#and all of their album are reinterpretation of classic stories!

[exhausted-pigeon]

@jacks-pen tags

I want to add one fandom for Jason: he writes fanfic for the band The Mechanisms, especially after he comes back.

He was a fan from before but after he comes back (which by using the sliding time scale would be around 2015-16) he relisted to "High Noon Over Camelot" and is reduced to a mess, he also starts to kin Jonny D'vile (the singer, he is an immortal space gunslinger that killed his father and still is projecting is daddy issue millennia later).

He probably wrote sever heart wrenching introspective fic from Mordred pova about his desperate attempt at having his father recognise him, and reaching the point of dispersion where he just kills everyone but his father.

A backstory fic for Jonny, talking about his poor childhood and having his heart taken away by the woman that gave him immortality.

Also a very concerning one that explores Ashes death and his description of how it feels to suffocated on smoke is extremely visceral and has a lot of people very worried.

Just a Mechanisms fan Jason projecting all his issues in this mess of a band. Also it's a pretty small fandom with a lot of dark humour, so he would probably feel just at home with us <3

Jason as those AO3 authors who have the worst tragedies happening to them and yet still continues to pump out his new chapter every week

Some poor, unbeknownst Gothamite: “My favorite fanfic writer hasn’t posted or updated any of their fanfic in like four years. I don’t want to bug them but I’m always hoping for them to come back. I hope their okay :( ”

Jason, in between cutting off right hand mens heads and antagonize black mask, like Really Living It Up: “hey, sorry, guys! I know it’s been forever! I literally died and clawed my way back from zombiehood, but I’m back now! Hope you enjoy this new chapter!”

[imichelle-l-rigby]

Reflections: Cillian Murphy’s Limited Edition

Season 3, episode 6

✨I think I’m sorta catching up 😊✨

———————————————————————

*I am a music prof (predominantly classical vocalist), and I LOVE listening to Cillian’s music choices! That being said, sometimes I won’t like a song simply because of a vocalist (it’s a professional hazard - sorry!) 👩‍🏫

** The following are my own observations/opinions. We may not agree, and that’s ok! That’s what makes music fun! 😊

*** I wouldn’t say I’m well-versed in Cillian’s music preferences, but I do enjoy them (for the most part). I always wind up adding to my own playlists after listening to Cillian’s recommendations.

———————————————————————

Let the show begin!

🎵Set 1 (Fading Stars II - Come And Play In The Milky Night)

Fading Stars II: sounds like film music. It uses the same motif over and over again, slowly filling out the texture

Come And Play In The Milky Night: this reminds me of 2010s pop music. It’s got that wistfulness that I associate with that decade! (Isn’t it horrifying to be talking about the 2010s as “old”? I just hurt my own feelings!)

🎤Talking Break:

Grand isn’t as good as tippety top. Noted.

Coltrane! ❤️

Wow! The last song is from the ‘90s!

“Sitting in cars that are moving”

“Scintillating observations”

🎵Set 2 (Over My Shoulder - Glass, Concrete & Stone)

Over My Shoulder: I am having so much fun with this one! 😎😆 I love the story of this song as well.

The Beggar: again, a very fun song! But so different from the other in this set. Rhythms are interesting.

Glass, Concrete & Stone: it’s cool that there are 3 predominant instruments, like the 3 materials mentioned in the title. Melody is strange and unexpected. I like it!

🎤Talking Break:

Cillian just wants a twin, specifically David Byrne. 😂

Every track on the album is in the same key, and it’s heard above the drone. I am intrigued.

🎵Set 3 (Ta Douleur - Hard-boiled Babe)

Ta Douleur: this is so urban, but I’ll be honest - some of the sound effects sound *ahem* rude? 😅 not offensive, just like someone ate something that didn’t agree 😂😂😂😂 and I’m afraid I’m not mature enough to move past that. 💨

Hard-boiled Babe: I didn’t expect the harmonica!

These French “girl pop” songs are a genre I didn’t expect him to be into! Goes to show you can’t pin this guy’s musical tastes down.

🎤Talking Break:

He’s forever better at French than me

🎵Set 4 (War Zone - Ethiopian Rock)

War Zone: another song featuring “sound effects” - I like how the war sounds get louder and louder, but also how the melody is just so “vacation vibe”. Good commentary!

Ethiopian Rock: melody is in the bass line. The echo is fun. It feels like a reinterpretation of protest rock, but I can’t explain why other than vague similarities.

🎤Talking Break:

Old Jamaican music! Cool!

🎵Set 5 (Hill & Gully Ride - Asa Branca)

Hill & Gully Ride: this is so fun! Had I not been told it’s Jamaican, I would’ve assumed Puerto Rico or Cuba. It reminds me of those dance rhythms that came to NYC in the ‘40s and ‘50s.

Ma Blonde Est Partie: this sounds so early country/country blues. Aka OLD American styles. And I find this amazing. This might honestly be my favorite song for this episode! I love the instrument mix (in ways it sounds Appalachian?), and the vocals are so fitting here!

Asa Branca: gorgeous! 😍 it’s got a little of everything to offer! The style keeps jumping around!

✨favorite set✨

🎤Talking Break:

Cajun! Now that makes sense why I’m hearing so many Appalachian sounds!

And a series about music in the US. I’m not going crazy for hearing all that! Phew! 😅

Ask a reasonable question - your question may not be reasonable or even adequately answered! But it’s not Brian Cox

Him trying to describe emojis is precious

“A mystery wrapped inside an anorak wrapped inside an enigma”

More Yorkshire Man

🎵Set 6 (See the Sky About to Rain - Big Pharma)

See the Sky About to Rain: Neil is a specific voice. It’s always jarring at the beginning, but then I settle in and can enjoy his vocals.

Your Name Is Snake Anthony: whoa! Talk about jarring - that segue was shocking! Quite atmospheric, and in some places the background is atonal or polytonal (no key or multiple keys).

Paralysed: so my autocorrect doesn’t like the way the title is spelled 😂😂😂😂 bless it’s American little heart. I suppose the bass line that plays the “short long” motif over and over is representing your heart beat. It also repeats notes over and over again, like it’s possibly paralyzed.

Big Pharma: interesting rhythms/punctuations. I don’t love it, but it definitely sticks with you. Will be honest, the “sniffing” sounds at the beginning was a little gross. Idk what it’s supposed to be, but it sounds like someone’s got a stuffy nose 🤧

🎤Talking Break:

Ah yes, the exclusive

A poetry reading!

🎵Set 7 (Geronimo Blues - Condition of Us)

Geronimo Blues: a pretty song (which I know is weird since the lyrics are pretty critical)! And Kae is good at this, but it always takes me a second to understand the lyrics. I guess my brain has a buffer with this accent 😅

Condition of Us: again- such a strong contrast! I love the vocals here! ❤️ I’m having fun!

🎤Talking Break:

I can’t even spell the verb for getting goosebumps. Dude. What even?! 😂

🎵Set 8 (I Walk on Guilded Splinters)

The archive footage - I have concerns about his speaking vocal quality.

I Walk On Guilded Splinters: honestly, this sounds like healthier vocal production than what I just heard. Yes - there’s a way to give a raspy sound without hurting yourself. ANYWAY. This is a cool song! I love the echos. 😎

🎤Talking Break:

Correct. No intro needed for Bill Withers

🎵Set 9 (Kissing My Love - Inside Straight)

Kissing My Love: 💃💃😍😍 ooh these vocals! The funk! The groove!

Inside Straight: gimme that jazz! 😎 and can we just talk about the subtle internal harmony changes in the piano chords? Like… that shouldn’t be that cool. BUT IT IS. And everything about this is fire! 🔥 although, the raspberry scat line was a little… special. Impressive, but … yeah. 😅

🎤Talking Break:

Miles played with everyone! He pioneered so many jazz styles it’s insane!

“Pugilistic kind of sound”

“He played with the Wombles!”

🎵Set 10 (Video Life)

Video Life: just getting flashbacks to the VHS era. 😅

🎤Talking Break:

Lots of pop

“One man Beatles” - I am intrigued!

🎵Set 11 (Somebody Made for Me - Every Night)

Somebody Made for Me: OMG HE DOES SOUND JUST LIKE PAUL MCCARTNEY!! 🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀 even the scoring sounds like Paul! Like… 🤯

Every Night: I AM SINGING ALONG WITH A PAUL COVER AND JUST LIVING MY BEST LIFE 💃😎😆

🎤Talking Break

You are correct, Cillian. All roads lead to the Beatles!

🎵Set 12 (Single Pigeon)

Single Pigeon: IT’S PAUL!!!! 😍😍😍 🙌 the vocal line is kinda all over the place (awkward?) and that reminds me of pigeons just wandering around 😂

🎤Talking Break:

“Doesn’t outstay its welcome”

🎵Set 13 (I Want You to Love Me - She Walks In Beauty)

I Want You to Love Me: I like the driving, powerful left hand bass in the piano against the right hand melody. And the vocal drone! That’s not heard often! The drone isn’t even always in the “right” key as she’s going through, so that’s also a fun quirk!

Must Be Tears: I love the “old school” production aesthetics!

She Walks In Beauty: gorgeous! So ethereal, which is what I get from the title alone. It’s hard to make synth and electronic instruments not sound cheesy, so I really like this. And more poetry!

🎤Talking Break:

Byron!

No it’s over already???

Yay covers! And jazz!

Coltrane!!! Finally.

“Mind yourselves”

🎵Set 14 (Wonderful World - Nature Boy)

Wonderful World: I do like the jazz, but I’m not enjoying the vocals that much. Strings are an interesting addition, though!

All I Need: more layering effects. I like this a lot! It’s got a swanky nightclub vibe to it. The piano solo is so satisfying.

Nature Boy: yes! 😎 the bebop is popping! I loooooove bebop/hard bop so much. It’s INSANE and I have so much respect for the art form. This is a great way to end the show!

———————————————————————

Thanks so much for reading! And dare I say it, I’m proud of myself for catching up - I think I’m only a week and a half late with this one! Woohoo! 😂

Tag list:

@iammrsrogers @deliciousnutcomputer @mariamoonie @brownskinsugarplum76 @look-at-the-soul @kj-davis @neverroad @teapothollow @thepurplearmyposts @possessedmarshmallow

[ancaporado]

Ok I need to go on a rant about show tunes. They're objectively bad. Don't worry, I've heard a lot of them, I even played in the pit for my high school theater and I still hate show tunes. 1.The lyrics are cringey, basically just dialogue or literal exposition of the story. I do like concept albums, in fact I think the idea of using music to tell a story is great, but making your characters constantly RHYME to speak to one another is absolutely insane as it takes away the characters ability to speak in their own voice. The linear progression of story telling also means that the lyrics rarely repeat, often as a song goes on a chorus allows for the listener to reinterpret the previous verses and anticipate new ones, we rarely get such a break in show tunes. this almost means that we get explicit character names, places, and events in our lyrics which lacking context completely jar a listener. 2.Singing is bad. Essentially it's modern opera, so I get that it started with lots of projection and vibrato, but let's be real you no longer have to do that with lapel microphones. We can have dynamic volume and annunciation. These people have grown up their whole lives singing with piano accompaniment and it shows in the tin-like nasal annunciation they sing. Even the best broadway singer would instantly butcher any other genre as they barely slide notes or usually can't hold notes WITHOUT vibrato, nor do they get through distorted vocals without simply getting raspy. 3.Instrumentation. To be fair, musicals have been getting a little better about incorporating stuff besides classic accompaniment but basically whenever they do they attempt it as a genre piece, and end up completely cliche as the genre is concern. Outside of the narcissisms of the writers or actors, the MUSIC is never the focus of the song. 4. No genre or originality. I would say Grease and Rocky Horror are perfect examples of this in that basically they are simply 4 chord progression covers of a well established genres that are extremely easy to churn out. If you know a little music theory you could write a "blues" or "rock" or "jazz" musical in an afternoon. Even when it's done no song from a musical can stand on it's own against MUSIC written for the purpose of just being listened too. If you were to have a blind listening test for anyone trained in any amount of music they could pick out a "musical" song nearly 99% of the time. Most "Musical" music is to normal music what Christian Rock is to rock, the music is entirely secondary to an agenda.

