An Extension of Musty: From Myself to Those I Hold Dear

The entirety of summer passed by without me making a new post, which is a sign that I ought to be more diligent in making regular updates instead of just focusing on big projects. I have another interview I did last month which I’m currently transcribing, so I anticipate that’ll be the next post I make here! Until then I figure an update would be fitting since I haven’t posted since uploading the interview at the end of June.   Most of my academic year went by without much inconvenience, although the weeks leading up to the final exams were particularly hectic. It was a weird kind of tranquillity: like the irregular routine established was enough for me to find comfort in. Outside of studies: I got around to playing Triangle Strategy when it released towards the start of the year, which I THOROUGHLY enjoyed thanks to brutal difficulty. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so triumphant upon completing a game before! I also finally got around to playing Fire Emblem Echoes after getting the ...

The moment I finally listened to Haru Nemuri’s first major album ‘Haru to Shura’ was in September 2018, after I’d seen its album cover repeatedly appear on my Facebook newsfeed across the span of 4 months. The second I pressed play is seared into my memory as a most joyous discovery and in the 3 years and 8 months that followed, her music has only continued to grow in personal significance. The excitement for ‘Lovetheism’ in anticipation of its release was only matched by the comfort that repeated listens brought me in early 2020, and the steady trickle of singles released throughout 2021 ensured I was always finding new meaning and reassurance in her discography. Her music played a most important role during the  most tumultuous years of my life, and for that I will be forever grateful.     So: to look back in hindsight and see that it was ‘only’ a mere 3 years and 8 months, after the first time I heard her music, before I had the opportunity to interview her for her new...

I always feel sliiiight hesitancy when I contemplate writing another blog entry because I’m always under the impression I have to write loooooads, but if I don’t restrict myself to excess then it becomes more appealing to type away. So: I won’t feel guilty for writing shorter paragraphs now. In truth: I needed to occupy myself to give me a purpose today that wasn’t sitting around and feeling sad.   I finished Judgement last month, and going from PS2 RGG studio games to their recent releases with Like a Dragon and Judgement really shows how much more adept they’ve become with storytelling. The same ambition remains at the heart, and I really respect the continuous drive they’ve demonstrated in sticking to their vision for their craft. I didn’t do that much of the side content because, admittedly, the loading times on PS4 feel way too long so I may get back to it on PS5 one day. But that begs the question: do I play Lost Judgement now on PS4, or way later on PS5??????     ...

Truly, a most eventful month has come to pass: my arm healed up well, thank God; went through a few sulky episodes in recent weeks which have thankfully stayed in the past as of writing this; I discovered something like 40 new music artists in the past week which brings a smile to my face; I was officially made secretary for the Islamic Society at uni, technical difficulties delayed the bestowment of the official title by 2 weeks, which I’m really really proud of (we held a bake sale raising money for Syrian refugees yesterday. Only thing to make brownies taste better is a good cause.); I played about one hour of Yakuza 3 last month but haven’t touched it since cause going from a late Ps4 game to an early PS3 game is just SO JARRING, and finally committed to buying a signed promotional poster of my current favourite album! I also bought a few anime series on a store-wide Christmas sale, and I bought the collector’s edition for Space Dandy Season 2 again (yes, AGAIN) because it was £5 a...

It’s a sad thing to hear of when a band has….. disbanded. Whether I’ve followed them for a long time (Daft Punk, The Preatures) or only just discovered them (sadly, there seem to be many examples of this particular instance), it’s always jarring and melancholic to see the past tense used on their Wikipedia page. There’s still so much joy to be had in the seemingly infinite world created by their music, and seeing new projects manifest as the individual artists go their own ways is always a joy, but an album made with the same dynamic of the past very rarely ever comes about again (unless the band gets back together). The result is a set series of music released under a name that’s rooted in the past; but creativity and memories are timeless, right? I don’t consider it ‘living in the past’ or anything. It’s just a fundamental part of my life that, like everything else in life, was subject to change. Difference here is that I choose not to forget all the good that I’ve had the fulfilment...