Category Archives: Trance

Manila Killa.

Chris Gavino, known best as his Manila Killa moniker, fuses emotional music and melodic dance to create his signature sound. Today, July 21, the artist does it again with the release of Dusk.

The 12-track body of work is sonically diverse, featuring everything from melodic dance to drum and bass, uplifting melodies and progressive sounds. The first song, Soul, brings listeners into a sonic trance, one that emanates the feeling of being in outer space amongst the stars, while closing out the LP is The End, an emotion-filled yet wordless record. The albums title track boasts catchy lyrics, enchanting vocals and elated melodies. Dusk is indeed an impressive album by the Philippine-born producer.

Here, Gavino shares with Forbes the inspiration behind Dusk, what its like living in a house with other deejays, the biggest inspiration on the music he makes today and more.

This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Lisa Kocay: Can you describe your sound in three words?

Chris Gavino: The three words that come to mind are tension, liminal and introspective. Tension, because I feel like I'm really honing into dance music for this album, and dance music is all about tension and release. So that's something that I really focused on. Liminalthe traditional meaning is in between, and I touch on that a lot in the album, tookind of in between the night and day. So that's something I really wanted to convey in my sound more recently. And introspective is mainly because I did a lot of reflection, especially over the quarantine, about how I wanted to craft my sound with the album. Youre going to hear a lot of my own reflection throughout the album.

Kocay: What was the inspiration behind Dusk?

Gavino: There's one moment in my life that I kept coming back to when I was working on the album. I took a trip to Joshua Tree right before quarantine happened. There was one moment in time where I was sitting outside during the nighttime and the stars were just all out and it was really beautiful. I was listening to Andrew Bayer, a prominent trance artist who's released a lot of stuff on Anjunabig fan of his. I was also listening to The 1975, more so their ambient works. There was one moment in time where I saw a shooting star go over the sky. I found that feeling so beautiful, and that was something that felt like a feeling I wanted to share with the world. I wanted people to feel what I was feeling. So that was the main inspiration behind the entire album. [It] was trying to get people to understand that specific feeling. And with the music side, I wanted to make the music feel organic, but still sound like electronic music. I think with electronic music, EDM kind of lives in the dusk time of day where there's like one foot in the daytime and one foot in the nighttime. I wanted to convey that feeling.

Kocay: I know you said you wanted to convey the feeling of when you saw the shooting star. What exactly was that feeling?

Gavino: I felt at peace for one of the first times in my life. I felt like everything was okay in the world because it felt like I was kind of in outer space but on earth at the same time. It was kind of a feeling I never really felt before. I just wanted to share that with everybody.

Kocay: Can you share any stories behind some of the tracks and how they were made?

Gavino: Theres a song that I put out, a single called Take Me Higher (feat. fknsyd), which is a new style of electronic music for me. Its a drum and bass song. It was the first time I ever tried making drum and bass. The story behind that stems from during the quarantine, I used to live in a house with other producers and one of those producers was Robbie from Louis the Child. He told us all one night that we should watch this documentary called Drum & Bass: The Movement. I started to learn about the history of drum and bass, where it came from and why it is the way it is now. Later on in the year, after listening to drum and bass a little bit, I saw that Brownies & Lemonade. They throw a bunch of parties in [Los Angeles]. They put on a drum and bass event in [Los Angeles] with a secret lineup, and I wasn't able to go but I saw a bunch of Instagram stories.

They had this one artist named Dimension from the UK play, and I just instantly fell in love with his sound. I got super inspired by his sound. So a couple days before my New Year's show this past year, I decided to make a drum and bass song just to throw into the middle of my set. I wasn't expecting much at all, but I played it out, and that was the craziest reaction I had ever gotten from a crowd. So at that point I was like, All right, I got to finish this song. I got to make it crazier. I had this singer from Texasshe goes by fknsyd. She's done a lot of work with Rezz and stuff. She was perfect for something more dark.

I think one of the coolest, serendipitous moments [with] how one of the tracks were made ... [+] wasDusk, featuring the singer Lights from Canada, Manila Killa says. I had been such a fan of hers for years and years. I was listening to her back in high school, and she was actually one of the first people I saw in concert. She was always a bucket list collaborator for me.

Kocay: You mentioned you were living in a house with a number of other deejays. What was that like? Was it nice to be able to bounce off ideas with each other?

Gavino: I'd say yes and no. I think there are definitely positives and negatives to living in a house with other producers. The positives are definitely being able to bounce around ideas. If you get stuck, you can hit someone up in the other room and try and work on it. But I think for me, personally, I think I work best when I'm on my own and I have my own space to think. The funny thing about living with other producers is that it's never quiet. It's always loud. People are blasting music all the time. We lived in a house with pretty thin walls. So it was sometimes hard to just have a little space to myself, so that was the negative side of it. But [it] was still a really great experience.

Kocay: Who has been the biggest influence on the music that you make today?

Gavino: Honestly, especially throughout the album, I think it was like my girlfriend because she's a visual artist, but I think she has such a great taste in music. I think she was a blessing in disguise throughout the creation of this album because there came a lot of points where I was working on this over the quarantine where I felt like I was getting stuck. I felt like I was boxed in, quite literally as well because we weren't going anywhere. There were a lot of times where I felt stuck, and I think she was able to help push me out of those boundaries. I'd be working on a song for like two days and then she'd be like, Hey, why don't you try this? Then all of a sudden ideas started to flow out. So I found that super helpful and I really appreciated her for all of that. She was a big influence on the album.

Kocay: Do you remember the first electronic music song you heard that made you fall in love with the genre?

