hate

Post-Jordanism: noun- The artistic (cultural?) movement which began in late 2011. Works within this deal with themes of existential crisis, identity crisis, posttraumatic stress disorder, the state of being broken, intrusive thoughts of (non)existent(?) memory, the morbid preoccupation with suicide, grief, uncontrollable emotion, and darkness as a simple abstract concept. ex. 1: "Kill me."

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Regarding my Fear writings

When I write something that takes another person's creation, I tend to take my liberties with it if I'm allowed permission. In Jordan Eats Normally Now, readers are wondering why my Empty City isn't "behaving" like The Empty City "should." This is also because of the liberties I take. I like to make sure everyone's guessing, and if not even the creators are sure how their creations work, then you have some proper horror.

Case in point: Mister Troy Wagner took some liberties with the slender man when making Marble Hornets Part 1, and now his artistic vision of the creature has wound up becoming the norm for most slenderblogs.

Monday, September 26, 2011

A school update

I'm currently in the computer lab in second period at my high school. I'm surprised they haven't blocked Blogger.

I've finished my history project way early, and so now I'm without work. I want to just write.

Writing helps me escape from the world. Jordan Eats focuses a lot on psychological horror, and with good reason-- I really do go through that kind of horror almost every day. Writing helps me leave it, even if only for a little bit. Writing takes me away from all the stresses, the neverending worries, the pools of sheer eldritch thoughts that I can't possibly organize (and yet have already arranged themselves in patterns I can't recognize), and all the memories of abuse.

Horror is my genre, and there is very good reason for it.

What is "Jordan Eats Normally Now?"

Off to the side of this blog, you may spot a gadget referring to itself as my "online resume." On it are a series of links to various works of mine. It's not complete, despite what it may tell you. I don't remember all of my works, and there are bound to be a few I don't even want to share. But in the meantime, I had may as well describe what each link actually links to.

Jordan Eats Normally Now


Way early in the year (around February-ish, I'd say), I was asked by a fellow troper whether I could provide an eldritch abomination for a little project of his. He specifically asked for a "Water Elemental" for something he referred to as simply "A New Mythos." The mythos was to be a mythos of creepypasta and other assorted internet horror featuring an assortment of baddies, and my pal wanted a water-based one.

So I go to the New Mythos thread and throw out five brainstorms for "water elemental" abominations. One of them is a tentacled pondmonster, one is a Victorian-era lady of steam, one is a strange mist in the middle of the desert, one is something that possesses grandfathers, and one is a ten-staged "blog comment virus." I decide to blend two together-- the first and the last.

I have now created an eldritch abomination. But what to call it? For now, it's just called "the Water Elemental." I think for a while, and I discover an oddity in horror: a lot of horror is inspired by heavy metal or folk or just plain rock lyrics, with a lot of the eldritch inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. I set my heart out on being different. I set my heart out on being inspired by progressive rock, and the works of Stephen King and Troy Wagner.

I begin to come up with the inner workings of my beast, crafting the details of the "ten-stage blog virus," merging it with the tentacled pond-monster. I look into what could possibly be more original than tentacles in a pond, and I find out through a fellow troper that many fungi have "string"-like extensions that are similar in appearance to tentacles. I decide to make my Water Elemental a sort of eldritch fungus. ..that expels ink.

You see, the Water Elemental works by "eating" the water in a body of liquid and replacing it all with its "ink." Its ink looks exactly like water and tastes exactly like it, but if it happens to "eat" all the water in your body (70% water!)? Welcome to the hive mind, bitch. Welcome to her hive mind.

Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends.


I still need a name, though. So I open up my music library and take a look at some of the most progressive stuff I have. I spot two names: Genesis' "The Battle of Epping Forest" and Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "Tarkus." I start throwing brainstorms out there. "The Pond Epper?" Not quite. "The Epping Tarkus?" Close, but something's missing. ...then I remember the seventh movement of "Tarkus:" Aquatarkus.

"The Epping AquaTarkus." Say hello to EAT.

My colleagues love it. "EAT." It sounds so evil.
But it's not evil. It's patient, it's growing, and it's not of this world, but it's not evil.
It's perfect. But also learning. Learning about us.

Now I just need a story.

