#capture core meanings and intents and throw light on the Vibe of it all while being able to be a Different Thing

[divinekangaroo]

...man I've really hit that stage of Old Womanhood where I seriously contemplate and long for novelisations of existing gaming / televised media? :/

[burts-baked-bees]

{If The World Was Ending          You’d Come Over Right? }

Author: ohhey-mishamigosx

Relationship: Cas x Reader

Warning : Violence, swearing, ANGST, idk what else, its for big kids. 

Word Count :  4404

A/N: I’ve been meaning to post more stories on here cuz AO3 is trash. This song gives me major SPN vibes so I made this. Its divided into 3 parts. The male sung verse/chorus is Cas’ POV, the female sung is Y/n’s POV, the part sang together will be both of them!  This took me a while to write and I’m so happy with how it came out! So enjoy! 

Summary: (A story written to the song lyrics of “If The World Was Ending”by JP Saxe &  Julia Michaels) Castiel and Y/n have had a complicated relationship since day one, but now Chuck is wiping out the world they know, and Y/n is nowhere to be found. 

                                                                         - PART ONE - CASTIEL’S POV - 

( Bold is Song Lyrics ) 

( Italics is Flash Back )

I Was Distracted, and In Traffic 

    The room was impossibly silent as a lone figure stood in a dark and dismal room, their head tilted to the heavens. Flashes of red were seen in the night sky, clouds outlined by the blood soaked light sending eerie shadows on the world below. The harsh flashes outlined the fabric of a worn trench coat and even older suit, the vessel wearing them was no stranger to the feeling of fear that filled his bones as the impending doom danced across the skies. He had been present for many of the earth's cleanings; from the Great Flood to some of his father’s more recent attempts at wiping the slate clean. But, in all those mass killings, those end of days times, he had never felt nearly as much dread as he felt in these very moments. 

I Didn’t Feel it, When The Earthquake Happened

As his blue eyes followed the red lighting across the ever expanding skies, he found himself thinking back to one singular person. 

   One small human of the billions on this planet had captured his mind and held it in bittersweet captivity. He just knew she was somewhere halfway across the country he was in, her eyes also fixated on the skies. And he, an angelic host of the Lord, prayed that she too was thinking of him, but he knew that to be far from the truth. He would know, he remarked, if she was sending out her thoughts to his almost graceless form. 

   The earth shook. 

   Castiel felt the very ground beneath his feet cry out in pain as a rumble filled his ears. He grabbed ahold of the wall next to him and dug his fingers into the plaster. He watched as dirt erupted from new forming holes and cracks in the surface of this once calm planet. He knew it was drawing to a close. He knew his father had had enough of the foolery of his creation, and now he was striking back. The end was near. 

   And he was alone. 

But It Really Got Me Thinking

“Well, look who’s back.” Her voice was soft, but bitter and it sent a shiver to the angels' very core. He turned his head from Elieen and met her gaze. The ghost of a smile was seen on his cracked lips as he took a step to face her fully. 

  “Hello Y/n.” He rasped, his blue eyes twinkling. Her expression didn’t change in the least bit as Sam came to rest behind her. He pursed his lips into a flat line and raised his brow at Castiel, making his confusion with her temperament known as well. Eileen signed something to Y/n and she responded quickly, too fast for Sam to see and unknown to Castiel. She stepped away from Sam and past Cas to lean her weight against the map table. 

  “What brought you back? Thought you and Dean were mad at each other again.” 

Sam looked to Castiel confused as the seraphim looked to his feet, then back at the woman across from him. 

   “I was told that Sam needed help with his….. Unusual wound ...” The words left his mouth like a plea for any form of relaxed conversation, but it met Y/n’s ears like a deflection of what she truly wanted him to say. She narrowed her eyes at him and smiled dryly while nodding. 

  “Yeah…” She pushed her weight off the table and brought her body impossibly close to his. Castiel felt his grace flare for a moment, the proximity of Y/n to him was affecting him in more ways than one. Her e/c eyes were fixated on his blue ones as he felt her body heat enter his own personal space. His Adam's apple bobbed as he tried his best to keep his eyes on her’s and not her weather beaten lips.  

      “That’s exactly what I thought you’d say…” Castiel felt like a spike of ice had entered his vessel. Her words cut him deeply as she made her way around him and out of the room. Sam, Eileen, and Cas watched as the hunter left the room with her arms crossed. The way she carried her obvious sour emotions resembling that of Dean, and giving Castiel yet another taste of the discomfort of being in the presence of this family. 

Were You Out Drinking?

Were You In The Living Room Chilling

Watching Television?

    The sky was growing darker and brighter all at once as the lone fallen angel made his way through the musty afterglow of the earthquake. His mind drifted to thoughts of Sam and Dean, and what they must be doing now. They always seemed to be at the center of earth shattering events, and this time must not be an exception. He imagined them throwing caution to the wind and pulling out all the stops in order to bring his father’s plans to its knees once again, like a never ending story book that had no definitive plot. He wondered however, as he looked to the rubble around him, if this time God had truly given up. If this was to be the ending to the creation he had hid from for so long. 

