pinocchioP, Miku Hatsune - 'ありふれたせかいせいふく (Arifureta Sekai Seifuku)'

ELECTRONIC POP VOCALOID

Remove a bandaid, become a god. This is one of my favorite music videos. The animation and colors match the vibrancy of the song. This is the first track from pinocchioP's Obscure Questions. And it's a great start to the rest of the album. 

There's always something in the background of the song that keeps it interesting. There are some ear pleasing sound effects that are bangles and rings of music. 

The advantage of using vocaloid is that you have freedom with manipulating the vocals. Hatsune Miku sings pretty rapidly so it's unnaturally enunciated. 

I think some of the keys were also noise gated early to match that enunciation and speed of singing. 

The dynamics of adding and removing major instruments also helps maintain the song's engagement. The bridge is one of my favorites in that it helps slow down the pace. I personally like processed vocals like these in bridges. (Another favorite is Anamanaguchi's 'Prom Night'.)

I'll be posting more vocaloid favorites now that I'm obsessing over Project Diva again. 

from Obscure Questions. by EXIT TUNES. 2012.

Velvet King - 'Nah'

 ALTERNATIVE ROCK

Who doesn't love to sing along to "nah-nah-nah"'s? I think my favorite part of this song are the weird phaser sounds that add a layer of tension and movement. 

I'm gonna take a moment to compliment the BADASS drums. They sound sooo good and recorded very well. I personally love the snare. It's tight and snappy. 

The vocal style is also energetic but with a slacker tone - which I personally love. The reverb is tasteful, but I would have liked to hear them a bit more up front.

Okay. Guitars. They have awesome fuzzy tones. I think the solo and rhythm parts are straightforward which pair nicely with the killer bass line. The song has a defined lower register that makes it sound dark.

Overall the song is a fun sing along. And clearly the band members had fun after hearing that little snippet at the end of the song. 

Single. 2020.

THE MONSIEURS - 'At The Hop'

GARAGE PUNK ROCK

This d҉i҉s҉t҉o҉r҉t҉i҉o҉n҉   gives me energy. The music style translates well with it. 😌 

It's a fun track to hop around to. 

"Burning Flame" is another bop.

Heck yeah.

from THE MONSIEURS "Deux" LP. 2017.

Official HIGE DANdism - 'SWEET TWEET'

POP ROCK

Nicknamed "Higedan" which translates to "bearded man" this band has a fun obsession with mustaches. The band members where cute mustache bow ties. 

This 2015 song hooked me because of Satoshi Fushiwara's vocals. They are bright and energetic. 

The track includes thick and heavy piano chords. But it's balanced with the light melodies and solo tones from Daisuke Kosasa's guitars.

Masaki Matsuura's drums are solid. His kick and snare tones actually sounds perfect for this style. I particularly like the auxiliary percussion of triangle in the chorus. It reminds me of Two Door Cinema's implementation of their triangle to add energy.  

After checking out some live performances, I noticed and admire bassist Makoto Narasaki's dance moves. Clearly his enthusiasm is translated onto the track adding funky tones to this dance-able song. 

2019 Higedan is also "amazing". I'll later talk about their wonderfully produced album Traveler. Then you'll get the pun. (Hint: track 3)

From  ラブとピースは君の中. LASTRUM Music Entertainment Inc. 2015.

From Love To Peace Are In You.  Official髭男dism.