Warner Bros. has unveiled the first trailer for Godzilla Vs. Kong. The fourth film released as part of the studio’s MonsterVerse franchise was directed by Adam Wingard and stars Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, and Rebecca Hall alongside young newcomer Kaylee Hottle. Check out the trailer below.
“Legends collide in Godzilla vs. Kong as these mythic adversaries meet in a spectacular battle for the ages, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance,” the film’s official synopsis reads. “Kong and his protectors undertake a perilous journey to find his true home, and with them is Jia, a young orphaned girl with whom he has formed a unique and powerful bond. But they unexpectedly find themselves in the path of an enraged Godzilla, cutting a swath of destruction across the globe. The epic clash between the two titans—instigated by unseen forces—is only the beginning of the mystery that lies deep within the core of the Earth.”
Originally scheduled for release on May 21, Godzilla Vs. Kong was recently moved up to March 26 and will also be available to stream for free for a month to HBO Max subscribers in the US. The latest installment in the MonsterVerse franchise follows 2014’s Godzilla, 2017’s Kong: Skull Island, and 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
With her debut single ‘My Friends Online’, ELIO displayed a knack for melodic and memorable pop songwriting that was simply impossible to ignore. But even when coated in layers of sugary production and relatable (and inadvertently prescient) lyrics about social isolation, what made the song stand out was the striking vulnerability that belied its addicting refrain: “I just want my friends online/ To be around me when I die,” she sings in a high-pitched voice, enunciating each word as if that anxiety is starting to take control of her breathing. It’s no surprise that people – including Troye Sivan, who name-checked her while undercover on Twitter, and Charli XCX, who has now become her co-manager – connected to it beyond its surface appeal.
Taking her moniker from a Call Me By Your Name character, the Canada-via-Swansea artist – real name Charlotte Grace Victoria – released her debut EP, u and me, but mostly me, in July of last year. Drawing inspiration from artists ranging from the 1975 to Taylor Swift to Sufjan Stevens, the 7-track project somehow melded the emotional swell of a Jack Antonoff production, the smooth R&B of post-Sweetener Ariana Grande, and the pandemic-induced intimacy of Charli’s how i’m feeling now. Now, she’s back with a new EP, Can You Hear Me Now?, which sees her refining her sound while continuing to explore different facets of it, from the shimmering synths on ‘Jackie Onassis’ to the soaring chorus of ‘hurts 2 hate somebody’ and the wistful melodies of ‘@elio.irl’. While the personal nature of ELIO’s songwriting allows her to transcend her influences, it’s her appreciation for the way pop music can make those experiences feel universal that ultimately makes her music resonate.
We caught up with ELIO for the latest edition of our Artist Spotlight interview series to talk about what drove her to pursue a career in pop music, her new EP, and more.
What are your earliest memories of being drawn to songwriting? Has it always been an important outlet for you?
I don’t really remember when I really started liking songwriting in particular, but when I was a kid, I would always listen to CDs and write down all the lyrics that I could understand. And then my grandma actually told me, I think it was last year – when I moved over to Canada, ‘cause I’m originally from the UK, she came over to visit and she was cleaning my room and she found this diary entry of me going, “Ugh, I just wanna write a song.” And I must have been like, eight or nine or something.
I read that you started out by playing in a shoegaze band in high school – do you feel that has informed the way you approach pop music now in any way?
Yeah, I think so, in a way. The music tastes that I have acquired over the years have definitely allowed me to kind of make this amalgamation of, like, pop, but also influenced by different genres and different styles of songwriting. I feel like when I started that project, it really allowed me to understand kind of the music business from the perspective of a band playing shows and independently trying to reach out to people. So it definitely helped a lot.
Was there any particular reason that you decided to make that shift towards pop?
Yeah, I mean, I was in that band until I was 19 or 18. And I left when I actually discovered the 1975, so I went from listening to like, purely alternative, shoegaze music, and then I found ‘Girls’ by the 1975 and I was like, “Uh, music can sound like this?!” And then I was addicted to writing pop melodies and really trying to improve my production and kind of think outside of the box in that way.
A lot of your songs so far have been about technology, but also, like, loneliness and feeling things very intensely and figuring out your identity while growing up. Do you feel that’s something that’s very personal to you, or do you also think all those themes are kind of generational in a way?
I think it’s both, for sure. I think I have a unique perspective on it because I spend a lot of time away from home and away from my friends and my relationship, so I think I maybe battle with it more than the average person. But I think everybody kind of feels that way. You know, even if you’re three houses down from your best friend, or even in the same room, our communication is through our phones; like, I’ll sit in the same room as my best friend and literally text her and send her memes and videos and TikToks and stuff like that. So yeah, I think it’s definitely generational, but I think a lot of those things are also very personal to me. Learning to communicate that much through my phone has been a real stepping stone to building those relationships.
