#this is what listening to “welcome to the black parade” while thinking about knight of dawn does to a mf

[wholelotofweird]

Hi! Hello!

I recently had the huge privilege of working on the Season 4 Cover Art for the Actual Play Podcast @crudelydrawnswords​ (listen here!! or on your podcatcher of choice).

Part of that process was helping design new outfits for The Hawks and I just want to talk about my thoughts through that process! 

First, I think the evolution of my personal designs for them is important because it fully informs where we ended up, I think. 

When I first considered doing fan art I looked around for any existing fan art, this is something I always do, I think maybe to feel like I’m not WAY off base? (Which is super silly, get off base with fan art! That’s why it’s fan art!) But I do it. 

I think this piece of art by CDS’s own Magnus (follow Mag on twitter!) was if not THE first, one of the very first pieces I saw:

This image really heavily played into how I drew The Hawks. ESPECIALLY the color pallets. There are some real obvious similarities between this and where I ended up for a couple reasons. 

Despite the changes I’ve made to their designs I’ve always thought it was important to keep their main colors intact, Bambari in browns, Tristan in reds, Percy in stark silver, and Enigma in green. 

Keeping their colors consistent has been a specific choice on my part, largely to pay homage to this specific image, and partially for visual consistency. Meaning, even if I messed with the structure of the outfit, the vibe would remain (hopefully). 

I think this is most obvious with every group and “special” group art I’ve done of The Hawks. Here’s a couple examples of what I mean by “different structure, same vibe”:

The two pieces have very different fashion choices, but the intent was to remain true to the characters through the use of color. 

Percy: Well put together with colors that invoke the sky just before a storm, combined with over-polished silver. 

Tristian: Reds and blacks, with pieces that are very flashy. 

Enigma: Green and simple, something easy to move in. The one time I drew her in a skirt I tried to make it obvious that it was as easy to move in as possible. 

Bambri: Browns, simple, fabric textures that are basic, no attempts to evoke fancy fabric. 

Color, for me, does a lot of heavy lifting when I draw The Hawks, the colors are always a conscious choice, even down to the little stuff like “How sunburned should Tristan be?” “Which of them should have similar eye colors?”. I mention this, because it was a factor I very much kept in mind when designing the Season 4 art. 

Sooo, with all that in mind, let’s chat about the outfit drafts I came up with! Shout out to Ben (twitter here!) who was my point of contact for all of this. He had a very clear vision for what the energy of the cover art should be, as well as passed on the style references from The Hawks. 

We’ll start with Percy, I’m just going to cut and paste the brief I got from Ben: 

Percy will look less the knight in shining armour. The armour is tarnished, he is wearing tattered robes over it, he perhaps looks a little careworn but there is focus in him as well. 

He also sent a couple of reference pics that were very influential. With those together I ended up with these 4 variations: 

There’s some real difference from 1 to 4. The thoughts I had were along the lines of:

1: Very close to the reference image I liked most

2: Fun, funky, more visual interest and still very much showing off his Paladin garb.

3: Low key, with still a touch of the regal vibe I try to insert into him (it’s the cape.)

4: VERY MUCH PALLY, despite liking this choice, It is def the furthest from the reference I was sent. I included because I wanted to make sure there was still the option of showing off his Pally side. 

In each of the 4 designs there is either an obvious scarf or (in the case of 1) the hint of a scarf shape. A scarf was not a feature of his design before this, it was a feature of the design I had most recently landed on for Bambari. It was VERY important to me to have SOME sort of visual touch that connected the two. 

You can also see I went for similar brown shades and Fabric Styles, again, it was absolutely on purpose to draw a connection between the two. 

Onto Tristan!

Again, from Ben:

I think we have already raised the likelihood of Tristan being dressed absolutely in the style of "Welcome To The Black Parade" era MCR.

I wish I could describe the feeling I had when I read this. It was intense, visceral, joy. Not only were MCR a part of my heavy rotation through High School, but The Black Parade is so visually “my shit” it’s not funny. If I could draw every character in a Marching Band Inspired Outfit I would 1000% do it. 

The downside of this specifically, is there aren’t a TON of variations to play with. So, I mostly went wild with Jackets. 

I wanted to make sure I kept the very ornate feel, while also staying true to marching band. For folks that were part of marching band (waddup), you’ll notice that the pants in 1 and 3 are absolutely the baggy look that that is the most true to the vibe, but they aren’t the most true to Tristan T. Wilde, world famous bard. 

One of the extra variations of this I sent off for approval had red accents, but I’ll be honest, I’m glad that the final choice was for all sliver and white. Choosing to remove the red from his outfit completely sends a big visual message about where his character is at currently. 

You can see in all 4 options the coat has some form of sharp arrow style cut. I was important to me to keep him from looking boxy, and keep his outfits looking very specifically Fit For Him. 

