Drunkard's Walk Forums

Okay.

So one of my favorite groups, VNV Nation, pushed out a new studio album this year in November called Noire.  And the name suits this album PERFECTLY with the tracks alternating between dark and light tones.  VNV Nation are among the few groups I know of that don't just slap a bunch of music onto a record and call it a day.  This entire album is a work of art in its collective whole.

But what really caught me were two tracks.  I'll do one here and save the other one for the second post so you guys can react to them separately.

The first of these, I think, would be a fitting theme (Opening Theme?  Battle Hymn?) for either Seasons 2 or 3.  Why?

Well...

Just look at the lyrics here.

A stranger in the crowd

Treading fire after dark
Lost in a city
Pulsing to a sound
Of the spirit and soul
A city that is breathing
Living through the cables
Alive across the wires
Faces without names
Playing devils and angels
Lit up by the strobes
Moving hypnotised
I caught your reflection
In the neon on glass
An electric silhouette
Against a static sky

It's a beautiful dream
It's a beautiful life
It's just a reflection
A world that must survive
We're children of the past
Who look beyond today
Designing the present
So when is the future?

We live in a dream
Keeping visions alive
It's just a reflection
A world that never dies
An image we create
In our image we design
It's a beautiful life
So when is the future?

Time moves so fast
In a single direction
Fighting with a present
Racing from the past
We're searching for something
That can never satisfy
The reality of answers
When lives are on the line
I've waited a lifetime
For the age of wonder
A place that I remember
In a splinter of time
A stranger in a strange land
Caught in the flow
Still searching for answers
Among the neon lights

It's a beautiful dream
It's a beautiful life
It's just a reflection
A world that must survive
We're children of the past
Who look beyond today
Designing the present
So when is the future?

We live in a dream
Keeping visions alive
It's just a reflection
A world that never dies
An image we create
In our image we design
It's a beautiful life
So when is the future?

It's a beautiful dream
It's a beautiful life
It's just a reflection
A world that must survive
We're children of the past
Who look beyond today
Designing the present
So when is the future?

We live in a dream
Keeping visions alive
It's just a reflection
A world that never dies
An image we create
In our image we design
It's a beautiful life
So when is the future?

Thematically, it's perfect.  Cities that were never meant to be, dreams from the past becoming reality in the present, and we're all still reaching for an uncertain future.  The sound is heavily industrial, with VNV's trademark future-pop sound, smoothly blended with just the right touch of 80's Retro Synthwave.

Here's the music video they did for When is the Future?  It's minimalist, but it works very well.



I even have my own thoughts of how a music video featuring Ben might go.

First verse finds Ben in a Tokyo rave club, with hologram tanks and lasers everywhere.  Hatsune Miku is DJing, and for the moment she is letting the music speak for itself.  (Though I'd love to see someone do a rendition of this song using her!)  As he moves smoothly through the crowd, tapping into Juraian sword kata learned under the tutelage of Prince Yosho, he's losing himself to the pounding beat, when he catches a glimpse of Hotaru through an idling holotank, her smile beckoning as he face was lit up by the fluorescing colors under the blacklights.

He makes his way over, only to lose track of her.  And then he suddenly glimpses Homura, smiling as she disappears by a partition.  Ben makes his way quickly over, only to find Fate beckoning him with a coy grin and a crooked finger.  Ben gives chase, but finds Weis instead.  Except instead of running, she grabs him by the arms and throws him into the throng...

The chorus kicks in and he suddenly finds himself in Ruby's arms.  They grin at each other and break into energetic dance, the ravers naturally moving to make room.  Every other line in the chorus, he is swung into the arms of another.  Homura.  Then Fate.  Weiss.  Kyoko.  Yang.  Nanoha.  And finally Hotaru.

As we transition to verse two, the scene shifts.  It's the dead of night in San Antonio, and its twisting and looping highways, which are the stuff of a racer's dreams, are deserted.  Except for a gleaming black Saturn SC2.  It has a body kit that maintained the S-Series coup's sleek lines.  The engine has been modified to handle the big turbo that feeds the engine and the transmission was swapped for a built-up version of the SC1's transmission for the longer gears.  At 100mph he was barely pushing 4000rpm's.  Ben keeps focused on the road with steely-eyed determination as a false can send him screaming into the divider wall at speed.