Do you have a specific approach when it comes to capturing that through songwriting? Do you feel like it’s changed or developed in any way over time?
Yeah, I think just kind of taking down the wall of – I don’t want to say, like, your pride, but there’s definitely a part of me that’s like, “Do I really wanna put this in a song?” Because, you know, my mom and my grandma’s gonna listen to it. But I think once you get past being scared to share those feelings with a lot of people, then it actually gets easier to not only talk about yourself and your own issues and happenings or whatever, but also connecting to other people. Because a lot of the time people don’t actually talk about that stuff – they just can’t, you know, there’s not really a time or a place to talk about how much you communicate through technology and those conversations can be pretty rare. So I think just kind of breaking down that wall was a huge thing for me to be able to delve more into it.
What was it that helped you break down that wall?
Honestly, I think it was releasing it. I mean, I released the first EP, and I was really scared to do that. And that was kind of me of half opening up for a song. Or like, ‘My Friends Online’, it was personally about me, but the song perceives it as a whole generation of people communicating through their phones. And I think when I released that, and so many people related to it, I was like, “You know what, I’m just gonna keep going down this road.”
How do you feel this new EP is different from what you’ve released before, both in terms of the sound and the production but also in terms of songwriting?
I think it’s it’s definitely different, it’s a little more progressed. I mean, especially for ‘CHARGER’, it was kind of the song where I realized that I didn’t have to necessarily write about my unique situation and I could kind of create a story through an object that everybody has, which has been really enlightening. And yeah, I think production-wise, when we started it, we just wanted to make it ten times better. We just wanted to make a clean-sounding pop EP. I think the first EP was nice because it was very bedroom pop, but I think this one’s a little bit more clean and a little bit more finessed.
I think that definitely comes through, which is why ‘Fabric’ is interesting because it’s more stripped-back and raw. What inspired you to close off the EP with an acoustic track and also to revisit the chorus of ‘hurts 2 hate somebody’ at the end?
I think a lot of the EP is about realizing a lot about my relationships and my career and I guess just kind of generally my whole personality. And ‘Fabric’, I wrote that when I was 21 and I was working a part-time job and I’d just dropped out of school. I was really sad, and I kind of dealt with my lack of working on something that I loved and being happy by being resentful and thinking that I… not necessarily deserved it more than other people, but I felt like I was just as capable of doing things that I love as other people. And I guess I just wanted to close the EP off on something – like where I started off, because you listen to ‘hurts 2 hate somebody’ and it’s a lot about getting over resentfulness and blaming other people. But it’s definitely been a journey – I’m a very pessimistic person, so I think closing it off on the note of “my life sucks and I wanna change everything” is kind of interesting.
You mentioned how the songs are about figuring things out in terms of your personality and your career. Do you feel that pursuing music has brought you a sense of purpose, or have you found that it’s also important to keep that separate from your sense of identity?
Yeah, I mean, music and especially this project and the art that goes around it is a lot of my personality. [laughs] I think I would actually like to separate it maybe a little bit more, since it does take up a lot of my life. But also, I kind of embrace it; a lot of my friends I’ve made through music and through playing shows or creating music videos and stuff like that. So I think it’s just learning where to become your actual person who has relationships and, you know, a friend when somebody needs one and separating it from your career.
I’m curious – at the very end of ‘Fabric’, what’s the sound that interrupts the recording?
[laughs] That’s my boyfriend’s dad. So my boyfriend, Mickey [Brandolino], he also produces on the record with me. And we’re kind of doing this really emotional guitar part, and his dad was upstairs and the studio is downstairs. And he just does this massive sneeze. And yeah, we decided to keep it. I think it’s funny.
Did you decide it right then and there or did you do another take?
No, that was it. That was the last take. We just committed.
It definitely helps end things on a lighter note. With that said, what are your plans now that the EP is out? Have you been working on your next project?
Yeah, I just started writing two weeks ago. So yeah, definitely more music, and then maybe something in between then as well.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
Throughout the week, we update our Best New Songs playlist with the new releases that caught our attention the most, be it a single leading up to the release of an album or a newly unveiled deep cut. And each Monday, we round up the best new songs released over the past week (the eligibility period begins on Monday and ends Sunday night) in this segment.
This week, we got another exciting preview from Madlib and Four Tet’s upcoming collaborative project, the downbeat and hypnotic ‘Dirtknock’; Arca and Radiohead collaborator Oliver Coats teamed up on the stirring and sublime 9-minute track ‘Madre’, while Hand Habits’ latest, ‘4th of july’, is richly moving and expansive despite its relatively short runtime; New Pagans delivered the fiery and anthemic ‘Christian Boys’; Bristol songwriter Clara Mann shared her second official single, the beautifully intimate ‘Thoughtless’; and finally, Cassandra Jenkins turned what could have been a meandering spoken-word track into something poignant and compelling with her latest, ‘Hard Drive’.
