Ratatata: perfection in collaboration

After some processing time, I'm ready to dive deeper into the BM-EC collab, Ratatata music video.

As I mentioned before, there's no undertone of a message other than how it presents a different take on metal music that is goofy, fun and 'excellent for dancing'. Nothing new there, as both bands are well known for their unique twists on metal. The music and video are an example of a perfect collab precisely because of this versatility and nothing-is-sacred attitude towards the genre they've made themselves at home in.

Perhaps it's something I've been thinking about lately, but Ratatata perfectly blends both EC's chaotic masculine energy with BM's feminine vibrancy into a pairing that literally makes beautiful music together. EC's Nico and Kevin break through walls that enclose first the masculine world of corporate power (yes, there're women in there too, but they're dressed in male power suits) and shake it up. Meantime, BM are having a girly tea-party comprising colourful cocktails, and posing for their Instagram feeds. In the translated lyrics, SU sings about being a temptress, luring men into her trap -- which is essentially kitsune lore. The boys abruptly break in uninvited, springing her trap unexpectedly. Still, with Vault 33 Lucy's 'okie dokie' spirit, the girls welcome the intrusion with a cheeky 'check out these dumb boys' look. But then the boys suddenly exit through the wall Stage Left mid-chorus, leaving the girls dumbfounded. Staring at the hole in the wall, their mouths agape, the girls can't believe the boys have escaped just like that. Closest to the camera, MOA is a total cartoon, all slack-jawed and blinking uncomprehendingly at the carnage. One by one, they peek through the hole... cue transition.

Like in Metali, there's a little interlude. Here the opposing sides are literally reflected in the mirror ball, with a bit of a role reversal. SU and Nico are on opposite sides of the giant ball, representing geographic east and west; Venus and Mars energies. Except SU is on the left, where west is supposed to be, and Nico on the right, technically east. The heavy instruments cut out and Nico's tone drops to a wistful longing for the friends he needs. He reaches up to the ball (the world?) with one hand, but hesitates before withdrawing his closed fist. When the instruments come in again, it's SU turning up the warmth in her voice and with open arms, she embraces his gesture like the big sister she is. SU exactly echoes Nico's lyrics but exudes confidence, committing to her offer of friendship. It's suggesting that despite all their bravado, men have a vulnerable and shy side too, and women can and do take the lead when they want to. BM unexpectedly takes the final 'Ratatata' putting their own feminine spin on their delivery, dropping a 'tata' (excuse me?) while they're at it.

Following Metali's narrative structure, the EC boys crashing through walls suggests that the music cannot be confined in any box. It's neither male nor female, one genre or another. Together, BM and EC appear on a stage large enough to accommodate EC's entire band, sparks shooting off an overhead flybar. Music has to be brought out to the world for everyone to enjoy -- clearly with the insistent repetition of the word "everybody" It's an invitation for everybody to go nuts, if they haven't already lost their minds since the song started.

When masculine and feminine energies flow with each other fluidly instead of clashing in conflict, we achieve the perfect yin yang state. 'Ratatata' is the sound of war, but in this track it's the sound of joy and harmony, with a touch of crazy. Perfection.

Ratatata hits the target Pt 2: the music video

Considering that both BABYMETAL and Electric Callboy (EC) are known for genre-blending, the MV for Ratatata portrays exactly that quite literally. Protective disco-ball / crash helmets on, EC's vocalists burst through walls like silvery Kool-Aid men, first shaking up industry suits having a meeting, then surprising SU, MOA, and MOMO who are off duty and out of character, just chillin' with drinks and being silly. While I was expecting full on choreography, this MV incorporates some theatrical acting which doesn't feature in BABYMETAL videos much. It's nice to see that little throwback to Sakura Gakuin days when there was a stronger narrative to their MVs.

I don't detect a lot beneath the surface of either the song or the video. They're both just outrageously fun, infusing a massive wave of energy that makes the listener throw up their arms like they don't care as they move, shake, jump, and stomp to the beat. I can imagine how deafening a 'live' concert featuring this song will be when the crowd chants along to 'ratatata!!!' at the top of their lungs. It's so infectious that you can't help yourself.

It's weird how every new song that BABYMETAL releases is an instant new favourite. I'll be listening to this one a lot, especially on my morning commute. When you can't get caffeine that early, the adrenaline jumpstart will be most welcome.

Ratatata hits right on target

BABYMETAL is not stopping anytime soon. A fresh drop today -- just the audio track for now -- but it's another terrific party anthem. Ratatata in collab with Electric Callboy (heard of them, never heard them... yet) turns the energy up to 10 from the get go, and never lets up. It has a very '80s disco mashed in with a '90s EDM vibe that picks a body up and makes it dance like nobody's watching -- and I hope to heck that no one was watching.

