I’ve just been through a strange phase. For a while, I would pick up my headphones and listen to 2 minutes’ worth of music before putting them back down again in favour of something… quieter. (GASP!)
Now I am suffering (suffering? This is glorious!) a rebound phase. My music is on, and it’s on louder than I would usually put it, but I love it!
Now my desire for ear-candy has returned, let me share a bunch of tracks that I’ve been loving right now! I’m going through an especially dreamy and chilled-out phase, the kind of stuff that puts everything in slow motion for as long as they’re playing.
Moumoon – Hallelujah (Nakano Sun Plaza Live version on their official YouTube, the DVD for which comes out soon!)
This is a perfect concert track for them, hence the link to the live version. I would love to see this performed in person one day. Moumoon’s general genre/aesthetic is dreamy band music, and their sounds range from acoustic (their Fullmoon Lives, streamed on Youtube every month on the night of the full moon!) to happy J-pop (Chu Chu) and the really dreamy stuff (We Go).
TK from Lin Toshite Sigure – an artist, Shinkiro
From Fantastic Magic, an album that included the single Unravel which was the ending for an anime called Tokyo Ghoul (which is great and emotionally torturous, if you fancy that kind of thing).
Ling Toshite Sigure don’t have a worldwide outlet on Youtube and stuff (their Youtube videos are blocked here in the UK) but they are also known for doing openings for Psychopass. TK is their main vocalist, and much of Fantastic Magic is very much like the music of his band but the sound is much calmer as opposed to Ling’s chaotic feeling, but it’s still upbeat. His vocal style is unconventional and took time to grow on me, though, with a bit of screaming. Worth a look into.
Epik High
- Wannabe (album: [e])
- We Fight Ourselves (album: Shoebox)
When Epik High released their album 99 as part of a new label, many, but not all, K-pop fans everywhere acknowledged them as a ‘new’ group, except they’ve been around for over 10 years. A good thing about this is that once their sound has really grown onto you, there’s 10 years of music to enjoy. (The same actually applies to Moumoon, who formed in 2005, and you have the added bonus of all of their different live versions which somehow sound more refreshing every time. Epik High has graced us with remixes.)
‘Wannabe’ was released in 2009 as a main track for album [e], which explains why the sound reminds me so much of the Black Eyed Peas in that same era (Rock That Body?). Go to the link, watch the video. You won’t regret it.
We Fight Ourselves is from Epik High’s latest album, and the karaoke live (on the link) has a different set of charms. It’s not ‘shout out loud’, the song is chilled and doesn’t seem to fit a karaoke scene, but they make it work well.
Since their album Shrines, their style has evolved to lean more towards RnB, but retain their dreamy sound. I’m new to them, but I’m enjoying both Shrines and Another Eternity which is a good sign!
What are your favourite slo-mo songs?
X
Twenty Swans 