Best Ever Albums

Re: Hazey's Musings on Melodic Motifs - Shibuya-Kei on Sundays!

HazeyTwilight — Fri, 28 Dec 2018 07:49:15 GMT

Author: HazeyTwilight

Posted: 12/28/2018 12:49

Well, long time no see. Decided to temporarily return with this post about Fishmans in celebration of the 20th anniversary of 98.12.28 Otokotachi no Wakare. I was actually going to make this into one of my silly YouTube video essays, but I don't think that'll be possible at this point as I've just haven't got the energy for it right now. But I don't want to let all my hard work go to waste, so I decided to post my transcript of it here. I hope you enjoy!

Introduction

One of the best things about music is that feeling you get when you find something new to latch onto. Discovering bands/artists for the first time - that have been making music for years - and that resonate with you. Music that expands your horizons and deepen the knowledge that you have for music. With the likes of the Internet and streaming services have made the process of exploring new music easier than ever. However, it’s one thing for an individual to find new music, it’s another thing when an entire online music community uncovers a musical treasure that hasn’t been unearthed in a very long time and wholeheartedly accepts it into their canon. This is exactly what happened to the band Fishmans? Who are Fishmans, you may ask? Well, let’s take a closer look.

Part 1: Humble Beginnings

Fishmans formed in Minato, Japan in 1987. The band comprised of vocalist and guitarist Shinji Sato, drummer Kin-Ichi Motegi, and guitarist Kensuke Ojima, with the addition of bassist Yuzuru Kashiwabara and keyboardist Hakase, a couple of years later rounding out the original lineup. The genre they specialised in was dub and reggae, but their early material also skirted around the stylings of shibuya-kei (and if you don’t know what shibuya-kei is, well... that’s a video for another time.) They signed to Japanese independent label Media Remoras and released several albums under the label.

Part 2: The Media Remoras Period

The first of these was Chappie, Don’t Cry released on May 21st 1991, followed by the Corduroy’s Mood EP that same year. These records showcases the two prominent sides of the band, the former being more focused on dub/reggae whilst the latter sported a Shibuya-Kei edge, devoid of the skanks you’d normally associate with early Fishmans. With the exception of Sato’s distinctively high vocals, there was nothing about their music, firmly rooted in the conventions of their respected genres, that grabbed the attention of the listener if you weren’t already a dub aficionado. And I think the band themselves were aware of this, because on their next album, King Master George released on October 21st 1992, they heavily experimented with different styles on top of their usual reggae sound. These experiments fringed on ska-punk to neo-psychedelia with varying degrees of success. The next couple of outings sought out a more streamlined, back-to-basics approach. Neo Yankees’ Holiday, released on July 21st 1993, merged their dub influences with more pop sensibilities, most noticeably in their single “Ikareta Baby”, which garnered significant airplay when it was released. Orange, released on October 21st 1994, goes into funkier territory. And while these aren’t bad albums by any means, they’re competently performed, produced and arranged and they still have a certain charm to them. However, it was obvious that these weren’t the albums that garnered them the amount of acclaim they would go on to receive, as at this point they were about to undergo a significant shift.

Part 3: Up in the Air with Kuchu Camp

空中キャンプ [Kūchū Camp] by フィッシュマンズ [Fishmans]

Fishmans would gain and lose a lot as a band after this period. In 1995, the band signed to Polydor Records, however Kensuke Ojima and Hakase had left during the process. Since they hadn’t replaced their roles, the band were now officially a trio, so this was their opportunity to take their music in a different direction. The first album on Polydor, and fifth overall, was Kuchu Camp, released on February 1st 1996. While there are still traces of their dubby past, on this album it’s filtered through a dreamy lens and a washed out production, courtesy of the addition of producer ZAK, who’ll become a permanent fixture in the sound the band has embarked on. And while the album creates an excellent atmosphere around its dive into the world of dream pop, the track that perfectly encapsulates this new direction is its lead single “Nightcruising”. It starts with leading the listener in with Sato’s subdued high pitched vocals, dreamy guitar melodies and a steady and unobtrusive rhythm section before progressively adding more layers upon layers of instrumental overdubs and found sounds that culminate in a soothing wall of sound which concludes with a gorgeous piano motif buried in static - it’s such a beautiful track! And while Kuchu Camp is a great album, bigger things were yet to come, as later that same year the band released their most ambitious project.

