#mutable instruments

[bruitmoderniste]

infinite jagged bliss; ms658 into beads...

[eyekillpeople]

Follow me on Instagram for more machine art

[culturebending]

[drmlab]

As I was leaving my acoustic-ecology group last night, a rushing sound caught my ear. Although I was concerned about missing the bus, I whipped out my iPhone to record the sound of water pouring out of a gutter into the alley below. I recorded a little over a minute and still caught my bus.

Moments earlier, I had been sharing how I'd been experimenting with running field recordings into a software version of the Mutable Instruments Eurorack module Rings. When I got home, I AirDropped the recording to my computer and set some quick levels in Reaper. Then I fired up VCV Rack and put together the patch above.

A sample player is playing a loop of the gutter splash. Both the left and right channels are fed into instances of the Rings clone. Then a quadrature LFO crossfades between the original field recording and the output from Rings.

This seemed like a really simple patch in VCV Rack, but it involves a lot of modules. I replicated the patch in ModularGrid, and list price for physical modules to make these sounds would cost nearly $1200. Although VCV Rack lacks the immediacy of a hardware synthesizer, it is a convenient way to try out ideas and experiment with modules.

[vomahow]

VCV Rack is great, while its completely free its one of the extremely few pieces of music software i have actually paid for and supported. Its simply wonderful and when i was doing ambient music it was pretty much the only synth i used

You want to learn how to make/use modular synthesizers?

Boy, do I have the tool for you!

Through my hyperfixation on those a few weeks back I found out that 1) those fuckers are fucking expensive and 2) if you don't know what which do and don't have the right tools on the side you won't be able to do anything and lose a lot of money

The solution to those problems is...

VCV Rack 2

VCV Rack 2 is a free eurorack system that allows you to mount whatever modular synthesizer rack you want. It not only has a free (and very complete) version (a pro version exists too though) but it has a wide library!

You start with the VCV Rack library, which actually is good enough to start, but you can (and should) also add anything from the library that you want. I just checked as I am writing and there are "2,494 modules found" in the free category. Yes, yes, you read that right.

To be able to add modules to your VCV Rack, however, you'll need to make an account, but that is just to link the module/brand you added/subscribed to the program you installed. You also have to add/subscribe first, then go to VCV to update the modules. Updating them will lead to the program closing, so if you're following along a video, look at which modules/brands are used so you don't have to leave and come back during the follow-along.

Installing VCV Rack is really easy, you just need to go on the website and select the version you want!

And the library is here!

In order to understand VCV Rack a bit better and do your first racks, I made a small playlist made out of the four 30-50 minute long videos from Red Means Recording, and one video from Omri Cohen. I really like what Red Means Recording does, but it's not just VCV. Omri Cohen has a lot more VCV stuff though.

Here is the link.

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I also suggest this video by Andrew Huang to understand what is modular synthesis.

Finally, to understand what does which thing in modular synthesis, you can check out this cool lesson with which you can interact! (by Ableton) (also check your sound volume haha, don't destroy your ears)

You also have a nice little playground to test what you've learned!

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I am only starting all that and understand only a fragment of modular synthesis, so if you have more videos and guides, hit me up so I can add them (and even make a masterpost?)

Also (and especially) if you have guides and explanations and follow-along videos made by trans people, TELL ME!

[pubbamoon]

Venus signs and your music taste

Hey! Hope you're doing well. This is going to be the first (and maybe last, haha) post about astrology, 'cause I've been into that thing for five years, I guess. Since I'm interested in music, my first astrology observation will be about how someone's Venus sign can affect someone's music taste. It's also a Friday, a Venus-ruled day. So, let's go!? This is based on the tropical/western astrology. Take it as it resonates and leave what doesn't.

Venus in Aries: Oh well, that's the wild one! People with this Venus may love listening to kind of music which makes them confident, or you should use the music this way. Aries naturally rules over the 1st house of self and personality, so you guys with Aries Venus might listen to the song/music which resonates to your character or describes your life path. On the other hand, you may love energetic and bold type of music that can move you, something like EDM or Dance music!? Venus is in detriment in Aries, which is not a good sign in default. That means you might love type of music that is not well perceived by the music critics. You may also love rap/hip-hop music as well.

Venus in Taurus: Venus is in domicile in Taurus, which means that Venus is in own sing since it naturally rules over Taurus sign (and the 2nd house as well). This is a great sign for Venus to be in, music literally runs in your blood (take it as it resonates). You may love the type of music that grounds you and makes you peaceful. You can also prefer quality over quantity and listen to the songs that has some value or quality. Overall, you might love listening to music that is perceived as normal, stable or even predictable. Taurus is an earth sign, after all. Venus in Gemini: This sign rules the 3rd house of communication, words and self-expression, so you might prefer the lyrics when it comes to music. It doesn't have to be the case with all of you with Gemini Venus, but it can be (lol, what was that?). You may love to listen to the music that is relatable to you and your life circumstances. Your favorite artists could be singer-songwriters, who put their own lyrics first and who express themself freely. You can also listen to the different kind of music, since Gemini is the mutable sign, represented by the twins, which makes Gemini a dual sign. Your music taste is really versatile with this placement.

