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Old 2010.02.20, 01:56 PM   #161
so_cold
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I love your speed paint! Yes, I get the ribbons of colours on a black background. The treated keyboard opening to Izonshou was like that, they are like indigo-coloured squares popping up in rows of four. You get smell sensations, that's awesome, what songs from? Which Shostakovich/Hans Zimmer do you like for that (I only really like classical impressionism, but I could learn to like other classical music, I guess I find Bach interesting)?

I should say my rejection of the album wasn't based on this, it just focused it, it just sounded like normal J-pop till that point (like I'm so pleased I've forgotten how track 5 goes, I much prefer Uki's R&B to Uki trying to "rock" as an adjective). Shiina Ringo's such a genius, nobody writes melodies like her, and she has such great taste in chords, but I'm in the unfortunate position of much preferring the stuff she wrote very early on. SR co-writing with Hirama would have been lovely.
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Old 2010.02.20, 02:15 PM   #162
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After spending some time with this album, what really stands out to me is the starry-eyed romantic feeling from a lot of the tracks that really just gets me welling up—especially Zettai Zetsumei, Noriki, Kimaru and Senkou Shoujo, though the lattermost feels a bit out of place here. Variety, while I enjoyed it quite a bit, never really moved me in the same way these four tracks did. Dare I say it, neither did Kyoiku, Adult, or Sanmon Gossip (apart from Shun, of course, dear god does that track ever do me in)—being "moving" probably wasn't the point of them, and they're all awesome pieces of work, but yeah.

What I mean to say is, for whatever reason, I think Zettai Zetsumei might be one of my favourite things they've ever done.
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Old 2010.02.20, 02:34 PM   #163
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Originally Posted by so_cold View Post
I love your speed paint! Yes, I get the ribbons of colours on a black background. The treated keyboard opening to Izonshou was like that, they are like indigo-coloured squares popping up in rows of four. You get smell sensations, that's awesome, what songs from? Which Shostakovich/Hans Zimmer do you like for that (I only really like classical impressionism, but I could learn to like other classical music, I guess I find Bach interesting)?

I should say my rejection of the album wasn't based on this, it just focused it, it just sounded like normal J-pop till that point (like I'm so pleased I've forgotten how track 5 goes, I much prefer Uki's R&B to Uki trying to "rock" as an adjective). Shiina Ringo's such a genius, nobody writes melodies like her, and she has such great taste in chords, but I'm in the unfortunate position of much preferring the stuff she wrote very early on. SR co-writing with Hirama would have been lovely.
Smell is normally from stuff I've been listening to for a long time-- I guess the image builds up and builds up. Such as, Tsumi to Batsu smells like rain on asphalt and sawdust (i really don't know why, wtf).

The Shostakovich track that does that to me is 'Piano Concerto No.2, Adante'. It's the only piece of music anything like that that he wrote. I don't think he even really touched on anything like that before or after. Apparently he wrote it out of intense love for his son, and I guess that's maybe what I'm picking up on. It just builds from incredible strings (worst instrument for making me cry!) to an absolutely exceptional piano-- just ffffff. I have no words.
The Hans Zimmer/Newton Howard track is slightly more embarassing. Y'know the Dark Knight OST? The track 'Watch the World Burn'? Yeah, it's that one. Again, I think it's the building of strings. And the choice of chords-- it's heartbreaking. My reaction has nothing to do with what was happening in the film at the time it was played. It's just...very powerful, colour-wise. I find my breathing tends to regulate to match it too. [/weird]

Lol, my classical music tastes are not....y'know, Mozart, that kind of thing. I prefer the slightly more experimental stuff. Ambient electronica is good for colours too. Because it is literally like transposing synethesia.

I can understand why some people don't really like her stuff at the moment as much as say, the earlier stuff, but at the same time I enjoy her transition. And tend to find I can adapt to fit the style of music she wants to write/play because I grew up under her influence and developed with her. She can't really stay 18 forever, unfortunately. Variety was the only thing that challenged that. I liked it, but really there's not much replay value in it. I still go back and listen to Shouso Strip, etc. But I do not listen to Variety anymore.
I guess because she really was taking a back seat.

