I'm Here Today, Expect It To Stay On - Ki's Journal of Music

Key · 02-21-2015, 09:43 AM

Im starting to enjoy this little section of my journal more and more. Here's a few little things that couldn't otherwise be put in a regular journal entry:

Spoiler for nostalgia:

Have you ever done a Youtube search on some of your favorite bands and added "sped up times (a number)" along with the search? The results are fantastic...

Spoiler for videos:

And now to finish things off, The Assumption Song

Mondo Bungle · 02-21-2015, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ki

I've never heard of this vaporwave artist

And it's all about slowing stuff down

Key · 02-21-2015, 04:25 PM

Slowing stuff down is also a lot of fun to listen to. One of my favorites:

Key · 02-22-2015, 05:43 PM

Devin Townsend - Z2

I don't think there's any surprise that this album came up somewhere in my journal, y'know, being the big Devin Townsend fan that I am. My name is the name of one of his albums for god sakes, it couldn't be more obvious. Anyway, Devin Townsend's "Z2" was released in October 2014, and that doesn't even seem that long ago, but it's been almost 5 months since then, so where's another album Devin?! Unfortunately I already know the answer to that question. From what I read up on, this will be the last album we will see from the Dev man for a while, since it seems he'll be going on hiatus to do some more creative thinking, but hey, that just means more Dev magic to come in the future. Let's hope it's the near future.

Z2 was probably one of my more favorite albums of his released, mostly due to it having two polar opposites going for it. You've got the calming and easy listening Sky Blue, and the heavy hitter Dark Matters. Devin really did put his best efforts to sort of "repeat" the trademark Ghost/Deconstruction set up that he did very well back in 2011, but unfortunately, unlike Deconstruction, I feel he didn't put his all into Dark Matters. As it's probably been mentioned in this forum before, with Dark Matters, you get a lot of talking and dialogue, and not a lot of music, which is what everybody wanted out of a Ziltoid sequel, still, there's a reason for everything and i'm sure Devin has his reasons for doing what he did with that album. Luckily, as it is a double album, we still get the wonderful Sky Blue which is mine, and most peoples favorite disc out of the two discs in this album.

Spoiler for full album on youtube:

As you're probably already aware based on my forum name alone, i'm a big fan of Devin's softer side. I'm not saying I don't like his heavier albums, I love them to death, but I really like his cleaner voice. It's got a sort of hypnotic feel to it, and I think he does it very well.

This album is still worth a listen if you haven't yet, and if it being released again this year would mean we'd be able to stall Devin's hiatus for a few more months, than I would definitely buy this album again if it were released this year.

Key · 02-22-2015, 06:23 PM

Yep, that's right. I'm having another theme month in my journal. The last one that I did was in December for Death Metal to celebrate the wonders of negativity that surround Christmas. I decided that we should go with something a bit less scary and in your face.

I pride myself with the amount of post-rock that i've run into over the years, a lot of it I have talked about before, but I want to really put it out there that I find it to be one of my more favorite genres. So, for the month of March, this journal will be dedicated to post-rock. And yes, this does include some songs that I can find in video games that i'd also consider to be in that post-rock / ambient category. I've got a lot coming in that month, so i'm hoping i'll be able to fill it all in here in that one month. If not, we'll have a part II. Anyway, just something to look forward to.

Anteater · 02-22-2015, 08:17 PM

Honestly, based purely on how great Casualties Of Cool was, I'd be quite interested in the prospect of Devin moving ahead into completely new territory and doing a straight up jazz-rock/metal album. Or what about a 70's rock record? Hell, even a poppy electronic House oriented album (which he's touched upon with songs like 'Save Our Now' and the title track from 'Sky Blue') might be pretty interesting.

Pretty cool that you've discovered Soilwork by the way. In light of that, you might be interested in vocalist Bjorn Strid's side project The Night Flight Orchestra, which is him doing late 70's prime-time L.A. rock.

Key · 02-22-2015, 08:49 PM

^Yeah, i'm excited for the future of what Devin Townsend will bring. I'm hoping he does something completely different as well, like he did with Casualties of Cool. The man has the talent, so I don't think he'd do it wrong.

