#made by classical musicians with the help of their music producer :')

[aq-s74]

Eddy's phonk track, Phonk Elise. Edited and posted to YouTube by yours truly :)

From TwoSet's video:

I hope they decide to post it someday because I can't stand hearing the imperfections I made with this ;-;

[pal1cam]

Support Palestinian Musicians & Artists :

Here is a list of Palestinian musical artists, musical groups & bands, to make it easier for you to stop supporting musicians and artists who support genocide and occupation…

Faraj Sulieman : a solo musician who makes musical works that are very piano & jazz infused with a hint of rock n’ roll. He has performed in many countries in Europe and the Middle East. He has released 10 albums in the last 10 years, one of them being a children’s musical album called “Faheem” that found major success with the voices of the 2 kids, Faheem Abu Hilu and Hala Qassis, that were very dominant in the album alongside the sound of classical piano played by Faraj Sulieman himself. He also made the soundtrack for the Palestinian movie “200 meters” directed by Ameen Nayfeh. (Recommended Works : Better Than Berlin / Second Verse / Upright Piano)

DAM : a rap band founded in 1999 by the 2 brothers Tamer and Suhel Nafar along with their friend Mahmoud Jrere, the 3 rappers who came out of the city Lod [a mixed city that has indigenous Palestinian citizens & zionist Israeli settlers] make songs mostly about the inequality in the authorities’ treatment towards Palestinians, and songs criticizing the Palestinian society living in occupied territory under the Israeli Government… They primarily rap in Arabic, yet they sometimes use English & Hebrew as well. In recent years the female artist Maysa Daw has joined the band replacing Suhel Nafar and adding a feminine perspective to the band’s niche. It’s also important to mention that DAM was the first ever hip-hop band in the entirety of the Middle East. (Recommended Works : Ben Haana Wa Maana / i don’t have freedom)

Tamer Nafar : as mentioned before, he is a Palestinian rapper and actor and one of the founding members of DAM. Besides his works with DAM he also produces music under his own name, sometimes collaborating with various Palestinian & international artists. He also participated in making the soundtrack for the film ‘Junction 48’. (Recommended Works : The Beat Never Goes Off / Johnnie Mashi)

Maysa Daw : a solo musician, singer & songwriter, and as mentioned before the freshest and newest member of the band DAM, and a member of the newly formed female group called Kallemi, She was featured in Vogue Arabia 2019 as one of 5 Arab stars setting the world of art, culture and entertainment. She is also the daughter of the actor and director Salim Daw. (Recommended Works : Asli Barri / Between City Walls)

47SOUL : a group of four men who are all originally from Palestine that have created a new music genre called “Shamstep” which is an electronic dance movement mixed with the sound of Palestinian & Middle Eastern folklore. The musical group was formed back in 2013, and since then they’ve become pioneers in that unique style of theirs and have been on tours all over the world from the US to the UK and of course the Middle East. They’ve performed in NPR’s tiny desk in 2019 which helped them gain even more international recognition. (Recommended Works : Shamstep / Semitics / Shireen)

El far3i : he is a Palestinian-Jordanian rapper, singer, songwriter, and percussionist. He is currently a member of the Shamstep band 47Soul, and was formerly a member of the Arabic rock band El Morabba3. He started his career in 2012, and has since released six solo albums. (Recommended Works : Tghayarti)

Shabjdeed : Straight out of the restless town of Kufr Aqab, Palestine, emerged a talent by the name of Abu Othaina. With his controversial takes and raw skills Shabjdeed was an instant addition to the Palestinian rap scene. After gaining traction from his self-titled track, he caught the attention of Al Nather, a local producer, and worked with him to create the alter-ego Shabjdeed; an act that can easily be considered one of the most influential and popular in the region. The duo developed their own niche dark hip-hop and trap style combining Shabjdeed’s nihilistic and daringly personal delivery style with Al Nather’s colourful and rhythmic instrumentals. From the beginning they have been able to build a dedicated fanbase, grossing over 1.5 million total streams on Soundcloud across two years whilst only relying on word-of-mouth advertisement. The duo have created together a record label and named it BLTNM Records which was brought to it’s biggest success with the release of Shabjdeed’s first full length album called “Sindibad el Ward”. And today Shabjdeed’s music is the modern voice for not only the Palestinian revolution, yet for the entire revolution in the Middle East caused by youth that dream of a better future and go against their capitalist and money hungry governments. (Recommended Works : Fi Harb / Aadi / inn ann / Ko7ol w 3atme)

Daboor : A Jerusalemite rapper to the bone, Daboor’s debut single “Liter Black'' was released in 2020 to much fanfare and critical acclaim. His unique style and raw talent cemented his status in the rap scene and he was soon signed to BLTNM Records. Daboor’s words touch on the violence of the occupation, and his delivery mimics it with brutal bursts of staccato. (Recommended Works : Inn Ann / Dolab)

Lina Makhoul : an independent American-born Palestinian singer-songwriter & producer. She was raised in the city of Acre in occupied Palestine since the age of 4 and according to her she has showed interest in music and dance since a young age. She started her career in 2012 and has since released 1 full length album as well as a number of hit singles, She also opened for Queen+ Adam Lambert in 2016 and toured with Little Mix in 2017. (Recommended Works : Shway Shway / Fish Masari / 3 sneen)

Elyanna : a Palestinian-Chilean singer-songwriter who started her career in 2018 and has since released 1 full length album and a number of singles, and she has collaborated with artists with significant recognition such as Massari. She performed in Coachella 2023 to become the 1st ever Middle Eastern & Palestinian artist to perform in Coachella in Arabic. (Recommended Works : Ana Lahale / Ghareeb Alay)

Noel Kharman : She is best known for doing mashup covers where she mixes Middle Eastern and Western music, creating a unique bridge between these two worlds through her powerful and angelic voice. She started her career on Youtube with covers of viral songs, but her big breakthrough happened in 2015 when she published her first mash-up cover which was a mix of ‘Hello’ by Adele with Fairuz. The cover went viral overnight and since then, she became an instant internet sensation. The cover has gained over 30 million views on YouTube. Today she has released many songs of her own after being signed to a record label and has collaborated with various artists and went on tour in many cities in the Middle Eastern region. (Recommended Works : Ya Lali)

The Synaptik : This Palestinian-Jordanian artist based in Palestine started making music at the age of 17. The Synaptik studied medicine for 7 years and graduated. His stage name is derived from his fascination with the nervous system, neurotransmitters and his personal experience with ADHD, which led to calling himself The Synaptik: “…because that’s where things happen.” The Synaptik has pioneered a new wave of sound for the Arab youth. His honest and potent lyrics are highlighted by his songwriting style that merges singing and rapping effortlessly. With a tsunami of a first album under his belt, dozens of local, regional, and international shows and a much-anticipated second album, The Synaptik has cemented his status as one of the pillars in the Hip Hop scene in the region. The Synaptik has collaborated with numerous artists from all over the Middle East such as rap superstars Abyusif, Wegz, Marwan Mousa, Chyno with a Why?, Shabjdeed and more. (Recommended Works : Sabelek)

Apo & The Apostles : Apo & the Apostles started out late 2013 in Jerusalem-Bethlehem with their first release in March 2014. Since then, they've been taking their music to whoever and wherever they are welcomed. The band is known for their energetic performances that turn to parties and after-parties. (Recommended Works : Baji Wenek)

[pineappleciders]

hihi! i just found your blog because of your Eddsworld x reader post and it was so cute, i love how you write for the characters. i also saw that your requests were open, and i was wondering if you could write the main 4 boys with gn!s/o that is a singer/songwriter and plays different instruments like piano and guitar. thank you <3

EW main 4 with a musical S/O

includes: edd, tom, matt, and tord

A/N: i am assuming you meant the ew main 4 as you mentioned it!!!! apologies if it isn't what you meant :P also thank you :))

edd

he 100% spies on you when you're rocking out or writing songs. like he thinks it's so interesting. he would just ask to watch but he knows you wouldn't want someone hovering over you while you do your thing

he looves to draw you playing the guitar in his sketchbook,, like he already draws u a lot but he has little shitty doodles of you playing instruments and singing on his wall with lil music notes and everything

lots of music puns.

"hey- hey Y/N. what do you call a musician with problems?"

"what?"

"a trebled man."

if you ever fully produce and release a song, he makes a little animation to it and put a drawing of him smooching u on the cheek at the end. (iknow this is really specific but tell me u don't see this happening)

claps for you when you sing. like in a crowd he'd stand up and clap really obnoxiously and yell "YEAHH WOOOHOOOO GO Y/N" n it'd be really embarrassing

"hey, you see that person- right- right up there? yeah, yeah that's my S/O. i know, they're so great." he says to the person next to him with tears in his eyes

karaoke nights. you two go to a karaoke bar and sing your hearts out. he's absolutely awful at singing but he LOVES it

tom

your guitar and susan have a makeshift wedding, and tom is crying the entire time, walking susan down the aisle while you play wedding music

if you started like shredding on an electric guitar or bass he'd just sit on the bed and ogle like a lovestruck idiot. like he's soooooo in love

he's super impressed, and he'll say it sometimes but be all awkward about it

"you're really good at that stuff, Y/N. i mean- seriously, it's impressive." he's like looking away and scratching his neck

he low-key feels kinda insecure about his own music skills. i think he'd like to write his own songs but hates sharing them, and he's kinda mediocre at playing the bass so when he sees you absolutely destroying the piano or something he deflates

asks you to help him get better at guitar,, which ends up with you like. holding his hands over the correct position on it behind him and it's super awkward and he gets really flustered

you both write songs about each other and you both nearly faint when you see each others songs

sometimes he gets shit-faced and shows up at your door like crying with his bass and a whole speaker system set up outside and just plays a love song he made for you while sobbing his 'eyes' out

matt

he's like, insisting that you play professional classical music or something. like his eyes are glittering talking about having a duet together on stage

he probably has like a play about himself and he begs you to play the music for it

he's constantly asking you to play him stuff. like every now and then he asks you to sing him a lullaby when he goes to bed and he falls asleep in your lap

or sometimes he asks you to play a popular pop song on guitar, and he sings along (albeit terribly)

speaking of singing, he ALWAYS starts singing when he hears you singing or humming. like it's a reflex to sing along. he sheepishly apologizes if you deadpan at him though

when introducing you to someone he wraps his arm around your waist or shoulder and pulls you close and flashes a shiny grin, showing you off