Grandmaster and World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen is an icon with chess fans. From an early age he has been considered a top player, even playing the God-like Kasparov at the age of thirteen and drawing.
Based on Walter Tevis’s novel, the Netflix limited series drama The Queen’s Gambit is a coming-of-age story that explores the real cost of being a genius. The series follows Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) as she develops into an impressively talented and glamorous outcast while striving to break the boundaries set by the men-dominated chess world.
In this nearly ten minute long video, Carlsen breaks down Netflix’s drama series The Queen’s Gambit and its most iconic scenes.
Fuzzed-out guitars, crunchy bass tones, and sweet vocals coalesce in Pom Poko’s deliriously unhinged music. Following up their thrilling 2019 debut Birthday, the Norwegian art-pop quartet – consisting of vocalist Ragnhild Jamtveit, guitarist Martin Miguel Tonne, bassist Jonas Krøvel, and drummer Ola Djupvik – once again prove they simply wouldn’t have it any other way: with the wackiness ramped up and the confidence more firmly on display, their latest not only bursts with as much colour as its predecessor, but is also at times both catchier and more adventurous. Even if the 33-minute LP does little to further the band’s stylistic progression, it succeeds in the tricky job of retaining the quirky punk fervor that made them exciting in the first place.
Albums as frantically playful and chaotic as Cheater can feel like an overload on the senses, especially for those not attuned to this particular brand of indie rock, but one of the record’s charms is that it ensures the listener is in on the fun. “Goodbye, my friend/ Go out, explore,” Jamtveit entreats on ‘My Candidacy’, as if for a moment encouraging both her bandmates and the listener to explore their wildest creative instincts. But the key to the group’s chemistry is that its four members never fall out of step with one another, and here, they tighten up the arrangements and production so that the unrelenting force of their music feels even more deliberate, the result of intense collaboration rather than a fortuitous half-accident; the frenzied ‘Like A Lady’ offers the most remarkable example of this, a song that’s executed with as much boisterous energy as electrifying precision.
Considering the band quickly developed a reputation for their explosive live shows, it’s no surprise many of the songs here are designed to thrive in a live context, with Jamtveit commanding “clap your hands and everybody get down” on the blissfully psychedelic ‘Andy Go to School’. So it helps that, for all their experimental tendencies, Pom Poko’s approach to songcraft owes a lot to traditional pop structures, lending a surprising immediacy to cuts like ‘Andy Go to School’ and the seemingly related ‘Andrew’. But while there’s no doubt these songs are optimized for maximum enjoyment in either a live setting or on an individual basis, they don’t always manage to create a cohesive album experience in a way that’s comparable to some of the band’s most obvious influences.
This is partly why Cheaters’ most engaging tracks are those that find the band revelling in loud-quiet dynamics, from early, snappy highlights like ‘Like A Lady’ to the jazzier/proggier direction the album careens toward on its back half. There’s nothing really matching the surprisingly intimate ‘Honey’ or the 5-minute epic ‘If U Want Me 2 Stay’ that stood out on their debut, but songs like ‘Look’ and ‘Baroque Denial’ suggest the band is more than happy to embrace different dimensions of their sound. There are also vague hints they might be looking to augment their off-kilter aesthetic with lyrics that gesture towards similarly absurd narratives, but those are far from developed here. For now, it’s safe to say Pom Poko deliver enough dizzy, genre-mashing exuberance to keep us itching for the return of live music.
Let’s face it, we all have one life and we want to live it to the best of our abilities. But that being said, it is also quite difficult to ensure that we do that, when in some cases, we don’t know what we want to do. You may be facing a decision about education, perhaps deciding on whether you want to continue it or study in a specific area. Maybe you are faced with the decision on what you will do for your career. Where you will live or the lifestyle you want to lead. However, we can all be influenced in a positive way, and there are some great ways to seek out inspiration. With that in mind, here are some of the ways to find it.
Social media
One of the first big influences that we can have when it comes to our lives is social media. After all, we all check our status updates and feeds on different platforms various times of the day. The information we consume can have an influence on our lives. So whether you see somebody living a certain lifestyle, someone doing something specific or visiting somewhere, it can make us feel and think that we would like to do that to. This is why influencer marketing for businesses is so big right now.
Influential people
There will be, however, influential people specifically in different areas that can also have a big influence on our lives. This could be famous people or maybe someone specific in their field. Whether it is someone specialist in their field like Travis Preston, or whether that is someone who is a CEO of a large corporation, these people can influence us based on their experience and what they have done with their lives. It is always worth looking at what people share and their journeys.
