Unicorn Records - an exercise in suikocrack
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So one day, Puel and I were tossing headcanon around, you know, like we do, and I made a comment about how Luca Blight probably has a fine-looking pair of hands. Like, classical-guitarist level of fine-looking hands, long fingers, strong fingernails. Puel misheard the "classical" part of classical guitarist and envisaged Luca Blight holding an axe up over his head and yelling THIS IS THE POWER OF ROCK!!!!!!! as he smashed the poor instrument down upon the nearest amplifier.
Then this happened, because apparently if you turn Suikoden II into a boyband AU, it kind of works.
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Once upon a time, in a recording industry near and dear to our hearts, there was a major company called Jowston Records. The recent financial crisis and differences of opinion as to the state of the industry fragmented Jowston Records into several genre-specific imprints. Highland Records, a rival company, has been exploiting these fissures in the hopes of taking Jowston Records down completely and dominating the scene. But Highland Records is involved in some pretty shady shit, and that corruption has spread down from the executives to the bands themselves.
One of the most popular bands on the Highland Records label, a power metal band (with a sizable mainstream following) called The White Wolves, is in the middle of its second North American tour. Two unfortunate roadies and amateur artists witness lead singer and guitarist Luca Blight involved in an incident of arson, possibly to cover up a drug-related murder, and flee before they’re caught at the scene. This incident is covered up in the press, and these boys are outraged. They run into an indie duo, Blue Lightning and the Bear, who bring them on board as they search for ways to save Jowston from what looks like an inevitable buyout from Highland.
But one boy decides to expose Highland Records’ corruption by promoting the Jowston label, and the other decides to take Highland down from the inside...
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Highland Records
THE MUSICIANS
Luca Blight: Lead guitarist, singer, and composer of The White Wolves. A surprisingly complex and talented musician, but nevertheless has a habit of smashing his guitars at the end of every performance. Calls the band’s followers “pigs,” because they’re too smart to be sheep, but still pigs. (Trent Reznor has not yet sued.) Also, Luca is decidedly neck-deep in Highland Records’ drug trade. His management team and handlers (the latter don’t tend to last long, admittedly) cast him as a a classic bad boy rocker and the press eats it up; “violent psychopath” is probably more accurate, but hey, the music’s good. Has an extremely troubled relationship with his father, to put it mildly.
Culgan: Rhythm guitarist of The White Wolves. Strong, taciturn type, which is mostly him playing it up for the audience. Actually has one of the driest senses of humor in the country and a certificate to prove it.
Seed: Drummer of The White Wolves. Brash, coarse, and loudmouthed, which is not just him playing it up for the audience. At first glance he’s the type to act first and think later, but there’s a deeper game he’s playing: he and Culgan aren’t thrilled with the direction Luca Blight’s taking Highland Records in, and have quietly started scouting around for alternatives...
Solon Jhee: (Former) Bassist of The White Wolves. Kind of a dick. Jowy replaces him.
Jowy Atreides: Former roadie for The White Wolves, now their bassist. Remember those two boys who witnessed the arson incident? Jowy’s one of them. He’s just as determined to see the downfall of Highland Records’ current regime as Riou is, but he’s going about it in a different way. And by “different,” we mean he steals and leaks sensitive information about the former Jowston Records’ state and finances, which forces Anabelle to resign in disgrace. It gives him the in he needed at Highland, though, and since Luca’s in need of a new bassist after the other one got locked up for assault, Jowy finds his services in demand again. Once he’s there, he realizes just how deep the corruption at the heart of Highland goes -- and he might have to do more than destroy Luca Blight to get rid of it. Life was a lot simpler when he and Riou and Nanami were in an amateur garage-band back home. Too bad Jowy screwed the pooch on that one.
Jillia Blight: A classically-trained mezzo-soprano. Because of her company connections, she takes some post-production and backup singing gigs with a few of the Highland bands to pay the bills when she isn’t pursuing her operatic career. Jillia is Luca’s half-sister, but otherwise completely unaffiliated with The White Wolves (for now, dun dun dun!).
OFFSTAGE
Agares Blight: CEO of Highland Records and Luca Blight’s father, god help him.
Leon Silverberg: Current manager of The White Wolves. Luca likes Leon’s apparent laissez-faire. It’s not that laissez. Leon is a calculating sonofabitch who picks his battles carefully and is more committed to the music industry than to any individual band. Also, he’s a shareholder in Highland Records and doesn’t want it to go completely to pot.
Yuber: ...as slowly turns the grinding wheel in the court of the Crimson King~...
Lucia: Security coordinator for Highland Records. Nothing gets past her. Nothing.
Han Cunningham: A retired performer from the golden age of Highland Records, now one of its biggest investors.
Pilika: A little girl who also witnessed the arson incident, and has been selectively mute since then. Jowy has taken responsibility for her, since he can’t find her parents anywhere. She’s the only family he has now that his own’s kicked him out, and he’d do anything to keep her safe.
