Recommended Tracks Recommended Tracks: January 2016!

[CAT5 9075]

Recommended Tracks: January 2016

Greetings, fellow Monochromians! The Official Review team has rebranded our "Best New Tracks" series to "Recommended Tracks"! We've also revamped our format! New Year, new improvements! 2016 has blasted off to a brilliant start, and with so much great music being released, we've got a good batch of new music to recommend! So have a look around! We hope that you discover some new music to get into!

If it conveniences you, we've also made a playlist of the embedded YouTube videos here! ^^

@Zeus's Pick: "OUSIA"byTHE BLACK SWAN

I have had a lot of time to digest THE BLACK SWAN's magnum opus thus far. "OUSIA" is vocalist Jin's first eleven minute progressive behemoth, birthed with no formal training in music theory. I'm sure he got by with a little help from his friends, but having the pleasure of reading Jin's translated comments concerning the origins and motivations behind "OUSIA" emphasized some elements of the song more. I must admit I am biased and find progressive wankery a much better alternative to a breakdown or simple repetition any day of the week, and the effort is impressive. The five or so minutes of melodic rock sound like a NEGA homage thanks to the piano played by Yuu (who used to play piano and drums in NEGA) mixed together with a section that reminds me of Dir en grey's "Macabre". The breakdown halfway in is ripped straight from NEGA's "虚しき「生」の寓意≒「死」の真意", and then the band buries their homages in guitar solos so frenetic the mood switches from depressing to energetic and back in under a minute. I wouldn't blame anyone for finding it a tiring, confusing mess, but I love every second of the ride.

@emmny's Pick: "「ここにラブソングを」 (koko ni love song wo)"byDEZERT

Leave it to DEZERT to return unfazed after a seemingly long lull after the departure of their guitarist, which, in their defense, could have easily killed any other band. Kira is out, Miyako (ex-Moran) is in, and DEZERT came back more brutal, melodic, twisted and catchy than before—take “「ここにラブソングを」” off their second full length album “「最高の食卓」”as an example. The song blasts through its incredibly quick two-minute run time with an even faster drum blast-beat as 千秋 half-sings, half-raps like a madman while the guitars chug in Miyako's hideous, extra-distorted tone. This brief sequence ends with 千秋 belting the sugary chorus, and a little breakdown before closing off the song in his surprisingly angelic falsetto. It all shows just how well DEZERT mix uglyness and beauty to make their one-of-a-kind style of alt-metal—a style that was sorely missed and well worth the wait.

@fitear1590's Picks: "Open your heart"byLONDBOY

B.P.Records has been on my shit-list thus far. 己龍 (Kiryu) may be one of my favorite active VK bands, but that has nothing to do with this multi-type-obsessed label. With no long-term interest in their other bands, I considered their signing of Kiryu to be a fluke. Then came LONDBOY, whose PV seems to have been produced by the label. Silly name and cheesy song title aside, their first song has me very interested! The song begins with a simple, but beautiful synth line. Gone are the cheap trash synths (I need to make a thread about this) we hear with Royz, for instance. Though the drums could use some production work, I'm pretty impressed with the catchy and dynamic pop-rock composition in "Open your heart"! It's unclear whether B.P.Records will actually sign the band, but whatever the case, I'm hoping their March single "アイリス(iris)" will impress!

"MOON" by LUCKY TAPES

About 4 years ago, I discovered Lamp--truly "love at first listen". Their sublime, relaxing brand of jazz/easy-listening infused pop is unmatched. Having said that, I've been keeping an eye on a few musicians who approach their style, such as the Indonesian solo artist Noh Salleh,  the quirky シンリズム (shin rizumu). LUCKY TAPES is my latest find. Their new song "MOON" might be one of the closest I've ever heard to Lamp! Unfortunately, a quick YouTube search seems to indicate that their previous music isn't quite in the same vein. But if this single marks an overhaul in their sound, then I'm all ears for what they'll come up with next!