Specific schools or universities
It might be that you are looking at specific schools and universities as an influence to help you make your decision. It could be that you think you need to read reviews of how people have experienced their time in these establishments before you can make the decision of what is right for you and the next step in your journey.
Your parents, friends or other family members
There is no denying that one of the biggest influences we can have are the people that are in our lives daily. This could be your parents, your family members and even your friends. You will value their opinions, their journeys and the experiences they have and it could help to influence you in making the right decision for you.
TV and films we view
Last of all, there are the things that we see on the TV. The series we can get engrossed in and the films that can have a big impact on how we think and feel. Documentaries, history programmes and even just standard films, they can all help us to see things in different ways and perhaps influence what we do in our lives.
Let’s hope this has pointed you in the right direction for where you can seek some inspiration.
Those who are not new to the world of online gambling are already accustomed to the fact that they play not with a real person but with a computer program. This raises not only doubts about the fairness of the game but also about the winning odds. Luckily, such problems can be today avoided by choosing the option of playing with a live dealer. In this case, the gameplay process will be practically no different from the process of playing in a land-based establishment. So what is special about playing live dealer games, and what should you be aware of if you choose this type of casino entertainment?
Features of Live Dealer Games
In addition to the quite obvious fact that you play against a live dealer, this type of game allows you to control the process at 100% since there is real-life streaming from the gaming studio. Therefore, the presence of the option to play with a live dealer is one of the indicators of the reliability and success of a casino today. Some other benefits of live dealer games are as follows:
No RNG is used;
Game flow transparency;
An opportunity to control the game;
An opportunity to communicate with a live dealer/ other players;
Be in a gaming setting similar to a land-based casino.
Does it make sense to play with a live dealer, or should you limit yourself to the usual game against a computer program? Some players believe that playing with a live dealer is just another way for casinos to attract more customers. Others think that playing with a real person is much more fun than playing a “digital” game. No matter what option works best for you, you shouldn’t forget that the game is primarily entertainment and a way to have a good time. This implies not only dealing cards and spinning the roulette wheel but also having a pleasant conversation.
Many players believe that the honesty of the game is much easier to control if the game is played with a living person. After all, in this case, it is possible to observe all his actions and be guided by his own feelings, without blindly trusting the random number generator.
The assortment of live dealer games is regularly updated with new products from leading manufacturers of gaming software. The most famous companies that develop a lot of high-quality live games are Evolution Gaming and Net Entertainment. They already specialize in creating high-quality card and table games, so adding a live game function was not a big problem for them. Taking into account a wide game diversity, you will never be faced with a shortage of options when it comes to the selection of live dealer options.
Collaboration has always been an integral part of Tyler Bussey’s creative process, which is partly why he’s wary of calling Thank You Thank You a solo project. Best known for his involvement in acts like The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die and Strange Ranger, the Philadelphia singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has also contributed to a wide range of other projects over the years, a testament to not only his versatility as a musician but also his deep appreciation for different styles and – as he notes in our conversation – people. He’s carried that collaborative mindset over to Thank You Thank You, whose debut EP, NEXT TO NOTHING, features contributions from members of groups including Hour, Another Michael, Rozwell Kid, Spirit of the Beehive, and more. From the spare but evocative opener ‘O’ (which features three musicians) to the shimmering indie rock of ‘Autonomy’ (which features ten), the EP feels like an apt distillation of Bussey’s diverse influences and creative inclinations, a move towards something he can more easily call his own but that will always be rooted in community. With more music on the way, it’ll be exciting to see how the world of Thank You Thank You will grow and expand going into the future.
We caught up with Thank You Thank You’s Tyler Bussey for the latest edition of our Artist Spotlight interview series to talk about how the project came about, the making of NEXT TO NOTHING, and more.
What strikes me about your work is the range of styles you’ve dabbled in over the years – obviously, there’s your work with TWIABP&IANLATD and Strange Ranger, but there’s also quite a bit of experimental pop and traditional folk music. I don’t expect you to go through your entire catalogue, but what do you think it is that draws you to such a wide range of styles?
You know, I’ve always been that kind of listener. I think that, first and foremost, my experience with music was forged as just checking out everything and being excited to listen to all these kinds of music. There were no social expectations with a lot of it – it wasn’t like, when you’re listening to punk rock or whatever you’re not doing it to impress the cool kids; you’re not listening to, like, banjo tunes to fit in if you’re from Connecticut. [laughs] You’re just curious and interested and different things are exciting for different reasons. But ultimately, different kinds of music are – you know, there’s more levels going on than just what you’re hearing, there’s a whole story involved, like where, how did this style develop. Anytime you’re listening to music, whether you’re aware of it or not, there’s a backstory, there’s a place and a time that it’s related to. And I just find all that inherently fascinating and fun to investigate. So for me, it’s like, if I’m learning to play the banjo, it’s because I think that it’s deep and interesting. And if I’m learning a specific kind of guitar playing, it’s because I think that there’s a history to it that is deep and enriching. Does that answer the question?
