Tadayoshi Makino: Village on the Sea, Moga

Posted on January 21, 2022 by Stupidity Hole

Two listens for this one.

I was mostly looking to write about imagery and some of that came through, but I feel as though I forced myself too much.

Tadayoshi Makino’s (牧野 忠義) “Village on the Sea, Moga” (“海上の村、モガ”) is from Monster Hunter Tri‘s soundtrack, Monster Hunter Tri Original Soundtrack.

I hope you enjoy.

—

Gentle percussive sounds roll on an easy day.

A light bass comes in and plays gently whilst woodwind moves about the percussion. All stays calm and relaxed; There is hard work that needs to be done, but it all remains peaceful.

A slight shift and a stringed instrument plays rapidly, but quietly, underscoring the melody as it flows onward. The woodwind continues to move about the percussion with slight stops until it reaches a moment of pause.

Additional percussion shimmers on a watery surface as the instruments seem to become fuller in sound, though no less gentle and the instruments float onward upon  the rhythm. Soon the stringed instrument comes forward with a gentle flicker.

Sounds rise and move upon water lapping at a shoreline. It is almost a questioning as they lengthen before returning to gentle percussive sounds.

The day remains as busy as required and many are hard at work whilst other plays and relax. Visitors filter into the village for various reasons and the sounds continue on, filling the scene.

However, as before, all remains gentle and at ease. It is calm and relaxed, even at the song’s end.

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A Poem About Writing Late in the Evening

Posted on January 20, 2022 by Stupidity Hole

This was kind of written quickly.
I feel it’s a bit of an awkward read.
Maybe a little too blunt.

I hope you enjoy.

—

Once more I am sitting here
To write before the last minute
Despite having much time
I’ve started with little left

Soon I need to rest
So tomorrow can be faced
Though I must also satiate
The desire to write

With little time I rush
And get what I can down
Though the words are away
And the last minute arrives

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Water Reaching Inward

Posted on January 19, 2022 by Stupidity Hole

This is the same patch of water as seen in this photo.

There’s a bit more of the area visible here. I like how there’s more of a sense of shape and form, and a bit more detail.

Some parts of the vegetation / algae appear to be disintegrating slowly, whereas others feel like an extension of some sort of landmass.

This is my submission into Leanne Cole‘s “Monochrome Madness” for this week.
I suggest checking out Leanne’s photography, as well as checking out what other people submit.

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

I hope you enjoy.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 1068: Don’t Need to

Posted on January 19, 2022 by Stupidity Hole

Sitting here and feeling sorry for myself. Such is the way that some things go.

Probably don’t need to feel sorry for myself, but I am and I want to. It makes the tea that I’m drinking better as… well, it doesn’t, but I’m going to pretend that it does as that will somehow magically make all of the things better and greater and all of that other stuff that I need to pretend in order to something something and so on and so forth.

It is an overcast day and I sit here and I think about things, but mostly I feel sorry for myself as that is the way to proceed forward today. Not feeling sorry for myself might lead to things actually happening. That is something that I don’t want to happen so therefore instead of that I will sit here and feel sorry for myself.

Why would I want to set out and get things done when instead I can sit here and, you know, feel bad about something that I don’t actually need to feel bad about? Why?

Maybe I should disappear into my own little world and shut everything off and then once I have done that I can ruminate on the issue at hand. Once I have done enough of that I might be able to find the way forward. I will then find the way forward and in finding the way forward I will be able to walk forward.

So I sit here and I think but instead of that I’m just not going to do anything and keep on thinking about the issue at hand and then go from there. Maybe I’ll just disappear into the issue and try it resolve it from there.

Maybe this will lead to some sort of grand battle set among the precipice of reality. Maybe this will be the deciding battle which will lead to more battles, but this will be the one for the greatest one of them all. It will be the one that helps to decide the solution to the issue that stares me down and haunts my waking moments, and I will need to be the one that comes out victorious as therefore there will be a solution and once there is a solution, I’m set, or something.

I think that from there I’ll just go on about my day as I want to relax, but before all of that I need to sit down and think some more and feel sorry for myself even though I don’t need to, and to be honest I don’t think I’m feeling sorry for myself either, but I’m going to pretend to as that leads to some sort of thing that I can then use for the purposes of writing and then I’ll write about it, which I am currently doing. Then you’ll read it and you’ll wonder as to why you read what I wrote.

Anyway, that is all for the time being.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 06:07:82

To be fair, this is something for which I don’t need to feel sorry for myself.
However, I’m dreading the sudden need to fork out a lot of money for some repairs as it’s money I don’t have. Such is the way of things.

