#also hey man what fucking cultural background is witch. or did you just say that so you could imagine someone in the beauty of the Alps

[bbg100]

I know I know we have already clowned on this person so much, but like step away from disco elysium brain for a second. The idea that stories have to be uplifting and palatable to all is bad. It closes your eyes to so much art that is vital to understanding people throughout cultural boundaries. Disco Elysium is a complicated, distinctly non American story that makes you step outside of your base assumptions and question the unquestionable. The story does this deliberately. Wanting that story to erode into something simple and idyllic- that is a cruel neutering. I feel like American progressive culture focuses too much on demographic diversity, and not enough on diversity of experiences and history. The need to make a checklist- you play as a disabled, non man! Queer themes! Etc. That takes away your ears towards a wide variety of stories that ARE queer disabled non white etc. Because you are looking for a hamfisted, virtue signaling obviousness, you are missing the intricate stories told by people who don't have your background. Your phd in politically correct American english. By valuing the ability to speak this progressive language, and policing the words used to describe someone's own experiences - you're not listening. You're missing out on art.

So yeah. If you close your ears to disco elysium because it's a grimy detective story with a white man (it's...not set in America but let's just let the concept of whiteness stay for simplicity). Then you're not actually accepting of diversity. You're accepting of the checklist.

[bubbelpop2]

Did some research on Lilith!

 Now, if you’re Jewish, or especially a jewitch, you’re immediately cringing. That’s okay, you can keep scrolling, you likely already know these things.

Okay witchy bitches listen up! 

There are a lot of different Lilliths. The one your worshiping is most likely judaic in origin, and although you may respect and love her as a symbol of feminism very much, she’s not Wiccan in origin. Please read this whole post. I’m not attacking you, I just want you to know these things, it’s very important to Lilith that you do.

In some Jewish folklore, Lilith appears as Adam's first wife, who was created at the same time and from the same clay as Adam Lilith then left Adam after she refused to become subservient to him and then would not return to the Garden of Eden, and picked up a new man (angel) : samael. (in christian culture, not sure about jewish culture, samael is the name god originally gave to lucifer to represent his love for him, before he rebelled)

Interpretations of Lilith found in later Jewish materials are plentiful, but little information has survived relating to the Sumerian, Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian view of this class of demons. Meaning: the exact origins and first written appearances of Lilith are not very bounteous, and their exact place where they came from is generally in the area where Judaism thrived, but that’s all most people know.

Now that you know that she’s a figure that is no doubt jewish in origin: what is she, exactly? Well, now that i’ve got your curiosity peaked, check out this website that contains a lot of accurate information on judaism. This link specifically says what the actual story of Lilith is. 

But, if you don’t want to read it (,and you really should read it, me summarizing it leaves out probably a lot of important citations and details) , this is how I understood the article: Lilith wanted to break up with Adam, The Big G didn’t want her to and sent three angels to take her back to Adam, and they three threatened her like “If you don’t come back, 100 of your children will die each day.” and she was like “You know what? Okay, not just 100 babies, I’ll kill babies myself if it makes you leave me alone. AND fuck their dads. I’m not going back to Adam and you can’t make me.” and never came back. Which many scholars believe to be a myth made to explain the mass amounts of miscarriages back in the day. 

What she is: a jewish demon. she’s not a goddess. Judaism is a closed religion, and by worshiping her as a goddess (which she is not) you’re bastardizing and tainting the image of a demon in judaism. That being said, since it’s a closed religion, whether or not a jewish person can worship her as a demon, and not a goddess, is up to them. And you, especially if you’re not Jewish, cannot participate, even if you’re worshipping her as a demon and not a goddess. You can, however, like and respect the fact that she’s an image of not suppressing your femininity for anybody, and that you’re beautiful for yourself, not men. You can like that message, and you can also support jewitches who do worship her, but you cannot participate, it’s against the jewish religion for non-jewish people to participate.

My opinion on witches worshiping Lilith? Don’t. She wasn’t your story, and you can’t steal a figure from judaism and deny she was from it in the first place. Yes, you can respect her as a figure of women not bowing to anybody and not owing their bodies to people, but, no, most of the things you’ve heard about her from other witches are likely not true. Get your info from jewish sources before you claim she’s not jewish. There’s a far better explanation by someone who’s actually jewish right here. It states:

Lilith is a Jewish demon, or sheyd, that comes from Midrash. Midrash is biblical exegesis created by Jewish people. Jewish texts like this aren’t scriptures that Jews and other religions share, so when Christians decided in their demonology to include Lilith, it was totally removed from context and a bastardization - because we don’t have a Lucifer who’s a devil ruling hell, type thing. 

So when I see people say “I worship the goddess Lilith, first wife of Adam”. What that tells me is 1) you do not understand in that mythological context of Midrash, she’s not a goddess - at all. So you didn’t care to understand her background. 2) You didn’t realize Judaism is a closed practice and culture, and 3) You don’t care about Jews because you see all monotheists as “some sort of xtian” which is so far from the truth. Jews are not Christians, we do not have that same baggage, and Judaism has been called a “heathen religion” just as much as pagans have.

"So what do I do instead?” 

Excellent question! A lot of witches worship a lot of different gods from different religions. Try greek gods, roman gods, nordic gods, and (respectfully, please do not honor them incorrectly,) hindu gods. The nature of most witches, is to believe in most, if not all deities, and invite them over a form of spiritual tea party, almost. Offering the proper gods their proper sacrifices (mead and bread for nordic gods, wine for roman/greek, ect) and doing proper research into how these gods work and how they want to be interacted with. Witches that do this often call themselves wiccan, or neopagan, or heretics. 