"heh, yeah, this is my S/O, they're a singer and musician. they can play the guitar, piano, violin.. yeah, i'm a pretty cool guy- i mean! uh, they're, pretty cool. yeah. that's what i said."

when the person starts talking to you about your talent goes to you he'll whine and try to get their attention back on him. he knows you're super cool and awesome and have an amazing voice and a beautiful face but this is about HIM and HIS beautiful face!!!

tord

sometimes he walks in on you strumming your guitar or singing a little tune, and he'll lean on the doorway with his arms crossed just listening

he thinks it's super cool, and sometimes he'll ask you to play one of his favorite songs

subconsciously starts humming your songs around the house, and might get a little flustered if you mention it

definitely borrowed your guitar one time and probably broke one of the strings. he got absolutely terrified and locked himself in his room waiting for you to get home

"tord! i'm home! what's- *gasp*"

absolutely quaking in his boots. safe to say he got a good smack on the head and had to pay to get it repaired

he loves to listen to you sing or play piano through the walls. he finds it less awkward than being in the same room, and the muffled effect makes it strangely calming

like matt he pulls you close and brags about your talents to people you meet. with a huge grin too. he thinks he looks so cool but he actually looks like a huge douchebag

he actually looks like a huge douchebag in general. but he's your huge douchebag🥰

this is random but i feel like all of them are the type to show up outside your window in the middle of the night, hold a speaker over their head and play peter gabriel to win ur love. they're such fuckung geeks

[kulturegroupie]

Jimmy Page and the Rolling Stones: 60 years of musical flirtations

Certainly, not all blues enthusiasts of the early 1960’s can claim to have become some of the most influential musical artists of all time. But that’s one thing that Jimmy Page and the members of the Rolling Stones have in common.

The first encounter between Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Jimmy Page occured in 1962, just a few months before the formation of the Stones. The three English boys travelled all the way from the South to attend UK’s first American Folk Blues Festival in the city of Manchester. They met at a blues collector’s house, and together they listened to Howlin’ Wolf’s masterpiece album commonly known as ‘Rocking Chair’—then newly released. For a blues fanatic back then, meeting someone with the same interest was something almost extraordinary. Most people weren’t interested in what was still a rather obscure music genre and preferred rocking and rolling to the songs on the radio. For this reason, if you liked the blues and met someone alike, you were going to remember them.

By the end of the same year, Jimmy was spotted during a gig at the Marquee Club in London and asked to play regularly on record sessions. This was the start of a short but prolific career as a session musician for the young man, who would soon encounter Mick and Keith again, this time with the rest of the Rolling Stones. He played on a number of demos for the band, three of which were officially released on Stones records:

These sessions were a great opportunity for Page to develop an understanding of how records were produced: he spent hours in the control room, and soon he was employed as house producer and arranger at Andrew Oldham’s Immediate Records. In 1968, the record company released Blues Anytime Vol 1-2-3, a series of records containing works by various British blues artists. Jimmy featured in two of these, producing a few songs on which Mick Jagger (harmonica), Bill Wyman (bass), Ian Stewart (piano) and Eric Clapton (guitar) were the musicians.

Around this time, Jimmy also gave a helping hand to Brian Jones on the soundtrack for the cult classic movie A Degree of Murder (recorded late 1966-early 1967), also using his now notorious trick of the violin bow. He recalls:

“Brian knew what he was doing. It was quite beautiful. Some of it was made up at the time; some of it was stuff I was augmenting with him. I was definitely playing with the violin bow. Brian had this guitar that had a volume pedal – he could get gunshots with it. There was a Mellotron there. He was moving forward with ideas.”

—Jimmy Page, from issue #1171 of Rolling Stone

Legend has it that the Stones had previously asked Page to join the band in order to throw Jones out, but he declined.

The group was again looking for a guitarist in late 1974, to fill the spot left by Mick Taylor’s sudden goodbye. Jimmy had recently jammed in the studio with them on a fun session which birthed the track Scarlet, but it was highly unlikely that he would leave the then biggest band in the world—even for the Rolling Stones. The track remained in the vaults for 46 years, and was finally released in 2020 as part of the expanded edition of Goats Heads Soup.

“I had completely forgotten about it. Someone told me it was Ginger Baker on drums. And I rang Jimmy Page up — I didn’t remember anything — and Jimmy Page remembered everything! This person played on it, it wasn’t Ginger Baker … he seemed so certain about it.”

— Mick Jagger on The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, July 22, 2020

Jimmy Page and the Rolling Stones would cross paths again in September 1983 when both Jimmy and Bill Wyman played on the ARMS Charity Concert, later embarking on an American tour with the rest of the musicians involved.

As a result of this, several of said musicians were invited to take part of Wyman’s latest project, Willie and the Poor Boys. Inspired by the music of the early 1950’s, they congregated at Jimmy Page’s home studio, the Sol, and recorded numerous tracks, twelve of which were officially released on a 1985 self-titled album. Jimmy can be heard on two of them:

The Eighties were a time of turmoil for the Rolling Stones as its two principal songwriters, Richards and Jagger, had been feuding over the band’s direction for most of the decade. Nonetheless, right after the Willie and the Poor Boys sessions commenced the recording process for Dirty Work. Jimmy took part of another jam session with the band, immortalised on the hit single One Hit (To The Body).

In 1992, the 7th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame took place, and among the chosen legends to be honoured that year were the members of the Yardbirds. Keith Richards also attended the ceremony, being assigned the role to induct Leo Fender, one of his idols and legendary creator of the Fender Stratocaster. Later on, an All-Star Band was formed for a one-off performance and Keith and Jimmy found themselves merrily jamming together once again on classics such as ‘Green Onions’, ‘Soul Man’, ‘Big River’, ‘Dust My Broom’, ‘Shout’, ‘All Along the Watch Tower’, ‘Purple Haze’ and ‘Something Is Wrong With My Baby’.

After sharing much of their success over the past six decades, Jimmy Page and the members of the Stones remain close friends, now having earned a well deserved title as rock and roll legends.

[kenmacel]

please explain the premise of your kuroken kpop au

WAAAAAAUAGH OKAY. it's called prelude and it's the kpop idol!kuroo and violinist!kenma au i've held dear to my heart since i was twelve. this thing has been in the works for 3 1/2 years, if you would believe. the short summary is that kuroo is a senior kpop idol trying to find some sense of what he wants to do in the future, and he meets kenma, half of violinist youtuber duo twosetviolin, through an innocuous collab turned business proposal.

kuroo used to take violin lessons before committing all of his time to being a trainee + his debut, and so his company added that aspect of himself to his image as an idol. think zhang hao. his group (consisting of at least kuroo, kageyama and akaashi) has been together for a while and is very popular in korea, but kuroo, the group's leader, can't help but feel as if they've hit a wall. he himself feels stuck when it comes to the growth of his career.

the company then announces kuroo's group will be competing in season 4 of kingdom. kageyama is the group's genius producer/visionary/maknae, so when it comes to creative direction, he communicates what he wants to the company. and for kingdom, kageyama wants to tap into kuroo's past experience with classical music and have that as a recurring motif in their performances. this means kuroo has to take lessons...again.

but not just from anyone! management decided it'd be good publicity if the group collaborated with popular classical musician youtubers kenma and hinata (twosetviolin). kenma is to be kuroo's teacher, and hinata is to help with production amongst other things. in turn, kuroken and kagehina are to make informal "unit" vlogs for the twosetviolin channel.

that's just the setup. i have a whole arc planned for kuroo surrounding what he wants to do with his career and stuff, plus a lot of fun, self-indulgent, chimerical things like kenma dyeing his hair something other than blond. it's a bit of a behemoth in terms of both logistics and plot. there has been many a google doc made for this story over the past few years, and the story has changed A Lot. but i like the direction i have in my mind now. it's now just a matter of writing the damn thing. i'm ~1k in right now but i haven't been paying much attention to it in favor of the kuroken vgc au.

and here is my playlist for it!

[yumenoyousei]

Notes for my Sokkla Celebrity AU (Sokka's side)

Here are mores notes for my Sokkla fic, an ATLA Celebrity AU. The story is Azula-centric but I still made notes about Sokka (with mention of others) to flesh out everything Warning: Canon Characters' Deaths still occur

The notes of Azula's side

Without further ado, ATLA Celebrity AU (Sokka-centric)

Hokada & Kya are local musicians but it's like a side hustle for fun Sokka & Katara grow up with music Kya dies from cancer when Sokka is 13 Sokka gets interested in producing really young but gets side-track when Katara gets discovered and becomes the next big thing (think Taylor Swift) at 15 so Sokka starts a rapper career the same year (17) They both sign with Avatar Industries and that's how they meet Aang (since the beginning, Aang has had a crush on Katara which both Water Tribe siblings do not see) That year, Sokka met Yue, an opera singer incredibly famous in her field, and it was love at first sight 3 months later Yue dies in an accident in which he has survivor guilt as he was supposed to be with her (they had wanted to announce they were dating to the world) 6 months later, he meets Suki, a freshly made Olympic winner, at an event and while she shows interest, Sokka is reluctant They start dating and the media gets the news very quickly Sokka doesn't talk to Suki about Yue (Somewhere in between, Toph and Zuko join Avatar Industries) (Toph used to be a classical Opera singer but she quits for heavy metal) By the time Sokka is 20, he's not very happy about his life/career Suki encourages him to go to university, which he does: double major in sound design and engineering, pausing his musical career Become closer to Zuko, they related over anxiety, survivor guilt, etc Suki and him are good, but something feels amiss; so the whole cheating with Azula doesn't help, even if Suki knows it's false Around a year later (21), they break up over mostly distance, Suki moves to follow her trainer Sokka enters his fuckboy period that last a good year, maybe 2 While at uni, Sokka rediscovers his love for producing and starts working with the Gaang+Zuko with their music He starts to win prices as a producer At 24, Zuko asks him to help Azula with her next album

**Sokkla story ** (Link to the fic added)

The notes of Azula's side

[zodiactalks]

These are the Zodiac Signs with the Best MUSIC TASTE

Everyone thinks they’ve got the best music taste. Maybe except for Libras, who are notorious for listening to the same pattern of basic pop that’s all over the radio stations these days. But that’s certainly not true.

