#drum core international

[neuvirtualoasis]

Tennessee to Kentucky to Indianapolis & Back

If any of you enjoy DCI (Drum Core International - Competitive field show), go check out the Worlds that are held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Totally worth a few late nights out on the town.

[dciyaoi]

BOSTON CRUSADERS 2009 — The Core of Temptation

Finishing in 7th place, Boston Crusaders' "The Core of Temptation" figuratively explored the story of Eve in the Biblical Garden of Eden, drawing on musical portraits of desire and its consequences as paradise plunged into madness and chaos.

[hopeymchope]

No hardcore fandom has ever died so quickly and so completely as Veronica Mars. This is the story of its murder.

They should study Veronica Mars in Hollywood. I'm serious. It's an incredible story of how to go from "loud, passionate fanbase with its own fandom name that campaigns and advocates constantly for it" to "absolutely zero fucking interest" damn near OVERNIGHT with just ONE epically terri-bad decision.

If you weren't there, you don't understand: From 2007 to 2014, the fandom — the "Marshmallows," as they called themselves — were everywhere in the Internet's geek spaces, my friends. They routinely beat the drum about the series' three seasons and its excellence, lamented its cancellation, pushed others to give the show a try, and always - ALWAYS - proudly and loudly called for the series to be revived.

FULL DISCLOSURE/CONFESSION: I've not even watched that much Veronica Mars, frankly... ? Yeah, I'm sorry! it does seem pretty good from like the four-or-five hours I've experienced firsthand. I just never took the time to sit down with it. Regardless, I find fandoms and their dynamics — both how they operate internally and how they display to others externally — deeply fascinating. And I honestly find them easier to study from the outside than the inside. Like, if I'm IN a fandom, I'm more likely to stay in my corner and ignore places that seem negative. But being on the outside lets me just... absorb what's out there, looking into every forum without judgment. It's like studying pop-culture sociology or something? And it helps that I'm very close to some serious(-ly burnt) Marshmallows. It makes it so much easier to find and absorb the gamut of the fandom.

Besides: There is NO fandom story I've ever seen that's anything like what happened to Veronica Mars and the Marshmallows.

(Time to insert a brief explainer for the uninitiated: Veronica Mars was a TV series that aired from 2004-2007 on the now-deceased UPN network wherein Kristen Bell played the titular character, a high school girl whose single dad was a private detective in the fictional community of Neptune, California. She grew up working "unofficially" as his assistant, which meant that she herself was effectively a teenage private detective.

The three core elements of the series were: 1) Veronica investigating each week's big mystery with plenty of quips and snark, 2) Watching Veronica's various relationships develop and shift, with most of the focus given to a) her relationship to her father and b) Her romantic pursuits (which began as the Veronica/Duncan/Logan triangle before eventually becoming focused on the slow-burn, off-on Veronica/Logan love story), and 3) The gradual development of that season's "mytharc" — the overarching BIG MYSTERY that doesn't get resolved or wrapped until the season finale. So it went over the course of two seasons that took place in high school and the third, shorter season that was at the start of Veronica's collegiate career.)

Just how big and how passionate were the Marshmallows? WELL! When series creator Rob Thomas (not the Matchbox 20 guy) and star Kristen Bell announced the Kickstarter campaign for the Veronica Mars movie in March 2013, it achieved its heretofore-unprecedented goal of TWO MILLION GODDAMN DOLLARS within less than 12 hours. At that time, it was the biggest Kickstarter goal to ever succeed — and certainly the fastest to reach that kind of height. Fans fell OVER themselves to pay out for it. Hell, my own significant other was DEEP in the tank for VM at the time and invested enough to get multiple t-shirts as backer rewards as well as a disk copy of the movie when it eventually came home.

And AFTER the movie hit in 2014? It was thankfully beloved and embraced! The once-teenage characters were adults who were actually out living on their own and working for a living, but the fandom had grown up with them, so it wasn't like they were begging for them to stay young students. They embraced Adult Veronica and her new adventure. The fandom rejoiced loudly and continued to be all over the geek side of the Internet... where they, of course, still wanted more. Sure, there were new novels in the aftermath (which were written by the creator of the series), but most of the Marshmallows were calling for more movies or a streaming revival.

And then, at long last... season four was actually announced. And there was much (premature) rejoicing yet again.

Yes, Veronica Mars returned for a fourth season on Hulu in 2019. It was just eight episodes, and it was heavily centered on one season-long mystery instead of sprinkling that amongst a bunch of smaller ones, but it would still feature the same ol' Veronica. They promised a new, more "adult" mystery/investigation plus a strong focus on Veronica and Logan's love story.

New Hulu purchased the rights to the first three seasons and hyped up its presence on the platform while marketing the return for the new run. The marketing team played up the most popular quips from the show's history plus put out TONS of stuff centered on the Logan/Veronica ship to pump up the fans.

The season was dropped all at once using the classic Netflix "binge" model in July 2019. And then... afterwards?

There was a brief explosion of LOUD RAGE from the Marshmallows at what series creator Rob Thomas had to done to burn and spite the fandom and ruin his own goodwill.

SPOILERS FOR SEASON 4: See, at the end of the movie, Veronica and Logan finally entered into a long-term relationship. In season four, they've been dating for years, and Logan proposes marriage. But of course there has to be drama/obstacles: In this case, Veronica isn't sure she's ready to marry... or capable of being in a marriage. Ah, but of course she eventually realizes how much Logan means to her. The two are married, and, in the season finale... Logan is killed by a car bomb in the penultimate scene. The final scene is a flashfoward to a year later, where Veronica leaves Neptune alone.

For most fandoms, that'd be a memorable point of pain. A big ol' speed bump that ultimately throws some people off the bus, leaving only the die-hards. But the fact that fans had been invested in this relationship for literally 15 years and that Hulu (and creator Rob Thomas) had heavily marketed the new season as being a big romantic event for the ship... it was too much. Unlike the aftermath of the Star Wars sequels, there was no lingering group of die-hard fans who were open to whatever was next — at least no significant one. I did some Googling and could only find TWO people who still wanted another season.

Funnily enough? Critics LOVED this. Hell, Vanity Fair infamously penned an editorial about how Veronica Mars had "finally grown up" with this finale. I suppose all the other murders and deaths and drug overdoses and r*pe weren't "mature" enough before now for... some... reason. (The same editorial also featured the author openly hating on Veronica ever being in a relationship because it causes "arrested development" and declaring that the movie -- which was acclaimed by both critics AND fans alike, I remind you -- was a lame dud. So. The writer must be a reeeaaaal fun person.)

But a series doesn't live based on critical acclaim, as it turns out. The fandom was murdered overnight. "Marshmallows" stopped appearing in geek spaces online entirely. No one expressed interest in seeing the next season or the next movie. The constant flow of fan AMVs on YouTube and fanfics on AO3 dried up to nothing or damn nearly so.

Since 2019 ? Nothing. Chirping crickets. An intensely dedicated fandom of 12 years was just... vaporized.

I've never seen anything like it before OR since.

That's why it's so fucking fascinating.

So what went wrong?

Creator Rob Thomas was adamant about two things: ONE, the series was intended to be a noir show, which meant there couldn't be any happiness for its protagonist. And TWO, the death of Logan was necessary to evolve and grow the series.

Thomas thought that having Veronica in a relationship would be holding her back, and that a marriage would absolutely kill the series and leave her stagnant. It never even occurred to him that marriage isn't the end of a character's life and growth. It never occurred to him that plenty of drama can be had AFTER someone is married, or that development/growth could be that the characters mature enough to be capable of maintaining a committed relationship. Thomas' view of his own universe was so myopic that he couldn't conceive of any possible way that Veronica could still be a private detective involved in life-threatening investigations AND be married at the same time. Futhermore, he felt that fans just wanted Veronica to become a pregnant housewife, which is about as far from what Marshmallows were after as you can get without straight-up killing Veronica and/or Logan. He managed to do the only thing wronger than what he wrongly thought was their insistence.

On top of the above, Rob Thomas only viewed "noir" as a vehicle for total fatalism... despite the fact that many of the most famous noir stories are cynical and full of moral ambiguity, but they still feature a positive outcome. The Big Sleep still has the protagonist get the girl. The Set-Up arguably ends with the happiest possible ending in spite of the beating the hero receives.

Perhaps most importantly? Despite Thomas own insistence that Veronica Mars was always "noir," the majority of both TV critics and fans did not think that designation ever truly applied. I suspect that's the reason why Thomas decided to go as dark and fatalistic as possible: He wanted to be noir, and he was being told that he wasn't. So he went so far into noir that he killed his own most popular property.

He was adamant that it was the only way for the series to grow. But as it turns out, it was instead the only way for the series to permanently end. Without that season four finale, a passionate group of fans would still be begging for more. With it? It's over. Nobody fucking cares now.

That's kind of amazing.

