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A month ago, producer Danny L Harle announced Harlecore, an innovative album on which he presents a vision of a futuristic club. Each room of the club is home to DJs with distinct musical styles: DJ Danny, MC Boing, DJ Mayhem, and DJ Ocean. Now, we may have the identities of the latter two DJs thanks to two new tracks from Harle, “Ocean’s Theme” and “Interlocked.”

According to the songs’ credits on Spotify, Caroline Polachek co-wrote “Ocean’s Theme” (which is credited to DJ Ocean) while Hudson Mohawke co-wrote and co-produced “Interlocked” (credited to DJ Mayhem), which suggests that those two are the mysterious DJs credited on the tracks. Additionally, the latter song also has writing credits for Chvrches’ Lauren Mayberry and Martin Doherty. These new songs follow “On A Mountain” and “Boing Beat,” on which Eyelar and Hannah Diamond are credited, respectively.

Polachek and Harle have a long history of working together. Back in 2016, they collaborated on a song called “Ashes Of Love” and Harle was an executive producer on Polachek’s 2019 solo album Pang. More recently, Harle produced Polachek’s cover of The Corrs’ “Breathless.”

Listen to “Ocean’s Theme” and “Interlocked” above.

Harlecore is out 2/26 via Mad Decent. Pre-order it here.

The Dallas Mavericks garnered attention on Tuesday night for something they’d been doing all season. The team made the decision to not play the national anthem prior to its home games this year, with Tim Cato of The Athletic reporting that it wasn’t even announced to team employees that the decision had been made.

In a statement to Cato, a league representative said “under the unique circumstances of this season, teams are permitted to run their pregame operations as they see fit.” On Wednesday, the league released a statement indicating that once the circumstances under which this season is being played change — i.e. arenas having limited or no fan presence due to the COVID-19 pandemic — playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” before games will be required.

“With NBA teams now in the process of welcoming fans back into their arenas, all teams will play the national anthem in keeping with longstanding league policy,” NBA chief communications officer Mike Bass said.

It is hardly the first time that the role the national anthem plays in NBA’s pregame routine has received attention. Over the years, there have been numerous conversations about what would happen should players opt to do something like take a knee while the anthem played, to which the league would always point to its policy that standing for the anthem is compulsory. That did change during the NBA’s Orlando Bubble, where players and coaches knelt during “The Star-Spangled Banner” as they saw fit.

After landing the first overall pick in the WNBA Draft for the second straight year, the book on the New York Liberty heading into the offseason was that they would add another promising young player to line up next to Sabrina Ionescu and form a young one-two punch for many years in Brooklyn. But rather than do all that, the Liberty have reportedly executed a deal to ship the No. 1 pick out for 2019 Defensive Player of the Year Natasha Howard.

The news was first reported by Rachel Galligan of Winsidr and Bet MGM and is part of a much larger set of transactions.

As part of the trade, the 29-year-old Howard will sign a four-year contract with New York starting just below the “super-maximum” amount.

In a press release, the Liberty announced the full set of trades: New York acquired the No. 6 pick in 2021 and a first-round pick in 2022 from the Phoenix Mercury by sending out All-Star guard Kia Nurse and second-year forward Megan Walker. The Liberty then flipped that 2022 first-round pick along with the No. 1 overall pick this year and New York’s own second-rounder in 2022 for Howard.

Subsequently, Seattle traded this year’s top overall pick to acquire stretch forward Katie Lou Samuelson, second-year wing Mikiah Herbert-Harrigan (from the Minnesota Lynx) and 2022 second-round picks from both Dallas and New York.

“The magnitude of Natasha choosing to be in New York cannot be overstated,” said Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb in a statement. “She is an All-WNBA talent who has worked for and earned everything that she has achieved, who has contributed to championship runs on multiple teams, and who will fit seamlessly into (head coach) Walt Hopkins’ system.”

This move comes after the Liberty signed reigning WNBA Most Improved Player Betnijah Laney to a multiyear contract in another move that will likely bolster the Liberty’s ninth-ranked defense. Adding Howard shores up the interior and gives New York another veteran as they look to make a playoff push in 2021, with Ionescu fully healed from an ankle injury that cost her most of her rookie season. New York still holds the No. 17, No. 25 and No. 29 picks in the 2021 draft and has 14 players currently on roster. They must get down to 12 by the start of the season in May.