5.Arrangement. Very little thought is usually put into the arrangement of the of songs, as nothing besides the voice of the actors can really take up much time in the melody so why bother. Interesting sounds, instruments, or melodic and harmonic ideas are just a distraction to the performance. Outside of backing there's little required of most musicians to preform these pieces, and half the time it sounds like a church band or high school choir for this reason. Improvisation, instrumental solos, or a breakdown are either rare or completely unimaginative in structure. 6. Chord progressions are all basic to the point that the "halfway through a song key step as a way to mix it up a little bit because we got more exposition in the lyrics as we go from point a to b as we do a 4 chord progression that is getting boring" is a thing in pretty much every musical. So anyways in conclusion, musicals suck, are completely stagnant as a "genre". They are written by and for a strange kind of narcissistic person who needs to constantly hear a very loud voice telling them a story with comforting non-dangerous music that's really only there to help set a little bit of mood for whatever tacky costume and choreography is supposed to be happening on stage. If you listen to show tunes for fun outside of actually watching a stage production you probably should be institutionalized. If, even worse, you make other people listen to them on a PA system while at a retail or work situation you should be euthanized. Don't send me your favorite "this is musical music but it's good because it avoids the reasons you said above" as it still sucks for another reason I didn't remember while typing this.

[thebandcampdiaries]

Dheepa’s “Inner Flame” Shines in New York’s Music Scene

12 songs that showcase the singer’s varied and dynamic style

August 2024—Dheepa is a promising artist in New York City who recently released her latest release, “Inner Flame.” Drawing from her grandmother’s Hindustani melodies and blending pop, rock, and blues, Dheepa’s music offers a fusion of cultural influences and emotions. In addition, her style is truly timeless because it combines classic inferences from the '60s, '70s, and '80s with modern sounds that are more present and crisp.

Her musical journey has been shaped by her study of Indian and Western classical music and her experiences in cities like Dallas, New York, and Los Angeles. Albums such as “On 4th Street” (2010) and “Patchwork” (2015) established her distinctive sound, combining jazz with contemporary elements. However, she continued to evolve and explore new creative avenues over the years.

In 2022, Dheepa collaborated with Brazilian producer Sandro Albert on “Good Intentions,” adding soulful vibes to her repertoire. Her 2023 cover series, “Light of Day,” showcased her versatility with reinterpretations of classic songs. Many artists tend to re-create cover songs verbatim, but she actually really owned the songs in a very special way, making them sound very personal.

With “Inner Flame,” Dheepa continues to evolve, offering a deeply personal collection that reflects her unique artistic journey. The production is crisp and powerful, highlighting Dheepa’s vocals and intricate arrangements with precision. Each detail in the 12 songs is meticulously crafted, allowing the blend of instruments and genres to shine through and tell a powerful story. This attention to detail ensures the emotional depth of the music resonates with listeners from all walks of life.

“Inner Flame” is a special and inspirational work that combines a wide range of styles and offers a powerful and positive message. The opening track, “Man Behind the Curtain,” is a soulful, immersive ballad with a retro pop-rock flavor reminiscent of iconic bands like Fleetwood Mac but with a more contemporary twist, particularly in the production.

Another highlight is the song “Pretend I’m Fine,” which features energetic rock influences that add excitement to the mix. There’s also a fantastic rendition of “Let It Be,” made famous by the Beatles. Dheepa stays true to the original while making it her own, particularly through a more minimalistic piano arrangement that showcases her vocal range and emotional delivery.

Learn more about Dheepa and don’t miss “Inner Flame,” which is now available on major digital streaming platforms.

[wings-of-indigo]

So, Waitress is closing and Why I am Happy about that: An Exceedingly long essay Rant about Broadway

Look. Nobody's gonna read this, most likely, but it's 2 in the morning and my brain's been obsessing over Broadway (more than usual, anyway) since communing with my people at intensive this week. So, in the interest of getting some sleep before 8 hrs of dance and shitty high notes tomorrow, here goes.

I love classic, high-school-and-community standard musicals. I love new and experimental musicals. I love Disney film-to-stage musicals. I love institution musicals like Chorus Line, Cats, and Wicked; I even have a soft spot for Phantom. I am eagerly anticipating West Side Story next Christmas (seriously, I have a calander).

BUT.

As I said to one of my fellow dancers during post-class stretch (after noting his insane flexibilty and making yet another resolution to stretch more) I am Sick to GoDAMnEd DEATH of revivals, franchise adaptions, and restagings taking up the Broadway and greater theater markets.

I get why it's happening; I do. Musical theater, even shows that never make it out of Regional productions (Be More Chill, btw, I'm so proud of you bby :'-D ) are REALLY FREAKING EXPENSIVE, not just to stage, but also to develop. Broadway productions nowadays regularly go upwards of TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS in costs.

Those costs are more and more frequently being met through funding by large groups of wealthy investors, who can expect basically little to no return on that investment. Only a select few shows that make it to the Great White Way do well enough to turn a profit (let alone the kinds of numbers that Hamilton, DEH, and Wicked continue to make), and more and more shows are closing in defict or once they break even. (Coincidentally, this is probably why we're seeing more and more straight plays on Broadway, especially in limited engagements. They're quicker, cheaper, and still have the same level of prestige.)

It makes sense then to assume that a show linked to an already successful property has a better chance of reaching that break-even mark, or perhaps generating a small return, than a more original idea. It's a surer bet, and we've seen it a lot these past few seasons. Anastasia, Beetlejuice, Pretty Woman, Moulin Rouge, Mean Girls... we get it. We promise. Investors want some security in an extremely and notoriously insecure market before they're willing to lay out the dough.

I get it. Everybody gets it.

And, to be fair, some of those shows are and continue to be GOOD. Tony nominees and award winners, even. But here's the problem: it's boring.

And not because I know how Act 2 ends without getting spoilers on tumblr. Unless they're younger than ten, the population of Broadway-and-musicals fans generally has a good handle on where a show's relevant plotlines are going. It's really not the wanting to know the end that keeps your butt in your overpriced red velvet seat and your eyes on the stage. It's the score, the words, occasionally the choreography, and most importantly the magicians on, off, and backstage bringing those things to life in a new and interesting way.

The antithesis of this, then, is having to watch slavish recreation of iconic scenes, lines, and characters from iconic films, presented Onstage! (TM), now with Bonus Songs! for your reconsumption. (Yes, Pretty Woman, I'm looking at you.)

Hey, I love Pretty Woman the Movie, slightly dodgy messages about feminity aside. I love it as a movie, and I really don't need to watch the knock off version of it, even if it comes in a shiny Broadway package.

Anastasia, and Beetlejuice, on the other hand, work extrodinarily well as musicals because they are NOT carbon copies of the original, somehow miraculously transplanted onto the stage.

Ironically, musicals based on original ideas are actually some of the most successful and well reviewed recent productions. Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Come From Away, and Hadestown this season are all original works, and well, look at them. (Fishy, huh? Coincidence, I think the fuck not.)

Recently I got to see The Prom on Broadway, the day after I saw Pretty Woman. The contrast between shows and my enjoyment of them was well defined. I couldn't look away from The Prom, despite many of the major story beats being as obvious as our Cheeto-in-Chief's spray tan. I and the entire rest of the theater were completely engaged by what was going on onstage, both comedically and dramatically. At Pretty Woman, I found myself checking the Playbill to see how many songs were left for me to make it through and anxiously comparing the size of my thighs to the dancers onstage to pass the time (ah, pre pro Body Issues, welcome back! We all thought you'd retired!)

Three guesses which show I'd choose to see again.

When I read that Waitress was closing, the first thing I did was panic and start marking pre January weekends where I would both be free and possibly have disposable income (I've never gotten to see the show, and frankly I would like too). My second reaction was, yes, to mourn the closure of a wonderful show, but it was mixed with hopeful anticipation. Waitress had a good long time in the sun, and just like a well lived life, eventually it must and should end. It's better, in my humble student opinion, to live with memories and cast albums (and regional productions) than the stodgy life of a show that's jealously clung to its Broadway berth through the tourist-and-date-night trade (*cough*Phantom*cough*). It's sort of like your 40 something mother taking selfies in booty shorts in an effort to prove she's still 'hip' and in her twenties. Cringe.

Ephemera is the nature of live performance, and probably part of its allure. And just like in the natural world, old things have to end so that new things can become. Waitress closing is a vital part of this cycle.

Broadway has a limited number of theaters. That's a hard and absolute fact. Maybe a quarter of them are effectively taken off the market for new shows by productions apparently cursed with immortality. Waitress has just opened up another spot both physically and creatively for a new project- hopefully something we haven't seen before- and I hope to God, Satan, and Sondheim that it doesn't get filled with another franchise spinoff, celebrity jukebox musical, or -Lin Miranda forbid - yet another revival.

Why the revival hate, though? Aren't revivals an major way to revisit the landmark and important musicals of the past and bring them to a new audience?

Well, yes. They are, especially when they're staged and presented with the emphasis on letting the music and words speak for themselves and giving the actors leeway to work with the material, without the typical levels of Broadway Extra (TM) and creative meddling from the producers. (The recent Lincoln Center staging of A Chorus Line is a good example of the stripped down style I'm talking about.) But even if they have their place, once again, revivals (while valuable and cool and all that) are Something We've Already Seen.

Let's take Newsies for example. A show with a huge fan base (mostly teen, mostly girls) who I frequently see wishing for a revival.

Now, I am a raging Newsies fan. Newsies is the show that got me started on attempting to make a profession out of dance and theater. I can sing both the OBC and Live albums back to front. I may or may not have had embarrassing crushes on certain cast and characters that I will take to my grave (I'll never tell and you'll never know, mwahhaha). So, do I love and worship ever iteration of this show? Yes. Do I wish I had been able to see either the Natl Tour or Broadway productions? Hell yes, with all my heart. Do I wish the Gatelli choreography was in any way accessible for me to learn? More than I want Broadway tickets to cost less than my soul, kidney, and hypothetical but unlikely first born combined.

But do I want a Broadway revival? Hell FUCKING No.

It's over, it's done, and it lives on in reinterpretation in regional and junior productions. Good. That, to be quite honest, is where it should belong.

