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passionate-reply · 3 years

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Are you tired of Great Albums being about music people have actually heard of? Do you want me to just go ape shit, and review obscure minimal wave cassettes from the 80s? Admittedly, Oppenheimer Analysis’s New Mexico is one of the most famous weird minimal wave cassettes, and for good reason: it actually holds up quite well as an album! Come check out what all the fuss is about. Transcript below the break.

Welcome to Passionate Reply, and welcome to Great Albums! Today, I’ll be talking about a very cultish cult classic, and an album that’s one of the definitive works in the very underground scene of so-called “minimal wave”: New Mexico, the only full album released by the duo “Oppenheimer Analysis.” The band’s namesake was actually lead vocalist Andy Oppenheimer, who became acquainted with instrumentalist Martin Lloyd at the 1979 World Science Fiction Convention, where the pair bonded over speculative fiction, Midcentury graphic design and propaganda, and the work of early British electronic pioneers like the Human League. 1982’s New Mexico was these two’s first recording as a group, but Lloyd did go into it with one credit--the year prior, he and David Rome of Drinking Electricity released a double A-side, featuring the jumpy, playful instrumentals “Surface Tension'' and “Connections.” They referred to their act as “Analysis,” making it feel very much a part of the Oppenheimer Analysis story.

Music: “Surface Tension”

Oppenheimer, meanwhile, was a true outsider artist, making a living as a nuclear science writer without any substantive musical background. While not all minimal wave is “outsider music,” and not all electronic outsider music is minimal wave, there’s certainly a correlation there. Oppenheimer’s reedy, somewhat strained voice lends New Mexico the punkish charm that only utterly untrained vocalists can offer: a vessel that cracks and buckles as it fails to contain the raw emotion within.

Music: “Martyr”

The addition of a singer is one major distinction between New Mexico and Lloyd’s earlier compositions, but they’re also very different in tone. As I said earlier, the “Analysis” instrumentals are sort of light-hearted and sprightly, a bit reminiscent of the jazzy synth experiments of artists like Jean-Jacques Perrey and Gershon Kingsley. New Mexico is substantially darker and more gothic, as befitting an LP that’s at least partially a concept album about the nuclear age.

Music: “The Devil’s Dancers”

While nuclear anxiety is an indispensable theme of the album, it’s never a suffocating one that makes it feel horribly antiquated to modern ears. It’s a very aestheticized rumination on nuclear themes, that never jumps up and hollers, “bombs are bad!” Take, for example, the track “Radiance,” probably the best-known track on New Mexico...to the extent that any of them are that well-known. It’s one of the album’s most languorous, atmospheric moments, and paints a vividly desolate picture of ground zero after a detonation, with its fluttering, delicate, but ultimately frigid synth flourishes.

Music: “Radiance”

I think my favourite part of “Radiance” is actually its lyrical turn: an atomic blast isn’t like the radiance of a thousand suns, but rather, vice versa. The latter is the one that’s merely theoretical and dwells in the realm of poetic license, whereas the former is a historical fact that we all have to contend with. “Radiance” is quite solid, but in many ways it’s a pale imitation of the title track, a seven-minute sprawl that works exquisitely as a kind of musical landscape painting:

Music: “New Mexico”

Painfully evocative, with an eerie, almost yearning undercurrent, “New Mexico” is easily the track that feels the most grand and epic. I would really have loved for it to be given more of a place of honour in the tracklisting, possibly as the closing track, but it’s wedged somewhat awkwardly in the middle of the second side. I suppose we can’t expect quite as much from a gonzo underground mail-order cassette release, though. At any rate, while “Radiance” and “New Mexico” are absolutely about atom bombs, they remain very emotionally intimate--almost torturously so. A lot of the other tracks are less about the bomb itself, and more about the rise of “Big Science” in the Midcentury consciousness in the wake of the Second World War--chiefly, “Men In White Coats.”

Music: “Men In White Coats”

As in “The Devil’s Dancers,” Oppenheimer happily accepts the role of an evil or insidious narrator here, and sells us this megalomaniacal perspective with aplomb. A lot of early 80s synth, minimal wave and otherwise, is characterized by more deadpan vocalists, but I can’t stress enough how much Oppenheimer’s piercing lead vocals bring to this album. It’s perhaps the most critical on the tracks that delve into more traditionally emotional topics--chiefly, the standard romantic love numbers. Take, for instance, the harrowing, neurotic “Scorpions”:

Music: “Scorpions”

I’m certainly a fan of the title “New Mexico,” which just ties together all the right connotations. First and foremost, New Mexico is a place--a place you can visit. And this is one of those albums that really wants to ground you in a narrow and specific sense of place, a sonic landscape. New Mexico is mostly empty desert, large tracts of which have been government land even before it started being used more intensively for military research in the 20th Century...most famously, of course, on nuclear weapons. I like to think that the name also suggests novelty and recency of place. We are, after all, entering a “new” world, defined by the advances of science, and the upending of earlier ideas about the world.

The representation of the album art for New Mexico that I’ve been showing you is actually the imagery of the 2010 reissue of the album, which I’ve chosen because I think it’s a bit better known, and I simply prefer it, personally. The most striking thing about it is this colour--a ghostly green, that instantly evokes the common imagery of atomic phenomena. Radiation doesn’t really glow green, of course, but, like everything else about the album, it’s clear that this choice is meant to be a reflection upon the greater cultural imaginings and social impact of the Atomic Age, so I think it’s a perfect fit. At the center of the composition, we see a figure, head bowed and face shaded to provide some sense of anonymity, reaching a hand towards the side of his face in a gesture that’s almost reminiscent of using a cell phone at first glance. What exactly he’s up to is as unclear as his identity. Between the modernist styling of the architecture to his left, and his antiquated attire, the image is quite suggestive of a Midcentury setting. But the real narrative angle here comes from the right side--several figures are approaching that central character, possibly in hostile pursuit. Espionage gone wrong? A desperate attempt to silence a whistle-blower? Much like the music, there’s an ambiguous, mysterious, but also menacing ambiance to this cover.

For historicity’s sake, I’ll also discuss the original cover of the homemade cassettes of New Mexico. As we might expect from the nature of this release, it’s a fairly simple graphic, featuring a nude woman whose full-figured body type, popular on pin-up models, and short hairstyle convey that Midcentury aesthetic almost as well as her clothed counterpart on the reissue. Our eyes are naturally drawn to her exposed breasts, where they meet a pair of radiation warning signs censoring her nipples. A simple image, but a deeply perverse or twisted one. Is it a kind of union between the vulgar, crass profanity of pornography, and the depravity of atomic weapons? Is it a visual representation of the way Oppenheimer Analysis have beautified the nuclear landscape, conflating man’s inhumanity to man with something voluptuous or pleasurable? This cover is at least as complex a symbol for the album as the reissue one is. And while it’s easy to dismiss it as lowbrow, I think it’s worth noting how the salacious or saucy aspect of it would have helped it fit in with other underground cassettes of its era, many of which had lurid or provocative imagery.

Of course, this discussion of the differing incarnations of the album is a natural segue to addressing the release history of New Mexico. The story of Oppenheimer Analysis is deeply entwined with that of New York-based Minimal Wave Records, founded in 2005 by Veronica Vasicka, a radio DJ fascinated by underground electronic music. The label specializes in making obscure, self-published works like New Mexico widely available in digital form, so that more music enthusiasts can get a chance to hear them. Without her, I myself might never have heard this album, and certainly wouldn’t be in a position to make a review like this! Vasicka felt strongly about the artistry of Oppenheimer Analysis, and gave the honour of her label’s first-ever release, “MW001,” to a self-titled EP compiling several of the tracks from New Mexico. Later, in 2010, when she was able to rerelease New Mexico in its entirety, she gave it the honourary designation of “MW001D.”

Vasicka is the one responsible for coining the term “minimal wave” to describe the subgenre she was interested in, and, fifteen years later, I think it’s safe to say it’s had some staying power. While it may be a bit vague and subject to individual interpretation, that’s a problem all genre labels contend with, and I think fans of minimal wave ought to be proud that this term was at least coined by a passionate and dedicated fan, who made her favourite music more accessible to everyone, as a labour of love. It’s also not the only genre term to come about much, much later than the music it seeks to describe. At any rate, New Mexico will always have a place in the minimal wave hall of fame, and it’s a genre-defining work, if in hindsight. The stylistic hallmarks of New Mexico are, for better or for worse, now also those of a whole movement: harsh, tinny rhythm machines, strident synth lines, anxious, unmannered vocals, and technological themes.

But what actually happened to Andy Oppenheimer and Martin Lloyd? In light of the renewed interest in their work in the 00s, they actually got back together for a bit, releasing some archival material from the 1980s and laying down a handful of new tracks, very similar in style to those on New Mexico. Lloyd passed away suddenly in 2013, but Oppenheimer has remained interested in keeping their ideas alive. He’s been performing live as well as putting out new music, first as “Touching the Void,” alongside Mark Warner of Sudeten Creche, and more recently as “Oppenheimer Mk II,” with Mahk Rumbae of Konstruktivists.

Music: “You Won’t Disarm Me”

Something that I think really stands out about New Mexico, especially when compared to a lot of other small-time minimal wave releases, is that it’s a very consistent quality throughout. As you might expect with an underground genre, a lot of the music to choose from is varying degrees of amateurish and clunky, and it’s arguably better to listen to Minimal Wave compilations than the LPs that exist. New Mexico is an exception, though, and doesn’t have any particularly weak tracks. The favourite tracks cited by fans of the album tend to vary pretty widely. My top pick, though, is the album’s opener, “Don’t Be Seen With Me.” It’s a perfect marriage of dizzying, spiraling synth runs, and one of Oppenheimer’s most frenetic vocal performances, that creates a masterful portrayal of being swept up in infatuation with somebody you really shouldn’t be fooling with. That’s all I’ve got--thanks for listening!

Music: “Don’t Be Seen With Me”

#music #great albums #album review #album reviews #minimal wave #minimalwave #coldwave #minimal synth #oppenheimer analysis

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doomedandstoned · 3 years

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Know Your Scene: Electric Valley Records

~By Peter Willmott~

Electric Valley Records is a name in the underground Stoner/Psych/Doom community that inspires enthusiastic support from every corner. Based in the small island of Sardinia Italy, founder Marco Nieddu started off releasing his own music for the band Raikinas. Now years after Raikinas has joined the great festival in the sky and the label lives on. Now Marco continues to play with 1782 and he has been making serious waves with Electric Valley Records with a stable of great bands and a growing reputation for boutique vinyl, deliciously dark art, and all round killer releases.

Started by Marco in 2014, the label grew over the first few years from a boutique Italian market to take on the world stage and by 2018 was generating serious media attention. Marco’s great art and attention to detail in his releases created a loyal stable of fans - if it was Electric Valley Records you knew it was going to be a great album.

Fast forward to 2021, as Italy slowly climbs out of the COVID-19 mess, Electric Valley Records has a great family of bands who support each other - you can’t underestimate the power of community in helping bands stay strong and keep the fire alive to produce great music. The power of vinyl and fuzz worship has never been stronger! 2021 sees Electric Valley Records take a global position with one release a month in the first half of 2021, including bands from Australia (Amammoth), Chile (Dixie Goat), Cyprus (Stonus), Italy (1782, Cancervo) and more. We can’t wait to see what’s coming next!

We spoke with Marco Nieddu about some of the label’s history.

When did you decide to start Electric Valley Records, and where did the name come from?

The label was born in 2014, with my band at the time, Raikinas, we were looking for a label, we sent tons of emails but we got just two or three replies. I couldn't stand it, so I decided to create my own label just for that band, but as you know Electric Valley has much more than just one band, plus Raikinas no longer exists. (laughs)

As for the name instead, there is no particular reason, that name had been spinning in my head for a long time, so I didn't think twice and chose it as the name of the label.

What do you love about the Italian heavy music scene?

The Italian heavy music scene is really beautiful, there are so many good bands that take out fantastic albums; bands like Ufomammut, Black Rainbows, Elepharmers, Humulus, Cancervo, Atomic Mold, just to name a few, I could spend hours writing.

Also from the point of view of labels it is not bad at all, one of the strongest labels of this genre is Heavy Psych Sounds Records, and it is from Rome, then we have Argonauta Records, GoDown Records and many others.

One thing I love about the Italian scene is the small festivals, people are very interested. In my opinion we are not at the level of other countries such as Germany, for example --but I must say that in our small way we move well -- there is a lot of interest from both the organizer and the public.

What gives you the biggest buzz running the label?

Basically everything! (laughs) The excitement starts from when the band signs through to the release of the album and beyond. This with every single release!

The coolest thing is when you realize bands are going strong, I don't mean sales, I mean, when people start talking about bands, share them on social media, include them in playlists and take record photos. For me the most important thing is that the band is doing well and growing more and more. Before being my job, it is my passion.

What is the special sauce that makes an album an “Electric Valley Records” release?

There isn't exactly a special sauce, each band has its own special sauce. When I listen to new bands, generally, if I like them I immediately realize, as I said before, each band has its own particularity and this is what strikes me, it can be a certain type of sound, a certain style of riff, the groove, the voice and any other kind of peculiarity.

What I try to do is make the listener feel the same feelings I feel when I listen to that particular band. I can't pick bands at random or without listening to them just to make a release, Electric Valley isn't that kind of label.

Marco Nieddu may be the most popular man in the underground stoner-psychedelic and doom community. We reached out to bands on the Electric Valley Records label, and boy were they ready to talk about it, there’s a whole lotta love for Marco and his work over the years!

What attracted you to Electric Valley Records?

Amammoth: We first heard of them through the band 1782 which we are huge fans of. We love their sound and they have amazing artwork. When we were looking into getting some artwork done for our band we looked at Electric Valley and we discovered Marco was the one who did it all. We were super lucky to have Marco do some art for us and it all stemmed from there. We were already fans of the label and listened to a lot of the bands on the label, as they promote a lot of the influential up and upcoming bands of our genre.

Atomic Mold: It was 2015, our first album "Atomic Mold" had just been released. Marco contacted us to find out if we would like to collaborate, we wrote a lot and we decided to make a split. He put us in touch with Mount Hush and in a short time we made a split that had good success and was sold out in a few months. In October 2016 we met with Marco in Sardegna who organized the tour with Fatso Jetson.

Stonus: Well, back in 2019 we were looking for a record label to release our debut album “Aphasia” which was our main aim at the time. The reason for seeking a label contract was to get more reach, release our music on vinyl, more gig opportunities and to learn how things work from a more business/professional perspective. We had 4 or 5 options at the time and Electric Valley Records was the most appealing as we liked the bands that were signed and they do things in a really professional way. Marco is an excellent guy although we never met in person. (laughs) He is always available for questions and he is really flexible and understanding. In a year, we had two releases on vinyl, “Aphasia” and “Séance” and they also have some cool options like tapes. I must say we are very satisfied even though the pandemic caused some delays but what can you do, fans have been patient on their side and we have to thank them for that, too.

Loose Sutures: EVR is one of the best labels in doom, stoner, fuzz rock. Beautiful roster, high accuracy in every detail, respect and personality. For us is more about a brotherhood than a simple contract sealing: we belong to the same island and share the same studio with 1782. We're friends and we all feel friendship with all EVR bands.

Hadewijch: EVR attracted us for many reasons but the first would have to be the great communication back and forth and the complete belief in our vision and Herbal Doom from day one. Marco is a professional and creates an environment where we as artists and our music feels safe and respected. It’s clear that he cares very much about the bands and the music itself and is not afraid to take risks on what he releases in line with a level of quality that has become known from the label.

High N' Heavy: What attracted us to EVR was we really dug their aesthetic, and we were already big fans of Atomic Mold and Weed Demon.

Dixie Goat: We don't know if you can put this (we can - Peter) but the last days of last year we were contacted by Paul from The Cosmic Peddler. He asked us if we had physical copies from our 2nd album (new one) so we said no. Then he asked us if we were interested in releasing the album and if we want to have a label. Our answer was Fuck Yeah! man. We don't care if they want to release our new album on tape, cd, lp, laserdisc, betamax, minidisc, whatever they want! We were just happy that someone was interested in the band and they wanted us to release our music outside our country also considering our difficult times. So that is how it starts. Kinda fairy tale. They have a great roster of bands. Also they released a split including our brothers from Chile, Arteaga. Awesome band, by the way.

Cancervo: We’ve known EVR through friends. We already listen to some bands from this label and we like their works, so we tried to send our first record, when they told us that the song was liked and that we could do something, we were so excited!

Weed Demon: When Marco approached us about signing with EVR we were completely unfamiliar with the label but it didn’t take long to realize that they were headed in the right direction. The roster of bands was killer and label branding was on point. It just felt like a perfect fit for us. They had a little bit of everything, just like our sound in Weed Demon. It also didn’t hurt that Marco is a super nice dude and has always been easy to work with.

Marmalade Knives: I found my way to Electric Valley through Heavy Psych Sounds, and I instantly really appreciated Marco and his openness to hearing new music and growing his label in different psychedelic directions. I think his attitude and demeanor find their way into all corners of the EVRverse. All of the other bands on the label I've interacted with have been super supportive and cool.

Desert Suns: We started working with Electric Valley right when we had finished our latest album Carry On. We were shopping it around to see who would want to release it. Marco was down to put it out.

Wormhog: Since we were determined to release our first LP Yellow Sea on vinyl we had made some contacts with various labels and pressing plants. Electric Valley and Marco showed us right from the start how much they wanted a collaboration between us. Of course, we knew of EVR’s existence long before our release and we were flattered to be part of such a great family with so many great bands! However, what actually attracted us, was that there was a feeling of mutual respect in our communication, right from the start, which was also depicted on our contract. Everything is straight and simple, which was the main reason we wanted to be part of the label, and we couldn’t be happier about it!

Elepharmers: We met the guys from Electric Valley before their label was even founded. Marco was the bass player of Raikinas, we met at a concert, then we shared the stage and beautiful evenings. We also did some gigs in Germany together thanks to him and his band. We appreciate their desire to grow and make space for themselves in the stoner, psych, doom music scene.

What was the most exciting part of your release with Electric Valley Records?

Amammoth: We were super stoked to be working with a label that we were already fans of, and to be on a label that gives a fuck and actually cares about the art and the artists. It was fun working with Marco to design the record cover too, as we really appreciate his art. It was exciting to work with a label that works so hard to expose their bands to people all around the world and we really appreciate them pumping our songs out for people all over to hear. Coming from Australia and being in a genre like ours it is a great honour and privilege to be on a label like Electric Valley, as our music is being heard and reaching places further than we could have ever imagined.

Atomic Mold: Surely to see our records arrive all over the world!

Stonus: Nothing can beat the excitement of releasing your debut album on vinyl and being featured by blogs and magazines all around the globe. We feel very thankful for the feedback and support we received and Electric Valley Records was a catalyst on this small success.

Loose Sutures: Being part of EVR means being part of something getting bigger every year . You realize immediately that this label cares a lot about their bands. You can see it in every step: music, promotion, merch, album covers etcetera. Now we are close to releasing the first single of our new album and we can't wait for it! So excited and proud.

Hadewijch: The most exciting was to have 100 percent freedom with the artwork and control over the release, but still feeling like this was a collective team effort with EVR behind us every step of the way.

High N' Heavy: Most exciting part about releasing through them was they did such a great job getting us out there and fully supporting our ideas. They’re great at working with you on making your release the best it can be. From the music to the art direction and everywhere in between.

Dixie Goat: As we said above, the label has great bands so being part of it's like a dream come true. Also releasing our music for the first time on a label and for the first time on vinyl woooow, we were jumping like monkeys. Pretty happy!

Cancervo: The most exciting part was planning the release and all the technical details of our first album.

Weed Demon: Our last two releases with EVR gave us way more worldwide exposure. It’s difficult for an Ohio based band to gain a following across the pond in Europe. Having a label based out of Sardinia definitely helped increase our fan base.

Marmalade Knives: As this was my band's first release ever, I have to say that each milestone -- each a first -- was very exciting for me. The signing, the selection of vinyl colors, holding a copy in my hands for the first time: it was all exciting.

Desert Suns: Electric Valley had been on our radar for a couple years so it was cool to actually have our second album released by a label from Italy. Electric Valley has been putting out some solid releases from some really rad bands! We are stoked to be on their roster.

Wormhog: Since Yellow Sea is our first physical release, the most exciting moment cannot be any other than the moment we saw our new records in the flesh! The printing and pressing quality are absolutely amazing, and that’s what anybody should expect from a label like Electric Valley Records.

Elepharmers: One thing we appreciate about Electric Valley is that it's a label run by people with so much enthusiasm, people with whom we've created a bond of friendship that goes beyond the stage and making records. Marco from EV collaborated in setting the dates for the 2020 European tour, which unfortunately was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Anything else you’d like to share about Electric Valley Records?

Amammoth: We can’t thank them enough for everything they have done for us as a band. They are one of the best independent record labels in the world and we are super lucky to be working with them.

Atomic Mold: Yes, we are currently composing the new album which we will release with Electric Valley Records. Over time he has built a great relationship with us. We have a lot of trust and respect for the work he has always done for us.

Stonus: For us the whole concept of a release is important, from music to artwork, vinyl colour, special inserts and posters. We like to experiment with ideas and possibilities so we often discuss with Marco things that he has never done before and he is keen to learn and do his research, always offering a solution. We are really happy to be part of this awesome family of heavy bands, they are all amazing artists and people. We can't wait to meet them in person and connect through music!

Loose Sutures: Get Ready for the new album: it's gonna be hot and nasty! We are proud to continue being part of this great family and we are more than sure that it will continue to grow and improve more and more.

Hadewijch: Yes! I think it’s worth saying, even at the risk of sounding a bit cliché, that there is a very positive feeling environment on the label. All the bands are kind and willing to help each other, like a group of friends you know? We’re all willing to help uplift each other and it’s an awesome feeling.

High N' Heavy: And I’d like to say again that the support is real with EVR. Not just from Marco and the crew, but from the bands, too. We constantly refer to it as the EVR family, and it really feels that way. Everyone reps everyone else. It’s a great label, and they continue to grow with new awesome bands.

Dixie Goat: They have treated us awesome since day 1. Always kind and respectfully. We like that and we have just gratitude for the label. We think it's not that easy to sign a band from the end of the world. We have so much love for Marco from Electric Valley Records and Paul from The Cosmic Peddler. Thank you so much, guys!

Cancervo: We found a great family and a good vibe who pushed us to plan our second album still with them. It will come out in the first part of 2022! Stay tuned!

Weed Demon: The thing I love most about being a part of this label is the feeling of family. All of the bands are super supportive of one another. Even being spread out all across the world, it still feels like you are all buds in a local scene. Everyone working towards a shared goal of growing the Electric Valley family and pushing each other’s music and art to the next level!

Marmalade Knives: Just that I'm psyched to continue the working relationship. I'm hopeful that the second Marmalade Knives LP will be released later this year.

