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Post by Julian on Jan 2, 2021 17:30:06 GMT 1
 EPISODE 10 • THE NIGHTMARE BALL Attention competitors, please make your way to the main stage!Hello uglies! Here is your challenge for the week:  Good luck, uglies. Don't die trying! |
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Chante™
NBU Council
they/them
3,576
8,454
Aijā, aijā / Saldā miegā
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Post by Chante™ on Jan 6, 2021 3:59:26 GMT 1
WEEK 10: THE NIGHTMARE BALL
Endongo
Nihiloxica
1:12+
Wiggery, we have the Nightmare Ball this week. For this ball, we are to bring a song about the Disney Villain we chose, a song that would play in the afterlife, and an occult song. These were three categories that I enjoyed digging my teeth into, with two of them causing me a bit more difficulty than the other one. But regardless, this was a hell of a lot of fun.
The Disney Villain I chose was Scar. Scar is the main antagonist of the Lion King. Scar was the younger brother of Mufasa, the king of the lion pride. As such, he was the heir to the title of king. However, that all changed once Mufasa's son, Simba, was born. This re-ignited the flame of hatred Scar had for his brother. Scar was Mufasa's younger brother, and Scar was a nickname he was given. His original name was Taka (which is Swahili for waste, ouch). It's clear from the start who's the favoured one when your name is waste to your older brother being just deadass named king. This kindled the flames of jealousy within the lion, as he was seen as just a waste. When his nephew was presented as the next king of the lions by the mandrill Rafiki, he begins to plot to kill Simba, and take back his spot as heir. After failing to simply kill Simba and his friend Nala, he comes to the conclusion that he should just off Mufasa and Simba. As such, he gets a herd of wildebeest to stampede, and tricks Simba to wait in a gorge where the wildebeest will trample. Mufasa comes in to save the day, and ends up dangling on a cliff. Scar pushes Mufasa into the gorge saying "Long live the king". He then blames his death on Simba, and banishes him from the Pridelands (an area based on the Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda region of East Africa), thinking he's as good as dead. Fast forward a few years, and the pride is in shambles. Hyenas are overeating with Scar's blessing, there's a drought, and the lionesses are complaining about them starving. After one of the lionesses condesendingly compares Scar to Mufasa, causing him to strike her. Then Simba is just convienently there, and confronts him. After Scar pushes Simba to the edge of Pride Rock, a wildfire starts, setting the perfect backdrop for a battle to the death, which is what happens. In typical Disney hero fashion, Simba defeats Scar but refuses to kill him. Fortunately, Scar tried to pin his crime on the hyenas, who were listening to him trying to deflect responsibility. They were more than happy to kill and eat him.
Scar was heavily based on a mixture of three Shakespearean villains: Claudius from Hamlet, Iago from Othello, and Macbeth from Macbeth. Like Claudius, he murdered his brother over the throne. Like Iago, he's got the same personality as him (sadistic, charming, smooth-talking, bitter, envious and narcissistic). And similarly to Macbeth, he follows the same trajectory (starting as a soldier of the king, believes to be the second-in-line, realises he isn't, kills the king to scare away the children of the king, becomes a greedy and ruthless king, leading to him murdering many former allies, and getting killed by the kid of the king).
"Endongo" is a song ripped from the Ugandan electro-percussion sextet Nihiloxica's self titled debut ep. Mixing traditional Bugandan drumming (from south-central Uganda, including the capital Kampala) with modern synths and percussion, the group has grown to become a household name in the dark-ambient Ugandan music scene.
Endongo is a lyre-like instrument of the Baganda people. The lyre is commonly played during during times of great emotion. Unfortunately though, very few are made, as it is considered one of the most difficult instruments to make. The instrument is played primarily by griots, which are a dying class of musicians. The synth is used as a modern "stand in" for an instrument as beloved as the Endongo. The piece starts off with a beat that is the backbone of the song. About 4 seconds in, a metallic synth note progression is added, harkening back to the beginning of Scar's hatred. At 0:48, a new synth melody pushes to the front, diving into static about 12 seconds later, signaling his plotting, and subsequent embelishing of his plan. At 1:12, a new bass melody jumps in over a new drum melody, showing off the scene with the wildebeest stampede in the gorge, as a sawtoothed synth comes in with screeching notes that stick inside your mind. This musical scene lasts for a lot longer, up until about 3:04, signaling the importance of this scene to the plot of the movie. There, a new melody jumps into the foreground, showing off the new rule of the pride that Scar put them under. This new melodical moment lasted until 4:32, when a blanket synth hops in, showcasing the growing discontent of the pride with the rule of Scar. This leads into 4:40, where Simba confronts Scar, and fights him. Clashing synth patterns over the traditional and modern drums invokes a fight between two members of the old guard of the lions. This clash was a massive point of the film, therefore, this lasts until 6:16, where Scar is killed by his former comrades, the hyenas. The song fades out just like what Simba wants Scar's memory to do.