Part 4: Sitting Through the Long Season

Long Season by フィッシュマンズ [Fishmans]

Their sixth studio album, Long Season, released on October 25th 1996, was the biggest undertaking Fishmans had done up until this point. Consisting of one 35 minute track split up into five movements, this album is widely regarded as the band’s magnum opus - and it’s not hard to see why. It sets up its tone straight away with atmospheric noodling from guitar, bass and keyboards before we are plunged into the main piano motif, a simple four note melody that persists throughout the entire song. From this point forward, we are exposed to the many colours and tones that make the journey through this dense sonic landscape so rewarding. The breakbeat-like drum fills of Motegi and fluid bass work of Kashiwabara complementing so effortlessly with the array of timbral diversity on display - ranging from violin, accordion, whistle, electronics and even a chorus. The masterful polyphonic songwriting with hypnotic hooks that will relay themselves in your head long after you’ve heard them. The entire third movement comprising of found sounds of splashing water that is accompanied by a flurry of percussion and electronica. ZAK’s atmospheric and scenic production elevating the entire thing to epic proportions. And, not to mention, Sato’s otherworldly vocals are absolutely breathtaking. The word that best describes this album is organic, because everything about this album flows so naturally and there is always something new to unravel with every listen. This record is an outstanding achievement for the band and is an experience that I doubt anyone who gives it a spin will be forgetting any time soon.

Part 5: Taking Flight with Uchu Nippon Setagaya

Uchū Nippon Setagaya by フィッシュマンズ [Fishmans]

Their seventh and final studio album, Uchu Nippon Setagaya, released on July 24th 1997, set out to further expand upon the dreamy and spacious nature of their newly acquired sound. This led the album to lean towards a more ambient pop style, putting more emphasis on nocturnal settings, programmed beats and longer, almost improvisational song structures. It’s a very chill and laid-back album compared to its loftier predecessor and while the production on this album is a lot cleaner with it straying further away from their dubbier roots, it still retains a lot of the dreamier, psychedelic aspects that were prominent on previous efforts. In terms of their Polydor releases, Uchu Nippon Setagaya is, in my opinion, the weakest out of the three, but it’s still a terrific album regardless. I also point you towards the single “Yurameki in the Air,” which came from the same sessions, as it continues from where the last album left off. It’s just an all around gorgeous track and quite a somber one when you consider that this was one of the last things the band would ever do together...and I guess I should talk about that, huh.

Part 6: A Men's Farewell

98.12.28 Otokotachi No Wakare by フィッシュマンズ [Fishmans]

It all started around 1997/1998, when Yuzuru Kawashibara not only decided to leave the band but wanted to retire from the music industry altogether. Sato and Motegi still had plans to continue Fishmans without him, but since Kawashibara was such a pivotal member of the group they decided to put on one last final concert for him. That concert took place at the Akasaka Biltz, a venue based in Minato on December 28th 1998 under the subtitle Otokotachi no Wakare, roughly translates as “A Men’s Farewell”. Normally I don’t talk about live albums for these videos (which is why I skipped over the other live albums they’ve done), but I’ll make an exception since this is one is so significant. For this concert, they played some of their most well known singles and tracks from across their entire discography, displaying the growth the band had made from their humble beginnings playing dub/reggae to their evolution towards otherworldly dream pop and neo-psychedelia - their journey to being better performers and better songwriters. Hell, they even topped the show off by playing Long Season in its entirety. Suffice to say that this was a very special live show, a live show which was intended to be a send off for Kawashibara turned in to something . On March 15th 1999, 3 months after the concert, Shinji Sato passed away due to heart conditions that he suffered with since birth, making this live album the last thing the band would ever put out.

Part 7: The Aftermath

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

Over their history Fishmans had gained a massive cult following in their native Japan. An appreciation that continues to grow with every year. This has led to the band reforming in 2006 and collaborating and supporting musicians on tour and in 2003 HMV Japan placed them amongst the top 100 Japanese Pop Artists of All Time, at no. 83. Despite all this they never managed to reach a Western audience. That was until around 4-5 years ago when their albums started circulating on music websites like RateYourMusic and the /mu/ board on 4chan. In fact, it was through browsing RYM’s overall chart is where I discovered Fishmans, specifically Long Season, for the first time back in August 2014. And while I enjoyed it and thought nothing more of it afterwards, many users who were more enthusiastic about it spread the album through word of mouth in their communities. It was at this point that the album skyrocketed up the overall charts and with every burst of acclaim they got the more attention their discography garnered. This activity over the course of a couple of years eventually culminated in Spotify obtaining the rights to stream their music on their platform during August 2018 - making their music even more accessible for more people to discover them.

