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+# At The Risk Of Feeling Dumb
+
+"At The Risk Of Feeling Dumb" (ATR hereafter) is the second-to-last track
+on twenty one pilots' 2024 record, _Clancy_. I've discussed it in [Review
+of _Clancy_ (2024)](clancy_review.md) that it
+
+>Starts off like circus music, but I feel it's the most serious song on
+>the record. It tells you to check on your friends' mental health, no
+>matter what they say — even at the risk of feeling dumb.
+
+>It's also the track that "sounds like them" and "feels like them". They
+>spread a message, like "Neon Gravestones". The strongest track, and
+>energetic as well.
+
+So naturally given the comically long summer break, I am gonna cover it.
+From scratch.
+
+The goal of this cover is not to reproduce the original; instead, I opted
+to be more creative with sounds and arrangement.
+
+While you read, you can open my [Faircamp](/jam) in a new tab and hit
+play.
+
+## What's in the song?
+
+Oh boy.
+
+Since it's from scratch, I could not reuse stems or sample the original.
+This endeavor ended up being my most complicated audio project ever. There
+are 52 tracks. Fifty-two. Ardour lags as I scroll up and down.
+
+A synopsis:
+
+- Synths: lead, 4 pads, vibraphone, harp, high-pitched hum
+- Drums: 808, Black Pearl (plugin), and a real snare drum
+- Vocals: main, falsetto, lofi, tenor, and rap
+- Autotune for each pitched vocal track
+- Ukulele: some with fuzz effects
+- Bass, where one track is shifted one octave up to emulate guitar
+- Samples: see below
+
+### Samples
+
+I had to be creative with household items.
+
+- 0:00 - Cassette player
+- 0:21 - Vernier calipers
+- 0:22 - Spray bottle
+- 0:55 - 2.54mm pin headers sliding against edge of table
+- 0:56 - Ziploc of CR2032 battery holders (sounds like sleighbells)
+- 2:12 - Two pencils
+- 2:24 - Nitrile glove
+
+## Timeline
+
+I recorded ATR over 13 studio sessions (in my bedroom) in total. Eleven
+were in the first half of June. Then I procrastinated two weeks. Then
+I picked up where I left in early July.
+
+Rather unconventionally, I recorded the track one part at a time, rather
+than laying out a complete backing track before vocals. When I was
+recording Chorus 2, for example, everything following that was blank.
+Thus, I had no idea where I was going. I came up with most of the creative
+ideas halfway.
+
+Notable inspirations:
+
+- The intro is sung along to tøp's "Friend, Please" (which carries the
+ same message as ATR)
+- "Nude" by Radiohead inspired the slap-like, one-octave-up bassline you
+ hear in Chorus 2 thru 4
+- Original Verse is a commentary on _Clancy_'s track listing
+- I yanked the last bar of drums from "Levitate"
+
+## Technical details
+
+### Chord progression
+
+Really simple song in terms of chord progression. Everything is G-Em-Bm-D
+except the post-chorus where it's G-Em-Bm-A-D. Turned out challenging as
+I had to improvise rhythmically to make the same chords interesting over
+and over again.
+
+### Mic rig
+
+Mom bought a phone tripod with a swing arm. The threaded hole on the phone
+clip is identical to that on the mic holder, so naturally, up it went. No
+more stacking boxes under the short-ass mic stand.
+
+I had no windshield so I improvised with a napkin wrapped around the wire
+mesh tied with a rubber band. Can't keep out the hard P's though, so I had
+to automate the fader.
+
+### Balanced cable
+
+I bought a balanced XLR cable to replace the XLR-quarter inch cable my mic
+came with. The noise disappeared like the money in my wallet. 5/5 would
+buy again.
+
+### Drums
+
+I used three drum kits in a single song.
+
+OK, one of them is a single snare drum I practiced on when I was 12.
+Played with Trench-era Josh Dun drumsticks. You can hear it in Chorus
+2 and Post-Chorus 1. I did not record the rest on the drum, because my
+neighbor might complain.
+
+One day I was cleaning out some junk at my late great-grandparents' house
+when I found my old electronic drumkit. I brought home the console, the
+snare drum, and all the cables. With some hackery involving a MIDI-to-USB
+adaptor I was able to record drums with real drumsticks. But I did not
+because the drum pads worked just fine.
+
+The Black Pearl kit was a late addition. Before that, I used a built-in
+kit, but the snare lacked punch, and the crash is just not wet enough.
+Luckily, I have a few drumkits installed for unknown reasons, and this
+Black Pearl kit blew my mind.
+
+### Pedal
+
+There's a pair of pedal switches (cost like 10 CNY each) I bought back in
+2019 for a kinetic game I made (which didn't work, btw). So I soldered the
+wires to a cable with a quarter inch tip-ring plug so that the contacts
+short when I stomp it. It functions as a sustain pedal for my keyboard and
+hihat open-close control for the drum kit. Neither turned out useful but
+they sound cool.
+
+### Ukulele
+
+Didn't have the money to buy a condenser mic so it is what it is.
+
+### EQ & compressor
+
+I recorded the kick, snare, hihat and other cymbals on separate tracks so
+they have different EQs. I used "Calf Equalizer 5 Band". The kick is
+lowpassed and sidechained to many other tracks (such as bass) to compress
+them so they don't muddle the 60 Hz range.
+
+### Autotune
+
+Yes, my vocals are autotuned. The plugin is "x42-Autotune". To avoid
+sounding like an unnamed rap star, I had to keep the correction ratio
+below 0.6. For each group of pitched vocal tracks singing the same melody,
+I have a MIDI track for the autotune plugin to refer to.
+
+Sometimes I sing off-key so bad I have to do another take. And sometimes
+the autotune overreacts so I have an automation track to taper down the
+correction ratio temporarily.
+
+### Cassette player
+
+The click and whirr you hear at the beginning are a real AKAI cassette
+player. I wish it worked. If it worked, I could have run my vocals through
+an aux cable on tape and played it back to achieve physical lo-fi.
+
+### Album cover
+
+I reused assets from the recent reflow workshop 2. The color scheme is
+inspired by _Clancy_ itself, and the title typesetting is inspired by
+Radiohead's _In Rainbows_ (2007). The smoke is [a photo by Tigerzeng on
+Wikimedia
+Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Candle_smoke_structure_1.jpg).
