Tag: aid
Samsung is making 12nm DDR5 memory chips with AMD’s aid
Working together with AMD, Samsung has completed the development of its 16-gigabit DDR5 DRAM chips, which will use the “industry’s first 12 nanometer-class process technology.” The Korean company describes these new chips as a “technological leap” for the industry; AMD helped with product evaluation for compatibility with Zen-based CPUs.
Ukraine war: Rishi Sunak visits President Zelensky in Kyiv as he pledges £50m in aid
First Aid Kit on why they’re embracing their inner Abba with new album Palomino
THEY come from the land of Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia and Super Trouper.
Yet it’s taken well over a decade in the music business for First Aid Kit’s Klara and Johanna Söderberg to channel their inner Abba.
When the sisters from Sweden started out, they looked to Americana for inspiration . . . that indefinable fusion of folk, country, rock and gospel.
They first got noticed for pure, sweet harmonies on a cover of Fleet Foxes’ Tiger Mountain Peasant Song.
Among their early triumphs was the song Emmylou, dedicated to alt-country pioneers Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons, whose music helped provide the soundtrack to their lives.
But now their ravishing fifth studio album, Palomino, allows a bit of Swedish pop heritage into the mix — without abandoning the sound we know and love them for.
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Talking to me via Zoom from their home town of Stockholm, the siblings explain, in their perfect English naturally, how they’ve become more relaxed about exploring music that’s closer to home.
Klara, 29, says: “When we were younger, we really wanted to be taken seriously . . . ”
As often happens with these two, Johanna, 32, finishes her sentence: “ . . . and we were underdogs and wanted to be different.”
‘The pandemic gave us a proper break’
In 2007, they began uploading self-made songs to MySpace and, three years later, their debut album The Big Black And The Blue appeared on British indie label Wichita.
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Klara continues: “Back then, we felt it important to tell people we loved Americana because it was the music we listened to the most.
“I had a lot of rules about what our music could sound like and what instruments we could use. I was very strict about it.
“But, if you grow up in Sweden, Abba is the band that has always been with you.”
Johanna remembers the first record she ever bought, The Abba Generation by tribute act A-Teens.
“Super Trouper and Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! were our favourite songs,” she says. “Oh yeah!” agrees Klara. “We were obsessed and now we’re ready to embrace Abba a bit more.”
They also admit that their new songs, particularly the smooth Ready To Run, bear nods to other artists from their parents’ generation: “Fleetwood Mac, Carole King, Hall & Oates, Tom Petty, T.Rex and Elton John.”
Mainly because of the Covid lockdowns, Palomino is the first First Aid Kit album to be recorded in Sweden since their debut and stands as their most pop orientated.
Hunkering down in Stockholm allowed them to take stock and set about making new music.
Klara says: “The pandemic gave us a proper break. The previous ten or 12 years had been non-stop and we were too tired to fully appreciate what we had achieved.”
They turned to producer Daniel Bengtson, a friend of the sisters’ musician turned teacher dad Benkt, to take charge of recording album No5.
The mood of the 11 tracks is in marked contrast to previous album, 2018’s Ruins, which charts Klara’s devastating break-up.
The album artwork demonstrates a change of direction, too.
Stark monochrome faces are replaced by the pair hugging each other on a beach in flowing dresses of green, pink, brown, grey and black against a wide open sky.
“I wasn’t very kind to myself on those Ruins songs,” says Klara. “A big part of the new record is about growing older and learning to be kinder to yourself.”
Johanna chips in: “It was difficult to tour Ruins because, when we’re on stage, we have to live the lyrics.
“We knew this new album had to be different. We couldn’t have dealt with it otherwise.”
However, the resulting Palomino wouldn’t be a First Aid Kit record without a touch of heartache.
‘The song Angel is so naked, so dramatic’
“We could never write 11 happy songs,” affirms Johanna. “There’s still a lot of sadness but it’s not as in your face and the music is more playful.”
The album begins in emphatic style with Out Of My Head and continues with Angel, which juxtaposes unflinching lyrics about personal crisis with an arrangement that soars to the heavens. “You choose what you want to share,” says Klara. “But I genuinely want to write things that mean a lot to me and to show some vulnerability.
