#first place. something about the vibe is just so ominous and contrary to the lyrics that it makes me think about murder and money instead.

[ineffmoth]

currently in that stage of writing where there are only like two songs that are doing it for me as inspiration for the specific tone i'm after so i just keep listening to them over and over again and can feel myself getting sick of them

[fmdjaewonarchive]

► agree.

date(s): july 2020 - february 2021 mentions of: champion members, unity members (samsoo, yul & sunghee mentioned by name but like... blink and you’ll miss it)  word count: +/- 2.3k words (870w lyrics/660 words composition/740 words production) warnings: mentions of anxiety, panic attacks and car accidents details: full lyrics and full composition verification for agree, 3/3 verifications for jaewon’s upcoming album escapism. jaewon doesn’t only know how to write sad boi music, he also writes angry boi music, the only two emotions he’s ever experienced rlly. (a/n: i lost my braincells within the first 100 words and still haven’t retrieved them, read at your own discretion)

the song is born out of frustration, anger blocking up his throat to the point it feels hard to breathe.

it’s the kick-off point of champion’s world tour, a concept that has jaewon disgruntled enough as it is, snatching him away from unity and dropping him in the states like he is supposed to care about this group, like he doesn’t have better things to worry about.

but alas that’s beside his point, as much as he detests the idea behind champion, it’s not his main source of frustration.

traveling out to the states, that part is hell. now jaewon has never been a huge fan of traveling, suffering from a crippling fear of flying ever since predebut that somehow has not gotten any less severe with the sheer amount of flying all over the place unity has been doing. jaewon also absolutely hates airports, they’re too crowded, too hectic and far too stressful to not immediately put him in a godawful mood.

the cameras shoved right into his face both prior to departure and directly after arrival definitely didn't help.

comparatively, champion’s trip to the states this time hadn’t been that bad. jaewon just happens to be in an extra foul mood today but rationally, he has to admit that he’s seen far worse throughout the years.

but maybe that’s exactly the problem, how common these things have become, that getting pushed and pulled at while trying to get on flight was considered to be mild.

jaewon’s frustration isn’t solely aimed at an isolated instance, it’s at the ridiculous standard that’s been set for idols, the things they have to accept like they are normal.

normally he would call soo to complain about whatever was bothering him but with the time difference, jaewon knew his boyfriend was ought to be asleep at this hour and he definitely wasn’t waking him up for something this minor.

he even humors the thought of perhaps finding sunghee or yul to complain to but with most of champion out for the night doing whatever (admittedly, jaewon didn’t listen when they were making plans, he wasn’t gonna tag along anyway) that isn’t really in the cards either. perhaps that’s for the best, jaewon isn’t the biggest fan of actually talking to the younger unity members about what was on his mind.

either way, jaewon is stuck in a hotelroom by himself, no one around to really vent his frustration too so instead, he might just as well write it all down.

and that’s exactly what he does, settling down at the desk in his hotelroom, scribbling on a notepad randomly found laying around.

on the plane the person in the seat next to me that’s not my fan apparently buying info off the airplane company

it’s not entirely relevant to what happened at the airport earlier but jaewon feels angry all over just thinking about it. unity has had it’s fair share of experiences with saesangs, seemingly only increasing the more popular they keep getting. sure, that makes sense but it doesn’t mean it’s okay, contrary to what dimensions seem to believe with how easily the company brushes it off under the pretense of it just being another part of the job.

at the airplane lounge there’s a war between the 200 mm guns privacy, panic disorder, they barter with one another...

in the first place, jaewon’s main concern is unity, it always is. he’s willing to put up with a lot if it means the younger members are left off the hook. but he has to admit, since the panic attacks have started to become more prevalent, it’s a lot harder to take that stance. it’s hard to take care of others when he fails to take care of himself.

jaewon tries not to think about what that means for his position as a leader.

from early morning put on a mask and fight on in short, call it being a puppet...

jaewon knows he’s not an ideal idol, he’s never been and he never will be. maybe in retrospect, he would have done things differently but there is no use in considering those what-ifs now. there is, however, no denying that all of it is just a bigger struggle with him, it will never go as easily as with people who were made to stand in front of the camera’s. why shouldn’t he get to be open and honest about that? he’s not the perfect idol they want him to be, he will never fit that mold.

