title: Chiaroscuro

text: Chiaroscuro woodcuts are old master prints in woodcut using two or more blocks printed in different colours; they do not necessarily feature strong contrasts of light and dark. They were first produced to achieve similar effects to chiaroscuro drawings. After some early experiments in book-printing, the true chiaroscuro woodcut conceived for two blocks was probably first invented by Lucas Cranach the Elder in Germany in 1508 or 1509, though he backdated some of his first prints and added tone blocks to some prints first produced for monochrome printing, swiftly followed by Hans Burgkmair the Elder. The formschneider or block-cutter who worked in the press of Johannes Schott in Strasbourg is claimed to be the first one to achieve chiaroscuro woodcuts with three blocks. Despite Vasari's claim for Italian precedence in Ugo da Carpi, it is clear that his, the first Italian examples, date to around 1516 But other sources suggest, the first chiaroscuro woodcut to be the "Triumph of Julius Caesar", which was created by Andrea Mantegna, an Italian painter, between 1470 and 1500. Another view states that: "Lucas Cranach backdated two of his works in an attempt to grab the glory" and that the technique was invented "in all probability" by Burgkmair "who was commissioned by the emperor Maximilian to find a cheap and effective way of getting the imperial image widely disseminated as he needed to drum up money and support for a crusade".


title: Chiaroscuro

text: Other printmakers who have used this technique include Hans Wechtlin, Hans Baldung Grien, and Parmigianino. In Germany, the technique achieved its greatest popularity around 1520, but it was used in Italy throughout the sixteenth century. Later artists such as Goltzius sometimes made use of it. In most German two-block prints, the keyblock (or "line block") was printed in black and the tone block or blocks had flat areas of colour. In Italy, chiaroscuro woodcuts were produced without keyblocks to achieve a very different effect.


title: Chiaroscuro

text: Manuscript illumination was, as in many areas, especially experimental in attempting ambitious lighting effects since the results were not for public display. The development of compositional chiaroscuro received a considerable impetus in northern Europe from the vision of the Nativity of Jesus of Saint Bridget of Sweden, a very popular mystic. She described the infant Jesus as emitting light; depictions increasingly reduced other light sources in the scene to emphasize this effect, and the Nativity remained very commonly treated with chiaroscuro through to the Baroque. Hugo van der Goes and his followers painted many scenes lit only by candle or the divine light from the infant Christ. As with some later painters, in their hands the effect was of stillness and calm rather than the drama with which it would be used during the Baroque.


title: Chiaroscuro

text: Strong chiaroscuro became a popular effect during the sixteenth century in Mannerism and Baroque art. Divine light continued to illuminate, often rather inadequately, the compositions of Tintoretto, Veronese, and their many followers. The use of dark subjects dramatically lit by a shaft of light from a single constricted and often unseen source, was a compositional device developed by Ugo da Carpi (c. 1455 – c. 1523), Giovanni Baglione (1566–1643), and Caravaggio (1571–1610), the last of whom was crucial in developing the style of tenebrism, where dramatic chiaroscuro becomes a dominant stylistic device.


title: Chiaroscuro

text: Tenebrism was especially practiced in Spain and the Spanish-ruled Kingdom of Naples, by Jusepe de Ribera and his followers. Adam Elsheimer (1578–1610), a German artist living in Rome, produced several night scenes lit mainly by fire, and sometimes moonlight. Unlike Caravaggio's, his dark areas contain very subtle detail and interest. The influences of Caravaggio and Elsheimer were strong on Peter Paul Rubens, who exploited their respective approaches to tenebrosity for dramatic effect in paintings such as "The Raising of the Cross" (1610–1611). Artemisia Gentileschi (1593–1656), a Baroque artist who was a follower of Caravaggio, was also an outstanding exponent of tenebrism and chiaroscuro.


title: Chiaroscuro

text: A particular genre that developed was the nocturnal scene lit by candlelight, which looked back to earlier northern artists such as Geertgen tot Sint Jans and more immediately, to the innovations of Caravaggio and Elsheimer. This theme played out with many artists from the Low Countries in the first few decades of the seventeenth century, where it became associated with the Utrecht Caravaggisti such as Gerrit van Honthorst and Dirck van Baburen, and with Flemish Baroque painters such as Jacob Jordaens. Rembrandt van Rijn's (1606–1669) early works from the 1620s also adopted the single-candle light source. The nocturnal candle-lit scene re-emerged in the Dutch Republic in the mid-seventeenth century on a smaller scale in the works of fijnschilders such as Gerrit Dou and Gottfried Schalken.


title: Chiaroscuro

text: Rembrandt's own interest in effects of darkness shifted in his mature works. He relied less on the sharp contrasts of light and dark that marked the Italian influences of the earlier generation, a factor found in his mid-seventeenth-century etchings. In that medium he shared many similarities with his contemporary in Italy, Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, whose work in printmaking led him to invent the monotype.


title: Chiaroscuro

text: Outside the Low Countries, artists such as Georges de La Tour and Trophime Bigot in France and Joseph Wright of Derby in England, carried on with such strong, but graduated, candlelight chiaroscuro. Watteau used a gentle chiaroscuro in the leafy backgrounds of his fêtes galantes, and this was continued in paintings by many French artists, notably Fragonard. At the end of the century Fuseli and others used a heavier chiaroscuro for romantic effect, as did Delacroix and others in the nineteenth century.


title: Chiaroscuro

text: The French use of the term, clair-obscur, was introduced by the seventeenth-century art-critic Roger de Piles in the course of a famous argument ("Débat sur le coloris"), on the relative merits of drawing and colour in painting (his "Dialogues sur le coloris", 1673, was a key contribution to the "Débat").


title: Chiaroscuro

text: In English, the Italian term has been usedoriginally as and since at least the late seventeenth century. The term is less frequently used of art after the late nineteenth century, although the Expressionist and other modern movements make great use of the effect.


title: Chiaroscuro

text: Especially since the strong twentieth-century rise in the reputation of Caravaggio, in non-specialist use the term is mainly used for strong chiaroscuro effects such as his, or Rembrandt's. As the Tate puts it: "Chiaroscuro is generally only remarked upon when it is a particularly prominent feature of the work, usually when the artist is using extreme contrasts of light and shade". Photography and cinema also have adopted the term. For the history of the term, see René Verbraeken, "Clair-obscur, histoire d’un mot" (Nogent-le-Roi, 1979).


title: Chiaroscuro

text: "Chiaroscuro" is used in cinematography for extreme low key and high-contrast lighting to create distinct areas of light and darkness in films, especially in black and white films. Classic examples are "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1920), "Nosferatu" (1922), "Metropolis" (1927) "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1939), "The Devil and Daniel Webster" (1941), and the black and white scenes in Andrei Tarkovsky's "Stalker" (1979).


title: Chiaroscuro

text: For example, in "Metropolis", chiaroscuro lighting creates contrast between light and dark mise-en-scene and figures. The effect highlights the differences between the capitalist elite and the workers.


title: Chiaroscuro

text: In photography, chiaroscuro can be achieved by using "Rembrandt lighting". In more highly developed photographic processes, the technique may be termed "ambient/natural lighting", although when done so for the effect, the look is artificial and not generally documentary in nature. In particular, Bill Henson along with others, such as W. Eugene Smith, Josef Koudelka, Garry Winogrand, Lothar Wolleh, Annie Leibovitz, Floria Sigismondi, and Ralph Gibson may be considered some of the modern masters of chiaroscuro in documentary photography.


title: Chiaroscuro

text: Perhaps the most direct use of chiaroscuro in filmmaking is Stanley Kubrick's 1975 film "Barry Lyndon". When informed that no lens then had a sufficiently wide aperture to shoot a costume drama set in grand palaces using only candlelight, Kubrick bought and retrofitted a special lens for the purpose: a modified Mitchell BNC camera and a Zeiss lens manufactured for the rigors of space photography, with a maximum aperture of f/0.7. The natural, unaugmented lighting of the sets in the film exemplified low-key, natural lighting in filmwork at its most extreme, outside of the Eastern European/Soviet filmmaking tradition (itself exemplified by the harsh low-key lighting style employed by Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein).


title: Chiaroscuro

text: Sven Nykvist, the longtime collaborator of Ingmar Bergman, also informed much of his photography with chiaroscuro realism, as did Gregg Toland, who influenced such cinematographers as László Kovács, Vilmos Zsigmond, and Vittorio Storaro with his use of deep and selective focus augmented with strong horizon-level key lighting penetrating through windows and doorways. Much of the celebrated film noir tradition relies on techniques related to chiaroscuro that Toland perfected in the early 1930s (though high-key lighting, stage lighting, frontal lighting, and other film noir effects are interspersed in ways that diminish the chiaroscuro claim).


title: Kyle Gass

text: Kyle Richard Gass (born July 14, 1960) is an American musician, comedian and actor best known for co-founding—and being a member of—Tenacious D, a Grammy-winning comedy band. He also co-founded the bands Trainwreck and the Kyle Gass Band, with which he also performs.


title: Kyle Gass

text: Gass was born in Walnut Creek, California, and has two brothers. He attended Las Lomas High School, where he played flute in the marching band, graduating in 1978. He studied acting at UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, where he met Tim Robbins. In 1982, he joined Robbins' The Actors' Gang and in the early 1990s met and befriended Jack Black in the group.


title: Kyle Gass

text: Gass first appeared on-screen in a 1988 7up Gold commercial, and made his film debut two years later in "Brain Dead".


title: Kyle Gass

text: He made a cameo appearance in the "Seinfeld" episode "The Abstinence" in 1996, in a 1999 episode of the television show "Fear of a Punk Planet", and in a 2003 episode of "Friends, ""The One With The Mugging" (S9 E15), as Phoebe's street friend Lowell. He appeared in music videos for Good Charlotte's 2002 song "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous", the Foo Fighters' 1999 song "Learn to Fly," and I Prevail's 2017 song "Already Dead".


title: Kyle Gass

text: Gass has played small roles in many of Black's films ("Year One", "Kung Fu Panda", "Shallow Hal", "Saving Silverman", "The Cable Guy", etc.). He starred with Black in the movie "Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny".


