Best thing at the moment: BIS - Idol

I just can’t get enough of this video. When ever I need to be reminded idol groups can produce something great I can watch this video. I need that from time to time when I have seen too many videos like one on previous post. I have written earlier something about what big mess whole BIS is. But they can come up with really amazing song and videos.

The song is good but the video makes this amazing. Video is weird, dark and gritty. There is no dancing which is big part of idol group’s live performance. Haven’t read translated lyrics but I have understood this is anti-idol culture song. That explains the video. Good example who going all the way and not half assing makes amazing things. For someone into street photography or artistic photography the video has tons of interesting shots. It was hard to pick screen capture for thumb because the video is full of great shots. I put one example below.

星歴13夜 "愛し泡沫ト"

I have serious problems with this video. Youtube keeps pushing this video all the time. I like some idol group because I am music fan who likes weird music. There is plenty of that in Japan. Japan also has unhealthy obsession with young girls. Both overlap in idol groups. Usually is one dominant and other is almost non-existent.. All the bands and artists I have put best albums lists are concentrating on music. Usually ones concentrating on unhealthy obsession doesn’t make good music. And then there is this video.

I like the song but watching the video makes me feel like I am watching someone’s kink video without having obsession for the thing. I became sensitive to these things after reading long blog post of how living in Japan killed love for anime and manga. Post is in Finnish but if you want to check it is here. If you want to read about problems of idol culture you can check this Cracked post.

These videos with shy young girls dressing sexy make me want to stop following all idol groups. They just feel so wrong after knowing something about the culture they are made in. It is reminder some of the fans are not in it for the music. And it makes you thing if you want to be part of that fandom. Then I remember not everyone in business have this unhealthy obsession and they want their groups to stay away from that part of idol culture. For example Necronomidol kicked one of their member out of the group earlier this year when she posted too sexy pictures on her social media. She was told not to do it before doing it.

About that video’s group. This song is only song of theirs I found interesting. The song is one rare exception when group concentrating on unhealthy obsession can make good music.

Best Albums of 2019 - Supplementary

This list contains music I found 2019 and music by band who released only EPs or singles 2019. To qualify for this list video has to be something I haven’t shared in this blog earlier. I will start with something that probably should have been on Best Albums of 2019 list.

Angel Witch: Angel of Light

This is bit embarrassing. I really liked the album when I checked it first place. I liked it so much I went to check everything else they have released. Angel Witch is not the most versatile band there is. Listening too much of them in short time made me burn out to their music. It happened before I bought this album. So I don’t have this yet. I have listened it enough to know it should be on the list. If I needed one more album to list I would have added this one even though I don’t have it yet. I will get it soon.

Yukueshirezutsurezure: BrightDark

If I made another Japanese or Asian edition this would have been on it but that would have been cheating. BrightDark is YukueshirezuTsurezure’s re-recording album of their old song with current members. It even has re-recordings of songs from last year’s exFallen album. It being cheap and kind of best of album it is good introductory album for anyone new. This song is on album but not this version. They haven’t released any videos of new versions. So I used this original video from 2017.

Necronomidol: Scions of the Blasted Heath

Necronomidol didn’t release full lenght album this year. They released Scions of the Blasted Heath ep and came to Finland. I never thought I will see them live. Now I have seen them and there is change to see them again next year if they are still willing to come back next year. I feared Sari couldn’t be replaced but Michelle has been excellent as weird one of the group. Not trying to be like Sari but being her own kind of weird. This would have been part of first idol edition if video was released when I wrote the post. Video was released quite long after the ep.

DreamSpirit: Warriors of Heaven's Descend

I found DreamSpirit this year. Got all their releases. They didn’t release full length album this year. Only Warriors of Heaven’s Descend EP. DreamSpirit is big reason why I made this post. They were one of the bands who blew my mind this year and they deserve to be brought up. I am not fan of power metal but this works.

Suld: The Memory of Nomadism

After I found The Hu I wanted to find more similar music. Suld is one of the bands I found. DreamSpirit was another but Suld is Mongolian Folk Metal like The Hu. The Memory of Nomadism wasn’t released 2019. Suld was band I found this year.

Nine Treasures: Wisdom Eyes

I am probably telling too much about my music buying habits. I tend to check lot of bands. If I get really excited I buy albums right away. If I have just bought something I add albums to very long wish list and get back to them later. I was pretty sure I had bought Nine Treasure’s albums already. I was shocked to see they are still on my wish list. I corrected the mistake. Listening the album now I don’t understand why I didn’t buy it when I found it.

Heathen Apostles: Bloodgrass Vol. I & II

Heathen Apostles released Dust to Dust this year. I don’t have it and they haven’t released any videos for it. I have last year’s Bloodgrass Vol. I & II. Album is named like that because both parts were relased as EPs first. Heathen Apostles was this year’s findings. I will buy their albums every now and then. Haven’t got to Dust to Dust yet.