i know, that’s right that’s right that’s right that’s right that’s right that’s right i know that’s right that’s right that’s right

written out, the chorus feels a bit silly, but jaewon feels justified in his creative choices. not that the song is ever going to be used for anything, it’s just an attest to his frustration. jaewon knows he’s ought to sit down and silently accept whatever is expected of him.

it’s been years since he’s been his own person. these days, he’s dimensions’ property first and that of the general public second, there is no use in fighting that, no space for his voice.

so sure, whatever, he agrees, what else can he do?

---------------

jaewon forgets about the lyrics he’s written down after that.

in the moment there had been no intention to turn them into a full-fledged song, a haphazard combination of lyrics that in their raw form, probably held very little meaning, too much filler between the few parts that he did properly think through.

so jaewon forgets all about it before he even sets foot back in korea again. unity is busy enough, the release of neo zone lurking around the corner and with multiple schedules of his own, jaewon can’t even think about the song if he wants to.

it only comes drifting back into his consciousness at least a month of two having passed since champion’s american tour dates.

the day in itself isn’t anything special, if there is anything remarkable about it it’s the fact jaewon isn’t working for once. he’s just hanging around his and samsoo’s apartment, scrolling through whatever app on his phone keeps his attention for long enough.

until an article pops up.

it’s a news post about a rookie group he’s never heard of from a company he doesn’t know the name of, it has nothing to do with him, but he finds himself reading through it anyway. apparently, they got into an accident on their way home from schedules as they were being followed by saesangs. no one got injured and truly, it’s not the first time jaewon has read news like this but it does fill him with the same sense of anger as what he had experienced that first day in the states with champion.

because this type of news shouldn’t be common, for how long are people gonna pretend it is?

maybe he should finish that damn song.

wait does he even still have the lyrics?

jaewon vaguely remembers at the very least putting the sheet of paper in his backpack after the concert as he had been packing up to move to the next city of their tour but after that, he can’t say he recalls having seen it lay around.

he’s really ought to get more orderly with his drafts.

luckily for him, jaewon does find the sheet of paper, not in his bag but shoved in between the pages of a notebook and with the draft of his lyrics obtained he makes a beeline for his home studio. normally he’d do this stuff at the company headquarters but truly, that sounds like far too much work in the moment.

obviously, the song is meant to have an angry undertone to it, supposed to convey the same anger and frustration that swallowed jaewon whole as he had written the lyrics.

the deep, resonating boom of low brass sounds for the opening of the song are a no brainer, the sound gives a bombastic, ominous vibe, immediately setting the song off on the right note. it’s supposed to sound grande and honestly a little bit intimidating, a dark feeling creeping around the corners.

of course, the sound is far too theatrical to be underlaying to the entire song so jaewon alternates it with a deep, booming bassline, the brass only reappearing right before the chorus other than in the opening section as if to give off a warning. to fill up the verses and the parts in between, jaewon adds rumbling, deep drums in the background, making them feel less empty.

what really makes the song however is the rapidly-cycling electronic stuttering a rhythmic pattern across almost all parts of the song. it feels a little distracting at first before jaewon decides that really, that’s exactly what he’s going for. the melody feels just a little too fast, uncomfortably so and in a song reflecting so much stress and strain, that only feels fair, reflectives of the way his chest tightens up when he can’t breathe, when his hands tremble and his heart beats so fast it might as well make him sick.

jaewon thinks it conveys his frustrations pretty damn well.

---------------

it doesn’t seem in the books for the song to ever be released until the process of selecting songs for escapism comes along. while jaewon regains some of his creative freedom, most of it had been under dimensions terms, leaving it up to them to shape the album in a way they prefer over his creative vision.

until somewhere near the end of completing the track list, the head producer asks jaewon if he has any songs laying around that could fit in with the rest of the album.

