#the montage… the i chose you instrumental…

[space-and-galaxies]

The Same Moon Now and Forever might be one of the best ash&pikachu episodes of the whole anime!

[watching-pictures-move]

Movie Review | The Killer (Woo, 1989)

I usually opt to watch classic Hong Kong action films in their original language whenever possible, but this time around I opted for the English dub, mostly because I'd seen the movie a bunch of times before and I thought it would be fun to hear all the samples used in Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, where excerpts from this film are used to create the album's emotional landscape, a gesture that John Woo was apparently moved by. English dubs of foreign films are not always the most graceful, but in this case, I think the bluntness of the English dialogue actually works because of the strength of feeling that runs through this. Emotion bursts out of this movie like an arterial wound, like a body flying through the air, like a dove taking off in flight, like a bullet from a gun. John Woo has a handful of movies that are credible contenders for the greatest action movies of all time. Which one is my favourite changes on any given day, but this one feels the most purely cinematic.

Woo is an admirer of Jean-Pierre Melville, whose Le Samourai arguably provides the inspiration for this movie. On a surface level, the movies couldn't be more different. Melville is a minimalist. Woo is a maximalist. Melville wrings suspense from stillness and patience. Woo gets his impact from movement, both of the camera and what he puts in front of it. Melville composes his frames with the precision of an architectural drawing. One imagines him bringing out his mathematical instruments to map out the clean and rigid lines. Woo creates his images like acts of violence. One imagines him throwing paint onto the canvas.

But like the heroes of Woo's film, they are perhaps not so far apart. Both films are about heroes conducting themselves with honour in unfavourable circumstances, Melville's sentiments informed by his experience in WWII, and Woo's informed by the political context of pre-handover Hong Kong. One imagines Woo doing like Danny Lee, putting on music and sitting in a chair until he achieved emotional oneness with Melville through the power of montage.

"I wish I could have a friend like you." "You will. In the next life."

(A final note: I do find it interesting that in a movie that gets so much of its impact from its use of colour that Chow Yun-Fat spends much of it wearing earth tones. I suspect Woo chose his wardrobe to recede in contrast, so that Chow's emoting would stand out even more.)

[oddygaul]

The End of Evangelion

I caught this when they did theater screenings back in March. It was a novel viewing experience - partly because I was watching it on the big screen with an audience for the first time, but mostly  because I just watched End of Evangelion, the singular movie, on its own for once. I’m pretty sure every other time I’ve watched it, it’s been the capstone to a watch of the rest of Evangelion, so it was cool to see it as a standalone work.

In a way, it made it much easier for me to focus on the movie’s themes and message, rather than getting lost in the weeds trying to puzzle out lore questions. By this point, if you’re watching End of Evangelion as part of the series, it’s likely your brain is absolutely buzzing with plot and worldbuilding questions, and you’re probably going to be spending a lot of the film’s runtime trying to figure out what the fuck is going on and attempting to make sense of all the wild shit you’re seeing.

This time, though, watching it a la carte as a degenerate who remembers all the gobbledygook, I was able to move past most of that and focus exclusively on the story in front of me. As the Black Moon was laid bare by Instrumentality, I nodded and thought to myself, “Yes, yes, the Black Moon, Lilith’s egg, the original vessel containing humanity’s Fruit of Wisdom and the origin of the Angel’s enmity with mankind - but let’s get back to Shinji’s burgeoning selfhood”. With all that table setting as a given, my brain was free to ponder other things, y’know?*

*I think the Rebuilds intentionally force this mindset on the viewer from 3.0 onward–not by plainly explaining things and making the lore crystal clear, mind you, but instead by constantly and unrelentingly dropping so many sci-fi-ass Proper Nouns and lore bullshit on the viewer that they’re forced to give up and acknowledge Those Aren���t the Important Bits Here, Focus on the Character Relationships, Bud

For example, the sandcastle scene has always been something I gloss over and forget about the moment it’s offscreen. There’s big-lipped EVA units forming themselves into the literal Tree of Life next door, how can I be expected to pay attention to a twelfth helping of metaphorical introspection?? 

This time, though, I realized it’s basically the thesis of the movie: it’s Shinji’s character arc and relationship to others in microcosm. It’s easy to understand that Shinij suffers from depression throughout Evangelion, but this scene spotlights his avoidant personality and the resentment he accumulates towards others particularly well. When his playmates leave him, his initial sadness transforms into rage at his abandonment, causing him to lash out and destroy everything they’ve built. In the end, though, knowing that his own image of himself is tied to how others perceive him, Shinji works to rebuild the sandcastle in an attempt to reconnect with those that left him.

This ties in pretty clearly to Third Impact - Shinji is given full control of the situation and has the power to tear the world down. While he initially wants to, fueled by the thoughts of those who’ve abandoned him, he finally decides to reach out and rebuild humanity. In doing so, he rejects his prior choices and takes a new, untested path*.

*In sharp contrast to Gendo. Some petty part of me still truly loves that amidst the montage of every character getting what they desire as they’re subsumed by LCL, Gendo gets this. To me, his treatment drives home the point that he represents a Shinji who’s never attempted growth, change, or connection.

This was also the first time in ages I’d watched End of Evangelion with the Japanese dub, and I dug it, despite this screening using the new, lifeless translations for the subs*. Some of Shinji’s screams are fucking iconic, and there’s a few parts where the direction is totally different from the dub - for example, I quite liked the heavy, labored breathing suffusing GNR’s scenes, compared to the creepy laughter they chose for the English track. And some distinctly Japanese language quirks work a lot better in Japanese (obvious) - Rei’s ‘tadaima’ to Lilith followed by the silent, eldritch ‘OKAERINASAI’ hits different.

*@ me all you want, the new translation’s unerring focus on precision vs. localization is stiff as hell and robs a lot of the characterization from the series. “I’m so fucked up” changed to “I’m the lowest of the low”... enough said

Still the wildest plot reveal we get in this movie is that Yui’s entire motivation for voluntarily abandoning everyone she knows and becoming Unit 01 is “fuck y’all I wanna be a big robot in space FOREVER”. Truly, genuinely batshit.

Man, what an inspired choice it is to have the NERV bridge crew narrate Third Impact. We see them call the play-by-play for every single emergency, so of course it would happen here as well, but hearing them get real in the weeds with all their instrument readings while we watch an incomprehensible biblical apocalypse unfold is fucking peak. Where were they during Second Impact, huh? Things would’ve been a lot clearer. Then again, what can their lil computer readout possibly be telling them, scientifically speaking, about the giant vagina-palmed angel god assembling the Clitoris of Souls?

—

shoutout to fully horizontal mid-hacking 90s anime girls. gotta be one of my favorite genders

Anyway, this time everything really felt like it made so much sense. End of Evangelion, nightmare scenario it’s ensconced in notwithstanding, feels throughout like a hopeful story about Shinji finally overcoming his own self-sabotage, deciding not to shut others out, and committing to seeking out human connection, even in a world where that may not be possible anymore.

Which just continues to make that ending scene absolutely vexing.

Despite this whole movie walking us step-by-step through the process of Shinji’s growth, despite all these scenes highlighting the change in his priorities and hopes, despite doing all it can to show us he’s changing, End of Evangelion ends with him strangling Asuka the moment he sees her.

I can spitball justifications for it, but none of them feel satisfying. Has Shinji been alone on this beach for weeks already (supported by the grave markers and Misato’s nailed-up necklace), fallen into solipsism, and attacks Asuka just to see if she’s real or if he’s still stuck in his own head? Was his takeaway from Instrumentality not a desire for connection, but in fact a realization that he can use power to get what he wants, and he’s strangling her as revenge for tormenting him? Does Shinji just suck, and immediately backslides at the first speed bump? Like even though he was prepared to try and allow others in despite the potential pain, he thinks no, not like that, not Asuka! and instantly gives up? That with everything that’s happened, Asuka couldn’t possibly forgive him, so this is his only path forward? Is the message ultimately “nah forget the rest of that shit, people can’t change, don’t open up to others” after all?

The moment honestly feels at odds with the rest of the movie - and really even the finale of the TV series as well, which, for all of its turbulent presentation, concludes with an optimistic resolution to Shinji’s inner turmoil. End of Evangelion is thematically building towards one conclusion the whole time, only to smash it away at the last moment. Because that single scene is so hard for me to nail down, I’m left with a sense of ambivalence towards the whole film. It’s hard for me not to imagine Anno as Shinji, knocking down his own sandcastle out of spite.

Maybe this is why he described the Rebuilds as ‘healing works’. Not because they’re radically different from NGE in tone and content, or taking some brand-new thematic approach - but because this time, he allowed the story to naturally reach the emotional conclusion it was building towards the whole time rather than rejecting it. Maybe the Rebuilds were Anno finally learning how to let others help him finish building his sandcastle.

[theminecraftbox]

A funky little angsty idea.

What if c!Dream genuinely didn't consider stake/ golden apples food after getting out, but looked at them more like tools, like his armor or weapons. After all he has been told for nearly a year that food is potatoes. That's his. That's what he eats. Nothing else. So when he said "No I don't have food" he in a sense meant it in both the "I don't have YOUR food and in the "I literally don't have food"-way. Food is potatoes. Not steak. Not golden apples. Not cakes.

Does this make sense ? Idk but it's been floating around in my brain and I've decided that you get to receive it.

/dsmp /rp

I actually have thoughts about Dream’s disordered relationship to food post-prison. :)

His relationship to food pre-prison is already… let’s say, distressing, seeing as he thought he’d be “fine with potatoes” for a not insignificant length of time. [man really said, hmm, let me treat myself like utter shit and see how it shakes out :)] That’s a degree of disregard to his own needs as a human being that goes well beyond pragmatism and into the realm of self-harm. It is also a form of control. Like his self-imposed rationing later on, it’s something that he designed and chose, in an environment where he has precious little choice and autonomy.

Sam starts using food as a tool to keep Dream in line starting in like, week two. Now, it’s not simply that Dream’s option of food is terrible—it’s being weaponized. It’s a carrot and a stick. The actions Dream takes now have an effect on how much he is fed. This will be continue to be true for the next ten months.

And it isn’t only that food is predictably taken away when he does something wrong. Dream doesn’t know exactly what criteria Sam uses when deciding whether or not Dream is fed. He doesn’t know when Sam might decide to leave him alone for days. Feeding is not regular. This leads to Dream hoarding food carefully, and starving himself in an attempt to ration what provisions he has (Sam: “you’ve been eating half meals?” Dream: “we don’t have food half the time!”)

