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bravemccalll · 5 years

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rock and you, baby

Hajime Hinata (@hajimetheguitar) tweeted: thanks for a great concert tonight guys! my thanks to everyone who was there, we love you!

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu (@fuyuhiko_kuz) retweeted: you forgot to mention the stage light that burst into flames

Hajime Hinata (@hajimetheguitar) retweeted: it didn’t feel important

Chiaki Nanami to Hajime Hinata: so r u actually a guitar or

Hajime: i will break up with you

Hajime: without remorse

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu to are we as cool as the beatles yet???: as the lead singer I feel that I must ask why chiaki is in our BAND chat considering that she isn’t IN our band

Kazuichi: she’s in our band in spirit

Nagito: our band would be ten times better if she was in it lets be real

Hajime: can u stop prefacing everything u say with ‘as the lead singer’

Fuyuhiko: as the lead singer, no

Kazuichi Souda to Peko Pekoyama: ill give u three bucks to tweet about how u and fuyuhiko met

Peko Pekoyama (@pek.peks) tweeted: Hello everyone! In this thread I will tell the entire story of how Fuyuhiko and I met which includes all of the following: three dogs, brownie mix, spilled coffee and a broken nose. Enjoy!

Fuyuhiko Kuzuyruu (@fuyuhiko_kuz) tweeted: in unrelated news, kaz is dead so we need a new back-up guitarist

Kazuichi Souda (@kazplaysguitar): ‘back-up guitarist’??? excuse me, me and hajime are on equal playing ground and I have never been more offended in my entire life and I will be seeki

Hajime Hinata (@hajimetheguitar): love how he was more offended by being called a back-up guitarist than being blatantly murdered

Chiaki Nanami to manage a trois: should I leak my new album

Nagito: 100%

Hajime: absolutely not

Chiaki: who do I trust,,,,who is right,,,,,

Hajime: me

Hajime: im right

Hajime: don’t leak your album

Kazuichi Souda (@kazplaysguitar) tweeted: just saw that the group chat for hajime, nagito and chiaki is called ‘manage a trois’ so ive decided to destroy the French language thx 4 the support guys

Nagito Komaeda (@ko_drummer) retweeted: ;))))

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu to Peko Pekoyama: im about to go on stage can u give me some encouragement

Peko: I love you no matter what happens out there. Even if you split your trousers down the butt like you did a few years ago. I’ll love you still.

Hajime Hinata to Peko Pekoyama: fuyuhiko has locked himself in his dressing room bc his tears are ruining his eyeliner, can u not be on tour and come and deal with this because I know its ur fault

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu (@fuyuhiko_kuz) tweeted: another great performance tonight! thanks to all our fans in the audience, especially the woman who threw her bra at kaz. great stuff!

Chiaki Nanami (@chiaki.nans) retweeted: yeah @kazplaysguitar can u mail that bra to me, I meant to throw it at hajime ://///

Kazuichi Souda (@kazplaysguitar) retweeted: im wearing it rn, do u still want it???

Chiaki Nanami (@chiaki.nans) retweeted: duh

Chiaki Nanami (@chaiki.nans) tweeted: can some1 pls tell me why my boyfriend’s band is called ‘Blue Cherry Blossoms’??? best response gets backstage passes

Mukuro Ikusaba (@mukuro) retweeted: It is because your boyfriend and his boyfriend and their two friends are all morons

Chiaki Nanami (@chiaki.nans) retweeted: im coming over to urs w/ the passes

Kazuichi Souda (kazplaysguitar) retweeted: shes ur sound technician this competition is rigged

Mukuro Ikusaba (@mukuro) retweeted: :)

Kazuichi Souda to Chiaki Nanami: is ur sound tech gonna kill me

Kazuichi: nans im shaking please respond

Kazuichi: who did she kill to get her @, she didn’t even need to add a number

Kazuichi: nans pls call me

Peko Pekoyama (@pek.peks) tweeted: The new album is out on spotify!! My extra special thanks to everyone who helped me work on it!!

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu (@fuyuhiko_kuz) retweeted: !!! everyone go listen to UltraViolet For You, it’s excellent. God I love my wife

Kazuichi Souda (@kazplaysguitar) retweeted: WIFE??!!!???!?!

Pop News (@POPNews) tweeted: Lead Singer of Rock Band ‘Blue Cherry Blossoms’, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu Accidentally Admitted on Twitter that He is Married to Indie Singer, Peko Pekoyama. Oops!

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu (@fuyuhiko_kuz) retweeted: god damnit

Kazuichi Souda (@kazplaysguitar) retweeted: so u really just sat there and let my write a hypothetical best mans speech last week huh

Peko Pekoyama to Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu: You’re very stupid.

Peko: But I still love you.

Fuyuhiko: well really it’s the public whos dumb because you’ve been wearing a ring for the past six months

Fuyuhiko: but I love you too

Kazuichi Souda (@kazplaysguitar) tweeted: if this tweet gets 1,000 retweets then I will replace hajime in our band with an actual guitar named hajime, which is what we all want tbh

Chiaki Nanami (@chiaki.nans) retweeted: i support this

Nagito Komaeda (@ko_drummer) retweeted: me too

Hajime Hinata (@hajimetheguitar) retweeted: guitarist felt too long ok!! ive had enough!!

Hajime Hinata (@hajimetheguitar) tweeted: thinking of you both <3

Nagito Komaeda (@ko_drummer) retweeted: bit creepy but ok

Chiaki Nanami (@chaiki.nans) retweeted: yeah, we’ve only gone out 2 get some ice cream cones

Hajime Hinata (@hajimetheguitar) retweeted: yeah, I was actually thinking about the ice cream cones so if u could both hurry up that’d be nice

Chiaki Nanami to we are all do music: should I dye my hair pink

Kazuichi: a better question is why haven’t you done that already

Chiaki: u got me there

Chiaki Nanami (@chiaki.nans) tweeted: just dyed my hair baby pink!!

Hajime Hinata (@hajimetheguitar) retweeted: im in love with you

Nagito Komaeda (@ko_drummer) retweeted: u are the platonic love of my life

Kazuichi Souda (@kazplaysguitar) tweeted: welcome to the club newbie, we all look great all the time

Peko Pekoyama (@pek.peks) retweeted: You look amazing!

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu (@fuyuhiko_kuz) retweeted: you owe me ten bucks for the hair dye

Peko Pekoyama to we are all do music: The title of this chat isn’t grammatically correct, can I change it?

Kazuichi: but peks that’s y its FUNNY

Peko Pekoyama changed the group name to We all do music.

Kazuichi Souda (@kazplaysguitar) tweeted: me n @pek.peks aren’t speaking anymore bc she doesn’t understand my memes

Peko Pekoyama (@pek.peks) retweeted: :(

Kazuichi Souda (@kazplaysguitar) retweeted: im sorry take me back

Hajime Hinata (@hajimetheguitar) tweeted: oh by the way, I married nagito and chiaki last year lol

Kazuichi Souda (@kazplaysguitar) retweeted: r u fucking kidding me

#hajime hinata #chiaki nanami #fuyuhiko kuzuryuu #peko pekoyama #nagito komaeda #kazuichi souda #sdr2 #danganronpa #nicola writes #band au #text fic #kinda #kuzupeko fic #kuzupeko #komahinanami fanfiction #komahinanami #fun fact! i got a university offer!!! ur fave lesbian is going to uni bitches!!!#also i had a driving lesson yesterday and almost crashed the car shdjdodk #ur fave lesbian might die before she gets to uni!!!

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hungryandliterate-blog · 5 years

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Horrible Girl and The Hot Mess - ‘Do You Know Who Your Friends Are?’

Horrible Girl brings the bops, hates the cops, and shreds hard.

