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Old 2013.10.15, 07:11 PM   #261
Maou
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I've actually never listened to Heart Station or Ultra Blue which is why I didn't suggest anything from them. Though, I have heard Passion and loved it. I'll give these two albums a listen later today/tomorrow.

I prefer Distance to Deep River because I like the more R&B-ish tracks on Distance. The only song on Distance I didn't like was Eternally. I don't care for Utada's ballads. Meanwhile, I don't like Tokyo Nights from Deep River and think Final Distance should have stayed a single only track.

And I thought Easy Breezy was one of the better Exodus songs outside of that one terrible, terrible lyric.
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Old 2013.10.16, 03:39 AM   #262
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Utada is cute. It feels good to finally get the appeal of her and Ayumi.
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Old 2013.10.22, 06:01 PM   #263
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Originally Posted by Tokyo Jihad View Post
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.
i had chills reading this post when u said tsumi no batsu
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Old 2013.10.24, 12:33 PM   #264
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I think I came across a blog raving about Shiina. At the time I was just discovering what Japan had to offer in terms of music. My first foray into bands from Japan was Dir En Grey, then I moved onto bands like Boris and Number Girl.

Anyway, I was browsing some Japanese music blogs and came upon a post detailing Tokyo Jihen's latest album at the time "Sports" There was a link to "Nōdōteki Sanpunkan". After my first listen I was hooked! I loved everything about that song. I did my research and found that "Adult" was considered their best album, and boy people weren't wrong. Quickly became one of my favorite records.

Then I found out that Shiina had long had a solo career before Tokyo Jihen. I researched into her back catalog and started with "Muzai Moratorium", which still remains one of my favorite Shiina records. The rest is pretty standard. I'm a forever fan now. So, I guess my discovery of Shiina was pretty typical. I was looking for new Japanese music, so it was only natural that I would stumble across her at some point.
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Old 2014.03.02, 10:25 AM   #265
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My first post (second actually)… awkward.

Anyway, a good friend of mine, who was into anime and Japanese stuff told me about Shiina Ringo years ago. He knew many Japanese musicians; almost every week he came up with a new one (or two) he was excited about, but I never got his hype on anything.
About four years ago he move out of town (to Santa Cruz) and I lost contact with him. I felt kind of an ass after he left because I never paid close attention to his tastes even when he was so open to me. So I decided to look for a suggestion of his on you tube mostly because I missed him after just three days. I remembered his Shiina Ringo recommendation because it was the one of the lastest and weirdest: he said he would dedicate her song (if I recall this right) ‘Honnou’ to me (?), while the song ‘Kabukicho’ to his ex-girlfriend (I’m not totally sure about this). So, if my memories are correct, he was implying I’m gay and, also, that her ex is a queen slut…
I just saw the “is Shiina Ringo a gay icon” thread and I remember my friend was good at English, so he could have taken the idea from EMF. In other words, EMF could have been trolling at me even before I knew it.
Looking back, I’m glad he mock at me (I know he did), otherwise I wouldn’t have started to listen to SR and all the music she connected me with.
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Old 2014.05.02, 05:54 PM   #266
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If I remembered correctly, I randomly watched a video flick on youtube about an anime called Mononoke (Toei Animation).
I was immediately drawn into the colourful, bizarre graphics and intricate design.

After watching the whole series I revisited the video again and totally submerged myself in the mystifying melody.
Her drowning voice sounded sorrowful yet beautifully soothing.
The music slowly unveiled itself from the harrowing depths of nothingness.
I felt like a goldfish lost in the ocean.

The music played was Hatsukoi Shoujo.
That's when my First Love for Shena Ringo began.
I started from KSK, Heisei Fūzoku and Adult and many songs left
impactful moments ingrained in my heart.
I feel grateful to be immersed in the productive music she and the band has to offer
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Old 2014.05.02, 07:11 PM   #267
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I've seen a bit of Mononoke, and yes, it's a very bizarre style.

