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Sky Hundred- Parannoul
Despite shoegaze's unlikely skyrocket in popularity throughout the last few years thanks to an immense zoomer bump via TikTok, one of the genre's most compelling voices is still an anonymously-fronted recording project from South Korea who records under the name Parannoul. The South Korean shoegaze phenom has been releasing increasingly strong LPs under the Parannoul alias throughout the last few years (following a tremendously prolific few years recording under the name laststar), marginally upping the fidelity and sense of ambition with each subsequent LP. Parannoul's seminal 2023 LP, After the Magic, is a sublime blend of shoegaze, emo, and bedroom pop, and the kind of release that simultaneously evokes the best work from legends past while sounding like nothing else happening in music currently. Its follow-up and Parannoul's first live record, After the Night, recontexualized their larger than life midi symphonies with a remarkably visceral touch, made all the more impressive given that it was cut from their first ever life performance. Given the relatively short gap between AtN and their recently released 4th LP, Sky Hundred, it's easy to dismiss the latter as a comparably tossed of record to capitalize on the momentum of last year's 1,2 punch breakthrough, but SH quickly reveals itself as yet another meticulously crafted triumph.
The sound of SH isn't going to surprise anyone who's been paying attention to Parannoul's output to any varying degree. The arrangements are entirely midi-based, yet manage to exude the dreamy destruction of heavily distorted, effects-laden guitar music with aplomb. The production is more or less no-fi and frills-less, with a homespun charm bleeding through every crevice in each mix. Whereas the sound of AfM softened some of the rougher edges of Parannoul's music while elevating their excellent use of dynamics so that, at its heaviest, the guitars could still lay you flat, SH surges into the red more frequently and with more reckless abandon. There's a freewheeling chaotic energy that almost feels claustrophobic at times here. While some of the songs could use more of the breathing room that AtM offered in spades, some, like the stunning mid-album reverie, "Evoke Me" or the final few minutes of "Backward" have gorgeous passages that lean into Parannoul's underrated sense of melody, allowing the subsequent sonic storms to land with a heightened gravitas. There's nothing on SH that delivers the immediacy and catharsis of something like "We Shine at Night" or "Blossom", but that doesn't really seem to be the intention here. There aren't any elements of screamo or K-pop or anything that really challenges the notion of what Parannoul can be here, but it still doesn't sound like a pure retread. Parannoul's peeled back the scope of their compositions, but that restraint simply serves to show how superb their fundamentals are.
While the music on SH isn't as ambitious nor as audacious as Parannoul’s strongest work, it still contains a few of the strongest songs that they’ve ever released (and are therefore among the strongest songs that I’ve heard from anyone this decade so far). The aforementioned "Evoke Me" sounds like what an epic from The Microphones might've sounded like if the project began a decade and a half later and their black metal north star was early Deafheaven in the best way possible courtesy of its perfectly rendered suite of tension building lo-fi guitar squalls that give way to a gently-swelling reverie only to ignite more dynamically throughout its subsequent several minutes. The opener "A Lot Can Happen" opens to a single piano chord ringing out faintly before a cacophony of battered percussion, searing distortion, and swelling synths approximate a classic Parannoul symphony in miniature, almost as a tease, before beginning an infectious hi-hat heavy jaunt that culminates with a payoff of explosive percussion and keys surging with that unmistakable, life-affirming glow that, at this point, belongs to them alone. And the closer, "Fantasy", though more succinct than one might expect from someone who makes blown-out bombast the norm, swells with a sense of hard-won resolution, and suggests a more tempered, post-rock-leaning trajectory for the project if Parannoul ever decide to wholeheartedly lean into the less aggressive but no less urgent spectrum of their sound. Although the music rarely surprises, it’s pretty remarkable just how far Parannoul can mine their fairly limited sonic palette while still sidestepping diminishing returns and finding new avenues of expression.