Jowston Unicorn Records
THE MUSICIANS
Riou Genkaku: The adopted son of recently-deceased taiko drummer Genkaku. He might be a vocalist, but he’s never sought the spotlight -- Nanami and Jowy had that more than covered when the three of them were growing up. Now, though, Shu’s decided that Riou is going to be the face of the renamed-and-relaunched Unicorn Records, and for the first time, all eyes are on him. Under Shu’s tutelage and with support from the rest of the label, he’s starting to come out of his shell, but is the persona they’re cultivating for him really who he wants to be seen as? On the other hand, the “pretty sensitive young man recovering from heartbreak” thing is selling like crazy, and he wants to turn Unicorn Records into a force that can stand up to -- and stop -- Highland’s machinations.
As far as his sound goes, think a male version of Adele. Pretty similar content, too.
Riou’s backing band switches up occasionally, but these folks are usually in it:
Nanami Genkaku Riou’s big sister and Genkaku’s daughter, also by adoption. She inherited her drumming skill from her adopted father, but has a decidedly more rock bent. She and Riou might not be related by blood, but he’s her family and she’ll stick with him even if his career trajectory -- and the sacrifices he has to make for commercial success -- worries and infuriates her. She wishes it could just be about the music again, not the image or the demographics or the sales, but she’s not drumming in the garage with Riou and Jowy anymore, however much she wants to be. Still, she keeps up a cheerful front for her brother’s sake -- at the expense of her own well-being.
Luc: Pissy prodigy pianist, and usually handles keyboards in Riou’s backing band. Was part of a novelty act under Harmonia Entertainment, but left that shit behind, thank you very much, and his twin brother the trained violin monkey can do whatever the fuck he likes with his career. Luc studies with internationally acclaimed concert pianist Leknaat (and he’ll have you know it). He doesn’t mind performing, and he doesn’t mind money, but he does mind being paraded around like some kind of sideshow freak.
Clive: Riou’s bassist. Short, blond, and surly. The kind of guy that gets issued ASBOs, or would if he still lived in the United Kingdom. Apparently signed on with Unicorn to track down a woman he’s been chasing after for years, but he’s pretty close-mouthed on the subject. And on most subjects, really. I hear he shot a man in Reno just to watch him die.
Eilie: Formerly associated with Jowston’s Two River imprint, she and her siblings transferred their allegiance to Unicorn Records quickly following Jowston’s dissolution into several smaller companies. This is due in no small part to her massive crush on Riou, which he apparently remains oblivious to. (Her guitar, it gently weeps, and it sounds like Girlyman.) In addition to guitar, she provides backup vocals for Riou when necessary.
Rina: Eilie’s older sister, and another guitarist and backup vocalist. She’s, uh, talented. Yeah. Very talented. Is she playing right now? I’m too busy staring. It’s a pity the guitar only lets her show one -- ahem. Rina’s a lot more direct than her younger sister, which makes Eilie both embarrassed and jealous.
Bolgan: Rina and Eilie’s younger brother and a drummer. Not the brightest bulb in the box, but a sweet kid. Has accidentally broken a few drum kits for wailing on them a little too hard. He has a real knack for the less-standard percussive elements, though -- if you need more cowbell, he’s your dude.
Other musicians who signed on with Unicorn after its creation:
Futch: A former member of the K-Pop boy band High Hopes who retired prematurely due to health issues. The band replaced him and preferred the replacement, but now that Futch has recovered he’s taking his stuff on the road. His manager Humphrey signed him on with Unicorn to ease him in to the American scene (and to piggyback on SNSD’s stateside success), and to work on his English. (Eventually develops a sound and style reminiscent of Patrick Wolf. My god, does Futch grow up pretty.)
Killey: Folk-rocker with an Iron & Wine sound, though his religious allusions are a little more on the occult side. Also stubborn about working alone, though apparently he and Lorelai collaborated in the past. That might be why he works alone now.
Lorelei: Indie girl-with-guitar a la Kris Delmhorst who signed on with Unicorn because they could take her to the next level. Doesn’t usually collaborate with Riou, but contributes some of the acoustic guitar riffs to his tracks post-production.
Pesmerga: ...the yellow jester does not play, but gently pulls the strings~...
OFFSTAGE
Shu: General Manager of Unicorn Records and basically dictator of the new company regime. Never without his sunglasses and an immaculately prepared latte in his left hand. Shu could give two fucks about music and musicianship, but oh, does the man know money. His stars are products and his audience is consumers. The (sad?) thing is, it works.
Kiba Windamier: One of The White Wolves’s former managers, Kiba jumped ship when the getting was good (or when Luca was worse than usual, to be more accurate) and sold his services to Shu. Kiba may have settled a few lucrative things out of court, but Shu’s convinced he got the better half of the deal, because Kiba sure as hell knows how to run a company. While Shu makes most of the decisions about policy, Kiba enforces them.
Klaus Windamier: Kiba’s son, and Shu’s latte monkey extraordinaire. Klaus is a whip-smart, witty, and well-dressed young man with a knack for image management and the little details that can make or break a performance. Because of this, he’s often tasked with Riou’s day-to-day and concert-to-concert management while Shu concentrates on the big stuff. Klaus intends to learn all he can from Shu and Kiba and then take over the music industry when he’s older. He might just manage it. Also, he’s the company bicycle.
