Jump to content
Monochrome Heaven is closed. We have moved to JROCK ONE.

SoulTheBaka

Hot People
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content Count

    61

  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by SoulTheBaka

  3. Posted · Edited by SoulTheBaka

    I liked the album, but my expectations were sooooo high that, as a successor to ANGELS, I still find myself disappointed with this new album. I have to salute the experimental side of this album, where they really continued to vary in all their pop tracks. However, what I loved about ANGELS was that this more pop, industrial side blended perfectly with what they did in their previous albums. In ATB, I find that their pop side """dominates""" too much on their rock side. I really enjoyed listening to poppy songs like 消失点 or 楽園, and even more the hardest songs like 理解者 and Hamletmachine but as an album in its own right, I don't find the same satisfaction as with ANGELS.

     

    edit: Like every Novembers album, it's growing on me with every listening!

  10. Posted

    Yeah this performance is really crazy! The aesthetics are really awesome (with the Tokyo Tower in the landscape) and even mixed with incredible musicianships (like the looper or the didgeridoo) it gives a really impressive atmosphere, that's pure magic. They are really incredible in concert, I would dream to see them one day!

     

    I discovered them with Silence Will Speak which I really liked but it was really KLUE that blew my mind. I mean, it's April 2020 but I already have the impression that, both musically and lyrically, this album will become a reference for the new underground japanese artists and bands of the decade. I'm less receptive to their more punk, alternative rock period (second and third album) but even these albums really impressed me.

     

     

  11. Posted

     

    Remember this festival was organized after a cancellation due to typhoon Hagibis. In less than 24 hours, they were able to convince one dozen of rooms to open their doors. Over 3000 spectators in central Tokyo for an incredible festival.

  12. Posted

    And for the latest news, they recently posted a new song called Shoumei which will be part of an omnibus album for financial support to Namba Beats, a livehouse in Osaka. (in the same line as KLUE, I loved it!)

     


    As in KLUE, GEZAN once again calls on the people to express their dissatisfaction. This time, the song contains a rabid text against the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, considered too lax about the covid-19 management. The lyrics are available in English on Youtube, I suggest them a lot to be able to understand what they say.

  13. Posted · Edited by SoulTheBaka

    KLUE is currently my AOTY so far and GEZAN is really starting to gain popularity actually. And since I have seen almost nothing about GEZAN on MH, I thought it was a good idea to start this topic.

     

     

    GEZAN

    2009~

     

    noise rock, alternative rock, neo-psychedelia, post-hardcore, art rock...

    8n1VtVOE.jpeg

     

    Mahito the People | vocals, guitar

    Eagle Taka | guitar

    Carlos Ozaki | bass

    Ishihara Loscal | drums | 2017~

     

    Shark Yasue | drums | 2009~2016

     

    Formed at Osaka in 2009, GEZAN (下山 at the time) got its start in noise rock at Namba Bears, a famous underground livehouse in the Namba district of Osaka, and notably obtained the approval of the masters of Japanese psychedelia like Acid Mothers Temple. The band's reputation is mainly due to the vehement performances which the members demonstrate on stage. After a first album Katsute Uta to Iwareta Sore in 2012, which tries to synthesize this chaotic scenic energy, the band is offered the opportunity to play at the Fuji Rock on the Rookie A Go-Go stage, dedicated to emerging artists, showing the meteoric rise of the quartet. Around the same time, GEZAN gradually began to shift the center of its activities to Tokyo, until finally settling in the capital.

     

    Gradually, the band changed its tone and composed songs that wanted to be more catchy, approaching somewhat the standards of the dominant music industry. The result, in 2014, was the release of the second album called 凸 -DECO- which turned out to be more consensual. However, the underground identity of GEZAN is not tainted, like with the concert the same year at Shinjuku Loft, a famous underground livehouse in the Kabukichō district of Tokyo, where the band shares the poster with Jun Togawa, iconic singer of 1980s and major figure of the Japanese avant-garde.

     

    The release in 2016 of the third album NEVER END ROLL demonstrates that GEZAN is now akin to the punk scene and finds uniqueness through the easily recognizable voice of Mahito the People. Although the album is a little less popular with fans, songs like wasted youth or blue hour have become emblematic songs of the band.

     

    After the release of a single Absolutely Imagination in 2017, GEZAN marks a new musical change, remembering its first album, with the release in October 2018 of Silence Will Speak. Besides the fact that this fourth album is recorded by the famous Steve Albini, Silence Will Speak maintains a strong relationship with the United States. The documentary Documentary of GEZAN: Tribe Called Discord released in June 2019 traces this link by following the members of GEZAN during their American tour where the band confronts the societal reality of the country through meetings with the differents people and classes living in the country. The result is therefore an album showing new maturity, moving away from punk and turning to more visceral sounds, while mixing various musical genres as evidenced by the songs NO GOD or BODY ODD.

