It seems as though everywhere you look COVID-19 is impacting individuals and their livelihoods. Universities and schools across the nation are closing and transitioning to an online format, and NC State University is no different. Thus, as WKNC is a University entity, some changes have to be made to our current structure as well.
As of Tuesday, March 17, WKNC’s offices will be closed to the public until further notice. During this time staff will be working remotely and on-air DJs will be limited. Despite this, we will remain on-the-air 24/7/365 due to our ability to automate rotation. However, as our offices are closed, all pending Lounge sessions, on-air interviews, tours, merch pick-ups, and other in-person events are canceled. As far as merch goes, purchases from our swag store can still be made, but it is currently unknown when they will be able to ship out or be available for pick-up. Regarding DJs, while our request lines will still ring, it is unlikely that anyone will be in-studio to answer. Our Music Directors have worked hard to curate our playlists so the great music will continue to play, nonetheless.
Please stay connected with us on social media (@wknc881 across all platforms) for updates on our situation, COVID-19, university regulations, staff productivity and more.
As you are all remaining in your homes for an unspecified duration of time, tune into WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1 or HD-2 to pass the time and ease your mind. We’re not gone, we’re just a dial away.
Next on the series will be ‘The Perks of Being A Wallflower’ by Stephen Chbosky. Check out DJ Psyched’s Goodreads to join the book club and post your own thoughts and comments. Get Psyched intro music was created by PME, used by permission. Find PME on Spotify.
Connan Tant Hosford, otherwise known by the stage-name Connan Mockasin, does not desire to be understood. He wants to be experienced, and he has no use for precise or exacting words or meanings. The title track off Connan’s 2011 album, “Forever Dolphin Love”, is a ripe, poignant example of this mentality.
The first three minutes of the song play out like the beginning of a journey. Dissonant, jambling chords of various key instruments alert you that something important is about to happen. This makes way – or more accurately, is abruptly quashed by – piercing, high-arching synthesizers. The soundscape just barely becomes rounded out as the synths take the background and accept a bass melody and drums into their midst. Harmonicas pelt your ears from the sides and flit around the center – and only after this does Connan’s voice come in.
There are no lyrics yet – simply sighs, an emotional crux as the bass takes back over. The tension is still mounting! But it’s soon released oh so smoothly as the bass is again accompanied by synthesizer, though this time the synth is relaxed and contemplative. Now, we’re treated to words.
“From bleached waves, that never change, from Dalston, forever dolphin love, ah ah ah ah ah
My dull steed, she has no hair, I’ll talk to her, forever dolphin love, ah ah ah ah ah
And Dun’s life, he’s turning heads, he talks to her, forever dolphin love, ah ah ah ah ah ah
From memories that never change, of Dalston, forever dolphin love, ah ah ah ah ah”
All of this makes up a dense, wilting verse given structure only by what may be described as nonsense. This is but a segment of Connan’s emotions. There’s no need for sense, exactly – only the appreciation, if not understanding, of the feeling. The feelings themselves are wrapped up in layers of complexity, which Connan readily engages with. Interfacing with these words – extracting any kind of value from them – requires the listener to let go of their usual methods of judgment. Literally, he’s talking about dolphins. The word is there, there’s “bleached waves” ostensibly coursing some body of water, and – reason be damned – he’s riding the thing! It’s his “dull steed”, but it’s not a horse. It has no hair. And maybe he’ll even talk to it in its dolphin chitter, “ah ah ah ah ah”!
Whoever Dun may be and whatever happened in Dalston are issues all of their own that are never answered. But that’s not the point. These are not words to be scrutinized; rather, they are only meant to be felt as part of the song. While the chorus is more straightforward, the listener’s role is no different:
“Oh Sunter, I loved her, she was to be my wife
Oh Sunter, I loved her, she was to be my wife
My wife, my wife”
Connan opens his heart in this clear fashion only for a few brief, savory moments. The character of Sunter, the object of his affection, reflects the heartbreak and melancholy which the song is centered on. Yet still the listener must extrapolate and connect to the feelings, lest they miss the point. To this end, Connan quickly sways back into the verse, sprinkling new words and new abstractions. Thus the journey dwindles off, and concludes.
The title track that I’ve just described, “Forever Dolphin Love”, is an excellent piece that is worthy of listening and re-listening. It’s ten minutes long and one of those tracks where you’ll find something new every time. Like Connan himself, the entirety of the “Forever Dolphin Love” album is an experience that is worth having. If ever you find yourself not knowing how to describe or what to do with a vague sense of existential feelings, this is certainly a song – and an album – for you.