Ridley Wizen: Unicorn Records chief of security, and not just in the bouncer sense. Responsible for several legal comments and articles on piracy and distribution. At this point, though, if it’ll keep the company alive, he’ll let a few leaks slide. Hasn’t lost his German accent, probably because it makes him sound even more terrifying.
Humphrey: Formerly a bassist, most notably with the internationally-successful Liberation. He joined when Odessa Silverberg was the lead singer and guitarist, and stayed on when Tir McDohl took over after her not-as-accidental-as-it-seemed death. Currently, Futch’s handler. Doesn’t talk much. Doesn’t have to.
Sierra Mikain: One of Unicorn Records’ most affluent and generous new investors. Don’t ask how old she is, or how much plastic surgery she’s had to look this good at her age.
Alex: Talent scout and promoter, though most of his discoveries in recent years have been duds. He’s hoping to turn that around for his wife Hilda’s sake as much as for his own.
Hilda: Distributor. Sweet and sweet-looking, but brooks no nonsense. Really wishes her husband would just take care of their son instead of pursuing an old avenue that hasn’t netted him much success.
Tsai: Post-production guru. In the middle of a messy divorce, because frankly he’s always been more married to his work. Sometimes he sleeps at the office.
Dr. Huan: Doctor-on-call. An ear-nose-throat specialist by trade, but a listening ear more often than not.
Tuta: Dr. Huan’s intern, studying sports medicine and chiropractics.
Georg Prime: Memetic badass. Used to have a solid international career as a lead guitarist with multiple bands (some more memorable than others), but came out of retirement to work as a mentor and coach to Unicorn’s young performers.
Jeane: A lighting designer who’s been around for a long time, though she’ll only smile and jiggle giggle if you ask how long. There are about a million possible jokes to make about Jeane’s rack and “putting on a show” here; pick the best one.
Viki: Drives the tour bus. She has a license. We think.
Jowston Records: MUSE Imprint
MUSE is the pop and Top 40 label within Jowston Records, though they haven’t had anything in the Top 40 in a while.
Anabelle: MUSE’s executive vice-president and acting CEO of Jowston until her resignation from both positions. She’s had an uphill fight since she took over from her father years ago, and has tried to distance herself as much as possible from some of his less-legitimate operations. Viktor admires her integrity, but integrity’s a hard sell in the music industry.
Jess: Anabelle’s personal assistant. Kind of a dick. Gets better.
Hauser: Anabelle’s general manager. Does not know the meaning of the word “fun,” according to Viktor.
Jowston Records: Southwindow Imprint
Southwindow is Jowston’s alternative imprint, and according to Flik, “still has some indie cred in all but the Pabstest of bars”.
Apple: Executive Vice-President of the Southwindow division until she throws in her lot with Unicorn Records. Her spot in the shadows and the background of the company is not due to lack of talent, but lack of confidence. But the eventual success of Southwindow after allying with Unicorn gives her a boost in the right direction. She still has horrible taste in men, though.
Viktor: Drummer and eponymous bear of Blue Lightning and the Bear, a guitar/drum duo with a lo-fi sound (think The Black Keys meet The White Stripes). Probably thinks eponymous is an insult. Seriously, though, he’s a good guy and a great musician and smarter than he looks, and always has an ear out for new talent. Loves to meet new people, and by “meet” we mean “drag them along with him on misadventures, which are often questionably legal.” Used to roll with Liberation in both its Odessa Silverberg and Tir McDohl days.
Swordy: Viktor’s disturbingly sentient iPhone. Gets a character slot because troll. The name is short for “Star Dragon Sword,” a sticker on the iPhone’s shell that Viktor can’t peel off, despite his best efforts.
Flik: Guitarist and lead vocalist of Blue Lightning and the Bear. A recovering hipster. Also used to play with Liberation, and has named his guitar after ex-girlfriend and former bandleader Odessa, but Will Not Talk About It, So Don’t Bring It Up. He’s also provided guitar for Riou on more than a few occasions. Flik is impetuous and stubborn, but has started to mellow out since the tragedy, and Viktor’s been a good influence. He still goes off the rails about mainstream music and the corruption in the system, though.
Freed Yamamoto: In charge of the books at Southwindow, and later at Unicorn. Somewhat excitable and easily flustered, but good at his job once you give him a little space.
Yoshino Yamamoto: Freed’s wife and the stagewear coordinator for Southwindow, then for Unicorn. She’s polite and deferent and the ideal Japanese wife, and teaches a self-defense class for women on the weekends.
Jowston Records: Greenhill Division
Greenhill is Jowston’s emergent artist and training program, and the strongest young artists are either debuted on the Greenhill label or filtered up to MUSE.
Teresa Wisemail: Acting Executive Vice President. Technically an Associate Vice President, but runs the division in all but name. While her ideas of the current market are a little behind the times, her heart is in the right place, and she’s committed to furthering the careers of all the young artists aspiring to be on her label -- occasionally to the detriment of the company’s financial state.