The song invokes the Ugandan musical tradition with the synths that are crucial to modern music, just like what the Lion King did, to invoke the terror of a ruler, so ruthless, sly and far up their own ass that they would do anything to rule. And now, from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, let's head over to Southern Benin and Haiti via Korean Air.
저주인형 (eng. Voodoo Doll)
VIXX
1:23+
IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH, I'D AVOID WATCHING THE MV. THERE'S A REASON WHY IT IS RATED 19+ IN SOUTH KOREA, AND THAT REASON IS CAUSE IT IS GOREY ASF
Yes, we are going to Benin & the Americas with a song about a Voodoo Doll, sung by a K-POP Group. This was not how I expected to connect these flights but whatevs. Clearly, this is my Occult song.
A voodoo doll is best known as it's Westernised pop-culture version, which is a carving or sewn doll in the shape of a human, in which pins are shoved into it. The belief is that the doll will cause pain to someone in the same region the pins are inserted into the dolls. Despite the presence of these dolls across media, and with no help from characters like Queenie in American Horror Story: Coven, this stereotype of the voodoo religion was spread like mass. While the doll did orginiate in the Dahomey kingdom in Benin, like the Vodun religion which Hatian Vodou and Louisiana Voodoo spawned from, the doll was originally created as a way to transfer emotions. However, the myth of the doll as an agent of inflicting pain over the doll to a human was never something that it was intended to do, as it was something that was created as a way to promote widespread negative depictions of black and Afro-Caribbean religions in the United States. . The pins indicate links between the user and their target, and a singnification of their intent.
"Voodoo Doll" is the second lead single off of the South Korean sextet VIXX's first studio album. VIXX is widely known for their darker image compared to the other boygroups, and their utilization of a number of dark themes in their songs. Voodoo Doll's music video is shot like a horror movie, showing off the pop-culture side of the dolls, as the boys are captured and controlled by a woman, who gleefully tortures them through the doll. The lyrics, however, show off another aspect of the doll; the original, Dahomeyan(?), Hatian, and Louisianan version. The lyrics tell the story from the woman's perspective, as she tries to convey her feelings through the doll, like the versions from actual voodoo.
"Sing the cursed song
Tell me of the fury hidden inside of you
My flesh is an offering to you
I'll devote myself to your happiness"
VIXX use both version of the doll which are known of to make a song that not only shares the harrowing tale of being trapped and Stockholm Syndromed into loving the woman controlling them. She uses the occult nature of the doll to get what she wants, just like the Vodoun witches wished to achieve with their dolls.
When you hear French in North America, you should think first of Haiti, and then Canada. As such, let's see what Canada brings to the afterlife in this challenge.
Morphine Dreams
Flower Face
1:25+
Funnily enough, I identify mostly as Shintō. We don't actually believe in an afterlife. But the other main religion of Japan, Buddhism, does. In Buddhism, the afterlife is essentially an elevator where you stand, forced to remember what you did in your past life, waiting for your floor. If you lived a spectacular life, you'll get reincarnated as either a member of a higher caste, or you'll be welcomed to Nirvana. If you were an awful person, hope you enjoy being a mayfly. Waiting and just being forced to relive the traumas that fucked you up in your life is a staple of the views of Buddhists of the afterlife.
"Morphine Dreams" is a single initially released by Ruby Mckinnon, a singer/songwriter/guitarist from LaSalle, Ontario, better known by her stage name of Flower Face. Ruby began singing under the Flower Face moniker at the age of 14, releasing her album "Every Part of You That's Left In Me" in 2013. Her songs are known for their dark themes, sad guitar, and her whispery vocals, which she's carried for 7 years. However, 2 years later, she was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer, which lead to multiple rounds of chemotherapy to remove the 3.5kg tumor. This song was something she released initially in September 2016, one year after being declared cancer free to raise money for the Childhood Cancer Foundation, with an album cover that shows her scar from her surgery to remove the tumor. As a way to celebrate 5 years cancer free, she put the song out on both Bandcamp and YouTube.