“That’s why other people can relate to our songs. The day after we released Angel (as a single), someone wrote to us and said: ‘This is a song about my life’.”
Johanna turns to Klara and says: “You didn’t even want to put Angel on the record at first.”
But she tells me: “I always thought it was a great song. I was very moved by it because it is so naked, so dramatic.
“We did think, ‘Is this too cheesy?’. Sometimes, there’s a fine line between too much and something that actually hits you.” Another of Palomino’s singles, Turning Onto You, presented a very different type of challenge.
Klara says: “We went, ‘OK, what if we try to write a happy love song?’. The line ‘turning onto you’ is cheeky and fun.
“When we were younger, we wouldn’t have been able to own that idea, but I love the song and its soul vibe.”
This brings us to the tracks, 29 Palms Highway and Wild Horses II, which reference their longstanding inspiration, country rock trailblazer Gram Parsons.
He’d been a member of The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers and was just forging a fine solo career when he died aged just 26 in 1973.
He succumbed to a drink and drug overdose at his spiritual home, Joshua Tree National Park in southern California’s Mojave Desert.
The song 29 Palms Highway is named after the road that borders the park’s northern perimeter while Wild Horses II serves as a sequel to the yearning Rolling Stones original once covered by Gram, who was Keith Richards’ friend.
Johanna says: “We first went to Joshua Tree to make a video for the song Emmylou in 2011 and were just blown away by it. It was so foreign to us Swedes.
“We stayed at the Joshua Tree Inn . . . not in Gram’s room, but it WAS on his birthday (November 5th).
Klara picks up the thread: “We were in the room next door to his and there was a storm.”
Johanna again: “This black raven had been following us. Gram was haunting us!”
Then, in late 2019, just before the Covid pandemic, Klara returned to Joshua Tree with a friend.
“We’d cancelled all our shows that summer,” she says. “I was burned out and feeling very lost, as if I didn’t know how to find joy in music again.
“Then we drove out there and listened to Gram’s music. I just cried and cried.
‘We’re like a phoenix rising from the ashes’
“Somewhere along the road, I suddenly felt a connection with the part of me that I thought I’d lost. It was really powerful and that’s when our song came into being.”
For Klara, Joshua Tree is a place she wants to keep in her life as much as possible.
She returned there in August and took part in a three-hour meditation ceremony. “It’s where I can embrace the spiritual and the wonder of nature,” she says.
In 2007, they began uploading self-made songs to MySpace and, three years later, their debut album The Big Black And The Blue appeared on British indie label Wichita[/caption]
As well as from Wild Horses II, there is another equine-themed song, the title track Palomino, which closes the album.
It’s typically powerful imagery. This gorgeous animal with its gold coat and white mane running free.
Johanna says: “We just loved the symbolism. The song is very open-ended. You don’t really know where we’re going or what our next record is going to be like.
“Compared with where we were with Ruins, this record is about feeling more free and stronger. We’re like a phoenix rising from the ashes.”
Above all else, Palomino is a testament to the sisters’ love for each other and their continued desire to make music together.
“It’s a miracle. I don’t know what our secret is,” laughs Johanna.
Klara agrees: “I don’t know either because we drive each other crazy!
“But we’ve gone to therapy and we’ve learned through these quite hard years that the number one thing is our sister relationship. It is the most important thing to us. The music is wonderful but it can never, ever be prioritised above our friendship and our familial bond.”
So, have they always been close, even as small children?
Johanna replies: “Yeah, we’re only two years apart and we would always play together.”
And Klara sheds light on how their relationship has evolved through the years.
“I think it’s changed but in a healthy way, like we don’t see each other all the time,” she says.
“We also have friends that are not mutual. We have our own lives and then we come together and do this thing and hang out as sisters.”
An extra special addition to their lives is Johanna’s two-year-old daughter Harriet. Her mention brings a joyous response from doting aunt Klara: “I love her, I’m obsessed with her. She’s incredible and the best gift I’ve ever had.”
As for Johanna, being a mum helps her put everything in perspective and get priorities right.
She says: “I don’t have as much time as before so Klara and I have to be more efficient but I think we appreciate each other more.”
