บท 114: Lake of Fire - 69.9 FM
(Arthur POV)
Leo stood before me, updating me on James Blaze's debut.
"James' single is now on sale," Leo reported. "Thanks to our partnership with Righteous Records, distribution is going smoothly, although we haven't seen any sales yet." He paused, then added with a hint of excitement, "But I'm confident James' single will catch people's attention soon. In just a few hours, he'll be performing at Horn Coast FM, one of the major radio studios."
I nodded, considering this information. "James has been training for months now. He should be able to handle a live performance without any issues."
But a thought nagged at me, and I voiced my concern, "Still, keep a close eye on him. That blondie can be too direct sometimes. He might struggle with the radio host interview."
Leo's reassuring smile didn't waver. "Don't worry, I've been running mock interviews with James. I'm confident he'll do just fine."
I nodded again, choosing to trust Leo's judgment.
***
(3rd Person POV)
A few hours later, James found himself waiting in line at the Horn Coast FM studio.
The corridor was filled with up-and-coming artists, all there to perform and promote their songs on the radio. James couldn't help but notice the stares he was getting from his fellow musicians. His style stood out starkly against theirs.
While others were dressed to the nines, James had gone for a casual look. He wore a black t-shirt emblazoned with the word "Nirvana" and featuring a yellow circle that resembled a crude face.
The smiley face wasn't a widely recognized symbol yet, but the other artists seemed to get the gist of it. Paired with simple jeans, James looked like he'd walked in off the street.
"What's your name, fella?" A voice broke through James' thoughts. He turned to see a fiend demon eyeing him curiously. The demon was the picture of elegance, from his expensive-looking suit to his flashy watch and perfectly coiffed hair.
"Me?" James asked, momentarily caught off guard. "I'm James."
"James?" The demon repeated, a hint of disdain creeping into his voice despite his polite words. "Nice to meet you. I'm Tony."
James just nodded in response. He could clearly see that Tony looked down on him. And it wasn't just Tony – all around him, the other artists in their elegant attire were regarding him with similar disdain.
James could hear the snickers around him, feeling the judgemental stares of his fellow musicians. Their disdain was palpable, but James didn't let it bother him.
As the line moved forward, James realized his turn was approaching. Sure enough, within minutes, he was called into the studio. The radio host, a behemoth demon named Dorky, greeted him with a smile.
"Welcome to the studio, James Blaze!" Dorky's voice boomed enthusiastically.
A succubus co-host named Amy chimed in, "You're here with us now on Horn Coast 69.9 FM!"
James felt a wave of nervousness wash over him, but he maintained his rebellious demeanor.
The hosts couldn't help but notice how different James looked compared to the other up-and-coming artists they'd seen.
Amy's curiosity got the better of her. "You look pretty interesting, James Blaze," she said with a smile. "I wonder what kind of song you'll perform for us today?"
Before James could respond, Dorky interjected, "Amy, did you know James is actually from Hellfire Records? It's a new label, but get this - it's owned by the famous exiled prince, Arthur Morningstar!"
"Woah, really?" Amy's interest was clearly piqued.
James nodded, speaking casually, "Yeah, I'm the first music artist of Hellfire Records."
The interview continued, with the hosts peppering James with questions. Internally, James felt annoyed, but he kept his cool, playing along to entertain them.
Finally, Amy wrapped up the interview, "Alright, listeners, we're about to hear James Blaze perform his single titled..."
Amy and Dorky announced in unison, "Lake of Fire!"
As James began to strum his electric guitar, the hosts fell silent, their expressions a mix of curiosity and anticipation.
Outside the recording booth, the other musicians exchanged skeptical glances.
"Hmph. I doubt that guy will sing any good," one sneered.
Another added dismissively, "He looks like the kind of demon that won't amount to much."
***
In a dilapidated bar, a handful of patrons were drinking and playing cards while tuned into Horn Coast 69.9 FM. Their ears perked up at the mention of the exiled prince owning a record label called "Hellfire Records".
The old monkey demon, shuffling cards, spoke up, "Been hearing about that exiled prince lately, especially in newspapers. Now even on music radio, his name pops up."
An old fiend demon chuckled, exhaling smoke as he said, "I guess that Arthur just loves the attention."
An old hag succubus, also playing cards, joked, "He's lacking attention from his family, so he's seeking it everywhere else."
The demons shared a laugh. "Hehe, you got that right," a scale demon chuckled.
Their banter continued until James Blaze was about to perform. As he strummed the guitar, the old hag hushed the others, "Shh... Let's hear this James play a song..."
They fell silent, but from the first notes, they knew this song was different. The electric guitar melody started messy and unpolished, confusing them.