There are a few of us that were born with exceptional music taste, and that’s a fact. Some zodiac signs that love music as a religion, listen to some of the best, classiest, most intricate bops that were ever created. Whether it’s because of their innate intuition, their divine musical and artistic abilities, or just their immaculate taste, these are the zodiac signs with the best music taste. #1. Pisces The artistically inclined Pisces has the best music taste out of the whole zodiac and that’s a fact. The fact that they’re so in tune with their emotions allows them to listen closely to the artist’s intention and interpret every last piece of music with an expert eye and truly voracious ears.

It certainly helps that they’re the dreamiest, eeriest sign. The fact that they’re always lost in their playlists dreaming of faraway lands and more delicate, more beautiful realities translates into impeccable music taste. They have the experience to prove it.

A lot of Pisces display some great artistic abilities, as well. It’s not uncommon for Pisces to be musicians themselves, which means they can critique music with a trained ear. This allows them to scout for the latest bops and find some of the most magical music ever produced. #2. Cancer

Of course, the sign that’s so in tune with their emotions has great music taste. Cancer’s playlists are their beloved companions for everything life throws at them. While their go-to songs aren’t always sad ballads for them to cry to, there’s a certain subtlety in the lyrics they listen to and a delicate layer of complacency in their instrumentals.

The water sign is ruled by the fastest and closest celestial object, the Moon, which has served as inspiration for multiple artists throughout history. This is why a lot of people tend to think Cancers are moody - the moon goes through all of its stages in a couple of weeks.

Being ruled by the moon, they are also very creative, and it’s not uncommon to see Cancers making music for themselves. This artistic sign has a great set of skills that lets them find the best music and recognise true art wherever they see it. #3. Sagittarius While Sagittarius is definitely the broody artist type, their adventurous nature and craving for freedom often need the best soundtracks. Thus, it comes as no surprise that the mighty centaur has one of the best music tastes in the zodiac. Ruled by good fortune Jupiter, this zodiac sign has the best luck in finding obscure tracks that leave people speechless.

Moreover, it is no surprise that a Sagittarius loves to party, so they’re always up to date with the latest bangers because they’re always the first to arrive at a hip party and the last to leave after every last track has been danced to death. The music they listen to is certainly not in the same category as the delicate ballads that Pisces and Cancer listen to, but you’ll find a classic, dirty rock in their playlists and a lot of amazing summer tunes that they listen to all year long.

#4. Gemini

Gemini is ruled by the planet of communication - Mercury. What else is music, if not an amazing form of communicating feelings? Since Gemini is such a great conversationalist and so great at listening to other people, there are no music tracks out there that still hide secrets from this perceptive zodiac sign.

Their ability to truly listen to a track and understand what the artist meant gave them a stellar music taste, as they are able to distinguish music that was made in an artistic capacity from music that is just there to make some money.

You will never see a Gemini listen to lousy music with no substance since they love to dissect every word, and there’s nothing they like more than expertly crafted communication.

[miseria-fortes-viros]

(brings microphone to your face) tell us abt ur au!!!! whatever you're willing to share, i love hearing abt wips.

OOHOOHOO OK!! so i have talked abt this before but i don’t think i have a tag for it however im going to go back thru and tag ALL of it bc well. i like all of my things in one place. ANYWAY. i’m going to put this under a cut bc it will be LONG because i cannot help myself ever. so, i present: trc rival bands au!

this is the pinterest board i’ve made for the au that i cannot stop adding to. i’m refraining from sharing my spotify playlists because uh. those are a major part of the story and i don’t want to take that away from it 😭 BUT trust me they are SO good. im obsessed.

anyway. rival bands au LETS GO!!

gansey, ronan, henry, and noah make up the (pop punk?/alt rock?) band Kings of Henrietta.

ronan plays lead guitar. he’s the son of legendary irish rockstar niall lynch and also ex lead guitarist of the boyband the lynch brothers. he plays a seven-string ibanez xiphos in black flat (VERY sexy guitar VERY difficult). its name is chainsaw. he has perfect pitch. he’s also very, very irish

gansey’s lead vocals and rhythm guitar. he grew up hollywood royalty but was never really interested in acting, just did it because it was expected of him. his exodus from the film industry in order to be in a band was originally widely considered a long shot but now. well. one of the most famous bands in the world and all that. he plays an obnoxiously orange gretsch jet that fans have dubbed “the pig”.

henry’s bass and backup vocals. he’s the heir to two tech fortunes but ran off to be a musician and was a solo artist for a few years before the formation of KOH (think yungblud). he has a classic rocker haircut, he’s openly queer, he’s a weirdgirl fashion icon. he plays a custom made electric blue fender precision with lightning detailing. he calls it “madonna” but this name has yet to catch on

noah plays drums (and also provides vocals on occasion if the occasion is screaming). his parents are music producers, his sister adele is also in the industry. he breaks at least one drum stick per show and tosses it into the pit. hardcore fans can and will fight for it.

they are SO fucking famous. like taylor swift 95m monthly spotify listeners famous. like people recognize ronan just from his hair like eminem famous. about to leave on one of the longest world tours ever famous. it is INSANE how famous they are.

they all met at aglionby and often played together but didn’t form a band until after niall lynch’s murder and the disbanding of the lynch brothers. there’s a few years gap between graduating aglionby and the formation of KOH

some circles still believe ronan killed his own father however they are very few and far between. WHATEVER

blue grew up in a house full of musicians. she can play pretty much anything under the sun but prefers drums and guitar. she went to juilliard on scholarship, which is where she met adam

adam did not grow up playing music with his family. he grew up learning it in secret. he cannot play everything however he is a VERY quick learner out of sheer willpower. he graduated high school as valedictorian and immediately got the fuck out of there to go to juilliard (also on scholarship). he and blue were inseparable almost immediately

they moved in together after graduation and blue took him home to henrietta when the rent started to get a little too high. they officially formed their band page of wands in blue’s room at 300 fox way

“page of wands” merges both of their symbolic tarot cards together (page of cups + magician). did i mention blue was raised pagan? she was. as to be expected. anyways.

virtually unknown indie rock band page of wands posts a cover of a KOH song. they do not expect KOH to see it. they also do not expect KOH to return the favor in front of tens of thousands of people. KOH does it anyways. because gansey is ENAMORED. he is SO FAR GONE.

blue hates this. she hates it so much. unfortunately POW’s sudden success is now irreversibly tied to KOH and there’s nothing she can do about it. or is there

their record labels agree to a rivalry. success! this is what she wanted

except it’s not. but she doesn’t know why

cue enemies to lovers. and long distance pining. mutual destruction. the entire music industry watching this all unfold. bluesey. pynch. way too many spotify links. you get the picture

guys i literally CANNOT stop thinking about this i don’t know what to do. what do i do. i am so lost. please help me

[themusicaldesk]

Happy 80th birthday to English musician Ray Davies, born 21 June 1944, singer, and songwriter with The Kinks, who had the 1964 UK No.1 & US No.7 'You Really Got Me', and the 1967 UK No.2 single 'Waterloo Sunset' and the 1983 US No.6 single 'Come Dancing'. The Kinks have sold over 50 million records worldwide and among numerous honours, they received the Ivor Novello Award for "Outstanding Service to British Music".

The Kinks

**********

He is the quintessential English songwriter. He is truly one of a kind. His songs chronicled the working class, a celebrating the joys and melancholy of day-to-day living. Davies is a magnificent observer of British life.

There aren’t many songwriters who can take credit for helping to change the course of rock music history, but Ray Davies is certainly one of them. Forty-one years ago he wrote the five-note riff to “You Really Got Me”, launching the glorious career of The Kinks and, some say, contemporary hard rock and even heavy metal.

As the leader of the Kinks, he’s covered the spectrum of the rock idiom like few others, writing such rock classics as, “Sunny Afternoon”, “Waterloo Sunset”, “Lola”, “Tired of Waiting For You,” “A Well Respected Man”, “Dedicated Follower of Fashion” and “Come Dancing”.

While Davies has long been considered the quintessential British songwriter, the Kinks and their leader were never just an English phenomenon, as America first accepted Davies’ lyrical sense of humor and irresistible hooks during the first British Invasion in the early Sixties, and the love affair has continued through hot and cold periods for over 30 years.

Just a couple of years back The Kinks came out the top earners for music used in TV adverts in the US, earning them a reported £6m a year. The Kinks were enjoying a resurgence – with their music being used to sell washing powder, computers and medicines.

Although they weren’t as innovative as the Beatles or as popular as the Rolling Stones or the Who, the Kinks were one of the most influential bands of the British Invasion. Like most bands of their era, the Kinks began as an R&B/blues outfit. Within four years, the band had become the most staunchly English of all their contemporaries, drawing heavily from British music hall and traditional pop.