In an era when the DIY scene can’t stand the over-recycled formula of ‘classic’ pop punk, but the mainstream is still struggling on how to work with bands who incorporate more than two influences, Horrible Girl is smack in the middle of the new wave of hybrid music that’s fun, fast, anthemic, complex, earnest, and humble all at once. What I’m saying to you is: if you ever wish Prince Daddy made songs that were actually about something, pick this album up. When you run across a punk band with an album title about friends, and an intro track called ‘reefer sadness’ that opens with d-beats over chiptune saw leads, you probably don’t expect songs about sexual autonomy, gender, and anti-capitalist angst. And if I told you that’s what this album was about, you probably wouldn’t expect the tunes to bop harder than anything on the Front-Bottoms self-titled vinyl you still keep displayed on your shelf. But that’s where we are. This is the purest form of pop punk. This is 100% ethos with 100% hooks, no 50/50 mix. Really, as far as cry-into-your-beer love songs go, I don’t think you could get a better lyric than, “I love you like UN drones love the Middle East” (what we talk about when we talk about love). And as far as hazy slamming southern-twinged rock, “If the cook with the cross has something to say / about the lace on your shirt / you’ll cut his neck with a broken plate” (graduation) is just as anthemic as anything Springsteen ever sang, but with the appropriate violence and specificity that reminds why punk rock is, was, and always will the music of the working class and marginalized people. On the more technical side, this album straddles a line a lot of DIY punk bands seem interested in now that digital recording allows anyone with a laptop more sonic clarity than The Beatles ever had. Almost every song on the album has Queen-esque ambitions in composition and instrumental voicing, but are tracked to feel very much like the band is in the room performing in front of you, eschewing the notion that ‘anthemic’ music needs to sound ‘big’ (read as: overproduced to feel like you’re in an arena being bombarded on all sides constantly). While I won’t say the choice is always my favorite, I will say it reads as an artistic choice and allows the listener to mentally ‘walk around’ in the compositions and really appreciate what each member is doing, in a recording that is infinitely superior to live tracking, but not masking the human element in almost any way. If that’s your cup of tea, I strongly recommend ‘Some Voids’ by Gutless, which reads as a similar production and is also a 10/10 album. With all the bands in this movement, from basement show veterans like Horrible Girl up through venue-packing icon Jeff Rosenstock, my only concern is that capitalistic marketing will take it’s sweet time giving them the opportunities they deserve, since their music is multi-dimensional, and often calls out corporations and people whose social stances are harmful or disingenuous but often own the very venues, stations, labels, etc that allow music to prosper. But, that’s real punk rock for you. Stream this album, stream your friends albums, get to gigs, and we’ll be blessed with more (real) pop punk bands like Horrible Girl. Overall Rating: 4.5/5 skateboarding skeletons (My 5 point system, detailed) 1. Is it well produced? (I’d argue well recorded with ‘punk’ production) 2. Is it an album, not just a collection of songs? (A perfect blend of social politics and feelings. Both in equal measure and quality.) 3. Is it challenging itself / it’s genre expectations? (Horrible Girl is, in my opinion, absolutely leading the way in this genre) 4. Does it say something? (It says so many things of absolute importance) 5. Do I personally like it? (I’d argue it’s near impossible to dislike this)

#punk #pop punk #diy #album review

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watchilove · 4 years

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Zenith launched last year the El Primero A384. It is not a vintage-inspired piece but the accurate reproduction of the 1969 launched piece. Under the full name of Zenith Chronomaster Revival El Primero A384, the historic watch was reborn in the contemporain. A year after its launch, we took the El Primero A384 for a spin. This is my presentation and thoughts about it with a touch of historical moments, a feminine note and a huge gallery.

Hands-on Zenith Chronomaster Revival El Primero A384

1969 was one of the years that defined the modern history. And not only for Zenith but for humanity. For the best understanding of the socio-political environment of the A384’s launch, I will add some of the most important events that happened that year.

The watch reviewed today is one of the prototypes available for the press and brand’s representative. It was a loan from Zenith through Corrina Fromm Communication. This timepiece bears the marks of one year of hard work, meetings and many, many wrists. In this article, you can find how the El Primero A384 survived its first year.

The first thing that came in mind, thinking about the ’60s, was the Pop Art culture. And since we talk about that movement, one must remind about Andy Warhol. So Diana and I jumped in the car and visited Museum Brandhorst, in Munchen, where a great collection of Warhol works are exposed.

Note: many of the lifestyle pictures were especially retouched in Lightroom to evoke the ’60s and ’70s. The art presented in the pictures is exposed at Brandhorst. Please visit the museum if you got the chance.

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The tonneau-shaped case

Zenith Chronomaster Revival El Primero A384 comes in a steel case that replicates in detail the 1969 launched piece. The only exterior differences being the domed sapphire crystal on top instead of acrylic glass and the exhibition case back.

The 37 mm case is decorated with a series of polished and brushed surfaces. The face presents a sun-rayed fine brushing. The caseband and the side of the lugs have a vertical brush and the lugs faces are mirror polished. The edge of the case is generously chamfered on left and right and was mirror polished. A great set of details. In 1969, but also today, the El Primero A384 stands out with its original design.

Zenith Chronomaster Revival El Primero A384 and page 247 of the “Die erfolgreichsten Armbanduhren: Marken & Modelle” by Herbert James

Intermezzo

1969 was a great year! Some excerpts from Wikipedia: Led Zeppelin, the first Led Zeppelin album, is released in the United States; The Beatles give their last public performance, of several tracks on the roof of Apple Records, London (featured in Let It Be (1970 film)); The Boeing 747 “jumbo jet” is flown for the first time.

In front of “Mustard Race Riot” by Andy Warhol, 1963

El Primero A384 comes with generous pushers and a relative flat crown. The polished details are lovely and the Zenith star on the crown steals the show. The view is balanced and pleasant by all standards. The handling is exceptional. The hands-on video above can offer a glimpse of how easy is to set and use.

The Zenith Chronomaster Revival El Primero A384 is well behaved on the wrist. Its classic dimensions are a good fit for most of the wrist. The watch can be equally masculine and feminine. It is so iconic that transcends any idea of genre.

Intermezzo

1969 was a colourful year. The hippy movement, the bell-bottoms and boots, jeans and leather, strong colours in an unusual combination. The year when the very first U.S. troop withdrawals are made from the Vietnam War. Apollo program Moon landing: at 10:56 pm ET (02:56 UTC July 21) Apollo 11‘s lunar module Eagle lands on the Moon’s surface. The Woodstock Festival is held. (Excerpts from Wikipedia).

Panda dial and an exceptionally strong Lume game

The three registers configuration is no secret. The panda dial with outer tachymeter scale is another classic. El Primero is an icon. But what amazed me from the very beginning was the strong and lovely luminescent used. Even in the lightest shade, the hands and indexes popped out.

El Primero A384 uses a central chrono hands, a 30-minutes counter at 3 o’clock and a 12 hours totaliser at 6 o’clock. The 9 o’clock subdial displays the running seconds. The 36,000 vph movement is capable to measure and display 1/5 of a second. A revolution back then, still an exceptional chronograph now (considering the modern watches uses 28,800 vph movements).

The applied hours’ markers and the hands are manufactured in steel with a rhodium-plating. They were faceted and coated with Super-LumiNova®SLN C3. The eligibility is exceptional.

The black sub-dials are slightly recessed and decorated with a circular pattern. The white indexes and numerals are transfer printed. The baton hands are varnished in white. The outer register, dedicated to the tachymetric function presents the same white transfer printing on a black background.

The date window is placed between 4 and 5 o’clock. It uses a “black on white” configuration. Since the date window bites from the chronograph’s register, the outer side of the window was decorated with silver indexes. In this way, the chrono readout is not compromised in that area.

On of the cutest detail of the dial, besides the red varnished chrono hand is the Zenith star. Together with the hand-written style El Primero, it governs the top of the dial.

Intermezzo

Remember Scooby-Doo – in 1969 airs its first episode on the CBS network in the United States. Sesame Street airs its first episode too. The Beatles release that year their Abbey Road album (for which that iconic picture was taken earlier that year). The first ARPANET link is established (the progenitor of the global Internet) and the first Concorde test flight is conducted. (Excerpts from Wikipedia)

El Primero and the revolutionary 5Hz calibre

Zenith Chronomaster Revival El Primero A384 is powered by the El Primero 400 Automatic. The movement is the modern descendent of the original El Primero movement. It brings the experience gathered by the brand in the last half of the century.