But there are also a variety of athiest witches as well! Just because you’re a witch does NOT mean you’re wiccan, or that every witch has one single set of beliefs.

 Me? I’m a moon witch! I believe that the moon is a spiritual entity capable of intelligent and loving communication with human kind. Not just the hunk of rock.

“I.. didn’t know that I could hurt people like that. How do I make it better now? I may as well continue, I’m already guilty!” 

Hey guys? It’s okay. Apologize to Lilith, she’ll forgive you. She understands that people make mistakes. Respect her and her origins by apologizing to her personally, understanding that she’s not a goddess, and ask her for forgiveness. She understands, it’s okay.

[dmndsave]

why do I feel like the Dawn Valley churches are equally staffed by people who have lived there all their lives and know what kind of bullshit happens and people who have NO idea and got suckered into taking the position and now they can't leave

Gina (´-ω-`)Last Saturday at 15:17

A town the size of Dawn Valley can only support a few small churches, which are most likely lead by ‘pastors who know’At least one of the Baptist’s who lead out of an old converted grocery store, swears up and down against demons but no one really minds himHe’s a good preacher though and is good with the youth, so his church is popular

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 15:18

https://undertaker-gifs.tumblr.com/post/188198876049

oh cute...

Tumblr

Undertaker gifs

Undertaker gifs

yeah there are a couple small ones

Gina (´-ω-`)Last Saturday at 15:19

There’s of course the old Methodist which has been here since everyone’s great-great grandma

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 15:19

there is at least one legit catholic exorcist living in town and you can't change my mind

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 15:19

there's one that's not too too far from the edge of town where the home is run by pastor reidand ironically his youngest daughter Sandy was friends with the spooks when they were little

Gina (´-ω-`)Last Saturday at 15:19

You know all the pastors and priests would regularly deal with the Undertaker because of the funerals

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 15:20

YUP

Gina (´-ω-`)Last Saturday at 15:20

And it’s a small town so probably with an aging populationBut everyone is kinda cool with the weird stuffIt’s background noise at this pointAt least one of the old ladies still pinches Taker’s cheeks if she sees him

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 15:21

there's actuallya couple generations backmaybeeeee 150-ish yearsone of the New Pastors decided to kick out the spooky family because they didn't like "witches" in their town(not witches, dear, but nobody listened)and the spooks at the time just went"alright. children, we're going to your aunt rabekkah"town lasted a weekthen it was "please come back there are coyotes in the school" "i'm not sure how we can help" "THEY'RE SPEAKING LATIN" "oh, alright, but only if you ask nicely"

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 15:23

one day a new priest from outside the area is gonna get suckered into taking over and the previous guy is going to have some STORIES for them

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 15:23

"HELL IS REAL""i know""NO LISTEN--"

Gina (´-ω-`)Last Saturday at 15:25

No, no, priest is Catholic, this guy doesn’t care if they’re demonic so long as they participate in holy communion and confess ever Sunday—The minister can be a real nut job though and was very upset when Kane explained hell in detail to him

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 15:25

"The new guy quit again. He didn't even meet the Undertaker. Where are you GETTING these guys?"

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 15:26

the last time anyone asked the brothers when their last communion was they both jsut started laughingtaker managed a "you're new here" and kane struggled out a "welcome to the valley" and then they just left

Gina (´-ω-`)Last Saturday at 15:27

Kane and Taker area little odd but most of the valley doesn’t mind ‘em

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 15:27

they usually keep to themselves

Gina (´-ω-`)Last Saturday at 15:28

Also idk Texas’ hunting season but it must be Big Important

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 15:28

and when there are things the sheriff can't or won't deal withpeople go to them

Gina (´-ω-`)Last Saturday at 15:29

And honestly since it’s such a small town, 90% of problems are resolved before the police are even calledEveryone knows everyone and that includes for grandma—

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 15:29

you cannot send young priests to death valley, they see one hairless cat that speaks in tongues and suddenly they're abandoning their vows to live in isolation somewhere in norway like that'd help anything

Gina (´-ω-`)Last Saturday at 15:30

Oh right it’s close to the border isn’t it?

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 15:30

the entire town's just at a gateway to hell, Weird Things Happen There

Gina (´-ω-`)Last Saturday at 15:30

Yeah the one Catholic Church in the area is supported by the local Hispanic population and they can take anything

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 15:30

most if not all of the really dangerous stuff is kept inside the yardbut weird shit's the norm

Gina (´-ω-`)Last Saturday at 15:30

One of the demons is going to get hit with a sandal

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 15:31

all the catholic priests are either old guys who used to be exorcists in rome, local tex-mex lads with brujah aunties or kids who grew up close to the yard in general and have Seen Some Shit and aren't afraid of anything

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 15:31

"Abuelita, the statue out front is singing again!" "Tell it to shut up, my soap opera is on!" "Senior Statue, Abuelita says to be quiet. She got new shoes." (statue stops)

Gina (´-ω-`)Last Saturday at 15:32

Yeah that’s itYou got itIt’s the Calvinists that you gotta worry about, every time there’s a new minister he can get uppity but usually he gets over it pretty quick

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 15:33

the fuckin' dudes from rome add an interesting flaire to the local culture and accenttaker's only demand is they keep their dove(s) away from his ravens

Gina (´-ω-`)Last Saturday at 15:33

At least one of the priests is Taker’s drinking buddy and will come out to the yard for a beer or two

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 15:34

taker actually likes hanging out at one of the only local biker-aesthetic bars if he's looking for a drinking partnerit's called the Rattler and it's owned by his dad's best friendincidentally, the only local who went to baby adam's funeral aside from paul

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 15:34

one of the old romans has a dog that can recite the lord's prayer in the voice of a child if you give it a milk bone but he generally encourages people NOT to do that

