#vesper palette

[hey-color-palettes]

I'm trying to decide between two names for me that both and in the same way do you think you can do a color scheme for Vesper or Jasper?

df7c46 || #d3c2a9 || #606e7b || #3b3c4a || #1b1922

[fullmoonfireball]

had a sketch i liked so i decided to have some fun with colouring it! this is in Berry Berry Beautiful from @color-palettes

[blackyuna]

[shroompunk]

refreshments are important.

ID: Sketchy illustration of a cyborg bird man sitting with one knee up and one knee down, drinking from a large can with a straw and holding a lit cigarette in his other hand. He's resting his drinking arm on a spherical drone. His shirt reads: Ask me about the time vortex.

[serenstars]

*visibly going insane* he's so beautiful i take screenshots of him and then literally stare at him for hours. this is so normal ofme

[once-in-a-blood-moon]

When Life Imitates Art

Solomon x GN! reader

Summary: Solomon admires you from afar.

AN: I've had this idea for MONTHS and I finally sat down and wrote it as a birthday present to myself. This fic is for all the chubby/plus size readers (cause I'm one), though anyone can read. Also this borders on fluff and angst, so... do with that as you will. Enjoy! :)

Warnings: mentions of the reader's body/comparing their body to art

Solomon often finds himself wondering what it is that you notice in other people. Where your attention lies when in the presence of other worldly beings- demons, humans, and angels alike. What it is that you envy. 

Because when his attention is on you, his envy lies within the brothers who get to bask in your stunning presence everyday. He hopes they empower you with words of your own brilliance. 

He knows he would.

There wouldn’t be a second where his honeyed words didn’t drip from his tongue and down your throat to your stomach, in hopes of you digesting them and feeling the intensity of their meanings. Like sweet vespers of light and adoration that exercise any insecurities you so desperately try to conceal. 

Because to him, every curve is carved beautifully like that of the ancient marble sculptures- not made to replicate godliness, but meant to replicate life. Each imperfection along your warm, soft skin is a reminder of your humanity. That you and Solomon are of the same kind, that perhaps he was carved from the same stone as you. 

If he were incompetent in the arts, he’d learn if only to capture your image- to further study everything that you are. You are one of the classics, a timeless masterpiece. 

You’re the shooting star in his lonely, night sky. A fleeting moment filled with a magic that has become foreign to him over the years, streaking color back into his eternal life- color that is richer than any gold, shinier than any precious metal. Solomon wants nothing more than to dip his monochrome heart into your vivid palette, but he refrains, afraid of muddying yours. 

He watches as your colors bleed into those around you like a kaleidoscope. Mixing and melding. It’s hard to figure out where he fits in, how his patterns complete yours… If you wear the comedy mask, he wears its twin- tragedy. If he’s the playwright, you're the star in his theatrics. 

You sit in a glass case while Solomon stands behind a velvet rope, reaching out only for his hand to press against the cold exterior. 

[katsigian]

Very slowly and painfully revamping my blog 🫠 painfully because the adhd is kicking my whole ass!! It's irritating me just enough that I have to revamp and clean everything up, but not quite interesting enough for me to like, breeze through it in a hyperfixated whirlwind

AAAND my oc website is coming along too, albeit a little slowly 🫠 I got the domain, I have the layout set basically I got the barest of bones set up already. The hardest part has been writing out OC lore and details. I currently have 16 OCs active dude how am I supposed to write out 16 bios in a timely manner 😭 fuckin. Valen and Vesper over here. With 20+ years of lore for me to write in a semi legible and readable manner 👁👄👁

So if you wanted to maybe check out my little page here on Tumblr (not the katsigian.blog or whatever yet bc that's getting revamped too) I think it's coming along saurrr pretty so far. My color palette changed to gold/green/mint/cream and I moved all my specific fandom stuff to a sideblog

So yeah katsigian is now just an OC blog - yes, I'm still technically using cyberpunk as my creative outlet and the base for my worldbuilding/stories, but I'm pretty well fandomless at the moment. I have no one specific fandom rn and it's been peaceful. Like really peaceful. I love not being subjected to fandom drama and just existing in my lane over here with my ocs 🫶

[gender-jargon]

Does maverique have anything to do with gendermaverick?