title: Kyle Gass

text: Gass appeared in "Jacob's Ladder" (1990), appeared as the "couch potato" in "The Cable Guy" (1996), and as an inept author of children's books in the comedy "Elf" (2003). He had a cameo role as a singing karaoke cowboy in "Wild Hogs" (2007). In 2008 he played the porn director in "Extreme Movie", Walrus Boy in "Wieners", the dirty trucker in the men's room in "Sex Drive", and Decatur Doublewide in "Lower Learning".


title: Kyle Gass

text: In Tenacious D, Gass plays lead guitar and sings backing vocals, and also plays the role of Black's comic foil in most of their comedy routines.


title: Kyle Gass

text: While appearing on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" on November 15, 2006, Gass claimed to have been the youngest graduate of the Juilliard School of Music with a degree in classical guitar studies at the age of 13. Juilliard did not have a guitar program in 1973, but began its graduate level guitar program in 1989 under Sharon Isbin, and its undergraduate program in 2007. Earlier, in an article in the "Sunday Times" on October 29, 2006, Black stated that Gass was the youngest graduate of Juilliard. On May 13, 2008, Gass was a phone-in guest on the "Adam Carolla Show". When Adam Carolla asked him "... And did you go to Juilliard?" Kyle replied "I didn't. I—you know, I made that up as a joke," he continued, "and I thought it would be hilarious, and then I've been hearing about it ever since. Apologies to Juilliard."


title: Kyle Gass

text: In 2021, Gass announced his first solo tour "Kyle Gass Must Save the World", however it was later cancelled.


title: Kyle Gass

text: Gass starred in a web show, "Guitarings", with John Konesky and currently hosts the "Did We Do It" podcast with Kevin Weisman.


title: Dascha Polanco

text: Dascha Yolaine Polanco (born December 3, 1982) is a Dominican-American actress. She is known for portraying the role of Dayanara "Daya" Diaz on the Netflix series "Orange Is the New Black", and for the role of Cuca in the 2021 movie "In the Heights".


title: Dascha Polanco

text: Polanco was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and moved to the United States at a young age. She was raised in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and Miami by her father, a mechanic, and mother, a cosmetologist. Polanco is the oldest of three children; she has a brother and sister.


title: Dascha Polanco

text: Polanco aspired to be an actress from an early age but "always doubted auditioning because of [her] weight", so she completed a bachelor's degree in psychology at Hunter College. After college she began working in the healthcare industry with the intention of becoming a nurse. She was working in hospital administration at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx while studying nursing when she gained the courage to pursue acting again and registered herself with an acting studio. She attended BIH Studios in New York, and while there was signed by the talent agency Shirley Grant Management. Her first acting credits were minor parts in the television series "Unforgettable" and "NYC 22".


title: Dascha Polanco

text: In 2013, Polanco appeared in the independent film "Gimme Shelter" before returning to her role on "Orange Is the New Black" for the show's second season. In June 2014, it was announced that she had been promoted from a recurring role to a series regular for the show's third season, which was released in June 2015. She appeared in the comedy films "The Cobbler" and "Joy", and starred in the film "The Perfect Match."


title: Dascha Polanco

text: In 2018, Polanco had a recurring role in "", and in 2019, she had a recurring role in Netflix series, "Russian Doll" and "When They See Us".


title: Dascha Polanco

text: In 2021, Polanco played the role of Cuca, one of the lead salon ladies, in the film "In the Heights".


title: Dascha Polanco

text: Polanco has two children, a daughter and a son. Her daughter portrayed a younger version of Polanco's character in the fifth season of "Orange is the New Black". In 2015, Polanco was accused of assaulting a teenager, allegedly having “punched several times and scratched”. The charges were later conditionally dismissed.


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: Unknown Pleasures is the debut studio album by English rock band Joy Division, released on 15 June 1979 by Factory Records. The album was recorded and mixed over three successive weekends at Stockport's Strawberry Studios in April 1979, with producer Martin Hannett contributing a number of unconventional recording techniques to the group's sound. The cover artwork was designed by artist Peter Saville, using a data plot of signals from a radio pulsar. It is the only Joy Division album released during lead singer Ian Curtis's lifetime.


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: Factory Records did not release any singles from "Unknown Pleasures", and the album did not chart despite the relative success of the group's non-album debut single "Transmission". It has since received sustained critical acclaim as an influential post-punk album, and has been named as one of the best albums of all time by publications such as "NME", AllMusic, "Select", "Rolling Stone", and "Spin".


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: Joy Division formed in Salford in 1976 during the first wave of punk rock. Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook had separately attended a Sex Pistols show at the Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall on 4 June 1976 and both embraced that band's simplicity, speed and aggression. Forming a band with their friend Terry Mason on drums, Sumner on guitar and Hook on bass, they advertised for a singer. Ian Curtis, whom Sumner and Hook already knew, applied and, without having to audition, was taken on. After a number of changes of drummer, Stephen Morris joined the band—at that time called Warsaw—in August 1977. To avoid confusion with the London punk band Warsaw Pakt, they renamed themselves Joy Division in late 1977.


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: After signing a recording contract with RCA Records in early 1978, Joy Division recorded some demos; however, they were unhappy with the way their music was mixed and asked to be released from their contract. The band's first release was the self-produced extended play (EP), "An Ideal for Living", which was released in June 1978. They made their television debut on Tony Wilson's local news show "Granada Reports" in September 1978. According to Hook, the band received a £70,000 offer from Genetic Records in London. However, the band's manager, Rob Gretton, approached Wilson about releasing an album on his Factory Records label. Wilson explained that Gretton had calculated that given Factory's 50/50 split of profits, the band could make as much money with the indie label as it could by signing to a major. Wilson added that one of Gretton's main reasons for approaching Factory was so "he wouldn't have to get on a train to London every week and 'talk to nuggets'. No one could use the word 'cockney' with as much contempt as Rob". Gretton estimated that the album would cost £8,000 to produce; however, Wilson said in 2006 that the up-front cost ended at £18,000.


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: "Unknown Pleasures" was recorded at Strawberry Studios in Stockport over three weekends between 1 and 17 April 1979, with Martin Hannett producing. Hannett, who believed that punk rock was sonically conservative because of its refusal to use studio technology to create sonic space, used a number of unusual production techniques and sound effects on the album, including several AMS 15-80s digital delays, the Marshall Time Modulator, tape echo and bounce, as well as the sound of a bottle smashing, someone eating crisps, backwards guitar and the sound of the Strawberry Studios lift with a Leslie speaker "whirring inside". He also used the sound of a basement toilet. Hannett recorded Curtis's vocals for "Insight" down a telephone line so he could achieve the "requisite distance". Hannett later said, "[Joy Division] were a gift to a producer, because they didn't have a clue. They didn't argue". Referring to the recording sessions, Hook remembered, "Sumner started using a kit-built Powertran Transcendent 2000 synthesiser, most notably on 'I Remember Nothing', where it vied with the sound of Rob Gretton smashing bottles with Steve and his Walther replica pistol." During the recording, Morris invested in a syndrum because he thought he saw one on the cover of Can's 1971 album "Tago Mago".


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: AllMusic wrote that Hannett's production on "Unknown Pleasures" was "as much a hallmark as the music itself," describing it as "emphasizing space in the most revelatory way since the dawn of dub." Describing Hannett's production techniques, Hook said, "[He] didn't think straight, he thought sideways. He confused you and made you do something you didn't expect." Hook went on to say, "Derek Bramwood of Strawberry Studios said that you can take a group that have got on brilliantly for 20 years, put them in a studio with Martin and within five minutes, they'll be trying to slash each other's throats." However, Hook went on to say that Hannett was only as good as the material he had to work with, "We gave him great songs, and like a top chef, he added some salt and pepper and some herbs and served up the dish. But he needed our ingredients." The band members' opinions differed on the "spacious, atmospheric sound" of the album, which did not reflect their more aggressive live sound. Sumner said, "The music was loud and heavy, and we felt that Martin had toned it down, especially with the guitars. The production inflicted this dark, doomy mood over the album: we'd drawn this picture in black and white, and Martin had coloured it in for us. We resented it ..." Hook said, "I couldn't hide my disappointment then, it sounded like Pink Floyd."


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: Morris disagreed, saying, "I was happy with "Unknown Pleasures". My theory on things at the time was that the two things—listening to a record and going to a gig—were quite different. You don't want to hear a record when you go to a gig: you want something with a bit of energy." Curtis was also happy with the production of the album and was impressed with Hannett's work. Hook conceded in 2006, "It definitely didn't turn out sounding the way I wanted it ... But now I can see that Martin did a good job on it ... There's no two ways about it, Martin Hannett created the Joy Division sound." Hook also noted that he was able to hear Curtis's lyrics and Sumner's guitar parts for the first time on the record, because during gigs the band played too loudly.


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: Peter Saville, who had previously designed posters for Manchester's Factory club in 1978, designed the cover of the album. Sumner or Morris, depending on the account, chose the image used on the cover, which is based on an image of radio waves from pulsar CP 1919, from "The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Astronomy". Saville reversed the image from black-on-white to white-on-black, against the band's stated preference for the original. "I was afraid it might look a little cheap. I was convinced that it was just sexier in black" since it represented a signal from space. He printed it on textured card for the original version of the album.


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: It is not a Fourier analysis as sometimes stated, but rather an image of the intensity of successive radio pulses, as stated in the "Cambridge Encyclopaedia". In simple terms, the image is a “stacked plot” of the radio emissions given out by a pulsar, a “rotating neutron star”. Originally named CP 1919, the pulsar was discovered in November 1967 by student Jocelyn Bell Burnell and her supervisor Antony Hewish at Cambridge University. As the star turns, it emits electromagnetic radiation in a beam like a lighthouse, which can be picked up by radio telescopes. Each line on the image is an individual pulse. They are not exactly the same each time as the long distance the beam travels introduces interference.