It doesn't need to be rehashed on the biggest stages, and to be frank, neither do most of the ultra popular revivals that have been happening. (Yes, Ali Stoker is awesome and deserves the world, but Broadway does not need Oklahoma. If you need to see it that bad, go find a high school production somewhere. I recommend the midwest.) Broadway does not need 1776 (even though I am looking forward to it). Broadway does not need a Sweeney Todd revival (even though I want one like I want ice cream after suffering through jazz class in an un-air-conditioned studio on a 90 degree afternoon with no breeze. Seriously, I might be making sacrifices at my altar to this cause in the back of my closet).

Broadway needs musicals that are at least nominally original, and if not, come from something obscure enough (Kinky Boots, Waitress, Newsies) that they can make their own way. Barring that, investors, writers, and directors, please have the courage and decency to take established content in a new direction. Please, I'm begging you. I'd honestly-and-truly much rather sit through something that didn't try to shove the better version of itself down my throat even as it bored and annoyed me to tears. If I'm going to pay $80+ to sit through two hours of something terrible (and less engaging than my dancer body image issues) at least let me get my money's worth in unique horribleness.

[j-itose]

A Turning Point - BGR Fest 2020 Concert Review

March 6, 2020

Friday evening was a night well lived. I went with my mother and my cousin to go see Lauryn Hill in concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. It was quite the spontaneous decision by my mother, but we all went along with it because legends like Lauryn don’t come around every lifetime let alone to your area 20 years after their “prime”. So, we decided to break the monotony of our weekend rituals and make it a girl's night. I had no idea that coming to this concert that I would leave feeling so stirred in my spirit, so filled with conviction to pursue passion and purpose, and in the same breath boldly claim every note, inflection, melody, and tempo of my life story. Watching both Alice Smith and Ms. Legendary Hill I saw black womanhood in its organic most blossomed form.

Ms. Smith sang every single song with such compelling velvety vocal range it called every goosebump forward. Her sharp yet soothing falsettos and moody full base notes sweetly communicated the honesty behind her soul-bearing lyrics. Smith and her harmonious band had delivered a sound I didn’t know I was longing to hear again. The artistry and musicianship displayed in her set, made my heart swell with gladness, reminiscing on a time in my life when all I could imagine was a life consumed by creating and vocalizing music. Listening to her made me remember that I once had dreams; dreams I abandoned out fear and doubt. Looking towards that at that stage and gazing upon Alice Smith’s elegantly clothed in a black ruffled gown that seemed to declare her black pride louder than some of us have the confidence to do daily, all I saw was a strong black woman embracing the fullness of her artistry. Reveling in every single piece of emotion embedded in the song’s composition, unbothered by the audience’s perceptions she was her own audience, her own champion, her own woman – She took up space according to her desired comfort.

It was in these moments that I was randomly confronted with such a heavy reflective question – “who told you that you were incapable of being the girl you dreamed of becoming?”. Stunned by the weight of this question amid this gripping performance I glanced down at my hands ashamed…slowly coming to the realization that for years now I had subconsciously been accepting ceilings. I wasn't able to say where or when it started but sitting there in that illustrious theater listening to melodies of R&B it dawned on me; my love for music and performing arts had been oppressed and masked by the whispers of other’s doubts and expectations. I’ve been putting caps and limitations on myself based on boxes and ceiling others have created to keep black girls like me in a specific place. To think that I sacrificed performing arts, my most cherished way of articulating my human experience, for the status quo is saddening. But when I looked back up at the center stage, eyes fixed on Alice Smith…I saw the effortless elegance in her stride. The fluidity - freedom of sorts in her movements and posture as she sang. It was as if each note resonated with her entire body flowing through her like melodic vessels, I was charged with confidence. Viewing her performance, the little black girl inside of me felt welcomed to dream again…and to do so with unapologetic force.

Passion and well-crafted artistry materialized through Alice Smith’s entire set; perfectly lacing her performance with the next experience. Foretelling the enchanting momentum that is Lauryn Hill.

The most dynamic artist of my lifetime, with one of the greatest most potent and impactful albums in this history of R&B, Soul, Rap & Hip-hop sauntered onto the stage in a mauve sequenced suit and boldness to match. As people’s cameras went up and cheers roared in the theater, Ms. Lauryn Hill gracefully stepped up to the mic and greeted the elated people of DC. I’m not sure if I was in such disbelief that I was getting this opportunity to see her in concert or something else but hearing her just talk unleashed fireworks in my vocal cords. She was real. Her distinguished and down to earth tone that consoled me to sleep on many bad days and emboldened me to face life with power other days was no longer a mere recording but an actual reality. Starstruck was an understatement.

Too excited to begin this musical journey, I immediately tried to identify what song she was performing first so that I could sing along. Her band immediately played with fervor, not waiting a moment to set the tone for the evening. Although I heard familiar lyrics instantaneously, I, unfortunately, couldn’t catch the beat enough to vocally interact because she had virtually recomposed all the melodies to her hit songs. She revamped the miseducation of Lauryn hill. What we all heard that night were reinterpreted versions of songs we’ve all grown to love for the past 20+ years. The audience was visibly disappointed the sound had evolved into unfamiliar musical territory.

However, despite my subtle personal disappointment as well, I was drawn back into excitement seeing the authenticity that still heavily encompassed her music. Between the raw gritty rasp in her voice, the gospel-like runs, and the directive conductor signals she gave her band, Lauryn Hill the multi-faceted artist was more than present tonight. She refused to be merely a gimmick on stage singing songs of her past. Tonight we got to see her actively reinventing herself as an artist, while in the same token allowing herself to revisit the soul behind her old lyrics and singing them from a new place - from a place of healing, maturity, and wisdom – The same classic elements that refine us and make Black Girls Rock. Rocks that stand the test of adversity, that lay the foundation for new realities to be built, and that allow younger generations to stand firm and be supported.  Today, seeing Lauryn perform and incorporate modern musical influences into her 98’ album hits was not just a personal achievement, but I feel a victory for the culture. Lauryn Hill is proof that when a black woman steps whole-heartedly into her purpose and passion she declares freedom for herself that causes a positive impact for generations to come.

Lauryn Hill and Alice Smith completely embodied black girl magic in that concert hall. The inspiration they imparted on the women, ladies, and girls is a gift that must be acknowledged. It was a blessing to be in the company of powerful black women, and I’m extremely grateful for the founder and CEO Beverly Bond who paves the way for us daily to have platforms like Black Girls Rock Fest. Thank you for all that you all have done.

Happy Women’s History Month!

J. Itosé

[findasongblog]

These videos have been released for songs previously featured on the blog:

Ajimal - How Could You Disappear?

Wildwood Kin - All On Me

White Tail Falls - Give It Up, Son

Visualising the track’s evocative subject matter in a montage of surreal and disturbing imagery, the video sees a descent into an otherworldly realm of monstrous creatures that tempt and overcome, creating a warped and powerful visual allegory of addiction. White Tail Falls’ Irwin explains, “The director (and cameraman, editor, grader) Craig Young and I pulled in every favour we could to illustrate a final showdown between the inner demons that have haunted the protagonist of our short-film and the man himself. In support of themes found on the album, we wanted to tell the story of how bad habits can take on a life of their own and follow us, until confronted. “Largely shot in a few hours in Southwark Playhouse, with help from the theatre company Les Enfants Terrible, and around a man-made lake just outside Barcelona, this final chapter in a trilogy boasts shoot locations like a Bond film albeit on a Brookside budget.” The video is the final instalment – but the first to be released – of a three part series exploring the darker implications of our desire for comfort, with the remaining two videos to be released accompanying forthcoming singles. (press release)

Robb Murphy - Afterglow

The Great Dictators - By The Throat (ft. Jamie Stewart)

The Danish indie rock trio The Great Dictators has returned with a breathtaking video for their latest single ‘By The Throat’ featuring Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu).

The video is made by renowned Danish photographer Bjørn Rosenquist and artist Auto Slug Lizard Gag. It’s a tribute to and reinterpretation of a sequence in Ingmar Bergman’s ‘Winter Light’ (‘Nattvardsgästerna’) from 1963.

The original sequence is 8 minutes long, shot almost in one take, and it’s a celebration of calm reflection and complex emotions - frustration, hopelessness, empathy and love. Swedish actress Ingrid Thulin played the role in 1963 and this time it’s African Danish model Mawa Abdillahi who pours her heart out.

“Our strange and hectic world could perhaps use a bit of quiet contemplation. This is our contribution together with the exceptional Mawa. We’ve got nothing against fast paced Hollywood flicks, but it’s also nice to devote yourself to an old Bergman classic.” - Auto Slug Lizard Gag (press release)

[sluttyshakespeare]

Three Great Details About Apeshit By Beyonce & Jay-Z

“I can’t believe we made it,” sings Beyoncé in “Apeshit,” the first single from her surprise joint album with Jay-Z, Everything Is Love. And to prove that she and her husband have made it, in the song’s accompanying video, Beyoncé delivers this line from the Louvre. As the New York Times has pointed out, it is not actually that expensive to shoot a video in the Louvre (about $17,500 for a full day’s shoot). But music videos aren’t about numbers; they’re about how things feel — and there’s no place on earth that feels as lavish, as rich with accumulated cultural power and wealth and colonialism, as the Louvre. If you want to show that you have made it, that you are rich and powerful and one of the greatest artists of your generation, you go to the Louvre. And as an artistic choice, the Louvre is par for Beyoncé’s course. For the past few years, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has increasingly cribbed from the iconography of classical Western art in her own image-making. Her pregnancy announcement photo shoot and her birth announcement photo shoot both referenced Botticelli’s Venus and the Renaissance trope of the Madonna and child, and her 2017 Grammys performance drew on goddess imagery from multiple artistic traditions. So when Beyoncé shoots at the Louvre — taking on by turns the poses of Venus de Milo and Victory — she’s continuing an artistic project of recontextualizing classical Western art, of making herself the aesthetic object on which so much wealth and cultural capital has been spent. And coming from a black woman, that’s a radical statement. “In a way, Beyoncé is exploiting/marketing her blackness as creativity — as a kind of weapon — within and against the very Eurocentric system of culture and consumption from which she has benefited,” says James Smalls, a professor of art history at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. That’s an especially radical statement to make in the context of the Louvre, where little of the art features people of color in positions of strength and power. “From the Middle Ages up to the 19th century, works of art that showed black people usually represented them as servants or secondary figures,” explains Smalls. “They were not deemed worthy subjects of paintings, sculptures, or other kinds of cultural works.” One of the few exceptions to that trend is Marie Benoist’s “Portrait d’une négresse,” also displayed at the Louvre. “That painting is an anomaly because it presents a black person as the sole aestheticized subject and object of a work of art,” Smalls says. And it’s the painting that appears at the end of the “Apeshit - Beyonce & Jay-Z” video, after shot after shot of portraits of white people.

