Amarok's recent activity

  1. Comment on Mr. Silver Grey - Risk It, Honey (2025) in ~music

    Amarok
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    Well, it finally happened. AI has learned to sing the blues well enough that it got past my spider senses. Seriously tempted to put this into #13.

    Well, it finally happened. AI has learned to sing the blues well enough that it got past my spider senses. Seriously tempted to put this into #13.

    1 vote

  3. Comment on Announcing the seventh annual Tildes' Make Something Month (Timasomo)! in ~tildes

    Amarok
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    I think the real fun is going to be in the upcoming bestofs. I file away an awful lot more albums than I use in the mixtapes, often just because they are off-topic for the current project. The...

    I think the real fun is going to be in the upcoming bestofs. I file away an awful lot more albums than I use in the mixtapes, often just because they are off-topic for the current project. The playlists on my spotify profile titled '20xx Maybe' are the albums that pinged me as being above average in musicianship and in the number of good tracks present. They are split by year but contain all sorts of genres. I'd normally go through them and trim out about 30% of them for the must-listens but it may be better to leave them like they are and let people do their own cratedigging because my tastes aren't the same as other people. At the least I can promise zero AI slop, just 100% real artists who have talent and at least a handful of hits (to my tastes) to recommend them.

    What's missing is ten more people like me who have totally different tastes but the same sort of standards, so that we can cover more stylistic ground and a much larger number of genres. When we pool all of that together, this is what happens. I'm ready to pick up with 2018 where listentothis left off and bring it right up to 2025, but it'll be much better if everyone on tildes throws in all of their own best finds from those years to cover more ground. I might take that up after the Timasomo is done, modern AI tools should be able to take an awful lot of work out of the process of making playlists and those massive album-filled link posts. There must be a way to automate most of it by now.

    3 votes

  4. Comment on Denmark airport closed due to drones, two days after incursions in Copenhagen and Oslo in ~society

    Amarok
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    I think we need a bigger drone that's really fast, shorter range, and carries a very large net. Just bag the enemy drone and fly it back to wherever you like. The net would be able to compromise...

    I think we need a bigger drone that's really fast, shorter range, and carries a very large net. Just bag the enemy drone and fly it back to wherever you like. The net would be able to compromise the propulsion systems almost immediately be it a jet or propeller. It'd lodge in there nice and tight, like hooking a fish.

    4 votes

  5. Comment on Denmark airport closed due to drones, two days after incursions in Copenhagen and Oslo in ~society

    Amarok
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    I'm just wondering how long it'll take before NATO wises up and shoots down each and every unidentified drone immediately upon detection, no exceptions, no excuses, and no apologies. It's just...

    I'm just wondering how long it'll take before NATO wises up and shoots down each and every unidentified drone immediately upon detection, no exceptions, no excuses, and no apologies. It's just ridiculous in my view to put up with it at all - there are no lives lost taking out these drones, assuming you down them over a field instead of into someone's roof.

    Russia always pushes everything, the only thing they respect is strength. The more NATO puts up with it, the more they embolden Putin, and he's getting really, really desperate right now since Russia's economy has flatlined and Ukraine is punishing them more and more brutally every single day. This situation is going to come to a head soon, and Russia won't even put up as much of a fight as Iraq did during desert storm if NATO decides to reclaim Ukraine and Crimea. Their troop numbers count for nothing at all and they've been reduced to rusty equipment from the 60s and mules or horses for transport. It's bad.

    They could just as easily take out Moscow in a matter of weeks - the nukes are the only thing holding them at bay. NATO has overwhelming technological hardware and air superiority even without the US helping. Ukraine did catastrophic damage to Russia's nuclear command and control systems earlier this week, which is why things are heating up. Just yesterday, Ukraine took out more of the Black Sea fleet and most of the ports used for oil shipping. Russia has already lost this war and they know it. That makes them more dangerous and reckless than ever - I'll wager Putin is a very sore loser.

    13 votes

  6. Comment on Announcing the seventh annual Tildes' Make Something Month (Timasomo)! in ~tildes

    Amarok
    Link Parent
    I have what you might call a debilitating addiction to music - always on, at work, at home, in the car, so every day is hours of listening, since around 1994. My headphones are as always-on as my...

    I have what you might call a debilitating addiction to music - always on, at work, at home, in the car, so every day is hours of listening, since around 1994. My headphones are as always-on as my eyeglasses. At this point I'm so far past caring about genre it's almost comical, they are all great genres in my book, it's the best tracks I'm after. I'm like a psycho apache scalper who will raid an artist, burn through their entire discography, and walk away with three tracks impaled on a pike to put in my playlists. Almost always that's upbeat or positive in some way, I don't have much patience for dull harmony or trite lyrics anymore.

