#the entire first verse + bridge etc

[daz4i]

paradise by bear ghost sunday animatic when.

[noneorother]

The secret timeline inside of Good Omens season 2 revealed, *part1*

Part 1 l Part 2

If you’ve ever watched a ballet or an opera, you know how the rhythm in the music is used throughout to determine not only the movements of the dancers, but also when lines are sung or spoken. This is almost unheard of in television, but what if I told you it was hidden in season 2 of Good Omens? If one were to, say, meticulously cut together only the scenes set in the present day into one big timeline, you would get one long video that is exactly 2 hours 22 minutes 00 seconds and 00 frames long. An ineffable cut that is so perfect it defies all logic. (I’ve burnt a timecode into this ineffable edit to help pick up the rhythm.)

Even though there are large swathes of the second season with no music, there is a constant tempo weaving its way through the show: What if the seconds ticking by in the runtime itself was the music? Here’s an example of what I found. Behold a supercut of every single time Shax shows up, or Hell is mentioned in series 2 in the ineffable edit. They always arrive on a 6 in the time stamp (ex: 00:XX:X6).

(SOUND ON is an absolute must here, otherwise you won't hear any of the triggers)

Shax rings Crowley on a XX:X6. Shax miracles herself into the car on a XX:X6. Shax knocks on windows on a XX:X6. Shax’s big scary moment at the bookshop happens at 66 minutes exactly (lol). Crowley calls out for Shax on a XX:X6. Beelzebub starts spewing flies on a 6. People mention hell and it’s always on XX:X6 etc. etc…(Bonus: I also left in Maggie flipping the damned the double-bird on a XX:X6) I’ve also left in the only appearance of Shax or hell at all in the whole series that isn’t tied to a six: the park bench scene with Crowley. Shax seems to be off by one line, showing up on a XX:10, then back to XX:X6 on her second reply: “Bills, mostly”. I can only theorise that this scene, while technically in season 2, is not supposed to *be* in season 2 (even just judging by the trees, sun and the overcoats, it’s not summer like in the rest of the season). And it’s not only sixes! Every time I go through I find more and more little beats that line up exactly with ineffable timings. I can only do one video per post, so I’ll have to cut it up into sections, but Gabriel, doors, car horns, bird calls, Aziraphale, food, drinks, Angels, dialogue, Maggie, Nina, jokes, clocks, bells… The list goes on and on. 

Neil called this season “The bridge”

Because we all know how much Neil loves double meanings and wordplay, I just have to ponder the idea that when Neil said this season was “the bridge” between seasons 1 and 3, he meant it double-literally. First, as in the bridge Aziraphale and Crowley have to cross in order to get them into position for the second coming. We even see the physical manifestation of this bridge leading everyone in the background of the opening credits. But this season is also a bridge in the sense that it’s a musical section that introduces new ideas or material in the middle of a song. This whole season is the music that deviates from the familiar, and re-contextualizes the chorus and the verses so we can appreciate them in a new way. 

Let’s not forget that 2:22 is also exactly the same timing as this (and only this) track from the good omens s2 album (read all about the soundtrack here):

Why is this so bonkers? I think GOS2 might be the first ever “Total” series of television.

Having everything in the series timed and choreographed would actually make it a very faithful adaptation of the Powell & Pressburger film The Tales of Hoffmann (read about the movie and it’s effect on all of s2 here). If you watch the tales of Hoffman, you will realize that the entire film is actually done more like animation, with the music and vocals all performed in a studio, mixed and edited first, and then the actors came back to act out their choreographed and lip-synched parts for the cameras afterwards. The result is "Total film": a movie that feels more like a ballet, with every movement, action, and line happening in time with the music. As far as I can tell, very few films have ever attempted this, with The Tales of Hoffmann and Playtime being the only two “complete” films I could find in this style. (The Red shoes has one section, and An American In Paris has a few)

“Why would ambitious filmmakers simply film an opera? Many admirers of the work of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger have assumed that their decision to make The Tales of Hoffmann (…) was in some way an admission(…) that they couldn’t go on making their edgy, over-the-top melodramas after the rejection and interference they’d suffered, (but) there’s a case for considering The Tales of Hoffmann as one of the finest and boldest works that Powell and Pressburger produced, so far ahead of its time as a wholly “composed” film... Late in his life, Powell himself said that he thought it was one of the best films that he and Pressburger had made.” - Criterion review, Tales of Hoffmann

Here’s a simple example from An American in Paris

If season 2 *is* scripted and choreographed to line up with specific timings, I’m pretty sure that would make this the first ever “total” or “composed” season of television ever attempted. Not only does this take an ASTOUNDING amount of planning, scripting and editing finesse, not to mention a completely controlled set, it takes a real understanding of how to perform as an actor using rhythm and metre, which would go a long way to explain why all of the main actors coming back for season 2, with the exception of John Hamm, are well regarded theatre performers, (especially of Shakespeare).

I’ll leave you with one last surprise I found in the discovery of the ineffable edit: remember Aziraphale’s smile at the very end if the credits? It happens on 02:23:03, as the first step off the bridge, and into season 3.

I will have much more in the next ineffable timeline post. Stay tuned…

__________________________________________

Thanks for reading all the way to the end. It’s taken me a solid month to get this perfect. There are so many hidden cuts and jumps to take into account, and I had a frame rate issue that kept exporting to 29fps instead of 25fps, but I’ve finally nailed the ineffable timeline enough that I am confident sharing in it.

Credits to @thebluestgreen and @embracing-the-ineffable for all the support and help with editing and just general good vibes. 

[inawearyworld]

little things in the wonka score/soundtrack that get me every time: a post made by a music major with severe brainrot (seriously it’s getting bad)

• even though i’m not sure how to feel abt what they did orchestrally to pure imagination when it was sung in full, i loved the way it was interwoven until then-the opening credits, the clock tower chiming its intro, etc

• when the intro to hatful of dreams ends and the instrumental HITS. that was the moment i was sitting in the theater like “…oh i’m going to be so charmed by this movie huh”

• something abt the way timmy sings “i’ve put everything i’ve got into my choc’late”. see above bullet point

• welcome to scrubbit’s has no right to be that much of a banger

• the low brass in scrub scrub HELLOOOOO?!?!? the chromatic slides. the muted trumpets. abacus’ bass moments (go off king). the song is literally about laundry and yet IT GOES SO HARD

• walk into the club on a friday night like FIRST YOU PICK UP THE APPAREL AND YOU

• the instrumental of ynhclt that plays while everyone’s flying is so cheesy and so golden-age-of-hollywood-children’s-musical and i cannot help but smile

• the cuh-lassic “one instrument at a time” opening of sweet tooth

• mathew baynton’s voice. that’s it that’s the bullet point.

• #GiveTheCartelMoreTight3PartHarmonies2k24

• well we’ve got lots and lots and lots and loTS AND LOTS AND LOWHY AM I SINGINGGGGGGG

• somethin about how the “noodle noodle” countermelody is a sort of arpeggiated outline of each chord, like a vocal warmup, like he’s letting her take the melody bc he knows she will in time. i’m gonna sob they’re literally family

• the orchestration of for a moment, esp while they’re dancing on the rooftop, just SOARS. idk if anyone here has seen mr magorium’s wonder emporium but that movie shaped my childhood, it’s probably my favorite film score ever, and this instrumental bit is SOOOO reminiscent of it

• clock tower. a fifty-second masterpiece

• CHOCOPOCALYPSE. (for those of us who were on the theatre kid side of the internet in 2018, i think chocopocalypse should be the new calculust. hear me out)

• mat’s voice gets a second bullet point bc what the hell man. literally the sonic embodiment of dark mint chocolate. h e l p m e

• …#fickelgruberisathinmint2k24

• noodle’s portion of ynhclt, while she’s teaching willy to read, has a few instrumental nods to mozart’s famous sonata in c, a typical piece for piano beginners-kids-to learn. in the 1971 film mrs teavee incorrectly identifies mozart as rachmaninoff. this MOVIE

• i wish there could have been more, and more involved/complex, ensemble vocal moments

• charlotte ritchie <3 (okay i’m biased sue me)

• the new orchestration for the oompa loompa song is straight fire

• the LEITMOTIFS the fucking LEITMOTIFS!!!!!!!! the opening fanfare that became the basis of hatful of dreams popping up here and there. the melody to a world of your own playing whenever he thinks of his mom. every time we think willy’s safe from the cartel, ope there’s that descending major sixth again.