‘agree’ is the first thing to come to mind.

the head producer seems to like the songs, enough to approve it at least and jaewon can’t help but feel a flare of pride. the producer seems intent on leaving the creative process in his hands, letting him handle the production.

it makes ‘agree’ the first song ever that’s entirely his own that he gets to release, it feels like a milestone to jaewon.

he does get a little list of suggestions, mainly pertaining to the lyrics. the producer leaves a few remarks here and there about where lines could be stronger, what he would do differently but all of it are very loose recommendations, jaewon isn’t actually under an obligation to do anything with them.

in the end, he does anyway, shuffles some lyrics around, dares to be a bit more assertive in his wording, right onto the border of what he would consider too gloat-y for himself. but the producer is right, it gets to pack a punch, it gets to be a little bit self-important. somehow having the external confirmation makes it easier to write those lyrics without feeling like a fraud. it’s still his, his writing, his song.

with the last tweaks done they’re quick to get to recording. they’re still on a time crunch as jaewon’s manager reminds him (jaewon likes the man well enough but dear lord would he never let him forget). it's one of the last songs on the album to be recorded after all and at this point, they are cutting it close.

with everything else he needs done, all jaewon has left to do is fine tune the song, the last tweaks and sounds to be added like missing puzzle pieces now he has the bigger picture pretty much laid out in front of him, polishing and detailing it to elevate the song worth of something to be released on an album.

the instrumental is already pretty hectic, fully intentional of course, but with a proper, clear recording it’s easier to spot the empty gaps, spaces to add the last finishing touches. he adds more brass, less grande and dramatic than the ones in the pre-chorus, curling around the edges of the chorus to round them up neatly and as if to scale down again for the verses, still fast paced but somewhat a breath of fresh air between one chorus and the other.

he delays the part at the opening before the brass and bass kick in, a silence before the storm feels even if the hyperactive stuttering beat is already there, he considers taking that out at first too but the point kind of is that it is more or less omnipresent, it’s always there even when there is nothing else much, like the anxiety that feels permanently stuck to his head.

there is also the addition of an extra melodic line, lingering behind that main, slightly headache inducing electronic synth. it doesn’t really stand out, especially not compared to it’s main competitor but it does remain prevalent in the few parts the main instrumental motif is nowhere to be found, giving it small moments to shine. it serves a clear function, or to jaewon listening ear at least (maybe he’s overanalyzing at this point). the little bounces of the electronic beat all over the place keep up the pace of the song, making sure its explosive nature prevails over the dark dreary undertones of the bassline and brass sections, giving it an overall dynamic feel.

it takes some fiddling, jaewon pulls something close to an all-nighter to finish up the song with the sheer amount of detail he ends up focussing on but by the time he sends it in, he has a good feeling about it at least.

when he presents the final product to the head producer, there are no more suggestions. it’s good, and it’s all his own work.

[pinkyheaven]

ROCK & READ 078 Ruki’s Interview (Part 4)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5 Part 6

Q: Well then, what is something that makes this album stand out from the previous works?

R: For me, it has melodies that I wouldn’t have wanted to sing before. To put it short, it’s songs that have a feeling of that popular melody from our older days or the ones that sound catchy (more standard sounding songs). As you can see, we didn’t really have songs like this recently. I particularly felt that I don’t want to do them around the time of “DOGMA”, I felt like we already did those types of songs a lot. Songs that emphasize on the melody, or how should I put it? Well, but that is because I like melodic songs from my nature.    

Q: I think so too. So, “NINTH” is kind of pop sounding as you could say.

R: I think so.

Q: There is this saying, “I’m not gonna stop showing off (or acting cool)”. Did you also feel like that?

R: This might be close. However, if you look at the time before the release of “DOGMA” it might not look like this is the case. Doing things like this for a long time and then getting a different impression and being able to make songs with it, makes you feel strong (confident). I think that’s the sense that I had.

Q: For you personally, which is the song that you’re the happiest with?

R: I might not be able to pick one.

Q: Then which one was the most difficult to make?

R: I wonder which one it was. Well, “NINTH ODD SMELL” was like that. The thing that was difficult about it, was the fact that we were changing up the song quite a lot until it reached its current version.

Q: This song, just like some in your previous albums, also had these words sprinkled in the lyrics that create a certain image. (lyrics of the songs mention all previous albums titles)

R: That’s right. Because it was a song that needed these kinds of lyrics, and I also wanted to make more of them. I wanted for it to be done in a way accompanying the sound, mixing everything that we were until “DOGMA” and how we are now.

