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I wanted to keep things really straight forward this year - only 10 albums and keep my blurbs short. I know this is a bit on the late side, but I hope that some people can find some new music they enjoy out of it! 10) gibkiy gibkiy gibkiy - Fujouri Shugeki Those of you who know me should already know that I am a sucker for nagoya kei. The formula for this band is a no brainer - vocalist from Merry Go Round, guitarist and bassist from the god and death stars, and the (original) drummer from L’Arc~en~Ciel all bring a long pedigree of talent. A brooding atmosphere that permeates through the album, leaving the album feeling bleak in the best way possible. Though different styles, gibkiy brings that same “unhinged” feeling that I enjoy so much in DEZERT’s work. The 14 minute closer is an avant garde piece constantly uncomfortable and on your toes, with long unusual pauses and strange guttural growls, wraps the album on a truly memorable note. 9) girugamesh - chimera I’d be lying if I said that this being Girugamesh’s final album didn’t push this up a bit on my list. But I’ll be damned if Giru hasn’t been on of the most important band in my Jrock journey, and them hanging it up still feels like a huge deal to me. I’m just so happy that I can say that they exited on a high note, with chimera being a fasted paced and hard hitting album that does a great job of blending their electronic style from the and their energy from their earlier musical day into a more modern metalcore/djent package. It’s just sad that we don’t get any more out of this band as they were trending majorly upwards over their last few releases. 8 ) downy - dai roku sakuhinshū 『mudai』 I flat out did not like this album the first time around. Something about it just felt off and it took me a couple tries to completely make it through the album. Perhaps my brain just couldn’t comprehend the complexity of these tracks on the first time around. While there are still some parts that feel a bit off, and I find the nasally tone of the vocalist to be slightly off putting, I couldn’t help but fall in love with this albums odd blend of atmosphere and rhythms. 7) GoGo Penguin - Man Made Object GoGo Penguin feels like it might be a sister band to Mouse on the Keys, with their exceedingly beautiful fusion of downbeat classical and jazz. The piano, bass, and drums seems to flutter across the album, landing gently and quickly at times just to quickly fly away again. It all just feels so light and airy...and just damn pretty. 6) Emma Ruth Rundle - Marked for Death I find it hard to label the music on Marked for Death. It is like some amalgamation of post and gothic rock, with a hint of southern added for flavor. What I do know is that Emma has crafted a powerful album of mourning that managed to feel both sad and uplifting at the same time. Its been a long while since I felt like an album has served up a complete story that was worth telling, but Emma’s presentation of a doomed relationship feels relatable and heavy. Her voice brings nuances to the story, whether she is letting the words just lightly escaping from between her lips or soaring above. The wonderful production does the final piece in wrapping a bow around this solo album. 5) the god and death stars - after the addle apple In 2011 the god and death stars put out their first release, addle apple, and with that fully solidified in my mind that aie was a master of his craft. Fast forward 5 years and we have the band's attempt to 'remake' that wonderful mini-album. While the song names are the same, sonically this transformation like that of when a caterpillar builds a cocoon and comes out of it a whole different creature. When you listen closely, you can pick out some of the riffs, textures, and lyrical homages to the original work, but other than those small bits this mini is something completely new. There is an air of complexity to the band's flavor of Nagoya Kei that gives me that same feeling of freshness that addle apple originally brought. It's a bold claim to say that this is the band's best release, as I feel that the god and death stars haven't ever put out any weak material, but I think that it might just edge out its way to the top of their discography. 4) Oathbreaker - Rheia I don’t know that last time a song by a band I had never heard before has left such a striking impression on me. The way the chilling opening of the album falls away into a pit of rage left me stunned. This hardcore/black metal group balances that line of beautiful and brutal much in the same way as Deafheaven, though perhaps in a way that makes the lighter bits feel more haunting than gorgeous. The album is a ride and I often find myself feeling a little bit emotionally exhausted at its conclusion. 3) Russian Circles - Guidance I am convinced that Russian Circles can do no wrong. Guidance is probably one of their worst albums, but here it is sitting near the top of my list. The band are masters of the instrumental metal genre, managing to evoke feelings in their tracks in ways that bands with vocals can only hope to do. Emotion is weaved through, spanning from mourning tinged in anger to reserved hope. I can’t help but feel like this feels just right to have been released in 2016. 2) Obscure Sphinx - Epitaphs The middle ground between too disparate sounds and moods, that wonderful juxtaposition, brings some of the greatest joys music has to offer. The atmosphere of Epitaphs is downright crushing with how heavy it is, but yet the album is full of such beauty. The female fronted mashup of doom and post metal that is Obscure Sphinx seemingly came out of nowhere just to punch me in the gut. 1) Alcest - Kodama The ethereal sound that Alcest has honed is down right breathtaking. I’ve always been a fan of the band, but I have never been as blown away by their work as I was with Kodama. Their black metal and shoegaze style manages to take some of the best elements of both and create a sound that just feels heavenly. Somehow the songs manage to feel both sad and hopeful at the same time - perhaps it's this duality that aids to the otherworldly feel of the album. All I can say is that Kodama is downright gorgeous. Runner Ups This is the stuff that just missed the cut TAMTAM - NEWPOESY The band feels like it has landed on the perfect combination of its jpop and dub stylings. DEZERT - Saikou no Shokutaku A throwback to the numetal phase of visual kei which feels equal parts fresh as it does historic. Silence - psycho:lens. This album would have made it if gibkiy hadn’t edged it out on the emotional Nagoya Kei front. Saor - Guardians Beautiful Celtic infused black metal. The only downfall is that it feels a little “same-y” over its hour long run time. kokomo - Monochrome Noise Emotional instrumental post metal - great stuff but it’s damn hard when you are going up against the masters of this genre in Russian Circles M-Koda - Workings If it weren’t for a few outlying tracks that feel a bit out of place, this ambient electronic album would have likely made its way on to the list. Easily my favorite album of the year to chill out to. Boris - Pink Since half of this album is a re-release, it felt like cheating to give it a full spot. That said, this is still one of Boris’ finest releases, and the new material doesn’t feel lacking at all XAA-XAA - chuudoku shoujou This band is carrying the mantle for modern visual kei. The album feels like a bit of a mixed bag, but it’s easy to see the promise they hold. Siraph - siraph This band picks up where School Food Punishment left off. The vocalist is the only factor holding them back. JYOCHO - inori de wa todokanai kyori Jpop fused with math rock and it’s glorious. I was sad to see Uchuu Konbini go, but now I am not so sure that was a bad thing.

MH's Disappointments: Worst of 2015 Welcome to the ORZ spitroast where the only flavor is salty: far east dizain lycaon disbanding and nearly breaking the forum DIM 2.0 didn't happen Femme Fatale's name was too accurate Yohio/Disreign did Gazette better than Gazette R.I.P. art kei (Moran, yazzmad, etc. disbanding) mejibray's entire 2015 career Just Eiki... er.. Paradigm Paradox DECAYS' "secret mode" probably should have stayed a secret D's one-man venues keep getting smaller and smaller. By March, they'll be curb-side next to Maria Cross kisaki breaks another body part. fans ask for hospital records Another year, another one of Tenten's bands goes on hiatus... That one time Matenrou Opera tried and failed to rock body paint like Rihanna the best song released this year by nocturnal bloodlust was a cover of a taylor swift song Deathgaze breaking up and Tanuki's reaction was essentially "Just listen to Static-x" toe only being really good Haisuinonasa-induced blue balls ling tosite sigure's EP chouchou merged syrups. somehow being mind-numbingly marginal nestle x gackt collab announced next year DOAK happened How hard DuelJewel tried this year Kamelot released an album, which means a new Matenrou Opera album will soon follow DEVIL KITTY's mini-album calmando qual retired for duty Shiina Ringo thought using autotune was a good idea YUKI's PV for 'Sukitte Nandarou' looking like a trippy interpretation of BEYONCE's 'single ladies' and sounding even worse A.L.B.U.M.S -With Titles Like This- AKB48's "Halloween Night" was truly nightmare inducing the core of Jupiter broke apart this year. hizaki and teru promise to keep the music just as boring as before What were your disappointing moments of the year?

Best of 2015 I tried. Crippling depression, chronic sickness, and a disinterest in almost everything coming out had me thinking twice about releasing a list this year. You guys motivated me to get off my ass and finish this, so this post is for you. I can say that most releases I was looking forward to from the beginning of the year either never came out or disappointed me. I also came across a lot of music that was "great" but not necessarily something I would enjoy sharing on this list. I waffled between adding one or two more albums but decided at the last minute to exclude them. This is by far my shortest list ever with only 13 entries but I kind of like it that way. BLU-SWING - FLASH Songs: FLASH and 満ちていく体温 Charisma.com - OLest Songs: お局ロック and こんがらガール COHOL - 裏現 Songs: Depressive and Arche Pathogen Earl Sweatshirt - I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside Songs: Solace and Off Top Kamasi Washington - The Epic Songs: Re Run Home and Change of the Guard KEEL - Cthulhu & R'yleh Songs: deep sleep and fanfale Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly Songs: u and How Much A Dollar Cost? lynch. - D.A.R.K. - in the name of evil - Songs: EVOKE and BEAST THE NOVEMBERS - Elegance Song: きれいな海へ the piqnic - ZyouK Song: krs Sigh - Graveward Songs: A Messenger From Tomorrow and The Tombfiller sukekiyo - VITIUM Songs: leather fields and celeste 和楽器バンド - 八奏絵巻 Songs: 暁ノ糸 (Akatsuki no Ito) and Perfect Blue Thanks for reading (or skimming)! Leave me some comments below.