A potato is referenced in Quackity’s torture montage, which implies that the starvation was a theme he leaned on too.

So that’s four distinct angles on Dream and food: 1) an existing, underlying tendency to deny himself and to find power in denying himself; 2) the linking of food to good behavior and starvation to bad behavior; 3) unpredictable and dire food insecurity; and 4) starvation as an instrument of active torture.

how do these four things manifest? There’s the control element: I think that Dream’s rationing/the fact that he chose the potatoes for himself gives him a feeling of power. He can find strength in the fact that he survived starvation rations for a year, that he had the wherewithal and intelligence and self-discipline to keep himself alive under those conditions.

There’s the element of sheer, dehumanizing misery: where he doesn’t expect anything else. Where sandwiches from Bad were a shock to his system in every single sense. Where Quackity’s mockery became ingrained: it was conditioning, association of food with punishment and food with power and food with pain.

And his body isn’t used to anything else, where too much food or food that’s too rich can make him sick. He’s horribly hungry but absolutely nothing smells appetizing. He eats to keep himself alive, there’s no pleasure in it.

There’s the insecurity about food: where he is obsessive about making sure he has steak and gapples on him, at all times. Where he has hidden stashes of food all over the server, just in case.

[riosnecktattoo]

Do you have any top 5 favorite songs from Good girls?

GOD such a killer question the GG soundtrack is everythinggggg to me I'm so totally normally obsessed with it (check out my Only The Bangers GG playlist 🔌)

BUT yes okay I will do this as fave songs and how they elevated the scene they were paired with. Cause that was SUCH a strength of the show, mostly in S1 and 2 and the back end of S4.

Easy (Switch Screens) by Son Lux, Lorde in 2x04 over Rio smashing the vette. The stuttering, scratching music that builds over the scene. The crescendo. The deep repetition of easy before Rio does not take it easy. The crash zoom in on Rio as the instruments go just as insane as him/the feeling that is created that everything has changed cause they fucked which it HAS. So fuckin iconic. The best closer of the entire show in my opinion.

Floor Seats by A$AP Ferg in 4x13. This really changed my brain chemistry. The fact that it was something Rio chose to play. The way you can hear the bass and then Rio is revealed and the growls in the song playing over him. The lyrics are literally you can’t ignore me. Fuckin inspired. The Floor Seats + Rio brainrot was and is intense.

Wild Heart by SPELLES in 1x10. The witchy dread of this song thrumming beneath the This stuff’s medieval, darlin’ speech. Fuck it’s just so perfect at amping up the suspense and it’s sexy and haunting in a way that feels so intensely Brio that it playing over the first gun face-off and then CUTTING TO BLACK on that amazing cliffhanger?!?!?! Name one person who doesn’t lose their mind at that. My best friend jumped off the sofa and shouted SEASON 2 NOW!

I Feel Like I’m Drowning by Two Feet in 1x10 over the opening montage. It’s so fuckin sexy and when the chorus hits/the guitar goes mad it makes me want to go feral.

Whole Life by Perfume Genius in 4x06. I literally can’t talk about it.

[marsthemusicfairie]

Son of a Sauce! - Salami Rose Joe Louis

Album Review - link to album attached   

      I recently discovered Salami Rose Joe Louis from their song ‘Nostalgic Montage’, and it was enough to get me curious about the rest of their discography. The style was right up my alley. Planetary scientist gone full time artist, and it’s very obvious.

Album cover- 8/10

Album rating- 8/10

     ‘Son of a Sauce!’ is Salami Rose Joe Louis’ debut album released in 2016. After listening to this album I’m left feeling wowed. I believe Salami produced the album, and I am really impressed. 45 minute, 26 track album filled with dynamics, space/galactic/psychedelic feels, interludes, mind-warps and dreamy, mysterious vocals. 

     The album fits perfectly with the blog because i have no idea how to categorize the genre of the album. It’s weird, it’s beautiful, it’s very interesting. Some lo-fi, alternative, experimental, bedroom, abstract, qualities. Why even try to describe it? The album is full of personality and fluidity. There are many songs on here I would love to listen to while tripping, on a night drive, in the woods, or honestly just in my bed completely in the dark. Or like cleaning. You will be stimulated and feeling like you’re a little alien on an adventure while listening to this. Very cool, one of my new favorite albums. 

     There were many times where I wondered if Salami was foreign because of the way she enunciated and phrased words, but upon research she’s from the Bay Area! Regardless, I love the way she sings because it adds a whole new layer of uniqueness to the tracks, and actually in many tracks the lyrics are very undistinguishable. There are a couple tracks where her vocals are not the forefront, but the production is, so her vocals will be low, quiet, and muted. Other tracks full of beautiful harmonies and clear, sweet vocals. I’m glad she chose to highlight her production in various tracks, because truly it is incredible and should be focused on. Very interesting artistic choices all throughout the album and Salami is a true artist. 

     My only note is towards the end I did get slightlyyy tired...only ever so slightly. That’s why I took off half a point. It just got a little redundant and slow especially with the piano ballads, even though it was still unique. I started to need a little more excitement. But, it picked back up around Gabush and Why Do You Care When Im Gone. 

Re-listen?- Definitely. I am right now, haha.

Favorite tracks- I Miss You So, Crawwee, Tell Meeee/Tell Meeee Again, Losing Sleep over the Cretaceous, Why Do You Care When I’m Gone

Skips- Trust, Lil Wednesday Idear, Evection Resonance, I Used to Think I Knew, To Take and to Wander

Notes made on favorite tracks 

*I Miss You So- love the guitar so much, voice is sooo enchanting and sweet but mysterious, simple lyrics but delicious. The break at 2:00 is everything, extremely fluid and moving, as well as the outro 

*Crawwee- the percussion immediately draws me attention, I love the sound of the gentle tapping and the clouded drums and and bass combo. so dreamy. her soft voice compliments it so well. The chorus vocals are so interesting. 

Tell Meeeee- the percussion on this song is new. this songs a little grimier but short and leads us into the next track quickly 

*Tell Meeeee Again- evolving instrumentals from the last track. lovely

*Losing Sleep over the Cretaceous- upbeat again, the time signature/timing on this is fascinating. All the sounds are slightly overwhelming at parts but in the best way. It’s just your brain trying to catch up with all that’s happening. The ending of the song is lovely. 

*Why Do You Care When Im Gone- dreamy, starry, upbeat. paints a dreamland in your mind. Absolutely adore her vocals here. Love how in her production she’s not afraid to use any sound. 

[akira-emberheart]

songs I'd like to assign to the glee kids (part I)

Note: I'm pretty well known for making playlists and more playlists, and ever since seeing this post by @cracktastic about assigning, for the 100th episode, the least expected song to the least expected character, I've found myself craving to hear specific characters sing specific songs.

(I've also started another separate list to add on to that post I mentioned, but that will be a post for another day)

So after going through my music library, I came up with a small list of songs for each character that I would love to hear them sing, for various reasons, which i'll do my best to explain.

This got really long really fast, because I like to get into meta and over analyze - I'm also just very passionate about music. For that reason, I'll do 5 songs at a time for a specific character, and I'll be putting a read more.

Also, please be gentle with me - I've watched Glee a year ago, and it's entirely possible I may be missing or confusing scenes and storylines in my head. If I do, let me know!

If you read this and find yourself thinking of songs and scenarios as well, do share them with me! I'm working on actual Spotify Playlists as well.

So let's get into it -

for Kurt Hummel

> Re: Stacks by Bon Iver

"This is not the sound of a new man

or crispy realization

It's the sound of the unlocking and the lift away

Your love will be

Safe with me"

This is probably one of my favorite songs ever, and I first thought about it for Kurt after realising how beautiful his voice would sound in it, because of its crystal clear and poised quality. (I liked it so much I included it in a scene on my fanfic too).

If you don't know Bon Iver, or the history of this song, it's the last track in an album full of more..."depressing" songs. It's also the one that has a throughout tone of hope, of recovery after a hard ordeal, of taking some first steps to a better place.

I imagine it would be a good song for him around the time he meets Blaine - when the Karovsky situation is nearly over, and he starts looking back on his school year - Burt's heart attack, the bullying - and, now with Blaine in his life, and a renewed self confidence, he's finally able to confidently step into a better phase of his life and heal from all he went through.

I see this one being sung in a quiet moment of reflection, when he's alone. Maybe in the choir room, or even outdoors in a nice garden. In my fanfic I wrote it in a different context, in Blaine's room at night, so I guess that works in my head too.

***

> Enchanted by Taylor Swift

"I'm wonderstruck

Blushing all the way home

I'll spend forever wondering if you knew

I was enchanted to meet you"

I'm very fascinated with Kurt's whole storyline in S2 - things start off so rough for him, but when Blaine comes along, and when Kurt is able to grow and shift more and assuming the person he really is, things start looking up. I chose this song for what it promises, and also because I can imagine it in Kurts lower singing register and it seems like a good one for him. Also, yes, I was a kid who owned Speak Now. Sue me.

This song is about first meeting someone very special, and that happens to be the beginning of Klaine. With the almost whispered lyrics, the slowly crescent ambiance and rhythm, it really encapsulates the feeling of everything stopping when you lay eyes in that one special person, and the flooding rush of emotions that happens right after.

Kurt had no idea how much an unsuspecting visit to a rival show coir school would change his life, even less in the midst of the situation he was in. It also seems fitting for Kurt and his early relationship with Blaine because of some specific lyrics ("This is me praying now / This was the very first page / Not where the storyline ends"). Enchanted tells the story of a special first meeting, and hints at something special to come, from the perspective of someone who is awestruck for someone.

Like the one above, this one would fit in early S2, possibly in EP6, after Kurt and Blaine's meeting at Dalton Academy. When he's back home, alone in his room, daydreaming, or when he's back at McKinley in that same afternoon.

***

> Gonna Get Over You by Sara Bareilles

"Oooh, how am I gonna get over you? I'll be alright, just not tonight But someday. Hey, I wish you'd want me to stay I'll be alright, just not tonight"

My main reason for choosing this one is because I think it fits very very well with Kurt's voice, and musical taste - its a very vibrant and poppy song, despite the more depressing theme - a post breakup promise of getting over it.

I first thought of it for S4, soon after the Breakup™, but paying close attention to the lyrics (I do tend to get stuck on just the melody sometimes), it makes more sense to place this on during the S6 Breakup - when Kurt finds out about Blaine dating Karovsky, after deciding he wants Blaine back.

