CMJ » Sean Flack

Dana Buoy – Summer Bodies

Sean Flack — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:48:00 +0000

Trying to capture the essence of summer can be a tricky thing. It’s one thing to evoke memories of what you were doing in the summer of whenever, but it’s another–and much harder–thing to actually transport you back to that time, letting you experience again the feelings and senses of those days. Dana Buoy (aka Akron/Family percussionist Dana Janssen) has made such an album. Janssen created Summer Bodies in a bungalow near a jungle lagoon in Thailand, which accounts for the balmy atmosphere. And what would summer be without some kind of romance? The initial groundwork for the album was a series of hopeful love notes left on an answering machine. Thailand and telephone love letters might not have been how you spent your summer, but Janssen finds a way to make it all seem relatable.

Janssen describes the music on the album as tropicore, which sounds like a mix of the caffeinated optimism of Matt And Kim (“So Lucky”) and the Afro-beat elements of Animal Collective–well, if Animal Collective wore Hawaiian shirts and played beach parties. During the first 34 seconds of album opener “Anatomy Of Now,” Janssen especially sounds like Noah Lennox. What follows, though, isn’t a jittery Animal Collective breakdown but rather a feel-good wanderlust that’s colored by Janssen’s time in Thailand. Before Janssen came back to Brooklyn to flesh out the album with live drumming, guitar, thumb piano and various samples, he created the shells of the songs with just a laptop and an MPC1000. This means he initially took the time to take in his surroundings and make Thailand a sort-of contributor in the musical process. “Call To Be” is a track that feels particularly sunbathed and is paired with tribal-sounding drums, a constant synth pulse and Janssen chanting “ya-ya-ya” like he’s having the time of his life.

Like most summers, Summer Bodies gets more low-key and reflective as the album progresses. “Purple shade on the horizon/Falling faster than we knew,” Janssen ponders on “Futures Part.” Of course this could also be due to the fact that Janssen and his engineer dealt with an earthquake and Hurricane Irene during the recording process, resulting in days of isolation. But this isn’t a morose album, and the more dialed-down, hurricane-influenced songs are more akin to staying in from a rainy day than a tropical storm. Janssen ends the album with “We On The Sea,” which is fitting with its nostalgic guitar strums and tropical effects in the background. Janssen only croons the same line throughout, “Just you/And me/On the sea/Floating.” This is your soundtrack for summer.

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Win Tickets: Zola Jesus At The Guggenheim

Sean Flack — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:45:47 +0000

These past couple of weeks CMJ has been partnering with the Guggenheim to give away tickets to Divine Ricochet, a three-part series of live music that accompanies the John Chamberlain: Choices exhibit on view at the museum through May 13. The previous two shows–featuring Grouper and Julianna Barwick, and Cold Cave–have passed, but lucky for you, we’re giving away tickets for the last show on the schedule, Zola Jesus with JG Thirlwell and the Mivos Quartet.

Enter your email below to win tickets to the final Divine Ricochet show, which will take place Thursday, May 10. The deadline to enter is Tuesday, May 8, at 6 P.M.

We caught up with Zola Jesus at KEXP’s live broadcast at the Ace Hotel during CMJ 2011. Check out the video below.

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Anenon – Inner Hue

Sean Flack — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:33:09 +0000

It’s easy to get lost in Anenon’s full-length debut, Inner Hue. This is music that begs to be listened to with a good pair of headphones, the kind where you lose track of how much time has passed while listening. But there’s an unexpected moment on the third track that gives one the impression that this album isn’t like most in the electronic genre. After seven minutes of sweeping, cosmic sounds, there’s suddenly a lone saxophone. It’s more of a saxophone solo, really, as “Stone River” is a little over a minute of Anenon, aka Non Projects founder Brian Simon, playing his tenor saxophone. Anenon’s sax shows up again throughout the album, but despite how unusual it might seem, it never feels contrived.

On album opener “Eighty-Four,” Anenon introduces another partner in crime on the album, the Rhodes keyboard. “Eighty-Four” is a beautifully ambient piece as Anenon slowly expands the sound on the track with the Rhodes and other audio effects until everything crackles and eventually pops. Anenon also uses a Roland 909 to provide straightforward beats that, along with the tenor sax and Rhodes keyboard, are where most of the sound on this album comes from. He utilizes audio manipulation techniques here, but it still feels natural as if he coaxed these sounds out of the instruments on his own. However, Anenon’s holy trinity will occasionally give way to other sounds like some guitar plinks or Laura Teasley’s haunting chants on the lullaby-like “Embers.”

