#cultural collision in fantasy

[joncronshawauthor]

How Egypt Inspired the World of "The Fall of Wolfsbane"

As a fantasy author, inspiration can strike in the most unexpected places. For me, the seed that would grow into “The Fall of Wolfsbane” was planted not in some misty forest or atop a craggy mountain, but in the arid heat of Egypt. This happened somewhere between the ancient cities of Cairo and Luxor. A Flight of Fancy It was on a domestic flight, soaring over the timeless landscape of Egypt,…

[hiveworks]

MORE #QueerComicsNow 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ Last week, we shared a spotlight on just a few of our comics with LGBTQ+ characters, creators, and themes. That's just the tip of the iceberg. We're back with another round of recommendations below!⁠

Little Tiny Things by @cloverscomics

What are the little things that move us? The simple joys that warm our bodies and our hearts? The micro life of insects that influence our world more than we think? The tiny steps we make everyday to have a happier tomorrow? It's the Little, Tiny, Things.⁠

Fairmeadow by @hagofbolding

Goma, a wayward Orcish soldier, finds herself in Fairmeadow, a commune of pacifists deep in the Cascadian wilderness. Isolation has allowed the commune to thrive in the shadow of a century-long war, but Goma’s arrival brings troubling reminders of the world outside to those who have settled there in search of respite.  Fairmeadow’s enigmatic leader, Sanctuary, finds his utopian vision challenged as he struggles to keep the peace. Their self-sufficiency exists on thin margins - margins that threaten to break if Goma cannot learn to live alongside those who she has sworn to fight. Fairmeadow is a post-epic fantasy drama inspired by the counter-cultural movements of the late 60’s, the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, and tabletop RPG’s. It’s about the collision of idealism against pragmatism, reckoning with the consequences of dropping out, and trying to make its readers want to go on a hike.

Magical How? by @eyugho

Gabe and Booker were just regular guys until a golf ball appears, offering them magical abilities. Booker does not want to get into this at all, but Gabe takes the bracelet and transforms into a Magical... complete with uniform!

Gzhel Guardian by Atla Hrafney & Anya⁠

Deep underground, in a place far away from our world, exists the Railway System. A complex, mysterious network of trains, towns and mechanical monsters, these communities are open and known only to a few on Earth. Central to these communities are Guardians, people chosen at random and adorned with power. Leo is one such Guardian, and even though their burn-out and depression has taken hold of them, they have one last job to finish. Gzhel Guardian is a Russian fantasy LGBT+ webcomic inspired by folklore and illustrated in gorgeous watercolor pages.

[hagofbolding]

Fairmeadow update!

It's the last page of chapter 5, which makes it a pretty good time to read & catch up wink wink

Read here

Start from beginning

Goma, a wayward Orcish soldier, finds herself in Fairmeadow, a commune of pacifists deep in the Cascadian wilderness. Isolation has allowed the commune to thrive in the shadow of a century-long war, but Goma’s arrival brings troubling reminders of the world outside to those who have settled there in search of respite.  Fairmeadow’s enigmatic leader, Sanctuary, finds his utopian vision challenged as he struggles to keep the peace. Their self-sufficiency exists on thin margins - margins that threaten to break if Goma cannot learn to live alongside those who she has sworn to fight.  Fairmeadow is a post-epic fantasy drama inspired by the counter-cultural movements of the late 60’s, the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, and tabletop RPGs. It’s about the collision of idealism against pragmatism, reckoning with the consequences of dropping out, and trying to make its readers want to go on a hike.

[communistkenobi]

There’s this post going around about convincing conservatives to support trains by painting cars as “an attack on traditional transport” (I don’t remember it exactly, but they specifically used the words attack on traditional something)

Mostly people were taking it as a joke, or pointing out how this could be also be used to convince people of conservative goals and to read carefully when it comes to inclusive or sustainable language (like pinkwashing or certain ideologies related to overpopulation)

But I saw one argument that it was useful because “if your politics can only convince people who already agree with you it’s not useful” and while I agree you should tailor your arguments to tie audience, using “attack on tradition” specifically feels odd. (This argument was in response to someone mentioning the issues a rail system organized by people with that mindset would have)

I guess I’d like to know what you think about it, since I’m not very knowledgeable when it comes to politics.

I believe you’re talking about this post:

If you wanted to take this screenshot seriously I think it’s a pretty bad way to convince people of your own political beliefs and goals, because you’re not actually convincing them of anything lol. There is a difference between tailoring your arguments to your audience or meeting people where they are versus adopting the framework of your political enemies to make your own goals appear to align with their own. You have not actually convinced conservatives that public transit is good for the reasons it is actually good (the reasons public transit is good is diametrically opposed to their beliefs), you have only convinced them that public transit can fit under a conservative policy framework. Well conservative policies are disgusting! They are hostile to human life, they make the world a worse place to live in. The crux of the argument being made here is that ‘traditional society’ is something worth protecting, and public transit is an avenue through which this protection can be done. I think if you are conceding this much rhetorical and political ground to your enemy to make them ‘agree’ with you, you’re not being savvy or politically strategic, you are just making conservative arguments. The problem is that traditional society is a vile concept and no policy should rest on that kind of foundation. The way you frame a problem determines the potential solution outcomes; the solution being championed here is not that more public transit solves a host of pressing social problems (increased accessibility and mobility for disabled people, the elderly, children, and the poor, reducing/resolving congestion and traffic issues that plague every urban centre, vastly reducing the amount of deaths related to vehicle collisions for both pedestrians and drivers, reducing carbon emissions produced by vehicles, the list is effectively endless), but that ‘traditional society’ can be saved using public transit - this traditional society being built by white supremacist and cishetero-patriarchal politics, a system of explicit racial and gendered hierarchy and inequality, conservative cultural ideas about struggle, rugged individualism, the strong dominating the weak, and so on. You’re just making a conservative argument!