Yes, more Hirama/Ringo stuff would have been lovely, I agree! But then, I adore Ukigumo even more, with his lack of stage presence and R&B wiggles. When it's Ringo and Ukigumo working TOGETHER (and Izawa too, for that matter) it sounds much better than Ukigumo being given the signal to write poppy stuff with Ringo gently prodding. Sports feels much more equal on that count.
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Old 2010.02.20, 02:45 PM   #164
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I think Kao is a sweet song (Is that the song she sung with him in DO after If You Can Touch It? I haven't actually listened to the single version) However, Hirama compositions are a grass is greener affair (at least at first), because Yume no Negoto was horrid...Also, I wish I had synaesthasia. My friend has it, and I remember when he told me about it many years ago I didn't believe him because it sounded so magical.





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Old 2010.02.20, 02:58 PM   #165
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Originally Posted by Scribble R View Post



*rubs herself all over her monitor* fffffuhhhh

I guess synethesia is a blessing and a curse all at once. Because you do get negative reactions, and they....really hurt sometimes, what the heck. Kinda like bi-polar disorder.
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Old 2010.02.20, 04:08 PM   #166
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I have heard of synesthesia and I'm pretty sure my friend has it. He sees certain colours for certain chords he plays on his guitar. So maybe?

Spinnigold, do you listen to other movie composers? I love Danny Elfman, and if you like strings, you might be interested in the Edward Scissorhands' score. It is just beautiful.
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Old 2010.02.20, 06:26 PM   #167
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Originally Posted by kuro_neko View Post
also, the end is kind of interesting because they talk about how more than ever this album represents connecting a listener physically and in spirit with the music, its a total body experience, and in that way its almost anti-consumption (in terms of being played on radio and casually consumed by a mass audience).
LOL at physically experienced music being anti-consumption. At any rate, I connect physically with Adult much more than I do with Sports. Overall it was much more satisfying rhythmically.

(And I remind people that my favorite genre is probably salsa--talk about connecting to music physically and emotionally.)

And if anything, what I hear in new Tokyo Jihen tends to be dominated by a muso session musician tastes: lots of fusion and prog. touches, but unbalanced by Ringo's pop songwriting stength. One of the things I liked about Adult was that it pulled from prog. and fusion but made wed them to a quality of songwriting often lacking in those genres.

Last edited by Superficial Fan : 2010.02.20 at 06:33 PM.
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Old 2010.02.20, 07:42 PM   #168
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Originally Posted by D.K.Liu View Post
To justriiingo: I made my comment based on my instinctive understanding of the word professional as meaning: "matching/exceeding certain standard of skill or behaviour". Applied to music, my initial reaction would be, if a piece of music is not performed off-tune, off-time, etc.
Isn't that a bit too low of a bar to judge SR's works?
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Old 2010.02.20, 08:47 PM   #169
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yeah that part of the interview was weird, they go to talking about the general spirit and theme behind the album and then the interview sums it up and says on a whole it seems to be an anti-consumption album. it doesn't make much sense in english, but I think it refers to the soul behind the music and how they always strive to put their emotions and convey things behind the work, ideas or emotions, this time it was that physical element, and as a whole it seems to kind of be aggressively anti consumption? I should go back and read it again and translate it more closely, but I was surprised how all three members talked passionately about music. the point is that they don't understand how people just casually use music, it should something that is lasting, that moves you, that speaks to you, and not based on nostalagia or popularity.
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Old 2010.02.20, 11:37 PM   #170
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their philosophy on music is respectable, but the execution of it might be questionable.

i have a similar passion about about music, but despite me studying music and having a semi-respectable cd collection; i couldnt write a song good enough to pass my own standards to save my life if i had to. yet i can rip and stomp on a song they've been toiling on for months after hearing it a couple of times. my bad...

that why i'm rooting for Tokyo Jihen. they're maybe one of the few bands in japan with that line of thinking about the craft and have the chops to do it. the ones you love most can disappoint you the hardest, something like that? not that i'm disappointed with Sports.

as i see the band, they are still Voltron that haven't fully fused into one super robot yet.

Last edited by ShadyNook : 2010.02.20 at 11:49 PM.
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