#polyphone beloved........

[m0thwinged]

HERE DSAF FANDOM have some phone goodies.

[mewomanjericao]

polyphone sketch,,, my beloveds

[themosthatedbeingg]

{Oh Father, oh Father,

Oh Father,

My Father, —-well I am ready, won't you let it begin ;

cause I am here now •

I want to dance

in the mighty palm of your hand}

Your hand.

A star fallen is caught and saved by the father’s bloody and gentle palm, the heavens quiver as all is put to right .. all is as it should be.. a patch up,

Stitching the night sky ,

The dawn grows to see another day, the hands of the elder siblings keep the star in place its wild abandon subdued and its brightness shines anew ~

The star of new chances, the star that shines brightest before Dawn .

The light burning and cold and Glorious, burning away the darkness and those who dare to take it from its place in the sky .

The star of retribution, of redemption, of righteousness .

Father’s forgiveness and anger mixed into one ;

The prodigal son , the first dreamer, the wild warrior of his father’s domain.

The Morningstar appears .

——————

The portal opens in front of the Palace, Holy light spills forth, along with a heavy mist , like the fog in the morning, distorting the shadows as the being makes it entrance at first it looks many headed and winged a swirling of shadows in the fog that makes no sense , to stare at it too long would invite madness , before it condenses into one shape , one person steps out, the form is takes seems to be struggling to contain it all.

The son of the morning , Father’s favorite, youngest of the Archangel but all the more powerful just the same ,

Lucifer Haliel Morningstar stood before them looking down at the disgusting pit before him, He shook his head , yes his reality sadly got destroyed by his beloved and all knowing father but surely his being saved from this mess was better then falling ? { he made the right choice he knew he did}

No matter he was here to give out his father’s wrath and retribution , as a good Loyal ( subdued) Son should .

Golden eyes with cross pupils took in Lilith , all six wings quivering with the urge to take him into the air , his top hat halo glowing brightly against red sky , this should be easy enough perhaps Michale and Him could have a friendly wager on who killed the most heretics and disgusting sinners today .

Opening his mouth in a way that seemed he was Trying not to rip apart his very face with how carefully he moved he spoke— “I denounce you harlot , tempter , betrayer of farther’s most glorious plan and all your ways she-devil~” his voice it was polyphonic with a hint of Enochian, the opposite of the demonic hint in his fallen counterparts voice .

To think some cycle of him actually married this being let alone have children with her .. or well in this case , Had a child~ .

@hells-sirenqueen

[progfessor-dyke]

You know, I do a bit of research in my spare time on how progressive rock is viewed in an academic context (because I eventually want to argue for its legitimacy as an academic pursuit, many many years in the future), and one thing I noticed upon reading these papers (JSTOR my beloved) is that it’s consistently spoken about as an imitation of genres and styles that have already been studied rather than its own thing.

For example, I was reading this paper the other day on the study of polyphony in modern popular music (the vast majority of modern music is homophonic), and progressive rock was brought up as being a “poor imitation” of polyphonic styles, because the musicians weren’t as trained in the style as a classical conservatory musician. I don’t think the paper considered for a moment that the intent was not to imitate, but rather innovate and expand upon an entirely different style of music. Even if it was a “poor imitation” of polyphonic styles in classical music, the fact that prog musicians were even attempting that is noteworthy considering that, yes, the vast majority of popular music of the 20th Century was homophonic. That is not something to be looked down upon.

In my opinion (as some random high schooler that’s obsessed with prog), prog’s validity shouldn’t come from comparison. Jazz (and even jazz struggled to be accepted as an academic study for a while) and classical will always been seen as more “technical”, however prog has an emphasis on style and innovation and accessibility.

Sorry for the essay at 8:30 in the morning (at least, it’s 8:30 here lol), but it’s just been on my mind lately. Also, polyphonic is the usage of multiple independent melodies going on simultaneously, whereas homophonic has accompaniments that are the same rhythm as the melody.