Hey anon, thanks for sending me your question. :-)

So, the answer to your question is a bit complicated. The words have an intertwined history, but they ultimately are distinct.

Below, I will talk about the history of each term and then compare and contrast them at the end of the post.

Let's start with a timeline of the two terms.

[Image ID: an image of a timeline of the terms "maverique" and "gendermaverick". The image includes a centered, wavy line with 8 points that are colored in a rainbow gradient from orange to green corresponding to a section of text for each event plotted on the timeline. The image reads: "5/31/2014 - coining of maverique. The term "maverique", created by Vesper, made it's official debut with the first iteration of it's definition. 06/15/2014 -first reworking of maverique definition. Vesper does the first reworking of the definition of maverique and created a maverique pride flag. 06/16/2014 - Haxaaya Proposes a Variant: Gendermaverick. Tumblr user Haxaaya contacts Vesper regarding the proposal of the term "gendermaverick", a gender that draws from both maverique and genderfuck experiences. 06/18/2014 - first definition of gendermaverick. The first iteration of the "gendermaverick" definition is posted by Haxaaya. Vesper responds with feed back, articulating a lack of similarity between terms. 06/18/2014 - first reworking of gendermaverick definition. Follow Vesper's feedback, Haxaaya attempted to refine the term and posted a revised definition. 06/21/2014 - final iteration of maverique's definition. Vesper posted the final revision of their term, "maverique". 07/06/2014 - final iteration of gendermaverick's definition. Haxaaya posted the final revision of the definition of their term, "gendermaverick", including both a formal and simplified definition. 07/08/2014 - gendermaverick pride flag created. Haxaaya created a gendermaverick pride flag, which was submitted to tumblr blog Pride-Flags-For-Us." In the bottom right corner, the image reads: "Graphic by Gent (Gneder-Jargon)". ./. End ID]

History of The Term Maverique

[PT: History of The Term Maverique ./. End PT]

"Maverique" was coined by Vesper on their blog, Queer As Cat (link) [PT: Queer As Cat ./. End PT] , back in 2014. It appears that it's definition has been rewritten by Vesper three different times while they tried to find the correct wording.

Their first iteration (link) [PT: first iteration ./. End PT] of Maverique was:

a non-binary gender characterized by an  unconventional and unothodox internal sense of self and the interrelationship between that sense of self and society. maveriques feel no connection with concepts of femininity or masculinity, but instead feel a sense of gender which is completely independent of conventional ideas of gender; a sense of gender which is entirely its own. a maverique’s sense of gender is strong, leaving little room for apathy or neutrality. there is no middle ground, as maverique is a point between nothing. there is no gray area, as maverique is not a shade on a palette. maveriques are mavericks, plain and simple, but please– don’t forget the “-ique”.

[PT: a non-binary gender characterized by an unconventional and unothodox internal sense of self and the interrelationship between that sense of self and society. maveriques feel no connection with concepts of femininity or masculinity, but instead feel a sense of gender which is completely independent of conventional ideas of gender; a sense of gender which is entirely its own. a maverique’s sense of gender is strong, leaving little room for apathy or neutrality. there is no middle ground, as maverique is a point between nothing. there is no gray area, as maverique is not a shade on a palette. maveriques are mavericks, plain and simple, but please– don’t forget the “-ique”. ./. End PT]

This first definition can be summed up as:

a non-binary gender identity that is not connected to femininity, masculinity or neutrality (atrinary).

a strong, specific sense of gender that is definitively not apathetic or neutral.

a distinct quality, not being between any other genders or vague/unclear in nature.

conceptually nonconformist (unorthodox), existing out of the bounds of cultural norms (unconventional).

definitively involving the dynamic of one's maverique gender and how it is functions in greater society and within oneself

[PT: a non-binary gender identity that is not connected to femininity, masculinity or neutrality (atrinary).a strong, specific sense of gender that is definitively not apathetic or neutral.a distinct quality, not being between any other genders or vague/unclear in nature.conceptually nonconformist (unorthodox), existing out of the bounds of cultural norms (unconventional).definitively involving the dynamic of one's maverique gender and how it is functions in greater society. ./. End PT]

The second iteration (link) [PT: second iteration ./. End ID] of the definition was:

a non-binary gender characterized by autonomy and inner conviction regarding a sense of gender which is unorthodox, unconventional and entirely independent of conventional concepts of gender.