Venus in Cancer: You may love emotional type of music that gives you some kind of comfort. Cancer rules the 4th house of comfort and emotions, which makes sense. Moon is the natural ruler of Cancer and is associated with the homeland, which means that when it comes to music, you might listen to traditional or even patriarchal type of music that is related to you birth land/country or you love listening to the songs where your homeland is celebrated. Your favorite music genre could be folk, country or any other music genre that relates to your culture. Finally, you may love music that sounds familiar or nostalgic and this could mean listening to the retro music from the older times.

Venus in Leo: Similar with the Aries Venus, you may love listening to the music that boosts your confidence. Since Leo rules over the 5th house of creativity and hobbies, you don't like to be told what to listen to and don't rely on trends. You might also like romantic type of music, 'cause 5th house is associated with romance and short-term relationships. Your music playlist could be filled with a lot of shiny and bright songs that give you joy.

Venus in Virgo: I can sense that you are so picky while choosing the songs for playlists or while listening to the music in general. You may seek for perfection in every part of the song, the perfect lyrics, perfect instrumentals, perfect production etc. I feel like you always read the reviews written by music critics before choosing to listening anything, 'cause you're all so skeptical and suspicious. Venus is debilitated/in fall in Virgo, which means that Virgo is the worst sign possible for Venus. This basically correlates everything that I said about this placement.

Venus in Libra: Another domiciled position for Venus, which is great. Libra is a people-oriented sign and it rules over the 7th house of partnerships, marriage and long-term relationships, so you may love listening to songs with this type of themes. You might also like love songs or collaborations. It can be hard sometimes to choose what's your favorite artist, 'cause it seems to me that you may like both or every artist the same way, which makes sense since Libra is all about balancing things in our life.

Venus in Scorpio: First of all, it feels that you're pretty passionate about music. Second of all, you may like intense, dark type of music and your favorite artist is likely who can express raw emotions. You possibly hide your music playlist on Spotify (or on any other platforms) because of shame or you just don't want people to see you music taste. The themes of songs you may like to hear in songs are mostly breakups, criminal, transformations etc. You may listen to music to heal your wounds too. You may also feel like you rise like a Phoenix when you listen to the music.

Venus in Sagittarius: This placement tells me that you may possibly like optimistic type of music which is made for parties. The songs you listen to might be translucent or airy which make you want to dance or jump. The songs you like could also have deep meaning, since Sagittarius and 9th house are associated with philosophies, knowledge and wisdom. You may like music with a good atmosphere or which can make you feel good. This is such a funny and adventurous placement, love that.

Venus in Capricorn: It seems to me that you might have a serious approach when it comes to music. You may like quality, elegant, or even classical music (this won't apply for everyone). You don't mind when a particular song lasts more than five minutes, you even like to listen to long songs, 'cause Saturn represents longevity. By saying that, you like to listen to the music that ages like fine wine. Maybe you like to read reviews before listening to song or album. I have this placement in my tropical natal chart and I check the reviews out before listening to the whole body of work, haha lol.

Venus in Aquarius: Hmm, I think there's two sides of this placement. The first ones with this placement love to listen to experimental and eccentric type of music. When it comes to music, they like to stand out from the crowd and listen to something what is considered weird by societal norms. Aquarius sign always reminds me of the hippie culture from the 1960s. The second ones having this placements are one of the basic people out there, they listen to something that everyone listens to and they don't mind following the trends. Mind you that Aquarius rules the 11th house of the collective, masses of people, so it's not unusual for Aquarius Venus people to listen to something that is mainstream.

Venus in Pisces: Venus is exalted in Pisces, which means that Venus functions well here. Pisces rules over the 12th house of foreign culture, something hidden, and it's also associated with oceans. This tells me that you may like more listening to the music that comes from the different land or culture than yours. You can use music to heal yourself or to process your deep emotions. Similar with Scorpio Venus, you may also hide your music playlist from everyone else, 'cause you value privacy when it comes to the thing you love. This placement can indicate great taste of music or listening to the bunch of artists who aren't mainstream or who express their emotions.

That is everything I have to write. Hope you like this observation of mine. Make sure to care about yourself and do something you love to do. It's Friday, the Venus-ruled day after all.

Best regards,

Paky McGee

[ame-perduexx]

Astrology Observations🦋

*as always* take what you want, leave what you want

*based only on my personal experiences with people with these placements*

🧚🏻cancer venus: if you've ever felt love from a cancer venus then i hope you know how special it can be. does it feel like love-bombing at times? sure. But i find it beautiful how unabashedly they throw themselves into someone they like. can it be suffocating to someone who isn't fully ready to commit? sure. but its impossible not to root for them.

🧚🏻taurus venus: wonderful, incredible, sensational style sense. thrift shop royalty. impeccable taste. can look good in anything - simply because it looks like a carefully curated outfit when in reality it took them probably 5 mins to throw together.

🧚🏻gemini venus: attracted to people who show them endless fascination. enjoys playing questions games to get to know people. knowing someones favorite color or season may seem pointless but they genuinely find a person's answers interesting.

🧚🏻as a fixed sign .... i have found i clash the most with cardinal signs. they infuriate me to no end. I enjoy the dynamic nature of mutable signs more.

