welcome to mobile optimized web

do you remember...websites

i remember websites. this is one of them! a classic one. a real one. welcome to shadsy dot neocities dot org!

this is my personal project: to gather links, archive creative works, and just generally dabble in some fun stylesheets and html. so have a look around--some links aren't live yet, but there's enough to get you started. if you want to learn a little about me, or are interested in my internet presence elsewhere, shadsy.net is the primer. but you're here, so that means you must be into Websites!

this site has recently gone through a total redesign! i used a template from a fellow chostie on cohost (may eggbug live forever in our hearts) to throw together something more modern web friendly. my HTML skills are from around 2009 and not made for mobile phones. but we're barrelling into the modern year with more of that! so now we have this, a newer and even better computer. i mean website.

the goal is still the same: having fun with websites, putting niche stuff here that only comes with having your very own space that you control. it's cool! i still like it, even when i forget to close a tag, because i'm out here putting this together by hand.

updates

10/13/2024: okay! i've actually been doing a lot of work behind the scenes, including a section and a page that aren't linked yet. they will be! which is why i put them up here. but what IS live is the fursona gallery! i'd like to get a gallery going in CSS but god forbid i add another fucking div tag. yeah i've been in the mines lately. i'm basically gearing up to for real redirect my carrd over here. i know i tried to do this before and decided against it, but i like what i've got now and i think we're realy gonna go for it. got to put my knowledge of ruby text to work. also put some more links on the trinkets page. might be it for now!

10/10/2024: SIDEWALK FLOWERS FIC SECTION: COMPLETE! i also added a synopsis page on there and made some other edits over there. in the main section, i added some new things to the web trinkets page as well! i'm getting some ideas for how to possibly make this place shadsy dot net as perhaps it was meant to be. still stewing on it. being a webmaster is suffering, etc. etc.

NOTE: most of the links should should work, but any marked with an ❌ are not live. i mean, if you click on them and you get yoinked back to the splash page, then you'll know.

music

as you may or may not know, i do in fact do music. i play music, i write music, and i talk about music! love that stuff. speaking of stuff, here's some below!

• new collective
• midis from the vault
• sheet music from me
• sonic music musings shrine
• music from evangelion shrine
• music discovery chronicles
• my 2nd gen ipod nano

external links

• soundcloud
• chiptune soundcloud
• when the crow flies

writings

i also write!

i do a lot of fanfiction, but i also do original stuff too. this is a directory of my original works, as well as my more ambitious fan projects. at least the ones that i am somewhat more active on. maybe i'll make a little page dedicated to projects that i have somewhat put to rest. that is, until i become possessed to ever come back to them. being a creator is succumbing to the madness every so often, you understand.

original projects

• the singing sword
• sidewalk flowers

fannish work

• final fantasy xiv wol portal
• sonic gijinka au: bad taste aquarium
• former large scale fan projects

okay so here's the thing

sooo this poor section has gotten very neglected on The Website, except for maybe the xiv portal. this is set up so i can pretty easily set up extra pages to do custom css (EASILY, EVEN). whether i get moving on this in any capacity is anyone's guess, honestly. please know that i am trying so very hard. we try hard every day.

though if you're curious, we do have a dreamwidth that we do more writing brainstorming on. so you can go there if you'd like! it even has an RSS feed. people love RSS feeds.

miscellaneous goodies

ironically, this may end up to be the largest section here...it's the stuff that's not music or writing! it's this. the grab bag section of whatever.

• websites made by 12 year olds
• list of favorite dinosaur comics
• splatoon portal
• plural system portal
• old tumblr retrospective
• cohost memorial shrine
• web trinkets
• the daily carry
• shadow the hedgehog
• guestbook
• fursona gallery

credits

this website template was put together for free use by jackapedia, which has been so helpful in streamlining what i've got going for a process.

the render for the cute little sonic rabbit is by KDD. that's my sonic oc/sona!

the sonic music musings shrine banner uses art by syesye996. the splatoon portal squid art and the system portal character art are done by givealexahand. the pixel background on the singing sword portal is modified from daenso's pale pixel backgrounds. the background for the bad taste aquarium portal is a modded screen grab from sonic adventure, and the background on the banner is a screen grab from sonic 1. the sidewalk flowers portal banner uses art by discosmackdown. the splash page has official SA2 art and sonic battle art of shadow.

the ffxiv banner art, singing sword banner art, and bad taste aquarium character banner art are done by me!

i'll keep adding to this as more assets accumulate.

this website is not affiliated with sega or its subsidiaries. it's not affiliated with anyone, just li'l ol' me!

changelog

change log

version 2

• 10/09/2024: nothing too crazy today, just MANY MORE WRITINGS uploaded on leighon dot html. we're up to 72, so almost done!
• 10/08/2024: okay, i've uploaded a ton more writings over in sidewalk flowers land. we're up to 36 and there are 91 total. luckily i found a tool to convert rich text to html, so i don't necessarily need that span tag or anything! turns out there are tools you can Use. this might have seemed obvious to others but i tend to do things the hard way. got a few new bands over in the discovery page, and i also finally adjusted the stupid colors on bad taste aquarium. the green was bugging me. if i do any more coding i will go cross-eyed.
• 10/07/2024: a lot of little things today! well, and some not-so-little things i suppose. let's start big first: we have a guestbook! you can write something nice there if you liked the website! i also added a silly page about how i love shadow the hedgehog. all of the differently styled pages, like the xiv page and so on, now have links at the bottom of their home page that go back to the portal they originated from. the "shadsy" link in the top left also gets you back home, but it occured to me that it doesn't show up on mobile, so there's another way to navigate there. added another button for nekoweb, another service similar to neocities that i highly recommend. i also edited the splash page just a tad to give another mini navigation below the image. ALSO, LATER THAT NIGHT: i've decided to put the flashes for sidewalk flowers on the website too. we'll see how i handle that. i even made my own span class about it to make it easier! as if anything i do for this website is easy. OK BYE!!
• 10/02/2024: i am already starting before noon with updates. website swag go crazy. added a new section in goodies about purse-maxxing. the daily carry, as it were. it's a cohost cross post, with some minor updates! because i didn't get to update the RSS yesterday, we're lumping in the 10/03/2024 update here too. the sidewalk flowers portal is live! there isn't much there and might not be for a while, but i think that is the last dead link on the site. so now everything goes somewhere. that's something, isn't it? also added a section for old writing projects and updated the writing page itself a little bit.
• 10/01/2024: okay, we cooked a lot today! there is a dedicated rss feed page now, thanks to RSS 2 HTML. the RSS feed works properly there even though it doesn't on the particular reader i use. hopefully your readers work a little, well, better. i should test some out. ANYWAY, with that in place, the changelog is a little redundant. i'm thinking to keep it around for just a little bit longer though. also! made some new 88 x 31 buttons to link out! there's one for the dot net and for here. it's really like a website in here now! OH AND ALSO TWICE: new banner over on bad taste aquarium! made the B verse girlies. added a new artist i checked out over on the discovery page too. cleaned up some of the code on this front page here, and actually put a link to shadsy dot net too. i'm on a roll so i think i'll hold off on the RSS update until i know i'm done websiting for the day.
• 9/30/2024: there's a new section over in system land. sorry to be a plural weirdo. it will happen again. perhaps even when you least expect it! i love working on Webbed Site.
• 9/29/2024: a small update over on new collective! one day i'll get a supporter account and be able to upload the mp3s on here. i did try making midis out of all those once. anyway it's about vampires! ALSO: i came back later to do more work on this. made some additions to the tumblr retrospective and also created the cohost memorial shrine. both sets of thoughts are a little rambly and half-baked, but the moment took me so i ran with it.
• 9/26/2024: another new page! this time my sonic gijinka portal is live! just the bare bones on it, but i did create that banner and draw the image for it, sooo i'd call that a success. hoping to pull over some of the character stuff that i've done on tumblr over there. considering i've already tweaked the colors on A!sonic we'll see if i can make that happen. i love working on webbed sites!!! even if i'm not that great at them!
• 09/25/2024: hi! there's a new page! it's about web trinkets. you know, like 88x31 buttons and so on. there are even some links to cool people! people i didn't know knew about me? or cared?!?! crazy. thanks for coming to weird place dot org i guess!! also did some updates to other places over the last couple days that i didn't mention.
• 9/21/2024: okay, the last piece of the puzzle, the singing sword portal is up. that's the last of the cleanup. i've pruned everything around so the old site is gone, and did some redirects here and there. we're all modernized! we did it. that's great. maybe i'll finish a few of these pages one day.
• 09/20/2024: the page i don't advertise that often is back up and live. did some image housekeeping as well. in the next few days i'll be removing all traces of the old site. (i HAVE saved them, i zipped and downloaded the site before i started my overhaul.) oh, i did a very minor update on the splatoon portal, though i really need to get in there and do some more updates for 3. as well as clean up the code.
• 9/19/2024: the ffxiv portal should be live! everything that was there before should be there now. also did a small update to the music discovery page while i was here. turns out when you have a one page site, it IS easier to update! waow!!
• 09/18/2024: the RSS feed is live! i'll likely use this when the site updates, a basic copy paste to the home page and use it like a change log. in case you wanna follow along with what happens on this lil old site. it should be useful since i think on long term scale i average an update about once a month. so if you use RSS like you should, now you'll know! hooray! i'll stick a link on the top bar.
• 09/17/2024: i think this is ready to go live! welcome everybody to the new site! some stuff might not work and images might be broken, i'll be working on that over the next days i suppose. you'll notice this has been converted to a 1 page site, and that's by design. #neat.
• 9/16/2024: hi! i had to delete my other update because i thought part of it was fucking up the code, but it turns out there's something funky with how the default block works. so now there's a splash page. that's the workaround for now. all main section links are live. i'll keep plugging away in the meantime. LATER THAT DAY: wow i've just been crazy on this today, huh. well i think i have everything copied over that uses the main site stylesheet. the other pages will actually have to be their own pages i think, because i'm not letting that shit go to waste. hestitant to upload this to online dot com. we'll see how far i can get.

version 1

PLEASE NOTE: none of the links will work on this page. this is purely for historical purposes. raw copy&paste.

• 09/16/2024: HELLO. BIG CHANGES ARE COMING. i'm working on a site revamp that will make things WAY more mobile friendly and vaguely accessible. i'm about...halfway done the process. halfway done the coding process anyway. those of us who are turbo nerds are cursed by web, because someone has to do it. WATCH THIS SPACE!!
• 06/27/2024: oh hello there! a few updates to the ff14 hub, particularly feilea's page! there's not much on there, but i made a new reference sheet for her and figured i'd put it here. i'll definitely be back here because the bees in my brain are buzzing due to dawntrail release. okay bye!
• 05/03/2024: long time no see! small update to the music discovery page, that's about it.
• 03/04/2024: updated the splatoon page with current weapon stats, as some things have moved around. i've also removed the links to the old splash page. i don't think it'll actually be used, and something mobile friendly for my intro stuff and links is a little more usable. i'll keep the old files around for a bit before purging them, so you'll still be able to see it if you want to. anyway, if you're here, you're one of the rEAL nerds, who use things like Computers. oh also! i made a totally new page! it's about my ipod, which is a thing people don't use anymore. click to read about obsolete mp3 players. that's all for real for now!
• 02/12/2024: long time no see! did a MAJOR overhaul to the smm page; basically moved the playlist over to my subdomain so i can manage it on carrd. it's over here for those curious. mobile web is my burden so i pay someone else to do it for me. if you're here, you are probably on a computer. at any rate, going to keep the static commentary over here. i really ought to start doing that (smiles weakly). i have preserved the old page just in case as well. That's About It!
• 01/09/2024: updated the dinosaur comics page for the 2023 comics! stay tuned next year when we do the 2024 comics. did a few new bands for music discovery page too. i'm trying to put in the year where i update. and also put those cute little "new.gif" and "update.gif" images there. but i forget. maybe there is something to having less pages in your website and using tag anchors. tee hee oh well!
• 01/04/2024: happy new year, people who visit this website! i'll be updating the year on pages that get updated as we go. anyway, updated the classic smm page to include the follower milestone jingles. the main playlist has been updated as well. i had a Life Event recently that well. kinda threw a wrench in my everything. but we're keeping up! a couple edits on the system page too. i think that's probably it for now.
• 12/04/2023: lots of little things over the last month, keeping up with the smm playlist and a couple tweaks here and there. to be honest, i've been sucked into a stardew valley hole lately to avoid November(tm). but it's fine!
• 11/11/2023: okay, the classic era commentary is finished and linked over in the smm shrine. lovingly hand copied the hard way. a couple little updates here and there. also: i just (re)learned that the hover text on an image/link is using the title designation, not the alt designation! alt is for like when an image/whatever isn't there, or for screenreaders. i was hoping for the cute little hover text. you can see it over on the changelog link at the bottom of the page, where the shadow sprite is! and oh yeah, did a little more html learning and updated the splash page. that should be it!
• 11/09/2023: been updating the music discovery page, and am starting the arduous process of copying over smm commentary, since tumblr has gotten its 3rd or 4th sign of the end times and it might actually go through this time. working on the classic games first; you're welcome to peek on my work if you'd like. by the by, when i say "arduous" i mean for everyone else--i love this sort of work. why else would i go through it?!
• 10/29/2023: made a little page about music discovery via a cool tumblr blog i discovered recently. did the biweekly update of sonicmusicmusings. did we ever figure out if biweekly means twice a week or once every two weeks? or is it both?
• 10/25/2023: a few new things up! you may notice that the splatoon hub has a new stylesheet! it's actually because of a More Different Splatoon Themed Page that's up right now...no real links to it yet because i am not sure if i'll pursue the project. but it's there if i want to! i also made a tumblr retrospective page over in goodies. what the crap is that? you'll just have to find out!
• 10/20/2023: more little edits, although did some work on candie's page today.
• 10/09/2023: been doing a lot of minor updates in a few places over the last few days, but the major update is over in xiv land, where icarus's page has gotten a bit of a start! still working on it. those wol pages will be quite bulky if they're ever finished.
• 09/27/2023: i've been busy! put up a shrine to my other music blog, music from evangelion. check it out! also updated the music page to reflect that all the links work there. hooray!
• 09/26/2023: as you probably already saw, changed up the intro text up there! i also finished doing all the links to the sonic music musings page too. that was a lot of work
• 09/25/2023: okay, what did i even do today? worked on candie's wol page and made it live. finished up the dinosaur comics page as much as i can for now. the main event is the sonic music musings shrine, which got its GIANT playlist imported from tumblr. it was a lot of HTML cleanup, making the images local, and putting up anchor links everywhere for easier browsing. everything SHOULD link correctly. links over to the blog go up to sonic 3 right now...once everything is linked, THEN i'll think about copying over the commentary. it's a gargantuan undertaking. yet it's somewhat...soothing. if ya know, ya know.
• 09/23/2023: did some cleaning up on the splash section; the links inside that page all link to one page now with anchors throughout. now i can use the header div and make it look nice! the splatoon hub got the same treatment: all pages have been condensed into one with anchor links throughout. i read some manifesto on how reducing pages is better and to take advantage of the web's infinite scroll. so i'll be doing that in the future! also did some backend cleanup which moved links around. i also ALSO put up a page dedicated to sonic music musings, which i will work more on later. that sweet, sweet saturday feeling!
• 09/21/2023: wah ho, a whole giant chunk has been added! i made a mock splash page that mimicks what's currently on shadsy.net. so it comes with all the sections! lovingly made 00's looking graphics! i love those old badges that were like 88x15 that you used to see on the web. i doubled the size but matched the style. plus some banner styles and so on. it doesn't have all the div layers (because i think it messes with the header div...i ought to go back and test that), but not a huge deal. pages linked are copied wholesale from what's on shadsy.net, and the top banner links back to here.
  i am seriously thinking of making this page shadsy.net, with that splash as a landing page instead. but to do that is some money per year. we'll see! i also worked on some xiv pages that aren't necessarily linked or live yet, since they're...not done. but i've worked on them!
• 09/18/2023: a hidden section has been added! i wonder what it could be??? 🤔 (it will be quietly updated later but for now you can poke around)
• 09/06/2023: minor css changes (bold tag is pink now! i also played with sidebars but ultimately removed them for now). minor update to xiv hub.
• 09/05/2023: splatoon 2 page has screenies! and the splatoon 3 page is done and live! also worked on continuing the list on the dinosaur comics link page.
• 09/04/2023: the splatoon 2 page is up! no screenies yet, but will have some soon. minor updates to the xiv portal page.
• 09/03/2023: a few new pages up! i've got a list of my favorite dinosaur comics started, plus i made the splatoon hub page! no custom css for that one, but i felt i needed to split up my thoughts for each game, so those have separate pages. the splatoon 1 page is live, but the other 2 are not. i may come back to it even later today! but no promises. i've spent about 3 and a half hours on the website today. OH YEAH, and there is also a changelog page as well, for those of you who care about that sort of thing! we'll see if i can keep up on it. the permalink will be on the shadow sprite at the bottom of the main page only. i made a changelog for the regular shadsy dot net, and i like recordkeeping. anyway, that's a lot!
• 09/02/2023: since all the topbar links are live, you can go and see "what's here" for yourself. so now this section will be the "what's new" section. the xiv portal is live with its own stylesheet. as well as real text instead of lorem ipsum. while the singing sword is a live section also with its own stylesheet, it still has dummy text. i'll come back to it later.

new collective

i make covers occasionally using a limited midi palette, informally known as "new collective". basically drums, bass, electric keys, organ, and a clav. it's a weird little sound; kinda loungey, kinda funky. i use it as a way to practice decent drum grooves and arrangements without having to worry too much about the live preformance that i tend to do. it's fun!

the idea i had was to convert all of these to midi and put them here. this turned out to be WAY more convoluted than i thought. plus, neocities doesn't want to host mp3s unless you upgrade (understandable). since i haven't done that, i'll just talk about what i've done and if i happen to do the midis, they'll be here too. cool?

midis

ArtOfMotion.mid - "Art of Motion" by Andy Mckee, from Dreamcatcher (2004), Art of Motion (2005)
notes: arranged 06/14/2020. very fond of mckee's work and this tune in particular, was excited to nail the riffs and figure out how to arrange it.

others in the series

Adia.mid - "Adia" by Sarah Mclachlan, from Surfacing (1997)
notes: arranged 01/14/2018. very sweet song, loved doing the harmonies for this. in the mp3 version, i have it sampled as if the "band" goofs off at the ending, with a trill in the keys and sampled drumsticks hitting the floor.

