drums were Benny's fault. Everyone else was fine -- the drums are just wack and ill-fitting. This is how you fail your sister's legacy. Will look into BC Kingdom though. [3]

Andrew Karpan: It’s moving, the way you can hear the mummers of SOPHIE’s wafting, digital haze move through and surround KP’s more direct, and more mildly anonymous, manner of positioning herself as a neo-disco diva, everywhere and nowhere like a gentle fog. [6]

Taylor Alatorre: True to her words, the Kim Petras hook is engineered to make it sound like it's unspooling from within your own mind, "in your eyes," like it's always been in there and just required this elephant stomp of a bass drum to be dislodged. The pitching-up is complemented by the babyish way she slurs her phrases, amplifying the pre-verbal and almost primordial appeal of the sentiment -- by the song's end, we know what the reason why is, even if we don't know any words for it. The soul-searching aspects of the hook heighten its contrast with the rote hedonism of Petras' verse, and when hook and verse are overlaid, something rare emerges: a Sad Party Song that gracefully reveals itself rather than announcing itself loudly at the entrance. I hope that I'd still be hearing these things if the song had arrived under the originally intended circumstances, but there is no vacuum-sealed bubble in which to evaluate and enjoy music sans context. Even if there were, why would you want to deprive yourself by listening to Sophie that way? [8]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: A perfectly decent Cashmere Cat song that makes me feel a deep and unabating melancholy. [4]

Alfred Soto: Why listeners will love it is what sharpens my resistance: that high-pitched "reason why" sample repeated ad infinitum. The clickety beat and the warmth of BC Kingdom and Kim Petras need air to breathe. Nevertheless, an example of the late SOPHIE's talent. "Can't people like you love people like me? (And I know the reason why)" is the most empathetic queer lyric I've heard this year. [7]

Leah Isobel: I hate talking about transness like it's mysticism. It's corny and feels like chaser language -- as if I'm not a human woman but some sort of unicorn beamed in from Venus, look at my magical sexy body. I get where it comes from, but most of the time I'd rather have my feet on the ground, have a body that I can just move and sleep and fuck in or whatever. Mysticism pushes myself away from myself: I rationalize and explain my choices, as if they need to be rationalized and explained and justified, and as if the only possible justification can come from the divine. I do not feel divine when I inject estradiol; I feel a little pain, and then some itching as the puncture heals. I do not feel divine at the electrologist's office; I feel an hour and a half of pain that I gladly pay for and will pay for again in two to three weeks once my skin heals. I did not feel divine doing surgery consultations over Zoom or paying $300 to get my name and gender legally changed. I pay the money, I jump through the hoops, and I land back on the earth the same as I was.

The first time I heard "Reason Why" was... so long ago that I can't remember now. SOPHIE played it in live sets for years; it circulated online as "It's Your Life," BPM sped up as all of SOPHIE's songs were at the time. (Shout out to all the girls who heard the live rip of "Vroom Vroom" as "Let's Ride" almost ten years ago and knew something good was about to happen.) The clearest version came from Nina Las Vegas' NTS radio show in 2019, its tempo vaguely manic, the synth baubles rubbery and harsh rather than soft and pearlescent. In that iteration, the part that stuck to me was Kim's verse: "Pop a couple in Ibiza / Getting money like a DJ," hilarious and wistful and stupid, God bless the slant rhyme. It felt cyborg-mechanical, a pumped-up power fantasy. I needed that fantasy because I felt that the most valuable, most fun part of my life was over. The shock and joy and blessed emotional volatility of the first year of medical transition had worn down to a nub, and I came back to the same life I had before, stuck in dirty New York snow, acting like I wasn't freezing.

Now, listening to this final version, I hear that girl like she's standing next to me: I hear her desire to be invulnerable, loved endlessly, catapulted into a juvenile fantasy. I hear how afraid and how disconnected she -- I -- was from her -- my -- body. I hear how thoroughly I absorbed the messages I received about how I was most valuable when I was available, fuckable, disposable, and how turning 25 felt like the end of the world because it meant I wouldn't be that way forever. In my creative life, I imagined myself as invulnerable and evanescent, named Angel, wearing elf ears and stick-on jewels; in my regular life, I was tired all the time, letting myself evaporate. I wanted to be ethereal more than human, which also made me not human. I read SOPHIE's work as empathetic to that desire, even affirming -- I took a song like "Immaterial" seriously, literally. Looking back, the empathy is there, but SOPHIE's music feels more like it insists on returning me to my body and its immediate physical sensations. The final version of "Reason Why" is softer, slower, deeper than the leaks; the new context pushes Kim's wish-fulfillment fantasies further back, foregrounding the first verse and the basic, elemental question at the heart of the song. Why does there have to be a reason? Why do I need to justify myself? Why should I listen to voices who don't understand me? Why should I minimize my love? Can't people like you love people like me? When it was released I walked into the stockroom at work, put in my headphones, and cried -- my emotions, my soul, my metaphysical heart, expressed through my body, my real body. I love that I can feel, that I can cry, that I can hear. I love what my body can do. I love the real world. [10]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

#sophie #kim petras #bc kingdom #music #pop #pop music #music writing #music reviews #music criticism #the singles jukebox #Youtube

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