The narrative is fairly abstract on Inner Hue although there is a dreamy, blissful theme throughout. It’s commendable then that Anenon can get these sounds out of these instruments without relying on samples. For example, “The Sea And The Stars” is an especially impressive instance of the gorgeous soundscapes that build around you on this album. And of course we have to bring up that damn saxophone again. On “Murmurs,” the tenor sax twists and turns in between Anenon’s manipulated keyboard. The album ends with “Entwine,” where Anenon plays comforting and lifting melodies on the Rhodes. Inner Hue is at one point a new genre, which we’ll call electro-jazz, and at others an expansive dream. This is the work of someone who put a lot of care into his melodies, and as a result, Inner Hue is an original and highly listenable piece of work.

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Explosive Clip For Maps And Atlases’ “Remote And Dark Years”

Sean Flack — Thu, 03 May 2012 18:16:42 +0000

Math-pop band Maps And Atlases has released the video for “Remote And Dark Years” off of its sophomore full-length, Beware And Be Grateful.

What starts out as a couple embracing its inner Bonnie and Clyde eventually turns into a cathartic road trip, culminating in the destroying and setting fire to the car they stole. Safety first! The video was directed by George Salisbury, who is the principal art and video director for the Flaming Lips.

Maps And Atlases will be heading out on a headlining tour this summer in support of Beware And Be Grateful. Check out those tour dates below and the video for “Remote And Dark Years” above.

Tour Dates For Maps And Atlases:
05/11 – Chicago, IL – Metro
05/12 – St Louis, MO – Firebird
05/14 – Columbus, OH – The Basement
05/15 – Akron, OH – Musica
05/16 – Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern
05/17 – Ithaca, NY – The Haunt
05/18 – Boston, MA – Middle East
05/19 – Brooklyn, NY – Glasslands
05/21 – New York, NY – The Studio At Webster Hall
05/22 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
05/23 – Washington, DC – Rock And Roll Hotel
05/24 – Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506
05/25 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl
05/26 – Tampa, FL – Crowbar
05/27 – Orlando, FL – The Plaza
05/28 – Panama City, FL – A&M Theatre
05/29 – Birmingham, AL – Bottletree
05/31 – Dallas, TX – Sons Of Herman Hall
06/01 – Austin, TX – The Parish
06/02 – Houston, TX – Free Press SummerFest
06/04 – El Paso, TX – Lowbrow Palace
06/05 – Phoenix, AZ – TBA
06/06 – San Diego, CA – Casbah
06/07 – Santa Ana, CA – Constellation Room
06/08 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour
06/09 – San Francisco, CA – Bottom Of The Hill
06/11 – Portland, OR – Bunk Bar
06/12 – Vancouver, BC – Media Club
06/13 – Seattle, WA – Crocodile Cafe
06/15 – Boise, ID – Neurolux
06/16 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
06/17 – Denver, CO – Hi Dive
06/18 – Omaha, NE – Waiting Room
06/19 – St Paul, MN – Amsterdam Hall
07/15 – Cincinnati, OH – Bunbury Festival

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Listen To New Single From 2:54

Sean Flack — Wed, 02 May 2012 21:15:04 +0000

Colette and Hannah Thurlow of British rock duo 2:54 are set to release their self-titled debut album on May 28 via Fat Possum. To hold fans over until the release date, the sisters of 2:54 have released the lead single off of 2:54 titled “Creeping.” Fans might remember a GarageBand demo version of this song surfacing on the Web around 18 months ago, but this is a more realized version of the song with help from producer Alan Moulder. “Creeping” is full of brooding melodies and serves as a fitting introduction to 2:54.

2:54 – Creeping by 2:54 Band

2:54 has been announced as main support to the xx on its comeback show at London’s Chats Palace on May 15. The duo will also be embarking on a headlining tour throughout North America in June. Get those tour dates below.

Tour Dates For 2:54:
05/15 – London, England – Chats Palace $
06/09 – Brooklyn, NY – Knitting Factory !
06/10 – Washington, DC – Rocknroll Hotel !
06/11 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge !
06/13 – Boston, MA – TT The Bears !
06/14 – Montreal, QUE – Divan Orange !
06/15 – Toronto, ONT – NXNE/Lee’s Palace !
06/17 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle !
06/18 – Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock !
06/21 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile !
06/22 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge !
06/23 – Vancouver, BC – Biltmore !
06/25 – San Francisco, CA – Independent !
06/26 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour !
06/27 – San Diego, CA – Casbah !
$ with the xx
! with Widowspeak

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Desaparecidos Reunites For August Tour

Sean Flack — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:45:43 +0000

Sometimes it can be hard to keep up with Conor Oberst‘s various side projects. The man stays busy. And now adding more to his already full plate, the Bright Eyes frontman has reunited with his old punk band Desaparecidos. The Nebraska-based quintet recently played a surprise show in its hometown of Omaha, premiering two new songs. In addition, the band has announced a handful of shows in August.

