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peachiejeongin · 18 days ago

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The Phantoms Part 5: I Got the Music | Bang Chan

Synopsis: Y/n's back into music, and she can feel it in her soul! She and the Phantoms are booked to play the school dance that night; however, when a secret about an old friend comes to light, what happens when the Phantoms go ghost in favor of revenge?

Pairing: phantom!Bang Chan x fem!reader [Occurs in this chapter] (Minsung as well if you squint)

Genre: Julie and the Phantoms/3RACHA AU, Crack, Angst, Fluffy Moments

Warnings: Mentions of anxiety, mentions of death

Notice: Hello, my darlings! Part 5 is here! This is just a reminder that I do not actually believe Han is gay in real life, due to there being allusions to such in the story, and I own no copyright titles to 'Julie and the Phantoms,' nor its characters! Enjoy the story!

You stood at your locker, humming the beat to your favorite song and dancing slightly without a care in the world. The past few days have been exhilerating, from meeting the phantoms, to performing in front of the school, and revealing the secret to your best friend. Every thing was keeping your energy in good spirits; thus, life was back to normal.

Sort of.

In the midst of your dancing fit, Flynn approached you, tapping you on the shoulder whilst giggling. You jumped out of fright, instantly breathing in once you saw it was her.

"Hey," you exasperatedly greeted, removing your earbuds.

"This is nice," she smiled. "You know, seeing you back to being a total weirdo."

"Thank you?" you furrowed your eyebrows with a playful smirk plastered onto your face.

"So, how's the ghosts?" Flynn intriguedly questioned. "Still cute? Still talented?"

"They're amazing," you nodded. "Chan and I spent all weekend writing songs together." Your heart warmed as you mentioned his name, a soft ache forming in your chest. Lately, the two of you had been spending more time together than usual, and with each passing moment, you found yourself growing more and more fond of him.

"Chan, huh?" Flynn nudged at your arm playfully. "You two have got some dynamic."

"Oh, shut up," you joked. "It's not like that, okay?"

"Sure," Flynn replied, giving an exaggerated wink and causing you to giggle.

"Anyways," you dismissively stated, "do you want to hear some of the songs?"

"Is that even a question?" Flynn rhetorically asked, holding out her hand and expecting to receive a notebook; instead, you linked your arm with hers and led her to the music room, explaining how writing songs with Chan was just like writing with your mom. You additionally rolled your eyes at the 'okay girl, I see you!' comment she made.

"This is the first song we wrote," you explained, beginning to play the piano skillfully as you sang the chorus to the song, 'Edge of Great,' you and Chan had devised.

"Cause we're standing on the edge of great great great"

Flynn bobbed her head back and forth, snapping her fingers to the beat.

"Love!" she exclaimed. "It's giving Lady Gaga!"

"Thanks!" you beamed genuinely at your best friend. "Now, this next one, I think we have an anthem with. My mom and I were working on it, and Chan and I finished it." Flynn gave you a knowing look, smirking smugly. "Don't," you warned with a pointer finger before diverting your attention back to the piano to sing the second melody.

"And it's one, two, three, four times That I'll try for one more night Light a fire in my eyes I'm going out of my mind"

Flynn's demeanor was different with this song; instead of appearing upbeat, she was more relaxed, more solemn.

"That's beautiful, y/n," she complimented; you nodded your head in agreement before Flynn spoke once more: "My girl's got a crush and his name is Chan."

"What?!" you interrobanged, throwing your hands up in retaliation. "Chan is a ghost! Even if I did have a crush on him, it would be...weird to figure that kind of thing out."

"He may be a ghost, but he's a cute ghost, and even if you can't touch him, you can still admire him," Flynn countered, causing you to blush.

"Okay, yeah," you finally agreed, rolling your eyes. "He is a cute ghost. A cute ghost with a perfect smile." Flynn instantly clasped her hands together, bouncing up and down in joy.

You had finally admitted it to both Flynn and yourself: you did have a crush on Chan, and in truth, you probably always had since the moment you met him. He was cute, talented, sweet, everything you admired, and, most of all, your motivation. There was nothing about him that you could dislike. With all the time the two of you had spent together recently, your feelings had become impossible to ignore. Maybe, you thought, a ghostly crush wouldn’t be so bad after all.

"I knew it!" Flynn practically screamed. "I saw it in the way you looked at him! Just remember though: he's made out of air."

"Cute air," you retaliated, making Flynn smirk slightly.

"Just don't get yourself hurt," she warned. "You guys obviously have chemistry; I mean, everyone wants to know when you guys are playing again."

"Play again?" you repeated, quirking an eyebrow. "We have absolutely nothing planned. Chan and I have just been focused on writing songs."

"Lucky for you, your advertising team already has something figured out," she nodded excitedly, going to pull a paper out of her backpack.

"I don't have an advertising-," you were cut off as Flynn displayed the paper to you; it was a photograph of a guitar, bold white letters reading as follows:

"Y/n and Her Hologram Band! Tonight At the Dance!"

"Surprise!" Flynn exclaimed, handing you the flier. "I'm DJ-ing tonight as well, so I thought it would be perfect! I posted it all over Insta. By the way, you have an excellent advertising team."

You stared at the flier, concern prominent in your gaze; sure, you had performed in front of the school before, but it was mainly just the athletes and music students. At the dance, the entire student body would be there; you had an ounce of stage fright creep up on you as you pushed the flier away.

"Absolutely not," you shook your head, your voice trembling slightly. "Flynn, I cannot perform in front of the entire school!" Just then, Flynn's phone buzzed, and she tsked as she checked the notification.

"Sorry, girl," she apologized with faux sympathy. "Your post already has 100 likes." She walked away before you could argue back; you groaned in response, grabbing your stuff in attempts to catch up with her.

---

"We're playing a school dance? Sweet!" Changbin punched the air victoriously as he analyzed the flier.

"It's not exactly the Orpheum," Chan tsked as he made eye contact with you, a shy smile forming on your face as you shook your head.

"And you, my friend, are not exactly alive, so you should be happy we have a gig after 29 years!" Changbin countered, earning a playful nudge from Chan.

"Don't worry, Chan," you began. "I wasn't a huge fan of the idea at first either, but, it could be a great way for us to gain a following."

"No, you're right," Chan instantly agreed with you, causing Changbin to look at him with confusion. "Let's rock those kids' faces off, then play at clubs."

"Then, we record a single that gets us a million streams?" you questioned, looking at the boy hopefully.

"I have no idea what streams are, but hopefully they get us a manager, a record deal, and a world tour," he winked playfully as he clicked his tongue, shooting a pointer finger in your direction.

"Then, we release a bunch of hit albums!" you continued.

"Put out a country album that does surprisingly well!" Changbin added on, causing you to furrow your eyebrows. "I can shred on a banjo."

"Then, I will learn how to fiddle," you agreed, giving Changbin a no-contact fist bump.

"And before you know it, we're winning our first Grammy!" Chan banged his hands against the piano as he stood up from his leaning position.

"But one of us isn't there!" Changbin said. "Because we had a blowout in 2036. My money's on Han; he's just so emotional."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's rehearse!" Chan yelled out.

"Wait, where's Han?"

---

"You know, I don't think this is about art," Han told Minho as the two stood outside of an abandoned museum. "I think you're just a rule-breaker."

"Perhaps," Minho smirked, poking his tongue at the side of his cheek. "You should try it; y'know, loosen up a little."

Han's gaze fixated on the doors to the museum before he nodded slowly and pointed to the building.

"We're going in there, aren't we?" Minho did not answer, instead taking Han's hand in his and dragging him straight through the museum doors.

"Well, would you lookie there?" Minho asked, looking around at the structures. "We have the whole place to ourselves." The boy put his helmet on and began to skate around the building, kick flipping over statues and ollying on benches within the museum.

"Hey, dude, move that bench. I want to do a trick on that pillar," Minho commanded Han, leading the younger to shrug.

"I can't move things," he admitted shyly. "I can barely move photos and stuff."

"Just put all of your energy into your hands," Minho advised. "Then, you can move anything." Han nodded, taking in a deep breath and attempting Minho's method; however, his hands passed right through the bench, leading him to sigh deeply.

"I guess I need to do some ghost push-ups," Han jokingly stated.

"No, you just need to focus," Minho countered.

"Yeah, well I've never been good at focusing," Han confessed, smiling meekly. "I've always been an anxious person, and then I died, which did not make things any better."

Minho nodded in understanding, holding up his hand and motioning for Han to put his in front of his own. He held the two limbs together, smiling at the latter.

"We got this, okay?" Minho reassured Han, causing the younger to nod his head, feeling a bit more relaxed. The two leaned down to the bench, Minho having a firm hand planted on Han's back. With a bunch of concentration, the two lifted one end of the bench together, causing them both to grin.

"Okay, you have like ten seconds before this bench comes down!" Han laughed as he spoke, and Minho dashed to the other side; the two shuffled their feet as they moved the bench out of the way, giggling through the whole ordeal. Minho followed the action up with the trick he was wanting to do off of the bench, sitting down afterwards and breathing a bit heavily.

After a while, he glanced up at Han, removing his helmet as he beamed.

"You're wired a little tight," he commented, motioning for Han to sit beside of him on the bench.

Han chuckled, doing what the older requested and analyzing his surroundings.

"Is that why you started playing drums?" Minho questioned. "To help with your anxiety?"

"Pretty much," Han explained. "There's no better way to work through fear than to wail on a drumset, right?"

Minho agreed solumnly before instantly standing up.

"You know what makes me feel better?" he asked. "Yelling in museums." He followed his response up with a loud scream, gesturing for Han to do the same. Han did do so, but incredibly weakly, making Minho roll his eyes.

"No, man! You have to put your heart into it!" With that, he let out another yell; Han followed once more, much more loudly this time.

Thus, the two guys spent a good twenty minutes screaming in the middle of an abandoned museum, holding onto one another as they did so, and following each scream with fits of laughter.

---

"One more time," Chan declared; you, him, and Changbin were practicing the song for the dance tonight. It was another one you and Chan had wrote together, titled, 'Finally Free." Chan riffed on his guitar with Changbin playing his bass to compliment and you adding beats on your keyboard. In the middle of rehearsal, Han appeared, smiling the day away.