"光線 (kousen)"byクウチュウ戦 (koochewsen)

"Kousen" is the single from their 2nd mini-album Sukoshi Fushigi and it's so fun. While it might not exactly be the psychedelic romp of their 1st mini-album's single, there's still plenty to love about their compositions. It opens with a kind of off-kilter kookiness, before moving into an extremely groovy verse. Vocalist Riyo also has an intriguing style, at once raspy and breathy, proving to be a surprisingly strong singer. You gotta love that PV as well! Special shoutouts to @doombox and @seurong for turning me on to them! 

"N_tower"byLILI LIMIT

LILI LIMIT's new mini-album #apieceofcake might be a hodgepodge of indie sounds from the math-poppy "morning coffee" and Czecho No Republic-esque "Festa", but "N_tower" is the standout track for me! I hope you'll allow me another namedrop, but right from the first pulsing beats of the song, APOGEE came to mind. Tight bass lines and cosmic synthwork create a gorgeous soundscape. The late chorus is massive and you'll want to sing along 'Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuume!' Somehow, the song sneaks past the 5-minute mark in the blink of an eye. LILI LIMIT still seems to be finding their sound, but I'd love to see them explore this synth pop style even more!

@beni's Picks: "Speaking"byMrs. GREEN APPLE

I wasn't expecting Mrs. GREEN APPLE to be as rocking as they are. They've been on my 'to listen to' list for quite a while now, and seeing their album promoted on the net encouraged me to finally get into them. If I could talk about the majority of their first ever full length album's tracks, I'd totally go into more detail as the album itself is well worth a full listen, however, here's hoping the rocker tune will get the majority of you guys on board to give them a go. Not only does "Speaking" make your blood pump with a super quick delivery in every way, but it manages to make me feel depressed over the fact that they've not only been under my radar for so long, but for plenty of others too, I'm sure. So don't make the same mistake I did and give this awesome song a listen and then get straight to TWELVE!

"Mobile Phone" by Swinging Popsicle

Adorably pleasant indie darlings Swinging Popsicle finally release some new material after a good moment of silence. "Mobile Phone" has their signature Engrish (fluent in fact!) lyrics and a sweet, chirpy beat (modern bass sounding at that!) they always incorporate together with cute (and repetitive~) lyrics. If you're new to these guys and enjoy some indie now and then, as Swinging Popsicle being one of the first I ever discovered and still love to this day, I cannot put them forward any more, so please give this MV a shot. It's a treat you'll wish would never end.

"ゴードン (Gordon)"byFINLANDS

What caught me at first and what kept me listening to their mini-album ULTRA was Fuyuko's voice. Her super squeaky and off-pitch vocals when it comes to certain words in their songs and choruses are both endearing and engaging, and something different compared to those note perfect bands. My favourite song from them is the leading MV for their recent mini-album, which is totally worth a listen with simple yet catchy melodies and a rough and quirky singer to top it all off. Be sure to add FINLANDS to your indie, female fronted collection. 

"タイムマシン (Time Machine)"by加治ひとみ (Hitomi Kaji)

The first thought I had when Kaji's voice graced my ears is that 'this is one of the most distinct voices within J-pop'. Against the lush and elegant music, it only emphasizes her sophisticated sound and tone more, which is anything but your typical popular J-pop music. Her discography is super small, with only two singles and her first mini-album being the source of this MV track. We can only hope and pray for more material after this impressive release.

@CAT5's Picks: "1 Nite Wonder"byATATA

It's been four years since ATATA's splendid self-titled debut EP, and I've been longing for new music from these guys ever since. Thankfully, their follow-up EP JOY was worth the wait. The guys haven't augmented their sound at all - everything from the production, to their songwriting and musical competence is right where they left off in 2012. While this might be a bummer for some, I found JOY to be a most welcome addition to ATATA's scarce discography of roughly 9 songs (a 'whopping' 15 now, including the new material). More of the same doesn't hurt if the music is still good, right? With that said, pinpointing a standout from "JOY" is almost impossible - the EP is thoroughly awesome. "1 Nite Wonder", with all of its punk spirit and post-hardcore brovado, works just as well as any track from the EP. In fact, you should just pick the EP up on iTunes for a meager 6 bucks.

