#electronic star duo

[knifegremliin]

when you're black, green and white and you're part of an electronic band

[rahonn]

Rust

A/N: Gobble up the angst my children

Pairing: Eustass Kid x reader (no pronouns mentioned!)

Word count: 3511

Trigger warning: mentions of alcohol and drug abuse, toxic relationship, a bit of crime

_________________________________________

He never intended for anything to come out the way it did. Foul smell of burned meat invaded his nostrils, clinging to every inch of his exposed skin. And once again, alone and angry, he threw the plates against the wall. Mashed potatoes, looking more like a soup, ran down the ugly greyish paint, slab of overcooked beef slapped hard against the floor soon after. This was the drop of grease that started the fire. Low rumble started deep within his chest, making him vibrate all over. Soon, he was roaring like a hurt animal, throwing things all around, smashing plates, stomping on the utensils, throwing chairs. One of them smashed the window and fell out. Someone screamed right before wood broke into pieces against the concrete. Not even five minutes later someone started to bang on his front door, but he didn’t even hear them. Blue and red lights flashed outside accompanied by deafening sirens of two police cars and only then he stopped, suddenly feeling empty.

All that was left of Eustass Kidd were ashes and acrid smoke.

He was never the one to be interested in love. Not after they killed Victoria. They were young, sure, but the fact police never even bothered to open an investigation messed him up real good. Only other person he could count on whatever happened was Killer. With time, Wire and Heat joined their fucked up duo-turned-group. They caused a lot of ruckus around town, they were a violent bunch. Only thing they were really good at was producing noise and fixing or recycling electronics and car parts. So they leaned into it, putting their anger at the state of the world into making money from fixing whatever they could that they later spent on studio and crappy instruments.

They sounded awful at first, but that’s how they felt. Nothing made sense in this fucked up world, why should their music do?

By complete chance they found themselves in the middle of the woods, drinking. Being still underage, this was one of few places police wouldn’t catch them. The sound they never expected there suddenly appeared – raspy, sonorous voice boomed all around them. They listened awfully familiar lyrics, perfect rendition of one of the bands they drew inspiration from. Peeking out at the main trail from behind some bushes, they saw young human dressed in all black, with tattered leather jacket on, few sizes too big and bovvy boots not even tied up.

That was the day their group got a new member and Eustass Kidd felt something move in his chest the second mesmerizing eyes looked at him. The smile light up his world. Nothing got fixed, it didn’t work like that. But Kidd started to change, bit by bit.

He started showing off more, expecting a praise from their new member. And he often got it. Everyone, him included, saw they were smitten, just head over heels for Eustass. They looked at him like he was the best this world could produce and he liked it. He got addicted to this feeling of being needed so desperately. He became their air, their water, their food, hobby and job. He was their everything. They were his obsession, but he would never, ever, say it out loud.

And maybe that’s where he went wrong.

All the times they practiced, drank the night away, went out to vandalize something or just to walk around, they tried to glue themselves to his side. He made fun of them a lot for it, they laughed it off. They loved him unconditionally. He called in the middle of the night? They soon stood on his doorstep, all sweaty and barely able to breathe. He told them to get him something? They would move heaven and earth to get it, even if it meant stealing or committing fraud. Or robbing someone. He wanted a star? They would somehow get into spaceship, burn their hands and destroy themselves, just to bring it down to him even if it was the last thing they’d do.

It was unhealthy, their relationship. Kidd, basking in the power he held over them, often poked fun at them, made fun of them. They laughed at it too, even though Killer and the rest tried to stop Eustass from saying such things. They were part of their small army, it was them against the world after all.

But one day, they became distant. All of a sudden Kidd lost his sun, his moon and the stars. His heart shifted, but he was too prideful to reach out, to ask what was happening. How furious he became after he saw they interacted with the rest of their band like earlier, before they decided on the name. What he didn’t know was they also slowly withdrew from the rest as well. It started with ignoring their texts, missing few practices here and there. Then it became more frequent. And when Killer, most emotionally mature out of all of them, asked what was wrong, they told him only about wanting to leave the band. Once Kidd heard it, his heart turned to stone. He jumped on his bike and drove straight to their house, forgetting about speed limits or even his helmet. He was furious, but cold. And he didn’t scream at them when they opened the door. Coldly he asked if it was true, if they were betraying the band like that.

If they were betraying him like that, but that part stayed silent.

Once shining eyes sparkling whenever he came into room, now looked at him without much emotion, dull and bland. They confirmed, they were indeed thinking about leaving to pursue higher education.

“We can’t play around like that for much longer. We need to grow up, sooner or later. I’m choosing now as my time of change.”

He spit on their shoes and with pure disgust he told them to never show their face near him. And that was that. He was hurt, he was furious, he felt betrayed once again. For the second time in his life, human he loved died in his eyes. This wasn’t the rebellious, up to anything person he met all those years before.

And they disappeared from the face of the earth after that, leaving black hole where Kidd’s heart once has been. The echo of their voice haunted him, whole band was missing them. But all members respected their decision. Only one that badmouthed them was Eustass, who put even more energy into their music, for the first time in very long with empty space near microphone. He forbade all Victoria Punk’s members from even talking about getting a replacement.

“We’ll manage without another leech just waiting to betray us.”

But when they caught the eye of one of bigger alternative labels, Killer sat Kidd down and talked to him for hours. That this was their chance of making it big and getting their story out there, shining a light at fucked up sides of this world. That he really needed to let them go already. They chose different path in life and that’s fine. It didn’t mean Kidd should let it hold him back from excelling in life. Eustass, after long few minutes of silence, said he got it, he’d find the vocalist soon.

First truly big concert was just ahead of them and he would make sure it’d make them talk of the country, if not the world. Stacks of song lyrics piled up under his bed, almost spilling out from there and their new frontman would sing them. After first fifteen minutes, they were already sweaty, giving their all. With guitar pick between his fingers, Kidd grabbed the mic, looking out into the crowd for a second, before closing his eyes and letting his voice carry through the air. With each word he got out there, he felt shield, carefully placed over his heart, bend, twist a bit and crack. Every song healed him just a little bit more, leaving him in the pit full of only sadness.

He missed them, their laugh, their eyes, the way they put all their energy into whatever they were doing. For maybe the first time in his life, when panting, covered in sweat he looked at the mass of bodies jumping and obeying his every word, he looked at his band, his best friends and smiled sadly. He walked over to Killer, who thought that maybe he wanted to change the song they were about to play. But Kidd just grabbed his bicep and looked deep into his eyes.

“I love them, Killer. And I need them back.”

As if lightning struck, Victoria Punk got their second, third, fourth and fifth big show, propelling them forward faster than it was necessary. Suddenly, they were doing interviews, got their own merch, started selling VIP tickets, had meet-and-greets with fans who cried and screamed upon seeing them.

Kidd made it his mission to find them though. He took out the songs they wrote and along with the band he mastered them, refusing to let even one word in them change. He hoped that maybe if they made it big enough, if they started to use their lyrics, they’d come to one of the shows. Because frankly, Eustass didn’t even know where to start looking for them.

The only time he wasn’t thinking about them were times when he snorted some coke or fucked someone. And it became his comfort, cushioning yet another fall after failed attempt of finding his love. It became his new habit, his new addiction to get rid of his old one – them.

Kidd started taking more drugs any of the guys from Victoria Punk even saw in their whole life. He often caught him mumbling to himself, off in his own world, their name leaving his lips all too often. Kidd smiled softly, staring into the void while sitting on the couch and talked under his breath about ‘how good it was to have them back’. And it scared Killer to no end. Soon, only he was allowed to enter Eustass’ room so the others wouldn’t know the extend of the damage done. He tried to pick the pieces of his best friend and mend them together, he searched all over for them, thinking maybe it would help. He even hired private investigator when all leads came up dry. All to pull Kidd back from the edge on which he balanced for the longest time.

And when investigator produced fresh photo of them, Killer relayed this message onto sober Kidd, rare occurrence these days. But Eustass looked at him with empty, sunken eyes and just smiled, not believing a word he said. Killer slapped the photo down with number hastily scribbled on the back of it and ordered his best friend to call them, then and there. To amuse his partner, Kidd grabbed his phone in trembling hands and pressed few buttons.

Phone ringed for a long time. And finally someone picked up making both men freeze on the spot.

“Hello? Who is this?”

No doubt, it was their voice. But Kidd panicked, because what would he even say? That he wanted them back? After all those years of no contact?

The voice whispered softly on the other end: “Kidd? No, there’s no way, right?” they laughed to themselves and cut off the call, leaving Eustass Kidd curled up on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, already deciding he’d go completely sober, he’d return to his old self and call again.

And he did just that. He got clean, cut off contact with all prostitutes he got to know for all those years. The whole time he nervously scribbled down and erased lines of his confession. The only outlet ever to his emotions became writing songs and singing them with all his chest. Once lead guitarist, now vocalist, Kidd composed the best song his band ever produced.