Fitear1590's Five Top 5s of 2015 Welcome to my year-end list! I'll be the first to admit that 2015 wasn't my favorite year in music. Sure, there were great releases or songs here and there, but overall, the year left a bad taste in my mouth with crushing disbandments/hiatuses (Moran, yazzmad, My Fairytale, etc.) and underwhelming releases from so many of my faves: DIV's Secret, NEGOTO's Vision, Kayoko Yoshizawa's Himitsu Kouen, Odotte Bakari no Kuni's Songs, Scenarioart's Happy Umbrella, DOPPEL's Röntgen, etc. With this in mind, I revamped the structure of my list and came up with five Top 5s: Japanese Artists, International Artists, PVs, Singles, and Surprises. In order to ensure the most breadth and variety, I made sure that there were no repeats throughout the five lists. Even if 2015 didn't seem that great when I started compiling this, I'm happy with the results and proud to share this with you. Hopefully, you find a few things worth checking out! Have a listen and be sure to let me know what you think in the comments! Top 5 Japanese Artists Chanty The fin. THE NOVEMBERS ユナイト (UNiTE.) Top 5 International Artists Alina Baraz & Galimatias Autotelic Beach House Grimes

So it's another year and another list! If any of you read my list last year you'll probably see some familiar faces here. And to those that didn't, well welcome to my laboratory of doombox-core and madness. Seriously, it's madness. 3 pages of Japanese releases for you this year, I decided against including anything international as my list was slowly becoming a novel of epic proportions. And I kept everything to full and mini albums only. My offerings are in no particular order, just separated by categories as best I could to keep relevant releases nearest each other. So please, sit back, watch some videos and let me know what you think! Are there any other releases I should have checked out this year? Do you have opinions on the albums listed below? ↓ INDEX ↓ ♫ VISUAL ♫ ♫ ALTERNATIVE ♫ ♫ POP & ROCK ♫

These selections of mine are ones that have not been mentioned before on any project of the ORZ, so not all of my favourites are gathered here (save for a few select song favourites from some albums that have been previously mentioned in BNTs). To check out the rest I enjoyed, see the Staff album selections. Because I have so many picks for this year since I got to a lot more music than in 2014, I'm going to be posting a handful of releases one by one within two days, preferably in a weeks amount of time. That's 70 picks! After picking out from what I had gotten to throughout the year and enjoyed, I ended up with a good 112 releases I adored from this rather 'weak' year alone (laugh with me, go ahead!), so I just HAD to feature an honorable mentions for the lot I was forced to remove to whittle down the ever growing list. Be sure to look out for the bold yellow text = HONORABLE MENTIONS and bold red text = TOP TIER ALERTS (top tier means I found the whole release to be perfect) whilst you're at it! Every release has bolded tracks that indicate my favorite songs on the particular release and a shortish description of the sound/genres. This list isn't ranked but in alphabetical order. Click the first spoiler tag for my honorable mentions or don't if you want to check them out with the list when they're called out in the blurbs for references. Not all will be commented on though! Without further ado, enjoy~ AKINO with bless4 - Decennia [Alexandros] - ALXD あまざらし (amazarashi) - あまざらし　千分の一夜物語　スターライト (Senbun no Ichiya Monogatari Starlight) 雨ニモ負ケズ (amenimomakez) - 結い (Yui) Atlantis Airport - A[ ]Passport-EP+2 BENI - Undress BIGMAMA - The Vanishing Bride BiSH - Brand-new idol SHiT ボンジュール鈴木 (bonjour Suzuki) - さよなら。また来世で (Sayonara. In addition, in the afterlife) Tune in on Sunday for the second batch~