Ray and his brother Dave were raised in Muswell Hill, London. In their teens, the brothers began playing skiffle and rock & roll. Soon, the brothers recruited a schoolmate of Ray’s, Peter Quaife. A demo tape reached American record producer Shel Talmy who helped the band land a contract with Pye in 1964.

The group’s 1970 hit “Lola” an account of a confused romantic encounter with a transvestite was a top 10 hit in the UK and U.S. The lyrics originally contained the word “Coca-Cola”, and as a result the BBC refused to broadcast the song, considering it to be in violation of their policy against product placement. Ray was forced to re-record the lyric of Coca-Cola to Cherry Cola to get played on the BBC, taking two return flights during a US tour to complete this.

Away from the dizzy heights of showbiz, Davies made front-page news in 2004 when he was shot in the leg while on holiday in New Orleans. Two men stole his girlfriend’s purse at gunpoint, a brave (or mad), Davies gave chase, and one of the muggers shot him in the leg – resulting in the singer being admitted to hospital, but his injuries were not serious. The headlines the following day ran; “You Really Shot Me!”

Davies later told reporters how much it hurt being shot!

[songsforthepierce]

Album Showcase: DATALEAK i - gripp, Ashlee Haze, & curveBREAKERS

Uh, Well hi there. It's been awhile hasn't it? I got pretty busy with at first artfight, work, then loosing my job, school, and then getting a new job. But I finished this year's artfight, school has been more manageable, and I have been adapting to my new job. Starting with my first request. Now, I am semi-open for requests and the reason I say semi is because I have a HUGE backlog but also it depends if I am interested in what is being requested.

I like the cover for the EP, it is eye catching with what looks like a decaying nigh time city but torn into the picture is the sun setting above the water while someone is dancing. It gives off the feeling of there is hope in the world despite everything.

This request was from @sxrgripp and it is eeir first EP. I never really expected someone making music to come to me this early on to request me to review their stuff but hey it's cool regardless. DATALEAK i was released on June 6th, 2023 making this the most recent album I have reviewed so far. The record label for the album is called glassEyeballs, LLC which is owned by gripp, one of the musicians behind the album and the one who produced the album. According to the post ee had been alluding to the making of this EP for six months which I take it as it took six months to make said EP. Gripp is the owner of glassEyeballs, LLC which is not just an indie music label but also a media investment and holding company. It is connected to Construct College of Creative Pedagogy and Philosophy Media Group . According to the about page on Construct,

"The Construct College of Creative Pedagogy is a digital learning community dedicated to offering free educational opportunities to students marginalized from traditional academia. Through online classes and workshops, the college encourages participants to develop skills and scholarship whose utility are born from sustainable material value rather than association with colonial and imperial systems. Construct is anti-bigotry in all its forms. We endeavor to create spaces that resist classism, misogyny, transphobia, white supremacy, and the social structures that support discrimination."

Which I think is super cool and I do notice one of the classes being offered is an introductory course on javascript. In an age right now where we kind of need to know how to work with javascript to CSS when making our own websites since a lot of the big social media sites are falling apart I do like this is being offered openly. Philosophy Media Group which according to their about,

"PMG is a network of southern creators and creators of color committed to creating innovative art and meaningful media."

What started as a way for Ashlee Haze to make art without worrying about access to a stage since Covid19 grew into this group to help promote voices that would not be heard otherwise. You know as I mention gripp and Ashlee Haze lets talk more about the musicians behind this EP.

Starting with curveBREAKERS which at first seemed like their only music experience was on this EP but that was far from correct. They have a soundcloud and they are electro-classical music collab duo made up of gripp as the writer and producer and Dylan Griffith as composer and educator. Within their soundcloud it states,

"The collective has produced several commercially-released recordings, created musical cues for independent theater and short film projects, and taught college-level music production classes. Their work focuses on the juxtaposition of different styles and artistic elements: classical with hip-hop, analog with digital, and oppression with joy."

So far they have one track out and I have been listening to it as I wrote the section about the duo and I like what I am hearing so far. Also, their site having little color blocks to click on which each make their own sound is really cute.

Ashlee Haze is a poet and spoken word artist who was the main person behind PMG but was also a feature on Blood Orange track, By Ourselves, on the album Fleetown Sound. She released the book Smoke, a collection of poems about grief and the strength it takes to sit with it. There is her spoken word album of the same name as well which I wonder if it is meant to be the audio book form of the book. I do want to check out both at some point to see.

You may have noticed I have been mentioning gripp a lot throughout the review so lets talk more about eem. Marshall "gripp" Gillson is a writer, programmer, and educator based mainly online. I have talked about the fact ee is part of curveBREAKERS, works with PMG, is one of the educators at Construct, and is the founder of the label glassEyeballs, LLC. I decided to look more into eeir other musical ventures and I found this site called deezer which I never heard of before. According to eeir page on the site ee has been involved with many different projects which I will check out in the future. From what I have seen gripp goes by ee/eem/eeir pronouns and I ask everyone to be respectful of that. I won't tolerate someone being a dick about that.

Now before I get to the album proper I should state that my familiarity with hip hop is well limited. You may have noticed most of my music reviews so far have been on rock, punk, metal, and such in the broadest sense. That is mainly because I grew up with those genres. My exposure to hip hop was through big hits like Whoop there it is, U can't Touch This, and Baby Got Back. Sure I grew up with the ringtone era I would hear play on the bus' radio to middle school but I only started to go out of my way to listen to rap by the time I was in high school when I would start watching reviewers such as Toddintheshadows and The Rap Critic. Even now I am still learning and expanding my horizons on the genre. So I do hope I can do this EP justice reviewing it with the perspective I have.

Track 1: Greens & Water - Ashlee Haze

First track starts out strong with a nice and catchy beat. It would not be out of place in a club, bar, or a hookah lounge. It can keep the party going and I do appreciate that in songs like this. Ashlee's singing voice is nice and can carry the song. When I started writing this way back in June the only place to read the full lyrics is Spotify which I don't use. Lyric Genius has not made a page on this song as well as I am writing this in November of 2023. Because of such I have to play it by ear about a lot of the lyrics. That and usually me posting lyrics would be easy, however I knew once I would get around to songs that feature the n word I would have to do the lyrics differently. I'm white and I want to be careful when talking about this topic. Some have told me that if I am quoting then I can post the N-word just as they say it since it would be just quoting it. However I am not really sure that is the right course of action for me to do. So I'll go about this to the best of my abilities and PLEASE feel free to like critique me on this stuff because hey I want to improve.

Anyway, from what I can gather from the song on my own and with some help from a friend of mine since I do thinking having a second set of years does help with lyric deciphering. I know this first track is about the narrator in a club setting trying to have a fun time smoking weed though lame guys can’t really keep up or are a bother. The narrator brags about herself which hey good for her. Bad girls have every right to hold themselves up and have a good time partying. They shouldn't have to deal with shitty guys being pissy at them. Though there is a transition within the song that changes with the lyrics,

Eat your greens and drink your water and and keep your third eye open

Which comes off more like a nice reminder of keeping yourself well fed and hydrated as you are smoking weed. At least this way you don't have a bad time while getting high. Especially afterwards talking about floating up and such.

Track 2: Cop the Summer - gripp

What stood out to me about this track was the instrumentals, it has a chill atmosphere yet something about it scratches the right itch in my brain. I began tapping my fingers along with the song as I was listening to it. I think the reason it scratches my brain a bit in the right spot is that something about it reminds me of reggae which I could be incorrect about the music comparison since sadly my knowledge on reggae is rather limited. But I don't know, something about it reminds me of that genre.

From the lyrics it seems like the narrator is enjoying the summer drinking while buying whatever he wants. Like he has something to prove with showing off his wealth. One of my friends also seemed to have also gleamed that as well from it. But the ending line

She's bad for you block her number

It then makes me wonder if he is buying stuff for this girl? That in a weird way they are using each other. For him he gets something physically and emotionally from the girl. While she in turn is just using him for money. Which this would have an effect on the high wealth the narrator has. Or maybe not.

Track 3: Upset (feat. Rhayne Thomas) - curveBREAKERS

This track features blues vocalist Rhayne Thomas which is very fitting for this song. This track stood out to me the most because it is not just slow song but is more grounded being about economic struggle. The first line being,

Oil man gotta bail out, Banker got a bail out, slaver got a bail, and I got debt

What follows afterwards is places such as airlines and Chrysler also getting bail outs while the narrator continues to be in debt. Clearly tired and hurt from the reality of capitalism prioritizing these businesses over the common people.

They're closing down the schools but opening the bars, they'll put you in a cage for getting free

Promise salvation to keep you working praying for a day you'll never see

The line about the schools got to me since growing up I went to an elementary school in a pretty poor area of the city. It's budget was limited and the parents along with the kids there struggled greatly financially. Many of the children relied on free lunches since their parents could barely make enough to feed themselves. That and I know the schools that tend to close down are those in low income areas and those in towns that barely get any funding from the government. Leading to people living there making the choice of either leaving for better opportunities or staying and pushing through it. Bars do bring in the most money from working in food service and while bars do have their place it there are critiques of it from the more negative aspects of bar culture with people using alcohol as a coping mechanism from the pains of reality. Which a lot of those pains are caused by economic strife brought upon capitalism. A lot of unjust arrests happen for just existing be it if you are homeless trying to sleep somewhere or if police think you look "suspicious" outside a store. Within prison you are made to work as basically slave labor with the condition of you'll eventually be let out. Which not all get to see since a lot of prisons have terrible living conditions. All of this has the repeated line, "And I'm upset", throughout the song. Which is an understandable emotion that I feel when I see stuff like that happen.