"And where have you been, good sir?" Chan raised a curious eyebrow. "We need to practice!"

"For what?" Han crossed his arms as he inquired; at that time, Flynn burst through the garage doors.

"I got news!" she struck an exaggerated pose as she walked in. "I don't have a date, but it doesn't matter because I am just excited to see you guys perform!"

"Yo, we're playing a dance?" Han asked the guys, bewilderment etched on his face.

"I mean, why not man? It's how we get a following," Chan nodded towards you, repeating your priorly mentioned words.

"Yeah, get with the times, Han," you smirked at the boy, earning a cheeky grin from Chan.

"The guys are here?!" Flynn exclaimedly asked. "Hey guys!" She waved at thin air.

"Other way, babes," you raised your eyebrows as you pointed to where the phantoms were standing. She turned in the motioned direction, waving at the actual ghosts, to which they invisibly reciprocated.

"Anyways, we were about to start rehearsing. Wanna stick around?" you asked Flynn.

"Let's see, I have to blow up about 500 ballons for the dance, set up my DJ equipment, and reply to comments under your promotional post. I'd love to stay! Let me go grab my bag real quick!"

"Wait, y/n, before I forget," Chan called out once Flynn had left, placing his guitar on the stand. "There's some 3RACHA songs I want to show you." He made his way over the the amp in the garage, picking up the notebook laying on top of it in order to show you the melodies; however, he paused for a second, his eyes scanning over a song that had been taped to the front of his book.

"'Home is Where My Horse Is,'" Chan read out loud, slamming the notebook against the amp before removing the page. "Changbin, stop putting your country songs in my journal!"

"That was a gift!" Changbin countered as Chan handed you the notebook, shoving the song into Changbin's hands, slightly crumpling the paper as he did so.

"I starred the ones I know you would kill," he smiled genuinely, and a sudden warmth spread through you, making your stomach tighten with excitement. You flipped through the pages, reading the song titles until you came across one called, "Unsaid Emily."

"Who's Emily?" you asked Chan, intrigued at the name; you assumed it was a past partner, causing a bit of jealousy to coarse through you, yet the curiosity overwhelmed the negativity.

"That one isn't starred," Chan snapped, attempting to snatch the journal from you; you jerked it back from his reach, his rough actions surprisingly you slightly since they went against the gentle manner you had grown to admire.

"If you could only know, I'd never let you go," you read the lyrics out loud, revelling in Chan's penmanship. "Wow, Channie. I didn't know you were so romantic!"

"Well, y/n, the song's actually about-"

"No one," Chan cut Han off before he could clarify. "I just tried writing a love song one day, and uh," he halted in his words, trying to grab the journal again but failing. "If you go to the next page though, there's a starred song that's got a tune perfect for your range. I'll show you the tune for it."

Chan picked his guitar back up, plucking at the strings as he riffed a familiar melody. You furrowed your eyebrows at the tune.

"When did you guys sample that song?" you questioned, causing the boys to look at each other in uncertainty.

"What?"

"Sample. As in use another artist's work for inspiration," you explained. "Me and my mom used to sing that song together all of the time back when I was little. It's a classic Sam Hwang song."

"Nope," Chan corrected. "It's a classic our song." He set the sheet music in front of you, his gaze boring into yours.

"Yep, one-hundred percent 3RACHA!" Changbin put in. "Don't even know who Sam Hwang is!"

"Yeah, you're probably just mixing it up with another song," Han inputted.

"I'm not one to mix up songs," you retaliated. "Me and his daughter were best friends once, and I used to crash at their place daily. I know that song. Here, I'll show you." You pulled out your laptop, pulling up a biopic of Sam Hwang and turning your computer around to show the ghosts.

"His first album had tons of hits, but his latest stuff isn't all too great." Han smacked his hand against Chan's chest, he and Changbin's eyes widening in pure shock. You did not understand their reactions until Chan spoke.

The man pictured was definitely older than the boys remembered; however, he still had the same scraggly black hair from the 90s, adorned by his almond-shaped, dark brown eyes and slight smile the guys remembered all too well.

"That's Hyunjin."

"Seriously?" you sighed. "I just told you his name is Sam."

"Okay, whatever. He must have changed it," Han held his hand up dismissively, his eyes never leaving the laptop's screen. "That is most definitely Hyunjin. He was our rhythm guitarist!"

"Sam Hwang was in your band?" you questioned, disbelief prominent in your tone.

"Y/n," Chan called as he dismissed your question, his voice low and a touch saddened. "What were his other hits?" You began listing songs off such as, "Get Lost," "Long Weekend," and "Crooked Teeth," all of which the ghosts confirmed to have been written by Chan, the last of the three being argued upon whether it was written about Changbin or Han. Chan made his way to the back of the room, picking up a handful of playing darts and chucking them angrily at the game board.

"This is freaky," you breathed out, your expression morphing into slight dismay. "Sam's songs are kind of big to me. He's the one who got me into rock!"

"Well, congratulations," Han cheered sarcastically. "Chan got you into rock."

"So, this whole time, I thought you were connected to my mom," you started, shaking your head in indecision. "But you've been connected to Carrie's dad instead?"

"Yeah, well add that to our list of questions," Han shrugged.

"I just don't get it," you sighed. "When Carrie and I were still friends, the three of us talked about music constantly. He never once mentioned you guys."

"Which is absurd!" Chan screamed as he flung the last dart at the target. "He took all of the credit for my work, our work, and never had the decency to mention us? He stole our legacy." All three of the boys' faces dropped, their hearts sinking as they took Chan's words into account.

Hyunjin had stolen all that they had worked for; all that was rightfully theirs.

"Where does he live?" Chan inquired, his tone lowering alarmingly deep.

"Above the beach in Malibu," you told Chan, causing him to pick up his jacket.

"Alright boys," Chan gave an angry smile. "Let's go teach our old friend a lesson."

"Wait, what?" you stood up, astounded at Chan's statement. "Guys, we have to rehearse for the dance! It's our first gig!"

Before you could continue, the guys teleported away, revenge the only think present on their minds.

---

"Hyunjin's house is ridiculous!" Han yelled.

The three ghosts roamed around the lustrious mansion, ogling and angering at every luxurious sight; this mansion was supposed to be theirs.

"Have you seen these platinum records?" Han continued, causing Changbin to whip around.

"I'm sorry, platinum?!"

"He recorded 'My Name is Chris," Chan bewilderedly stated, glaring at one of the records. "My name is Chris!" he screamed out, pointing to himself.

At that moment, Hyunjin walked through the door, taking off his shoes as he stepped in.

"It's him!" Changbin alerted the other two boys as soon as he took notice.

"Hey, Carrie! I'm going to meditate!" he called to his daughter, who responded by saying she was in the den of the house.

"He wears sunglasses indoors," Changbin motioned to the man as he walked up the stairs. "I can't stand him!"

"Time for his past to haunt him," Chan whispered enraged, as all three boys raced upstairs after him.

The boys found Hyunjin sitting criss crossed on the floor, adorned in casual clothes as he breathed deeply in and out. Candles and esences were lit around the whole room, created a peaceful aroma. As Hyunjin continued his meditation, he suddenly felt a wet sensation in his ear-lobe, as if someone had given him a wet-willy; Chan was the culprit behind this trick, an old favorite he used to subject the boy to in the 90s.

Hyunjin rubbed the spot briefly before attempting to go back to his quietness. Yet, it happened again, only this time, Han blew the candles out for an added effect; furthermore, Changbin placed a 3RACHA CD into Hyunjin's music player, causing the rock beat to echo throughout his bedroom; he quickly got up from his position and switched the player off, but it turned back on once more, which made Hyunjin unplug the machine entirely.

He had hoped the string of weirdness had ceased; however, his hopes diminished as he heard the sound of running water coming from the upstairs bathroom.

"Carrie?" he called out, hoping his daughter was just washing her hands or showering; however, as he peered into the bathroom, he found sight of no one, yet the shower had been switched on. His hands trembled as he turned the shower handle off, his attention quickly diverting to squeaking coming from the mirror. In the steam elicitng from the hot shower water, Chan wrote a message for his friend:

"Hello, Hyunjin."

Hyunjin gasped deeply at the message; he had not been called that name in years. He darted out of the bathroom, attempting running downstairs, but his face quickly came into contact with a closed door. He pushed and shoved and pulled, but he could not open his bedroom door; this was Han's fun, as he held the door closed while the other boys snickered. Hyunjin was growing more and more fearful by the minute, convinced his past was back to haunt him.

Which, to be fair, it was indeed.

"Let! Me! Out!" he screamed at the top of his lungs; at that point, han released the door handle, causing Hyunjin to nearly fall as he ran out of the room. The phantoms laughed, high fiving one another as he ran downstairs, mentioning something to Carrie about how he was going to see his therapist.

The ghosts teleported outside just as Hyunjin was taking off from his helicopter, their hair blowing as the blades whirred.

"Guys, let's moon him before he gets too far away!" Changbin suggested.

"He can't see us," Han reminded the older.

"It's not for him, bro," Chan retaliated. "It's for us." With that, all three guys pulled their pants down, showing off their "moons" as Hyunjin flew away, shouting, "Take that Bobby!"

"You guys having fun?" You had appeared seemingly out of thin air, causing the boys to jump and jerk their pants back up. You had snuck into the house with Flynn, who was currently keeping Carrie distracted about a, "raccoon in her backyard."

"You would do the same if he stole all of your songs, y/n," Chan held out a hand, gesturing towards you.

"Sure, but the only way to get back at him is for this band to be great," you retaliated. "Which means playing at dances, then at clubs-"

"Then on tours," Chan finished your sentence as he approached you. "I know. We just wanted to get back at him if only for a little bit."

"I get that." You placed your hand on Chan’s arm, the warmth there fading as your fingers brushed through him, unable to grasp anything solid. You let out a quiet sigh, still yearning for the physical connection you could not quite have with your ghostly crush. "I'll see you guys at the school. We play at 9:00. Don't be late," you warned, as all of the guys reassured you that they would be there. Once you walked away, Changbin dropped his smile.

