#parannoul live

[genericamentegiuseppe]

Parannoul - Sky Hundred

Il nuovo disco di Parannoul è un incontro fragile, in cui shoegaze, emo e Car Seat Headrest diventano parte di un linguaggio codificato che parla di ambizione, memoria e smarrimento.

Sono pochi gli artisti nell’ambito del rock più rappresentativi dei desideri, delle paure e dei malesseri di una generazione, di questo giovane ragazzo da Seoul. Parannoul in pochi anni ha superato la prova dell’hype e ha dimostrato la solidità della sua proposta musicale, coerente nel cercare di rappresentare l’incoerenza della realtà, delle sue promesse non mantenute e delle sue pretese…

[heavythread]

Album 78/100 - 파란노을 [Parannoul], After The Night - NR/100

If I come back to this I’ll edit the review and this post, but it won’t be anytime soon.

[kick-a-long]

My friend puts together end of the year album rankings. I asked him if I could share it here and it’s pretty awesome. Check it out.

Best Albums of 2024

1. MJ Lenderman - Manning Fireworks (A beach house up in Buffalo and a houseboat docked at the himbodome)

2. Rosali - Bite Down (Rosali and Jim Schroeder’s guitar explosions)

3. Waxahatchee - Tigers Blood (my spine’s a rotting 2x4)

4. Advance Base - Horrible Occurences (intruders and ghosts)

5. The Decemberists - As it Ever Was, So it Will Be Again (wait for the reapers to mow)

6. Geordie Greep - The New Sound (jazz rock for creeps)

7. Mount Eerie - Night Palace (winter on a vacation island)

8. Cindy Lee - Jubilee (geocities Twin Peaks)

9. Chelsea Wolf - She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She (goth metal trio hop)

10. Foxing - Foxing (Carson MTV, Bizkit NYE, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK)

11. Merce Lemon - Watch Me Drive Them Dogs Wild (seeds between all my teeth)

12. Jessica Pratt - Here in the Pitch (a decaying lost record)

13. Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us (I Scream Piano)

14. Jack White - No Name (like a White Stripes)

15. The Smile - Wall of Eyes (like a Radiohead)

16. Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere (Prog metal for waking)

17. Adrianne Lenker - Bright Future (sadness as a gift)

18. This is Lorelei - Box for Buddy, Box for Star (all fucked up)

19. Fontaines D.C - Romance (an inhaler for a panic attack)

20. The Lemon Twigs - A Dream Is All I Know (1 in 1000 beach boys imitations sound this good)

21. Glass Beach - Plastic Death (the soundtrack to Metropolis)

22. Beth Gibbons - Lives Outgrown (Portis-folk)

23. Los Campesinos! - All Hell (a psychic wound)

24. Katy Kirby - Blue Raspberry (cancer has entered the chat)

25. The Cure - Songs of a Lost World (a fragile thing)

26. Mannequin Pussy - I Got Heaven (loud bark, soft bite)

27. Hurray for the Riff Raft - The Past is Still Alive (two weeks just to catch the Buffalo)

28. Friko - Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here (Bright Eyes-core)

29. Being Dead - EELS (Godzilla Rises)

30. Magdalena Bay - Imaginal Disk (chill wave pop)

31. Father John Misty - Mahashmashana (an accidental dose with a drop of Imagine Dragons)

32. Arab Strap - I’m totally fine with it don’t give a fuck anymore (bliss?)

33. Cloud Nothings - Final Summer (reliable post-hardcore)

34. Cassandra Jenkins - My Light, My Destroyer (Sophisti-Kate Bush)

35. Tyler, the Creator - Chromakopia (intruder noid)

36. Tucker Zimmerman - Dance of Love (the idiot’s maze)

37. Christopher Owens - I Wanna Run Barefoot Through Your Hair (welcome back Chrissybaby)

38. Ben Seratan - Allora (screaming guitars)

39. Fred Thomas - Window in the Rhythm (a guitar left in the rain)

40. Jake Xerxes Fussell - When I’m Called (don’t place your affections on a green growing tree)

41. The Smile - Cutouts (like a Radiohead)

42. Young Jesus - The Fool (shit, I feel like a million bucks. I think I’ll take the bus down to New Orleans. Yeah I think I’ll buy some drugs)

43. Storefront Church - Ink & Oil (Scott Walker-core)

44. Parannoul - Sky Hundred (Korean shoegaze)

45. MGMT - Loss of Life (a bubblegum dog)

46. SUMAC - The Healer (Sludge Metal for sleep)

47. Julia Holter - Something in the Room She Moves (spinning these morning)

48. Haley Heyndrrickx - Seed of a Seed (a garden)

49. Sour Windows - Revival of a Friend (Midwest emo)

50. Dummy - Free Energy (Baggy Madchester)

[euniexenoblade]

Favorite music of 2023 :)

I've found myself dealing with a wave of writer's block, and in my desire to get past it I've decided to write whatever I can. Some people said they'd be interested in me talking about my favorite albums of 2023, so here's a short write up about albums I really liked and I hope everyone will give a try.

I found 2023 to be a pretty spectacular year for weird and interesting music. With artists like Lil Yachty doing a neo-psychedelia album (fantastic, give it a listen) and Avenged Sevenfold doing some progressive avant garde adjacent metal album (I think people are wrongly hating on it, it's spectacular), it shouldn't be too surprising to imagine that the bands the mainstream hasn't really heard of are making wild soundscapes unlike anything you've ever heard.

Kicking this off with one of my favorite Korean bands, Parannoul released two albums this year and they were spectacular - both in my top 10 of the year. Parannoul are a wonderful shoegaze band that create these songs that almost feel hypnotic, they create this dream like state for their songs in ways no other band seems to be able to. After the Magic, their third album, is no different in this, but brings a new warmth, brighter instrumentation, and just in general doesn't feel as self loathing and depressed as previous works. The other release, After the Night, is a live recording, which shows that the band can produce the same dreamlike style on a stage, but do it even better. My second favorite album of the year, this live album is so incredible, zoning out to the 46 minute "Into the Endless Night" while high was probably one of my favorite experiences of the year in and of itself. (Also, if you do chose to check them out, please listen to To See the Next Part of the Dream, it's one of my favorite albums ever made.)

Using Parannoul as a sorta link between things, I also found that they worked on a song on the new Turquoisedeath album, Se bueno. I won't claim to be an expert on drum and bass, but I had a killer time listening to Se bueno. When I discovered Se bueno, I also discovered a few other, more abrasive, albums that I kind of group together in my head. Namely Chaser by femtanyl (digital hardcore) and Sisterhood by lostrushi ("digicore" feels like a frantic version of trap). If you like this kind of music, give them a try, all three are on my list.