This year has already been full of good music. The releases I’ve heard this far have made me beyond excited for what 2020 has in store. A lot of amazing artists are planning to drop new tunes this year and I’m psyched (ba dum tss) about it, so without further or due, here’s some of my favorite tracks from 2020 (so far…)
Arrested Youth – ‘Sobville (Episode I)’ EP
I already made a whole blog post about this EP (because I love it so much) so all I really have to add is that Sob Story is my current favorite track. (though the whole thing is worth a listen)
Modern Diet – ‘Post Grad’ Single
Modern Diet is one of my favorite bands and they’ve been steadily putting out singles since mid last year (fingers crossed for a new album). This latest track reminds me why I love this band so much. The instrumental work and lyrics are always quality with this band and the music is relaxing enough to make me want to lay on the floor and stare at the ceiling, while also being energetic enough to make me dance while walking to class.
Hayley Williams – ‘Petals For Armor I’ EP
!!! This is a long awaited EP and I can’t believe how early in the year we got it !!! It felt like a dream when Hayley Williams announced her Solo project and it’s fair to say she did not disappoint. The lyrics tell a vivid story, as always, and the new sound works well with her vocals and much darker content. I love it.
Declan McKenna – ‘Beautiful Faces’ Single
I’ve been a fan of Declan since I first heard his track ‘Brazil’. He never fails to make hooks that will get stuck in your head for days, while also managing to be honest and blunt about the political issues he sees. How strong his messages are, and how much they make me think, are what keep this artist a regular in my rotations. This track lives up to that reputation.
Rina Sawayama – ‘XS’ Single
I was only recently introduced to this artist by a friend of mine, but the timing could’ve been better. This new single shows promise for an incredible debut album from the artist. The guitars in this track really make it stand out from other tracks in the pop scene, and showcase how diverse this artist can be with her sound. Not to mention she has the voice of an angel.
You’re heading to the movie theater, the newest movie with your favorite actor is playing. You get to your seats just as the (hour long!!) credits end and the theater grows dark. Suddenly you can hear low music swelling up. Film company logos flash across the screen and the music only gets louder till the opening shot of the movie begins. The music is important. It signifies the genre and style of the movie you are about to watch. If there are loud droning tones it might convey the film is suspenseful or horror. If you hear a pop song, you should expect a rom-com or some kind of happy kids movie. Music sets the tone before we even lay our eyes on the set or characters.
That sound, during the credits and not the cinematic universe, is called non-diegetic. The music and sound the characters within the film can hear and can interact with are called, you guessed it, diegetic sound. Sometimes music can change from diegetic to non-diegetic and the other way around. For example, we can hear a song as a part of the soundtrack (non-diegetic) while the movie shows us the setting of the film. Then, the film shows the character turn off the radio causing the music, which we now realize is diegetic, to stop. Directors can play with our expectations of diegetic and non-diegetic sounds, which draws interest in the film.
Horror is an easy genre to hear, how directors can put us in the shoes of the character for an effect. A classic example is heartbeats. If you hear slow heartbeats in a movie while a character is walking, the character is probably calm and the viewer feels the same way. If the heartbeats are speeding up while the character is also speeding up, viewers understand that the character is scared, and running away from something. For my Introduction to Film Class, we watched A Quiet Place and discussed how both diegetic and non-diegetic sound makes meaning throughout the film. In A Quiet Place because one of the main characters is deaf the film plays around with periods of silence as the audience is immersed in her point of view. This movie creates suspense so well when it uses sound to condition the viewer into hair-raising reactions from the dramatic score and sound effects.
ALBUM REVIEW: Koenjihyakkei – Angherr Shisspa (2005)
BEST TRACKS: Rattims Friezz, Quivem Vrastorr
FCC Clean
LISTEN TO IF YOU LIKE: avant-garde, experimental, jazz
Before we get into this album in particular, it’s important to mention what “Zeuhl” is which is the musical genre this falls into. Born from 60s and 70s krautrock and coined by the band Magma’s constructed language Kobaian, there are only a handful of groups that have been able to consider themselves under this genre umbrella. As Pitchfork once put it, Zeuhl can be described by “sudden bursts of explosive improv and just as unexpected lapses into eerie, minimalist trance-rock.”
I would go on to say it is some of the hardest music to describe as it is to find. Koenjihyakkei is the side-project of Yoshida Tatsuya of Japanese Zeuhl group, Ruins, which is heavily influenced by 60s and 70s progressive music in general. This group also includes Aki Kubota (on vocals and keyboards) from another modern krautrock group, Bondage Fruit.
Koenjihyakkei’s “Angherr Shisspa” is one of the best albums to get into this genre with though.
This would be my own attempt to describe this wild album: experimental opera jazz with intensive complicated time signatures that boom and burst from huge orchestral and choral hits to single xylophonic beats. If you are looking for something like you’ve never heard before and crave the subtle balance between dissonant chord structures and ear candy, this is certainly an important listen.
The album has this way of being able to add this playful tone to something extremely avant-garde. Sometimes I feel when listening to this album that I am surrounded by a bunch of fairies that are screaming, dancing, and performing various rituals.
