Author: Breffni Banks

After releasing just two tracks – ‘Born To Be Alive’ and ‘All The Boys’ – 19-year-old Bea and her Business has quickly established a reputation as one of the UK’s hottest new talents. She has exceeded 20 million streams, achieved her first Radio 1 airplay, made a huge scale live debut in front of 100,000 people in Oslo and now, Bea shares her debut EP ‘Introverted Extrovert’.

The songs on Introverted Extrovert’ capture the challenges and uncertainties of late teenage life, with Bea possessing the unguarded honesty and biting wit which calls out to the growing pains of her generation – all while sharing a “If only I had known this before” level of relatable wisdom. In contrast, her songs possess a timeless elegance far beyond her years while her voice shimmers with world class potential. It’s a voice full of longing and yearning, power and poise, and the confidence that comes with learned experience.

Bea says, “This EP is a representation of my past couple of teenage years. Being jealous of other girls and changing myself to be what was perceived as ‘cool’, getting sweet revenge and being immature as hell, fancying guys at parties who don’t fancy me back, getting far too invested in situationships (it never ends well) and after all of that happened realising that being single is fucking great, I don’t know why I didn’t try it earlier lol.

I think this EP gives an insight into my slightly dramatic, sarcastic, passive aggressive (at times) and blunt character whilst also showing you I’m not completely incapable of showing emotion!”

The EP is launched alongside the new focus track ‘Never Ever Love A Liar’. The piano-based ballad tells its story in its title, yet Bea’s words express the vulnerable and sometimes darkly comic truths of how she realised that message to be true as she sings, “He’s moving on quick guess he likes ready-made, cub I’m a chef’s kiss bitch couldn’t you taste.” But as her vocal soars into a towering crescendo, it’s clear that she’s channelling that lesson into her most powerful moment to date – and she has grown for the experience.

Bea adds, “This song is about a time I was feeling very sorry for myself after some guy I was dating got with one of his best girlfriends whilst he was on holiday. He stood for everything my mum told me to avoid, which is where ‘shoulda listened to my mother’ came from. I guess someone can give you as much advice as they want to but at the end of the day you have to live it to learn it. Now I use this song as a bit of a reminder to listen to my mum’s advice, despite the fact it might be unbelievably annoying sometimes, she does always know best – let’s face it!”

In addition to ‘Never Ever Love A Liar’, ‘Born To Be Alive’ and ‘All The Boys’, the EP is completed by two brand new tracks. ‘If I Was A God’ feels like a sequel to ‘Never Ever Love A Liar’, as Bea uses the tender beauty of her voice to plot her revenge to the love interest who wronged her. And ‘Smoking Lessons’ captures what Bea calls the “brutal education” of a tumultuous whirlwind of unrequited love, jealousy, misguided adventures and realising, just a bit too late, that compromising who you are never works out for the best

Bea will celebrate the release of ‘Introverted Extrovert’ by playing her debut London headline show at Omeara on November 16^th. Tickets here.

Bea started writing her own songs in childhood and she was particularly inspired by the scathing wit and insight of Lily Allen. Her writing used personal experience as its focal point, but her love for poetry and fiction proved an extra layer of eloquence, particularly Leonard Cohen’s ‘The Flame’ and Kate Bingham’s ‘Quicksand Beach’. A singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Bea first attracted fans with her heart-stopping covers of songs by Lana Del Rey and Tove Lo before made a stronger personal connection as she released her own originals into the world.

‘Introverted Extrovert’ tracklist:

1. ‘Smoking Lessons’
2. ‘All The Boys’
3. ‘Never Ever Love A Liar’
4. ‘If I Was A God’
5. ‘Born To Be Alive’

Follow Bea and her Business:

Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Website

Amble are a 3-piece ensemble of songwriters, formed over a mutual grá for the music they create. Hailing from the Midlands and West of Ireland, the trio have gained a strong following over the last 7 months, since their debut release ‘Mariner Boy.’

In a matter of only 7 months, Amble has currently over 40k monthly Spotify listeners and are fast approaching the 1,000,000 stream total, averaging 15,000 streams a day.

