I’m a huge fan of writing about Harry Potter, though things got a bit messy there for a second. I caught some Sunn O))), Swans, and that whole vibe, and honestly, that was enough to get me hooked—it’s exactly the kind of stuff I’d personally blast on repeat. Even though I’m looking at a "new genre" here, I can't help but love messing with people who listen to total Cock Rock nonsense, but that shouldn't mean we have to settle for "soft dick music" just because. This is straight-up Experimental/Electronic and Dream Pop. At least, that's what it's turning into over here.
It looks like every single one of her albums is absolutely critically acclaimed. (So, if we're going strictly by points, she's basically maxed out), which means she's actually legit and clearly knows what she's doing. Alright, enough talk—time to get to work and dive into every single album from start to finish.
Edit: Listened to a bit more, and yeah, this is definitely my kind of thing. You've got those artists like Björk, Aurora, Chelsea Wolfe, and Grimes (though she's the only one of that bunch I actually listen to), but then there's Ladytron who lean heavily into Electronica, and I'd even draw a parallel to Crystal Castles, even if they all sound different. It's a great listen. For now, this is leaning way more towards Dream Pop / Avant Pop. Anyway, I'm glad I downloaded everything, but whether I end up buying it is another story. Usually, I just grab a t-shirt as a little way to show support and help them out, since I don't buy much music unless it's on Vinyl. Some of these acts don't even have official merch; it's all pretty DIY.
Does ANYONE out there have the complete "The End of the World" set (Stage 1 through Stage 6)—meaning all 6 Vinyl records by The Caretaker—in actually good shape? If not, I'm also looking for An Empty Bliss Beyond This World by the same guy. I definitely need the cover and the Sleeve included. Also, what kind of price are we talking for each one, or would you go for a bundle deal for the whole set? Thanks.
This album was basically my gateway drug into Swans before they started their modern era, back when SFTB was still their latest thing. For me, it felt like the perfect entry point. Honestly, looking back, SFTB ended up being my personal favorite since it hits closer to what I usually vibe with, but this one is such a high-quality pick for anyone looking to dip their toes into the old-school Swans sound before diving headfirst into the rest of their classic discography.
I don’t actually drink that much, but when I do, I’m usually reaching for some unknown. If not that, then it’s straight into some Black / folk metal. That’s pretty much it. I’ve never been one for hard rock or cock rock or whatever else is out there. When I hit up shows, I like to have a few drinks, but nothing so crazy that I ruin the night for myself. I actually want to listen to the music and really soak it in. Back in the day in Newark, we used to have a Jukebox at the Rock Cafe—or what’s now the Cult Cafe (not sure if it’s even still there)—but man, people always gave us these weird looks whenever we played stuff on it, haha. Except for unknown; he never cared about anything, just his crumbs.
Yeah, it's a mixed bag. I’m big into collecting Vinyl. There's just that warmth to the sound, you know? But the downside is I can't exactly scrobble them on last.fm (yeah, does anyone actually still use that in 2020?). So, I usually go for FLAC. If a FLAC isn't an option, honestly, 320 KBPS is plenty good enough—my hearing is shot anyway, so I probably wouldn't catch those high frequencies regardless.
When it comes to supporting artists, I feel like buying their merch and hitting up their shows does way more for them than just buying their music. I never touch digital purchases, even when there are killer deals. It’s pretty ironic, though, since digital is what I end up listening to most of the time. The last few bands that absolutely blew my mind were Cult of Luna, Editors, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Swans, and Death Grips. Those guys really delivered the goods. So, if I'm not grabbing a CD or some Vinyl, I usually end up picking up a shirt or something. Usually, I just order stuff online so I can pick a design I actually like; I've never been a fan of those standard tour tees—they're just incredibly lame. For me, Vinyl is more about the vibe—hanging them on my walls, hunting down limited editions with unique covers, different mixes, or even different track listings.
Honestly, I don't know. Ever since my last major suicide attempt back in 2016, I haven't been that same edgy kid with all the best jokes in town. Something shifted; I finally accepted who I am and what I love, but I’m still not exactly "happy." I try to hold onto the person I used to be, but when I look back at my old posts versus what I’m writing now, I’m actually fascinated by how unique I was. Not saying I’m not unique now—if anything, I'm more myself than ever—but the way I write and throw out jokes? It’s different. These days, I'm more focused on just trying to help myself survive, and maybe that’s why things feel a bit darker. That doesn't mean it's a bad thing, necessarily. I just miss my old self for some reason. Probably because everyone loved me for being that guy. Yeah, I was suicidal, sure, but I was also freaking hilarious. Now, I’m just... uniquely funny.