+
+## Tools used
+
+### Software
+
+- Ardour: arrangement, recording, production
+- Helm: synths
+- Calf: plugins
+- Black Pearl Drumkit: plugin
+- Guitarix: plugins
+- x42: plugins
+- Krita: album cover
+- Inkscape: album cover
+
+### Hardware
+
+- Interface: Behringer UMC22
+- Headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-M20x
+- Keyboard: AKAI MPK mini play
+- Mic: Shure PGA48
+- Bass: Ibanez GSR200
+- Ukulele: second-hand "Nalu", model unknown
+- Drumsticks: Zildjian Josh Dun "Trench" artist series
+- Snare drum: Majestic AK14D
+
+## Lyrics
+
+Yanked from Genius. Differences:
+
+- Added Intro
+- I keep saying "on my lowest" instead of "at my lowest"
+- Added Original Verse
+- Numbered Choruses and Post-Choruses
+- Minute changes in backing vocals
+
+[Intro]
+I don't want anyone to drop anything for me
+
+[Chorus 1]
+I don't want anyone, know me or not
+See me [on] my lowest, you don't have to drop, drop, drop Don't have to
+drop by Nothin' you can do this time I don't want anyone, know me or not
+See me [on] my lowest, you don't have to drop Drop, drop, drop anything
+for me Just keep your plans, I hope that you never have to drop
+
+[Verse 1]
+Used to be you and me, matching Kawasaki Zs
+Ride around 270 in Kawasaki tees
+Two fighter jets matching energy
+Trying to forget that we're in ejection seats
+
+[Pre‐Chorus]
+So please, keep it in mind
+Check on your friends
+Every once in a while
+Even if they say
+
+[Chorus 2]
+I don't want anyone, know me or not
+See mе [on] my lowest, you don't have to drop, drop, drop
+Don't have to drop by
+Nothin' you can do this timе
+I don't want anyone, know me or not
+See me [on] my lowest, you don't have to drop
+Drop, drop, drop anything for me
+Just keep your plans, I hope that you never have to drop
+(Drop, drop, drop)
+
+[Post-Chorus 1]
+At the risk of feelin' dumb, check in
+It's not worth the risk of losin' a friend
+Even if they say
+"Just keep your plans, I hope that you never have to drop"
+
+[Original Verse]
+I can read your mind man, where is Tyler's verse man?
+Chill, let me have some words of my own man
+The new record, it's called Clancy
+On a scale of Trench, I'd say that it's a ninety
+Can't forgive The Craving so close to Lavish
+Your eyes are steamin' up? Here comes a colonoscopy
+Upbeat (yeah), down thoughts (nah), guess it's called tradition
+Thank you for your patience, program resumes shortly
+
+[Verse 2]
+If I'm bein' real, man, don't know how I feel, man
+'Bout you sleepin' so close to a weapon you conceal, man
+Those night terrors are not somethin' to take lightly
+I know that it's a risk sayin' this, don't fight me
+(Stoppin' me, fight me)
+(Stoppin' me, fight me)
+(Stoppin' me, fight me)
+
+[Chorus 3]
+I don't want anyone, know me or not
+See me [on] my lowest, you don't have to drop, drop, drop
+Don't have to drop by
+Nothin' you can do this time
+I don't want anyone, know me or not
+See me [on] my lowest, you don't have to drop
+(Drop, drop, drop) Anything for me
+(Stopping me, stopping me, stopping me)
+Just keep your plans, I hope that you never have to drop
+
+[Post-Chorus 2]
+At the risk of feelin' dumb, check in
+It's not worth the risk of losin' a friend
+Even if they say
+"Just keep your plans, I hope that you never have to drop"
+
+[Chorus 4]
+I don't want anyone, know me or not
+See me [on] my lowest, you don't have to drop
+Drop, drop, drop anything
+For me
+
+[Outro]
diff --git a/docs/music/clancy-tour.md b/docs/music/clancy-tour.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dd9d675
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/music/clancy-tour.md
@@ -0,0 +1,283 @@
+# Clancy Tour
+
+2024-10-10
+
+This is my wallpaper right now:
+
+![Tyler and Josh performing under red stage
+light](img/clancy-tour/overcompensate.jpg)
+
+I've had twenty one pilots-inspired wallpapers in the past, but this one
+is different — I took it myself.
+
+Last Sunday, on 2024-09-29, I went to Detroit to see the boys on Clancy
+Tour. It was a magical night for sure. I've been waiting for this night
+since April — no, since 2021.
+
+Let's first begin with the D2A2 bus.
+
+## Blake Transit Center
+
+I arrived at the bus station at 16:00. Laura has been waiting there. I met
+her weeks ago, and we made plans how to get there, what to do in Detroit,
+and how to come back. We had planned to visit a museum, but all museums
+close on Sunday evenings, so we opted for the Concrete Pyramid instead.
+
+At least a quarter of the bus wore some form of merch or tape. I am not
+a merch person, because I would rather spend the money on more music. Just
+as I was wondering if I could connect with a few more frens, someone
+tapped my shoulder. She is Marisa, whose Scaled And Icy shirt gave away
+her identity. "Are you going to the show?" she asked. I removed my jacket
+to reveal the red tape on my shoulders and replied, "what do you think?"
+
+Laura and I invited her to tour Detroit with us.
+
+## Detroit
+
+As we set foot on Detroit, we opened the map to look for the Pyramid, but
+first, a bathroom break at a Dunkin Donuts, and a meal at Potbelly. Marisa
+showed us her crocheted balaclava and disposable film camera, and I shared
+my "EAST IS UP" stickers.
+
+![Sticker with an "M" logo, the text "EAST IS UP", and a checked
+box](img/clancy-tour/east-is-up.png)
+
+Canada was on the other side of Detroit River. As we walked along the
+bank, we joked how the General Motors towers looked like those in Dema,
+and that the new record is essentially about Clancy escaping to Canada.
+
+The Concrete Pyramid is Not Impressive™. It's just a spiral that converges
+at the center, which is no taller than three meters. Nevertheless, we
+walked up like children would, because it is not about the pyramid, it's
+about the time spent together.
+
+We grew bored of the pyramid very soon, and it's time to go to Little
+Caesars Arena (LCA). We walked to the QLINE station, and boarded the tram
+free of charge. From a distance we recognized the boys on the LED
+billboard across the road.
+
+The ticket person guided me to the wristband table. I promised to take
+photos to send Laura and Marisa, before I entered the pit.
+
+However, the lady wouldn't let me in with my spool of red tape, so I left
+it at the sink in the men's bathroom:
+
+![Red tape on a sink. A paper towel under it reads "Free Tape — security
+won't let me bring it in"](img/clancy-tour/free-tape.jpg)
+
+By the time I came back again, it was gone, but since I bought it
+specifically for the show at a negligible cost, it has served its purpose.
+
+## In the pit
+
+![Mosh pit crowd. Most are wearing some sort of yellow or red
+item.](img/clancy-tour/pit.jpg)
+
+A person was wearing a badge that says "it's my birthday!", so I said
+"happy birthday".
+
+I arrived just in time for Balu Brigada to start playing. They're the
+opening band for the night, and they nailed it. They thank us, they leave.
+The crew came and removed their set.
+
+Suddenly at some point, the crowd began doing a wave. It goes clockwise in
+a circle, until a robotic voice came on the PA: "What's your ETA?"
+
+"Two minutes!" yelled the crowd in unison.
+
+Two minutes pass, and —
+
+Piano chords. Synth. Diese kleine unheimliche Insel hat mich zu einer
+Waffe gemacht. Wir glauben beide —
+
+Then French, then Spanish, then Josh, as the curtain drops to the floor.
+
+## Show begins
+
+The show kicks off with _Clancy_'s opening track, "Overcompensate". That's
+when I took the wallpaper photo.