Interesting how some new members know SR mostly from her older stuff, and some mostly from her newer stuff.
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Old 2014.05.11, 07:50 PM   #268
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I randomly came across the promotional video for Sakuran when it was relatively new -- maybe 2008. I think I must have been looking for new artists to listen to and saving them to check them out again later. Out of all of the artists that I found in those days, Shiina Ringo is the only one that I still listen to at all. I had definitely found the one that I didn't know I was looking for. I wasn't instantly hooked by Sakuran, but I remember liking her style of jazz. I probably didn't even bother to look up any other songs of her's at the time either, as I forgot everything but her name and a general idea of her musical genre. In my head, Shiina Ringo was strictly a jazz musician. How could I have known I had stumbled upon such a chameleon when most of the other artists I had been hearing stuck to one particular sound? You might think I wasn't lucky to not immediately find something like Honnou, Tsumi to Batsu, or Stem, but I think I was very lucky not to.

I slowly went through my list of musicians to check out and crossed them out one by one. One day, many years later... it was time for me to give Ringo another go. The only image of Ringo I had in my head was the promotional image from Watashi to Houden -- but I have no idea why. And oddly enough, it was Sanmon Gossip that I had on my computer. Somehow, I gave it a listen all the way through. None of the tracks left a strong immediate impression on me -- except the lovely ending bonus track, Marunouchi Saddistic. I know a lot of people don't like that because they prefer the original, but see... I thought it was the original. And I thought it was dope. The other songs off of Sanmon Gossip grew on me, but the final track was always my favorite. This was the moment I fell in love with Ringo's voice. There is this one part of that song that just gave me goosebumps. I ended up loving the whole album.

So, I knew I had to find more of this artist -- I just had to. I went back chronologically because I assumed that the newer stuff was better. This was true with so many other artists. If only I knew then what I know now! Yes, I decided to try Heisei Fuuzoku next. I was in for a big shock. And boy, I absolutely loved it! I didn't think Ringo could be anything other than what I knew her to be -- a pop/jazz musician. Now she was commanding a rocking orchestra. Her sound went from SOIL & PIMP SESSIONS Ringo" to "Saito Neko Ringo" just like that. What a versatile artist! The HF version of Yokushitsu was my favorite for a long time. I loved how the song moved together effortlessly while having so much going on at once; this is still a big reason why I still love Ringo. Once again, I didn't know that this wasn't the original version. This was the moment I fell in love with Ringo's songwriting. Even though the orchestration was due to Saito Neko, it was the song itself that touched my heart.

At this point, I knew of the existence of Tokyo Jihen but I hated the only songs I heard from them: Killer Tune and Senkou Shoujou. Now, only the former has grown on me at all. Anyway, I moved from there to the albums that everyone was claiming to be the best -- Kalk Semen Kuri no Hana and Shousou Strip. It took me a while to realize that a lot of the songs from KZK were featured on HF. When I did realize, however, I thought that every HF version was far superior. I still love the HF version of Meisai but my thinking has really changed since then. It took me a long time to get used to the stylistic differences between these two albums. For a long time, I felt safest with SG and HF. KZK lacked the Saito Neko orchestration and SS swapped lofty jazz for a in-your-face punk/jazz mixture. I distinctly remember when I listened to both of those albums all the way through for the first time. I remember thinking that KZK was overrated and that SS was far worse. So, I started to check out Jihen instead.

Adult was the first piece of Jihen that I discovered. I had a phase where I was just all about HZM and his piano skills. Ringo in a group setting really increased my appreciation for her in general and helped lead me into greater treasures. Somehow, I came across Odaiji ni while listening to Adult. I didn't really enjoy anything from KZK yet, but I listened intently to this song after hearing some intense ballads from Tokyo Jihen. Do you know the part where the guitar fades out and Ringo's voice takes over after the opening? Well, you see... I didn't even notice that it had happened at first. This was the moment I fell in love with Ringo. I finally realized the reason why I couldn't get into KZK and the reason why everyone else was praising it so much. It took such a small moment in the least complex song for me to realize it: there is so much going on at once -- you have to take the song as a whole, not as a collection of instruments. The next time I listened to KZK, I noticed that every sound was carefully placed and that nothing was coincidental. It was absolutely beautiful every time I found another amazing set of notes I hadn't previously noticed. All of the numerous little things stood out all at once.