The trade sends ripple effects to nearly every corner of the league. Dallas now holds three picks in the top five including the No. 1 overall selection, while Phoenix has a glut of guards behind Skylar Diggins-Smith and Diana Taurasi. The Storm could have used the top pick to potentially spur a dynasty forward, but instead opted to add depth.

With all that said, the moves are likely not finished as WNBA free agency moves forward toward April’s draft.

Canadian trio The Dirty Nil rung in the new year with a brand new album, pleasantly titled F*ck Art. Spanning eleven tracks and clocking in at just 35 minutes, the album is the type of punk rock jumpstart that feels increasingly necessary during the dreary months of winter. Don’t let the chugging hardcore riffs of album opener “Doom Boy” fool you: this album is as melodic as they come, with infectious choruses and snarky songwriting.

To celebrate the release of F*ck Art, guitarist/vocalist Luke Bentham sat down to talk ‘Goodfellas,’ learning about guitar distortion, and The Replacements in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.

What are four words you would use to describe your music?

Jubilant, Homies, Thrash, Rodeo

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

As a band that wrote their own playbook and always did what they wanted to do.

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?

I would have to say Toronto, though Minneapolis, Chicago, Philly and London are close 2nd’s.

Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?

Hard to say, probably my Godfather, a man named John Struthers. He gave me my first guitar and shared stories of seeing bands like the MC5 and The Beatles. Most Importantly, he showed me the distortion button on the starter amp he bought me, my life has been about chasing the high of that first ‘TWANGGGG’

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

The plain egg omelette from Mickey’s Diner in St. Paul MN

What album do you know every word to?

Johnny Cash – Live at Folsom Prison.

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

The Replacements first gig in 22 years, at Riot Fest in Toronto 2013. That was my favourite at least.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

Starshirt, tucked into Levi’s with PF Flyers. They’re all sturdy items that show the kids that a proper rock and roll show is gonna happen.

Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?

Twitter has to be Dan Carlin of Hardcore Histroy/Common Sense, on Instagram I’d have to go with Catatonic Youths.

What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?

Depends on the tour, but probably “Wasn’t Me” by Shaggy overall.

What’s the last thing you Googled?

‘Napoleon Russia Campaign.’

What album makes for the perfect gift?

F*ck Art.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?

It depends on the definition of weird. I’d probably have to go with the time we stayed in a literal treehouse in British Columbia while we were on tour with Against Me!

What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?

Don’t have any.

What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?

Trooper, Missy Elliot

What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

My family has been very supportive of the whole rock ‘n’ roll thing

What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?

Be nicer.

What’s the last show you went to?

The Beaches at the Danforth in Toronto.

What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?

Goodfellas.

What would you cook if Obama were coming to your house for dinner?

Shakshuka, side of garlic bread.

F*ck Art is out now on Dine Alone. Listen here.

In a sign that the burgeoning streaming platform is going big on animated series like Harley Quinn, HBO Max has announced three new adult comedy projects from some major talents. The series include a revival of Clone High from creators Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, a Velma/Scooby-Doo origin story from Mindy Kaling, and Fired on Mars from Pete Davidson. The announcement also confirmed that the adult animated series Close Enough has been renewed for two more seasons. Via The Hollywood Reporter:

“It is a tremendous privilege to build on the 100-year plus legacy of ‘cartoons’ at this company,” HBO Max exec vp comedy and adult animation Suzanna Makkos said in a statement announcing the slate Wednesday. “We can draw a straight line from our hundreds of childhood hours spent watching Bugs outwit Elmer to the current slate of adult animated projects we are building here at HBO Max and we think fans will agree. We are proud to introduce this distinctive group of series from a wide range of diverse creators that will form a first stop destination for animation lovers everywhere.”

The adult-oriented Velma will be voiced and executive produced by Kaling and focus on the amateur sleuth’s origin. And to answer the question on Twitter’s mind, HBO has not yet confirmed whether the series will address Velma’s sexuality. As for Fired on Mars, Davidson will executive produce and voice a character in the “workplace comedy” that’s based on a 2016 animated short by Nate Sherman and Nick Vokey. According to THR, this latest investment in adult animation stems from HBO Max’s success with drawing in viewers with the Cartoon Network series Rick and Morty, and its $500 million purchase of the exclusive streaming rights for South Park. Turns out people like cartoons, which they should, because they’re awesome.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

The outcry over Greta Van Fleet‘s 2019 Best Rock Album Grammy win seemingly earned just about as much press as the actual album rollout itself. But love them or loathe them, the Michigan rock revivalists are here to stay. They’re currently drumming up anticipation about their next LP, The Battle At Garden’s Gate, and have now shared the triumphant track “Heat Above.”