[000marie198]

It's done. Phew *passes out* here, please accept this little prologue, I've planned a multichapter for this.

Here's my entry to Nine Tailed Travel Guide Through the Multiverse. Juuuust short of time running out. Takes place in Synergy Au

.

.

Unsynched

The sea lit up in a thunderous white flash, lightning striking the mountaineous waves with vengeance, their turbulent surface swallowing million tiny craters and being struck by million more.

Rain fell in torrents, bulleting streams of water speeding downward lit by the blinding flashes every few seconds. Wind screamed and wailed as it hunted within the deadly storm, one of the bigger ones this area had seen since the Rift.

At the edges of a secluded shore, the rumbles of thunder sounded muffled inside a locked up facility, the safety of reinforced hangers and labs failing to hide the chill caused by nature’s wrath. Even as the world slept peacefully, most of the staff was on high alert. That included the operators dutifully running continuous scans at their respective stations.

A large computer set up at the radar control station began to beep in alert, one of its monitors displaying a red dot pinging offshore over the regional map. The agent stationed by it reached for the controls, slipping a headset over his ears to report what the monitor displayed.

“Commander, we've picked up on an energy anamoly fifteen miles west.”

“Another beast?” The gruff voice on the other end inquired almost immediately.

“Negative,” the agent responded, “this signature does not match the one given off by the Breachers.”

There was a pause on the other end, likely due to the other consulting about their next course of action, before another voice crackled through the comm links.

“We are at Hanger 5, prepared for deployment. Allow clearance for investigation.”

“Commander?” The agent prompted for confirmation.

“Send off The Tempest,” the first voice ordered. “We cannot take any chances.”

“Affirmative.”

An intensifying hum sounded from Hanger 5 as mechanisms powered up and the reinforced gates slowly rose, the icy claws of the storm reaching in with a vengeance.

……….....................................

Expecting to appear on solid ground as he had the past few times he walked into a new world, Nine hadn't anticipated the portal to deposit him thirty feet high, in the middle of the ocean.

A startled yelp escaped him, quickly turning into terrified scream as rain, wind and lightning blinded his senses, flashes preceding blasts of thunder that shook him to the core.

The world was an earthquake and he was at its epicenter.

His heartrate sped up as he fell. Loud beats thudding through his veins mirrored the thunder’s claps like symphonic war drums. Pupils shrunk into pinpricks and something buzzed across his fur, skin, flesh– every single cell.

Adrenaline.

He was familiar with adrenaline. With its fight or flight instincts.

He had honed them for years to choose fight. With practice and struggle, pain and blood, a lifetime of suffering. Nine squeezed his eyes shut and let them take over, trusting them to keep him safe.

Seven metal tails clicked apart and spun, two organic ones joining them and the kit slammed to a halt midair, the harsh shift in momentum barely shocking him. Black waves below and grey clouds above sandwiched the wind and rain that tried to push him down but he held on, though barely.

Raising an arm to block the droplets, Nine squinted through the shower, flinching as more strikes lit the stormy horizon. He needed to find someplace to land. Now. Being in the air increased the risk of his metallic appendages attracting lightning.

Just stabilizing while hovering in same place was difficult enough, if he couldn't find land soon- he pressed his lips, glancing down at the MTC- he'd have no choice but to leave this universe unexplored.

For the first time in many multiverse adventures, he wished Sonic and Tails would show up. He had internally complained about it before but he could really use some help right now.

Well, no matter, if they couldn't find him, he'll do it himself. A harsh gust pushed at him from the side, Nine grunting as his tails strained to fight against it. Right, he'll try to find them after he was sheltered and not under the mercy of a heavy storm.

Reaching for his yellow handheld, he turned mid air so his back was to the rain’s direction, shielding his front just enough for him to huddle over the device and activate its wave scanner, trying to find a satellite signal he could hack.

In any other case, he would've shot down the thought immediately, considering he's been through universes where such technology didn't even exist, but Nine had checked the readings of this particular world before deciding to teleport here. It seemed to be advanced in technology just as much, if not more, than New Yoke. And it had a strangely strong reading, similar to the fixed Green Hill did compared to the other shatter spaces. He'd looked forward to exploring it.

If only he hadn't ended up in the middle of the storm.

“C'mon, work,” Nine muttered with frustration as the device took longer than it usually did to pick up a signal, the weather hindrance still playing its part.

Finally, it pinged with an alert, the fox not taking another moment to jump on the frequency, launching codes to bypass firewalls and access the available GPS and maps. As he pulled up the one which showed his location, he paused, brows furrowing up in confusion.

“What?”

The live map had his coordinates, which made sense considering he connected through the database, but it also showed location of another signal, heading straight towards him.

He felt the air trmeor with a deep rumbling thud, it's sound blending with the storm’s so well, he hadn't realized it could have a different source.

Nine froze, his fur pricking up as another rumbling thud sounded, louder. Closer. The lightning that would accompany the thunder impossibly staying static, not flashing off within milliseconds.

Nine was not alone.

He held his breath as waves rose like curtains, a deep groan vibrating the moist air like whales’ songs after a last thunderous thud. Glaring beams shone down at his back, framing his sharp shadow flickering with the waves as he hovered with his handheld gripped tight, the other signal blinking right behind his own.

Swallowing back his growing fear, Nine turned around, finding himself face to face with a gigantuan mech’s dark visor, piercing beams from its shoulder pads focused directly upon Nine.

.......

To be continued in Unsynched

[day6source]

it's that time again! how insane is it to be getting another comeback!? if you haven't heard yet, 'band aid' will be arriving to us soon, september 2nd, 2024! just like before, i'll be keeping things all updated from written interviews to videos! keep an eye out and save the link if you're wanting to keep up and want some easy reference! 화이팅!

SHOPPING

as always, below are options for where to buy! most of them are online shops linked directly from twitter, as well as a few places i personally like to buy from that have pretty good prices. i did my best to include mostly international sites (they default to english) for the main set provided by jyp. if you have any sites used in your country feel free to send them and i'll add the links in (these are american centric given i'm in america haha).

STANDARD VERSION (*indicates a pre-order benefit):

THE JYP SHOP* ꕤ YES24 ꕤ WITH MUU* ꕤ APPLE MUSIC ꕤ MUSIC PLANT* ꕤ MUSIC KOREA* ꕤ BLUE DREAM MEDIA* ꕤ ALADDIN ꕤ SUBK SHOP* ꕤ MUSIC PLAZA* ꕤ CHOICE MUSIC LA* ꕤ KPOP TOWN ꕤ KTOWN4U

PLATFORM NEMO VERSION:

THE JYP SHOP* ꕤ YES24 ꕤ WITH MUU ꕤ APPLE MUSIC ꕤ MUSIC PLANT ꕤ MUSIC KOREA ꕤ BLUE DREAM MEDIA ꕤ ALADDIN ꕤ SUBK SHOP ꕤ MUSIC PLAZA ꕤ CHOICE MUSIC LA ꕤ KPOP TOWN ꕤ KTOWN4U

LISTENING

APPLE MUSIC ꕤ SPOTIFY ꕤ AMAZON MUSIC ꕤ BUGS! ꕤ DEEZER ꕤ FLO ꕤ GENIE ꕤ ITUNES STORE ꕤ MELON ꕤ PANDORA ꕤ TIDAL ꕤ YOUTUBE MUSIC ꕤ YOUTUBE VIDEO PLAYLIST

WATCHING

below is all of the content to watch!! m/v's, concerts, promo stuff, performances!! if it pertains to the album it goes here!

Forever Young Concert

DOWNLOAD LINK

OFFICIAL VIDEOS

ALBUM RELEASE TEASER ꕤ CONCEPT FILM TEASER ꕤ CONCEPT FILM ꕤ ALBUM PRODUCTION PART #1 ꕤ ALBUM PRODUCTION #2 ꕤ ALBUM SAMPLER ꕤ 'MELT DOWN' MV TEASER #1 ꕤ 'MELT DOWN' MV TEASER #2 ꕤ 'MELT DOWN' MV ꕤ 'MELT DOWN' SING ALONG GUIDE WITH MY DAY ꕤ 'BAND AID' JACKET MAKING FILM ꕤ 'MELT DOWN' MV MAKING FILM ꕤ 'MELT DOWN' REACTION WITH MY DAY ꕤ 'MELT DOWN' STUDIO LIVE VERSION ꕤ 'MONSTER' STUDIO LIVE VERSION

PERFORMANCES

MCOUNTDOWN 240905: COMEBACK INTERVIEW ꕤ 'MELT DOWN' PERFORMANCE ꕤ SUNGJIN CAM ꕤ YOUNG K CAM ꕤ WONPIL CAM ꕤ DOWOON CAM ꕤ ꕤ SUNGJIN FANCAM ꕤ YOUNG K FANCAM ꕤ WONPIL FANCAM ꕤ DOWOON FANCAM ꕤ PERFORMANCE BEHIND THE SCENES PHOTOS ꕤ DOWOON DRUM CAM

