enyx

I will give a try for that release from Spangle call Lilli line, I liked the sample song there.

Comparing to song itself, I prefer Secret mode than きれいな海へ, what about you?

I didn't really get anything out of Secret mode to be honest. I was interested in DECAYS on account of its lineup, but so far their output has been very underwhelming to me. I hope you enjoy ghost is dead!

 

That Aurole album was great and that Geskia Remains Domain, which I have to thank you for introducing to me, both were a lot of fun this year. Most of these are just out of my wheelhouse, sans Atlantis Airport (though I didn't listen to this split, only their own release) and sukekiyo -which I adore. But I'm glad to see you liked enough to have a fairly long list!

Well 'favourites' is a relative term, I guess. Overall I found 2015 notably weaker than the last few years in the sense that there were a lot of 'good' releases but very few 'great' ones. These releases are my favourites amongst this year's output, but admittedly not all of them would have made my list in stronger years.

 

Great list! I like how you include so many post-rock stuff in your list. It's got a few post-rock albums that are new to me to check out.

Nice! Hopefully you find at least some of them enjoyable!

I'm only familiar with a couple of those songs even though I know most of the artist names. I guess I'd say the GazettE track is my favourite of the bunch, but like you I don't really love any of them.

1. Fightstar - Waste a Moment
2. LITE - Solitude
3. 宇宙コンビニ - origin
4. Hiromi Uehara - The Tom and Jerry Show
5. THE NOVEMBERS - dogma
6. MIKTEK - Incompressible Flow
7. mouse on the keys - spectres de mouse
8. Solar Fields - Shard
9. ハイスイノナサ - 都市の記憶
10. M-Koda - Scent

I had a difficult time choosing a favourite out of this batch of songs. In the end I had to go for Shard, but the haisuinonasa track was pretty close.

It's amazing how something as simple as dyeing your hair can make you feel so much more comfortable/confident in yourself.

2015 marked the first year in which I kept a record of every new release that I listened to and attempted to create some sort of ranking system to determine which ones I most enjoyed. This is a favourites list, not a best of list; I don’t believe that music can be reviewed objectively and thus I feel that the concept of a best of is inappropriate. Also, I’m going to mix the Japanese and non-Japanese releases together and just list them all in alphabetical order.

 

AES DANA feat. MIKTEK - Alkaline

Ambient, Electronic, IDM

 

Both AES DANA and MIKTEK are members of European label Ultimae Records; a label specialising in a distinct brand of ambient and occasionally trance-influence IDM. It should come as no surprise, then, that Alkaline is a trip through a cerebral, almost dystopian aural soundscape. It marks the second instalment of a planned three-part series of releases by the two artists. I tend to find AES DANA’s work to be most enjoyable whenever he’s collaborating with other artists and Alkaline is no exception. Despite only being three tracks long, this is one of my favourite releases by either artist.

Sample song:

 

Aureole’s latest effort is the most direct, raw and straight-forward album they’ve ever put out. Despite generally being described as a post-rock band, Aureole’s previous releases haven’t been scared to delve into other territories including considerable ambient and electronic influences. On Spinal Reflex, however, the band opted to utilise a more streamlined sound-palette (the electronic elements in particular have been notably turned down) and the result is a more tightly-focused album than any of their previous efforts. It could perhaps have had a couple more stand-out moments, but overall Spinal Reflex is Aureole’s most consistent album to date.

Sample song:

 

One day I’ll stop shamelessly fanboying over everything that haisuinonasa does. Today is not that day. Almost two years after their previous release, 2013’s reflection, haisuinonasa came back to remind me why they’re one of the few bands I can honestly say have never let me down to even the slightest degree. 変身 is every bit as captivating as the rest of their material. Even if it’s not quite as experimental as their preceding single, it still encapsulates everything that makes this band so fascinating; it’s cerebral, unique, and utterly brilliant. New album in 2016, pretty please?

Sample song:

 

Geskia (apparently now sans his trademark !) released both an EP and a full-length this year. As you can probably guess from their almost-identical artworks, both of them are extremely similar in sound & style and thus are included together here. Unlike the majority of his work, Geskia opted to make heavy use of vocal samples this time around, resulting in slightly less complex but in many ways more chill soundscapes that make both of these releases rather unique within his discography. Neither of them are my favourites amongst his other releases, but they’re both welcome additions to his always exemplary portfolio.

