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#HE POPS A BOTTLE OF SHOCHU OPEN
boombboi · 2 years
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When Dazai left the Mafia
DISCLAIMER: this fic is based on @amelia201's soukoku headcanon and features @chyanakahara's headcanon of Chuuya when Dazai left the PM. i don't play skyrim so excuse me if there's any mistakes in that regard. the fic is divided into 3 parts - dazai's pov, chuuya's, and the closing.
WORD COUNT: 1952
TW: ⚠️ suicide ⚠️
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It's not like there's anything going on for him. Days are dull and drinking doesn't do much anymore. Dazai stares at his empty computer screen, wishing something would pop up. Anything.
His stomach growls as he waits hopelessly. He pulls himself up until he remembers there's no food left, he sinks back into the bare floor. Going out is such a pain. He doesn't remember the last time he actually ate and it's not like hunger can kill a human that easily. On average, it takes a person two months to die without food. He's been underground for a month and a half now so he could probably stretch it out for a couple more days.
The gleam of the city lights distracts Dazai from his screen. Through his window, it seems as if stars are dancing along with the buzz of the populated Yokohama streets. The breeze caresses his skin like that of a mother. Oddly enough, it reminds him of Mori. He pushes that thought aside.
Scrambling to his feet, he knocks over several bottles of shochu, almost stumbling over his precious Kierkegaard and losing his balance in the process. Hypnotized by the lights, he totters toward the window. He couldn't care less about Port Mafia members recognizing him, the shoddy view of the city from his 15,000-yen apartment window interests him more than those goons reporting back to the boss.
Dazai takes a breathful of the city's air pollution, he can savor the whiff of car exhausts, cigarettes, and various meals being cooked all mixed up and juggled in the breeze. The city's noise pollution isn't any better - car horns, people shouting in anger or despair, and street fights filled the night. This is the Yokohama he grew up in. It was relieving to know it hasn't changed. He finds it most beautiful in its darkness.
Ah, what a nice night to commit suicide, he thought.
All the waitresses he asked to join him all refused to, he was disheartened by that but he can't let every single rejection get to him, else he can't have a happy and cheerful suicide. He is happy right now, at least he thinks so. As for the cheerful part, a group of thugs just beat up a newbie Mafioso across the street for flaunting his new title so that made him laugh. That serves him right.
His 4th floor room isn't that high up but falling off at this height with a proper position will instantly kill him. The curtain behind him sways happily in the breeze. This time it feels like the wind is cheering him on.
Okay! Let's do this!
Dazai steps over the balustrade, welcoming the strong gush of wind, he inhales. His heartbeat is jumping enthusiastically, his breaths start to become short and quicker, he can't keep a grin off his face. Yeah, this is how I want to feel when I die.
If someone sees him right now, they will see how his eyes sparkle like that of an excited boy who can't sit still until they get their favorite toy. The city lights reflect his eyes. Inhaling a lungful of air, he thinks, I have the power of gravity on my side. There's no way I will lose.
Dazai leans toward the night, his hands on the rail - the only thing preventing him to fall.
He faces the breeze.
He gazes at the Yokohama lights for the last time.
He welcomes his sweet release.
His computer lights up.
The notification bell rains on Dazai's parade. Who the hell would interrupt him in the middle of him taking his own life?!
Glancing in irritation to his computer, his desktop wallpaper welcomes him and he pauses. He should really change that soon. Eyeing over to the corner, the notification reads, 'gravitysensei29 is online'.
Tch, that petit mafioso. Always a pain in my ass.
Stomping over to his computer, he opens Skyrim, shoves his headphones in, and yells out, "Oi chibi, you really have bad timing, don't you!"
It takes him a second to realize his mic is off. Switching it on, Dazai shuts up in embarrassment.
A few seconds later, the RPG world unravels with his character standing lifelessly in front of an abandoned town. From a distance, he notices Chuuya's gamertag getting closer until he sees the hideous of a character skin the chibi chose. Dazai scoffs as it stops feet away front of his.
Chuuya's breathing can be heard through the mic but he's not saying anything. Because of this, neither does Dazai.
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The moment Chuuya finds out Dazai left, he is in the middle of persecuting the enemy. He can just leave it to the Hirotsu to fish out information the enemy has but that night, he feels lively and motivated to finish the job himself so he sends the Black Lizard away. As a candidate for the executive position, they don't question it.