Also, I like that video you posted, will definitely check more of that band out. That vocalist is fantastic.

Key · 02-23-2015, 10:22 PM

Blackfield - Welcome To The DNA

So, i'm just going to say straight off the bat, I didn't give this album a chance when I was just getting into Blackfield. It instantly went to being one of my least listened to Blackfield album. Then again, to be fair, there are only 4 official Blackfield albums, but that's still no excuse. I think part of it had to do with the fact that I instantly fell in love with the atmosphere of Blackfield I and Blackfield II and anything different didn't really do it for me. Another reason why it could have happened is probably more due to me not really giving it it's fair chance at the beginning of it all. I listened to a few of the catchier tracks on the album, and didn't really feel like listening to the rest. I've come to realize that doing that was a huge mistake as this album is actually fantastic, probably more-so than the others I mentioned.

With Blackfield, you can expect to get the feel of Steven Wilson sort of stepping back from what he's good at, and bringing out a more relaxed atmosphere to his music. As most are aware, Blackfield is a side project of Steven Wilson's. I can't say for sure that it is HIS side project, but he's included in it, so it's basically his in my opinion. I've noticed that as I listen to more of Blackfield, you just can't expect to hear too much Porcupine Tree in the music. I mean, you'll hear the dark atmospheric Floyd-esque influence in it, but you won't get those technical proggy moments, at least from what i've noticed. Of course, what do I know right? I'm just a passive listener more times than not. Anyway, Steven Wilson still does dish out what he dishes out best, and that's his nearly perfect ability to make people listen to what he's saying, without being too in your face about it. Sure, some could argue that Steven Wilson doesn't actually really sing, I mean I would understand where you'd come from, but Steven Wilson is unique in the sense that he doesn't have to have a good voice for you to really get into what he's trying to deliver through his lyrics.

The album itself is just fantastic as I have mentioned. I just find a lot of the songs more upbeat and "brighter" than you'd get from Blackfield I and Blackfield II, which isn't bad. You get some heavy hitters in this album as well as some acoustics, but it's the perfect balance of being a happy and sad album, and I really didn't see that too much in the other albums. I just find that Steven Wilson puts into this album what you might be able to expect in an EP for a future Porcupine Tree release, without any of the heavy proggy moments that would come into a full release of a new PT album. I know I said you don't get much of the PT influence in these albums, but there's a few, maybe not happening all the time, but you'll hear them when you hear them, I guess.

^This song is actually one that I find Steven Wilson found a perfect equality between being harmonic and delivering some powerful lyrics, especially in the chorus. Probably my favorite track on the album, but that's just going to show how good the album is as a whole, and I will say again that I am disappointed in myself for not giving it the chance it deserved when I found this band.

Key · 02-23-2015, 11:18 PM

Video game soundtracks, video game soundtracks, video game soundtracks!!

Refer to spoilers below to the music:

Spoiler for game songs:

Key · 02-24-2015, 09:53 PM

I already have a place for my video game soundtracks / music from. Don't see why I shouldn't have a place where I share the music and such that I find in television and film. I don't know how much you'll see this section throughout the journal, but it's something different, and I like different.

Let's start off simple then:

refer to spoilers

Spoiler for music:

02-21-2015, 09:43 AM	#291 (permalink)
Key . Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 13,153	Im starting to enjoy this little section of my journal more and more. Here's a few little things that couldn't otherwise be put in a regular journal entry: Spoiler for nostalgia: Yeah, so what? I get a bit of nostalgia from hearing the old Windows start up sounds. I've owned my own computer since I was about 13, so I've gone through a lot of the Windows versions, and even some Mac versions. Don't even get me started on Mac. Have you ever done a Youtube search on some of your favorite bands and added "sped up times (a number)" along with the search? The results are fantastic... Spoiler for videos: Linkin Park - Breaking The Habit Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills Metallica - Enter Sandman And now to finish things off, The Assumption Song