Benoist painted “Portrait” in 1800, during a brief period in which France had abolished colonial slavery. (In 1794, the French emancipation proclamation liberated the colonies; in 1802, Napoleon reinstated slavery.) In that six-year span, portraits of heroic black people became popular in France, and that created an opportunity for an image of a black woman who is not tending to or subordinate to a white person, who is instead considered worthy of being at the center of her own portrait. As Smalls has pointed out, in its full context, “Portrait” is not a wildly politically subversive image. It’s most likely that the unknown and unnamed subject was a servant with few legal rights who had little choice about how she posed or whether she was okay with her breast being exposed to the world for the next 200 years. Benoist the painter has much more agency here than the black woman at the center of the picture. But in the context of “Apeshit,” with its montages of painting after painting of white faces and white statues, “Portrait” feels both shocking and subversive. It’s a black face in the center of the frame, apparently in control of her domain. And it’s one of the only figures in the Louvre that we don’t see get reinterpreted by either the Carters or their dancers: The only figure in the Louvre that can withstand the unstoppable force that is Beyoncé, that does not need to be remade and reexamined. Part of Beyoncé’s project over the past few years has been to treat art as a form of power: It is a form of focused aesthetic attention, of social capital, and of wealth given solid form. Taking over the Louvre means taking all that power for herself and for the black bodies she brings in with her — except for the “Portrait.” In “Apeshit,” it can stand on its own. What do Beyoncé, The Smurfs 2, and you have in common? All three have the theoretical ability to rent out the Louvre. Though there was widespread awe that the Carters’ video for “Apeshit” took place inside the most famous museum in the world, turns out, it’s actually not all that uncommon. According to the New York Times, about 500 shoots take place at the Louvre each year, which have included films on opposite ends of the “is this a good movie” spectrum, from last year’s Wonder Woman to 2013’s The Smurfs 2, which even the Louvre couldn’t save from its 13 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating. Though the museum only allows photography in the galleries for private use, it makes exceptions for professionals through written authorization. As of 2015, the Louvre’s policy states that to shoot a short film or music video, the cost for both interior and exterior shots would be just €4,500, or about $5,200. It’s possible that if the Carters had a crew of more than 50 people, that number would have been closer to €18,000, but as the Times notes, “there are hotel rooms here that cost more than that.” Hosting private events, however, will cost you a bit more. A tour for under 50 guests will set you back €10,000, while renting out the reception hall beneath I.M. Pei’s pyramid will cost, at the very least, €28,000. Though, to reiterate, that isn’t an amount at which anyone would gasp, “Mon dieu!” Lorde, I have an idea for you about where to film your video for “The Louvre.” Call me! In the video for Beyoncé and Shawn Carter‘s “Apeshit,” the first visual from the pair’s surprise joint album Everything Is Love, the two stars romp through the Louvre in Paris, seizing center stage in a high-culture palace that – like most Western art museums – historically made little room for non-white artists. Some of their mission involves the strategic highlighting of non-white images already in the Louvre. Beyoncé and Jay-Z rap in front of an Egyptian sphinx, and in galleries filled mostly with neo-classical French paintings – white artists, white subjects – the camera singles out black faces. (The video is directed by Ricky Saiz, who also helmed the “Yonce” video from Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s eponymous 2013 album.) Viewers catch brief glimpses of a pair of black figures in Paolo Veronese’s painting “The Wedding at Cana,” where Jesus turned water into wine, as well as a quick look at Marie-Guillemine Benoist’s “Portrait d’une Négresse,” a depiction of a black woman staring guilelessly back at the viewer. But the Where’s Waldo? moments highlighting black figures are fleeting – the possibilities for this in the Louvre, or any major Western art museum, are limited from the start. So Beyoncé and Jay-Z set about interjecting blackness into a space that has never placed much value on it, claiming one of the centerpieces of European culture with gleeful defiance. They frequently film themselves moving in opposition to the frozen stillness of paintings by Jacques-Louis David, a French neoclassical artist whose work – like “The Oath of the Horatii” and “Madame Récamier” – invokes the Greco-Roman tradition. Much of the potency of the “Apeshit” video comes from the contrasts drawn between the “white” art on the walls and the black women on the gallery floors. In front of David’s “The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon and the Coronation of Empress Joséphine,” a court scene of relentless white extravagance, Beyoncé and eight black dancers hold hands and begin to dance. It takes just a few synchronized sashays to upstage David’s massive painting, replacing an ornate symbol of white authority with a celebration of black bodies in motion. The Louvre’s stature depends on people believing that “The Coronation of Empress Joséphine” is the art, but the eye tells a different story – hanging behind Beyoncé and her dancers, the painting is reduced to wallpaper. Throughout the “Apeshit - The Carters” video, Beyoncé and Jay-Z repeatedly upstage some of Western classical art’s most famous images in one of its central sacred spaces. Beyoncé holds a series of chopping micro-poses with her hands before Saiz cuts quickly to an image of a distressed character, hands held up to shield her head, taken from another David painting, “The Rape of the Sabine Women.” The placement of the hands connects the two frames, but Beyoncé’s is virile, aggressive and in charge, while David’s figure seems merely fearful.

Radical gestures roll in on a mightily slippery sliding scale these days, don’t they? We’re far past any cultural division between high and low or pop and art at this point, and artists on the charts are also sniffing out their next inspiration, album cycle, or comparison to their own personal affairs in the grander schemes of culture and history. You’d be hard pressed to find a more hallowed repository of the West than the Louvre, so of course that’s where Beyoncé and Jay-Z have rolled up to set their new music video for the track “Apeshit” from the fresh album they dropped like an anvil right on top of your weekend. Of course this isn’t the first time they’ve been there, nor the first time some Pop-ish upstarts made a Major Statement at the French museum, but it would seem to be a major escalation in the Carters x Louvre relationship, to say nothing of the pride re: their own marital ties that the album and video are so keen to showcase. When worlds (and genres) collide is still a strong trend across multiple spheres of art and culture—turning meaning and message into something of a competitive game of Russian nesting dolls or an arms race of spectacle-based oneupmanship—but what might we make of this night at the museum if considered in light of the 1960s Marxist avant-garde French Situationist International? Founded in 1957 by Guy “Barrel of Laughs” Debord and Asger “Beware the Palette Knife” Jorn, the Situationists were guys and gals, but mostly guys, who wanted to, as the name would indicate, create some situations and elevate to the level of philosophy the notion of taking a freaking walk outside. But they also had a strategy! And key among their techniques, to which you can probably attribute the rise of “culture jamming” and just whatever Banksy thinks he’s doing, was the détournement. Discussed in chapter 8 of Debord’s 1967 tract The Society of the Spectacle, the technique calls for taking advantage of existing cultural objects or canonized art, rerouting their message, and even advocates for theft: “Plagiarism is necessary. Progress depends on it. It sticks close to an author’s phrasing, exploits his expressions, deletes a false idea, replaces it with the right one.” You would not have wanted this guy for your editor, but if you were looking to smash the state (of meaning), Debord was your man.

So, if “détournement serves as a reminder that theory is nothing in itself, that it can realize itself only through historical action and through the historical correction that is its true allegiance,” then is the spectacle of “Apeshit” a glam, historical correction of the Western assumption that houses of European culture contain the highest achievements of man- and womynkind? Beyoncé and Jay-Z have more clout and pull at this point than a merely rich person or garden-variety aristocrat putzing around the Cotswolds or Monaco, and they built that for themselves. When they pull off a stunt like this, it feels like another chime in the prosperity gospel that Doreen St. Félix examined in the arc of Rihanna’s career, as well as further evidence that the ability to make a compelling spectacle of oneself, to write a personal narrative as large as that of the progress of a civilization, is success. The false idea here is white supremacy, and perhaps the correction then is that European colonialists may not have had the time or the means to make their masterpieces if it weren’t for the economic boon of slavery and historical pillaging of resources from southern and eastern continents for the benefit of countries like France. The Situationists didn’t really like spectacle much (“The spectacle in general, as the concrete inversion of life, is the autonomous movement of the non-living”) but they recognized that it was inescapable in modern society (“The spectacle is not a collection of images, but a social relation among people, mediated by images”). Given this circumstance, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, god bless them, would appear to be doing their best to create a spectacle that people who look like them can see themselves in too, as opposed to the near uninterrupted stream of black death spectacle the media and world is awash in on a day to day basis. Look forward to hearing this jam blasting out of car speakers this summer—it’ll be a real situation. The surprise release of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Jay-Z’s new album, Everything Is Love, (credited as “The Carters” on the album to recognize they’re performing as a united duo, not as individuals) on Saturday, June 16 has left the music world reeling. Already, what fans have been carefully dissecting – and what we’re interested in unpacking, too – is the imagery from the music video for the album’s lead single, “APESHIT”. The six-minute video is likely going to be considered one of the best of 2018, with The Carters and a troupe of dancers taking over the Louvre. In case you couldn’t already tell, the fact that Bey and Jay Z even got unfettered access to the Louvre for their own use is a stunning power move – adding a glorious power to the “APESHIT” lyric “I can’t believe we made it/ This is why we’re thankful”. Let’s start with the primary location in “Apeshit”: the Louvre. Historically, it’s a predominately white space that primarily features white, male-created works of art. It’s a microcosm of history, which itself is mostly white, male, and heterosexual. Tradition and the Louvre go hand-in-hand, too, which means that Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s presence is a total disruption from the beginning. For modern audiences and fans of The Carters, the disruption is surely welcome. Not only can we expect to see (and do see) The Carters standing next to some of the most famous works of art, including the Mona Lisa and Winged Victory of Samothrace, but we see that they are aligning themselves with it right out of the gate. Their presence in a place that preserves what history has deemed the most important artworks, standing next to said art while themselves looking like art and using their body language to engage with this art, already implies they are as worthy of being there as the older work. It’s a middle finger to convention, a dare aimed at squarely at the gatekeepers of history and artistic tradition: You know we deserve to be here. The Carters begin positioning themselves as iconography from the moment we first see them, standing in front of the “Mona Lisa”. Sure, it’s a callback to the first time they took a photo with arguably the most famous painting in history back in 2014, but something is different this time around. Like the “Mona Lisa”, Beyoncé and Jay-Z are dressed simply, but powerfully. Suits for both, in bright colours and styles specific to their tastes and representative of the times they live in; again, just like the “Mona Lisa”. But even more of an echo of the painting is their expressions: a strong stare straight ahead, lips pressed together, shoulders back. They are telegraphing to us that they are as iconic as the “Mona Lisa”, without even saying a word. By donning expressions very much in the same vein as the iconic painting, they’re telling the viewer that they’re basically in the presence of a peer. But even more than that, they’re commenting on the beguiling and enticing space they occupy in our own culture. Much like the “Mona Lisa”, they are telling us that they know we think about them in a way we don’t think about other music artists. They know that we’ll spend hours analysing them and their work, attempting to find meaning in their movements and lyrics, trying to work out the symbols and icons they’ve put forth, and hoping to crack the impenetrable fortress they’ve built around them (from which they only emerge to become vulnerable when they want to). Humans have spent centuries trying to unpack the enigma of the “Mona Lisa” and still continue to do so to this day; do you really think you can figure out The Carters in a day? Another immensely important moment from “APESHIT” comes in the repeated glimpses of Marie-Guillemine Benoist’s “Portrait of a Black Woman (Negress)” from 1800. One of the few works of art painted by a woman in the Louvre, the painting is deeply important both as a feature in the Louvre and its place in art history, because it is the only painting of its time to depict a black woman who is not a slave or similarly subjugated person, but rather simply presented in all her glory.