Plain fishing will be a waste of good energy on a lovely night like this one. Chuuya doubts he can get anything useful from these bastards anyway, why not do something worthwhile?
Activating his gravity manipulation, he guides himself and the disabled enemy head above the city. Muted noise arises from the distance, the people look like ants, the streets pack with life.
"Look," Chuuya attempts to communicate, "I don't know about you but I never did find this city appealing."
But tonight is different.
"A moment ago, I felt a surge of emotions and I had to make sure." He gazes down to the city. "This place isn't so bad after all."
Chuuya grins and holds his chin up. Now that that Dazai is gone, he can do whatever he needs to do without that mackarel popping up on his tail like an uninvited whack-a-mole. He couldn't care less what happened, if the damn bastard is dead or alive, he's in ecstasy at the thought that there will never be a troublesome Dazai in the Mafia.
"I wonder what will happen if I try to destroy the city." Will that Dazai come back and stop him?
"Heh, as if I'm insane enough to pull off something like that." Dazai was significantly weaker than him in terms of physical prowess, but he has the insanity and power to decimate this city if he so wants to.
Chuuya puffs a hefty sigh. What a beautiful night. He takes a mental note that this is undoubtedly the most europhic he's ever been since joining the Mafia. "Oi, mob boss, wanna go grab a drink with me?"
Glancing beside him, he frowns to see a limp body lifelessly floating in the air. Dazai would be disappointed. He would say something like, 'What a lucky man, passing on to other side before me.' Chuuya is disgusted. All that bastard ever talks about is suicide, he would have loved to suicide the life out of that Dazai if given the chance to.
A minute after Chuuya dials him, Hirotsu and his men come back and leaving them to clean up the mess, he calls Kouyou to meet him in his place.
"So, what's the occasion that calls for you to open such an expensive label?" Kouyou asks him as soon as she sees the brand on the bottle.
Chuuya sports a vibrant smile.
"Someone looks happy."
"There's no reason to be sad, Onee-san." He offers her a glass and holds his up for a toast. "To Dazai leaving the Port Mafia, Yokohama would never be as pleasant as it is from now on."
Kouyou is aware of the news but she can't comprehend the reason why Chuuya would dedicate a toast to it, however, he looks so delightful as a puppy that she decides to go along with it.
As Chuuya gets ready to retire for the night, he studies himself on the mirror. Looking at the blue ribbon of his hat repulses him. If he can ever describe it, it's like something is trying to claw itself out of his stomach. He ignores the feeling, grabs the hat, and shoves it inside his closet. Mori gave it to him as a gift for the establishment of Twin Dark, likewise he also presented Dazai a maroon ribbon but Chuuya never saw him wear it.
That bastard.
The ecstatic feeling quickly dissipates when Chuuya catches a glimpse of Dazai's gaming icon online on his computer. It seems like he's not dead, after all. Good for him. He deserves to suffer more.
Days pass by idly, it is nothing like Chuuya imagined. He is still celebrating Dazai's departure, it's a celebration that would last a lifetime and he loves the way the Mafia is now but he isn't as energetic as he was the first night. He also can't shake the repulsive feeling in his stomach anymore like he did that night.
It is impossible to think that Chuuya is hung up with this. It's not like there was anything important between him and that Dazai. Sure, they were partners but that was it. And yet, he sits in the darkness of his closet, the only light - shining on one of his favorite hats that flaunted a blue ribbon.
He doesn't wear the hat anymore, Chuuya doesn't question it. For some reason, Dazai tainted that hat. And he owns many other lavish hats to wear anyway so it's not like it bothers him.
With a gruntled sigh, Chuuya walks out of the closet and strides toward the kitchen. On his way, he passes by his computer, he notes through his peripheral that Dazai is online in Skyrim. Again.
He never played the game since Dazai left. He used to play it with him but the reason he didn't anymore was because that damn Dazai is always there, online every time Chuuya wants to play. He never leaves him alone although he officially left the organization that tied both of them to each other. The man is still alive, but he's already starting to haunt him.
If Dazai's idea is to make Chuuya suffer, then two can play at that game.