Here's my end of the year list. I quickly realized I only listen to cross-dresser crap and don't follow many western bands closely enough to pay attention to new releases. Oh well~~~. Now with working mp3s Albums: Kamijo : Heart Kamijo graced us this year with not one, but two albums. As this was his only full release, I’ve included it in my list here (although Symphony of the Vampire was equally as good, just for different reasons). As many other reviewers have said before me, this album truly showcased what aspects of Versailles Kamijo really had contributed. Ripe with a mix of classic tropes from his past bands, Heart brings the best of several worlds together in a one gilded soundscape. In it, he has some Versailles-esque neoclassical tracks (“(闇夜のライオン”), some Lareine-ish melodic songs (“Romantique” and “抱きしめられながら”), and even an epic-length track (“Heart”). In spite of the many critiques his previous band received about becoming stagnant after exhausting their classical influences, Kamijo has managed to keep his signature style while revitalizing it just enough to keep things fresh and interesting. If this year is any indication of how things will go for Kamijo, it looks like the King of Rose-kei will keep his throne for years to come. 闇夜のライオン: 己龍 : 暁歌水月 One more first album of their career!! Just kidding: if there’s one thing the Kiryu is good at, it is releasing an absurd amount of CDs with very little time to breathe. 暁歌水月 is their 4th full-length in their discography and is one of their stronger albums to me. While their crazy take on Japanese folk-metal may get tiresome to some, their formula works exceptionally well for them and clearly stick to the motto “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Here you’ll find a good mix of their dark and chaotic songs, as well as their melodic and softer ones, all held together by their signature use of traditional Japanese instruments. As this album showcases more than ever, The Kiryu have some of the best riffage in the scene and do not let stereotypical visual-kei earmarks get in the way of their progressive individuality. 愛怨忌焔: Azealia Banks : Broke with Expensive Taste Another year of firsts for this artist—Azealia Banks dropped her long awaited full length album late this year. After originally announcing to come out in the spring of this year, the release date kept getting pushed further and further back. Thankfully, the wait was well worth it. Filled with her typical poignant disposition and clever lyrics, Broke With Expensive Taste offers a smattering of musical styles all over the spectrum that work well together and do not fall victim to tokenism. Her claim-to-fame track “212” made yet another appearance, as well as other singles “Yung Rapunxel,” “Heavy Metal And Reflective,” and “Chasing Time.” If you’re looking to try out an album that goes from playfully singing in Spanish, to a song called “BBD” (which stands for “Bad Bitches Do It”), and a surf rock song about a rebellious teen that goes to a nudist beach, this album is a must-try. https://soundcloud.com/azealiabanksweb/azealia-banks-heavy-metal-and-reflective-explicit Lana Del Ray : Ultraviolence Lana Del Ray once again leads the sadcore pop scene with her second album, Ultraviolence. Lana is an artist I tended to shy away from for a while, but this album seems to have won me over. It’s disposition is much more melancholic than what I’ve heard from her first album, and its lyrical content are more about coming out of tight spots in her life, such as abusive relationships. The musicianship here is top-notch, and her voice, hell, her whole persona, fits the album’s 70’s revival vibe so well. If you’re in the mood to watch the rain with flowers in your hair while Facetiming with a sepia filter, this is the perfect album to do that to. Definitely recommend checking out “Cruel World,” “Shades of Cool,” and “West Coast.” West Coast: Sukekiyo : Immortalis Already wrote a bit about this on the Christmas list, but basically this is what Arche is derived from and I like this better. While I don’t necessarily like most of their members, when they put their heads together they really do come up with some wonderful ideas. 斑人間: ギャロ : NERO Completely out of left-field for me this year, I tried their split single with AvelCain and had to have more. Kind of quirky, but doesn’t use that as a crutch to base their musical decisions on, The Gallow are truly a band to keep an eye on. In a way, they kind of remind me of Cali Gari but more aggressive. Do not let this band stay under your radar! 帝都四号魔水路: DEZERT : 「タイトルなし」 Another branch of the homage-kei trinity, DEZERT finally managed to put out a full-length album this year after releasing quite a large discography before doing so. Miraculously, nothing on here was from their previous singles (which is unheard of in visual-kei????) . Hard-hitting and fast paced, 「タイトルなし」 serves up some cool nü-metal influenced tracks as well as some metal-core ones. Compared to their earlier discography, this was probably their most accessible release to me and a strong step in the right direct for this band. My favorite tracks include “Doze,” “「擬死」,” and “胃潰瘍とルソーの錯覚.” While they’re not exactly similar, per say, if you’ve enjoyed AvelCain’s album odds are you will also enjoy this one. Cake, anyone? 胃潰瘍とルソーの錯覚: AvelCain : AvelCain-アベルカイン- AvelCain released their first full-length as this year, self-titled “AvelCain.” This album falls under the homage-kei umbrella, giving praise to many different acts from the late 90’s and turn-of-the-century visual-kei. Here we find a return to motifs about psychosis, darkness, and ball-jointed dolls in a more modernized fashion. From hard hitting singles like “Psycho” and “ID,” to equally as powerful (and slightly deranged) tracks like “操り人形,” this album brings back all of those feelings of not quite fitting in and teen angst right back. The band does show their softer side with songs like “千羽鶴.” There’s even a Puppet Mammy cover song, as most likely suggested by their drummer and producer who was a part of that band. This is a great album to start with when trying to get into AvelCain. My only complaint with it is that they used quite a lot of rereleased material here and it could have benefitted from a larger repertoire of new songs. PSYCHO-サイコ-: Buck-Tick : 或いはアナーキー Visual-kei legends Buck-Tick released their millionth album this year. While I haven’t really followed them for too long, it seems as though their sound has evolved at every step in their career from all different genres. According to Wikipedia, they are currently in their “straight rock” phase, although I’m not sure how true that holds when descripting 或いはアナーキー. This album has many different influences in it, spanning different genres they’ve already covered at some point in their career like post-punk, new wave, gothic rock, and quirky punk. Even with the massive genre shifts from the start to the end of the album, it all somehow works. A surprising favorite of mine is “Survival Dance,” which is one of the most fun songs released this whole year. Even if you’re afraid of Buck-Tick’s gigantic discography, this album is a good place to dive in (it’s actually the first full album of theirs that I tried out, myself). Oyaji rock has never sounded so fresh. So what?! So What?! Survival Dance: UNDEAD CORPORATION : 神速 This album is actually my first time listening to Undead Corporation. As you could probably tell by the album art, they’re a Touhou group. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect on my first listen, but what I got was a donkey kick in the stomach because this album goes hard real fast. As much I hate to use “brvtal” to describe something, even ironically, that’s basically the most succinct way to describe what this album has to offer. However, there is enough craftsmanship to this album’s music that it isn’t heavy for heavy’s sake—each song seems deliberate and thought out, even if those fleshed out ideas are pants-on-your-head crazy. This album spans a few genres, mostly hovering around metal-core + death-core, dabbling a bit into technical death metal and even pop, and it makes use of beauty and the beast vocals without being grating or trite. Another interesting point about this album is that there are really only 8 songs and then the rest are reinterpretations or remixes. Off the top of my head, I know that there is at least one song that was redone without any harsh vocals, for example. Even if you aren’t really a follower of the touhou scene, or don’t quite “get it” (trust me, I do not fall under either of those), this album is great ear bleach to cleanse all of those no-name bands trying to do the same thing and failing. 八十八ヶ所巡礼 : 攻撃的国民的音楽 This band is bizarre in one of the best ways possible. They’re like looking at a modern art gallery and instead of being like “uggghh this is sO DUMb” you feel “wait…I actually…get this?” Maybe there really is some deeper meaning behind the unsettling egg men, only found when meditating to the cascades of arpeggios and bends oozing out of 88’s 4th mini-album. Keeping their spot as one of Cat5’s most favorite indie bands, this album still retains all of the technical goodness and androgynous multitasking that all of their previous works had to offer, but this time around it is presented in a way that is somehow more accessible. While I do love crazy key changes and time signatures, there was always this layer to 88’s music that I found somewhat draining, with the exception of a few songs. Don’t get me wrong, I think they’re fantastic, but I could never listen to them for extended periods of time. 攻撃的国民的音楽 fixed this issue and has allowed me to sink into their vibrant world again and again. “赤い衝動-R.I.P-“ is like a religious experience for me, and “都会の魔界” some of the coolest bass walks ever. 赤い衝動-R.I.P-: Singles: アルルカン : 墓穴 Arlequin started off as what I thought would just be a guilty pleasure for me. Now they’ve grown into a legitimate pleasure and one of the best vkei bands currently active (even if their full-length was a bit lackluster). This single here is their best release to date, imo. The chorus of the title track is phenomenal and I love how the guitar solo mimics the main melody of the song, then transitions into a rehash of the same theme seamlessly. We all have classics that we will love for forever, and I feel that this single will be one of those classics for me. A+ beep-boop-core clown music. 墓穴: Scapegoat : 赤いバスルーム Scapegoat are like the D’espairsRay of today: a lot of people like them, but we just keep forgetting they’re around. I discovered this single by watching their music video and was total blown away. While they are beep-boop core as well, they put more emphasis on the –core than the bloops (I’m so good at writing, omg). The title track is dark and moody in the best way possible, and the rest of the single has better wubs than whatever the fuck the gazette have been trying to do since 2010. Hell, even Cat5 liked this single. This is a band I have to keep reminding myself to check out because they are tight. 赤いバスルーム: 少年記 : Bang Me Hyped to kingdom come, the title track of this single was actually really good. I love the 90s boyband harmonization going on here, and the vocalist can actually sing well. While the musicianship isn’t anything ground breaking, it is good at what it needs to do and “Bang Me” is so catchy that it really doesn’t matter if the guitars are bland or not. I don’t consider myself to be a fan of this band, but I’ll be there for them if they keep releasing catchy pop rock songs like this and their previous single. Originally I tried this out to see what all the hype was, expecting to roll my eyes. Then I ended up really liking it, hue. Para + Mi’hen: 1, Me: 0. Bang Me: Ru:Natic : 「M」/ foggy night The OG homage-kei band that never quite made it. This is their first single that was released since they decided to become self-produced (and quite frankly, much better. Good move on their part) and it takes a break from the La:Sadie’s worship to experiment in some more melodic aspects of late 90’s vkei hallmarks. Unfortunately, and fortunately all at once, they’ve traded in the dolphin noises to channel the ghost of Mana’s past. Truly a fantastic single, and hopefully not their last. Penicillin : SOL Penicillin are one of the oldest vkei bands ever, and technically have been active for longer than both Kuroyume and Luna Sea (as they didn’t take a break for 10 years and then decide they ran out of money). This year marked the release of their 200522nd album, which was more or less super bland, as well as their 3004000101st and 3004000102nd singles. While the previous single of this year, “幻想カタルシス”, was also great, the b-sides weren’t strong enough to place it above SOL. Not sure what “SOL” is supposed to mean (“Shit outta Luck??”), but the title track is a great post-Ultimate Velocity pop rock song, and the songs they chose to cover as b-sides were superb. Their covers also didn’t smother the original integrity of the songs and actually sounded like Penicillin trying to cover them, not butcher them. Awful album art though, jfc 北ウィング -PENICILLIN ver.- : Honorable Mentions: Kylie Minogue : Kiss Me Once Kylie is an artist that I didn’t know I knew, but after listening to more of her stuff I realized I knew who she was (lmao). This album here is a good mix of different flavors of pop, like the dub-steppy “Sexercise,” the catchy “Les Sex,” and the softer “I was gonna cancel.” To be honest, this sounds more like Madonna than anything Gaga has ever done, but internet stan wars are for the mentally ill. My favorite track is actually the weird-ass b-side “Mr. President.” Apparently I’m the only person who likes it, so I’m just going to consider it written specifically for me. Mr. President: D機関 : 羅刹國 羅刹國 is the first album by D機関 , which is like the same thing as 黒夜葬 but different enough to warrant making a different band for. Idk, all I know is that is the same kind of gawfy Moi Dix Mois Castlevania nonsense that people here dig, but ignore because they don’t wear dresses. Good album nonetheless, just didn’t make my top list because nothing stood out enough on it to really floor: it’s merely a solid album. Definitely an improvement over his first mini-album under this name as well, which showcased some good ideas with very poor execution. Variant Cell→Apotosis (索敵機、発艦始め！): グリーヴァ : 黒イ百合ノ花ト××× グリーヴァreleased their first mini-album this year. To my dismay, it was only 1.75 new songs and the rest were all rerecordings. Thankfully, those rerecordings are great and were not just “remastered” (read: copied and pasted onto this album). It contains a great smattering of their early tunes, as well as early-like tunes, that are more aggressive than what can be found on their 2nd album. Thankfully the left off that god awful song “無常成ル世界ノ解答.” The unplugged and acoustic versions of their songs are surprisingly good as well. This didn’t make my top list because it could have used more unreleased material, although it was good for what it was. 相剋ノ[baiser] -黒イ百合ノ花ト×××version-: Gwen Stefani : Baby Don't Lie I’ve always liked Gwen, even when No Doubt were first starting to become popular in the early 90s when I was a little kid. Always dug her solo work too, even if I didn’t like the hyper exposed song “Sweet Escape” which still plays all the time on mom radio stations. This is her comeback single, and honestly I liked it a lot. It has enough catchy aspects and oomph to both make me remember it and want to listen to it again. The reason this is on the “honorable mentions” instead of the real list, however, is because of the embarrassing part in the middle. The music video is super vapor-wavy too, which is awesome.

Just gonna confess upfront that the title of this thread is legit and I literally have no clue what on earth I am doing here in this list. I am horrible at explaining why I like things beyond "THIS IS GREAT YOU SHOULD LISTEN" so if you can get through all of my nonsense and come out of it with some new tunes to jam to, awesome. If not, please don't mind me. c: I swear next year I'll have a better looking list with better blurbs. ;; Bless Cat and Zeus for putting up with all of my stupid questions as I worked on this. They da real MVPs. Fave tracks samples are in order as listed above mp3 bars. NAINE - THE WALL and NEW ANSWER IS NEW ENDING Fave tracks: THE WALL; NIGHTMARE; BEAUTIFUL CRIME Schwarz Stein - GEBET, COCOON -Fallen- and Sleeping Madness Fave tracks: Rise to Heaven -2014-; COCOON -Fallen-; Lilith Favorite Weapon - Sixty Saragossa Fave tracks: Hollow; Let's Shake On It The Amity Affliction - Let The Ocean Take Me Fave tracks: Pittsburgh; Don't Lean On Me 和楽器バンド - ボカロ三昧 Fave tracks: セツナトリップ; いろは唄; 脳漿炸裂ガール 倖田來未 - Bon Voyage Fave tracks: SHOW ME YOUR HOLLA; Dreaming Now! 浜崎あゆみ - Colours Fave tracks: Terminal; Merry-go-round; Lelio HORA - DESOLATION BEAUTY Fave tracks: DESOLATION BEAUTY; MOONRISE; CARPE DIEM ＭＵ - Discovery of the AVALON Fave tracks: 神世界; 幸せの代償 Black Gene For The Next Scene - 廃憶のdanceパレード Fave tracks: Light is there; 空から零れ落ちる100億の光 exist†trace - WORLD MAKER Fave tracks: Imagination; スパイラル大作戦; 長い夢の終わりに

Post 1 - Top 10 Japanese male musician releases (♫ Just keep scrolling, just keep scolling~ ♫) Post 2 - Top 10 Japanese female musician releases (I'm more of a J-pop head then I thought!) Post 3 - Runners up (that should be in the above two categories but couldn't fit in), the mixed vocals + honourable mentions (all previously brought up in ChristMHas list) Post 4 - Top English album + single (only one of each because I'm more of an Asian music listener than anything else) My top 10 Japanese male musician releases TK from 凛として時雨 - Fantastic Magic / asobius - pray & grow / THE NOVEMBERS - Rhapsody in beauty / MEJIBRAY - シアトリカル・ブルーブラック / Lycaon - 馬鹿ね。+ 悪女の微笑 + Shadow / AvelCain - AvelCain / Plastic Tree - echo / PLASTICZOOMS - Secret Postcard / yazzmad - niche['ni:tʃə] / LM.C - PERFECT FANTASY / For the full length (unedited) review, click on the spoiler tag below:

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.