And Enigma! Once more from Ben:

I don't have a definite visual reference for Enigma yet, but she is a Ranger now.

And she has a magpie.  

So. Uh. Initially that isn’t a lot to go on. But, I’ve been drawing Enigma for A WHILE, I felt confidant that I could direct myself to something that was very “Authentic” Ranger. 

After about 9000 google searches, I came up with 4 ideas. 

Boy howdy. I think her’s may be the most diverse, style wise. I’ll be honest, I love all of these. There are certainly a couple who are less Her than I would normally go for, but in each of them, I tried to make sure there were Obvious Engima Touches.

3 is perhaps the least interesting, as it was the most similar to how I had already been drawing her. 

1 & 2 (and a little bit 4) were an excuse to draw muscle definition, no doubt, don’t @ me, I think it’s important to note that by this point I had been binging F@TT, so 1 is ABSOLUTELY inspired by art I have seen of Hella, you are free to @ me about that. thank you. 

ANYWAY, with all of these I again considered the fact that even if she was no longer a rogue, she wouldn’t be giving up her amazing parkour skills, so she would still need to flip about. 

2 & 4 were designed specifically with that in mind, as in: What will look coolest when she’s flippin’ around? 

And if you’re looking at any of these and thinking: Hm, there are some design elements here that I used for Bambari’s design, again you are correct. I was less concerned with making the connection obvious here than I was with Percy, but I still wanted to insert some of that. 

Later, Ben mentioned that if we could a little more Aloy from HZD that would be ideal. 

SO! HOW DID ALL OF THAT COME TOGETHER?

I’m glad you asked. 

I’m so glad that even with these changes I was able to keep most of the color standards for The Hawks. 

Enigma is still in green. 

Percy still has that silver, even if it isn’t as bright. 

Tristan no longer has red, but my hope is that his attitude still stands out. 

They’ve been through a lot, but they are still them. 

I will admit, there was a selfish part of me that was truly glad with the choices the players made here. Despite really loving all of the outfit choices, these were my favorite from a narrative arc standpoint and also from a re-draw-ability standpoint. 

If you’ve made it this far... Shit dude. 

Thank you. 

I have a lot of feelings about this show and I still can’t really believe I was asked to do this. It was a delight working with Ben to make this vision into a reality. 

The Hawks truly are rad as heck. 

[bucky-rhymeswith-lucky]

of hearts and beginnings

Soulmate AU where they keep getting reincarnated and the other remembers all their past lives while the other only remembers once they see their soulmate + other AUs that I will be putting instead in the tags because God knows there’s too many to list them here.

(None of the Earths I numbered are real, just in case we confuse anything. The Earth I used for the Avengers weren’t in any canon worlds, though I would say it was closest to MCU probably. I don’t know much of the comics anyway.)

( @daeshikoba dude I wrote the unrepentant fluff! I finished it!!! @deathbysmolness @mariesmh hey frens I finally wrote something again :D and @asinsalt)

“But I knew even then, in a crowd of thousands, I’d find you again.” 

- In A Crowd of Thousands, Derek Klena and Christy Altomare

Earth 247

“Steve, do you believe in soulmates? Before, I never did, but now? When I have you and we might possibly face each other in battle when the sun rises? I think I do now.”

“Tony...”

“I believe that the universe fights to get these two souls together, because it balances the world. I believe that these souls were once joined as a powerful thing that were suddenly separated by the gods, which I never believed in until now, so fate fights to keep them together. In every lifetime, every world, they must be together, and they will be together.”

“Yeah? You make me want to believe in that too.”

“Don’t pretend like you don’t already. Listen, I believe that these souls, no matter what, will be together. I believe that you, Steven Rogers, and I, Anthony Stark, are soulmates, and no matter what we’ll always find each other. Even if we die tomorrow, we’ll be together in another life, and I want you to promise me that you’ll find me. I want you to swear that you’ll find me, whoever we are, whatever we become, for us, for me. Promise me.”

“I’ll find you. I’ll always do. How about you? Would you do that for me too?”

“Of course I will, I always will.”

“I love you, Anthony Stark.”

“And I you, Steven Rogers.”

(More under the cut!)

Earth 312

Bucky ran, dragging a thin and lanky Steve behind him.

“Bucky! Slow down!” Steve shouted at him, his lungs protesting for the lack of air.

“We need to join the parade to welcome the Royal Family, and we need to be there fast or we might miss it!” Bucky shouted in return, and they kept running, dodging innocent pedestrians on the street as they run to the plaza of the kingdom. Black and white bled into the background as they run faster when they saw the thick swarm of people on the main road. They halted just behind the crowd, and Steve caught his breath as Bucky tried to get a better look of the road.