The whole liberal fantasy surrounding debates is that politics is primarily a game of rhetoric where ideas clash for dominance and the best ideas win. If you can’t even convince someone of your own political goals on your own terms using your own ideas - or worse, your political goals are so modular and vague that you believe using fascist concepts like ‘protecting traditional society’ is a productive vehicle for getting what you want - you are at best useless and at worst part of the problem. In either case I don’t think it’s effective or worth your time, you’re literally just increasing the amount of conservative arguments that exist in the world, and if you believe otherwise you’re either an idiot or you’re dangerous 

[lexalovesbooks]

ok your posting had intrigued me… should i read the tarot sequence???

YESSSSSS (totally not biased)

But! if you want to know what it's about, the tarot sequence is an adult urban fantasy series set in "New Atlantis" (aka Nantucket island off the east coast of America). Atlanteans are a very old, not-quite-immortal society of magical people who have only recently been forced to reveal themselves to the greater human world, but some of their culture has leaked through in things like tarot cards—which are the names of the twenty-two rulers/thrones of their society.

The main character, Rune, is the heir to one of these thrones—the sun throne. Normally, this would give him a lot of privilege and power, but his family's throne fell when he was fifteen in a violent attack that left only two survivors—him, and his magically bonded Companion Brand. In the present, he and Brand are mercenaries picking up odd jobs to keep a roof over their heads, while at the same time Rune tries to investigate and discover who orchestrated the fall of his throne twenty years ago. The first book starts here, but before long Rune and Brand are given a new job that’s sets them on a collision course with people and events that will change their lives—and quite possibly the world—forever.

Some things these books have: queernormative societies, found families, overpowered MCs, unclear prophets who refuse to elaborate, characters with more snark than sense, unique magic systems, meddling teenagers, and plenty of creepy ghosts and ghouls and other paranormal creatures. They’re books about healing from your past and building a new life with the people you love, and they’re some of the most simultaneously hilarious and heartbreaking books I’ve ever read. Right now, there are three books published out of a planned nine, with one bonus published novel from the pov of some secondary characters and a ton of extra content on the author’s website.

The last two things I’d note— first off, a big tw for sexual assault. The main event in question is in the past and is never described in detail, but it’s a huge part of Rune’s past and as a result a huge part of the story as he tried to both move past it and find the people who hurt him. So just something to know and consider before you start reading. The other thing is that the main complaint that I see about the series is that the first book is pretty white and male-centric, but if you can make it to the second book it gets wayyy better from there. Overall, it’s a super fun series and I really can’t recommend them enough! :D

[overthinkinglotr]

oh wow, great to find someone else enjoying Fairmeadow!! amazing art, and I've loved the worldbuilding/designs for Goma and the orcs.

Yay another Fairmeadow fan! A friend recently recommended it to me and I now recommend it to anyone else looking for good thoughtful fantasy webcomics that play with the genre's conventions. :3 Here's the pitch for the other people reading this post who haven't read Fairmeadow yet: "An orcish warrior joins an isolated pacifist commune-- can she learn to live alongside those she swore to fight?"

Goma, a wayward Orcish soldier, finds herself in Fairmeadow, a commune of pacifists deep in the Cascadian wilderness. Isolation has allowed the commune to thrive in the shadow of a century-long war, but Goma’s arrival brings troubling reminders of the world outside to those who have settled there in search of respite.  Fairmeadow’s enigmatic leader, Sanctuary, finds his utopian vision challenged as he struggles to keep the peace. Their self-sufficiency exists on thin margins - margins that threaten to break if Goma cannot learn to live alongside those who she has sworn to fight.  Fairmeadow is a post-epic fantasy drama inspired by the counter-cultural movements of the late 60’s, the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, and tabletop RPG’s. It’s about the collision of idealism against pragmatism, reckoning with the consequences of dropping out, and trying to make its readers want to go on a hike.

It also has gorgeous art, especially the landscapes/backgrounds! I've noticed a lot of webcomic artists are either good at drawing expressive characters or expressive backgrounds, but this artist is great at both. The worldbuilding is conveyed pretty subtly/naturally through dialogue, and the good writing in combination with the beautiful detailed background illustrations really helps sell the story's fantasy world as a 'real' place. It's also pretty queer, though it's far more focused on 'the emotional and societal consequences of war' than on romance. tl;dr: I know half of all fantasy webcomics try to do a 'what if the monsters/orcs were Sympathetic" storyline, but this is genuinely one of the best-written examples of that!

[grandhotelabyss]

Which books influenced the way you think about politics the most?

