Tsukuyomi - Reason For Existence

 

 

(alternatively titled 生きるよすが, which is just the same title in Japanese. It does however give me an opportunity to share one of my favourite Japanese Twitter memes)

 

 

Tsukuyomi (band name means 'Moon God' and their album titles follow, this one's off of 'Sing The Moon') I found when looking for YOASOBI-likes, which are really prevalent in Japanese music right now thanks to their dominance on streaming, though in truth I've been building up to one of these for quite a few years now, yet another band that sounds similar called Yorushika has been on my potentials list for a long time.

 

'Reason For Existence' was a very instant hit with me as soon as I clicked on the anime video and listened to the music don't be impugning me now for the visuals this is audio-love first and foremost x

 

Also the song's a banger power-piano-pop tune pls vote for it if you like it arigathankyou Σ(っ °Д °; )っ

The Cat Empire - Thunder Rumbles

 

 

the cat empire? that's just an alternate name of Séyetana isn't it

 

In all seriousness, loved these guys for years and have had a blast getting back into all their material since discovering Thunder Rumbles leading off their new album (and a new lineup!). If you aren't aware they are an Australian band well known for touching every genre under the sun - Thunder Rumbles is stadium rock with trumpets, but perhaps their most known stuff is the jazz and ska they did on their first two albums.

 

very easy first stop for more "funky empire tunes" is 'Two Shoes', the title track from their second album but really, definitely a band I recommend listening to multiple tracks from:

 

Cö shu Nie - SAKURA BURST

 

 

Might have been better timing to put this in with sakura season a few months ago but it's like the tail end, right? Anyway, very strong J-rock song (that chorus just keeps me coming back and back) that I've been enjoying for a while.

 

apparently it's part of a Code Geass reboot but I never finished the original so idk really, maybe that'll be a nice surprise if I ever do

Kiki Rockwell - Burn Your Village

 

 

A stormer of a slowly speeding up track complete with fiery feminist lyrics and screaming, it's a riot. I also love how many influences it seems to have, it sounds like it could be from anywhere in Europe even though Kiki's from New Zealand and really excels in creating these soundscapes to accompany her indiepop music.

 

Wanuka - 審美眼　（Foreign Language）

 

 

funky Japanese pop with a mesmerising VA-11-Hall-A* style video. Plus some great guitars and a fantastic title, it means 'Aesthetic Sense' which does show up in the video. I've wanted to send a few male J-Pop singers in for a while and this really stood out as a catchy tune, and the foreign language spinoff was right there begging for this to be entered. Gonna watch carefully how it does x

 

*acclaimed narrative video game about a bar, on my longlist to play but I have seen streamers play it)

Burn Your Village a bangerrrr

Hoshimachi Suisei - Soirée

 

 

I may or may not have been playing this album (Specter) very much this year and as my favourite song on the album, Soirée, got a video, I thought I'd submit it for your approval. Very fun pop song essentially x

 

Suisei is of course a vtuber (actually my first vtuber entry this year can you believe it?) but she is that scene's most legitimate popstar, creator of her own model (one of the best in the business), almost entirely music-focused, and BJSC participants may recognise her as the vocalist for Midnight Grand Orchestra that I entered last year - been wanting to find one of her solo songs a contest for a long while and found one here.

 

 

also I did nearly submit this, a live version of Suisei's biggest song Stellar Stellar, turned into a piano ballad, but I forced myself to choose and decided on balance I wanted to advertise Soirée off more.

 

also extra 'ghost':

 

Blackbriar - Fairy Of The Bog

 

 

A very good symphonic rock song (particularly good for its ethereal, fae leanings) I had saved up from last year to get back in the game a bit, which achieved us a very respectable result, very glad you all liked it.

Deloraine - Ragnarok

 

 

anyone for Czech pagan folk music I hope so because this one's powerful enough to bring about the end times

Deathbrain - stargazing with you

 

 

forgot to to do this earlier, I'm not leaving my first top 10 in an age without a post in the NT. THANK YOU!

 

Deathbrain is a fairly anonymous internet artist - after listening to a bunch of their music I was really attracted to the contemplative 'stargazing with you', which is very much a vibe I like to emulate.

 

now what's next? time to sabotage the streak with something ill-advised and ear-splitting? I have a few ideas...

Akini Jing - Call Me Shadow

 

 

(music video doesn't have the full song but is very cool)

 

Apparently no sabotage as I've just got another top 10 with Akini Jing - last time I did that (two top 10s in a row) must have been years and years ago. She is also my first Chinese entry, my first Mandopop entrant and as participants in this contest will know had a fantastic electronic track that built and and built carefully towards a whirlwind climax.

 

I did not expect this to do anywhere near this well so once again thank you to everyone who gave me another hit in quick succession

Missio - Aztec Death Whistle

 

 

Seven Spires - Almosttown

 

Visions Of Atlantis - Tonight I'm Alive

 

 

Austrian Nightwish Visions Of Atlantis have gone down a very piratical route in the last couple of years, with this new album literally called Pirates II, which is fantastic for me as pirate metal is my jam. The whole album is worth recommending, but Tonight I'm Alive in particular is a HUGE party track with singer Clementine going all out, it was very instant for me so I hope you all enjoy.

IRyS - Carbonated Love

 

 

idk why it's called carbonated either

 

anyway this is a Eurobeat song, or otherwise, eurodance + pop that includes Italo-disco and racing cars in an anime style.

 

So like as much as she's a cool girl I haven't watched IRyS in years; her songs have always been semi-decent pop, but this is a bit of a swerve from her, and a whole lot of fun I've been enjoying lately.