Conclusion

Which brings me back to the my point at the beginning of this post: one of the best aspects of consuming music is that feeling of discovering something new. It’s the kind of feeling that drives you to learn more about them and to share them with your fellow listeners which can lead to greater things. And I hope this video inspires you to pursue further into Fishmans’ history because not only is there a demand for it but also as an honour to the legacy that Shinji Sato and everybody else left behind for the whole world to enjoy.

Thank you for reading this post.

Re: Hazey's Musings on Melodic Motifs - Shibuya-Kei on Sundays!

HazeyTwilight — Sun, 8 Jul 2018 07:37:01 GMT

Author: HazeyTwilight

Posted: 07/08/2018 11:37

Hey guys! If you follow this diary thing (oh who am I kidding, of course you don't) then you're probably wondering why there hasn't been any activity as of late. And the reason for that being is that, as I've mentioned in previous entries, I'm a bit stumped as to what to do with this thing. I know I've been doing Shibuya-Kei on Sundays thing somewhat consistently, but frequently, the albums I choose are not planned in advance and are usually last minute decisions, and part of that is that I'm focusing on other things and not making this thing a priority and I'm constantly stressing about having a post on this when I don't have the interest or motivation for it right now.

So, to give you the long and short of it, I'm putting this thing on indefinite hiatus for the moment.

Re: Hazey's Musings on Melodic Motifs - Shibuya-Kei on Sundays!

dihansse — Sat, 23 Jun 2018 04:18:05 GMT

Author: dihansse

Posted: 06/23/2018 08:18

Komorebi-D wrote:

HazeyTwilight wrote:

You think contemporary Australian music is all about bands like Kevin Parker's inbred brand of psychedelia and King Jizzin' out albums like it's no tomorrow? WELL THINK AGAIN CUNTS CUZ YOU HAVEN'T HEARD SHIT LIKE THIS BEFORE:

A Laughing Death In Meatspace by Tropical Fuck Storm

*ahem* sorry about that. Now that I've gotten probably more attention than I needed to (whoops), I wanted to break away from the usual formula to gush about an album that I've fallen heads over heels for. This is one of the most refreshing rock albums that I've heard all year. It takes the tired old tropes that are prevalent within today's rock music (looking at you: Black Keys, and any other band inspired by them), and completely fucks with them to give us a chaotic and deranged interpretation of that modern blues sound, while also harkening back to the dirtier, more punk edges a la The Gun Club and The Birthday Party (also helps that the male singer sounds like Nick Cave) and filtered through a production reminiscent of Iceage's first two albums. Whilst it's often abrasive, it's also extremely catchy in spite of it, played in no small part by the bright harmonies by the female singer and riffs that pop out at you. The first half is where most of the abrasion lies, whereas the second half has more introspection laid onto it. To be quite honest, this is where the album loses a bit of steam, but it still manages to grab my attention due to the politically charged messages on some songs (especially the apocalyptic "Soft Power"). I checked some of their music videos on YouTube after listening to it on Spotify and I was shocked to see that they had more dislikes than likes. I understand that a band that's called Tropical Fuck Storm that has a deliberately inaccessible sound may not have the best reputation on the internet right now. But for someone like me that has been seeking out rock music that goes against the tired, half-baked norms that has plagued the genre for the past 5 years, I immediately gravitated towards this. And being a great album on top of all that is a a massive benefit too. Best rock album of the year thus far.

90

HOLY SHIT! Thank you so much for writing this man!

I meant to do a write up myself for it two weeks ago but I forgot. And you’re right about absolutely everything here, including the music videos 😉 . It’s up there with Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Courtney Barnett and Camp Cope for my favourite Aussie records released this year. If you love this then you’ll definitely like The Drones, they’re Gareth Liddiard’s original band.

This is a great rec: indeed another fantastic 2018 album and does remind me that I have to investigate The Drones as well!

