Aion

*shreek*

MH's OFFICIAL JAPANESE FOLK THREAD!
 
Well, yeah, there's an indie thread, which is also awesome, it's mostly featured with indie-rock while other artists might be overlooked.
 
But yeah, Folk. It's a genre I started to appreciate in the last few years (read, since 2009 iirc). Anyway, I'm not talking about the traditional Japenese music but more singer/songwriter related etc. For example, Japanese versions of Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Mumford & Sons and the likes. Don't know how much appreciated it is on Monochrome Heaven, but it should get more appreciation as Japan has a very lively folk-community.
 
I've been listening less to it the last few months but I really want to get more intoo it. As such I've been relying on my older favorites and I hope I get some new recommendations like them in this thread.
 
As for my favorites, a short list
 
安藤明子 (Ando Akiko) (was also one half of くすぐる (kusuguru), but apparently that project stopped already)


 
柴田聡子 (Shibata Satoko)


 
無限マイナス (Mugenminus)


 
王舟 (oh shu)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zSOg0BwUaU
 
洞 (shibata, and yes, I know it spells hora)


 
This is just a small list of my favourites, which have been on my list forever by now. Got tons more, and might share them more in the future.
 
And now your favorites!

Well, just rearranged all my stuff in my relax/music/gaming room and thus resulted in a somewhat tidied mess and thus time for me to make some photo's of my collection

Main part of my collection with most of my precious/favorite stuff, top shelf is mostly male-fronted rock bands,
top row, from left to right:
ART-SCHOOL, killing boy, KAREN, COLD KITCHEN (all ART-SCHOOL related stuff), uranino, Half-Life, jeepta, Dirty Old Men, any, UNDER THE COUNTER, OGRE YOU ASSHOLE, aie, 99 Radio Service
bottom row, from left to right:
me-al art, digitalis, aquarifa, some smaller stuff, inspire:tion, HOLA/SHIBATA, Massdre, FLiP, random stuff, yume miteru, mitsume, part of my ACIDMAN collection
all the way up on the left is the Zankyo Record Anniversary Book =)
Under these rows is a TV and some shelfs with a shitload of X360-games...

2nd part of my collection. Mostly stuff by bands I only got one release of. Will link to closer ups below

small stack below the 2nd part-collection

70+ demos, Live only singles, cd-r's etc. Mostly only packed in paper cases so it's not handy to put them on a shelf xD

Random VK-shizzle. Got some more VK stuff laying around, but I never use that stuff anymore
Want to see more, incl. more close ups of my collection:
http://smg.beta.photobucket.com/user/Ai ... an%20album
Now let me show yours =)

just ask Linh for a date and forget about girl #1 and girl #2
 
-helping ppl to find each other since 08.12.2013-

ok, point wise
 
1: YES, a definitive yes. Even if it is blatantly one genre, you can also add female vocalist / male vocalist to it or whatever. Just keep it civil and don't give it tons of tags... I mostly give my threads like 3-5 tags (f.e. rock, garage, indie, male vocalist OR alternative pop, synthpop, major, female vocalist)
 
2: I prefer an open system (hate dropdown menu's that have a shitload of options), but there is probably noway of auto-correct right? For a better version than the closed system should be better...
 
3: tags should be genre or music-specific items. Not bandmembers, bandnames, labelnames or whatever bullshit some people use... If I want to search for label-specific or band-specific things, there's a search bar on top... tags should be for recommendations imo...
 
4: GOOD POINT~!!!!
 
5: Nope, as I said earlier, tags hould be genre or music-specific items. Everybody can get different emotions with the same album. Especially if it's in a different language. Some bands sing very happy about horrific events. for example vamos a la playa. A very happy song, but not untill recently I knew the actually meaning, which is the aftermath of a nuclear war...
 
So should it be funny? happy? summer-y? comical?
 
My €0.02

Nice =)
 
Still one of the better Japanese live performances I've seen =)

sweet

loved his previous 3 releases. Curious how different the album version of night bazaar will sound compared to the EP-one

The Kilk-bands are so fucking awesome.
Love to hear the songs by Aureole, hydrant house purport rife on sleepy, number0 and speaker gain teardrop-tracks =)

oh, one of the best albums EVER =)

Seeing as how small the Netherlands is, I think we represent a fairly large share of the community to be honest...
 