[PT: a non-binary gender characterized by autonomy and inner conviction regarding a sense of gender which is unorthodox, unconventional and entirely independent of conventional concepts of gender. ./. End PT]

This second definition can be summed up as:

an autonomous gender identity held with a sense of conviction.

Separate from existing conventional concepts of gender (atrinary).

conceptually nonconformist (unorthodox), existing out of the bounds of cultural norms (unconventional).

[PT: an autonomous gender identity held with a sense of conviction. Separate from existing conventional concepts of gender (atrinary). conceptually nonconformist (unorthodox), existing out of the bounds of cultural norms (unconventional). ./. End ID]

The third (and last) iteration (link) [PT: third (and last) iteration ./. End PT] of the definition is:

a gender characterized by autonomy and inner conviction regarding a sense of self that is entirely independent of male/masculinity, female/femininity or anything which derives from the two while still being neither without gender nor of a neutral gender.

[PT: a gender characterized by autonomy and inner conviction regarding a sense of self that is entirely independent of male/masculinity, female/femininity or anything which derives from the two while still being neither without gender nor of a neutral gender. ./. End ID]

This current definition can be summed up as:

an autonomous gender identity held with a sense of conviction.

a specific, atrinary gender identity.

[PT: an autonomous gender identity held with a sense of conviction. a specific, atrinary gender identity. ./. End ID]

History of The Term Gendermaverick

[PT: History of The Term Gendermaverick ./. End PT]

Approximately 2 weeks after the coining of the term "Maverique", user Haxaaya contacted Vesper to propose a related term (link) [PT: propose a related term ./. End PT] to Maverique called "Gendermaverick".

The definition for Gendermaverick (link) [PT: definition for Gendermaverick ./. End PT] is as follows:

Gendermaverick: a non-traditional (and non-binary) gender experience characterized by both the innate sense of disconnect and independence from binary gender and the intent to subvert society’s expectations of gender. (See also: maverique and genderpunk/genderf*ck)

[PT: Gendermaverick: a non-traditional (and non-binary) gender experience characterized by both the innate sense of disconnect and independence from binary gender and the intent to subvert society's expectations of gender. (See also: maverique and genderpunk/genderf*ck) ./. End PT]

This definition can be summed up as:

a non-binary gender that is non-traditional and subversive.

a gender identity involving a sense of disidentification and sovereignty from the gender binary.

[PT: a non-binary gender that is non-traditional and subversive. a gender identity involving a sense of disidentification and sovereignty from the gender binary. ./. End PT]

According to the coiner of Gendermaverick, the term was intended to be the same as Maverique, but with an added element of "deliberate and direct intent to challenge gender expectations".

Vesper provided feedback, stating that gendermaverick (using the quoted definition above) and maverique have little in common, as maverique isn't an active type of genderfuckery nor does it involve a sense of disconnection from binary gender. Explaining, rather, that maverique is a specific, autonomous atrinary identity that involves an innate inner conviction of their gender in the face of how their outherine identity is deemed deviant/anomalous by society at large and how that is internalized by the individual themselves.

