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lordmayokcorner · 2 years ago

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aespa My World - Album Review

-- image: euphoriazine --

After what feels like a lifetime, SM Entertainment’s aespa has finally dropped their new mini album My World. The group released a whopping 4 prereleases, always a red flag in my opinion. That said, I think that this EP has the potential to be a big hit among fans. This is a pretty noticeable departure from their original sound, but I see it as a good thing. Despite my bias being Ningning, we all have to admit that Blonde Karina is a massive slay.

I’ll listen to each song 3 times and rate them afterward. Each song will be rated on a scale of 1-10 with 5 being completely neutral, 1 being my least favorite song, and 10 being the best songs ever. Please take my rating with a grain of salt, my goal is to be honest, no hate :)

Welcome To MY World (feat. nævis) - 8

First off, is that vocaloid I hear? Something similar nonetheless. We start off with a somewhat ominous but sweet guitar riff. When the refrain hits, the bass is incredible and super smooth. Ningning is killing it on the refrain! (or chorus depending on how you see it). As the song progresses, it continuously builds to hit harder and harder, adding drums, strings, more bass, synths, harmonies, backups, and the vocaloid-esque nævis lines. In the verses the autotune is quite excessive, but the chorus sounds more tasteful to me. That said, I still love this song!

Spicy - 9

This song has much more power than the previous. The sound design of the synth bass is seriously impressive and pleasing to the ear. The production is done by Moonshine, an absolute beast in the kpop scene. Peek-A-Boo, Naughty, and Forever 1, just to name a few. The rap in the verse feels like a cross between the Irene rap in Dumb Dumb and Robyn’s Konichiwa B*tches. The chorus slaps. So. Hard. All the pitch sliding in the vocals and synths gives this song a jazzy, danceable feel. There are elements of Illusion, but other than that it’s a new sound for aespa.

Salty & Sweet - 7.5

This song continues the trend of excellent sound design in the bass. The vocal processing is also quite nice. The master is a little quiet compared to the other songs which is a bit disappointing, but if you turn up the volume it’s just fine. This one reminds me a bit of Savage, and both of them aren’t exactly revolutionary, though I do prefer this song. The production is super satisfying, perhaps even more than Spicy, but the songwriting could use some work. A hard-hitting funky track that can be a little boring if you aren’t really focusing on the sounds.

Thirsty - 6

They’re going for a Red Velvet style R&B track here. It’s debatable whether or not they pull it off. I personally don’t think aespa is made for this style, but it does sound pretty good. Once again, heavy autotune that at times is distracting. I don’t think aespa really needs as much autotune as SM gives them! The production is also not quite as exquisite as the previous 3 tracks. I’m a sucker for this style though, being as much of a Reveluv as I am.

I’m Unhappy - 7

Another R&B feel to this song. Aespa is really bringing the groove in this EP, I must say. I love the vocals, particularly in the chorus, my God! Everything besides the chorus doesn’t really stand out to me as much however. The rap parts aren’t that impressive, but that’s not necessarily the goal. The slight vocal fry and growl in the “I’m unhappy” just adds to the aggressively cool sound of the song. I think that Giselle and Karina in particular absolutely nail it. Thumbs up aespa 👍

‘Til We Meet Again - 5

The song begins with some beautiful bells, strings, and soft vocals. The acoustic guitar that enters afterward isn’t exactly for me though. The chorus cements this song as a power ballad. There’s nothing wrong with this song, I just don’t really see anything that notable in it. It’s a decent song, it just happens to be extremely similar to almost every end song ballad in kpop. I feel like there would be better ways to end this album, but this isn’t necessarily a bad way to do it.

Final Thoughts

This must be the 10th time I’ve mentioned groove in this review, but this comeback really embodies the word. I certainly think this is a good direction for aespa. I like their older concepts too, but I think progressing as a group is very important. In my eyes, if they keep reinventing and developing their sound, they possibly have the ability to overtake groups with more defined, static sounds such as Blackpink, who they are often accused of imitating. That however is a whole other debate. I found this album to be generally impressive, particularly on the production side. SM undeniably has the best producers of the big 3, at least from my opinion as an amateur producer and sound designer. I give this album an overall score of 7, with my favorite song being the banger that is Spicy, the title track. Thank you for reading, let me know what your thoughts are on any of this!

- Maya

#album review #aespa #kpop gg #aespa girls #music review #music reaction #new release #kpop album

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ctrl-alt-vibeshift · 1 hour ago

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Owen and Jonah's favorite music released in 2024

Excited and honored to bring on my bestie/DJ partner/roommate/fellow music industry colleague Jonah to help compile a list of our favorite music releases from 2024. Everything is subjective or whatever, so we didn’t rate or rank them, they’re presented in chronological order. Individual contributions are signed with our names, but because our divine taste overlaps a lot, there’s a few where we each had something to say. Enjoy reading and listening!

Allina - Smerz - February 1

Extremely fab, in the truest sense. Smerz wastes no time crafting the glam persona, Allina, an embodied rise of the 2000s sultry diva lifestyle. This album is minimal electro pop at its best, but cut with something more self-aware–a satirical edge. - Jonah

Thief - Threshold - February 8

Thief is on the brink of something catastrophic, but it never quite gets there. The overwhelming sense of loss and confusion that carries this release, is built with lucid piano melodies and droning static synths. It provides a haunting voice to all the places, people, and feelings you never realized you’d left behind. - Jonah

“Coma” - Caroline Polachek - February 14

While Caroline Polachek’s crown may have slipped a bit when Charli xcx dethroned her from the top of my most played artists this year, she cemented her status as one of my favorite artists of all time with “Coma” from the “Everasking Edition” of Desire, I Want To Turn Into You, her sophomore album released last year. The track starts rather meekly with a heart rate monitor beep over some gentle piano progressions before a pang (no pun intended) resuscitates the song to life with some bongos backing up a skittering symphony of Danny L Harle’s genius at work. “Coma” has everything I love about Caroline Polachek: songwriting that takes you on a journey; ethereal, synthy vocal sections bookended by strong, rich instrumentals; lyricism that rivals the greatest of poets; extended moments of pure vocalizing to show off her effortless voice contortion; and of course a life-monitoring electronic beep sample. “If this is a dream, I don’t wanna wake up / It feels so good to me, like I can’t get enough” are my thoughts exactly on this song. - Owen

“D.Y.D (Miru Shinoda, Kento Yamada Remix)” - ExWHYZ - March 20

I love when new music comes to me in the most unexpected places. I discovered this J-pop girl group while riding the train during my 4 months of study abroad in Tokyo last year. Some 30-something otaku guy sitting across from me was clutching one of their albums and the graphic design caught my eye, so I immediately searched their name on Apple Music and uncovered a hidden gem of a discography that seamlessly blends impressive electronic dance production with the typical girly-pop vocals of the J-pop world. This track, from their “variety album” Dress to Kill (essentially a collection of remixes of their discography so far repackaged with a few new singles), strips back “D.Y.D,” from their debut 2022 album xYZ, into a wistful electronic ballad with yearning vocals over a soothing jungle beat complete with vocal chops and a killer acid DNB breakdown during the last 41 seconds that make me want to listen to it on loop. - Owen