The worth of this question can be measured by how difficult I'm finding it to answer. On the one hand, far too many books come to mind, reputable and disreputable and in-between, fiction and philosophy, journalism and polemic, comic book and conspiracy theory, plus 20+ years on the internet. On the other hand, there's no one book, or even several books, I could recommend to demonstrate the way I think about politics; I learned most about politics from watching politics, in the ages first of cable television and then of the internet not primarily a bookish enterprise. And because politics is famously the art of the possible, and because what's possible changes year by year, neither politics in general nor my politics in particular can stand still. I learn something every year, though not always from books. I don't mean by this to be cynical; one has one's values, but they vary in their expression with the affordances of the moment. For me, the deepest hope—not belief, but hope; not yet a reality but an aspiration—is in the potential of human freedom against all totalizing systems. I doubt I got that from a book, though. More likely it came from somewhere else, in early experience, and prepared me to recognize the theme whenever I did encounter it in books. Nor have I been wholly dead to the genuine sublimity of those totalizing systems, given what I have jokingly called my protracted education at the hands of Catholics and Marxists.

Anyway, the spirit of the question calls for a list, so I'll provide one. It's a narrative list arranged chronologically by my age when I read the book in question with a little summary of what it taught me. I've avoided the temptation of pretending that canonical political philosophy has taught me more than it did: with respect to Plato, Hobbes, Marx, Mill, Foucault, and the like, mostly I read that material in too abstract a mood for it to matter or too late for it do more than confirm what I'd already learned elsewhere.

Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Watchmen (read age 12) - The world is comprised of systems in dynamic interaction with individuals and ideologies; art may replicate this in significant form; the proper attitude of the artist is an implied sardonic skepticism, albeit open to apolitical spiritual rapture and cosmic consciousness.

William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar (read age 14) - The political winds can shift like that, between the acts; when power is at stake, you can't depend on personal loyalties; a smooth speech is better than a good cause; the crowd will always kill the poet; those who plead their freedom often have, beneath their own awareness, an envious resentment of power; the artist can manipulate the audience's political sympathies for pedagogical purposes.

George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four, and John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath (both read age 15) - The modern problem is the reconciliation of individual and collective such that neither is enslaved to the other, the populace starved by the rich, the citizen trampled by state and society; the novel (unlike nonfiction forms) is almost unlimited in its ability to examine this theme, encompassing fantasy and naturalism, sermon and treatise, journalism and prophecy.

Camille Paglia, Sexual Personae (read age 18) - We are ruled by darker forces than we know, especially if we refuse to know it; the whole complex problem of sex and sexuality is primordial, infinitely more fundamental than the comparative superficies of race and class that political philosophers and pundits prefer to discuss; art and politics both are contra naturam���sex, by contrast, is the tragic collision of art and nature—and therefore under the sign of beauty; the critic's sensibility should be cosmic and unyielding, itself a mark carved hopelessly into nature's loam.

Edward W. Said, Culture and Imperialism (read age 21) - Empire is the primary political fact, inescapable even for artists and angels; the most powerful move a critic can make is to ally art to empire, the more improbably or counterintuitively the better, this to establish the critic's own cultural empire; the critic may rhetorically take the side of the oppressed in a suave rhetoric the oppressed could never master, and charisma will dispel (almost) the consequent air of fraud.

Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno, Dialectic of Enlightenment (read age 27) - Our genius is our tragedy: the laws we codified to escape and then to master nature have enslaved us precisely because we identify them with nature; we have strangled everything spontaneous and tender in ourselves—and have projected out of ourselves and "other" and slaughtered that, too—in the name of this conquest, necessary to progress as in fact it was, with consequences even including the modern reduction of culture to the machinic product of industries consecrated to entertainment propaganda.

Fyodor Dostoevsky, Demons (read age 32) - Liberalism is not innocent; in destroying every metaphysic but freedom and utility it has cleared the path of psychotic anarchy and brutal tyranny; the artist must understand every inch of this dilemma from the inside.

Albert Camus, The Rebel (read age 35) - The urge to rebel against tyranny and its dialectical concomitant in the urge to become a tyrant in turn are structures of human consciousness traceable through the whole of human culture from ancient myth to modern art, with political philosophy in between; the artist's abundant vision may teach the moderation that preserves the impulse to freedom and holds in abeyance the drive toward tyranny.

Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism (read age 39) - The enemy is the reduction of the human to a calculus, any calculus, with whatever alibi (liberal, fascist, communist; race, class, nation); the solution is collective creativity.

Finally, for a wild card:

Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter (read and reread between ages 15 and 40) and Sacvan Bercovitch, The Office of the Scarlet Letter (read age 25) - This is how American politics in particular works: it doesn't; it is sublimated as a cultural conflict about the limits of freedom and necessity waged over open-ended and contested symbols, including Hawthorne's own text; the proper ambition of the American writer is to write a text of such permanently productive ambiguity.

[pantelisvitaliotismagneto]

Pantelis Vitaliotis: "Wake me from sleep, open the gate"

All my past and all my treasure All my tastes against nature My attacks of aphasia I look back and see the future Wake me from sleep, open the gate*

Curated by: Panos Giannikopoulos

Space 52 presents the second solo exhibition by Pantelis Vitaliotis, Wake Me from Sleep, open the Gate, featuring a compelling showcase of paintings, ceramic sculptures, and sound that span the culmination of the artist's silent practice over the last few years.