As you might imagine, the lyrics are still sung entirely in South Korean, and you still don't need to understand a word of that language for the music to clearly convey the pathos propelling it forth. The aching tone inherent to Parannoul’s vocals alone speaks volumes. This is where, more so than any specific sonic signifiers, Parannoul's connection to emo (particularly its more explicitly experimental 5th wave) comes clearest into view. And like many of emo's current practitioners, there's still, even without Parannoul's boldest genre experiments on display, a sense of sheer ambition for the sake of ambition that courses throughout SH. That sense of yearning, for a better life, for a deeper sense of purpose, for the ability to push yourself beyond the limitations of what you believed possible, is rendered in kaleidoscopic detail throughout SH's soaring songcraft. Although there's a perpetual melancholic undercurrent in Parannoul music, (SH on the whole is no exception to this generalization) that strive to grow beyond yourself to a place greater than you ever could've imagined is laid bare on closer "Fantasy" ("Only after falling/I learned to fly/After overcoming myself/I accepted myself/There must be a fall/To rise up again/After overcoming myself/I abandoned myself"). The greatest gift that Parannoul's idiosyncratic artistry continues to offer beyond the seemingly limitless riches of the music itself is a compelling case that you can do the same for yourself.
Essentials: "Evoke Me", “Fantasy”, “A Lot Can Happen”
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Parannoul - After the Magic (Album Review)
Genres: Shoegaze, Indie Rock, Art Rock
After spending several years dropping projects on the underbelly of indie music under the name laststar, a certain South Korean shoegaze artist took up the name Parannoul in 2020 with the record Let's Walk on the Path of a Blue Cat. The musician followed the aforementioned record up in 2021 with To See the Next Part of the Dream, his breakthrough record thanks to attention and acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork and even Rate Your Music itself. To See the Next Part of the Dream was an epic conquest of shoegaze that struck a deeply emotional chord with many listeners. As such, it would take a lot for Parannoul to equal the success of his sophomore record even after several excellent collaborations with artists like Asian Glow in recent memory. Despite the odds being against him, the musician still manages to come out on top of this battle with artistic limitations in the form of After the Magic.
After the Magic strikes a perfect balance between everything that has made Parannoul's body of work great in the past and the things that he does in an attempt to push himself as a musician. Parannoul's latest studio album is just as emotion-centric as any of his previous works have been. Those familiar with records like the previously mentioned To See the Next Part of the Dream will be well aware of just how successfully dramatic and striking Parannoul's work can be. All of this accomplishment in the realm of lush, atmospheric music manages to translate perfectly to After the Magic. With that in mind, Parannoul has never been as grand yet sincere sounding as he does on this record. An argument to call After the Magic cinematic could certainly be made. This album is downright magical at times, as it feels bombastically large yet never over-the-top or unnecessarily explosive. After the Magic is a powerful listen that recognizes how important it sounds and manipulates that to its advantage rather than attempting to phone in any single aspect of itself. The sound quality here is utterly gorgeous. Parannoul and collaborator eeajik utilize After the Magic as a means to demonstrate their production-related abilities and endow the record with an ethereal soundscape. The album's cold yet inviting cover art is ultimately representative of what is found within the musical content itself. The way that songs develop in a distinctly gradual manner before they crescendo into walls of beautiful noise that sweep up the listener and everything else in their path is genuinely amazing at times. The entirety of After the Magic is nothing short of a triumph sonically. Every second of this record feels either aesthetically pleasing or musically staggering. If there were ever a reason to call a piece of music enchanting, it would be because it sounds something along the lines of After the Magic and the brilliance that Parannoul delivers here. Although After the Magic is arrestingly beautiful more often than not, it isn't uncommon for Parannoul to create music that is exactly that at this point. Where Parannoul's third full-length solo outing shines in the context of his discography is just how well it manages to push the boundaries of the limitations set by the shoegaze genre as well as Parannoul's prior records. After the Magic beautifully weaves together a multitude of sounds and influences that piece together like a highly impassioned puzzle. Of course, the record heavily focuses on shoegaze just like other Parannoul releases. However, After the Magic is just as rooted in chamber music as it is alternative rock and electronic. Through songs like "Arrival" and "Sketchbook," Parannoul shows off the range of his abilities artistically as he sculpts what may be his most creatively unique and distinct work to date. Parannoul has only been on most people's radar for a couple of years, but he shows the confidence and vision of someone with decades of experience. Perhaps it would be insulting to refer to him as a prodigy seeing as some of his earliest known works come from over half a decade ago. Then again, Parannoul's body of work thus far feels like a fresh and movement-defining discography that radiates just as much youth as it does artistic wisdom. No matter how you view Parannoul as an artist, it would be hard to debate against After the Magic being one of the true must-hears of indie music this year.