That said, I'm also Dutch =)

I won't speak for Kai, but as far as once was intendend (and so far as I know) it's meant to be an open platform.
Everyone can add and edit stuff, to a certain degree, like we can on Wikipedia, though there will be a team monitoring these changes.
 
And the purpose is of it being so complete as it can get. Biography, discography, member descriptions, past members, etc

I won't speak for Kai, but as far as once was intendend (and so far as I know) it's meant to be an open platform.
Everyone can add and edit stuff, to a certain degree, like we can on Wikipedia, though there will be a team monitoring these changes.
 
And the purpose is of it being so complete as it can get. Biography, discography, member descriptions, past members, etc

Wanted to do a Quarterly Review thread, so I'll probably go in more depth in that thread, but as for now, this is my list for this thread =)
 
THE GOOD
 
Uri Gagarn – my favorite skin
The return of one of my favorite rockers. It came as quite a shock to me that they were releasing something as I thought they disbanded in 2008 or something. This really is a pretty nice gem which showcases their geniality in an experimental way.
 
さよなら、また今度ね – 菅原達也菊地椋介佐伯香織渋谷悠
The real indie discovery for me of this year so far. Sayonara, mata kondo ne has that playfull style I really like in a lot of indie bands, and keeps to carry that style throughout this whole demo EP. Gimme more please =)
 
エリーニョ – 空中ランドリー
Third album by eri-nyo and overall the best album I have listened so far in 2013. This album has all I want in a singer/songwriter release. Folky tunes, heavier pop-rock songs, great vocals, variety of instruments. Just give this one a go, and you'll notice her strength.
 
惑星アブノーマル – 何でも無い凶器
WAKUSEI ABNORMAL's debut release is primarily carried by it's third song of the EP. 月夜海水浴 is so far the best song released this year by any Japanese artist. Overall the EP is still of a good quality, but none of the other songs reach the quality that the mentioned track has.
 
ACIDMAN – 新世界
Back to their former glory I say. This album mixes a lot of their older styles and is a definitive comeback after releasing some 'less awesome' albums the last couple of years.
 
THE BAD
 
ART-SCHOOL – THE ALCHEMIST
OMFG, it was already noticeable in their previous release, but really.. WTF has happened with Riki's voice... drop down that cigarette, PLEASE!
 
0.8秒と衝撃。– 電子音楽の守護神
Not that it was a bad release per se, but wtf has happened with them... Their debut and following album were really something different. This is kinda bland compared to them...
 
the cabs - 再生の風景
Loved their previous mini albums and was in love when I saw them live, but this was just... well, I really can't remember anything of it actually
 
THE WTF
 
OGRE YOU ASSHOLE - confidential
As CAT5 already mentioned, wtf have they done with their awesome songs. The only song that I actually really like is their new version of FLAG, though the original beats it in any way... Not that it's a bad release, it just is WTF xD
 
おとぼけビ～バ～ - 目撃!ラブミ〜•サイン
So these girls decided to drop their playfull music to do some garage... They've done it pretty well alltogether, but I'd prefer their older release, as it more suits their style and sound.
 
@NumberGirl
Cinema Staff singles? Where have they appeared? Completely missed them. Was looking forward to them after seeing that PV.

no, but thanks for the offer. as I said, there wasn't a proper rip of it, already got one from there.

Well, they've been working on a new album for over a year by now. Too bad they're latest live-only single has never been properly leaked. You can listen to it here.
 
but yeah, there are some other me-al art fans over here too. They're scarce, but they're there =)

As for me, only 2 of my top 10 of last year was stuff I got from CAT5, but all others were bought by myself. That said, those 2 (RBB and Siamese cats) are both releases that I intend to buy with my upcoming package. Most of my stuff are coming from JetSet Records =)
 
For CAT5, I know he has some really good connections that can arrange stuff for him, and he also buys a lot =).
 