What's wrong with most blog horror stories? They're obviously fake; the protagonist has a couple of normal entries before "OMG SLENDER MAN." The prose is too.. formal; if a character meets and has a lengthy discussion with someone or something, when they get home that night, they will recount every single detail of the conversation word-for-word. They're hard to follow if using multiple media; EverymanHYBRID is the perfect offender of this, with several blogs and YouTube channels and Twitters that require multiple timelines just to follow accurately.

To remedy the first problem, I decide to use a blog I'd been keeping since age twelve. Originally titled DJay32's Paper Dimension, renamed Jordan, Large But Not in Charge, and then finally (coincidentally) renamed Jordan Eats Normally Now, this blog has as realistic of a backlog as it gets; it really is real.

To remedy the second problem, I make sure my protagonist omits a lot of information and is as unreliable and untalkative about his life as it gets. If he has a discussion with someone in the day, he'll go home to blog and either give a rough recollection of events or not mention it at all.

To remedy the third problem, I make sure all external media is captured in screenshot/link and posted on the main blog. If a new reader were to read only the blog, they would therefore get the whole story, despite many videos being uploaded to YouTube and other blogs being involved.

Now, what about the story?

I decide to take my "blog virus" concept and have that be the catalyst. The rest will be synopsed right now.

Overture:
Jordan Dooling used to frequent a blog titled Progression Enhanced that analyzed and broke down prog albums. Then he stopped, only to come back several months later to find the blog removed. Through a fellow frequenter, he's provided with saved screenshots of every entry, revealing the first pieces to a puzzle Jordan begins to wish he'd never attempted solving.

Movement I- Investigative Implications:
Jordan receives an anonymous email citing a nearby address. This is an abandoned house-- abandoned, that is, other than the blogger behind Progression Enhanced. As he investigates, he discovers a series of experimental videos, and a second blog that seems to have suffered the same fate as Progression, the biggest link being the final comment by "The Camper."

Movement II- The Camper House:
Jordan discovers a third blog that has fallen victim to "The Camper:" The Topography of Thought. This one only raises more questions. Continuing his investigation of the mysterious house, Jordan tries bringing his brother along, only for things to get quite a bit more serious than either could have predicted.

Movement III- Topographic Silence:
After the surprising new events, Jordan is left alone in stunned confusion. Old blogs are reawakened, developments increase exponentially in terms of crypticness, and Jordan begins the slow descent into losing his sanity-- as well as his blog!

Movement IV- Doors Open Wide:
Jordan's sanity is hanging by threads at this point, and yet unfortunately, it's got a lot further to go. The only things certain in this movement are that insanity is painful, and the unknown doesn't care about your past.

Movement V- Regressional Performance:
Jordan's on the run from The Camper, and he thinks he can still save his sanity while he's at it. But the better question is, can he save his brother? Can he save himself?


(Epilogue)


That's the whole story, right there. I worked hard on it for a good eleven months, and with the end of it came the end of an era.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Posts and drafts I intend on writing and finishing, part 1

Descriptions of every link in the "online resume" gadget (need to finish Jordan Eats Normally Now post)

Prog analyses that would make Progression Enhanced proud (need to finish Systematic Chaos analysis)

Status updates and behind-the-scenes info about my various stories.

Posts about my life.

Various miscellaneous thoughts of mine.

Eventually, venturing into blogging about cinema.

Friday, September 23, 2011

"The magic is gone."

I often wonder if, after reading enough books, after listening to enough music, after watching enough films, I'll "understand" the "key" to that medium and anything I see further will lack the "magic."

Well, as I grow older and learn more of the literary archetypes and building blocks, comprehend the complexities of musical theory, and study the many arts of cinema, I've found that understanding how they work only furthers to amplify the "magic." I love "getting" what's so special to be found in art, and I especially love discovering hidden depths within works that I never would have caught had I never looked into the fundamentals of the crafts.

Looking back on history helps, too. History shows me so many works that do never-before-seen techniques, works that inspire, works that are forever to be considered "masterpieces." I realize that, in the future, the works of our time will be viewed back and thought of similarly. Knowing how expansive art is, I realize that there will always be some new technique, some new way to inspire, a myriad of new "masterpieces" to be crafted. I see this, and I enthuse in discovering where art will take us next.

