Author Topic: Recommended music to listen to  (Read 16376 times)


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Re: Recommended music to listen to
« Reply #31 on: July 20, 2023, 09:19:39 am »
"See what I mean?"

I see that even though Kwan's voice has more innocence than Yeung's, Kwan still has a hint of maturity compared to Fan's who sounds like she retained it from childhood. That gives me a thought. Vocal training and care should not try to change one's voice or 'improve' it, but to prevent damage to their current voice. On the other hand, could her vegetarianism be the reason for her voice?

"Kudo responded deftly with a single whose A-side demonstrated that she could beat the dance-freaks at their own speciality any day she wanted to:

...

more importantly whose B-side pointed back to what truly timeless music sounds like:"

Though Kudo's A-side was more organic than Amuro's song while still being danceable, we can judge the emotion of the B-side better since it does not have an added dance beat.

"since you like energetic dance songs, what do you think of the following two (rivalling) grand collaborations?"

I remember when you posted it when you were contrasting them to K-pop music. Here's my comment on them. Along with the first song, 'Wou Bom Ba', the vibe felt more casual and day-like than the dance songs by Amuro and Kwok. The video also suits the song. D&D also feels more casual for dance music. Why is that?

As for the second song 'Ai Qing Shang Lian La La La', it was more casual and organic and had more emotion than the first one.

Here is something else I thought. Similar to how ballads are more timeless than dance songs, acoustic music is also more timeless than electronic music. I do not know how fair it is to judge instrumentation since all instruments have their individualities, but electronic instruments needs more energy and thus being more complex and with less quality than acoustic instruments. Post-Renaissance instruments like the harpsichord and piano are also less convenient than pre-Renaissance instruments. I assume instruments like the harp also became heavy and inconvenient by the Renaissance. The DAWless trend uses electronic instruments that are smaller and more convenient, which probably explained the Synth-pop movement of the 1980s:

Quote
The emergence of synth-pop has been described as "perhaps the single most significant event in melodic music since Mersey-beat". By the 1980s synthesizers had become much cheaper and easier to use. After the definition of MIDI in 1982 and the development of digital audio, the creation of purely electronic sounds and their manipulation became much simpler. Synthesizers came to dominate the pop music of the early 1980s, particularly through their adoption by bands of the New Romantic movement.

So in order for a culture to happen, it must be accessible. It is a part of:

https://trueleft.createaforum.com/issues/simple-living-movements/

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Re: Recommended music to listen to
« Reply #32 on: July 21, 2023, 12:05:39 am »
"Kwan's voice has more innocence than Yeung's"

Sensitivity =/= innocence. It is possible to be innocent precisely due to lack of sensitivity, by not even noticing things that the more sensitive have already noticed. This is the case with Yeung, who clearly never even bothered to understand what the song is supposed to be about and is merely transferring the lyrics straight off the page into the mic via her mouth. She is innocent(!) of the meaning of the song. That is not a compliment.

"Fan's who sounds like she retained it from childhood"

Which is why for a few years she specialized in children's songs:



from which she got her iconic concert-finisher:



"Vocal training and care should not try to change one's voice or 'improve' it, but to prevent damage to their current voice.

I disagree. Some of the ultimately best singers started off with a voice that was unable to fully express the emotions they had inside them. In such cases they benefited from the change to their voice that happened during their career. The most legendary example is:



who found her true voice by attending a concert of her own idol:



during which as a fan in the audience she cheered so loudly for the duration of the concert that the next day her voice had changed and she was finally able to sing the way she wanted to in her mind. Thus she credits her idol for magically gifting her true voice to her through his music. (Miraculous anecdotes such as these abounded during the Counterculture era.) Having once found her true voice, she thereafter never changed it again, which is what I support.



Of course I agree that if you are fortunate enough to start your career with a voice that already matches your inner personality, you should not try to expand it. But not every singer is so fortunate. If they were not allowed to find their true voice, they would have to adjust their songs to suit their starting voice, which would mean their songs become less sincere as well!

"the vibe felt more casual and day-like than the dance songs by Amuro and Kwok. The video also suits the song. D&D also feels more casual for dance music. Why is that?"