In a statement about the single, bass/keys player Sam Kiszka said, “There’s plenty of love left in this world, even though it may not seem like it. And that’s what ‘Heat Above’ is about, rising to the stars together.”

Ahead of their album’s announcement, it looked like Greta Van Fleet were gearing up for a release in 2020. Back in 2019, vocalist Josh Kiszka opened up about a new project, saying the band had been hard at work over the previous summer. “For about two months in the heart of the summer of this year we really poured everything into the writing and recording, and we’re hoping that sometime earlier next year we’ll be able to put it out,” he had said. But it seems as though the pandemic threw off the band’s album plans as their next LP is slated for a spring release this year.

Listen to Greta Van Fleet’s “Heat Above” single above and check out their The Battle At Garden’s Gate album art and tracklist below.

1. “Heat Above”
2. “My Way, Soon”
3. “Broken Bells”
4. “Built By Nations”
5. “Age Of Machine”
6. “Tears Of Rain”
7. “Stardust Chords”
8. “Light My Love”
9. “Caravel”
10. “The Barbarians”
11. “Trip The Light Fantastic”
12. “The Weight Of Dreams”

The Battle At Garden’s Gate is out 4/16 via Republic. Pre-order it here.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel actress Charisma Carpenter has come forward to join the public discussion about allegations of misconduct against Joss Whedon. It’s the latest in a long line developments involving WarnerMedia’s investigation into Whedon’s alleged behavior, so let’s do a little background here.

Last August, WarnerMedia opened an investigation into allegations brought by Justice League actor Ray Fisher against Whedon, who he accused of misconduct and abusive behavior on the set. Jason Momoa publicly supported Fisher while seconding the need for an investigation, and Gal Gadot subsequently added that her experience on the set (after Whedon took over for the departing Zack Snyder) “wasn’t the best one.” Subsequently, WarnerMedia declared that investigation was complete, and “remedial action” was taken, although they did not elaborate upon exactly what that action was.

WarnerMedia also said that Fisher didn’t cooperate with the investigation. He has denied this declaration, and after he was dismissed from The Flash movie as Cyborg, he’s continued to regularly tweet about the subject, most recently to demand an apology. And now, Carpenter is joining the #IStandWithRayFisher movement. She did so by detailing her own experiences with Whedon in a statement on Twitter:

For nearly two decades, I have held my tongue and even made excuses for certain events that traumatize me to this day.
.
Joss Whedon abused his power on numerous occasions while working on the sets of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. While he found his misconduct amusing, it only served to intensify my performance anxiety, disempower me, and alienate me from my peers. The disturbing incidents triggered a chronic physical condition from which I still suffer. It is with a beating, heavy heart that I say I coped in isolation and, at times, destructively.
.
Last summer, when Ray Fisher publicly accused Joss of abusive and unprofessional behavior toward the cast and crew during reshoots on the Justice League set in 2017, it gutted me. Joss has a history of being casually cruel. He has created hostile and toxic work environments since his early career. I know because I experienced it first-hand. Repeatedly.

Charisma detailed more allegations, including how Whedon allegedly berated her for weight gain after receiving the news that she was pregnant:

[O]nce Joss was apprised of the situation, he requested a meeting with me. In that closed-door meeting, he asked me if I was ‘going to keep it’ and manipulatively weaponized my womanhood and faith against me. He proceeded to attack my character, mock my religious beliefs, accuse me of sabotaging the show, and then unceremoniously fired me the following season once I gave birth.

At six months pregnant, I was asked to report to work at 1 am after my doctor recommended shortening my work hours. Our to long and physically demanding days and the emotional stress of having to defend my needs as a working pregnant woman, I began to experience Braxton Hicks contractions. It was clear to me that 1 am call was retaliatory.

Back then, I felt powerless and alone. With norther option, I swallowed the mistreatment and carried on. After all, I had a baby on the way, and I was the primary breadwinner of my growing family. Unfortunately, all this was happening during one of the most wonderful time in new motherhood. All that promise and joy sucked right out. And Joss was the vampire.

Charisma also reveals that she participated in WarnerMedia’s Justice League investigation, and she’s “deeply pained” by their decision to fire Fisher as Cyborg in The Flash. She adds that it took years for her to come forward to also speak out against Joss Whedon out of fear that retaliation would destroy her career. “As a single mother whose family’s livelihood is dependent on my craft, I’m scared.” Still, she added, “I can no longer remain silent. This is overdue and necessary. It is time.”