Q: Just like we were talking before, it embodies everything that you were in the past in this 9th album.

R: That’s right.

Q: On the contrary to that, were there any songs made in an easy and slick way?

R: “URAGIRU BERO” was like that. Or the 12th song. The last song was like *pop* and it appeared, that’s how I remember the making of it.

Q: Right, “UNFINISHED”. It has the feeling of “this is already the last song”. You could say, that you’re seeing a light.  

R: But it was the first time that we did this kind of song as the last one in the GazettE. Of course, we often end lives with the songs, that have a similar vibe to this, but we always finish our albums with the songs that have a gloomy feeling to them. Like “OMINOUS” we had just before or “MELT” and “OMEGA”.

Q: But this time you decided to choose a song with a happy feeling as the last.

R: Somehow, I wanted the song to have a feeling of “I don’t want this to end” which I have during the lives, I guess this time I wanted to do this type of song more.

Q: That is exactly the song’s title. “UNFINISHED” – meaning that this is not the end. Thus, the 4th keyword is “LYRICS”. Recently, while writing the lyrics, what are you focusing on the most?

R: I wonder…… It depends on a song.

Q: In the past, you said something like “I don’t see any worth or appeal in singing about something happy”.

R: That hasn’t changed until now. However, how should I put it, hope is not entirely zero. (Ruki is making a pun to the “hope is nil”) In the places where listeners are able to see hope in the lyrics, I leave it for them to decide if that hope was pointless or not, I think that’s how I write my lyrics right now.

Q: Do you often write your lyrics because you’re angry at something?

R: There are a lot of lyrics like that too. I write them because of stuff like anger or doubts.

Q: Do you point at specific people or things?

R: There are many times when I do that.

Q: For example, this time “GUSH” is like that, right? In this song, is there a clear target?

R: That’s right. However, “GUSH” is not written out of anger. Rather than anger, it’s written as a last resort, about people who think that someone who has a scandal is a less human than they are, or how should I put it. It’s cruel to do something like that. For example, aren’t there times (when the scandal happens) where these strange people talk about it? Stuff like “just as I thought”, that irritates me a bit when I see it. How would these people feel if someone was talking like that behind their backs? This also includes talks in the media, I guess. I feel like announcers or commentators always paint a much darker image than the situation actually is.

Q: I agree with you. By the way, I think there are many people who get inspired to write their lyrics by such things as movies, CDs, books or traveling, Ruki-san, you’re not this kind of type?

R: I watch movies a lot. Well, recently I’m a bit busy so I don’t watch them as much, but in general, I do.

Q: Do you find any themes or hints for your lyrics there?

R: You’d probably think so, but I don’t really, maybe once.

Q: So, you watch movies just because you like them?

R: That’s right. The movies they show in Korean or Cannes film festivals are usually dark. And I usually go to considerably small movie theaters. You have to be subtle there because if you eat snacks it feels like the sound will echo through the whole place. (lol)

Q: Like those movie theaters in Nakano? (lol)

R: Right, right. Also, I like movies that are more realistic or documentaries, also European movies.

Q: However, it’s not reflected in your lyrics. (lol)

R: Right, it’s not. (lol) Other than that, I don’t really care about Japanese movies that have no expressiveness in them. They usually don’t touch any taboo topics. Korean movies, for example, start with the topics like police corruption. That’s a very realistic topic, and it projects the parts that sometimes would be better left unshown, or how should I put it. I wonder why Japanese entertainment is being regulated so much.

Q: Well then, how about traveling? A journey in search for the lyrics.

R: Oh, I don’t think I do that. But if I’d travel somewhere for the lyrics it would be something like a ghost town probably. (lol) Otherwise, when I travel in private it’s for completely opposite reasons.

Q: Well, since the 5th keyword is “PRIVATE”, do you travel a lot?

R: I travel a lot. I don’t say it on Twitter or Instagram, though.

Q: However, you don’t go to places like ghost towns? (lol)

R: No, it’s not ghost towns. (lol) For example, I go to Italy, or just in general by the sea a lot. I go every year.