“Sugar Bomb” - ME:I - April 17

“Sugar Bomb” is the B-side of the 2-track debut EP “MIRAI” from J-pop girl group “ME:I,” which was formed via the Japanese edition of notorious K-pop survival show “Produce 101.” The track continues the UK dance music resurgence in Asian pop brought about by Pinkpantheress and popularized by NewJeans with a sugary 2-step garage beat (I think? don’t clock me for using the wrong genre nomenclature this shit confusing) mixed with what has to have been rejected MarioKart soundtrack loops because the similarity is uncanny, albeit a large part of the reason why this song gives me such a serotonin rush. The bass also reminds me of “Cool With You” by NewJeans, but I’m not even going to try to place whatever genre it pulls from. Great use of “Slay, it so lit” in the lyrics which for some reason transcribe “lit” as “L.I.T.”? This song is so “Bomb” that it was my 2nd most played of the year, behind only “Rewind” by Kelela. - Owen

Your Day Will Come - Chanel Beads - April 19

A huge win for nostalgia and the hypnagogic pop revival. Shane Lavers’ voice is somehow reminiscent of my middle school inner monologue, but more confident and vengeful with curiosity. It’s dramatic and innocent and entirely strange. - Jonah

This album is what traipsing through a mid-forest meadow with a thunderstorm on the horizon feels like. You can see it coming and know you should head back soon but something you can’t quite put your finger on is pulling you along and at least you’re dry for now. The plucky, mournful “Urn” is my fav, the kind of song you play to drown out your tears while laying flowers on a friend’s grave. - Owen

Basspunk - Bassvictim - April 22

What an incredible debut. No other album this year has felt so alive and viscerally playful (headbangers to the front). EDM is back, baby and I can’t help but want to jump around. This album drives full speed through some of the most mind boggling drops of all time and it does so with such ease. Basspunk’s melodies are indescribable–I’m still trying to parse through all of the complexities, but who cares anyway? Bassvictim doesn’t give a fuck and neither should you. - Jonah

I was a victim of the bass. 2 and a half times this year to be exact - twice live and once via a DJ set. This album is what we need in electronic music right now. Finally something that isn’t trying to recreate but is reusing and remixing and smashing everything together and just having fucking fun! “As Long As” is def my fav, the cunty Polish lyrics over this fatttt beat make me wanna blast it while riding dirty with the windows down. “I Like It” perfectly sonifies what it feels like being pulled and pushed along with the ebb and flow of a mosh pit. Other standouts are the catchy “L-On-D-On,” an ode to the city the duo is based, and the honky-tonk “Canary Wharf drift” remix. - Owen

Kill Everyone Now - Pharmacist - April 26

This is definitely a deeper cut, but if you are at all a fan of witch house you need to pay attention. The sophomore album of Chicago-based artist, Pharmacist (not to be confused with the drift phonk king), was released by the experimental label Yearning. In line with the short tradition of witch house, Kill Everyone Now finds its voice through the distortion of pop culture reference—in this case, the project seeds from John Water’s iconic film, Pink Flamingo, starring the legendary Divine. This album is full of all your classic elements: rotting synths, glitchy drums, chopped up vocals, and the occasional shriek, but Kill Everyone Now is more thoughtful than its predecessors. It takes on a new life in spite of its desolation–bringing out a softer side to filth. - Jonah

40 - Jawnino - May 3

Who is Jawnino? The faceless, UK rapper holds us close to him while he sheds light on love and pain in his debut release, 40. This album has such an interesting range: airy piano ballads, true grime, shimmering melodies, all strung together by fat ass basslines. I highly recommend listening to this through your headphones, preferably near the water, on a long walk away from all your haters. - Jonah

“Lucifer” - A.G. Cook - May 10

A.G. Cook. Charli xcx. Addison Rae. Need I say more? The Holy Trinity of the new electronic pop avant garde. I could write essays about each of them–Charli I already have–but wow do I need an entire album from the three of them. This is magic. So chill, so self-assured, so understated, so effervescent. “All these people think they know the things they don’t” oh Charli don’t end us like that… Neeeed to eat ice cream and watch TV with Addison, she’s already living in my head rent free. Dare I say this is the best song Charli & Addison touched this year. - Owen

“How Sweet” - NewJeans - May 24

No one has had more of an insane year than NewJeans has. I won’t even get into it now–I’ll probably write a blog post about both their and LOONA’s respective legal battles and how it speaks to the tension between creatives and business executives within the music industry at some point–but for now #FREENEWJEANS!!! Anyway, NewJeans continue to raise the bar for us all with “How Sweet,” the title track from their double Korean single, 1 of only 4 songs they put out this year :( This song kinda sounds like if “Ditto” and “Super Shy” had a baby. It’s been described as “Miami bass electroclash,” and in my words it’s one of their best songs to date. Like ouuuu I wish I had an ex that I could sing “Wow, don’t you know how sweet it tastes / Now that I’m without you” to with this much nonchalant swagger. Also “Done scrolling thousand times” is a strong contender for my favorite lyric of the year. NewJeans, I don’t know what you’ll be called next year, but please keep feeding us these bops. - Owen

Rockstars - Spresso - May 27

I usually get overwhelmingly bored by repetitive guitar loops, but for some reason Mica Levi and Alpha Maid have me hypnotized. This EP is really quite short, but what it lacks in time, it makes up for with an immense amount of coolness. I honestly have no idea what this EP is trying to say, but I’m begging for more. - Jonah

This but More - Priori - May 30

I unfortunately didn’t discover this one until a few weeks ago, but it was so good that I was googling if I could buy a vinyl of it before I was even done with my first listen. This atmospheric album is a rich collection of ambient and electronic sounds constructed into surprising arrangements, at times evoking an epic sci-fi movie soundtrack, lost transmissions from another dimension, and what you’d wanna hear dancing deep within the forest fog as the sun rises. I want to dissolve completely into it, becoming one with the sounds as I hear them, abandoning any boundaries between my body and their vibrations. My fav tracks are “Thick Air,” which sounds like techno but acoustic, and “Wake (feat. James K),” which is the most (relatively) “normal” song but is elevated by the breathtaking vocals of James K, another standout new artist I found this year, whose voice fades in and out of the ambient, blanketing DNB instrumental. But honestly, this is one of those albums where you need to listen to it in full from front to back in order to best experience it. - Owen

Rocky Top Ballads - Fine - June 7

OK this is my actual favorite album of the year. Fine came swinging out of nowhere with drums like molasses and dreamy acoustic guitar riffs. Rocky Top Ballads feels like the older sister to a long lost Mazzy Star album: delicately vague, ghostly, and so deeply romantic. She has the voice of an angel and she knows it, carrying us through her narrative veil of winding love. Fine’s lyrics are brimming with a cool tone of infatuation, insecurity, and hesitation, all bound in personal mythology. It’s at times folky, grungy, cinematically rich, and still somehow stripped back. Although technically Danish, Fine dishes out an instant American classic. - Jonah