Re: Hazey's Musings on Melodic Motifs - Shibuya-Kei on Sundays!

Komorebi-D — Fri, 22 Jun 2018 19:24:38 GMT

Author: Komorebi-D

Posted: 06/22/2018 23:24

HazeyTwilight wrote:

Re: Hazey's Musings on Melodic Motifs - Shibuya-Kei on Sundays!

HazeyTwilight — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 11:23:56 GMT

Author: HazeyTwilight

Posted: 06/20/2018 15:23

You think contemporary Australian music is all about bands like Kevin Parker's inbred brand of psychedelia and King Jizzin' out albums like it's no tomorrow? WELL THINK AGAIN CUNTS CUZ YOU HAVEN'T HEARD SHIT LIKE THIS BEFORE:

A Laughing Death In Meatspace by Tropical Fuck Storm

*ahem* sorry about that. Now that I've gotten probably more attention than I needed to (whoops), I wanted to break away from the usual formula to gush about an album that I've fallen heads over heels for. This is one of the most refreshing rock albums that I've heard all year. It takes the tired old tropes that are prevalent within today's rock music (looking at you: Black Keys, and any other band inspired by them), and completely fucks with them to give us a chaotic and deranged interpretation of that modern blues sound, while also harkening back to the dirtier, more punk edges a la The Gun Club and The Birthday Party (also helps that the male singer sounds like Nick Cave) and filtered through a production reminiscent of Iceage's first two albums. Whilst it's often abrasive, it's also extremely catchy in spite of it, played in no small part by the bright harmonies by the female singer and riffs that pop out at you. The first half is where most of the abrasion lies, whereas the second half has more introspection laid onto it. To be quite honest, this is where the album loses a bit of steam, but it still manages to grab my attention due to the politically charged messages on some songs (especially the apocalyptic "Soft Power"). I checked some of their music videos on YouTube after listening to it on Spotify and I was shocked to see that they had more dislikes than likes. I understand that a band that's called Tropical Fuck Storm that has a deliberately inaccessible sound may not have the best reputation on the internet right now. But for someone like me that has been seeking out rock music that goes against the tired, half-baked norms that has plagued the genre for the past 5 years, I immediately gravitated towards this. And being a great album on top of all that is a a massive benefit too. Best rock album of the year thus far.

90

Re: Hazey's Musings on Melodic Motifs - Shibuya-Kei on Sundays!

HazeyTwilight — Sun, 17 Jun 2018 18:44:03 GMT

Author: HazeyTwilight

Posted: 06/17/2018 22:44

Time for a late night Shibuya-Kei Sundays!!! I was pretty occupied with other things during the day so I couldn't do it earlier. Anyway, this week's album is:

Bewitched by Hazel Nuts Chocolate

RYM Genre Distinctions: Picopop

This album is just one big sugar rush! From the comical electronica bleep bloops, the saccharine pop, and some ballad, latin and even fucking country flairs on a couple of tracks, this album definitely has pep. Doing a bit of research on this album and according to Discogs, the album was mixed and mastered by Plus-Tech Squeeze Box, and that totally explains its nutty (no pun intended but, honestly, what else would you expect from someone as uncool as me) production. But this album also has a childlike quality to it throughout the entire album, like it's going through the day in the life of a child in which the first couple of songs feeling like waking up and seeing the sun rise before having you participate in the whacky and zany situations that is present throughout the rest of the album up until the last track, which is almost like a lullaby. And its execution of this concept is well realised. Even though there were some aspects of this album compositionally that was hard for me to get into, some songs aren't particularly memorable, and perhaps it can be a bit too grating in places, but it's an album that doesn't waste time and does what it needs to do, and that is be incredibly eccentric and cute.

70

Re: Hazey's Musings on Melodic Motifs - Shibuya-Kei on Sundays!

HazeyTwilight — Sun, 10 Jun 2018 12:05:32 GMT

Author: HazeyTwilight

Posted: 06/10/2018 16:05

Sorry for missing last week's Shibuya-Kei Sundays!!! I didn't know what to do last week, but now I have something in store for this week! Today's album is:

Happy End Of The World by Pizzicato Five

RYM Genre Distinctions: Lounge, Drum and Bass, Breakbeat

Yes, I'm finally listening to a full album from the legends of the genre themselves: Pizzicato Five. RYM recommended me to start out with this album out of their vast body of work and I can say that it works well as an introduction. That being said, I'm not sure how much of this sound is prominent in the rest of their discography. It's a hybrid of 60s pop and lounge with some particles of reverberated drum breakbeats, and that makes for some kitsch-y and engaging music. It was all very enjoyable, maybe a bit overlong near the end and kind of a product of its time, but it's still great retro pop updated with electronic flair. Not much else to say except that I'm glad I finally got around to them after all these years.