• (now that i think about it. sweet tooth is in g major of all keys, rather atypical of a villain song. most of the intervals are major too. it’s the trembling strings that give it that “evil” sound. and it fits so well-like, “we’re not completely immoral! time for a fun little tango! there’s colorful lights! killthisguyplsOH LOOK CONFETTI!” they’re so sinister i love it)

• the way that the intro to a world of your own echoes the intro to pure imagination

• THE ORCHESTRATION DURING “chocolate bushes, chocolate trees” etc AND THE WAY IT BUILDS OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOD. MY HEART JUST BURSTS. EVERY TIME. I AM NOT IMMUNE TO CHEESY MUSICALS.

• the!! chromatic!! basslines!! in!! that!! song!!!!!!!!

• the fact that the bridge comes before the second verse-name any other songs where that happens i dare you. just another example of willy changing the narrative in every way

• the fact that sorry noodle is AN ENTIRE *OTHER* COUNTERMELODY that then falls back into the for a moment melody at the end what the FUUUUUUUUUUUCK

• the monks chanting “giraffe. a massive giraffe”. so fucking funny

• stripping down pure imagination to its essence while willy sings it to noodle was a thousand percent the right decision. and the lyric changes for the situation are sooooooo clever

• as someone who grew up with the 71 movie and has been utterly enamored with its music her whole life, i’m not the world’s hugest fan of this version’s pure imagination orchestration; i get they felt they had to do something different, it just feels slightly too modern/disneyesque, but it had the vibe that they intended for the end of the movie

• anyway god i love this score

[aturnoftheearth]

i can’t BELIEVE they have morphed frozen pines THREE times like STOP STOP IM ALREADY DEAD. first time og song is like. i’m THERE in the snow okay the song FEELS like the muffled effect snow gives and it feels like being just a bit turned around and not quite sure of the destination and the continuation from the yawning grave is soooo crazy etc like it’s BEAUTIFUL!!!!

AND THEN!!!!!! the alive from whispering pines version- NO ONE MOVE. suddenly it’s so much quieter and SADDER!!!! ben’s voice is clearer and softer and slower and the whole thing is so much lower with this hauntingly beautiful ethereal tone but then towards the end!!!! towards the end it gets just a bit more sure of itself, the narration going into the “i will be waiting for you on the other side of the frozen pines, i’m gonna find a way through” and like- the confirmation that it’s GONNA happen (very “in the wind” esque) ANE THE FINAL “i will be waiting for you”s that are added to finish the song i can’t think about it too much without spiraling!!!! WHAT IF FEELS LIKE TO REALLY MISS SOMEONE!!!!

AND FINALLY!!!!!!!! THE FUCKING LIVE VERSION!!!!!! the way it starts out sounding sooooo sad and once again with the haunting tone i can’t describe it SORRY anyway and then it just fucking GOES for SIX MINUTES. THE ORIGINAL IS BARELY FOUR!!!! but anyway you’re like ah yes frozen pines, nothing out of the ordinary here. solid sound and vocals as is tradition with a lord huron concert. AND THEN YOU GET THE FIRST WHAMMY. RIGHT AFTER THE SECOND VERSE. there’s suddenly a build up??? what’s happening??? where’s the- HUH???????

WHAT WAS THAT. THAT 50 SECONDS OF THE MOST INSANE SOUNDING INSTRUMENTAL BIT. THEY MADE THE MUSIC *SOUND* DESPERATE. HOW DID THEY DO THAT. oh okay it’s a bit calmer again they’re back to the song’s original sound with the bridge and they’ll fade it out after just a bit more energy WAIT WHAT ARE THEY DOING WHAT ARE THEY DOING WHAT ARE THEY DOING

THE ENTIRE LAST MINUTE AND A HALF. 🎸💥 90 SECONDS. 🎸💥 I WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU. I WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU. 🎸💥I WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU. 🎸💥I WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU. 🎸💥🎸💥🎸💥🎸💥

LIKE OKAY OKAYYYYYYY I DONT HAVE WORDS. IM NOT EVEN THERE IM JUST WATCHING A PHONE VIDEO OF IT AND IM STILL SHAKING AND RESISTING THE URGE TO JUMP UP AND DOWN. IF I NEEDED TO OUTRUN THE SPEED OF LIGHT CONSTANT C JUST PUT THIS ON AND I’LL MANAGE JUST FINE.

anyway. stream. :)

[gayloraura]

i’ve been itching to try and actually figure stuff out in regards to my “take folklore and run with it” thing for a while now, so yesterday i sat down with a blank notebook and started writing in it. the structure is sort of inspired by videos about commonplace books that i’ve watched in the last week or so, but i’m definitely not using it like people typically use commonplace books lol.

i have a “goal” section at the front (after a few pages of blank space for an index), but it’s turned into more of an overview. just stuff about what core characters there are and where they came from, James’ gender (~ambiguous~), what i’ve decided about the town they live in, etc.

then i went through all of betty (the song) and dissected it, basically. starting with a more “swiftie” POV where James and Betty are already in a relationship, he just fully cheated on her, and now he’s begging her to take him back. i got very critical of James here, i understand why swifties hate him so viscerally. to quote myself: (in regards to the second verse) “where it went wrong was when you cheated on her, you prick”.

i decided there was no way i was going with that narrative as it was - James is really painted as an asshole and it would be difficult to find myself wanting them to be together, if i wanted to make a bunch of other songs about them (which is the entire goal of this project, obviously). so i also wrote down my “alternate interpretation”, which more or less the narrative that i originally had in my head when i first heard the song and had no context all. i’m just gonna put everything that i wrote here because this is my favourite part. (with some grammar & vocab edits, because i can properly do that in a digital medium)

James and Betty are in an extremely homoerotic friendship/situationship, and the song is them (mostly James) trying navigate that while also dealing with a homophobic environment.

Inez’s gossip would be more along the lines of “i saw them doing gay stuff with this random girl”.

“the worst thing i ever did” on its own makes me think of some brutal internalized homophobia, but then we get to the second line and it follows up with “was what i did to you”. like it’s been flipped on its head and James knows that it hurt Betty a lot in couple different ways, so they’re saying “it was the worst thing i ever did because it hurt you, not because it was gay”. (i had a bit trouble phrasing that, so hopefully it’s understandable)

the reason James went along with the affair because they were frustrated with the status of the situationship and wanted to get their mind off of Betty. obviously that didn’t work, and they thought about her the entire time. this part is not much different from the vanilla interpretation, but the main difference is that they weren’t official (or even approaching that), so James looks much less like an asshole.

a point i had always been confused about the vanilla interpretation - i might have just been overthinking it, but whatever the case it helps to have an interpretation that makes sense to me. in the bridge, James says he dreams about kissing her (which i always thought kind of sounded like they never had before), but then at the end says “kissing in my car again” (so they have?). i thought it would make sense if in this “alternate” one, they had kissed once (in James’ car), and it made things awkward. maybe shortly before things got weird?

