Need music recommendations | 1 year challenge

[Master Aqua]

Re: Need music recommendations | 1 year challenge

I'd like to recommend one

My favorite album,

Emarosa- Relativity

[noname219]

Re: Need music recommendations | 1 year challenge

Added everything so far. Will look into Syndrone but I won't make a review.

@ Master Aqua : didn't find your birthday, I can reserve your recommendation for that date

[t-rogdor]

Re: Need music recommendations | 1 year challenge

yo i don't think i've hit my recommendation limit yet so, you should review Can- Monster Movie

[Master Aqua]

Re: Need music recommendations | 1 year challenge

Well my Birthday just passed xD Its October 6! So its gonna be a while :3

[noname219]

Re: Need music recommendations | 1 year challenge

Day Seven - December 7th, 2013
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Nuojuva Halava by Ous Mal (recommended by Kekeb)

1. Marraskuu
2. Parveke
3. Tuulensuoja
4. Viima
5. Vaskiset Kielet
6. Kumiseva
7. Kotiin
8. Merilaulu
9. Ystävä
10. Talviaamu
11. Aamubussi

This will be a light review.

Ous Mal (Olli Aarni) is a finnish musician specialized in sampling ambient landscapes. In 2011, he decided to change his name to Nuojuva, a name shared by his second album Nuojuva Halava.

It's a very moody album. Textures have a strong presence, drones are used as background, a lot of various sounds for the foreground. There's maybe too much of a dissimilarity between those different sounds everywhere. It creates confusion along the way, not the impression I was hoping for. Most of the time, the album is enjoyable and natural. Very few times, it becomes oppressing, like in the extremely noisy end of Kumiseva. Very contrasting with the majority of the album. The use of the acoustic guitar (a kantele probably) is pleasant albeit not dominant.

Marraskuu sets the mood very well. A very subtle melody hiding behind a discordant wall. In Viima, the use of the vocals gave it a very post-rock sound. The change of atmosphere in Kumiseva at 2:55 is greatly timed, but soon after, at 5:45, the disc scratches are deeply unpleasant. Merilaulu is the most cohesive. Violin and piano always work together and this song is no exception. A bit later, you hear drums for the first time, for a short time. One of my favourite here.

There were some good passages on this album, they come and fade away slowly. Agreeable, but didn't move me a lot.

That was a light album.

My rating : ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

(should be 6½ stars, I just don't want to use halves)

[freakysnots]

Re: Need music recommendations | 1 year challenge

Here are some bands not mentioned yet.

Buckethead - Electric Sea

The Cult - Sonic Temple

[Kekeb]

Re: Need music recommendations | 1 year challenge

Agreeable, but didn't move me a lot.

That was a light album.

You pretty much summed up my feelings on the album. Although the sounds that aren't cohesive (like within the ending of Kotiin or Kumiseva) are what allow it to stick out, in my mind, more easily than a typical ambient release. Thanks for writing your thoughts.

[XCV]

Re: Need music recommendations | 1 year challenge

you've probably already heard a couple of these, but hey

Amon Tobin - ISAM
Anamanaguchi - Power Supply
Aphex Twin - SAW 85-92
Apparat - Walls
DJ Shadow - Endtroducing.....
The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
Tortoise - TNT
Various Artists - Homestuck volume 8

my vaginal egression day is the seventh of the tenth

[noname219]

Re: Need music recommendations | 1 year challenge

Day Eight - December 8th, 2013
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Weapon in Mind by Maria Mena (recommended by moches)

1. Interesting
2. Fuck You
3. All the Love
4. I Always Liked That
5. Madness
6. I Love You Too
7. You Make Me Feel Good
8. Caught Off Guard, Floored by Love
9. You're All Telling Stories
10. Lover Let Me In
11. I'm Only Human
12. You Hurt the Ones You Love (I Don't Believe That)
13. The End

Maria Mena, a pop singer/songwriter, is well-known in Norway, her country of origin. She had a number of hits since her first album in 2002, receive a couple Norwegian Grammy trophies, several international award nominations and even made an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman.

I'm not surprised she gained this notoriety. It's very accessible contemporary pop music pleasing to the masses. The instrumentation (mostly piano, some orchestral moments, a few electronic passages) revolves mainly around the vocals. She has a nice tone of voice, although not hugely powerful, like in the chorus of Interesting where her voice is close to break. An exception because on most of the songs, she doesn't go beyond her capabilities. She's aware at what she can achieve and that is perfectly fine. The songwriting is consistent, but nothing extraordinary. It's slightly superior to most pop musicians, assuming she writes everything all by herself.

The vocals were, at times, treated electronically. See the chorus of All the Love, it's weird and interesting at the same time. Or, in You Hurt the Ones You Love, it's subtle, but creates something. It's those little things I wished she could embrace more into her music : that would makes her more unique and noteworthy. Madness shows some cool reverbed-guitar chords, crossing the line with indie pop. Too bad we don't hear any of this anywhere else. You're All Telling Stories has an appealing vocal trance induced section. And, the orchestra in You Hurt the Ones You Love sounds way too minimal, it should have more span.