"I'm tired of these strangers in my veins
Handprints on my lungs
Break my tired bones and let me breathe
[...]
My life's in plastic cups
Living inside funeral daydreams, I hide from everyone"
The song showcases the feelings and emotions that Ruby felt going through chemotherapy. In the Buddhist afterlife, you are stuck reliving a life that more likely than not traumatised you. If you were a cancer patient, this would be the song that would play in the elevator while you are waiting for your reincarnation floor. Ruby's whispery vocals, layered over a piano creates a hauntingly beautiful rendition of a woman who's career could have been snuffed short by a tumor, but now is only haunted by the occasional pain from where the tumor once was. Ruby is sharing her story here in song for you to hear. Who knows what will be the song that is played for your life in the elevator?
ENDONGO LYRICS
Bugandan (English)
sike yall thought [5]
motherfucker i can't believe ive sent these instrumental bitches this often
VOODOO DOLL LYRICS
Korean (English)
나를 불러 네가 맘이 아플 때 (You call me when you're hurting)
내게만 털어놔 누굴 원하는데 (You only disclose it to me, who you wnat to)
시간을 돌려줄까 마음을 갖다줄까 (Should I turn back time? Should I give you his heart?)
잊을 수 없을 땐 가져야 하잖아 (When you can't forget, you need to take it)
나를 믿고 따라해 봐 그는 내게 돌아온다 (Just belive in me and follow, he's coming to me)
시간은 너의 편 넌 그냥 기다려라 (Time is on your side, just you wait)
그가 널 울린 만큼 내가 다 울려줄게 (The tears he made you cry, I'll cry them for you)
째깍째깍 다 이루어지리라 (Tick-tock tick-tock Everything will come true)
가질 수 덦다면 그냥 널 위해 살겠어 (If you can't have it, I'll just live for you)
얼마든지 너라면 다칠 준비가 돼 있어 (No matter how much, if it's you, I'm ready to get hurt)
이제부터 잘 봐 내가 뭘 하는지 (Just watch closely to what I'll do)
너라면 한 몸 아깝지 않은 나 (If it's you, my body isn't wasted)
이름만 대 누구든 내가 다 데려올 거야 (Just say the name, and I'll bring them to you)
째깍째깍 다 이루어지리라 (Tick-tock tick-tock Everything will come true)
안길 수 없다면 날 밟고 일어서 (If I can't get it to you, discard me)
누구도 함부로 널 못 대하게 (Nobody can treat you recklessly)
어떠한 이유라 해도 넌 내가 필요하다 (Whatever the reason is, you need me)
널 위해 싸우는 인형이 돼줄 나 (I'll become the doll for you to use)
아픈 눈을 질끈 감고 너를 위해 달려간다 (I shut my aching eyes and run for you)
제발 나를 떠나지만 말아 (Just don't leave me)
네가 원하는 건 다 가져다 줄게 (Whatever you want, I'll give it to you)
째깍째깍 다 이루어지리라 (Tick-tock tick-tock Everything will come true)
망가진다 해도 너의 손끝에서라면 (Even if I'm destroyed, as long as I'm in your hands)
온 세상의 눈물을 다 흘릴 내가 여기 있어 (I'm here and I'll cry all the tears in the world)
이제부터 잘 봐 내가 뭘 하는지 (Just watch closely to what I'll do)
너라면 한 몸 아깝지 않은 나 (If it's you, my body isn't wasted)
이름만 대 누구든 내가 다 데려올 거야 (Just say the name, and I'll bring them to you)
째깍째깍 다 이루어지리라 (Tick-tock tick-tock Everything will come true)
Should I go should I stay
Nobody knows (woo)
Should I go should I stay
Nobody knows (woo)
Yeah 지옥의 문을 열어라 (Yeah, open the doors of hell)
그녀를 눈물 흘리게 만든 (Sinners who made her cry)
죄인아 피눈물 흘려라 (Cry tears of blood)
불러라 저주의 노래 (Sing the cursed song)
네 내면에 감춘 분노들을 말해 봐 (Tell me of the fury hidden inside of you)
내 육신이 널 위한 제물이 돼 (My flesh is an offering to you)
네 행복에 나를 바칠게 (I'll devote myself to your happiness)
웃는 너의 얼굴 한번이면 족해 (If you smile just once, I'll be satisfied)
내가 대신 다 해 네가 바라는 것들 (I'll do everything you wish for)
내 남은 시간들이 줄어든대도 (Even if my remaining time dimminishes)
누가 됐든 잘 봐 그녈 울리지 마 (Whoever does this watch carefully, don't make her cry)
더 이상 잃을 무엇도 없는 나 (I don't have anything else to give up
그 누구도 모르는 내 가슴 속의 슬픔은 (They don't know me, the pain in my heart)
째깍째깍 다 사라지리라 (Tick-tock tick-tock Everything will disappear)
Should I go should I stay
Nobody knows (woo)
Should I go should I stay
(Should I go should I stay)
Nobody knows (woo)
다 이뤄어지리라 (Everything will come true)
MORPHINE DREAMS LYRICS
English
i haven't slept at all
dreaming of july and june and pressed against the wall
these pills make me feel dead
vacant eyes and distant voices, my words come out all wrong