Gavino: I was actually in first grade. I had no idea what was happening. I was living in the Philippines at the time and I was watching a lot of TV. I was always interested in watching music videos and music video channels, because those are really big in the Philippines. There was one time where I heard Daft Punks One More Time, and what I found so compelling about that song in particular was that it was so unconventional compared to all the other music videos that I had seen as a kid. It was an animated music video. So it was all animation and I couldn't really put a human face to the voice that I was hearing. I just remember loving that song.

Unfortunately, I got disconnected from electronic music after that because my parents weren't into electronic music. No one I knew was into electronic music. I kind of grew up with the radio, and then eventually in high school was when I found a group of friends who were listening to electronic music. Then they showed me artists like Justice and Daft Punk. This was like in ninth grade. It was sort of a rediscovery for me, and from that point on, I kind of lost interest in all other genres of music and I just dove really deep into electronic music. I never looked back after that.

Kocay: If you could give yourself one piece of advice for when you first started making music, what would it be?

Gavino: I would say take the time to learn music theory. I don't know that much about it now, but I started to learn a little piano during quarantine, and I started to realize that understanding music theory is such an important tool because it'll help you find resolve in core progressions and it'll help you kind of extend your songwriting abilities. This advice would go to anybody who's starting out and producing music, toolearn the tools of the trade. You don't have to understand everything, but understanding music theory, at least the base of it, is really helpful in any type of music that you make.

Kocay: If you didn't go into making music, where would you be today?

Gavino: I would be in an office nine-to-five job. I believe that for sure, because l actually studied business management in college. I got my degree and I had a job lined up for me after college, but obviously that didn't happen because somehow my music got known by other people around me. But more recently, I started learning how to [make] pottery. I kind of feel like it gives me the same feeling that I felt when I started music in the sense that you're creating something out of nothing. I think that if I had found pottery earlier in my life, that could have been something that I would've done aside from music.

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Manila Killa Drops Dusk: I Saw A Shooting Star Go Over The SkyI Wanted To Share That Feeling - Forbes

Even if your childhood was devoid of the Reading Rainbow theme song or the thrill of a Scholastic Book Fair, youve almost certainly gotten the message that reading is essential, its benefits manifold. Parents are told constantly to read to their children right from the start, silly as it may feel to flip those pages before the glazed-over eyes of a newborn.

I am here for that. Bring on the comb, the brush, and even that bowl full of mush. Voices for heroes and villains? Ive got them covered. Ill read to these kids all day. Its all dinosaur dances and bear hunts right up until that to becomes a with. But reading with a child, or rather, mustering the patience of a saint to sit there while they stammer through the basic phonetics of early literacy? Well, thats something different.

Ive got two early readers at my house, plus one who we thought for a second might be a prodigiously literary toddler until we realized hed just memorized the entirety of Sandra Boytons portfolio. He still has a few more years before sight words. The other ones are running their fingers along pages and sometimes sounding out words with such impossible longevity that I am certain they are just delaying bedtime. I need to say a serenity prayer: Grant me all your calm to survive the agony of sitting next to my precious child with his shower-wet hair neatly combed, as he stares at the word bag, and takes an eternity to say buh then aaa then guh. Give me the strength to stay quiet while he runs the sounds together, when he finally shouts BAG! and I must act surprised, nay thrilled, at the identification of the brown sack with handles.

Its nice to remember that we do this for good reason. Reading with young children gives them better communication and speech skills, enhanced cultural understanding, and higher academic performance, just to name a few. Reading has been shown to bring about the health benefits of meditation, putting our brains into a pleasurable trance-like state. As for me, Im sharpening my self-control skills. How many times must we read the same Black Panther book?

And then, when a new book enters the rotation, I lie there thinking that since the dog has fallen off his scooter twice now, this one must be the time he gets it. Surely, we are at the climax. Im on the bottom bunk, head on a dinosaur pillow, trying to look convincingly interested or even just awake as my son holds a finger under the word celebrate, saying: Calibrate? No, no dont tell me, trying not to think about the dark chocolate peanut butter cups awaiting me downstairs, or perhaps even a book of my own.

Of course, of course, these are moments to be cherished. I am grateful for my childrens developing minds, for their love of books and desire to read them. Stephen King called books a uniquely portable magic. And anyone who has ever experienced Maxs sailing into the night of his very own room, or Harrys first run into the wall of Platform 9, or Jo Marchs writing by candlelight in her attic, knows it to be true. To think of the worlds my children will discover in the backs of wardrobes and in the slopes of shires thatll keep me propping up my dinosaur pillow, nodding along, and when its getting really late, offering to read the next page (or five).

Hampton Williams Hofer lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she writes and raises babies. Her work has appeared in Flying South, Walter Magazine, Architectural Digest, and Food 52, among others. Family aside, her great loves are a South Carolina beach, a Roger Federer backhand, a Charlottesville lawn, andmost of alla good story.

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God, Give Me The Patience To Survive The Early Reader Stage - Scary Mommy

By Julie Montana

Humans are a naturally curious bunch, and when we look up to the stars we cant help but wonder who or what might be out there. Jordan Peeles latest horror flick, Nope, set to premiere in theaters next week, suggests that maybe we dont actually want to know the answer. Starring Keke Palmer, Daniel Kaluuya, and Steven Yeun, the film adds to the long tradition of alien and UFO speculation with Peeles added flare.

If youre anything like us, weve had our calendars marked since that first poster drop last July. The extra-terrestrial fans among us might have spent their time watching Resident Alien (check out thenew trailer for the second part of Season 2 here!) or spacing out (literally) with the new James Webb Space Telescope images. But, if youre looking for something to add to the alien reading list ahead of Nope, we recommend picking up a copy of one of the most famous and well-publicized abduction stories to date: An Interrupted Journey by John. G. Fuller.