To date, Amble has sold out all Dublin headliners – The Workman’s Cellar in April 2023, The Sugar Club on November 30th 2023 ( Sold Out 5 months in advance), and now Whelan’s Main Room in March 2024 (also sold out 5 months in advance.) A second date has been added as well as other dates as part of their debut Tour (all Irish dates in association with MCD).

February 28th – Mike The Pies – Listowel

March 1st – Upstairs Dolans – Limerick – SOLD OUT

March 2nd – Cyprus Avenue – Cork (venue upgrade)

March 7th – Whelans – Dublin – (extra date added)

March 8th – Roisin Dubh – Galway – SOLD OUT

March 9th – Whelans – Dublin – SOLD OUT

March 21st – The Empire Music Hall – Belfast (venue upgrade)

March 23rd – The Waiting Room – London (low tickets)

March 28th – The Folklore Rooms – Brighton (low tickets)

March 30th – The Poetry Club – Glasgow (low tickets)

Riserfall, a 4-piece band based in Ireland, are the culmination of the legacy left behind by the impactful grunge scene of the 90s and the modern, innovative rock and metal scene that is flourishing worldwide.

With diverse influences that helped shape their sound (from Soundgarden to Tool, Alter Bridge to Metallica, amongst many others), you can hear that the band does not shy away from this melting pot of inspiration and instead embraces it as the cornerstone of their own mission and musical statement. Not content with following trends, the band set out to craft their own unique blend of rock and metal from atop the shoulders of these giants.

After spending the last two years tearing up every stage that would have them alongside some of the best rock and metal bands Ireland has to offer, honing their stagecraft, they are ready to take on new stages further afield in the new year.

Daniel O’hEidhin fronts the group, bringing with him his lifetime of experience as a musician, all the highs and lows, the pain and the joy, the many failures and the occasional win, and years of obsessive playing and composition that have conditioned the frontman to meet the challenge, and deliver their signature high energy, stadium rock sound. Music has been a constant in Daniel’s life, always embracing evolution and change, while steadfastly remaining committed to the purest, most raw form of rock music. Music, to Daniel, is medicine. A remedy, an outlet, and an old, constant friend.

Neel Thakur, lives and breathes rhythm. Originally from New Delhi, India he has extensive experience playing drums with numerous bands in various genres in front of many different audiences. Neel came to Ireland in 2017 in search of answers to life’s greater questions and has embraced every opportunity and challenge that has come his way since. He is the bedrock and heartbeat of the band on which all the layers of composition comfortably rest. His trademark grooves hold the entire fabric of the songs together, wrapping the melodies with an educated love for varying time signatures while still delivering that powerful smash-mouth delivery.

Ciaran Hurd is Riserfall’s master of low frequencies with his snarling and sometimes obnoxious driven bass tones. Originally from the east end of London, Ciaran found himself on the west coast of Ireland until moving to Dublin when he was 18. He has honed his innate ability through many musical projects over the years, and uses that to add extra colour and texture to even the most blistering rhythmic sections. He crossed paths with frontman Daniel when they were both young, playing in other projects, taking to festivals and stages all over Ireland. They have recombined once more as rhythmic brothers in arms, building that bridge between melody and percussion to drive the songs along.

New recruit, Dan O’Connor, hailing from Kildare, rounds out the lineup, and puts the finishing touches on the aural onslaught of the band. Guitar is Dan’s passion, with nearly two decades experience and has never lost his passion and drive for creating and performing. With blistering leads and frenetic energetic riffs in his playing he brings an urgency to the mix, which compliments the melodic quality of Riserfall’s songs. Bringing with him years of experience as a lead guitarist in multiple genres from Classic Rock to Death Metal his addition has elevated their performance to a new level.

Currently the band are recording and finishing up their latest material, with Claim The Kingdom leading the line. They are eagerly looking forward to a headline show in Dublin early next year (May 2024) where they can debut their new material in front of their hometown crowd before playing shows further afield.

Claim The Kingdom represents the feeling of utter disconnect and discontent between us and the institutions and structures that surround us, that are supposed to serve us, and which perpetually endure, almost unchanging. At its core, it’s a song focused on the loss of belief in everything, and the desire to take back some semblance of representation in the making of decisions that could bring about affirmative and positive change.

“Tell me how it feels.. there’s something to believe..”