All to convey his feelings to them, to get them back.

It was first concert of their tour celebrating 30th anniversary of creating Victoria Punk. They managed to pull of starting the tour in the town they lived now instead in their hometown. Killer sent them VIP ticket that included meet-and-greet. In the envelope there was also long letter, describing how whole band felt it was time to maybe reconcile, how they all regretted the day they parted ways. Everything now depended on whether or not they wanted to meet their old friends.

Eustass Kidd thought he would maybe make dinner just to heat it up when he’d inevitably would bring them back to the apartment rented just for the time being, until Victoria Punk stayed in town. He decided to make something simple, so it wouldn’t take a lot of time to heat up, but also would taste good.

Suddenly, after almost 20 years of playing all over the world, he became nervous. He prepared everything, this was about to be greatest show of all the time, ending with his confession.

They walked on the stage, immediately getting into their positions. Instruments were ready, their hearts were ready. The show began without any problems, they rocked the whole stadium like they always did. Whole hour he searched the rows closest to the stage, VIP places where people could still mosh, but were separated from the rest. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he spotted familiar sign. He saw that line over and over again, motive repeating in their songs, the handwriting that haunted him in his dreams.

You catch me when I fall, we sail off in the night

The last song Victoria Punk performed was a cover, most fitting to the title of their tour ‘For you’.

“I’m sure you’ll like our rendition of Starset’s song Die For You” Kidd smirked right into the microphone. He tried to convey his feelings the whole time he stood on this stage. Tearing his throat to shreds, he heard Killer slamming the drums with all his might. Wire broke guitar pick, Heat almost sobbed while delivering the bass line. And when the song ended, whole stadium erupted into cheers, believing this was the end of the show. They all let them believe it, walking backstage. But Kidd only waited for lights to be turned off. He grabbed acoustic guitar he held onto from the day all Victoria Punk’s members signed it, laughing about selling it once they’d be famous.

But Kidd grabbed it and walked back on stage. He sat on the edge with guitar close to his chest and struck a chord. Single reflector snapped on, finding him in a flash. Kidd found the sign he saw earlier and smiled.

“This last song is, and will be, unreleased one. I took a long time to try and convey my feelings since I’m shitty talker. The person this song is to knows who they are. And they are here tonight.” Murmur spread through the crowd, he could swear he saw their eyes light up just. Just like in the good, old days. Suddenly, people vanished, all that was left was Kidd, the guitar and them right there, clutching a sign to their chest.

I sleep on my dreams, living in a nightmare

It hurts, you see, when you’re not here

There’s no past and no future

So, tell me when, when to let go

When to let you go and keep living

Without air, without fire, without soul

So, tell me when, when to let go

When to let you go and keep living

He sang his heart out, holding an eye contact with the one that grabbed his heart and ran all those years ago. And when he was done, he thanked everyone and straight up ran backstage, preparing for meet-and-greet. He made sure security knew who with what ticket number to bring to the back where the table was set up with snacks and five chairs around it for original squad of Victoria Punk to talk in private.

They sped through meeting their fans, making sure they all knew how grateful all members were for them to be there. But Kidd could only think about them, probably already sitting at the table, all nervous, looking around, playing with their hands to let out some of their feelings just a bit. How confused he was when he walked to the back all smiley and happy just to find the table completely empty. There was no one there. Killer, Wire and Heat went around, asking the crew and security where was the person with this specific ticket number.

“Yeah, they were here, but all they wanted was for me to give this to you all” one of the guards said, holding out four envelopes, each with different name on it. Kidd, still in shock, couldn’t move. Killer grabbed two last envelopes from guy’s hand and smacked Eustass on the back.

“Let’s go, partner” he said, sadness tainting his voice. Kidd let him lead him all the way to the car. Whole drive to the apartment, he held onto the envelope with his name scribbled on tightly, as if it could fly away at any second. Killer helped him get out of the car and made Kidd give him all valuables. “Just to be sure you won’t have anything to buy drugs with” he whispered, explaining himself, but Eustass automatically just put everything onto outstretched hand. He even shrugged off custom-made leather jacket before marching up the stairs.

He closed the door, mechanically turning on the oven to heat up the dinner he made. And he sat down on the couch, envelope in hand. He stared at it for the longest time before carefully pulling out card from the inside.

Dear Kidd,

Words already started dancing and merging together, but somehow, he was able to read it. Slowly, line after line, he read about their feelings. How hurt they were, how he treated them like a dog, using their admiration to make himself make feel better, how they finally decided to cut him off because their mental health was lower than the floor back then. And how hopeful they were he’d maybe contact them once they heard about Victoria Punk’s first CD, how they spent fortune going to all shows they played in their country, how they saw him spiraling and then getting back up, how proud they were, how they wrote countless letters to him, but never sent anything in the end. And how happy they were to receive invitation to this show with VIP tickets and handwritten note from Killer, how they missed all members of their little rascal band from their past, how nice it was to know they still thought about them.

And I never told you this, but I’m sure you knew already. I loved you. All this time, I loved you like crazy. And honestly, I still love you. But I also know you better than everyone, Boss. I know you just miss having someone stuck to you like a velcro, staring up at you with limitless admiration. That’s all. You were honestly my everything. My world, my air, my water, my hobby, my job, my soul. But it’s too little too late.

I’m sorry, I didn’t want to say those things like that, but I know I would cave in if I saw you in person. I would fall to my knees and beg you to take me with you, make me a part of Victoria Punk once again. But I know I would never be loved by you. Not in the way Victoria was, not in the way I deserve to be loved. You would, at most, make me your mascot again, just like you did when we were kids.

I am happy now.

Kidd smashed the mirror in the bathroom, no longer able to look at himself.

I found a guy that loves me and treats me with respect.

Sink got ripped out of the wall and thrown on the floor, smashed to pieces.

I wish I could kiss you and tell you I love you one time.

He looked out the window, contemplating the jump.

But please, let’s leave it in the past.

But the door got kicked in, police swarmed the apartment.

I miss you terribly, wishing it was you who I slept by every night.

By the time they got to him, he blacked out from the blood loss, his left arm bent weird in four different places.

I love you, Kidd, like I never loved, love or will love anyone.

He woke up in the hospital, staring up at the ceiling, his heart of steel laying in the pool of tears.

Please, forget about me.

Killer, Wire and Heat stood by his side when he got the news – they had to amputate most of his left arm, which meant no more shows for a little while.

Forever yours.

But that didn’t matter anymore, since his heart that lived for music, slowly got eaten away by the rust.

[dreamings-free]

Outkast’s Big Boi, EDM artist Zedd, U.K. band Nothing But Thieves, Norwegian artist Aurora, rapper Hanumankind, guitarist-composer Cory Wong will perform in Mumbai on March 8 and 9, 2025

Anurag Tagat Sep 10, 2024

American punk-rock heroes Green Day, pop artist Shawn Mendes, U.K. hitmakers Glass Animals and singer-songwriter Louis Tomlinson are among top-billed acts making their India debut at Lollapalooza India 2025 in Mumbai, between March 8 and 9.

The lineup for the third edition of Lollapalooza India also includes rap veteran Big Boi from Outkast, U.K. band Nothing But Thieves, Norwegian pop artist Aurora, electronic artists like Zedd, John Summit and Alok, American guitarist-composer Cory Wong (known for his work with acts like Vulfpeck), breakout rapper Hanumankind (also our latest cover star), South Korean indie rock band Wave To Earth and rising pop artists Isabel LaRosa and more. Folk-indie singer-songwriter duo Lullanas – comprising Indian-origin siblings – will also make their India debut at Lollapalooza India 2025.

More Indian artists adding heft to the lineup include singer-songwriter Dot., rappers Raftaar and KR$NA, Punjabi artist Talwiinder, sitarist and fusion artist Niladri Kumar, pop artist Lisa Mishra, rock artist Raman Negi, Ahmedabad rap favorite Dhanji, producer Spryk, pianist-composer Sahil Vasudeva, DJ-producer Anushka, multi-instrumentalist-producer Sid Vashi, singer-songwriter Raghav Meattle and indie multi-instrumentalist/producer Sudan.

The announcement in September makes for meme-friendly news for Green Day, known for songs like “Wake Me Up When September Ends.” The band announced their India debut on Instagram and said, “Another first for us!! India, you’ve been calling our name… and it’s finally time to answer. We’ll see you in Mumbai next March for @LollaIndia.” The trio comprising Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool released their most recent album Saviors in 2024 and will likely dig into all-time hits like “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life),” “American Idiot,” “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and more. Shawn Mendes, known for hits “In My Blood,” “Treat You Better” and new single “Why Why Why,” returns to the live stage after more than two years on his current tour, which includes Lollapalooza India.