Gina (´-ω-`)Last Saturday at 15:35

Jesus said ‘drink wine’ and the Catholics said ‘if you insist’ and never looked back

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 15:35

the weirdest thing is he can't remember if it always did thator if it's a new thing since coming to the valleyOH and then there are the druids

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 15:38

the local stray cats can reliably tell you the time of day but they will be able to prowl around in your dreams for a week after

Gina (´-ω-`)Last Saturday at 15:39

I wanna dream about kiddies :VMaybe they can help Xion sleep :/Also what is with all the talking animalsAlso I wanna submit that the town Librarian has seen it All and cannot be fazed at this pointIf you ask her for dark magic books she’ll point you to the back right corner

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 15:40

animals make convenient hosts for entities because they don't have higher thought and can be overwhelmed easily

Gina (´-ω-`)Last Saturday at 15:40

It works great until the cat you possessed gets distracted by a laser pointer

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 15:41

cats are an exception because they can see and touch all planes and do harm to spirits

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 15:41

that's one of the reasons kane chose therapy catMAN NOW I WANNA WRITE UP A LIST OF WEIRD SHIT IN THE YARD AND TOWN BUT I HAVE DRAFTS

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 15:42

some dogs are bred from guardian stock and can perform similar actions but its hard to find one cause of diluted bloodlines

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 15:43

i also need you all to know that when taker came back to life fully after the ministryred hair and more relaxed and vocal than normalit took weeks for the locals to realize it was the same guy

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 15:43

HA

Gina (´-ω-`)Last Saturday at 15:43

And also for some reason he doesn’t sound like he gargles rocks

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 15:43

another week for them to debate about whether or not he as possessedand a day to decide "eh"

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 17:33

if you see this dog, DO NOT ask it to speak

Gina (´-ω-`)Last Saturday at 17:35

OH A GOOD BOY

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 17:35

THE BEST BOY

Gina (´-ω-`)Last Saturday at 17:35

jay and i would not survivebut we would pet the dogso who wins?

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 17:36

i've been dead inside for years it's no dif

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 17:36

pet dog: finebut be careful what tricks you try and get it to do

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 17:38

whats his name

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 17:39

probably something like "angelico"

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 17:39

toddbot how gucci is angelico

ToddBotBOTLast Saturday at 17:39

Angelico is 26% gucci.

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 17:40

fuck you todd

ToddBotBOTLast Saturday at 17:40

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 17:40

no respectfallout76 sucks

ToddBotBOTLast Saturday at 17:40

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 17:40

hey todd

ToddBotBOTLast Saturday at 17:40

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 17:40

new vegas was the best game

ToddBotBOTLast Saturday at 17:40

https://i.imgur.com/fK7zKeq.jpg

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 17:40

i love angelicodoes he bork

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 17:41

very delicately

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 17:41

:o

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 17:41

polite smol bork

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 17:42

if i ask him to speak what he do

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 17:43

tells you that hubris will be the downfall of man

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 17:45

he's not wrong

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 17:45

the church of st peter is an empty box! god's eye has turned from man!

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 17:45

taker: i'll drink to that (throws him jerky)

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 17:46

angelico has an amputated tail but he will do a full body wiggle for jerky

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 17:46

where him tail go :(

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 17:47

probably got cut off for medical reasonshe strikes me as a dog who got hit by a car once or twice

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 17:48

D:poor baby

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 17:54

he's probably happy and healthy otherwise

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 17:54

did one of those car hits happen in the valleyor did he just start talking with likeno cause

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 17:57

UNCLEARbut he is a happy goofy dog otherwiseand his owner adores him

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 17:58

AS HE SHOULD

84% CURSE BY VOLUMELast Saturday at 17:59

well loved by the whole neighbourhood but REAL weird to run into at times for obvious reasons

MilkshakeLast Saturday at 18:04

Hi i would die for angelico

Convicted BirdererLast Saturday at 18:04

taker does in fact give him a treat whenever he sees himhe lovs doggos....

[theky2aqw-blog]

Dies Irae - Me vs AnimeFeminist

Hey Sorry for the wait. I was watching Dies Irae and thought should I need to go for the funniest thing to exist by searching a triggered feminazi/sjw talking an article about Dies Irae.

But Before that

wow I am quite getting good with this huh?

Dies Irae is an anime adaptation of the Visual Novel with the same name. It contains themes of Nazis, Magic, Immortals, Witches, and Harem because why not.

We will be focusing on Episode 00, the Episode designed for VN viewers to relate with the anime, which highly focuses on the Theresia(Rea) route without the Hentai parts and combines some moments for Marie, Kasumi, and Kei routes. Sadly it removes the interesting bits of Rusalka and her slight romantic and really well defined sexual interest for him in the Theresia(Rea) route.

So what is episode 0 all about?

Episode 0 is actually talking the times of the start of 1939 Germany where the Villain Reinhard Heydrich has a secret meeting with the Obsidian Round Table. Of course the interesting bits of how the Nazi officers were debating and talking back and forth on things they are interested in talking about. And it also slowly ends with the current day Japan where episode 1 will begin.

So what is with AnimeFeminist I mean FemiNazi,

well they are fully triggered over everything especially the depiction of Nazis in Anime, so why not dissect it and the funny claims in their article. so yeah I loved mocking this article to death. Time for us to go with the debunking part. (Yay another reason for me to kill my sanity once more):

1. “ Under normal circumstances, it would be hard to choose the worst part of Dies Irae. The show is a Kickstarted adaption of a 2007 visual novel that’s notorious for originally being released unfinished, among other… qualities. This episode technically wasn’t the start of the story, but a prologue “Episode 0,” serving to set up the villains before the main story begins. ”

- Unfinished? Prologue? What? 

