Five-Hundred Word Challenge 1241: Some Distraction this Evening

Posted on April 29, 2023 by Stupidity Hole

Gotta stop doing this. Gotta stop writing so late into the evening but I’m doing it again. Plus side is that my wrist isn’t hurting so much right now. The minus side is that I’m tired and I want to go to bed soon. Alas.

The rain falls but the music is fun and so I’m living it up, or at least I’m pretending to. Slowly, yet surely the need to find a new house inches closer and closer and soon it will be here, looking at me and grabbing me and making me look at a new house. I’m not excited, but it’s life and I will survive. Always have and always will. Perseverance, slowly grow more tired but perseverance and all that other stuff.

Sitting here and listening to this music whilst listening to the rain has got me thinking about how they don’t quite align with each other, and that’s okay. This music might just be a little too lively and loud for the rain outside, but it’s still a nice combination. Not quite congruous, but still pleasant.

Tonight things feel alright but tomorrow it will be a submerging once more. It’s the cycle of things but it’s what I throw myself into and so I just keep on digging away. I keep trying to get money from photography and I keep hunting for a better job and I keep on getting on with the getting on and all those things. I sit here and say nothing in the hopes of saying something but the words gain less and less meaning and eventually all they’ll be are facsimile cutouts of the idea of words. They’ll be nothing else other than shapes that exist that can be construed as words but lack all meaning that words provide and so I’ll just keep crapping on about stuff that has no real meaning whilst still working toward goals that remain unattainable due to the sabotage of the self as well as a lack of popularity great enough to propel me into a position where I am so rich I never have to worry about anything ever again.

Realistically I’d just like to have enough money to no longer be constantly stressed about how close I am to going under. I’d like to be comfortable.

Well, I don’t want to be comfortable, but I want to be financially comfortable, if that makes sense. It’s good to be restless at times and it’s good to have that restlessness to help drive things. Having money would take a lot of stress out of my life.

Anyway, the rain falls, I sit here and bemoan my doing this late at night and I go nowhere. Nothing changes but at least the music is enjoyable. It distracts from something that I’ll soon have to deal with, but not right now. Right now I can pretend that I don’t have to worry so much about problems, but it’s only a temporary reprieve from too much stress.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 07:31:71

I think this could be so much better. There’s a lot I want to say about struggling financially and this says so little about it, but this was partly jumbled thoughts and so the message is muddled.

Written at home.

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Gecko&Tokage Parade: Ace

Posted on April 29, 2023 by Stupidity Hole

This was written over one listen but I had a few early restarts just to try and get a proper grip on what I was hearing. It’s not the most complex of stuff; at least it doesn’t sound complex but I think in the first few seconds the song was getting away from me a little too quickly.

Once past those restarts I tried to keep up he best I could. I was thinking too much about what I was writing which was okay here, but I think this would’ve been better had I focused on imagery more than describing what was going on.

Gecko&Tokage Parade’s “Ace” is from Heart of Tokage.

I hope you enjoy.

—

Sounds launch in with a staccato of sorts before they move into a deft flow. There’s brief pauses but the sounds seem to keep on flowing. Drama comes forward but so does a coolness; an edge in smoothness.

Suddenly it’s just the guitar for a very brief moment. Then everything launches into full form here as though released and the sounds just rush for another brief moment before that staccato again. Then they swing back low into that edge in smoothness. Perhaps it’s a question of sorts, or just a lowness before reaching back out.

The guitar plays out and frays open to quiet, and now the piano plays with a sense of speed  on its own. Percussion comes in keeping the beat pushing whilst the piano grows in its richness. Bass comes in and now the three thrash on before the guitar returns and they play out the final moments. The sounds strike and carry themselves into a moment that’s perhaps meant to be representing something amazing.

All staccato as though making a point, then thrash on out for one last moment before ensuring a full stop at the song’s end.

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Nubya Garcia: Boundless Beings

Posted on April 29, 2023 by Stupidity Hole

Bit of a mess this writing is. Could be much better. I think I was too concerned with keeping up and missing something when I should’ve just done what I could without that concern. Could’ve split the writing over two, maybe three listens and gotten something more descriptive. That said, the writing is honest. It’s not good, but it’s honest.

Nubya Garcia’s “Boundless Beings” is from SOURCE. It features Akenya on vocals.

I hope you enjoy.

—

Bass and vocals move with each other. They smooth with a slight stagger, or maybe it’s just with a very specifically angled motion. Percussion comes in and gives the motion something to anchor itself around, and soon keys and saxophone also come in.

There’s a sense of quiet as the keys seem to pour on out in the background whilst saxophone moves forward and moves with the bass whilst adding its own steps.