“stupid friends” is an insult to injury for swifties. for me, it means the friends are stupid because they’re homophobic (christians?) like the rest of the school and town (which is great framing for other songs like Love Story). when James says “will you kiss me in front of all your stupid friends”, they’re basically saying “will you care what they think? will you want to be with me out in the open?”. they don’t want to be shoved back into the closet now that they’ve been outed.

lastly, this is more of a nitpick. i’ve always found it strange that a 2 teenagers of the opposite sex would be allowed to spend the night together - i would understand sneaking out (or in?) on occasion, but the song makes it sound like it’s most of the summer. it makes way more sense to me if it was 2 (perceived) girls having sleepovers or something.

[bodyfeels]

talking about loossemble... kind of copy and pasted my notes from my phone and i tried to refine my thoughts. fair warning it is kind of long but tl;dr YAY FOR GOOD MUSIC

FANATICISM - first listen i noticed how it was very cinematic for whatever reason but maybe they had a visual in mind considering the story line they have (like ending of sensitive MV, whatever was going on in girls night, etc.) and upon revisiting it again, i'm glad this intro is more an intro for the album and not an intro for the title track. it matches the themes of all the songs and maybe you could argue its only by chance just because they had the TTYL lines sneaked in there but i still think it does a good job of setting expectations for the EP

TTYL - okaaaayyyyy 😍 not gonna lie when they dropped that snippet of the first part of the chorus i was getting a little scared because it seemed jarring and it also felt too on the nose but listening to it now i think i don't mind it, especially since the second part is more actual singing or a full singing phrase.

i also noticed this when they first dropped the snippet from the "challenge", they left in the demo vocals in. i think the TTYL-ooh part is sung together with demo vocalist and member (well its either that or they are heavily filtering the members voices) but the "lalalalalalala" is completely the demo vocalist. i am here for the members of LOONA not whoever the demo vocalist is... they knew they could have had the members record that part themselves in the studio 😒

the energy of the song is kept consistent and it makes you want to dance. i think if anything i kinda wish they got crazy with it by either adding a dance break or something. the parts where there is space provide a nice break and i also really like the bridge a lot. i think it'd be nice to add something like that after the bridge and then connect it back to the last chorus.

COTTON CANDY | CONFESSIONS - you might be wondering why i grouped these two together.... i have some issues with these songs because they are practically the same song. neither of these songs are bad....HOWEVER....

i dont think they could release cotton candy as is because then it'd be too similar to boysworlds' confessions which i know boysworld have disbanded but i would not like having loossemble being sued over that HRJRJFJF

i also don't understand why they didn't just mash the songs together with how similar they are and how they practically use the same sound fonts. could have been a donna summer moment by having one section of the song being cotton, the next being candy and another being confessions.

the downside to cotton candy is its "rap" and the chorus thats too on the nose with the repetitive "you are like like like candy" that is said throughout. the downside to confessions is that it is a boysworld leftover and its exactly how they would have released it except maybe with more harmonies and it would have been their first song to be 3 minutes and longer. it also does not feel fleshed out compared to cotton candy. for example, take how there is a brief bridge in confessions which is literally only ONE LINE that suddenly goes into the chorus, compared to cotton candy's full bridge and how it naturally connects into a crazy climax of a chorus and that entire song wraps up nicely.

the following aspects i'd keep are the cotton candy prechorus, then confessions chorus. i'd keep the bridge of cotton candy and just mash the two songs together. i like the singing verses more than the "rap"/"sing talking" parts so i'd take that as well.

well tl;dr songs not bad, missed donna summer opportunity by not connecting the songs seamlessly together or having sections, don't understand why you'd have the same song twice on an EP but we move. also i think i like cotton candy a bit more

HOCUS POCUS - oh janet jackson you'll always be famous... it's really fun and i think if i have any complaints is that i wish they were harmonizing more and that they really showed off their vocals. where there are harmonies, they are very beautiful. the bridge is also everything too... a very good and solid song i love it, i wish it was longer and i hope they also promote this song on either shows or maybe even film a music video

SECRET DIARY - don't really think that weird pitch correction effect at the beginning is needed on the girls vocals at all. they need to turn up that bass in the bridge and make it gritty and obvious like fx's red light. this is also another song where they left the demo vocals on and i don't like that. i kinda wish they made this song a bit more eerie but this was really nice. i love the strings, the bridge, and kinda interesting they ended this EP on this song.

okay so i was very scared for loossemble because for a while now their bills were affected (see their side channel assemble and how they suddenly announced they're reorganizing and stopped making contents) and when teasers first dropped i saw ryan jhun's name on it and also kimmin was back so it was hell on earth for me. THANKFULLY... despite those setbacks we got good music and the members sound great and they're having fun performing

i hope they get more creative and there's more direction both in visuals and sound but this is a good start in terms of sound. i'm glad the songs are longer than 2 minutes like YAAAY this blows sensitive and girls night EP out of the water and i hope they keep it up. i hope their company gets it together and for next time, no ryan jhun and kimmin <3

[scalierpepper]

Hi, have you ever heard the song

"Lady jesus" by Upsahl

At the peak of my locked tomb brain rot I always saw Gidoen/Kiriona for some of the lyrics

I'd love to hear your feedback or possible vision of it

oh, this is fun. hadn't heard this song before but I agree, it has some good Gideon/Kiriona lyrics. I am assuming you're approaching this with an animatic in mind? If you're not then I do apologize, but that's what I'm imagining so I'm gonna ramble about that and I hope it's still helpful lol.

I think the first step for turning something like this into an animatic (or lyric comic or whatever else you want to do) is to think about what message you want in the art. How complex is the story you are presenting? Are you diving into Muir's themes and messages? Or is your intent to make something that looks cool to show off a character and their personality? etc.

For example, one way I could imagine a "Lady Jesus" animatic as a semi-chronological Gideon >> Kiriona transition narrative, maybe told in a bit of a "you're probably wondering how I got here" sort of way. But there's plenty of possibilities besides that. You could focus on the triumph OR the tragedy. Like if you want Gideon to look really cheeky and badass then the vibe of the music supports that, and you can make it all glasses and swords and biceps and chussy out etc. Or if you want some angst, then it still totally works as a representation of the facade Gideon/Kiriona puts on at different moments of the books. You could even pull from BOE stuff...or you can focus way more on the Lady Jesus part of Gideon sacrificing herself for Harrow and even bring in GideonHarrowBod from htn. You can take the lyrics and compose your imagery to make it like the story is from Kiriona's pov and she's relating it directly to an audience, or you can use the music as a sort of parallel/relevant backdrop to whatever the visuals are, and so on. It really depends what you are interested/inspired to do.

I see a strong case for a sort of satirical narrative of how much Jod sucks told through the pov of Kiriona so if I were adapting the song that's probably what I would go for.

I think one of the first "look at me now" lines could be like Kiriona all tower-princed up, but then a later one is one of the scenes from ntn where she's absolutely miserable (killing Crux, in the truck watching Paul's birth, etc.) Same with "she's back, she's bad". Take advantage of the double meaning of words and use it for devastation :)

First verse works great for establishing Gideon's death. You can use "crying every night/sacrificed her to sleep" for sooo many scenes tbh. Add Harrow into the scene and do something angsty, or maybe it's just focused on Gideon's frustration in Drearburh compared to how Kiriona has achieved what she wanted (joining the cohort, knows who her parents are, etc.) but it sucks. Or maybe it's just saddest girl in the whole entire world getting her own moment.