So in the end, the music shows some potential even though it's not really my thing. I think she's trying to please to the most people possible and that makes her music suffer, it comes out bland. Excepting the songs I've bolded, most of it is skippable.

My rating : ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Btw, 3 birthdays in a row in October (5 to 7) : Crazyjayde, Master Aqua, XCV.

[noname219]

Re: Need music recommendations | 1 year challenge

Day Nine - December 9th, 2013
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City of Evil by Avenged Sevenfold (recommended by Poison-)

1. Beast and the Harlot
2. Burn It Down
3. Blinded in Chains
4. Bat Country
5. Thrashed and Scattered
6. Seize the Day
7. Sidewinder
8. Wicked End
9. Strength of the World
10. Betrayed
11. MIA

Avenged Sevenfold is an American band fusing heavy metal with metalcore. Their lineup changed a bit, their drummer (The Rev) notably died from an overdose in 2009, Mike Portnoy replaced him for a short period of time until they found a permanent drummer. City of Evil was released in 2005.

I had some preconceptions about the band prior listening to this. I never found them particularly good. I remember them as moderately annoying even if I knew they could pull off some good tunes from time to time. After giving this album one spin, I can't say my impressions changed. There's no very bad songs on this album, there's even a few standouts. Beast and the Harlot is the highlight of the album, their best song probably. Bat Country has a strong chorus with a memorable melody. Thrashed and Scattered is enjoyable with a decent guitar work. In my memory, Seize the Day sounded more cringeworthy than I though, but it's actually a nice ballad with a stellar guitar solo. In MIA, at 4:10, the singer screams out of tune, not once but twice in a row. Soon after, another outsanding guitar solo.

What irks me about the drum is the snare. It probably comes from the smallest drum kit ever. Really not fitting and a source of distraction. The singer has the type of voice you either love or hate. Personnally, I didn't like his voice. He sounds whiny : it's more evident in the verses of Burn It Down or in the middle of Strength of the World. What really stand above the rest of the band is the guitarist. His parts are really what give the band its flavor.

My eyes are burrrrrning btw, gonna stop my review there. I said pretty much everything I had to say.

My rating : ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

[rayword45]

Re: Need music recommendations | 1 year challenge

I remember my experience with this band.

*listen to Beast and the Harlot on GHII* "Fuck yeah this is awesome!"
*listens to other stuff* Wow... This is really... Eh.

[Tibbers]

Re: Need music recommendations | 1 year challenge

Igorrr - Hallelujah

[noname219]

Re: Need music recommendations | 1 year challenge

jeez can't wait to hear your thoughts on Floral Shoppe after that review

Day Ten - December 10th, 2013
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Floral Shoppe by Macintosh Plus (recommended by Arkuski)

1. ブート
2. リサフランク420 / 現代のコンピュー
3. 花の専門店
4. ライブラリ
5. 地理
6. ECCOと悪寒ダイビング
7. 数学
8. 待機
9. て

I have the impression that trying to encapsulate a specific era of music is "easier" (for the lack of a better word) than trying to do something completely new. Not that it doesn't necessarily mean there's no effort involved, it's simply demonstrative of how a lot of past musical styles that received attention fall into a comfort-zone for newer artists. Of course, every artist has incorporated influences in their own workflow, it just happens some are more attentive on how those influences should affect their output. However, I found that the most interesting musicians aren't those who copy exactly what was done in the past but, those who interpret in their own words a particular style in order to bring nostalgic elements. In other words : "how can you improve it?"

So, the question I had in mind while listening to this album : is it trying to reach that particular goal ? What's the point in trying to make the 90s new again ? Or, am I even asking the right questions ? From what I've understand, the concept behind vaporwave is to accelerate capitalism to make it dissolute. Basically, the worst enemy of capitalism is itself. Something like that. Alright, fine. Does it make any sense ? I have my doubts. How can you work against something by strengthening its values ? This whole concept (accelerationism) is a funny questioning about capitalism, except it doesn't make much sense to me.

Note that I said nothing about the music yet because, in this case, it serve as a messenger only. On its own, it has no purpose and becomes an orphan, much like an empty shell. It has its merits, is enjoyable most of the time and the funk and jazz influences are stylish. リサフランク420 / 現代のコンピュー (track 2) is quite relaxing and the end is a complete and chaotic deconstruction. I also liked the sudden tempo changes, in 花の専門店 (track 3) and in ライブラリ (track 4), it does bring dynamism. ECCOと悪寒ダイビング (track 6) and 数学 (track 7) are two other pleasant ambient tracks.

The thing I haven't said : I didn't know what was the "goal" behind vaporwave while I was listening to this. I thought it was a tribute to the cheesy music of the 90s, that's all, end of the line. The fact that I didn't discern the concept of accelerationism before I read some articles is what really make its rating suffer. After all, that's the sole point of vaporwave.

My rating : ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

[L.B.D.D]

Re: Need music recommendations | 1 year challenge

5/10 wrecked

[noname219]

Re: Need music recommendations | 1 year challenge

I gave it 5 pink stars, it's not that bad.