Legendary jazz pianist and composer Ahmad Jamal has died, The Washington Post reports. No cause of death was disclosed. He was 92 years old.
Born Fredrick Russell Jones in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jamal began playing piano when he was three years old. At the age of seven, he started studying under Mary Cardwell Dawson, who would go on to found the National Negro Opera Company. After graduating from George Westinghouse High School in 1948, he began touring with George Hudson’s Orchestra before moving to Chicago, where he formed his own trio, the Three Strings, in 1951.
The Three Strings served as the house band at Chicago’s Pershing Hotel in 1958, and it was during their residency there that they recorded the influential 1958 album At The Pershing: But Not For Me, which featured a standout rendition of ‘Poinciana’. Following the success of that LP, Jamal opened his own club in Chicago called the Alhambra, where he recorded several albums until its closure in 1961.
Throughout his eight-decade career, Jamal worked with Richard Davis, Israel Crosby, Vernel Fournier, Jamil Nasser, Frank Gant, and many others. His 1969 album The Awakening was sampled in songs by Gang Starr, Shadez of Brooklyn, and Nas, while De La Soul sampled his 1974 song ‘Swahililand’ for the title track to Stakes Is High. He released his last album, Ballades, in 2019.
In 1994, Jamal received the American Jazz Masters award from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2017, he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to music history.
Online gambling is part of a massive entertainment industry that was born many years ago but still continues to grow. Unfortunately, traditional online casinos have always been pretty unsafe.
However, blockchain technology and decentralization seem ideal for solving this issue. Actually, they’re seen as the next natural phase in the industry’s development.
Blockchain technology is a popular decentralized ledger with countless applications in multiple sectors. It facilitates different processes, from recording transactions to tracking assets.
Now, many claim that the gambling industry can benefit from decentralization and blockchain technology in terms of security and transparency.
Is this true? What can decentralization do for this industry? What are the potential benefits? Read on to find the answers!
What Is Decentralized Gambling?
A new definition has emerged and started to gain popularity: decentralized gambling. Essentially, it’s what you already know – getting involved in games or activities where you risk something valuable in order to make money – with elements of blockchain technology.
Decentralized gambling involves digital transactions with tokens, which occur on an encrypted blockchain network.
As mentioned, the blockchain is a public ledger. Therefore, decentralization in online gambling can help keep online wagers’ integrity and protect both data and transactions.
Besides making every transaction visible to the public, decentralization can remove standard fees charged by traditional banking methods and make the experience even more affordable and accessible.
There are two common elements when it comes to decentralized gambling: crypto casino games and smart contracts. Check out the benefits that both bring to the industry below!
Benefits of Using Cryptocurrencies for Online Casino Gaming
Thanks to the blockchain technology and decentralization factor that they possess, cryptocurrencies offer many benefits to online casino gaming. These are:
No Official Governing Body
One of the main advantages of decentralization over cryptocurrencies and casino games is that there is no entity or figure governing them. Users have full control over their funds.
Also, no authority agency or individual can take away users’ cryptocurrencies or freeze their accounts. As a player, you can fully operate all required transactions.
Lower Fees
If you need to make a casino deposit or withdraw your winnings and use cryptocurrencies, there will be little to no fees on each transaction. This happens because there are no middlemen in the process.
Although several casinos charge fees, they’re usually low. Also, even if you have to pay extra costs for using cryptocurrencies, you can enjoy a faster transaction, which is also worth spending a few pennies.
Fast Transactions
Compared to bank transfers, crypto wallet services also offer much faster transactions. As a result, players can transfer or withdraw funds from their casino accounts in no time.
Privacy
If you use a crypto wallet, you can be sure your personal data won’t be attached to your transactions, as often happens with credit cards. Instead, your withdrawals and deposits are anonymous.
Safety
Since you don’t have to submit personal data, crypto transactions can protect you from identity theft. Also, there are no chargebacks after you send transactions, as they’re immutable and unalterable. As a result, there are fewer risks for online gamblers.
Benefits of Using Smart Contracts for Online Casino Gambling
Smart contracts are pieces of code stored on the blockchain as software programs. At a basic level, they store different rules and respond to certain events with specific actions.
If a decentralized online casino uses a smart contract, when winning a game, it will release your winning funds, for example.
In addition, smart contracts can verify that an event that supposedly occurred did or didn’t happen. However, these programs don’t require human involvement. They’re self-executable.
Like cryptocurrencies, smart contracts are also immutable and can be verified by anyone on the network.
Now, these pieces of code have been introduced to the online gambling industry. Therefore, gamblers can try their favorite games without risking their cash or personal data through casinos’ traditional processes, which are unreliable.
Smart contracts allow users to feel safe and knowledgeable when they put their hard-earned money in a casino. In addition, these programs offer the following benefits:
No Manipulation
Nobody can manipulate a smart contract. Once it starts, it’s unalterable and cannot be manipulated by any company or individual.
