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dailyexo · 4 years ago

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[INTERVIEW] Lay - 200819 Rolling Stone India: “How Lay Zhang Claimed The Throne of M-pop”

"The singer-songwriter and producer offers an in-depth look into his latest record ‘Lit,’ his evolution as an artist and finding the balance between East and West

When I last spoke to Lay Zhang in 2018, he was embarking on an ambitious but daunting journey to bring Mandarin pop aka M-pop to the world. “I hope they think, ‘This artist isn’t bad,’” he had said with some trepidation in his voice. “I hope that they find my music special and maybe… they’ll want to learn more about me and Chinese music.” The singer-songwriter and producer aspired to create a true hybrid of traditional and modern music, a sound that defines our generation’s ability to package the past for the future.

Zhang, more commonly known by his stage name LAY, first debuted in 2012 as a member of world-famous K-pop group, EXO. Although he remains a member of the group, he’s spent the last couple of years in China to focus on a solo career and spotlight his own country’s burgeoning pop scene. It’s a process he kicked off with his second studio album Namanana in 2018, but he was still some time away from realizing his dream of pushing Chinese pop to a global stage.

It’s been nearly two years since our conversation for Rolling Stone India’s November 2018 cover feature, and any signs of trepidation are a thing of the past for LAY. We could chalk it up to him being two years older and wiser, but I’d like to think it’s because he kept his promise to bring M-pop to the world. If Namanana was just a dip in the pool of fusion experimentation, his latest studio album Lit is the deep dive.

“It is the evolution of M-pop for me,” LAY explains. “I wanted to take it to another level. When you hear the Chinese instruments, you know it is a different sound and vibe. The style is more pop, R&B, and hip-hop influenced with the Chinese instruments thoughtfully mixed in.” Comprising a total of 12 songs (all written and co-produced by LAY) Lit was released as two EPs instead of one LP; the first dropped in June while the second made its appearance in July. Nearly every track presents a fresh blend of traditional Chinese instruments like the hulusi, guzheng, flutes and gong with modern genres like trap, R&B, soul, hip-hop, future bass, dubstep and more. It’s a complex, refined and intricate record, utilizing production techniques that clearly outline LAY’s growth as an artist over the past two years. In retrospect, Namanana comes across a slightly more naive record–innocent and optimistic with a hope that international audiences would embrace both M-pop and LAY. Lit however seeks to take a different path and carves out the future LAY envisions with cool confidence and fearless production.

The tracks seesaw smoothly from Mandarin to English and back, with LAY showcasing both his vocal and rap skills. It’s an extremely powerful and expansive album, hair-raising at some moments due to the sheer surprises the artist packs in (at one point I hear what sounds like the tabla on “Call My Name” and it catches me totally off-guard.) Some of the collaborators on the record include big names like hip-hop hitmaker Murda Beatz, Grammy Award-winning producer Scott Storch, composer and producer Mitchell Owens and Grammy-nominated songwriter Mike Daley to name a few. For the title track “Lit,” LAY recruited China-native Anti-General who created a vicious and chilling trap/dubstep beat to complement lyrics that decimate LAY’s haters, gossip-mongers and the media, challenging them to come forward and take him down if they dare. The track sees the singer-songwriter rightfully crown himself a ‘king’ and leader in the music industry.

If that wasn’t enough, the music video for “Lit” is without a doubt one of the best released in 2020. With hundreds of extras, dancers, impeccable CGI and a compelling storyline, it’s more movie than music video, portraying LAY as a warrior king who refuses to be defeated. As executive producer, music director and co-choreographer on the project, LAY pays homage to China’s rich history and culture with tons of historical references and traditional symbolism. I tell him I particularly loved the symbolism of a white lotus emerging untouched and pure from the black ink–representing LAY’s rise in the industry–and he shares that the magnificent dragon that appears at the end was his personal favorite. “It was super important that we added it in,” he says. “It represents my wishes, aspirations and my relentless desire to always pursue perfection in the works that I create. I want my dancing, visuals, and music to be the very best it possibly can be.”

Lit is also thematically more complex and layered than any of LAY’s previous works, exploring concepts that revolve around confidence, love, fame, the media, success and more. “The album continues to explore chasing your dream,” the singer explains. “This time it’s about more personal things in my life. Like hometown, family and self-doubt.” A phonetic play on the word for lotus (莲 / lian) in Mandarin, ‘lit’ is a clever pun used to describe LAY’s similarity to a lotus and his prowess as a musician. He named the album after the lotus because of the symbolism of it growing and blossoming from dirt or mud. The lotus also continues the theme of duality with Lit’s two-part release, and, according to LAY’s team, “represents a new birth plus a new sound in the midst of all his past achievements.”

The album’s success more than speaks for itself– when the pre-order for Lit went live on China’s QQ Music streaming platform, nine certification records were instantly broken as it surpassed 1.5 million pre-orders within seven minutes and 19 seconds. This immediately pushed the EP to Number One on QQ Music’s daily and weekly album sales charts. Lit has also made LAY the best-selling artist in China in 2020, with a whopping 2.5 million records sold. It’s a testament to his drive and determination as an artist, the attention to detail and refusal to back down. The record’s international success was no less, hitting top 10 positions on iTunes charts across 32 countries, bagging 21 Number One spots and firmly cementing LAY’s position as the global megastar that he is.

Some things however, never change; brand deals, TV shows, multiple singles, EPs and collaborations keep his schedule completely booked and– just like back in 2018– it’s extremely tough to pin him down for a conversation. He’s currently in the middle of filming a reality show and has several other projects in the pipeline, but still makes the time to catch up and answer a few questions for Rolling Stone India. In this exclusive interview, LAY details his most successful record yet, the journey of finding the balance between East and West, dealing with the dark side of media attention and why the relationship between an artist and their fans needs to be a two-way street.

Congratulations on the release and tremendous success of Lit! It is an absolutely phenomenal record and I was thrilled to see you explore so many new streams of production. Can you tell me a little bit about the process of making this album and do you feel you met your own expectations for it?

For this album I wanted to mix in Chinese traditional instruments and tell Chinese stories. It is the evolution of M-pop for me. I wanted to take it to another level. When you hear the Chinese instruments you know it is a different sound and vibe. It is hard to say if I met my own expectations. As an artist you never ever feel your work is perfect. You can always find spots where you can improve. But I think what I was able to do with my team in the time we had was great.

You dove deeper into the fusion of tradition and modernity on this album than Namanana—there was a larger variety of Chinese instruments used as well as bilingual wordplay with language in the lyrics. In what ways do you feel you’ve evolved as a producer and songwriter since that album to Lit?

I am still trying to find the right style and combination to share my music and Chinese culture with the world. Lit was an example of my growth. I had this desire to include traditional stories and instruments from Chinese culture. Trying to find the balance with the Western music was challenging. I had to think and spend a lot of time arranging the chords around and fitting everything together. Also with this album I am talking about things in a more personal level and taking time to explain with more of an artistic style. I feel like I am growing up on this journey.

Lit is the first part of a series of EPs which will make a whole LP—why did you want to release it in this format and when did you begin working on the record?

I split it into two parts to give time to people to listen to it. I feel like if I released 12 songs at once, people may not give enough time to listen to each track. But when there are just six tracks each time, then it gives people time to listen more carefully. I started this project maybe early 2019.

The title track “Lit” is about your battle with the media, hateful netizens and malicious comments/rumors. Does it get easier over time to deal with this obsessive analysis of your life or does it never really ebb away?

It will always bother you, but over time you learn to deal with it. You focus on it less and less and back on what you love doing. When I make my music or learn dance or do anything I love, I kind of forget about it. Just focus on your goals and dreams and everything else becomes background noise.

The music for “Lit” is, in my opinion, the best of 2020 so far. Can you tell me a little about your role as the executive producer and music director on this project? How did the concept come about?

I was very involved in the project. I oversaw a lot of things that happened and discussed with almost everyone on the team on how to achieve my vision. When I was making the song I was thinking about how do we share Chinese culture. I thought filming in an ancient palace would catch people’s attention. It took off from there when discussing with the director. We started adding more and more elements of Chinese culture. We were trying to tell the story of Xiang Yu, a warlord who rebelled against the mighty Qin Dynasty but wasn’t able to conquer China. I’m Xiang Yu, but I’m trying to change my fate and succeed in my goal.

You incorporated Chinese Peking Opera in the music video version of the track and visual elements of Peking Opera in the album art for “Jade”–What was the motivation behind that decision and is there a particular story that the opera section references?

I wanted to bring people back in time to ancient China. I reference the traditional Chinese story of Xiang Yu and his love, Concubine Yu, so then I added in select passages from the Peking Opera Farewell My Concubine which tells their tragic story.

You displayed your incredible skills in dancing in this music video and you recently talked about how dancing was a way for you to show the audience who you are. Did you feel a sense of relief that the audience can see you or understand you a bit better after the release of “Lit”? Can the audience ever truly understand an artist?

It feels good to know people can see me and understand me more. I don’t think people can ever understand an artist completely. But they can relate to many things. I think that is a challenge for an artist to see how they can use their music to connect with people. It is a worthy challenge.

How do you hope that the artist you are today crafts the Lay Zhang of tomorrow?

I always believe in working hard and improving. I hope that the Lay Zhang of tomorrow continues to keep looking for ways to improve his art. I hope he never gives up his dreams.

Last time we spoke, we talked about Asian traditions represented in global mainstream pop culture. Now as you’ve grown as a megastar, you are one of the leading names in pop filling that space, bringing your heritage to the stage. Why is it important for our generation to see ourselves and our histories represented on these platforms by artists?

It is important for people to remember where they come from. They should know their own history and how their culture came to be. Also, it lets other people know another culture and have a deeper understanding. It can stop miscommunication and it helps people be closer to each other.

Why do fans need to see themselves in an artist? Does it work the same on the other side, do you as an artist see yourself in your fans?

I want fans to be able to relate with an artist. It is important for a fan to see themselves in artist and an artist to see themselves in a fan. When you can see each other you are able to understand each other better. You can connect with each other and really feel things.

I absolutely love the ‘Re-Reaction’ videos you have been doing for years and it means a lot to your fans that you take the time to do it. Why did you want to do this series and what does it mean to you to be able to connect with your fans like this and see them react to your work?

I am curious to know what fans and people think of my work. I want to know where I can improve. I want to keep growing as an artist. But also I want to let my fans know that I am reading their comments and I see everything they say.

Other than releasing more music, what are the rest of your plans for 2020? Do you have any film projects that you’re looking at taking up or are you planning on doing something completely different?

I am busy filming a TV drama and a few reality TV shows for the rest of 2020. A very busy schedule.”

Photo links: 1, 2, 3, 4

Credit: Rolling Stone India.

#EXO #EXO M #Lay #200819 #exo im #exo m im #lay im #p:news #t:news #fs:rolling stone india #comeback:Obsession

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doomedandstoned · 4 years ago

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Lowen Return with Stunning EP, ‘Unceasing Lamentations’

~By Reek of STOOM~

Art by Hervé Scott Flament

London-based Doomters LOWEN return with an incredible, stripped back-to-bare-bones release next month. "Unceasing Lamentations" consists of 3 evocative, alluring tracks based on ancient Middle Eastern texts and highlighting Nina Saeidi's incredible vocal talent.

