#its been a while since i made LPS art lol

[135-film]

one of my wolvden wolves as a LPS.

[fowl-leaf]

my 2023 summary of art!

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still not consistently posting anywhere, but I like doing these. they're fun there's a lot of things i would've liked to include but had to exclude, due to not being shareable on this account. maybe i'll have more stuff next year!

this is long, so details under the cut

JANUARY silly lizard oc i generally dont do much single line hatching, so it was nice to fiddle with it this time

FEBRUARY the wittle scrunkly lizard last time i drew this one, they were an lps shitpost, so its nice to like draw them normally lol

MARCH herman is running out of time glasses axolotl but make him neon idk

APRIL fancy calico i honestly dont know whats up with the clothes, i just kinda drew whatever tbh

MAY yippie!! toontown oc! was playing ttcc w/shard and co, this is the character i ended up making i also got covid around april-march iirc so i was feeling horrid for a while (and the remaining symptoms didnt clear up till like june)

JUNE an oc i got years ago but didnt have the confidence to draw for a while lmao anyways i like her colors and shape, she's fun

JULY mandatory artfight posting this was one of the last ones i did! ocs belong to pookapooka and they were so fun to paint

idk if ill be doing artfight again tbh. ive been doing it consistently since sun vs moon but its honestly felt less fun ever since the tiktok invasion`and how ppls behavior has changed, and especially since the whole ownership thing that happened mid fight this year. (not interested in any of the alternatives ive seen either bc they have the same issues, notably worse issues, or are not furry friendly) but tbh that might just be me being disenchanted with online art spaces due to the intensifying shittification of basically everything, fucking rip

AUGUST ring but hes going to jail (again but for real this time) the staxie monthly prompt was barbie mugshots but i . . . i did this with ring and lumos and promptly forgor to do this with cakes and ale like i was planning to lmfao im actually gonna watch the barbie movie tonight, renting it so i can watch it on the big tv (didnt watch in theaters bc expensive (movie tickets are generally 15-25 bucks in my area (compared to the 5-10 in my aunt's area (renting is cheaper per person)), and they changed the chairs to these weird uncomfy pleather recliners that make my skin crawl to "justify the price raise" + i hate sitting for more than an hour i need water, bathroom, stretch, and snack breaks))

SEPTEMBER ganache went over the hedge was very busy w/projects so i did little casual art this was inspired by me comparing the over the hedge version of supermarket by ben folds (upbeat & high energy) vs the one by the clash (melancholy + commercial-induced agony) ever since then i cant stop thinking abt how much the lemon demon guy's voice sounds like the fucking clash guy sdjkhfkjsd also over the hedge was one of my favorite movies as a kid and i watched it at least 10 times before we had to return the dvd to netflix. i also regularly played the flash games on the site until i forgot about it after finding out about miniclip + notdoppler from other kids and decided to use those for flash games instead bc more options lol

OCTOBER dta img for a new oc i got, funny long neck budgie thingy busy w/projects again so little casual art had to use old mini tablet bc previous tablet was completely unusable fucking rip

NOVEMBER ganache + cactus pony, they want to know if you have any bubblegum. do you? busy w/projects again so little casual art doodle i made in heavypaint (one of the old layerless versions, i bought a lisence for it a while ago.) i got a new tablet on black friday since the mini tablet was horrible + my broken tablet was making me work very slow

DECEMBER ring in the void (this is lore accurate) or as nic put it, "fucked up twilight sparkle" lol busy w/projects + gifts so little casual art i actually sketched this w/the mini tablet, but didnt finish it up till getting the new tablet

---

for reading this far, you get to see amogus.

i would've put amogus whisper on the chart but decided against it since im not done with that one yet lmao

[doomedandstoned]

Shepherds Crook Doom the Moonlit Sky in Latest LP

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

Album art based on a painting by Remedios Varo

I've been enamored SHEPHERDS CROOK from the moment I chanced upon 'Black Lake' (2018) some years gone, which inspired an impromptu review. Here is a band that should be, in my mind, every bit as familiar to aficionados of doom metal as Dopethrone, Bongzilla, and Cough. This opinion is founded on more than the strong emotional connection the music has made with me over the years. Every sludge lover I've had occasion to introduce the Trondheim duo to has taken to them immediately. Who can deny the appealing backwoods grit of "Uteseler" or the celebratory toke of "Smoke Diver"?

While their road game has yet to start, their track record in the studio is flawless with two stellar EPs and four highly regarded LPs notched around the belt already. The principal drivers of this project are multi-instrumentalist Ole Hell and vocalist Nestor. Together, they're a force to be reckoned with in the heavy underground, with Ole's penchant for composing dank rhythms and forlorn guitar leads that touch a nerve every time. Nestor completes the picture with characteristic gravelly crooning that carries more evil, hissing ire than a den of pissed off vipers.

Before us lay the latest long-player of the lot, 'Mat For Månen' (2021) -- or "Food For The Moon" -- which is such a brilliant title when you consider how suitable this music is for humid summer nights full of barbeque, beer, and self-loathing. If the dog's fabled bark at the moon could be rendered in relatable terms, it might end up sounding like Shepherds Crook.

"The Narrow" cracks the bottle on the recording with an irradiated strum. This becomes the song's central theme, with bass and drums joining in, followed by Nestor's gruff, caustic strains. This dirge of doom is unrelenting, with the riff simultaneously establishing the melodic core and rhythm. It's a tight track with no room for fat, not even for one of Ole Hell's trademark guitar solos -- though the woeful axeman does drop an ominous footnote during the song's closing seconds.

The titular "Mat For Månen" is next in queue and dons quite a downcast mood, with guest artist Stian Sumstad's basswork carrying the song to several emphatic moments that border on epic. The guitar has an opportunity to really shine on this one, with a melodic lead midway through that seems to be telling us secrets buried in the woods 'neath these mysterious moonlit skies.

Photograph by Magnus Olsen

Though I'm far from an angry drunk, "Barfight" has me feeling the rage that comes along with imbibing a bit too much and making enemies at the table before the night's all said and done. The song sets off a nasty blues vibe that makes me feel braver than I really am, inspiring a swing at my enemies -- real or (in this state likely) imagined.

Our four-song excursion grinds to a finish with "Ingen Morgenkvist" which does sad as only Shepherds Crook can. Though I'm uncertain of the precise meaning ("morgenkvist" has no English equivalent), my best detective work has me believing the song title could be approximated "No Morning Seen." This number has a certain weight to it -- and not merely because of its 16-minute runtime. Despite the familiar joshing about how long doom bands are prone to playing ("I just got here, what did I miss?" "Nothing yet, they're still on their first song!"), it takes strong songwriting and a steady hand of musicianship to pull off low and slow in a way that works convincingly for the listener. Here, the song has a balladic feel (it's based on a poem by poem by Jørgen Nygard) that builds gradually, layer upon layer, with Mr. Hell's guitar doing the kind of singing that defies words, yet somehow succeeds in rendering meaning.

Overall, Mat For Månen is a welcome addition to the Shepherds Crook oeuvre. It succeeds in delivering the unique sound of the band with a depth that gives it staying power. Perhaps it will find a welcome home in your playlist, to. Releasing July 2nd (at which point it will be available for purchase here), the record is presented in its world premiere courtesy of Doomed & Stoned.

Give ear...

LISTEN: · Shepherds Crook - Mat For Månen (2021)

Shepherds Crook: The Rundown

Interview with guitarist Ole Hell Photographs by Magnus Olsen

How did Shepherds Crook get its start?

It started out as some kind of experiment back in 2017 when I (Ole) rented this little studio room in a larger studio space of a friend of mine.

The first track we did was "Outlaw Speedking", based on a riff I made on the spot when I found my acoustic guitar after many many years of not playing. I got myself some new gear and just started to record.Nestor heard it and got hyped, wrote some lyrics and recorded the vocals in one take, first try. We knew that we had to do more songs and about a month later we released Black Lake. We did five releases from 2017 to 2019. I do everything from recording to mixing and mastering, so it's been a learning process for me as far as making heavy music sound good, with every release I think it sounds a little bit better.

Where did the name Shepherds Crook come from?

Actually I thought it was a fascination for walking sticks from hiking in the woods or whatever, but Nestor reminded me the other day that the name came from a dream I had years ago where I was going to make a band called Shepherds Crook. I can't really confirm that as I don't remember. Blame the beers.

How would you describe your "sound" to someone who hasn't yet listened to your records?