In the summer of 1961, Betty and Barney Hill (along with their trusty pup, Delsey) packed up their 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air and took a spontaneous road trip to the Canadian border. Weaving through the wooded, desolate New Hampshire mountains in the middle of the night, the Hills had only their headlights and the stars to keep them company. But something was off. The moon, which had been trailing them up the winding roads, was getting bigger and bigger and incredibly bright. Eventually, the entire span of the road ahead was filled with nothing but a blinding white light.

A metallic beeping filled the car as Delsey curled into the backseat. But, just as Betty motioned to grab Barney, the impossible moon blipped out of existence. Thinking nothing of it, she turned her attention back to the road and continued the drive in silence. But the next morning, the couple noticed they had no recollection of two hours of the drive. Like the light, time had simply blipped out of existence.

Fullers 1966 book The Interrupted Journey chronicles the events of that night in full detail, including the subsequent National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) investigation and the Hills attempts to regain those lost hours with psychotherapy and hypnosis. Drawing from the tapes of their trance sessions, maps, sketches, and official government reports, Fullers realization of the Hills story is thorough and questioning and just plain unputdownable.

Believers will find truth and skeptics will be questioned in these astonishing pages. The Hills didnt share their tale to be sensational and are instead clearly pretty scared and embarrassed about what they experienced. When they reach out to NICAP for an official government investigation, its not for fame, but for fear. And when the government finds their story credible, they set out to unlock whatever is behind their simultaneous amnesia through skeptical psychological intervention. Each step of the way, the story is questioned, torn apart, and countered with logical explanations.

Every aspect of their night is examined from multiple angles and repeated for us to scrutinize. Fuller takes care to present the reader with each version of the story throughout the book (NICAPs, Bettys, Barneys, etc.) in a way that lets us draw our own conclusions. The evidence iis presented as objectively (but vividly) as possible. It is up to the reader to put together the puzzle for themselves and walk away with their own conclusions. Though many of the questions of the night are still unanswered, it remains a key piece of discourse in alien experiencer conversations.

Some 60 years since the encounter, the Hills story continues to be one of the most thorough accounts to date. Their story and countless others like it have horrified, intrigued, and inspired people to think beyond the solar system. This book is required reading for anyone with an opinion on alien life and makes the perfect primer for Jordan Peeles new film.

Nope opens in theaters on July 22.

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Ukraine attacks Russia! was the headline of a February issue of Informer, the most popular tabloid in Serbia, whose owner and editor has been a confidant of President Aleksandar Vui for decades. This surreal title is no exception in the media representation of the war in Ukraine. Rather, but is a stark expression of the Putinophilia that has reigned in Serbia for many years. Whereas the whole world has united in condemning Russias aggression against Ukraine, the media under the control of Aleksandar Vui have turned to unfettered glorification of the crimes.

Tabloids, web portals, dailies, weeklies and nationwide television channels celebrate the destruction of Ukrainian cities and give wholehearted support to the Russian armed forces to persevere in the campaign against their neighbouring country. The editors and journalists of these disinformation media have fallen into a deep trance the killing of civilians, levelling of cities and destruction of cultural monuments and churches fills them with enthusiasm and exuberance.

Whereas demonstrations in support of the Ukrainians have been held in numerous cities around the world, mass rallies were organised in Belgrade at which the crowd cheered Vladimir Putin and the letter Z the symbol of the Russian "special military operation" was drawn on the asphalt. The whole world shudders as it watches real-time coverage with corpses on the streets of Bucha, buildings on fire in Kyiv and Kharkiv , demolished hospitals and schools, burning cars, civilians sheltering from the Russian shells in underground stations and millions of refugees leaving their country, but the hearts of Serbian Putinophiles leap for joy. Instead of compassion towards the innocent victims, understanding for the criminals is widespread.

While his media lackeys celebrate death and destruction, Aleksandar Vui feigns political neutrality. Serbia begrudgingly voted in favour of the UN General Assemblys resolution that condemns Russias aggression in the strongest terms and demands that the Kremlin immediately cease its use of force against Ukraine, but it persistently refuses to impose sanctions against Russia. A multitude of European officials, American senators and diverse envoys flocked to see Vui, making it clear to him that the time had come to choose: would Serbia be part of Europe or an ally of Russia? Despite all the pressure, Vui keeps Serbia in limbo, neither in heaven nor on Earth. There can obviously be no neutrality in the case of Russias nefarious campaign against Ukraine. To be neutral while an executioner butchers a victim means to side with the executioner.

Serbias specific attitude towards the war in Ukraine requires additional clarification. Whereas in other countries Sputnik and Russia Today are in charge of diffusing the Kremlins propaganda, in Serbia most of the domestic media act as if they were part of the Russian machinery under the direct command of Vladimir Putin and Roskomnadzor, the federal agency for media supervision and the monitoring of communications.

However, the problem is not only in the media sphere, which is already the product of disastrous policies. Serbia has never renounced the nationalist ideology of Greater Serbiathat led to the wars in the former Yugoslavia. The only exception was the short premiership of Zoran ini, but that attempt to return to civilisation was cut short by his murder on 12 March 2003. The assassination was carried out by the very same forces that waged the wars and sought to create a Greater Serbia.

Todays political leaders were active participants in the joint criminal enterprise [the official ICTY term] in the wars of the 1990s. President Vui was a high-ranking official of the Serbian Radical Party of convicted war criminal Vojislav eelj. His coalition partner Ivica Dai, leader of the Socialist Party of Serbia, was Slobodan Miloevis spokesman during the war crimes and genocide. One of Vuis closest associates, the minister of police, Aleksandar Vulin, began his career as a functionary of the Yugoslav Left, the party founded by Miloevis wife, Mirjana Markovi. Todays Minister of European Integration, Jadranka Joksimovi, was editor of the Serbian Radical Partys organ Velika Srbija (Greater Serbia), whose name speaks for itself.