Everyone's top albums of the years seem to have their one and two spots stolen away by Javelin and Scaring the Hoes. Starting with the latter, Scaring the Hoes by JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown is cool as hell. Beats unlike anything I've heard in hip hop before, and the flows of both men really bring it all together. It's a great album (it's my third favorite of the year), but I also think some focus on some other hip hop titles might be cool. Integrated Tech Solutions by Aesop Rock is just as impressive and interesting and deserves your attention. Alongside that Michael by Killer Mike is a fantastic listen, though it doesn't compare to the previously mentioned two, it's still a great album that deserves your time - he won those awards for a reason. The man got arrested at an award show, the least you can do is stream his album once.

Now, as for Javelin by Sufjan Stevens, it's a great album, but it's also such a sad album. His pain is horrible, and he does a great job at making you feel it. However, the music never really hit me like other albums of the year had. The lyrics murder your heart, but I'm a tad past gay pains and want gay joys. Which is why I want you all to listen to Ultra Paradise by Angel Electronics. Half Ada Rook of Black Dresses, half Ash Nerve (I doubt you know him) this is a trans and gay power pop album that's just beautiful and fun. Songs like Return to the Sky and One Thousand and One Nights are fun ear worms, and the rest of the album just has a level of repeatability and a level of joy and fun that most other albums this year didn't have. Is it as technically impressive as Javelin? No. But, shit, it's nice to be happy for once.

Continuing off of this idea, in 2023 we saw transphobia become horrifically rampant, the right wing are really intent to get rid of us. You can't avoid how much this world hates us now and it makes you want to just scream. It creates this feeling of anger, a desire for violence, like we're past being sad and nice and understanding. In 2023 the Hirs Collective put out an album on par with that emotion. We're Still Here is an aggressive grindcore album put together by trans, gay, queer people in general. My favorite release from the band to date, it's fantastic to see Hirs screaming "We're still here!" as the world tries to erase us. This is my favorite album of 2023, please listen to it, please give Hirs your money, they deserve it and you deserve their music.

A few more albums I wanna recommend that I can't really think of anything in depth to say: God Cum Poltergeist by Crisis Sigil (Ada Rook) is a fantastic grindcore album, Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete by Crosses is a fantastic synthpop adjacent album and I got to see it performed live and it's amazing music, Reborn Superstar! by Hanabie. is a great Japanese metalcore album, and go listen to Kikuo Miku 7 for some rad Hatsune Miku bullshit.

My top 50 music releases of 2023:

We're Still Here by Hirs

After the Night by Parannoul

Scaring the Hoes by JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown

Dogsbody by Model/Actriz

Desire, I Want to Turn Into You by Caroline Polachek

After the Magic by Parannoul

Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete. by Crosses

God Cum Poltergeist by Crisis Sigil

uma by betcover!!

Ultra Paradise by Angel Electronics

Reborn Superstar! by Hanabie.

No Joy by Spanish Love Songs

Saved by Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter

Live in Japan by Mass of the Fermenting Dregs

93696 by Liturgy

Resistance and the Blessing by World's End Girlfriend

Kikuo Miku 7 by Kikuo

Javelin by Sufjan Stevens

Integrated Tech Solutions by Aesop Rock

Poil Ueda by Poil & Junko Ueda

Enola Gay by Asia Menor

Upal by Kostnateni

The Loveliest Time by Carly Rae Jepsen

Michael by Killer Mike

Exul by Ne Obliviscaris

Hellmode by Jeff Rosenstock

Hometown to Come by Minhwi Lee

Life is but a Dream... by Avenged Sevenfold

Chaser by Femtanyl

Sadness / Abriction by Sadness / Abriction

O Monolith by Squid

But Here We Are by Foo Fighters

Stone by Baroness

History Books by The Gaslight Anthem

Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? by Kara Jackson

Rookie's Bustle by Ada Rook

Futility by Yakui The Maid

Let's Start Here. by Lil Yachty

The Age of Pleasure by Janelle Monae

Bee and the Whales by Galileo Galilei

Zach Bryan self titled

Everything is Alive by Slowdive

Let's Hope Heteros Fail, Learn, and Retire by Alice Longyu Gao

Se bueno by TURQUOISEDEATH

Yoshitsune by Poil & Junko Ueda

Perfect Picture by Hannah Diamond

January Never Dies by Balming Tiger

Jenny From Thebes by The Mountain Goats

Never Falter Hero Girl by Katie Dey

Sisterhood by lostrushi

[johannesviii]

Top 10 Personal Favorite Hit Songs from 2023

What a weird year for pop music, full of strange trends, confusing garbage and unexpected hits. Once again, even if the charts don’t always reflect it, music as a whole is currently very interesting to follow closely.

Disclaimers / Rules:

I’m using both the year-end top 100 lists from the US and from France while making these lists. There’s songs that charted in my country way higher than they did in the US, or even earlier or later, so that might get surprising at times.

No song that I already put on a previous list is elligible.

No old hit song that is re-charting due to a holiday or a trend is elligible either.

Of course there will probably be stuff in French somewhere on this post. We suck. I know. It’s my list. Deal with it.

My musical tastes have always been terrible.

I have sound-to-color synesthesia which justifies nothing but might explain why I have trouble describing some songs in other terms than visual ones.

A lot of bad stuff happened to me this year (several accidents in a row, and also my cat died) but some good stuff too, thank goodness. I only went to two concerts this year (Bloodywood and BMTH), but they were both absolutely amazing. Pretty sure the Bring Me The Horizon one was the best concert I ever went to, actually, and there's a lot of competition considering all the great ones I went to in 2022. I'm just sad 100 gecs had to cancel theirs, I was really looking forward to it. Oh well.

Let’s start with the good or interesting albums that came out in 2023, and oh my, that's a long list already.

Albums

Starting as usual with stuff that disappointed me: Depeche Mode's Memento Mori was... actually it was all right, but I miss the days when I could get excited about a new Depeche Mode album, I really do.

Pink Tape by Lil Uzi Vert was a giant fucking mess. There's some absolute bangers on it, and then you get to the next track and it's the worst thing you've ever heard. Which makes for an interesting listening experience, for sure, but one I'm in no hurry to repeat. At least it's never boring.

After the Magic by Parannoul isn't exactly my cup of tea, but you should definitely listen to it once, I think. It's something special. It might grow on me, though, because I only listened to it for the first time last month.

On the other hand, I listened to Scaring the hoes by Jpegmafia and Danny Brown a while ago, and while this one is definitely not my cup of tea, it's also a ton of fun and I don't feel like a single second of my time was wasted on it. You should listen to it for the samples alone, and just out of sheer curiosity if nothing else.