90

Re: Hazey's Musings on Melodic Motifs - Shibuya-Kei on Sundays!

HazeyTwilight — Sun, 27 May 2018 14:41:04 GMT

Author: HazeyTwilight

Posted: 05/27/2018 18:41

Time for more Shibuya-Kei Sundays!!! This week's album I'll be listening to is this:

Roomic Cube by Takako Minekawa

RYM Genre Distinctions: Art Pop

Takako Minekawa is an artist that I can rely on in this genre. Whether it's the eccentric and quirky electropop of Cloudy Cloud Calculator or the spacey vibes injected with some of Cornelius' magic on Fun 9, she's proved herself worthy to be a household name in the vast galaxy that is Shibuya-Kei. That being said, I was not really impressed so much with this album. It wasn't bad at all, and there were some tracks on here that caught my attention (Fantastic Cat is great), but I wasn't a huge fan of the mood it was going for. Dense, bass-y electronica on one end and 90s alternative rock on the other end. I soon found out that a big reason for why it sounded like this was because the album was produced and co-written by the band Buffalo Daughter. Being familiar with their work already, it makes sense as to why the album has those influences, as it's a sound that works well with those girls. However, it's not a something I associate with Minekawa at all. There are some little eccentricities here and there that makes it interesting like a vocoder warble backing vocal and cute percussive effects that I'd expect from Minekawa. But, even if the songs by themselves are fine enough, they kind of fall short because she's still finding that personality that she later developed on following albums.

70

Re: Hazey's Musings on Melodic Motifs - Shibuya-Kei on Sundays!

Luigii — Sun, 20 May 2018 11:19:19 GMT

Author: Luigii

Posted: 05/20/2018 15:19

HazeyTwilight wrote:

Alright, enough bullshit video essays (for now at least). Let's get back on that Shibuya-Kei Sundays!!! train again! This week, we're taking a look at:

かなしいことなんかじゃない [Kanashii Koto Nanka Ja Nai] by Hi-Posi

RYM Genre Distinctions: Art Pop

This is an album that I actually added on to the database, so that's another Shibuya-Kei album in that collection! I remember hearing a song from Hi-Posi on the Sushi 4004 comp, but I've never listened to a full length from them. I didn't know what to expect from this album, but what I got was a lot more than what was presented on the pastoral and nostalgic cover. I know RYM classifies this as Art Pop, and I would too, but only barely, as there are various styles present on this album. There's some chamber pop, jazz-funk reminiscent of "Chameleon" on one track, downtempo, folk pop, piano rock that includes tempo shifts, and even one track that sounds like if all of Screamadelica was compressed into one song. And that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface! Coming from a genre/scene that pulls its sounds from pretty much everywhere, this is definitely one of the most eclectic albums in all of Shibuya-Kei. The best part about this is that every style here is executed so brilliantly, and that got stronger the deeper you get into it. One of Shibuya-Kei's best kept secrets, and something that I'll grow to love more with every revisit.

95

Got 20 minutes into this album and damn for 96 this is dope. Will have to finish this up when I get back from work later today.

Re: Hazey's Musings on Melodic Motifs - Shibuya-Kei on Sundays!

HazeyTwilight — Sun, 20 May 2018 10:15:28 GMT

Author: HazeyTwilight

Posted: 05/20/2018 14:15

Alright, enough bullshit video essays (for now at least). Let's get back on that Shibuya-Kei Sundays!!! train again! This week, we're taking a look at:

かなしいことなんかじゃない [Kanashii Koto Nanka Ja Nai] by Hi-Posi

RYM Genre Distinctions: Art Pop

This is an album that I actually added on to the database, so that's another Shibuya-Kei album in that collection! I remember hearing a song from Hi-Posi on the Sushi 4004 comp, but I've never listened to a full length from them. I didn't know what to expect from this album, but what I got was a lot more than what was presented on the pastoral and nostalgic cover. I know RYM classifies this as Art Pop, and I would too, but only barely, as there are various styles present on this album. There's some chamber pop, jazz-funk reminiscent of "Chameleon" on one track, downtempo, folk pop, piano rock that includes tempo shifts, and even one track that sounds like if all of Screamadelica was compressed into one song. And that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface! Coming from a genre/scene that pulls its sounds from pretty much everywhere, this is definitely one of the most eclectic albums in all of Shibuya-Kei. The best part about this is that every style here is executed so brilliantly, and that got stronger the deeper you get into it. One of Shibuya-Kei's best kept secrets, and something that I'll grow to love more with every revisit.

95

Re: Hazey's Musings on Melodic Motifs - Shibuya-Kei on Sundays!

Luigii — Wed, 16 May 2018 10:32:16 GMT

Author: Luigii

Posted: 05/16/2018 14:32

No problem my man. Always here to help out in any way I can.

Re: Hazey's Musings on Melodic Motifs - Shibuya-Kei on Sundays!

HazeyTwilight — Wed, 16 May 2018 07:17:05 GMT

Author: HazeyTwilight

Posted: 05/16/2018 11:17

Luigii wrote:

HazeyTwilight wrote:

Link

i did a thing

You did this? Damn this was good. I was never a crazy Arctic Monkeys guy due to not being crazy about rock music during the 2000's. But this does show the passion as well as the concern that you have with the band. Also, I might tackle AM a lot sooner due to not only "supposedly" being influenced by Aaliyah as well as Outkast but also being consider as a midnight album. Hell, some of my all time favorite electronic albums have that dreamy, night time quality to them so we will see. If for any complaints from the video, I would say as you get further making videos, get better audio equipment or the noise cancellations that go on the wall. Other than that, you are doing good so far.

P.S: I Noticed The Rock Critic influence in this video when you were mentioning the song titles.

Thanks for that, man! Yeah I noticed that stuff about the audio too, and while I was editing this, I realised that I need a new microphone (my sibilance is so shrill!) and to mix it better to make these videos more tolerable. Also, yeah massively inspired and influenced by Rock Critic in this one.

Re: Hazey's Musings on Melodic Motifs - Shibuya-Kei on Sundays!

Luigii — Tue, 15 May 2018 23:01:00 GMT

Author: Luigii

Posted: 05/16/2018 03:01

HazeyTwilight wrote:

Link

i did a thing

Re: Hazey's Musings on Melodic Motifs - Shibuya-Kei on Sundays!

HazeyTwilight — Sat, 12 May 2018 09:02:02 GMT

Author: HazeyTwilight

Posted: 05/12/2018 13:02

Link

i did a thing

Re: Hazey's Musings on Melodic Motifs - Shibuya-Kei on Sundays!

HazeyTwilight — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 07:30:50 GMT

Author: HazeyTwilight

Posted: 04/22/2018 11:30

So... I completely forgot that I was supposed to be doing this Shibuya-Kei thing every Sunday. I am so sorry for the lack of entries here, I've just been so busy finishing up my final college assignments for the year that I didn't have much time for this silly thing. But I thought that I squeeze in one more instalment of Shibuya-Kei goodness before the procrastination kicks in. So let's get on with this week's Shibuya-Kei Sundays!!! with...

For Lovers by Lamp

RYM Genre Distinctions: Jazz-Pop

I've always wanted to listen to a full album from these guys, because from the songs I had sampled beforehand, I really liked the acoustic, quaint, jazzy vibes they emitted. I finally went out of my way and dug up this release as my starting point, expecting a certain mood that I just described, and yeah they totally meet those expectations, and even went beyond that on certain songs. You do have the more sparse and bare bones on here, but every other song on the album has a fuller and amplified sound, incorporating piano (grand and electric), saxophone, strings and I even spotted some glockenspiel on one song. That I was not expecting. Despite that, every song here is performed really well (although I did spot some slight hiccups and uncertainty when it came to some of the cadenzas) and the chord progressions they embraces that cozy feeling you get when you listen to Jazz-Pop (with an aptly named title too). Listen to this on warm, sunny days with a little hint of clouds.

90

Re: Hazey's Musings on Melodic Motifs - Shibuya-Kei on Sundays!