It is also another one of those albums that grows on you the more you listen to it, because it draws from so many different types of progressive and experimental music, it’s hard to keep track of it all on first listen. I’d consider this a hidden gem, simply given it’s status of being representative of a genre that does not get a lot of representation. Check it out if you want some new avant-garde music to listen to.
Artist Record Label 1 COWGIRL CLUE Icebreaker Vada Vada 2 INDIA JORDAN DNT STP MY LUV [EP] Local Action 3 YEULE Serotonin II Bayonet 4 BESHKEN Aisle Of Palm Self-Released 5 BRIJEAN Walkie Talkie Native Cat 6 CHANNEL TRES Black Moses [EP] Godmode 7 JACQUES GREENE Dawn Chorus Lucky Me 8 GRACE IVES 2nd Dots Per Inch 9 SWEELY Nice Archive Traxx, Vol. 1 Lobster Theremin 10 FLOATING POINTS LesAlpx/Coorabell [EP] Ninja Tune
Artist Record Label 1 GREAT AMERICAN GHOST Power Through Terror Entertainment One 2 VARIALS In Darkness Fearless 3 SUICIDE SILENCE Become The Hunter Nuclear Blast 4 BODY COUNT “Bum-Rush” [Single] Century Media 5 AS I LAY DYING Shaped By Fire Nuclear Blast 6 THE AMITY AFFLICTION Everyone Loves You… Once You Leave Them Pure Noise 7 MY DYING BRIDE The Ghost Of Orion Nuclear Blast 8 DESPISED ICON Purgatory Nuclear Blast 9 LORNA SHORE Immortal Century Media 10 UPON A BURNING BODY Southern Hostility Seek & Strike
Artist Record Label 1 CAVEBOY Night In The Park, Kiss In The Dark Self-Released 2 KOKO NEETZ I.T.T.I.P. Admirable Traits 3 PAPOOZ Night Sketches Half Awake 4 MARINA Love Atlantic 5 LOVING If I Am Only My Thoughts Last Gang 6 BAD SOUNDS Escaping From A Violent Time, Vol. 1 [EP] Theory 7 HAZY SEAS, THE The Hazy Seas Self-Released 8 CHASTITY BELT Chastity Belt Hardly Art 9 TURNOVER Altogether Run For Cover 10 JAY SOM Anak Ko Polyvinyl 11 BASEMENT REVOLVER Wax And Digital [EP] Sonic Unyon 12 STRANGE RANGER Remembering The Rockets Tiny Engines 13 JUDE SHUMA From The Garage [EP] Self-Released 14 BODYWASH Comforter Luminelle 15 BABE RAINBOW, THE Today 30th Century 16 MARIKA HACKMAN Any Human Friend [EP] Sub Pop 17 SOCCER MOMMY Color Theory Loma Vista/Concord 18 ROSEY DUST Keep for life Self-Released 19 DAYGLOW Fuzzybrain Self-Released 20 RUSSIAN BATHS Deepfake Good Eye 21 TY SEGALL Deforming Lobes Drag City 22 PALACE Life After Avenue A/Fiction 23 FYOHNA Radio Sampler [EP] Self-Released 24 HANA VU Nicole Kidman/Anne Hathaway Luminelle 25 KATE TEAGUE Kate Teague [EP] Muscle Beach 26 CHARLY BLISS Young Enough Barsuk 27 BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB Everything Else Has Gone Wrong Mmm… 28 BLACK BELT EAGLE SCOUT At The Party With My Brown Friends Saddle Creek 29 MATT MALTESE Krystal 7476 30 POW Shift Castle Face
TOP ADDS
1 PURR Like New Anti- 2 APPROACHABLE MEMBERS OF YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY Love Thy Neighbor [EP] AntiFragile 3 TENNIS Swimmer Mutually Detrimental 4 ALA.NI ACCA Self-Released 5 JANE HERSHIPS The Home Record Self-Released 6 BLANKS Blanks [EP] Self-Released 7 SOCCER MOMMY Color Theory Loma Vista/Concord 8 KYLE FORESTER Hearts In Gardens Self-Released 9 BOY ROMEO Pure Soul Self-Released 10 KEVIN KRAUTER Full Hand Bayonet
Artist Record Label 1 DOUG SHORTS Heads or Tails [EP] Daptone 2 JID Off Deez (ft. J. Cole) Dreamville/Interscope 3 VINCE STAPLES Feels Like Summer Def Jam 4 KEY! “Miami Too Much” [Single] Hello! 5 KANO Can’t Hold We Down (ft. Popcaan) Parlophone 6 DANA VAUGHNS “Lovey Dovey (ft. Jordan Ward)” [Single] The house 7 BUDDY Find Me Too RCA 8 SUPA BWE PROBLEM / FUEL Freddy G 9 RICO NASTY Ice Cream Sugar Trap 10 FOGGIERAW “I Gotta Ball” [Single] Diff Sound