The painting affirms that black women are worthy of being in artistic spaces, and in enduring imagery. The painting is shown a few times, and it’s the second to last painting we see before the video closes on Bey and Jay turning around to regard the “Mona Lisa” – further confirmation that Benoist’s painting and its subject deserve recognition. It’s also no accident that the “Winged Victory of Samothrace” statue is frequently seen in “APESHIT”. Implying triumph and power, the statue has endured over centuries, and The Carters imply just as much by once again standing in front of it, in perhaps a nod to their own triumph and the power they’ve achieved. According to the Louvre website for the piece, the statue depicts Nike, and was likely created to commemorate a naval victory by the Rhodians (who hail from Rhodes, part of the Dodecanese island group in Greece). The towering relic from the Hellenistic period is, as the Louvre’s description notes, intensely dramatic and glorifies the female body in connection with something traditionally masculine (victory in war). That endowment of power to a female body is then emulated in the female bodies that stand before it in present day, through Beyoncé and her troupe of female dancers. All of these women come together and move as one being, with Beyoncé presiding over them all. She is the modern image of victory over the warfare placed on her body, career, intellect, personal life; having succeeded, she can now dress like “Winged Victory” and, in a sense, pass along her victories to the women who dance on the steps in front of her. Twitter user Queen Curly Fry’s in-depth Twitter thread breaking down the art seen in “Apeshit” is thorough, and her comments on the incorporation of the “Venus de Milo” into the video is so neatly articulated that we couldn’t have said it better if we tried: “Here, Beyoncé once again models herself as a Greek statue, this time the Venus de Milo. However, in this shot she wears a nude bodysuit with wrapped hair, reframing both goddesses of beauty and victory as a black woman. This dismantles white-centric ideals of beauty.” Similarly, Twitter account Tabloid Art History nails why it’s so important and iconic for Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and her dancers to be dancing in front of “The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon and the Coronation of Empress Joséphine” by Jacques Louis David from 1804: “What I especially like about this part of the video is that the painting itself depicts a disruption, Napoleon taking the Pope’s role from him and crowning Josephine himself. Beyoncé further disrupts this by taking on Josephine’s role as the one being crowned.” If we consider Napoleon’s role as a major coloniser in the early 19th century, particularly in Northern Africa, then Beyoncé’s placement in the shot is extra symbolic. Beyoncé standing underneath the place where Napoleon is seen crowning his wife in the painting is a symbolic retrieval of stolen power. One of the other paintings we see in “APESHIT” is another Jacques-Louis David painting, “The Intervention of the Sabine Women.” Interestingly, we only see portions of the painting, never the entire artwork. This could be a sly comment on the dissection and appropriation of black bodies by white culture for their own aesthetic uses – or it could just be a deft use of quick cuts for dramatic effect for the video. Or maybe it’s both.   Twitter user Queen Curly Fry notes here that the painting, for the puposes of “APESHIT”, depicts “(white) female fear evoked by (white) male violence is juxtaposed w/ (black) female empowerment (‘get off my dick’).” The painting’s use of white female tears –long criticised as a way for white women to shift any blame they deserve for racist behaviour, or to turn a blind eye to racial injustice – is in direct contrast with Beyoncé and her dancers’ freedom, calm, and enlightenment. In the end, “APESHIT” is a triumph because it is a statement that only The Carters could successfully make. The visual tells the powers that be to fuck off with their tradition, their preciously guarded history that has sought to erase non-white people from the history books, and their preconceived notions about how black bodies can be ornamental. They’ve used art to push back, to demand honour for the work they’ve contributed. “APESHIT” is a force to be reckoned with, and The Carters’ use of art to make a statement is an announcement to the world that they’ve shaped culture as much as anything hanging on a gallery wall.

[iuinspires]

IU and Her Old Soul

My latest obsession: to watch videos of IU’s live performances of Korean oldies.

Any IU fan should be familiar with IU’s love for old songs, which she said was developed through karaoke sessions with her dad in her younger days. IU has often professed her respect and admiration for the work of her sunbaenims in the music industry, and her two Flower Bookmark albums, which feature remakes of Korean oldies, are perhaps the best testament to her love for the classics.

I love these two albums – I think songs from the yesteryear possess a certain beauty and flavour which IU leverages to showcase the unique charm of her voice. So it was with great delight that I discovered these four IU covers of Korean oldies that I had not heard of previously. Before I delve further into each of them, I must emphasize that each song is beautiful in itself, and due credit must be given to their original composers and performers for creating such wonderful music. But for me, IU’s rendition of these songs enhances the listening experience – she reinterprets each of them in her own special way, while staying true to the spirit of the original compositions. Also, what I really like about these four songs is that they showcase IU’s versatility as a singer in being able to pull off a variety of styles. Let me just elaborate a little on each of them.  

Love is Like Rainwater Outside the Window 

This IU cover of Yang Soo Kyung’s 1989 hit has become my absolute favourite in recent days, and I’ve been re-watching it obsessively ever since I discovered it. Other than MBC’s clumsy translation of the song title, everything about it is perfect. I love the beautiful accompaniment of the saxophone and flute, and how IU breezily sails through the song with her signature light, breathy vocals that complement the jazzy vibes of this rearranged piece perfectly. I’m by no means a vocal expert, but I think that characteristic huskiness and “breathiness” of IU’s voice go really well with this song, which she performs here with flair and aplomb. I think IU was aware of how well she had performed too at that point in time, for I notice that little smile of triumph that she broke into right at the end.  It’s also delightful to see how appreciative the audience is – you can see everyone from ahjummas to young men beaming and singing along – which to me is a testament to IU’s ability to connect to people of all ages through her music. It’s such a pity that this seems to be the only time she has sung this live – I do hope to hear her sing this elsewhere in future!

Old Love; Story of a 60-year Old Couple  

Old Love and Story of a 60-year old couple were originally sung by Kim Kwang Seok and Lee Moon Sae respectively – both legendary singers whom IU has expressed respect for on many occasions, and whose songs she has covered in her Flower Bookmark albums. I’ve put these two songs together because they give me similar vibes; both feature beautiful, melancholy melodies with poignant lyrics lamenting the loss of a loved one. I love these songs so much for their pure, soothing melodies, and I believe IU does too, for she has performed them on more than one occasion. Listening to IU sing these songs, what stands out most for me is her ability to emote and convey their heart-wrenching sadness through her soulful voice; listening to her sing brings tears to my eyes and gives me little goose bumps. I notice how she always closes her eyes for these performances and seems completely immersed in her emotions. That, to me, shows another strength of IU as a musician – her ability to invest in the emotions of her music, and convey this to her audience.

Most Ordinary Existence 

I was deeply fascinated from the first time I stumbled on this clip, but was frustrated at the same time - because without any English translation on the YouTube link, it took me the longest time to figure out the context of this performance (it was Ep 199 of Sketchbook!) and the background of this song. With some intense Googling I eventually found out that this was IU’s cover of a 2008 release* by Korean Indie group Sisters’ Barbershop who debuted in 1996 and whom she later collaborated with in 2017. (*Ok, so technically this song isn’t really an oldie, depending on how you define the term, but it is 10 years old now!)

It’s hard to describe my fascination with this song, but there’s something about it that feels whimsical, mysterious and full of contradictions – the beat is repetitive and the tune almost monotonous at first, yet the song is annoyingly catchy at the same time - and IU delivers it in a seemingly nonchalant, careless way in a flat tone, yet manages to ooze plenty of charm and attitude in doing so. If Love is like Rainwater showcases IU’s husky vocals while Old Love and Story demonstrate her ability to emote, I think Most Ordinary Existence shows her ability to exercise restraint over her voice (which clearly has capability to deliver more strength) to suit the style of the song where needed.

To sum up, I think these performances demonstrate not just IU’s versatility as a performer, but her varied taste and genuine love and respect for music. I remember being distinctly annoyed with an article which suggested that the Flower Bookmark album was released as a clever marketing ploy to attract an audience of an older demographic after she had alienated part of her younger fan base with her “scandal”. Whoever wrote that article clearly knows nothing about IU, who has been covering old songs since her debut days, and whose sincerity in wanting to pay tribute to the classics she loves is clear from what she’s said and done all these years, such as her heartfelt performances of the songs above. But I guess it doesn’t matter what others think – as IU said herself, you can’t please everyone, and being successful means finding people who like your honest thoughts and what you produce. IU’s passion and dedication to music is clear, and if she continues to do what she loves, her sincerity will always resonate with the right audience.

[luuurien]

Wednesday - Mowing the Leaves Instead of Piling ‘em Up

(Noise Pop, Shoegaze, Alt-Country)

Re-recording classic country and rock songs with a shoegaze twist, Wednesday's new cover album is a killer batch of new tracks that makes these nine songs completely theirs. Rip-roaring guitars and hearty singing from Karly takes the melancholy underlying all these songs and puts it right at the storm's center. 

☆☆☆☆☆

Wednesday's influences have never been clearer than they are on Mowing the Leaves Instead of Piling 'em Up. The North Carolina shoegaze group fronted by Karly Hartzman has found their stride in a mix of alt-country blues, folk inspired vulnerability, and the gravitas of 90s shoegaze and noise rock, but it's always been cut up into distinct parts of their discography. Now, they're putting it all together on this collection of nine cover songs, performing songs from everyone from Smashing Pumpkins to Roger Miller in such an electrifying new way that these beloved songs become completely theirs. It's powerful reinterpretation of the highest caliber, a band reshaping songs in a way that's irrevocably theirs. The heartbreak and loneliness in these songs is even more apparent through the thick guitar walls Wednesday builds, recontextualizing every word by drowning you in noise and revealing the true gloominess of them all. Beginning with Gary Stewart's honky tonk classic She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin Double), they slow the tempo and coat the song in a charcoal powder of sharp distorted guitars that whip the song into a frenzy, building towards something closer to the brink of a meltdown rather than the comedic heartbreak Stewart originally performed the song with (the glorious key change after the first chorus only furthers this intense chemical reaction). When they cover those eternal 90s classics with their version of Smashing Pumpkins' Perfect and Medicine's Time Baby II, Wednesday's place on the gloomier side of noise pop puts these songs in a dimension of sorrow they haven't ever been to before, the mix of kiddie carnival wah-wah guitars manipulated to a demonic extent on Time Baby II so whiplashing it's incredible they've remade a song so similar to their own sound in this unique a fashion. They even try their hand at a newer tune with a more desert-dry version of Hotline TNT's Had 2 Try, and it's the closest they get to directly emulating the sound of the original song. They're committed to breathing new life into all these songs, and it's done with a staggering level of originality too. It's imperative that Wednesday's versions of these songs don't lose sight of where the original song came from, and it helps that the genres they're pulling from aren't far off from the band's usual pathos of heartache and loneliness. Country music's commercialization in the modern day makes it easy to forget the genre's honest, pure-hearted roots, and through their contemporary sound Wednesday brings those feelings back to life completely. They take Chris Bell's I Am the Cosmos and make it even more desolate, the bony percussion and warped vocal tracking tell this escapist tale through the music as much as the words themselves; Drive-By Truckers lament on alcoholism with Women without Whiskey treats every riotous guitar chord like the cold buzz of a bottle to the lips and MJ Lenderman's vocal lead brings that Southern twang an Americana jam like this deserves. The spirit of these songs is preserved, but Wednesday takes that DNA and combines it with something completely out of the ordinary, a crossbreed we've never seen this way before. Mowing the Leaves Instead of Piling em' Up is the perfect cover album: one that redecorates the stage while keeping the story all the same. Wednesday drags these songs through muddy waters and prickly brush, giving them a treatment of the band's sour guitar tones and delightfully distasteful embrace of harsh noise and distortion that renders the country tunes even more forlorn and the rock songs doubly as propellant. It's no less impressive how good these songs are because they're covers: Wednesday take the format and make it theirs entirely by not sacrificing a drop of what's made their music so great from the start. They love these songs just as much as the ones they write themselves, and without these inspirations they pay respect to here Wednesday might not sound as enchanting as they do, and the fun that the band has giving these songs their signature shoegaze clamor is impossible to hate. It's lovely music made by lovely musicians, and nothing can get in the way of that magic.