AzyzLla.mid - "Order Yet Undeciphered" by Masayoshi Soken, from Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward (2015)
notes: arranged 05/11/2020. this tune has SUCH a cool vibe, no notes on the arrangement besides the instrumentation. i kept that driving feel with a straight ahead kit, the organ, and so on...i did add some real chorused guitar on this one. fun to quote the ishgard theme in this as well!

BayCity.mid - 黄昏のBAY CITY by Junko Yagami, from Full Moon (1983)
notes: arranged 01/08/2017. when this song was getting sampled to hell and back, i sought out the original work, and junko yagami is SUCH a great artist. super fun 80's pop! i tried to harness the vibe in a more stripped down setting.

BlackingOutTheFriction.mid - "Blacking Out The Friction" by Death Cab For Cutie, from The Photo Album (2001)
notes: arranged 01/30/2017. the original has phone samples at the beginning and end (a dial tone at the end, a ring tone at the beginning) to go with the theme of the song. i always imagined it being a phone call with a lot of dead air...the sad kind. plus i even mimic the phone line with a minor second at the building point! It's Theming!

Butterflies.mid - "Butterflies" by Toad The Wet Sproket, from Dulcinea (1994)
notes: arranged 07/29/2017. this song is also cool, not too much done on the arrangement, besides some noodling in the outro. again, wanted to capture the initial vibe that drew me to the song in the first place. the bass line is my favorite.

DeathWolf.mid - "Death Wolf" by Taking Back Sunday, from Tidal Wave (2016)
notes: arranged 04/10/2017. imagine my surprise learning that TBS had a new album out around that time...big fan of them in my high school years. this whole album rules, so i had fun arranging this one. the original has a crowd sampled in the middle of the track.

Emotion.mid - "Emotion" by Carly Rae Jepsen, from E•MO•TION (2015)
notes: arranged 09/24/2020. REALLY dig this song, it's got swagger to it. the original had me using a different clav sample, which i wasn't impressed with (still thinking about trying to redo the clav...). this quotes "call me maybe" in the outro, and also has a silly fall apart ending.

Golden.mid - "Golden" by Fall Out Boy, from Infinity On High (2007)
notes: arranged 02/21/2017. always loved the harmonies in this song and the progression. this is heavily extended and has an upbeat backbeat (a UB-BB if you will) instead of the solemn solo piano of the original. plus: fun with the arpeggiator!!

NewAesthetic.mid - "Your New Aesthetic" by Jimmy Eat World, from Clarity (1999)
notes: arranged 04/16/2017. this song has a sort of dark tone to it that i tried to reflect in this arrange. the original has a radio static squeal at the beginning. plus, the harmonies are cool. a guarantee to make me think of arranging a song is to have Cool Harmonies. also: more fun with the arpeggiator!!!!

September.mid - "September" by Earth, Wind, and Fire; from The Best of [...], Vol. 1 (1978)
notes: arranged 09/22/2020. did this one in the real throes of the pandemic. september is a song that means a lot to me, as it was a staple in my jazz ensemble and was retired after i graduated. it's a very nostalgic song for me (and probably a lot of people given its age). this arrange starts slow and then goes back up to tempo. also with the new clav sound.

Ohx8.mid - "Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh" by Say Hi, from Oohs and Aahs (2009)
notes: arranged 02/27/2018. this is a kind of obscure 00s indie band, which i was into in high school. this song also has some swagger in it. however, arranging the titular "Ohs" was torture, since there is echo on the tracks and syncing up the off beats was nightmarish. came out okay though!

OutOfRange.mid - "Out Of Range" by Brand New, from Mene (2016)
notes: arranged 01/20/2017. this is the one that started it all (rip brand new 2000-2017). this song took me a bit to warm up to, but now it's one of my favorites. maybe in part to this arrangement! it's got a groove to it. i really love it. that's all.

PassionOrSanctuary.mid - "Passion" or "Sanctuary" by Hikari Utada, from Kingdom Hearts II (2005)
notes: arranged 02/15/2017. kh is definitely what i would call a "fandom in law", and i know for a fact if i had a ps2 in the mid 00s, it would have also irrevocably changed my brain chemistry. still! i like this song and based it off a piano arrangement i had of it.

Pompeii.mid - "Pompeii" by Bastille, from Bad Blood (2013)
notes: arranged 05/01/2020. had fun with this arrangement, starts with a rainstorm and a fade in on the original on the chorus, and THEN getting into it. that's what arrangements are about babey--mixing it up! played with the drums echoing the melody as well (something i learned from music school, despite not being a drummer/percussionist).

Santa.mid - "The Man Who Would Be Santa" by Vertical Horizon, from Running On Ice (1995)
notes: arranged 01/28/2017. most people know this band's later releases, but i think their live stages album rules so hard. i arranged this a little more bouncily than the original...and of course, i was drawn to the harmonies. you know how it is. i even included a bass solo!

Sleepyhead.mid - "Sleepyhead" by Passion Pit, from Chunk of Change (2008)
notes: arranged 02/18/2018. i have a remix of this song that lives in my head rent free (the neo tokyo remix?), which is what this is based on. the beginning sounds like a tune up from the bass, and then we get into it. i remember letting loose and going by feel on this one. love it.

TenDesires.mid - "死霊の夜桜"("Night Sakura of Dead Spirits") by ZUN, from Touhou Shinreibyou ~ Ten Desires (2011)
notes: arranged 02/10/2018. HUGE fan of touhou and its music. i still have half a mind to arrange all of the 1st stage music of all the games, and it started with this one. people always talk about how stage 5 and the extra boss stages have the best music, but don't forget about stage 1! give it some love too! i enjoyed putting the main touhou theme in here where i could.

TH1-1.mid - "永遠の巫女"("Eternal Shrine Maiden") by ZUN, from Touhou Reiiden ~ The Highly Responsive to Prayers (1996)
notes: arranged 09/02/2018. this is another attempt to arrange all of the 1st stage musics. don't know if i could truly convert this to midi, as the washy chorused guitar in this is crucial to the whole mix, and even solos. a really laid back loungey feel here.

Yes.mid - "Yes" by Coldplay, from Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends (2007)
notes: arranged 02/21/2018. coldplay makes very zeitgeist albums, and this one is no exception. it sounds like a cold, dark winter's day, which was perfect for the mid 00's. i had actually not listened to the album in its entirety until some years later, and this was a song i missed out on. the beginning is staged like a preformance.

Vampires.mid - "Vampires" by The Midnight, from Endless Summer (2016)
notes: arranged 09/29/2024. back from a hiatus from these! this one includes an EWI sax line for the iconic sax that is featured in this track. i LOVE this band and this is their most well-known tune. it's not exact and a little messy, but i felt it in the moment so i had to embrace it. i had fun and that's what counts!

more as i make them!

old midi

what were YOU doing in january 2007?? to be fair this wasn't my heyday: i was in high school by now, and had an mp3 player. i was already scouring limewire for music by this point. but i clearly went through and saved some/all of my old midi files?? and they're here for you to enjoy? from a disc only titled "jan 3 2007"

jan 3 2007 archive

ash_rdm.mid - "Rainy Day Man"; notes say "sequenced by Bomi Lee (ywlee@igs.net) Altered by Ashley". rainy day man was a dub only song from sailor moon if i recall. you'll have to forgive me as my anime trivia is very rusty.

endingcreditsrby.mid - "Ending Credits" from Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow. no notes on this one. this has some variation to it and is a bit of an arrangement itself.

finalfight.mid - "Champion Battle" from Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow. notable for using square waves only on the arrangement. no arranger notes on this one either.

hallfame.mid - "Hall of Fame" from Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow. this is apparently on multiple channels but only shows up as a piano on my sequencer. it still souneded pretty much like this, very bare bones.

heart1.mid - "Heart Moving" from Sailor Moon. used for eps 1-26 of the 90's anime. i had to tweak some of the instruments on my end in the sequencer to get to sound right (helpfully labeled by the arranger).

jpokemon.mid - "Aim To Be A Pokemon Master" from the Pokemon anime. this is the 1st japanese pokemon opening theme. flawless in the sequencer!

legendarygcs.mid - "Legendary Beast Encounter" from Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal. this song used to jump scare me both in game and in my music player because the intro is SO jarring. several errors regarding notes not having end points in the sequencer but no big deal.

outer's openig theme.mid - "Uranus, Soshite, Neptune" from Sailor Moon; this is the outer's theme from the S arc in the anime. (specifically, i think this is for uranus, as the track name i'm referencing from has mulitple cues.) had this midi when i was a kid and then years later i found the OST to source the original cue (tears in my eyes). this uses some weird paramters according to the sequencer! i had to mute one but otherwise it's okay.

pk_gs_rsnp.mid - "National Park" from Pokmeon Gold/Silver/Crystal; notes say "Sequenced by Troy Davis (bombac1@hotmail.com)" thanks for leaving that there! this is a real good one. there is nothing chiller than this.

rivals.mid - "The Rivals" from the Pokemon anime. this is the 2nd japanese pokemon opening theme, a stripped down version here. i always was charmed by it. and then blown away when i found the source track! i love the modulation in it...

seramun.mid - "Moonlight Densetsu" from Sailor Moon. for some reason, this has some interesting chord choices. i wonder if it's based on the dic version of this song?

she's got the power.mid - "She's Got The Power" from Sailor Moon; notes say "sequenced by Bomi Lee (ywlee@igs.net) Sailor Moon Cyber Page". another one by them! so this was by stan bush(!?) and replaced "ai no senshi" for episode 61 of the dub. now i've GOT to find the original of this song. there's a buggy parameter with my sequencer but otherwise this rocks.

sm3.mid - this is a transformation cue from sailor moon R? don't quote me on that. i don't have a lot of ways to look this up as you might imagine given the non descriptive title. maybe it's from classic though.

smrm102.mid - i have to guess this is a sailor moon R cue as well; tried looking it up by episode number that's there, and the 100s are in S. it sounds like a major song. is it from the R movie?! i really don't know. like i said, my anime trivia is super rusty.

smstarop.mid - "Sailor Star Song" from Sailor Moon; notes say "sequenced by Bomi Lee (ywlee@igs.net)" i know THIS one, the opening for the stars arc! some weird paramters but otherwise a solid one. i wuv sailor star song...

SSAnne.mid - "S.S. Anne" from Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow. a very...violin classical take on this one. which i guess would make sense? it's a cruise ship for rich people, we just won a ticket for turning bill back into a person. very nice.

ssd_battle1_believe_in_victory.mid"Battle 1 ~ Believe In Victory" from Sword Of Mana/Seiken Densetsu. baby's first jrpg, this game means SO much to me and the music in it is great, including this battle track.

warrior of love.mid - "Ai no Senshi" from Sailor Moon. this one appears in both the R and S seasons, and i now have like...four versions of it saved. i DID seek this one out, after i learned its japanese title.

ww_sail.mid - "Sailing Theme" from Legend of Zelda: Windwaker. i had this song before i even knew what windwaker was. i barely knew what legend of zelda was. but i had this grandiose song that sound beautiful. i remember when i first heard it in game and was like "THAT'S IT! THATS WW_SAIL.MID!!!!!!"

if you're looking for more...

good ol' VGMusic.com is still going, and might be where i got some of the pokemon ones. the sailor moon ones are probably from long discontinued sailor moon fansites (although given my research, perhaps some are indeed still lurking in the forgotten depths of the web?).

midis are a bit of a dying breed, though. while we still use the standard to compose, everything's all about VSTs and special instruments. we don't use the default samples anymore, which is a true shame. i've been using aria maestosa to preview these, and while i could compose in it, it doesn't support realtime playback and probably never will. (last update was in 2016...) anyway. if you see a simple program that does midi sequencing and supports external keyboards with realtime playback, drop me a line.

sheet music

so i have this up because i think i have some Lovingly Handcrafted Sheet Music up here somewhere...okay, so not as much as i thought. but you CAN take this transcription of wednesday's child by the rippingtons that i obsessed over for a week? it's a great smooth jazz song and the sax rips.

C version
Bb version

music discovery chronicles

via haveyouheardthisband and general discovery

so i've been using this blog called haveyouheardthisband as a vector for new music discovery. (PLEASE NOTE: i do not run this particular music blog, charlottan does.) it's a cool concept so check them out! anyway, i trawled through their archive and drafted some bands that i want to check out. there are so many. because even if i HAVEN'T heard of them, i WANT to hear them. this is a little chronicle of my discovery log!

this applies to other band discoveries too, not just from the blog. it was just inspiration for making this page. i do like me some music posting after all!

da bands

Strawberry Switchblade: i listened to their self-titled album. the genres that grabbed me were New Wave and Dream Pop. judging by the cover and the sound, extremely in the heat of new wave. the girls have their teased hair and that "rio" makeup look. released 1985! looks and sounds it! someone in the comments was like "omg my fave goth band!" and i was like "goth???? really??" but like...i kinda see it. it's like a classic sort of goth sound. maybe. anyway it wasn't bad, a lot of orchestra sounds in here along with the typical new wavey sounds. glad i listened to them, but not something i'm gonna grab for myself. (note: this was written in post, not while i was listening to the album.)

Cocteau Twins: i listened to the album art posted, "heaven or las vegas". genres that grabbed me were "dream pop" again, although this one is specifically tagged with "gothic rock", as well as "ethereal wave" and "post-punk", which i could be into. now this DEFINITELY sounds way more dream pop than the last group. album released in 1990, so new wave is heading out, but the swirling guitars of dream pop and soon to be shoegaze are really in full form. REALLY love all the chorused guitars going on here. even the album art has more 90s sensibilites. i'm surprised that tumblr has heard of them? i had never heard of them before this. this is truly that in-between sweet spot of what would come after and what has come before and matured in this genre. very cool! that's worth a download to me!