Equal Control
Casinos that use smart contracts put the same amount of control on gamblers’ hands. You’ll have the same level of knowledge as the company.
No Human Interference
With smart contracts, which are fully automated, you can hold funds and earnings or losses away from you. However, there’s no human intervention during the process.
No Scams
Smart contracts also make casino transactions more transparent. As a player, you can be sure you won’t be scammed. Everything is out in the open.
Anonymity
Like cryptocurrencies, smart contracts allow anonymous transactions. As a result, there’s no risk of exposing sensitive data or your identity to potential theft.
No Government Control
Also, thanks to decentralization, no company, government agency, or individual can exercise authority or interfere during the execution of the smart contract.
The Future of the Gambling Industry
Although the future of online gambling could be affected by different factors, most perspectives view decentralization as a key actor in the industry’s development.
Keeping their funds and winnings in digital wallets or making transfers through cryptocurrencies offers many benefits to gamblers. From increased security and privacy to enhanced control and transparency, blockchain technology brings many advantages.
Furthermore, the future of the online casino industry is driven by payment safety, anonymity, and data privacy trends. If there’s something that can provide all these benefits, it’s the decentralization of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies.
Fortunately, more and more online casinos have turned to crypto. Most are accessible from any tablet, computer, mobile device, and laptop. Therefore, gamblers can play their favorite games from anywhere in the world.
However, blockchain technology now makes this experience more secure, transparent, and enjoyable.
In addition, the blockchain and cryptocurrency world is vastly developing, which means you can’t see what the future holds. Decentralization may even bring many more benefits to the online gambling industry in the following years.
This is the lowest point of the current bear market, and though there are some still considering this to be nothing more than a dip, it has already been a year-long challenge. There have been many changes over the past year, and now it’s time to get back in on this lucrative investment opportunity. Even if you haven’t been actively trading in the past year, there are still plenty of options out there to capitalize on this melting pot of profits.
If you haven’t been following the crypto markets lately, it’s difficult to say whether or not you’re a true believer. A lot of people are running away from this investment opportunity, while those who have thought long and hard about their next move are still looking to ride out this wave of profit. Since there is no way to know how high it will go, it’s best to embrace the profit potential and make a move before the market takes off again. You will want to determine your timing by first absorbing the current trends and making modifications based on how long you think they will last.
Problems to be faced while trading in a bear market:
One of the hardest parts about riding out this bear market is the unfamiliarity of your current circumstances. If you’re not used to trading in an environment with such low market values, figuring out your next move can be a challenge. The first and most important part of selling at the right time is patience. You will need to defer all decisions until it becomes quite clear that you will not be able to make any profit from holding onto your coin purchases. If a coin begins to show signs of improvement over your expected timeframe, you will be faced with a tough decision. You ought not to wait too long to sell your holdings, as this may make it excessively difficult to get the most from your profit potential.
You will ultimately have to accept that you might have held on too long in the past and ended up losing much of your invested money. Fortunately, this is not a game of guaranteed outcomes. If you can accept that you might lose all of your money, then you won’t be motivated to stake everything on an uncertain bet. You will want to keep in mind that you have very little control over what happens next in the markets. While there are some things that can be done to influence your performance, it’s all about planning ahead and acting quickly when the time comes. Quantum-AI.io is another site that promises high returns. These are just a few of the many investment opportunities available in the cryptocurrency space.
Things to avoid while buying in a bear market:
The best thing to do in a bear market is to avoid being greedy. You will want to make a list of things that you are looking for in each and every coin that you consider investing in. Start by looking for coins that have suffered much more than the rest of the market, as high losses are often an indication of high potential. You will also want to be wary of coins that have fallen out of favor due to some kind of controversy, as this will likely drive down their prices even further. You will want to look for coins that have major improvements on the horizon, as this is usually the best indicator of how their prices are likely to react in a few weeks from now. Due to the many changes over the past year, it should be fairly easy to determine which coins have made significant improvements in their areas of focus.
The first thing that you ought to do while trading in a bear market is figure out which coins are your most profitable investments. Do not sell off all of your coin holdings at once. Keep some in reserve in case you ever think of taking a position. Also, if you do decide to sell, do not be afraid to spread out the selling throughout the day and time it appropriately so that you can avoid market volatility during trading hours. The simplest way to profit in a bear market is by looking for coins that are not part of any other coin groups.
How can you successfully invest in a bear market?
Aside from looking for coins with substantial immediate improvements on the horizon, you will also want to think of those coins whose values are not being depressed by the general market. If a particular coin is not actually putting up serious numbers during times when traditional investments are falling in price, it will be difficult for them to stay afloat. You will also want to look for higher-quality coins with significant potential for success, as these are usually the most enticing long-term investments. You will want to invest in a wide variety of coins that are currently being sold at reasonably low prices.