Not a great writing but I like the silliness that came through.

Written at home.

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FRM: Endless Lines

Posted on January 18, 2022 by Stupidity Hole

One listen for this one.

This was the artist I thought I was writing about before. Due to that I decided to write about this song now and I don’t think that was a good idea.

I was hoping to capture more of the feeling and mood in the song but I don’t think I did a good job of that and instead spent more time describing.

FRM’s “Endless Lines” was, as far as I am aware, released as a standalone song.

I hope you enjoy.

—

An echoing synth fades into an open space, seemingly reaching for something.
Soon it is joined by a steady beat and thick bass. A framework finds steadiness and the instruments follow the groove it provides. Soon the bass and beat compresses into a fine point, then the song resumes with a fuller beat.

Synth notes seem to twinkle and float upon the instruments as it all slowly moves throughout a grand vastness. A sense of melancholy comes across and the sounds continue to search.

They all drop away and the echoing is left on its own. Soon the bass returns, and not long after that so does the beat. Other synth sounds float along and flicker and emphasise, and the sounds, whilst melancholic, are welcoming.

Soon the beat mostly pulls away whilst everything else continues on, searching for something as the song ends.

 

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Cerulean: Out of Reach

Posted on January 18, 2022 by Stupidity Hole

This was written over one listen.

When I wrote this I thought I was writing about a different artist. Not sure why.

I wanted to focus on describing the song and once more I began to slip into review mode which is not what I wanted to do. I feel it had a detrimental impact on the writing, but to what extent I’m not sure.

Cerulean‘s “Out of Reach” was, as far as I am aware, released as a standalone song.

I hope you enjoy.

—

Smooth synth sounds fade in. A muted burst and the steady, firm beat comes in along with extra synth building upon the main melody. Both it and the beat pull back shortly after they start. The beat becomes simpler and a new synth steps carefully somewhere in the distance.

Shortly after fading back in the secondary synth rejoins and the beat is fuller once more, but soon it pulls back again. The melody changes direction and looks for something more climactic, but it remains as warm and easy. It flows with a sense of sleekness. The sounds remain muted and eventually this too stops.

A return to the main melody and all the elements are in place. Scenery goes on by on a light day and everything remains relaxed. There is no grand payoff and it’s fine, for the need here is to stay relaxed and the music stays relaxed. It flows and stays relaxed.

One more shift to the different melody and the beat has stopped. All that is left is a few muted synth sounds and they continue on into the song’s end.

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Pinegrove: Need 2

Posted on January 18, 2022 by Stupidity Hole

This was three listens

I was looking to capture something about the song and I feel I was doing alright, but at one point I began to move into review mode which I wanted to avoid. I feel that, as such, this is cohesive, but it’s also really flat; well, flatter than usual at least.

Pinegrove’s “Need 2” is from Mixtape Two. It’s also available on Everything So Far.

I hope you enjoy.

—

A low buzzing sound and guitar starts to fade in. In the background something akin to birds can be heard. Soon more guitar layers over the existing one and the melody comes forward with a wistfulness. The percussion comes in and stays steady and solid. It thumps gently and simple. The bass which soon follows also does the same, though does more in solidifying the melody whilst also keeping things light and easy.

The melody drifts as vocals utter a few words at a time, leaving the focus on the instruments. The words provide just enough and build on the instrumentation.

The instruments move a little lower, drawing up some sort of melancholy. A questioning comes forward and banjo plays gently through the instrumentation.

The sounds seem to grow rich and as young and old as the day. There’s a prettiness to the the progression as the instruments play with each other and lock in, drifting with aim. Shortly after the last words an additional guitar plays lightly and with space on top of the rhythm and melody, punctuating and emphasising. Another sound joins in, unchanging, appearing for brief moments, almost as though it’s some sort of flashing light, and both it and the additional guitar continue on through to the song’s end.

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Five-Hundred Word Challenge 1067: Bucket of Sweat

Posted on January 17, 2022 by Stupidity Hole

The heat is here. It reaches and it permeates and it makes itself a nuisance, but there are worse things out there.

I hope for a breeze and I hope that it comes sooner rather than later. I hope that said breeze blows away the heat and makes everything better to experience, though really this isn’t so bad. This is something that I can manage. I don’t want to, but I can manage. I can tolerate this. There are worse things out there.

Now the real question regards how much sweat I can sweat and if I can sweat it all into a bucket.

If possible and if it is a copious amount of sweat, I may be able to extract the salt content and then use it to do something that involves the use of salt in a way that implies, suggests and encourages its use. However, that might be too ridiculous and if it is, I don’t know as to what it is that I will do.