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: The image was originally created by radio astronomer Harold Craft at the Arecibo Observatory for his 1970 doctoral dissertation as a way to visualize smaller pulses within larger ones, which might help explain what had been causing the pulses. He was unaware for years that the image was associated with the album cover until a friend told him; afterwards he bought a copy because he felt he should have one as the creator of the image.


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: Susie Goldring, reviewing the album for "BBC Online" said, "The duochrome Peter Saville cover of this first Joy Division album speaks volumes. Its white on black lines reflect a pulse of power, a surge of bass, and raw angst. If the cover doesn't draw you in, the music will."


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: The cover image became strongly associated with the band's fans at goth gatherings later in the '80s, after Joy Division's surviving members had become New Order. In the 21st century, it started to become an iconic image outside Joy Division fandom. Raf Simons collaborated with Saville on a 2003 clothing line that used the plot; three years later Supreme followed suit. The cover of Vince Staples' 2015 album "Summertime '06" is based on the "Unknown Pleasures" image.


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: In 2012 the Disney corporation used the cover image for a t-shirt with Mickey Mouse, which was taken as a joke but not meant as one. Saville explains the image's adaptability as a result of it being "cool, in all of the meanings, from cool to cold".


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: The inner sleeve features a black-and-white photograph of a door with a hand near the handle. It was some years later before Saville discovered that the photograph was "Hand Through a Doorway", a well-known picture by Ralph Gibson.


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: "Unknown Pleasures" was initially printed in a run of 10,000 copies, with 5,000 copies being sold within the first two weeks of release, and a further 10,000 copies being sold over the following six months. Initially, sales of "Unknown Pleasures" were slow until the release of the non-album single, "Transmission", and unsold copies occupied the Factory Records office in the flat of label co-founder Alan Erasmus.


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: Following the release of "Transmission", "Unknown Pleasures" sold out of its initial pressing, with this prompting further pressings. "Unknown Pleasures" created approximately £50,000 in profit, to be shared between Factory Records and the band; however, Tony Wilson spent most of these profits on Factory projects. By the conclusion of a critically acclaimed promotional tour supporting Buzzcocks in November 1979, "Unknown Pleasures" had neared 15,000 copies sold.


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: "Unknown Pleasures" failed to chart on the UK Albums Chart. However, following Curtis's suicide in May 1980 and the release of their second album, "Closer", in July, it was reissued and reached No. 71 at the end of that August. It fared better on the UK Indie Chart, placing at No. 2 on the first chart to be published in January 1980 and going on to top the chart following its reissue, spending 136 weeks on the chart in total. The 40th-anniversary reissue of the album charted at number 5 in the UK Albums Chart when it was released in 2019, making "Unknown Pleasures" Joy Division's highest-charting album.


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: In 2007, remastered versions of both "Unknown Pleasures" and the posthumous studio album "Closer"—plus the 1981 compilation album "Still"—were re-released, with the remastered version of "Unknown Pleasures" including a bonus disc of a live recording of the band playing at The Factory in Manchester on 13 July 1979. The album was also re-released on 180-gram vinyl with the original track listing in 2007, with this version also being available in a limited edition box set with "Closer" and "Still". The album was reissued again on limited edition 180g ruby red coloured vinyl with an alternative white sleeve, released on 7 May 2019, to coincide with the album's 40th anniversary.


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: "Melody Maker" called "Unknown Pleasures" an "opaque manifesto" and musically described it as "Gary Glitter meets the Velvet Underground". Reviewer Jon Savage declared "[leaving] the twentieth century is difficult; most people prefer to go back and nostalgise, Oh boy. Joy Division at least set a course in the present with contrails for the future—perhaps you can't ask for much more. Indeed, "Unknown Pleasures" may very well be one of the best, white, English, debut LPs of the year." Max Bell of "NME" qualified the record as "extraordinary," writing that "without trying to baffle or overreach itself, this outfit step into a labyrinth that is rarely explored with any smidgeon of real conviction." He compared it favourably to the work of "Strange Days"-era Doors and "German experimentalists" such as Can and Neu!. In "Rolling Stone", music journalist Mikal Gilmore described the album as having "a doleful, deep-toned sound that often suggested an elaborate version of the Velvet Underground or an orderly Public Image Ltd." By August of that year the album's stature as a favourite of critics for the year was established. Robert Palmer placed the album at fourth place in his best of 1980 list for the "New York Times", proclaiming the album as an "exceptional debut" and that the album "remains the group's masterpiece" and that it was "some of the most driven, desperate rock-and-roll ever recorded."


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: Other writers were less enthusiastic. Red Starr, writing for "Smash Hits", gave the album a generally positive review, describing it as a "bleak nightmare soundtrack". Starr described the lyrics as "mysterious" and "doomy" which were "amidst intense music of urgent guitar, eerie effects and driving rhythms". However, Starr tempered his review by saying not to "expect too much" as the album was "still pretty raw". Writing about Factory for "Melody Maker" in September 1979, Mary Harron was less impressed: "I found at least half of ["Unknown Pleasures"] to be turgid and monotonous, and the vocals heavy and melodramatic—Jim Morrison without flair." She went on to say the lyrics and the atmosphere of the album "seemed to hearken back to the late Sixties" and the songs were "a series of disconnected images".


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: Retrospective critical writing on the album has been virtually unanimous in its praise. In 1994, Jon Savage described the music as "a definitive Northern Gothic statement: guilt-ridden, romantic, claustrophobic". Analysing Curtis's work, music journalist Richard Cook remarked in 1983: "sex has disappeared from these unknown pleasures; it is an aftermath of passion where everything's (perhaps) lost". Stuart Maconie of "Select" deemed "Unknown Pleasures" "music without a past or a future but with the muscularity of all great rock" and "one of the greatest first albums ever."


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: Ned Raggett, reviewing the album for AllMusic, described "Unknown Pleasures" as "All visceral, all emotional, all theatrical, all perfect—one of the best albums ever." Robert Christgau said that it was Curtis's "passionate gravity that makes the clumsy, disquieting music so convincing". Colin Larkin called the music "distinctive and disturbing" in his "Encyclopedia of Popular Music" (2011), while highlighting "She's Lost Control", where Curtis was "at his most manically arresting". In relation to the remastered re-released album in 2007, the British music magazine "NME" described the album as "simply one of the best records ever made, and is still powerful enough to floor you 28 years on".


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: In 2000 it was voted number 249 in Colin Larkin's "All Time Top 1000 Albums". The album was also included in the book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".


title: Unknown Pleasures

text: Peter Hook and the Light have played the "Unknown Pleasures" album in its entirety on several of their concert tours, and have recorded and released live albums of some of their gigs. Hook also named one of his books "Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division" in 2012.


title: Sykkuno

text: Sykkuno ( ; born June 4, 1991) is an American live streamer. He is best known for his live streams, which were hosted on Twitch from 2019 to April 2022, before he began streaming exclusively on YouTube in May 2022.


title: Sykkuno

text: While his Twitch account has been active since November 14, 2011, Sykkuno began streaming on a regular basis in April 2019 after being convinced to do so by fellow streamer and OfflineTV member LilyPichu. He quickly gained popularity on the platform, with many attributing his calm, wholesome, laid-back demeanor as a factor.


title: Sykkuno

text: In April 2021, Sykkuno participated in an hour-long charity "Among Us" stream on "The Tonight Show" with Jimmy Fallon, members of The Roots, fellow streamers Valkyrae and Corpse Husband, and "Stranger Things" actors Gaten Matarazzo and Noah Schnapp, with proceeds going towards Feeding America. Later in September 2021, Sykkuno hosted an impromptu subathon stream on his Twitch channel. His final Twitch stream took place on April 30, 2022.


title: Sykkuno

text: Sykkuno began creating video content for the online game "League of Legends" back in 2011 on YouTube. He started his YouTube career by posting commentary videos and gameplay on an older channel named "Sykku" before creating a newer channel later in 2012 named "Sykkuno". The newer YouTube channel would later on become the main channel in which he would continue posting videos that today consist of clips and compilations of his Twitch streams. Sykkuno continued to post videos and content primarily related to "League of Legends" until shifting to make content on other online games, such as "Among Us" and "Grand Theft Auto V", with fellow content creators of the gaming community. While Sykkuno posted commentary game videos, he did not show his face until he started streaming with a webcam on Twitch in February 2020.


title: Sykkuno

text: In May 2022, Sykkuno announced that he would be leaving Twitch for an exclusive streaming contract on YouTube. He signed with United Talent Agency for representation in August 2022.


title: Sykkuno

text: Sykkuno is a native of Southern California. He is of Chinese and Vietnamese descent. He has two sisters. Sykkuno lives in Las Vegas.


title: Lady Macbeth (film)

text: Lady Macbeth is a 2016 British drama film directed by William Oldroyd, produced by Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly and written by Alice Birch, based on the novella "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District" by Nikolai Leskov, though the film's ending deviates significantly from the source text. It stars Florence Pugh, Cosmo Jarvis, Paul Hilton, Naomi Ackie and Christopher Fairbank. The plot follows a young woman who is stifled by her loveless marriage to a bitter man twice her age.


title: Lady Macbeth (film)

text: The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on 10 September 2016, and was released in the United Kingdom on 28 April 2017 by Altitude Film Distribution and in the United States on 14 July 2017 by Roadside Attractions. It received positive reviews and has grossed over $5 million worldwide.


title: Lady Macbeth (film)

text: In 1865, Katherine (Pugh) is in a loveless marriage to an older man, Alexander Lester (Hilton). They live at the estate of Alexander's father, Boris, in rural Northumberland in the North East of England. Katherine is forced to maintain a strict schedule and prevented from leaving the house. Boris scolds her for not giving Alexander a son, but Alexander's sexual interest in his wife seems to be limited to watching her naked body and masturbating whilst observing. One day, both Boris and Alexander have to leave the estate for separate business matters, leaving Katherine alone with the housemaid, Anna. For the first time in memory, she is free to explore the area to alleviate her boredom.