So it's a hard situation for him, as we see from his breakdown in the bathroom (poor Kurt!), and he really has to come to terms with the mistakes he made (and the mistakes they both made as a couple), pick himself up, and move on.

I imagine this one being sung during an outing with Rachel, when she's trying to cheer him up and lift him up a little from his depression. My brain readily produces an image of a sunny street or a shopping mall that the two of them walk through, Kurt with some nice vivid colored clothes, finally being able to smile and ready to perhaps start moving on, or at least ready to start considering he will be okay.

***

> Killer Queen by Queen

"She keeps her Moet et Chandon

In her pretty cabinet

"Let them eat cake", she says

Just like Marie Antoinette"

This song just reminds me of Kurt. It's one of my all time favorites from Queen, and ever since watching Glee, these two are just connected in my mind. Voice wise, Kurt could definitely handle it.

It's apparently about a "high class prostitute"(? Freddie's word's, not mine), but still paints a pretty and dainty picture, and you can almost picture a porcelain faced lady in her best clothes, delicately smoking a cigarette. It also contains words that probably only Kurt can pronounce out of everyone in the glee club.

Many Queen songs were sung on Glee, but I don't think there was ever a Queen episode. For this one, I suggest a headcanon scenario, maybe during S3, when Mr. Shuester decides to have a Queen week - and Kurt isn't known for going with the obvious choices. He wants to be classy, edgy and impressive, and he sings in front of everyone, half in the choir room, half in the auditorium, perhaps with some fancy decoration and dancers behind him.

***

> The Answer by Kodaline

"You might think you found the one

Until your heart gets ripped and torn

Yeah, I used to feel bad, I used to feel like that

I still feel a bit like that"

This is another one that I picked immediately solely based on Kurt's voice - I really do like his voice with just a quiet, discrete instrumental. Looking into it further, I decided it could really work for Kurt's character.

I didn't go very deep into the intended meaning of the song, because it definitely has space for different interpretations. I choose to go with the breakup one. These lyrics here reminded me a little of the S4 breakup storyline - "We all fall down from the highest clouds / to the lowest ground" - makes me think how well Kurt's life was going once he arrived in New York, with the internship, his apartment situation with Rachel, a new and exciting place where he could freely be himself... and then he's completely blindsided by Blaine's cheating. He goes from being ecstatic and excited at Blaine's appearance, looking forward to share with him all the great things he just discovered, when Blaine's confession sends him to a well of despair, doubt and loneliness. The lyrics "You might think you found the one / until your heart gets ripped and torn" - reinforce the whole situation.

I can see him singing this not long after the breakup, on one more sleepless night, maybe walking alone through the streets of New York, or maybe in a montage of his busy daily routine, while he just gets through the day with a whole lot of emptiness weighing on his chest.

[birthdaysentiment]

The music in wtFOCK season 3 - Song #5

Zaterdag 08.44 // "Rebel, Rebel" - David Bowie

And he's finally here! After two weeks we finally got to see Sander, to meet him and so did Robbe. The first two weeks of season 3 was so different from what I had imagined. I remember watching the Friday clip in episode 1, desperately waiting for Sander to show up, because I thought that wtFOCK wouldn't let us wait for that long to meet him. But I was wrong, because Sander made his first appearance in episode 3, clip 2. Okay, we saw some glimpse of him a couple of times, but it was at the beach house, that everything changed.

I remember October 26th as it was yesterday. When I woke up that day, I had no idea, that Robbe would meet Sander, or that they would spend the morning together, going shopping, like it was the most normal thing to do, when you just meet someone new. But as we see in the clip, Robbe is totally fascinated, intrigued by Sander, so how could Robbe had said no, when Sander asked if he wanted to come with him.

This clip was not just the one where Robbe and Sander hung out for the first time alone, it was also in this clip that Sander revealed his love for David Bowie, and in that same moment the whole fandom instantly became a fan of him as well. David Bowie didn't just play a huge role in this clip or in season 3, but also during wtFOCKDOWN and in the hiatus before it. And that just shows the importance of him and his songs, and this one is definitely no exception.

While they're in the supermarket, the instrumental part of the song begins to play in the background, and as Sander is leaning his head back to feel the rhythm, we all know that the song means something special. Sander passionately talks about David Bowie and lists some of his songs for Robbe, who just looks at him even more captivated, even fascinated. Robbe is thinking to himself, who is this boy, and what is he doing to me?

For two weeks now, we have seen up close how Robbe has been pretending to be someone else, how he has been supressing his feelings for so long, even before he met Noor at that party. But Sander changed all of that and Robbe finally started to feel something real when he met Sander, and just then, he let himself not pretend for a moment.

I don't even know where to begin with this song, because it's another personal favourite of mine. This time it's not just because of the lyrics alone, but also the way wtFOCK used it, especially in terms of the editing, which was on point, while the song was playing in the background.

Rebel Rebel, you've torn your dress

Rebel Rebel, your face is a mess

Rebel Rebel, how could they know?

Hot tramp, I love you so (don't ya?)

The lyrics are not that long, the text above is just one of the paragraphs that keeps playing over and over again, while an instrumental part can be heard in between. The guitar riff is what makes this song special, and it was also that sound, that made Sander stop his movements so he could close his eyes and just feel the beat. I think wtFOCK made a wise choice with this song. David Bowie has a long catalogue of songs, and I don't know enough of them, to come with my take on why they chose this particular one. But you can't deny how much it adds to the scene, especially in terms of rhythm.

The song really gets a chance to shine when we see a little montage of Robbe and Sander in the supermarket, taking different things of the shelfs, them playing with the cart, them just having fun and laughing. This moment must have felt so special to Sander, because after two weeks he finally got a chance to spend some time with Robbe, to see if what he was feeling was true, and if Robbe might felt the same way.

When Sander heard Bowie playing in the background, he knew we has right. It almost felt like the song was a sign, that the universe was trying to tell Sander something, that Bowie has with him. And to have Robbe look at him with wonder, while he was talking about Bowie, must have made the moment even more special. Because Robbe didn't see Sander's love for Bowie as an obsession, he only saw the passion and the admiration. 

But the most memorable moment for me, was the part where Sander is spinning Robbe around on the shopping cart. Robbe looked so happy, a bit uncertain at one point, but that feeling was covered with a huge smile and adorable laughs. The song is no longer a background noise. Sander is singing along and just before David Bowie sings the last line of the paragraph above, the camera goes into slow-motion as it focuses on Robbe.

And just when Bowie sings "hot tramp, I love you so" the attention switches to Sander, like it's Robbe who says that line. Because in that moment Robbe felt something, that he hadn't felt before. Being in that situation with Sander felt real, it almost felt right, because he was finally starting to feel something more.

I do believe that the editing in this scene was intentional, and maybe that's why they chose the song in the first place, because it fits perfectly with the flow of the scene. Watching that first hang-out between Robbe and Sander felt so exciting, just like the song does, and I can't help but get a huge smile on my face whenever I listen to it. It will forever be a song that I connect with Robbe and Sander and that particular scene.

I will always be grateful for wtFOCK choosing to make Sander listen to David Bowie, because that inspired them to use more of his songs in season 3, and they actually chose to use them in scenes, that were in some way important for the storyline. Because Sander's love for Bowie is a huge part of his life, just take a look at his Instagram, where he often uses lyrics from his songs as a way to express himself. Bowie is so versatile, his songs fits every mood - the beautiful and the heartbreaking ones, and I think that's why wtFOCK picked him in the first place, and because Sander sees some of himself in Bowie as well. Sander made me fall in love with David Bowie, and I don't think, that I'm the only one.

[found--family]

@ Blue Heart Nonny in my inbox (yes, i can answer your ask without posting it. no worries 💙) 

here are the cliff-notes for everyone else: 

there ARE Bronly blogs that are unhappy with Dean's ending because it wasn't fulfilling/he didn't get happiness/was killed off/the narrative undid years worth of character growth 

those same blogs as well as others think Sam's ending was lacklustre 

okay. so because i don't interact with such blogs i wasn't aware of this, but after a quick inspection thanks to Nonny, i find that it's true. 

I'm not surprised, exactly. most of the Bronly blogs I've come across over the years have been vocal about Dean as an individual, a character who deserves his own narrative journey separate from Sam as well as Cas (of course 99% of them were anti-Cas so ofc i skiddadled out of there). And Sam Stans wanted a happy ending (domestic or otherwise) for him, one that's full of sunshine and smiles and yes, Found Family (the members of which do change from blog to blog). 

all ships and Cas-hate aside, it was reassuring to see these bloggers recognise the endgame narrative as lacking, regressive, depressing and OOC for both Sam and Dean. 

they didn't like the ending. 

*cue solidarity meme* 

this is important to note because what makes this fandom so special is our love for these characters and the complexity of the characters themselves (as has been mentioned on a fair few reaction posts already). we all want them to be happy, but we also want their journey not to have been for naught, we want their individual endings and the narrative as a whole to make sense because we've been with them through all of their struggles to learn and grow and try to find some peace and their own sense of purpose and meaning. 

what I'm trying to say, is that while I'm a Destiel shipper I am first and foremost a fan of the characters - Dean and Cas, and Sam and Jack and all members of the collective Found Family the boys have met and embraced along the way. 

I've shared a LOT of anti-Bronly content over the past 24hrs, but i'm not just angry that the bros-only ending pushed Cas and Destiel out of the narrative, I'm angry because that ending also did a disservice to these beloved characters as individuals. it brought back the toxic codependency after 15 seasons of the brothers fighting to be their own people, to be in each other's lives but not have their happiness dependant solely on each other. 

*

Dean didn't get to live his own life and he died laughably, pitifully. His Heaven wasn't even his own and he ended up right back where he started: on a roadtrip to nowhere, alone. And in the end (Heaven) Dean was denied being allowed to embrace the self-love he'd learned on his journey and discover a life of his own and happiness that he deserved, /before/ reuniting with Sam. Sam got a liftime, Dean deserved the same, especially considering Dean's the one who never really believed that he deserved such a thing (but was recently convinced he was worth saving, worth happiness, worthy of giving and receiving love - yes, thanks largely to Cas) and canon chose to hammer home that idea like the nail in Dean's back, like the blunt little instrument Dean thought he was (but isn't). 

Sam's domestic montage was lacking substance and emotion and the overall vibe was wholly depressing, sending the message that he couldn't live a happy life without his brother when we know he has managed that/wanted that through the seasons. It was like he was just going through the motions for Dean's sake until they could be reunited by death. 