This body of work invites visitors to explore another world, rich with symbols and secrets, where organic forms undergo a metamorphosis, blurring the lines between representation and abstraction. The artistic choices made by the painter serve as a reflection of the intricate interplay between his psychological state and the unique circumstances in which he finds himself. The brush stroke, colour selection, and compositional arrangement manifest the artist's inner world, capturing the nuances of his emotions, moods, and personal experiences. This intricate dance between the external and internal worlds results in a visual tapestry that resonates sincerely and offers a glimpse into the artist's soul. The canvas, then, is transformed into a visual diary that evolves with every layer of paint applied.

Vitaliotis skillfully disassembles and reassembles his painting objects, allowing parts of his imagery to reappear, moving fluidly through the canvases. This process introduces new formal elements while others are lost or transformed, echoing the historical roots of surrealism and modernism. Additionally, his exploration of religious iconography, both Byzantine and Western, converges with a contemporary narrative around sleep and dream, creating a dialogue with surrounding landscapes that embrace archetypal monuments, rock formations, and domestic intimacy.

The arrangement of works at the gallery entrance immerses viewers in a spatial interplay between the painterly and the sculptural. In Wake Me from Sleep, open the Gate, Vitaliotis uproots religious iconography from cultural metaphors, creating a flatness of perspective that inverts and dimensionally takes shape with ceramics, providing a tangible depth connected with a sense of spirituality.

Vitaliotis opts to capture the essence of objects and scenes in his landscapes. Colours and patterns take precedence, creating a collision of sharp and round shapes that establish a rhythmic sense. Each artwork contains a hidden escape, a keyhole or door, inviting viewers to glimpse a dream world not yet here or one left behind. It is a door towards an inner world of utopian possibilities of queer world-making and also an escape. The artist's interest in constructing narratives leads to the representation of symbolic or metaphoric confined spaces. Vitaliotis often incorporates getaways where elements break down or fall apart.

In Wake Me from Sleep, Open the Gate the paint becomes principal, integral to the narrative and subject itself, with light strokes and almost invisible painterly gestures, while everything blends in total harmony and balance. Including sound in his art practice adds a musical dimension to the works, offering a multisensory experience for the audience. The eye, repeatedly depicted in the paintings, serves as a central element that symbolizes seeing and being watched, visually exploring the world and sharing optical perspectives. Ultimately, brightly coloured and painted with care and affection, the paintings act as a stage, challenging the viewer's perception and encouraging a reading based on dream, memory, fantasy and myth. Vitaliotis explores displacement, disarticulation, and reiteration, inviting visitors to participate actively in decoding the message conveyed by his artworks.

* Joege Socarras, Contre Nature, San Francisco, 1980 (Indoor Life)

[satoshi-mochida]

Xuan-Yuan Sword: Mists Beyond the Mountains launches July 26 for PC, later in 2023 for Switch

Gematsu Source(from July 12th)

Xuan-Yuan Sword: Mists Beyond the Mountains will launch for PC via Steam on July 26, followed by Switch later in 2023, publishers Eastasiasoft and Gamera Games, and developer Softstar Entertainment announced.

Here is an overview of the game, via its Steam page:

The Journey of a Frankish Knight in the Tang Empire

Xuan-Yuan Sword: Mists Beyond the Mountains is a classic turn-based RPG. Under the orders of Pepin III, the Frankish Knight Septem has embarked on a long journey to seek the Invincible Arts of War. Starting from the canals of beautiful Venice, the great knight’s path has spanned the Middle East, Western Regions on his way to the mystical orient. In his adventures, Septem has drawn into the intricate power disputes between local powers, along with the decade-spanning ambitions of the dark lord, Satan.

China enjoys peace and prosperity under the rule of the Tang Empire, Europe finds itself embroiled in the Dark Ages, the Arabian Empire is ascendant, and all the while, the march of progress brings these disparate cultures together. From ancient times, Chinese legends have spoken of the Xuan-Yuan Sword and Spirit Fusion Pot, along with the rise of great legends in the new era…

A Symphony of Western and Eastern Culture

The scope of Xuan-Yuan Sword: Mists Beyond the Mountains covers a wide range, spanning all of Eurasia and covering the Arab World, Francia, and China. From the canals of Venice, Damascus to the beautiful Chang’an, the story introduces unique architectural styles, clothing, food, and customs.

A Fusion of History and Fantasy

The story of Xuan-Yuan Sword III takes place in an era of collision between East and West, covering a range of historical events that include the Battle of Talas, the Arabian Civil War, and An Lushan Rebellion interspersed through character dramas. Xuan-Yuan Sword III perfectly integrates history with Chinese and Western mythology. Players will encounter unique historical enemies such as Merovingian soldiers, the Venetian navy, the Abbasid Caliphate, Tang soldiers, and Taoists along with unique mythical creatures such as centaurs, Medusa, the Black and White Reapers, and the Xuannü of the Nine Heavens.

Unique Spirit Fusion Pot System

Players can use the Spirit Fusion Pot to capture enemies in battle. Items and monsters can be used to craft a new item or monster from the codex. Users can craft items and monsters from the Eastern or Western altars, which the resulting item differing based on the selected altar.

Unique Ink Painting Art Style

The game features a beautiful traditional Chinese style, with the game map, battle backgrounds, and characters all painted in unique oriental ink.

Improvements and Changes

16:9 high-resolution graphic.