Luigii — Sun, 11 Mar 2018 12:42:42 GMT

Author: Luigii

Posted: 03/11/2018 16:42

That LDK record was excellent. Now I got to visit through Capsule's discog. Great.

Re: Hazey's Musings on Melodic Motifs - Shibuya-Kei on Sundays!

Luigii — Sun, 11 Mar 2018 12:00:56 GMT

Author: Luigii

Posted: 03/11/2018 16:00

HazeyTwilight wrote:

After two weeks of hiatus, Shibuya-Kei Sundays!!! is back. Sorry for the extended wait, college and an interest in video games again occupied most of my time (knowing most of the soundtrack is Shibuya-Kei makes me want to play Katamari even more). But anyway, let's get on with the show with this week's album being...

L.D.K. Lounge Designers Killer by Capsule

RYM Genre Distinctions: Electropop

Short (34 minute album) but incredibly sweet electropop with slight house and lounge influences all throughout its run. Feels like I'm flying through an iridescent synthesised wormhole that has candy as debris before slowing down and having a smiling Japanese girl offer you a cup of green tea with extra sprinkles (generalisation much?). This amount of sweetness may turn some people off, and to be honest with you I wasn't expecting to be that much of it, but I still had a lot of fun with it. No real objective criticism or observations here, look somewhere else for that, I guess.

85

Okay I am giving this a spin right now do to mentioning the house and lounge influence and man this album gets to it. Will give first thoughts after I'm done.

Re: Hazey's Musings on Melodic Motifs - Shibuya-Kei on Sundays!

HazeyTwilight — Sun, 11 Mar 2018 11:42:40 GMT

Author: HazeyTwilight

Posted: 03/11/2018 15:42

After two weeks of hiatus, Shibuya-Kei Sundays!!! is back. Sorry for the extended wait, college and an interest in video games again occupied most of my time (knowing most of the soundtrack is Shibuya-Kei makes me want to play Katamari even more). But anyway, let's get on with the show with this week's album being...

L.D.K. Lounge Designers Killer by Capsule

RYM Genre Distinctions: Electropop

Short (34 minute album) but incredibly sweet electropop with slight house and lounge influences all throughout its run. Feels like I'm flying through an iridescent synthesised wormhole that has candy as debris before slowing down and having a smiling Japanese girl offer you a cup of green tea with extra sprinkles (generalisation much?). This amount of sweetness may turn some people off, and to be honest with you I wasn't expecting to be that much of it, but I still had a lot of fun with it. No real objective criticism or observations here, look somewhere else for that, I guess.

85

Re: Hazey's Musings on Melodic Motifs - Shibuya-Kei on Sundays!

HazeyTwilight — Sun, 25 Feb 2018 13:28:20 GMT

Author: HazeyTwilight

Posted: 02/25/2018 18:28

no shibuya kei sunday this week. the reason why is that im going through a lot of hardship right now and that's messing with my mindset right now. this month has been particularly awful for me, as it's just been perpetual cycle of misery and grief. just a heads up in case you're wondering why im reacting a lot more emotional than i usually am in this diary throughout the rest of the year

Re: Hazey's Musings on Melodic Motifs - Shibuya-Kei on Sundays!

HazeyTwilight — Wed, 21 Feb 2018 20:29:01 GMT

Author: HazeyTwilight

Posted: 02/22/2018 01:29

February 21st

Twin Fantasy (Face To Face) by Car Seat Headrest

This entry is going to take a lot out of me. Strap in, folks, it's time for some depressing bullshit!

So, I've known about Car Seat Headrest since 2015 through the /mu/ chart I adapted for bea ur welcum skrubs. This was also around the same time as their signing to Matador Records and released their major label debut, but I never paid much attention to the band outside of that year, which means that I slept on both Teens of Style and Teens of Denial the following year (couldn't listen to a lot of new music because of how fucking awful 2016 was). But throughout most of January this year, I rediscovered them again because not only did I felt like it but I also found it very comforting during one of the most emotional and stressful times of my life. That means I did end up catching up on those two aforementioned "Teens..." albums. They're growing on me for sure, in terms of Will Toledo developing and improving almost everything about his music since his Bandcamp days - from his abilities to playing his instruments, co-operating with more likeminded musicians to help see his vision through, the production being a little clearer, and his lyrics having more broader and wider appeal without compromising his strengths as a songwriter. But despite all the visible upgrades Will has received through this newfound exposure, there's still charm to some of his more lo-fi and isolated recordings, in particular the album we'll be discussing today: Twin Fantasy.

