beni

For anyone interested, the soundtracks to Golden Axe I & II will be released on vinyl this saturday  by Data-Discs.
 
Limited Edition Translucent Gold with Purple Swatches

 
Translucent Gold

 

My reaction to this whole FF15 thing mounts to this....
 

 
I'm also really burnt out by seeing anything related to FF15. There's far too much hype around it and it makes me expect it'll pull a No Man's Sky, except the game most likely won't be as bad or broken as that. I've seen the anime. The animation is decent but nothing worth writing home about. The movie I could care even less about seeing it since I have to drive my way out to select theaters. I think both the anime and movie should've been an afterthought. It's ridiculous that Square Enix expects this game to sell 10 million copies, and that's in full price sales, no discounts.
 
The only way I'm gonna play this game is wait for the PC release and wait for the price to go down under $20.

How much Japanese do you know?
 

 
Poll suggested by the always glorious @fitear1590!
 
To submit a poll for the MH POLL OF THE MONTH, P.M @beniwith your poll question, choices, and state whether it's multiple choice or not.

【作品情報】 
青葉市子 『マホロボシヤ』　　
2016年10月19日(水)発売
 
１. the end
２. ゆさぎ
３. マホロボシヤ
４. 氷の鳥
５. おめでとうの唄
６. ゆめしぐれ
７. うみてんぐ
８. 太陽さん
９. コウノトリ
１０. 神様のたくらみ
１１. 鬼ヶ島
 
CD VICL-64676　\2,700（税込）　(CD COVER)
デジパック仕様
 

 
アナログ VIJL-60179 \3,024(税込) (VINYL COVER)
 

 
https://twitter.com/ichikoaoba
https://www.facebook.com/ichikoaoba.info
https://www.instagram.com/ichikoaoba/
http://ichikoaoba.com/

I've updated and completely overhauled my post finally!  I didn't think my initial rating were subjective enough.
 
An interesting observation:  this is my second year constructing one of these "listen logs" if you will, and in both years, I've noticed that the lower rankings in my lists hold the bulk of releases. It makes me wonder if in previous years my lists would have looked any different - and my intuition tells me they would have. If my year-end lists are any indication, it seems like I enjoy less and less new music as the years pass by. My theory for this is that I think I've listened to soooooooo many albums and artists (i'm going to assume somewhere over 6000 artists - this is my ballpark estimate assuming I never reset my old last.fm account and in addition to my new one), that the musical template in my brain has built up to a point where it's difficult for novel music to leave much of an impression. I suppose this might be a long way to say that I've become more picky, or perhaps my taste has become more precise. hmm..

How much Japanese do you know?
 

 
Poll suggested by the always glorious @fitear1590!
 
To submit a poll for the MH POLL OF THE MONTH, P.M @beniwith your poll question, choices, and state whether it's multiple choice or not.

How much Japanese do you know?
 

 
Poll suggested by the always glorious @fitear1590!
 
To submit a poll for the MH POLL OF THE MONTH, P.M @beniwith your poll question, choices, and state whether it's multiple choice or not.

How much Japanese do you know?
 

 
Poll suggested by the always glorious @fitear1590!
 
To submit a poll for the MH POLL OF THE MONTH, P.M @beniwith your poll question, choices, and state whether it's multiple choice or not.

How much Japanese do you know?
 

 
Poll suggested by the always glorious @fitear1590!
 
To submit a poll for the MH POLL OF THE MONTH, P.M @beniwith your poll question, choices, and state whether it's multiple choice or not.

Some select songs by lynch. and the GazettE, mostly more recent stuff - "EVOKE" and "DERACINE" respectively are good ones for me lately. I probably listen to these bands more when I'm exercising than I do at other times.
 
Most of ling tosite sigure's upbeat tracks work really well for me as well, especially songs from later in their career where the production is much better, and much more effective.
 
Other than that, the J-rock songs on my workout playlist are mostly just random, "intense" songs from a variety of other bands. ATATA's "General Headquarters", Boris' "Vanilla", girugamesh's "gravitation', Psysalia Psysalis Psyche's "SUBWAY KILLER" to name a few. I'm not too picky as long as the energy is good.