title: Lady Macbeth (film)

text: Katherine discovers Anna being suspended from the ceiling of an outbuilding in a sheet by the men who work on the land. They say they are weighing a sow. Katherine has the woman released. She is attracted to one of the men, Sebastian, and the next day sets herself up to meet him. When Sebastian comes to the house to visit Katherine, they begin an affair. Anna informs the local priest, who attempts to warn Katherine, but she sends him away. When Boris returns home, he finds his favourite wine has run out. He accuses Anna of drinking it and tells her to get on the floor on all fours: if she behaves as animal she will be treated as an animal. Katherine says nothing. Boris is later informed of the affair, beats Sebastian and locks him in a stable. He strikes Katherine when she demands his release. Katherine then poisons his food, and calmly makes small talk with Anna as he chokes to death in the next room.


title: Lady Macbeth (film)

text: Anna is terrified into muteness, and Boris is buried without suspicion. Katherine takes over the estate, and she and Sebastian continue their affair openly. One night, while they are asleep in Katherine's marital bed, she awakes to realise that Alexander has returned home. After he reveals that he is aware of the infidelity, Katherine summons Sebastian and they start to have sex in front of him. A fight ensues, during which Katherine kills Alexander. The couple bury Alexander's body in the woods and kill his horse. They are not directly accused of the murder, and Sebastian begins to dress and behave as the lord of the manor himself.


title: Lady Macbeth (film)

text: A woman named Agnes arrives at the estate with a young boy named Teddy, who she claims is the product of an affair between Alexander and her daughter. Katherine reluctantly shelters the pair. Sebastian, angry at the change in living arrangements, returns to the outbuilding. Katherine realises she is pregnant, but is unable to inform Sebastian. She also begins to bond with Teddy. When Teddy disappears after Katherine scolds him, Sebastian finds the boy sitting over a waterfall and rescues him. When he returns Teddy to the house, he admits that he considered pushing him. Katherine dissuades Sebastian from leaving, promising to do anything he wants in return.


title: Lady Macbeth (film)

text: While Teddy's grandmother is asleep, the couple use the opportunity to smother Teddy. Sebastian hides in the woods while Katherine claims that Teddy died in his sleep. The village doctor is sceptical of the story, but while the issue is being discussed, a guilt-ridden Sebastian returns from the woods and confesses everything. Katherine turns Sebastian's confession back on him, and accuses him of committing all of the murders with Anna. Her word is taken over his, especially when Anna remains mute. As Sebastian and Anna are taken away by the police, the remaining servants leave and Katherine remains alone in the house with her unborn child.


title: Lady Macbeth (film)

text: In September 2015, it was announced Florence Pugh, Cosmo Jarvis, Christopher Fairbank, Naomi Ackie and Paul Hilton had been cast in the film, with William Oldroyd directing from a screenplay by Alice Birch.


title: Lady Macbeth (film)

text: The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on 10 September 2016. Shortly after, Roadside Attractions and Altitude Film Distribution acquired US and UK distribution rights to the film, respectively. It went onto screen at the BFI London Film Festival on 14 October 2016 and the Sundance Film Festival on 20 January 2017.


title: Lady Macbeth (film)

text: The film was released in the United Kingdom on 28 April 2017 and in the United States on 14 July 2017.


title: Lady Macbeth (film)

text: On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 88% based on 198 reviews, with a weighted average of 7.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, ""Lady Macbeth" flashes some surprising toughness beneath its period exterior, bolstered by a mesmerizing – and unforgiving – central performance by Florence Pugh." On Metacritic, which assigns an average rating to reviews, the film has a weighted score of 76 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".


title: Lady Macbeth (film)

text: Guy Lodge of "Variety" said "Florence Pugh announces herself as a major talent to watch in William Oldroyd's impressively tough-minded Victorian tragedy." David Friend of The Canadian Press calls Pugh's performance "a revelation" and "a striking portrayal of a woman on the brink."


title: Lady Macbeth (film)

text: Peter Bradshaw of "The Guardian" gave the film 5 out of 5 stars, describing it as "a brilliantly chilling subversion of a classic" and "smart, sexy, dour" and Pugh's performance as "lethally charismatic … both sphinx and minx".


title: Lady Macbeth (film)

text: Mick LaSalle of "The San Francisco Chronicle" writes "Oldroyd's approach to "Lady Macbeth" guarantees some longueurs as the film wears on. But the clarity with which Pugh and Oldroyd communicate Katherine's thoughts and motives maintains a solid interest throughout."


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: Relapse (stylized as ℞ELAPSƎ) is the sixth studio album by American rapper Eminem. It was released on May 15, 2009, through Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. It was his first album of original material since "Encore" (2004), following a four-year hiatus from recording due to his writer's block and an addiction to prescription sleeping medication. Recording sessions for the album took place between 2007 and 2009 at several recording studios, and Dr. Dre, Mark Batson, and Eminem handled production.


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: "Relapse" is a concept album that revolves around horror, drug rehabilitation and relapse. A return of his Slim Shady alter ego, Eminem stated that the album's theme was more reminiscent of "The Slim Shady LP" (1999) and "The" "Marshall Mathers LP" (2000). In September 2007, Dr. Dre stated his intention to dedicate two months to the production of the album. Working with Dr. Dre allowed Eminem to pick the beats from Dr. Dre's catalog that challenged his rhythm to experiment with different flows. During the recording period, a handful of songs intended for "Relapse" were leaked on the Internet.


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: One of the most anticipated albums of 2009, "Relapse" debuted at No. 1 on the "Billboard" 200, selling 608,000 copies in its first week. It also reached number one in twelve other countries. It produced four singles: "Crack a Bottle", "We Made You", "3 a.m.", and "Beautiful", as well as the promotional single: "Old Time's Sake". "Crack a Bottle", featuring Dr. Dre and 50 Cent, reached number one on the "Billboard" Hot 100. "Relapse" was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: Critically, the album received mixed reviews. Reviewers generally praised its production, but were divided in their responses towards the writing and overuse of accents throughout the album. Nonetheless, it won Eminem the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, while "Crack a Bottle" won for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. The album later found a strong cult following among some fans and critics, who believe that although the album may be lacking in lyricism and subject matter, the rhymes, flows and production are amongst Eminem's best.


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: After releasing "Encore" in 2004, Eminem planned to take some time off from recording his own music to become a hip hop producer for other rap acts, especially for the artists signed on his own label Shady Records. However, Eminem entered his hiatus after cancelling the European leg of the Anger Management Tour in the summer of 2005 because of exhaustion and an addiction to prescription sleeping drugs. In the following year, the rapper's remarriage to his former wife Kimberly Scott lasted only eleven weeks before a second divorce, while his best friend and fellow rapper Proof was later shot and killed during an altercation outside a Detroit nightclub. Devastated, Eminem relapsed into prescription drug abuse and became increasingly reclusive. In a June 2009 interview for "XXL", Eminem elaborated on the impact of Proof's death on him, stating:


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: Speculation on an upcoming album by Eminem was reported since mid–2007 from announcements made by artists 50 Cent and Stat Quo, former members of Shady Records. Also, rapper Bizarre – a member of the hip hop group D12 – stated that the release of the group's third studio album was on hold because Interscope Records wanted to release Eminem's album first. By the end of the year, additional musicians associated with Shady Records – including The Alchemist, Bishop Lamont, Cashis and Obie Trice – had confirmed on different occasions that the rapper was effectively working on a new album. On September 12, 2007, during a call at the radio station WQHT "Hot 97", Eminem stated that he was in limbo and was not sure whether he would release any new material in the near future. He then elaborated that at that point he was constantly working in the recording studio and had come to terms with his personal issues. However, in December 2007, he was hospitalized because of an overdose of methadone. In early 2008, he began a 12-step program to recover from his addiction; in a later interview, he said that he got sober on April 20, 2008. He has stayed sober since then.


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: Eminem had continued recording throughout 2005, and released most of this work on his Shady Records compilation album "". He also recorded the track "Beautiful" in late 2007, which would later become the fifth and final single on Relapse, and also one of the only songs on the entire album in which Eminem recorded when he wasn't sober. Eminem began the major recording stages of "Relapse" in mid-2008, after completing a 12-step program to control his drug addiction. Record producer and long-time Detroit collaborator Jeff Bass of the Bass Brothers worked with Eminem on 25 tracks, two years after the rapper had received treatment for his sleeping pill addiction in 2005. Depressed by Proof's death, Eminem fell into a period of "writer's block", where he felt everything he wrote was not worth recording. To compensate for this, Bass chose to follow a production style that would allow the artist to rap "off the top of his head, as opposed to writing a story". Eminem would then freestyle or record vocals one line at a time before interrupting and then recording another line. At the same time, according to Eminem's song rights supervisor Joel Martin, the rapper began to collect additional songs without noticing it. He would often record or produce material initially intended for the musical projects of other artists, but end up with tracks he really liked.


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: Eminem purchased the Effigy Studio in Ferndale, Michigan, in 2007, and ended his working relationship with much of his former production team of the 54 Sound recording studio, including the Bass Brothers. In September 2007, Dr. Dre stated his intention to dedicate two months to the production of "Relapse". Working with Dr. Dre allowed Eminem to concentrate on the processes of songwriting rather than the production, which was largely taken care of by Dre. The rapper justified his choice of using Dr. Dre for the vast majority of the production due to their long collaborative history and a musical "chemistry" only he and Dr. Dre shared. This allowed the rapper to pick the beats from Dr. Dre's catalog that challenged him rhythm-wise to experiment with different flows. The making of the album progressed at the Effigy Studio up to a year after, as recording sessions were then moved to Orlando, Florida in September 2008. By then, Eminem had begun to start writing verses again at such a pace that he often took more time to record the lyrics than write them. He credited sobriety for his new creative run, acknowledging that his mind was free of the clutter that "blocked" him during his drug abuse in the last years. Dr. Dre would start the song-writing process by giving a number of his beats on a CD to Eminem, who in a separate room in the studio would listen and select the ones he preferred and inspired him the most. Eminem would then write lyrics to the instrumentals, while Dr. Dre and his production staff continued to create new music. Once he felt he had written lyrics for enough songs, Eminem would dedicate an entire day to record his songs to the point that he would lose his voice for the following days. At that point, the rapper would then begin to write lyrics for new songs. The process continued for the next six months and allowed Eminem to have enough material for a second album, initially called "Relapse 2", which became "Recovery".