A kiss for the whole world by Enter Shikari is a weird beast, because the singles are absolutely incredible, but then the rest is a big pile of nothing (at least in my opinion). But the singles, man. I really don't know how to judge it as a whole, the quality is on a rollercoaster.

Kind of the same thing happened with Electric Sun by VNV Nation, one of my favorite bands of all times if not my favorite, if you recall. Some tracks completely floored me, the rest was meh. Oh well. Noire was so incredibly good that I can live with an average VNV album dropping after it.

Fanfare by Dorian Electra was full of absolute bangers but... I don't know, there's some of the madness of the previous record missing. And yes, I'm saying the album containing the minion line (you know the one) is more serious than My Agenda. Go figure. But it's still very good!

Two different friends told me to listen to 4D by Blank Banshee, so I did, obviously. Great electro album. Send tweet

I'm not entirely sure what to think of Atta by Sigur Rós. I cried several times while listening to it for the first time and it's a genuinely impressive series of tracks, but it's also so devastating I've only relistened to it twice since then.

I only discovered Svalbard a couple of years ago, and this year they dropped The weight of the mask, which might be even better than their previous album. It's mostly about depression and trying to fake normality while being depressed. Not a very pleasant topic, and yet this is full of energy and... hope? Everything sounds unbearably bright and between the screams, you feel like everything will be better eventually. Great stuff.

Speaking of depression, there's also No joy by Spanish Love Songs. If you recall their previous album was my album of the year a few lists ago. Their sound changed slightly, and at times it almost sounds like The Killers, but not in a bad way. There's a couple of tracks I don't like very much, but the writing is still on point, and some tracks are among my faves I put in the "unelligible songs" part.

Census Designated by Jane Remover, on the other hand, came out of nowhere just to kick me in the face. I don't even know what to say about that one. Go listen to it.

I found Gunship almost by accident a few months ago, and they immediately dropped a new album, called Unicorn. It's just a huge pile of great synthpop through and through - if you don't mind a couple of really stupid lines (godddd that third track is full of them). The other downside is that it's way too long (more than an hour), and if it was up to me, I'd remove at least four tracks from it. Unlike...

...10000 gecs by, who else, 100 gecs. It's less than half an hour long and it's so fun and so varied in its sounds and so stupid while still being incredibly well produced. For the longest time I couldn't decide which one of the last five albums on this list was my favorite, and then I relistened to all of them in a row and felt compelled to play this one a second time after I was done. Definitely worth the wait.

Unelligible Songs

This is kind of a non-hits rec list of sorts, but you know the drill. I also have to mention that two songs from previous lists (The Magic Key by One-T and Dernière Danse by Kyo 2003 represents) recharted this year for some unfathomable reason.

Gonna start with my fave tracks on some of the albums I already mentioned. Because why not.

The only song I consider great on the Depeche Mode album was People are good which sounds like character development considering People are people also exists

Speaking of Depeche Mode, one band arguably out-depeche-moded them this year so let me introduce you to ††† (Crosses) with Ghost ride, Invisible hand and Holier

Lil Uzi Vert is next with Suicide doors and its deranged intro immediately followed by FUCK YOU, AND FUCK YOUR BITCH then Uzi following that by stating they're the Crow. Yes, really. Also there's Werewolf, literally a Bring Me The Horizon song with Lil Uzi Vert on it, and if I had a nickel every time that happened this year I'd have two nickels, which isn't much but-

Wait let me interrupt this list with another song called Werewolf which I've listened to WAY too much this year. It's the kind of song you listen to ironically at first but after the tenth time that happens you realise it's no longer ironic and you love it for real. Seeing Motionless In White live kinda helped, not gonna lie, but still

For Enter Shikari, we have A kiss for the whole world, Bloodshot, and especially [pls] set me on fire, which might be one of my most listened to tracks of 2023, actually

VNV Nation had Wait, Invictus, and Artifice, which are all absolute bangers in my opinion. Ronan is angry and we love to hear it

By the way this year Pink released an extremely VNV-like song called Trustfall and it's very good but also uncanny

Kylie Minogue is also doing something vaguely similar with Hold on to now but in a more mainstream normal way btw

And then for something completely different, we have Dorian Electra singing about obsessive fans on Symphony, fame on Wanna be a star, and most importantly writing anon hate and immediately deleting it on anon

Run is the first track of the Blank Banshee album I rec'd and it's only one minute long so listen to it maybe

Technically I can recommend Gold if you want some taste of the Sigur Rós album but you need to listen to the entire album to get the full crushing effect

Svalbard isn't going to lighten up the mood with How to Swim Down and Faking it

Neither is Spanish Long Songs with Clean-up crew, Marvel, Here you are and Lifers, the last one being notable for having what's possibly my fave bridge of the entire year, and all of them for being endlessly quotable. Stay alive out of spite everyone

Also not lightening up the mood is Jane Remover with Census Designated on the album also called Census Designated

But what's this? It's Gunship with a steel chair trying to punch some joy into this list with Holographic heart, Nuclear Date Night, Taste like venom and Monster in paradise!!

And the gecs with a second steel ch- wait no it's a plastic chair shaped like a frog. Anyway here's Dumbest girl alive and Hollywood baby, and both of them go wayyy harder than they have any rights to

ok that was a lot of songs already. Here's Everything goes on by Porter Robinson as a palate cleanser

Also the first reggaeton song to ever end on one of my playlists, Sci-fi by Tainy and Rauw Alejandro

Also I'm gonna put a gif here otherwise Tumblr won't let me post something with such a long uninterrupted list in it

Ok back to the list of recs

Let's get the humiliation out of the way and say that this year I listened to Raining blood but it's super emo more than I ever listened to Raining blood in all my years combined

Oh yeah and Linkin Park released some old (finished and unfinished) tracks from the Meteora era and I'm kinda pissed off cause Lost missed the year end list. Fighting myself is excellent too, and if you want a really heartwrenching unfinished track, Resolution has a giant Chester-shaped hole where its chorus should be and the lyrics make it even worse. You're welcome

Possibly the most mainstream song on this entire rec list but I'm also pissed off Bad Idea right? by Olivia Rodrigo didn't chart enough to count for my top ten hit songs

I can offer you Eat the acid by Kesha if you want an awesome but mildly disturbing listening experience

For some electro/future pop here's Head over heels by Solitary Experiments

Wait there's also Bring the noise by Neuroticfish

Over is there if you need some Chvrches doing some Chvrching

Justice for Gladiator by Jann

Pointing at Even Jesus got the blues by Gabe Lee and saying I would listen to more country if it sounded half as good as that song, not like anyone cares