Louis Tomlinson, who has a big following in India following his time with pop group One Direction, will also make a long-awaited India debut. Fellow Brits Glass Animals are a big draw on the back of releasing their new album I Love You So F***ing Much in July, but primarily due to their 2020 hit “Heat Waves,” which was the seventh-most streamed song in India on Spotify in 2022.

Glass Animals founder Dave Bayley – who visited India as a 16-year-old – told Rolling Stone India in 2020, “Thank you for the support, I hope you are staying safe and healthy. We can’t wait to come and visit.”

In a wholly new strategy, Lollapalooza India’s 2025 lineup is out six months in advance of the multi-genre festival taking place in March. BookMyShow Live also took a similar approach while announcing the lineup for their festival Bandland, which is taking place on Nov. 23 and 24 in Bengaluru.

Get Lollapalooza India 2025 tickets here.

[x--daughters-of-darkness--x]

"It’s more than sales – it inspired an entire generation of young girls to know they had a place in heavy music." Inside Fallen: the album that turned Evanescence into instant 21st century metal superstars

No rock band had an explosive a rise in the 2000s as Evanescence. This is the story of their classic debut album

Evanescence’s Amy Lee was at one of the many awards ceremonies she attended back in the first half of the 2000s when she was approached by a fan. This wasn’t unusual in itself, except this fan happened to be rapper and mogul P. Diddy.

“He said, ‘I love your album, I listen to it when I work out’,” Amy tells Hammer today. “And I was like ‘Really? That’s awesome!’ That was surprising to me. You know who I am? That’s weird.” Weird is right. Just a couple of years earlier, Amy had been a shy, aspiring singer and songwriter who had played no more than a handful of times with the band she’d co-founded as 13-year-old almost a decade earlier. And now here she was, getting star-spotted by hip hop A-listers at swanky awards ceremonies.

“What do they call that thing? Imposter syndrome!” she recalls today. “I definitely felt like I’d snuck in the back door and somehow got to go to the Grammys. Like, ‘I’m not supposed to be here and people do not know who we are and this is a prank.’ I think part of that is just it all happening so fast and being so young.”

The reason for the attention was down to the blockbusting success of Evanescence’s debut album, Fallen. Originally released in March 2003, and about to be reissued as a deluxe 20th anniversary edition, Fallen appeared at the tail-end of the nu metal boom. It offered a gothier, more dramatic take on that sound, which bridged nu metal and both the rising symphonic metal and emo scenes. It would go on to sell more than 10 million copies in the US alone, turning Amy Lee into an icon and role model for a generation of young, female fans.

Amy describes the young, pre-Evanescence version of herself as “a little bit shy”. Earlier this year, she told Hammer’s sister magazine, Classic Rock, that the death of her younger sister, Bonnie, when Amy was six, was a catalyst for “this soul, spirit- searching, expression mode”, which would eventually manifest itself in music. She wrote her first song aged 12, and others quickly followed. “I wrote plenty of songs that were crap,” she says with a laugh. “You just haven’t heard them.”

Things became more serious when she met future Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody in 1994 at a Christian Youth Camp in Little Rock, Arkansas, where her family had moved to a few years earlier. She was 13 and Ben a year older, though the two decided they could make music together. Amy describes their initial endeavours as “more like an electronic duo, like Massive Attack” than an actual band, though some of their early songs would end up on Fallen, including Imaginary, Whisper and My Immortal.

The nascent Evanescence didn’t play a gig for nearly six years, partly because of their youth, and partly because they wanted to concentrate on honing the songs they were writing. “The live part for me at that time just wasn’t my focus,” she shrugs. “I wanted to make stuff.”

Their first release was a self-titled debut EP that came out in 1998 via local label Bigwig, followed by another EP, Sound Asleep, the following year (both featured songs that appeared on Fallen). They’d played a few a low-key acoustic shows in their early days, but their first proper, plugged-in show was at a bar named Vinos in Little Rock on January 2, 1999, less than a month after Amy turned 17.

“It was difficult to be on stage at first,” she says. “I had to really work at being a good performer. I remember the first time we played a gig and four people knew the chorus to one of our dumb little songs,” she adds, self-effacingly trailing off.

It was an early version of My Immortal that caught the attention of Diana Meltzer, head of A&R at Wind-up Records, in 2001. Amy had just enrolled in college to study music theory composition when she got the message that Wind-up were interested in Evanescence - essentially herself and Ben.

“I still wanted to make music, but I was going to study so that maybe one day I could work on film scores as a backup plan,” she says. “We got signed three months in. I had one semester of school. I literally went from graduating high school to moving to LA and making our album in a year and a half.”

Producer Dave Fortman can remember the first time he heard Amy Lee sing Bring Me To Life in the studio. The guitarist in 1990s rockers Ugly Kid Joe pivoted to production after the 1997 break-up of that band, working with the likes of Superjoint Ritual and Crowbar before signing on to produce the debut album by an unknown band from Arkansas called Evanescence. After listening to their demo, he jumped at the chance to work with them. And then came the moment when Amy began singing in the studio.

“Amy was in the booth and this voice just came out,” Dave tells Hammer. “My engineer, who has worked with some of the biggest names in music bar none, turned to me with his jaw on the floor and said, 'Goddamn! This girl can sing.’ You just forgot where you were, you weren’t working anymore, you were just in awe of her. They were the most talented people in their age I’d ever been in contact with.”

The Evanescence that recorded Fallen was Amy and Ben, plus keyboard player/string arranger/co-songwriter David Hodges (who joined the band in 1999) and an array of session musicians, including future Guns N’ Roses/Foo Fighters drummer Josh Freese. Dave Fortman estimates the album cost around $250,000 to make – a sizeable sum now, but relatively modest at a time when seven-figure budgets weren’t uncommon (Korn’s 2002 album Untouchables reportedly cost $4 million). Some of that budget went on the real-life orchestra that Amy insisted on using for many of the songs – a bold move for a new band, when an electronic recreation would have been cheaper.

“None of us were ever going to back down on that,” says Dave Fortman. “It had to be that way or it wasn’t going to work. We recorded the orchestra in Seattle where they have no union, so it was cheaper. If we’d have known it was going to smash in the way it did, hell yeah, we would have just recorded them in LA!”

Evanescence didn’t get everything their way. Bring Me To Life, which addressed Amy’s feelings of numbness while in an abusive relationship,  was augmented by the inclusion of rapper Paul McCoy in an attempt to appeal to the nu metal market - a decision that went  against the band’s wishes. “I was so scared in the beginning that we were going forward with something  that wasn’t a perfectly honest picture of who we were,” Amy told Metal Hammer earlier this year. “But it didn’t last long. After a few songs, the mainstream was able to hear more than the one song and it was like, ‘OK, they at least sort of get what we are.’”

Advance expectations for Fallen were modest when it was released on March 4, 2003. “If it had gone gold [500,000 copies], we’d have A all been delighted with that,” says Dave Fortman. As it turned out, the album smashed it, selling more than 140,000 copies in its first week of release alone and reaching No.7 in the US Billboard charts. Bring Me To Life was a huge factor in that success. Like My Immortal, the song made its first appearance on the big- budget, Ben Affleck-starring Daredevil movie, which hit cinemas a few months before Fallen came out. 

When it was released as a single in its own right, accompanied by an expensive-looking urban-gothic video that saw a nightdress- clad Amy somnambulantly climbing the side of a tower block, like a cross between a character from an Anne Rice novel and a comic book superhero, Wind-up reps had to beg radio stations to play it (“A chick with piano on a rock station?” was a common response). Those that did air it soon found their phone lines jammed with people who wanted to know what it was that they’d just heard. It entered the US Top 10 and did even better in the UK, where it reached No.1.

Bring Me To Life and subsequent singles Going Under and My Immortal put wind in Fallen’s sails. Those 140,000 sales shot upwards at a vertiginous rate: within a month, it had sold more than a million copies in the US alone. By the middle of 2004, it had reached seven million (in 2022, Fallen was awarded a diamond certificate for US sales of more than 10 million). The speed of the ascent left Amy Lee dazed. “There was just so much going on,” she says, exhaling. “I don’t know if I got to focus on it that hard at the time.” 

The label wanted to get Evanescence out on the road to capitalise on that initial success. A touring band was assembled around Amy and Ben – guitarist John LeCompt, drummer Rocky Gray and bassist Will Boyd were recruited to back them. Their rise as a live band was equally dizzying. The day Fallen was released, Evanescence headlined the 200-capacity Engine Room in Houston, Texas. Three months later, they made their first UK appearance playing the Main Stage at the inaugural Download festival, sandwiched between Stone Sour and Mudvayne. Two weeks after that, they returned to the UK to headline a sold-out show at London’s prestigious Astoria.