Looprider: we're listening to the album art posted, "my electric fantasy". genres that grabbed me were Shoegaze and Stoner Rock. plus the anime girl on this cover. so this is an interesting one: a shoegaze band from japan, this album is from 2015 but they have stuff releasing as late as april 2023. this is definitely more on the heavy side of things (given it's also given "metal" tags), think more hum and mbv than slowdive or ride. not the first japanese shoegaze group on my radar (magic love is another one, more dream pop). their discography is on bandcamp, which is cool! this album is pretty good, but i do want to check out their other stuff (particularly their newest album). it's cool, but on the fence about putting in my library. wishlisted a couple albums for now! brief update: i did listen to their newest album and i think i like it better, so that might be the one i get later.

TWRP: listening to the album art posted, "together through time". genres that grabbed me were Synthwave, Synth Funk, and Electro-Disco. okay so looking through the notes and reblogs on this post, these guys have played with and/or for ninja sex party? they preform in full costume. that rules. the anagram is "tupperware remix party". this stuff is SUPER funky! very daft punk "random access memories" vibes going on here. upbeat synthwave, which definitely rules. i loooooove modern disco. i think in a past life i was a disco queen. if you're into that sort of thing. anyway, these guys are on bandcamp and i'm DEFINITELY getting this album after only listening to like 2 songs and will look for another one. full marks.

American Football: listening to the album art posted, self-titled album. genres that grabbed me were Midwest Emo and Dream Pop. okay full disclosure: i HAD heard of this band before, i remember seeing this way back in my last.fm days. i just don't remember what the heck they sounded like. so i just looked up the midwest emo genre, and yeah, i can hear the differences: less punk/hardcore, more math rock/indie rock. also referred to as "second-wave emo". anyway, genre analysis aside: this sounds Exactly Like That. i do like this sound and am a fan of math rock anyway. this released in '99 so right in the beginnings of emo's popularity (jimmy eat world's "clarity" would be soon, if not already out). i think back in my high school days, i may have gotten a little bored of this sound (i liked screamo more then). there is something deeply nostalgic about this sound. i like it. i will probably buy this album and check out what else they've done since (they have a bandcamp). COMING BACK TO SAY: so these guys broke up after their first record and a handful of shows, then their popularity EXPLODED, and in 2016 they got the gang back together and since have put out like 2 new albums?? and their 2nd LP is arguably better than the first??? that rules also!!!

Blue October: listening to the album art posted, "foiled". genres that grabbed me were Alternative Rock and Acoustic Rock. i voted that i've heard of them, because i think i have, and someone in the tags mentioned "into the ocean", which ALSO sounds familiar. i think a few of my friends were obsessed with that song. this album is 2006, so like...i am Very Familiar with this vibe of alt rock. so far i'm not terribly impressed, it's very by the numbers. i also don't think i like the guy's vocals that much. also what the heck is up with the way the drums are mixed, the kick drum is super boomy and i don't love the snare either. i maybe shouldn't write my essay listening to the first song, but a) first impressions are important (i am such a big fan of album openers and what they can do), and b) i'm so used to writing for smm which is only on one song. i will find that into the ocean song and see if it leaves a better impression. oh god. yeah uh i don't like this! i will pass.

Waterparks: listening to the album art posted, "fandom". genres that grabbed me were Alternative Rock and Emo-Pop. oh yeah, this is pretty known on tumblr, which also piqued my interest too. honestly looking at the other tags combined (electro-pop, pop rock), i should have expected that this is how it would sound. these guys are fairly current; this album is from 2019. this reminds me of listening to stuff like. say anything. it's like say anything mashed with the 1975. the song "watch what happens next" is pretty smart, so is "i miss having sex but at least i don't wanna die anymore", and the vibe is pretty catchy. the last track is REALLY how i wanted the rest of the album to sound. i could get into this in the right mood. they're on bandcamp, so i will wishlist this and come back to later. or maybe i can't wishlist it?? i can't even play the songs on the bandcamp site. what the heck. can't tell if this is a label descision or not. anyway this is okay but not an instant buy.

The Correspondents: listening to the album art posted, "puppet loosely strung". genres that grabbed me were "electro swing". now i'm not a huge electro swing guy, actually, but i like checking out stuff because my spouse likes it. i feel like i've been transported to 2010's hipster twitter. i think this is simply not my style. i'm just skipping around since the first track didn't grab me. oh well!

At the Drive-In: listening to the album art posted, "relationship of command". genres that grabbed me were "emo" and "post-hardcore". it is definitely that! the hardcore influences definitely shine through. there's a lot of shouted vocals, with some screaming in there too. this released in 2000. i feel like i would have liked this more when i was in high school. i will say i THINK i've heard "one armed scissor" before, a LONG time ago. an aside: how do people decide when something is "post" a genre? it happens a LOT in music. looking it up, seems that it's just stretching the rules of hard and fast hardcore punk. some of the other bands listed in the genre are up my alley. this is something i think i'd have to be in the mood for. tumblr's consensus is that there a lot of devoted fans; my favorite comment is "i thought this was the emo website". i'll definitely keep this in mind and may grab it later when i'm in an Emo Mood. x

This Mortal Coil: listening to the album posted, "it'll end in tears". genres that grabbed me were "dream pop" and "ethereal wave". this is a little more dreamy than what i expected. no drums on anything, just kind of meandering vocals and very sparse instrumentals. i like some moody kinda dreamy stuff but i do not think this is my speed. this is an 80s album so this predates shoegaze (or could be considered its early inspiration). yeah not for me. that's okay!

Serani Poji: okay this is outside of hyhtb but a friend of mine mentioned it and i had to give it a listen. the group was formed by tomoko sasahi and produced by naofumi hataya, both of whom have sega music ties. and you know i like their stuff! anyway, the album i listened to was "one room survival". it's very bright and bouncy! to me it reminds me of the same mood i get when i want to listen to the katmari damacy soundtrack. it's just really fun and poppy while being kind of out of the box! goes without saying that this is j-pop as well. i'll be keeping this one for a rainy day!

In Angles: listening to the album "cardinals". this was tagged "math rock" and "swancore". hey. what the fuck is swancore. anyway. it's also post-hardcore which is different than emo in certain spaces. but like if the layman heard this, they'd be like "this is emo right?" anyway(2). i can dig this. i gotta see what the hell swancore is. ooo, there's some screaming here! okay, so apparently there's more of a focus on clean vox and less screaming. (there is some though). some guy named it after himself, incredibly. okay about this album: it's good. i'll put this in my playlist with hawthorne heights and the like. worth a download.

Great Big Sea: listening to the album "up". tagged "celtic rock", which i do enjoy. apparently these guys are from the canadian maritimes (newfoundland and etc.) and do folky styles. the first two songs on this album i didn't vibe with at all, but this slower one is actually okay. given the styles i think this band would be INCREDIBLE to see live. a very fun show probably! but i don't think i'll grab this for me.

Big Country: listening to the album "the crossing". tagged "celtic rock" and "new wave". girl you KNOW i'm curious about new wave!! this is an 80s band, and i don't know if i've ever heard their big hit. maybe in passing but it never stuck. but this sounds very 80s and very new wavey. i can hear the celtic influences. this is worth a full album listen that's for sure! this album is also mixed for cassette tape and nothing else. it's got that crunchy sound. other side of the mirror by stevie nicks has the same sound to it. maybe it's just this rip, they could only find the cassette tape. this is a nice listen but i don't think i'll grab it for myself.

The Weepies: okay. this one was NOT on the current running list down there, but man. MAN. listening to "say i am you", which was released in 2006. let me tell you: INCREDIBLY mid 00's indie pop album. but that's where i was molded so it's really REALLY resonating with me. definitely the kind of music i want to actually make. sorry i didn't get to mention the tags on this, which is "indie pop" and "folk pop". yeah it's definitely that. it's very sweet. hell, even the album art is REALLY 00s indie. it's like so targeted that it makes me wonder how i missed it in my younger days? i think i was getting into harder emo stuff at the time and moving away from that sound. anyway this is definitely getting a download.

Wishy: found these guys during bandcamp friday the other week! listened to their album "triple seven", and wow what a great record! it really blends indie pop/rock with dream pop in a nice way. the songs are catchy and i love the hooks and the sonic landscape of it all. it's really good and i'm glad i got this one. check them out if you're into those genres!

Ratboys: heard these guys on soma.fm, and was so intrigued by "The Window" that i looked them up on bandcamp. genre is indie and also post-country. that's fun! we're listening to almost their newest record, the aformentioned "The Window". i really like the vocalist, she's got some punch. i can hear that "post-country" vibe in a couple songs but it's much more on the indie side. i love the hooks. this was produced by chris walla, who i believe used to produce for death cab for cutie? maybe he still does? not sure. anyway i like it! clearly i'm feeling the indie pop lately. definitely a solid wishlist.

Chromeo: so i'm going to see these guys LIVE with the midnight soon, so i decided to check them out. we listened to "Date Night: Chromeo Live!" because it was the most cohesive thing on their bandcamp. WOW. really awesome funky sound! they really remind me of TWRP, same vibe and genre. this makes me EVEN MORE EXCITED to go see them in concert double-headlining. CRAZY!! it's just like...sexy music too. i don't know how else to describe it. music you use to flirt. with a slammin backbeat and funky bass. it rules.

Bourbon Princess: let me see, what caught my eye about this one...oh yeah, this was classified as "jazz rock" and "alternative rock" over on HYHTB. i listened to "black feather wings". what a vibe this is. the lead singer has this great husky voice that's super evocative and moody and sexy. it's got saxophones in it! sometimes there are spoken word sections and it sounds like slam poetry. not to bring the 90s saturday morning cartoon doug into this, but this is judy funnie music. it's moody and avant garde and very unique. definitely on my bandcamp wishlist.

Saves The Day: this had all the emo pop alt rock emo rock brandings on it, so i had to give it a listen. i also think i've heard of this band? it was always in my peripheral. anyway, these guys are really standard emo fare. i hate my hometown, i'm on a drive with this girl, i'm done with being cool. that's the name of the album i listened to! "through being cool". it's #Fine. maybe i'm just not super in an emo mood, but i did listen to it all the way through. it didn't make me stop and go "whoa" so i think i'll put it on the back burner.

Chapterhouse: you know i can't leave a good 90s coded shoegaze band alone. we're listening to the extended edition of "whirlpool". really solid album! some really solid shoegaze here, good textures and good mixing. i can hear every instrument individually, including the bass! it doesn't wash out into an incomprehensible mush. the beats are good too, and nothing gets too crazy noisy or out there. DEFINITELY downloading this guy when i have a chance!

more to come

i honestly really don't know if i want to put my list of shame here. we have only so much time on this great big green earth, and i don't want to be beholden by things that i might never get to. this is like the giant list of video games that you never finish. it's okay! i'll just joyfully post about new albums and/or bands that i discover in this space. that sounds nice.

music from evangelion

music from evangelion was another music review blog that i ran from december 2012 to may 2013. i covered the entirety of the TV soundtrack of neon genesis evangelion, since i really enjoyed the soundtrack, but there wasn't much love for it on tumblr (besides its iconic intro).

i ran this blog differently than smm; it took no requests and ran daily from january through march. starting in april it posted a couple times a week, and while i started going through the rebuild movie soundtrack, i ended up stopping and considered my mission complete. the commentary style is different too: i took a more formal, objective approach, rather than the "radio host" personality of smm.

archived below is the commentary with links to each music post. i can't host it here (nor would i want to), but it's pretty easy to find if you want to grab it yourself.

playlist archive

(numbered and listed in soundtrack order)

1. Angel Attack
A tense track characterized by dissonant violins, heavy percussion, and a strong low brass section. The low, heavy piano serves as an underlying ostinato that drives the track forward. It drives to a crescendo with help from violins as well as the introduction of electric guitar lines, into a dense chord at the end led by the high trumpets.

2. Rei I
A slow piano piece in A minor. It starts with closed voicings in the high range of the keyboard, then moves on to a more diminished feel. It’s a somber piece that introduces a string section halfway through, adding depth and a ringing sensation to the piece. It continues to build, eventually adding the warmth of a brass section, and ending with a harp cadenza.

3. Hedgehog's Dilemma
A tune reminiscent of a jazz bossa ballad. Using the piano and string sections as driving forces, acoustic guitar is featured as the main comping instrument, introducing thick, arpeggiated chords. The beat is kept with congas in the back of the mix, not overpowering the focus of the tune. The melody sits in the piano, increasing in octaves upon the second time through the form. Again, this track invites a smooth, but melancholy mood.

4. Barefoot in the Park
Another Latin inspired tune, featuring a trumpet melody. The vibraphone provides a smooth comping texture, as well as padding from the string section. The drums resonate in a steady bossa groove, with shakers and auxiliary percussion in the mix as well. The piano takes a back seat while the trumpet melody soars over the wall of sound.

5. Ritsuko
A mid tempo piece featuring acoustic guitar and piano alone. Evocative of the era, the guitar provides a solid bed for the melodic piano. The piece is heavily chord driven, using an abundance of changes to create a melody. With moments of lydian and mixolydian modes, the mood of this track is quietly pleasant.

6. Misato
An up-tempo shuffle piece with a heavy flute feature. The flute rings out sharp and true over the bright drums and strong bass line. The string section provides appropriate kicks, and the bells emphasize the melody, giving it a child like feel. Even when the piano picks up where the flute drops off, it keeps the same, carefree disposition.

7. Asuka Strikes!
An upbeat track with a heavy rockabilly feel. Both the tone of the electric guitar and agression of the violins fit the style of this piece. Bells are also used here, as well as a muted electric piano. The drums stay focused on the snare and cymbal, creating an interesting rhythm. This track has a quirky nature, filled with stops and starts and heavy hits.

8. NERV
A triumphant piece, reminiscent of an earlier era. The swooping violin sounds, combined with the fanfare of trumpets creates high energy, even for a medium tempo piece. The melody in the trombone is an excellent choice, combined with the disco groove in the high-hat. The auxiliary hand percussion adds more color to the mix, as well as an electric piano hidden within the other colors. The trumpet melody is brassy and effective, and even gives the track a bit of a swing.

9. Tokyo-3
A mellow track, featuring both a brass choir and a vocal choir. The vocal choir provides a etheric layer of sound underneath the brass, providing chordal stability. The movement proceeds through the voices, with the tuba as a pedal, then the trombones, then the trumpet on a low fanfare. There is a sense of peace embedded in the color of this track.

10. I. Shinji
An andante funeral march set in F minor. It starts with piano and strings, then gradually expands into an intense crescendo featuring the entire orchestra. The brassy trumpet combined with the tambourine in the background adds distinct color, as well as the height of the violins at the track’s most intense point. The contrast between staccato and legato lines is quite notable.

11. EVA-01
A heroic track that accomplishes the feel without an excessive brass fanfare. Instead, the string section leads, with long falls and tremolos, and a forte melody in the front of the mix. The brass sits back, helping keep the tempo with the marching snare, as well as with padding swells. Harp runs also give this track a majestic color, along with carefully placed cascading trumpet lines, often in the horn’s higher range, and other counterpoint in the trombones.

12. A Step Forward Into Terror
A call to arms, heavily featuring the brass section in fanfare. The drums introduce a rock groove, making this unique from the other heroic themes, not to mention the chords in the trombones giving thick texture. The string section serves to comp in the back, more prominently in the second time through the form. The harp, once again, provides majestic color to the feel, especially at the end of the track. Deep in the mix, there is an electric guitar comping on beats two and four to add to the rock feel.

13. EVA-02
Another powerful piece, featuring the higher trumpet range. Once again, this has a rock drum beat behind it, but takes it a step further by adding a full electric guitar line on top of it for a whole different color to the sound. The strings and horns provide layers of sound, passing the melody back and forth in the shuffle groove. The harp cadenzas are far faster, and the track has an overall confident feel.

14. Decisive Battle
A tight energy piece that fits its name. The addition of the timpani and the harmon muted trumpets provides a new color, and a desperate, tense sound. The tightly controlled horn and trombone kicks are precise and sharp. Combined with string fills, and a terribly strong trombone and screaming trumpet duet, this track has a lot of intensity to it. The hand percussion solidifying the beat adds a colorful touch that doesn’t distract from the overall orchestral color.