Q: Is it for the sake of refreshing?

R: That’s right.

Q: So, you like traveling?

R: That’s right. I’ll get some more work done and go on a trip soon (interview was taken in late March)

Q: But you have this image that you stay at home a lot. (lol)

R: Well, it’s because I stay at home a lot, I want to travel. I don’t have standard vocation times. So, I do things like one day trip to Korea. Sometimes I travel somewhere just to eat a meal that I want. I don’t travel much in Japan, but I’ll travel overseas.  

Q: You probably didn’t travel anywhere last year?

R: Last year I went to Korea. To buy clothes. (lol)

Q: I thought you just stayed in the ungrounded since you were making an album?!

R: If I have at least 2 free days, I’ll go. Because Korea is very fashionable. I feel like things that are fashionable in foreign countries come to Korea immediately and it takes a whole year for it to reach Japan. Well, it’s not that I did an examination if it’s actually like that, but I don’t have time to do such things. (lol)

[airadam]

Episode 118 : Dubbul Or Nothing (ft. Dubbul O)

"Burning it to the ground, from the ashes see what might rise..."

- Dubbul O

It's been a while, but with a reworked studio setup we welcome the second-ever guest to the show - the syllable-spraying Dubbul O! You'll certainly have heard him on here before, whether it's been with The Mouse Outfit, Voodoo Black, Mothership Connection, or one of his other projects. This month, he came through for a chat about his approach to MCing and with a bunch of tracks for us to hear (including an exclusive), which the selection for the episode is centered around. With it being March, we also include some Phife and Biggie in the mix, and it's Brooklyn's Finest who kicks things off...

Check out Dubbul O's Bandcamp, Twitter, and Spotify too! You can also buy his work on iTunes if that's your shop of choice, and find everything from him and the rest of the label at room2records.com.

Twitter : @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

The Notorious B.I.G. : Playa Hater

Funnily enough, I know a lot of people hate this song, but for some reason it just tickles me! Biggie and Puffy give their armed robbery rewrite of an old Delfonics number on this album track from "Life After Death". B.I.G's love of old soul and a dark sense of humour combine for what is definitely a Marmite track from his catalogue!

$lowbeats. : Madness

Out of Guadalajara, Mexico, comes an artist whose name simply describes what s/he does! This booming, ominous beat comes from the "Burn Slow" beat tape, the only release from this producer, and fit in really nicely to allow us to keep a continuous groove going. 

dead prez : W-4

Double-time drums but with a counter of acoustic guitar and bass, stic crafts a great track on which dead prez lament the stress of the poor working life. For the non-US listeners, the W-4 form referenced is the form workers submit to their employers detailing their tax situation, which then tells them how much tax to withhold from pay. This track from the "RBG" LP is as relevant now as it ever was - in fact, in an era when mentions of the "working class" often implicitly ignore Black people, maybe more pertinent in the present day.

Voodoo Black : Gettin' Dum

The latest single from this Room 2 crew reps Manchester proudly - this month's guest leads off, then passes the ball to Sparkz, and finally Ellis Meade takes it all the way to the end. This track has the kind of pace and space that enables all the MCs to play around with their patterns; even without actually hearing the words, there's flavour in the flows. DJ Cutterz with the production on this one.

Swell ft. Shiloh Dynasty : I'm Sorry

Swell is an Australian producer who isn't even twenty years old yet but clearly has talent to keep an eye on, and Shiloh Dynasty is such a mysterious vocalist that I don't have the first clue which pronoun to use! At such a slow tempo, I don't know if "head nodder" is the right phrase to use, but I love this beat from the "There's Still Us" EP.

Dubbul O : Smoka-Motive

The title track from Dubbul O's most recent EP, with Mankub bringing some Yard flavour into proceedings, along with eerie strings, guitar, and vocal samples, a real low-tempo soup over which Dubbul O speed-races with his double-time flow.

Jake One : Eli

Heading back to the "#PrayerHandsEmoji" beat tape, which has been a great source of quality low-tempo instrumentals. Production fans should definitely grab this one.

Tobe Nwigwe : HËÂT RŌČK.