"I'm glad we scared Hyunjin," he stated in contrast to his previous apologies and comforts. "We honestly should have done more, like written 'thief' on his forehead or something."

"And Han, how were you able to keep the door shut?" Chan questioned. "You were barely able to open the garage door a couple of days ago."

"Learned that from your new friend Minho, didn't ya?" Changbin nudged the younger teasingly.

"Yeah, he taught me a couple of neat tricks," Han admitted. "Plus, we screamed in a museum. Long story," he added on, noting Chan and Changbin's taken aback gazes.

"You think he can teach us some tricks?" Chan asked.

"Let's find out."

---

"You brought friends!" Minho exclaimed as he brought Han in for a hug. The three bandmates had teleported to the park, where Han had assured Minho would be at skating.

"Yep! These are my bandmates," Han introduced the two boys as they gave small waves.

"Cool, I'm Minho," he reciprocated the greeting, giving fist bumps to both ghosts. "So, you wanna learn some tricks?" To add emphasis to the question, Minho flicked his finger towards a nearby police scooter, causing the sirens and lights to go off, allowing two teenagers that had been questioned by the officers.

"Well, we were thinking a little bigger," Chan explained. "Y'see, we've got an old mate who stole our songs, and we want to confront him face to face."

"Is the old friend a lifer?" Minho asked first, Han explaining how that was "fancy ghost lingo" for living people.

"Then yeah," Changbin agreed. "He's a lifer! Too much of a fancy pants to eat some Street Dogs." Changbin scoffed as he crossed his arms.

Minho sighed.

"I'm sorry. Speaking to lifers is out of my realm." The phantoms' faces sunk in, their expressions going dim. "There is someone I know who may be able to help you guys." Minho immediately thought of a friend, his words causing the boys to lighten back up. "He is kind of a big deal, though."

"Anything will help us, big or small," Chan assured.

"Sweet. Well, let me go take care of a couple of things, and then I want you guys to meet me where Han and I met at 8:00. Sound good?" The boys eagerly nodded at Minho's demands, the young boy smiling as he skated away following their agreement.

---

"Do we have any Bobcats in the house?!" Flynn asked the crowd of dancers, causing the gym floor to erupt in cheer.

The dance was lively, full of energy as blue and purple lights flashed amongst the crowd. You had to push yourself through the hyperactive students to get on stage, motioning to Flynn to head to the edge of the stage with a holographic projector in your hand.

"How you feeling?" Flynn yelled over the loud music and chatter.

"Nervous," you responded in the same octave of voice.

"You'll be fine! Let's set up your gear!" she gestured for you to come backstage, excitement present in her demeanor. You rushed onstage, hugging Flynn tightly as she complimented your outfit.

You were wearing a rainbow mesh crop top over a black tank-top, adorned with baggy grey cargo jeans and your hair styled in messy space buns.

"It's my mom's," you explained. "I finally went through her things."

"She would have loved you wearing that," Flynn smiled, genuine words coming from her lips. "Where are the guys?"

"On their way," you responded, confident in your words. "They know how important is to me, so I'm sure they'll be here."

---

"Oh hey, Seungmin? I brought those ghosts I met. It's still cool that they're here, right?"

"Of course, Minho. I even reserved a special table for them."

"Alright, awesome! Thank you!"

"No, no. Thank you."

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keefessketchbook · 4 months ago

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WISDOM SAGA THOUGHTS 🎉🎉🎉🎉

Guys, this saga had me in shambles. I had to wait til the morning of the 30th to listen so listening to it before breakfast WRECKED me.

Legendary 🐕

The instrumentals go so hard like it's so chill

In the first verse, Telemachus reminds me so much of Polites. like bring the world so light? open arms who?

the pre chorus has some of my favorite lyrics jay has ever written. like 'Cause I'm stuck with your stories/But no clue who you are/And no idea if you're dead or just too far/Somebody tell me, come and give me a sign/If I fight those monsters, is it you I'll find?

ALSO THIS SONG HAVING THE MELODY FROM FULL SPEED AHEAD THE "polites gear up, you and i'll go ahead" PART

the chorus i love because it references all the monsters Ody has had to fight

The second verse is so like real. like Telemachus is just singing his heart out about his problems

The suitors sound so much like the sailors, which hurts my heart. like these are the voices of the men that were friends with ody. now they are tryin to get his wife

Telemachus' last line is sending me like "If I fight this monster/Is it you I'll find?" like bro you find his old bestie, badass senorita

Little wolf 🐺

So this song sounds really good musically. I can see the evil sutiors from the "dark" and "evil" sounds jay uses

The chorus/ what the suitors are chanting is really cool

Athena coming to his rescue has my whole heart like its so cute

Telemachus is just a little baby like he's my little boy

love Love LOVE how athena turned the suitors chant into her own like she's in his corner rooting for him

Also Teagan's riff is so prettyyyyy

We'll be fine 👍

This is my favorite song in this saga. I just wish it was longerrr

Like Athena literally describing Ody and comparing him to Telemachus is just so sweet

Also the lyrics call back to my goodbye because ody said "What's a title that a goddess could lend/ If I'll never sleep at night?" and in this song Athena says "Maybe, if I helped you reach your goal/Life could be that bright/I could sleep at night"

Telemachus is just so gentle with Athena, I think that is what she needs because i guess she thought Telemachus would hate her because of what she did to his dad but Telemachus just has so much Polites energy like bro is precious

THIS LINE SPECIFICALLY "I don't think he'll mind/If not his friend, then mine" 😭😭😭😭😭

Both of their voices blend so well together like its so cute

"You're a good kid" AHHHHHHHHHH

Love in Paradise 🏝

Athena calling him old friend has my heart

The callbacks to the other songs is just amazing. they blend so well together, i kinda want to make it my ringtone

Calypso's beat is so good like its so beachy and calm

the "did you know you talk in your sleep?" line reminds me of the scene from PJO from the 4th book when Percy wakes up on Calypso's island

the silence after "she's my wife" is soooo funny to me

Calypso's verse is so good like the notes and beat are so pretty

the goddess can't die line beat is soo good like her laugh is so pretty

THE TIME JUMP !!!!!!

Ody calling back to the underworld lyrics is amazing to me

THE STAY IN MY OPEN ARMS LINE HAS ME DEAD LIKE DON'T DISRESPECT MY POLITES POOKIE

I literally was thinking last night, 'if i hear polites in the wisdom saga, i will be losing my shit' can confirm, have lost my shit

Polites, Eury, and Ody's mom's voices all blend together so well like OMG it hurts

and Ody calling out for Athena is so cute like for once he's admitting he needs help

So, this saga is officially my favorite. I'll post god games soon. That one has a lot more to unpack. I love this community sm. Kinda sad that we didn't get to hear any Penelope tho.

Stay weird, guys

#epic the musical #jay rivera herrans #odysseus #telemachus #athena #calypso #wisdom saga

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milgram-tournament · 11 months ago

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MILGRAM Best Song Tournament, Round 2, Match 1 WEAKNESS vs. THE PURGE MARCH

Propaganda for both options under the cut!

Propaganda for WEAKNESS:

"This is definitely more of a personal anecdote. However, I’m neurodivergent (like Haruka) and struggle with knowing it causes quite a bit of disappointment for my mother. I cry about it a lot. But I find that putting on Weakness is soothing for me. Knowing that there’s a character out there with the same issues…. I don’t know. Just my experience."

---

"why weakness should win over umbilical: - THE SINGING THE HIGH NOTES - this song set the tone to what to expect for the trial songs to come (or what we expected) - the part where the song gets all slow paced and then picks up louder at the end it just done beautifully - it's haruka. - the singing sounds like a mix between of course singing and crying. the 'AHahA' sounds like manic laughing until the end when he's crying and it almost feels like he's sobbing while laughing. - the guitar and the drums complement his soft/sad-ish voice perfectly, especially at the beginning - very emotional, even if you didn't see the music video you can tell he's crying and mentally unwell I'm bad a propaganda, but vote for WEAKNESS!!!!"

Propaganda for THE PURGE MARCH:

"Despite the shorter length, the Purge March has several distinct sections in its structure.

It starts with a rolloff, and then… they don’t follow it. Amane isn’t here to follow the beat.

There’s the spoken-word intro and the upbeat first verse listing the tenets. The prechorus (“dou shiyou mo nai…”) has an amen break. The most-sampled four-bar drum beat. Well, there’s half of it. Is it supposed to mean something? Can I get an amen?

The chorus is so, so cheerful… unless you’re actually listening to the lyrics (“I’ll crush your throat too”) or watching the video. And it’s super catchy.

The second part of the verse dials things back. Now we’re in reality. This is how Amane breaks her tenets. All the while, those tenets are spoken into both ears over the singing. Get some good headphones. She sounds different in each ear.

The music picks up again with the amen break as Amane happily strolls back home, and then-

Oh.

The somber second chorus, with Amane’s lower singing voice and mournful spoken words, leads into the final chorus, with new lyrics and a more forceful tone. The once-meaningless chanting now has real words. “You’re sorry? I don’t care! Please go ahead and die already.” You can hear Amane’s anger despite the cheerful melody. She harmonizes in the final phrase, as if to say “we’re in this together, me and my little color guard troop.” And finally, it’s just her. Speaking. "Oboetemasuka?" Accompanied by only a single drum.

She is both Amane Momose and not. She upholds the doctrines that she was raised with, but she can’t."

---

"Purge March is geniunaly one of my favorite pieces of fiction both in and out of the context of trauma. Its fantastically directed and composed. The batton twirling is spetacular and energetic, the set and character design of Amane conveys a lot about the world she’s in and the story she’s telling. Purge March contextulizes a lot of Magic in both expected and unexpected ways (insert the entire cat symbolism thesis here) Purge March casts Amane in the role of a scary child. The glowing eyes, the framing of Amane as Above the viewer, the brutality and catharsis of it all. It seems tailored made to make you Scared of her. It’s a continuation of the cycle of abuse that we the audience repeated in T1 when we gave her that verdict. A red flashing warning sign about the Inhumanity and Monsterous qualities of Amane Momose. But Amane as a monster is fufilling and freeing. Again, its deeply cathartic. I would write more if I wasnt so sleepy at the moment but its just some Fantastic work overall. Purge March is also just fantasitic vocally and also hids electricity sounds in the instrumental which I think is evil and awesome."