"It's the second coming...middle finger to the sky" following can be a Kiriona intro also, either scenes directly from the text or a bit of headcannon supported by what Kiriona tells the other characters she's been up to. Just like a "oh hey i'm gideon 2.0" sort of thing.

"She's speeding down the 5 cause she already died" is another place that any sort of death or ressurection imagery (literal or metaphorical) pairs with nicely

"She got em kneeling like" - depending on what angle of story you're going for this could be like Harrow kneeling next to Gideon's body or it could be Kiriona Gaia and Ianthe Naberius doing tower prince shit (maybe next to Jod, perhaps in a room with "worshipful subjects". Or more brutally: on a battlefield surrounded by dead...herald beasts or otherwise. Gotta double check the text on that. Or just like. on the New Rho broadcast or sthng)

The bridge bit with "we all know God was a baddie but so was Jesus" would be perfect for some sort of 'Gideon's parentage' scene imo. Add Wake in there somewhere for me <3.

If you want to add some complexity to Kiriona's tragedy you could insert a Jod backstory moment at "Rose from the coffin, now I'm a prophet...blessed if I broke your heart."

Idk I have lots of little ideas coming to mind but it really really depends on what your end goal is! I also would like. Read through excerpts of the books and stuff because I'm operating completely by memory for this rn lol. Usually when I start art projects I do a massive brainstorm and make a ton of notes and thumbnails of all my ideas and then pick from the best and most cohesive ones. I also like to try and pull from my experience (of reading the books or whatnot) to inspire compositions and mood. For example I know when Kiriona showed up in ntn there was this huge shock of "woah, Gideon got so mean." And ofc as you read you understand WHY, and maybe that she's always been a little bit like that, but point is I think that attitude that Kiriona displays would be something I would personally pull from as inspo.

In conclusion: sans spending the time to storyboard something this is what comes to mind and how I would approach refining any ideas. Hope it helps a bit!

[lil-melody-moon]

Hello dear, hope you’re doing okay❤️ I just wanted to know your opinion on the new Beatles song. I can’t stop listening to the song and I wonder how do you feel about it. Love ya 🫶🏻

Hello, hun! <3 Oh God, I didn't expect to get an ask about this song, oh Gosh, wait, I need to listen to it once more - best time of the month for me, let me gather my brain.

*4 minutes later*

Alright so how do I even start with this? It's as melancholic as it could get, I love the melody of it. Piano, drums they are good, especially the drums. Ringo did his best job again, love him for that - the guy is irreplaceable <3 Violins are making the work there too, Gosh I love this instrument so much! But the part that draws my attention the most is the bridge. The guitar even sounds sad, but I'll get to that one moment in a few, because now's the time for vocals and lyrics.

I have one problem with the vocals and it's not John. I actually like how he sounds there - I think I heard his voice breaking a few times? I'm not quite sure about that - it's soft, somehow longing, but the thing is I don't like Paul's harmony in it. As much as I like him and adore him for his music, it just doesn't fit for me in the chorus. Maybe it's his old voice that throws me off the melancholy each time I hear him, but like. The song could be good with John's voice only, maybe even better, but it was Paul's and Ringo's choice to do the song how it is now and I'm fine with that. That's only a detail that I can get used to after listening to it a few times.

Generally what image I get through this song is this: two people on each side of a barrier of some sort. Both can see one another, but they can't get any closer. One of them is alive - that's a woman for me, second is dead - that's a man for me, watching over the alive one. It's just that this one moment let them see each other for the first time this close and this visible. The woman thanks the man for care, for support, for being almost always there in various forms - let it be music, videos, photos etc - for helping her in another hard time in her life and so on and so on.

And now to the lyrics, oh God almighty.

It's one of the songs that got my attention to the lyrics almost right away, that's why I couldn't exactly say that if I like it or not after first listen - I always have it like that if this happens - but they got my attention for a reason. This song, at least for me, is about longing for the other person. Loneliness, tears and crying, this is what I get from lyrics and melody all together. I will not go through each verse because that would take forever, but like I have no other choice but to somehow go through it as a whole and get a little personal here.

With the chorus, and with the line "I miss you" the woman breaks in tears, because even if they didn't know each other she has always felt that a part of her is missing and couldn't be so easily found and yet when she does find it, it turns out that it's out of her reach. Though this moment, which should last for no longer than a few seconds is longer. The barrier disappears with the bridge, the man steps closer to the woman, embracing her, promising her that they'll get together. He can't exactly tell if in real world or in afterlife, but he can keep the promise that it'll happen. The song ends and the moment ends as well, leaving the longing feeling even stronger.

This is how the entire song feels to me and even the timing of it is like a strange coincidence because I'm going through a difficult time. It's nothing too major, but university became hard, this semester is hellish, almost nothing interests me, but I want to finish this degree so I have to go through it and yet, there's this one person who makes all of this better. His music makes it better, generally he makes it better for me - even if he's dead for so long, bringing so much joy that I can't even measure it, let alone word it and you can call me crazy, but I think I fell in love with him. In fact I spoke about soul connections with a dear friend of mine and we both came to conclusion that maybe, just maybe this is what takes place, all of the above, the story that this song caused to appear in my mind.

Could be true, could be not, could be even my chaotic, period emotions going insane over him, but in conclusion, to not make this answer even longer, that song makes me feel melancholic, it hits right where it should, I like it, besides that one detail but I can get used to that.

Thank you for asking, love you too! <3

[kpodcast]

When the three of us did our Stray Kids bracket "God's Menu" was the winner. Combine that with "God's Menu" being one of the most prolific Stray Kids song, it only makes sense for this to be the first song for our weekly Song Breakdown.

On the surface, "God's Menu" is loud. There are sirens, gunshots, percussion, shouting. But in digging deeper, the song is traditionally constructed with tight harmonies and the instrumentation helps to reinforce the message of the lyrics.

So let's break it down.

First, the basics.

Your average pop song follows a pretty standard format. Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus. "God's Menu" is no exception to this build, but it's a little trickier to catch. These verses don't line up in terms of vocal lines, but in terms of the underlying instrumentals.

Obviously, we start with Changbin's intro which leads directly into Han's rap. That's Verse 1. It's important to note that Han's rap has 2 different backings: the sirens and quick percussion until 0:24, then the bass hits afterwards. (0:00 - 0:29)

Rolling into 0:30 we have the Pre Chorus with Bang Chan and Seungmin which slowly builds into the chorus. (0:30 - 0:53)

The chorus is split into two parts; the iconic "DU DU DU DU DU DU" (0:54) with an incredible dance break followed by the melodic chorus (1:08) "I just wanna taste it make it hot".

That "DU DU DU DU" also makes way for Verse 2.

"Cooking like a chef" is that second verse. It introduces the verse the same way Changbin did back at the beginning. This verse is easier to break into the instrumentals. It starts with Felix (which has the same backing as the Bintro, but muted and without the percussion), then the sirens and quick percussion for Chan's rap ("Idea Bank") and finally switches to the bass hits for Hyunjin. (1:20 -- 1:43)

By 1:44 we're back at the Pre Chorus and the build up, which is expected to lead into the chorus once again, but instead, 2:09, we're faked into a lower-energy bridge before culminating for one final chorus and the outro, which is the exact same as Changbin's intro! (2:33).

Second, traditional vs non-traditional elements in music.

For our breakdown, traditional musical elements include: melody, harmony, bassline, percussion, strings, horns, etc. and how they work together to create music. Non traditional elements are just noises (ex. gunshots).

For being "noise music", the only noise in this song are the gunshots and the sirens. The rest of the sound comes from traditional instruments - bass, percussion, synths and strings. It's loud, to be sure, but not simply noise. Go ahead and listen to the instrumental of "God's Menu" as well, which will help make sense of this section of the post!

