greeeeen

Um. The book this season is based on is my least favorite so far, but I'm looking forward to how Dorne is going to be depicted nonetheless (the bastards, particularly, mwehehe).

I did. I still do, to an extent, though I've been having a hard time catching up (less than a hundred scrobbles in the past 5-6 months.. I reckon?) and in a few instances I actually spent some time listening to music I just did it regardless of the fact it may have skewed my charts and displayed artists whose songs I have listened to too much already / previously non-existent (due to a certain taste I used to try to insinuate) in my library. Because whatever.

After having watched the latest episode, I just can't contain all the feels. :'D

 

 

Here's one interesting post on tumblr that pertains to the most memorable scene in which the original Beifong told Kuvira (to quote a point I absolutely agree with) her existence was a disgrace to something she worked so hard to achieve.

 

http://kuvirsass.tumblr.com/post/104403807820/you-give-metalbenders-a-bad-name-all-joking

The previous hair length was the longest I've had but I impulsively decided to go for a really short bob cut when thesis submission deadline was coming near and I couldn't handle all the stress. After two months I've finally grown fond of my hair... kind of.

Done! Here's mine.

 

01. What are you listening to right now?

Ed Sheeran’s X, on repeat. Like what on earth is Ed Sheeran? Why is X so flawless? WHY?

02. What song(s) make(s) you sad?

Oh, this question. To be quite honest, I can get emotional easily when listening to music; like they’re moving me in certain ways. To exemplify, Wooderd Chiarie’s throb in theory and Nell’s Counting Pulses have that kind of effect.

03. What is the most annoying song in the world?

Any song that undeservedly gets overplayed and ends up sounding so much more grating than it already is.

04. 3 all time favorite Japanese bands?

3 I can immediately name are Arukara, 9GOATS BLACK OUT, Veni Vidi Vicious (although I also want to mention Rin Toshite Shigure and Tokyo Heroes and M).

05. 3 all time favorite non-Japanese bands?

Maybe not all-time favorite, but 30 Seconds to Mars and Nell have consistently released quality stuff I can’t quite put a finger on any other band I like as much.

06. Your favorite recently discovered band is?

Fleet Foxes and Chiaroscuro.

07. Favorite female voice(s)?

Abe Fuyumi, 4ho of Anyo. Maybe some other female voices, but I can’t seem to remember them at the moment.

08. Favorite male voice(s)?

Inamura Taisuke of Arukara, Kim Jong Wan of Nell, Ryo of 9GOATS BLACK OUT.

09. Music type you find yourself listening to most?

Slow-paced songs.

10. What do you listen to, to hype you up?

Anything with optimistic lyrics, like Epik High’s 연필깎이. Because one day it'll be my time to shine! Ha.

11. What do you listen to when you want to calm down?

An untitled playlist on which I compile slower songs from any bands, any genre, any language. On a mediocre basis.

12. Last gig/concert you went to?

I don’t like going to concerts cause I feel suffocated being in the middle of a crowd.

13. Band you find yourself listening to the most right now?

Pandai Besi.

14. Most hated band?

Like CAT5’s answer, hate is such a strong word.

15. Song that makes you think?

Hmm.

16. Band that you think the world should love as much as you do?

Nell, Silicagelle, Veni Vidi Vicious, Pills Empire, Hitohi, Akutagawa.

17. Favorite music video?

Nell’s 그리고, 남겨진 것들. It's just so sad and yet so delicate.

18. Can you play a musical instrument?

No.

19. Are you in a band?

No.

20. Do you wish you could play an instrument? If so, which one?

I’d like to be able to play guitar or bass....

21. Best all-girl band you know of?

Akai Ko-En? They seem okay.

22. Last song that you heard on the radio/CD…etc…?

Tulus’s Gajah on a local radio.

23. What do you think of Classical music?

Sounds cool and somewhat pretentious, though not up to my liking.

24. What do you think of Country music?

Taylor Swift? Idk. What I have in mind is they have cheesy lyrics.

25. What do you think of Death metal?

“No, thank you very much.”

26. What do you think of Visual Kei?

Disbandment.

27. What do you think of Hip-hop?

Oh, hip-hop is absolutely cool. The music can be very satirical and thought-provoking, while still being really catchy.