You can read Charisma’s full statement below.

(Via Charisma Carpenter on Instagram)

This morning, the 2021 nominees for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame were revealed, and the list includes folks like Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, and Foo Fighters. Dave Grohl and company band guested on the Howard Stern Show this morning, and while there, they discussed the nomination, with Grohl making a pick for who he thinks should induct the band if they manage to get into the Hall.

Grohl said (as Consequence Of Sound notes):

“To be honest, this band started with this demo tape I did. I called it Foo Fighters because I didn’t want anyone to know it was me. […] Coming out of Nirvana, I didn’t want to say I had a solo project. One of the reasons I did that was because when I was young, someone gave me a record from someone named Klark Kent. It sounded a lot like The Police, because it was actually Stewart Copeland, the drummer of The Police. He made this record under the name ‘Klark Kent.’ That’s really the thing that inspired me to start the band and call it Foo Fighters. I think Stu would be a great guy to induct the band.”

Meanwhile, the band’s Pat Smear had his own pick: Grohl’s mother, Virginia Grohl. Elsewhere during the chat, Stern asked the group, “In all honesty, does that turn you guys on, or does it really not matter? Is it bullsh*t?” Nate Mendel responded, “It’s the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, it’s not bullsh*t at all. It’s an honor. It sounds like the political answer, but it’s true.”

While the band hasn’t been inducted yet, they certainly have a strong resume, as they’ve maintained a high level of success over the course of two decades and change. They’ve been nominated for 27 Grammy Awards and have won 11 of them. Additionally, every album since 2002’s One By One has achieved a Billboard 200 chart peak of at least No. 3, with two of those, Wasting Light and Concrete And Gold, topping the chart.

The much-discussed Britney Spears documentary, Framing Britney Spears, includes footage of Sarah Silverman mocking the pop star at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. “[She’s] 25 years old and she’s already accomplished everything she’s going to accomplish in her life,” Silverman joked. “It’s mind-blowing. And she’s so grown-up. She’s a mother, you know? It’s crazy. It’s weird to think that just a few years ago on this very show, she was this, like, sweet, innocent little girl in slutty clothes riding around with a python.” She also called Spears’ kids the “most adorable mistakes you will ever see!”

Ever since the documentary was released on Hulu, Silverman has been hounded by fans of the “Toxic” singer who feel that her jokes went too far. She replied to the criticism on Twitter, writing, “I was known then 4 roasts. MTV asked me to mini-roast Britney after her big performance. While she was performing I was having diarrhea & going over my jokes. Had no idea she didn’t kill. Unfortunate. Art changes over yrs as we know more & the world changes.” This was the same VMAs as Spears’ notorious performance of “Gimme More,” which the New York Times called a “fiasco” (it also inspired the “leave Britney alone!” video). “Ms. Spears teetered through her dance steps and mouthed only occasional words in a wan attempt to lip-synch her new single,” the review continued. Silverman wishes she could “delete” her cruel jokes at Spears’ expense, but “I can’t.”

This wasn’t the first time she faced a backlash to her Britney jokes, either.

Silverman was slammed at the time, too. Days after the VMAs, she told Us Weekly, “The joke that everyone was upset about — me calling the kids ‘adorable mistakes’ — was the most innocuous joke. It never occurred to me that would be deemed hurtful or over the line. I don’t want to get into feuds with girls half my age. I’m in it to be funny and not for the drama. It’s embarrassing.”

There’s a lesson to be learned in all this. And that’s:

(Via US Weekly)

Maybe the best word to describe Daniel Kaluuya is “focused.” While interviewing the Get Out star for his tremendous performance as Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah (which just garnered him a Golden Globe and SAG nomination), it honestly, at times, felt like interviewing a professional athlete. Kaluuya speaks with an intensity and confidence about his performance that does feel like he’s about to go out and win a World Cup.

As an example, part of what’s so remarkable about Kaluuya’s performance of Fred Hampton is that there really aren’t any other performances over the years. He’s playing this larger than life figure, and his performance will be seen for generations as the performance of record. It’s the kind of performance that can affect a historical figure’s legacy. And the thing is, Kaluuya obviously knows this. And admits, yes, there is a responsibility and he was quite aware of it. But at the same time you have to push that aside and do the job. For Kaluuya, failure wasn’t an option, nor something he even thought about. If he started thinking about failure, well that’s how a person fails. (Actually, maybe Kaluuya might win a World Cup one day. I sure wouldn’t bet against him.)