As soon as he got a decent amount of air in his lungs he stood up and tried to find some ledge to use as a leverage to get a better view, so he looked around until he saw a block of cement half the height of the people in the crowd. “Bucky, give me a lift!” Steve shouted over the noise of the crowd while pointing to the block, and when Bucky spotted it he nodded and they ran towards it. Bucky got up first before pulling Steve, so they were both standing on it.

“Where are they?” Bucky asked, and Steve shushed him and told him to be patient. Steve wondered briefly how beautiful it would look like if he could see in color, but his thoughts went silent when a trumpet was blown and the footsteps of horses were drowned out by the wild shouts of the people. Steve barely noticed the insistent tapping on his shoulder and the whispers and shouts in his ears as the King and Queen got into view, sitting on horses, with a little boy behind them. The boy was surrounded by knights, his fluffy curls shadowing his face as he brushed his clothes. The crowd started cheering “All hail the Royal Family!” repeatedly, but all Steve can let out was a gasp as the boy and him meet each other’s gazes and something strange and strong washed over him. Suddenly the world exploded with color, and he could see the brown eyes of the boy gazing at him, and then it clicked.

“Tony,” he gasped, memories of how they promised each other to find each other before dying tragically in the war while protecting each other. He jumped down, ignoring Bucky’s shouts of warning, and started calling Tony. Never once did Steve break eye contact with Tony, and the wide brown eyes never wavered as he got closer...

And closer...

Until they were standing in front of each other, Steve panting and holding out his hand before looking up.

Tony’s bright smile was contagious, and Steve found himself smiling as he bowed. “Your highness,” he said, and when he looked up he caught a glance of Tony’s smile widening before the sun blinded him and he had to look away. When Steve opened his eyes, Tony was gone, but he kept smiling, even when Bucky kept tugging at him before pulling him away back into the crowd.

Tony, however, would remember this promise 20 years later, while he was in bed with his knight in shining armor.

Earth 750

Steve was just quietly sketching the next page for his comic, and after 30 minutes of putting realistic details in the hair as much as possible he sighed before putting the pencil down and soothing the pain in his fingers from aggressively shading and erasing. The breeze was just right, making the area warm but not unbearably so that he was sweating, and the aura of the atmosphere was so peaceful that he found himself flipping to a blank page and absentmindedly drawing what came to mind as soon as the pain in his hand was gone.

He began thinking of Tony, of how he would appear this time. Steve clearly remembered how he met the man two lives before, stumbling home drunk on the sidewalk and almost puking in Steve’s shoes if he hadn’t dodged fast. He snorted, subconsciously rubbing his wrist. He didn’t have to look at what was written, but that didn’t mean he hasn’t looked at the name “Anthony Edward Stark” in swirly bold calligraphy around his wrist. Admittedly, the first two times he remembered his past lives were quite terrifying, but now it left nothing but anticipation and excitement of how it would be next. Steve blinked at his drawing, which is of Tony (again), and he smiled before continuing on small details.

After a few more minutes, when Steve decided that the drawing is complete, he closed the sketchbook and looked up at the tree across the street, and the leaves fluttered and fell before he heard someone clear their throat. He turned and felt his heartbeat spike when he saw Tony, in full civilian clothes with a gentle smile that never failed to melt his insides. He made himself get it together, before pretending to be a civil stranger.

“Yes?” Steve said, making Tony smile a little wider. 

“I was wondering if I could keep you company; you seem lonely.” Steve snorted, before replying. “I hardly am, but please, help yourself,” he said, and Tony grinned before sitting.

“I shouldn’t have assumed you were, now that I think about it. The park does seem to be peaceful,” Tony said, continuing their polite conversation, and even if Steve wanted to tell him who he was already he kept still. He did, after all, had more than enough practice with being patient. “Agreed. The mood is just perfect for relaxing and talking to strangers,” Steve said, knowing the reaction it would get out of Tony. 

Tony laughed, eyes twinkling, making Steve grin. Not wanting to give up the anonymity just yet, Steve went on. “Since you’re here, kind sir, may I ask if you know anything about art?” Tony regarded him thoughtfully, part curiosity and part wonder, much to Steve’s smugness. “I might know a thing or two, why do you ask?” Steve smiled.

“Well I would like to ask your opinion on a drawing I have,” he said, opening the sketchbook to the drawing of Tony he just did a few minutes ago. He pushed it towards Tony, who began studying the drawing intensely. He watched Tony furrow his eyebrows, probably realizing how similar the drawing is to himself. “Did you draw this just now?” Tony asked, his hand slowly tracing the smooth lines of the figure. “Yes, I am a big fan of the Marvel’s Adventures magazines after all,” Steve said, making Tony look up.

“A fan, huh?” Tony asked him, and Steve gave him a gentle smile before moving his hand to rest on Tony’s. “Yes, and I have been waiting for a long time to meet you,” Steve said, and as their marks appeared Tony’s eyes widened in realization, and they stared at each other as the blissful burn of the marks passed.