User interface rework.

High-resolution item texture.

Controller support.

China Episode, originally added in mobile version.

[alefarben]

Iran-e Man

Naghmeh Pour directs a visual poem woven from the richness of Iran, collaborating with Iranian artists to support the women’s revolution.

While a women-led revolution preludes a new era of change in Iran, the political unrest that hangs heavy over the fight tells just one side of the story. Among the horrors and means of control opposed through protest, the situation spotlights women united by a passionate connection to their country and their culture – and the possibility of an independent future for the women and girls still to come.

Identifying the beauty found in collectivity as an alternate form of defiance against modes of suppression, Copenhagen-based Iranian director Naghmeh Pour envisions short film, Iran-e Man – a collaboration between Scandinavian production company new–land and The Women’s Life Freedom project. Initiated by emerging Iranian/Italian brand PAIRI DAEZA, the project invited twelve Iranian artists from across the globe to imprint messages capturing the spirit of revolution, materialized as the trailing scarves that punctuate the film.

"The scarves intend to turn a symbol of suppression into a symbol of empowerment and independence."

Shot in rural Morocco to evoke the rolling Iandscape of Iran, Iran-e Man takes a meditative journey through classic Iranian cinema, emulating its distinct visual quality in a collision of past and present, fantasy and realism. A celebration of the rich cultural history of Iran, and the inherent beauty found outside of the media reports, Pour offers a message of empowerment to future generations, in the hope that the world they inhabit stands as a positive imprint of today’s fight for freedom.

[joemuggs]

Brained

I wrote these sleeve notes. It's funny because this world was a fantasy for me at the time, I was 15 or 16 when the album was recorded, listening to John Peel and crackly reception of Kiss FM, but this music meant everything to me... Sorry it seems like a load of what I'm posting is super retro lately, and that's making me feel old, but that's just the nature of the stuff I'm digging up.

👇🏻

Back in 1991 everything flowed. There were still no boundaries between the subgenres of dance music, everything was up for grabs, parties and raves were still a total meltdown of class, race and sexuality. And old schoolfriends “Mixmaster” Morris Gould (aka The Irresistible Force) and Paul “Ramjac” Chivers had a live set that flowed together out of necessity: so limited were their samplers that they had to take turns jamming out a track while the other reloaded their sounds from floppy disc to prevent pauses in the set. But as with everything in that brave new musical world, they made a strength of limitations and produced a groove as futuristic as it was primitive. And, as the recording of their set at London’s notorious Brain club – promoted and introduced on this recording by the equally notorious Sean McCluskey – shows, they perfectly captured the sweat-drenched interzone of the dancefloor in their sounds.

Gould and Chivers had known each other since the age of eight, and both gravitated to the postpunk scene in London as teenagers. The collisions of punk attitude with world music, dub, electronics, jazz and more with the freedom afforded by squatter culture would set them both on exploratory musical paths and extremely catholic tastes. Chivers would gravitate to “real” instruments, learning Afro-Cuban percussion among other instruments, while Gould – always a technology fanatic, and working with computers in his day job – was experimenting with synths and tape edits from the start and got his first sampler around 1985. He took to DJing too, playing at gigs and private parties, soaking up lessons from the likes of Colin Faver and Coldcut in the warehouse party and alternative gay club scenes of London, and went to his first all night rave in Berlin in 1984 – so of course he was primed and ready when acid house hit big time in 1988.

For Chivers acid was a bit more of a surprise. He’d been immersed in On-U Sound style experimental dub, and was working on a live project with his Aniruddha “Dr.” Das – who would later found Asian Dub Foundation. They were using a drum machine, a TB-303 to make basslines, “and lots and lots of percussion”. One day, Chivers was tinkering with the gear in the studios of the Brent Black Music Cooperative in Dollis Hill, when a face peered round the door and said “I like what you’re doing, I’m having a party here later, if I give you £100 will you play a set?” This was acid maven Finbar O’Brien, and the party – full of 500 people, with the renowned Nick MindScape atop a ladder changing coloured gels over a spotlight by hand – and Chivers was an instant convert. More than anything it was the “fluidity” he loved, and the fact the DJ (and him) were hidden away and the crowd were reacting purely to sound, not to a performance as such.

Acid house kept Gould busy as a DJ – his own club The Madhouse was one of the first regular acid nights in London, and he manned the chillout room in Heaven among other places. He expressly set the Heaven ambient space up as a democratised counterpoint to The Orb & KLF’s “White Room” in the same space another night of the week: “Actually, it was better because their room was only for VIPs, for the elite, but I’d been reading about Prometheus, and I wanted to bring fire to the people!” Chivers was also out and about being booked as a percussionist to jam over DJ sets. And both were in demand for live sets; often playing to tens of thousands at the foundational orbital raves outside London, and really honing their skills when the Shamen set up their endlessly mutating Synergy tour, bringing on Ramjac and The Irresistible Force as residents, as well as hard industrialists turned rave converts Meat Beat Manifesto and newcomers Orbital.