The trick to investing in a bear market is to hold on until you see the kind of performance that you are looking for from your investments. A bear market is a great opportunity to take advantage of your investment potential, as it’s unlikely that you will ever see such affordable prices for any serious coin holdings.
Tips to earn profits even in a bear market:
The best way to earn profits in a bear market is by identifying projects that are likely to make major breakthroughs in the near future. If you have money that you can afford to invest, it would be wise to wait for the right opportunity. If you want to increase your profits, you will want to consider investing in low-priced coins that are likely to increase in value. Other than that, it would be wise to diversify your portfolio. Invest in a wide variety of coins that can serve different purposes.
The best way to profit from a bear market is by investing in coins that have the potential for long-term success. You will want to wait for an opportune time to make your next move so that you can get the most out of your investment.
Conclusion:
While many people are speculating on the chances of a bull market, there is really no way to know when a bear market will be coming to an end. Once it has stabilized and begun to improve, however, you can be sure that it will end soon without fail. You may want to get prepared for the bull run before it actually arrives. It’s better to plan ahead and realize your profit potential in advance than to wait until things get out of hand.
“There was no need to shout this time,” Marten said of her latest album in press materials, a lengthy step away from 2021’s bass-fueled, relatively experimental Flora Fauna. Just like the bulk of her “quieter” work, Drop Cherries, with its minimalist arrangements and subtle wisdom, rewards careful listening. The 23-year-old’s songwriting strikes a curious thematic balance, at times inviting the listener to self-reflect and explore existential questions, while also accentuating the beauty of enjoying the simple moments.
Following the lovely, meditative opener ‘New Idea’, ‘God Above’ appears, at first, as an expression of romantic adoration: “Fresh are the flowers/ And air that is sweet/ Bringin’ me back to you.” In the chorus, though, the image of woman as representative of divine forces emerges and takes centre stage. “I know God above/ ‘Cause I saw her there/ I am dreamin’ of/ Her golden hair,” Marten lilts amidst rhythmically plucked strings, “And she’s everywhere.” ‘Just Us’ similarly uses lexical fields of wilderness and personhood, this time combining them to represent transformation and strength through references to sycamore trees, traditionally symbolic of protection and regeneration: “Your legs stick out like sycamore trees/ I feel them grow when we’re asleep,” Marten sings, incorporating silky vocal runs. The artist represents a partnership that is beautifully in sync, in which one personality is fuelled by the other, consciously mirroring each other’s every maneuver: “I move, you move / I choose, you choose.”
In ‘Willow’, trees take on a different role, with the ‘two weeping willows’ symbolic of lovers longing to be physically closer. The darker, deeper vocal tone mixed with the tense rhythm renders this the most stirring chorus of the album: “Hidden in your shoulder curve/ Waiting for your chest to burst/ No one said that it would hurt/ Knowing you,” Marten sings, exploring the bittersweet association between intimacy and ache moments before an elegant clarinet solo.There is room for darkness on this album, then, with the slow-paced, folky ‘Acid Tooth’ relaying, through its use of repetition and slightly off-kilter chord changes, the cyclical self-sabotage that our own minds can be responsible for. The outro’s particularly unsettling sharp notes and soft echoes are accompanied by an exhausted honesty: “I wish that I could turn it off”.
Still, the album is most memorable in its unapologetic expressions of romantic joy. ‘I Can’t Get My Head Around You’, a track Marten herself calls “a cruiser,” sees a blissful mixture of comforting guitar strums, tender drums and “pinch me” moments of pure appreciation for a partner: “But I can’t get my head around you/ And I can’t get enough/ And I’ve been looking so hard for love.” The song also sees a nod to Marten’s 2021 track Liquid Love, which delivered the gorgeous line “I kiss the lips/ Of every sun coming.” “I won’t forget thе taste of my morning sun,” hums Marten this time, and this little instance of recognition reminds us that despite their differences, there is still much that bonds the two albums. Whether dipping into themes of painful personal growth, candid endearment, or revealing a never-ending appreciation for garden imagery, it’s the same artist whose journey we’re following – no matter how soft her sound.
Karol G was the musical guest on last night’s episode of Saturday Night Live, which was hosted by Ana de Armas. Making her debut on the show, the Colombian artist performed two songs from her fouth studio album, Mañana Será Bonito: ‘Mientras Me Curo del Cora’ and ‘Tus Gafitas’. Watch it happen below.
There has been a lot of speculation in recent months about Walmart’s potential interest in Bitcoin. Some experts believe that the retail giant may be considering buying into cryptocurrency as a strategic move to gain a competitive edge in the market. Others, however, are more skeptical and believe that the rumors are unfounded. Currently, this is a bit difficult to confirm whether Walmart is buying Bitcoin or not! The company has not made any official announcements regarding its stance on cryptocurrency or its plans to invest in Bitcoin. However, some signs suggest Walmart may indeed be exploring the idea. For more information, you can visit bitalpha-ai.io.