Boy - 2hollis - June 7

Now THIS is an ALBUM!!! I loveee cohesive bodies of work with structure and flow and seamless track transitions that are still diverse in sound and style. This is giving me hope for the next generation of musicians, maybe the art of the album is not all lost. 2hollis is the best figure to emerge from the ashes of the slow, drawn-out and heavily debated death of whatever the fuck “hyperpop” rap was. This is like if Drain Gang were to make an “indie sleaze” album. But also it’s not like that because it is so refreshing and original and meandering that it’s hard for me to place it within a genre and those are always my favorite bodies of work. 2hollis cooked up a tracklist full of insane electronic bangers, that seamlessly blend elements of EDM, garage, hyperpop, dubstep, rage rap, and more. My favs are the ecstatic “light,” which for some reason reminds me of how i’m feeling now era Charli xcx; the bouncy, 8-bit bop “two bad”; the chompy trap-donk of “lie”; and the purely instrumental “3,” which goes bat shit crazy and deserves to be blasted on blown out speakers in a Chinatown basement. - Owen

Furever - fakemink - June 10

SWAG SWAG SWAG SWAG SWAG. fakemink is my favorite British rapper and he should be yours too. Furever is an EP full of soothing drum loops and dreamy synths, over which fakemink bares his simple truths. He's above it all. He’s smoking real gas (that he paid for) and he’s weeding through the bullshit. It’s the spontaneity of his lyricism I think I find most attractive, but also I’m just madly in love with him. - Jonah

Brat and it’s the same but there’s three more songs so it’s not - Charli xcx - June 10

I’m not even gonna hype up the cultural impact of this album because that’s been talked about enough. While this isn’t my fav or her best album (Pop 2 still going strong), the deluxe version of Brat is the best of its 3 versions, mainly due to “Spring Breakers” which has the best piano section and sample in any song I’ve heard this year. “Guess” without Billie Eilish in your ear is actually good! And justice for “Hello Goodbye,” Charli is so damn good at making unrequited love sad bops for those of us who are too shy to make the first move #representation… Oh and of course, my OG Brat tracklist favs are the orchestrally bombastic “Everything is romantic,” the irresistibly swathy “B2b” (I really don’t get the hate train around this one), the Imogen Heap-esque “I think about it all the time” and the balls to the wall banger “365.” - Owen

“CRAZY” - LE SSERAFIM - August 30

Oh LE SSERAFIM. Thank you, thank you, thank you for finally finding a group identity, getting better creative direction, and latching onto the success of last year’s Jersey Club anthem “Eve, Psyche & the Bluebeard’s wife” that outsold the title track from that era. “CRAZY,” the title track from their EP of the same name, is honestly my favorite K-pop song released this year. It’s a crazy blend of drift phonk and cunty gay club/ballroom music that even the girls themselves vogue the boots house down to or whatever. Sakura duck walking while proclaiming “I’m an otaku bestie”... GAG! All the girls were truly girling this year. - Owen

Toxe2 - Toxe - August 30

What a truly unique release from the label gods over at Year0001. This album is so jubilant and bursting with lush pop melodies. It really is buzzing and fluttering and all the words you might use to describe a small swarm of flying insects. Epic drums echo under the crispiest vocal mantras (I don’t speak Swedish so the lyrical themes could be way off, but I sort of like my lack of understanding). I don’t know if I should be welcoming Toxe with open arms or running in the opposite direction. Either way, this album was really surprising and I’ve found myself returning again and again for sonic inspiration. - Jonah

“EQetamine” - EQ, Estratosfera, Qiri, MAJA & OKTE - September 11

(CTFU I did not realize they released this on 9/11. This is my 9/11, in the sense that releases this year will now be measured in BEQ and AEQ.) EQ, a new Buenos Aires based super duo comprised of artists Estratosfera and Qiri, caught my eye when their Koss-Porta-Pro-ified stock image photoshoot for debut single “Boytoy” went viral earlier this year, and they proved they could keep the hype going with this banger of a track. While this song relies heavily on the much played out “indie sleaze” electroclash frayed synths–which I like to call “electric arc” but more on that soon maybe–EQ somehow manages to make them sound as fresh and as hard as ever, mashing it up with some wubbing bassline and IDGAF lyric delivery. No literally, one of the lyrics is “I-D-G-A-F, I don’t give a fuck,” like yes please more songs using internet acronyms, come on Bella Thorne “TTYLXOX”! On the edge of my seat for a full length project from these two, gonna be my ones to watch for 2025. - Owen

“Eusexua” - FKA twigs - September 13

This one holds a special place in my heart (IYKYK) but all bias aside, this is genuinely one of the best songs I have ever heard. Such a beautiful, emotional, atmospheric, ethereal, awe-inspiring epic journey of a song. I can’t even begin to describe how this makes me feel, but maybe I don’t have to because twigs already put the perfect word to it: Eusexua! “Do you feel alone? / You’re not alone” and “People always told me that I take my love too far / Then refuse to help me” bring a tear to my eye every time. Eartheater’s backing vocals send a chill down my spine. The buildup makes me feel like I’m ascending to an alternate dimension. This is the perfect song for crying in the club. Also, the MV for this track is def my fav of the year, and includes another album track “Drums of Death,” which I went back and forth on whether I should highlight that one or “Eusexua” in this list about a million times because that’s how good they each are in their own right. I already have a strong feeling EUSEXUA the album will be at the top of my list of fav albums next year ;) - Owen

my anti-aircraft friend - julie - September 13

Another one close to my heart, the three-piece band julie serves up a beautifully raw collection of rock tracks as explosive as the guitar drawing on the cover. This sound isn’t my forte, so I won’t even try to describe it, and I know they hate genre labels anyway. But what I can describe is the strange comfort I find in letting the loud walls of sound they build up and break down at the flip of a coin wash over me while listening to this masterpiece. My favs are the disinterested “catalogue,” that makes not feeling sexy into the sexiest song ever; the not at all muted, calm, or malaise “very little effort”; the at first stripped back “knob” which hits you full force with a flooring beat drop (can you say that in rock?); the clangy, defiling “feminine adornments”; and “stuck in a car with angels” which became one of my favs after experiencing it live, as this whole album should be! - Owen

Café Life - Starcleaner Reunion - September 20

So yes this does sound extremely similar to Stereolab, but is anyone actually complaining? Starcleaner Reunion’s Café Life is bouncy and hopeful underneath all its blasé attitude. It’s a light dip into a glowing green pool–a perfect thing to enjoy with breakfast. - Jonah

Pretty Little Problem - iKeda - October 16

I almost missed this one, but thank fuck I didn’t cause WOW. Who knew bassline could be so fun and girly! But seriously I wanna dance with iKeda. She looks amazing and this production is diabolical (Tailtiu is an actual genius). - Jonah