八十八ヶ所巡礼
(88kasyo junrei)
 

OHP | TWITTER
Margaret (Vo.&Ba.)
Katzuya Shimizu(Gt.)
Kenzoooooo (Dr.)
 
Rock band formed in Tokyo in 2006.
 
Albums:
[2009.04.29]  八十八ヶ所巡礼ファーストEP

[2009.08.08]  八十八ヶ所巡礼ファースト・ミニ・アルバム

[2010.08.18]  八＋八

[2011.08.18]  SYG88

[2012.08.08]  ○△□

[2013.09.11]  0088

[2014.08.08]  攻撃的国民的音楽

[2015.08.18]  日本
 
 
Videos:
 
 
 
 
 
 
W00000! I felt compelled to make an artist thread for one of my favs! Who else enjoys this band? As per usual, what are everyone's favorite albums and tracks? 
Perhaps we can all get together to start a prayer circle and pray they release a new album soon!!!  

@CAT5

I love you Orchestra will release their 3rd album "crack" on September 14, 2016!
 

 
2016/09/14
2,160円
RAGC-12
【トラックリスト】
01. Universe 
02. Sunshine Freeway 
03. Spoooon 
04. Herb Is Justice 
05. SAKURA 
06. bye bye, your yesterdays 
07. 兼六園 (Full ver.) 
08. OFF LIMIT 
09. Frankensteiner 
10. Fuck Bumpkin Fuck 
11. Crack Bonus Track 
12. small money, sweet honey (絶叫する60度ver.)
 
 

http://kagero.jp/ilyo/
https://twitter.com/ilyo_official
https://www.facebook.com/iloveyouorchestra/

^ Shush. I meant Game Boy. X'D

The ultimate gaming question, WHICH HASN'T BEEN ASKED BEFORE!? We may have had similar threads, but nothing with asking this in particular. So, what do you personally prefer? Do you have any reason why? Or are you not fussed, or can't even decide? Has one got more of the games you love?
 
Feel free to discuss and debate!

When MoNoLith were around, Takafumi listened to my Dress cover and answered "GREEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAATTTTT (*insert happy kaomoji here*)". My life almost ended there because I couldn't believe.

I don't usually interact with artists, but once I sent a facebook message to Futurism Boyz and got a reply. The hilarious thing is, that I sent them a message in broken Japanese (with an English translation below it in case my Japanese was absolutely atrocious) and they replied back with broken Finnish. I don't even know why, but hey, I'm not complaining. They obviously went the extra mile for their fan. 
 
Another occasion can not really be described much as interaction. KAMELEO's Hikaru used to tell everyone good night in his twitter and would include a lot of different languages, so I went ahead and told him how to say good night in Finnish and next time he said good night he included it. That was nice. Also one night he only said good night in Finnish. XD This was right after I heard some fans had showed tits on their gig, so... Ima gonna go ahead and assume they were Finns.

Being a bit brave and coming back here with a different opinion (and having really wanted to catch up with the other new posts here).
I remember reading possibly on here or on last.fm about unknown VK bands, the indie ones, which only have released a couple of tracks and even disbanded. I get told a lot that there's always a reason a band is popular, and that I agree on of course. What I don't agree with is these small indie bands being called insignificant or bad. They should all be given a chance and since they're just starting out, they haven't even shown what they're all made of. Of course I'm guessing why most wouldn't bother with these little groups is because they probably all sound/look the same. But to me, (another unpopular opinion maybe?), the majority of bands which are major do not sound as inspiring and individual as these smaller groups. I really can't say I'm absolutely certain of this one to be honest, since I don't listen to a load of indie ones (and I'm like 99% wrong all the time), I feel like I'm letting out some steam or ranting after reading some negative responses to small bands. I mean, they were just starting out, every band becomes better over time. (ANOTHER unpopular opinion? xD) This is totally not aimed at anyone by the way, even if you disagree.
 
