ON LIMINAL SPACES

 Liminal spaces. Everyone's heard of them by now, right? The 2020 to 2024 golden age of them, with Exit 8 and The Backrooms and all of that.

My problem? I Don't like The Backrooms. I don't like Exit 8. But I love liminal spaces.

Everyone's seen this damn wallpaper by now, yeah? The oh so spooky, scary, yellow rooms! No-clipping through space time reality! Monsters chasing you! Horror is what people think of when they think of liminal spaces. The now overdone tropes of liminal spaces somehow being Wrong.

I really, really hate that. Liminal spaces aren't just about being afraid, in fact, that's not even the main schtick! 

Wikipedia says that "Broadly, the term liminal space is used to describe a place or state of change or transition" and that "The aesthetic may convey moods of eeriness, surrealness, nostalgia, or sadness, and elicit responses of both comfort and unease"

So, why is it all unease? Why is it that everywhere I look, I see liminal spaces depicted as these horrifying, terrible things!

Liminal spaces are comforting. To me.

Think to your favorite movie, or at least one you've seen in theatres.

Were you scared, walking down those empty halls? Would you have been scared, if the movie started and you were alone in the theatre?

I wasn't. I was free. I had never felt so free in my life. There is something so, so comforting about a liminal space. You won't stay here forever, but the time that you do is almost mystical. Have you ever felt disorientated, finally walking out of the movie theatre to either harsh daylight or a foreign night? Instantly sobered, once reality struck again?

Wouldn't you wish to go back to the comfort of escapism?

Would you, or would you not, allow yourself to live in an empty movie theatre? See whatever's running, get overly expensive buttered popcorn. Roll around on the strange carpeted floor and breath in that smell that you only recognize as the theatre itself, nothing more?

I would take that deal in a heartbeat. Cradled by this, unreality. I want nothing more.

Now, think of a gas station. Or a supermarket.

Think of just wandering around the isles, looking at every miscellaneous snack and sweet they have. The strange variants of gummy bears you haven't heard of, pizza flavored chips that you're pretty sure would give you food poisoning.

Wasn't it nice, only thinking about them, if only for these brief moments before checkout? Wouldn't it be nice, to be able to stay in a gas station, surrounded by catalogued items that you won't need, but still want?

Weren't the grocery stores nice for the same reason? Infinite things at your finger tips- if you had around twenty dollars. Five, maybe, if you just want a snack.

Really, any store in reality. They felt so nice. Even if people were around you, they didn't care about you. They wanted their milk and eggs and bread, and you could just wander looking for something to eat.

Finally, think of an airport. The most controversial one of them all.

Full of wandering people, some knowing where they're going, some not. Sure, there are some crying infants, but if you put on headphones and turn it all the way up, you'll find yourself in the same zombie-like trance as the crowd.

You usually have a few hours before your plane actually launches, leading you to do nothing at all. Wandering, sleeping, checking out the over-expensive tacky clothes some stands are selling, alongside the 12 dollar chocolate bars (at best!)

Think of not caring what anybody thinks of you, because they're out of it too. You've all woken up too early, you've all stayed up too late. It doesn't matter how you dress, sound, nothing matters at all. You're just another person, and they're just trying to get to their exit.

Play puzzle games on your phone, maybe. Read a book. Pass the time however you want, before you're boarded onto another place that doesn't feel like your home at all. You're free here, if you get past the long lines and long wait times.

You don't need to care about anything.

...So, in conclusion, I like liminal spaces.

I like the transience they give me, the lack of worry. The still, placid calmness is all I need. All I want.

The world keeps passing by me, so I'd just like a safe place to stay while it takes the last train out.

And, I'm sick and tired of them being used for horror. The stillness isn't the horror, your mind is. The outside is. Just shut it all off and enjoy your movie, okay? 

UNDERGROUND MUSIC ARTISTS

Every day, I go on to my spotify. And every day, I find more underground alt rock.