🧚🏻Leo sun/moon: listen....even when you meet one and they tell you: "i'm like the most un-leo, leo ever! I hate being the center of attention!" they are LYING. either to you or themselves or both. i understand why taurus get the bad rep for being stubborn but leo's are stubborn in the way they believe they fully are the best person in the room at all times....which in a way i am almost envious of them? they have a kind of self-love that is unflinching.

🧚🏻virgo suns: make extremely well bosses. are very diplomatic and fair in how each worker is treated and never takes anything personal.

🧚🏻Sagittarius suns: for some reason.... the ones i have met and been around (ones who all identify as women) present themselves as extremely proper and pious in social settings. they love to be seen as the most put together one - especially in work-place. quiet in work environment ... but will talk your ear to death if you're sitting next to them at a dinner party

🧚🏻*trigger warning for SA* 🧚🏻scorpio placements. particularly sun,moon and mars. experience deep sexual trauma. over and over and over again in their life. started at an early age. continues to be taken advantage of throughout their lives. easy for them to associate self-worth with being sexually desired in a negative way. doesn't trust a person if they seem innocent at first, it always turns into some form of a violation.

🧚🏻gemini placements: listen to more lofi style music or instrumental. music without lyrics.

🧚🏻gemini moons: i know i've said this before in a post, and its a common understanding with gemini placements, but they genuinely are extremely talented with foreign languages. learn them quickly. hear them spoken for a while and can pick it up naturally.

🧚🏻moon opposite saturn: i'm so sorry. i know how hard it is. the depression, the anxiety, the constant self-doubt. you are truly your own worst enemy. i'm sending every person with this placement all my love.

🧚🏻libra sun & moon: have i ever truly had a deep convo with these placements? no. do i still love their company? yes. but it tends to feel surface level with them. they are not talented in expressing their thoughts in a spoken or written way without it sounding....childish. maybe its just me .... either way they would still be the first person I invite to my party. they make me laugh. maybe it's their childish naive view of the world i love. maybe I wish i could see it that way.

[gamejoypod]

Hey! It's another Modular Synth inspired AC! This time it's Plaits from Mutable Instruments!

Plaits is a Macro Oscillator with like, 16 pre-programmed profiles like percussion, noise and even speech synthesis. It's a swiss-army knife of a module that you can get to sound like anything if you fiddle with the knobs enough.

Most of the decals are on the Core and Head (someone didn't realize there was a decal limit until they hit it)

I'm hoping to load it up with a bunch of energy weapons and small explosives to emulate the various waveforms and percussive sounds you can get out of such a lightweight model. Ideally it'll be very nimble and whittle down enemies over time

Still need a cool name for it though... Suggestions?

[rickktish]

A list of mutable batfam headcanons that live inside my brain:

Steph deserves to be 6’ minimum, preferably 6’1” or 2”

Bruce is constantly trying to balance his need to be at the same eye level or above the people he’s intimidating vs his need to do his funky little gargoyle crouch. His favorite thing about the GCPD roof is that it has lots of surfaces he can crouch on and still meet or look down at Gordon’s eye level

Tim and Damian suffer from “too similar to get along” disease and must either become best friends or despise each other until the end of time

Babs prefers light, natural toned makeup. Steph prefers pops of color and decent amounts of jewelry when she can get away with it. Cass prefers jewelry and no makeup at all

Jason’s comfort meals are all variations on soup served with bread for dipping

Jason is of the opinion that Fitzwilliam Darcy is an ass at the beginning of the book and it’s a good thing he decided to change himself so he could take his place as Best Fictional Man Ever. Dick, who read the book in order to be able to connect with Jason better, is of the opinion that Fitzwilliam Darcy has done nothing wrong ever and only needed to work on his social skills, meaning that it’s his improved ability to communicate that makes him worthy of Elizabeth Bennet at the end. Neither of them wants to listen to Tim’s analysis of what this says about their relationships with Bruce

Duke has never engaged in non-Alfred approved chaos. This is not because Duke seeks Alfred’s approval, but rather because their senses of humor are in perfect alignment and Alfred is always pleased to discover that he approves of Duke’s particular instances of chaos even after the fact

Damian never had stuffed animals growing up, but after being corrupted by Dick’s influence he can no longer sleep without a minimum of one in his bed

Damian collects posters and articulable action figures. His favorite ones are the ones that can stand on their own, which he uses for posing practice in his drawings. His favorite figure is of one of the characters in Cheese Vikings who has a zuko-esque backstory and a secret propensity for gardening

Dick always buys the most beat up box of cereal at the grocery store because he feels bad for them

Cass loves not only ballet, but other works by classical composers as well. She will unironically listen to the local classical station, and can identify the Borodin String Quartet by the sound of their instruments alone

Tim and Bruce watch and read Gray Ghost media in all its various forms and discuss it together as a bonding activity

Alfred and Jason’s shared birthday is usually celebrated with them making each other cakes, meaning that everyone gets to enjoy not one but two cakes for the day

Jason specializes in cheesecake above all other cakes, though he did make Damian a black forest cake for his birthday once right after he’d finished playing Portal

Literally everyone is surprised when they learn that Damian plays video games. No one has ever once looked at him and thought “yeah, i bet that kid plays console games” and he’s actually really insecure about it, but he also refuses to wear any kind of merch outside the house. He owns dozens of gaming and anime T-shirts but refuses to be seen as anything but completely neutral outside his own territory

Most of the bats wear drug-detecting nail polish at all times, though the base and reactive colors vary by the bat in question