“Steve,” Tony breathed out, making Steve laugh a little watery. “Found you again, sweetheart,” he said, and Tony laughed before pulling him by the neck into a kiss.

Earth 1092

This time, the process was a bit longer. More painful, Steve admitted to himself, wincing how they seem to hate each other at the start. But it was worth the way Tony’s arms wrapped around Steve’s thin figure as he taught him calculus, and the way he would kiss Steve’s temple every time the other would solve it on a piece of paper and get the correct answer.

There might be no mark or sudden color to ensure that Tony was his soulmate, but Steve didn’t need a bigger proof than their past lives to feel like he belonged right there, in a small college dorm in Tony’s arms.

Earth 1103

Steve was working on a few files involved with the crime at the police station when he started tasting the familiar drink on his tongue. The taste of warm chocolate and soft marshmallows filled Steve’s taste buds, making him involuntarily smile and pause to savor the taste.

His phone lit up on the table next to his arm, and he picked it up to see a text from Tony.

I’ll let you taste the real thing if you get home earlier :P

Steve sent him a kiss emoji before saving files and shutting down his computer, shouting at his partner, Sam Wilson, to cover for him tonight.

Earth 1367

Steve snorted in the middle of a conversation with Natasha, Peggy, and Bucky when he realized that Tony was once again fooling around with his oldies playlist, if the song currently playing in his head were anything to go by. Just to annoy Tony, Steve began thinking of “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift.

If Tony had any plans of throwing a pillow at his head or ranting his ear off on how annoying pop songs are, he would just have to kiss it all better, right?

Earth 2009

Steve woke up to red feathers tinged with gold next to his white feathers with blue and red accents, and the sight made him smile before burying his face into the shoulder blades of his beloved Tony once more.

Earth 2486

Steve had to admit this life was one of the most creative one he had woken up to yet. Definitely not after the one where he was an omega; that one never gets old. But this? Living in the 40′s only to be buried in the ice and burn (or freeze-- haha, get it? Steve never did have a good sense of humor) through the 70 years and wake up in the 21st century? Definitely insane.

Made him go mad over the wait though, but he’s very certain the time he’s about to meet Tony is closer anyway.

For now, he had to deal with General Ross and Fury arguing over who gets custody over Steve, and he subconsciously rubbed on the soulmark. The words ‘That took longer than expected, by the way’ were written over his waist, which would be Tony’s first words to him. Steve can’t help but agree.

He heard Ross saying how Steve needed therapists to deal with the shock, and Steve barely held back a snort. This version was better to deal with anyway, unlike that one universe where he was Steph instead of Steve; that had been a trip. He banished that thought away, because he knew if he started looking back unto that particular lifetime he would end up laughing inappropriately in the middle of an argument that was probably leading up to a fistfight between an army general and a spy, now that Steve took the time to speculate once again the two men.

Steve figured none of what he would say would make it better, if not worse, so he kept his mouse shut. 

A few more minutes passed before Steve heard a commotion outside the conference room, and he had to cover his mouth so that Fury would not see the grin on Steve’s face. Fury did narrow his eyes at him, but Steve didn’t mind.

Tony was here.

The doors opened to reveal the man in an expensive suit and colored shades, looking between Ross and Fury before at Steve. Steve stared back, but before he could determine if Tony recognized him he turned his gaze back to Ross and Fury. 

“Okay, if anyone had any custody on Captain Spangles-” Steve hid his snort behind a cough “right there, it would be me.” Both men looked at him, and both obviously unimpressed.

“I don’t have time for your games right now, Stark,” Fury said, tone sharp and vicious, but Tony didn’t seem to care. “Who said I was playing, anyway? That took longer than expected, by the way,” Tony, who by then had his shades off, told Steve, who noticed the joy hidden in the other’s eyes. He knew if Fury was anything but a spy his eye would’ve widened, but he remained calm with only the tone of his voice giving his surprise away. Even that was slipping, Steve noted absentmindedly, but he only had eyes for Tony, who was still staring back.

“So the rumors are true,” Fury muttered, “what they say about you--” Steve cut him off.

“I guess they are.” He stood up and walked over to Tony, and intertwined his gloved fingers with Tony’s bare ones. “Checkmate,” Steve told Tony, who smiled at him briefly before turning back to the others.

“We’re leaving, and nobody gets him but me,” Tony said sternly, pulling Steve by the hand out the door before hearing any objections. They walked briskly down the corridor, and it was a few seconds before Tony spoke to Steve again.

“They don’t refuse if you don’t hear what they said; told you it works,” he said, and Steve laughed openly.

“I don’t think that’s how it works, but sure, Tony,” he replied, making Tony grin back at him as they stop at the doors of the exit.

“Brave new world, Steve. Better catch up,” was all he said before kissing Steve on the lips and pushing the doors open to reveal a red and gold armor.