[tinymixtapes]

Interview: Oliver Coates

Composer, producer, and cellist Oliver Coates recently released Shelley’s on Zenn-La, his third solo full-length and first on RVNG Intl. The album relies on a peculiar splicing of IDM, distilled pop, and faint folk that manifests a multicolored, amaranthine microcosm. Located on the fictional planet Zenn-La, it is home to an apocryphal amalgam of Shelley’s Laserdome, the fabled Stoke-on-Trent nightclub from the late 80s/early 90s, and a futuristic dance floor whose inhabitants are possessed by a perpetual, time-displaced dance to the sounds of early rave, electronica, and minimalism. Shelley’s on Zenn-La is both a synthesis of previous works and a departure in Coates’s diverse and fruitful career, his projects and collaborations almost too many to mention. In the realm of classical music, he is the primary cellist for the London Contemporary Orchestra and has worked with the likes of Laurie Spiegel and John Luther Adams. Outside of it, he has collaborated with Mica Levi on 2016 album Remain Calm and with Laurie Tompkins on 2018’s Ample Profanity; contributed to Radiohead, Laurel Halo, and Mark Fell records; and performed with Steve Reich, Terry Riley, Dean Blunt, Actress, and Genesis P-Orridge. He has also participated in the making of several film scores, including those for the masterful Under the Skin with Mica Levi and The Master and Phantom Thread with Jonny Greenwood. But on Shelley’s on Zenn-La, Coates is alone, acting as both a playful tinkerer and a studious composer. Coates builds the record’s song structures by challenging himself, looking for noises that sound gorgeous and meticulously incorporating curious segments into wider narratives. Tinkling FM synthesis and drum sequences composed in Renoise are contrasted and augmented by processed and transformed cello lines. Here, his trademark cello becomes another source of samples, equipotent with all other effects he employs. In a way, Coates creates his own all-encompassing instrumentarium of sounds, as idiosyncratic as the fictional world he explores and one that is only occasionally visited by Kathryn Williams’s enveloping flute, Chrysanthemum Bear’s ethereal vocal lines, and Malibu’s spoken word. We caught up with Coates to talk about Shelley’s on Zenn-La, among other things. --- Shelley’s on Zenn-La emanates a warm and welcoming feeling, a certain sense of optimism. Thanks! At the mastering stage, I asked for it not to be squeezed like commercial electronic music, so that we might preserve the internal dynamic balances as much as possible. I think coldness perceived in electronic music may partly be connected to listening fatigue, where pounding transients are all peaking at the same level and eliminate dynamic relationships between instrument groupings. I’m anti music feeling as if everything is brick wall limited. I don’t need the kick drum to shake anything. It connects back to the music: I have this background playing Bach cello suites where some of the best bass notes are imagined or implied rather than heard because there’s not so much scope for polyphony on a monophonic instrument. I sometimes like skeletal textures, where the listener is coaxed into imagining parts of the music image. More room for fantasy that way. The album and its title evoke a sort of British retrofuturism. It sounds bittersweet and melancholy, but ultimately optimistic. Like something that Sun Ra would have made had he been clubbing and raving in the late 80s and early 90s. Were you guided by a concept while working on the record? There was no concept, just having fun making tracks for RVNG. Towards the end, that title came to me. The tracks were describing the environment of this impossible space. I edited the album down into something tighter against that image, depicting a series of buildings, public pleasure activities like in Brave New World, and the topography of the outlying countryside and nature. The music also seems to be a personal reflection, a soundtrack devoted to certain places, London chiefly. Is this something you’ve consciously tried to achieve — using the music to capture and channel subjective impressions of certain areas, neighborhoods, and cities? Is it at all nostalgic? Perhaps. London is not that important to me culturally. It’s fun to be with your friends or singing in a choir or something. I see failure and friction and busy-ness for its own sake. The terror of being still. I wasn’t consciously describing anything when I was coming up with the music, more listening and seeing what happens. Shelley's on Zenn-La by Oliver Coates I sometimes like skeletal textures, where the listener is coaxed into imagining parts of the music image. More room for fantasy that way. Has your work with Lawrence Lek, which must have been impressionistic on some level, provided you with any guidance while constructing Shelley’s? I think Lawrence and I have always shared a similar fondness for the adoption of real spaces and transforming them into fantasy. In that context, does any of the day-to-day sociopolitical stuff seep into your work? Making a music LP, I hope to constitute an experience more than a takeaway message. My nature seems averse to tribal or ideological thinking. I’m more interested in friendship and family and effecting change through relationships. More interested in chatting about Beckett than Br_x_t. Shelley’s often reminds me of a contemporary (re)interpretation of the IDM/techno/dance scenes of the late 80s/early 90s. Were you chasing that particular sound? Nah, none of that first part rings true. I wasn’t reinterpreting or interpreting anything. I was guided by pleasure, which sounds a bit dodgy, but also giving myself mini-technical challenges such as two simultaneous bass lines (“A Church”), two imaginary drummers in different acoustics going crazy to one click track (“Cello Renoise”), wonky scales, and fake Gaelic folk music (“Charlev”). The album has a very distinct flow that feels quite deliberate. Yet, given some of your previous work, I can’t help but wonder whether any of its parts were improvised? Improvising is there, for sure. I have just enjoyed this twix bar a great deal. On this release, I edited it quite heavily. The residual ghosts of improvisation are sometimes what fascinate you; they somehow have higher authority over your conscious self. I might edit over and over, then go back 10 stages to find a set of performance actions you made when you weren’t remotely aware of what you were doing or what the shape was going to be — these always seem to be more compelling. Many of the tracks were much longer, and I was heading for double-album territory. I had a good chat with Matt [from RVNG] and decided to cut it into a manageable form. Eight hours of ambient cello patterns bouncing around in Pure Data can come later. Do you prefer working within improvised contexts like Remain Calm with Mica Levi or fully composed and premeditated? Changes all the time. I feel comfortable with certain people around, being in a room with certain people gives me a good amount of ideas that seem fresh. Sometimes I like the hard and fast decisions that have gone into composition, because they’ve been made painstakingly. Looking at your solo releases, there appears to be a progression in your approach to the cello. You use its unaltered sound on Towards the Blessed Islands and subvert it to produce unexpected sounds on Upstepping, while on Shelley’s you rely more on sound synthesis and electronic effects with the cello pushed back. That first solo record is an album of performances of music written by other people (David F/Hennessy, Laurence Crane, Larry Goves, Max de Wardener, Iannis X). I think the answer to this question lies in live performances that are centered around live cello performance. I play a New Age melodic sound with ambient synths, Romantic cello lines juxtaposed with aspects of digital music which I trigger and manipulate with my foot controller. I hope I can make more music for records in the future that is actually closer to my live stuff and more about nuanced live cello playing and computer music juxtaposed. More interested in chatting about Beckett than Br_x_t. In that sense, “Prairie” is somewhat of an outlier, with the cello its sole actor. Is there some kind of story behind this specific joyful cut? Years ago, I was approached to make music for an app about the Apollo 11 moon landings. The project got shelved, and I was left with some music I really liked, so I used this one. It was what this record needed. With your focus shifting to electronic music, do you still enjoy the performative aspects of interpreting someone else’s work as a cellist? Yes. Working with Larry Goves, Alexia Sloane, Laurel Halo — there are so many good composers out there. Has your background in classical music influenced your musical journey outside that specific realm? Realms, moving outside, journeys; I like all these connotations of physical play set against music. Classical Music functions a bit more like an industry. I don’t think it’s a type of music, for sure. There’s 800 years of notated music. I turn up on time because of my background in orchestral structures. As both a performer within LCO and someone who creates music using computers, how do these two aspects of your art relate? They both feel like second nature. My relationship with LCO has never been formalized; it’s nice and chill. Editing sound on the computer is about taste ultimately, same goes for how you play the cello. Your music appears in a constant state of flux, yet I wonder if there’s some other overarching theme in your work? There is, actually, but I’m holding it back for the time being — you can’t control things so much on the surface — but yes, there’s a backbone to the progression of each release. Tell me a bit about Ample Profanity with Laurie Tompkins. I’m aware that Tompkins has a very intense and unique creative process. As far as I know, this is the first time you’ve sung on a record, and your playing seems to be pushed even further than usual. We’re old friends, and Laurie T is a fine composer. His music is more extreme than mine (hence the shouting and so on at the start and the arrhythmia), but it’s fantastic to play in a live duo with him. He’s a subversive kind of performer, nuts skills he has, and I honestly don’t know where it comes from. By the way, I sang on track 1 of the first album, Towards the Blessed Islands, “The room is the resonator.” You’ve collaborated with a multitude of musicians from different scenes in different contexts. Do these collaborations affect your solo music? For example, certain elements of Shelley’s on Zenn-La’s sound seem to be hiding in pupal stage on cuts from Remain Calm. No overlap between RC and SOZ-L. Cello playing is there in both, but RC was a quick, fun, lo-fi thing. I can’t accurately say what has been transformative for me — meeting Genesis P-Orridge and improvising/underscoring her reading out Burroughs at Sophia Brous’s Dream Machine event in NYC taught me a lot, just on the unconscious level. Having moved to a fairly remote part of Scotland, are we going to hear more folk influences in your work? Perhaps for the first part. Scottish Gaelic music is very beautiful to me. http://j.mp/2CCRVNn

[haviart]

Vivaldi: Stabat Mater dir. Sebastian Pańczyk | Official Trailer from Dobro on Vimeo.

A year ago we met on the set. Above all, it was an inspiring meeting, encounter of two worlds; film and opera. Vivaldi: Stabat Mater directed by Sebastian Pańczyk is our experiment, a musical film.

An attempt to reinterpret the symbolic Sorrowful Mother figure and contemplate empathy in this unusual form and feature narrative.

Today we present you trailer of the movie and a glimpse of this stirring performance.

The timeless opera masterpiece performed by amazing Jakub Józef Orliński & Capella Cracoviensis will have it’s own music album premiere - Vivaldi: Stabat Mater as a film will be a part of this publication by Warner Classic - coming in 2022.

In the meantime, take a look at the cinematic story and listen to mesmerizing vocal of Jakub himself.

Written & Directed by Sebastian Pańczyk Cinematography by Tomasz Augustynek

Dobro x Platige x Juice

Featuring Jakub Józef Orliński & Capella Cracoviensis Organized in collaboration with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.