My year-end list is finally done! This is a collection of my favorite releases of 2014, including a handful of singles. It is always at this point in the year I learn about new/overlooked/dark horse releases from other member's lists, so I look forward to reading those! But as it is, this is very much a list that is reflective of my own tastes. For organizational purposes (/my inability to truly rank releases), within each list, everything is listed in alphabetical order. Hopefully, you'll find a few things that strike your fancy! I did spend a lot of time working on this, so any feedback/comments you have would be very much appreciated! So, without further ado, let's get to it! Japanese Releases Top 10 伊集院幸希 (ijuuin yuki) - 月曜日と金曜日 ～Sugar Hi Junnie～ http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/ijuuinyuki_zps2b889a04.jpg" /> http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/ijuuinyuki-sugarhijunnie225x225_zps32a66bfc.jpg" /> Kamijo - Symphony of the Vampire & Heart http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/KAMIJO_zps3fc41eb4.png" /> http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/kamijo-symphonyofthevampire225x222_zps6cecc52e.jpg" />http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/kamijo-heart225x222_zps02d62f24.jpg" /> Lamp - ゆめ http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/lamp_zps791786b4.jpg" /> http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/lampyume225x225_zpsaf5782b6.jpg" /> Moran - dark & 堕落へと続く偏愛の感触 http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/moran_zpscd82b3d9.jpg" /> http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/moran-dark220x225_zps4e2b1279.jpg" />http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/moran-5815843D307830687D9A304F504F611B306E611F89E6_zps6e9ee316.jpg" /> ねごと (NEGOTO) - アンモナイト! / 黄昏のラプソディ http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/negoto1_zps971525cc.jpg" /> http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/negotoammonite225x223_zps84ca15ca.jpg" /> THE NOVEMBERS - Rhapsody in beauty http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/thenovembers_zps9bd3cfd1.jpg" /> http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/thenovembersrhapsodyinbeauty225x222_zps6a5f48a1.jpg" /> シナリオアート (Scenarioart) - night walking & Tokyomelancholy http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/scenarioart_zpse079ba26.jpg" /> http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/scenarioart-nightwalking225x225_zpsd4d4080b.jpg" />http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/scenarioart-tokyomelancholy_zpsdeddba9d.jpg" /> Teen Runnings - NOW http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/teenrunnings_zpscf017c4f.jpg" /> http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/teenrunningsnow225x225_zps5cb88aba.jpg" /> ユナイト (UNiTE.) - レヴ / ice http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/uniteice_zps7549ffeb.jpg" /> http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/UNiTErev225x225_zpse941260d.jpg" /> Ventla - A http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/ventla-A_zpsc820ea54.png" /> Honorable Mentions 八十八ヶ所巡礼 (88kasyo junrei) - 攻撃的国民的音楽 http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/88kasyojunrei_zps72a3cc48.jpg" /> http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/88kasyojunrei-ongaku225x224_zps735a7b38.jpg" /> BABYMETAL - BABYMETAL http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/babymetal_zps864ed826.jpg" /> http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/babymetal-babymetal225x225_zpsa68f5894.jpg" /> HOLLOWGRAM - Qualia http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/HOLLOWGRAM_zps7d338739.jpg" /> http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/hollowgram-qualia225x221_zps2ae477ce.jpg" /> 吉澤嘉代子 (Kayoko Yoshizawa) - 変身少女 http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/kayokoyoshizawa_zps6053728d.jpg" /> http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/kayokoyoshizawa-henshinshoujo225x222_zps22002931.jpg" /> ミソッカス (misokkasu) - 統一された混沌(カオス) http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/misokkasu_zps1b97bfb0.jpg" /> http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/misokkasu-chaos225x225_zpsf5e43b50.jpg" /> My Fairytale - Tokyo under note ねごと (NEGOTO) - "Z"OOM http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/negoto2_zpsd8076458.jpg" /> http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/negotozoom225x225_zps4121303a.jpg" /> Nohtenkigengo - Never http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/nohtenkigengo_zps1dd53f5f.jpg" /> http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/nohtenkigengo-never_zps9dc61fa9.jpg" /> Scarlet Valse - -GENESIS- http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/scarletvalse_zps85e9e052.jpg" /> http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/scarletvalse-GENESIS225x225_zps36d80f12.jpg" /> ユナイト (UNiTE.) - Ai http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/unite2_zps986f9a8a.jpg" /> http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/uniteai225x225_zps1d8ac9c4.jpg" />

Spoiler HTML code Best of 2014 I tried to create a short, cohesive "best of" list this year. I failed. Welcome once again to my fourth year-end list, where I talk way too much about a bunch of releases I've never mentioned before. I had the intention of keeping this list short and sweet this year, but 2014 was a great year for music. Every time I completed the list, I remembered two or three more albums that just had to be on here, and before I knew it I ended up wanting to share a lot more artists than I intended. I had to draw the line somewhere. Then, I had to find a way to keep your attention long enough for everything on this page to load.While this isn't the most exhaustive of lists, I tried to pick artists I thought people may be interested in alongside some more unusual things I liked. So now that we've reached the end of my not so subtle introduction, I think by now everything should have loaded. Read, enjoy, and leave me comments! 0号室の旅人 by 101A Songs: forbidden sky and luminous (from '4') The Joy of Motion by Animals as Leaders Songs: Air Chrysalis and Ka$cade Syro by Aphex Twin Songs: minipops 67 [120.2][source field mix] and CIRCLONT14 (shrymoming mix) Noise by Boris Songs: Heavy Rain and Melody DIStopping by Charisma.com Songs: Iinazuke Blue and HATE Clark by Clark Songs: Winter Linn and The Grit In The Pearl Butterfly Effect by Clockwork Indigo Songs: Butterfly Effect and LUAM Promulgation of the Fall by Dead Congregation Songs: Immaculate Poison and Only Ashes Remain Arche by Dir en grey Songs: phenomenon and 禍夜想 Under the Influence 2 by Domo Genesis Songs: Go Outside and X Oi Magoi by Hail Spirit Noir Songs: Oi Magoi and Hunters The Path of Apotheosis by Inferi Songs: The Ancients of Shattered Thrones and Marching Through the Flames of Tyranny Shiori by jizue Songs: shiori and 真黒 Symphony of the Vampire / Heart by Kamijo Songs: Moulin Rouge and Heart Abstruse Imbeciles Nailed on Slavery by Lost Ubikyst in Apeiron Songs: Nothing to s(l)ave and blind cyclops Elddop by Martyrdöd Songs: En Jobbigt Jävel and Martyren The Last Dawn / Rays of Darkness by Mono Songs: Recoil, Ignite and Elysian Castles Rhapsody in Beauty by THE NOVEMBERS Songs: Romance and Meursault 風神界逅/雷神創世 by 陰陽座 Songs: 雲は龍に舞い、風は鳳に歌う and 青天の三日月 Dangerous Days by Perturbator Songs: Hard Wired and Humans are Such Easy Prey Run the Jewels 2 by Run the Jewels Songs: Oh My Darling Don't Cry and Close Your Eyes (And Count To Fuck) 逆輸入 ~港湾局~ / 日出処 by 椎名林檎 Songs: 主演の女 (from 逆輸入 ~港湾局~) and 走れゎナンバー (from 日出処) Strangeulation by Tech N9ne Songs: Great Night and Make Waves Fantastic Magic by TK from 凛として時雨 Songs: unravel and Fantastic Magic Digital Dream Sequence by Trioscapes Songs: Digital Dream Sequence and Stab Wounds ボカロ三昧 by 和楽器バンド Songs: 天樂 and 千本桜

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

Japanese: Visual BUCK-TICK - 或いはアナーキー tags: gothic rock, industrial rock DuelJewel - Story tags: hard rock, metal girugamesh - gravitation tags: hard rock, alternative metal MUCC - THE END OF THE WORLD tags: rock, alternative NAINE - NEW ANSWER IS NEW ENDING tags: electronic rock NoGoD - Make A New World tags: metal

I figure since 2014 is more than halfway done, I should post my 2013 list! XD I have been sitting on this list for a while and I was figuring I would never post it since it is so late and this point, but hey, what the hell...here it is anyways. I originally was going to write up a little something for each album, but if I did that, I just would never find the time to actually finish this (and was a huge reason I never got it up in January). This list will be separated in to 4 tiers. Think of it as this: Tier 4 - Stuff that took me by surprise or was pretty solid. Good music but not necessarily something that stuck with me for that long after listen to it. These albums might also suffer from having some great songs but then also a lot of filler Tier 3 - These are albums that I really enjoyed but still lacked the spark to take them further up the list. These usually felt more complete albums than in tier 4 but could still end up feeling a bit same-y as a whole. Also, I usually ended up spinning these albums more that those in tier 4. Tier 2 - The great stuff of 2013. These albums don't have a heck of a lot of faults and I listened to them a lot. One of the key factors to making it this high up on the list is being very memorable. Tier 1 - The closest albums to perfection...the stuff that I played over and over and over and when I talk about them I just gush about how amazing they are. Essentially I have a hard on for these albums.