15. EVA-00
Another piece with a tense mood. Marked by high strings playing intervals of fifths, it’s complimented by dark chords in the piano with a heavy hand. The brass carries out most of the melody, helping with chords and dissonant intervals. An electric guitar mimicking these lines is incorporated later on in the track, along with off hand percussion and horn glissandos. The track has a very troubled and desperate mood.

16. The Beast
A faster, more aggressive track based on the theme of EVA-00. There is more recklessness incorporated here at the fast tempo while trying to keep the melodies intact. The quarter note pulse is more prominent here, the trumpets sharper, melodic themes more direct and abrupt. The high string ostinato seems to go in and out of tune because off the brash and aggressive tone.

17. Marking Time, Waiting for Death
An eerie track that begins with the piano high in its range. It plays in close voicings, high ringing pitches, with small flourishes in between. There is the sound of a ticking clock that is incorporated as well. The track moves on to something much heavier, with steady hits in the bass drum, and layers of dissonant brass chords. String tremolos are added, as well as a chromatic electric guitar line that builds until the end of the track.

18. Rei II
A melancholy ballad featuring the deep sounds of the cello. The higher violins join later, but it’s that sweet, low sound that punctuates the piece. Eighth note cascading scales melt into long tones, and the strings are soon accompanied by brushes, a gentle piano, and acoustic guitar. The string section evokes a beautiful vibrato that fits the mood of the piece.

19. Next Episode (30 Second Version)
A short, up tempo piece typical of the era. Bell sounds mimic the melody in the strings, while the brass section provides appropriate kicks. There is an underlying sixteenth note feel in the drums, even though the individual beats aren’t there. The chord progression is alluring, and it kicks up the energy all the way until the final hit.

20. Zankoku Na Tenshi No Thesis (Director's Edit Version)
An upbeat vocal track featuring varied percussion and a steady groove. This track uses MIDI horns, but the effect is masked within the mixing and used sparingly. The vocal is smooth, but aggressive when necessary, especially in the chorus. The electric guitar solo in the interlude provides nice color, as does the vocal padding shortly afterward.

21. FLY ME TO THE MOON (Instrumental Version)
22. FLY ME TO THE MOON (Yoko Takahashi Acid Bossa Version)

1. A vision
A vocal pop ballad in the style of the era. The chorus and reverb effect on the guitars identifies the style clearly, as well as the slight effects on the drums. The vocal is plaintive and sweet throughout. Piano and violin join throughout the piece, mimicking the melody and layering on the coloring already present. The mellow bass and electric piano comping provide a smooth bed of sound for the rest of the instrumentation.

2. Borderline Case
A percussion feature. The hand drums are a large focus of the piece, keeping a steady, repetitive groove throughout. Synthesized choral sounds are mixed with it, panning from left to right. It’s largely modal and pentatonic, dwelling on roots and fifths with some chromaticism focused on the raised fourth. The tone is moody, tribal, somewhat restless and haunting.

3. A Crystalline Night Sky
A track characterized by an arpeggiating piano line throughout. It varies between a dominant seventh chord and a minor seventh chord, making sure to end on the seventh on the highest note. The string section accompanies it with simple unison lines, as does the brass section to break up the arpeggiation and introduce a new melodic idea. The overall tone is sweet, yet with some underlying darkness.

4. Angel Attack II
A theatrical piece with high intensity. It begins with an aggressive, dissonant fanfare, but then lapses into a rhythmic dirge, led by electric guitar, bass, and piano. The brass is a highlight, showing range in the trumpets and growls in the entire section. The strings counteract by playing straight and melodic compared to the nearly out of control brass section. The track ends the same way it begins.

5. Angel Attack III
A heavy piece that integrates the orchestra as one huge, swooping mechanism. The strings take the forefront immediately, filling the sound while the brass marches forward underneath them. Later in the track, a soaring french horn takes over the melody, using the bass drum as an anchor to drive it forward. A wild, growling guitar solo completes the tension of the piece.

6. Both of you, Dance Like You Want to Win!
A waltz that plays like a piano concerto. It begins with a fierce cadenza, followed by a strict, classical dance feel, emphasized by hits in the timpani. The french horn is prominent with its glissandos and lines, and the violin fills out the piano melody. Its mood is triumphant and carefully rehearsed.

7. Waking up in the morning
A low flute feature. Another bossa styled piece, the tone quality of the flute resonates in the melody, with some padding in the strings as back up. The light hand percussion isn’t overpowering, as well as the bass, and they both provide adequate back up to the sound. The color is easy and laid back.

8. Background Music
A medium tempo rock piece. It heavily features the guitar and drums, as well as a prominent cowbell in the background. The melody lies with the trumpets, producing a very brassy sound. Strings produce padding, as well as the piano. It’s enthusiastic and could easily take the foreground despite its title.

9. A Moment When Tension Breaks
An appealing, smooth track. The acoustic guitar shines as a comping instrument in this piece, accompanied by the largely simple drum kit and the piano melody. The instrumentation is simple, keeping the colors muted and relaxed throughout the track. The use of modal interchange is very effective and tastefully done.

10. The Day Tokyo-3 Stood Still
A haunting track, dominated by a piano solo. The range is effectively used, starting high and stepping low gradually. The tensions ring out, giving the track a quiet, high tension feel. The end delivers a lonely, yet bluesy trumpet solo, playing on glissandos and octaves to achieve a mellow sound. The piano and low brass provide a deep bed for the solo.

11. Spending Time in Preparation
A drum feature, especially highlighting the timpani. This track conjures intensity even with the limited instrumentation. A drum kit and hand percussion are used to vary the feel, but the general beat stays true throughout. The piano, strings, and guitar enter briefly at key points in the track, giving it a tonal basis and more musical structure.

12. She said, 'Don't make others suffer for your personal hatred.'
A driving, forceful piece, reminiscent of old Western films. The feel comes from the rhythm in the strings, as well as the tone and style of the guitar melody. The trumpets are featured in their high range, brassy and true, and the rest of the brass section shines as well. The piano fills in the background, and the drums provide a modern rock flavor to this triumphant piece.

13. Magmadiver
A high energy, disco inspired piece. The trumpets have their say here, emphasizing both the staccatos and long tones. This is one of the few tracks that has a saxophone line, padding out the background in short bursts, as well as taking over the melody later on. The bass is also prominent with a rich tone.

14. Pleasure Principle
A deceiving title for an intense track. This track heavily features the violins, with a forceful, marcato pace. The brass is not forgotten either, with numerous slides and high points in the track. The mood is panicked and claustrophobic, rising in its frantic nature through the middle of the piece. In the latter half, it becomes more triumphant with a trumpet lead.

15. The Beast II
A slower version of previous themes, it still carries the same amount of energy and clout as the first. There is a slightly different instrumentation, adding the flute into the mix creates a different sonic color, and perhaps makes the overall mix a little lighter. The violins rise and fall to enormous heights, and even the electric guitar has its say in this track.

16. Thanatos
A pop ballad styled piece featuring the cello. The melody is plaintive at first, even when the violin takes over briefly, and very smooth. The bass is prominent throughout, especially when the groove kicks in. The flute adds color, perhaps changing the whole tone of the piece halfway through, as with the xylophone. It grows significantly brighter as it goes on, but still has an underlying melancholy.

17. Rei III
A ferocious track, mimicking the first theme in subtle ways. It is especially notable in the strings, the same heavy handed chords, although not in the same register. The track alternates between a gentle touch and one more aggressive. Slap bass and electric guitar comping is featured later in the track once the beat picks up. Its mood is very final.

18. When I Find Peace of Mind
A beautiful, mellow piece, featuring flute and guitar. The flute is very tangible, as one is able to hear the breaths and individual falls in the piece. It flows into a low violin solo, backed by bass and a light drum section, including the triangle. The chord progression is easy, yet complex, with a wandering sound. The mood evokes peace at the end of the day.

19. FLY ME TO THE MOON (TV Size Version)
A light bossa take on this jazz standard. The percussion stays upbeat, while the vocal flows and takes her own liberties through the song. The voice is mellow and serene, agreeing with the strings and piano backing her. Unlike the rest of the soundtrack, an upright bass is featured.

20. FLY ME TO THE MOON (#5 Remix)
21. FLY ME TO THE MOON (#6 Remix)
22. FLY ME TO THE MOON (Aya Bossa Techno Version)
23. FLY ME TO THE MOON (Aki Jungle Version)

1. Happiness Is the Smell of Sin
A vocal pop track in a waltz or 12/8 form. The female vocal fits the track, and there is a heavy usage of synth paddings throughout. The bass is prominent, and the drums lay a heavy hand on the sound. A soprano sax solo is featured halfway through, and the rhythm section takes on a swing feel for its duration. The ending features the very beginning line spoken backwards, a popular technique for the era.

2. Eternal Embrace
A vocal pop ballad, starting gentle and gaining speed as it moves along. The verses stay quiet, while the chorus brings a lot of movement. The piano is heavily featured throughout the entire track. Its mood is easy and inviting, and because of the style, has a bit of a sad connotation.

3. Normal Blood
A play on a previous theme, this track is telling of impending danger and alert. The cascading violins and brass provide this color. The flute and electric guitar during the main melody are an interesting mix, but highly effective. There is also excessive activity in the drums, sounding structured but wild in their execution.

4. Harbinger of Tragedy
A play on a previous theme, another track highlighting danger. The electric guitar here is so distorted, one can hear the player shifting chords as they go along. There is an emptiness in the middle of the track, filled by diminutive brass kicks and auxiliary percussion that heighten the anxiety of the track before the guitar fills over it. The piano is featured heavily as well in its low range.

5. Childhood Memories, Shut Away
A cello solo. It is short and played with a heavy hand, conveying strong emotion. The octaves provide a spread of sound and fill the room as it solos.

6. Those women longed for the touch of others' lips, and thus invited their kisses.
A play on the jazz standard “Fly Me To The Moon”, featuring piano. The first chorus is piano only, and is played true to the standard–as a waltz. There is creative ornamentation involved without losing the melody. During the second half, a violin takes over, and the feel is changed to a gentle bossa nova. The ending is unexpected and not resolved.

7. Background Music II
A driving track in the style reminiscent of spaghetti westerns. The twang of the guitar sets it up, followed by the octave motion in the bass. The violins and a lone saxophone take the main melody, with the brass providing appropriate flourishes and kicks. The ending is particularly triumphant.

8. Background Music III
A slow, foreboding march. Low strings provide the base to this mix, topped with a brassy, Spanish inspired trumpet line over top. It particularly flourishes when it reaches the octave. Other brass join in, and the mix reaches a peak when the high strings join in on top of it, skyrocketing to the climax of the track.

9. In the Depths of Human Hearts
An eerie piece featuring piano. The track is very sparse, with only the piano in its high range and a bell accompanying it. As it moves, the low strings accompany it, as well as the timpani, for an ominous mood. Harmonics in the strings continue the mood in dissonance, somewhat emulating fear itself.

10. Hostility Restrained
A play on Rei I. The melody is largely the same, but as the track goes on, there are deep piano tremolos, helped by the strings, allowing the mood to become more ominous. It is quite foreboding with the dissonant, brooding melody.

11. Three of Me, One of Someone Else
A play on Ritsuko. The most noticeable difference is the pace and the lack of acoustic guitar. Instead, only the piano is featured, and the melody is played at a walking andante. With these changes, the tune carries a bit of a different tone, and the tonality changes are much more present.

12. Crime of Innocence
Another play on a previous theme. It begins with a piano feature, slow and steady, featuring block chords moving downward in the same voicings. Unlike the theme it’s based on, this track stays in piano the entire way through, fully compiling the moody and slightly sinister atmosphere.

13. The Sorrow of Losing the Object of One's Dependence
A sparse rendition of Fly Me To The Moon. It features the melody line only on piano, creating a lonely atmosphere. Space is maintained where there would normally be held notes. It is simple and empty.

14. Do You Love Me?
An eerie sounding track that plays on a previous theme. The chorus ahs are deep in the range, following a root and fifth pattern in the bass. The “melody” line comes in later, largely pentatonic, but adding some chromaticism to establish the feel. Despite having no rhythm section, the track has a fairly rigid feel.

15. Separation Anxiety
A percussion feature. This track features a lot of hand percussion and synthesizers, in contrast to the orchestral nature of the rest of the soundtrack. The alternating rhythms in the percussion and the bass create unique polyrhythms that keep the feel up in the air. The sitar and padding evoke the same spacey feel, with the bends in each, and with the sometimes out of time rhythms.

16. Introjection
An eerie, synth driven piece. Lots of bell oriented synths are used, as well as a vocal sound drifting over the padded chords. While the chords themselves are simple, dissonant tensions and bends are used to compound the feel. It segues into a more cohesive melody, powered by the chorus ahs as the track moves forward.

17. Depression
Another synth driven track. Fueled by an open chord progression and sweeping effects, it creates a spacious, yet unsettling environment. The occasional piano line, along with more chorus ahs, confirm the atmosphere.

18. Splitting of the Breast
A modal piece featuring chorus ahs. The beginning of the track is reminiscent of medieval music, for its singular, unison melody. The track eventually spreads out into overlapping parts, and the sound gives off a very holy, church-like sound.

19. Infantile Dependence, Adult Dependency
An ominous sounding track featuring organ. The organ arpeggios are punctuated by large bell sounds and the acoustic guitar. String lines also compliment the atmosphere. The instrumentation increases, even introducing muted brass into the track as it grows into a crescendo. It has a mild feeling of chaos before reducing itself into how it began.

20. Mother Is the First Other
A synth inspired piece, punctuated by rich, deep sounds in the bass. Chorus ahs also complement the feel, as well as another bouncing synth sound panning left and right. The chords are ambiguous, relying on fifths and fourths to keep their substance. Melody lines reinforce this unstructured tonality.

21. The Heady Feeling of Freedom
A rendition on the opening theme, featuring the mid-strings. Cellos provide a countermelody, while the acoustic guitar and keyboards establish a mellow sound bed. The mood is peaceful, with the legato melody creating a relaxing feel.

22. Good, or Don't Be
An upbeat rendition of the opening theme, featuring a piano melody. Because of the even more stripped orchestration and ornamentation of the melody, it has a brisker pace, and a very hopeful feel. The melody passes between the guitar and the piano, and pushes forward constantly.

I did not cover or post the 12 Fly Me To The Moon versions at the end of this CD.

selections from "S² Works"

1. Requiem, Sorrow (The Soft Sound of Bells?)
Another track reminiscent of a funeral drone. The centerpiece of this track is the piano, and the bell sounds, clear and ringing in contrast to the low bed of sound. The brass make an appearance, slowly growing in volume as the piece moves forward. The strings join later as well.

2. Anxiety
A driving, dissonant piece, heavily featuring the strings. It features both arco and pizzicato points in the strings, and the track suddenly picks up with lip slurs in the brass and a heavy slap bass line. An electric guitar punctuates the melody, and a rock drum kit drives things forward. The mood is unstable.

3. Determination and Anger
A steady piano driven piece. Strings join later in a sweeping, legato melody, soon accompanied by brass. At that point, the track opens up with large crescendos and hits in the timpani. Despite this, the feel is kept the same, and it soon decrescendos into the original melody.

4. Menace and Surprise
A disorienting waltz, featuring the entire orchestra. Each instrument has its different say and part, from the high brass, to the strings, to the lower horns. The consistency lies in the piano and drums, with a tambourine leading the way. In the second half, a slap bass line is added, along with a wandering, distorted guitar lead.

5. Oppression and Impatience (Serious - Done Over)
A dissonant, percussive piece. It focuses on heavily diminished chords, keeping the trumpets on top and the low piano at the bottom. There is a lot of space, and it speaks to scenes of tension. In the second half, a synth pad, guitar line, and timpani are added.

6. Liberation, Catalysis
A smooth, mellow piece, featuring the strings. A track that speaks of calmer days, the strings have a warm, full sound, as do the chords in the piano. The usage of substitute dominants create lift and movement throughout the piece. A rhythm section is added in the second half, adding more body.

7. Feeling at Peace - Hope
A beautiful rendition of “Fly Me To The Moon”, featuring a flute melody. The flute is in its very low range, and has a strong human feel–one can hear the breaths in between each phrase. The acoustic guitar compliments the earthy sound, especially as the flute goes into a tasteful solo in the second half of the track.