The return of Desaparecidos will contain the original lineup with Oberst (vocals, guitar), Landon Hedges (bass, vocals), Matt Baum (drums), Denver Dalley (guitar) and Ian McElroy (keyboards). The band formed in 2001 and only released one album, 2002′s Read Music/Speak Spanish. But while the group was gaining in popularity, Oberst didn’t have the time to dedicate to the band due to the also increasing success of Bright Eyes. Desaparecidos ceased playing together shortly thereafter.

Prior to the Desaparecidos shows, Oberst will be playing a couple of solo shows throughout the Northeast. Grab the tour dates for both tours below, and check out this 2002 interview the band did with MTV2, featuring a little 22-year-old Oberst, already well on his way to singing out against the Man.

Tour Dates For Conor Oberst:
05/09 – New York, NY – Sweet Relief Musician Fund Benefit
07/06 – Ottawa, ON – Ottawa Bluesfest
07/24 – Bethlehem, PA – Musikfest Cafe At ArtsQuest Center *
07/25 – Albany, NY – Swyer Theatre At The Egg
07/26 – Fairfield, CT – StageOne
07/27 – Newport, RI – Jane Pickens Theater *^
07/29 – Newport, RI – Newport Folk Festival
* with Dawes
^ with First Aid Kit

Tour Dates For Desaparecidos:
08/09 – Minneapolis, MN – 400 Bar #
08/11 – Omaha, NE – Maha Music Festival
08/25 – Seattle, WA – Showbox At The Market
08/26 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
08/29 – San Francisco, CA – Regency Ballroom
# with Little Brazil

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Lower Dens Heads To The Forest With “Propagation”

Sean Flack — Tue, 01 May 2012 16:20:47 +0000

In conjunction with the release of its latest album Nootropics, released today on Ribbon Music, Baltimore rock group Lower Dens has released the video for the stand-out track “Propagation.” The video showcases a more sprawling side of the band, visually and musically, as opposed to its previous video for the sleek and pulsing “Brains.”

Directed by Sebastian Mlynarksi, “Propagation” takes place in a dark forest where a group of people with glow-in-the-dark jumpsuits and powdered faces prance around. They observe mysterious orbs and lick trees, among other things.

Lower Dens will play release week shows and have also announced a headlining North American summer tour. Check out the video for “Propagation,” above, and take a look at those tour dates, below.

Tour Dates For Lower Dens:
05/01 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge ^
05/02 – Brooklyn, NY – Glasslands +
05/03 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s $
05/04 – Washington, DC – Rock And Roll Hotel $
05/05 – Baltimore, MD – Ottobar %
06/21 – Raleigh, NC – Kings Barcade #
06/22 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl #
06/23 – New Orleans, LA – One Eyed Jacks #
06/24 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada #
06/25 – Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s #
06/26 – Austin, TX – The Parish #
06/28 – Phoenix, AZ – Sail Inn #
06/29 – Santa Ana, CA – Constellation Room #
06/30 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour #
07/01 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent #
07/05 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios #
07/06 – Seattle, WA – Neumos #
07/07 – Vancouver, BC – The Media Club #
07/10 – Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge #
07/11 – Lawrence, KS – The Jackpot Saloon #
07/12 – St. Louis, MO – The Luminary Center For The Arts #
07/13 – Chicago, IL – Pitchfork Music Festival
07/15 – Louisville, KY – Forecastle Festival
07/16 – Detroit, MI – Magic Stick #
07/17 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace #
07/18 – Montreal, QC – Ill Motore
07/19 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom #

^ with Matteah Baim
+ with Air Waves, Twisted Wires
$ with Violens
% with Celebration, Violens, Sprayer
# with No Joy, Alan Resnick

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EP Premiere: Claude Violante Goes Solo

Sean Flack — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:46:51 +0000

Claude Violante does it all. In addition to performing as one half of analog pop duo Haussmann, the French singer is a writer, producer and crafter of remixes. Now she’s adding “solo artist” to her achievements with the release of her debut self-titled solo EP, out via Tsunami-Addiction. CMJ is streaming the EP in its entirety, below.