My first taste of CSH was through the original version of that album, later retitled Mirror to Mirror (*insert topical yet extremely lame Justin Timberlake reference, though that pretty much describes JT right now), back in 2015. The reasons for it having a massive cult following didn't register at first, but when I revisited it last month and read the lyric sheet alongside it, that's when it hit me like a tonne of bricks. I was (arguably I probably still am) in a state of confusion due to the situations I've been put in and put through this year, so its raw and unfiltered yet witty and sharp take on youth, sexuality and relationships was something that I desperately needed. Also the overarching concept that the album has is something that I could relate all too well to. Even though I gave up on trying to find love a long time ago after a lot of unrequited love from both parties, I still fantasise about being in a relationship with someone, most of my visions happen to be with boys. This used to be an occasional thing for me, but with everything in my life that's happening right now, I'm at that part of my life where I disassociate from reality and depend more on those delusions. Also being a depressed bastard helps things. So, suffice to say, this album came at more than just the perfect time for me. Even though it's rough lo-fi aesthetic detracted a lot from the album, and I'm dumbfounded that I even tolerated it when I first listened to it (but, then again, that's the sacrifice you get when you're subjected to music production courses for so long), it's still an album that I hold close to my heart.

Which brings me onto this new re-recorded version: Face to Face. I mean, it's nice that we'll have these songs at a higher fidelity, I thought to myself when I heard about it, but there has to be more to it than just a rehash with a new coat of paint. But, when I actually sat down and listened to it, I was surprised by how much of the original album had been re-worked to justify the new version. "My Boy (Twin Fantasy)" exchanges a lot of the excess reverb, probably to hide Will's at the time amateurish musicianship, for a more subdued perspective that gradually builds throughout the track. Definitely sets itself apart from the "woe is me" tone Mirror to Mirror went for - and that change in tone is a crucial difference in terms of looking at both versions. A lot of those shaky and indecipherable moments that Mirror to Mirror had in spades, probably from the shyness of Will's 19 year-old self not wanting anybody to hear him sing, is exchanged for a clearer and more confident approach, which has affected a lot of the tracks on here, even though the material hasn't been tempered with that much. It's only when you get to "Nervous Young Inhumans" that you start to see Will's current thought process intersperse with his past. Songs become groovier and energised with that track, "Bodys" and "Cute Thing", in which the synth lines and clarity add so much colour that the original lacked so much of. Then you get to tracks like "Famous Prophets (Stars)", which is an interesting infusion of the original narrative of Mirror to Mirror with the meta-narrative that Will presents on Face to Face, which is the crux of the revised album and is justification as to why the subtitles exist in the first place. But even taking that out of the equation, the song is still an intense track with its 16 minute run time, completely new lyrical passages replacing the old monologues, the jarring whiplash of piano in the middle and the crescendo featuring a brass section and Will screaming like he's breaking free from these past experiences that he needs to put behind makes this my favourite track on the album and is way more cathartic than the original. With the final nail in the coffin being "Twin Fantasy (Those Boys)", which sees Will retrospectively closing the final page of this chapter of his life and is ready to move on.

This revised version is quite the wake up call for Will, as it's not only an extension of the original album, but it actively reflects on the past and it's interesting to look back to see how people reacted back when you're in an emotionally confused state like he was. Mirror to Mirror focuses on the "now" and how you react in that space, and Face to Face is, quite literally, facing your reaction head on with a more mature mindset. I had to re-listen to both versions of the album a lot since it came out, so I could get a proper understanding of each one. I've come to the conclusion that both of these albums will appeal to me at different times in my life. I've been living in the "now" for years now, but if I ever happen to set my life straight, there will have to be a point where I will have to confront my past self and judge on how fucking stupid I acted all those years ago, and then a couple decades go by and look back on that past self and wash rinse repeat until I fucking die. But that's why this album is so important to me, even if it is just in the "now", as Will was able to capture the confusion of the lives of young people in a genuine, relatable and authentic way because he was also at that same confused state as the rest of us were at his age and gives us hope that, one day, we can overcome it just like he did.

95

told you this would take a lot out of me its nearly 1:30 am at the time of writing this ima go sleep no