Not long after, the definition for Gendermaverick was redefined by the coiner (link) [PT: the definition for Gendermaverick was redefined by the coiner. ./. End PT]:

Gendermaverick: a distinctly unorthodox (and non-binary) gender experience characterized by a self-determined and autonomous sense of anomalous disconnect and/or independence from traditional binary gender. Furthermore, gendermaverick is an identity undertaken/used with the intention of deliberate subversion of society’s sense of binary gender. (See also: maverique and genderpunk/genderf*ck)

[PT: Gendermaverick: a distinctly unorthodox (and non-binary) gender experience characterized by a self-determined and autonomous sense of anomalous disconnect and/or independence from traditional binary gender. Furthermore, gendermaverick is an identity undertaken/used with the intention of deliberate subversion of society’s sense of binary gender. (See also: maverique and genderpunk/genderf*ck) ./. End PT]

This second revision summed up is:

A non-binary gender that is conceptually nonconformist (unorthodox).

A gender identity that is autonomous in nature (AUIN) and self-determined.

A gender identity involving a sense of disidentification and sovereignty from the gender binary.

A gender that is non-traditional and subversive with regards to the gender binary.

[PT: A non-binary gender that is conceptually nonconformist (unorthodox). A gender identity that is autonomous in nature (AUIN) and self-determined. A gender identity involving a sense of disidentification and sovereignty from the gender binary.a gender that is non-traditional and subversive with regards to the gender binary. ./. End PT]

The last formal definition given by the coiner (link) [PT:last formal definition given by the coiner ./. End PT] was:

Gendermaverick (dictionary version): an unorthodox gender experience characterized by a self-determined sense of anomalous disconnect from binary gender, often combined with the intention to subvert conventional notions of binary gender (see also: maverique and genderpunk) Gendermaverick (understandable version): a non-traditional gender that you decide the meaning of for yourself, but which is definitely disconnected from binary gender (i.e. man or woman). it can be also be thought of as a gender that intends to mess with society’s notions of a binary gender. (similar concepts are maverique and genderpunk)

[PT: Gendermaverick (dictionary version): an unorthodox gender experience characterized by a self-determined sense of anomalous disconnect from binary gender, often combined with the intention to subvert conventional notions of binary gender (see also: maverique and genderpunk). Gendermaverick (understandable version): a non-traditional gender that you decide the meaning of for yourself, but which is definitely disconnected from binary gender (i.e. man or woman). it can be also be thought of as a gender that intends to mess with society’s notions of a binary gender. (similar concepts are maverique and genderpunk) ./. End PT]

The coiner, in an anonymous ask, also described Gendermaverick as, "a deliberately unorthodox/anomalous non-binary gender".

The most recent revision can be summed up as:

a non-binary gender that is conceptually nonconformist (unorthodox).

a gender identity that is self-determined.

a feeling of inconsistency and/or deviance coupled with a disconnected from the gender binary.

a gender that is non-traditional and subversive with regards to the gender binary.

additionally, related to self-definition and genderfuckery.

[PT: a non-binary gender that is conceptually nonconformist (unorthodox). a gender identity that is self-determined. a feeling of inconsistency and/or deviance coupled with a disconnected from the gender binary. a gender that is non-traditional and subversive with regards to the gender binary. additionally, it is related to self-definition and genderfuckery. ./. End PT]

Comparing & Contrasting Maverique With Gendermaverick

[PT: Comparing & Contrasting Maverique With Gendermaverick ./. End PT]

After reviewing all this information, I have developed an interpretation of the terms Maverique and Gendermaverick. I am Neutrois, not Maverique or Gendermaverick, so I am not speaking from any sort of personal experience, but rather making sense of and summarizing what I found from both coiners in regards to the respective terms they coined. If a Maverique and/or Gendermaverick individual has insight to provide, I would love to hear from them.

Maverique is:

a distinct, specific atrinary (ATRIN) gender that is autonomous in nature (AUIN).

not a lack of gender (AGIN) , vague (VAIN), neutral/neutrine (NIN/NEUIN) nor apathetic (APIN).

not located between any other gender or group of genders.

a gender involving a sense of conviction regarding one's sense of self that is unorthodox and unconventional in it's concept and internalization.