Shin: Assistant Vice President with a huge Thing for his boss, not that either of them talk about it.
Emilia: Runs the archives at Greenhill, then at Unicorn.
Jowston Records: Two River Imprint
Two River covers folk and world music within Jowston Records. Its budget is always the first to go.
Chaco: Isn’t supposed to be here today! Seriously, though. He hangs around the Two River offices trying to break in to show business and they occasionally give him gofer work because they’re desperate. Can’t sing for shit, but wouldn’t be a bad dancer if he had some training...
Jowston Records: Matilda Imprint
Matilda is Jowston’s Electronica, Dance, and Remix label. Currently thriving due to lots and lots of outsourcing, including songs by Highland bands.
Gorudo: Executive Vice President of Matilda, that fucker. He is on Highland’s take and he is gross. Really gross.
Camus: Radio personality and DJ. Too pretty for radio, by his own promotion. Camus has an easygoing demeanor and just as easy a personality, and a knack for making interviewees feel natural on the air. He’s also got a great sense of timing and knows the moment, though he can be awfully smug about it.
Miklotov: Mixer, sampler, and behind-the-scenes techno wizard. So Serious About This Business That It Practically Manifests As A Typing Quirk. Sends many angry e-mails to his colleagues when their commitment is not up to par. Also has an unfortunate bowl cut. He actually believes in professional standards of conduct, so when he finds out about what Gorudo’s involved with, it rather bites him in the butt.
Jowston Records: Tinto Imprint
The Real Rocknrollas.
Gustav Pendragon: Executive VP. Former rocker and hooligan. Would be perfectly at home in some socialist republic somewhere. Thinks the rest of the company can go fuck itself.
Marlowe: His personal assistant. Kind of a fanboy.
Empire Republic Records
Lepant: President of the newly-christened Republic Records, after scandal and financial misdeeds and Tir McDohl forced Empire Records to undergo almost complete restructuring. (He offered Tir the job, but Tir turned it down.) Like any company, Republic has its troubles, but it’s done well for itself so far.
Sheena: Lepant’s son, though Lepant’s been tempted on more than one occasion to disown him. He used his dad’s position to release a vanity album a while back, but truth be told, he’s more interested in the social cachet of being a musician than in actual musicianship. Is fond of promising pretty young ladies that he’ll pass their demos on to his father. He seems to be gunning for Apple now, though it’s admittedly hard for him to keep only one target in his sights.
Valeria: Heads up Republic’s in-house publicity team. Lepant loans her and some of her staff to Unicorn for a while in hopes that bolstering Unicorn will get Highland out of the picture.
Kasumi: Republic Records chief of security. She gets sent to support Ridley at Unicorn when Highland’s attacks stop being exclusively financial.
Others
Richmond: Tabloid journalist. Richmond is decidedly on the take, and on Shu’s take in particular, so Richmond spends a lot of time promoting Unicorn artists and getting their names out there.
Fitcher: Music blogger with a clever mouth who runs That Didn’t Suck, one of the premier review sites. Fitcher’s a harsh and extremely prolific critic, and his blog is a go-to site for concert reviews, industry status reports, and the occasional interview. Fitcher himself is a master of Obfuscating Stupidity, though he’s running out of people to pull that trick on. He’ll come up with another soon enough, that’s how he rolls.
Nina: Maintainer of Blue Lightning and the BARE, a network of social media sites devoted to Flik (and sometimes the band and the music, but mostly Flik). Flik’s worst nightmare.
Tir McDohl: The son of renowned bassist Teo McDohl, Tir is a Grammy-Award winning, triple platinum guitarist and singer, who has since Done Fucked Off. Seriously -- he discovered and exposed Empire Records’ role in the death of Odessa Silverberg (among other scandals), catapulted Liberation to international superstardom, and completely reworked his corner of the music industry, and then disappeared after his appearance at the 2012 Grammy Awards all Sound Of Music style. His music is still on the charts -- some stations play Soniere like it’s still 2009 -- but he’s completely gone from the public view, and it is considered one of the music world’s greatest mysteries. Not many people know Tir outside of his capacity as a musician, but those who did trust that he’s okay, somewhere out there.
Gremio: Referred to on Fitcher’s blog as “Tir’s pretty blond handler” and not much else really, unless you ask Tir. If you ask Tir, Gremio’s the most important person in the world.
Nash Latkje: A corporate spy from Harmonia Entertainment who seems to get himself involved in just about everything, often at his own peril. Has ended up as a techie, a gofer, a security guard, a makeup artist, a stand-in, crowd control, an underwear-gatherer (that one time they tried to rip Flik’s clothing off him), a promoter for Stolichnaya, an ASM, and a video vixen.
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SO YEAH. We want to poke around in this universe but don't want to write the whole thing, so we're more content to ramble and gossip and and make jokes about Fitcher giving Shu blowjobs under the desk and retell the time that Odessa Silverberg took Flik to the Rocky Horror Picture Show and and and and and. THROW PROMPTS. Backstory! Onstory! Ridiculous lyrics about getting knifed in the front! The perfect Shu latte!
And yes, he is also an expert at the pimpsmack in this universe.