The English lyrics are simple enough -- end of the day, we're hyped to go to the club, meet our friends and dance our brains out until tomorrow. I'll check out the inevitable lyric video later to see what the Japanese lyrics say, but it'll probably be not much different. I think I heard a lyric that goes something like 'my body is a weapon', hence the onomatopoeic 'Ratatata' of a machine gun, like the sound effect YUI and MOA make in Gimme Choco, but the pace is slightly more spaced out than a chaingun would sound like, so I'm guessing it's more the sound of aggressive metal drums instead. Makes sense if we're imitating a wild dance rhythm.

Not sure what the metalheads will say, but despite the heaviness of the beat, it's more a dance rave than strictly metal. Radio-friendly. Regardless, it's so much fun to bop to, and as always, so positive in the anticipation of good times to come, no matter what we might have experienced earlier in the day.

As much as I like how BABYMETAL has matured in their vocal quality and choreopgraphy since The Other One, with the inclusion of MOMOMETAL, I'm equally glad that they have kept their fun, playful side and are continuing to crank out tunes that get the crowd crazy pumped with absolute bangers like Metali from last year (has it been that long already?), and this one.

If the official MV drops as soon as it did with Metali, that would be fantastic. I'm looking forward to check out the choreo as both bands are reputedly well matched in their emphasis on singing and dancing. Hopefully it'll be worthy of a more detailed second review.

Chop-chop and go

People like me are caught in the transition to the new In-vehicle Units (IU) from the old one that only accepts chipped stored-value cashcards. I'm not scheduled for a fitting of the new IU, but my chipped cashcard has expired, and I can't get it replaced as the most common stores, like gas stations, convenience stores, and supermarkets, only sell the new chipless type. Until I can acquire an unexpired chipped cashcard, I won't be able to drive through ERP gantries to get into town, and I won't even be able to park or leave public parking lots as tolls and parking charges get automatically deducted form the card. I will only be able to drive between work and home where I have season parking.

There is only one place to get an unexpired chipped cashcard, and that is the NETS Customer Service Centre which is fortunately near my workplace. Call it a lunchtime errand.

I must commend the lady at the counter dealing with the customer before me. He was relatively elderly, trying to grapple with these transport policy changes which are happening too quickly and suddenly for his liking. He kept asking questions, frequently repeating questions he had asked before, while the lady responded to every question with the patience of Job. Although I had a job to get back to and was running out of patience myself, she remained the epitome of calm until he finally left, a satisfied customer.

When my turn came, lets just say that she respected a customer who knew what he wanted, while I respected her efficiency and her together-we'll-get-it-done spirit. A couple of minutes at the counter was all it took. All chop-chop and go.

A fresh chipped card cost $10 with $5 value pre-stored. It would have cost $25 for the same thing, and I would have had to wait a few days for delivery if I had purchased it online.

Miko, Metalverse princess in the spotlight

Metalverse, BABYMETAL's baby sister, dropped this new, official MV a couple of days ago. This song wasn't featured in their debut concert, but the footage is from a 'live' show I don't know when. It's nice to hear some new stuff regardless.

Metalverse songs that aren't covers of BABYMETAL's have so far played a baby sister role. They're lighter, poppier, and maybe more playfully feminine, despite the heavy backing instruments that keep 'metal' justified in the name.

This song, 'Naked Princess', puts the focus on lead singer, Miko. The other four making up her team (it'll take me more time to remember their names and tell them apart) don't look like they're wearing headsets, so maybe they have a backing vocal track instead? Miko displays her range in this one. She does vocal fry -- which SU-METAL does not -- breaks the melodic line with a rhythmic verse, and crescendos effortlessly on a high note. She is literally in the spotlight as a great talent around which the band is built.

While they aren't apparently singing, her teammates are still a lot of fun. Coordinated and energetic, they frame their lead well. In contrast to their older sister band whose dance moves are grounded, powerful and heroic, Metalverse dance tends to be airier, and more ladylike. A hand to the cheek with a cute face tilt, skipping while wearing a crown made with raised fingers, and that mid-song pause as courtiers presenting their princess, these are fun little girl games that set them apart from OG BABYMETAL.

There are no subtitles, so I can't comment on the lyrics, but from the title alone, I guess it's the story of the 'Emperor's New Clothes', perhaps a social commentary on the emptiness of modern materialism. I checked the translation and, yes, it's that plus the advice to be your unadorned, authentic naked self. Makes sense.

I remember speculating what Metalverse was before their debut, and I think my initial guess was correct. Metalverse is Sakura Gakuin gone metal. *pats self on back.

Leave It All Behind: A dark 'Shake It Off'

A surprise drop today. F. Hero's "Leave It All Behind" in collaboration with Babymetal and Bodyslam. I don't know Bodyslam at all, but they provide the heavy instrumentation and some vocal bits.

The title pretty much says everything. It's a song about moving on after a disaster. Indeed the MV is set in an apocalyptic wasteland, meteor shower inbound representing circumstances beyond one's control. It's a barren land strewn with rubble. Dark clouds overhang, all shadows and gloom. Babymetal dance on a thick disk resembling a concrete chopping block, but only they and the other performers are well-lit as beacons of hope in troubled times. It can't get any worse for the Titanic run aground behind F Hero, with not a drop of water anywhere to float your boat.