Oh yeah, I just remembered another one after looking through the thread again. And this one I'm not too worried or scared about saying because I totally stand by this and maybe it's not that unpopular. About when and how a band changes their style/music direction, I think that's always a good thing. Even if it's executed badly. This is because I think the band are showing that they're really trying to do their best, trying different styles, trying to be individual and out there. It's a breath of fresh air and also could even bring in more fans with a different style, and make comparing their old and new work interesting. To me, it's got a lot of pluses even if they're not as good as before. I'm sure everyone who's still reading have a couple of bands in mind about this one. xD

| Remembering DIV's finest release—so close to a ONE ZERO /10

Last week, DIV blindsided fans by delivering a crushing blow. After four years, they are calling it quits due to the classic ‘musical differences’ excuse, though in this instance the argument is actually plausible. Their recent releases have been delving ever deeper into a self-coined EDR (‘electronic dance rock’) sound—one that bassist Chobi and drummer Satoshi obviously weren’t too keen on. In their remembrance, I am revisiting my old review of ZERO ONE, their first full album and my favorite CD of theirs back in the day. Released back in October 2013, just a year and a half into DIV’s career, ZERO ONE is mighty impressive for a debut album.  In fact, it’s just an excellent rock album, period!  And this is coming from someone who started off with a very lukewarm impression of the band. Let me tell you, I did not care for their debut mini-album, 無題のドキュメント (mudai no document).  The following four singles thankfully showed progress—albeit inconsistent—but they were enough to string me along and keep me excited enough for whatever they had in store next. Thankfully, I stuck around for ZERO ONE, because it has proven to be the glorious culmination of all the band’s potential.
 
 
Early on in their career, I remember thinking DIV had some composition issues; single “夏の行方 (natsue no yukue)” and its B-side “蛍火 (hotarubi)” had almost identical choruses. That’s unacceptable, especially on a three song single! This has been addressed over time and I can say that the band is in top form on this release.  There’s plenty of variety with well-composed, bright pop-rock tunes like “ZERO ONE” as well as heavier and more melancholic, alternative tracks like “VANISH.”  Unlike many other VK bands that actually make it to the full album stage, DIV didn’t feel the need to pad their tracklist with the obligatory ‘experimental’ mainstays we all know like out-of-place ‘jazzy’ track or ‘heavy-repetitive-track-with-growling/screaming-throughout.’  I honestly congratulate that songwriting restraint so hard to come by in this scene.
 
On top of better compositions, DIV have shown some massive progress in their electronic arrangements, which were pretty uninspired and lacking in their earliest releases (especially when compared to Danger Crue labelmates and synth-afficionados, UNiTE.).  Whereas 無題のドキュメント featured an unnecessary SE track with aimless chiptune bleeps, there’s a lovely ‘galactic’ synth sound that permeates most of this album. Sometimes, it lends an epic quality to the music, while at other times, it creates a fun, light atmosphere like in the infectious “Chocolate Prayer.”  The EDM-instrumental track “interlude” leads gorgeously into “ASTERIOS” and the subsequent chaotic screeching and dubsteppy ‘wub wub’ sounds are well-executed, mainly because they are used very sparingly.  That and the autotune (another thing I generally find obnoxious) in “Teddy” are tastefully done.
 
One of the things that really sets DIV apart from most of the VK world is Chisa’s voice.  He’s not your typical, nasally, whiny, over-exaggerated VK singer.  He has a very ‘normal’ (yet capable) voice and somehow that works for the band and keeps them grounded.  He’s able to serenade us with dramatic ballads like “I swear,” to get us moving to catchy tunes like “Chocolate Prayer,” and to evoke hella emotion in heavy tracks like album-opener “VANISH.”  If there’s one thing that could still use work, it’s his growling.  He sounds like he’s straining himself a little bit, sometimes like he’s ‘barfing’ out his words.  But once again, he doesn’t overuse harsh vocals, so this is hardly a problem.
 