“As long as you’re there,” Steve said with a smile full of love, and a few moments later they shot off to the sky to begin another life together once again.

Earth 3569

“Was it worth it?”

“Sure it is-” Steve said, and he smiled as the familiar sound of their wedding rings bumped against each other as they held hands, the rings glinting in the midst of flashing lights.

Earth 3678

“-It will always be worth it-” Steve said, before standing and walking away from Tony, bruised, tired, and broken.

Earth 4008

“-Because I love you Tony, and I always will.” He then laid a kiss on the cold surface, before standing up and walking away from Tony’s tombstone.

“I’ll see you again-”

Earth 4100

“-In another lifetime,” Steve said, ghosting a hand over Tony’s cheek before letting out his last breath, and Tony held that hand in his as Steve died, in the middle of the battlefield.

“I’m holding you to that,” Tony said, with tears in his eyes.

And they found each other.

In every lifetime, every world, every universe, they found each other.

They always did.

[corkcrab7-blog]

A Beginners’ Guide to Cult Psych Icons the Legendary Pink Dots

Photo by Alberto Garcia

Venture over to the Legendary Pink Dots’ Bandcamp page and you might feel a bit overwhelmed. Over three and a half decades in, the Anglo-Dutch band have amassed an overflowing cache of full-length albums, archival releases, and holiday-themed one-offs. And that’s without factoring in the respectively ample solo discographies of founding members Edward Ka-Spel and The Silverman (Phil Knight); or their side project, The Tear Garden.

Founded in 1980, The Legendary Pink Dots have been pushing psychedelic music through the late 20th century and well into the 21st. They draw from the influence of ’70s German rock outfits like Can and Neu!, but their sound is never a flashback. Instead, they emerged from the electronic music underground of the early 1980s with a distinct sound that makes them difficult to pigeonhole to this day. The Legendary Pink Dots’ wheelhouse proves equally welcoming to fans of post-punk and minimal synth, industrial and darkwave—and yet, the band themselves aren’t quite any of those things. They’ve spent decades evolving, hitting multiple peaks throughout their career as the line-up expanded and contracted. Their oeuvre reflects that winding journey, from the dark, orchestral heaviness of the ’80s, to the psych-pop haze of the early ’90s, to the sci-fi electronics of the aughts.

The Legendary Pink Dots have remained a cult band amongst cult bands. They haven’t become post-punk memes like Joy Division or Bauhaus have. Nevertheless, their following includes some well-known devotees. Skinny Puppy’s cEvin Key is known for having followed Legendary Pink Dots’ work since the band’s early years, and collaborated with Ka-Spel as The Tear Garden (they’ve released seven albums together since 1985, the most recent being 2017’s The Brown Acid Caveat). Singer-songwriter and erstwhile Dresden Doll Amanda Palmer is another longtime fan; just last year, she linked up with Ka-Spel and ex-Dots violinist Patrick Q. Wright for a one-off collaborative LP album titled I Can Spin a Rainbow. Last but not least, MGMT singled out the Dots—more specifically, their stylistic flexibility—as a source of inspiration for their breakthrough album, 2007’s indie-pop blockbuster Oracular Spectacular.

Needless to say, immersing oneself in the Legendary Pink Dots’ universe is deeply rewarding—and a bit overwhelming. Here’s a list of 10 standouts from the first 30 years of the band’s career to help you get started.

Brighter Now

The Legendary Pink Dots’ formative years coincide with the development of industrial music, so it can be really easy to think of them as emerging from that movement. After all, Edward Ka-Spel has collaborated with cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy (The Tear Garden) and Nurse with Wound’s Steven Stapleton. Back in 1991, though, Ka-Spel described the band’s early sound to Spiral Scratch Magazine as “more like industrial… nursery rhymes!” That stands as an apt description of the Dots’ 1982 vinyl debut, Brighter Now. It’s an oddball album in the band’s catalog; at times its songs resemble stripped-down versions of early ’80s synthpop as opposed to the dense, electronic rock that would follow, but there are moments throughout that point to where the Dots were heading.

The Tower

True to its title—a reference to the infamous Tower of London—1984’s The Tower is an album shaped by British politics, namely Margaret Thatcher’s policies and the then-Prime Minister’s chumminess with Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet. It’s a dark album, with a sound reflecting the urgency and frustration of the subject matter. Guitar, synths, and violin build into walls of sound every bit as claustrophobic and threatening as a castle prison. Ka-Spel had proved himself to be a charming and poetic singer and lyricist by the time of the record’s release—but on songs like “Break Day” and “Tower 1,” he proved just how visceral he could be, as well.