Frankly, Sam's montage would've been a LOT more heart-warming if his Found Family was present, or at least if Eileen was his wife (we still don't know) and they shared smiles/kisses/dancing in the living room. Maybe the Found Family thing was Covid, but for Eileen i call bullshit on the account of Jenny's presence and the fact that Shoshannah is also one person, not a bridge-full. Worst case scenario they could've shot her scenes separate and blended them with body doubles etc. Hell, i would've accepted a video call presence as a last resort. It would've made for an ending I was emotionally connected to. Instead we got strangers, a swiss-cheese life (missing pieces), and a depressing oldman!Sam. I could've bought the oldman!Sam dying after a long full life - but the montage left me (and Sam) unsatisfied with that Life. I mean, 15 years worth of content took.. 15 years to go through and emotionally invest in, so you really have to bring your A game to condense 50-odd years into a minute or two - and they didn't. That was some C-minus bullshit. 

And then there's the Heaven thing.

Sam pretty much shows up in Heaven right after Dean dies. I reiterate, Dean didn't get to live his own Life nor his own Afterlife. Sam had the chance at a Life, and Dean could've easily had his own Afterlife if the writers had allowed it: a montage of Dean fishing in Heaven, sharing drinks with Bobby, Miracle the dog showing up, Dean working or karaokeung in the Roadhouse (an improvement on the Rocky's bar fantasy) Dean experiencing all kinds of happy and domestic things - and it should've been with Found Family, but again if Covid is to blame there were ways to work around that with blurred background people and body doubles and voices off-screen. 

Instead, Dean's individual storyline is erased as he's reduced to a footnote in Sam's afterlife. No happiness in life and no meaningful afterlife he can call his own. Sam's family will eventually join him in Heaven, but Dean is left lacking in friendships as well as a romantic partner. The real Sam's heart would've broken at that, and the real Dean would've been unhappy and would've sought out people and meaningful relationships (again, Found Family). 

BTW: i saw mention that the lack of Found Family in Heaven is because they're not dead yet.. *cough* let's recap some dead loved ones who could've made an appearance shall we: Jo, Ash, Ellen, Rufus + Mary + John (all mentioned but none shown), Pamela, Kevin, Adam, OG!Charlie, Missouri.. hell, even Henry or Ketch or Frank.. i would've been overjoyed at seeing Cassie again, because we don't know who's dead or not. Krissy, Cesar, Jesse - they could've died, especially since in the time it took for Dean to take his little roadtrip, Sam lived 50-odd years on earth. So, if we're going by canon's timey-wimey rules they could've easily brought back any Found Family member they wanted. 

but, again, we got random vamp Jenny.

simply put, Covid is not to blame and there were many simple tweaks that could've made the finally on some level. instead the characters and the audience are left devastated and wanting. 

i know we don't see heart-to-heart on shipping matters, but even Destiel shippers and Bronlies can agree Sam and Dean didn't get the happy, satisfying endings their characters and 15 years worth of narrative deserved. 

* note: Bronlies (not Bibros) are invited to share their thoughts on this post about Sam and Dean's individual endings, but please avoid negative Destiel talk, negative Cas talk, and any wincest talk. 

[jess-ectip]

Inspiration & Precedents - Damien Hirst and Mark Jenkins

We worked in such an interesting manner. We’d ideate whilst simultaneously finding further inspiration on artists and knowledge on how to execute our visions. In this blog post i will be looking deeply into two very influential artists in regards to our project as well as a few artists that inspired me.

Artist 1: DAMIEN HIRST

As the video states “when artists make things in the 21st century, it’s open to interpretation” and “A work of Art is completed by the Viewer” Marcel Duchamp’s. I internalised this as art doesn’t have “to do what it says on the tin”. In other words, art is always open to interpretation. 

As the artist it is our job to create a quality artefact, but how it is perceived is somewhat out of our control. I loved this most about his work. Hirst would create the striking pieces which -despite their simplicity- would captivate the viewer and evoke a range of emotions (mostly intrigue). 

Our Take-away

Hirsts understanding of life and death was his key to creating artwork as “life is not about the thought of living but just to live so you can produce your own outcomes”. He specialised int he human body as well as other biological specimens and created models of their bodies to allow people to explore and come to their own understandings. This was the kickstarter to our project as it inspired us to explore the art of sculpture and exhibition.

Mark Jenkins tape sculptures

Mark Jenkins is a sculptor and installation artist whose work focuses greatly on urban & social themes, re-defining the limits of sculpture both in the public sphere and an art gallery setting.

“The foundation of his artwork is in the artist’s specific technique, casting objects as well as his own body (and those of others) using conventional packing tape and plastic wrap. Encompassing the actual form of these subjects with his method, he has materialised a range of characters, from translucent ducks, dogs and babies, to his most well-known clothed hyper-realistic figures”.

VITALS Born: 1970 in Fairfax, Virginia Education: Degree in Geology from Virginia Tech Current Location: Washington DC

Mark Jenkins inspired me because through his art installations, to my understanding he crosses boundaries by re-defining the limits of what “immersion” can be. I believe his pieces invoke strong reactions from his unsuspecting audience and just like we intend to achieve, “the artist chooses to have the pieces speak for themselves”. As well as this, the artist operates skilfully in the tape medium we plan on using and he can therefore provide some insight into how he creates his sculptures, why he chose to work in that medium and how people react to his sculptures.

Artist inspo montage:

I have only highlighted two artists in this blog post, but this does not take away from the many artists we looked at and conducted research on when piecing together our final artefact. I will briefly highlight some of the things we took away from these artists.

Miriam Medrez - Vestidos Invertidos: This artist really inspired us as she created some really beautiful fashion sculptures and displayed them in a ‘split’ manner that resembled those of Damien hirst. This taught us that the concept of splitting items in half was not limited to being only effective with shock factor (such as Damien hirsts’ formaldehyde sculptures). The artists use of fabrics, sculptural structures and threads were truly instrumental in inspiring us to incorporate fabrics also.

Leonardo Da Vinci & Michaelangelo

I Referenced to both these artists anatomy/body sketches in the initial ideas phase. Their drawing techniques really showed me how simple it was to draw the human form. These sketches could be achieved through form, depth and tones. 

Video tutorials and tips

Videos, such as the two embedded above, really helped in showing us how to create our prototype body casts by demonstrating the techniques and materials needed to do so (more info can be found about how i applied this knowledge in my Experimenting blog post).

This page also helped in the process https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Make-a-Human-Tape-Sculpture/

[matthias-songbook]

En sueur - la chronique track-by-track de “The New Abnormal”, le nouvel album des Strokes

Ils l’ont fait. Et franchement, on était à deux doigts de jeter l’éponge. Mais qu’on se rassure : beau, profond, nostalgique jusqu’à la mélancolie, aventureux, produit au rasoir, le sixième album des Strokes, supervisé par Rick Rubin, est une réussite.

Alors qu’en 2001, les cinq kids de New York se demandaient “Is This It” sur un premier album en forme de pierre angulaire, difficile de ne pas déceler une certaine ironie de circonstance lorsque, près de vingt ans plus tard, les désormais darons de leur état tentent de nous plonger dans “The New Abnormal”. Car ça y est, on peut le dire, nous voilà à l’orée d’un bouleversement de nos normes à l’échelle mondiale, tandis que 2020 devient le théâtre d’une pandémie historique. Drôle de période pour effectuer un retour inespéré : quand les Strokes reviennent, sept ans après le fantomatique (mais pas inintéressant) Comedown Machine, c’est forcément un événement prophétique, l’annonce d’un changement majeur. Un nouveau chapitre qui assume à 200% une certaine gueule de bois post rock (l’ère, pas le genre), réveil difficile en peignoir et lunettes de soleil après la grande fête des années 2000, et le passage à vide de la décennie suivante.

Ici s’arrête le couplet déjà écrit et déjà lu des dizaines de fois sur la symbolique The Strokes, celle qui leur a aussi bien valu le succès d’estime que ses excès (l’expression “sauveurs du rock”, totalement absurde), faisant voler en éclats une amitié pourtant fondatrice du projet. Après un EP (Future Present Past, 2016) en forme de réunion des anciens, entre excitation et moments de gêne, et après avoir fait traîner les rumeurs sur des mois (pour ne pas dire des années), les Strokes sont donc bel et bien de retour avec The New Abnormal. Produit par Rick Rubin et enregistré dans ses fameux studios Shangri-La à Malibu (une première pour ces New-Yorkais de sang), l’album révèle des trésors d’aventure, de tentatives plus ou moins réussies, et surtout une science du riff intacte, un sixième sens mélodique dont peu (les jaloux diront “aucun”) de leurs contemporains peuvent se targuer.

D’une clarté quasi-absolue, suffisamment hétéroclite pour permettre à Julian, Nick, Albert, Fab et Nikolai de retrouver un goût du jeu miraculé après tant d’années de fatigue et de désintérêt, le travail de Rubin se révèle remarquable, malgré un CV qui en impose autant qu’il peut inquiéter. Aucun doute, les Strokes en doivent une belle au gourou de Def Jam, qui leur laisse ici un terrain de jeu vierge et tout-à-fait stimulant ; le disque est gorgé de fausses pistes, de moments de rigolade entre les musiciens, terreau manifeste pour les errances lyriques d’un Julian Casablancas en forme.

1. The Adults Are Talking

On peut reprocher beaucoup de choses aux Strokes, mais impossible de les prendre à défaut sur l’entame d’un album. D’”Is This It” à “Tap Out” en passant par “What Ever Happened”, “You Only Live Once” et “Machu Picchu”, le groupe a toujours su mettre un bon coup de kick sur la ligne de départ. Si la production, cristalline, peut dérouter ceux qui avaient découvert le morceau en live (le premier jamais dévoilé, également joué avec les Voidz, l’autre groupe timbré de Casablancas), avec une voix au plus près des oreilles, “The Adults Are Talking” ne déroge pas à la règle avec son riff imparable, son montage de guitares inimitable auxquels s’ajoute un chant plein de douceur. Morceau définitif du retour, adressé comme une remontrance un brin paternaliste à tous les groupes qui leur emboîtèrent le pas, cette entrée en matière est une réussite.

2. Selfless

Un curieux écho aux morceaux oubliés de First Impressions of Earth (les fameuses “pistes en trop” qui rendait le disque trop long à leurs yeux), qui nous rappelle que le groupe raconte aussi une époque plus troublée que jamais, ici en total minimalisme.  Les Strokes ont le spleen, et malheureusement on a le seum aussi.

3. Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus

Servi sur une intro que d’aucuns qualifieront d’osée, “Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus” fait partie des morceaux les plus ludiques de l’album, tant pour son parti pris instrumental que dans les paroles de Casablancas, qui n’hésite pas à sortir la carte méta dans l’évocation explicite du pont et du refrain. Plus joueurs que jamais, les Strokes en profitent pour signer un de leurs refrains les plus catchy de mémoire d’homme - un détail qui manquait cruellement à Comedown Machine.

4. Bad Decisions

Avec “Bad Decisions”, les Strokes délivrent l’anti-”At the Door” absolu, réponse directe aux frileux qui pensent encore que les envolées synthétiques n’ont rien à faire dans la musique des New-Yorkais - de quoi faire sourire quand on se souvient de “12:51″ et de sa guitare en trompe-l’œil. Résultat : un morceau plein de chorus, un peu tiédasse, qui a le mérite de laisser filtrer quelques rayons de soleil dans la musique toujours un peu brumeuse du groupe. En outre, personne ici ne reniera la paternité de Billy Idol, crédité pour l’occasion.

5. Eternal Summer

C’est en plein milieu de The New Abnormal que se trouve son vibrant et étrange point névralgique, “Eternal Summer”, co-écrit avec les frères Butler - ceux des Psychedelic Furs, pas d’Arcade Fire. En résulte un étonnant morceau en deux temps, s’entamant sur un slow-disco ronflant que n’aurait pas renié La Roux. Casablancas y déploie un étonnant chant androgyne, mettant à profit ses fameux talents falsetto, fruit de sa collaboration avec les Daft Punk - une expérience qui l’aura définitivement marqué. L’autre versant du morceau ressemble à une morale assénée à coups de marteau façon Midnight Oil. Probablement le titre le plus aventureux de l’album.

6. At the Door

Drôle d’idée que d’officialiser un retour attendu avec un tel contrepied. Petit suicide promotionnel rempli de beauté, “At the Door”, morceau quasi-intégralement synthétique (il y a bien une guitare timide sur le refrain, mais rien qui puisse rassurer les ayatollahs du rock à papa), se rappelle au bon souvenir des thématiques chères aux New-Yorkais, une de leurs plus belles qualités : la mélancolie, brute par les paroles, induite par la mélodie. En ce sens, “At the Door” s’affiche comme un écho rétro-futuriste et déçu de “Someday”, cette ode à l’amitié remplie de nostalgie - un sentiment déjà vivement éprouvé par Casablancas aux tout débuts du groupe.

7. Why Are Sundays So Depressing

Avec son entame façon “Billie Jean” et sa promesse pas vraiment joyeuse, “Why Are Sundays So Depressing” suinte de tous ses pores Shangri-La et le soleil californien - celui qui écrase de chaleur, mais qu’on trouve bien trop cool pour lui envisager un coin d’ombre hors de propos. Albert Hammond Jr y retrouve sa gymnastique mélodique aiguisée, Nick Valensi son cool naturel, pour une des lignes les plus marquantes du disque. Mention spéciale à ce refrain aux yeux embués, qui évoque “Dare I Care” (un des meilleurs morceaux des Voidz).

8. Not the Same Anymore

Rappelant tour à tour “Under Control” et “You Talk Way Too Much” (deux morceaux de Room On Fire), “Not the Same Anymore” en appelle aux influences les plus insoupçonnées de Casablancas, laissant une emprunte soul à des couplets qui auraient certainement plu à Nina Simone.

9. Ode to the Mets

Autre morceau dévoilé sur sc��ne en amont de toute annonce, “Ode to the Mets” sonne comme un dernier morceau - d’album, mais aussi de carrière. Derrière cet hommage attendu à l’autre équipe de baseball de New York, le groupe délivre peut-être un de ses plus beaux refrains, scandé par un Julian Casablancas au sommet de son art, tout en puissance sur une montée vertigineuse. La dernière minute et demi, en forme d’ultime adieu à une époque où le rock pouvait encore “être sauvé” (quoi que cela veuille dire aujourd’hui), où les potes n’avaient pas d’enfants et buvaient des mélanges douteux dans des gobelets en plastique, doit nécessairement s’écouter à la fenêtre d’un appart fraîchement loué, cartons apparents, à l’orée d’une nouvelle vie, au terme d’une autre.

[stevenuniversallyreviews]

Bismuth

Steven Universe is a show about solving problems with healthy communication instead of violence. It’s also a show so centered around fighting that our main characters have signature weapons that act as literal extensions of themselves. 

Not every episode has an action sequence, and not every action sequence is a fight, but this series is no stranger to glamorizing combat. For all its talk about how true strength means more than physical might, the use of physical might to hurt others isn’t always frowned upon, even by our peaceful hero. To compensate for this dissonance, fights that would normally leave fatal wounds instead end in a process so harmless that they called it “poofing.” 

Our ninety-eighth episode begins not with a title card, but a dramatic-looking scene that’s soon revealed to have no stakes, capped with Steven bemoaning that “dying a bunch in video games is emotionally exhausting.” The temporary nature of death is ingrained in his life—his very existence involved his mother not quite dying, but becoming half of him—and while the show at this point has acknowledged that violence can scar the body and soul, the only permanent consequences we’ve seen precede Steven’s existence. Shattering, the Cluster, and Corruption are ancient history, and were actions taken by the villains our heroes rebelled against. We’ve never had to deal with the moral implications of ending a life, and because this is a kid’s show there’s a chance we never would have, because the game isn’t quite as fun once permanent consequences are in play.

After a comedic foray into Lion’s mane, Steven pops a mysterious bubble we saw all the way back in Lion 3, flies back into his room, and shouts that he’s made a horrible mistake. And after the initial reaction from the other Crystal Gems, we linger in the room to get one last message from his television screen before he jumps back in:

Game Over.

“We are the Crystal Gems!”

I love everything about the title reveal of this episode. I love that we have to wait for it, so we’re forced to pay extra attention when it arrives. I love the not-quite-still shot of our two leads sizing each other up as the name of our episode and new character slowly fades in. And I love the chill but chilling music that sets the stage for the life-changing story ahead of our hero. 

Aivi and Surasshu give characters distinct instrumentation, Peter and the Wolf style, but folks like Rose, Greg, Connie, Lapis, Peridot, and even Lion also have distinct motifs (sometimes a few, in the case of Rose and Lapis) using these instruments. The four main Crystal Gems are unique in that they’re defined mainly by their sound: Garnet is the bass holding everything together, Amethyst is the drumkit keeping up the tempo, Pearl is the piano accompanying others, and Steven subs out a traditional main instrument for chiptunes (many people have pointed this out, but I think this video does the best job of exploring it). Garnet as a concept eventually gets a motif that largely appears when fusion is involved, but the principle of associating these four main characters primarily through instruments holds true throughout the series.

Bismuth is a Crystal Gem, too. And whether it’s intentional or not, I love that this is shown by her lack of a distinct theme song, leaving her represented by her instrument in the same way as our big four. And the instrument we get for a heavy metal stuck in the past is a reverse electric guitar.

On the subject of sound, we just started and I've already waited too long to talk about Uzo Aduba. Bismuth is beautifully animated and has a stunning design, and the extra large crew for this two-parter did wonders on her facial expressions and body language to breathe life into the character, but all of it would've fallen short without a magnificent voice actor tying it together. This is a complicated and ambiguous figure, who laughs hard and burns hot but knows how to keep quiet, and Aduba hits every emotional beat with ease. 

Aduba is especially talented in humanizing Bismuth’s rage, balancing loud shouts with twinges of sadness and jolly war stories with drops of venom. Her monologue in the Forge is one of many examples of Aduba’s greatness: after building up fervent momentum as she works with burning lava, she lowers her voice to a triumphant but menacing whisper when revealing that she chose to create weaponry. Aduba made a splash by finding a real person in a character reduced to the nickname “Crazy Eyes” on Orange is the New Black, and while Bismuth might not be as extreme of a role, she’s made great by an actress who refuses to dumb down angry women.

Bismuth is a zealot, but why wouldn’t she be? She faced the same oppression that drove the other Crystal Gems to rebel, and is mentally right in the thick of it while Garnet and Pearl have had thousands of years to move on. The leader that inspired and encouraged her to build weapons not only refused to use the Breaking Point, but fought her, bubbled her, and lied about it. We see it in Bismuth’s face the moment Rose is first mentioned around her, and even though this could be read as concern over her leader’s whereabouts, our knowledge that Rose’s version of events clashes with Bismuth’s hiding place sets off early warning bells. 

Bismuth’s wordplay here is perfect for a character who often means multiple things at once: “Rose really is something else” works as a commentary on how strange Rose was, as a reference to her physically becoming something else, and as another hint of Bismuth’s true feelings about her leader’s betrayal. Her clever use of language soon becomes ingrained as a character trait: we obviously get the triple pun on her name (not three puns, but the same pun three times), but I’m a bigger sucker for the phrase “upper crust” playing off her disdain of Gem elites with geological terminology. It’s great to see such cleverness when characters with massive frames and aggressive attitudes are so rarely graced with wit.

Bismuth is angry, but she’s more than her anger. It’s balanced by (and caused by) her huge heart. She gets along famously with Garnet and Pearl, and cares deeply for her fallen friends, but she’s just as warm with Amethyst and Steven. An underrated element of Bismuth is that it doesn’t forget that Amethyst is in the middle of a major arc: even though she’s not the focus of the episode, she’s still reeling from her fight with Jasper and is uncomfortable around another huge interloper in her life, this time someone whose existence furthers the notion that Amethyst isn’t a “proper” Crystal Gem. So Amethyst is awkward at first, then sows seeds of suspicion when Steven is entranced. It speaks well of Bismuth that she treats Amethyst as an equal worthy of respect without question, and Amethyst soon comes around when Bismuth praises and upgrades her whip. This giant-sized episode is the clear product of long-term planning and collaboration, but it still remembers to tell a quick Amethyst story to keep us invested in her ongoing development.

But it’s Bismuth’s relationship with Steven that makes up the bulk of the plot, and as dumb as it might sound, the character she reminds me of most is Tim Curry’s version of Long John Silver from legitimate classic film Muppet Treasure Island; yes, Long John Silver in general works for this analogy, but Tim Curry is the definitive version, fight me. Bismuth isn’t as treacherous as old Long John, but they share the tightrope act of being at odds with young protagonists that they earnestly like. There’s nothing fake about their moments of bonding and pseudo-parental advice, and while both are angling to convert a child hero to a questionable cause, it’s done in part to maintain a friendly relationship. Again, Silver is more of an outright villain—his lust for gold lacks the nuance of Bismuth’s well-intentioned justification of extreme violence—but these are gregarious antagonists that our heroes build meaningful connections with, and ultimately learn lasting lessons from. 