Musically, it's a fun song throwing Thai, Japanese and English lyrics into a blender, and as always Babymetal picks up the catchy chorus split between Su, Moa and Momo, our favourite cheerleaders offering bright happy vibes that ward off the darkness. F Hero provides the angst and frustration though his lines are those of a Drill Sergeant yelling at his recruits to get off their butts and get back into the fray. Bodyslam's lead vocalist brings the melancholy, balancing off Su and F Hero's extreme tonal qualities. 

But this song falls flat in how literal the lyrics are. It could be a language thing, though, as maybe the English subtitles don't translate well enough, while the lyrics may hit harder for people who actually understand Thai and Japanese better than me.

Overall, while this collab isn't the crazy fun that 'Kingslayer' was, it still attempts to be uplifting and motivational. But, I haven't yet picked up an earworm of a hook, so this drop goes into my 'have to get used to it to appreciate it' category.

Horiginal Beef Noodles

Serendipitous discovery of this amazingly generous serving of beef noodles in gravy. This is from the amusingly named 'Horiginal Beef Noodles' located in the Koufu food court of Vista Point, Woodlands. Not a place I generally frequent, but there I was.

For just $6 you get beef slices, tripe, tendon, a beef ball, a beef hand roll that had an underlying ngoh hiang flavour, and probably one other thing that has slipped my memory. A rich, hearty beef broth on the side, and you can help yourself to the honest to goodness genuine chinchalok dipping sauce (with bits of raw onion thrown in) which you can see in the saucer just peeking over the bowl on the left. There's a choice of noodle, but the best option is kway teow, a broad, flat rice noodle, which provides just the right texture that brings out the best mouthfeel for the beef.

Maybe I went at the right time because although the place was packed with lunchtime diners, the turnover was fairly rapid. I very quickly found a table for four all to myself for the duration of the meal. Luxurious.

If I ever go back there, I have my sights fixed on the ox-tail soup and rice combo. It's been so long since I've had any.

Tim Horton's takes me back TO Canada

Made my annual pilgrimage to Vivocity and found Tim Horton's there. I knew they had opened, but hadn't planned on dropping in as I heard that the lines were crazy. New food places always are around these parts. As I got my shopping list completed, I noticed that the queue tended to pulsate. The next time the line was short, I jumped in. The last time I had any 'timbits' (a.k.a donut holes) must have been over 30 years ago when I was a student in TO. Good times.

Time has been good to Tim's. The outlet here looks more upmarket than I remember, and there is now a vibrant, exciting new vibe when it used to be chill and more laid-back as far as my memory goes. I like that there's no staff uniform, as such. Apart from a standard all black overall theme, the staff wore a variety of whatever brand of apparel they wanted, and a lanyard that prominently displayed the word 'STAFF'. A typically Canadian understatement. Otherwise, the place itself was busy and bustling with people standing around waiting for their orders, while the tables were full of customers enjoying their caffeine-and-donut fueled social activity. The scene was chaotic, but in a good way. Orders were being fulfilled, people were negotiating for a space to sit, or like me quickly buzzed away with our take-away boxes. The chaos of life.

The photos above do not do the timbits themselves much justice. $10 for a box of 10 pre-selected flavours: the classic glaze, the cinnamon, and the birthday cake (presumably decorated with sprinkles). I'd let my box lie fallow for a few hours as I was too full to consume them while they were still fresh. That was lunch. I opened the box after dinner for dessert, and yeah. They look much sadder than they were in the store. Taste-wise, they are nothing fancy, nothing pretentious. You get what you pay for: they're sweet, they're cinnamony, and they're sweet with a bit of sugar crunch. They're not meant to be savoured. They're meant to keep the mouth busy while you're having a good time with your friends. They're something to share between buddies in between sips of coffee. It's that community feeling that really sums up the charm of Tim Horton's. Glad to see it's still like that today.

Coincidentally, I'd decided to eat them while watching Netflix's 'Scott Pilgrim Takes Off' which is set in TO. Bits of memory flashed by with background shots of the CN Tower, the Skydome (now called Rogers Centre), and Julie's house reminds me of the one I stayed in on Bathurst Street when I first arrived in TO. Oddly enough, the storyline looks towards the future about 30 years, while today I'm looking back 30 years. I'm Old Xmac, and in many ways I can identify with what Scott is going through. It hit a little close to home.

Kingslayer: down with the King!

[Trigger warning: video includes harsh language]

We finally have an official video release of BMTH's 'Kingslayer' feat. BABYMETAL! Since the track released about three years ago, the two groups have never performed it together until a couple of months back 'live' in Tokyo. After all the fancam compilations (some of which have been quite good, given the source material), it's great to have a closeup view of what's happening onstage.