Chuuya is not logging in solely because he wants to harass Dazai, the bastard doesn't own the game, Chuuya can play Skyrim whenever he wants.
He sees Dazai's character in the meadow in front of an abandoned town, standing tediously as if waiting for someone. There are a lot of things Chuuya wants to say to Dazai. First, he wants to boast how amazing things have been since he left, how ecstatic he felt when he found out, and how he should've left sooner. Then, he wants to berate Dazai for leaving the Mafia like that.
Chuuya breathes heavily. He doesn't say anything, neither does Dazai.
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This setup continues for weeks when they're both online. It's the only thing they have closest to interacting with each other. And once in a while when his grim thoughts try to take over, it's all Dazai needs.
They start playing and going on adventures with each other a month later, but an actual conversation doesn't happen until another two months. It occurs when Chuuya joins the server that day.
"Dazai, you're not dead yet?" Chuuya tries to mask his worry as he speaks.
Knowing this, Dazai laughs heartily. "Oh wow! Chuuya is asking me this, I wonder why is that. Oh! May it be you want to join me, Chuuya-kun?"
"As if. Go to hell already!"
Dazai smiles.
Chuuya exhales a heavy sigh.
For a moment, it was as if Dazai leaving the Mafia never happened. And although they wouldn't admit it, they both felt a sense of relief wash over them. This was good enough.
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tagging people bc i really like how i did this LMAO @jessbeinme15 @confusedinsominiac @k4a @no-brain-just-akutagawa @panic-at-the-gender @chyanakahara @amelia201 @rirk-ke @kei-chaiin @deadmitochondria @justsomeboredgirl @chuuy-a @i-wonder-why-nobody-likes-you @aks3raao1 @lillybet-the-overlord @noticemeakusenpai @fukoronoko @nolongeravalidhuman @beautiful-is-boring @sparkofsummer @flower-of-darkness
if you want to be removed from the tags, please don't hesitate to tell me
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veiliisms · 5 years
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*AFTON & JANE. / @uccisore -
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they’ve been working hard. very hard. it’s a sight he’s used to seeing, sure, but there was an... emptiness in her eyes that he wasn’t used to seeing. he never butted in, only did what he was told. they were his ward, he respected them, protected them. that was his duty. he was proud of his work.
so it didn’t sit right to see them like that. he had brought a clear bottle, half empty, but still good. places it on the desk in front of them. 
“... sorry to interrupt, boss. thought you could use a drink.” pops the bottle open, placing two glasses in front of them. places small cubes in each one. “yokaichi mugi shochu. often called japanese vodka. doesn’t do it justice, but it’s a good comparison.” he fills in each glass, holding one to her.
“... take a break, jane.”
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talesofthefrontier · 3 years
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The Pop Culture Pub Crawl: Clay McNab
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The Pop Culture Pub Crawl reveals the favourite hooch of fictional characters and this edition is about passing the glass to Clay McNab from Tales Of The Frontier. An infamous Quester and witch hunter, Clay McNab has dedicated his life to stopping supernatural creatures and along the way he’s drunk his way through countless saloons and bordellos.
Witch hunting is thirsty work and here are some of the bottles McNab would be partial to.
Gun Fighter Bourbon Whisky
A spirits and whisky man, McNab would have an appreciation for bourbon and he’d pour himself a glass of Gun Fighter from the Golden Moon Distillery.
He’d see himself reflected in the label and while sipping the whisky, McNab would be reminded of all the gun fights he’d been through over the years and the actions that earned him the nickname The Hammer Of The Witches.
High West American Prairie Bourbon
The next bourbon on McNab’s list is American Prairie from the High West Distillery. With spicy, sweet notes, this whisky would appeal to his taste buds. It’d also remind McNab of all the times he’d rode across the sprawling planes of The Frontier, evoking a rugged individualism and romanticism that he felt in his younger days.
Maker’s Mark Whisky
When it comes to whisky, McNab likes reliability. A good, solid spirit that he can sip in a dark saloon and listen to music with. Maker’s Mark is the right whisky for the job. Savoury and sweet, this whisky is something McNab would drink like water.
