An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge

[Nullifidian]

Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge

* DJ SHARPNEL & V.A. - OTAKUSPEEDVIBE [SRPC-0030]

OTAKUSPEEDVIBE - Very inconsistent as a whole, Over The Fullereneshift is probably my favourite Sharpnel track ever but there's a lot of other tracks that bog down my experience. It's better than most Sharpnel releases, but it suffers from the same problem that other Sharpnel albums do. They only have one or two standout tracks, and the others just seem boring in comparison. I gave that a 6/10 I think.

I was wondering why Nick recommended this. I actually agree that this is a very inconsistent album and I wouldn't have recommended it myself. It's imo one of the worst albums on Sharpnelsound. There are a lot more interesting Sharpnelsound albums that are much better than this (like CYCLICK, UG☆PSYCLONE, the early albums from 1998 to 2001 or experimental albums like cotton pantie's albums).

Though I guess you also have to take into consideration that most of the later sharpnelsound albums are compilations of songs that were already released on themed albums (like the kirby remix Green D on SRPC-0027, which was originally released on a kirby remix album and Macau Underground on SRPC-0026 which was originally released on a beauty:burst CD with an old TV show as theme). Out of context a lot of these tracks don't make sense.

[AlexDest]

Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge

hope you haven't actually listened to any Serph albums

[Arkuski]

Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge

all of them

Welp

[Hateandhatred]

Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge

IneartheD - Shining (super mega short album)
Tiny Tim - God Bless Tiny Tim
HOM - Супердиск

[EzExZeRo7497]

Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge

Added.

May 4th, 2014
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ

Rain in England by Lil B (recommended by rayword45)

I really didn't want to review this, along with 05 Fuck Em. Unfortunately the randomizer gave me this album to review so soon.

Sigh... anyway. Rain in England is a cloud rap album from the Based God, Brandon McCartney. He speaks on topics such as family, love and death over bright drones similar to a couple of new age ambient artists.

I don't think you can really call this someone rapping, but rather a self-meditation tape. I really can't find anything interesting to talk about when it comes to this album - whether it's the content or the concept. It's incredibly boring since there's no diversity at all other than his supposedly thought-provoking/surreal lyricism.

Compare it to his cooking songs which are incredibly silly but at the same time entertaining. This is just... something else. I'm too cynical to take these lyrics seriously, especially since it's littered with so many cliches. I honestly have no idea if Lil B is being completely sincere or just being ironic.

I don't hate Lil B though, it's pretty funny to see someone screw with the conventions of hip-hop every now and then. I don't know if this is an attempt to do whatever he would normally do, but this isn't working. It's relaxing at least, but this has to be a joke. Even if it is, it's not a funny one.

Album Highlights: -
Track Average Rating: -
Overall Rating: 2/10

This is also my 666th rating on RYM. All hail the based god.

...I'm also removing 05 Fuck Em from the list. Although from what I've seen it is one of Lil B's better works, 101 tracks of Lil B is something that I don't want to spend my time on. Arkuski, feel free to recommend another album instead.
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ

Pop by Gas

Ooo, ambient. My favourite genre, so I can type a lot more about the album and what I think of it.

Gas is an ambient techno artist hailing from Germany. He gained some popularity with Zauberberg and Konigsforst, which is predominantly ambient techno and minimal techno. Wolfgang takes a step away from his specialty to create his fourth album, Pop. Pop is an ambient album filled with field recordings from nature, with his own flare of ambient techno embedded in some of the tracks.

The first two tracks give you a very clear scene of a forest lush with plants in daylight. There's no one in this place, just you, the quiet sounds of insects and roaring sounds of waterfalls. There's something special about listening to all those intricate details. The textures don't feel artificial, they feel very real and sincere. Although the tracks are very serene, they are incredibly overwhelming. It immerses you into its world within the first minute, which is a very good characteristic for an ambient album. The first track is too short for me to take in everything at first, but the second track is long enough so that everything just soaks into me. It's a wonderful feeling.

The album would be really boring if it's just these two tracks though. As much as I find nature beautiful, there's only so much of the same sound I could take before it becomes bland. Fortunately, it does change in the third track. This track is incredibly subtle, but very startling nonetheless. Hours have passed and the sky is much darker now. The weather isn't friendly either, the sounds of harsh winds start to form in this track. The faint sounds of my pulse tightens up the atmosphere a little, which further enhances the surreal experience.