   “I’ve never seen this planet so calm.” His voice drifted over the restless land and floated into the air with no real destination. He wondered how Heaven and Hell would react to the coming end, and to add the Empty to the mix was a frightening thought. He had gone face to face with that entity before, and hated every minute of it. That disgusting abyss had taken more than one friend from him; from brothers and sisters, to the only soul that had ever come close to calling a son. He recalled the way Jack used to interact with Y/n. How he looked to her for comfort and compassion when the Winchesters lacked the knowledge of how to tap into those emotions. She was so kind to the young boy. She treated him like family, and Castiel couldn’t help but see him and her as the parents that Jack deserved. 

      There she was again.

    The world was crumbling around him and all he could bring to his mind was a girl that had rejected him long ago. She was all he could think of. Her world was coming to a close and he feared she may be alone in this chaos. He feared most of all that he hadn’t crossed her mind once. 

It’s Been A Year Now

  “You don’t get it Cas! After all this fucking time you still don’t get it!” Her voice was rough and raw as she screamed at the angel across from her. He stood rigid and tall, his suit jacket and trench coat were placed on the edge of her bed, his frame looking impossibly naked with his white sleeves rolled and tie loose. He clenched his jaw as the words left her mouth and he looked to the door before looking back to her; blue eyes ablaze. 

   “I am not some ignorant child Y/n. I may not be human, but I assure you I have a firm grasp on the nonsensical emotions you all seem to share!” His hand was raised and pointed at the door as if referencing the Winchesters just a step outside. She laughed dryly and with venom in her lips, she marched at him and got right in his face as he straightened up and met her gaze with a passion. 

  “You’re not a child Castiel, that much is true, but you’d be a fucking liar to say you weren’t ignorant.” She spat the last few words, and Cas felt each one strike him like a knife to the chest. She went to walk past him and out the door but she was stopped by his hand grabbing hers. She went to pull away when her eyes found his face. His blue eyes were fogged with tears and his brows were knitted together in what could only be pain. Her entire mood changed at the drop of a hat as she took in the look on his face. His messy hair was falling in his face from the heated fight just a few moments ago, and his chest was shaking from ragged breaths. 

   “Please…” He choked as Y/n stopped moving, “I Can’t do this….. Not with you…” His once strong and dominant voice was nothing more than a whisper now as a lone tear made its way down his cheek. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The angelic beast once proud of his inability to feel, was forced into experiencing the most human of emotions. 

Fear.

Y/n let her guard down and let a sob slip past her lips. Castiel looked up at her with a look of confusion, but relief all the same. She gave a hard tug on his arm and brought his body crashing into hers. Castiel deflated and let her hold him. He felt himself give into her completely as they fell to the floor in a mix of limbs and tears. 

I Think I Figured Out How 

How To Let You Go And Let Communication Die Out

“It’s a shame. Of all the ways for our father to dismantle this planet, he chooses earthquakes and fire from the heavens.” Castiel spun around, his shoes sending a groan through the gravel he was standing in, his angel blade dropping from his sleeve like an extension of his arm. “Well, nice to see you haven't changed brother.” The words left the girls mouth as Castiel sighed and lowered his weapon. 

  “Iaoth.” He breathed, “You caught me off guard.” The seraphim stiffened up upon seeing his sibling.

  “I’m surprised to see you alone.” She remarked as she brushed a bit of soot off her shoulder, “I’ve been told you’re very fond of humans. Seeing that you threw away heaven and all of us for them.” Her mouth was smiling but her eyes shot daggers, Castiel glared at his sister with a deep anger. Her emerald eyes darted around the torn and beaten landscape, “So after all this time, we finally get to see our mighty fathers breaking point…” Her hand reached to a decaying flower sprouting from the ground. Castiel watched her intently, his grip on the silver angel blade never wavering. She picked the rotting plant from the ground and crushed it in her hand. “His breaking point was his biggest mistake.” 

 “Why are you here Iaoth?” Castiel spat, his jaw clenched and eyes ablaze. She laughed at his demeanor and wiped her hands on her suit jacket. 

  “I could ask you the same thing ‘Oh Fallen One’.” She turned from his gaze to look upon the fire filled skies. “Heaven, as you know, is very much in shambles. You and I are some of the only ones left alive. Naomi is having a party up there with what's left.”  She looked to Castiel, her teeth barred in a sinister smile. Cas took a step to his left, circling her as she moved the opposite direction. “It’s so sad to see you like this brother.” Castiel could hear her wings ruffling, as if she was preparing to take flight; or fight. “I can almost smell her human vile on you.” Her wings extended to their full length, the lights from the sky illuminating the silken feathers. Cas felt a primal fear alight in his gut, this wasn’t the first sibling of his to try and kill him since this all began. So many seemed to blame him for the way things were coming to an end. His vessels hands were drenched in the blood of his fallen brothers and sisters, and his angelic form was scarred from the ending of his own kind. Iaoth’s words stuck Castiel to his very core as he allowed the human Iaoth spoke of to take shape in his mind; a misty form reaching out to him in the midst of chaos. 

