Let's do this: Year-long Music Review Challenge

[James May]

Just like the title says, I'll be doing this for the whole year and I am open to most genres. I'll pretty this up when I get on a comp since I am writing this on my ps3 and making long posts on it is a pain lmfao.

Anyhow, I am going to post reviews every Friday (so pretty much I'll be reviewing 7 albums per post on Fridays) since my comp access is a bit restricted.

And for the stuff that I already listened to, I'll post my thoughts on them once I get my external from my relatives' house...

Albums/EPs already listened to
1. Benn Jordan - Louisiana Mourning 9.5/10
2. Alias Conrad Coldwood - OFF 7.5/10
3. Alias Conrad Coldwood - Crying Girls 8/10
4. The Flashbulb - Kirlian Selections 9/10
5. PROTODOME - CHIPFUNK 8/10
6. Various Artists - Space Jam - A collaborative album 6.5/10
7. Anwar Louis - Concentration 9 8/10
8. Various Artists - Noisechan & Nugget - Adventure in Chiptunes 7.75/10

(I have listened to more but need to relisten to them...)

Spreadsheet

Reviews
1. Awake by Tycho - 7/10
2. Seven Idiots by World's End Girlfriend - 9.5/10

[Arkuski]

*****s on the moon - Death Grips
Music has the Right to Children - Boards of Canada
Tetrahedron - SEPHORA脳バイブス
while(1<2) - deadmau5
Awake - Tycho
Loveless - My Bloody Valentine
CREATING YOUR WORLD - TRIAD RESEARCH LABORATORIES
All Things Bright and Beautiful - Owl City
Good Morning Good Night - Sachiko M / Otomo Yoshihide / Toshimaru Nakamura
Atmospheres 1 - ECO VIRTUAL

[rayword45]

Dopesmoker - Sleep
69 Love Songs - The Magnetic Fields
The Pod - Ween
Hard To Be Up - Bangs
Locust Abortion Technician - Butthole Surfers
Like Flies On Sherbet - Alex Chilton
Smiley Smile and Wild Honey (with bonus tracks) - The Beach Boys (This is a compilation of two very short albums)
Meat Puppets (Deluxe Edition) - Meat Puppets (The one on Spotify is the deluxe)
Lightning Bolt (with Zone) - Lightning Bolt
Rain In England - Lil B

NOW YOU RECOMMEND ALBUMS TO ME

[EzExZeRo7497]

A Winged Victory For The Sullen - A Winged Victory For The Sullen
Alcest - Ecailles de Lune
Kashiwa Daisuke - 88
Mono & World's End Girlfriend - Palmless Prayer / Mass Murder Refrain
Motohiro Nakashima - We Hum on the Way Home
Mutyumu - イリヤ -Il y a-
Natural Snow Buildings - The Dance of the Moon and the Sun
Thomas Koner - Daikan
William Basinski - Vivian & Ondine
Utada Hikaru - Ultra Blue

If you've already listened to any of those albums, replace it with:
36 - Lithea
Boris - Flood
Summoning - Oath Bound
Tenmon - 5 Centimeters Per Second OST
World's End Girlfriend - Seven Idiots
Yodaka - Yodaka

[James May]

Originally Posted by Arkuski

*****s on the moon - Death Grips
Music has the Right to Children - Boards of Canada
Tetrahedron - SEPHORA脳バイブス
while(1<2) - deadmau5
Awake - Tycho
Loveless - My Bloody Valentine
CREATING YOUR WORLD - TRIAD RESEARCH LABORATORIES
All Things Bright and Beautiful - Owl City
Good Morning Good Night - Sachiko M / Otomo Yoshihide / Toshimaru Nakamura
Atmospheres 1 - ECO VIRTUAL