Now thisss is actually Y2K. Not that I would know since I was -1 when that era began, but nothing is so trash luxe as this is. “Rapunzel” lowkey outdid Pinkpantheress at her own game. The glittery club jam “Luv drunk” is my fav, the kind of song you want to jump around the dance floor to like no one else is watching. Thank god SoundCloud legend Tailtiu got in the studio and was given a proper release, she carries this production. And maybe Babymorocco should take the back seat more often, because this songwriting kinda tops anything he’s put out on his own. - Owen

Perfectly Blue - RIP Swirl - October 17

This one is for the moody music listeners. Berlin based artist, RIP Swirl, gives us a hazier, more shoegaze / trip hop / downtempo inclined project than his first album, Blurry. Perfectly Blue is full of atmosphere and haunting choruses, not to mention some of the best vocal features this year. It’s altogether gloomy and mellow, while still maintaining an easy-going, poppy, electronic flow. - Jonah

“Aquamarine” - Addison Rae - October 25

Try Not To Say Mother Challenge (IMPOSSIBLE EDITION). Addison, I knew from the second that you liked my tweet about your music taste while I was standing in my hometown Target with the bestie that you were destined for artistic greatness. From the moment she dropped that mysterious teaser of this track’s instrumental over a video of her walking effortlessly underwater, I knew it was going to be a hit. Honorable mention for “Diet Pepsi” which she released first after that teaser, but certainly kept us well fed during the wait. This is like Azealia Banks meets Madonna meets A.G. Cook. Give me moooorrreeooooreeeooooreeeooooreeeoorrrreee ASAP pleek! - Owen

Going Nowhere - Quiet Light - October 25

I have a real soft spot for this one. Quiet Light is the project of Riya Mahesh, a Texas-born, Boston-based, medical student, who is a self-described “normal girl.” Her newest album is centered around young love, loneliness, and vulnerability. It’s full of intimate ambient moments, orchestrated into grandiosity. Soulfully layered vocals and operatic string synths take turns, effortlessly flowing in and out of the spotlight. Going Nowhere is tender and brutally honest, and Riya’s songwriting harkens back to my earliest feelings of budding crushes and the unfortunate shattering of expectation. She sings from her heart, reaching deep into my own and tugging so calmly, like a small child–tiny, mighty, and tear-jerking. - Jonah

LL - The Hellp - October 25

Another really great cohesive body of work that proves The Hellp transcend the “indie sleaze” label they’re always boxed in to and will be here long after it dies (if it hasn’t already). I think this has my fav opening song of the year, “U,” boy am I a sucker for piano used in electronic songs. This album is more hyperpoppy (not to use another tired label) than their previous grungier releases, but this is a shift I’m fully here for. The new sound is best embodied by the immaculate track “Stunn,” which I would’ve listed on here solo as one of my fav songs if the whole album wasn’t also as good. It starts with a wash of sugary synths cut up by a pitched up sample before a SOPHIE-esque metallic clang joins the mix overtop of Noah Dillon’s eager vocals. All that before completely switching gears halfway through and beautifully dissolving into a soft, swirling ambient fade out with more piano (!!!). My other fav is “Halo,” another track that expertly builds up and evolves throughout, accentuated by an ingenious sample of a default iPhone ringtone. P.S. they should’ve named “9_21” 9_20 because that’s my birthday… - Owen

Big Smile, Black Mire - urika’s bedroom - November 1

Yearning is the best way to describe Tchad Cousins’ absolutely majestic voice. Big Smile, Black Mire is his breakout project (aside from producing all the incredible untitled(halo) songs we all know and love). The release rests on a bed of glitching melodies, crunchy sparks, and eerie samples that give apocalypse aura. I can’t help but think of Panchiko’s D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L everytime I turn this on, but thankfully urika’s bedroom is free from all the insufferable incel co-opting (I’m looking at all you Rate Your Music users). Big Smile, Black Mire feels uncanny and dystopian, but still largely familiar. It’s grunge rock through a broken channel, the residue from a rusty copper wire. - Jonah

“Viola” - Yves - November 14

In case you live under a rock and somehow still haven’t heard the phrase “stan LOONA,” Yves is one of 12 original LOONA members that all dissolved and regrouped into 2 groups of 5 and 2 soloists (the other being legend CHUU) after a historic, successful legal battle to end their contracts with BlockBerry Creative, their notorious K-pop company. And thank GOD she is free, because wow this is some of the best music coming out of Korea right now. I don’t even wanna call it K-pop because this is so much more than that. I didn’t think she could top “LOOP,” her debut solo title track released in May, but she proved me wrong with “Viola,” a punchy electronic song with some insane layering going on in the production, I don’t even know how to describe these sounds but I love them so much. They sound like what I think taking a blowtorch to your computer screen and melting pixels would sound like if that was possible (?). Also shoutout to the MV, which is my fav Korean MV this year, soooo Polachekian. And Yves, if you’re reading this, I know you “just need some space” but PLEASE come to Bushwick we neeeed to ki down mama. You would love it here… - Owen

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learnhowtocreatemusic · 17 days ago

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How to Create Ambient Pads and Atmospheres: Sound Design Techniques for Lush Soundscapes

Ambient pads and atmospheres are essential in creating expansive, lush soundscapes in music production. Whether you’re producing ambient, cinematic, or even electronic genres, these elements add depth, mood, and texture to your tracks. Crafting the perfect pad or atmospheric sound requires a blend of sound design techniques, creativity, and an understanding of the tools at your disposal. In this post, we'll dive into the key techniques to create immersive pads and atmospheres for your productions.

1. **Choosing the Right Synth or Sound Source**

The foundation of any great pad or atmospheric sound starts with the sound source. Most digital audio workstations (DAWs) come with built-in synths, but there are also many third-party synths designed for ambient sounds. Here are a few popular options:

- **Serum:** A versatile wavetable synthesizer that allows for rich, evolving sounds.

- **Omnisphere:** Known for its extensive library of atmospheric sounds and complex textures.

- **Massive X:** Great for designing deep, expansive pads with intuitive controls.

- **Absynth:** Excellent for creating evolving pads and otherworldly textures.

While these synths are ideal, you can also experiment with recorded samples of nature, instruments, or vocal pads, then manipulate them into atmospheric sounds using effects and processing.

2. **Oscillator Selection and Tuning**

Once you have a synth, your next step is selecting the oscillators that will form the basis of your pad or atmosphere. Pads typically use multiple oscillators layered together to create a rich, thick sound. Here’s how to get started:

- **Use Sine or Saw Waves:** For smooth, flowing pads, start with sine waves. For a richer, brighter sound, saw waves are a good choice.

- **Detune Oscillators:** Detuning one or more oscillators slightly from the fundamental pitch creates a subtle chorusing effect, adding depth and movement to the sound.

- **Layer Oscillators:** Combine different waveforms (e.g., sine, saw, or triangle) or even mix in different octaves to create more complex, lush textures.