In both cases, you just have to know some places where you can buy some lesser known stuff that ship internationally or accept CC/paypal on their digital shop. But moreso, you need to get intoo a group of enthousiasts that are sharing good Japanese music (and by that, I mean links to soundcloud/bandcamp/youtube most of the time).
 
Just get to know to which labels and artists you're interested in, and check their websites for updates. Just when you know where to look (personal preferences) it's kinda get easy to search for similar bands. For example, I love Mona Records, and once every while, I browse throught their store (discovered
yesterday that way, and intend to buy that EP when I get the chance)to see what's out, then check it out on youtube or something and then try my ultimate to obtain the release if I like it =). Sometimes it's so
easy...
 
And ofcourse, sometimes a random purchase also might turn out to be a gem =)
For me personal I discovered Akiko Ando (and thus kusuguru when she formed that band later), Shibata Satoko and SHIBATA/HOLA that way amongst others. Only heard some bad recorded stuff by Akiko Ando and bought the album, while the other two were only 500 yen demos which turned out to be amazing.
 
Knowing the right people to get stuff from is only a small thing for myself, as I download almost nothing. Over the last two months, downloaded only 8 albums (androp, float down the liffey, RBB, Siamese cats, this town needs guns, the cabs, Uri Gagarn, and tarte tatin),
It mostly resides self-exploring, getting recommendations and purchasing (in my case at least)
 
 
@Deith
Well, see above actually xD.

So it becomes clear that though our indie love is similar, we still have a lot of differences xD but then again, you listen to a lot wider variety and a lot more releases in general than I do =)
 
Only Roth Bart Baron in common, but that is just one of the albums,even if you aren't intoo folk that much, you have to enjoy. It's really great, and certainly one of the best releases of last year =)
And I see I completely forgot the releases by mmm, middle9 and hitohi in my list xD. I tend to take a different approach for my year end-lists this year around so I won't forget so many releases xD
 
Also great to see you got Lianne La Havas, Wot Gorilla, Silversun Pickups and Tame Impala also on your list. Loved those releases

As for me, only 2 of my top 10 of last year was stuff I got from CAT5, but all others were bought by myself. That said, those 2 (RBB and Siamese cats) are both releases that I intend to buy with my upcoming package. Most of my stuff are coming from JetSet Records =)
 
For CAT5, I know he has some really good connections that can arrange stuff for him, and he also buys a lot =).
 
In both cases, you just have to know some places where you can buy some lesser known stuff that ship internationally or accept CC/paypal on their digital shop. But moreso, you need to get intoo a group of enthousiasts that are sharing good Japanese music (and by that, I mean links to soundcloud/bandcamp/youtube most of the time).
 
Just get to know to which labels and artists you're interested in, and check their websites for updates. Just when you know where to look (personal preferences) it's kinda get easy to search for similar bands. For example, I love Mona Records, and once every while, I browse throught their store (discovered
yesterday that way, and intend to buy that EP when I get the chance)to see what's out, then check it out on youtube or something and then try my ultimate to obtain the release if I like it =). Sometimes it's so
easy...
 
And ofcourse, sometimes a random purchase also might turn out to be a gem =)
For me personal I discovered Akiko Ando (and thus kusuguru when she formed that band later), Shibata Satoko and SHIBATA/HOLA that way amongst others. Only heard some bad recorded stuff by Akiko Ando and bought the album, while the other two were only 500 yen demos which turned out to be amazing.
 
Knowing the right people to get stuff from is only a small thing for myself, as I download almost nothing. Over the last two months, downloaded only 8 albums (androp, float down the liffey, RBB, Siamese cats, this town needs guns, the cabs, Uri Gagarn, and tarte tatin),
It mostly resides self-exploring, getting recommendations and purchasing (in my case at least)
 
 
@Deith
Well, see above actually xD.

The year is drawing to an end and thus a great time on reviewing on what albums I enjoyed most over the last 12 months. I guess I could a big introductionary post, but why bother, as most of you probably only scroll down the list, so without further ado, my top 10! (well, not exactly, thetop 3 is a top 3, the others are releases I couldn't not give a number =).

