Post-punk – Page 23 – 7th Level Music

Gustaf claim what is “Mine” and sign with Royal Mountain Records.

Gustaf have announced their signing to Royal Mountain Records, alongside their debut single and video “Mine“. The first recorded material from a band who have played sold out shows around the United States based solely on word of mouth, “Mine” offers an engagingly weird and frantically off-kilter look into the all-encompassing world of the Brooklyn-based art-punk quintet.

LISTEN: to Gustaf “Mine” on YouTube

Vocalist Lydia Gammill explains: “This song is about having a false sense of entitlement. Someone who feels attacked or like they’re being pushed out of their own world and not getting the credit they deserve. Someone with a delusional sense of self whose anger and frustration is humorous like the superintendent in a college frat movie. The opening lines make it seem like the narrator is being criticized by someone else and their retaliation is like “you’ve got to be kidding me, you can’t say that about me! I invented water you punk!” …. sort of.“

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Formed in 2018, Brooklyn’s Gustaf have built a kind of buzz that feels like it comes from a different era. The art punk 5 piece are yet to release any recorded music, but rapidly established a reputation as one of New York’s “hardest working…and most reliably fun bands” (BrooklynVegan), and excitement about their danceable, ESG-inspired post punk has expanded outside of their city with remarkable effect despite their scant online presence. The band have found early champions in all quarters, catching the attention of luminaries like Beck – who had the band open for him at a secret loft party he played around the release of his latest album – the New York no wave legend James Chance, and have shared stages with buzzing indie acts like Omni, Tropical Fuck Storm, Dehd and Bodega, while word of mouth led to sell out shows when they played their first LA headline dates in late 2019.

While recent events have curtailed Gustaf’s live schedule, the band have remained relentless as ever in 2020, and entered the studio with producer Chris Coady (Beach House, Future Islands, TV On The Radio) to work on their first official release.

Mine 7″ is out on Royal Mountain Records on December 4th. It is available for pre-order here.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]

Alpha Hopper deliver “The Goods” with new single.

Buffalo, NY quartet Alpha Hopper announce their forthcoming third album Alpha Hex Index will be released via Portland, OR label Hex Records on November 6th, 2020. Today the band shares the first single, “The Goods” via Echoes & Dust HERE. (Direct Bandcamp.)

“A bartender, a personal trainer, a graphic designer, and an immigration attorney walk into a practice space…”

Formed in Buffalo, New York in 2014, Alpha Hopper creates a frenetic stew of guitar-driven rock’n’roll with ingredients from punk, hardcore, noise rock, and no-wave. Their 3rd LP Alpha Hex Index shows them deeper than ever down their rabbit hole. Sassy, snotty vocals punctuating the ever growing wall of catchy, bizarre riffs and prison break drum beats. Dummy math, noise-rock for art-punk drop outs.
For this album the band decided to record the effort themselves in their homes. Pandemic-related shelter in place recommendations caused some hiccups in being able to track the entire effort in a single block, and instead recording sessions were conducted in intervals when the members could safely get together and hash out their respective parts. Once they were satisfied with the mix they handed things over to engineer John Angelo (Gwar, Every Time I Die, Gas Chamber) to handle mastering duties.

Alpha Hex Index will be available on LP, CD and digital on November 20th, 2020.

Keep your mind open.

[Thanks to Dave as US / THEM Group.]

Review: Oh Sees – Levitation Sessions

Recorded live in the parking lot of the famous Pappy and Harriet’s music venue in Pioneertown, California, Levitation Sessions by OSees is another great live set put together by the Reverb Appreciation Society and the folks behind the Levitation Music Festival. It’s also another great live album from Osees / Oh Sees / Thee Oh Sees / OCS (By the way, John Dwyer, if you’re reading this – I recommend “Eau Seas” for the next spelling, possibly calling the album under that moniker Water Weird.) that brings out some old tracks the band hadn’t played in years.