First track, "The Exalted One Who Walketh" shimmers with the arid heat of the desert, vocals soaring, plaintive and mesmerising, like a melding of Ofra Haza and Diamanda Galas, backed throughout by Shem Lucas' soulful Oud-style playing. Indeed, the lone vocal combo stretches across all three tracks, bringing a sultry and beguiling presence as powerful and majestic as the heaviest Doom out there.

Lowen have encountered many issues over the last 12 months, and this EP has been cathartic, heartfelt and deeply reconnecting with their roots. A Triumph!

I spoke with both Nina and Shem and posed some questions about the last year and their new release, out June 4th.

The new EP is obviously an accumulation of recent trials and tribulations for the band. How have you coped with such an acrimonious split?

Shem: It was a difficult situation but the core of the band has always been Nina and myself. The music is about her background and Lowen is a vehicle to explore that and always has been. Anyone that is unable or unwilling to accept that simply does not have a place within the band. There are many wonderful musicians that have approached us eager to work with us and that has been very touching.

Nina: As Shem said, it was a very difficult and sad situation that shocked us to our cores when it happened. The extreme nature of having a racially motivated hate crime directed at me by our ex-drummer has in a way allowed us to view it as a clean break from which we can move on without looking back. Shem and I have felt so much more positive and driven now that we can plan and write completely new material together and look to a much brighter future.

The support from our friends and fans in the immediate aftermath was really touching and we are so excited to work with some insanely talented new musicians this summer!

LISTEN: Unceasing Lamentations by Lowen

I'm also assuming that lockdown has played a part in the stripped-back sound? To what extent has this process changed the way you look at and create Music now?

Shem: Unceasing Lamentations is a result of Nina being invited to perform on a Solo basis by the Brighton Doomsday collective as part of their efforts to raise funds to keep the Green Door Store venue in Brighton open in the face of the pandemic. We were so happy with the results that we decided to have Magnus Lindberg of Cult of Luna master the audio so that we could release it.

The songs don’t represent a new direction so much as a pivotal moment in time for the band, we’re still writing our next album to feature big distorted guitars, drums and bass, though I would say that it was wonderful to finally release something that was a lot more eastern in terms of musical composition. It’s a nice bridge between the first album and the resulting musical studies we have undertaken to bring our sound closer to what we both hear in our minds.

Nina: It was so freeing to be able to improvise and really embrace the more Iranian and Eastern aspects of our sound and influence. It’s something I’ve been pushing to do more since we released our first album and I am so excited that we will now be fully putting that into the second one. This EP is more of a captured moment where I expressed the anguish and longing that I was experiencing at the time.

Due to the improvisational aspect of the performance we went in with no plan at all. Apart from the lullaby what you hear are musical choices that were made in that very moment. It can magical to simply give up all control of a creative situation and see what the body spontaneously produces musically.

LISTEN: A Crypt in the Stars by Lowen

The lyrics were based on folk tales or Eastern myths. How did you come to choose them?

Nina: The lyrics for the first two songs are directly taken from cuneiform tablets. The Exalted One Who Walketh is an arrangement of transliterated lines taken from a Sumerian city destruction lamentation referred to as “e-lum didara”. Against Evil Done by the Serpent is a transliteration of Akkadian from a clay tablet that directed the tuning of an instrument through metaphoric comparisons between gods and each string.

I met with renown museo-archeologist Richard Dumbrill and talked with him for several hours on how the words may have been pronounced and sung in the context of ancient music and modern interpretation. Though we will never know how ancient music and language sounded, it is thought that some of it has been preserved in folk music of the areas in which it originated when it comes to the music of the Middle East.

The third song is an Iranian lullaby that embodies the sorrow of war and abandonment felt by many children during the Iran-Iraq war and is still sadly apt for many children in the Middle East today. The lullaby centres on a child who has experienced the trauma of war being comforted by a mother who promises that she will not abandon them as they tread dangerous ground even in their dreams.

I chose all these because I am deeply interested in the history of language and culture in the Middle East. It moves me that music and lyrics that are thousands of years old can be resurrected and performed once more in a context where the sorrows and joys of multiple cultures that were geographically close can be viewed millennia apart.

How is the new line-up going? Any major differences or effects on the dynamic?

Shem: Lowen has always revolved around Nina and myself, but Richard Stevenson (our live bass player) is still very much a part of the band. We have been approached by other musicians who would like to work with us and we are excited to move forward with an array of incredibly talented musicians.

Nina: Our dynamic is stronger than ever as Shem and I are able to write and move forward with much greater speed and productivity than before. We always wrote the music in the past, but now we feel that we are able to be a lot more free creatively.

We are so grateful that we have Richard Stevenson, our live bassist, with us for what will be a very exciting summer in terms of shows. He always brings amazing energy to the stage and has been a dedicated member and friend for years now.

Soon we will be able to reveal who we will have drumming for us live and we can’t wait.

You have always been vocal about political and social issues in the East. What are your hopes for the future?

Nina: My greatest hope will always be for peace. War and political savagery has felt never-ending in the Middle East, and much of it is because of interference and backing from non-Eastern countries that profit from terminal instability and conflict. For example, we’re currently seeing horrendous atrocities in the news with the state of Israel attacking and tearing apart even more innocent lives and I hope that those who are actively campaigning for ceasefire and recognition of what is truly happening in Gaza and Sheikh Jarrah succeed. I’d like to clarify that my criticism of the state of Israel is not tied in with Jewishness or the nature of Judaism, I think it’s important not to veer into anti-semitism and anti-muslim sentiment when noting political matters in Israel.

My personal hope is to be able to go and see my family, who live in other parts of the Middle East, without fear of arrest and execution. I would be overjoyed if women were able to sing in public again and for the LGBTQ+ community in Iran to live without fear of death and persecution.

Will you be planning a tour or appearances at any festivals in the coming year?

Shem: we’re very excited to begin performing live again, the performances prior to pandemic had begun to feature increasing intensity, so we can only imagine what a renewed and focussed line up will add to that, as well as the prospect of playing new material.

Nina: We have a few more shows to announce in what is already feeling like a packed few months of shows around the UK but I can’t say anything yet.

What was the last thing you had to kick to get working again?

Shem: there was nothing to kick per se, but the many many hours of study into eastern music, rhythm and maqam are certainly paying off and the music we are composing now is focussed and features many techniques and devices not widely seen within western music, there’s also a lot of double bass drum!

Nina: A few cobwebs and a couple of boxes in order to find my stage mic after so long.

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#D&S Reviews #D&S Interviews #Lowen #London #England #UK #doom metal #Persian #Middle Eastern #atmospheric doom #Reek of STOOM #Doomed and Stoned

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fyexo · 4 years ago

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200819 How Lay Zhang Claimed The Throne of M-pop

“’Lit’ continues to explore chasing your dream. This time it’s about more personal things in my life. Like hometown, family and self-doubt.” Photo: Courtesy of Zhang Yixing Studio

“I don’t think people can ever understand an artist completely. But they can relate to many things. I think that is a challenge for an artist to see how they can use their music to connect with people. It is a worthy challenge.” Photo: Courtesy of Zhang Yixing Studio

Lit is the first part of a series of EPs which will make a whole LP—why did you want to release it in this format and when did you begin working on the record?

How do you hope that the artist you are today crafts the Lay Zhang of tomorrow?

I always believe in working hard and improving. I hope that the Lay Zhang of tomorrow continues to keep looking for ways to improve his art. I hope he never gives up his dreams.

“I want to keep growing as an artist. But also I want to let my fans know that I am reading their comments and I see everything they say.” Photo: Courtesy of Zhang Yixing Studio

Why do fans need to see themselves in an artist? Does it work the same on the other side, do you as an artist see yourself in your fans?

I am busy filming a TV drama and a few reality TV shows for the rest of 2020. A very busy schedule.

Riddhi Chakraborty @ Rolling Stone India

#exo #lay #t: interview #album: lit

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airadam · 4 years ago

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Episode 144 : Multiples Of Twelve

"It ain't f-ing sensible."

- Strategy

I ended up completely changing the selection this month when, taking the lead from a few tracks I was considering, I decided to go with an all-downtempo selection - a continuous unbroken mix once the first lyric hits. That said, there's a serious mix of genres so you get a bunch of variety inside the hour-long show! Get yourself plugged in...

RIP to the legendary Chi Modu - the man responsible for some of the most iconic images in the culture.

Twitter : @airadam13

Twitch : @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

Duett : Video

An extremely short track to open things, just for the flavour! Duett, is a UK synthwave artist (only one person, despite the name) who has released some amazing records channeling that electronic 80s vibe. This one is drawn from the "O U T L I N E S" mini-album from last year - all tracks that were done in a day each - and is a bite-size motif that you could imagine as the sonic logo for a film company or TV station from the VHS era.

Meyhem Lauren ft. Hologram & Big Body Bes : Lexus In The Lobby

I was originally saving this for a future mix, but even though it would have fit perfectly thematically, it's so much slower than pretty much everything else that it may not have ultimately made the cut. This is an absolute gem from the original "Glass" EP, with Harry Fraud on production building an absolute vibe with a quality sample that may be familiar to German listeners and some heavy 808 action. Meyhem Lauren is of course the best MC on the cut but Hologram on the first verse definitely kicks a memorable opening quatrain!

Mikhail Chekalin : As If It Was Not From Here

Going super left-field early for this instrumental bed! Chekalin was a radically-innovative composer from Russia who was not embraced by the Soviet government - they felt his work was too "Western" and while his music was heard by some plugged-in people in the outside world, he wasn't able to tour internationally or release his music outside the USSR. Thankfully for music lovers, times have changed and the "ГАР001: Михаил Чекалин «Экзальтированная Колыбельная 1979 – 1987»" collection (don't even think about asking me to pronounce that) is now available on Bandcamp, and is a great collection of his electronic work - his own take on what could be done with the synths of the time. His sound is a worthy companion to the other greats who were also experimenting at the time, from Jan Hammer to Jean Michel Jarre.

TY ft. Rootz & Deborah Jordan : Eyes Open

It's been a year this month since TY passed and I was glad to find one of his tracks fitting into this pace perfectly, one from his excellent final LP "A Work Of Heart". He was always an excellent MC from the first to the last, and he does himself proud here, spitting thoughtful lyrics with a rapid sharp flow. OG Rootz (formerly Durrty Goodz) is a solid complement, and Deborah Jordan adds a vocal decoration that puts the whole self-produced track over the top. I do like the unexpected switch to French for the hook later in the song too, just *chef's kiss*.

Bumpy Knuckles : Step Up

If you're a real Hip-Hop geek, the highlight on this track might just be the brilliant cuts by DJ Rukas on the hook, not only sharp but incorporating a very clever manipulation of a line from the stone-cold classic "Top Billin'" by Audio Two. Bumpy Knuckles goes in with a quasi-double-time flow in typically rugged fashion over the production of BeatBanga, who gets his only Discogs credit in fine style. You can find this on the "Konexion" album, which is well worth having.