1. くすぐる – くすぐるのアルバム

The female half of kusuguru has been on my toplist since the summer of 2010. Akiko Ando's sweet voice is just perfect for her acoustic music and thus she became easily one of the better folk-artists in my opinion. I was kinda surprised when I found out, late 2011, she teamed up with Ijiri Akira of Virgin Fish to form kusuguru. This however turned out great, as the both of them have found a sound that is more mellow and easy-going than Akiko's solo-works. A true gem!

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2. ROTH BART BARON - 化け物山と合唱団

It was around early 2010 I discovered ROTH BART BARON by accident while browsing youtube. An awesome live-version of 天使の輪っか convinced me to get their self-titled debut, which I've listened to A LOT in the last 2.5 years. And then it became quiet, untill a few months ago they released a small demo-single (Chocolate Demo) which was also very good. Then, a week ago, they released 化け物山と合唱団, and man, I was hooked immediatly. Especially Campfire (see above) is such a masterpiece with all those instruments. Despite it just being a few days old, it gets a solid second place for me!

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3. 柴田聡子 - しばたさとこ島

And on place three even more folk. This spot is reserved for the debut-album by Shibata Satoko. In 2011 she already released two demo-albums, and most of those songs have made it in a slightly different version on her album. Instead of Akiko Ando, which has a more traditional voice, Shibata Satoko has a more playful edge in her voice, giving it a slightly more pop-feel to it.

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なんだかやれそう – たからじま

Something completely different than the previous, I want to mention SIAMESE CATS latest album amongst my top albums. Their quirky, playful music has grabbed my attention for a little more than a year ago I guess. They already had some demo-albums out by then, but their debut single and it's follow up made me anxious for more. And now it is here, released early december, this release features even on of those 1.5 year old singles on it, but also has some other great tracks. Not for everybody, but when you accepted the vocalists strange voice, it has some pretty awesome tracks on it.

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きのこ帝国 – 渦になる

One of the bands I completely fell in love with while I was in Japan in March was Kinoko Teikoku. They have a shoegaze-like sound that enchants you when you hear them for the first time (or at least it did for me). Before seeing them live, I already was curious how the vocalist would sound, and her voice was so much different from her looks, or better said, she has a pretty deep sound for such a little girl. This in combination with some really cool guitarriffs and effects makes this one of my favourite albums of 2012.

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夢見てる – おばけの唄

Sometimes you come across a band that already has a pretty cool sound, though you notice it misses something. A year ago, I acquired a demo by Yume Miteru, and it really sounded good, though it missed some finishing touches. A year later, they released their first real album, and somehow managed to improve enormously. This album has a better recording, and they've added a new guitarist, which allows the vocalist to completely focus on his singing,and all for the better. A band to keep an eye on, because I can see them getting major the near future.

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福原希己江 - おいしいうた

Back to some folk with Fukuhara Kimie. Actually this is a 2011-release, but being released on December 28, 2011, I think I can include it ot this list. I discovered Fukuhara Kimie around the same time I did Akiko Ando, and both are great yet so different at the same time. Fukuhara's voice is much cleaner, and perfectly fits with her style of slowpaced guitar-playing. This is her first album after releasing some demo's, and actually I was kinda surprised it being advertised so much in Tokyo Tower in Shibuya when I was there as it was also over 2 months old at the time.

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How to count one to ten – Blue Building Blocks

What's a list without adding some post-rock. There were multiple post-rock acts with releases this year, but how to count one to tent was the one that really stood out if you'd ask me. I might describe them best as a more guitar-based toe, having three guitar-players in their line-up. This threesome also gives a real cool atmoshpere when playing in sync hitting the same note at the same time.

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洞 – 発見

SHIBATA (or HOLA as he now calls himself) has a very unique approach on pop. Don't exactly know in which genre this would fit best. It's ambient, it's poppy, it has some electronic elements in it, but overall, it really is a great release.

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Idiot POP – EXWORLD

I want to finish my top 10 with some club/electronica by Idiot POP. This artist has a pretty cool approach on using samples in his works. Without doubt the best electronic album released this year in my book.

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Well, there you have it. Agree/disagree? I know my taste isn't the most common here, but please, try these artists, you might even like some ofthem =) I only included Japanese releases on this list, cause otherwise Alt-J would've destroyed the complete toplist =)