MUSIC BANK 240906: 'MELT DOWN' PERFORMANCE ꕤ 'MELT DOWN' FULL CAM ꕤ SUNGJIN CAM ꕤ YOUNG K CAM ꕤ WONPIL CAM ꕤ DOWOON CAM

SHOW! MUSIC CORE 240907: 'MELT DOWN' PERFORMANCE ꕤ 'MELT DOWN' FULL CAM ꕤ SUNGJIN CAM ꕤ YOUNG K CAM ꕤ WONPIL CAM ꕤ DOWOON CAM ꕤ SUNGJIN FAVORITE CAM ꕤ YOUNG K FAVORITE CAM ꕤ WONPIL FAVORITE CAM ꕤ DOWOON FAVORITE CAM ꕤ PERFORMANCE BEHIND THE SCENES PHOTOS ꕤ BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEO

INKIGAYO 240908: 'MELT DOWN' PERFORMANCE ꕤ 'MELT DOWN' FULL CAM ꕤ SUNGJIN CAM ꕤ YOUNG K CAM ꕤ WONPIL CAM ꕤ DOWOON CAM ꕤ YOUNG K FACE CAM ꕤ DOWOON FACE CAM ꕤ PERFORMANCE BEHIND THE SCENES PHOTOS

PROMOTIONAL VIDEOS

IU's PALETTE ꕤ 'CONGRATULATIONS' @ IU'S PALETTE ꕤ YOUNG K ON BDNS ꕤ TIKTOK CHALLENGES

READING

MELON SPOTLIGHT

[p1nkshield]

Hello Party People and welcome to chapter 5 of a fanfic based on a prompt! We have a title!

At the Core

Jason realized what he just did. Why did he just chug some toxic green substance? Why did he listen to a child about what is good to consume? He’s also a ghost kid! Who knows how poisonous that was! Why did it taste like fancy soda?

Jason managed to sift through his confusion and ask his father.

“What was that I just drank?”

Bruce took a moment to gather himself, there were so many things that confused him today and he really did not enjoy this feeling of perpetual bewilderment.

“That, was an unidentified liquid we confiscated from the obviously incompetent guys in white.”

Danny bristled at the mention of the organization. Jason placed a hand on Danny’s tiny head in a show of comfort.

Bruce continued.

“In my attempts at analysis I’ve found that the substance is extremely corrosive. The steel drums they were keeping it in were almost as thin as paper and just as weak. The end of my micropipette melted as soon as I inserted it into the liquid, the acrylic slides I managed to get it on melted in seconds and the only effective containment has been these custom made ampules.”

“Hmm.” Jason grew more and more pale as Bruce explained the volatility of what he just imbibed. Bruce does not exaggerate. Danny seemed to be the only calm one, continuing to sip on his replacement juice box getting the verdant equivalent of a milk mustache.

“You should currently be suffering severe internal chemical burns.”

“Hmm.”

From what Jason could tell…He was not suffering severe internal chemical burns.

“Hmm.” Dang it, now he was starting to sound like Bruce. Before he could truly spiral into the what ifs of this situation he was interrupted by several small yawns.

“Poor Danny, look at him! I should get him to bed right now! I guess we have to figure this out later!”

Jason’s escape plan was met with protests from both Bruce and Danny. It was too little too late though, Jason was already football carrying Danny to the exit of the bat cave.

Jason’s escape wasn’t much of one. He’d have to take the time to apologize to Alfred for all the grief he’d given him at bed time.

Danny woke up with a start in an unfamiliar place and on an unfamiliar bed. It was far too soft and far too big. He instinctively reached for his hair. It was white and wispy. Now this is bad. He didn’t know where he was or why he was in ghost form. Something else wasn’t right. His hand was too small.

“What?” Danny’s voice was too high pitched for his liking. He stumbled into the en-suite attached to the room and the reflection that met him was a ten year old Danny. That is, if the accident happened four years earlier than normal. Before he could stop himself he let out a surprised yelp and crashed to the ground.

“Danny? Danny! What’s going on? Kid?” A voice called from the hall and quickly made its way towards him. A large man entered the room with a surprisingly frantic look on his face.

Oh it’s just Jason.

Jason? This man’s presence signaled safety in Danny’s mind. Like he had spent a considerable amount of time with him.

Something’s happened.

“You’re Jason right? I don’t really remember everything that happened in the last few days. The only thing I do know right now is that you feel trustworthy.”

Jason blinked as all of this information hit him like a brick wall. The kid he was entrusted to watch had visibly aged over night. Kids don’t normally do that.

“Yeah… I’m Jason.”

“Great! Could you tell m-”

Danny paused his attempt to float only resulted in a hop. He was still on the ground. This is bad. Danny attempted to float again to some success, only to stumble back onto his feet.

“You can fly?” Jason asked with genuine surprise.

“You can’t?” Danny returned his inquiry with genuine confusion.

“No, I can’t.” Jason said matter-of-factly

“I feel like you should be able to fly. That’s like the base stats dude.” Danny looked appraisingly at Jason, who looked just as quizzically at him.

“I’m not a meta or a ghost like you so no, I cannot fly.”

Jason could feel himself getting slightly annoyed at this line of questioning.

“Two corrections. I am actually half ghost.” Danny proved his point by letting a ring of light split and wash over him leaving a raven haired, blue eyed kid in the ghost’s place. “And so are you.”

Jason took a moment to school his surprised expression. “Sure thing sailor moon.”

“I’m taking that as a compliment! Also, it’s true?! I can tell you have a heart beat but too much ectoplasm for a normal human to survive.” Danny continued to look at him for a moment. “Welcome to the club. Also, this may be a personal question but, where’s your core?”

Jason was getting tired of being confused. “What do you mean where’s my core?”

@addie-lover-of-stories @impulsiveasshole @soren1830 @psycoaces21 @tired-yet-awaken @avelnfear @cat-in-a-fedora @overtherose @mewzaque @icecweme @jaytriesstuff @naluforever3 @nappinginhell @terzatheunderscorerima @currant-owo @dontfightmecauseillcry @nixthenerd @pheonixqueen @sarina-elais @wanderer-of-worlds @regressor-marina @sunflowershine03 @sailor-goddess @yjfk @coruscateselene @stargazer-luna @phandomhyperfixationblog

[bumbumzumzum1996]

IXXI Band History

2006: Acerbus (Ondskapt) and Nattdal (Dimhymn, Lifelover) spawn the idea of starting a ‘black n’ roll’ project aside of Acerbus’ band Ondskapt. Totalscorn from Zavorash, Avsky and Selin joins the line-up and the concept/name takes shape through a joint effort of this original line-up. During the summer of 2006 a first ‘s/t’ album is recorded at Studio Endarker, Norrköping, through the support of Total Holocaust Records of Southern Sweden. The album is brief and to the point, a rather straightforward materialization of the term ‘black n roll’. Reviews are fine, but the members all feel it’s just a teaser compared to the real capability of the line-up. By the time this album is released, a music video is all made and dropped in the net as a pro-bono deal.

2007: The line-up returns to Studio Endarker, recording their second album ‘Assorted Armament’. This time supported by German indie-label Sigilla Malae. During this recording session Selin leaves the line-up, basically on account of not being rehearsed enough, and Smoker is recruited for the drum-works with Hravn of Devil’s Whorehouse covering some parts of the album. ‘Assorted Armament’ becomes much more of a solid album, compared to the first release, and the band’s peculiar mixture of talents starts to color the final result more strongly. It’s no longer a question of ‘just’ black n roll, but a more advancing meddling in different direction only loosely tied together by the general standards of black metal. The album is widely acclaimed and accepted as something amongst the ‘best’ of current extreme Swedish bands, and not many months pass before a deal is inked with Candlelight Records.

2008: The band begins rehearsing seriously and recruits Talon as ‘third guitarist’ – at first thought to be a session-member, Talon gets the status of full membership for a brief while. In late May 2008 IXXI performs an underground gig at the H62-club in Stockholm, just days before returning to Studio Endarker for the recording of Elect Darkness – now under the wings of Candlelight Records. The studio-period of 2008 again causes changes to the line-up – as Talon is dropped from the line-up and Smoker quits by own volition, after both having done their part in the studio.

2009: After a pretty long wait, IXXI’s third effort Elect Darkness is finally released by Candlelight Records UK, March 16th. The band starts to rehearse for more live shows and a new drummer is requited. But internal struggles stops the band, and no live shows are planned or performed. After some months of silence Totalscorn suddenly quits the band for complete unknown reasons. Attempts to find a new singer are made, but they all fall short in comparison to Totalscorn. The band have some more rehearsals but nothing happens and the year of 2009 comes to an end.