The album / show starts with the crowd favorite “Carrion Crawler,” getting things off to a deceptively quiet opening before unleashing rock fury. Mr. Dwyer (lead singer / guitarist) and his crew (Tim Hellman – bass, David Rincon – drums, Paul Quattrone – drums, Tomas Dolas – keyboards) give you a four-count to catch your breath before launching “I Come from the Mountain” at you like a rocket. “Static God” is the re-entry burn of that same rocket, and by now you’re holding on for dear life. Hellman’s bass is the harness keeping you in the rocket’s seat while Rincon and Quattrone are the sounds of the heat shield nearing critical failure. Dolas’ keys rise as Dwyer screams, “It doesn’t matter at all – your fucking institutions!” Impermanence is the only real thing.

The post / garage punk of “Sewer Fire” is outstanding and might cause you to pogo in your living room or office. Just try not to do it in your car while driving. “Chem Farmer / Nite Expo” blends keyboard-heavy prog-jazz with mammoth-heavy riffs and cymbal crashes. It ends with Dwyer yelling, “We have fun!” “Dreary Nonsense” is both fiery and goofy, which means it’s great. “The Fizz” is one of those older tracks they haven’t played in a while, and it has a great call-and-response chorus and fun keyboard dexterity from Dolas.

“Corrupt Coffin” and “Together Tomorrow,” both each under two minutes, blend together like a punk cocktail made out of Red Bull, sweat, vodka, and highly caffeinated Earl Grey tea. “Night Crawler” is pure psychedelic fuzz to lull you into a smoky headspace. You take a breath, and then “Terminal Jape” comes around the corner to mug you and then shove you into oncoming traffic. “The system has been broken down!” Dwyer grunts as the whole band turns into a tsunami. “Rainbow” slows things down a bit, but it’s almost a feint because “Heart Worm” is a straight-up punk boot to the head. “The world’s so fucked up!” Dwyer sings. It’s hard to argue with him if you watch the news.

The band pauses a moment before “Transparent World Jam” melts your mind and perhaps your body into lava lamp ooze. As Oh Sees like to do, they end with a mostly instrumental jam. This one is the nearly twelve-minute-long “Block of Ice” – a track that reminds you of Zappa, Allman Brothers, 13th Floor Elevators, and My Bloody Valentine all at once.

Few things can top the energy of a live Oh Sees show, and capturing that energy in a recording is a colossal feat. Levitation Sessions sounds great and the record’s mastering by J.J. Golden cannot be understated. This is a nice appetizer for, hopefully, many more live shows to come.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Teenager – Good Time

It’s not hyperbole to say that Toronto post-punks Teenager almost died while making their new album, Good Time. As the story goes, the band created it in a new space they rented for two years underneath a restaurant. Among the many things they had to deal with while working on Good Time were rats, power outages, flooding, mold, and a carbon dioxide leak that threatened everyone in the building. To then call the record that came out of this chaos “Good Time” is, I imagine, a delightful inside joke. It’s also a delightful record, so it all equals out fine.

Opening track “Beige” immediately brings early B-52’s cuts to mind with its snappy bass, swelling synths, and lyrics about everything being the same day in and day out. Teenager couldn’t have predicted two years ago how relevant this song would be in 2020. “I’m stuck in a strange wave. Everything starts to feel beige,” they sing. Everything is bland and every city neighborhood looks the same. Now, our daily routines and homes fall into this category.

The jagged angle guitars of “Trillium Song” are like a breath of fresh post-punk air in a world clogged by bro-rock smog. “Pleasure” has a bit of a Japanese punk rock vibe to it with its fun, echoing guitars and Devo-like synths as they sing, “Too much pressure for pleasure, and pleasure takes pressure.” That might be the most Zen thing I’ve read so far this month.

“Romance for Rent” is a standout. It’s a tale of a man seeking romance online since he’s incapable, or just unwilling, to find it in real life. Again, the Teenager of 2018 could not have predicted how perfect this song would be in 2020, as many of us, for the sake of our health, have to find connections online. The percussion on this track is great, mixing a full kit with conga and other hand percussion. The whole track clicks perfectly and is one of my favorite singles of the year.