Desert Suns: We’ve had a little line up change over the last year so we are writing some new material we’d like to record and get out within the next year and hopefully have the privilege to keep working with Electric Valley Records.

Wormhog: We just can’t wait for our next release together!

Elepharmers: At the moment I don't have other things to tell: there would be many anecdotes related to parties and concerts, drinking beer till dawn and listening to great music.

Highlights from the Electric Valley Records Catalog

Amammoth

Amammoth - The Fire Above by Electric Valley Records

Atomic Mold

Split Atomic Mold / Arteaga by ATOMIC MOLD

Cancervo

I by CANCERVO

Desert Suns

Carry On by Desert Suns

Dixie Goat

There's No Light Without Darkness by Dixie Goat

Elepharmers

Lords of Galaxia (2019, Electric Valley Records) by Elepharmers

Hadewijch

Herbal Noise by Hadewijch

High N' Heavy

V by High n' Heavy

Loose Sutures

Loose Sutures by Loose Sutures

Marmalade Knives

Amnesia by Marmalade Knives

Stonus

Séance by Stonus

Weed Demon

Crater Maker by Weed Demon

Wormhog

Yellow Sea by Wormhog

Follow The Label

Get Their Music

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alright--okay · 4 years

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you ever been to a basement show? pt. 3

tsukishima kei x reader

summary: Tsukishima sees you everywhere, and for a big school thats weird. And it’s not like he’s gonna do anything, that’d be even weirder, but one day in your shared lecture he sees you wearing a shirt with some small band’s name. A band he know. And well, now he has to know who you are.

word count: ~2.8 k

a/n: the first five chapters are already on ao3 so imma post them here real quick, hope anyone reading enjoys!

read on ao3!

pt. 3 Girl Scout Cookies - Mom Jeans.

“What the hell are you wearing?” Tsukishima said as you walked into the lecture hall, gesturing to your outfit.

“I don’t understand the question.” You calmly replied taking a seat beside him, only to awkwardly bring your legs up to the chair in front of you. The attempt to look laid back and “chill” clearly not working.

Tsukishima widened his eyes and pointedly shifted his gaze to your plaid pants.

“They’re my fun pants!”

“Is fun the word we’re gonna use?”

“Yes. We are. Because these,” you gestured to the patterned pants, “are a statement piece and fashionable. I look trendy and professional.”

“You look like you got lost on your way to an underground cafe that serves farm-fresh honey.”

“That sounds delightful, not gonna lie.” You turned away from Tsukishima to start unpacking your materials for the class. “Oh, and before I forget, I figured you’d like to know that Yachi was very happy to see you again.”

Tsukishima let a small smile slip onto his face at that, “I’m sure, Yachi was close with a lot of us on the volleyball team; when we got to college it just got harder to coordinate, even if we were at the same school.” He turned to look at the pen he had been playing with in his hand, “It was nice to see her too.”

“Aw, Tsukishima, you do have a heart!” You laughed. Even though you had known Tsukishima for a short period of time, it was easy to get comfortable around him. You actually kinda enjoyed his snarky attitude and it was fun to tease him. Not to mention Yachi trusted the dude so you knew he had to be a good person (even if it was deep down).

Tsukishima attempted to ignore you the rest of the class for that comment but decided to bother you by pushing your elbow off your shared armrest every chance he got.

After the third time your pen ran down the page in an abrupt straight line, you stoned your face and silently looked forward, ignoring the chuckles Tsukishima was hiding behind his hand. You slide the small lecture desk back in its place and calmly made your way to one seat over. Once settled again you turned to Tsukishima who was already looking at you with bright eyes and a poorly repressed smile.

“I’m not having it.”

~~~

From Tsukishima archeology:

hey i don’t know if you’d be interested but me yamaguchi and our other roommates were gonna have a game night situation tonight

i think yamaguchi told yachi about it but i wanted to let you know that youre welcome

to come that is

if you want to

You smiled at the texts. Yachi had informed you of the “game night situation” happening on Friday last night, but it had seemed wrong to impose. These were friends Yachi hadn’t seen in how long? And you were just supposed to crash their full reunion? But Yachi had taken the time to assure you that yes, Yamaguchi and Tsukishima were friends from high school, but their other roommates were really just “friends-of-friends”.

She had convinced you to come with her to be another familiar face, but having Tsukishima explicitly invite you made you feel better about the situation as a whole.

To Tsukishima archeology:

yeah yachi told me !! ill see you there :)

You slipped your phone back into your pocket and continued your walk away from campus to your apartment with Yachi. It was still the early afternoon and you were (thankfully) done with classes for the week, giving you plenty of time to mentally prepare for a night of socialization with a group of people you largely didn’t know.

What the fuck did you agree to?

~~~~~~

“So she is confirmed coming?” Yamaguchi asked from the kitchen, peering around the corner to see Tsukishima, hunched over his phone starring at the screen.

“Yeah, she’s coming with Yachi.”

“I still can’t believe she knows Yachi,” Yamaguchi said, shaking his head slightly as he sat beside Tsukishima on the couch. “Well, at least it gave us a reason to reach out, right? I’ve missed my favorite blonde.”

Tsukishima beside him sat up, looking at his friend, “Oh so I’m number two?”

“Sorry, but you’re number three,” Yamaguchi said with false sincerity, “Akiteru beat you out when he brought those pork buns last month.”

Tsukishima gave his friend a blank stare before falling back into the couch with a “shuddup Yamaguchi” mumbled under his breath, Yamaguchi only offering a snicker in response.

“Come on, get up. We have to prepare this place for tonight.” Yamaguchi stood, holding out a hand to help Tsukishima up.

“Prepare? It’s not like we’re throwing a party or something.”

“No, but we have a fairly tiny apartment and with eight peop-”

“Wait, eight? I thought there would only be six…” Tsukishima trailed off as he came to realize who the other two were.

Yamaguchi gave a nod, moving to fix the couches in the small space, “Yep. Bokuto was sad he couldn’t come last weekend so they’re taking the train in. They should be here in like an hour. Hope your new friend likes being interrogated.”

At this Tsukishima groaned. “I might have finally found a normal friend and those two are gonna ruin it.”

“Oh come on, Tsukki. Yeah, they’re loud and crash and have way too much energy BUT you love them.”

“I love Kenma and Akaashi, that’s the only way I deal with those buffoons.” Tsukishima paused before going to help Yamaguchi position the couch, “But for real … do you think they’ll scare y/n?“

“Tsukki, that girl can deal with you. I’m sure she’ll be fine with Kuroo and Bokuto. Plus Yachi is gonna be here, Kenma and Akaashi will keep them in line for her, and by proxy, y/n.”

Tsukishima knew this was true at least. Back in their first year of university, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and Yachi hung out a lot more and even back then Kuroo and Bokuto would come to visit their respective boyfriends. In the few times all of them would hang out together, Kenma and Akaashi made sure the two were respectful of Yachi, knowing how anxious she could get.

So as long as Kuroo and Bokuto didn’t get you alone, all should be fine.

~~~~~~

“Oho, ho, ho,” a man with black and white spiked hair approached you with wide eyes, getting borderline too close to your face before you even fully walked through the door, “who are you?”

“I’m y/n, it’s uh, nice to meet you.” you tried to give a casual smile as the man continued to make direct eye contact with you, “I like your hair.”

His face lit up with a blinding smile, “Thank you! Your hair is also very nice, very pretty, suits your face shape.” A genuine smile slipped on your face at the compliment, “I’m Bokuto Koutarou, I don’t live here.” His smile still in place, despite your now confused expression, “And Yachi! I haven’t seen you in forever!” Bokuto turned to your roommate who had been standing beside you, leaning down to give her a seemingly very tight hug.

“Hello, Bokuto-san!” This was not one of the people Yachi had told you about. She had mentioned Tsukishima and Yamaguchi’s other two roommates, but nothing about a random boisterous man.

“Bokuto, please put her down.” A very pretty man came from around the corner, laying a hand on Bokuto’s shoulder. Bokuto did such and turned to throw an arm around the man’s shoulders. “It’s nice to see you again, Yachi.” He now faced you with a small smile just barely curving his lips, “And you must be y/n? Tsukishima said he invited another friend.”

“Yes, that would be me. Can I assume you live here?”

“You can. I’m Akaashi Keiji and you’ve met my boyfriend I see.” Boyfriend got it. “Everyone else is in the kitchen getting snacks but feel free to get comfortable.” He gave you two another smile before going back down the hallway he came, Bokuto trailing behind him.

You and Yachi walked over to the small living room area in front of you, “Sorry I didn’t warn you about Bokuto, I didn’t realize he was coming.”

“It’s all good,” you said with a chuckle, “He seems nice.”

“He is! It probably means that Kuroo is here too, but don’t worry! He’s nice too! They can just get kind of … loud.” The two of you were interrupted by a freckled man (who you recognized as Yamaguchi from pictures Yachi had shown you) that walked into a room.

“Yachi! What’s up?” His smile was warm as the two met in a hug, “And y/n! It’s nice to officially meet you.”

“Same. I’m happy to expand my social circle,” you said, returning his smile with a chuckle.

“So as for games-”

“Y/N!” You startled at your name being yelled by an unfamiliar man (possibly, Kuroo? He was already loud) power walking from the hallway. Tsukishima was quickly trailing behind him, trying to act calm but obviously failing. “Were you the vixen that swept our dear Tsukki away last Saturday night?”

Your wide-eyed gaze met Tsukishima’s (who looked physically in pain), “Perhaps.” Tsukishima closed his eyes, seeming to anticipate the following smirk that grows on the man’s face at your answer. “But in my defense, Yachi was there too.”

“Yes, but Tsukki didn’t know that, did he.” Eyes turn to Tsukishima, who was now sitting at the end of the couch, a hand rubbing his eyes underneath his glasses.

“Can we move on?”

“No! We cannot, but first,” Kuroo looks to Bokuto, both straightening their backs as they say simultaneously, “shots?”

Oh, this was going to be a fun night.

~~~

“Tsukishima. Tsukishima … Tsuki … shima”

“Can I help you?”

“Please let me try on your glasses.” Okay so maybe the sixth shot was a bad idea. “Please, I just want to see how blind you are.”

You were usually okay when it came to drinking, never getting too wild or out of control, but the vibe of the night mixed with Tsukishima still being annoyingly sober after three drinks made you more … talkative.

“I’m not blind.” Tsukishima relented, slipping his glasses from his face and into your waiting hand, and subsequently onto your face.

“Damn, you really aren’t, this is a pussy prescription.” Your eyes were slightly glazed as they looked around the living room, not being able to focus on the shapes of the room.

Kuroo broke into a cackle from his position on the floor playing a card game with Bokuto, Akaashi, and Yachi, “Fucking burn Tsukki.”

“Kuroo.” Kenma called, curled around a pillow on the couch, phone clutched in hand.

“Sorry, sorry. Quiet voice, shhhh.” Kenma gave a nod and returned to his huddled position.

You focused back on Tsukishima, giving him his glasses, “I used to wear glasses, you know. My prescription was really bad. I’ve been wearing contacts recently though, hence the,” you gestured to your face, lacking frames.

“So that’s how you know I have a ‘pussy prescription’?”

“Heh wait, ‘pussy prescription,’ I just realized.” You giggled at him, “Like the opposite of a dick appointment.”

“Alright, that’s enough of that conversation. Want some water?”

“Yes, but also!” You faced the other members of the group in their various positions around the small room, “can we order food?”

“Now that’s what I like to hear!” Bokuto sprang up, already going around the room to take orders before calling in an order to a local restaurant, known to be specifically used by drunk college students at two a.m.

While Bokuto and Kuroo left to pick up the order, you quietly sat back down next to Tsukishima.

“I know this is very out of the blue and maybe it’s cause I’m a lil drunk-”

“A little?”

“Shaddup, I’m not that bad,” you gently slapped his chest at the comment (and wow that’s a thought for later), “just … thank you for inviting me.”

“Well, you know, we were inviting Yachi, just seemed like we were obligated to and all that.” Tsukishima wasn’t looking at you but you could see a light blush staining the tops of his cheeks.

“Oh, I’m sure you were very obligated to do so. But come on bro, I’m trying to have a tender moment.”

“… you’re welcome.” You stared at him intensely, he sighed before relenting, “Okay, I get it. I’m glad you came. Seriously.”

You smiled up at him, “Do you guys do this type of thing often? You guys are all really nice and I think Yachi is happy to have you guys back in her life. I think the both of us would really enjoy doing this again.”

Tsukishima gave a small smile back, “I think the both of you are welcome anytime.”

“Glad to hear it.”

The two of you sat in your own bubble for a bit before the smack of the door against the wall alerted you to the food arriving.

The night ended soon after that, everyone sitting on various pieces of furniture in the cramped space, slowly sobering up and getting sleepier at the same time while eating your respective orders (and if you stole some of Tsukishima’s french fries, no one had to know).

Akaashi had already dragged a clingy, half-awake Bokuto to their bedroom, and Kenma had been curled half on Kuroo’s lap for the last half hour. Yamaguchi, while still participating in conversation, was letting out large yawns in the middle of sentences and Yachi wasn’t much better.

“Alright, I think we should head home,” you said, turning to Yachi who slowly nodded in agreement. The two of you rose, slipping your shoes and coats on near the door, “it’s been real, goodnight everyone, I hope to see you soon.” Yachi also giving a quiet goodbye to the room.

“I’ll walk you guys home, it’s late and Tokyo can get scary at night,” Tsukishima said, walking over to his own set of shoes and coat.

“Thank you, Tsukki,” Yachi replied, continuing to settle into her coat. You didn’t voice your own thanks, but you smiled at Tsukishima.

“What a gentleman, Tsukki. It was a pleasure to see you ladies,” Kuroo said, voice much quieter than it was previously in the night.