We're all over the place as far as I'm concerned. We started out with more of a stoner vibe and kind of mixed in elements of doom and sludge. The vocals might be weird for a lot of stoner rock fans, and the riffs might be too boring for everyone that is into "metal" but likes the vocals. This is our impression from people anyways. But back to the sound; it's heavy riffs, moody melodies and mean vocals. I think we kind of got our own thing going at this point, we care less and less about these "doom" and "stoner" labels these days to be honest.

Walk us through each track on 'Mat For Månen' and tell us about what the songs mean and/or how they originated.

We do like the idea that the listener can interpret and make up his own mind what the tracks mean. But, basically the general idea for the album is the moon and how it connects to organic life on earth. Mat For Månen is norwegian for "Food for the moon" and is based on the same concept laid out by the mystic G. I. Gurdjieff (and to some extent Ouspensky and others), I won't lay the whole thing out here, but if anybody is interested they could check that out.

The tracks touch on this topic in various ways like lunacy, the saturn connection, no dawn, wizards and shit, lol. The songs are also pretty varied on this one, from that stoner doom thing to a more heavy blues vibe, doom and stoner metal.

As a side note, we recorded the album at a place called "Månen" (the moon), the place of a buddy of ours. Cool thing is he joined on vocals for two of the tracks and It sounds awesome. He might be joining us on bass and co-vocals whenever we get our asses on stage.

Speaking of stagework, has Shepherds Crook had a chance to get out and tour much?

I mean, not really. In the beginning it was just me playing all the instruments as a studio project. Then after a while we had a couple of drummers come in and a bass player. We started rehearsing to play live then some of us couldn't make it due to different reasons, etc. We still have plans to make it happen at some point in the near future.

Give us an overview of your discography so far.

Black Lake (2018) Uteseiler (2018) Evil Magician (2018) Carved In Smoke (2019) Dauseiler (2019) Mat For Månen (2021)

Black Lake by Shepherds Crook

Uteseiler by Shepherds Crook

Evil Magician by Shepherds Crook

Carved In Smoke by Shepherds Crook

Dauseiler by Shepherds Crook

Are there any records or songs that you are especially proud of?

I know we're both pretty happy with Uteseiler as a whole and the last track of Dauseiler: "Serpent Ropes". Also, Mat For Månen is pretty decent I would say.

What does the future hold for Shepherds Crook?

I'm in the process of writing riffs for another album, but have no idea when it will be finished. It could take a while. We have other projects going as well.

Nestor (the singer) is now in this black metal band and I'm doing my other thing Vandrer (instrumental doom), you can check it out on vandrer.bandcamp.com.

We also got a new drummer: Trollhammer aka Jan Olav, an old childhood buddy. We were in a death metal band together in the early-mid 90's and he's been in many death metal bands since then.

He will be doing the drums on both Shepherds Crook and Vandrer from now on, bringing that extra punch to the face (and groin area).

What is your philosophy of life? How do you see the world, your place in it, etc.?

Well, we got all kinds of crazy renegade ideas. While we wait for that book, just insert any Lemmy quote of choice!

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[andsmile]

I agree that this whole situation is different from One Tree Hill /Brucas /Leyton not the cheating part obviously because cheating is cheating. What Im trying to say Lucas cheating on Brooke with her best friend Peyton happened in season 1 while they him and Brooke were a relatively new couple (OTH s3 different story). Still no excuse to cheat but there's a huge difference from the two shows writers. It's a little too late for RD to do this cheating story in s4.

Welcome to my OTH ted talk, and I care a lot about OTH (it’s my favorite show), so it pains me when people make this comparison. I am a Brooke/Lucas shipper but I have watched OTH a thousand times (and I was watching in 2005 while it was airing, before endgames were set on stone) and I think I have some property to talk about this lol.

So, the thing with OTH is: first of all, it’s character-driven, not plot-driven like Riverdale, which means the plot stems from the build-up of characters and relationships. Everything a character says or does has consequences and continuity. Riverdale, as we all know, is not that show.

The fundamental part - the build-up of the love triangle - is completely different. I’m talking about s1 here, btw. What happens after is another story.

Lucas starts OTH in love with Peyton since he was a kid. There are about 8 episodes of a slow, careful build-up to Leyton’s ship with some ICONIC moments like “your art matters, it’s what got me here” (that are brought up throughout the entire show). Lucas loved Peyton but he didn’t really know Peyton, however, they get to know each other and it only affirms his feelings. She has a complicated life and he sees through a lot, and she opens up to him like she hadn’t to anyone (but Brooke). So, Lucas and Peyton hook up and the feelings are there for both of them, but Peyton gets scared and Lucas gets hurt.

Brooke is at first a rebound therapy to Lucas. We all know it! Me, a Brucas shipper through and through, I KNOW she was at first. He likes her, but he’s not in love with her like he is with Peyton, and the audience knows it. We’re all expecting the moment Peyton will give into her feelings and drag Lucas back with her. 

That’s the brilliance of how OTH played this triangle though: when the cheating happens, you’re holding your breath. You’ve learned how to cheer for Leyton but you’re also very much in love with Brooke too and you see how much the three of them have their own thing going on, so it’s HARD to see it. It’s hard to watch it. That’s what’s gut-wrenching (not this BA mess).

Brooke and Peyton have been friends for years and years, to see Peyton throwing that away is HEARTBREAKING, and we get to actually SEE all of it. We see how much Lucas KNOWS he’s screwing up, we see how much Peyton feels guilty, how HARD it is for them to hide their feelings and not hurt Brooke. They have a whole affair behind Brooke’s back but they suffer through every step of the way.

Ultimately, when Brooke finds out, Lucas and Peyton have all the chance of being together but they both feel SO SHITTY for how they acted and what they did to Brooke, who was nothing but kind and true to them, that they decide NOT to be together. When this cathartic thing happens, their characters grow: the hurt Brooke goes through has her no longer feeling inferior to him. Good guy Lucas realizes he’s actually not such a good guy and that he should do better. Emotional problematic Peyton realizes she needs to be selfless.

So, the big difference between what’s going on in Riverdale now, is:

1) Archie and Veronica have had ups and downs but they’ve been dating for years now. It’s not a phase or something that happened as a rebound.

2) It’s not a triangle: Jughead exists. Betty is also dating him (continuously!) for years now. In fact, Betty and Jughead happening had the same cathartic feeling: character growth. Characters going forward instead of backwards. Growth!

3) Even if BA do go on with their cheating plot, it’s not the same as BLP, because LP had one thing that BA doesn’t: BUILD UP. Who saw this shit coming if it wasn’t for spoilers and the annoying amounts of BA promotion? The casual viewer must be completely confused right now. They’ll see those flashbacks that happened 3 years ago and be like: “wait, what?” Of course, some BA shippers will say it’s always been them etc, but whoever really watches this show knows that this makes absolutely no sense. BLP made A LOT OF SENSE. LP had FEELINGS for each other. BL had not been dating for long. BL started as a rebound. You were EXPECTING it to happen. It was heartbreaking, but no one said “oh, what the actual fuck” when it happened. Everyone went “oh, fuck”.

4) After the cheating Leyton spent 2 entire seasons as friends before they even thought about jumping back into that ship. And as much as I LOVE Brucas and will ship them to the rest of my life, it’s undeniable that Leyton had substantial content during those seasons. Again, WRITING. BUILD UP!

5) It’s not a love triangle! I repeat, it’s not a triangle! BLP was a love triangle, but this isn’t. This is about friendships on top of it all. The Core 4 is a character on its own, in Riverdale. The craziest plots only “worked” so far because of how strong the Core 4 are. There is no Bughead without Varchie, Beronica without Jarchie, B/rchie without J/ronica (not meaning ships). Breaking up the Core 4 is indeed the most powerful thing that can happen to this show. Even if you want it to be JAB or BAV, it CAN’T be. Veronica and Jughead are equally important in this (as much as the writers don’t give Ronnie too much to do). The whole foundation for a plot-driven show is ruined. 

6) Lucas ending up with Peyton made sense. If Lucas ended up with Brooke, it would make sense. If Brooke and Peyton said fuck Lucas, it would make sense. What won’t make sense? BA ending up together (unless they go completely rogue and have JV end up together too) because Beronica can’t walk back from that and Jarchie can’t walk back from that. The friendship between Bughead can’t walk back from that. The Core 4 either ends this show as a Core 4, or it ends as nothing. And without the Core 4, this show has no foundation for its crazy plots.