 I Know, You Know, We Know        

        “The whole of the heavens is ending, your celestial home, where you were created and raised, and yet your mind is lingering on the vile mistake that is human kind?!” Iaoth’s words were strong and soaked in rage as she squared up the much smaller Castiel before her. 

  “Iaoth. I don’t want to fight you.” Castiel spoke, his deep voice unwavering. The woman's laughter flooded the air like a bolt of lightning, 

  “You really think you have a choice?!” She spat. “Look at you! A broken and grace stripped seraphim! You don’t stand a chance against me or my TRUE brethren.” Her wings were now fully visible. All six of the deep grey spans filled the air like dark clouds, and Castiel let his heart drop as he considered the condition his own wings were in. Iaoth laughed again as Cas allowed his own wings to spread out, the once proud black feathers holding more gaps than anything else, and scarred flesh beneath them. “All that…” Iaoth spat, “For humans. You must be so proud…” Her words dripped with sarcasm as she lunged at the fallen angel before her. 

You Weren't Down For Forever And It’s Fine 

The motel room was dusty and old, large pieces of dust hanging in the air were seen best around the yellow lamp light, setting a almost frozen in time feel about the place. Castiel looked ahead of him through drooping lashes as the frame at the foot of the bed unbuttoned the last of the flannel shirt that hid her form. The yellow light illuminated every inch of skin as she made her way up from the foot of the bed to mere inches from the angel's face. He could feel her breath fan over his face as she moved his hands to rest on her hips. He exhaled shakily as he closed his eyes, his fingers digging into the flesh of her hips. His own name filled his ears like a breathy sigh as he shot his blue eyes open to meet her e/c ones. 

  “Do you want to do this?” She asked, her voice barely above a whisper. He could see in her eyes that she was genuinely asking him, out of fear of frightening him away. He gave a smile and brought his face closer to hers, his lips ghosting over hers. She held back a low moan as he rested his forehead against hers, their noses brushing. 

  “More than anything.”  In an instant their lips crashed together, moans and staggered breaths filling the air of the motel room. Y/n straddled Castiel’s lap atop the bed and worked his white dress shirt off his torso. Cas brought his hands to her hips and brought her roughly down against his heating core. She let out a gasp and broke the kiss. With a smirk she reached for the bedside lamp and wrapped her fingers around the switch. Castiel grabbed her wrist and held her back from snuffing the light. She looked to him with confused eyes, only to be met by rough lips against her own. The stubble around his own face dragged down her neck as she let her hand drop from the light. 

  “Want to see you…” He growled as he pressed more kisses to her neck. With a smile she brought his eyes back to meet her own. 

  “Then let's get started.” 

I Know, You Know, We Know 

We Weren't Meant For Each Other And It’s Fine 

Iaoth spit a mouthful of blood to the cracked and dry earth as Castiel stood above her, his hand wrapped firmly in her hair bringing her gaze to his own blood splattered form. She laughed through red stained teeth and took a shallow breath, 

  “You pack quite the punch little brother.” Castiel brought the butt end of his angle blade down on her swollen face a few more times, the sick crack of bone filling the hot air. 

  “I’m not going to sit here, Iaoth, and watch you die but you should know that it’s out of pity,” He brought his face closer to hers in order to whisper the final statement, “And not because I consider you anything close to family.”  He released her hair from his fist and let her fall to the ground. His hands were red with the paint of war as he wiped them clean on his coat and began staggering away. Iaoth was on the ground on her back, sputtering blood as she cackled at seemingly nothing. Cas ignored the sound and kept walking, finished with the mere thought of her. 

   “She’s-- She’s going to die alone. On this forsaken slab of creation. Thinking of why you didn’t save her…” 

Castiel froze. His eyes were wide as he turned his head to the side, taking in the sickly form of his dying sister. “That human girl you bonded with like an animal,” Her words were choked, “The word back home is that Naomi is offering safe passage to a parallel world to the one who brings him her filthy head.” 

 “SHUT UP!” Castiel boomed, bringing his boot in contact with Iaoth’s jaw and sending her reeling to the ground. More broken laughter left the dying angels mouth as Castiel breathed heavy, his shoulders rising and falling in a dramatic manner. He stood over her, his eyes ablaze by her words,

   “That hunter whore is going to die drowning in her own blood and her filthy body is going to burn with the rest of this world.” That was the straw that broke the camel's back, with a deep guttural scream Castiel drove the shimmering blade in his hand through Iaoth’s chest. Her own scream ripped through the skies as her eyes and mouth broke forth with a bright glow, a small reminder of the grace that once filled her. 