02-23-2015, 11:18 PM	#299 (permalink)
Key . Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 13,153	Video game soundtracks, video game soundtracks, video game soundtracks!! Refer to spoilers below to the music: Spoiler for game songs: Torchlight II's OST is the perfect example of making a game even better than it already is. Much like Borderlands 2, and many others games i've mentioned, having a great soundtrack for a great game really adds to my overall enjoyment of the game, and this one is certainly fantastic. They did a damn good job with the music in this game, and it really adds to the atmosphere and creepiness when you go into dungeons etc. Another game i've been really getting into is Homefront. And I mean i've really been getting into it. The story is as epic as this track, and this isn't the only good track in the game, but man it really does give you the feel of being in an urgent situation and needing to get somewhere quick. Added to the list of soundtracks making the game even better than it already is. I'm sensing a theme here. But really, fantastic job on this OST to the people who made it, it really makes the game that much better. Amnesia: The Dark Descent had an OST? Really? Honestly, I hardly remember it at all. That's not to say it wasn't memorable or anything, but I was so into the story and the gameplay that it was kind of in the background and stayed there, but now that I listen to it, I can remember which songs play where and I see in my mind when I played through it and all the jump scares I went through etc etc. Anyway, pretty cool soundtrack for a great survival horror. I would love to see another Amnesia game take this approach, even though I did get a lot of enjoyment out of A Machine for Pigs. There's no doubt they can tell a good story. That one had a pretty good soundtrack as well from what I remember.

02-24-2015, 09:53 PM	#300 (permalink)
Key . Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 13,153	I already have a place for my video game soundtracks / music from. Don't see why I shouldn't have a place where I share the music and such that I find in television and film. I don't know how much you'll see this section throughout the journal, but it's something different, and I like different. Let's start off simple then: refer to spoilers Spoiler for music: I can't start a section like this without mentioning of the finest uses of a song in a movie, at least in my experience. This is such a perfect opportunity for emotion and they nail it. Everything that goes on in the scene that this song plays at really just goes perfectly. I'm not the biggest Batman fan (oh god, what?!) but I know a good movie when I see one, and the Dark Knight trilogy was some of the finest cinematography you can find. Comes with a stellar soundtrack that really captures the powerful emotion that you feel throughout the trilogy. Speaking of trilogies, Lord of the Rings is up there with being one of my all time favorite movie trilogies of all time. The music added to it just makes me love it more. The first time I ever saw The Fellowship of The Ring, I wasn't just blown away by the amount of work they obviously put into the realism of the books, but I was also impressed with the amount of work they put into the music to really make you feel like you're going on an adventure. Definitely some great tracks that you'll hear through this trilogy. And as an added bonus, I really like this from The Hobbit trilogy:

02-21-2015, 04:25 PM	#293 (permalink)
Key . Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 13,153	Slowing stuff down is also a lot of fun to listen to. One of my favorites:

02-22-2015, 05:43 PM	#294 (permalink)
Key . Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 13,153	Devin Townsend - Z2 I don't think there's any surprise that this album came up somewhere in my journal, y'know, being the big Devin Townsend fan that I am. My name is the name of one of his albums for god sakes, it couldn't be more obvious. Anyway, Devin Townsend's "Z2" was released in October 2014, and that doesn't even seem that long ago, but it's been almost 5 months since then, so where's another album Devin?! Unfortunately I already know the answer to that question. From what I read up on, this will be the last album we will see from the Dev man for a while, since it seems he'll be going on hiatus to do some more creative thinking, but hey, that just means more Dev magic to come in the future. Let's hope it's the near future. Z2 was probably one of my more favorite albums of his released, mostly due to it having two polar opposites going for it. You've got the calming and easy listening Sky Blue, and the heavy hitter Dark Matters. Devin really did put his best efforts to sort of "repeat" the trademark Ghost/Deconstruction set up that he did very well back in 2011, but unfortunately, unlike Deconstruction, I feel he didn't put his all into Dark Matters. As it's probably been mentioned in this forum before, with Dark Matters, you get a lot of talking and dialogue, and not a lot of music, which is what everybody wanted out of a Ziltoid sequel, still, there's a reason for everything and i'm sure Devin has his reasons for doing what he did with that album. Luckily, as it is a double album, we still get the wonderful Sky Blue which is mine, and most peoples favorite disc out of the two discs in this album. Spoiler for full album on youtube: As you're probably already aware based on my forum name alone, i'm a big fan of Devin's softer side. I'm not saying I don't like his heavier albums, I love them to death, but I really like his cleaner voice. It's got a sort of hypnotic feel to it, and I think he does it very well. This album is still worth a listen if you haven't yet, and if it being released again this year would mean we'd be able to stall Devin's hiatus for a few more months, than I would definitely buy this album again if it were released this year.

