Deconstructed and Mixed

Here I am, back in October 2005, so excited to own my first ever t.A.T.u. record. Saturday was officially Record Store Day, and I love physical media! The following media, however, is 100% unofficial (and purely digitally created fan-art).

I used the format of an actual bootleg vinyl record to help shape the tracklist for an imagined Remix Version of the album, Dangerous and Moving. Four parts, each approx. 25 minutes long. I enjoy the experience of listening to each part – beginning with an intro, blending the individual tracks into one another, and bookending the two pairs with Dangerous and Moving / Lyudi Invalidi.

I wanted to write something meaningful to describe the inspiration behind the project. Something about how the isolation I felt during the pandemic lead me to find deeper meaning in the music and lyrics of t.A.T.u. – in turn isolating the vocals, drum loops, synths, acoustics and remixing them to create something new, just like we had to adjust to a new normal in the world.

Dough Nut Ramblings

Today I am going to sign my DNR – that means Do Not Resuscitate. It’s been a very mentally, physically, and emotionally draining past few days as my family pet of 11 years, Kaiser, was put down last Monday due to his own failing health. There is no “putting down” of humans (well, I mean, there is, but you have to go Switzerland, and Sheila from Wild Wild Country is there and she looks way way too happy to be working at an assisted living facility). This will have to serve as some sort of catharsis because I need to move on and find something to look forward to. I need to learn how to find the joy in life when I know that life is precious – instead of struggling to eat, and drinking three coffees a day, and staying away until 5am which is what I have been doing. As it stands, the website is a bit of a mess that I need to focus on sorting out. The Music section is gonna be less about music and more about all the lyrics I’ve written over the years and hardly ever shared, with the mashups moved to a different page. I’m in the process of uploading a new t.A.T.u. mix project (my first since 200km/h In The Near Future) which I’m aiming to finish by 22 April. Then I have a psychology appointment. Then it’s Eurovision. Then I have a small break where I may record some new podcast episodes or video blogs. Then it’s my birthday. Then we’re getting a new downstairs shower fitted. And then (I hope) Neighbours shall be coming back and my life can feel like it has some normalcy and routine back to it (I don’t care how that sounds, that show was vital to keeping me sane during the pandemic).

Sound off!

To mark the start of a new decade, Spotify offered up an analysis of my past ten years in music. I started streaming music in 2009 so, whilst it’s mostly accurate, I still use last.fm to keep track of my … tracks!

Spotify said my most streamed artist in 2010 was Lady Gaga (193 plays). However, last.fm paints a very different, much more accurate picture. The band I listened to the most in 2010 was t.A.T.u. (300 plays).

In 2011, Spotify claimed my most streamed artist was RuPaul – and last.fm confirmed this, with almost 600 plays.

t.A.T.u. were back on top in 2012, according to last.fm (220 plays), but not Spotify. They marked RuPaul as my most streamed artist for a second year running (160 plays).

Things changed a bit in 2013. Spotify claims my most streamed artist was Lana Del Rey (106 plays). However, there were three other artists I listened to more, according to last.fm – t.A.T.u. (122 plays), Delta Goodrem (173 plays), and Natalia Kills (204 plays).

RuPaul was back, back, back again in 2014. Both Spotify and last.fm has over 160 plays clocked.

I thought, by 2015, my other means of listening to music were well and truly dust in the wind. Both last.fm and Spotify have Lana Del Rey as my top artist (156 plays).

But in 2016, whilst Spotify claimed Tegan and Sara was my most streamed artist (39 plays), last.fm has seven whole other acts charting above them. Delta Goodrem (39 plays), Carly Rae Jepsen (48 plays), RuPaul (50 plays), Steps (52 plays), 2 Unlimited (53 plays), Sia (60 plays), Aqua (74 plays), and Lolly (83 plays).

There’s conflict again in 2017. Spotify suggested that Aqua were my most streamed artist (77 plays). Steps, however, were my true artist of that year (80 plays).

Spotify logged Lorde as my most played artist in 2018. However, most of those plays were offline, and therefor 25 other artists proved more popular according to last.fm – Tegan and Sara (14 plays), Frankmusik (15 plays), Delta Goodrem (15 plays), Miranda Cosgrove (16 plays), Tommee Profitt (17 plays), Perfume (17 plays), Hear’say (17 plays), Lena Katina (18 plays), Lady Gaga (20 plays), A*Teens (20 plays), Metric (21 plays), The Veronicas (22 plays), 2 Unlimited (22 plays), Rebecca & Fiona (23 plays), Madonna (23 plays), John Carpenter (25 plays), Steps (27 plays), Lolly (27 plays), CHVRCHES (28 plays), Lana Del Rey (31 plays), Daphne & Celeste (31 plays), Robyn (33 plays), Charli XCX (33 plays), RuPaul (42 plays), and Christine and The Queens (51 plays).

Bleeding Hearts

Not only am I running off my mouth about Australian Soap-Operas, Naomi Watts, The Sims 4, and more RuPaul praise. There are two exclusives in this week’s podcast, as I invite you to join me at The Leeds Savage Club where I exposed myself by sharing a song I had wrote about my recent hospital treatment. And, in the spirit of song, I treat you to KELL’s latest offering, My Funny Valentine (available to download for free Soundcloud.com/KELLtheband).