keeping me doped up
tearing me open on that freezing sterile floor
invading my body
drawing the blood til i don't feel a thing at all
i'm tired of these strangers in my veins
handprints on my lungs
break my tired bones and let me breathe
if i don't make it back home
you'll find me at the window, wide-eyed
kiss me one more time before i go
and then don't let me go
don't let me go
there's poison in my blood
chemicals they feed me slowly, stones beneath my tongue
my life's in plastic cups
living inside funeral daydreams, i hide from everyone
waking in cold sweats
nightmares like memories, they cling to me so tight
shivering and desperate
high on the morphine dreams, they keep me up all night
i'm tired of these strangers in my veins
handprints on my lungs
break my tired bones and let me breathe
if i don't make it back home
you'll find me at the window, wide-eyed
kiss me one more time before i go
and then don't let me go
don't let me go |
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Post by Alper on Jan 7, 2021 16:55:45 GMT 1
WEEK 10: THE NIGHTMARE BALL
You are currently entering... the Ordgie Experience
(The order is as follows: Occult song - Disney Villain - Afterlife)
Ha Howa Ha Howa
Sexwitch
The occult as a concept is generally used to describe disciplines and organizations engaged in deciphering supernatural occurrences or forces. It is made up of many mystical traditions that study a purported spiritual reality, or other ideas beyond the realm of reason and science. The practice of occult arts, also known as occultism, is comprised of many practices, including magic, alchemy, astrology, and divination.
The occult has its own range of beliefs and sects, but it also plays a part in pagan religions. Most denominations of Christianity see the occult as satanic and denounce it as heretical to Christian practice and their overall worldview.
As an adjective, occult describes something that relates to magical forces. However, it can also be used to generally describe something that is outside of common knowledge, or that cannot be understood without dedicating deep thought to it. Occult is applied to abstract or multi-faceted ideas and theories that are difficult to grasp for most people. There is a connotation of exclusivity to occult, similar to the occult itself. When used as an adjective for an idea, concept, or piece of information, occult describes something communicated between or to a chosen group of people. In the broadest sense, the occult is a category of supernatural beliefs and practices, encompassing such phenomena as those involving mysticism, spirituality, and magic in terms of any otherworldly agency. It can also refer to other non-religious supernatural ideas like extra-sensory perception and parapsychology.
The song "Ha Howa Ha Howa", originally sang by Cheikha Hanna Ouakki and later on influenced Sexwitch, talks about a girl in her 15s who travels around mountain villages and becomes a vagabond singer. She screams in agony for 7 full minutes, which later on develops into some sort of witch chant. Probably the most widely known characteristic of a witch is the ability to cast a spell, "spell" being the word used to signify the means employed to carry out a magical action. A spell could consist of a set of words, a formula or verse, or a ritual action, or any combination of these. Khan’s version of the song utilizes hypnotic rhythms and the drone of water-logged synths as the wave on which her psychedelic vocalizations ride as she repeats, “He addicted me/ He addicted me/ And I addicted him/ And I addicted him”. From the start, she continually says "He will tease me with thousand kisses, thousand kisses
, oh my lover he will tease" which, in my interpretation, means she is trying to conjure the lover to herself via this chant and there is no coming back, she is securing their future, and they'll be forever connected due to her spiritual attachment to the chant.