02-22-2015, 06:23 PM	#295 (permalink)
Key . Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 13,153	Yep, that's right. I'm having another theme month in my journal. The last one that I did was in December for Death Metal to celebrate the wonders of negativity that surround Christmas. I decided that we should go with something a bit less scary and in your face. I pride myself with the amount of post-rock that i've run into over the years, a lot of it I have talked about before, but I want to really put it out there that I find it to be one of my more favorite genres. So, for the month of March, this journal will be dedicated to post-rock. And yes, this does include some songs that I can find in video games that i'd also consider to be in that post-rock / ambient category. I've got a lot coming in that month, so i'm hoping i'll be able to fill it all in here in that one month. If not, we'll have a part II. Anyway, just something to look forward to.

02-22-2015, 08:49 PM	#297 (permalink)
Key . Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 13,153	^Yeah, i'm excited for the future of what Devin Townsend will bring. I'm hoping he does something completely different as well, like he did with Casualties of Cool. The man has the talent, so I don't think he'd do it wrong. Also, I like that video you posted, will definitely check more of that band out. That vocalist is fantastic.

02-23-2015, 10:22 PM	#298 (permalink)
Key . Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 13,153	Blackfield - Welcome To The DNA So, i'm just going to say straight off the bat, I didn't give this album a chance when I was just getting into Blackfield. It instantly went to being one of my least listened to Blackfield album. Then again, to be fair, there are only 4 official Blackfield albums, but that's still no excuse. I think part of it had to do with the fact that I instantly fell in love with the atmosphere of Blackfield I and Blackfield II and anything different didn't really do it for me. Another reason why it could have happened is probably more due to me not really giving it it's fair chance at the beginning of it all. I listened to a few of the catchier tracks on the album, and didn't really feel like listening to the rest. I've come to realize that doing that was a huge mistake as this album is actually fantastic, probably more-so than the others I mentioned. With Blackfield, you can expect to get the feel of Steven Wilson sort of stepping back from what he's good at, and bringing out a more relaxed atmosphere to his music. As most are aware, Blackfield is a side project of Steven Wilson's. I can't say for sure that it is HIS side project, but he's included in it, so it's basically his in my opinion. I've noticed that as I listen to more of Blackfield, you just can't expect to hear too much Porcupine Tree in the music. I mean, you'll hear the dark atmospheric Floyd-esque influence in it, but you won't get those technical proggy moments, at least from what i've noticed. Of course, what do I know right? I'm just a passive listener more times than not. Anyway, Steven Wilson still does dish out what he dishes out best, and that's his nearly perfect ability to make people listen to what he's saying, without being too in your face about it. Sure, some could argue that Steven Wilson doesn't actually really sing, I mean I would understand where you'd come from, but Steven Wilson is unique in the sense that he doesn't have to have a good voice for you to really get into what he's trying to deliver through his lyrics. The album itself is just fantastic as I have mentioned. I just find a lot of the songs more upbeat and "brighter" than you'd get from Blackfield I and Blackfield II, which isn't bad. You get some heavy hitters in this album as well as some acoustics, but it's the perfect balance of being a happy and sad album, and I really didn't see that too much in the other albums. I just find that Steven Wilson puts into this album what you might be able to expect in an EP for a future Porcupine Tree release, without any of the heavy proggy moments that would come into a full release of a new PT album. I know I said you don't get much of the PT influence in these albums, but there's a few, maybe not happening all the time, but you'll hear them when you hear them, I guess. ^This song is actually one that I find Steven Wilson found a perfect equality between being harmonic and delivering some powerful lyrics, especially in the chorus. Probably my favorite track on the album, but that's just going to show how good the album is as a whole, and I will say again that I am disappointed in myself for not giving it the chance it deserved when I found this band.