“Straight to Computer” is a dire warning about the online stuff they mention in the previous track. Teenager encourage us to get outside and away from these things that are designed to keep us indoors and barraged with advertising. “Can’t remember yesterday, can’t remember what I did today,” they sing in the opening of the title track – a song about how everyone’s in the same boat and often putting on the same mask to hide that they’re miserable. It’s hard to tell where the guitars end and the synths begin in this track, which is to say that it sounds pretty neat.

The guitars on “Touching Glass” move back and forth between heavy rock riffs and bouncy post-punk grooves. The closing track, “The Drain,” could refer to cleaning out their flooded basement studio, the general feel of malaise in this day and age, or both. It’s full of bold guitars that build to a fun, hopeful energy despite its lyrics about acid rain, depression, and being in a funk. By the end you’re thinking the song isn’t about falling into a dark hole. It’s about letting negativity wash off you down the drain and away from you forever.

To put out a record this good despite all the challenges Teenager went through to complete it is damn impressive and inspirational. We all need to get off our collective keisters and do something with this bonus time we’ve been given (if, granted, we are healthy and secure enough to do so). Teenager show that we can all have a good time, a great time, if we choose to grow.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]

Teenager offer “Romance for Rent” on new single.

WATCH: Teenanger’s “Romance For Rent” video on YouTube

Toronto’s DIY scene purveyors, Teenanger have today shared their blistering new single, “Trillium Song“, the second to be lifted from the new record, Good Time – out October 2 via Telephone Explosion Records – which has so far earned praise from outlets like Paste, The Line of Best Fit, Exclaim, BBC 6 Music, So Young and more. The new record, which comes mixed by renowned Toronto musician, Sandro Perri, follows previous releases that have found the band share stages across North America and Europe with the likes of METZ, Ty Segall, Death From Above, Dilly Dally, Dish Pit and more.

“Romance For Rent” presents another snappy highlight from the forthcoming record with the quartet pulling on incisive hooks and buoyant melodies that further mine this fresh, pop-punk angle to the group’s sound. There’s a sharpness here, not just in the sonic arrangement but also in the lyrics that give a satiric examination of the world of online dating and the perplexing moves that we sometimes make as individuals when caught in the throes of romance. The video, which was shot at the height of lockdown, looks at this further, examining the role of isolation and how this can manipulate people to do peculiar things with the hope of a quick fix.

“The lyrics were inspired by a friend of mine who had come out of a long-term relationship and was exploring the world of online dating,” says singer, Chris Swimmings. “I’ve been a serial monogamist for the last 12 years so it was a vicarious exploration into his life at the time.”

Blair elaborates on Swimmings’ sentiment to say: “The ‘Romance for Rent’ video takes the idea of loneliness and buying love and puts it in a blender with internet culture. It follows a lonely man who, rather than learning how to connect with others, connects with a meme pillow, and finds some short-lived solace with it; he is trying to solve his loneliness with an internet search, and kinda clings to the first thing he finds – a celebrity pillow. When that fails to get him the attention or connection that he was looking for, he goes back online. Rather than changing anything about himself or what he’s looking for, he just repeats the same cycle.”

Good Time is out on October 2nd on Telephone Explosion. It is available for pre-order here.

Keep your mind open.

[It would be a good time if you subscribed.]

[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]

Teenager release “Trillium Song” from upcoming October album.

Toronto’s DIY scene purveyors, Teenanger have today shared their blistering new single, “Trillium Song“, the second to be lifted from the new record, Good Time – out October 2 via Telephone Explosion Records – which has so far earned praise from outlets like Paste, The Line of Best Fit, Exclaim, BBC 6 Music, So Young and more. The new record, which comes mixed by renowned Toronto musician, Sandro Perri, follows previous releases that have found the band share stages across North America and Europe with the likes of METZ, Ty Segall, Death From Above, Dilly Dally, Dish Pit and more.

“Trillium Song” presents another agile take from Good Time, drawing once again on striking melodies and a wiry new wave sound palette, this time utilizing a two-pronged vocal foray with both Melissa Ball and Chris Swimmings lending their voices. Whereas previous releases from the group have suggested a more abrasive post-punk approach, Good Time demonstrates a pop-leaning slant on the sound of Teenanger without removing their ear for social commentary.

