ThrowBackG

It’s a great time to be a Rallizes fan!

No other band (inadvertently) captured the mood of the COVID-19 lockdown for me, and no other band needed an estate to actualize their legacy more than Les Rallizes Dénudés. The Last One Musique’s succession of the late Takashi Mizutani has put the band in the public eye (I mean, having an article in The New York Times is nothing to scoff at) while still being incredibly faithful to the existing material. The OZ Tapes was a ... read more

The way "Waiting So Long" morphs from a charming, aesthetically accurate outro into one of the most despairing pieces of music by the end of the show should genuinely be studied, and it's not even made by the main composer. This soundtrack singlehandedly ignites a great show into an amazing one. Yet, it's never fully subservient to its source material. In fact, Berserk as a whole is enriched by Susumu Hirasawa's skill for ambiance and musical thematics, as his music's identity is now ... read more

I'd go as far to say this is his most realized song to date. This is by no means a detailed self-reflection, but there is a nice contrast in elements. With a title such as "As It Was" it's not surprising to suggest this is a song about disillusionment and longing for better, possibly over romanticized days. What does surprise me is Style's improvements as a songwriter. "As It Was" is simple, but concise. The tonality and tempo of the single is a pleasant dichotomy to the ... read more

Roughly one dozen songs constitute Artur Nunes' oeuvre. Created due to necessity, but ultimately out of love, each of Nunes' songs have an inexplicable ability to hearken to the soul. Despite the Cuban and blues influences, the greatest mysteries to his music are kept secret; some of the ideas may forever be lost in translation to the English language. Yet, I feel music has always served well in the transcription of abstract emotion. Through the timbres I can feel, somewhere metaphysical ... read more