3. **Applying Envelopes for Smooth Transitions**

To achieve the characteristic soft attack and long release of ambient pads, it’s essential to shape your sound using the amplitude envelope. This determines how the sound evolves over time.

- **Slow Attack:** Increase the attack time to let the sound fade in slowly, giving it a smooth, evolving quality.

- **Long Release:** Set a long release time so the pad fades out gradually after the note is released, creating a continuous and flowing soundscape.

- **Sustain and Decay:** Keep the sustain level high, as pads are typically designed to hold their intensity over time without decaying too quickly.

4. **Filter Movement and Modulation**

Filter modulation plays a crucial role in adding movement to your pad or atmosphere, preventing it from sounding static or monotonous. By using filter envelopes and LFOs (Low-Frequency Oscillators), you can create evolving sounds that change subtly over time.

- **Low-Pass Filter:** Apply a low-pass filter to remove high frequencies and create a warmer, more atmospheric sound. Automate the filter cutoff to slowly open and close over time, adding movement.

- **LFO Modulation:** Assign an LFO to modulate the filter cutoff, panning, or pitch. Slow LFO rates (e.g., 0.1 to 0.3 Hz) are ideal for gradual, evolving changes that make your pad feel alive.

5. **Using Reverb and Delay to Enhance Space**

Reverb and delay are your best friends when it comes to creating lush, spacious atmospheres. They help push sounds into the background, making them feel like they’re floating in space.

- **Reverb:** Use a large hall or plate reverb to create a sense of depth and space. Experiment with the decay time and wet/dry balance to achieve the desired atmosphere. Long decay times work well for creating expansive soundscapes.

- **Delay:** Add a subtle delay to give the pad a sense of echo and distance. Stereo delay can also help widen the sound, making it feel more immersive. You can sync the delay to the tempo of your track for rhythmic patterns or use unsynced delays for a more organic feel.

6. **Layering Sounds for Complexity**

One of the best ways to achieve complex, evolving soundscapes is through layering. By combining multiple pads, textures, or sound sources, you can create a richer and more dynamic sonic experience.

- **Blend Different Textures:** Combine smooth, tonal pads with noisier, more textured elements to create contrast. For example, layer a lush synth pad with a field recording of wind or distant noise.

- **Octave Layers:** Add another layer of the same pad sound but pitched up or down an octave to increase the harmonic complexity and give your sound more depth.

7. **Automation and Evolving Soundscapes**

To make your pads and atmospheres more engaging, consider automating various parameters over time. Automation allows your sound to evolve naturally and helps maintain listener interest.

- **Filter Automation:** Slowly automate the filter cutoff to open or close throughout the track, adding tension and release.

- **Reverb and Delay Automation:** Gradually increase the reverb size or delay feedback to give the sense that the pad is expanding or contracting over time.

- **Volume Automation:** Fade your pads in and out subtly to create swells that move with the dynamics of the song.

8. **Using Granular Synthesis for Unique Textures**

Granular synthesis is a powerful technique for creating highly textured and evolving pads. It works by taking small "grains" of sound from a sample and manipulating them in various ways. This can lead to some truly otherworldly atmospheres.

- **Start with a Sample:** Load a vocal, instrument, or field recording into a granular synth, then experiment with grain size, pitch, and density to create new textures.

- **Stretch and Warp:** Granular synthesis excels at time-stretching, allowing you to take a short sound and stretch it out into a long, ambient pad.

Final Thoughts

Creating ambient pads and atmospheres is both an art and a science, requiring a balance between sound design techniques and creative expression. By layering sounds, applying modulation, and using effects like reverb and delay, you can build expansive soundscapes that transport listeners into another world. Whether you’re crafting music for film, ambient projects, or adding texture to electronic tracks, these techniques will help you design lush, immersive pads and atmospheres that elevate your music to the next level.

So, fire up your synths, experiment with these techniques, and let your imagination guide you in creating soundscapes that captivate and inspire.

#AmbientPads #SoundDesign #LushSoundscapes #AtmosphericMusic #MusicProduction #SoundEngineering #CreativeSound #AudioTechniques #ElectronicMusic #MusicComposition

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solarsonicsoda · 5 months ago

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Rating 500+ Theme Tunes - #10: Ben 10

We have our first ongoing franchise, and I don't know how exactly this will be formatted as I write this, but for now at least I’ll be going back-to-back with these shows! It’s Ben 10! These shows follow 10-year-old Ben Tennyson (which is a name choice I just have to respect) who ended up the bearer of the Omnitrix. This device allows him to transform into 10 (but later more) alien races to defend Earth and the universe. The theme here is 10.

If you aren't familiar at all with Ben 10, I have to seriously question you somewhat. This franchise was one of the biggest success stories of late 2000s cartoons and firmly placed itself as the number one action show in the medium. It was an old formula done new: one half classic 80s toys-to-TV strategy, one half 2000s attitude with a well-developed world and continuous plotline. The Ben 10 universe had real development and depth to it that definitely justifies the various aliens and their respective merchandise opportunities. So naturally, it just makes sense that it became the juggernaut that it did.

Firstly, there was the original 2005 show. Ben, his cousin Gwen, and Grandpa Max (who is voiced by the Colonel from Metal Gear!) are on a summer holiday road trip when Ben first gets the Omnitrix stuck upon his wrist with secrets that it hid. The show hits a strong balance between being episodic and having an ongoing story, with some of the most intriguing reveals, secrets, and questions of its time. It was definitely ahead of its time in this way, and lays some foundations for shows like Gravity Falls. Man of Action also brings their brand of fight choreography brilliantly with animation and designs that stands out, and fun writing too. It can be a bit (extremely) infuriating how Ben’s lessons never truly sink in beyond an episode’s end due to the nature of the show, but if nothing else it's accurate?

As you may be able to tell, I love this show. I think I saw every single episode as a kid, supported by the awesome box set I had. It was a big box with decals resembling the Omnitrix, with the screen being holographic and showing various aliens from different angles. Then the spines of the 10 DVDs lined up to show a design of all the aliens in that cool highly-detailed style. It was the shit. But as you can see, this is a sentimental favourite of mine. It rules so much and I just think the whole show has an awesome aura created by the world, writing, animation, and action. Also like, the end of Season 1 following all the build-up will always be famous to me. Brilliant stuff. Let's get to the theme.

Ben 10 Theme Song

C’mon. Like, come on. It's the original Ben 10 theme. We all know it is one of the greatest pieces of music ever put to paper, what do you want me to say? In all seriousness though, you can't really argue against this one for my money. To start, there's that sci-fi, mysterious sorta sound which I’m always a sucker for, setting the perfect otherworldly tone, before the more familiar, more modern beat comes in. It's a great combo as it goes on with the alien synths coming in harshly with a nice rhythm. The odd vocals lay down some of the greatest bars known to man and I just love the way it sounds. There's a lot of development across this short tune too, which I always love to see, as we move into a more sung segment which still carries a nice flow. The whole thing just perfectly embodies the show, and I mean perfectly. It really sums up the show really well in my opinion, which is a perfect thing with an intro.