Kaluuya also expands on his plans to make a movie about Barney. Yes, the lovable purple dinosaur. And he was a bit surprised by the confused reaction to this news, but, as before, you have to ignore all that and just get the job done.

(When our interview started I was given a time limit that was double what I was told before, which I tried to clarify, to Kaluuya’s amusement.)

I have that much time? I thought it was half that? Not that I wouldn’t want to spend as much time talking to Daniel…

[Laughs] You did not want to do that! You did not want to do that. He was like, “What the fuck?”

For the record, I would spend any amount of time.

“I got shit to do.”

No it’s, “Oh, I’m going to bore this man to death.”

Nah, man. It’s never that, man. I’m sure you’re a fascinating and interesting human.

Well, you’re out of luck there. But, first, congrats on the Golden Globe nomination.

Thank you so much.

Were you excited?

Yeah. I was excited in the sense that it means more people are going to hear Chairman Fred. Watch Chairman Fred. It can reach a wider audience because of it, so I’m excited in that sense.

Is there a weight to playing Fred Hampton? Maybe responsibility is the better word.

There is a weight. There is a weight and there’s a responsibility. Sometimes you have those kinds of moments, to see how strong you are or to get stronger. That’s what tension and resistance does. I had to step up and stand at my full height in order to reach the incredible spiritual heights that he reached. I did that. Then drop by drop a river is formed. I moved like that. Didn’t try and do too much too quick. Just little by little, and not beat myself and judge myself when I didn’t go in the right direction in the process of building an interpretation of Chairman Fred.

I’m curious what you mean by that. I get the impression you want to play this man as a human being, but also show his gravitas. Those can be hard things to combine.

Yeah, he’s a human being with gravitas. The gravitas is part of his humanity. You just have to go a different way. Gravitas, it’s a human trait and you have to go that way. Own it and go, “Okay, this is who he is.” Accept who he is. Accept it as a guide and go closer towards it is how I approached it and thought of it.

What did you find to be the most difficult aspect of playing someone like him? The thing I can’t stop thinking about is there aren’t many performances of him, so this will be one people watch for years to come. If something goes wrong, this is a real human being with a real legacy.

To be honest, I don’t even engage in “don’ts.” I cannot afford to engage with it falling through, it not working out. It’s going to happen. It’s happening. The end.

Right…

What can I build from that? How am I going to read the text? That’s all ego. I have to surrender that in order to play this in a certain way. I engage with all my characters. I’m in service of the story. I’m in service of the narrative. I’m in service of Chairman Fred. That’s how I engage with it. If I engage from a service standpoint, there is no fear.

Surrendering ego. How does one do that? Because that sounds like something that’s easier said than done, for anyone.

Yeah, you’ve got to decide, bro. You’ve got to decide and you’ve got to make it happen. That’s the end of the day. Do you have control over your mind or do you don’t? Is your mind in control of you? Is your mind bigger than you? You know what I mean?

Yes.

I’m thinking in my mind and I go, yo, we’re going this way. Oh, nah, nah, nah. Nope. We’re going this way, and I move accordingly. So that’s how I see it. If I become aware of those negative thoughts, I do not allow them to consume me. If I’m unaware, then I’m unaware, and then it’s consuming me. I’m unaware. I’m unconscious. But if I’m conscious and I’m up, then I’m bigger than that. I am bigger than that. I think everyone is bigger than that. It’s just do you believe in it or not?

Also, this is stuff that my mom passed down. This is my mom’s stuff. There’s real-life that my mom’s gone through. My experience pales in comparison to what she’s overcome. Nah, I don’t even engage with that. I’m blessed. I’m born here and I’m getting it, and every goal that we have we’re achieving. Not even in an arrogant way. Just because it’s here. That’s the way it is and I’m blessed that my mom gave me those factory settings.

That’s a really nice thing to say about your mom.

Oh, I appreciate that. It’s the truth, my guy.

Was there a specific scene that you found particularly rough? [Note: there are spoilers ahead, which depict real-life events.]

Doing the poisoning scene on the day of the 50-year anniversary was a really tough day. It was just a tough day in general. To be doing that scene on that day, it was really heavy.

Oh, I didn’t know that. It was actually filmed on the 50th anniversary?

