indigo

My top 5 tracks currently.
 
#1 - 想像のSecurity
The best Ling riffs are on this song imho.
 
#2 - I was music
I was music was the first Ling song I got addicted with so that brings some extra value.
 
#3 - a 7days wonder
that bass. nuff said.
 
#4 - a symmetry
I love the shoegaze-y wall of noise parts. And that chorus? Fantastic.
 
#5 - Missing ling
I'm a sucker for songs with just electric guitar+vocals, check, and build-ups to epic climax, check. Not to mention that the guitar-playing here is incredibly emotional.
 
#bonus pick: ハカイヨノユメ

I'd been rewatching "Space Battleship Yamato 2199," which has rapidly become my favorite anime series, and it was driving me crazy. Who did Leader Desla remind me of? Then, bingo.
 

 
He's Yasutaka Nakata!

Death Side is badass. I'm thinking of buying Bet On The Possibility LP.
 
I also like Kriegshög, Framtid, Disclose...
 
Just checked out Zouo and Kuro and they sound sick too.

Maybe it's just Kyo imitating other musicians~

Maybe it's just Kyo imitating other musicians~

Wow, that's great!

It's the "Memories" EP by KAKERA (Protex Records, 1984)
 

 
Great lo-fi punk!!
Dudes seem to have put on pretty intense live shows:
 

"ROCK! してるかー?"

What's the first 7" from the left if you don't mind me asking?

My meagre ass collection ...lots and lots of holes to fill (LUNA SEA, EINS:VIER, more comps. etc). Haven't been actively collecting much VK for the past couple of years - time to rectify that during 2015!
 
 

 

 

(most of my ridiculously small tape collection comes from Rarezhut, of course ...thanks a bunch Biopanda!)
 

 
The gloriously unsorted 7" boxes:
 

 
...and LP:s, 12":es, 8":es, 10":es and some flyers and shit (notice the nice slant, slowly but surely warping the raerz):
 

2014 has yielded yet another year of wonderful music, and here's my usual self-indulgent run-down of the albums and EPs I enjoyed most.
My tone this year is a bit more personal and subjective than I tried to be in 2013, and my list isn't as long either.
Thanks for checking it out nonetheless.






CAT5's Favorite Japanese Releases of 2014






clepsydra by chouchou merged syrups.
 
Sample: 橙鳴る

    clepsydra took me by complete surprise after last year's thoroughly disappointing
debut "since". chouchou merged syrups. aren't just following cinema staff's
blueprint on how to play emo rooted indie-rock/pop anymore,
they're actually making it their own this time.


Passage of Time by Cloud nine(9)
 
Sample: Passage of Time

 lop abuse on somebody was, for me, one of the most promising young
post/math-rock bands out of Japan. But since they've disbanded their
guitarist has gone on to join Cloud nine(9), which has, again, become
 one of the most promising young Japanese post/math-rock bands.
Surely this is fate. Oh, and it's completely free over @ bandcamp


HEADACHE AND HEARTBURN by CONCERT
 
Sample: 曖昧さ回避

This release took me completely off guard and would have completely slipped 
 under my radar if not for a good friend of mine. CONCERT's sound seems to
draw heavily off of 70's soft-rock and psychedelia while employing quirky and
forward-thinking production. I imagine this is what a collaboration between 
lamp and cornelius might sound like.


BRIGHT TIME by EGO-WRAPPIN'
 
Sample: 太陽哀歌

 EGO-WRAPPIN's last full-length album Steal a Person's Heart was an underwhelming
effort, fraught with various musical style except the one they do best. So it's great
to hear them return to their jazzy roots on the BRIGHT TIME EP. But with only
4 tracks and the entire thing recorded in mono, it's such a tease.