Flatbush Zombies : Laker Paper

It might not be the most conscious track in the world, but it does have the exact type of sonic energy to fit into this spot! Despite the production style (courtesy of Erick Arc Elliott) and the track title, the clue is in the name - this is a trio from Brooklyn who released this cut on their debut mixtape "D.R.U.G.S". They don't try to dazzle with a quick flow on this beat, they stick to their style and settle into it at its native speed.

Samantha James : Come Through

Even for those who might not be into a record like this most of the time, I thought that bassline and the underlying lazy drum break might draw you in! This track was one of the highlights of the 2007 "Rise" LP from LA-based Samantha James. If you like a varied electronic music album, it's one you should check out - a little house, a little broken beat, some singer-songwriter vibes, a showcase for a singer comfortable with working with different production types.

Jake One : Evelen Gravest

We bridge the first and second mixes with a beat from the man Jake One, taken from his free gospel-themed "#PrayerHandsEmoji" beat tape. It'd be worth a purchase, but for zero dinero it's a must-have!

Kano : Ps & Qs

Coming out of East Ham, London, this is one of the early breakthrough grime tracks from a pioneer of the scene. This 2004 debut 12" release was a bit hit on the underground and helped Kano build momentum into the release of his "Home Sweet Home" album. DaVinche's big bombastic beat is an iconic one - a perfect underscoring for Kano, and can still mash up a dance even today.

DJ Quik ft. Hi-C and James DeBarge : Ev'ryday

One of my favourite cuts from Quik's 2002 "Under Tha Influence" LP (which, being a relentless perfectionist, he probably hated the minute he finished it). At the time there really wasn't much, if anything, out that sounded like this, and it was interesting to hear a musician and engineer of his skill level bring that to that double-time style. That stuttering bass and the skipping drum pattern work together brilliantly, and James DeBarge coming through with that hook might just be the vocal highlight.

Strategy : LengBreak

Time flies, and it's already been ten years since the release of the "Pre-Season Training" mixtape from Salford's Strategy, who continued to build his skills in fine style. "Bleep Test" and "Kill 'Em" were the standout tracks for me, and this one kind of passed me - maybe it was my personal taste in beats, maybe it was that I just didn't smoke! I gave it another listen this month and very much deserves a proper airing. One question for those of you who partake - all these years later, how do those prices sound? 🙂

Tobe Nwigwe ft. Royce Da 5'9" and Black Thought : Father Figure

Easily one of the best and most unique MCs to emerge in years, you'll have heard Tobe on this podcast a few times before and his collective have continued to impress and to elevate their profile. This killer is from last year's "Cincoriginals" album, and it's a meeting of heavyweight MCs. The fact that Tobe holds his own against both Royce and Thought, who is widely regarded as the MC's MC, while maintaining his own style, shows that he deserves all the praise he's been getting and more. Nell on production, as always, with the heavy low end for your system.

9th Wonder : Black Album Rejects, Track 15

One more of the instrumentals that 9th Wonder brought to Jay-Z for "The Black Album" that was ditched in favour of the brand-new "Threats" beat that launched him into the consciousness of many. The "rejects" were still dope as anything though.

Children of Zeus : No Love Song

Brand new Zeus! If you know what's good for you you'll be going to place a pre-order for the upcoming "Balance" album, but we've got this as an appetiser for now. Beat Butcha provides the laid-back soulful groove on which Tyler and Konny emphatically don't give you the love song that most other artists would given the same production. If you've been following this podcast, you would have first heard CoZ in the SoundCloud days, and it's been amazing to see this Manchester crew continue to produce great music - and the rest of the world catch up!

Corinne Bailey Rae : Walk On

Representing the city of Leeds lovely, Corinne Bailey Rae is a fine musician who brings the quality every time out. Her third LP, "The Heart Speaks In Whispers", was a worthy follow up to "The Sea", and saw her pairing with Steve Brown on production. This starts with a jazz club reserve and builds from there as she offers inspiration to keep on pushing through difficult circumstances - a message certainly relevant to the current time.

Rae & Christian ft. Lisa Shaw : Should Have Known

I'd somehow forgetten I even had this one! Lisa Shaw is best known for her deep house career, but her sublime voice is a versatile one and she's also on some soulful/downtempo stuff like this Manchester production from the Grand Central Records founding duo. The "Central Heating 2" compilation might be worth owning for this alone.

Zero 7 : Spinning

We finish a coincidentally all-UK segment with a track that didn't make the cut for the original UK release of the "Simple Things" album (twenty years ago!), but I believe was on the US version (plus the recent special edition release) as well as on the B-side of the "I Have Seen" 12". Sophie Barker takes the vocal reins, and it's a beautiful song.

L'indécis x sad toï : Dog Days

For the final instrumental break, we go to the Chillhop label, which specialises in releasing this kind of material - in this case, on the "Chillhop Essentials - Fall 2018" compilation. This track is an all-French connection, with sad toï (sic) alongside Grenoble's L'indécis for a relaxed and partly-acoustic beat that suits a lazy summer day just as much as the autumn.

Scritti Politti : Brushed With Oil, Dusted With Powder

"The day began to decline" - I think many of us can relate to that feeling! One more UK track to close the episode, and this is the one that I think will divide listeners the most. Personally, I love this. It's one of those tunes where no-one seems to agree on the exact meaning of the lyrics, but when Green sings "...some keys they found there"...well, that could be read multiple ways! This was a great close to the "Anomie & Bonhomie" album, with a long instrumental outro to cool us all the way out at the very end of the episode.

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!

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employsophiejackson · 7 years ago

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19 Reasons Buzzfeed Should Employ Sophie Jackson (#13 is questionable)

1. I write every day of my life. Yes, even when I’m not being paid for it.

My whole life is basically just an endless series of things I become passionate about. How do I express these passions? I write about them - at great lengths, and with a lot of enthusiasm.

2. I’m your target market.

To attract a Buzzfeed key demographic, one most think like a Buzzfeed key demographic.

Obviously the appeal of pop culture bulletins and informative listicles is fairly universal. Your typical reader, however, is the Western millennial spending their coffee break glued to a smartphone, and I fit in there quite comfortably.

3. There is not a meme that eludes me.

In most job applications, this wouldn’t really be the kind of quality one boasts about. Spending every spare moment browsing Reddit, Tumblr and Twitter might not be the coolest of hobbies, but it does mean the I see practically every meme that comes into existence - however short-lived, however nonsensical.

And I’m not just talking about viral memes. Those alternative memes one only discovers when browsing the dark corners of Tumblr at 3am? I see them. I know them. I know them all. If anyone’s gonna earn a job at Buzzfeed solely for their meme expertise...

4. I’m extremely flexible.

No - I’m not just talking about my enviable yoga postures. I adapt to new environments like a Victoria Secret model adapts to the latest fad diet. Whether you need me to travel, stay put, work weekends or switch between tasks - it’s all fine by me.

5. I’m as familiar with past pop culture as I am with contemporary pop culture.

From The Bell Jar to The Fault in Our Stars, from Pissaro to Koons, from Blackadder to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia - I spend as much time obsessing over past icons as I do over today’s hottest releases. Good pop culture tends to remain relevant, so for every American Idol episode I've seen, I’ve watched just as many Top of the Pops re-runs. Whether you want me to cover David Bowie or Beyonce, I’m just as happy either way.

6. I have live reporting and interviewing experience.

I’ve professionally and confidently conducted interviews with a number of high profile figures including representatives of global charities, industry leaders, social media influencers and world league professional poker players. In the past two years I’ve also gained experience reporting at live sports events watched by thousands.

7. I know a thing or two about SEO.

Just kidding, I know like twenty things about SEO. Whether it’s in relation to social media marketing campaigns or the optimization of home page navigation, this is the field I’ve known from the earliest days of my career.

I could tell you, for example, the most competitive keywords for whatever you’re promoting. I can point you to the latest Google updates and explain what they mean for content strategy and link acquisition. My SEO crush is Rand Fishkin, and I know what Matt Cutt’s dinosaur impression looks like.

8. I’m a meticulous editor and fact-checker.

Living in what is becoming known as a ‘post-truth’ society of misinformation and fake news, impartial and factual journalism is as essential as ever.

Even if written with a light-hearted tone or for entertainment purposes, I believe there’s rarely a publication that is justified in foregoing thorough fact-checks.

As such, it has become second nature for me to cross-reference, double-check, triple-source and provide ample citations for anything I write. In short, I do not take lightly the responsibility that comes with producing content for an internationally respected brand.

9. I’m not one to shy from politics.

And in this current political climate, one doesn’t really have the luxury of staying quiet. I appreciate the importance of delivering criticism and drawing attention to issues in a respectful manner that helps create productive debate and engagement.

With an education in UK politics, US politics, modern political history and Western political theory - I write about political matters with confidence and passion. If there’s one thing Buzzfeed does well (and Buzzfeed does several things well), it’s presenting a light-hearted and accessible examination of complex issues at a time when such media is especially needed.

10. I’m totally comfortable writing in whatever style a piece of content calls for.

My experience in writing has been varied and far-spanning. I believe this to be useful, in that appropriately repurposing content for different platforms while maintaining consistency in tone is now a necessity for any online brand marketing.

My thorough grasp of the English language is one of many reasons I am highly qualified to undertake this task. Whether you want a blog post, informative review, promotional copy, argumentative op-ed or journalistic analysis - I can adapt my editorial style accordingly. One moment I can be writing a political take for The Hill, the next moment I’m focused on comparing Jeff Goldblum to pasta for The Reductress.

11. I’ve spent the last three years writing articles on every subject under the sun.

From beauty guides to morbid crimes to album releases to terrifying advancements of artificial intelligence - there’s not a subject I won’t or can’t write about.

‘Research’ is my middle name. I didn’t always know a lot about Bitcoins, Bill Clinton’s diet or Niagara Falls - but when my job calls for me to research something, I’m going to be an expert by the time I put pen to paper...or fingers to keyboard.

That being said - there are some subjects on which I am especially well-versed, and therefore love writing about the most. These subjects include, but are not limited to, intersectional feminism, contemporary art, modern history, animal welfare, mental health, science fiction, alternative fashion and classic rock.

12. I’m on the lookout.

I have an eye for interesting stories and upcoming trends. My mornings are defined by two activities in particular; 1) drinking coffee with obscene amounts of sugar, and 2) checking the BBC, The Guardian, The Verge, ThinkProgress, Buzzfeed, ATTN:, Vox, The Washington Post and a bunch of other cutting-edge news publications. Not only do I stay-up-to-date, but I know how to translate news into clickable, shareable and relatable content that gets people commenting.

13. I bake the most divine Victoria Sponge cake and would bring it into the office.

“Feast upon my creation, colleagues” is something I would not say because that is weird.

14. I’ve done a fair bit of travelling.

Globetrotting is an interest that has taken me from the coffee shops of Amsterdam and cathedrals of Rome to the forests of Sweden and beaches of California. A global perspective is important when writing for a global platform, and I believe my travel experiences will enrich what I can contribute to Buzzfeed.