The fourth track introduces ambient techno into the mix, which isn't something that I'd want with an atmosphere like this. It's very blue in colour and the track as a whole reminds me of Submers by Loscil. It also has the problem that Submers has too; although the sound is breath-taking and rather bleak, but the kick drum is a bit too powerful and changes the atmosphere completely. Instead of fearing for what it's yet to come, it feels like you're in a trance-like state. Doesn't really fit in the album, but it's still a nice listen.

The bizarre change in environment doesn't last for long, the fifth track brings you back into your senses and you're back in nature. Not much time has passed by since your hallucinogenic trip, but the weather has changed drastically. It's pretty cold, but at the same time the atmosphere feels welcoming. It's much quieter than you remembered - the animals are sleeping and the waterfall seems to trickle rather than roar. Pleasant listen, you could almost feel Mother Nature herself hugging you as you soak in everything.

Her warmth dissipitates in the sixth and seventh tracks. The weather is worsening and the winds are becoming relentless. The winds you've experienced in the third track feels like a mellow breeze in comparison. Your anxiety further deepens, now you're shaking in fear. You have nothing to protect yourself, so you have to face whatever is ahead of you very soon. It doesn't help that the danger ahead shows no presence anywhere, so it becomes a far darker experience than you'd ever expect it to be.

Enter the seventh track. Everything you thought about what's coming for you is nothing compared to what's actually incoming. Relentless storms form and unleash their powers, and you have nothing to protect yourself. Your heart is beating fast. You try to run from these storms, sheltering yourself with trees and other natural formations, only for them to be ripped apart by strong winds. You keep repeating the process, until you realise... there's nowhere left to hide. You look at the storm head on and close your eyes. You realise that you were transported here with all its resources destroyed, so you finally accept whatever the storm will take you to; whether it'd be home, another island or a visit to the Grim Reaper.

A little thing to note is that the seventh track also has ambient techno elements, similar to the fourth track. It does fit very well given the track before it though, so it's a problem at all. In fact, the strong kick drum enhances the overwhelming feeling of dread - the main feeling I get from this track in particular.

This album became more of a track by track journal rather than a review, whoops. I think this review shows why I like ambient so much. It's incredibly immersive and it brings you to places that you'd never expect to ever visit. Ambient does the tickets and accommodation for you, you just need to grab your headphones and close your eyes.

The album does feel rather open-ended, an eighth track mirroring the serenity of the first track would make it come full circle. That's the only problem I can think of.
It takes a considerable amount of effort to create such vivid landscapes contrasting in atmosphere so clearly and wonderfully. Although some bits feel rather out of place (the fourth track particularly), they still create a coherent experience that is simply outstanding. Strong contender for a 9, but it might be because I listened to Lil B beforehand, but I doubt it. I'll give this album a few more listens before considering on giving this a higher rating, but it is superb.

Shoutouts to Trogdor!!!! for recommending me this album before I thought of the idea of asking everyone on FFR for music recommendations. I'm glad you noticed me.

Album Highlights: Pop 3, Pop 6, Pop 7
Track Average Rating: 4.14/5
Overall Rating: 8/10

[Arkuski]

Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge

...I'm also removing 05 Fuck Em from the list. Although from what I've seen it is one of Lil B's better works, 101 tracks of Lil B is something that I don't want to spend my time on. Arkuski, feel free to recommend another album instead.

lol completely understandable. I'll add Bon Iver, Bon Iver - Bon Iver

[AlexDest]

Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge

Ad·ver·sary - A Bright Cut Across Velvet Sky
Antigen Shift - The Way Of The North
Clark - Body Riddle
Serph - Vent
Serph - Heartstrings

[rayword45]

Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge

Goddamnit, that's the first of my recommendations that you get? I haven't even listened to that album myself. I just recommended it to be an assfuck.

[GammaBlaster]

Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge

Pantera - Metal Magic
Pantera - Projects In The Jungle
Pantera - I Am The Night
Pantera - Power Metal
Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power
Pantera - Far Beyond Driven
Pantera - The Great Southern Trendkill
Pantera - Reinventing The Steel
Blood On The Dance Floor - Let's Start A Riot
Blood On The Dance Floor - It's Hard To Be A Diamond In A Rhinestone World
Blood On The Dance Floor - The Anthem Of The Outcast
Blood On The Dance Floor - Evolution

[EzExZeRo7497]

Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge

Added Alex's albums.