- It was unfinished in its early days and that is thanks to both Sony and Nintendo not really giving them the liberty to do so and that the project was already at its deadline making delays and unfinished content.

- It did finish it all after the release of the first part of the series by extensions and additional content packs for play station gamers to play it and also the PC ports was Japan exclusive so it took many years untiil reached the West. Also its not a prologue just a part of the VN itself.

2. “ this episode was about Nazis. Not “serial numbers filed off,” Marvel’s Hydra-style pseudo-Nazis, but actual, factual Nazis. Sure, the swastika on their armbands is replaced with a vague, meaningless fantasy symbol, but that doesn’t do much to cancel out that this episode focuses on real historical figure Reinhard Heydrich. Yes, that blue-eyed, blond-haired bishounen that background characters call an “example of the master race” (shudder) ”

-At least you made some clarifications in your 2017 article, but still funny how you get easily triggered by this

-Yeah it focuses on the old medieval man named Karl Kraft(before becoming Heydrich) in his time in Germany as one of the generals for Hitler, and the fact that nobody cares if they are nazis or what.

- and Master race? yeah you get afraid when it is said because it clearly talks about people like you who act like actual facists without realizing it.

3. “In the year 2017, with fascism rising at alarming rates worldwide, someone decided it would be cool to make an anime with a bishie-fied fantasy version of the man who systematically murdered tens of millions of people. Heydrich is one of history’s greatest monsters and his atrocities are still in living memory and they made an anime focusing on him and making him look cool. I don’t give a fuck if he’s a bad guy. It’s frankly irresponsible these days depicting Nazis as anything but repugnant.

I’m actually shaking a little as I type this.”

-I am going to laugh, well I did, laugh so badly when I read this part. You are so triggered that you have to type it on the keyboard.

-And who caused Fascism rise anyways, well its puritans like you who did it in the first place. Obviously when you act like your opponent in every manner, you will end up being the enemy outside of your delusion.

-Irresponsible? When how and where? Tell me the details, I love to hear what is it all about. They did not make him look cool, its just Heydrich being Heydrich.

- also why is it repugnant to talk or make something about the nazis when you yourself act like the very nazi you hate. Hello not everyone thinks nazis are completely evil.

4. “ Dies Irae could have the most gorgeous animation (it doesn’t), witty writing (it doesn’t), and likable supporting cast (it doesn’t) full of empowered women (they aren’t), and it wouldn’t matter because they’re fucking nazis. ”

- Your sarcasm ends here huh? ok just because they are Nazis, you really get super triggered that you made an article about it. Hahahahaha even I can make something more sarcastic things without the need to put open close tenses just to say they aren’t. duh.

5. The animation is thoroughly blah. The character designs are bland and the movement is jerky and limited, even in the action scenes. It doesn’t help that most of the episode takes place at night, so everything is muddy.

- Muddy or Moody? also I do have to slightly agree with you that the animation is not really the best but at the same time it does the job it wants to propose.

6. “I have only the vaguest sense of what happened. There was a lot of jumping from one weirdo to another without any sense of transition. The episode concluded with Heydrich making a long speech about how bored he was with everything, with incoherent writing that could only come from a visual novel. The flow of the episode seemed mostly about quickly introducing a big group of characters designed to make the VN fans point and say, “Hey, I know that guy!””

-well the episode just follows what the VN did, so what else does it says.

Now comes the funny part. Brace your seats before you lose your sides from the very words the writer has to say about it.

7. “ One of the Nazis goes on a violent rant about how an androgynous character is “disgusting” for not clearly presenting as a man or a woman, which is going to be flat-out triggering for some viewers. ”

-Ku- Kuhahahahahahaha......I lost myself laughing at this. Why would anyone be triggered because androgynous characters are disgusting except when you are offended this badly. Some Viewers? Maybe just you and your fellow mental patients. Hahahahaha

8. “The female characters might, under different circumstances, be interesting… too bad they’re fucking Nazis.”

- Here we go with the Nazis and shit thing again. This is the funniest thing I had read for my entire life coming from you. Kuhahahahaha! At least you admit Rusalka and the other females were interesting. But Noooooo, because Nazis.

9. “ There’s nothing good about Dies Irae. I can’t even recommend it in good conscience for a hatewatch because of the shocking insensitivity toward historical figures and events. Throw Dies Irae in the dumpster and find a better trashy action-spectacle series to watch this season. ”

- Thanks for throwing good trash to us. Because you are only a pansy who can’t understand others

ok now for the comment that I laughed the most

10. “ Are the Japanese just flat out ignorant as a culture about Nazi's? Considering their country was allied with them during the war and had their own issues with how they treated fellow east countries I really can't understand why anyone let along a publishing company would think a series about damn Nazi's is a good idea. The only reason I can fanthom any admiration a Japanese person could have for them is their own issues with what's a "true scotsman" or maintaining the myth that theyre a ethnically monolitic country. (including but not limited to Unit 731 where they straight up tortured POW's and civilians in some of the most disgusting ways imaginable). ”

-first probably since almost every nation outside the west talks about Nazism that much. So generally every Asian has little to no Knowledge about the Nazis and also they are not insensitive it is just that you westerners are too sensitive about that topic. well if we do not include the Koreans and Chinese who hated Japan the most.

-Yeah because Nazis are interesting to look at and think about you american thot.

well looks like I might end up making myself pissed off on how much they do not understand the world they live in and the fact that they go full on racists when the topic is about Nazis and nations that has some positive outlook on them.

Well I will let you all watch the anime, its fun to watch and sometimes boring. But hey at least we get to know some interesting things that they will never know.