Final Rating: 4.5/5 (Absolutely Amazing)
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In the light are promises kept, dreams realized, time redeemed.
the last star
#thelaststar#laststar#theinfinitesea#thefifthwave#fifthwave#infinitesea#last#star#rickyancey#rick#ringer#marika#ben#light#dreams#promises#cassie#zombie#dumbo#book#bookquotes#quotes
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so like i subconciously did like a wc/akira/nge type situation with foxstar
in my oc world or whatever: silverpelt is considered the “creator” of the earth/space/life. they have no “vessel” and they appear as a vague cat-like shape made up of stars. they’re rarely seen unless some real shit is going down. they also created:
lasthope/star— “leader” of starclan. iffy moral compass, still seen as a savior/martyr and kind ruler. judge of the dead. sees peophecies and relays them to the messengers. reincarnates themselves into foxstar, giving him their immortal powers and driving him to sucide. after his death, laststar leaves foxstar’s body/vessel vacant without a soul to avoid him telling the horrors he witnessed and hides from everyone in shame. incident with foxstar leaves many questioning the powers starclan should have and if it’s fair some cats receive overwhelming powers.
losthope/star— “leader” of the dark forest. counterpart to laststar. they are the villain of nursery stories despite not being as evil. they were created to only watch over the dark forest, they weren’t sent there. tired all the time, mopey all the time bc it’s hard babysitting evil cats. helps along with silverpelt to return foxstar’s soul to his vessel and out laststar as unethical and cruel for the sake of mortal cats.
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Rarilight fusion and PinkieDash fusion. . Im thinking about making an mlp-au with fusions. Where ponys can fuse but only with permission and they usally only fuse with close ponies or for fighting or getting something really tough done. The stronger the bond the stronger the fusion. Ponies can only fuse after they get there cm. If the bond isn’t strong the fusion is unstable and can break. When ponies fuse they aren’t neccesarly stronger. Like ex: BurningStar, has the same amount of magic ablility as Burning Pyre and the same flight strength as LastStar. But if 2 unicorns fuse there magic powers would combine and be stronger. Same with pegisi and earth ponies. When they fuse they may look like alicorns but they aren’t techniquely. ONLY Celestia and Luna are alicorns and (might change them to pegasus and unicorn) When they fuse they practically become a god. The stronger the bond as well determines how long the fuse time can last for. Soldiers have to go through bonding training so they can have stronger fuses when the time needs it. . inspired by su
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https://ggtibyul.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-city-made-of-echoes
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Inverse Trio Au
This one was created by @perce, but there were many contributors. I intend to give credit where credit is due. If you see your work here and want it taken off, or it hasn’t been properly credited, please let me know!
(The format for this is different than it is for smaller AUs)
General
The post that started it all
Art
@lilimreaper
“It’s a carnivorous tulip, not a pet Sam”
Cool Inverse Trio art
@casepsart
Stargazing and a sister
Abandoned building
@ectopuppy
Power
@laststars
More cool art
@theartisticintrovert
Graffiti
Writing
@perce
Now and Again
@evanescent-epiphanies and @lunagalemaster
If you know of someone’s writing or art (or some other media) for this AU I’d be thrilled if you could show me, more material is always appreciated.
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Lo que ella sentia era peor que un tormento y nadie lo entendía, aquella noche bajo la luz de la luna ella lo recordaba, derramando lágrimas, imaginando lo que hubiera sido si el nunca se hubiera ido, si ella se enamoro como nunca antes, ella estaba loca y estupidamente enamorada de aquel chico alto, de piel morena, con mirada encantadora de esa que brilla cada que te mira, con una sonrisa hermosa, con risos en el pelo, pestañas largas, era la clase de chico que le gustaba usar jeans rotos, playera blanca y converse. Ella soñando con su mirada entendió que aquel chico que ella creia perfecto nunca se enamoro de esa chica encantadora y loca por las letras.