Vocals in the background stay at a distance whilst percussion stays low, and the room seems large and, sans the sounds, empty. The main vocals return once more and sound pulls back and it’s just the voice and the keys and the keys keep their pouring out, though reveal themselves as poured with precision. Then the vocals pull away and the bass moves on its own before the vocals return once more, just at the end to hum alongside the bass for the last few notes as the song ends.

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Takuya Kuroda: Fly Moon Die Soon

Posted on April 29, 2023 by Stupidity Hole

One listen here and I feel that the writing is inconsistent.
Overall what I wrote captures the song pretty well. Not as well as it could, but if you listened to the song and read this you’d get a match… I think. However, there are parts where I could’ve focused on other things and gotten a much richer description. I was too safe with my writing here.

I also think I should’ve used the word “organic” at some point. Alas.

Takuya Kuroda’s “Fly Moon Die Soon” is from Fly Moon Die Soon.

I hope you enjoy.

—

A beat with what sounds like a drag. Harsh percussion that seems to double itself. Only a few seconds in, however and it gains context as more sounds come in and melodically play out with a sense of the relaxed, or at least the laid back. The sounds themselves also seem to drag, or more appropriately slide and rise off themselves in brief moments.

One particular brass moves in and out of the sounds, creating its own little bounce until the beat comes in livelier, driving all along with a relaxed breezy feel. Perhaps lounge-like. Other brass continues its marking and the vocals flow in with a rhythmic descent and rise, seeming breathy but also not.

Trumpet starts to move around and speeds and slows, marking moments and flowing along. It sits with the vocals and all is in a harmonious state, filling as parts of a singular sound.

A pause and perhaps a question here as all remains cool and collected, and the joy rises in brass painting a scene.

Suddenly there’s a bit more space and all shifts into a different realm of the cool. There’s a bit more of a punch in the beat, or at least its more obvious. Vocals rise in a space and echo into the surrounding nothingness. Sounds are mostly wisps spreading out and dissipating as they reform and keep moving, and soon it’s just trumpet on its own, letting out one note and falling away, falling far and disappearing as the song ends.

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Sakanatsuri: This Time I Will

Posted on April 29, 2023 by Stupidity Hole

I had planned to write about this song yesterday. Didn’t quite get around to it, in part due to work and in part due to procrastination. Getting into it now and, other than a slightly awkward start all of this came easily.

The writing covers the song in a manner that’s accurate but less descriptive of what is specifically happening in the song and I like that. It’s rough writing but it feels appropriate.

As a side note, I think that Sakanatsuri’s work is interesting, though also bland. There is some slight criticism in what I wrote as, even though “This Time I Will” is from a debut album, it treads a lot of worn ground without adding to it.

I think expression is good but too often an artist – especially when it comes to drone and ambient – is verbose in a way that feels like they’re trying to beat you over the head rather than let the atmosphere and emotion permeate. It feels superficial and it seldom works outside of the short-term.

Again, I think Sakanatsuri’s work is interesting. There is a lot of potential here but that potential needs to be utilised.

Sakanatsuri’s “This Time I Will” is from Sadness Defines Your Happiness.
I hope you enjoy.

—

Low and stretched and something that almost seems like crying vaguely rises outward. It could be based around many things. Perhaps it is catharsis. Maybe sadness. Maybe joy, or resolve. Perhaps dedication.

It sounds stretched and in that stretching sounds that could be ordinary become extra ordinary, but they become beautiful. They seem to rise into view but remain behind a veil; there’s the shape and some detail can be made out, but it’s not entirely clear. It is close and yet it remains distant, and it seems to shimmer slightly and push for emotion, and it laps like slow-moving waves as it fades out and the song ends.

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Moving Up a Hill

Posted on April 28, 2023 by Stupidity Hole

This bit of pathway was a bit odd to me, or at least I remember it as being a bit odd.
The parts that look like blotches had a bit of loose soil, I think. It looks a bit like sand.
I am fairly certain I’m remembering those bits of path incorrectly, however and it could just be exposed rock face with a bit of soil on top of them.

I hope you enjoy.

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Viewed From the Side

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Stupidity Hole

Yet another photo of Yoda from MONO, but this time less bright than the other one from this year’s performance in Sydney.

I like how still Yoda feels here. I’m fairly certain that there was some movement, but it doesn’t come across much, if at all.

This is my submission into Leanne Cole‘s “Monochrome Madness” for this week. Participating is pretty straightforward and something I recommend. If you do, then include the tag “monochrome-madness” in your post. If not participating, then at the least check out Leanne’s photography as well as what other people submit.

A lot of what people are submitting will likely end up here.

I hope you enjoy.