     

    This musical development is a first step leading to the release in January 2020 of the group's latest album KLUE. True mix between rock, punk, dub or even psychedelia, this fifth album mixes heavy riffs with hypnotic loops, tribal rhythms and guttural songs. Like the "We can’t stand, we need a change" lyrics concluding the song Tokyo shows, this fifth album by GEZAN is also characterized by the political scope of its lyrics. As all the lyrics of the album available in English on Bandcamp shows, GEZAN delivers a message of rebellion to its listeners, a notable fact in a overall depoliticized country.

     

    In addition to his own career, GEZAN has also established itself as a major player on the underground scene through the creation of Jusangatsu Records, an independent label. Although the label is known for the production of the albums of NUUAM (project between Mahito the People and Ichiko Aoba) or those of the solo career of Mahito the People, the label has also produced bands like 5000, the hatch and VOGOS. Nevertheless, Jusangatsu Records' main feat for the underground scene remains the creation of Zenkankakusai in 2014, a do it yourself music festival where access to concerts and food is free. Held on two dates each year, the festival has become one of the major musical events bringing together the entire Japanese independent scene and demonstrates that a fringe of the music industry of the archipelago doesn't wish to follow the paths marked out by the majors and other mainstream institutions.

     

    Discography:

     

    2009 - Hakkou Shita Waga Bokoku [EP]

    2010 - Ichijitekina Chou [EP]

    2012 - Katsute Uta to Iwareta Sore [album]

    2012 - Live 2012 Osaka [live album]

    2013 - split single with Odotte Bakari no Kuni

    2014 - Live in Zaban (split live album with Tenniscoats)

    2014 - 凸 -DECO- [album]

    2014 - School Of Fuck / MINT YOU [single]

    2014 - Strawberry Edge [EP]

    2015 - Iitai dake no VOID / MARS COKE [single]

    2016 - split single with LOSTAGE

    2016 - NEVER END ROLL [album]

    2017 - Absolutely Imagination / Ambiant Red [single]

    2017 - split EP with Odotte Bakari no Kuni

    2018 - Silence Will Speak [album]

    2019 - DNA [single]

    2020 - KLUE [album]

     

    Clips:

     

    MAN Hashika (from 1st album "Katsute Uta to Iwareta Sore")

    Tenkan Suru Dainoutachi (from 2nd album "凸 -DECO-")

    Hachigatsu no Mephisto to (from 2nd album "凸 -DECO-")

    Kasabuta to Bakugekiki (from 2nd album "凸 -DECO-")

    School Of Fuck (from mini-album "Strawberry Edge")

    Iitai dake no VOID (from 3rd album "NEVER END ROLL")

    wasted youth (from 3rd album "NEVER END ROLL")

    blue hour (from 3rd album "NEVER END ROLL")

    Absolutely Imagination (from single "Absolutely Imagination / Ambiant Red")

    BODY ODD (from 4th album "Silence Will Speak")

    NO GOD (from 4th album "Silence Will Speak")

    DNA (from 4th album "Silence Will Speak")

    Tokyo (from 5th album "KLUE")

    Sekiyoubi (from 5th album "KLUE")

     

    Some lives to show the crazy and talented performances that can be see at their concerts:

    wasted youth (at Zenkankakusai 2017)

    BODY ODD (at Zenkankakusai SHIBUYA 2019)

    Set of KLUE songs (at SPACE SHOWER program: DRIP TOKYO)

     

    And finally to discover them and their thoughts, an english interview of the band on The Japan Times!

     

    I made this topic to be able to perhaps speak about this band with other people but I will be delighted if it can make discover this band to others! ^^

    colorful人生 reacted to this

  18. Posted · Edited by SoulTheBaka

    I've been trying to make this list for 2 years, and I've never lasted more than 6 months! In order to solve this problem, I'm just going to make a list of albums I enjoyed in 2020 with comments on them.

     

    Spoiler

    ALBUMS:

     

    [2020.01.15] King Gnu - CEREMONY (mixture rock, pop rock, alternative rock, indie pop)

    I am a client of this unique blend that King Gnu manages to create. Even if I prefer the previous album Sympa, I still quite liked this album. As usual with King Gnu, I find Daiki Tsuneta's songwriting so effective, even if the songs are never alike, they always have a particular identity which makes them so pleasant to listen to. The voice duo between Tsuneta and Iguchi is really good, the two are really different and complement each other perfectly. The bass is often really jazzy and the drums are soo effective. As in Sympa, there are songs that are more made for the atmosphere of the album and that serve more transitions. Here, it's the opening, the interlude and the closing and they're really interesting, and make me love the violin which is an instrument of which I am not a big fan. My favorites are the catchy Hikoutei, the crazy Doron and Teenager Forever and the beautiful Danjou with the very good piano. Still, there's some songs I'm really meh about.