[taylormademagic]

15 questions for 15 mutuals (THIS IS SO LATE IM DRUNK AND MOTIVATED THO)

@cooali tagged me ayyy 😊

1. Are you named after anyone?

-nope

2. When was the last time you cried?

-my friend is going through a hard time and I'm a sympathy crier so like a few days ago

3. Do you have kids?

-Nope and I don't plan to. Gonna be a kick ass aunt one day tho.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

-Quite a bit lol

5. What sports do you play/have played?

-Soccer in middle school and then I got roped into playing girls hockey in high school. It was a bunch of first timers and some could barely skate at the beginning and there was no checking allowed and stuff like that hah

6. What's the first thing you notice about other people?

-hrmmm like maybe their general vibe??

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

-happy endings?

8. Any Special talents?

-i can wiggle my ears and sort of polyphonic sing

9. Where were you born?

-from my mom's (redacted)

10. What are your hobbies?

-video games! Legos, cooking as well

11. Do you have any pets?

- DR PEPPER MY BELOVED KITTY

12. How tall are you?

-5' 6"?

13. Fave subjects in school?

-history or science

14. Dream Job?

-voice actor

15. Eye colour?

-green

[monstersandmaw]

Ghostie, I am smitten with Ninja and it's all your fault. (affectionate) I am lost without a cause for Mimics in general and a Mimic BIKER? I'm dead on arrival; it's two of my favorite things smooshed together and now I can't go back. Ninja, my beloved, I wanna hold your hand... <3

*nearly faints at a wild Minty sighting in my inbox and tries not to trip over my own ectoplasm*

Ninja carefully, hesitantly, reaches out their hand for yours and offers you a smile. Yes, they know that you know what they are now, so it's all teeth where that visor should be. They gesture behind them towards their bike and ask in an odd, slightly polyphonic voice if you maybe wanna be their backpack?

[greaterspawnislands]

1, 7, and 29 <333 (and maybe 20 only if you're up for it, I'm a curious person by nature-)(also hello beloved <333)

1. three songs that come up when you put your phone on shuffle

ok i'm gonna use my liked songs for this since i have a bajillion playlists but this should still work alright

1) Light & Day / Reach For the Sun by The Polyphonic Spree. This is a song that my dad played a lot growing up, and it's just a really nice song that very much feels like the kind of sudden, bright sunshine that makes you feel like you can do anything.

2) Battle Scars by Paradise Fears. I think my spotify shuffle is in a mood today and the mood is "songs to remind you that you have to keep going because there are going to be better days i promise". this one isn't from my dad's music though this is like. middle school mental illness music. I don't listen to this one a lot anymore but I get a lot of nostalgia for it

3) Space Was So Cool by Markiplier, The Gregory Brothers. I mean what else do I really need to say about this one. It's a banger. Nostalgia factor hanging on there, too.

7. three songs you didn't expect to like but eventually loved

To be entirely honest, I don't think I have an answer for this one because a) i usually know if I like a song right away or not and even if I don't at first b) i have an ass memory with this stuff so sadly I have searched but I can't recall any songs that have gone from ambivalent to loved over time :( sorry!

29. three songs that influenced you most

1) Chicago by Sufjan Stevens. This is another artist I listened to growing up, and the first one I loved so much that I put a poster of him up in my room when I was young. This album as a whole is just so good I can't even explain what impact it had one me

2) Passenger Seat by Death Cab for Cutie. Another instrumental artist in my life. It was a hard pick between this and Transantlanticism but they're both on the same album so you should listen to them anyways. Seeing these songs live was unforgettable and changed my brain chemistry for sure

3) Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy. I remember listening to this one as a very very young kid, it was on my sleeptime CD that my dad burned for me. It probably played a role in getting me into playing piano tbh. Yeah god I could go on and on about songs that have influenced me there's an endless amount.