"Luv U Tokio" by METAFIVE

Yukihiro Takahashi of Yellow Magic Orchestra has recruited the likes of Leo Imai, Tomohiko Gondo, and legends Towa Tei, Cornelius, Yoshinori Sunahara to be a part of METATIVE - to call them a superband would almost be an understatement. With so many brilliant musical minds together, expecting any less than greatness was not even an option. Their debut album META may not have been the instant masterpiece that fans might have hoped for, but it was also lightyears away from being a disappointment! "Luv U Tokio" is among the most straightforward tracks on the album, but production is absolutely pristine, it's insanely catchy, one of the few with majority Japanese lyrics!

"ブルース (blues)"byGalileo Galilei

After almost a decade of unexpected success, fraught with applaudable triumphs and inevitable setbacks, radio-friendly rockers Galileo Galilei are calling it quits after touring in promotion of their final album Sea and The Darkness. The album isn't as gloomy as its title suggests, though. In fact, it's full of the light and airy pop-rock that their career was known for. However, if there's one emotionally poignant moment on Sea and The Darkness, it's undoubtedly the aptly titled "ブルース (blues)". It's a rivetting track with amped-up instrumentation, and a passionate vocal performance from Yuuki Ozaki. In a farewell message from the band, they expressed that they put all of their last thoughts into this album, and in this track, you can literally feel the heartache and sorrow that they've experienced on their road to the end.

"女子達 (joshi-tachi)"byNakamuraEmi

In an era where Jpop artists are either rehashing tired trends or trying too hard to be different, aiming for alternatives and missing the mark, I found NakamuraEmi's debut album NIPPONNO ONNAWO UTAU BEST to be completely refreshing. It's your typical pop record through and through, but Emi takes everything back to the basics. She doesn't overextend her reach, yet she's got enough going on to seperate herself from the hordes of Jpoppers playing 'follow the follower'. "joshi-tachi" almost perfectly encapsulates what NakamuraEmi is all about - lush acoustic-pop that neatly draws from both jazz music and hip-hop. And what's best is that this blend sounds completely organic and natural. The only gimmick you'll find here is 'good music'.

"Captive of Mists"byCHERRYBOY FUNCTION

Unless you're some kind of Japanese club music afficianado, then chances are you probably haven't heard of CHERRYBOY FUNCTION. Hell, even if you're just a casual fan of electronica, coming across him or his music is unlikely given his sufficiently weak social network game and scanty remix work. Yet despite this, he's been quietly cranking out his bleeps & bloops via the small record label ExT Recordings for about a decade now, and also plays alongside more prominent electronic acts like DE DE MOUSE and TOFUBEATS. "Captive of Mists" is but a small, yet healthy dose of the colorful techno and house grooves to be found on his latest work "Word in the Petals"!

☆Guest☆ Picks: "Big Bear Remix from Gravitation" by ギルガメッシュ (Girugamesh)

Once again, Satoshi and his mates were able to make a good and refined release, and the "Gravitation" remix has turned out to be my favorite on their new mini album. They and Big Bear were able to manage a decent remix at an 8:00 length that makes me not care if it was ten minutes or more. If you like to dance in night clubs with all that crazy remix and related, this is definitely a thing you could enjoy.

-submitted by @yakihiko

"FANTASIA"by魔天楼オペラ (Matenrou Opera)

In such a long time, I have never heard an album like this from 魔天楼オペラ, full of precious songs. "FANTASIA" could be pointed as a normal instrumental song, but they have Anzi, an amazing guitarist that has learned to improve himself to do really great solos, and was able to excellently carry a six minute track with the help of his band mates: Yo, Yu and Ayame. This has become my favorite song from 地球 (chikyuu).

-submitted by @yakihiko

See you next month!

