-=- SHGZ -=-
* Shoegaze * Indie * Post-Rock * Grunge * Dream Pop * Psych-Rock * Ethereal *
ARTIST..: -Tokyo Shoegazer-
ALBUM...: -Moonworld Playground-
GENRE...: Indie
STYLE...: Shoegaze, Dream Pop
YEAR....: 2022
LABEL...: Higher Hell
COUNTRY.: Japan
PLACE...: October 2010, Shibuya, Tokyo
ENCODER.: FLAC 1.3.1 -8 -V
BITRATE.: 989 kbps avg
QUALITY.: 44.1kHz / 2 channels
SOURCE..: CD
TRACKS..: 9
SIZE....: 351.18 MB
URL..: http://www.facebook.com/tokyoshoegazerjapan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Shoegazer
- TRACKLIST
1 Felicette (Instrumental) 6:15
2 Silence 4:02
3 Constellations 6:31
4 The Dreamer 5:29
5 Tokyo Neon Signs 4:14
6 Lucid 5:43
7 Moondive 5:14
8 Paradise 4:26
9 Destroy 7:37
Total Playtime: 49:31
NOTICE: The directory name had to be adapted by leaving out the dashes as
uploading was denied on all servers with the error msg:
553 -Tokyo_Shoegazer---Moonworld_Playground--(HHCD-014)* path-filter denied permission. (Filename deny)
It seems you cannot start folder names with a dash. Thus for consistancy all
directory/filename dashes have been left out for the artist/album name. (Rule 4.8.1)
All tags/nfo however have been edited to correctly mirror the names as on the cover.
*
DKFM favourites Tokyo Shoegazer return with their third full length album,
Moonworld Playground. The band consisting of Hiroshi Sasabuchi (Drums),
Kiyomi Watanabe (Guitar), Yoshitaka Sugahara (Guitar) and now Rie fu (Vocals)
have been busy creating this music since getting back together in 2019 after
a six-year hiatus. As a massive fan of Turnaround and Crystalize I was so
excited to get the opportunity to get a sneak peak at the new album. So, lets
dive in and see whatÆs what.
The album opens to a wall of deafening feedback, approaching white noise.
Slowly from the chaos emerges the opening notes of æFelicetteÆ. As we
approach the three-minute mark the bass looms into view and sumptuous strings
emerge carrying the most beautiful melody with it. This is a bold statement
and one that says, youÆre about to hear something really special, youÆd
better buckle in.
The stunning vocals of Rie fu introduce us to æSilenceÆ. This starts as a
sparse ballad and slowly but surely evolves into full on wall of sound
explosion of the final minute. And explode it does. This moment sounds
particularly exquisite on headphones. I love how the band never overpower and
drown out the vocals. Great mixing.
æConstellationsÆ has us in familiar territory with squalls of glide guitar
over a fuzzed-out backdrop before settling back the verses. Everything has
room to breathe, to just be. The dreamy verses, the powerful and piercing
instrumental bridges all exist with and for each other.
We pick the pace up and hit the ground running for æThe DreamerÆ. Here a
jangle pop trope is warped and repurposed to work in a heavy shoegaze song.
The drums are amazing on this one, creating an off-beat structure for the
rest of the band to play around. This one absolutely screams single.
ThereÆs no respite as we charge headlong in æTokyo Neon SignsÆ. This song
exquisitely captured that big city vibe. Vocals sound massive, as big as
skyscrapers, while the guitars emulate the light and dark of city life with a
really infectious hook.
æLucidÆ is its antithesis. We meander joyfully in half time as the guitars
and vocals play off each other in gentle harmony. Then the drums stop
dramatically, and slowly the band build to a climax so purposeful and
dramatic it leaves you breathless.
æMoondiveÆ is next. A reworked version of the song from their 2019 Moondiver
release. Guitars sounding hewn from the same fabric as The CureÆs
Disintegration play against the wonderfully melodic vocals. This is utterly
exceptional.
If youÆve been seeking a pop moment on the album then æParadiseÆ is your
song. This is utter exuberant joy start to finish. ItÆs pacey, catchy and
delivers all those feels in all the right places. I can foresee this one
becoming a live favourite and is my album standout moment.
The album closes on the simply epic æDestroyÆ. IÆm not one for hyperbole,
however when a song such as this comes along there simply is no other avenue.
æDestroyÆ is mind-blowing. ItÆs a game changer. I can imagine a lot of bands
will be listening with note pads open. ItÆs a long, slow journey of a song
which just builds and builds until we return, full circle, to the wall of
deafening feedback we began the album with. ItÆs sheer poetry.
Moonworld Playground is an absolute joy from end to end. ItÆs beautifully
performed and produced. What really struck me was how immersed in the music
you become, how invested and attached to each song. That in itself speaks of
the love and care that has been poured into this album, but itÆs also an
example of how great music gains a life of its own once recorded. Tokyo
Shoegazer havenÆt ædone it againÆ, no one has done this before. TheyÆve taken
their sound somewhere new and exciting, and itÆs an honour to experience
that.
-=- SHGZ -=-
-=-=-==-=-=-
Shoegaze
is a genre of alternative rock that
originated in the late 80s. The genre is very
difficult to define, and it is even more difficult to evaluate music
within it. Generally, the genre is characterized by its
shimmering vocals, reverberating guitars, and
textural distortion that create
a tranquil, opaque
feeling.
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