---

-Amane’s vocals and how they slowly get more and more off the deep end is both really sad and cool to watch.

-The symbolism of the marching band and the flags. Ifykyk

-The beginning where it sounds like a propaganda TV show… really shows just how far Amane’s thinking is rooted in her cult and how that’s shaped her perception.

-The LYRICS. They work so well but it’s also creepy AF considering it’s a child who’s singing it.

-“So there is no second time, I’ll give back the judgment that you gave to me!”

-The overlapping part… gives me chills everytime.

-Building off the last point, the last “I’ll crush your throat too.” Ouch.

-“Remember MY cries, MY repents, MY words of “I’m sorry” that I said to you?”

-The song also does a great job of showing how much the guilty verdict messed with her.

#milgramtournament #milgram #haruka sakurai #sakurai haruka #amane momose #momose amane

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doug-meat · 1 year ago

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parts of the npmd soundtrack that scratch my brain perfectly (act one)

this soundtrack is so good. this is a long post so its all under the cut Part two coming soon. also i alternate between chara names and actor names idk why i do that. i hope this is even slightly comprehensible

HIGH SCHOOL IS KILLING ME

the little grace note in the piano bit in the last line of the piano melody before richie starts singing in (i hope this makes Sense)

jon's voice for real . just through this whole show

"a thread" and "i'm scared" happening at the same time

the violins(??) coming in when ruth starts singing

richie and ruth's harmonies during "the weight has got me sweating" bit

the "and i can survive it for only so long" harmonies

steph's "shit"

the way steph says "couldn't fuckin' study"

FOR THE CLASS OF TWENTY TWENTY WURN

agh Agh AGH!

the whispered "i'm so fuckin' dead"s underneath steph and pete's dialogue

steph and pete's repeated "my melody"s

the howling

the second delayed vocal line underneath the last bit of the last chorus

LITERAL MONSTER

the "HUH" at the start

the guitar riff motif

the little guitar squeal right before pete starts singing

the way pete says locker

richie's little riff on "seduce her"

the chorus harmonies

everyone knows how he BANGS!

the "and we pray and we pray harmonies"

you better you better!

kims voice in the he roars part <3

the harmonies in this song in general

will branners voice in this song SO GOOD

the "HUH HUH"s behind max's i roar bit

max's "don't need no one to tell me" verse UGH so good

NO ONE'S GONNA STOP ME!

max's harmonies on kind, size and rise

I WILL CLAIM WHAT IS MINE!

COOL AS I THINK I AM

the piano motif Can you tell i love motifs

i bet this song'll suck!

oo woah oo woah oh Oh

when the violins come in especially their little BA DA DUMS after "princess leia told me"

what if i were King of the hill!

the drums kicking in after the one oowoahoowoahoh oh

ensemble coming in

the little growl on the second "i'm as cool as she thinks i am"

THEN AGAIN I'M DERANGED

she's the brawn i'm the brains!

the electric guitar kicking in

IF I CAN FINALLY BE COOL I WILL KNOW THAT I'M NOT A LOSER

I'M THE RULER!!!!!!

DIRTY GIRL

the synth and drums

the way max says behave and be-betray me

baaaabe I'mma love ya all night lOOOooooong

THE LIKE MORE SYNTH KICKING IN HALFWAY THROUGH THE FIRST CHORUS UGH SO GOOD

the way grace says classroom

you want me cant be skipping skewl!

grace's "be-behayveee" UGH <3

THE GROWL ON "on your knees pray along"

the chorus harmonies <3

I DONT CARE ABOUT YOU!

the bridge harmonies

AA AAAGH!!

i'm a i'm a i'm a good girl!

WHO ON OCCASION GETS DIRTY!!!!

I WONT CAAARE ABOUT YOU!

BULLY THE BULLY

the snaps coming in

we'll make him shit his pants!

the riff on that line ^^

the jager-man??????

what's our budget?

the growl on "he's just a nerd in disguise"

stephie gonna lure him in with her charm

yeah?

JAGER GONNA JAGER OUT!

chorus harmonies!

standing for the nerdy the prudy!

WE'RE GONNA CUT OFF HIS NIPS!

AAAAHAaaAaaahh

the guitar bits in the back

we're gonna keep the beans cool! that whole sequence

BEAN SCHOOL? EXCELLENT!

THESE CHORUS HARMONIES ESP STEPHS

pete's and our problem's solved

richie's and the school can evolve

AND THE SCHOOL CAAAAN EVOLVE!!!

ugh jon and joey sound so good on the "we're gonna get the jock pleading"

the last guitar note

BURY THE BULLY

oh god she's snapping again...

this is a lot!!!

the whole hack all his limbs off bit

YOU WANT ME TO FILM THIS?

tape him up after dousing with bleach!

the chorus harmonies. every bit of these choruses i cant even isolate its everything

steph's little "bury bully line up stories NEVER HAUNT ME!"

i just cut off his nips

GRACE TELLING RUTH TO GIVE HER MAX'S NIPS

GO GO NIGHTHAWKS

the way ruth says shiny

IT'S LIKE THE START OF A NEW YEAR!

jon's higher range <3

jon's harmony on "and now i don't eat all by myself"

the trumpets behind the chorus

all the squawks

the HUH after who knew footballs a team game

corey's voice sounds so good on the "or hit u with a saturated towel"

the no more bully ball harmonies

the HUH! after no more bully ball

We're all givin the butt slaps YEAH HEAH!

the way jason sings cause we care <3

AND NOW I CAN PEE ALL BY MYSELF!!!!

the overlapping vocals coming together for "in hatchetfield high school"

N! I! G! H! T! AWK AWK! KSSSS!

NIGHT! HAWKS! NIGHT! HAWKS! NIGHT! HAWKS! FLY!

FUCK YOU CLIVESDALE GO GET FUCKED YOURE FUCKIN LOSERS AND WE'LL KILL YOU (KILL YOUR ASS)

fuuuuck you cliiivesdale gooo get fuuucked

the watch us fly harmonies

NIGHT! HAWKS! FLY! AWK AWK!

NERDY PRUDES MUST DIE (my fave song in the soundtrack be warned)

the "watch these nerds run for their lives" guitar riff before max sings

will branners voice augh

the little synthy ba duh duh duhs in the back

the BAMS! after every line in verses

the way max says "hallway safe" and "break you"

ugh the guitar kicking in and the double BUM BUM for the second verse

YA BITCH!

WOAH UH OAHHH

SHOULDA JOINED THE SMOKE CLUB YA NERDY PRUDE

the whole chorus

the watch those nerds run for their lives melody Ugh loved it in axe man loved it here

YOU PUSHED ME OFF THE EEEDGE

the way he says crusade

and youre too weak to be enSLAAAAVED

the drums AUAUDUAAUAU

CLEANSING OF YOUR KIND!!!!

the way he says anti socialites

the entire repeat after me bit. its actually incredible i cant just isolate one part of it its so good

the ensemble kicking in

IIIIM NOT A LOOOSERRRR

But you have lost. Everything.

THE HATCHET TOWN MOTIF

UGH I LOVE THIS SONG. THE NMT MOTIF

#hatchetfield #npmd #npmd spoilers #rambles #nerdy prudes must die #starkid #music

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mlleclaudine · 4 months ago

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En couverture de Vanity Fair: Noémie Merlant, portrait d'une actrice en feu

by Norine Raja - Vanity Fair France, July 24, 2024

Tragic, comic and now erotic: Noémie Merlant continues to prove that she can play anything, including a radically contemporary version of Emmanuelle. But how do you reconcile sensuality and feminism in an era that leaves so little room for nuance? Norine Raja asked her.

Suddenly, the interview’s soundtrack changes drastically. At the café terrace where we're chatting, the lyrics of Maître Gims give way to an electro remix of the familiar melody of Bella Ciao.

Is it a sign? The music seems to have anticipated Noémie Merlant's thoughts: «At one point, I felt trapped. Now, it's like this song: freedom, freedom, freedom!» she says to the beat of the chorus. Has she reached the point of total emancipation? «Not yet, but I’m getting there», she says with a smile.

On this June afternoon, the actress is back home in the Paris suburbs after having attended two festivals in a row – Biarritz and Nantes – to present her second feature film as director, Les Femmes au balcon. Espresso started, unfussy outfit, bag casually laid on the floor, hair in a ponytail. She weighs her words, relishes the silences. Then, the next minute, she rivets you with her electric gaze and makes her point with total conviction. Just try to pigeonhole her. She’s got a 14-year career under her belt and as many different roles: a rebellious teenager in Les Héritiers (2014), a naive aristocrat in Le Retour du héros (2018), a trans man in A Good Man (2020). «She's a perfect blend of precision and abandon», said Céline Sciamma, who directed her in Portrait de la jeune fille en feu (2019). «She can play a powerful woman, but also hint at vulnerability», adds Audrey Diwan, winner of the Lion d’or for L'Événement (2021), who has just directed her in Emmanuelle – more on that later.

Because she remains an enigmatic figure in the public eye, no persona seems too outsized for her. Think she’s limited to dramatic roles? She displays unexpected comedic flair in L'Innocent (2022), in which she plays Louis Garrel's brash best friend: twinkling eyes, a mischievous attitude, raucous laughter. Her feigned nervous breakdown in a highway restaurant is unforgettable. The role (finally) earned her the César for Best Supporting Actress in 2023. Audrey Diwan hasn't forgotten that performance: «Every time she smiles in this film, she turns the world upside down.»

That same year, the filmmaker was working on a remake of Just Jaeckin's Emmanuelle, the famous erotic feature film of the Giscardian era. At the time, Noémie Merlant had never seen this landmark of 1970s sexual revolution, the first installment in a 15-part saga. So she met the director without any preconceived ideas or images. She was inspired by the character. «She must be exhausted in her search for pleasure», she suggested to Audrey Diwan, who offered her the role before the meeting was over. She insisted on watching the original film after shooting was done. Her verdict? «It's a disaster. The first part is interesting, with this open relationship. But then there's a storyline with Emmanuelle and an older man. She gets raped in front of him...»