But then he's joined up by a gleaming red Alfa Romeo SZ.  A quick glance and, for a split second, Mamoru and Ben's eyes meet, wide grins on their faces.

Others join up as well.  Sylvie, Meg, Priss, Mii, Yang, Keiichi, and Belldandy on their bikes.  Fate in a yellow Ferrari Testarossa and Nanoha in a white Mazda RX7.  Weiss in a silver Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS Gullwing.  Ruby in a black-on-red Super Seven.  Kyoko in a red Toyota Supra.  Madoka in a fuschia Mazda Miata.  Homura in a lavender Toyota MR2.  Mami in a gold BMW M5 Sport E34.

As the chorus kicks in, they dive down into the southbound I-10 lower deck - what Ben likes to call the Death Star Trench Run - two lanes and barely any shoulder.  It's not a race, but a cruise-turned-speedrun.  Care must be taken here - small but sudden rises and drops in the concrete pavement can make you lose traction for a precious split-second.  But for this crowd it only adds to the challenge.  The walls and overpasses of the lower deck race by until the upper and lower decks merge once more and they turn south to stay on I-10, merging with I-35.  On their left, Downtown San Antonio, now looking decidedly futuristic with new high-rises stretching up into the sky, set aglow with colorful LED lighting flashing a myriad of patterns, while the Tower of America's stands proud and solemn to the side - a treasured reminder of dreams from the past just now being realized today.

As the instrumental starts, the camera pans starward, and then pans over.  Suddenly there is Starbase One with an eclectic mix of ships orbiting it.  Another pan, and there is the Death Star, only now instead of a terror weapon, it's now a final line of defense.  In the distance,  a Forerunner's Halo hangs in solar orbit where a flock of engineering ships work to disarm it's terrible mechanism.  On Mars, great basins are slowly starting to fill with water as magitech constructs contain the atmosphere, engage the magnetosphere, and stabilizes the orbits of its moons.  Envoys from the Abh, Jurai, Federation, The Galactic Empire, and the Gamilons are arriving.

They have arrived for one reason.

To build the new future that is always just out of reach.

As the chorus starts again, we see a dark shape coming up from Earth.  It is Benjamin in his personal gunship, The Punisher.  He's not needed as a manager anymore.  Instead, he is forraying out to do what he has always dreamed of: to see what's out there.  He docks the stubbornly sturdy ship to its Transwarp module, and with a wink he is gone, off into the wild yonder.

Thoughts?

(Edited by Bob to remove the font markup which made it hard to read in San Felix. Sorry if that was for some special reason, BA.)

First thought: What's black and white and hard to read in San Felix? Your text.

I do like your idea for an AMV. It reminds me that I need to write two in-character songfics.

Quote:I've waited a lifetime
For the age of wonder
A place that I remember
In a splinter of time

Ah yes, the sunlit garden. Or was it the Dream Time?

Quote:On Mars, great basins are slowly starting to fill with water as magitech constructs contain the atmosphere, engage the magnetosphere, and stabilizes the orbits of its moons

This, so much. Was Picard put in charge of the magnetosphere project? I know Negima did this but I really want to avoid adding Negima to the story because of the rampant ... uh, untruthiness. I just read this today, in an article on Gritty from Philadelphia of all things:

Quote:In his landmark critical text on fairy tales and their efficacy in working with children titled The Uses of Enchantment, author Bruno Bettelheim writes of these ancient stories, “The child intuitively comprehends that although these stories are unreal, they are not untrue.”

Gritty is true in a way that Negima isn't. I think we've done a good job at picking true stories.

Back on topic, it's hard to see it being used as an anthem -- there's really not much in the way of dynamics in the song, or narrative flow. But it can certainly be a leitmotif.

(12-26-2018, 01:17 AM)Labster Wrote: [ -> ]First thought: What's black and white and hard to read in San Felix?  Your text.

Taken care of.

Quote:Others join up as well. Sylvie, Meg, Priss, Mii, Yang, Keiichi, and Belldandy on their bikes.

If Keiichi and Belldandy are going to show up riding their BMW, then Megumi Morisato has to be there on her Kawasaki KSR Pro, too. And Chihiro Fujimi riding whatever she's just built. (In Oh My Goddess canon, the only people who can out-ride Megumi are Keiichi and Chihiro.)

EDIT: And where's Misato? Blocking traffic at one of the on-ramps, maybe?

Quote:As the instrumental starts, the camera pans starward, and then pans over.