Before they could fully react, James began to sing, his voice raspy, "Where do bad folks go when they die? They don't go to heaven where the angels fly, they go down to the lake of fire and fry"
James continued, "Won't see 'em again till the fourth of July"
🎵 🎶
As the melody flowed, the electric guitar play was almost broken, but strangely catchy. James' voice, despite being raspy and unsmooth, captured their attention.
They even paused their gambling to focus on what they were hearing.
"I knew a lady who came from Duluth
She got bit by a dog with a rabid tooth," James sang. "She went to her grave just a little too soon, Flew away howling on the yellow moon"
🎵🎶🎵
Some of them couldn't help but bob their heads. The old hag spoke up, "I knew Duluth. It's a port city in the Gopher state in USE."
"Yeah, yeah. We don't care."
"We're trying to listen to a song, old hag."
The old hag fell silent.
They kept listening until the song ended. Only then did they realize, "What was that?"
"Is that even a song? It sounds so raw and dirty. But I kind of like it."
"Me too."
It wasn't just them. Other listeners across the airwaves found themselves intrigued by James' unique music style.
***
As the last notes of James' song faded, he noticed Dorky and Amy looking stunned.
Then, as if snapping out of a trance, the two hosts burst into excited applause.
"Incredible! That was... Impressive!" Dorky exclaimed, his eyes shining with enthusiasm.
Amy chimed in, momentarily forgetting her professional demeanor, "Yes! I'm at a loss for words! It's such a weird way to convey music, kind of unpolished, but at the same time, so refreshing! Definitely something new for the ears!"
"Absolutely!" Dorky nodded vigorously. "My ears were getting tired from all that Jazz style music from the other performers—"
Amy nudged Dorky, reminding him they were still on air.
Realizing his slip, Dorky quickly backpedaled, "No hate to the Jazz musicians out there - I very much enjoy it, but James here really performed a style of music that was incredibly refreshing! I'm sure our listeners were thrilled as well!"
Outside the booth, the up-and-coming musicians were gritting their teeth. Their earlier disdain for James had transformed into bitter envy. To think that James had outperformed them so effortlessly...
James exchanged a few words with the hosts before taking his leave. Dorky and Amy seemed reluctant to let him go, clearly wanting him to stay and perform more, but that wasn't how these sessions worked.
As James left, they welcomed another jazz musician who began to perform with his saxophone. Despite the musician's undeniable skill, the hosts couldn't help but feel like they'd heard hundreds of similar performances before. The repetitiveness was stark after James' unique style.
The contrast between James' raw, energetic performance and the polished but familiar jazz only emphasized the impact of James' debut.
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บท 115: Sensation
(3rd Person POV)
Just hours after James played "Lake of Fire" on Horn Coast 69.9 FM, music stores saw an influx of curious customers.
An old demon casually strolled into a store and approached the cashier. "Hey, do you sell James Blaze's single here?"
The imp demon cashier looked puzzled. It was the first he'd heard of it. "Um... What record label is he under?"
The old demon paused, trying to recall. "He's under Hellfire Records, I think."
Recognition dawned on the cashier's face. "Ah!" He pointed to a less-frequented section. "You can look for his song over there."
The old demon nodded, found the single "Lake of Fire," and made his purchase.
Minutes later, another demon entered with the same query. "Do you have James Blaze's song here?"
The cashier nodded and directed them to the right section.
As hours passed, the cashier noticed a pattern. More and more people were asking about this James Blaze.
"Who is this James Blaze?" the cashier wondered to himself.
The next day brought another wave of customers seeking James' music.
Two days later, the cashier's curiosity got the better of him. "Who is this James Blaze? I've been hearing so much about him recently."
A group of demon teenagers chuckled. "Hehe, you don't know?"
"He's the guy we heard on the radio!"
"Yeah! His song is so good!"
Intrigued, the cashier pressed further. "Where did you guys hear about him?"
"We heard him on the radio," a monkey demon teenager explained. "I heard him on 69.9 FM."
"Really?" another chimed in. "I heard him on 66.6 FM."
"I heard him on 42.0 FM."
Watching the teenagers excitedly discuss James Blaze, the cashier made a mental note to tune into a radio soon. He'd been stuck listening to music on his phonograph, but it seemed there were interesting developments happening on the airwaves.
In music stores across the city, James Blaze's single was flying off the shelves. Word of mouth spread like wildfire, and within days, thousands had heard of "Lake of Fire."
James' unique sound stood out in a sea of similar-sounding songs. In just a few days since his debut, he'd already amassed thousands of fans, thanks to his radio appearances and hundreds of enthusiastic listeners spreading the word.
The impact of James' music was felt even in unexpected places. In a upscale restaurant, patrons looked up in confusion as the owner switched out the usual vinyl on the phonograph.
As the new record began to play, the elegant, calming background music was replaced by something entirely different. While not as polished or soothing as the usual fare, it was undeniably refreshing.