“Music is always a comfort to us. It’s what we reach for when we’re sad and when we need to connect with other people.”
So, do they ever disagree over their musical direction?
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“We have this weird, telepathic sister vibe,” says Klara, glancing fondly at her soulmate.
“In the studio, if I love a song, I know Johanna will love it too.”
FIRST AID KIT
Palomino
★★★★☆
Does Green Tea Aid in Weight Loss? A Detailed Guide
Does Green Tea Aid in Weight Loss? A Detailed Guide Blog – HealthifyMe Blog – HealthifyMe – The definitive guide to weight loss, fitness and living a healthier life.
There is no doubt that Indians are lovers of tea. Today, the range of teas available goes far beyond the masala chai made in the traditional Indian style. Green tea is now the healthiest and most widespread variant among them. As the name suggests, this tea is green in colour and has a soothing, earthy […]
The post Does Green Tea Aid in Weight Loss? A Detailed Guide appeared first on Blog – HealthifyMe.
UK foreign aid being spent in Britain passes £4bn mark, experts say
Pound suffers as Bank of England governor rules out extension to bond-buying aid for pension funds
As frontline workers eye the exit, digital tools can aid staff retention
Despite recent concerns about a coming recession, many businesses still struggle to manage acute staffing shortages — particularly those supporting a substantial frontline workforce in the retail, hospitality and transportation industries. So employee retention has become a top priority.
Though workers change jobs for a variety of reasons — higher pay, better career opportunities, more workplace flexibility — companies are finding they have a better shot at keeping valued frontline workers with digital tools.
“Technology can not only help to give frontline workers a voice, it can help them feel more valued, more part of the team, and more effective,” said Angela Ashenden, principal analyst at CCS Insight. “This engagement can reduce staff turnover and grow community as well as a recognizable and attractive company culture.”
Expect to hear more about hearing, now that the FDA’s new hearing aid rules are here
‘PowerWash Simulator’ players can now aid mental health research
PowerWash Simulator players can now take part in a research project that looks at the links between gaming and mental health. Developer FuturLab has teamed up with independent researchers from the Oxford Internet Institute for what it calls a “a one-of-a-kind anonymous research study centered around the wellbeing of PowerWash Simulator’s players.”
FuturLab says it’s working on in-game rewards for participants. If you’d like to take part, you’ll need a copy of the game on Steam. You’ll also need to download a separate build of PowerWash Simulator. From the Betas menu under Properties, select the “research-edition – Research Edition 2022” option.
As Eurogamer points out, this build will provide two types of anonymized data to the researchers. They’ll receive information on players’ progress, item purchases and other activities as part of a “base telemetry” dataset.
The second type of data is obtained through questions that the researchers will be able to ask players about their experience. These will seemingly only take players a couple of seconds to answer. Players will also be able to provide feedback to researchers through a “Tell us how you feel” button in the menu. FuturLab won’t have access to these responses.
We’re incredibly excited to announce the launch of PowerWash Simulator’s Research Edition on Steam.
In partnership with @oiioxford, we’ve made an optional branch to monitor players’ well-being and will add to broader gaming and mental health research.
🧪https://t.co/Vs6FAt7VOlpic.twitter.com/t0AofENc36
— FuturLab (@FuturLab) August 18, 2022
Your game progress won’t carry over between the regular game and the Research Edition (though taking part in the study will earn you cosmetic rewards in the main game). This is to help make sure study data is consistent and to avoid issues with save data. In addition, the Research Edition won’t have a multiplayer mode and it will only have English-language support. FuturLab added that the Research Edition will be available for at least three months.
PowerWash Simulator, at least from my experience, is a relaxing game. It’s just you, a power washer, perhaps a friend or two, maybe some soap and a whole lot of virtual gunk to blast away. It’s not hard to see why many folks might find it soothing.
A number of studies into the benefits of gaming on mental health and wellbeing have been conducted over the years with mixed results. One suggested that playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville, both of which have sturdy social gaming features, may be good for you (the study was conducted in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic). However, a recently published study, which looked at the gameplay habits of nearly 40,000 people, found that gaming had no significant impact on wellbeing.