Holding on to nothing by Sierra. Send tweet

Northwind + Sky-colored dream by Strawberry Hospital and Parasite Heart is just seven minutes of cool pastel screams

And for an absolute goth banger everyone collectively decided to ignore here's Train to Harlem by Korine

I can't get enough of Nosebleeder by Lil Lotus and that's probably mildly embarrassing at my age but I've decided to stay mildly embarrassing forever

kisses by Slowdive if you want vibes and vibes only

Blood and sugar by Boys Like Girls if, like me, you want something that sounds exactly like The 1975

Choose your fighter by Ava Max if you want something that sounds exactly like Barbie Girl

I really wish I could explain what my feelings are every time I listen to The King by Anjimile but the only thing I'm sure about is that I'm feeling something a LOT and that it's terrifying

On a lighter note here's Mall rat by Durry, a very upbeat pop punk song about mall goth teenagers having fun and it's extremely good, listen to it immediately if you're having a bad day

And as some of you might have expected because of that previous gif, we're gonna finish with some Bring Me The Horizon, who have joined my list of favorite bands alarmingly quickly (that new album can't drop soon enough), and let's just say LosT and especially AmEN! were some of my absolute fave non-hit songs this year. Seriously. What the fuck was that.

And now, some elligible hits that didn't make the list.

Honorable Mentions

Tiki Taka (Vacra) - Afrobeats is the best thing that happened to the charts in recent years.

Shining Light (Aime Simone) - I wish I liked that artist more.

Unholy (Sam Smith & Kim Petras) - At first I didn't like this one, and then I headcanoned Kim Petras as a girl in a confessional and Sam Smith as the priest on the other side looking concerned but also weirdly into it, and suddenly it was a really funny song.

Dance the night away (Dua Lipa) - I'm pretty sure that's the song Chained to the Rhythm by Katy Perry is talking about

Casanova (Soolking) - This is a borderline guilty pleasure, and also it sounds like Magic System. Which is a bonus, by the way.

Calm Down (Rema) - Afrobeats is the best thing that happened to the charts in recent years 2: the sequel

Rush (Ayra Starr) - Afrobeats is the best thing that happened to the charts in recent years 3: the sequel to the sequel

Strangers (Kenya Grace) - Very good low-key track to play when you're driving at night

Bloody Mary (Lady Gaga) - What can I say. It's Lady Gaga. It's good.

I remember everything (Zach Bryan) - And for "songs that would be on the list if I had good taste-"

Going going gone (Luke Combs) - The last cut from the list. Great earworm, good writing.

THE ACTUAL TOP TEN LIST

This is a very solid list, actually. All of these things are still on some of my playlists to this day.

10 - Bad Habit (Steve Lacy)

US: #39 / FR: Not on the list

This was the last cut from my 2022 top 10 and it was a painful one, so imagine my joy when I saw it was elligible for this year's list too! Welcome back, Steve Lacy, your little song is still an earworm and a half even after all this time.

9 - Cruel Summer (Taylor Swift)

US: #18 / FR: Not on the list

I have no idea how a song that rhymes "oh woah oh" with "summer" can sound so good. Well played, madam. Well played.

8 - Star Walkin' (Lil Nas X)

US: Not on the list / FR: #67

Not the best Lil Nas X song by a mile, and still quite good! It plays a lot at the gym for some reason. The hype is real, even after hearing it pretty much every hour on the hour. And despite that weird, weird line about his dad.

Very surprised it's not on the US year-end list, by the way.

7 - Vois sur ton chemin (Bennett)

US: Not on the list / FR: #69

If you're creeped out by the AI-generated kids in the music video, I think that's kind of the point, which is why I can tolerate it for once.

Anyway, this is a remix of a choir song about lost kids, originally from a retro movie called Les Choristes which came out back when I was a teenager. And now it's been turned into a somewhat creepy techno remix of itself, and you know what's bad about that? Not a single thing actually. Play it again.

6 - Fast Car (covered by Luke Combs)

US: #8 / FR: Not on the list

If you remember correctly, Fast Car was the number one song of the very first list I made in this series (1988). And since this cover is so similar to the original song, I considered making it non-elligible for this list. I counted it in the end but put it kinda low compared to the original. It's only fair.

5 - Anti-hero (Taylor Swift)

US: #4 / FR: Not on the list

I was pretty indifferent to this one at the beginning of the year, but it slowly but surely grew on me. Everything has already been said about this song. So yeah, it's very good. I like it. It's on the list.

Moving on!

4 - Substitution (Purple Disco Machine x Kungs)

US: Not on the list / FR: #56

Some songs just make you want to move every single time you hear them, without fail. The thing is, this one plays a LOT on the radio in public settings, so catch me dancing in the aisles of the local supermarket every time it's on. It's like some memetic SCP bullshit.

At this point, it should be possible to make a great playlist with all the best retro-sounding hits we got in the past five years or so - and yeah, put this one on it too, for sure.

3 - Miracle (Ellie Goulding, Calvin Harris)

US: Not on the list / FR: #51

At some point this was my number one, and can you really blame me? An Ellie Goulding song with a drop that sounds exactly like a Robert Miles track? Really?

Then I realised I loved Robert Miles' tracks because of that dreamy piano/synth melody they all have, and that this song only had a drop/musical chorus that sounded like that, so something was missing. Oh well. Still a fantastic dance track, though.

2 - Escapism (Raye)

US: #48 / FR: Not on the list

Welcome to the other side of most of The Weeknd songs, I guess, but that's also what makes this track so compelling. The intro sounds like anxiety, and even when the song gets more pleasant to listen to it just never goes completely away - just like in the lyrics, in fact. Well written, well produced, everything is on point and if I had better taste it would probably be number one on this list.

Alas, I am what I am.

1 - Just wanna rock (Lil Uzi Vert)

US: #28 / FR: Not on the list

At some point, this was the third song on the list. Why shouldn't it be? It's so brainless compared to Escapism, and laughably short compared to Miracle. It's just a fragment of a song. It sounds like the intro of a track that will never start.

It's also by far my most replayed hit song on this entire top ten list and I can't justify that in any way. So yeah, putting anything else here felt like lying to myself. The fact it never really starts also means the hype never really ends. Going "daaaaaaaaaaaamn" along with Uzi's distorted vocals is so satisfying.

I just wanna rock, man. What a vibe. See you next year!

[fcble]

limbo for andrew!

LIMBO - A time my muse acted faithless and disloyal.

In which Andrew receives a tempting proposition. August 2024. 1.3k. A direct follow up to this piece! Would definitely recommend reading that first.

Jinguk's business card haunts Andrew. It occupies the majority of his waking thoughts, and even some of his sleeping ones. He reflects on the events of the meeting, trying to figure out exactly what he did to catch Jinguk's attention.