OOF. Sorry if I wrote too much. I can write even more! lol

[kaiowut99]

The Gang Freaks Out Over a Cell Phone

Judai and the others are now in their second year when a quiet freshman comes to duel Judai.  While the freshman’s deck wasn’t all too powerful, it was also an improvised 40-card deck hastily made beforehand out of eight packs in the store.  But even then, Archangel Zerato gets Judai’s LP down to 1200.  Mid-duel, he speaks with a mysterious man on his cell phone, feeling a lack of interest in this duel due to his prediction.  Shou and the others realize this is the well-known Star Duelist Ed Phoenix...

And after a bit too long, here’s finalized!53! It’s fun to finally be getting back into Season 2, since, later plot pacing issues and... questionable moments aside, there’s quite a bit to like about it.  One such thing being the dynamic between Ed and Saiou that we’re introduced to here (one of my favorites), as the concept of fate/destiny starts to become an ever-present theme.  Also, hearing Takehito Koyasu again for a while will be great now that I’ve actually seen JJBA and heard him as DIO. 😂 The animation/artstyle in this episode is also a nice touch-up from what we’ve been used to, and there were some great shots of Judai and Ed there.

So, part of the delay in getting this going since finishing 52 was getting my usual bells and whistles worked on for the translated hardsub; you’ll notice that the OP is fully translated, and not just with the credits--I wanted to do a thing I originally wanted to do way back when my first go-around but lacked the skills for and translate the character names that slide in! If you check out my “subbing-rambling” tag, you can see some of the work-in-progress posts I made showing it off as I worked on it.  As part of this, I also prepared textless versions of the OP’s V2 shots of Chronos and Ed, as well as made Shou in his Red jacket textless for use here; I’ll be sharing these new textless openings as I go through the season over on NAC. (It’s really a shame that we never got those versions officially released...) The ED credits were pretty much copy/paste from Season 1, with a change in karaoke coloring, since thankfully that stays the same, and I’ll also be translating the “Best Card” shots at the end of each episode (which for some reason I noticed Crunchyroll doesn’t include, despite them being on the DVDs?), though on a static screen with the card spinning into view since that moving background’s hard to get blank, lol.

But once those were all done, there were some 53-specific edits and fixes to work on! For the hardsub, I translated the article we see about Ed so that we can read what was visible in Japanese (ie, Ed making waves in August just before Season 2 at an event Kaiba Corp. sponsored!), while I also made a few card fixes.  Breakdown below the cut, as usual.

(UPDATE [7/9/20]: I reuploaded the episode because I realized I didn’t account for the different cards Shou has in his deck shot in the Opening in 53-56 vs 57-104; Gyroid, Cyclone, and Trap Hole in the former become Submarineroid, Vehicroid Connection Zone, and No Entry in the latter (all used in 56), which is what was used in the textless video I was working with while working on translating his name there.  That’s been corrected, and will be accounted for as I share the textless OPs on NAC.  I’m nothing if not consistency-minded. 💁🏽‍♂️)

Enjoy, folks! With 53 finalized, I’ll be giving my 5D’s Dub-Uncut Ep. 26 a quick lookover to see if I have to tweak anything before I work on making the Dark Signer arc episodes’ dubs more bearable, and then I’ll start working on 54.  It’s been a bit since Manjoume last dueled, and him dueling his mini-me in Gokaido should be fun, haha.

Fixes/Edits!

For the hardsub, as Chronos pulls out his issue of Monthly Duel!, I translated 月編 on it to “October” in Photoshop and spliced it in; this was an edit I’d already done for 52′s hardsub since it shows up in the preview for 53.

For the hardsub, the page Chronos has Napoleon stare at has been translated! The original text was vertical but I thought it’d make more sense to translate it horizontally for us; as such, I moved the text on the right about the “Exclusive” on the “Young Duelist Prodigy” to be above Ed’s photo, which I moved a bit more to the right to compensate.  I also added a little “journalistic” fluff to the translation I’d whipped up to make it fit well both on and off-screen, since I wasn’t going to be filling the whole thing with just “On August 7th, KaibaCorp sponsored a Dueling World League” lol.  But definitely made sure to keep the spirit and keep visible those little tidbits like the KaibaCorp nod and the date telling us when Ed started making waves that were visible in the Japanese text.  I did that editing in Photoshop for both this shot and the later shot with Shou’s copy of the magazine, but I warped the text in this one a little to match the slight page warp that Ed’s photo had going.  After that, I redid the zoom in Sony Vegas.  The text is also slightly blurred here since it was like that for the Japanese text.

Later in the episode, after the commercial break, we come back to a pan/zoom-out from Sanctuary in the Sky to Judai’s field, where we see Clay Guardman has his card facing the wrong way compared to where we see it in every other shot after.  I made a proxy for it, though it was a bit tough since we never get a good look at its card (thankfully, the card artwork was put up on the YGO site).  Though the dubified card confirmed for the Wikia that he has zero ATK and, like with Neo Bubbleman, shared the same Level as Clayman.  So, as I made a proxy, I recreated the Japanese effect text mirroring what Neo Bubbleman’s was and mentioning the burn effect as close to the game terms as possible--getting this in the end! Once I did that, I took a frame and placed it in in AfterEffects, masking in Clay Guardman’s feet over it, then took it into Sony Vegas, where I redid the zoom-out as it came into view.

Later on, after Judai explains Tempester’s effect, his face-down card goes away to activate it, but in that shot, Tempester’s not on Judai’s Disk! I made a new Tempester proxy (since here Tempester’s officially using the OCG art/text at the time), then slapped it on in AfterEffects (taking a cue from the dub about where to place it on his Disk).  Thankfully, since Judai stood still here, that’s all it took, lol.

After the duel, Shou realizes who Ed was all along! He rummages through his bag and pulls out his copy of Monthly Duel! and opens it up; like with Chronos’s, for the hardsub, I took it into Photoshop and recreated the color scheme to blot out 月編 and put “October” over it for the nine frames it moves in, then I just put each frame into the video in Sony Vegas.

As with earlier, for the hardsub, the article Shou shows everyone about Ed is translated, only with no text warp and slightly different rotation, so a little more of the text is visible on the left and bottom.  Recreated the less-rotation/more-zoom zoom-in on Ed’s photo in Sony Vegas.

As Judai thinks that Ed could use some more deck-building skills, Shou’s still holding up the magazine; “October” is there to translate 10月編 again, but because the “Monthly” in that shot of the magazine is inconsistent with its other appearances in the episode (we’ve seen it in black with white bordering, but here it’s just white text, along with the black 10月編  also being in white), I redid that as well in Photoshop so it matched.  I’ll be including just the “Monthly” fix in the Japanese DVDRip I’ll release on NAC.

[vinylexams]

A very special fireside interview with XUXA SANTAMARIA

Check Insta for our thoughts on this landmark album from Oakland duo XUXA SANTAMARIA. Stay right where you are to read a really fun interview I scored with the band this week. They’ve just released Chancletas D’Oro on Ratskin Records out of Oakland and Michael blessed me with my very own copy. It was so good I knew I needed to tell you all about it and I wanted to pick their brains a little bit, too. Without further ado, please enjoy:

//INTERVIEW

You’re still breaking into indie world at large, but you’ve already got a huge following back in California and your home-base in Oakland. What has it been like to be featured in major outlets like The Fader?

SC: We are a funny project; we ebb and flow from being total hermits to having periods of relatively high visibility (relative to aforementioned hermit state). I wouldn’t say we have a huuuge following in CA but I do think that the ‘fandom’ we’ve developed here is really genuine because we don’t play shows out of an obligation to remain visible but instead do so because we feel super passionate about the work and the audience and I think people respond to that energy. I for one, and perhaps this is because of my background in performance, have a hard time performing the same stuff over and over without change which accounts for us being selective with our playing live. That’s also why videos are such an important part of what we’re about. The piece in The Fader was important to the launch of this album because it established some of the themes and, to an extent, the aesthetics of this album in a way that can be experienced outside of a live setting. None of this is to say we don’t like playing live, in fact we love it, we just like to make our sets pleasurable to ourselves and to our audience by constantly reworking it. We strike a weird balance for sure but we’ve made peace with it. If we ever ‘make it’ (lol) it’ll be on these terms.

Chancletas D'Oro is a pretty incredible record and while it reminds me of a few bands here or there, it’s got a really fresh and unique style that merges dance with all sorts of flavors. How would you describe your music to someone who is curious to listen?

MGK: Haha, we generally struggle to describe our music in a short, neat way (not because we make some kind of impossible-to-categorize music, but just because it’s the synthesis of a ton of different influences and it’s hard for US to perceive clearly). But with that caveat in mind - IDK, bilingual art-punk influenced dance/electronic music?