The buildup video sets the scene with the undermining of an 'EVE-L' authority, made to look ridiculous with the infiltration of a virus corrupting the system and reducing it to 'N64 level graphics' and getting worse. Meanwhile, interspersed are shots of particular audience members, including closeups of young women in the crowd, suggesting that metal is no longer the exclusive domain of the typical 'metalhead' stereotype. When the video announces 'Kingslayer', the crowd erupts and explodes as BABYMETAL make their entrance. MOMO and SU are focused, MOA, as usual, acknowledges the camera. As they take their places, they naturally hype up the crowd. Fully energised, Oli (lead vocalist of BMTH) leads the crowd to chant with the opening riff that has by now become iconic.

Oli plays two characters in this story. He starts as an oppressor taunting essentially himself, as the oppressed. The oppressor sings the melody, the oppressed is the screamer who interrupts with a growing recognition of who his oppressor really is: 'corrupted' and 'the monster'.

SU chimes in with her catchy, pop vocals to introduce the Kingslayer. This metal hero is a familiar figure, appearing as 'Meta Taro' and in 'Metallism', representing the internal fortitude to fight back against adversity. Here, Kingslayer 'destroys castles in the sky' which is an inversion of the idiom, 'building castles in the air', referring to dreams that have no hope of being fulfilled. So the Kingslayer is the hero within ourselves who rises up against any authority that rules over us with false promises, or hopes that they have no intention of fulfilling. Such authorities could be addictions, abusive parents, relationships, or even ourselves (as in the characters Oli is playing) -- anyone holding us back, keeping us down, or otherwise preventing us from living in 'another world', a better one.

The oppressor uses two main tactics to remain in control. The first is the idea that nothing can change: you depend on them, and you are nothing without them. They threaten that breaking free is cutting the strings of a puppet -- you couldn't even crawl back if you wanted. The second is the accusation of ingratitude: 'do you really want to twist the knife in the belly...' to which the oppressed screams 'of the monster!!!' This realisation is echoed in the screamed chorus in colourful language. Its a 'wake... up' call to reboot the system and start again, this time without the monkey on your back.

BABYMETAL are our metal cheerleaders, encouraging us to fight on to overthrow our usurper King, reminding us that we will 'never fight alone' in this battle. We get to see more of their choreo in this video. Yup, very aggressive cheerleading movements, along with wide-legged sumo stomps and monster claws, and always so coordinated. 

By the end of the instrumental bridge, the battle is over and the oppressed screams his victory, 'I can't feel yooooou!!!', to which the ladies reply with a celebratory SG-inspired 'Ooooooh Yeeeeeah!!!' The last lyrics seem to be the frustrated last words of the deposed ruler, a middle finger to the victor, which is an oddly satisfying climax while Oli and the ladies head... no, bodybang a tribal victory dance to close out this breathtaking journey.

'de ded ded ded ded de de de dedded ded ded de ded!' A riff to keep in our hearts when we need the energy to overcome.

Audience Miss match #themarvels

A fairly long interview with Disney CEO, Bob Iger, but I'm mainly commenting on the sound bite between the 13-15th minute in which he blames The Marvels' box office disappointment on 1) the Disney+ streaming platform, and 2) the lack of executive supervision during the production process.

I agree with #1 in that The Marvels was not billed enough as a significant event that would get people out of their homes and into the cinema. Doubly so when the audience knows that we'll be accessing it on Disney+ not too long after its movie premiere. Nothing particularly important happens in this movie that shakes up the MCU other than a few seconds of mid-credits scene that we had to sit through an entire movie for. Nope. Most people would rather save their money and catch it on D+ as and when it shows up. There was no urgency to be first in line on opening day, and many, like myself, didn't even know when opening day was. Both the pandemic, and the actors/writers strike were factors in the lack of hype for this movie: nobody knew what the stakes were, or even who the villain was. Truth be told, I still don't.

Which leads me into #2. Iger doesn't elaborate on what he means by executive supervision, but it sounds to me like corporate meddling with the creative process. I think corporate should have said something before green lighting the movie in the first place. While I enjoyed the movie, like I generally enjoy most media releases, I'm now looking at this project from a marketing standpoint. Who was supposed to be the target audience? While there are Marvel fangirls like Iman Vellani, a.k.a. Ms Marvel, herself, the vast majority of audience who throw money at MCU movies are the guys who drag their girlfriends and wives along to watch great high stakes superhero battles. Was the battle depicted in The Marvels high stakes enough? I suppose on the cosmic scale it was big, but it didn't hit hard emotionally. It was fun, yes, but it didn't feel like our heroes were going to lose at any point. It was cool, but it also felt like a missable chapter in the MCU timeline. Nothing changed -- until the movie was literally over.

If the target audience was supposed to be women, the characters of Captain Marvel, Ms Marvel, and Monica Rambeau, aren't particularly well known to most women besides the die-hard fangirls, whose audience share simply does not compare to the MCU's male audience demographic. Droves of women are not likely to drag their boyfriends and husbands to watch The Marvels just because three women they don't know, and have never grown up with are the main characters. The Barbie Movie was a very different vibe, and was a huge box office success because Barbie is a character familiar to almost every girl in this and even previous generations. Barbie told a story that resonated strongly with its female target audience, and surprised the males who accompanied their significant others with an absurdly relatable story as well. The Marvels, on the other hand told a story that might have resonated more with a male audience, with all the punching and shooting, but the protagonists were female. Perhaps this story might have done better if it featured Rocket, Groot, and maybe introduced a new character like Nova, or someone similar (Adam Warlock?). While I appreciate the attempt at representation and diversifying the audience pool, representation for the sake of representation does nothing for the box office.

Expecting a hit out of The Marvels with female characters who are relatively unknown to its paying audience is like making a movie featuring Ken as the main character, in hopes of attracting a male audience waving lots of cash, yelling 'take my money!!!' From the marketing perspective, The Marvels made little sense from the start.

Invigilation thoughts #28

Can't believe I've finally made it to the last official day of work before the December break. In honour of the cultural heritage of the one candidate I was assigned to oversee, I composed a haiku:

Final duty of the year.
Oh, no, it's the AA kid.
Time added.

If you know, you know.

Invigilation thoughts #infinity

The symbol for infinity is a sideways figure '8', like so: ∞

Going by the XY axes, regular '8' is vertically oriented, two loops enclosing the space directly above and below its epicentre.

Notice, then, that the space beside the epicentre is completely unbound.

That IS infinity, as that space extends beyond the figure '8' forever.

So to symbolize the concept of endless space, we use '∞', representing the space remaining unbound by the closed loops of the '8'.

And because ∞ aligns with the X axis, and if we take the intersection of XY as 0, infinity extends towards the right as positive numbers, and towards the left as negative numbers.

'∞' is clearly a well-though out, and exquisitely designed symbol for infinity... as long as we accept the symbol '8' to represent the concept of 'eight'.

Ooh, shiny!

 

Not often I get decked out all formal-like, but today's ceremony required it. I was among hundreds of my industry peers receiving a state award, many of whom were recognized for their meritorious service during the pandemic years. For me, my award was for sticking around at my job, and not racking up too many complaints over two decades and a half.

Held at Resorts World Convention Centre Ballroom, the ceremony was dignified, and by-the-numbers efficient. No flowery speeches, we immediately launched in with calling each recipient's name to step up on stage, shake a hand, receive their award, and pose for a shot for posterity. Next, and so on. Simple, perfunctory, and really no time wasted. Extremely appreciative of that as there's still much work to be done, and not enough time to do it all in. Still, it's nice to take some time off to feel appreciated.

When I got back, the sky was overcast. Dark, grey clouds overhead wringing out a moderate shower. But for a few minutes, they whole sky was lit in a pleasant pastel shade of gold I've not seen before. The camera couldn't capture the exact atmosphere, and I don't have the photographic skill to show you what I saw. Something like that, but way more breathtaking. It didn't last, fading as the sun set, but it left an impression. From where I am now, a quarter-century has felt as brief.

The Marvels: Generally satisfying, with some inconsistencies

I didn't even know The Marvels had been released last week. With so much talk and rumours of release dates being pushed back, I stopped paying attention. If not for a chance mention on my socials, I might not even have got a ticket for today.

Warning: spoiler-y review ahead.

The Marvels unfortunately has had the lowest opening weekend of all MCU movies, and quite undeservedly so. It was a fun story (I liked it better than Quantumania), but perhaps the stakes were hugely disproportional to the battles that were mostly fought hand-to-hand in a champion takes all contest. And since there were three heroes against one villain, it didn't really seem like a fair fight. And for the most part, the villain was sort of fighting with one hand tied behind her (yes, her) back. Perhaps that was the point. Dar-Ben's backstory puts her in a position to want to do something to save her people, the Kree, from an impossible situation, but the odds are very much stacked against her. I understand the heroic courage that drives her, and the desperation plus revenge motivation behind her awful choices, but her approach to grand theft cosmos was doomed from the start. You can't save your people's homes by destroying other people's homes -- a very pertinent message for the crisis in Gaza right now.

The movie begins in utter confusion, reflecting the Marvels' own sense of what-is-going-on as they abruptly switch places with each other. Like us, they get dropped into situations with no context, either in the midst of hostilities, or bringing hostiles into previously peaceful locations -- specifically the Khans' living room which gets gratuitously wrecked in the process. It's fun to watch Mom and Dad Khan tag-teaming to fight off two fully trained Kree warriors, and not being very successful at it. In the aftermath, their house has a new skylight which wasn't there before. It's ok, Nick Fury's SABER will pay for the damage, I'm sure.