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Cask 88 31-Year-Old Nuckelavee Single Malt Whisky
After knocking back bourbon, McNab would want to change it up and select a whisky that had bite and resonance. He’d choose the 31-year-old Orkney single malt from Cask 88. The whisky also carries the symbol of the Orcadian demon Nuckelavee, a foul creature that looks like a giant flayed horse with a man attached to the body.
One of McNab’s most difficult contracts involved him stopping a nuckelavee with the help of his mentor Bram Fitzgerald. Bringing the demon down was one of McNab’s finest moments and drinking the whisky would be a way to remind himself of the triumph and to be vigilant against other creatures of the dark.
The whisky itself was distilled at Highland Park distillery. Starting life in a refilled sherry cask, the spirit was finished in a Rivesaltes fortified French wine hogshead.
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The Norfolk Parched Single Grain Whisky
Another whisky McNab would gravitate towards is the well-respected The Norfolk Parched Single Grain. Distilled by The English Whisky Company, The Norfolk Parched is a rich and complex spirit with peach, toffee, grapefruit and dry notes.
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Appleton 12-Year Rum
As well as being a whisky fan, McNab is also partial to rum. Especially rum that has a good reputation and he’d find plenty to enjoy with a bottle of Appleton 12-years. Matured in oak casks, this rum has fruity and sweet expressions of chocolate and molasses.
It’d be a worthy palate cleanser for The Hammer Of The Witches.
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Marsh House Rum
On The Frontier, rum is classed as the drink of the common man and the highest concentration of rum distilleries is found in Deepstead Province. A marshy, tropical region, Deepstead has the ideal climate for producing rum and McNab has had many adventures throughout that part of the world.
A rum to remind him of Deepstead would be Marsh House. This rum has bright, floral notes that crackle with cola, caramel and vanilla.
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Cazadores Anejo Cristalino
For a sipping tequila, McNab would be partial to the Cazadores Anejo Cristalino. Made from blue agave harvested in Jalisco, Mexico, the tequila has been aged in American oak barrels.
The result? A heady drink with spicy notes of apple, wood and nuts. McNab would also enjoy the packaging, as the stag is an animal he associates with strength and speed.
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Espolon Blanco Tequila
When it comes to alcohol, McNab is open-minded and he’d certainly have an appreciation for tequila. A good choice is Espolon Blanco, a blue agave spirit distilled in Los Altos by The San Nicolas Distillery.
With an eye-catching label, Espolon would agree with McNab’s taste buds. Zesty, citrusy and potent.
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Kariu Shochu
As a Quester, McNab has roamed all over The Frontier and been exposed to all kinds of cultures and drinks. One culture he’s very familiar with is the kamuni, who have their own indigenous drinks called tinek and burash. 
Over the years, McNab has drunk plenty of tinek and burash with his friend Itsano and a spirit that would remind him of burash is shochu. An ideal shochu for The Hammer Of The Witches is Kariu, a barley spirit produced by the Bungo Meijyo brewery in Japan.
Elegant, mild and soft, the Kariu would be a suitable finishing drink to help McNab take the edge off.
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See Clay McNab in action in AT THE DEAD OF DUSK, where he’s forced to help a young girl find her father in exchange for completing a final job. There’s monsters, magic and teenage angst galore. Buy AT THE DEAD OF DUSK today!
Originally published on The Comic Vault.
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smw-2018-blog · 6 years
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Blog Post 5
Wednesday, 4/25/18
1.     Police are hunting for an inmate who escaped from an open prison in Imabari, in the Ehime Prefecture.
2.     Testing ongoing on self-driving automobile to gauge potential of this technology.
3.     Discussion surrounding 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and North Korea’s participation.  IOC will remain politically neutral.
Thursday, 4/26
1.     Denuclearization “center stage” as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jai-in meet in Seoul in a rally before the upcoming summit. This is historic because it is the first time in 65 years a North Korean leader set foot on South Korean soil.
2.     The Diet affairs chief denied rumors he’s calling a snap election.
3.     Pop star Tatsuya Yamaguchi made a tearful apology for forcibly kissing a teen while he was drunk after drinking a whole bottle of shochu and states he will take a “hard look at himself.”  He is a member of an all-male group Tokio and is also a host for several television programs.  He has been indefinitely suspended from show business.
4.     Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US Admiral Harry Harris, who is commander of the US Pacific Command, both agreed to continue “maximum pressure” on North Korea.