Sample song:

 

Over half a decade on since their previous studio album, Los Angeles-based noise rockers HEALTH finally returned this year with DEATH MAGIC, arguably their most dynamic album yet. DEATH MAGIC sees the band finally embracing the pop elements that have slowly been creeping more and more into their sound whilst still retaining a large portion of their trademark noisiness. Usually the idea of a noise rock band embracing pop sensibilities would be a cause of concern, but in this case it works surprisingly well, and in fact helps to make this my favourite release by them.
Sample song:

 

For the longest time I had ATLANTIS AIRPORT’s a [ 360° ] Cosmic Flight set to feature in my favourites of 2015 list, but after finally listening to their split with Marmalade butcher released back in October, I’ve since decided to replace it with Rembrandt rays. Normally I tend to find splits hard to enjoy as cohesive entities as the two (or more) bands involved rarely tend to gel together effectively, but in the case of these two artists that problem is nowhere to be found. Marmalade butcher contribute two solid tracks that emphasise the band’s strengths while hiding the weaknesses in thei songwriting, whilst ATLANTIS AIRPORT put out one of their strongest songs in the form LOVECRAFT MYTHOS. Solid stuff all around.
Sample: 

 

mouse on the keys’ second full-length is probably their most dynamic release yet. Jumping from epic pieces like leviathan and the lonely crowd, to more subdued numbers like mirror of nature and reflexion, to an experimental recreation of Maurice Ravel’s le gibet. Despite their expanded stylistic palette this time around, however, mouse on the keys never lose sight of their core sound - minimally phrased piano melodies supported by the brilliant drumming of their main composer, Akira Kawasaki. It’s not a flawless release - the band still has a habit of coming off as being somewhat pretentious to me at times - but it is nevertheless one of 2015’s strongest efforts.

Sample song:

 

After a few years of embracing their darker/heavier side (albeit with a brief break in the form of 2014’s 今日も生きたね single), THE NOVEMBERS have finally re-embraced their softer, poppier leanings for the first time since 2012’s GIFT with Elegance. Compared with their 2012 effort, Elegance is tighter, more refined, and more accessible, yet nevertheless willing to throw a curveball at you in the form of its closing track, 出る傷を探す血. THE NOVEMBERS have established themselves as one of the true standout bands in Japan’s absolutely stacked indie scene, and Elegance does nothing to suggest that things will be changing any time soon.
Sample song:

 

the piqnic have created quite the buzz around here as of late and after listening to ZyouK it’s not very difficult to understand why. Their first official release is a well-crafted (albeit highly imitative) noise/shoegaze album that immediately earmarks the band as one of the most intriguing up-and-comers of the scene. That said, despite the albums many strengths, I’m not quite as willing to place them on the same level as say, THE NOVEMBERS, just yet. Rather they seem like a band that’s still trying to discover their own identity whilst nevertheless showing a lot potential in their songwriting abilities. I’ll be paying close attention to them in 2016.

Sample song: krs

 

사람12사람 - feels too letter

Acoustic, Chillwave, Electronic

 

SARAM12SARAM’s sound revolves almost entirely around vocalist zieum’s beautiful, wispy vocals with everything else simply serving as a musical landscape for her to play around in. It’s a simple yet highly effective approach that paid dividends on the duo’s first EP, 2013’s 빗물구름태풍태양. In comparison to that release, feels too letter isn’t quite as dark or moody and places more emphasis on the acoustic elements rather than the electronic, but nevertheless retains the duo’s core sound. In fact, if anything, feels too letter is more of a refinement of that sound than it is a progression, but it works and is, in my opinion, the stronger of their two main releases.

Sample song: Cripple

 

실리카겔 - 새삼스레 들이켜본 무중력사슴의 다섯가지 시각

Neo psychedelic, Prog rock

 

SILICA GEL’s debut EP is a wonderful, albeit short, aural acid trip. Their sound is basically a combination of predominantly-instrumental progressive and psychedelic rock mixed with a healthy dose of synth and occasional vocals for good measure. In a country where the term “indie rock” more often than not refers to chilled-out, sentimental pop in disguise, SILICA GEL are one of the few standout bands not afraid to challenge the musical norm. Hopefully this EP is just the beginning of what they have in store.