[tinymixtapes]

Feature: SONICA 2018

Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, is a strange place. --- Monday: Cankarjev Dom Empty halls always give off that unintentionally eerie feeling that nobody should belong there. That their purpose is outside the purview of the humans that built them. The more cavernous they are, the more you get this feeling. Cankarjev Dom, or Cankar Centre/Hall, is an example of this. It is fascinating that this, the largest exhibition hall in Slovenia, would be the opening venue of SONICA Festival. The festival didn’t even use the main spaces of the hall, but rather a smaller stage — Kosovelova dvorana, or Kosovel Hall — located in the lower basement of the building. It only amplified that smallness. Friday: ROG Factory After concluding the night’s activities at Cankarjev Dom, I went to an abandoned factory just a little east along the Ljubljanica River for a club night. Upon entry, it felt like I entered a Berlin joint, complete with a blasted-out concrete space for where people could stand, a makeshift bar, and lots of smoking. Alleged Witches, a local house DJ, opened with a two-and-a-half hour set that was of acceptable techno with sparks of ambient. Actress followed with techno, too, though with sprinkles of his established sound. After watching for a legally-mandated 15 minutes, I left, returned here, and wrote these words. Lee Gamble is playing in a bit, but that’s at 3 AM. That’s something I would’ve done 5 years ago, maybe even 3 years ago, but that ain’t me now. Wednesday: +MSUM Tomoko Sauvage (Photo: Lana Špiler) Entering the Museum of Contemporary Art, also known as +MSUM, was a bit disjointed, if only because the doors look like wing tips. Still, walking in, I noticed the crowd gathering around this one gallery space. It’s always good to have that. Just that bit of overfill to show that people are genuinely interested in what you have to offer. Tomoko Sauvage was the key act of the night. The Japanese artist primarily performed using a piezo-based mic setup, two bowls filled with water, among other stuff. I’ve always had a certain fondness for piezo-based surface recordings, especially because we can’t often hear these vibrations, even if we can feel them. Sauvage resorted to sound manipulation that worked effectively for the materials she was using, creating a unique environment from within the space that makes it more appealing to the listener. You sort of drift into and out of the space without ever moving. That takes a certain level of sophistry in your craft, and I look forward to more of Sauvage’s work. --- Even the name is strange. Lyub-li-ahn-a. Those j’s are weird. Majbe thej form a conspiracj (yes, you pronounce it like y). I guess that’s why the locals just use the pronunciation “Loub-li-ahn-a.” Alas. It is by no means exotic. Many elements of the city I felt a compelling connection to past American and European cities I’ve managed to stumble my way into the last 10 years: Köln, Berlin, Santa Fe, Detroit… Chicago. Its smallness stirs memories of Providence, an emblem of my childhood I have not set foot in for longer. --- Saturday: Klub CD Sometimes, an earnest moment changes everything. I don’t know where I was, or, rather, where my head was, while at Klub CD, the rooftop restaurant and hall of Cankarjev Dom. Performing in front of me was William Basinski. He’s an odd sort: Despite being this avant-garde figure, he had the look, disposition, and dress of a rock star. He joked about wanting to catch the prior night’s club activity. But perhaps that was the point: His piece, A Shadow in Time, was designed as, in his words, “a funeral mass” and “calling home” to David Bowie, the epitome of cool. Perhaps fitting given it was he who refused the rites of burial and all that remains of him scattered in particles to the winds around Bali. Thursday: Kino Šiška Lifecutter (Photo: Lana Špiler) The oldest cinema in Ljubljana, the space has been converted into a concert hall on the lower levels. The structure reminds me of multiple cavernous concert halls I’ve descended into throughout my life, though it feels more in shape like an actual music venue than the various rectangular configurations of previous experience. The act first noted on the bill is a Slovene artist by the name of Lifecutter, who immediately gave off an imposing, spooky vibe appropriate for fall with his dithering samples and incongruent rhythms. That set the mood for the first 15 minutes of the set, building up a dark tension in the room. Had he cut off his set at 20, 25 minutes, it would’ve been a solid performance. But it lasted 45 minutes. The latter half of the set was filled with familiar techno and house patterns, grooves that ultimately did little to inspire the imagination. It roused the crowd into dancing, certainly, but I kept wanting him to go back to what he was doing at the beginning of his set. He did ultimately return there in the closing minutes, but by then, the impact was measurable. Monday: Cankarjev Dom The opening act of SONICA 2018 was Tristan Perich, of renowned One-Bit Symphony fame. Utilizing a single synth, he did a buildup of multiple looping patterns that in theory should allow the listener to drift in and out. But it felt similar after a while, as if he were running through the motions of what a synth set should sound like. There was hope that it would build up to something, but it didn’t go where I would’ve expected. Thursday: Moderna Gallerija Below are notes taken verbatim from an occurrence on Thursday at Moderna Gallerija, the Museum of Modern Art, near Tivoli Park. No context given. Use your imagination. * #3: Hunch! * #2: Hey, someone I can relate to * #4: Speaks better than #1 * #5: Has a pulse to the ground * #1: Unsure about what they’re saying * #6: Ljubljana needs less techno * #8: Jazz is bad jazz is bad * #7: A key to… all over the place? * #9: Those are certainly four words Friday: Cankarjev Dom The headline act was a new piece called Sacred Horror in Design by Iranian musician Sote with German visual artist Tarik Barri and a couple of Iranian partners. The structure of this long, winding set piece at first harkens to the emotional minimalism of Jerusalem in My Heart. But it’s not that simple, really. There is a pain, a sadness that circulates and shifts throughout the piece, whether in the background imagery or when the traditional Iranian instrumentation is distorted through various effects. It’s something that you can feel there. Even the moments where fear is meant to be invoked, it comes through as anguish. The tapestry brought about by Barri’s visuals served as an assertive complement to Sote’s composition. Whether through simple tears or bleeds that cut through the imagery or invocations of Persian-Islamic culture, the melancholy that is powering this piece shows. Saturday: Mestni park Tivoli Marco Barotti’s Swans (Photo: Lana Špiler) While wandering through Tivoli Park looking for ducks, I accidentally stumbled upon Marco Barotti’s sound installation, Swans, overlooking the pond. I stood there for a few moments, trying to make sense of the tiny spectacle, but it felt strangely monotonous. I moved on to find a small number of ducks in the pond and an old man struggling to feed them (only to be thwarted by pigeons). Wednesday: +MSUM Following Sauvage was a DJ set by James Ginzburg. For the most part, the crowd just ignored him and either stood around, ate at the little cantina next to the gallery, or smoked outside. Perhaps it was for the best: the set felt like second-hand James Ferraro or OPN with a side of Deafheaven. --- Instead, its strangeness comes from a calmness about it that accepts its minor absurdities. The prevalence of graffiti everywhere with little more than a shrug. A goofy meme referencing a short film when a new train opens to Italy. An anecdote of a taxi driver nonchalantly taking a tourist around the city