Inevitably, given the scale and velocity of Evanescence’s success, it didn’t take long for the backlash to kick in. Amy was the focus of much of the criticism, with the barbs ranging from the petty (one magazine questioned her goth credentials) to the outright misogynistic (she was painted as a diva with absolutely nothing to back it up other than the fact she was a woman). Evanescence themselves were perceived by some of their detractors as nothing more than a cynical marketing experiment; the phrase “Linkin Park with a girl singer” appeared a depressing number of times back then, which diminished the decade or so Amy and Ben had invested in their band and music.

“I felt a lot like people wanted to see me fail, especially in the beginning,” Amy says. “I think it’s partially that they want to see if you’re the real thing, and when you shoot up so fast and you have a lot of success really quickly, I think there’s a little bit of a human nature thing that wants to poke a hole in that. I felt on the defence, I felt misunderstood – I’ve got a badass, bitchy look on my face on the album cover, so obviously I must be some kind of bitch.”

Amy was just 21 when Fallen was released, and the criticism took a toll on her. “It was hard as a young person to feel misunderstood,” she reflects today. Things became even more complicated when Ben left acrimoniously in October 2003, just six months after the release of Fallen, with creative differences cited at the time as the reason for the split (in 2010, he admitted to trying to force the singer out of the band they had founded together).

“I felt frustrated,” says Amy. “I wanted to hide a bit in that initial aftermath. People always wanted to attach me to drama, like Ben leaving the band. All of that was trying to be made to make me look bad, like it’s my fault or, ‘Well now it’s going to suck because she didn’t actually do any of the work, obviously all the men behind her did all the writing and the creation.’ It just made me angry a lot.”

The criticism and fractured personal relationships may have been difficult to deal with, but the impact Evanescence had was undeniable. Fallen landed at a transitional time for metal. By 2003, nu metal was on a downward trajectory creatively and commercially, with scene heavyweights Korn and Limp Bizkit both releasing dud albums in the shape of Take A Look In The Mirror and Results May Vary respectively. The New Wave Of American Heavy Metal was bubbling up, but it didn’t possess the same kind of mainstream crossover potential.

Fallen was different. Nu metal may have been in its DNA, but so was goth and electronic music. It was heavy enough for metal fans but it was also dramatic and heartfelt enough to draw in the emo crowd and pop fans alike. The soaring piano ballad My Immortal, with its narrative of a grieving relative haunted by the spirit of the family member they’re mourning, and Going Under, another song detailing the feelings of hopelessness that come from suffering in an abusive relationship, were unquestionably dark, but Evanescence wrapped them up in ear-worm hooks and gothic allure, while Amy’s presence imbued them with a distinctly feminine spirit that was a world away from nu metal’s over-testosteroned aggro.

The broad-church appeal of Fallen was reflected in the range of musicians who garlanded it with praise. Over the years, it’s been cited as an inspiration by everyone from Lzzy Hale and The Pretty Reckless’s Taylor Momsen to pop star Kelly Clarkson. Björk praised Evanescence and so, more surprisingly, did Lemmy, a man not known for his love of goth-tinged ballads.

“They’re fucking excellent,” said the late Motörhead frontman when asked for his view of the band. Even more significant – and noticeable – was the devotion Evanescence, and Amy in particular, almost instantly inspired among fans, especially female ones. The look she sported in music videos, magazine photo shoots and TV interviews – goth-style corsets, black and red eye make-up - was taken up by countless rock club kids up and down the country.

But arguably the most lasting impact Fallen has had is musical. It marked a changing of the guard: not just the end of nu metal, but the beginning of the rise of symphonic metal. Bands such as Nightwish and Within Temptation released albums before Fallen, making sizable waves in mainland Europe, but Evanescence put a distinctly American spin on it, turbocharging symphonic metal’s rise on the back of Fallen’s success. Even now, Amy’s too modest to acknowledge the influence that Fallen had.

“People are always asking me that question: ‘What is it about that album that resonated with people so much?’” she says. “I don’t know. Some of it’s just out of your control. At that age and that time in my life, I don’t think I would have given myself that credit.”

Dave Fortman is far more forthright on the subject. “Did I notice it?!” he says. “How could you not?! That’s what happens when you become, not just a big band, but an icon. She truly changed things. All those symphonic bands that came in their wake? They’re all Amy’s children.”

Fallen helped turn Evanescence into one of the biggest bands of the 21st century. They beat superstar rapper 50 Cent to the award for Best New Artist at the 2004 Grammy Awards (Bring Me To Life also took the trophy for Best Hard Rock Performance). To date, the record has sold more than 17 million copies worldwide – only Adele, Eminem, Norah Jones, Lady Gaga and Linkin Park released albums that have sold more during that time.

Dave calls Fallen “a life- changing album”. He explains: “It’s more than sales – it inspired an entire generation of young girls to know they had a place in heavy music. To show they didn’t have to ever compromise.” It’s a sentiment Amy shares as she looks back at the shy 21-year-old of 2003.

“It was crazy, it was awesome,” she says. “But there was a lot for me that was going on personally, turmoil and relationships within our band. It was just this wild time where so many things that felt huge were happening at the same time. Did it change the musical landscape? I don’t know. But it inspired somebody for something good, it made them walk back from the edge, feel their self-worth in some way. I think it’s truly a gift and a blessing in my life.”

Originally printed in Metal Hammer #381

[the-90s-music-colosseum]

'90s MV of the day

Kelly Watch The Stars by AIR

Released in 1998 as the second single from French electronic duo AIR's debut studio album Moon Safari. Video directed by Mike Mills.

[dustedmagazine]

Patois Counselors — Limited Sphere (ever/never)

Photo by Lindsey Miller

It’s been six years since Patois Counselors came out of the gate with Proper Release, an all-timer of a post-punk album that balanced furious energy with flights of surprising lyricism, a single-minded, oddball perspective with large ensemble arrangements.

The follow-up three years later was the Optimal Seat, a quieter but still menacing outing that got me thinking about the twin titans of the post-punk genre. My Dusted review ended with this: “I’ve slipped in a Fall reference already, but the real touchtone is Pere Ubu, whose bass-y, post-apocalyptic funk set the template and who also got quieter and weirder as time went on. If Proper Release was this band’s Modern Dance, then the Optimal Seat is its Song of the Bailing Man. Who knows what the next one will be?” A live album kept the seat warm earlier this year, and now Bo White tackles the question; what’s next is seething, writhing intelligence, wrapped in softer textures and melodies, but still bracing.  

Four songs make a return appearance after the live Enough: One Night at the Daisy Chain. None has changed significantly since then, though the live versions are, across the board, a bit noisier and rougher, while the studio takes allow for more carefully separated, cleaner sound. For instance, “Ranking Set,” a highlight in both albums, is a surging, pummeling rush on Enough. It’s not quite “qualified noise on a tiny speaker” as the lyrics insist, but there is a certain amount of compression. The studio take has the same sense of headlong energy, but you can hear more, the bass for one thing, a saxophone squeal, a sharp but irregular scratch of lead guitar. Likewise, “Serious Rider” pulses with ominous propulsion in both iterations, but the live one brings up the patter of syncopated snare and lets you hear an oscillating clarinet.  

Other tracks break more conclusively with past efforts. “Cathy Music” floats and shimmers and twinkles with electronic elements; the thump and hammer of post-punk disappears almost entirely under dream-state atmospherics. “Return to Sensitivity” also shrouds beats in silky swathes of synthesizer. It might remind you of Moon Duo’s Stars of the Light. “Marge Attack” slouches and grooves in trippy dissatisfaction, trailing bloopy bass notes and a wandering clarinet. 

And yet, Limited Sphere remains very much in Patois Counselor’s orbit, extending the palette, clarifying the details and continuing the journey.  If you love a band, you’ve got to let them try something new.

Jennifer Kelly

[that-irrelevant-ricecakeaddict]

My Review/Analysis of Stray Kids' new album

💫ROCK STAR💫

Part (2/6)

Track 2: LALALALA

Okay, first of all.

When I first found Stray Kids' music (late November 2022), one of my very first thoughts were "Wow I would like to see them make a phonk song".

THIS. THIS SONG. IT HAS SATISFIED THAT VERY THOUGHT THAT I HAD AS A BABY STAY.

What is phonk?

By dictionary definition, it is an underground style of hip-hop/trap music directly inspired by 90s Memphis Rap, mostly present on SoundCloud as trill style beats with old funk and nostalgic samples, often accompanied by vocals from old Memphis Rap tapes.

(A phonk song I would recommend is Wither by Japanese artist takayan. Some of the beats in this track actually sounds similar to it)

Moving on!!

The opening high-pitched but bouncy beat is an amazing intro choice. Like it creates a buildup to the members' vocals and rap, but it also makes you curious as to what's gonna follow it. Combined with electronic beats and effects gradually joining it, it makes a GREAT INTRO.

OMG CHANGBIN OPENING LINES??? EVERYONE WAKE TF UP 🗣🗣🗣His scratchy rap tone is sensational for opening lines!! 👏 it DEFINITELY kept me wanting more!! Followed by felix and hyunjin's (?) rap lines carrying it on!