2010: The band rehearse and tries out some new members, but problems with the line-up makes the band realise that IXXI never will be the same and the they decide to end all activities and put IXXI to the grave as of february the 17th.

2011: The band is reactivated. And goes through some hard months and both Talon and Avsky is forced to leave. Some new material is being written by Acerbus and Nattdal in co-operation with Smoker. The band recruits Core as new bassist, Stigmata (ex-Lifelover as Non) as second guitarist. The band rehears for a while, with Acerbus as vocalist but struggle within the band leads to new line-up changes, as Stigmata is forced to leave and co-founder Nattdal (Lifelover as B) decided to leave the band in the end of July. In August the band recruits Outlaw as vocalist and a session guitarist, Acerbus takes place as guitarist again and the band performes their first live show in over 3 years, together with Lifelover as co-headliner in Stockholm, Sweden, August 26, 2011. IXXI performs some more shows at a mini tour with Lifelover where Nattdal sadly past away.

2012: IXXI signs a record deal with Osmose Productions for a new album and a re-release of Assorted Armament. In autumn IXXI enter the well known Sunlight Studio to record Skulls n Dust with Tomas Skogsberg. Coreperforms his last two shows with IXXI at the Black Flames of Blasphemy and Forlorn Fest.

2013: The new album is mastered by Sverker Widegren in Necromorbus Studio. At the end of the year Skull n Dust and the re-release of Assorted Armament are released.

[finchesslingshott]

AH YES THE LONG-AWAITED GREAT GATSBY CAST ALBUM NOTES FROM FINCH READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

roarin’ on - 10/10

this song has literally been on loop since it first came out

has zero right to be this much of a banger

lives in my head rent free

oh nick carraway the man you are

“tonight lets misbehaaaaaave” scratches my brain in just the right way

WHERES THE PARTY AND CAN YOU TAKE ME THERE ANDDD WHEN THE PARTYS OVER CAN YOU FIND ANOTHER PARTY SOMEWHEREEEE

harmonies my beloved

“turns out: manhattan is expensive!” nick carraway laugh line era is so good

“with his arms spread to the SKYYYYYYYYY” oh i love tenors so much

nick’s speaking voice is so silly i love it he’s just a little guy

the ensembles little “oh oh oh oh”s make me so happy

ORCHESTRA MARRY ME

NICKS TENOR RANGE GOOD GRAVY IT NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE ME

absolute rose - 7.5/10

the ukulele goes crazy

jordan’s dialogue is so silly what a woman

DAISYS LITTLE GIGGLE IM GONNA DIE

ew tom i visibly frowned

ORCHESTRA I LOVE YOU

tom no one likes you shut your face

oh daisy’s voice what a woman

new money - 8.7/10

OK GET IT THIS BEAT IS SO GOOD WHAT THE HECK

samantha pauly i love you

AAA CHROMATIC SCALE MY EYES ACTUALLY WIDENED

its almost like 80s core as well as having that 20s swing and i love it

WOLFSHEIM!!!! HEY POOKS (my favorite minor character he doesnt get talked about enough)

“who’s the teahcer?” “thats nick carraway”

the rumors section oh my goodness i literally cant ensemble i literally love you

“do you believe thay about mr gatsby?” “WHAAT?”

oh jordan your speaking voice dear

JORDANNNN

for her - 9.5/10

ITS OUR BOY LADS OH MY GOSH

oh orchestra oh lyrics oh jeremy

“daisyyyy” IM CRYING

the smooth switches between falsetto and full chest voice just adds to the emotion

ORCHESTRAAAAAA

OH ITS THE PART FROM TIKTOK

ok enunciation and emotion get it jeremy

LITERALLY IN ACTUAL TEARS OH MY WORD JEREMY

oh strings you and your tremolo are killing me over here

“now she has TOOOOO KNOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW ITS ALLLL FOR HERRRRRRRRRRRRRR”

valley of ashes - 7.5/10

this beat is so cool oh my gosh 

who is this singing??? i cant tell??? 

OHHHH ITS THAT GUY HEY WILSON

talking to the billboard of the doctors eyes is actually a detail i had headcanoned when i originally read the book and this is actually making me so happy

oh wilson and his wife (whos name i forgot)

“youve got the eyes of God / if God needed glasses”

that was actually so cool what

way too short

second-hand suit - 8.7/10

im loving the ukulele content in this musical 100/10

this role is so clarisse la rue from the lightning thief and i love it

the mood and beat change when she starts talking about tom is insane

the drum beat is so cool what

i cant remember her name for the life of me what is wrong with me

I LOVE THIS OMW NEW DREAM ROLE

for better or worse - 9.5/10

oh no oboe (?) solo i know im gonna start crying 

“and to learn that my soldier has returned / its both a blessing and a curse / is it for better or for worse?”

literally just texted my voice teacher demanding (/j) to work on this song 

“and not to thinkkk about the PAAAAAAST”

oh my gosh wow hold on crying what the flip

somehow “once upon a december” coded

OH OH OH OH NO OH NO

i think my soul just left my body

the met - 8.5/10

AWESOME BASS LINE I’M ALREADY SOLD

MYRTLE THATS HER NAME DEAR GOODNESS I THOUGHT IT WAS LIKE MIRIAM OR MARY OR SMTH 

woah mr mckees voice makes him more creepy than he alr was in the book

“i need a dose of culture / and i need a cigarette”

“in the bedroom lighting i’m an eight” is literally insane

WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON IN THIS SONG

myrtle’s sister ranking different people is literally so crazy calling gatsby a 5 when he’s literally JEREMY FLIPPING JORDAN

katherine’s myrtle’s sister’s name right???? i’m not crazy???

oh nick carraway you and your internal monologue

myrtle and tom’s fight is literally crazy “dAisY dAIsY dAisY” (SMACK)

nick straight up calling tom an asshole is so crazy i love him for it tbh

OH FUNKY BASS LINE MARRY ME

“yes… please connect me with mr. j. gatsby.” BUHM

this was one of my fav scenes in the book and they portrayed it beautifully i’m literally in love

only tea - 9/10

i love a good jeremy jordan meltdown song

“i am not okay.” me too jeremy its ok pookie

“old sport” HE SAID IT HE SAID THE THING I’M GONNA START CRYING

ok the beat yes oh my gosh the goofy little trumpet slides and ukulele my beloved

“i’m gonna walk into the ocean” jay gatsby stop making me kin you

ok ensemble vocals get it

the voice crack on “cASUal” im in love

his voice cracks in general what a man

poor nick man 

i think jeremy’s playing jay to be bipolar and i’m here for it /hj

green light - 10/10

hoooooo boy ok here we go

this is one of the ones i still havent listened to even though it was released early

the falsetto jeremy you’re killing me here

calling her “daisy faye” instead of “daisy buchanan” is so symbolic of him like seeing her as his instead of legally tom’s

oh eva noblezada what a woman you are

the mood/orchestral change when daisy started singing i’m dead

OH THEYRE SINGING TOGETHER IM GONNA DIE

oh theyre definitely kissing why else would they have this random orchestral break thats somehow so similar to “something to believe in” from newsies

the emotion in their voices urhgjgdjdjdjfjfdjdksoaoeokgkf

the harmoniesss

ooh bet theyre kissing again

THE FINAL NOTE OH MY GOSH

the next “something to believe in” i fear

shady - 7.5/10

UH OH IM EXCITED

MORE WOLFSHEIM CONTENT???

his voice is so cool

he’s so tevye coded i cant even explain how or why but he is

AAAAAAAAA DOUBLE BASS I COULD CRY

this instrumental is killing me goodness gravy

“everybodys a little bit shady / the world keeps spinning if you grease the wheel” goes hard

ensemble vocals go harddddd

better hold tight - 8.7/10

more standup bass i could die

“i think i see the stars aligning / or my standards are my declining”

NICK AND HIS VIBRATO I’M SCREAMING

“what you did might be taboo / but i like that look on you” 

i need my next (if any) boyfriend to be a tenor so he can sing this with me

SCREAMING I LOVE THEM

past catching up to me - 9.5/10

oh jerjor your precious little voice can you marry me yet

“she kissed me and swore she’d never stray / then the world got in the way”

this is the new tenor song along with santa fe and great expectations

GET IT DRUMS WOO GO ORCHESTRA

THE KEY CHANGE. OH MY GOSH.

HAD NO RIGHT HITTING ME WITH A C5 (?) JEREMY POOKIE WHAT

ENSEMBLE VOCALS JUST ADD TO IT ALDKGKFKSKSKRKFKDSA

la dee dah with you - 8.5/10

ok just from the orchestral stuff its alr a banger

this is the big tap number right????

whos singing??? this isnt jordan??? is this just an nyc girl from annie type situation?

i’m confused but its a banger so i dont care

oh im so sure the choreo is so impossibly good

YES THE TAPS LETS FLIPPING GO AKDKFLFLSLERLGLDLSKA

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH

yep this is it this is what i wanna do with my life

the ensemble hootin and hollerin just adds to it

TOO SHORT.

go - 8.7/10

YAY ANOTHER MENTAL BREAKDOWN SONG!

somehow violet beaudelaire x quigley quagmire core if you know what i mean

“if we wait until we’re ready we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives” core

them <333333333

ew tom spoke i hate him

“i love you lets go / before i change my mind”

these harmonies ugh

ORCHESTRA ILY

too short again

made to last - 9/10

is this tom?? i cant tell?????

