Pirates of the Seven Sounds: April 2010

Sunday, 25 April 2010

Sensible Nectar + Luminous + The Human Excuse + Inappropriate King Live + Redroot - Split CD

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Somehow, this diverse compilation of folk, noise, harsh noise, power electronics, ambient and drone all flows together flawlessly like a nonsensical, mixed-media collage. Enjoy the dirty murmur of the UK's Luminous (Tim Chaplin), the drone-meets-noise creations of Sensible nectar, the industrial noise of Inappropriate King Live, and finally the innocent, young, dream-pop folk of Redroot and The Human Exucse all in one spray painted, hand-numbered, hand-assembled, hand-stamped package with full color artwork inside.

Released: Rainbow Bridge Recordings, March 2010, limited to 35.

01. Luminous - Opera Lunch
02. Luminous - Bus
03. Luminous - Gotta Lite
04. Luminous - Wooden Metal
05. Luminous - U Need Form
06. The Human Exucse - Friend
07. The Human Exucse - You'll Meet Some Real Whackjobs On Youtube [Live @ Stay Young House in Pittsburgh, PA 7/23/09]
08. The Human Exucse - Piano
09. Sensible Nectar - I Am No Man's Slave
10. Inappropriate King Live - Moon Practice
11. Inappropriate King Live - Large Balloons
12. Inappropriate King Live - Small Balloons
13. Inappropriate King Live - Woodrow Wilson Was A Raging Racist
14. Redroot - Rabbit Hole
15. Redroot - Untitled
16. Redroot - Shanendoah
17. Redroot - Lady And Water
18. Redroot - Shadow Eyes
19. Redroot - Distraught Prescot

For fingering

For buying

Sensible Nectar + Gorgonized Dorks - Split c62

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I recently came in contact with some Sensible Nectar stuff, which was as good as the project's name. It had a bit of everything in it, which makes it fun to listen to.

This jam-packed cassette presents some of Sensible Nectar's most introspective and creative recordings yet as well as the latest works by the seasoned Gorgonized Dorks from Culver City, CA. With lyrics extremely political in nature, Justin Marc Lloyd of Sensible Nectar manages to drag you up and down the entire spectrum of harsh noise and nauseating psychedelia, complimented by the Dorks' masterpiece of frustrating and face-melting synth and feedback blasts, all the while living up to their reputation for being one of the craziest two-pieces in all the universe. Hand-stamped, black and purple, carefully spray-painted cassettes individually packaged with full-color cut-outs from a 1990's cat book. Each insert is unique and cute as well as disturbing depending on the nature of the photo. Lyrics and track information inside.

Released: Rainbow Bridge Recordings, April 2010, limited to 39.

01. Sensible Nectar - Apathy
02. Sensible Nectar - Painful Consequences
03. Sensible Nectar - Programmed To Profit
04. Sensible Nectar - Have A Nice World War
05. Sensible Nectar - Plagues For Breakfast
06. Gorgonized Dorks - Untitled
07. Gorgonized Dorks - Untitled
08. Gorgonized Dorks - Untitled
09. Gorgonized Dorks - Untitled
10. Gorgonized Dorks - Untitled

For fingering

For buying

Black Sun Aeon - Routa

Some Heavy Metal for a change. I hope to refrain from posting albums by bands that are too popular right now, especially concerning the metal and rock genres. But more unknown bands like this one could use some free promotion.
Promotion you say?
Yes, the person behind Black Sun Aeon himself has released an illegal prerelease copy on the internets, because he believes that without it, few people would actually listen to his music, let alone knwo if they like it and want to buy a physical copy.

This is some very classy doom death metal. I would love to compare this to My Dying Bride, my favourite doom death band, but BSA sounds nothing like MDB.They have a very bass-driven guitar sound, some necessary teareautiful riffing and some excellent deep grunts. The only thing that put me off was the pronunciation of the clean sung parts. I know, I'm a nitpicker, but stil..

Released: Cyclone Empire, March 2010.

CD 1

01. Core of Winter
02. Frozen
03. Sorrowsong
04. Routa
05. Wreath of Ice
06. Dead Sun Aeon
07. Cold

CD 2

01. Funeral of World
02. River
03. Frozen Kingdom
04. Wanderer
05. The Beast
06. Silence
07. Apocalyptic Reveries

Finger Disc 1
Finger Disc 2

For buying

Thursday, 22 April 2010

Danny Elfman - Alice In Wonderland

Something lighter now. Danny Elfman brings another one of his choir-driven Burton teengoth melting soundtracks. This is still relatively new, unfortunately it sounds pretty much the same as his previous work, but less good actually. You'll find out he repeats the main theme far too often and seems to want to stay on the path he already walked upon. He isn't open for change anymore, I think he's far too set in his ways now to still come up with something fresh and interesting. It all started going downhill with the Charlie & the Chocolate factory soundtrack and he hasn't been able to pull himself straight up until now.
It's not that his previous work is bad, au contraire, those were instant classics, but you can't keep composing the same routines over and over again, that would be like when a painter will only paint the same geometric figures, but only in different colours and texture.

