Wemibelle

Gonna do something a little quicker this week, as I’m low on time.

Lost in Paradise - Ali (2020)

Lost in Paradise is a smooth, easygoing track with some slick production and fun vocals. Some of the verses give me a Persona 3 vibe, which I’m a huge fan of.

Panopticon - Tatsuya Kitani (2020)

Tatsuya Kitani’s Panopticon is a wild ride of a music video. The production has some neat glitchy effects, and the video is crazy and creative. I also like Kitani’s vocals, which remind me fondly of Kenshi Yonezu.

Bring Me To Life (cover) - Wagakkiband x Amy Lee (2020)

Here’s something I never thought I’d see--a crossover between Wagakkiband and Evanescence’s Amy Lee. This is a fantastic cover of Bring Me to Life that melds the traditional Japanese instrumentation of Wagakkiband with Amy Lee’s (and Wagakkiband’s vocalist’s) powerful vocals.

For this week, I’ve got three songs that are a little more pop-adjacent. These songs really stood out to me amongst the typical pop/rock fare I usually post here. Hope you like them!

Maboroshi - Tokiyo (2020)

NOTE: The song actually starts at around 1:03.

In a world of crazy, over-the-top Japanese pop songs, Maboroshi feels almost painfully slow. Every note and vocal from Tokiyo feels like it’s trying to eke out every last bit of emotion and power that it possibly can before moving on to the next. As a result, it’s a delightfully mellow song that is incredibly easy to vibe to, especially that amazingly twangy guitar. Every time I listen to it, I find myself getting entirely lost in the hypnotic vocals and instrumentation.

16yrs - Doul (2020)

I was immediately stricken by Doul’s vocals on 16yrs. She has this thick, syrupy voice that sounds entirely different from the typical voices I hear in Japanese music. It fits the lyrics so perfectly too, her mature voice meshing with the theme of age just being a number and having nothing to do with the maturity of a person. Her voice compelled me in a way I wasn’t expecting, bringing me back again and again to drown myself in her wonderfully viscous vocals.

Spice - Jabberloop (2020)

And now, for something completely different! Jabberloop’s Spice is a strange jazzy rock song that I really adore. It’s a great mix of instruments, putting trumpet and saxophone alongside guitar and keyboard to create something surprisingly upbeat while retaining a very jazzy groove. My favorite parts are the breakdowns, including some great horn solos and an absolutely incredible keyboard solo that has me moving my whole body every time I hear it.

Time for more songs--another group of recent releases!

Trapped in the Past - TUYU (2020)

Trapped in the Past was my first exposure to TUYU, an artist with a style that feels a bit like a mashup between utaite/vocaloid sounds and something akin to Yorushika. The vocals are powerful with an impressive range, and the lyrics themselves are thought-provoking in that Japanese, self-reflective way. Production-wise, there’s a lot of variety via little samples, piano slides, and tight guitar riffs.

Utopia - Miida (2020)

Miida is a relatively unknown artist, with the video for Utopia only sitting at 1938 views as of my writing this post. I was immediately pulled in at the beginning of the song via the bassy backing track and catchy little synth line, and I stuck around because of how relaxing it was. The vocalist’s singing fits perfectly with this laid-back sound, creating a surprisingly engrossing track that I enjoy zoning out to.

Kimi no shigusa mo - Baby Kiy (2020)

I first discovered Baby Kiy last year via Stay Together, a wonderfully nostalgic pop track that felt right out of the late 90s/early 00s. Kimi no shigusa mo is her most recent release, and it reminds me of why I enjoyed Stay Together so much--gentle acoustic instrumentals, warmly inviting vocals, and an adorable music video. This is a song that is just...comfy in every way.

More music from 2020!

The World is Fancy - Unison Square Garden (2020)

The World is Fancy is an upbeat, punchy song from band Unison Square Garden. The verses are rapid-fire and smooth, punctuated nicely by the quick beat and bass riff. Everyone goes all out for the chorus, pushing the energy to 110% before sliding back into the slick verses again. All in all, this is a tight song with fantastic instrumentation.

Daybreakers - Nana Mizuki (2020)

If you’ve never heard a Nana Mizuki song before, Daybreakers is a good introduction to her style: a sort of power pop-rock that mixes intense production with ballady vocals. Most impressive is Mizuki’s voice, which has amazing range and can nearly blow you out of your chair with its power, but the instrumentation also brims with energy from beginning to end too. Sadly, the video is a bit lacking when compared to some of her other videos, but that’s understandable considering the circumstances.

24 Hours - Kei Takebuchi (2020)

Okay, I'm cheating a bit here, as 24 Hours is technically sung (mostly) in English, but this song is too great not to share (and Kei Takebuchi does perform some of her songs in Japanese, such as this one inspired by the Lo-Fi study girl!). This is a light, airy song that’s still packed with power and emotion thanks to Takebuchi’s incredible voice. It’s such a relaxing song for me, one that I like to put on and vibe out to when I’m in a bad mood.

Gonna do a quick post this week, since I’m a bit short on time!

Konna yofuke wa - Glim Spanky (2020)

Glim Spanky is a fantastic group that’s been making great music for years, and Konna yofuke wa is another great example of their skill--a soft, very straightforward track that’s still incredibly pleasant to listen to.