Bruce and Dick have both had therapists straightup quit on them and are therefore reluctant to go back to therapy ever again

Duke’s favorite book is Walden Pond

Alfred read Lord of the Rings aloud to Bruce when he was a kid

[kristina100000]

do you know how to program sound synthesis? i had just gotten interested in learning and i saw you post about a 8 bit something

the zilog z80 yeah ^.^ pure data is great as a start, sound simulator has good some slow tempo tutorials on youtube. supercollider is great too but a lot of the things that you can do in pure data were already pre built in supercollider so PD would be better to work with if this is all new to you since you are left to do the work yourself. you can look up mutable instruments to see some cool projects (RIP it was closed 2 years ago but it was archived), there are plenty of tutorials for making soft synths in C/C++, you can also check out sonic pi if you are interested in live coding

[bouquetface]

Felix - Vedic Birth Chart Analysis

Per request I am working on doing all Stray Kid members. There is no birth time so in-depth predictions are impossible. Take it as entertainment.

This is using vedic so the placements will be in different signs than tropical.

Romantic Relationships:

In his Venus conjunct Mercury, Mercury holds the lowest degree emphasizing the importance of communication. Romance and love can’t begin without good conversation. A woman can’t just be pretty, she needs to be charming in a clever way to get his attention.

Virgo Venus is considered debilitated as Virgo doesn’t allow Venus to express itself easily. Virgo Venus constantly looks for ways to perfect itself rather than enjoy itself. This can show Felix may seek perfection in himself and his partners. His Virgo Venus makes him very aware of everything that can go wrong in a relationship. He can be nit-picky and critical of relationships. This results in caution toward relationships which can lead to marrying at a later age than norm. Venus conjunct Mercury in Virgo indicates he may marry someone younger when he’s older. Nothing can be said for sure as we don’t have his birth time - so without knowing house placements a lot of information is lost.

His spouse will be someone who is creative. She’ll be adaptable and a quick learner. She may have quick wit too. She can definitely charm her way into getting what she wants. She may be a great writer as a hobby. She is highly logical - mind over heart type of person. She can ground him, she is the opposite of an enabler. She attempts to fix any issue he has without being asked. She may be dominating in marriage. She desires control - in marriage, she may take on managing their home/lives to feel secure.

She may be very active. Physically, she could be tall, lean and very youthful. She may be a performer herself in some way - acting, modelling, dancer, etc.

Venus in Chitra suggests his spouse may be interested in aesthetics and design. This could be career-wise like working in the fashion industry or as a hobby/personal interest.

Her bad trait may be that she is very judgemental/critical. She may be difficult to please as her attention to detail makes it easy for her to find flaws/problems.

Venus in Virgo opposite Pisces Moon - one way this placement manifests is encountering women who unfairly or harshly criticize him. He may have experiences with women who are insensitive to his feelings.

For example: Pisces Moons are very imaginative & often more sensitive than they appear. They can have escapist tendencies - finding solace in music, reading, film, gaming, etc. He may encounter a woman who see his hobbies as him being lazy or wasting his time. Virgo Venus conjunct Mercury shows his partners will not be shy to voice their criticism and opinions. The opposition suggests his partner may unintentionally belittle or hate on something that is deeply important to him.

He will be hurt by situations like this resulting in him becoming reserved and cold to her - even if it isn’t the exact scenario given. Venus shows women and Moon shows mom so rather than experiencing this with a spouse it could be his mother or another woman in his life. It doesn’t have to be a huge event in his life where he’s completely destroyed by it & the relationship has to end. It can be a small incident that sticks out in his memory or a reoccurring pattern in his life.

However, accuracy would be influenced by the entire chart. There is no birth time so in-depth predictions are impossible. Take it as entertainment.

Personality

Pisces Moon are very artistic and adaptable. This mutable nature can result in Felix trying out different roles in his career. He may later want to go beyond writing and singing/rapping - example: he could want to produce, direct, photography, fashion design, compose, act, play an instrument, etc.

The sextile to Jupiter in Taurus shows an abundance of creativity. His Pisces Moon is supported and protected by Taurus Jupiter. He is unlikely to fall into the negative sides of Pisces Moon like depression & addiction with Jupiter’s protection. Jupiter aspect from an earth sign gives him the ability to ground his imagination - make his ideas a reality. This is an excellent wealth indicator too.

He is likely very intuitive. He is naturally in-tune with other people’s feelings and intentions. Paired with his Virgo placements, he can be very observant and analytical. He can attempt to solve other people’s problems.

He may have negative experiences in giving/helping that result in him developing a reserved nature. Example: He feels used, he feels drained. Often this is a lesson pisces moons have to learn - not everyone in need deserves their energy/help.

In vedic, moon symbolizes the mom as well as our emotional self. Pisces Moon Opposite Mercury & Venus shows his mom way have a good eye for details. She could be very intelligent, organized and hardworking. Felix could have developed these traits from watching her. His family may motivate and push him to do better. They could have always had high expectations for him.

[bruitmoderniste]

night eurorack

[keyofnow]

What does it mean, The 12 Beatles Albums of the Zodiac?

Ad hoc, ad loc, and quid pro quo! So little time, hehe! So much to know!

Here again is the list of 12 Beatles Albums of the Zodiac.