This EP was a pretty good and fun listen. To be honest, I like all three tracks equally. While the third one stands out the most stylistically since it takes a more blues approach (which is appropriate for the them of the song) and the fact there is a bit of what sounds to be an electric guitar in one part which surprised me. The first track is a fun club song it jam out to while getting high. The second track would be my pick for my absolute favorite if I had to only choose one song. The instrumentals of it really clung to me and I won't forget it.

You can listen to the whole album through streaming such as Youtube Music, Spotify, and Apple Music. You can also purchase the album through Amazon and itunes. I do want it to eventually be put on bandcamp as well since I would think that would help get more the word out about this project but here is hoping! I highly recommend checking this EP out along with all the other projects the artists behind this have done.

[youngveinsworld]

The sixth member of the Young Veins - Yon Garfias

Yonathan Garfias is a musician who worked on Take a Vacation in the studio with Rob Mathes and was the original touring bassist. However, he left the band in March 2010 and was replaced by Andy Soukal, who was the Young Veins' bassist until the announcement of the hiatus in December 2010.

Yon went on to help produce some of Jon's solo music, so there doesn't appear to be too much animosity between him and the band. He also worked with artists such as Tame Impala, Tegan and Sara, Silverchair, and Angels & Airwaves. This is his bio on Soundcloud:

Colabo muso [silverchair, the young veins, jon walker, the like, tame impala, pond, tegan and sara, angels and airwaves,Love (movie) my minds own melody (soundtrack), nataly dawn, nick allbrook]

The only show he ever played with the Young Veins was their first one on 13 March 2010 at the Echo. He posted this entry to his website after the show:

1st Show w/Young Veins As you know guys I’m back with The Young Veins, for mutual decision, and last nite we all together, you are involved in this, rocked @Echo in Los Angeles, California. This is some comments from my bandmates about this: “A million thanks to those who came out tonight and supported us!”.- Nick Murray “Thanks to everyone who came to support us tonite! You were great..”.- Jon Walker. And you don’t know what we said after the show finished, we are so glad and proud of your support guys!. And for those whose were there @Echo yesterday, this is what I said: “We really appreciate that you guys coming, this means a lot to us for our first time here. We hopefully we can see you all very very soon… because this is probably my favourite show in this band of all the time so thank you so much for that, I trully mean that from the bottom of my heart… I came from Mexico to see you and every moment have been spectacular so thank you so much… we love you and this is our last song and it’s called Heart Of Mine thanks so much!.” We love you guys!

Timeline of Yon's involvement with the Young Veins

From a Tumblr post from Yon's blog:

In September 2009 I joined The Young Veins. But then in March 2010 I left the band. It was nice being home.

Tumblr post made by Yon on 23 January 2010:

And about a new project born in Panic At the Disco lines… Ryann Ross and Jon Walker left them and begun a  project called The Young Veins… something as The Beatles…. The Kinks… The Animals…. well 60’s music… Then arrived Nick Murray and.. me. I love this music… the album will be released this year… but the tour is March 2010…

Tumblr post made by Yon on 30 January 2010:

Thank you so much for all your support so far! We’re currently rehearsing, prepping the album and getting ready for tour in March / April. We’re soooo close to getting the final confirmation on those dates and cities. Thanks to everyone for being patient, it means a lot to us

And a post from the same day he made about texting the other Young Veins members:

Tumblr post made by Yon on 6 February 2010:

Wanted to let you all know as of March 2010 i won’t be continuing in The Young Veins. It’s been a great learning experience and a very funny one as well. I started with the band to have a similar art as The Beatles or The Kinks even The Animals, and it served that purpose very well the music from the Young Veins is concidered as rock classic! and that’s good! I never intended to be a famous artist with these guys just an artist and it opened many doors to give me new opportunities to do just that. Thanks to everyone who has supported me and I hope you can continue to show your support on future projects. You can find info about all my art related projects on www.yongarfiastumblr.com. I just wanted to add thanks to everyone who has supported me to take this project as my manager, Derek Hudgens, the guys for let me be part of this great dream, Ryan Ross, Jon Walker and Nick Murray and the rest of the crew. Its been a great run and I will continue this carrer. Now I know whose gonna take that place, Andy Soukal, I know you will do it good, even better bro!. I understand many of you are sad at this news, I am sad also, The Young Veins has not only been a big part of my life, but also who I am right now but this is my 1st calling in life right now. I met awesome people, and able to talk to a ton online like yourself. I will continue to make musc and the spirit of The Young Veins will live on forever. I really hope you all stay in touch with me and you can always ask me any questions in the years to come. Take Care… -Senator Garfias

Tumblr post made by Yon on 20 April 2010:

Some months i was in a band called The Young Veins… kind of 60’s rock and roll! but i quit… too much fame for me…

Yon's departure from the band upset many fans on Livejournal, and also on Twitter, where they tried to get #teamyon trending.

[thislovintime]

Peter Tork and James Lee Stanley promoting Stranger Things Have Happened at Costa Mesa’s Tower Records on December 2, 1995. Photos by Pat Smith.

“He plays ‘em, and he sings the songs [on Stranger Things Have Happened]. Backing him on the album are Dolenz, Nesmith, ex-Eagle Timothy B. Schmit and his current music mate/opening act, acoustic guitarist and yarnspinner James Lee Stanley. ‘I want some ambiguity — not straight moon-June-spoon-lovey-dovey,’ Tork says of his music. He delivers that straightaway in the title track [listen], a world-beatish ditty that explores love through the metaphor of Mao's Long March. ‘The inference to be drawn is that once you've fallen in love, then the work begins,’ he explains. ‘Everybody wants to think you fall in love and that's it, like in movies and pop music. The truth is that's not the truth. The bloom of infatuation always wears off. Then what?’��� - Chicago Tribune, January 19, 1996

“Songs on the album span from hard rock and reggae to classical. ‘The music is eclectic, very broad-based,’ Tork said. ‘Peter is a multi-faceted guy,’ [James Lee] Stanley said. ‘He is largely influenced by reggae.’” - The Defender, February 21, 1996

Q: “Why, after all this time, do we finally have the first Peter Tork CD?” Peter Tork: “I don’t know. Shouldn’t I have ever put one out? Oh, you mean why did it take me so long? I don’t exactly know… I needed James and he couldn’t help as long as I lived in the San Francisco Bay area. That’s one thing. I suppose, too, that until recently, I wasn’t equipped psychologically.” [...] Q: “How did you come to work with your producer, James Lee Stanley?” PT: “James is about my oldest friend. No, make that my friend of longest standing. I worked with him once before, in my early days, and I thought, as a result of that experience, that it would be very good for me to work with him again. Plus, he was in the neighborhood.” Q: “How did you pick the songs?” PT: “Each one differently. Some of them I’ve had on my mind to put [on] my record for a long time. Others we just sort of played and started to record.” [...] Q: “Why didn’t you put Long Title on Stranger Things Have Happened?” Peter Tork: “We tried, but it’s how these things go sometimes. We weren’t happy with the way it was turning out, so we dropped it. Maybe the next solo album.” Q: “How do you write a song. What starts you off.” PT: “Pretty women start me off, and there’s no one way to write. Sometimes someone says something that sounds interesting, and you jot it down. Sometimes you find yourself humming something that you realize you haven’t exactly heard before. The hard part is ‘asking’ for the inspiration to get the other parts, other verses, bridges, if any, etc.” - Beachwood Confidential newsletter, 1995

“‘It’s kind of middle-of-the-road, up pop,’ [Tork] says. ‘Micky and Mike Nesmith sing backup on a couple of songs. If it isn’t available in your local record store, you can get it by calling 1-800-Not-Ribs-0!’” - Los Angeles Times, November 12, 1995 (x)

“That’s another reason that we were friends for life, because I saw him shine when, you know, there were no Monkees, the Monkees idea wasn’t even on the horizon. And he was a wonderful performer and a wonderful musician, and I saw him like that. And I think the fact that he got that from me, that kind of respect all through that period, probably helped the bond as well. 
And I remember that, after The Monkees’ resurgence, I think it was about, it might have been ’90, ’91 or something, and I said, ‘Peter, why haven’t you made a record? All these guys have made solo records, and you haven’t.’ And he was so humble, he just said, ‘Well, you know, no one has asked me.’ And I said, ‘Jesus, Peter, I have a studio, I have a record label, I have distribution.’ I said, ‘Why don’t we, at some point, make you a solo record, and we’ll shop it, you know. And the worst case scenario, if literally nobody likes it but us, we can put it out on my label, which is distributed by Capitol. So we can’t lost, you know.’ And, you know, I just, I just said, ‘Let’s just do that.’ And I, I must admit that my vision of the first album, because I had seen him perform this organic acoustic music, I wanted to present him doing those, those banjo things. I wanted to make, essentially, an acoustic record, so that I could demonstrate that there was no… no phony stuff behind him, that he was the guy doing this stuff. I wanted to present that so it would shift peoples’ conception of him. Yes, he’s a Monkee, and he was famous and he was a teen idol. He was also always this musician, he played the acoustic guitar — he really played the guitar, he really played the banjo, he really played the piano. And I wanted to do that. But he said, ‘James, you know, I’m not that guy anymore. I want to do a rock ’n’ roll — I’m a rocker, I want to do a rock ’n’ roll record. And I wanna do, I like all these synths and stuff.’ So I said, ‘Okay, well, I mean, let us… let me see what I can do to help further your vision.’ One of the things I’ve always done as a producer is try to figure out what the vision of the artist was, and then serve that. And I learned that from reading about George Martin, who never discouraged The Beatles. He never said, ‘That’s a stupid idea, we can’t do that.’ He always tried to help bring to life whatever the vision was that the artist had. So that’s what I tried to do with Stranger Things Have Happened. Tried to just assist him in realizing that vision. […] [With the 7A re-release] I went back and revisited the record, and I’ll tell you the truth, I liked it a lot. I was, I was genuinely surprised by how much I liked it. I mean, it was Peter’s thing, not mine, and it sounded like a Peter record. It didn’t sound like one of my records; if you listen to my stuff, it’s much different than that. But I liked it, you know. I thought it was very inventive and very varied. [...] [As a songwriter, Peter] was always trying to do something which you hadn’t heard. Which is pretty rare, because many of the hit songs that you hear are derivative, they sound like some other hit song. Peter always wanted to write something that you hadn’t heard before. [...] I mean, his writing was interesting, you know, and fun to play. Always surprising.“ - James Lee Stanley, The Monkees Pad Show