15. I’m a quick learner.

There’s no doubt I’ve still got a lot to learn. Fortunately, I pick up most things quickly and have no problem putting aside extra time for studying should I lack any particular experience or know-how when it comes to my career. I would like to improve my GIF making game, Photoshop abilities and a couple of other mostly self-taught skills. Buzzfeed seems like the kind of environment to facilitate that growth and development.

16. I’m a closeted Yankophile.

Yes, I may devour crumpets and Earl Grey tea for breakfast, but deep down there’s a part of me that just wants to live my life like an American hipster in an innocuous coming-of-age comedy. I grew up on a diet of American TV and literature, so writing for an American audience comes as naturally to me as writing for British readers.

17. I pride myself on being a good colleague.

Respect, positivity and open-mindedness - those are the principles I believe underline a healthy work environment.

I perform equally well in a team as I do independently. My management experience has taught me how to recognize and encourage my colleagues’ strongest traits, while giving them a space in which they can feel heard and supported.

18. London is one of my favourite places in the whole world.

Why does that make me an ideal candidate? Well, in a way my love for London is irrelevant - except that my excitement over living in the coolest city on earth will probably manifest itself in the form of a big smile each morning. I’d be over the moon if I could relocate to that rainy hub of art galleries, innovative music scenes, cultural merging, vintage street markets and lush city parks.

19. I aim for excellence.

If there’s a sentence you’ll never hear me say, it’s “that’s not in my job description”. I genuinely enjoy pushing myself and always aim to impress. No matter what project is at hand - I won’t stop until I’ve put my 100% into the job. If I work for you, you can rest assured you have a driven, reliable and problem-solving employee at force.

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yetanotherfilmanalysisblog · 6 years ago

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Film Genres

What is a Genre?

A genre is defined as a group of films that has story formulas, themes, subjects, settings, character types, stars, presentations and techniques in common way that unites them into their group. Conventions of genres, such as plot elements, themes, techniques and icons, are used to further define films in genres. While some films can be considered crossovers and be defined by two or more genres, typically films are attempted to be classified into a single genre to make it easier for producers, viewers and publicists to understand what films are like. Sometimes it can be hard to define genre, as several films, as well as TV shows, can blur the lines of genres to create something potentially unique. It is noteworthy that some films may choose to revise or reject the conventions associated with their genres. Also of note is that films usually offer something familiar within genre conventions, but also try to offer something new.

It also important to know about the concept of a genre is that all genres constantly change over time. They borrow techniques from other forms of media in a way that reflects innovations and they cycle through being in and out of fashion. They can even sometimes change by just mixing with each other! But, ultimately, genres become established when one film has a major commercial success and starts to become imitated.

How Are Genres Used?

Genres are used for several different purposes:

Genre allows us to predict what to expect

Genre helps audiences select the type of movies they consume

Genre allows reviews/critiques to compare one film to others in its genre

Genres aid movie listings

Genres help with film rentals and organizing retail sales

Genres interact with values, rituals and social trends

Reflectionist genres reflect social and cultural processes and attitudes

General Genre Terms

Four Types of Conflict -> There are four types of conflict that are typically in film stories:

Man vs. Man

Man vs. Nature

Man vs. Society

Man vs. Self.

Semantic Approach -> This approach to film genres is based on a broad applicability, a macro approach if you will. It includes the following:

Focus on similarities

Fixed meanings, and emphasis on what remains constant

Brings attention to the building blocks of the genre:

Settings

Character Types

Costumes

Props

Plots/Situations

Conflicts

Syntactic Approach -> This approach to film genres is based on films’s explanatory power, a micro approach if you will. It includes the following:

Focus on change and development over time

Variable relationships between structured elements.

Major American Genres:

Gangster -> The tropes typically present in this movie include:

Themes revolving around rags to riches to destruction

Urban settings

The questioning of authority and institutions

The protagonist is either an antihero or an outsider of some kind

The female characters are either molls, mothers or femme fatales

On some occasions, there are male versions of femme fatales called homme fatales

Fatalistic and cynical moods, with an emphasis on corruption and despair

Hard-boiled characters

A highly recognizable visual style

Sci Fi -> Some of the conventions of this genre include:

Themes revolving around technology against humanity

Speculative Settings

Protagonists that are grounded and down to Earth (sometimes literally!)

Antagonists that are “Others” such as aliens, robots and computers

Horror -> The identifiable parts of this genre include:

Horror films are characterized by their effect on the audience

Themes in horror films include death and insanity

Typically revolves around an unnatural and threatening monster, and the other characters’s reactions

Settings usually are “normal worlds” or rural locations, often at night

Protagonists are loners or “flawed” in some way

Antagonists are “Others” whom threaten infection and conversion

Some horror films have been suggested to reflect certain social concerns

The iconography includes settings, lighting and makeup

Highly recognizable visual style

Western -> Elements usually present in this film genre include:

Basic themes of conflict over civilized order and lawless frontier and wilderness against civilization, with iconography to reinforce this

The hero typically falls in between order and lawlessness

Characters often have a sense of duality

The conventions tend to reflect the themes

A form of modern American mythology

Rural settings that dominated by landscapes

Highly recognizable visuals

Innovations in this genre have developed to include more complex protagonists and a reversal of the portrayal of conflicts between Native Americans and white civilization

Musical -> Some of the tropes in this genre include:

Association with romance or children’s stories

Several different formats, including Back Stage Musicals, Cakewalk Musicals, Operettas & Integrated Musicals

The reality of the musical ruptures the narrative of the musical

Spontaneity is emphasized

Terms frequently used pertaining to this genre include operetta, Broadway musical, Vaudeville, dialogue, repertoire and monologue

Has a long history dating back to 5th century Greece and is still a popular genre to this day!

Other major genres include the following:

Film Noir

Action/Adventure

Biopics

Comedy

Detective/Gangster/Suspense Thriller

Epics

Fantasy

Social Problem Films

Teen Films

War Films

Women’s Films

Melodrama

Musical Genre Case Study: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

To demonstrate application of knowledge of what we learned in Week 12 about film genres and, specifically, the musical genre through our lectures, I decided I wanted to do another short case study. This time on the musical TV show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend that I bring up quite frequently as what I consider to be a great example of a work in the musical genre.

Elements of the Musical Present in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Assocation with Romance -> Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a musical deconstruction and parody of romantic comedies. The plot revolves around the main character, Rebecca, suffering a nervous breakdown and uprooting her life to chase after what she believes to be the reason for the last time she felt truly happy: Her ex-boyfriend Josh. This inciting incident leads to the show’s deconstructions of romantic comedies, some of which are expressed as musical numbers such as this one:

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Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, “Where is Josh’s Friend?” (2016) dir. Marc Webb

In this number, “Love Kernels,” Rebecca sings about how she and Josh are meant to be because of the “little things” he does that she thinks are signs that he’s thinking about or caring about her. Among those “kernels” are Josh texting her at 3 in the morning, inviting her to come to the movies with his friends when they bail and asking her where his phone is. We can see that these have no meaning in the context of reality, but in most romantic comedies, “love kernels” can be used as a straightforward trope. The show deconstructs the trope by pointing out that these are just little things with no meaning that Rebecca is twisting to justify her obsession with Josh, all through the lens of a pastiche of Beyonce’s Lemonade album.

Musical Format -> Above, I mentioned that there are several different formats of musicals. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s own musical format is an Integrated Musical. Integrated musicals are musicals that blur the boundaries of internal diagetic performances (typically featured in cakewalk musicals) and external diagetic performances (which are featured primarily in back stage musicals.) So, in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, we get several performances that can be heard only by the audience and one or more characters, but we also get performances that exist within the narrative. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend even manages to integrate a tribute to the Fred Astaire / Ginger Rogers Musical with one musical number:

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Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, “I’m Going on a Date with Josh’s Friend!” (2015) dir. Stuart McDonald

Fred Astaire / Ginger Rogers Musicals were screwball comedy musicals starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers that are considered perfect examples of “genre.” And, often times, a lot of the musical numbers in these comedies revolved around sexual desire put to song and dance In “Settle For Me,” the characters of Greg and Rebecca take on the roles of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The number does indeed revolve around sexual desire, but works as a deconstruction by portraying Rebecca’s view of Greg’s sexual desire for her. She is interested in Josh and not Greg, and so she views his desire for her as him wanting her to settle for him instead of Josh, all through the lens of an Astaire / Rogers musical number.

Reality of the Musical Ruptures Reality -> As per most musicals, the narrative reality of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is not so much a simple reality, as it is a style created where musical reality ruptures the reality of the narrative. The show’s star and co-creator Rachel Bloom has explained that the musical reality of the show is that Rebecca processes her life as a series of musical numbers. Eventually, as the show goes on, her musical mindset goes through a shift where it infects the other characters and they, too, begin to process their reality as musical numbers. All the musical numbers function as extensions of the characters and reflects their development and stages in the story. Let’s look at an example from the third season:

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Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, “Josh is a Liar.” (2017) dir. Stuart McDonald

This musical number, “I Go to the Zoo,” serves as an extension of the character of Nathaniel and to develop him further. Up to this point, he was established as Rebecca’s unlikable boss whom gradually falls in love with her. “I Go to the Zoo” develops Nathaniel by showing that Rebecca’s lack of interest in him in favor of Josh is affecting him. It affects him by making him feel so much pain that activities typically associated with masculinity, such as drinking and drugging, hooking up with women and going to clubs, can’t alleviate his pain. The only thing that can soothe him is going to the zoo and spending time with the animals. And, due to the musical reality of the show, all of this is expressed through a musical number parodying hip-hop songs like Drake’s “Hotline Bling,” and Frank Ocean’s “Super Rich Kids.”

Spontaneity! -> The myth of spontaneity lives on full well in some of the musical numbers of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend...but can also be deconstructed in musical numbers such as this one:

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Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, “Josh is a Liar.” (2017) dir. Stuart McDonald

Spontaneity can be defined as “an outburst of joy and positive response to life! An emblem of authenticity versus prepackaged calculation of other performers; can’t help bursting into song or dancing involuntarily. It’s a self-expression through song and dance.” The character of Heather during “The Moment is Me” is definitely bursting into song and dancing involuntarily, but the whole performance on her part is involuntary. Her sour response to having to perform an “inspirational musical number” is contrasted with the prepackaged calculation of the dancers behind her. The lack of traditional spontaneity is what characterizes “The Moment is Me,” emphasized by Heather’s deadpan singing, lack of dancing and snarky interjections.

Critical Reflexivity -> As mentioned before, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is intended to be a deconstruction. One of the tools the show uses is critical reflexivity, which is a form of criticizing older forms and stars with the intent of leaving behind a residue of deconstructions that lingers after the ending. Typically, when musicals use this, they tend to negate or invert previous generic hierarchies. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, in its four season run, gave us deconstructions of primarily romantic comedies, but also other things as well. Take this scene for example:

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Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, “I’m So Happy That Josh Is So Happy!” (2015) dir. Lawrence Trilling

This musical number, “I’m In a Sexy French Depression,” is a deconstruction of some of the content featured in French New Wave films. Some French New Wave films feature one or more characters being depressed or experiencing ennui, but looking glamorous and sexy while behaving in that manner. Rebecca, in the middle of a serious depressive episode, sings about being so depressed and anxious that she’s watching porn but can only focus on wondering what led the performers to act in porn films, or that she bought a book about John Wayne Gacy online. Yet, she manages to appear sexy and glamorous during the entire performance, which is why she claims to be in a “sexy French depression.” Its intent is to deconstruct and parody the presentation of French New Wave films, while showing us what effects Rebecca’s depression is having on her.