OH IT IS LETS GO

OH MY GOSH ITS THE GATSBY TOM FIGHT LETS FLIPPING GO

i really wanna see how this is staged…

OK SMOOTH KEY CHANGE

the conflicting vocal parts in the argument im gonna actually die

tom desperately trying to win me over with his vocal parts

oh its so “nonstop” coded im gonna actually die

for better or worse (reprise) - 7.5/10

its my pookies oml

oh samantha pauly your voice

they better kiss

TOO SHORT

one-way road - 9/10

MYRTLE??? OH MY GOSH???

“WATCH THE ROAD ASSHOLE”

“wait what if i become her?”

the callbacks to second hand suit make me happy

yeah no this is my role i’ve claimed it now

i swear the amount of mental breakdown songs in this music i live for it

YES MYRTLE POP OFF

God sees everything - 8.7/10

lets go george pop off king

TOO SHORT WHAT THE FLIP

for her (reprise) - 8/10

YES CELLO YEA STRINGS AAAAAAAAAAAA

can someone love me like jay gatsby loves daisy buchanan

new money (reprise) - 8.3/10

ugh this beat kills me every time i cant even

DSGLAFJKLDSKLD ENSEMBLE I LOVE YOU

my fav reprise by far oh my GOSH

dying dead

TOO SHORT WTFFFF

beautiful little fool - 9/10

prepared to cry alr oh gosh

the whispery quality of her voice rn i’m gonna die eva pls

“It’s a girl the nurse said / and i broke, and i broke”

the piano instrumental killing me jeeeeeeez

“the best thing a girl can be in this world is a beautiful little fool” line taken STRAIGHT from the book and it KILLS me every single time i read it sdjadljksdljafdshlsdfjakdshdfask

oh eva noblezada your VOICE

OHHH THE CALLBACK TO ABSOLUTE ROSE I’M DEAD

ORCHESTRA MARRY ME HODSJGKSLAFKDGLJFADKSGLFAKDHGSLJFADHGS

texting my voice teacher rn

finale: roaring on - 9.5/10

YAY NICK HEY POOKS YOU EAT UP THAT MONOLOGUE KING

this is partially taken from the book uihsialfdjsghkfljdg i’m gonna cry

“I can still see gatsby / standing in silhouette” ok homo /pos

YES TENOR NOTE MY BELOVED

“with infinite hope / that made him fool enough to try / that light across the water was always out of reach / so why do we (x3) keep reaching”

OOOO BEAT CHANGE KILLING ME

YAY ROARING ON ODGJSHOAPLSFJDKGSHDLJFADHSGJJLFAD

DIRECT QUOTES FROM THE BOOK HOLY CRAPPPPPPP

WHERES THE PARTY AND CAN YOU TAKE ME THERRREEEEE-

genuinely in tears oh my GOSH

IN CONCLUSION

SURPRISINGLY cohesive to the book which made me so happy - the direct quotes had me SCREAMINGGGGG

phenomenal cast literally would die to breathe the same air as any of them

dream role is myrtle she sounds like a soprano belter sorry i don’t make the rules

JEREMY. FREAKING. JORDAN.

ORCHESTRA. ENSEMBLE. I LOVE YOU.

[herrlindemann]

Bravo 05.06.1997, interview with Till

The halls burn at their concerts. With their spectacular fire show and their super hit 'Engel' (this week number 3 in the German single charts), Rammstein from Berlin rose to become the new stars of the German rock scene. Frontman Till Lindemann plays the wild man on stage: The muscular, broad-shouldered singer fires flamethrowers, lets showers of sparks spray and dances across the stage as a living torch - without batting an eyelid. In the BRAVO interview, on the other hand, the shrill 'fire devil' shows a completely different side. Till, who has recently dyed his hair silver, speaks softly, in a deep but gentle voice. He seems very thoughtful, almost shy — and he rarely smiles...

Rammstein landed their biggest hit with 'Engel'. How did you get the idea to sing about angels?

The text goes back to a fairy tale I heard as a child. A boy asks his dad about his deceased mother: "Where is my mommy now? » The dad replies: «She is now an angel in heaven. Look up at that star. There's your mommy now! » This story fascinated me. I could sense how lonely and vulnerable the boy must have felt without his mother.

Do you believe in angels yourself?

Anyway, I've never seen one. Richard always says my lyrics are childish and wise at the same time. I really am like a big kid — naughty but innocent. People always think I'm strong and badass. That's not true. I am sensitive and easily hurt — and romantic and passionate in love.

How did you grow up?

We lived in Schwerin in what was then East Germany. My parents are artists. They left me alone, I could do whatever I wanted. I was mainly interested in sports. I was good at swimming, so when I was ten I went to a sports school where I trained for an international career. At first everything went great. When I was 16, I went to Rome with the East German team for the European Championships.

Was that your first trip abroad?

Yes, anyone who went abroad in GDR times was king! We didn't have the freedom to travel back then. I was totally fascinated by Italy. After the competition I abseiled with a girl I met in Rome. I had no intention of running. The next morning I reported back to the team. Unfortunately too late. I got into big trouble and was interrogated by the Stasi. What I did was a crime for them. It was then that I noticed for the first time in what a slave system we lived in. After this trip, I was fed up with the system. I got out and became punk.

How long has Rammstein existed?

Richard, our rhythm guitarist, founded the group in 1993. At Rammstein all band members are equally important. The group can only function with this cast. If one of us gets out, it's over. The guys played in various Berlin groups like Feeling B and The Instabokatables until 1993. I got by in Schwerin as a basket weaver. From time to time I played drums in some punk bands for fun. Richard is an old friend of mine. My voice has always fascinated him. I used to sing out loud at work and he would listen for hours. One day he brought cassettes with new, super hard songs and told me to sing along. At first I didn't feel like it because I didn't want to go to Berlin.

But then you went to Berlin after all...

Yes, Richard talked to me for three days. Finally he convinced me. We then recorded the first demos in the apartment he and Schneider shared at the time. I always had to sing under a blanket because my voice woke the neighbors from their sleep. The three of us formed the core team. Paul, Flake and Olli came later when we won our first studio session at the Berlin Senate Rock Competition in the summer of 1993.

Where does the band name Rammstein come from?

At first we didn't expect to be commercially successful. For over a year we went without a name because we only played at friends' parties. When we signed the record deal, we had to come up with a name quickly. Someone said: "Rammstein. » We liked this name — «Ramm» and «Stein» express movement, strength and hardness. We knew nothing at all about the plane crash that happened in the 1980s at the military training area in Ramstein/Rhineland-Palatinate. We all come from the east and didn't notice anything about the catastrophe.

At the beginning of your career there were rumors that you were right-wing extremists...

Absolute nonsense! We have nothing to do with fascists. When Rammstein started, we seemed like a foreign body in the German music scene because we didn't conform to any cliché. We're just not easy-going heave metallers with long hair and short pants. People didn't know which box to put us in. The box on the right was obvious because we acted very tough and monumental, with long leather coats, shimmering metal, bare shiny skin and all that fire. We wanted to provoke people and do something totally crazy.

« Mein schwarzes Blut und dein weißes Fleisch, ich werd’ immer geiler von deinem Gekreisch. Der Angstschweiß da auf deiner Stirn, hagelt in mein krankes Hirn… » you sing on the number 'Weißes Fleisch'. Are such harsh texts also created out of sheer desire to provoke?

My texts arise from feelings and dreams, more from pain than from pleasure. I often have bad nightmares, waking up at night drenched in sweat from fear because I saw some bad bloody scene in my dream. My lyrics are an outlet for the emotional lava boiling over in my soul.

What scares you?

We all try hard to hide behind a well-mannered facade that we are ruled and guided by drives and feelings: by hunger, thirst, fear, hatred, greed for power and sex. Of course there is also a very strong positive force in us - love. Without them, humanity would have exterminated itself long ago. Drives and negative feelings are particularly dangerous when they are suppressed and hidden from consciousness. In my texts they are allowed to come into the open.

Are you a pyromaniac?

Fire fascinates me. I once brought two New Year's Eve fire breathers to a gig and lit them between songs. The fans cheered and I burned my hands. But I thought it was great that I didn't have to stand around stupidly between the songs, but had something to do. I made myself a gauntlet that could spit fire, then a fire arm. At one point, the fire department showed up behind the stage. On this occasion I learned that you need a ticket to play with pyro effects. So I took the firework exam.