20. three songs that remind you of the person who sends this one

1) Digital Silence by Peter McPoland. Honestly, Echo, all the songs that make me think of you are the ones you've shown me in our playlist haha, so this one gets first mention bc it was added twice loll

2) Biggering from The Lorax. I will continue to think about singing this with you over call and ignoring Kerbe's baffled comments about it :) that was a fun time

3) Super Miriam (FAITH) by n014n. And, of course, I can't think of FAITH anymore without thinking of your gigantic build so you get the faith song also <3

"three songs" ask set

[thesearchforbluejello]

SHCHEDRIVKI MY BELOVED

The Polyphony Project has some recordings of traditional polyphonic singing of shchedrivki

Like this one from Kozatske, Chernihivska oblast, which is very close to what became Carol of the Bells (let us pause for a moment to dropkick Wilhousky into space for those ding dongs):

https://www.polyphonyproject.com/en/song/BMI_UK17050383

Or this one from Stratiivka, Vinnytska oblast, which is notably different but closely related:

https://www.polyphonyproject.com/en/song/BMI_UK17100680

Traditional Ukrainian music is just on another level in general, but there's something in particular about this one that's just so captivating

(even with Jerry Heil recording it on a laptop setup and singing harmony to herself https://youtu.be/7XtkttHFw1E?si=gvhKBpmzKmTScyXz)

[nourahhseo]

Georgia: A Land of Ancient History, Stunning Landscapes, and Warm Hospitality

Nestled at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Georgia is a captivating country brimming with ancient history, breathtaking landscapes, and warm hospitality. Renowned as the "Land of the Golden Fleece" and the "Pearl of the Caucasus," Georgia beckons travelers with its rich cultural tapestry, diverse natural wonders, and the genuine warmth of its people.

For more: أرخص مكتب سياحي في جورجيا.

Journey Through Time: Unveiling Georgia's Rich History

Georgia boasts a legacy that stretches back millennia, evident in its UNESCO-listed historical sites and ancient traditions. Explore the captivating capital, Tbilisi, where ancient fortifications like Narikala Fortress stand alongside modern marvels like the Peace Bridge. Wander through the cobblestone streets of Mtskheta, the country's former capital, and marvel at the grandeur of Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Delve into the past at the ancient cave city of Uplistsikhe, a mesmerizing complex carved into the rock face.

Source:  عروض جورجيا.

Embrace Nature's Splendor: Georgia's Breathtaking Landscapes

Georgia's natural beauty is as diverse as its history, offering a captivating panorama of landscapes that will leave you awestruck. Ascend the majestic Caucasus Mountains, where snow-capped peaks pierce the sky and verdant valleys unfold below. Explore the lush greenery of the Kolkheti National Park, home to a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna. Stroll along the Black Sea coast, where charming seaside towns like Batumi beckon with their sandy beaches and vibrant atmosphere.

Experience Unparalleled Hospitality: The Warmth of the Georgian People

Georgian hospitality is legendary, as locals welcome visitors with open arms and genuine warmth. Immerse yourself in the convivial atmosphere of a traditional supra, a Georgian feast where tables overflow with delectable dishes and laughter fills the air. Engage in heartfelt conversations with locals, eager to share their rich cultural heritage and stories of their beloved country. Discover the art of khinkali making, a culinary tradition that brings families and friends together.

Also watch: شركات السياحة في تبليسي.

Unforgettable Experiences Await in Georgia

Georgia offers a plethora of experiences that will leave you with cherished memories. Embark on a thrilling trek through the Caucasus Mountains, conquering challenging peaks and reveling in the panoramic views. Savor the flavors of Georgian cuisine, indulging in mouthwatering khinkali, khachapuri, and other culinary delights. Immerse yourself in the vibrant sounds of Georgian polyphonic singing, a UNESCO-listed intangible cultural heritage. Discover the country's unique winemaking traditions, dating back over 8,000 years, and relish the taste of exquisite Georgian wines.

Georgia: A Destination that Enchants the Soul

Georgia is a destination that will captivate your senses and leave an indelible mark on your soul. From its ancient history whispering through the stones of time to its breathtaking landscapes that paint a masterpiece of nature's artistry, Georgia offers an unparalleled travel experience. And with the warm hospitality of its people, you'll feel like you've found a second home amidst the grandeur of the Caucasus Mountains. So, embark on a journey to Georgia, and discover a land where ancient wonders intertwine with modern marvels, where nature's splendor unfolds in breathtaking vistas, and where the warmth of hospitality will touch your heart forever.

[echidnana]

Top 5 project sekai songs/performances!! Love you!! -Solar

SCREAM OK

this is so hard bc we genuinely love so so many prsk songs.... we r going to do our top 5 commissioned/event songs (one per group)!! no particular order ❤️

Leo/Need: needLe by deco*27

leoneed is our absolute favorite group and needle is our favorite beginning/group song!!! it fits them as a group so well and sounds beautiful with all of them singing

MMJ: DREAM PLACE by easypop

we ADORE this song, tbh all Minori songs are awesome. this one combined w the event cards and 3d mv is perfect, so gorgeous. runner up is definitely watashi wa, watashitachi wa and parasol cider

VBS: a lone sheep by peg

KORAMMY SONG!!!! love the vibes of this, it suits the event so well and is so catchy and funky

WXS: starry sky melody by polyphonic branch

this song is SO Nene and sounds so lovely, the Nene cover is absolutely perfect

niigo: composing the future by mafumafu

NIIGO MY BELOVED ok listen we LOVE composing the future, we've heard some people don't like it??? it's our second favorite group song it's so so good. also runner-ups and infinitely gray + samsa niigo songs go hard

[mmeloka-blog]

Wedding Night

Dripping with memory she rises from the magnetic pools of his eyes, and climbs the crooked ladder of his nose to plant a kiss on his third eye. At the gesture, he changes colors. The train of her wedding dress streams lead. It wants to pull her back under, but silk easily rips. It can't have its way: she is wearing the gown, not the other way around. The lace crepe clutches the shallow mounds of her breasts like his ghostly hand did. He stole into the tower of bone, tore the soft pink curtains apart, but he didn't expect to find anything aside from what he saw. He saw a womb with in-turned feet, breasts as firm as those of the sphinx, and the indecipherable hook of her tense smile. He couldn't see the heat unfurling like incense smoke, burning in honor of the snake that opened the gate of the perfectly manicured yard. She closed it behind him, wrapped him in her arms. His eyes were closed, his throat moonlit gold. Her teeth left indentations around his adam's apple, and he panted and lifted the small of her back to plunge himself deeper inside. An inch is never enough; best to take it all in stride. She rises dripping memory of the first time. She flips him like a familiar, collectible coin, and rides until her fingers are as lost in his hair as she was in his eyes before they closed. He turns red, and holds her still, and opens them wide as those of a child, blushing and satisfied. She snatches his lips with her own, and collapses, keeping him inside. He sweeps the veil of her hair aside, and showers her face with hot kisses. She feels the pilgrims travelling from the promised land between her legs to the temple inside and sighs. They are still linked just like the serpent, the wedding, and the idolatrous look in his eyes, the perfect yard. She kisses his magnetic eyes, unconsumed by the consummation, and all too pleased to be alive.

[kaurwreck]

Not to keep ranting and raving shades of quantum physics that I barely understand, but I'd think it refers to Fyodor's incomplete understanding of the white hole singularity that Atsushi and Akutagawa are uniquely capable of creating when Byakko and Rashomon meet in their fully realized forms.

Which makes sense with at least one theory of white holes, which is that they happen to be the "exit door" of a black hole existing in another universe. Such a black hole - white hole configuration is what we're referring to when we refer to wormholes.

This is relevant because bookmarks aren't narrative devices, and they're not particularly related to or specifically meaningful for linear narratives.

Neither is bsd, though, so I may be misunderstanding. bsd is written as a nonlinear, polyphonic, anachronistic, out-of-place-and-time narrative. The setting and worldbuilding are a bizarre amalgamation of the past century, but there are also suggestions throughout that some of the characters have experienced several versions of reality, with Dazai most distressingly seeming to at sometimes experience multiple simultaneously. I don't mean Beast either, although Beast is relevant for catching moments in the canon timeline that Dazai reacts oddly to something that is different or the same.

(I don't mean that he seems to know things. He doesn't. Most of what the fandom attributes to an almost preternatural omniscenience is just Bayesian game theory. It's small moments where his attention is piqued over information that shouldn't mean anything to him, and doesn't really. It's most apparent in the first episode/chapter.)

Even the metanarrative is nonlinear and predciated on layers of lives and chanches to try again. The kaleidoscopic deepened further if you read bsd as a framework for interpreting the century of classic literature, and if you read that century of classic literature to understand what, why, and how kafka asagiri wove pieces of it into bsd. That 55 Minutes is the Time Machine by HG Wells, for example, is difficult to separate from how the Time Machine connects WW1 to WW2 in imagery and impact with regard to nuclear warfare.

But, returning to bookmarks for a moment.

I don't think I would call marking your place in a book marking the characters' place in the journey.

I'm not totally sure how a bookmark could facilitate a linear narrative, other than, maybe, if you're worried about seeing spoilers while trying to find your place. But, the linear narrative is such a beloved device because those details can only be understood and their impact felt in the context of where they fit into the story. Instead, linear narratives are facilitated by chronology, cause and effect, the three act structure, and other literary devices, because narratives are intangible stories, books are just the tangible mediums to which they're fixed.

Bookmarks are markers for finding your place in a book quickly and easily, agnostic to where or why you stopped reading (except insofar as they're most useful where your stopping place isn't a clear narrative milestone, since those are easier to find again later.)

Bookmarks are also content agnostic. They have the same use cases whether in a fiction book, a nonfiction book, a cookbook, a book containing a linear story, a book containing a nonlinear story. They're nifty the first time you read a book, and they're just as nifty when you reread them. Sometimes, it's not about picking up where you left off, even, but marking a requently visited passage or a recipe or a part you wanted to reread because something reminded you of it or you thought it might read to you differently now than it did before but before you could, you forgot you'd even wanted to, until the next time you were dusting and found a scrap of paper marking your place in a book you were certain you'd long finished, and then you start reading and it comes back in a rush, and you have a moment of immense affection for the past version of yourself who didn't have time to act on the urge that brought them to that passage, and so entrusted it to you instead.

In other words, bookmarks facilitate finding a specific page quickly, but they're physical objects that make using the tangible mediums to which we affix stories and information more convenient. They have no instrinsic narrative value unless we choose to assign them meaning.

Wormholes are hypothetical structures connecting disparate points in spacetime. The book has repeatedly been referred to as reality. Fyodor seems to believe that Atsushi is connected to a specific point in space-time, a page if you will, and whatever that page in space-time is to Fyodor, he wants to open reality to that page badly.

Atsushi is the protagonist because he doesn't have to be anything but chooses to be who he is, and his sincerity and hope and relentless pursuit of meaning is salvific. Fyodor is wildly misunderstanding, or may be even intentionally demeaning or rejecting the nature of Atsushi's role. Atsushi isn't a bookmark, he's the heart of things.

Kokoro is a comprehensive term in Japanese religion, philosophy and aesthetics often translated as ‘heart’, whose range of meanings includes mind, wisdom, aspiration, essence, attention, sincerity and sensibility. In Buddhist texts and in philosophy, kokoro (or shin in its Sino-Japanese reading) denotes mind, heart or inner nature, the site of human sentience or delusion. By extension, in pre-modern theories of art, kokoro signifies simultaneously the emotional capacity of the artist to respond to the natural world, which ideally catalyzes the act of creation; the parallel ability of an audience to respond to such a work of art and thus indirectly to the experience of the artist; and finally the evaluation of such a work as possessing the ‘right conception’, kokoro ari or alternatively ushin.

Kokoro by Viswanathan, Meera

*cackles in validation* Hey. Hey guys. Is Atsushi the bookmark because he’s the protagonist of the story and thus the page is marked depending on his phase of the journey, or is he the protagonist because he is the bookmark, where his very existence necessitates him becoming a catalyst so the story can unfold and be read in linear time?

[mayoiayasep]

polyphonic world beloved<3

[transmogrified-in-the-void]

Polyphonic harmonies my beloved

[gootie]

Songs to feel to

Sometimes I think I don't feel anything. It's like I'm disconnected from emotions and I can't seem to get out of it without outside stimulus. Music is the catalyst I use the most.

If I need to get moving, break inertia and make something happen, I like Nick Drake's Cello Song. There is a sadness underlying his music that is characteristic of his short life but Cello Song never makes me sad. It wakes me up, makes me think, and gets me to work. Animal Collective's My Girls works for this as well. The layers of sounds, beats, and voices get my mind racing and before I know it I'm putting pen to paper, my hand moving under the direction of mercurial inspiration.

I usually need to dig deep for courage. Fear and anxiety keep me from doing a lot but if I can generate a spark of self confidence it smoulders into a blaze of strength. I am not cool. I am dorky, weak, and mediocre but when I listen to Curtis Mayfield's Superfly I feel like a stone cold pimp. When I hear that vicious baseline I really believe that I can make it. The other song that makes me feel way cooler than I am is Thin Lizzy's The Rocker. Phil Lynott makes me feel like a badass mofo.

Sometimes I need to cry. I need the release of just weeping with abandon. I couldn't cry when I was younger but the older I get the sadness gets heavier and lurks near the surface like a shark. The only way to get out from under it is just to let it go. There are a lot of sad songs out there but the one that does it for me lately is Peter Gabriel's version of David Bowie's Heroes. It's not a sad song but I get to thinking about Bowie passing away and how we're not going to get any more music from him and it just hurts so much. Gabriel's version starts so spare and open like a eulogy. His voice breaks but builds until he's shouting a testimonial. My heart is in my throat and tears are flowing just hearing it in my head as I write this. Just like Bowie's original, Gabriel ends in triumph and I get that sweet euphoria a good cry leaves me with. You have to end on a high point or there's no coming out of it. God knows why you'd want to, but IF you want to just cry yourself into the oblivion of a dark, dreamless sleep I guess you could put on Lou Reed's Berlin (the whole album) but please be careful. It's a real motherfucker.

Joy is a funny one. If you are capable of feeling it you probably don't need some song to initiate it but if you just got asked out by someone really cute or you just got that promotion or even if McDonald's just got McRibs again I recommend The Polyphonic Spree's Light & Day/Reach For The Sun to put you over the edge. That song and winning on a one dollar scratcher are enough to make me dance in the street. Pop music is aural A-1 Sauce, enhancing the flavor of joy. You don't need it but it still tastes good. My other go to is Prince's Let's Go Crazy. Dearly beloved, that song makes everything better.

Please let me know what does it for you

[thesunlounge]

Reviews 245: Visible Cloaks, Yoshio Ojima & Satsuki Shibano

I owe much of my interest in modern Japanese music to the duo of Spencer Doran and Ryan Carlile, otherwise known as Visible Cloaks. Valve / Valve Revisted introduced me to dip in the pool, who have since become a beloved favorite, and the far-out sounds and forward thinking production techniques of Japan have long informed the duo’s approach. As well, Spencer Doran spent years diving into the country’s environmental, new age, fourth-world, and future-pop landscapes and issued a couple of essential mixes for Root Strata in this direction, with his work eventually leading to the breathtaking Kankyō Ongaku collection on Light in the Attic…all of which have had a massive impact on my own musical journey. So it’s entirely fitting, if not fated, that Visible Cloaks’ first contribution to RVNG Intl.’s longstanding FRKWYS series sees Doran and Carlile joining together with Satsuki Shibano and Yoshio Ojima, two masters of innovative sound design and visual art that were highly influential on Japan’s cultural landscape during the 80s and 90s and whose work continues to resonate today: Shibano through her immersive piano dreamscapes inspired by Satie and Debussy and Ojima via his explorations of computerized composition and in scoring artistic and public spaces such as Wacoal’s famous Spiral building. And like all FRKWYS pairings, it completes a circle of influence and inspiration, with elder artists stirring the creativity of younger generations, whose novel approaches then inform and are folded back into the work of the original source…a sort of eternal conversation between past and present about the sonic landscapes of the future.

In the write up for serenitatem, RVNG discuss the group’s interests in aleatoric music, the British avant grade, pre-classical composition, and Lovely Music, Ltd, as well as Ojima’s and Satsuki’s groundbreaking work with the St. Giga radio installation…a free-form and continuously broadcasted collage of field recordings, poetry, and audio experimentation that looms large over the approach and vision of serenitatem. As for the process, Doran and Carlile recorded sketches while on tour and sent them to Ojima, who added his own sounds and edits before returning the recordings to the duo. So it continued for months, with the trio trading ideas and building on each others’ manipulations until a studio session in Tokyo brought all four musicians together, allowing them to further enhance their preliminary experiments and create new compositions on the spot. And the results are truly beguiling…a spellbinding coalescence of futuristic sonic exploration and deeply human emotion that features cloudforms of orchestral gas shattering into crystalline vapor; funereal organs playing ancient hymns to the sun; tropical new age textures surrounded by spectral space foam; mermaid choirs singing through overtone resonances; and marbles vibrating within tunnels of morphing glass. And though the sensibilities of Visible Cloaks and Ojima are almost entirely indistinguishable, the artistic identity of Shibano is uniquely discernible, with her effected voice and majestic piano themes standing out amidst the rainbow energy fields and fractal orchestrations while also feeding generative MIDI software, in turn creating new and ever-evolving paths of exploration.

Visible Cloaks, Yoshio Ojima & Satsuki Shibano - FRKWYS Vol. 15: serenitatem (RVNG Intl., 2019) In “Toi,” liquids drip over aquatic swells while gong drone overtones hover in place before rapidly vaporizing. Vocals awash in a haze of euphoria flow into the mix on layers of aquamarine synthesis, ringing feedback tones weave pastoral melodies, and disjointed piano chords splash through crystalline tide pools while swirling noise clouds move chaotically before being sucked out of existence. The mix is repeatedly intercut by globules of bouncing glass that wash the stereo field clean and after a false ending and a fade to silence, oceanic orchestrations diffuse into the mix with swelling string reveries and long glorious bow strokes calling out to the dawn. Sometimes breathy choirs join in with these etheric chamber incantations while liquiying metals flow throughout the spectrum. And as the track ends, mystical electronics create starry-eyed sound swirls and decaying bodies of spectral mist. “Anata” follows with a shimmering world of tonal mesmerism where voices and machines blur together…like mermaid choirs coalescing with the droning hum of an industrial machine. Bleary-eyed orchestrations intermingle with textures of brass as Shibano delivers a strangely effected spoken work performance, with her voice morphing and modulating discontinuously while fracturing across the spectrum. Then, as futuristic whispers transmute into bleeping static amidst insectoid oscillations, a heavenly streak of soprano calls out from the void.

The MIDI-generated idiophone melodies of “You” are sourced from the words of “Anata” using Intermorphics’s Wotja software and the result is a paradise of gleaming gamelan starlight. Shibano’s piano merges perfectly with the vibraphone dream weavings while heartbeat pulses, blasts of white noise, and plucked string tones fade in from shadowy depths. Amorphous pad hazes swell in strength then dissolve into ether as siren pulses generate machine rhythms at odds with the free form idiophone tapestries. Feminine whispers pan wildly while throbbing bass currents flow in from all directions and there’s a strange moment where the mallet instruments recede, leaving the soul afloat in a delirious landscape of morphing sonic magic. “Atelier” revels in microtonal vibrations, industrial droning, and layers of humid resonance, which all eventually set the stage for a gorgeous melody played out on synthesized woodwinds. The mind is enchanted by longform oboe and bassoon lullabies while the background is painted over by glimmering wavefronts and smoldering vibrations that never rise above a spiritual hum. Tibetan bowls sing over tapped gongs while the lonely ping of a vibratube calls out periodically and deep within the spectral fog, timpani drums can be heard pounding away. The meditative woodwind spells eventually feature several layers intertwining, while chittering lizard fx and slithering psychedelics contrast the beatific mood. And if you listen closely, you can hear Shibano alighting on free jazz cloudbursts and atonal fantasias deep within the radiant miasma.

“Lapis Lazuli” sees mirage drone atmospherics suffused with flute and birdsong tones while waves of some nacreous and opalescent fluid crash against an unfamiliar shore. Shibano moves through the wavering landscape with further spoken spells which are this time bare and unaffected…just pure and expressive vocalisms surround by skittering static washes, glowing ghost melodies, and universal string vibrations divorced from any source of attack. At some point, electrified gemstones start raining down upon the mix…these crystalline structures of every possible color bouncing and vibrating in ways that defy logic, which are perhaps sourced by an electric piano...only one obscured by infinite layers of sonic manipulation. As the song progresses, Shibano’s voice becomes increasingly shrouded in robotic strangeness, eventually leaving humanity behind altogether in favor of cyborg sizzle and free flowing android poetry. Chime tones are stretched and smeared into a feedback haze above the soft pitter-patter of dripping water, heatwave vapors wash across the mix, and chaotic bell alarm oscillations seem to spin at the speed of light before swelling into solar flare sound spirals. All the while, the landscape is increasingly colored by the calls of alien jungle fauna as the flowing water takes on the appearance of a mystical stream surrounded by dense layers of extra-terrestrial vegetation.

The beads of bouncing glass from “Toi” return in “Stratum”, here splattering over ring-modulated steel-drum tones. It’s a tropical lullaby accented by towering piano chords and swirled around by angelic choral hazes and rainbow fog refractions. Starshine modulations cut through the air as the island melodies recede, leaving behind an expanse of new age celestial shimmer. Then comes one of the most breathtaking and hard to describe sonic effects I have ever heard, generated by using Shibano’s piano improvisation to source reactive idiophone and voice cascades in Ableton. Imagine a choir of angels and the bars of a marimba as if transformed into a field of colorful flowers, such that each time an oceanic piano chord cluster or radiant ivory lead drops, it’s like a cyclonic wind disturbs the field, causing the individual flowers to sway drunkenly out of phase. But eventually, the harmonious drone currents and pastoral sonic breezes cause the marimbas and voices to lock together into a loose rhythm….as if all the flowers of the field are flowing in unison beneath a bright shining sun. And going further, Shibano’s spontaneous melodies are discernible amidst the synthetic mallet and dreamworld voice motions, leading to an ever-evolving and deeply moving interplay between improvised human beauty and aleatoric computer magic.

Though most of the album explores cutting edge spaces and forward thinking sonic languages, Doran, Carlile, Shibano, and Ojima reserve the final track on each side for immersive excursions into the musics of the distant past. The A-side houses “S’amours ne fait par sa grace adoucir (Ballade 1),” originally written in the 12th century by the ars nova poet and composer Guillaume de Machaut. Ecclesiastical organs reach across centuries with polyphonic wonderment, first flying solo, then joined by bell tones and chiming vibrations of medieval metal. And at some point, the organ fades away and is replaced by effervescent fluids and wispy string synthesis…like a chamber orchestra playing through gentle distortions of space and time. Closing the album is “Canzona per sonare no. 4” by famed sacred music composer and organist Giovanni Gabrieli (1557-1612). Sonar tones revolve in long arcs before giving way to spacious stretches of silence while morphing bass pulsations underly Shibano’s baroque piano incantations. It’s a repeated refrain…childlike, naive, beautiful��backed by swelling pads, dreamworld atmospheres, and subtle hints of choral majesty. All the while, shards of ivory are caught up in fractal webs and reflected across the spectrum as overlapping feedback currents generate calming seascape motions that float the soul away.

(images from my personal copy)