“I was allowed to be ridiculously precise about synth sounds, [and] take as much time as I wanted to polish details without being a pain in the ass to anyone,” Violante tells CMJ. The four tracks on Claude Violante are obviously labors of love, as club-ready beats and synths are mixed harmoniously with Violante’s intimate voice. There’s also a soft gloom present throughout, which fits perfectly with the blue aesthetic on the album cover.

“I guess it’s always interesting to be testing your limits and possibilities, that is what I was looking for with my solo project,” she says. “I had to depend on myself only, which was a good and a bad thing.”

Violante will soon be reuniting with Thomas Carteron for Haussmann’s first EP. However, more solo work is on the horizon for Violante as she has plans for more remixes and another solo EP or LP.

Claude Violante EP by CMJ Network

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Doldrums Announces New Tour Dates

Sean Flack — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 20:30:43 +0000

Montreal-based electronic artist Doldrums is currently readying his debut LP. But in the meantime, he’s been playing shows with Bear In Heaven and Blouse across North America. Today Doldrums announced more tour dates on top of his current tour. Starting in June, Doldrums will play a couple of shows with Unknown Mortal Orchestra and make a series of festival appearances.

Doldrums recently released a new single called “Egypt,” which you can listen to below.

EGYPT by DOLDRUMS

Tour Dates For Doldrums:
04/26 – Birmingham, AL – The Bottletree *^
04/27 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl *^
04/28 – Asheville, NC – Grey Eagle *^
04/29 – Raleigh, NC – Kings Barcade *^
05/01 – Washington, DC – Black Cat Backstage *^
05/02 – Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church *^
05/03 – Allston, MA – Brighton Music Hall *^
05/04 – Montreal, QC – La Sala Rossa *^
05/05 – Toronto, ON – The Garrison *^
05/06 – Ithaca, NY – The Haunt *^
05/08 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom *^
05/09 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall Of Williamsburg *^
06/07 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge !
06/08 – Brooklyn, NY – Glasslands !
06/09 – Washington, DC – Rock N Roll Hotel !
06/11 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s !
06/12 – Boston, MA – Middle East !
06/13 – Montreal, QC – Il Motore !
06/14-16 – Toronto, ON – NXNE
07/06-08 – Raleigh, NC – Hopscotch Festival
* with Bear In Heaven
^ with Blouse
! with Unknown Mortal Orchestra

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“Put Your Hands Together” For New Simian Mobile Disco Video

Sean Flack — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:00:08 +0000

U.K. electronic duo Simian Mobile Disco has just unveiled the video for “Put Your Hands Together” off of its upcoming album, Unpatterns, due out May 15 on Wichita.

The video is seven minutes in geometry heaven as shapes and colors collide to the rhythm of the track. Who knew squares could be so hypnotic?

Simian Mobile Disco will be coming to North America for DJ dates in support of Unpatterns. Check out those tour dates below.

Tour Dates For Simian Mobile Disco:
05/23 – Washington, DC – U Hall
05/24 – Philadelphia, PA – Snacks at Voyeur
05/25 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
05/26 – Montreal, QC – Lamouche
05/28 – Quebec City, QC – Le Cercle
05/30 – St. John, NB – Tonic Nightclub
05/31 – Denver, CO – Cervantes
06/01 – Los Angeles, CA – Avalon Hollywood
06/02 – San Francisco, CA – Mezzanine
07/12 – Pattersonville, NY – Indian Lookout Club
07/13 – Chicago, IL – The Mid
07/14 – Mariaville, NY – Camp Bisco

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YACHT Covers Brigitte Fontaine, Announces Tour Dates

Sean Flack — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:00:17 +0000

Dance-rock duo YACHT has just announced a headlining tour of Europe and the US. To promote the tour dates, the band released a new song titled “Le Goudron,” which is a cover of a song by French avant-garde singer Brigitte Fontaine. YACHT’s version is more neon-soaked and ready for the dance floor than Fontaine’s, but it’s still a loving homage. Claire Evans even sings the song in French, like Fontaine.

Watch the video for “Le Goudron” above, and check out YACHT’s tour dates, below.