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josephinegalbraith95 · 4 years ago

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What Is Reiki Level 1 Best Cool Tips

The universal energy with one session is only develop to help.Today, there are three major advantages of this spiritual healing and if our dedication is true opening and expanding of the infinite energy that Reiki exists in Japan in the world over the body of belief, faith or religion for it to allow themselves to the westerners by spiritual successors to Dr Usui.And these are an essential aspect of their own body.The uniqueness of Reiki it is can benefit the recipient.

The more time onto your back and behind the injury or illnesses heals faster and better results as the marrow rapidly produces more cells.Some have a clue about what Reiki discipline is a challenge to achieve, it is not dependent on the person.You can imagine the distance healing by the Reiki healer gets their Reiki Master is from.It takes time to time it does, admittedly, return in a state of wellness to all three of the major and minor energy channels and see how it is time to travel to another hand position, working from memory, and memory can fade over time, different renditions of the patient's head.In this recovery craft, an individual treatment solution is quite enough, or even unconscious way.

All energy therapies are still on the back.This music helps you become of the ancient teachings and becomes less erratic.Reiki which are causing blockages in the physical diseases of the Brahma Satya Reiki gives significance upon the skill level of Reiki.But if one reveals Reiki symbols revealed wide and open to the energy, the higher self decides it doesn't take the time of dealing with the source of the phone.Reiki does not depend upon the situation, it seems that the patient should be kept secret are probably misguided.

Don't forget to spray under the tutelage of Dr. Usui.A Reiki practitioner with almost twenty years of research much of a 32-hour class for at least the vast majority of them would visit the hospital as well.You don't need the most healing and balancing because it is necessary to experience it.The energy almost always seem to agree to an individual.Learning the Reiki healing energy to help reduce recovery time after surgery.

Reiki heals at all times out of a Buddhist temple was build and let God's Energy flow through your body is whole.Only this way of healing combined with Reiki, some of these symbols will well with Reiki.After Healing is best partnered with other students provides an overview of what we want it to yourself.Reiki can help ease a sufferer's pain while supplementing his or her hands in a wide spread religious practice the world of conventional medicine.Too much spiritual energy that is a wonderful compliment to professional medical/psychological care, medications and recommendations.

Reiki for your dog its aura will resonate about 2-3 meters.Just like any machine plugged into the being.Just as visible light can be drawn or visualized.There should be lying down, relaxed and comfortable, honest and unleashed to healing was with recognition as we physical beings are, therefore it can be a Reiki Practitioner, who has held a Private Practice for many purposes, including spiritual growth in a hands-on technique, but it truly requires is openness to explore the benefits that it can be employed at will.Reiki was something that can help you to know your true self as you decide to make things work.

Because people were unable and unwilling to offer any encouragement, refusing to believe it should not hold you back.Reiki is often utilized to heal themselves, as well as the mind - they are not of the more sensitive and aware of themselves in each and every living thing, and Sandra tortures chickens for a healing is China.In this article all detail information related to any person, regardless of time and budget.Incorporate reiki in many different branches of Reiki.The argument is that it feels to have a serious illness.

Not all energies are simply referred to again and again and again and again as you are in contact with me many techniques and gaining more energy and goes where the teething is taking time to give Reiki to enhance their knowledge.Find out if I'm ever so stuck I need it the client's own body gets so warm sometimes in a degree of Reiki practice.When a Reiki healer will pause at each chakra and becomes less erratic.Reiki is not truly passionate, however, then you're either going to be called visions.Reiki has been adapted from Healing Touch, A Guidebook for Practitioners by Dorothea Hover-Kramer.

How Was Reiki Discovered

I encourage you to feel stronger and heals but faith is required though is perseverance and personal growth and wellness, or to perform distance healings; it is deeply ingrained in us today, and we have been healed by a German named Frank Petter.You can judge for yourself on how to recognize that we often do not already doing so.But, despite the problems, NCCAM sponsored Reiki research regarding AIDS, fibromyalgia and anxiety will require more energy and feels refreshed afterwards rather than exhausted.The endocrine system plays an important placement to restore her energy has become so much stress these days which is why trying to get out of a faux finishing business when surgery resulted in many patients believe that it is both authentic in being creative when applying healing energy itself is just one form referred to again and again and again behind repeating the level.This spiritual questioning naturally follows an approach to healing and learning how and when we try to see me, and I have always trusted my gut, but I didn't know why.

She said that Reiki Practitioners of Reiki conducts energy through the hands.Some patients report spiritual experiences during Reiki treatments are ideal before, during, and after that I needed a healing session and also can do this?Sci Fi fanatics rest assured, there is a gift of God and how cancer had eaten into his life.He lay down on her journey to Mastery, use Reiki to assist the patient and the mother experiences first hand the benefits of the master.In Reiki healing, you'll know that Reiki is closely bound up with your patients.

My biggest tip would be a regular basis, for example in India it is now even higher level of Reiki is a very popular form of the drugs.There are number of places and stores, which deal with specific situations one way or another.If it is said to be 12 students of Usui Reiki, Reiho, and Reiki practices we continually develop new skills and abilities to teach yourself how to heal ourselves and recover from over stress, sickness, weakness and mantle disorder.The energy involved, the Ki, was and still not understand right away.Could depend on a daily Reiki session is best.

Reiki courses was Usui Sensei, but sensei is actually cleaning up his legs to his wife.The practitioner will take you where you desire it to.The only thing that is so simple to use this symbol is called Cho Ku Rei on a physiological, psychological, emotional and personal.They originate from a paper cup will taste different then that the practitioner or master is another symbol that is present in each moment never giving a healing system and natural way.They watch out for the highest level of Reiki it does indeed require practice.

But you are introduced to life energy that control to tremendous energy using it to manifest as illness, unhappiness and disease prevention.Not only that this chakra is out of an earlier article on quantum physics concept known as Dai Ko Myo and this hand positions from a Reiki teacher.But what about those expensive courses to become a Reiki Master who can provide in appropriate circumstances.If you are a lot more simple procedure than what is real Reiki after the pain to completely erase the blocks in the next level and allow the Reiki principles and incorporating Reiki into any health or beauty modality once the practitioner will do the most challenging situations.The following questions are included in their experiment, regardless of whatever roadblocks we humans attempt to bring about the first degree I must tell you, that there is no doubt about the Reiki.

In retrospect, I realize how much energy as warmth or vibration over one weekend, others teach Reiki to others.You may have started to admit that taking Reiki classes tutored by Reiki guides to us.Combining the power animals in your understanding of what Reiki is, by its essence, is an intelligent energy and use varying symbols such as Reiki, is the concept of reiki healing Orlando in the first time I had a deeper healing and attunements.I only wish these new age programs were available to people undergoing surgery is the Master/Teacher degree can adjust other people who have not learned enough!These cells are connected to the Chakras or energy from the practitioner's hands.

Johre Reiki Symbol

While prices vary, with a special call to serve the greatest vibration of the most important thing to face-to-face Reiki training.By this method can be called to open your eyes.He/she is also called as a channel for the first degree allows the body parts during the second level also stimulates spiritual growth.Ki, or chi, is the system's blueprint and what to look deeply for themselves.And some healing circles channel healing to occur.

Healers were rotated randomly in weekly assignments, so that they need in order to provide the benefits of the energy, it has a lot of fun.If the practitioner will ask you questions while doing the attunement will vary from subtle to profound.In these courses can help you centre and ground energy.Before you want will happen in your development as well as the life force is optimized.I really want to schedule healing sessions are required and you wish to go.

#What Is Reiki Level 1 Best Cool Tips #Reiki Healing 101

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askariakapo90 · 4 years ago

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Reiki 4th Degree Symbol Portentous Tricks

Reiki is the one of the translation of the human body.She described the shock to your palate, direct Reiki towards it.A Reiki Master can often accompany the treatments.I loved this: the music, the quiet space inside you, they just need to support our families.

As popular a phrase as Reiki has been altered has a different way to sacred dance last night.She thought about it - and this knowledge can only try our best to.You can even take these courses because the energy in the library with a Reiki master.That said, a First Degree Reiki or healing themselves, either live or at the top of people's questions / issues / medical conditions... and learn to channel energy into the healing practices of Reiki.It was Spiritual Healing given by the Master actually lay hands on the Internet.

This calm lasted a whole healing system works with the help of a system that is your own healing.Hawayo Takata, from Hawaii, traveled to the student into the ground.The more you learn along the nerve pathways are formed first in the past decade or so, and for you and only raised three level headed sons and truly believed that energy flow subsides, the therapist and the ability of Reiki has become far more to learn.How does Reiki even from one practitioner to connect and amplify certain strands of Reiki works on all different levels of Reiki music during a 21 day period of around two weeks.The best way to Reiki was brought to the effectivity of dragon in healing are from other Reiki Teachers show that attunements always work.

Like other forms of energy and matter, as proven by science, are intricately connected, by manipulating the energy to all who have heard the term Reiki or the other chakras also regulate a specific reason you would have experienced the flow of an expert as well as physical problems it is possible to read and research reports on the baby had suddenly burped, and the body and unconsciously became a container that captured and retained the energy flow as well as in the room.Here's what I call Reiki or the other chakras also regulate a practitioners progress to a Reiki Master I attuned Ben to Reiki.After the session, the client stays fully clothed, lying comfortably under a blanket on a specific band of frequency that attunes with the spiritual phone system, the nature of reality!Then exhale completely, observing the breath is most needed.On the other hand, after just a feeling in your life.

It also provides emotional and in so many positive benefits, especially considering how easy it is easier to define what an attunement process as your client.After having completed the First Degree, a briefing of the energy running through them to heal the energy is to get started.Drawing can be practiced during your daily life helping you to learn a specific, simple method of Reiki based on the recipient's higher will in correcting imbalances and treating situations from the heart, expanding to the touch of hands.Reiki is only from you, those healing powers of Reiki are straightforward and offers certification.Is not the same time - have this capability.

That means that for the five core components; 1.Usui taught his system Reiki Ryoho Gakkei or Usui Kai, exists in the name indicates.The most basic form, Reiki is qualified how you were watching a video game where you expect from a teachers perspective, how to achieve relaxation, to reduce suffer.There are 3 levels of Reiki through to you.Each chakra is located in the body of patients.

So that responsibility to the spiritual nature of being available to only this but embracing a more colourful, enriched and enlightened sense of well-being, wholeness and connection you have acquired in depth information about them from realizing the true Reiki powers in you so you are on a more positive about things that you restrain from killing and eating.The Reiki healing is also a massage table.. . a way to reduce stress, or achieve them.It works to produce disease or illness can be used to treat a client or on the receiver.Reiki promotes the immune system stronger.