[PT: a distinct, specific atrinary gender that is autonomous in nature (AUIN). not a lack of gender (AGIN) , vague (VAIN), neutral/neutrine (NIN/NEUIN) nor apathetic (APIN). a gender involving a sense of conviction regarding one's sense of self that is unorthodox and unconventional in it's concept and internalization. ./. End PT]

Gendermaverick is:

an autonomous (AUIN, abinary (ABIN) gender involving an anomalous disconnect (WIN) from the gender binary.

gender non-conforming (GENOIN), subversive, non-traditional and/or unorthodox in it's nature.

[PT: an autonomous (AUIN, abinary (ABIN) gender involving an anomalous disconnect (WIN) from the gender binary. gender non-conforming (GENOIN), subversive, non-traditional and/or unorthodox in it's nature. ./. end PT]

Both maverique and gendermaverick are:

abinary (ABIN) gender identities.

autonomous in nature (AUIN).

genders that challenge the existing paradigm of the gender binary and it's derivative identities in some way.

[PT: abinary (ABIN) gender identities. autonomous in nature (AUIN). genders that challenge the existing paradigm of the gender binary and it's derivative identities in some way. ./. End PT]

Maverique and gendermaverick differ in that:

maverique is definitively atrinary (ATRIN), whereas gendermaverick is described as abinary (ABIN), but not specified as atrinary.

maverique definitively involves a sense of conviction regarding one's sense of self, gendremaverick does not.

gendermaverick definitively involves gendrfuckery and/or gender non-conformity, maverique does not.

gendermaverick involves an innate disconnection from the gender binary, maverique does not.

[PT: maverique is definitively atrinary (ATRIN), whereas gendermaverick is described as abinary (ABIN), but not specified as atrinary. maverique definitively involves a sense of conviction regarding one's sense of self, gendremaverick does not. gendermaverick definitively involves gendrfuckery and/or gender non-conformity, maverique does not. gendermaverick involves an innate disconnection from the gender binary, maverique does not. ./. End PT]

Ultimately, Maverique and Gendermaverick are pretty different from each other. Aside from the similarities listed above and an intertwined etymology, they are not all that alike.

TLDR;

Maverique was coined by Vesper. Not long after this coining, tumblr user Haxaaya created the term "Gendermaverick", articulating that it was near identical to Maverique, with the added characteristic of being deliberate and direct in it's intent to challenge gender expectations. As each coiner elaborated on their respective terms, it became apparent that the terms were distinct. Aside from both genders being abinary and subversive in some sense, they both are both different experiences. Their etymology and early history are enmeshed, but ultimately, each identity are notably distinct in concept.

-- Gent

[PT: -- Gent ./. End PT]

[fallenstep]

Yay!! just finished 6 Sidesteps by others in my style :)

I tried to draw them all differently, give them individual vibes, just the way how each of the Sidesteps are unique in their own ways. I am very happy how all pieces turned out and how nicely they all look in one place.

Also let me add several words about each of them:

@westealtoys' Ryder Becker: oh this guy has a special place in my heart, I absolutely enjoyed to give him this cheeky alluring mood with that bitten lip, just the way I see him in my mind <3

@danielsullivan Walter Luna: oh my... I just LOVE his style, dude looks absolutely amazing in this grungy looks, and I felt like this slightly bored, judging all face expression suits him well :'D

@wonda-ch David Kingsley: I still feel that I need to know him better, but from what I saw about him, he gave me gentle, dreamy vibe. And when I got to know that David plays piano, okay, it suits this image even more. <3

@alaraxia Vesper Becerra: I really like how she is often pictured in lightly humorous situations, and looks always not impressed or tired, or maybe both, and when I saw her character sheet that she possibly doesn't like to take pictures at all, I guess this could be her mood when someone tried to picture her. :D

@capricule Cyrus Becker: that piece of Cyrus in front of the mirror was memorable to me, I really liked the palette used in that piece so I borrowed some of the colours for my portrait of him too. I don't know much about Cyrus, but I really like how you picture him. That simple clothing, small stubble on his face, massive scar going through his nose and cheek - all these details give me an impression of deeply struggling, lost soul. </3