+
+
+Notable events during each track (Link to [setlist on
+setlist.fm](https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/twenty-one-pilots/2024/little-caesars-arena-detroit-mi-7babaaac.html)):
+
+### Main stage
+
+- HOTY: after six years I finally saw Josh's backflip in person
+
+![Josh does a backflip from the piano](img/clancy-tour/josh-backflip.jpg)
+
+- Vignette: Tyler's synth noodling
+- Car Radio: magic track where Tyler gets "transported" to the mezzanine
+- Judge: fan video
+- Craving: big sad i cried
+- TIMH: not much
+- Backslide: Tyler sitting on a chair Shinji-style
+
+![Left: Tyler sits on a chair with head drooping. Right: Shinji Ikari from
+Neon Genesis Evangelion does the same
+thing](img/clancy-tour/tyler-backslide-shinji.jpg)
+
+- Shy Away: Josh playing drumpads
+- Heathens: Josh's drum solo
+- Next Semester: not much
+- Routines: Tyler literally yoinked a chair from backstage and decided to
+ sit ~2m next to me
+
+![Tyler sitting on a chair, singing very close to
+me](img/clancy-tour/tyler-routines.jpg)
+
+### B stage
+
+- Addict/Migraine/Forest/Fall Away: old fans rejoice! Tyler still
+ remembers RaB!
+- Mulberry Street: we took turns shining our flashlight in the chorus.
+ Also, Josh walked past me as well
+
+![Josh walking proudly down the aisle next to which
+I stood](img/clancy-tour/josh-mulberry.jpg)
+
+### Back to main stage
+
+- Navigating: not much
+- NATN: The Dema towers at the back of the stage
+- Heavydirtysoul: I could literally feel the pyro heating my face
+
+![Fire and explosions on stage](img/clancy-tour/pyro-heavydirtysoul.jpg)
+
+- My Blood: not much
+- Oldies: Tyler's last line was improvised to shoutout his daughter:
+ "She's in the crowd… and I love her. I love you Rosie!" and I cried
+ again
+- Fake: Tyler played keytar
+- Guns: not much
+- Lavish: Tyler & Josh had a "mock wedding" where they walked arm in arm,
+ and Josh threw his jersey like a bouquet to a lucky person in the crowd
+- Ride: they invited a girl named Evelyn up on the stage to sing the
+ chorus. By the time the song stops, everyone was chanting "E-VE-LYN"
+- Paladin: Josh playing the keyboard _and_ singing
+
+### Encore
+
+After the one-minute bird chirping and Nico jumpscare, the final part of
+the show began.
+
+- Jumpsuit: pyro and confetti (I caught some in a plastic Kroger bag)
+- Midwest: everyone yelling at the top of their lungs "2 MINUTES!!"
+- Stressed Out: completely reworked backing track, much cooler
+- Trees: HELLOOOO(HEY)OWO (HEY) HELLOOO(HEY)OOOO (HEY) HELLOOOOOO(HEY)OWO
+ (HEY) HELLOOOO(HEY)OOOOOO (HEY) (more confetti)
+
+![The boys bow to the
+audience](img/clancy-tour/we-are-top-and-so-are-you.jpg)
+
+"We are twenty øne piløts and so are you. We'll see you next time,
+please."
+
+The moment I checked the timestamps, I realized the crew timed the show to
+the precision of one second: the last image I took was exactly 23:00:00.
+
+## After the show
+
+I had a small amount of confetti, but that's not enough. As I was exiting
+the pit, I grabbed a handful on the floor, which is hopefully enough to
+share with Laura and Marisa. I stash some in a ziploc (I came _prepared_).
+
+A man in a green shirt with the Blurryface-era logo saw my Michigan Pride
+shirt, said "Go Blue", and then gave me a hug. It was the first hug
+I received since I said goodbye to my parents at the airport.
+
+I walked up the stairs to ground level, filled up my water bottle and
+started drinking. Laura found me and I gave her the ziploc of confetti. It
+is now time to head home.
+
+We carpooled with an acquaintance of mine and his dad, hurtling down the
+highways onto the brightly lit Ann Arbor streets. After dropping Laura
+off, I let out a sigh of relief, as it is finally over. The driver turned
+back to send me home — just like he did on 2024-09-04, when he drove me
+back from Green Day. I paid him $50, which I split with Laura, and then he
+gave me another bottle of water.
+
+## Total cost
+
+- Ticket: 187.1 (service fee & tax included)
+- D2A2: 6
+- Potbelly: 10.59
+- Carpool: 25
+- Total: 228.69
+
+## Comments on the show
+
+The boys did a great job as always — there was never a dull moment. They
+held themselves to such high standards only they can reach. _The_ major
+breakthrough compared to all previous tours, I would argue, is Josh's new
+roles. He used to only do two things, drumming and backflips. Now he plays
+the keyboard and sings, skills he's been gaining since MTV Unplugged. Josh
+once said that, out of the 21 pilots he'd be 5 and Tyler would be 16, but
+I believe now he's at least 8. Call that personal growth. I'm really glad
+that the band is growing increasingly versatile as a whole.
+
+Only complaint I have is the lack of At The Risk Of Feeling Dumb. Even if
+it's played from tape at the end of the show. Like come on.
+
+It feels surreal to me that what was once a dream is now a reality; the
+person who I used to see through a strand of fiber optic cable now stands
+before my very eyes.
+
+## Comments on the crowd
+
+The whole arena was extremely enthusiastic. You can just tell from the
+crowd wave. The pit was not too crowded, and generally well-behaved.
+
+However, some people tried to touch (pet?) Tyler and Josh without consent,
+which is generally frowned upon. I raised my palm in an attempt to get
+a high five. That did not happen, which is bummer, but at least I did not
+cross anyone's boundaries. I also noticed plastic cups littered on the
+floor during the transition from main stage to B stage. Probably
+unintentional.
+
+At 21:16, around 30 minutes into the show, some dude on my right yelled
+"Tyler have my baby". No comment.
+
+## Comments on myself
+
+A professor once said their life philosophy was to behave in a way that
+you would be proud of yourself afterwards. I am proud to announce that
+this describes me that night.
+
+I am pretty confident that I have obtained the Good Concert Goer's
+License.
+
+## Monday
+
+I woke up at 09:30 with a slight feeling of hangover. Still can't believe
+I checked off one of the most important items on my wishlist.
+
+I walked into a classroom and had the following conversation with my
+professor:
+
+> Me: Sorry I'm a bit tired. Got home at 1.
+
+> Prof: Oh I got home 12:30. Was at a show.
+
+> Me: Which show?
+
+> Prof: twenty one pilots.
+
+> Me: Fuck me I was there too!
+
+It turns out my professor was at the show per her kids' request, as
+a birthday present. They were seated in the center front seats, and her
+elder kid has been a clikkie since the Vessel era. We then spent ~20
+minutes discussing the show (she knew as much lore as I do), and I gave
+her two of my EAST IS UP stickers for her kids.
+
+## Wednesday
+
+After the German class, I sneaked into Laura Okkema's (my German professor
+last year, not the Laura I went to the show with) office and shared with
+her the videos I took with a visible grin of achievement. We had a long
+chat. It's always a good day when I chat with her.