Rykarda Parasol: Against the Sun

Rykadra Parasol was this year’s findings. She didn’t release anything this year and there is good change she won’t be releasing anything any more. I bought all here albums in quick phase after I found her. My favorite song of her is “Atheists Have Songs Too”. After hearing it I had to get her albums. It is second track of Against the Sun. Cloak of Comedy is the first.

Chubby Wolf: Turkey Decoy

I am not sure if Rykadra Parasol will release anything anymore. I am sure Chubby Wolf won’t be releasing. It makes you sad to find talented artist who has died so young. In Chubby Wolf’s case she managed to make lot of interesting music before she went away. I found her music ten years after her death.

I can’t put video for last artist I want to mention. I can’t find any videos from Youtube which would even remotely look like it is legally there. You can find tons of his music from Youtube but if there is anything legally uploaded there it is hard to find. Some of the music is also hard to find if you want to buy it and it won’t be cheap. I know because I spent too much money for it earlier this year. When there is no digital releases and physical releases are rare prices tend to go up. Artist’s name is Akira Yamaoka. If that doesn’t ring any bells name Silent Hill might ring some bells. Akira Yamaoka made music for first seven Silent Hill games. You can find soundtracks for last three in iTunes. But for first four I had to buy as cds and those were released in limited quantities long time ago. It wasn’t cheap but now I got all seven soundtracks. This made Akira Yamaoka my most played artist of 2019.

Best Albums of 2019 - Fourth Edition

This is last edition of albums. I will post one more list with other noteworthy music of 2019 which might or might not include artists I found this year but who didn’t release anything this year. It will come soon. This was supposed to come next week but I made this already. So I won’t estimate when next should come. It comes when it is ready.

Visions : Temples

After previous list I went to check Cyclic Law’s Bandcamp. I found few albums more to buy and this one to add this list. I had bought more than those two on previous list but had forgotten they were from Cyclic Law. If I am not mistaken Visions is label’s owner’s own project. He doesn’t seem to has such a tight grip on what is released than one other ambient label’s owner who masters albums he releases making all albums have unified sound. I will check Cyclic Law’s catalogue more carefully.

Babymetal: Metal Galaxy

I honestly don’t know which I found first Babymetal or Necronomidol. I saw Necronomidol live first. I will see Babymetal next year. Bands are reason why I am so much into Japanese music at the moment. Metal Galaxy is Babymetal’s third album. I started to lose faith after singles released after last album but Metal Galaxy was better than I expected. They didn’t change style like I feared.

Broken by the Scream: Noisy Night Fever

I am more excited by Broken by the Scream than I am about Babymetal. They are probably too extreme to become as popular. Noisy Night Fever was released earlier in Japan. Rest of the world had to wait until December. Album sample video was released shortly before album was released in Japan. We had to wait for few months knowing what was coming.

Maison Book Girl: Umi to Uchu no Kodomotachi

Don’t expect me to say anything deep about the album. It was released less than week ago. This time they have dropped weird intros between songs they had on Yume. This is Maison Book Girl’s album. Unless something strange happens their albums will be among my favorite albums of the year.

The Hu: The Gereg

The Hu was my gateway to Mongolian Folk Metal. I found other bands but they haven’t released anything this year. Anything I have bought yet at least. Someone has made ten hour version of their song Wolf Totem. It was how I found the band. I call this folk metal even though they don’t have electric guitars. Everything else is folk metal.

Church of the Cosmic Skull: Everybody’s Going to Die

Everybody’s Going to Die wasn’t released December. Only couple days before December. I already wrote post talking about their other video. Everybody’s Going to Die is the album where Church of the Cosmic Skull realizes they don’t have to put every idea to one song. This streamlining makes band work better.

Thanatonaut: Interstellar

If you like Dark Space you probably like Thanatonaut. Dark Space likes Thanatonaut. I found Thanatonaut from Dark Space’s Facebook post. Both bands have same crushing style. When you surrender to onslaught you start to see nuances in music. Thanatonaut is more melodic of the two but it has lot of similarities to Dark Space. Thanatonaus’ sister band Cold Womb Descent released album Futurism same day 7th of December. Don’t know if there are any deeper meanings on releasing albums on same day.

Inter Arma: Sulphur English

I assume Sulphur English is one of those albums where producer has molded band into something amazing. I have checked Inter Arma’s older material but it doesn’t sound as good. It could also be the band have found their own style on this album. I hope it is the latter because it means I could hear more of this goodness.

Profetus: The Sadness of Time Passing

I could say here almost everything I said about The Howling Void’s Bleak and Everlasting in previous post. Style is funeral doom. I don’t listen it all the time but good funeral doom is really good. Bonus points for band being from Finland.If I had to put two albums on order I would probably put this first. Both are really good albums.

Rammstein: Rammstein

Mutter is one of my all time favorite albums but I haven’t liked their other albums as much. Sure they have good songs but albums as a whole are not good enough for buying the whole album. Until this album. It is not on level of Mutter but good enough to buy and to be on this list. I went to check their other albums but still don’t feel like buying them.

That was it for best albums. I will make another post about music I found this year. Not sure what the name will be.