What, and miss a perfect chance to spend a few seconds on our flyers while the camera's pointed at the sky? Nanoha and Fate holding hands with Alicia, helping her fly, with Ryoko, Sakura, and Usagi watching from afar ready to catch Alicia if she does fall, and Hyoga farther back making sure nobody interferes... and they all wave as Ben passes by during his launch.

(12-26-2018, 08:30 AM)Bob Schroeck Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-26-2018, 01:17 AM)Labster Wrote: [ -> ]First thought: What's black and white and hard to read in San Felix?  Your text.

Taken care of.

Bwa-huh?  The heck happened?  I thought I removed the text formatting on that before changing the font to Courier New.

(12-26-2018, 01:17 AM)Labster Wrote: [ -> ]I do like your idea for an AMV.  It reminds me that I need to write two in-character songfics.

Quote:I've waited a lifetime
For the age of wonder
A place that I remember
In a splinter of time

Ah yes, the sunlit garden.  Or was it the Dream Time?

You'll have to clue me in on that one - that's obviously a reference to something and it's too vague for Google.

(12-26-2018, 01:17 AM)Labster Wrote: [ -> ]

Quote:On Mars, great basins are slowly starting to fill with water as magitech constructs contain the atmosphere, engage the magnetosphere, and stabilizes the orbits of its moons

This, so much.  Was Picard put in charge of the magnetosphere project?  I know Negima did this but I really want to avoid adding Negima to the story because of the rampant ...  uh, untruthiness.  I just read this today, in an article on Gritty from Philadelphia of all things:

Quote:In his landmark critical text on fairy tales and their efficacy in working with children titled The Uses of Enchantment, author Bruno Bettelheim writes of these ancient stories, “The child intuitively comprehends that although these stories are unreal, they are not untrue.”

Gritty is true in a way that Negima isn't.  I think we've done a good job at picking true stories.

I'd need to look into that.  I don't think I ever even got one-third of the way through Negima.  (I think I stopped somewhere about the arc where the great tree in the middle of campus is making true love happen between couples.)

In regards to Picard?  Oh no.  The honest truth is that while he's settled down quite a bit since his time on the Stargazer, he's always been an Adventurer.  (Yes, I capitalized that on purpose.)  Picard's place is on the Frontier... With a possible forward-deployed base as a home port in the Briar Patch.  

If anything, this should be Captain Montgomery Scott's baby.  

(12-26-2018, 01:17 AM)Labster Wrote: [ -> ]Back on topic, it's hard to see it being used as an anthem -- there's really not much in the way of dynamics in the song, or narrative flow.  But it can certainly be a leitmotif.

I wasn't aware that an Anthem had to be narrative.  From what I've been able to glean from a skimming of the wikipedia article, that's mainly as a result of the first Anthems being liturgical songs.  Other much more contemporary songs have been used as anthems for sporting events, such as Queen's "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions".

And as for dynamism...  I think that can be part of theme.  We aren't interested in change so much for the sake of change, but instead progressing ever forward.  You want a good engine for that.  And most engines don't change much during operation - it's a steady mechanism, moving through its cycle over and over again.

(12-26-2018, 05:13 PM)Black Aeronaut Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-26-2018, 01:17 AM)Labster Wrote: [ -> ]I do like your idea for an AMV.  It reminds me that I need to write two in-character songfics.

Quote:I've waited a lifetime
For the age of wonder
A place that I remember
In a splinter of time

Ah yes, the sunlit garden.  Or was it the Dream Time?

You'll have to clue me in on that one - that's obviously a reference to something and it's too vague for Google.

The first is really "Hikari Sasu Niwa", the name of an episode and a musical composition in Utena, which is itself a reference to the Garden of Eden. The second is well, aboriginal dreamtime.

There are actually a whole class of myths about a time of creation where the world was whole, but we end up living in the incomplete world anyway, like the Ainulindalë. Somehow the future itself is already manifest, but we can't reach it. Uh, anyway, neat song.

The Picard thing was a joke on the word "engage".

BA Wrote:

(12-26-2018, 01:17 AM)Labster Wrote: [ -> ]Back on topic, it's hard to see it being used as an anthem -- there's really not much in the way of dynamics in the song, or narrative flow.  But it can certainly be a leitmotif.