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: During this recording period, a handful of songs intended for "Relapse" were leaked on the Internet, including an incomplete version of "Crack a Bottle". The song was finished in January 2009 and featured vocals from Dr. Dre and 50 Cent. Despite the leak, the album was being completed in a state of near-total secrecy, according to the British newspaper "The Independent". Even Polydor Records, the multinational owner of Interscope, had no information on the album at the time. On April 23, Eminem suggested he and possibly Dr. Dre were the only ones in possession of the final copy of "Relapse"; his manager Paul Rosenberg added that even Eminem's record labels were not in possession of the music less than a month before its release to prevent possible bootlegging.


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: In an interview for "XXL", Eminem described the concept behind "Relapse" to be the ending of his drug rehabilitation and thus rap as if he was on drugs again, as well as the return of his fictional alter-ego Slim Shady. According to the interviewer Datwon Thomas, Eminem's influences for the album came from his own past drug issues and from television shows and documentaries involving crime and serial killers, as the rapper was fascinated by "serial killers and their psyche and their mind states". In a May 2009 interview for "The New York Times", Eminem discussed his view of serial killers, stating:


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: Music critic Robert Christgau interpreted the opening line to the album featuring the phrase "horror corridor" as Eminem telling listeners that it is a horrorcore album. Ben Kaplan of the "Vancouver Courier" also categorized it as a horrorcore album. Ann Powers of the "Los Angeles Times" said that the album's "horrorcore scenes" show Eminem as "a madman created by the hypocrisy of therapy." Music journalist Rob Sheffield remarked on its sensationalist drug references and said that "Relapse" is "a hip-hop version" of comedian Richard Pryor's "" (1982).


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: "Relapse" opens with the skit "Dr. West", where actor Dominic West voices a drug counselor whose untrustworthiness causes Eminem to fall back to drugs and the return to his Slim Shady character. The skit leads to "3 A.M.", where Eminem depicts himself as a serial killer during a murder spree. When "3 A.M." was released as a single prior to the album's own release, Eminem noted that the song closely mirrored what he believed was the overall dark tone of the album. On "My Mom", the rapper traces his addictive tendencies to his mother and shows how he became a drug addict just like her. Eminem continues his family tales on "Insane", where he imagines himself as a victim of child sexual abuse. For Eminem, the goal of "Insane" was to make song that would disgust the listeners and "make them puke", adding that he came up with this idea after thinking of the song's first line ("I was born with a dick in my brain/Yeah, fucked in the head"). Mariah Carey and her then current husband Nick Cannon are targeted in "Bagpipes from Baghdad", where Eminem raps over a pungi loop.


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: After "Hello", where Eminem re-introduces himself after years of being absent "mentally", he continues his violent fantasies on "Same Song & Dance", where he abducts and murders Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears. The rhythm of "Same Song & Dance" reminded Eminem of a dance track, which inspired him to write something in order to "get women to dance to it and not really know what the fuck they're dancing to" without listening to the lyrics. On the ninth track of the album, "We Made You", Eminem mocks several celebrities and plays the role of a "pop star serial killer". Eminem noted that his various "celebrity bashings" were not meant to be seen as personal attacks, but it was rather "picking names out of a hat" that rhymed with the words he wanted to use during the writing process. On "Medicine Ball" Eminem mocks and impersonates deceased actor Christopher Reeve in order to get his audience to "laugh at it, and then almost feel bad for laughing". The next track is "Stay Wide Awake", which Eminem raps about assaulting and raping women. Dr. Dre also has a guest appearance on "Old Time's Sake", a duet Eminem described as a "fun, yet reminiscent record old times" in which he and Dre rap back and forth between each other, advocating the use of marijuana for creative and financial benefits. Song "Must Be the Ganja" follows, where Eminem raps that working in the recording studio is like a drug and an addiction for him.


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: After the skit "Mr. Mathers", where Eminem is found unconscious in bathroom by paramedics due to a drug overdose and taken to a hospital, "Déjà Vu" addresses his overdose in 2007 and drug dependency during his hiatus from music. On the song, Eminem also explains how this has affected him in the last five years, to the point where his daughter has become scared of her father's behavior. "Beautiful", a ballad which samples "Reaching Out" by Queen + Paul Rodgers, also deals with the same time period where Eminem believed he had "reached rock bottom" and lost hope for his future. Eminem felt it was important to include "Beautiful" on the album as a reminder to himself as well as "anybody who is in a dark place [...] that you can get out of it". After "Crack a Bottle", a collaboration with Dr. Dre and 50 Cent, "Relapse" ends with "Underground". On this final track, Eminem sought to bring back to his music and lyrics the subject matter and punchlines reminiscent of "The Hiphop Shop times" (The Hiphop Shop was a clothing store in Detroit where local rappers, including Eminem, would compete in freestyle battles), before he had become famous and thus did not have worry about the explicit content of his lyrics.


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: Because Eminem recorded far more material than he could use for one album and felt that he had to offer his fans more music after staying on hiatus for so long, fellow D12 member Swift confirmed that Eminem in fact had planned to put out two albums the same year, following with "Relapse 2", in late 2009. According to Angela Yee's Shade 45 interview with Eminem on April 23, 2009, "Relapse 2" was to be a continuation of "Relapse". During the interview, Eminem confirmed: "It's extremely close to being finished, it just depends on how many songs I want to put on it." Eminem also explained the album was more "emotionally driven" than "Relapse", which was, as he explains, "[just] rap records". Guest appearances were expected to come from the likes of Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, D12, Royce da 5'9", Lloyd Banks and Cashis. The album was subsequently pushed back for an early 2010 release, so Eminem decided to re-release "Relapse" as "Relapse: Refill", which includes a bonus disc featuring seven new tracks, including the single "Forever" (originally on "More Than a Game" soundtrack) and "Taking My Ball" (released with "DJ Hero"), as well as five previously unreleased tracks. On its re-release, Eminem stated: "I want to deliver more material for the fans this year like I originally planned. Hopefully these tracks on "The Refill" will tide the fans over until we put out "Relapse 2" next year."


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: On April 13, 2010, Eminem tweeted "There is no "Relapse 2"", thus announcing that the album has been scrapped in favor of his new project "Recovery". While recording "Relapse 2" and witnessing the mixed reaction of its predecessor among fans and critics alike, Eminem decided to throw away most of the recorded material and started from scratch. The result did not seem to him as continuation of "Relapse" but more of an individual project that deserved its own name. Eminem said: "I had originally planned for "Relapse 2" to come out last year. But as I kept recording and working with new producers, the idea of a sequel to "Relapse" started to make less and less sense to me, and I wanted to make a completely new album. The music on "Recovery" came out very different from "Relapse", and I think it deserves its own title." The now-renamed album debuted at number 1 on the US "Billboard" 200 chart, with first-week sales of 741,000 copies in the United States. As of September 25, 2011, the album had sold 4,040,000 copies in the United States and was also the best-selling album of 2010 worldwide, earning a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: In 2007, Shady Records rapper Cashis discussed the album, referring to it by the title "King Mathers" and adding that it would be released later that year. However, Eminem's publicist Dennis Dennehy would later deny this and stated that "there was no album scheduled for a 2007 release" and that, as of August 2007, there was no confirmed title. No other official statement was made for over a year. It was not until September 15, 2008, at an event held by Shade 45 to celebrate the publication of Eminem's autobiography "The Way I Am", the rapper confirmed his plans to release a studio album by the title of "Relapse". During the party, he also previewed to the audience a song called "I'm Having a Relapse".


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: In regards to the album's release date, "Rolling Stone" wrote in its October 2008 issue that Virgin Megastores had planned to distribute "Relapse" on November 27, 2008, in the United States. On October 27, a spokesperson for Interscope explained that there was no official date at the time, and that any release dates that had been posted on any website were unfounded. In a phone conversation during the finale of "Total Request Live" on November 16, 2008, Eminem asserted that "Relapse" would be released during the first quarter of 2009, precisely during either of the first two months of the year, explaining that he was in the process of selecting the songs for the album.


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: Despite the leak two months before, "Crack a Bottle" was eventually released for legal paid digital download as well as a promotional single on February 2, 2009, and also reached the number one position on the US "Billboard" Hot 100; according to Eminem's manager Paul Rosenberg, a music video for the song had been produced and directed by Syndrome and was released in several parts of the world from May to early June. At the time of the release, various contradicting reports disputed whether the song would be included on "Relapse", but a press release from head label Universal Music Group confirmed the single's inclusion on the album. In similar press statements after March 5, Universal made public the regional release dates for "Relapse": as early as May 15, 2009, in Italy and the Netherlands; most other European countries and Brazil on May 18; and the following day in the United States and Australia. Additionally, the record label also announced a second album by Eminem, then called "Relapse 2" but later titled "Recovery", which was to be released by the end of the year, but expected in June 2010. Eminem explained that he and Dr. Dre had recorded a considerable amount of music and thus, by releasing two albums, would allow listeners to have access to all of his music.


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: After the release of "Crack a Bottle", the music video of the single "We Made You" was aired on April 7, and became available for purchase a week later on April 13. The video was directed by Joseph Kahn and premiered simultaneously on several MTV channels as well as MTV's website. On April 28, the third overall single for the album, "3 a.m.", was released again for paid music download. A music video for "3 a.m." was directed by Syndrome and filmed in Detroit. It premiered on May 2 on Cinemax, several days after a trailer for the video was posted online. Two more singles were distributed prior to the album's release, as "Old Time's Sake" and "Beautiful" went on sale on the iTunes Store on May 5 and 12 respectively. "My Darling" and "Careful What You Wish For" were made available upon purchase of the Premium version of the album. The track "Insane" peaked at position 85 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 chart on the album's release via iTunes.