There were nonetheless still some enjoyable parts, but the "Alice.. oooOOOHH Alice" got quite a bit annoying.

Released: Walt Disney Records, March 2010.

01. Alice's Theme
02. Little Alice
03. Proposal/Down The Hole
04. Doors
05. Drink Me
06. Into The Garden
07. Alice Reprise #1
08. Bandersnatched
09. Finding Absolem
10. Alice Reprise #2
11. The Cheshire Cat
12. Alice And Bayard's Journey
13. Alice Reprise #3
14. Alice Escapes
15. The White Queen
16. Only A Dream
17. The Dungeon
18. Alice Decides
19. Alice Reprise #4
20. Going To Battle
21. The Final Confrontation
22. Blood Of The Jabberwocky
23. Alice Returns
24. Alice Reprise #5

For fingering

For buying

previously posted:
1989: Danny Elfman - Batman
1992: Danny Elfman - Batman Returns
2009: Debroah Lurie & Danny Elfman - 9

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

Ok, I'm doing some other albums after this. As much as I love Final Fantasy music, it's a bit too much for me to do at once. I'm not enjoying it anymore. So after this one, I'll take a little brake from FF-posting.
We're going out with a bang though. I simply love the movie and its soundtrack. FF:AC is more showing of Square's amazing animation talents than actual storytelling, but when you watch it with that in mind, you can't do anything but melt as the images float through your tv screen. And the soundtrack's only purpose seems te be nothing more than add extra tension to the film's already intense action sequences. Hard guitars, hard frantic beats, hard everything, even hard choir. It's awesome.

Released: September 2005.

CD 1

01. Opening
02. The Promised Land
03. Beyond the Wasteland
04. Sign
05. Tifa's Theme (Piano Version)
06. For the Reunion
07. Let the Battles Begin! (Piano Version)
08. Water
09. Materia
10. Black Water
11. Aerith's Theme (Piano Version)
12. Battle in the Forgotten City
13. Violator
14. The North Cave (FFVII AC Version)

CD 2

01. Divinity I
02. Let the Battles Begin! (FFVII AC Version)
03. Fight On! (FFVII AC Version)
04. Divinity II
05. Encounter
06. The Chase of Highway
07. Savior
08. Jenova (FFVII AC Version)
09. Advent: One-Winged Angel
10. Cloud Smiles
11. End Credits
12. Calling

Tuesday, 13 April 2010

Takeharu Ishimoto - Final Fantasy VII - Before Crisis & Last Order

In my opinion, the Last Order animated short was amazing, it had a solid soundtrack and a well-told storyline. Most of that is due to the original, the main Final Fantasy game, where it derives most of its story and its scoring, but there are some finer aspects you didn't get to see or hear in the game itself. And that's always a plus.

Released: Square Enix, December 2007.

01. Theme of Turks (BC-FFVII-Version)
02. Mission
03. Survive
04. Secret Action
05. Theme of Elfe
06. Black Beat
07. Desperate Crisis
08. Last Labyrinth
09. Rebirth
10. Theme of Elfe (Angel)
11. Theme of Elfe (Devil)
12. Rebirth (Edit)
13. 1st Climax
14. Cremation
15. Pride of Soldier
16. Pursuit
17. Beyond the Death (From Theme of Tifa)
18. Frenzy of Steel
19. Sneak Attack
20. Decision
21. Serious Attack
22. Brief Reunion (From Theme of Tifa)
23. The Truth in the Dark
24. Theme of Turks 2005
25. Dear Friend
26. Last Order
27. Last Order (Edit)

Thursday, 8 April 2010

Takeharu Ishimoto - Final Fantasy VII - Crisis Core

I have no psp, which is too bad, because I actually want to play this game, it seems like a lot of fun. If anyone ever finds some sort of psp-emulator send me a non-descreet message! Yarr!
It's strikes me as weird though, that this game, which couldn't be all that much larger than let's say Final Fantasy IV, has more soundtrack. Does this mean that they're pushing too hard on the scoring? Perhaps they realize that a soundtrack to a Final Fantasy game has a great business potential, so they milk it dry by putting perhaps too much music in the game.
Well, I can't really have an honest opinion in this, as I haven't played it yet, but it certainly feeled that way too me. We all love a large amount of music, but as a Final Fantasy gamer, I want to be able to still humm along to the music just by playing the game, not because I bought (or downloaded) the soundtrack..