At this point, I made it my mission to find and listen to every song by Shiina Ringo. It took a bit longer but the appeals of SS came to me as well. I think I still preferred the HF version of Yokushitsu, though. It was only recently that I really got Gips. I lumped it with Koko de Kisu Shite, which I don't completely understand to this day. I've realized that Gips may not be the greatest composition in Ringo's career but as far as radio-perfect songs go, Gips is it. Benkai Debussey eventually became my "I don't gave a sh*t" track and Honnou and Izonshou might be the very definition of Ringo. Next, I listened to Muzai Moratorium. I was shocked that the song that the song that really grabbed me was on her debut! I found many instant favorites on the first listen, as I was already a big fan by then. I then scrambled to listen to the B-sides album. This was essential in my early Ringo days. I think I was looking at the track list on Wikipedia when I decided to look through all of the albums. This is when I realized that there was one song from SG that I hadn't head -- Shun. How I fell in love with Ringo through the album without this track, I do not know. It is without a doubt my favorite from that album! Oh my goodness, the piano in the outro to that song! This was the moment I realized I didn't know much about Ringo at all.

So, I began reading articles and pages about Ringo -- anything that I could get my hands on. I started watching music videos, interviews, and live performances. I'm actually very particular about music videos and wasn't really impressed by Ringo's. I still haven't been able to track down the PV for Tsumi to Batsu, though... which I heard was pretty badass. But I was thoroughly impressed by some of the live performances I seen. I listened to everything Jihen had to offer and found various performances on YouTube. My appreciation for a lot of Phase 2's songs increased with every performance. Then I discovered two things: solo Ringo shows, and Phase 1 shows. This is was the moment I realized Shiina Ringo was a terrific performer. I fell in love with several performances from Dynamite Out (Ekimae, Juusui Negai, Kurumaya-san) and Ringo Expo (Tsumi to Batsu, Yokushitsu, Yami ni Furu Ame ). It wasn't until later that I seen some legendary clips like the likes of Electric Mole's Odaiji ni or Zazen Extacy's Nihon ni Umarete. With every new discovery, I fell deeper into the fandom.

Finally, I listened to Ringo's cover album and her demo tapes. Well, I had gave the cover album a quick try before but it took me a while to be able to really get into it. I listened to all of the Jihen songs and grew to like Sports, Daihakken, color bars and Kyouiku -- in that order. Variety was the very last thing I had ever heard from Jihen. I just remember thinking that it sounded weird but that it was catchy. Killer Tune grew on me, I guess. And I do kind of like some of the other tracks, especially when they're live. Variety may not be my favorite album, but it marked a very important milestone for me. This was the moment that I heard the last of Ringo's original songs. I was finally more or less caught up with the rest of the fandom and I was proud of myself. However, it was very sad that I may not hear another Ringo masterpiece for the first time ever again. A few weeks later, Irohanihoheto was announced. I experienced all of the 15th anniversary stuff as it actually was happening, and because of the releases I found out about the collaborations I had missed (Ukina). I liked some of the tracks. How could anyone with a song like Tsumi to Batsu pull off J'ai trouvé l'amour? Shiina Ringo is the only correct answer that I know of.

Somewhere in this process of really discovering Ringo, I discovered Electric Mole Forums. I learned a lot about people's opinions and about Ringo herself by reading old threads but I never contributed until recently. I finally decided to join in order to talk with other fans. My activity level did not surpass lurking for quite a while but now that has changed. I think that this is the moment I became a hardcore fan. My friends, I made it here all the way from a single track from Heisei Fuuzoku. I started with Ringo that I really, really like. I worked my way back in time to Ringo that I absolutely love. I continued back in time to more Ringo that I really, really like. Just like the structure of one of Ringo's albums, my journey through Ringo's discography has been incredible. Perhaps I would not have appreciated my favorite songs if I hadn't started where I did. I suppose I'm technically a new fan, but I'm getting to know my stuff more and more every day. I'm now awaiting news on the new single, NIPPON and of the untitled album it is to be released on. That will be my first new album since I've become a fan and I am super excited for it.
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Old 2014.05.12, 09:32 AM   #269
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I have to say I am extremely jealous of people getting into Ringo now, who have so much more of a back catalog to explore.
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Old 2014.05.12, 12:38 PM   #270
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Having a large catalog and variety of Ringo to discover can be a good thing because it can attract a lot of people. But it can also have the opposite effect if you're unlucky with the first few songs you hear. Still, it was a truly amazing experience to be able to hear so much great material in such a short period of time. I only wish I could do it all over again.
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