    Since I'm always filling up playlists with my favorites I have a lot of them, and I group them impulsively by moods, or eras, or styles. Eventually when the playlists are pushing past ten hours I jump in and look for whatever story the tracks are already telling. I don't pick the themes, those just emerge from the collections of tracks and I stitch them together so that the lyrics all read like a single perfect letter. Then I listen to them about a hundred times before they are finished (yes, some of those I've spun for 300+ hours each already while making them). The tracks that wear out get cut, and once I know the theme I'm hunting new ones always pop out of the usual cratedigging at me and I file them into the appropriate mixtape. I suppose you could say these mixtapes make themselves, and I was just listening.

    It's more fun and challenging than a jigsaw puzzle, I guess. I make these for my own infinite repeat enjoyment and they always take me back to when I was making them, like a photograph. Plus I get to share them which is always a lot of fun. I'll probably keep making them until I'm in the ground. It's just how I listen now. Might have something to do with modding /r/listentothis for ten years and listening to that non-stop while doing it, got me into the habit.

    5 votes

  7. Comment on Announcing the seventh annual Tildes' Make Something Month (Timasomo)! in ~tildes

    Amarok
    (edited )
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    I'm in for finally finishing up what I started during Timasomo 2022. It's changed around a bit but it's still the same project - the world's first ever and only mixtape royal flush. Five...

    I'm in for finally finishing up what I started during Timasomo 2022. It's changed around a bit but it's still the same project - the world's first ever and only mixtape royal flush. Five multi-hour multi-genre music sets of new music (that sounds vintage) with almost no repeating artists and not one single track that isn't a perfect ten out of ten infinite repeat banger. There's a bestof 2020-2025 in there too once the tapes are done for sharing on ~music.

    I reactivated my mixcloud account about a week ago and uploaded the final cuts of #9 and #10, they are both perfect. I've been working on #11 all this week and it's getting close - alternating male/female artists each track is an interesting challenge that takes more time. I finished #12 a little while ago, and #13 is a short but pretty solid draft. I want to get them done and all posted to mixcloud by end of october just so I can take a break from the mixtapes for a bit and get back to hunting new artists... my spotify release radar alone is at 3800 tracks of backlog right now and it needs a good spring cleaning.

    Short summary of the mixes...

    • SV09 - Anthem : This one sounds like a 90s/instagramcore hybrid, is a mixtape about making mixtapes, and lyrically doubles as a quarter life crisis manual. Ideal format is a Maxell 120 minute tape, it's two hours, 37 tracks, 41 artists, mostly pure punk-pop adrenaline with some emerald city vibes to wrap it up.

    • SV10 ~ vs The Internet : This started as an idea for a Tildes themed mixtape and evolved into something any streamer or content creator will be able to appreciate since it lyrically represents their career path. It's a critique of the internet and spells out the solution. Target format is 4 LP Vinyl records packed to the seams, 40 tracks, 53 artists, and it's retrowave / funk / synthpop / darkwave / folktronica with a couple other spices mixed in. I am head over heels in love with how well this one came together. You'll have to make it past the devil (literally) to find the light.

    • SV11 - Cut the Light : This one's not fully cooked yet but I'm happy with the first 20 tracks and still putting the story together for the finish... need to scare up some more duets. It's a 1980s-sound ultimate breakup and get back together mixtape. I may as well do something with all the love songs I find cratedigging. At this point it's mostly about the order of the tracks and which ones I cut from the set to get it down to 3 hours. Probably another 4LP Vinyl but I might cut it to 120 minutes, haven't decided. No cover yet, but I know it needs to feature a couple with their backs turned on each other that are silhouettes, I'm not putting up with race-based comments about the cover.

    • SV12 - The Message : If there's a mixtape that's going to get me in trouble, this is it. The final word on the culture war... with a Tarantino styled (but heavier) mixtape of 1970s sounding soul, psych, and punk that eviscerates Hollywood without mercy. It should be (and probably is) illegal to have this much fun making a mixtape, this is probably the best one I'll ever manage. This is another 4 LP Vinyl set, 48 tracks / 56 artists and it's completely finished. I just haven't posted it to mixcloud yet since one can't re-order one's submissions, so once #11 is done this goes up right after.

    • SV13 - #church : This is /r/boneyard (proto-metal) material that sounds like 1970s metal / hard rock. It's also the cure for depression because that's what the heavy stuff is the best for. Trouble is this is only 88 minutes and it feels like I can take it much, much further. Every track has to feature gospel vibes and/or at least a mention of god, devil, sin, etc to be on topic - but no 'christian' artists because they almost universally put me to sleep. :P This one needs the most work, but there's acres of good stuff I haven't gotten to yet to harvest, these genres are very active with new releases right now.