The column-wheel chronograph movement is generously displayed. The blued finish makes it stand out. The movement is nicely decorated: sandblasted surfaces, brushing, perlage, Geneva waves, polishing and thermal blueing. The entire mechanism in action can be seen in the hands-on video.

The skeletonised rotor-weight is decorated with the brand’s name and logo with black accents. The 5Hz movement is capable of 50 hours of power reserve. More pictures can be found in the Gallery section below.

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Final impressions

Zenith Chronomaster Revival El Primero A384 is a strong appearance. It stands out with its original design and clear vintage look. The design code left deep marks in the hearth of enthusiasts. Zenith’s decision to revive this model was well received. Having such a historical model with a modern hearth and attractive price is not a small thing. Of course, the purists will search and argue for the original model. But I am more than happy with this modern version.

Zenith Chronomaster Revival El Primero A384 on the wrist and Andy’s Warhol Flower paint (series started in 1964)

Zenith Chronomaster Revival El Primero A384 is a mix of its sobriety and fun. Just like 1969, the year of its initial launch. Black and white and a touch of red versus war (Cold war, Vietnam) and Woodstock. El Primero was a revolutionary step in watchmaking, just like the Concorde and Boeing 747 were…

El Primero A384 was launched in full pop art era. Its revival was born 50 years later and the art evolved too. Now we have digital art and thing people couldn’t even imagine in the ’60s and ’70s. But Zenith Chronomaster Revival El Primero A384 remains an exceptional creation and a nice piece to have.

Her thoughts and feeling

At the first look, it doesn’t seem like much. But on the wrist, it reveals its true personality. It is a tool watch, a very useful one on a daily basis. Despite that, it is a lovely appearance that handles easily the needs of casual occasions.

Zenith Chronomaster Revival El Primero A384 Technical Specifications and Price

Reference 03.A384.400/21.C815

UNIQUE SELLING POINTS

Original Revival of the 1969 Reference A384

Original 1969 case with 37 mm diameter

Automatic El Primero column-wheel chronograph

MOVEMENT

Movement: El Primero 400 Automatic

Calibre: 13¼“` (Diameter: 30 mm)

Movement thickness: 6.6 mm

Components: 278

Jewels: 31

Frequency: 36,000 VpH (5 Hz)

Power-reserve.: min. 50 hours

Finishes: Oscillating weight with “Côtes de Genève” motif

FUNCTIONS

Hours and minutes in the centre

Small seconds at 9 o’clock

Chronograph:

Central chronograph hand

12-hour counter at 6 o’clock

30-minute counter at 3 o’clock

Tachymetric scale

Date indication at 4:30

CASE, DIAL & HANDS

Diameter: 37 mm

Diameter opening: 32.3 mm

Thickness: 12.60 mm

Crystal: Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides

Case-back: Transparent sapphire crystal

Material: Stainless steel

Water-resistance: 10 ATM

Dial: White-lacquered dial with black-coloured counters

Hour-markers: Rhodium-plated, faceted and coated with Super-LumiNova®SLN C3

Hands: Rhodium-plated, faceted and coated with Super-LumiNova®SLN C3

STRAPS & BUCKLES

Strap: Comes in a black alligator strap or ladder bracelet

Buckle: Stainless steel pin buckle

PRICE

7.900,00 CHF / 7.800,00 €

Zenith Chronomaster Revival El Primero A384 Gallery

In front of “Mustard Race Riot” by Andy Warhol, 1963)

Zenith Chronomaster Revival El Primero A384 on the wrist and Andy’s Warhol Flower paint (series started in 1964)

Review Zenith Chronomaster Revival El Primero A384 Zenith launched last year the El Primero A384. It is not a vintage-inspired piece but the accurate reproduction of the 1969 launched piece.

#A384 #Chronomaster #El Primero #Review #Revival #Zenith #Zenith Chronomaster Revival El Primero A384

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jakeashleyuniblog · 4 years

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1. Who are you?

You can get as existential with this one as you like, but really focus on who you are as an artist, band, musician, etc. How would you define yourself?

2. Who is your audience?

Before you jump to answer “everyone,” think about this one a little more deeply. Who are you trying to reach with your songs? Who are the kinds of people standing in the front row of your show? While it’s a great goal to reach everyone with your music, you likely have a slightly narrower audience. Figuring out who that is can help you cater your album design to their interests.

3. What do you want your listeners to feel when they hear your music?

Music can sometimes feel intangible—how could you describe it in words? But whenever someone makes music, they have an idea of how they want people to respond to it. Think about the emotions you want your listeners to have when they hear your album.

4. Elevator pitch your sound: what are the key words?

The elevator pitch is just as important for a band or artist as it is for the founder of a company—you should be able to succinctly describe what it is you do. So, if you’re in an elevator with someone and you’ve got 30 seconds to describe what your music is like, what would you tell them?

Take notes

Take some notes from your identity question session. Write down the words that have the most meaning for you so that when it comes to thinking about design elements, you’ll already have a good sense of what you’re hoping to accomplish. Ultimately, your album cover is a way for you to express your band’s identity—just like you do with your music—so it should be in line with your sound.

As a musician, you know that inspiration is important. Music does not just occur out of nothing; it needs to be pulled from somewhere. When it comes to song writing, you may be inspired by an event, a piece of art, an image, a sound, a feeling, etc. You can think about designing your album cover in a similar way—what is inspiring that visual representation? Perhaps you’ll think about the same inspirations that struck you in your song writing, effectively translating that musical inspiration into images.

In addition to thinking about the inspiration for your own work, it’s always helpful to think about who you admire and draw ideas from their work. What are some album covers that you are drawn to? What do you like about them? Be sure to take some notes—combined with your identity notes, these will help you narrow your design process.

Key components of designing your cover

There are several elements that come into play for every album cover, from the colors and imagery used on the front cover to the typography and text on the back. Isolating each component will help you take things step by step, rather than getting overwhelmed with the whole design all at once.

Color

Color selection is an important aspect to all design, and the same is true of album covers. Even a black- or white-heavy album cover represents a thoughtful decision on color: it evokes a different feeling than a vibrant, multicolored cover, right? With so many colors to choose from in the spectrum, we’ve come up with a few different ways to help you identify what colors to use in your design.

Color psychology

There is a lot more to color than might meet the eye, and to learn more about color theory and how it is used in branding, be sure to check out this in-depth guide. But for now, the quick explanation is that colors can make us feel a certain way. They have emotional attachments, which is why companies often use specific colors in their logos or product packaging. The same can be applied to album covers, because as a musician, you want your audience to feel a certain way when they hear your music. The album cover—a visual representation of your music—allows you to enforce that feeling in another way. If, for example, you want your listeners to feel happy and playful when they listen to your music, you might want to lean into yellow and orange in your cover design. For more subdued and melancholy music, darker colors, especially dark blue and gray, will help set the tone in your album cover design.

Color scheme

If you’ve identified a color that you’d like to use in your album cover, you may want to stick with it throughout—if it worked for The Beatles with the White Album, it could work for you too—but you may not be looking for a minimalist, monochrome look for your cover. Fortunately, color theory also identifies complementary colors to help you select secondary and tertiary hues to go along with your dominant color.

Monochromatic basically means using all one color—but it can be one color in many shades to offer some more dimension. The overwhelming feeling of a monochrome cover is one of simplicity and minimalism. It can be selected to tap into a certain mood, or can be used as a way for the artist to have the music speak for itself. This can end up being a very bold choice.

You’ve probably seen a color wheel before, which is a great key into choosing colors that work well together. For complementary colors, the rule is, the color directly across from the color on the wheel is the most complementary—so if you’ve chosen yellow, violet would naturally correspond. Complementary colors bring out the best in each other, and can create dynamic visuals.

You can also go for analogous colors—colors that are close to each other on the wheel, so they naturally work in harmony. This gives you more dimension than monochrome colors, but they can still have a blending effect—they may not stand out as much as complementary colors.

Another option is picking triadic colors, which effectively draw from three equal sections on the color wheel. These tend to be more stimulating than analogous colors, but the color meanings may not mesh as well if you’re trying to tap into color psychology.

