2012 in review

[gekokujyo]

I never really understood the appeal of Jane Zhang. I get the feeling that if she were not Asian and, say, a Western pop artist, nobody would pay any attention to her and her music.

That Oneida track is really great, btw.

[deadgrandma]

^Now don't get me wrong, I don't consider myself a huge Jane Zhang fan or anything, but I'm not gonna deny that I really enjoyed that particular album and some others by her. I do hear a lot of Chinese pop on a regular basis, and Jane was one of the voices that really stood out to me.

Anyway, second one for today:

5. Mariko Goto- 299792458- released July 25


Now we come to the top 5, most of these from now on will be “no surprises” choices. In 5th place, we have Mariko Goto’s 299792458 (or as people also refer to it as, Speed of Light), the first full length album by Mariko Goto since the split of Midori.

Fans of Midori will be happy to know that Mariko’s album hasn’t strayed too far of course from that sound, though it notably more upbeat and ‘kawaii-throat-grab’ than Midori. I have a feeling that she wanted to go this way even while in Midori (songs like Swing would fit easily on this album) and she delivers on all fronts in this regard.

What we have is a short, sweet and rather intense collection of j-pop/rock songs in the vein of YUKI (the most common comparison, though I’m no YUKI fan :-p). All the tracks have a really nice flow, its an album that is easy to play from beginning to end without skipping any tracks- and when it ends you will want to just stick it right back on. There is some really interesting instrumentation under its sweet surface, the arrangements of the songs is quite standout compared to other similar artists.

The “jazz” element of Midori is still there, though not as prevalent, you can really hear it on tracks such as Drone (which is also my personal favourite on the album). Mariko’s voice is just delightful as she plays along throughout the whole album. It really sounds like she’s fully enjoying herself here and it never feels unnatural or forced (hear how she glides through Mamaku). She hasn’t fully left behind her screams from Midori days either, which makes a long term fan like me just squeal like a schoolgirl.

It’s not the best album in Mariko’s catalog, but it’s still the damn best Japanese album I came across all year in the end (and the last Japanese album on this list). It’s pure pop rock done right by a highly charismatic figure. What more could a Midori fan ask for (apart from a Midori album)?

For those who haven’t heard Mariko Goto or Midori before, I hope you have a sweet tooth, ‘cause you’re gonna need it. (Tip to outsiders/newcomers: stay away if you have a strong aversion to the more ‘kawaii’ sounding vocals that come from Japanese female fronted music- it’s not as over-the-top cutesy as something like AKB48 but it’s definitely over that side, if you know what I mean. Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you :-p).

It’s a great first solo album, and hopefully promises further of future albums.

Mariko Goto- Drone

[Inseu]

Originally Posted by deadgrandma

What more could a Midori fan ask for (apart from a Midori album)?

Mariko's hand in marriage.

[TurtleFu]

Are we even listening to the same album, DG?

Speed of Light is so far away from Midori's sound that it isn't even funny. These songs are straight up pop tunes, and she occasionally will scream to justify a "hard-core" label. This is radio-friendly.

I'm not saying that it's bad because of that (I like it but I'm not as crazy about it as Midori). But to say it's not a radical departure from Midori is just odd, IMO.

Drone is really tame for a Midori song. It's good, but I miss her screaming.

[Inseu]

^Complete hogwash. The album sounds exactly like collection of mellow Midori songs (Dove, Speed Beat, Pop). A natural follow-up of Shinsekai.

[deadgrandma]

Originally Posted by TurtleFu

Are we even listening to the same album, DG?

Speed of Light is so far away from Midori's sound that it isn't even funny. These songs are straight up pop tunes, and she occasionally will scream to justify a "hard-core" label. This is radio-friendly.

I'm not saying that it's bad because of that (I like it but I'm not as crazy about it as Midori). But to say it's not a radical departure from Midori is just odd, IMO.

Drone is really tame for a Midori song. It's good, but I miss her screaming.

I've had this discussion with other people before, and I really don't think it's that much different from Midori. What I mean is, take Midori's final album, Shinsekai- many of the tracks on that are very similar to what's on offer here (hell, you only need to listen to the opening track of Shinsekai to hear what I'm talking about)- I don't find it hard to believe that Midori's next step would be to go even more poppy.

A lot of people put Midori on a very high pedestal, which is understandable. But usually what they are talking about is indeed the earlier, more crazy work. I guess if that's the whole thing you're looking for here, then no, it doesn't really sound like it. But if you have followed Midori enough, you'd understand that they were definitely progressing this way.