The confusion gets some clarity when people stop punching and shooting each other and start talking. Everything has to do with Kamala's family heirloom, the twin of which Dar-ben has found and is using to open unstable portals in space-time to aid her nefarious plan -- like Dr Strange stealing forbidden books from Wong's library, but on a much grander scale. It's the energy from these unstable portals that causes the location switching, which eventually they learn to coordinate and turn into a fighting advantage, leading to some interestingly choreographed fight scenes.

They are too late to save the first of Dar-Ben's targeted worlds, and it's uncertain if they do save the second or not -- a disturbingly unresolved plotline. It's also the world with what I felt as a silly, unnecessary Bollywood type culture thrown in just because. Gratuitous. Carol has personal ties with this planet just to raise the stakes a little, but I don't see that the Marvels did enough to save it. I hope we'll find out in time to come, but if that world perished, it'll be one more thing on Carol's conscience.

Of course, Dar-Ben targets Earth next, and it's for all the marbles. Monica does a heroic thing, and Carol gets a redemption. I thought they might use Carol's redemption act to de-power her so that she can be less OP enough to fit into the new MCU team-up storylines moving forward, but she still looks none the worse for wear after her cosmic feat of strength. And while Kamala gets to go home with a souvenir after her space adventure, Nick Fury (especially after the events of Secret Invasion) is going to be very unhappy with two new alien populations living on Earth, one of which he knows about, and one which he doesn't... yet.

But it's Monica's epilogue that is probably going to trigger the next phase of the MCU, if you stay and watch the end credits. There is one final end credits scene, but in my screening the screen went into screen saver mode and there was only sound. I couldn't see a thing, but the sound was unmistakable. Was it important? Probably not. Stay for bladder-holding bragging rights, if you want.

Sushi at Keyaki

The most expensive nigiri sushi I have ever ordered. This is Keyaki, Pan Pacific Hotel. Today commemorates educators, and I spent it using the $50 restaurant voucher I picked up from the raffle held during our staff appreciation dinner over a week ago. It was the 30th prize, or something.

Keyaki is on the 4th floor of the Pan Pac. It's located within a gorgeous Japanese themed roof garden. The place is so Zen, I couldn't find the main entrance. Good thing I bumped into the chef who kindly beckoned me to follow him. Along the wall opposite the koi pond, there's a section that looks gold-painted. It's a sliding door that I walked past a couple of times, wondering if I needed a sling ring to open a mystical portal or something.

Once inside, the staff greeted me very calmly and politely, and seated me immediately. I inquired about the T&Cs of my voucher, and that turned out to be a smart thing to do. It only applied to a la carte items on the menu, so thankfully I didn't go whole hog to order the $280 omakase first, only to find out later that the voucher would have been no good.

So that was how I ended up with this selection of 7 pieces of sushi and a dessert. Left to right they are: tuna belly, striped jack, blue fin tuna, salmon, scallop, sweet shrimp, and sea urchin. The setting was so fancy, I couldn't bring myself to dump the wasabi into the shoyu and stir it up into the salty, pungent, pasty condiment that we like to do here. It had to be eaten properly. Take a pinch of wasabi, balance it on the fish side (actually, is this how it's done?), pick up the piece with chopsticks, turn the piece upside down, and carefully dip the fish side into the shoyu before putting the whole thing in your mouth in one bite. Chew a slice of ginger between pieces to reset the mouth, getting it ready for the next flavour.

My big mistake was to start with the tuna belly which I knew I should have saved as the piece de resistance, but I couldn't help myself. As soon as I tasted how good it was with the fatty texture and hint of fish oil, instant regret. It would have been the perfect finishing move, but no, I made it my opening gambit instead. The remaining 6 pieces were still very, very good, regardless. Each piece was fresh and flavourful, the urchin tasted like cream of ocean. Each piece drew a breath of appreciation, and I had to close my eyes to focus on the different textures and flavours that they literally brought to the table. 

I hope wait staff, Agnes (I think), interpreted my facial contortions to mean that I was enjoying the food. She was attentive to refilling my green tea, so she must have been watching her tables closely.

Dessert was this mango ume jelly served like a parfait with a topping of mango ice-cream. The strawberries were a surprise, but they added extra colour and a light, tangy twist to what would have been overwhelmingly mango. The portion was bigger than anticipated, and I'm speculating that perhaps 2 mangoes were involved as some of the mango cubes looked a slightly different shade from the others. The ume jelly was oddly fluffy, so that was another interesting texture for the mouth to enjoy.

One thing, though. After finishing dessert, I felt light-headed and became wheezy. My nose started to run. I know these symptoms: allergies. What could I have been allergic to? Running through the ingredient list in my head, I zeroed in on the jelly. Plum wine jelly (umeshu???), to be precise, and I am allergic to alcohol. I underestimated the potency of plum wine and was now experiencing the consequences.