In addition to working with the color schemes above, another choice a band or artist can make is to go for more anachronistic colors. Instead of adopting colors that work in harmony with one another, you can opt for stark combinations to elicit a different kind of feeling. It can suggest nonconformity, throwback to psychedelic inspiration, or simply shock the viewer. Take a look at the clashing colors in the Foesalbum design by JETARTS—it certainly makes you feel visually shocked when you look at it. Of course, you’ll want to go back to your identity questions and think about what you want your listener to feel before adopting wild color combinations.

Typography

Just like colors, the fonts you choose for your album cover can help communicate your band’s personality. It’s also important to think about all of the different places you’ll want typography—the album title and band name, track list on the back, and even the inner jacket, which is album cover adjacent.

Serif fonts are the old-standby when it comes to fonts. These are noted by their serifs—the little feet at the end of letters. Serif fonts are thought to be more serious and traditional, Times New Roman and Cambria are common examples. Serif fonts pair well with classical, acoustic or operatic music.

Sans serif fonts are fonts without serifs, meaning fonts without the little feet. Helvetica and Arial are commonly used sans serif fonts. These fonts are often considered more modern and streamlined than their serif predecessors. Sans serif fonts can be used with a variety of music, including electronic and indie rock—it’s a versatile choice for modern music.

Script fonts are cursive fonts that emulate handwriting. These can range from very traditional and ornate to playful and even messy. The different styles of script fonts mean they can be used to invoke a variety of feelings. Script fonts are used for a broad range of music types—scratchy, messy fonts might be used with alternative rock, where a precise signature style might be used for a contemporary solo artist.

As the name suggests, displayfonts are decorative and meant to display. They are also referred to as novelty fonts and can often be found on book covers or signage. Like script fonts, there is a range of styles for this type of font. Gothic display fonts are often featured on heavy metal album covers, and a playful, bubbly display font could be used for a children’s music album.

Because you’ll need to use text in different places on your album cover, you can use a combination of font styles. For example, you could opt for a script or display font for the album title and band name, and a more easily legible font for the track list and other pertinent information. The typography on the front of the cover can be more artistic than on the back, where readability is more important.

Imagery and style

After colors and typography, imagery is an important aspect to any album cover design. Musicians commonly utilize photography, especially of the band or primary artist, but almost anything is possible, from abstract graphics to drawings and collages.

We talked a bit about color psychology, and there’s some psychology when it comes to images as well. Images of faces—whether a photograph or drawing—tend to jump out more than other pictures. If you’re trying to catch the attention of a potential listener, using an image of a face—along with choosing the right colors and fonts—can help ensure that your cover gets noticed. Faces also convey expressions, which can reflect on the viewer’s mood or feelings. This can help tie into the feelings you want your music to inspire in your listeners.

And an important, legal note: If you decided to use photography or artwork for your cover, be sure to have the image rights!

Any graphics that are used on an album should communicate with the album itself, so it’s important to use them thoughtfully. A painted watercolor landscape might connect well with a mellow, instrumental album, but it would probably send a mixed signal if the album was EDM. Similarly, the choice to not include graphics should feel purposeful, and not like you just couldn’t think of something to put on the cover.

Minimalism can also make a statement in album cover design. Going simple allows the focus to ultimately lie with the music within the album. Minimalism is an on-trend album design style though, so it’s a good idea to try to stand out in a different way—perhaps you opt for an all-black cover, but instead of using white type, you opt for a colorful ombre.

Shown above, designer Creative Spirit took the simple graphic of a vintage microphone and cast it in a punchy salmon color, overlayed on mint green. Although it’s undeniably minimalist, the designer’s color choices make the cover feel more bold, while maintaining a balanced, simple design. For the cover design on the right, designer Edina plays with the album’s title From Scratch and made scratch marks the focal point of the minimalist cover.

The overall style of your album cover is the combination of color, imagery, and typography. These three elements should work together in harmony to create the desired effect. Calling back to your identity questions and your inspiration, you should feel like your design is in line with that exercise.

—

An important online article telling me about all the aspects of design that goes into creating a vinyl record cover. From this I have learnt that there a lot of things that go into designing one and I will be referring back to this to help me with my design choices.

#music

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showmethesneer · 5 years

Text

The Beatles asks

I did this for my all-time faves Arctic Monkeys a while ago but given my recent attack of Beatlemania, i decided to try it out on the original incarnation

General

1. What was the first Beatles song you heard?

Unlike Arctic Monkeys, The Beatles were already deeply ingrained in the culture before I was born so I couldn’t pinpoint this. I think It might have been “She Loves You”

2. What was the first Beatles album you bought?

I have never purchased a Beatles album but my sister did own that 1 compilation album, which i listened to a lot in high school

3. What was the last Beatles song you listened to?

“The Night Before”

4. Have you ever seen The Beatles live?

Seeing as I was born after 1980, this would be impossible.

5. Have you ever met any of the members?

not even close

6. What do you think their next album will sound like? Which of their covers is your favourite?

Their “Twist and Shout” is iconic. I also really enjoy “Besame Mucho” or some reason and their “You Really Got A Hold On Me” jam in Let It Be. but i’m a George girl, so “Roll Over Beethoven” might be my favourite.

Songs and Albums 7. Favourite Beatles song?

it’s been “Come Together” since i was in high school and even though i’ve recently made a point to listen to all of their albums, i still can’t say that i have a different answer

8. Favourite Beatles album?

Rubber Soul is the real answer BUT Abbey Road is a much better cohesive album and i can’t think of a single song on that album that i don’t like... so it’s difficult.

9. Favourite album era?

i love me some Hard Day’s Night era rowdy boys but also Magical Mystery Tour era is very good and like prime Beatles. Let It Be era is the most heartbreaking.

10. Least favourite Beatles song?

i think because i have ears, i do truly dislike “Revolution 9″ but also I guess a few from Sgt Pepper’s like “Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite” “Good Morning Good Morning” and “She’s Leaving Home”. also “Within You, Without You” and I know it’s blasphemy but I kinda don’t care for “Penny Lane” so much even though I love the character in Almost Famous

11. Least Favourite Beatles album?

Beatles For Sale is so uninspired and blah

12. Least Favourite album era?

probably Let It Be because of how depressing it is 13. Favourite song off Let It Be?

Every single Paul song on that album is pretty much the most important thing to ever happen. “The Long And Winding Road” might be the realest one.

14. Least favourite song off Let It Be?

“One After 909” probably

15. Favourite song off Abbey Road?

“Come Together” is my favourite song anyway so by default it should be that. the George songs on that album are in top form, super strong. “Octopus’ Garden” is great. I also shamelessly love “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” so there’s that. “Carry That Weight” and “The End” and “Her Majesty” are also so great like I honestly love this album and I don’t know how to choose a favourite.

16. Least favourite song off Abbey Road?

”Sun King” but only by default I’m sure.

17. Favourite song off Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band?

“A Day In The Life” is iconic. and the title song.

18. Least favourite song off Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band?

“She’s Leaving Home” I think

19. Favourite song off Rubber Soul?

can’t decide between “In My Life,” “Michelle,” “The Word,” and “Norwegian Wood”

20. Least favourite song off Rubber Soul?

maybe “Think For Yourself”

21. Favourite song off Help!?

”Help!” and “Ticket To Ride” and of course the lesbian anthem “You’re Gonna Lose That Girl”

22. Least favourite song off Help!?

“You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away” maybe 23. Favourite album/ single artwork?

i mean Let It Be has the best cover. I kind of hate the Yellow Submarine art style, but then that’s not even any of them who drew like that.

24. Favourite b-side?

“Lady Madonna” is technically a b-side I think? and therefore that is my answer

25. Least favourite b-side?

I don’t really know what Beatles b-sides are tbh so.. I think “Hello Goodbye” is one? if so, that’s my answer

26. Favourite music video?

I really like the “Lady Madonna” video

27. Favourite lyric?

“and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make” –“The End” from Abbey Road

28. Song that always gets stuck in your head?

so many. they were earworm masters. probably “Can’t Buy Me Love”

Members 29. Favourite band member?