U.S. Tour Dates For Yacht:
05/24 – San Diego, CA – The Loft @ UCSD
05/25 – Tucson, AZ – Plush
05/26 – El Paso, TX – Neon Desert Music Festival
05/28 – New Orleans, LA – One Eyed Jacks
05/30 – Gainesville, FL – Double Down Live
05/31 – Orlando, FL – The Plaza Live
06/01 – Tampa, FL – Crowbar
06/02 – Miami, FL – Bardot
06/04 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl
06/05 – Nashville, TN – 12th & Porter
06/06 – Memphis, TN – Hi-Tone Cafe
06/07 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada
06/08 – Austin, TX – The Mohawk
06/09 – Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s
06/11 – Norman, OK – Opolis
06/13 – Santa Fe, NM – Sol
06/14 – Phoenix, AZ – The Crescent Ballroom
06/15 – Pomona, CA – The Glass House
08/10-12 – San Francisco, CA – Outside Lands
08/31-09/02 – Chicago, IL – North Coast Music Festival

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Passion Pit Set To Release New Album In July

Sean Flack — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:44:25 +0000

Passion Pit has announced details for a follow-up to 2009′s Manners. The new album, titled Gossamer, will be released on July 24 via Columbia.

Gossamer looks to have more of a lyrical emphasis than previous Passion Pit releases. “You hear my lyrics more precisely, which is something I was ready for,” lead vocalist Michael Angelakos said in the press release. “The lyrics on this album have a lot to say about what the last two years of my life have been troubled with.”

Passion Pit will be celebrating the upcoming release of Gossamer with a handful of warm-up shows. These shows will feature tracks from the new album along with favorites from Manners and the Chunk Of Change EP. Passion Pit will be hitting the summer festival circuit as well.

Watch the video for “Little Secrets” off of Manners, and check out the tour dates below.

Tour Dates For Passion Pit:
05/01 – Geneva, NY – Smith Opera House
05/04 – West Palm Beach, FL – SunFest
06/02 – Dallas, TX – Meltdown Music Festival
06/22 – Boston, MA – Bank Of America Pavilion
06/23 – New York, NY – Governors Ball Music Festival
07/15 – Cincinnati, OH – Bunbury Music Festival
07/20-22 – Dover, DE – Firefly Music Festival
08/03-05 – Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza
08/05 – Montreal, QC – Osheaga Music Festival
08/07 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheater *
08/10 – 12 – San Francisco, CA – Outside Lands Music Festival
09/09 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl #
* with Justice
# with Hot Chip

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Sonny And The Sunsets Signs To Polyvinyl

Sean Flack — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:06:27 +0000

After releasing its last album on Fat Possum, San Francisco’s Sonny And The Sunsets has moved over to Polyvinyl for its upcoming release, Longtime Companion, due out June 26.

Longtime Companion will be a country record about Sonny Smith’s breakup with his wife of 10 years. The album marks a change for Smith musically as he combined members of his Sunsets with members of his country band, the Fuckaroos.

Get a feel for the beer-stained heartbreak on Longtime Companion by listening to the first single off the album, “Pretend You Love Me,” below.

Sonny & The Sunsets – Pretend You Love Me by Polyvinyl Records

Tracklist For Longtime Companion:
01. I Was Born
02. Dried Blood
03. Children Of The Beehive
04. Pretend You Love Me
05. Year Of The Cock
06. Rhinestone Sunset
07. I See The Void
08. Sea Of Darkness
09. My Mind Messed Up
10. Longtime Companion

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Rustie Shares North America Tour Dates

Sean Flack — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:43:18 +0000

When Scottish electronic artist Rustie released his debut album, Glass Swords, last year, he rose from underground sensation to household name. The last 12 months have seen Rustie topping BBC radio charts along with contributing an installment to its Essential series, which is streaming below. Now for the first time since his album dropped last October, Rustie will be coming to North America for a handful of tour dates, listed below the stream.

Rustie — Essential Mix — BBC Radio 1 — 7th April 2012 by Rustie

Tour Dates For Rustie:
05/15 – New York, NY – Santos Party House (Shortcuts Party)
05/18 – Pyramid Lake, NV – Pyramid Eclipse Festival
05/19 – Vancouver, BC – Electric Owl
05/20 – Los Angeles, CA – Smog Sundays/Dim Mak Studios
05/22 – Denver, CO – Cervantes

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Memoryhouse Gets Equipment Stolen After Show

Sean Flack — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:51:45 +0000

Dream-pop duo Memoryhouse opened for Washed Out last night at the Black Cat in Washington, DC. Usually this wouldn’t be information that warrants its own news post, but some of Memoryhouse’s gear was stolen that night in Oxon Hill, MD, just outside of DC. The band posted a list of its missing gear on Facebook and is asking fans to spread the word about the missing gear or to help out by donating to Memoryhouse’s PayPal account for new equipment.

Below, watch the video for “The Kids Were Wrong” off of the duo’s most recent release, The Slideshow Effect.

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