8. Friendship
A mellow piece, moody and lacking a rhythm section. The melody is led at first by a low trumpet, and then taken over by strings and guitar. There is excessive ornamentation on all of the instruments, and the piece seems to pull from several themes.

9. Pleasant Morning
An easy going, pop inspired piece, featuring light instrumentation. The strings are featured in many high cadenzas, and a melody line later on. The rhythm section is light and carefree, and the piano also stays in a high range. The mood is casual.

10. Relaxed and Heartwarming Day
A light hearted track, featuring a constant snare riff and flute. The jangling guitar and tambourine, combined with the steady bass, creates a childlike march sound, while the rich flute tone provides depth. A keyboard melody takes place in breaks.

11. Violent Situations With Guns
A short, aggressive track, featuring blaring horns and wild keyboards. Chords clash with the guitar lines, creating a chaotic, unsettling mood. Only at the end of the piece do things appear to come together.

12. Shock (Serious)
Another short, dissonant piece. It features heavy instrumentation, each part taking its turn while another drops out. High piano comping and strong, skyward string cadenzas increase the tension.

13. Gentle Substitute
A short, tense piece, featuring dense, dissonant strings in their highest register. The brass accompany them, and become heavier as the track comes to a close.

14. Everyday Scenes and Diversions
A driving piece, featuring small aspects of the entire orchestra. The brass carries the main kicks, with a slap bass line accompanying it. There are several horn lines, as well as the complete addition of the strings at the close.

15. Comical Scenes and Diversions
A playful blues, featuring the rhythm section most prominently. The most noticeable part of this track is that most of the horns, especially the trombones, are using plunger mutes. This creates a somewhat silly effect.

16. Peaceful
A mellow filler track, featuring the low horns and strings. This piece creates a wash of sound that’s soothing, yet ends on an unexpected progression, creating a somewhat confusing resolution.

17. Beautiful
Another filler piece that creates a wash of sound. This features more of the horn section, as well as an arpeggiating piano and harp securing the rhythmic structure. There is more movement and emotion in this track.

18. Romance
Beginning with a bell cadenza, this track is slow, sweeping, and very romantic. It heavily features the piano and strings, somewhat reminiscent on previous themes.

19. Plaintive
Another filler piece, driven by the strings and acoustic guitar. The volume swells and drawbacks emphasize the mood, as well as the general dark color of the deep strings.

20. Hastiness
A short, transitional piece, featuring many brass hits and a bed of distorted guitar. The violin tremolos add to the mood, as well as the subtle, driving percussion.

21. Fear/Panic
Another mood piece. Featuring high strings, and chromatic lines in the low brass, the latter half of the piece features high, solo piano lines to emphasize the tensions and colors.

22. [Suspense - Light]
An orchestral mood piece. The drum beat comes in and out, while a triangle and high string padding stays constant throughout. Off beat brass hits scatter throughout, as well as low strings in an ostinato. A harmon muted trumpet solos erratically in the latter half of the piece.

23. E-10 [No Menu Listing]
A driving piece, punctuated by unison hits in the orchestra. Later, the feel drops to a twelve/eight feel and into a somewhat triumphant feel, led by the trumpets. The strings provide skyward lines, the distorted guitar lends a sound bed, and the mix is sprinkled with light color, thanks to the harp cadenzas.

24. E-11 [No Menu Listing]
A march-like piece, heavily featuring the brass section. The strings enter triumphantly in a broad cadenza, accompanied by the harp. The percussion is traditional, and overall, the piece is reminiscent of a traditional march tune.

25. E-12
A track that rides with tension and heavy instrumentation. Tension builds with the brass and flute trills, and releases with the string lines. The trumpets build and fall off, and then a saxophone is featured in the main melody as the piece continues to drive.

26. E-14
Another strong piece, this time featuring a rock/disco groove. The bass line is prominent, as are the horns and strings. A distorted guitar solo is featured while the piano and strings pad out the background. Once again, there is a saxophone prominent in the back of the mix. The piece builds and falls with equal gusto, but never loses its rhythm.

end of evangelion

1. Interference of Others (Tanin no Kansho)
An intense track, beginning with a piano ostinato in the low register. It picks up with a drum kit and more chordal structure, finding a rock feel somewhere in the tension. The groove switches in the middle of the track before going back into the original tempo.

2. The End of Midsummer
A variation on a previous piece, featuring the entire orchestra. Ear splitting strings punctuate the track, as well as a low brass melody and a driving percussion line in the toms. It pulls on many themes, this time with more power behind it because of the orchestration. The second half features a guitar solo.

3. Emergency Evacuation to Regression
A mood piece, featuring modal lines in a chorus. The sound is very tribal, with a moving upper line and a static bass chord in the bottom. It has a trance like atmosphere. In the second half, lyrics are clearer.

4. False Regeneration (Itsuwari no, Saisei)
A somewhat triumphant piece, featuring a chorus and heavy use of the orchestra. The timpani is the most prevalent, later regressing into a snare groove accented by the bass. Strings take most of the melody throughout, with the brass and chorus taking hits along the way.

5. Substitute Invasion (Migawari no Shinnyu)
A piece reminiscent of a pop ballad, featuring bass and piano. While it has this feel, there are odd chords sprinkled off and on to keep the tension fresh. The defining feature of this piece is the descending bass line and clear outlining of the chords. Midway through, the piece picks up a guitar with heavy chorus and reverb and a steady rhythmic groove. A unique feature is that the bass is the most melodic instrument in the track.

6. II Air [Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1086]
A Bach orchestral suite. It largely features strings, and has a lilting feel to it. The bass holds the most tension, while the upper strings flow easily along through the melody. This track invokes a sweet mood.

7. The Flow of Emptiness
A tense piece, featuring strings and piano. The strings provide a bed, while the piano provides movement. The bass crescendos, as well as a harp cadenza, followed by a swell in all instruments before reducing to piano. The bass is in the lowest part of the piano, giving the track an ominous ring. Later in the track, the orchestra joins as the melody repeats, with more punctuation.

8. Thanatos -If I Can't Be Yours-
An R&B rendition of a previous track. The female vocal in this track is smooth and easy to sink into, even when it soars upwards. The percussion is fairly limited, and the bass is quite heavy, while the rest of the instrumentation is dreamy in comparison. There are brief changes in feel during bridge sections, and the track features solos in keyboards, bass, and strings.

9. Escape to The Beginning
This piece begins with a wash of color in the lower strings, followed by a familiar chorus of ah’s. It moves forward in a similar modal progression as previous tracks do with this motive. It seems to be accompanied by a church organ in the far back as well. Later, the strings take over the vocal chorus in a higher register, and the vocals add lyrics.

10. Honeymoon With Anxiety (Fuan to no Mitsugetsu)
A modal string piece with a strict time feel. The chords in this track are very open, even when the piano joins the fray. There are points of tension that break the track, akin to throwing stones in a pool of still water. The mood is high strung, and the piece seems to fall apart at the end.

11. Komm, süsser Tod (M-10 Director's Edit Version)
An upbeat, pop ballad. It features a small rock combo, with strings padding later on in the track. It’s easy going, invoking a pleasant mood, in somewhat contrast to the content of the lyrics. The vocal is straight forward and light, with the harmonies smooth. Near the end of the track, the strings become somewhat chaotic, and the track itself ends in a bit of a collapse.

12. Jesus bleibet meine Freude [Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147]
Another traditional Bach piano piece. It is flowing and gentle at some parts, heavier in others. The sound of this piano gives the impression that it was recorded in a large, empty hall. There are some minor liberties taken with the melody. It is largely a demure, soothing piece.

13. Expansion of Blockade (Heisoku no Kakudai)
A mild orchestral piece. It opens with solo violin and piano, soaring with virtuosic lines. A chorus of strings comes in later to back it up, as well as moderate percussion. The mood of this piece is calming, reminiscent of coming peace. Even as the orchestra fully expands the sound with brassy crescendos, it holds a triumphant mood. Near the end, it calls on a previous theme in various instrumental colors, darkening the sound.

14. Gap of Dream (Yume no Sukima)
A gentle piano piece. The melody lingers in the high register of the piano, with fairly open voicings in the lower register. This becomes more apparent when tension builds.

i did a few of the rebuild songs, but as i mentioned previously, i felt my mission was complete with the original release. so this will be the archive.

my 2nd gen ipod nano

guess what's been hiding in my tech graveyard drawer! THIS GUY.

the glorious green ipod nano 2g

the glorious green ipod nano 2g's backside. bask in its glory

i got this ipod nano most likely as a christmas present? i think i was in high school, definitely a freshman. no later than 2006-07. before this i had a couple other mp3 players (a creative zen, and some little guy too), but i was cooked in the apple soup and NEEDED the nano. i put this guy through its paces, as you can see by the wear and tear. i eventually bought a 3rd gen nano from a friend and used that for a while, before upgrading to an ipod touch (3rd gen i want to say?) that held through most of college. i got a 5th gen touch as a birthday/xmas present sometime in college, or maybe right after i graduated. though soon after that, it became more typical to just put your music on your phone. i mostly used the last ipod touch to play music at work; leeching off wifi next door or just having something other than my phone.

and so, after this thing has been collecting dust for many years and is old enough to drive, i have taken it out of retirement and put some custom firmware on it. it can run doom now! not well most likely, the play/pause button is not the most responsive, but it can do it! so i was wondering to myself...with only 4gb of storage, what would i put on it today? what can 4 precious gigabytes get you today? that's what we're going to find out!

you may wonder why i'm not documenting what was on there all those years ago...that's because this puppy was wiped when i got it. and i had to wipe it a couple times to make the custom firmware work too. although, there is a suspiciously labeled folder deep in my files that is 3 gb, so that may be it. that'll be an investigation for another day, as i don't feel like unzipping that big of a file.

methodology

my thought is to only grab ONE album per artist, and then get more if i have room. i did grab a couple soundtracks but prioritized absolute favorites that aren't...five discs long. once those are covered, i'll grab one-off tracks for my ever famous "miscellaneous" folder. i'm trying to get a variety of things on there to really showcase what i'm about musically. i guess that's just what i do!

i COULD be cramming more things in here, as i'm not crunching everything down to 128kb AAC like itunes used to do, but i'm not too worried about that (yet anyway). i'm typing this up as i'm putting stuff on here. as it turns out: i am going to need to compress these a bit. i will settle for 192kb AAC since that cuts some of the big mp3 files i have in half. it could be my fault that i like getting stuff in 320kb MP3??

NOT TO MENTION in order to replace some of these, i have to delete them, eject the ipod, then plug it back in for the stupid. trash to register. mac promblems. i may have to come back to this later because i'm down to less than 500mb and i'm starting to get choice paralysis. so i'll go with what i have now and update later.

picks

• American Football - LP2
• Andy McKee - Art of Motion
• Counting Crows - August And Everything After
• Augustana - All The Stars and Boulevards
• Beltaine - TRÍU
• Brand New - The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me
• Clayflower - Still
• Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas
• Coldplay - Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
• Covet - Catharsis
• Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
• Dashboard Confessional - A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar
• Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
• Dio - Holy Diver
• Duett - Borderline
• Emil Rottmayer - Descend
• Fall Out Boy - From Under The Cork Tree
• Fleetwood Mac - Tusk
• Foo Fighters - Greatest Hits
• Goo Goo Dolls - A Boy Named Goo
• Green Day - Kerplunk!
• Hall & Oates - The Singles
• Jimmy Eat World - Futures
• L'Avenue - Club Tropez
• Live - Throwing Copper
• Michael Jackson - Bad
• My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
• Nintendo - F-Zero Jazz
• Noriyuki Iwadare - Turnabout Jazz Soul
• Pearl Jam - Ten
• Silversun Pickups - Swoon
• Heavy Metal Soundtrack
• Metropolis Speed Racer Soundtrack
• Spyro The Dragon Soundtrack
• Sonic Adventure 2 Soundtrack
• Talking Heads - Remain In Light
• The Midnight - Nocturnal
• The Rippingtons - Topaz
• Toad The Wet Sprocket - Dulcinea
• Vertical Horizon - Live Stages

"the whirl islands"

i was making websites back in 2004, back when freewebs.com was a thing (it's since rebranded to webs). well looking through an old backup cd, i managed to reboot the html file i had there. terrifying!

you can view the mess here. below is a bit of a dissertation as to uh. what is going on here:

• we'll start from the top: the header link was broken, linking to a freewebs site under "rainbowchan". that was definitely me
• said picture was found in the folder, so i reuploaded it here
• apparently wanted to be some kind of pokemon fansite? sure. i didn't have anything new to offer really, besides badly recolored sprites and tips and tricks taken from other websites.
• adorable spelling errors typical from a well read and well meaning 12 year old.
• november 7th, 2004
• the color scheme is an interesting one, that i did pick out to paint my childhood bedroom some time later.
• NONE of the internal links on the left hand sidebar work, that's fine. don't expect anything to go anywhere
• the "affiliates" are broken. "Poke me I dare you" leads nowhere, so does "S.M.M. Friends"
• the OTHER links though...
• miraculously, Cave of the Dragonflies still exists. i went and found a new button to replace the broken one, and i think it's the same one i used before: the articuno one.
• serebii.net forums also still exist, although i kept more tabs on that through the years.
• i couldn't tell you what "Richie Site" was supposed to be; there's no actual link there
• Pokemon Elite 2000 redirects to the webmaster's twitter...so that's definitely dead. it's where i used to get all my sprites
• i used a template from CotD apparently; probably a generator. the css is embedded in the html and not through a stylesheet.

at any rate, it's good to reflect on some of the shit you were doing in your adolescence. it's good for your constitution.

favorite dinosaur comics

dinosaur comics is a comics series by critically acclaimed writer guy ryan north--the pictures stay the same, but the words change! dinosaur comics has been running since 2003, and i've been reading since around 2007 or so. i bought the first dinosaur comics book and got it signed by the man himself at an anime convention! it was great. i was quite excited.

so here is a list of some of my favorites; chronological order. i USED to have a bunch bookmarked, but that was several computers ago. i also had a list like this on my terribly basic website when i was in high school...so let's do it again!

the list

DISCLAIMER: so the version 1 design was able to have scroll point anchor links. unfortunately, i'm not a good enough coder to have both sections blocked off AND scroll points. so you'll have to scroll like usual, at least until i figure that out.

the following are taken from my tumblr "#dinosaur comics" tag

the link titles are taken from panel 2. i always think that's the best whammy. but sometimes it's panel 1. if you see a hashtag ("#"), then that's from my personal comment!

2014

• IT'S NEVER TOO LATE
• what's next, a novel about romance, a "romance novel", if you will??
• something called A LITTLE WHITE LIE SPIRALS OUT OF CONTROL??
• STOP THE WEDDING!!
• #you're all doctors
• HOW TO STOP GETTING EMAILS
• Oh phew what a relief
• 1910s: the distance to Tipperary is approximated for the very first time!
• CYBERNETICALLY ENHANCED BODIES.
• #antonio tony stories are great
• FREE BUSINESS CARDS print and save! also add in your own personal information that part should be obvious
• "The afterlife is not what I was hoping for," Tiny Ghost sighed!
• My phone died, so I got a new phone! HAH HAH HAH!
• #who else but t-rex could and would be a meat expert
• I NEED MONEY?!
• FRIGGIN' OW
• Like, he'd stare intently at your forehead and swipe it occasionally to turn the page!
• HOW TO BE BETTER AT STREET HARRASSMENT
• From now on all you'll get from me is 100% VERIFIABLE FACTS.
• Wait. Why CAN'T I eat ice cream every day?
• Thanks, computers!!
• #i think a lot of us can relate to panels 1 & 2
• No wait, Batman riding a pterodactyl!
• Winning at wrestling a bear!
• And OBVIOUSLY I always summarize my friends while walking over to their house!
• It's--kinda weird?
• TIPS ON BEING AN ADULT
• You know what everyone knows we're doing just because it's in a photo? SMILING.