What if I can’t extract the salt? Then I suddenly have this bucket full of sweat and I have to do something with it. I can’t just leave it lying about; I actually have to make use of it somehow.

I could put it outside and maybe put some plants in there that like high levels of salinity. Maybe I could paint some flowers onto it and have it set up as a decoration.

Maybe I could have it set up as a water feature on my coffee table and have a little waterfall-type thing that runs out and then a hose that pumps the sweat back into the bucket. I think that could work and maybe that is what I need to go for here. Maybe that is what I need to do and if that is indeed what I need to do, then that is what I am going to do.

Alright; it is decided. This is what I am going to do. I now have a plan.

The first thing I’ll do is get a bucket. Then I will sweat profusely into the bucket. I will sweat for a while and then once I have accumulated enough sweat I will take the bucket and measure the sweat and work out if I need to sweat more into the bucket.

Assuming I don’t, I will then set up a little water feature using the sweat and the bucket and have that running in my living room on the coffee table. I think that that is the best thing to do and therefore I will do it. Some might say that it is unhygienic, to which I will say it is art of the highest order and clearly they do not understand art ion all of its appearances. I will then make sure it stays on display and eventually people will come to realise the majesty in this creation. They will look upon it and understand its grand artistic value.

The time it took to write five-hundred words: 05:48:95

This was fun to write.
I feel as though I was stumbling for a bit bit everything kind of flowed out easily after a while. Still, it’s not the smoothest of reads.

Written at home.

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Water on the Weir

Posted on January 16, 2022 by Stupidity Hole

Here’s a photo of Audley Weir after heavy rainfall.

This isn’t much water on the weir and it has been much more underwater before, but when I took this photo it was the first time I had seen water on it and so it was something I was a bit excited to see.

I like that most of the reflection is quite vague, and I also like how the water disturbs the weir’s texture. It almost feels like the surface is made from marble.

This is my submission into the one hundred-and-eighty-second Lens-Artists Photo Challenge.

The theme for this one is “Interesting Objects“.

I find this weir interesting as an object to photograph, and I find it more interesting with water on it, so I feel this photo works for the challenge.

The host of the Lens-Artists challenges cycles weekly between the following people:

Week 1 – Patti

Week 2 – Ann-Christine aka Leya

Week 3 – Amy

Week 4 – Tina

This one is curated by Patti. The next one is curated by Leya.

This year three people are joining the Lens-Artists team:

Sofia Alves of  Photographias

Anne Sandler of Slow Shutter Speed

John Steiner of Journeys with Johnbo

As such the above hosting order is likely to change.

I recommend participating in the challenges. They’re enjoyable and allow room for interpretation of the theme without straying too far. If you don’t participate, then I recommend that you at least check out what others of the Lens-Artists community are submitting.

I hope you enjoy.

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Masato Kouda: The Nightless City, Guara Bobelo

Posted on January 16, 2022 by Stupidity Hole

Two listens for this writing.

I wanted to just describe the song and I think I did that, but not well.
With that being said, I’m fine with the result. I feel the writing is mostly smooth and at least provides an idea of what’s happening with the song.

Masato Kouda’s (甲田雅人) “The Nightless City, Guara Bobelo” (“不夜城 ギャラボベーロ”) is from the soundtrack for Wild Arms 4 (aka Wild Arms the 4th Detonator), WILD ARMS the 4th Detonator ORIGINAL SCORE.

I hope you enjoy.

—

A low sound, choral vocals and flickers of saxophone come into existence. A slow, gentle and steady beat forms and the song shifts mood. It was dark and mysterious, and perhaps it remains as such, but now it is lighter in its step.

Keys play out a dangerous attraction, calling out and enticing into coming in further. Bass keeps things relaxed and loose, yet as on track as the percussion. Eventually more saxophone flickers back in as sounds move about. More brass comes in and the beat picks up pace.

The sounds play along, striking, hurried and busy, but preserving space. The keys play faster though without feeling rushed. Soon brass strikes out and woodwind comes into prominence with a sense of energy and bounce and is flutters about. Soon brass continues what the flute started and continues on until the instruments seemingly make a statement. It’s a striking statement that finds its end where the percussion takes focus once more.

The instruments switch to something a familiar. Steadily things walk forward and once more, it builds up. Again the rhythm becomes hurried and the instruments play soft and gentle, clear and outwardly. Vague sounds lurk in the background once more and once more the music stays lively.

That statement is reached again, and the instruments commence a new cycle, though it is not long before they fade out and the song ends.

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