Actually, that one itself was Polygram's response to the following earlier collaboration by Capital:



which then incited Capital to counter-respond with its second one. Where does this earliest one (Kwok being one of the participants) fall along your casualness spectrum compared to the other two?
« Last Edit: July 21, 2023, 03:14:50 am by 90sRetroFan »

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Re: Recommended music to listen to
« Reply #33 on: July 21, 2023, 10:50:31 am »
"This is the case with Yeung, who clearly never even bothered to understand what the song is supposed to be about and is merely transferring the lyrics straight off the page into the mic via her mouth."

I understand. Yeung is innocent, but Kwan and Fan are more sensitive.

"Which is why for a few years she specialized in children's songs:"

I did not know that, but it makes sense.

"who found her true voice by attending a concert of her own idol:"

So in other words, the radical individualist approach works for vocal training.

"Having once found her true voice, she thereafter never changed it again, which is what I support."

I guess that is the closest thing to neoteny that vocal training can do.

"Where does this earliest one (Kwok being one of the participants) fall along your casualness spectrum compared to the other two?"

The earliest feels more casual than Polygram's collab in terms of how toned down it was, but Polygram's feels more casual for how much fun and emotion it feels to have. But either way, they are both less casual than Capital's later collab due to its emotion.

Frankly, I wasn't sure what the term was for the two collabs that make them different from other cliche dance songs. What would make an energetic song work better than another energetic song? What did the collab have that other energetic songs do not have?

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Re: Recommended music to listen to
« Reply #34 on: July 21, 2023, 05:25:43 pm »
"Frankly, I wasn't sure what the term was for the two collabs that make them different from other cliche dance songs. What would make an energetic song work better than another energetic song? What did the collab have that other energetic songs do not have?"

Perhaps it is the collaborative element itself? People working together for a special occasion have a different chemistry compared to people (e.g. a band/group) who work together all the time. From the perspective of the audience, seeing them on-screen together might also generate a foundational excitement, similar to crossover excitement in fiction (when characters from one franchise appear in a different franchise). Even the MV editing staff might be affected by this and thus edit more attentively than usual (note in all three collaboration the use of extremely rapid cuts that however do not feel messy).

The next grand collaboration after these three was indescribably inferior, and my theory might account for why. Startup label Go East stupidly decided to use four rookies instead of using established artists. Since this was practically their first job, it did not feel like a special occasion for them, thus no special occasion chemistry. From the perspective of the audience, since we have no prior memory of them in solo work, there is no crossover excitement either - instead, we viewed them as if they were a group. The result? Sorry to make you listen to this crap (note also the slower cut rate in the MV, but still more messy feel - clearly even the editing staff were uninspired):



(And what's with the choice of set? The other three chose sensible sets (street, ball court, disco) and this one went with..... canyons (wtf?!?))

Anyway, after this one, there were no more grand collaborations. Way to deflate the entire trend in one blow.....

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Re: Recommended music to listen to
« Reply #35 on: July 21, 2023, 10:31:26 pm »
"Perhaps it is the collaborative element itself? People working together for a special occasion have a different chemistry compared to people (e.g. a band/group) who work together all the time."

I guess when something exciting or energetic is done for a special occasion, it generates excitement. Similarly D&D, despite being rookies, only released one album (being low in quantity) leading them to be a unit to remember (being high in quality).

K-pop companies do not learn from it. Though companies like YG intend to be about quality over quantity, the amount of releases of energetic music does not generate the same quality enjoyment as D&D and the first three collaborations. Even their wardrobe is Eurocentric. That has not stopped spoiled K-pop fans from demanding Blackpink to release a comeback:

Fans of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK are protesting YG Entertainment's alleged mistreatment of the group.
Billboard · billboard.com


"The next grand collaboration after these three was indescribably inferior, and my theory might account for why."

That is almost exactly like all those K-pop idol MVs. The party music, embellished sets, quantity classifications of cinematography and editing, and even their face shapes are low in quality. Though I do not have as much prior knowledge on the artists of the first three collaborations either, I would feel hyped when my favorite people are together. Even then, that should also be saved for special occasions.