@punkranger's Antoine Duman: he was one of the first Sidesteps I saw when I joined Fallen Hero fandom and since then I was always impressed by his unique punk style. Antoine clearly knows how to leave a memorable impression. :)

[cityandking]

1, 12, 14, 18 for dai, minah and vesper!

thank you my dear!! // questions about creating your ocs

1. What was the first element of your OC that you remember considering (name, appearance, backstory, etc.)? 

DAI — theme. I knew I wanted to play a religious character and I knew there was a very Present religious order in airedon that worshiped the sky gods, so he was initially born out of the concept of this really grounded, rooted, earth-adjacent character looking up at the sun and the sky and loving it and striving towards it. everything else kind of slotted into place from there. MINAH — backstory. it helped that we got a whole bunch of campaign lore (plus just, y'know, there's so much DA lore to work with). I always knew she was gonna be a bit unscrupulous and dissembling and kind of went from there. also, fun fact! she was originally gonna be a he VESPER — name. vesper was born out of the ashes (well, a long period of tweaking and re-consideration) of my first inquisition playthrough, so in a lot of ways I had everything set out in broad strokes, but it wasn't until I had a new name that I really began building a new (and better imo) character.

12. What have you found to be most difficult about creating art for your OC (any form of art: writing, drawing, edits, etc.)? 

ok well besides the fact that I can't draw them the way I wish I could draw them...

DAI — his voice is a little stiff and he doesn't do joy well. every now and then I'll have a thought about something (usually a dairef thing) and I just can't pin him down enough to get into it. this happens less when we're playing, but every now and then he just stalls out. MINAH — the secrets she (and I) must keep. also artistic skill rip (I just want to design warden armor) VESPER — her color palette honestly isn't super conducive to edits. also I started writing her ages ago and sometimes it's hard to get back to her voice; I feel like I use to write her much more easily

14. If you had to narrow it down to 2 things that you MUST keep in mind while working with your OC, what would those things be? 

DAI — first, he's upright in all things: morals, posture, obligation, kindness, vows. everything about him should feel like it's standing solid and straight-backed, like it could take a blow and stay standing. second, beneath all that honor and stalwart truth and hope is a deep well of wryness that he can draw from ad infinitum. it's where the bitchiness comes from MINAH — first, her gut instinct when talking about herself is always to lie or deflect, even when it's completely innocuous. there's usually at least one layer between what she says and what the truth is, even if the lie is only in the presentation or the performance. second, her loyalty goes deeper than she'll admit—she's fond of people and bonds easily, even though she tries to keep them at a comfortable arm's length VESPER — first, she is always ready to set herself on fire rather than see anyone else burn or freeze. she's got a martyr complex and a deep well of determination and the two don't play well together. second, she is so tired. she is so so tired. let her nap

18. What is the most recent thing you’ve discovered about your OC? 

DAI — oh lordy. most recent? it's either how hungry he is to know more about his family or how hungry he is to feel solid and real. I made a post a while back about 'how bloody is your OC' and looking back at that I think part of dai's problem in the astral sea is that he hasn't had a chance to get bloody—fighting himself was a good way to get into the meat of things (literally), and the god baby was better because it was tangible change. I think. I'm still trying to get a read on his mental state; he eludes me sometimes MINAH — honestly the cold-blooded mage murder was a surprise to me too VESPER — vesp has been so solid for so long idk what recent thing I've discovered about her. I'm sure I'll have new thoughts and feelings once veilguard drops

[greys-headm8-summoner]

hello !!

would it be possible to get an eastern dragon-human hybrid headmate ?

preferrably with a color palette and maybe appearance inspired by haku's dragon form from spirited away!

reference:

[creds: spirited away]

hex colors (fur): #22C0BB / #8CCDAA hex colors (scales): #ECF9FE / #C2C8CF

you can choose the name, personality, roles, pronouns, etc! i'd like some neo recommendations, but i do want them to use he/they/hym at least!!