Island of Jewels

Photo by Dampfzentrale Bern

Released in 1986, Island of Jewels was the first album for The Legendary Pink Dots’ contract with notable indie label Play It Again Sam, a move that helped garner wider recognition for the band. At times, Island of Jewels takes on the qualities of film music, its songs tooled to guide listeners through a series of tense scenes and dramatic turns of events: “Emblem Parade” may well be the soundtrack to a long-lost Alfred Hitchcock film set in an ’80s nightclub. The record’s legacy is just as complicated as its sound. Ka-Spel seemed ambivalent when discussing Island of Jewels in an interview for Ptolemaic Terrascope in 1991, remarking, “Some of our best and worst moments are on that album”—but over 20 years later, he embraced it wholeheartedly in the Bandcamp description for its 2012 reissue, declaring it “one of the best albums The Dots ever made.”

The Golden Age

One of the most curious aspects of the Legendary Pink Dots is the band’s sizable goth following—a befuddling degree of popularity, given their lack of ties to the scene proper. The Golden Age might be part of the reason for this. The band’s 1988 album is the home of “Black List,” a long, moody, and rhythmic number that has had its fair share of spins inside goth clubs. It’s also a downright creepy album. Ka-Spel is a true storyteller and here he tells chilling tales with menacing characters and mysteries lurking under vivid poetry. The Golden Age was made while the Dots were at a crossroads; half the band left following tour and Ka-Spel and the Silverman were living in a caravan. The resulting album has more of a minimal sound than, for example, Island of Jewels, adding to the sinister vibe.

The Crushed Velvet Apocalypse

The Crushed Velvet Apocalypse, originally released in 1990, is perhaps the most accessible Legendary Pink Dots album. If your tastes lean towards sing-a-long songs, you can get into this album fast, but you might also lose yourself in the more atmospheric moments of cuts like “Green Gang.” It’s also one of their most masterful albums. The Dots shows their chops at crossing genres as they deftly move through music that ranges from the delicate folk of “I Love You in Your Tragic Beauty” to the harsh electronic sound of “Hellsville.” Lyrically, Ka-Spel is at his best—whimsical, yet witty and poignant. “Princess Coldheart” is a dark, cheeky fairytale spun in a song that’s about as pop as the Dots will ever get, but “Just a Lifetime” brings together sci-fi and fantasy imagery that taps into a very real sense of unease about the future. His line, “A fire-eater went insane and torched the final tree,” rings more relevant now in the era of climate change and catastrophic brush fires.

The Maria Dimension

Ideally, you should listen to The Maria Dimension right after The Crushed Velvet Apocalypse. The albums were released about a year apart and represent The Legendary Pink Dots’ transition into the 1990s. Where “Pennies for Heaven” and  “Belladonna” harks to the songwriting on The Crushed Velvet Apocalypse, much of the rest of the album pushes the band’s sound further into psychedelic realms. That’s thanks in part to the songwriting and recording process. In a 2015 Blurt interview, Ka-Spel explained that The Maria Dimension came into being after a month of improvisation. For the curious, some of those improv moments can be found on The Maria Sessions, also available through the Dots’ Bandcamp site.

Hallway of the Gods

The Legendary Pink Dots have spent their career doing their own thing, but, in 1997, that thing serendipitously fell in line with what was happening in the indie rock world. The band’s krautrock influences took a softer turn, resulting in songs like the tender ballad “Sterre,” the chilled-out space rock of “Lucifer Landed,” and the wild sci-fi jam “The Saucers Are Coming.” Hallway of the Gods sounds perfectly comfortable next to other releases from that year, like Stereolab’s Dots and Loops, Broadcast’s Work and Non-Work, and Spiritualized’s Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space. But, The Legendary Pink Dots were already more than 15 years into existence. They had an established following and had already produced a large catalog of work. Perhaps that lack of newness led to Hallway of the Gods being sorely overlooked.

Chemical Playschool Volumes 11, 12 & 13

Chemical Playschool is a series of The Legendary Pink Dots releases that date back to early in the band’s history, when they were made as very limited-edition cassettes. This is the space where the Dots can get really weird and creative. Cassettes with handmade covers? They tried that in the early ‘80s. By the new millenium, though, the question was, “What could you do with the CD format?” First released in 2001, Chemical Playschool 11, 12, 13 was initially conceived as a three-CD set with three hours of music that were only paused while the discs changed. The material came in part from existing tapes and included new compositions, all of which become a seamless collage where Ka-Spel’s vocals are meticulously placed across the atmospheric canvas. The release is split up into more manageable chunks on the Bandcamp release. However, that still means that you’re getting a few tracks that hover around (and over) the 40 minute mark—more than enough time to zone out.

Plutonium Blonde

With a band whose history is as long as The Legendary Pink Dots’, it’s easy to concentrate on the early releases and leave it at that. Don’t make that mistake: the Dots continued to move forward in the 21st century with work that is every bit as interesting as the albums that garnered their initial fan base. 2008’s Plutonium Blonde might be the best example, melding borderline-ambient moments with Ka-Spel’s weird and wonderful stories. Whereas “An Arm & a Leg” plays out as a captivating mini radio drama for a modern audience, “Mailman” uncharacteristically steps into country terrain, albeit country with a space-rock twist.