The film has aged badly, but the 2024 version is free of any misogyny. The look and feel have been modernized. Replacing the postcard Thai décor and its whiff of orientalism is a luxurious Hong Kong setting. Not a young woman pandering to the desires of others, but an ambitious thirtysomething in the throes of self-discovery. A complete reinterpretation, in other words. I hesitate to ask: was she afraid to embrace this character and her sultry aura? She dismisses the idea out of hand: «That never even occurred to me. What interests me these days is working with women directors who are seeking to redefine representations of women, their imagination, their sexuality.»

Céline Dion, her idol

Sorority was Noémie Merlant's guiding principle, long before she became aware of or defined the concept of female solidarity. The daughter of a pair of real estate agents, she grew up in Rezé, a town of 40,000 people near Nantes, in a happy household where television held center stage. Evenings were spent watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and crying over Titanic, she admits with a touch of embarrassment. Like thousands of French people, we'd like to tell her. She is very close to her mother and older sister, who suffers from a disability. To avoid adding to her parents' burdens, Noémie learned not to take up too much space. After years of therapy, she's come to realize: «It's nobody's fault, just the dynamics imposed by society. And then, at the same time, school teaches you not to make waves, society tells women to be well-behaved.»

So she found other means of expression. She was a soloist with the Nantes Conservatoire choir, and dreamed of following in the footsteps of her idol Céline Dion. She also practiced ballet and modern jazz for ten years. Her father was convinced that Noémie was destined for a career in the arts. One day in the mid-2000s, he saw an advertisement for the Cours Florent and encouraged her to try her luck. The 17-year-old was scared, but eventually let herself be convinced. She headed for the capital, where the transition was rather brutal. «When I arrived, I was thinking: “I don't know anyone, I have no culture... What am I going to do?”» She compensated for her imposter syndrome with a thirst for knowledge. Here she lists the directors she needed to catch up with: Bergman, Cassavetes, the great Italian filmmakers like Visconti. And reading? «There's nothing to be done about it, I just can’t», she says frankly.

At the same time, she pursued modeling to «earn money, even if you only got paid in clothes», she says pragmatically. She did photo shoots, fashion shows, and trips without really thinking about it. She didn't want to «bite the hand that fed her», and would realize only much later the full extent of the toll this experience took on her. The «Shut up and look pretty», the memory of being sexually assaulted by a photographer, the feeling that her body was no longer her own. To the point where she weighed only 45 kilos. «That gave me a massive eating disorder, which I'm still trying to overcome. I was anorexic-bulimic for almost ten years. I'm not any more, but I'm still hypervigilant about what I eat, and I'm always careful not to let myself go.»

There was only one thing to do: get out of the fashion world as quickly as possible. Sometimes, it's all about meeting someone. In 2013, the actress auditioned for Les Héritiers, a film by Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar inspired by a true story. It tells the story of how a teacher enrolls her most unruly pupils in a history competition, an experience that will change their worldview. Noémie Merlant was 24, but looked young enough to play the class rebel, wearing a leather jacket and with headphones on. On set, the filmmaker was impressed by her talent and intense presence.

Filming with Desplechin

A year later, another text message: «Would you be available to meet? I'd like to talk to you.» [Mention-Schaar] offered her the role of an average young girl, radicalized by jihadists, in Le Ciel attendra. To prepare for the role, Noémie Merlant met with teenage girls in the process of deradicalization, and tried to understand their mindset. «We found girls from all social backgrounds, cultures and religions. For many of these teenagers, there was the feeling of being misunderstood by society, but also frequently the beginnings of anxiety about death and shame. The desire for an ideal, for something unconditional, even in love stories.» The film was released in a volatile context, less than a year after the attacks on November 13. But the actress took a cleareyed view of this phenomenon, which she believed revealed youth in search of meaning.

This total commitment paid off: in 2017, she was nominated for a César in the Most Promising Actress category. In an interview filmed around this time, she appears smiling and fulfilled. Well aware, too, that the road ahead is fraught with pitfalls: «The hardest thing is to maintain self-confidence, even when you don't believe in yourself, or when you have periods of emptiness.»

What was Noémie Merlant dreaming of at this very moment? When asked about whom she’d like to collaborate with, she almost mechanically cited Arnaud Desplechin or Abdellatif Kechiche. She didn't know it yet, but the revolution would be born in a female microcosm. In 2019, the young woman played a painter hired to create the likeness of an aristocrat (Adèle Haenel) in Portrait de la jeune fille en feu. Céline Sciamma's fourth feature is an incredibly intimate costume drama: a manor house, a cliff overlooking the sea and just four characters. At first, the actress was confused by the script: «Conflicts are nonexistent or immediately defused.» The absence of dominance hierarchies unsettled her: there were no saviors or anyone being saved; there were creators but no muses. «Just a gentleness and a wonderful equality. And in spite of everything, there’s an exciting story full of surprises. That's what makes it so powerful.» A head-on collision between two great actresses, where their eyes meet, sizing each other up, caressing each other. Like when Noémie Merlant’s character places a mirror between her lover's thighs, then sketches her self-portrait.

A box-office success across the Atlantic and a critical triumph, the film was in the running for ten awards at the 2020 Césars. But on the evening of the ceremony, one name brought all the tensions into focus: Roman Polanski. The director, who is currently facing several rape allegations, had been nominated in several categories for his film J'accuse. French cinema had never been so fractured. Adèle Haenel, who revealed that she had been molested as a child by director Christophe Ruggia, was in shock. For her, honoring Polanski was tantamount to «spitting in the face of all victims». No one heeded her: the filmmaker won the prize for best director, to the applause of part of the audience. «Someone shouted: “Well done!” recalls Noémie Merlant. It was clearly a response to Adèle's speaking out.» In protest, the cast of Portrait de la jeune fille en feu left the auditorium, after shouting a resounding «Shame!» In the wake of her commitment, Adèle Haenel announced her retirement from cinema in 2023. Has Noémie Merlant thought about following her example? «It wasn't easy to keep going, she acknowledges. I admire Adèle's courage. But staying is also a way of continuing the fight.» The actress has no illusions about the seventh art. No promotional newspeak, no generalities or shortcuts in her remarks. Even when she salutes the «extraordinary people» she has worked with, she qualifies that with «but that's not always the case». You get the sense that she is torn between the desire to talk about her difficult experiences and the fear of endless controversy. She mentions «casting directors, actors, who promise you things». How do you recognize them?  «Thanks to my experience as a model, I'm like a fish that spots the hook before the worm.»

Portrait de la jeune fille en feu «changed everything» for her. She set off in search of more meaningful roles. She reassessed her place not only in cinema, but also in the world. She reflected on «patriarchal oppression», confronted the traumas that resurfaced. «Even my relationship dynamic no longer suited me.» She left her partner at the time and moved in with Sanda Codreanu, a friend from the Cours Florent. She hesitates over the precise terms, but speaks of «escape» and «sanctuary». In this haven, words flow freely and bodies are liberated. They laugh as much as they talk about the violence they've suffered. She, who used to move from one relationship to another, embraced a new perspective on relationships. Why should romantic love count for more than friendships? Why force yourself to have sex to please the other person? Noémie Merlant now knows what she wants... or rather what she doesn't want. These days, she's in a «healthy, unstructured» relationship. She adds: «We're not afraid to experience things separately. The important thing is that each of us is fulfilled.»

The Cate Blanchett method

Recovery also involves the body. Onscreen nudity doesn't bother her. «There are fewer and fewer actresses who agree to undress, which I understand. But I don't have any issue with it, so I'm happy to go for it. I think there are things to explore and advocate for in this freedom.» She asserts her willingness to explore eroticism and sexuality through the eyes of other directors. Female desire in all its forms is a common thread running through her filmography: she develops an attraction to an amusement park ride in Jumbo, plays a writer infatuated with a libertine photographer in Curiosa.

For a long time, sex scenes had been reduced to a few lines in a script and improvised on set. In Jacques Audiard's Les Olympiades, the ballet of bodies is carefully designed. Playing a thirtysomething woman who becomes fascinated by a camgirl, Noémie Merlant was coached by choreographer Stéphanie Chêne. She learned to abandon dialogue in favor of her gaze and body language. For the first time, she thought about her character's movements. «It allows you to feel safe and to work with respect above all else. And so you can go further, seeking precision through imagination.» Farewell to the good little girl. She avoids tyrannical filmmakers, those who push the actors' limits. At one point, when a director tried to manipulate her to extract emotions, she almost walked off the set. «I made him understand that I was making this film above all for pleasure and for creativity, and that I couldn't accomplish anything with that kind of method. In the end, it turned out well, but I wish I hadn’t had to go through that.» It was like revenge for all those outbursts she’d had to swallow.

Behind the camera, Noémie Merlant has also chosen irreverence. In her second feature, Les Femmes au balcon, she imagines a Marseilles-style Rear Window, somewhere between comedy and outright gore. The pitch: three girlfriends have fun spying on their mysterious neighbor across the street, with whom they develop a relationship that goes beyond exhibitionism. It was difficult for her to find an actress who would agree to film naked, until she came across the luminous Souheila Yacoub. One question nagged at her: how to film a body without sexualizing it? First, by disarming the issue with humor. «Right from the start, I give the viewer a heads-up: “Here you go, boobs. Now that you've had a good look at them, let's move on.”» She also uses the expression «shirtless» for women, a way of denouncing double standards. There's no idealizing of her heroines' bodies. She films them in their everyday lives, in positions that are not always flattering, and welcomes a touch of vulgarity. «It's a form of sincerity as well.»

