What are you listening to right now?

[MDruidd]

I have listening Spyair list and Harutya Cover today

[adamstan]

1 hour ago, Plk_Lesiak said:

There's such an awesome chill factor to this music, they really work well as ambient music

Yeah, really. Very nice, chilled feel indeed.

1 hour ago, Plk_Lesiak said:

I kind of feel that Western rock rarely goes for this kind of harmonious feel.

Yeah. Maybe it's because often they try too hard to be... how to say... edgy? Not sure if it's the right word, but what I mean is, that I feel like when it comes to the current (and by "current" I mean last 20 or 30 years ) Western popular music, anything that sounds nice and harmonious is easily being labelled as cheesy, fake etc etc - basically unworthy of attention. Or to put it in other words - Western musicians and listeners seem to value different things in music than Japanese.

[Plk_Lesiak]

5 hours ago, adamstan said:

Yeah. Maybe it's because often they try too hard to be... how to say... edgy? Not sure if it's the right word, but what I mean is, that I feel like when it comes to the current (and by "current" I mean last 20 or 30 years ) Western popular music, anything that sounds nice and harmonious is easily being labelled as cheesy, fake etc etc - basically unworthy of attention. Or to put it in other words - Western musicians and listeners seem to value different things in music than Japanese.

Right, I guess I also see that with Western fans of Japanese artists, to some degree? Particularly with Daoko, who started with these pretty weird electronic sounds and then released a much more "mainstream-sounding" Thank You Blue album (it's excellent BTW), which English speaking fans apparently see as selling out for money. God, how I hate those snobbish attitudes.

Bonus pleasantness (in the melody at least, the lyrics this band do seem to be a lot more sombre than the sound would suggest):

 

 

[Dreamysyu]

 

[adamstan]

On 25.04.2020 at 2:33 PM, Plk_Lesiak said:

Maybe she'll make a big label debut one day and get this stuff made in mass, let's have hope.

Update on this - I got in contact with Youko-san on FB. She does weekly live streams there, performing a few songs each time. I asked in comments for CDs, and she messaged me back with a link to an online store with her records. While it isn't possible to make international orders there (the ordering form accepts Japanese address only), that's where the cdjapan's proxy service comes in Let's keep fingers crossed that they can get it for me.

Edited May 10, 2020 by adamstan

[Plk_Lesiak]

The search for the chillest Japanese music continues. I think we're getting close.

[Jardic47]

Good action music I listened to for my writing so far. 

[adamstan]

This just came up on the radio

While I'm not a big Akina Nakamori's fan, I might check out the album this song is from - it sounds great

On 10.05.2020 at 3:02 PM, Plk_Lesiak said:

The search for the chillest Japanese music continues. I think we're getting close.

I'm really liking the arrangement of this song.

Edited May 13, 2020 by adamstan

[Jardic47]

I actually heard this one on my friends mixtape. He has the taste of a dead mouse. Good song though

[Plk_Lesiak]

On 5/13/2020 at 10:36 AM, adamstan said:

While I'm not a big Akina Nakamori's fan, I might check out the album this song is from - it sounds great

Well, I challenge you to listen to my YouTube playlist of her songs and repeat that statement. I think she's pretty amazing, particularly where the more electronic/80s specific sounds kick in. Not even speaking of her voice. ^^

On the front of newer stuff, I've been charmed by a few Kanon Wakeshima's songs... There are few things that aren't made better by the chello, but the general vibe of these songs and her vocals also sum up to something very climatic... I still have to check out her earlier albums, but for the more mainstream J-pop, what I heard so far stands out in a very nice way. :3

 

[adamstan]

7 hours ago, Plk_Lesiak said:

Well, I challenge you to listen to my YouTube playlist of her songs and repeat that statement. I think she's pretty amazing, particularly where the more electronic/80s specific sounds kick in.

Yeah, I have listened to some of her albums from the 1984-88 period, and have to agree. She is great. I think that 2-3 years ago, while dipping my toes in Jpop for the first time I kind of brushed her off because at that moment I've been searching for something else, but it was clearly a mistake

[Plk_Lesiak]

 

[adamstan]

On 18.05.2020 at 11:13 AM, Plk_Lesiak said:

 

Nice, very chilled out

On 10.05.2020 at 6:22 AM, adamstan said:

Update on this - I got in contact with Youko-san on FB. She does weekly live streams there, performing a few songs each time. I asked in comments for CDs, and she messaged me back with a link to an online store with her records. While it isn't possible to make international orders there (the ordering form accepts Japanese address only), that's where the cdjapan's proxy service comes in Let's keep fingers crossed that they can get it for me.