LYRICS
He addicted me and I addicted him
Oh my night life
Oh our night life
Oh my night life
Oh my lover
He will tease me with thousand kisses, thousand kisses
Oh my lover he will tease
Oh our night life
Oh my life night
He's my lover
Tease me with thousand kisses
He addicted me and I addicted him
With a thousand kisses
UMAI
Shireen
From the outside, the Evil Queen appears to be calm, regal, and sophisticated, but in reality, this collected and stately facade hides an extremely sadistic, hateful, cold and sinister person. She is ruthless, jealous and obsessive and wants nothing more than to be the fairest in the land. She also has an extreme vanity that made her utterly intolerant of rivals. Being solely focused on the idea of becoming the fairest of all, the Queen does not appear to be significantly involved in governing her kingdom, though the skeletal remains of prisoners in her dungeon point to her being a cruel ruler. Despite her insanity, she was also extremely intelligent and calculating, wanting to ensure that she does not overlook anything in order to make her plans an absolute success. This trait was especially evident in her stopping herself while gloating about how the poisoned apple will ensure Snow White's eventual demise in order to look up whether there was a cure for the effects of the poisoned apple that would be able to cause her plans to fail.
If I
Would give you my clear skies
If I
Would give you all golden fields of grain
Strong legs and tireless hearts
An ocean as still as a lake
Would you still worship and pray
And not forget my name
Disney technically hasn't been something that shaped my childhood, since in Turkey it's not something that was very popular. However, when I got assigned the Evil Queen an instant image appeared in my mind: "Jealous, Intelligent, Cruel". Surprisingly, when I did some research it actually was true: the Queen can be pretty sadistic and hurtful but at the same time she has her weaknesses. The song "Umai" takes its name from a goddess which originally comes from Turkic folklore. The name appeared in the 8th-century inscription of Kül Tigin in the phrase Umay teg ögüm katun kutıŋa ‘under the auspices of my mother who is like the goddess Umay’. Umay is a protector of women and children. From these it is understood that Umay was accepted as a mother and a guide. In the beliefs of the ancient Türks and Mongols Umai was a female Deity associated with benevolent deities and spirits. She was considered to be a favorite wife of Sky God Tengri, living in the heavenly zone. It is impossible to picture an image of Umai. Living in the heavenly zone, she radiates rays down to Earth, which penetrate into a man and as hot sparks live in him to his death. This spark supports in the man his vital energy and physical force, but it is neither spirit, nor Kut (luck; mercy, fortune; spirit). It is a divine power linking the man to the heavenly zone and it is sent by Tengri for his magnanimity. I tried to interpret the goddess in a way where she is a figurine who rules over a certain region and her people need to abide to what she's saying. She is always caring for her people (the Evil Queen was too, even if she didn't really show it) yet if someone prefers to go against her, she also knows how to destroy his world:
Instead I'll give you my storm
I'll give you my hail
I will tear out trees, sweep up the seas, destroy all the fields
And you reach for the sky
But in this mud you'll die
And you will pray
When lightning illuminates your faith
You will pray. You will pray. You will pray.
LYRICS
If I
Would give you my clear skies
If I
Would give you all golden fields of grain
Strong legs and tireless hearts
An ocean as still as a lake
Would you still worship and pray
And noooooot forget my name
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
Instead I'll give you my storm
I'll give you my hail
I will tear out trees, sweep up the seas, destroy all the fields
And you reach for The sky
But in this mud you'll die
And you will pray
And lightning illuminates your faith
When lightning... uh lightning
If you sweet child
Never screamed to get your way
I will forget you... lying there
And sleep for a million days
And I hear your prayers
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
Instead I'll give you my storm
I'll give you my hail
I will tear out trees, sweep up the seas, destroy all the fields
And you reach for the sky
But in this mud you'll die
And you will pray
When lightning illuminates your faith
You will pray. You will pray. You will pray
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
U... maaaa iiiiia...