5.     Mount Io, a volcano in Kyushu, erupts for 2nd time in a week after being dormant for 250 years.
6.     A prototype has been developed by 3 firms of a humanoid robot that can transform into a car.  Similar to the “Transformers” movies, this would be used in amusement parks.  It only takes 1 minute for the transformation into a vehicle.
Friday, 4/27/18
1.     Nintendo names new president of company, Shuntaro Furukawa.  Nintendo is headquartered in Osaka and this president is 22 years younger than the prior president.  He was involved in the development of the Nintendo Switch which has outsold predictions and led to record numbers for Nintendo.
2.     North and South Korean leaders meet and prepare to set up peace treaty, both pledging no nuclear weapons.
Saturday, 4/28/18
1.     Natto will change your life.  Fermented beans not loved by everyone but the nutty, sharply complex flavors are embraced by its aficionados.
2.     Japan Sumo Association rethinking ban on women.
3.     Sexual harassment for women reporters is in the news recently and causing many to rethink work environments.
4.     Subaru admits to rigging mileage and emissions data as far back as 2002.
5.     Atomic bomb survivors praise denuclearization agreement at inter-Korean summit.
Sunday, 4/29/18
1.     Talk continues about the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s who says he’s ready to talk to Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe “any time.”  Abe says there are still many hurdles to overcome.
2.     Japanese to have a “Me Too” group after actress won sexual harassment lawsuit and released plans to use money for this purpose.
3.     New theme park to open in 2022 in Nagoya by Studio Ghibli.
 Monday, 4/30/18
1.     Shikoku prison escapee caught in Hiroshima after swimming across a narrow channel to the mainland.  They had been searching for him on Mukaishima, a tiny island in the Seto Inland Sea.  He was on the run for more than 3 weeks.  Over 15 thousand personnel were involved in the search.
2.     Trump should win the Nobel Peace Prize?  This said by South Korean President Moon Jai-in for Trumps role in the ongoing North Korean nuclear crisis.
 Tuesday, 5/1/18
1.     Charges were dropped against pop star Tatsuya Yamaguchi when the teen girl withdrew her complaint.
2.     Six trainees from other countries worked at Fukushima nuclear plant despite a ban that was in place.  The plant, operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co., suffered a core meltdown in 2011.  The workers were doing construction work at the plant.
3.     Predictions of packed crowds at major train stations during 2020 Tokyo Olympics.  Approximately 8 million people use the trains in Tokyo daily to get to work or school. Suggestions were made that people may need to change their regular routes and avoid rush hours to allow visitors to get to the Olympics on time.  Otherwise, it is predicted, trains may stall as people will be unable to board or depart the trains.
4.     Very hot summer across Japan forecasted.
 Summary of the news this week in Japan:
The main topic was the same as elsewhere in the world, the peace talks and pledged denuclearization between North and South Korea. Due to Japan’s close proximity to Korea, this captured most of the headlines for the week.  
Other topics mentioned more than once were sexual harassment in the workplace, especially among female reporters and in the entertainment industry.  This was remarkably similar to current US news trends.  Technology was also featured prominently, especially within the topics of the video game and car industries.