--- S.S✨ ( via-laststar-25)
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The Envlps – Last Star (Official Music Video) via https://youtu.be/0wb3EcSFcbE // A hint at how pop culture mutates both those who join its ranks, as performers, and those who consume it. By manipulating and rearranging images of Marilyn Monroe, the video both reproduces the performer’s own struggle with her image and examines the ways in which audiences influence the life of a performer. She is the Last Star symbolizing that all images are beyond our control; once created, they have the potential to destroy us. Directed and edited by Martin Schumet and Mika Johnson Assistant editor: Ján Tompkins Colorist: Jakub Tranta LAST STAR Written by Jakub Tranta and Seif Gouta Performed by The Envlps SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/theenvlps/last-star Bandcamp: https://theenvlps.bandcamp.com/track/last-star Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/last-star/1484668544 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/1sLuqVaWBgdGqICivvwpaO?si=IBJ8eKBxSYeL32o0vz0LBw #envlps #pushenvlps #indiepop #prague #officialmusicvideo #musicvideo #monroe #popculture #laststar
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Playlist 2019年7月12日
John June Year - Back Me Up - Modern Motives*** Kishi Bashi - F Delano - Omoiyari*** マグダラ呪念 Magdalene Ju-nen - 憂国 Grief - 人外綺譚 Jingai-Kitan God of Shamisen - The Science Fiction of Ray Bradbury Attack - Dragon String Attack HSIEN, SuSu - LATELY (ft.SuSu) - LATELY DJNOAH - Rose Feat.Lazy Kuma - DRIVE Harae Nagoshi - a1+2ent - 181-4 + hazard Deer Skull - Aphelion - Equant ya mai mo - mori no fushigi - ya mai mo Chihei Hatakeyama - Hot summer night - Void XIX Minami Deutsch/南ドイツ - Bitter Moon - With Dim Light KENJI FUJISAWA - し��わせの温度 - BY THE MUSIC
Iida Kenji & Onozaki Kiyokazu - 太陽 Taiyo - 流れ星と太陽 Nagare Boshi To Taiyo FOG - Shine - Shine / DreamingDreamingDreaming Housei Satoh - If I Could Time Travel - If I Could Time Travel 髭男 - 宿命 - Single Ostiola - Grids - Capturing Intertheoreticals 끝이별 (laststar) - Wishspiller - In The City Made Of Echoes Bosudong Cooler [보수동쿨러] - You were here, but disappeared - yeah, I don't want it The Molice - The Ray - GATE WINDRUNNER - Gravity - VUI Zo (Iida Tadashi) - くじらのかあさんは Kujira No Kasan Ha (The Whale Mam's Song) - a. Akina Nakamori - 瑠璃色の夜へ [Ruriiro no yoru e] - ファンタジー〈幻想曲〉(Fantasy)
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Week 52: The Band and Video Game Discovery Postmortem
Fifty-two weeks ago I set out to accomplish a silly little goal: to discover a new band and video game every week. It's not really all that different than my normal quest in life, but I wanted to put a time table on it and make sure that regardless of what challenges life threw at me, I'd carve out some time to explore the world for the things I love. During those fifty-two weeks a lot changed in my life. I got busier with work. I picked up a second job. My leisure time became almost non-existent. Yet I still found time each and every week to satiate that hunger. Not every week was easy. Sometimes, on the final day of the week, I'd be feverishly searching my regular channels struggling to find something to strike my fancy. Not everything I posted made an impact. Some weeks they just checked off the proper box and were quickly forgotten. There were also some softballs thrown in my direction when artists and developers that I liked unveiled new projects. But there were plenty of other weeks where I was overburdened by quality material and struggled to choose between some fantastic options.
I found countless bands I liked, many of which have gone into my normal rotation. The discoveries of Mass Sky Raid, VOLA, KOSATKA, Spring.Fall.Sea, ad My Violainé Morning have provided an unmeasurable amount of joy. I found post-rock bands spanning the globe, some progressive and experimental groups, and even a rapper. Going back through the list, its astounding just how many great bands there are waiting to be discovered. Some are in their early stages, with merely a single song. Others have been around for years, and have even sometimes already disbanded.
