Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Dance more

As i was saying previously, dance music changed so much right at the turn of the
21st Century, when hip hop and gangsta rap became more pronounced, with 50cents, Lil Wayne, Eminem, Busta Rhymes and others appearing with danceable rap... Listen to In da Club, the beat is so busting... I bet u are moving a bit to the tune u are remembering from it itself...
These music got more complex with meshes or mixes of different genres, again especially with hip hop... Hip hop began fusing with pop, producing dance tunes like ones u listen from Destiny's Child, B'yonce, Eve, Missy Elliot...

Anyways, the point here is that the meshing and complexity that occured now made the music scene more chaotic than order. It's kinda hard to dance to a song already, cos they are soo specific already... How to dance to In da club? Head bob, breakdance a bit... Can u do the pop choreograph from it? Can but hard... this is due to the tune itself.

Unlike the 80s, 90s. Dance was considered more "pure" in ways that u can nearly dance to any of the songs... Does this dilute the song? No actually... U in fact can create better moves along with it. The flow and pattern is wider. Experimentation is easier too...
Now, we have seen some of the vids already previously, and like other pop songs, they are "dancy", not pure dance...
Dance iteslf is different... U have a range of heavy beats in dance, which beats at a certain period in the song, making repetitions and such too. It is also divisible... U have jungle house, pure house, trance, acid jazz, fusion jazz, etc.

The good djs will be able to make a person dance to their songs, that is their duty. What? I am stating that: As long as u can dance to it,it's DANCE. Examples of such DJs include Chemical Brothers, Paul VAn Dyk,and others below :)


ATB


Armin Van Buuren


Prodigy


BT

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Dance baby dance

An inter highschool dance competition was held in my workplace not so long ago, I think about a few days ago.
The dances by the schoolkids and the songs they choreographed to made me think about the definition of dance in this modern time... YES. MODERN DANCING.

Now songs that people dance are sooooo different from my time.They now have so many different beats, hip hop, gangsta rap (no idea how they dance to it), pop, even rock... Not to mention that Korean and Japanese are thrown into the fray now, with the burst of Korean group acts like 2Ne1, Kara, Super Junior, 2AM, Shinee and so much more...
Back in my days we used to have either pure pop (band songs mostly) or dance pop... Who were the purveyors? Janet, Madonna, Kylie, Cher... These singers know how to make people dance...
Pop dance? ATC, Aqua, Ace of base... yes they were cheesy at times, but they do know how to make dance songs... We can practically choreograph a whole dance to their one song, no need to "mesh" songs together like nowadays...
sigh...
Anyways, below are some of my favourite ones...



Timbaland managed to squeeze in due to his enigmatic dance tunes. He manages to make a song dancable like mad in this currenlt chaotic musical era...Hence in my list.

Ahh... Her famous dance tune, not to mention her "costume"... My favourite comeback song from her.
Janet is as good as her brother Michael, if not better. Her choreographs might not be active like MJ's Dangerous/smooth criminal, but she damn have her own good moves. Don't believe it? look at this vid, and check out Scream.

Ace of Base were the 90s dance group, with hits like Happy Nation, all that she wants, beautiful life. They disbanded towards 2000. The video here was the latest from them, in 2006. It's good. Not too dancy, but good.


ATC might not ring a bell within the 90s, as there were quite a number of European dance groups that time. But they were not too bad with the beats too. More famous for the song "Around the world - lalalalala" song, the video up is another dance beat, albeit a less known, but good one too.


Aqua came into the 90s with a godly cheesy song known as Barbie song, which received heavy criticism and airplay, both media and internationally. Their song that time heavily had double entendree in the song. Yet the dance beat made it huge around the world.
They the followed with more danceable tunes like Dr. Jones, lollipop, Cartoon Heroes, and a definite ballad piece "turn back time". They split in 2000, before coming back in 2009 with a greatest hits album and 3 new singles. Below are 2 of the 3 new ones. I liked mama said as it's sooooo different from their earlier ones. Back to the 80s sound like them again...






