#middle eastern techno

[newreputations]

I push paper and product to Muslimgauze all day.

[goryhorroor]

masterpost of horror lists

here are all my horror lists in one place to make it easier to find! enjoy!

sub-genres

action horror

analog horror

animal horror

animated horror

anthology horror

aquatic horror

apocalyptic horror

backwoods horror

bubblegum horror

campy horror

cannibal horror

children’s horror

comedy horror

coming-of-age horror

corporate/work place horror

cult horror

dance horror

dark comedy horror

daylight horror

death games

domestic horror

ecological horror

erotic horror

experimental horror

fairytale horror

fantasy horror

folk horror

found footage horror

giallo horror

gothic horror

grief horror

historical horror

holiday horror

home invasion horror

house horror

indie horror

isolation horror

insect horror

lgbtqia+ horror

lovecraftian/cosmic horror

medical horror

meta horror

monster horror

musical horror

mystery horror

mythological horror

neo-monster horror

new french extremity horror

paranormal horror

political horror

psychedelic horror

psychological horror

religious horror

revenge horror

romantic horror

dramatic horror

science fiction horror

slasher

southern gothic horror

sov horror (shot-on-video)

splatter/body horror

survival horror

techno-horror

vampire horror

virus horror

werewolf horror

western horror

witch horror

zombie horror

horror plots/settings

road trip horror

summer camp horror

cave horror

doll horror

cinema horror

cabin horror

clown horror

wilderness horror

asylum horror

small town horror

college horror

plot devices

storm horror

from a child’s perspective

final girl/guy (this is slasher horror trope)

last guy/girl (this is different than final girl/guy)

reality-bending horror

slow burn horror

possession

pregnancy horror

foreign horror or non-american horror

african horror

spanish horror

middle eastern horror

korean horror

japanese horror

british horror

german horror

indian horror

thai horror

irish horror

scottish horror

slavic horror (kinda combined a bunch of countries for this)

chinese horror

french horror

australian horror

canadian horror

decades

silent era

30s horror

40s horror

50s horror

60s horror

70s horror

80s horror

90s horror

2000s horror

2010s horror

2020s horror

companies/services

blumhouse horror

a24 horror

ghosthouse horror

shudder horror

other lists

horror literature to movies

techno-color horror movies

video game to horror movie adaption

video nasties

female directed horror

my 130 favorite horror movies

horror movies critics hated because they’re stupid

horror remakes/sequels that weren’t bad

female villains in horror

horror movies so bad they’re good

non-horror movies that feel like horror movies

directors + their favorite horror movies + directors in the notes

tumblr’s favorite horror movie (based off my poll)

horror movie plot twists

cult classic horror movies

essential underrated horror films

worst horror movie husbands

religious horror that isn’t christianity 

black horror movies

extreme horror (maybe use this as an avoid list)

horror shorts

[cavedwellermusic]

Levantine Week Day 5: Kurdonoid - Creature X

A look at one of Iraq's most prevalent DJs/electronic artists

Each month CDM spends a week looking at the music of a specific country or region that we believe deserves more attention. This month we have chosen to look at the music of the diverse region known as the Levant, covering music from multiple countries.

For Day 5 of Levantine Week, Yari Wildheart presents Kurdonoid’s latest EP titled Creature X. Kurdonoid is an Iraqi DJ who makes great use of technology and an array of digital instruments to create industrial, house, and atmospheric techno music. He is integral to the dance scene in his region, and this latest EP packs a lot of punch, showing why you should pay attention to electronic music from Iraq.

[trevlad-sounds]

Tags:

Invisible Waves 29.

21.07.2024

Invisible Waves is a radio show hosted by Trevor Lewis exploring a variety of electronic and experimental music. This episode features music by Hverheij, Joakim Moesgaard, 2muchachos, Sababa 5 & Yurika Hanashima, Markus Reuter & Ian Boddy, Apifera, Unknown Me, and Bart Hawkins.

The show is divided into chapters with information on the following artists:

Hverheij – dark and moody electronic music from their album Afterlight (2022)

Joakim Moesgaard – Danish performance artist known for genre-bending work, track “Travaux” from the EP PCIA (2021) on Moniker Eggplant

2muchachos – Russian dream pop group, track “I’m Not Afraid Of Cold Air” from the album Natura: 2009-2012 (2024) on Not Not Fun Records

Sababa 5 & Yurika Hanashima – Collaboration between a Middle Eastern funk band and a Japanese singer, track “A Flower Called Indica” from the album Kokoro (2024) on Batov Records

Markus Reuter & Ian Boddy – guitar and modular synth collaboration, track “Gyroscope” from the album Memento (2017) on DiN label

Apifera – psychedelic jazz group, track “I Love ECM” from the album Keep The Outside Open (2024) on Stones Throw Records

Unknown Me – Japanese ambient group, track “Mirage of Ocean (Science Edit)” from the album Bitokagaku (2024) on Not Not Fun Records

Bart Hawkins – electronic modular synth artist, track “Out Of Time” from the album MIRROR (self-released)

The show also includes information about the labels the music is released on and how to find out more about the show and host Trevor.

Intro 00:00https://apifera.bandcamp.com/track/i-love-ecm Hverheij-Becoming 00:14 Chapter 1 03:28 Joakim Moesgaard-Travaux 07:26 2muchachos-I’m Not Afraid Of Cold Air 13:37 Chapter 2 18:16 Sababa 5, Yurika Hanashima-A Flower Called Indica 22:35 Markus Reuter, Ian Boddy-Gyroscope 26:48 Chapter 3 34:00 Apifera-I Love ECM 36:06 Unknown Me-Mirage of Ocean (Science Edit) 38:41 Chapter 4 41:49 Bart Hawkins-Out Of Time 47:05

[takumifujiwaraswfe]

RUKAWA KAEDE ROMANTIC HEADCANONS

To be honest you would never talk to each other if your parents didn't knew each other.

You moved to Kamakura before you started gymnasium and he's your neighbor, your mothers instantly liked each other so you were meeting each other quite often. (By meeting I mean that you let him sleep in your bed when his mom made him go over to your place with her)

At first you were just friends but at the first year of high school he realized he likes you, rejecting every girl that confessed to him just to think about a way to confess to you himself. It took him some time.