as riots were occurring. Photo: Ze Pequeno This isn’t bad, mind you. It grants the opportunity to question things. --- Friday: Pritlicje In which a thing may have happened (among others). Thursday: Kino Šiška Giant Swan (Photo: Lana Špiler) To close the night, Giant Swan took to the stage… and then one of them immediately jumped off it. Taking an aggressive stance with the crowd, a drum & bass set soon followed. The setup they had was definitely one you would find among anyone who came from Brighton or Bristol. The energy they injected into their set certainly merited a comparison to Fuck Buttons, and unlike my previous experience with a live set of the latter, the crowd actually got into it. Much credit to that, a rarity in such settings. I just wish I could feel the same about the music. While I was hoping for the bombastic energy and tension-building that I’ve seen many a good Brighton and Bristol act pull off, what I got was the other type of music I hear from those cites: Meandering repetitions that never quite get out of their groove. I failed to understand their appeal, but at least the crowd was happy about it. Make of that what you will. Saturday: Klub CD The work was eerily reminiscent of the works of both The Caretaker or (especially) Tape Loop Orchestra. The first act, which Basinski claimed was comparable to a New Orleans-style funeral march, brought about a different angle. It wasn’t really a body going home. It was the body, the self going home, turning inward in ways that one couldn’t anticipate. Perhaps that is what looking at things in retrospect does to you. Understanding the purpose, the meaning of things that have come before. Many laid down to understand what was happening to them. Others, like myself, observed both outward and inward what was happening. A forgotten sadness encroaches. Photo: Ze Pequeno Monday: Cankarjev Dom The second act was Yair Elazar Glotman and Mats Erlandsson, who played a selection from last year’s joint effort, Negative Chambers. Joining them were local musicians Katarina Kozjek, Anastazija Krenn, and Žiga Murko. Now this was something. While Perich attempted to demonstrate something resembling intensity, Glotman and Erlandsson, et al. were intensity. The pull into the ethereal immediately brought to mind the works of Motion Sickness From Time Travel and the like, as well as the modest drawing that creates a sensation of envelopment yet isn’t overwhelming. You’re in a strange setting in these situations because of it. And yet… it felt right. It was something that could set the tone for the festival. Friday: Cankarjev Dom Container Doxa (Photo: Lana Špiler) “The situation remains excellent.” Container Doxa would conclude the night at Linhart Hall. Of the Slovene acts that played throughout the festival, they were the most interesting. They opened the piece with an empty stage, while the members stood in the crowd, imitating birdsong. One by one, the group assembled and delivered a performance as fragmented as their arrival. The bouncing of instrumentation played off of each other very effectively, while an arresting visual display stood at their backs, with Tine Grgurevic reading through a mechanical treatise that played off like a sinister lecture. As some would remark, there are limits to futurism. Container Doxa’s piece hinted at these limitations in terms of the piece. It showed how it’s so hard to walk the line between the pristine cosmopolitanism of futurology and dystopia… and how we lean hard toward the latter than the former these days. --- The 10th running of SONICA Festival in Ljubljana, operated by the Museum of Transitory Art, focuses on the matter of “sensitivity,” and whether it is necessary to oblige to it anymore. The context of our times certainly gives us reason to ask this question. Of course, many here would be uncomfortable to even consider it. SONICA graciously invited Tiny Mix Tapes to attend and to become part of their talks. In turn, I, on my own 10th anniversary of writing for TMT, have been sent to cover… and to talk. I will avoid the trappings of nostalgia tripping as much as I can, though I probably already screwed up in making note of prior cities. Oh well. Not the worst thing that can happen in a festival review. --- Tuesday: Ni v Sloveniji/non in Slovenia É engraçado. Falou esloveno mais bem de italiano. Porque é…? Meh. Culpo Portugal. Thursday: Kino Šiška Aïsha Devi (Photo: Lana Špiler) The headliner of the night was Aïsha Devi. It is worth noting her purpose here at this point: She is representative of the potential not of electronic music (that in and of itself is a different matter), but of SHAPE, the European Union’s attempt at creating a centralized platform for artist development throughout its member states (disclosure: TMT is a SHAPE media partner). While many of the acts this week are connected to SHAPE in some capacity, either as active members or alumni, Devi represents one of its bigger success stories, making a significant impact on the electronic music scene. So it makes some sense to have her around, especially with a new album to tout. Her set at Kino Šiška was a dichotomy of sorts. On the one hand, her music remained the same: A miasmic hodgepodge of dissonance with some foundations of brilliance that screamed missed opportunity. On the other hand, her performance actually worked to her favor, with her jumpy mannerisms and distorted movements working up the crowd. Friday: Cankarjev Dom The return to Cankarjev Dom would also come with an upgrade. In lieu of Monday’s visit to Kosovel Hall, SONICA booked Linhartova dvorana/Linhart Hall, a vast concert stage that was almost certainly double in capacity. It felt like a true concert hall in scope, compared to Kosovel’s lecture-like space. To open the night, Canadian artists Jason Sharpe and Adam Basanta took to the stage in an intense barrage of sound. The post-rock narrative worked to their advantage in this situation, built on call and response between Sharpe’s instrumentation and Basanta’s looping. It’s worth noting the prior descriptions of the concert hall fit well here. Acoustics in a venue tend not to matter as much in electricified music, since the sound is already partially shaped and adjustable. However, in acts such as Sharpe’s and Basanta’s, where a greater emphasis is placed on sound design and manipulation, the acoustics start to matter a lot more. Which is to say that Linhart Hall played as much a role in turning the duo’s sound into its own thing as the effects on display. Saturday: Klub CD As the music shifted to act #2, which was intended as a transmission to the spirit of Ziggy Stardust, of Starman, of the Thin White Duke, and of all his other iterations, the mood changed. There was little chatter in the crowd. People were just drifting. And in that moment, everything felt strangely earnest. There was an inexplicable sincerity projected by Basinski’s music, even as he remained decked out in glam rock attire. It made me think about not just what I was doing in Ljubljana, but also what I have been doing generally. Sometimes you get the clarity you look for in unexpected places. As the loops weaved through and about, I felt an urge to question my actions and roles as a Writer of MusicTM and supporter of the Chicago DIY scene, as well as a passive supporter of DIY scenes everywhere else. Have I done enough? Have I put in enough effort to truly help communities move forward? Has my own hesitance at being a social person, and the insufferability that has permeated much of the social internet, created an unnecessary crutch to prevent me from doing more and actually be a helpful person? These are weird questions to ask in the middle of an ambient performance. But perhaps this was the only time I could really think about anything beyond the scope of this report, really. And perhaps it was necessary. The priorities had changed. http://j.mp/2C3YUhs