Akira Kosemura - 虹の彼方 -Seven Colors Variations- EP tags: electronic, ambient, idm Sample song: 虹の彼方 (I Am Robot and Proud Remix) babi - Botanical tags: indie-pop, electronic Sample song: アルルカンと踊り子 bomi - ビューティフォー - EP tags: Jpop Sample song: Midnight Station cokiyu - Haku tags: electronic, ambient, idm, dream-pop Sample song: Pulsation (with Geskia!) dip - HOWL tags: rock, shoegaze Sample song: Spider in my hair Dirty Androds - Wanderlust tags: electro, dance, house, nu-disco Sample song: See the Future Doppelzimmer - 田園 tags: folk, bossa, acoustic Sample song: 青い花の子守歌 downy - 第五作品集『無題』 tags: post-rock, alternative Sample song: 燦 heaven in her arms / COHOL - 繭 SPLIT tags: screamo, hardcore, post-rock Sample song: 不毛の地 (COHOL) Jinmenusagi - ME2! tags: hip-hop, experimental, electronic, abstract, underground Sample song: Ai Ga Tarinai (Prod by Lidly) kamomekamome - BEDSIDE DONORS tags: hardcore, post-hardcore Sample song: 頭の中お大事に KOJOE - 51st State tags: hip-hop, underground Sample song: Far Away LAGITAGIDA - TUTELA!! tags: rock, progressive, instrumental Sample song: Sensya Lantern Parade - Orange Moon Soul tags: experimental, indie, folk, soul, hip-hop, electronic Sample song: 鏡張りの部屋の中で Lycoriscoris - Until Then tags: electronic, ambient, glitch, idm Sample song: I nayuta - miraklo rakonto tags: indie-rock, progressive Sample song: Manchicken Pastacas & Tenniscoats - Yaki-Läki tags: folk, alternative Sample song: Pihlaja PLAY DEAD SEASON - JUNKHEAD tags: hardcore, alternative, indie Sample song: Scapegoat RAIZEN - 始動 -SIDOU- tags: hip-hop Sample song: 心友 REGGAELATION INDEPENDANCE - NEW DAY tags: funk, afrobeat, reggae Sample song: Emperor's New Mind RIDDIMATES - Zion Rhapsody tags: ska, jazz, funk Sample song: Zion Rhapsody Tam Tam - Polarize tags: dub, indie-pop, female vocals Sample song:Moonlight THE NOVEMBERS - zeitgeist tags: indie-rock, alternative Sample song:Wire (Fahrenheit 154) Tomy Wealth - Table Manners tags: hip-hop, instrumental, beats Sample song: Drums Of Death Tri4th - Five Color Elements tags: jazz, club-jazz Sample song: Jazzholic umiuma - kaiba tags: indie-pop, math-pop, female vocals Sample song: 虹がかかる コトリンゴ - ツバメ・ノヴェレッテ tags: jpop, piano-pop Sample song: Let me awake ポテコムジン - 効率のいいあきらめかた tags: indie-rock, alternative Sample song: めいれいさせろ ミツメ - うつろ tags: indie-rock Sample song:会話 八十八ヶ所巡礼 - 0088 tags: rock, progressive, experimental Sample song: 漆・黒・の・と・き・め・き 凛として時雨 - i'mperfect tags: rock, alternative Sample song: Metamorphose 宇宙コンビニ - 染まる音を確認したら tags: math-rock, post-rock, female-vocals Sample song: Compass 清水ひろたか - 3579 tags: world, acoustic Sample song: Colors 鎮座DOPENESS - T.U.B.E EP tags: hip-hop Sample song: Ok!!Ee!!Ne!! 阿部芙蓉美 - HOW TO LIVE tags: singer-songwriter, acoustic, alternative Sample song: 8月 青葉市子と妖精たち - ラヂヲ tags: acoustic, folk Sample song: 日時計 類家心平 - 4 AM tags: jazz, fusion, experimental, free-jazz Sample song: KARAGI

Zess' Best of 2013 You know what this is and you know what I'm about to get into. And in case you don't, at the end of each year some of the staff members who have more music to talk about outside the scope of the staff list start their own list. Here, anything from anywhere can pop up. This is mainly for those adventurous people wondering about potential albums you may have missed, or people that come to see what my personal taste can best be summed up as. And if you didn't come here for either of those reasons, hopefully what I share doesn't bore you to death. Consider this my Christmas present to MH. And since I'm always experimenting with the most concise way of sharing this information with you all, this year I'm grouping albums by "genre", or as close to genre as they all fit. I'm also going to make a directory so that you can skip straight to the stuff you care about. So, feel free to respond to anything in this topic. Day 1: Pop Day 2: Jazz Day 3: Rap Day 4: Rock Day 5: Metal (Part 1) Day 6: Metal (Part 2) Day 7: Metal (Part 3) Day 8: Metal (Part 4)

So yeah, here's my best-of-list for the year 2013. I like my lists more concise, so I set myself a limit of 10 releases (5 japanese, 5 non-japanese). I'm also notoriously slow when it comes to listen to new releases. Basically, I feel just about prepared enough to write my Best-of list for 2010. XD So there's a lot of stuff I have missed and that may have made the list, if I had more time on my hands. I still had to trim down my list to make it 10 releases. I tried to focus on stuff that hasn't been mentioned in other staff lists. Lists will be posted in the next 2 posts. Order of the list is alphabetrical.

