In

Bro this s*** crazy. I didn’t even notice the birds on blonde

Seeing a new post on IG from you lights my day up fr, great content

Thank you for all the love everyone, it's incredibly humbling and endearing to see this community still invested and supporting the content.

@twitch

Bro this s*** crazy. I didn't even notice the birds on blonde

I'm glad you learned something new! I'm going to look into "remastering" that post (if you can say that) with some new visuals touch ups, audio integration and a comparison bar so the reader can see how Frank channeled that aspect of Richard's music on Endless in real-time.

Stay tuned, much love!

Read ur posts rn this is some top tier content

From: "The Aphex Effect" available to read here

I finally got around to re-working this piece and I hope the incorporation of the audio and visual cues highlight just how influential Aphex Twin has been throughout Ocean's career.

Much love to everyone - thanks for taking the time to read!

From "Frank's World of Art" available to read here

I had to condense some of the caption to meet Instagram's character limit. Here's the original:

“Empty my bank account and buy that boy with a pipe!” sang Frank Ocean, monotonously on Calvin Harris’ “Slide”. The subject in question was Pablo Picasso’s “Garçon a la Pipe”, a portrait of Louis, a young Parisian who spent much of his free time roaming around Picasso’s studio in Montmartre. The boy sat on a stool, boasting a floral crown with a passive look on his chiseled face and followed instructions like an apprentice. As Picasso transformed a mundane portrait into a dreamy, blossomed wonderland, he was slowly stroking the canvas of a piece that would go on to sell for more than $104 million USD, 99 years later.

Ocean’s opening lines display what’s he’s all about - a fervent individual when it comes to sartorial panache and a taste that seems to favour that of historical and practically unattainable artistic pieces throughout modern history.

Sitting in his New York City residence is a Thomas Barger “Brutalist Chair”. An upcycled piece overhauled with paper pulp that looks like it could’ve been plucked right out from Fred Flinstones’ living room. Barger studied architecture in college after passionately drawing through “Architectural Digest” magazines as an adolescent. After graduating college, he began working for architecture, Christian Wassmann, building furniture. However, the he soon felt himself burning out and eventually took control of his creative destiny - venturing into the world of furniture by himself and revisiting his childhood roots.

French designer Pierre Paulin also channeled his upbringing - being a ceramist and learning the art of curvature, Paulin twisted that experience into his signature space-age aesthetic. Arguably his most mesmerizing and unorthodox look came in 1970 when he designed the timeless “Dune” sofa. A dazzling, multi-functional and modular set that shifted the possibility of decor design with its various compositions and luxurious textile. Paulin’s work remains as relevant as ever with some of the most forward-leading designers and fashion houses displaying his work across their platforms. In 2014, Louis Vuitton brought the artists unreleased work to life with their “Playing With Shapes” exhibition held in Miami. Having only existed in miniature form, the event exhibited just how forward-thinking the French artist was with designs from the 70s still being considered timeless in the 21st century.

Perhaps Ocean looks to aim for that sort of acclaim and resting stay in the music industry. Above his bed is a painting from Luxembourg born artist, Michel Majerus - consisting of a sphere and a single word bubbled with a sun orange hue - “Motivation”. Officially signed, painted and initialled “MoM Block Nr.65” in 1999, Majerus rose to prominence due to his creative ways of incorporating pop cultural such as video games, cartoons, graffiti & manufactures and blending them with pulsating colours. In 1999, he gained worldwide attention after painting the front of the Italian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale using a collective of previously iconic artworks.

Does Ocean look to haute design as a pillar of excellence? Wanting his art to be remembered for generations, regardless if its received as rapidly as Paulin’s “Dune” or as gradually as Picasso’s apprentice.

good to see ya still around mayday- and thanks for this post. bringing me back to the old days of making Frank live bootlegs and a***ysis posts haha

Think I read some articles here and there. Defo going to check out the rest!

Mayday been the goat since early KTT1 days

literally nobody else does frank content like mayday its dope af to have him be a ktt og

From "Inside Blonded Radio" available to read here

When a honey smooth voice echoed “Blonde” in February 2017 on Apple Music, it unofficially ushered in one of the most exciting timelines in recent music.

“You’re listening to Blonde” became the tag line, recited by delicate, raspy and glitched voices alike. The show remains a river stream of obscure and popular handpicked tunes, exclusive interviews, skits, social commentary and fresh music from Frank Ocean and friends.

Following the release of his two projects which caused a cataclysmic shift in the industry - Ocean took a trip around the world and vanished back into the ethos of his beloved world of privacy. Between the release of his albums and the launch of his radio show, Ocean opted to do a special interview with The New York Times whilst ensuring that he guards the thin veil shielding his private life - literally tethering it to himself. The interview would go on to be titled “Privacy Intact”. What looked like the beginning of his return quickly turned out to be another wave of bad signals - complete radio silence. Unbeknownst to the industry and fans, he was preparing the launch of his very own radio show. Ocean went on to recruit Vegyn, Roof Access and Federico Aliprandi. Producer, DJ and friends with a wide array of personalities but one that synced in line with the man himself.

In the previously mentioned New York Times interview, Ocean spoke about his musical freedom stating: “because I’m not in a record deal, I don’t have to operate in an album format. I can operate in half-a-song format.” The radio show became a platform to execute that exact method. Ocean went on to premiere 12 tracks - counting official versions, remixes, features and live recordings beginning from 2017’s “Chanel” to 2019’s “Little Demon”.