The only response he received from Jaeseop regarding Jinguk read, Sorry I didn't tell you about him! I didn't want to worry you (｡•́︿•̀｡).

Andrew is considerably more worried now than he was a few weeks ago. He fiddles with the card as he works in the living room, and a thumb-shaped imprint begins to emerge over the Danyoung Group's logo. No one asks him about it, despite Intak constantly reorganizing his figurine collection, and Kiyoung's daily coming and goings.

Wearing down the ink isn't enough, he decides. He has to try and do something about it. Kiyoung is out, like he tends to be, and Intak is asleep. Andrew is spending more time listening to the new Parannoul album than working, which makes it as good of a time as it's ever going to be.

He leans forward on the couch seat and dials Jinguk's number. The call connects almost immediately. He expects to hear a secretary or a personal assistant. He's greeted instead by Jinguk's velvet baritone. "Andrew. I expected your call earlier."

Andrew is thrown off immediately. Jinguk knows his phone number? He answers his own phone? He wanted Andrew to call him? He settles for a generic, non-committal response. "I was occupied."

"That's Taein-ssi for you." His assessment of Andrew's boss is accurate and matter of fact.

The sound of a pen clicking and the pages of a notebook flipping are audible over the line. "My lunch is clear today," Jinguk continues. "I'll see you at noon. My office is on the fifteenth floor."

There are no questions or requests in any of his statements. Jinguk speaks in the tone of a man used to getting his way, someone who won't take no for an answer.

"Of course," Andrew responds, trying to regain his balance. He doesn't bother to try and counter Jinguk's steamrolling of the conversation. It works for him. He didn't want to plan anything himself. He glances at the time on his computer. Fifteen minutes to eleven. He needs an outfit. Somehow, he thinks his current t-shirt and sweats combo is not going to cut it in front of Jinguk.

"I trust you'll be able to find your way to the Danyoung Group's headquarters."

That too is a statement, rather than a question.

"I don't see any issues with that."

"Very well." Jinguk's response is immediate, and the line clicks off.

Andrew doesn't have time to think about that conversation. He's too busy scrambling to find his way to the Danyoung Group's building.

An hour later, he finds Jinguk's office. Once he made it to the fifteenth floor of the skyscraper it became easy, because Jinguk's office seems to be the fifteenth floor. The elevator opens to a wide, open space with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. From what Andrew can see, the area includes a kitchen, a ping-pong table, a foosball table, at least three TVs, and what looks like a salad bar in another area separate from the kitchen. There are a few desks facing in the general direction of the elevators, but they're all empty.  In fact, most of the room is empty, with the exception of a lone figure sitting on a leather couch near the windows. Jinguk.

Andrew's footsteps echo in the otherwise empty space, and Jinguk looks up from his laptop. He gestures for Andrew to come closer—a bit impatiently, if Andrew were to judge.

"Andrew-ssi. It's good to see you again."

Andrew gingerly takes a seat across from him. "Likewise."

Jinguk checks the time on his watch, a surprisingly slender and unobtrusive silver piece that probably costs more money than Andrew will ever have in his life. "We have twenty-seven minutes. I assume you have questions. Ask whatever you'd like."

Andrew gets the impression that Jinguk cancelled something more important than him. And the impression that no one knows who he is, besides someone important enough to have an entire half hour of Jinguk's time. He starts with the most pressing question he has.

"Are you headhunting me?" he asks bluntly.

Jinguk doesn't laugh at that, but Andrew would like to think he almost does. He smiles a sort of half-smile instead, like Andrew's insolence is faintly amusing, not an idiotic annoyance. "I would encourage you to seek other opportunities. I am willing to provide some of them, should you be interested."

"I extended my contract," Andrew says. "I have three more years with Taein-nim."

His words might as well be paper, with the way Jinguk easily shreds through them. "There's no issue there. Should you choose to leave, I will assume responsibility for any monetary repercussions."

It's all sounding a little too good to Andrew. It is disconcerting to hear Jinguk reduce the years of his career down to a number, some figure he can simply pay off. But then again, that's all an idol is, isn't it? He knew that when he first signed his contract.

"Why me?"

Jinguk regards him carefully. "You're a smart young man. You know you'll never reach your full potential in Taein-ssi's company."

Andrew considers it. What keeps him at Zenith, other than his contract? And Fable. He can't leave Fable. Rationally, he knows the PR nightmare that would cause. In a more calculated manner, he also knows that whatever solo career he can scrape together from the ashes of that disaster would be a poor, shoddy, imitation of Fable's popularity. No amount of money will buy his way out of that, contrary to what Jinguk thinks. And as much as he hates to admit it, he knows, too, that Jinguk is right. His creative direction and his music have both helped Fable grow—flourish, even—but as an individual, he's treading water. He's spent the past couple of years stagnant.

He stalls for time, probing the limits of Jinguk's generosity, since he's far from forth-coming. "I'll be able to continue my work as an artist." A statement, not a request. He thinks he understands Jinguk's modus operandi, so he responds in the same way. His music is the one thing he can't give up on. He can't sideline himself to be a songwriter or producer either. He likes the spotlight and the attention too much for that.

Jinguk nods. "We are more than capable of providing all the support you'd need. If you're interested in an American career as well, that can be arranged."

The prospect of going home is the best one he's heard all day. It's tempting, to cut loose and throw his lot in with Jinguk, like he did seven years ago with Taein. He plunged right into the deep end, with nothing but his wits and desperation. He could do it again.

"Forgive me for asking," he says, "but how does this benefit you or your company?"

Jinguk's smile seems to imply that he approves of Andrew's line of questioning, like some sort of reward for being on the right track. He straightens up in his seat and says, "At a certain level of power and social influence, such direct bargains become unnecessary. Think of it as altruism, and the Danyoung Group as patrons of the arts."

Andrew writes kpop idol music. He's not sure how much culture he's contributing to.

"I'd like some time to think about it," he says finally. He's asked his questions and received some answers, but he's unable to tell if Jinguk was entirely truthful. For some reason, it seems like there's more to the story than he's telling Andrew.

Jinguk dips his head in a curt nod. "I'll give you a month. I expect to have an answer from you then."

There isn't much to say to that, so Andrew agrees. A month isn't long enough for him to make a decision of this scale, but it'll have to do. The part he's left with now is the hardest one: making the choice.