Steven is all in on Bismuth’s ardor at first, grinning with shared passion after she rallies the team to keep fighting Homeworld. He’s a little less on board upon seeing Amethyst’s weapon upgrade, and his unease grows during the sparring session, but for all her intensity, Bismuth is fine with him not wanting to fight. She welcomes his own “rituals” with glee, and even though our first look at this sees her spiking a birdie into the sand so hard that the beach explodes, the montage otherwise shows her fitting right in. Even the foreshadowing of Bismuth’s views on weapon lethality during Lonely Blade is lighthearted, with the bonus of showing us how far Pearl has come in regards to fiction since Steven the Sword Fighter.

It all comes together in a poignant discussion about Rose. This is the last time she’s ever spoken of in a purely positive light before the story of her shattering Pink Diamond comes out; not every conversation about her is negative after this reveal, it’s never quite the same. We focus on Rose as a champion of differences: this is the Rose who said a servile pearl could be a warrior, who accepted a new fusion when nobody else would, who told a runty amethyst she was perfect the way she was. Bismuth is telling us what we already know, but personalizes it, showing how inspired she was by it, and Steven reacts to this umpteenth version of the Rose Was Great speech by admitting his fears of not measuring up for the second episode in a row.

Bismuth’s response sums up the entire lesson of Steven’s original series arc, and it’s such a moving affirmation when paired with Change Your Mind:

“You are different. That’s what’s so exciting. You don’t have to be like Rose Quartz, you can be someone even better. You can be you.”

The tragedy is that this hopeful message is undercut by Bismuth’s idea that a “better” Steven is one who uses deadly force. And the speech as a whole is further marred by a subtle hint of Rose’s mendacity: Bismuth mentions that she was “just another quartz soldier, made right here in the dirt,” but even before the Pink Diamond reveal, we already know Rose is from Homeworld from earlier episodes like Rose’s Scabbard. Retrospect enhances the sensation, tinging the uplifting speech with the kind of gray that we’re going to see a lot more of in the future.

There’s an awful inevitability to the ensuing fight as our heroes descend into the Forge, coming right of the heels of Bismuth telling Steven they need an alternative to fighting fair. Steven repeats his progression of reactions towards Bismuth all at once: first confused, then super excited, then gradually realizing something isn’t sitting right. But this time we can’t end with a day at the beach.

(The mood is ruined a little by the adorable commercial transition, and the summarization of the scene upon cutting back from commercials in a way this eleven minute show has never dealt with, but fortunately the bulk of the scene goes uninterrupted.)

Steven obviously isn’t going to use the Breaking Point, and we get a prolonged shot of them standing at odds in mirrored positions from their title card encounter before Bismuth’s hand tightens into a fist. To her, this isn’t a fight with Steven, but a continuation of her fight with Rose, and her anger at her deception is fueled further by the not unreasonable assumption that Rose is still lying as Steven. In Bismuth’s mind she isn’t attacking a child, but a veteran warrior who for some reason took the form of a small human, so she goes all-out.

Steven has been called “Rose” plenty of times by Jasper, and this will continue in our very next episodes, but it’s gotta sting harder when the person doing it just told him that Steven was enough. And the fight itself is no joke, which is a relief after the brawl in Steven vs. Amethyst was all joke. The hits land just as hard, and we get the same awesome choreography showcasing Steven’s floaty powers and spiky bubble in action, but Bismuth isn’t kidding and Steven is on the ropes. His sandal melting away is as graphic as we’re gonna get, but it’s still a great sign of what will happen to him if he falls. His shoelessness also allows for a neat reversal of Bismuth closing her fist to begin the fight: after limping on the other foot to avoid the heat, the first we see of him after the second bubble of the episode pops is a close-up of his bare foot steaming on the ground. He’s forced to hurt both himself and Bismuth to end the fight.

We’re on the cusp of learning the “truth” about Pink Diamond, but the beginning of Rose’s souring portrayal is right here. If you squint hard enough, Rose’s actions in the past could have been justified by her not wanting to shatter anybody, and by Bismuth being an extremist who left her with no choice. But as she stands impaled by the sword she once forged, Bismuth’s rage can no longer hide her grief. Even if Rose was right, and that’s hardly a sure thing, it’s twisted and terrible that she never told the other Crystal Gems the truth. It doesn’t matter that we eventually learn that this was a lot more complicated than it seemed because Rose was Pink Diamond, because in the moment, the person who just tried to kill Steven is saying that Steven’s mother did an awful thing, and despite everything the show has told us until this moment, she’s making a good point. Steven has no time to dwell on it before the other shoe drops (hopefully not into more lava), but it’s telling that Bismuth only acknowledges Steven as himself again when he says he’ll be honest.

When Bismuth gave Steven his pep talk in the living room, the audience didn’t know her full story, but she did, so she still loved Rose despite everything. She was hurt by her, and was willing to fight her, but she looked up to her leader despite it all. So it’s a real turn when she uses same language that encouraged Steven moments ago to make a new point: he could be better than her because of his potential to be spectacular, but also because she set the bar low by doing horrible things. Bismuth is all about that wordplay.

I’ve got a lot to say about my problems with Bismuth’s story after Bismuth (or rather the lack of one) that I’m including in my giant-sized features section below, because a giant-sized episode merits giant-sized features. But within the episode itself, I think silence after the fight is the right choice. Steven has been in danger before, but this is the hardest a person has ever tried to kill him, and it was one of his friends. A new friend, but a friend.

Bismuth marks the beginning of the end of this era of the show, an era when Steven’s series-long arc to fulfill his mother’s legacy was relatively straightforward. In yet another example of Bismuth’s wordplay, his life story swivels around a Breaking Point. The core of Steven Universe may not change in the way it does in Bubble Buddies and Mirror Gem and Catch and Release, but the core of Steven Universe is forever affected. His imminent guilt complex begins with stabbing Bismuth, and despite the hardships to come, he becomes a better person for surviving it.

But at least he doesn’t shatter her. That would really do a number on the guy. Can’t imagine how guilty he’d be if he one day did shatter an imposing zealot from the Gem War days with a history of confusing him for Rose Quartz...

Future Vision!

This is normally a section that lists small bits Fragments of foreshadowing, but because Bismuth is a double episode with tremendous impact on the shape of things to come in ways I already talked about in the review proper, I want to use this space to talk about the elegance of Steven Universe’s structure. I’ve referred to the fifty-odd episode chunks that make up the story on numerous occasions, but I think it’s about time I buck up and call them Acts. 

Act I of Steven Universe is the first season, Act II is the second and third season, and Act III is the fourth and fifth season (with the movie and Steven Universe Future as epilogues), and I think viewing the series through this lens really makes the structure shine. There are many examples of repeating themes and moments that this interpretation makes clear, and as an example, I want to talk about how a recurring phrase signifies a turning point towards the endgame of each act. 

In Act I, the slow-burning mystery of where the Gems came from begins at the midpoint, Mirror Gem, and escalates in Warp Tour with the introduction of Peridot. But we’re still doing regular episodes throughout, because Steven’s life is bigger than his past and there’s no pressing need to address his alien heritage when it isn’t directly affecting his life. It’s not until Marble Madness when this story ramps up, with Peridot's discovery of our heroes hurtling us towards a finale that sees Steven come into his own to defend his friends against old foes from beyond the stars who thought them long dead. The turning point is marked by Pearl taking a stand to proudly declare:

“We are the Crystal Gems! We're still alive, and we're still the guardians of this planet and all its living creatures!”

Jumping to Act III, the slow-burning mystery of what Rose did to Pink Diamond is actually solved with some time to spare. Things seem to be wrapping up at Garnet’s wedding in Reunited, especially because we’ve reached the same episode count of the other two acts. But then Blue and Yellow Diamond crash the party, bringing together the entire main cast in opposition. As in Act I, this shifts us onto the path towards the finale, this time one that sees Steven bringing the Diamonds together to heal the damage they did on Earth. This turning point was a bit less subtle:

“This is our home! Our planet! Our friends and family! We are the Crystal Gems!”

Act II is more stable than I or III, chronicling the period after Steven becomes a competent Crystal Gem but before everything is turned upside-down. He has adventures befitting his role and helps his friends and family as he grows more comfortable with his mother’s legacy, but unbeknownst to him, it’s the calm before the storm. Through it all, that legacy and that group are the bedrock of Steven’s life, and Bismuth begins to unravel his sense of security, leading to a finale that destroys our hero’s comfort zone. The turning point comes as Bismuth shatters not an elite Gem, but the fake image of one, and roars a battle cry that shows that there are some missing pages in the story of Steven’s happy family:

“Listen up, you Homeworld upper crusts...”

“We are the Crystal Gems!”

If every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn’t have inconsistencies…

Likewise, this is normally a section that lists plot elements that don’t add up, and I can’t imagine reviewing Bismuth with addressing Bismuth’s treatment as the show continues. There aren’t many other places to write about it until Made of Honor, as the most notable element of this discussion is her absence, but it’s a flaw beyond this episode itself, so it’s going here.

First, I understand from a storytelling perspective why Bismuth is bubbled again. She’s a major new element that couldn’t realistically be sent to the barn like Peridot and Lapis, and is so at odds with our heroes that it would mess with the direction of the series. In particular, the reveal that Rose shattered Pink Diamond would go from being a story about Steven coping to a story about Steven and Bismuth coping, because Rose shattering someone goes against the whole reason she fought Bismuth in the first place. The simplest solution to not having Bismuth dominate the upcoming story is putting her away until the plot demands. And we do eventually get some lip service to why she was bubbled again for so long: she did, after all, try to shatter Steven with the Breaking Point at the end of their fight. She seems cool with it, and it’s not as if she was suffering in there, popping back out as if no time had passed and integrating well with the team afterwards.

But it is baffling that there isn’t any conversation about trying to talk with her instead of keeping her locked away. We don’t need a proper trial, but the idea that this team wouldn’t allow Bismuth to make her case and wouldn’t try to help her work towards a mutual understanding is not only cruel, but cruel in a way that makes no sense for these characters. I’ve called the underuse of Malachite the show’s greatest blunder, and I stand by it because Bismuth’s treatment is much more than a “whoops.” Communication is everything to this series, and the idea that Bismuth was too dangerous to be reasoned with is, to me, Steven Universe’s greatest sin. 