SC: Thank you for saying so, we’re pretty into it :) Like Matt says, we struggle to pin it down which I think is in part to what he says – our particular taste being all over the place, from Drexciya to The Kinks to Hector Lavoe- but I think this slipperiness has a relationship to our concept making and world building. As creative people we make and intake culture like sharks, always moving, never staying in one place too long. Maybe it’s because we’re both so severely ADHD (a boon in this instance tbh) that we don’t sit still in terms of what we consume and I think naturally that results in an output that is similarly traveling. Point is, the instance a set of words - ‘electronic’, ‘dance’, ‘punk’- feel right for the music is the same instance they are not sufficient. I propose something like: the sound of a rainforest on the edge of a city, breathy but bombastic, music made by machines to dance to, pleasurably, while also feeling some of the sensual pathos of late capitalism as seen from the bottom of the hill.

The internet tells me you’ve been making music as Xuxa Santamaria for a decade now. What has the evolution and development of your songwriting been like over those ten years?

MGK: Well, when we first started out as a band we were so new to making electronic music (Sofia’s background was in the art world and mine was in more guitar-based ‘indie rock’ I guess - lots of smoking weed and making 4 track tapes haha), so we legit forgot to put bass parts on like half the songs on our first album LOL. We’ve learned a lot since then! But in seriousness, we’ve definitely gotten better at bouncing ideas back and forth, at putting in a ton of different parts and then pulling stuff back, and the process is really dynamic and entertaining for both of us.

SC: This project started out somewhat unusually: I was in graduate school and beginning what would become a performance practice. I had hit a creative roadblock working with photography - the medium I was in school to develop- and after reading Frank Kogan’s Real Punks Don’t Wear Black felt this urge to make music as a document of experience following Kogan’s excellent essay on how punk and disco served as spatial receptacles for a wealth of experiences not present in the mainstream of the time. I extrapolated from this notion the idea that popular dance genres like Salsa, early Hip Hop, and Latin Freestyle among many others, had served a similar purpose for protagonists of a myriad Caribbean diasporas. These genres in turn served as sonic spaces to record, even if indirectly, the lived experiences of the coming and going from one’s native island to the mainland US wherein new colonial identities are placed upon you. From this I decided to create an alter ego (ChuCha Santamaria, where our band name originally stems from) to narrate a fantastical version of the history of Puerto Rico post 1492 via dance music. We had absolutely no idea what we were doing but I look back on that album (ChuCha Santamaria y Usted - on vinyl from Young Cubs Records) fondly. It’s rough and strange and we’ve come so far from that sound but it’s a key part of our trajectory. Though my songwriting has evolved to move beyond the subjective scope of this first album - I want to be more inclusive of other marginalized spaces- , it was key that we cut our teeth making it. We are proud to be in the grand tradition of making an album with limited resources and no experience :P

We’re a big community of vinyl enthusiasts and record collectors so first and foremost, thanks for making this available on vinyl. What does the vinyl medium mean to you as individuals and/or as a band?

MGK: I think for us, it’s the combination of the following: A. The experience of listening in a more considered way, a side at a time. B. Tons of real estate for graphics and design and details. C. The sound, duh!

SC: In addition to Matt’s list, I would just say that I approach making an album that will exist in record form as though we were honing a talisman. Its objecthood is very important. It contains a lot of possibility and energy meant to zap you the moment you see it/ hold it. I imagine the encounter with it as having a sequence: first, the graphics - given ample space unlike any other musical medium/substrate- begin to tell a story, vaguely at first. Then, the experience of the music being segmented into Side A and Side B dictate a use of time that is impervious to - at the risk of sounding like an oldie - our contemporary habit of hitting ‘shuffle’ or ‘skip’. Sequencing is thus super important to us (this album has very distinct dynamics at play between sides a/b ). We rarely work outside of a concept so while I take no issue with the current mode of music dissemination, that of prioritizing singles, it doesn’t really work for how we write music.

MGK: We definitely both remain in love with the ‘album as art object/cohesive work’ ideal, so I would say definitely - we care a lot about track sequencing, always think in terms of “Side A/Side B” (each one should be a distinct experience), and details like album art/inserts/LP labels etc matter a lot to us.

What records or albums were most important to you growing up? Which ones do you feel influenced your music the most?

SC: I know they’re canceled cus of that one guy but I listened to Ace of Base’s The Sign a lot as a kid and I think that sorta stuff has a way of sticking with you. I always point to the slippery role language plays in them being a Swedish band singing in English being consumed by a not-yet-English speaking Sofía in Puerto Rico in the mid 90s. Other influences from childhood include Garbage, Spice Girls, Brandy + Monica’s The Boy is Mine, Aaliyah, Gloria Trevi, Olga Tañon etc etc. In terms of who influences me now, that’s a moving target but I’d say for this album I thought a lot about the sound and style of Kate Bush, Technotronic, Black Box, Steely Dan, ‘Ray of Light’-era Madonna plus a million things I’m forgetting.

MGK: Idk, probably a mix of 70-80s art rock/punk/postpunk (Stooges, Roxy Music, John Cale, Eno, Kate Bush, Talking Heads, Wire, Buzzcocks, etc etc), disco/post-disco R&B and dance music (Prince, George Clinton, Chic, Kid Creole), 90s pop + R&B + hip hop (Missy & Timbaland, Outkast/Dungeon Family production-wise are obviously awe-inspiring, So So Def comps, Jock Jams comps, Garbage & Hole & Massive Attack & so on), and unloved pop trash of all eras and styles.

Do you have any “white whale” records that you’ve yet to find?

MGK: Ha - the truth is that we’re both much more of a “what weird shit that we’ve never heard of can we find in the bargain bin” type of record buyer than “I have a custom list of $50 plus records on my discogs account that I lust over”.

SC: Not really, I’m wary of collectorship. That sort of ownership might have an appeal in the hunt, once you have it do you really use it, enjoy it? Funnily, I have a massive collection of salsa records that has entries a lot of music nerds would cry over (though they’re far from good condition, the spines were destroyed by my Abuela’s cat, Misita lol, but some are first pressings in small runs). For me its value however, comes from its link to family, as documents from another time and as an amazing capsule of some of the best music out of the Caribbean. I’m glad I am their guardian (a lot of this stuff is hard to find elsewhere, even digitally) but I live with those records, they’re not hidden away in archival sleeves, in fact, I use some of that music in my other work. Other than that, the records I covet are either those of friends or copies of albums that hold significance but which are likely readily available, Kate Bush’s The Dreaming or Love’s Forever Changes, or The Byrds Sweetheart of The Rodeo as random examples

Finally, is there a piece of interesting band trivia you’ve never shared in another interview?

SC: haha, not really? Maybe that we just had a baby together?

//

Congrats on your new baby, and also for this wonderful new album. It was a pleasure chatting with you and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for you and your music!

[bolddeducktionneverfails]

Launchpad’s Association with Della Duck: A Secret Agenda?

When it comes to working for the McDuck family, I don’t think LP’s just along for the ride. He certainly can't be in it for the pay: in the old show, Scrooge pays him pennies an hour. If that's still true, why on earth would LP bother sticking around? That isn't enough money to sustain him. (But then again, Scrooge stated “Every dent is coming out of your salary!” which ultimately causes him to work for nothing...still though.) I’m sure he wanted to befriend Scrooge in the process since he wants to be friends with everyone and possibly because he wanted to take the opportunity to work for someone so important, but maybe he’s also hoping for an exchange of information. The main reason why he could be working for Scrooge might be to find out what happened to Della. If anyone has an idea, it’d be Scrooge.

When the reboot opens up, we find out that LP just started working for Scrooge. He was really eager to talk about the aviation aspect of his life. His mentions of being a pilot could have been him seeing if he could carefully segue into asking Scrooge about Della. (Because bad things do happen to those who speak of her.) He was low-key trying to motivate Scrooge to come out of retirement so he could go on an adventure with him. Maybe he’s hoping that one of Scrooge’s adventures could possibly lead him to her or he wants to stay close to the family in case anything important leaks out.

Launchpad could be playing dumb (to an extent) so no one will suspect anything and to remain on Scrooge’s good side.

Launchpad has access to the mansion and he’s just roaming around the place. Does he live there? He just so happens to be behind the door whenever the word “pilot” is mentioned. Was he eavesdropping?

