0x29A's recent activity
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Comment on Just bought Philips SHP9500 headphones and am underwhelmed in ~music
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Comment on Rams (2018) - A Dieter Rams documentary - Free today in ~design
0x29A (edited )LinkReally enjoyed watching this and have always enjoyed things around product/industrial design and in particular some of Rams (and co.)'s work. Wanted to share this while it's temporarily free to...Really enjoyed watching this and have always enjoyed things around product/industrial design and in particular some of Rams (and co.)'s work.
Wanted to share this while it's temporarily free to watch. If you miss it, it's also available on some streaming services for a price.
A quote I enjoyed
"I think that all this digitaization is becoming more and more a part of our life. I think it diminishes our ability to experience things. There are pictures that disappear, one after the other, without leaving traces up here [pointing to head]. This goes insanely fast. And maybe that's why we can, or we want to, consume so much. The world that can be perceived through the senses exudes an aura that I believe cannot be digitized. We have to be careful now, that we rule over the digital world, and are not ruled by it."
Dieter Rams
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Rams (2018) - A Dieter Rams documentary - Free today
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Comment on Am I alone in thinking that we're bouncing back from a highly technological future? in ~life
0x29A LinkEven as someone who has worked in tech fields for a long time at this point, I have fallen out of love with most of technology at this point- at least as far as the majority of both tangible and...Even as someone who has worked in tech fields for a long time at this point, I have fallen out of love with most of technology at this point- at least as far as the majority of both tangible and digital technological products and services go. So much so that I don't feel compelled to continue working in the field at all, unless I find particular angles to work within that I feel contribute to a better society (repair, helping people use tech in good ways and for good things, etc).
Feeling constantly burned and disappointed by enshittified companies with products that follow. Feels like so many things that once started by doing a helpful thing now are just overwhelmed by shittiness the longer they exist. Most of the technology I use, I now do so begrudgingly. Social media, YT/Twitch, and so on. I prefer to own my music rather than stream it, etc.
I try to make the best of technology and use it in ways that provides benefits to me, but I consistently find myself falling into bad uses of it, being distracted by it, allowing social media and other things to steal my time away when they shouldn't, and so on. I've at least so far de-Googled my life, run Linux as my daily OS (not that I recommend this for everyone), and so on. Now my focus is when I use tech it's pure escapism (games, video content) or creation (music production), or any number of personal and home projects. When it comes to social media, I've strongly curated my feeds and groups to try to only focus on things with a particular bent that I find useful to me (whether family, humor, good community, leftism, music, etc) and rid it of nearly everything else.
With the incoming era of AI, which I have no interest in, it simply feels like many of the dumpster fires of technology we've long been inundated have now had gallons of AI accelerant poured on them. Our 'smart' device bullshit will now be even worse and more ubiquitous. Our search engines will have awful results and move away from their simple, useful origins. Our own human pursuits of expression and skill will be disgustingly imitated by hollow simulacrums. AI bands already exist. Plenty of shitty bands already use AI for album covers and probably lyrics too, distorting that which should have retained its pure human form (it's no surprise nearly every music act that involves AI in some way REALLY sucks). Our productivity will yet again be expected to increase exponentially (without our pay following). Misinformation, inequality, and employment problems will only be exacerbated by its existence.
Don't get me wrong. I've seen ways AI tools can be useful when they're limited to being things like conversion tools and whatnot, or small parts of a much larger system, or built in ways that aren't generative. Many of my problems with AI and technology honestly mostly come from how they develop in societies such as ours. The systems themselves aren't necessarily inherently bad at all, it's the greedy, oppressive, coercive systems of economic and social power and the corruption that imposes on how they're built, used, funded, and unleashed upon humanity
Some days I truly do dream of dropping a lot of technology use completely and going back to more basic things. Thoughts/dreams of going semi off-grid at some point, or finding ways to live life that don't necessitate much tech use outside of very specific use cases, or something. Finding a better balance than I've lived with for so long.
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
0x29A LinkSorry... really dropping the ball and didn't create the last (couple?) of New Music Fridays or whatnot... just now even getting around to picking my favorites, so I'm just going to add them to...Sorry... really dropping the ball and didn't create the last (couple?) of New Music Fridays or whatnot... just now even getting around to picking my favorites, so I'm just going to add them to this thread.