How do you actually live privately? Do you have a girlfriend?

No, not at this time. None of the six of us have an intact relationship. We're just too much on the go. But I don't live alone. I am single father. My daughter's name is Nele and she's twelve years old: she's my everything - for me even more important than Rammstein!

[ghanjrho]

Alright, because this wouldn't leave my head here we go:

Young Justice as a band, Core 6 edition.

Red Tornado is their manager, obviously.

Initially, it was a trio act of Kon, Bart, and Tim. This lasted for their debut single Id, Ego, and Superego, as well as the EP Young, Just Us. Greta was a session player who got tapped in to help back a track for the full album, and recommended her previous collaborators Cissie and Cassie to the group. Some internal shakeups followed, but by the release of the full Young, Just Us album the band had settled down.

Kon: Drums, and the occasional backing vocal.

Bart: Man, what doesn't Bart play. He started on keyboard, then promptly went full crazy. In the EP alone, he has listed credits for piccolo, sousaphone, and harpsichord, among others.

Tim: originally lead guitar/vocals, later rhythm guitar and male vocals. Because he cannot be normal, his guitar isn't either. Usually an 8-string, but he he's broken out a Chapman Stick on more than one occasion.

Cassie: Lead guitar and lead female vocals. Also helps with songwriting.

Greta: bass guitar. Likes music, likes playing with friends, jsut as happy to fade into the background.

Cissie: keyboard, backing female vocals. Bonnie wanted her to be a solo artist, but "white girl singing with a piano" isn't exactly an unpopular niche. Bonnie's new long-term plan is for Cissie to be the breakout sensation and leave Young Justice behind. So far, Cissie isn't on board.

Tim and Cassie have a somewhat complex co-front dynamic. Tim is the primary songwriter, is go-to for guitar solos, and is the primary male vocalist. Cassie plays lead guitar and sings lead on most songs. Cissie has a song or two on each album that she takes the lead for, and that's all she really wants right now.

[iaminyourbones]

Sorry if replies are a little slow everyone

I’m currently at a really cool marching band event called Drum Core International (DCI) and I’m only answering and responding in between bands

[unholyverse]

waterparks // alternative press spring 2023

(full article text under the cut:)

TO THE MOON

With their new album INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, WATERPARKS are diving deeper than ever before. The result is an exorcism of deep trauma and the sweet afterglow of catharsis.

STORY: Alessandro DeCaro • PHOTOS: Jawn Rocha • Styling: Josh Madden

Between international flights, jet lag and no days off in between, it is a miracle that Awsten Knight isn’t face down in a pile of pillows. For the past two weeks, Knight and his band Waterparks have been head down in a run of massive shows throughout the U.K. supporting British rockers You Me At Six as well as a series of intimate appearances at record stores with some of the band’s most die-hard fans. It was a landmark run for a group who have hit the road relentlessly the past year-and-a-half, with sold-out North American and European headlining tours, a top slot at the 2022 Sad Summer Festival and even a “bucket list” opening slot for My Chemical Romance. Their latest milestone? They played to 10,000 people — their largest show in the U.K. region — at London’s historic Alexandra Palace. Exhaustion should be Knight's baseline, but instead, he's as chipper as ever when he hops on Zoom back home in Los Angeles. There's only one problem. The bandleader has been on vocal rest for days leading up to this very interview.

“Dude, my voice feels so shot,” Knight confesses from his living room couch. “We did 12 performances back to back, then combined with really short cut-up sleep on the flight, 1 just feel, ugh.” Sleep deprivation aside, Knight is almost at a loss for words (not from the vocal rest) but because the experimental pop trio he formed 12 years ago have unlocked another level of fandom where new listeners are still flocking by the droves. “It turns out there are a lot of people [in this world].” Knight quips, referring to his newfound fans. But in reality, global domination doesn’t really seem too far off.

Knight barely has time to slow down. The band are set to release their fifth studio album, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (out April 14 via Fueled By Ramen). But the self-professed workaholic has never known any other way. “It's a really hard mentality to shake,” Knight reveals. “When we were a local band, we didn't have any family connections in the music industry, and no one cared, so you had to take on every role. Even though we are not local anymore and get to play arenas with our favorite bands, if I'm not actively doing stuff to push the music, then I don’t know if anyone else will."

In some ways, Knight fears downtime or stillness because that's when he feels like his brain will start to turn on him. He admittedly functions better when he's working on something creative, whether that’s writing a new song or simply designing streetwear for his clothing brand hii-def. “It's not necessarily the most healthy thing in the long run, but people have worse coping mechanisms,” he laughs nervously.

But Waterparks remain his main focus. The trio, which initially formed in 2011, began to truly put the pieces together the following year when Knight enlisted his now-best friends, guitarist Geoff Wigington and drummer Otto Wood, to round out the lineup. “Otto loved classic rock and bands like La Dispute and Touché Amoré, whereas Geoff was all about EDM," Knight recalls. “We all had different tastes, but at the core of it, it's guitar and drums.” Their individual musical backgrounds helped craft the genre-less sound they have now cultivated.

"THE BIGGEST REASON I didn’t want that pop-punk label is that I know exactly what we are capable of." - AWSTEN KNIGHT

It wasn't until 2016 when Waterparks finally released their debut album, Double Dare — an intentional choice. “I always felt like if no one was looking at us, why put out a large body of work? I wanted to do cool shit as opposed to oversaturating and waiting until enough people [actually] wanted to hear it.” There is a common adage that you have your entire life to write your first record and six months to write your second, to which Knight agrees, and from there, the band began making records like clockwork.

With those albums came carefully curated eras — a moment in time with a clear aesthetic, theme and overall mission statement. While always writing music from a subversive and experimental perspective, it was when the band released both FANDOM (2019) and Greatest Hits (2021) that they began to stray from the confinement of genre and inaccurate labels. Knight himself spoke out vehemently about being boxed in by the term “pop punk. “I learned [during that time that] you can’t control everybody, and you can only frame the narrative so much,” Knight explains. “Obviously, we grew up loving and still loving blink-182, Green Day, Sum 41 and Good Charlotte, so it’s in our DNA to a degree, but I just don't want that label because it’s so synonymous with the past and what cynical dickheads or mega naysayers say is just for preteens and kids. However, the biggest reason I didn’t want that label is that I know [exactly] what we are capable of and what our output is.”

Take, for example, the breakbeat madness of the FANDOM single “Turbulent” or the distorted experimentation of “Numb” from Greatest Hits. Nothing is off the table for Waterparks. The group join a cohort of other trailblazing acts like Bring Me the Horizon and Paramore, who both successfully pivoted away from the late Warped Tour circuit in favor of mainstream appeal without losing any substance. “There's a song for everybody, and I once tweeted that anyone who doesn't like Waterparks just doesn't like Waterparks yet,” Knight says confidently.

If you have yet to be on board with the band's music, you've at the very least been entertained by — or seen — Knight's fiery social media presence.

It's undeniable that Waterparks’ meteoric rise has stemmed from the bandleader’s unofficial side hustle as a social media celebrity. And at times, his online presence can feel truly monolithic in scale, something Knight has attempted to analyze over the years in many songs, including the aptly titled “You'd Be Paranoid Too (If Everyone Was Out To Get You)" When asked if his status as an extremely online figure has influenced the band’s latest album, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, Knight isn't entirely sure but reveals that he has had to set boundaries nonetheless, as someone who's regularly met with constant praise and vicious internet trolls. “I try not to let it influence things too much [lately], and with therapy, I've learned that you can only control yourself. However, that doesn’t mean I'm not still vulnerable in the music that I write.”

He tackles the subject on INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY with closer "A NIGHT OUT ON EARTH" and parts of the song “RITUAL,” where he recalls when he felt things were “caving in" around him due to the pressures of constant attention. “There are people who listen to Waterparks who aren't on Twitter. and then there are those who view the band in this bubble where it's just them and the people who reply to the tweets,” Knight resigns.

But beyond the topic of social media, Knight gets admittedly “introspective” on the record. When asked to discuss the overall lyrical themes and concepts behind INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, he takes a deep breath and delivers a warning: Things might get a little turbulent.

“There is a love story throughout the record that is expressive to and for other people, but the album itself has to do with overcoming, unlearning and growing past religious guilt,” Knight explains. “It's something that I've struggled with for a long time.” On “FUNERAL GREY," he delivers the punchy line “baptized in my spit,” which is a playful twist on a weighted subject. The theme of religious guilt doesn’t just apply to the overall lyrics of the record but also extends to the album's striking cover art, which at first glance appears to be an image of a blue frog over a red backdrop; in actuality, it possesses a much more poignant meaning.

