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diff --git a/docs/music/at-the-risk-of-feeling-dumb.md b/docs/music/at-the-risk-of-feeling-dumb.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1e3c7e2 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/music/at-the-risk-of-feeling-dumb.md @@ -0,0 +1,280 @@ +# 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 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..95d1d25 --- /dev/null +++ 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 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..03b24d2 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/music/how_i_got_into_music.md @@ -0,0 +1,100 @@ +# 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 Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..77a2935 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/music/img/at-the-risk-of-feeling-dumb/cover.png diff --git a/docs/music/img/clancy-tour/east-is-up.png b/docs/music/img/clancy-tour/east-is-up.png Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..d8ebfb9 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/music/img/clancy-tour/east-is-up.png diff --git a/docs/music/img/clancy-tour/free-tape.jpg b/docs/music/img/clancy-tour/free-tape.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..9806633 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/music/img/clancy-tour/free-tape.jpg diff --git a/docs/music/img/clancy-tour/josh-backflip.jpg 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b/docs/music/img/radiohead_discog_review/happy_baby.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..fa6751d --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/music/img/radiohead_discog_review/happy_baby.jpg diff --git a/docs/music/index.md b/docs/music/index.md index 58cddb2..67db426 100644 --- 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 |