In the pilot episode of Darkwing Duck, “Darkly Dawns the Duck”, LP mentions having a scrapbook of newspaper clippings. Frank Angones confirmed on his Tumblr that this will still be relevant in the reboot. When Scrooge goes to look at his diving outfit, he walks past an old ripped up newspaper with a headline that alluded to Della’s disappearance. It’s likely that LP could have his own copy of the same article in his scrapbook with who knows what else.

Della and Launchpad definitely could have known each other, they’re both from well-known families with aviation relations: LP from The Flying McQuack stunt pilots (assuming this will be carried on into the reboot) and Della piloting for The Richest Duck in The World.  Della may have been his friend from flight school or their paths just so happen to cross one day and a friendship formed from that. Launchpad was probably a fan of hers; he was probably a fan of the McDuck’s in general with their globe-trotting and whatnot. Heck, Della could have been a fan of his family. For all we know, they may have inspired her to become a pilot️! The more active you are in your field, the more people you’ll meet within that field.

Why are Della and Launchpad matching? No, they’re not straight up matching but they're both pilots wearing brown and green.That doesn't automatically mean that they have a connection, but sometimes in art, it can signify importance.  One could argue that they have these colors because they’re pilots, but judging by characters like Baloo, Ripcord, Loopy and Gadget, it doesn't seem to be a requirement to wear them.

Tᴏᴘ, Lᴇғᴛ ᴛᴏ Rɪɢʜᴛ: Tʜᴇ TᴀʟᴇSᴘɪɴ ᴠᴇʀsɪᴏɴ ᴏғ Bᴀʟᴏᴏ ᴀɴᴅ Gᴀᴅɢᴇᴛ Hᴀᴄᴋᴡʀᴇɴᴄʜ ғʀᴏᴍ Cʜɪᴘ ᴀɴᴅ Dᴀʟᴇ : Rᴇsᴄᴜᴇ Rᴀɴɢᴇʀs.

Bᴏᴛᴛᴏᴍ, Lᴇғᴛ ᴛᴏ Rɪɢʜᴛ: Lᴀᴜɴᴄʜᴘᴀᴅ’s ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ; Rɪᴘᴄᴏʀᴅ MᴄQᴜᴀᴄᴋ, LP ᴏғ ᴄᴏᴜʀsᴇ, Bɪʀᴅɪᴇ MᴄQᴜᴀᴄᴋ ᴀɴᴅ Lᴏᴏᴘʏ MᴄQᴜᴀᴄᴋ.

Only Baloo has been confirmed for the reboot (not explicitly, but c’mon, you can’t have Cape Suzette without Baloo), but I think it’s safe to say that whenever any of these characters will show up, they’re not going to lose their signature colors. That breaks the rules of the character designs they’re going for. This show likes to update old characters while still retaining key features. (Like Webby for example, she has an indigo vest and a purple skirt now, but she still has pink articles of clothing.) Brown is very common when it comes to what pilots wear, but those shades of green? Whenever green is incorporated in aviator outfits, they’re usually in much duller shades and sometimes boarder-lining brown.

At first, I thought their colors were some kinda indicator of the flight school they went to, but I later began to doubt that. Their outfits probably aren't something that a school would enforce anyway, they’re a little too casual; Della’s wearing shorts and LP’s even more so with his t-shirt and cap.

I also thought maybe what Della is wearing in the reboot was a reference to her pilot outfit in the “80 is prachtig”/”Family Ties” comic that the show-runners drew inspiration from for her character. I took another look at it and the design is completely different from what Reboot!Della wears. Green and brown are present, but overall, the design of it isn’t strong enough to make a good comparison.

In “Woo-oo!”, Della is depicted in an outfit closer to what LP used to wear in the old series, but in other depictions, her outfit falls more in line with what Reboot!LP wears when he's adventuring.

Nᴏᴛᴇ: Tʜᴇ ᴘɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇᴏɴ ᴛᴏᴘ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴅᴀʀᴋᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴏғ ɪᴛ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ʜɪᴅᴅᴇɴ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴀʀᴀɢᴇ. I ᴀʟᴛᴇʀᴇᴅ ɪᴛ ᴀ ʙɪᴛ ᴛᴏ ɢɪᴠᴇ ᴀɴ ɪᴅᴇᴀ ᴏғ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪɴ ɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟ ʟɪɢʜᴛɪɴɢ.

Tʜᴇ ᴘɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴛᴛᴏᴍ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ɪs ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴍɪᴄ “Oʟᴅ Mᴏɴᴛᴇᴘʟᴜᴍᴀɢᴇ Hᴀᴅ A Cʜɪᴄᴋᴇɴ!” ɪɴ Issᴜᴇ #2 ᴏғ IDW’s DᴜᴄᴋTᴀʟᴇs sᴇʀɪᴇs

Della’s scarf is often a shade of blue-green and LP’s hat falls in that spectrum. Blue-green is the dominant color in Della’s dedication room (and the dining room where she shoved Donald’s head into a cake, lol). LP was mainly wearing a shade this color and other various shades of green in “The Impossible Summit of Mt. Neverrest”.

Launchpad’s standard wardrobe has never had the color green or blue-green in it until the reboot. (As far as I know, anyway.) He had a light-green scarf in Fabian Mense’s concept art and now he wears two green articles of clothing. LP completely loses the color green when he’s a chauffeur. Based on the covers for the new DT comics and other early promotional material, it’s suggested that he was originally going to wear his chauffeur outfit consistently no matter what task he was doing. Somewhere later in production, it was decided for him to have two separate outfits.

Tᴏᴘ, Lᴇғᴛ ᴛᴏ Rɪɢʜᴛ: Fʀᴏᴍ ᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ 2ᴠᴇɪɴᴛᴇ’s ᴘʀᴏᴍᴏs, ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ Cᴏᴠᴇʀ B ғᴏʀ Issᴜᴇ #4, ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ Cᴏᴠᴇʀ B ғᴏʀ Issᴜᴇ #5.

Bᴏᴛᴛᴏᴍ, Lᴇғᴛ ᴛᴏ Rɪɢʜᴛ: A sᴄʀᴇᴇɴsʜᴏᴛ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ Dᴜᴄᴋʙᴜʀɢ Qᴜᴇsᴛ ᴍᴏʙɪʟᴇ ɢᴀᴍᴇ, ғʀᴏᴍ ᴀɴ ᴇᴀʀʟʏ ᴘɪᴇᴄᴇ ᴏғ ᴘʀᴏᴍᴏ ᴀʀᴛ.

Della and Launchpad’s outfits seem to suggest that they’re very in-tune with each other. This is looking a little too close to purely be a designing coincidence...

So...they’re both pilots, they have a good chance of knowing who the other is, it’s very likely they were friends and they’re sporting similar colors. With all these similarities, factors and connectedness going on, one can’t help but wonder…

Could Launchpad…

...actually be…

....the long-lost father of the triplets?!

(Yes, I'm going THERE! And yes, I know, but here me out.)

I mean, with all this talk of mom, it’s only a matter of time before there’s talk about dad, right? LP and Della are oddly connected from the get-go. In “Woo-oo!”, the pilot episode, Launchpad, a pilot, constantly states “I’m a pilot!I’m a pilot!I’m a pilot!” and what do we find out at the end of the two-parter? HDL’s mom is a pilot. Like...what’s with all this pilotception? I’m having a hard time believing that the show-runners would set something up like this for it to go nowhere️.

We still don’t know too much about Launchpad. He has this mysterious background that the characters aren't really paying attention to; especially Scrooge. He constantly ignores LP every time he tries to talk to him about his life.

It seems to be implied that he was a world traveler before he started working for Scrooge. He claims that the road is his office and he has the ability to speak other languages. (How well he’s able to speak them isn’t exactly certain. He suddenly spoke in Swedish when Webby was trying to lie to her grandmother and he probably knows Chinese as well.)

It’s been confirmed that the old episode, “Double O Duck” will be reworked into this show, and depending on how the crew plans on using its story elements, he could have been or could still be a spy! Back in the 90’s there was a Disneyland live show called “Plane Crazy” that involved Launchpad along with a few other Disney Afternoon characters being recruited by the FBI to retrieve a stole spy jet. There’s another secret agent connection right there! The show-runners aren't just pulling from the comics and the previous show, there’s a good possibility that they could use something like this as a source. (I mean, they made something as obscure as a Toontown Online reference! Almost anything is possible!)

No one expects much from Launchpad McQuack. People think he’s just this stupid comic relief guy who keeps crashing planes everywhere. The Macau trip proved that there’s more to him than what he seems. LP is an outsider with a ton of connections.This won’t be the first time he surprises us.