Thoughts of Walmart
Walmart is seen taking a keen interest in welcoming Bitcoin into their daily routine works. In 2019, the company filed a patent application for a new system that would leverage blockchain for secure package delivery. The system would use a combination of blockchain and virtual currency to encrypt and secure customer packages, making it more difficult for hackers to intercept and steal them. This move suggests that Walmart is already interested in exploring the potential benefits of blockchain, and it’s not a stretch to imagine that the company might also be interested in Bitcoin as a form of virtual currency.
Another potential factor that could be driving Walmart’s interest in Bitcoin is the rise of online shopping. With more consumers turning to e-commerce platforms to make purchases, brick-and-mortar retailers like Walmart are facing increased competition. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies could offer an additional way for Walmart to reach and engage with its customers, particularly those who are already familiar with digital currencies.
Walmart making its space in the Bitcoin environment
There are also some signs that Walmart may be looking to make strategic acquisitions in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space. One of the major stakes acquired by Walmart can be seen in the form of Tik-Tok which is one of the most used social media platforms. TikTok has already made significant strides in the world of cryptocurrency, with the launch of its virtual coin in 2019. This move suggests that Walmart may be interested in exploring potential partnerships and collaborations with other players in the cryptocurrency space.
Dilemma
Though there are signs still one cannot be sure and 100% confirm about Walmart buying Bitcoin and investing in crypto. The company has not made any official statements about its interest in cryptocurrency, and the rumors may be simply unfounded speculation. Though, there are clear benefits to be had from investing in Bitcoin, particularly in the long term. Cryptocurrency can be seen as a positive growing entity due to its over 500% growth rate during the 2020 period alone. This suggests that Bitcoin has significant potential as a long-term investment opportunity and that anyone who invests in the currency now could see significant returns in the future.
The verdict
The question of whether or not Walmart is buying into Bitcoin remains unanswered. The company has not made any official announcements regarding its interest in cryptocurrency, and the rumors may be simply unfounded speculation. That said, there are clear benefits to be had from investing in Bitcoin, and Walmart may be exploring the idea as a strategic move to gain a competitive edge in the market. Only time will tell whether the rumors are true, but it’s clear that the world of cryptocurrency is rapidly gaining mainstream acceptance, and that Bitcoin is likely to play a significant role in the future of commerce and investment just like it has been doing with other platforms that took off rightly after joining hands with bitcoin or any other potential cryptocurrency.
Blockchain technology has taken the world by storm in recent years, with its decentralized and secure nature making it a favorite for industries such as finance, logistics, and even healthcare. You can use https://bitlq.net/ if you also want to trade in cryptocurrencies. However, the rise of blockchain technology has also led to concerns about its impact on the environment. This article explores the environmental impact of blockchain technology and how it can be mitigated.
Energy Consumption
One of the main concerns regarding the environmental impact of blockchain technology is the amount of energy it consumes. Blockchain networks rely on a network of computers to verify transactions and create new blocks of data. These computers require significant amounts of energy to operate, with the most popular blockchain network, Bitcoin, consuming more energy than the entire country of Argentina.
Proof of Work vs. Proof of Stake
The energy consumption of blockchain networks is largely due to the consensus mechanism they use to verify transactions. The most common consensus mechanism is Proof of Work (PoW), which involves complex mathematical calculations that require a significant amount of computational power. Another consensus mechanism, Proof of Stake (PoS), requires users to hold a certain amount of the cryptocurrency to validate transactions. PoS consumes significantly less energy than PoW, and many blockchain networks are transitioning to this mechanism to reduce their energy consumption.
Renewable Energy
Another way to mitigate the environmental impact of blockchain technology is to power the computers running the networks using renewable energy sources such as wind or solar power. Many blockchain projects are already exploring this option, with some even launching renewable energy projects to power their networks. However, the availability and cost of renewable energy sources can vary greatly depending on location, making it a challenge to implement on a large scale.
E-waste
The hardware used to run blockchain networks also has an environmental impact, as it can contribute to electronic waste (e-waste). As blockchain networks require specialized hardware, such as Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), to mine cryptocurrencies, this hardware can become obsolete quickly as new technology emerges. This can lead to a significant amount of e-waste, which can be harmful to the environment if not disposed of properly.
Recycling and Reusing Hardware
To address the issue of e-waste, blockchain projects can explore options for recycling or reusing their hardware. Some projects have already implemented buyback programs where users can sell their outdated hardware back to the company in exchange for newer equipment. Others have explored the use of second-hand hardware or repurposing older hardware for non-mining purposes.