“Frogs have always been one of my favorite animals,” Knight reflects. “However, when I learned that frogs were seen as dirty and unclean in a biblical context, it was interesting to me that something that I saw as so good, natural and beautiful could also be seen as a bad thing through a biblical lens.” In other words, the concept of shame plagued the charismatic bandleader for as long as he can remember, and INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY was the moment for Knight to finally face his trauma head-on and “come to terms with himself” once and for all. That explains why a majority of the new songs possess “hypersexualized” energy — a conscious rebellion against a conservative past. “Growing up in church, you're taught that everything is so wrong and bad. I always felt like shit, so [this album] is the breakaway from that specifically.”

By overcoming his religious guilt, Knight was able to tap into an evolved sense of self-worth that he’s since applied to his very own love life, which he details on the album's stripped-down ballad “CLOSER.” “My concept of love has changed throughout the years, and that song is about [looking at the past] and realizing that when I was younger, it was maybe more of an obsession. Now I'm taking it apart and learning more about love and the way I present the current version of myself to other people.” Inversely, there is the alt-radio-ready anthem “BRAINWASHED,” where Knight admits that he still wrestles with the idea of true love, constantly making sure that he’s not just wrapped up in the “honeymoon phase.” Knight jokes that this track and “FUCK ABOUT IT” which features a guest vocal spot from blackbear, are “polar opposites,” as the latter couldn't be further from the “hyperfixation” he details in “BRAINWASHED.," once again proving that he feels the most comfortable when inserting juxtaposition wherever he can.

"I've learned that you can ONLY CONTROL YOURSELF. However, that doesn’t mean I'm not still vulnerable in the music that I write." - AWSTEN KNIGHT

Beyond the emotional clarity that Knight gained during the creation of INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, it's the album's sonic risks and exploration that he is the most fired up about. Though Knight wanted the band to return to their more guitar-driven and organic roots for certain parts of the LP, much of the record ventures into eclectic territory, with hyperpop, trap, synthwave and even subtle elements of hard rock and nu metal. “RITUAL, ‘A NIGHT OUT ON EARTH, ‘REAL SUPER DARK’ and ‘ST*RFUCKER' are the craziest instrumentals we have done ever,” Knight exclaims. “I love the idea of taking something like a guitar or my voice and making it sound entirely like something else” “A NIGHT OUT ON EARTH,” however, is what Knight describes as “the biggest production flex,” and it most definitely shows. “There's fucking elephant sounds in there and weird Batman villain-sounding horns — it's evil and heavy, and not to mention, the outro is just game over,” he says.

Beyond production, Knight pushes his voice and stretches the idea of what constitutes a strong hook on INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. With “END OF THE WATER (FEEL),” Knight is at his most “bombastic,” in a “cartoon-like” state, weaving falsetto melodies that are meant to shock. “I always make a mental note when I hear a song that makes me go…" He pauses, imitating an explosion. “For me, that's when I hear some high-ass vocals that I'm not expecting.” Even on the first day of demoing “END OF THE WATER (FEEL)” in his home studio, Knight was already so confident in the song that he called longtime producer and collaborator Zakk Cervini and “essentially” forced him to come over to his house right then to help finish it. “I also want the record to show that I had a mustache [during this time], too,” Knight laughs.

With collaboration on the brain, Knight is the first to admit that for many years, he was precious about his art and was hesitant to work with others. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine, Knight changed his mind, which was evident on Waterparks’ previous album, Greatest Hits. This time around, Knight, who's an outspoken fan of the U.K. boy band One Direction, finally got a chance to live out one of his dreams by working with esteemed songwriter Julian Bunetta, who co-wrote beloved One Direction classics like “Olivia,” “Infinity” and “Best Song Ever,” among others. “I flew to [Julian's] place in Nashville, and we ended up making five songs together, two of them being ‘FUNERAL GREY" and ‘BRAINWASHED,” Knight recalls. And while he still plans to keep the majority of his music close to his chest long term, he won't rule anything out. Knight would undoubtedly jump at the chance to work with everyone from Post Malone and Damon Albarn to Donald Glover and Toby Keith.

"I'd rather make the coolest f*cking thing, RATHER THAN HOLD BACK and make something that wasn't that good." -AWSTEN KNIGHT

Now, with the band's new LP incoming, there raises the question: Does Knight feel a sense of relief after both exorcising his deepest traumas and inviting listeners on his journey to self- discovery? "I still feel pressure with it," Knight concedes. “It would be a lot easier if only strangers heard this, but everyone in my whole fucking life is going to hear this album, so that's what makes it strange." But he's never let any awkwardness or controversy hinder the artistic output. "I wasn't not in trouble when I put out a song like [2018's] 'TANTRUM' where I listed a bunch of dudes I wanted to kill, calling out by name," Knight acknowledges. Though his lyrical choices have sometimes resulted in strong reactions, even within his close circle of friends, Knight can't help but accept that he is meant to be unapologetic. "At the end of the day, I'd rather make the coolest fucking thing, rather than hold back and make something that wasn't that good."

Pressures of lyrical vulnerability and transparency aside, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY is Knight's attempt to "normalize” the catharsis he finds within songwriting, which ties into the album title itself. "Intellectual property is the mental space you give to something in your head. The 'property' may be the thing that you are struggling with. By materializing it and giving it its own world, it's actually a great way to express it and then, eventually, expel it,” he explains. "I want this album to go to the fucking moon." ALT

[phoenixrsing]

your muses aesthetic. list your muse’s aesthetic from tastes, smells, outfits, and sceneries. add as many subjects as you like, it can help with people tagging you in aesthetically pleasing things towards your muse.

tastes: traditional fire-nation cuisine. spicy fire-flakes, roasted pork, and hot tea infused with jasmine. dragon fruit, lychee, and mangoes, grilled sea pawns. aged fire nation wines with complex flavors of oak and spice. fire nation whiskey, intense and smoky, with hints of charred oak, toasted spices, and a touch of volcanic ashroasted chestnuts. green tea ceremonies, delicate jasmine tea, and rare white dragon jasmine tea leaves—a specialty of his father. rare spices from trees that are native to fire nation, including cumin, saffron, and cardamom.

smells: a scent of smoldering cinnamon, cloves, and star anise in the air. jasmine blossoms, lotus flowers, and orchids from the royal gardens. the crisp scent of autumn leaves and the smoky aroma of fire pits. herbal notes. a hint of sage, lemongrass, and mint leaves in herbal teas. sandalwood incense burning in meditation rooms. crackling hearth fires in the royal palace.

sights: volcanic landscapes. volcanoes looming on the horizon, with smoke rising from their peaks. intense flames swirling, casting shadows against the red walls. royal palace. opulent halls decorated with gilded ornaments, tapestries depicting ancient fire nation legends, and imposing thrones. fire nation technology—advanced warships, steam-powered machinery, and towering factories billowing smoke. traditional fire nation dances—graceful movements accompanied by the flickering light of torches and lanterns. colorful celebrations featuring elaborate firework displays, traditional music, and performances. endless amount of war memorials. monuments honoring fallen soldiers of the fire nation, with eternal flames burning in their honor. regal crimson robes with intricate gold embroidery, adorned with the fire nation insignia. messages of propaganda, supremacy, and strength through firebending. a recruitment poster featuring a soldier, with the caption, join the fire nation army and defend our sacred land.

sounds: the rhythmic sound of flames dancing in fire pits and torches. trumpets heralding the arrival of fire nation royalty, accompanied by drums and cymbals. war drums—thunderous beats echoing across training grounds, inspiring troops before battle. lightning crackling in the foreground. melodic tunes played on traditional fire nation instruments, the pipa and guzheng. the chirping of fire nation birds, the rustling of palm trees, and the distant roar of waterfalls. war machinery—clanking gears, hissing steam, and the rumble of warships off the shorelines. moments of quiet contemplation, where the only sounds are the soft rustle of leaves and the gentle crackle of embers. practicing the dizi, traditional flute in between training sessions.

sensations: the comforting heat of firebending flames against the skin during training sessions. luxurious fire nation silks and satins, smooth against the touch. intense warmth radiating from the earth's core during visits to volcanic hot springs. humid, sea breezes brushing against the skin from the coastlines. tactile connection—a sensation of firebending energy pulsing beneath lu ten's fingertips, responding to his every movement and command. resilient spirit and unwavering determination. a deep sense of connection to the spirits of fire. commitment to serving the fire nation. isolationism, a loneliness you cannot shake. failure is not an option. reluctant heroism, internal struggles between morality and obligations. inside of me, there are two dogs. one is mean and evil and the other is good and they fight each other all the time. when asked which one wins, i answer, the one I feed the most. ambiguous loyalties.

tagged by — me. tagging: @hotknickers, @denouemente, @linghung, @hookedswords, @dropovers, @fearbend, @kniveds, @yourideaguy, @bowbend, @rotpoetry

[merrock]

CHARACTER INFORMATION

face claim: Mason Gooding

full name: Jacob Kyrie Fields

nickname(s) / goes by: Jake

pronouns & gender: He/Him

sexuality: Bisexual

birth date: January 31, 1992

birth place: Merrock, ME

arrival to merrock: 1992 born and raised. Left 2010. (Back for holidays etc) Returned fully end of 2024.

housing: The Suburbs

occupation: Musician/Unemployed

work place: NA.

family: JD Fields, and Jasmine Fields; son, Mateo

relationship status: single

PERSONALITY

Jake is a lot of things, a blend of independence, passion, and intensity. He likes to think he has a unique, forward-thinking perspective, huge on his freedom (to a fault), and rebellious is in nature. He has an emotional intensity and impulsive energy, driving him to pursue his desires above all else. He is quite competitive, even if that's in a much more internal understanding of what it means to be competitive. Jake knows how to push the charm switch while simultaneously keeping even the closest people in his life at an arms length. He does crave deeper connection but finds that particularly hard to break into. Coupled with his need for personal freedom, that can be extra tricky. Jake's got an intensity to his aura that attracts those around him, and he can make one feel like they are the only person in the room - but just as quick, it could be like you never met at all. traits: independent, eccentric, passionate, impulsive, energetic, protective, charismatic, open-minded, detached.