Released: Warner Music Japan, October 2007.

CD 1

01. Memory Fragments - DMW
02. Crisis Core Theme - Succession
03. Begin Mission
04. First Mission (from FFVII 'Opening - Bombing Mission')
05. Mako City
06. Vigilant Night
07. Encounter
08. Crisis Core Theme - Dreams and Honor
09. Last Order-Crisis Mix (From Last Order FFVII)
10. The Terrible Truth
11. Roaming in the Afternoon Sun
12. Conflict
13. The Iron Beast
14. Crisis Core Theme - Under the Apple Tree
15. The Summoned (From FFVII 'Fight on!')
16. Burden to Bear
17. Timely Ambush (From FFVII 'Let the Battles Begin!')
18. Dark Suits (From FFVII 'Turks' Theme')
19. Pipes and Steel (From Last Order FFVII)
20. Combat
21. Crisis Core Theme - The Scars That Remain
22. A Flower Blooming In the Slums (From FFVII 'Aerith's Theme')
23. Eyes the Color of the Sky
24. Crisis Core Theme - Protect Your Honor
25. Anguish
26. March Through Harsh Terrain (From Last Order FFVII)
27. A Moment of Camaraderie
28. Black Wing Unfurled
29. Crisis Core Theme - True Motives
30. No Honor Remains
31. Why (CCFFVII Mix)

CD 2

01. Where Light Does Not Reach
02. New Developments
03. Mako Monopoly (From FFVII 'Shinra Company')
04. Crisis Core Theme - New Assignment
05. The Shrouded Village (From FFVII 'Heart of Anxiety')
06. Parting of Ways
07. The Ominous Mansion
08. A Brief Rest
09. Prelude to Destruction
10. Vengeance on the World (From FFVII 'One-Winged Angel')
11. Night of Seclusion
12. Duty and Friendship
13. Crisis Core Theme - Blazing Through the Battlefield
14. Escape into the Wasteland
15. Resolution
16. Wandering under the Moonlight
17. The Water's Surface
18. Howling Abominations
19. The Planet Has Become My Guardian
20. The SOLDIER Way
21. The Price of Freedom
22. Why
23. Living Legacy
24. To Be Continued (From FFVII 'Opening - Bombing Mission')

Wednesday, 7 April 2010

Masashi Hamauzu - Final Fantasy VII - Dirge of Cerberus Multiplayer Mode

This album contains tracks that didn't appear on the single-player game. I quite honestly never knew about a multiplayer option in this game, not until I saw there was a soundtrack released for it. I have no idea how that works though, do you both play as Vincent..? o_0"
This is by far the hardest entry in the FF-soundtrack series I've encountered, perhaps the thought "two sets of guns equals double the volume" or something like that. I like it, but it didn't sound very Final Fantasy to me, call me old-fashioned but I like my classics well taken care of.
It was only released through download, why I couldn't find any larger cover art is beyond me..

Released: Square Enix Music, 2006.

01. Turks 101
02. Song of the Gathered
03. Final Briefing
04. Underground Complex
05. Fierce Battle
06. Time Limit
07. Bad Feeling
08. Wild Pack
09. Immaculate Frenzy
10. Pegasus Riders
11. Meeting in the Rain
12. Heavy Armored Soldier
13. Lucrecia's Research
14. Flying High
15. Pure Stream
16. Train Graveyard
17. Central Complex
18. Uncontrollable Darkness
19. True Beast
20. Crumbling Mind
21. Attack on Midgar
22. Redeem the World
23. Outskirts of Fight
24. Combat Results
25. Restrictor
26. First Encounters
27. Dark Feelings

Tuesday, 6 April 2010

Masashi Hamauzu - Final Fantasy VII: Dirge Of Cerberus

I have not played this game, I intend to, but after I played all the other Final Fantasy games. The character Vincent Valentine is a good one to base an enitre game upon, but the gameplay itself lacks appeal.
The soundtrack was also not that good, not for the titel it falls under that is, FFVII received to much praise for this soundtrack to ever get close to its predecessor's fame and quality.

Released: 2006.