JariBu by JariBu Afrobeat Arkestra
 
Sample: Wild Pansy

   I'm only aware of three different Afrobeat bands from Japan, and each year it
   seems like these bands take turns outdoing each other - 2012 was the year
  of KINGDOM☆AFROCKS, 2013 was REGGAELATION INDEPENDANCE,
  and so 2014 inevitably falls back to the JariBu Afrobeat Arkestra. They've locked
the grooves down this year and delivered their finest album yet.


homephone TE by macaroom
 
Sample: Kingdom

Another obscure recommendation from a friend that would have surely slipped my
radar. macaroom creates dreamy ambient-pop and homephone TE is an
intoxicatingly immersive album from start to finish. There are, however, 2 tracks 
sung entirely in Croatian that might raise an eyebrow at first.


5 - 1 + 1 = by mothercoat
 
Sample: trickster

mothercoat....consistently creative, and yet consistently underrated. They've
been around for over a decade and yet somehow their music seems to
get lost amongst international Japanese-indie fans - old and new. 5 - 1 + 1 =
is a reference to the changes in their band lineup, and each track is a
distinct reflection of those changes (track 1 - with old guitarist, track 2
without guitarist, track 3 with new guitarist). But three tracks simply 
isn't enough, so I can't wait to hear what else they've got in store.


my letter by my letter
 
Sample: ルーザー！

A friend of mine shared this band's demo with me back in 2011, and while
I remember diggin' it, I'd completely forgotten they existed by this year. I'm
glad they were finally able to get around to releasing an album, though.
Bands like シャムキャッツ and ミツメ released solid records this year, but
my letter takes the cake as my easy-going indie-rock album of the year. 
Lots of great guitar interplay and you can't beat the combo of male/female vocals.


Elephant by orcaorca
 
Sample: Clockwork Lovers

orcaorca is the instrumental outing of 2 members from the electronic
group ChouChou (no, not chouchou merged syrups. ha) Glitchy, electro-acoustic
bliss that weaves itself seamlessly in and out of ambient soundscapes 
and minimal-tehcno pulsation.


Koko by Satomimagae
 
Sample: Mikkai

I don't often hear music like this out of the modern J-folk world, so
Satomimagae was an instant love for me. Her music has an exceedingly
dense melancholic atmosphere and conjures up images of both
depression and desolation. Fantastic album recorded with the perfect 
amount of intimate rawness.


Rhapsody in beauty by THE NOVEMBERS
 
Sample: Blood Music.1985

Rhapsody in beauty is yet another testament to THE NOVEMBER's continued
growth and further accentuates their artistic proclivities. It's a dynamic album-
from abrasive shoegaze, dark grunge, to angelic acoustic numbers and more.
THE NOVEMBERS are clearly inspired and HAVE been for the past few
years. Even if it's taken them about 6 years, they've completely won me 
over as a fan and are now one of my all-time favorites.


CAO by アルカラ
 
Sample: 愚痴ばっかりのローレロレロ

arukara have been on fire since 2009, but this is by far my favorite album
from them yet. The band's sound, which combines all of the hookiness and
buoyancy of pop music with the multifaceted indie-rock ingenuity of an 
early 9mm parabellum bullet, has been refined to perfection.


IMAGINARY MONO-FICTION by ヒトリエ
 
Sample: 生きたがりの娘

I've long thought that some vocaloids had cool backing music, but being
that I can't stand vocaloids, it was always an unfortunate arrangement for me.
Thankfully, vocaloid producer wowaka took his colorful ideas and translated
them into an actual band. The results have been splendid thus far. For me, 
the jury is still out on their first full-length, but this mini definitely delivers.


ふつうのしあわせ by ふつうのしあわせ
 
Sample: キャプテンにはなれない

I saw this band described somewhere as bloodthirsty butchers meets
PANICSMILE and thought that was an apt description. Especially the
comparison to the latter. ふつうのしあわせ or "Ordinary Happy" play
wonderfully spastic, disharmonic post-punk with a trumpet thrown in 
for good measure, cuz why the hell not?