  Once the screams died down, the dark haired angel stood from the lifeless body beneath him. He looked to the burned imprint of her wings upon the ground and wiped a spot of blood from his own face. His mind was reeling, wondering if what Iaoth said had been true. If there really was a price on Y/n’s head, as some sort of sick joke by Naomi’s hands, he had to find a way to get to her. 

    To warn her. 

   He wasn’t even sure if she’d want his help at all…

But If The World Was Ending You’d Come Over Right? 

Dean placed a hand on Y/n’s back as he helped her stumble to the car. His eyes were laced with concern as Sam opened the back door for her, worry upon his features as well. 

  “Guys, I’m really fine.” She slurred, her head spinning from blood loss. “You don’t  need to panic…” Her knees gave out as Sam jumped forward and helped Dean catch her. She chuckled a bit at her own expense and allowed the boy’s to help her into the back seat. Sam looked to Dean and they both decoded that he would ride in the back with her. 

  “Hey Y/n. Keep those eyes open.” Sam cooed as he brushed the side of her face. She smiled at him and scrunched her nose. 

  “Trust me Sammy, I’m not dying in the back of this car. That’s nor nearly exciting enough for me.” Sam laughed at her blind optimism and met Dean's eyes in the rear view mirror. 

   “You die in the back of my car, and I’ll kill you.”Dean joked, taking a glance behind him at her ever shrinking form. Sam felt her squeeze his hand and looked to her now closing eyes. 

  “Hey!” He shouted, “No, no,no,no, don’t go to sleep Y/n.” He shifted so his hands were holding her face. “Goddammit don’t go to sleep.” 

 Dean began to panic in the driver's seat as the sounds of Sam’s protests filled his ears. 

  “Dammit Sammy, don't let her sleep!”

  “I’m trying!” Was the angry response. Y/n shifted in Sam’s grasp as she forced out a few more words. 

  “You guys are such idiots…” Her eyes drifted closed. 

You’d Come Over And You’d Stay The Night?

Castiel practically flew down the stairs as the Winchesters came into view. His eyes were wild as he searched the room for any sign of loss or pain. Sam smiled at him and took a step forward. 

 “Hey, easy buddy.” He placed his hands on Cas’ shoulder and held him steady. Cas looked to Dean who pursed his lips, cocked his brow, and gestured to the chair Sam’s body was blocked from his view. Cas moved from Sam’s hold and froze upon meeting the gaze of Y/n, wrapped in one of Dean’s hoodies, and face littered with stitches and bandages; but still smiling. 

  “I lived bitch.” She spoke in a horse voice. Dean laughed out loud at her statement and sat down beside her, nursing a half empty beer.  Sam sighed and ran a hand through his hair,

 “Wow that was so sensitive, considering he thought you were actually dead.” Y/n shrugged and felt tears brim her eyes as Cas raced to her. He pulled the chair around and knelt down at her feet, taking her hands in his. 

  “I - I really thought I lost you.” He looked up at her with big blue eyes, also brimming with tears. Dean shifted away just slightly, a look of fake disgust on his face from the romantic display. “If you ever do anything like that ever again-” 

 “Oh, I guarantee you I will.” Y/n cut him off, “But we’ll be a bit more careful next time.”   

Would You Love Me For The Hell Of It? 

All Our Fears Would Be Irrelevant. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way about anyone before.” The words sailed off with the breeze as Y/n scratched an itch on her face. She glanced to the angle beside her, his body leaning against the tan car behind him. His trench coat was wrapped around Y/n’s shoulders, and she noted how utter naked he looked without it. “Sorry if that's too forward.”

  Castiel looked out at the sunset and sighed, his eyes soon traveled to the human beside him, wrapped in his essence. “Y/n…” He began. She looked to him with hopeful eyes. 

  “In all my eons of existence, watching civilizations rise and fall, watching your kind like a child watches a bee in the garden…” He looked to her, “I’ve never seen a more perfect example of the wonders my father is capable of making…” His hand wove together with her’s. 

                                                        “... Then you…” 

            If The World Was Ending You’d Come Over Right?

   The sky let forth a loud cry as the earth beneath Castiel's feet shook. He looked skyward and took witness as large chunks of flaming stone began falling from the heavens. He watched in the distance as the stone crashed to the ground and set a sick crack through the air. He watched as the sky began falling to the ground, and he was helpless to stop it. He swallowed hard as the soft sound of ringing filled his ears, and he reached for the almost forgotten phone in his inner pocket. 

  “Dean?” His voice bellowed over the sound of earth breaking all around him. 

    “Hey Cas! You seeing this?! Where the hell are you two man?! Me and Sam are dying over here!”  