Pixel Grip - Stamina

 

 

grindy electronic rock with a relentless hook and style to keep the party going

 

BABYS IN A THUNDERCLOUD, a highlight album track off of Canadian post-rockers Godspeed You! Black Emperor's latest album NO TITLE AS OF FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD, a reference to the tragedy in Gaza, and a number that has sadly only increased in the time since that title was finalised. As with most post-rock instrumentals, the title and context surrounding the track is key to the artistic intent, hence why I've put an update in my thread subtitle.

 

My first foray into post-rock, and something that's spurred me into getting into the whole of GY!BE's catalogue. Beyond that, I just have 13 minutes and 36 seconds* of beautiful music for you this month, do with it what you will x

 

*almost twice as long as Jvnko Still Loves You, my previous longest entry

Phantom Siita - Zoku Zoku (ファントムシータ　－ゾクゾク）

 

 

for all the Japanese entries I have in my history I haven't done too much of the idol girlbands in reality (BABYMETAL don't count), so something very different from Séyetana this time.

 

got attracted to the beautiful (possibly traditional? at least that's the vibe they're going for) instrumentation in this one and the lovely voices on the girls in this new idol group. I later discovered that they were put together in part by queen of Japanese pop Ado which makes a lot of sense, they have similar sound profiles. Hope you enjoy x

Vylet Pony - Pest

 

 

 

Starlight lounged in the palace gardens, alone, and aimless. The unicorn's pink coat was trimmed and tailored with precision, and her furled mane was sectioned into shades of purples and mints. In her hooves was a relic known in many worlds as the "Staff of Sameness". In a few paradox instances of the Equestrian System, this staff is merely an idol of status, rather than a magical conduit. Curiously, it is a true conduit in Wolf's world, thus seducing the beast in pursuit of the unicorn who wields it. Yes. Wolf did arrive in the garden, clutching a greatsword that she had plundered from a precursory confrontation. Starlight greeted her rather sociably. The unicorn seemed not to be perturbed by the presence of the murderer standing before her, rather, she smiled recognizingly and expectantly, as if awaiting an embrace. Alas, Starlight's charlatan grin soured abruptly, jerking into a contortion of agony as Wolf's blade swiftly excavated the furthest recesses of the unicorn's body. The precise, methodical tactics that the beast had employed upon all previous victims were abandoned entirely. Wolf's frenzied shrieks, which were noticed by residents far off in every direction, turned to delighted convulsions as Starlight perished in the beast's arms. She allowed the body to slip from her grip and splatter into chunks of gore and viscera on the palace steps. Wolf pounced onto the corpse; fluids and foams curdled into viscous pools beside her as the relentless shredding and bludgeoning fractured and segmented the body into unidentifiable biological masses. Her repeated strikes and lacerations rended the flesh and its concealed bounties only ribbons and slivers of decay, which she devoured frantically. And once Wolf had finally relented, she grasped the Staff of Sameness and prevailed over the grub and entrails of her old acquaintance.

>

 

I have been in awe at what Vylet Pony has done lately.

Aiobahn +81 - 天天天国地獄国 (feat. Nanahira & Pmarusama)

 

 

Aiobahn is a South Korean producer who has been associated with Monstercat and is perhaps most well known for producing the theme songs to the video game 'Needy Streamer Overload' - those songs, 'Internet Overdose' and 'Internet Yamero' are rather fun J-Pop + Eurodance/rave messes, but not songs I ever thought good enough to share. Technically, 'Aiobahn +81' is a side-project of his, the '+81' meaning that it's an outlet for songs that are just for fun.

 

Ironically then, the first song he's released under that name, 'Tententengokujigokugoku' (or the far more sensible 天天天国地獄国, which roughly means 'Heaven Heaven Heaven Hell') is by far the most controlled, rhythmic and well-structured song he's ever done IMO. As well as being very fun. Still that same rave-inspired dance-pop, just recruiting two well-known utaite (singers who got big covering vocaloid songs) to play the angel and devil characters here.

 

Some useful Japanese words for you btw:

 

'Tengoku' - heaven

'Jigoku' - hell

'Tenshi' - angel

'Akuma' - devil

 

or pretend I didn't post any of that and just enjoy whatever this is (complementary)

 

 

Patty Gurdy - Peg Leg Silly-Billy (feat. Christopher Bowes)

It's about that time of year where I get swept away by a nautical ditty, and Patty Gurdy, the folksy German pop singer with expertise on the obscure instrument known as a gurdy has provided. She also has connections with a bunch of artists in the European folk metal space that she collabed on her latest release Tavern, including Marko Hietala, formerly of Nightwish, Adaya of Faun, and of course Christopher Bowes of Alestorm, who joined her on my entry, 'Peg-Leg Silly-Billy'. Her previous BJSC entry 'Brighter Days Come' is also on this album. 'Peg-Leg Silly Billy' is a very good, if light-hearted, addicting track and I love the way Christopher's incremental verses give the energy for Patty's incredible chorus.

Actually I first became aware of Patty prior even to her appearance in Germany's Eurovision selection process, it was when she sang on one of Alestorm's career highlights so far (out of MANY), 2020's 'Zombies Ate My Pirate Ship', a heartwrenching Alestorm "ballad" about xylophagic undead causing terror to an honest pirate - listen below if you want more collabs in this fashion (and this isn't the only other one they've done! she also collabed with them on a 2024 song)

I don't know the reason for it but your national thread opens strangely (moving the footer of the page to the right of the screen). I saw something similar in a couple of polls that were migrated over, so it may be time for a new national thread for Séyetana if the issue cannot be fixed.

P.S. feel free to delete this message once it is read.