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I have Dzendvokh to thank for helping me figure out how to construct a little game out of posting a song on Mog and exploiting the comments section. Here are the rules I've flushed out so far, and are apt to change, seeing how it plays out with participation of you, fellow moggers! I haven't figured out how to make this competitive or points oriented, rather it works as a social networking game that players work together to build a mix.
The thinking that goes behind a game of wormhole works similar to making a mix tape. Any number of players, each player has twelve tracks (1 CD) to bring your music "worm" back to the "surface" (the "surface" is to return to a song by the artist that you started with (for a rather longer example of the game, see this post and how we brought the wormhole back to the surface) . You start the game with any track you fancy - be sure to think about it hard though, treat it like you would for a mix tape, or refer to Fistula Spume's post here for some good examples of powerful first tracks. The rest is quite simple each player proceeds to play their musical hand which can be from 1 to all 12 tracks. Here's the catch though, only track 12 must land back on the artist from the original post. The point is to "surface" with a different track from the artist. Each player can play off of the others previous post in a manner similar to playing a hand in poker or play multiple posts to progress the worm hole back to the surface. The surface track must be either players track 12.
How do you play a track off another players track? Well, Wormhole is a game or test of your true musical geekiness. You can use any of these 3 categories"
Thematic - A song with similar theme, name, or subject matter
Auditory - Similar sound, beats, use of samples from previously played hands/post, or perhaps the musicians exploit a certain non traditional instrument in a certain way.
Factually or Mythically - Incorporate some sort of musical knowledge or urban legend behind the song, musicians, or history you are posting that would connect it with previous post.
The fun in this game is any little bits of trivia, history, or song jems that people will post as a response. Sometimes the songs speak for themselves, sometimes they require and explanation, so have fun with it, and be creative. Don't be afraid of the most obscure connections, it makes for some interesting listening. Eventually I would like to see people construct some mix tapes out of these games and see how they play in your life. Admittedly there may be some bumps, but just let me know if you have any tips or suggestions for improvement.
I will start a test game with this track anyone can join in:
Mmmm. Not sure I completely understand the rules, but I'll play anyway. From Donovan to Husker Du covering Donovan...
Your doing fine. The point is to get back to a Donovan song on my 12th track or yours. I'm playing my 2nd and 3rd hands here:
and
Awright Troy, thanks for joining. Here's my connection, though I can't find the original on YouTube, I'm sure you'll get the connection here.
That's Fu-Schnickens by the way with Shaq's foray into Hip Hop.
And for those of you who have never subjected yourself to torture voluntarily, this is Kobe Bryant performing K.O.B.E. featuring Tyra Banks.
And at track 7, it's going to be a helluva task getting this wormhole to surface. As of Kobe Bryant...I'm not sure if we want it to surface.
Actually, it has to land on any of our track 12's. I'm on hand 5 of 12 your onto 3 Brendan is on 2. As I've said, I'm kind of working out the bumps with the game, but you gotta kind of play with some foresight in how to bring it back to the first artist. So your just kind of free associating the tracks into another track of the same artist. I might have to make it more point based though. Right now it kind of stands as a collaborative way to make a mix, hopefully it's fun figuring out how to move from a theme like "Superman" to the next one - which right now appears to be "Sports Figures Who Mistakenly Enter Popular Music." Or at least that's how I see it.
You've definitely proved a difficult one to match but my next post will have my response.
Alright, here's my hand to save us from having to listen to anymore sportstars who wanna do music, instead I offer you Supermodels who try music. I'm taking the Tyra angle and giving you Milla Jovovich's "The Gentleman Who Fell". Which I have to admit I bought as a teenager because I thought she was hot. The song is somewhat bareable, but I think the album was pretty much a throw away.
Okay, so my track 12 has to tie back into my first track or your first track?
Either way, I'll get us back into some real music by an artist called Gentleman. A German reggae artist. Go figure. He's good though. Actually gets respect from those Caribbean boys.
Hey, looks like you got a good game going on here.
I like what you've done Tyler, some things might need to be worked out a little better but I can definitely see playing this game more often. I'll see if I can't jump in but by the time I get around to it, might be a little too late to catch up. Of course I could play all twelve at one time.........