Yeah, I think so. It’s almost like the genre or genre distinctions are less important than the story or the culture behind it.
Yeah, I think that genre in the old school sense is a way of demarcation and separating things off from each other. And in a lot of ways, when someone sits down and they’re like, “I’m going to make a genre piece of music” that is only about the sound, like they don’t necessarily know about the history. They just know how to make that sound. But immersion is so much more satisfying – like, that’s one of the best things about touring, is you get to see different things that are not what’s around you, you know, different cultures, different languages, different musics, and different people. Ultimately, what it comes down to, for me, is it’s about people.
Was that kind of thinking something that you grew up with or was it something that you discovered along the way?
I think it just – my instinct is that I’m curious and I’m interested in other people and where they’re coming from. And I don’t know when that set in, but like, pretty early, because I’m from the suburbs; I’m like, from what you would call a bubble, culturally, and so as soon as I found out that there was a much wider world beyond the world that I was living in, that even people that were older than me didn’t know about, you know – like when you’re a kid and you discover music communities or cultures or scenes or whatever that aren’t native to where you are. And where I was from, there wasn’t like a native situation, I felt very rootless. So it made a lot of sense to me to look around and just be open to everything.
What did you gravitate towards at that age?
At an early age, definitely punk rock and hardcore. And I’m talking about the late 90s, early 2000s, so bands that were active around that time, or a lot of 80s punk and hardcore, so you know, Minor Threat and Fugazi and Husker Dü. And then later on, broadening it to more indie rock stuff like Yo La Tengo and Broken Social Scene. There were specific punk bands that were active at the time that I was going to see a lot. But I think that’s when I fell in love with music as like, much more of a communal thing, because going to punk shows, you felt like you could – like, everyone’s climbing on top of each other, you know. I remember being at a show as a teenager, drenched in sweat, having my arm around a person who didn’t speak English, the only English they knew were the words to the band’s songs. So we were just screaming the words into each other’s faces.
I don’t know, I think I genuinely love and am interested in people, other people and their stories and where they’re from and what their deal is. So that probably did set in at a young age through punk rock, because I think the values of punk rock at the time felt very – like, all the things that you can think of that you would associate with leftist politics or, you know, anti-capitalist politics, anti-racist, anti-misogynist, all that stuff is ultimately about lifting people up and being pro-people of all stripes.
That makes sense to me listening to your new EP, because there’s still very much a collaborative spirit to it, even if it is kind of a solo project. Is there a reason that despite having been in different projects over the years, you still wanted to keep this very collaborative? Is it tied to what you’re talking about now?
Absolutely, I mean, that’s just what I believe in. It’s not like you sit down and you make a checklist of what you’re gonna do, that’s just how you are, how you make things. You said it was a solo project, and really, in my mind, I don’t like thinking of it that way, and I didn’t want – part of the reason why I put off doing it for so long was because I didn’t want to just have a solo project. So things had to come together in the right way, in terms of finding people to collaborate with, that it felt right and was enjoyable and fun and felt like a good team and a good crew. And frankly, if it were up to me, there would be other people singing and other people writing in the band, but the band is really me right now. And ultimately, COVID has something to do with that. Actually, this past year I’ve leaned into isolation and solitude quite a bit, and I’ve just been sitting at home, practicing guitar all the time and learning, and studying and listening to music probably more than I have since I was a kid. Worrying less about making it, but more about absorbing things again.
Why did you feel like this was the right time to start the project?
Well, the honest answer, which is a complicated one, has a lot to do with the fact that I have a tendency to prioritize others over myself and put my needs on the back burner as a collaborator and as a musician. So I reached a point where I was pretty burnt out from a series of unfortunate events involving collaboration and realized that it would probably be really fruitful for me to finally sort of step out a little bit more and have a little bit more confidence in myself as someone who can not only fill in things and contribute ideas, but just have the ideas, the initial ones, and then see those through and have other people in the roles and positions that I often filled myself.
It’s like, I have a lot of experience as a collaborator, so I think I’m pretty good at recognizing what I need from people and what they need as the person in the collaborative role. So I think that I was able to navigate that with this, where I was able to treat people pretty well and care about their feelings and their inputs and their thoughts.
And the name – Thank You Thank You – what was the inspiration behind that?