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Dub Trio: En Passant

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Stupidity Hole

This is one that I considered doing… last week, I think. It’s a song that has been part of my review playlist for a while but I had no intention to write about it as it was more there to remind me to go back to the album “En Passant” is from. Anyway, decided to write about it, forgot, then threw myself into it just now.

I think the writing here is a little too focused on covering the sounds but there’s other stuff in there too and that’s something I like. The language is rigid but there’s more of a flourish in terms. Maybe.

Dub Trio’s “En Passant” is from IV.

I hope you enjoy.

—

A rhythmic pounding almost as though a heartbeat breaks all ideas of silence. Soon its harshness is joined by guitar that strikes in alignment. The guitar slides in two brief moments but remains almost muted, lurking, looking ready to strike.

More percussion comes in and the guitar seems to rise. A slight pause for guitar and now the menacing strike moves forward. The sounds seem to cycle onward before finding another shift. Bass becomes more audible and rhythmically strides forward with the percussion. Various echoes and slight sidesteps come in whilst the rhythm remains uncompromising.

A suddenly cut and buzz before returning to the rhythmic focus, and then another one, seemingly pulling the whole thing away but it returns. Another as a moment of celebration and it goes back, but the guitar locks back in and suddenly the sound launches forward and crunches and crushes.

Escalating sound of sliding menace and heftiness, great grit, escalating and rising and its aggressive and violent and controlled.

The opening returns, just as guitar before bass and percussion lock in. The guitar elevates, seemingly stretches and is as though an elongating terror. It seems like it’ll disintegrate at any moment, and noise gets into the space and bubbles until the guitar returns to the rhythmic chug until all sounds stop at the song’s end.

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Retro Remix Revue: Chrono Trigger – Secret of the Forest

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Stupidity Hole

I thought it would be interesting to write about a cover of a song I’d written about before.
I think in some ways this bit of writing is better and worse. It captures the cover fine enough but I described what was happening too much. This version keeps a lot of the original’s feel whilst doing its own thing in places so I could’ve gone more into imagery here. Alas.

Retro Remix Revue’s “Chrono Trigger – Secret of the Forest” is from Retro Remix Revue, Vol. 2. It’s an album of covers from various game soundtracks. This probably doesn’t need saying, but the original “Secret of the Forest” (“樹海の神秘”) is from Yasunori Mitsuda (光田 康典) who did the soundtrack for Chrono Trigger.

I hope you enjoy.

—

Gentle sound carries an air of mystery. Something begins smoothly moving in the background, and soon woodwind seems to carry on a calm breeze through a cool and calm space. Percussion is light and remains as such keys sounding like piano shine and shimmer.

Strings draw out and also move smoothly, and seem to spread throughout the space. Bass is more audible now, picking moments to move and the percussion has gained more detail. The piano returns for a moment, then suddenly a rising upward and the sounds spread out with a sense of beauty whilst remaining gentle.

Space for a moment. Keys and bass seem to dance and find a stillness. Percussion returns and joins in and they move around each other before returning to the main melody.

The sounds move forward with a coolness and soon the keys grow become lively. They move about, flickering and fluttering among the sounds, moving rapidly and slowing in parts, but only for brief moments. The other sounds grow in their liveliness and fill out, and soon they spread out once more. They keys continue their motion here and there in this space of beauty, and align before it’s just the bass and piano dancing once more. Then the strings and percussion join in and flow with grace as the song ends.

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Principles of Geometry: Bethanie

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Stupidity Hole

I think that when I was writing this I was trying to capture the song and little else. At points I tried to be a bit more in the moment and switch off a little but I wasn’t able to do so. I think I did a good job of describing the song, but the writing is a bit rigid.

Principles of Geometry’s “Bethanie” is from Burn the Land & Boil the Oceans.

I hope you enjoy.

—

Layers of warmth overlay each other into one singular moment. They lap at a shore as dawn begins, or maybe it is at dusk. Bass marks points and slowly moves, enunciating the sound and texture, and a calm overlays everything. Maybe it is a calm from peace.

The sounds seemingly stretch and morph a little whilst continuing the melody and the ambience, though seemingly more as an idea. A more muted synth comes in and it is brighter and more prominent than the other sounds, and it rings out, starting high and moving low. It is a little livelier but it feels slow. It repeats and loops and eventually it fades away, or at least it moves into itself and stretches out as at the edges, framing the scene and underscoring the mood.

Once more the muted synth comes out and all is at ease and gentle. It is tranquil in a sense; it is relieving. It is a pleasant moment that dispels intensity, and it remains as the muted synth disappears and the other sounds warp once more, seemingly as an implication of the melody that has carried them to the song’s end.

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