Sample song:

 

I already wrote a larger review for this album here if anybody is interested. In short, ghost is dead marks a welcome return for one of the few bands whose music I consider very close to my heart. Kana Otsubo’s vocals remain as insanely relaxing as ever, while on the musical side the compositions feature a renewed emphasis on minimalism and subtle complexity that plays to the band’s strengths. Given the extremely busy nature of each of the members’ personal lives, ghost is dead may be the last we hear of SCLL for quite some time, but fortunately this release shows that there’s still plenty of life in the band… when they can find the time to record new music.

Sample song:

 

I suppose I’ll get one thing out of the way early: I didn’t enjoy this release as much as IMMORTALIS. The main reason being that whereas I found their first album remarkably consistent throughout its long length, VITIUM seems to go through a notable dip in quality during its middle three songs. foster mother seems to aimlessly meander around without any direction, 雨上がりの優詩 feels like a song that the band didn’t really know how to finish and just cobbled together, and maniera seems like a song much more suited to a live setting than a studio record. That said, however, VITIUM’s strong points, most-notably leather field and focus, do more than enough to convince me that this is still one of the most intriguing CallItWhateverYouWant-Kei bands going at the moment.

Sample song:

 

Proudly sitting alongside 실리카겔 as one of my favourite Korean rock discoveries of the year, Tierpark’s music is a delightful blend of dreamgaze, post rock, and a hint of math rock accompanied by melodic, haunting vocals courtesy of the band’s vocalist SeHee. The Moment Two Worlds Meet is a notable improvement over their previous self-titled full-length released in 2013 (although the opening track is a little on the weak side); the arrangements are tighter, the compositions more intricate, and the vocals more effectively utilised. It’s kind of like what you’d get if you took COgeNdshE’s sound but placed more emphasis on the melodic vocals.

Sample song: 명왕성

 

For the longest time I really wasn’t sure whether I wanted to include HEAR YOU on this list. Somehow toe have managed to come up with what I consider one of the strongest albums of the year yet simultaneously one of the most disappointing. Perhaps it’s just the ridiculously high bar they’ve set for themselves over their exemplary career, or my stubborn unwillingness to fully accept their subtle stylistic developments. Either way, I can’t deny that HEAR YOU is still an expertly made album, and even in my disappointment with its relative lack of mathy elements, I can’t deny that toe achieved exactly what they set out to achieve here. There is, admittedly, a rather delightful irony about the fact that whilst Japan’s plethora of toe clones keep trying desperately to imitate the magic of 2005’s the book about my idle plot on a vague anxiety’s intricate complexities, the real thing themselves have been moving further and further away from it.

Sample song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxeQmF4sUJY'>Boyo

I'm still pondering whether I should make a list or not. The bulk of my interests feel really irrelevant, but I may give it a shot!

Don't make my fly over there and slap you.

Upvoted everything posted so far. Would any of you guys be willing to upvote these for me?

 

http://www.last.fm/music/Atlantis+Airport/+images/4bcf2b39f5857d1cbafcf56a05bf5d66

http://www.last.fm/music/%E5%AE%AE%E5%86%85%E5%84%AA%E9%87%8C/+images/99f884d2351efdbcfeb1b53d5df93959

Merry New Birthday to both @Seimeisen and @Valicious.

So I did a thing today.

 

I fucking love it.

So I was sitting in the hairdressers when Spangle call Lilli line's dreamer started playing and oh my god I almost fucking screamed.

 

OO OWNED!!!!!!!!

 

I really need to hear this read out by the same guy that made this video.

Alcohol <3

10/10, would LOL again.

 

• toe only being really good

Bwahahaha, so true. It's amazing how disappointing that album felt despite still being better than most of what I listened to in 2015.

 

• Haisuinonasa-induced blue balls

Yep, that single was such a tease. Like "Hey guys, we still exist! Here's a single to wet your appetite for our new album that's coming out NEVER!"

 

• ling tosite sigure's EP

This is the real disappointment of 2015 for me. The fact that the whole "Inspiration is DEAD" joke is so appropriate is both hilarious and depressing at the same time. I have to admit that I've become extremely ambivalent towards this band as of late.

 

 

Depending on the time that gets decided upon I might be able to make some of these sessions. Sunday at midnight GMT is the same as 9am on a Monday for me, so if I wake up early I should still be able to catch the later end of a session.