Carbon Offsetting
Carbon offsetting is another way to mitigate the environmental impact of blockchain technology. This involves investing in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as renewable energy projects or reforestation initiatives, to offset the emissions generated by blockchain networks. Some blockchain projects have already implemented carbon offsetting programs, allowing users to donate a portion of their earnings towards these initiatives.
In addition to the mitigation strategies mentioned above, there are also efforts being made to design and develop more environmentally-friendly blockchain technologies. These efforts include the development of blockchain networks that use less energy and produce less e-waste.
For example, some blockchain projects are exploring the use of Proof of Capacity (PoC) as a consensus mechanism. PoC involves using available hard drive space to verify transactions, rather than computational power. This means that PoC consumes significantly less energy than PoW and PoS, making it a more environmentally-friendly option.
Another approach is to use blockchain technology in conjunction with other sustainable technologies. For instance, blockchain can be used to facilitate peer-to-peer energy trading, enabling individuals and communities to buy and sell renewable energy. This can help to decentralize the energy market and promote the use of renewable energy sources.
Conclusion
While blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize many industries, it is important to consider its environmental impact. The energy consumption and e-waste generated by blockchain networks can have a significant impact on the environment if not properly addressed. However, there are several ways to mitigate this impact, such as transitioning to more energy-efficient consensus mechanisms, using renewable energy sources, recycling and reusing hardware, and implementing carbon offsetting programs.
As blockchain technology continues to evolve, developers, users, and policymakers need to work together to ensure that its impact on the environment is minimized. By implementing sustainable practices and exploring innovative solutions, blockchain technology can be used to benefit both society and the environment.
Christine and the Queens appeared on last night’s episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert to deliver a performance of the recent single ‘To be honest’. Watch it happen below.
Born in Dorset and now based in New York, Fenne Lily began writing songs at an early age, playing gigs in Bristol as a teenager before moving to the city at the age of 18. She self-released her debut album, On Hold, in 2018, and signed to Dead Oceans for its follow-up, 2020’s BREACH, which was written while she was living alone in Berlin. Lily once again wrote her latest album, Big Picture (out today), in isolation, this time in her Bristol flat – though real quietude was disrupted by the chaos and claustrophobia of the pandemic – but she set out to make the recording process her most collaborative yet, enlisting Brad Cook to co-produce the record at his Durham studio. Her first collection to be written over the course of a relationship, its ten songs reflect the transience of love, both basking in its delicate glow and acknowledging a growing disconnect. There’s frustration and uncertainty in that space, but Lily and her band have a beautifully subtle way of funneling some of it into tenderness and light. Even as she leaves things open-ended, the music somehow eases the weight of letting go. “Picture me whatever way you can,” she sings on ‘Red Deer Day’, “Remember me as a place.”
We caught up with Fenne Lily for the latest edition of our Artist Spotlight series to talk about love as a temporary thing, the idea of home, the lonely and collaborative parts of making Big Picture, and more.
How do you feel about the release of the album coming up?
This is a body of work I’m really proud of, and I’m satisfied to have made something I love out of the period of time that I didn’t love. I liked a lot of parts of 2020-2021, but the vast majority of the time I felt frustrated that I couldn’t tour the last album that I released. I was frustrated that I couldn’t leave the house. I was frustrated that I felt frustrated, because on paper, I had everything ready. I had a house, and I had someone that I could rely on through that time. I wasn’t lonely, but I still felt wrong and angry. I don’t feel like that anymore. When I’m in a good place, it’s quite nice to remind myself that I wasn’t always in a good place. It took work to get to the place I am now, and this record will just be a reminder of that.
It sounds like making the record was part of the work.
Yeah. It was harder to make than I thought it would be, in some ways, and in some ways it was very easy. The writing portion was hard. It’s really hard to write personal stuff when you don’t have personal space. I was living with somebody that I was dating, and I’d never done that before. But then the recording process was easier than I thought it would be. Part of that reason is that I have my band with me who I trust, and they wrote all of the parts that they play, and it felt collaborative. I was leaning on people for support, which had never really felt like the case before. I felt stressed and too in control for the last album. But for this album, I felt like I was doing something that mattered to me with people that mattered to me. And the thing I was making mattered to them as well, so it was a team effort.
I was struck by what you said in a press release about ‘Lights Light Up’ being a song about the process of moving on that was happening on a more subconscious level as you were writing it. Do you see it as a kind of capsule of the whole record?