George Harrison always has been and probably always will be my favourite, but the more I learn about The Beatles history, the more defensive and protective I grow of Paul.

30. Favourite Paul hair style?

he looked DELICIOUS with that beard. I know it was a depression beard and that makes me sad, but he looked A+ with that long hair he continuously tussled and god knows I love a beard. very good.

31. Favourite John hair style?

i prefer it long I guess. Let It Be was the best looks era for all of them.

32. Favourite George hair style?

I really liked his Ed Sullivan era look. but also Magical Mystery Tour thru Let It Be was a devastating hottie.

33. Favourite Ringo hair style?

i love his Rory and The Hurricanes hair actually

34. Favourite Paul fashion/ outfit?

actually in some of the Get Back/Let It be sessions, he was wearing this simple black vest that John made fun of saying he looked like “a Victorian miner” but I literally loved it. I also love pretty much eveyr ugly sweater or sweater vest I’ve seen him wear

35. Favourite John fashion/ outfit?

i am a fan of the white suit on the Abbey Road cover

36. Favourite George fashion/ outfit?

actually the denim ensemble from the Abbey Road cover is probably also my favourite look for him? I also love the school boy uniform from the “Crackerbox Palace” video

37. Favourite Ringo fashion/ outfit?

I don’t really know. the lion costume for their Midsummer Night’s Dream skit

Misc. 38. Funniest Beatles moment?

literally any?

39. Favourite live performance?

I particularly love the “Don’t Let Me Down” performance on the rooftop gig—the one where Paul does his little shimmy. I don’t know why I just feel like they were all exactly in tune with each other and having the time of their lives and everything in their careers together was leading up to this one moment and I am emotional now.

40. Favourite interview?

so many. probably the one where Ringo says he doesn’t even smoke.. as he takes a puff from his cigarette. it’s the same one where John is asked what kind of girl he likes and he says his wife, then George is asked and he says “John’s wife.” that is probably altogether my favourite interview.

41. Are you a fan of The Rolling Stones?

not nearly as religiously but “Start Me Up” is my fucking anthem and I support them

42. Do you ship McLennon?

look.. i try not to ship real people. but Yoko kinda confirmed that John was bisexual and John and Paul fucking loved each other and it is hard for me to believe that during a time with such mainstream homophobic beliefs that these men did not have repressed feelings for each other that they didn’t want to admit to. so yeah, I kinda ship it.

43. Do you have any other Beatles ships?

i really don’t ship real people

44. Do you know how to play any Beatles songs on any instruments?

i do not

45. Would you like the Beatles to collab with anyone? who? What’s your favourite Beatles cover?

either “Helter Skelter” by Dana Fuchs or “We Can Work It Out” by Stevie Wonder… or “The Long and Winding Road” by Ray Charles or “Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight” by Jennifer Hudson… or “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by Girl In A Coma 46. What other bands do you listen to?

Arctic Monkeys, The Last Shadow Puppets, The Clash, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Green Day, Girl in a Coma, The Seshen, Coheed and Cambria, Queen, Imagine Dragons, No Doubt, Dragonette

47. Favourite non-Beatles band?

Arctic Monkeys

48. Favourite non-Beatles band member?

Billie Joe Armstrong

49. Favourite non-Beatles song?

TAINTED LOVE BY SOFT CELL

50. Favourite post-Beatles song?

“Jet” by Wings or “Got My Mind Set On You” or “Wah Wah” by George Harrison

#the beatles #long post #music

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aldridge · 6 years

Text

Things I Liked in 2017

#Corbynjokes

"The other night, I pretended I didn’t know who Slavoj Žižek, the Slovenian Hegelian Marxist and cultural critic, was."

FILMS: Many good ones! #1: Tower, a documentary(ish) about a shooting at the University of Texas in 1966: the most interesting documentary of the year, the most formally inventive art film, and the most thrilling thriller. #2 Lady Macbeth: it's formal and austere except when it's extremely not; Florence Pugh is very good. #3 and 4 in some order: Call Me By Your Name (the Michael Stuhlbarg speech! the Sufjan Stevens song at the end!) and Elle (the self-consistent reading is "Paul Verhoeven thinks this is all a joke", so you have to go for inconsistent readings). Also very good: The Handmaiden, mother!, Raw, Toni Erdman. Also also good: Dunkirk, Get Out, La La Land, Manchester by the Sea, Moonlight. | I saw five films in a day at the Watershed's Cinema Rediscovered festival; my favourites were Daughters of the Dust (not really like any other film I've seen; you should watch it) and Sweet Smell of Success ("I'd hate to take a bite outta you. You're a cookie full of arsenic." I slightly embarrassingly gasped out loud at cinematography at one point.)

A delicious profile of George Osborne, of all people

Reporting from Puerto Rico in the aftermath Hurricane Maria

Mark O’Connell reviews a book about sleep

Look at this picture of a piglet. And … SURPRISE. pic.twitter.com/GzLahnb548

— SimonNRicketts (@SimonNRicketts) March 15, 2017

In memoriam: Maryam Mirzakhani | Adam West (and Adam West's Batman)

On sandwiches and the business of sandwiches The specific vocabulary here is delightful: Carriers and barriers! Goblin cave! Skillet! The drop! Mouth feel! Day parts! The fragmentation of the evening occasion!

A journalist visits North Korea – I'm not sure if this left me less worried or more worried

youtube

MUSIC: Best album: My favourite album this year is Dirty Projector's self-titled – although despite how much I enjoy its inventiveness, as a break-up album it's somewhere between bitter and just unpleasant. (Carl Wilson writes about this beautifully and insightfully but, for me, too generously.) Perhaps best enjoyed alongside the sort-of other half, Amber Coffman's City of No Reply. Also liked Room 29 by Chilly Gonzales and Jarvis Cocker – I admit (slightly sheepishly) in both cases to having preferred their broadcast work to their music in the past, but this is very good. Also also good: Arca's self-titled (far better than the Björk album, on which he worked); the new Feist, whose post-making-catchy-pop-hits career is underrated. | Best song: Sober II (Melodrama) by Lorde or Dangerous by The xx | Best review: Laura Snapes on Ed Sheeran | Most first-four-seasons-of-The-West-Wing in-jokes: Lin-Manel Miranda's What's Next? | The Radiohead section: OK Computer is best (and most underratedly funny) reissue, Lift [above] is best video, Man of War is the old song I'm most pleased to see finally released (although I'll eat my hat if it was recorded more than a couple of years ago). Radiohead live at Old Trafford was my favourite anything of last year, although it's hard to say why – I've seen them play about eight times, and this was not the best (indoor gigs are better than outdoor, for starters!), but something about it was important to me. Cried three times – at old songs, which is bad for my hipster cred. | a playlist

"They change your words, the New York Times/They may not need to, but they do"

Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah on Dylann Roof

youtube

"I work from home"

TV: Black Mirror, although I haven't seen them all yet. The Last Week Tonight YouTube page?

I can't honestly say that everyone should want to read a 17,000-word article about the Texas state legislature, but if you do, this, by Lawrence Wright, is a very good one

PODCASTS: Many good ones again! Radiolab on jury nullification and playing the Oliver Sacks tapes | Sporkful: In search of the Aleppo sandwich | Heavyweight in general, and the Isabel episode in particular | Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History: Golf is bad! | Reply All tracks down a phone scammer (part 1, part 2) | Surprisingly great interviewer/interviewee combination: Adam Buxton/Zadie Smith | Unsurprisingly great interviewer/interviewee combination: Ezra Klein/Tyler Cowen | This American Life has, all year, had the best sideways-on coverage of US politics | Short serieses: S-town, Jon Ronson's Butterfly Effect | Slate's Culture Gabfest, as always

Where’s Pierogi?

Kathryn Schulz on losing and loss

Caity meets The Rock

BOOK: Dreaming the Beatles by Rob Sheffield is whatever the opposite of impartial, well-balanced biography would be. It delighted me as much when it was outrageously wrong as when it surprisingly (and equally outrageously) right. Tyler liked it.

What happens when the Queen dies?