I first heard Tobe mentioned by Bomani Jones, and his gushing praise let me know that this was an MC I needed to check out - and I was not disappointed! Coming out of Houston, he's got a unique combination of flow and voice, and packs substance into his bars while being absolutely crystal-clear the whole time. You owe it to yourself to check out the "The Originals" collection, and there are videos for many of the tracks on Youtube!

Voodoo Black : Run Along

Solid single from the start of last year, with the DJ Cutterz-produced beat cockily ambling down the street while the crew dismiss weak challengers with a wave of the hand. This track is just one example of Dubbul O killing the final verse in that Busta/Freddie Foxxx tradition of flawless clean-up men :)

Polyrhythm Addicts : Motion 2000

One of those classic independent records - very well known to those into the scene at the time, but one I have to remind myself isn't universally known even among dedicated heads. Polyrhythm Addicts was something of an underground supergroup, comprising DJ Spinna, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Mr Complex, and Apani B (later replaced by Tiye Phoenix), and their debut "Rhyme Related" featured this Spinna-produced single. That bassline is immediately distinctive, and with just the drums added to it (and a little guitar in the hook), there's plenty of space for all the MCs to get busy.

Bronx Slang : Married To The Game

Jerry Beeks is a friend and big supporter of what I'm doing over here, and the feeling is mutual. It's great to see the release of the new "Bronx Slang" LP, where he and Ollie Miggs show over the twelve tracks that contrary to popular opinion, real Hip-Hop never went anywhere! Beeks kills the mic over this piano-driven beat, and needs no hook to pull you in.

Dubbul O freestyle / [J-Zone] : As It Ever Was (Instrumental)

Dubbul O was up for giving us some lyrics from his rhyme book that haven't been heard before, and so we went through some instrumentals - didn't get far before he picked this one out. This is just raw MC business, straight through with no edits, no punching-in, exactly how it should be done.

The Quarter Inch Kings : I'm No Comeback

Decided to slide another instrumental in here, and went to The Beat Tape Project's "The AZ Beat Tape" for this track from a Toronto-based production unit who bring a soulful vibe. Got to love the humming woman sample that would have fit right in around 1996 - right around the time AZ's debut LP came out!

Dubbul O : Mussbemental

Vintage double-time syllable distribution here from Dubbul O on another Mankub-produced tune from "Smoka-Motive"! Dubbul O has talked about how he tries to become another instrument on the track, and he jumps all over the place like a jazz saxophonist on a solo here.

Natural Elements : For The Culture

Natural Elements are back with another three-song selection in their #DeathComesIn3s series, the "3 Kings" EP, and this was the tune that jumped out for me on the first listen. Great bars as always with this crew, and GxBxT provides the beat.

Pitch 92 ft. The Four Owls and DJ Jazz T : Swoop

I've been following Pitch from his first days and he's one of those people where the talent was immediately evident. His skills were a huge contribution to The Mouse Outfit during his time with them, and now we have his first full producer solo album to hear his latest work. The "3rd Culture" LP is one of those producer-helmed projects with a host of artists coming in to help realise the vision, and there are plenty of heavyweights - on this track, the respected High Focus crew The Four Owls and battle champion DJ Jazz T on the cuts. For the bargain price being charged on Bandcamp, this is a no-brainer purchase!

Phife Dawg ft. Rodney Hampton : Game Day

The "NFL Jams" compilation was, in 90s soundtrack-era weird idea style, a combination of NFL players and established Hip-Hop performers on each track on the album. Results were...mixed. The late great Phife Dawg certainly holds down his end of the deal on this early Jay Dee-produced cut, but Rodney Hampton really just gets credit for trying! 

Damu The Fudgemunk : Randi

Just some good drums, bass, and piano, arranged in the MPC2000 of Damu on his "Spare Time" album. I don't have any deep knowledge on this one, but it's one to enjoy for what it is!

Dubbul O : Step Into The Circle

An exclusive to close out the show! Dubbul O brought this track for a first airing, previewing the EP he's got coming later this year with Clay of Room 2 Records. Dubbul O's flow is as laid-back as it goes, matching the vibe of Clay's clean and breezy, crisply-drummed track.

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

  Check out this episode!