But he finally did it in the middle of the night cause he couldn't sleep because he kept thinking about you and it was a tragedy for him.

It ended up being romantic for no reason- Like he was scared that he'll wake up your parents so he just climbed your balcony and scared the shit out of you by knocking at your window.

Then he told you that he likes you and went back to sleep on your bed and you were just standing there in shock cus wtf.

It ended up as your ritual, he's just coming to see you through your balcony sometimes.

In the public he doesn't show you affection much. Mostly only when his fangirls torture him with their presence then he'll just look them up and down and hug you from behind and put his head on your shoulder or when he's not in the mood he'll just hold your hand and look at the girl annoyed.

In privacy though... He'll just cuddle you to the end. You go home from school and he invites you over? Only to force you to be his pillow.

He invites you over to his games cause he notices that he plays better in front of you.

Mostly because he does all the crazy shit he normally is too lazy to do.

He's not really jealous, he knows that you would never leave him.

When he sees any boy talking to you he just stares at him and then goes back to sleep.

When you became a couple your moms started planning your future as they are besties and will do everything so you will be family.

He's just like me, listens to music 24/7 and loves to share his songs that he gatekeeps only with you. So I will share my songs that I usually gatekeep that remind me of Rukawa here.

(and also this one cus it's only on youtube)

I like to think that he has similar music taste as me because he's similar to me so sorry but I had to add this part

Soo a few music headcanons cause I can't sleep so why not.

He looks like lana del rey guy outside but no. HE'S KINGS OF LEON GUY AND DON'T TRY TO ARGUE WITH ME OKAY.

He listens to really energetic music which shocked you at first when he let you listen to music with him. Omen III and him? Wha-

His fav genres are old school (duh) hip hop, rock, and some kind of techno but not techno eurobeaty music?(sometimes only) Idk what genre it is but if you're from eastern Europe you get it.

(If anyone cares to read that you can tell me if you want other characters have their playlists as well)

[honourablejester]

So. After that post about crusades in fantasy, I just want to talk a little bit about my feelings about religion and the gods in Pathfinder specifically for a minute.

Firstly, I don’t actually like Iomedae as a goddess. I don’t object that she exists, you understand, but she wouldn’t be a goddess I would choose to play a follower of. That is less to do with Iomedae herself, though, and more with Aroden.

Because, see, I don’t mind that Iomedae is essentially the god of paladins. I don’t mind that she runs crusades against demons and necromancers. In a high fantasy setting like this, that’s what you have gods like Iomedae for. To fight demons. She’s doing her job, essentially. In case of demonic invasion, break glass. That’s why you have a war god or two in your back pocket for emergencies. I do not see, as I have explained exhaustively, the existence of demons in a fantasy setting and a god to fight them as any indication of real world religious opinion. These are genre conventions.

The god I do have an issue with is Aroden, the god of humanity, and his incredibly central role in the plot. Also Sarenrae, to a lesser extent, for similar reasons.

See. On the one hand, I do kind of get what story Aroden is aiming for. The human who becomes a god by his own courage and intelligence and strength, and who then goes on to sponsor humanity’s development and brings them out of the shadow of the telepathic Cthulhu monsters who secretly controlled them for so long. I get that.

The problem is that … Well, actually, it’s twofold.

The first problem is Aroden’s own background and behaviour, both before and after becoming a god. Aroden is the last surviving scion of the Azlanti Empire, Golarion’s equivalent of Atlantis, which was a vast techno-magical colonial power that had been ‘uplifted’, essentially, by the alghollthu, said Cthulhu monsters, to be better and more powerful than everything around them. The Azlanti had figured this out, and had planned to rise up against and destroy their ‘creators’, but the alghollthu saw this coming and dropped a fucking asteroid on them, destroying Azlant’s entire continent but also dropping the alghollthu themselves as well as the entire rest of the planet back to the stone age. Which … is fine, we can have fun with conspiracy theories here, I don’t object.

The problem is that Aroden, as the survivor, then goes to Azlant’s ex-colonies and attempts to do the same. To ‘uplift’ them, to keep Azlant’s culture and magical supremacy alive. Which. You do get. His culture just got literally vaporised, he wants to keep his homeland alive. But. He becomes immortal, he raises the Starstone, he becomes a god. And he then proceeds to become the patron deity of Azlant’s descendant empires. Taldor, in particular, the setting’s broadly Roman equivalent. He declares himself patron god of humanity as a species, and sets about trying to assert human supremacy. Taldor, as an empire, starts aggressively expanding pretty much immediately following this.

Aroden becomes, essentially, the god of colonialism? Species-based colonialism, at that.

Now. Sarenrae, as I mentioned, is doing pretty much the same thing over in the Empire of Kelesh, the setting’s Middle Eastern Muslim/Persian equivalent. The difference with Sarenrae, and the reason I don’t mind her quite so much, is that she’s not declaring herself humanity’s patron at the same time. So it’s less, you know. Race based.

If you are looking for the part of Pathfinder lore that does enter more problematic echoes-of-the-real-crusades territory, this is where you find it. The Mendevian crusades, despite the name, are mostly fine, they’re against an extraplanar threat. Taldor and Kelesh’s five thousand year war, on the other hand …

And even still, I might have not minded? Empires do this. Religions do this. I don’t necessarily mind the portrayal of a religious conflict between empires, even ones directly sponsored by a real deity. In this case, both empires are sponsored by a deity, and both deities are good. By alignment. Well, Aroden is actually lawful, not good, but basically neither of them have an evil alignment. So neither empire is especially vilified, at least not for their religion, they’re just … doing what empires do. Having a history like this as part of your fantasy world is not wrong, it’s good to explore that kind of history and verisimilitude.

The problem I have, the second part of the twofold problem above, is with Aroden. And specifically, Aroden’s role as patron of humanity.

Because Aroden is so central to Golarion’s lore. The death of prophecy, his death, is the defining event of the timeline. The entire Inner Sea region, the main setting until Pathfinder started branching out recently, is shaped by his actions. And they are broadly portrayed as … not necessarily right, but also not evil. Despite the fact that he is the scion of one human-supremacy empire and the sponsor of several others.