And here again is my description of how I arrived at this alignment of Beatles albums with the Greco-Roman zodiac.

Basically, once I realised that the White Album fits Gemini as a double-disc set (a ‘twin’ album, if you will), I laid out the Beatles albums from there in chronological order of release date. That placed Please Please Me on Libra, which is a cardinal sign and therefore is permitted to start the ‘year’ cycle (although I personally don't know of any historical calendar that starts the year in autumn, but we're not splitting hairs here).

I want to emphasise that this is entirely my own invention. To date, I have not seen anything whatsoever that links The Beatles' albums with the Greco-Roman or any other zodiac or calendar or mystical system of twelve. This is my original research, and this post may be regarded as the preliminary notes on the subject. I'll probably organise it better as I reread it and my thoughts develop, but I don't wish to over-organise it either, cuz it's meant to be fun. Anyroad, please do check back periodically for updates.

There's nothing you can know that isn't known...

Hoo-boy, here goes:

Please Please Me is Libra. (This includes the follow-up single ‘From Me To You’.) It's Libra not only because it's first, but also because Libra is John's birth (sun) sign, and since he started the group it's poetic to put the first album in the same starting place as him. Libra is an air sign, and although it's ostensibly a rock performance the album emphasises The Beatles' four distinctive vocal personalities individually and in various combinations. Libra is ruled by Venus, and the lyrical themes centre almost entirely around love and romance: ‘Love Me Do’, ‘P.S. I Love You’, ‘Please Please Me’, ‘Ask Me Why’ (I'll say I love you), ‘Chains’ (of love), ‘Do You Want To Know A Secret’ (I'm in love with you), etc. The sole exception is ‘There's A Place’, a proto-psychedelic paean to introspection that foreshadows the band's full-blown illumination by the time of Sgt. Pepper (their next Venus-ruled album). Finally, harmonica (a reedy wind instrument) features on four songs of this album, more than on any other single Beatles record.

With The Beatles must be Scorpio, not for any particular reason other than being second, so I kinda have to search carefully for correlations on this one. (This includes the singles ‘She Loves You’ and ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’.) Scorpio is ruled by Mars, which implies violence...but, The Beatles often function in the inverse (starting the ‘year’ cycle in fall instead of spring, e.g.), so it's not necessarily an explosion of violence, but its opposite: an explosion of joy. The singles mark the point at which (as the expression goes) their popularity exploded, ushering in the post-war jubilee of Beatlemania. Furthermore, violence did accompany these releases tangentially in the form of the JFK assassination, for which Beatles music acted as a salve to the confusion and sadness of it all. Scorpio is a water sign, and these are the songs that first gained them attention ‘across the pond’ in America. Lastly, Scorpio is a fixed sign, and this is the period that fixed The Beatles’ image and character in people's minds.

A Hard Day's Night is Sagittarius, which I have trouble spelling. Approaching the deepest depths of autumn, when the days dwindle to their shortest, it's definitely getting to be a hard day's night. Sadge is a mutable sign, and this record hints at several shapes of things to come, not least of which that it's the first Beatles album containing all original music. It also contains some early forays into country, folk, and R&B that will recur across the next few records. Sadge is a fire sign, and these songs radiate light and warmth in the growing darkness of autumn. Sadge is ruled by Jupiter, and joviality resonates throughout the album, and especially in the film. Jupiter is the captain, and being a movie star musician is pretty much the peak of the idustry. Jupiter is the standard-bearer, and A Hard Day's Night sets the standard for how a Beatles album could/should be made (as opposed to just another collection of Beatles songs), including an increasing emphasis on original material.

Beatles For Sale is Capricorn (including the single ‘I Feel Fine’ / ‘She's A Woman’), not least because Cap is their producer George Martin's birth (sun) sign, and he really has a hand in all of it up to this point — especially in making sure they have a new album ready for Christmas, despite not having enough new songs written yet. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, who's associated with time and money, and George Martin oversees both: their studio budget, their work efficiency, the target deadline, the length of individual songs, what musical material is most marketable, etc. After he produces it, they put it up for sale (those cheeky buggers). Cap is a cardinal sign, so on the one hand it's the start of something new, and therein lies the tension between the new originals and the rock'n'roll ‘oldies’ on the record, plus the Len-Mac oldie ‘I'll Follow The Sun’. Cap is the start of winter, so time is frozen in (on account of) the past, and yet still looking forward, and laughing at itself all the while. (See the album cover, they look so cold and tired. And yet the music is delightful.) Lastly, Cap is an earth sign, and the album delivers new earthy, folky qualities intermingling with the straight rock.

Help! is Aquarius (including the non-album b-sides ‘Yes It Is’ and ‘I'm Down’), and it's significant that Aquarius is Yoko's sun sign, given that John later admitted this song was a genuine plea to be saved by her (or someone like her) before he even knew her. Aquarius is the cry for help in the deepest depths of winter, and the stark white background of the cover is the layer of snow. (See their alpine skiing scene during ‘Ticket To Ride’ in the movie.) Aquarius is an air sign again, and here we hear the first outside session musician playing flute (a wind instrument) on ‘You've Got To Hide Your Love Away’. The melancholy ‘Yesterday’ dominates side two of the album, looking forward by hearkening back. I could go on but I shan't. Aquarius is a fixed sign, and this (courtesy of its movie) fixes the new impression of the (very stoned) groovy Beatles '65 persona.