I'm a million years late, but as they say, "better late than never!" 2012 was been a wonderful year for Japanese music & abroad. Here are my personal favorite albums and EPs of 2012. I've divided them into 2 parts - Japanese and non-Japanese! I've also provided full sample tracks from each album. Please feel free to leave any comments! Japanese Picks! ATATA - TATAT tags: alternative, emo, post-rock Sample song: General Headquarters After releasing a string of demos, ATATA has finally released their first full length and it is thoroughly fantastic! Consisting of ex. Bandwagon, nenem, Retromania, Mirror, Holstein, and 3cm tour members, ATATA combines all of the punk, post-rock, and emo/hardcore elements from these bands into one seriously rocking package! ar - YON tags: rock, indie-pop, electronic, folk Sample song: breakin' Mama&Papa sleepy.ab is usually regarded as Japan's answer to radiohead, but the lesser known ar is also very noticeably influenced by them as well. However, such a simple comparison doesn't do ar's sound any justice. They're much more colorful and adventurous than the aforementioned bands, manage to span several genres within the same album, and yet they somehow maintain their own unique sound. The aptly named "YON" is the ar's 4th full album and does a wonderful job of showcasing the band's highly imaginative musical palette. COgeNdshE - cogency tags: post-rock, experimental, female vocals Sample song: un deux trois Zankyo records is well respected amongst fans of indie and post-rock due to their impressive roster of quality bands (mudy on the 昨晩, the cabs, and te' to name a few), and COgeNdshE is a welcome addition to the label. Their music isn't as easy to digest as some of their label-mates, however. Cogency has a dark, often brooding quality to it and is chock-full of unusual rhythms and time signatures. In addition, the hauntingly melodic female vocals provide a stark contrast to the music itself. The band focuses more on creating a solid atmosphere as a single unit as opposed to employing overly flashy instrumentation in an attempt to highlight themselves as individual musicians. This album is perhaps a bit more left-field than most Monochromians are accustomed to and may require several listens to truly wrap your head around, but it's a rewarding listen if you're willing to give it a try...or two! ESNO - Visionary tags: electronic, jazz, female cocals Sample song: RR Debut album from ESNO, the new project of jazz/hip hop producer Kenichiro Nishihara. In contrast to his normal material, Nishihara has taken a decidedly electronic approach on this album and it's quite possibly his best work to date. FilFla - Fliptap tags: electronic, folktronica Sample song: Morse Mall 4th album from FilFla, one of Keiichi Sugimoto's many monikers, and the the latest addition to the "’10 Songs In 20 Minutes’ series by music label Someone Good. Given the duration, Fliptap emphasizes the essentials of FilFla's sound - a stunning mishmash of organic elements like acoustic guitars and field recordings, and vibrant electronic programming. Short, but oh so sweet! fresh! - What Are You Doing In This Confusion? tags: hardcore, avant-garde, progressive, instrumental Sample song: ハイビスカス fresh! have been around for a few of years performing on the Japanese underground circuit, but have finally released their first proper album - the aptly titled "What Are You Doing In This Confusion?". This album is one nonstop cacophony of hectic drumming, disharmonic guitar noodling and obnoxious saxophone screeching. fresh! fits right in with bands like NATSUMEN and PANICSMILE. I can only imagine how killer their lives shows are! GAGLE×Ovall - GAGLE×Ovall tags: hip-hop, smooth-jazz, soul Sample song: Heaven Feat. Shea Soul For those that follow the non-mainstream Japanese hip hop world, GAGLE×Ovall is a match made in heaven! The amount of talent between the 2 groups is undeniable. Gagle (consisting of MC Hunger, DJ Mu-R, and DJ Mitsu the Beats) is already a powerhouse, but with the added abilities of Ovall (Shingo Suzuki, Mabanua, and Shingo Sekiguchi/Vusik) these guys are pretty much incapable of producing anything less than quality. JariBu Afrobeat Arkestra - NO MORE PATIENT tags: afrobeat, funk Sample song: No More Patient Prt 1&2 Along with KINGDOM AFROCKS, JariBu Afrobeat Arkestra is one of the Japan's premiere afrobeat bands in a small, but flourishing scene. Their last album "Mediacracy" ALMOST made my list for 2011, but the production value wasn't quite as dynamic as I'd hoped for. Thankfully, that's been rectified on this new album and JAA's grooves are more sonically tangible than ever! Jimanica - Torso tags: electronic, experimental, instrumental Sample song: Walking Behind Jimanica is a drummer and laptop musician who is one-third of the trio "d.v.d" (drums visuals drums) and also 'partners in sound' with fellow electronic musician, Ametsub. Torso is Jimanica's 3rd solo album is a dynamic assortment of live drumming, electronics, and fractured vocal lines (provided by Anna Yamada, Hitomitoi, and Koshi Miura). KATUSI from EL SKUNK DI YAWDIE & EXTRAVAGANZA - Rhythm Messenger tags: reggae, jazz, acoustic Sample song: マチマチ feat. CHAN-MIKA&長崎真吾 As you can somewhat gather from his name, KATUSI is the drummer/percussionist from the little-known bands EL SKUNK DI YAWDIE & EXTRAVAGANZA!. Rhythm Messenger is KATUSI's solo effort in which he features various musicians and singers over his Cajon playing/Drumming. In addition to reggae and jazz, there's a variety of "organic" genres to be found throughout the album. Some awesome features include Likkle Mai, EKD, CHAN-MIKA, and 千尋 (Chihiro)! KINGDOM☆AFROCKS - SanSanNaNa tags: afrobeat, funk, jazz Sample song: No Son Tuyas (Not Yours) SanSanNaNa is the 2nd studio album from Japanese afrobeaters, KINGDOM☆AFROCKS. Their first studio album Fanfare made it on my list last year, but the grooves here are just as prominent and uplifting! LAGITAGIDA - CartaMarina tags: instrumental, progressive-rock Sample song: Yellow Shark Just a few months after their first EP, instrumental prog-rockers LAGITAGIDA have returned with their 2nd EP and they mean business! The band consists of members from the now defunct bands mahiruno, Green Milk From The Planet Orange, and school food punishment. They site their major influences as Frank Zappa, Led Zeppelin, King Crimson, Can, The Mars Volta, Battles, Metallica, Slayer, and Melt-Banana. CartaMarina is intense from beginning to end and proves that LAGITAGIDA is worthy of sharing the stage with Japan's best instrumental bands. LITE - PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE tags: math-rock, post-rock, female vocals Sample song: Bond LITE is no doubt one of Japan's finest instrumental acts, and their latest EP, PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE offers a glimpse into the band's evolution over the years. From their humble beginnings as a traditional post-rock band to their more experimental, vocal-driven compositions that strive to defy classification. Matryoshka - Laideronnette tags: modern classical, ambient, IDM, female vocals Sample song: Cut All Trees Absolutely gorgeous modern classical pieces embroidered with subtle electronic glitches and angelic female vocals. The tone of Laideronnette is epic and highly emotional - captivating from start to finish. middle 9 - Cettia Diphone tags: post-rock, jazz Sample song: Deja Cettia Diphone is middle 9's third album and continues the band's tradition of immaculately fusing jazz and post-rock. With only five tracks spanning about 30 minutes, I only wish this one were a bit longer! M-KODA - Inga tags: idm, electronic, ambient Sample song: Glow Only in his early 20's, M-KODA (real name Satoshi Kodama) is young, but already producing music like a seasoned pro. Inga is his 2nd full album and it exhibits just the right amount of minimalism - not overly melodic, but not subtle to the point that it's boring either. mmm (ミーマイモー) - ほーひ tags: folk, indie, female vocals Sample song: 無題 2nd full album from the indie-folkstress, mmm (pronouced me-my-mo)! Fortunately, she hasn't fallen into a sophomore slump - in fact, she's managed to produce an even better folk album than her first! With her unique voice, memorable songwriting, and endless charm, I don't think this woman is capable of doing any wrong. ;3 Moe and ghosts - 幽霊たち tags: hip hop, experimental, indie, female vocals Sample song: ルー=ガルーガール Splendid debut album from the enigmatic underground hip hop unit, Moe and Ghosts, who unsurprisingly, describe themselves as a "ghost coast hip hop group from Japan". The production on 幽霊たち has a distinct "underground" feel with many experimental liberties taken, while the rapping/vocals are all handled by the equally interesting female known as Moe (萌); who has a remarkably dynamic flow and style. The tone of moe's voice is also atypical for hip hop, but then again, this is not your typical hip hop album. : ) nego - SANSARA tags: dub, psychedelic, tribal, experimental, club Sample song: Raga Naja Sophomore album from the fascinating, hybrid-band, NEGO. Mixed and mastered by none other than KASHIWA Daisuke, SANSARA (meaning "metempsychosis" in Sanskrit) is a riveting album that utilizes simplicity and repetition at the core, and builds around that core a diverse wall of sound that is utterly entrancing! Members from bands like sgt., kacica, ROVO, egoistic 4 leaves, and WUJA BIN BIN have all given praise to NEGO and this album! Re-Trick - re:Re-Trick tags: jazz, club-jazz Sample song: Regeneration While some of the more popular of acts of Japan's jazz scene have been on a steady decline (quasimode and jabberloop come to mind), Re-Trick has only been improving! After the release of their last album in 2010, the band went on hiatus for about 15 months, but they haven't missed a beat. As the title of the album implies, re:Re-Trick is a bit of a self-cover album since half of the tracks are re-recordings of early tracks. However, each of those tracks have been redone masterfully and in most cases, aren't even identical to the originals. And of course, the new tracks maintain re-trick's originality and technical prowess. Hands down, my favorite jazz album of 2012! ROTH BART BARON - 化け物山と合唱団 tags: folk, indie Sample song: Campfire I was initially introduced to this band by MH's resident Japanese folk expert, Aion, a year or 2 ago and I've been following them ever since. The world of Japanese folk music is vast and saturated with mediocrity, so it's easy to point out the greats from the fakes - and ROTH BART BARON is the former. Their music has a simplistic beauty to it and it's evocative without being either overly sappy or too depressive. Hopefully, these guys will release a full length one day! Tam Tam - Meteorite tags: dub, reggae, alternative, female vocals Sample song: dry ride Meteorite is the first full album from the obscure, reggae/dub outfit, Tam Tam. While they employ a lot of traditional elements from reggae/dub, their sound also incorporates pop and alternative sensibilities - giving them a young and fresh appeal. THE★米騒動 - 十九歳でぜんぶ終わる tags: rock, garage, female vocals Sample song: ストランゲーゼ30番地 2nd mini album from the young garage rock trio, The rice panic. They have a fantastic, raw energy that's reminiscent of MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS' more agressive side. TK from 凛として時雨 - flowering tags: alternative, indie-rock Sample song: flower Solo album from Rin Toshite Shigure vocalist and distinguished guitarist, TK (Toru Kitajima). Even with the ensemble of strings, piano, and additional electronics, flowering isn't much of a departure from rin toshite's sound. In fact, it shows just how much influence TK has over the band. Though this isn't much of a gripe considering the consistently high quality of rin toshite albums. Naturally, TK remains above par. Wienners - UTOPIA tags: punk, hardcore, pop, electronic Sample song: 三原山の怪獣 2nd full album from wienners! Wild, zany, and fun punk that sporadically fuses elements of pop, hardcore, and electronica. Highly energetic with hardly ever a dull moment. Wuja Bin Bin - Wuja Bin Bin tags: jazz, avant-garde Sample song: Middle Age Riot Wuja Bin Bin is the new project of ex. ex-BEAT CRUSADERS' keyboardist, KEITAIMO, but this is no ordinary project. WBB is more like a super-group of superb indie and "under the radar" musicians. Within the line-up you have achico (on button down/KAREN), jazz trumpeter Shinpei Ruike, Satoru Takeshima (EGO-WRAPPIN & THE GOSSIP OF JAXX), Takuji Nomura (goodluckheiwa/natsumen/sakerock), Keisaku Nakamura (toe/hotel new tokyo/stim/kowloon) and more! Wuja Bin Bin's debut is an amazing mix of jazz, progressive, and experimental elements. アルカラ - ドラマ tags: indie-rock, alternative Sample song: 踊れやフリーダ I consider Arukara the flag-bearers of a particular brand of rock in Japan that see bands blending traditional elements of "indie-rock" with pop sensibilities. While many attempt this style, trying to appease the indie/DIY fans and exert mass appeal at the same time, Arukara simply excels at it. Whether they're doing ballads, instrumental tracks, or simply rocking out, they always manage to remain catchy and melodic without compromising their skills as musicians. Drama does a wonderful job at showcasing the band at their best. キリコ - Greyhound... tags: hip-hop, underground, female vocals Sample song: Layered subenoana is one of my favorite Japanese indie labels, as they're constantly releasing some of the most interesting, abstract and experimental Japanese hip hop. Although kiriko is usually very left-field, his new album features a more accessible sound full of soul and jazz-laden samples (courtesy of DJ OLDFASHION) and a host of female rapper/singer collaborations. Kiriko's flow and style remain very off-kilter though, which makes for a unique and refreshing listen. コトリンゴ - La memoire de mon bandwagon EP tags: pop, singer-songwriter, female vocals Sample song: Ghost Dance Stunning EP from Ryuichi Sakamoto's handpicked protege, Kotoringo! For this EP, Kotoringo formed a trio with Shige Murata (□□□, Cubismo Grafico Five, Circle Darko) on bass and Jumpei Kamiya (Akai Kutsu) on drums - and of course, herself on piano. As always, kotoringo has managed to produce some of the most exquisite pop music around and proves that she is in a league of her own. スガダイロー - 春風 tags: free-jazz, avant-garde Sample song: 不屈 New album from the insanely talented avant-garde pianist, Suga Dairo. His previous album actually made it onto my BEST-OF 2011 list; however, this work is almost entirely different. 46 minutes of pure piano work without the accompaniment of bass, drums, or vocals. Replete with broken melodies and meandering improvisation, this album may not be the easiest listen for some, but may be rewarding to those with an ear for the uncanny. トクマルシューゴ - In Focus? tags: folk, indie-pop Sample song: Helictite (LeSeMoDe) 5th album from singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Shugo Tokumaru. Extravagant and meticulously crafted folk-music with a cartoon-ish flare. Superb~! ハイスイノナサ - 動物の身体 tags: math-rock, post-rock, indie, female vocals Sample song: logos haisuinonasa's first full album is every bit as fabulous as their previous 2 mini albums suggested it would be. While the band has always mixed several genres (math-rock, post-rock, electronic, etc), they've really been able to let loose and expand their musical prowess to new areas on this full length. At this point, trying to dissect their music into genres would be futile. Despite the varying elements, their sound is so cohesive that it's nearly indescribable. Whatever haisuinonasa has become, I only have one word for them - EXQUISITE. 伊集院幸希 - THIS IS MY STORY 憐情のメロディ tags: soul, pop, doo-wop, female vocals Sample song: 家に帰ろう First full album from the obscure, but lovely singer-songwriter, Ijuuin Yuki. THIS IS MY STORY is like a blast from the 50's/60's past - even the production of the album is tailored to suit Yuki's impeccable retro-pop sound. Vocally, she sounds similar to early 90's Bonnie Pink, who also had a retro vibe around that time. All-around great tunes~ 八十八ヶ所巡礼 - ○△□ tags: rock, progressive, experimental Sample song: ((((未練)))) ○△□ is 88kasyo's 3rd full album, with their previous 2 albums being released in 2011 and 2010 respectively (all in the month of August btw). With releases so close together, you'd think it would be hard for a band to maintain the quality of their work, but that hasn't been the case with this trio. 88kasyo has only improved and grown even wilder with each release. Their skills are simply undeniable (srsly, their guitarist does more on his guitar in one song than some bands with 2 guitarists do in an entire album *cough*thegazette*cough*). But more importantly than their skills as musicians is their ability to craft songs that are unique, refreshing, and keep your ears craving more. Their previous album made my into my top picks of 2011, and they've managed to do so again this year. 小南泰葉 - 嘘憑キズム tags: pop-rock, female vocals Sample song: ルポルタージュ精神病棟 Impressive major debut from the up-and-coming singer/songwriter, Kominami Yasuha. She plays an edgy, yet radio-friendly brand of pop-rock that harkens back to early "Muzai Moratorium" days of Shiina Ringo. It's not often that you come across quality major artists, but Kominami is definitely one worth keeping an eye on! 空きっ腹に酒 - 僕の血 tags: indie-rock, punk, hip hop Sample song: 記憶 Imagine throwing bands like qomolangma tomato, usotsuki barbie, and UHNELLYS into a blender - you'll likely end up with a concoction like this band. "Boku no chi" is Sukipparanisake's first full album and is a spastic mix of indie-rock, punk, and hip hop with just enough craziness to keep your ears excited from start to finish. 緋と陽 - タイヨウニホエロ tags: hardcore, emo, post-rock Sample song: いざ沙らば hitohi's first EP made my best-of list last year, and their new EP is equally as deserving. While the band's songwriting seemed to meander aimlessly a few times on the last EP, they've made noticeable progress in streamlining their "mathy-proggy-postrockish-folky-hardcore" sound. Unfortunately, this EP is only 4 tracks long, but each one is epic in it's own right! ; ) 鎮座DOPENESS & DOPING BAND- だいぶ気持ちいいね! tags: hip-hop, alternative, experimental Sample song: ヒップ ホップ IS... With the bulk of Japan's hip hop culture filtered through the likes of MTV, it's tough to find Japanese rappers that really understand the essence of hip hop, but thankfully, CHINZA DOPENESS knows what hip hop is all about! CHINZA has formed a band (THE DOPING BAND), which consists of the up-and coming reggae songstress, CHAN-MIKA, percussionist and producer, IZPON (from KINGDOM☆AFROCKS, Panorama Steel Orchestra, and Orquesta, Nudge! ) with the rest of the members coming from the disbanded reggae/dub outfit 犬式 a.k.a Dogggystyle. This is anything but your typical rap record, as CHINZA and the DOPING BAND play a diverse array of styles including funk, jazz, reggae/dub, as well as your more traditional, old-school hip hop numbers. CHINZA and the DOPING BAND aren't out to talk about their swag or brag about material riches, they simply want to show you a good time! 高橋征司 - N41° tags: ambient, glitch, minimal Sample song: first report This album nearly flew under my radar, as it was released under an obscure, fledgeling label called Te Pito Records. Seiji Takahashi's first album, N41° is only the 3rd release from this label. I bought this on a whim, but was pleasantly surprised by the quality of it! Incredibly soothing ambient soundscapes!

