How Did We First Discover...?

[Superficial Fan]

I think I might have answered this on Ringo Jihen but not here. (Some of you may not realize I go back to Ringo Jihen days, since I was pretty low profile.) I discovered her when Milton Parker (who posts here occasionally) mentioned on the board ILM (I Love Music, the ilxor.com one) how much he liked Adult. I am pretty sure this was on a general thread about favorite albums of the year so far (back in 2006). Anyway, the name of the band and the cover, and the way the band was described, made me curious. I checked some things out on youtube and liked "Himitsu" immediately. Naturally I went back to check out some earlier solo Shiina Ringo songs as well, and I liked a bunch of them. I remember "Ringo No Uta" being one of them. Not sure what the others were, but most likely "Honnou" and "Yami ni Furu Ame." I came on board more or less immediately. (Edit: I think "Kurumaya-san" was one as well, the studio one. I'm actually less sure if I watched the videos for those Shouso Strip tracks at the same time. Just can't remember.)

[Ringo Ate My Hamster]

February last year. I was downloading some random indie stuff including some tunes by Rymdkraft (rymdkraft.com) and one was a remix of Koufukuron. I got curious, as it didn't really resemble anything I'd heard before. Looked it up on Youtube and after watching sent the link to some friends, with a note along the lines of "Hey, look at this crazy japanese stuff". Little did I know...

A little later I was watching an old japanese movie (Lady Snowblood, which I adored), and some random related-link-browsing on youtube lead me to Kurumaya-san (Meiko Kaji -> Enka -> Misora Hibari -> Kurumaya-san -> the Dynamite Out cover). After listening a few times I got me some torrents and started, of all things, Utaite Miyori. Didn't much take to it, but started Singles Box which looped through a few times while I was doing other stuff, and Toki ga bousou suru somehow crept into my mind and kept me coming back to it. At this point I started noticing all those little things that she does, and I'm still finding new ones, a major source of delight.

Then I started the Dynamite out concert, couldn't take my eyes off it (despite, or maybe even because of, that monstrous hat). During Jusui Negai, that sandpaper voice ground away the last opposition and I fell completely for her. I watched the concert twice in one evening.

I had a tough time finding anywhere to buy SR/TJ stuff around here, but found Yesasia after a while.

A common theme has been that I haven't really liked most of the stuff on first listen. I remember I actively disliked Senkou Shoujou at first, although now it's among my favourites. I'm also able to enjoy Utaite Myori. Some of my all time favourites are still the ones on the Singles Box. By now I own almost all SR/TJ CDs, almost all Seiteki Healing and the Ringo File (with ambitions of being able to read it some time). Time elapsed from the WTF-phase to worshipping anything that has touched the ground Ringo walks on, 6 months or so.

[a_grumble_cake]

that's quite a story! was it a mix of the single version of Koufukuron (slow version) or the CD version (fast version)?

Dynamite out --->Jusui Negai is pretty amazing. I always kind of wondered if I should show it to people who don't know her... they will either be blown away or scared to death.

[Scribble R]

Originally Posted by Ringo Ate My Hamster

Then I started the Dynamite out concert, couldn't take my eyes off it (despite, or maybe even because of, that monstrous hat). During Jusui Negai, that sandpaper voice ground away the last opposition and I fell completely for her. I watched the concert twice in one evening.

Oh yes. <3

I remember reading SR hyperbole during my J-Everything phase and following up on it by downloading two J-garbled tracks from P2P. These tracks turned out to be Morphine and Mayonaka wa Junketsu. They tag-teamed me until I became a Ringo junkie.

[frecklegirl]

Originally Posted by Ringo Ate My Hamster

Some of my all time favourites are still the ones on the Singles Box.

That's a really cool story! I like how roundabout it is. But you should know the singles box isn't a legitimate, official release... just something created by bootleggers/fans to group all her singles into one place.

[SakeIt2Me]

Dynamite out --->Jusui Negai is pretty amazing. I always kind of wondered if I should show it to people who don't know her... they will either be blown away or scared to death.

Just DO it.
Dynamite Out is my new method of deciding whether people are worthy to be my friends or not. Love me, love DO.

I showed this to my mother, who'd never heard Shiina at all and generally abhors my music selections(or pretends to in order to save face). She cannot watch anything without giving a running commentary/critique...until Dynamite Out! During Ringo no Uta, it was a "well, it's just more rock music but I'll endure it". Then Jusui Negai comes on and...her jaw on the floor the whole time, and silent the rest of the concert (save for some random expressions of pleasure over the Tokyo Jihen godliness and Shiina's versatility).

[Mr Sands]

I love reading these stories.

Originally Posted by SakeIt2Me

Just DO it.
Dynamite Out is my new method of deciding whether people are worthy to be my friends or not. Love me, love DO.

Thumbs up!

[a_grumble_cake]

Originally Posted by SakeIt2Me

Then Jusui Negai comes on and...her jaw on the floor the whole time, and silent the rest of the concert (save for some random expressions of pleasure over the Tokyo Jihen godliness and Shiina's versatility).

lol
I love that...

[Kuronekodou]

In 2008, some guy posted in a forum thread a video of a live version of Sounan, saying that he liked that song and that band, Tokyo Jihen; I listened it, a I liked it a lot. Then, I listened the 3 albums of TJ, and after that, Shiina Ringo.


Now she's my favorite female artist : )

[a_grumble_cake]

so in other words, show people a Dynamite Out live performance and they become fans.

welcome, kuronekodou!