You and Yachi waved as a final goodbye for the night before the three of you made the short walk to your apartment.

~~~~~~

It didn’t take long for Tsukki to see you and Yachi off. Just as he had done last Saturday, he walked you two to the door where you all said your goodbyes.

“Hey text me when you get home, I heard these streets can get scary.” You told Tsukishima as you entered your building.

“Yeah, I will,” You smiled at him then turned back to walk with Yachi further into the building.

Tsukishima took his time going back to the apartment, reflecting on tonight’s events. You got along with his friends. That was good. That was a normal thing to want from a new friend. Just a friend. Yeah, he could go with that.

He tried to be quiet entering the apartment, but it was no use, Kuroo and Yamaguchi were still sitting in the living room and immediately turned to him.

“So … ” Yamaguchi began.

“You and y/n seem to be getting close,” Kuroo winked and tried to raise his eyebrows at Tsukishima but the movement ending up looking twitchy and not at all smooth.

Tsukishima tried to look aloof as he answered their waiting stares, “She doesn’t like me like that.”

“Wait, so does that mean you like her like that?” Yamaguchi smiled, seeing the slight tensing of his friend’s shoulders.

“Oh, that is definitely what it means, Yama.”

“No, no it does not,” Tsukishima tried to stop the two before they had the idea hard set in their minds, “y/n is just a friend. We like the same music, we share a singular class, and yeah okay she’s kinda cute-”

“Oho, ho, ho, did you hear that Yamaguchi?” Fuck. Kuroo’s smirk was wide at this point, “So this is happening then?”

“Nothing is happening.” Tsukishima quickly finished ripping off his shoe and walked to his room to pass out for the night, he could still hear Yamaguchi’s reply to Kuroo though as he shut the door.

“It’s happening.”

Tsukishima sighed, sprawling across his bed. Before he forgot, he pulled up his phone.

To y/n:

streets weren’t too bad

i got mugged but the scar is gonna be pretty cool

From y/n:

does it at least go through your eyebrow?

To y/n:

just a little bit :/

From y/n:

i dunno man

is it really worth it at that point

To y/n:

…

goodnight y/n

From y/n:

goodnight tsukishima

#haikyuu!!#haikyuu imagines #haikyuu x reader #tsukishima kei #tsukishima kei x reader #tsukishima x reader #tsukki x reader

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unscharf-an-den-raendern · 4 years

Text

Interview with Ralf from 2005 (translated from German)

Read the original German version here: http://www.electroempire.com/index.php?thread/1755-ralf-h%C3%BCtter-kraftwerk-interview-2005/

They’re the most influential German band of all time, for a third of a century they advanced and shaped electronic music like no one else. During that time, they only gave about one hundred interviews worldwide, the living legends are considered to be media-shy. Now Arschmaden-rave-magazin managed to be the first German magazine since 2001 to get an exclusive interview with the Düsseldorf sound pioneers Kraftwerk. Hauke Schlichting was allowed to spend almost an hour on the phone with Ralf Hütter and found out that music gods are also completely normal people sometimes.

Hauke Schlichting: Are there many pre-order of the notebook edition of “Minimum Maximum” already?

Ralf Hütter: I think so. Kraftwerk is not just music, we also create the lyrics, the pictures and the entire visual concept. I’ve been doing that with my partner Florian Schneider since 1970. This notebook edition enables us to put a lot of ideas into effect that we had for a long time. And now that it's finished, it's a liberating moment.

Hauke Schlichting: I once saw you in the audience of a talk by Oskar Sala. I suppose that pioneers like Sala, John Cage and certainly Karlheinz Stockhausen were a source of inspiration for Kraftwerk...

Ralf Hütter: Especially in our living environment in the second half of the sixties. Our friends and we were involved in the art scene. Electronic music was not foreign to us.

Hauke Schlichting: In an old interview from 1976 you said: "The world of sounds is music.” The first thing that came to my mind was whether the members of Kraftwerk listened to and liked music by noise musicians or even industrial music? Is that a similar approach?

Ralf Hütter: I can only speak for myself now, but I definitely see a spiritual kinship there. Definitely.

Hauke Schlichting: You called your music "Industrial Folk Music" once...

Ralf Hütter: Yes, but not with an F. It was about "Industrielle Volksmusik", the English translated it. It was an idea of the electronic Volkswagen. That's a concept. We have always reported on everyday things. "Autobahn", for example, was an attempt to make everyday music.

Hauke Schlichting: Is there any electronic music from - let's say the last 20 years - that inspired you?

Ralf Hütter: Yes, especially this spiritual kinship between the two cities starting with a D.

Hauke Schlichting: Düsseldorf and Detroit!

Ralf Hütter: Right. We know the creative heads of Detroit like Derrick May, Mike Banks and Kevin Saunderson. And that's what we consider to be a real inspiration, alternating, which finds its sound in this language. The dynamic that's in there, like in here. This electric funk or whatever you want to call it, that's a spiritual kinship.

Hauke Schlichting: Were the first Cybotron records of Juan Atkins things that you already noticed back in 1981?

Ralf Hütter: We were also in New York earlier, where the record company took us to some afterhours in non-authorized clubs.

Hauke Schlichting: They already existed back then!?

Ralf Hütter: Yeah, sure, at the end of the seventies. Then we had the experience that Afrika Bambaataa played our song “Metall auf Metall”. I thought, oh, fine, and then more than a quarter of an hour went by and I started wondering, because the song is not that long. Until I realized that he combined it with several record players.

Hauke Schlichting: A live remix with turntables, so to speak...

Ralf Hütter: That must have been in '77.

Hauke Schlichting: Mr Bambaataa is definitely a pioneer as well.

Ralf Hütter: Definitely.

Hauke Schlichting: There are an infinite number of songs nowadays which obviously sampled Kraftwerk. You were once described as "the most sampled artists besides James Brown". Are you annoyed when this happens without being asked?

Ralf Hütter: In the right music it is mental communication. Creative feedback. But if they appear on any “cucumbers” (Translator’s note: Ralf means bad musicians) or purely commercial products, then our publishing house will take action.

Hauke Schlichting: Do you collect your own records? If you want to own all the Kraftwerk records, including all the different pressings, you’d have to collect several thousand.

Ralf Hütter: I think that's materialistic nonsense. It's like collecting beer coastes. That’s totally uninteresting. It's about music, not about some pieces of plastic.

Hauke Schlichting: But they say that you collect old synthesizers.

Ralf Hütter: Our studio has been changing constantly since 1970, there are always new things being wired, installed or programmed. Improved. So often some equipment is put away, first in the warehouse, because you might need them again. At some point they were standing there, nobody wanted them, then they got dusty, then reactivated in the Kling Klang Museum. Ten years later we restored and repaired them all to the latest state of the art. Now we have been asked if we could make them available for an exhibition, but at the moment we can't give them away because they are actually in use. Over the last twenty years, we have transferred all the original Kraftwerk sounds to the digital level. Together with our electrical engineers Fritz Hilpert and Henning Schmitz.

Hauke Schlichting: You used to take a lot of equipment weighing tons with you on tour.

Ralf Hütter: Yes, the Kling Klang Studio is our instrumentarium. It has been like that ever since the first concerts. At that time they were still single instruments or single racks with many cables. Then at some point we assembled them in multi-racks.

Hauke Schlichting: The live equipment was always identical to the studio equipment. Is that still the case now? The things you carry around with you now are much more compact.

Ralf Hütter: Now we play with the virtual Kling Klang Studio with laptops at concerts in real time and mobile. That's why we have been able to travel all over the world since 2002. Today we have complete access to the entire audio-visual show, which also changes a bit from concert to concert. That's what makes it interesting. We no longer have to build it up every day to reach a fixed status, we can work with it live. In the past we were on tour rather reproductively, a lot of things didn't work, that was actually a torture, these concerts back then. That's why we only did one tour, in 1975 ("Autobahn"), then for years almost nothing and in 1981 ("Computerwelt"), when we did another tour, we also used many tapes in addition to my analog sequencer, because our music was actually not playable live at that time.

Hauke Schlichting: The live DVD you’re releasing now gives the illusion that it is the complete recording of one concert. If you take a closer look, you will see that it has been put together from many concerts. Was there no concert that was great from front to back?

Ralf Hütter: We recorded and documented everything. We then selected the recordings based on quality and intensity. That was then put together. That is also our concept of electronic mobility. "Tour de France" should definitely be from Paris, "Autobahn" from Berlin, "Dentaku/calculator" from Tokyo. We had a lot more material available later, but we couldn't put that in. In Santiago de Chile, for example, the audience has the best timing in the world when clapping along. I've never experienced anything that synchronous before.

Hauke Schlichting: When Kraftwerk is in the studio, do you sometimes make music just for fun, just playing around a bit?

Ralf Hütter: We once said that the music composes itself.

Hauke Schlichting: That means constant trying out and jamming around?

Ralf Hütter: That's where we actually come from, we've been doing that since the late sixties. For more than a third of a century we've been walking on the same electronic path. We just try to be open for ideas. They come when you cycle, like “Tour de France”, they come when you drive, like “Autobahn”. Some things also arise from texts, from books, from all kinds of things. We use all mental ideas, we do not work according to one principle. The freedom lies precisely in the fact that all art forms are open to you today. It is a gift that we live in a time where you don't need a large orchestra and where you don't need a nobleman who puts gold ducats at your disposal. Now there is an autonomy that can be realized through the man-machine Kraftwerk.

Hauke Schlichting: Your studio seems a bit like a fortress against the outside world. But you have emphasized several times that you are not isolated at all, that you meet a lot of friends and actually lead a very normal life. But we know relatively little about that. Does that mean that private life is the super important compensation for an artist's life?

Ralf Hütter: No, we see ourselves as scientists, as music workers. We do our work, we drink a cup of coffee in the morning, on weekends we ride our bikes. We go to clubs because the lively scene of electronic music is important to us. And that's where it takes place. We have been connected to club culture since the sixties.

Hauke Schlichting: Does that mean that you now travel more often or specifically to performances by live artists or DJs?

Ralf Hütter: Mostly that happens when we are on the road. If the travel plan allows it, because otherwise it can happen that you can't concentrate at concerts in the evening due to lack of sleep. Working at the screen, with the mouse, they’re very fine movements. Minimal movements with maximum effect on sound and images. Again a mental reference to this work "minimum-maximum".

Hauke Schlichting: Can you imagine working with other musicians?

Ralf Hütter: We already worked together with different musicians, especially with music engineers. For example with François K, with William Orbit, with Etienne de Crécy, with Orbital, with Underground Resistance.

Hauke Schlichting: The revision of your back catalogue is now finished...

Ralf Hütter: Yes, finally. It is also about clarity and now for the first time everything is as it was intended.

Hauke Schlichting: Can you release more albums in the future that way?

Ralf Hütter: Yes, also because the technical development has changed in our favour. We now have the right tools at our disposal, so we don't have to spend so much time on wiring and installation.

Hauke Schlichting: The teen newspaper Bravo quoted you in 1975 with the sentence: "One day they will imitate our music. Could you have imagined back then that this would really happen?

Ralf Hütter: Yes, we thought so at that time. We played the album to them in my old Volkswagen. We had a big loudspeaker in the back, we didn't have the kind of equipment we have today. And then my friend Florian and I drove on the motorway with our poet and painter friend Emil and Bravo. At the beginning of the seventies our music was mostly only played in special radio programmes, e.g. by Winfried Trenkler. Before "Autobahn", Kraftwerk only existed in this art and student scene. And then live, we come from this live music scene. That we now play electronic music all over the world again is something where the circle closes. Now it takes on the shape we imagined in our imagination at the time.

Hauke Schlichting: Thirty years ago you also said: "In twenty years, in our opinion, there will hardly be any groups with guitars and drums any more. For us these instruments belong to the past already today."

Ralf Hütter: Right.

Hauke Schlichting: But that didn't quite come true.

Ralf Hütter: There are many antiques. But that is still true. There are also still symphony orchestras. In our opinion, the thoughts or essence of the present can only be realized with adequate means.

Hauke Schlichting: You have very few concrete political statements in your music...

Ralf Hütter: Rather socio-political, from our everyday life.

Hauke Schlichting: You only find a concrete one in the new version of "Radioactivity".

Ralf Hütter: Yes, we inserted that because there were endless misunderstandings. We simply wanted to clarify these misunderstandings with one word ("Stop").

Hauke Schlichting: Because of the last album the topic of cycling was once again massively brought into the picture...

Ralf Hütter: I had written this lyrics in 1983 with my French friend Maxime Schmidt. Florian was experimenting with sounds at the same time with his first sampler. This resulted in the album concept "Tour de France". At that time we released only that one single under time pressure and then the ideas fell a bit into oblivion. However, this practically slumbered as a film script in a long version in the studio under the heading unfinished projects. And we just finished that now.

Hauke Schlichting: You have been active as cyclists for a very long time...

Ralf Hütter: Yes, since "Mensch-Maschine". The concept of "man-machine" has brought an awareness, from the pure sound field of music a dynamic physicality man-machine has conclusively emerged. We tried that out and the fascination has remained.

Hauke Schlichting: The unity of man and bicycle is still the man-machine.

Ralf Hütter: That's how it is.

Hauke Schlichting: The man-machine motif has always been a dream of mankind. It already existed with the Greeks, it played a major role with the alchemists, in E.T.A. Hoffmann's "Sandman", in the film "Metropolis" - there are countless examples.

Ralf Hütter: That had become reality for us. There was often the misunderstanding of the machine-man, but we were always concerned with man-machines. We are interactively connected with the machines, that has remained so until today, that is actually a synonym for Kraftwerk.

Hauke Schlichting: Was Kurt Schwitters' "Schmidt-Lied" from 1927 the model for the album "Radioaktivität"?

Ralf Hütter: I've never heard it.

Hauke Schlichting: May I quote from it?

Ralf Hütter: Yes, of course!

Hauke Schlichting: "Und wenn die Welten untergehn, / so bleibt die Welle doch bestehn. / Das Radio erzählt euch allen, / was immer neues vorgefallen. / Und funk ich hier ins Mikrofon, / hört man im Weltall jeden Ton. / Und bis in die Unendlichkeit, / erfährt man jede Neuigkeit. / Wir funken bis zum Untergang / ins Weltall kilometerlang." ("And if the worlds go under, / the wave will still exist. / The radio tells you all, / whatever new happened. / And if I radio here into the microphone, / you can hear every sound in space. / And to infinity, / you'll hear every news. / We'll radio until the end / to space for miles and miles."

Ralf Hütter: A spiritual bond!

Hauke Schlichting: It only remains for me to say that we all hope not to have to wait that long and we are looking forward to new material. You will be turning sixty next year, I hope that Kraftwerk will continue to produce music for a very long time and present it live. But if you've been cycling for 25 or 30 years, like you do, then you should probably be fit.

Ralf Hütter: Yes, we are.

Hauke Schlichting: Wonderful, good luck for the future and thank you very much.

#kraftwerk

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hmel78 · 4 years

Text

In conversation with Keith Emerson ...

Keith Emerson (02.11.44 – 11.03.16)

The Father of progressive rock; the man responsible for the introduction of the Moog synthesiser to the ears of the unsuspecting music lover in the 1960’s; and without a doubt one of the 20th and 21st Centuries (to date) most prolific and talented composers of modern classical music. In a career spanning 6 decades, which has earned him notability as a pianist and keyboard player, a composer, performer, and conductor of his own music alongside the World’s finest orchestras; as well as achieving super success with “Emerson, Lake, and Palmer” - 2014 has been no less eventful for Keith Emerson! With his 70th Birthday approaching, Helen Robinson caught up with him for a very ‘up-beat’ chat about (amongst other things) the re-releases of his solo records, a brand new album with Greg Lake “Live at Manticore Hall”, his favourite solo works, and his memories of the times spent writing and recording with ‘The Nice’, and ‘ELP’.

HR : This has been a busy year for you so far Keith! KE : Yes! I’ve been up to allsorts! [laughs]

Music wise – what can I tell you? Cherry Red , Esoteric, have re-mastered and re-released 3 of my solo albums – “Changing States”, another which I recorded in the Bahamas called “Honky”, and a compilation of my film scores which consisted of "Nighthawks”, “Best Revenge”, "Inferno”, “La Chiesa (The Church)”, "Murderock”, "Harmagedon” and "Godzilla Final Wars”.

HR : That must have been a difficult selection to make based on the number of scores you’ve written! Do you have a particular favourite genre of film to write a score for?

KE : Favourite genre? Boy, well, I just love film score composition, you know? When I first started I had been touring with ELP for some years, and we’d toured with a full 80 piece orchestra but it was just too expensive – we had to drop the orchestra and continue as a trio, which was very upsetting for me. I was entranced by what an orchestra could actually do, and found that with doing film music I could work under a commission and have the orchestra paid for by the film company!

It’s always a challenge. I think a lot of composers like to write dramatic music. I like writing romantic music as well – I’ve also written for science fiction where you can let your musical imagination go pretty much where you want, but generally you have to cater specifically to the film. First of all I like to get a good idea of who the producer and director is, and who is likely to be cast as playing the lead roles. I like to read the script – which helps prior to meeting up with the director and producer. When I wrote the music to Night Hawks I was sent, by Universal films, news of a new film to be made by Sylvester Stallone, a new guy at the time called Rutger Hauer, and Billy Dee Williams, also Lindsay Wagner. It was basically a terrorist film – not the terrorism that we shockingly see today – but back then it was the beginning of terrorism and was quite mild by today’s standards, however it was still sort of ground breaking as far as writing the score was concerned.

It’s about vision with film score work.

Although really it’s all about vision with anything you’re writing, and I suppose many of the disagreements that ELP had during their time – of course a lot of it came to wonderful fruition – were not seeing eye to eye because we had such different tastes in music. Ubiquitous I would say – we bounded from one thing to another. Just when you thought it was getting serious we’d want to have some fun and do something light hearted but I’ve always maintained that variation is essential.

I think that’s what helped ELP quite a lot – especially live - in any particular set you had the heavy stuff like “Tarkus” and “Pictures At an Exhibition”, for the guys in the audience, and for the females who attended reluctantly - dragged along by their boyfriend or husbands and just sit there - I mean, I didn’t sit, I was standing and leaping around [laughs] but you couldn’t help notice the glum looking females in the audience wondering when all this was going to be over.

I think when ELP were together as a unit, we managed to meet everybody’s needs. Greg came up with some really great ballads which sort of got home to the feminine heart, like “From The Beginning” – the feminine heart goes “aaah aint that nice” [laughs] and then suddenly you get the bombardment of something like “Karn Evil 9” and it’s like “Oh GOD”!!

HR : I’d like to talk more about ELP, of course, however there’s so much more outside of that unit , which you have been involved with, that has had quite an influence on modern music. You’ve got an extraordinary and fairly extensive discography, which we can pick whatever you’d like to talk about, but I’d like to start with ‘The Nice’ - “Ars Longa Vita Brevis” ...

KE : Ah Yes ‘’Art is long, life is short” - Lee Jackson came up with that title - he’d studied a bit of Latin ... [laughs]

Going back to the 1960’s then – I suppose it was ‘66 when ‘The Nice’ formed – originally as a quartet. Drums, bass, Hammond organ or keyboards, and guitar player. After the first album we decided to move on as a trio, although I did try to find another guitar player. I actually auditioned a guy called Steve Howe, who was considering getting together with Jon Anderson, and Chris Squire and forming a band called “Yes”. Steve was much more interested in getting with the “Yes” guys, so meanwhile ‘The Nice’ continued as a trio with Lee Jackson on bass, Brian Davison on Drums, and myself on Hammond and keys. It was during this time that I was introduced to a new invention designed by Dr Robert Moog, which became the moog synthesiser, so I was the first to introduce that into live performance.

With ‘The Nice’ we had come out of an era called the underground / Psychedelia.

I was very friendly with Frank Zappa and the mothers of invention, and they were really far ahead of their time.

Frank approached me one day, because I was composing and playing with the London orchestras even then, and said ‘’Keith - how do you deal with English orchestras? They’re hopeless!”

And I said ‘’Well, they’re very conservative Frank. If you really want to make it with the London Symphony, or the London Philharmonic - if you really want my advice, I think you should try and change some of the lyrics of your songs. If you’re going to get in front of the London Philharmonic and sing stuff like ‘’Why does it hurt when I pee?’’ obviously these guys are not going to take very kindly to it!” [laughs]

I’d actually done Bachs Brandenburg concerto #3 with a chamber orchestra and had a degree of success in the English charts- around about the same time , Jon Lord [Deep Purple, Whitesnake] was writing his concerto for orchestra too. I’d already written the “5 bridges suite” which I had recorded with ‘The Nice’ at Fairfield hall in London. So basically Jon Lord and I were kind of both struggling with Orchestras and moving along into what came next musically for the both of us – Jon was a very good friend.

I think round about the turn of 1970, I had noticed what Steve Howe was doing and it was very harmonic, whereas ‘The Nice’ - well we were a bit more bizarre, and I listen back to it now and I suppose I have a slight bit of embarrassment about how ‘The Nice’ were presenting themselves.

And back then I’d started looking at bands like ‘Yes’, and there were a lot of other bands too, who were really concentrating on the tunes and the vocal element, so that’s when and why I formed ‘Emerson Lake and Palmer’ - in 1970 - and endorsed the whole sound with the moog synthesiser. It sort of took off, and became known as what we know today as “Prog Rock”. We didn’t have a name for it at that time, we just thought it was contemporary rock. I mean it wasn’t the blues, it wasn’t jazz, but it was a mixture of all of these things, and that’s when we went through.

The first album of ELP, [Emerson, Lake, & Palmer] recorded in 1970; we were still learning how to write together as a unit, so consequently when you listen to it, you’ll hear a lot of instrumentals; mainly because there were no lyrics and there was a pressure on the band to get an album out. For some reason there was an extreme interest in the band - We were to be considered as the next super group after ‘Crosby Stills & Nash’, which we certainly didn’t like the idea of. That album went very well. Unfortunately the record company decided to release “Lucky Man” - which was a last minute thought – as a single, and it took off. My concern was the fact that, OK yeah the ending has the big moog sweeps and everything like that going on – but how on earth do we do all the vocals live? Thousands of vocal overdubs over the top and neither Carl nor I sang. You know - I sing so bad that a lot of people refuse to even read my lips! And as far as Carl Palmer was concerned he had “Athletes Voice” and people just ran away when he sang! It was a hopeless task of actually being able to recreate “Lucky Man” on stage, so eventually Greg just did it as an acoustic guitar solo. It was that one sort of Oasis, in a storm of very macho guy stuff, where the women just went [in a girly voice] “Oh I like that, that’s nice”. [laughs]

So, inspired by that we got more grandiose and put out ‘’Pictures At An Exhibition” – another bombastic piece based upon Mussorgsky’s epic work. For some reason Greg wanted it released at a reduced price because he said it wasn’t the right direction for ELP to go. So we released it for about £1 and it went straight to number 1! Then the record company called up and said ‘’what are you doing? This is a hit record and you’re just selling it for £1??!!’’, so I said ‘’well yeah it’s a bit stupid isn’t it?” – so when it was released in America it was at its full price and ended up nominated for a Grammy award! ELP had a lot to do to create the piece you know? We disagreed on lots of issues but in order to keep the ball rolling we just moved on with the next one, which was in fact “Trilogy”.

I thought it was about this time in ELPs life that we had learned how to tolerate each other, how to write together, and how to be very constructive. “Trilogy” is a complete mish-mash, you go from one thing to another; there’s a Bolero, and then ‘Sherriff’ – which is kind of western bar jangly piano playing on it. I don’t think you could find such a complete diversity buying a record like that these days. We were very much inspired by our audience accepting that.

Actually Sony Records are going to re release it in 5.1 – they’re doing a wonderful package with out-takes and everything – I’ve just competed doing the liner notes.

We moved on again then, and started the makings of “Brain Salad Surgery” which was a step further.

After that I worked on my piano concerto played by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and actually it’s still being performed all over the world - Australia, Poland, and in October I’m going to East Coast America to do some conducting – Jeffrey Beagle, who’s a great classical pianist, is going to perform it then, and I’m going to perform some other new works of mine.

HR : Are you likely to release a recording of it?

KE : Yes I guess it might be ... I’ll let you know. It’s a dauntless compelling challenge. I have conducted and played with orchestras before and I’m very thankful to have classical guys around me who are able to point me in the right direction. I was never classically trained. I started off playing by ear and then having private piano lessons, and then basically teaching myself how to orchestrate. I’m still taking lessons in conducting and I don’t think I’ll ever get to the standard of the greats like Dudamel or Bernstein – I don’t think I’ll ever be able to conduct Wagner, but so long as I’ve written the piece of music I think I’ve got an idea of roughly how it goes! [laughs] Thankfully I’ve worked with Orchestras who are very kind to me.