Seconds Late for the Brighton Line

Released in 2010, Seconds Late for the Brighton Line coincided with The Legendary Pink Dots’ 30th anniversary, as well a time of transition: longtime members Martijn De Kleer and Niels van Hoorn left the fold before the band hit the studio. (Erik Drost, who played with the band earlier in the ’00s and appeared on albums like Poppy Variations and The Whispering Wall, rejoined the Dots founding members Edward Ka-Spel and The Silverman.) One might think that, with a shrunken line-up, the band would go for a simpler sound, but that’s not the case. There’s still a lot going on here, and it takes multiple listens to discover all the sounds tucked into this collection of songs. “Endless Time,” one of the album’s standout tracks, uses a clock-like rhythm to introduce a soothing melody that very gently crashes into waves of noise. “God & Machines” uses atmospheric noise to heighten the spectral quality in Ka-Spel’s voice, creating the sound of an unknown and uncomfortable afterlife.

-Liz Ohanesian

Source: https://daily.bandcamp.com/2018/12/04/legendary-pink-dots-primer/

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Enjoy our “Reflections” post — one of many vignettes and stories featuring memories of days gone by. This installment is from J.A. Heitmueller. 

If you would like to contribute your own Reflections story, send it, along with photos, to hottytoddynews@gmail.com.

At the age of twelve I had never heard nor used the word mesmerized, but realize over sixty years later the term exactly describes my fascination with something I discovered floating in a glass on my grandma’s dresser that stormy summer morning in 1953. 

One of the reasons I loved to spend summers with Grandma was because her household was so different from my own. Grandma cooked on a potbellied cook stove that reminded me of a huge, black bear lurking in the corner of the kitchen. Every morning she’d stuff crumbled newspapers and kindling wood into the stove, grab her stick match from the tin snuff can on the shelf and light a fire to get the stove roaring so she could cook breakfast. Everything tasted better cooked on Grandma’s old stove… blueberry pancakes, fried chicken, potato patties with onions she called scrongees, creamed corn, fried okra, cornbread, biscuits. Grandma and that old stove could deliver the best egg custard, apple pie and coconut cake I’ve ever put between my lips. She warned me to be very careful if I ever used a cook stove, reminding me that many years ago, when my grandfather’s mother was coloring Easter eggs for her children, the hem of her dress caught on fire. Screaming with terror, Granny Knight dashed out of the house into the yard and was so badly burned that she died two days later.

I never felt it was a chore when Grandma had me draw water from the deep rock well on the front porch. I loved to turn that worn oak crank and listen to the rusty chain squeak as water splashed over the rim of the bucket. I could hear it echoing in the water far below as I slowly inched the metal bucket upward, wondering what I would ever do if I slipped and tumbled over the edge one day. There was nothing more refreshing on a steamy summer day than a hearty gulp of that frigid well water from the scooped out gourd Grandpa carved into a ladle and hung on a hook beside the well. Folks in the neighborhood knew they were always welcome to stop by for a sip or two in the heat of the day. When I became a teen, old enough to work in the hay fields each summer, I could hardly wait to finish hauling those cumbersome bales to the barn loft so I could head straight to the well after hours in that blistering, southern sunshine. I not only drank the water, but liberally poured it over my head again and again, letting it cascade down my sweat soaked body, relishing every cooling drop.

One summer Grandma patiently taught me how to milk Bossy, the cow. Afterwards, we would sit out on her screened in back porch and churn milk to make butter. She stored the butter and extra milk in her icebox, kept chilled by a big block of ice that was delivered from Mr. Hauk’s ice factory every few days. That porch was a cool spot to shell peas and butter beans, or share a juicy, ripe watermelon or cantaloupe.  Some Sunday afternoons we’d invite the neighbors over to join us. The kids would take turns turning the handle on the wooden ice cream freezer and keeping the bucket packed with chipped ice and salt, impatiently waiting for the delicious vanilla ice cream we’d soon be eagerly lapping up. Grandma would often surprise us with a big bowl of freshly sliced peaches or strawberries for the topping.