Pantera - Metal Magic
Pantera - Projects In The Jungle
Pantera - I Am The Night
Pantera - Power Metal
Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power
Pantera - Far Beyond Driven
Pantera - The Great Southern Trendkill
Pantera - Reinventing The Steel
Blood On The Dance Floor - Let's Start A Riot
Blood On The Dance Floor - It's Hard To Be A Diamond In A Rhinestone World
Blood On The Dance Floor - The Anthem Of The Outcast
Blood On The Dance Floor - Evolution

no, listen to any one of them first then get back to me

(I want serious recommendations please, gimmicks are fine but something that isn't supposed to be enjoyed unironically is something that I can't review. BotDF is a given, but recommending the Pantera discography is silly.)

Went through a depersonalisation episode. Reviewing only one album today.

May 5th, 2014
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ

Kollegah by Kollegah (recommended by Coolboyrulez0)

Felix Antoine Blume, better known as Kollegah, is a German rapper. His style of rap is heavily based on gangsta rap and is quite well-known among the German hip-hop community for his speed and punchlines. Kollegah is his second album. I've listened to Kollegah before, any seasoned Stepmania player would've heard some of his songs before. Veni Vidi Vici is fantastic, but just naming one track from him would be pretty sily. His punchlines are insanely good, his speed is ridiculous but his lyrics really exemplify the stereotype of only gangsters liking and producing hip-hop.

Decent production, the beats are pretty attention-grabbing of the album. Kollegah is generally very fluent, even at his fastest - such as the latter half of Kokamuzik. I have to respect that, it's quite the challenge to execute a structure so complicated yet so fast-paced without issue. Even outside his speed though, there are some fantastic tracks. 30.3 is incredibly engaging with its beat and Kollegah's constant upbeat energy. Everything just clicked well in that track, aside from the fact that it ended abruptly anyway.

I really didn't like a couple of parts in the album, such as the autotune in Bad Boy (he's not really good at singing, autotune doesn't help) and the female vocals in Doubletime/Halftime Freestyle. That's not my biggest gripe with the album though...

My biggest problem with this album is the length and variation. 17 tracks? There's very little variation in the album, which really detracts my attention. Some of his punchlines are smart, his rhyme structures are pretty complex, but the content itself doesn't hold my attention. His lyrics are rather bland too - mainly talking about how he is the boss for the most part.

His technical ability is fantastic and he shows that he is a fantastic lyricist. I think he'd do much better if he raps more about something different other than how he's the boss or pimp. He doesn't have to do conscious hip-hop, but at least move out of the "gangsta rap" zone for a bit.

Perhaps it's better to listen to this album in smaller bits, I just can't see myself listening to this again. Some of the tracks aren't engaging at all, but there are also some that are very good. Hmm...

I think a high 5/10 is fine, but this isn't a genre that I'm experienced in. I'm rating this based on how much I liked it, I guess.

Album Highlights: 30.3, Kokamuzik, Herbst
Track Average Rating: -
Overall Rating: 5/10

[Hateandhatred]

Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge

Here's a few more:

Loreena McKennitt - The Journey So Far
Mary Dillon - North
Paul Gilbert & Jimi Kidd - Raw Blues Power
Boris Berezovsky - Rachmaninov: Concertos pour piano 1 & 4
Galneryus - The Flag Of Punishment
Ewan Dobson - Ewan Dobson
Kylähullut - Peräaukko Sivistyksessä

That makes 10, was tryna be diverse. Have fun!

EDIT: Fuck it, I'll add a pop album.

Sia - Some People Have Real Problems

There.

[EzExZeRo7497]

Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge

May 6th, 2014
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ

1996 by Ryuichi Sakamoto
Ryuichi Sakamoto is a profilic musician, responsible for the film scores for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence and The Last Emperor. His music is very diverse in terms of genres, spanning from contemporary classical to ambient to glitch. He's also a member of the Yellow Magic Orchestra, which is an influential innovator in the field of popular electronic music.

A lot of these pieces remind me very strongly of JRPGs and even some classic anime series. 1919, for example, is incredibly reminiscent of the Final Fantasy games (X specifically), at least for me. It's very cinematic despite the instrumentation being subtle, which is great. Although I don't personally enjoy it so much, it's still really interesting that Sakamoto was able to create such tension with so little.

The shining star here is of course, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence. It is based on the original track, a mellow yet sombre piece of music which is... tear-jerking to say the least. While I don't think this arrangement has done the original justice, it is still really good.