On the game side of things, most of the games aren't out. And the few that are I haven't had a chance to play on account of my free time crapping the bed. But there are quite a few that I'm extremely hyped for, like With Friends Like These, Steel Rats, Mr Tic-Toc and The Endless City, Lumote, Endling, The Stillness of the Wind, and JUMPGRID. I kickstarted Inlight, now titled Towaga 2, which is getting fairly close to releasing. Much like the bands, these project have a vast range. There are 2D and 3D games, platformers, shooters, rhythm games, exploration games – all with unique tones and art styles. And they too come from all over the world, sometimes from the mind of many collaborators, and other times from a lone developer.
Here's everything I found:
Mammal Hands / With Friends Like These
GrimLake / KINE
Pray for Sound / Inmost
Porcelain Pill / Close to the Sun
Release The Long Ships / Steel Rats
*shels / Mr Tic-Toc and The Endless City
City of the Lost / VAESEN
Kjjjjjjjjj / Koloro
Wess Meets West / Venineth
Moss Mountain / ATONE
Grey Skies Ahead / Bushy Tail
Noorvik / The Mountaineer
Across Waters / The Sinking City
The Clouds Will Clear / Lumote
Us, Today / pe@ce
끝이별 (laststar) / Bioma+
Bells / Inlight
Human Factor / Bright Memory
Collapse Under The Empire / Endling
Autumn Creatures / Misfolded
Planisphere / The Light Keeps Us Safe
we.own.the.sky / Seedlings
Old Faith / Soundfall
Brontide / Beam
Eleventh Vibration / Don't Kill Her
Asleep in the Wake / Zarvot
Mass Sky Raid / [Hypanimatico]
Holy Fawn / [Unknown Game from Jessica Mak]
Paint for the Blind / Iron Corbo: Kung Fu Janitor
We Had Zillions / Flame
Leech / Trails of Life
VOLA / She and the Light Bearer
Walk Among Statues / Degrees of Separation
The End of the Ocean / Waycaster
RedHook / ARIMA
Greta Van Fleet / Elli
Fire in the Alps / Weakless
Kashalot / Danglin' Domingo 2
KOSATKA + ALL IS VIOLENT/ The Stillness of the Wind + [Little Raven in a Cloak by Denis Darftey]
Absent Hearts / Moons Of Darsalon
Le Temps Du Loup / [Untitled Bird on a Mountain Side Project by @adamgryu]
Jardín de la Croix / Gato Roboto
Hyedra / becalm
Shadow Universe / Steamboat Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan
A Small Spark Destroys A Forest / Path to Greatness
Spring.Fall.Sea + My Violainé Morning / Vind
Simple Creatures / drawdog
We Are Impala / JUMPGRID
NF + MotherFather / Eastshade + Perspectio
Slow Grave / Code S-44
Lights of August / 7th Sector
PALMIST / Triwave
Looking back, that's a lot of entertainment and joy. Even just going back through the list, I found reinvigorated interest in many of the bands that I'd quickly forgotten. And my browser bookmarks are still filled with promising bands that I never really dug too deep into. I don't plan on forcing myself to continue to make a weekly post, but my silence doesn't mean I'm not still exploring. Right now, I'm a few tracks in to a great Ships Fly Up album which I rediscovered today through reddit after letting it fall far, far back in my bookmark list.
Lastly, I'd like to give thanks to postrock.instrumental for their ever-changing Spotify playlists, the users on the reddit post-rock thread, bandcamp, the Kingdom Leaks torrent site, SweetSark and the indie community on ResetEra, the screenshotsaturday hashtag, and James Cunningham and Kyle LeClair for their work on Hardcoregamers' weekly Screenshot Saturday pieces. Without those sites, communities, and the people that make them possible, I'd have never made it past a few weeks. The internet can be a beautiful place if you know where to look.
Always find time to explore and do what makes you happy, whatever that may be. And Mom, if I don't post anything on Saturdays anymore, its okay to assume I'm alive.
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끝이별 - Tomorrow's They And I (my new math rock/post rock album)
l8pp posted this to r/mathrock at 2018-06-20 11:08:39 UTC
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@KeithyH_X10: #puremorning #morningview #laststar #5am #peetime #vanlife #archerylife #nofilter #noeffects https://t.co/C9bXeRlupN https://t.co/t9rm6P3bvV
from http://twitter.com/KeithyH_X10 via IFTTT
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https://ggtibyul.bandcamp.com/album/introvert-love-connection
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