攻撃的国民的音楽 by 八十八ヶ所巡礼
 
Sample: -超感覚的宇宙-

 If you've been following my "best-Of" lists over the past few years, then
you've probably noticed that 88kasyo junrei's albums have made an appearance
every time. I'm biased as fuck and I can't help it. Their formula is like a
nonstop barrage of endorphins on my musical pleasure zones - heaps of
melody, quirky and eccentric songwriting, unhinged yet groovy
instrumentation, just the right amount of excessive noodling...so, yeah. There ya go.

(not) NUCLEAR LOVE (or affection) by 印象派
 
Sample: ライ! ライ! ライ!

There's nothing particularly outstanding about inshowha, but they make 
extremely well produced and catchy jpop. It also helps that their image/gimmick
neither overshadows nor detracts from their actual music, so the duo exudes
a kind of earnest charm. I was also pretty surprised at how well crafted this
mini album was. It flows perfectly from one track to the next and you can
tell actual thought was put into the songwriting. This isn't a release of 
sloppily glued together singles or filler tracks. Quality Jpop right here.

NO UNDERGROUND by 撃鉄
 
Sample: やっちゃおう

Gekitetsu's first full album expands on the sound they became known for on
their first 2 EPs - vivacious post-punk chock full of singy-shouty vocals,
discordant, angular guitar riffs, heady basslines, and nu-wave-y drumming.
These guys are always a blast to listen to and definitely worth a try if you're
into the coarser side of Japanese indie.

Jigsaw's favorite Japanese releases 2014

或いはアナーキー by BUCK-TICK
 
Ever since 2009's memento mori there hasn't been a BUCK-TICK album that was
as much fun as this latest gem, fittingly titled Arui wa Anarchy. From the rowdy
tounge-in-cheek opener to the ethereally beautiful closing track, this is Atsushi &
co. at their surreal, sensual best, delivering one catchy pop-rock hook at a time.
Sample: Devil'N Angel / ボードレールで眠れない
 
DIStopping by Charisma.com
 
Charisma.com came, saw and conquered me with their ridiculously catchy mash-up
of electronic, pop and hip-hop elements. Infectious beats and clever raps are on the
menu here that will surely please even the most jaded pop fanatics. If you just
want something fun and cool to listen or dance to, look no further.
Sample: イイナヅケブルー / ハッピーターン
 
ARCHE by DIR EN GREY
 
DIR EN GREY take no prisoners as they unleash one of their most eclectic albums
to date, ARCHE. Spiritually continuing on the path of its dark and proggy
predecessor, the songs are tailored to regular rock listeners' taste this time.
The outcome, however, is far from being regular. It's an atmospheric,
kaleidoscopic ride with enough twists and turns to keep you on your toes.
Sample: 空谷の跫音 / Revelation of mankind
 
NERO by ギャロ
 
I'm only a recently converted THE GALLO listener but even so, it's not hard to
see why their 2nd full-length NERO is so wonderful. The band takes cues from
all over the visual kei spectrum to construct their own quirky style where nostalgic
melodies and sheer aggressivity are good neighbors (and then there's Jojo's
ridiculous vibrato). A nice colorful surprise coming from the indies-VK scene.
Sample: 夢葬 / 大日本黒鶏主義者聯盟行進曲イ短調

終焉 by グリーヴァ
 
Grieva is like a machine pumping out release after release, but thankfully this
doesn't show much in the quality of their catalogue. Shueen is another proof of
why I consider them to be the premiere "nostalgia kei" act. It's got attitude,
mystical atmosphere and songs coming at you like a kote-kei rollercoaster.
Sample: Lost tears / 罪
 
HER NAME IN BLOOD by HER NAME IN BLOOD
 
HER NAME IN BLOOD's eponymous second album is a no-nonsense kick in the teeth
(or ears?), and you're guaranteed to be grinning when it's over. Their caveman-like
explosive aggression is close to being unrivaled but at the same time they haven't
forgotten to include some melodic bits either. Just an all-around badass record.
Sample: HALO / ZERO (FUCKED UP WORLD)
 