I wasn't aware that an Anthem had to be narrative.  From what I've been able to glean from a skimming of the wikipedia article, that's mainly as a result of the first Anthems being liturgical songs.  Other much more contemporary songs have been used as anthems for sporting events, such as Queen's "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions".

And as for dynamism...  I think that can be part of theme.  We aren't interested in change so much for the sake of change, but instead progressing ever forward.  You want a good engine for that.  And most engines don't change much during operation - it's a steady mechanism, moving through its cycle over and over again.

I didn't say anything about dynamism, I said it doesn't have dynamics. I think this really just means I'm just not that into electronica, as it's a symptom of the whole genre.

(12-26-2018, 06:16 PM)Labster Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-26-2018, 05:13 PM)Black Aeronaut Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-26-2018, 01:17 AM)Labster Wrote: [ -> ]I do like your idea for an AMV.  It reminds me that I need to write two in-character songfics.

Quote:I've waited a lifetime
For the age of wonder
A place that I remember
In a splinter of time

Ah yes, the sunlit garden.  Or was it the Dream Time?

You'll have to clue me in on that one - that's obviously a reference to something and it's too vague for Google.

The first is really "Hikari Sasu Niwa", the name of an episode and a musical composition in Utena, which is itself a reference to the Garden of Eden.  The second is well, aboriginal dreamtime.

There are actually a whole class of myths about a time of creation where the world was whole, but we end up living in the incomplete world anyway, like the Ainulindalë.  Somehow the future itself is already manifest, but we can't reach it.  Uh, anyway, neat song.

Ah, okay then.  Little iffy about the whole creation aspect.  I myself kinda take it as those memories of a time when we're little kids, and everything is real to us - like somewhere, we just know that there's a Luke Skywalker and Han Solo; that somewhere there is a Batman and Superman; that somewhere there is a Voltron and Sailor Moon; and that somehow they can all gather together for a big knock-down drag-out battle between good and evil.  (At least, that's how I was when I was a little critter.  YMMV.)

Anyhow, for all I know it could be a bit of both.  Until someone can sit down and talk to Ronan Harris about the lyrics, we're all kinda spitballing here.

(12-26-2018, 06:16 PM)Labster Wrote: [ -> ]The Picard thing was a joke on the word "engage".

Ah, gotcha.  Should have realized that.  

(12-26-2018, 06:16 PM)Labster Wrote: [ -> ]

BA Wrote:

(12-26-2018, 01:17 AM)Labster Wrote: [ -> ]Back on topic, it's hard to see it being used as an anthem -- there's really not much in the way of dynamics in the song, or narrative flow.  But it can certainly be a leitmotif.

I wasn't aware that an Anthem had to be narrative.  From what I've been able to glean from a skimming of the wikipedia article, that's mainly as a result of the first Anthems being liturgical songs.  Other much more contemporary songs have been used as anthems for sporting events, such as Queen's "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions".

And as for dynamism...  I think that can be part of theme.  We aren't interested in change so much for the sake of change, but instead progressing ever forward.  You want a good engine for that.  And most engines don't change much during operation - it's a steady mechanism, moving through its cycle over and over again.

I didn't say anything about dynamism, I said it doesn't have dynamics.  I think this really just means I'm just not that into electronica, as it's a symptom of the whole genre.

Oh.  Huh.  Guess that's one of the things I like about electronica.  Don't get me wrong, I love classical, but it gets annoying as all hell when I gotta constantly adjust the volume in order to hear things.  (Though this is more likely than not because I may have Audio Processing Disorder.)

(12-26-2018, 02:36 PM)robkelk Wrote: [ -> ]

Quote:As the instrumental starts, the camera pans starward, and then pans over.

What, and miss a perfect chance to spend a few seconds on our flyers while the camera's pointed at the sky? Nanoha and Fate holding hands with Alicia, helping her fly, with Ryoko, Sakura, and Usagi watching from afar ready to catch Alicia if she does fall, and Hyoga farther back making sure nobody interferes... and they all wave as Ben passes by during his launch.

Well, except that Fate and Nanoha, at least, are both in cars, Fate in a Testarossa, natch. Did you miss that part of the description?

(12-27-2018, 12:47 AM)Inquisitive Raven Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-26-2018, 02:36 PM)robkelk Wrote: [ -> ]

Quote:As the instrumental starts, the camera pans starward, and then pans over.