HR : Do you enjoy the performance as much as the writing?

KE : Actually I enjoy the writing more than the performance. I know I wrote an Autobiography called ‘’Pictures Of An Exhibitionist” but that’s the last thing that I am really. I’m pretty much a recluse. I’ve got my Norton 850 and I’m happy ...

HR : I was going to ask you about the Theatrics on stage – Why Knives and swords? Was there something which influenced the decision to include that as a part of your performance, or was it purely born out of frustration from working with Carl and Greg?

KE : [laughs] Well you see in the 60s, I toured with bands like The Who, and I watched Pete Townshend; I toured with Jimi Hendrix too, and I thought that if the piano is going to take off then the best thing to do is like really learn to become a great piano or and keyboard player, but I also thought “that aint gonna last with a Rock audience in a Rock situation”, mainly because the piano or Hammond organ - well from the audience you look up on stage and it’s just a piece of furniture! Whereas the guitar player can come on stage and he’s got this thing strapped around his neck, he can wander up and down the sage, check out the chicks, and he’s the guy that has all the fun. The organ player meanwhile is just seated there at a piece of furniture like he’s sat at a table. So a lot of what I did was for the excitement of it, and I suppose to exemplify the fact that I could play it back to front. A lot of my comic heroes like Victor Borg, Dudley Moore – they all came into the whole issue too.

I’ll tell you this ok? I once went to see a band at the Marquee club when it was in Wardour Street in London, and I can’t remember this guys name now, but he played Hammond organ - he was a very narky looking fellow, and went on stage wearing a schoolboys outfit which caused a lot of the girls in the audience to chuckle. I stood at the back of the Marquee club and watched his performance - a lot of the stops and things were falling off his organ, so he had a screwdriver to keep holding certain keys down, and then suddenly the back of his Hammond fell off – and I don’t think it was intentional, because he looked really quite distraught, but he caused so much laughter from the audience. I went away thinking “there is something there, I’m going to use that” ... I actually thought it would be a great idea to stick a knife into the organ, rather than a screw driver -the reason for this was to hold down a 4th and a 5th , or maybe any 5th, or say a ‘C’ and an ‘F’ or a ‘G’, whatever, and then be able to go off stage, take the power off the Hammond, so that it would just die away - it would go ‘’whoooaaaaaaaoooooh’’; and then I’d plug it back in and it would power back up and create like the noise of an air-raid siren, and of course the drummer and bass player would react to that. It got really interesting. We actually had a road manager at the time by the name of ‘’Lemmy’’ who went on to be with Motorhead. He gave me 2 Hitler Youth Daggers and said [best Lemmy impression] “here! If you’re going to use a knife, use a real one!”

So that was the start of all that, and people loved it, and actually Hendrix loved it too – somewhere in his archive collection there must be some footage of me almost throwing a knife at him [laughs] .

The phase for it was my objection to the 3 assassinations they had in the USA - JFK, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King - I’d been to America once and seen how quick the Police were to pull out their guns to a woman parking her car illegally – so bizarre. The 2nd amendment will not go away, as much as they want it to. I’ll reserve further comments on that but that was really the whole objective. I was banned from the Albert Hall for burning a painting of the Stars and Stripes, which took some time to get over, but everything worked and they allowed me live in California now. [laughs]

HR : What about the Manticore Hall show, also released this year, presumably you kept burning paintings off the agenda there? Was it good to work with Greg again? and then the complete ELP line up with Carl at High Voltage?

KE : No! [laughs], and Yes ... Actually that was recorded in 2010 and was an idea set up by a manager associate of mine, and an agent in California. I met up with them and they asked how I felt about doing a Duo tour to lead up to the High Voltage Festival in London. They convinced me that it was a big festival ... and the idea was to have ELP on the Sunday night there. So the lead up was a duo tour with myself and Greg because Carl was off with Asia at the time. It had its ups and downs, but it did eventually work very well and it was a very good warm up to doing that Festival date as the 3 of us. I don’t think there was any intention of us going any further with it. I think the resulting “ELP at High Voltage” was good and also I think the album ‘’Live At Manticore Hall’’ - although it wasn’t released until this year, because Greg initially didn’t want it to be released at all - is good stuff too. These things happen with bands, it takes a while for us to appreciate how good what we do is, sometimes.

HR : You’d had quite a break from ELP at that point, KE : [interrupts] I wouldn’t say that I ever take a break, if I can put it so lightly, and it’s not lightly, as to say that it’s kind of like a hobby – if I feel so inclined I will go to the piano and will write a piece of music. If that piece of music seems to warrant being augmented by anyone then I find the right people to do it. I had a great experience last year of going to Japan and hearing the Tokyo Philharmonic play the whole of “Tarkus” – a 90 piece orchestra – I’ve never been so blown away. I worked with a Japanese arranger on the orchestration, and actually used it on an album which I recorded with Marc Bonilla, and Terje Mikkelsen called “Three Fates Project”, which actually didn’t make it anywhere and I don’t know why. It’s a great album, very orchestral – I did the version of “Tarkus” on that complete with the Munich symphony orchestra. I changed it around slightly – I had Irish fiddle players coming in – I suppose, really you could refer to it as being World Music – it’s probably a great example of that. It’s not based upon the ELP solo piano composition that we did on ELPs first album. I don’t think the record companies knew how to market it you know? Was it classical? was it rock? It has the complete amalgamation of group and orchestra. Wonderfully recorded. It really is quite mind blowing. Not that I want to blow my own trumpet! Maybe if the art work had been a little more dynamic then it would have caught people’s attention. I agreed on it, but you see our names and they’re really small - I don’t think people realised who’s album it was.

HR : Have you any plans to perform it in the UK, or other parts of Europe? Scandanavia, for Blackmoon fans? Any tour plans at all?

KE : The thing is, first of all, that the direction that I am going at the moment is very orchestral. And that does take an awful lot of planning. As I say I’m going to play with the South Shore Symphony on the East Coast of America, but touring with an orchestra, as I learnt back in the late 70s with ELP, is very expensive. It doesn’t make any money if I’m perfectly honest. If someone was to come up with the cost of shipping the instruments about then ... but it’s not like dishing out the orchestral charts to an orchestra and then have The Moody Blues come on and play, and the strings do all the backing stuff, you know! This music is the music which I’ve written and really demands quite a lot of practicing.

For instance when I was recording “Three Fates” with the Munich Symphony, in Munich, I was interviewed during the break after the first day by a radio station, and they asked ‘’how do you think its going?’’ and I said “well if the orchestra are still here with me in 5 days time, I should be very surprised” [laughs] . I remember on about the 4th day , one of the members of the orchestra had obviously heard the radio broadcast. As and I walked out into the garden at break time, I passed one of the Trombonists who was smoking a cigarette and he said ‘’well we’re still here”...

There is an awful lot that can go wrong, of course, especially with orchestras. The copyist can sometimes write a b natural rather than a b flat, or they can get a whole load of other things wrong – and that’s what happened this particular recording.

Marc Bonilla actually came up to me on a break and said “I think you should go up to the control room, and look at the score mate, something doesn’t sound right”, so you can imagine the look on my face! So off I go I’m up in the control room; radio through to the rehearsal room and start going through the score and sure enough it was wrong. I don’t know why I hadn’t heard that before, but it was down to the copyists – its the same with writing a book and you give it away to the editor – they can still mess it up – as copyists do with music. And sometimes you’ll get the orchestra, and they’ll just play what’s written rather than put their hands up and say “that doesn’t sound right”, for fear of retribution I suppose – so it is frustrating, but it’s very rewarding.

The Mourning Sun, taken from “Three Fates”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PcOI8nDDeU

It’s been quite funny with some of these albums that Cherry Red are rereleasing. I happened to give one to my eldest son. I gave him ‘’Honky’’ and he came up to me and he said ‘’here Dad I’ve been listening to the Honky album and it’s really really good!’’ He and his friends are in their 40s now and they’ve all complimented me on it, so that’s the biggest compliment I could have really.

I was recording that album when he was about 4 years old. [laughs]

HR : Is that your favourite then? Honky?

KE : Oh yeah – I had so much fun making that album and I think it shows in it’s humour. It was great. The objective behind it was that I wanted to record with all the local bohemian people - I was living at the time in Nassau in the Bahamas. I didn’t really experience a lot of problems with the black bohemians – I got on great with them all. There were some great musicians, and I wanted to do a very ethnic album to bring to the attention of the world that we can all get on! I used to drive around Nassau in a limited edition Jeep and kids would run out and yell at me ‘’Honky!’’ and I’d wave thinking ‘that’s kind of fun’. Then, when I worked in the studio I noticed that the black musicians would all greet themselves with the ‘’N’’ word – we can’t say that now - says in an accent “Yo N ...” – so I thought ‘well if they can do that I am going to call myself a Honky!’ And they were horrified!! [laughs] So I bluntly spoke to them and I said “listen you guys call yourselves ‘’Ns’’ so I’m calling myself a Honky, and damn it I’m going to call the album that too!” [laughs]. It was a lot of fun.

*** Honky - a derogatory term for a Caucasian person.

HR : We must get something down about Blackmoon – given that this is the title of the Magazine!

KE : [laughs] ELP, Blackmoon. *sighs* Well ... I remember from this time that Carl Palmer and myself wanted to have a different producer.

It was all well and good that Greg produced all the other albums but – I don’t think it’s a very good idea for any band ; if they’re involved in the writing and the playing, and then one band member decides he’s going to be a producer too. You need someone objective to come in and say that they think it’s too long, or whatever ... whereas if you have a part in writing and playing, its obvious that you’re going to pay more attention to it, and Carl and myself really wanted an objective opinion about how to make it work. The producers that we auditioned were very familiar with ELPs work and were really considerate in how they constructed it. The main consideration - and I think really it was a difficult time because Greg could see that his role as being a former producer of ELP was going to be taken away from him. Whereas for me I felt that Greg’s attention should be more on the writing and the lyrics and other aspects. There is so much that one had to pay attention to when running a band. There are the legal, accounting, and everything else – and above all you have the creative aspect and you really cannot go into a studio and become the producer and wear all these different hats. It doesn’t work, I don’t allow that even on my own music writing. I’m quite happy to go in and play my music as long as I trust that the guy behind the music desk, and the mixing desk, are on the same page, know who I am, and what I’ve done before – so at least there is a rapport where the engineer can see what you are trying to do and he will say – “ah you know what, why don’t we try and go for that you did on Trilogy - lets try it!” You have to work with people who understand you and then you can just sit back and work on it , accept a good idea, be pushed to your limits. The thing is with Greg - he felt that he had been removed from the situation which he had most power and pride in. Whereas I think most pride he should keep as the fact that he s a damn good singer and has written some great music. If you want a great team you have to designate to the right person.

That’s why I had Lemmy as my roadie. If I hadn’t had Lemmy the knives wouldn’t have come out [laughs]. We owe Lemmy a lot! HR : Absolutely. You two should record a duet! Which Instrument would you choose? Moog, Melotron, Hammond?

KE : Hmmmmmmmm. Piano. I’ve always written on the piano. I do have a mandolin hanging on the wall here, which is out of tune at the moment. You wouldn’t want to hear me play this mandolin ...

HR : Because it’s out of tune, or just in general?

KE : [laughs] because it’s out of tune but even if it was in tune I don’t know if it would work. It looks great hanging on the wall though ...

[Keith and I were great pals - I miss him <3]

#keith emerson #lemmy #elp #prog #prog rock

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foxtophat · 4 years

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HEY I’M REALLY GOING TO TRY AND GET THIS POSTED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY SOMETIME THIS YEAR. SO here’s the beginning, where Nick is Kanye and John is that water bottle he’s now responsible for. no ships, no violence, just good old fashioned self-indulgent fix-it fic.

i love writing fix it fic, and i love the idea of john sitting in time out for 8 years, only to show back up in Nick and Kim’s life like a mangy street cat that just will not die. i wrote a lot of this from john’s pov, before i scrapped all of that and reworked it into this.

below the cut is the full text of the chapter, in case you don’t feel like going off-site. reblogs and likes mean the world to me!

2026

Nick isn't sure what to expect as he picks the trail out of the brush. That's sort of been the big theme of the apocalypse as he knows it. Between the super-bloom, the funky looking deer and the total decimation of everything he's ever known, Nick has been operating pretty exclusively on the fly. After eight years of monotony underground, the adventure is almost worth it, although he could do with some basic infrastructure like, you know, roads, gas, electricity, maybe a school so he and Kim don't have to be the ones to teach Carmina math and critical thinking and shit.

Either way, finding strange footprints in the woods is a pretty standard mystery, and Nick doesn't see why he shouldn't follow them. He doesn't even think to leave it alone — how could he? If there's somebody roughing it this close to home, Nick figures he might as well extend a friendly hand. Or at least make sure a crazy murder-hobo hasn't started lurking around the woods his daughter plays in. That's pretty unlikely , given the state of things, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

From all the games and movies Nick had digested growing up, he'd always figured that the nuclear wasteland would be either entirely uninhabited or infested with a population of power-hungry raiders looking to destroy everything in their wake. So far, though, most of the people he's come across have been pretty friendly. Wary as fuck, not really willing to share and definitely not interested in sticking around for long, but nobody's pulled a gun on the Ryes and their hospitality. As bad as Nick had thought living in the bunker had been, it's clear that surviving above ground had been much, much worse, and those who made it this far aren't in the habit of shooting generosity outright.

That's mostly what he's expecting as he follows the bootprints dug into the dirt. Strangers trying to get by in the lushness of Hope County, maybe people whose names he knows. Maybe even old friends who haven't reappeared yet. He expects a small camp, expects maybe he's going to have to negotiate with some new neighbors to keep the peace. There's plenty of land here for everyone, after all, and Nick isn't opposed to some friendly faces to rely on in hard times.

But Nick's luck has never worked out the way he expects it to. Instead of another family, a possible friend or even just a days-old campsite from some wanderer, Nick almost walks himself into an open bunker. He catches himself at the edge of the hatch, staring down into the darkness at the bottom of the ladder. It smells fucking terrible, like something up and shit itself to death down there, and now Nick is pretty sure he's going to find yet another goddamn corpse.

"Uh, hello?" Nick calls, unable to help himself. "Anybody... down there?"

There's no response.

Nick looks around, but the overgrowth is too thick here for him to keep following the tracks. Goddamn — falling to your death after surviving the nuclear holocaust? What a way to go.

It's only on his second look around that Nick catches sight of a scrap of yellow between the trees further ahead. It looks like fabric that's been stretched out over a branch, and as Nick approaches he starts to recognize it as nylon. Like a parachute, maybe? Shit, even if nobody's here, they could use that kind of sturdy fabric.

The parachute's in tatters, dragged through sharp tree-branches and the apocalypse alike. It's sort of like a... lean-to, maybe? Nick's not sure; whoever threw together this campsite was relying on instinct to build a decent shelter, not skill. There's a fire-pit in front of him that looks like it hasn't been burning for days now, and a crate of miscellaneous components, likely scavenged from wherever this parachute came from.

Nick goes to take the fabric down — one man's trash, right? — but he finds himself stopping cold as he catches sight of a corpse huddled under the lean-to. Jesus Christ , and here he was about to scrap the whole place! Talk about disrespectful! From the look of it, the guy who had camped out here must've starved to death — curled nearly fetal, visibly malnourished even fully clothed. Between the thick beard and the wild mane of brown hair, Nick can't see the body's face; all he can make out is a heavily scarred mess near where the guy's ear should be. It looks like it got melted off. Or maybe blasted off.

The body moves . The noise that accompanies it is something like a hiss, air wheezing sharply through tightly clenched teeth.

"Holy shit ," Nick gasps, dancing backwards in momentary terror before getting a fucking grip on himself. "Holy shit, buddy, you're alive ?"

In response, the corpse shudders like it's trying to rise, managing to twist enough in its spot that Nick can now make out a face to go with the rest of the body. There's something strikingly familiar about the bloodshot, glassy blue eyes, the thick beard, the tangled mass of brown hair...

The arm that had been hidden under the body has the sleeve rolled up to the elbow, and Nick can clearly make out ritualistic scars cross-hatched over tattoos that have faded after so long without any touch-ups. Nick stares uncomprehendingly at the damage, unable to think of a single person capable of so much torturous work. The hand curled in the dirt underneath has shiny scars over one of the knuckles, but Nick still recognizes the word EDEN even missing most of the N .

Nick's whole body jolts with a white-hot rush of terror. " Jesus, Christ! " he shouts, jerking away as if expecting a real bomb to drop on him.

It's John goddamn fucking Seed !

Nick raises his rifle before he's processed the situation, finger on the trigger and barrel pointed down at the body slumped in front of him. He almost pulls the trigger, too, wants to pull the trigger, but John is just lying there. He isn't moving, he's barely breathing, and Nick... he can't do it. God, he knows he should — but it's been eight years since he's had to shoot another human being. He doesn't want to break that streak, not even if John barely counts as human.

John smells like shit and looks like a goddamn murder-hobo. Coming close again, Nick can hear his breath rattling in his lungs. It isn't until Nick has the barrel of his rifle almost touching John's chest that the man's eyes drift towards the gun; even then, it doesn't look like he recognizes the danger he's in.

"Holy goddamn," Nick says, unable to help himself, "You look like shit ."

The noise John makes in return could be called a laugh, if Nick were feeling particularly charitable, but it's closer to a tired hiss. It flips his stomach, instincts deeper than reason keeping him glued to the spot while he slowly lowers his gun.

Shit. Shit! He would be doing the world a favor, eradicating this goddamn beast. This is the fucking monster who'd terrorized his family, tried to force him from his home, tortured him — he still carries the dark, thick band of a scar from where John literally fucking flayed him! This county spent years being subtly and then overtly terrorized by this shit and his family, and a quick execution is more than he deserves!

John is barely more than a corpse as it is. He was never meant to make it this long, and his survival is a testament to how little God cares about this miserable planet. Nick would be doing everyone a favor.

Nick listens to him wheeze, something rattling deep in his chest, and finds himself lowering the barrel, finger reluctantly pulling away from the trigger.

He calls himself all sorts of names as he moves into the shelter. Mostly, "Fuckin' idiot, goddamn fool," which doesn't stop him from acting like one at all but at least it makes him feel better.

John doesn't react as Nick crouches beside him; the most he does is close his eyes and try not to throw up as Nick struggles to prop him up. He struggles to swallow, gulping thickly against his dry throat. Nick pulls his canteen off of his belt and pushes it into John's shaking hands, but it's only when he helps bring it to his mouth that John actually drinks any water. He clutches at the metal and drinks desperately, greedily, and it makes Nick so fucking angry to see his relief that he rips the canteen away before John can get his fill. The guilt he feels immediately after is worse than the anger by leagues, but he's got no way to process that shit right now, so he'll stick with the more understandable outrage.

"I've got every right to leave you for the fuckin' wolves," he grunts, shoving the canteen back into John's hands. "I'd be doing the world a favor if I shot you right here myself."

Nick doesn't expect John's delirious nod in response. He doesn't know what to do with it. John Seed has too much goddamn pride to accept a miserable end like this. He's a self-centered narcissist who probably expected the whole cult thing to blow over in court — how can he lie here like a skeleton and let Nick talk about putting him down like a dog?

"Every fucking right," Nick repeats helplessly as the choice vanishes in front of him. John gasps as he pulls away from the canteen, swallowing thickly several times. He looks like he wants to speak, but he can't find the words. Well, good . At least something's going right in this post-apocalyptic nightmare.

Nick can't leave him here to die. He wants to, but the idea makes him sick to his stomach. The only person he can think of that might be able to stand dealing with this better than him is Kim, but... God, what's she gonna do to him if he shows up dragging this sack of shit with him? He's pretty sure divorce in the wasteland involves buckshot and an unmarked grave.

"Okay," Nick sighs at last, "On your feet."

Ordering him doesn't do much, considering John doesn't seem fully aware of his surroundings, but it makes Nick feel better that he tried before resorting to helping him.

John can barely hold himself up. He keeps his legs under him, but even while he's leaning heavily on Nick, his gait is toddler-wobbly and his knees keep buckling. He breathes hard through his nose and gets pretty green around the gills as they march on, but he doesn't complain. Honestly, the most unnerving thing about the situation is how John says nothing . Nick remembers listening to the guy ramble for hours over the deputy's radio, just wishing he would shut up. Now, Nick finds himself trying to fill that same silence while wishing John would just contribute to the conversation.

"This - none of this means I'm helping you ," Nick explains to the silence in frustration. "I just - don't think you're worth wasting bullets over. That's all." It's definitely not a good explanation, but John probably isn't coherent enough to notice. Thankfully, that means he won't notice as Nick works out the problem aloud. Nick's always preferred talking his thoughts out - it's easier than trying to listen to them being just thought . "And anyway... I can't risk you gettin' better out there by yourself and... running around, meeting back up with your whackjob followers, any of that! So I couldn't leave you there, either. Can't have... fuckin' cult shit in the apocalypse... Not gonna happen, not on my watch."

John grunts, but Nick isn't sure if it's in response or just because he tripped over a rock.

"So... Yeah, sure, I'm takin' you home, but it's only because somebody needed to keep an eye on you," Nick finishes. The excuse does... well, it doesn't do much to paper over the guilty empathy Nick had felt finding John in such a way, but it'll at least get Kim off his back for a couple of minutes until he can come up with something more convincing.

"Damn it, Kim is gonna murder me," Nick realizes aloud as he finally catches sight of the house through the trees. John grunts again, this time definitely in response, and Nick imagines a normal, healthy John Seed would be throwing a sarcastic quip in his face. Probably something kind of lewd and predatory about the state of their marriage. The image manages to make John's silence more palatable, anyway.

Father of the year that he is, Nick only pauses to consider Carmina when he's nearly at the door. She's only eight years old, and she doesn't know anything about the cult. If he isn't careful, this whole thing could blow up in his face. He could wind up getting his own daughter indoctrinated in an old-timey psycho cult! All because he couldn't stomach killing this jackass? Is that really what he wants?

Well, he has some time before Grace comes back with her — hopefully Kim will have shot John before then. ...Shit, hopefully she shoots John, and not him, too .

He's gotta bite the bullet one way or another, and so he drags John in through the front door. It's like a bandaid; you just gotta rip it off and deal with the consequences.

"Oh my God," Kim says as he stops by the door, eager to not be touching John any longer than necessary. "What happened?" Nick turns to prop John up against the doorframe, reluctant to meet Kim's face. She must see something that gives John away — maybe his tattoos, or his eyes — because she stops halfway across the dirt-encrusted floorboards and sucks in a horrified breath. "Is that John Seed ?" Kim shouts, "Nick, what are you doing ?!"

Panic flashes across John's face as he half-slips out of Nick's grasp, but he's got the wall right behind him. "Easy," Nick mutters, bracing John's shoulder until he recognizes the support at his back. The relief on his face is hard to look at, but Nick's not sure Kim is gonna be much better.

" No ," Kim shouts. "Nick, are you crazy ?!"

"Kim, c'mon," Nick replies, turning at last, "Hear me out."

"I'm not hearing you out ," Kim hisses. "The fact that you brought him here instead of putting a bullet-! "

She cuts herself off, stalking back into the kitchen. Now Nick is desperate to watch her face, but of course she keeps her back turned to him, even as he chases after her. He gets close enough to rest his hands on her hips, which he does almost out of instinct — she tenses, but at least she lets him keep his hands.

He opens his mouth to repeat all the excuses he'd come up with, about not wanting to waste bullets and not wanting to risk another cult uprising, but to his horror, the only thing that comes out of him is the simple, guilty truth. "I couldn't do it," he whispers miserably. "I couldn't - Kim, I fuckin' hate the guy. If he could hold a gun, if he weren't - he wouldn't be here. I would have shot him dead. No regrets."

"That's what he deserves," Kim mutters. She drops one hand from the counter, resting it on top of Nick's, fingers wrapping around his palm.