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So one day, Puel and I were tossing headcanon around, you know, like we do, and I made a comment about how Luca Blight probably has a fine-looking pair of hands. Like, classical-guitarist level of fine-looking hands, long fingers, strong fingernails. Puel misheard the "classical" part of classical guitarist and envisaged Luca Blight holding an axe up over his head and yelling THIS IS THE POWER OF ROCK!!!!!!! as he smashed the poor instrument down upon the nearest amplifier.
Then this happened, because apparently if you turn Suikoden II into a boyband AU, it kind of works.
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Once upon a time, in a recording industry near and dear to our hearts, there was a major company called Jowston Records. The recent financial crisis and differences of opinion as to the state of the industry fragmented Jowston Records into several genre-specific imprints. Highland Records, a rival company, has been exploiting these fissures in the hopes of taking Jowston Records down completely and dominating the scene. But Highland Records is involved in some pretty shady shit, and that corruption has spread down from the executives to the bands themselves.
One of the most popular bands on the Highland Records label, a power metal band (with a sizable mainstream following) called The White Wolves, is in the middle of its second North American tour. Two unfortunate roadies and amateur artists witness lead singer and guitarist Luca Blight involved in an incident of arson, possibly to cover up a drug-related murder, and flee before they’re caught at the scene. This incident is covered up in the press, and these boys are outraged. They run into an indie duo, Blue Lightning and the Bear, who bring them on board as they search for ways to save Jowston from what looks like an inevitable buyout from Highland.
But one boy decides to expose Highland Records’ corruption by promoting the Jowston label, and the other decides to take Highland down from the inside...
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Highland Records
THE MUSICIANS
Luca Blight: Lead guitarist, singer, and composer of The White Wolves. A surprisingly complex and talented musician, but nevertheless has a habit of smashing his guitars at the end of every performance. Calls the band’s followers “pigs,” because they’re too smart to be sheep, but still pigs. (Trent Reznor has not yet sued.) Also, Luca is decidedly neck-deep in Highland Records’ drug trade. His management team and handlers (the latter don’t tend to last long, admittedly) cast him as a a classic bad boy rocker and the press eats it up; “violent psychopath” is probably more accurate, but hey, the music’s good. Has an extremely troubled relationship with his father, to put it mildly.
Culgan: Rhythm guitarist of The White Wolves. Strong, taciturn type, which is mostly him playing it up for the audience. Actually has one of the driest senses of humor in the country and a certificate to prove it.
Seed: Drummer of The White Wolves. Brash, coarse, and loudmouthed, which is not just him playing it up for the audience. At first glance he’s the type to act first and think later, but there’s a deeper game he’s playing: he and Culgan aren’t thrilled with the direction Luca Blight’s taking Highland Records in, and have quietly started scouting around for alternatives...
Solon Jhee: (Former) Bassist of The White Wolves. Kind of a dick. Jowy replaces him.
Jowy Atreides: Former roadie for The White Wolves, now their bassist. Remember those two boys who witnessed the arson incident? Jowy’s one of them. He’s just as determined to see the downfall of Highland Records’ current regime as Riou is, but he’s going about it in a different way. And by “different,” we mean he steals and leaks sensitive information about the former Jowston Records’ state and finances, which forces Anabelle to resign in disgrace. It gives him the in he needed at Highland, though, and since Luca’s in need of a new bassist after the other one got locked up for assault, Jowy finds his services in demand again. Once he’s there, he realizes just how deep the corruption at the heart of Highland goes -- and he might have to do more than destroy Luca Blight to get rid of it. Life was a lot simpler when he and Riou and Nanami were in an amateur garage-band back home. Too bad Jowy screwed the pooch on that one.
Jillia Blight: A classically-trained mezzo-soprano. Because of her company connections, she takes some post-production and backup singing gigs with a few of the Highland bands to pay the bills when she isn’t pursuing her operatic career. Jillia is Luca’s half-sister, but otherwise completely unaffiliated with The White Wolves (for now, dun dun dun!).
OFFSTAGE
Agares Blight: CEO of Highland Records and Luca Blight’s father, god help him.
Leon Silverberg: Current manager of The White Wolves. Luca likes Leon’s apparent laissez-faire. It’s not that laissez. Leon is a calculating sonofabitch who picks his battles carefully and is more committed to the music industry than to any individual band. Also, he’s a shareholder in Highland Records and doesn’t want it to go completely to pot.
Yuber: ...as slowly turns the grinding wheel in the court of the Crimson King~...
Lucia: Security coordinator for Highland Records. Nothing gets past her. Nothing.
Han Cunningham: A retired performer from the golden age of Highland Records, now one of its biggest investors.
Pilika: A little girl who also witnessed the arson incident, and has been selectively mute since then. Jowy has taken responsibility for her, since he can’t find her parents anywhere. She’s the only family he has now that his own’s kicked him out, and he’d do anything to keep her safe.