Humanity is considered kind of the rightfully dominant species of Golarion, at least of the surface world? The elves are from another world, the orcs, dwarves and goblins are all latecomers from underground, most other non-human species live in and around human civilisations. Most of the big historical non-human empires, like the serpent folk and the Ghol-gan, were explicitly evil, either initially or falling to evil over time, while humans, no matter how many empires we build, are more or less fine. Granted, Cheliax is a thing, so this is not one hundred percent. But, the thing is. Cheliax didn’t fall to devil worship until after Aroden died. So. We’re still here with Aroden as the rightful saviour and sponsor of humanity. And humanity, while following him, are the rightful inheritors of the world.

And it bugs me, because Aroden’s kind of a fucking dick? He’s a coloniser, originating from a colonising nation, and sponsoring others once he ascends to godhood. Now, again, Sarenrae, despite being of good alignment, also gets some of this, but Aroden being humanity’s patron, being a sponsor of colonialism on a racial/species level, gets me worse.

Now! Again. Something to consider here is that Pathfinder then explicitly killed him. Aroden is dead. And that is not a later decision, that was the initial event that kicked off Golarion as a setting in 1e. What does humanity do in a world where our sponsor god is abruptly dead. What do we do when our quite literal divine right up and fucking dies straight out of the gate. So Pathfinder is engaging with the problem. It’s just.

Aroden is so central. Humanity is so central. Even still, it’s not really questioned. Almost all the big movers and shakers are human, with the non-human ancestries kind of tacked on around the edges. And I do get it. The audience is human. A huge number of players, starting out, pick human as their ancestry, because it’s familiar. I do get it. But it does have some implications.

So yeah. Aroden is where Pathfinder’s worldbuilding around religion and species and morality bugs me. Not enough to write it off, it’s a fantastic setting, but yeah. It’s not perfect.

And Iomedae, unfortunately, despite the fact that she is mostly just doing her job, does get a bit of that by proxy as his inheritor.

[crys-makes-art]

Aight *cracks knuckles* what do people *eat*?

Trade offer - send me a topic and I will provide an insight into Uluthana based on it

Hohoho! This is actually something I have wrote about on Discord previously and need to eventually rework into a longform articles, but to give you a general rundown about some of the cultures from the standpoint of "reasonably average experience"

Drakkan (artificially created dragonkin)

Northern, main area is hills, mountains, tundra - most carnivorous among them, diet is heavily based on meat, innards, bones and blood heavily utilised in cooking

Western, main area is an archipelago - diet is heavily based on seafood, both meat and plant sides, do a lot of salting

Eastern, main area is mixed forests, hills, etc - most vegetarian among them, rich and wide selection of spices, cooking can be amazingly good - or amazingly bad, ymmw

Southern, main area is plains and prairie, warm - a lot of fruits and vegetables, generally refreshing and small-portioned dishes

Continental, main area is heartland in the middle - typically a mix of several regional approaches. Pickle fiends, will pickle the unpickleable

Wave-Tamers (near-human culture from the far North, techno-vikings with elementals)

Due to their circumstances of heavy resource preservation and efficiency a lot of their food is very practical and filling, not necessarily restaurant-presentable.

They do practice eating things very fresh and do have more celebratory exciting food this often being either something exotic from the South or impressively complicated seafood dishes. Ice-wraith sea serpent is considered a very expensive delicacy.

Starkin (mostly nomadic antho-canine with deep ties to celestial magic)

A lot of very varied approaches to food preservation for the journey and access to extremely varied arrange of ingredients due to trading.

Starkin are so-so omnivorous, but do better with meat available. As they do travel with their livestock they do have a lot of things related to dairy in their rations.

Their robust physique does allow them to enjoy sauces and spices that would be dangerous for many other species!

Hish-Shai (very religious anthro-serpents with a penchant for blood magic)

Due to the whole snake thing they do swallow their food whole which does affect the style of preparation quite a bit. They do love their eggs, their soups and making their food into neat chunks or bundles to don't have need to chew.

They also do eat less frequently and often have only one big meal a day (closer to midday) and a much smaller oner (around sunset)

Forest Folk (symbiotic life forms between anthro-felines and plants)

As symbiosis bit implies they do have a lot of plant stuff going on and their main way of regaining energy and eating is to photosynthesize, drink mineral rich water and maybe eat something meaty now and then.

But most of them do go to take a good sunbath here and now, doing a little catnap in a particularly nice spots.

[qqueenofhades]

just saw your offer for book recs and would love some fantasy/sci fi books, it seems like we have similar taste. i just finished nk jemisin's broken earth trilogy, and also loved the city we became by her.

Aha, I am at work right now and thus do not have my bookshelves at hand to make sure I'm not missing something blindly obvious. However, I will start you off with these:

The Rook and Rose trilogy by M.A. Carrick (The Mask of Mirrors, The Liar's Knot, Labyrinth's Heart). Yes, this is the series I have been screaming about nonstop for the past few weeks and thus craftily suckering unsuspecting passersby into reading. An AMAZING world, an OT3 who own my entire ass, lots of political intrigue, cultural and social commentary, a unique magic system, and also plenty of humor. It really has it all. I continue my one-man quest to make this fandom bigger. Ahem.

The Green Bone trilogy by Fonda Lee (Jade City, Jade War, Jade Legacy). Another fantastic fantasy series that NEEDS more readers. Inspired by Chinese/Hong Kong kung-fu movies, set in a gritty modern universe, kind of like the Godfather but with magical jade-wielding families. Tons of discussion of empire, culture, violence, appropriation, power, war, family, Asian identity, more. They're likewise nice and long to keep you busy.

The Daevabad trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty (The City of Brass, The Kingdom of Copper, The Empire of Gold). Another you-gotta-read-this trilogy (yes, I have many of them). Set in the 18th-century Middle East and the magical djinni kingdom of Daevabad. Politics, empire, religion, history, intrigue, magic, scheming families, ancient wars, and my most beloved, Muntadhir al-Qahtani. What is not to love.

The Priory of the Orange Tree and its standalone prequel, A Day of Fallen Night, by Samantha Shannon. Absolute doorstopper (800+ pages apiece) epic-with-dragons-and-medieval-worlds fantasy, like Game of Thrones if Game of Thrones was a) good b) gay c) feminist and d) had people of color. She is also the author of the Bone Season series (four books thus far) which is a unique blend of futuristic sci-fi and fantasy set in an alternate totalitarian London and a ruined Oxford.