"It is," Nick agrees, and he means it with all his heart. It's just... his heart is kind of soft, and it's put him in a sticky situation here. He admits with a tight, rasping voice, "I just couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger. And I couldn't leave him there. I mean... what if the cult found him?"

Kim sees through the excuse immediately, turning in his arms to stare him down with that skeptical squint of hers. At last, though, she sighs, taking both of his hands up in her own. "You're too soft," she tells him fondly. She's right, though. One of these days, his tenderhearted mercies are going to get them in a whole load of trouble. With John Seed slumped in his doorway, that trouble might have already come.

"I don't know what to do," Nick tells her, knowing he can rely on her to help him find direction again.

Focusing her attention on the figure slumped in the doorway, Kim eventually shakes her head. "It might be what he deserves, but we don't deserve it," she says at last. Nick can't help but feel relieved, even if it's a guilty kind of relief. "We'll have to find somewhere to put him. Somewhere Carmina can't find, or won't go."

There aren't a lot of places around the homestead that fit that description, but Nick agrees that keeping Carmina away is key. "I dunno, we could... put him in the bunker, maybe? Carmina hates it down there. She'd never bother looking..."

Behind him, John's breath hitches, and at last he finds his voice. "No," he rasps with a shredded voice, "Not that."

"You're not in a position to argue," Nick snaps over his shoulder.

Kim fixes her eyes on John, but Nick can't tell what she's thinking. He expects her to tell John to get fucked, even half-expects her to throw him in the hole herself. It's the least John deserves. But her stony frown cracks just a little, and Nick recognizes the same pity that started this whole mess.

"The..." She clears her throat and begins again, "The spare room has a lock on the door. It'll do for now."

Nick nods. "Okay," he says. "I'll... I'll dump him up there, and then..."

"And then we'll talk about how we're going to deal with him," she says.

It's going to be one hell of a conversation, but Nick is willing to lie in the bed he's made. He gives her hands a gentle squeeze before he pulls away, turning to regard John's collapsed form in the doorway.

"Okay, asshole," he grunts, although it doesn't seem like John catches the insult. When Nick picks him back up, he settles even more heavily on Nick's shoulders. Nick barely manages to make it up the stairs without dropping the dead weight hanging on to him.

There's not much in the spare room, aside from some boxes of sentimental trash and a rat-nest pile of potentially useful garbage. The room itself was going to be Carmina's nursery — it's pale yellow and blue colors have faded and cracked, and of course Carmina doesn't like any of it, anyway. She's more interested in learning how to shoot and sharing a room with her parents in case a pack of wild dogs comes through the area.

Nick puts John down on a folded tarp he's been meaning to use to rain-proof the roof. He looks just as corpse-like lying here as he did in the woods, but at least now Nick can pretend like he has control of the situation. He's gonna have to burn the clothes John's wearing, and probably give him a bucket to clean himself up with... Ugh. The logistics of keeping John hostage in the room don't make too much sense. It would be smarter to throw him in the bunker, where he would at least have his own bathroom. It would be even smarter to put him back in the woods where he found him.

"It'd be better for me if you croaked while I'm gone," Nick tells John. Still, he leaves his canteen with him before he goes; he's pretty sure he knows where the key is for the lock, but for now it's safe to say John isn't going to be staging a breakout any time soon.

#far cry 5 #fc5 #fcnd #new dawn #john seed #nick rye #kim rye #far cry fanfic #my fic #ugh please i just need to get it out of my head

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lordsister · 5 years

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Bad Things Come In Threes (Yut-Lung Lee x Reader)

It started that morning.

In an odd stroke of misfortune, your wedding band slipped off your finger and down the drain while you were in the shower. Your distraught cry as you desperately tried to fish it out had Yut-Lung running from the bedroom, ready to defend you with nothing but his bare hands.

When you explained what happened he simply chuckled, relieved that the problem wasn't something more serious, and said that he'd buy you a new one. At your half-hearted glare, he pulled you into him, naked, soaking, and upset, and soothed you the best he could, rubbing circles into the bare skin of your back and whispering sweet comforts in your ear.

Neither you nor he had ever been the kind of people to believe in superstition and he was quick to dismiss the occurrence, but you were obviously upset and a little unsettled. Thumb rubbing the paler, sensitive skin of your ring finger, your mind drifted at the lack of metal. Something didn't feel right and it was more than just the loss of your ring. The hairs on the back of your neck refused to lay flat and the muscles in your shoulders itched with tension.

You tried to shake it off, praying nothing else would happen that day...but the world doesn't always work the way we want it to.

"Do you have to go to work today?" you asked, as Yut-Lung slipped on his shoes and coat. "Whatever you have going on can wait, can't it?"

"I wish it could, but I have some important meetings to attend today," he sighed, bringing you into a hug. "Try not to worry too much, okay? I'll be back as soon as I can."

Before he could pull away you cupped his flawless face in your hands and kissed him hard, kissed him as if it would be the last time you kissed him. "Stay safe, okay?"

Leaning forward to press his forehead to yours, his dark eyes gazed into your own as he murmured, "I will." He took a deep breath in and out, the vulnerability on his face something he was willing to show to you alone. "I love you, (y/n)."

It took a massive amount of effort to unknit your furrowed brow and give him a smile. "I love you, too, Yut-Lung."

With a wink thrown over his shoulder, he was gone.

You stared at the door long after it had closed, pressure building in your throat and the sound of its shutting echoing through your mind. Lips barely parting, your next words escaped on a whisper.

"Come back to me..."

Your nervousness refused to abate as the day continued and you forced yourself to continue with your daily life. The slightest, most ordinary sound made you jump and you had to stop yourself from anxiously texting Yut-Lung every hour.

Maybe you were overreacting, but considering the nature of the cruel, underground world you and Yut-Lung lived in you thought your concerns were justified. If anything happened to Yut-Lung....

Your phone rang, startling you from your thoughts and almost making you drop the mug of tea in your hands. For a heartbeat you thought it was Yut-Lung, but looking at the contact you found it was a number you didn't recognize. "Hel-" Your greeting was abruptly cut off as an explosion from outside rocked the floor and made the windows bulge and crack. Tea and shards of ceramic spilled across the floor as your mug fell from the counter. Instinctively dropping low to the ground, you waited for bullets to shatter the windows, for hitmen or kidnappers to invade your home, but no further attack came.

"Are you still alive, Mrs. Lee?" a static-warped voice asked from the phone discarded on the floor nearby, its screen cracked. "There's much more of where that came from awaiting you and your vile family in the future." And the line went dead.

You did your best to appear calm as the guards rushed in, checking you over for injuries and escorting you to a safer location, but you couldn't control the shaking of your clenched fists or the trembling of your lip as the attacker's words ran through your mind.

"There's more of where that came from..."

"Notify my husband of what's happened immediately," you ordered, your firm, steady voice at odds with the mad beating of your heart.

"Yes, ma'am. Mr. Lee is being taken to a safe location as we speak."

Nodding, you faced forward, trying to calm your breathing. You desperately wished that Yut-Lung was there with you, but for now it was enough to know that he was safe.

Absentmindedly, your thumb strayed to your ring finger, rubbing the bare, vulnerable skin.

Warning bells blared in your mind. You'd been repeatedly assured that Yut-Lung had reached his destination safely and was under heavy guard, but it did nothing to quiet your growing fears. You needed to see him, to confirm with your own eyes that he was okay. Under direct orders from your husband, you weren't allowed to leave the safehouse you had been taken to, but you couldn't stand this any longer. You could feel it in your bones that something was very wrong, that the two bad occurrences that had taken place that day were about to be joined by a third.

It would be near impossible to sneak away from the guards and they had been given permission to physically restrain you if necessary, but you weren't about to let that stop you. When everything had reasonably settled down and your assigned protectors left you alone for a moment, you ducked away down a shadowed side corridor and stole a car from the garage.

What you were doing was reckless by all means, but you didn't care about the consequences right now. All you cared about was whether the love of your life was truly safe and unharmed.

Even though you were endangering yourself for the sake of a hunch, you prayed that you were wrong, prayed that everything was fine and that you were just going crazy. And as you approached the safehouse Yut-Lung was supposed to have been taken to, everything did seem fine, but you really should've known better.

A bullet hit one of your front tires just as half of the building before you exploded into flame. More bullets peppered the side of the vehicle, bouncing off of the reinforced glass as you tried to maintain control and managed to crash just behind the side of the building the wasn't currently burning. The car door opened and you recognized the Lee family's guards as you were unceremoniously dragged out of your seat and towards a side entrance. People were shouting and running around in disorder as you were practically carried down the hall. A gunshot sounded somewhere close by and your cheek stung, the guard that had been pulling you along dropping to the ground with a sickening thud.

Refusing to succumb to shock for even a heartbeat, you bolted, racing down in the hall in a mad dash for survival. You had barely rounded the corner before gunfire filled the previous hallway and you forced yourself to move faster.

Panic-filled moments went by and your heart beat painfully in your chest as you burst through the first door you saw, hoping that whoever was on the other side was a friend. Guns turned in your direction and a shout came to hold fire, but you didn't hear it over the roar in your ears, relief weakening your knees at the sight of the man before you. Blood seeped down your face from the graze on your cheek, mixing with tears, but you didn't care as you threw yourself into Yut-Lung's arms.

"(Y/n), what the hell are you doing here?!" he said harshly, his arms tight around you. You could tell he was angry, but it was an anger borne out of concern for your safety. "Why didn't you stay where it was safe?!"

"Sir! We've received word that the other safehouse has been attacked as well! And the teams that were deployed in the east wing have been overrun!"

"What?!"

A nearby explosion made the floor tremble and a protective arm wrapped around your waist as Yut-Lung pushed you behind him.

"We need to leave, now! Send word to fall back!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Goddamnit!" You heard your husband growl out from between clenched teeth as he ushered you towards the door, guards falling into formation around the two of you. The door opened and you were hustled out into the chaos, the sounds of combat and men in agony loud and relentless as the company turned a corner towards the back of the building and the bullet-proof vehicles parked there.

Men dropped, dead and dying, around you, but you forced yourself to keep moving, facing straight ahead and counting the steps until you and your loved one reached safety.

The two of you were close, oh so close, to making it out unscathed, but a third event to join the first two had yet to come and fate wouldn't have it any other way.

Guards covered you and Yut-Lung as you emerged from the safehouse and made your way towards a van. The back doors were opened and your husband's hand refused to leave yours as he pushed you in, following close behind you.

And that's when it happened.

In the heartbeat before Yut-Lung was able to fully get in the van a bullet somehow got through the barricade of guards, hitting the Chinese man directly in his side. If you had to describe what you felt in that moment, it was as if you had been shot too. Blinding emptiness and shock chased by incomparable pain, the kind that tears hearts open in an instant and drives even the most level-headed to madness. You didn't even register the scream that escaped your lips as Yut-Lung fell on top of you, his face twisted in agony. A few more guards jumped into the van, closing the doors and starting the engine. Someone was yelling something about a hospital, but you weren't listening, too focused on the life escaping your love.

What began that morning with the loss of your ring had come full circle.

A sticky warmth seeped through your fingers as you pressed them to your husband's stomach, desperately trying to staunch the blood. Your mind worked in desperate, adrenaline-driven bursts as you realized he wasn't breathing. Screaming for help, you started chest compressions, alternating between pressing on his abdomen and giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

"Stay with me, Yut-Lung."

1...2...3...compressions and you pressed your mouth to his, breathing air into his lungs.

"Stay with me, my love."

1...2...3...more compressions and the process began again.

"Please, don't leave me!"

1......2......3......

A/N: I actually enjoyed writing this quite a bit. Banana Fish took my heart, lit it on fire, and threw it under a bus.XD

I do not own Banana Fish or any of its characters. The plot, however, does belong to me.

Thank you for reading~!!!

#banana fish #banana fish x reader #banana fish fanfiction #anime fanfiction #fanfiction #romance #angst #established relationship #anime x reader #yut-lung lee #yut-lung #yut-lung lee x reader #yut-lung x reader #x reader #x reader fanfic #x reader fanfiction #x reader fanfics #oneshot

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mini-min-yoongi · 6 years

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April AO3 Yoonmin readings:

Hi~ This month I read mostly Yoonmin fics, but there are a few other pairings, I specify which ones so that nobody gets confused. I’m posting this super late, it’s already June, but I do these mostly for myself so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ However, if there are people who find these useful or like them then that’s even better! Enjoy~

1) The Red Light Sector (All Dressed-Up)

Yoongi’s been through robberies, kidnappings, murders, torture, set-ups and betrayals without feeling a thing. Not even in his worst nightmares had he ever expected to be finally broken down, so swiftly, by a stunning boy with a hot silver tongue and diamond smile.

Yoongi’s dangerous, but Park Jimin is fatal.

Gangsters au in which Yoongi is a mafia boss (and Jungkook’s older brother, I love this dynamic) and Jimin is a hooker. It has angst but also fluff. All of BTS is part of Yoongi’s gang.

2) half feral, but just right (Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics)

What is an alpha supposed to do? Keep their head down, ignore the jabs and jeers, stay out of jail for being born different.

Feral, as they like to call it.

Yoongi knows the status quo.

3) didn’t sign up for this

when jin tells him about jimin, he imagines a tall, lanky, university stud who showers maximum twice a week. one can say yoongi has a poor sense of imagination.

College au. Yoongi and Jimin are roommates. Very cute and funny.

4) It's The Most Wonderful Time (Of The Year) (*)

Park Jimin is only three years old when he meets cooler, older, and smarter Min Yoongi for the first time, and is immediately enamoured.

For the first time in his entire life, Jimin feels an emotion he never thought he would feel: infatuation.

Not that he even understands what that feeling means.

All he knows is that there’s a small, pale boy at the front door of his home, right under the hanging mistletoe, firmly gripping his father’s hand and his mother’s skirt as he stares unabashedly into Jimin’s eyes, rendering him absolutely speechless.

childhood best friends yoonmin growing up together and experiencing the complexities of love & relationships, as well as, the harsh realities of growing older over the years, on Christmas day

I really like fics that focus on the struggles of growing up and how things change over the years and this one does that. There are very cute moments, especially when they are kids. There’s also angst and misunderstandings which I really enjoyed.

5) I'm Glad You're My First (First for Everything) (contains smut)

Jimin wasn’t a prude, he just liked saving his firsts for everything for someone special. And, that special someone was Min Yoongi.

A compilation of their first times. I liked the angst in this one.

6) be mine (be my baby, my one and only) Series

Yoongi is the master of badassery. He has a car, a bad habit (or a few), piercings, and tattoos galore. He's also severely whipped for Park Jimin.

(Same goes for Jimin, but at least he's not so shameless about it.)

6.1 Leave Before the Lights Come On

Yoongi calls Jimin his sweetheart and Jimin really loves that.

6.2 James Dean, You're my Daydream

Jimin and Yoongi share a milkshake.

7) A Universal Language Meant Only for You (contains smut) (*)

Being deaf, Jimin lives his life in complete silence, alienated by people who can't understand his language until he meets Yoongi, who showers him with love, not by words but through little things:

Yoongi proposes with one piece of elusive street art a day for five days leading up to Valentine's Day.

I’m a sucker for these stories. Jimin is deaf and Yoongi is an artist and the sweetest boyfriend who showers him with love.

8) Pretty in Pink (not ym - Namjoon/Seokjin, contains smut)

On the Internet, college senior Kim Seokjin is known as the Pink Princess: a blogger that inspires his thousands of followers by not being afraid to accept and be himself. In real life, he is known as "that weirdo wearing girly clothes."

Seokjin is aware that he is not the type of person you’d expect to wear pastel fashion. He's not short. He doesn’t have a feminine face. He's not tiny and frail, his broad shoulders attesting to that. People look at him strangely, some going as far as to call him names. Despite this, Seokjin doesn’t allow the judgment from others to stop him from liking what he likes (including people of the same sex).

However, Seokjin's confidence and acceptance of who he is will be tested when he falls for an underground rapper who is more troubled than he lets on.

College AU. Pastel!Jin and Underground!Namjoon

9) No Ordinary Life (*)

The thing about falling in love is that it's not always convenient. The thing about falling in love is that sometimes it's impossible, especially when it's with your groupmate.

("How long?" Hoseok asks, and Yoongi doesn't have to prod to know what he means. How long have you been in love with him?

"I dunno," he murmurs. "Forever, maybe.")

BTS/Canon universe. Angst, angst, angst! I really liked this fic. It depicts the struggles that Jimin and Yoongi go through. They are in love but don’t want to damage the group or people finding out about their relationship. Even though I’ve read other stories where this also happens, I really enjoyed the author‘s take on this issue and the way in which they developed it.

10) A Dance of Poppies (Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics, contains smut) (*)

When Jimin's family is killed, Yoongi's pack takes him in, and they fall in love over the years.

This story was AWESOME. I’m really into angst but only to a certain extent and this story has that angsty background, but the story is also super cute and fluffy. Seeing Yoongi and Jimin growing up, falling in love, getting jealous, going through hardships until they finally get their happy ending was amazing. I really liked it.

11) The Professor’s Family Series

(not ym - Namjoon/Seokjin, Jungkook/Taehyung)

Professor Kim Namjoon is married.

He doesn't have a wife.

They have a sort-of son.

And Jeon Jungkook just crossed paths with them.

Notes:

A new universe I've been thinking about lately. Family!Bangtan, Married!Namjin, and Kid!Taehyung with Jungkook is my jam. Will be updated when inspiration strikes.

11.1. The Professor’s Wife

Everybody knew Professor Kim was already married. It was actually the first thing they asked the man during the first day of classes, with one brave student asking the question out loud for everyone to hear. The older man responded with deep dimples and a raised left hand, letting everyone see the plain, silver band glittering on his ring finger.

But, as one Jeon Jungkook found out, they were all completely, terribly wrong.

What? The Professor didn't say he had a wife.

11.2. The Professors Son

Math was often misunderstood, Taehyung said, on one of their dates along the Han River. People were always so afraid of it and refused to know more about it, dismissed it as something hard and unreachable and it made Taehyung upset. If people only tried to understand, he insisted, if only people approached it with an open mind and didn’t give up, then maybe a lot more people would love Math and would want to learn about it like he did.

Jungkook didn’t understand at first, but after knowing Taehyung, he now did.

Before he realized what was happening, thinking about Taehyung made his heart turn, dance a kind of waltz, then suddenly fell.

Before he knew it, Jungkook was totally, completely in love with him.

12) Tattooed Heart (*)

Five times Yoongi tattoos himself with small things he loves about his boyfriend, and one time Jimin does the same.

This was too cute and heartwarming. And Yoongi with tattoos, what else can I say??

13) My Darling Venus (contains smut) (*)

“'It’s me – Jimin! Dear fuck, I can't believe this,' okay maybe Yoongi is still asleep and dreaming. Yes, that must be it. Why else would he see his best friend standing in front of him as a girl if this wasn't a dream.

Yoongi doesn’t really want to question why he’s dreaming of his best friend being a girl. A smoking hot girl at that. It’d just shatter his world view if he thought too much about it.

So he answers in the only possible way he can think of and just snorts.”

Jimin wakes up as a girl and chaos enfolds.

First time reading a genderbend fic and I really enjoyed it! I feel like this can be very tricky to write, but I thought that the author did a good job with the way in which she resolved everything.

14) Behind Inked Bricks (*)

(Yoongi/Jimin, Namjoon/Seokjin, baby brothers Tae & Koo)

After spending time with his twin nephews, Jimin starts picturing a future he's pining for - where he's cooking up in the kitchen, the dogs are running around and Yoongi's sitting on the couch with their child snuggled up in his lap, reading a book. And after having an epiphany with the help of a six-year-old, Yoongi too starts seeing his future differently.

Or a fluffy, sweet fic with parents!Namjin, twins!Taekook, uncles!Hoseok&Jimin, tatted up!Yoonmin and all its glorious chaos.

So cute so cute so cute so cuteeeeeeee. Yoongi with tattoos and Yoonmin with kids (even if they aren’t their own) are my weaknesses for real. This was seriously adorable and I want to pinch baby Jungkook and Taehyung’s cheeks so much!! I also really love how all of BTS are literally family in this one :’)

(*) My favourite ones

#mr #yoonmin #yoonmin fic rec #ao3 #bts smut #namjin #taekook

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secretradiobrooklyn · 4 years

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SECRET RADIO | Sept.5.20

“Crosscountry Rabbithole” curated in the van on a drive between Brooklyn and the countryside of Illinois on Labor Day Weekend 2020 (Hear it here.)

As there’s still very much a pandemic going on, we really didn't want to stop overnight if we didn’t have to on our drive from New York to Illinois, so after we exhausted the fantastic Saturday NPR lineup we figured a great way to stay awake was compiling the second issue of WBFF. You’ll hear a lot of the African and tropical vibe from last week, plus more French yé-yé and Europe in general. Here’s the track list, and of course, detailed notes below:

WBFF, édition 2, 5.SEP.20

1. Michel Polnareff - La lezione del capellone

Le Beatnik is one of Paige’s all-time favorite songs — the guitar is just such a rad riff, and it was a real debate on which version to put on, the French version of the Italian, and we figured we didn’t have much Italian yet… plus check out how he rolls his Rs! That’s one thing about the major hitters of French pop in the ‘60s — they all sing in different languages. (Keep an ear out for France Gall later!)

2. Antoine Dougbé - Honton Soukpo Gnos

Dougbé just hit us like a ton of bricks — these arrangements are completely perfect to our ears. So detailed, and with super funk and super Velvet Underground tones at the same time (check out the freakin guitar solo, and guitar outro), plus of course a Beninese pulse that is just unstoppable. This one was produced, uncredited, by Melomé Clement, and Dougbé isn’t the singer, he’s the composer.

3. The Velvet Underground - Cool It Down

The guitar tones here come so naturally out of the T.P. Orchestre sound. There’s plenty of stuff he’s saying that I don’t understand, and he’s saying it in English.

4. Ranil - Ranil y Su Conjunto Tropical - Licenciado

This is another Analog Africa release, with a fantastic album cover. Paige dove into it and soon found that she was checking every day to see if the vinyl was out, cos it was under 300 copies and falling. It’s got a parrot on the cover that looks like the Greenwood parakeets. This song is how she learned that she loves cumbia music.

5. T.P. Orchestre Poly Rythmo - Trop Parler C’est Maladie

The guitar launches into these endless patterns that wind around an unknown number of percussionists. Everyone feels so fluid together. “Trop parler c’est maladie”: “Too much talking is bad,” literally, which Paige imagines as essentially meaning, “Let’s stop talking and make out.” But we don’t really know.

The way the voices layer together when they’re singing, and then the guitar rises into the spaces between them, twisting and winding and droning and melodizing, is just completely mesmerizing. This incredible guitarist is Papillon, and he died in 1982. What a huge loss — he plays so eloquently and so conversationally.

6. Janka Nabay & the Bubu Gang - Somebody

I learned about Janka Nabay by hearing that he had just died. Listening to KDHX, the DJ (Caron House?) said she was sorry to hear about his passing and put on this song and I had to stop driving so I could just listen to all of the patterns crossing. I sure would have loved to see this band perform live — I feel like this is a specific reason we want to be in NYC, to meet people with capabilities I hadn’t previously known existed and work together.

7. Anna Karina - Roller Girl

Our friends Phil and Archie are an intercontinental love affair. When Phil tries to express an American accent, it’s always dripping with RRRRRs. This song feels like that, a French singer dramatically unrolling her Rs like she’s messing with her English teacher.

8. Wells Fargo - Watch Out

We believe we first heard about Wells Fargo from a Snap Judgment episode. It’s really great, starting with how they picked the name from the side of a stagecoach in a Western movie as a completely random phrase.

9. Patrick Coutin - J’aime regarder les filles

This song — this pretty freakin radical recording — became a huge hit in France in 1981 and apparently served as the soundtrack of that period. It was his big hit.

That main phrase he keeps repeating translates to “I like to watch girls on the beach,” which gets weirder and sometimes creepier with each pass.

10. Jacques Dutronc - Les cactus

Credit to Pandora for bringing us Jacques Dutronc! He sounds like Bob Dylan on a lot of songs, but he doesn’t seem to be the Dylan of France — that would be more like Serge Gainsbourg. But we could be wrong about that too. He’s also longtime partners with Francoise Hardy, which made them two of the hottest and hippest and most talented musicians of the ’60s.

Clip from Diablo Menthe

This is the clip of the schoolkids that we told you about, singing the Sylvie Vartan song from last week.

11. El Rego - Zon Dede