Jowston Unicorn Records
THE MUSICIANS
Riou Genkaku: The adopted son of recently-deceased taiko drummer Genkaku. He might be a vocalist, but he’s never sought the spotlight -- Nanami and Jowy had that more than covered when the three of them were growing up. Now, though, Shu’s decided that Riou is going to be the face of the renamed-and-relaunched Unicorn Records, and for the first time, all eyes are on him. Under Shu’s tutelage and with support from the rest of the label, he’s starting to come out of his shell, but is the persona they’re cultivating for him really who he wants to be seen as? On the other hand, the “pretty sensitive young man recovering from heartbreak” thing is selling like crazy, and he wants to turn Unicorn Records into a force that can stand up to -- and stop -- Highland’s machinations.
As far as his sound goes, think a male version of Adele. Pretty similar content, too.
Riou’s backing band switches up occasionally, but these folks are usually in it:
Nanami Genkaku Riou’s big sister and Genkaku’s daughter, also by adoption. She inherited her drumming skill from her adopted father, but has a decidedly more rock bent. She and Riou might not be related by blood, but he’s her family and she’ll stick with him even if his career trajectory -- and the sacrifices he has to make for commercial success -- worries and infuriates her. She wishes it could just be about the music again, not the image or the demographics or the sales, but she’s not drumming in the garage with Riou and Jowy anymore, however much she wants to be. Still, she keeps up a cheerful front for her brother’s sake -- at the expense of her own well-being.
Luc: Pissy prodigy pianist, and usually handles keyboards in Riou’s backing band. Was part of a novelty act under Harmonia Entertainment, but left that shit behind, thank you very much, and his twin brother the trained violin monkey can do whatever the fuck he likes with his career. Luc studies with internationally acclaimed concert pianist Leknaat (and he’ll have you know it). He doesn’t mind performing, and he doesn’t mind money, but he does mind being paraded around like some kind of sideshow freak.
Clive: Riou’s bassist. Short, blond, and surly. The kind of guy that gets issued ASBOs, or would if he still lived in the United Kingdom. Apparently signed on with Unicorn to track down a woman he’s been chasing after for years, but he’s pretty close-mouthed on the subject. And on most subjects, really. I hear he shot a man in Reno just to watch him die.
Eilie: Formerly associated with Jowston’s Two River imprint, she and her siblings transferred their allegiance to Unicorn Records quickly following Jowston’s dissolution into several smaller companies. This is due in no small part to her massive crush on Riou, which he apparently remains oblivious to. (Her guitar, it gently weeps, and it sounds like Girlyman.) In addition to guitar, she provides backup vocals for Riou when necessary.
Rina: Eilie’s older sister, and another guitarist and backup vocalist. She’s, uh, talented. Yeah. Very talented. Is she playing right now? I’m too busy staring. It’s a pity the guitar only lets her show one -- ahem. Rina’s a lot more direct than her younger sister, which makes Eilie both embarrassed and jealous.
Bolgan: Rina and Eilie’s younger brother and a drummer. Not the brightest bulb in the box, but a sweet kid. Has accidentally broken a few drum kits for wailing on them a little too hard. He has a real knack for the less-standard percussive elements, though -- if you need more cowbell, he’s your dude.
Other musicians who signed on with Unicorn after its creation:
Futch: A former member of the K-Pop boy band High Hopes who retired prematurely due to health issues. The band replaced him and preferred the replacement, but now that Futch has recovered he’s taking his stuff on the road. His manager Humphrey signed him on with Unicorn to ease him in to the American scene (and to piggyback on SNSD’s stateside success), and to work on his English. (Eventually develops a sound and style reminiscent of Patrick Wolf. My god, does Futch grow up pretty.)
Killey: Folk-rocker with an Iron & Wine sound, though his religious allusions are a little more on the occult side. Also stubborn about working alone, though apparently he and Lorelai collaborated in the past. That might be why he works alone now.
Lorelei: Indie girl-with-guitar a la Kris Delmhorst who signed on with Unicorn because they could take her to the next level. Doesn’t usually collaborate with Riou, but contributes some of the acoustic guitar riffs to his tracks post-production.
Pesmerga: ...the yellow jester does not play, but gently pulls the strings~...
OFFSTAGE
Shu: General Manager of Unicorn Records and basically dictator of the new company regime. Never without his sunglasses and an immaculately prepared latte in his left hand. Shu could give two fucks about music and musicianship, but oh, does the man know money. His stars are products and his audience is consumers. The (sad?) thing is, it works.
Kiba Windamier: One of The White Wolves’s former managers, Kiba jumped ship when the getting was good (or when Luca was worse than usual, to be more accurate) and sold his services to Shu. Kiba may have settled a few lucrative things out of court, but Shu’s convinced he got the better half of the deal, because Kiba sure as hell knows how to run a company. While Shu makes most of the decisions about policy, Kiba enforces them.
Klaus Windamier: Kiba’s son, and Shu’s latte monkey extraordinaire. Klaus is a whip-smart, witty, and well-dressed young man with a knack for image management and the little details that can make or break a performance. Because of this, he’s often tasked with Riou’s day-to-day and concert-to-concert management while Shu concentrates on the big stuff. Klaus intends to learn all he can from Shu and Kiba and then take over the music industry when he’s older. He might just manage it. Also, he’s the company bicycle.
Ridley Wizen: Unicorn Records chief of security, and not just in the bouncer sense. Responsible for several legal comments and articles on piracy and distribution. At this point, though, if it’ll keep the company alive, he’ll let a few leaks slide. Hasn’t lost his German accent, probably because it makes him sound even more terrifying.
Humphrey: Formerly a bassist, most notably with the internationally-successful Liberation. He joined when Odessa Silverberg was the lead singer and guitarist, and stayed on when Tir McDohl took over after her not-as-accidental-as-it-seemed death. Currently, Futch’s handler. Doesn’t talk much. Doesn’t have to.
Sierra Mikain: One of Unicorn Records’ most affluent and generous new investors. Don’t ask how old she is, or how much plastic surgery she’s had to look this good at her age.
Alex: Talent scout and promoter, though most of his discoveries in recent years have been duds. He’s hoping to turn that around for his wife Hilda’s sake as much as for his own.
Hilda: Distributor. Sweet and sweet-looking, but brooks no nonsense. Really wishes her husband would just take care of their son instead of pursuing an old avenue that hasn’t netted him much success.
Tsai: Post-production guru. In the middle of a messy divorce, because frankly he’s always been more married to his work. Sometimes he sleeps at the office.
Dr. Huan: Doctor-on-call. An ear-nose-throat specialist by trade, but a listening ear more often than not.
Tuta: Dr. Huan’s intern, studying sports medicine and chiropractics.
Georg Prime: Memetic badass. Used to have a solid international career as a lead guitarist with multiple bands (some more memorable than others), but came out of retirement to work as a mentor and coach to Unicorn’s young performers.
Jeane: A lighting designer who’s been around for a long time, though she’ll only smile and jiggle giggle if you ask how long. There are about a million possible jokes to make about Jeane’s rack and “putting on a show” here; pick the best one.
Viki: Drives the tour bus. She has a license. We think.
Jowston Records: MUSE Imprint
MUSE is the pop and Top 40 label within Jowston Records, though they haven’t had anything in the Top 40 in a while.
Anabelle: MUSE’s executive vice-president and acting CEO of Jowston until her resignation from both positions. She’s had an uphill fight since she took over from her father years ago, and has tried to distance herself as much as possible from some of his less-legitimate operations. Viktor admires her integrity, but integrity’s a hard sell in the music industry.
Jess: Anabelle’s personal assistant. Kind of a dick. Gets better.
Hauser: Anabelle’s general manager. Does not know the meaning of the word “fun,” according to Viktor.
Jowston Records: Southwindow Imprint
Southwindow is Jowston’s alternative imprint, and according to Flik, “still has some indie cred in all but the Pabstest of bars”.
Apple: Executive Vice-President of the Southwindow division until she throws in her lot with Unicorn Records. Her spot in the shadows and the background of the company is not due to lack of talent, but lack of confidence. But the eventual success of Southwindow after allying with Unicorn gives her a boost in the right direction. She still has horrible taste in men, though.
Viktor: Drummer and eponymous bear of Blue Lightning and the Bear, a guitar/drum duo with a lo-fi sound (think The Black Keys meet The White Stripes). Probably thinks eponymous is an insult. Seriously, though, he’s a good guy and a great musician and smarter than he looks, and always has an ear out for new talent. Loves to meet new people, and by “meet” we mean “drag them along with him on misadventures, which are often questionably legal.” Used to roll with Liberation in both its Odessa Silverberg and Tir McDohl days.
Swordy: Viktor’s disturbingly sentient iPhone. Gets a character slot because troll. The name is short for “Star Dragon Sword,” a sticker on the iPhone’s shell that Viktor can’t peel off, despite his best efforts.
Flik: Guitarist and lead vocalist of Blue Lightning and the Bear. A recovering hipster. Also used to play with Liberation, and has named his guitar after ex-girlfriend and former bandleader Odessa, but Will Not Talk About It, So Don’t Bring It Up. He’s also provided guitar for Riou on more than a few occasions. Flik is impetuous and stubborn, but has started to mellow out since the tragedy, and Viktor’s been a good influence. He still goes off the rails about mainstream music and the corruption in the system, though.
Freed Yamamoto: In charge of the books at Southwindow, and later at Unicorn. Somewhat excitable and easily flustered, but good at his job once you give him a little space.
Yoshino Yamamoto: Freed’s wife and the stagewear coordinator for Southwindow, then for Unicorn. She’s polite and deferent and the ideal Japanese wife, and teaches a self-defense class for women on the weekends.
Jowston Records: Greenhill Division
Greenhill is Jowston’s emergent artist and training program, and the strongest young artists are either debuted on the Greenhill label or filtered up to MUSE.
Teresa Wisemail: Acting Executive Vice President. Technically an Associate Vice President, but runs the division in all but name. While her ideas of the current market are a little behind the times, her heart is in the right place, and she’s committed to furthering the careers of all the young artists aspiring to be on her label -- occasionally to the detriment of the company’s financial state.
Shin: Assistant Vice President with a huge Thing for his boss, not that either of them talk about it.
Emilia: Runs the archives at Greenhill, then at Unicorn.
Jowston Records: Two River Imprint
Two River covers folk and world music within Jowston Records. Its budget is always the first to go.
Chaco: Isn’t supposed to be here today! Seriously, though. He hangs around the Two River offices trying to break in to show business and they occasionally give him gofer work because they’re desperate. Can’t sing for shit, but wouldn’t be a bad dancer if he had some training...
Jowston Records: Matilda Imprint
Matilda is Jowston’s Electronica, Dance, and Remix label. Currently thriving due to lots and lots of outsourcing, including songs by Highland bands.
Gorudo: Executive Vice President of Matilda, that fucker. He is on Highland’s take and he is gross. Really gross.
Camus: Radio personality and DJ. Too pretty for radio, by his own promotion. Camus has an easygoing demeanor and just as easy a personality, and a knack for making interviewees feel natural on the air. He’s also got a great sense of timing and knows the moment, though he can be awfully smug about it.
Miklotov: Mixer, sampler, and behind-the-scenes techno wizard. So Serious About This Business That It Practically Manifests As A Typing Quirk. Sends many angry e-mails to his colleagues when their commitment is not up to par. Also has an unfortunate bowl cut. He actually believes in professional standards of conduct, so when he finds out about what Gorudo’s involved with, it rather bites him in the butt.
Jowston Records: Tinto Imprint
The Real Rocknrollas.
Gustav Pendragon: Executive VP. Former rocker and hooligan. Would be perfectly at home in some socialist republic somewhere. Thinks the rest of the company can go fuck itself.
Marlowe: His personal assistant. Kind of a fanboy.
Empire Republic Records
Lepant: President of the newly-christened Republic Records, after scandal and financial misdeeds and Tir McDohl forced Empire Records to undergo almost complete restructuring. (He offered Tir the job, but Tir turned it down.) Like any company, Republic has its troubles, but it’s done well for itself so far.
Sheena: Lepant’s son, though Lepant’s been tempted on more than one occasion to disown him. He used his dad’s position to release a vanity album a while back, but truth be told, he’s more interested in the social cachet of being a musician than in actual musicianship. Is fond of promising pretty young ladies that he’ll pass their demos on to his father. He seems to be gunning for Apple now, though it’s admittedly hard for him to keep only one target in his sights.
Valeria: Heads up Republic’s in-house publicity team. Lepant loans her and some of her staff to Unicorn for a while in hopes that bolstering Unicorn will get Highland out of the picture.
Kasumi: Republic Records chief of security. She gets sent to support Ridley at Unicorn when Highland’s attacks stop being exclusively financial.
Others
Richmond: Tabloid journalist. Richmond is decidedly on the take, and on Shu’s take in particular, so Richmond spends a lot of time promoting Unicorn artists and getting their names out there.
Fitcher: Music blogger with a clever mouth who runs That Didn’t Suck, one of the premier review sites. Fitcher’s a harsh and extremely prolific critic, and his blog is a go-to site for concert reviews, industry status reports, and the occasional interview. Fitcher himself is a master of Obfuscating Stupidity, though he’s running out of people to pull that trick on. He’ll come up with another soon enough, that’s how he rolls.
Nina: Maintainer of Blue Lightning and the BARE, a network of social media sites devoted to Flik (and sometimes the band and the music, but mostly Flik). Flik’s worst nightmare.
Tir McDohl: The son of renowned bassist Teo McDohl, Tir is a Grammy-Award winning, triple platinum guitarist and singer, who has since Done Fucked Off. Seriously -- he discovered and exposed Empire Records’ role in the death of Odessa Silverberg (among other scandals), catapulted Liberation to international superstardom, and completely reworked his corner of the music industry, and then disappeared after his appearance at the 2012 Grammy Awards all Sound Of Music style. His music is still on the charts -- some stations play Soniere like it’s still 2009 -- but he’s completely gone from the public view, and it is considered one of the music world’s greatest mysteries. Not many people know Tir outside of his capacity as a musician, but those who did trust that he’s okay, somewhere out there.
Gremio: Referred to on Fitcher’s blog as “Tir’s pretty blond handler” and not much else really, unless you ask Tir. If you ask Tir, Gremio’s the most important person in the world.
Nash Latkje: A corporate spy from Harmonia Entertainment who seems to get himself involved in just about everything, often at his own peril. Has ended up as a techie, a gofer, a security guard, a makeup artist, a stand-in, crowd control, an underwear-gatherer (that one time they tried to rip Flik’s clothing off him), a promoter for Stolichnaya, an ASM, and a video vixen.
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SO YEAH. We want to poke around in this universe but don't want to write the whole thing, so we're more content to ramble and gossip and and make jokes about Fitcher giving Shu blowjobs under the desk and retell the time that Odessa Silverberg took Flik to the Rocky Horror Picture Show and and and and and. THROW PROMPTS. Backstory! Onstory! Ridiculous lyrics about getting knifed in the front! The perfect Shu latte!
And yes, he is also an expert at the pimpsmack in this universe.
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