What, and miss a perfect chance to spend a few seconds on our flyers while the camera's pointed at the sky? Nanoha and Fate holding hands with Alicia, helping her fly, with Ryoko, Sakura, and Usagi watching from afar ready to catch Alicia if she does fall, and Hyoga farther back making sure nobody interferes... and they all wave as Ben passes by during his launch.

Well, except that Fate and Nanoha, at least, are both in cars, Fate in a Testarossa, natch. Did you miss that part of the description?

Oh dang!  Sorry Rob!  I completely missed that part!  Though I'd imagine that Usagi and the other Senshi would be up there with them as they'd have Devices themselves by this time.

This is a music video. Sudden changeups after a cut like that are kosher. 

Apropos of nothing...

Does anybody else think "The Misaka Sisters" is a good name for a rock band?

Eh, so-so. Kinda gives me a 60's/70's vibe from all the old family bands back in those days. The Jacksons, The Partridges... I know I'm forgetting one or two...

(12-29-2018, 06:56 PM)Black Aeronaut Wrote: [ -> ]Eh, so-so.  Kinda gives me a 60's/70's vibe from all the old family bands back in those days.  The Jacksons, The Partridges...  I know I'm forgetting one or two...

The Nields, The Allman Brothers, The Osmonds ... stretching the concept: The Ramones, The Traveling Wilburys, The Doobie Brothers, ... I'd say there's more than "a few".

(12-29-2018, 07:13 PM)robkelk Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-29-2018, 06:56 PM)Black Aeronaut Wrote: [ -> ]Eh, so-so.  Kinda gives me a 60's/70's vibe from all the old family bands back in those days.  The Jacksons, The Partridges...  I know I'm forgetting one or two...

The Nields, The Allman Brothers, The Osmonds ... stretching the concept: The Ramones, The Traveling Wilburys, The Doobie Brothers, ... I'd say there's more than "a few".

Sly and the Family Stone, The Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose, The Brothers Johnson, The Bellamy Brothers, the Pointer Sisters, The Cowsills...

Okay, relevant posts moved to the planning thread.

Though if you had all these musician groups showing up, I can easily imagine them all getting together into one big caravan and going off on a massive North American tour. And with the revival there's been lately, it'd probably be wildly successful. The only trick is that they'd have to put in the disclaimer that they aren't the actual bands, they're just acting the parts and happen to be really good at looking and sounding just like the real thing. Not sure how well that'd fly, but it might be best if they mixed in a lot of new content with the old.

That'd probably be a fun story for someone who's a total music nerd of the 60's and 70's to write. There'd certainly be a lot of drama to be had with so many different personalities in a single tour.

Thoughts?

(12-30-2018, 05:02 PM)Black Aeronaut Wrote: [ -> ]Though if you had all these musician groups showing up, I can easily imagine them all getting together into one big caravan and going off on a massive North American tour.  And with the revival there's been lately, it'd probably be wildly successful.  The only trick is that they'd have to put in the disclaimer that they aren't the actual bands, they're just acting the parts and happen to be really good at looking and sounding just like the real thing.  Not sure how well that'd fly, but it might be best if they mixed in a lot of new content with the old.

Two words: Tribute bands.

Uh, BA, these are all real life bands. Unless the lightly-fictionalized TV shows and movies count, we're never gonna get The Monkees out of Davy Jones' locker.

I mean if you were thinking Jem and the Holograms, Priss and the Replicants, Josie and the Pussycats, 33-Stars, Sex Bob-omb, and Spinal Tap, yeah, that would be a hell of a concert. We uh, probably shouldn't invite Dethklok.

Hey, Brent.  This album popped back into my head and I remembered how you mentioned that electronica isn't your thing.

Well.

Before Ronan Harris did Automatic and Transnational, he somehow roped the Brandenburg Symphony Orchestra into doing orchestral versions of some of his most popular songs, and all backed with his voice providing the lyrics.  So this offering would probably be much more to your liking - the playlist link on VNV Nation's official Youtube channel for the symphonic album, Resonance.  Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4-SJBxG...cy8XcT_gYw

*Blows the dust off this thread*

So, I know that rap isn't everyone's cup of tea...

...But the Flobots are not your typical rap group.

For one, they're activists that crusade for equality, education, ecology, and healthcare for everyone.

For another, they don't believe in 'canned music'.  They don't typically sample off of anyone else and pretty much all of their music is made with actual instruments.  (The girl in the group is actually a viola player!)