WRITTEN BY: Blake (she/her), CST.

BACKGROUND / BIO

Jake was born in Merrock on January 31st, 1992. The second child to Robin and Henry Fields. Apropos there happened to be a blizzard that day, forcing an at home water birth. The joke now being fetus Jake wouldn't come kicking in this world the 'normal' way. Mother Nature playing her part right out the gate.

Growing up (until the twins of course) Jake more or less walked to the beat of his own drum — a social kid with a bit of an arrogance that hasn't gone away — never found it hard making friends, one minute wanting the center of attention the next content with sitting in a corner nose deep in a comic book. More than content when more attention was divided between all the siblings. Actually sort of a picturesque upbringing, Robin and Henry supportive in whichever avenue their kids chose. Jake played sports, soccer, football, baseball — sticking only with football (because most his friends ended up on the team) in high school.

There though, Junior year Jake found theater. And the music room where he could hone in on what really excited him. Having picked up the piano at a younger age, he found interest in learning other instruments. (Favorite being the drums) He learned guitar, bass, how to write music. Jake joined a band in high school — Henry and Robin allowing them practice out their garage in the burbs. They played all over town, for dances, festivals you name it.

Highschool is where he met and fell head over heels— to a bit of a toxic degree- lots of romantic teens first and ups and downs with Ximena Serreno. Fellow party girl, someone who indulged fully along side him in wreaking havoc around Merrock. When graduation hit in 2010— Jake was out. Truly like a movie, he was going to make it big. (Full support from the fam) Or something like it in the big city. He broke it off with Mena, grabbed his guitar and bandmates and were Manhattan bound.

Jake dove head first into the music scene, joining a new band, the og's leaving or finding new passions, he landed with a steady three eventually. Even getting a little New York indie famous. Even embarking on small tours over the years. With age comes different responsibilities and the core 3 auditioning new members over the years - making ends meet all kinds of ways. On one of his many trips back home to Merrock, as usual, had a meet up with his ex and things ensue and by April 2019 Jake had a son, Mateo.

Jake wasn't there for his birth and by the fifth year of Mateo's life he'd still never met his son. Of course a lot of discourse around this within all parties involved. And up until present day, when it was more and more clear the dreams he'd held so close and deep were no longer in the cards, life pointed him back to Merrock. For now, back in his old bedroom — Jake is finally learning to accept failure and accept responsibility.

[apothekosm]

[from externalconceit]

The envelope appears with a little 'poof!', filling the air with the scent of cider and cinnamon. ... And something beyond mortal comprehension that's kind of like the best cheese in the universe aged in the brine of fairy tears. Inside:

This house is a crypt. Reverently silent, each set of four walls echoing nothingness & stillness against one another, drowning out the sound of entropy with its absent wailing. Lined with portraits, well-wishes, epitaphs, all curated & cast in Her light.

In memoriam. A remembrance of She who lay beneath six layers of blanket, duvet, fur, quilt, throw and coverlet. Hands folded past her lips. A halo of green, like that within the rabbit's pestle, framing her still face and splashing out beyond her in curls & spirals.

A still from a storybook. The princess waits just there, each diminished breath through the well of her lungs doing just enough to keep her clear of Lady Death's welcoming grasp, yet failing to call her home to the material, to the light, and the life she'd been forced into carved out for herself.

Lost in the long dreaming, awaiting... Awaiting what?

True Love's Kiss? Impossible. Love was her prerogative, each kiss she bestowed carried 'Truth' to it, and lingered evermore on her lips, yet still she slept.

The violent removal of stimuli from her person? Clever, but fruitless. Her rest is no internal malady, nor malediction. She would never eat an apple before bedtime. Waste that delicious, natural sugar rush on her dreams? Fuck off.

No. Whatever affliction carried her behind & beyond this world, it seemed there was no cure for it. Whatever she was awaiting, it seemed, had yet to come. She would rest there, evermore, entombed in her affluence, a lesson for cultures to come on the dangers of toxic affluence.

❝ ᵖᵃʳ….ᵗʸ ❞

A rumbling in paradise. Brown cupid bows part on an exhale, the sound flowing past them dying them a brilliant shade of verdant green. Nostrils flare as autumnal spice & eldritch perfume seep toward them, calling lightning like a flood to race through her veins, past her bones, along her neurons into the very core of her being.

The house groans. Despite millennia* of disuse, the manse is suddenly called to task, straining against its rust, as within its highest hold a heart begins to beat. A facsimile of a heart. An impossibly dark thing, forged to deny light an escape, and hot-welded into the chest of a girl cursed to carry her mother's face. It roars awake, yawning open like a maw, before curling inward and pounding, drumming, hammering against the cage of her ribs.

It BEATS. And no sooner than it does-

📲: 🥰🥰Wouldn't miss it for the WORLD, Twin!! 📲: Tell Ichabod he better lace them trainers UP, girl, I'm coming for him 🗡️🤣

This house is a crypt. And like most, only via External force can it be opened up again.

[bestanimatedmovie]

Sorry in advance for dragging on the Wes Anderson discourse, and sorry if this is the wrong place to send this!

I am definitely not here to try to defend his honor or something - even as a kid I found it weird how his live action films seem to be filled with white people - but I finally read that Isle of Dogs article you linked and found it… strange.

The author of the article critiques the supposed disregard for the Japanese language demonstrated by the title, when plenty of articles written by Japanese journalists point out it’s a pun referencing a demon island in a well-known folktale. She has also decided that there is a racist stereotype that Chinese people eat dogs, and China is also in Asia, therefore Anderson can’t differentiate between Asians and that the film portrays the Japanese as dog-haters? (It doesn’t.)

The sushi preparation scene appears to be pretty much universally praised, with comments in the youtube clip linked in her article even pointing out cultural details foreigners might have missed, but the author seems to believe the scene portrays the Japanese as “cruel savages”. I don’t know, a lot of the points in the article, at least in its Isle of Dogs part, feel like weird projection.

The more general criticisms – the white savior stuff and not subtitling Japanese – I get, even if I don’t completely agree with them (Tracy felt more like a self-deprecating stereotype of an American busybody who accomplishes very little, and the fallibility and subjectivity of translation is a major theme of the movie. International audiences get the basic dog story with some simple outside exposition, while Japanese viewers also get a ton of extra stuff the core audience is not expected to pick up on.)

Anyway, these articles by Japanese-American journalists convinced me to watch the movie when it came out (they are both also at least somewhat critical of the film, but seem much better informed):

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/what-isle-of-dogs-gets-right-about-japan, https://www.vulture.com/2018/03/what-its-like-to-watch-isle-of-dogs-as-a-japanese-speaker.html

Don't apologize, I love having these conversations, and you certainly raise very interesting points. I already said what I personally felt watching the movie here.

Here are the articles you sent for those who want to read them, and I decided to do a quick search on my own of Japanese articles.

The Japanese wikipedia article briefly mentions criticism of stereotypes, whitewashing, insensitive (specifically the mushroom cloud) and "English supremacy". Sadly the article linked in the sources no longer exists. Reading reviews I found mixed impressions, but from what I read a lot of people did feel a lot of love for Japan from the movie. The fact that the dogs spoke English was one of the things I found people disliked the most, and I also found several people mentioning stereotypes and in general a bad feeling (as well as people saying it didn't feel like stereotyping). Several people also said it felt more retro than futuristic, but not necessarily as criticism.

That said, everyone praised the stopmotion, which I agree was something impressive. Another thing many people praised was the music (the Japanese drums, the Akira Kurosawa homage).

So yeah, mixed impressions but I'd say more positive than negative.

These are the articles and reviews I read, you can run them through google translate.