No political official in Serbia has ever admitted that genocide was committed in Srebrenica. There has been no dealing with the past at the state level. On the contrary, al

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Serbia on the side of Putin's executioners in Ukraine - VoxEurop - voxeurop.eu

Amit Biswas is a marketing and business strategist as well as the author of Logo Land, a book about the history behind the logos of the countrys 355 municipalities. Originally from Bangladesh, hes currently based in Eindhoven, enjoys gezelligheid, and would like to grab a cup of coffee with Armin van Buuren.

How did you end up in the Netherlands?It happened as a sort of accident. I wish this hadnt happened, but it involved my father. He was in aviation, and he travelled to Maastricht for his work back in 2010. During his trip, he had a stroke and was admitted to a hospital. Within 48 hours, my mother and I flew to Maastricht because the situation was really bad.

Before that, I had never heard of Maastricht. I couldnt even pronounce its name properly. I only knew about Amsterdam. I stayed in Maastricht for two months because he was in an artificial coma. It was too risky to wake him because he was partially paralysed and couldnt be flown back. It was during October and November, so not the best time of year in terms of seasons, but I met a lot of really nice people even though it was a very tough time for me.

After my father recovered and we flew back to Bangladesh, I thought about the warmth that I received while I was in Maastricht. It made me want to come back to the Netherlands. At the time, I was exploring my options to study for my masters. I returned to Maastricht in September of 2011. Its kind of funny how things work.

How do you describe yourself an expat, lovepat, immigrant, international?I would describe myself as a human who is travelling on a blue dot called Earth because, when things are getting complicated in your life, you should close your eyes and zoom out for a bit. Picture a blue dot without any borders or any labels or names like expats or immigrants, which are terms basically created by us. So I would just call myself a simple human, which I think is very tough to be nowadays.

How long do you plan to stay?The Netherlands is my home. Im very proud of that. Its not easy to call a place home. Im also married now. My partner is from Germany. At the same time though, my roots are still in Bangladesh. I was born there, and I am who I am because of my roots. I see it like this: if my roots are in Bangladesh, then the Netherlands is my tree and its still growing.

So I dont have any plans to go. Leaving here would be an obstruction that would limit the growth of my tree. I know you should never say never, but at least right now I dont have any plans.

Do you speak Dutch and how did you learn?I do speak Dutch, but I understand way more than I can speak because its so easy to switch to English here. Some 80% to 90% of the Dutch are excellent English conversationalists. I learned Dutch during the preparation for my inburgering exam. I actually went to a language school in Eindhoven when I moved there after graduating in Maastricht.

I also moved in with a friend who is a real hardcore Eindhovener. He introduced me to his friends and whenever there was a borrel or a party, I would go. I was able to pick up more and more of the language as well as the accent and the pronunciation of words, which are the most critical parts of speaking Dutch.

I also started working and had Dutch colleagues. We didnt have to speak Dutch in the office, but we always would during lunch, breaks, or borrels, which also helped me brush up my Dutch skills.

Whats your favourite Dutch thing?Gezelligheid. Its the Dutch term for cosiness or friendliness. I really like how people here enjoy the small things in life. For example, if theres a sunny day and those can be very rare, if you open the door and go out you will see every terrace is full. You sometimes even find yourself asking, Is there anyone actually working today? Because every time its sunny, everyone is out there on the terraces enjoying their drinks.

So I really like that. They also dont just sit and talk among themselves. Theyll start up conversations with each other. So they really enjoy small things like this and having a good time. They take life so easily. I really like this gezelligheid lifestyle.

How Dutch have you become?I think Ive become, subconsciously, pretty Dutch. My friends sometimes tell me, Amit, you scare me, youre being too much of a Dutchie. I really enjoy the directness, the timeliness, and how structured the overall system is here. Things here have their pros and cons, but I really like it.

I recently realised how Dutch I was becoming once I noticed how often I complain about rainy days. I was born in a hot, tropical country. In Bangladesh, people love the rain because its like a blessing. It cools you down. So when I first moved here, I really enjoyed the rain. I was even posting pictures online of all the cloudy days. Now I end up complaining about them just like the Dutch do.

With people like us who have moved here from another country, its not until you go to another country or, for me, back to Bangladesh. Thats when you really realise how Dutch you have become.

Which three Dutch people (dead or alive) would you most like to meet?Armin van Buuren. Hes one of the top three DJs in the world. Before I moved to the Netherlands, I used to listen to his weekly radio show A State of Trance, and it made me interested in trance music. When I was still a student back in 2012, I went to one of his shows. I still really enjoy his music. It gives me energy, gets me through the day, and really uplifts me. Id love to get a cup of coffee or have lunch with him. For me, hes a living legend who has inspired people through his music.

King Willem-Alexander. Theres a lot of controversy surrounding the royal family, and the Dutch are very critical of them in general, but they promote the Netherlands worldwide. I also like that they havent isolated themselves like the royals in other countries do and that the king flies as a pilot with KLM. I find that very nice. I sent him a copy of my book, actually, via the Commissioner of the Noord-Brabant province. I got a letter back from the royal house.

Also when you become a Dutch citizen, you get a letter that says the king has made a decision to approve you to become Dutch. I find that a pretty nice gesture, even if its just part of the procedure. Id like to have a beer with him and if hes read my book, Id be curious to know how much hes learned from it about the Netherlands himself.

