LADs Boys and their music tastes:
What the boys are drawn to, and why they vibe with it.
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Caleb:
-Rock
-Jazz
-Soft pop
Why:
Rock makes sense in a way to him, in that emotional turmoil, deep resonance at a bass string and soul level, the things you can’t talk about till they explode- he’s good at chameleoning, and hiding his feelings, to fit the role that best serves the MC (and by extension, anything related to her), but also, he needs outlet. Heavy bass, controlled crescendos that spiral out to instrumental solos or lyrical screams- it resonates at a soul level. It’s part of why I think he’d like jazz too; the unexpressed emotionality that isn’t expressible in any other format than the arrangement of optional words, unnegotiable instruments, and varying twists and improvisations that fill your whole body. I think he rides the emotional highs and lows, and it’s his way of processing things.
Another reason for rock is the practicality of having something playing in his hangar; big empty spaces that are quiet till every clang, bang and crash resounds out is hellacious. I like to think sometimes he plays things to fill the space, when the quiet and interrupted quiet gets too much.
The soft pop is MC’s influence- I personally headcanon that he would play it in the car or on the ride to school just for her, since she likes it, and that they’d do the whole sing-along and everything when they were younger.
Another headcanon (watch Infold prove me wrong) is that the vibrations in rock music helped Caleb learn to control his Evol, via learning the timing/syncopation of beats, and setting that as the push of adding full gravity vs the pull of gravity negation, like learning the pattern of vibrations in the air.
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Xavier:
-Lofi (Specifically chill-hop, but open to others)
-Pop, specifically department store, fills the air pop music.
Why:
I honestly think this man prefers the quiet most of the time, not even for inner-peace or desire to chill, but because it’s ideal nap conditions and he’ll take what he can get.
When he does listen (maybe taking care of plants at Jeremiah’s or trying to cook with disastrous results) I think it’d be lofi; I don’t think he likes things that are overstimulating, or draw his attention too strongly, because so much of his attention is set to hyper vigilance all the time. The city isn’t safe, the places he sleeps aren’t safe, the person he loves isn’t safe, so why would he want to add another level of danger vigilance to his brain willingly?
I think it does moderately relax him, especially the ones with nature sounds in the track, partially just due the natural intent and properties of lofi, but also because it sets him back to Philos in a way, of remembering old times with a new soundtrack- the birds chirping with a soft strings? First time she smiled.
As for the pop, most specifically the type you hear repeated in department stores, mall food courts, back track to 90s teen movie intros- it’s practice background noise to him. I’m at least 70 % sure this man trained himself to ignore or pick through the sounds around him, to best identify what’s going on, and what’s better than generic, yet similar rhythmic beats and a moderately similar scale of vocal range? Ie., how to train yourself to sleep through anything unimportant.
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Zayne:
-Tradititional Chinese/European instrumental music
Why:
I’m not entirely certain whether Zayne is a music fan, if he consumes actively or listens passively, but I can see him growing up with this form of music, and getting recommended it a lot too, for the health and concentration benefits as well as cultural connections.
He’s a very serious, steadfast person, and I can see him studying or concentrating during surgery with things like the soft ting of piano or guqin, definitely flute (myth alone says a lot on that).
I think he’d be open to trying things, he’s open to adventure (as he strongly exhibited in that fairytale audio, with the gate- not a Zayne girlie but I was still blushing), but also not putting himself in active discomfort or dislike- if it’s too loud or not his taste, he’s not going to lie about it (I also don’t think his expression could.)
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Sylus:
-R&B
-Soul
-Jazz
-Rock
-Opera
-Rap
Why:
I know this man appreciates a fine record, and that he would absolutely select things with the finest audio quality, so what would best fit that? R&B, soul, jazz, and some selections of rock. His entire being would be refreshed after a long day with the fine strains of a strong vocals and delightful chaos in musical arrangement. R&B is a broad category, but I think he’d favor singers with deeper ranges and vibrato, that can project- he wants to feel it down in his bones. Same goes for soul, with additional focus on themes and lyrical composition- he appreciates a good story, and I think that’s also where opera would come in too, it is canonical that he visits shows. Jazz, same reasoning, but also I can see this man speeding in one of those fine cars to some ragtime like it’s nothing, one hand on the wheel other on his gun.
Rap was introduced to me by my best friend as one of his preferred genres, and not only with the edit of him pulling up in the main story with the car blasting Meghan, but also his boxing, I can not only see it, but strongly vibe with it. Dude would appreciate a good beat and a strong dialogue.
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Rafayel:
-Pop
-Musical theatre
-Opera
-European classical
-Calypso
-Bollywood
Why:
Someone said Rafayel would listen to BRAT (Charli XCX) while painting frantically in his studio and thanks to that not only have I heard the full masterpiece of BRAT, I have a north star to follow anytime I’m stuck on his characterization in writing.
I think pop is an art to him- not just generic, not just celebratory or danceable, but a way of creating a story in the least amount of time in a way that sticks around for the most, and sometimes finding masterpieces of cavalier poignancy.
Rafayel is good at deflecting or shifting his feelings to the side, and distracting from it with a more dramatic spectacle, and I think pop is the best outlet for him in a way. I also think, as someone who also dabbles in vocals/singing, that it’s a fun playground for his voice- it’s a really easy template to add all the vocal bells and whistles, or to try and stretch your range a bit without over extending.
Musical theatre and opera are a part of his past, as Mr. Mo, but also, I head canon, a part of his culture; it’d be really interesting if the history of Lemuria was orally, or musically presented, and for him, musical theatre and opera is a way to reconnect to that familiar practice of presenting, orating, and acting the parts, though with the double edge sword of grief and shame for the loss of the original culture.
European classical ties in a slightly opposite way; I think, as an opera singer, he would’ve had encounters with it, and studied a bit, and that while he understands the measures and would appreciate the more theatrical pieces, it’d also come with a general distaste toward the associated classism that still pervades it; anytime we see him rub up against upper echelon’s in game, he’s definitively unhappy to be there, and it shows, and I think the usurpation, consummation, and fetishism of Lemuria is actively part of it (so many parallels to modern day colonialism it’s not even funny), but also the distinct palate of higher than thou for a moderate, if meagre understanding of what’s considered ‘cultured’ would rub him the wrong way (much like his reactions to art ‘appreciators’ and critics.)
Calypso is just for the whimsy of the sound- I know he heard it travelling at least once and it became his theme music for a few months (driving Thomas insane slowly because it’s non-stop.)
Bollywood- 50% aesthetic and rhythm, 50% content, 100% appreciation.
I think he’s omnivorous when it comes to music- if it strikes his fancy, up it goes in the studio till he changes it again, and that there’s very little he truly dislikes, but also it’s difficult to find things that truly resonate with him; he’s a bit enigmatic about it, like he’s enigmatic about his real feelings.
