arts // no. § Rezz releases Halloween bangers > ‘Nightmare on Rezz Street’ music review Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor wxewekwnkx Re” name Isabelle Rezazadeh—is n electronic dance music producer who recently released a 32-minute audio track titled Nightmare on Rezz Street . It is a Halloween mix of unreleased original music, both old and new. “I want my fans to hear it because I always wonder what my favourite artists never released,” said Rezz in the YouTube video bio. Each track of the mix is complemented by a unique music video counterpart. It was released on October 22 and is available to download for free on SoundCloud. Ina video posted on her Twitter the day of the mix’s release, Rezz told followers that her visual team worked hard on the project. “A lot of us lost a lot of sleep over it. It was actually kind of stressful because it was pretty last minute,” she said. The project itself was done quickly and with vigour, with Rezz also stating in the video that that “Everyone had to really get it together and push really hard because I wanted it to be ready in time for Halloween.” Although the tracks on the mix sound quite different, it is hard to tell when one track has ended and another has begun. This is both a positive and a negative: While the flow and mixing between the tracks is smooth, it makes the tracks themselves a little indistinguishable. However, Rezz has stated that this fluidity was intentional. Each song in the mix is titled “ID” because she wants the mix to stand as one entity rather than a composition of multiple tracks. The harmonies in all of Rezz’s songs are extremely characteristic of her sound. There are minor keys within the bass and drum programming, while single notes in synths complete the chords and create a storyline throughout the mix. I’ve noticed more play with crashes in this mix than most of her other recent releases from Certain Kind of Magic. ld imagine the tracks with more crashes are from her older unreleased music, which makes listening to Nightmare on Rezz Street that much more of an experience, since we can try to listen to how her skill and music have evolved. The visuals coincide with the audio in a way that makes you feel like you can’t look away. The bass booms in your ears while your eyes are glued to swimming DNA particles and red flames engulfing the screen. There are clips of animations where you can see a videogame form theotherpress.ca Still from Youtube video by Rezz of Rezz traversing burning forests and cities, using her magical powers to create a tornado of fire. We see both audio and visual clips from movies, layered upon each other to create creepy distortions of faces and scenes. Near the end there are real-life scenes of Rezz in a forest wearing large metal claws and her iconic light-up glasses. “If you're seeing me on tour in the next couple months you'll be getting a Certain Kind Of Magic x Nightmare On Rezz Street set,” said Rezz on her Twitter on October 23. She is performing at the PNE Forum in Vancouver on November 17. Cheryl Blossom is the new Robin Hood > ‘Riverdale’ season 3 TV show review Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor kek YY he new season of Riverdale is... a lot. As in, I can't breathe half the time because I’m so emotionally invested, which is kind of embarrassing. The cliff-hangers, the foreshadowing, and the dramatic music make an even bigger return to the show. Reading a sign by a swimming pool that says, “Caution: No Swimming After Labour Day” probably shouldn’t make me gasp thinking somebody is totally about to die right now, but I did—which makes me wonder if the show may be just a bit over- dramatized. The background music should be just that—background—but it is so painfully obvious in trying set the mood. Hearing party ambience switch to thudding horror movie music is an uncomfortable jump. It takes away from the suspense that should already be present without the rave in my ears of cacophonic dial tones. Is that Michael Myers? Nope, just Jughead Jones, who may just be the same person. Oddly, the time period seems off, as though Riverdale is now set about two decades before the last season. Film cameras, olden-timey dresses, and vintage filters are put on the scenes. Suddenly there is a lack of connection to modern times, unlike the last two seasons which could have passed as any 2o10s teen flick. The main issue I have here is consistency with its older seasons, but if the producers really wanted this change, then props to them because it is working. The protagonists Archie Andrews, Veronica Lodge, Jughead Jones, Betty ee Ta _— t - - 1 Cooper, Cheryl Blossom, and their respective families are all as theatrical as ever. Some of their characters lack consistency with the morals they had in the ‘Riverdale’ promotional image past seasons, but the progression is better than it was before. After the 180 Archie's character experienced in the last season, seeing him as a powerful hero with his head screwed on right again is nice to see. Veronica’s family is at the head of pulling strings to mess up Riverdale’s town order. However, this time around everyone knows when Veronica’s father, Hiram, is lying. Having characters continuously lie to one another while every character (and the audience) knows that they aren't telling the truth seems counterproductive and a waste of script. Chery] Blossom is an icon, established by her nonconforming sexual identity and Robin Hood demeanor. She has probably undergone the most trauma throughout the series—from her twin brother Jason’s murder, her dad being the murderer, burning down her mansion, being imprisoned in a troubled youth home for conversion therapy, to her uncle and mother’s plans to murder Cheryl’s nana and take control of the family’s net worth. Despite all this, this season shows Cheryl demonstrating a bad bitch attitude. Her introductory scene presented her strutting in high heels and wearing short shorts, a red bra under a red leather jacket, and glossy red lipstick complimenting her fiery hair. She proudly announces a party she is throwing, while making sure to namedrop her girlfriend Toni Topaz. In later gang-fight scenes, Cheryl stands atop a truck clutching a bow and arrow. Jughead dubs her someone who “never misses” after she shoots a Ghoulies gang member square in the chest. She has been shown shooting the series’ prior antagonist the Black Hood as well. Regardless of the consistency issues and over-dramatization of the series, Iam excited for what this season has in store. The characters are off to a good start and the storyline has potential for greatness. If anything, I’m going to keep watching just to see Cheryl Blossom shoot more bad guys with her bow clutched between perfectly manicured fingernails.