The song details the inner turmoil and helplessness one feels following a multi-generational, steady usurpation of affirmative action, hopeful with its call-to-action that rather than descending into apathy we can one day crown our own kings, who represent us.

“Claim the kingdom, crown a king of our own..”

The track was Produced and Mixed by Mike O’Dowd at Lakeland studios, Ireland, and Mastered by the legendary Ted Jensen, Sterling Sound, Nashville (who mastered Hotel California and American idiot to name a couple, as well as recently working with Bring Me The Horizon, Alice In Chains, Gojira, Mastadon, Halestorm).

Connect with Riserfall

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BRIAN DILLON, aka THE LINE, SHARES 13 TRACK COLLABORATIVE RECORD ‘RED BLOOD CELLS & RIGHTEOUSNESS’

FEATURING SORCHA RICHARDSON, LOAH, FEHDAH, GODKNOWS, MURLI, DAN FOX (GILLA BAND), SARAH CORCORAN (PILLOW QUEENS), CAOI DE BARRA (WYVERN LINGO) + MANY MORE

OUT NOW, NOVEMBER 1^st, VIA STRANGE BREW – https://linktr.ee/briantheline

Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/7HV6ptSWKptfNDUfpmecIo?si=yT47sO4eTSOoJfsgNncArg

A line is a visual trail of energy that has been drawn across a surface and is a manifestation of the life energy of the person that made it.

The Line is the pseudonym of Brian Dillon, musician, sound artist, and member of Meltybrains? who shares his new record ‘Red Blood Cells & Righteousness’ today, Wednesday 1^st November, via Strange Brew. This communally created record features some of the most exciting names in Irish music: Godknows, Sorcha Richardson, Dan Fox (Gilla Band), Sarah Corcoran (Pillow Queens), Caoi de Barra (Wyvern Lingo), Lullahush, Loah, and many more.

Brian is a member of Meltybrains? and has worked with a range of Irish artists over the last 10 years, including Talos, Loah, Brídín, and Lilla Vargen among others. He has performed at many international festivals such as SXSW and Iceland Airwaves, and his music has previously been featured in Q Magazine, Boiler Room, and Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist.

In recent years he has gleaned a great deal of experience from collaborating with a range of musicians, as well as artists from a number of disparate disciplines, including JFDR, Anna B Savage, Emma Martin (choreographer), Ellius Grace (director), Emmet Kirwan (actor/writer), Mark McGuinness (photographer) and Kate Dunne (aerialist).

The wealth of collaborative experience has led to the basis for his new project. Red Blood Cells and Righteousness is a communally created record built on the creative endeavours of Brian and a number of friends from within the Irish music world.

The 13 track collaborative LP focuses on the importance of community and communal values. The intention of the record was for the creative process to reflect the themes and content. As a result, each song was a collaboration between Brian and some of his favourite Irish musicians, friends and most erstwhile collaborators:

TRACKLIST:

1. Nothing W/ Lullahush
2. Communion W/Loah & Fehdah
3. Earth Died Streaming W/Feel Bad Music Club
4. Hero of Coincidence W/Sarah Corcoran (Pillow Queens)
5. I Know This Is Water W/Eamonn Dillon
6. Everything We Know in An Instant W/ Lullahush
7. Patience of Saints W/Godknows and Murli
8. The World Told No Lies W/Dan Fox (Gilla Band) and Nevv
9. Fruit Peel Path W/Caoi de Barra (Wyvern Lingo)
10. A Trail, Thin but Beautiful W/Lullahush
11. Collar Bone W/Sorcha Richardson
12. Light Work W/Ben Bix and Micheál Quinn (Meltybrains)
13. A Crack Becomes a Crevice, A Foothold Becomes a Foundation W/ Eoin French (Talos)

The title for the album came from Julian Gough’s novel ‘Connect’. Throughout the book the writer discusses the idea that human beings are like blood cells – moving autonomously through a much larger ecosystem, serving a much larger power without ever realising that’s what they are doing. Reading this book and thinking about the ‘system of systems’ led Brian down a path of discovery that involved researching the likes of David Foster Wallace’s essays on postmodernism, James Lovelock’s Gaia Hypothesis, the panentheistic philosophy of GWF Hegel and Kae Tempest’s albums and ideas.