If he’s the father, why does he not remember his children? At first I was thinking that maybe some mind-wiping might have come into play. (How far is Scrooge willing to go to cover up Della’s existence? What the heck happened to the mailman?!) It would explain his odd behavior and why he’s so unfocused, but now I’m leaning more towards an event in the past that could have prevented him from returning to his family.

He could have gone missing himself, he probably didn't even know Della was pregnant during his absence. Maybe he had a severe injury that kept him sidelined. (No one has ever died during LP’s crashes, but has anyone ever gotten hurt?) LP is already a clumsy-accident prone character who always ends up getting in some sort of dangerous incident. In the episodes we've seen so far, something always ends up impairing him during the adventures.

                       Let’s check the hit counter:

Bitten up by snakes

Falling off a mountain

Freaking out about ice fever

Several arrows to the back

He had an eye-patch in that same episode, so he possibly sustained an eye injury

Crashing into a wall

Getting paranoid about mole monsters

He’s also apparently sunk a helicopter in a wave pool once

Tʜᴇ Iɴsᴛᴀɢʀᴀᴍ ᴅᴇsᴄʀɪᴘᴛɪᴏɴ ɪs ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜɪs ᴘᴏsᴛ. Iᴛ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ʀᴇғᴇʀʀɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴍᴏᴜɴᴛ ᴏғ ᴛɪᴍᴇs ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏ ᴡɪʟʟ ʟᴏᴏᴘ ʀᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ Lᴀᴜɴᴄʜᴘᴀᴅ ᴄᴏɴsᴛᴀɴᴛʟʏ ʜᴀᴠɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪɴɢs ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴ ᴛᴏ ʜɪᴍ, ʙᴜᴛ sᴛɪʟʟ.

In HDL’s original comic debut, their mom leaves Donald a letter, mentioning their father being hospitalized due to a firecracker exploding under his chair. Doesn't sound too far off from some kind of crazy thing that could have happen to Launchpad. 

[Note: Della originally started out as Donald’s cousin.]

Sky Pirates exist in this universe due to Talespin, maybe they raided his plane and kidnapped him. If he’s a spy, he could have been called out on a long mission. Launchpad could have also been in the military. I've seen comments when some viewers were speculating that LP might be suffering from PTSD due to how badly he reacted in “Terror of the Terrifirmians!”. The oldest illustration of the triplets’ father (WHY did they give him human ears?! ARRHG!) depicts him having a buzz cut hairstyle. This could be suggesting he was a soldier. Launchpad did army crawl in “The Impossible Summit of Mt. Neverrest!”, and there was a scene where he was acting like a drill sergeant in “The Living Mummies of Toth-Ra!”. Heh, I guess that could be another explanation to why he’s wearing green.  (LP just strikes me as a character who has had multiple occupations in the past.) 

[Note: Della was previously called “Thelma” and “Dumbella” before her name was finalized.]

If he’s the father, how could Donald and Scrooge not know who he is️? I really don’t think they would know...Della probably didn't properly introduce them to him. This could have been due to his possible disappearance. He could have been really busy due to whatever job he had at the time or maybe she was afraid to tell them who he was because they could have thought poorly of him. (He probably was notorious for his constant crashing around.) I have a bit of a feeling that Della kept certain important things in secret; her love-life probably being one of those things (And the possibility that she was working with Magica). I’m sure Scrooge could care less about who Della’s dating, he just needs her to be available for adventures.

Now with Donald, I dunno. In the “80 is prachtig”/”Family Ties” comic, Della just randomly shows up at Donald’s door with the triplets. He had just returned from the navy and he didn't even know she had children. Why wouldn't she tell Donald? It feels so weird for someone as close as your twin sister to lose contact like that. (Really? No letters? No telegrams or whatever means of long-distance communication that existed in that time frame?)

D’oh geez...what if Donald knew or had a feeling but saw Launchpad unfit to take care of the boys?  He already isn't very fond of LP for mishandling his damaged houseboat. I just wanna see Donald show a general annoyance towards Launchpad regardless of it having anything to do with Della. LP’s character was basically created to r̶e̶p̶l̶a̶c̶e̶ help fill the void Donald left behind in the old series after he went off to the navy. It would be entertaining to see something meta like that.

Towards the end of “Woo-oo!” where Scrooge instructs HDL not to tell their Uncle Donald about going to Atlantis, Launchpad says “Wait, who is that?” This could suggest that he doesn't know who Donald is, but it’s possible that it was the “Uncle” part that threw him off. Donald wasn't an uncle 10+ years ago, so maybe he thought Scrooge was referring to another relative. It’s also possible that LP wasn't paying attention during Scrooge and Donald’s exchange in the earlier part of the special. Depending on how far the spy element will be worked into his character, he could also be pretending he doesn't know who Donald is so his cover won’t be blown. (Would Della not tell Launchpad about her brother? If so... why?)

If the relationship Launchpad and Della have is a romantic one, I don’t think the show runners are going to be quick to confirm it. Frank Angones stated that this show isn't about romantic relationships. That doesn't mean that there won’t be any romance, but it’s main focus will be on the platonic relationships that go on in a family. Discovering who both of HDL’s parents are fits perfectly with the family theme of the show, but we probably won’t see this get addressed until maybe the third season or the end of the show in the fourth season. (Disney has a rule about how their shows can’t exceed four seasons.) The relationships of the main cast needs to be established first before a surprise element like this can be thrown into the mix.

While it may take a long time for their connection to be addressed, I believe there may already be hints to insure that this is happening. In my next post, I'll be discussing some other interesting things I've noticed and what they could mean.

Are you up for more reading? Continue here.

[jsuki]

Jsuki; DIABOLIK LOVERS Lunatic Parade - Character Ranking & After-thoughts

I've got this game for over a year...(omg), but with so many other series and new games to play, I kinda kept this on my shelf after unboxing it, till recently. LP follows the style similar to Vandead Carnival, with the mini-games and sub-scenarios. It seems to be a very loose continuation from Dark Fate if you wish, but there really isn't much crucial plot, which means you can play this off the bat even if with no knowledge on DL prior. I also questioned why they really made this game, since it's so similar to VC and so low on importance...maybe for the Carla or Shin fans who are desperate to see their faves in a carnival setting? :/ Actually no, it's probably to get the die-hard DL fans like myself to spend more money.

Plot: Yui dreams that she had a conversation with a mysterious man, who asks her if she feels she is missing something, and also if the man she loves truly loves her for who she is or simply for her blood. Then one day, the Sakamaki / Mukami family receives an invitation by a certain Count Walter (who has stolen Yui's heart, literally), asking for them to come join a parade in the demon realm. In order to retrieve her heart, the boys and Yui travel there, before the temporary jewel that gives her life that's embedded in her body wears out, and then she dies. In this game, Yui is already in love with the boy and they are a couple, so for whoever's route you pick, the boy will be the one accompanying Yui on her fantabulous heart-retriving journey. There is also no illustration whatsover of Count Walter, or his butler, but I imagine in my heart that he's some crazy old bat similar to Karl Heinz.

Each of the boys' routes only have 4 chapters + ending. In order to get a good final end, you need to get at least 2 right answers and also the pass the mini-game. It's really the VC style, except simpler I think, since the answers are quite easy and you can even pick the level of the mini-game (I usually go for normal, but if you're unconfident, you can just go for easy, which makes it easier to pass). The general plot also goes like this: Enter realm > tries to find Count Walter > runs into random trouble > solve trouble while playing at the carnival > Count Walter returns heart?? The game was not without its loopholes too; I understand that when Yui doesn't have a heart, blood won't be pumping through her body, and so, her smell won't attract any vampires. However, when Count Walter returns her her heart, it seems she can still prance around enjoying the parade with no problems after, lolol.

I've done up a usual Top 5 character ranking, which will contain some spoilers, so please read at your own risk! Please also know that I didn't jot down any notes or write the descriptions instantly after finishing each route, so everything's off the top of my head. Top 5 is also from favourite to least favourite routes!