Winter's Orbit and Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell. Two M/M space opera romances (set in the same universe, but can be read independently). She got her start as a fanfic writer and it shows; these are both delightful, plotty, funny, and full of sassy gay disaster homosexuals in space.

A Memory Called Empire and A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine (I have read the first one, need to read the second one). Historian of medieval Byzantium writes space opera set in Space Constantinople which is also Space Tenochtitlan. Explores language, history, memory, power, identity, assimilation, and more, and is also very funny.

Autonomous, The Future of Another Timeline, and The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz. High-concept social-commentary dystopian science fiction; of the three, Terraformers (the newest one) might be my favorite. They're not related so you can read them in whatever order.

Two books that I have not read yet but I really want to: Swim Home to the Vanished by Brendan Shay Basham and To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose. Both are fantasy novels by Native American authors; Basham's is magical realism and Blackgoose's is about a Native American dragon-rider facing assimilation at an English (Anglish) boarding school.

Likewise coming soon and I am excited: The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport by Samit Basu. Middle Eastern-inspired fantasy, cyberpunk, techno-magic. In space!

There are definitely more that I will get home and be like oh wait yeah. But this should get you started.

[ffi-stuff-xcept-its-memes]

okie who do u think ......... in all of the ffi teams would secretly listen to overly cutesy kpop songs....... think about ur answer well🐹🎤

Ohhh, nice question!!

To be fair, I'm not really an expert on Kpop (I like a lot of songs and bands, but I'm not super up to date with new bands and lore about the idols), so I apologize if something is off 😔

🇰🇷 To be honest, I think that the main cutesy K-pop song listeners would probably be Noh Sung-joon and Aphrodi 🪽 from the South Korean team. But neither is exactly discreet about it...

In Sung-joon's description, it's stated that he'd love to fly all over the world as a Hallyu star 🌟 in the future. His favourite K-pop idols would probably be Jin from the BTS or maybe Jisung from NCT Dream.

Nagumo 🔥 would probably be secretly a hard-die fan of a lot of bands (especially TWICE, Blackpink, and Weeekly), but if asked about it, he would deny everything. Suzuno and Aphrodi would definitely make fun of him for that, lol 😂.

Choi Chang-soo, the captain, is not super into K-pop, but he likes to listen to a few bands, particularly Red Velvet and Exo.

🇺🇸 I'd like to think that Dylan from Unicorn knows a lot of songs, but I feel like he's more on the chaotic side of K-pop rather than the cute one. Mark doesn't necessarily dislike the kind of music Dylan listens to, but after hearing the same song on repeat for the 15th time, anyone would go 🤪.

🇬🇧 Edgar would be hesitant at first, but eventually, he would turn out to like a few songs (he still thinks English music is better, though).

🇦🇷 Teres would refuse because 🙄 😤 God forbid that man to listen to anything else other than reggaeton and old tango songs his abuelo recommended.

🇩🇪 Jonas mainly listens to techno and alternative indie music, but Dylan would annoy him so much that he'd have to give up and accept to give K-pop a try, and to his surprise, he likes quite a few songs.

🇪🇸 Now, Querardo is similar to Teres when it comes to music taste. He likes a lot of Spanish 💃 and Latino artists, but sadly, he's not too keen on K-pop and foreign music.

🇧🇷 Mack likes all kinds of music, from classical to hard-core dubstep. He likes K-pop as well and follows a few idols on his socials.

🇶🇦 Bilal listens to a lot of K-pop, even though the rest of his team doesn't understand the appeal. He especially likes songs that have Middle Eastern influences in the instrumental.

🇮🇹 Fideo has listened to K-pop music before (thanks to Marco and Angelo), and even though he enjoyed the songs and the bands he was presented with, he kinda forgot about its existence. He still has the songs in his playlist, but he listens to local Italian hits more than everything else.

I'm unsure about the rest of the FII teams and players; maybe Shine and Quincy from Oz 🇦🇺 and Abari from South Africa 🇿🇦 would enjoy K-pop, too.

What about you, anon? Who were you thinking about? 🤔

[teddyroo12]

Anthems to put your pride playlists from a WIDE variety of genres that was straight up missing from the YT Music pride list, since there's a high chance we're not getting another one. (Hand picked by me. There are absolutely some songs you NEVER heard of.) Feel free to leave more in the comments!

Song: I Do Both Jay and Jane

Artist: La Rissa

Genre: House, Dance, Techno.

Release Year: 1999

Reason/Review: This song is a literal Bisexual anthem.

On Streaming: Yes, all platforms.

Language: English

Link:

Song: Love is a Shelter (In This Burning Town)

Artist: Ofra Haza

Genre: Folk (Middle Eastern), Easy Listening

Release Year: 1995 (Unreleased)

Reason/Review: This song was most likely written about the Middle East conflict between Israel and Palestine, but the lyrics hit home for LGBT listeners too, especially the line "Love is a shelter any time, when times of madness come".

On Streaming: No, YouTube only. The album that it's from, Queen in Exile, is unreleased.

Language: English, Aramaic

Link:

Song: It's A Long Way There

Artist: Little River Band

Genre: Classic Rock, Soft Rock, 70's, Contemporary listening.

Release Year: 1976

Reason/Review: These lyrics: "I live for the day when I can hear people saying, that they know and they care for everyone, but I feel like I've been here for the whole of my life, never knowing home." While the song uses going on a journey as a framing device, it also has a deeper meaning if you look at it from a queer lens.

On Streaming: Yes

Language: English

Link:

Song: Innuendo

Artist: Queen

Genre: Hard Rock, Ballad, 80's, Hair Metal

Release Year: 1991

Reason/Review: How the fuck YouTube Music missed any song by Queen makes me so damn upset. If any Queen song deserves to be put on the list it's Innuendo. This song is directly about rising up against bigots with the line "Our lives dictated by tradition, superstition, false religion" being the most direct. The song is also directly about coming out.

On Streaming: Yes, All Platforms

Language: English

Link:

Song: Pričaj Mi O Ljubavi (English Title: Tell Me About Love)

Artist: Novi Fosili

Genre: Soft Pop, R&B, 90's

Release Year: 1998

Reason/Review: It's a breakup/reuniting song with 2 women singing it.