Originally Posted by rayword45

Dopesmoker - Sleep
69 Love Songs - The Magnetic Fields
The Pod - Ween
Hard To Be Up - Bangs
Locust Abortion Technician - Butthole Surfers
Like Flies On Sherbet - Alex Chilton
Smiley Smile and Wild Honey (with bonus tracks) - The Beach Boys (This is a compilation of two very short albums)
Meat Puppets (Deluxe Edition) - Meat Puppets (The one on Spotify is the deluxe)
Lightning Bolt (with Zone) - Lightning Bolt
Rain In England - Lil B

NOW YOU RECOMMEND ALBUMS TO ME

Originally Posted by EzExZeRo7497

A Winged Victory For The Sullen - A Winged Victory For The Sullen
Alcest - Ecailles de Lune
Kashiwa Daisuke - 88
Mono & World's End Girlfriend - Palmless Prayer / Mass Murder Refrain
Motohiro Nakashima - We Hum on the Way Home
Mutyumu - イリヤ -Il y a-
Natural Snow Buildings - The Dance of the Moon and the Sun
Thomas Koner - Daikan
William Basinski - Vivian & Ondine
Utada Hikaru - Ultra Blue

If you've already listened to any of those albums, replace it with:
36 - Lithea
Boris - Flood
Summoning - Oath Bound
Tenmon - 5 Centimeters Per Second OST
World's End Girlfriend - Seven Idiots
Yodaka - Yodaka

Alright. Will get onto those Friday. And I'll add all those Eze.

[James May]

Awake by Tycho(recommended by Arkuski)
Tycho (whose real name is Scott Hansen) is an American Ambient Musician and producer, who is also known as ISO50. Awake is his fourth and latest album released under the record label Ghostly International.

Now, I haven't given a listen to Ambient music but just by listening to this, it almost feels like a gateway to the ambiance genre, it almost as if Scott tries to implement so much ideas into one, which I guess its somewhat of a given to the album "Awake" I suppose. It's an alright album, nothing too memorable or anything but when you try to implement other instruments into a song and by almost obscuring the synth that gives it a sort of serene vibe that planted the ambiance genre, it feels...gimmicky for me.

Now, the first song on the list, Awake, does makes things awaken instead of coaxing one to sleep, as given the name of the song. Its almost like the song coaxes you to rise and shine in the morning, just like those cheesy alarm clocks that plays upbeat music that forces you to wake up and groan that you have something important to do in the morning. Now, this song, while it does wake you up for what's to come, it doesn't beguile on that dreadful repetition that alleviates in most songs that forces your attention, it lulls in the peaceful vibe along with the other instruments. But my main complain is that the synth is sort of muddled behind the instruments that goes on in the song. If only the synth has a bit more prominence than what it currently has. But other than that, its actually not that bad of a song.

Onto Montana, I really don't know what to say about it. I had actually expected Montana to revel in one of peace to slowly bring you down from what Awake has roused you from. It sort of left me slightly speechless to say, and not in a good way. But I guess that's just me, and what this song has to offer doesn't feel fitting for the title of this song. Next song I guess.

L, no not L from Death Note or Linus. I was actually surprised at the somewhat dark nature that it brought in the intro, and I was actually expecting that somewhat dark nature to be the prominent theme of this song but alas, it sort of slowly drifted away from it, presenting other ideas along the way. And this is what my main complain from this album sort of pulls from. I get it that you want to present your ideas in different songs but I just don't see the connection from each song as I'm listening to it, I wish that there could be some continuity and consistency that pulls a theme from all this. But, this album is good for what it offers. Now, will I listen to it multiple times? Not really, but if you like listening to his work, then you can pull this album up. But if not, then I recommend that you look elsewhere.

Score: 7/10
Favourite Track: Awake, Dye, Apogee
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's one down. Time to pull in another one.

[Trogdor!!!!]

Panda Bear - Person Pitch
Lustmord - Heresy
Jon Hopkins - Insides
Eluvium - Copia
Dormir - Petit March
williamette - always in postscript
Sleep Research Facility - Deep Frieze
Kplecraft - Multi-Boxer
hana sumai - death is beautiful/withering coils
Dave Brubeck - Time Out

[James May]

Seven Idiots by World's End Girlfriend(recommended by EzExZeRo7497)
Seven idiots is the tenth (and most recent) album released by World's End Girlfriend, a solo music project by Katsuhiko Maeda. I really don't know what to describe the style of the music since there's so much to comment on. Anyhow, this is the first time that I have listened to World's End Girlfriend and well, I'll be damned.