It was this latter environment more than any – where DJ and live sets were all part of a continual stream of sound, and sounds, visuals and crowd were all part of the same experience – that brought together the set you hear from the Brain. You can hear Chicago and New York house in it (as well as acid trax, the pair were both devotees of the likes of Mr Fingers and Pal Joey), you can hear Yorkshire bleep and clonk, you can hear the breakbeats and big riffs that were beginning to be known as “hardcore”, you can hear Chivers’s Afro-Latin percussion training, you can hear Gould’s confidence with beatless sections, you can hear elements that would soon become integral to trance, progressive house and other subgenres but in 1991 were still part of the same flow. And most of all, you can hear that direct connection to the dancefloor that Chivers first experienced in that studio party: the sense that this isn’t a performance to a watching crowd, but the music is part of a single system with the people hearing and reacting to it.

There was a literal truth to that: the upstairs room of the Brain where live music happened on a Thursday night had no stage and held less than 50 people. The sounds that you hear flowing through this record are a document of that intimacy: you can almost feel the sweat evaporating off them, and you can hear in McLuskey’s declaration of “FUCKING BRILLIANT” at the end, not just praise of the music, but the enthusiasm of someone who’s just been through the full dance ritual. This kind of live set – genuinely created on the fly with no technological or musical rules beyond the steady beat, made to flow like a DJ set and react to the dancing crowd – would continue to have important offspring. 

The kind of studio and warehouse parties that Gould and Chivers would play at, as well as Synergy and the Brain, directly gave rise to live experiences like The Drum Club & Club Dog’s Midi Circus tour (which would feature Aphex Twin, Orbital and many more), and Underworld’s Experimental Sound Field at Glastonbury 1992 with its weekend-long stream of all-live music. But it would not be long before these scenes would also generate star acts playing on stages in concert halls, and DJ culture itself would generate new idols for the audiences to face and focus their attention on too. In 1991, though, everything still flowed, and everything was still new. It’s been hard for writers and other documentarians to capture that, given that the understanding of it is dependent on duration and immersion – but impressively, amazingly, this recording manages it. Forget what you think you know about the era and its signifiers, try and absorb this as sound created in the moment, and you’re there.

[heroesofprovidenceeternal]

Ever been in DEEP trouble? 🌊

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Deep under the sea in the Dragon's Delta lurks the mythical cave systems sacred to the Sirenian Empire. Reclusive elves banished to the depths of the sea by the aftermath of civil war, compassionate Sirenian matriarchs teach sacred mycologist healing traditions into the hearts of their children. When Captain Tumult's pirate crew interrupted one such lesson, will the collision of two cultures lead to catastrophe?

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[hagofbolding]

Fairmeadow update!

Fairmeadow is a post-epic fantasy drama inspired by the counter-cultural movements of the late 60’s, the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, and tabletop RPG’s. It’s about the collision of idealism against pragmatism, reckoning with the consequences of dropping out, and trying to make its readers want to go on a hike.

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[breeze-of-sunlight]

Hey there Ju !

It's 🎅 anon again !

It's been quite a long time, but I wanted to give you an update as to how the gift is going.

First, I'll answer to the non-fic relates stuff ! Yeah I'm a French as a Foreign Language teacher (from France). I have taught a little in France and more in New Zealand, but I'm mostly interested in Asia for now, mainly China, so we'll see how it goes. Moving abroad is exhausting, but it's the second or third time by now I do that, and you definitely get used to it even if it's not easy :D

Now that I think about it, Under the Queen's Umbrella is probably that favourite drama, right next to Extraordinary Attorney Woo and Flower of Evil. The actress who plays the Queen really carries the show, and yet, the other actors are also very talented. She was a breath of fresh air amongst other Queen characters 💛

I have only heard of my Santee once, so we'll see how it goes I guess :D But I'm glad I was able to talk to you more, I'd love to stay in contact after my identity is revealed if you agree, I know nobody in the fandom and we get along great, what do you think ? :D

I needed quite a long time to get started on writing, and to think about how I wanted to organise the story. I wanted to ask you if you would agree with this system :

So basically, I told you the fic might be 4k to 5k, from what was I my head at the time. Then I started writing... it's already 3k and they haven't even met yet. There is a lot of worldbuilding and description that needed to be done on the OCs side, because her culture and customs are the basis of her journey.

So, in light of that, would you be okay to make it a three part mini-series, the first part of which would be your gift (which will be accompanied by at least two moodboards and notes, and probably a Spotify playlist), the two remaining parts would be posted hopefully not long after. It would allow me to make somewhat even parts (probably from 3.5k to 4.5k each). The good news is I also found a beta, to make sure the story is as good quality as can be :D

Rest assured, there will be a little bit of fantasy in the first part, even though it's mostly worldbuilding on the OCs side, Jongdae will still appear and trigger the whole plot.

I can tell you right now the title of the fic and the name of the chapters, even though it won't give you much insight into the plot.

Title : "Under The Moon, We Collide"

1. Collision

2. Connection

3. Balance

I would have made the whole thing in only one part if I had had more time, with ADHD it's not easy focusing and I'm constantly scared my hyperfixation on that story is going to disappear 🥹

Also, since you're German-speaking, I'm guessing you must be either from German Switzerland, Germany or Austria. I have a question regarding that : is it true that the letter J is most often pronounced Y ? Like, if your name is Julia (I don't know, I'm just making assumptions, it's the first name in J that came to my mind), would it be pronounced Yulia ? That would help me for the OC's name (which is not Julia don't worry 🤣).

Sorry again for the wait, I'll patiently await your answer, and I'm excited to hear your theories, if you have any :D

Sincerely,

🎅 Anon.