Klaas Sierksma. He was a Frisian writer who wrote about all the Dutch coat of arms. Every municipality has a coat of arms and every city has a flag. Hes the only writer who has written a book about it in the Netherlands. Hes no longer living, but he designed several of these flags himself. I really like that he did something that nobody else has done, and his book was a real inspiration. It helped me with writing and finding all the information I needed. Much of the information he found might have been lost. It would just be nice to sit with him because I would be talking to someone with a shared interest.

Whats your top tourist tip?Whenever our friends visit us, they usually want to do the Dam thing. They want to go to Amsterdam. People should visit Amsterdam. Its a bit crowded and crazy, but I usually also try to take them to Maastricht. I recommend a day trip or a weekend trip. We usually cycle or walk around the city and go down all the side alleys. Its a very cosy, historical city with good food and nice local shops. They have a Burgundian lifestyle in the southern part of the Netherlands that is slower.

Tell us something surprising youve found out about the NetherlandsBefore I came here, I didnt know that half of the country wouldnt even exist if it werent for dams. When I first visited Amsterdam, I talked to my father about it and he asked me, Do you know that youre below sea level? At that point, I didnt know how to swim, so I found it quite scary.

I also found out that, geographically, the Netherlands is almost the same as Bangladesh. Its pretty flat there, just like here. We like to call our hills mountains, too. Bangladesh is also one of the most densely populated countries in the world. I wound up moving from one of the most densely populated countries in the world to another one of the most densely populated countries in the world.

If you had just 24 hours left in the Netherlands, what would you do?Im a big lover of specialty coffee. I would start my day by grabbing coffee at my favourite place in Eindhoven. I would also hope that the weather is good, and I would want to catch up with my friends over a borrel or dinner. We would order some bitterballen with mustard and some good Dutch beers.

I would also want to take a train, drive, or cycle to Maastricht to visit some of my favourite spots, like my university and the pubs we used to hang around in when we were students. I would even want to visit the hospital where my father was, which was a sort of starting point in the country for me. It would also remind me of why I came to the Netherlands.

In the last hours, I hope there would be nice weather and a nice sunset. I would head to the river Meuse. It flows through the city, and its nice just to sit there with some chips and some drinks and watch the boats go by.

You can learn more about Logo Land and Amits other projects via his website.

Amit was talking to Brandon Hartley.

The DutchNews.nl team would like to thank all the generous readers who have made a donation in recent weeks. Your financial support has helped us to expand our coverage of the coronavirus crisis into the evenings and weekends and make sure you are kept up to date with the latest developments.

DutchNews.nl has been free for 14 years, but without the financial backing of our readers, we would not be able to provide you with fair and accurate news and features about all things Dutch. Your contributions make this possible.

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'I really like how people here enjoy the small things in life' - DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl

After years of fan-demand, Rupauls Drag Race has finally given us an all-winners All Stars season. To celebrate, we sat down with three of the show's famous faces (and front-runners for this seasons top prize): Jaida Essence Hall, Trinity The Tuck, and Yvie Oddly. Ahead, a look at their favorite beauty products and best glam secrets, their thoughts on the transformative power of drag as an art form, and the importance of being, above all things, a fierce queen.

Whats the best beauty advice youve received from another drag artist on or off the show?

"Dont be afraid of the makeup. We can have as much fun or as little fun as we want to with it. We can always take it off and start again. Its just makeup."

If you could leave the house with only two beauty items in your bag, what would they be?

"First, probably a palette. Does that count as one? A palette and then a wig, because when the hair is on, the fantasy is real."

Whats a beauty tip you live by?

"I spray my foundation brush once with setting spray. Next, I apply a pump of foundation to the brush and then spray it a second time before putting it to my face. It allows the makeup to set and the color to go a lot further."

How do you hope drag changes the way people see you and the queer community?

"I hope it shows that its possible that even a little boy from Wisconsin can be in the spotlight."

Favorite Cleanser

Caudalie Vinoclean Gentle Foam Cleanser

Honey, even if perfect skin comes naturally, you have to maintain it with the best ingredients!

Favorite Foundation

Juvia's Place I Am Magic Foundation in 400 Ethiopia

"It goes on with amazing coverage and makes me feel stunning.

Favorite Lip Color

Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint Longwear Fluid Lip Color in Undefeated

I love to mix Fenty lip colors to create the perfect shade. But straight out of the tube, they are perfect too!"

Why is drag such a powerful art form?

"It allows anyone to transform into anything! Its their very own Superman/woman/they suit."

Whats a surprising makeup hack that everyone should know?

"Adding contact lens solution to any of your powder eyeshadows can turn them into liquid eyeliner."

Has fame changed the way you present yourself?

"I definitely think it requires you to step up your game at all times. It also makes you a little more on guard about what you put out into the world."

What do you hope your legacy will be?

"Without a doubt, that people will remember that I am a fierce queen and that Im great at what I do."

Favorite Setting Spray

ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr On 'Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray

This setting spray keeps makeup looking right while I twirl and shake this bootay!

Favorite Eye Cream

Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado

Its hydrating plus you can immediately add on concealer.

Favorite Concealer

Urban Decay Stay Naked Correcting Concealer

It doesnt crease and it does the job perfectly. I havent found another product as good.

How do you feel while getting glammed up?

"Like a blank slate. Getting into drag puts me in a sort of meditative trance that I only start to snap out of when I finally become Yvie. Its like my minds equivalent of being on Airplane Mode."

And do you have a mantra that you repeat when youre getting ready?

"Stay focused and hurry the fuck up, girl!"

Whats your best skincare advice?

"If you wait for your skin to fully dry after washing your face, it will absorb oil-based moisturizers better than if you slap them on right out of the shower. Ground breaking for me."

How do you want people to remember you?

"I think my legacy will be that I inspired others to live more exploratory, authentic, and radical lives. But at a bare minimum, Ill take She won RuPauls Drag Race!