On Streaming: Yes, All Platforms

Language: Croatian

Link:

Song: 恋と愛の天国 (Latinized: Koi to AI no Tengoku, English Title: Paradise of Love and Romance)

Artist: DANCE☆MAN

Genre: J-Pop, Disco

Release Year: 2000

Reason/Review: The song is about moving to Tokyo to find new love and romance. Tokyo has the biggest gay scene in the country (makes sense, it's the capital). It's also just groovy.

On Streaming: Yes, all platforms

Language: Japanese

Link:

Song: The Rainbow

Artist: Ween, Isaac Hayes

Genre: Rock, 90's

Release Year: 1998

Reason/Review: Seriously. HOW THE FUCK DID THIS ONE NOT MAKE IT IN, THE CHORUS IS LITERALLY "Many colors in the Homo Rainbow, don't be afraid to let your colors shine"

On Streaming: Yes, All Platforms

Language: English

Link:

Song: Love Myself

Artist: Crystal Kay

Genre: Pop, J-pop

Release Year: 2024

Reason/Review: This one's just a pride anthem. Kay has visited and blogged about visiting Pride Parades, this was 100% written about that.

On Streaming: Yes, all platforms

Language: Japanese, English

Link:

Honorable Mentions: (Throw em in as filler tracks)

In The Closet by Michael Jackson, if this song was sung by literally any gay couple, this song would have made it. Holy shit, it's groovy, it's got the metaphors WHY IS IT STRAIGHT?!

Queen in Exile by Ofra Haza, This one could be seen as a pride anthem, but I'm pretty sure this is more of a Jewish Pride Anthem.

Chai (Alive) by Ofra Haza, same reason as Queen in Exile, this song is about how the Jews are still alive and kicking from all they've been through.

Sexual by Amber

Touch Me by Rui De Silva

Everybody Everybody by Black Box

Forever by Dee Dee

Groovejet by Sophie Ellis Baxter

All of these are really good Handlebag house hits

[styrmwb]

Favorite Final Fantasy Music (FFXIV - Stormblood)

I don't think the copypasta has reached Stormblood yet BUT ANYWAYS 2ND EXPANSION LET'S DO ITTTTTT! This is when I started playing XIV! Lots of fond memories of TP (0 fond memories of TP). Something Stormbloood does, very similar to XIII, is the main motif. That shit is EVERYWHERE. And luckily, it's Amazing, so I literally am not complaining about hearing it all the time (spot #1 on this list goes to the stormblood quest accepted tune).

Something I will preface with is a lot of the music I love here is in the Omegascape raids but it's all (mostly) remixes! I love all of those songs but it would be doing this soundtrack a disservice to put any of them in this list (That Dancing Mad version is fucking dope though)

5. Crimson Sunrise Easily my second favorite main city theme. I feel like I can't say much about the melody, cause it is The Stormblood Motif and I'm probably gonna say some more about it later down the list, but I will say I love the instruments used here. The flute and plucking (I think it's a shamisen) is really calming, and the slow tempo of the drums (taiko?) add to this, while also giving that grand nature befitting of a huge city.

4. Dangertek Completely different vibe from the last song. This was originally introduced in PvP, but I more commonly experience it in treasure maps. It's an absolutely banger techno remix of Hard to Kill, the FATE Boss theme, and it's my favorite version of the two. The melody is sick, the guitar playing it rocks, and that heavy beat is a bop. I also really love the interlude section that I can only describe with the BADADUNBADADUNBADADUN noise going back into the Hard to Kill riff again but from a distance, it's so coollllllll I love this song

3. Triumph Part 2 of The Stormblood Motif; but I think this version is the most stand out example. This also includes the Ala Mhigo anthem for an epic combination of both sides of the expansion, a lot of eastern instruments included. I love the start of this song with the japanese flute and the more middle eastern sounding guitar (I have learned that this is called an Oud!) again, showing that combination of two ends. The Ala Mhigo anthem played by the brass builds up the intensity of the song, and then The Stormblood Motif rockets it into pure hype. It's so hard not to sing along to it every time it plays! The finale of this song sounds like a spiral wind down while still keeping the energy. It's impossible to hate any dungeons in this expansion when you know you're gonna hear this at the end. (STORM OF BLOOD, BORN FROM BLOOD, OF OUR FALLEN BROTHERRRRRSSSS! BORN UPON OUR HANDS, CRADLED IN OUR ARMS, SWELLING IN OUR HEAAAAAARTS! RAISE YOUR WEARY HEAD, HEED THE CALL TO ARMS, RINGING IN YOUR HEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAART!!!!)

2. Amatsu Kaze Bringing in that classic Primals rock to this list in my favorite way, Amatsu Kaze is a song I literally liked so much I learned to sing to it despite not knowing Japanese (I'm sure my pronunciation is horrible don't worry I keep it private). That fucking bass at the start is legendary, not to mention the electric strumming and the strange vibraphone like pongs creating a super unique sound. It's not a very high speed intense rush song, but that slower deliberate nature is perfect for Byakko being this massive brutal creature. To the main meat of the song, I love how it's the first lyrical song in XIV to be in Japanese! I mean, like, I don't see why they wouldn't cause it literally takes place in the Far East, but I still love it. The verse sounds like he's holding in his anger, the refrain getting more angry, and then finally screaming in the chorus (I looked up music words for this I hope I'm using them right). The very end of the song before the loop sounds like an absolutely mindless rage, looping and spiraling before calming down once more. What else is really cool about the lyrics is it's actually telling Byakko and Tenzen's story (also shoutouts to the XI reference let's goooo), which the next of the Four Lords' song also does. This song is addictive to listen to, only getting more hype as it continues. In the Primals version, it even has Yoshi-P singing it which is fucking outstanding. (KAZE TODOROKE KAZE TODOROKE KAZE TODOROKEEEEEEEEEE)