CD 1

01. Flicker
02. Calm Before the Storm
03. Trigger Situation
04. Prologue of "Dirge of Cerberus"
05. Fragment of Memory
06. Fearful Happening
07. WRO March
08. Azul the Cerulean
09. Fight Tune "Arms of Shinra
10. Abhorrence Whirls
11. Silent Edge
12. Undulation
13. Counteroffensive
14. Ten Year Reunion
15. Fight Tune "Girl Named Shelke"
16. Fight Tune "Killing One Another"
17. Uneasy Feelings
18. Memories with Lucrecia
19. Sneaky Cait Sith
20. Darkness
21. Lifestream
22. Rosso the Crimson
23. Mysterious Ninja
24. Ninja Girl of Wutai
25. Sudden Parting
26. Discovery in Sadness
27. A Proposal
28. High-Spirited
29. Return to the Subject
30. Marching Tune #0

CD 2

01. Return to the Origin
02. Marching Tune
03. Fight Tune "Crimson Impact"
04. Under a Full Moon
05. Trespasser
06. Transformation into Chaos
07. Splinter of Sadness
08. Deep Darkness of Shinra
09. Lucrecia Crescent
10. Forgotten Tears
11. Fight Tune "Messenger of the Dark"
12. Awakening
13. Fight Tune "The Immaculate"
14. Finally Reborn
15. The Last SND
16. Everyone's Help
17. Longing
18. Terminus
19. Quickening
20. Death and Rebirth
21. Chaotic End
22. Redemption
23. Hope of the Future

Nobuo Uematsu - Final Fantasy VII

This is it. It ain't my favourite entry in the series, but the internets gave me reason to believe it sure is everyone else's. I do have to admit that it comes to a second place, but my FF numero uno is still to come.
Musically, this is solid. For me, this is what set the standards on every Final fantasy soundtrack, even the ones from previously released games, just because this one is the first one to truly feel like it is complete. Nothing that Nobuo Uematsu could have composed extra would have fit in, every published track on these discs has its own purpose, its own addition to the whole of the soundtrack, the whole of the game, the story is told completely, so there could be no extra things to tell us.
If you haven't downloaded any of the other soundtracks, I do recommend you to download this one.

Released: Digicube, 1997.

Disc 1

01. The Prelude
02. Opening - Bombing Mission
03. Mako Reactor
04. Heart of Anxiety
05. Tifa's Theme
06. Barret's Theme
07. Hurry!
08. Lurking in the Darkness
09. Shinra Company
10. Let the Battles Begin!
11. Fanfare
12. Flowers Blooming in the Church
13. Turks' Theme
14. Under the Rotting Pizza
15. The Oppressed
16. Honeybee Inn
17. Who...Are You?
18. Don of the Slums
19. Infiltrating Shinra
20. Fight On!
21. Red XIII's Theme
22. Crazy Motorcycle
23. Dear to the Heart

Disc2

01. Main Theme of Final Fantasy VII
02. On Our Way
03. Good Night, Until Tomorrow
04. On That Day, Five Years Ago
05. Farm Boy
06. Waltz de Chocobo
07. Electric de Chocobo
08. Cinco de Chocobo
09. In Search of the Man in Black
10. Fort Condor
11. Rufus's Welcoming Ceremony
12. It's Hard to Stand on Both Feet!
13. Trail of Blood
14. J-E-N-O-V-A
15. Continue
16. Costa del Sol
17. Mark of a Traitor
18. Mining Town
19. Gold Saucer
20. Cait Sith's Theme
21. Desert Wasteland

Disc3

01. Cosmo Canyon
02. Lifestream
03. The Great Warrior
04. Descendant of Shinobi
05. Those Chosen by the Planet
06. The Nightmare Begins
07. Cid's Theme
08. Steal the Tiny Bronco!
09. Wutai
10. Stolen Materia
11. Racing Chocobos - Place Your Bets!
12. Fiddle de Chocobo
13. Jackpot!
14. Tango of Tears
15. Debut
16. Words Drowned by Fireworks
17. Forested Temple
18. Listen to the Cries of the Planet
19. Aerith's Theme
20. Buried in Snow
21. The North Cave
22. Reunion
23. Who... Am I?

Disc4

01. Shinra's Full-Scale Assault
02. Attack of the Weapon
03. The Highwind Takes to the Skies
04. Secret of the Deep Sea
05. Provincial Town
06. From the Edge of Despair
07. Other Side of the Mountain
08. Hurry Up!
09. Launching a Dream into Space
10. Countdown
11. Open Your Heart
12. Mako Cannon - The Destruction of Shinra
13. Judgment Day
14. JENOVA Absolute
15. Birth of a God
16. One-Winged Angel
17. The Planet's Crisis
18. Staff Roll

Avast!

With a hay hay ho and a bottle of rum, I welcome ye to me treasure cove, aye! With me trusty ship I buccaneered lots of good tunes and sounds, ready to be shared with only the finest swashbucklers this here crew has ever seen.
Let it be known though: it is not for keeps, it is for fingering only! If I see one of you scurvy bilge rats leave with one of me pearls in yer pockets, I shall have you keelhauled before ye can even say "Shiver m..."!

For Bands/labels:
You can always send me stuff to promote at draeganlunacrivassan[at]gmail[dot]com. If you want stuff removed from the blog, just say so, savvy?

Removed on request:
Black Mayonnaise - Unseen Collaborator
Boris
Swashbuckle