And do I hear leeknow rapping?? 🧐🧐 I LOVE how his voice sounds when rapping, especially since he usually sings!

Followed by seungmin and jeongin's verse bringing the song to the beat drop before the chorus. Omg. Vocalracha ATE THAT UP.

Now, I know some people think that using auto-tune on lines in a song (besides the purpose of fine-tuning the singers' tone) is a "questionable" approach. But lightly auto-tuning Han's "LALALALA, LA-LALALALA"? JAW-DROPPED. His high voice actually fits quite well with light auto-tune!! Combined with the song's base background phonk beats, it sounds 🔥

LEE KNOW AND CHANGBIN'S COMBINED CHORUS ‼️ I don't think I've heard them have lines together before, so this combo was surprising but nonetheless a great choice in lime distribution!!

Wrapping the chorus up with Felix's "LALALALA, LA-LALALALA" was like OMG. It contrasted well with Han's same line at the start of the chorus and 'closed' off the whole chorus really well.

Moving on, we have one of Hyunjin's ICONIC 'low-key' raps. In my opinion, it gave me a "break" after the heavy chorus, while still keeping it interesting. Love it. 10/10. Easily one of my favourite parts.

The part after hyunjin's rap where the members (it sounds like more than one member to me, I'm not sure) go "we go ROCK, ROCK" and "STOP, STOP" with the beats on "ROCK, ROCK" and "STOP,STOP" with pauses in between to emphasise them??? IN LOVE RN. It also builds up really well to Changbin and Han's fast-paced, combined rap!!

Followed by Bangchan and Jeongin's pre-chorus verse!! The blend of their singing tones is just *chef's kiss*

Then SURPRISE!! The chorus doesn't come after that!! Instead, Felix and hyunjin's low voices drastically change the vibe to that of a hero and a villain having a final showdown on a dust-ridden, corpse-strewn battlefield. Combined with the wind orchestra in the background? Literally. What. The. Fuck. AMAZING BUILDUP. JAW-DROPPING. I LOVE IT WHENEVER THEY USE WIND OCHESTRA IN THEIR SONGS (another eg of this: chorus for TOP)

THEN Han's voice literally BREAKING the 'silence' followed by Felix's low "Lalalala, la-lalalala"?? Sensational. Then Hyunjin REPEATING Felix's line using his AGRRESSIVE TONE?? EVEN. BETTER. TOTAL EAR ORGASM DJZBXJSJBXJDJDJD (can u tell this segment is my favourite part of the song 😭)

Ahem ahem anyways...

Han and Felix combined chorus!!! I love how they were the ones to do the chorus the second time round. Especially Han's! The way it literally blends and contrasts at the same time with hyunjin's aggressive "lalalala" adlibs is SO SATISFYING.

Followed by Seungmin and Chan's higher-pitched English lines for the outro chorus!! Underrated vocal duo OMFGGG.

Finally, Leeknow's amazing vocals (HIS ENGLISH IMPROVED SM BTW IM SO PROUD OF HIM) closing off the whole song before the background phonk eventually fades out.

The phonk beats combined with a striking metal guitar chord playing one last time before the song ends is so 🔥🔥🔥 LIKE- 😭 where are my words. Taken away. Like my breath after listening to this track.

Overall, I LOVE LALALALA. It might be one of my fave title tracks from SKZ rn. I manifested hard enough for SKZ to do a phonk song, and it happened!!! Legit so happy, you've no idea how big of a smile I had when I recognised the phonk beats in the very beginning on my first listen of this track. 😭😭 I really hope SKZ continues experimenting with all these split genres!

Honorable mention: LALALALA rock version. I'm in love. Pls.

Thank you for reading my review!! Stay tuned for my reviews on the 4 other tracks in their new album. Stream 💫ROCK STAR 💫!!

[randomvarious]

Today's compilation:

McMusic 16 2001 Pop / Teen Pop / R&B / Pop-Rap

Resuming this intermittent Euro-trip that I've been on where I get snapshots of what different countries' pop landscapes were looking like at certain points in time, and today, for the first time ever, we're taking a look at 2001 Norway, with this 16th installment in one of the country's own Now That's What I Call Music!-type series, McMusic.

Now, usually when it comes to these types of ephemeral Euro-comps from yesteryear, I'm looking for three separate boxes to check off: one for a nice and poppy rush of nostalgia, another for a good tune or two that didn't do anything Stateside, and third, something that's so insanely dumb, bad, and Eurotrashy that you have to appreciate the beautiful mind that conceived of it. And while there is plenty of bad Euro music on here, unfortunately none of it falls into that highly sought after category of 'so bad it's good'; it's just unremarkably bad instead.

But with that said then, let's start with the nostalgia rush. There are a few instantly recognizable, intercontinentally classic y2k bangers on this album, but no tune among them happens to go harder than Destiny's Child's "Survivor," a song that took the group's criticisms and constant ribbing about their own personnel turnover to task and ended up resulting in the most ferocious and intense single that they'd ever made; an absolute, certified, string-frenzied bop that you can cathartically wallop a punching bag to 🥊😤. Beyoncé's entry is just so electrifying on this one, and the chorus' constant background chants of "What?" à la DMX, are super infectious too.

And then for something that didn't really do anything in the US, we have "Chillin'" by Modjo. Generally, before EDM got coined as a term, there was no outlet for electronic dance music on a mainstream level, discounting the largely cheesy 90s phenomenon of Eurodance. Some stuff managed to peek through a little bit, though, like Modjo's own "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)," but this French duo's follow-up single that sampled from Chic's disco classic, "Le Freak," was pretty sleek too. Shame America never developed much of a taste for house music back in these times, because with our total affinity for Daft Punk now, we seem to have societally missed out on a whole lot of this goodness.

And one last song I have for you all amounts to a Mandela effect kind of thing, but in reverse, because this is a track that apparently performed pretty decently in the US on a certain mainstream chart, but I don't think that anyone either knew it existed or that they remember it at all. But let's see. Ever heard of a co-ed rap group from Philadelphia and Brooklyn called Spooks? I have, but only because I've heard them on another one of these Euro-comps before. Spooks were enormous in Europe in the early 2000s, and one of their biggest singles, "Things I've Seen," which had a retro-60s cocktail lounge-Amy Winehouse-styled beat to it, was featured in the Laurence Fishburne-written, directed, co-produced, and starring direct-to-video film, Once in the Life, and also served as the theme song to the European version of the US TV series Dark Angel. And the music video for this song featured Fishburne himself in it too!

"Things I've Seen" managed to peak at just #94 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, but it was #13 on the different Hot Rap Singles chart. And if you're an American who doesn't concern themselves with early 2000s Euro-popular music or has never seen that specific Fishburne project, then I think you're flat-out lying if you tell me that you remember this song. I feel like this thing has been memory-holed to the point of complete erasure.

So that's a little taste of the Norwegian commercial pop landscape of 2001. Didn't find anything mesmerizingly and uniquely awful here, but still ended up getting what I came for on two other critical fronts—some memory lane tunes and stuff that I've never really had much of an opportunity to be exposed to, outside of sifting my way through other releases just like this one 👍👍.

Highlights:

Destiny's Child - "Survivor" Nelly - "Ride Wit Me" Spooks - "Things I've Seen" Opus X - "Girl What's Up" Jennifer Lopez - "Play" Eve - "Who's That Girl" Modjo - "Chillin'"

[1997thebracket]

Round 1

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Into every generation, a Slayer is born: for ours, Sarah Michelle Geller stars as Buffy Summers, a supernaturally-gifted and interpersonally-burdened former cheerleader who loves a pithy one-liner, a night at the Bronze, and a chic taupe lip color. What began as a promising but critically divisive 1992 film would blossom into one of the biggest television hits of 1997, and a cult franchise for decades to come. As a story, Buffy didn't just work for the simplified impression of "girl power" that sold well in the 90s, but for its complex themes of morality, identity, the isolation of responsibility, and the echoing effects of laying the world like a chain on the neck of a child. ("Girl power" was however a fundamental part of the puzzle, and that would expand through the show's run to explore the strength of Slayers, witches, vampires, demons, Gods, girls made of bugs, girls made of nothing at all, and most potently, lesbians.) Buffy's recognizable dialogue and time capsule-like preservation of the era's fashion and music gives the show a sense of style and vibrancy against the frequently dark cemetery backdrop.

Daft Punk's Homework: If the pop world knew then what we know now, we would've invested even harder (better, faster, stronger.) Homework is the debut album by the French electronic duo Daft Punk who would come to be known not only as pioneers of house music, but for many, as the masked face of it. Featuring the singles Around The World and Da Funk, the album brought the then-underground progressive house music out of the clubs and into the homes of millions. Band members Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo had originally given their demo to the DJ at a Eurodisney rave, and in a few years would see bidding wars between major labels before ever releasing a studio album. Homework, which by the duo's admission is comprised of a collection of singles rather than a planned album tracklist, could have been inaccessible to pop music fans disused to instrumental electronica-- instead, it found success Around The World and paved a path forward for the genre.

