Fuck bricks, you can say what you want about the Japanese, but they are nothing if not deviously clever with technology.
See this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTXO7KGHtjI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmSoLpzhqUk
That is a live concert with No one actually performing the vocals. That's Vocaloid plus SOLID Holographic projection, with a guy on guitar and two guys on Synths/ drums.
How's that for mind blowing?
The sheer magnitude of the applications of this kind of technology are literally endless.Sure, we've all imagined those standard Star-Wars-esque telecommunication devices, but what about using the stuff to make an otherwise empty room appear to contain a small crowd? What about things like creating whole holographic diversions for a fraction of the price of actually doing the same of actual material? So, Japan, I tip
my hat at thy and raise my glass on high.
Speaking of Japan, let's have a look into non-synthetic music for a second.
I love music, music is awesome. Almost everything from classical to Urban (though with the latter, it's treated more case-by-case), it's all game. Everyone as a home genre, some sect of music that they inescapably latch to. For, me, as no surprise, it's Ska, and I am willing to share my passion with anyone who'll give me 5 minutes.
Now, I wasn't actually aware that Japan had a scene for this stuff, but after following a trail of breadcrumbs left through comments around the interhighways, I came to this exact realisation. What's more, it's a reasonably robust ska scene in Nipponland, which makes me just that much more curious to delve in and see what's on offer.
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, The Sideburns, Blue Beat Players, it's all great stuff and a real embracing of all 3 eras of the music. However, I wanted to bring to the table one band to the table today - Ore Ska Band (Literally- We're a Ska Band). They're a real treat, playing some tapping tunes which draw mostly from that classic two-tone sound, with some nice brassy horn lines. This, combined with three part harmonies and that flat out over-syllabic tendancy of the language, create one of those things you have to hear to appreciate.
Do the lyrics match the music? I have no god damned clue, I don't speak the moonrunes. Although, this band has given me the one reason to bother learning. To hell with Anime, stuff for kicks or other pretentious cloaked intentions, I want to know what they're singing about, just to bring that level of understanding up a notch. That being said, not knowing does not by any means diminish the listening experience, it's music that just beckons to be danced to.
Another point to bring up, OSB are one of only a handful of bands that play the genre that I know of that have started well after the late 90's "Summer of Ska". Just saying.
That's it for me for the first time in several months. Expect the uptick to increase as we get closer to the D (tm)
Also, while we're here- Sergio Mendez & Brasil '66 - this is required listening.