Sakamaki Subaru: Tsunbaru continues to strike in LP! Going into the demon world, they actually enter Count Walter's mansion immediately, where Subaru threatens the Count instantly by knocking over the some expensive art in his house. Unfortunately, it seems the Count won't appear anymore, so they figured they'll have to replace the broken art piece if they even want to discuss him returning Yui's heart. They go to find an eccentric old art collector, who sets them out on 3 tasks. In the end, Count Walter really does just return Yui's heart to her, after the 3 tasks were finished. (LOL Count Walter is a weirdo with too much time on his hands.) But Subaru was just super sweet throughout, and you actually get character development! Subaru first sees Yui being kind and helpful to others, and at the end, he does the same (which becomes key to solving task 3). I actually really like that. Despite Subaru bellowing at half of the things, in the end, he and Yui dress up in costumes, send lanterns in the sky, and kiss in the middle of the parade. My heart<3

Mukami Ruki: While his was a bit too serious and negative(?) during Vandead Carnival, I felt like his route this time was really enjoyable! He’ll keep the task in mind, still let them enjoy the carnival, but then tease Yui and there’ll be a lot of hot, kissing scenes ((((:

Sakamaki Kanato: Kanato is actually a fun route for me to play, unexpectedly! Despite his tantrums and all, he was hell-bent on getting Yui’s heart back, and I thought the entire route was quite the adventure, from them getting swept up in the sky, to running amock in the caves. He was also pretty sweet (in the scenarios where he should be). Such a far cry from the Kanato I know in the first two games!

Sakamaki Shu: I can’t quite remember what happened in Shu’s route anymore :/ It wasn’t memorable, and as usual, Shu is just kinda sluggish, reluctant and logical about his actions to retrieving Yui’s heart. Mainly, they were running around trying to track Count Walter’s butler. They had cute moments tho, like them holding hands as they stroll through the parade, or when they rode the ferris wheel. I remember one thing that annoyed me was how awkward some of his CGs looked…it’s like their art and design department forgot how the kiss scenes go, and that final CG of them kissing especially looked like they’re trying to merge their faces together :| I’M SO CONFUSED. OK but I don’t remember hating his route, so it must just be so-so.

Sakamaki Ayato: Ayato is my favourite character, so when he is out of character, it stands out extra to me. While in the demon world, Ayato and Yui run into constant trouble, which is mostly because Ayato is too brash and too violent, and goes around hitting people or intruding onto other people’s premises =_= Instead of really focusing on getting Yui’s heart back, it’s more like we’re running around, trying to fix some irrelevant shit that Ayato started. There were also scenes where Ayato tries to kiss Yui at obviously inappropriate situations, so none of it feels romantic to me because clearly, the mood isn’t there. I was generally pretty frustrated doing Ayato’s route b/c it was as though Ayato had no sense of urgency, even though when there comes a crucial moment to talk about how important Yui’s heart is, he’s able to do it, but his actions along the way don’t prove that. In the end, Ayato admits and assures Yui that he loves her, not simply for her heart, but also for her soul, and they make out at the ferris wheel before the parade ends. The route then ended and I had no idea whatever happened with Count Walter, the demon world’s citizens and the bad guys????? Overall, a route with no heads or tails.

Bonus → Sakamaki Laito (This is up because he's the only guy I happened to type out the description for, so I shan't let it go to waste now): Is it just because I dislike Laito? I felt like he wasn’t very serious about the fact that she LOST HER HEART, and that he finds it to be troublesome trying to retrieve it. Half the time, since they can’t seem to enter Count Walter’s mansion, they get played into this young vampire swindler’s hands, who promises them that he knows the way in. They meet a bunch of tiring hurdles, somehow gets lucky and passes them, but then there is no actual meaning as to how they contribute to the big picture. You feel they’re all just kinda one-off, but at the end of the day, Count Walter says he is impressed and then just gives Yui her heart back <_< It’s like, in the end, Laito already given up and just says, “Let’s enjoy the parade” and Yui is like, “Let’s”. CLEARLY THEY HAVE GIVEN UP. I think partially it is just Laito’s supposed personality, but I’ve never been a fan of him so I guess it just wasn’t enjoyable.

Additionally, there are also the ‘Care for vampire’ and ‘Date with (insert family name)’ scenarios. I thought the the Date with Sakamakis one was super cute, where the boys each take turns to take Yui out on a date, such as Shu taking her shopping, and Subaru bringing her to a public cafe and drink from a heart-shaped straw…because they’re silently competing as to which brother she enjoys going on dates with the best. Hilarious stuff!

Overall, even as a DL fan, you don't really need this game. If you're desperate for a carnival setting, please play Vandead Carnival, since it's a lot better, with better CGs to boot. They really recycled a lot of stuff (including the mini-games and BGM), and the plot is thin too, and if I knew earlier, I would actually skip the game myself.

Currently, I'm playing UtaPri Repeat Love~ will post up a review as usual after I'm done! Other games that I've also pre-ordered for my PSV include Osomatsu-san THE GAME, MARGINAL#4 ROAD TO GALAXY. Still considering Tsukiuta's Tsukitomo. I'M BUSY.

[nastyy3xclusivesclt-blog]

The man behind the Muses, the Apo11otone Interview

Apo11o is a charlotte based artist/ producer on the rise. I have been a huge fan of his since about 2011-2012. It is nothing short of amazing how far he has come and how he continues to grow. Apo11otone is getting away from the “new wave” sound and building a brand of his own. With smooth melodies that flow through the soul and hard hitting trap drums makes an amazing contrast. He makes music for the soul, music you can feel, and because of that, he is one of my favorite artists in the game right now. Get to know the man behind one of my new favorite songs “One Call” 

Who is Apo11otone?

“ApolloTONE, is an experimental producer, an artistic writer, a writer's assist, and a fly on the wall.”

What inspired you to get into music?

“My inspiration to do the music was my mom always played music and when I started to understand it I soon found out people actually made the music that I was hearing and I decided to give it a shot once I started studying hip-hop's origins.”

Are you interested in other forms of art? Is so who are some nonmusical influences of yours?

“The other forms of art that I am interested in stem from abstract art and film. I see people as an art of someone else that makes up their current state/form so the human mind is another form of art I enjoy. All of these are nonmusical influences for my writing. With production, I'm inspired by movies and making the music portray it to the point you feel it more than hear it”

Who are some people you look up to? (music related and nonmusic-related)

“Music related easily my mentor special edition because that nigga took off young and big for his era like Cosby show type shit. And Kanye West, because of he really innovative even when he's disliked but really pushing the limit of modern art with his artwork ideas for the music. Nonmusic is Tai Lopez because he makes money look so busy and interesting I'm all for that life through the stresses of money “

Are you still in school?

“I am no longer in school I went just for a piece of paper to certify my craft. The worst part is I went for something I didn't want to do lol I just capitalized on the opportunity handed to me.”

Do you think school is a direct route to success?

“I don't think school is the MAIN route to success but it is definitely a vital one because you're around plenty of people nearly able to rub shoulders with them and all you have to do is reach out and make it fun.”

Who are some artist you wanna work with? (locally and nonlocally)

“Right now I just want to work with those who genuinely want to work with me and not for my sound because I don't really have my eyes on anyone right now I'm more focused on completing my sound to the point I can do it all on my own on a track.”

Where do you get the inspiration to get in the booth?

“When I go in the booth and really give it my all like on "I'm not talking" I really revisit this one time I really felt that I would never rap again and remember never wanting to feel like that again and that I had put way too much work into the craft to really do that to myself”

How would you explain your sound to someone who never heard a song by you?

“How I explain my music to people is probably the soundtrack for a young ambitious man's troubled love life while chasing his dream on a bigger scale than many think he even knew existed”

(You never heard a song by Apo11otone?! Here im gonna bless with a little snippit. https://youtu.be/mJ-6_DV7OtI)

Do you listen to any other genres of music outside of RnB and Hiphop? If so what and who?

“I listen to indie music kinda like that girl pop shit lol. I stumble across a few rock songs but I'm more into the indie.”

How do you feel about the charlotte music scene?

I feel the Charlotte music scene is getting tight and the struggle almost isn't even near its full potential to be just because it isn't time yet. We have many different lanes and oddly enough only 3 legit crowds, therefore, causing some artist that gain the most notoriety feel like they can lose it all from shining light on the budding artist in the city, that's just my observation. I actually kinda like it because once it rains and the ones who earned it definitely will get their shine they deserve.”

If this was the last time you could say something that you wanted people to know what would you tell them?

“MODEL MUSE MASTERPIECE is the process of all artistry.”

Quotes you live by…

“A quote I live by is ‘work smarter not harder.’ I prefer to think how I'm going to get through something before I try to do it blinded with whatever the situation is.”

Any shoutouts...

“I of course want to shout you out for watching and supporting the wave I'm working on and having me as an artist on your radar. I want to shout out my brother's stacks, Gemini, Erik for being by Me through EVERY situation I want to shout out my MUSE always motivate me to do better, all my mentors and any Industry leader that shared their experience and knowledge with me.” 