[scottielambchop]

My Review of The Summer Set Festival (1/2)

You know, as a 32-year old man, I don’t really feel like I’m all that old. I’m hip, I still have that old devil-may-care attitude, I’m in pretty good shape, I play video games and don’t have many responsibilities. I love music, and I certainly feel that I’m more than open listening to new music and giving it an honest shot.

Then I started my security job at a Minneapolis bar called Psycho Suzi’s and got to know (and befriend) many people in their early 20s. Now, I’ve now come to realize that I don’t know shit. One such coworker recently posted the flyer for Summer Set (a local EDM festival), and only three names sounded familiar to me: Run the Jewels, Die Antwoord, and Zeds Dead—and that last one was only because it’s a Pulp Fiction quote.

So, as an attempt to fit in with these wacky youths, I’ve decided to listen to one song by each band (group) in the order it was written on the flyer and post my initial thoughts on each. It’s like a stream of conscience from hell. Let’s see how this one goes.

Zeds Dead - Frontlines (ft. GG Magree): This girl’s voice is okay, but musically who gives a shit? Oh, never mind; now it’s turned into a goddamn dubstep song. What in the holy fuck have I gotten myself into? It would be a lot cooler if this featured G.G. Allin — and I really hate G.G. Allin

Zedd – Clarity (ft. Foxes): This song sounds like every song played at my gym. It’s fine. I probably would have liked it in, like, 2001 when I went through a bullshit Paul Oakenfold phase. Do you think this guy has a beef with that Zeds Dead group? I guess that would make this festival kinda neat to see how they hash that shit out.

GRiZ – Hard Times: I’m really hoping this is about Dusty Rhodes, but I think I need to get that out of my head right away. This song starts off kinda cool, like a hip hop version of a Reservoir Dogs-type movie intro. Oh, now the dumb bullshit dubstep kicked in and ruined it — should have figured that nothing stays gold in the context of this miserablelittle adventure I’m on. Also, watching this video, you need to understand this this dude is the most stereotypical white guy trying to be a hip hop DJ. It’s like if Edward Snowden put on a hockey jersey and shitty glasses.

Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels: I’ve heard this before. These guys are cool. But then again, I’m a white guy who casually listens to NPR, so of course I like Run the Jewels. My only problem with this song is that I think only Angel Witch and Minor Threat should have titular songs.

Die Antwoord – Ugly Boy: I don’t know how two people can look so much like juggalos but not be lumped into that group. Instead they’re like the best thing to happen to graphic designers since the Adobe Creative Suite. I used to really like these guys but, then again, I used to be really fucking stupid.

RL Grime – Core: This is building up to something that I’m probably gonna hate. Not to be a self-fulfilling prophecy, but holy shit was I right. It has buildups that I felt like will have a significant payoff, but then it just does fucking nothing. It’s like audio edging. For fuck’s sake, this song goes nowhere. Well, at least I can say that I also really hate their name.

Datsik – Redemption (ft. Excision):  Oh great, I found the official background music to every YouTube vape video. When they inevitably remake the Matrix movies, I fear this is all they’re going to sound like. The track says it features another artist, but the only thing I can hear is some random audio clips. But then I did some research to find out it took TWO separate DJs to make this bullshit.