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: On April 4, 2009, CBS featured Eminem during the network's coverage of the 2009 NCAA Final Four in a segment where he recited the spoken word "Love Letter to Detroit". Later on the same day, the rapper inducted the hip hop group Run-D.M.C. to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Adam Graham of "The Detroit News" described this as "all part of the calculated promotional push" for "Relapse". The rapper performed live at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards on May 31, while he appeared on the covers of hip hop magazines "Vibe" and "XXL" in their respective issues in June 2009; the latter was created by a deal struck with Eminem and Marvel Comics, where the rapper would pose as Marvel's main vigilante The Punisher. Marvel created an issue of the comic co-starring Eminem. An iPhone game to accompany the album was released on May 19, 2009.


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: While on the Never Say Never tour, fellow group members Swifty and Kuniva (D12) along with Royce Da 5'9" stopped by KISS 100FM for a live interview and spoke on "Relapse". Royce stated that the album will be a game changer and jokingly said he might have to push his own album back three years after Eminem drops his. Kuniva added that D12 recorded many tracks for "Relapse" but wasn't sure if they would make the album or not. Swifty then confirmed that Eminem would be dropping two albums in 2009, with "Relapse 2" following "Relapse". "Relapse" was re-released on December 21, 2009, as "Relapse: Refill", with seven bonus tracks and including the single "Forever" (originally on "More Than a Game" soundtrack), "Taking My Ball" (released with "DJ Hero"), and five previously unreleased tracks. On its re-release, Eminem stated: "I want to deliver more material for the fans this year like I originally planned. Hopefully these tracks on "The Refill" will tide the fans over until we put out "Relapse 2" next year".


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: The album cover for "Relapse" was first published through Eminem's Twitter account on April 21, 2009. It illustrates a head shot of the rapper composed by a mosaic of thousands of pills. A sticker on the cover resembles a prescription drug label, on which the patient is Eminem and the prescribing doctor is Dr. Dre. Gil Kaufman of MTV News described the cover as a reference to the rapper's struggle and addiction to prescription drugs, adding that it follows Eminem's habit of displaying personal issues in his art. The album booklet and back cover follow a pill prescription design. On the backside of the booklet is a dedication to Proof, where Eminem explains that he's sober and that he tried to write a song for him, but that he didn't find one of them good enough therefore he dedicates the whole album to him. The CD itself is meant to represent the lid on a bottle of prescription pills, grey with the big red inscription "Push Down & Turn". The cover for "Relapse: Refill" is the same, with the background color changed from black to white. The prescription drug label is scratched out and the writing "Refill" is posed next to it.


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: "Relapse" received a mostly mixed reception from music critics upon release. It holds an aggregate score of 59, based on 27 reviews, at Metacritic. Despite calling it an "impressively focused and clever work", "Los Angeles Times" writer Ann Powers felt the music was "not transcendent" and commented that "Eminem could have pulled his music into a new category. What he presents is still powerful, but narrowly cast". Andy Gill of "The Independent" found the album to be "drably repetitive, while its dated tone is emphasised by the return of Dr. Dre as producer." "NME"s Louis Pattison found Eminem's wordplay "wicked in the depths of its depravity", but felt that "the overriding feel is of an album just too jaded, too joyless to truly count as a return to form". Slant Magazine's Eric Henderson viewed that "the further "Relapse" strays from narrative veracity, the more one suspects his fanbase feels he's tapping into his bottomless well for horror-show grandstanding." "The Times" called "Relapse" "an album that sits square between what Eminem is theoretically still capable of and what we feared he has become." Nathan Rabin, writing in "The A.V. Club", panned it as "facile pre-adolescent shock mixed with gory, corpse-strewn, "Fangoria"-damaged horrorcore." MSN Music's Robert Christgau called it a "dud" and accused Eminem of sensationalism: "this is not a Slim Shady album. Slim Shady had a lightness about him".


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: In a positive review, "Rolling Stone" magazine's Rob Sheffield called the album a "more painful, honest and vital record" that is on-par or better than Eminem's 2002 album "The Eminem Show". Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic described the album as "musically white-hot, dense, and dramatic" and said that "his flow is so good, his wordplay so sharp, it seems churlish to wish that he addressed something other than his long-standing obsessions and demons". "The Daily Telegraph" commended its honest depiction of Eminem's drug addiction and overuse. Although he found its concept "spotty", "Vibe"s Benjamin Meadows-Ingram praised Eminem's lyricism, writing that "Em works wonders with words, expanding the boundaries of the art of rap itself [...] the composition is experimental and abstract, a master toying with form". At the 52nd Grammy Awards, the album won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: Despite the lukewarm reviews at its release, the album gained a strong cult following and it is considered by many as one of Eminem's classic albums. Mark Batson, one of the co-producers with Dr. Dre, said: "When we made Relapse with Eminem, it was not well received at the moment but now it is considered to be a classic. That's how it goes." Eminem’s long time collaborator, Paul Rosenberg singled out the song Underground as one of his favorite songs.


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: Mitch Findlay from "HotNewHipHop" touted "Relapse" as Eminem's strongest project after "The Eminem Show": "Relapse is probably the strongest of Eminem’s post-comeback catalog, largely in part to some excellent production from Dr. Dre, Dawaun Parker, and Mike Elizondo. Plus, Em seems to be in the zone here, especially when it comes to his flow. The concept, in which he embodies a depraved, accented serial killer, can be a little tiresome, but it also leads to a gratuitous bout of lyrical and hilarious Grand-Guignol." He singled out "Hello", "Beautiful" and "Deja Vu" as highlights. In 2019, Findlay included "Same Song & Dance" and "Music Box" on his "Dr. Dre's Top 10 Most Haunting Beats". "Complex" magazine's "The 100 Best Eminem Song" ranks "Stay Wide Awake" at number 86, "Elevator" at number 81, "My Darling" at number 79, "Underground" at number 74, "3 a.m." at number 67, "Insane" at number 27, and "Déjà Vu" at number 20.


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: Comedian and writer Drew Landry from DJBooth called "Relapse" a "dark, disturbing and often hilarious album" and said: "Relapse sounds like a "how many violent dick jokes can I shout before someone tries to decapitate me" science experiment. If you simply sit back and embrace the depravity, though, it's oddly glorious. Eminem wasn't trying to make radio hits nor was he trying to inspire fans; he just wanted to gross us all out. And in that regard, holy shit does he succeed." He singled out "Insane", "Stay Wide Awake", "Same Song & Dance", "Medicine Ball" and "3 a.m" as the 5 most disgusting songs on the album and referred to the album as "an episode of South Park written by Stephen King".


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: Patrick Bierut from UDiscoverMusic named "Relapse" "the true marvel Of Eminem's sinister return to hip-hop" and said "Relapse remains one of the most overlooked releases not only of Eminem's career, but the mid-to-late 00s. Not only is it the Eminem album in which Dr. Dre had the truest hand in production, it's also the most remarkable demonstration of his raw ability to rap better than almost anyone else. Due to its divisive content, however, Relapse doesn't get enough credit for being the marvel it truly is."


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: "Spin" also included some songs of the album on the top 100 of "All 289 Eminem Songs, Ranked" article, included "Déjà Vu" at 36 position, "Crack a Bottle" at number 48, "Beautiful" at number 62, "3 a.m" at number 68, "Elevator" at number 76, "Stay Wide Awake" at number 79 and "Underground" at number 82. "HipHopDX" called "Relapse" a "horrorcore masterpiece" and said: "the record stands as an artistic achievement that further solidifies Eminem as one of the greatest, most creative MCs to ever pick up a microphone. The article goes on to reflect the changing fan sentiment toward the album, stating that it took "years to uncover its brilliance".


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: On his following album "Recovery" (2010), Eminem made reference to "Relapse" and criticizes it in the second verse of the song "Not Afraid": "In fact, let's be honest/That last "Relapse" CD was 'ehh'/ Perhaps I ran them accents into the ground/ Relax, I ain't going back to that now". He also referenced it in the song “Talkin’ 2 Myself” saying he was still getting the pills out of his system at that point which led to its subpar status.


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: He slowed down his feelings about the album after that saying "I don't hate "Relapse". I don't hate it at all, but when I'm looking back at an album I do have a tendency, and especially with that album, to run things into the ground. That was one of those instances where I got in a zone, like, "Yo I just want to be this demented serial killer on this album. And part of that was a growing process to get to "Recovery", working through those steps, relearning how to rap, and relearning where I need to be at." He reiterates this statement during his 2013 Q&A with "Rolling Stone" saying "I don't hate the record. I want to rap and be able to always try to do my best lyrically, but at the same time find the right balance between that and making the right songs. And you know, I don't know if I necessarily found that balance yet, because I was just getting sober and just kind of finding my feet again and so there was a lot of songs that were just like "Ha ha this is funny!" You know, walking around and joking around with your friends and shit and it ends up on the record and you're laughing about it. Because when I got sober it was like – I've said this before – but it just was like "Oh shit! I can think straight again!" So I don't know if that record was particularly my best work as far as songs, writing songs that felt like something, that brought some kind of emotion. I ran accents into the grounds. I got stuck on that kind of serial killer, crazy vibe and just kind of went with it.


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: In 2013, Eminem also addressed the mindstate he had while working on 2009's "Relapse" saying: "It was interesting, man. I don't know if before "Relapse", if we're talking the "Infinite" album and pre-signing with Dre and all that, from that point on, I don't know if I ever did anything or did much sober at all. "Relapse" was the first album and first recordings that I did when the lights went on and I was sober. I was still trying to figure things out...It's interesting. Fun time. I had a fun time." He reiterated his feeling about the album "I felt "Relapse" was, I don't know. I don't know if people know what I really had to go through to be able to make "Relapse" and to be able to write again and to be able to think again and just normal everyday bodily functions and functions in my mind. I don't want to say I wasn't in a place to record again, but I needed time. I needed time to be able to figure out things. I wanted to be able to make my songs feel like something again. I know a lot of stuff on "Relapse" was comical and funny punchline jokes, but a lot of the songs didn't really feel like anything. I had to go back and listen to some of my older music to try to figure out what I was doing wrong. Once I felt like I figured that out, I started making songs that felt like something again."