One of our main appreciations now is how deeply and broadly and internationally James Brown hit the ’60s and ’70s. People seemed to be struck by him and his approach planetwide, and it shows up like a shockwave through the whole era. This is Benin’s El Rego (thanks to Analog Africa once more for pointing him out), and his whole character seems to be in conversation with James Brown, shouting at each other from opposite sides of the world.

12. T.P. Poly-Rythmo, Bentho Gustave - Iya Me Dji Ki Bi Ni

The level of simultaneous groove and drone happening here is just unstoppable. This song has a sound I feel like I’ve always been looking for, not to play but just to dance and freak out to. Bentho Gustave is T.P. Poly-Rythmo’s bassist. We just got his headlining album on vinyl, so amazing!

13. Cambodian Rocks 1 - Yol Aularong - Jeas Cyclo (Ride Cyclo)

It’s amazing to think about how many sudden collisions of American and Cambodian experiences there were in the ’60s — so many disastrous ones, but also whatever combination of factors lead to the existence of this music. It’s so incredibly skilled and smooth, and I want to know more about who made this and how.

14. Adriano Celentano - Prisencolinensinainciusol

Don’t miss the videotape version of the live TV version via YouTube. Celentano is an Italian singer, but this is him tweaking Americans with a songful of non-English English.

15. France Gall - Der Computer Nr. 3

Another example of French pop multilingualism. One of Paige’s favorite voices, just throwing herself into the melodies all casual and easy breezy. We found out about this song because Paige was listening to a bunch of Quebecois radio, and they were talking about her, and they were playing a bunch of clips of her performing, including this one. It turned out that she had just passed on. We had to find it find this track.

16. Saigon Rock and Soul - Thành Mái - Tóc Mai Sợi Vắn Sợi Dài (Long, Uneven Hair)

What a vocal performance! Everything about the tones and melody of this recording — voice, organ, guitar — make it feel like a dream of hardcore hippie rock, minus even one shred of San Francisco. Every time I hear this song hit its crescendo I am completely in its thrall.

17. Ofege - It’s Not Easy

So these guys are from Lagos, Nigeria, and were in high school when they recorded this. Which is just freakin perfect. It sounds like enthusiasm and bad gear and good voices and that singular feeling of being sixteen and having a stone blast.

18. Avolonto Honore et l’Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou - Sètché Wêda

It took some time for us to find this song. This version is from an album we found online, but it also exists on an Analog Africa album. The hand drums locked in with the guitar lick for the verse get so deep when the other voices come in. And the cascading guitar riff creates a sudden electric waterfall, while the horns point straight over to jazz and western rock and soul.

19. Ranil y su Conjunto Tropical - Marlenita

Paige became completely smitten with this album, which we found after getting caught up in an album promising Peruvian chichidelica.

20. National Wake - Everybody Loves Freedom

When I started looking for African punk, I found this set of videos of National Wake and pretty much all of them are this good. They’re a Black and white band (the first?) from South Africa in apartheid ’70s and the rock and punk that they make overflows with feeling. There’s a documentary called Punk in Africa that clearly needs watching.

21. English Beat - Mirror in the Bathroom

The live version of this song really amps up the energy from the studio version I’m used to. This song always makes me think of my friend Audrey, who made me a mixtape when I was just a wee twig, and this was one of the songs that broke through and made a lasting impression. I think of her every time.

22. Fela Kuti - Roforofo Fight

“Translation from the original English hrm hrm hrm”

This song structure is so very cool, where he’s kind of playing around, setting the stage, warming up his story, and then the horns crash in with a shocker part, which gives away to this cartoonish, endlessly repeating horn phrase, like a piece of early Disney footage on repeat. Also like loop-based recordings that were still more than a decade in the future. This is one of my favorite versions of Fela, where he’s exploding with a new self and a new mode of music.

23. Fela Ransome Kuti and His Koola Lobitos - Ololufe

Now some time travel - this is from a collection of earliest Fela Kuti, when he’s in a completely different mode, more in the high life and samba form. He and his band are playing in a crowd-pleasing style, and it’s really very beautiful, with gorgeous vocals and horn passages. But this is also all prelude to Fela Anikulapo Kuti, a character we haven’t even glimpsed yet when this song was recorded.

24. William Onyeabor - Atomic Bomb

We really don’t know much about this song except that it seems to always show up at just the right time — or maybe its presence just makes the time right.

25. Assa Cica - Tinma Sa Le

We were down a different rabbithole when we saw this video appear that we couldn’t pass up. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rpI09vbq_Q) It’s a long and winding song that was one of Assa Cica’s most notable hits in Benin.

I love the three slapped notes in the middle of the song that never come back — that’s the way to slap. The bass throughout this song, but especially in the choruses, is exceptional, telling its own separate story but staying in relation with the vocals. And Paige’s favorite part of the melody is the bridge.

We just learned that Assa Cica died on May 22 of this year. It feels so strange to fall hard for a person’s music just as they leave the stage for good. (See also Janka Nabay.) It also feels good to realize you’ve already become part of a musician’s music living and giving beyond their own lives.

——

…And now we are safely arrived in the woods of Illinois. Time for a whole bunch of screenprinting and music listening!

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doomandgloomfromthetomb · 6 years

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Six Organs of Admittance Interview — 2005

Sunday interview! This was right around the time that I was really getting into all things Ben Chasny ... and more than a dozen years later, he’s still delivering the goods. Six Organs’ Burning the Threshold was one of my faves from last year and Hexadic III (featuring various artists using Ben’s Hexadic method) comes out in a couple weeks.

Ben Chasny does not like labels. "Folk music? Never heard of it, never played it," he proclaims in the entertaining press release accompanying Six Organs of Admittance's new School of the Flower. "Rock is the new folk and folk fucked rock without the reach- around so rock is out to get some." OK then! Chasny's Six Organs of Admittance (mostly a one man show) is a tough beast to get a handle on, but once you do, there are untold delights to be found.

School of the Flower is Chasny's first record for indie-powerhouse Drag City as well as the first he's recorded in a professional studio. It contains some of his best songwriting yet, from hypnotic drones to thumping avant-garde improvisation to lulling, uh, folk-rock. Sorry, Ben!

School of the Flower is Six Organs of Admittance's 13th release in just 7 years. What drives you to be so prolific?

I don't really know. I guess I just don't really have anything else to do. I don't have a career, I never went to school, I don't really do anything. It's just sort of how I pass my time. Some people make models or fly kites and I record music. I have a feeling it will slow down and stop fairly soon, though. So I am just happy that it hasn't, yet. There's just always one more record in my head to get out. Right now I gotta get out the next one, which is looking to have no acoustic guitar, as it is in my head so far.

One of your songs was included on Devendra Banhart's recent Golden Apples of the Sun compilation. Do you feel any kinship with the other "new folk" (or whatever it's being called these days) artists that are on that disc? Is there really a "folk revival" or is it just a media thing?

I feel like I am friends with some of the people in that media construct but I am not really best friends with others. I don't know. That particular song was kind of just a fun pop song with fairly meaningless lyrics but for some reason Devendra wanted to put it on his comp. I tried to persuade him to use something less shallow but he wouldn't have it. He's funny like that. I like him very much. How can you not? He's so hairy and filled with so much positive energy. He's so positive that I feel like a washed up fisherman from a disgusting shanty town hanging out with Frank Sinatra when I'm hanging with him. I wish I had that much enthusiasm and love instead of wishing for the end of the world every day.

As far as a "revival," I would point people towards Stone Breath, Ghost, The Kitchen Cynics and bands like that before they start thinking this is new. Why is nobody talking to Stone Breath about their views on music nowadays? They're great and totally overlooked by everyone. As far as the media's interest, I am sure it is almost fully done, and all the better for it. Once it's done, then I think the real music will start getting made.

You say in the press materials for the album that the new album's title track is influenced by John Cale and Terry Riley's Church of Anthrax album. Could you talk a bit about this influence? It's one of my favorite albums. And along those lines, perhaps can you talk a bit about the role of repetitive structures in your music?

Isn't that a great record? Yeah man, my friend Russ Waterhouse made me a cassette copy of that record years ago and it's one of the best driving records ever. I just got back into it last year. It's just a great stoner record. It can be as intricate or as easy to listen to as possible. I also love the forward thrust of the record, like its foot is stomped down on the gas. I mean mostly the first song here. The songwriting is great too.

To be honest, I repeat a lot of lines because I simply can't remember that many parts at a time. I don't know why. But it probably also appeals to my obsessive-compulsive nature. I like to line things up, match things, stack things. I think it just carries over to the music. And when I have a panic attack or something, I often rock back and forth, and mumble the same thing over and over. I'm sure it all comes from the same place.

Can you tell me a bit about how you and drummer Chris Corsano hooked up? What does he bring to the table musically?

I first saw Chris play with his Flaherty/Corsano duo and my jaw was on the floor. In no way was I able to capture even a fraction of his intensity that he displays in that setting. We want to do a straight up duo record of improvisation one of these days to really get it all out. But he was amazing in the studio. And it was wonderful to have a friend in the studio for a few days to bounce ideas off of. I just feel bad that in the end, there wasn't a better representation of his playing, because he's one the most inspirational musicians I know. Sorry Chris. I hope you had a good time!

What role does improvisation play in your creative process?

It's very important, but just as important to me as composition. I can't conceive of one without the other. It just seems unbalanced to me. Not when I listen to other people's music though, just for my own.

Do you prefer recording at home rather than in a studio?

I like the spontaneity of home recording but working in the studio with Bill Skibbe and Jessica Ruffins at the controls was amazing. I loved it. Having those many more tracks opened a lot up. I felt like I had been jogging with weights for years and I was finally free to just run.

Who's Gary Higgins, the writer of "Thicker Than A Smokey?" In the liners you give the impression he's dropped off the face of the earth.

Gary Higgins released one record by himself in the '70s and it's an amazing collection of songs. It's one of my favorite records of all time. It sounds like it could have been recorded last year. It's also helped me though some serious bullshit. As of yesterday the contract has been signed for the re-issue of his Red Hash record on Drag City. He's been found! He is alive and well and still has the masters for the original record. I can't wait for the record to be available to everyone.

Can you tell me a bit about the inspiration behind "Lisboa"?

Carlos Paredes was one of the world's greatest musicians. He was from Portugal. That song is for him. He passed away last year. So while everyone is rambling on and on about acoustic music and folk and Fahey worship ad nauseam, a great unknown and absolutely humble musician passed on without hardly a blink from the underground. I hope people investigate his music.

Are there any other guitarists (acoustic/electric/whatever) you particularly admire? What about them do you like? Most reviews mention Fahey, Jansch, Kottke -- do you think these references are apt?

In the last few years, I've started to despise the acoustic guitar. I used to listen to Kottke and Jansch, though I was never a Fahey fan. I like his writing more than his music. If I had my way I would make it a worldwide law that nobody could play the acoustic guitar for at least 5 years. It's so boring. Just last night I was playing in London and I just kept thinking, "nobody likes this. This is totally fucking boring and trash and bullshit. Acoustic guitar sucks." I wanted to get up and put something on the stereo, like Aerosmith, but I had to play. Needless to say it was an embarrassing show and one that made me question my existence. I am very sorry to the people in London who showed up. My sincere apologies.

What's your approach to performing this material live?

Well, I try to stay positive and I try to think that it has a purpose. Sometimes that feeling abandons me, though. When I feel like I have a purpose, it doesn't matter how I interpret the music, it will be OK. But when I feel a void and a shadow, than nothing can save it. The evening is ruined. Those evenings, there is no hope. But when the light is right and the angles in the room are polite then the sounds really work. The most important thing is to accept the fact that I am absolutely nothing and of non-importance. Then, everything can only get better.

What are your touring/recording plans in the foreseeable future?

I suppose I will start playing some shows to play some of this material. I am talking with Corsano now about how we can get on the road. It's looking like it will happen in early March. I would really like to start building music boxes. I always dream of that. And I would like to make sound sculptures. I have some designs in notebooks but I haven't built anything yet. I think that is my future.

#ben chasny #six organs of admittance #Chris Corsano #sunday interview

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theplaguezine · 5 years

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ANCIENT RITES

Interview with Gunther Theys by Daniel Hinds

(conducted February 2000)

Ancient Rites may not be the first name thrown out when the words 'black metal' are uttered, but they have been around as long as anyone on the current scene and produce a very unique version of the style. With all eyes on Norway for so long, perhaps their home base of Belgium has kept them a bit more in the underground circles than the likes of Emperor and Satyricon, but that isn't to say that Ancient Rites don't have a following. In fact, their fanbase is quite strong all across Europe (and beyond) and last year's excellent Fatherland no doubt expanded it considerably.

Bassist/vocalist Gunther was kind enough to take some time and answer a few questions regarding Ancient Rites, his other musical endeavors, religion, and the current state of the world...

Let me start by saying that I like the album Fatherland a great deal, but it is also the only AR album I've been able to get a hold of so far. Could you give me a brief summary of your other releases and your feelings about them now that some time has elapsed since their release? We have released one demo, one 7" EP, a split-LP and several split EP's. However the majority of the people only were introduced to A.R. after the release of our debut full-length album entitled "THE DIABOLIC SERENADES". We recorded our first two albums in a very professional studio where usually classical orchestras record their symphonies or soundtracks are being made. We feel this only increases the originality of our sound. We were always assisted by sound engineer (and studio owner) Louis Jans of STUDIO 20 who is a classical musician himself. He understood perfectly the essence of our music. Metal and classical music fit perfectly together for both are bombastic and can have a very dark approach. Using two different musical forms to express similar dark visions/thoughts/dreams. Interesting experiments are tracks such as "FALLEN ANGEL" or "LAST RITES (ECHOES OF MELANCHOLY)" which we first recorded with our usual equipment, afterwards we replaced our modern instruments by medieval ones. The end result is how A.R. would have sounded during the middle ages. We realize many bands/fans prefer a more primitive and poor production when it comes to Black Metal and that is fine by us but we always followed our own path. We seek a heavy/tight sound in old Metal tradition. We are satisfied with our first two albums "THE DIABOLIC SERENADES" and "BLASFEMIA ETERNAL" considering the time/budget available and even believe in our very first releases for they have been important steps in our career; nevertheless "FATHERLAND" our latest album is our most professional effort this far. We progressed as musicians and there was a bigger budget available which had a positive influence on matters like sound/production. Since there was almost no time pressure more attention could be spent on details. "FATHERLAND" was recorded in the brand new SPACELAB studios in Germany between 14.02 and 24.03 '98. Both our sound engineer Christian Moos and producer Oliver Phillipps are very talented classical musicians who are also active in the progressive Rock scene. They are perfectionists and checked every single note we played. Their demanding and very critical attitude certainly pushed us to higher musical levels. The fact they were not familiar with extreme Metal I felt as an advantage (despite the culture clash and stress!). This way we could be sure they would give us an original sound and maybe even come up with ideas extreme Metal producers would never think of. I was to be proven right, on "FATHERLAND" the fusion between Metal and Classical is more successful than ever before in our band's history. Oliver Phillips appeared as a session keyboard player. It is quite unusual that classical/ progressive musicians and extreme Metal musicians collaborate.

The artwork and layout for Fatherland is very well done (and also very readable, something a lot of bands seem to overlook). Is there a symbolic significance to the tree being chopped down on the cover? The painting represents the daily hard struggle to survive during the middle ages. Many bands focus on phantasy "art" when they settle for “medieval” illustrations. We prefer a more sober but realistic approach. The cover can be interpreted different ways: some say it symbolizes the destruction of the Holy Oak and the prosecution of Paganists and heretics by the Christian authorities in medieval times. Unfortunately we might be facing a lawsuit because of this painting. Although there are made alterations the artwork is heavily inspired by a painting of a long deceased master and now it turns out that the rights are owned by an author’s organization. Of course they demand money, something we do not have as a band. Rather unpleasant situation that can cost us our last penny. Now it is the time for our label to prove what they are worth.

I thought it was cool that you went through and kind of explained each song in the CD booklet. Even with this, have you had any problems with people misinterpreting the title 'Fatherland' and assuming you are some kind of ultra-right-wing group? Sure. There are many places we are not allowed to play. And often there are "politically correct" councils judging if our concerts can take place or not. They have people investigating our lyrics etc, although there is nothing there! Recently an A.R. gig could only take place after the promoters hired extra security with guard dogs and there had to be placed fences outside around the club. The mayor and club owners expected an attack of Arab immigrants because of the unholy character of our music and lyrics. Religious Islamic fundamentalism is also imported here in Europe by immigrants. And titles like "Fatherland" many (paranoid people) translate as plain Nazism while the only thing we say is that everyone should be aware of his/her own culture, history and roots. One can perfectly be proud of the own heritage while at the same time respecting other cultures/civilizations but often it seems to be under a taboo to have this attitude when a person is of European origin. Everyone should be able to cultivate their own roots. Why is it considered politically incorrect when we do the same? So indeed we are under a lot of flak but all the boycotts and hardship can be an inspiration.

Are you working on a new album yet? Do you have a title for it in mind yet? Everyone came up with ideas (demos with riffs, programmed drums, orchestra etc) recorded on a hard disc or computer but all is still in a rather early stage. Most ideas will be thrown away, we are rather hard on ourselves: "not bad" is simply not good enough! We are our worst own critics sometimes. I already have many lyrical ideas but titles are the last stage.

When you do an album, do you have it pretty much done when you enter the studio or do you come up with a lot of ideas while recording? In the old days, we had everything completely ready before entering the studio, nowadays there is much more room to experiment due to various reasons: there is a larger studio budget available, we have become better musicians and work with demanding producers who do many suggestions. Often parts are altered at the last moment and details are being added or changed, all this can change the entire "character" of a song. When this change is for the better, we are willing to throw away old ideas. Egos shouldn't be in the way of progress.

If you are working on new material, how is it turning out in comparison to previous AR? The track we currently are working on could have been on "Fatherland", similar atmosphere to "Mother Europe". Another track is very extreme and contains old school Black Metal parts while another song is more progressive, some riffs are very brutal, and other melodies are quite melancholic. Again a lot of variety will be offered on the next album. It is our aim to progress without betraying the essence of A.R.; nevertheless we wish to avoid stagnation.

From what I've read, your first label (After Dark) gave you a lot of problems. Could you tell me about that and how you came to hook up with Mascot? AFTER DARK turned out to be a total rip off and eventually ceased to exist leaving no penny for the band that had invested its own money in the recordings, artwork and photo sessions. In 1995, a deal was signed with Dutch MASCOT RECORDS.

Will Mascot be releasing the next album as well? We are not very pleased with their distribution in certain countries (like the USA) and lack of promotion outside of Northern Europe. Officially we have to release one more album for MASCOT RECORDS, though. We have to talk first.

Have you had a chance to do much touring (or traveling on your own) to foreign countries? What are some of the more interesting places you've been and experiences you've had abroad? We have toured throughout Europe and the U.K. many times. Life on the road is like an adventure, very unpredictable: one day all is going perfectly, the next nothing seems to work. Once we were stranded in England with all our equipment and without any money, food or a place to stay. Even that one we turned into an interesting experience, often larger than life, and continued touring in an alternative way in order to gain money to get back home. It is kind of strange to see we draw larger crowds nowadays while in the past only very few individuals were interested in our work. Guess this new Black Metal explosion must have got a lot to do with it. Since (especially in the beginning) we received way more appreciation outside our own country, we preferred to concentrate abroad. Nowadays our status also improved within Belgian borders. Most of the bands we toured with we already knew personally, which of course improved life on the road together. When mutual respect is shown we get along with everyone, no infantile rock star attitudes. We toured as headliners several times but also with major acts such as DEICIDE, CRADLE OF FILTH, MORBID ANGEL, METALLICA, MERCYFUL FATE, MOTÖRHEAD, S.O.D., MANOWAR etc. Highlights in our career were playing the legendary Marquee in London, the famous Thorns club at Athens, the very first big extreme Metal fest in Lisbon (sponsored by Coca Cola and the mayor!) and appearing on mega Metal festivals such as DYNAMO OPEN AIR or GRASPOP to mention a few. It is fascinating to see how crowds differ from country to country, city to city even. Whenever there is some free time available (after the sound check for instance) I leave the venue to taste a bit of the local culture. I’m thrilled when I have the chance to visit museums, monuments or ancient/medieval remains. All this keeps touring interesting. It often is hard and stressful, but there’s a certain charm involved too. Intensity, positive or negative, is what we seek.

Would you agree that the move toward a global community has resulted in a general deterioration in individual cultures? On the whole, do you think it is a bad trend, or do the positive elements (increased communication, ease of travel, etc) make for some kind of balance? I travel a lot and I wouldn't like every place to look or be the same. Personally, I prefer every culture to remain authentic, surely economical and spiritual evolution is necessary but one's roots or the typical local character should not be erased. There should be mutual respect between the different cultures but it remains a fact that everyone is a child of his own environment and there is nothing wrong with cultivating that. On the other hand, one shouldn't take that too far either, it is a pity that because of religious fanaticism, whole communities that once had such splendid civilizations and a glorious past today stagnate. Think of Iran: today a country in the grip of religious fanatics, an economical fiasco, once represented the mighty Persian Empire! Holding too fanatically on to the wrong aspects can lead to catastrophes as well. Difficult and interesting question, Dan! Nothing is black or white in life, always two sides to a coin! I applaud the fact travelling is more easy nowadays, but I regret the deterioration in cultures it often brings when people start to be ashamed of their own traditions and replace them by foreign life codes. I support civilizations holding on to their traditions but at the same time this very same "quality" kills innocent people when some blind persons take it too far. Dilemma!

You seem to be very knowledgeable about many of the other metal bands out there. How much time do you spend listening to music and keeping up on the scene? Is it hard to find time to do that and keep your own musical projects going full-time? It is difficult to keep track because actually too many records are released and unfortunately often by bands who seem to care more about their make up instead of the musical aspect. But sometimes a young band suddenly surprises me positively. I listen to music constantly, except when I'm reading or watching a movie. While answering this interview I have a self-compiled tape on the background which contains all kinds of styles ranging from the most quiet beautiful music to the most extreme noise. I like variety, I am an open minded person despite the fact I'm a Metalhead. When I'm working on my own musical projects, I avoid listening to bands working in a similar style. When working on A.R. I never listen to Metal, while recording DANSE MACABRE, I avoid Goth Rock/Industrial/Wave and when I'm active with DIVISION 99 I don't listen Punk/Oi! because I am afraid subconsciously one could get influenced.