    https://open.spotify.com/album/7i52WTMXSBFAx6kUnNdjIK

     

    [2020.01.22] 踊ってばかりの国 - 私は月には行かないだろう (alternative rock, indie rock, pop rock, art rock)

    I discovered Odotte Bakari no Kuni with their 2018 album Hikari no Naka ni that I really loved. I find their "soft rock" side very interesting and very original, which differs them from all the new Japanese bands of this style. After listening to it, I tried all of their previous releases and it turned out that I preferred Hikari no Naka ni, I find their previous albums way more generic and less particular. So when I learned that they were going to release a new album, I was in a hurry to know if it was going to be in the vein of Hikari, and I was not disappointed! It was really a pleasant listening, that was spent by looking out the night sky while listening to the music. Very soothing. As usual, the harmonies in the voice, the riffs, and especially the drums which I find superb on each track! I also noted that I liked all the effects they added to their music in post-production. My favorites are probably Aki no Tasogare, Crawl, Salinger and the explosive In your eyes. The only songs I didn't found that good were Pet and Right now (especially because there was a reggae riff on Right now).

    https://open.spotify.com/album/41vEn1o6048w0N5wdvBaNE

     

    [2020.01.29] GEZAN - 狂 (noise rock, neo-psychedelia, art rock, experimental rock)

    Wow what an album! Probably one of my favourites of the year. Not the perfect definition of a concept album, but it clearly feels like that. The chants that take us from start to finish are really interesting and guide us in what looks like a single unique song. The sharp voice of Mahi to the People is truly reminiscent of the lyrics of protest and revolt against the problems of society. In terms of music, it's incredible. Songs like replicant and AGEHA are really pure definitions of the edgy and vociferous noise rock. And of course the best song on the album: Tokyo! It gives full meaning to the noise of the album, all the mess leads to that beautiful screams. Without forgetting the last track I which completes the album perfectly in a euphoric and joyful way (with even trumpets, damn, they are incredible) after an album of revolt, anger. It's so meaningful and beautiful.

    https://jusangatsu.bandcamp.com/album/klue

     

    [2020.02.02] 帯化 - 擬似縁側型ステルス (noise rock, psychedelic rock, post-punk)

    The debut album from the duo Taika was recorded, mastered and mixed by Ryo Matsuyama from Klan Aileen and we can clearly see the inspiration of that band in Taika's sound. For me, the record looks like a Klan Aileen album but with an even louder sound, and with a more tribal, shamanic appearance. The first half is much better than the second, songs like Natsu ga Tsukareta Kuni or Suiden are really good. In the second half, only the 7-minute song 1994 managed to really satisfy me. But, overall, it's a good album, and for a band's first album (even more considering the band was formed in late 2018) it's really promising!

    https://taikafasciation.bandcamp.com/album/gizi-engawagata-stealth

     

    [2020.03.18] downy - 第七作品集『無題』 (post-rock, math rock, electronic, experimental rock)

    I've always had a complicated relationship with downy, I have always loved their albums but I also feel an unexplored potential, I have the impression that they could make one of my favorite albums of all time. And it's not the case with this one but still, this seventh untitled album is really good! I really love the stuffy atmosphere so special that they manage to create. I think that Sunnova's work on electronic features of the album is responsible for this mood. I also like the use of the voice, it's only used at specific and appropriate times that make me wait for it, and then when the voice appears, I'm really liking the moment. Another point that works as much as a quality as a defect, is that each track has a fairly similar identity which gives a good homogeneous effect to the album, the problem is that certain songs seem a little similar to me. My favourites are Contrapposto, Haze, good news, Dune, Scatter. Persistence of Vision and the really good stand alone who ends the album in an harder way which is pretty cool!

    https://open.spotify.com/album/5QTsPoZuJr2aPTQ49ui41R

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    WAITING LIST:

    [2020.01.29] tricot - 真っ黒 (have to review)

    [2020.04.24] ANISAKIS - 大いなる

    [2020.05.04] LOSTAGE - HARVEST

    [2020.05] THE NOVEMBERS - At The Beginning (have to review)

    jan and naomi's two albums (have to review=)

     

     

     

     

    -update memo-:

    Review tricot and Shohei Takagi and make a little category about EP's

    YuyoDrift and platy reacted to this

  21. Posted · Edited by SoulTheBaka

    After just over a year, THE NOVEMBERS returns for a new album scheduled for May and it's called At The Beginning !

    Details like the cover, the release date and the tracklist will be revealed soon.

    A tour is scheduled with May 16th as the starting live.

    Yukihiro (L'Arc~en~Ciel, ACID ANDROID) participated in the realisation of the album.

     

     

    THENOVEMBERS_art202004.jpg?impolicy=hq&i

    New visual

    solaris05, nullmoon, haizuru and 7 others reacted to this
×
×
  • Create New...