On Weinstein and related matters: Asia Argento (quoted by Ronan Farrow), Lucy Prebble, Ellen Page, Salma Hayek, Lupita Nyong'o, Dahlia Lithwick.

hey i just met you and you're a white whale but here's my number so call me ishmael

— dave coates (@davepoems) December 16, 2017

Sam Anderson profiles the nonfiction writer John McPhee

OLD THINGS I CAME ACROSS THIS YEAR: Films of the French "new wave". The best: Breathless/À bout de souffle – if you'd been, say, twenty in 1960, I don't see how it wouldn't have changed you life. Other favourites: Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Jules et Jim, Hiroshima mon amour, Contempt/Le mépris. | When it was on Channel 4 in 2013, the main thing a remember hearing about the French series The Returned was that it's about zombies. Turns out that is not at all true, and it's very good. | The 9/11 memorial, although I'm not quite sure what to say about it | OLD THINGS I RE-CAME ACROSS THIS YEAR: My favourite reading experiences this year were re-reading experiences. We remember Nineteen Eighty-Four for the politics and vocabulary stuff (although I forgotten "down the memory hole" was from here), but it's also great as a straight-ahead genre thriller. Roald Dahl's The Witches, which I read back in my childhood bedroom with nothing else to read, remains excellent, especially the ending.

Cat Person!

Winners and Losers of the Recent Nuclear Holocaust

Previously: Things I liked in 2016, 2015, 2014

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wtburadio · 7 years

Text

INTERVIEW: Kevin Garrett

Kevin Garrett is a talented new artist steadily rising to fame. At 25 years old, he has already toured with many artists including Alessia Cara, Oh Wonder, and James Vincent McMorrow. WTBU DJ Christina Carpio sat down with Garrett after his final show on his first headlining tour for his new EP False Hope to talk about who inspires him, working with Beyoncé, and what is to come.

Christina Carpio: When did you know that you wanted to pursue a career in music?

Kevin Garrett: Well I’d always been around music. I started music when I was very young—4 years old or so—and I started writing songs when I was 11 or 12.

CC: Songs about what? What does an 11 or 12-year-old know?

KG: Nothing. I didn’t have anything to write about, so none of those songs really ever saw the light of day. I went through high school, did the talent show and all that stuff. It was always kind of just a hobby. I was recording myself at that point, and like looping, and doing all these cool things with my guitars and stuff; that’s when I started writing. Once I got to New York for school, as soon as I got there, I just started playing, and my first show was at 3 p.m. for two off-duty police officers on a Sunday. Then the venue asked me back, and the next time I went back, it was opening for Norah Jones, so it was pretty cool. Once I played a few of those shows at that venue, I kind of realized that I could hang with this circle, and then I just started hustling. New York, and Boston too, could do this because they obviously have a very vibrant music scene, sort of the bigger metropolitan cities—something about a place. Like when I moved to Brooklyn, that atmosphere makes you run so much harder. So I write everything at home in Pittsburgh, where I’m from. The phrase I like to use is “I work in Pittsburgh, and I run in Brooklyn.” I’ve obviously written elsewhere, since I’m not home enough, but the hustle is in Brooklyn.

CC: Who are some of your inspirations or idols?

KG: I was raised on classical music because of the violin, and then if it wasn’t that, it was classic rock, like Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd—pretty much every band except The Beatles, oddly enough, just kind of what my dad was into. Then once I was old enough to buy my own CDs, I got a Ray Charles disc, then found Sam Cooke. Sam Cooke—he’s obviously not been with us for a while, but he still is the person that everybody leans on for vocal inspiration. If you listen to enough Sam Cooke songs, they all start to sound the same. But he was the first person to do those set of runs, those set of melismas, those set of nuances in his singing, and it just took soul music and gospel music to a whole new level. [Also], Otis Redding, then really old country like Hank Williams, Willy Nelson before he had the ponytails, and Porter Wagoner. I like a lot of old stuff. I think idols—we all have the same idols: Beyoncé, Beyoncé, and Beyoncé. Sam Cooke would be really cool to meet, if I could figure out how to meet him and go back in time.

CC: How would you describe your music?

KG: When I first put out Coloring, it started as a joke, because it was a reference to my favorite MUTEMATH song, “Odd Soul.” I called my music “odd soul,” because it was supposed to reference the different palette of influences I was taking in around this sort of soul-centered pop sensibility, and I’ve always been attached to that type of phrase, “odd soul,” being my music. I talk to people about it, and I’m very lucky for them to say they can’t really put a finger on it. I’m kind of somewhere in between all the Franks and the Sams and the Jameses, and that’s pretty cool because in the same way the Franks and the Sams and the Jameses are between each other, I think I’ve worked really hard to sort of carve out this sort of niche for myself, and it all started with kind of a fake tag, but now it’s very real to me.

CC: You worked with Beyoncé on Lemonade, can you tell me more about that?

KG: Yes, I was very lucky to contribute to Lemonade. It was what I will continue to only refer to as a “right place, right time” sort of thing. It was very much an honor to be a part of that album, I would say more than any of her other albums, because it was just so impactful. There were two very strong messages she was giving for women and for equality. And you know, it’s a shitty thing for me to say that I’m lucky to be a straight white male. It feels stupid saying that, but like that’s the reality of the situation, and I think we need artists like Beyoncé to make albums like Lemonade to remind people that everybody should feel lucky to just be a human, because we’re all humans. I think she did a really good job of opening up on this album, and conveying a side of her that we never see, and I’m just happy to help set the tone right at the top of the record. It was really cool to be a part of that song, and I saw her perform it at the VMAs, the only time she’s ever performed it, and it was phenomenal. I remember when I first heard it, heard her record it, I was wondering how she would sing it. What it was going to be like? But she really stuck to the vision. I think we were tapping into similar headspaces, because she wanted to sort or channel that sort of vulnerability. You see in the movie, she’s in a bathtub beside herself. It made it very real. Long story short, [I’m] very honored to be a part of that album, and congrats to her on her Grammys.

CC: So you’ve been on a lot of tours with a lot of different artist; has that taught you anything? Have you learned anything as an artist from touring with other people?

KG: When I first started touring it was James Vincent McMorrow in late 2014—a short run across the southern states, and I didn’t know what I was doing. I’d gone on tour with my old band a couple of times, but it was all very much the type of shows where the venue might not have even known we were there. There was no advance; there was no anything, so it was the type of thing where, “Oh this is a legit tour, let’s do this.” And every time I open for someone—continually, because I’m going to open for Mumford and Sons pretty soon—I learn something from everybody, and every time I’m on stage with my band, I learn something from them every night. All three of them are in their own way influential to me, because we play the same songs every night for a month, and Sean, my drummer, he’s been playing the Mellow Drama songs for two and a half years. It’s not very common, I don’t think, for an artist to tour an EP for two and a half years. We did “Pushing Away” tonight and it felt like we were playing it for the first time. I think what’s important on tour is to think ahead, know until the last show, there is always another show. And if you’re opening, it’s kind of important to put yourself in the headliner’s shoes. Now that I’ve been a headliner one time through, I kind of sometimes just want to go right back to being an opener.

CC: How different was it doing your own tour this time?

Obviously the shows are very fulfilling, because they’re sold out and people are coming to see you. Some opening looks, people came to see me. Like on Alessia [Cara’s] tour, there were people who seemed to know who I was by then, and same with Oh Wonder. But when you are headlining, especially since we are doing some smaller rooms in certain cities, it’s the type of thing where I can take my ear[piece] out, or I can just listen to the crowd sing the lyrics to my songs louder than I even know them. All this is to say, touring is exhausting; I would not recommend anyone to do it, but at the same time, the only way I would pursue a career in music, is to stay on the road. It’s pretty old school to do it that way.

CC: As an up-and-coming artist, who are some other artists you think people should be on the lookout for?