    That 'Scag's Bones' mix I mentioned for Timasomo 2022 is slotted in at #14 now, and it's about reconnecting old friendships. Probably going to be the most sublime chilled out mix I ever make, almost the spiritual opposite of this set which all go pretty hard. That's not part of the Timasomo goal though, but it's still cooking.

    So, three down, two to go. I think I can get there and have all five up on mixcloud by the end of timasomo. The best part that I don't tell anyone is that this is all one massive mixtape (in order) and the cure for ten second attention spans. It's already better than any /r/listentothis bestof. ;)

    7 votes

  8. Comment on Massive Attack remove music from Spotify to protest against CEO Daniel Ek's investment in AI military in ~music

    Amarok
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    They aren't the only one - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard (and side projects like The Murlocs) removed their music for the same reason some time ago. Also Xiu Xiu and Deerhoof. The upshot:...

    They aren't the only one - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard (and side projects like The Murlocs) removed their music for the same reason some time ago. Also Xiu Xiu and Deerhoof.

    The upshot: Absolutely no one cares and nothing will change. I worry more about the fake bands and AI slop the platform shovels at listeners to avoid having to pay royalties than I do about drone warfare. Spotify's problems are myriad and all self-inflicted. They continually change artist agreements to grant themselves more rights for example so they can allow users to make their own mashups of artist's music. They do not respect artists at all, and never have. Not like there's any streaming platform that does.

    7 votes

  9. Comment on What creative projects have you been working on? in ~creative

    Amarok
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    I just reactivated my Mixcloud account, since it is the last place left on the entire internet where one can upload music under the radio streaming license rules. That means anything goes and...

    I just reactivated my Mixcloud account, since it is the last place left on the entire internet where one can upload music under the radio streaming license rules. That means anything goes and there are no takedowns. Sounds Vintage #9 and #10 are finally, officially, done at last and uploaded in glorious .flac quality with proper editing as of this morning. If you are short on long, multi-genre cartwheels filled with Keter-class earworms that beat anything the radio has seen in two decades, you're in luck. Still need to get #11 done and rework #13 up to the 2h56min (4xVinyl) format, and then the mixtape royal flush is complete. I was thinking about making separate posts for them but I think I've spammed people on Tildes with enough of my music already. ;)

    1 vote

  10. Comment on Reddit announces new limits on moderating large subreddits and for moderators to remove content sitewide in ~tech

    Amarok
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    Translation: We don't want anyone to notice our plummeting levels of engagement and user retention, so we're going to obfuscate it to the point where nobody can tell what's going on anymore. Oh,...

    Translation: We don't want anyone to notice our plummeting levels of engagement and user retention, so we're going to obfuscate it to the point where nobody can tell what's going on anymore. Oh, and we don't have the time/energy to manage our own website effectively, so we're just going to let any rando mod delete everything site-wide instead to save time and keep legal happy. Oh, and powermods that hold a lot of real estate on the site still represent a threat to us, so we're nerfing the guys who do most of the real work. Again.

    I sense another Tildes invite wave approaching.

    83 votes

  11. Comment on WOOZE - I'll Have What She's Having (2019) in ~music

    Amarok
    (edited )
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    Gary Numan meets DEVO? Hell yes, more please! Just on Spotify - that 2025 release is so slept-on it's criminal.

    Gary Numan meets DEVO? Hell yes, more please!

    Just on Spotify - that 2025 release is so slept-on it's criminal.

  13. Comment on Greek-American musician George Smaragdis dies tragically in Manhattan in ~music

    Amarok
    Link Parent
    Now that sounds like an exceptional idea for a mashup track. I'm dedicating one of my better ear movies to him, his tracks put the idea for it in my head and it wouldn't work without them.

    Now that sounds like an exceptional idea for a mashup track. I'm dedicating one of my better ear movies to him, his tracks put the idea for it in my head and it wouldn't work without them.

    1 vote

  14. Comment on Venus Hum - Look (2020) in ~music

    Amarok
    Link Parent
    Their 2021 album Kindness Rages On is the most recent LP. For my money it's the best yet, due to Kip and Tony having cleaner production that isn't fuzzing out Annette's voice as much as older...

    Their 2021 album Kindness Rages On is the most recent LP. For my money it's the best yet, due to Kip and Tony having cleaner production that isn't fuzzing out Annette's voice as much as older albums. She's just framed better. Nothing since 2023 except one single in 2024. Not much in the way of social media presence. That's not unusual for them though, they've always been more of an underground group.