Step one: don't panic, keep absolutely calm. Step two: breathe slow and deep -- get as much oxygen as the thoracic constriction would allow. I sat there for a while like that until I felt ready to pay the bill. $80 balance remaining from the $50 voucher. Not bad, I was prepared to pay more. Decided to walk my condition off, so I hoofed it to the MRT station for a ride home. As expected, by the time I got back, the allergic reaction had worn off. I'm fully functional again, with quite a lunch to remember.

GTA IRL: Singapore style

Got my first ever speeding ticket, but as is most police procedure around here, in the least dramatic fashion. There aren't a lot of cops to spare, and collateral is expensive to damage, so no high-speed car chases, no sirens wailing, no angry amplified voices yelling at me to 'pull over!' No. I get a polite letter in the mail informing me that the car (plate no. XXXX) registered to me was involved in a speeding incident on this date and time, along this road. Could I please 'furnish' traffic police with the name and licence of the driver of the car at that date/time/location by (deadline). They didn't say, 'or else'. No need.

They have me dead to rights. They have video evidence since traffic cameras are everywhere on the roads these days, but they won't assume who the driver was. They give me a chance to self-incriminate, and I have to because there's no one else I can defensibly blame for the infraction.  They give me a QR code to a secure site on which I can sheepishly admit my guilt, and it's done. Then I just sit back and check my mailbox for few days to see what my punishment will be.

Today, the dreaded letter arrives. I could have been fined $150 and received 4 demerit points. Instead, I am let off with an admonishment, a warning, and an exhortation to please maintain road safety when driving. I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing full well that I must keep my nose clean for at least a year to avoid getting the book thrown at me for a second violation too close to the first one.

But what caused me to exceed the speed limit that day? I cannot say for sure, but I remember another car in front of me straddling 2 lanes and going really slowly for quite some distance. I tolerated this speed bump of a driver for as long as I could before I went a little nuts. When a window opened up to overtake him (or her) I took it, but my emotionally charged state probably kept my foot on the accelerator for longer than it should have been. BUSTED.

If it wasn't this situation, I can't imagine how else I could possibly have been driving at 80 km/h on a 70 km/h road.

A brief peek into METALVERSE

A surprise fancam drop of METALVERSE (don't call them CHIBIMETAL any more) performing at SummerSonic 2023 in Tokyo, presumably last night. Not three, but five members performing a three song set. The good news is that they present original music, and while the lore goes that they are an alternate universe version of BABYMETAL, thankfully they look and sound somewhat different from their renowned predecessors instead of being a carbon copy.

This performance shows METALVERSE has quite a task ahead of them to emerge from the immense shadow that their older sisters have cast. The major advantage BABYMETAL had starting out was the WTF factor in the fusion of metal, pop, choreography, the age of the performers, the other genres of music that got blended in the production studio like no one knew what they were doing. Yet the end product turned out to be a beautiful miracle rather than the disaster it could have been. BABYMETAL was a fusion of Frankenstein monster parts, but it was cared for, nurtured lovingly, allowed to grow with a life of its own, and eventually become its own thing that captured the imagination of the world.

METALVERSE's version of fusion metal looks like its been put together by people who have learned from their past experiments, and now know what they are doing. The production is slick and professional (other than being viewed on fancam footage), it's well rehearsed and delivers strongly in musicality and choreography. And that's the problem: second child syndrome. It lacks an edge from the risk that the whole thing could fall flat on its face, which would have made us appreciate the effort, commitment, work ethic, and belief that the entire production crew put into making a show that shouldn't work work. 

METALVERSE works right out of the box. The production looks effortless and by-the-numbers. It feels designed not to fail, so it's missing out on the underdog status that gets a crowd behind tiny but dedicated heroes giving their all to accomplish a nigh impossible task. Without having much to root for, the crowd sounded a bit passive when lead singer, Miko, tried to engage them in the third song. Also, her call was asking for a bit more sophistry than the audience was prepared to give. Had the response been more intuitively and organically baked into the music, the audience might have been more inclined to jump in.

There is nothing bad in this performance -- it was actually quite enjoyable. But at the same time, it looked and felt like everything was done for me, and so, having little else to contribute to the show beyond my applause, I was happy to just sit back and soak it in.

Still, this is only a little taste of what METALVERSE can do. We'll get a much better picture once they make their official debut in Tokyo on 24 August. Still hoping there's room for crazy.

'Metali' MV is an energy vortex of joy and fun

I reacted to the audio-only track of 'Metali' in my previous post. The official video adds so much more to the enjoyment of this new BABYMETAL single.

Like its predecessors, 'Megitsune' and 'Karate', this video is very proudly Japanese: in set featuring traditional architecture, traditional costume in both festival and theatre attire, and even the lighting in the early part of the video displays rays radiating from the circular portal behind SU, suggesting the Rising Sun flag from Japan's earlier, more nationalistic days.