Let's start with the verses. The music starts with low brass and percussion, which is heard through the rest of the song. Then it all cuts out and we're left with sirens and quick snare lines backing the lyrics (Han and Bang Chan's raps, respectively) before the brass and heavier instrumentals come back, leading us into the pre-chorus.

The continuous siren during the middle part of the verse is pushing us forward. The sound itself is like an alarm - designed to give a feeling of urgency. It's coupled with a really tight drum line, the snare punctuating off beats with a consistent hi-hat line behind it. It's short, like 14 seconds total in the entire song, but without the bass or brass layered underneath, the sirens really stand out. The two parts are very different, but pair really well.

The pre-chorus is melodic and harmonious and, after such a heavy verse, it's light and feels acoustic. The only music in the backing is this synth-y piano which slowly builds, adding the a snare drum that slowly starts speeding up, from quarter notes to eighth notes and ending on sixteenths before cutting out. This builds momentum and prepares us for the drop into the chorus.

The chorus has the gunshots under the second trio of "DU DU DU" as an emphasis. It doesn't occur out of rhythm, it's there to hammer in that specific lyric. (like, DU DU DU DU DU DU). The only other gunshots hit after the drop, with Hyunjin's "Ne Sonim" to usher in the final chorus and Changbin's outro. It's a very deliberate choice when those gunshots are placed.

When we come to the fake out drop, after the 2nd pre-chorus, it's the same backing as the last time Felix sang. The quiet, understated bass and horns allow for Felix's voice to shine through. The percussion layers in, quietly building to the final chorus to take us home.

Third, lyrics/meanings

Anyone can recognize that this song is about Stray Kids unapologetically being themselves in their music. This was their answer to being labeled as 'noise music'.

So let's talk about some lyrics that popped out to us especially.

"We just keep on making new things Because we're one of a kind" "No one can copy us, our own game" "Idea bank, empty your head" "What's our secret ingredient, we don't use such a thing"

All of these convey the same message. "We did it on our own. Our heads are a bank of ideas and no one can copy it. We're unique. We're iconic. We'll keep on creating in our own way."

This can almost come across conceited, but instead it comes off confident. This isn't "we're better than you" but "we know what we're worth".

Just to emphasize that confidence, the song is literally called "God's Menu" as if the menu of Stray Kids music is worthy of godhood. And even magpies, the National Bird of Korea, will come to enjoy SKZ music.

[mmriesoftvat]

relevant information: Modern Au, Kaminari edition

trigger warnings: drugs, alcohol, abuse, psychosis

There are two general versions for Kami. One is a discord specific verse that I started writing with some friends, and one is more for tumblr.

in both verses, kaminari has shaggy black hair, wears several bracelets and necklaces and chokers, and has multiple ear piercings. he is a walking jewelry store. kami also wears red eye shadow and routinely gets his nails done professionally at a salon. his colors of choice are either red, blue, purple or black, or all of the above.

TUMBLR EDITION

Kaminari is a runaway, not liking his home life. He ran away at the age of around 17, finding salvation in the arms of Katelyn (over on @marchingasone), who managed to get him completely under her thumb via drugs and alcohol, and from there, she used emotional abuse to control him. This lasted a couple of years, with him thinking he was living a good enough life. He didn't have to deal with his mother, he didn't have to worry about buying anything or homes, because Katelyn was funding his entire life. It all came to a head when she managed to manipulate him into committing vandalization because she had personal beef with the store owner. This was the last time he saw her, before he was arrested.

Kami spend some time in jail, with his mental health spiraling even more out of control the more he thought about what he'd been through. He'd hit rock bottom, having no family and no friends to keep him afloat. On top of all this, Kami had no money, either. It was time to really think about how he wanted his life to go moving forward. With the help of a therapist and even a few doctors, Kami's mental health was addressed, and he was placed on anti psychotics to help him adjust to a better life.

the medication definitely helped. he remained in contact with his therapist, really determined to prove he was better than a broken toy that had been discarded. he was better than the people who beat him down, and he was going to show it by getting himself a stable job as a librarian's assistant, and get himself a decent apartment to live in.

currently, kami has 2 pet cats: bardugo and bastet. he's got himself a small home library with a collection of both romance and fantasy books. he also has a youtube account with a decent sized following, where he talks about books (book reviews, analyses, etc). it's enough for him to earn a small income on top of his job.

DISCORD EDITION

the elder child of makoto, kami started raising his younger sibling as early as ten years, as makoto was an unfit mother. this left kaminari with not much to do other than play dad/older brother to his younger sibling. though that's not to say his entire childhood was bad, but it wasn't great either. he did find solace in his sibling and cousin up until makoto's death when he was 17 years old. with the inheritence he received, kami paid for the entire funeral, and stashed the rest of the funds away to be untouched for years.

he ran away after the funeral, hoping to leave his miserable life behind him, because he couldn't do it anymore. kami found solace in the arms of katelyn, hoping she would be the one to lift him out of a dark place. unfortunately, through the use of drugs, alchol and even mental/emotional abuse, katelyn was able to manipulate and control kami to do her every bidding. she ditched him when he vandalized a store on her behalf, resulting in kami being arrested.

he spent the next few years floating around, trying his best to stay afloat, though he did end up meeting chongyun, who managed to get kami back in touch with his sibling (arakan) and cousin (ren). it was shaky at first, since kami was unsure of how they felt about each other anymore, but he dove headfirst back into the swing of things, trying to repair whatever bridged had been burnt.

unfortunately, it didn't work. through a series of events, kami's mental health spiraled even more downward until it left him at complete rock bottom, with him checking into a mental institution. there, kami was diagnosed with psychosis. with chongyun's help, as well as his family and other friends helping, kami was able to slowly lift himself back up, finally putting his awful past behind him once and for all. it's a rough road, but he's managing.

Currently, Kaminari lives in a 2 bedroom apartment with his cat, Bardugo. On top of his job at the library, Kami has a successful youtube account where he does book reviews and discusses all things books. He also has a decent following on tiktok. the social medias are a side hobby for him, but it's enough for him to make a decent amount of money.

He relies on his loved ones very much, and doesn't do much without their approval, especially ren's and chongyun's.

[slightlywhelming]

SongWriting like the Pros

Recently, I got to sit down and write with a friend of mine who plays guitar for a famous rock band (800,000 monthly listeners on Spotify). We're going to call him Kaden. During our session, he showed me a lot about how the producers his band works with write songs (industry-leading names mind you) and I thought it was a fascinating charge of pace from my usual approach. So here, dear reader, is the entire session step-by-step.

(In case you don't care to read this entire post, the most interesting part is towards the bottom.)

The session started with what Kaden called "Therapy Mode". We sat down without the instruments and just started chatting. "What's new? What have you been thinking about this week? What do you feel about x y or z?" until we landed on a good prompt for a song. He specified that a good prompt should be "unique to you, but relatable to everyone else". During this process, we also wrote down any specific phrases that came to mind as we figured out what we wanted to say. More on this later.

When we had the prompt, we started playing with chords. Kaden said we should start with "grandpa chords", ie. the standard open chords that you learn in the first 2 weeks of playing the guitar. As much as I love finding unique chords and voicings, Kaden insisted that vocal melody was more important, and that unique chords should come AFTER a solid melody is written. It is also important to note that we specifically started with the chorus of the song, ie. the most important and memorable part.

Once we agreed upon a chord progression, we started playing with the melody by singing gibberish. The idea was to trust your ears to find something catchy. Kaden kept saying "Don't think so hard, just sing what makes sense".