I feel like with this one, it is dazzlingly obvious what I’ll give it, and if you watched this show I know you’ll agree. Plus this is a very widely loved tune amongst my age demo. This is an easy easy easy S.

Stay tuned for more and be sure to send in any suggestions for other shows you'd like to see done (after the 500 already in the pipeline that is). Check out the intro to this series here, and check out the tier list.

#rating theme tunes #ben 10 #classic ben 10 #ben 10 2005 #theme tunes #cartoon network #2000s tv #2000s nostalgia #2000s cartoon network #2000s cartoons #cartoons

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pika2482 · 11 months ago

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AOTD 2/8/2024 - Good Faith (Madeon)

[All albums are rates subjectively based off my own enjoyment] 8.5/10

This album is about as solid as a California Redwood. From it's deepest roots, it's thick, firm, and tall trunk, all the way up to it's finest branches, this album delivers on everything it's got with absolutely no faltering. From the Compositions, the Production, the Sound Design, the Performances, and just those little tweaks that just pull the listeners ear in a liiiiitle bit more, no song was ever More or Less than Madeon designed it to be. No frills, no points, no pillows, look at it it looks like 4 synths and a kit (reference). This is, by my definition, a Near Perfect Album.

So, why only an 8.5?

Well, welcome to my album thread. If you missed the disclaimer at the top of all my reviews, it reads "All albums are rated Subjectively based off my own enjoyment". While I could fully appreciate, and at times get into this album, due to the nature of my tastes, I was unable to get into it as much as I would have liked. I had the same problem with the last electronic album, Random Access Memories, and I have it again here. For Me specifically, there's just not enough "Physicality" for me to get hooked in; The sweat droplets on the snare, the dead skin between the guitar strings and pickups, the smell of beer on the microphone, and the blood on keyboard, it's that type of Rigidness and Realness that my ears need to latch onto to get my heart thumping, and that just wasn't there for me in this album, nor is it for most electronic music I've heard. This is a fundamental problem for my enjoyment of the genre, that unfortunately, I am not past at this point in my life.

On the topic of Realness, my favorite of this album is Heavy with Hoping, sporting a One-Take Recording for the Lead Vocals. The vibrato and inflections in his voice were high tier not just for the genre, but for my music library as a whole. The percussion is minimalist, only doing exactly what it needs to do to keep the pulse going, and the Production and Sound Design was mwa, as the rest of the album was; never once more than it needed to be. My favorite moment in the album happened here as well: Toward the second half, the vocals start to increase in intensity, showcasing their Barritone fantastically, when all of the sudden the instrumentals just… drop out for a second as he launches up to grab a belted Gb4 right as the instrumentals come back in with a crash. Even with my fundamental distaste to Electronic, I may end up coming back to this song to start my shuffles off.

Overall, this album was Solid all the way through. Absolutely no duds. To my more Electronic inclined friends, this album is going to earn a Mainstay Recommendation. But otherwise, all I could do was appreciate Madeons technical prowless in composition, sound design, and production.

Favorite Songs: Nirvana, No Fear No More, Heavy with Hoping Least Favorite Songs: N/A

Dream Dream Dream - 8.5/10 All My Friends - 8.5/10 Be Fine - 8/10 Nirvana - 9/10 Mania - 8/10 Miracle - 8.5/10 No Fear No More - 9/10 Hold Me Just Because - 9/10 Heavy With Hoping - 9/10 Borealis - 9/10

#album of the day #song review #album review #Madeon #Good Faith

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vitaminwaterreviews · 1 year ago

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PIXY - Chosen Karma

Well, it’s just five songs, and I’m good enough at math to tell you that my average rating was 8.2 without having to actually check. And 8.2 feels about right. EP’s are weird to judge because the average quality of songs is higher, since there are less songs overall. EP’s don’t have filler, or if they do, it’s only one or two songs, which kind of makes them not even filler at that point.

Abstract album theory aside: what a nice little experience!! I feel like if you’d never heard Karma, this would be a really cool experience listening from start to finish – I kind of wish I’d heard the two parts first before I heard Karma. Regardless, it was such a cute and fun album, the harmonies were beautiful, the production was excellent, and I don’t really know what else to say except … stan Pixy haha

- I’ve kind of been getting into Pixy lately, I’ve downloaded a few of their songs. The only one off of this album that I know is Karma, and I’m starting here specifically because I wanna hear the songs that it’s built from.

Hide & Seek

Okay, this is definitely the intro of Karma

Lol I love the “this is Pixyyyyy” it’s so fun

So if we get the first verse from this song, then what’s the chorus of this song?

Ohhh this is the “run run if you can” song okay, that’s great

Oh wait, the second verse is Also this song? So maybe just the chorus part is Flip a Coin then?

The chorus here though is fairly unique

So is the bridge and rap section

Oh wow the whole outro of Karma is from here?

Okay yeah, that felt like Most of Karma, like the only part of Karma that wasn’t from that song is the first two choruses?

8/10

Flip a coin

Yep, this intro is new

Don’t recognize the verse so far either

Very trap

Oh my god what beautiful autotune

Yep, and here’s the chorus

The sound design here is SO good, the vocals and the bass are just UGH

Did they just say ‘fuck you’?

No, they said ‘found you’ haha

Oh wow this outro is Intense

8/10

Karma

I have watched this music video like 15 times over the past two days

9/10, I don’t think it’s quite a 10 for me yet but oh my god I love it

Falling

Four songs in and we finally get to a song I don’t know

Mkay, I’m liking the intro so far, really neat synths

Pretty pretty voices

Oh my god that other voice

This feels kind of 80’s actually, with the synths

This group just refuses to sing without gorgeous harmonies

8/10

Whisper

Oh woah we’re all upbeat?

Yeah this is Nice wtf

Even when they rap there’s harmonies in the backgroundddd

8/10, not much to say, really solid ending to the album

#album #kpop #PIXY

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hospitalterrorizer · 1 year ago

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diary101

12/22-23/2023

friday - saturday

waiting for ableton to open

now i'm waiting for it to close because i worked on that one song again. i think the right channel and drums are perfect now, we'll see about bass but i think i've got that right as well, left channel guitar might need some work, and the vocals could be a little louder. overall though i'm really happy with it right now, which restores some confidence in getting the more hardcore songs a lot closer to "right".

i've also done some reading while waiting for stuff to happen.