While it is certainly magical, I just can't get into it. Its presence is not strong enough, and at its strongest, it only lasts for very brief. A Day A Gorilla Gives A Banana shows this issue the most. Although there are a few moments that are brilliant, it becomes something completely different within seconds. Variance is nice of course, but switching that often is just ridiculous.

Although the pieces are all over the emotional spectrum, none of these pieces create much of a dent for me to experience these emotions first-hand. I could see that Sakamoto is trying to convey this, I just don't feel it. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence seems to be the only exception, but I think it was mainly because the original is incredibly powerful to begin with.

Interestingly enough, I've thought 88 by Kashiwa Daisuke (another modern classical album, but more minimal) is also not strong enough at first. It grew a lot on me since then, so perhaps this one might too. I doubt it though, I think the album is a bit too unfocused, long-winded and generally too vibrant for me to really enjoy.

Album Highlights: Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, The Sheltering Sky Theme
Track Average Rating: 2.88/5
Overall Rating: 5.5/10
ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ

Body Riddle by Clark (recommended by AlexDest)
First time listening to Clark, although I've heard his name being thrown around here and there. Body Riddle is an IDM album with downtempo and nu-jazz elements.

This album baffles me. As much as I'm into IDM in general, this album is really something that I can't put my finger on. In some moments the album reminds me of a far rougher Flashbulb and Boards of Canada, but it's hard to give an actual comparison. I'd say the best way of describing it would be the playfulness of Aphex Twin with some warmth from BoC occasionally, but that's still not necessarily correct. But still, they're both artists that... I'm not fond of at all.

I think the album is a little bit too ambitious. While it is filled with complex rhythms and is very colourful, I can't really see any base. The sound is incredibly dense, filled with tons of twists and turns. Exciting? Absolutely. Engaging? Not really. Tracks like Ted which are slightly less ambitious turned out to be some of my favourite parts of the album. It is a pretty good mixture of dense sound and accessibility, which makes it a fantastic tune. Can't quite say the same for the other tracks though.

The album has some tranquil tunes (Matthew Unburdened) to tracks that I could barely understand (Frau Wav). I tend to prefer the ones that are in between, they're either too hollow to really cause an emotional effect or too dense for me to appreciate otherwise. Most of the tracks seem to lean towards one side of the spectrum though, so I can't really like them to large extents.

I think I would've enjoyed this a lot more years ago, during the phase when I was mainly into breakcore and IDM. I still like those genres, but I really don't like them as much as I used to. This album, although a wonderful effort, just doesn't do it for me at all. I can't quite see it as a grower too, so I don't think I'll listen to this again. Anyway, I don't think the album is bad. Just something that I don't think I'd have any interest in listening to again. I could imagine people who are into more experimental electronic music (or at least into BoC/Aphex Twin) to enjoy this more than I did.

Album Highlights: Ted
Track Average Rating: 2.55/5
Overall Rating: 4.5/10

Also reduced Pop's rating to 8.0. As much as I find the tracks fantastic, they're really too rich for me to listen to all at once a second time. I really have to be the right mood for an album like that - otherwise I wouldn't enjoy it so much and just stop halfway through.

[omega_grunt666]

Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge

Never got around to thanking you for the review, thanks for putting up with it hah.

I have some "real" recommendations:

1. Infected Mushroom - Friends On Mushrooms Vol. 2
2. Massive Attack - Mezzanine
3. The Crystal Method - London
4. Jack Conte - VideoSongs Volume 2
5. Pomplamoose - Tribute to Famous People
6. Joe Satriani - Surfing With The Alien
7. Eric Johnson - Ah Via Musicom
8. Priestess - Hello Master
9. Pearl Jam - Ten

[James May]

Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge

1. Alias Conrad Coldwood - Crying Girls
2. Pyongyang Hardcore Resistance - Corea
3. toe + toki asako - HUSKING BEE TRIBUTE ALBUM
4. Shnabubula - NES Jam
5. Blitz Lunar - Triptunes
6. Various Artists - Up (the one with Mathsma Attack, not the Disney one lmao)
7. Various Artists - Equilibrium

[xVaLoRx]

Re: An Album A Day Keeps The Doctor Away | 365 Album Challenge

Kid606 - PS I Love You
Kid606 - The Soccergirl EP
Cex - Role Model
Squarepusher - Hard Normal Daddy

also one to add to this list: Hrvatski - Remixplosion

some real hidden gems on that album