ABSOLUTE SENSES by HONE YOUR SENSE
 
The debut album of HONE YOUR SENSE is simply a beast. If you want to know what
it's like to be torn to shreds by a whirlwind of metalcore, death metal and melodic
extreme metal, then this is your poison. This relentlessly heavy and unexpectedly
catchy full-length is a true diamond in the rough in the underground J-metal scene.
Sample: BLACK LOTUS / THE LAST MAN STANDING

Heart by KAMIJO
 
KAMIJO, the uncrowned king & queen of cheese starts off strong with his debut
album Heart, leaving former bandmates Jupiter in the dust. This album is packed
with the stuff you expect from the vocalist: epic melodies, fluffy piano and synth
flourishes and some symphonic rockin' too, of course. It has just enough variety
to keep your interest, making this quite a smooth (and fun!) listen.
Sample: 闇夜のライオン / Moulin Rouge

LOST by Lillies and Remains
 
As soon as I heard LOST, I knew it would be the staple Lillies and Remains release
for me, and that hasn't changed throughout the whole year (not even with their
subsequent full-length). Six tracks of expertly crafted pop-rock with touches of
new wave, post-punk and even some gothic influences. Simply beautiful!
Sample: This City / You Stand Alone

SOVILLETTA & SEXIVIA by SPEECIES
 
What a treat to able to listen to two albums by SPEECIES within a few weeks' time!
Mastermind Sadie Pink Galaxy continues where he left off on his first record, that is
delivering oodles of fun and weird lo-tech jams. It's like the '80s never left – rather,
they hid out in a dingy basement to make new-wave electrojunk tunes for the initiated.
Sample: MUZIK / HARDCOWALSKI
 
IMMORTALIS by sukekiyo
 
sukekiyo's debut is typically one of those albums you might be confused by on first
listen but then you have an urge to come back to it, to re-discover its every corner.
And boy, there's sure plenty to discover here! Kyo and his band of merry men
concocted a curious mixture of avant-garde rock coupled with proggy and folksy
bits that sneaks up on you. Before you notice, you're hooked!
Sample: in all weathers / hidden one
 
賑やかな食卓 by the god and death stars
 
the god and death stars, being a band fronted by aie, is a project I'll always hold
dear to my heart. I was somewhat disappointed with their first full-length, but
none of that feeling is present on their latest mini album. Nigiyakana shokutaku
is a wonderful display of the band's usual grungy, melancholic garage-rock style
woven into hypnotic songs that will burrow their way into your ears.
Sample: 出来事と偶然の為の媒体 / 隣人林

晩成 by THE HAKKIN
 
As I love that typical '80s new wave sound, THE HAKKIN were like a godsend for me.
Their first relatively longer offering Bansei (or "Bansay") is only a mini album but it
delivers in spades! Addictive emotional vocals fuse with catchy synth sparkles and
guitar lines that evoke old affairs like COMPLEX and newer acts like cali≠gari at the
same time. Perfect listening for misty-eyed nostalgia enthusiasts.
Sample: NO NO モチベーション / Tokyo Lung