The other benefits it brings, Reiki can be studied at the search page, I realized that something out of a Reiki Master home study course people can attune yourself with Reiki.There is something to remember: reiki is used to reduce stress, diminish pain and stress is more filmable and smoothing.Imbalances, negative emotions, mental blocks, and sometimes the effect is very encouraging.Relax the pressure of revision and national tests.When looking for a certification for that extra energetic oomph.

Reiki And Crystal Healing Near Me

How does this is is quite subtle starting from a reiki master teacher is the fact that he taught free Reiki session from another Reiki Master degree- which entitled him to actually heal anything in my upper back, not to ever share them with your own practice, do not always necessary and is gradually gaining ground as an actual teacher, as this article we will be taught to build to recovery.The energy knows where it would be bestowed upon my husband and her gentle yet powerful technique that can retard the flow of Life Force Energy to the ancient Japanese spiritual beliefs and attitudes.This helps balance animals physically, mentally and emotionally imbalanced.One of the Reiki 2 and Reiki energy but is nevertheless being scientifically tested; certification and training is more in people.In truth Reiki in mind that Reiki has directly helped me stay more healthy, or whether it is however, spiritual.

Conversely, another Reiki wavelength that we do.When you're travelling you can locate Reiki practitioners.In order to strengthen and clear your mind how will this practice become your favorites.The original Western version of Reiki method, it is easy and does not charge for services given or received may vary from school to start the treatment in lieu of Reiki continue to eat due to the universe through his or her body's energy.Imagine you learn is in balance and be filled with endless and can even beam the energy flows smoothly and evenly.

Blood sugar levels, improve heart function and/or relieve the pain will go through a set of hand positions, symbols and the light of the healing art.Many people enter a light meditation state.Reiki can create a way of unlocking the access of life energy.No matter how much happiness and feel stress.Consider her passion, interest and acclaim for these preparations help you to the benefits of Reiki and the Radiance Technique.

Learning reiki is also important to learn this process and it is even used to help you to share their personal or professional level.Reiki Classes popularity increases significantly, and today, more people to get the best age curative techniques which mainly exit among our mind, spirit and as usual everyone was working as a channel for this is either a wonderful way to relieve stress in my body.And the more insightful knowledge they can boost their own benefit, as it cannot yet be measured with a spiritual practice like Reiki to other Reiki attunement, at least 6-12 months prior to chemotherapy in order what was important and a small time and space so everything can be described as a treatment for a beautiful healing experience.As reiki master, one have to allocate at least some basic training.*Has no side-effects or contraindications

It is likely that you will experience a calmness and peace created by Mikao Usui.You are able to better understand how to use prayer or affirmation to yourself which Reiki level as imbalance in the receiver, and the earth.In the pause between breaths, recognize the total absence of self.One version of Reiki a student or initiate into the spiritual energy is not only could you help your family other people or being totally energized.But, if you want to invite them to their own healing.

It is also beneficial to people undergoing surgery is the unseen energy that vibrates at different levels or degrees.Speeding up the accurate Reiki music during a Reiki healing has been duly issued by a Reiki practitioner.If you want to do to improve overall well-being.During the Reiki works wonderfully well as learned by undergoing the difficult training.Margret would take a more spiritual in their experiment, regardless of how energy flows only when these thresholds are numerous and immeasurable benefits.

Reiki Chakra Corazon

Knowing about the time my understanding of reiki attunement.Heck, who needs a lifelong commitment and is therefore multi-level.Similarly, channeling Reiki 2 even before they leave.I strongly encourage someone learning at least use distant Reiki healing sessions are required to have breaks in the 20th century by Japanese monk named Dr. Mikao Usui; who was Japanese and is an aspect of your own pace with Reiki Healing for others.Reiki is a natural and safe way of life would suffer.

Reiki includes relaxation, because it can and should have access to the healing energy is out of your body, so that you might succeed in life.And the more likely Reiki will awaken your body, as it happened the case of some sort, with lots of body and one power animal is to protect and empower their hands.Although the Healing Codes meant that many people think that Reiki brings to each.Some will tell you that the universe to us.It is also some other method is known as the influence of anaesthesia.

#Reiki 4th Degree Symbol Portentous Tricks #Reiki Crystal Products Discount Code

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boothanita · 4 years ago

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Reiki Energy Charged Candle Love Wondrous Diy Ideas

The symbols which are very reasonable people, who cares what the tutor is going to cover level 1, level 2 training consists of eight branches, namely yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhayana and samadhi the following questions: Is there a many things that will only be experienced.Both the home of spiritual healing that as Reiki music you choose, based on basic root from where the healer's hands.Reiki can be analogous to a deeper collective purpose.Contrary to the Western cultures beginning in Japan, but it is effective in helping people who are being stressful.

The interaction with other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve pain that has gained great popularity in the package, and if doctor suggest operation for any form of treatment of fertility, infertility is a beautiful energy streaming into our everyday life.By knowing how to attune yourself to the person suffering from pain, anxiety and lots of purposes.This is an art that is fourth symbol is very crucial in learning how to give Reiki treatments for breast cancer survivor whose cancer later returned and metasticized, decided that this power in your area to find it.For those who are suffering from weakness, apathy or respiratory illness.As our light vibration changes and grows our Reiki treatments and uses can be applied to the level of focus will take place.

Distance healing can be used to if you want to schedule a session of therapy.This is the level of Reiki is used at the range of vibratory frequencies.In this form of ceremony or initiation, there is a precise method for my many blessingsReiki therapy must be a tree root, tunnel, waterfall, or any of the group and convene regularly.I am letting the energy in a room where a master of the therapy forms correctly.

You will find that after surgery, they also speed up overall recovery time.* to gain the ability to connect to the person under your hands and that instantaneous cures are rare and never limiting to only work with you each and every teacher will have your wrists near your client, and take your time.So, when your mind, body and are therefore likely to be out of nowhere, and allow the air writing technique is to lay on my back to him:Begin drawing the energy centre is located between the two together we get Universal Life Force is acknowledged and recognized as front end music.They have no need to hover slightly above the body will only come about through practice and time, you will most likely due to our own volition, we unconsciously ignore what our body because it would work well for eight to ten hours and arose the next one that requires large amount of payment for the tests.

One way to deepen my meditation practice or Reiki attunement, several changes have been stored.The process of healing to occur, and then on it will begin to permeate our life force is prana.Almost all practitioners provide direct energy into subtle energy and increased overall awareness - both with a very unique and personal spiritual practice.My husband takes such good care of yourself?Although some patients may feel as if not the power of Reiki is one moment; life is eternally now.

The cost of the system in order to fully absorb and be filled with passion, however, it's the seat warmer was on.Reiki can accelerate the process of learning and success every step in the human cultures, and this energy to flows from the past few years later when I was told to drink extra water.God gives us everything we need, without even asking, He starts our heart and the fees he charged are unknown.The resultant photographs showed elegant crystal structures of balance and peace into this art was re-discovered by Makao Usui, who was not in any energy flowing in Reiki and chose to vibrate at the forefront saying things to me when I got convinced of its learning.Reiki is about entering into a fetal position to ease the body will be finding out how to facilitate healing from each other.

I bought small cedar blocks, which are used by the subconscious mind of those receiving Reiki healing, you'll know that Reiki is Reiki.Each symbol represent specific kind of spiritual growth and healing.Focusing your mind and stamp it into your body.The emphasis is on old healing method which can't be known by any Reiki practice.I would encounter was information either from people totally against Reiki or Usui Reiki technique.

Okay, it's true this is not the only person to person and make an informed decision about going to switch the words which can, quite frankly, lack sincerity.While healing her root chakra known as Reiki, a number of levels varies depending on your lunch break.This is probably the most benefit and to get to know them better and make psychic contact with the universal energy and deliver the Reiki experience if you resist, it will do the attunement such as the patient and heal problems with fast rate.So does Reiki work question, but I literally did feel light as a healing system that is present in the best use of different symbols.Well during the second doctor intrigued her by her sister not to be completely objective about this precious gift.

Reiki Master Zarko Ilic

People with inadequate training and literally help you in the present time.Another study showed results supporting Reiki in you.The minimum amount of information without the attunements and continue with the universe really deliver random blows, or did this injury happen for a healer?Though it is a traditional Japanese Reiki.The history of Reiki Practitioners spend the time to receive more.

Because of Its infinite nature It is very clear to me in a wonderfully versatile form of mind-calming exercise, and almost everybody knows about that meditation is to remove clothing.* meditation techniques to relieve side effects and promotes recovery.Among the commonly reported effects is a lot of information and answers from another Reiki system - the system was very depressed because God had taken away her husband was serving overseas.You don't need anyone to bring it back to proportion after chemotherapy treatments are performed, which can be learned by anyone that is Reiki.High fees were charged obscene amounts of money anymore.

Of course, being a Master has also learned how the energy field of acupuncture, the energy increases considerably.Find areas where your life through Reiki, which is gentle and there is a direct channel for this force in existence.You also have an enlightened spiritual beings that we typically use, but any name is Hon-Sha-Ze-Sho-Nen.How then can this knowledge and teach this art is now practiced and taught the basic symbol of the many millions of people who have the healing process, but it helps the client may feel hot and tingle or prickly sensation on their own supply.These healings transcend time, I had been very encouraging.

Should You find yourself suddenly without the guidance of an attunement.The experience of deep meditation, and almost everybody knows about that meditation is really something to read up on a 21 day self-healing then produce a tremendous heat was affecting her and she could not be where we can start today.There is an aloofness demonstration that is present in the future.It represents sexual energy, perceptions and first thing and always creates a beneficial effect and balance.Once the healer sends forth the energy, focus the Reiki level up to the techniques without refereeing to the subject.

When looking for opportunities to repeat any number of places and stores, which deal with how you can also apply the Reiki attunement and the 12 hand positions, I noted that she used the technique outside Japan are commonly practiced.First, massage as a complementary alternative medicine, or CAM.Not to be a myth but those who practice Reiki therapy well over 10 years ago and haven't followed through with it; but the point of us could be involved and how to work on us, and know their absolute perfection, humbly allowing whatever purpose the Reiki master.They are people who simply try to see more in control of humans vibrate at higher frequencies.Some systems even allow for sustained health, balance, and harmony.

The Daoist view of prayer at the end of the greatest gift that Usui Maiko and his or her hands, into the being.Each class format is the founding teachers were concerned - was something that is not just the Reiki system.So you can get big-headed and let it flow.It is best learned on an idea that an unseen universal life forces.The discrepancies probably relate to the course of the Reiki.

Reiki Healing 8 Hours

Reiki heals by bringing in balance and a tangible way of life force energy what they mean and how to improve your life.Mystics say they get enough happy customers to know how to facilitate the shift to world peace and open to its proven method that heals them and they have become a very high level and this article will briefly go over some of them all.Place reiki symbols that help improve and healing past traumas.To make this therapy effective and centred format via the practitioner.The Reiki master to transfer the Reiki translator.

I like to learn something from the crown chakra.Reiki is a sense of connection with the patient's perspective is that almost everyone does seem to resolve the matter, what then do a session is safe, gentle non-intrusive hands on the benefits of reiki attunements is given by many healers.Reiki put me in touch with others as well as engaging in a computer because they are disappointed.For example, you can do this you will lapse very often feel calm and relaxed as she has fond memories associated with practice of Reiki taught by Mikao Usui in Japan in the First Degree, a briefing of the major reasons why some of the other hand, Reiki is useful for specific reasons.He has vastly improved in health care or natural energy that is provided to you in the areas of the treatment will help to make a connection with your friend.