[emmny 4139]

great list mates! pretend moon is on my list OK

[Spectralion 394]

I'm happy to see Speaking and FANTASIA here

[odrep 68]

Loved the new format, looks more dynamic!

 

Congratulations, guys.

[zombiesatemycereal 64]

NIPPONNO ONNAWO UTAU BEST is so damn good, gonna be listening to it all week. Like the new format a lot!

[TetsuAkira 289]

Awesome recommendations! Lots of new bands for me to try!!

[yakihiko 1480]

Thank you for the recommendations guys.

I will look forward to @fitear1590's LONDBOY release and listen to @emmny's DEZERT carefully... They now have Vivi xD

Also, thank you for having me as guest. I hope we can make more business in the future

[Chi 2624]

ah ye my man fitz know whats gud

[CAT5 9075]

Thanks, guys! Glad you all are enjoying! I just updated the OP with a poll

[beni 2149]

Firstly, thank you, @CAT5 for your constant commitment and improvements to this. This revamp has been the best yet!

 

@Zeus, it's terrific seeing THE BLACK SWAN being commented on, especially by yourself. I have yet to get to the release, but it sounds well worth it as expected.

 

@emmny, brilliant to have you. That's a real neat blurb, and while I can't say much at all on DEZERT, bless you on including them, it's a great choice.

 

@fitear1590, LILI LIMIT, instant thumbs up. That was a wonderful release, they just keep getting it on point. koochewsen always sounds lovely, it's cool seeing them reaching more people thanks to @doombox and @seurong as you've said! LUCKY TAPES and LONDBOY are new to me, and now I'm going to have to go on a hunting spree for more from both!

 

@CAT5, I'm rather interested in METAFIVE with your comments on it including @doombox's play of them in dub. I'll certainly check that album out at some point. ATATA sounds right up your street, and is something I'd like to listen to more of. I wasn't expecting those vocals, I really like what I'm hearing. As you know with NakamuraEmi, I enjoyed that album. It certainly flowed and was organised well. You picked a super neat number too. Really deserving of more recognition. Unfortunately, Galileo Galilei I couldn't get into. It's a nice album but not compared to their earlier works if you ask me. It's quite different and therefor rather far off from what I love from them that I can't embrace it fully. A wonderful pick if I just block out it's Galileo Galilei. XD It's a bittersweet moment, ok ;; 

 

Thank you @yakihiko for your double contribution! Matenrou Opera is really getting on my good side recently, they seem to be improving all the time.

[plastic_rainbow 2162]

the "recommended tracks" name is so much better than the previous 'cause then i won't have to feel like i should already know every song that's listed, because i really don't xD

the DEZERT release is the only thing on this list that i checked really, nice blurb on it too emmny!

anyway, nice list! i may check some of these out further~

[Yukimoto 1237]

@Zeus After reading your review on "Ousia" I was expecting this song to be your choice for the month and I have too say I agree that its a pretty exceptional song, even though at times the progression in the song comes off kind of dysfunctional at times, it fits so well. I think it's my favorite on the album as a whole. The first time listening to it I had to replay it multiple times ending in over 1 hour of song play since the song is so massive, but it was worth it.

 

@emmny I thought Dezert was really good too but I'm unsure if this album is better to me than the last, what do you think? I for one like the progression of the tracks on the first album from heavy to a 3 stunt song slow jam back to more heavy songs. This album was more variable in terms of where the songs were placed but I would have to say that my favorite song from this album was pictogram-san. It's a pretty nice song.

 

@fitear1590 I also think londboy sounds pretty good and am looking forward to previews of their next single!

 

@beni after reading your excerpt on finland I had to give them a try because I love hearing new singing styles and her squeak on certain words had its own flare that I enjoyed it a lot. Thanks for this submission.

 

 @CAT5 Galileo Galilei is just breaking hearts everywhere huh. I do hope Yuuki Ozaki atleast continues as a solo artist if anything because I really enjoy his voice. I am sad they are breaking up but I do agree with @beni that this sounded a little different from them besides the occasional "them" songs like "Blues"!!1 Sigh I'm going to miss them...