Favorite Eyeshadow Palette

Nars Summer Unrated Eyeshadow Palette

Pigment, pigment, pigment! The blendability is incredible too! The possibilities are endless, mama!

Favorite Skin Prep

Coffeeface 3-in-1 Pads Exfoliate. Serum. Moisturize.

They exfoliate, do your serum, moisturize, and prime all in one pad. Theyre also individually packaged, so theyre great for travel.

Favorite Mascara

Dior Diorshow Mascara in #090 Black

I wear false lashes but use this mascara to paint them even blacker.

Read the rest here:

Rupaul's Drag Race 2022 All Stars on Their Beauty Routines - Cosmopolitan

Elon Musk has lost $51 billion since the beginning of the year. Jeff Bezos has lost $55 billion.

Mark Zuckerberg lost more than half his fortune $64 billion, as of Saturday and plummeted to No. 17 on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Call me old-fashioned, but in my world tens of billions of dollars still sounds like a lot of money. So I briefly, almost, kinda felt bad for some of the worlds richest people.

But then I snapped out of it. What was I worrying about them for? No matter what happens to his portfolio, Musk isnt going to have to take on a second job. Even at No. 17 on the billionaires list, Zuckerberg isnt going to struggle to cover his rent or pay his hospital bills.

In fact, as far as I can tell, Bezos wont even let his stupendous multibillion-dollar losses derail his plan to buy the worlds biggest superyacht, a 417-foot-long behemoth sailing vessel that is reportedly going to cost him more than $500 million. The yacht made news last week because it is so tall it cant sail under the bridge in Rotterdam, Netherlands, it must pass to reach the open sea.

What kind of world do we live in where people with unimaginable fortunes build half-billion-dollar pleasure boats while more than 730 million other people subsist on less than $1.90 a day?

Worse yet, Bezos, Musk and the rest of Americas hyper-rich often pay a lower effective tax rate than the rest of us and sometimes pay nothing at all. Bezos, for instance, didnt pay a penny in federal taxes in 2007 and 2011, according to a ProPublica investigation. Musk didnt pay any in 2018.

One reason Ive been stewing about this subject is that even as the stories about Bezos yacht were coming out, I also happened to be reading an old, yellowing book Id randomly pulled off an upper bookshelf Looking Backward, 2000-1887, a once-famous socialist utopian novel by Edward Bellamy first published in the late 1880s.

Looking Backward was an enormous bestseller when it came out, an early example of speculative futuristic fiction, preceding H.G. Wells The Time Machine by about seven years. It tells the story of Julian West, a 19th century Bostonian gentleman who is put into a hypnotic trance to fight his insomnia and wakes up 113 years later in the year 2000. To his amazement, West learns that almost all the worlds great social problems have been solved.

In 21st century Boston, it seems, theres no poverty.

There are no more wars, because mankind has realized that nothing is worth fighting against except hunger, cold and nakedness. Crime, labor strife, corruption theyre all gone, because theres no longer any motivation for them. A society has been built instead on mutual benevolence and disinterestedness.

There are no prisons, no jails, no lawyers.

Income inequality, the defining characteristic of the so-called Gilded Age in late 19th century America when West went into his trance, has been eradicated. As in all socialist utopias, everyone is fed, housed and cared for according to his or her needs. No special perks for the Carnegies, Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, Zuckerbergs, Bezoses or Musks.

OK, OK, the book is ludicrously naive. Downright silly, really. It lectures interminably; it is self-righteous and starry-eyed. And its vision of the future is just flat-out wrong.

The intervening 20th century between when Bellamy wrote it and where we are today was one in which idealism took a beating; for much of the time, fascism, totalitarianism and mass murder were ascendant. Utopianism seems far-fetched to us now.

Bellamy may have read Marx but he knew nothing of Stalin.

Still, its awfully sad, isnt it? Sad that more than 130 years after the book was published were still facing so many of the same problems Bellamy believed, or perhaps hoped, would be long since solved.

Sure, people in the aggregate are no doubt better off today than they were a century ago. War is less common, life expectancy is longer, and fewer people are mired in deep poverty.

But inequality has been making a comeback. Instead of the Golden Age of mutual benevolence that Bellamy foresaw, we have 161,000 homeless people in California as of the last count. One-third of the states residents live in or near the poverty level. At the same time, California also is home to 186 billionaires, according to Forbes more than any other state in the country.

In America today, a shocking number of families say they would have difficulty finding $400 to cover an emergency expense. Many people cant get sick without fearing theyll go bankrupt. Ambitious students rack up tens of thousands of dollars in debt trying to educate themselves. Wages are stagnating and prices are climbing.

Yet Bezos yacht is so big it cant fit under the 95-year-old Koningshaven Bridge in Rotterdam. So the yacht makers had the chutzpah to ask the city to dismantle a portion of the bridge to let it through. The resulting public uproar persuaded the ships builders not to formally apply for a permit.

Im not recommending confiscating the fortunes of billionaires, Edward Bellamy-style, to build a socialist paradise. But I certainly favor far higher taxes on the likes of Bezos and Musk, and putting that revenue to work solving societys problems.

Its not much of a spoiler to reveal that by the end of Looking Backward, Julian West fervently hopes that he will continue to live in the glorious future and not be returned to the dismal past.

But I wonder if he were to awaken in the United States today as it really is, if he wouldnt want to catch the first boat maybe Bezos boat? back to the 19th century.

@Nick_Goldberg

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Nicholas Goldberg: If you lost $58 billion would you still buy that superyacht? - Los Angeles Times

Moshe David, better known as DJ Moses, is the Israeli islander behind such ventures as Electroniconch. He is certain that Key West is in the right space and moment to create a bigger alternative music scene. After breaking through to the local bar and nightclub circuit, Moshe has built up the following and acclaim to experiment with events that can better bridge the Miami-Key West flow of party goers and importantly, electronic music lovers. In this interview, we talk about infusing Israeli heritage, gaining access to venues in the early days, and the evolution of the young DJ Moses.