Garnet and Pearl in particular never mention any alternatives, or even bring her up to a meaningful degree. This is supposed to be one of their best friends. And after we learn about Pink Diamond’s shattering, it’s bewildering that Steven doesn’t consider the Bismuth of it all outside of her factoring into his guilt complex in Mindful Education and a brief mention in Storm in the Room. On both an emotional and logical level there’s no reason to not include her more in Act III. Like, let’s say in the worst case scenario she’s freed and furiously attacks Steven: he already defended himself by himself against her, in a lava-filled arena where she had a huge advantage, so obviously with the other Gems he’d be safe. And let’s say Steven is traumatized by nearly getting killed. Understandable. Even if Pearl also nearly got him killed a few times, it was never with murderous intent. Except that if that’s the rationale, I feel like Bismuth deserves to have that explained by him at some point during her imprisonment. He could tell the Gems, he could confide in Connie, whatever, this is something that needs to be said out loud. If we’re going to have her locked away indefinitely, there needs to be more than stone cold silence about why the Crystal Gems came to such an extreme solution, seemingly without a second thought. There was more discussion about the ethics of bubbling Peridot than Bismuth, and Peridot was a full-blown opponent at the time. There was more discussion about the ethics of rehabilitating the Centipeetle, a being corrupted into what seemed to be an unthinking monster, than a fully sentient ally who did a bad thing.

I’m not gonna knock this episode down any pegs for this in my rankings, because it’s not really the fault of this episode. Yes, it could have included Steven’s conversation with the other Gems, but this story was already full to the gills and there was plenty of time in future episodes, particularly episodes after the shattering story comes to light, to address it. Bismuth works fine on its own, but demanded further stories that it never got. Made of Honor does a decent job of bringing Bismuth back, but that’s after over fifty episodes of a misguided but heroic and loyal friend being imprisoned without any attempt at mediation.

I get that it would’ve been a lot of work, and that the bubble method was more convenient. But making a character this great only to treat her this way is a disservice to both Bismuth and the Crystal Gems as a whole.

(Also, less importantly, this episode was marketed as 100 thanks to the inclusion of a few combined shorts as numbered episodes. But yeah this was totally episodes 98 and 99.)

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

I ended on a bummer note there, but like I said, Bismuth by itself shouldn’t be held culpable for not having a Too Short to Ride or Alone at Sea for Bismuth down the line. It still doesn’t make my top fifteen, but it does make my top twenty, which matters because the list is expanding next time to account for our actual hundredth episode.

Top Fifteen

Steven and the Stevens

Hit the Diamond

Mirror Gem

Lion 3: Straight to Video

Alone Together

The Return

Jailbreak

The Answer

Sworn to the Sword

Rose’s Scabbard

Mr. Greg

Coach Steven

Giant Woman

Beach City Drift

Winter Forecast

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon

Bubble Buddies

Tiger Millionaire

Lion 2: The Movie

Rose’s Room

An Indirect Kiss

Ocean Gem

Space Race

Garnet’s Universe

Warp Tour

The Test

Future Vision

On the Run

Maximum Capacity

Marble Madness

Political Power

Full Disclosure

Joy Ride

Keeping It Together

We Need to Talk

Chille Tid

Cry for Help

Keystone Motel

Catch and Release

When It Rains

Back to the Barn

Steven’s Birthday

It Could’ve Been Great

Message Received

Log Date 7 15 2

Same Old World

The New Lars

Monster Reunion

Alone at Sea

Crack the Whip

Bismuth

Like ‘em

Gem Glow

Frybo

Arcade Mania

So Many Birthdays

Lars and the Cool Kids

Onion Trade

Steven the Sword Fighter

Beach Party

Monster Buddies

Keep Beach City Weird

Watermelon Steven

The Message

Open Book

Story for Steven

Shirt Club

Love Letters

Reformed

Rising Tides, Crashing Tides

Onion Friend

Historical Friction

Friend Ship

Nightmare Hospital

Too Far

Barn Mates

Steven Floats

Drop Beat Dad

Too Short to Ride

Restaurant Wars

Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service

Greg the Babysitter

Gem Hunt

Steven vs. Amethyst

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack

Together Breakfast

Cat Fingers

Serious Steven

Steven’s Lion

Joking Victim

Secret Team

Say Uncle

Super Watermelon Island

Gem Drill

No Thanks!

     5. Horror Club      4. Fusion Cuisine      3. House Guest      2. Sadie’s Song      1. Island Adventure

[oadara]

Jordi Maquiavello: THE END of Game of Thrones - Analysis of the theme of Jon and Daenerys - Translated to English

Hey - so I was looking at this video the other day and didn’t see an English translation for it. Thankfully, the video wasn’t very long and so I decided to translated for the non-Spanish speakers.

In the video Jordi discusses the version of “Truth” that Ramin Djawadi presented during his appearance in KCRW. As those of you who have heard the version know, it’s quite different from the original version that appeared in season 7. Jordi believes it contains clues about the fate of Jon and Daenerys in season 8.

TRANSLATION  TO ENGLISH

1:00     The truth is that this composition as well as Jon and Daenerys’ romance gives us pause as to how it [their relationship] will affect the war against the Wight Walkers. Especially if when we were to examine the past romances of the series. However, the question I was asked the most when I analyzed and explored the theme was if it sounded too dramatic or if things would end badly because of the tone of the song because it was to sad or melancholy. Honestly, I’ve never felt it to have a tinge of sadness, it was simply romanticist.  No theme in the series has happy sound to it, exactly.

1:28     This takes us to the second question, well, what is so special about Ramin Djawadi’s radio version of the song. Simple, not only does it turn the [original] composition of the song upside down and add bits of other themes, it also gives us some serious spoilers for season 8. I repeat, this is a theory, based on music analysis, but it’s well grounded.

1:46     However, we need to review past materials. The theme of “Truth” fussed together the romantic themes of Jon and Ygritte and Dany and Drogo. The composition did this because Jon like Daenerys had not fallen in love again since those two previous romances. Thus, the theme established a point of melancholy in the use of its influences. Additionally, the theme includes a third part, that would be considered their actual theme, which is not influenced by anything else. Therefore, the last thing we had in the series of this theme was this:

[Plays soundtrack version of a Truth.]

2:10     -First Part of the theme (Dany and Drogo)-

2:20     -Second Part of the theme. (Jon and Ygritte)-

2:30     -Third Part of the theme (both themes combined)-

2:40     -Fourth Part of the theme (their own theme)-

3:08     -Fifth Part of the theme (final crescendo)

3:35     Well, after the final look on Tyrion’s face and the Jonerys haters many asked themselves, is this [romance] the right thing?  Will this turn out well? Will love be the death of duty once again? Well, I’ve already done a video explaining why Jon and Dany’s theme is unlike any other themes/ It’s because it makes use of the cello, in a way in which the other romantic themes of the series never do, and because both represent fire and ice, A Song of Ice and Fire, like the original title of the series of novels in which the show Game of Thrones s based on. 

4:00     Additionally, throughout the series these two words are referenced together. This is [the reason] why I believe this is the definitive romance of the series. And Ramin Djawadi makes this even clearer with his interpretation [of the song during his appearance] at KCRW. The filming of the 8th season of Game of Thrones began on October 2017.  So, by then all the cast and crew should have had access to the script for season 8. This tells us that by that time Ramin Djawadi’s obtained a copy of the script by that time and began working on the soundtrack for the season 8.

4:29     So, by now he should have made good progress. This interpretation of “Truth” [that appears] in the US radio station was prompted by Ramin Djawadi’s and his trusted team of musicians on the 13 of December of 2017, two months after the start of filing of season 8. So, what this Ramin do, this is a theory, he presented the world with what the version of “Truth” will be during season 8.

4:51     Let me tell you all, it disappoints me. Not as a composition, Ramin Djawadi’s is a genius, and all his compositions are a pleasure to listen to. I’m disappointed me from discussion level. You all know that I’m pro Jonerys and all that but my preferred endings for Game of Thrones were Littlefinger or the Wight Walkers on the throne. Why, what can I say, I love chaos.

5:10     Seriously, Game of Thrones is not a Disney movie where everything will end well, as we’ve seen in multiple instances. 

[Montage of GoT deaths]

5:34     But no, George RR Martin has talked about the ending of a Game of Thrones on many occasions and has said that the ending will be bittersweet like the ending of Lord of the Rings.

[Interview with GRRM]

6:04 This sounds familiar to me…

[Scenes from the end of LotR “The Return of the King]

6:07     -King’s Landing-

6:14     -Jon-

6:19     -Daenerys-

6:25     -This is a bittersweet ending? -

6:45     The Lord of the Rings, as a trilogy is the best thing that has been made in the history of cinema and no one doubts it, but it has a happy ending. Despite Frodo and Gandalf’s departure, which could make it a bittersweet ending, the rest end up happy as clams. Will the same thing happen on Game of Thrones?

7:00     Well, let’s analyze the version of “Truth” the Ramin Djawadi plays on KRCW which will be [the version] that will appear in season 8. The las evolution of Jon and Daenerys theme.

7:10     Many have said [asked] if the fact that there is a vocalist means anything, as the royal themes of Game of Thrones usually use vocal. To clear this up, no. In the final version of “Truth” there will not be any vocals and if Ramin introduced vocals here it’s because the singer is a trusted collaborator who accompanies him to all the concerts and sings many themes that don’t have vocals. For example, the main theme.

[Shows video of the main theme with vocals]

7:38     Unlike in the series, where he uses an orchestra, in this version Ramin uses a piano to substitute the violins and this is an important detail. As I’ve already explained what the instruments mean to the composer. Ramin wouldn’t have had any issues bringing 3 or 4 violins to the radio recoding but instead he chose to bring a piano because it was more comfortable, and this means the violins won’t important to the final version of “Truth”. 

8:01     What does this tell us? Total freedom for the cello which eliminates the conflict between love and duty that had us so worried.  For which the last evolution of “Truth” proposes a pure love, without worries about duty or anything else, simply love. Let’s look at how the cello ends in the first part of the theme. 

[Cello being played]

8:28     Contrary to how it ends in the original theme, this [version] ends in a major note. If we remember, the original theme ended in a minor note because we see Tyrion preoccupied.

[Plays scene showing Tyrion preoccupied]

8:42     Once again, we eliminate another problem.  And now, another part of the theme begins with an accelerated tempo, contrary/ strangely different to the originally theme, which had opted for a, let’s say, more bittersweet sound and over major chords. Perhaps this is foreshadowing something, I don’t was to give spoilers, but this sounds to me to be like...