Troy - I gotta map this out or something, because I'm realizing that just because it makes sense in my head, doesn't mean it translates well to others. But that's okay, because by playing, your helping me figure out what works, and what doesn't.
So the premise is that were all contributing to a mix tape. I chose 12 tracks a player because I needed some limits to the game and I figure that's kind of the average tracks per CD that you buy. Some people playing will use up their 12 tracks before other players do, but the result will (hopefully) make for an interesting mix of music - bookended by the same artist. So track twelve of any player (right now being Brendan, You, and Me) should find a way to land back on Donovan. Each player is assisting the others in getting the mix back to Donovan. If I am unable to do it by 12, then it's up to you and Brendan to bring it back to the surface. This makes for more interesting play to me, because it doesn't require people to participate with every hand and people can join anytime, taking it in even more interesting paths. It's kind of like when people comment on a post and the conversation moves so far from the original post, but is still funny or interesting.
By playing as many tracks as you want will also allow you to sort of steer the direction of the mix which ever way you want to - whatever your train of thought or train of songs leads you towards your next choice
I think I'll ad that if no player reaches the surface on the 12th track, you have to start a new game from the final song played.
Nick - join whenever, I think it's important that people are able to play it in the comments even if one player isn't involved - which is important since we are all at our computers at different times, and to me it's real fun to come back to a post and see where people have taken it with their comments/songs. Perhaps I should continually post how many posts people have used so as to keep people on track?
The "score" so far:
Tyler - 5 tracks, 7 left
Brendan - 1 track, 11 left
Troy - 3 Tracks, 9 Left
If anyone else is interested, join in anytime!
Hey, this looks fun!
Here's Mr Robert Fripp and the League of Gentlemen circa 1980
punk rock scientists!!
whoops - actually, the name of the tune above is "Dislocated"
Mr. Fripp, Mr. White, Mr. White, Mr. Fripp. The pleasures mine:
Why hello Jack, been a while... you know Greg Dulli, right ?!? If not, please do shake his hand, he too considers himself a gentleman... so you two together would make two _Gentlemen_
Surely there's a Torry amongst all these Whigs? Gentlemen...
It is getting a bit chilly around here...let's pile on some more furs...
Shheeit! Lookee wot I found in the pocket of one of dem furs!!
Effervescent Elephants - LSD
is this....does the...it's red and....cold...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Woah...now that the intensity has let up...Jim Dawson is a New York musician who almost made it big in the seventies. Got scheduled on Carson...on the same day Nixon resigned...he was pre-empted and never rescheduled. Drove a cab for 10 years or so, but his fanbase kept fighting for him. Nowadays, he does exclusive performances all over Long Island.
His favorite album of mine is '77s "Elephants in the Rain"
The early 70's rock band Grin was guitarist Nils Lofgren's first hard and soft rocking outfit. Gotta flashback goin' ahn...
here's "Like Rain" not exactly from the album shown below, but the pictures are garrooovy
Neil Young with Nils Lofgren
Live in Berlin
"Sample and Hold" from Trans
I believe that's 7. I need a break
8. Kraftwerk - Trans Europe Express
Now the train's heading bac to the station folks.
9. REM - Radio Free Europe
Now that's a fine memory!
10. Alice Cooper - Nothing's Free
OK, it's the association, not the , uh, quality, right? Bear with me, I'm goin' into the final turn.
11. Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies
Did you know that this song is a duet? With - you guessed it - Donovan!
http://www.sickthingsuk.co.uk/musicians/m-donovan.php
12. Full Circle! That was fun...my brain hurts.
Nice job! So, do you win now?
Yeah I would say scottfree wins it! I'll let him start the next round. I have some ideas for scoring, if we want to make this a point based game. But it can continue on like this for a while while I figure it out.
I would also like to post the play lists or MP3 's on multiply, so people can hear how they play out at the end.
Mog mail me and I'll ad you to my Multpily contacts.
Congrats scottfree! You are the grand puba (or maybe since it's called Wormhole, pupa?) Please start us off with another track and make sure you tag it with wormhole.