Where did the stage name Moses come from? And are you pleased its

since stuck?

Moses: As you know, Im from Israel and my Hebrew name is Moshe, which can be translated to Moses. Its a biblical name, Moshe was the most important prophet in Judaism. It was much easier for people to pronounce and its basically the same name so I dont mind it becoming my stage name.

Which genres of music were you most exposed to in Israel?

Moses: Ever since I was a young boy, I was listening to electronic music. I grew up in the 90s and in Israel. That was the time when the trance music scene was really big in Israel. In time, I started to have my own musical taste that was mostly inspired by it. Besides that, my family roots are from the Middle East Iraq and Morocco. That impacts my music as well.

What was the first electronic mix or techno song that really got stuck in your head?

Moses: DJ Tisto Adagio for Strings.

What about that song did it for you?

Moses: Its something hard to explain in words. Its more of a feeling.

What was the first big professional break you got in Israel?

Moses: At 21 years old, my friend from the army organized an outdoor party and asked me to come play for his crowd like 200 people. This is one of the most powerful moments I had when I saw all the people dancing to my music.

Did that alter your professional goals or were you already dead set on becoming involved with music?

Moses: I always knew I wanted to do music. This experience just pushed me more and made it clearer that this is what I want and need to do.

You mentioned your grandmothers relationship previously. Did she impart any advice on your pursuit of music?

Moses: She always told me to do what I love and she always told me to make people happy. And I do that through my music because what makes people happier then music and dancing?

How did you make your way to Key West?

Moses: I was traveling the world and got to Key West because a family member visited this place. And from the first moment here like everyone else, I loved the atmosphere of the island and the community. So, I was sure with myself to produce some music here.

How did you start to ease into the local music scene?

Moses: OK, this is a good question. In my first year in Key West I always looked for electronic music parties or some action with electronic music. I found out in Key West this scene was not so popular. So, I started to create some underground electronic parties in different places like the Hookah Lounge, the balcony of Teasers, Tiki House, Green Room, Oriole, The Saint Hotel. And in the end before COVID-19, my dream came true and I started to play at Sidebar. This was the first nightclub gig in Key West for me.

What was Teasers like since that adult club has been through a few iterations?

Moses: I dont really know because we used to play outside on the balcony so we didnt have too much interaction with the inside. What was your favorite spot from those early days? I recall seeing you more at the Hookah Lounge.

Moses: I am thinking it was the Hookah Lounge. I have really great memories from my gigs over there. Also, Sidebar was an amazing place to play.

What was so special about the Hookah Lounge?

Moses: The vibe under the sky of the outdoor party. And also, my music was so natural to that location. My crowd always flew with me.

Was the local music scene enthusiastic about or welcoming of electronic-styled genres when you started? Was there resistance?

Moses: In the beginning, it was a little bit different for the people here, but slowly, slowly, we got the support of most of our crowd today and people loved to dance. We just brought something different and fresh to town and people love it. Im also sure most of the people coming from big cities really missed the underground electronic music.

Is there an actual underground scene here in the sense that it is not mainstream? The island is small and largely tourism driven. Is there sufficient interest from venues for alternative music?

Moses: Most of our parties are a little bit different than the parties on the street. So, we try always to play the most unique music and different vibe, dancing in our parties. We just bring the city vibe to the island of Key West.

You have shifted focus toward performing more at private events as opposed to clubs. Why? Is it financial?

Moses: Not really, there are only two night clubs in Key West that have electronic music parties. We use to make parties every week and now we try to do things a little different. We still make parties at the clubs just not as often. Do you miss it?

Moses: Of course, the energy of the club is something special. I love doing both, again, as long as it makes people happy and dance. I dont mind if its 20 people a party or hundreds.

Tell me about your latest venture Electroniconch.

Moses: Our latest venture of Electroniconch was March 17. We celebrated our Purim party Jewish Halloween. It was a custom party and this is the fourth annual party we did here in Key West. We made it in Sidebar.

What is Jewish Halloween?

Moses: It is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman as recounted in the Book of Esther. And the tradition of this holiday is to have a custom, drink and give. This is why we donated all of the money from the party for the soldiers in Ukraine. This is the little solidarity of our group of Electroniconch production.

Our first goal was to bring the electronic music scene to Key West. With time the Electroniconch project become a community of DJs around the wordIsrael, Colombia, Venezuela, Macedonia, Georgia, Argentina, The United Kingdom, Canada in Key West that shares ideas and knowledge and enriches one another. We love giving opportunity and stages to DJs. Something we didnt have when we came to Key West. And of course, everyone is welcome to join our family.

You hosted a DJ and dance night at The Hookah Lounge in recognition of your years of island electronic music production. Everyone was dancing. You had crowds. How did you feel?

Moses: It was a great night. I feel so good after all the hard work of all the last three years. To see the love and the support of our crowds, it was best moment of my career as a DJ and in the party industry. And everyone came for one big reason: the music and to dance all night.

Looking beyond music, do you find the island easy to navigate as a 30-something-year-old?

Moses: I always believe in the island as a good place to navigate and to find myself with the music. Also, at my age its not so difficult and in Key West in general age is not the issue. I believe always without the music the life was a mistake. And I am sure my music connected me with all kinds of crowds. I will play to them.

Are there specific spots or activities you frequent here to seek creative stimulation?

Moses: I love running outside. Something about running and listening to music cleans my mind and helps me focus and inspires me.

What running routes do you prefer here? Do you worry about the heat?