Speaking about the new track, Swimmings says: “This song is about the province of Ontario where we all reside. Mainly about the current provincial government’s way of dealing with the education system and the environment. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Premier Doug Ford (the song’s primary subject) was making good headway at polishing his public image by being hands-on. He made promises of people not losing their jobs and tenants not being evicted. They were timely promises in the beginning as we are now seeing many tenants in Ontario face eviction due to not being able to make end’s meet in the pandemic.”

——

Good Time arrives off the back of a turbulent few years for the group, a period filled with self-reflection, a restless search for creativity and more than anything, a need to rewire the very essence of the band. The four-piece had tied up the rinse and repeat promotional run for their 2017 self-titled record in the spring of 2018; their fifth album, which had started to find them some acclaim, also marked their first decade together as a group, quite an achievement by anyone’s measures in the current climate. The line-up was unchanged since Teenanger’s inception, and the members had become somewhat inseparable over their time together; whilst the album release and the corresponding tour was somewhat celebratory, it also brought with it a severe bout of writer’s block that unexpectedly placed their existence in jeopardy.

A testament to the rigorous DIY ethos of Teenanger that forges its core values, the band was rooted in the same rehearsal room that they had used since their early days together – a revolving door of local acts shared the space and it took fracturing this routine to find inspiration for Good Time. One Craigslist advertisement offered an apartment for rent with the words: “Music OK”, Teenanger seized the opportunity and thus “Studio Z” was coined, a basement flat that previously worked as a reggae studio/after-hours club was converted by the four-piece into a live practice room and adjacent fully-functional recording studio. The band went on to battle two major floods, a CO2 leak, vermin infestation and constant mould to record the new album.

Good Time is out on October 2nd on Telephone Explosion. It is available for pre-order here.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]

Review: Protomartyr – Ultimate Success Today

I love the title of Protomartyr‘s new album – Ultimate Success Today. It’s a great encapsulation of modern living. Everyone wants to be the ultimate success, which can be a worthy goal if one’s motives are good, but the key is in the last word of the album’s title. Everyone wants ultimate success today. We want everything now and, thanks to advertising and the internet, we fully expect to be able to have it now or before anyone else.

The album is about not only this consumerist desire and addiction, but also fear (of the path the world seems to be taking), how the world’s energy affects us, and how our actions, big or small, affect the world.

Opening track “Day Without End” builds over the course of three minutes and sixteen seconds with surging guitars from Greg Ahee, frantic cymbals by Alex Leonard, and sermon-like vocals from Joe Casey. Scott Davidson‘s bass leads the outstanding “Being Processed By the Boys” along a dark, menacing road while Casey sings about “a dagger punched from out of the shadows,” “a cosmic grief beyond all comprehension,” and “a giant beast turning mountains into black holes.” So, yeah, light fare.

“Though I have no face, country, or creed, I am better than you are,” Casey sings on “I Am You Now” – a song that claps back at the anger expressed by so many over so little. It also has some of Leonard’s best drumming on the album. He seems to play nothing but drum fills and cymbal rolls. He’s not. It’s far more complex, a sort of controlled chaos. “Narcissism is a killer,” Casey sings on “The Aphorist” – which might be the most “upbeat” track on Ultimate Success Today. He’s right. It is, and so is that wicked bridge around the two-and-a-half-minute mark.

Nandi Rose joins Casey on the vocals for “June 21,” which brings in post-punk guitar work from Ahee for a neat change in direction. “Michigan Hammers” moves along at a quick groove thanks to Leonard’s passionate drumming and Davidson’s bear trap-locked in bass line. His bass is pure fuzzed-out bliss on “Tranquilizer,” which also has a great saxophone line running through it by jazz legend Jameel Moondoc. The song explodes into a wild, head-spinning cacophony and then settles down before it makes you lose (or loose) your mind.