28. If you were a musical instrument what would you be?

Violin.

29. What do your parents listen to?

My mother listens to Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, basically anything of the like. My father listens to traditional music.

30. Favorite movie/anime/video game sound track?

-

31. Do you know the names of all the band members that you listen to?

Ah, no. I can't be bothered.

32. Have you met any famous musicians?

Not personally, no. I haven’t.

33. Do you follow the music charts, like the top 40?

No.

34. Do you watch music TV?

I don’t.

35. Do you listen to the radio?

No. Yesterday I just happened to go for a ride in a friend’s car and the radio was playing.

36. What are 3 of your favorite albums ever?

Mutyumu’s Ilya, God Is An Astronaut’s All is Violent, All is Bright, Nell’s Healing Process.

37. Name one album that you regret listening to

I don’t know... Oh. I didn’t exactly regret it, but Pharrell Williams’s GIRL made me mentally question myself, “What was that I just listened to?” Perhaps I just need to give it another try in order to process it properly.

38. Do you buy music digitally?

Sometimes, when I can afford it.

39. Favorite Visual Kei band?

9GOATS BLACK OUT, Tokyo Heroes, M, (early) cocklobin, Alice Nine.

40. What is one band that you used to love, but now hate?

-

41. Does Engrrrrrish bother you?

It kind of does.

42. What genre could you never listen to?

Noise, (death/anything) metal. I have my own tolerance limit.

43. What language do you listen to the most in music?

Japanese, Korean, English, Indonesia.

44. Do you like long songs?

It depends. When the pace is steadily engaging, then yes.

45. How often do you download music?

I’m a shameless pirate.

46. Are there any specific bitrates that you prefer?

V2, V0.

47. What do you think of autotune?

It doesn’t bother me as long as it’s used in an appropriate dose.

48. What do you think of Noise (music)?

“HAHAHAJHSDHEIUWHEDHFSJHFEIURJSDHSJDHEUHDJASDHEURHJFHUERHFF”, like the music’s being deliberately gibberish or something.

49. Do you prefer listening to music on speakers or with headphones?

Headphones.

50. What musician(s) are you most physically attracted to?

TK of Rin Toshite Shigure. I’m basically attracted to Asian guys with stubble/unshaven look, but there’s just something so appealing about TK, you know? His musicality and looks combined = unf.

51. If you could bring back any disbanded band, which one would it be?

Nope. Just let it go, man.

52. If you HAD to stereotype your music tastes, what would you be considered? (in example -a metal-head, hip-hop, goth, hipster, etc..)

My music taste is paradoxical.. or kind of. On one side I’m fond of Japanese (indie) bands, to which a friend once refer as “narnian music”, but on another I also find myself enjoying (some) K-pop acts—just for the hell of it (although the latter can become so mind-numbing I only listen to them occasionally).

53. How much on average do you listen to music?

On a daily basis. Sometimes I undergo a period of abstinence, though.

54. How big is your digital music collection?

Pretty big. I have 92 GB of sorted music, which could’ve been much more had I not converted them to V2.

55. How many physical CDs do you own?

I don’t know. Mother put it all in a box when we moved in to a new house, so.

56. What song will you play at your Wedding?

HAHAHA, I have no idea.

57. What song will you play at your Funeral?

We don’t play songs here at funerals.

58. What dead musician would you bring back?

Let the dead rest in peace.

59. Best intro to a song?

No idea at the moment.

60. Favorite album cover?

9GOATS BLACK OUT’s Karte and Rorschach Inkblot.

61. Two artists or bands that you'd like to see collaborate?

-

62. Do you wear band etc T-shirts?

I do. I have a “GAZEROCK IS NOT DEAD” t-shirt. The colors have faded though.

63. Song that describes your life?

9GOATS BLACK OUT’s 天使. The song is really beautiful, serene and capable of evoking pleasant memories of life in mind.

64. Are any of your friends/family etc. musicians?

I wish any of them were.

65. Quote one of your favorite lyrics?

Will I be able to make it through, after all?

Is it really worth it? This world is filled with traitors and suffering, which I think I’m separating from.