It's becoming somewhat of a tradition for me to do this. The end of 2012 is drawing near and it's time for me to put together my list of things I liked from this year. Turns out that I liked a whole lot! Since I don't want to leave anything out, I'm going to change my format from the middle of this year. More music, less words. That way, no one feels overwhelmed with how much I found. I'm also going to break it up into four parts, with this one being the first. This list encompasses what I call Tier 4 releases: these are things I rated between a 3 and a 3.5 (for me, 2.5 is average, so anything above a 3 is considered 'good'). Think of it like a pyramid. The base is the biggest and the tip is the smallest and everything gets smaller as you go up. So accordingly, higher tiers will have less releases. Makes sense, right? I'll also follow it up with a (very) short blurb of what it sounds like, to give you an idea of what to expect. Looking for something new? Looking for something like something else? Just looking? Don't worry, the Zess has your back. Note: This list only encompasses albums and mini-albums. Zess' Tier 4 Album Picks of 2012 GALEYD - EYE WILL... JY9w08RbVJ0 Sounds like: DELUHI Regnum Caelorum et Gehenna - Dimersity 01: Meus Vitualamen Exertus Muto Vestri Universitas O8KG11V41qA Sounds like: Melodic Death Metal, Stratiotes UNDEAD CORPORATION - 紅染の鬼が哭く EoijbQFwMPg Sounds like: metalcore, some traditional Japanese influences Wintersun - Time I lsWxLQDzJOU Sounds like: Extreme Majestic Technical Epic Melodic Metal Dethklok - Dethalbum III RXY9On_UW_M Sounds like: Deth Metal Cyclamen - Memories, Voices QMIQXKkzJUg Sounds like: Djent!! Djent!! (and some clean vocals here and there) CROW'SCLAW - Lightning Discharge jSJSar3y6Yg Sounds like: Lolimetal, metalcore, heavy metal, good CROW'SCLAW A Zess Note: This is so much better than Blackened Fangs and Bloody Claws. SO. MUCH. BETTER. LITE - Past, Present, Future BlWiRjIcjOk Sounds like: post-rock, some math influences, mostly instrumental Vermillion-D Alice Syndrome: 妍麗たる讃仰は悲啼喘ぎし蒼焔に炙られ wQ1IrbuLcRQ Sounds like: primarily gothic metal, some black metal influences lynch. - INFERIORITY COMPLEX Y-9OQcKlh6Y Sounds like: metalcore Noxious - The Remnants of a Chaos 2OMlespA49s Sounds like: Gothenburg death metal Ilaria Graziano & Francesco Forni - From Bedlam to Lenane 0FyiryxIVZQ Sounds like: folk, some spanish influences EA - METEO cpXtnW7Ae1A Sounds like: powerpop, some electronic influences Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind kiALoVqzAVo Sounds like: (traditional) metalcore, hardcore, noisecore D - 名もなき森の夢語り r6d4xE62nLE Sounds like: power metal, neoclassical metal, shredfest, vibrato galore from Asagi Feel free to leave any feedback here and look forward to Tier 3 coming in a few days!

