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Old 2012.10.09, 12:55 PM   #251
Nimh
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Originally Posted by manwonman View Post
My story is quite different.
I want to thank frecklegirl for refreshing this thread. What a great story, manwonman.

It made me go back and listen to DO's Ekimae. The thing about DO, for me, is that I can't take it all from beginning to end. It's just too intense. But each little bit, on its own, is just so great. Ekimae is great. And thanks to your story, I think even better of it.
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Old 2013.09.29, 07:16 AM   #252
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I first heard Shiina Ringo when I watched Casshern. I wasn't a fan of the movie but they played a song for just a second that made me rewind the movie a few times just to listen to it. I loved it so much that I downloaded the whole soundtrack.

I listened to Kuki once then immediately downloaded Shiina's entire discography which included Tokyo Jihen as well. (I own most of her material now)

She became my favorite artist within a couple days.
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Old 2013.10.11, 08:03 AM   #253
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My post in this thread was pretty...far out, and since I have some free time and feel like waxing nostalgic I'll tell the straight story of how I discovered the artist that I would best be known around here for hating.

I had come down with an awful case of the flu in late 2001. Everything was yellow, I could barely move, and at one point my vision faded out and in. MTV2 was new to my cable system, and actually showed music videos, so if Saturday Night Live reruns or History’s Mysteries weren't showing, I usually turned it on. This Saturday though, MTV2 showed some kind of hour long showcase of popular music videos from around the world. Only two I remember anymore, one was Hikaru Utada's “Automatic” (which I liked “enough”) and the other was Russian teen pretend-lesbian pop act Tatu's “Ya Soshla S Uma.” (This predated either acts attempt at breaking into the western music scene, but I can't imagine this was a coincidence.) I've talked about Tatu here before, and I maintain that there debut album is one of the best pop releases of the 2000's – and even their later stuff is pretty darn good. Anyway, being a high school aged boy at the time, I battled my dizziness and scoured the internet for as much of their music as I could (as well as, hrm, other media.) This was my first exposure with music in a foreign language not aimed at an American audience and this was when I realized, even as someone who had no direct exposure to the music, its fans, its culture that I could still participate.

I wanted to hear music in every language. I wanted to “catch em all.” And I knew that I wanted to hear Japan's best next. I didn't feel the Utada song strongly enough to dig any deeper, but I would eventually discover Puffy (the greats) and turn over jpop stones. I didn't feel Jpop or Idol music any more then than I do today, and even though I'll follow Puffy to the ends of the earth, I needed something harder, rawer, louder. Especially back then, I was a rock and roll guy, and Tatu included, I was stuck in the easily accessible entry room of pop for too long.

I had a ludicrously specific set of criteria that I sought out. “The Japanese female Billy Corgan.” That seems so laughable now but it so (prophetically) fits. I wanted those big sounds, a diverse catalog, a balance of pop-friendliness and aggression. I went to forums, winMX chat rooms and the like to search for clues, and the answer I got was nearly unanimous, “You want Shiina Ringo” a reply I can still picture.

The problem was this was now 2002, and Shiina had just released a new “comeback” single – “Stem.” I remained nonplussed. Stem bordered on idol music (if lusciously arranged.) Why would so many insist she was the Japanese rock god I sought? The Stem mp3 remained in my music folder for another day as I continued my search. After a few weeks I decided to give the Shiina Ringo thing another chance. Maybe I needed a little more coercion, like a music video! I hopped on K-lite plus and started downloading. I launched the pv for Tsumi to Batsu.

The hum of the organ that creeps in the intro of the song piqued my interest, followed by Shiina's almost inhuman screech. For a moment I winced that maybe this wasn't going to be my cup of tea either, but then I reminded myself that this wasn't exactly radio-friendly. I hung on. Since most of the first verse is played with just Shiina's vocals and the organ drone, I help my skepticism, unsure of if another opera was going to break out like “Stem.” Then the drums kicked in. And the guitar. And I was sold. By the end of the video my face must have been inches from my computer screen. When the song faded out, I tore back to my previous window to download and devour as many Shiina videos as I could in one night. I had trouble comprehending how one artist could have so many great songs and be completely unknown to me before.

Soon I would download her discography, burn each album to disc and listen to each as I lay in bed. I joined a Yahoo group for Shiina Ringo fans (I don't know if any EMFers started there either. In my head I consider it a precursor to this community,) and annoyed my friends to high hell assuring them that she was without a doubt the next big thing.
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Old 2013.10.11, 03:38 PM   #254
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Just a question, did you go back and listen to the GOOD Utada or is your memory still just Automatic?
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Old 2013.10.15, 10:22 AM   #255
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I've listened to a few incidental Utada songs and have been content with that so far.
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Old 2013.10.15, 12:22 PM   #256
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Originally Posted by Tokyo Jihad View Post
I've listened to a few incidental Utada songs and have been content with that so far.
That's a shame. Distance is a great album and Deep River is a good album. I suggest you check out these songs if you haven't already:

Drama
Wait and See ~Risk~
Sunglass
For You
Distance
Time Limit
Hayatochi-remix
Deep River
Letters
Uso Mitai na I Love You

Edit: Oh and Kremlin Dusk is pretty hot too.
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Last edited by Maou : 2013.10.15 at 12:43 PM. Reason: Quoth the raven...
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Old 2013.10.15, 04:59 PM   #257
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See, I'm on the other side. Deep River and Exodus are her best, with Ultra Blue being a bit scattered but following behind. Deep River has both ultra-catchy pop melodies and interesting experimental instrumentation.
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Old 2013.10.15, 05:21 PM   #258
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I like Distance, ADORE Deep River, don't mind Ultra Blue but don't reach for it much either and LOVE dat HEART STATION, with its absolutely wonderful production and solid songs.

Exodus is pretty neat give or take a few songs.
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Old 2013.10.15, 06:03 PM   #259
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Oops, I meant Heart Station when I was talking about Ultra Blue.
Heart Station has lots of electronic influences, and it's very small, lots of great production quirks. Take 5 is absolutely gorgeous.
No matter what you say about Exodus, it is without a doubt her most adventurous album. It doesn't always succeed but the arrangements are the most inspired. They just needed to incubate more to really work
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Old 2013.10.15, 06:10 PM   #260
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I don't hate it by any means. But Easy Breezy is pretty facepalmy...

It's not as bad as TITO though.
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