Rubber Soul is Pisces, you bet your tight a$ it is (including the single ‘Day Tripper’ / ‘We Can Work It Out’). For a start, Pisces is George's sun sign, and this is where the guitar textures (his and John's) take on new dimensions — not to mention that George contributes his first truly good songs on this album. Pisces is mutable as winter is thawing, heralding the spring, and Rubber Soul is a harbinger of things (springs) to come, while acknowledging places they remember. Pisces is a water sign, specifically linked to fish, who are known to swim in two opposing directions depending on the season; so does this music ‘swim’ in two directions, encapsulating all of the styles and influences that have affected them before, and signalling the maturity that will guide them into the future. Lastly, Pisces is ruled by Jupiter the standard-bearer, and here The Beatles meet the standard conceived with A Hard Day's Night, by releasing exclusively original material from this album forward, and by crafting (most of) their subsequent albums into a total musical experience.

Revolver is Aries (including the single ‘Paperback Writer’ / ‘Rain’). First, the fact that Aries is ruled by Mars, and the album title sounds like a pistol. (Wordplay — it's also literally a rotating disc of music — but still.) Secondly, spring has sprung, and this is the most colourful music they've produced to date, notwithstanding the ironically monochrome cover, which is nonetheless extremely vibrant and high-contrast and full of life and joy and movement. The old ways are falling off (if any remain by this point) and the future blossoms across every song. Aries is a fire sign, after all, and Revolver is radiates warmth and love and light — ‘Good Day Sunshine’ is the perfect springtime song. Aries is also a cardinal sign, and this album represents a new beginning (not least with the addition of Geoff Emerick as new chief engineer). Lastly, Aries is the Ram (cf. ‘Paul Ramon’ here), and Revolver is a Paul-heavy album, most especially on the abbreviated US edition.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is Taurus (including the singles ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ / ‘Penny Lane’, ‘All You Need Is Love’, and ‘Hello Goodbye’, as well as Magical Mystery Tour). This is the heart of spring, and Pepper is the most colourful of all their albums, from its lush floral arrangement concert audience collage on the cover, to its multi-tracked technicolour stereo spread musical kaleidoscope within. Taurus is an earth sign, and this is most certainly a heavy rock album through and through. Taurus is a fixed sign, and this album fixes the image of the ‘hippie’ Beatles that would carry over till after their trip to India. Taurus is ruled by Venus, and the album is a testament to love, but not in the same way as Please Please Me, which is more romantic, whereas the love expressed on Pepper is deeper, more spiritual, and more subliminal. Lastly, Taurus is the Bull, and this is the one and only time you'll hear cows mooing on a Beatles record.

The Beatles (a.k.a. ‘The White Album’) is Gemini, including the ‘Hey Jude’ / ‘Revolution’ single. (Remember this was my starting point around which to align the albums and zodiac.) For a kickoff, ‘double album’ screams ‘twinsies’. Gemini is Paul's sun sign, and this album not only has his heavy hand on it, as he micro-manages many of the songs and records several others by himself, but also has a dual-nature, as Paul wrestles with John over what to make of it, what to make it into. Is it another concept album, a son of Sgt. Pepper? Is it a collection of songs? In the end it's both, and neither. Gemini is a mutable sign, and change is definitely in the air as The Beatles move away from the lavish sound of Sgt. Pepper towards something more natural but no less colourful. But it's also a two-headed monster: disc one loosely pursues Paul's vision of a new pop opera, while disc two is his "nerk twin" John's reactionary running order of standalone songs (mostly rock). Neither Paul nor John completely dominates, as they complement each other so well, but the tension between them is becoming palpable, even in the music. Gemini approaches toward the solstice, so it's befitting that the cover depict pure white, like hot summer light. Gemini is an air sign, and the music once again emphasises the distinctive vocal qualities of all four singers in the group. Since Gemini is ruled by Mercury, it's highly communicative of the characters, their feelings, and their values, and for the first time hints at where their paths may eventually lead them individually.

Yellow Submarine is Cancer. ‘But it was recorded before the White Album...!’ Yes, and the stars in Orion's Belt are older than the stars in the Big Dipper, but that doesn't change their positions in the sky. (I don't know if they actually are, but you take my meaning.) Yellow Submarine is older material by this point, but it was released as a soundtrack after the film's unexpected success — a Beatles film that once again features Ringo as the central protagonist, only this time he gets to sing the theme song. So it's fitting that Cancer is Ringo's sun sign, and that the Crab and its shell are (conceptually, at least) not unlike the cartoon Beatles climbing into a yellow submarine to venture on an apple odyssey in search of saving Pepperland. Cancer sits in opposition to Capricorn, and thus (because The Beatles often do the inverse) George Martin plays a prominent role with his psychedelic orchestral arrangements on side two of the album. Cancer is a cardinal sign, and this is the beginning of the next phase of Apple. Lastly, Cancer is ruled by The Moon, and sits next to the sun at its peak (solstice point), so it's cute that ‘yellow submarine’ sounds a bit like ‘yellow sun-moon’.