    BMG still lives in Vegas and they pop out for a tour every couple of years, always with a new show. Seen them twice and enjoyed both shows immensely. Will see them again if I get the opportunity. :)

    1 vote

  15. Comment on Venus Hum - Look (2020) in ~music

    Amarok
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    I'm sure everyone remembers Venus Hum from their epic performance with the Blue Man Group in the early 2000s. Annette Strean lost her voice not so long after and went through surgery for vocal...

    I'm sure everyone remembers Venus Hum from their epic performance with the Blue Man Group in the early 2000s. Annette Strean lost her voice not so long after and went through surgery for vocal nodules, everyone thought that was the end. Turns out they are back to making music and they've leveled up. She's better than ever, quite the comeback story. Someone should tell their fans. :p

    3 votes

  17. Comment on Greek-American musician George Smaragdis dies tragically in Manhattan in ~music

    Amarok
    (edited )
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    Sometimes when you go searching for a favorite artist's newest album, you get a rude surprise. We lost the best thing since Daft Punk. :( Starcadian's music is available on Bandcamp, Spotify,...

    Sometimes when you go searching for a favorite artist's newest album, you get a rude surprise.
    We lost the best thing since Daft Punk. :(

    Starcadian's music is available on Bandcamp, Spotify, Youtube, and Apple Music. For my money, very few synth albums past or present can keep up with Radio Galaxy. Infinite repeat material, but it's weird now, his passing completely changed the vibe of the album. All of his records were straight killer, no filler.

    I'm sad we'll never get a Netflix series in the Stranger Things meets Star Wars vibe that came out of his head. He was a video producer by day and that fledgling cinematic universe was all over his music videos. I'm going to link them in release order.

    He was one of the top artists in the very first r/listentothis bestof. Even popped by the bestof thread to thank us for promoting him, one of the few artists to ever do that. Still remember the name of his reddit account. From what I can gather, his next album was at least past the halfway point, he was starting to release singles. We may get one final posthumous release from him, I'll be keeping my fingers crossed. His final reddit comment from 4 months back:

    all recorded up, working on the magic layers right now, taking time because it's on another level, so head down and off the internet until it blows minds, prooobably this year?

    There's a GoFundMe for his family. He was expecting his first child when this happened. This is the sort of thing that makes me want to pick a fight with God on an idle Tuesday afternoon. :/ Artists this exceptional remaining obscure while AI slop tops the charts still makes my blood boil.

    16 votes

  19. Comment on Famous cognitive psychology experiments that failed to replicate in ~science

    Amarok
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    My favorite crash out from behavioral psychology was watching mouse utopia go down in flames. I still see people quoting that study all the time (especially in conservative circles) as if it had...

    My favorite crash out from behavioral psychology was watching mouse utopia go down in flames. I still see people quoting that study all the time (especially in conservative circles) as if it had any credibility at all. It does not, and no other experiments following up on it have ever managed to replicate any of it, in mice or in humans.

    The only credible info to come out of it is the concept that maintaining a degree of personal space and private time has some beneficial effects on societal behaviors. In other words, constant enforced hyper-socialization is where the real 'damage' comes from in the utopia. It's not population, access to mates, or any of the hundred other nonsense ideas that people use this debunked experiment to justify.

    4 votes

  20. Comment on What's a question you could ask to determine if someone is an expert in your line of work? in ~talk

    Amarok
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    Here's one for a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, the one responsible for designing and maintaining the core functions of a Microsoft network. It's not actually called MCSE anymore, those...

    Here's one for a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, the one responsible for designing and maintaining the core functions of a Microsoft network. It's not actually called MCSE anymore, those have recently been retired for I think... nine? new certifications aimed more at specific job roles. It's the same stuff, just broken up so you have to pay for more certs to get the same street cred. :P

    Q: Tell me about FSMO roles.

    A: I'm not going to type out the full answer but I'll link to a nice summary. This is something no regular windows user should ever know anything about, and something that only a high level Microsoft engineer would ever encounter or manage. I'd be happy if the person answering could remember what FSMO means, that there were five of them total, and be able to remember what at least two or three of them do. These have hardly changed at all since Windows 2000 was released.

    The funny part is you rarely need to touch these things unless you are making big changes to your active directory design or a domain functional level upgrade is coming down the pipe. A hard rule I know is you do not ever use any products that modify anything about these services under any circumstances, otherwise any future upgrade of your domain functional level is liable to blow up in your face. You break anything about these services, Microsoft support will tell you, 'sorry, rebuild your active directory from scratch.' click ;)

    7 votes