Other dance artists includes Lady gaga ( a new one again, like Timbaland - but great dance tunes)and Sugababes, purveyors of "cool teen dance tunes" (to me lah), but their vids are shown anyways... :)

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Copernicum and others

Well. It's official. The heaviest element to date has just be named COPERNICIUM.



Also, based on the periodic table that we have been seen eversince the beginning of our school years, it is kinda obvious that they do need a slight re-do on the table don u think? This table was in a sense the "lates" one, with atomic number going highest to 103 (Lr - Lawrencium). THAT WAS WAY PASSE now... We have till 112 for pete's sake!!!!

Anyways, to those who wants to know, the elements after 103 till the latest is below:

104 - Rf - Rutherfordium
105 - Db - Dubnium
106 - Sg - Seaborgium
107 - Bh - Bohrium
108 - Hs - Hassium
109 - Mt - Meitnerium
110 - Ds - Darmstadtium
111 - Rg - Roentgenium
112 - Cn - Copernicium

Be good in chemistry!!! :p

Monday, March 22, 2010

Album review : Brother

A review post. WOW...
Anyways, this review is on Boyzone's LATEST ORIGINAL album entitled Brother




YES. I AM A BOYZONE FAN. STILL A BOYZONE FAN. Never like other bands, even when their songs are noteworthy (Back for good,quit playing games with my heart,bye x3). HATED WESTLIFE (Songs were ok though..).
There. I said it.

Now on to the review.
Boyzone kinda left off and disbanded in about 2002, if I'm not wrong - I am a fan, not a FANATIC. They disbanded on the heels of other boybands that did the same; all during the so-called GLORY DAYS of boybands. Now, unlike other groups; Boyzone was more into covers and ballads. Their hits at the time they left off included Words, Love me for a reason, Everyday I love you, Baby can I hold you tonight, A different beat,No matter What as well as faster tunes like Picture Of You. These songs were the ones that differentiated them- cos their songs were sugary sweet ballads.
Coming back in 2008/2009, Boyzone tried to jump back into the music scene like Take That (which did the same that year)with some life concert, and a Best of ( Yet again..) album that had 3 new songs. Didn't make impact - unless on Lite Fm.
At the end of 2009, rumours had it that Ronan and company were in the midst of producing a new album, before the tragic death of Stephen Gately, or more known as Steo to them in October 2009.

Due to that, the album was shifted in its direction and ended becoming a tribute album of some sorts. Hence the title of the new album BROTHER.

To the noobs, this album will be MEH for them, especially in this era of fast hip hop, dance tuned musicology (Jason Gerulo, Bieber, L. Gaga, Byonce, etc). You will not get the album, unless u are a fan.
For me, I didn't know till I saw it a few days ago in a musc shop. Then my friend told me the single came out for it.. SINGLE?!?!?!
It was a tribute single in a way, yet containing Steo's vocals here. A departure of sorts for Boyzone, the song is not too bad, with raggae tinge to it. The lyrics were written by Mika himself as well. Title of the song was apt also, in my opinion : Gave It All Away.
The single is bound to get onto the fans especially, with the opening lines helmed by none other than Gately himself - I will learn to live b4 I die... (SO SCARY...)
The video was good. Again, a tribute video, kind emotional. Apparent on the group itself...

The departure was alas, awhile. Even to a Boyzone fan, I was slightly disappointed with the effort, as the whole album seemed to be a 12 songs of tribute, kinda tossed in for sake of paying tribute to their "Brother".
Don get me wrong, it's not that the album is dismal. It had some good gems in it, and the vocal arrangements are more widely lead now compared to before, where only Ronan or gately had the helmlight. This time, Even Mike Graham and Shane Lynch took the lead in a few songs. If they could do this earlier... Oh well.