Taking risks is finally paying off. In the last couple of years, Noémie Merlant has turned a corner in her career. Like Marion Cotillard, Adèle Exarchopoulos and Juliette Binoche, she is now sought out by foreign filmmakers. In 2021, Todd Field sent her the script for Tár. And for a significant role. She plays the assistant to a famous orchestra conductor, starring opposite Cate Blanchett – and speaking perfect English. An intimidating experience? Idolization is not her style: «It's important to demystify people who are in the limelight.» Still, she took the time to observe Cate Blanchett in action. The way she handled a complicated sequence shot or filmed the same scene twenty times without complaining. Her ability to juggle lessons: piano, German, baton handling. «There's no mystery. It's all about the love of the craft, precision and the quest to relinquish yourself to the role.» She adds, a bit idealistically: «Often the ones who succeed are also good people... Not always, but I prefer to tell myself that.»

Yet Noémie Merlant has no desire to sacrifice her whole life for her profession. For a long time, she took one role after another, as if for fear of missing out or being forgotten. These days, her priorities have changed. «I want to do Qua-li-ty», she says with a smile and a funny inflection. Wouldn't this be a good time to enjoy it, too? Her financial situation now allows her to help her family. She has adapted her house to accommodate her father, who has been in a wheelchair since having a stroke in 2009. She has helped her parents find a new home, and paid for outside help to relieve her «very exhausted» mother. How does her father view her success today? «He's very, very, very proud. He tells himself that he was lucky, because it might not have worked out.» He follows every step of her career, keeping track of every press article. «He's definitely going to be handing out Vanity Fair to all his friends.» You can sense her admiration for this close-knit clan, for their ability to face adversity. A few years ago, she took out her camera to film them in their daily lives, around Christmas time. She has started editing, but still has some work to do. Recently, she went back to the rushes, but hasn't managed to finalize the project. Perhaps it's too intimate. I propose a hypothesis: what if she had primarily sought to freeze time? She continues: «There's something interesting about the way they talk, the way they live, with a lot of humor and joy in spite of everything. I want to share this story, because it can do a lot of people good.» Could this be the next step toward freedom?

[Please don’t repost this anywhere, in part or in whole. Feel free to reblog, or at least cite your source and provide a link back here. Asking permission would be nice in an ideal world, but I’m a realist – I know far too well how easy it is to appropriate stuff on Tumblr. I would be the first to admit that my translations are not perfect – there are some words and phrases that simply do not drop neatly into an equivalent in English, and I constantly fix typos and make changes or corrections in older posts – but they do take a lot of work and time. Thanks for understanding. - C.]

h/t @morningmightcomebyaccident - thank you, Grey!

#Noémie Merlant #Les Femmes au balcon #Emmanuelle #L'Innocent #Portrait of a Lady on Fire #Céline Sciamma #Les Olympiades #TÁR #Vanity Fair France #July 2024 #thank you‚ Grey!#long post #my translation

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spectral-idiot · 3 months ago

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A non musician analysed Kierans themes. Part 1

Alrigth, if you know me that much, you know that alongside my obsession whit writing and fanfic and reading, I am a music fan and a videogame ost sucker.

I love to find narratives in music despite the only music concept I actually know is the leitmotiv. I'll probably just point out things you already know , but this is a good procrastination to avoid write a little.

Come whit me in this journey

Kieran's first battle theme

youtube

The two leitmotifs this "medieval " banger has actually pop up in the first 5 seconds we hear.

Leitmotivs

1- The first thing we hear are some fast notes that get played in a synth. This is at least for me a leitmotif since last battlr chanpion battle have a similar start that uses the same notes just re-organized.

This one migth simblize hus anxiety, at least 4 me, since its a fast and ascending thing

2- After that we got met whit a violin,that starts playing an intro melody, this one is also a leitmotiv since we can hear the same exact melody in "Kierans rage" and some times later.

This one represents hia joy or and passion of battling at least 4 me

Things worth pointing out

There are some things I find interesting overall due to the stage of the characther when he battles using this theme.

1- Also if we check Carmine's theme we hear how it starts whit this exactly same way, the first aynth notes are exactly the same and then the exact following violin melody its played except its played in a synth, in a sligthly slowet tempo and another tone

I find interesting how we hear Carmine's theme first, what makes this "Kieran is under Carmine's shadow" thing even more evident. We will think "Kieran's theme starts like Carmine's" and not "Carmine's theme starts like Kieran's"

The similarities make sense since this is the Kieran that's under Carmine's shadow the most. He starts pullin her away and that's when the similarities start to fade

Afther that the rest of his themes doenst start up exactly like Carmine's, and the 2nd leit motiv i pointed out its just used again in the champion theme

2- I cant help but find this theme so medieval like, so fairytaily like. If you tell me this is a battle ost for a Dungeons and Dragons like game, I would buy it completely. You can imagine the goblings, gremlings, dwarfs and obviouslythe ogres. I dont know exactly if its the instruments choice or the melody building but I can't help but notice it

All the characther lore is based on his love for "fantastic stories" , Kitakami folklore and the ogre. This is just accurate. The flute alongside the violin feel like just the rigth option to bring me that fairyteily feeling

3- Well, I also can't help but notice haow alongside fantasyous, it feel heroic. The xilophone? giving the cheerful rhythim Alongiside the flute for the higthest tones, the piano for deepnes and the epic sounding violin make this feel like following the story of some sort of knigth.

By example: 0:36. (Or the chorus) sounds kknda almigthy

He thinks he can be the hero in the story. And damm that feeling is potrayed in the sound and tome of the song.

4- I would also like to point out how the violin takes all the stage, that could be seenn as something that just fits due to the medieval and heroic demenaurs. But the final outcomes and portrayals of the instrument in the later themes makes me want to point it out as something deeper.

Taking in mind how the violin turns put it could simbolize how he sees the MC or the ogre. You can see how the insttument sounds heroic epic and hopefull in this theme. And considering how he looks up yo both the oc and ogerpon makes it so interesnting

I Hope you enjoyed this! In no-that-much time I'll bring ya the one for the two themes left. Im lookin foward to the champion theme as its the more juicy to analyse

I was avoyt to make all the analysis in one huge poat but seeing how this one is already big that shit would be so so big and messy

This is also a good way to make it out for my lack of content this time since my one shot came out a month and half ago

Sorry 4 that! Im not goung thru a good headspace to write so i do t wanna rush it. And making this things in the meanwhile so you dont miss me is also enjoyable!

#Youtube #kieran pokemon #rival kieran #kieran #pokemon #pokemon indigo disk #kieran champion #pokemon teal mask #pokemon kieran #music #videogame ost #kieran's themes

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kristsune · 2 months ago

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So if anyone remembers awhile ago I made a little post about @stellarfirmatim music, well I decided I would make one for the new album Paler under Tim's new band name Everywhere Fires... It can be found on bandcamp, and I highly recommend giving it a listen. I am going to put the little review under a read more, or you can read the gdoc.

One of the things that I always enjoy about Tim’s music is how he uses vocals as part of the soundscape, his harmonies in particular to create such depth to his music.

And I just have to say it was really lovely getting a full album all at once, a set piece to be enjoyed together. I will of course vastly enjoy mixing the new songs into the rest of Tim’s catalog when throwing my playlist on random, but it’s so nice to just have this little set on its own as well.

Note: I’m not great with terminology, if I’ve gotten things wrong, I apologize. Also there is very little/no talk about lyrics because they generally aren’t my focus while listening to music, vocals mostly being a (beautiful) part of the soundscape.

Hold On

This is such a strong start to the album. It pulls you in with jagged, erratic tones, which really nicely opposes the soothing vocals. Then there is a beat drop you don’t see coming that really slaps you in the face in the best way possible, with a fast asynchronous drum beat that is reminiscent of Radiohead. The high bells that come in creating a wonderful alternating beat, that along with the low harmonies, really creates a lovely combination. Vibes are impeccable.

Defib

First single released, and where it is very good on its own, it really fits so perfectly nestled into the second slot on the album. I listened to a lot of Grails earlier this summer (thanks to Tim’s rec during a stream) and this song has some of those vibes with the synths and slow plodding baseline that feels like it could go on forever. I really love the sound that cuts across the song, a nice sharp sound to balance the rounded edges of the rest of the song.

A Killing Kind

Third on the album is an understated song that seems to elude me in finding ways to describe. The transition from Defib was smooth and it pulls you in with some bright synths. I really enjoy the way the vocals overlap during the chorus, feels like it’s bouncing through my head. Then of course there are the lovely strings that come in and bring it to a whole new level.

Thy Will

The fourth track starts off strong with organs that really set the mood for the whole song. It’s brooding and dark, feeling like dark storm clouds overhead. I really enjoy the melody that the vocals follow, interesting and lilting. Truly a great song to walk to, sets a strong confident pace. Ending with the same gorgeous organ works as an excellent transition into the next song.

Working on my Hands

I hesitate to choose a favorite with an album so full of bangers, but I do really enjoy this one an awful lot. This song starts off eerie and unsettling. It calms down, but that sense of foreboding never really leaves, and when the big siren sound comes in, you feel it pull you by your chest and leaves you hanging, almost like a sense of vertigo, with the deep bass rumbling through your bones. All just ends up being very spooky and atmospheric. Another great transition into the next song, one of my favorites I think.

Paler

The title track of the album has a beautiful drone like quality to it, with horns that pierce through, pulling you through the song. It’s gentle and repetitive and soothing like a rainstorm. I specifically had foggy days on the ocean imagery in my head, but that may have been influenced by the horns and the lovely deep vocals, but either way it creates a lonely, isolated vibe that fits the song very well. It fades gently into the next song perfectly.

Your Arms, Boys

A real highlight to the album, starting off minimal with just vocals and a lovely little xylophone/piano, feeling like it's just taking place in a small room. Initially thinking it was going to be a simple ballad, I had not expected it to suddenly build in such a grandiose way, filling your ears with a larger than life feeling. It’s a very cinematic song, I can easily picture groups of sailors on a ship, singing this together to keep time as they work, the layers of beautiful harmonies laying the groundwork for that image.

Evelyn

The final song on the album feels both very different from the rest of the tracks, and also like the perfect ending, wrapping the album up with a beautiful little waltz that instantly makes me want to dance around the room. It has such a lovely melody which the deep vocals work so well for. The strings that slide in really bring it to another level, and what sounds like bubbles popping give it such a whimsical feeling.