Current Projects and Activity

Single “One Call” https://soundcloud.com/apo11otone/one-call EP “Model” https://soundcloud.com/apo11otone/sets/model-ep LP “Muse” Coming May 2017 LP “Masterpiece” 4th quarter 2017

Social Medias 

Instagram : apo11otone

Facebook : apo11otone

Twitter : Apo11otone

Visuals: “One Call” 

https://youtu.be/mJ-6_DV7OtI

[gymnasticcrazy-blog]

M/Age 25--26/BW 58--68 kg/1.70 m. 1 Year of powerlifting and calisthenics. http://bit.ly/2SuuOZF

TLDR: Circa 1 year Progress Summary

M 25--26. All units, graphs and tables are SI (m, kg). For the graphs W_i = weight at the start of the programme, so \Delta W / W_i is relative weight increase from the start of the programme.

Progress pics. Before any lifting (50 kg), started CAP3 (58 kg) when those trousers used to fit, last day of gym before holiday closure (68 kg), not sure i have a pump since i hung out talking to a friend for a while before taking these wheels 1, wheels 2, back 1, back 2, front.

January 2018 December 2018 Height 1.70 1.70 Weight 58 68 DL 112.5 150 LBS 62.5 100 Bench 52.5 82.5 OHP 35 50 Cheat Pendlay Row 80 107.5

I've also unlocked a 30 degree V-sit for 15 seconds, one leg tuck back lever (good form) for 15 seconds, one leg tuck front lever (ok form) for 5 seconds. I'm working on muscle up progressions.

Backstory

I've been really pretty skinny all my life, did martial arts for 12 years but was always really lean. Things weren't the greatest financially and personally during my undergrad which led me to getting extremely skinny. Seeing pictures of me from that time is like seeing a completely different person. I never got diagnosed but I'm pretty sure I was depressed, life was shit.

Thankfully my luck started to change during the summer of 2014, which eventually led to a PhD offer from my dream university in early 2016. Once I got here, it just so happened had a free subscription to the university gym. I also got rejected by a girl, which pushed me to bite the bullet and start lifting. At that point I weighed 50 kg and had shit posture (nerd neck and rolled shoulders).

I started going in february 2017 but felt so out of place and my left shoulder really hurt from years of forward rolled shoulders. I was so self conscious I spent my time by the rowing machine hating life and messing around with shitty machines. I was so uncomfortable that I only lasted a week and stopped going for a month. During that month, I reevaluated and decided to do it properly.

metallicadpa's PPL

The first programme I tried was metallicadpa's PPL. Overall I think it's probably the best beginner programme in the sidebar for someone without a knowledgeable gym buddy. I really appreciate the fact it's a full programme with great accessories included (I still use them). I don't have any numbers because I was so embrarrased that I kept track only in my head. I was scared of barbells so all I used were dumbells for the first six months. Around October 2017 I was confident enough I started using them. I remember struggling squatting 40 kg and deadlifting 70 kg.

I recommend this programme to anyone who wants to start lifting. However, I would only do it for 3--6 months, I should've changed sooner but needed to build my confidnce. I gained 8 kg doing this.

nSuns CAP3

By mid December 2017 I was invested enough that I decided I needed an actual powerlifting programme. Before the gym closed for the holiday break I tested my 5 RMs from which the initial numbers were estimated. I decided on nSuns CAP3 for its conservative progression and the fact that I could keep accessories and be done relatively quickly (1 hr 15 -- 1 hr 45 min).

Started January 3rd 2018 when the gym reopened. Here's how my T1 and T2 lifts progressed (periods without progress are due to travelling). It's interesting to see the relative vs raw increases in my lifts. The TMs ran away from me so they're not realistic 1 RMs.

I loved the programme and will definitely go back at some point. Having changed to the 6-day LP squat version, I have to say progressing my squat was really hard with CAP3. I really struggled with the first day of the first week of T1 squats. Also, progression may have been too slow for a newbie like me, considering how fast my lifts have been progressing since swapping to the LP.

Here are the accessories I did during my time on nSuns' CAP3:

Day Excercise Sets Reps or Hold time Bench Dragon flag 3 8+ Back Lever 3+ 12+ s Front Lever 3+ 12+ s Hanging Leg Raise/Around the World/Toes to bar/Foot to opposite hand 3 6+/8+/10+ Face Pull 3 10+/12+/15+ Deadlift Incline DB bench 3 6+/8+/10+ Dips 3 4+/6+/8+/10+ Bicep curl 1 3 6+/8+/10+ Bicep curl 2 3 6+/8+/10+ L/V-sit 3+ 12+ s Squat Calf Raise 3 8+/12+/15+ Pullups 3+ 4+/6+/8+/10+ Lateral Raise 3 10+/12+ Ab wheel rollout/Parallette Crunch 3 6+/8+/10+ Lunges/Bulgarian split squat 3 8+/10+/12+

I periodised them with the same idea as the main lifts but made sure the overall volume for each muscle group remained around the same for each of the three weeks. I also didn't stress out if i missed reps as long as the main lifts kept progressing.

nSuns LP 6-day squat version

Here's my progress so far, started 5th November 2018. It's been disrupted by travel but i've been hitting PRs every week. It's interesting to see that the linear component is larger on the LP than CAP3 on most lifts, however it's still too early to tell which will yield greater long term progress (my money is on the LP for the time being).

Since the LP is much longer, the accessories have taken a hit. I try to do them all, but sometimes I'm too gassed or have spent way too long so I cut my accessories short. However, I always do my rows and pullups with all the pressing in nSuns, I do extra band pullaparts over the day if I skip facepulls.

The exercises correspond to the day but the rep schemes are for them all (except for isometrics, where i go for time rather than reps). I periodise them similarly to how I did on CAP3:

Day Excercise Sets Reps or Hold time Bench 1 / OHP / Bench 2 Dragon flag/Landmine Anti rotation/L or V-Sit 3 8+ Back Lever 3+ 12+ s Front Lever 3+ 12+ s Pullups (Weighted)/Pullups (Variations)/Muscle up 3+ 4+/6+/8+/10+ Cheat Pendlay Rows/Kroc Row Same as CAP3 - Face Pull 3 10+/12+/15+ Squat 1 / Deadlift / Squat 2 Incline DB bench/Dips 3 8+ Dips / Incline DB bench / Reverse grip barbell bicep curl 3 4+/6+/8+/10+ Hip Thrust / Hip thrust / Barbell bicep curl 3 6+/8+/10+ Lunges / Bulgarian Split Squat / Lateral raise 3 6+/8+/10+ L or V-sit / Hanging leg raise or Toes to bar / Ab-wheel rollouts 3+ 12+ s / 8+/10+/12+

Nutrition

I don't keep track of all my nutrition, but have made sure to eat 2.5+ g of protein per kilo of lean body mass daily. I've also been stuffing my face with as much food as possible but it's really hard for me. Presumably because I eat really healthily, I cook for myself and I'm a big fan of fruit. I'm not a big fan of carbs but I make an effort with potatoes. I'm comfortable with my strength and weight gain, probably sitting around 12--14% bodyfat.

Social gainz

Holy ass-gropin' batman! It's been great! Some of the travelling I did over the summer was visiting home, people commented on the gains a lot. I even inducted some of my friends to the gym life. The first thing two friends said to me after not seeing me in over a year was that i had gotten huge (lol). I've had my ass grabbed and my shirt taken off by drunk girls at clubs (#metoo), i've even gotten free drinks from drunk bar maids. Apparently i'm attractive now (having an ok short beard doesn't hurt), it's awesome.

I also joined the powerlifting club at the university. So many memes. It's awesome.

Future

I'll carry on with the 6-day nSuns LP because my OHP and Deadlift have exploded. Squat is much easier to progress now and bench seems faster but it's hard to tell at this point. I'll eventually switch back to CAP3 once linear gains fully run out or when this programme squeezes the life out of me. I imagine I'll switch back and forth between programmes as they bave both worked really well and I enjoy them both. I think CAP3 is more manageable in the long term however, especially when my squat improves past 120 kg. I think I might modify the OHP progression to be more like the LP though, I like these OHP gains. I also want to keep mixing in calisthenics, once I unlock levers I'll move them to maintenance and start on planches and human flags.

I'm not chasing any particular numbers but it would be pretty sweet to get 130/110/170/65 for S/B/D/OHP by the end of the year, also straddle levers, a 60 deg v-sit and a kipping muscle up would be sick. Ambitious but we'll see.

submitted by /u/KrunoS [link] [comments] December 30, 2018 at 09:11PM