+
+At 10:30 I met Marisa at the MLB and gave her a bag of confetti. And thus
+my mission is complete.
diff --git a/docs/music/clancy_review.md b/docs/music/clancy_review.md
index d4f95d4..1cd10a7 100644
--- a/docs/music/clancy_review.md
+++ b/docs/music/clancy_review.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
# Review of _Clancy_ (2024)
-Last Updated 2024-03-31
+Last Updated 2024-06-17
## Overcompensate
@@ -109,3 +109,396 @@ obscene margin. I hope they die.
Here's hoping my luck works out on April 2. I hope it's less than $100,
but at this point it's not really about cost.
+
+## Brief intermission: end of semester
+
+So I guess I wrote this on 2024-03-31:
+
+> - Despite probably intended to resonate with students, it did not
+> resonate with me because I'm doing pretty ok this semester and am not
+> contemplating suicide no thank you will check back when i need it
+
+This did not age well.
+
+Later on, the triplet of EECS courses nearly killed me (see [Winter 2024
+wrapup](../umich/w24_wrapup.md)). It's the most "Next Semester" moment, as
+this line repeated in my head:
+
+> Can't change what you've done
+> Start fresh next semester
+
+## Backslide
+
+Oddly poppy. Lots of Asian influences. Like the flutes in the verses and
+zither-like riff at the end. The zither, as Paul Meany revealed, was
+actually a chopped-up sample of the muted piano in another WIP track. He
+nailed the feel though.
+
+Musically, there was nothing remarkable. Lyrically, there was nothing
+remarkable. Apparently the title "Backslide" has biblical origins, but
+I couldn't care less. What I assume it means is a relapse into some old
+bad habits.
+
+In a line Tyler discussed how he regretted making "Saturday" on _Scaled
+And Icy_ (2021). Back then he described it as a "bop" (it is). Poppiest
+song on the record, climax of chill-ness. I do not know the reason why he
+regrets it now, nor do I care. Artists change their minds, and set
+different standards, and I'm the victim of the inferiority complex that
+interferes with my music making.
+
+Last year I made a song, [This Song Will Uncure Your
+Depression](uncure-your-depression.md). I never listen to it. The
+unhealthy tendency to compare my work to those produced in a studio has
+made it very hard for me to appreciate my own music. Because I made it,
+I know how far it is from what I wished it sounds like.
+
+I wish some day I could be proud of a song I made.
+
+The selling point of the song is its MV. Josh Dun directed it. It's part
+of the plan to shoot one MV for each one of the songs, set to be released
+on the same day of the album, which was a late decision that postponed the
+release date by a week.
+
+I bet the boys are having fun coming up with all sorts of crazy shit. In
+"Backslide", Tyler bought bread buns, ate some, traded one for a cup of
+lemonade, littered all over the street while riding a bicycle, and got
+showered in rain and leaves. When he got home, Josh was grilling beef as
+Tyler dumped the bag of soggy bread on the pavement.
+
+He is a menace to society.
+
+## The Craving (Single Version)
+
+Love song for Jenna. Watched the MV but not sure who directed it.
+
+Tyler strummed a few spicy chords on the ukulele, which reminds me of the
+"Trees" performance on the variety stream for Vessel's 10th anniversary.
+
+Josh's drums, on the contrary, is always upbeat in Shy Away style. I was
+expecting a half-speed meter drop where the snare hits every other fourth
+instead of eighth, but it never happened. He just balling.
+
+Apparently people are already spotting _Clancy_ in record stores who did
+not remember the postponed release date. Good for them.
+
+The reason behind the postponed date may have been Billie Eilish's _Hit Me
+Hard And Soft_.
+
+Tangent: If I had a nickel every time an artist stylizes track titles in
+all caps and mentions the French word "vie", I'd have two.
+
+## Album dropped!
+
+On 2024-05-24, the first thing I saw when I opened YouTube was the
+official audio for "Paladin Strait". I checked further, and all 13 tracks
+dropped. Living in UTC+8, I was hours ahead of the America folk.
+
+But then I remembered that the music videos weren't out yet. So I waited
+until 11:45 when they began a music video premiere stream. I watched every
+one of them, although internet was kinda wacky and some were glitchy.
+
+So, what's new?
+
+## Track-by-track
+
+### Midwest Indigo
+
+Another school-themed song about going home over winter break. I can
+confirm that winters in the midwest are, indeed, cold. The music video
+features Tyler skating on a frozen lake while playing bass. Josh, as
+usual, drums, also on the lake. I love how Tyler had to sit on the cargo
+bed of the pickup truck because Josh is in the cabin with his dog Jim in
+the passenger seat.
+
+The synth is chiptune-ish. Vessel-like.
+
+The drums are _fast_. I tapped on my metronome, and the backbeat (snare
+hit) comes at 116 bpm — even faster than "Shy Away" (96 bpm). It might be
+the fastest song in terms of drums, until I counted "We Don't Believe
+What's On T.V." (120 bpm).
+
+### Routines In The Night
+
+Despite some fans' speculation that the song was about Jenna and Tyler's
+"routines", it's actually about bad dreams. I've had dreams where I killed
+my grandfather by accident and then I died, so it's relatable.
+
+The piano outro reminds of me "Serendipity" by Vincent Rubinetti, from
+_The Music of 3Blue1Brown_.
+
+The music video features Tyler and Josh roaming around in a house and
+performing in random rooms. They literally moved Josh's drums everywhere.
+
+### Vignette
+
+Finally, tøp wrote a song about zombies. I thought this was a MCR thing.
+
+The "crash cymbal + kick four times" thing reminds me of "Whatsername" by
+Green Day.
+
+Tyler's falsetto is amazing. The synth solo might be better if it was
+Tyler shredding his guitar, but I like the way it is given how cheesy and
+cliché guitar solos can sound.
+
+No idea why Tyler felt the necessity to comment "denial" after "no no not
+me it's for a friend". It might be he's aware that he's in denial.
+
+The video features Tyler sketching out Josh's face on the snow. Josh, as
+usual, drums.
+
+### The Craving (Jenna's Version)
+
+The night before the album dropped, I had an unpleasant conversation with
+my parents, in which they talked about the struggles of maintaining their
+marriage, and it involved an outbreak of emotions. This conversation
+totally changed the vibe of the song.
+
+The difference between Jenna's version and single version is that this one
+is acoustic, just Tyler and his baritone ukulele. And that made it even
+sadder. That also makes it the first completely drumless track since
+"Truce", the ending track on _Vessel_ (2013), or the third of all time.
+
+The video for the single version is Tyler decorating a bullet and Josh
+carving a wooden box for the bullet. They present them to a guy with
+a rifle, who misses the flying target. It's about work and devotion ending
+up in waste, which has a lot in common with my mom's words.
+
+Jenna's version is just clips of her and Tyler on Josh's phone, taken over
+the years, probably before they had children.
+
+The most sentimental track on the record.
+
+### Lavish
+
+"The Craving" sets a sensitive, mellow mood, and "Lavish" totally kills
+it. It is rumored that every band has at least one song about a luxurious
+lifestyle (cue P!ATD).
+
+If you showed me the lyrics I'd be like, nah, no way it's tøp. Like what
+the fuck. These lines got me like 💀💀💀
+
+> Keep it cool, keep the mood androgynous
+> I see your problem is your proctologist
+> Got both hands on your shoulder while you're bottomless
+
+This song has nothing to do with the lore. No way the bishops had
+a proctologist…
+
+The video features the bois riding around town dressed in suits in a limo.