9:03     [Plays that section of “Truth”]

-Preparations for an event? –

[Scenes from the coronation in “The Return of the King]

9:26     Now we get into the special part of the song, the theme of Game of Thrones. We’ve already studied this theme thoroughly and it’s clear it represents power, it represents victory. But why introduce the opening theme of Game of Thrones in a romantic theme song? Because it’s [the romance] the one destined to happen, it’s the one that represents the Song of Ice and Fire. It’s the culmination [where it has brought us] after so many seasons. The victory over the Wight Walkers represented in Jon and Daenerys.

9:52     [Plays section in “Truth” where the main theme plays]

-“Truth” movement major + the theme of Game of Thrones [played] in an acceding scale-

[Scenes from the coronation in “The Return of the King]

10:10   Once again, there is a pause over sharp chords, which can represent something else ...

10:18   [Continues to play music]

-This melody so soft and playful in Doric mode could be in reference to the son or daughter of Jon and Daenerys-

10:32 The theme begins to grow, once again over major chords, joined by once again the theme of Game of Thrones is added and song ends in a climax that combines both compositions. 

10:40   [Continues to play music]

-Will this be the theme that plays during Jon and Daenerys coronation? –

11:08   -I BET YOU ANYTHING YOU WANT-

11:56   I am one hundred percent sure that this is the theme that will play during Jon and Daenerys coronation after their victory over the Wight Walkers. This composition is revealing to us the ending of Game of Thrones. Truthfully, I really didn’t want it to end this way, but seeing the evidences and the proofs that the music gives us, which are many as we’ve already seen, I think it’s pretty clear what this means. I repeat, this is a theory, but well-grounded and not conjured from thin air. I’ve based this on proof and sources that you all can easily corroborate but in the end it’s still a theory. There is still a long way to go until 2019 and the last result of the composition of “Truth” but we have a clue of what it will be.

12:34   I hope you’ve liked this.

[thecomposerthatwaspromised]

Saying goodbye to “Game of Thrones” meant different things to everyone involved in making the show. As Season 8 drew to a close, composer Ramin Djawadi had a number of unique opportunities to bring his decade on the show full-circle.

The Season 8 soundtrack is a bit of a first for Djawadi, who chose to arrange the cues from the show’s final six episodes in chronological order, following the gradual reintroduction of themes from across “Game of Thrones” history. As Djawadi told IndieWire, all of that culminates in the final episode, which bids farewell to a number of characters using music that’s marked their respective journeys.

“When you see Brienne at the end, and she’s writing things down in the book about Jaime, I’m using the Honor theme, which had developed over the seasons for the two of them and their relationship,” Djawadi said. “Of course, the Stark theme got used a lot, especially in that ending montage. But there’s even some of the subthemes that might not be as obvious. As Grey Worm sets out to sail away to the Island of Naath, the Grey Worm/Missandei love theme plays to show what he’s thinking about her and he’s going there because of her. Whenever I could, I would place themes that are in connection with the characters.”

Few people have made a single piano feel as threatening as Djawadi has. The centerpiece of one of the landmark “Game of Thrones” sequences at the close of Season 6, “The Light of the Seven,” built from a simple piano line to one of the more dramatic turns in the show’s trajectory. It was the first time that Djawadi had used the instrument for “Game of Thrones.” For Season 8’s landmark Battle of Winterfell sequence, “The Night King” needed a similar, major musical element, and he knew where to turn.

“That was the one piece of information we all knew when we looked at the scene. We said it’s time again to use the piano, because it was the perfect callback to ‘The Light of the Seven.’ It had the reverse effect because when you played the piano, people were kind of drawn in by that: ‘Here’s the piano. Something’s blowing up. This is the end!'” Djawadi said, “Because of what we had set up in Season 6, we were able to do it with this piece here. It just builds and builds and builds. And we were really able to create some tension with that. We really wanted the audience to just hold their breath the whole time.”

Djawadi was once again tasked with helping to reflect character traits through music for arguably the most pivotal shift in the series’ final season. In the score track titled “The Bells,” the low basses in the orchestra bend a pulsating set of notes, emphasizing the pending destruction to King’s Landing at the hands of Daenerys.

“All these seasons, we’ve seen her as the savior and what she always thinks is the right thing to do. And it was always heroic things that she did. All of a sudden, I really had to strongly push her to the dark side,” Djawadi said. “Those basses and that descent really had to come out through music. That emotion, we really wanted to enhance it and bring that across. That’s something that I’ve enjoyed about this whole show so much. I always say the music has to follow what the character’s going through. All that anger just comes out and it was great to enhance all that with music.”

While the writing of the series offered a number of potential endings, it only made sense for the final music over the end credits to be a reintepretation of the show’s iconic theme music. The closing version added a choral element, with a children’s choir helping to turn the orchestral piece into a “Song of Ice and Fire.” Foregoing traditional lyrics, Djawadi built this farewell “song” around sound rather than words. “That was something we all had decided on from the beginning. We all knew that we wanted this to be a nice bookend,” Djawadi said. “I call the lyrics ‘Valryian-inspired.’ They’re just little gibberish words that I’ve kind of made up over the seasons. They really don’t mean anything, even though they’re actually saying words, but they’re there because I liked the way it sounds.”

Going with that approach, like bringing back the themes or those distinct character switches, is in line with Djawadi’s goal to work as a complement to the series overall. In the series’ final minutes, he wanted to give the audience a chance to absorb the full impact of the ending. “There’s so much emotion in that last scene, in that last episode that I felt it was better just leaving everybody with their thoughts rather than actually putting in lyrics. It’s more meant as an emotional instrumental piece,” Djawadi said.

The series may have reached its conclusion, but now Djawadi prepares to embark on a North American tour, bringing the music of the show as part of “Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience.” For Djawadi, it’s a chance to revisit his own work, one the job rarely affords him.

“Usually, when I finish a project I kind of leave that behind it and then move on. Now that the season’s finished, I’m going to update this concert series and include the eighth season and then really rework it to have the complete show,” Djawadi said. “It was an honor to be part of an incredible experience, and I loved everything about it.”

[miralsurvival]

Hearts of iron 5 soundtrack

And then we sometimes branch outside of pop for some specific moments, based on what comes up throughout the season. So we start there and see what covers exist, and what we might be interested in based on the show as the episodes are coming together. Well, a lot of it has to do with the kind of music that Chris Van Dusen gravitates to. Where do you begin when deciding what pop songs to include? He broke down why pop covers are key to telling Bridgerton’s sonic story, what songs were left on the cutting room floor and which songs the cast actually dances to when filming those iconic ball scenes. These pop covers are as integral to Bridgerton as the members of the Bridgerton family, and Tudum spoke with the series’ music supervisor, Justin Kamps, who makes sure these special tracks find their place in the season. Please grab your dance cards and prepare your playlists: Each one is incredibly powerful and deeply emotional in its own special way. I always try many different songs for any one scene before landing on the perfect one to use. This season, I couldn’t be more thrilled about our musical playlist.” So it is with great pleasure that Tudum can reveal the official list of instrumental pop covers of your favorite songs that will be featured in the upcoming season of Bridgerton, which premieres March 25 on Netflix.Īs Bridgerton showrunner Chris Van Dusen tells Tudum, “I chose all of these songs for very specific reasons. Season 2 of Bridgerton is upon us, dear readers, and the latest post from Lady Whistledown is music to our ears - literally.Īs you may recall, the string quartets of Bridgerton Season 1 delighted the ton with renditions of Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy,” Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next,” Shawn Mendes’ “In My Blood,” and, lest we forget, the Duke of Hastings and Daphne Bridgerton’s honeymoon montage set to the sounds of Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams.”

[clovemerablog]

Song review: “I’m to Blame” by Tove Lo

Another experiment, this time fumbling its attempted references.

Review by Clove Mera, 27 September 2022.

Track written by: unknown at time of publishing

From “Dirt Femme”, 2022, Pretty Swede Records/ mtheory

Tove Lo’s new record grabs me during its high points but its lows can be hard to overlook as a music producer. While Lo demonstrates further growth in her vocal abilities, there are choices made both musically and lyrically which prohibit it from achieving its implied intentions.

Lo’s earlier single “True Romance” is a showcase of the voice she has come to master. Both there and here she delights me with her ability to navigate her songs’ ebbing and flowing notes.

The lyrics had me ensnared instantly with their confessional destructiveness. Admitting that “Pulling us apart is all I'm good for”, Lo allays my own trepidation toward being candid in my lyrics. People generally have a sense of solidarity with people paying for their mistakes. It's these kinds of words, coming from the heart which stand the test of time. Another such record is Rina Sawayama’s “Bad Friend”.

On select occasions there’s a weird quality to Lo’s voice, notably during “I can’t face what I know” and “Your heart’s colder than stone” in which her voice is briefly garbled. I wonder if this vocal track was recorded in full with live instruments and the whole shebang; a candid moment they chose to retain as a Keepsake of the day.

Sentimental as this idea is, “I’m to Blame” doesn’t give itself enough time to absorb me in its passion enough to not notice such things. ‘I’m to Blame” applies the somewhat dated tension and release technique of intensifying its bridge with new elements before stripping it all back to something raw where the vocalist repeats a previous stanza with pained, finely controlled vocals.

This track’s briefness hinders its application of tension and release. Within 94 seconds we’ve reached the dramatic high and without the time to be absorbed in the stream of emotions and go flying off its waterfall we instead go tumbling down onto a bed of rocks. Such is to say the change isn’t exciting but instead disorienting and confusing.

Its misgivings continue into the third chorus, Lo delivering the same melody as both before it. There’s no escalation or finality and the song abruptly ends with little cues given to indicate so. I think it’s highly likely this occurs because the next track on the album continues right where this one ends. Such seems an odd choice, releasing half a double feature as a single.

Tove Lo’s “I’m to Blame” reads like another of Lo’s experiments in genre like last week’s “2 Die 4”. Talking to Zane Lowe for Apple Music about “True Romance”, the songwriter revealed she in fact pulled its narrative from the movie of the same name. With this interview in mind, the idea of fiction and candidness play tug of war. There are moments when the candid lyrics resonate, attributable to Lo’s performance, but there are other times where I feel like I'm listening to a song intently crafted to play over a montage at the end of an angsty teen drama episode where everything is going to crap for its protagonists.

You can stream or purchase Tove Lo‘s “I’m to Blame” and access the Apple Music interview below.