Definitely. It encapsulates the record, and it also informed the record in a lot of ways. It was the first song that I took to the band, even before I’d finished writing the record we did. When I wrote it by myself it was very slow and quiet and delicate, and then as soon as the boys started playing, it took on a new energy. And that made me want to write more songs that lent themselves to that duality. It can be soft thematically and vocally and instrumentally, but I wanted propulsive drums and the bass to be moving constantly. I wanted us all to be meshed together in motion. But also, lyrically, it walks through the beginning, the middle, and the potential end of a relationship. And that’s kind of what the whole album is doing. I like to think that the end of the record is leaves you wondering whether there was a breakup. I wanted it to be slightly veiled. But ultimately, I want it to feel like you’ve walked through someone else’s house and come out on the other side remembering details of the life that wasn’t attached to you but in some capacity have been involved in.
I was trying to think of a way to describe this dynamic between the sound and the lyrics. I just read Daisy Jones & the Six, and there’s this quote by one of the characters who says this kind of cliché that, like, “Passion is fire, and fire is great, but we’re made of water. Water is how we keep living.” I made the connection to ‘Lights Light Up’ and the line about how “everything burned up ‘round us and inside of me too, that’s called love.” But sonically, Big Picture is kind of a watery record, especially compared to BREACH, which has more fire and angst in it. Does that comparison resonate with you at all?
I don’t know if you were seeing my face, but I was like, “Damn!” Yeah, absolutely. I think about this record as part of a trilogy of the records that I’ve made. In the first record, I was addressing love as something that had disappeared. In the second record, I was addressing the idea of love as something I didn’t need and I could provide myself. I don’t know if that was entirely true, but that’s what I was trying to say to myself. And in this record, I’m allowing the idea of love to be a transient thing that isn’t attainable, and isn’t able to be lost. It just exists, and sometimes we’re touching, and sometimes we’re not. There is a fluidity to that, like a watery, going-with-the-flow, kind of drifting along. When in actuality, my life at that point felt very much like someone had put a dam in a river, and I was stuck and I couldn’t get out. So, to think about it as a watery record is satisfying to me. I can’t stop talking in river terms, like the a way that a river will go around a rock, but it’s still going to reach wherever it’s going.
I’m fascinated by how artists engage with the same ideas differently over time. The theme of home was something that ran through your last album, but I feel like Big Picture is less about wrestling with what it means – the concept seems to start out well-defined and solid, but then it maybe begins to fall apart and feel out of reach.
There’s an idea of falling in love that I have a real problem with, and there’s an idea of making a home for yourself that I feel uncomfortable with. Because it feels like that’s an end goal, and then when you get there, you can stop changing and trying. I think there must be something broken in me because I don’t really miss people. I just moved to America – I don’t miss people at home, because I know they’re still there. I didn’t miss my parents when I left home because I knew that they would be there. And I found myself missing the person that I met a year into the relationship. I found myself missing the process of falling in love with them because it felt like it had stopped. I was in love, and that kind of flatlined to a degree, which was a feeling that I never really had before.
That stasis was strange. I spent a lot of time reorganizing my house and painting all the walls different colors. I talk about this in ‘In My Own Time’: “Fix up the paint and straighten all the pictures that hang around like me.” I just felt like I was part of the furniture in an emotional way. I didn’t like being a constant in someone’s life and it not being surprising anymore.The idea of home and place is definitely there, and more specifically feeling like there’s a better place, or a more comfortable place, or a less comfortable place, that I would be feeling more alive in.
Are you unsettled by the idea of a person as a home? Is it more or less uncomfortable than that of a place as a home?
Yeah. I think that this comes from extreme stability and also instability. There’s two types of people: people that are always looking for a physical place that will make them feel complete, and people that are looking for a person that will make them feel complete as a person. Luckily, I’ve always felt like I’m in the right family – I think a lot of people feel like they were born into the wrong family. So I don’t think I have that need to find my missing piece in a person sense. But I do think I have a missing piece in the sense that I need my surroundings to be changing, because otherwise I don’t feel myself changing. I don’t think I’m looking for a home in a person, but I am looking for a space to exist in that changes enough for me to feel like I am not static. I also think it’s a lot of responsibility to put on a person to be someone’s home. But maybe that’s kind of beautiful, maybe I just haven’t found it yet.
Maybe it’s the idea of one person that makes it tricky rather than people in general – it could come from a community or a sense of belonging, which also doesn’t have to be static.
I think I kind of found that with music. I found early on a vocation that made me feel like I was in my body in a good way. And the people that I met through music, we all have a common thing that binds us, so that’s kind of a home, maybe, that I needed and found. This is a nice idea; I like this idea.
Is there a moment where you can trace back this experience of belonging in a way that felt like it could be permanent?
When I met my guitarist – I think that was a real moment. I was vehemently into the idea that I was an independent musician, that I didn’t need anyone else to help me out. I self-released my first album and I used to tour by myself, and I still write all my own stuff by myself. But when I met Joe, the feeling of sharing the experience of performing and building songs around the small thing that I had initially created alongside someone was different and right. I didn’t want to go back after that. I didn’t want to tour by myself, I definitely didn’t want to record a record by myself again. It can retain its closeness to me, the song can still be min., but I also can’t do everything myself, and the music itself benefits from having other people involved. That changed my perspective, definitely.