2015

• #amazing
• #the devil makes an interesting point though because the same could be said for chiptune music i think? for the same reasons? maybe
• ...THE MEANING OF LIFE?!
• THEY HAVE NEVER FAILED
• DID YOU EAT MY LUNCH [ ] YES [ ] NO
• #this one's a RIDE
• GREAT NAMES FOR FRUIT
• Attention, parents! THERE IS NO STOPPING THIS.
• LOBSTERS??
• Then she controlled plants to make trees cover the Arctic!
• (throwback from 2009) HOW TO KISS

2016

• #a relatable comic
• JOKES FOR TEENS
• ANTONIO TONY meets MANCAVE STEEL
• Can we talk to dogs?!
• "SMOOTHING THE CAT"
• It's EVERYWHERE.
• LATER: They wouldn't even explain the rules?!
• #kale fax
• #TJ COOL SHADES
• AHHH I'M SO EXCITED AND YOU CAN TELL BECAUSE I'M SCREAMING IN A RESTAURANT
• And that's how tons of people found out they were furries!
• COMIC TO GIVE TO YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR CHANGING BODIES
• (throwback from 2009) Yet more SECRETS OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION!

2017

• Hey God, quick question!
• I WILL NOT!!
• T-REX IF THIS IS A DESCARTES BEFORE DE HORSE JOKE I WILL DESTROY THE UNIVERSE
• #i missed the devil
• Wait...TOWN CRIERS ARE A THING AGAIN?!
• PRIMO MARIO KART TIPS
• I HAVE EXCITING NEWS ABOUT ICE CREAM!
• So did I guess correctly?
• Sure it does!
• ...SECRETS FROM THE WORLD OF TOMORROW!

2018

• WHY HASN'T FACEBOOK DIED YET?!
• #you know what t-rex? me too
• THE TOP FIVE EMOTIONS
• This Darth guy's not been in his son's life at ALL!
• But if you're three stories up, they probably won't see you!
• What is their deal, I might ask?
• ARE YOU SUPER SCREWED FOREVER?
• But then folks started using these medical terms as insults!
• ...my good friend Mr. Tusks!
• Attention, everyone! I clearly told y'all so!
• ...NEVER WENT TO GO TO SLEEP AGAIN?!

2019

• My favorite holiday!
• Everyone likes a compliment! ESPECIALLY ME.
• IT'S 11 AM AND I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING YET!!
• You'll just continue on as you always have, unaware that you're now mathematically An Old!
• #no refunds
• ...THEIR AGING BODIES??
• ...and I'd distribute my music exclusively on compact discs with blue cover art!
• Hah hah hah! It takes all kinds, I guess!

2020

• Right, well, we can DEFINITELY do whatever we want here!
• And you wouldn't judge this perfect person for it!
• And like many of those same people, I've thought "hmm maybe I could make money at this?"
• ...that sometimes we will insult animals who can't understand us?
• SHORTLY: Ooh, scented candles! NICE.
• COMPUTER SCIENCE WITH T-REX
• And THAT is why all civilizations are doomed to fail!
• When kids call themselves "CONTENT CREATORS"!
• Can VIDEO GAMES be ART??
• Turns out we're all trapped inside our own bodies and minds and can never truly know another!!
• ...NATURE is a SCAM??
• Hey, remember when ANY of us used to hang out??
• For Captain Charles Boycott, this is no mere hypothetical!!
• ...that would've really affected the rest of my life!"
• That's me! I'm gonna be that guy!

2021

• WHICH BOOK IS IT?
• But that's how they GET you!!
• I'm going to be the BEST BAKER that EVER LIVED!!
• And that's before we even TOUCH all the Fortnite lore!
• It's been a minute, huh?
• SNOREFEST.
• Aren't you GOD? Don't YOU know?!
• WHICH ANGLE RULES THE HARDEST IN YOUR OPINION
• "Keep your magnets away from my computer, thanks!!" we'd say!
• LITERARY TECHNIQUE COMICS today's technique: ALLEGORY
• It's a distinct feeling!
• I do remember SOME of it, ladies!!
• But if you go back in the language far enough, there's different names for these animals!
• DO YOU BELIEVE USING CHEAT CODES IN SINGLE PLAYER GAMES IS CHEATING Uh, yes?
• LATER: Success!
• FREESTYLE RAP COMICS
• Psych! I'm not really that sorry actually!
• NICE TRY, SURVIVALISTS!!
• I'm ready for savoury toothpaste!

2022

• Yeah, there's been a couple a' close calls!
• ...the moon!
• I guess??
• But I didn't know it!!
• #shadow the hedgehog?? in mY dinosaur comics??? #it's more likely than you think
• Anyway, our first letter comes from Yorick!
• RIGHT Right!
• Eventually!
• I just wish they were more popular!
• Not me though!!
• #this is already real t-rex i promise
• AND SO: OH NO
• But that doesn't mean it'll be a thing FOREVER, babies!

2023

• BUT I STILL GOT A PIMPLE!!
• (oh no, is God cringe?)
• It's sure been a minute since I stared at a painting and wept openly in the face of its beauty!
• But you can tell REAL pi nerds by how many MORE digits they've memorized!
• TEN YEARS AGO BUT A FEW MINUTES LATER:
• 10 MINUTES LATER, NO FOCUS: Maybe a cookie will help??
• #1: PRODUCE AND RAISE A CHILD - Nah. Next!
• How come I can't just see the GOOD stuff??
• Hello! This is not what I requested!
• Some people aren't good at it but I can totally just chill out by myself!
• AND WE ARE.
• WATER FACTS
• ...or hate the GAME??
• Okay everyone, we need to lose weight PRONTO!!
• I speak of course of Jughead!
• I don't want to die!
• It'd be hard to get what I'm doin' in text, so that's why I'm saying it out loud! Sure!
• Step one: be good at this!!
• I finally used up a whole thing of Chapstick before losing it!!
• OR SO I THOUGHT!!
• ...there's WAY more fictional characters than there are real people!
• Anyway, our first letter comes from Alex!
• I recently saw a t-shirt arguing I should "be the change I want to see in the world"!
• WRONG!! You're WRONG if you agreed with me just now!
• I GOT ANSWERS
• A STANDING DESK
• ...and replace it with "web forum"!
• (none)
• The reason we have dogs is because we want our lives to have dogs in them!
• Aaaaaand...DONE.
• People building their own airplanes!
• LATER: Oh well, time to leave this place forever!!
• Our next letter comes from Jake!
• TREE FACTS COMICS
• HOW TO WRITE A FIVE PARAGRAPH ESSAY
• NOTES ON THE SOLAR SYSTEM
• True!
• PROCEED

as per usual, we do the next year once the year is up!

splatoon

splatoon is a series of third person shooter games by nintendo. i have been playing since the very beginning, from the wii u original, through splatoon 2 on the switch and currently splatoon 3. i love this game. so much. SO much. i have some many hundreds of hours poured in. skill wise, i'm in that spot where i'm much better than a casual player, but not nearly good enough to be competitive. but i have fun! that's what counts. when you play video games.

i think i'll be talking about my most used weapons and post pictures of my outfits if i happen to have them here. maybe my favorite stages as well? some stuff i have better documented than others, simply because i have the data on hand. (i keep spreadsheets)

PLEASE NOTE: this space also used to have anchor links to scroll between sections, but it doesn't have that now. sorry for party scrolling.

splatoon 1

the og! one of the few reasons to own a wii u! it's SO true! you're a kid now! you're a squid now! featuring callie and marie as squid idols and my first time playing a shooter basically ever. many afternoons spent playing this game and honing my skills.

favorite weapons

top ten based on turf inked only
links to inkipedia info

1. splattershot jr. (908,569p): this is the first weapon the game gives you, and i did my best work with this little guy that looks like all the plastic teeny water guns i had as a kid. i love bowling with the splat bombs, and i used the bubbler in clutch moments when i was getting overwhelmed.
2. zink mini splatling (754,439p): towards the end of this game's life, i was exclusively using this weapon; i loved how zippy it was to strafe around and unload a charged shot. plus, it spread ink very well, and the disruptor combo with this was really deadly. and of course, the bubbler came in very important moments. i felt like a bouncer in turf war (most of what i play when the game is in a lull).
3. neo splash-o-matic (693,410p): the splash is a fine weapon--it has unparalleled accuracy and hi-speed shots in exchange for a small spread and shorter range. burst bombs are super here, and so is the inkzooka, which back then, you could fire as long as you had a special meter.
4. tri-slosher (107,408p): i remember when they first released the bucket type weapon. we were all very excited! this guy is rapid firing and has the deadly bubbler/disrupter combo, which i was fond of. i believe i was trying to use this on tower control with some success.
5. aerospray mg (104,173p): there comes a time in a young squid's life, where you are drawn to the aerospray. it is incredibly ink efficient. it spits ink every which way, therefore is GREAT at claiming turf. its original kit had seekers and inkzooka, but seekers back then weren't very good (they were a combo of the curling bomb and the autobomb), and i was still getting my bearings with the inkzooka. but boy could you turf.
6. mini splatling (103,679p): loved this guy for the same reasons as the zink mini above, but this one had suction bombs and the inkzooka as a sub. i guess i did really like the inkzooka back in the day? back then you didn't really need to aim it, since it shot a whole TORNADO of ink. so it could have some casualties.
7. wasabi splattershot (102,556p): the splattershot is a very reliable weapon. if no one's got you, the splattershot has got you. and this one has splat bombs (a fave) and the inkstrike, which you could aim on the wii u gamepad. just wherever you wanted! it was great. this weapon was released late in the game's life (the "sheldon's pick" weapons always are), but i still enjoyed it.
8. splattershot pro (87,322p): an ink hungry version of the splattershot with better range, i'm always kinda surprised that i used this one as much as i did looking back. it has the same kit as the previous weapon, splat bombs and inkstrike. maybe that was why i used it.
9. neo sploosh-o-matic (80,691p): the sploosh-o-matic, unlike its splashy counterpart, sprays ink everywhere and has an abysmally short range. it's quite powerful at that short range! really shreds! this kit had point sensors and the kraken, so very good for finding your enemies and DESTROYING THEM.
10. custom jet squelcher (73,481p): it has the range of a low range charger, but it's an autofire weapon: it's the jet squelcher! this kit has burst bombs and the kraken, which is pretty aggressive if you happen to get up close. my first foray into longer range weapons

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

dual squelcher, carbon roller, .52 gal deco, aerospray rg, splash-o-matic, aerospray pg, hero shot replica, splattershot, inkbrush, slosher, krak-on splat roller.

favorite stages

• walleye warehouse: haters will hate walleye because it's so small and cramped. but i loved it because of that. it could be very swingy! but never dull! you could put a killer wail right through the middle of it and there was nowhere to escape! chaos!
• arowana mall: i love climbing on the upper sections to flank to the middle. lots of ups and downs on this stage!
• kelp dome: this stage was one of the biggest ones back in the day, and i loved how much you could turf on it.
• camp triggerfish: this one is fun because of the stage shift at the end of the match, opening up new routes. and i love the summer camp aesthetic.

splatfests

here's the teams i chose to the best of my memory. splatoon is 8 years old, you know, and while there WAS splatnet, it wasn't nearly as robust as its descendents. the ones that are bolded are where i was on the winning team.

dogs, water slides, hot dogs, autobots, art, cars, pirates/ninjas, burgers, nice, past, pokemon blue, snowman/sandcastle, patrick, fancy party, early bird, marie.

other thoughts

i really loved the vibe of the first game. i wasn't working through a big chunk of its life cycle, so i had a lot of time to practice and get better at the game. unfortunately i don't have a lot of screenshots of my outfits and so on from this one...i may dust off the wii u and try to get some screenies, but i'll need to uh. figure out how to do that again on the wii u. the specials were fucking bonkers too. the music is fantastic too! please don't forget about the squid music.

the single player stuff was also fun. i think i was more of a marie fan at the beginning but i could swing callie now in retrospect. if i got more to say, i'll come back here.

splatoon 2

the long awaited sequel...and the reason i bought my own switch! (my spouse got one on launch for breath of the wild) we got new idols, new specials, new weapon types, new everything! almost everything! coming into this game is when i said "you know what? i see all those crazy inkbrush users...i want to be one too." so i spent all my time learning to be the best brusher i could be. i guess it worked? anyway. we love spoon 2.

favorite weapons

1. inkbrush (1,141 wins @ 1,861,135p): the classic, the original...paired with splashdown and splat bombs, you could be super mobile and get out of trouble pretty easily. as you can see, i was very enthusiastic about this weapon. it's by and far my most used and with the most wins. my more casual friends called me a terror with this.
2. hero shot replica (232 wins @ 357,858p): as you can see, the inkbrush is exponentially far away from any other weapon on this list, starting with the good ol hero shot replica. it's just a splattershot you get for free for doing the single player campaign. burst bombs were killer, and so was the splashdown, which i definitely still liked. as said previously, if no one's got you, the splattershot has got you.
3. octobrush nouveau (217 wins @ 327,135p): the octobrush is the more managable to use brush weapon--you don't have to give yourself a wrist condition to use it effectively. i LOVE this kit, and i loaded it up with quick super jump and sub power up to make the most of it. plant beakons, then when missles are up, jump back, launch 'em, then jump right back into it. chef's kiss!
4. .96 gal (188 wins @ 364,992p): ah, the .96 gal. it's got the worst accuracy of any of the shooters. but it WILL splat in 2 shots, which is immensely satisfying. is it your aim or the gun's missing? who knows! this was my go to secondary weapon in turf at the end of this game's life. it also got me to love the sprinkler, which i wasn't a huge fan of in the beginning. this kit also had ink armor (the bubbler's much weaker cousin), which always came in handy even if it didn't make you invincible like the og bubbler did.
5. tentatek splattershot (157 wins @ 218,517p): another splattershot, this time with splat bombs and the inkjet! to be real, i've never been great with the inkjet. i'm not the best shot. but apparently the allure of splat bombs turned me onto this kit. and that i did okay enough with the inkjet.
6. neo splash-o-matic (115 wins @ 212,921p): the first returning weapon from 1 to the top ten! the fire rate and accuracy you just can't beat. this time, the kit is burst bombs and suction bomb launcher. i never really cared for the rush/launcher type kits, and i remember not loving this one. the allure of burst bombs as its sub though was too great. i had a really cute outfit for this one!
7. herobrush replica (78 wins @ 113,093p): 2 had "hero" type weapons for each weapon type, so the opportunity to earn a free octobrush was not passed on me. plus, it looks a little cooler. autobombs and inkjet are this weapon's kit, and its...fine? i'm sure a lot of people got more out of it than i did. but i got a little!
8. mini splatling (77 wins @ 129,266): another classic returns! i remember being so nostalgic for the zink mini's kit that i was disillusioned by this one. but if i had this kit now, i would go crazy. missles and burst bombs! insane! skating around with this is still a blast.
9. jet squelcher (54 wins @ 92,401p): the vanilla version of the jet squelcher makes it up one more point on this list! 2's kit had toxic mist (the downgraded disruptor) and tenta missles. pretty deadly! i didn't use this quite as much as i started to favor the power of the .96.
10. hero slosher replica (42 wins @ 52,662p): i don't actually remember using the slosher that much, but apparently i did? i must have had some success in tower control or something, before i started using the octobrush nouveau exclusively. suction bombs and missles. i guess i really liked missles and splashdown in this game! (they are good)

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

1: this brush actually ranks #10 by turf inked, but has less wins (33).
2: this was my green goblin suit weapon. the clash blaster is a monster and i despise it to this day. but when you're on a losing streak, you gotta do what you gotta do.
3: i actually picked this up during 3's life to see if i'd enjoy the squeezer's other kit before it comes out (ever), so i didn't really use this in 2's life.

outfits

so because i did not religiously save outfits to amiibo, i do have to go by memory of my most actually used splat 2 gear. so that's why there are only 5 kits and i don't even remember what i used for the hero shot replica. sad! i have to save my recall abilities for my day job you understand. and memorizing songs. click the images for their full size!

favorite stages

• starfish mainstage: this one was fun, i liked the little grates you could hide out on, and you could climb up a bunch of walls.
• inkblot art academy: the options on this stage are pretty good here too, and i like zipping around on the ramps with the brush.
• blackbelly skatepark: while this stage was in 1, 2's version is better--more open and less able to camp. (it was still really campable)
• arowana mall: still liked this one in 2 as i did 1!

splatfests

okay, splatnet 2 has splatfest stats! so i can tell you with confidence what teams choices i made back in the day. again, bolded are the teams that won.

mayo, flight, vampire, fantasy, sock, action, money, egg, baseball, leo, donnie, donnie, no pulp, squid, spoon, retro, treat, guac, hero, friend, pancake, knight, hare, teleportation, unicorn, order, mayo, egg, treat, super mushroom.

other thoughts

at the beginning of this game's life, my router was really shitty, so i was disconnecting all the time and had to get a wired connection for my switch. that eventually fixed itself, but i used to disconnect so much that it was frustrating. i really came into my own as a player here, now having some experience under my belt!

i really loved pearl and marina as idols, and both single player and octo expansion were REALLY good. the gear in this game was really cool too! salmon run was introduced here, but i'm not a huge fan of it. but it did get me some cool gear, so i'll let it slide. i'm mr. grizz's most part time employee.

splatoon 3

SPOON 3!! people will balk and say that 2 was SO much better, but there are so many quality of life adjustements made in this game that just weren't present in 2. i think at the end of 3's life, it will be the definitive splatoon. we've got 3 idols, we've got tricolor splatfests, we've got returning revamped specials, we've got it ALL. while i am still a staunch inkbrush main, i've decided to branch out into other weapons as you'll see below; particularly a lot of manual firing ones.

favorite weapons

gonna do this a little differently this time, since the game is still live--i'll go by my current stats (yes i keep spreadsheets and update them monthly)--current list is by turf inked, but no stats listed since it will always be changing. i will put star amounts though!

