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Old 2010.02.11, 09:12 AM   #41
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Originally Posted by justriiingo View Post
Probably will not listen to this album ever again.
!!! seriously !?!
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Old 2010.02.11, 09:31 AM   #42
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Originally Posted by letemp View Post
!!! seriously !?!
I agree with her. Just because it's Tokyo Jihen it doesn't mean it deserves any more of a listen than any other album you don't like. I don't think it's up to much and I don't need to be a kanji lord or audiophile to reach that conclusion, it just sounds dull and forgettable to me.

I probably don't have the best music taste on Earth but I know what I like and this is not it.
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Old 2010.02.11, 11:20 AM   #43
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After my first listen, I said to a few EMFers that I didn't know what I thought of the album...except that it sounded like it was created by a different band, and that it might not be received well on EMF because -- I'M GUESSING -- people signed up for Ringo's particular brand of music and not necessarily Saito Neko/Hirama/HZM/Ukigumo/Izawa's. So when the other musicians get thrown into the mix and dilute Ringo to the point where the most Ringo-sounding track is the exception, people's opinions are obviously going to separate, because the common ground just gave way.

Regardless of whether I find the album good or not (I need to listen to it a few more times, maybe when the album is released officially.), it's still lacking Ringo's idiosyncrasies. Which sucks, because I don't think any musician can fill that Ringo-shaped hole, regardless of how 'good' their music is.

I guess this will only make me become more disillusioned, but if the whole communist Tokyo Jihen thing is making Ringo happy, then it's the best thing she could be doing. An immature part of me wants to hate SR for being selfish with her recent decision to just SUDDENLY ABANDON pre-Variety/Adult music (She didn't even begin to milk her different styles before moving on! Album-wise, I mean), but yeah, she's an individual with a life and not a machine soooooo

Last edited by Scribble R : 2010.02.11 at 12:29 PM. Reason: error
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Old 2010.02.11, 12:44 PM   #44
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Originally Posted by letemp View Post
!!! seriously !?!
Yes, seriously.

Goes back listening to HASYMO. (I really dig how they updated the tracks so it sounds like from the 00s).
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Old 2010.02.11, 01:07 PM   #45
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Originally Posted by justriiingo View Post
Old SR/TJ tunes had that special quality where if you made someone else do the vocals, it would sound totally wrong
Tomosaka Rie . She can't sing like SR can, but I accepted Shoujo Robot and Cappuccino as being Ringo long before I gave TJ or HF the time of day...

(Mini Review) Sorry for the retro-edit. Just wanted this post to read more gracefully. I guess I didn't like Ukizawa's singing on Gaman to start with so the creative autotuning on Ikiru (into cadences or something...!) was way too much. I really don't like 1, 4-6, 10 or how 2 or 13 end, and don't want to listen again for whatever reason.

Otherwise I liked these songs, in descending order of playcount. They make an enjoyable EP:

#8 Zettai Zetsumei: This is cute, I agree. Cool disco beats, the melody's a bit repetitive, but lots of harmonies that draw me.

#11 Sweet Spot: Slight surprise this came second, but I do think it's the strongest melody on the album, and I guess I just like the R&B. I love it when SR does background wails and rhodes pianos do pretty things (towards the end). It's got those chords I like. I have issues with the instrumental break and I'm not fully sold on Ringo's diva singing (particularly in comparison to the excellent performance for Shun). But it calls to mind autumn colours and Mary J Blige's You Gotta Believe (a good thing in my world haha).

#9 FAIR: I can just tune out and enjoy this. It's such a Uki vanity project, but where it finds a melody in the chorus it's an album highlight.

#3 Season Sayonara: Likeable Shibuya-kei ish cousin to Kingyo no Hako. I think anybody could perform this as well but they'd need to rope Izawa in because his soloing's fun.