How does this happen? Why does this happen? Why aren't five hundred thousand people listening to this, instead of whatever overrated crap is being played right now?

It's a mystery- an atrocity. One that I must right.

So! Here's a list of music artists (mostly if not all alt rock. I got a genre I like, aight?) that I believe should be getting a few more monthly listeners than they are.

Syzygy  

Their "Trans War Criminal" EP is real short - only 14 minutes long, and it's really worth it to listen. Please, listen.

Tina Growls

I love their "Love Slaves" EP - only three songs! My favorite song from them has to be Microwave though, love it!

hunnybucket

Even though they only have two songs out, god are they good. Hunger Szn will never leave my ears again.

Lucy Chris

God, the guitar is brutal. The vocals are brutal. In the sense of them ripping my heart out, of course. I haven't added any fry screaming to this list just yet. But still, oh please check them out.

Heavenly Blue

Don't you just love punk? I love punk! Heavenly Blue scratches my riotgrrl/punk itch just right, vocals whiny and lyrics angry. Hell yeah.

Captain Sunshine

What are people calling this now? Midwest emo? It's my own personal confession that I actually suck at labels on genres and the like. What I do know is that this band is so fucking gas, but in the way that feels like it's kicking me when I'm down. Do check out.

Violet Scum

Although they only have one album out, god is it good. The type of noise to drown everything out- which is exactly what I need.

The Bassments

Alright, enough of that depression bullcrap. Bittersweet music, though it's moreso like a sour/sweet snake gummy than anything. Tastes like teenage-hood. Yummy

NOW ! This isn't the end of the list of underground bands. Not by a long shot. But this is all I've added right now. Check back in some time, and I'll definitely have more up. And, and, please do recommend some more in the comments. We want our musicians getting credit, y'all! xoxo - listen to music and sing along

ABOUT ME

Well, let's get the important things out of the way first.

I am: the youth! a youngin! Some people may even call me the new generation! Now, I'm not going to tell you my exact age, internet safety and all that. But just know that you're reading the blog of some random teenager, 'kay?

Now, if I wanted to actually be internet cautious, I wouldn't be making a blog at all. But that's 

bo-ring! People in the past had their myspace or whatever, why can't I have my blogger? Call it appreciating my ancestors culture if you may.

Now that that's out of the way, hi! It's me! My name is either Razz or Gerry, choose whichever ya want. I live in the big U S of A, which is not looking very good for me right now. But, hey, what am I supposed to do about that?

^^ hey ! that's my art !

I'm planning on using this blog as a way of cataloguing my art journey, to see if I'm improving at all. That'll be under the ART tag, if you want to actively look for that.

I'm also planning on using this blog as a DIARY of sorts, because I have a lot of thoughts about a lot of things. And I think they're bad enough to be qualified to be shared out into the world. So, if you wanna see the beautiful workings of my mind, go see that tag.

I also really, really like recommending things. Music, movies, things I want to have more love! That's what SUGGESTIONS for. 

In the end though, I'll just be using this blog for anything. I don't have a plan! I'm probably not doing this right! But, that's fine by me. It's the readers problem, not mine!

Now, ah, about me. The thing this post was for- right. Well, I've told you my name, gave you enough about my age, what next?

Riiiiight, pronouns. Gender. I don't care about those! Take your best guess if you really want to refer to me, whatever reason that might be.

Want to know what is important to me? Bands. God, I love music. I'll be MUSIC posting a lot- if you want to see that too. My favorite bands right now are IDKHOW and The Strokes, favorite genres all being some form of Rock. People keep calling my music taste 'indie', even though that's NOT A GENRE !! Anything can be indie, I'll do a triple backflip and die if I'm forced to stare at the words POV: indie one more time. Peace and love and thank you.

And... that's it. End of the About Me. Am I cool? Yes. Don't even joke lad, my ego is up in the sky.