Next, we started to formulate lyrics. It's important to note that the melody and the lyrics were developed at the same time. We had a rough draft melody that we built off of, but weren't afraid to change if the lyrics required it. For the lyrics on the chorus, Kaden said they should "be simple enough that an 8th grader would write it on a notebook" because "no one obsesses over lyrics like 8th graders". Even if you are a writer who loves to use metaphors to hide the meaning of their lyrics, the chorus should be fairly straight forward. During this stage, we tried to use each of the phrases we had written down earlier.

As the pieces fell in place, Kaden started to nitpick every decision we made. Some melodies were rewritten, some lyrics were scrapped, and a chord or two were changed. The important thing during this stage is not to get attached to anything you've previously decided on. You don't want to miss out on something better because you're too obsessed with your first idea.

When we finally figured something out that we both liked, I made the assumption that we would start detailing the song by making the chords more interesting, writing the verses, adding harmonies, drums, etc. I was WRONG. When I finished playing what we had written, Kaden hit me with "Cool, let's start over."

Here's the part the blew my mind. Kaden, his band, and every major producer they work with only do 1 thing 90% of the time: write choruses. They write a chorus with just vocals and simple chords and then move on. They don't finish the songs until they decide to write an album.

To put this into perspective, their vocalist is constantly writing 30 second choruses, year round. Last time Kaden's band sat down to do an album, they had 146 demos to pick from. 146! From there, they narrowed the list down to the best 12 and finished each song like this:

Chorus (with completed instrument parts) -> 1st Verse -> Intro -> 2nd Verse -> Bridge -> Outro

Essentially, once you have a really solid chorus, you want to figure out how the song should go leading up to that chorus and then write to the end after that. Last thing I'll leave you with is Kaden's response when I asked why we wouldn't finish the song we had started. "Why spend the time to finish this one if the next chorus we write is 10x better?"

What do you think about this method? Is this something you'd like to try?

[boy-bug-ghoul]

Things in take me back to eden that make me go feral

so it's my first time listening to tmbte fully after putting it off bc i knew i would be so excited i wouldn't be able to regulate my emotions HDSKSHD

and my ttrpg discord server had to witness me have very very live thoughts and reviews about the album and vessel's voice and vessel's new mask (which i plan on making!)

so here's some of those under the cut!! (i might continue to edit this as i listen again and again)

(i hope this is how you make a cut this is my first post)

Chokehold:

I was listening to per aspera ad inferi by ghost and plugged my ears so that the music was like fully reverberating around my skull and it was. such a good experience.

my hands over my ears, like rattling my eardrums

i did that with chokehold. fucking incredible bro it was. insane. so good.

the light piano noises?? juxtaposed with the SUDDEN HARDNESS AND THEN THE VOCALS AND AHSKDJHFS

The Summoning:

i don't have much to say about the summoning /pos. it's a classic. i think the first song i listened to from sleep token.

I've been listening to it a little more recently. the whole thing is so good especially like the middle bit where it goes so hard and the guitar goes "bleep bloop" (i read from somewhere,, the blog name evades my memory), THEN transitions into the ethereal flowy bit before iii starts bassing the house down

OH AND MY LOVE, DID I MISTAKE YOU FOR A SIGN FROM GOD

i love listening to the drums in ST songs as well. this is one of those crispy delicious drum songs

Granite:

i sing this pretty angrily. "if you had a problem then you should have told me" etc etc yk?

after that part it's sooooo easy to vibe to because of that underlying melody, its so satisfying i listen to it over and over again

"abstract toxicity" ben says

has been in my on repeat playlist for a while now haha

Aqua Regia:

i'm such a nerd about aqua regia. the first verse goes hard. the second verse goes hard. it all goes hard without having to go musically hard.

BECAUSE THE LYRICISM IS SO GOOD. "between teeth on a broken jaw, following a blood trail, frothing at the maw" "putting down the roses, picking up the sword" "oxytocin running in the ether" JUST TO NAME A FEW

THE ENTIRE BRIDGE. THE ALARM BELLS LYRIC. yeah.

also on my on repeat

Vore:

it's like the "gods" of tmbte yk? (it's because he starts out screaming. and i love it.)

but after that like, "will we remain stuck in the throat of gods" onwards,, it has something to it that makes me want to cry.

"there is always something in the way, i wanna have you to myself for once" there's so much yearning

so good. i feel bad for ignoring vore for a while before tmbte came out bc it really is. so good

Ascensionism:

i like the "oh woahs" at the start of vessel rapping

"half of a rhythm, half deity, glitches in the cold or gaps in a strange dream" HIT ME IMMEDIATELY. I HAD TO PAUSE IT BECAUSE IT WENT SO HARD. because it is basically what vessel is. oh my

"make it real" he sounds so good singing this fml!!!

"lipstick, chemtrails" onwards is SO VIBEY like all the lyrics as well!! the blood references interest me!!

vessel whispering "diamonds in the trees, pentagrams in the night sky" gave me chills. in a gay way? yeah probably

I DO APPRECIATE HOW THE SONG IS 7 MINUTES!! LONG SONGS CHEF'S KISS

Are You Really Okay?:

i had many. many feelings about this one. it's still hard to put it into words right now

i said to my server, "im gonna start violently sobbing actually. bc its SO VERY CLEAR what it. hrgh"

it was a lot. cried, definitely. i bet it hits close to home for a lot of people.

also weird music moment i was like. noticing shdfkd i was like "damn they did this song in C major and I'm still crying" (or at least i think it's C major, it was so odd bc that's one of the brightest key signatures yk)

The Apparition:

gave me twinges of high water in emotion, but it's because i am projecting too heavily onto the first verse sdhfd

the instrumental after the first verse fucks.

the chorus as well!! the lyrics i keep talking about THE LYRICS on this one "let's make trouble in the dream world, hijack heaven with another memory"

i love the instrumental the whole time, again with that underlying melody

DYWTYLM:

THIS SONG MAKES ME SAD GO AWAY HDFSHDF

i read this descriptor on fake out by fall out boy, but i feel like this song is so "grit your teeth and smile"

"can you ever forgive yourself?" comes for my kneecaps.

"i cannot hope to give you what i cannot give myself" wrrrr shut up bro shut up D:

"smile back at me, please" SEE THIS SONG DOESNT GO TOO HARD MUSICALLY BUT THE LYRICS GO SOOOOOOO HARD

Rain:

the first song i listened to off the album! it is. not because it shares a title with a ghost member... i swear...

THE ENTIRE POST-CHORUS. "refracted in light, reflected in sound" really hit me the first time!!

i love how it gets INCREASINGLY HARDER

ben, to his discord server: "darling will you saturate?" 1. CALLBACK TO AQUA REGIA 2. saturate my [redacted] vessel

i listened to rain for an hour on repeat. it slaps so hard.

Take Me Back To Eden:

right off the bat, 8 MINUTES AND 20 SECONDS. AND ALL OF THEM ARE SO GOOD.

the first take me back to eden refrain when vessel does that high note. ascending.

i love the chorus so so much. i had so many feelings relating to the chorus. and the harmonies ohhhh my god.

"THE CHORUS KEY CHANGE MAKES ME LIKE SHAKE" "theres so many key changes im freaking out right now im going insane right now" "THE CHORUS IS SUNG 3 TIMES AND EVERY TIME ITS A DIFFERENT KEY IM GONNA LIKE CRY IM GONNA FUCKING CRY"

i had many feelings related to the key changes. the first time i experienced all three choruses i had to pause. hyperventilate for a bit.