Persephone
Dead Can Dance
In philosophy, religion, mythology, and fiction, the afterlife is the concept of a realm, or the realm itself, in which an essential part of an individual's identity or consciousness continues to reside after the death of the body in the individual's lifetime. According to various ideas of the afterlife, the essential aspect of the individual that lives on after death may be some partial element, or the entire soul, of an individual, which carries with it and confers personal identity. Belief in an afterlife, which may be naturalistic or supernatural, is in contrast to the belief in eternal oblivion after death. In some popular views, this continued existence often takes place in a spiritual realm, and in other popular views, the individual may be reborn into this world and begin the life cycle over again, likely with no memory of what they have done in the past. In this latter view, such rebirths and deaths may take place over and over again continuously until the individual gains entry to a spiritual realm or Otherworld. Major views on the afterlife derive from religion, esotericism and metaphysics.
The song "Persephone" by the iconic Dead Can Dance actually tells us a deep story, despite having lyrics that are from a completely made up language by the mastermind behind the song, Lisa Gerrard.
"...And the grim god Hades took Spring and shone her over the fields of the dead creating a beautiful and pleasant garden while in the Surface was winter. But when she took off after Zeus had negotiated a Truce with her mother Demetra, on the lands of the living the heat of the skin and of the sun returned. Yet in the fields of the dead, deep inside the ground, the Elysian Fields were spent for the light of their sovereign Hades had been taken away: her love, Spring. And so the grim Lord got gloomier by the hour as each hour of those 9 months in which she would not return passed. 9 months for them, 3 months with him, her husband. Their summer, his deadness. His summer, their gloom."
For me, Persephone makes the perfect closure to my three songs in this ball. In common knowledge, you have two options after you terminate your life in Earth. You either go to Heaven, or maybe, to Hell. Heaven is often described as a "higher place", the holiest place, a paradise, in contrast to hell or the underworld or the "low places", and universally or conditionally accessible by earthly beings according to various standards of divinity, goodness, piety, faith or other virtues or right beliefs or simply the will of God. Hell, in many religious and folkloric traditions, is a place of torment and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell as an eternal destination, while religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations. But what if there are actually no divisions in the after life and it's all made up to be able to classify people and prroperly format each of their actions while they are alive? Personally, I'm not very religious and I don't think a proper afterlife actually exists, but in my opinion this song shows us the perfect combination of Heaven and Hell. We travel through a harsh land, we arrive to the theatre, we summon the muse (the Goddess Demeter) in a lush world and, finally, a goddess Hecate arrives. And it's majestic. And the lush world disappears, the world ends now we are out of this world, inside ourselves or inside the Goddess. She talks to us. This is death. We are dead, with Demeter and Hades. Yet this death is not the end.
Persephone comes at last to soothe our souls and takes us back to the upperworld. We are no longer dead, the world is reborn. But it's not the same innocent place of before; it's become a place of reverence, and life acquires meaning and, therefore, sadness. We are alive but we are forever sad. Yet this is also happiness. Real happiness is always sad, because it's rooted to the core of our soul - mind. We may think there is either good or bad in the afterlife, but maybe, just maybe, we could be able to benefit from both sides?
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Post by Lᴇꜰ on Jan 7, 2021 21:36:23 GMT 1
WEEK 10: THE NIGHTMARE BALL The order is basically reversed so Disney Villain - Occult - Afterlife. Enjoy!! x
Part 1: The Catastrophe
catastrophe
Lucia
For my Disney villain this week, I chose Cruella De Vil from The Hundred and One Dalmatians. I am going to be honest here, while I knew and recognized all of the villains of this week, I wasn't particularly familiar with them as I have mostly watched Disney Series and not Disney movies as a kid. So I briefly looked on their personalities and chose a villain that I thought I could work with. Although finding a song for Cruella was harder than I expected, I chose "catastrophe" by the Romanian Indie artist Lucia.
Now, I won't go over Cruella's whole story in details as this is THE ball and I don't want my post to end up as a 3000 word-essay. However, I will point out the lyrics that relate to Cruella.
"They call me catastrophe
I say it’s an atrophy of the muscle that you should be using to feel
They give you an antidote
A tie and a coat, a suitcase and also a casket for when you get too old"
While Cruella may not be your typical catastrophical antagonist and while she is not a schemer nor does she have any powers, she is seen as a devil/catastrophe by other characters in the movie and it is something that gets acknowledged many times, such as when she gets called "the evil woman", "witch'' etc. So in essence, the line "They call me catastrophe" reffers mostly to her reputation rather than her powers. This is a significant part of the story since in the eyes of the Dalmatians she was invincible and they thought were unable to face "that devil woman", thus their only hope was to flee.
As a wise legend once said, "the villain knows how to terrify".