Castiel furrowed his brow and shielded his eyes as dirt few up all around him. 

 “Dean? I’m in Montana! Are you two still at the bunker?” His voice met Dean’s ears like a long lost prayer and the hunter sighed. 

  “Yeah! How is Y/n?” Cas froze, his face scrunched up in confusion. 

   “What do you mean? I thought she was with you?!” 

  “Why the hell would she be with us?! Isn’t she your soulmate or whatever?” 

 Castiel felt his heart drop. 

The Sky'd Be Falling And I'd Hold You Tight 

And There Wouldn't Be A Reason Why 

“I wasn’t supposed to tell you…” Jack mumbled from his seat at the dinner table. Y/n felt a lump grow in her throat as she forced back tears. 

  “Don’t worry Jack, sweetheart…” She looked to the ceiling as she viciously fought her tears.

 “Castiel, he didn’t want to. But it was the only way. It seems selfish, but it’s not. He saved so many. I really wasn’t supposed to tell anyone. He made me promise…” Jack let his head fall to the table, his mind not at unease. 

 “I would have found out sooner or later.”  

  We Would Even Have To Say Goodbye

  “You are the biggest idiot I’ve ever met.” Y/n spat as she slammed the car door, the force shaking the whole vehicle. Castiel didn’t even flinch as he watched her walk from the parked car to the small lakefront just beyond the car. He felt his heart ache as she sat on a small bench and placed her head in her hands. 

  “I know…” He whispered to the empty car. 

If The World Was Ending You’d Come Over Right? 

“The Empty will take you.” She sobbed as she looked to the water in front of her. Castiel stood behind her, his own eyes filling with tears. “Take you the next time you feel joy.” She laughed, a last stitch effort to mask her pain. “How- How the fuck am I supposed to live with that?” She spun around to look at him, and he saw first hand just how much pain he had caused her. 

Right?

“But that was months ago Castiel.”  He tried to take a step towards her but she stood. 

“Months ago! And you're still here!”  She let a few sobs rack her chest as she looked down, tears falling like rain. 

   “Y/n…” 

 “So…  Since that day when you sold yourself over. Everything we’ve done. All the moments we had, that filled me with an immeasurable amount of love and joy… You’re still here. So...” She looked at him, her pain turning to hurt, turning to anger. 

 “You're not happy?” 

If The World Was Ending You’d Come Over Right?

Castiel held the phone to his ear, his mind blank. 

“Cas?!” Dean shouted on the other line, “Cas?!” 

Right?  

[doomedandstoned]

Meeting Bomg, Doom-Drone Legends from Ukraine

~Interview by Billy Goate~

Doomed & Stoned continues our week of epic interviews with a long overdue conversation with the great Ukraine doom-drone band BOMG, who have been desamating stages and blowing out amps since 2010. During that time, Nikolay Temchenko (guitar), Yuriy Temchenko (bass), and Anton Khomenko (drums) have put out two mammoth LPs, an EP, and a split.

I first got turned on to BOMG's sound with the record 'Polynseed' (2013), which released the year that Doomed & Stoned was founded. I recommend starting there if this is your first exposure to the mighty trio from Kyiv.

Bomg have been gradually drifting in the direction of full-on drone metal, executed in their own authentic and compelling way, as we're about to discover as we drill into 'Peregrination' (2020) -- which we reviewed last year and Robustfellow has recently reissued.

Give ear...

You state that BOMG means “vagabond” on your Bandcamp page. Can you elaborate on how the name ties in with the band’s history and core identity?

It’s an abbreviation literally meaning “with no particular place of living”. Funny thing is that its’ meaning is degraded in common use (like “bum”), but when it was incepted (60s – 70s in USSR) those who were stigmatized by it were better off going elsewhere than being part of the regime, taking it as a positive. This became somewhat of a short-lived movement even. We think that despite being prone to misunderstanding in every way, it fits the overall vibe. Blessing and a curse. But frankly, the name is a secondary thing at best.

How would you describe your distinctive sound, to someone who has never encountered it before?

Basically, trying to elaborate and add to “Black Sabbath spaghettified” idea. We try to squeeze out any possible amount of low frequency, volume, distortion and effect saturation to the instruments, not necessarily designed for it. As of similarities and influences, it’s 60s-70s heavy psych, proto-metal and proto-punk, 80s - 90s continuation of it (doom metal, stoner/desert rock, sludge, drone doom), besides that – dub, ambient, prog rock, experimental music, field recordings and whatnot.

Peregrination by Bomg

Your new album 'Peregrination' is an explosive bombshell, massive in every respect. When was the concept for the album born?

The first track was almost ready in 2011, we played it at our first show. As of concept, it started to take shape somewhere in 2013-2014, most of the lyrics were written back then. Then it took years to “grow.” First, we tried to make it so each track would fit one side of LP, but it seemed kinda compressed and landed too quick. Then we decided not to confine it to any time limit but each track landed itself around 40 minutes, so we made sure it evens out like this in final recording.