[l0vegalores]

╰ ☆ ◞ beautrice laus / ciswoman / she/her ——— no way is that immy pritchard? you know they’re twenty-three years old and they’ve been in los angeles for twenty-three years. they’re chillin’ as a musician & music producer for eclipse entertainment. oh and they’re notoriously known for being anxious but there are some people who have seen them be playful. i heard they’re a part of a solo act called IMMY, yeah they’re a vocalist & guitarist. to be honest they sound a lot like beabadoobee, remi wolf and cat & calmell. they’re actually pretty popular.

the low down on immy pritchard featuring. a sonic fm interview

(content warnings: childhood cancer, car accident, parental death, age gap relationship, alcoholism)

part one: statistics.

basic information:

full name: imelda rosamie pritchard

nickname(s): immy (preferred name)

age:��twenty-three

date of birth: 17th june, 2000

place of birth: los angeles, california

gender: ciswoman

pronouns: she/her

orientation: bisexual/biromantic (masc leaning attraction)

language(s) spoken: english, some tagalog

neighbourhood: west paradise

living arrangements:

family ties:

mother: cecilia pritchard

father: richard pritchard

siblings: sonny pritchard

spouse / partner: n/a

children: n/a

pets: two cats - sushi, mac & cheese

occupational information:

occupation: music producer for eclipse entertainment

name of their act: IMMY

so they play instruments? if so what?: vocalist & guitar

how long have they been a part of the act?: six years

current monthly spotify/apple music listens on average: 11M

physical appearance:

face claim: beatrice laus

hair color: black

eye color: dark brown

height: 5ft 3

build: slim/pear

tattoos: lots

piercings: ears

clothing style: thrifted, eclectic, comfy or cute, super oversized or mini skirts and crop tops and no inbetween vibes

distinguishing characteristics: freckles over her cheeks

personality:

mbti: INFP (the mediator)

element: air

western zodiac: gemini

chinese zodiac: dragon

positive traits: outgoing, curious, energetic, kindhearted

negative traits: restless, indecisive, flighty

hobbies: drawing, watching anime, playing video games, smoking weed, spending time with her friends

character inspiration (if any): 

wanted connections:

band members: a bassist, guitarist and drummer would all be amazing for immy!

friends: self explanatory, pls be my bbies friend. she's been in kind of a rough place the past few months.

co workers: at eclipse entertainment

literally any kind of connection!

bonus info + headcanons:

when immy was four years old she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, her older brother donated his bone marrow to save her life.

when she and her brother were in hospital undergoing surgery their parents ended up in a tragic and fatal car accident which left her older brother as her guardian

she's classically trained in piano and has been playing since she was seven years old. she started playing guitar when she was thirteen and writing/singing her own songs since she was sixteen.

she studied music production and sound engineering at luminary arts college.

she had a messy break up 6 months ago with her ex michael knight (currently npc), he was ten years older then her and they met in the LA music scene. their relationship had started when she was eighteen but wasn't public until she was nineteen. their relationship was already toxic for so many reasons but over the course of their relationship her career was really starting to take off as she was selling records and touring the country. the more popular immy became the more michael resented her for it. he was cheating on her for some time and their break up was a little too public for immy's liking.

throughout her relationship with mikey, immy relied heavily on alcohol as a coping mechanism. the alcohol helped numb everything and made it easier to be with him. although since their relationship ended her dependency has dropped dramatically, she's been sober for three months and is finally starting to write more music after their breakup.

part two: questionnaire. 

start at the beginning, who are you and why are you important?"gosh me?" dark eyes widened before her lips curled up into a bright smile. shrugging her shoulders before she continued. "i'm just immy, you know i'm only as important as the people around me. yeah, i play music but only because people listen."

how long have you been making music?"fuck like... forever." there was a small giggle that fell from her lips before she decided to clarify. "well, i mean making my own music for the past seven or eight years but i've always been a musician my whole life."

how would you describe the kind of music you make?"um, that's honestly a little bit hard to say right now." her dark brows furrowed for the moment as she stared off trying to figure out how to convey what she meant. "i think right now more than ever my music is evolving, i took a six month break from writing just so i could really figure out for myself what kind of music i wanted to make. you know without the influences of anybody else around me. so yeah it's always been a particular flavour combination of like indie, alternative, poppy styles. i just think i'm about to get a lot more experimental with my sound."

who are some of your biggest musical influences?"you know when i think about musical influences i always come back to women in music. like i'd say theres an infinite number of artists that i like or love and i'm sure i take inspiration from so many of them but when i'm thinking about people who make the kind of music that inspires me and made me go 'i wanna do that too', always women. alanis morissette, amy winehouse, florence and the machine, fiona apple, regina spektor. but i'm also constantly inspired by my friends who make music too."

what is the first record you ever bought?"the first record i ever bought... oooh--" she started batting her lashes trying to recall through the scattered thoughts in her brain. her collection was big and she remembered being a kid with her brother when she'd bought her very first CD. "i think it was inside in / inside out from the kooks. yeah and i still love that album."

what has working in the music industry meant to you thus far in your career?she couldn't have smiled wider if she tried in that moment. "oh it's meant everything. this is all i've ever wanted so to be able to be a part of this industry and have this career is literally my dream."

what are some stand out moments from your career so far? "i think just the entire trajectory of my career i've been really thankful for, you know? like getting signed to eclipse, being able to tour, getting featured in sonic, being able to work for eclipse... it's all been so fucking amazing i wouldn't wish for anything else.

how would you describe your style of performance? what makes your shows worth seeing?"i think my favourite kind of shows to perform will always be intimate ones. you know tiny bandrooms and stages that are like three feet off the floor just because it enhances the atmosphere and connects you to your audience so easily." there's almost a look of reminiscence on her features, like she's thinking back to specific shows in mind. as she slowly comes back to reality immy starts nodding her head again. "but i think as my shows grew and you know my stages had to get taller or rooms got bigger or i was opening for bigger acts i really had to adapt and find other ways to connect with crowds, especially when they're not your own crowds right? so i find just trying to have as much energy as possible is the best thing. making sure you're connecting with your band too and just trying to get everyone as fucking hyped as possible whilst throwing a slow one in there every now and then."

what are you still hoping to achieve in your career?it took her a few seconds to really allow herself to think of exactly how she wanted this to come out. "i think i want to achieve a new level of authenticity in my work. like i said, i'm trying to be really experimental and like i'm trying to find my voice again

what’s next for you?theres almost a flicker of doubt in her eyes. like she really doesn't know how to answer that question "hopefully an album soon, but that's way out so maybe some singles first... i don't know it depends on how experimental i get."

[min-yumniverse]

A Change of Rhythm (1)

Pairing: Yoongi x Musician!f.Reader

Recommended playlist: Slump(SKZ), Wishing on a Star(BTS), Stars and Raindrops(SKZ), Coffee(BTS), Hug Me(I.N), Dimple(BTS), Hoodie Season (3racha/SKZ), Chocolate (Day6), Love Senario(iKon), Blueberry Eyes(MAX), Can't Stop(SKZ), Blue Hour(TXT)

This is a work of FICTION, everything is made with creative liberty and is not meant to represent anyone/any true events.

Music. My best friend, my first love, my passion, and turns out to also be my thirteenth reason. When my muse runs out, that’s it. My career is over. Old songs are boring, everything now is just so boring and stressful. 

I slammed my hands on my keyboard for the nth time. “Dammit…” I leaned back into my chair, leaning so far back I almost fell to the floor. A heavy sigh left my lips, “Why can’t I come up with anything good anymore?” I looked at the floor, this had been going on for a month, absolutely no songs made, and ten times the stress levels. I knew I needed a break from everything for a while. I needed a change of rhythm.

I grabbed my wallet and jacket and left my genius lab. It’s not a genius lab without a genius in it, I needed to get him back soon. I closed the door, and wouldn’t be returning until this slump came to an end. Which hopefully would be soon.

…

“What do you mean you’re sick? You sound fine. You were fine yesterday.”

“I’m sick of this job,” I said, hanging up the phone. Instead of heading to Hybe, I called in sick. I might have well as been sick, a producer with no creativity is basically on the death bed. Likewise with an unmotivated musician. Sometimes you just need to get away from what you’re bored of for a while and return to it later. I grabbed my tote bag, put a few things in it, and went to a nearby coffee shop. The second floor is always better than the first, you get a beautiful view of the neighbourhood with all of the foliage.

When we got back from Vegas I never thought I would love to see so much green again. “That’s something I could write about—“ I got my pen out to jot in the small notebook of mine only to see the previous page and stop, “oh… I already did.” I always made writing songs look easy, but it never is. Inspiration appears so randomly, sometimes it comes through so clearly, but other times, like today, it’s coming at me like molasses. The ideas and I are almost like two south poles of a magnet. When I reach out for an idea, it runs away. 

I let out a soft sigh, putting my notebook back into my tote bag. I finished my coffee while stalking my Instagram profile and deleting random DMs. These people are so unhinged online, it’s disgusting to think of the dirty things some people will message you with. They really drown out the important messages.