[mecachrome]

1, 2, 3 for end of the year asks!!

hi anon!! <3

song of the year - omg i still need to figure this one out myself... porter robinson cheerleader is up there for sure though i could NAWT stop replaying it for months... it's kind of like a lando song if you think about it. i've thought about it

album of the year - IMAGINAL DISK by magbay & SKY HUNDRED by parannoul 🥰💙 also really love beth gibbons lives outgrown... is this a safe space to share that i track yearly releases in a google spreadsheet lol

fav musical artist/group i started listening to this year - hmm i'm doing some last-minute album listening and finally got to english teacher this could be texas last night who are a band i actually have listened to before but i guess didn't think much of... anyway obsessed with I'M NOT CRYING YOU'RE CRYING dot mp3!!! also been really loving hannah frances, vacant intimacies is such a gorgeous song :') + for k-pop i feel like there haven't really been any memorable debuts this year which is a shame 😭

[kinocharlley]

Ask game :D List five of your favorite or top songs, then send this ask to the last ten people in your notifications

thank you for the ask! it's really hard for me to choose just five songs, especially since im album listener (to all only-playlists users, learn to appreciate albums as an whole piece! it's an art to your ear and mind!!) but here is my attempt (in no particular order):

Baby Formula - 溫暖歌 Warm Song the chinese shoegaze (or sinogaze) is absolutely spectacular and beyond underappreciated, even amongst shoegaze enjoyers. the baby formula created an album enchanted with dreamy guitars and captivating vocals that take you through the journey somewhere far you never been to and yet it feels so warm and familiar. it's such a shame this their only released album. whenever i listen to it i feel so in love.

파란노을 (Parannoul) - 황금빛 강 (Gold River) Parannoul has their fair share of followers and is "well known" (the bar is low honestly, i forget that the top musicians warp up over tens of millions monthly listeners) when it comes to this specific shoegaze niche, but i would lie if i was to say im not crazy about their music. i discovered them early 2023 and the chemicals were changed and never to be put back. parannoul music is so much heavier than a lot of shoegaze since it has a lot of post rock and emo influences. people who talk with me and try out of curiosity don't really like it. i find this cacophony of sounds captivating. gold river dropped out of nowhere sometime earlier this year and i instantly fell in love. the album where it comes from (sky hundred) always makes me feel something, especially when there is golden hour. two previous albums had a lot of self-loathing (2nd one less but there was still lingering feeling of something unresolved) but Sky Hundreds sounds like hope feels like.

Into the Endless Night (Live) another song from parannoul... and also the longest song i know! 46 minutes! it's just music adventure on its own. not gonna continue my love letter to parannoul here again (im trying very hard).

Silica Gel - Gosan Silica Gel's music is hard to define for me in "strict" genres, it's electronic, it's neo-psychedelia, it's art-rock. there is so much different influences from all 4 band members that it creates such unique and characteristic sound like non other. i especially recommend to listen to their full album where 'gosan' comes from (POWER ANDRE 99). the songs flow and bleed through each other, one cannot exist without the other.

My Chemical Romace - It's Not a Fashion Statement, It's a Deathwish i might be a music weirdo, with love for different 'underground' bands and generes but my love for mcr and gway is forever and ever since i was a cringe (but free) teen.

apologies for such long answer! i think i have more to say when it comes to music than an average person and i really love to be pretentious bitch about it 🧍‍‍♂️

[alien-melissa]

“Hyperrock Night “ CCC supported by alien.melissa

新宿SPACEにて開催されている「CCC」にてイベントをサポートさせていただき、国内外から大好きなアーティスト達をお呼びしました！！

10/30(wed) SPACE 19:00-23:00

U23 ¥2300+1D ADV ¥3300+1D DOOR ¥3800+1D

■LIVE

Push Ups (New York)

Cayenne (Singapore)

safmusic

Cruyff

■DJ

Kimj (korea)

alien melissa

★Push Ups★

ニューヨークを拠点に活動するバンドPush Ups、　鋭いギターサウンドと哀愁漂うメロディー、ボーカルGreyのエモーショナルで儚い歌声、スッと身体に沁みるロックサウンドに魅了される。

EP 「Push Ups Was Here」では、メランコリックなシューゲイズサウンドで不安、若さ、大都市で抱える　　リアルな感情を捉え印象的に表現されている。

SATOHやaryyとのコラボレーションでも知られるHarryTeardropもメンバーとして参加している。

1年前、このブログで��ンタビューで「東京でライブをするのが夢」と答えてくれたが今回のイベントで日本初ライブを叶えることになる！

この機会にぜひインタビューもチェックしてみてほしい↓

๋࣭ ⭑ *️push ups - interview ✩₊˚ ✮ ⊹ ←

★Cayenne★

インディーロックバンドSobsのボーカルとしても活躍するCeline Autumnによるソロプロジェクト！

ダンスミュージック、実験的なポップ、インディーロックの感性を取り入れ2000年代初期のポップミュージックの要素を感じさせるエキサイティングな音楽が印象的。　　

私はSobsの大ファンで、Cayenneの楽曲もずっと聴いていたため、今回呼ぶことができて本当に嬉しい。

私がどれだけSobsのtelltale signsをリピートしてたことか...

自身のDIY精神を最大限に活かした楽曲の幅広さから大規模フェスからアンダーグラウンドまで多くのオーディエンスをを熱狂させている彼女のステージは必見です。SATOHのLinnaFigg、今回のイベントにも出演するkimjとコラボしたシングルも3曲今年リリースされているのでそちらも要チェック。

ロックの熱狂からポップの陶酔へ瞬時にギアを切り替えるポップスターでありロックスター！

★Kimj★

韓国からはソングライター/プロデューサー、FaxGangのメンバーとしても活動するkimjがDJとして参加。

2020年以降目まぐるしく進化し拡大してきたhyperpop SoundCloud のコミュニティを代表するGlaiveやEricdoa、SEBii やblackwinterwells ,8485などのアーティストたちの楽曲のプロデュースも手がけ、時代を築いたアーティストのひとりといっても過言ではない存在！

デジコア、ナイトコア、トラップなどハードなエレクトリックサウンドからFax GangとしてはParannoulとも共作EPを出していて、シューゲイズなどのバンドサウンドとも独自のエレクトリックサウンドを変幻自在に融合させるソングライターでありプロデューサー！

私が大好きな音楽の多くのクレジットにはKimjがいる...Kimjがプロデュースしてる楽曲と知らずに長年聴いていた曲もたくさんあって、大好きな海外ドラマeuphoriaのサントラのEricdoaの”sad4whattt”も参加している曲で感動した....