Tell us about the recording process involved. We’re very curious about instruments, gear, amps, and the general studio environment in which it originated.

Each whole track was recorded live (took roughly four weeks for four tracks), then layered with two additional guitars. Synths, field recordings, vocals were added afterward.

Gear: we used two Tank amps (Orange/Matamp clones) made from old soviet broadcast amplifiers and Tesla Disco 240 for guitar and bass (wish our Sunn concert bass was alive at that point, but it just burns transistors when turned on – we couldn’t find an exact schematic for it, even photos of the exact amp on the web, seems like it’s from some transition period).

The drums are '70s Rogers 13”, 16” toms and 24” steel shell bass drum from '50s-'70s (mass-produced for political celebrations, weddings and funerals), coupled with Meinl hi-hats, Paiste Rude China and Zildjian Mega Bell.

Guitars used were early '00s Gibson SG Standard, '72 Musima Eterna Deluxe and ’69 Musima Record; and ‘70 Cremona Violin bass.

Pedals: Poltava fuzz-wah, Noname “flanger” that is actually phaser for bass; Tesla Vrable fuzz-wah (the seller told us that his uncle was under KGB investigation for just having it), Noname dist (most likely a ProCo Rat clone), Vox wah, Boss BF-2, Lel’ parametric EQ, Lel’ digital delay, Boss dynamic wah, Roland Space Echo for guitar.

Recording equipment: Two '70s Oktava ML-19 for overheads, '50s-'60s Oktava ML15 and ML16 for room and various dynamic and condenser mics for everything else into Pro Tools, then later in mixing/mastering stage partly routed through mixer and cassette deck using beaten up cassette for analog saturation and vibrato.

Long story short, we tried to use most of the stuff we got in our studio, and at this point, it’s hard to remember every detail of the process. Referring to the environment, it is compiled of numerous weird gadgets which got to us throughout years, most of which were collecting dust somewhere for decades, and have a history (an entire topic by itself) we’re always asking for. And when used, they tell a story which then leaves a mark in recordings for sure. That was a hell of a fascinating process.

I noticed you had lyrics for each song on 'Peregrination,' but the singing doesn't seem discernable. Are there indeed vocals and, if so, how can I hear them?

Yes, there are vocals. They appear on low volume as reverberated and somewhat oscillated notes, more like presence; on high volume, you can hear words with 1-5 kHz correctly dialed in (on most audio equipment these frequencies tend to be excited, so lowering EQ at this range brings clarity), it appears as a whisper in a loud, saturated mix. Also, we added subtitles on YouTube, so you can know for sure where to find vocals. The point was to make them recognizable only with intent.

Talk about the album art. It seems there is hidden symbolism there, is that true?

It’s some sort of a window that leads to four areas, which are the visualized soundscapes to each track. There were no particular symbols, but the thing is that they fill in the picture as it is set - like a hallucination, which is often a well of meaning where symbols change and multiply interpretations, at the same time being just momentary blobs of form.

The process of making this album cover involved many iterations of drawing, running through GAN networks, editing the result to achieve the effect of a captured hallucination, close to the exact one. When hardwiring symbols directly into it, they would be eaten up by hallucinating AI. So by randomly forming a resemblance of shapes, things started popping out where they fit the most contextually - weird stuff. It’s a common thing in art to throw “open for interpretation” on everything, but this one might be.

What is the concept behind each "hobo" symbol and track on 'Peregrination'?

So, the first one means being quiet and alert, seeing what’s going on. The second one is a sign of a trolley – hopping from one soundscape to another, time travel. The third one – safe camp; it may be confusing when applied to the lyrics, but the position that is stated there facing the object is some sort of a “safe camp”, ground to stand on. The fourth one means “don’t give up”, even if applied in both meanings of this phrase to track. But the symbol references may lack context without diving into tracks.

I'm sure our readers would be most happy if you were to illuminate the meaning of each of the songs on your new album.

Well, it’s like trying to create a soundtrack to some introductory ontological theories (pretty blank, sterile stuff), realizing their intensity. Here uneven-numbered tracks touch on mind ontology, even-numbered - on reality ontology. Not diving into details too much, let them hang there.

I. Electron

Peregrination by Bomg

it's no light of star it's a light of mind walking thru a dream electron shamanism

"Electron" is covering the theme of mythical perception akin to humans and the discovery that put a dent into these beliefs. Variation on a Tunguska story, mythos surrounding Tesla, how people mythologize all around.

II. Perpetuum

Peregrination by Bomg

Across desolations Caravans astray Sand covered roads Forget old ways

"Perpetuum" goes more into sci-fi territory: endless cycles of dead and born-again civilizations, the Great Filter caused by cosmic events or beings themselves, and how we just might unknowingly observe such things staring at the sky.