+I guess some dreams came true?
+
+![Tyler and Josh playing rock paper scissors by climbing out of the limo
+windows](img/clancy_review/lavish_rock_paper_scissors.jpg)
+
+### Navigating
+
+Finally we know what's the sound at the beginning of the "Next Semester"
+video. The track sounds like retropop. The bridge acknowledges that
+everybody dies, which made me ponder for a while.
+
+Similar to "Routines In The Night", Tyler is "navigating his head". I find
+it interesting that he used this metaphor twice.
+
+The video is the one of the only two (except possibly Paladin Strait,
+we'll see) in lore. In a typical configuration, Tyler plays bass and Josh
+drums in front of a fire.
+
+### Snap Back
+
+I'm sorry, but this is the weak track of the album. The meaning is clear
+though. It's about breaking a streak and losing progress, and references
+backslide. It's pessimistic.
+
+It's the third time Tyler got a haircut in a music video ("Car Radio" and
+"Levitate" being the first two) and honestly he looks better before the
+haircut. Also, I can't really tell if he's clothed underneath his barber
+gown.
+
+### Oldies Station
+
+It starts off like a happy commercial jingle, but the chorus and bridge
+hit hard. The track is about "pushing on through" depression and
+hardships. It's like a response to "Snap Back", only more optimistic.
+
+![Josh carrying PVC pipes while Tyler plays his
+ukulele](img/clancy_review/oldies_station_josh_carrying_pipes.jpg)
+
+It's the second time Josh was coerced into forced labor for a video shoot.
+He had to constantly carry PVC pipes to keep the camera rig rolling on
+a plank for the video, and this one is thus his least favorite. The camera
+guy ended up falling down a cliff, and Josh just… drums over his dead
+body??
+
+### At The Risk Of Feeling Dumb
+
+Starts off like circus music, but I feel it's the most serious song on the
+record. It tells you to check on your friends' mental health, no matter
+what they say — even at the risk of feeling dumb.
+
+It's also the track that "sounds like them" and "feels like them". They
+spread a message, like "Neon Gravestones". The strongest track, and
+energetic as well.
+
+The video features Josh drumming in the most random places. The album
+features Josh drumming in random places, sure, but out of 21 that
+I counted, this video has six (the last six):
+
+![Montage of Josh drumming in random places, including music hall, attic,
+punk venue, road at night, frozen lake, road in day, bedroom, storage
+room, living room, much smaller attic, bedroom, burning field, workshop,
+field (not burning), snow (next to a dead body), a plank atop two
+haypiles, roof, roof, steel beam over a road marked 12'-8", roof, on top
+of the Hexion building downtown
+Columbus](img/clancy_review/josh_drumming_in_random_places.jpg)
+
+One of my favorites.
+
+### Paladin Strait
+
+Paladin Strait is a fictional place in the Dema lore. If you cross it, you
+reach freedom.
+
+I expected a gentle drumbeat that gradually rises into the climax, just
+like the closing track "Leave The City" from _Trench_ (2018), but it was
+upbeat and "Level Of Concern"-like. However, it only lasted two sections
+before the drums stopped, before catching on at a slower meter. Epic is
+the only word I had in mind. It reminds me of their closing track on
+shows, "Trees".
+
+This is the longest song they have ever made, lasting 6:28, although one
+minute was just bird noises. (Even longer than "Taco Bell Saga" on Tyler's
+solo project, _No Phun Intended_ (2008).) Not gonna spoil the song, but
+the plot twist at the end was bone chilling.
+
+## Overall
+
+_Clancy_ took elements from all the records they've made, yet sounds
+different from any of them. The departure is real.
+
+### Song structure
+
+All the songs have a clear hook, and most have an "above-ground",
+danceable feel to it, as opposed to the deep, repressed, underground
+_Trench_ sound. It feels like Clancy is finally out, free, chilling with
+the banditos.
+
+Out of 13 songs, 5 begin with the chorus, which is supposed to be
+a reasonable amount compared to 4 out of 14 from _Trench_, but I just
+don't feel this way. I feel _Clancy_ has a much stronger emphasis on the
+hook, or motifs, in every song. The good thing is they're coherent and
+short, and might get more radio time. The bad thing is the lack of
+structural diversity.
+
+Notable "diverse" tracks on _Trench_:
+
+- "Levitate" is just nonstop rapping
+- "Chlorine" has an extra slower section at the end
+
+Notable "diverse" tracks on _Clancy_:
+
+- "Overcompensate" has long intro and interpolates "Bandito"
+- "Paladin Strait" is made up of two parts
+
+I was hoping for time changes and tempo changes, but all I got is a time
+change in "Overcompensate". "Oldies Station" seems to feature mixed 2/4
+and 4/4 in the chorus though. Sadly, no odd time signatures.
+
+### Sounds
+
+Compared to prior albums, _Clancy_ is very heavy on synth; the dominant
+example is the synth solo on "Vignette". I can imagine Paul Meany working
+day and night on these. As usual, Paul pulled an awesome job. When I saw
+his name in the "Producer" field I knew it can't be bad.
+
+There was no crazy bass work that I know of, but that's fine. I can hardly
+hear any guitar; did Tyler even play it after SAI?
+
+### Lyrics
+
+Another difference is their lyrics; it all started with Tyler's "Adidas
+track jacket". Tyler's gotten a lot more confident in bringing up specific
+brands, like Dom Pérignon and Kawasaki. It might be a hip hop reference,
+and I don't believe it suggests that tøp has grown more materialistic.
+Also I'm still not over the proctologist line how did it happen 💀
+
+_Clancy_ has very few explicitly in-lore tracks (Overcompensate, Paladin
+Strait, and if you count the MV, then Navigating), compared to _Trench_
+(Jumpsuit, Levitate, Morph, Neon Gravestones, NATN, Bandito, Leave The
+City). Makes sense since it's been 6 years since _Trench_ and you can only
+make up so many stories about nine bishops and their wacky religion.
+
+### Track listing
+
+I will die on this hill: swap "Vignette" and "The Craving". "The Craving"
+does not belong with "Lavish". You're at the verge of tears, guess what?
+Here's a song about banquets, champagne, and a dick up your bum. This is
+the single worst mistake.
+
+On the plus side, I'm glad Tyler chose Jenna's version in favor of the
+single. Also, "Oldies Station" right after "Snap Back" is a nice touch.
+
+### Tier list
+
+Here's a ranking of all 13 tracks, based on my scale. The standards are
+extremely high (or every song is S or A).
+
+- S tier: Overcompensate, At The Risk
+- A tier: Paladin Strait, The Craving, Oldies Station
+- B tier: Next Semester, Backslide, Midwest, Routines, Vignette,
+ Navigating
+- C tier: Lavish, Snap Back
+
+For reference, here's a ranking of some other songs on the same standard:
+
+- S tier: Morph, Car Radio, Ode To Sleep
+- A tier: My Blood, House Of Gold, Choker
+- B tier: The Hype, Guns For Hands, Message Man
+- C tier: Cut My Lip, Mulberry Street, Fake You Out
+
+## Verdict
+
+Rock sounds with hip hop and punk influences. Lyrics are more of personal
+introspection than there is lore. Unfortunately, _Clancy_ did not surpass
+_Trench_, but it's a close contender. But as my music taste shifts, this
+might change.