Hey Santa!

Long time no read! It's good to have you in my ask box again ^^

Teaching from New Zealand sounds so cool, damn! I'm crossing my fingers for you to get a job offer somewhere you'll like ^^ Ngl, leaving your entire social circle in another country would be so scary for me 0-0

Thanks again for the kdrama recs! I haven't had any time to watch them yet, sadly :C (yk, since it was spooky season and that called for a spooky season marathon, hehe)

Yeah, I'd love to stay in contact! :) Though I'll warn you right now: I'm not a good texter. Sometimes I get very overwhelmed by texting and end up not answering back for a while. This isn't any evil intent or a sign that I don't like you, it's just a me-problem ^^' But if that is okay with you, then as I said: I'd love to!!

Okay, about the gift:

The absolute scream I let out internally when you wrote that you already have 3k down! T^T Meanwhile I'm sitting here trying to wrestle the plot lineout for my present into actually conveying the emotions I want it to-

But that's beside point. Yes, I'm absolutely fine with you splitting the story into multiple parts! I know the feeling of burning out over a creative project a little too well. It sucks and I don't want you to risk catching that over having to finish all of the story in this set timeframe.

I also I can't believe how organized you are about this - a playlist, a beta?? That's so cool???

As for any theories: knowing how Chen can get, I'd guess there's a good bit of mischief going on here! Especially with the first chapter being called "Collision" I guess the inital contact between the OC and Chen won't go over too well :D

I'm also guessing that the background magic might be related to the moon or the night in a way? Or that the plot of the initial chapter plays out during the night? I'm not sure, hhhmmm  (ˉ▽ˉ；)

And yes, you guessed correctly! I'm from Germany :)

About our J's: it's complicated. While yes, most of them are pronounced softly, we also have a few instances of pronouncing them harsher. The word "just" is actually a good example for it. In English it's pronounced [ʤʌst] (so a "dsch" sound) while in German it's pronounced [jʊst] (with a softer sound / a "y" sound). Has the same meaning, just gets pronounced quite differently. And that is the way for most of our J's, as you've said.

Names are, however, where it gets tricky. Because for some reason, most names starting with a J have the [ʤ] sound. And I can't really explain why. So yes, Julia would be [ˈjuːli̯a] with the Y, but Julie (my actual name, haha) is more of a [ˈd͡ʒuːliː] with the Dsch. And I think most names starting with a J are falling into the Dsch area, actually...

Sorry if that got convoluted, but I hope this helped at least somehow?

Have a pleasant day/night!! ^^

[metalwarrior22]

Read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/KgYMHEt by Denadareth In a culture obsessed with duelling, Asami Sato is a noblewoman always fighting her own duels, instead of using champions. Korra is a sellsword and champion-for-hire. One person's actions will put them on a collision course. Updates every two weeks. Words: 1962, Chapters: 1/18, Language: English Fandoms: Avatar: Legend of Korra Rating: Mature Warnings: Rape/Non-Con Categories: F/F Characters: Korra (Avatar), Asami Sato, Opal (Avatar), Kuvira (Avatar), Hiroshi Sato, Tarrlok (Avatar), Raiko (Avatar), Buttercup Raiko, Bolin (Avatar), Mako (Avatar), Ginger (Avatar), Varrick (Avatar), Zhu Li Moon, Eska (Avatar), Desna (Avatar), Naga (Avatar), Pabu (Avatar), Lin Beifong, Tenzin (Avatar), Unalaq (Avatar), Malina | Unalaq's Wife (Avatar), Senna (Avatar), Tonraq (Avatar), Tahno (Avatar) Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato, Korra/Opal (Avatar), Kuvira & Opal (Avatar) Additional Tags: duels, rapiers, Disasters, Trauma, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Naga is a good girl, Yes she is, Chases, swashbuckling, Without any bucklers, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, No beta we die like 3/4 of the Red Lotus, Except there is no Red Lotus in this story, This was supposed to be a light and fun story, It got dark quickly, Stripping with swords, do not try this at home, Even though she's a horse in this one, no magic, Low Fantasy AU, Fantasy AU, Noblewoman Asami, For some reason the order of the tags got mixed and now they dont make much sense, just to be clear Naga is a horse not Asami, though I'm sure Asami is too a great ride, Casual Sex, Except not really that casual and someone get's hurt, Despite the title it doesn't have much to do with the Jane Austen novel Read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/KgYMHEt

[duxiaomin-blog]

Reflections of East and West, Elegant Fusion — The Cultural Symphony of Chinoiserie

Reflections of East and West, Elegant Fusion — The Cultural Symphony of Chinoiserie

Hans-Georg Gadamer (1900–2002) was one of the most important contemporary German philosophers. His theories mainly focus on philosophical hermeneutics. Unlike traditional hermeneutics, Gadamer’s interpretation is not merely the objective explanation of texts or phenomena, but emphasizes the process of understanding itself, highlighting dialogue and historicity. His seminal work Truth and Method has had a profound impact on postmodern philosophy, literary criticism, and the understanding of art.

Chinoiserie (Chinese style) is an artistic style that flourished in 18th-century Europe, combining European imagination and reinterpretation of Chinese culture. It is not an accurate replication of Chinese culture but rather a hybrid aesthetic phenomenon created through fragmented understandings and exotic fantasies about China by European artists. Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics provide a profound theoretical framework for understanding the Chinoiserie style.