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: About the accents he used on the album: "I recorded at least 50 to 60 songs for that album and on each one I would get a little more drastic with the accents, trying to bend the words and make them rhyme in ways they wouldn’t if you just said them regular. It was this gradual thing and I didn’t even realize how accent-heavy the album got. Paul [Rosenberg] didn’t realize it either until he went and played the music for somebody at Interscope and they were like, “Why is he doing all those accents?” So yeah, I don't know how much replay value that album has." He reiterates his statement in 2018 during the Kamikaze four-part interview: "I have made albums that definitely, probably would not be at the top of my list — Encore, Relapse — which I believe Encore is a better album than Relapse. Relapse is something I went back to and cringed at. Like, ‘Jesus Christ, I didn’t realize I was doing that many accents."


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: On his album "Revival" (2017), Eminem also made references to "Relapse" especially on the closing song "Arose": "I'm 'bout to, like a rematch, outdo Relapse/ With Recovery, Mathers LP2/ Help propel me to victory laps/ Gas toward 'em and fast forward the past".


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: In 2020, Eminem looks back positively on the album for the 11th anniversary of its release. Eminem also emulates his "Relapse" rap style "in Music to be Murdered By: Side B (Deluxe Edition)" on the song ""Discombobulated"".


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: In 2022, Eminem also looks back more positively on the album during his manager and collaborator, Paul Rosenberg’s podcast, although the Relapse vibe is not something he is dreaming of reviving: “I don’t have a problem with some of the rhymes, and I don’t have a problem with some of the verse’s choices lyrically. It’s just the accents. I feel like I sounded so demented in that shit, I got cemented in that shit."


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: One of the most anticipated albums of 2009, "Relapse" was the top-selling hip hop album of the year. Upon its release, the album debuted at No. 1 on the US "Billboard" 200 chart, selling 608,000 copies in its first week. In Canada, the album sold 64,000 copies in its first week and debuted at number 1 on the Canadian Albums Chart. By the end of 2009, the album had sold 180,000 physical units in Canada, making it the ninth best-selling physical album in Canada of 2009. Outside of North America, "Relapse" managed to reach the number one spot in its first week in various other countries including Australia, France, Norway, Denmark and New Zealand, while climbing into the Top 5 in many other countries, including Germany, Italy, Finland, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden. In its second week the album stayed at number one and sold a further 211,000 copies, taking its total to 819,000 to become the fifth best-seller of the year. In the third week, "Relapse" dropped to number two and sold another 141,000 copies, bringing the total U.S. sales to 962,000, "Relapse" dropped to number three in its fourth week, selling 87,000 copies for a total of 1,049,000 in the U.S. The next week, "Relapse" went down to number four and sold 72,000 copies. In its sixth week, the album was at number five and sold another 47,000 copies, pushing its total sales to 1,169,000. It dropped down to the number nine in its seventh week, selling 39,000 copies and taking its total U.S. sales up to 1,207,000 copies. In its eighth week, it remained at number nine and sold a further 34,000 copies for a total of 1,241,000.


title: Relapse (Eminem album)

text: "Relapse" became the best selling rap album of 2009. As of March 2014, "Relapse" has sold 2.3 million copies in the United States. The album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on August 27, 2010.


title: Kirchhoff's circuit laws

text: Kirchhoff's circuit laws are two equalities that deal with the current and potential difference (commonly known as voltage) in the lumped element model of electrical circuits. They were first described in 1845 by German physicist Gustav Kirchhoff. This generalized the work of Georg Ohm and preceded the work of James Clerk Maxwell. Widely used in electrical engineering, they are also called Kirchhoff's rules or simply Kirchhoff's laws. These laws can be applied in time and frequency domains and form the basis for network analysis.


title: Kirchhoff's circuit laws

text: Both of Kirchhoff's laws can be understood as corollaries of Maxwell's equations in the low-frequency limit. They are accurate for DC circuits, and for AC circuits at frequencies where the wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation are very large compared to the circuits.


title: Kirchhoff's circuit laws

text: This law, also called Kirchhoff's first law, or Kirchhoff's junction rule, states that, for any node (junction) in an electrical circuit, the sum of currents flowing into that node is equal to the sum of currents flowing out of that node; or equivalently:


title: Kirchhoff's circuit laws

text: Recalling that current is a signed (positive or negative) quantity reflecting direction towards or away from a node, this principle can be succinctly stated as: formula_1 where is the total number of branches with currents flowing towards or away from the node.


title: Kirchhoff's circuit laws

text: Kirchhoff's circuit laws were originally obtained from experimental results. However, the current law can be viewed as an extension of the conservation of charge, since charge is the product of current and the time the current has been flowing. If the net charge in a region is constant, the current law will hold on the boundaries of the region. This means that the current law relies on the fact that the net charge in the wires and components is constant.


title: Kirchhoff's circuit laws

text: A matrix version of Kirchhoff's current law is the basis of most circuit simulation software, such as SPICE. The current law is used with Ohm's law to perform nodal analysis.


title: Kirchhoff's circuit laws

text: The current law is applicable to any lumped network irrespective of the nature of the network; whether unilateral or bilateral, active or passive, linear or non-linear.


title: Kirchhoff's circuit laws

text: Note that this derivation uses the following definition for the voltage rise from formula_5 to formula_6:


title: Kirchhoff's circuit laws

text: However, the electric potential (and thus voltage) can be defined in other ways, such as via the Helmholtz decomposition.


title: Kirchhoff's circuit laws

text: In the low-frequency limit, the voltage drop around any loop is zero. This includes imaginary loops arranged arbitrarily in space – not limited to the loops delineated by the circuit elements and conductors. In the low-frequency limit, this is a corollary of Faraday's law of induction (which is one of Maxwell's equations).


title: Kirchhoff's circuit laws

text: Kirchhoff's circuit laws are the result of the lumped-element model and both depend on the model being applicable to the circuit in question. When the model is not applicable, the laws do not apply.


title: Kirchhoff's circuit laws

text: The current law is dependent on the assumption that the net charge in any wire, junction or lumped component is constant. Whenever the electric field between parts of the circuit is non-negligible, such as when two wires are capacitively coupled, this may not be the case. This occurs in high-frequency AC circuits, where the lumped element model is no longer applicable. For example, in a transmission line, the charge density in the conductor may be constantly changing.


title: Kirchhoff's circuit laws

text: On the other hand, the voltage law relies on the fact that the action of time-varying magnetic fields are confined to individual components, such as inductors. In reality, the induced electric field produced by an inductor is not confined, but the leaked fields are often negligible.


title: Kirchhoff's circuit laws

text: The lumped element approximation for a circuit is accurate at low frequencies. At higher frequencies, leaked fluxes and varying charge densities in conductors become significant. To an extent, it is possible to still model such circuits using parasitic components. If frequencies are too high, it may be more appropriate to simulate the fields directly using finite element modelling or other techniques.


title: Kirchhoff's circuit laws

text: To model circuits so that both laws can still be used, it is important to understand the distinction between "physical" circuit elements and the "ideal" lumped elements. For example, a wire is not an ideal conductor. Unlike an ideal conductor, wires can inductively and capacitively couple to each other (and to themselves), and have a finite propagation delay. Real conductors can be modeled in terms of lumped elements by considering parasitic capacitances distributed between the conductors to model capacitive coupling, or parasitic (mutual) inductances to model inductive coupling. Wires also have some self-inductance.


