Capsule Playlist: Summer Week Three
it’s more easy than it is difficult to find music that pulls on the emotional strings. finding the right songs to fit the evening river walk concept while gearing into diversity was a bit of a challenge. it even involved a bit of cheating. in so far as i recalled on songs that have already been reviewed through albums on the site. but i don’t imagine that will be much of a problem, who is going to listen to every single album after a review anyway? with that said, i think this list of music covers a nice range of solemn to the optimistic to the heartbroken. you don’t need to look into it too much, it’s simply the kind of music i would enjoy on an evening stroll beside a gorgeous river at sunset.
Aru Machi no Gunjō 「或る街の群青」by ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION
in the twilight of a crowded city, this really shines. it attempts to capture solitary loneliness in a populated place. the atmosphere of the song sets the stage for the eventual volatile chain reaction kicked off by the detonation of the band. a long time favorite, “Aru Machi no Gunjō” has been creating a very specific type of atmosphere for me since high school. one that encapsulates the mysterious kind of feeling experienced at the turn of the day, when the light grows grey. the power of the song remains unmatched.
Mayoiga 「マヨイガ」 by Hitsujibungaku
i’ve been obsessed with Hitsujibungaku for a more than a while now. and while i would love to reference “more than words” it might be a more appropriate call out for a later feature. for now i wanted to exhibit one of their greatest tracks, which is all but guaranteed to be unknown on this side of the earth. what a travesty. “Mayoiga” feels like perpetual evening to me. the warm sun colliding with cool air off the water, an obtuse sort of existence that is better left unfounded. the harder you try to capture the moment, whether through camera or written word, the sooner it will be gone. you might as well enjoy the fleeting moment as it is. and impressive feat to capture such a feeling into one song. (by my account anyway)
Dead End by Gen Hoshino
where Gen Hishino’s “Comedy” fits so perfectly in the adventure of a sunny love-struck day, “Dead End” fits into the other half of the same coin. i have a special place for this song, being the first review for this site, but above all of that, it finds catharsis in recognition. in the dying day’s last light Gen Hoshino unearths hard truths and poignant emotion. a song potent enough to drop a tear, the transitional period of evening can be a great boon or a terrible bane. or both.
JANE DOE by Hikaru Utada
i wanted to continue the indie rock train for a bit longer. it feels appropriate when talking about music that is meant for the beach. with less than 100k monthly listeners on Spotify, rubens makes the list as another band worth a look. i really like how the song feels both grounded and groovy. “Kaze o Tomenaide” is an earworm familiar with many local bands around my own residence. the jam band and power guitar riffs are an indie staple. however they coincide with Japanese pop lyricism, taking the song into something more summer friendly.
Marginalia #72 by Masaktasu Takagi
this list really is getting personal. time for a story. in the last days of the the most wonderful trip of my life, to Japan of course, did i hear the most gorgeous (and i really mean gorgeous) sound i have ever heard. in the country side of Hakone, the summer cicadas came to life. it would take a while to properly describe, but suffice to say their chirping thoroughly enveloped the forest in completeness. it was a humbling experience. the hour before nightfall the forest came to life as the sound, as present in this track, overcame the whole atmosphere. i wonder if there has ever been anything as beautiful and complete as this sound here. for me, there hasn’t. it felt correct to put this one here. especially in the theme of summer and evenings. not to mention powerful emotion.
Kuzuri - Live in Studio_Warm Storage by ZUTOMAYO
taking the list into a lighter form, “Kuzuri” exudes warmth. especially after the last handful of heavy songs… i wanted to include this song because it embraces the lighter and more gentle side of an evening. it doesn’t always have to be so dramatic. ZUTOMAYO explores very emotional concepts here but it never feels too harsh. in the minutes of the song, everything feels golden despite the strain. the optimism fuels a different kind of intense emotional output found around this time. one that i would rather spend my time with.
Shiosai「潮騒」by ROUND TABLE feat. Nino
one of the few songs i knew for sure where to place in this special edition, “Shiosai” captures the sadness and hope only found in the the very setting this week is placed. in my mind (maybe i’ve seen too much anime) “Shiosai” feels perhaps the most at home in this feature. it feels the right amount of sorrowful, of happy, of nostalgic, of forlorn, of willful. Nino continues to have a way of expressing the most minute and imprecise feelings funneled into one performance. an act i doubt i will ever grow tired of. i love her voice and her expression, for the thoughtful evening, Nino feels exactly right.
Ren’ai Shashin / “Love Photograph” 「恋愛写真」by Ai Otsuka
i debated adding this one, it’s a bit schmoozy, but i can’t help but enjoy it’s schmooziness. i think it’s okay to have a sad love song, that’s a bit over the top. even for all its rote effort, i can’t help but be charmed by its over-the-top Japanese-ness. it’s also a song i would jump at the chance to listen to during this time of day. for me, it captures a small moment found in a certain day’s end. if you’ve felt it, then you’ll know.
let go by m-flo feat. YOSHIKA
as the day falls to night, the sun sinks beneath he horizon, emotion flares and memories excite into motion, the stars glimmer in dark space above. night approaches. i think “let go” meets the late evening feeling where day meets night. but it’s not just a simple transition. behind the scenes we recall and reconcile, even if we don’t notice it. m-flo takes this transition to completion. a song that feels both sunset and early night. this whole week has been an exploration of memory and emotion, a collection of uncertain existence. “let go” feels like the right song to guide the final drifting thought into night. something about it exemplifies this week into one meaningful song. i’ll see you next week.
written by
Marcus Landeros
— see the full list here —