KG: His album just dropped yesterday, Khalid. Homeboy is 19. He’s from El Paso. I was texting him the other day, because I think I said something about him in an interview when I was at the L.A. show, and he tweeted me. He was like “Oh my god, thanks man!” And I was like, “You don’t listen to me, you don’t know who I am,” and then he DMed me and he was like “No, no, I didn’t think you listened to me.” With artists like that, you’re always kind of wary, because there’s hype and then there’s talent. With Khalid, he’s got both, and it’s incredible. The same way when I first discovered Alessia, just as “Here” was going viral, before I went on tour with her, Alessia Cara was just kind of down-to-earth, surprised that things were happening, and she still is. Khalid, he’s on a rocket ship. It’s crazy, and he definitely doesn’t know it yet but, congratulations on the new album, if you’re listening. Also, Nick Hakim, he came to Berklee I think. He’s putting out new music. He’s signed to ATO, and I’ve been a fan of his forever. Brilliant, brilliant, young man, who just knows how to write a song better than you. No matter how you look at it, any song. You give him a song he’s already done [and he’ll say], “Oh I’ll do it better man.” And he’s not boastful about it—he’s just so smart with his decisions and anything that he puts out, even the songs he probably doesn’t like. I’m like “Come on, this is just not even fair.” There’s a British guy who I love, he’s a dear friend of mine, and he’s slowly sort of building a catalogue, re-releasing some songs and releasing new songs in this sort of Oh Wonder-esque, every month sort of thing. His name is Bruno Major. He has some pretty cool songwriting connects; he’s worked with some really awesome people, and I’ve been lucky to work with him a little bit, but I really want to work with him some more. He just put out a song called “Just The Same” and it’ll hit you where you need to be hit at any given moment.

CC: Lastly, what’s next for you? Is there an album coming soon?

KG: I’ve had the concept for my album for a really long time. I’ve never really given it up to anyone. I’ve told a few people what I know it’s called. The title has recently taken on a deeper meaning, which I’m really excited about, because I think I’ve also kind of found some design pieces within it that I’m really amped on. I’m a very visual, sort of tactile learner, like creator I guess. I see things when I hear things and smell things when I hear things, some kind of weird synesthesia thing. I don’t really know. I never really think about it, but like enough people say they have synesthesia, that I think, “Wait a second, I better look into this, because you’re saying things that I do.” Maybe I have synesthesia, and that’d be pretty cool. But anyway, the album hopefully comes out sooner than later. The same thing about touring an EP for two and a half years—I’ve been touring for a very long time, so I’m trying to take my off time to sort of buckle down. Obviously not being signed, not having a label and a marketing strategy, or really any sort of PR help, has been trying to say the least, but at the same time I relish being independent. I think it’s rare these days. Something that I’ve definitely noticed is that I’ve grown in the past two years, kind of more than I ever thought I would off of two EPs, so I feel really good about where I’m at. I’m not in any rush to put the album out, but at the same time, I know we’re all waiting for it, and I’m just as anxious as everyone else is, so sooner than later is probably the answer for that.

Check out Kevin Garrett opening up for Mumford and Sons this May, and listen to his latest EP, False Hope.

#wtbu #college radio #kevin garrett #interview

0 notes

gemmabarnes · 7 years

Photo

PUBLISHED ON CANDID MAGAZINE 16.12.2016

Will WIlliams (Q&A)

As Will William’s points out during our interview, for many people meditation seems incongruous with busy city life; it’s for ‘old fellas sat on mountain tops’, not for someone working 9-5 in Central London. Williams and his team at Will William’s Meditation are out to change that perception. Using the Vedic technique (which involves gently repeating a mantra in your head for 20 minutes), they aim to make meditation accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Their latest creation is Shavasana Disco, a concept that looks to create a unique auditory experience by combining music, meditation and place. The series, which will feature group meditations followed by album playbacks, launches next month at Olympic Studios with David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs (and bonus playback of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars because no amount of David Bowie is too much David Bowie). The event takes place on what would have been Bowie’s 70th birthday, so it’s bound to be a special occasion and a fitting introduction to an idea that’s set to refresh our listening experience. We spoke to Williams about the inspiration behind Shavasana Disco and his own journey from music industry professional to meditation teacher.

Your website says the idea for Shavasana Disco came to you on a dawn drive to Brighton; can you tell me a bit more about where the concept came from?

We’d woken up on a Saturday morning and completed our usual meditation practice. It was an absolute belter of a day; amazing weather with hardly anyone on the roads. Both of us are big Radiohead fans, so we decided to put on OK Computer for the drive and it just sounded immense. Our meditation had really opened up our senses and it just felt like the music was washing over us. We were hearing things on the record that we’d never even picked up on before. Right then, we figured, we need to get a gang of people together and do this on a regular basis.

Why did you choose David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs to launch the series?

It all fell into place really, everyone at Will Williams HQ is massively into Bowie and we were all deeply saddened by his passing at the beginning of the year. We were actually running a small scale Shavasana disco in Soho and one of the gang said, ‘wouldn’t it be amazing if we could listen to this record in the actual studio it was originally cut to tape?’ Almost immediately, we got in touch with Olympic studios and decided to launch with a celebration of Bowie’s 70th Birthday to launch the new series of events. The majority of Diamond Dogs was recorded in the room in which the first event will be taking place at Olympic.

What’s the significance of hosting the event at Olympic Studios? Do you think albums are intrinsically linked to the place they were recorded?

The greatest records of our time are inseparable from the studios they were recorded in. They would have sounded totally different if they were cut to tape in any other room. There are obviously many factors to the way a record sounds - the engineer, producer, the musicianship etc. - but the room itself is what provides the atmosphere of a record. There’s definitely an energy in great recording studios. Some people would say there’s ‘something in the walls’ and others might simply claim that once a great album has been recorded in a certain studio, the bar’s been set and everyone that follows plays out of their skins to create something of equal merit!

I read that the aim of the event is to ‘refresh the listening experience’, in what sort of ways do you think meditation can heighten our experience of listening to an album?

We know that meditation takes the mind and body to a profound state of rest. Once you’ve relaxed your central nervous system, your senses will be heightened ready to absorb every single aspect of the record. We also want to get back to original album culture where an album is played from start to finish. The artist laboured over that album and the track-listing for months, possibly years. We see that its only fair to listen to it as it was originally intended. If you compare a great album to a piece of art for example: listening to one song from a classic album and then flicking over to another random track is like going to an art gallery but only looking at 10% of each piece of art on the walls.

What do you hope people take away from the event?

If people are familiar with the albums, I hope they make a new connection, hear something that they haven’t picked up on before and fall in love with it all over again. For anyone not so familiar with the albums we’ve chosen, I’d expect them to have one of the best listening experiences of their lives and be inspired to go away and avoid hitting ‘shuffle’ from now on!

What are your future plans for Shavasana Disco? Are there any albums you’re particularly keen to host an event around?

Firstly we've the 50th Anniversary of The Beatles’ Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band in June – this is going to be a particularly special evening at The Jazz Café in Camden. We have a live band playing a live interpretation of the album in full, from start to finish! Tickets are £10 – already available on www.shavasanadisco.com. Stay tuned for an exciting announcement for our next Shavasana Disco celebrating a rock n roll icon in the spring...

What about your own experience; how did you personally discover meditation and begin teaching?

I came to meditation because I was suffering from acute insomnia. I had tried absolutely everything to get some decent sleep and nothing touched the sides. During a chance meeting, a friend of a friend was telling me about meditation, I gave it a shot and within a few weeks I was getting the most wonderful, deep sleep that I’d been missing for years. After about a year or so, I decided that I wanted to leave my job in the music industry and travel as much as I could. I had decided I would go and meet all the great masters of the vedic technique (as well as many others!).

Will Williams Meditation specialises in vedic meditation, can you tell me a bit about this and why you chose to focus on it?

After meeting most of the great masters and learning as many techniques as possible, I found that Vedic had the most profound affects. It’s also a very simple technique that absolutely anyone can learn and practice anywhere. I don’t want to go and live on a mountain top, I want to live in London and have a great experience of life. I realised that the Vedic practice would connect with the most amount of people living modern lives and that’s why we teach it!

A lot of your meditation sessions and events centre on group meditation rather than individual, why do you think this is so beneficial?