Dance at the Moonlight - Haruno (2020)

Haruno’s Dance at the Moonlight (featuring kojikoji) is another mellow track to vibe to. The production is fantastic at lulling me in and the paring of it with the soft male and female vocals is like slipping into a warm bath.

Tokyo Drift Freestyle - Lyrical School (2020)

Have you ever wanted to listen to a female Japanese hip-hop/pop group freestyle rap over the Tokyo Drift theme? Well, now you can! This is such a weird thing but as a diehard defender of Tokyo Drift, this is a delightfully silly quarantine project and I’ve been sharing it with everyone I can.

Back to it! Here’s another three songs from 2020 for your listening enjoyment (hopefully!).

A Limited Moment - Angerme (2020)

Angerme, formerly named Smileage, is a group that always has unique production alongside serious, thought-provoking lyrics, such as in their latest release, A Limited Moment. I’m almost always drawn to Angerme’s (and other Hello Project! groups’) releases for their creative productions and that is still the case here. Typically, I’m not into the vocals as much but for this song, I actually find them quite enjoyable.

Thumbs Up - D_Drive (2020)

D_Drive is an instrumental-focused, prog-rock group that I’ve come to really enjoy in the last year. Thumbs Up is a great example of their style, focused on a loose, fun sound that almost feels entirely organic. The group is also quite technically proficient, pulling off some fantastic harmonization and slick tapping sections. This is an oddly relaxing song for me, despite still having some ripping guitars at times.

Angel - Chanmina (2020)

Another Chanmina release! Chanmina is on fire this year, with great release after great release, the most recent of them being Angel. Her iconic, skilled voice is on display again with slick, sultry verses and a powerful chorus. The video is also fantastic, featuring smooth dance moves, plenty of suggestive imagery, and a whole lot of pretty Chanmina to look at. This isn’t my favorite release of hers from 2020, but it’s yet another solid entry in her quickly growing catalog of hits.

I know I tend to post the same kinds of music week after week, so this time, I thought I’d try to go at least a little outside my typical comfort zone, so to speak. Hope everyone enjoys!

Violent Parade - Acid Android (2019)

Acid Android is a spinoff project from band L’Arc-en-Ciel’s drummer, Yukihiro. This band has a unique industrial sound, similar to things like Nine Inch Nails or Marilyn Manson. Violent Parade is a great example of their style, showing off their creative production and dark imagery. The production is easily my favorite part as it really doesn’t sound like anything else in Japanese music: super-distorted guitar and strange synth lines along with a subtle driving beat. I don’t like the vocals nearly as much, but I do think they suit the song’s style nicely.

Caught Up in Time - Faith (2020)

While I do tend to listen to a lot of upbeat, intensely-produced music, I do also enjoy those softer, comfier songs too. Faith’s Caught Up in Time starts out this way, with a gentle soft-rock sound and cute vocals that make me feel happy and safe. About halfway through the song, it shifts in style with powerful, emotional vocals and more intense instrumentation as the lyrics shift in tone too. I like the song as a whole, but I’ll admit I do find myself listening to the first half more for its pleasant, low-intensity sound.

Luck - Nulbarich (2020)

80s synth has to be one of the most influential things in music. Whole genres of music devoted to it exist today, and the styles and sounds of that era continue to influence a wide swath of music. Even with its overproliferation today, I still absolutely love anything that sounds like it came out of the 80s--such as Nulbarich’s Luck. While nothing unique, I adore the driving synth line and beat that thrums through this entire track. There is a nice change during the “chorus” where it sounds a bit more modern JPOP, and I was impressed at how smoothly the song transitioned back and forth between these sounds.

Because I haven't/can't accomplish anything meaningful in my life and video games give me an easy, approachable checklist of things to actually finish and feel good about.

@piousmartyr: More great additions! Please, keep adding stuff you think is cool to the thread!

Another three songs from 2020!

Transparent - Shuri (2020)

Here’s another song that I think is sadly unknown, with only ~1200 views on YT--Transparent by Shuri. This is an electronic track with fantastic mellow production tied together with a smooth synth line and beat that runs throughout the whole song. Shuri’s light and airy vocals fit perfectly over the top, creating an incredibly pleasant listening experience.

Ugly - She's (2020)

A self-described “piano rock band,” She’s is a group I’d never heard until this release, Ugly. It seemed pretty standard at first, but I found myself captivated by the flow of the vocals. I particularly love the little bridge tying the verses and chorus together, which dances around playfully before punching with “show me an ugly thing” and kicking into the chorus. The video is also very memorable despite its simplicity due to the great facial expressions of the actress.

Fairy Tale Town - DAOKO (2020)

Many of DAOKO’s newer fans probably don’t know that she started with a much different sound, more akin to hip-hop instead of the electronic-laden pop she now makes. Her new album [anima] seems to be going back to a bit of her original sound though, melding her older style with her newer one. Fairy Tale Town is my current favorite song off this album, and I think it strikes this balance well. The verses are tight and flow well, especially the second set after the chorus. For the most part, the production stays simple and lets the vocals shine, but there are a few “instrumental” sections where it goes for it and they’re pretty great too. Finally, the video is an amazing visual experience and is PACKED with shots I’d love to screen grab and keep as desktop wallpaper.

I made a decent dent in mine before I went back to work. Most notably, I played through every Trails game currently available in English (8 of them) over the course of about a month, which was something I'd wanted to do for a while but never had the time or energy to tackle so much JRPG.