It was really, really, really, really heavy and everyone felt it. We just knew it was a moment. We had a speech, said a couple of words, really thankful to be here and thankful for what Chairman Fred did for us to be here together. To honor him and to honor his words and bringing it to a wider audience. So that was a really heavy day. Even the stuff I was saying in that scene, the decision he makes in that scene, to say that on that day, was really heavy. I think if I did it another day I wouldn’t be able to do it like I did it.

LaKeith Stanfield said he had a tough time playing William O’Neal, giving someone who did what he did some humanity. As an actor getting into the role of Fred Hampton, did you ever resent LaKeith’s character?

You’re talking about the 50th anniversary, that scene, right?

That scene stands out as an example.

No, because I was unconscious. Chairman Fred was unconscious. That was really happening. However, I didn’t feel comfortable playing it in a way where he was oblivious. I think there’s a line where I go, “When I get out.” And I just said, Shaka, I was like, “I’ve got to give it to O’Neal and give that line. Give him that thing and have an ambiguity within, in the sense that he knows his time’s up in one way, shape or form. Or this time in this chapter.” You have that with the imminent birth of Chairman Fred Jr. You have that with the decision he makes in the scene. People want him to flee and you can tell that something has shifted. I just thought that he knows something’s up. Spiritually speaking, I wanted to transmit that. If people pick up on it, they pick up on it. If you don’t, you don’t. But I wanted to have that ambiguity there that he wasn’t oblivious of his unconscious.

Were you surprised by the lack of past Fred Hampton portrayals?

No, because the reason why there’s not many portrayals is the reason why he’s not figure in the position that he’s supposed to be. He was assassinated. He’s assassinated in the sense, his body, but also his trajectory, his words, his ideas, and his strategies were usurped. And the credit of him of being the origin of certain ideas was taken away from him. Especially, when I was doing the research, wow, there’s so much information about him, about his death. Not a lot of information about how incredibly he lived. Also, it was from an outside point of view. It wasn’t from in the party or from Chairman Fred. So I can understand the assassination that happened with Chairman Fred was a physical one, and a spiritual one, and a social one: in terms of suppressing him being known in a certain way.

So that’s what I meant earlier about the weight and responsibility, because your performance, people are going to watch over and over again for a very long time.

Well, it is. And at one point you’ve got to go, are you strong or not? Are you big or not? You got to go around carrying it. Then you get to point where your muscles get stronger, your muscles get stronger, your muscles get stronger, and now you’re just carrying it. You’ve got heavier, you’ve gained weight, and you’re built for it. It’s not something at the beginning of the process I felt like I was built for. It was something I really worked at and conditioned myself. And understanding myself. And coming there with empathy and love and service. I moved like that. But I understand your point of view from your vantage point. It’s like, “Yo, this is a big weight. This is a big responsibility!”

Right. In soccer terms, it’s like you have to score a goal here and you did. But it’s not easy to score a goal.

But the concept of easy, I don’t even engage with. The concept of easy doesn’t help me in any process. It’s what’s the truth. It’s what’s the truth. If I’m trying to score a goal, that’s going to ensure that I don’t score the goal.

That’s interesting.

You know what I mean?

Yeah, I do.

I can’t come from that space. I’m coming from what’s honest? What’s truthful? How am I vessel? How am I channeling this? Then there’s no ego. It’s like, I’m not trying to do this. Boom. I’ve done that. I did that. In that sense, so I just go, “That happened.” That’s what I’m trying to say about surrender. I really mean that. It’s a state of being that I have to be in order to move closer to that spiritual space in order to be a vessel and a channel for it.

A few months ago a story broke that your production company is making a Barney movie and people seemed confused by it. I just watched a documentary about Sesame Street, I assume that’s similar to how you feel about Barney. Are you going to bring back David Joyner? Maybe that’s too specific of a question, but I’m just really curious about this.

Yeah, we’re developing it at the moment. I can see the reaction was really interesting because I was like, oh, they don’t see how I see it. Oh, okay. Cool. I see it. Then I just keep moving. To be honest, I don’t really enjoy “announcements.” I prefer trailers to press releases. It’s that thing where I get that’s the game and it came out. I think we see something, we see something that’s interesting, and we’re going to just go into that direction. If people don’t get it, then they don’t get it. I can’t really engage with them because it’s a different level of investment. But I appreciate their viewpoint and I listen at times when they say this and that, because actually there’s some cool ideas in criticism. If you take away your ego and your personal views on it there are some really cool ideas. I go, oh, I never saw it like that. Cool. Cool. I’ll take that on. So, I’m open, I have strong opinions loosely held, and I just move like that.

You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.