“Are you unproductive?” The ad blared from my phone. Instagram ads are so well hidden in the system, but that doesn’t make them any less annoying. I was about to scroll before it continued, “maybe it’s time for a change of rhythm. Here’s ten things to help get your motivation back.”

~~~

So I listened. Fresh air? Check. Book? Check. Dramas? Check. A will to live? Working on it. 

It’s what I was doing anyway, just taking a break from everything. Plus Namjoon does this kind of stuff all the time. I brought my tote bag to the park and found a shade tree. I pulled out a self-help book by one of my favourite authors and got to reading. There was the slightest breeze, and the sun felt toasty on my legs that poked out from the shade of the tree.

~~~

I don’t know when I had fallen asleep, but I was woken up by this girl, playing classical music on her phone. Or maybe it was the sun in my face that really woke me. At the moment, however, I could only focus on the loud music, the very thing I was avoiding. Why did she have to blast it like that? “Hey, can you wear headphones or turn it down?” I felt groggy, and not like waking up… at all. She turned to look at me and I saw her hair, (s/t) skin and (e/c) eyes. ‘Oh, she’s a foreigner.’ I suddenly went into English robot mode, “Hello, your music, turn it down. Please?” Her eyes just went wide, like beautiful marbles. Why were they kind of cute? ‘What if she doesn’t speak English?’ My heart dropped at the thought.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” She replied in English. I sighed with relief and grabbed onto my chest. She bowed and walked away. In the distance, I could see her cover her face like she wanted to crawl into a hole from embarrassment. It almost made me feel guilty. But who plays their music so loudly without headphones on, in public? I thought that was clear internationally too, but maybe not. Who am I to judge?

I grabbed my phone and looked at the time, it was a few hours after when I normally ate lunch. Maybe I should just go home for the rest of the day. ‘Home… Maybe I should go back to Daegu for a bit.’ I packed my book, water, and small picnic blanket into my bag and walked home. The sun felt nice on my skin. I thought about writing a song called ‘Sunkissed’ on the walk home.

‘The warm lips of the sun

They hold you in when you’re trying to run...’

“No, I hate it.” I ripped the paper out of my notebook and threw it away. I honestly wanted to cry. Either cry from stress or break everything I could. I opted to cry. And I did, I cried for at least an hour. Through making my lunch. Through eating that lunch while watching a drama on my big flat-screen TV, with Holly on my lap. And finally through my shower to rinse off the dirt from the park. 

They say crying is for the weak, but I don't think so. It’s not a weakness, it’s a sign of struggle, and battle scars. It’s a coping mechanism. Screw those people who talk shit about people who cry too much. 

I sigh after rinsing my hair out. I grab the towel that hangs on the bar attached to the glass of the shower. Suddenly I thought about what I would have to get for my parents. I shouldn’t visit them empty-handed… although I could. “I’ll make something out of wood for them. I already made cutting boards for the members, so… Maybe a coat hanger to put by the door.” I decided. The only thing you can give someone who has everything already or can get whatever they want is something handmade.

I wrapped the towel around my waist so I could dry my hair. I put a few products in it before blow-drying it. Then I put some face cream and sunscreen on my face and went back to my couch to continue the drama. Holly hopped up on my lap and nuzzled at my elbow until I lifted my arm over him. It’s the cutest thing a dog can do. My heart was completely melted by his actions. “Why are you so cute Holly-ah?” I started petting his curly fur and rubbing his ears. “Do you wanna visit Daegu again? Let's start packing tomorrow, huh?”

“Woof!”

~~~

There was a hesitation before I raised my hand to knock on the door of the two-story building. My mom came to the door with equal hesitation, then she realised it was me. “Yoongi-ah, what are you doing here all unannounced?” I walked in with my small suitcase.

“I thought I’d visit for a little while. I didn’t think I needed to get an invitation.”

“Of course not. I love seeing my little boy.” She picked up Holly, and took the leash from my hands. “Isn’t that right my little boy?” She asked, referring to Holly. I made a bet with myself that within thirty minutes she would dress him in the silliest little outfit. I don’t know how she gets him to let her, I’m lucky if I can get a bandana on him. Mothers are full of magic. “So what’s the real reason why you came, Yoongi-ah? Is work getting stressful?” I could only nod in response. I didn’t need to say anything.

“Is Hyung home?”

“No, he’s at work, probably like you should be right now.”

“Dad too?”

“Yep. I was about to get dinner ready. We weren't expecting you, so go to the store and get more ingredients.” She shifted Holly to her left hand and grabbed my arm with her right. I was practically kidnapped into the kitchen, and given a list of things to get from the store. I briefly looked at the list, and I could see some things that were not just for dinner.

“Do we need cotton pads for dinner?”

“You’re going to the store anyway, there’s no need for multiple trips today.” She patted my back, and mouthed ‘thank you’. I sighed and began my short journey to the store.

~~~

I realised that I should have driven to the store. It never hit me that I would carry more than eight bags home. I had to make two stops, but luckily the stores are relatively close to one another. But that didn’t help my arms from carrying all these bags.

“Need help there?” I turned around towards the voice. I didn’t catch my grin before I saw his face.

“Hyung. Here, take them.”

“All of them?” He started laughing, then realised I was serious.

“Yes,” I replied, holding out all of the bags for him to take. And of course he only took half. “Ya! I said all of them!” I couldn’t throw them all on him before he ran away. We reached home before I knew it. It may have gone faster because I chased him the whole way home.

I only caught up to him after we got home. He was standing by the door, about to take his shoes off, but not quite. He was busy laughing his ass off over god knows what. “Ma, he runs like a grandpa! Hahaha!” 

‘So that’s what it was. He’s talking shit.’ I opened the door and walked in calmly. While taking my shoes off I purposefully nudged my hyung with my shoulder. Sadly, he didn’t fall over as I had hoped. “We bumped into each other while walking home.” I brought the bags to the kitchen, washed all of the vegetables, and put them in the baskets with the matching produce. “Mom, I’m done,” I called out.

“Uhuh,” she replied. She walked past me, and pet Holly, who had been standing right outside of the kitchen which was also the entrance hall of the house. She then fanned her hand towards me, telling me to get out of the kitchen. I jumped, ran to Holly and played with him a little.

“So how are you doing Yoongi-ah?” My brother patted my shoulder, behind me.

“Bored out of my mind. How’s the restaurant going?” At some point, he had gotten a bag of chips.

“Pretty much the same since the last time you visited. Pretty busy on the weekends. I still get some of your little fangirls, asking if you can marry them. Maybe if you actually got married they’d stop asking.” He began to laugh and held his belly.

“Shut it hyung, you’re older than me, what about your wife? Oh right, you don’t have one.” I looked at him smugly with my arms crossed. ‘Seriously, this guy…”

“Ouch. That one hurt.” He wrapped both of his hands around his heart like he had been struck by a bullet. “At least I’m not being asked by millions upon millions of people around the world to marry them. I’m perfectly content without that kind of stress. I’m just gonna wait for my Miss Right.”

“You’re like a billion years old, hyung- You know what? Nevermind.” I let out a long sigh. Sometimes hyung was great, he was the only one that had supported my love for music career through my middle and high school ages. But he could also be a brat as if he was the younger sibling. 

“I’m going to go help Mom cook. Make yourself useless.” I groaned in response as I made my way from the entrance hall to my room, upstairs. I dove through my suitcase to get my tablet and continued the new drama I had started. I don’t usually watch romances, but this one had good reviews from the watchers. There was also an adorable cat. I couldn’t help but want my own when I watched how cute the kitten was in the show.

At some point in time, Holly had climbed the stairs and walked into my room whining. “What is it Holly-ah? Are you hungry?” Holly’s ears perked up and his head tilted at the word ‘hungry’. I got up with an iconic dad grunt and picked Holly up like a purse between my arm and body. When I got downstairs I pulled out some ground beef from the fridge that Mom didn’t use in her cooking, and began to simmer it in the pan. I mixed it with some sweet potatoes and put some spices that vets recommend for dogs like turmeric and such. Holly jumped around sporadically while I put the contents into a bowl for him. “Sit, hand. Other hand, okay!” Holly was always good with the little training tricks I taught him as a puppy.

“Well now that you’re downstairs, dinner is ready. Come eat Yoongi-ah,” Mom said. I hummed back in understanding and walked to the table in the living room that connected to both the entrance hall and the kitchen like a ‘T’ shape. 

3.2.23 Word Count: ~2300

[randomvarious]

Haddaway - "What Is Love" 1992 Eurodance / Eurohouse / Dance-Pop

It's another big one, folks. Today I'm gonna tell you the story about how this indispensable early 90s club classic that went on to largely define the Eurodance era as a whole originally came to be, and how it also ended up unexpectedly launching the career of a Trinidadian-born renaissance man by the name of Nestor Haddaway, who would go on to become an international pop superstar, largely away from American eyes.

So, the truth of the matter is that, before he'd end up moving tens of millions of units with his debut record, "What Is Love," Nestor Haddaway wasn't even really much of a singer in the first place. He had lived in America, joined the navy for a handful of years, earned a PhD in political science, and then decided to move out to Europe, where he thought he could have a chance at making it as a musician. Nestor was fond of German-made music, like Kraftwerk, and knew the country had served as a launching pad for a whole bunch of successful acts, including Donna Summer. And he also knew that, as a black man, the industry wouldn't be so quick to try to pigeonhole him into either R&B or hip hop, either, like the US had a tendency to do, because the German music industry just seemed to be more open-minded about things like that.

So, Nestor would end up in Frankfurt, in a crew with none other than Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti, a pair of guys who had previously made music with techno legend Sven Väth as the trio OFF, and then found much wider success as the producers behind Snap!, who would give the world songs like "The Power" and "Rhythm is a Dancer" in the late 80s and early 90s. You won't find Haddaway's name attached to any of their records, and if you do a Discogs search, it'll show that his first credits were as his own solo act, but he did do production and remix work with Münzing and Anzilotti, and he made good money from it too.