[oneweekoneband]

This post was written by a good friend of mine, Vivian Zhu, who can be found on Tumblr here. 

It was the best of times, it was the worst of crimes

Imagine Bonnie and Clyde are arrested under the suspicion of having committed a serious crime together. However, because there is not enough evidence to convict them, the police separate them into two motel rooms and makes them the same deal: the one who offers evidence against the other will be freed. If neither of them confess, then both are let off with minor charges of drunk driving; if one of them confesses and the other stays silent, the confessor is freed and the one who stayed silent is convicted with the maximum sentence; if both of them confess, then both are convicted but are given a plea bargain and end up with a shorter sentence.

Imagine you’re Bonnie, and you have to choose between staying silent and confessing. What do you do?

This is the classic example of the Prisoner’s Dilemma in mathematical game theory, where two players must choose to either confess or stay silent without knowing which choice their partner will make. The most mutually beneficial scenario would be if both players stay silent. But staying silent is risky: without knowing for sure what Clyde will choose, you could end up being charged with a maximum sentence if your partner confesses while he goes free. The only way to avoid receiving a maximum sentence is to confess in case your partner does too, and you want to be free more than you want to be with him.

So you make your choice, and you don’t look back.

I’m in a getaway car / Left you in a motel bar / Put the money in the bag and I stole the keys / That was the last time you ever saw me

--

“Getaway Car” is my favorite song off of reputation, not just because it’s damn catchy with its pulsing synth-pop beat and high energy composition, but also because it’s Taylor’s best narrative in a post-“I would very much like to be excluded from this narrative” world. While a number of songs from reputation are about telling her side of things after her titular reputation has been ruined, “Getaway Car” is the only one that tells a story in which she is in complete control and takes a carefully calculated risk that pays off.

I’m frustrated by the fact that every other article about this song is obsessed with trying to identify which ex-lover this song is about, because doing so misses the point entirely: “Getaway Car” is the story of how she got away, and I’m much more interested in the way this song is about betting on yourself in the face of uncertainty.

At the heart of this song is a reinterpretation of the Bonnie and Clyde mythos, two real-life American criminals who were young, in love, and on the run from police for years before finally getting ambushed and killed in their getaway car by law enforcement officers. For years, their exploits captured the attention of the American public, immortalized and glamorized in spite of the murders and robberies they were on the run for in the first place. And while the original story ends in their tragic deaths, Bonnie and Clyde are often used as the example characters in discussing the Prisoner’s Dilemma in introductory economics lectures.

We were jet-set Bonnie and Clyde / Until I switched to the other side / To the other si-i-i-i-ide / It's no surprise I turned you in / 'Cause us traitors never win

Between the real-life version where everyone dies and the game theory interpretation where Bonnie and Clyde are offered the choice to turn each other in, it’s no surprise that Taylor deferred to the latter. The ability to choose to betray and subsequently get off scot-free is of course the rational choice, and when it comes down to it, this song is a rationalization of why she betrayed her partner-in-crime even if she says she’s sorry he had to take that shotgun shot to the heart.  

This song is a confession and half an apology to the Clyde figure, not so much because she regrets using him but rather that he got hurt in the process. “Getaway Car” is a story told in hindsight, a confession of why she needed to get away, how she knew it was doomed from the start, and an attempt at shifting the responsibility on him if only he saw the same signs she did: don’t pretend it’s such a mystery that things turned out the way they did; he shoulda known I’d be the first to leave because didn’t he know that nothing good starts in a getaway car anyway?

As Taylor explains in the prologue of the album booklet: “We are all a mixture of selfishness and generosity, loyalty and self-preservation, pragmatism and impulsiveness.” “Getaway Car” allows her to creates space for herself to be complicated and calculating but not without pity and understanding in a world that tries to reduce her into a version of her she never agreed to. Whether or not that’s fair isn’t up for debate: she instead takes the matter into her own hands, and gave us a new narrative to consider and a great song to dance along to.

[8dpromo]

Unconscious Honey - Loose Beginnings (Random Records)

8DPromo · Unconscious Honey - Loose Beginnings (Random Records)

In Summer 2020, Random Records released the debut album by Unconscious Honey, Being A Stranger, a collection of future synth-pop classics written by Björn Trenker that featured all lead vocals sung via a robotic vocoder effect. Co-produced with husband Paul Bonomo, aka Snax, it distilled Trenker’s life experiences into unique pop creations. Influences ranged from early 90’s pop like Deee-Lite, Army Of Lovers, and Betty Boo to the cinematic aesthetics of Cassavetes, Kubrick and Todd Haynes, to the life and work of authors Gloria Steinem and Samuel Steward. Positive responses included online magazine Kaltblut naming the album one of the best dance music albums in 2020. Now, Random is proud to present Unconscious Honey’s second collection, Loose Beginnings, which collects all the songs from the debut, now reinterpreted by an exciting array of queer guest vocalists, all with ties to the open and diverse German capital of Berlin. Participants were given freedom to bring their own unique personality to the songs and the results are intriguing, with new dimensions and human textures added to each. Trenker expands on the concept: “Loose Beginnings tells a piece of my queer life story. I wanted to communicate that openly and unfiltered. And through these new recordings, my songs themselves become ‘loose beginnings’ for new protagonists.” Three exciting dance floor filling remixes round out the set. The guest list includes tremendous artists, all at different stages in their musical journey. Joey from the Netherlands, currently working on her own debut album, is a star on the rise, and offers her distinctive and soulful voice on “Being A Stranger” and “Good Light”. Swedish born Ed Astronaut only recently started pursuing his musical aspirations — a ‘loose beginner’ if you will — so he shines on the title track. Polish-German soul singer and frequent Snax collaborator Mavin, formerly with Manhooker, released his debut on Random in 2018, so naturally he was on board to offer pop stylings on “Exploited Devotion”. On “Sleepless”, Mavin is joined by fierce glam singer Dan Perry, currently fronting his own band Merely Minds. Grume, who hails from Hungary and has already made a name for himself in the post-industrial band LATH, takes on the brooding “Abandoned To Desire”, while French-Swiss musician and dear friend Steev Lemercier provides his unique blend of light and darkness on “Radiate”. Artist and musician Jon Campbell, who made waves recently with two baroque pop albums, was the perfect choice to handle “Darkroom Tease”. And finally, there’s electronic soul musician and co- producer Snax, who brings baritone, falsetto and a choir to “High Strung”. In addition to the re-sung recordings, this collection features three exciting remixes, tailor-made for when clubs finally reopen their doors. Berghain/Panorama Bar resident DJ ND Baumecker and Snax have teamed up as Snecker. Not only do they mold “Casual Touch” into their own psychedelic four-on-the-floor style, but they involve themselves in the concept of the album with a little re-singing as well. Snax then assumes his Box Office Poison persona to serve up an epic big club, ‘90s-style deep dub of “Abandoned To Desire”. Finally, French producer and sound artist Electrosexual delivers audio carnal delights in his Extended Pleasure remix of “Darkroom Tease”. As an extra bonus, Random is offering the entire instrumental version of Being A Stranger as an exclusive release on their Bandcamp page. Now you can be join our eclectic gang of singers and artists and sing along to the tracks that move you, too! So, be a stranger and join us on our loose beginning, and let’s get Unconscious Honey!

Hifi Sean (Plastique Recordings) – “Box Office Dub is Everything. Yes, yes, yes!” Severins (HorseMeatDisco) – “Wow. Great project, love it. Big support.” Massimiliano Pagliara (Baihu) – “Great package. Love it.” Luis Machuca (Friskybeat Records) – “Nice album. Very well crafted.” Snooba (Radio Panik) – “This is honey for the ears.” Sandro Bianchi (Ibiza Sonica) – “Love it. Supersexy!” Hober Mallow (Mighty Reel) – “Unique and diverse sounding LP. Love the cinematic overtones, and great vocals.”

Available Now From: Bandcamp, Beatport, Apple Music, And Spotify.

[tomorrowedblog]

Friday Releases for April 30

Friday is the busiest day of the week for new releases, so we've decided to collect them all in one place. Friday Releases for April 30 include Limbo, Yasuke, New Pokémon Snap, and more.

Limbo

Limbo, the new movie from Ben Sharrock, is out today.

Limbo is a wry and poignant observation of the refugee experience, set on a fictional remote Scottish island where a group of new arrivals await the results of their asylum claims. It centers on Omar (Amir El-Masry), a young Syrian musician who is burdened by his grandfather’s oud, which he has carried all the way from his homeland.

Without Remorse

Without Remorse, the new movie from Stefano Sollima, is out today.

In a war-torn region of Syria, an elite team of Navy SEALs led by Sr. Chief John Kelly (Michael B. Jordan) rescues a CIA operative taken hostage by ex-Russian military forces. Three months later, in apparent retaliation for his role in the mission, Kelly’s pregnant wife Pam (Lauren London) is murdered in the U.S. by a squad of masked Russian assassins. Despite being shot multiple times himself, Kelly manages to kill all but one of the attackers before being rushed to the hospital.

Meanwhile in Washington D.C., Kelly’s friend and former SEAL team member Lt. Commander Karen Greer (Jodie Turner-Smith) meets with CIA agent Robert Ritter (Jamie Bell) and Secretary of Defense Thomas Clay (Guy Pearce) to discuss their response options. Leaked news of Russia’s unprecedented attack on American soil has caused the already-strained relations between the two nations to sour further. If something isn’t done soon the result could be a full-scale war.

Healed from his injuries, a rogue Kelly tracks down the corrupt Russian diplomat who issued the passports to his wife’s murderers, and forces him at gunpoint to give up the name of the surviving assassin. Sent to prison for the crime, Kelly bargains his way out by revealing the escaped operative is one Victor Rykov (Brett Gelman), an ex-Special Forces officer currently hiding in Murmansk, Russia.

With Secretary Clay’s reluctant approval, Kelly joins Greer and Ritter on a top-secret mission to capture Rykov and bring him back to the U.S. to face justice. But en route to Murmansk, their plane is shot down by the Russian Air Force and plummets into the Bering Sea. Using their SEAL skills to survive the crash, they eventually make their way to Rykov’s location, only to discover that the murder of Kelly’s family was part of a vast international conspiracy orchestrated by powerful political figures. Torn between personal honor and loyalty to his country, and with the fate of nations hanging in the balance, Kelly has no choice but to expose the truth, no matter the cost.

About Endlessness

About Endlessness, the new movie from Roy Andersson, is out today.

ABOUT ENDLESSNESS is a reflection on human life in all its beauty and cruelty, its splendor and banality. We wander, dreamlike, gently guided by our Scheherazade-esque narrator. Inconsequential moments take on the same significance as historical events: a couple floats over a war-torn Cologne; on the way to a birthday party, a father stops to tie his daughter’s shoelaces in the pouring rain; teenage girls dance outside a cafe; a defeated army marches to a prisoner-of-war camp. Simultaneously an ode and a lament, ABOUT ENDLESSNESS presents a kaleidoscope of all that is eternally human, an infinite story of the vulnerability of existence.

The Outside Story

The Outside Story, the new movie from Casimir Nozkowski, is out today.

While on a tight deadline, an introverted editor (Brian Tyree Henry) is locked out of his apartment. In order to find his way back inside, he’s forced to interact with… his neighbors.