"and i don't know what's got its teeth in me but I'm about to bite back in anger" very high water!!!! the mouth of infinity fr

WHEN I REALISED THAT NOT ONLY WAS THERE A LYRICAL CALLBACK TO CHOKEHOLD BUT THE INSTRUMENTAL AS WELL.

and the ending goes so hard i love it when vessel just starts screaming

clearly. my favourite. there's a lot of thoughts abt this.

Euclid:

the lyrics again. all so good. the night terrors. the yearning and reverence. this is my shit

the "call me when you get the chance" etc. initially i was like "this sounds so much like the night does not belong to god AND OH BOY! WAS I IN FOR A SURPRISE

"euclid is fucking insane,,, and they call back to their first ever ep AND their first ever lp and imlike hrgndnksfnrhsn" this was me before the ending right

when i heard "the whites of your eyes" my jaw dropped. i was overcome with emotion.

"THEY CALL BACK TO THE NIGHT DOES NOT BELONG TO GOD AND I ALMOST STARTED CRYING. THEIR FIRST ALBUM!!!!! oh god oh jesus"

every time i listen to it i feel like crying. I'm like gonna cry. it's so good. what a perfect ending.

good lord. what a trip this album was. thank you for reading i still have to recover from this hahahaha

[idiosinkrasies]

Comparing MatchaBlossom and the song Can't Take My Eyes Off You by Boys Town Gang

So gonna start this off by saying I've listened to this song for the past 45 minutes give or take, and have watched sk8 about 19 times all the way through so I have absolute authority when it comes to this (in other words: this is mostly fanon interpretation based on the idea that Joe and Cherry are in a romantic relationship in the current timeline)

Intro

We start the song with an iconic instrumental of piano and strings (keep those instruments in mind, they play a role later), that is led into a funky beat with drums and keyboard and bass. Throughout the song you hear the piano and strings as the base for the entire song. Now I'm choosing to interpret this as Joe (piano) and Cherry (strings) meeting and forming a friend group when they were young children.

Lyrics

The lyrics don't start until 1:28, so before this is what I'm calling the Before-Adam-Era (BAE) which is a time where Joe and Cherry don't have to hide behind metaphors and vague ideas and can just be open about themselves. But when the lyrics kick in, there's a distinct lack of strings at first, only piano playing over the words "You're just to good to be true, can't take my eyes off you..." etc, this is Joe speaking to himself about Cherry, realizing his romantic feelings about him.

In the next part we hear the strings come in, significantly louder than the piano, though the piano is still audible. This is when Cherry starts to fall for Adam, he's voicing his feelings for Adam to Adam, while Joe pines in the background. There are direct parallels between the lyrics and Cherry's actual thoughts of Adam during this time in the show.

"Pardon the way that I stare // There's nothing else to compare // The thought of you leaves me weak // There are no words left to speak." - Can't Take My Eyes Off You "Everyday felt like a festival. Everyone was enchanted by you. And you pulled us along. And we forgot about time." - Cherry, Sk8 Ep 9

Bridge

Next comes the iconic bridge that has no piano or stings. So what does that mean? I think that this part of the song switches away from matchablossom and instead focuses on Adam's obsession with finding his Eve and completely ruining his relationship with Cherry and Joe and fucking off to America.

Second Verse + Second Bridge

This verse starts out heavy on the strings, but very minimal and soft piano, which is the years that Joe spends in Italy while Cherry finally realizes his feelings for Joe. And when Joe returns from Italy, Cherry is finally ready to tell Joe about them, which he does during the second bridge which has a beautiful build up of strings until they're playing high and mighty which leads into a instrumental break that includes both piano and strings. This showcases their building relationship, though the piano is slightly more hesitant than the stings, it gets more confidence as they play together with the rest of the band.

Instrumental Bridge

Once the beginning of the instrumental fades into the bridge again (this time with no lyrics to accompany it) Joe and Cherry are well into something that toes the line between romantic and platonic, but when the bridge hits, that's the beginning of the show, and there's more of a focus on the strings from around 5:20-6:09 when there's yet another bridge (!) this time with lyrics again. The times that I pointed out though are significant because they represent the inner turmoil that Cherry was going through with the return of Adam and, subsequently, the grudge he held against him. The time after the strings cut out but before the lyrics come in is when Cherry is hit with Adam's skateboard and is hospitalized. But the lyrics then kick in with the same soft strings as the last lyric'd bridge, showcasing Cherry admitting that he wants to be with Joe.

Outro

The next thing you hear when the lyrics stop is the same "duet" between the piano and the strings, both of them strong and confident in their feelings and the relationship. Soon the other instruments fade and you're left with just the strings and piano playing alone together. But there's still so much passion in the playing and the way they sound together. And then you get just the piano playing for a second, which is like the scene at the end of episode 9 where Joe tells Cherry they're not alone because they have each other. And then there's a drum fill that leads us back into the grand and funky music that has been playing for most of the song before it fades out entirely.

All in all, I think this song perfectly sums up matchablossom's relationship with one another and their feelings (in fanon) thank you.

[perexcri]

44, 50, 71, 77, if you're still doing the book asks from a few days ago!!!

hello lovely it is never too late to get me to talk about books ever✨

(though only two of these have pics unlike my last asks, mostly because i borrowed the third one from a friend and the fourth one is not worthy of a picture <3)

44. your favourite fantasy novel

The Poppy War trilogy by R. F. Kuang!!

R. F. Kuang is one of my favorite writers of all time, and she absolutely won me over last year when i read this trilogy. i already went on and on about it in another ask, but basically, imagine 20th century Chinese history in a fantasy setting heavily influenced by folk religions told through the eyes of Mao Zedong if he was a girl. it's sooooooo so good, has one of the best and most flawed and nuanced female protagonists i've ever read, plus it's just interesting to learn from! Kuang is getting her PhD in Chinese lit right now and she has a Master's in Chinese Studies, on top of being the child of immigrants from China, so she's well-versed in the history and weaves a lot of depth into the story with relation to topics like colonialism, genocide, classism and sexism, and religion

50. a book that made you cry a LOT

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak!!

ok i'm actually lying because i don't remember actually crying about this book - in fact, i vividly remember being 13 and crying much more violently upon my first read of The Book Thief. here's the thing, though: there's a deep and personal sadness to this book that hit close enough to some of my own experiences that i haven't been able to read it since. i love Zusak's writing so much and this book was beautiful and heartbreaking and wonderful - and i will probably never read it again! i've reread books that made me cry before, but when one makes me feel this deep of an ache, i tend to avoid it, and this book hit just the right spot

71. your favourite LGBTQ+ fiction

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston!!

ok this is kinda sad but i actually haven't read a lot of books that are specifically focused on LGBTQ+ issues, identity, etc. i've read more books where background characters are incidentally queer ofc because when i was the prime ya target audience that was where things were at the time, but thankfully the times have changed!! now if only my tbr list would catch up to match them lol

i really enjoyed this book though specifically because of its setting: a tiny private Christian school in the Bible Belt. that's literally the kind of school i attended for almost my entire life, so it was so fun to get to see that setting transferred into fiction, especially from an author who also attended a tiny private Christian school in the Bible Belt. and because of the author's familiarity with the subject, they did a great job of showing the kind of layers that environment has, and that queer kids do grow up in those environments and how that effects them.

plus, this one was a fun read because it's just this fun mystery, and the opening quote is from Mr. Brightside. that alone is enough of a reason to read something tbh

77. a book so useless that you could use it as a coaster

i would argue literally any required reading i had to do in high school, but it's absolutely tied between Silas Marner by George Eliot and Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. i hate both of these books just as much as i did in high school because they are boring as hell, beat you over the head with their moralizing, and have the subtlety of a punch to the face with brass knuckles. hell, they aren't even worth being used as coasters. i think they'd ruin my mugs if i set them on them

and on that note, thank you so much for the ask!! i'm not scuttling over to your inbox to send some questions of my own heheheh 💜💜💜

[forathousanddays]

Closure in Moscow - First temple (REVIEW)

First Temple is the 2009 debut album of Aussie five-piece prog rock powerhouse Closure in Moscow, and a stunning introduction to their avant-garde sound, remaining untouched to this day. Produced by the titanic label Equal Vision Records (formerly Polyphia, Pierce The Veil, etc.) there was an expectation to uphold the standard set by their previous EP (self-proclaimed albumette,) The Penance and The Patience.