Lately, it seems like a lot of bands in the black metal scene are taking their sound in a much more modern direction (Dødheimsgard, Satyricon, Kovenant, etc.). What do you think about this trend? I understand that bands wish to progress as long as it is not a turn of 90 degrees. METALLICA for instance should have changed name ages ago. I cannot comment on the latest DODHEIMSGARD, SATYRICON or KOVENANT since I did not hear the records you mentioned. In our band, only drummer Walter and keyboard player Domingo listen to these kind of bands. I was a bit surprised by the new look of KOVENANT (very much MARILYN MANSON indeed), but then again bands like C.O.F., DIMMU BORGIR or KOVENANT often appeal to the same (MARILYN MANSON or Gothic orientated) audience that like theatrical decadent imagery. I'm only familiar with the first two SATYRICON albums and when it comes to KOVENANT drummer Hellhammer, I prefer his work with MAYHEM and ARCTURUS which are more my taste. It is difficult for a band to remain interesting, too much stagnation is negative but so is too much change, a thin line it is, my friend. Besides what other bands do is not of my concern/business. Good luck to every one of them, but we walk our own path. Actually I'm mostly interested in the pioneers of the style when it comes to Black or Death or Heavy Metal. I couldn't care less for a Swedish band that tries to sound like German 80's Power Metal (which I found disgusting anyway at that time, too!), nor do I care for a German version of C.O.F. or a Mexican band claiming to be Norwegian. The originals have my sympathy, the clones leave me indifferent.

What is the current status of Danse Macabre? A band that is embraced by open minded Black Metal fans but not known enough in the real Goth world since our label only promoted D.M. a bit in the Metal press. Nevertheless, we already played several headline dates and the project turned into a real trans-european act consisting of musicians from Serbia, Germany, Austria, Greece, Holland, Finland and Flanders. We are currently working on a new album for a different label. MASCOT told us they didn't really know how to deal with our style or how to sell it.

What inspired you to start D.M. in the first place? Musically, bands like JOY DIVISION, BAUHAUS, FAD GADGET or SISTERS OF MERCY, KILLING JOKE, RED ZEBRA inspired me to work on that musical field. I discovered these groups already in the late 70's/early 80's. Nostalgia playing tricks? More recent bands I like in that style are CURRENT '93, DEATH IN JUNE, BLOOD AXIS, SOPOR AETURNUS, ATARAXIA. However D.M. does not sound like any of these artists. From a lyrical point of view D.M. enables me to express different emotions and feelings which do not fit to the A.R. concept.

I know some people in the goth scene (just like the metal scene) can be pretty narrow-minded. Have you had any problems being accepted with DM in the goth circles? Actually, my friend, I do not give a damn. Nor did I give it much thought. I know this sounds quite big headed but I started playing in bands to express myself musically/lyrically and I never lost too much sleep on what others might think of it. That is why I can take critics so well. Recently I read a review in this American magazine that takes the piss out of B.M. so also we didn't escape their pen. They wrote A.R. probably wears pink ballet trousers during rehearsals, that our drummer is retarded and that I probably sing with my trousers down. I found it really amusing. Once Kerrang! wrote they didn't like our way of dressing! Never knew it was a fashion magazine! Haha! Honestly, I couldn't care less. So when a 13 year old "vampire" appears backstage after a D.M. gig and tries to impress me with a "dark" grim or the lead singer of a famous Goth act tells me I should sing with a deeper "grunt" (like if his band is brutal!) I hope you believe me when I tell you it honestly does not matter one bit to me. I don't try to convince anyone of anything. I just do my thing you know. Nothing more, nothing less. I mind my own business; live and let live, I expect a similar attitude from other people. What matters at the end of the day is that I, myself, believe in what I do. Of course it is nice when people appreciate one's efforts but I do not want to sell my soul (only to the devil ahah!) to achieve that. I know exactly what an audience expects but when I do not believe in it I cannot play the game! I refuse to be jus another "romantic vampire" with plastic teeth and painted fingernails (although that sells the best) nor do I wish to impress ten-year-olds by taking photos with huge plastic swords in snowy forests. This stubborn approach often worked against us, but at least I can look at myself in the mirror and say I always truly believed in what we stand for. Come to think of it: D.M. has a mixed audience, I see Metalheads next to Gothic people, I see normally dressed persons in the crowd. All fine by me. Everyone who relates is welcome, the appearance does not matter. Same goes for A.R. gigs as far as I am concerned. Also with A.R. we do not attract one typical crowd.

I saw in an interview from '98 that you mentioned a project you were working on with Mortiis. Is that still in the works? If so, what is the material going to be like? The mastertapes are in Greece in the possession of the vocalist of WAMPYR SHADOW WOLF who was involved in that project, too. I guess in the future we continue working on it. Music was like a soundtrack. Typical MORTIIS actually which is only natural since he contributed most of the music.

In the same interview, you also said that Christianity is losing its strength in Northern Europe. Do you foresee a time when it will no longer be the predominate religion there? Do you think it will be replaced by a larger number of smaller, more individual belief systems or some other large religion? Many immigrants from North Africa and the Middle East moved to Europe and they strongly hold on to their Islamic religion. Recently many refugees from Kosovo entered Europe and they also are Islamic. More mosques are being built in Europe. I know many Arabs personally and they surprise me by how fundamentalist they often still are. In families I know who used to be rather well integrated in Western society, I suddenly see the men wear robes and women cover their hair and face again. I find it also rather peculiar that the USA and the NATO usually chose the Islamic side in conflicts. I think Islam will become the biggest religion since fundamentalism is increasing in countries such as Afghanistan, Egypt, Algeria, Iran where religious fundamentalist terrorists murder tourists from the West and even their own people they consider less fanatic. Bad indications. I believe everyone is entitled to an own opinion/belief but one should not be despotic about it.

What long-term impact do you think the highly materialistic consumer culture that has developed in the last half of the 20th century will have on society? Lack of humanity. Wrong values prevailing. Materialistic wealth will overshadow intellectual wealth.

Have you been to the U.S.? If so, what did you make of it? If not, would you like to visit here? Our drummer is considering to relocate to the States since he has a house with his American girlfriend in Virginia. He's the US connoisseur! I've been all over Europe, Asia, Africa but not America. Being the eternal traveler, sure I'd like to visit the US one day. I'd like to see the impressive nature (from mountains, to canyons to the desert) and immense nature parks. Musically, especially the New York scene has influenced my teenage years a lot with bands such as DEAD BOYS, RAMONES, ELECTRIC CHAIRS, NEW YORK DOLLS, JOHNNY THUNDERS AND THE HEARTBREAKERS, RICHARD HELL AND THE VOIDOIDS, SUICIDE. Even in pop: MINK DEVILLE, BLONDIE, PATTI SMITH, LOU REED, and TELEVISION. I like the N.Y. accent! Going to N.Y. would be a good opportunity to visit my old pal Dan Lilker of S.O.D.!

Do you have any long-term goals for AR or do you tend toward just taking things one day at a time? We continue our struggle, giving the best we can, but always expecting the least. All these years in the music industry have taught me all is unpredictable: one day god, the next day forgotten. All depends on how much money record companies, promoters or managers invest in a band to create a hype. Quality, authenticity or dedication mean nothing. How else to explain that a band who caught the essence of B.M. like MAYHEM never got the recognition they deserved while so many clowns who discovered B.M. overnight made it big? ARCTURUS made intelligent and original music but the band hardly got noticed, instead press and audience go crazy over Skandinavian bands trying to sound like HELLOWEEN! Goals, my dear friend, we gave up long time ago. We put our hearts and souls into the music we create. That should be enough. No mess, no fuss, no circus.

Thanks again for taking the time to do this interview for me. Good luck with all of your future endeavors and I can't wait to hear your next release! The pleasure was completely mine.

www.ancientrites.be

#Ancient Rites #interview #feb2000

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raptorginger · 6 years

Text

Chemistry & Conservation: Chapter 7 - Monday, or Nothing to Remember

After her friends had left, Rey had tried to switch into her usual Saturday routine. She halfheartedly threw some laundry in the wash, straightened her bedroom and study, and pushed the vacuum around. She found chores left her mind too idle, too prone to wandering to thoughts of Ren.

She let out a frustrated snarl and threw the books she’d been picking up near her couch into the nearby corner. She stomped to her study, dragging out her paint box, easel, and a canvas to the living room. Dragging a large piece of drop cloth out from its hiding place under the couch, she set up her easel and canvas. She dragged a couple stools over from the breakfast bar, setting the paint box on one. Before she sat, she hit the power button on her stereo remote and blared some loud alternative music while she readied her palette. She didn’t worry about the neighbors. Mrs. Lao had had the brownstone sound proofed years ago after an underground rap group, Figran D’An and the Modal Tones or something, had moved in next door.

Satisfied with her music and paint choices, Rey picked up her brush and began to put paint to canvas. She never thought that much about what she was painting. She more or less went where her feelings told her. She found that was a good way to excise unwanted thoughts. Sometimes, the result was abstract, a deluge of color and brush strokes. Other times there was a definite image, formed precisely. Today was a mix of both. The deep warm blues, greens, and yellows flecked with white suggested a night sky. Large black and brown shapes resembled trees and vegetation. A reflective rippling surface was a lake, mirroring the night sky. Beside the lake, two figures stood in a tender embrace. The moon reflected off their delicate faces, revealing expressions of warmth and love. They wore fanciful clothes, she in grey, and him in deepest black.

Rey refused to acknowledge that the figures bore any resemblance to her. Or Ren. They were simply generic figures, she reasoned. As she was cleaning her brushes, she heard a knock at the door.

“It’s open!” she called.

Mrs. Lao came in, the smell of a delicious dinner following her. “Dinner’s on, my dear!”

“Be down as soon as I clean up, Mrs. Lao.”

Mrs. Lao nodded, “Sounds good. My my! What a beautiful painting you’ve done my Rey!”

Rey blushed. “Thanks. Just something that was in my mind I guess.”

Mrs. Lao approached the painting, squinting to take in the details. “At first glance, it seems like a happy or romantic painting, but I feel a sadness the longer I look.”

Rey dried her hands with a towel as she made her way to Mrs. Lao’s side. “Really?”

Mrs. Lao nodded. “The lovers you’ve painted here, they seem happy in each other, but their surroundings...I feel a sadness there. I’m not sure, I’m just a silly old lady,” Mrs. Lao laughed.

Giving Mrs. Lao a brief side hug, Rey said, “You’re not a silly old lady, Mrs. Lao.”

“You’re very kind to say so, dear Rey. Let’s go eat.”

They’d eaten Rey’s favorite, Cha ca La Vong, a specialty using grilled fish and rice noodles from where Mrs. Lao was from in Vietnam. Mrs. Lao peppered her with questions about her work in the Conservation Lab and her new class. Rey had tried to seem engaged and enthusiastic, answering her questions in detail. If Mrs. Lao thought Rey was leaving something out, she didn’t mention it. Rey was grateful for that. Rey left after tea, promising Mrs. Lao that she wouldn’t stay up late.

***

Sunday had passed quickly. Rey had been able to focus on her class, finalizing her syllabus and lesson plans for the semester. She sent several articles and her syllabus to Printing, making a mental note to pick them up on Monday. She made a checklist for the day, so she wouldn’t forget anything. Also so that she could focus on her work in the Conservation Lab the rest of the week. She was about to start an important assignment for Special Collections, and she wanted a clear head. She needed to set up her office in the Chemistry Department, print her class roster, organize her assignments and get those printed, there was the faculty welcome back...thing in the afternoon. Her head shot up from her laptop. Ren. He’d be there. She added one more thing to her to do list, a rubber band. It had been a trick she’d learned somewhere along the way. She wore a rubber band around her wrist and snapped it when she felt uncomfortable or embarrassed. She found it helped her refocus. She hoped to God it would do the trick.

***

Rey had made her way to campus early Monday morning, stopping to coffee from Maz’s. She was in her new “office.” It was a generous term. She was pretty sure it had been a closet at one point that had been turned into an office space for grad students. Doctor Hux had begrudgingly assigned her a space in the building, so her students wouldn’t have to track her down in the Conservation Lab on the University’s South Campus. It was fine. She wouldn’t be here that often anyway, and there was room for a table and two chairs. It even had an outlet.

She’d brought a small desktop file organizer and organized her class papers into the different slots. She had a stack of the books she’d assigned her students in the opposite corner. Her laptop was plugged in, and she was typing a debrief for her boss on her last assignment for the Lab. It had been a relatively simple one, the rehousing of one of the University architect’s papers. They had needed some straightening out and a minor clean up. Galyn Erso had been a meticulously neat man, so his records weren’t in too bad of shape. She glanced at the computer’s clock and nearly choked. She was going to be late. The get together was in the Asoka Graduate Building’s main reception hall. It wasn’t far, but Rey would have to leave now to make it on time.

“Shit!” Rey snapped her laptop shut, yanking the power cord out from the outlet. She stuffed the machine into her bag, grabbed her keys, and ran out the door, slamming it behind her. As she turned to run down the hall, she smacked into something very solid and very warm.

“OhmyGod, I’m so sorry!” she blurted all in a rush. “I’m running late and I wasn’t…” she trailed off as she looked up at the figure who had grabbed her elbows to steady her, momentarily stunned as deep brown eyes held hers.

“Looking where you were going?” Ren finished, helpfully.

“Yeah,” Rey replied, an involuntary blush rising to her cheeks.

Ren smiled, still holding her. “No problem.”

Silence swarmed around them for a moment as they simply stared at each other, neither quite knowing what to say. Ren realized he was still holding her and reluctantly let her go.

Rey cleared her throat, taking a step back. “We’re going to be late.”

“Right.” They both started walking briskly down the hall.

They had made their way out of the Chemistry building before Ren couldn’t take the awkward silence anymore. Rey was looking anywhere but at him, nervously toying with the strap of her bag.

“Rey,” Ren said, running his hand through his hair. Not knowing what to say next, Ren let out a deep sigh.

“Why were you still at the office?” Rey blurted out. “I thought you would have made your way over early. Don’t you have to give a speech or something?” She rambled when she was nervous, and she did not want to talk about whatever he was trying to talk about. Keep it professional.

Ren looked down at her quizzically but said nothing. He returned his gaze forward and replied, “Is that really what you want to talk about right now?”

Rey looked up at him, her hazel eyes steely, and replied firmly, “Yes.”

Ren shrugged, “Alright. I was working on a computer model of a chemical catalyst I’m trying to develop, and I lost track of time. And yes, I am supposed to give a brief speech,” Ren grumbled.

Rey’s eyes grew wide. “Really? To what end?” she asked, her embarrassment and unease forgotten.

Ren gave her a lopsided grin. It was adorable, Rey thought. “I want to engineer a cooling agent with the catalyst. Right now it’s only in my head and on the computer. I’m hoping that the University has the resources I need to finally engineer the chemical.”

Ren grew increasingly animated as he talked, Rey noticed. “What would the applications be for this catalyst?” she asked. Their pace had slowed, but neither noticed.

Ren looked at her, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Time travel,” he whispered conspiratorially.

“You can’t be serious,” Rey laughed.

“I’m only partly kidding. I’m thinking it will have implications for quantum physics though, which indirectly could mean time travel.”

Rey’s hazel eyes glittered, “That’s incredible, Ren.”

A faint blush creeped into Ren’s cheeks. He replied sheepishly, “Thanks, Rey.”

Rey grabbed Ren’s shirt sleeve, “No really! That’s amazing!” He looked down at her and smiled, his warm brown eyes glowing. Rey felt her insides turn warm and mushy. She quickly let go of his sleeve, returning her attention to putting one foot in front of the other.

“What is it you do, exactly? Why were you running late?” Ren asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“I was debriefing my boss at the Lab about my last assignment.” She glanced at him, eyes dancing. “Nothing as interesting as time travel.”

Ren laughed. “The Chem Lab?”

“No. I’m actually a conservator. I work primarily in the Conservation Lab on South Campus.”

“What are you doing in the Chemistry building then?”

Rey bristled, getting defensive as she always did. “The University wanted me to teach a class this term. My doctorate is in chemistry, and they’ve had enough student interest to build a class.”

“Hey, no need to get defensive! I think it’s awesome what you do,” Ren said gently.

“I’m sorry,” Rey said surprised. “Most people in your department don’t consider what I do a science or something worth doing. Do you know much about conservation?”

“I mean, a little, just in the definition sense. Why would they think that?” Ren asked.

Rey shrugged sadly. “I have no idea. Anyway, I was typing an email to my boss about Galyn Erso’s papers, and I lost track of time.”

“Wait, the Galyn Erso?”

Rey laughed, “Yeah, the Galyn Erso.”

They spent the rest of their time to the Ahsoka Graduate Building talking about Galyn Erso and his additions to the University decades ago. Walking into the reception hall, most of the Chemistry Department was already there, milling about the room cocktails in hand. Rey fell silent, growing nervous.

“I see you’ve met our darling Doctor Jinn,” Doctor Armitage Hux practically sneered as Ren made his way into the room with Rey. Ren saw the light go out of Rey’s eyes, replaced by an expression of stoicism, her hands clasped behind her back. He heard a faint snap! beside him. He gave Rey a quizzical look, but her eyes remained on Hux.

“How good to see you again, Doctor Hux,” Rey said tonelessly.

Hux sneered at Rey, or perhaps it was a smile, and turned to Ren. “Doctor Solo. So glad you decided to join us here at the University of Hosnia. I’d like to introduce you to some of the colleagues you’ll be working with here.” Hux turned on his heel, apparently expecting Ren to follow. Ren looked at Rey, concerned.

“Go,” Rey said with a small smile.

Ren followed the gaunt red haired man reluctantly. Looking back, he saw that Rey had gotten a glass of champagne and was talking to some of the chemistry graduate students. He half listened as Hux introduced him to group after group, parading him around the room like he was a prize dog. His palms began to get sweaty, which always signalled an incoming sense of panic. Scanning the room for something to calm himself down, Ren’s eyes always found Rey. She was a bit more animated than when they had walked in. The grad students were making her laugh. Ren could hear it, just beneath all the chatter of the people he was supposed to be engaged with. It was a beautiful sound. Then, he saw something that made him frown. Around her left wrist was an angry red ring. What the hell?

“Doctor Solo,” Hux had snuck up behind him while he was trying to figure out what was happening to Rey’s hand, “perhaps you’d like to address the room?”

“Of course, Doctor.” It was the last thing he wanted to do. He made his way to the podium and brought the room to attention. He hated giving addresses or speeches like this. But, in his position, it was often unavoidable. He’d practiced a few calming techniques he’d found in the Internet, but they weren’t super effective. He scanned the sea of watching eyes, panic starting to settle in earnestly, and saw Rey. She was watching him intently, concern written on her face. When he met her gaze, she gave him a small reassuring smile. He began talking, not really conscious of what he was saying as he’d memorized his speech by rote. Whatever he said, it must have come off well because the applause was enthusiastic. Having a politician mother had its perks he supposed.

He stepped down and accepted a tumbler of whiskey from an elderly professor. Several clapped him on the back as he made his way around the room, setting his whiskey down discreetly. Alcohol never helped his attacks. The attention sent him spiraling further into a panic attack. He was going to Rey, he realized. He craved her nearness, her smell. He had finally made it to where he’d seen her from the podium, but she wasn’t there. He asked a nearby grad student where she’d gone. After a bit of stammering, the grad managed to say that Doctor Jinn had to leave. Ren turned for the door just as she was exiting with a few others. He made his way after her. Coming up behind her, Ren grabbed her wrist, the uninjured one he made sure.

“Doctor Jinn,” he said, more urgently than he meant to.

Rey turned, frowning up at him a bit. “Yes, Doctor Solo?” she replied.

Ren waited until the others had left before he pulled her to a side hallway away from the noise of the reception. He wasn’t thinking rationally he realized. He just needed her.

“What the hell are you…” Rey whispered as he crushed her in his arms, his head dropping to her shoulder. He focused on taking deep breaths, breathing in her scent. She smelled of something warm and floral, something like how he thought summer should smell.

Realizing he wasn’t quite himself, Rey slowly wrapped her arms around his middle, making soothing circles on his back. “Hey, it’s alright,” she whispered to him as she smoothed her hands over the strained muscles in his back. Eventually, she felt his muscles relax, his breathing growing more slow and even.

“Panic attack?” she asked sympathetically.

She felt him nod in response, nuzzling further into the crook of her neck. She held him tighter.

Eventually, Ren released her, but he didn’t step back. He reached for her wrist, the one with the rubber band. He held it up. It was red and raw. “Rey, what is this?” he asked concerned, running his thumb gently over the marks the band had made.

Rey made a face and stepped back. “It’s how I deal with my discomfort and embarrassment. And wanting to punch Hux in the face.”

Ren continued to soothe the marks, as if he could make them go away, looking intently at Rey. She couldn’t break his gaze, her lips slightly parted, as if she’d been about to say something. Still holding her gaze, Ren brought her wrist to his lips, kissing the tender flesh gently.

“Ren, you can’t. We agreed. Please,” she said quietly, desperately. Logically, Rey knew what they’d agreed to, what was best, but the larger part of her didn’t want him to stop.

“Rey, I...I think we need a new agreement,” Ren said huskily.

Rey’s eyes widened. This is what he’d tried to say earlier. Panic overtook her, and she tore her wrist out of his hand. “No, Ren. I can’t do that.”

“Rey...” He tried to reach for her.

“No!” she whispered urgently, twisting away from him. “I can’t. I just….can’t give you what you want.”

Before Ren could reply, Rey turned and ran down the hall, every nerve in her body screaming at her to turn back.

#reylo #reylo fanfic #fanfiction #modern au #reylo modern au #university au #professor/professor #rey #ben solo #rey x ben #fluff #smut #multipart #chem & con #the secret's in the telling

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iamcarriesoom · 7 years

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Planes, Tanks and Automobiles

Fast & Furious 6 opens with Dom and Brian racing along some absurdly beautiful coast and looking very mad at each other. I SEE RIGHT THROUGH IT, YOU GUYS. YOU CAN’T HIDE THE BROMANCE. They’re actually racing to get to the birth of Brian’s baby. (Where were they coming from? Why wouldn’t Brian stay home with Mia when she’s so close to giving birth? He’s a criminal millionaire, it’s not like he had a day job to get to.)

This movie has opening credits like it’s a TV show- like a nine minute super-cut of the best clips from all the previous movies. I’m on board.

I still don’t understand the bond between Dom and Elsa Pataky (or just her character in general. What’s her deal?) It’s gonna be awkward when Letty inevitably comes back.

Hobbs is somewhere, talking to…some suspect. We’re supposed to think it’s Dom, but then he walks around to see him from the front and surprise! It’s not Dom. You couldn’t fool me, movie. As if Dom would run off so soon after the birth of his nephew. Don’t you think we know how important family is to him? He starts beating the shit out of this guy, and someone watching is like “Is this legal?” Hobbs’ partner (whose name I only knew after I looked it up on IMDb, so I’ll call her Angel Dust because that’s her character in Deadpool) is like “nope.” It’s bordering on a little too self aware, but I laughed.

Hobbs comes to see Dom for help, and Dom is like “nah you can’t make me,” but Hobbs gives him the new pictures of Letty. Extremely chill Elsa Pataky is like “babe you should go, it’s fine, I get that I’m your second choice and honestly, likewise.” I’m pumped already, I love a good “criminal with a heart of gold helping to catch the TRUE bad guys” story (Catch Me If You Can, White Collar, etc etc.)

Dom is like “Brian, you should stay, you literally just had a very cute baby moments ago with my sister.” Mia is like “No, you’re stronger together. You always were.” Except all the times they worked as a team and people died, but sure OK. Hobbs is like “I know you guys are a family.” No shit, Hobbs.

I am again surprised that Wonder Woman is in this movie, even though I like and am committed to her character now. I just feel like I should have known? She and Han get a call to meet up. Tyrese turns his private jet around to come join the team. Luda showers some pals with money from an ATM and heads off to meet everyone. They’re like the Avengers, and Hobbs is…Nick Fast&Fury? Is that a thing that works?

They’re trying to catch some extreme bad guy played by Gaston. In true Fast & Furious fashion, all character motivations are laid out very quickly and quietly with very little detail. He’s assembling the pieces to create some kind of device to black out communication “for a whole country” (any size country??) for a day, so he can sell it to somebody, probably. I don’t fully know what law enforcement agency Hobbs works for, but somehow he only has one partner and this band of thieves to work with to find the world’s foremost super-criminal. They all negotiate “wipe our records” deals, which seems silly at this point because you know they’re just going to dirty them right back up again.

They wire up Fake Vin Diesel and send him in to see Gaston so they can catch him. As if it’s gonna be that easy. While they’re watching that go down, Interpol gets robbed, but Gaston basically traps all the cops in the city underground (are they all dead now?? Is this the scene in the franchise with the most fatalities?) and we get the first car chase of the movie, because apparently the gang are now in charge of investigating security breaches at Interpol.

Gaston has this insane low-slung racecar with a little scooper on the front so any car that hits him goes flying. It’s a true evil genius contraption. Cars are flipping left and right. Do cars actually flip that easily? Also, I feel like flipping cars would result in more injuries. More of these people should be dead or at least concussed.

Dom takes off after Letty and after cornering her, they both get out of their cars for their grand reunion. Except Letty shoots him in the shoulder and takes off. Yikes!

Gaston pulls out files on all the good-bad guys, and they find a picture of Letty sitting on Dom’s lap. She just says “That’s the guy I shot.” Letty in this movie is like Peeta in the last Hunger Games. She apparently lost her memory in the car crash that everyone assumed killed her.

They need some cars for their plan, so Hobbs and Luda go on a cute lil man date to a fancy car auction. Hobbs is like “You aren’t thinking about stealing these cars, are you?” Dude this is what you get for hiring car thieves. Some snooty guy comes up to them with some racist nonsense so Luda buys all the cars and also makes him give them his clothes.