A gentleman at one of the tables caught the waiter's attention. "What song is this?"
"It's a new song called 'Lake of Fire' by James Blaze," the waiter replied.
"James Blaze?" the gentleman mused. "First time I've heard of him. I'll have to look into his music."
His fancy girlfriend, however, wrinkled her nose. "You like that? It sounds so weird and... unpolished. I don't care for it at all."
The gentleman tried to explain, "What's wrong with it, sweetheart? It's refreshing."
"Oh, so you prefer this unpolished nonsense to our love song?" His girlfriend pouted.
Backpedaling quickly, the gentleman chuckled nervously, "It's not that, sweetheart. I love our song, it's heartwarming. This is just... new and different."
Seeing his girlfriend's continued displeasure, the gentleman hastily claimed he didn't like the song after all.
This scene played out in various forms across the city. Many who heard James' music fell in love with it instantly, drawn to its raw energy and uniqueness. Others, however, recoiled from what they perceived as a lack of polish and effort.
But love it or hate it, people couldn't stop talking about it. The controversy only fueled sales, cementing James Blaze as a rising star in the music world.
Newspapers and magazines quickly caught on to the buzz surrounding James Blaze's first song, with some media outlets featuring it on their front pages, largely due to James being signed to Hellfire Records - a company owned by the infamous ex-prince.
Headlines blazed across newsstands:
"Ex-Prince's Protégé Takes Horn Kingdom by Storm: James Blaze's Debut Single Skyrockets to Fame!"
"Raw Genius or Bold Gamble? Arthur Morningstar's Artist James Blaze Divides the Music Scene with an Unpolished Smash Hit!"
"Experts Debate: Is Arthur Morningstar Ushering in a New Genre with James Blaze's Groundbreaking Sound?"
"From Film to Music: Can Arthur Morningstar Transform the Industry as He Did with Cinema?"
These headlines only fanned the flames of James Blaze's growing popularity.
"Who is this James Blaze?"
"Maybe I should give his song a listen."
"An unpolished and raw song? Now that's something I've got to hear."
What started as thousands of curious listeners quickly grew to tens of thousands.
Now tens of thousands were curious about James Blaze.
Many more heard his song.
Gradually, James was establishing himself, and thousands of people - whether demons, elves, or dwarves - became his fans.
About a week after James' debut, most people in the Horn Kingdom had somehow heard of him.
Although the media outlets helped, and their controversy fanned the flames, it was the unpolished and raw nature of the song that attracted many people and further spread James' name.
A few days later, James attended a music festival. To James and Leo's surprise, a large crowd gathered in James' area.
"Oh, James! So that's how you look in person!"
"Can I have an autograph on your single, please?"
More and more people were shouting at James.
James felt incredulous. He waved at his fans and said into his mic, "Thanks for the support!"
Someone shouted, "James, will you release more songs?"
James smiled, "In fact, I'll perform my unreleased songs here."
The crowd cheered in excitement, "Hell yeah!"
"That's what I'm talking about!"
James, with his guitar in hand, began performing songs like "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Something in the Way", "Creep", and "The Man Who Sold the World".
Initially, only dozens of people surrounded James and his band. Soon, the crowd swelled to hundreds.
The audience was captivated by the songs - unpolished, raw, and energetic. They weren't used to such music, having grown up listening to jazz. Yet, they couldn't stop listening to James' singing.
After James ended his performance, fans clamored for autographs, their excitement palpable.
Leo seized the moment, whispering to James, "Quickly, promote the songs you just sang."
James nodded and spoke into the mic, "Guys, the songs I've just performed are available for sale. You can buy them at our booth here."
The crowd's attention shifted to the Hellfire Records merchandise stall nearby. Within minutes, fans swarmed the booth, quickly depleting the stock of James' singles.
Hours later, at Hellfire HQ, Arthur observed James' growing fan base. He instructed Leo to set up a concert for James, striking while the iron was hot.
James' fame was on the rise - he was new to the industry, a fresh face with refreshing songs. Arthur knew they had to capitalize on this momentum. If they didn't organize a concert soon, it would be harder to promote James later, especially once people started copying his style.
Plans were made for a concert in two weeks. They partnered with media outlets and radio stations to promote ticket sales.
Simultaneously, Arthur negotiated agreements with record labels in other kingdoms, including Morningstar, Choson, Japon, and countries in South East Anatolia.
The new sound also caught the attention of several record labels from Empirica, some of which had branches in the Horn Kingdom. These established companies, known for their keen ear for emerging talents, were intrigued by James' unique style.
As word spread and deals were struck, it became clear that James Blaze's name would soon reach far beyond the borders of the Horn Kingdom.
From the bustling cities of Empirica to the distant shores of other realms, more and more people around the world would soon be introduced to the raw, energetic sound of James Blaze.
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