Kalistani Major History

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The New Face of Kalistani RF
Retro-Futurism Gets a shot in the Arm by two major releases this month from KMI
Kaliburg, Ananto
August 22, 4878


Christina Shakespeare, Great-granddaughter of Kalistani Pop Legend Madysin Shakespeare releases RF record Wrapped Around You this month

The RF scene in Kalistan has had its ups and downs in past decades. Mostly down, as it is has been overlooked for years by the more pop sounds of Kalistani popular music and the harder edges of Alternative Rock which prevail on Kalistani radio. But all along the RF scene has held on in major night spots like "The Tankard" and "Cybernetixxx" in Kaliburg, and a scattering of other clubs throughout the Republic.

Then late in August, KMI released two separate RF records, both which have the potential of seriously reigniting interest in the RF scene and genre. For those who are not familiar, RF is a 400 year old music subgenre which developed mainly around Kaliburg and came from a broader electronic family. It featured a technology based motif as a topic of the music, as well as discussion about alternate futures and things dealing with outer space. Men in the scene frequently dressed as either robots or intergalactic space travelers, while the women in the scene tended to be scantily clad in clubs, and highly sexualized in their lyrics and music videos. The scene was much more about the experience of going to the club and seeing wild people than the music itself, which was frequently heavy electronic dance beats and almost entirely synthesized instrumentation.

The record industry long abandoned RF as a commercially viable music style, but this month's back to back release of Christina Shakespeare's debut LP Wrapped Around You and a name more often known for rap, Tonya X's fifth studio Album Baddest B---ches, both on KMI, boldly announces RF's return to the airwaves and the record charts in Kalistan.

Both records have, in the two weeks since their back to back release, enjoyed tremendous success in terms of sales, and heavy rotation on the biggest radio stations across the Republic. Critics have called Shakespeare's lyrics "x-rated" and "smut" and a few record stores have pulled the record following protest from parents groups in Vrassa. But the controversy has simply fueled online sales of the Record, which enjoyed the highest sales for a first week release of any record released within the last 45 years. Similarly Tonya X has gotten into controversy with two separate cuts of her video being deemed too suggestive for broadcast until after midnight in both Vrassa and Odufaray.

"I mean, why did Shakespeare have to do that?" demanded Edward Fullerton, of Vrassa City. "I bet her Grandmother would be rolling over in her grave right now! Nothing but filth! I don't want my kids listening to that!"


Tonya X, the veteran MC known more for braggadocio on the mic, switches
up her style to "Music Made for Space Strippers" on her new KMI LP release of Baddest B--ches

The artists have taken the criticism in stride. Tonya X was asked what she thought about the controversy around her video. "I mean: If you're offended by me showing skin in my videos, you know, those videos aren't for you, you know? I have heard nothing but positivity from the kids in the clubs. And you know, if people are making babies with my music playing in the background, so much the better!"

Separately, Shakespeare said "Yeah, those people are all virgins. I'm just talking about something everyone does... I am talking about how we all got here and what we're gonna be doing later on. Its biology." When she was asked about the explicitly pro-autoerotic song "0101 Love" she answered simply "It's digital. What the problem? Look: 95 percent of all people do it and the other 5 percent are lying."

What is for certain is that these two records have sparked a renewed interest in the RF scene and style of music, especially among the Youth. On the normally busy Friday night at The Tankard, for example, the Door reported more than twice its normal receipts, and Cybernetixxx had to postpone their monthly drag show so that they could cater to a crowd clamoring for RF. "Well, its great!" said Tankard Owner John Thompson. "I'm selling more booze in one night than I sold all week before these records drop. We're having to buy all our old RF inventory again, but the new stuff also gets played right in there too. You can really tell the difference between the sounds of the old and the new RF, usually because the newer stuff we are hearing and especially on Shakespeare's new track, draws on WAY older trends and does them with synthesizers and drum machines."

Thompson also noted that clients are wearing fewer clothes than they were even a month ago to the Club. "Yeah, definitely more body paint though, and the guys, they must have had a sale at the sequin store and all these guys went and bought out their inventory."

With the phenomenal reception of these two new albums, it appears that RF has a second life in Kalistan, and if a new movement kicks off around RF in the Republic, Shakespeare and Tonya X will be included in the list of RF greats like Kelli Minelli, Louisie Sue and Dave, and Devon and Waterfall.