Wonder Woman and Angel Dust go try to flirt some info out of a mechanic but he pocket-dials Gaston so he can send some goons. Han and Tyrese can see the goons approaching, but don’t do anything to help, stop them, or warn Wonder Woman and Angel Dust. There are a bunch of fight scenes, which I find kind of boring (these movies aren’t called The FIST and the Furious) but no one dies and they steal some insane harpoon contraption from the mechanic.

They realize that Gaston is working with Braga, the bad guy from Fast & Fourious/Wonder Woman’s old boss, so Brian decides to sneak back into the country with the help of that guy whose face he smashed into a wall a few movies ago.

Paul Walker and his they-must-be-color-corrected insane blue eyes get moved near Braga and he almost gets knifed to death a bunch. Braga tells him that he’ll only get near Gaston if Gaston wants him to, which isn’t really all that helpful. Also we learn that he found out about Letty’s memory loss and passed her along to Gaston.

Meanwhile, Dom gives himself a random night off and heads to Rita Ora’s street race, where he races Letty through a lot of traffic. Is no one racing on closed streets anymore?? He looks at her car and says “You never could resist American muscle,” which, nice. Smooth. I like it.

They chat in an empty parking lot and he reminisces about all their good times and she’s like “sure if you say so, stranger.” Question: if she has no memory, why is her name still Letty?

Gaston shows up and they quip back and forth for a while instead of just shooting each other. Dom almost get snipered but since Hobbs was there they were equally gunned and both backed down. Frankly I think Hobbs should’ve just shot Gaston while he had the chance.

Hobbs figured out where Gaston’s hideout is, so he’s like “Let’s go nail that son of a bitch” and he and Angel Dust barge in. THAT’S YOUR PLAN? TWO PEOPLE TO CATCH THIS NOTORIOUSLY SLIPPERY, DANGEROUS INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL????

Hobbs calls Luda, which is unremarkable except for the fact that his phone says “Samoan Thor,” and I laaaaughed and laaaughed.

Because he’s some sort of magical one-man TARU, Luda deduces that they’re going to steal “the component” (this is what they call it, I don’t know what it is) from an army base in Spain.

They move the component in a convoy to some secret new location, but Gaston and his crew attack the convoy and hijack a freaking tank! (Side note, the convoy is being escorted by 2 giant Jeep-y things, but they’re very easily taken down by bullets. Why wouldn’t you have this super valuable component escorted by some sort of armored vehicle? It was previously housed on an army base!

This tank just starts rolling over all the other cars on the highway, but somehow when the gang races in with their speedy speed cars they’re all going about the same speed. How fast can this tank go?? (I googled it and it said “up to 45 miles per hour on roads,” and “Some tanks have even gone as fast as 60 to 70 miles per hour for short periods of time” so I call shenanigans on this.)

I appreciate that the family is trying to draw attention from all the civilian cars because it seems like that tank is going out of its way to run directly over random cars (which, again, I think could easily outrun the tank except for when it crossed over and started going against the flow of traffic.) A LOT of people died in this scene.

They lasso the tank’s gun and us a car as an anchor, and Gaston sends Letty out during this high-speed tank chase to fix it. Except at that second the tank lurches, Letty goes flying, so Dom launches himself across a highway overpass to grab her and smash through a car hood. I think I yelled “WHAT?” out loud.

Han and Wonder Woman make such a cute team, but I know something has to happen to her since she’s not in Tokyo Drift, and it makes me sad in advance.

They capture Gaston and his few remaining goons, Letty defects to the good side, and they all head back to the army base. It’s extremely clear from the ominous music that this movie is not over.

Brian talks to Letty and apologizes for her amnesia, which he blames himself for. She’s like “I’m sure you didn’t make me, we cool.” According to imdb THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEIR CHARACTERS EVER SPEAK TO EACH OTHER IN THE ENTIRE MOVIE FRANCHISE.

Gaston says he kidnapped Mia and she’s dead unless he gets to waltz out of there with the chip he stole from the tank. Brian and Dom freak out and the reasonable army guy is like “That sucks but too effing bad, we’re not gonna let a super-criminal go just for this.” Hobbs, the coolest/worst government agent ever, is totally fine with letting Gaston walk but also the family doesn’t get their records cleaned anymore. Obviously they’re like “family first.”

Gaston leaves but first turns to Letty and is like “Hey babe you coming?” Angel Dust is like “Hell yeah you bet.” OH SHIT! I briefly suspected she was a double agent like an hour ago but I forgot about it because frankly she’s not that interesting. I guess I was right all along.

They immediately start another chase scene while Ludacris starts trying to block the cell signals so Gaston can’t put in a call to have Mia killed. Ludacris joined this series as a street race facilitator; I’m not really sure why he’s a hacker now? They’re all like “Where tf does Gaston even think he’s going?” but then a giant plane appears overhead and drops a ramp for them to drive up.

On the plane we’ve got Gaston, Angel Dust, and Enormous Tattooed Goon fighting Dom, Brian, Letty and at some point, Hobbs.

Mia is also there, but she’s a lover not a fighter. I find it comical that Gaston is supposed to be an even match for Dom.

The rest of the team is in cars chasing the plane, also fighting some goons. They harpoon the plane a few times but the lines are anchored to the cars so eventually the plane starts lifting the cars off the ground as it tries to take off. Finally, the moment I’ve been dreading arrived. Wonder Woman falls off a car (heroically and on purpose to shoot the goon who’s about to attack Han) and presumably dies. RIP Wonder Woman.

The plane is eventually disabled by all the harpoons and gunshots, and it bursts into flame/explodes. Letty and Hobbs had made it off the plane, and Dom had somehow ejected Gaston who is presumed dead. Everyone is worried Dom is dead but he emerges from the rubble shockingly unscathed. Mia looks at Han and asks “Where’s Giselle?” which is apparently Wonder Woman’s name. Hugs and tears all around.

Dom hands the stolen chip, which he’d recovered from the plane, back to Hobbs and says all he wants is to go home. The family has a nice chill barbecue at the house. Hobbs shows up and makes fun of Tyrese’s forehead, which is weird since most of them are bald and Tyrese doesn’t even have a big forehead.

Hobbs and Dom talk about something but to be honest I wasn’t paying attention because I was just looking at the weird perspective of these shots. Why do these shots look so weird? Why is The Rock’s head so big?

Elsa Pataky, who is back to being a cop again, comes in to say goodbye and Dom is like “You don’t have to go.” I honestly thought he was gonna pitch the idea of a threesome (which, frankly, I kind of think would make sense in this weird family dynamic. A polyamorous alpha trio?) She and Letty high five over having the same boyfriend. The end.

Epilogue: That scene from Tokyo Drift where Han dies. Except after the crash, Jason Statham throws Dom’s cross necklace on the ground and calls him on the phone as he walks away from the rubble.

I’d been really torn on whether to watch Tokyo Drift 3rd or 6th (aka release order vs chronologically.) I had friends arguing for both and I see the merit in both sides, but I watched in release order. The downside was that when Han died, I didn’t really know or care about him, and when I DID get to know him I knew he was doomed the whole time. However, if I’d watched Tokyo Drift 6th and seen that mid-credits scene, I’d already know he dies in the next movie (and on a smaller level, it spoils that insane shot where they drift around the corner and the crowd scatters like ants.) I’ve settled on, for first viewings, watching them in release order makes sense. For any subsequent viewings, chronological is probably better.

Previously:

Vol 5: 5ast 5ive

Vol 4: Fast & Fourious

Vol 3: What’s even the point of driftng?

Vol 2: 2 Furious 2 Quit

Vol 1: The Fast & the Curious

#the fast and the furious #fast and furious 6

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dippedanddripped · 3 years

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KYLE

NEW YORK

NICO

JOE

FRESHGOODS

& ALEX

JAMES

How do you stay creative during a pandemic? For answers, we turned to four culture makers across the US—New York Nico, Kyle Ng, Joe Freshgoods, and Alex James — on how they meet the demands of staying productive in our new reality. We’ve equipped each of them with a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G, a revolutionary smartphone that allows them to stay creative, whether doing everything in one place, or out on the go hunting for inspiration. Perfectly designed for the creative life, the Z Fold2 is three devices in one: folded closed like a regular smartphone, open flat like a tablet, or laid on a surface like a mini-laptop. It’s four machines, if you include its camera, with its impressive depth of field and hands-free shooting. Each of the culture makers we selected were tasked with taking photographs and screenshots that give us a glimpse of their creative process, what inspires them, and how to balance between work and play. The results we got back were surprisingly intimate, quirky, unexpectedly funny, and humane. Take a peek into their lives below.

NEW YORK NICO

SHOT ON A SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD2

DOWNTOWN NEW YORK

(JUN — AUG 2020)DOWNTOWN NEW YORKDOWNTOWN NEW YORKTIGER HOOD, A STREET GOLFER WHO HITS MILK CARTONS THROUGHOUT THE STREET; OR THE GREEN LADY OF BROOKLYN, WHO ONLY DRESSES IN GREEN. THESE ARE JUST TWO OF THE FASCINATING INDIVIDUALS THAT NEW YORK NICO, A DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER, HAS CAPTURED ON HIS

INSTAGRAM

ACCOUNT.

Having grown up in Union Square and gone to school in the Village, he’s dedicated his project to capturing all the indispensable local characters who make up the quirky flavor of the ever-changing NYC. So when Covid hit the city, claiming the lives of tens of thousands and forcing countless others out of their homes, Nico immediately went to work to help save a part of the city that was vanishing before his eyes. Catapulting off of the viral success of his Instagram — which has 472k followers, attracting attention from the New York Times and celebrities like Alec Baldwin and Chloe Sevingy—Nico launched contests such as Best New York Mask, Best New York Photo, and Best New York T-Shirt, that raised nearly $300,000 for charities such as God's Love We Deliver, Color of Change, and The Campaign Against Hunger. Since the pandemic, Nico launched the #MomNPopDrop hashtag for quirky and iconic small businesses that were struggling to stay open. He started with Army & Navy Bag on Houston Street by going down to the store and taking a photo of its owner. Then for the next week or so, lines began forming outside his shop. “When I saw the response to that, I was like, holy shit. These posts are making a huge impact,” he said to Elle. For Highsnobiety, Nico photographed, as an extension of his practice, various scenes in the daily life of New York City: dog-walking in the streets, vendors, business owners. An ATV driven by a Chucky doll. All photos were shot on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G, which was convenient enough to take with him for unexpected moments on the go that, with a clunkier machine, he would have missed just seconds later. And what moments these were — a testament to what keeps New York strong, the New York that he loves, which he believes will survive the pandemic.

KYLE NG

SHOT ON A SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD2

DOWNTOWN NEW YORK

(JUN — AUG 2020)DOWNTOWN NEW YORKDOWNTOWN NEW YORKKYLE NG IS A CONNOISSEUR OF THE T-SHIRT. “IT’S LIKE A BILLBOARD FOR WHO YOU ARE,” HE SAID IN SSENSE. HE’S THE FOUNDER OF BRAIN DEAD, A STREETWEAR BRAND RUN BY A LOS ANGELES-BASED CREATIVE COLLECTIVE OF ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS, WHO FEATURED IN OUR JULY EDITION OF

THE NEXT 20

“The best t-shirts are ones with an approach, a perspective, and a culture already around it,” he went on. Simultaneously, the t-shirt for Ng is a signal of individuality that defines itself as part of a collective and a cultural context. This year, when the Black Lives Matter protests began in Minneapolis and spread around the world, Ng had the idea of making none other than a t-shirt to both commemorate the moment, and raise money for the Movement for Black Lives. He contacted Dev Hynes of Blood Orange, and designed a shirt in two hours, putting it for sale the next day. It made $500,000. Ng did what he does best: putting the times in a graphic. Brain Dead is celebrated for immersing itself in the cultures of post-punk, skateboarding, and underground comics. Comfortable with collaborating, Ng has worked with brands such as The North Face, Levi’s, and even Shake Shack. Yet as international as his brand’s reach is, he is still attuned to LA at the local level. As a research practice, Brain Dead works with the people involved in a particular culture, which makes fashion and community organizing one and the same. With the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G’s “flex mode,” Ng is able to toggle through multiple windows at once, in the smartphone’s tablet mode, and compare designs and photos. It’s a boon for his Covid-era productivity, where sales (perhaps unusually) have been up 120%. For Highsnobiety, Ng photographed himself and his collaborators with the Z Fold2 in and around his studio, where he recently worked on a series of t-shirts inspired by horror movies for Halloween. Other scenes are more quotidian: journeys looking for mushrooms at the market, his dog. Perhaps most iconic of the moment, one photograph shows his mail-in ballot with the “I Voted” sticker an image emblematic of the brand itself and some of its core values.

ALEX JAMES

SHOT ON A SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD2

DOWNTOWN NEW YORK

(JUN — AUG 2020)DOWNTOWN NEW YORKDOWNTOWN NEW YORK“ROCK ISN’T A TREND FOR ME NOR MY BRAND. I DON’T WEAR A SLAYER OR MOTÖRHEAD T-SHIRT BECAUSE I THINK THEY LOOK COOL, I WEAR THEM BECAUSE I’VE BEEN THRASHING TO THAT MUSIC IN MY BEDROOM LONG BEFORE THESE LAMES WERE AROUND,” SAYS ALEX JAMES, THE OWNER OF PLEASURES.

It’s a streetwear brand known for its DIY aesthetics drawn from music subcultures like metal and new wave, and has attracted the likes of The Weeknd, Kylie Jenner, A$AP Rocky, and Kim Jones. Growing up in the suburbs of New Jersey to working class parents, James came of age during the ‘80s and ‘90s, immersing himself in the music scene of New York that would hail this period the last of its kind, before the Internet and Giulani killed the underground. This was an era defined by Sonic Youth, CBGB’s, Chloe Sevigny in Kids. The last bastion of Gen-X culture. PLEASURES, which was launched in 2015, began as a way of making affordable clothing inspired by vintage band merch. Yet as laconic as he is about his design choices, James cares a lot about accessibility. “PLEASURES is an inclusive brand. We want to include everyone and not alienate our consumer,” he said in GOAT. This harkens back to his younger years spent rummaging through thrift stores and estate sales for clothes, and hanging out all day at record shops. Hence the touch of nostalgia in PLEASURES’ designs. The culture that it represents is of a recent past that might be seen as dead if people like James weren’t dedicated to preserving it. “Rock was around first and will be here forever,” he says. For Highsnobiety, James shot surprisingly intimate photos with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G of scenes from his home life. Some of the smartphone’s features, like its hands-free shooting (all you have to do is wave at the camera and it’ll take a picture) allows for users to appear in portraits with others in front of the camera, like James does with his child. Other shots show scenes from his home, like his intricately woven carpet, or a bouquet of flowers. It’s a reminder that some of the most inspiring scenes in daily life are those closest to you.

JOE FRESHGOODS

SHOT ON A SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD2

DOWNTOWN NEW YORK

(JUN — AUG 2020)DOWNTOWN NEW YORKDOWNTOWN NEW YORKIT WAS A BAD SITUATION THAT TURNED INTO A GOOD ONE. IN 2018, JOE FRESHGOODS — THE DESIGNER WHO CO-OWNS THE FAT TIGER WORKSHOP STORE IN CHICAGO—HAD A CONTRACT WITH ADIDAS TO RELEASE TWO SNEAKERS AND AN APPAREL COLLECTION, BUT THE DEAL FELL THROUGH LAST MINUTE.

The clothes were already made, so Freshgoods, who was able to retrieve the dead stock, went ahead and put it for sale for a 40 percent markdown at a drive-through fundraiser for public schools in Chicago. His hope was to raise money for the laptops, tablets, and headphones kids need for remote learning during quarantine. His dedication to Chicago runs deep. When Freshgoods drops a t-shirt at a pop-up in the city, lines stretch to over 90 minutes to cop them. It goes back to when he used to sell his own branded t-shirts secretly while he was working for the Chicago streetwear shop Leaders. People trust him because he’s committed to the city. Since the pandemic, he introduced Community Goods, a charitable brand that raises funds for small Black-owned businesses in Chicago and The Greater Chicago Food Depository. While working at Leaders, he met Chance The Rapper, whom he considers an old friend. In 2017, Chance went on to wear one of Freshgoods’ hoodies when accepting the award for Best Rap Performance. (It reads “Thank you.”) The exposure catapulted Freshgoods to a new national platform—raking in collaborations with McDonald’s, Nike, Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Chicago Bears—yet he has stayed true to his Chicago roots. Shot entirely with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G, Freshgoods’ photos for Highsnobiety give us a look into his creative studio. The smartphone’s hands-free shooting also makes it even easier to take self-portraits, with having your arm awkwardly jutting to the corner of the picture. More shots show scenes from the Fat Tiger Workshop, and all its swag and splendor. It’s a space he co-owns with Terrell Jones and Desmond Owusu, and has been a stalwart in the local community. “We’re a community store,” he said in The Fader. “We’re like a barber shop.”

#samsung #joe freshgoods #kyle ng #brain dead #los angeles streetwear brands #chicago streetwear brands #american streetwear #streetwear designers #alex james #pleasures #pleasures now #new york nico #minority fashion designers #streetwear collaborations

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thewebofslime · 5 years

Link

As the Texas Democrat enters the race for president, members of a group famous for “hactivism” come forward for the first time to claim him as one of their own. There may be no better time to be an American politician rebelling against business as usual. But is the United States ready for O’Rourke’s teenage exploits? By JOSEPH MENN in SAN FRANCISCO Filed March 15, 2019, 3:30 p.m. GMT (This article is adapted from a forthcoming book, “Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World”) > Some things you might know about Beto O’Rourke, the former Texas congressman who just entered the race for president: • The Democratic contender raised a record amount for a U.S. Senate race in 2018 and almost beat the incumbent in a Republican stronghold, without hiding his support for gun control and Black Lives Matter protests on the football field. • When he was younger, he was arrested on drunk-driving charges and played in a punk band. Now 46, he still skateboards. • The charismatic politician with the Kennedy smile is liberal on some issues and libertarian on others, which could allow him to cross the country’s political divide. One thing you didn’t know: While a teenager, O’Rourke acknowledged in an exclusive interview, he belonged to the oldest group of computer hackers in U.S. history. The hugely influential Cult of the Dead Cow, jokingly named after an abandoned Texas slaughterhouse, is notorious for releasing tools that allowed ordinary people to hack computers running Microsoft’s Windows. It’s also known for inventing the word “hacktivism” to describe human-rights-driven security work. Members of the group have protected O’Rourke’s secret for decades, reluctant to compromise his political viability. Now, in a series of interviews, CDC members have acknowledged O’Rourke as one of their own. In all, more than a dozen members of the group agreed to be named for the first time in a book about the hacking group by this reporter that is scheduled to be published in June by Public Affairs. O’Rourke was interviewed early in his run for the Senate. YOUNGER DAYS: Beto O’Rourke, left, in a photo of his band, Foss. Texas Republicans also tweeted out what appears to be a police mug shot of the Texas Democrat. Handout via Texas GOP Twitter There is no indication that O’Rourke ever engaged in the edgiest sorts of hacking activity, such as breaking into computers or writing code that enabled others to do so. But his membership in the group could explain his approach to politics better than anything on his resume. His background in hacking circles has repeatedly informed his strategy as he explored and subverted established procedures in technology, the media and government. “There’s just this profound value in being able to be apart from the system and look at it critically and have fun while you’re doing it,” O’Rourke said. “I think of the Cult of the Dead Cow as a great example of that.” An ex-hacker running for national office would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. But that was before two national elections sent people from other nontraditional backgrounds to the White House and Congress, many of them vowing to blow up the status quo. Arguably, there has been no better time to be an American politician rebelling against business as usual. Still, it’s unclear whether the United States is ready for a presidential contender who, as a teenager, stole long-distance phone service for his dial-up modem, wrote a murder fantasy in which the narrator drives over children on the street, and mused about a society without money. > ‘Footloose’ for the hacker set O’Rourke was a misfit teen in El Paso, Texas, in the 1980s when he decided to seek out bulletin board systems – the online discussion forums that at the time were the best electronic means for connecting people outside the local school, church and neighborhood. “When Dad bought an Apple IIe and a 300-baud modem and I started to get on boards, it was the Facebook of its day,” he said. “You just wanted to be part of a community.” O’Rourke soon started his own board, TacoLand, which was freewheeling and largely about punk music. “This was the counterculture: Maximum Rock & Roll [magazine], buying records by catalog you couldn’t find at record stores,” he said. He then connected with another young hacker in the more conservative Texas city of Lubbock who ran a bulletin board called Demon Roach Underground. Known online as Swamp Rat, Kevin Wheeler had recently moved from a university town in Ohio and was having problems adjusting to life in Texas. Like O’Rourke, Wheeler said, he was hunting for video games that had been “cracked,” or stripped from digital rights protections, so that he could play them for free on his Apple. Also like O’Rourke, Wheeler wanted to find other teens who enjoyed the same things, and to write and share funny and profane stories that their parents and conservative neighbors wouldn’t appreciate. It was good-natured resistance to the repressive humdrum around them, a sort of “Footloose” for those just discovering the new world of computers. SWAG OF THE DEAD COW: Promotional material from the hacking group. Handout via REUTERS Wheeler and a friend named the Cult of the Dead Cow after an eerie hangout, a shut-down Lubbock slaughterhouse – the unappealing hind part of Texas’ iconic cattle industry. Most CDC members kept control of their own bulletin boards while referring visitors to one another’s and distributing the CDC’s own branded essays, called text files or t-files. At the time, people connected to bulletin boards by dialing in to the phone lines through a modem. Heavy use of long-distance modem calls could add up to hundreds of dollars a month. Savvy teens learned techniques for getting around the charges, such as using other people’s phone-company credit card numbers and five-digit calling codes to place free calls. O’Rourke didn’t say what techniques he used. Like thousands of others, though, he said he pilfered long-distance service “so I wouldn’t run up the phone bill.” Under Texas law, stealing long-distance service worth less than $1,500 is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine. More than that is a felony, and could result in jail time. It is unclear whether O’Rourke topped that threshold. In any event, the state bars prosecution of the offense for those under 17, as O’Rourke was for most of his active time in the group, and the statute of limitations is five years. Two Cult of the Dead Cow contemporaries in Texas who were caught misusing calling cards as minors got off with warnings. O’Rourke handed off control of his own board when he moved east for boarding school, and he said he stopped participating on the hidden CDC board after he enrolled at Columbia University at age 18. Hana Callaghan, a government specialist at Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, said that voters might want to consider both the gravity of any candidate’s offenses and the person’s age at the time. Among the questions voters should ask, she said: “What was the violation? Was it egregious? What does it say about their character – do they believe the rules don’t apply to them?” If substantial time has passed, she added, voters should decide whether the person “learned the error of their ways and no longer engages in those kind of behavior.” “When Dad bought an Apple IIe and a 300-baud modem and I started to get on boards, it was the Facebook of its day. You just wanted to be part of a community.” BETO O’ROURKE When he was a teen, O’Rourke also frequented sites that offered cracked software. The bulletin boards were “a great way to get cracked games,” O’Rourke said, adding that he later realized his habit wasn’t morally defensible and stopped. Using pirated software violates copyright laws, attorneys say, but in practice, software companies have rarely sued young people over it. When they do go after someone, it is typically an employer with workers using multiple unlicensed copies. Software providers are more interested in those who break the protections and spread their wares. CDC wasn’t of that ilk. Although some CDC essays gave programming and hacking instructions, in the late 1980s, the group was more about writing than it was about breaking into computer systems. But its focus on creative expression didn’t mean there were no grounds for controversy. Like many an underground newspaper, the Cult of the Dead Cow avidly pursued it. A CDC member who joined in the early 1990s had previously used real instructions for making a pipe bomb to joke about shedding pounds by losing limbs. Three teenagers in Montreal found the file, and one lost two fingers after he tried to follow the formula, prompting outrage. Rather than remove similar posts and hide the group’s history, the CDC warned readers not to take the files literally and added a disclaimer that survives on its current web page: “Warning: This site may contain explicit descriptions of or advocate one or more of the following: adultery, murder, morbid violence, bad grammar, deviant sexual conduct in violent contexts, or the consumption of alcohol and illegal drugs.” > Grabbing media attention O’Rourke and his old friends say his stint as a fledgling hacker fed into his subsequent work in El Paso as a software entrepreneur and alternative press publisher, which led in turn to successful long-shot runs at the city council and then Congress, where he unseated an incumbent Democrat. Politically, O’Rourke has taken some conventional liberal positions, supporting abortion rights and opposing a wall on the Mexican border. But he takes a libertarian view on other issues, faulting excessive regulation and siding with businesses in congressional votes on financial industry oversight and taxes. His more conservative positions have drawn fire from Democrats who see him as too friendly with Republicans and corporations. His more progressive votes and punk-rock past helped his recent opponent, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, portray O’Rourke as too radical for socially conservative Texas.

#TheWebOfSlime

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