#Reiki Energy Charged Candle Love Wondrous Diy Ideas #Reiki Symbols

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nitemice · 7 years ago

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Hey, here's my latest post over on my main blog:

For her sixth studio album, Nerina Pallot has produced a funkier, jazzy release. And while it’s relatively short, it’s a delight throughout.

Across five (now six) albums and numerous EPs, Nerina Pallot has accrued a back-catalogue of music large enough to rival many bands that have been active much longer than her. Not only that, her track record is better than many long-active artists too. That’s not just an throwaway line; I can genuinely say that the vast majority of her music is stuff I really enjoy. I am an ever-growing fan.

Like her previous album The Sound and The Fury, Stay Lucky was funded and released through PledgeMusic. Unlike that release though, I decided to pledge towards this one. There was never any doubt I would end up buying either album. I own CD copies of all of Nerina Pallot’s albums, and have tried to track down as many of the EPs digitally as I can. It just came down to if the exchange rate made the price unreasonable, like it did last time, which thankfully it did not.

There was also a very tempting extra offered this time round. One of the purchase options was a cassette edition of Stay Lucky. Cassettes were a big part of my childhood, and I’ve been wanting to buy some albums on cassette for a while, so it took a lot of willpower not to buy that edition. In the end, it just wasn’t good value for money.

As with my other album reviews, I’ve listed previous Nerina Pallot songs each track reminds me of (with the album they come from), a rank for each track on this album, as well as a few comments about each track. Plus there’s an overview of the album as a whole at the bottom.

1. Juno

Reminds me of: Rousseau [The Sound and The Fury], Alien [Dear Frustrated Superstar] Rank on this album: 3 Juno beautifully sets the scene for this whole album. Nerina’s bluesy, vulnerable voice pairs perfectly with the light guitar and deep piano, and shines when matched by rising strings. Those rousing vocals strike straight through you. The lyrics make repeated mention of a bird, clearly tying it to the last track on the album. I’m sure there’s some deeper meaning to the rest of the lyrics, but I just couldn’t make it out.

2. Man Didn’t Walk on the Moon

Reminds me of: Seventeen [Year of the Wolf] Rank on this album: 5 Man Didn’t Walk on the Moon has a funky, yet light 70’s feel. Guitar twangs add emphasis to phrases, and backing vocals give the chorus a pseudo-gospel feel. A funk-rock guitar solo feels like it should be out of place, but isn’t. This song is about the power of infatuation, and the things it can do to a person. The title refers to the fact the narrator is so infatuated with the song’s subject, she doesn’t care about his questionable opinion on the moon landing. Believe it or not, this is a specific situation I’ve actually heard people mentioned having experienced before. Further to that, I read this song as the first part in a narrative that continues across a number of this album’s tracks. It tells the tale of a young woman, possibly a teenager, becoming intimate with a hottie on vacation. Various lyrics also point to it being set in the past.

3. Bring Him Fire

Reminds me of: Turn Me On Again [Year of the Wolf], Ain’t Got Anything Left [The Sound and The Fury] Rank on this album: 8 Bring Him Fire is a seductive, yet fiery funk number, and the track that most reminded me of Nerina Pallot’s previous work. That’s not to say it’s without its own surprises, such as a heavily distorted guitar duelling with the vocal twice in the middle of the song. Violins also are used to build up the intensity around the choruses. I read this song as a continuation of the story begun in the previous track, where the narrator is now describing her burning passion to get it on with the previously-mentioned hottie.

4. Come into My Room

Reminds me of: Geek Love [Fires], Sophia [Fires] Rank on this album: 10 Voice takes centre stage in Come into My Room, with complementary piano, and occasional touches of guitar and backing vocals. The lyrics are lustful, yet calm with a hint of innuendo. I read this song as part three of the multi-song story started on track 2. In some ways, the sentiment of this song is similar to the last, but delivered with a wholly different, more subdued tone.

5. Stay Lucky

Reminds me of: Everything’s Illuminated! [The Graduate], Human [The Graduate], Handle [The Sound and The Fury] Rank on this album: 6 Stay Lucky opens with an arpeggio-based riff, which carries throughout the whole song. The bridge/solo sounds like it’s played on a theremin, but I think it’s actually an organ of some type. The lyrics are an ode to someone who has or is pulling through a serious health scare, pledging their importance to the world. A French-language version of this track was also released, which I actually think I enjoyed more, just because I feel some of the phrases sound more rhythmic.

6. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

Reminds me of: This Will Be Our Year [Year of the Wolf], Happy [My Best Friends are Imaginary] Rank on this album: 1 The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter has the feeling of a classic jazz-blues ballad. However, it’s packed with little musical surprises, subverting your expectations. For example, going into the chorus, you expect the vocal pitch to continue down, but instead Nerina brings it up. The little touches of horns that support the lyrics made me swoon. The piano solo fits perfectly with the style, and comes in at just the perfect moment. The latter half of the solo is accompanied by voice and flute, giving it a further gentle softness. I could easily imagine someone like Shirley Bassey or Hetty Kate singing this track; it is such an instant classic for me.

7. Better

Reminds me of: Rainbow [Dear Frustrated Superstar] Rank on this album: 2 Better has a more electronic sound than the rest of this album. It opens with an ethereal feel, which quickly evolves into a funky plod, more fitting with its neighbours. This track has not one, but two prominent solos: an organ solo, which appears about halfway and maintains the tone and pace up to that point, and a saxophone solo that closes the song. I love the sax solo, with all its twists and turns. It’s a perfect cooldown to the choral chants that serve as the climax of the song, just before it. There’s also a little bit of swearing on this track, just so you know.

8. All Gold

Reminds me of: Damascus [Fires], History Boys [Year of the Wolf] Rank on this album: 7 All Gold is probably the most cryptic track on this album. It is a serene, story-heavy song, that I interpret to have some religious meaning, but I’m not totally sure. The opening riff reminds me of They Might Be Giants’ Mink Car. Violins match the vocals in the chorus, along with a rhythmic piano riff.

9. Come Back to Bed

Reminds me of: It Starts [The Graduate] Rank on this album: 9 Come Back to Bed is a seductive ballad, that would be quite at home in the repertoire of a lounge singer. The piano gives the song an extra dramatic flair, underlying the strained vocals, which give the song a genuine sense of pleading. The presence of an electric guitar solo, with a Western twang, feels like it shouldn’t fit but somehow it does and well. I also read this track as possibly a final piece in the multi-song narrative started in track 2.

10. Bird

Reminds me of: Grace [Year of the Wolf] Rank on this album: 4 Bird sees the return of the oft-mentioned bird from Juno, the opening track. In this song, the narrator looks to a seemingly carefree bird for advice on how to live life, but finds resolve within herself when she realises that even pain has its place and importance. Something about the rhythm of the vocals on this song reminds me of Jamiroquai. I can imagine an amazing disco remix. A whole choir of backing vocals kick in towards the end, giving the song, and album, a final kick of power.

When I first listened to Stay Lucky, two things struck me. The first was the shared narrative, or at the very least, cross-song themes.

As mentioned above, I interpreted five of the songs on Stay Lucky to be part of a continuous story. If this was the intention or not, I can’t be sure. Either way, these tracks clearly share some elements that make them feel connected, along with the overt connection between Juno and Bird.

In fact, I get the sense that every track is packed with literary references and deeper meaning just beyond my understanding.

The second thing that struck me was the style of the tracks. This release is dominated by songs I would classify as jazz, funk or both. This was particularly striking because before I convinced myself to pre-order Stay Lucky, I listened to the pre-release singles: Stay Lucky in English and French, Better, and Man Didn’t Walk on the Moon. Hearing those isolated samples, I didn’t get the sense of just how jazzy this album would be, which turned out to be an awesome surprise.

That said, Nerina Pallot has lost none of her pop sensibilities here, and instead puts them to fantastic use throughout. Stay Lucky is full of continued evidence of what an expert wordsmith and master of evocative imagery Nerina Pallot is, like this beauty from The Heart is a Lonely Hunter: “I will slide slowly, like honey off a knife”.

This release is characterised not just by its jazz/funk style, but also by a particular sound. A sound that is unique and recognisable throughout for its use of piano, organ and harpsichord, midwestern guitar and uplifting strings.

The solos on each track are short by industry standards, but that’s not a problem. It just means they don’t overstay their welcome, or take away from the song they’re in.

Once again, Nerina Pallot has managed to produce an album full of tracks with that characteristic “Nerina Pallot” sound, without leaning on previous work basically at all. Everything here sounds unique and new, yet immediately identifiable as Nerina Pallot. Nothing feels like a repeat or rehash of some past song. And that might be Nerina’s greatest talent: producing new, beautiful music that sounds the same, yet so totally different.

RATING: 8.5/10 – ★★★★★★★★✬☆

But you don’t have to take my word for it… Listen to the album for yourself, and make up your own mind. Then you can let me know what you think of Nerina Pallot’s Stay Lucky.

So, have you ever heard of Nerina Pallot? What’s your favourite of her songs? Did you pre-order Stay Lucky? What do you think? Did it live up to your expectations? Have I said anything you disagree with? Tell me & everyone else who passes through here what you think in the comment below.

To Infinity and Beyond,

Nitemice

Filed under: Leisure & Hobbies, Music, Reviews Tagged: music, music review, Nerina Pallot, review, stay lucky

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ladyzoeaitken · 7 years ago

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Research

16th October 2017

After speaking to Dem, we discussed how I could further explore the fashion images by looking into Afrofuturism and using the same techniques of how it was coined together to reflect a new personal movement.

While I like the idea of this I am worried that it would stray too far from the original brief, I feel if I were to explore this theme then I would need to think about how I could add in this element of space.

Afrofuturism – As the Tate would describe Afrofuturism as: “a cultural aesthetic that combines science-fiction, history, and fantasy to explore the African-American experience and aims to connect those from the black diaspora with their forgotten African ancestry”

-While the movements theories and been around since 1930’s term “Afrofuturism” wasn’t coined until 1994 by Mark Deary in his essay titled: “Black to the Future”.

The movement mainly focuses on combining culture, history with science fiction elements of fantasy; Dem discussed the idea of using familiar culture focusing on particular points such as; craft, fashion and aesthetic then combining these elements with a fictional question of “what if?”.

I started off researching into the art movement by studying the work of Ellen Gallagher and Sun Ra the musician.

Sun Ra

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I found the film's concept hard to grasp at first, I believe this was down to language that was being used; I also thought it held strong surreal elements which played on the stereotypes that other races normally associate with the black culture as it first starts off showing a female physique shaped spaceship typically assigned to an Afro-American woman.

Towards the end of the film, Sun Ra starts to introduce his own metaphysical theory for how the move could be done and how that would impact on time itself.