“Don’t die”

“Try and breathe once more”

“Don’t die”

“I said try and breathe once more”

(Nell’s Counting Pulses. Probably not all that memorable, but Kim Jong Wan sang it in such a way that makes me feel the helplessness projected in the lyrics).

66. What was the last single you downloaded?

Shakira’s La La La Brazil (2014 FIFA Song).

67. What was the last album you downloaded?

Lewis Watson’s The Morning.

68. What was the first album you ever bought?

Evanescence’s Fallen.

69. What was the last album you bought?

乍東十四雄’s S/T. Idek why.

70. What would life be like for you without music?

A barren wasteland.

71. What do you think about mainstream music today?

I mostly don’t care.

72. What do you think about KPOP?

Some is outright annoying, some I can tolerate, some I can enjoy.

73. Do you think the people around you have weird/bad taste?

I do.

74. Do people (in general) think you have a weird/bad taste in music?

They do. Some think K-Pop is all I ever listen to (because seriously, K-Pop music is the only thing I can talk about with the people I know in real life), some think my taste is unfathomable (when they learn about my real inclinations).

75. Is music very important to you?

It's one of the things I'm passionate about.

76. Do you wish you could sing? If so, what style?

I wish I could. My voice is pretty low I can sing some ONE OK ROCK’s songs without using falsettos. I’d love to have 4ho’s voice combined with songwriting and guitar-playing talents just so I could play gigs. Haha.

77. What was your favorite genre a long time ago? Has it changed since?

I used to like Mariah Carey, Chinese and Indian music, then whatever played on MTV (Greenday, Good Charlotte, etc). Of course it’s changed. Music taste evolves.

78. Is there a song you find very special to you?

amazarashi’s 光、再考.

79. What artists/musicians inspire you?

Efek Rumah Kaca.

80. What do you usually listen to music on (computer, phone, ipod, etc)?

Phone, then on laptop.

81. Do you listen to entire albums or specific songs?

Like CAT5’s answer, I listen to entire albums when they're new to me, at other times I just shuffle the songs I already enjoy.

82. One song that makes you happy?

The Trees & The Wild's Malino. There are others as well.

83. What song do you never get tired of?

Too many, I suppose.

84. A song you like that was made before you were born?

I don’t know.

85. What song makes you want to fall in love?

amazarashi’s ワンルーム叙事詩. Listening to this song makes me think of myself waking up in the morning next to the person I love most, regardless the actual meaning of the lyrics.

86. What song would you make love to?

-

87. What song makes you want to dance?

Too many! Like SHINee's Ring Ding Dong or EXO's History.

88. What song reminds you of summertime?

...I don’t know.

89. What song reminds you of someone you would rather forget about?

Nope. I have nobody I’d rather forget about.

90. Do you sing in the shower?

I do not.

91. Do you ever make music mixes/mixtapes for other people?

Just twice. I’m still learning.

92. How do you find new music?

Last.fm, Xiami, friends.

93. What artist/band do you enjoy that most people think sucks?

I don’t know. I just don’t think Gazette’s that bad. They’re ostentatious, yes, but some of their materials are alright.

94. Best active VK band?

I don’t really pay any attention to VK bands anymore.

95. What do you think of Yoshiki?

Attention-seeking bitch.

96. Do you Cosplay?

I don’t.

97. Do you prefer visual or non-Visual Bands?

The latter.

98. Do you read music-related fanfiction?

I used to. Now I just think it’s impolite.

99. Who in J-rock do you think is actually a vampire?

Unanimous answer would be Hyde, I suppose.

100. Last J-rock song you fell in love with?

Day and Buffalo’s Bye Bye Daddy.

101. Favorite Japanese guitarist?

TK of Rin Toshite Shigure.

102. Favorite Japanese bassist?

The only names that come to mind is Shinya Fujiki of Akutagawa and Tamaki Kunishi of Mono.

103. Favorite Japanese drummer?

Sujk =)), Kashikura Takashi of toe.

104. Best Dressed Japanese band?

-

105. What are you listening to now?

Nothing.

I'm not really sure if this counts, but I've had a handful of opportunities being.. well, friendzoned. I suppose being friendzoned doesn't only mean not having your affection reciprocated (lol tumblr) as it also applies to the instances when you're seen as 'undateable' by the person who harbors the feelings for you (in my case because apparently my fiery, tomboyish disposition brushes the guys off somehow without them ever making any obvious advances); thus putting you in the friend zone.