1. The Worm's Tail COME DON THE MASK OF BLIND BETRAYAL E'ER DOES THE HEAD DEVOUR ITS TAIL AS IRON BENDS TO STEEL O'ER MY RIVALS I PREVAIL! This song has a beginning so fucking epic, they use it twice in the game (granted the second time was a medley BUT UHH SHUT UP). The Worm's Tail is my favorite final boss theme out of all of the XIV expansions. As you can probably tell, I fucking love that intro. The massive choir setting the stage as you fly into the heavens on a giant fucking dragon that you're literally trying to kill, the drums slamming to raise the song further, I hate using this word so much, but it's fuckin epic! The final note brings tears to my eyes. When the song actually starts, it goes into this really really cool melody that's very bouncy and I THINK it's waltz like? please feel free to correct me on this I need to expand my words but I hope you get what I mean. It's a very unique rhythm. I love the middle part between it looping, continuing to raise the song even higher, almost like that audio illusion that keeps going up despite not actually going up? It gives that illusion of height as it should. The entire way through, the orchestra continues to sound heavy and grand even during the "calmer" parts, which for the size of this fight and Shinryu himself, I think is perfect. Finally, we reach The Stormblood Motif Part 3. The finale of this expansion HAS to fucking have it. The melody itself already sounds uplifting, it already stokes the fires in your heart. Combine it with the sound of this song and the context of the fight, and it brings it to the highest level it could possibly go. Last thoughts, cause I couldn't put them anywhere else, but while the base version is mainly gibberish vocals, the official orchestral version actually adds lyrics (same with Ultima and Heroes), and this song is essentially sung By Zenos. It talks of rising above, it talks about being the beginning and the end, and it's even partly sung in latin, befitting the Garlean Empire. The entire song is Zenos's victory chant against you, but you almost combat him equally with Storm of Blood overtaking the entire song. It's fuckin poetic, man.

Honorable mentions are: Prelude - Long March Home, Heroes of Stormblood, Gates of the Moon, Beauty's Wicked Wiles, Answer on High, Wayward Daughter, eScape, Sunset, Sunrise, and From the Dragon's Wake. (and again like every song in Omegascape and Return to Ivalice (those songs are just straight ports but tactics music fucks))

[pixelgrotto]

Cannon Dancin' In The Middle East

If the Strider series represents a Japanese team making a blazing action game set in a Soviet futurescape, then Cannon Dancer is the same but for the Middle East.

Prevously unknown except to the handful of people who either touched the arcade cabinet or downloaded the ROM for MAME, Cannon Dancer flew under the radar for nearly 30 years until it got a surprise remaster earlier this year. I have the pleasure of reporting that Cannon Dancer's 2023 Switch port is just as batshit as the 1996 arcade original, and I'm glad that a wider audience can now experience the joy of an assassin in floopy trousers rampaging through the streets of future Dubai, kicking tigers in the face and battling giant goddesses for control over the planet.

Cannon Dancer is a spiritual successor to the original Strider, made by designer Kouichi Yotsui after he left Capcom and decided to channel the same energy that birthed Strider Hiryu for Mitchell Corporation. He did this despite the fact that arcade platforming action games were pretty much dead in '96, and as a result Cannon Dancer never did well financially. But I doubt that anyone who played this visual kaleidoscope back in the day forgot it. Cannon Dancer bursts with bright colors and killer sprite art, depicting some of the most vibrant levels I've ever seen.

It starts out in Agadan, a cyberpunk UAE-style metropolis on the Persian Gulf, and continues to a temple, a sprawing desert, the Indian Ocean, some forest near Aleppo, Prague, and a weird final level that may or may not take place in the Earth's upper hemisphere, except that it's red and nightmarish instead of freezing cold. Throughout all these arenas, Cannon Dancer's protagonist, a dude named Kirin, exquisitely beats ass by kicking things until they explode and getting powerups that shoot after-images of himself across the screen. How do you know you've gotten a power up? The color of Kirin's pants change. It's great stuff.

Visually, I've appreciated Cannon Dancer's aesthetic ever since I first glimpsed it in emulated screenshots. Just as the Strider series' unusual penchant for Soviet-era futurism feels dated yet novel at the same time, Cannon Dancer's depiction of Western Asia populated by robots, techno troopers, oil rig mechs and pyamids rising above skyscapes is rad. It's rare to get a Japanese game (or any game from the '90s and 2000s, really) that channels the Middle East in a way that isn't just an Arabian Nights retread or some drab, browish setting for world militaries to make a mess in. While I wouldn't exactly call Cannon Dancer's "representation" good, it's at least fun and memorable.

One missed opportunity is that Kirin doesn't appear to be Middle Eastern himself, despite the English version giving him the Turkish name "Osman." (In fact, Cannon Dancer was released outside of Japan as Osman, and the new re-release generously goes by the title Cannon Dancer Osman. But let's be real, Cannon Dancer is 100% the better name.) Instead, he seems to be your usual Japanese action game badass who serves on Teki, a mercenary squad. He takes orders from Jack Layzon, the attorney general of the WORLD who desses like a 1930s gangster, because Cannon Dancer's vision of the future is wild. After a routine mission to take down cultists goes haywire, Kirin is left in the desert to rot and forced to seek revenge on his old Teki comrades and Mr. Layzon. Along the way, the deity Abdullah enslaves him as her personal avatar of justice...until Kirin breaks free and goes to beat the crud out of her as well, presumably becoming a deity himself by the end of the game.

This is my own interpretation of the plot as gathered from the various Cannon Dancer entries on the Strider wiki, by the way. There is a surprising amount of story bubbling around the edges of this game, but it's all stuff cobbled together from interviews or magazine articles. There are actual cutscenes, sure, but they feel like the work of a development team tasked to create a game based on an 80-episode 1995 anime about a cyber ninja in Baghdad that nobody else watched. Obviously, most Japanese games in the '90s had something lost in translation. But Cannon Dancer takes it to a new level, relishing in its incomprehensible nature yet offering the curious a treasure trove of lore if they bother to dig around online. It reminds me of the underrated Strider NES game, which was also baffling yet at least had a manga to fill in the gaps, and I respect it for that.

As far as its status as a Strider spiritual successor goes, I'd say that I actually prefer Cannon Dancer over both Strider 2 and Double Helix's 2014 Strider remix. Those are decent games held back by poor pacing, whereas Cannon Dancer is just as tight as the original 1989 Strider, if not more so thanks to the additional years that Kouichi Yotsui and his team had to improve on gameplay mechanics. And while you could dismiss Cannon Dancer as too much of a clone to win such praise, as some did in the years leading up to its re-release, I think there's more room out there for mashups which can best be described as "neon-drenched Dubai nightlife meets Jojo's Bizarre Adventure." Cannon Dancer is a garish Middle Eastern fever dream, and the world is better off for its existence.