+
+On a scale of _Trench_, I'd say _Clancy_ is 90% _Trench_.
+
+## Update: Alt tracklist
+
+So, a couple days after the release, the band announced a special edition
+of the album called Digital Remains, which is a digital bundle with a PDF
+containing promotional images and working drafts of lyrics. On one of the
+images, an alternative tracklist can be seen:
+
+![Poster with track listing scribbled at the
+bottom](img/clancy_review/alt_tracklist.jpg)
+
+The tracklist is as follows:
+
+1. Overcompensate
+2. Next Semester
+3. Backslide
+4. Navigating
+5. Routines In The Night
+6. The Craving
+7. Midwest Indigo
+8. Lavish
+9. Vignette
+10. At The Risk Of Feeling Dumb
+11. Snap Back
+12. Oldies Station
+13. Paladin Strait
+
+With "Midwest Indigo" between "The Craving" and "Lavish", it eliminates
+the greatest flaw of the album. I created a playlist in this order, and it
+did sound better.
+
+## Trivia
+
+Similarities between "Paladin Strait" and "Taco Bell Saga":
+
+- Over six minutes long
+- Has a reprise
+- Contains the phrase "put … where my mouth is" (TB Saga: "I put my
+ chalupas where my mouth is"; Paladin: "Put my money where my mouth is")
diff --git a/docs/music/diag.md b/docs/music/diag.md
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+++ b/docs/music/diag.md
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+# Diag (Fedivision 2024)
+
+2024-05-19
+
+If you're reading this, chances are you're listening to my Fedivision 2024
+entry, "Diag", representing the Sacred Municipality of Deez Nuts. Thank
+you!
+
+If not:
+
+<audio controls src="https://fkfd.me/static/Diag.mp3"></audio>
+
+## Inspiration / motivation
+
+### Music
+
+As you may know, I am musically illiterate. I didn't compose "Diag" with
+a chord progression in mind. Heck, I don't even know what key this song is
+in. I just pressed random keys until it worked.
+
+Most of the instruments were synthesized with Helm and Geonkick. For the
+pitched instruments like the slightly wobbly piano, I played with presets
+and turned knobs until I got a sound I like. Drums and SFX were made from
+scratch.
+
+The working title of "Diag" is "fedivision scratch 2". It used to be
+"fedivision scratch 1" but Ardour crashed around the time I finished my
+instrumental track and corrupted my file so I scavenged the session folder
+and pieced it back together. It was around 50 midi files.
+
+I'd describe the song as pretty simple, 2 minutes and 14 seconds, common
+time at 120 bpm, driven by a kick every beat. There isn't even a snare.
+This is inspired by Radiohead's "Everything In Its Right Place". Turns out
+you don't need a drum set to sound great.
+
+I had intended to make a super convoluted prog-rock-ish song with a dozen
+tempo and time changes, but I never found the right sounds. Maybe next
+year?
+
+### Lyrics
+
+After a sweaty ride downtown, the first line ("Pharmacy, neon lights…")
+came to me in the shower. It has some Bill Wurtz vibes, which I find
+poetic. For the rest of the lyrics I chose a few things that I saw that
+day, plus some that I didn't because they sound cool.
+
+Among the things I saw was the encampment that the TAHRIR coalition set up
+in protest of UMich's investment in defense companies that produce
+genocide weapons. They've occupied the diag, and they're not leaving until
+the university divests. Weeks prior, the principal condemned the
+protesters for "disrupting" commencement activities. Same guy who refused
+to divest.
+
+Sometimes you feel guilty just to be alive. I have to pay my tuition
+despite all this evil shit; I have to travel by air (this year I flew five
+times); I have to use plastics. Last semester I took a course on
+sustainable engineering, and it made it worse.
+
+Now that I've lost hope in corporations, governments, and whoever signed
+the Paris Agreement, there's not much I can do. I could become a vegan,
+never fly again, and bring my own cup, but it's like bailing a boat with
+a bamboo basket. You can bet your ass I'm not the one responsible for the
+mess. Best I can do is to survive, and not make it worse, and probably
+teach my children to do the same.
+
+## Production
+
+All the work was done in Ardour, except de-noising the vocals, which was
+done with sox.
+
+I sampled "B_MIN01_EU_FN_BEN01_104.wav" from [the CatMeows
+dataset](https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67835-7_20) that I wisely
+downloaded three years ago.
+
+## Tools used
+
+### Software
+
+- [Ardour](https://ardour.org): composition, recording, production
+- [Helm](https://tytel.org/helm/) (hands down the prettiest plugin I've
+ ever seen)
+- [Geonkick](https://geonkick.org/index.html)
+- [SoX](https://sourceforge.net/projects/sox/): de-noising
+- [Krita](https://krita.org/): album cover
+
+### Hardware
+
+- Interface: Behringer UMC22
+- Headphones: Audio-Technica ATH-M20x
+- Keyboard: AKAI MPK mini play
+- Mic: Shure PGA48
+- Tablet: Wacom CTH-490
+
+## Lyrics
+
+[Verse 1]
+Pharmacy, neon lights, red cross, big signs
+Corner store, overpass and lines
+Motorbike, car horn, bus stop
+Plastic wrap, tip jar, pesticide
+
+Chewing gum, bubble tea, take out dine in
+Stencil spray, red blue green tape
+I believe you're not to blame
+I believe you're not to
+
+[Verse 2]
+The only place in the world that I don't hate
+Is my bed when my clock strikes eight
+Past ten, gimme two more, might check again
+Another day goes to waste, I don't care
+
+Bring it back, I want to be entertained
+Just to laugh at the feline impulse to be constrained
+Four walls, plus two, take one, that's a well
+For us to live in as pennies fell
+
+(You can blame me for everything
+But you know what you did)
+
+[Repeat Verse 1]
+
+## Trivia
+
+- "Sacred Municipality of Deez Nuts" is a play on the "Sacred Municipality
+ of Dema", a fictional city created by twenty øne piløts for their 2018
+ album _Trench_.
diff --git a/docs/music/how_i_got_into_music.md b/docs/music/how_i_got_into_music.md
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+# How I got into music
+
+I used to play:
+
+- drums
+
+Now I play:
+
+- bass
+- ukulele
+- a midi keyboard, if you even consider it an instrument
+
+## Early childhood
+
+I was not raised a music person. As a young kid I had near zero exposure
+to formal music education. We would listen to Mandopop and Cantopop, and
+mom would hum tunes while she did dishes, but that was it.
+
+There was once my parents picked up a 88-key keyboard for me at our local
+supermarket in hope I might amount to something. I never did. Sorry mom
+and dad :(
+
+## Drums & percussion
+
+In sixth grade I joined a brass and woodwind band as a percussionist (that
+was before I wore braces; the conductor looked at my teeth and said
+"nyeh"). For most of my band career I was in charge of the bass drum and
+the drum kit, but I did learn the timpani a lil bit. My favorite
+performance however was Takarajima, where I played the agogo (the soul of
+this musical number, despite being just one bar over and over again).