So, the thing about Fate and Benjamin bonding gave me this idea about Ben sharing his music collection - particularly songs that would speak to her.  A lot of Our Lady Peace would be involved, but there's just this one song by the Flobots that works amazingly well...



In particular, the last verse.  It hits DEAD ON.

Now I know
nobody can predict events
Now I know
there’s cracks in the picket fence
Now I know
that something else can exist
Now I know
a life can be built from this
Now I know
there’s treasure hidden in these scars
Now I know
there’s presence in an empty yard
Now I know
what it took for me to survive
Now I know
where to go to become alive

It is just too perfect.  But in particular, the two lines; "emotions would still remain" and "time wouldn't heal the pain"...  That is the true pain behind it all.  You will never forget that hurt and betrayal, and no passage of time will ever fully heal those wounds.  It stays with you forever in the form of anxiety and depression.

But even though it never heals, it can be balmed at the very least.  We learn, we remember the good, we find what we need to go on, we learn how to live again.  This fits Fate perfectly.  She will never be the lively and vivacious person her sister is.  She will always be subdued, and the gentle smile she wears will forever be haunted by her past.  But she will eventually find herself - a different person than before, yes, but someone that she can be happy with being.

And like Ben, the pain will have only made her stronger.

Quote:Rob grinned for a moment. "I got that from the regulars at a bar." Then he sighed. "We can share joy later."

This one's for that "later", when Ben and Fate have advanced through the healing process and are ready to smile.

Nice!

They'll throw that one into the "Cathartic and Triumphant Victory Anthems" playlist along with this one.

Though rather than at each other, they'd probably both sing this one at Nanoha.  After all, she was the one that saved their lives.

Other select OLP tracks that Fate and Ben would rock out to when they need a moment...

(Song - Album)

Innocent - Gravity
An acknowledgment of weakness - everyone is hurt, but that doesn't make them useless people.  A song to remind them that there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

Not Enough - Gravity
Oh man, this one is painful.  This is the song they play for themselves when it is suddenly all too much to bear.  They know they need each other, but it just hurts so much that it doesn't feel like enough - not an anxiety attack, but the next worst thing.  Playing this track is a clear sign that backup in the form of Nanoha is needed - if one of them isn't enough, then two will be better.

Bring Back The Sun - Gravity
No one is perfect.  Ideologies clash.  Disagreements happen.  Mistakes are made.  And they suddenly realize just how precious and fragile what they have is.  Something to help one into a contrite mood.  Please don't let it be like this.
(PS: There was no studio version of the song on OLP's official channel, but this guy made a compelling little music video with a stick figure character and animated lyrics.  Trust me, it's good.)

Life - Spiritual Machines
It's okay.  We all screw up sometimes.  It doesn't make us love you any less.

Life - Spiritual Machines
No matter what happens, no matter what we've been through, life is just waiting out there for us.

Heh.

Hey Dartz?  A challenge to the 33 Stars: Radiohead's Videotape

It is a lot more complicated than it actually sounds, as this video describes:


That's right.  It has a fast beat - frenetically so - but it's hidden under the syncopation of that deceptively simple piano line.  The girls can pull it off, I'm sure.  But even their Buma brains, which are modeled after human brains, will have to actually stop and think about it.  "Okay, my brain wants the note to go here, but it's actually supposed to go THERE... Damn, these guys are good!"

---

As for the psychological/emotional side...

Some might think of this as a suicide note, but really, it's more of an "In case I don't make it, I made this videotape, and hopefully it'll give you some closure" thing.

Breaking it down, the first lines he speaks of being in front of the pearly gates, but then Mephistopheles is there, trying to drag him down.  This speaks of Faust, of course, who lived his life always in the pursuit of happiness - happiness that he never really discovered until the end of his life - hence the ending line about that day being the most perfect one ever.

What makes the day he made the videotape so perfect is perhaps the Faustian Epiphany; that suddenly, despite the terrible things in his life, all the heartbreak and sorrow, he is finally able to realize all the good and beautiful things he's experienced, and how the person the tape is addressed to is at the center of all that has brought him joy.

The red blue green bit is nothing special - it simply reiterates the idea that this is all on a videotape, because each television pixel is actually three pixels - one red pixel, one blue pixel, and one green pixel.  You can see this even on one of Apple's Retina displays by plopping a drop of water on the screen.  Nifty stuff, I tell ya.