Jigsaw's favorite non-Japanese releases 2014
 
The Necrotic Manifesto by Aborted   Following their impeccable album Global Flatline, Aborted's new sensory attack The Necrotic Manifesto provides more of the same razor-sharp death metal brutality laced with grindcore elements. Blastbeats, breakdowns and killer solos are executed precisely like clockwork, making this a formidable entry in modern extreme metal. Sample: The Extirpation Agenda / Coffin Upon Coffin   Hellish by Apey & the Pea   Although their name is kind of ridiculous, Apey & the Pea are no laughing matter. In their latest full-length Hellish, this stoner/doom power trio drops gargantuan riffs and sweet grooves one after the other like it's nobody's business. If you crave some metallic heaviness tinged with grungy vocals, this should soothe your appetite. Sample: Abraham / Reverend Green   Broke with Expensive Taste by Azealia Banks   The self-proclaimed queen of "witch hop" (whatever that might be) finally serves up her first album, and it comes with a bang! Broke with Expensive Taste is a colorful playground of cool samples, versatile beats, dance-pop bangers, plus a machine-gun rap or two. Perfect music to (get drunk and) shake your ass to. Sample: Chasing Time / Heavy Metal and Reflective   The Flesh Prevails by Fallujah   The evolution of Fallujah is quite impressive, considering they started out as an unremarkable deathcore quintet that have now become a progressive tech-death force to be reckoned with. Continuing where they left off on their previous EP, The Flesh Prevails is a gorgeous powerhouse of crushing brutality and ethereal grace, so perfectly illustrated by the cover art. Fallujah has prevailed! Sample: Starlit Path / Sapphire   Commune by Goat   The band name might conjure up images of occult retro-metal clichés but Goat is an entirely different beast. Their music sounds somewhat nostalgic and timeless at the same time, blurring together krautrock minimalism, pulsating afrobeat and freaky but gentle psychedelic rock tendencies into an exotic mixture. This is one commune I'd gladly join any time! Sample: Hide from the Sun / Words   At the Idyll's End by Gustave Tiger   Gustave Tiger immediately won my heart with this charmingly kooky and hectic art-punk attack somewhere on the crossroads of White Lung and the Pixies. In a handful of short bursts they go from calm to manic while weaving a grungy wall of noise into the mix and not forgetting about catchy hooks either. One of the more intriguing sounding bands I had the pleasure of listening to this past year. Sample: Gourgandine Simaitha / Lady Into Fox   Spectre by Laibach   Martial industrial/EBM masters Laibach cooked up one of their most accessible albums to date, and they did it quite effectively. With some of the tracks bordering on tame synth pop but still retaining their signature darkness (plus cynicism and deadpan humor), Spectre seems like a good introduction for newcomers and a nice change for hardened old-time listeners too. Sample: The Whistleblowers / Eurovision   Elddop by Martyrdöd   The title of Martyrdöd's latest translates as "baptism of fire" and it sure is a fiery blaze in our ear canals. Blackened crustcore is the name of the game, and the guys are in top shape to deliver some well-deserved kicks in the balls. Sweeping, aggressive but also melodious. A rock-solid entry in the band's crusty catalogue. Sample: En jobbig jävel / Elddop   Gay Dog Food by Mykki Blanco   Always one to shock people, Mykki Blanco's new mixtape is a colorful mish-mash of styles and influences ranging from trippy hip-hop to noisy industrial sounds and lo-fi electro-minimalism. Despite the initial quirkiness and weirdness of the tracks (not to mention the hilarious interludes), it's a fun and addictive musical journey if you have a thing for unconventional and out-of-the-box rappers. Sample: Fulani / Moshin in the Front   Hanyatlás by PETOFI   Relative newcomers PETOFI knocked me off my feet with their debut EP. With a venomous cocktail of anguished screamo and breakneck melodic hardcore, these guys know how to make one hell of an entrance! Their hectic style is elevated by poetic lyrics that add extra pathos and fury to PETOFI's brand of hardcore. Sample: Holttestemen át / Süket füledre talál a vallomásom   I Cannot See For Miles & Piresian Beach/Matthias von Stumberger by Piresian Beach   The Hungarian queen of lo-fi pop has been quite active as always, delivering a new stand-alone EP and another bundle of songs in collaboration with fellow Slovenian noise-maker Matthias von Stumberger. Both releases are jam-packed with good ol' overdriven guitar noise and '60s inspired garage/psych-rock licks, complemented by excellent crooning female vocals. Sample: Blood in the Gutter / Digging for Gold   St. Vincent by St. Vincent   I have completely fallen in love with the self-titled album of art-rock princess Annie Clark, a.k.a. St. Vincent. It's a record with a peculiar vibe. It sounds as artificial as it is organic, and this strange duality is further strengthened by the overall variety of the songs. From danceable tunes to melancholic meditations, this release has it all! Sample: Birth in Reverse / Digital Witness   To Be Kind by Swans   Swans' latest output is a gigantic double album clocking just over two hours. Noisy, experimental and completely heavy in atmosphere, this strange post-rock monolith perfectly encompasses what current Swans is all about. It's a menacing aural trip with repetitive, tribal (and outright primal) stylings that shouldn't be missed. Sample: Oxygen / To Be Kind (live)   Melana Chasmata by Triptykon   Melana Chasmata, "deep black chasms" is one towering behemoth of a record! Tom Warrior (of Celtic Frost fame) and his partners in crime sculpted a beautiful ebony-black slab of avant-garde metal with doomy and extreme overtones. The result is so breathtaking that this just might be my absolute favorite metal album of the year. Tortured and beautiful, highly recommended! Sample: Tree of Suffocating Souls / Aurorae