[thelogicalghost]

A rundown of the Eurovision finalists from the official Youtube playlist

Apologies for lack of above-letter marks in non-English words/names.

("Peace Peace" is a reference to "Love Love Peace Peace," a legendary Eurovision host song throwing shade at common entry tropes. Highly recommend googling it. Somewhat equivalent to calling a movie Oscar-bait.)

—---------------—

ARMENIA: "Future Lover" - Brunette

Weird little pop song that starts out slow and then gets rap-adjacent. Rumor is that all the lyrics were lifted verbatim from viral social media posts.

ISRAEL: "Unicorn" - Noa Kirel

Bog-standard "I'm special" pop song. Rumor/joke/possible reality: Israel picked a mediocre song to ensure zero chance of hosting next year.

SWEDEN: "Tattoo" - Loreen

A pop song that would be better if the singer wasn't trying to do a weird vocal thing. Hoping the final performance is better than the music video.

FRANCE: "Evidemment" - La Zarra

Techno-pop song that absolutely slaps and has undeniable style. Extremely French. Got stuck in my head. Makes my top 5.

UK: "I Wrote A Song" - Mae Muller

Solid breakup pop song that definitely got stuck in my head. Upper tier but not top tier. Would love to see it do well in on US charts.

AUSTRIA: "Who The Hell Is Edgar?" - Teya & Salena

Quality techno-dance song elevated to Eurovision levels by lyrics about being possessed by E.A. Poe. Music video is perfection. Makes my top 5.

CZECHIA: "My Sister's Crown" - Vesna

Strong women-empowerment song elevated to Eurovision levels by a bizarre music video. Looking forward to how it'll translate to the stage.

SERBIA: "Samo Mi Se Spava" - Luke Black

Classic Eurovision goth vampire, this year trapped in a video game boss fight. Only downside is the singer's weird breathy almost-singing.

NETHERLANDS: "Burning Daylight" - Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper

Sad ballad about depression. Uncomfortably accurate feels, but too slow and sad for Eurovision.

ITALY: "Due Vite" - Marco Mengoni

Solo ballad in Italian, nothing visually interesting, very meh.

FINLAND: "Cha Cha Cha" - Kaarija

Frantic rock song about getting drunk in a club with epic music video of singer in a WWE-style fight. Very Eurovision, strong contender.

CROATIA: "Mama SC!" - Let 3

100% BONKERS rock song that never mentions names but is undeniably a "f*** Putin" anthem. Includes middle-aged men in drag. A must-watch. Makes my top 5.

PORTUGAL: "Ai Coracao" - Mimicat

Peppy fun little pop song with a peppy fun little dance number.

AUSTRALIA: "Promise" - Voyager

Australia still hasn't quite figured out what Eurovision is about. Decent alt-rock song but way too mainstream and polished for this rodeo.

SPAIN: "EAEA" - Blanca Paloma

Poignant Middle-Eastern style song about a mother's pain. Not sure what to make of this one, but recommend giving it a try.

GEORGIA: "Echo" - Iru

Standard pop song with standard "big fans and lots of flowy fabric" music video. Meh.

LITHUANIA: "Stay" - Monika Linkyte

Might've been a decent ballad about … trauma, maybe? … but performance is uninteresting and music sounds a little off.

SLOVENIA: "Carpe Diem" - Joker Out

Boilerplate party anthem with a music video about a party in a hotel.

UKRAINE: "Heart of Steel" - TVORCHI

Male duo aims for that specific "I'm a boss" style (I personally associate with US rappers) and falls short IMO. Feels disjointed.

SWITZERLAND: "Watergun" - Remo Forrer

"Peace Peace" ballad morning boys fighting in wars. Meh.

ROMANIA: "D.G.T (Off And On)" - Theodor Andrei

A song that can't seem to decide what genre it wants to be or what it wants to say, but it definitely wants to sing it in bondage/fetish clothing.

AZERBAIJAN: "Tell Me More" - TuralTuranX

Low-key pop/ballad that feels out of place in Eurovision, with an awkward hipster boy feel.

GREECE: "What They Say" - Victor Vernicos

Another meh ballad with a sad boy singing in the increasingly intense rain.

POLAND: "Solo" - Blanka

Boilerplate Instagram-girl pop song. Nomination caused outcries of corruption, and if you watch her performance in the Poland national finals you'll agree.

ALBANIA: "Duje" - Albenia & Familja Kalmendi

Haunting lament, I think about losing children. Solid music, really hope the final performance is visually interesting.

CYPRUS: "Break A Broken Heart" - Andrew Lambrou

Another sad rock ballad, very meh.

MALTA: "Dance (Our Own Party)" - The Busker

Party anthem for people who don't like parties. Fantastic music video and a saxophone riff cherry on top. Makes my top 5.

BELGIUM: "Because Of You" - Gustaph

Great homage to 90's hip-hop with fun dancing. Unfortunately song is a little too forgettable. Bonus points for Supremes-esque choir.

GERMANY: "Blood & Glitter" - Lord of the Lost

German heavy metal in glittery carnival outfits. No idea what's going on here but it's very Eurovision.

IRELAND: "We Are One" - Wild Youth

Beatles-style throwback "Peace Peace" song. Would be unremarkable except for weird glitter masks.

SAN MARINO: "Like An Animal" - Piqued Jacks

Very off-putting rock song meant to evoke animalistic attraction, but the weird lyrics and creepy singer just make it uncomfortable.

MOLDOVA: "Soarele si Luna" - Pasha Parfeni

Rock-style Druid chanting, a Eurovision staple, including a distinctive wooden flute (possibly aping last year's winners?)

ICELAND: "Power" - Dilja

Another girl ballad. Very unmemorable.

DENMARK: "Breaking My Heart" - Reiley

Extreme teen/YA pop star vibes and the music video makes him look even younger. Standard sad breakup pop song.

NORWAY: "Queen Of Kings" - Alessandra

Girl wrote a rock anthem about her YA dystopia self-insert heroine and I'm here for it. Makes my top 5.

ESTONIA: "Bridges" - Alika

I can only describe this as Baby Adele singing not quite "Rolling in the Deep." Solid talent, hope she makes it in the industry.

LATVIA: "Sudden Lights" - Aija

Can't focus on or care about the song when it's playing over a music video that seems to include a cult, an empty pool, and a forced baptism.