But while he wanted to be a successful producer on his own—and not a singing solo act—Nestor was also a lot of other things too: he was a dancer, a choreographer, an American football player in one of Europe's top leagues, and a business owner who organized fashion shows and photoshoots. And all of that seemed to keep him from being a desperate artist who'd be eager to sign a contract with anyone that'd be willing to take him on, only to be, most likely, taken advantage of later. And with that security of having his fingers in many other pies, he was able to turn down a bunch of offers he didn't like at first, before very unexpectedly starting to really find his way in Cologne, in 1992.

That was when Nestor decided to do a favor for his music partner, Alex Strasser, who, at the time, had a job at a label called Coconut Records, and was struggling to make ends meet. But a way that Nestor could help him out would be to come down to the studio and record some music. Nestor would do some stuff that he had been working on himself, and then to help out Alex, he would also record something for Coconut too. No big deal; just being a good friend, really.

But as you could probably guess, this little session turned out to be a huge deal. Coconut's co-owner, Tony Hendrik, decided to come down to the studio too, and brought with him a rough draft of a song that he and his wife, Karin van Haaren, had worked on. In fact, the two of them had already had the song in Coconut's publishing company and were just waiting for the right person to come along and sing over it. And that song was an early version of "What Is Love," and their latest candidate to front it was now none other than Nestor Haddaway.

But Hendrik had a vision for the song that he and Nestor didn't share. He wanted Nestor to sing the song in the style of Joe Cocker, who, I'd say, is pretty dang inimitable himself. So, while Nestor acknowledged that he was definitely a fan of Cocker's work, he also told Hendrik that there was no way that he was going to sing like him. Nestor had loved the work that he had done with the guys from Snap! and brought back something that was more in their vein. Hendrik wasn't too thrilled with it, telling Nestor and Strasser that what he really had wanted was a ballad, but his wife ended up convincing him to just roll with it. So, he relented.

And here's what appears to be an early iteration of what they had come up with, which was made available on YouTube only a few years ago, and seems to have one key ingredient missing from the finished product:

And this version probably would've sufficed as a solid, radio-friendly dance hit, but you'll notice that in this iteration, the organ stabs aren't nearly as full or fluid. And to get the final version, Hendrik took the song, locked himself in the studio for a full week or so, and then was able to turn that organ into something harder that the listener could happily glide on during the instrumental portions between Haddaway's verses. It was a terrific enhancement. Plus, Nestor had also supplied vocals that sounded less tender and more anguished too.

And when Nestor heard this updated version, he knew he had something unique on his hands that also had mass appeal as both a dance and pop record. Coconut offered to buy the track from him for 5,000 Deutsche marks, but he outright refused. And yet, unbelievably, when they first tried to shop it, no other label or radio station actually wanted anything to do with it at first! But a new station in Cologne was willing to implement it as a jingle, which was enough to get the ball rolling, and after getting a positive response from about a thousand DJs that they had sent it to, "What Is Love" then proceeded to catch complete fire on a global scale.

The song went to #1 in 13 countries, #2 in the UK, and almost broke the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, while hitting #9 on its corresponding dance chart too. And despite its slightly lesser showing Stateside, Saturday Night Live's Butabi brothers, who would then feature as the main characters in 1998's A Night at the Roxbury, would extend its relevance for a whole lot more years, by using it as their own theme song, which even encouraged yours truly and a friend of theirs to dress up as them for Halloween one year, which I assure you, there are no pictures of 🤫.

(I was the Will Ferrell one, btw)

Now, maybe one thing you're wondering is, "yes, the plonking organ definitely proved essential, but so did that mysterious and intermittent female vocal too! Who was that?" Well, I have absolutely no idea, but what I can tell you is where it came from, because Haddaway lifted it from a 1991 sample pack CD called Datafile One that was made for producers, DJs, programmers, and artists to use. Have a listen to track 64 and you'll hear the pair or samples that were used:

And that's pretty much it. Haddaway, who originally had no intention of being a pop star himself, had actually managed to become one on a bit of a lark, by giving the world a super catchy and versatile club banger with the first song that he'd ever apparently recorded professionally as a singer. And it was also on the heels of Germany's last massive Eurodance triumph, "Rhythm Is a Dancer," which happened to be by his friends in Snap! And while Haddaway would pretty much flame out as a one-hit wonder in the US after that, he'd still string together a bunch more singles that would resonate well in other markets, ultimately allowing him to have a long and fruitful career that he's been able to sustain to this very day. Plus, Just Blaze's sampling of "What Is Love" for Eminem and Lil Wayne's own "No Love," which ended up doing over 5 million in sales and streaming, couldn't have hurt, either, so, good thing he didn't end up selling it to Coconut for the relative pittance that they had originally offered him!

Welcome to Haddaway week.

[justforbooks]

The distinctive sound of Pharoah Sanders’ tenor saxophone, which could veer from a hoarse croon to harsh multi phonic screams, startled audiences in the 1960s before acting in recent years as a kind of call to prayer for young jazz musicians seeking to steer their music in a direction defined by a search for ecstasy and transcendence.

Sanders, who has died age 81, made an impact at both ends of a long career. In 1965 he was recruited by John Coltrane, an established star of the jazz world, to help push the music forward into uncharted areas of sonic and spiritual exploration.

He had just turned 80 when he reached a new audience after being invited by Sam Shepherd, the British musician and producer working under the name Floating Points, to take the solo part on the widely praised recording of an extended composition titled Promises, a concerto in which he responded with a haunting restraint to the minimalist motifs and backgrounds devised by Shepherd for keyboards and the strings of the London Symphony Orchestra.

By then he had become a vital figure in the recent revival of “spiritual jazz”, whose young exponents took his albums as inspirational texts. When he was named a Jazz Master by the US National Endowment for the Arts in 2016, musicians of all generations, from the veteran pianist Randy Weston to the young saxophonist Kamasi Washington, queued up to pay tribute.

Farrell Sanders was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, a segregated world where his mother was a school cook, his father was a council worker and he grew up steeped in the music of the church. He studied the clarinet in school before moving on to the saxophone, playing jazz and rhythm and blues in the clubs on Little Rock’s West Ninth Street, backing such visiting stars as Bobby Bland and Junior Parker. After graduating from Scipio A Jones high school, he moved to northern California, studying art and music at Oakland Junior College. Soon he was immersing himself in the local jazz scene, where he was known as “Little Rock”.

In 1961 he arrived in New York, a more high-powered and competitive but still economically straitened environment. While undergoing the young unknown’s traditional period of scuffling for gigs, he played with the Arkestra of Sun Ra, a devoted Egyptologist. Sanders soon changed his name from Farrell to Pharoah, giving himself the sort of brand recognition enjoyed by all the self-styled Kings, Dukes, Counts and Earls of earlier jazz generations.

Amid a ferment of innovation in the new jazz avant garde, Sanders formed his own quartet. The poet LeRoi Jones (later known as Amiri Baraka) was the first to take notice, writing in his column in DownBeat magazine in 1964 that Sanders was “putting it together very quickly; when he does, somebody will tell you about it”.

That somebody turned out to be Coltrane, who invited him to take part in the recording of Ascension, an unbroken 40-minute piece in which 11 musicians improvised collectively between ensemble figures handed to them at the start of the session. When it was released on the Impulse! label in 1966, critics noted that the leader, one of jazz’s biggest stars, had given himself no more solo space than any of the other, younger horn players, implicitly awarding their creative input as much value as his own.

Coltrane also invited Sanders to join his regular group, then expanding from the classic quartet format heard at its peak on the album A Love Supreme, recorded in 1964. With Alice Coltrane and Rashied Ali replacing McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones at the piano and the drums respectively, and other young musicians coming in and out as the band toured the US, the music became less of a vehicle for solo improvisation and more of a communal rite, sometimes involving the chanting of mantras and extended percussion interludes.

While some listeners were dismayed, accusing Coltrane of overdoing his generosity to young acolytes, others were exhilarated. For both camps, Sanders became a symbol of the shift. “Pharoah Sanders stole the entire performance,” the critic Ron Welburn wrote after witnessing Coltrane’s group in Philadelphia in 1966. The poet Jerry Figi reviewed a performance in Chicago and described Sanders as “the most urgent voice of the night”, his sound “a mad wind screeching through the root-cellars of Hell”. Sceptics believed Sanders was leading Coltrane down the path to perdition.

When Coltrane died of liver cancer in 1967, aged 40, Sanders began his own series of albums for Impulse!, starting with Tauhid (1967) and Karma (1969), which included an influential extended modal chant called The Creator Has a Master Plan. He continued to work with Alice Coltrane, appearing on several of her albums as well as those of Weston, Tyner, Don Cherry, Ornette Coleman, Sonny Sharrock, the Jazz Composer’s Orchestra, Norman Connors and others.

In 2004 he was inducted into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame. Ten years later, he travelled from his home in Los Angeles to Little Rock, the city where his classmates had tried, in 1957, to desegregate the local whites-only high school, for an official Pharoah Sanders Day.

When asked to explain the philosophy behind the music that Baraka described as “long tissues of sounded emotion”, he replied: “I was just trying to see if I could play a pretty note, a pretty sound.” In later years, those who arrived at his concerts expecting the white-bearded figure to produce the squalls of sound that characterised Coltrane’s late period were often surprised by the gentleness with which he could enunciate a ballad. “When I’m trying to play music,” he said, “I’m telling the truth about myself.”

🔔 Pharoah (Farrell) Sanders, saxophonist and composer, born 13 October 1940; died 24 September 2022

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com