What can I say? I'm a writer with a love for complex music and an enthusiasm for cinema.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

On Proggasms

Something to note about my experiences with music is that I tend to spazz out and/or sweat heavily when I find a section of music that I really love. I'm not saying I headbang or dance or whatnot; I mean I sweat when I'm just sitting there, listening. After much examination of the music that invokes these reactions in me, I came to the conclusion that I tend to do it during extended instrumental sections, particularly ones that truly progress from catchy riff to atmospheric interlude to 100% wankeriffic solo to DAT UNISON to reprisal to catchy riff and back again. And if there happens to be an unconventional time signature in there somewhere? Oh god yes.

This, the experience of excitement invoked purely by overly-progressive self-indulgent wankery, is what I like to call a proggasm. An orgasm caused by prog.

I first coined the term "proggasm" in reference to Dream Theater's 2005 epic "Octavarium." As soon as the second movement ends and DAT KEYBOARD SOLO starts, I get lost in nirvana. This continues on and on and on and on and on, progressing and ebbing and flowing and spiraling all around amidst references and arpeggios and sheer unadulterated wankery before hitting movement four (Intervals). Here, my proggasm is amplified, rising exponentially as each line is sung, cultivating in the ultra-satisfying climax at the song's sole chorus ("Trapped inside this octavarium!") before coming to a very crashing Welcome-Back-To-Earth halt as the fifth movement begins. Ever since, I've been on the lookout for any other piece or section that invokes a similar reaction in me, hoping to find another equally-satisfying proggasm.

Just thought you should know.

A Dramatic First Impression of Events

On Dream Theater's newest release, A Dramatic Turn of Events, I have a few first impressions to give.

On the Backs of Angels is an interesting opener. I had heard this so many times before thanks to its release as a single back in June, and the structure is remarkably like "Pull Me Under." The vocals are catchy and the solo is memorable.

Build Me Up, Break Me Down should have been the single. Goddamn, this song has enough balls to make former drummer Mike Portnoy proud. The song reminds me a lot of "You Not Me" off of Falling into Infinity, which I loved. The instrumental section was beautiful. One of my favourites.

Lost Not Forgotten is everything that is right about Dream Theater. I adore every element of this song except for the abrupt ending. But really, that's a small price to pay for the utter beauty surrounding the rest of the piece. Easily one of my favourites.

This is the Life kinda... dragged on a little. But I'm certain this is entirely because it was just my first listen of the album. The sound, itself, was fantastic, and the time signature was catchy as hell.

Bridges in the Sky, on my first listen, was hard to follow and hard to judge. On my second, I found its rhythms pleasantly fun and its chorus amazing. The instrumental section deserves a lot of praise, as well. One of my favourites.

Outcry features one of the greatest proggasms I've had since "The Dark Eternal Night" and "Octavarium" before that. It lasts forever, and I love that. This song reminds me a lot of "Metropolis, pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper" off of Images & Words. Except better. The sound is crisp and beautiful, the melodies catchy, the lyrics sublime. Easily one of my favourites off the album.

Far From Heaven is beauty. I'd say it's like Train of Thought's "Vacant" in spirit but with more expansion. Depressing lyrics juxtaposed quite effectively by a seemingly-positive piece. Loved it.

Breaking All Illusions gave off a huge "Learning to Live" vibe from the start. The instrumental section's gorgeous. I need to listen to this more to be able to appreciate it fully. Loved the reprisal of "Far From Heaven's" melody.

Beneath the Surface is a peculiar closer. Very pretty all around, stunning vocals, definitely something I want to listen more to.

All in all, the album is promising at worst. There's at least two Grade A proggasms to be found just to be found from my first listening alone, and I could easily tell the rest of the album has many hidden secrets requiring multiple listens. Hell, simply listening to "Bridges in the Sky" for a second time made that song ten times better.

I look so forward to seeing what this album will look like in retrospect.

Welcome to OOG.

With the release of Dream Theater's A Dramatic Turn of Events, and Roadrunner Records' delayed shipment of it to those who preordered it, I was stricken with an interesting train of thought. Pun intended.

I'm not that happy.


Not only that, but I have several blogs out there but none where I can openly talk about my feelings. Most of my blogs are stories of their own wherein any posts about my actual life would be terribly out-of-character.

Not only that, but I have a lot of musical talk I need to get straight in my head. A Dramatic Turn of Events helped me realize this. I need a place where I can just talk about stuff, especially music, y'know?

So there you have it. My name is Jordan "DJay32" Dooling, and I'm a prog fan with a lot to say.


Oh, and Fear Mythos fans? This blog is the spiritual successor to Progression Enhanced.