How do you feel like this record specifically benefited from the collaborative nature of the recording?
It’s just exponentially better than it could have been if I made it by myself. I think I’m in a good position where I’m self-sufficient in the writing process, so I feel like that is non-negotiable, but I have no idea how my drummer or my bassist play their instruments. I’m always surprised at how good they are. To be able to have a completed body of work that’s as far as I can take it, and then give it to people who are incredibly strong at what they do, took some pressure of. We tracked it live together in a room, so we just sat in a circle and played through all the songs. That’s something that I thought I couldn’t do, because I don’t consider myself to be a particularly strong musician. But they have such an intense bond musically, they’ve all been playing in bands together for a long time, so the way that they play around each other’s parts is really beautiful. They have a good idea of how much space to leave for my lyrics. I can now look at this record and feel like i’m part of a team that made something rather than a person that isolated themselves to make something that feels lonely, still.
Part of the story behind BREACH was that it was about navigating the difference between being alone and being lonely. Did the gap between the two become wider, or your awareness of it more acute, while making Big Picture?
On BREACH, I was coming to the realization that being alone didn’t mean being lonely. I think that’s pretty clear. And then on Big Picture, I’m coming to the realization that not being alone doesn’t mean you won’t be lonely. Being with someone can feel as lonely, if not more lonely, than being alone. There’s a quietness to being by yourself that I found unattainable in those COVID years with somebody in the other room. I felt like we were orbiting each other in some way, but then in another way, we were never apart from each other, and that felt, I don’t know, claustrophobic. There’s closeness, and there’s closeness – there’s closeness in a physical capacity, and you can love someone and want the best for them, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you feel like you’re speaking the same language. There was a disconnect that made me feel really lonely and isolated. If I’d been by myself, I probably would have had a much harder time in some ways, but in other ways maybe I would have really been able to just feel what I was feeling and not have to explain it. I have a hard time explaining how I’m feeling generally, but especially when a lot of the things I was feeling were related to how my partner was feeling, and I didn’t know how to separate my feelings from their feelings. It just felt jumbled up.
Also, there’s something lonely about the way that I write music where it kind of benefits me to feel like I’m not being watched, or like I’m having a conversation with myself, because I’m having to dig deep to know how I feel. That’s a lonely process, and it should be. It felt like I wasn’t really being given the opportunity to be as lonely as it would help me to be. So on one side I felt very lonely, and on the other side I didn’t feel lonely enough.
There’s a line in ‘Map of Japan’ that’s about how not being alone has a way of distorting our perception of time, but it feels like real aloneness, in whatever form, can have that effect too.
This idea of being tied to a person, I think some people find it really comforting, knowing that you have somebody to do everything with. I’m not that kind of person, but I also don’t ever know how to take space to be by myself. Periodically, I would find that I didn’t know what day it was, and I didn’t care. But I kind of felt like I should be knowing what day it was because I needed to keep on track with my partner’s schedule – that made me feel kind of angry. I was like, “If I was left to my own devices, I would be floating between Christmas and summer, not knowing what was going on, and maybe I would enjoy that.” But on the other side of that, it was nice to feel like I was sharing changes of season and the mornings into the evenings with somebody.
I know what line you’re talking about: “Feeling like I’m never alone long enough to notice the seasons.” If I was to draw lockdown, it would be me standing with my nose touching my partner’s nose, and both of us have our eyes open – it was so intense. I didn’t have any peripheral vision when it came to having my own separate life, my own separate thoughts. It was all very mind meld, in a way that I didn’t feel like I could breathe normally or something.
Do you feel like this record has given you the space to learn truths about yourself that didn’t feel possible before and that you now find yourself wanting to explore further?
I definitely want to involve people more in stuff that feels private to me. That wasn’t really possible through COVID – I couldn’t be writing with people or anything, and I’d never really done that before. But now, I think that’s really cool. I guess cathartic is the word to describe this feeling of having something that feels highly personal, and allowing someone to help you translate that into words and music. I’d like to explore that more, and I think I didn’t really know that I needed that until I made this record.
Theme-wise, the writing of this record taught me a lot of stuff about myself. It taught me that I’m not scared of commitment, but I need to be decisive about what I’m committing to. I need to be making decisions that entirely I can sit behind and know that I did the right thing for myself. There’s obviously compromise in relationships and in living your life alongside somebody, but I truly think if you find the right person, you don’t feel like you’re compromising the way you want to exist in the world so that someone else can be happy. And I’m happy that I know that now. I’m not that old; I think that this is a good time to know my boundaries when it comes to that.