最新リリースEP 「atarashi zainichi」では日本への思いも溢れている。

★safmusic★

オーガニックなギターサウンドを取り入れたトラックメイクでロックをルーツに感じさせながらもデジコアやトラップとの絶妙な距離感と温度感でニュートラルな心地の良さが印象的。

楽曲のムードを表現しつつ��、熱量や感情が溢れ出し、よりパワフルで奥行きのあるライブパフォーマンスには毎回グッとくるものがある。

またオルタナティブな自主メディア<庭 niwa>から　浅井杜人とのユニット「与謝野」としてに1stシングル　「ミヤザワ・ケンジ」をリリースし、ソロ以外でも幅広く活躍し注目を集めている。

★Cruyff★

シューゲイザーやオルタナティブ、現行のダブや実験音楽からの影響を生々しいギターサウンドに落とし込む東京のロック・バンド。

2023年4月にリリースされた1st Album『lovefullstudentnerdthings』で存在が明るみになり、国内外問わず多くの人がCruyffの魅力に引き込まれた。　2024年4月、約9分にも及ぶセルフ・プロデュースの大作Single『Halcyon』のリリースと共にLIVE MIXERとしてDJのarowが加入し現行のロック・バンドという表現形態における新たなる境地を開拓中！

緊張感と緩和と鋭く刺さる衝撃的で爽快な轟き全身で感じる圧倒的なライブパフォーマンスは唯一無二。　生きた音楽を体感しにきてほしい。

[gerogerigaogaigar]

파란노을 (Parannoul) - After The Night

I've been following the anonymous Korean musician known as Parannoul since he released To See The Next Part Of The Dream in 2021. His music blends shoegaze emo and post rock in such a natural way that I now understand how my husband is always getting them mixed up.

After The Night is a live album and holy shit does that format suit Parannoul's sound. The extra haziness and the occasional crowd sounds adds an incredible atmosphere and the lower production is honestly great. The constant alarm clock motif that tends to signal song changes also adds to the dreamlike atmosphere, as if we are meant to be waking up from a dream after each track only to fall back into a new one.

Now if you took just the first seven tracks then you'd be looking at a masterful live album that is a welcome addition to the Parannoul library. But then there's the final track. A 46 minute rendition of Into The Endless Night. I'm already the kind of person to go ham over an extremely long song, but Into The Endless Night still caught me by surprise. It builds and builds, crescendoing like many a post rock track but with the ebb and flow and fuzz of shoegaze. It builds ominously into chaotic fervor and then falls back into a sad delicate lull. There is a segment in the middle where the music drops to barely a murmur and then voices come in expressing their hopes and dreams for the future. It is haunting. This song alone would make for an unbelievable live album. The fact that we get the whole package is amazing. After The Night is probably.what I'm gonna be measuring modern live albums against for the time being.

[genericamentegiuseppe]

Yo - Hopetrain to Universe

La lunga scia di "White Light/White Heat" e "Station to Station" incontra "To See the Next Part of the Dream", un album shoegaze coreano sulla solitudine dei giovani e le pretese di una società che non li rappresenta.

A 11 anni imbraccia la sua prima chitarra, partecipa al live “After the Night” di Parannoul, prende coraggio e rimette mano ad un vecchio progetto, pezzo per pezzo costruisce il suo esordio discografico, tra la nostalgia dei 33 giri e l’urgenza delle questioni sociali dei giovani coreani. “Hopetrain to Universe” suona bene, anche troppo, melodie trascinanti alla Bowie e muri di suono, un disco…

[jukeboxdopaulim]

Jukebox do Paulim - Edição 84

Retornando depois de um hiato de 4 anos. Nessa edição, alguns das minhas músicas preferidas lançadas em 2023. Lucas Santtana - "Errare Humanum Est" ANOHNI - "It Must Change" John Cale - "NOISE OF YOU" Yo La Tengo - "Fallout" The Murder Capital - "A Thousand Lives" Yves Tumor - "Echolalia" Blondshell - "Salad" Wednesday - "Bull Believer" Parannoul - "We Shine at Night" Frederico Heliodoro - "Interestelar" Kelela - "Contact" SG Lewis - "Fever Dreamer (feat. Charlotte Day Wilson & Channel Tres)" Romy - "Enjoy Your Life" Carly Rae Jepsen - "Psychedelic Switch" NewJeans - "ETA" M83 - "Oceans Niagara" Lana Del Rey - "A&W" Liv.e - "Wild Animals" Jonathan Ferr - "Rio Nilo" H. Hawkline - "Milk For Flowers" Caroline Polachek - "Welcome To My Island" dadá Joãozinho - "Cuidado!" Janelle Monáe - "Lipstick Lover" Yaya Bey - "exodus the north star" Corinne Bailey Rae - "He Will Follow You With His Eyes" Filipe Catto - "Joia / Oração da Mãe Menininha"

[sunseekerdeluxe]

Tunesday 21

Also heard this week:

Baroness - First Bully - Lucky for You Fires in the Distance - Air Not Meant for Us Peter Gabriel - “So Much (Dark-Side Mix)” Godthrymm - Dead in the Studio Godthrymm - A Grand Reclamation Gary Hughes - Strength of Heart ISIS - Wavering Radiant The Mars Volta - Tremulant EP Parannoul - After the Magic Project: Roenwolfe - Edge of Saturn Queensrÿche - Queensrÿche EP REO Speedwagon - Arch Allies: Live at Riverport Stray Gods - Storm the Walls

Backlog: 136.

[obsessioncollector]

unfortunately i am in the mood to post spotify links and you will have to tolerate it </3

[deathflagblues]

Parannoul-after the night

This is Parannouls very first live album with 8 tracks and a 46 minute song called into the endless night (even longer than long season (live) from fishmans)

[rainydawgradioblog]

threegoofballsreview: Shoegaze

This week, the three of us are reviewing the Shoegaze genre. Emerging in the 1990s in the alternative rock scenes, shoegaze brought a mix of indie vocals, distorted guitar, and dreamy chords. We chose some of our favorites in the genre, from some modern classics to obscure releases.

Della Zyr - Vitamins and Apprehension

Few other debut albums are as impressive to me as Korean dream pop/shoegaze artist Della Zyr’s 2022 project 비타민과 우려 Vitamins and Apprehension. This album lives within its own hidden world, formed by Zyr’s angelic vocals and atmospheric instrumentation. To me, this world is a cold, foggy beach, with waves crashing against the rocky shore depicted on the album cover. Withdrawing into this world feels like finding a safe haven, accepting all of your sadness and fear and existing with it, and choosing to believe that all things will pass. This melancholic atmosphere makes Vitamins and Apprehension the perfect album for gray and dreary days. 

The album opens with the sound of birds chirping, soon accompanied by a soft piano melody and whooshing guitar strums. On the second track, “Pale Blue Dot (지구 혹은 천국)”, Zyr’s fragile vocals break through the crashing sounds of her guitar as she shares her desire to leave this “pale blue dot” and escape the people who have hurt her. This song is followed by a brief interlude featuring the voice of a man and the sounds of a wind-up toy seemingly taken straight from her childhood memories. 