Moses: I prefer to run around the island. But sometimes I also run around downtown. I love to run. This is my best meditation with my soul and my body. And about the heat, I get used to it. Its harder but more fun.

Is influencing the music of more popular local festivals such as Fantasy Fest something you would like to do?

Moses: Of course, the goal is to touch as many people and bigger crowds and expose them to our music and vibes. It might be a little difficult because older generations sometimes dont like electronic music.

How do you get that generation and similar groups on board in Key West?

Moses: I think we have a good group of that generation here in Key West. But Im pretty sure if more people from Miami knew we had a nice scene of electronic music parties here, it could really help. What I am hearing from every person from Miami is that they dont know Key West is a place for good electronic music.

What do you think about the slogan that pops up from time to time: Dont Miami My Key West?

Moses: Its really funny. I think every place has its magic and Miami forever was the place for good parties and great night life. Key West is the best place for chilling and relaxing. Im sure one day in Key West maybe it can change. And the electronic partys community can grow and succeed.

Interview has been edited for clarity

The rest is here:

DJ Moses makes his mark on the alt-music scene - Key West Florida Weekly

When you've bulldozed as many musical borders asArmin van Buurenhas, it's only a matter of time before the innate need to explore new sonic frontiers bubbles to the surface.

But for an aesthete like van Buuren, it comes easy.

We recently sat down with van Buuren in Miami, where the pioneering electronic music artist and "A State of Trance" creator opened up in an intimate interview before his dazzling Ultra Music Festival 2022 headlining set. And after all was said and done, it's clear at this juncture in his storied career that he's laser-focused on artistic experimentation.

He's particularly excited about the future of Gaia, a beloved side project and collaborative nom de plume with Benno de Goeij of Rank 1.

"I really want to focus on the Gaia project for the future,"van Buuren told EDM.com. "It's a little bit more underground and not so commercially successful. But I want to follow my heart in that sense."

Armin van Buuren chats with EDM.com live at Ultra Music Festival 2022 in Miami.

Danny Drew/EDM.com

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"I've been flirting recently with techno, with Reinier Zonneveld, because I feel techno and trance once were very closely married and now sort of separated," he added. "And it's exciting to see the two worlds flirting together again."

While his Ultra set was a microcosm of his appetite for subversion, van Buuren's arc is still very much rooted in trance music. He painted a rosy picture of its future, which he believes is promising thanks to its potential to emulsify other genres.

"Within trance, you now have all these sub-genres," he explained. "Genres like progressive trance, orchestrance, tech-trancethere's at least 20 or 30 different styles."

"I find that very interesting," he continued. "And musically it's still very inspiring to me, and I want 'A State of Trance' to be home to all those genres."

You can watch van Buuren's full EDM.com interview live from Ultra below.

Facebook: facebook.com/arminvanbuurenTwitter: twitter.com/arminvanbuurenInstagram: instagram.com/arminvanbuurenSpotify: spoti.fi/2WHsl2t

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"I Want to Follow My Heart": Armin van Buuren On Sound Experimentation and the Future of Trance - EDM.com

The fourth season ofStranger Thingsintroduced Vecna, the new face of terror in Hawkins, Indiana. Favorite animal: spider. Skin: patchy. Method of murder: hijacking your brain from the Upside Down, putting you in a trance and breaking every bone in your body.

Hes formidable, but our crew of plucky heroes do have a defense: the power of music. If Vecna has you in a trance, listening to your favorite song can help pull you out of it, as we saw when Vecna attacked Max only for her friends to pull her out his trance using the synth-tastic stylings of Kate Bush, specifically her 1985 hit Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God).

The team bests Vecna at the end of season 4, but as Will Byers says, hes definitely still out there, and when he recovers hes going to come for all of them. It would behoove all of the characters to have their favorite songs at the ready should Vecna strike.

But what are their favorite songs? Thats what were here to figure out. Lets start with the obvious:

This ones easy. Maxs favorite song is Running Up That Hill. Shes said it multiple times and it saved her life when Vecna was trying to take it. The only reason it didnt work twice is because Jason the varsity psychopath crushed Maxs walkman while he was fighting Lucas in the season 4 finale.

Season 4 leaves Max in a sorry state. Vecna hurts her, but Eleven is able to bring her back from the brink. Shes in a coma, but something tells us shell wake up come season 5. And when she wakes, shell want Kate Bush close at hand.

After Running Up That Hill saves Max from certain death, Lucas tells her that Kate Bush is now his favorite artist, too. Now, maybe he meant it metaphorically, but she has a lot of good songs worth listening to, so why shouldnt he get into her music?

As for what song he might like, Im gonna say he gets into Cloudbusting, which is off the same album as Running Up That Hill: Hounds of Love.

The song has a cool backstory: its based on a real-life relationship between an inventor and his son. The father built a machine he tried to use to make rain. He and his son would go cloudbusting, which ended up being some of the sons fondest memories. Later, the father is imprisoned, and the young son feels helpless.

This could tie in to Lucas feelings of helplessness as he watched Max slip away from him. The song is melancholy, but it also has an optimism to it that fits Lucas personality. And its just nice to listen to, with a pulsing beat and some catchy string licks underpinning the lyrics.

Heres another easy one. In the second season ofStranger Things, Jim Hopper introduces Eleven to his favorite artist:Jim Croce, famous for his tough guy anthems like Bad, Bad Leroy Brown and You Dont Mess Around With Jim. Hopper likes the latter so much he even dances to it, becoming a meme in the process.

Im sure the fact that the song is about a guy named Jim helps. In any case, everyone around Hopper will know exactly what to do if Vecna comes for the former sheriff.

Original post:

What songs do the Stranger Things characters use to resist Vecna? - Winter is Coming