Random thing you love right now that doesn't deserve its own thread

It's officially announced, so now I get to post about it.

Last year, I got contacted out of the blue at my Bandcamp email, asking me if some song was mine.

The answer was yes!

It was a ScreamTracker module I wrote in 1995. Turns out someone going by the name Lord Caduceus released a cassette that was an underground hit in the burgeoning Dungeon Synth scene, and it was entirely the original work of myself and a couple other folks active in the demoscene.

It is now being reissued by Dungeon's Deep Records with the original tracks plus some additional (time-period-appropriate) tracks by us. Tentative plan is an August release.

This whole thing has been a hilarious and surreal journey and I’m looking forward to seeing the final result.

Dungeon's Deep Records wrote:

IMAGE(https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/287686042_10160201296973210_6034215769623814139_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s1080x2048&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=uE_u0xp8F9wAX8-CqDC&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AT-81oLmFJjR2Cq-qpfLfsg90tgWuxBS2WMAAUtc5LZ9MA&oe=62AC7FDF)

"In 1995, a music demo titled Middle Ages was released under the name Caduceus. As part of the fledgling scene which would later be known canonically as "Dungeon Synth," Middle Ages was an underground cult classic, a whisper in the scene known only to those who truly knew. An exquisite venture into a fantastical and dark world, Middle Ages' varied personalities found many homes in Renaissance-inspired music, obscured percussive sounds, and a lengthy, trance-like closer. Caduceus was much later revealed to be the hijacked work of three artists - MATEUS (Ondrej Matejka), Ranger Rick (Benjamin Reed), and Bobby "Blackwolf" Tamburrino - rendering the Caduceus illusion obsolete." -Jon Rosenthal

Yes, we have hunted down and obtained unanimous permission from all three original musicians involved in the notorious Caduceus "Middle Ages" album. An effort nearly two years in the making. Three musicians active in the 90's tracker scene have collided for one truly spectacular release.

Featuring all five original tracks, as well as five new bonus tracks and original art by @blackmane_design.

Middle Ages - Reclaiming the Throne will be released on cassette this Summer! Featuring a 4 panel insert with forward and an interview by Jon Rosenthal of Decibel Magazine.

Stay tuned for announcements!

Isn't there any kind of copyright claim against this Caduceus guy, who's been selling this for 25 years or so?

Robear wrote:

Isn't there any kind of copyright claim against this Caduceus guy, who's been selling this for 25 years or so?

I mean, I think it was a limited number of hand-made cassettes in the 90s, I don't believe he's been selling it for a very long time. AFAICT the way anyone gets it in physical form nowadays is for a lot of money on discogs.com.

Still... Dude needs an Internet beatdown... Sigh.

That's crazy. How many people can say they birthed a genre? Congratulations!

Give us a link for a preview? And congrats! I like the Dragonlance font at the top.

"Dungeon Synth" is a genre I didn't know I needed in my life. Very cool!

It's really chill, and there's something oddly addictive about the existing EP. Love it!

Huh, apparently I already listen to some Dungeon Synth. Had no idea that was what it was called though.

Good on ya Rick!

LeapingGnome wrote:

Give us a link for a preview? And congrats!

The original "demo" is on youtube in full:

LeapingGnome wrote:

I like the Dragonlance font at the top.

LOL yeah, it's a very inspired cover, I love it.

I'm assuming it's the cover of the streaming version, I've seen previews of the cassette cover and it features the same core image but doesn't have the "looks like an old game box" stuff to it.

Tasty Pudding wrote:

"Dungeon Synth" is a genre I didn't know I needed in my life. Very cool!

Robear wrote:

It's really chill, and there's something oddly addictive about the existing EP. Love it!

Mantid wrote:

Huh, apparently I already listen to some Dungeon Synth. Had no idea that was what it was called though.

Yeah, I had no idea it was a thing either, but "oldskool video game music that leans dark, with metal influences" is extremely in my wheelhouse, I've enjoyed exploring the genre now that I know of it.

Middle Ages is apparently considered to be one of the earliest parts of the genre, but also is a bit more "upbeat" than a lot of the other things considered Dungeon Synth, so not necessarily representative of it. And, like most other genres, a lot of it goes on vibes more than explicit rules, there was a lot of back and forth deciding what Dungeon Synth really "is" in the earlier days.

I found a pretty cool gigantic post about Dungeon Synth (and chiptunes) that I've been slowly working my way through, it's been an interesting read.

I've also enjoyed posting to the original thread outing the origins of the demo.