"No, I’m not what I used to be
No, I’m not what I used to be"
It is known from the movie that Cruella grew up in England and went to school like a normal child with her old school friend Anita Radcliffe, but at some point she became fabulously wealthy. Obviously her personality/behaviour changed and with her income, she longed to obtain the most lavish clothing lifestyle and developed an obsession for furs which led to the organisation of her vile plans.
"I’ve lived in a fantasy
Fell from the canopy"
Cruella lives in her own malicious, selfish and insensitive fantasy. Her goal is to kill 99 Dalmatian puppies and use their fur for a coat which is as absurd as it sounds. She just wants to feed her uncontrollable obession with furs which results into her purchasing 84 Dalmatians and as if that wasn't enough, she wanted to purchase 15 more from Roger Radcliffe (Anita's husband). Fortunately, she did "fall from the canopy" as her plans fell through due to her relentless and reckless behaviour.
Lyrics:
Make me see things differently
Am I, am I so blind?
As I run, run, run from all the things
That could count as responsibilities
Go to where a paper envelope delivers your results
They call me catastrophe
I say it’s an atrophy of the muscle that you should be using to feel
They give you an antidote
A tie and a coat, a suitcase and also a casket for when you get too old
Make me see things differently
Am I, am I so blind?
As I run, run, run from all the things
That could count as responsibilities
Go to where a paper envelope delivers your results
They call me catastrophe
I say it’s an atrophy of the muscle that you should be using to feel
They give you an antidote
A tie and a coat, a suitcase and also a casket for when you get too old
I’ve lived in a fantasy
Fell from the canopy
Only one casualty
No, I’m not what I used to be
No, I’m not what I used to be
Lived in a fantasy
Fell from the canopy
Only one casualty
No, I’m not what I used to be
Part 2: The Metamorphosis
Asana/Metamorphosis
Melentini
For my occult song, I decided to send Asana/Metamorphosis by the greek singer Melentini, a singer that I really admire for her creativity and artistry which is something rare for the relatively low musical level of my country.
But what is the meaning of the world occult? In the broadest sense, the occult is a category of supernatural beliefs and practices, encompassing such phenomena as those involving mysticism, spirituality, and magic in terms of any otherworldly agency. At first, when I saw the definition of the word, I thought about sending something related to witchery/magic (perhaps something similar to the magic challenge in W6) but in the end I decided to take a different and possibly more interesting route.
“Asana/Metamorphosis" reflects Melentini's fascination with the theme of parallel worlds. The song, and its visual accompaniment, serves as a soft, protracted scream dedicated to this process of creation. A fantasy of a place where beings can realise different versions of themselves.
The video also carries the occult element and it is altogether otherworldly, leading the viewer into a sanatorium that seems to exist outside the boundaries of space and time.
Why the creatures we see in the video — hypnotic in their melancholic beauty — are there, and what they are being treated for is not revealed; instead we are left to imagine the torment of their inner journeys while facing our own existential reckonings.
And what about the lyrics then?
In "Asana/Metamorphosis," haunting electronic soundscapes are layered with resonant lyrics, sung in the artist’s trademark made-up "Zrshian" language. The "Zrshian" language is supposed to be the Greek language backwards and it is described as a set of mesmerizing tones she uses to express "the feelings for which we don’t have the words." In my opinion, the made-up language is an element that adds up to the occultism that this song already provides.
Part 3: Entering the Afterlife
Eel Drip
Penelope Trappes
The afterlife (also referred to as life after death or the world to come or reincarnation) is described as an existence in which, the essential part of an individual's identity or their stream of consciousness continues to have after the death of their physical body.
I chose Eel Drip by Penelope Trappes because to me it sounds exactly like the song that would play during the transition from the real world to the afterlife. Additionally, the song also gives me the feeling of entering something "unknown" and that's exactly the first word that comes to my mind when I think of the afterlife. We don't know for certain what the afterlife is/looks like.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find the lyrics anywhere on the internet. However, Penelope's explanation might shed some light on the meaning of the song which I think fits right in with the concept of afterlife.
"Eel Drip" Is about honouring the dead, the passing of lives within you and beyond you”, Trappes explains. “It’s about physical or emotional change, acknowledging fears, and being true to yourself… reaching your full potential.”