This research process led to a large-scale sound art piece called White Blood Cells, which discusses the importance of global supply chains and the lack of respect shown towards them by the average Westerner. It also led Brian to the ideas behind Red Blood Cells and Righteousness. Namely that community, connection, and collaboration are the most important things that we have in this life, and that ‘the myth of the individual’ and the pursuit of personal gain and adulation has caused us to forget this.

The sonic landscape of the album is varied, as each track came from a collaborative writing session. As a result, there are a multitude of reference points and influences. The influence of dream-pop acts such Beach House and Cocteau Twins, as well as noisier acts like My Bloody Valentine and Skunk Anansie is felt throughout. The song writing continually pays homage to greats of contemporary alternative song writing, including the likes of Sufjan Stevens, Frank Ocean, Phoebe Bridgers, Villagers, and Big Thief.

Speaking about the album, Brian says “This is an album built on personal relationships and communication, dedicated to playing a small but significant role as a part of a world so much bigger than any of us are willing to admit. After all, maybe we’re all just blood cells, swimming through the veins of the earth, serving a much higher function.”

In celebration of the release of Red Blood Cells and Righteousness, there will be a small Irish tour to launch the record –

Nov 18^th – Róisín Dubh, Galway

Nov 19^th – Maureen’s, Cork City (lunchtime gig)

Nov 19^th – Connolly’s of Leap, west Cork

Nov 25^th – The Sugar Club, Dublin (featuring special guests including Loah, Eoin French (Talos) + more tbc)

‘Red Blood Cells & Righteousness’ by The Line is out now on Strange Brew.

 To stream/buy the album, or to book tickets, visit: https://linktr.ee/briantheline

Website: http://briandillonmusic.weebly.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Brian_The_Line

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brian_dillon_is_sound/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0uoS5ZiwVkX4qPs3ryEU7s?si=z8n6zX1oR828k59Y64gTDQ

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theline8138

‘Neon Town’ was inspired by an overnight stay on a farm while crossing France in the summer of 2022.

The song was influenced by the midnight getaway of a horse the owner had on his land. This gallant horse had cleared the walls of the farm at nightfall and was found early the next morning a few kilometers away above the town in an old man’s front garden under a solitary tree.

“I had slept through all of the excitement,” David the Farm owner, a kind man,  recounted the story the next morning. It wasn’t until I reached my next destination that I realised how much this story had resonated with me. I tried to give this horse a voice through song, and so  ‘Neon Town’ came about.

‘Neon Town’ can be heard on Ian Ashford’s new album, ‘The Tree’ – available on all streaming services.

‘World and its Sister’ is the first single from Powerful Creative Minds’ (PCM) Ciaran Reddington’s upcoming EP ‘The Spiritual Workout.’

Coming from shifting his mentality and attitude towards mindfulness and spirituality, ‘The World and Its Sister’ is about recognising how detrimental a trending world is and how it can effect your focus in everyday living! So, it’s time to close off your social “reality” and start focusing on the world inside.

Being the first track off the EP, Ciaran feels it sets the tone for the rest of the listening. It’s Ciaran’s first piece of work as a solo artist, and he feels this body of work represents the where, when and how he got to the point he’s at.

Personal growth and spiritual maturity are the two narratives that run through the EP. These themes are conveyed through old-school Hip-Hop, sticking to his roots within the genre.

Ciaran previously worked with his brother Ricks, and the now worldwide famous Jazzy, as part of a hip-hop group by the name Powerful Creative Minds, which he insists is not finished by any means, and you can expect to hear more from the group in 2024.

Hailing from Derry City, Ireland, Danny Wright is an exciting new artist ready to make his mark in the music industry.

Drawing his inspirations from artists like Lauv and Ed Sheeran, Danny Wright has crafted his own unique style of blending meaningful lyrics that everyone can relate to, along with catchy melodies that are sure to get you singing along.