III. Paradigm

Peregrination by Bomg

Giant web built and set in lines It works when mind reflects Leaving us with all the fears Or letting them disappear

"Paradigm" is based around the tendency of the mind to confine itself into some set of ideas, building a higher fence while thinking it broadens the space. Thinking of one thing while it is the opposite, fear of the structure collapsing while an event like this would alleviate any sort of fear. But breaking a paradigm usually leads straight to the next one, to which the same attributes apply. And keeping this notion brings a safe distance to it.

IV. Emanation

Peregrination by Bomg

Now the opportunity is To see the universe spinning Emit structures boundless Round its' endless borders It's the very first the very last small moment In periods of endless time When the structure merge infinite To manifest as something

"Emanation" goes somewhat contrary to the second one - a reality that may be started at some point, complicates itself, and never is truly repetitive. Also thoughts on subjective existence and the point of it, maybe being an instrument of the Universe to explain it to itself. Speculation on whether or not consciousness flows from one state to another, as energy does, returning to its inception or scattering across until equilibrium, or even said results being the same thing. And the uncertainty of these things that are left to be answered while we as beings, it seems, are just left to fade away.

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R.E.M. - Reveal (2001)

1) The Lifting; 2) I’ve Been High; 3) All the Way to Reno (You’re Gonna Be a Star); 4) She Just Wants to Be; 5) Disappear; 6) Saturn Return; 7) Beat a Drum; 8) Imitation of Life; 9) Summer Turns to High; 10) Chorus and the Ring; 11) I’ll Take the Rain; 12) Beachball

After Up's deeply personal, soul-cleansing exercise, Reveal carries an aura of reconnection with the greater world. As incredible as Up was, the primary impression it leaves is its very insular sound and mood, where you have to dig a little deeper to find the still strongly beating heart of R.E.M.'s songwriting. Reveal, then, presents as much of an 180 turn as Up did. The traditional band roles in more prominent display again again (including an increased presence of session drummers), even if there's still a lingering element of R.E.M. taking cautious steps forward as a three-person incarnation in tune with Up's soundscapes, with programmed drums, frequent synthesizers and emphasised keyboard parts making up much of the album. But as albums, they're night and day - where Up was the melancholy late hours spent awake lost in thought; Reveal is the brand new morning. It's a decidedly more upbeat album, full of harmonies rather than controlled chaos. There's a clear desire for the band to smile again, resulting in a shift in gears to a more traditionally R.E.M.-esque album. Even the opening song welcomes you in: "Good morning! How are you? The weather's fine, the sky is blue..."

"The Lifting", the said opener, is a grand start and continues with the band's tradition of strong openers, and is in fact one of the best in that regard. It's light as a breeze, bouncing on every step like a liberated free spirit, throwing an infectious hook after another as Buck's familiar jangle appears and the drums carry an infectious rhythm. Stipe has entertained the thought that the song is about the same overworked soul as Up's "Daysleeper", and thus it's another semi-intentional shedding of the previous album's weariness, bringing the melancholy narrator to the open sunlight. It's an overwhelmingly joyous song above all, but doesn't aggressively try to be one, like e.g. the decidedly hyper-upbeat "Stand" or "Shiny Happy People". There's genuinity to it and its spiralling conclusion, with Stipe yelping full of energy, is a moment of honest delight - and in that sense, it leads the way perfectly. Reveal is open and inviting, in tone and in music - positive, melodically rich and full of hooks. After Up's experimentation Reveal places simple songcraft back in the spotlight, and while there's still great importance placed on the production of the material, the songs presented here are first and foremost guided by their melodies.

Much of what makes Reveal jump alive is still how the band treat the studio as an integral instrument in its own right, and the ambience that's pushed through the ideas making up the album's world of sound. There's a level of obsession in details prevalent throughout, carefully layered sounds and minor parts forming into a greater whole as R.E.M. seek a particular feeling throughout. Reveal is a pastoral album, a record aimed for summer through and through - the cover, the May release date, the constant lyrical references to the season and especially overt touches like sampling crickets make it abundantly clear, and the sound itself is appropriately lush, warm and inviting. The production is pristine enough to let all these details come through clearly, but there's not a trace of studio sterility. The instrumentation emphasises bright keyboards, clean guitar parts and gentle touches of electronic programming, with Up's dissonance brushed away as far back as possible. Even in its more introspective moments the band reach out their hand rather than wallow away.