Oh, it’s kind of funny. Like I said before, I have misgivings about the idea of it being considered a true solo project, because I really just don’t believe in those demarcations and those arbitrary distinctions. Obviously, I think there’s such a thing as an individual and we’re separate people, but I think that none of us are an island either. And like, relationship and collaboration and community, all these things aren’t just buzz words or whatever, they’re real things that are the real important stuff in life, you know. There’s so much sensitivity and empathy and compassion and kindness and thoughtfulness that goes into making music with other people. I feel like there’s this trend, especially now, where it’s all about the solo project, all about the front person, like highlighting the brand and the figure in the middle of it at the expense of realizing how much work goes into these things and how many other people are involved. It’s like giving the chef all the credit and not any of the cooks.
So with that said, my question to myself was, how do I reconcile the fact that on the one hand, I don’t want it to be a solo project and on the other hand, I don’t want to be beholden to who the collaborators are in any given moment, because I’m going to keep making songs and keep wanting to put them out. So instead of just saying the name of the band is Tyler Bussey or something, I was like, well, it can be a play on my name, which is like, my friends call me “Ty Ty”, so.
Oh! [laughs] That only clicked just now.
Yeah, I’m pretty into it still, I think it’s cute and fun. But I alsothink that, honestly, not to get too heavy-handed about it or anything but it literally again feels like a situation, you know, when you say thank you, you’re talking to someone who did something for you. You’re in gratitude about a relationship.
I thought that’s what you were getting at at first, yeah.
All of the above, yeah. A, B, C and D.
To get to the songs on the EP specifically, did they come out of that lockdown period or had they already been written?
The songs that are on the EP, those were written before – except one of them was finished during quarantine, but that one is the instrumental track.
‘Out of Nowhere’, yeah.
Yeah, that one. That one was kind of funny because it’s kind of less of a song to me and more like a recording project in a lot of ways, more like a sound piece. That was the result of collaborating with my friendAlex Lewis, who is a fantastic guitar player and musician, and also an independent radio producer who worked with WXPN here in Philadelphia and with NPR and many more. Early last year I invited him over and we sat down in my room and improvised guitar music – we’d known each other for years, but we never actually sat down and played together. So when I had this piece, which was just – I made up a guitar part at three in the morning and recorded it, and there was something kind of spooky about the way it sounded; I was on my bed playing the guitar with my phone recording it, but I was probably like shaking the bed slightly by just kind of vibing. [laughs] And it made these kind of rustling sounds, it almost sounded like being outside, going for a walk or something. And then also, I was accidentally doing this percussive thing with my right hand, but it ended up sounding like three or four things were happening even though it was just one recording. I was like, “I love this, I should use this,” and then sent it to Alex, who added the lap steel parts and field recordings that he then edited and manipulated with his wizardry.
The rest of the songs are also quite different from each other. My favorite is probably ‘Heights’ – could you talk more about the process behind that track?
Yeah, that is definitely a song that I’ve messed around with for years. I’ve honestly just kind of enjoyed the lyrical arc of it and the scene that I describe in it and then the second scene down the road, like the memory of it. I’ve always had that going and been playing with it, and then for years just messing around with different ways to arrange or play it. But I was playing it by myself, I didn’t have a band to play it with. And then when I finally put together a group of people to play music and shows with in Philly, which I would be remiss if I didn’t mention them: we have Sean Hallock, who played drums with the project; Corey Wichlin, who played guitar and occasionally synthesizer; and Jacob Crofoot, who would play bass. We had these songs that I’d written and were trying to figure out what they were going to be. And basically, we arranged it together, and I really wanted to not play guitar for the entire song. I just wanted to kind of put the guitar down and sing, but then pick up the guitar for the reverse solo thing. I just thought it was funny to put the guitar down and then pick it up to shred a stupid solo. [laughs]
And the chorus, the “ba ba” part, how did that come about?
Well, I just love a “ba ba” part, you know? And to be honest with you, I think that it was one of those things where you’re trying different ideas, and then you sit with that idea to see if it holds water and if you want to stick with that idea. To me, the “ba ba” part is not like a simple “ba ba” part, it’s also like a lexical unit that corresponds with the lyrics of the song in other places.
Like “back”?
Yes, exactly. And the different meanings of the word “back”. But I was thinking about those things and that’s why it took a long time to write because I was kind of weighing all these elements and words and trying to figure out if I liked them. And that’s why the solo is in reverse and forwards at the same time. The whole thing is about the fog of memory and about, also like a weed fog; it’s all about, you know, layers and layers of meaning and that sort of thing. And how meaning is formed and how the brain even fucking tries to do this shit.
Yeah. The more times I listened to that song, the more layers revealed themselves.
See, that’s what the dream is, you want people to actually feel like the songs continue to open up over time.
I wanted to ask about something I noticed on the Bandcamp page – the bio reads, “a shadow of myself playing the banjo.” And in the credits, you’ve put two question marks next to “banjo.”
Uh-huh.
Is there a story behind that?