Oh My God.

 

OH MY GOD YES.

I agree with Miasma. Sad to see one of my favorite characters die, but everyone's gonna be dead anyway. I personally think the fighting scene between Oberyn and Gregor was a bit too short, but nonetheless it was as brutal and beautiful as I pictured it to be. I just wish Oberyn had more interactions with Tyrion..............

Done re-reading John Green's Looking For Alaska and now I'm in the beginning of Yasunari Kawabata's Snow Country.

 

I should be working on my thesis instead.

YG ruined my hype, but I couldn't care less about GG.

 

My body is ready.

Dazai Osamu - No Longer Human.

 

The brief prologue's eerie and yet simply stunning. There are farcicalities, sad and frustrating moments, even illuminating notions... the book's fairly engaging, but all the while I can't think of the main protagonist as someone who is no longer a human as the title implies--perhaps just a person who doesn't function properly in a lot of ways. Who knows, though; I'm still somewhere on page 127 or so.

I love you and I love the list to the point where I shouted "YEEESSSS!" upon seeing the topic yesterday--loud enough to make both my brother and mother snapped back at me in annoyance because they were still sleeping; which I believe doesn't come off as a surprise. So many feels... There's also Dirty Androids! <3 I already have like half of the albums you mentioned on your non-Japanese list (all thanks to the hours spent on extensive stalking and whatever) and I shall also give Play Dead Season, Raizen & Lycoriscoris a try. Haven't gotten around to listening to the new Kamomekamome as their previous release wasn't particularly memorable... but I agree with Heaven in Her Arms / COHOL split especially; HIHA's a hit-and-miss and yet the release was filled with awesome badassery.

 

I am letting you know I am ready to feel you. ♫

Natsume Sōseki - The Gate. Can't tell much since I'm still at the beginning of the novel, but I expect great things after having been really pleased with Kokoro.

Great. Should definitely try SingerSen... I remember sai once said that she liked her stuff (which I believe was through your recommendation) and I know it's 'something' on the account of the challenging effort required to please her. Shiina has also been on my list for a little while and everybody always talks about how marvelous her releases are and everything but I just don't know where to start.

 

Looking forward to another genres.

Hey, CAT. What's your favorites? I'm expecting your reply, and Zess' as well.

 

Also, seconding Dylan on which the god and death stars release is the best. The others need some more time for me to process, whilst addle apple is an instant love.

My favorites are, in no particular order:

阿部芙蓉美 - How To Live

Kojoe - 51st State

Nayuta - Miraklo Rakonto

downy - 第五作品集『無題』

Local Natives - Hummingbird

LAGITAGIDA - Tutela!!

八十八ヶ所巡礼 - 0088

The Novembers - zeitgeist

Moving Mountains - Moving Mountains

승리 - Let's Talk About Love

The Internet - Feel Good

The Novembers - Fourth Wall

Yuck - Glow and Behold

LEO今井 - Made from nothing

Köttur - トマト帽のベレー

SHIZUKA KANATA - Snow

EXO - XOXO/Growl

miss A - Hush

Jinmenusagi - ME2!

Nell - Escaping Gravity

Block B - Very Good

Norikazu Chiba - The Songs of the Circling Stars

f(x) - Pink Tape

 

That's all I can think of... might add some more releases as I still have plenty of music queueing up in my playlist. 2013 has been amazing so far, so many discoveries!

I wore a kebaya and had tons of make-up for today was my brother's graduation day. The kemben was made from a certain material which made my upper body look more stuffed than it actually is.. haha.

I've said this countless times already, and I'm going to say it again here: I'm always more drawn to slower songs. I never cared about Sadie (and I still don't), but I liked Swallow Rain. Same thing goes for The Gazette... A lot of their songs were not really to my liking, but I somehow found Calm Envy, Chizuru and D.N.L. quite engaging.

Oh, this is interesting. The first thing that pops into my mind is 六合 - 宵闇の残光, as this is one of my old favorites and I want you to listen to it and give me meaningful feedback regarding the release. Have you ever stumbled upon it, though...?