i think the first runs counter to my read that the young girl doesn't actually necessitate a cult of wellness but i think another quotation i have here offers a way through that. i think it's interesting the role wellness culture plays of course but i also think that it obviously changes and permeates all things in strange ways. it escapes more overt body fascism and becomes a surface-level (greater than it already was) force, you can see this re: the way body positive models are done up in the same ways, same kind of 'youthful' makeup, dewy skin, it's an aesthetic system one must submit to. this explains then why so many people are actually very messy in their personal lives/have horrific rooms, the wellness stops somewhere and that is part of the design/what wellness is conceived as, the failure to take care of oneself in certain ways gets absorbed into wellness, at this current stage, as self care. this only matters to me really because thinking re: the young-boy stuff, they are still within this framework, it really does not escape this analysis or justify its own separation/the way it creates the young girl as a category. i think the most interesting quote is the last one though, about the body being desired as an abstraction, to not have to contend with it 'actually,' this maybe gets at an interesting critique you could do of this, at the same rate though this is an impossible to ignore reality, to turn the body into the image of what you've seen before. but this is something we are all guilty of. it still feels impossible to me say that people being able to transform their bodies in some self-directed way isn't empowering. it is however only when that collides with full awareness of the body, i think. when you cannot escape the fact of its abjection and so on, and that you are 'lowered' to the level of the body, lowered being used as the issue raised by tiqqun is one of wanting to escape embodiment, and instead replace that issue with one of being something which had existed, and had already been agreed upon by hungry eyes.

this is the quote that made me think that wellness as the totalizing cult in the book is argued against by itself, as this methodology spreads to all people, and they are all made to submit to/made to feel they may submit when in actuality there is no choice (but the illusion is profound).

and i think these ones mostly correlate to the above. tonight feels very focused in that way i guess, in what i'm absorbing/analyzing from the work.

i just read an interview with the hellp. very funny, i like how like, pointedly they're trying to be better than everybody, that's part of the imagine/pose/spectacle they want to conjure, the interviews are total mythmaking, so classically rockstar-y. another fun thing is the idea that they could change everything by being on jimmy kimmel. they want to save the world with art. it's admirable maybe half-way. or maybe a lot, the pretension is a little exciting. i think their point re: no one making electronic music like them rn is interesting. they are absolutely amazing live, that's undeniable, but lots of people have been making synth punk, basically, roughly, their rise is because noah is at least pretty well connected, his role as like, a photographer that's like, actually changed things / created a trend, gives him a lot of cache in certain places. i do think soundcloud people are certainly moving towards more rock-y sounds. it bites as someone that's been trying to fuck w/ that always but whatever, i've also always been trying at more annoying things than what they do. half the stuff i was doing while forming my abilities can probably be described as "nonmusic" in ways.

it's also funny how aware they are about what being successful really entails, "800 kids could make better music than us. but it's not cool because it doesn't come from us." which is apt basically. they have cache/appearance/are able to appear outside enough to work their way back in. i love them, because i think they know how stupid that is, and they also want people to become cool. what becoming cool means seems to be, by their judgment, being skinny, sexy, and kind of self destructive (look at the above quotations to see what this means about them (the hellp are the ultimate young girls making music right now (and they know it and they want out (and wanting out entails more of the same and they wish it didn't)))).

anyway, other than that, idk.

i found an artist tonight on flickr:

look at these very cute prints:

they're very perfect bits of kawaii/cheap (looking) pop art, in that really exciting way, trashy and sweet, a mess.

i had some kind of interesting thought earlier, actually (also totally fucking up my fixed sleep schedule right now but whatever (also the thought is only interesting to me(probably))). but reading the young girl, they make mention of beauty on the inside at some point, and i thought about how online, as we write our thoughts/bleed our minds / act as though we are bleeding our minds / materializing our souls as true instances of our selves online in posting, the status of inner beauty becomes mechanized/written under purview of the spectacle (more than it already had been (or maybe not more, just easier to read)) this also connects well w/ kristeva and semanalysis, it reminds me of my points re: how algorithms/data sorting reads posts and weighs them/tags them. this thought deserves more thought, than when i am tired like i am rn, from numerous things. i feel like if i say this, the pin i put in it might be remembered, i hope so certainly.

anyway i am soo sleepy so:

byebye!!!!!!!!

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thatonedemonnamedlucifer · 11 months ago

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Rating Vocal Synth Designs: Gumi!

Welcome back to another episode of "Rating Vocal Synth Designs", starting off with our dear friend Gumi! Let's just get this overwith because there's a lot lmfao.

V2 GUMI (By Yuuki Masami, same with most art pieces below): Oh she's definitely a sports girl. Nice design. 7/10.

V3 GUMI Sweet/Power: Welp it didn't take long for things to go downhill. What an *atrocious* outfit design. 3/10.

V3 GUMI Adult/Whisper: Somehow even worse. This is gonna be a rough list isn't it? 2/10 for both.

V3 GUMI English: Hahaha. Gross! 4/10 (Nicer rating than the last two because atleast the hairstyle's pretty). Actually I'm giving this a nicer rating because for some reason the more I look at this the prettier it looks. 5/10.

V4 GUMI Native: MY SAVIOR. 8/10.

V4 GUMI Adult: The black color suits her somehow. 8/10.

V4 GUMI Power: Made me realize how awful this shade of purple/pink looks with orange. 3/10.

V4 GUMI Sweet: Glad they used a different color for the stockings besides just orange and black. The jacket design is getting kind of old now, though. 6/10.

V4 GUMI Whisper: Idk why but everytime I look at this design I think of bats (like the animal). 7/10.

V6 GUMI/Synth V GUMI (Art by Nou): I'm putting these two together since they're similar in design (the only notable change in the synthv design is the color of her goggles). Anyways, this is definitely a BIG upgrade from the other designs. Really cute! 10/10

AIVOICE GUMI (Same artist as above): Cute! Looks like the girl you meet at a library. 10/10. BONUS RANKING:

High School GUMI (Art by ???): What an awful shade of green and the hoodie isn't helping. Not a bad note to end on overall, though. 5/10.

#this was rough ngl #gumi megpoid #gumi vocaloid #gumi #rating vocal synth designs #gumi synthv #synthv #synthesizer v #ai voice #aivoice #gumi ai #eyestrain #sorta #no id

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andronicmusicblog · 1 year ago

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Unleash Your Creativity: 13 Free Plugins to Supercharge Your Music Production

In the ever-evolving world of music production, having access to a diverse arsenal of plugins can be a game-changer. While premium plugins offer undeniable benefits, a surprising wealth of free plugins can equip you with the tools necessary to create professional-sounding music.

This article explores 13 exceptional free plugins, categorized by their function, to ignite your sonic exploration:

Audio Design and Effects:

Text to Sample by Samplab: This standalone application allows you to enter text prompts and generate audio samples based on them. It's still under development, but it's a great way to quickly create unique samples and beats or add interesting elements to your recordings.

Newfangled by QuikQuak: This AI-powered plugin alters the timbre of your audio. You can use it to make your recordings sound like classic instruments, different types of reverb, and more.

Spiral Delay by Davy Synth Audio: This delay plugin creates a unique effect that you won't find anywhere else. It starts with a traditional delay, but when you engage the "Twist Rate," it takes on a completely different character.

Siberian Hamster by Witch Pig: This plugin meticulously emulates the renowned LA-2A hardware unit and provides a warm and smooth compression, perfect for vocals and other instruments.

Fuzz Boy by Direct: Embrace the vintage vibes with Fuzz Boy, a plugin that emulates the legendary Fuzz Face pedal. Inject your guitar tracks with classic fuzz tones and unleash your inner rockstar.