The final verse is the real heart breaker.

This is my way of saying goodbye
Because I can't do it face to face
I'm talking to you after-

No matter what happens now
You shouldn't be afraid
Because I know today has been
The most perfect day I've ever seen

It's so difficult to find the right words to say that they never come at the right time.  The best he can do is to make this video tape, trying to reassure those he loved - even if he couldn't ever say it right, he did feel it, and they shouldn't feel sad because they gave him that happiness, that light in his life when everything else had gone to hell.

Unfortunately, I can't find the album version of the track on Youtube.  Even the one that someone uploaded that says its the album version is actually Thom Yorke soloing it with just his voice and a piano.  If you guys want to listen to it, it should be available on your streaming service du jour.

(EDIT: Though if you'd rather have it on CD or something, no worries. The rest of the album is just as stellar as this track, especially if you love music with hidden layers to it.)

---

This would be the song for Ben's own epiphany - that he can now just let the past go because he's already moved past it.  Ironic as it sounds, this happens sometimes - that someone can get caught up in things, and before they realize it their life, mindset, and paradigm has completely changed.  And they won't realize this until their past suddenly comes back to haunt them... but it doesn't.

And that day?  That will be the most perfect day.  The day Ben realizes that he is truly, at long last, free.

And he will put it all on a video tape, kept in a safe place, not to be played until the day he never comes home again, so that those that loved him will know.

You know, I don't really go for country music.  Too many bad associations between that and my stepfather.  Not to mention that there's been more than a little bit of MURICA (and not the fun kind) going around in the genre for my liking.

If it's fused with something else, though, like Alabama's or Lynyrd Skynyrd's country-fried rock, or even early Kid Rock with his country-attitude rock/hip-hop fusion, then it goes down smoother than a fine bourbon.

Unfortunately, Fleetwood Mac, for the most part, runs too close to the Country side of Rock for my liking.  But this one track, Gold Dust Woman, has been picked up and covered by quite a few artists.

This particular version is interesting because it's a remix of someone else's cover of the original song.

Gold Dust Woman, originally by Fleetwood Mac (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3fDEH8zci4)
Cover by Julia Holter (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c72dRiQsN6s)
Dishonored 2 Trailer Remix by the late Daniel Licht
Produced by Copilot Music+Sound



This, I believe, is one of those situations like the one where Johnny Cash covered Hurt by Nine Inch Nails.  (I don't see the attraction myself - see above.)  Basically, as far as I'm concerned, this song has found its true home.  This ominous bassline combined with...  Is that a harpsichord?  Whatever.  It is moody, it is ominous, and it fits the lyrics perfectly.

I don't see this as being a villain's song.  I don't know why - it just doesn't seem to fit.

What it does sound like, though, is the song for an anti-hero+anti-villain type - a woman who is perfectly willing to tear down her very own empire in order to achieve her goals.  Ruthless, but at the same time, lonely and longing for comfort.

I know there's characters out there that fit into this particular glass slipper, I'm just drawing a blank for the moment.

EDIT: I had to go through this thing because there were a few songs I realized that I'd interpreted a bit incorrectly, and also I needed a fro more songs for Ben's side because things were weighted a little too much towards Homura.  And we all know it takes two to tango. 

---

One of the things that I like to do is to try and come up with a playlist/soundtrack for each of the characters that portrays their interactions with Benjamin.  I think I've settled on Homura's playlist, as she meets Ben, has her shackles broken by him, and then - after a brief WTF period - finds herself in love.

Because while Madoka was everything she ever wanted?  Benjamin is everything she ever needed.  Why?  "Think of me as Ganesha," he will say at one point in time.  "I fucking DESTROY obstacles."

Magia Quattro - Kalafina - Kalafina All Time Best 2008-2018
Homura's entrance, with a heart full of seething hurt, and a soul prepared for damnation for the sake of someone she loves.  Little does she know...

Stop Crying Your Heart Out - Oasis - Heathen Chemistry
Benjamin arrives and saves her soul, taking her corruption upon himself.  He doesn't care about being rewarded.  He doesn't care about any personal gains.  He only wants her to be able to stop crying, to smile, and to go on with the life she wanted.  "Take what you need and be on your way."

Unstoppable - Sia - This Is Acting
And then he shows her exactly how it is he can do it.  How he can use her corruption - use it to fuel his grief and rage, and let it empower him to do incredible things.  Though he hides his grief from the others, Homura can see it in his eyes because she has seen it in the mirror countless times herself.