 

@yakihiko Matenrou Opera are becoming more and  more progressive in terms of rock and it's going good for them. I have to say that my favorite song on the "Chikyuu" release was "Silent Scream" it's a wonderful song and Sono's singing style in it is phenomenal. 

 

As always tons of things I'm unfamiliar and need to listen to so thanks for the recommendations<3

 

Almost forgot my addition which was DADAROMA "DADAISM#2" I couldn't get enough of it on first listen and compared to their first release it is jammed packed with heavy material , what everyone seems to be wanting from them. "Chimen" was my favorite from the release. If you guys haven't checked it out yet you definitely should! His vocals on chimen is superb mixing the screams with the growls and the intense drum playing with and then the chorus comes in with the falsetto and I just lose my sh*t, literally I just love his voice... maybe too much ranting but Yes please check it out if you haven't yet. 

 

BTW I may have to get in on this writing my own excerpt for you guys if you would have me

[ruki11 965]

DADAROMA+1

I like KURT ang other songs

 

wish I will see BORN next month, really like that

[yakihiko 1480]

@@Dogprince21 Silent Scream was my second favorite on it

I really didn't get into dadaism#2, I tried Kurt a lot, but I feel nothing yet :/

@@ruki11 You will see BORN for sure

[Ito 2438]

I'm back again (and late) for my quick thoughts on the tracks of the month! By you should know my drill lol.

 

Green = mhmm
Yellow = hmmm
Orange = uhhhhh
Red = uuuugh
 

"OUSIA" by THE BLACK SWAN

I'm really hopping that is terrible youtube compression, because oh boy. The song really doesn't feel it's length, which is certainly a good thing, but the vocalist sounds like he has a bad cold and needs to find a stockpile of facial tissues.

 

"「ここにラブソングを」 (koko ni love song wo)" by DEZERT

I didn't particularly like the start of this song, and I thought it was all over, but man does it make a shift. Once the "chorus" kicks in I start enjoying it more.

 

"Open your heart" by LONDBOY

I would be lying if I said this song didn't have some rough patches (that piano riff for example), but man does this show some promise.

 

"MOON" by LUCKY TAPES

Bit too "snoozy" for me.

 

"光線 (kousen)" by クウチュウ戦 (koochewsen)

Bit too quirky for me, but I can see the appeal.

 

"N_tower" by LILI LIMIT

Funky and fun. and dat bassline.

 

"Speaking" by Mrs. GREEN APPLE

Youtube blocked me from listening to this. Sad day.

 

"Mobile Phone" by Swinging Popsicle

Not my cup of tea at all

 

"ゴードン (Gordon)" by FINLANDS

I want to like this, but the vocalists squeaks drive me fucking batty. Which blows since I enjoyed this song other than that bit.

 

"タイムマシン (Time Machine)" by 加治ひとみ (Hitomi Kaji)

Big dose of poppy "nope" for me.

 

"1 Nite Wonder" by ATATA

I like this band. A lot. Tell them they can't wait this long again next time lol

 

"Luv U Tokio" by METAFIVE

I really like the groove, but I really don't enjoy the vocals at all.

 

"ブルース (blues)" by Galileo Galilei

Youtube strikes again. I enjoy this band though so I will check out this release anyways.

 

"女子達 (joshi-tachi)" by NakamuraEmi

Fuck you youtube and your area restrictions.

 

"Captive of Mists" by CHERRYBOY FUNCTION

Not really in line with what I enjoy in electronic music, but still enjoyable.

 

"Big Bear Remix from Gravitation" by ギルガメッシュ (Girugamesh)

Dammit youtube! XD

 

"FANTASIA" by 魔天楼オペラ (Matenrou Opera)

It's nice to get some purely instrumental tracks for VK groups from time to time - it's always nice to hear a band being able to carry itself without the use of vocals. While I wasn't blown away, it was fairly enjoyable (and a bit of the riff felt very Ghibli-esque, though I can't recall from what).