Closure in Moscow went to great lengths to pump out an equally impressive album, with a wide range of tracks and atmospheres. Their follow-up album Pink Lemonade is a far cry from the grounded surrealism of First Temple, but you can feel the trails their freshman release patted down first. They've got another one coming out October 25th, so keep your eyes peeled for that review when it comes out.

Track-by-track below the cut.

TRACK 1 - KIssing Cousins

No, I didn't mess up with the shift key, that's how it's stylized. The mix on this track feels a little too subdued, with the vocals and the instruments occupying the exact same space. It creates a crowded effect for the listening experience, in a way that detracts a little too much from the stellar performances on both ends. The background vocals come through way in the back, but that does come with a more surreal feel to it.

I'd like this a lot more if it was mixed better. 6/10

TRACK 2 - Reindeer Age

The tone is immediately different. The guitar has a curious synthetic twanging to it in the verses that still persists in the back of the mix during the chorus, making way for an incredibly fast-paced guitar. To this day, Reindeer Age remains the fastest track in their discography. Verse and chorus switch back and forth almost too fast to keep track of in a frantic crystallization of the experimental and esoteric sound of First Temple.

8/10, pay attention to the drums when you listen. They're definitely a highlight.

TRACK 3 - Sweet#hart

I really couldn't tell you why this is stylized the way it is. The lyrics are a vivid portrait of a very specific state of mind that's a little too complicated to convey in semi-formal prose. The chorus is incredibly strong, maybe the strongest on the album (or in their discography?) without detracting from the poignant verses. (I feel like I need to use that word more here.) The contrast between the instrumentation between the verses and the chorus is really something special.

Just as fun from start to finish. 10/10

TRACK 4 - Vanguard

This is First Temple's most traditional presentation of rock in its instruments and vocals, but most outlandish lyrics. Frontman Chris de Cinque has described Vanguard as "entirely too obtuse [...] an exercise in thesaurus masturbation," and I'm not inclined to disagree. I know with full confidence, however, that nobody is here for the lyrics. Vanguard has soaring guitar riffs from start to finish, and a palpable energy that permeates every line delivery.

Really, really cool. 9/10

TRACK 5 - A Night At The Spleen

Vanguard might have been a ten if it wasn't in between Sweet#hart and this. I can't in good faith count them as cut from the same cloth. A Night At The Spleen is a honeyed experience, wrought with thrumming riffs, cheeky soloes, and the timeless classic "boomer bend." There's an infectious energy running through it, even infused in the quiet tension of the bridge. Not even the silence is free of it; every rest feels like an intentional build to what comes next.

Perfect energy, a masterclass in momentum. 10/10

TRACK 6 - I'm A Ghost of Twilight

Again, the questionable mix rears it's head. The instruments and the vocals occupy the same space, and it takes away from both. That being said, this is a better execution than in Track 1, as it gives a little more room for de Cinque's more powerful vocals to make their own space. This has possibly the most decipherable lyrics o

n the album, and I'm thankful for it. I'm A Ghost of Twilight builds a powerful atmosphere in both it's sound and lyrics, with both augmenting each other.

It would've been easy to give these lyrics a slower, sadder song, but this was the better choice for sure. 8/10.

TRACK 7 - Permafrost

It wouldn't be a prog rock album without a couple very experimental tracks. Permafrost lives up to its name, with a cold and impenetrable haze over the mix. The lyrics are pretty grim, and de Cinque has gone on record calling it a separation for the two more distinct "acts" of the record. Allegedly super drunk recording the vocals, which I could probably guess.

5/10.

TRACK 8 - Deluge

Very refreshing, coming out of Permafrost. The mix is clear and properly arranged, with the vocals in front of the instruments and very clean layering. The pre-chorus belt is a great touch, especially next to the more delicate delivery on the chorus itself. Deluge is a lot of moving parts, and it would be lesser without any single one of them. The chorus lyrics are really profound (dare I say poignant?) and contrast with the more whimsical delivery. Closure's always been good at mixing whimsy with melancholy.

8/10.

TRACK 9 - Afterbirth

I really couldn't tell you what's going on with the instruments here. Logically, I know what I'm listening to is a guitar, but something about the tuning and key of it make it feel alien. de Cinque cites game show music as his inspiration for it sonically, and I can definitely see it. This is maybe the least decipherable the album has been so far, but "the hour of my echo is at hand" is a badass line. There's so much going on here, and I appreciate the cacophony.

The guitar in the back of the bridge is way too cool to be that quiet. 7/10.

TRACK 10 - Arecibo Message

Oh, good, the lyrics got even less decipherable! The sound is full and developed, with a completeness to it that says I don't really mind not being able to understand the lyrics. This is probably the most "First Temple" song on here, with a huge range of sounds and feelings behind it. As the last real rock song on the album, it's a fitting dismissal of the second "act" and a comfortable transition into the "epilogue." The chorus is a blast.

The key change into the last chorus really makes it. 8/10

TRACK 11 - Couldn't Let You Love Me

The acoustic shift here doesn't make this song any less full. Every inch of the mix feels occupied by something that needs to be there, and the steady guitar is very welcome. I'm impressed by the ability to set a bassline off an almost pizzicato-esque acoustic guitar.

6/10, still a fan though. Anything above a 5 isn't a bad song!

TRACK 12 - Had To Put It In The Soil

Had To Put It In The Soil is the most intimate and bare song on the album, lyrically. First Temple has been full of fits of real emotion obscured by cryptic and overcomplex lyrics, and our final track is the conscious effort to face that habit and push through it. It's really beautiful, surprisingly serious, exceedingly mature and most of all just poignant.

9/10, doesn't sound too stellar but it's really pretty.

RETROSPECTIVE

First Temple is an avant-garde exploration of a lot of complicated feelings and dynamics, in a generally energetic and digestible package. It's one of the prime examples I use for prog as a genre, with an incredibly forward-thinking style and range of sounds. Every track on the record feels like it fits the name of the genre perfectly, as a progression and test to the limits of what we understand as rock. The separation between the two distinct "acts" is a really nice touch, too.

9/10, even if it's largely indecipherable.

[brakingpoint]

this is so random but what are the chords you used for the movie demo? i've stumbled upon it and it's been stuck in my head for WEEKS and i need to know 🧎‍♂️🧎‍♂️(thankyousomuch)

YES ofc so in the key the demo is in it goes

verse: C / Am / F / Fm / C / Am / F / G

chorus: C / Am / F / G / Am / F / G

post chorus 1: C / Am / F / Fm

repeat verse & chorus

post chorus 2: C / Am / F / Fm / C / Am / F / G

bridge: Am / F / C / Am / G / Am / F / Fm

repeat chorus & post chorus 2

if you prefer a lower (tenor/low alto) key that's closer to what mr escalier des fleurs himself would probably sing it in, and what the song proper will be in if i ever get round to finishing the track, just knock the entire thing down a fourth (so for example the first verse would go G / Em / C / Cm etc etc)