1. inkbrush (5★): once again, my most used by a long shot once again. i grinded hard to get my 5★ sparkly gold splashtag badge for this. while i missed the splashdown, splat bombs return and we instead get the killer wail 5.1. which is actually super useful! they recently made a change to this special that makes it easier to lock on and i get more splats with it now. love the fast swishy swish. and the fact that if it sucks i can hit the bricks pretty easily.
2. splatana wiper deco (4★): the splatana is a new weapon type this game, and while i played a little with its vanilla version, this kit intrigued me. missles and beakons?? the octo nouveau kit from 2 that i so loved?? so i decided to learn the sword. i am still Getting Good at living by the sword, and i can't tell you how many times i have whiffed it and died by the sword. but i really dig this and it's my new secondary turf weapon (and rainmaker weapon too!). there's a tactical aspect to the kit that i love too.
3. squeezer (4★): i had been looking for a weapon that had decent long range ability, and i have fallen in love with this champagne bottle. it is SUPER versatile and very accurate with its manual fire long shot. i had to warm up to the splash wall, but it does do the job pretty well. paired with the trizooka to snipe longer range targets, it is my favorite shooter type. there are dozens of us out there.
4. tentatek splattershot (4★): a lot of returning weapons for 3, and the good ol tentatek splattershot is no exception. this time with splat bombs and the revamped inkstrike--now the tristrike. no wii u gamepad to rely on, so you just chuck 3 nukes and see where it gets you. i like it! it's a super solid kit, and i use it when i'm leveling gear. it's solid. it won't let you down.
5. mini splatling (4★): the mini splatling also returns! with burst bombs and the ultra stamp. it's still just as zippy and satisfying to shred squids on, and the stamp gives it some real explosive power. they've buffed the stamp since launch, so i'm actually pretty okay with it now. plus burst bombs are still so good.
6. octobrush (4★): the octobrush returns with a new kit: suction bombs and the zipcaster. i am notably HORRIBLE with zipcaster, but i've had to make due thus far. i can count on 2 hands how many decent plays i've made with it. i go back and forth on whether i actually like the octobrush, but i think it all comes down to how well i can use the whole kit. suction bombs take a lot of ink while being also something i want to use all the time, so i have to gear carefully. i'm warming to it again though (because the nouveau is out tee hee).
7. .96 gal (4★): i still have a soft spot for the .96, however i have definitely dropped it in favor of the squeezer. it will probably remain on the top ten sheerly because of how much i used it in turf and tower control in the first 6 months of the game. i do like the ink vac on this weapon though! i used to think it was lame but it does come in handy so long as you're aware of your back. plus sprinkler returns for this kit, which i am a fan of.
8. l-3 nozzlenose d (3★): i never gave the nozzlenose a shot because of its semi-automatic fire. but to be frank, it's very accurate, and with the burst combo it's quite deadly. it also inks really well! with the ultra stamp it can also get in and be very destructive too. i started using its vanilla variant for a while, but i come back to this one more (as you can see by its place on the list). i go back and forth between using it a lot and not at all.
9. carbon roller deco (4★): the first roller in the top ten! i actually do use rollers, just not as much as everything else. this was my tower control go to for a while, and after i got some gear that really synergized, it is SO fun to SMACK fast with this baby. a very aggro kit. burst bombs and trizooka make this all the more explosive. bam! whapam! smack! 1-800-R-U-SLAPPIN!!!
10. painbrush (3★): this is now my go to tower control brush, and has risen up to top ten. it's really brilliant on this mode. they've buffed ink consumption on this as well (along with curling bombs), so it's easier to use now! we haven't had a new brush in years...the windup is killer, but otherwise it's great on this mode.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

l-3 nozzlenose, zink mini splatling¹, hero shot replica², carbon roller, splat roller, REEF-LUX 450, splat brella³, tri-stringer⁴, splatana wiper, octobrush nouveau, dualie squelchers⁵

1: while i was VERY EXCITED to see the zink have something close to its original kit (toxic mist + big bubbler), i found the vanilla mini to actually be more my speed.
2: i used the hero shot a lot before the tentatek splattershot was out. suction bombs and trizooka is a solid combo!
3: i actually want to use this more...i love to specialize in weapons no one else wants to really use. brellas have been really busted (bad) this game.
4: i am not great with the tri-stringer, but i'd love to have it as a pocket backline weapon.
5: i got the squelchers in a challenge rotation like 5 times, and thought "hey, i should give these a go". they're pretty good!

outfits

with freshest fits and this game actually being current, i can give you some REAL outfits! click through for full view. (11/01/2023)

locker

splatoon 3 introduced lockers! and i screenshotted mine recently! so here it is: (11/01/2023)

favorite stages

• hagglefish market: i like the flanking options even if this stage is pretty open. and can easily get overwhelmed if the other team pushes up. 3 has some Map Layout Issues that the community at large is pretty displeased with and i am inclined to agree. i don't let it get to me too bad though.
• inkblot art academy: this one is still fine though!
• sturgeon shipyard: this was in 2, but it's one of the good ones in 3 now.
• crableg capital: this is a new one and i do think i like it! there are a lot of movement options and ways to get around. still getting into it though!

splatfests

splatnet 3 also has splatfest results, these are current as of 11/01/2023.

gear, water, sweet, dark chocolate, nessie, wisdom, mint chip, money, frye, ghost, fist bump, solo, friday, guitar, li'l bunnies, bucket list, beach, pasta, present.

other thoughts

this game has a lot of "number go up" aspects to it, like the catalog and so on. i do really love splatoon 3! i continue to be mr. grizz's most part time employee and only really show up for big run, which is also a new thing. i find the less i play salmon run, the more i enjoy it. anyway. love the idols again, the DLC campaign was great with the roguelike elements. really great for replayability; i hope they expand on that more because it seemed like a proof of concept more than anything else. the grand festival was also SUCH a great sendoff, with the three idol groups performing together in a burning man splatlands event...rEALLY COOL. i know i'm not as in it anymore but i really had a good time with this game. i love you splatoon so much.

tumblr retrospective

now you may ask, "but shadsy, you still have a tumblr that posts to this day. why do you need to do a retrospective". and to that i say, dear reader and website enthusiast, that the fact of the matter is tumblr is no longer in its heyday. i'm not really that social on it. but there wasa time...when i was. the halcyon years of 2010-2014. i nuked my old blog, unfortunately. and i have some regrets about it. ragrets, even. so i'm going to roll up my sleeves and crawl through the wayback machine, as i do, and tell you a little about those times.

url history

• i actually made a tumblog waaaaaay back in 2007. i can well assume i deleted everything off it when i restarted using it in 2010
• my first url was aclarinetlovesatrumpet or some something like that. i was very into my ex. this url would not last long
• i feel like there was something in between here? when i was in the pokemon rp world?
• regardless, the next url would be tangointhenight. my fleetwood mac blogging era. there's sadly no crawling available for this as i left it behind long enough ago that someone has grabbed it and is using it now. (although maybe not! the crawl i have for the next url i got is 04/2011, which is a pretty short time)
• i then changed to tuxedosalsa, still rping in the pokemon world but starting to branch out
• next, obviously sometime after pmmm released, i went to puellamagirachel. i was pretty fond of this one and kept it for a while, even using it later for a different blog
• the next url would be sonikkuchan; i used it to match with my ex at the time. held onto this one for a while too, the real heavy sonic rp years
• finally, i went to shadsy and kept this until the end of the blog, when i changed it to endofshadsy

when i moved blogs, i used raisingheartexelion, and by the time i went to change it back to shadsy after enough time passed, someone was sitting on it. so! i used supershadsy (which was my twitter handle anyway), and have been that way ever since.

thoughts...

i was going to try and split this up in a more regular sort of way, but it's tough...i'm having to really go down memory lane for a lot of these anecdotes. when i first started blogging, after getting a personal blog separate from my rp blogs, i was really heavy into fleetwood mac and also lesbian tumblr as well? i met a handful of people that way, talking and jamming. very social back then. i eventually drifted away from that, to different rp, and slowly into the sonic world, where the rp bug bit me hard AGAIN, and i started accumulating a different crowd to socialize with. i was deep in the sonic rp scene from late 2011 through 2012. i did a lot of flash fiction too, and of course, sonicmusicmusings. i also worked on a longfic called "where life is strong" that never got finished (maybe someday??). a lot of the friends i made through sonic are still pals today! but one nasty breakup later, and some blog stalking, i grew less and less social on tumblr itself. i remade in 2014.

i'm kinda sad that i never backed up anything from those days...i had a lot of writing that i would've wanted to keep that isn't saved anywhere else. i never deleted my rp blogs, so those are all floating around and i'll be able to back them up. but my first blog...you never forget your first blog...

screenies

anyway, went through internet archive and got some screenies of old layouts. they're a little small...but like just go to the wayback machine and you can find stuff there.

tuxedosalsa circa 04/19/2011. always loved this picture. still had the "let's tango" tagline from the tangointhenight url.

puellamagirachel circa 10/11/2011. featuring some madomami from pmmm, as well as characters i rp'd as or were known for at the time.

puellamagirachel circa 01/05/2012. featuring kyoko from pmmm.

sonikkuchan circa 05/02/2012. featuring some lovely sonadow.

sonikkuchan circa 07/25/2012. more sonadow, this time sabtk flavored.

sonikkuchan circa 10/17/2012. always loved this rainbow shadria layout, i think i still have it saved in my html stuff somewhere...

shadsy circa 01/13/2013. back to a sailor moon layout, eternal themed.

shadsy circa 01/19-01/22/2013. apparently i was layout experimenting. maria themed.

shadsy circa 03/21/2013. this colorblock of team sonic is another favorite.

shadsy circa 04/04/2013. another (spicy?) shadria layout. the climate for shadria was different back then. shadria nation forever.

shadsy circa 04/28/2013. my eva era, with a rei layout here.

shadsy circa 08/09/2013. this bianca layout is super cute. (i had a cheren backsprite here for a while, but then my heart got broken briefly...so i changed it)

shadsy circa 09/28/2013. sailor moon again, usamamo again (the little mamoru sprite linked to my now spouse's blog)

shadsy circa 02/10/2014. simply usagi themed!

the real impact

it's occurred to me that i am completely understating the effect that tumblr had on me in my late teens and into adulthood. i was really social over there for a while! my college roommate and i made so many friends that i'm still friends with today. i still know people from the pokemon rp circuit and the sonic rp circuit that i was heavily involved in! (my days on lesbian tumblr and fleetwood mac tumblr, not so much. oh well.) the sonic music blog, first made out of spite, was one of my greatest accomplishments in the heyday, and i met my future spouse over there! life long friendships due to being a tumblrina. people eventually migrated over to twitter (for some reason?), but it really was never the same over there. sure, i made some other friends through there, but it never quite felt the same. rp for sure will never be the same over on fucking twitter. jesus.

tumblr was a site that went through a TON of redesigns and changes on how things were operated. and it wasn't very stable for a while either, not until it got bought by yahoo. and every change people would gripe about and find ways to work around it. there's a certain culture around tumblr that's still present now, but i felt more involved with at the time. i just really used to post there, but i think part of my withdrawal was going through a very public relationship that very publicly went up in flames. and also my mother was stalking me over there! so that's why i had to nuke the old blog. and by the time of the "Great Exodus" in 2018, a lot of my friends weren't even really there any more posting the same way. my notifications were also always broken for some reason and i never got the hang of the new reply feature. all these things contributed to the downfall of it all.

and like i mentioned way at the top, i do still use tumblr. i'm a tumblrina until i die, or it dies. but it'll never be the same as when i was there in its heyday.

final thots...

man i miss the old blog. want her back. i deactivated it 12/24/2014, but i started my current blog in 02/2014. i think i waffled on deleting it but i'd go back to my former self and at least say BACK UP THE SHIT THAT'S ON IT!!! YOU FORGOT WHAT WAS THERE THAT YOU WANTED TO SAVE!!! oh well. i'm just sentimental is all. that's all!

cohost memorial shrine

well i might as well start working on this...my dear cohost, beloved eggbug site. i was instantly appealed to this site because of the philosophy behind it, and honestly how tumblr-like the interface was. it had a dashboard and you could Poast. i am in no way one of the founding users of the site, but my first #Post dates back to november 5, 2022.

i was always a huge advocate of the site. i liked the no numbers! i liked its Jaunty Vibe. you really got the sense that people were posting for the sake of it, just to have fun and make stuff. yeah, the "making stuff" vibe was really strong. things were just vibrant! i don't think there will be any place like it.

i didn't actually post that much, but i did write a handful of things in my quirky voice. my big deal was my music blog for my band project, when the crow flies. i used cohost to archive all of my music endeavors--whenever i worked on something, i would post about it there. as of now, i still don't really have a place to do that, but i'll think of something soon. i got to use the artist alley that they had there to promote my work! i was one of the musicians who participated in the compost jams! i did only half of them (partially because i kept missing the others; just found out about them too late. my contributions were:

• compost 3: "Battle 1 (Goblins) + Victory Fanfare/Results Screen"
• compost 4: "Taste Tester...for Eggbug Patisserie"
• compost 6: "DJ Eggbug House Beatz"

i joined a musicians on cohost discord, but i know i won't participate much in it. i got better at posting in the later times, but now our beloved cohost is sunsetting...

i was a cohost plus subscriber, and i bought a bunch of eggbug stuff. including the eggbug plush! love that little guy, he still sits right at my desk. i think i got inspired to work on my website here again from cohost in 2023. i can't say cohost made the same impact that, say, tumblr did--while i met new people, i can't say that i interacted too much or made any long lasting friendships there--but i know with some more time, i probably could have. i could have posted more, participated in more music jams, and all that jazz. cohost had a great community vibe, in a real way that some of the huger social media sites have a hard time actually cultivating. most places you're just a member of the audience, just a "consumer". on cohost, you felt a little more like part of the conversation, without the metrics and clout chasing. it was just nice.

even in the sunset, in the Final Days Of Posting, people have been throwing out tons of resources for building sites, blogs, and RSS feeds, and i've even used them myself here! it's a little weird to mourn a website, but it's okay. we are smiling because it happened! this is a bit rambly as i'm working on this late at night...but it's sincere. love you so much cohost.

THANK YOU FOR EGGBUG

my cohost profile page, circa 9/29/2024

2022-2024

the daily carry

pseudo-cross-posted from cohost with some updates

I love documenting what I carry around in my purse, because I love little bags with pockets that hold things. Purses are my Women Be Shopping trait.

it's important for me to have a purse that's Not Too Big (gets heavy and bloated, unwieldy) and also Not Too Small (wishing i could put more stuff in it). it also needs to be a crossbody or convertable. i like to be hands free while also having easy access to what's in the purse. this largely comes from my days where i commuted more regularly and was on the go on foot, but it still stands. i've found that having a Big Travel Bag with a Small Everyday Carry inside is cool in theory but doesn't work in practice, because i don't like switching around a lot and also i typically forget something. like i WISH i could go back to the life of "phone-keys-wallet" and carry a cute little guy (like the crow ita bag purse i just got!!!), but i'm always like "well. what about my [miscellany]". i have enjoyed having the mini pharmacy on hand, which doesn't necessarily take up a lot of space, but it does take up Some.