Back to the album, it was rather safe actually. No boundaries were broken, unlike their previous albums (Different beat - totally differ from other boybands' sophomore albums; Where We belong - all songs were written by the members themselves). It showed a few slightly uptempo songs to me, like Love is a Hurricane. It sounded a bit so so though, like Love is a Rollercoaster sequel to me.
Gems, were good though. I liked the 3rd song in the album. A country tinge ballad titled Ruby, lead by Mikey. Separate Cars - another emotional tribute ballad. Too Late for Hallelujah - very ironic gospel/pop song, and the last single Stronger - also lead by Gately.
All in all, it was a safe album. Buy if u are TRUE fan (like me =.=)
Otherwise, it's a likely miss...
Yet, it can grow on you... First time I heard it, it was a so so. Second time listening, I only didn't like 3 songs... others begin to grow... SO choose at your own peril!!!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Relations

As I was playing ze cards in the card tourney today, I noticed that 2 of the players were brothers. These 2 are different from each other, one a slightly chubbier elder while the other a lankier young brother. And the elder was helping the younger in his play..

At this I suddenly had a prompting in my mind: How are relations between siblings of same gender? I have only a younger sister. It is not to say that my relationship with my sister ain't good - we are in a way close to each other. Sometimes, she'll do certain things to help when it's unexpected of her, and vice versa from me...
And yet, I do have things that we won't talk about obviously. Same things go with her. I sometimes see that she would rather talk to the mother about certain things in her room, with the door closed. This is where I (and dad) would know that some things are going on or such...

My relations with my dad ain't really too close, especially after some incidents during my high school and after my uni years. From that point, I don really speak to my dad about much, including private things and such.. Heck, if I can do that, I wouldn't be blogging for most of the part here.

It's not that I miss having close relations. By now, I realized personally, that I'm a lone being. I may show my feelings and such like a book to many people, but in many ways, I don share much with people. Even the closest ones don really know me. I don blame this on anyone or anything. It's just who I am.
Now u may think now how does all this nonsense I am talking about have anything to do with the earlier part (brothers) at all?

Truth is that although I hear a lot of stories on same gender siblings, are they actually true at all? Sisters, brothers, do they share their talks? Do they share ideas? Since they are same gender, does emotion and empathy play a bigger role there?
It's as if the elder brother telling his younger bro, "yes, bro. i know how u feel. I am a guy after all..."
Some stories are so wild it's censored here as well. I think u all know enough by now what type of stories I am referring to here.
Yet... It's so stereotyped in this "siblings thing" that we don really delve into it much. Does the younger sibling REALLY INHERIT materials of the elder one? Examples are obviously clothings, books, blah blah blah... If clothes, does it include EVERYTHING?!? This may sound gross or indecent in ways, but it is something that I for one, don really know if true or not...

Anyways, enjoy the clip below :)

Thursday, March 4, 2010

2 Bs and an S

And the letter for today are... B and S

Firstly.
B is for Birthday, as in Happy Birthday Dad!!!! :)
Sorry ah, it's actually belated, since I'm only shouting it out 2 hours after ur birth day ended... Anyways, still... Hope ur day and the ones ahead will be better than b4!!!! :)
I'm just writing nonsense here along with the wishes, cos I know he ain't gonna read it. Heck I don think U know I have a blogsite pun right?!?!?! :p
So there. Happy birthday again... u can now officially apply for the special card for the senior citizens :p
And u should. Can get discount in movies!!! :)

B is also for Bernarda Alba. What?!?!
It's actually a play, done by an ex-colleague of mine in the college. me and some other friends went to see the play on Wednesday night at the KLPAC in Jalan Strachan, Sentul.
The play is approximaterly 90 minutes non stop, so u will either have surpress ur bladder or do it somewhere discreetly in the studio... I suggest the initial of course.
Not a bad play actually, in which Bernarda Alba is about a moorish Spanish family in the ancient times. Now this family is headed by an aggressive male hating mother, who has 5 daughters, the eldest coming in rich due to her dead first husband while the other 4 from her recently dead second husband - whom the mother despises a lot.
the family also consisted of 4 other female servants and the mother's insane mother (granny lar). Hence - it's an all female cast.
It is also a musical, which means that 90% of the play is sung out. My friend, who played the youngest daughter could actually sing, along with the others... So props to her.
Plot is simple: It starts right after the funeral of the second husband, where everyone were to mourn. The mother comes and gives new "law" of household and so forth. At the same time, the eldest was to marry a man. This news, along with the locked people starts to create a chain of events that led to an epic ending...
Without trying to spoil more, I suggest u all should go and see it. The final play of Bernarda will be this Sunday... Tickets are RM28. check it out.