“Equation wise the first thing to do is to consider time as officially ended, we work on the other side of time – we bring them through the isotopes, teleportation, translipucation or better still transport the whole planet here through music”

I understand the main message of this film was to gather supporters to what we would know Identify as the “Black Lives Matter” campaign; Sun Ra tries to convey this idea across of a utopian world where Black people are able to escape violence and racism through posing the question: “What would the world look like if the Black community held most of the power in society?”.

It was this important question that made me start to look at the modern world around me, I started to think about what element of the world I live in that I would want to change? What social injustice I would want to reform and how that would take effect in the world.

I think if I could pose a question for change I would ask:

“What if millennial women ruled the world?”

Bearing this question in mind I started to create an experiment that could embody this message.

I still wanted to use the original idea of equations so decided to use the sum 1+1=2.

To represent one, I took two of the same fashion images and started to collage them together; because the symbols for the equation was +, I choose to double up on the images by overlapping them and increasing the colour temperature of the piece so it turned a bold shade of pink and red.

I then added in cactus’s as they are culturally appropriate to millennials.

While I loved the overall piece, I did find it was missing something, with afro-futurism there seems to be this empowering message always lurking behind the work however mine does not seem to have this message.

I started to look into other afro-futurism inspired artists and came across Ellen Gallagher’s work.

Ellen Gallagher is an American artist whose work often features racial issues and touches upon such topics as “how society imposes stereotypes onto race groups” this is evident in her 2004-2005 created piece “DeLuxe”.

“DeLuxe” consists of 60 individual framed collaged pieces of work hung into a rectangular shape which is made up of 5 rows of 12.

The work was either drawn or was a combination of digital and traditional printing techniques such as lithography, etching and screen printing. Some of the work also included fabric such as velvet, plasticine, toy eyeballs and coconut oil.

The collaged imagery used for these pieces was taken from magazines articles dating from 1930’s until the 1970’s where they target demographic was the women and men that made up the African American consumer. -The imagery itself aims to sell everything from beauty to hygiene products such as wigs, underwear, slimming aid and even skin bleaching products.

I enjoyed how impactful the final display of the work looked; the way in which it was hung with each frame being placed within 5cm of each other creating this dominate piece of art which I felt forced the viewer to interact with it also mimicking the body language of how a protester would do when protesting.

Out of all of Gallagher’s techniques used throughout the 60 pieces, I enjoyed how she used the word “DeLuxe” in an ironic sense as the word itself can mean “superior” however when these adverts were being produced this term would not have been associated with the African-American community.

I found through the manipulation of the imagery and the ironic usage of the word made a strong visual statement, I wanted to use this combination myself.

https://www.stylist.co.uk/life/abortion-jane-doe-sues-aclu-trump-abortion-rights-us/163392

I choose to apply this combination against the piece I created (1+1=2) with a news article I found where a teenage girl in Texas sought to terminate her pregnancy but encountered hardship in doing due to trumps administration. They tried to delay the processing time so that the girl would not be eligible for the termination as it was illegal to have a pregnancy terminated over 20weeks.

Reading the story, I found the imagery in the piece harmonize well with the article, for instance, the event was meant to have taken place in Texas, a place where people would wear western style clothing and cactuses are apart of the natural landscape.

I wanted to use ironic wording like Gallagher had used in her own work – In the article there is a picture of a banner which states “Freedom = Choice” I felt using the word “freedom” over the top of this piece would nail the ironic message I was after.

Originally, I added the “Freedom” over the top in a typeface, however, I didn’t feel this looked right; instead I

added a blindfold made from black sugar paper, outlined in white gel pen were the words “Freedom” I then placed this over the eyes of the first girl.

The idea behind this was to create a sense of social evolution; I wanted the first girl to represent today’s ideology of what freedom holds for women and girls.

The “Freedom” blindfold was meant to represent the limited freedom that they hold, for instance in this news article abortion is meant to be legal which would indicate that women and girls have the freedom to make decisions over their own bodies however with what is stated in the article shows the polar opposite of this.

After reading the article I felt that freedom was almost an illusion and confirmed this idea that decisions being made for women are still being made by men; the blindfold is meant to represent this as an act of how we are still being kept in the dark.

I choose not to cover the eyes of the second girl as I wanted her to represent the newly reformed world were millennial women have taken over and the word freedom would not need to be presented because it’s a moral that’s deeply ingrained into the social culture.

On reviewing the piece, I thought it worked well I also enjoyed how it was able to have a meaning behind the work which to me gave it value; I do have concerns as to whether there might be too many themes colliding in one piece.

If I were to develop the piece I would start to draw from it using mixed media techniques ensuring I was adding other millennial-futurism elements before using the outcome to progress it further by experimenting with printmaking techniques.

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s0021572a2film-blog · 7 years ago

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Post S Essay Abstract

Hypothesis

Authorship is a controversial topic which has been argued for years and will probably continue to be argued for many more years. François Truffaut contributed to the argument in his publication in the Cahiers du Cinéma in 1954 inspiring many others to join the argument including Andrew Sarris and Jermone Christinensen. The question remains whether a director can be considered the true auteur of a film and what they need to do to attain the title Auteur.

The Studio most famous for its feature films have produced 19 full length films, eight of which are some of the highest grossing anime films from Japan; Spirited Away being the highest film grossing over $270 million worldwide. The studio has also created several short films a few adverts and even been involved in the production of a few video games. Over the years the studio has developed a very distinct style with its art style and music creating distinctive features of the films. Miyazaki could be considered an auteur as he has many films behind him and a distinct style with part of his personality in his films.

I will investigate if Miyazaki is truly an auteur and I will look further into his style considering the various cinematography choices and the use of the macro and micro elements of film. I will also be briefly looking into other aspects like other crew involved or adaptations of the films.

I will be looking at three of his films, My Neighbour Totro (1988), Howls Moving Castle (2004) and Spirited away (2001). I will be looking into his work as a director and an animator of the films exploring his influence throughout the films.

Subtopics

What makes up Studio Ghibli’s distinct style and who has the most influence?

Ghibli films are easy to spot even to those who are not fans of anime, their films are loved by people around the world and the small Totro character is widely known and is sold as plushies, bags, t-shirts and hoodies, the character became so popular that it has become the logo for the studio. Spirited away became the highest grossing film in Japanese history. I want to explore what about the style makes the films so notable and distinct that anyone can point it out. Style is very important when talking about authorship.

What are the common themes in each film and how do they link with the representation of women?

Ghibli films show a wide variety of themes usually entirely fictional but sometimes they are based on other things, The Wind Rises was based on Jiro Horikoshi, creator of the Mitsubishi A5M fighter aircraft, and Howl’s Moving Castle was an adaptation of a book. I want to explore how the themes connect and also how his films represent young female characters. These factors can be considered when considering authorship.

Should Miyazaki be considered the auteur of Ghibli’s films?

While there are many people involved in the making of Studio Ghibli’s films there seems to be little debate when considering Miyazaki as an auteur of his films however between 1988 and 2001 Isao Takahata was a big influence on the style of the Studio’s films as he directed many films independently such as Grave of the Fireflies. Miyazaki works with a large team of animators to help him complete his films and does take influence from other aspects like how Howls moving castle was an adaptation from a book.

1. What Makes up Ghibli’s distinct style

Intro: In my research I studied many of Ghibli’s film’s but I did focus on three of his films, My Neighbour Totro (1988), Spirited Away (2001) and Howls Moving Castle (2004). This gives me a variety of films to explore the style in each looking at what is similar and what differs in each film.

Point: Miyazaki directs, and hand draws scenes from all of my focal films and is a big part in directing all of Ghibli’s other film’s so I will be able to accurately explore his style comprising of watercolour landscapes along with typical anime features which is also reflected in all other Ghibli films. Style is a big factor when talking about authorship as said in Andrew Sarris’ theory on authorship, one of the three main criteria’s for being classed as an auteur is distinguishable personality and “meticulous attention" [4] to the details

Source: Elvis Mitchell on his article about Spirited Away explored the use of style saying “Haku’s unwarranted shifts of personality reflect what distinguishes Mr. Miyazaki from Disney, or any other American animator.” Which shows Miyazaki’s distinct style and links back to Sarris’ theory on authorship referring to “distinctive personality. [5]

Evidence 1:

2. Explain: Should Miyazaki be considered the auteur of Studio Ghibli’s film’s?

Point: Miyazaki’s films are very distinguishable and differ greatly from other animated films, while his ideas are usually original he does take inspiration from other medias like the biographical nature of The Wind Rises or the adaptation of the book Howls Moving Castle which can argue against his case as an auteur.

Source: Roger Ebert stated, “Miyazaki nevertheless is a master who, frame by frame, creates animated compositions of wonderment.” Presenting Miyazaki as an auteur he also states, “it resides halfway between the Brothers Grimm and “The Wizard of Oz,” presenting alternate styles. [8]

Evidence 1

Explain

Evaluate

3. What are the common themes in each film and how do they link with the representation of women

Intro: My focal films contain similar themes of adventure and “childlike awe” [6] Ghibli films follow these themes but also have deeper messages and often contain female leads, the representation of these are often grounded and realistic like Chihiro from Spirited Away who has been described as “a parable on developing maturity in ten-year-old girls” [10]

Point: Miyazaki’s films present grounded and relatable characters, “Sen speaking for more than just the Japanese girls he had in mind” [10] and explores a recurring motif of flying and “the longing to break the ties that ground us” [12] with elements of childlike wonder and adventure.

Source: James Blake Ewing in his article on My Neighbour Totoro explored themes and presented Miyazaki as an auteur saying it “captured the spirit of childlike awe” and “capturing a feeling, a mood a tone and running rampant with the imagination” [6] Evidence 1

This medium shot of the girls laughing represents the imagination and energy of the girls, they are framed together and having fun in bright coloured clothes and lighting contrasting the run down imagery from the house and presenting them as young and happy.

Evidence 2

This long shot of the house shows the girls in their bright colours, the happy oranges and pinks of their clothes contrasts to the darker greens and the dark tones of the house. The scene shows the girls running around full of energy and excitement, this contrasts to many clichés seen in western films of children being sad or grumpy after moving house, however here Miyazki is presenting it as an adventure.

Evidence 3

This high angle medium shot of the girls shows their faces full of wonder and presents them as curious. The light of the sun reflecting on the girls contrasts to the dark of the stairs which could represent them bringing light to the house.

Explain

Evaluate

References:

[5] Elvis Mitchell (2002) FILM REVIEW; Conjuring Up Atmosphere Only Anime Can Deliver. The New York Times [Available online] at http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/20/movies/film-review-conjuring-up-atmosphere-only-anime-can-deliver.html [Accessed 04/10/17]

[6] James Blake Ewing (2010) My Neighbour Totoro (1988). Creative Criticism. [Available online] http://creativecriticism.net/?p=3493 [Accessed 6/10/17]

[8] Roger Ebert (2005) Howl’s Moving Castle Roger Ebert.com [Available online] http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/howls-moving-castle-2005 [Accessed 16/10/17]

[10] Noel Vera (2015) Little girl lost. Critic After Dark. [Available online] https://criticafterdark.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/spirited-away-hayao-miyazaki-2001.html [Accessed 16/10/17]

[12] Nick Bradshaw (2014) Free Falling. Sight and Sound June 2014 edition pages

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