The production's other main role is tying together Reveal's different strands. R.E.M. are in transition here, with one foot in the electronic soundscapes they've played around with for the previous couple of years, while the other foot is kicking back for a full band feel. Thus Reveal is, despite its unifying atmosphere, a diverse album. The traditional R.E.M. band sound makes a comeback frequently, but with a twist in how it goes about its arrangements, though there is a precedent. Before Reveal, the band released the (fantastic) soundtrack single "The Great Beyond", re-introducing R.E.M. as a full-band rock act but one with an expanded sonic palette built upon Up's studio wizardry and the willingness to tap into new soundscapes through precise arrangements, and it's like the blueprint that Reveal's foundations are based on. Thus for example the guitar-driven "Disappear" and "She Just Wants to Be" sound like natural extensions of where the band were in the 90s, but there's a kind of grace and aural richness that sounds new. It's at times akin to a 21st century update on studio magic of 60s classic pop psychedelia years.

The first two singles, "Imitation of Life" and "All the Way to Reno", are such great examples of this - and they are among the band's most obvious hits in how irresistibly melodic and sing-along-y they are. To R.E.M.'s credit they don't sound remotely like they were engineered to be so and instead they are, once again, rich and soulful. The former is an unashamed pop anthem with one of the band's most simply thrilling choruses (and some fine, contrasting lower-end string stabs and the suddenly bittersweet bridge cutting through the song and reducing the risk of saccharine overload). The latter is a relaxed, effortlessly lush melodic stroll rich in harmonies and arranged gorgeously: of all the songs in Reveal, it carries the strongest comparison to "The Great Beyond" and goes for the same almost-wistful euphoria, successfully as well. In complete contrast, "I'll Take the Rain" is a gut-puncher - a bittersweet, heartaching ballad among the band's most fragile, swerving Reveal's final run with a sudden emotional curveball. With one of their most poignant choruses, it goes all the way to the top, its sadness piercing through with Buck's chiming guitar lines (and an actual guitar solo!). It's a powerful song, utilising Reveal's warmth in a wholly different way than the rest of the album.

The keyboard/synth-oriented songs on the other hand are dreamy, serene moments of still among the lively full band cuts. "I've Been High" is arguably the most extreme of the lot, as there's nary a trace of live instrument in its pseudo-synth pop sound. It's a colossally beautiful, haunting deep cut however, full of graceful melancholy and soothing dreaminess breaking through the sad haze - and its last minute, from its career standout bridge to the rise it takes in its finale and Stipe's evocative lyric lines, is absolutely incredible. "Beat a Drum", "Summer Turns to High" and "Beachball" on the other hand are prime examples of what I mean when I talk about Reveal as a summer album, evoking the spirit of the season and the lazy holidays with their warm sound. The latter two directly make the comparisons, the electro-acoustic "Summer Turns to High" obviously so while the mellow float of "Beachball" somehow manages to take the feeling of watching the sun go down at the end of a perfect summer's day and turn it into music, gently bobbing along with its minimalistic beat. "Beat a Drum" is a little masterpiece as well, with Mills taking control through his softly swaying bass riff, the gentle piano leading the song and enriching the chorus through his backing vocals. The chorus, incidentally, is another one that manages to evoke so much so effectively through what is in the end a very few lines and a fairly straightforward progression; and yet, it's one of the album's most magical moments, a true blooming of warm summer air in music.

The one song most driven by the production, "Saturn Return", is a little marvel on its own: all tightly-wound atmosphere with little elements bouncing back and forth between the headphones, constantly switching its lead instrument from Buck's feedback-heavy guitar line to Mills' delicate piano, floating on top of a persistent drum machine up until the near end when the live drums kick in for a moment. It's the most Up-esque moment on Reveal, a bridge between the two that reminds the band haven't completed moved away from it. It's quietly one of Reveal's key tracks: an unassuming oddity at first, eventually revealing itself to be an integral centrepiece and a curious shadow cast over the album's summer day.

The one remaining song, "Chorus and the Ring", is a strange one, not really going anywhere yet towards its end it reaches a certain kind of crescendo of its own ilk where you find yourself strangely captured by the song. It's an odd one out on an album that otherwise has a very direct touch with its songwriting ("Saturn Return" included), and perhaps the only slightly dimmer spot in what is otherwise one of R.E.M.'s very finest records. That's not a light statement, but it feels almost borderline obvious, because Reveal seems to have it all. Stipe is in brilliant lyrical form, with so many great lines that lead your imagination flying, the production is golden and everyone involved with the actual playing of the music are delivering a sharp performance. And as an album, Reveal is certainly one of their most melodic: it embraces a type of songwriting which leans on harmony and goes for hooks within hooks, almost overwhelmingly so. That's always been a strength for R.E.M. and Reveal revolves around it, making it the core theme for the album together with the lushness and the summer vibe. If you can think of a picturesque sunset on a peaceful summer's evening following a pleasantly hot day, and experiencing that comforting feeling of everything being perfect and carefree in life like the best summer vacation you've had - that's where Reveal wants to take you. And it does. "Beachball" closes the album with Stipe repeating "you'll do fine" as the sun goes down in the horizon, and you can tell that after all the sadness and uncertainty, there was hope again in the band's ranks.