 

In any case, if it turns out you already know of 宵闇の残光, another thing that I have in mind is Veni Vidi Vicious' Irie Rackit. It's normally a bit difficult for me to get into neo-garage music, but the band's one of a few exceptions and their debut album's great. I suggest you give it a try.

Oooh, Wes. You made it a bit difficult when you had Ling and 9mm head to head, but when it comes to cinema staff vs アルカラ the verdict is pretty much obvious: the latter.

 

Don't get me wrong; I once liked cinema staff - and very much at that - and for some personal reasons I always got a little bit too emotional when listening to 水平線は夜動く. The feelings ceased after a while, though.. I mean, what happened? I don't even think they could go back to Blue, Under the Imagination era, and don't even get me started on Great Escape. (ﾉಥДಥ)ﾉ︵┻━┻･/

アルカラ, on the other hand, have always been more consistent with their releases... sure, むにむにの樹 was a letdown, but they have such catchy tunes that no one can resist, they seem like so much fun on stage and they're capable of executing the slower songs right (which I believe was what got me into them in the first place. 散らかった部屋とわたし, 扉の前にて and 夕暮れちゃちゃちゃ are like beautiful distractions from which I'll never recover... heh). They're very entertaining, very moving, and they've yet to disappoint me.

Interesting, especially considering how expansive your music taste is! Does she know about anything you listen to?

 

...well, to put it crudely, my mother doesn't really appreciate anything I listen to, for she only takes into consideration (and ends up liking) the stuff my brother recommends to her. It seems to me that in a universe of people and their preferences for music, to her, I belong to 'people with narnian taste' circle... although there was one occasion when she was AFK and I offhandedly put Abe Fuyumi's How to Live and Nell's Slip Away on her playlist just to see how she'd respond to it. She didn't even ask how the songs could've been there, but I could tell she enjoyed those albeit them being a little melancholy.

I think my mother leans more towards pop/country-pop and has always been averse to loud music with incomprehensible vocals. Apart from traditional music, as far as I could recall, I grew up singing to various versions of Unchained Melody, Casablanca, anything from Whitney Houston and other classic western love-songs she played on the cassette player... which ultimately intrigued me to learn the language because the lyrics, at that time, made absolutely no sense. I guess it did influence my musical preference later in my pre-adolescent years, in a way. The stuff she listens to now doesn't seem to change much, as she claims she digs those feelings of nostalgia which the music is capable of inciting.

I seem to share my sentiments with some the users here. Well, I'm not a particularly active member myself, since I barely post anything/contribute to the discussions and all I do is check the Download section, go to the chatbox or read topics without actually replying to it to voice my own opinion. I too noticed that there's been a decrease in the forum in terms of activity--which is partly my (and other users with similar mentality) fault--and that there are some of staff members (I've been paying attention to this since the day they were appointed as mods, mind you) who don't appear to carry out their functions as intended needless to say one of them suddenly just disappeared from the surface of the earth and is now probably looking down on us from heaven. Was he still blue by the time he departed? Idk. Oh, I know they have lives and stuff and they can't attend to the forum the whole time, but allocating a couple of hours a week is mandatory, I reckon.

 

I also agree that restructuring is indispensable, but putting users' candidacy aside (I'll leave the job to the admins and mods), to second Mr Bacon's statement, staff members (who feel like this topic's hinting to you being one of the inactive mods/admins) need to speak up for themselves to explain to us how much they still have to offer for this forum.

 

Hello, fellow Gazette stans. /cackles/

I've been enabling tweekly.fm since I started using twitter, so when it automatically sent a tweet and one of the top 3 weekly artists was 六合, they retweeted it and followed my account, thus I mentioned them and said thanks. They, much to my surprise, replied to the tweet and seemed delighted that someone overseas happened to listen to and enjoy their music - I don't really remember when, but I reckon it was around 3 years ago when SUBLIMINAL first posted some of their releases on the old forum. Loved them, so.

きのこ帝国 also sent me a mention when I tweeted a picture of their CD I had purchased, pleasantly surprised that they've gotten more recognized. Pretty sure I have more since miscorner/c+llooqtortion, inthenaMEoflove and KAGERO are following me, as well.