Each morning we’d head for the hen house out back behind the garage and gently reach under the setting hens to gather an apron full of warm, fragile eggs; then we’d sprinkle cracked corn and food scraps in the chicken yard so the hens could have their breakfast. Grandma let a few chickens wander in the yard to keep the area free of insects.  My favorites were the prissy little bantam hens that strutted around like tiny majorettes proudly leading a parade. Grandma also kept white hens, brown hens and black and white speckled chickens. Sometimes I’d pick up the stray feathers and make a headband to use when I played cowboys and Indians with little Joe Willingham who lived down the road. I always wondered how many hundreds of feathers it took to make one of Grandma’s soft feather mattresses I buried myself in each night. My thoughts never lingered on what actions were necessary for us to enjoy a platter of Grandma’s delicious, crispy fried chicken for Sunday dinner. She warned me to keep my eye on “Old Tom”, the bedraggled, mean tempered rooster that woke me up every morning with his persistent crowing. One day I forgot those admonishments and found myself doing a frantic tap dance around the chicken yard with the devilish critter pecking angrily at my bare feet. You can bet I never turned my back on “Old Tom” again!  Several days later, with a twinkle in her eye, Grandma confessed she had watched the entire performance with amusement from the kitchen window and knew I had learned my lesson.

When I turned ten, Grandma finally gave me permission to use the prized possession she kept stored safely in the woodshed out back. In summer’s past I sometimes wiped the dirt away from the cracked windowpane and peeked inside the little dilapidated building, dreaming of the day I could push Grandpa’s old lawnmower. A couple of times I got brave enough to ease  open the rickety, wooden door and sneak inside to take a closer glance under the tattered tarp. As was her normal routine with any new task, Grandma gave me detailed instructions as to the use and care of the mower. I kept shifting from foot to foot, hardly able to  stand still while politely enduring her lesson, but managed to do so until she told me I could get the mower out and give it a trial run. Not only was I in charge of mowing Grandma’s yard that summer, but her elderly neighbor, Mrs. Metz, paid me to look after her yard. At the end of the summer I had saved a total of $36 from my work, plus Grandma’s promise that when she passed away, the mower would be mine. 

Although she was known as a very dignified lady, I was twelve the summer I discovered there was also a bit of humor tucked securely in my grandma’s personality. It happened soon after the stormy morning Grandma was sitting in her rocker mending a tablecloth, while Percy, the cat, snuggled comfortably in her lap and I was sprawled in the floor, deeply absorbed in the latest adventure of Robinson Crusoe and his pal, Friday.

“Bobby, would you please go to my room and get my thimble off the dresser?” 

I quickly obeyed and darted down the narrow, dark hallway to her bedroom. Since this was her private domain, I was a bit tentative about entering and knew I shouldn’t linger. I let my eyes scan the items on the dresser and soon spied the shiny thimble. Just as I reached for it, I glimpsed an unusual container pushed toward the back of the dresser. It was a tall glass filled with cloudy water with some odd looking pink and white objects floating around. I couldn’t imagine what it might be and leaned forward to look closer. Suddenly, Grandma’s voice startled me.

“Bobby,” I heard her call, “did you find it?” 

“Yes, ma’am, I’ll be right there.” 

Over the next few days, I completely forgot about that puzzling discovery and didn’t think about it again until the evening I happened to be passing the door of Grandma’s room on my way to bed. I glanced up just in time to see her put something in the glass. I tossed and turned all night, wondering just what could possibly be in that container. My childish curiosity was running rampant!

“What’s the matter? You’re awfully quiet. Is something wrong, Bobby?” Grandma asked as she tied her apron and began to cook breakfast the next morning. 

“Well, Grandma. Do you mind if I ask you a question?” I was a bit reluctant to just plainly blurt out the question, but I’d gotten this far, so figured I’d better finish what I started.

 “What do you want to know, Son?” She cracked an egg and began to stir the pancake batter with a wooden spoon.

“Do you remember the other day when you asked me to get your thimble?”  

“Yes,” she nodded, turning a pancake in the skillet.

“I really wasn’t trying to be nosy, but I saw something really strange in a glass on your dresser and I wondered what it was.” 

Suddenly, my grandma burst out laughing. She whirled around to face me as her hand flew up to her mouth. 

“You mean these?” 

I jumped up, knocking my chair over with a loud thud, scaring Percy, who shrieked and bounded from her basket behind the stove, sending it tumbling across the floor in front of me. Shocked, I grabbed my chest and backed away from the table as Grandma yanked her teeth from her mouth and stood there giggling and smacking her gums together. She looked so funny without any teeth. It was hard to believe that strange looking person was really my grandma. She looked exactly like the evil witch I’d read about in Hansel and Gretel.

“Dear me, I didn’t mean to frighten you, Bobby. I thought you knew I had false teeth. I take them out every night to let them soak clean in a glass of water.” She gave me a comforting pat on the head.

“Actually, I have two pairs. If I break one, I’ll have a spare. Dr. Bledsoe suggested I do that.”

After the occurrence of that startling pronouncement, my grandma and I developed a special camaraderie. During the next few years, as I grew to adulthood, the two of us had a clever little trick up our sleeves whenever young children came to visit. When the unsuspecting child greeted her, Grandma would flash a quick wink my way, lean toward the child with a big smile and abruptly let her teeth fall out. I knew exactly how that poor, innocent child felt, yet I couldn’t help laughing every time.

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