Although there is much tradition to be proud of, the ladies throw shade at the more oppressive parts of their culture. Their choreography comprises high stepping and stomping, with aggressive arm and hand movements, very unladylike. While dancing, MOA and MOMO 'accidentally' kick over traditional tea sets which can be seen as symbols of female subservience, and the ladies are having none of it. There is also the shocking visual of many 'fox signs' suddenly breaking through the traditional paper wall mid-ground, immediately followed by another jump-scare of two characters physically bursting through walls both stage left and right. These elements continue the band's penchant for fun horror movie imagery, but also reinforce their central message of breaking past barriers, like they constantly have had to do, while encouraging their audience to do the same.

Masks from Japanese theatre return, but other than the expected kitsune masks which feature in some backgrounds, in the foreground the supporting mass dancers wear human faces, representing us in the audience dancing, singing and chanting, being part of the festival, and really the show. The mid-piece breakdown unexpectedly throws back to a Japanese theatrical narration. Since MOMO takes the spotlight here, the voice is probably her's even if we only see her dancing, not vocalizing. This directorial choice keeps the energy going instead of slowing the pace to a standstill, which would break the momentum, and nobody wants that.

Energy is such a huge part of this song. The melody is super-catchy, the moves are big and deceptively easy to follow, and the audience participation is built in so obviously that when SU calls, without hesitation we want to yell back at the top of our lungs, punching the air while we do so. Somehow, self-consciousness gets shoved aside in this energy vortex, and everyone just gets sucked into being one with the performance. 'Live' in concert, this song would be an experience like no other.

We also get to see Tom Morello's contribution. Not familiar with him or his work, watching him play the guitar in the latter part of the video and hearing his beautifully weird East-West fusion on strings is a privilege. That last visual of the three ladies sitting on his guitar, waving at the crowd, is their tribute and thanks to Morello. The placement of the guitar makes them look like they are literally standing (in this case sitting) on the shoulder of a giant. Such humility in respecting their inspirations guiding them forward.

BABYMETAL is best experienced 'live', but they do occasionally put out official MVs that slap hard -- I'm thinking 'Megitsune' and 'Karate' as among my favourites. This one, 'Metali', shoots straight up to the top of my list. It has me dancing in my chair with every re-watch. That's my main criterion for a great music video.

BABYMETAL return to their Japanese roots in 'Metali'

BABYMETAL has gone home to Japan with their latest single after touring the world for creative inspiration. 'Metali' features the most traditional Japanese instrumentation since 'Megitsune' from a decade ago. It opens with the strings of (presumably) a shamisen which continues to be prominent in the music throughout. Likewise, the musical composition sounds East Asian, reminiscent of some traditional Japanese festivals involving music and interactive chanting. Yet, the main instrumental accompaniment is straight up metal, rhythmic and heavy, unrelenting and powerful. That, I'm guessing is where guest musician, Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), comes in to seamlessly blend West with East.

SU's vocals are almost aggressive: still melodic, but tends to be inspired by their fellow contemporary Japanese female-led metal bands, a genre arguably pioneered by BABYMETAL, so it's come full circle with the original taking inspiration from those they inspired. It's also notable that this is the first original BABYMETAL song released with MOMOMETAL as the official third member of the new trio. The chorus sounds nice and full again with the voices of MOA and MOMO combining as one to aid with the heavy lifting.

The theatrical narration midway through the track adds to the sense of homecoming. The voice is as yet uncredited, but I'm speculating it could be MOMO's given her experience with musical theatre during her early career. It could just as well be SU's or MOA's, though, as they, too, are vocally versatile.

I just looked up the translation for "wasshoi", which is repeatedly chanted, and indeed it is a word that is used in traditional festivals to get everyone in sync and work together to lift a shrine for a grand parade. It's a homecoming for BABYMETAL, and they've brought the whole world back with them for the party!

'Metali' dropped on 18 August 2023, and is available on YouTube (above), and on Spotify. Probably elsewhere too.

Edit: Big surprise! It's not just new music on YouTube, but a whole new official music video! This band gives so much, and keeps on giving. And I was there for the premiere!

Long Service

Amy gave me the scoop on being put on the list of recipients of The Long Service Medal (Pingat Bakti Setia) from among this year's National Day Awardees. She has good eyes, being that in this category alone, there are already over a thousand folks listed from just my industry.

Long service counts 25 years of employment in the Civil Service, including the 2 years I spent in full-time National Service. Funny that when I signed on in this industry, I thought I would only serve out my contract of three years before I would lose my mind, or get kicked out, whichever came first. Where I am currently serving, I will say that while there are inevitable push factors, there have been no pull factors at all strong enough to overcome more than two decades of job inertia.

The criterion is really about time served. If it had been any more stringent, well, let's just say that my service hasn't exactly been exemplary. Too much rebellion, too many mistakes, and probably a lot of upset people to take the shine off the silver, I reckon. But I have always striven to be civil, so there's that.

A quarter century. It still doesn't feel like it was that long ago that I felt the need to do some responsible adulting. Somebody has to keep this and the other furballs in kibble.

Ahem, the least you could do is look grateful.