Non-metal
Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft
More solid pop from Billie that covers a range from very solemn, almost singer-songwriter/synth/acoustic-inspired vibes (like tracks WILDFLOWER and SKINNY) to more typical dance pop (LUNCH) with her signature solemn vocal style throughout.One Step Closer - All You Embrace
A nice mix of emo, hardcore, and punk. Sounds of a particular era, but modernized. It might be nostalgia but this works for me. Stays harsh enough to avoid the shiny overproduced pop-punk feel but is very rich and full sounding, and catchy to boot. A mix of cleans and harsh vocals that works well. Even the harsh vocals I wouldn't consider too overly harsh- they fit the music in a way that would appeal to music fans that don't normally like harsh stuff.
Metal (primarily clean-ish / non-scream vocals or instrumental)
none this week
Metal (primarily harsh vocals)
Tzompantli - Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force
Probably my top of the week. So crushingly heavy, as is everything Big O))) (of Mortuary Punishment and Xibalba) is involved in. Big stomping, crushing death/doom with themes of reveling in the death of empire.BAT - Under the Crooked Claw
Richmond, Virginia's BAT play a punky, speedy thrash that kicks ass. Wild and fun guitar solos, constant driving riff section, and a nice dirty speed/thrash vocal.Gatecreeper - Dark Superstition
Gatecreeper takes their HM-2, Swe-Death influence and broadens their scope on this one leaning more melo-death in some parts and more typical Gatecreeper in others.Altar of Gore - Litanies of the Unceasing Agonies
Filthy, raw blackened death metal. Intentionality in the minimalism of instrumentation and pursuit of a raw production. All of it contributes to the violent atmosphere of the release.Hemotoxin - When Time Becomes Loss
Progressive/technical thrash in the vein of Atheist. Stays fast and complex but not overly so. Great guitar and drum parts.Strychnos - Armageddon Patronage
Blackened death metal with a sinister feel throughout. Varied and strained vocals worming all over these tracks. Something like a more raw, sharp, biting version of Behemoth. Still has the sinister and majestic melodies but without the unnecessary overproduction and theatrics.Akvan - Savushun
Iranian black metal that takes its concepts from an Iranian novel that "tells the story of an Iranian family in Shiraz living under the Anglo-Soviet occupation of Iran during WWII." Note: the use of the term Aryan here simply denotes the meaning 'person from Iran', not the corrupted co-opted version of the term later used by Nazis.
Bonus Record (can be any genre from any time, simply a recommendation)
Lo Tom - LP2
A straight-forward rock act, fronted by David Bazan and featuring long-time collaborator TW Walsh along with Trey and Jason of Starflyer 59. Highly recommend both releases from this project. Nice big rock riffs with heavy, rich instrumentation. Still the reflective and solemn Bazan vocal and lyrical delivery as a fan of his other work would expect.
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Comment on Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft (Full album, 2024) in ~music
0x29A Link ParentYeah, I think it's sometimes a path of least resistance thing. It's very easy to hate / be elitist about stuff like that. I still catch myself doing it. It's interesting how that mindset has...Yeah, I think it's sometimes a path of least resistance thing. It's very easy to hate / be elitist about stuff like that. I still catch myself doing it. It's interesting how that mindset has carried forward and is still all over the place. Many people eventually break out of it, thankfully.
Now, for me, it's a case by case sort of thing- instead of painting with broad brushes. There may be plenty of valid reasons to consider an artist 'manufactured' or way too rich and pushed by the industry or the problems with celebrity or whatever- I think the problem is all in making assumptions. Plenty of artists that happen to get popular still retain their authenticity- still deserve to be humanized, often don't even want the fame, use their platform for good, etc. It's too easy to just dismiss everything because of some assumption.
Thanks for the recommendations, will check them out! I do need to do a deep dive on Billie Eilish still. Mostly have enjoyed videos/singles/etc in recent years.
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Comment on Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft (Full album, 2024) in ~music
0x29A LinkLike what I'm hearing so far. Avoided big name pop artists for a long time because I was letting myself absorb other's feelings about really popular things and typical hipster/metal/etc elitism...Like what I'm hearing so far. Avoided big name pop artists for a long time because I was letting myself absorb other's feelings about really popular things and typical hipster/metal/etc elitism and such and wish I had checked her music out sooner. I think there's a lot to like and a lot of character and authenticity that people just assume is not present in pop for whatever reasons.
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Comment on Is Nebula worth it? in ~tech
0x29A LinkPaid for it with the yearly deal a couple of years ago, really tried to give it a good run but consistently could not find content that was interesting enough. I found that after a year I had...Paid for it with the yearly deal a couple of years ago, really tried to give it a good run but consistently could not find content that was interesting enough. I found that after a year I had basically not used it at all. While I love the idea of competing services that aren't big corps like YT/Google/etc, Nebula was just not compelling to me at all.