I'm 28 right now, and "growing up" isn't exactly on my radar, even though it really should be. I still love the stuff cool kids love. Or, at least, the kind of kids who care so little about how they look that they can walk out of the house in a pile of anime merch without feeling any cringe at all.
I honestly dream that I’m a totally normal person, but then I wake up and realize I’m actually losing my mind. Or maybe it's the other way around? It gets even weirder when the mania kicks in, or those heavy bouts of depression and psychosis where everything just feels... unreal. Derealization is a trip. My god. Catch ya later, cuties. Even though it sounds wild, my dreams actually help me get through the day sometimes. Like, if I have a dream where I'm head over heels in love, I'll wake up feeling all bubbly and affectionate. I don't really know how to put it into words, but those vibes from my dreams totally bleed into my real life for a few hours.
If I actually decided to be a decent human being—which, let’s be real, even with my naturally shy streak, would probably be a struggle because of my weird fashion sense, my music taste, and all my other niche obsessions—I might actually stand a chance. Though, honestly? Whether I could even stand myself for more than five minutes is a huge question mark. But if I were acting totally detached and just behaving like a complete jerk? Then absolutely not. I have this habit of pulling a total "grumpy face" whenever I'm in one of my moods. Looking back, that’s definitely a major red flag, and I'm sure anyone else would see it as one too. That said, I’m pretty sure I’d actually like myself. My whole goal right now is finding a girl who is basically my literal clone. Or, if that's asking too much, at least someone with similar interests who’s just as wonderfully quirky as I am.
Honestly, there’s zero reason to stick with Windows 7 anymore. I mean, seriously, unless you're stuck in some corporate office where nobody wants to shell out for new licenses, why bother? And from what I've gathered, the upgrade is basically free anyway. Windows 10 isn't even hitting your system harder than 7 did, and it doesn't really have "better" features in terms of raw power. If anything, 10 actually has the best feature set, looks way cleaner, and you can snag a key for like three bucks if you know where to look online. But hey, that's just my two cents. I know there's still a massive crowd clinging to Windows 7, but Microsoft isn't supporting it anymore—they've put all their eggs in the Windows 10 basket.
Just Synthwave for me. I don't drink that often—if at all—but when I do, I love to just lose myself in the music while staring out over the Washington, D.C. skyline in a total Night light mood.
Roger Mitchell4 said:I don't want to start a whole new thread, but a buddy of mine is trying to breathe some life into an old rig. He's running an i5-2320, 4x2GB RAM, and some motherboard he can't quite remember... Is it actually worth throwing my RX 570 8GB into this thing? He’s planning on grabbing a new 600W power supply. Mostly just playing PUBG Lite and some older titles. Am I going to run into a massive bottleneck?
Look, PUBG is super CPU bound. Having 8GB in Dual Channel is decent enough, assuming we're talking DDR3 or DDR4 (especially if they're Overclocking). That GPU you have is solid. Also, the game is notoriously poorly optimized when it comes to loading times. You're definitely going to need an SSD for it—just like you would for R6S if you're aiming for Very high textures, Mordhau, or stuff like that. An HDD just won't cut it; you won't load in time, and you might find yourself halfway through the flight path before you even spawn. It all depends on the map. Even my own i5-7600K at 3.8-4.2 GHz—which I've got Overclocking at 5.0 GHz—barely keeps up. Moving up to the 8th gen processors really helps because of the hyperthreading and all those other little tricks Intel added to the i5 line. Honestly, an i7 is just a much safer bet.
But hey, if you're fine playing on Low or Medium settings rather than cranking everything to Ultra like I do, then yeah, it should be plenty. You can probably still max out the textures, antialiasing, and post-processing since those don't eat up nearly as much juice. You'll likely have to dial back everything else, though. Definitely keep Shadows on High instead of Very high; the visual difference is negligible, but the hit to your performance is huge.
Personally, I've stepped away from it because I'm just not a big Battle Royale fan anymore. I might jump into the new Warzone or MW MP occasionally since it's pretty casual and gives you two chances to get back in the fight, plus the weapon balance feels okay. I'm just over the grind of trying to hit Global Elite in CS:GO and dealing with those annoying spikes. It's exhausting.
For a build like that, you don't need anything fancy for a power supply. I used a Cooler Master 600W for ten years for no particular reason, and since it was getting old, I recently picked up a 550W from Corsair. You could easily go even lower than that.