Danny is no stranger to the music industry as he had been working as a behind-the-scenes force, helping some of Ireland’s finest artists. However, now it’s time for Danny to step into the spotlight and take centre stage, showcasing his exceptional talents and the unique blend of music he brings to the world…

His debut single ‘Famous’ pays tribute to the dreams and ambitions you had when you were a child, but lost as you got older. delivering a sound that effortlessly shows heartfelt lyricism that everyone can relate to, along with pop sensibilities. The catchy melodies, playful lyrics and hooks woven into ‘Famous’ will have audiences singing along from the very first note.

‘Famous’ marks the dawn of an exciting new chapter in Danny’s career, one that promises to leave an indelible mark on the global music scene.

Connect with Danny Wright

Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Spotify

From his upcoming debut album ‘Pulling at the Briars’

Coming 09.02.2024

 + tour dates

Over the last twenty years, Dublin-born and Berlin-based artist David Hedderman has cultivated an impressive career as a visual artist with his vibrant style of portraits which often feature beautifully textured and captivating backdrops for his figures to exist within. Hedderman’s striking idiosyncratic style seamlessly translates in his songwriting, as demonstrated in his dynamic and deft debut album, Pulling At The Briars. These ten multi-faceted compositions are sensitively layered with sumptuous and sweeping instrumentation. Its tonal palette is enhanced by a rich palette of emotive guitar melodies, soft percussion, and wistful flourishes of pedal steel, piano and violin. These beautiful soundscapes are endlessly inviting, each return drawing audiences closer towards the many aspects of his artistry.

Following on from the release of the first single ‘Blue Jeans’ in September, Hedderman shares the second track ‘Permanent Blush’.

Official video >> https://youtu.be/hHqEgDIIuRA?feature=shared

Spotify >> https://open.spotify.com/album/6wnUBjh1DdRonl7rUpCStt?si=aTki_IT-SYuxAGfD7vSdMA

Speaking on the new song, Hedderman says “Same as my other songs, the story line here is composed from multiple unrelated episodes collected over the time- in the process of making the video, my partner instinctively picked VHS footage from my childhood. It resulted in suggesting a version of interpretation where today as an adult one can reflect the time when you were a child going through things- embracing the ever-continuing learnings from different stages of life and sending love to your different timeline self. However, the song is entirely open to interpret in individual ways. One thing I can say definitely is how happy I am to have my pal’s blushed cheeks taking over listener’s Spotify screens.”

Video credits:

directed and edited by Yuka Tanaka

performed by Peter Toomey,  David Hedderman & Terry the bus driver

special thanks to Carl Clancy, child camera man.

single artwork by Yuka Tanaka.

 ABOUT THE UPCOMING ALBUM “PULLING AT THE BRIARS”

Written over a 15-year period, Pulling At The Briars captures a transitional period for Hedderman during which he relocated to Berlin, Germany from Dublin, Ireland in the mid-2000s. The initial months and years were shaped by intensive periods creating art whilst cultivating a community of like-minded creatives in Berlin. With regards to the latter, Hedderman engaged in regular music sessions, eventually inviting musicians to his Kreuzberg studio to play together. This ritual not only served as an invigorating social outlet but through playing music, Hedderman was able to process several informative events that occurred throughout his twenties and thirties.

Recorded live over five-days with Brendan Jenkinson (Aoife Nessa Frances, John Francis Flynn, Villagers) in Sonic Studios, Dublin, Ireland, Pulling At The Briars was produced by Conor O’Brien (Villagers), Hedderman’s close childhood friend and former bandmate in The Immediate. The atmosphere conjured during the recording sessions was amplified by the potent cast of collaborators featuring Peter Broderick, David A. Tapley (Tandem Felix), Corey Blair, and Aidan Gorman, each of whom add rich flourishes to the expansive material.

 Hedderman explains the significance of the album’s title and how it reflects the overall narrative of this deeply personal and resonating work. “It came from a trip I made to the West coast of Ireland making portraits of people. I was also doing some work outdoors with my friend and we were told we had to pull briars out of some walls in the lashing rain. Afterwards, I remember it being a very heightened memory after that trip of it being very cathartic and symbolic. The act was quite literally doing something in the pursuit of clearing, unclogging. I’ve often seen that as how I’ve treated music in a cathartic way, as a form of therapy. Holding the guitar and singing is my way of getting things out. The album’s title is a lyric in one of the songs and I think it nicely umbrellas the whole album in how it addresses the ways that I try to untangle life.”