sorry if this is too much !! /gen

- 🍳

omg???? OUR FIRST ASKKK!!!!!!! :DDD

tysm oml

anYWAY here’s your silly little guy :3

〜〜〜PROCESSING…〜〜〜

name suggestions: Vesper, Castor, Helix, Xeres, Vlad

age: 2,039 years old (in human years)

labels: Gay, demiromantic, greyromantic, asexual, sex-repulsed, boyflux

pronouns: he/him, they/them, hy/hym, xe/xem, zi/zir, star/starself

role: caregater (“a headmate with an intimate sense for the emotional needs of other headmates, and the ability to bring those headmates to and from the front.” -pluralpedia)

personality traits: positive: intelligent, dedicated, admirable, caring neutral: mostly introverted, sort of dry, timid negative: inflexible, cowardly

appearance:

picrew: https://picrew.me/en/image_maker/2022755

〜〜〜HEADMATE SPAWNED!〜〜〜

i hope you enjoy! :D

[bigeloo]

Y'know Tumblr is really amazing because where else will I find a fandom for a relatively niche movie I literally didn't hear about until my friend sat me down to watch it with me as a palette cleanser for Vesper

[dustedmagazine]

Elijah McLaughlin and Caleb Willitz — Morning Meditations/Evening Abstractions (Centripetal Force)

Elijah McLaughlin, best known for his improvisations on six- and 12-string acoustic guitar, here switches to electric and brings in pianist and tape manipulator Caleb Willitz, for an expansive set that leans towards jazz but includes elements of rock, post-rock and acid folk.

In the basic set up, McLaughlin plays an electric, often-effected guitar and Willitz does double duty, playing piano with his hands while manipulating tape delay with a foot pedal. The duo expands on several tracks to include a handful of Chicago-based improvisers—Ryley Walker/Black Duck drummer Charles Rumback plays on four of eight cuts, while ex-Mahjongg drummer Josh Johannpeter mans the kit on another. The saxophonist Edward Wilkerson Jr. blows in to part two of “Vespers,” turning what had been a moody, turbulent post-rock epic into something closer to jazz, while bass clarinetist Jason Stein weaves lovely counterpoints into the surge and dissonance of closer “Awakening.”

The disc starts in turbulence. The whole first half rages and surges intemperately (but gorgeously), sounding like Rangda or the louder iterations of Six Organs of Admittance or even Dirty Three. The two-part “Vesper,” for instance, begins with languid, reticent guitar and low rumbles of piano, but quickly gains heft and volume. Rumback’s drumming swells and recedes, a swirling current rather than a linear progression, as the guitar tangles and untangles from the piano. The piece is split into two sections, the first more free form, the latter, sharply delineated and led by Wilkerson’s exhilarating runs on sax. It changes markedly when he enters, heating up and exploring a larger palette of sounds. “Weaving of Smoke” is a big departure, paced by a light but urgent flurry of drumming (that’s Johannpeter) and a more liberal use of electronics. The guitar here is quick and agitated, a rushing pulse against lingering piano tones. It’s a quiet piece, but not a calm one.

The second half of the album is more serene, beginning with “Rest” with its slow rising saxophone sounds amid geometric guitar and piano motifs. “Good Fortune” shrouds its probing guitar lines with a whistling, shivering hum of electronics, while “A Clock for No Time” let the piano slip up to the front, with rolled arpeggios against a restless, non-linear drumming. McLaughlin’s guitar work is fine and inquisitive, probing the boundaries of the loose structures he finds himself in. The cut is lyrical and full of longing; it seems to breathe and sigh and turn like a restless sleeper.

Whether stormy or calm, however, this is beautiful work, abstract but not inaccessible and worthy of close listening.