And so today CDJapan sent them to me At first Youko offered to send me the discs directly, but it turned out to be nearly impossible, since international postal services are currently suspended, and DHL, who still operates, is really horribly expensive for individuals - they quoted her 9600円 for this So we decided to wait until postal services resume. But then, I got reply from CDJapan, saying they can get those discs for me. They also use DHL, but they have some kind of partnership, so DHL shipping at CDJ is just 2600円  . So even after adding their proxy service fee, it still was reasonable.  Now let's just keep fingers crossed, that they arrive safely.

Also, next saturday (30.05) Youko will be doing special live performance on YT - from the studio, with HQ sound etc Here's the announcement:

 

And finally, let me spam with another one of my recordings Yesterday I uploaded my cover of Ai Kawashima's "Garasu no kokoro":

 

[Plk_Lesiak]

 

 

 

[adamstan]

@Plk_Lesiak - some really good stuff there

Yesterday I heard Mariya Takeuchi's "Let's Get Married" again, and it reminded me about the thing we talked about earlier - how some of that '70s/'80s Jpop feels similar to our pop scene from that time. I mean, I instantly remembered this Anna Jantar's song:

And well, just have a look at that music video - you could easily swap Anna with Seiko Matsuda there, and nobody would notice (if not for the language difference )

[adamstan]

And today the package with Youko Matsuura's CDs (and live DVD) has arrived She even signed two of them for me

(Maybe should have posted it in "JP things you have bought", but I actually am listening to them right now )

 

Edited May 25, 2020 by adamstan

[adamstan]

Yesterday instead of usual 30 minute facebook stream, Youko did full-fledged 90 minute concert - transmitted on YT from studio, with proper sound, lighting etc. It can be viewed as a video now, and I think it's really worth listening to.

 

[Plk_Lesiak]

When I feel like shit the music I nearly always come back to lately is this generic anison-style pop... My brain somehow finds it really soothing, and this band is a prime example. :3

 

[adamstan]

Nice Truly generic, but nevertheless nice

[Plk_Lesiak]

The album version of this song is actually pretty meh due to all the effects/mixing used in it, but this performance from The First Take is, in my opinion, absolutely brilliant. :3

 

[adamstan]

Indeed It sounds very good with this natural-sounding singing. What was with the album version - did they overuse the vocal processing? (extreme tuning etc?)

BTW recently I tried to do kind-of "live" cover of one of abovementioned Yoko Matsuura's songs. Here's the result - officially approved by the author herself, despite my terrible singing

Also, this time I also put English translation of lyrics in the subtitles.

Edited June 18, 2020 by adamstan

[Plk_Lesiak]

6 hours ago, adamstan said:

Indeed It sounds very good with this natural-sounding singing. What was with the album version - did they overuse the vocal processing? (extreme tuning etc?)

Yup, maybe not to the extreme, but it still ends up sounding sped up and artificial. The composer behind it used to make vocaloids songs and, bafflingly enough, makes a singer she now works with sound a bit like a vocaloid too with all those effects. Kind of defeats the purpose of that whole transition IMO, particularly when working with someone this talented.

[adamstan]

Yesterday, as I went to sleep, I listened to Maiko Fujita. There's something in her songs that tugs on my heartstrings even though on the surface they're pretty typical Jpop ballads. Don't know what it is exactly. (Or perhaps I'm just captivated by her beauty? But then, I was only listening, not looking ) The first song on the disc was 藤田麻衣子君が呼ぶのなら, which is also featured in this live clip:

Now I think I have to get some of her live discs as well

Edited June 25, 2020 by adamstan

[adamstan]

Recently Akina Nakamori comes up often on the radio I'm listening to

Today I recorded instrumental cover of her song "Jukkai (1984)"

 

[alpacaman]

Yamaguchi Mioko's album Tsukihime from 1983 reminds me a lot of Clannad's soundtrack when it comes to arrangements and overall atmosphere. For me it totally hits the sweet spot of being melancholic and relaxing at the same time: