#shes supposed to be afro-arab

[rainey-arts]

Human Rosania anyone?

[randomnumbers751650]

You probably hear a lot of weird theories daily, so this is another addition to them, but my theory says that Natlan will be destroyed by Celestia at the end of the Fontaine. I’ll elaborate further. But, in short, it’s due to the lack of foreshadowing and the writers aren’t really doing anything to hype the nation and because of unconfirmed leaks that made too much sense in this specific train of thought. There will be discussion of leaks after Read More, so be careful.

So, I started to think of this after noticing how absent Natlan seems to be from everything in the current point. The game started with Mondstadt and Liyue. My friend who was starting playing from the beginning said that Inazuma was mentioned at the end of the Liyue story, but I’m not sure how other characters or just things from Inazuma were referenced.

Also, an interlude: before you ask, I’m not looking at additional material, besides the trailers. I believe these things have to stand on themselves in the main story.

Returning each nation has something to be hyped for:

Mondstadt: a quite vanilla pseudo-medieval European fantasy, even if I see it as analogue to Hong Kong, it plays safe to introduce the player to the world

Liyue: plays a safe Chinese fantasy, but kinda new to Western players, so it feels fresh, plus the Chasm is considered a great level

Inazuma: standard Japanese fantasy, but it makes new things with Watatsumi and Enkanomiya, and the Traveler is essentially Commodore Perry opening the country

Sumeru: combination of Arab and Indian fantasy in a pseudo-cyberpunk story, involving academic cadres, I feel this is where the writers did try to make something actually new, never seen before in the medium

I remember seeing Sumeru NPCs (there’s a couple right at Mondstadt) and various references to things that happen in Sumeru. But there have been references to both Fontaine and Snezhnaya.

Fontaine: a country with many travelers around the other nations of Teyvat, many acting as visiting engineers and artists, known for its technological progress and for being the nation of justice; I imagine its plot will involve parallels with the French Revolution, because the term “industrial revolution” is directly derived from the term “French revolution”, because it implied revolutions in technology the same way the French Revolution implied a revolution in politics; wasn’t there a guillotine in a recent trailer?

Snezhnaya: another country with many travelers, including both Fatui and non-Fatui – which is quite surprising, because the writers are exploring earlier how a lot of Snezhnayans are just normal people, most of them are traders so far we’ve seen –, this is more distant because it’s supposed to be the last nation, and is also technologically advanced. We have, however, an idea of what’s going to happen: after bullying other nations as an imperialistic power for so long, the Traveler is going to bring the war to the Fatui in their home ground and this will shake things up there, so there’s a lot to be hyped about

The problem is where is Natlan in all of this? We know that it’s based on Pre-Columbian America and Pre-1500s East Africa, but what else, besides its trailer (trivia: I saw the revealed character is called Iansan, which is the name of an African divinity worshipped in Afro-Brazilian religions like candomblé)? We have a reference to hot springs in Inazuma City. And Capitano, being based. And…and…that’s all I can remember. Not even in Sumeru I remember any reference, and they’d be interested in learning about it.

From what I saw from old leaks, Natlan is under something similar to the Sakoku Decree, no one can leave the nation. Not only that, but it’s also a country without civilization, just sparse tribes that gather around Aztec-like pyramids. We don’t know why, but it’s something Murata has decreed for whatever reasons, but it seems she’s acting on some sort of luddism… I think.

Wouldn’t it be interesting to have a Natlanese escape their home country and go explore Teyvat? Or having an explorer returning with stuff and maps from there (I think Venti did something to help there, but I forgot where I saw it)? And yet, it’s been four entire game updates and the references are so sparse. We have no idea of what to expect because the writers apparently aren’t doing anything to hype them up.

I even tried to hype it up, by saying we might get chocolate-related recipes (because it’s no news but cacao comes from its real life equivalent) in another post, but the only reaction was a rude reminder that it’s a nation without civilization. Why would the writers just make Sakoku Decree 2: Pyro Boogaloo? And yet nobody in the current nations of Teyvat seems to miss them, it feels they’re kind of invisible. There isn’t even stereotypes of them being savages, it makes me wonder if Teyvat is that socially advanced to just accept the Natlanese way of life as an equal to any other in the world.

What makes each nation unique is their unique civilizations. And then comes a nation that has no civilization. From what we had so far, we don’t know what to expect. The Natlan country might be a sparsely populated continent, like the Americas before 1500 – but even so the Americas had quite a number of civilizations, like Central American ones, the Andean ones, even less known ones, like the civilizations in the Mississippi basin (due to greater unpredictability concerning the Mississippi river’s flood plains, it was harder to establish a civilization, creating cycles of thriving and receding urbanization; the moment right before the Europeans’ arrival was one in a receding cycle) or even the Marajoara civilization at the mouth of the Amazon river. There was also civilizations, big ones, in East Africa as well, like like Songhan and the Mali empires.

We’ve seen the writers will borrow from real life story, even if they do their twists. There’s little that remains from Pre-Columbian civilizations writings, so one thing could be a reenactment of Maya myths (but we have more of East African writings). Or even make a story involving imperialism and colonization, using the opportunity to introduce a new alien faction – like, James Cameron’s Avatar is popular, they could borrow from it – that started colonizing Natlan and might be a problem for not just the Traveler but to Celestia itself.

The point is that there’s nothing in the current story that says anything about what to expect. It feels like an afterthought. And, summarizing everything, there’s also the issue of escalation. Leaks said that there will be 440 hydroculii in Fontaine – this means that Natlan will likely have over 500 and they need to create a lot of things for the player to do there. Given how used the player will be at this point with civilization, how are they going to fill the world map with quests? And they have to keep that for a year and the dev team must know at this point what works and what doesn’t to keep the player busy for a year. Unless, of course, they have a plan for de-escalation.

But recent leaks made me realize: what if it’s the point?

Leaks being leaks, they aren’t supposed to be trustworthy. I will be vague, but the leaks said that some characters will be resurrected (and be playable) and that Celestia will activate at some point in Fontaine. These are bombastic if true, to say the least.

But, suppose they are. I’m more interested in the second one for this theory, because it was foreshadowed – Rex Lapis stepped down and the Geo Archon job is vacant, it makes sense for Celestia to activate and elect a new Geo Archon.

Celestia so far has been treated mysteriously. They’re the ones that govern with an iron fist Teyvat. They wiped out Khanreiah for the sin of wishing for a world without gods (implied militarism notwithstanding – I know there are Nordic influences for the Khanreian founders, but it makes me wonder if the nation itself borrowed a bit from US, with its high level of immigration and isolationism, which used to be a feature of American politics). They curse Seelies and Hilichurls to suffer for eternity. They made the Traveler’s sibling, once a great hero, and the Archon of Love to adopt a “destroy using whatever it takes, lies, murder, conspiracy, ignore morality, kill everyone and let God sort who belongs to him” approach to fight against them. And, considering how Genshin’s story borrows from gnostic mythology, it’s more than obvious that they will be the final antagonist. In my personal theory, Celestia is already eroded and now just follows protocols, like a faulty AI, that is unable to realize the world needs to move on.

But, we’re shown, like what happened to the hilichurls in the Chasm, but these are indirect ways to show this. There needs to be an event that makes the Traveler witness with their own eyes how far Celestia would go and let the Traveler (likely) judge they’re beyond redemption – the moment they’re tempted to say “My sibling did nothing wrong!”

That moment would be the destruction of an entire nation – Natlan. Why? I don’t know why they’d choose Natlan, but there are some things I consider signs, with the apparent disinterest of the writers in trying to make the player excited for it. Why would you do that with, essentially, a disposable country?

Of course, I might eat my words in August 2024 and feel really silly when reading this again, and they make something good out of it. But, eh, this wouldn’t stop me from having these thoughts.

[muertebloom]

hc: assorted accents

kirsi has a sort of stereotypical queen's english ( received pronunciation ) voice, an accent that was trained into her as a young one. it is clearly practised, and she will sometimes slip into a more estuary-ish / cockney accent when she lets her guard down.

malinah has an accent reminiscent of a historic old norse accent ( courtesy of her mother ) but it's mostly smoothed out and covered by pirate fast talking. the closest modern equivalent sound is icelandic people speaking english.

naomi has a mexican-spanish accent - her manner of speaking is boxy and fast, sometimes with unnecessary rolled r's, particularly when speaking passionately. she is prone to spanglish ( which, i suppose would be common and some dialect of elven... unsure )

rajya has an egyptian arabic accent. as the term refers to an afro-asiatic language, it's not quite as easy to define the sound in english, which is why i've been providing links to the International Dialects of English Archive. in general, rajya sounds very regal when she speaks.

[the-dalseum-duet]

LEBANESE!!

i’m so tired of actually fucking writing sentences that make sense. here’s a little ramble abt Sephora

After Marie turns 18, Sara decides to retire from the Court considering she’s the only one left on it. She knows people who are fairly responsible who become Marie’s new set of advisors as the crowned empress of Dalseum. Because she was indeed crowned and they can’t really go back on that. 

She and Charlie have been seeing each other long-distance after Adam convinced Charlie to work up the courage to ask for her phone number before she left for Eden Grove. She was all like “auuugggh nooo but I’m not the same person I was fifteen years ago my brain is fucked and my body is gross” and Adam is like “Charlie you are an adult woman who has survived some ridiculous circumstances. Your body is not going to look like a teenage virgin. Sara will understand that bc she loves you for who you are and not what you look like” and sara does indeed still have feelings for her. bc she’s not Noeul. 

and they keep in contact for a while casually to check in on how the rest of Craigslist (bringing that acronym back) is doing. But as time goes on they’re like. Oh. Damn. I really was deeply in love with this woman at one point even if it was just adrenaline. But now there’s no adrenaline and I still love her. Wait. 

And Sara decides to visit her while on a break and they realized that they needed each other carnally. Old Woman Yuri triumphs again

So Sara visits Eden Grove occasionally bc Charlie refuses to step foot in Dalseum ever again. The rest of the Blaires tease her because she gets so flustered around her, especially when her family is nearby. I mean I would too. If I was this little southern sahm I would be more than flustered by my sophisticated afro-arab girlfriend who’s a solid foot taller than me

after Marie officially takes on the responsibilities of empress, Sara goes to Eden Grove to tell Charlie that she’s done with Dalseum for now and wants to live with her forever. And she proposes at some fancy restaurant nearby Eden Grove bc she isn’t lazy like someone else. not to name names. starts with an n. ends with an oeul sang

And Charlie of course accepts because AHHHHH who wouldn’t. And wedding preparations begin. 

But Sara doesn’t come from Dalseum empty-handed. Adam has moved back to Cali for the time being but he stops by to congratulate his sister (in theory) on her engagement.

The gang goes dress shopping. I might actually write this bc I feel like The Blackbirds dress shopping would be hilarious. Just Crow saying they’re all too tame and Adam being like “yup. Charlie that is perfect that’s the one” to every single dress

their wedding is in the Blarie’s backyard ofc. which their backyard is large. like. multiple acres. so they go all out. floral arches. everything is set to the nines. they get married on the bank of the river where noeul is kept. Ronnie totally had no say in that whatsoever

Lots of snake imagery in their decorations. Bc they are the snake lesbians. The Union of the Snake one might say. Crow begs for that song to be played. It gets denied every time. 

Adam goes through Gale’s files and finds the exact lip shade she was supposed to wear to her original wedding. Sara doesn’t realize this until Adam points it out at the reception. Sara is offended

“but it’s about the reclamation Sara”

“the reclamation of her ex fiance? at her wedding?”

“no it’s the symbolism and the impact you had on her”

“Adam this isn’t a book” 

“but if it were. if it were it would represent that”

“but it DOESN’T”

and then they have their silly little honeymoon in Hawaii where they sit on fancy balconies and drink fruity martinis and talk about all that they never got to talk about. and sara touches up Charlie’s

snake tattoo. and they make up for years of not being able to physically hold each other in a variety of ways

they just. THEY MAKE ME SO SAPPY OKAY. THEY BOTH THINK THAT THE OTHER IS THE MOST INCREDIBLE AND IMPRESSIVE WOMAN TO WALK THE EARTH. THEY’RE BOTH LIKE “I don’t deserve her” BUT THEY DO!! THEY DESERVE EACH OTHER!!! 

that’s all. them :)

[chriscdcase95]

Taking a look back at this post, I came up with these headcanons that cover Atlas and Argus; I came to the conclusion that a few characters listed above - mainly Cinder and Adam - may have been born in Argus. 

Anyways, my conclusion is that the people of Argus are of predominantly French, Italian and Grecco Roman. 

With this, I lean on Adam and Cinder being either born in Argus - with Adam and Cinder being of mixed descent of French, Greek and Italian - and Atlas being seen as this “Land of Opportunity”.  Pyhrra and Jaune are also Argus residents, and as I listed above, would be Greek and French descent, respectively.

As for Atlas and it’s people ? My guess is Atlasians would be predominantly Nordic and Germanic in descent. I already covered Ironwood’s name coming from Norse mythology, and Schnee being German goes without saying. 

Anyways, here’s a few extra characters I didn’t list with my add-ons.

Emerald - Mixed ancestry. Given her basis on “Aladdin”, I’d say she’s of Afro-Arab and Chinese descent. Since her surname, “Sustari” is a Basque word, she may have been born to a French Basque family, or briefly adopted by one. 

Jacques Schnee - French seeing as his birthname was Gelé, though he’d be part Nordic. My reasoning is Jacques basis on Jack Frost, who is believed to be of Anglo-Saxon/Norse origins.

Nicolas Schnee - Mixed Ancestry; Greek and Norse. Fun fact about Santa Claus ? He’s supposed to have been influenced by traditions surrounding Odin himself. On the flip side, the historical Saint Nicholas was Greek.

RWBY real world nationalities/ethnicities headcanons

Summer - Mexican

Taiyang - ½ Chinese (Paternal), ½ Jewish American (Maternal)

Raven & Qrow - ½ Welsh, ½ Japanese

Ruby - ½ Mexican, ¼ Chinese, ¼ Jewish American

Weiss - Southern German, some French, Swiss (both paternal) and Austrian ancestry

Blake - Blake has this crazy mis-mash going on in canon, she’s got an Italian last name, an old english word for a first name, her parents have Hindi/Indian names, her design aesthetic has Japanese influence, and her home on Menagerie has Polynesian influences, so I figure for a real world au/headcanon she would be a mix-raced poc, but her primary descent is Indian and Polynesian, with more distant English, Japanese, and Italian (hence the last name) ancestry

Yang - ¼ Chinese, ¼ Jewish American, ¼ Welsh, ¼ Japanese

[ladychandraofthemoone]

Doodle Dump

Was suppose to add this on Halloween but I couldn’t finish the entire gang in monster au so here’s some random photos of my fav characters as humans, my splatoon au and more rambling.

A human Rosie (she’s afro-Brazilian,pan) with me trying to make her afro puffs looks like rose buns and Rebecca (Colombian/Chinese/Caribbean, pan and trans🏳️‍⚧️ ) in pretty outfits!! 💗💗 I’m still thinking if she should be Malagasy or Melanesian doodle with roses and sunflowers plus Dilly the Duck: plus some mini corner Rosie x 16 (Christopher/Warrior, first time doodling him, i might change his design later on) cause I love this ship so much, thank u @toast-com​ 🥰😍💓����💗💖❣️

An attempt on body posture with Stanley, I adore his dreads. 💗❣️

More Stanley poses(mine likes wearing piercings and takes up boxing) plus an lazy attempt on Lady, I looked up Victorian style fashion and inspiration from the amazing folks here on tumblr(please ignore the half done braided dreadlocks and no face)

Ima add more ramblings so heads up cause it’s gotta get long and there are gotha be some sad and maybe dark topics so beware:

SPLATOON AU TIME: Here’s inkling Duncan (punk rock cause I was thinking of a pop idol vocaloid au, he’s thinking about Madge, i ship them), a younger Octoling Stanley who was an agent during the war with Kyle, who looks too much like Frye and Iono and is still easily excitable. Like their human counterparts, Stanley stayed away from others due to his jinx and was ostracized, not that they minded at all while Kyle was an orphan, having lost their family to a massive heatwave and famine. They end up bumping into each other with Kyle being amazed and in awe 🤩🤩of meeting an Octoling, instead of running away or avoiding him like Stanley is use to, they instead compliments him and asks so many questions, flustering and overwhelming him a lot so it just went from there (there’ s a whole storyline that I haven’t figure out yet but kyle gets kidnapped and stanley recuses him and they become a couple later on im working no the details)

Plus some Stanley x Andreas shipping, just some boyfriends doing each other's hair. it was based off that overwatch photo of Lucio doing Junkrat’s hair and I thought it was cute and adorable 💞💓💖💗

Some more hair practice with stanley-

ALSO MORE SPLATOON AU!! Luke is an octoling like Stanley and thus was accused of killing someone (Victor though I don’t know how that works here) and an entire town so he’s on the run until he meets Inkling Ivo Hugh, an newbie to the games as they become battle partners and try to solve the mystery (I haven’t figured out who most of the cast is, though Rusty is also an Octoling)

Stanley and Kyle(Proteus is his stage name) becomes idols after fighting in the war together (stanley was Agent 2, Kyle the inkling was 7) before settling down together as musical influences, a younger octoling Stanley before everything went to hell, Kyle wearing a Frye inspired outfit and wears a mask inspired by Lord Ganesha (he’s Indian/Arab), Stanley leans more towards his Cherokee/Mohawk Iroquis/Creole myths, legends and folklore on coyote and foxes(get it? red fox-) (haven’t draw him yet bu andreas leans more towards argentine dance folklorico, duncan’s rock n roll)

 here so I’ve been trying to figure out their names, like Dead Sea, Kyle is blatantly inspired by Frye in appearance and dance, and loves hanging out with Stanley. Like folks think it’s Stanley they should avoid and rumors tend to spread but nope it’s Kyle cause they once threw a chair at someone making fun of Stanley, Kyle may be a overly happy, optimistic chap but they won’t take nicely to anyone picking on their loved ones. He’s a protective bf 😍🥰

More Madge!! I based her off of April from rottmnt though Im making blasian(Jamacian-Japanese, i also wanna make her latina but I feel like Im being biased 😓😅) she was born without her lower left part of her arm so she wears a prothestic that she decorates with stickers and paint she’s very decora kei lolita in her free time but finds ways to wear it. She was slightly based off od  ButterFrogMantis on DA human madge design but now I’m an idiot an just realized it was mean's to be like her three wheels (gosh why didn’t I notice that sooner but better late than never I suppose)

 Duncan in a punk-rock style, i had trouble with the mohawk and should’ve added more stuff to him, I’ll do it for the idol au-

[ursie]

What is your dream cast for the pjo series? (like the kind of actors you would like to see portray the characters. I'm not sure if I'm wording this right)

Ooo I understand hmm

Ideally and I mean ideally not realistically:

Percy : hoh, Afro Latine

Annabeth : fat. I would really like a plus sized Annabeth and given the ableism she shows to Tyson I think it would be easier to stomach if she were also Disabled in a similarly coded way (esp so the only disabled people aren’t literally inhuman or villains) main point is an actress with Down syndrome pls

Grover : black also long hair idk I just know he has long hair

Nico : I actually don’t care if actors are lgbt+ to play lgbt+ characters I don’t need to know the preteens sexuality that said trans Nico pls but I would say disabled Nico🥺 disabled actors need to be cast too like pls actually cast a Autistic actor here because he really is a Autistic coding 101 character in ttc so can we make it good. Also make him Romani pls. Romani or Arab Nico rise

Hoh Clarisse I want it again I don’t care about lgbt+ actors/actresses ect but if they do make her a lesbian (which I honestly can see) I know she’s Butch but maybe watch the stereotypes pls

Black Rachel because my mutuals are smart and always right

I think the actress to play Thalia should be short I just think it would be funny if she’s like 5’0 period or! If she was like 5’10 with absolutely no in between

On one hand I understand the gods are vain and only date hot people therefore all their kids are stated to be unreasonably attractive but also I love awae for just casting normal kids can we pls just cast some normal looking kids here not like. Models kids need self esteem too. Especially when this series is supposed to be a self insert esq one

Cast a disabled actor as Hephaestus and we all have opinions on the racial coding of Tyson but he should also be played by an actor with Down syndrome or an autistic actor (again this would be sm better if another character also had these traits)

Anyway these are my main thoughts

Oh wait I want Logan leerman to have a role because 😳 and absolutely every mom must be a complete milf you know Sally was hot I’m sorry I’m being a bad feminist but every mom..peak milf canonically

[mithliya]

she’s really just decided that some random anons have given her full authority to decide your experiences as an afro arab in the middle east. insane. love that terminally online behavior.

and it’s funny bc when it came to anons confirming what i said about the Middle East, she was like “u must come on anon and prove urself!”. so it’s ok to take an anon’s word when u want to discount someone’s experiences but not when u

also considering her willingness to send anons and how many supposed afro-arab anons she got at once, ima take a guess that those anons are self-sent. ive been on tumblr for years, ive come across very few afro-arabs but she gets 5 anons who grew up in the Middle East and are afro-arab at once? sorry to say but there’s not that many of us on here esp not many of us who grew up in the Middle East.

[tyrannoninja]

“The Sultan of Finback Isle” Excerpt

The below is an excerpted chapter from my self-published novelette The Sultan of Finback Isle, which you can purchase in Kindle format on Amazon.com.

After slamming his palm on the start button, Abdullah Kalua lowered himself to his PWC’s dashboard, popping his bronze-brown knuckles over the handles. He hooted a lyric from his favorite Hawaiian victory song as the untethered watercraft flew off from the flank of the FBI boat, the latter disappearing as a gray-and-blue speck on the azure surface of the equatorial Pacific.

He grinned with pleasure and rocked his head about, cheering for the breeze that flowed through his wavy black mane. His destination may have lain twenty degrees south and twenty-five degrees east of his father’s home archipelago—as indicated on the dashboard’s coordinate panel—but it felt fantastic to return to the tropics after almost three decades. Balmy as Los Angeles had been, its Mediterranean climate was too dry and the California current too frigid for Abdullah’s tastes.

Monique lagged ten yards behind him. He could hear only the faintest hint of her PWC’s jetting out water.

“Got to speed up, babe!” Abdullah shouted. “You’re being too cautious again!”

She sped up a mere three yards closer to her husband. “We’re taking enough risk with this already!”

“C’mon, girl, that’s what makes it fun! Admit it, who wants to enter this dude’s house the ‘proper’ way now?”

“Well, you sure don’t!”

From the horizon ahead rose a sliver of green beneath a halo of clouds. It swelled into a mass of overgrown hills and ravines grooving down from a flat plateau, with a blinding white band of beach at the bottom. To the left, the beach gave way to rocks beneath a low black cliff.

Holding his hands over his eyes in imitation of a surveying explorer, Abdullah hummed out loud an iconic tune from a certain movie score that John Williams had composed in the early 1990’s. “There it is! Magellan’s Finback Isle! Da-dun, da-da-dun, da-da-dun bong, bong, bong—”

Monique roared out an annoyed groan. “You sure chose the corniest theme for the moment!”

“What else would you have chosen for this particular island? How about the one from Jurassic World? Bong, da-dun, da-dun, la-la, la-la…”

He continued to “sing” out tracks from both films’ soundtracks until the splashing of his wife’s accelerating watercraft drowned out his voice. With a vengeful snicker from Monique, the starboard of her PWC’s bow thrust into the portside of Abdullah’s stern with a banging bump. One of his hands slipped off a handle over the jolt.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake! These are government property, remember? Our taxes pay for their repairs!”

Monique pointed ahead with widened, horrified eyes. “Then you really should—watch out!”

The hull of Abdullah’s PWC grazed over the slanted face of a black rocky outcropping. The craft soared high into the air until its bow smashed into the cliff’s upper lip. Flung off his mount’s seat, Abdullah collided face-first onto the coarse trunk of a stout and palm-like giant cycad. The fronds of tree-ferns, club mosses, and pandanus trees clawed him as he bounced all the way down to the mossy floor.

A flock of scarlet honeycreeper birds fluttered in panic beneath the treetops. One screeched before disappearing in a burst of red feathers when a yellow-and-black blur intercepted it in one leap. Abdullah blinked thrice and squinted up from where he lay without spotting the creature again. He wouldn’t know for sure, but there weren’t supposed to be any wild cats on Finback Isle. Right?

Abdullah gave his arms and legs a shake to wake them back up. He winced from the strain of a hundred sores as he raised his torso up to his knees. All those scratches and cuts had ruined the tattoos on his shoulders and pectorals, erasing slices of the Arabic calligraphy that flowed parallel to the swirling Hawaiian lines. The kapa designs on his swim briefs had taken on almost as much damage.

He pounded a fist on the spongy earth. “Allah damn you all. These’ll cost over half a grand for my old uncle to fix. You hear that, local plant life? Half a goddamned grand!”

His voice bounced between the trees until it subsided under the rhythmic buzzing and whining of insects interspersed with the squawks of Polynesian bird life. One thing he did not hear was even the faintest note of his wife’s PWC. Had he fallen so deep into the island’s jungle, far away from shore? Or had the watercraft turned off? Abdullah prayed that Monique had switched it off herself rather than getting into an accident like his own.

Not that she’d dare get herself into an accident like this. The woman had always been too cautious.

Ferns rustled over the crackling patter of paw-like feet over the dead leaves of the forest floor. From the shadows within the undergrowth scintillated a pair of bright green, cat-like eyes. Below them glistened a maw of elongated canines drenched wet with saliva.

Abdullah dug his fingers into the moss beneath him and froze still, the sweat chilling to ice on his brow. There weren’t supposed to be any cats on this island. Much less big cats, like leopards or jaguars. Monique had promised him so, and she wouldn’t misinform her man like that. Would she?

It did not stride to him on the underslung legs of a cat, or any other mammalian creature. Instead, it crawled forth on legs bent outward like those of a crocodile. Its hide, golden orange with black mottling, sparkled with a hairless and pebble-wrinkled texture from the dapple of sunlight overhead. As the animal encircled him, swaying its tapered tail, it brushed his skin with the sniffing nostrils on its long square-chinned muzzle.

This was no cat. This was a lizard with the fangs of a cat, and possibly a dog’s sense of smell. Abdullah had seen something like this in a natural history museum when and he Monique first dated. He forgot its complicated name, but the sign had identified it as living in the Permian period tens of millions of years before the earliest dinosaurs roamed the earth. And it was almost certainly a carnivore that ate—

With a cry partway between a reptilian hiss and a cougar’s shrill roar, the creature launched itself onto Abdullah’s breast. He seized its neck with his left hand, his arm muscles buckling in their struggle to keep the fanged jaws away from his own jugular. Extending his right arm down to his tactical knife, he wriggled his fingers to pull it out by the hilt until the beast punctured his biceps with its front talons.

He pounded against the monster’s flanks with his knees. It did not even flinch once. Its jaws snapped an inch closer to Abdullah’s face with each heartbeat as the strength drained from his limbs. If he had no way of getting this savage prehistoric holdover off him, then he might as well have his mission doomed before it even began. Chief Fawal and his whole force would get off scot free, and everyone they ever wronged­—not least of whom was his Monique’s own younger brother, as well as the boy’s husband—would rest in heaven unavenged.

With a cracking bang, followed by a spurt of blood and brains, the leopardine lizard rolled off Abdullah to lay limp on the earth. There stood over it the ebon silhouette of a tall svelte woman with a thick crown of Afro hair, steam still slithering out from her Glock’s barrel like a serpent.

Abdullah giggled, half nervous and half thankful. “That’s my girl! I must say, though, that was a risky shot. If you missed, you could’ve killed me.”

Monique lent her hand out to her husband with a smirk. “And you said I was too cautious.”

“I never said you always would be.”

He straightened his back and brushed specks of dirt and blood off his body. “So, what happened to you in the meantime? You found a safe landing place?”

After slipping her pistol back in its holster on the thong of her leopard-print bikini, Monique unsheathed a machete from her opposite hip. “A little to the north, near some old ruins on the beach. Stay close and keep your eyes on the foliage at all times.”

She crouched beside the dead creature’s tail and hacked it off in a double chop.

“What is that thing, anyway?” Abdullah asked. “Some kind of extinct lizard?”

“Don’t you remember seeing these at the museum on our first date? It’s a gorgonopsid. They’re more related to us than to lizards.”

“Right, they’re mammal-like reptiles, from before the dinosaurs.”

Monique hauled the gorgonopsid’s tail onto her shoulder. “They’re not reptiles, either. They’re synapsids, as are all mammals.”

Abdullah shrugged. “Whatever. They should have died out alongside their mainland cousins two hundred and fifty million years ago. Wait, I did get that number right, didn’t I?”

“Almost. Give or take an extra million years or so. Let’s get going, we don’t want another hungry Paleozoic relic overhearing us in this jungle.”

[tipsycad147]

Rare occult herbs: Mandrake

by Michelle Gruben

Mandrake is an unassuming little root with a formidable reputation. It is considered one of the most mysterious and potent of all magickal herbs.

Mandrake was probably first adopted by magicians because of its psychoactive properties and its occasional resemblance to the human body. It is still used in countless magickal spells and charms. This article will help you sidestep the hazards of Mandrake and get in touch with this amazing plant.

There are (at least) two distinct plants that produce roots called Mandrake, so we’ll consider them each separately.  (The ritual uses and correspondences will be similar for both.) All Mandrakes are potentially lethal and should never be used for self-medication.

European Mandrake comes from several species of the genus Mandragora, a member of the nightshade family. Mandragora grows in the Mediterranean region, stretching eastward into parts of China. This is the Mandrake spoken about in European manuscripts. It has a single cluster of ovate leaves, almost no stem, and a long, thick root. The root contains poisonous alkaloids, particularly atropine. Mandrake was used in magickal rituals, and also in early Chinese and European medicine as a pain reliever and sedative.

American Mandrake (Podophyllum peltatum) grows in swampy areas in the northeastern United States and parts of southern Canada. It is also called Mayapple or Wild Mandrake. American Mandrake has a skinny brown root that does somewhat resemble the fatter European Mandrake with its collection of “arms” and “legs.”

American Mandrake has a broad palmate leaf attached to a long stem. The shape of the plant gave rise to another nickname “Witch’s Umbrella.” It was said—perhaps not always incorrectly—that witches harvested the plant to poison their enemies.

Every part of the American Mandrake is poisonous: The leaves, the stems, the roots, the seeds, and the unripe fruit. (The seeded ripe fruit may be eaten in small amounts. It tastes like apple—so maybe just eat an apple?) Native Americans, over time, developed some herbal remedies using American Mandrake. A powerful cytotoxin (cell-killer), American Mandrake extract has even found its uses in modern pharmaceutical industry. It is used in topical treatments for genital warts, and some anti-cancer drugs.

English Mandrake (or “false Mandrake”) is another name for White Briony (Brionia alba). Briony is an invasive vine related to the Cucumber. Besides also having large leaves and also being poisonous when ingested, Briony doesn’t bear much resemblance to other Mandrakes. Nevertheless, some writers (including Eliphas Levi) consider it alongside Mandragora.

Mandrake for sale

Whole Mandragora is a rare commodity and there is no commercial source. They are solitary, slow-growing plants that yield a single root. We’ve seen Mandrake roots listed for hundreds, even thousands of dollars on eBay, usually shipping from Israel or Greece.

Purchasing these is not recommended, as you never know how it’s been harvested (or unfortunately, what plant you’re really getting). The price of Mandrake is so high that there is a real temptation for online sellers to export fakes.

One option is to buy seeds online and try to cultivate it yourself. Although it is native to the Mediterranean, Mandragora can be grown at home in warm-weather conditions. The plants take 2-3 years to mature and must be regularly re-potted and protected from freezing or rotting. (It seems like a pain in the butt to this brown-thumbed Witch, but some people indeed go to great lengths for their craft!) Alchemy Works has excellent detailed instructions on germinating Mandrake. And occasionally, preserved homegrown Mandrake roots for sale.

American Mandrake is available in many occult shops. (Although some won’t stock it for fear of people being dumbasses and poisoning themselves.) It is a wildcrafted product available in whole, cut and sifted, or powdered form. American Mandrake may be substituted for European (and indeed may be preferable for practitioners of American folk magick).

Mandrake essential oils and perfume oils are also available. Mandrake smells like woods and wet dirt. Occasionally, a perfumier will boast it as a base note in a concoction from the “lusty and dangerous” genre of perfumery.

Extracts of Mandrake (in glycerin or alcohol) have been spotted on the supplement market. These products are basically unregulated, and it is impossible to know their ingredients, toxicity, and proper dosage. We don’t recommend ingesting these potions or using them in your ritual formulas. Also use care with Mandrake-containing ointments purchased off the internet. With all due respect to Etsy soap-makers, few of them are chemists or doctors.

Magickal uses of mandrake

Mandrake’s curious shape meant from the beginning, that its destiny would be entwined with humans’. Few plants are as rich in superstition and magickal lore.

Literary references to Mandrake stretch back to 1st century AD, and possibly to Old Testament times. Mandrake grows underground and could only be harvested with great care. The branched root was thought to be a human form. It utters enraged screams when dug up, killing or damning the hapless forager.

Occult literature is full of instructions for extracting Mandrake roots in relative safety. Josephus of Jerusalem (circa 36-100 AD) gives the following directions:

A furrow must be dug around the root until its lower part is exposed, then a dog is tied to it, after which the person tying the dog must get away. The dog then endeavours to follow him, and so easily pulls up the root, but dies suddenly instead of his master. After this, the root can be handled without fear.

Medieval and Renaissance text devote pages upon pages to the lore of Mandrake. The plant was thought to come in male and female varieties. It is linked to the idea of the Homonculus, or miniature human, as described by Paracelsus.

Once sealed in a bottle, the Homonculus becomes a kind of servant or representation of the magician’s own self. The Mandrake root would be carefully cleaned, preserved, and “fed” to become a catalyst or vessel for magick and spirit contact. Alternatively, the Mandrake was carried as a talisman. A properly collected and prepared Mandrake was one of the rarest objects in any magician’s cabinet.

Writers of the past were also familiar with Mandrakes hallucinatory and hypnotic effects. Mandrake, along with Belladonna and Henbane, was one of the favorite herbs in recipes for the notorious Witch’s salve known as flying ointment.

Besides protection and magickal power, Mandrake is associated with fertility magick. In the book of Genesis (30:14-22), Rachel barters with her sister Leah for mandrakes so that she might conceive a child. Mandrakes are also mentioned in the long erotic poem Song of Songs (7:13).

“Mandrake” is the King James translation of a word more closely meaning “love-plant.” Some biblical scholars now believe that the “mandrake” of the Bible is ginseng or another plant thought to promote fertility.

The influence of scripture on American and Afro-Caribbean magick means that Mandrake is still a hearty player in the world of love and fertility charms. Its deep, woody odor somewhat resembles Patchouli. (Mandrake has all of Patchouli’s brooding earthiness, but not its outspoken skunkiness.) A Mandrake shaped like a phallus is supposed to be the best for love magick.

In Western occultism, Mandrake is known as an ancient, subtle teacher of Earth mysteries. (When packaging it, I’m sometimes taken aback by the strong, low pulse of energy it emits.) It is sacred to Hecate, Diana, and Aphrodite. (Mandrakes found near crossroads are said to be the most powerful.) Use Mandrake for protection, fertility magick, Dark Moon vision quests, and any Saturn workings.

Mandrake energy is complex, and Mandrake roots may have a will of their own. (Gardeners of Mandrake will attest that the plant has a peculiar awareness of its surroundings.) If you’re not sure what to do with your Mandrake, try meditating with the root and ask it how it wishes to be used.

Correspondences:

Mandrake is a Saturn plant, like most poisonous herbs. The elemental correspondence is Earth. (Some sources, citing Mandrake’s purgative power or damp habitat, go with Fire or Water, respectively.)

Spells and formulas with Mandrake:

After a thousand or more years of Mandrake magick, there are more Mandrake spells than you can shake a spade at. Here’s a sampling:

Steep whole or sliced roots in a jar with alcohol for three moon cycles to make a Mandrake extract. This versatile ingredient can be used to empower many spells and rituals, or to bathe ritual tools.

To protect the home, sprinkle a Mandrake with blessed water and salt and bury it near the front door.

Mandrake’s resemblance to the human form makes it a popular ingredient in sympathetic magick. Tie American Mandrake roots together to make a doll-baby or poppet, and dress according to your intention.

Powdered Mandrake root is used to enhance fertility and prosperity charms.

Anoint a white or black candle with Mandrake oil when performing divination (white for insight on situations known to the reader, black to uncover hidden things). Apply Mandrake oil to the third eye for scrying.

Mandrake steeped in red wine is a traditional love philtre—however, we don’t recommend drinking it. Instead, tie a mandrake root to the stem of the chalice, or pour out the potion as a libation.

A bundle of Mandrake tied with a blue ribbon is a charm for revealing truth.

Mix with Dittany of Crete and Gum Arabic to make an incense for spirit manifestation. (Use only in well-ventilated areas.)

Add Mandrake to your Hecate, Crone, or Dark Moon altar.

Precautions:

In case you’re just joining us, Mandrake is toxic to humans and animals.

Don’t consume it any form. Don't smoke, drink, or chew it. It will not get you high, it will not cure cancer or genital warts or make you a badass Witch. It will just cause uncontrollable vomiting or possibly worse. It’s not even advisable to burn incenses containing Mandrake in close quarters, as some people have reported nausea from exposure to the vapor.

The safest way to use Mandrake is in dried form, as a talisman or charm. Keep away from children, pets, or others who might mistake the roots for food.

Scent Profile: Earthy, Musky, Wood, Mulch, Wet Dirt

Correspondences: Saturn, Earth

Occult properties of herbs are provided for historical interest only, and no outcome is guaranteed. Nothing on this website should be taken as medical or legal advice. Please use herbs responsibly.

https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/rare-occult-herbs-mandrake

[dear-indies]

Could I please have some fc suggestions for Monet St. Croix? All of the suggestions I've seen for her in the past are either not Algerian (and she is supposed to be mixed Algerian and White!) or they aren't dark skinned (which she canonically is so yeah suggesting light skins would be fucked up). And I'm having hard time finding Algerian/White mixed fcs who are dark too. Thanks!

Hey there, Monet St. Croix is actually Algerian / Black so here are some suggestions!

Jessi M'Bengue (?) Ivorian-Senegalese / Algerian.

Rhym Guisse (?) Malian / Algerian.

-C

[all-they-say-is-na-na-na]

All They Say Is Na Na Na’s Favorite EPs of 2017

#25. ‘1UL’ by Danny L Harle (Bubblegum Bass/Electropop)

PC Music has always toyed between commercial dance-pop and experimental music, but this seems to be most straight-forward approach the former. Even though it could be improved in some ways, the EP ‘1UL’ contains Danny L Harle’s strongest material. The title track could easily be a number one hit if promoted the right way, and his collaboration with Carly Rae Jepsen “Happy All the Time”, despite not featuring Carly herself on the vocals, still has all the charisma of any of her pop anthems. It would be interesting to see how would his music translate to a full-length release, but if this is a little teaser, we should not worry.

Highlights: “1UL”, “Happy All the Time”

#24. 'Paradise' by ANOHNI (Art Pop/Electropop)

Last year, former Antony and the Johnson frontwoman ANOHNI released her debut solo album 'HOPELESSNESS', which was one of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2016, due its heavily political lyrical content and its production, handled by Oneohtrix Point Never and Hudson Mohawke. 'Paradise' is essentially a compilation B-sides from that album, which is mostly fine. The big single from this album is the title track, which is one of her best tracks under this moniker, but there are also some other nice tracks that, despite not being as good as the ones on her main album, are still worth a shot.

Let's hope she's not retiring

Highlights: "Paradise", "Jesus Will Kill You"

#23. ‘Steve Lacy’s Demo’ by Steve Lacy (Hypnagogic Pop/Alternative R&B)

Even though Steve Lacy is only 19 years old (and 18 at the time when he released his debut EP) he already has a quite long list of collaborators. After becoming a member of neo-soul band The Internet in 2015, he went on to work with Isaiah Rashad, Kali Uchis, Tyler the Creator and even Kendrick Lamar on one of the highlights of his latest album ‘DAMN.’, the song “Pride”. But his debut EP ‘Steve Lacy’s Demo’ remains one of, if not his strongest work. Even though it is quite short and seemingly simple, it feels like a really strong take on the post-Mac DeMarco sound of vaguely-psychedelic lo-fi indie-pop. But Steve’s own sound feels more full overall due to his strong melodies and excellent voice. We really need a full length album from this guy pretty soon, by the way.

Highlights: “Dark Red”, “Some”

#22. ‘Unalloyed, Unlicensed, All Night Long’ by Jesse Osborne-Lanthier (IDM)

The term “deconstructed club music” is thrown out way too easily these days, but it rarely ever feels accurate. Jesse-Osborne Lanthier’s latest EP for the Raster-Noton series, the last in their Unun series, is definitely “club” music, while simultaneously being challenging of its purpose and overall sound and aesthetic. Tracks like “Blackwell Dynonetics” or “Lick and a Promise” take elements from commercial EDM or trance, but doesn’t feel like a cliché, in fact, what Jesse does seems to be stripping it down to its most basic elements (like on “The Zika Slam”, where he takes that to its literal extreme) and it sounds like nothing else. Whether that is a “deconstruction” of typical club tropes is entirely based on the listener’s opinion, but one thing is certain, this EP actually sounds “fun” and promising for Jesse’s upcoming work.

Highlights: “Blackwell Dynonetics”, “Lick and a Promise”

#21. ‘Sudan Archives’ by Sudan Archives (Folktronica/Art Pop)

Sudan Archives is the project of singer, songwriter, producer and violinist Brittney Denis Parks, and this is her proper debut under this moniker. Having been part of a rather conventional pop and R&B band in her teens, she decided to take her own path as an experimental electronic artist, taking inspiration from Sudanese music, specially its usage of pentatonic scales and fiddles, as well the usage of violin in a non-traditionally Western way. But the R&B and pop influences are still very present on the record, overall it sounds a midpoint between tUnE-yArDs' deconstructed folk and FKA twigs' electronic-soul music, and definitely presents a very promising future for the artist.

Highlights: "Come Meh Way", "Paid"

#20. ‘Skin Companion EP II’ by Flume (Wonky/UK Bass)

Flume is one of the few producers who helped shaping the commercial club sound of the decade. But unlike all the other “chilltrap”/”future bass”/whatever producers, you can really tell when you are listening to a Flume song. And if his latest album ‘Skin’ was not enough, his companion EPs should not leave you a single doubt about it. The second one of those is probably the most “leftfield” out of them. Opening song “Enough” (feat. Pusha-T, delivering an excellent performance) is one of the most aggressive, jaw-dropping rap tracks that are closer to Death Grips than anything else. His other collaborations with Moses Sumney and indie-pop group Glass Animals have a more R&B-vibe which melts perfectly with the smooth production. It is dance music, it might get played in the radio, but it still feels unique. And extremely fun. Also, if you are not convinced about Flume’s greatness, just go to one of his shows. He really delivers.

Highlights: “Enough” (feat. Pusha-T), “Weekend” (feat. Moses Sumney)

#19. ‘KILL’ by Nkisi (Afro-House/Acid Techno/Hardcore EDM)

The Belgian-Congolese, London-based producer Nkisi is one of the founding members of the Afro-diasporic collective NON, and despite releasing a lot of killer music throughout these past few years and delivering excellent DJ sets as well, she never released an actual EP until now. ‘KILL’ shows everything that makes her one of the most interesting producers as of lately. In this release, hard-hitting techno, house, hardcore dance music, trance, kuduro (and smooth organic sounds that sound influenced by Central-African folk music and coupé-decalé, as you can hear on the rhythmic title track) and even the often-forgotten genre of gabber coexist - and all of that actually sounds cohesive. And if you are a fan of dance music, it should be impossible to miss this one.

Highlights: “Parched Lips”, “Kill”

#18. 'Tommy' by Klein (Sound Collage/Ambient Pop/Glitch)

By looking at this EP's cover (one of them, anyway) you might suppose this comes from PC Music... in a way, it kinda does, as the cover was made by Hannah Diamond. But, the music sounds nothing like it. At all. Having released music under NON Worldwide and Howling Owl, this is Klein's first release under Hyperdub... and doesn't sound like anything else ever done. While she has always done a very experimental take on the pop, R&B and gospel music she was raised with, this is absolutely unbelievable. One of the most mind-bending and occasionally disturbing releases of the year, probably the midpoint between Tim Hecker and like... Brandy. But still, completely unique.

Highlights: "Cry Theme", "Everlong"

#17. 'All Bitches Die' by Lingua Ignota (Death Industrial/Modern Classical)

This is probably one of the most abrasive releases of the year, but also one of the most vulnerable and personal. This is Lingua Ignota's (the project of musician Kristin Hayter) second EP this year, and explores themes of domestic violence and abuse in a very raw, angsty yet emotional way. But it also has some of the most interesting music to come this year, a combination of loud industrial-noise similar to that of Pharmakon or Dreamcrusher, combined with piano-and-vocal-centered classical music. It is not very accessible for those who are not already into those genres of music, but it still is an incredible, one-of-its-kind records.

Highlights: "Woe to All (on the Day of My Wrath)", "Holy is the Name (of My Ruthless Axe)"

#16. 'Shaneera' by Fatima Al Qadiri (UK Bass/Arabic Pop)

Fatima Al Qadiri has always been an artist who has explored the concept of identity and culture in a political context, from the fixation on Orientalism in 'Asiatisch', to the oppressive nature of 'Brute'. However, on 'Shaneera', she decides to take on LGBT identity in Arab countries. This is not only her best release to date because of its concept, but also because of its production. 'Shaneera' is probably her most fun, dancefloor-oriented project to date, mixing UK club music with Arabic pop and mahraganat, as well as funny and attitude-filled vocal samples from her collaborators, in a very inventive and unusual way.

Highlights: "Spiral" (feat. Bobo Secret), "Alkahaf" (feat. Bobo Secret and Lama3an)

#15. 'Whities 011' by Lanark Artefax (IDM/UK Bass)

Irish producer Calum MacRae has been music as Lanark Artefax for a couple of years, and has big fans such as Aphex Twin or Björk. His second EP, 'Whities 011', is a big example of why. A combination of techno, IDM, UK bass, grime and ambient music that sounds like both a combination of underground dance music genres of the past few years, and also something that has never been done before. Fans of atypical uses of vocal samples, dreamy atmospheres and weird rhythms will find a lot to like on this EP.

Highlights: "Voices Near the Hypocentre", "Hyphen to Splice"

#14. ‘Now That the Light Is Fading’ by Maggie Rogers (Art Pop/Synthpop)

The Maryland-born musician Maggie Rogers was discovered by Pharrell Williams, and her song “Alaska” became a cult hit thanks to the Internet. But there is more to Rogers than her potential to become a viral star. The previously mentioned track seems to pick up where Ellie Goulding’s debut ‘Lights’ left off (and actually succeeds at doing that) but the overall sound of ‘Now That the Light Is Fading’ feels more expansive. Tracks like “Dog Years” or “On + Off” take on a hazy-electro-R&B sound which sounds closer to a mix of Bat for Lashes and Nao, and fits perfectly with her soft voice. Her debut EP is, surprisingly, extremely strong, one of the best pop releases of the year so far, and shows that she has potential become a great artist on her own.

Highlights: “Alaska”, “On + Off”

#13. ‘Transphobic’ by Quay Dash (Hardcore Hip Hop/Experimental Hip Hop)

Quay Dash is not fucking around. The NY rapper came through with one of the most fun, diverse, innovative yet hard-as-fuck rap releases of the year. From the SOPHIE-produced opening track "Bossed Up" to the closing track "Decline Him", she proves that she's one of the better upcoming rappers. With an unbelievable flow, attitude and direct lines as well as a production that matches all of that, she is way better than most of the hip-hop acts in the mainstream nowadays, and definitely deserving of a spot in the limelight.

Highlights: "Decline Him", "Bossed Up"

#12. 'Alice Glass' by Alice Glass (Electropop/Post-Industrial/Glitch Pop)

2017 was a very intense year for Alice Glass. And not only because of the release of her debut solo EP, but also because she came forward about her experience in Crystal Castles, about being raped and abused by her bandmate, Ethan Kath, and the repercussions against that. Personally, while I always liked the EP (even though it was, understandably, quite divisive,) it truly clicked with me lyrically once she explained what happened. The lyrics deal with all the angst, sadness and confusion of being in that situation, along with the excellent production that accompanies it - musically, it combines the synthpop and punk vibes from her band, along with a more electronic production, influenced by industrial music, trap and even gabber. I really hope we do get an album from her next year, because I feel like we need more.

Highlights: "Blood Oath", "Natural Selection"

#11. coucou chloe - 'Erika Jane' (UK Bass/Experimental Hip Hop)

One of the best club music releases of the year was the second EP of French singer, rapper, producer and DJ coucou chloe. Having her music played by both Björk and Rihanna, her music is a very creative, minimal take on dance music, and 'Erika Jane' (also her birth name) proves that. The hip-hop influences are presented in the same way they appeared on Arca's first projects: very deadpan and at times impossible to wrap one's head around, but still extremely interesting for those who are interested in the genre.

Highlights: "GS", "Flip U" (feat. Sega Bodega)

#10. ‘Luz Mala’ by Bungalovv (IDM/Post-Industrial)

While the concept of “luz mala” (literally translated as “bad light”) does not appear on the whole concept of the Argentinian musician Bungalovv (member of the Buenos Aires electronic music collective TRRUENO) other than as an inspiration, his latest EP released under the Mexican-Canadian label Infinite Machine seems like a really odd take on the country’s folklore, both theme and sound-wise. Also inspired by African and Middle East rhythms, it takes on a sound that is decidedly “club-oriented”, yet feels innovative and playful, organic and industrial simultaneously. It is one of the label’s best releases in a while, something that trascends the usually vague term of “global bass” and does something actually exciting that will surely leave us waiting more (as the label promises an LP by 2018) and that is something to be excited for.

Highlights: “Ulna”, “Fémur”

#09. 'Shadow Expert' by Palm (Math Rock)

Palm are one of the most innovative new bands in rock music. Following their 2015 debut LP 'Trading Basics' with this EP, they leave the noisy intensity of their sound back then in favor of post-punk-influenced rock music with completely odd structures yet ridiculously catchy hooks, provided by both of the band's vocalists, Eve Albert and Kasra Kust. This sounds like a modern take on Battles or early Foals, but it is completely its own thing as well. Can't wait for their next album, 'Rock Island', to be released early next year!