Since I was a kid, I wanted to be in love. Love was something I thought about all the time. And then I had a love that on paper was perfect, but it wasn’t because I wanted the love so bad that I was willing to change the course of my life to fit the love into it – my life. And now, I don’t want to do that. I tried it, it didn’t work for me. That’s something that I’m grateful to COVID for giving me the space to realize because I don’t think I would have had a two-year relationship in one apartment, in one place, without that. I need to be moving and changing, and I would like to do that alongside somebody. But if that can’t happen, I think the most important thing is to be changing by myself.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
With new music constantly being produced, it is easy to forget about music from the past. However, although it has been around 30 to 40 years since the ’80s passed, music from that era still resonates with listeners across all age groups.
In fact, in recent years the music scene has witnessed a resurgence of 80’s music and people of all ages are beginning to re-appreciate it. As the popularity of online casinos has also grown recently, there is a new trend where 80s music and casino games are becoming intertwined.
This means that there has been an emergence of mutually beneficial relationships between artists and casino game providers. 80’s music is being featured especially in online slots with Rainbow Riches as they allow the player to listen to the music whilst they play their favourite casino game.
We cannot discuss 80s music and online slots without mentioning the crazy 80s slot game. This game is heavily inspired by the 1980s and has 5 reels and 3 rows. The catchy soundtrack is one of the best features on the game as it includes recognisable 80s throwback tunes.
Guns n’ Roses were one of the pioneers in being an 80s band featuring on an online slot game. This has resulted in the Guns n’ Roses Slot which was developed by NetEnt. It has been beneficial for the band as it has alerted people to their music.
The slot also has eight bonus features which means that players are certainly entertained. They will be able to recognise such popular tracks as Sweet Child O’ Mine and Welcome to the Jungle while they spin the reels on the slot machine.
Furthermore, the music of Jimi Hendrix is also featured on online slots. The online slot named after this music legend allows his songs to accompany players as they spin the reels in the hopes of winning money. The soundtrack in this game is accompanied by highly visual graphics including flowers and peace signs which truly transports the player into the past.
Moreover, the Motörhead slot game is perfect for fans of the band and it is regarded as being the most popular online slot based on metal music. Players will be able to listen to such songs as Ace of Spades while they play.
Indeed, these types of games can attract those who have never experienced playing online slots before as they are keen to listen to their favourite bands like Motörhead in a new way. This game also has a number of relevant symbols that truly make fans of the band feel as though they connect with the game.
What is even more unique about this game is that the reels are positioned on a live music stage with amplifiers located near the reels. This contributes to creating a more authentic and immersive experience for the player. It feels as though they are present at a real concert without physically being there.
In addition to these types of bands who have been featured on online slots, KISS has also been present in virtual casino games. This is because they have been seeking to remind a contemporary society of their music by making their way into the online sphere.
Having been hailed as one of the greatest rock and roll bands in America, this game features a 5-reel slot with 100 paylines. The game replicates that of a concert stage with the appropriate lighting and equipment. Of course, this game is also assisted by the hit KISS songs that were popular in the 80s in order to make the user experience an extremely entertaining one.
Although Elvis Presley’s music was produced primarily in the 50’s and 60’s, his presence and music continued to have an impact in the 1980s. In fact, nowadays Mississippi’s greatest son has also been immortalized online. If you are a fan of Elvis and are extremely familiar with his discography, it may be time for you to experience the music of the King of Rock n Roll in a new environment.
The Elvis slot game features songs from all of the eras of his career and his fashion throughout the years. It is the perfect way to take a trip down memory lane if you are a fan of this famous musician whilst being in the running for winning big prizes.
It is not just solo musicians or band themes from the 80s that feature on these type of online slots. Online slots also derive inspiration from movies that were produced in the 80s. For example, there are several slots which feature the music from the Ghostbusters soundtrack.
Furthermore, the Top Gun slot game is also popular which gets its name from one of the most popular movies in the 1980s. Including such original music from the movie as ‘Take My Breath Away’, this slot game has been a real hit with both fans of the movie and online slots in general.
There are a whole host of other online slot games which include music from 80s movies such as Gladiator Jackpot which features the Gladiator soundtrack. The triumph of these types of slots lies in their ability to seamless weave 80s films with casino based games without confusing or boring the player.
In summary, the musicians and films listed above are only a small selection of those online slot games that feature sounds from the 80s. When playing online slots like these you should remember to also take into consideration the RTP, slot volatility, jackpots and bonus features. It is clear that featuring music from the 80s in online slots certainly creates a unique experience for the player.
This is because it is entertaining and pleasant to listen to throwback music when you are spinning the reels of an online slot machine. Moreover, it is not just casino operators that benefit from including 80s music on their slots.
By permitting online slot providers to feature their music on their slots, 80s bands are able to increase their influence and become more popular by reaching more people in an unusual fashion.