It's becoming somewhat of a tradition for me to do this. The end of 2012 is drawing near and it's time for me to put together my list of things I liked from this year. Turns out that I liked a whole lot! Since I don't want to leave anything out, I'm going to change my format from the middle of this year. More music, less words. That way, no one feels overwhelmed with how much I found. I'm also going to break it up into four parts, with this one being the second. This list encompasses what I call Tier 3 releases: these are things I rated between a 3.5 and a 3.9. Think of it like a pyramid. The base is the biggest and the tip is the smallest and everything gets smaller as you go up. So accordingly, higher tiers will have less releases. Makes sense, right? I'll also follow it up with a (very) short blurb of what it sounds like, to give you an idea of what to expect. Looking for something new? Looking for something like something else? Just looking? Don't worry, the Zess has your back. Note: This list only encompasses albums and mini-albums. Zess' Tier 3 Album Picks of 2012 Epica - Requiem for the Indifferent iJwVyeDcNw0 Sounds like: your standard European power metal with a hot vocalist and a growly dude egoistic 4 leaves - aluva fT2TxdxvEak Sounds like: instrumental jazz with some post-rock elements Lament. - TOTENTANZ rv9IizTnLcs Sounds like: vk-styled gothic metal Alhambra - SIEGFRIED Gx37g9jXCmA Sounds like: power metal with female fronted vocals S.S.H. - BLAST FROM THE PAST jyaGImJx3ns Sounds like: god tier guitar wankery with some liberal use of synth mudy on the 昨晩 - Zyacalanda bGYwMjsLnoo Sounds like: instrumental indie rock Fugenn & The White Elephants - Prays kfR0Tt2Qsso Sounds like: Electronic, IDM Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music 6lIqNjC1RKU Sounds like: underground rap & hip hop 東京事変 - color bars PIRzYoWbxuE Sounds like: jazz JiLL-Decoy Association - Lovely bq7-KpKWiY4 Sounds like: jazz pop, acoustic 女王蜂 - 蛇姫様 XNaB5nUd1Xk Sounds like: crazy punk with a transgendered vocalist. seriously. LIPHLICH - SOMETHING WICKED COMES HERE AGAINST YOU -8bQx0X_25U Sounds like: art rock, some world music elements 八十八ヶ所巡礼 - ○△□ 3KdjPIRrYZs Sounds like: punk infused indie rock Sigh - In Somniphobia ECtL35qZ-dE Sounds like: avant-garde metal, black metal Stolen Babies - Naught uuOgCMyQRns Sounds like: avant-garde metal, twisted carnival music Feel free to leave any feedback here and look forward to Tier 3 coming in a few days!

We're getting near the end now! This is when the real good stuff comes out! The end of 2012 is drawing near and it's time for me to put together my list of things I liked from this year. Turns out that I liked a whole lot! Since I don't want to leave anything out, I'm going to change my format from the middle of this year. More music, less words. That way, no one feels overwhelmed with how much I found. I'm also going to break it up into four parts, with this one being the second. This list encompasses what I call Tier 2 releases: these are things I rated between a 4 and a 4.4. Think of it like a pyramid. The base is the biggest and the tip is the smallest and everything gets smaller as you go up. So accordingly, higher tiers will have less releases. Makes sense, right? I'll also follow it up with a (very) short blurb of what it sounds like, to give you an idea of what to expect. Looking for something new? Looking for something like something else? Just looking? Don't worry, the Zess has your back. Note: This list only encompasses albums and mini-albums. Zess' Tier 2 Album Picks of 2012 Meshuggah - Koloss y9EusMuWTRY Sounds like: djent but the riffs aren't as metallic and sterile as what's usually expected 9GOATS BLACK OUT - Calling Ky1X41elsMs Sounds like: melancholic alternative rock, 9GOATS style Evoken - Atra Mors qTYHcWKXN1M Sounds like: funeral doom metal Heretoir - Substanz M2-X7xVj598 Sounds like: that trend of post-rock x black metal (emphasis on BM part) that's oh so popular in Europe these days done well Dordeduh - Dar de Duh JZ-hayqRDOc Sounds like: the spiritual successor to OM by Negură Bunget Mono - For My Parents usHC-O1BPCM Sounds like:traditional instrumental post-rock Alcest - Les Voyages de l’Âme xCwGMLncumM Sounds like: Neige's brand of sparkly, twinkly feel-good black metal Neurosis Rezrvi-IEBU Sounds like: post-metal, sludge metal Amenra - Mass V nOO8hzQvigA Sounds like: Neurosis Jr. SILENT DIFFERENCE - BELIAL 6ifbvt7bDCo Sounds like: DIR EN GREY (WtD. era) x ALSDEAD X BORN the god and death stars - tonight is the night rb_AiG3EIrs Sounds like: melancholic Nagoya-styled alternative rock Diablo Swing Orchestra - Pandora's Pinata eYFU6SOrVuk Sounds like: swing, jazz, death metal. yes. all of those in equal amounts. Witch Mountain - Cauldron of the Wild 8ko4YwjB2wY Sounds like: stoner metal Feel free to leave any feedback here and look forward to Tier 1 coming in a few days!

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! fUefKufcCmE 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! gj3J7seC7qQ 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. Vg2woE3wgjg 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. cIlCy0Hlmjo 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. hehWmivkQpM 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. hvkRuJl6FEM 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. S9ciMKu9q68 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. OMFV5KvdaPc 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. XVJMVM5FVNk 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. tGlKac8RVS4 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 =)

Here's the last list! The end of 2012 is drawing near and it's time for me to put together my list of things I liked from this year. Turns out that I liked a whole lot! Since I don't want to leave anything out, I'm going to change my format from the middle of this year. More music, less words. That way, no one feels overwhelmed with how much I found. I'm also going to break it up into four parts, with this one being the second. This list encompasses what I call Tier 1 releases: these are things I rated between a 4.5 and a 5. I'll also follow it up with a (very) short blurb of what it sounds like, to give you an idea of what to expect. Looking for something new? Looking for something like something else? Just looking? Don't worry, the Zess has your back. Note: This list only encompasses albums and mini-albums. Zess' Top Album Picks of 2012 Lindsey Stirling - Lindsey Stirling aHjpOzsQ9YI Sounds like: dubstep violin, classical crossover A Zess Note: This is the closest America's getting to a bard. She dances, she violins, she composes, she's cute as a button. Agalloch - Faustian Echoes rIF0d4PLsjY Sounds like: black metal with folk elements A (Anonymous Confederate Ensemble) - Tales For The Abyss IAKIwxssoXI Sounds like: pretty straightforward rock Thousand Leaves - EARLY DAYS OF SORROW Tdpd3V0PJsI Sounds like: balls to the wall melodeath Les Discrets - Ariettes Oubliées A4zGv79nL2w Sounds like: post rock A Zess Note: La Traversée is simply crushing in it's beauty. El-P - Cancer 4 Cure OZptOs8Gu9k Sounds like:underground abstract hip-hop A Zess Note: Even people that typically don't like hip-hop can dig El-P. Don't snub it just because it's from a genre notorious for high amounts of ignorance. God Seed - I Begin DbtrKMiKUuw Sounds like: *more* black metal Martyrdöd - Paranoia WxDFHxGX_lc Sounds like: blackened crust, d-beat The Secret - Agnus Dei aeOy651hK6Q Sounds like: blackened crust, hardcore Like always, feel free to leave feedback!

The 2012 Staff Picks The MH staff wanted to do something a little different this year. While we still are going to do individual “best of” lists, we wanted to create a list that really reflects upon what the entire staff* liked over the course of 2012. And here we have it! This list was created over the span of about a month and it took a lot of effort to narrow down the list to -just- the 20 releases** we have here. Once it was finished, each member had the option to write a “take” on an album which briefly explains what the album is like and why they enjoyed it. Now, after a lot of hard work, we present the Monochrome Heaven Staff picks from 2012 in alphabetical order! *This was an entire staff project, but not every member wrote a take. This means that every member had a hand in picking out the albums, even if you don’t see their name below. **This list was limited to include only Japanese releases, since that is the main focus of MH. The List A - Tales for the Abyss Sample Song: Night Of The Knights Alice Nine - "9" Sample Song: Heavenly Tale アルカラ - ドラマ Arukara – Drama Sample Song: 踊れやフリーダ (Odore ya Furida) ATATA - TATAT Sample Song: Minority Fight Song BUCK-TICK - 夢見る宇宙 BUCK-TICK - Yume miru uchuu Sample Song: ONLY YOU -WE ARE NOT ALONE- Cocklobin - Iris Sample Song: Healing COgeNdshE - cogency Sample Song: 錯乱 (Sakuran) the god and the death stars - Tonight is the Night Sample Song: プール (pool) 八十八ヶ所巡礼 - ○△□ 88kasyo junrei - ○△□ Sample Song: ☞異界逝コウ☜ (☞ikai sei kou☜) How to count one to ten - Blue Building Blocks Sample Song: Colossal Squid THE KIDDIE - MA★PIECE Sample Song: mr. FIREBIRD lynch. - Inferiority Complex Sample Song: THE FATAL HOUR HAS COME Miyauchi Yuri - Tone after Tone Sample Song: Toaf_ MIYAVI - SAMURAI SESSIONS vol.1 Sample Song: DAY 1 (vs. YUKSEK) MUCC - SHANGRI-LA Sample Song: ??? Candy Warhol’s TakeThis is an album that is surprising and puts you in emotional wreck. It is surprising yet very enjoyable. I personally pleased with their take on this release. Unlike some bands that either end up being carbon copies of one another and being unchallenged legends that make music with the same old boring sounds, MUCC still feel the need to reinvent themselves and their sounds. SHANGRI-LA completely blew me away. The attention to details with effects and frequent mind blowing riffs has made this album one of my favorite Japanese releases of this year. This is not just gimmick. Not just cheap fan service. This is music. It takes you on a journey to a place so foreign you might feel intimidated for not having enough guts to explore it. 死んだ僕の彼女 - underdrawing for three forms of unhappiness at the state of existence my dead girlfriend - underdrawing for three forms of unhappiness at the state of existence Sample Song: Skyscraper Kills My Ghost In Your Memory [mp3]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/54067286/Music/2012%20Staff%20Picks/my%20dead%20girlfriend%20-%20Skyscraper%20Kills%20My%20Ghost%20In%20Your%20Memory.mp3" /> Plastic Tree - インク Plastic Tree - Ink Sample Song: ピアノブラック (piano burakku) Sigh - In Somniphobia Sample Song: Amnesia Thousand Leaves - EARLY YEARS OF SORROW Sample Song: Flame of Sadness 女王蜂 - 蛇姫様 Ziyoou-vachi - hebi himesama Sample Song: 歌姫 (uta hime) 9 GOATS BLACK OUT – Calling Sample Song: 8秒 (Hachibyou)