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Comment on Knocked Loose - You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To (2024) in ~music
0x29A Link ParentYeah, they've had a few tracks with those themes over the years. One of the singles (Blinding Faith) off the latest one has a lyric "No promise of heaven will make me march. With my final breath,...Yeah, they've had a few tracks with those themes over the years. One of the singles (Blinding Faith) off the latest one has a lyric "No promise of heaven will make me march. With my final breath, I deny the church" - that might be the reference in question
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
0x29A Link ParentVery much feel the same about another Headphones record, the existing one is such a gemVery much feel the same about another Headphones record, the existing one is such a gem
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
0x29A Link ParentYeah, for me personally I don't see that as a negative, I think he's found what works for him and is sticking to that (and honestly often I prefer that to bands that ruin their sound over time)....Yeah, for me personally I don't see that as a negative, I think he's found what works for him and is sticking to that (and honestly often I prefer that to bands that ruin their sound over time). His typical sound really, really works for me, though so I'm biased. Not to mention, honestly, there's tons of variety in his entire body of work between Bazan, PtL, headphones, Lo Tom, etc. so I think he's taken plenty of opportunities to express various types of sounds. I mean even early PtL and current day PtL sound pretty different, they've had multiple eras of sounds (Hard to Find a Friend vs. Control vs. now)
On the latest he's going back to some synth stuff (which he's done before but not super often) and he's definitely playing around with a few things here and there that are unexpected- like the arpeggiator at the end of the title track (Modesto)- that conjures a sound that's not common for him, even though the rest of the track is relatively typical Dave. I think he's still having fun, still genuinely playing with sounds even if he's settled in a particular lane.
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
0x29A LinkSome more singles released for Pedro The Lion / David Bazan's upcoming release and they're great. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBXtkiLy1B8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z-k7QO-x0U Been...Some more singles released for Pedro The Lion / David Bazan's upcoming release and they're great.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBXtkiLy1B8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z-k7QO-x0UBeen listening to the Knocked Loose singles (and the full album soon now that it's out).
Also: ACxDC, Wraith, Terminal Nation, Burn In Hell, Contention, Alice in Chains, Opeth, Ancst
Macklemore's protest track. Aurora.
A Projection (goth/new wave/etc): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7CndC-CQrw
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Comment on How do I fix my (stupid) use of excessive punctuation? in ~humanities.languages
0x29A Link ParentNot sure- but that's also something I do a lot. Not necessarily for punctuation reasons, but I constantly think of things I forgot to say, or a better way to say something, and I can't help but...Not sure- but that's also something I do a lot. Not necessarily for punctuation reasons, but I constantly think of things I forgot to say, or a better way to say something, and I can't help but re-edit my original post over and over until I'm satisfied.
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Comment on How do I fix my (stupid) use of excessive punctuation? in ~humanities.languages
0x29A LinkI constantly overdo my punctuation also- especially parentheses. But it is how my brain functions when typing things out. (I noticed another comment mentioning ADHD being related, and while I am...I constantly overdo my punctuation also- especially parentheses. But it is how my brain functions when typing things out. (I noticed another comment mentioning ADHD being related, and while I am not diagnosed officially- this and many other things about it match me so it's possible I have it- honestly a lot of things in my life make a ton of sense if I do).
I hear what I'm typing being narrated in my head and I end up interpreting that conversational speak into what I type, including punctuation. Some of it may break grammatical rules or whatnot but so far I've just gotten comfortable with it and I only clean it up more if it's a special situation where I think it's potentially necessary. Otherwise I think it helps me not to fight it in most situations, as it's the best way for me to get the words in my head out.
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Comment on Knocked Loose - You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To (2024) in ~music
0x29A Link ParentAOTY material for me this year. The singles were so good and I'm super glad to hear the rest of the album follows. This is one of the few albums I pre-ordered on the spot from my bandcamp wishlist.AOTY material for me this year. The singles were so good and I'm super glad to hear the rest of the album follows. This is one of the few albums I pre-ordered on the spot from my bandcamp wishlist.
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Comment on New Music Fridays: Sunday (1994), Terminal Nation, and more in ~music
0x29A LinkMine (plus a bonus) Non-metal Sunday (1994) - Self-titled EP Brand new debut from indie pop / shoegaze outfit Sunday (1994) - yes the year is part of the band name. Absolutely beautiful guitar...Mine (plus a bonus)
Non-metal
Sunday (1994) - Self-titled EP
Brand new debut from indie pop / shoegaze outfit Sunday (1994) - yes the year is part of the band name. Absolutely beautiful guitar parts, reverb-soaked leads, and a perfect vocal. Reminds me of Starflyer 59. Not available on bandcamp, but on other services, I linked the YouTube videos page from the band's channel instead.