These glimpses into Zyr’s life and struggles with mental health culminate in the album’s climax, “살고 싶어! (I Want to Live!)”. In this song, she details how love has instilled in her life a new-found hope and strengthened her will to continue fighting. I believe this track is Della Zyr’s magnum opus, a deeply personal expression of how love has forever changed (and saved) her life in the face of trauma and pain. The album closes with the aptly named “나의 미래 (So Please Don’t Leave Me) / 한숨 / To Go Forward Despite the Terror of Living in This World, Clinging to a Tiny Speck of Hope”. This song summarizes the existential themes present throughout the project and leaves the listener with a beautiful final message. I have found much solace in these words and hope the same for you: “So for now, I'll just start with one step forward Just for now, let me be held Until the sun dips below the crashing waves”.Link: https://open.spotify.com/album/3KvDdvikW0qXKnfGYZQtXf

yuragi - Still Dreaming, Still Deafening

Still Dreaming, Still Deafening by Japanese shoegaze band yuragi was my introduction to the genre of shoegaze. While this EP is one of yuragi's lesser-known releases, its unique title and captivating cover art drew me to it before the rest of their discography. The opening track “B/C” is the only instrumental song on the album. It’s composed of repetitive, marching drums and quiet guitar notes. It leads into the next song, “Horizon”, where the drums continue and the guitars build, eventually exploding in sound. This is when the band’s lead vocalist first sings, accompanying the track with ethereal vocals. The album’s all-encompassing instrumentals and soft vocals make it the perfect night-time drive listen.

Link: https://open.spotify.com/album/2C8O06h0WHS1rzDXdLw3qr 

파란노을(Parannoul) - To See the Next Part of the Dream

One of the catalysts of the shoegaze revival of the 2020s is Parannoul’s To See the Next Part of the Dream. Released in 2021, this South Korean shoegaze artist released the album without much buzz, until it gained notoriety through music sites such as RateYourMusic. There is something delightful about this album, whether it is the cover art of a bright summer sky with a pastel smokestack, or the music itself, it blossoms with energy. The intro of the album “아름다운 세상 (Beautiful World)” lets this mellow guitar chords fill the atmosphere with warmth. As this distorted drumming creeps into the track, Parannoul sings about the past and future with uncertainty, setting the theme of the record. “아날로그 센티멘탈리즘 (Analog Sentimentalism)” is one of my favorites from the album. It’s a shorter, more upbeat track with a really interesting synth melody. I also liked the use of ambiance samples to make it feel like an actual performance of the track. “흰천장 (White Ceiling)” is the longest track on the album, a total of 10 minutes. In these 10 minutes, the track really lets you be enveloped in its sound, as each melody flourishes past you. The track really feels like a nostalgic dream as the track starts and ends with an alarm clock sample. The title track “To See the Next Part of the Dream” dials the album back a bit, with a quieter guitar section at the start. This track lets the instrumentals shape the track, with the least amount of lyrics during the hook. “청춘반란 (Youth Rebellion)” is another favorite of mine. It's another upbeat track however it has its moments of brightness with even more distorted drums and a really calm melody in the second half. It almost reminds me of a Midwest emo track you might find. “엑스트라 일대기 (Extra Story)” is the shortest track of the album, but it's one of the most effective. Parannoul sings about the future through aging, at a point of giving up on everything as time passes. It is this track that transitions into the track “Chicken” that makes it emotional. Contrary to these gloomy feelings on “엑스트라 일대기 (Extra Story)”, “Chicken” seems hopeful, as no matter what happens, he hopes to be remembered in some form. I believe that this album will become a staple in this modern shoegaze revival, its bright and nostalgic sound is what really makes this record something beautiful. Each of Parannoul’s albums brings something new, and I’m excited about what he makes next. 

Link: https://parannoul.bandcamp.com/album/to-see-the-next-part-of-the-dream 

Isabel’s Dream - Monomara

As the only album that Isabel’s Dream ever put out, Monomara is quite a quiet release I only found about through a music Discord group online. Released in the year 2000, it combines two different genres: shoegaze and drum & bass. “Blue Morning” is the best example of this fusion together. It opens with an interesting drum loop while these chords start layering onto each other one by one. We do get what is the closest thing to vocals on the album, as someone hums over the track, which really ties the track together. “Telesto” sounds like a title screen to a fighting game, with its wispy quick synth melodies, peppy percussion, and funky bassline. “Aurora” is a track drowsed in a ton of reverb, with these echoey vocals filling the track over some more drum and bass percussion. “It's Better with You” is my second favorite of the album. These string instruments glisten over a slow breakbeat and feel like you are floating in a sea of clouds.  While I'm not too crazy about the last track “Tranquility Base”, it shows the range of what Isabel’s Dream can achieve with all of these ear candy-like sounds. If you are at all interested in either shoegaze or drum and bass, you really should check this album out.  Link: https://open.spotify.com/album/4pYxJbFch0oz6g0hcNazUD

what is your name? - the now now and never

I would say the now now and never by what is your name? is an album infused with that feeling of summer break while you hang out with friends. Released in 2022, the album is an instrumental shoegaze release, however, it makes up for its loss of vocals with really interesting sample manipulation. The opening title track is one of the best introductions I’ve heard to an album, one of my favorite opening tracks for an album. It opens with these beautiful sample chops, as they stutter and glisten over a conversation of what seems like close friends. The track accompanies these samples with these full guitar melodies creating this really glimmery atmosphere. At the climax of the track, we get these saturated electric guitars that really make the track what I would describe as beautiful. After the quick interlude of “3, 2, 1..” we have “heartache st.”. While it achieves its shoegazey approach as the other tracks, its synthy sound ruins my enjoyment of the track. In my opinion, it's the weakest track on the overall record. Luckily, “youthful days” picks it right back up with what seems like lyrics chopped up into a four-count for each measure. It brings even more shiny optimism to the album, each instrument just works together perfectly. “You can’t turn back time” starts off with actual spoken vocals, starting the track off with this slower, melancholic track. The track then switches to this more upbeat drum section before going back to its slower jam session. “Saturday” is this quieter transitional track, a nice break before the finale. “That unrequited feeling” ends the album off with a ton of callbacks to previous tracks, using samples to create a new creation with all of these familiar sounds. It feels as if memories are flooding back to you as you reflect on what you listened to, a great way to end the album (though there is a nice bonus track on the album as well). As someone who is really into sample work, this album is a really unique approach to the genre of shoegaze and has become a personal favorite. 

Link: https://whatisyourname.bandcamp.com/album/the-now-now-and-never