 Sources:
1.     The Japan Times:  https://www.japantimes.co.jp/
2.     The Asahi Shimbun:  http://www.asahi.com/ajw/
3.     The Japan News:  http://the-japan-news.com/
4.     The Mainichi:  https://mainichi.jp/english/
5.     Japan Today:  https://japantoday.com/
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stormyrecords-blog · 6 years
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march 29th new arrivals
in on thursday restock on these lps - HEXADIC III $24.99ben chasney currated lp of current amazing guitar players on drag city CAVERN OF ANTI-MATTER Hormone Lemonade $28.99still the clear vinyl version!!! JAY DANIEL - Audire Vol 1 Watusi High cassette $9.99beats tape by local dj/electronic magician who has been running with the Wild Oats crowd for years. Debut release from Detroit super-duo 'Audire', comprised of Jay Daniel & Ajamu Yakini. Raw work of art combining World, Jazz, Hip-Hop & everything in between. Limited to only 100 cassettes.Running Time 28 mins. 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Funkadelic: Free Your Mind LP $31.99"Funkadelic's second LP, originally released in 1970, is another straight up masterpiece from the stoniest, strangest funk and R&B group of all-time. Opening with the 10 minute title track complete with a shredding keyboard solo from Bernie Worrell and, of course, the six-stringed insanity of Eddie Hazel. One of George Clinton's finest sets of songs and another essential part of the Parliament-Funkadelic catalog reissued on blue starburst vinyl in a deluxe gatefold jacket." Atobe, Shinichi: Butterfly Effect 2LP $29.992018 limited repress. Shinichi Atobe has managed to stay off the grid since he made an appearance on Basic Channel's Chain Reaction imprint back in 2001. He delivered the second-to-last 12" on the label and then disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a solitary record that's been selling for crazy money and a trail of speculation that has led some people to wonder whether the project was in fact the work of someone on the Basic Channel payroll. That killer Chain Reaction 12" has also been a longtime favorite of Demdike Stare, who have been trying to follow the trail and make contact with Atobe for some time, whoever he turned out to be. A lead from the Basic Channel office turned up an address in Japan and -- unbelievably -- an album full of archival and new material. Demdike painstakingly assembled and compiled the material for this debut album. And what a weird and brilliant album it is -- deploying a slow-churn opener that sounds like a syrupy Actress track, before working through a brilliantly sharp and tactile nine-minute piano house roller that sounds like DJ Sprinkles, then diving headlong into a heady, Vainqueur-inspired drone-world. It's a confounding album, full of odd little signatures that give the whole thing a timeless feeling completely detached from the zeitgeist, like a sound bubble from another era. This is only the second album release on Demdike Stare's DDS imprint, following the release of Nate Young's Regression Vol. 3 (Other Days) (DDS 007LP) in 2013. Who knows what they might turn up next? Mastered by Matt Colton at Alchemy. Messthetics: S/T LP $18.99cd also available $12.99"The Messthetics are an instrumental trio featuring Brendan Canty (drums), Joe Lally (bass), and Anthony Pirog (guitar). Brendan Canty and Joe Lally were the rhythm section of the band Fugazi from its inception in 1987 to its period of hiatus in 2002. This is the first band they've had together since then. Anthony Pirog is a jazz and experimental guitarist based in Washington, D.C. One half of the duo Janel & Anthony, he has emerged as a primary figure in the city's out-music community. The trio's debut includes nine songs recorded at Canty's practice space throughout 2017, live and mostly without overdubs. It's a snapshot of a band dedicated to the live ideal, where structure begets improvisation." Perry, Jordan: S/T LP $17.99"Much needed reissue of the extremely limited 2017 debut LP by Virginia guitarist, Jordan Perry. We were turned on to it when Chris Guttmacher at Blue Bag Records in Cambridge told Kassie Richardson of Good Cry (who did the initial 100 pressing) to send us a copy. He thought we might be into it, and halfway into one spin we knew he was right. There have been several fat boatloads of acoustic guitar players floating across our turntable the past few years. And to be honest, we've dug the majority of them. Seems like there must be a lot of good stuff in the water, or something. Despite this, a preponderance of the players we've enjoyed have definitely been in the American Primitive mode. Lots of swift modal aktion with a folk/blues base, invaded by various foreign agents. Jordan Perry's approach to his guitar is quite different. Although there are some basic völk sonorities in his playing, Mr. Perry's brunt combines these with more avant garde note selections and compositional gambits, as well as a string attack with classical qualities. While there's a gentleness to the melodies at which he eventually arrives, Perry's journey crosses prickly patches of tone clusters, and has a circular logic that defies pop logic. A few passages recall moments on All Is Ablaze, our recent album with experimental player Julia Reidy (FTR 338LP), while some of the open strumming has a beautifully languid quality verging