Lastly, S is for Sensitivity
Yes, that's right. Sensitivity. Again, without divulging too much, today's happening shows a lot of this misbegotten and unfortunately overhyped feeling. Why overhyped? It's because sensitivity can be overblown out of porpotions, can be manipulated, can be outright true... Yet, it's often misunderstood.
Till now, I can tell u frankly that I can never understand it... Logical mind of mine will always tell me the reason why such feeling pops out, yet the gut/instinct/emotional side of me always feel for it...
So what do I say about Sensitivity then?
Handle it with care. It's like a time bomb. May blow in front of anyone- may hurt ANYONE and that includes yourself.

Monday, March 1, 2010

more strange titles

to those who reads my blog. By now u should've been riddled by the title and whatever's written too..
OMG... what the!?!?!?! that's what u would think.

Actually, it's an excerpt from a ficitional book in 1926 titled Invisible Dick.

Now, I am reading through a book aptly titiled Bizarre books, with many odd titled books...

Now some of the odd titled books from the first chapter itself:

- Queer shipmates
- old dykes I have known
- penetrating Wagner's Ring (1978)
- Drummer Dick's Discharge (1902)
- Shag the Pony (1952)
- Girls who did (1927)
- Five Years Hard (1932)
- Games you can play with your pussy (1985)
- Enter Ye In (1939, by a Baxter guy) followed by his next one;
- Going deeper (1960)
- A glowing and Graphic Description of the Great Hole
- Cock Tugs
- Bick Dick, King of the Negroes
- Dick's fairt
- Memorable Balls
- Cock Angel
- Queer doings in the navy
- two Men Came together
- Ay, Ay, Hey Ye a Spunk?
- A love passage
- Scouts in bondage

All these titles were only in chapter 1 itself!!! I was laughing my head off, at the double connotations that they bring out now...
Cock Tugs?!?!?!hahahaha!!!
Not to mention Drummer Dick's Discharge!!! now we'll just go ewwwwwww at first tought!!! hahahaha!!!
Might update on what goes through the book later on :p

Pressure

Such pressure is the feel, when people ask u nearly every single day to update ur blog...

U think i Superman is it? I'm not the one that have plenty of things to shout about one lar...

Anyways, tried my new deck of magistrates against the others yesterday.
One thing that I can say is:

Mantis magistrate is very viable now :)

What am I talking about? It's Legends of the fiverings... Good game. Started since 1998 - 12 years already!!! OMG O.O
just realized it man!!!!

Even my interest in Magic, and other minis weren't that long.
Magic - 5 years (Urza till artifact)
Hordes - 3 years (now don wanna play)
This game is very good still for me. I like it. I like the fact that I can still pimp players with my cards... pimp them nicely somemore. Hahahahahaha!!!!
Not to mention that the pictures are good now.. Look at The scorpion chicks, the mantis courtier, others too...


Also, I have a little craze right now, the word is Vampire.
Specifically, it's Vampire the Requiem. It's a fictional storytelling game - rpg based on a different world, known as the World of Darkness. Here, the vamps are not what we think they are. They are not like the icky saga vamps we are now having, nor like Anne's Rice sensually charged vamps.
These are monsters of the dead. They are inhuman. No feelings, yet they try to have it by 'playing out a certain role' - playing their requiem to life.
It's hard to tell u unless u read through it actually.
but the one thing that caught in this game was the way it was told. Grim, maccabre, logical, good in all ways. Read it and u'll know. Heck. I even bought the novels of it and another book based on it, called Night Horrors: the immortals.




That's my update :p