#tim meredith #music #everywhere fires...#paler #my writing #feel free to reblog

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miribooksies · 6 months ago

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Jack and the Cockoo Clock Heart (2013)- Movie, Spoilers

HEHEHEHEHHEHHEHEHE

I watched this movie when I was a kid, tiny me, and I found it again because its songs kept worming around my head, and I'm so glad I did.

It starts with a our protagonist, Jack, being born in the coldest day on earth, his heart is frozen, so it is then replaced with a clock. It all starts from this, his heart. This movie is, in my opinion, a tragedy, but I think it's very debatable and interpretation-oriented.

The art style is very captivating, making everyone look like some sort of pristine doll. The backgrounds are very thought out and a highlight with how imaginative it is and how much it aids the story, especially regarding time-skips and travel. THE MUSIC IS AWESOME, I enjoyed this the MOST, it's very rhythmic, very thematic, and it explores multiple genres and atmospheres depending on what part of the story they're currently on. The MUSIC WAS MY FAVORITE, if nothing else just watch it for the melodies.

That being said the story is very captivating too, it's very motive driven, so it's very fast paced (including the dialogue, but I think it's because of the translation from French and not a choice to cut time) and every moment is key to the storytelling. Despite this quick pace, it is a slow burn, but they do a very good job of keeping it dynamic while keeping the tension of the main plot.

It is, however, a very sexual story, despite nothing being very explicit. The sister-figures of Jack are sex workers, when Jack meets his love interest (IMO most important part of the story, and best chorus, and very stunning atmosphere) he references tearing her dress to confetti with his teeth which ???? he's a kid in this moment so that was very confusing and weird, relationship between George Meliès and the two headed woman, and other instances of sexual innuendo achieved in many, many angles. I feel this is very notable, since Jack never is involved with anything. Being so enamored with Miss Acacia and his heart situation, we can probably assume he's a virgin, yet it doesn't stop the main and side romances from being very suggestive.

From what I hear the book is much more sexual, and the presence of it in his childhood in both book and movie is commonly tied to the sister-like sex workers, who are very open about their work and do share work stories in front of Jack.

Miss Acacia's powers are also never noted, which is strange because it isn't like every stranger walking the street suddenly sprouts thorns around their body or purple cones in their tits, it might've been very intentional though? I like the fact it was never a center of attention, and I think it really aids characterizing Acacia, pushing forward a fairly well-rounded character for the short amount of time. It helps us visually see her feelings, emotions, and intentions, kind of like wearing her heart on her sleeve.

On that same locomotive of thought, Joe has the same birthday as Jack, which is such a random piece of lore to drop, but giving it a bit of thought forms a solid idea. Jack was born on the coldest day on Earth, this is what caused for his heart to be mechanical, meaning that Joe was also born in that same coldness, but we don't see him walking around with his own pendulum, so why is that? Probably because, following the film's very direct and literal nature, his heart is simply cold, which pushes him to be as cruel as he is to Jack.

It might've been because it was 1 AM and because the beat might've scared me, but I really felt the final kiss in my chest, and I think the building up of the whole narrative really makes this such a good ending. If it's a good ending is probably debatable, but me personally I appreciated the direction in which it was taken, and that the tragedy was taken to the end, without letting go of the romantic plot for a second. It feels very complete, I guess. Even as he climbs the snowflakes, it feels very true to the story, that's probably why I like it so much.

Props to the whole team honestly they REALLY know how to make atmosphere, and the way they used those tools to convey storytelling is PHENOMENAL!!

I also see where and why the movie could be strongly disliked, if you end up hating it, but I thought it was fire.

I watched it here!

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thestylesindependent · 1 year ago

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Seemingly inescapable whenever you turned on the radio last summer, Harry Styles’ As It Was was one of the biggest hits of 2022, and remains on heavy rotation today. It topped Spotify’s end-of-year list of the most popular songs, and hit number one in the US and UK.

The song was co-written by Tyler Johnson alongside Kid Harpoon and Styles himself. Johnson and Harpoon both have production credits on the track - as they do on Watermelon Sugar, another Styles mega-hit - but as Johnson explained to Music Week [Paywall] last year, the creative process behind the two songs was very different.

“[Watermelon Sugar] took a while and As It Was was more speedy, right out of the gate,” he says. “Harry was sitting on the Moog One and I liked what he was playing, so I sat down and played as he started to write the melodies and the lyrics. Tom [Hull, aka Kid Harpoon] did a half-time beat around it, we were like, ‘No, it’s not right.’ So then Tom played the double time beat, which felt very good.

In terms of harmonic structure, As It Was has been compared to a-Ha’s Take On Me. As John Mayer demonstrated during a recent live performance, the two songs share a similar chord progression - ii-V-I-IV - but As It Was has a very different, highly distinctive topline.

“I said to Harry, ‘We need a lead line’ and he just came up right away with the ‘Dah, dah, dah...’ part,” reveals Tyler Johnson. “He didn’t hesitate. Then he started writing the second verse and referring to himself in the third person. So much of this song just came from Harry’s heart. And then Tom, as he does, with this magical sense of hooks that he has, came up with the idea of doing, ‘You know it’s not the same…’ after the chorus, which I was very impressed with. That turned out to be a very smart move.”

The song came together quickly, then: “Really, the record was about where it’s at now after three or four days,” Johnson recalls. “It didn’t go through a lot of [changes], there was never anything drastic. I had a guitarist friend, Doug Showalter, add electric guitars and some transition sounds. Then we got the tubular bells - another Harry idea - and I’ve got a video of him playing those. We had Mitch Rowland come in to do some live drums. We chopped those up for the ending to give it a more bombastic feeling.”

The best thing about As It Was is just how effortless it is, how it just flows over you and gives you a good energy.

Having a real drummer, it turns out, is important for Johnson, Harpoon and Styles. “For As It Was, we were thinking 2008-2012 indie rock, MGMT, Phoenix, Passion Pit. We want to be referential and for the music to sound familiar, but our process is that we don’t do as much drum programming as live drums. That’s what people in that era were doing to make things sound big, but not too programmed. Our engineer Jeremy Hatcher really helped shape that, those drum tones are unique in pop.”

Speaking to Rolling Stone, Kid Harpoon threw another influence on As It Was into the mix: “I’m sitting there on the drums and I was like, oh, this could have a Strokes kind of vibe,” he said. However, while he acknowledges the debt that As It Was owes to other artists and songs, he also firmly believes that it has its own identity.

"You get to the end and you hear it and you go, oh, it’s got the sort of A-ha references and the Strokes references and maybe there’s a bit of Talking Heads in there and then it becomes something bigger than the sum of its parts.”

Perhaps the relaxed vibe of As It Was stems from the fact that it was recorded in the living room in the home of A&R man Rob Stringer’s house, a place conducive to chilling out, you would have thought.

“The living room was actually a very perfect size for a control room, nice and tight but kinda long,” notes Tyler Johnson. “The back of it had a couch, an upright piano and windows that looked out over some fields, and in the front we had the desk. We rented a ton of gear, all the walls were lined with preamps and compressors. Even though we were going kind of bedroom-y, Tom and I just love lots of microphones and we do live drums, analogue synthesisers, multiple guitar amps… We love that whole element to recording.”

It was Styles, it turns out, who pushed for As It Was to be his album’s lead single. A wise move, it turns out, given its subsequent success.

“The best thing about As It Was is just how effortless it is, how it just flows over you and gives you a good energy,” thinks Tyler Johnson. “It has a gentle conversation with the listener while being upbeat. It’s easy to consume, but it still has depth and Harry brings so much character to it. Really, pop is just about people living life with music to garnish it.”

#harry styles #june 2023 #tyler johnson #kid harpoon #music radar

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sinceileftyoublog · 3 months ago

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Pulp Live Show Review: 9/8, Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom, Chicago

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Pulp has never been in a rush. Their most recent album came out 23 years ago. The last time they toured the US was 2012, the year they played Coachella, and even that "tour" was a couple dates on each coast. Jarvis Cocker performed at Pitchfork Music Festival way back in 2008, but the band hadn't played a proper show in Chicago since the 90s. Safe to say, last Sunday, a sold out Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom was eagerly anticipating the quartet's emergence on a stage at an ancient venue whose age is only about three times the number of years since the last Pulp show in Chicago.

Of course, in true sardonic fashion, as the lights dimmed, we were greeted with a screen with hilarious words that alternated between straightforward and facetious: "Good evening...This is a night you will remember for the rest of your life...This is the 552nd concert by Pulp," and so on. Yes, even their idea of entertainment is buried within the glory of the mundane. The band (keyboardist Candida Doyle, drummer Nick Banks, guitarist Mark Webber, and touring musicians Andrew McKinney, Emma Smith, and Adam Betts) finally walked on the stage sans Cocker, though you could hear his unmistakable deadpan launch into "I Spy" coming from behind the stage setup. From the moment he graced the crowd with his presence--as gangly and expressive as ever--Cocker was in show mode, both actively and passively. He vogued along to every song, almost in time with the guitar riffs on "Sunrise". He sang while lying down during "Weeds", but stood and gained more energy as it built up and slowed down into "Weeds II (The Origin of the Species)" and an unexpected segue into a song from a different album, "F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E." As if to recall the dour noir of its iconic video, he performed the beginning of "This Is Hardcore" from a lounge chair. And he was genuine, too, dedicating "Something Changed" to late bassist Steve Mackey and the late, great Steve Albini, who produced Cocker's 2009 solo album Further Complications.

What really struck me, though, was how dynamic the band was. Beyond standout instrumental moments--the plinking keyboard line of "Pink Glove", the intertwining guitar and bass melodies of "Babies"--I've never thought of Pulp as a live band that would be particularly instrumentally exciting. I was wrong. Their use of effects on songs like "Sorted for E's & Wizz" was so all-encompassing it sounded like the noises were coming from the crowd itself, as if you were on the very drugs whose culture the song lambasts. "Babies" changed tempo seamlessly, emphasizing the twangy guitars during verses and rocketing into a gallop during the chorus. "Common People", of course, sped up and slowed down as Cocker introduced the band during a long interlude, the announcement of every name accompanied by brief rousing power chords and drums that, each time, toyed you into thinking the band was going to launch back into the song.