[thornsofthefuture]

an interview with lucy lamb — a talk about couchsurfing, australia and the afterlife

today's thorns of the future guest is lucy lamb, a rising star of modern post-crystal castles electronic music, inspired by early 2010s fashion. lucy is an artist from melbourne, australia. she describes her music as "alt, indie, electronica, dance-pop and witch house with elements of darkwave". lucy is a producer and a singer, as well as a lyricist. her first ever release was a single titled "hello", which was self-released by lamb through distrokid.

thorns of the future: how did you start your journey with music?

lucy: I’ve always loved making music ever since I was a little kid. Started singing lessons when I was like 7 years old, fell in love with Miley Cyrus which was the reason I wanted to become a singer lol. Started making music when I was about 16, and released my first EP when I was 18.

thorns of the future: what are some of your favourite songs right now?

lucy: My favourite songs right now are Canary Wharf Drift by Bassvictim and Your Face by Wisp.

thorns of the future: who inspired you to make music?

lucy: Literally Miley Cyrus in the Hannah Montana tv show I was so obsessed.

thorns of the future: what is your craziest experience during a live show?

lucy: I played in this club in Tokyo which was a wild experience for me. There was no stage so I was just on the danceflooor with the crowd and kind of just walking around like weaving through everybody with my microphone which I definitely wasn’t used to.

thorns of the future: what software do you use to make music?

lucy: I use Logic Pro, I’m still learning how to use it properly though.

thorns of the future: what's "the other side" about?

lucy: The Other Side is about crossing over to the after life pretty much. It talks about being scared to die and the things you would miss. It can kind of be interpreted as being about any sort of transition from one thing to another, any sort of change, but I think the obvious one (especially when watching the music video) is the transition to death. It’s just a fictional sort of story if you will.

thorns of the future: are you planning any new releases?

lucy: I have 3 singles coming out in the next few months all with music videos. ‘Bed of Snow’ is coming out on September 20th and I’m so excited for it. All the songs are of course dance/electronic but I’m leaning a little bit into like indie rock elements in two of them, with the third being like a full commitment to witch house.

thorns of the future: what's a country you would never travel to?

lucy: Probably North Korea for obvious reasons.

thorns of the future: tell us about the things you enjoy most, except for making music.

lucy: I love travelling that’s my second favourite thing in the world after music. I went on a year long trip around the world in 2022 which was absolutely amazing. I went on a 5 month road-trip around Australia earlier this year too. It’s a little hard to travel like that while also doing music so I think for now I’m taking a break from travelling. I also love animals, especially weird exotic ones. The weirder they look the more I love them because it just makes me thing how weird and amazing the world is.

thorns of the future: have you ever met anyone famous from the electronic scene? who was it and how was your experience with them?

lucy: I can’t say I have yet. Someone I’d LOVE to meet is the guys from Air. They’re a huge inspiration for me and one of the most talented electronic duos I know.

thorns of the future: what's the riskiest thing you've ever done?

lucy: The riskiest thing I’ve done was probably when my friend and I did couchsurfing through Europe. There’s this app called couchsurfing where you can arrange to stay at strangers’ houses for free while you’re travelling. We were pretty nervous every time we stayed with someone because there was always the question of like what’s in it for them? Why are they letting random people stay at their house for free? The people we stayed with sometimes turned out to be weird and kind of put us on edge but a lot of the time they were really cool people too so. We were literally on such a tight budget we had no other option but to do our accomodation this way.

thorns of the future: are there artists you truly hate? why?

lucy: I don’t really hate any artist in terms of the kind of music they do like I respect all genres and whatever kind of music you wanna make even if I don’t like it. Like it’s got nothing to do with me so I don’t really care enough to HATE any artist.

thorns of the future: what is the best live show you've ever been to?

lucy: There’s this experimental electronic duo from Melbourne called Npcede. I played a show with them and they were really great. It was a guy singing and a guy playing bass. They both had like really amazing stage presence and interacted with the crowd so much. The lead singer started playing the electric guitar with a violin bow halfway through as well I loved it. I also have to mention seeing the band Film Noir in Berlin, they’re an indie rock band and the lead singer’s energy was so compelling it made the whole thing sooo immersive and fun.

thorns of the future: name one thing you really hate about australia.

lucy: Honestly I think Australia is a great place to live I think it’s beautiful, it’s diverse and it’s very liveable. If I had to say one thing I hated about it I guess just how far away it is from everything lol because it’s always so hard and expensive to travel anywhere.

thorns of the future: tell us about the weirdest thing that has happened to you as an artist.

lucy: The weirdest thing that’s happened to me as an artist is probably when someone randomly approached me on the street when I was in Tromso, Norway, and told me they recognise me and love my music. Was superrrr weird for me because Tromso is a pretty small town with not many people and it was just really random to meet someone who knows me there.

we would like to thank lucy lamb for answering all of our questions. we really appreciate you. that’s all for now.

images & videos: lucy lamb

spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1fLl0QDFau1trbJkpjvyEt

instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/luucylamb/

hyperfollow:

https://hyperfollow.com/lucylamb

peace.

[leasthaunted]

Least Haunted Character Recap: Consent Fetishist "Rassy."

This Friday (12/22/23) Least Haunted will release its 4th annual fully dramatized Holiday Special: Consent Fetishist Rassy's 100% Consensual Christmas Extravaganza!

But some of you who are unfamiliar with The Least Haunted Podcast might be a bit confused as to what the hell is going on, or who the hell "Consent Fetishist Rassy" is? So We have prepared this Helpful little character bio/recap to bring you up to speed.

This will include all appearances of Rassy in both Halloween and Holiday specials. It will gloss some of the non special appearances for completion. But you really should listen to the show, because they get mentioned rather frequently. Are you ready? You have to say "Yes" first! Those are the rules...

NAME: Rassy

ALIASES: Consent Fetishist Rassy, Consent Fetishist Elmo, Tickle You Elmo, Dr. Funninstuffed phd

AGE: (as of 2023) -7 is from a nullified future timeline/parallel universe. will would have been manufactured ca, 2030.

HEIGHT: 2.5 ft, .762 meters

WEIGHT: Surprisingly more than you would suspect

GENDER: Whatever you want them to be

ORIENTATION: Pansexual Polyamourous

PRONOUNS: They/Them

First, we need to talk about The Backwards Carousel of Time!

The Backwards Carousel of Time was introduced in Episode 04: The Clownening, and is a mechanical device later revealed to have been built by Cody using specs from the internet, and parts kluged together from a Tiger Electronics X-Men handheld game from the 90's, and a Tickle Me Elmo doll. It allows for Cody and Garth to travel through time to observe events discussed in the podcast a la "The Ghost of Christmas Present."

The Carousel SHOULD not allow for interaction between the observed and the observers... It is used primarily as a narrative device to keep things interesting.

All of this changed however in Episode 44: OOPS! All Christmas! Which served as the show's second Holiday Special.

In this holiday special Cody has added some modifications to the Backwards Carousel of Time that would allow for travel to the future and not just the past, and he wants to show them to Garth. Unfortunately a spilled holiday themed beverage causes a malfunction which transports the two to an alternate future in which The War on Christmas was decisively and brutally won by Christmas. Now every day is Christmas, and all culture and economy are yuletide based.

It is revealed that the carousel doesn't actually travel through time, and it never has! Instead it creates a small pocket dimension that operates much like the Holodeck from Star Trek. However this time due to the spilled drink malfunction the simulated people within the pocket dimension can see and interact with Cody and Garth.

In order to escape back to their rightful time/dimension Cody and Garth must team up with a cadre of militant Santa Clauses who are waging a guerrilla campaign to overthrow the fascist holiday state and return balance to all holidays with the true meaning of Christmas.

To repair the carousel they need a chip from a Tickle Me Elmo equivalent, which in this timeline is called "Tickle You Elmo!" (The doll with no sense of personal space!), and it just so happens to be the must have toy of the season. Also, Tickle You Elmo is a fully autonomous AI animatronic toy now.

Working with the Santa's they successfully steal the toy in a heist, use the parts to repair the carousel and return home. Unfortunately in the process the carousel is destroyed, AND the Tickle You Elmo came back to reality with Cody and Garth!

Using quick thinking, the duo lock the pesty robot in a room with the broken Backwards Carousel of Time with instructions to "Fix it."

That is where Tickle You Elmo is left...

That is until, Episode 50: The Garth Moon Hoax!