Pre-understanding: Every individual’s understanding is rooted in their history, culture, and personal experience, meaning that prior to interpreting anything, we already possess some pre-understanding. Appreciation of art or understanding of culture happens within this context. Understanding does not begin from “zero” but is built upon existing knowledge, cultural background, and historical comprehension.

Based on Gadamer’s concept of pre-understanding, European artists’ understanding of Chinese culture was not based on deep research into the real China but rather was filtered through their own cultural background, history, and artistic traditions. Much of the Chinese art encountered by 18th-century Europeans was through fragmented experiences from trade and exchanges, such as Chinese porcelain, lacquerware, and silk. Their understanding of Chinese culture was based on limited contact and shaped by European aesthetic needs. Therefore, the Chinoiserie style reflects this “pre-understanding” of Chinese culture, being an artistic recreation through a European lens.

“Chinese Landscape on a Tile Panel”, Anonymous, ca. 1700

In this piece from the Amsterdam Museum’s collection, European craftsmen attempted to create an exotic scene based on their understanding of Chinese culture. Tile collages like this were not popular in the East, and judging from the pavilions, costumes, and decorative flowers in the image, it is clear that European artisans tried to imitate Chinese architectural styles and figures. However, these elements were processed with their own European aesthetic preferences and cultural symbols. For instance, while the roof and decorative styles seem to have Chinese features, the detailing exhibits a distinct Rococo flair, with ornate, intricate curves. The figures appear to wear traditional Chinese clothing, yet other exotic elements, like African or Indian figures, also appear, reflecting a mixed European fantasy of the Orient. Europeans did not differentiate between the various cultural details, blending elements from different exotic cultures into a unified fantasy world.

Fusion of Horizons and East-West Aesthetic Dialogue The formation of the Chinoiserie style is essentially a process of fusion of horizons. According to Gadamer’s theory, cultural exchanges and collisions form new understandings. In Chinoiserie, European artists did not passively accept Chinese art but engaged in a dialogue with Chinese culture through their artistic perspectives, resulting in a unique hybrid style.

ChuCui Palace — Dews on the Vines Brooch

For example, ChuCui Palace, the pioneer of Chinoiserie jewelry, reflects a rethinking and re-fusion of Eastern and Western perspectives with its “Dews on the Vines” brooch. The piece carefully combines iconic Oriental flowers like the lily with Western calla lilies, juxtaposing the classic theme of Chinese porcelain with the ornate curves of Chinoiserie. The fusion of traditional Chinese brushwork with Western inlay techniques pushes the aesthetic appreciation and elegant vitality of cross-cultural floral themes to new heights. Its colors are subtle and serene, with branches occasionally stretching outward, embodying extraordinary vitality in the ordinary. The work does not merely adhere to traditional Chinoiserie symbols, nor does it rest on 18th-century misunderstandings and imaginings of Chinese aesthetics. Instead, it re-fuses the dual facets of Chinese and European decorative floral traditions, creating a novel and unique aesthetic form that goes beyond simple juxtaposition, forming new meaning through dialogue.

Historicity and Continuation of Cultural Dialogue Gadamer emphasized the historicity of understanding, that every act of understanding is rooted in a specific historical context. The Chinoiserie style is the product of the historical contact between 18th-century Europe and Chinese culture, reflecting how Europeans “understood” Chinese culture through their historical background, cultural needs, and aesthetic preferences. Though this understanding is heavily tinged with Eurocentrism, it also, to some extent, reflects the realities of cultural exchange between East and West at that time.

French Sèvres Factory Chinoiserie Porcelain, 1791

The Sèvres porcelain factory in France was one of the most renowned porcelain manufacturers of the 18th century, with many of their works bearing strong Chinoiserie elements. However, these designs were reinterpreted by Europeans, forming their fantasy and idealized expression of Chinese culture. The Chinoiserie porcelain they created in 1791 reflected the French society’s fondness for Chinese-style decoration and black lacquerware. The animal-head-shaped handles symbolized the exotic charm associated with China at the time, with platinum and two types of gold adorning the vases, which depicted Chinese-style landscapes with rugged rocks, twisted branches, and pagodas. The clothing and hairstyles of the figures were clearly intended to evoke Asian styles. The golden Chinoiserie scenes on the black background echoed the look of Japanese lacquerware. These works were not faithful reproductions of Chinese porcelain but represented a romantic ���Oriental paradise” as seen through European eyes. Such porcelain pieces not only showcased the European aristocracy’s love for Chinese porcelain but also reflected the cultural dialogue and misalignment between China and Europe.

Chinoiserie, as an artistic crystallization of East-West cultural collision, profoundly reflects 18th-century Europe’s misinterpretation and recreation of Chinese culture. Through Gadamer’s hermeneutics, we can see that this style is not merely a simple extraction of Eastern symbols but a reinterpretation by Europeans based on their historical context and cultural needs. Chinoiserie, as a form of cultural dialogue, although tinged with Eurocentrism, also reveals the rich and complex processes of cultural exchange. Whether in jewelry, porcelain, or architecture, Chinoiserie continuously creates new aesthetic forms through the dialogue and fusion of East and West, becoming an important symbol of East-West exchange in art history.