Abbey Road is Leo (including the single ‘The Ballad Of John & Yoko’ / ‘Old Brown Shoe’). Leo is a fixed sign, and this album fixes our final image of The Beatles as they prepare to exit the stage. Leo is a fire sign, ruled by the Sun, so ‘Here Comes The Sun’ and ‘Sun King’ agree with the paradigm straightaway. The Sun is also central to ancient religions, so it's befitting an album-of-the-sun to have ‘abbey’ in its title. (Abbey Road refers to the street on which EMI Studios — now Abbey Road Studios — is located, which itself owes its name to the nearby Kilburn Priory to-and-from which the road originally led.) If God is Love and Love is Light as John the Evangelist describes It (just as The Beatles are Fun), then how appropriate to close the album speaking words of eternal wisdom: ‘And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.’ Amen.

Finally, Let It Be is Virgo, the virgin. The sad virgin, not only because summer is ending, but also because The Beatles know that The Beatles is ending. Fittingly, Virgo was their manager Brian Epstein's sun sign, and it's precisely his absence that has precipitated the group disintegration. Mr. Epstein, it turns out, was the glue that held together the greatest show on Earth. Again, the songs on this record are slightly older than those on Abbey Road, but it matters not, as the tracks continued to be worked on and refined up until the bitter end. And though the wistful waning of summer palpably permeates this album, the band yet manages to prepare for the coming harvest, and harvest they do, as these tracks include several of their most enduring and timeless classics (and that's really saying something by this point) all together now, includo ‘Across The Universe’, ‘The Long And Winding Road’, the non-album b-side ‘Don't Let Me Down’ (which they play in the film), the working title track ‘Get Back’, and the ultimate title track ‘Let It Be’. Finally, the project was intended to be a return to live performance (but wasn't, except only briefly on their roof), and ‘Let It Be’ (the last Beatles single) abbreviates into LIB...which coudl also stand for LIBRA, and thus lead us full circle back to Please Please Me, when The Beatles actually were a top-notch live performing band.

'Cuz where do we go from the end?

We start it all over again.

In circles.

The farther one travels, the less one knows...

Here we go again.

Good morning, good morning!

🍏

[trevlad-sounds]

Invisible Waves 32.

11.08.2024

Intro 00:00 Polaroid Notes–Frigid Stars 00:11 Kraut Sounds Büro für Erdrotation Drone Works International licht-ung whitelabrecs

Chapter 1 02:26 Rhucle–避暑 08:13 Kiritchenko–Acceptance 10:17

Korg Wavestate Access Virus TI Elektron Octatrack

Chapter 2 13:57 little forest–sit 17:55 Go Outside Brian Duffy–Remember That Glorious Day 20:26 Roland System 100 Broadcast Telefunken reel to reel Glensound Combe Gibbet

Chapter 3 24:55 Lee Anthony Norris & Porya Hatami–Rune Stoned(Fluffy Inside) 29:19 Scholars of the Peak–The Downfall 36:34 Kinder Downfall Chapter 4 41:12 Elinch–grau 8 46:52 Mutable Instruments Plaits Buchla LEM 218 Keyboard T-Rex Replicator Tape Delay Cosmos looper from Soma

[spellsparkler]

appearance 4, objects 8, and weather 13 for both Row and Elias? :o

👕4: Does your character have a favorite material they like to wear? row isn't picky; they prefer fabrics that are smooth to the touch, but other than that, they're flexible, generally a lot more concerned with the cut and colours than the makeup elias, meanwhile, was a talented seamstress pre-tadpole and is Picky about her textures and the quality of her materials. I think she would have been a big fan of shot silk and certain types of lace. post-tadpole she does have to downgrade her expectations a bit

📦8: What would it take for your character to give up an item they really like? laughed at this because i do have on hand examples of both of them giving up items they really like (row would be insulted at the comparison, which is probably justifiable) so row is... not enormously attached to material possessions. they'll like things, sure, but they change things up for fun or to alter how they're perceived; they don't tend to keep things much, at least not in a way people can see. their only item of real sentimental value is their citole, hand-made towards the end of their apprenticeship and painstakingly cared for in the years afterwards. row drags it determinedly through all the in-game shenanigans with no case and a hasty-carved new pick, and right before the final fight, it is broken beyond real repair and they leave it in the brine cave system underground (yes this has insane implications on how the fight goes; no I haven't puzzled all of that out yet; but it fits really really well with what is probably the climax of their narrative arc and also in the cutscene everyone falls into the river and after all their instrument has been through you can't just waterlog that thing without consequences). it isn't until it is destroyed that they leave it behind and accept making something new. this is probably a metaphor elias. meanwhile. has a number of normal-style quirks I've made up in my head, one of which being an instinctual tendency to collect sharp things. this includes fallen enemies' weaponry, kitchen implements, a variety of tools and other miscellanea (dammon's pritchell, sewing needles, particularly pointy tweezers, broken glass). she does this in a similar way to a cat chasing a laser point or a beaver building a dam. after The Incident (you know the one) (in which all her collection is made use of) everything but the weapon she is actively using is confiscated, because everyone is very uncomfortable with this hobby all of a sudden. she doesn't complain because she's blindsided by their reactions and increasingly aware of how being viewed by them as a threat could be a threat to her, in turn. better to make it easy. she'll hide everything she collects from hereon out

🌤️13: What element best represents your character? if we're talking classical elements, row is fire (bright, mutable, transformative; needs fuel) and elias is air (subtle, clever, and associated with blood in humourism, so. you know.)