No, that’s a mystery. That is a mystery for the listener to solve. Or to just dwell in. It’s a mystery that we are all part of.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
Fifteen Questions is arguably the most prominent music website that interviews dozens of music-minded people around the world on a consistent basis. The online magazine is lead by two music media veterans Tobias Fischer and Lara Cory. To talk about Fifteen Questions, they joined us for an interview.
Firstly, how are you and what is your background?
Tobias: Doing well, thank you! Still healthy and getting ready for a few days of rest here in Berlin … I’ve been a journalist and copywriter for almost twenty years. During this time, I’ve written for hardcore metal magazines, classical music publications, experimental music sites as well as Germany’s biggest magazine on recording, Beat. I’ve also written a book about the sounds of animals with Lara. 15 Questions was the only way to bring all of my interests in music under one umbrella, which actually seemed to make sense.
Lara: I’m not sick or dead so things could be worse. Being a writer was never on my horizon, so it was a bit of a spontaneous thing when I started writing 12 years ago. I started writing about art and food and then began to include music and film. I’ve been freelancing for about 10 years now, writing for digital and print media and copywriting at agencies. I’m hoping to complete a collection of short stories that I hope someone might want to publish some day.
How did Fifteen Questions start, and how did the idea for it came about?
Tobias: It started as a questionnaire for my first own website, tokafi, which ran between 2005 and 2015. The original idea was to have a modular interview, which could be applied to almost all kinds of artists and where questions could be swapped and replaced depending on the occasion.
Even though 15 Questions is now a site of its own, I think the basic concept is still the same: Allow everyone in music – mostly artists, but also PR agents, organisers and journalists – to talk about some of the most important topics, from production via originality to the creative process and science. Readers can place the interviews side by side and compare the replies. In 200 years time, future generation can then discover what artists thought about music in another era.
Have the questions changed over the years, or they have tended to stay the same?
Tobias: If you take the original set of questions from 2005 as a yard stick, not a single question has remained intact. Every few years, I will re-evaluate and adjust them, depending on what seems to work and what our interests are. The current iteration has proven particularly effective and it’s remained unchanged for quite some time. I’m looking to apply a few changes in 2021, though.
You have interviewed various amounts of creatives from the music world, has there been a key trait or element that they all share?
Lara: On the contrary, it’s their differences that make the site work, and keep us interested.
With such a vast experience of asking quality questions, is there a specific question you are always eager to ask and why?
Lara: I always like to read what people have to say about originality and getting into a creative mindset. It’s usually the best measure of honesty.
Tobias: The one about different senses working together. I have a specific kind of synaesthesia and always used to think that this made my experience of music very different. It probably is, but we have a section about synaesthesia in the interview and what it revealed is that there doesn’t seem to be one standard way of how we perceive sound. We all hold very strong opinions about music, but ironically, we may all be talking about different things!
Is there a question that tends to divide people, or receive an adverse reaction?
Lara: The last question seems to get people enthused, either about their fear of what the future holds or their excitement about its potential.
Tobias: Yeah, that one’s always good for a little controversy. Although that may be because the wording is slightly provocative itself …
Do you feel the answers get better with certain types of genre artists?
Lara: No. I am consistently surprised and delighted by the randomness.
Tobias: What we do notice, on a very fundamental level, is that the type of music you play influences your focus. Classical instrumentalists rarely have something revealing to say about technology, for example, while electronic producers can obviously go deep on sound related questions. But, as Lara said, there is a big element of surprise there – the best interviews tend to be the ones where you get a fascinating reply where you would never have expected one.
Is there anyone you would love to interview in the coming year?
Lara: Mike Patton, this year or any year.
Tobias: Kraftwerk. Not going to happen, but I keep telling myself that if Ralph Hütter ever does an interview again, it’s going to be for 15 Questions.
Do you have a favourite interview you’ve conducted?
Lara: I have so many. But of the recent interviews, I’d have to go with Alain Johannes, Alessandra Novaga, Ilia Belorukov and Natali Kruger.
I remember getting a lot out of David Keenan’s interview and being impressed by Pauline Oliveros’ ability to say so much with so few words.
Tobias: This year alone, we’ve had an incredible run. We’ve conducted 200 interviews and among them have been a lot of personal favourites. I really appreciate artists who approach their art passionately, but are then able to communicate that experience into deep thoughts. For examples, take a look at our interviews with Carl Stone, Ella Minus, Louisahhh, Tyler Friedman, Chris Korda, Wild Anima, Sean O’Hagan, Chloé Raunet / C.A.R., Diana Combo / Síria, Golem Mecanique and Jochen Rueckert.
Was there an interview you’ve done that has not gone well?
Tobias: We sometimes get back interviews where you can tell that the artist didn’t enjoy doing it. Interestingly, some of those turn out particularly interesting! One example is Miss Kittin. I think she hated having to go through all these questions and seemed exhausted in the end – but the result was intriguing to say the least.