Highlights: "Walkie Talkie", "Shadow Expert"

#08. ‘EP II’ by Buscabulla (Synthpop)

When people talk about music from Puerto Rico, the first things that tend to come to mind from there are salsa, bachata, reggaeton and so on. In theory, Buscabulla would be an exception, but does not mean that the Caribbean influences in their music are not present. That is probably the thing that distinguish them from any other of their contemporaries. While on their debut, self-titled EP the influences were a bit less obvious, at a musical level ‘EP II’ shows them being more unafraid and unashamed to show them. Their lyrics and music are likely influenced by the experience of living the USA as Latin American people, trying to reconnect with their roots. And their approach has a very successful result.

Highlights: “Tártaro”, “Frío” (feat. Helado Negro)

#07. ‘Finding People’ by Croatian Amor (Sound Collage/Post-Industrial/Minimal Synth)

Danish producer Loke Rahbek, member of bands such as Damien Dubrovnik or Lust for Youth, released this EP earlier this year as Croatian Amor, in which he makes the perfect "bubblegum industrial" album, finding the midpoint between experimental sound collage pieces and sweet, almost poppy synth melodies. 'Finding People' comes from an alternate world where the most influential Kate Bush track isn't "Wuthering Heights" or "Running Up That Hill", but "Waking The Witch" or even "Hello Earth". Personally, this EP was the soundtrack of my winter.

Highlights: "Sky Walkers", “Keepers”

#06. ‘ADD VIOLENCE’ by Nine Inch Nails (Electro-Industrial/Industrial Rock)

Last year, Nine Inch Nails released an EP called 'Not the Actual Events', which was probably their most abrasive, most metal release since the 'Broken' mini-album. Personally, I was into it, but my favorite NIN EP was without a doubt this EP. It is abrasive and experimental, while maintaining the "poppy" elements of their 2013 'Hesitation Marks'. From lead single "Less Than" (which was a minor radio hit in Alternative radios) to the William Basinski-esque loop on the ending of "The Background World", this might be one of the best things Reznor ever made (in my opinion, at least) and proves that Nine Inch Nails still have a lot to give.

Highlights: "The Background World", "Less Than"

#05. ‘When I Was Young’ by MØ (Electropop/Art Pop)

I was personally surprised by this EP. While I never really lost faith in MØ, after her singles I thought she'd make something that would be completely radio-oriented pop. I guess I was wrong and I'm thankful for it! The surprise-released 'When I Was Young' EP back to her debut album 'No Mythologies to Follow' but still feels a little more accessible and playful. While "Roots" and "Run Away" are both gorgeous Dirty Projectors-esque art-pop ballads, the title track and "Linking with You" have more colorful dancehall vibes. But the EP's strongest tracks are "Turn My Heart to Stone" and "BB", both career highlights. This might be my favorite release of hers, and I'm definitely down to hear more of this stuff.

Highlights: "BB", "Turn My Heart to Stone"

#04. ‘Steroids (Crouching Tiger Hidden Gabber Megamix)’ by Death Grips (Industrial Hip Hop)

I think this kind of represents my entire relationship with Death Grips:

https://twitter.com/iamvulnicura/status/866813534566481922

And this… release sounds like Government Plates + NOTM + gabber music. What’s not to love?

Highlights: uh… the whole thing?

#03. '13' by Denzel Curry (Trap Rap/Hardcore Hip Hop)

This is what rap music in the charts should sound like... in my opinion at least. '13' (Denzel Curry's first EP on a major label) is fun as hell, but still has extremely unusual yet accessible production and beats. Also, Denzel really kills it with his flow and lyricism, not being afraid to get political or serious but not afraid to have fun either. It also has excellent features from underrated rap hero Lil Ugly Mane and Ronny J. Probably one of the best rap releases of the year.

Highlights: "Hate Government", "Zeltron 6 Billion" (feat. Lil Ugly Mane)

#02. 'EP2' by Yaeji (Ambient House/Ambient Pop)

I'm probably going to say this several times, but, 2018 is going to be the year of Yaeji, and this is the perfect proof of that. Her production, fusing ambient music, deep house and trap, is immaculate, and so are the hooks found in this album. The way in which she alternates lines in Korean and English on "Drink I'm Sippin On" and "Raingurl" is something I have never heard before, same thing with the way in which she does it, full of attitude and passion. It also has the second best Drake cover released this year (the best is the Paramore one,) so you know, you must check this out if you do not want to miss something completely new.

Highlights: "Passionfruit", "Drink I'm Sippin On"

#01. 'RINA' by Rina Sawayama (Electropop/Contemporary R&B/Art Pop)

I have rooted for Rina Sawayama ever since I heard "Cyber Stockholm Syndrome". And with this EP she certainly did not dissapoint.

'RINA' is probably one of the most innovative pop releases since Charli XCX's 'Vroom Vroom' EP. The way in which she explores themes of loneliness in the modern age, the Internet, identity, depression and loss of love are really personal, but still playful enough to engage the listener. The production, handled by Clarence Clarity, is also very reminiscent of late-90's/early-00's pop (like Britney, N'Sync or Kelis) and modern J-pop (like Perfume or Utada), but also feels noisy in a Sleigh Bells-like way.

Rina Sawayama is one of the most exciting new artists to emerge in the last few years, and we will be definitely hearing more of her soon.

Highlights: "10-20-40", "Cyber Stockholm Syndrome"

[whimsycore]

I just wished the Muslim community would acknowledge the nasty way it treats its converts like the minute we convert we're expected to know everything. Muslim converts especially if they're Afro diasporic are held at such a high standard like the MINUTE we mess up its seen as if we're less than. And i know this because I've met white and Asian converts and neither of those groups get judged as harshly. My mothers been in veil since she was at least 19, she's studied Quran but because she's not fluent in Arabic, because she's not from an "acceptable group" she's seen as lower. Because of her light skin you can tolerate her but the minute you ask what country she's from...the minute you find out she's a convert...she disgusts you? Like we're....being killed off and this is the shit our community sees as important; where you're from, how long is your Muslim lineage, and how much Arab do you have in your blood.

I literally hated being black and Muslim growing up because....neither group supported me but the older I get...the more I learn that it wasn't the black community that wronged the Muslim community but the other way around. Like I've been a hijabi my entire life and I guess that's the ONLY thing that makes nonblack Muslims respect me which amazes me because as a Muslim I know MOST Muslim women aren't in veil like but just to get....a semblance of respect I have to act a certain way, dress a certain way and speak it to own a right that I should already have as person because as a Muslim that's what you're /supposed/ to do. The more I think about this community the angerier I get.

[remyscntiago-blog]

Character Name/Nickname: How does the character feel about his or her name? What connotations or stereotypes does the name have?

Remy/Rem. Her middle name is Aliyana.  Remy doesn’t mind her name because it represents her ethnic origins of which she is extremely proud.  Remy identifies as black though her ethnic origins include Dominican,  Puerto Rican, Haitian and Lebanese. She is fluent is Spanish, Arabic and French Haitian. 

Character Age/Birthday/Zodiac Sign: How old is your character? What year was he or she born? Does his or her zodiac sign have any bearing on their personality traits?

Remy is 39 and was born in 1978. She is a gemini though she doesn’t pay much attention to the horoscopes.

Character’s Home: Where does your character live?  How does your character feel about the current living arrangements?

Remy lives alone in a luxury Rowhouse in downtown Portland. She paid cash for her home using money she received in a settlement from the US Government. She’s lived on her own her entire adult life so she doesn’t mind her arrangement though sometimes she does feel lonely.

Career/Job/Profession: What does the character do for a living? Is it enjoyable? What is your character’s dream job? What is your character’s financial situation? What is your character’s level of education?

Until very recently Remy was a private contractor with the CIA, providing psychological and psychiatric care to its employees as well developing interrogation techniques. After a traumatic experience and nearly ten years of service, she left the Agency and currently works as a private psychotherapist and a lecturer at the local college, her specialty forensic psychiatry and psychology. Remy is pretty well off financially due to her settlement. Remy has two doctorate degrees, one in psychology and the other in psychiatry.

Character’s Physical Traits: Athletic? Overweight? Hair color? Eye color? Any scars or birth marks? What actress or actor would you have play the role of your character if it was a movie?

Remy is of average height and build with a feminine yet muscular  frame. She does work out as well practice krav maga. Obviously Zoe Saldana would play her in a movie.

She has a think scar on the underside of her chin caused by a knife blade and another across her throat  left by one of her captors in the middle east. 

What style of clothes does your character wear? Think about what your character wears everyday, when he or she dresses up for a night out, what he or she wears to bed, and if there is any jewelry your character wears.

Remy dresses in a stylish manner, up to date in all the latest trends. When working throughout the week she feels most comfortable in dresses and the occasional pant suit.

Characters Family: Parents? Siblings? Children? Aunts? Uncles? Second Cousins Twice Removed?

Remy was raised by he parents who were drug addicts then her  grandmother until her death at which point she emancipated. Her only known relatives are her parents and they are deceased.