Post Malone – White Iverson: First of all, this guy needs to land on his basketball references. Second of all, this video has 276,473,194 views—a number I wish I were joking about. This song just sounds like every other modern hip hop song, minimal beat and some dude inaudibly saying dumb shit without a rhyme. Now that I’ve established how milquetoast this song is, I’d really like to comment on how this guy looks. He’s the missing link from Riff Raff and James Franco’s character in Spring Breakers. Seriously, if they were to make a reboot of Malibu’s Most Wanted, casting had better snatch this honkey up QUICK! He seems like an exaggeration of someone trying to appropriate black culture, and it’s heartbreaking no one is calling him on this shit. I can’t wait until we’re in a time of post-Post Malone.

Seven Lions – Worlds Apart (feat. Kerli): Honestly, this starts out okay. Kerli has a pretty voice, the electronic beat isn’t overbearing and the video features bloated images of outer space that you’d probably find on the wall of a “worldly” teenage stoner. I’ve heard way worse. Granted, this could also be my old “techno” fan coming out. There’s a middle dubsteppy part that I could do without, but whatever. Yeah, I didn’t mind this one.

Zomboy – Like A Bitch: Right from the get-go I’m told to, “stop acting like a (woop) and get my hands up.” Here’s the deal, Zomboy: you only get one chance to make a first impression. And you insulting me for not doing what you want isn’t going to make friends with anyone. So, no, I won’t stop acting like a bitch.  The mere fact that you keep repeating it, isn’t going to motivate me to do it any faster—if at all. With that said, musically, this also sucks.

Audien – Something Better (ft. Lady Antebellum): Hey! This has a structure of a legit pop song! I don’t know if this project has been beating me down, or if this is actually decent. Don’t get me wrong, it has the really annoying electronic hooks that most modern music has, but compared to some of the garbage I’ve already put in my ears, it’s pretty alright.

Bakermat – One Day: Man, what a progressive song. Nothing says, “heartstring cash grab” better than mixing samples of MLK’s “I Have A Dream” speech and sexy saxophone with generic dancy electronic beats. It honestly sounds like the backing beats to Marky Mark’s “Good Vibrations.” Oh well, at least it was short.

Big Wild – Aftergold: This song sounds like it was tailor-made to be used in the opening narrative of an “inspirational” teen movie. Imagine an opening shot of an urban high school with the main character doing a voice over explaining his life and school, now think of the music that is playing in the background. Yeah, you’ve got it. It’s light and floaty with an array of unique instruments (strings, Taiko drums, etc.) and then sample in some record scratches and electronic noise and that’s it. It’s not offensive. It’s not anything. It’s just a thing.

Bleep Bloop – Slippin: Before I start, I want you to know that it was THIS band that made me venture into this masochistic assignment. It all started when a group of younger coworkers posted the flyer for this festival on social media and expressed their sincere excitement. Now, being the complete asshole I am, decided to shit all over their good time by stating that it sounds like the worst time imaginable. (I was essentially being facetious because I really don’t care what they listen to. But for the record: I’m right). Anyway, after skimming through the names, my eyes caught the name “Bleep Bloop” and everything in me laughed and cried all at the same time. I voiced my opinion about this band without ever hearing them, stating that this just sounds like a generic EDM placeholder until these assholes can figure out something dumber to call themselves.

Cut to a few days later. It’s a Saturday and once we were finished closing up, I decided to invite some coworkers over for drinks. While everyone is over, I take it upon myself to throw on a record that I figured would appeal to many. So I put on my copy of T-Swift’s 1989 (it’s solid pop-gold, fight me). I throw on the record, and it’s mostly well received. At this moment, the person I was giving shit to about Bleep Bloop made his opinion heard by stating that he can’t believe that I would listen to/enjoy 1989, but refuse to open myself up to Bleep Bloop. Now once he said “Bleep Bloop” out loud, I couldn’t help by throw myself into maniacal laughter. I mean, just think about how goddamn stupid that sounds. Imagine your favorite band of all time. Then imagine their name is fucking Bleep Bloop. Now try and defend that band to someone who hasn’t heard them before. It turns into the biggest, most useless uphill battle you’ve ever waged upon someone else. It’s also just really funny for the other person, if you’re dead serious about them.

Okay, now that I’ve got the backstory of this shit-ass band, it’s time to dive into the music.

This is just a series of dumb sound effects. It honestly sounds like it was created on the Playstation version of MTV Music Generator. Then they have remixed versions of a guy saying the same damn thing. It’s seriously giving me a headache. I don’t know why anyone would want to listen to this for enjoyment. It’s really fucking confusing. All in all, it’s exactly what I expected out of a band named Bleep Bloop.

Destructo – Higher: Have you ever seen an action movie from the late 90’s/early 00’s where the protagonist has to kill a mafia boss in the middle of a douchey club? You know, those scenes where in which shit really escalates into a full-blown gun fight and the fire alarm goes off making everything wet creating a unique aesthetic? Yeah, this is the shitty music playing at the beginning of the scene that lets the viewer know that the location really sucks. The video is blatantly alluding to straight-up heroin/sex addiction—it’s pretty glamorous. And then she dies at the end from a broken heart while some guy repeats, “get higher, baby.” All in all, better than other stuff already reviewed on this godforsaken list.

Ghastly – We Might Fall (ft. Matthew Koma): This video started out by saying “Dubstep Electro House” which is weird because I can almost guarantee it should just say “whiny dude singing over bullshit.” It started off slow with dumb vocals, then it slowly built up to a techno climax (which is also a medical term for when you ejaculate lasers) with a high-pitched autotune. And then it repeats. Whatever, it sucks, but it’s fine.

Well folks, that’s it for the first half. I’m currently waiting on edits for the second. I’m sure you’re waiting with baited breath. Trust me, it fucking sucks.