The last episode of Taskmaster season 13. One of the best seasons of the show ever and a hilarious/heartwarming last episode. It’s a little sad that I have no continuation of the season to look forward to next week. I guess I’ll have to go back to my extensive rewatch of all the previous seasons.

Champion of Champions 2 is coming up, though.

I just upgraded to an iPad Pro 12.9 with a Brydge keyboard and it’s the best “laptop” I’ve ever owned.

It’s a bit on the chonky side, but it’s perfectly comfortable in my lap and will NEVER get warm on my legs. Plus I can pop off the screen at any time to use it as a tablet. Checks almost all of my boxes for most of my personal computing needs - although I still have an old MacBook docked as a desktop system for now.

Packing to go to Puerto Rico tomorrow for 5 days with my wife and daughters. This will be my first family vacation, in my life, where i will just be with my personal family unit and we a) aren't visiting family or b) don't have family with us.

I am almost 42.

We stopped calling our family trips "vacations" after the 2nd one was born. I always need an actual vacation immediately afterward.

Good luck, have fun!

I've been using an iPad Pro for years as a second work system. Very useful.

So I found My Noise a free website and app that has tons of adjustable ambient noises you can use. Tried it out with beach sounds for sleeping and had the most relaxing night I can remember. I set it a bit loud, remembering what it was like sleeping in a beachside hotel with the windows open, and the structured but random noise just flat out wiped out any anxious thinking that normally prevents falling back to sleep after awakening at night. So freaking relaxing. Amazing.

Mixolyde wrote:

We stopped calling our family trips "vacations" after the 2nd one was born. I always need an actual vacation immediately afterward.

Good luck, have fun!

Agreed. Going to the beach with 1 was a blast. With 2, it's exhausting. I guess it will get better as they get older and can carry their own stuff to the beach heh.

Stele wrote:
Mixolyde wrote:

We stopped calling our family trips "vacations" after the 2nd one was born. I always need an actual vacation immediately afterward.

Good luck, have fun!

Agreed. Going to the beach with 1 was a blast. With 2, it's exhausting. I guess it will get better as they get older and can carry their own stuff to the beach heh.

“Trips.” They’re family trips. Vacations are what me and my wife do alone.

Someone recently perfectly defined vacation as “when nothing is expected of me.” And an old boss of mine always said you have to take two full weeks away from home for a vacation to truly relax. I’ve not had the chance to ever do that yet. Someday maybe…

Therefore staycations are bs. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely nice to chill at home and not have to work. But you still feel obligated to cook, clean, etc.

My kids are old enough (10 & 12) that they are easy travellers and we all just want to chill in the water so I am filing this one as a vacation:)

Subject to revision if they act like assholes all week.

NSMike wrote:

Champion of Champions 2 is coming up, though.

Oh, I didn’t know. Many thanks. Can’t beat having a new series to look forward to.

Higgledy wrote:
NSMike wrote:

Champion of Champions 2 is coming up, though.

Oh, I didn’t know. Many thanks. Can’t beat having a new series to look forward to.

It's only going to be one episode.

Even so. More Liza Tarbuck is a win in my books.

Eh I didn't really like her, she cheated A LOT or violated the spirit of the tasks, and they constantly let her get away with it. Different strokes I guess!

NSMike wrote:

Even so. More Liza Tarbuck is a win in my books.

Definitely.

I’m thinking especially of her adult bedtime story at 6.35.

Seeing and getting to film these Mandarin duck chicks. Their mother is in the background (I've rarely seen a female mandarin duck.) There were eight or nine of these chicks, which is an incredible survival rate, and they were ridiculously relaxed around us ramblers and other visitors to the marina. I was crouched down right next to these three and they just went about their day looking entirely relaxed and natural.

Adorable!

The chicks look incredibly mundane when compared to the (male) adult colouring! One of them lands on these shores every now and then and it's a big event in the birding community. We don't have anything nearly as colourful in our local birds.

IMAGE(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Pair_of_mandarin_ducks.jpg)

I was in half a mind to post a pic of the male bird. They are stunning. I mostly knew they were Mandarin chicks because of the eye stripe and head shape.

I remember, on a different ramble, seeing a male Mandarin duck stood on a log. It was surrounded by mallards in the water. They appeared to be staring at it in disbelief.

My walk scouting partner Carol has learnt by now that, if there are any ducks on the route of the walk, scouting that particular ramble is going to take at least twenty minutes longer than it needed to as I snap away incessantly.

Top Gun: Maverick.

It is an 80s movie, and it makes no bones about it.

If you liked Top Gun, you will like this movie. If you didn't, you won't.

It's as simple as that.