Letting the Cables Sleep - Bush - The Science of Things
After the adventure is over and Homura reconciles her feelings and she finally lets herself cry in Benjamin's arms.  So he eases her to sleep with a lullaby that was practically made for her.

Robot Boy - Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns
Once she awakens, he reaffirms his support for her.  And he reassures her, no matter how heavy her burden is, she still has the power to go on.

Karma Police - Radiohead - OK Computer
Commiserating together later on.  Karma is a bitch, and she's still got them on her payroll.  But that just means that they're her instruments as well.  This is what you get when you mess with us.

Here With Me - Dido - No Angel
It's a surprise for Homura to find that she has grown so fond of Benjamin.  How did this happen?  When did he become so important to her?  That anytime he's gone, if feels like her life is on pause?  Yes, she has Madoka now.  Homura is grateful for this and would not have it any other way.  But even with Madoka there, Homura feels like there is something missing.

Another Love - Tom Odell - Tales from Another Love
She talks to Benjamin.  She gets it out there.  You are important to me.  I need you in my life.  But Benjamin is reluctant.  With how his heart was utterly shattered by what happened with Fate and Nanoha... he dreads the idea of the possibility of it happening again.

lovely - Billie Eilish and Khalid - lovely
Two hearts.  Both feeling so alone despite others around them loving them so much.  They feel trapped by their circumstances and hope for a better tomorrow.

Dark On Me - STARSET - Transmissions
Benjamin is pushing Homura away and begun shutting down on her.  And though she won't let him go, it hurts so much to hold on.  He was once such a brilliant light in her life, but now he has gone dark, leaving her feeling lost.

Motion Picture Soundtrack - Radiohead - Kid A
However, Homura isn't the only one feeling heartbroken.  Benjamin feels it to, and oh so acutely at that.  But his anxieties about being hurt again won't go away, and so he continues to push her away.

Losing My Religion - R.E.M. - Out Of Time
The phrase "Losing my religion" is a Southernism for being at the end of one's rope and on the verge of lashing out at the person that is causing them grief.  Homura has confronted Benjamin once again with her desires, and he is struggling to keep himself together.  Actually, this is definitely a Homura song.  A more careful look at the lyrics shows that it's about an unrequited love...  And in this case, it would be Homura who is the one that is nearly at the end of her rope.

How to Save a Life - The Fray - How To Save A Life
Yeah, it happened.  The Big Argument where Homura and Benjamin have it out.  She wants him to stop messing around and to come to her and Madoka.  And Benjamin is stuck reflecting on what happened and what he needs to do.  This is actually, again, Homura's perspective, as she would be the one to confront Ben.  And Ben is just so good at being such a stubborn ass.

Vindicated - Dashboard Confessional - Dusk And Summer
Finally, Benjamin comes around. He's sorry for being such an ass, and Homura accepts his apology.  He is vindicated of his his faults - his stubbornness, his anxieties, and his fears as Homura accepts Benjamin not only for who he is, but what he is as well.

Papermoon - RichaadEB ft. Lollia - Papermoon
Homura gives Benjamin her reassurance: nothing will keep her from loving him.  He gave Homura her new lease on life.  He saved her life from a world of darkness.  And for that, she would rip the heavens apart for his sake.

All of Me - John Legend - Love In The Future
There are things in Homura that he cannot deny.  Things that are both beautiful and maddening at the same time.  But he wouldn't have it any other way.  After all, he is mad as well.

Thank You - Dido - No Angel
With Benjamin's acceptance, Homura feels more at ease now.  And no matter how bad of a day she might be having at a given moment, the moment he is there will make everything alright.

Magia (From "Puella Magi Madoka Magica") - AmaLee - Nostalgia III (Magical Girl Edition)
....And then Homura goes off the deep end.  She will now fight anyone for the right to call Benjamin hers and hers alone.  All others are not worthy for they have no idea what his pain is like.  And she will damn herself all over again if needs be.

And for your listening pleasure...
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=...AiK41uLjch

.... I don't think I need to tell you whose song this is.  It's practically her theme.  The very essence of the transience of life, giving over to death, and then life again.  Over and over, the cycle repeats.

Ben has helped her in a profound way, to see her power in a new light.  As something that makes all lives so very precious and special.