Four Good Days

Four Good Days, the new movie from Rodrigo García, is out today.

A long-estranged mother and daughter navigate the most difficult four days of their lives together in a heartbreaking and hopeful story based on real-life events.

The Mitchells vs. The Machines

The Mitchells vs. The Machines, the new movie from Michael Rianda and Jeff Rowe, is out today.

The Mitchells vs. The Machines is an original animated comedy about an everyday family’s struggle to relate while technology rises up around the world! When Katie Mitchell (voiced by Abbi Jacobson), a creative outsider, is accepted into the film school of her dreams, her plans to meet “her people” at college are upended when her nature-loving dad Rick (voiced by Danny McBride) determines the whole family should drive Katie to school together and bond as a family one last time.

The Virtuoso

The Virtuoso, the new movie from Nick Stagliano, is out today.

Danger, deception, and murder descend upon a sleepy country town when a professional assassin (Anson Mount) accepts a new assignment from his enigmatic mentor and boss (Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins). Given only where and when along with a cryptic clue, the methodical hit man must identify his mysterious mark from among several possible targets, including a local sheriff (David Morse). Meanwhile, a chance encounter with an alluring woman (Abbie Cornish) at the town’s rustic diner threatens to derail his mission in this noir-style cloak-and-dagger thriller.

The Disciple

The Disciple, the new movie from Chaitanya Tamhane, is out today.

A musician’s unadulterated devotion, a mirage-like quest for divinity, and the courage to fight your own mediocrity. The Disciple is the tale of an Indian classical vocalist, Sharad Nerulkar, searching for the traditional absolute in a contemporary city that never stops hustling.

Berlin Alexanderplatz

Berlin Alexanderplatz, the new movie from Burhan Qurbani, is out today.

An African immigrant struggles to make a new life for himself in the big city in writer-director Burhan Qurbani’s audacious, neon-lit reinterpretation of Alfred Döblin’s 1929 novel. After surviving his perilous journey, Francis vows to be a good man, but he soon realizes how difficult it is to be righteous while undocumented in Germany– without papers, without a nationality, and without a work permit. When he receives an enticing offer for easy money from the psychopathic gangster Reinhold, Francis initially resists temptation, but eventually he is sucked into Berlin’s underworld and his life spirals out of control.

Eat Wheaties!

Eat Wheaties!, the new movie from Scott Abramovitch, is out today.

Sid Straw (Tony Hale) leads a dull life until he accidentally stalks famous college friend, Elizabeth Banks, on social media. With each failed attempt to prove he knows her, he rediscovers more of himself and the true meaning of friendship.

The Innocent

The Innocent, the new TV series from Oriol Paulo, is out today.

An accidental killing leads a man down a dark hole of intrigue and murder. Just as he finds love and freedom, one phone call brings back the nightmare.

The Mosquito Coast

The Mosquito Coast, the new TV series from Neil Cross and Tom Bissell, is out today.

A brilliant rebel (Justin Theroux) and his wife (Melissa George) take their family on the run to protect them, but end up exposing them to more danger than ever. At every turn of their adventure, they encounter increasing threats and intensifying moral choices from which there’s no turning back.

Yasuke

Yasuke, the new TV series from LeSean Thomas, is out today.

In a war-torn feudal Japan filled with mechs and magic, the greatest ronin never known, Yasuke, struggles to maintain a peaceful existence after a past life of violence. But when a local village becomes the center of social upheaval between warring daimyo, Yasuke must take up his sword and transport a mysterious child who is the target of dark forces and bloodthirsty warlords.

Returnal

Returnal, the new game from Housemarque and Sony Interactive Entertainment, is out today.

After crash-landing on this shape-shifting world, Selene must search through the barren landscape of an ancient civilization for her escape. Isolated and alone, she finds herself fighting tooth and nail for survival. Again and again, she’s defeated – forced to restart her journey every time she dies.

New Pokémon Snap

New Pokémon Snap, the new game from Nintendo, is out today.

Welcome to the Lental region, whose islands hold everything from dense jungles to vast deserts! New Pokémon Snap is an all-new game inspired by the 1999 Nintendo 64 game Pokémon Snap. This Nintendo Switch adventure will take you from island to island on an ecological survey, photographing Pokémon and building your own Pokémon Photodex!

Parallel World

Parallel World, the new album from Cadence Weapon, is out today.

[thegroovethief]

#TGTfeature 014: Black Market [High Noon Audio: Nashville, Tennessee, USA] Diving deeply into the classics in a uniquely dubwise fashion, following African reggae star Rocky Dawuni, here comes #TGTfeature 014 with the prolific Black Market, known for his reinterpretations of musical icons as well as iconic movie and television soundtracks. This and forthcoming #TGTfeature articles will highlight dedicated musical talents by featuring their recent work as well as an in-depth interview. Thanks for your patience dear readers, 2020 has been a delight… Black Market’s latest project, a spookily delightful re-approach to the film Phantasm, enjoyed a timely October release; prior releases range from Bowie to Batman, and from Talking Heads to The Twilight Zone. Aside from his most recent engagement, building the High Noon Audio studio, the discussion covered his raison d'être, a range of releases, favorite gear, and much more. A bit about Black Market: - A skilled sonic culturalist, he’s taken on 20+ remix projects with an astounding level of quality - Known for his era-defying dub-fueled “collaborations,” there’s truly an entry point for all listeners in this ongoing re-imagining of the collective musical past - Opening High Noon Audio studio (in Nashville, Tennessee, USA), aimed at supporting artists with a DIY aesthetic

The Beach Boys - Endless Dub by Black Market

TGT: How do you define your musical role on your “commercial” releases? Remixer, reinterpeter, rearranger…? BM: When wearing my ‘Black Market’ hat, I definitely see myself as a remixer/producer, but the more I think about it the more I think any of those adjectives could easily describe what I do. I try and imagine Bowie or The Clash approaching me saying, ‘Hey, we want to make a reggae album. What do we need to do?’ and from that point all the musical reggae decisions I make are filtered through that mindset. How would Bowie play a reggae bass line? How would Brian Wilson turn “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” into a reggae arrangement? TGT: You propose an intriguing thesis: “What would happen if The Beach Boys had The Wailers as their backing band instead of The Wrecking Crew? What if David Bowie spent the summer of 1975 in Kingston, Jamaica with King Tubby instead of Philadelphia? Michael Jackson meets Scratch Perry?” What is your motivation to approach such legendary artists, and how do you handle the technical side of this, especially when there’s no a cappella available? BM: Initially, I knew I was motivated purely by my love for Bowie and my desire to pay tribute to his music. It was only after releasing Bowie In Dub that I realized that this would be a great way to build a following as well. Who cares about Joe Schmoe’s new EP? Now, Ziggy Stardust dubbed into outer space? That’s a whole different story for most people. Even if they hate it, the curiosity is too much for a lot of fans. My hope has always been to use these remix projects as a springboard for my own music. I don’t think I’m quite ready to branch out into original material just yet, but I can see it on the horizon.

Bowie in Dub by Black Market

TGT: I initially discovered you via your sci-fi projects, The Twilight Zone and Stranger Things specifically. You’ve also taken on The Outer Limits and most recently Phantasm. Phantas is fantastic! What attracts you to these spooky source materials, and what connects them to your dub-infused sound? BM: I am a gigantic sci-fi/horror nerd. I love horror movies so much, and many of them have such fantastic scores. A simple melody from a horror movie theme is sometimes all you need to go off of for a good dub track. Tackling stuff like that is also just a good way to break up the releases a bit, and to have a bit more fun with everything. When I’m remixing a major artist, I find myself being very focused on it because I really don’t want people to outright hate it. Horror fans are much more forgiving, and it gives me plenty of room to experiment with things and get weird with my music.

Phantasm by Black Market // Chudan

TGT: There’s always been a cheeky edge to your releases, despite their top-shelf production and cultural relevance. Given your prolific nature (25+ releases since 2015), which ones are you most proud of? BM: I release every EP with the assumption that it will either make people angry or they’ll just hate it. Luckily for me, that is usually never the case, but for that reason, I have to just be ready to laugh off whatever the reaction is to my releases. I try to do as good a job as possible, while at the same time not taking it so seriously that it isn’t fun. Black Market is a blast. If I had to pick a few favorites I would say Remain In Dub, The Outer Limits, Thin White Dub, and The Next Dub. Honestly, there are just too many at this point, I would like to think you could pick any one of them and get a good idea of what Black Market is all about. TGT: You’ve been hard at work on a new studio, High Noon Audio. What’s the process been behind creating that, what services do you aim to provide, and why’d you feel that was the right move now given all your other musical projects? BM: High Noon Audio is for musicians like me that make music on a shoestring budget, but want it to sound fantastic. It’s expensive to get studio time, and if you want your music mixed with outboard gear, or on an analog console, I would say 90% of musicians I know are priced out of that. I want to provide an affordable option for bands and artists who are DIY at heart and need someone in their corner to give their music the best chance possible to break through. Building High Noon Audio has been a crazy undertaking. I’ve always had outside mixing clients, but I’ve never had a reliable way for them to contact me or to see how much I’d charge. About a year ago I decided to start the process of giving my entire studio a rebuild from the ground up, which involved buying a console and tons of other analog gear. From there I contacted a friend of mine, Colin O’Shaughnessy Tucker, who does graphic design to help out with the look of the website and logo and I think he did a fantastic job. High Noon is just me, but someday I see it becoming a full studio with a tracking space and maybe another engineer. I’m dreaming big!

TGT: Any gear you’re particularly enamored with right now? How have you been using it, and is there a track or two where it’s prominently featured? BM: Yes! On the plugin side of things, the Magic Death Eye bundle by DDMF is incredible. Magic Death Eye is a compressor built by Ian Sefchick, who is better known as a lacquer cutting and mastering engineer at Capitol Studios in Hollywood. I got to know Ian a bit while I was working there and got to hear the real Magic Death Eyes in person, and they are incredible compressors. The plugin recreation by DDMF is a must-own. Ian makes all of his compressors himself (even hand-winding the transformers), so they routinely go for anywhere between $5,000-$10,000. The plugin does an incredible job of emulating the real thing, and I literally use it on more tracks than I can keep track of every time I start a new mix. As for analog gear, I recently purchased the legendary API 2500 Stereo Bus Compressor. It’s hard for me to add anything to what has already been said about this compressor. It’s a huge punchy sound that is perfect for a drum bus or a main mix bus. Crucial gear. TGT: It seems you are a strong proponent of the Patreon platform. How has your experience with that been so far, and what are the pros and cons of connecting with fans this way, given how decentralized musical access is online? BM: Patreon has been fantastic so far. It’s truly difficult to build (and keep) any kind of following doing what I do. Many of the more successful Patreon accounts pump out video or podcast content on a weekly basis, if not more often. I’m asking my Patrons to subscribe for something they will get once a month, and oftentimes I take breaks during the winter to recharge and plan for the year ahead like I am doing now. The cool thing is that the people who do sign up are usually genuine fans who like to engage with what I’m making and understand that they are supporting an independent artist. I’m so grateful for everyone who has signed up and I can honestly say that they all directly helped me create my new studio and workspace. Black Market and High Noon Audio are set to do amazing things in the coming year and much of that is due to my Patrons and supporters.