Metal (primarily clean-ish / non-scream vocals or instrumental)
none this week
Metal (primarily harsh vocals)
Terminal Nation - Echoes of the Devil's Den
Anti-authority, anti-fascist, anti-capitalist hardcore / death metal crossover from Little Rock, Arkansas. A great follow up to their quality previous release. Very forward pull-no-punches lyrics. Love this. My favorite of the week.Contention - Artillery From Heaven
Apocalyptic straight-edge Florida hardcore. Great strained vocals and gang vocal parts. Typical hardcore sound. Sick stuff.Hasslig - Apex Predator
Raw filthy punk-tinged black metal from France. Noisy and ascerbic as all hell.Crawl - Altar of Disgust
Crawl continues their rotten low-end heavy HM-2 death metal. Chainsaws everywhere. Brutal death growls.Ancst - Culture of Brutality
Grind and death metal influenced hardcore. Absolute rage against many of western society's ills (capitalism, sexism, etc). Angry as it should be.
Bonus Record (can be any genre from any time, simply a recommendation)
Burn in Hell - Disavowal of the Creator God
Incredibly angry and noisy grindcore/hardcore from Australia. So pissed and not just the lyrics or vocals. The entire atmosphere and music itself sounds wildly in your face. Feedback, noisy tone, absolute full force blast. A favorite of mine you should know about.
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New Music Fridays: Sunday (1994), Terminal Nation, and more
Editor's note: posting a bit late, sorry. Albums typically release on Fridays. This is a thread to discuss week of May 03, 2024 releases that have recently arrived on our doorstep, or been...
Editor's note: posting a bit late, sorry.
Albums typically release on Fridays. This is a thread to discuss week of May 03, 2024 releases that have recently arrived on our doorstep, or been announced for the future. Feel free to share albums, singles, EPs or reissues that have caught your eye and interest, or share your thoughts about any new music that you've had the chance to listen to this week. I suppose let's try to keep the focus mostly on stuff that was released or announced this week, since we already have a "What have you been listening to?" thread.
Discussion Points
Is there anything you've been looking forward to listening to?
Any releases that have surprised you?
Have you listened to any new music recently? What are your thoughts?
What have you enjoyed from these artists in the past? How does their latest work compare?Links:
Pitchfork - Out This Week
AllMusic - All New Releases
Stereogum - New Music
Shreddit Release Tracker
New Metal and Hardcore Releases - Lambgoat
Heavy Metal Album Release Calendar - Heavy Music HQ
Upcoming albums - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives3 votes -
Comment on I made a mistake, I started using Reddit again in ~talk
0x29A Link ParentAfter Reddit's dumpster fire of missteps though I would not be surprised if the ratio of bad mods to good mods is far different now, with the former being the most common. Especially since Reddit...After Reddit's dumpster fire of missteps though I would not be surprised if the ratio of bad mods to good mods is far different now, with the former being the most common. Especially since Reddit was clearly ready to purge any mods they didn't like off the site
This topic is just another reminder to me that deleting my accounts after all that happened was the best choice for me.
I will only use it in search engines as a way to get a real user review/experience or for troubleshooting, and I would like to stop relying on it for those too. If it wasn't sometimes nearly the only source of some info, I'd block the entire site at DNS level. Maybe someday.
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Comment on New Music Fridays: Owen, Justice, Full of Hell, and more in ~music
0x29A Link ParentThanks for linking it! I was aware of the release, and have sampled some tracks, and for me my reaction to it is the same as a lot of modern Darkthrone, I respect it more for its influence /...Thanks for linking it!
I was aware of the release, and have sampled some tracks, and for me my reaction to it is the same as a lot of modern Darkthrone, I respect it more for its influence / pioneering / history in metal than I do for actually listening to current day releases. Fenriz is cool / funny and an icon in the scene, but if I'm going to listen to Darkthrone, I'm more of a A Blaze In The Northern Sky kind of Darkthrone fan
More power to people that enjoy their current stuff though! No intention of this post to be condescending or like "duh I already knew that" (I'm anxious that I accidentally come off that way sometimes), just wanted to give my 2 cents!
I'll probably give the last few modern Darkthrone releases another few goes and see if something sticks better for me, I know a bunch of people have really enjoyed them.