on mid period William Ackerman. All of which makes this a record very deserving of much personal headspace. Give Jordan Perry some room and you'll be very glad you did. We promise." --Byron Coley, 2018 Edition of 300. Plastic Cloud:S/T LP   $27.992018 repress. "Plastic Cloud recorded, quite simply, one of the greatest psychedelic albums ever made. This is a record with few equals, full of foreboding melodies and lovely hippie harmonies, as well as some of the most superb and trippiest, Eastern sounding fuzz guitar ever recorded. There is no point singling out a specific track, they are all excellent -- one is equally as good as the next. Take for example the album centerpiece, the ten-and-a-half-minute 'You Don't Care,' an insane piece of social commentary that features terrific back-of-the-mix fuzz guitar as an elusive focal point to its extended pounding-drum laden instrumental breaks; with a great chorus and a plaintive melody in the verse, it doesn't overstay its welcome, winding its way to a final freak out. Essential psychedelia!" 180 gram vinyl; Edition of 400/ Comes with lyric insert and replica vintage press release. Phew: Voice Hardcore LP $26.99"Living legend Phew follows up her brilliant Light Sleep album with another masterwork -- Voice Hardcore -- comprised entirely of her iconic, instantly recognizable voice, twisted, folded and layered over six mesmerizing tracks. Recorded at home in summer 2017, this release finds Phew exploring an idea she first hatched while recording her debut single 'Finale' in 1980 -- to, in her words, ' make new reverberations that I have never heard before, using only my body.' 37 years later, Phew proves herself again to be the exception to the rule -- a veteran artist with an estimable catalog spanning decades who, rather than repeating herself or playing it safe, charges headfirst into uncharted territory. Phew's self -- released tour CD of Voice Hardcore was voted # 23 Best Album of 2017 by The Wire Magazine. This Mesh-Key vinyl edition features a silver foil stamped cover and a double-sided, full color insert, and comes with an mp3 download card." Morrow, Charlie: Toot! Too LP $26.99Recital present the first vinyl LP by composer/event-maker Charlie Morrow. Toot! Too culls performance recordings from 1970 to 2014. It focuses on his "Wave Music" series, which are compositions based around swarms of like-instruments; i.e. sixty clarinets, conch choruses, and army of drums and bugle horns, etc. The 1978 piece, "100 Musicians With Lights", was performed at dusk in Central Park. One hundred players (brass, reeds, percussion) congregate and march in spiral formations, playing their instrument with penlights attached to them. The piece dissipates and ends as each player marches through the park to their respective homes. The sound is fascinating; a tape recording made by an audience member swirling and dancing through the performance. Charlie is an organizer: one of instruments, with the pieces that landed on this LP and dozens more; one of events, through decades of public solstice celebrations across the world; one of publications, including New Wilderness Audiographics and EAR Magazine; and, one of friendships as Charlie has kindly introduced me to many fascinating players in this quirky game of ours. He views networking as an art form, always connecting friends with other friends, building a larger web for everyone to dance throughout. Label owner Sean McCann on the release: "In working on this LP over the past years, Charlie Morrow and I have become close. It has been a joy to have him in my life. At the age of 73, he is determined and creative and as positive as ever. Each time we speak, new projects arise -- like a mysterious soup boiling up fresh aromas. One of my favorite memories with Charlie was us staying up 'til the wee small hours of the morning drinking a bottle of sweet potato shochu, me listening to him tell funny and poignant remembrances. I am happy to share these lovely recordings, just a pinky toe in his artistic footprint, but wow, such a gorgeous toe!" Includes 20-page, 8.5x11" color booklet with scores, writings, and photographs; Includes download coupon; Edition of 500. Spacemen 3: Dreamweapon 2LP $39.99"August 1988, Spacemen 3 embark on one of the strangest events in the band's already strange history. Billed as 'An Evening Of Contemporary Sitar Music' (although consciously omitting the sitar), the group would play in the foyer of Watermans Arts Centre in Brentford, Middlesex to a largely unsuspecting and unsympathetic audience waiting to take their seats for Wim Wenders' film Wings Of Desire. Spacemen 3's proceeding set, forty-five minutes of repetitive drone-like guitar riffs, could be seen as the 'Sweet Sister Ray' of '80s Britain. Their signature sound is at once recognizable and disorienting -- pointing as much to the hypnotic minimalism of La Monte Young as to a future shoegaze constituency. On this double LP reissue, Dreamweapon is augmented by studio sessions and rehearsal tapes from 1987 that would lead up to the recording of Spacemen 3's classic Playing With Fire album. 'Spacemen Jam,' featuring Sonic Boom and Jason Pierce on dual guitar, is a side-long mediation on delicate textures and psychedelic effects. Includes download card and new insert with liner notes by Will Carruthers."
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