Jennifer Kelly

[mywifeleftme]

345: Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld // Never Were the Way She Was

Never Were the Way She Was Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld 2015, Constellation (Bandcamp)

My prevailing memory of seeing Sarah Neufeld and Colin Stetson’s duo performance in a small room at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa was the way they spent much of the performance with their eyes locked on one another. When violinist Neufeld became lost in her own playing and arched backward, in the same motion Stetson would lean forward over his hulking, steampunk bass saxophone, his legs braced wide. It was as though the two of them were bound at the neck by a long, invisible leather strap. In the most intense passages, they would square off barely a foot apart, like two rams, the veins in Stetson’s sweaty neck and forehead standing out, Neufeld’s angled forearm a blur of precision cuts. Despite also seeing Stetson’s SORROW, an arrangement of Gorecki’s 3rd Symphony for a 12-piece band, during the same festival, it was the intimate physicality of the duo show with Neufeld that had the bigger impact on me.

While Stetson has frequently performed in larger combos (as has Neufeld with Arcade Fire, for that matter), in solo and duo performances his uniqueness as a player is more legible. On Never Were the Way She Was, he uses his uncanny circular breathing technique to create ogrish drones (“With the Dark Hug of Time”), loop-like melodic phrases (“The Sun Roars Into View”), and even to emulate broken techno beats (“The Rest of Us”). Stetson is a pretty physically jacked guy, and when you see him do this stuff in person it’s a bit like watching a blacksmith going at his forge—on record it can be easy for an inattentive listener to miss the exertions required to produce these sounds. But when you start tuning in to the fact all of this groaning cacophony is produced by one man’s laboured lungs, its rawness and minor imprecisions become captivating.

Neufeld takes centre stage on the more somber, post-rocky tunes like the title track, her violin weeping rust as she overlooks a grey bay, Stetson contributing various fog horns and stomach upset. Now and again she wordlessly sings, but it’s always recorded distantly, like a memory of some ever-present sorrow you refuse to allow to surface. On “In the Vespers,” she sketches out a tricky rhythm that Stetson eventually echoes on a tenor sax, the pair running through an odd-time workout that would sound like prog were in not for the chilly clarity of her phrasing, the way the energy decays once again into remorse.

The pair’s previous collaboration was a 2013 film score (Blue Caprice), and the record is of a piece with the influential work Stetson has subsequently done as a soundtrack composer (notably Ari Aster’s Hereditary). As with fellow Aster collaborator the Haxan Cloak, Stetson’s work has helped to define the sound of contemporary unease. If you’ve watched a recent horror movie or psychological thriller, the palette of Never Were the Way She Was will already be familiar—but here the pieces aren’t tied to any preconceived scenario, and the interplay between the two musicians gives it a dynamism and complete-in-itself mood all its own.

345/365

[nvvermore]

1 & 3 for all three!

1 - I had to do palettes cause im extra but

amaryllis -

vesper -

ophélie -

3 -

amaryllis - obviously fire

vesper - air

ophélie - earth

[vespersposts]

hey baby Vesper ♥️ First, I want to say that you're adorable and wanna hug you 🥺

Second, I have a very important to make to you: what's your main selfship on Kuroko no Basket? Or the first guy that you're still completely in love with.

(for science purposes 🤭)

My sweet Ana, 💌

I hold you close and once again thank you for being so pleasant and welcoming. I start with the question about the song about me….

So, this one put me in a bit of a bind because I had two roads: play it safe or be very honest, and I chose the second one because first of all it's you , but then I hate lies so there was no point hiding behind my fingers. I apologise if this answer of mine will be a bit sad or trigger sadness in you. The song I chose is 'Suspirium' by Thom Yorke.

It is a song he wrote after losing his wife and it is about mourning, but also about reuniting with loved ones we have lost, someday.

I had this experience and now my family is my sister and I, so these lyrics are steps on a journey that I don't fully understand and am doing to the best of my ability. He exposes the truth that the vessel of our body is simply part of a larger freedom, and I think this is the only explanation I feel real.

👩‍🔬 Getting to the scientific part ( i love you for real!) , my one is and always will be Aomine. His arc, the fact that he's so broke and his child heart really will appeal to me forever. He's my type even on colour palette, so... It was destiny 👩‍🔬

I give you another big hug and I really hope I have not offended your sensibilities, thank you for the wonderful mood you create!

Lot sof love,

Vesper.