The fast, post-punk riffs of “Modern Business Hymns” are fantastic. “Bridge Crown” slows down to almost a goth-country sound before Casey starts crooning about, you guessed it, ultimate success (which is also referenced in the song before it by name). Casey opens the closing track, “Worm in Heaven,” with the lyrics, “So it’s time to say goodbye. I was never too keen on last words.” The song is the closest thing to a ballad on the album, and one can’t help but wonder if it’s a sign-off for not only the album but also the band. I hope not, because Protomartyr are firing on all cylinders right now.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jacob at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Dream Nails get fit and free with new single – “Jillian.”

London punks Dream Nails have been the subject of considerable excitement in the UK since they first emerged on the DIY scene. Releasing a stream of singles and an EP, they have earned high praise from places like VICE, DAZED, The Guardian, Clash, Nylon and i-D who called the band “the best all-girl punk queertet since Bikini Kill.” Noted for their strong emphasis on empowerment from a queer feminist perspective and their involvement in a host of political causes, the band’s budding reputation has seen them tour in the UK and Europe with Cherry Glazerr and Anti-Flag, and make three consecutive appearances at Glastonbury all before releasing their first LP. Today the band are announcing their debut self-titled full length, which will be released August 28th by Dine Alone (City & Colour, Alexisonfire, The Chats) in North America and UK indie Alcopop! (Art Brut, Kississippi, Tigercub) for Rest of World.

WATCH: Dream Nails – “Jillian” video on YouTube

The band have been compared to The Slits (VICE) and Elastica (The Guardian) in the past, and shades of both are present on their latest single “Jillian,” a song about queerness, body positivity and problematic TV fitness celebrity Jillian Michaels.

“This is a song about realizing you’re queer while you’re doing a workout DVD,” explains singer Janey Starling. “It’s a personal-power anthem about finding the strength to come out; that’s what the line ‘I feel the fear leaving my body’ is all about.

“Both [bassist] Mimi and I discovered strength training through Jillian Michaels’ ‘30 Day Shred’ home DVD, and the catch-phrases were too good to not make a song from! Since then, she’s said some uncool and unkind stuff to Lizzo, which we were really gutted to hear. This song is very much about finding your own strength, regardless of your body shape.”

Dream Nails self-titled LP is due out August 28th via Dine Alone and Alcopop! Pre-orders for ‘Dream Nails’ are live today and can be found HERE. Physical vinyl bundle includes a 40-page signed zine. In true punk DIY fashion, the zine is handmade by the band, featuring lyrics, articles and background to the songs on the album.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]

Rewind Review: Oh Sees – Floating Coffin (2013)

Part-psychedelia, part-punk, part-garage rock, Oh Sees’ excellent 2013 album Floating Coffin is a wild race and a heavy trip. I mean, just check out that cover.

The album gets off to a great start with the instant mosh pit-inducing “I Come from the Mountain.” I’ve lost track of how many bodies I’ve collided with in pits during this song at their live shows. Frontman John Dwyer sings about the frustrations of relationships (“No one likes heartache or the kind, everyone’s a problem sometimes.”) while throwing down fierce guitar riffs. “Toe Cutter – Thumb Buster” makes you want to pogo no matter where you are, so be careful if you’re listening to it while driving or operating heavy machinery.

The title track has a manic energy to it that is difficult to describe but instantly recognizable if you’ve heard any other Oh Sees records. I’m pretty sure it’s a song about death (Go figure.) as Dwyer sings about lying down, drinking up the sky, and seeing God. “No Spell” brings in some psychedelic jamming (and wild drumming) for Dwyer and his crew to stretch their muscles.

The driving force of “Strawberries 1 + 2” is damn near unstoppable, with only heavy cymbal crashes and floor tom beats to break up the relentless wall of guitar in it. Songs like “Maze Fancier,” with lyrics like “A grave inside a cave, a maze inside a maze,” make me want to run a Dungeons and Dragons game for John Dwyer. The song has a great bass groove throughout it to boot.