Best albums of 2019 - third edition

I decided not to have another Japanese or even Asian edition. That would have been too short and another one would have been too long. There will one more post of albums and another one with EPs and rerecordings and so on. Let’s start this with my biggest finding this year.

Ningen Isu: Shin Seinen

I found Ningen Isu from Youtube recommendations. Sometimes those don’t lead to alt-right videos. I checked their other videos and felt in love with the band. Decided to get everything they have released until I found how much they have released. I got the latest album and collection first. I will pick rest every now and then. Band is among my favorite bands now.

Sheena Ringo: Apple of Universal Gravity

Sheena Ringo is another Youtube recommendation finding. I get recommended lot of Japanese music there. Somehow this Japanese Jazz works. I might not like it as much in English or Finnish. Language makes it exotic and interesting. She released another album this year too. I think it is collection of rarer material. This has music for two normal albums.

Billie EIlish: WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

I am not sure should I have this album on the list. Liked it when I got it but now I have hard time remembering why I liked this first place. More I hear about her music less I care. This is on the list because of how exited I was when I heard the album first time.

Dahlia's Tear: Across the Shifting Abyss

This is from Cryo Chamber. Do I need to say more? I buy almost everything they release and this is one of their best albums this year. If you don’t know the label this album is good starting point. It is more melodic than their releases generally and more beginner friendly.

Amanda Palmer: There Will Be No Intermission

If you go Amanda Palmer’s Bandcamp you find dozens of releases. It can be intimidating if you want to get into her music. Most of those releases are demos or one off collaborations with varying quality. Her serious albums are good but she seems to have need to release something all the time. This is her second solo album. First was Who Killed Amanda Palmer. Those are good starting points to her music. Then you can continue to Dresden Dolls, 8in8 and Amanda Palmer & Grand Theft Orchestra: Theater Is Evil. If you want more then you can check rest of what is there.

Hildur Guðnadóttir: Chernobyl TV Series Soundtrack

I told previous part I like female cellists’ music. Hildur Guðnadóttir is one of those cellists. She is one who hasn’t played in Rasputina. She has become soundtrack artist since her cello albums. Chernobyl soundtrack is made of sounds recorded at power plant. It creates interesting soundscapes. I haven’t seen the series yet but like the soundtrack.

The Howling Void: Bleak and Everlasting

I don’t want to link whole albums here but sometimes Youtube only has whole albums and this seems to be legally there. Underground bands may not always release music videos. Albums like Bleak and Everlasting keep me Avangarde Music subscriber. Can’t say if this is best funeral doom album of the year. I don’t want to listen the genre that much. I like it and it is good enough to fulfill my funeral doom needs.

KADAVAR: For The Dead Travel Fast

This is interesting song. I almost got bored and stopped watching the video first time. But something kept me going and song got more interesting as it went on. It is good song but maybe not the best for the first video you see from the band. Why I have it here? It is best song from the album and you might endure the beginning because I told you it gets better.

Neraterræ: The Substance of Perception

Neraterræ isn’t from Cryo Chamber but they swim on same waters. Partly because this album has collaborations from artists whose albums Cryo Chamber has released.

Monocube: Substratum

Another album released by Cyclic Law. After I found Monocube and Neraterræ I thought Cyclic Law could become label I need to buy almost everything they release. But so far their other releases haven’t opened as well as these two albums. It could be their other releases are more towards industrial noise or whatever it is called. I will keep my eye on the label in case they release something I like.

I guess this was enough for this time. Next part will come next week and have few albums released December. I think I have mentioned at least three of them on this blog already.

Best thing at the moment: Hyperion audiobooks

I am talking about audiobook version you can find from Audible but most applies to any other versions of the books. I am at end of The Fall of Hyperion and considering when to start Endymion. I binged The Fall of Hyperion and want to have short break before starting Endymion but say something about books I just listened.

Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion could be one book. They probably work better as one book. If you start Hyperion make sure you can continue with The Fall of Hyperion when you finish Hyperion. You want to do that. On these audiobooks Hyperion has narrator and several voice actors. The Fall of Hyperion drops voice actors. It works but makes it bit confusing when you are used to voice actors playing the characters and they are not there on second book. Starting from The Fall of Hyperion would be mistake because it is second half of one book.

The world has interesting dynamic. Most of it is hard science fiction except one planet, Hyperion. Hyperion is fantasy world which makes predicting the future hard. I don’t know if Endymion books give science fiction explanation of what happened in Hyperion but at the end of The Fall of Hyperion it is still more fantasy and things are open.

Hyperion starts with small mission to mysterious time tombs on planet which is about to be attacked by enemy. First book explain the world by telling backstories of members of the mission. Second book blows everything to epic scale.

I liked well thought out world and very different motivations of characters. On second book number of different characters start to become problematic. It was bit hard to follow when everyone was all around the world and book jumped from character to character. Voice actors would have helped. First book stayed with one character until their backstory was told. But I liked how each character’s story had something interesting and thought provoking in it.

This could be really good tv series. It feels perfect for it except that world changes major way in The Fall of Hyperion. It could be too much for tv series. Maybe that is the reason why there is no Hyperion tv series.