[kvibe-test]

"Egyptian Trap: Revolutionizing Music with Cultural Fusion"

TITLE: Egyptian Trap: The Future of Music Innovation and Cultural Fusion

The Egyptian trap music scene is teeming with creativity and cultural fusion, paving the way for a dynamic future that promises to reshape its musical landscape. A significant catalyst for this transformation is the genre’s ability to adapt culturally. Artists such as Abyusif and Marwan Pablo have expertly combined Western trap influences with traditional Middle Eastern sounds, crafting a distinctive style that is rapidly gaining traction. The path ahead is marked by further fusion and innovation, which not only enriches the local music environment but also captivates a wider global audience.

Cultural Adaptation and Genre Blurring

Egyptian trap has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to incorporate Western styles while embedding them within its own cultural framework. Musicians have skillfully woven traditional Middle Eastern melodies and rhythms into their work, endowing their music with a unique appeal. This cultural fusion is anticipated to intensify, blending genres like rap, R&B, and techno even more. This fusion not only keeps the music continuously exciting and engaging but also positions Egyptian trap as a genre with international allure due to its novel mixture of sounds.

Rise of Local Talent and Gen Z Influence

The emergence of local talent is another significant aspect of Egypt’s growing trap scene. In recent times, local musicians have captured the admiration of the Egyptian public and risen to prominence on music charts on platforms such as Spotify. The younger, Gen Z demographic plays a crucial role in this transformation, with their tastes influencing the progression of trap music. This generation’s gravitation toward urban and street music underscores the genre’s alignment with the current cultural zeitgeist.

Underground to Mainstream Transition

Once viewed as a niche or underground movement, Egyptian trap has now gained widespread attention, evolving into a mainstream sensation. The music has not only withstood governmental scrutiny but has thrived, thanks to artists like Marwan Pablo and Abyusif, whose creativity traverses cultural barriers. The rise in popularity of live performances and music festivals is a key factor in this transition, offering artists avenues to showcase their skills and foster robust community bonds.

Technological and Platform Influence

The surge in Egyptian trap music has been significantly supported by social media and streaming services. These technologies not only promote local talent but also offer paths for global exposure. Platforms like Spotify have witnessed a substantial increase in the consumption of Egyptian music, highlighting the impact of digital streaming on the music industry. With an annual growth rate exceeding 85% in local music consumption, streaming platforms have become crucial to the spread and success of Egyptian trap.

Expert Opinions and Predictions

Experts predict continued experimentation in the production of Egyptian trap music. Innovations like Marwan Pablo’s integration of cloud rap and ethereal electronica are expected to fuel future projects. The genre’s emphasis on culturally resonant lyrics — reflecting the challenges and aspirations of the youth — ensures its lasting connection with listeners. These themes maintain the music's authenticity and relatability, rendering it powerful and impactful.

Actionable Insights for Industry Professionals

For music industry professionals, investing in local talent is essential. By providing resources and platforms, emerging artists can create even higher-quality music, solidifying the genre’s foundation. Additionally, embracing the trend of genre-blurring in Egyptian trap ensures its evolution remains lively and pertinent. Effectively utilizing streaming platforms by engaging audiences and optimizing digital presence is another vital strategy. Lastly, understanding and honoring the cultural context of the music fosters partnerships that are both innovative and respectful.

In the forthcoming years, as Egyptian trap continues to evolve, the music industry stands at the intersection of creativity, culture, and technology. The harmonious convergence of these elements will inevitably shape the vibrant future of trap music in Egypt, capturing the spirit and vitality of its dynamic youth.

#EgyptianTrap #CulturalIntegration #GenZInfluence

Look ahead at the promising future of trap music. See what's next for Egypt's scene!

[moonoverthevalley]

The irony of the far right.

On a popular platform known as tiktok, a platform i sure many of those who may find themselves reading this may use there is a side of it, which is quite dark and even scary, a side were people will publish and proudly admit they are against anyone who is not white, european, christian, straight and sometimes even male.

Now, the people who are on this side and will proudly publish their ultra-nationalism are often young teenage boys (although many girls also do unfortunately participate) we may hope they one day experience the world as it is and learn from it and be untaught the racist, anti semitic views they share but this isn’t always the case, many grown people who HAVE experienced the world as it is still share these beliefs and it’s unfortunate and truly sickening that they have the privilege to go through day to day life in a safe environment whereas someone who genuinely wishes the best for everyone may face some of the worst challenges in every day to day life.

These beliefs are not something new, they’ve been around for centuries. We take a look at n*zis, skin ed’s, the kkk, etc. The format is new, tiktok videos with orthodox christianity plastered all over it and the phrase “well, well, well” always in the comments.

A far right tiktok will typically include some sort of techno song, a video of nature in the background and some sort of graph or statistic. The image is always against some sort of minority either immigrants, poc, jews/muslims, lgbtq, etc. The person posting will also be a christian normally orthodox, some are muslim and i’ve seen a few ‘jewish accounts’ but after a few minutes of scrolling through their account it’s evident it’s a non-jew just pretending so they can share their anti semitic views openly.

I’ve noticed the main target groups for these accounts are immigrants & religious groups, now that’s of course not to say they don’t target other groups but it is typically these groups, now this is mostly European based accounts but other western areas are involved.

Of course, i am not trying to say every person who is right winged or every european orthodox person or even patriot has negative views to minorities, of course not but when i speak i speak of the far right accounts who are not hard to find at all and will have hundreds of thousands of likes & shares.

They’ll sit their and share their white laddered laces, their skinned heads, orthodox bibles

But, the point of this essay is to show the irony within their statements, they hate middle easterners and jews but the man they have in their bios and profile pictures, the man who they’ll hate you if you don’t believe in him, their true hero.. Jesus Christ.

Jesus was a brown jewish man, born to a jewish mother & father and middle eastern parents, born in the middle east. Skin described as dark as copper, it’s ironic. The very people they hate the most, is all what the man they idolise is.

[radiomaxmusic]

Feature LP / Madonna - Ray of Light (1998) / 6pm ET / 11-21-24

Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released February 22, 1998, by Maverick Records. A major stylistic and aesthetic departure from her previous work, Bedtime Stories, Ray of Light is an electronica and techno-pop record which incorporates multiple genres, including ambient, trip hop, psychedelic music and Middle Eastern music. Mystical themes are…