Weird, wobbly synths start “Night Crawler” before orc army drumming comes in to shake us up and Dwyer’s echoing vocals contribute further to the haze drifting around our heads. “Sweets Helicopter” sounds like the name of a lost 1970’s live-action Saturday morning kids TV show, but it another song about death…with soaring solos from Dwyer that almost sound like bagpipes. “Tunnel Time” seems to be about a serial killer stuffing bodies under his house or a caretaker of some kind of tomb (“Can’t remember the faces or even the names. I’ve been cleaning up bodies. They all look the same…to me.”). The mixture of guitar and synths is great in this track. The closer, “Minotaur,” is about being stuck in the corporate rat race maze (“I get sick at my work everyday. There is no cure but to stay. Stay away without pay and the horns on my header are getting thicker with each day.”).

It’s a fun, loud, bold record perfect for getting your blood pumping and your head spinning. If you need something to rev you up while you’re stuck in self-isolation and cleaning your house, here you go.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Public Practice – Gentle Grip

The cover art of Public Practice‘s debut full-length album, Gentle Grip, is intriguing. It’s an abstract / pop art image of a woman’s head, eyes closed, lips and teeth parted in either a breathy sigh or ready for an embrace…and there’s that hand. A right hand with fingernails painted to match the woman’s lipstick has a (gentle?) grip on the back of where her neck would be. Is it the woman’s hand, giving herself a soothing neck massage? Or is it someone else’s, pushing her forward to something she wants but was hesitant to embrace without a little help?

I might be making too much of it, but the image is as intriguing as the album. The opening synth-bass and echoed guitars of “Moon” immediately hurl you into Blade Runner territory while singer / lyricist Samantha York sings of leaving this world for better things, but thinking things might not be better in the off-world colonies after all. Drummer Scott Rosenthal mixes hypnotic floor tom beats with wild full-kit drum fills to jar you out of the mesmerism that York can expertly cast upon the unwary (or, often, more than willing) listener.

The contrasting upbeat pace of “Cities” is a delightful surprise, reflecting the bustle of city life as York sings about the dark sides of some places needing to be brought to light. “Disposable” was one of the first songs released from Public Practice (in October 2019) – and with good reason. Drew Citron‘s bass thumps in your blood and Vince McClelland‘s guitar work is like a shuriken spinning toward you with multiple points. York sings about being careful what you wish for and how “You have it or you don’t.”

The tempo of “Each Other” is wonderfully bumpy and jagged. The whole feel of “Underneath” is undeniably sexy thanks to Citron’s excellent bass line and the vocal mix she and York. Rosenthal puts down a slick Blondie-like beat and McClelland’s guitar work is deceptively tight. “See You When I Want To” is a fun track – as the whole thing, including York’s lyrics, was improvised. “My Head” would’ve been a disco classic in another era. The song’s about creating a dance club in your head to tune out the 24-hour barrage of noise coming at us, so it’s perfect.

The first single off Gentle Grip, “Compromised,” is about the rough road of moral choices. “You don’t want to live a lie, you don’t want to pick a side, you don’t want to compromise. You don’t want to live a life, but it’s easy,” York sings while the rest of the band just cooks throughout the whole track. “I thought this would all fade away. Didn’t know you would stay so angry. I thought it was just a passing phase. Sure we could crawl to an understanding,” York, puzzled, sings on “Understanding” – a sharp post-punk track with McClelland’s guitar ranting like a drunk on a street corner (and I mean that in the best possible sense – McClelland’s mini-solos sound like mini-stories within the story of York’s lyrics.).

In a clever twist, the song “Leave Me Alone” might be the sexiest song on the record. The groove of it slinks around the room like a femme fatale convincing a hard-boiled detective to take the case of her missing husband. It’s the album cover in aural form. McClelland saves some of this wildest guitar work for “How I Like It” – which he also sings. It sounds like he stuck a Tesla coil in his guitar. “Hesitation,” the album’s closer, on the other hand, repeats the same three notes and creates a post-punk (and slightly goth?) banger.

There aren’t a lot of bands out there willing to experiment like Public Practice, which is a shame because the time is ripe for experimentation. We need intriguing records like Gentle Grip that nudge us toward things we want (not material things, mind you, but things like healthy relationships, self-care, and joy) when we need that guidance the most.

Keep your mind open.

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