Group meditation is a wonderful experience. Each of us gives off an energy, whether we realise it or not! If you come at this from another angle: Imagine a day at work where you’ve had a run in with your boss, it’s made you angry. Often you carry that anger back into your team and you might direct some of that anger at someone else you work with. You may even carry that home and your loved ones at home could feel the brunt of your anger, annoyance or frustration. Imagine the opposite of that; a group of people coming together for a 20 minute meditation gets everyone into a nice clear, calm and relaxed state of mind. It’s a potent experience and the positive vibe work wonders!

You’ve hosted other events – like The Gathering – is it important to you to make meditation more accessible by merging it with music and other art forms?

Absolutely! When people first think of meditation, often they imagine old fellas dressed in robes and sat on mountain tops!! We’re passionate about showing people how accessible this technique is to everyone. It is super easy to enjoy the practice in amongst a hectic London life. When you start meditating, all of your senses start opening up so music and other art forms will be all the more fascinating and you’ll see or hear new levels that you may not have noticed previously.

You used to work in the music industry, which is particularly high-paced, do you think meditation and mindfulness – and self-care in general – is particularly important for people in that industry?

To be honest, not just anyone in the music industry but anyone working in the 21st century world! The music industry is indeed fast paced, but so are many other jobs. We’re also constantly connected with our phones, lap tops, tablets etc – all of which are extremely stimulating. Our nervous systems have to deal with considerably more stresses then we did even just 50 years ago. The world we’ve created for ourselves to live in is exciting but the technology we’re using has evolved far quicker than we humans are capable of! It’s a sad, but very real fact, that 1 in 4 people now suffer with mental health issues (particularly rife in the music industry) – we need techniques like meditation to re-tune and calm our nervous systems after all of this constant stimulation.

Finally, do you have any advice for people who are new to meditation and are maybe finding it difficult to persevere?

From my own personal experience there are a few really simple things to stick with a meditation practice.

1. Get up a little earlier in the morning to do your 1st practice of the day. This might seem like a drag at first but within 2-3 days you’ll be looking forward to it. When you meditate, you reach a state of relaxation 33% deeper than the deepest point of sleep – you more than make up for the slightly earlier start with your meditation!

2. Meditate anywhere! Commuting is an ace time to meditate – if you have a journey to work on a bus, tube or train, put that time to good use and meditate. For most people it is as good as dead time anyway.

3. A little less time on social media! On average in the UK, each individual is spending 40 minutes a day on social media!! Why not swap that out for 2 x 20 minute meditation sessions!?

Will Williams launches meditation and music event Shavasana Disco with a David Bowie special on 8th January 2017 (what would have been his 70th birthday). The event is free with 50 pairs of tickets to be announced before Christmas, apply here: www.shavasanadisco.com

#will williams meditation #will williams #david bowie #journalism #interview

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musicmixtapes · 6 years

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April 17th, 2018 Mix

Here is this week's mix, definitely have some strong rock vibes and a couple low key tunes as well, a thorough transition from oldies to brand new stuff that came out a few days ago! Enjoy friends :)

1. Paris (Ooh La La) by Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - Wow this is a throwback for me... sung this at a gig with one of my old bands and always loved the energy this song put out! You want to sing it and dance around for sure. 2. Pyro by King of Leon - Listened to this upon recommendation and was so happy I did, always feel like theres a KOL song that I somehow missed and uncover and fall in love with. About burning memories and the new arising from the ashes (phoenix vibes). 3. Lola by The Kinks - My dad introduced me to The Kinks awhile ago, but I've been really into their subtle rock that seems to come so naturally to the listener's ears. They totally revolutionized the lyrics of rock songs and the really interesting mixture of folk and rock. 4. Here I Dreamt I was An Architect by The Decemberists - This is an early song in the alternative music world, but it's the basis for a lot of new music and definitely reminiscent of alt music I would listen to in middle school, which formed my taste for now. Really cool guitar riff and the synth in the back is so dreamy. 5. John Wayne Gacy, Jr. by Sufjan Stevens - This is both an equally beautiful and creepy song, mostly because it literally chronicles the life of prolific serial killer John Wayne Gacy. Stevens knows exactly how to make a pretty un-relatable figure seem like an everyday person with a difficult life... only a great lyricist could. 6. Katie Queen of Tennessee by The Apache Relay - The strings in this song are so amazing, they automatically drew me in. A pure romantic song about a love who is faraway and the harmonies really bring it together. Blends really well in any context. 7. Hands Down by The Greeting Committee - Unconditional love. This is hard to find in the world, but it's there. After a bad break up the speaker finds comfort and happiness in someone who is their friend/love interest. She sings "With you it's like I'm coming home again" and that is beautiful. 8. My Love by Bahamas - On the other end of the spectrum, about a love that the speaker isn't even sure exists anymore... lots of memories and old days, but they aren't there anymore. The background voices with the echo and the strong bass in combination with the slow and steady drum beat really keep the song grounded. 9. Sky Full Of Song by Florence + The Machine - A new Florence song points to a new album coming soon which will definitely be amazing. This song individually has so many elements which makes a song that will be my favorite including the cool bass, the gradual buildup, and the many, many celestial and natural references made throughout the song. 10. Jet Fuel Can't Melt Steel Beams by Camp Cope - A song about government conspiracy, sexism, and gun control. Basically what everyone is feeling nowadays, except they sung it before it was cool. They sing, "The only thing that stops/A bad man with a gun/is a good man with a gun" This is so relevant to today's national climate it's so important. 11. Nascar by Fox Academy - A song that describes the sky on a beautiful day when the speaker is feeling the beauty of the world. Nostalgia is strong in the song referencing to wishing everything felt like it did when he was a little kid. There is a children's piano sound in the background if you listen carefully and it really hits me with sentimentality. 12. Grand Hotel by Regina Spektor - Is this song about purgatory? Or simply about Earth where people don't realize the fragility of their lives and simply live in luxury while the devils wait in lurk and sometimes come up to have enjoyment too. A simple piano ballad that Spektor is highly known for. 13. They Think We're Stupid by Ezra Bell - This chord progression reminds me of "Next To Me" by Emeli Sande and "Stay With Me" by Sam Smith, except a lot more chilled out and definitely more folky than gospel. The violin/fiddle in the interim of the verses is so beautiful and really shapes the song well. 14. The Gold by Manchester Orchestra - Very deep meaning for this one. About a loss of a relationship because of one side not being able to take care of/put up with/understand the craziness of the other person. The upbeat tempo of the song is really deceiving because it's a sad song, but gives you good feelings at the same time. 15. Ladies Don't Play Guitar by Tennis - A definite feminist song for sure. So sarcastic, even in the title referring to the social construct of girls learning to play piano instead of guitar because it's more ladylike. Love the empowering feeling to this song and it calls for a new regime where no one can decide what you can do just because of your gender. 16. Five Minutes by Her - I would categorize this as Electronic/Indie Rock for sure, it's elements are very synthesized and the vocals are a masculine version of perhaps Sylvan Esso/Marian Hill except with more of a rock influence than their female counterparts. I love the relation to the senses in this song. 17. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds by The Beatles - Everything about this masterpiece always makes me think about the weather becoming nice again and being young and outside and colorful. Lennon penned this song after his song drew a picture and when asked what it was, the son supposedly replied, "Lucy in the sky with diamonds" So psychedelic. 18. Make Me Your Queen by Declan McKenna - A daydream sort of song whereas the singer knows the one he/she has affection for doesn't reciprocate feelings and he/she just wants them to make them their queen. Such a sweet sentiment of that feeling of desperate longing & hope. An easy rock song with really pretty harmonies as the song progresses. 19. Go Outside by Cults - A lot of people have heard pieces of this song, but never the full thing. The beginning with the cuts of voices is so interesting. The song is the dichotomy of people in a relationship, one wanting to be social and do things and the other being introverted and staying in. The vocals are pushed more to the background of the song, allowing a fuller listen of the instrumentals which is really nice. 20. The Conservation Of Energy by Vanishing Twin - A science notion in the title of a song would usually scare me away, but this one is really interesting and has an awesome flute which I love.

#music #alternative #altrock #classic #classicrock #rock #playlist #mixtape #weekly #spotify #pop #bedroompop

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