I actually found VITIUM to be slightly less awesome than IMMORTALIS overall, though still one of the year's strongest releases regardless. The middle three songs (foster mother, 雨上がりの優詩, and maniera) don't do as much for me as the rest of their material. The former seems to meander around aimlessly, the second track feels... unfinished to me somehow; like they had a good initial idea but weren't entirely sure how to develop it into a full song, and finally the latter of the three sounds like something that would work much better in a live setting than it does as a studio recording. I also don't get the "IMMORTALIS is too long" argument. So long as the quality is good, then the more songs the merrier for me. That being said, standout tracks like leather field and focus help to reinforce my belief that sukekiyo are very much one of the most exciting 'visual' bands going at the moment and overall VITIUM is still a pretty good sophomore release.

Why do people keep referring to DECAYS as a shoegaze project? Feels like everybody's been throwing that term around ever since Kobayashi was revealed to be a member but I'd hardly say that shoegaze is the core part of their sound. It sounds more like generic pop-rock than anything else to me.

 

Anyway, neither Secret mode, NOVA SPIRAL, nor any of the other previews have really done anything for me so far. Probably wont be in a rush to check this mini out if I'm honest.

God fucking damn, I hate emotions so much.

I, for one, am shocked by this band's inclusion.

 

Anyway, on a serious note it's nice to see the band not abandoning their poppier/softer side despite the positive receptions to their darker/heavier stuff as of late. Like most NOVEMBERS releases this one didn't really stand out to me on first listen, but instead grew on me overtime as kept listening to it. The only NOVEMBERS release that immediately blew me away was Rhapsody in Beauty, otherwise they've all had this sort of slow-burn effect that's actually become one of my favourite aspects of their music. Overall it's just more of THE NOVEMBERS doing what they so well. They've certainly become one of the most consistent bands out there these days, which is remarkable considering their rate of output.

Common sense: Hey man, it's getting late. You should study for your final exam tomorrow morning.

Brain: Okay but first let's watch a horror movie.

Since I've been living in Korea I've come across a few artists that I really like, so I figured I'd share them here. Unlike my other posts, these are artists that I'm actually listening to on a regular basis rather than just recommendations from friends or bands I've heard about but don't care for so much.

 

Tierpark

Really cool mix of dreamgaze and post-rock with a little bit of math-rock added in for good measure. They remind me a little bit of a Japanese indie band called COgeNdshE but with more emphasis on melodic vocals. Their

 

오희정 (Oh HeeJung)

Her sound makes use of both electronic and 'real' instruments to create a distinct and incredibly relaxing dreampop sound. Both of her EPs are available on Bandcamp and although I'd say Everybody here wants you back slighty beats 표류기 overall, I can comfortably recommend both of them.

 

유카리 (YUKARI)

유카리 is one of the most promising dream-pop acts in Korea at the moment (despite her Japanese-sounding name). Her work varies from very chill, almost cokiyu-esque, numbers to more up-tempo songs, but everything has a distinctly dreamlike quality to it. Like the previous two artists her album ECHO is available on Bandcamp and she supposedly has a new album on the way too.

 

실리카겔 (SILICA GEL)

A combination of predominantly-instrumental progressive and psychedelic rock with a healthy dose of synth mixed in for good measure. Unfortunately their work doesn't appear to be available on Bandcamp but you can find their EP on iTunes nevertheless.

Image voting was buggy for me yesterday, seems to be sorted now though. Just went through para & seurong's requests!

 

Could people vote this one up for me please?

http://www.last.fm/music/THE+NOVEMBERS/+images/7a018799f43920f77cda6a1beb3a35ae

Didn't really do much for me, but those previews are too short to make much of a judgement I suppose. I'll give it a cursory listen at least.

I really want to be excited for this but after Fantastic Magic and es or s I've lost a lot of faith in him as a musician. I'll definitely keep an eye on it though and hopefully he'll prove me wrong.

Dysphoria is such a cool song, definitely one of the standouts from their pre-2011 discography.

 

I was rewatching the PV for きれいな海へ again yesterday and I absolutely love how the two videos sync together when played at the same time. Probably my favourite PV released this year.

 

Since I came to Korea I've pretty much just been overdosing on Civilization V as it's one of the few games my laptop can run. I really miss having a proper gaming PC, especially now that Witcher 3's expansions are coming out.

 

I also started Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker but haven't really gotten into it very much, which is strange considering how much I enjoyed the first.

Guess they found a way to make the site financially viable again. 

plug.dj killed dubtrack.fm