+
+As a side effect, a disadvantage I had to all the other band kids was that
+I can't really read pitch, only rhythm. I did not know what a Bb minor
+was.
+
+## Ukulele
+
+Fast forward to 2021. The summer I graduated high school, I decided to
+challenge myself to learn ukulele. My father got one secondhand for me. It
+turned out you only need a tiny set of "easy" chords to get started. You
+can sing in other keys with a capo. And if that doesn't work, the song
+probably isn't made for the ukulele anyway.
+
+On my mom's birthday I sang her "House Of Gold". It remains my favorite
+song to play on ukulele.
+
+## Bass
+
+The uke sounds pretty, sure, but I'm afraid my hands are too fat to press
+adjacent frets (like D and Dm), and especially bar chords (B, Bm, etc). My
+setlist effectively stopped expanding as of 2022.
+
+So near the end of winter break, early 2023, I took the other extreme and
+invested in a bass (known in guitar world as long boi). It is a red Ibanez
+GSR200 PJ bass, the only model that'll ship in 3 days. The date of arrival
+is 2023-02-02.
+
+![Body of a red bass with stickers of Konqi, twenty one pilots, "Blåhaj
+Simp" and "This Machine Kills
+Homophobes"](img/how_i_got_into_music/ibanez.jpg)
+
+I learned most of my songs from [Rod
+Nieder](https://www.youtube.com/@rodnieder).
+
+However only less than a week later I found out I was somehow admitted
+into UMich. Afraid that the airline might wreck it, I decided not to take
+it with me across the ocean. Instead, I bought a Squier that costs about
+the same. (I know it makes no real difference, but I kinda prefer the
+Telecaster-style headstock that has all pegs on one side.)
+
+!["Charcoal frost metallic" (grey and black) PJ bass in mint
+condition](img/how_i_got_into_music/squier.jpg)
+
+## Keyboard
+
+Without a ukulele I couldn't record melodic sections. So I turned to
+synths and samples in a DAW, such as LMMS and Ardour. At first I drew
+notes with the mouse, but it soon proved slow and tiresome. It was also
+too determinstic to be artistic. So in the final days of winter break,
+January 2024, I looked on ebay for a MIDI keyboard.
+
+There were six keyboards on sale, and I placed a bid on probably three of
+them. All of them were outbid soon. I was especially eyeing on an AKAI MPK
+mini, a two-octave keyboard with eight drumpads and four knobs, and
+I don't want the price to go crazy high. So I waited.
+
+Five minutes before the auction closed, I checked back on the price tag,
+and it was $16.50. Tentatively, I bid 17. Moments later some bot bid 17.5.
+
+One minute before closing, I bid 18. Same bot outbid me again.
+
+Five _seconds_ before closing, I bid something like 19, and the next thing
+I know is I won. But when I checked, my bid was 21.5. ebay apparently
+helped me outbid the one who bid 21 by two seconds. It was only one second
+before the auction closed.
+
+![MIDI keyboard next to a regular
+keyboard](img/how_i_got_into_music/akai_mpk_mini_play.jpg)
+
+With a bit of channel/note mapping, it works flawlessly with Linux.
diff --git a/docs/music/img/at-the-risk-of-feeling-dumb/cover.png b/docs/music/img/at-the-risk-of-feeling-dumb/cover.png
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diff --git a/docs/music/index.md b/docs/music/index.md
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--- a/docs/music/index.md
+++ b/docs/music/index.md
@@ -1,76 +1,27 @@
# Music
-I used to play:
+For the curious, I wrote [how I got into
+music](./how_i_got_into_music.md).
-- drums
-
-Now I play:
-
-- bass
-- ukulele
-- a midi keyboard, if you even consider it an instrument
-
-<details markdown="1">
-
-<summary>Click to expand infodump on how I got into music</summary>
-
-I was not raised a music person. As a young kid I had near zero exposure
-to formal music education. We would listen to Mandopop and Cantopop, and
-mom would hum tunes while she did dishes, but that was it.
-
-There was once my parents picked up a 88-key keyboard for me at our local
-supermarket in hope I might amount to something. I never did. Sorry mom
-and dad :(
-
-In sixth grade I joined a brass band as a percussionist (that was before
-I wore braces; the conductor looked at my teeth and said "nyeh"). For most
-of my band career I was in charge of the bass drum and the drum kit, but
-I did learn the timpani and a lil bit. My favorite performance however was
-Takarajima, where I played the agogo (the soul of this musical number,
-despite being just one bar over and over again).
-
-As a side effect, a disadvantage I had to all the other band kids was that
-I can't really read pitch, only rhythm. I did not know what a Bb minor
-was.
-
-Fast forward to 2021. The summer I graduated high school, I decided to
-challenge myself to learn ukulele. My father got one secondhand for me. It
-turned out you only need a tiny set of "easy" chords to get started. You
-can sing in other keys with a capo. And if that doesn't work, the song
-probably isn't made for the ukulele anyway.
-
-On my mom's birthday I sang her "House Of Gold". It remains my favorite
-song to play on ukulele.
-
-The uke sounds pretty, sure, but I'm afraid my hands are too fat to press
-adjacent frets (like D and Dm), and especially bar chords (B, Bm, etc). My
-setlist effectively stopped expanding as of 2022.
-
-So near the end of winter break, early 2023, I took the other extreme and
-invested in a bass (known in guitar world as long boi). It is a red Ibanez
-GSR200 PJ bass, the only model that'll ship in 3 days. The date of arrival
-is 2023-02-02.
+## My music
-![Body of a red bass with stickers of Konqi, twenty one pilots, "Blåhaj
-Simp" and "This Machine Kills Homophobes"](img/index/ibanez.jpg)
+I release music on [my self-hosted Faircamp](/jam/). Sometimes I write
+a blogpost about it below.
-I learned most of my songs from [Rod
-Nieder](https://www.youtube.com/@rodnieder).
+### [At The Risk Of Feeling Dumb](at-the-risk-of-feeling-dumb.md)
-However only less than a week later I found out I was somehow admitted
-into UMich. Afraid that the airline might wreck it, I decided not to take
-it with me across the ocean. Instead, I will buy a Squier that costs about
-the same. (I know it makes no real difference, but I kinda prefer the
-Telecaster-style headstock that has all pegs on one side.)
+![Album cover. yellow smoke on a red
+background](img/at-the-risk-of-feeling-dumb/cover.png)
-!["Charcoal frost metallic" (grey and black) PJ bass in mint
-condition](img/index/squier.jpg)
+twenty one pilots cover made from scratch.
-</details>
+### [Diag](diag.md)
-## My music
+![Album cover. Simplified birds-eye view of a university
+diag.](img/diag/cover.png)
-Here is a list of music I made, most recent first.
+My entry to [Fedivision 2024](https://fedivision.party/) representing the
+Sacred Municipality of Deez Nuts.
### [This Song Will Uncure Your Depression](uncure-your-depression.md)
@@ -81,11 +32,6 @@ beige](img/uncure-your-depression/album-cover.jpg)
My first attempt at actual composition. Involves synthesized equipments,
bass, rapping, singing, and samples.