I am learning a lot from our conversation and I feel inspired. However, since all good things must come to an end, should we end right here?

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Re: Recommended music to listen to
« Reply #36 on: July 22, 2023, 12:34:34 am »
"I would feel hyped when my favorite people are together."

This effect is even stronger when it crosses national lines. I posted a bunch of examples over here (in the first video, which is a full movie, skip to 1:25:44 for the duet):

https://trueleft.createaforum.com/news/japan-to-export-jets-missiles-to-12-nations-bid-to-counter-belligerent-china-in-/msg15879/#msg15879

Quote








https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Nt411v7EX/

"should we end right here?"

It is up to you. I prefer dialogue, but I can always just go back to posting whatever I am listening to myself.

« Last Edit: August 25, 2023, 11:57:15 pm by 90sRetroFan »

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Re: Recommended music to listen to
« Reply #37 on: July 22, 2023, 08:24:49 am »
"It is up to you. I prefer dialogue, but I can always just go back to posting whatever I am listening to myself."

We can end it here for now. If I have something to talk about, I will start it. But for now, I might take a break.

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Re: Recommended music to listen to
« Reply #38 on: July 23, 2023, 01:14:32 am »
"only released one album (being low in quantity) leading them to be a unit to remember (being high in quality)."

Never mind one album, one numinous song is all you need to have a permanent place in the Counterculture musical pantheon:


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Re: Recommended music to listen to
« Reply #39 on: July 23, 2023, 08:20:38 pm »
I'm assuming not even D&D could coincide with truly Countercultural music.

What is D&D at best and at worst?

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Re: Recommended music to listen to
« Reply #40 on: July 23, 2023, 10:06:05 pm »
"I'm assuming not even D&D could coincide with truly Countercultural music."

I am willing to include it.

"What is D&D at best and at worst?"

These were pretty good:

https://trueleft.createaforum.com/counterculture-era/recommended-music-to-listen-to/msg19259/#msg19259

These always struck me as rather dull:





(Still, nothing will top the humiliation that was:

https://trueleft.createaforum.com/counterculture-era/recommended-music-to-listen-to/msg19277/#msg19277 )

Also, to tie up a earlier loose end, since you mentioned that you like:

https://trueleft.createaforum.com/human-evolution/facial-aryanism/msg19888/#msg19888

Quote

perhaps you might also like the prior single:



Do you?

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Re: Recommended music to listen to
« Reply #41 on: July 23, 2023, 11:00:54 pm »
"These always struck me as rather dull:"

Probably because they feel more like instruments playing than a musical experience. It's like that version of one of the songs you posted:

https://trueleft.createaforum.com/counterculture-era/recommended-music-to-listen-to/msg20974/#msg20974

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"perhaps you might also like the prior single:

...

Do you?"

I do. I have heard Chinen's music ever since you recommended it to me, including 'Wings'. The song has a good tone, the rhythm is bouncy and calming, there is some emotional impact, and it fits well with the MV. Whereas 'Be Yourself' took place by a field, 'Wings' took place by a beach. How much water is in it feels like one of those water-filled gravure presentations you posted.

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Re: Recommended music to listen to
« Reply #42 on: July 24, 2023, 04:21:43 am »
Wing was the song that got Chinen onto the Oricon Top 10 for the first time. Being in a toiletry commercial probably helped:



Commercials were frequently a factor in propelling performers to iconic status back in those days. I guess I should also repost:

https://trueleft.createaforum.com/issues/media-decolonization/msg4548/#msg4548

Quote

I'm actually wondering whether we should start a topic solely for posting Counterculture-era commercials. What do you think?

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Re: Recommended music to listen to
« Reply #43 on: July 25, 2023, 12:22:49 am »
To tie up another loose end, two of the Polygram grand collaboration became a couple in real life:



and released a tastefully humble duet to mark their marriage:


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Re: Recommended music to listen to
« Reply #44 on: July 25, 2023, 07:27:18 pm »
Here is my reply.

"I'm actually wondering whether we should start a topic solely for posting Counterculture-era commercials. What do you think?"

Do it. I would like to see what other products were promoted during Counterculture era.