Finally, of the video, Trappes comments: “In the process of changing and shedding past notions of myself, there is another world between the past and the future. An eternal state, unknown, warped, slippery, free. Submitting to change, dying… being reborn.”
It is a common belief that the afterlife involves the individual being reborn into this world and beginning the life cycle over again or being reincarnated in a different physical body or form after each death. The idea of reincarnation is found in many ancient cultures, and a belief in rebirth/metempsychosis was held by historic Greek figures, such as Pythagoras, Socrates, and Plato.
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Daniel
Retired Administrator
He/any
18,846
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Dell powers
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Post by Daniel on Jan 7, 2021 21:52:50 GMT 1
 SHIVA KINDETT EPISODE 10 • The Nightmare Ball
A song for the Afterlife
Terrible Times (Reprise)
Foreign Fields
0:00+
Starting this week off with an instrumental, I think this theme was the perfect moment to use one. There are no lyrics, the music tells the whole story. When I first heard this, I felt like this could be the music playing when I pass on to the afterlife. The absolutely stunning, melancholic yet peaceful ambient music and sounds with the distant voices of children just made it worth for me to send it. Adding to the whole concept of passing on to the afterlife, this song is the closing song to Foreign Fields album "The Beauty of Survival".
An Occult Song
Summoning the Gods
Trobar de Morte
3:18+
I first planned on basing this whole week off of the Disney villain that I have picked for myself, but I found so many bangers, that I decided to go for three completely different songs. For this category, I have decided to go for folk band Trobar de Morte.
<<< We acclaim the gods
While the crows caw >>>
In "Summoning the Gods", the band talks about summoning spirits or higher beings, so called "gods". The eerie folk sounds and the chanting really adds to the occult feel on top of the lyrics almost acting like a ritual to get in contact with the spirits.
Lyrics
Aclamamos a los dioses
Saliendo de la bruma
Aclamamos a los dioses
Arropados por la noche
Se acercan ya
Lo presiento
Ya están
Aclamamos a los dioses
Mientras los cuervos graznan
Oigo sus voces
Ya hablan
Ya escucho
Disney Villain: UrsulaRunKanga 2:11+I chose Ursula as my Disney Villain. She has one of the saddest backstories that nobody knows about. From the Disney Wiki: " Her back-story is similar to Ariel (from the movie) because she had a beautiful singing voice and lost her mother who had been killed by a pirate. Her father developed a xenophobic grudge against humans and use the voice talent of Ursula to lure sailors to their doom. However, she refused to attack the Jolly Roger, saving Captain Hook and his crew. In grudge with her father, she steals a magic bracelet from his vault, allowing her to become human. She becomes a pub singer and befriended Hook. However, Hook had concluded a pact with Poseidon to trap her singing voice within an enchanted shell in exchange for squid ink, to neutralize his nemesis Rumplestiltskin. Instead, Ursula herself steals the ink from the vault for him just as her father arrives to take the procured item away." <<< Hey now do you like what you see, cause it's a little obscene but
Hey now was it all I could be, well you can find me in the in between >>>" Angered that the ink has been crushed, Hook removes her voice so the King can never use her to sink another ship again. Betrayed and developing great hate against the human and her father, Ursula decided she no longer wanted to be a mermaid and used her father's trident to transform her fishtail into tentacles, becoming the Sea Witch." Added to the harsh and dark electronic beats, Ursula's story can be found in the lyrics: From her problems with her father, over her being used by people instead of being cared for, to the transformation into a sea witch and an "ugly" being, the whole story is covered here beautifully and I love that. LyricsI'm underwater, I'm out of place
I can't remember the shape of your face
It's an illusion, we weren't there
I've been asleep for so long it's unclear
I'm under fire, I'm being chased
I've gotta make my way through this place
They call my name but I won't look back
I am on my way, I am on my way to attack
Hey now do you like what you see
cause it's a little obscene but
Hey now was it all I could be
well you can find me in the in between
You've got me feeling so,
you've got me feeling so promising,
but honestly I run
So don't bother looking I'm already gone
I'm already gone
In night I pass you by,
feel so tired,
but you know I gotta
You know I gotta run sometimes,
you know I gotta run sometimes
Hey now do you like what you see,
cause it's a little obscene but
Hey now was it all I could be,
well you can find me in the in between
You've got me feeling so,
you've got me feeling so promising,
but honestly I run
So don't bother looking I'm already gone
Don't bother looking I'm already gone |
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