If I have one complaint about this album, it’s the choice of old singles to include.  “夏の行方” is a solid enough choice (though as unrealistic as it is, I would’ve absolutely preferred the aforementioned B-side), but I find “SEASONS” and “ANSWER” to be two of the bands weakest singles.  “SEASONS” has so much that I should love (the twinkly, soft piano throughout), but the ‘hooo-oooh’ background voice annoys me and I find the bouncy guitar riff that leads us into the verse to be so insipid—it’s all too clinical, compared to the slightly messier original version of the song by Chisa’s ex-band NEXX. “TASTE OF LIFE,” a fun little pop-rock ditty would have been a better fit, since there were some other poppy songs on the album and they worked just fine. Not to mention, that would have made 1000% more sense than actually including that single (released before ZERO ONE) on their second album, and, btw, not rerecorded... but I digress.  “ANSWER,” their debut song, is a track I find decent at best.  It could’ve benefited from an arrangement overhaul, considering the band’s newfound mastery of the synths, but alas… This rerecording doesn’t sound very different.  In fact, none of them really do. The only major difference I could detect was the background arrangement of "SEASONS" sounded (unfortunately) more subdued in certain parts. But if the album’s biggest weakness is its old songs, that’s probably a good sign of the pure progress the band is making!

Since the success of ZERO ONE, DIV have released even more singles, as well as a second full-album (SECRET: see @doombox's review) and second mini-album (EDR TOKYO: see @CAT5's review). So has this album stood the test of time? There has undoubtedly been some brilliant work released after ZERO ONE, with tracks like the darkly beautiful “BUTTERFLY DREAMER,” the electro-gasmic “東京、熱帯夜につ (tokyo nettaiya ni tsuki),” and my absolute favorite: the unmatched heavenly dreamscape of “漂流彼女 (hyouryuu kanojo).” Moreover, all of these songs have visually stunning PVs, showing further refinement in the band's aesthetic—seriously, go watch them right now. And yet, if I had to choose, I still consider ZERO ONE to be DIV’s flagship release. Why? Because it’s just that, a cohesive release. Comparatively, DIV’s second album was merely a collection of old singles and mostly forgettable new tracks. I've never subscribed to the glorification of the album as the one and only format for ‘real’ music fans, but if I were forced to do a ranking of VK albums, I’m sure ZERO ONE would be up there. No other VK band has been as deft at incorporating electronic arrangements into rock music as DIV and ZERO ONE is the release where they finally realized this sound. They've left an indelible impact on the scene and will truly be missed.

PS: If you haven't checked out DIV yet, their discography has recently been made available for streaming on Spotify and other services!
 

Support the band!
Spotify | CDJapan | Amazon.jp

Racism is a very real issue, but all of this fuss about Ellen is pure nonsense. It's literally just people jumping at shadows. The people who know what's REALLY going on definitely aren't sitting on twitter or social media playing who can be the biggest SJW race baiting dipshit. And they definitely aren't concerned about a mere joke that some comedian made.
 
 
Art doesn't need reason!  

Bumping this again in the hope more'll come in because I don't want this thread to die! More fab kyary which is more relevant to the thread and the time of year compared to my last post haha. Puns are just too good.
 

I'm yellow, bitches!

@Carmelzors- tons of cool picks on your list, and some that we share in common! Pleasantly surprised to see stuff like めめ and ゑでぃまぁこん mentioned since you don't see acts like this brought up very often. " EGO-WRAPPIN' AND THE GOSSIP OF JAXX" I also wanted to include, but I went with "merry merry" since we could only do one album per artist - and I can't really choose between the two!
 
@indigo - also fantastic picks. I FREAKING FORGOT TO INCLUDE OWARIKARA!! Was going to include "door tachi", but apparently I got mixed up somewhere along the way and forgot about it. fffffff. I didn't include THE BACK HORN, but if I did, THAT would be the album!!! SuiseiNoboAz, jinmenusagi, Boris, Merry, EVISBEATS...the list of goodies is endless.
 
@hiroki- I think the only album i've listened to from yours is DIV's "zero one". Gonna miss those guys!
 
@plastic_rainbow- very nice list. I wanted to include three releases by THE NOVEMBERS too, haha! "to (melt into)" is would DEFINITELY be in my top too!
 
@beni &  @doombox - also great lists! I was gonna make mine in a similar fashion at first, but then changed my mind. 100 is a bit more restraining than I thought it would be - now that I finished, i'm remembering all the stuff I forgot to include. XD Maybe I'll do another in the future, so I can go ham with all the different releases I love by the same artists too.
 
Really cool to see everyone's respective tastes!