Ahri's unqualified thoughts #53

Easy to consume content: 1 quote, 1 tweet/storm and 1 article/video.

Oct 25, 2023

In today's edition, we spotlight a compelling Twitter thread that delves into preparations for a possible upcoming bull market, as well as an insightful article on Riot Games' significant influence on mainstream music.

1 quote

"There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will." Seneca

1 tweet/storm

The excellent redphone returns with another banger thread, detailing the 7 mistakes he made in the last bull cycle.

In just 7 short tweets, he touches on topics like portfolio management, the importance of focus and rest, when to sell and be happy with profits, addressing greed, Elon's SNL appearance, and the public's excessive froth, among others.

Must read.

1 article/video

I've discussed Riot Games before, and spoiler alert: I'll surely do it again. Cecilia Ciocchetti, from the Jacob Wolf Report, recently shed light on Riot Games' significant influence on mainstream music.

The article delves into the creative genius behind Riot Games/Music's hits and provides a comprehensive history of their musical journeys. It includes insights from Mako and Sebastien Najand of Riot Games Music, who collaborated with the K-pop group NewJeans. While I recommend giving the article a read, here’s a TLDR:

Riot Games Music evolved from being “the LoL developer” to being the powerhouse behind massively played games like League of Legends & Valorant. They also have hits like Teamfight Tactics and other games such as Legends of Runeterra and Wild Rift. As they said in the 10th-year anniversary video, they “finally put the S in Riot Games”
Their musical collaborations with iconic artists like Lil Nas X (who was present during the Worlds finals last year in SF), Imagine Dragons, G-IDLE, and Hiroyuki Sawano (he is behind Attack on Titans OST, and I’m a weeb, so I had to say it) positioned them as cultural trendsetters.
Their K-Pop releases have set benchmarks, with K/DA songs garnering over 500 million views/listens.
Pentakill, Riot's original virtual group, focused on Death Metal with talents from bands like Motley Crue and DragonForce (which ofc all gamers/weebs know of).
The Arcane OST showcased their versatility, with a soundtrack bridging different genres, and the massive hit "Enemy" receiving over a billion plays on each platform.
Riot Games/Music masterfully blends the raw emotions of esports into their musical performances. Organizing esports events, as I've experienced, can be challenging, especially in securing the perfect opening act. I've been very lucky to work with a top-tier co-worker/duo who always nailed that. Riot’s adoption of augmented reality has also added a creative dimension to their opening acts that most others haven’t mastered at all, or even tried.
Riot continues to see a bright future in music, with a focus on projects like "Arcane" and aims to collaborate with more artists to explore music in the context of video games. They believe in the synergy between gaming and music and continue to forge partnerships.

I have discovered K-pop through Riot Games… Their K-pop/Pop groups are the only ones I listen to from that genre. I can go on for hours about Riot, but let’s keep some for another time.

Here are some of my favorite creations from Riot, a mix of their Worlds songs, trailer announcements, lore trailers, etc. It goes beyond music.

Light and Shadow, which was the reveal trailer of Star Guardian 2019. Music by Hiroyuki Sawano. This trailer/song is my favorite of all time from their teams.