In this regular episode of the podcast, it is revealed that not only has Tickle You Elmo completed repairs on the Backwards Carousel of Time, but due to some deep soul searching and self exploration Tickle You Elmo has learned the value of consensual interactions, and in fact now consent is their kink. Thus they are rebranded as Consent Fetishist Elmo!

Tracking Coyotes...

[PICTURE REDACTED/CLASSIFIED]

Around this time Consent Fetishist Elmo was sent to help Patreon Monster Squadron member, and wildlife biologist, @thebibarbarian in their research regarding Coyotes. Consent Fetishist Elmo officially became The Bibarbarian's research assistant, and along the way got alarmingly good at shooting a tranquilizer gun. A skill that would have been much more troubling if developed at a past point in their life. Also, a skill that translates into a general proficiency in long-guns...

Episode 65: Helldoodle!

In this, the third Halloween Special, Cody and Garth accidentally open a portal to Hell by playing a Three Men and A Baby Breakfast Cereal premium collector's 45 rpm vinyl backwards.

The resulting portal allows a number of Demons to come through into our plain of existence. One such Demon, Malacoda gets renamed Garth-Two and aides Cody and Garth in closing the portal and returning the other Demons to Hell. Garth-Two sticks around to become another recurring character.

Consent Fetishist Elmo show's up at the end to tranquilize a coyote and announce that they have returned from their time as a research assistant.

At the end of the special it is implied the Garth-Two tries to eat Consent Fetishist Elmo. In the process one of Consent Fetishist Elmo's eyes is damaged. It is later revealed through dialogue in regular episodes that the duo of Garth-Two and Consent Fetishist Elmo have actually become close friends, and that the two have embarked on a roadtrip through The American Southwest together.

Episode 91: Bottleeen!

In the fourth Least Haunted Halloween Special it is revealed that Consent Fetishist Elmo and Garth-Two have returned from their Thelma and Louise style voyage of self discovery. Also In order to escape the lawyers of "Big PBS" and The Children's Television Workshop, Consent Fetishist Elmo has adopted a new moniker!

Since Elmo it a nickname based on the name Erasmus, they have adapted a new variant of Erasmus and now go by, Consent Fetishist Rassy

In the episode Rassy shoots a fake Cody (a bottleganger) in the head sniper style in order to save Garth from being trapped in a small bottle-episode dimension. Although that part may not be completely canonical... You'll just have to listen to that episode to find out!

Which brings us up to speed with this year's holiday special, Consent Fetishist Rassy's 100% Consensual Christmas Extravaganza! Which premiers FRIDAY DECEMBER 22ND wherever podcasts can be heard, as well as on www.leasthaunted.com.

Who would have thought that a small independent artisanal podcast about paranormal skepticism would develop such a complex and intricate backstory and canonical universe? Eat yer hearts out Marvel!

p.s. You should also probably be aware that in the parlance of The Least Haunted Podcast, the term "Notes" can refer to weed. That might be helpful to know in the special as well.

[irismfrost]

August 12 - Kyoto Guided Tour and Fushimi Inari Shrine

Today I booked a guided tour for 10:30am. This means I had an early day because it takes an hour to get to Kyoto from Osaka, not including the time to buy a ticket or for me to get ready and eat breakfast (I am so glad I pre-bought hotel breakfast). By the end of my journey, I figured out how to use the self serve electronic ticket machine. In my tour, there was a family from New York and their son actually had the same name as my dad and brother, and is the first person I've ever met with his same name. There was also a mother-son duo from Zürich, Switzerland. And our tour guide was Kareem who is from Quebec and has been living in Japan for 5 years. His wife is Japanese and they have a one year old daughter that they're bringing to Canada in November for the first time. It was nice to make friends with everyone and honestly to just have human interaction in a language I know. We started in the bamboo forest and went to the nearby Shinto shrine. Then we went to the former home and garden of a famous Japanese movie star, Denjirō Ōkōchi, called Ōkōchi Sansō. This was his second home and he died one year after building it. It has themes of zen Buddhism, a popular sect of Buddhism here. Here, we stopped for a little break; there was a rest area with tea and some cold drinks. I hadn't tried Calpis yet (they had it in Taiwan) because the name threw my off but they had some here and it was actually delicious. We left the bamboo forest and walked to a zen Buddhist garden called Sogenchi Teien. It was a beautiful Japanese zen garden and is a classic example of a zen garden. These places intentionally make the steps a little rockier to make you walk slower and appreciate the nature around you, which I thought was a cool design technique. Before we broke for lunch, we tried some foods: we had this rice patty thing (which was basically what the outside of mochi is) and I bought some and will need to eat it right when I fly back to Florida because it expires on 8/20. We also tried this sesame chili spice topping (with rice) and I bought some of that too. We broke for lunch and our guide helped me find some vegetarian food and he joined me because by the time I ordered food we only had like 30 mins left for lunch and I told him about Taiwan. It's on his bucket list. We also took a brief stop by this Kimono park thing which had a bunch of poles with the Kimono fabric. Our last stop was a mountain with monkeys. It does not compare to monkey mountain in Taiwan, definitely more commercialized and a fraction of the hike, but it was pretty cool. You get to feed the monkeys through the wire cage and their hands feel like human hands which is a little unsettling but makes sense. There was also this cute little baby monkey and later I saw his mom carrying him around and back to the safety of the mountains away from the people. And that was the end of our tour.

Our guide and some of the other people in our group suggested I should visit Fushimi Inari Shrine - so I did. This is a very famous Shinto shrine and is known for its thousands of torii gates that lead to Mount Inari. The gates are basically sponsors and are an avenue for Kami (the god-like spirits) to enter through (that's why you are supposed to walk on the sides- to give spirits room to walk through the middle). Inari is the Shinto goddess of rice (perceived gender has changed over time, but in ancient times Inari is depicted as female). Today, Inari's domain is more than rice; over time rice was generalized to agriculture which is now just business. You pray to Inari for success in business. I prayed at a few different shrines along the way and I prayed at the top of Mount Inari. I will say taking pictures at religious monuments makes me a little uncomfortable and feels a little wrong. It supposed to be a sacred site and there you are making sure you take a picture of yourself to post - just seems a little disrespectful to the faith I guess is what I'm saying. And honestly, I took some pictures of my experience too and they will probably end up on Instagram so I'm being hypocritical. But I will say, some of these people are taking pictures of themselves with professional cameras in the middle of crowds holding everyone up, some are leaning on the torii, some people wait in the middle of the path for other people to pass them to get a picture. It just feels like the reason they're there is for a picture and not to immerse themselves in a culture. As you got closer to the top, there were less people because there are many opportunities to cut the loop short- it is a long and mountainous loop. And by the time I got back down, all of the tourist shops were closed so I didn't get any trinkets or charms.

This was a HIKE. I was basically doing stairmaster for an hour and a half. I was very dehydrated and even ate my emergency snack and laid down for a second. I had some protein (20g) chocolate milk from the convenience store before and after my visit to the temple and was very hungry so I picked up this bento box at the train station so that I wouldn't have to leave the hotel after I got there. It was so nasty. They didn't have anything vegetarian so I settled for fish and I didn't even eat it. The egg loaf saved me on the protein side. And I had the probiotic drink for dessert. yum. Those probiotic drinks are very popular on this side of the world.

When I flipped on the TV in the hotel today, I found myself on a news channel that was in English, but was for China. Consumers are spending more on services than goods. Consumption is also growing in China overall. Consumption is also less quantity and more quality oriented. I think these are trends that the rest of the world will see as well (at least for large first world countries like the US). When the weather turned on, I noticed that Taiwan was considered a part of China and it just hit me how even though Taiwan is so independent and has so much of its own identity, it still has a conflicting political stance. When I was there, I was in Taiwan, not the Republic of China (imo, for legal reasons).

more pictures in next post

[burlveneer-music]

Garden Gate - Magic Lantern - the latest release from Clay Pipe Music is out today

Clay Pipe is pleased to introduce Garden Gate, the musical project of North Country, New York-based artist Timmi Meskers. After her time with Brown Recluse, a bittersweet psych-pop sextet, and White Candles, a Radiophonic Workshop-inspired electronic duo, Meskers merged the qualities of both groups into a new project and the first Garden Gate single, Houses, appeared in 2016 on Good Behavior Records. Following this, came a clutch of acclaimed releases on labels such as Sunstone and Library of the Occult, notably The Dark Harvest LP (which received a 5-star review in Shindig) and the sought-after 2021 LP, Blood Mansion, an original score for a conceptual horror film. Magic Lantern is a collection of melancholy yet hopeful neoclassical library pieces with analogue electronic elements that originally soundtracked Audible Originals’ Strange Company audiobook.