Of course, it's not exactly like Midori, but I found no real major shock by this albums sound. I find it a natural progression, it keeps enough of the sound that I became a fan of her to begin with, and also changes it up enough to remain fresh. Sure, it's more poppy or radio-friendly, but that's really only a surface level observation.

To me, Mariko was ultimately the soul of Midori, and that has lived on here.

You may disagree with me, but I hope that clears up or helps you to understand what I'm thinking/where I'm coming from at least...

[Inseu]

Originally Posted by deadgrandma

To me, Mariko was ultimately the soul of Midori, and that has lived on here.

I feel the same about Shiina Ringo and Tokyo Jihen. I never make a distinction between the two.

As long as Ringo sings the song, she turns it into hers, regardless of who wrote it.

It's undeniable that Ringo is one of the best melody makers of all-time, but at the same time she needs Izawa and Uki writing high quality tunes for her, because she works at a very fast pace, releasing one album a year. She probably often feels burned out (being a perfectionist, she has to live up to the standard of her early work). This is why Superficial Gossip relies heavily on collaborations.

[TurtleFu]

I get where you're coming from, DG.

Listening to Shinsekai again, I think you are right, Midori was gradually becoming more melodic and less noise-y.

I'm really curious about where Mariko is going to from here, though.

[deadgrandma]

4. Meshuggah- Koloss- released between March 23-27 (depending on where in the world you are)



An early contender this year, Meshuggah’s Koloss was one of the releases I was most excited for. I was a strong supporter of their previous album, Obzen and I was dying to see what Meshuggah would deliver next. And oh boy, did they deliver.

To approach this album means to be able to put aside an hour where you can be uninterrupted, and be prepared to give your ears a battering. Apart from the trademark Meshuggah sound (bizarre time signatures, groovy basslines, razor sharp vocals, intense drumming), this album has a bit more of a sludge approach. I don’t mean sludge production, because this album is absolutely masterfully recorded, I mean in the sense that they seem to be giving nods to bands like Melvins in places. I’m sure there’d be some hardcore metal head willing to strike me down for saying something like that, but it’s really what I’m hearing here.

From its slow, doomey, get-the-cogs-turning opener “I Am Colossus” to the crushing riffage on songs like “The Demon’s Name Is Surveillance”, Meshuggah manage to surprise even the most hardened devotee while still retaining their integrity and power. The epic “Behind The Sun” is the real showstopper on here, it keeps building in intensity and just when you think it’s reached its peak… IT GETS MORE INTENSE. I love this album; it’s been a good party record, tried and true driving music, headphone and speaker friendly. Good for having a good ‘mosh’ or to sit back and really listen to the craftsmanship that went into this. If you can pick up the LP it’s probably the best way to enjoy it, though the CD master is by no means bad.

A must have for Meshuggah fans, and a definite album to check out if you have even the slightest interest in metal. It manages to reach the peaks of extreme metal but still be accessible to outsiders. This, ladies and gentlemen, is how its done. I have a feeling Meshuggah still haven’t given us everything they can do either, I’m excited to see what they churn out next.

Behind the Sun

[deadgrandma]

3. Converge- All We Love We Leave Behind- released October 9



Ohhhh yeah. This is the good stuff. The most impressive band in modern hardcore returns with their best album since You Fail Me. No collaborators or electronic samples, this is Converge going back to the core members and bringing another masterpiece of technical hardcore.

From the ‘clean-vocals’ opener to the ferocious closer, there is not a dull moment in this album. There is plenty of reason to revisit the album over and over and its good to see an album that is being universally appreciated by critics and fans this time around.

All the band members are at the top of their game, you won't hear guitar work nearly as impressive in any other hardcore release this year. The album has an uncanny flow to it (the standard edition) and it's just song after song provided by a band that are truly passionate about what they do. These guys are the real deal and aren't messing around with this.

If you only listen to one 'heavy' album in all of 2012, this is the one to go for, and deserves it's Bronze place in my top 10 list (and I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up pretty high on many other lists around the net too). I have just seen a poster saying they are playing in my town in February too, so I am really keen to hear stuff off of this latest addition to the Converge catalog live.

If I have any recommendations, I say go for the standard version over the special edition. The bonus tracks on the special edition, while really cool, do mess up the flow. I wish they could have made them bonus tracks at the end of the album, but no. Try to get the CD master over the digital versions floating around too.

All We Love We Leave Behind - Full Album