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

April 9, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

APR 10, 2024

Yesterday, former president Trump released a video celebrating state control over abortion; today, a judicial decision in Arizona illuminated just what such state control means. With the federal recognition of the constitutional right to abortion gone since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, old laws left on state books once again are becoming the law of the land.

In a 4–2 decision, the all-Republican Arizona Supreme Court today said it would not interfere with the authority of the state legislature to write abortion policy, letting the state revert to an 1864 law that bans abortion unless the mother’s life is in danger. “[P]hysicians are now on notice that all abortions, except those necessary to save a woman’s life, are illegal,” the decision read.

The court explained: “A policy matter of this gravity must ultimately be resolved by our citizens through the legislature or the initiative process…. We defer, as we are constitutionally obligated to do, to the legislature’s judgment, which is accountable to, and thus reflects, the mutable will of our citizens.”

The idea that abortion law must be controlled by state legislatures is in keeping with the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. But it’s an interesting spin to say that the new policy is protecting the will of the citizens. 

The Arizona law that will begin to be enforced in 14 days was written by a single man in 1864. 

In 1864, Arizona was not a state, women and minorities could not vote, and doctors were still sewing up wounds with horsehair and storing their unwashed medical instruments in velvet-lined cases. 

And, of course, the United States was in the midst of the Civil War.

In fact, the 1864 law soon to be in force again in Arizona to control women’s reproductive rights in the twenty-first century does not appear particularly concerned with women handling their own reproductive care in the nineteenth—it actually seems to ignore that practice entirely. The laws for Arizona Territory, chaotic and still at war in 1864, appear to reflect the need to rein in a lawless population of men. 

The 1864 Arizona criminal code talks about “miscarriage” in the context of other male misbehavior. It focuses at great length on dueling, for example—making illegal not only the act of dueling (punishable by three years in jail) but also having anything to do with a duel. And then, in the section that became the law now resurrected in Arizona, the law takes on the issue of poisoning. 

In that context, the context of punishing those who secretly administer poison to kill someone, it says that anyone who uses poison or instruments “with the intention to procure the miscarriage of any woman then being with child” would face two to five years in jail, “Provided, that no physician shall be affected by the last clause of this section, who in the discharge of his professional duties deems it necessary to produce the miscarriage of any woman in order to save her life.” 

The next section warns against cutting out tongues or eyes, slitting noses or lips, or “rendering…useless” someone’s arm or leg.

The law that Arizona will use to outlaw abortion care seemed designed to keep men in the chaos of the Civil War from inflicting damage on others—including pregnant women—rather than to police women’s reproductive care, which women largely handled on their own or through the help of doctors who used drugs and instruments to remove what they called dangerous blockages of women’s natural cycles in the four to five months before fetal movement became obvious.

Written to police the behavior of men, the code tells a larger story about power and control. 

The Arizona Territorial Legislature in 1864 had 18 men in the lower House of Representatives and 9 men in the upper house, the Council, for a total of 27 men. They met on September 26, 1864, in Prescott. The session ended about six weeks later, on November 10. 

The very first thing the legislators did was to authorize the governor to appoint a commissioner to prepare a code of laws for the territory. But William T. Howell, a judge who had arrived in the territory the previous December, had already written one, which the legislature promptly accepted as a blueprint.

Although they did discuss his laws, the members later thanked Judge Howell for “preparing his excellent and able Code of Laws” and, as a mark of their appreciation, provided that the laws would officially be called “The Howell Code.” (They also paid him a handsome $2,500, which was equivalent to at least three years’ salary for a workingman in that era.) Judge Howell wrote the territory’s criminal code essentially single-handedly.

The second thing the legislature did was to give a member of the House of Representatives a divorce from his wife. 

Then they established a county road near Prescott.

Then they gave a local army surgeon a divorce from his wife. 

In a total of 40 laws, the legislature incorporated a number of road companies, railway companies, ferry companies, and mining companies. They appropriated money for schools and incorporated the Arizona Historical Society.

These 27 men constructed a body of laws to bring order to the territory and to jump-start development. But their vision for the territory was a very particular one. 

The legislature provided that “[n]o black or mulatto, or Indian, Mongolian, or Asiatic, shall be permitted to [testify in court] against any white person,” thus making it impossible for them to protect their property, their families, or themselves from their white neighbors. It declared that “all marriages between a white person and a [Black person], shall…be absolutely void.”

And it defined the age of consent for sexual intercourse to be just ten years old (even if a younger child had “consented”). 

So, in 1864, a legislature of 27 white men created a body of laws that discriminated against Black people and people of color and considered girls as young as ten able to consent to sex, and they adopted a body of criminal laws written by one single man.

And in 2024, one of those laws is back in force in Arizona.

Now, though, women can vote.

Before the midterm elections, 61% of Arizona voters told AP VoteCast they believed abortion should be legal in most or all cases, while only 6% said it should be illegal in all cases. A campaign underway to place a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights on November’s ballot needs to gather 383,923 verified signatures by July; a week ago the campaign announced it already had 500,000 signatures.

It seems likely that voters will turn out in November to elect lawmakers who will represent the actual will of the people in the twenty-first century. 

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON