Unwitty title due to an affliction called winterbreakitis

"The Pecan Tree" by Deafheaven mixes a blistering black metal attack with a reverb that soothes the atmosphere; the result is ethereal but frantic.

"Cries on the Wind" by Anathema takes a metallic sound and blurs it with psychedelia, creating a strange but oddly compelling piece. The song seems to fill space, literally and figuratively.

"Rising Down" by the Roots is a stripped down hip hop song, built mainly off guitar, a percussive beat, and vocals. The style fits the lyrics well.

"Sleep Apnea" by Chevelle manipulates the traditional alternative metal sound to create a sense of anxiety that elevates the lyrics.

"Caroling" by Eluvium is a simplistic, winter-esque piano-based piece. The atmosphere is serene but cheerful.

Music: Le Deux

"Junta" by Cormorant is an intriguing and dynamic yet melodic progressive rock/metal song that blends many genre, including spoken word, rock, jazz, and metal.

"Lose My Breath" by Yuck is a lively piece that blurs a guitar-base sound in order to achieve an ethereal quality. It's also damn catchy.

"Synthetica" by Metric is a propulsive electronic rock song moving at a steady space.

thermooooo

"Shinsou no Reijou" from the Oreimo soundtrack is a nice neoclassical piece built off strings and piano.

"Tenshi wa Namida to Tsubasa wo Otosu" from the Welcome to the NHK is a chill instrumental, dominated by a very spacious texture. Chalk it up to a meandering guitar backed up by steady but slow percussion.

The "Prophecy Theme" by Brian Eno (for the film adaptation of Dune) is a very lush and layered array of synthesizers working in tandem to create an alien yet serene atmosphere.

"She is the Dark" by My Dying Bride captures an unrelenting claustrophobic atmosphere. It transforms musical heaviness into emotional heaviness.

"Light Inside Darkness" by Zeldaru is layered by synthesizers and piano, creating a sense of enigma and foreboding.A feeling of being in a large space is evoked, as if the listener were in an abandoned mansion or some horror cliche like that.

"The Pod" by Hum begins with a reversed guitar sound, creating a psychedelic disconnect that drives the song.

5 Centimeters Per Second

Today I got to visit Powell’s, a large bookstore in Portland (if you did not know). I had been excited for quite some time to go there so I could buy some books and kill some gift cards. Instead of taking my wheelchair, I chose to walk, which was not an insignificant choice. I had to envisage myself as strong enough to walk long enough to get everything I wanted; exploration suddenly became very daunting. For the past few months – 11 and a half by my count – I have been struggling with problems of strength. My legs are more incapable of supporting my weight as they have been in the past.

To most people who know me, “the past” is vague and means nothing. For years upon years I had so much trouble telling people that I have Becker’s Muscular Dystrophy, a neuromuscular disorder which pretty much means I have weaker muscles than the normal person. The winter term of my freshman year I went to a dance hosted by the Residence Hall Association of the campus. Over the course of my time there I steadily grew weaker until my legs felt stiff - the classical sign for me to sit down and take a rest – but still I asked my friend to dance. I endured and  veritably enjoyed the dance, even though I had come very close to exceeding my limits. Feeling so exhausted, I had to take a rest. The next day my friend made a joke about me being bad at dancing but she felt very guilty after I told her about my disability. I seem so normal upon first glance.
With this story in mind, one can see that I am not very strong physically, even though seeing me walk would suggest that nothing is wrong. Today I walked to a level that I could earlier. I still had to sit down quite often but I managed okay in the moment. To and fro I walked, exploring my surroundings. In particular, I decided that I had to find and purchase 5 Centimeters Per Second, a manga of a film very important to me. Ultimately I ended up obtaining And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, two Haruhi light novels, and the first volume of the Oreimo manga; my journey was gifted with physical findings that I could take back with me. I adventured through Powell’s, even though I was concerned about my flagging strength. Sitting down helps me alleviate the fatigue but it builds up much more easily for me than for other people.

I fancy myself strong of mind but I am weak of body.  I walked like a “normal” person while being aware that my strength fluctuates more than a normal person. For someone who now uses a scooter most of the time and a manual wheelchair when I’m with my family, I was pretty freaked out being there, even though I was having a lot of fun looking for things I wanted to buy. I drew from the strength of my mind and did not falter, hoping that in the end I could find everything I wanted. When it came time to leave, I panicked because I was at the back entrance when we had agreed to meet at the front entrance. I ended up, despite feeling weak and sore from so much walking. I went around the building all the way to the front entrance where the car was parked. Feeling anxious and beaten I sat down in the car. Finally, I could just rest and not worry about my seemingly borrowed strength that was disappearing quickly. My mom and sister were annoyed that I had walked all the way to the front entrance, but in the end I had made it.

Strength is such an abstract concept for me because I can easily become near-exhausted. I am strong enough to walk, but my maximum strength is still so little compared to other people. I take pride in my intellect and value it over my physical weakness. At the same time, seeing so many people walking around and checking out books without any problem is very isolating. I am glad, though, that I could truly adventure, a feeling I haven’t gotten in a long time.

Cantara

"The Temple", a theme from Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, mixes dark synthesizer swirl with Eastern instrumentation, creating a distinct yet ominous atmosphere. The piece characterizes the surroundings of one character, creating a sense of isolation.

"Cantara" by Dead Can Dance takes place with an acoustic instrument that abruptly jumps up in speed, supplemented by percussion and vocals. As time progresses the song evolves further, creating a very layered effect.

"Mad About You" by Hooverphonic is a very lush song: the vocals are supported by a smooth, orchestral texture. The style contains hints of jazz and hip hop, creating an effective fusion of genres.

"Mama, I'm Swollen" by Cursive carries a dark sentiment on a smooth rock texture before escalating into anger.

"Lights" from Ef: A Tale of Melodies is a serene piece reminiscent of a nocturne; piano and other acoustic instruments create a hushed atmosphere. 

Japanese Edition (of the Song Picks, I mean)

"Snowly Star" from Ef: A Tale of Memories is a warm piece that gradually builds to a graceful plateau before softly fading into the distance.

The Daily Lives of High School Boys ending theme is a very silly piano-and-vocal based piece. It's pretty fitting for a comedy show.

"Two Sugars" from the visual novel Lil Busters is reminiscent of an etude performed on piano: it is melodic but slow enough for individual shifts in melody to be noticeable.

"Anthurium" from the visual novel Rewrite is a very festive mostly orchestral piece. The range of dynamics employed is narrow but wide enough to carry one's interest for the full 2 minutes and 46 seconds.

The ending theme to Mawaru Penguindrum, performed by Coaltar of the Deepers is built on shoegaze machinations, creating a space-filling sound. "Dear Future" is carried by slightly psychedelic riffs, preventing the song from coming close to halting early.

"Prayer" by Mutyumu has an elegant feel, building serenely from an emphasis on vocals to a full fledged piece.

Pastel Excursions

These are just some things I made (mostly) with pastels. They're more me messing around and trying to understand how to use pastels than actual pieces. 

                                         

I guess I'll actually be watching anime?

This is an update post of sorts I guess.

I haven't  been doing much with music, so that's on hiatus. Lately, I have been dabbling with pastels and exploring them. I will show some of the pieces once I get them scanned in. They are all only vaguely thematic as I have spent more time exploring the medium itself rather than making new pieces.

Secondly, I'll be watching some anime this coming fall season.

Fall 2013:
Kyoukai no Kanata
Non Non Biyori
Strike the Blood
Kill La Kill
Coppelion
Golden Time

and others, but only if I somehow survive that and my coursework.

Betraying American Culture, one Update at a Time

"Disclosure" by Collapse Under The Empire is an upbeat yet lovely fusion of electronic and piano music. It's reminiscent of the times 65daysofstatic are a little light on the guitar but heavier on the electronics and piano.

"Omou Mono Doshi No Saikai" from the show Chuunibyou is a pretty neoclassical song, which doesn't distinguish it much at all, I know.

"Astronaut" by Luna is a fuzzy-sounding keyboard-heavy indie rock song. It's like a mellow power pop song.

"Snowfield" from the anime Clannad is an atonal ambient piece that evokes sadness; high pitched instrumentation further cements an ethereal atmosphere.

"Slow Curve" from the visual novel Little Busters is a hyperactive melody, filled with enough piano and organ to lull one to sleep, but too fast to be called a proper lullaby.

Update With A Lame Title

"Track 6" (really, I couldn't find the real name) from the show Hyouka is another pretty background piano piece.

"Galapogos" by Smashing Pumpkins is a sweeping orchestral song where everything, even the guitars, sound truly orchestral.

"Todeswalzer" by Windir is a really fun new wave-y black metal song. That sounds strange, but I mean it.

"Moment of Dream" by Hiroyuki Sawano is a pretty orchestral piece with pretty vocal and electronic accompaniment.

"Kage No Deshouka Daiichibu" from the show From The New World mixes distorted guitar with a children's choir, creating a jarring effect suitable for an epic theme.

"One More Cup of Coffee" by White Stripes is a fairly faithful rock rendition of the original song (by Bob Dylan). There's a cool organ part that starts a while into the song too.

Sigh, I guess I need a name

"1 AM" from Animal Crossing: New Leaf is a very simplistic and calming piece built around a piano.

"Onaji hoshi ni Umarete" from Hoshizora no Memoria sounds like space opera music because it matches classical sounds with electronic sounds. It is graceful yet still upbeat.

"Path to Lucy" by Deaf Center is a serene mix of the orchestral and the ambient, creating a strong sense of atmosphere.

"Rockin the Suburbs" by Ben Folds is basically a fun song about being male, middle class, and white that mocks angry white guy music. Yes, it is power pop.

Being Sidetracked? Why I Never?

"Grail Overfloweth" by Cocteau Twins is an admittedly stern but neat fusion of psychedelic and dark, resulting in a strange atmosphere. Alien is the best way to describe it. 

"Le Gardien de Reves" by Amenra, despite the pretty name that roughly translates to The Guardian of Dreams, is a harsh song dominated by wall of sound dynamics, creating a primal sound.

"White Lake" by Deaf Center captures a harmonic yet tense atmosphere with its piano-dominated music; steadily the piece ascends in musical variety, creating a richer texture.

"Adventure" from the puzzle game FEZ is a fun 8-bit piece with an upbeat sound certainly fitting its name; the limited timbre works to its advantage in creating a narrow but cohesive sound.

"Your Ghost Is Not Enough" by Jessica Bailiff mixes vocals with atmospheric rock instrumentation and synthesizer, creating a song not too far from a slowed down western piece. Calm but persistent drum keeps the song going, not letting the atmosphere become too overwhelming.

"Iron Golem" from the game Dark Souls pits the high pitched against brass instruments, create a driving melody. As a whole the piece successfully captures the epic, making it fun to listen to.

"Sync", also from FEZ,  has a more orchestral feel with its solid percussion and melodic instruments creating a rhythm from repetition. The rich dynamics make the piece compelling, even to someone wanting a faster tempo.

Musings on Anxiety

Hello everyone,

Today I wanted to share my friend's blog post about anxiety and the way things are going for him (through his eyes). In particular, I felt that I connected personally with many of the points he discusses. So go check out A Sense of Incongruity. (meta post) !

Creativity Lost (Paradise Was Already Lost)

Deadly's Attempt At Escaping From His Trippy Adventure Results Ironically In More Adventuring. Woe is him!

Creativity