I second Merry, The Novembers and Tokyo Jihen! I'd love to see lynch. too.
 
DEG banner would probably start a shitstorm about what picture to use, lol (vk vs. non-vk etc..)

Although I doubt it's a prerequisite, here are some bands that are well known/well respected/revered that I'd suggest. Pics in the spoilers.
Tokyo Jihen (東京事変)
toe
THE NOVEMBERS
LOSTAGE
ZAZEN BOYS
DOWNY
MERRY
the GazettE
DIR EN GREY

it is announced at D'ERLANGER live at Kawasaki CLUB CITTA' at 2014/12/24 that their new album (title not yet finalized) will be released in 2015, although details have not yet been announced

Via Facebook and YouTube, 吉澤嘉代子 (Kayoko Yoshizawa) has announced her first full album, entitled 箒星図鑑 (houkiboshi zukan). Throughout 2013 and 2014, she put out three mini-albums.
 

2015.3.4
CRCP-40399　￥2,778
 
1. ストッキング
2. 逃飛行少女
3. 未成年の主張 (from first mini-album, 魔女図鑑)
4. ブルーベリーシガレット
5. なかよしグルーヴ
6. キルキルキルミ
7. 美少女 (from second mini-album, 変身少女)
8. チョベリグ (from second mini-album, 変身少女)
9. ケケケ (from third mini-album, 幻倶楽部)
10. シーラカンス通り (from third mini-album, 幻倶楽部)
11. 泣き虫ジュゴン (from first mini-album, 魔女図鑑)
12. 雪
13. 23歳




===============================================================================

I marked the songs I recognized on the tracklist and indicated which release they came from. I'm thinking at least the ones from the first mini will be rerecorded, since that was during her indie period.

täällä yksi piilosuomalainen

That guy's pants give me the creeps. But Gekitetsu's album was pretty good as far as I can remember.

täällä yksi piilosuomalainen

I had to get fancy (and buy a dress) to do family things so naturally this means picture time.
 

^ That riff in the NIN song reminds me of Disabled Complexes.

Blue Ruin - A crowdfunded revenge-thriller written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, the man behind the well-received horror-comedy Murder Part, which I have yet to see. The story is great, the cinematography is beautiful, it's full of suspense and it's at times extremely bloody. Great cast as well. I don't think I've ever heard of Macon Blair, but him not getting an Oscar for his performance here is absolutely ridiculous. He's pretty much carries this film on his own back, and he does it with so much power you can't do nothing but get impressed by it. Grim, gritty and fantastic.
 
Blue Ruin is a simple and straight-forward, yet smart and superbly written, played and directed revenge-thriller that will keep on the edge of your seat for 80 out of the 85 minutes it lasts.
 
From the 73 films I've seen from 2013, this is the very best (excluding documentaries).
 

So many hats.

I'll link some of my favorite recent Finnish releases for fun too
 
 
I'll post my favorite hip hop albums of the year too later if I can come up with something.