(they make backpack convertible purses now? which is cool, but i haven't quite found one that suits me. i hate that mini backpacks are so popular because they're SO CUTE but i DON'T WANT A BACKPACK. gotta swing that thang around every time you might need something. not ideal.)

number of pockets is also a factor. sometimes having too many pockets can be a burden, since it's easy to lose stuff in there. you can adapt to less pockets with little pouches (something i also have many of) for organization, but that also depends on the size of the bag. having an outer slip pocket is essential in the modern age for the easy putting away and retrieving of the tiny computer we carry around everywhere, the Cellular Phone. i like having minimum one zippered pocket on the outside to keep masks separate and headphones for easy access. also number of pockets and zippers dictates how many little keychains i can put on it.

and of course, it's gotta be Cute. i have never been able to commit to a solid color purse; i like stupid patterns and cutesy stuff. this can be a challenge when another important quality of a purse is that it be water resistant. like it doesn't have to be leather, but it shouldn't be Damp after walking through the rain. i've liked vera bradley for purses in the past, but the majority of them are cotton which is decidedly Not Water Resistant.

so right now i do have a nice setup. my purse has little butterflies on it, is a comfortable size, has a reasonable amount of pockets, is water resistant, and holds a reasonable amount of stuff.

anyway. what's in it

outside

• a rubber keychain of nemona from pokemon
• an acrylic charm of a splatoon inkbrush
• a mini pokemon tcg card of nemona keychain
• handmade "friendship bracelet" chain with bi flag colors
• a flower that holds a mini hand sanitizer bottle
• a slip pocket for a phone

SO because i have a flip phone this slip pocket kind of absorbs the phone and it's hard to get out. but my old phone was fine. so like. i'm willing to give this small flaw a pass

large main pocket

• 2 slip pockets:
• pocket 1 holds my keys: front door key, back door key, car key, SA2B gamecube disc keychain, lavender beds fake motel keychain, green carabineer and sentimental purple carabineer from my 8th grade math teacher
• pocket 2 holds: tide 2 go stick, pen, kirby compact mirror
• one zip pocket:
• holds pantyliners, pads, tampons, my pokewalker
• otherwise the main pocket has:
• 10 oz water bottle
• wallet
• clerith pouch w/moon keychain holds:
• container with ibprofuen+acetaminophen, medicated lip balm, tinted lip balm, mini vaseline pot, wet naps, ginger candies+mints, hand lotion, bandaid, ovasitol packets

ginger mints are for nausea (i get motion sick occasionally). vaseline pot is for my spouse who has psoriasis on his hands, so if they get dry and itchy, i have a little emergency ointment. i take ovasitol to help manage my pcos.

front pocket 1 (L)

• pack of gum (i prefer spearmint!)
• wireless earbuds
• wired earbuds
• KN95 mask
• loop earplugs
• work keycard
• USB C to 3.5mm adapter
• travel tissues
• hairtie

as you can see, i really like to be prepared with Listening Devices. and hearing protection.

front pocket 2 (M)

• USB A to C cable
• USB A to micro B cable
• USB charging brick
• sim card retriever. you know the little pokers? one of those
• FunKeyS (tiny retro emulator in a clamshell format)
• replacement ear covers for earbuds
• WTCF stickers

again, lots of contingencies to always have something to stick in my ears. the sim card used to pop out of my old phone, so now i'm prepared for that too! and i keep stickers on me in case i find a pole to whack one onto. self-promotion.

front pocket 3 (S)

• train (T) pass

final thoughts...

i'll update this every some day, or if i change my purse or something. we're purse/bag maxxers out here. there's nothing that beats a well organized bag that can carry any Stuff you might need. plus your Daily Carry can say a lot about you and mine probably says PLENTY about me (mild anxiety, not beating the autism allegations, tech nerd). okay bye!

previous fan projects

i've had a handful of these! i'm going to try to do these in vague chronological order.

where life is strong

• tumblr blog
• fic on AO3

this was my sonic 06 rewrite. i tried to keep to the story of '06 while adding a ton more character moments and threading the needle of events a little more consistently. it puts sonic, shadow, and silver's stories together chronologically! this fic is VERY old by this point, and there is a part of me that would love to finish it. i reached up to aquatic base with sonic's group i believe? it reached about 100K words before i peetered out on it. i was making music covers for this little guy too! i also wanted to make elise a more appealing character, because i love her. i also did end up webbing up to the finale of the fic. there's some things in here that i think i would edit out and cut, but if we start going there, then it for really will never be finished.

i say that i want to come back to this, but it's pretty doubtful that i will.

jumper

• tumblr blog
• series on AO3

jumper is a tales of symphonia fic! i still remember the zeitgeist of this fic, how i webbed out the first portion of it while on my shift working at an ice cream store on some notebook paper. it's a "modern" fic, or more set in our world in the mid 2000s. also qualifies as a college au? anyway, zelos is about to commit suicide and lloyd catches him before he does it and drags him off it. lloyd and colette are roommates and have been playing "will they/won't they" for their entire lives, and it's a story about how the three of them get together, discover polyamory, and help work through zelos severe depression.

this fic is still really good! i'm proud of it. it did get long on me but i think i handled the focus pretty well. i wrote a handful of spicy extras for it, as well as some flash fics. i was in a place where i wanted my own catharsis and recognition for my own desperate feelings, and i got to channel them in here. the gang really cares about mr. wilder. i moved onto other works shortly after this, but i never felt the need to dive back into this world. it felt complete. i did what i came to do. therefore, i never really came back to it. i'm still really proud of the work i did here.

art by discosmackdown

limit breaker

• series on AO3

the limit breaker series was a fucking fever dream. tetsuya nomura did some promotional art for smash 4 that showed link and cloud clashing swords and it ignited something in my brain. i had never known anything about ff7 before this! this is what got me into ff7!! i watched advent children and did a little research, and created my own smash world and started writing fic about it. i dragged a few people down this hole with me too. we were all having the same hallucinations.

i really liked the relationship i wrote between link and cloud. cloud's a little stiff and awkward, and link is a ball of sunshine with some secret tragedy. i made link mostly mute and communicate through sign language, and cloud learns it for him. oh, right: the titular fic revolves around cloud arriving in the smash world and getting acquainted with it, all while slowly falling in love with link in the process. that first fic is still a masterpiece and i stand by it. i got to kind of influence characters, like fire emblem ones too, all with the caveat that being in the smash house kind of warps your personality a little bit anyway. i think people were on board!

i wrote a few things in this series. i think i got overly melodramatic and serious with it--i went through this with sonadow too, but it happened to this pairing as well, and i was like: "hm. i don't know how true to character this is anymroe and need to take a step back". so i did! maybe some day i'll write these two again (in fact, there might be a mini-fic on dreamwidth somewhere...), but i've largely put it down. never forget that i christened the link/cloud tag on AO3 though. clink forever baby.

art by masked hero. side note: i commissioned magnet clink that was tempting to put here but that's my own special prize.

think about me

• tumblr blog
• series on AO3

oh TAM, oh beautiful, gently misguided TAM. my ff7 fic before i ever played any ff7. this one went crazy! this is another "modern" fic, or kind of set in our world, but much less so than jumper was. also technically a band AU! zack and aerith are dating, zack's in a band with the other 1sts, and along comes cloud who's training for SOLDIER under zack. tifa also moves out to midgar, unknown to cloud right at first. they all collide together as zack and cloud start falling for each other, and then tifa and aerith start falling for each other...and then they become a big poly couple! there's also 1sts drama, road trips, and fun times and sad times as a polycule. it's a 365K fic. a lot happens.

i have my own feelings about TAM: i think it grew way too large in scope, and i could have probably been more concise about a lot of things. i could have ended the fic after zack and cloud getting together honestly. but, after jumper, i had some regrets about not involving sheena into the polycule, and didn't want that to happen again with tifa + zack/cloud/aerith. but at what cost! also i got SUPER invested in sephiroth and genesis, and there's an entire novella worth of flash fic about those idiots getting stoned and refusing to acknowledge their feelings about each other. this was a huge undertaking and i'm still glad i wrote it!

i do occasionally write for this time and again, but even some of my side works are starting to wane a little bit, so that's why it's over here. the tumblr blog is where fics tend to go first, and i do tend to ramble on over there when the TAM bug strikes me. the worms in my brain on this one have gone dormant...FOR NOW. there is a man who lives in my brain that goes bonkers yonkers over this AU, so it's really only a matter of time. my days are always numbered.

art by gryph.ink

projects that have never been published

since you're so kind to come and Visit My Website, i'll let you in on a couple other things that i never published anywhere. tee hee!

"prohibition"

this was started joint with my dear friend echo; it's an FF7 prohibition AU. we brainstormed it together, but i've spent a lot of my own time writing flash fics, doodling, and extrapolating about the timeline and events of it. it focuses on the 1sts as a polycule running a speakeasy and rum running business on the east coast. they build a little empire and build a life in a mansion and have gatsby style parties. i've put enough thought into it to go into the depression, through WWII and into the 50s when everyone's old. don't ask me about genesis rhapsodos' forbidden depression era daughter. yeah it even has fucking! fankids!

these are just my delusional ramblings about it, but one day i might come back and actually be more concise about it. you know, since you can't read it anywhere right now.

art by gryph.ink

"witch au"

this is another FF7 AU, this time using the modern fairytale framework. this was also brainstormed with echo, but i really dug into it myself. sephiroth is a half-vampire witch who runs his own business selling "love potions" made from the feathers of his familiar, genesis, who is a demon fae that he managed to bind to him. this has things like "zack got turned into a werewolf and now poses as cloud's huge dog", "cloud gets possessed by a fae after stepping into a faerie ring while being overtired and overworked and the fae is kadaj", "then he starts dating aerith, also a witch, and she unravels the mystery", "the turks are running an underground organization keeping track of all the magical entities in the greater midgar era", and so on. this is a fun AU that has also not been published anywhere. sephiroth and genesis of course ending up falling in love with each other.

i use this AU for horny reasons a lot, actually. i wrote a really spicy fic where genesis acts up and sephiroth drinks his blood, not realizing that it's a powerful aphrodisiac and goes crazy stupid horny and fucks the shit out of him. it's good stuff. if you're me, anyway.

art by upyok

i think that's it for now

shadsy, how much do you love shadow the hedgehog

I LOVE HIM A LOT, YOUR HONOR.

what is a shadsy?

and what do they do?

hi! you can call me shadsy or supershadsy! here's my typical tagline:

shadsy, ~30s, she/they
musician, writer, some-the-times artist, video game enthusiast, magical girl

that's the sort of thing i would put on my business cards, if i had any.

slight elaboration of the above attributes

• i'm some kind of person
• i am a musician! i play (deep breath) clarinet, guitar, saxophone, flute, some keyboard, other miscellaneous woodwinds, and i sing! my most prolific work was with my 8-bit covers, and as admin of a certain sonic music blog. i have also been an internet radio host in a couple different venues! music is my passion and i love talking about music! there's a whole music portal to dig into more.
• i do original work under the name when the crow flies. it's jangly singer-songwriter stuff with a 90s take. you can check it out on bandcamp or streaming services of your choice!
• i am a writer of creative fiction! most known for a couple of long, polyamory focused fanfics and a certain crossover pairing. i've tried to get a couple of original stories off the ground, but they are currently hobby projects. check out the writing portal for more info!
• i am a hobbiest digital artist! i am known for nothing in this regard, but doodling is fun. i like doing quick sketchies and character art. it's cool! you can see some of my art around the site.
• i am a video game enthusiast! favorites include the sonic series, the original spyro trilogy, splatoon, final fantasy xiv, and many, many more. video games have always had a lot of influence on my other passions. video games...are good sometimes.
• i am a magical girl! 💕

✨ faq ✨

Q: what can i expect to find here?

A: all sorts of things! we've got casual music dissertation, link archives, shrines to failing social media sites, sites i made when i was 12, creative writing, alternate style sheets...we have fun here! well, i have fun here. whether you have fun is totally up to you.

Q: are you...cool?

A: i am what you would call "pretty okay"

Q: what is your favorite sonic the hedgehog game

A: i have a soft spot for pretty much all of the dreamcast era sonic games. there's a sense of fun and ambition in all of them despite their flaws. i also love sonic 06 like an ugly handmade doll. sonic frontiers is also very good. i respect the classics, but i am very much a Dreamcast Sonic guy and not a Classic one.

Q: what is your approach to art

A: to me, art is expression that's bursting to come out of you, and the only way you can express it is by making something with your own hands. sometimes these emotions are so fleeting, that you have to push it out as fast as you can or else you'll lose the zeitgeist. this is why my drawings look like i'm in a terrible hurry, but i enjoy that charm in them. i tend to take a little more time in my music, but i also like to write in long sessions as well. longer stories i have more discipline to work on over time, but i do tend to outline them in a feverish state.

Q: what's your daily driver

A: aw yeah let's talk COMPUTERS

• i have a 2018 intel mac mini running uhh the newest OS probably. i also have a lenovo yoga laptop with a ryzen 7 processor running ubuntu budgie. i am TRYING to completely switch over to linux when the mac finally is laid to rest, but there are a few programs that are exclusive that i still need it for. you'll see as we go down.
• for music: i compose and produce with garageband. it's simple and pretty feature rich for what i need it for! i'm not what you would call a "sound engineer" so i am not much of a knob fiddler.
• i have found a program that i am quite interested in called bitwig studio that i would love to switch to, but it is paid and i am dragging my feet about it. it does just about everything i want it to, and also does it without spending an hour in frustration trying to hook up digital audio cables like it's 1985.
• for art: i use krita on desktop with a viekk tablet. it's a great open source option and doesn't absolutely chew through resources like CSP can. i'm not a power user though, so your mileage my vary. i really enjoy its workflow though. before krita, i was using clip studio paint, and before that medibang paint. they're fine options! but linux compatibility was key for me, so i learned krita and am very happy with it. (you can also import photoshop brushes into it!)
• i also have an ipad with procreate, but it's a steep learning curve and honestly doesn't seemed geared toward the type of drawing i do. so i don't use it as often.
• for writing: okay i was a heathen writing fanfic in tumblr drafts for a LONG time. i used google docs until i decided i wanted to not be so dependent on the google man. libreoffice i guess? tumblr drafts still? don't take my advice on this, except find a google docs alternative if you can.
• for DJing?: i now use serrato dj lite, since i have a mini DJ deck now! i believe we used something like this or similar when i did college radio so it's a little familiar. gotta relearn the ropes though.

Q: why "shadsy"?

A: it's the one that's stuck around the longest. it was the nickname of a favorite rp character back in the day, and since i grabbed it back in 2012, it has seemed to stick around me. plus, it's pretty easy to modify if it happens to be taken. (hence supershadsy) i also like shadow the hedgehog a normal amount.

okay, so now what do i do

wow you got all the way down here, so now it's time to ENJOY THE WEBSITE! poke around the top bar for links to get you started, and just trawl around! and if you like it, you can sign the guestbook, or even grab a button to link to me on your own webbed site! this is my space to just have fun, and i hope you have fun too!

the web is a place to have fun, and somewhere along the line you may have forgotten this. be free and browse a website.

fursona/sonic'sona gallery

i have attempted many fursonas over a couple different species. you know, because i'm a sonic fan! i have furry friends! i like animals! this should be easy! turns out it's NOT and it took me forever to work out the secret sauce. and the secret sauce is: i need to be a sonic furry! that seemed to click pretty well.

anyway, here's a gallery of my bunby. she's a #Cool radio dj!

reference

reference image by miichi

art gallery

sorry it's not a FANCY thing but i am a CSS novice. we'll get there eventually.

by alexsonata

by angeban

by discosmackdown

by KDD

by spacecolonie

by supershadsy (dat's me!)

by trackertd

by ultipoter

there will be more images some day!

(there will also be more CSS one day...)