The first track, The Divine Comedy Reverse, sort of reminds me of Igorrr in how its laid out, in fact, in terms of the instrumentation of this song, it sort of akin to Igorrr, and I love to listen to Igorrr. Now, aside from the shortness of it, the way it brings the album to its start is great. Nothing too bitter, nothing too sweet, its an appetizer served just right.

Now, Les Enfants du Paradis. Probably the best track that I have ever heard from the fusion side of music (I'm using fusion very loosely, as there's so much genres that is melded into this song) and it brings a tear to my eye when I hear it. It left me speechless as it transitions into TEEN AGE ZIGGY, which brings forth a fusion of Anamanaguchi and other elements that also melt right onto my ears perfectly. In this sense, the method that Maeda works perfectly for this album, and I hope that more would come from it this way.

Anyhow, onward to DECALOGUE, it revels in what Alias Conrad Coldwood does in Pepper Steak in a funky jazz style of music. But, the difference is that this feels much purer than Pepper Steak in a way that it fully exposes the madness that lies in the song and gives it the true nature of both comedy and eeriness (not sure if that's the right vibe though...) that makes you giggle at the silly tunes of the songs but at the same time it makes you feel uncertain when your demise would meet. Aside from Les Enfants du Paradis, this is my favourite track in this album.

ULYSSES GAZER, the transition from the comical demise of one from the candyhouse in the middle of the wood and into the transient city that is reminiscent to Railgun (Anime). You're rushing through the city, wallowing in that life you lost in the forest level and now you're being chased by a swarm of hobos that want change. Of course, with each phase that it passes, it sweeps you from the mercantile district into the financial district and into the circus that just strolled into town. With each wavering obstacle that attempt to prevent you from escaping these change hungry hobos. Alas, partway through the song, you are reminded of Blue Stahli from its rockadelic vibe, and once you reach to the end, you realize that you're finally free from the chase. But you look at your surrounding, and you're now lost in the district that is flooded with Gypsies.

Helter Sketler Cha-Cha-Cha, sadly is not what you think it is. It's not a mash-up of Helter Skelter by The Beatles and that dreadful Cha-Cha Slide that seem to pour into everyone's ears back in elementary school during a random day at Phys Ed. But, the song is odd in its own way, and unique. Kinda like how Reizoko Cj would probably do if it collabed Bogdan Raczynski and some street performer inside of a garage. But alas, the oddity leaves me lacking of something to write, but it's alright...I guess?

GALAXY KID 666, it pulls you into the land of anime, and I'm not surprised that it reminds me of an Anime OP, and it does not sound generic for once. Anyhow, I can't pull up any reference that I have for this song, it feels unique despite it sounding anime-ish at the start and the rest of what could have been better used for an anime OP instead of the intro. I'm often reminded of Gurren Lagann as the song progresses, the climax of the ending slowly approaches as the beats goes ballistic and once it calms down, it feels as if the boss changes its form and the battle goes on. And alas, the finale approaches and once you defeat it, everything becomes silent.