"Common People" finally ended, the third song played during the encore. It's the band's best known and arguably best song. Show over, right? Well, Pulp came back out for what was the most unexpectedly exciting part of the night: the potential for new music. They debuted "Spike Island", a new disco-indebted song with slide guitar, before ending the night with the one-two punch of "Razzmatazz" and "Glory Days". Looking at their more recent setlists, Pulp has debuted at least two new songs during their second encore. Maybe--hopefully--their current tour is more like an intermission.

#live music #pulp #byline bank aragon ballroom #further complications #jarvis cocker #candida doyle #nick banks #mark webber #andrew mckinney #emma smith #adam betts #steve mackey #steve albini

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7grandmel · 8 months ago

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Todays rip: 22/04/2024

Robbie's Rotten Mine

Season 8 Featured on: The Joke-Explainer 7000™'s Highest Quality Rips: Sunrise

Ripped by berg8793

youtube

Tentative rip name: Robbie's Rotten Mine

Hey, yesterday I covered the olden ways of doing We Are Number One rips - it only seems right to contrast it with how things are done nowadays!

Though, of course, Robbie's Rotten Mine is far form the first rip of this style that I've covered on here, but it likely won't even be the last. Chillin’ Like A Villain, Ska Cha Cha (Rotten Mix), and of course The expanse of meme in past was split, A fiendish trap has now been set; Behind a tree the villains sit, Terror of sport, the Robbie's Net., are all some of my favorite rips on the channel - and the reason is just because, even eight years later, I'm very attached to this silly ska song. There's a lot of memes that seem to have run their course for people, stuff like All Star mashups as I talked about in Semi-Charmed All Star, and while the rest of the internet certainly aren't out there celebrating We Are Number One anymore, the SiIvaGunner team is still making rips of the song at a remarkably consistent clip. And like, I stand by what I declared back on We Are Number 4 (Golden) - of all the long-running jokes on the channel, We Are Number One feels as if it is the most refined and polished one - it isn't just being used as a reocurring gag, but because rippers have become exceptionally good at using it for truly high quality rips.

Robbie's Rotten Mine, then, decides to combine my affection for We Are Number One with my unabashed love for Mario Kart Wii, which I've rambled on about with several posts already now like Neon Wi-Fi and Sweatpants Select. The result is a rip that just made me smile as soon as the rugpull occurred: Those unedited first four seconds builds suspense for just long enough, only for Robbie's sax playing to suddenly introduce the rip proper, not just revealing the joke, but reminding you of just how far We Are Number One-posting has come. Because yes, that is unmistakeably the same saxophone sound as in the original song - but its playing the opening to Wario's Gold Mine, the arrangement is absolutely seamlessly blending the two. It really just gets better from there going into the chorus, I love how the ripper leverages Wario's Gold Mine having a sort of ebb-and-flow between sounding silly and trepidatious by matching them with We Are Number One's chorus and verses respectively. The Wario's Gold Mine melody going all nervewracking and tense feels like it was MADE for something like Robbie Rotten talking about sneaking around and laying booby traps - in the words of one commenter, "I’m more surprised this didn’t happen until now".

I talk a lot on here about rips in the vein of, say, Poké Village: the ones that feel ever-so-personal, like love letters to parts of a ripper's life, the ones that bridge parts of the online world together that you'd never considered before listening. But there's just as much value to be found in the rips on the other end of the spectrum, ones like Among Drip Drop Galaxy - the ones where the joke fits so well, that it's a marvel it hadn't been done sooner. I declared Among Drip Drop Galaxy a damn-near perfect rip for that very reason, and I'm going to do the very same for Robbie's Rotten Mine - with maybe just one sole exception, there are few songs that I think would fit We Are Number One quite as perfectly as Wario's Gold Mine, and yet it took me eight years past the meme's upbringing for me to come to that conclusion. And to me, that speaks volumes to just how enduring of a tune We Are Number One is - there's surely yet more to be done with this track, and I'm all here for it.

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mikunology · 1 year ago

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Mikunology Reviews #1: Boku wa Hatsune Miku to Kiss wo Shita (2013) (Pt.1)

Here it is, my very first album review! I figured I would do something I'm pretty familiar with first, so I decided to go with this one: a review of one of my favorite Vocaloid albums of all time, created by my favorite producer! Boku wa Hatsune Miku to Kiss wo Shita (or I Shared a Kiss With Hatsune Miku) by Mikito-P (2013)! This album also happens to be Mikito's first full studio release.

By the way, let me go ahead and state that I am not a musician, so I'm not as good at really phrasing my thoughts on things in a technical manner. But I still hope you enjoy my opinion :> I'm also a big fan, as stated, so I will probably get rambly > <" But let's get started!

Part 2 here

Hatsune Miku to Kiss wo Shita (I Shared a Kiss With Hatsune Miku): The eponymous title track: a soft rock ballad using Miku Dark (pretty sure at least) about a frustrated artist getting through life alongside Hatsune Miku. I won't lie that I'm a bit biased towards this song given its one of my favorites ever, but I like to think there's a reason for why I like it as much as I do. The strong-yet-not-overwhelming rock melody is very nice (especially paired with the piano), but most of all, I love Miku's gentle vocals: Miku Dark naturally sounds sad and tired, but the way she sings here seems almost warm given the subject matter. The lyrics are also very beautiful and relatable if you're a fan of Miku's; the struggle of feeling low confidence and finding comfort in a concept such as Hatsune Miku is written really wonderfully. A really good start to the whole album.

Shinzo Democracy (Heart Democracy): A really good second track, and a pretty popular one from this album? It has a more present melody going through it than in track one, but still with that signature atmosphere from Mikito. Miku sounds like Miku Dark here, too, but with a more airy, echo-y quality that reflects off the guitars - I think it works well for the song. If you want something with a bit higher tempo than track one, this is where it is. I remember people talking about the PV in relation to the lyrics as well, since it can be interpreted as the narrator talking about himself in a sort of disconnected POV or talking about a gay love interest. Whatever floats your boat, I think!

Yuugure Twitter (Evening Twitter): This actually appears to be a slight remaster of the original song posted on NND - it's a bit cleaner, with better and clearer vocals and mixing and a longer guitar outro. I think I like this version of it best, to be honest, it really helps the song sell the sort of forlorn, dusky atmosphere it's setting. I also really like the way Mikito uses Miki - I really feel like his songs with her show his liking for the character. The guitar outro is also just…really good.

Kunoichi Demo Koi ga Shitai! (Even Though I'm a Ninja Girl, I Want to Love!): A MikuRin duet! This song is really goofy: just a fast-paced, lighthearted pop rock track following a kunoichi (a female ninja) and her efforts to be together with a noble's son despite the difficulties her job brings her. It's a really fun track, with a catchy melody and some fun, colorful visuals in the PV (plus Miku and Rin's tanuki/kitsune hoodies are super cute!). I also really like how Miku and Rin are framed like "narrators" instead of being characters in the story itself or being completely removed from it. Lastly, I really like the sort of "vrooooooom" noises Miku and Rin make at certain points, it gets you hyped up XD

Setagaya Night Safari: This one took me a bit to get into, but I can comfortably say I like it a lot nowadays. This one is a bit like track one in that the melody is a bit more…abstract? Than in like, Kunoichi. It also has these strange old-timey jazz segments at the beginning and end. But still! Miku Dark returns here again, and her vocals add a sort of melancholic wonder to the song, especially the chorus ("doko e iku no?"). A pretty good one, but I do think it might take a few listens to really sink in on whether you like it or not.

Tokyo Eki (Tokyo Station): A Rin solo track! I feel like this one isn't talked about very much, despite it getting a PV and everything. This is another atmospheric rock track about taking the train to see someone you love in the winter months. This track uses Rin Append (I'm assuming Sweet specifically) and I think she works really well! Like Miku Dark's vocals in Kiss wo Shita, there's a pleasant feeling of softness from how Rin sounds here, which fits the wintry vibe of the song. However, I still think that the premiere version of the song is the one using Len from ALL VOCALOID ATTACK 1…but whether you agree with me might be up to whether you enjoy Rin or Len's voices more. By the way, I really like the lead guitar and drums on this one.

Yuudachi no Ribbon (Ribbon of Evening Showers): This song comes from MAYU's demo CD! This one is more high-energy than usual, but still with a melancholic air about it. This song is about a pair of girls trying to hide their relationship, while a third girl (heavily implied to have feelings for one of them) threatens to expose them, all under a rainy sky. I really love the melody in this one; it's very catchy but also full of the emotion and drama you'd expect from a song with this sort of premise (helped by MAYU's voice), plus I like the vocal bits interspersed in the instrumental parts. My favorite part is the "issho ni kaero" part in the middle, where the melody changes up a bit before the bridge. Definitely one of my favorites from this album, and a great introduction to MAYU!

Bansoukou (Bandage): This is another one that took me quite a few listens before I liked it; this is one of the slowest tracks in the album, with another more understated melody. This is a ballad song, no real description on the lyrics/theme since it remains untranslated. I like this track way more now because of the slow gentleness of Miku's voice, the piano, and the great guitar melody during the outro, but I also feel it's a bit on the dull side in comparison to the rest of the album. You might like it much more if you enjoy slower rock ballads or shoegaze, though, it has a bit of a keeno-like feel to it. (Funny, since keeno is actually in this album.)

Hikoukai Nisshi (Private Log): Another more fun one! This song uses GUMI Power, and what a great use of GUMI Power it is (plus some giggling sounds courtesy of Yukari's EX Voice). This is a refreshing love song, with the PV setting against a very cute pirate Gumi. I really love the vibe of this track, it's very pleasant and perfectly captures the sunny seafaring adventure Gumi is on - the melody, as usual, is really great as well. My favorite part has to be the final chorus when Gumi's voice hits its apex, her final "susume" is so great and full of emotion! I love this one a lot, it remains one of my favorite Gumi songs.

Alright, Tumblr is telling me there's a character limit for articles on this site, so I guess I'm going to have to break this into two posts. Join me in part two, then, for the second half of the CD!

#vocaloid #album review #hatsune miku #mikitop #mikunology reviews

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