Last edited by so_cold : 2010.03.07 at 04:48 AM.
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Old 2010.02.11, 01:13 PM   #46
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Originally Posted by so_cold View Post
@kuro_neko: Would you listen to a pneumatic drill if the lyrics were good? Maybe you'd find it jarring in an interesting way. We get that you're not listening to a poor quality leak (laudable, especially if a band are interviewed as refining their groove, the final CD garage quality didn't help Kyoiku in that regard), but the tunes are not a patch on what is right to expect from an SR-related project. Most multilingual people I know don't go on about it like you do. You pick on one poster, but JR is the one person who posted what I felt on first listening to TJ, and has a much, much better taste in music than you. No offence and all.
I could really care less if you or justriingo or anyone dislikes the album, and if you want to dl a shitty leak and make judgements on that, thats fine. my comment was referencing the fact that justriingo thinks the album has no emotional range, especially considering the collective ages of the band members. my comment is referencing the fact that, well, that is an interesting accusation, considering at this point lyrics are not even speculated about yet, let alone translated for people who don't speak japanese. I'm not going to pretend that I listen to a Ringo song and it 100% unfolds for me, it takes effort to sit down with the lyrics to decipher them usually. that is why when you guys go on about this being your typical jpop shit its like, are you kidding me? I can 100 percent understand an Utada song or an Ayu song, without lyrics in front of me, from one listen. Not the same with Ringo. Ringo creates work with depth, but that is getting off the point. my point is how can you judge the emotional range of a work when you can't even tell what the singer is *singing about*. You can gauge emotion from the music and the way it makes you feel, but you could be singing satire, you could sound one way and sing another, which Ringo has done, she has happy songs that are really depressing and sad songs which aren't nearly as much so you'd think. point being, don't judge a book by its cover, and at this point, I consider the leak one large shitty quality cover for the album. it gives you insight and a first glimpse, but I don't expect to understand the album until I have my personal copy, the lyric book, and a good week of listening and letting it settle.

justriingo your comments are why you find the emotional range lacking are interesting. I can't really say what is going on with her in this album, but I do know that with SG and even with Variety, there is no way you could stick another singer in Ringo's place and have it work. The reason why older Ringo seems that way is because she was fresh and biting at the chomp to prove herself. She is a confident mature mother now and she doesn't need to wail and scream and roll her r's and try and separate her vocals from the rest of the industry's because she has come this far. You may not like that, but I like how well-rounded she has become. If you want to listen to songs like Tsumi to Batsu and hear the passion and naivety in the early demos, well, they are there waiting for you. Gauging the Japanese fans response, they couldn't disagree more, it seems like with each song they hear they are screaming things like "only tokyo jihen" etc etc. to each his own.

Last edited by kuro_neko : 2010.02.11 at 01:26 PM.
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Old 2010.02.11, 02:09 PM   #47
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Originally Posted by justriiingo View Post
Old SR/TJ tunes had that special quality where if you made someone else do the vocals, it would sound totally wrong.
Haha why only see the negative? It was like....."This album is ew....These songs dont make me wanna kill myself though". You wanna have a conversation of YEAH I AGREE WITH YOU's over that? haha of course not. I'm trying to rethink and make you rethink and the only reason I need to tell anyone I agree with them is if its 100% dead on with my opinion like scribbles choice in songs from the album or if I want to add something to what someone said. Most discussion isn't really agreeing or disagreeing but you were the first extremely negative opinion about the album and I think it needs to be challanged the same way we all need to be challenged for saying the same good things about the album.

Statement makes a whole lot more sense to me, I can completely see where its coming from. I have to admit I can totally imagine someone doing a decent cover of sweet spot and maybe 2 other songs (Still wouldnt sound as good) and I could probably imagine a good indie artist doing better-than-the-original covers of zettai zetsumei and another song or two. The generic.....if thats what you think I can respect that. But I guess I'm not going to understand the comparisons, I can't imagine any of the bands you listed doing at least half of these songs, and even if they did the other half, it probably would sound a lot worse.

If I heard an old ringo song on a MIDI file without knowing it, I might be able to guess it was ringo from the melody and now I could not. Is that a bad thing or a good thing I dont know? It could mean shes too diverse now or it could mean shes lost something....probably a bit of both. Am I in love with the new album, I'm not sure, but I think it deserves at least a few listens on full quality....it isnt bad enough for me to deny it that and I suspect I will continue to like the 6 or so songs I like and have half of the others grow on me with the remaining 3 be decent filler between the good songs. Is it old ringo no? But I dont think its nearly as generic as you make it out to be anyway.
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Old 2010.02.11, 02:45 PM   #48
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It's not generic. People get over-excited with that term nowadays.
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Old 2010.02.11, 03:55 PM   #49
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hahaha I just mixed Zettai Zetsumei with Killer Tune.. and they sound awesome together


I just noticed they scream F A I R and F O U L both on FOUL
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Old 2010.02.11, 04:27 PM   #50
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Originally Posted by justriiingo View Post
I listen to this album, and I don't feel Tokyo Jihen at all.
My opinion may or may not make sense (since I actually really liked Variety), but that's exactly how I feel. Something about this album feels really off, kind of like it's an album of b-side demos.

I won't be giving this album a third try anytime soon, since I doubt anything from it will grow on me like the SG songs did.

Last edited by BanFan : 2010.02.14 at 09:12 PM.
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