 LIVE DATES:

Foggy Notions present David Hedderman live at the Workman’s Cellar, Dublin, Saturday 16th December 2023.

Tickets on sale via Ticketmaster:
https://www.ticketmaster.ie/venueartist/199998/5431436

Website: http://davidhedderman.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidHedderman

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david_hedderman/

Today sees the release of CYRM – the highly anticipated debut album from experimental doom folk band, ØXN, on Claddagh Records.

The record is available across digital streaming platforms, on vinyl and CD now.

ØXN comprising Radie Peat, Katie Kim, John ‘Spud’ Murphy and Eleanor Myler, will play two live dates at The Sugar Club, Dublin next week, on Tue 31st October and Wed 1st November. Presented by Enthusiastic Eunuch and Foggy Notions, support will be from Iona Zajac (31/10) and Poor Creature (1/11).

The band says of CYRM: “We had rehearsed so intensely for our live stream in the Martello tower that we figured it would be the best thing to book in studio time right away. So, during some phase of the pandemic, we went up to Hellfire Studios and got battered by gales and petted cows while putting down the bones of the album. Some of said gale can be heard on The Feast. The rest of it, mainly vocals, recorded by Katie and Spud back in Guerilla Studios.”

CYRM is a six-track album featuring traditional folk songs and covers. Just over 45 minutes in total length, it features ‘The Feast‘, written by Katie Kim; original arrangements of traditional folk songs: ‘The Trees They Do Grow High‘, ‘Love Henry‘ and ‘Cruel Mother‘ – the latter uses parts of an arrangement by Andy Fenstermaker (Andy The Doorbum); and two covers (‘The Wife of Michael Cleary‘ by Maija Sofia and ‘Farmer in the City‘ by Scott Walker).

‘Cruel Mother’ is a traditional song, possibly originating from the mid-18th century, intended at the time as a cautionary tale. Women were considered criminals if they had illegitimate children; were considered demonic rather than suffering from mental illness or distress. It’s a song of persecution, abuse, infantilism and guilt based on the version by Andy the Doorbum.

‘The Trees They Do Grow High’ follows on with the theme of oppression and social pressures. Sung from the woman’s perspective, the subject is an arranged marriage of a 24-year-old woman, by her father, to a boy who is much younger than she. There are numerous versions of both the tune and lyrics; in this version, the groom is fourteen when he marries, a father at fifteen and in his grave a year later.

CYRM’s first single, ‘Love Henry’, is another traditional song, based on the version by Judy Henske. The band says of the song: “It was a challenge to do musical justice to something so wrathful and dramatic. We tried to build the tension and drama with every verse until it sounded maniacal. ‘Henry Lee’ dates back to the Middle Ages and has its origins in the British Isles (as do all of the ballads collected by Francis James Child). It tells the story of a young man (a knight in some versions) who spurns a lady’s affections and is murdered by her in revenge.”

‘The Feast’ is a Katie Kim song, reworked for ØXN. It is inspired by Nick Cave’s 1989 novel And The Ass Saw The Angel which tells the story of Euchrid Eucrow: a mute boy born to an abusive drunken mother and a father obsessed with animal torture. Euchrid’s mental breakdown includes horrific angelic visions, and the story builds towards the boy exacting terrible vengeance on the people who have made him suffer. The original version of this song is featured on the 2012 Katie Kim album Cover & Flood.

‘The Wife of Michael Cleary’ is a cover of the song by Irish artist Maija Sofia from her 2019 album, Bath Time. ØXN say: “We’ve always been huge fans of Maija and her evocative songwriting. Katie and Radie provided backing vocals for her performance on the Guerilla Live streaming show during the pandemic. The story of Bridget Cleary is thematically a harrowing companion piece to the Cruel Mother: Bridget is blamed, punished and demonised for events out of her control.”

Album closer ‘Farmer in the City’ is a Scott Walker song with lyrics somewhat inspired by a translation of the Pier Paolo Pasolini poem ‘Una tanti dialoghi’. In the song, Walker laments the life and death of filmmaker Pasolini and also Pasolini’s great love and life companion, actor Ninetto Davoli. As a self-professed communist, Pasolini idealised the commune that worked the land.

Connect with ØXN

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