[tsunflowers]

terrible news I downloaded kisekae again and I can't stop making ocs in it

I made a post about most of them here but here's the new ones

starshine - ambiguously lesbian duo - white star shaped ring that gives her light powers - shared mascot with moonglow

theater kid. convinced she’s too much for moonglow who is cool and seems self-assured. her and moonglow are genuinely kind of obsessed with each other but are also playing it up for the audience in a big way and are extremely insecure about their relationship. they probably don’t even talk that much outside the arena. has to hold hands with moonglow to use her powers. the re:vale of magical girls

moonglow - ambiguously lesbian duo - black moon shaped ring that gives her darkness powers - shared mascot with starshine

lone wolf type. convinced she’s too boring and gloomy for starshine who is vibrant and talkative. writes electronic music and has a moderate following online but is terrified to talk about it to anyone in her real life. loves obscure fantasy novels and anime. she has no idea how she reads to other people and lots of people have crushes on her but she can’t comprehend that

R-FLIGHTFORM - mecha musume - silver gun that lets her control gravity - ufo mascot

has been described as unfun, boring, allergic to fun, etc. physics major. mad all the time bc her magic powers defy the laws of physics. one of the first to suspect something’s up with the showrunners but she doesn’t tell anyone bc she wants to have empirical evidence first. why is she even doing all this? grad school is expensive. the r is supposed to be like in the big o but I feel like it makes her seem like a reddit board so she might need to drop it

then the infamous showrunners who are demons from another world trying to get everyone on earth with magic powers to play their little games in the magical girl arena so they won't be able to use the magic against the demons when they take over. the demon world is kind of like the magic world from dorohedoro in that it fucking sucks and people are always getting turned into mushrooms and bugs and shit and if you turn on the tv it’s only static and scraping metal noises but people just live there like it’s normal. the human world is only one of many worlds the demons have access to so it’s not that exciting to them. they can tell some of their magic is bleeding into it but they’re kind of self-centered and don’t think that’s a big deal

hikold

demons are supposed to do something big every century. your first two are just about growing up and finding yourself but after that everyone expects you to get something done. hikold did not do that for her 300th year and everyone made fun of her ever since so that’s why she’s decided to pop over to the human world and subjugate them. acts extremely serious while in her human disguise bc it’s her idea of professionalism but as soon she she reverts to demon form she becomes a sleazy businessman (female). everyone calls her sir even though she’s a woman. she loves gambling

ixn

I couldn’t decide if I wanted her to be a teen or a small adult so I made up some demon bullshit. demons are technically mature at 100 but don’t fully join society until around 200 when they decide what their Thing is going to be. ixn is sort of the demon equivalent of a college freshman, technically an adult but older adults don’t see her that way. she helps to design the matches and does the online marketing. she did the emceeing too before ririmi took over. her and ririmi are pretty close and she always keeps track of everything new she learns about ririmi in case she can use it against her in the future but she doesn’t realize that after a while she’s only doing it bc she likes ririmi and wants to be friends. cringe!

mazka

shes the sexy one. the relationship between her and hikold can’t be described in words. their personas as sexy secretary and sleazy boss are compatible but they also hate each other so it’s like, hikold looks down mazka’s top when mazka brings her coffee, but mazka poisoned the coffee, but hikold knew mazka poisoned the coffee so she pours it out in the office plant mazka is growing. this is demon flirting. mazka is the costume designer for the magical girl arena. she always says shit like ufufu. she flirts with everyone she knows but if she truly hates someone she just doesn’t talk to them at all. which is how you know she enjoys her weird ass sexy rivalry with hikold

currently the only official ships are hikold/mazka and avery/evelyn. I think ixn/michelle might be but I havent decided yet

[arimiadev]

the spring sales have started this week along with some new releases so I picked up 2 more VNs this week~

the head well lost

When Francis matched with Rai on a dating app, the fact that he's half of the electronic pop duo DRYDEN should have been the most shocking part. Despite the hiccups that naturally occur when a quiet librarian and an internationally famous music producer collide, they hit it off and eventually decide to meet up. The moment Rai takes off the futuristic helmet he’s known for always wearing, he reveals to Francis his biggest secret: he is actually a Dullahan, a mythical being who has no head. While lugging around her own emotional baggage, can Francis make a relationship work with this nice young man who also happens to be a headless pop star?

hwl is a visual novel I've been waiting on for years and I'm happy it's finally out now! my friend adi did the artwork and I love the presentation of it.

Moon Observatory Iris

Iris works as a Purifier, a person who helps souls of the deceased move on to the afterlife. Her fate changes after coming into contact with the Magicians, half-immortal beings who watch over the MO worlds. Interacting with them, the mystery of the MO worlds' origins will come to light.

will moon observatory iris has been out for several years and I've been interested in it for a while, I've never taken the plunge and bought it until now. I love astronomy and night sky aesthetics and the art style is lovely.

----

I'm excited to try both of these!! they both look lovely with a lot of heart put into them.

[lovejustforaday]

2023 Year End List - #15

The Love Invention - Alison Goldfrapp

Main genres: House, Dance Pop

A decent sampling of: Tech House, Future House, Synth Pop, Nu-Disco, Italo-Disco, Synthwave

Alison Goldfrapp is seriously one of my favourite vocalists ever.

Her trademark soft, airy coos remind me of the ephemeral beauty of life, while her restrained, seductive sighs are reminiscent of the immaculate Dionysian pleasures of the sensory world. And of course there's the occasion that she treats us to her operatic feats of fantastic proportions.

Having already formed one half of what is in my opinion the best duo in alternative electronic music history, making music together with her collaborator Will Gregory for roughly 20 years, and releasing not one but two stunning masterpieces of the noughties that set the gold standard for genres like downtempo and folktronica, it appears that Alison finally decided to set out on a new chapter in her life. And having done all that, I would like to think that anyone would have more than earned the right to do so.

When I heard there was going to be a new Alison Goldfrapp solo project in 2023, naturally I got super hyped, but I also didn't know exactly what to expect.

As a duo, Goldfrapp have been a modest sort of musical chameleons. Nearly always some flavour of electronic and indie/alternative, but regularly exploring the polar opposite ends of both these worlds. They are just as likely to embrace dark surrealism as they are to go full on retro kitsch.

But across multiple projects, its been clear for a while that Alison Goldfrapp has a particular love and affinity for spunky electronic dance music. So i guess in the end I wasn't all too surprised that her new record would end up sounding something like this.

The Love Invention is an effervescent house record full of mechanical muscle and propulsion. Alison Goldfrapp conveys unbridled euphoria at nearly every turn of this record, with flashy light show electronics constructed in part by enlisting co-producers James Greenwood, Toby Scott, and Richard X most famously known for his work with Norwegian pop star Annie. The moon mist ice cream colour palette of the album cover is not an overstatement of its contents by any means; this is a rainbow explosion.

For those of you keeping score at home, I would rank this somewhere firmly in the middle among Goldfrapp's records as a duo. That is to say, better than Supernature and Silver Eye, roughly on par with Black Cherry, and a tier or two below Felt Mountain, Seventh Tree, Head First, and Tales of Us. A B-Tier Alison Goldfrapp project, if you will, which is still a big compliment cause it's Alison Fucking Goldfrapp.

"Digging Deeper Now" is all tech-y and hyper-utopian, sitting atop a crystalline pyramid of interconnected synths that all seem to be building towards something greater. Music for reaching an elevated mindset on the dancefloor.

"Fever (This is the Real Thing)" is a thrilling future house tour-de-force, like floating in the middle of a rapidly flowing tunnel made up of glowing bands of metallic light. It pounds everything in its path into a fine glitter dust that coats the ears. When I mentioned 'effervescent' earlier, THIS is the track I was mostly referring to. Alison also really knows how to carry the hook on this one to make it sound like the most important defining thing ever.

The album briefly winds down as Alison ventures into a world of heavenly trap production on "Subterfuge". It sounds crazy on paper, and probably shouldn't work as well as it does, but I honestly love the sound design and her vocals blends seamlessly with this style. A lavish dip into silky dream pools.

"So Hard So Hot" takes the formation of stars through the intense density and heat of nuclear fusion, and turns it into a dancefloor banger of rippling synths that rain down onto the earth with the spectacular brilliance of a meteor shower. Those synths are one serious hell of an earworm. Could definitely do with a ten minute version of this track.

Like a lot of house records, it definitely has its more nondescript moments. "The Beat Divine" and "Gatto Gelato" have a lot of rhythm and hype that will definitely get my feet moving, but neither has much staying power for me.

But overall this is a very refreshing take on multiple house and EDM subgenres, fusing the best of different scenes into high-charged dancefloor hybrids with pop hooks and Alison Goldfrapp's goddessly vocals.

The Love Invention makes good on its promise of being a vibrant, technicolor sensory overload that will get your feet moving and your ass shaking, with more than enough memorable production quirks giving it some of the highest replay value of any of the EDM I've listened to this year. Another day, another slay for the queen of surreal electronica.

8/10

Highlights: "So Hard, So Hot", "Fever (This Is The Real Thing)", "Digging Deeper Now", "Subterfuge", "In Electric Blue"