Between these tracks, a swell of moments on the show highlighted the project’s true authenticity - Blonded wasn’t just another radio show, it was an era. Laced with curated skits performed by Aliprandi who mimicked an elitist gear head to nostalgic conversations with Spike Jonze all but proved why Blonded remains Apple Music’s flagship show. Perhaps, more importantly, it’s coziest and most personal one too.

From: "Behind The Mermaid Scene" available to read here

Under the influence of acid, Tyrone Lebon & Frank Ocean set out in the mid-spring nights of London, England to shoot a video for his return single. What came together was an exotica blend of mermaids, angels and extravagant vehicles one would’ve seen posing at the Cité de l'Automobile.

“Nikes”, shot on 35mm film captured a raw image of Ocean’s generation. From shoutouts to modern icons, blurred lines of sexuality, the spellbinding curves of the swoosh to the fascination of mysterious and twisted cults. However, underneath the fantasia world and partying of “Nikes” lies in particular, a pure and hopeful scene; a beautiful and carefree mermaid gliding through the water.

The mermaid has been a mythical figure sprinkled throughout pop culture and art for decades. The idea of a human being able to navigate the ocean is enthralling and its sexuality is oozed in Chinese artist Ren Hang’s work. Hang invited his close friends to a hotel room in Beijing and captured them submerged in the tank resulting in a glimmering set of pictures. Hang’s rebellious & unapologetic attitude towards nudity in art spring-boarded him to the top of Chinese photography and worldwide exhibitions as seen in France, Sweden, Israel & Russia.

In Lou Ye’s Shakespearean grim tale of a relationship seen in “Suzhou River”, the mermaid presents a sense of hope. Glistening through the berry blue tank of a local club, Mei Mei falls in love with Mar Dar and their story explodes into a million directions. The film was the subject of national controversy as it was banned from being played in China due to its premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. It was commended for its visual style and Ye beautifying an already established style from Wong Kar-Wai, one of Ocean’s favourite directors.

Ocean’s wordplay on “Nikes” also signified a clever reference to the Disney classic, “The Little Mermaid”.

What seemed like a straightforward scene can be now seen planted throughout many forms of art. From the pits of the ocean that housed Ariel, the obscure club where Mar Dar fell in love to the hotel room in which Hang captured his magnum opus.

From: "Frank's Unreleased Novel" available to read here

A novel written by Frank Ocean would seem like an elementary idea, something that would parachute it’s way onto book shelves one day. However, the minimal information available about this project’s fate is as mysterious as a plethora of other Ocean dipped plans such as music videos, collaborations and clothing.

The idea was first revealed in 2012 on Ocean’s internet home, his iconic Tumblr blog. “I wanna write a novel about twins. Some type of nature versus nurture tale.” He would proceed to list other intentions from building an arcade to starting a car club and moving far away “from the coasts of California”.

The next update presented itself via Ocean again - this time in a “The New York Times” interview. Ocean confirmed his initial idea for the book and provided details. Fiction and about brothers.

The last update was disclosed in perhaps the most Ocean-esque style, a hidden press release in the code of a fashion campaign. Calvin Klein’s star studded Fall/Winter 2016 featured the return of the enigmatic singer and twined between the webpage and source code was the startling discovery. The release shed light on the project, stating: “He has published a magazine and worked on a novel while continuing to perfect his highly anticipated second album.”

Ocean went on to release the magazine and a second album but the future of the novel remains in question. Will it one day see the light of day or has it been lost in the abyss?

one of the greatest pages dedicated to a single artist, every great artist deserves something like this

love the posts

The name lowkey dont work

From: "Inside Moon River on Film" available to read here

As Audrey Hepburn sat on the fire escape of her apartment building in New York City. She had immortalized what is perhaps one of the most recognizable original songs constructed for a film.

Over 60 years later, countless versions have etched and snuggled themselves into the “Moon River” family. Notable names such as Amy Winehouse & Frank Sinatra have further catapulted the legacy of Henry Mancini & Johnny Mercer’s track.

On Valentines Day 2018, Frank Ocean invited himself into the esteemed ménage - showcasing the heartbreaking ballad to a new generation. Uploading it to his Tumblr blog felt like a home sweet home moment, a fitting feeling for such a comfortable & dreamy track. Ocean’s version was the result of a favour, he told GQ Magazine: “Someone asked me to sing it, and that was the only reason I listened to it”. Unlike the jazz infused covers prior, Ocean opted to drive into a world of enchanting yet melancholic guitar & hopeful harmonies. The minimalist cover also had support from Davide Rossi with contributions on strings & brass.

3 years later and the “Moon River” cover has become Ocean’s most used track for film. 7 television series & motion pictures have now used the magical cover in their works. From opening scenes in Dutch coming of age tales to the closing chapters of redemption in the United States, the moon has truly risen in all mediums.

Thanks, friend. A lot of hours have gone into it.

Mayday, you're the man. Keep it up!

This is cool

oh sick! you’re finally on ktt2

the frank community here is thankfully a lot more content driven than what the case seems to be on reddit

I honestly didn't realize that KTT2 was a separate entity from KTT until this afternoon. I guess I thought it was just a new design? I've always lurked, but rarely login. When I tried today, I realized my creds for KTT weren't going to work. haha​

Anyway... here I am!