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Comment on New Music Fridays: Owen, Justice, Full of Hell, and more in ~music
0x29A (edited )LinkMy favorites of the week (plus a bonus) Non-metal Owen - The Falls of Sioux Long-standing solo project of Mike Kinsella of American Football fame. He continues his solemn, poignant indie...My favorites of the week (plus a bonus)
Non-metal
Owen - The Falls of Sioux
Long-standing solo project of Mike Kinsella of American Football fame. He continues his solemn, poignant indie folk/rock. Acoustic guitar, piano, lush drums, steel guitar. S. Carey lends multiple instruments and production to the record and Cacie Dalager (KC Rae / Now Now) lends voice, with a number of other guests too.Justice - Hyperdrama
Popular electronic music / electro-house group from France. Fun beats, minimal interludes, big bombastic house jams. Some synthwave/retrowave influence here and there. Some disco, some rock. Exactly what you'd expect from Justice, basically.
Metal (primarily clean-ish / non-scream vocals or instrumental)
none this week
Metal (primarily harsh vocals)
Exhumation - Master's Personae
Really loving the occult death/black feel here, though I'm not a huge fan of the production. Feels a bit thin (at least streamed from bandcamp) when it seems this type of music would benefit from more warmth.Full of Hell - Coagulated Bliss
Cool mixed-media artwork by Brian Montuori. FoH's classic controlled-chaos noisecore. Dissonance, blasts, tempo changes, deep growls, high screams.Morgul Blade - Heavy Metal Wraiths
Blackened heavy/trad metal from PA. Two genres that you rarely hear together (Malokapratan's latest is a great example too though) and it's becoming one of my favorite match-ups of sound. Black metal vocals but triumphant traditional heavy metal riffs.Pentagram - Eternal Life of Madness
Chilean death/thrash. Love the more yell-style thrash vocals employed here. Gives it a very old-school thrash edge. Solos all over the place.ACxDC - G.O.A.T.
Well-known LA power violence back with another killer release.Tombstoner - Rot Stink Rip
Gory, stoned death metal from NY. No frills, just chuggy, meaty, gang-vocal chorus goodness.Beholder - Dualisme
Québécois black metal. Melodic doom sections in an otherwise full-blast black metal assault. Highly recommend the vocalist's other projects too (Sulfure, Saccage).Amiensus - Reclamation: Part 1
Atmospheric, melodic, progressive black metal from Minnesota. Beautiful melodies of despair and anger- you can genuinely hear both.The Hope Conspiracy - Tools of Oppression / Rule by Deception
Well known Boston hardcore band. Aggressive, despairing lyrics at the current state of things. Lyric "Those who gave us yesterday created the horror of today" says it all.
Bonus Record (can be any genre)
New section, will feature music not released this week, but something you should know about, whether a release from two years ago or an obscure gem from 20 years ago. (This is mostly intended for my blog, but I'll try to feature things I've just recently found, heard about, been found/recommended by others, etc to fit the topic)
Baron Ungern / Барон Унгерн - Grandkhaan
This long-gone Mongolian black metal band's only release- an EP/Demo from 1999- re-issued in 2016 on this label. This is what the label has to say: "Sound quality of their EP is actually just shit, but considering the fact that it was recorded in the desolate steppe wastelands of Mongolia with poor equipment it is a highly respectable release nevertheless." Pretty incredible to hear black metal that came out of Mongolia in the 1990's. It's raw as all hell, like the label says- but the music is good. You could say some parts sound like a washing machine cycle and you wouldn't be wrong, but there's also a lot of charm to it!Giving this a pass sketch-wise. The band name is that of a cruel tyrannical german warlord who ruled over Mongolia in the 1920's. There are no available lyrics, so we can't really ascertain the nature of the band other than the very little we have to go on. However- I'd prefer you be informed- whether you listen is your choice.
The label gives me weird vibes, but I don't know exactly how to interpret what they're going for, as I don't know enough about the label or its owners. If I end up finding anything too sketchy (I deep dive on this stuff all the time) , I'll update this post and say why.
The 9500s are one of my favorite pairs of headphones and the genre I listen to most is metal. I find the detail, soundstage, and definition/clarity on even really fast parts (grindcore, double-bass sections, blast beats, etc) to be really clean and crisp and with plenty of bite.
They're also open-back and not sealed in tight like IEMs, so the difference in bass/punch in comparison is to be expected if you're comparing the two side by side. They aren't bass powerhouses or anything, so I do think, depending on the genres of metal involved, one might miss a bit of the "power" on the lower end of things, but I think they punch well above their weight. To be fair, though, 99% of my listening is via a headphone DAC/AMP connected to my PC which may make a significant difference.
It's all about personal preference, though. Yes, for some music I'd prefer my Sennheisers HD280s or HD569s, or one of the many other pairs I have, but I am overall quite pleased with the 9500s. They're relatively neutral but detailed to my ears, so I can listen across many genres, spoken word, etc and enjoy all of them without feeling the need to switch.
They might just not fit your preference of sound, it seems like.