Character’s Friends: Who are your character’s closest friends? What do they value in friendship? Remy’s closest and oldest friend is Wesley Kearney whom she met in college. She values loyalty and trust in a friendship more than anything.

Character’s Pets: Does your character have any pets? What is his or her favorite animal?

Remy doesn’t have any pets nor has she ever owned any.

Character’s Past: What events from your character’s life have left an impact? What are some of his or her most proudest or embarrassing moments? What was his or her childhood like?

The one event that has left the most impact on her life was being kidnapped while work abroad for the Central Intelligence Agency. Remy was taken along with two female intelligence officers, one of which did not survive. Her proudest moment was probably when she completed her PhDs.

She had some pretty demeaning experiences while being held captive, I suppose those could all fall under most embarrassing.

She had a tough childhood, raised by drug addicts until they could no longer take care of her and she was sent to live with her grandmother. Her life experience changed for the better once in her grandmother’s care. Her grandmother, a poet and an artist showed her things and opened her mind to new ideas that gave her the desire to seek more knowledge and experience more out of life than poverty allowed her to attain.

What are you characters favorite movies, songs, and books?

Remy’s favorite movie of all time is the Notebook, followed closely by Benjamin Button. She’s quite the sucker for a love story.  She loves all kind of music from punk rock to Afro Cuban and is a ferocious reader, no particular favorite author just anything that can hold her interest.

What is your character’s favorite food? Does he or she enjoy to cook?

Italian and Indian foods are her favorites

Is your character an introvert or extrovert? How does he or she act socially?

Remy is definitely an extrovert who functions well in social settings, more often than not the life of the party.

What makes your character happy? What is your character most thankful for in life?

Spending time with friends, good food and traveling.

What are your character’s greatest fears?

Loss of freedom

Describe your character’s personality with three words.

Happy, giving, heart.

What is your character’s most valuable possession?

Probably a watch she was gifted at graduation

What are the spiritual beliefs of your character?

Remy is a non practicing Christian though she believes in a high power

How does your character spend a lazy Sunday afternoon?

Eating good food and watching Netflix

Where would your character like to travel? How does he or she want to get there?

She’s been to tons of places abroad so she has hopes of doing a road trip around the US at some point.

What would your character most like to change about the world?

She would eradicate hate and prejudice if she could

What is your character’s motto or mantra for life?

Live and let live

[victormendesbcu-blog]

Global Discourse

According to the UN, as of June 2018 there were 68.5m people living as refugees. They had been forcibly displaced from their homes, forced to flee due to conflict and persecution. 

Daniel Etter is a pulitzer prize-winning photographer, feature writer and film maker. His photography has appeared in the New York Times, Time Magazine, Newsweek, Stern, Spiegel and in publications of the International Committee of the Red Cross and Human Rights Watch among many others. Since 2012 he has reported extensively on migration and refugee issues along Europe’s external borders and conflict zones across the Middle East. 

For his photography he was awarded with the Pulitzer Prize, the John Faber Award of the Overseas Press Club of America and received a third place at the World Press Photo and a Honorable Mention at Pictures of The Year International. His photo from the Gezi Park Protests in Istanbul was chosen as one of the best photos of 2013 by TIME Magazine and The New York Times.

Yannis Behrakis is a greek photojournalist and a senior editor with Reuteurs. His first foreign assignment was in Libya on January 1989 and since then he documented a variety of events including the funeral of Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran, the changes in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, the wars in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo, Chechnya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Afghanistan, Lebanon the first and second Gulf wars in Iraq the Arab Spring in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia the civil war in Ukraine the Nato bombing of ISIS in Kobane, Syria the Greek financial crisis and the refugee crisis in 2015 He has also covered the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for many years, earthquakes in Kashmir, Turkey, Greece and Iran and major news events around the world. He’s won a Pulitzer prize and been Guardian’s photographer of the year in 2015. 

We are living in an increasingly, complex, culturally hybrid, and diasporic world where people have spread or been dispersed from their homeland. This increased diaspora has led to some responses to this diversity, some who have encountered a lot of discussion.

In March of 2017 Nike announced a sports hijab which legitimised the hijab across very different narratives. Some arguments were that Nike was capitalising on an oppressive symbol and discrimination against women, some people believed the traditional dress and role of muslim women was irreconcilable with the modern arena of sport, but it was also encountered with a lot of positive feedback. 

In 2015 Apple introduce emoji skin-tones. A lot of people saw this as a response to one of our many everyday diversity problems after a lot of complaining about a lack of black and brown representation. In 2016 Andrew McGill studied the use of emojis on twitter and found out the lightest skin tone was used the least even though white twitter users outnumber black users four to one. Using white skin emojis felt uncomfortably close to displaying white pride and white users preferred to use the yellow option as a way to opt out the choice. Where emojis were supposed to be something fun, a caricature, they became racialised in a way people had to confront their racial identity when they were using it. And even with the five shade spectrum there are eye shapes and hair types and nose proportions that are not captured. The emojis are simply overlaid with a darker shade and not exactly meant to represent other races. 

Many people feel the effect of racism every day. According to The Independent, religious hate crimes rose 23% in the year following the Brexit vote. Worryingly, the Brexit and Trump votes seem to have encouraged attitudes that did seem socially unacceptable to return to the mainstream. 

Institutional racism is a type of racism which is embedded within political or social institutions. Some examples of institutional or structured racism are how black hair/afros/braids are seen as unprofessional or how more typical black names get blacklisted in the hiring process. 

An example of institutional racism was the Grenfell Tower Fire where there had been previous problems with the building and it was considered unsafe, but because the majority of the residents were lower class people of colour these were not taken into consideration leading to the tragedy. 

White privilege is the term for an institutional advantage or set of benefits granted to those who are white. White people might sometimes not realise or be aware but they benefit from white privilege where the world favours light skin and European features. 

Intersectionality is a term coined by American professor Kimberle Crenshaw in 1989. It considers the way in which class, race, sexual orientation and gender are interwoven and affect one another. For example the experience of a white woman will never be the same as the experiences of a black woman who has to face misogyny and racism. It never operates in isolation, racism intersects with class, nationality, gender and other tools of domination used to categorise people.

Britains racism stems from colonialism. Colonialism is the practice of taking control of another country (one outside its borders) by turning it into a colony. It is usually a more powerful and wealthy country taking control of a less powerful region. The aim of colonisation is usually the development and/or the economic exploitation of that country. 

Cultural Appropriation is the assimilation or claiming of an aspect of a minority culture by members of a more dominant culture. An example of cultural appropriation is white people wearing a native American war bonnet as a costume, or white people wearing cornrows and braids. According to critics of the practice, cultural appropriation differs from acculturation, assimilation, or cultural exchange in that this appropriation is a form of colonialism: cultural elements are copied from a minority culture by members of a dominant culture, and these elements are used outside of their original cultural context—sometimes even against the expressly stated wishes of members of the originating culture.

The exotic other

The exotic other is something written about by Edward Said in his 1978 book Orientalism in which he refers to the way in which the west views the east in a patronising and exotic way, however this is an idea which can be applied in other contexts too. This also can refer to the over-sexualisation of black women. In 1970, People magazine interviewed Jean Paul Goude where he exposed a dark obsession with black women in his work. He was quoted stating that, from a very young age, he was captivated by ethnic minorities - black girls and stated he had “jungle fever”. Goude capitalised on his sexualisation of black women, or his “jungle fever” in the form of a highly controversial 1982 book of the same name. It also contains a piece with his then-girlfriend and muse, Grace Jones. One photograph portrayed her oiled and naked, in a cage, with a lump of raw meat and a sign reading “Do Not Feed the Animal”, another shower her again oiled and naked, and holding a safari whip around her neck with primitive tribal face pain and a third again oiled and naked, fighter her way out of a chocolate wrapper bearing her name. 

Sarah Baartman was the most well known of at least two South African khoikhoi women who, due to their large buttocks, were paraded around as freak show attractions in the 19th century Europe in London and Paris. Today she is seen by many as the epitome of colonial exploitation and racism, of the ridicule and commodification of black people. 

[ursie]

Hot Take: If they did an adaptation of Sleepless Lady Poppy should be played by Lovie Simone or Kiki Layne

Sorta agree : I think they’re both beautiful!! But I’m like p sure Poppy is supposed to be of both Black African and Arabic descent? Like she’s mixed and her dads not white though I’m not sure if he’s Arabic specifically or “ambiguously brown” ect main point is I think a more accurate casting would be of a dark skinned multi racial (also not American) actress (feel free to correct me if wrong but I’m p sure Poppy is Afro-Arabic or Afro-North African or something similar) But again they’re both v pretty!!

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