Barrier by Kit Plugins: Sculpt your sound with Barrier, a versatile distortion plugin that delivers a compressed and distorted character. Apply it to instruments, buses, or even your entire mix to add bite and texture.

More by Mod Sound: Dive into the world of sonic exploration with More, a distortion plugin offering five distinct algorithms. Blend and filter these algorithms to create unique distortion textures and experiment with unconventional sound design.

Mixing and Mastering Tools:

Magnus Light by Hornet Plugins: Tame your instrument or mix bus levels with the Magnus Light limiter. This free plugin offers a clipper and limiter, ensuring your levels remain under control while preserving the character of your sound.

Wave Breaker by Press Play: Rely on Wave Breaker for precision and control over your peaks. This true peak limiter incorporates oversampling and look-ahead technology, delivering transparent peak limiting without compromising audio quality.

EQ Curve Analyzer 2 by Buram Audio: Demystify the workings of your EQs and other emulations with EQ Curve Analyzer 2. This insightful plugin visualizes the frequency response changes applied to your signal, providing valuable insight into your processing chain.

Spectrogram and Goniometer by Tone Boosters: Elevate your mixing and mastering workflow with these advanced metering plugins. Spectrogram shows you the energy of various frequencies, while Goniometer shows the correlation of the left and right channels in a frequency-specific way.

Cesium and Tungsten by Green Oak Software: These two plugins offer distinct and interesting sounds. Cesium is a chorus plugin with an "unnatural" sound, while Tungsten is a delay plugin with a wide range of delay times and modulation options.

MAutoPitch and MConvolution Easy by MeldaProduction: MAutoPitch is a great free autotune plugin that includes width and format shifting functions. MConvolution Easy is a fantastic convolution reverb plugin with hundreds of built-in responses and the ability to add new impulse responses.

Enjoy!

#musicproduction #freemusicplugins #audioplugins #mixingmastering #musicproducers #bedroomproducers #audioengineering #plugindeals #freevsts #musictech

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nanjokei · 1 year ago

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also i realized the reason i felt irritated at people for not getting why they got designs like this is because speech synth fandom culture is incredibly obscure overseas, i dont mean that its rare or hard to come across so don't think i mean this in a pretentious way, more like due to the language barrier and lack of english speech synth support (i think it's literally just the kotonohas and maki that have english speech banks... also they are on entirely different softwares)

it is ENTIRELY different from "talkloid" culture overseas (thank god. sorry. you're welcome to think i hate fun because of this but i just find them so unfunny. not that speech synth fan content has high standards either....<-witnessed the horrors)

it is immediately way more accessible than vocal synth. you don't need to know how to make music to use them, and the content you can make varies.

people who have been around the block may know the seemingly strange genre that are lets plays video serials where the premise is that a speech synth character is playing and commentating on the game (yukari is most heavily associated with this, its why she is often associated with being a gamer in fanon).

those savvy about japanese web culture stuff may know about the yukkuri video genre, or basically the "let me explain you a thing" brand of usually low effort garbage tier content. they utilize aquestalk (same voice defoko is based on) as it is free. usually the premise is that yukkuri reimu and marisa explain to some kind of hot drama or former hot drama. it is a lot of SEO manipulation really. there are decent yukkuri videos but they are so low effort and derivative to the point where youtube triggered a yukkuripocalypse where tens of yukkuri channels went down because they are indistinguishable to content detection bots. nothing of value of lost. anyone with any dignity moved on to using voicevox's free vocals and put in effort into their videos after that (i can only hope).

those are things people may know, but of course there are picture dramas, comedy vids, tutorial vids, all kinds of stuff you think of when you think of TTS, it is done with speech synth characters. many of you know this definitely, but there are individual made softwares that make you able to make speech synth banks sing! they sound so charmingly rustic. i love that aspect very much.

but yeah, in terms of fan culture, it is a lot less polished, it has that vocaloid-ke (vocaloid family) feeling from the old days and will probably never phase out, there is seriously no way to sell out in this kind of field. how do you make this mainstream? even the most popular speech synth character, zundamon, her extent of mainstream use is as a faceless narrator in videos (if you watch japanese videos, you have heard her voice without realizing at least once).

i would not call vocaloid an "individualistic" culture, not at all, it is still very community based. but when compared to speech synth, the community seems so much more individualistic as at the end of the day popular producers receive accolades as individuals and at times it feels like this is the aim for some (i do not state this disparagingly). at any rate the exact reason why they absolutely had to give the VYs actual human designs is because speech synth culture heavily incentivises the sharing of assets freely. this is most commonly seen with talk sprites (known as standing pictures) used by others in pictures, videos etc (yes similar to rantsonas). THIS is why i say it is way less individualistic. both official bodies and fans share them for others to use freely (with usage terms depending on the poster). if you don't release that kind of thing, it will be difficult to promote your product. immensely so.

for example, this zundamon sprite set above which is immensely popular online, literally anyone can use and they do use it! and its fanmade and unofficial. you can find it here.

that's the beauty of it really. and this also encourages fanmade derivatives, or simply just entirely different interpretations of certain characters. contrast these four popular iori yuzuru sets:

they all give off a very different impression despite being the same character. and i've seen them all used with different interpretations of his personality. really this is the pathos of this kind of culture. there's a lot of freedom to the point of even warping what little setting there is. (here are the sources 1 / 2 / 3 / 4)

so without interrogating why, i got mad because i felt like people weren't getting the new VY speech bank release design philosophy in the slightest when it doesn't really pierce overseas english fandom at all. that is honestly my own misstep.

them adding a design doesn't mean they're forcing you to use it... it means they're encouraging others to interpret the voices as they like! i do think it is a cultural difference because the reaction to me saying this is probably "so they're just offloading the work to the fans" which isn't correct at all. it is a culture based on collaboration and sharing to create so many cool things. that's why i admire it so much as someone who is a fan of subculture.

i hope that makes sense.

this is really random, but i remembered this video of minase kou and takashi explaining how to get into drinking alcohol recreationally (aimed at recent adults). i am not interested in this subject at all, but i watched the video with great interest as i felt it was well explained and easy to understand even for someone who has a tenuous grasp of the language AT BEST. its been a while, so i don't remember exactly, but i do wanna warn for slight eyestrain and possible flashing lights in the background gag.

youtube

i am also quite fond of this person's picture drama series that has very clean illustrations with punchy direction. it is lighthearted but also has some strong moments where things are a little tense and mysterious and there are supernatural elements, but it is primarily slice of life. i think they improve with every video! they use a lot of popular speech synth characters both free to use and proprietary, so if you want to learn them, i think i can recommend this as a fun way to do it.

youtube

i hope this impromptu and messy writeup that probably forgot to mention a lot of important stuff helps demystify the phenomenon a bit. if you know any japanese, i do recommend deep diving and looking into these kinds of things because people make such fun and interesting things. i want to get better so i can immerse myself better too ^^;;;

i just think they're neat.

#rambles #Youtube

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