And thus, Bohemian Purgatory comes into play. Part 1 reminds you of the desolate wasteland that has brought upon on after the battle ends. Everything is quiet, and the only building that was intact from the aftermath was an abandoned church. You approach it, everything quiet. The gargoyles perched on top of the church, the stain glass illuminates the room from the sunlight. You wander aimlessly, examining the gothic nature of the facility, the chill running down your spine as you press your foot against the kneerest and you hear a click. A door opening up near from where the preacher would give its sermon and you hastily follow the flight of stairs that would lead you into Elysium. Elysium, the garden that lulls in the dead that sought to move onto the afterlife. The raucous nature that is brought forth as you remain still, curious of your surrounding but unsure of what would happen if you moved. And then, you are moving not by your own will, as everything around you distorts to a plight of colours. Red, blue, gree, pink, the colours of the rainbow wrapped around you as static slowly began to envelop your ears and a small piano tune playing in the background transitions into Part 2 of this song. You can faintly make out Frédéric Chopin playing on the piano while triangles and bells dinged around the room that you're brought in all of a sudden. You're unsure what to say as you remain frozen on the floor, the voices ringing in your ears while the tune of what was just Chopin playing a second ago has been fused with a guitar playing, and all of a sudden a kid ringing on the xylophone. You're unsure what goes on as everything changes in a second until you're brought back into the view of Chopin playing on the piano. But that was only a few second of relief until you're brought onto a party that no one seem to notice you as they talk and frolic amongst each other. Then, that is when you realized it, you're stuck in Purgatory. Roaming the lands by yourself, lacking any sort of presence as the dilemma of your fight against GALAXY KID 666 has you fully aware that the fight ended your life. And soon you're transposed into a jazz club. The sax playing in the background lulls you into a false sense of security as you relaxed, unsure what happened as you take a drink of sangria. And once you down it, you're transposed back into the church, hearing the familiar tune playing again until it started to speed a bit before being transposed into Terminal11's lair, the oddity of the music rather brief but you're certain that all this are purgatory in a nutshell, and you are curious to see how you'll escape this madness. But yet, Purgatory doesn't seem to be bad for once. You've always been taught that the afterlife would be eerie, rambunctious, even nightmarish one would say. But Prugatory is just like anywhere else. Its as if the dead are alongside with the living but just like those silly myths of ghosts, you can't be seen. And so you dart out, wanting to live out your fullest in Purgatory as the jazz runs through your spirited body, and soon...everything becomes quiet...Part 3 ensuring the chaotic start that muffles the piano at the start before fading away. I could go on and on writing a complete story out of it but all that what I wrote is what I felt in this song. The madness that lies in each part pulls you into a journey of a dead person going through Purgatory, envisioning you with every last bit of harmony and chaos that lies within this world. And I have to admit, this guy is genius for having a journey transposed into three parts. This is the conclusion of Bohemian Purgatory, and with three more tracks to go, I'm hoping that the ending will live up to this. I hope.

Der Spiegel im Spiegel im Spegiel sounds like a recording session one would do in its spare time, mixing the flavours of each prominent instrument at the start, and nothing really goes on at the start, and as it goes on, it reminds me oddly of Printer Jam, and I guess comparing the two would be most suited for another time. But listening to this and Printer Jam, I can't help but realize the experimental side of this fits slightly off from this album, especially after the ending of Bohemian Purgatory, if anything, if it was placed after The Divine Comedy Reverse then I can understand where its going but I feel like at this point it should transition perfectly after what Bohemian Purgatory did. Well, next song.

The Offering Inferno uses the same piano key that Der Spiegel im Spiegel im Spegiel while adding in vocal samples that reminds of the ending of Kirlian Choices (the start of this song) and what the title implies, it sounds like one of those lost episodes creepypasta that people seem to write about sometimes. Man, I don't get it...and it goes on until 3:20 where it finally introduces instruments again aside from the piano. But I just don't feel it with this song. I just don't. And its kind of sad after such a grant boom that he put in. And thus, cue the chaotic nature that is akin to Terminal11. Next.

And finally, unfinished finale shed, a change in mood from the previous track and the last song of this album. To be fair, I would have scrapped the two previous tracks and after Part 3 ended, transition into this. And I love the serene vibe that it pulls in, and it shows that you truly don't need all that fandangled fusions in order to make the transition perfect. It drops you perfectly onto a comfy chair, letting you relax as a film ended, dropping every last shard of petals around you as you marvel at the beauty of the film. Allowing you to hold the remote and see it again.

Favourite song: Bohemian Purgatory, unfinished finale shed, Les Enfants du Paradis

Score: 9.5/10