-### Choker
-
-I recorded this with my friend Ryan in August 2023 but I haven't got
-around to writing a blogpost
-
### [Early Sunsets Over Monroeville](early-sunsets-over-monroeville.md)
![Editor window in Ardour DAW](img/early_sunsets_over_monroeville/editor.png)
@@ -99,3 +45,5 @@ is an acoustic cover of "Early Sunsets Over Monroeville".
- [Playlist to put on on my deathbed](deathbed_playlist.md)
- [How I Discover a Band](band_discovery.md)
- [Review of _Clancy_](clancy_review.md)
+- [Review of Radiohead discography](radiohead_discog_review.md)
+- [Clancy Tour](clancy-tour.md)
diff --git a/docs/music/radiohead_discog_review.md b/docs/music/radiohead_discog_review.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7ef4dc0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/music/radiohead_discog_review.md
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+# Review of Radiohead Discography
+
+Last updated 2024-09-22
+
+I got into Radiohead, a band with three decades of history, this January,
+due to a shitpost youtube video, as discussed in [How I Discover
+a Band](./band_discovery.md).
+
+In this post I will review every Radiohead album I listened to, in the
+order of discovery.
+
+## The Bends
+
+Guitar album, excellent dynamics. The energy pulses up and down throughout
+the album to keep you from boredom or fatigue.
+
+Compared to other guitar acts I listen to such as MCR or Linkin Park,
+Radiohead wins in music theory, most notably in the use of unconventional
+chords, while still being accessible to the average music enjoyer.
+
+Fav tracks: Planet Telex, Fake Plastic Trees, Just, My Iron Lung, Street
+Spirit
+
+Trivia: the opening tracks remind me of that one afternoon I put on The
+Bends and took a nap on the couch on 2F of Duderstadt until the 482
+lecture.
+
+Misheard lyrics: "Ah — this is killing me" sounds to me like "Cool — she's
+gay"
+
+## Kid A
+
+So electronic you wouldn't believe it's the same Radiohead. Hardly any
+guitar. Known as the "greatest left turn in music history". The opener has
+got an entrancing vibe (and is also in 10/4), and everything after that is
+just so esoteric.
+
+- Kid A: vocoded vocals
+- The National Anthem: J A Z Z
+- How to Disappear Completely: polyrhythm bassline, is about dissociation
+- Treefingers: instrumental, sounds synth-ish but is actually guitar
+- Optimistic: the least esoteric song on the record, but still
+- In Limbo: listening to the song makes me in limbo
+- Idioteque: samples early computer music "Mild und Leise"
+- Morning Bell: 5/4
+- Motion Picture Soundtrack: harp
+- Hidden track: whatever it is
+
+It's an album best listened to alone on headphones.
+
+Fav tracks: Everything, Anthem, Disappear, Idioteque
+
+Least fav: In Limbo
+
+## OK Computer
+
+Middle ground between The Bends and Kid A. Guitar and electronic.
+Definitely great, but I didn't like it (as an album) as much as either.
+First off, the album cover is whack. Iconic but not something I want to
+decorate my room with.
+
+Also, personally, the second half of the album (Fitter Happer — The
+Tourist) is not exciting. It's just sad. But "No Surprises" is good.
+
+Tracks worth attention:
+
+- Airbag: fat bass
+- Paranoid Android: Three keys, two time signatures. Magnum opus of music
+ theory.
+- Let Down: underrated. Happens to be my fav song to sing in showers when
+ I was let down by life and logistics in the US.
+
+Fav: Paranoid Android, Let Down
+
+Trivia: whenever Thom sings "interstellar burst, I'm back to save the
+universe", this image pops into my head for some reason:
+
+![开心宝贝 ("Happy Baby"), a juvenile cartoon superhero in a helmet and
+mask, doing the classical superman flying
+pose](./img/radiohead_discog_review/happy_baby.jpg)
+
+## OKNOTOK
+
+Kind of a B side compilation reissued in 2017.
+
+Fav: Lift
+
+## Amnesiac
+
+Sequel to Kid A, somehow being more and less accessible at the same time.
+
+Fav: Pyramid Song, Life In a Glasshouse
+
+## In Rainbows
+
+Really mature in terms of everything. My only complaint is "House Of
+Cards" is too long. It's not even the best song on the album.
+
+Remarkable things:
+
+- 15 Step: 5/4
+- Bodysnatchers: clipping guitar at the beginning, but it's satire on the
+ loudness war
+- Nude: one-octave-apart style bassline, angelic singing
+- Weird Fishes: just chill in general
+- Jigsaw Falling Into Place: probably Radiohead's happiest song to date
+- Videotape: nvm, we sad again
+
+Overall it's solid as a rock. Not a single bad song made it in here.
+I don't even need to skip the "meh" songs.
+
+Fav: 15 Step, Nude, Weird Fishes, Videotape
+
+## Hail To The Thief
+
+Political album. Personally not a fan, because nothing's changed in 20
+years. Musically, I'll be brutal: it's just a bunch of noise. Except
+a select few tracks: 2+2=5, Sail To The Moon, "There, There",
+Scatterbrain, A Wolf At The Door.
+
+In other words, HTTT is still growing on me.
+
+Thom seems to be doing the thing where he repeatedly sings a line along
+the chords, using his voice as an instrument. Examples:
+
+- 2+2=5: "Paying attention"
+- Sit Down. Stand up: "The raindrops"
+- Where I End And You Begin: "I will eat you alive"
+- The Gloaming: "They should be ringing"
+
+First time it's novel, second time it's acceptable, third time it's
+boring. Not a fan. It also drags the album slow (56 minutes). Radiohead
+learned the mistake and shortened their followup (In Rainbows).
+
+Fav: 2+2=5, There, Scatterbrain, Wolf
+
+## A Moon Shaped Pool
+
+The heartbreak album. I listen to it when I want to feel miserable.
+
+Fav: Daydreaming, Ful Stop, Identikit
+
+## The King Of Limbs
+
+I like the second half better (Lotus Flower — Separator).
+
+- The instrumentation and chord progression on "Codex" sound like twenty
+ one pilots on MTV Unplugged. They should cover it.
+
+Fav: Codex, Separator
+
+## Pablo Honey
+
+Notorious for "Creep" and the MTV Beach House incident. Still good. Opener
+surprised me with a 6+6+6+5/8 time signature.
+
+Growing.
diff --git a/docs/music/uncure-your-depression.md b/docs/music/uncure-your-depression.md
index f5c8930..d0cc1f2 100644
--- a/docs/music/uncure-your-depression.md
+++ b/docs/music/uncure-your-depression.md
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
Download The Song (still haven't settled on which CC license)
- [.ogg, 2.6 MiB](https://fkfd.me/static/Frederick%20Yin%20-%20This%20Song%20Will%20Uncure%20Your%20Depression.ogg)
-- [.wav, 16 bit, 48 kHz, 36.7 MiB](https://fkfd.me/static/Frederick%20Yin%20-%20This%20Song%20Will%20Uncure%20Your%20Depression.ogg)
+- [.wav, 16 bit, 48 kHz, 36.7 MiB](https://fkfd.me/static/Frederick%20Yin%20-%20This%20Song%20Will%20Uncure%20Your%20Depression.wav)
## Motivation