title: Kirchhoff's circuit laws

text: The current has a negative sign which means the assumed direction of was incorrect and is actually flowing in the direction opposite to the red arrow labeled . The current in flows from left to right.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: The Swedish Armed Forces (, "the Defense Force") is the government agency that forms the armed forces of Sweden, tasked with the defense of the country as well as with promoting Sweden's wider interests, supporting international peacekeeping, and providing humanitarian aid. It consists of the Swedish Army, the Swedish Air Force and the Swedish Navy, as well as a military reserve force, the Home Guard. Since 1994, all Swedish military branches are organized within a single unified government agency, headed by the Supreme Commander, even though the individual services maintain their distinct identities.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: The Swedish Armed Forces is made up of 23,600 active personnel, 11,200 military reserves, 24,000 Home Guard and 5,200 conscripts (set to increase to 8,000 conscripts by 2024) as of 2022.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: Units of the Swedish Armed Forces are currently on deployment in several international operations either actively or as military observers, including Afghanistan as part of the Resolute Support Mission and in Kosovo (as part of Kosovo Force). Moreover, Swedish Armed Forces contribute as the leading state for a European Union Battlegroup approximately once every three years through the Nordic Battlegroup. Sweden has close relations with NATO and NATO members, and participates in training exercises like the Admiral Pitka Recon Challenge, and Exercise Trident Juncture 2018. Sweden also has a strong cooperation with its closest allies of the Nordic countries being part of the Nordic Defence Cooperation and joint exercises such as Exercise Northern Wind 2019.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: Sweden has not participated in an officially declared war since the 1814 Swedish–Norwegian War, although its forces, under the UN flag, have been involved in conflicts like the Congo Crisis and the military intervention in Libya. The Swedish government has managed to keep Sweden out of war through a policy of neutrality.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: The Swedish army has 121 tanks (Leopard 2A5/Strv 122), roughly 1,300 APCs (Patria XA-360/203/180, RG-32 Scout), 800 IFVs (550 CV9040, 150 Bv410, 90 Bv308/309) 11,300 utility vehicles (ex. Bv206/208, MB G-Class 6x6 and 4x4, MB sprinter), 84 towed and 40 self-propelled mortar (12 cm grk m/41, grkpbv90) and 48 self-propelled artillery guns (Archer). It also consist of several different specialized vehicles.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: The Swedish Navy has a total of 387 ships, including 5 submarines (3 Gotland, 2 Södermanland), 7 corvettes (5 Visby, 2 Gävle), 9 minesweepers (4 Koster, 4 Styrsö), 13 larger patrol boats (2 Stockholm and 11 Tapper) and 9 specialised ships with different support duties. The rest is made up of different smaller vessels such as the CB90.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: Currently the Swedish Airforce has a total of 210 aircraft, 94 of those being JAS39C/D Gripen (60 JAS39E on order), 6 C130H Hercules (1 with aerial refueling capabilities), 4 SAAB 340 (2 AEW&C and 2 VIP transport), 4 Gulfstream IV (2 SIGINT and 2 VIP transport) as well as 15 UH-60 Blackhawk and 18 NH90 helicopters. The rest is made up of different transport and trainer aircraft.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: After a period of enhanced readiness during World War I, the Swedish Armed Forces were subject to severe downsizing during the interwar years. When World War II started, a large rearmament program was launched to once again guard Swedish neutrality, relying on mass male conscription to fill the ranks.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: After World War II, Sweden considered building nuclear weapons to deter a Soviet invasion. From 1945 to 1972 the Swedish government ran a clandestine nuclear weapons program under the guise of civilian defence research at the Swedish National Defence Research Institute. By the late 1950s, the work had reached the point where underground testing was feasible. However, at that time the Riksdag prohibited research and development of nuclear weapons, pledging that research should be done only for the purpose of defence against nuclear attack. The option to continue development was abandoned in 1966, and Sweden subsequently signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1968. The program was finally concluded in 1972.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: During the Cold War, the wartime mass conscription system was kept in place to act as a deterrent to the Soviet Union, seen as the greatest military threat to Sweden. The end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union meant that the perceived threat lessened and the armed forces were downsized, with conscription taking in fewer and fewer recruits until it was deactivated in 2010.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: Sweden remains a neutral country, but has cooperated with NATO since the Partnership for Peace in 1994. Sweden was one of five partner nations granted the status of Enhanced Opportunities Partner at NATO's Wales Summit in 2014, coinciding with Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and intervention in Ukraine.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: The Russo-Georgian War of 2008 and the events in Ukraine in 2014 gradually shifted Swedish debate back in favour of increased defence spending, as concerns grew over Russia's military buildup and intentions. Conscription was reintroduced in 2017 to supplement the insufficient number of volunteers signing up for service. Unlike in the past, the current conscription system applies to both men and women.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: Following the United Kingdom leaving the European Union in 2020, the EU's mutual defence clause (Lisbon Treaty Article 42.7) ceased to apply to the UK. In 2022, Sweden and the UK signed a mutual security deal, re-pledging support if either state is attacked.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: Sweden aims to have the option of remaining neutral in case of proximate war. However, Sweden cooperates militarily with a number of foreign countries. As a member state of the European Union, Sweden is acting as the leading state for EU Battlegroups and also has a close cooperation, including joint exercises, with NATO through its membership in Partnership for Peace and Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. In 2008 a partnership was initiated between the Nordic countries to, among other things, increase the capability of joint action, and this led to the creation of the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO). As a response to the expanded military cooperation the defence proposition of 2009 stated that Sweden will not remain passive if a Nordic country or a member state of the European Union were attacked.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: Recent political decisions have strongly emphasized the capability to participate in international operations, to the point where this has become the main short-term goal of training and equipment acquisition. However, after the 2008 South Ossetia war territorial defense was once again emphasized. Until then most units could not be mobilized within one year. In 2009 the Minister for Defence stated that in the future all of the armed forces must be capable of fully mobilizing within one week.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: In 2013, after Russian air exercises in close proximity to the Swedish border were widely reported, only six percent of Swedes expressed confidence in the ability of the nation to defend itself.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: The Supreme Commander (, ÖB) is a four-star general or flag officer who is the agency head of the Swedish Armed Forces and the highest ranking professional officer on active duty. The Supreme Commander reports, normally through the Minister of Defence, to the Government of Sweden, which in turn answers to the Riksdag. The current supreme commander is General Micael Bydén.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: Before the enactment of the 1974 Instrument of Government, the King of Sweden was the de jure commander in chief (). Since then, King Carl XVI Gustaf is still considered to hold the honorary ranks of general and admiral "à la suite", but the role is entirely ceremonial.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: The Swedish Armed Forces consists of three service branches; the Army, the Air Force and the Navy, with addition of the military reserve force Home Guard. Since 1994, the first three service branches are organized within a single unified government agency, headed by the Supreme Commander, while the Home Guard reports directly to the Supreme Commander. However, the services maintain their separate identities through the use of different uniforms, ranks, and other service specific traditions.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: The Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters is the highest level of command in the Swedish Armed Forces. It is led by the Supreme Commander with a civilian Director General as his deputy, with functional directorates having different responsibilities (e.g. the Military Intelligence and Security Service). Overall, the Armed Forces Headquarters has about 2,100 employees, including civilian personnel.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: Some of the schools listed below answer to other units, listed under the various branches of the Armed Forces:


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: The Nordic Battlegroup is a cooperative formation of the Swedish Armed Forces alongside mainly the other Nordic countries but also some of the Baltic countries as well as Ireland, tasked as one of the EU Battlegroups. The headquarter garrison for this group is currently situated in Enköping, Sweden.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: Sweden had military forces deployed in Afghanistan with the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission. Swedish forces were part of the previous International Security Assistance Force (2002–2014) in Afghanistan. Sweden is also part of the multinational Kosovo Force and has a naval force deployed to the gulf of Aden as a part of Operation Atalanta. Military observers from Sweden have been sent to a large number of countries, including Georgia, Lebanon, Israel and Sri Lanka and Sweden also participates with staff officers to missions in Sudan and Chad. Sweden has been one of the Peacekeeping nations of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission that is tasked with overseeing the truce in the Korean Demilitarized Zone since the Korean war ended in 1953.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: A battalion and other units were deployed with the NATO-led peacekeeping SFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1996–2000), following the Bosnian War. NORDBAT 2 has been studied as an example of mission command on a chaotic battlefield with conflicting national orders.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: Swedish air and ground forces saw combat during the Congo Crisis, as part of the United Nations Operation in the Congo force. 9 army battalions were sent in all, and their mission lasted 1960–1964.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: In mid-1995, with the national service system based on universal military training, the Swedish Army consisted of 15 maneuver brigades and, in addition, 100 battalions of various sorts (artillery, engineers, rangers, air defense, amphibious, security, surveillance etc.) with a mobilization-time of between one and two days. When national service was replaced by a selective service system, fewer and fewer young men were drafted due to the reduction in size of the armed forces. By 2010 the Swedish Army had two battalions that could be mobilized within 90 days. When the volunteer system had been fully implemented by 2019, the army consisted of 7 maneuver battalions and 14 battalions of various sorts with a readiness of one week. The Home Guard was reduced in size to 22,000 soldiers. In 2019 the Swedish Armed Forces, now with a restored national service system combined with volunteer forces, aimed to reach 3 brigades as maneuver units by 2025.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: After having ended the universal male conscription system in 2010, as well as deactivating conscription in peacetime, the conscription system was re-activated in 2017. Since 2018 both women and men are conscripted on equal terms. The motivation behind reactivating conscription was the need for personnel, as volunteer numbers proved to be insufficient to maintain the armed forces.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: The Swedish defence forces are currently, planning for a 8,000 conscripts to serve per year. However, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the defence forces stated that there is a need for significantly more than the current. In addition, figures from 2022, show that 79% of Swedes support in some form, an increase in the number of people who are conscripted. 47% of the respondeds said that the majority of 19/20 year-olds should perform conscription.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: In 2008, professor Mats Alvesson of the University of Lund and Karl Ydén of the University of Göteborg claimed in an op-ed, based on Ydén's doctoral dissertation, that a large part of the officer corps of the Swedish Armed Forces was preoccupied with administrative tasks instead of training soldiers or partaking in international operations. They claimed that Swedish officers were mainly focused on climbing the ranks and thereby increasing their wages and that the main way of doing this is to take more training courses, which decreases the number of officers that are specialized in their field. Therefore, the authors claimed, the Swedish Armed Forces was poorly prepared for its mission. Major changes have been made to the officer system since then.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: The transformation of the old invasion defence-oriented armed forces to the new smaller and more mobile force has also been criticized. According to the Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces the present defence budget will not be enough to implement the new defence structure by 2019. And that even when finished the armed forces will only be able to fight for a week at most.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: During 2013 several Russian Air Force exercises over the Baltic Sea aimed at Swedish military targets have made


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: the future of the Swedish Armed Forces a hot topic and several political parties now want to increase defense funding. In August 2019, the government announced a bank tax to fund the military spending.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: When an army based on national service (conscription) was introduced in 1901 all commissioned officers had ranks that were senior of the warrant officers ("underofficerare") and non-commissioned officers ("underbefäl"). In a reform 1926 the relative rank of the then senior warrant officer, fanjunkare, was increased to be equal with the junior officer rank "underlöjtnant" and above the most junior officer rank "fänrik". In 1960 the relative rank of the warrant officers were elevated further so that


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: In 1972 the personnel structure changed, reflecting increased responsibilities of warrant and non-commissioned officers, renaming the "underofficerare" as "kompaniofficerare", giving them the same ranks as company grade officers ("fänrik", "löjtnant", "kapten"). "Underbefäl" was renamed "plutonsofficerare" and given the rank titles of sergeant and "fanjunkare", although their relative rank were now placed below "fänrik". The commissioned officers were renamed "regementsofficerare", beginning with "löjtnant". The three-track career system was maintained, as well as three separate messes.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: A major change in the personnel structure in 1983 (NBO 1983), merged the three professional corps of platoon officers, company officers, and regimental officers into a one-track career system within a single corps called professional officers ("yrkesofficerare"). The three messes were also merged to one.


title: Swedish Armed Forces

text: In 2008 the Riksdag decided to create a two-track career system with a category called "specialistofficerare". When implementing the parliamentary resolution the Supreme Commander decided that some ranks in this category should, like the old "underofficerare" ranks in 1960–1972, have a relative rank higher than the most junior officers.


title: Buried (film)

text: Buried is a 2010 English-language Spanish survival drama film directed by Rodrigo Cortés. It stars Ryan Reynolds and was written by Chris Sparling.


title: Buried (film)

text: The story is about Iraq-based American civilian truck driver Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds), who, after being attacked, finds himself buried alive in a wooden coffin, with only a lighter, flask, flashlight, knife, glowsticks, pen, pencil, and a mobile phone. Since its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, the film has received a positive critical reception.