Lara: I remember once when we first started, I accidentally confused Otto Von Shirach’s interview for Scott Morgan’s (Loscil). I was extremely embarrassed when I realised the mistake I’d made, especially after I’d emailed Scott asking if he might try again with his answers. I still shudder to think of it all these years later. If you read the two interviews, you’ll understand. Scott was really good about it, and luckily we were able to laugh about it later.
Thank you for joining us!
Visit Fifteen Questions to read a variety of in-depth interviews surrounding music.
Online entertainment is growing continuously, and internet users have numerous options at their disposal, from social networking websites to multimedia resources. When it comes to digital entertainment, we cannot ignore the gaming industry and, in particular, the gambling industry. Since the inception of online casinos in the mid-’90s, players across the globe have accepted this form of gaming with open arms. In the last decade, this digital entertainment industry has witnessed enormous growth due to the rise of smartphone users and easy internet availability. A great variety of available games has also attracted more players.
These factors have led new players to try online real-money games. However, not all users have a clear idea of what the best games are. If you are just starting out your journey into this entertaining world and you don’t know about the exciting world of casino games, we are going to tell you about the top games to play on online gambling websites.
Online Gambling Games: Introduction
Online casino games make up the main catalog of online casinos. Players can play these games from a smartphone or PC. Some of these games also offer a live dealer option, where players can play with the real dealer through the screen.
Additionally, its advantages include their 24/7 availability, no wait to grab the game table, and you find reasonable betting limits. Plus, players get a very wide range of popular game variants with high RTP. Several online casinos also offer free demo versions to try the gameplay. The best gameplay testers are Canadian gamblers, because 15% of the total population of this country gamble on the Internet. Therefore, before making your choice to start, we recommend you to look through the current list of online casinos for real money in Canada by LoopX.io website with a step-by-step analysis of niche specifics.
Top Online Casino Games
Slots
Online slots are the most popular form of entertainment in the gambling world. The main reason for this is the variety of games. Here, players can have a wide range of titles so that they can try enticing games anytime, anywhere. You can find slots with different special features that make the gameplay a real challenge to overcome, both in their real money slots and free slots. Many esteemed software developer companies spend thousands of hours developing online slots with various themes and stories to engage players with different preferences and interests.
Many online casinos provide progressive jackpots that provide chances of becoming a millionaire with a single spin. In addition, most online slots have a high return to play a player (RTP), which ensures the increased chances of winning of the players. This is the reason why online casino sites provide promotional offers anchored with slot machines. In a nutshell, online slot machines are the most popular at the online casinos. Since they are easy to play and have a high payout ratio, you should definitely play this gambling game.
Blackjack
This card game is very popular among the players at the online as well as land-based casinos. Blackjack has simple rules and quite beneficial betting systems. The return to player strategy depends only on the skills of the players. The bad or good decisions of the players have a great impact on the game. Blackjack comes with a live dealer option at many reputed online casinos. The aim of this game is to reach 21 points with the hands or get closer than the other players or the dealer. Here, the value of cards with 2 to 10 numbers remains their face value, Ace is either 11 or 1, and Jack, Queen, and King are considered 10.
This gambling game is really simple and requires mathematical skills. There are several tutorials and tables on the internet that will guide us to take what decision at particular conditions. The RTP can be very close to 100% for an experienced player who knows how to make the best decisions. The practice is very necessary here. You should know when to hit when to stand when to split or double down.
Roulette
This classic gambling game hasn’t lost its charm for many years. Roulette has variously designed to adapt to the preference and interests of each individual. You can play the traditional European version of this game and enjoy a slow but rewarding pace of play. It has one zero. The American version is a little complicated but adrenaline rising as it has double zero. French roulette version is the best if your goal is to generate profit. European and American versions are the most popular ones, where the former has 97% RTP and the latter has 94.7% RTP. Online roulette is available in three modes i.e., video roulette, live roulette with dealer, and free demo version.
In this gambling game, there are not strategies, methods, or guaranteed tips to generate profit and have an advantage over the other players or the house. There have been many tips and strategies on the internet from the professionals and experts that may work on the land-based version of the roulette, but at online roulette, where RNG tech is used it is impossible practically.
Poker
Poker is a popular casino game that has represented the gambling world. It has been depicted in movies and series since a long time. At online casinos, players can play video poker as well as online poker version. Not all online casinos offer these poker games, but reliable and online casinos provide these in their catalogs. Video poker has high RTP, but in online poker, it depends on the players’ skills or strategies. It is advisable to have at least minimum knowledge of probability applied to poker, and at least know how to differentiate the plays that can be achieved in a hand. Just like blackjack, online poker can also be played with the live dealer or other players. Many online casinos also organize poker tournaments. Undoubtedly, this is among the best games for gamblers online.
