Saint Pepsi - Fall Harder

http://soundcloud.com/carparkrecords/saint-pepsi-fall-harder-1

Hello everyone! I apologize for my absence as of late, as I have been quite busy these past few weeks. I just wanted to make one last post of the official summer season, as I begin my senior year of high school tomorrow morning! I'm starting to feel many bittersweet mixes of emotions, nostalgia colliding with the opportunities that are swiftly approaching with the next chapter of my life. I have been incredibly blessed this summer from being called on mission to Ecuador, to seeing the Grand Canyon, to dipping my feet in West Coast water for the first time in my life. I have made so many unforgettable, invaluable memories with my family and friends, and I thank God for all of the opportunities He has given me these past three months.

As the sun sets on my final day of this adventure, I feel like this gem by--the one, the only--Saint Pepsi, is a great track to close with. The airy strum of the guitar and steady but subdued drums are just enough to keep the track skipping right along. Add in some classic Saint Pepsi vibes with some old-school synths and wonderfully sweet vocals and lyrics, and a beautiful picture of a sunset over the desert on a road trip begins to form right before your eyes. The chords in this song are spot-on for those end of summer vibes. It's relaxed, sweet, happy and nostalgic, yet the track also has a sadness about it: the sadness of knowing that an amazing chapter of your life is coming to a close. There's not much more I can say about this track, and the song can speak for itself. This track, and really this whole summer has got me under her spell, and baby, I couldn't fall harder.

I cannot thank you all enough for following me on this musical journey we've gone one together, and it every day brightened my day to see that I was able to reach out and connect with you all and to share my musical discoveries with you. I hope you've got something good out of following this blog, and I hope it will continue to enrich your lives. Thank you again for listening to my thoughts spill out here. It truly means more than I can express.

Thanks again for tuning in, and as always, enjoy!

Amazing Grace.

Amazing Grace,
How sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch
Like me.
I once was lost, but now,
I'm found.
Was blind, but now,
I see.

T'was Grace that taught
 my heart to fear.
And Grace,
my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

My chains are gone,
I've been set free!
My God, my Savior, has ransomed me!
and like a flood,
His mercy reigns.
unending love,
amazing grace.

The Lord has promised
good to me.
His word, my hope, secures.
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.

My chains are gone,
I've been set free!
My God, my Savior, has ransomed me!
And like a flood,
His mercy reigns.
Unending love,
amazing grace.

My chains are gone,
I've been set free!
My God, my Savior, has ransomed me!
And like a flood,
His mercy reigns.
Unending love,
amazing grace.

The earth shall soon
dissolve like snow.
The sun forbear to shine.
But God, who called
me here below,
will be forever mine.
Will be forever mine.
You are forever mine.

Max Elto - Backyard Animals

Max Elto - Backyard Animals: http://youtu.be/1ehxukMAoe0

This piece has a very dark, urban feel to it, between the low but incessant acoustic guitar and the thumping heartbeat of the bass drum. It may appear muffled or even subdued at first, but listen closer: there us much more energy hidden in this track than you may realize; hopefully you feel what I mean when you hear Alto's staticy vocals kick in.

The impression I get from this track overall is that of an deadly alpha predator: think jaguar, panther, tiger, etc. The piece gradually saunters down the sidewalk, never breaking it's stare on its target,  yet still knowing that it doesn't have anything to prove by rushing ahead. The vocals seem to have a shamelessly nonchalant attitude to them, almost daring one of the pedestrians passing by to make a move. This piece knows what it came for, and it knows exactly how to get it. At the end of the day, this piece has captured the idea that just because a jungle is made out of concrete instead of trees doesn't mean it is without a food chain--and a backyard animal at the top of it.

Hopefully you'll enjoy this piece as well, and you should expect more great underground chillout to be coming it's way to the Prescott Music soon! Enjoy!

.nebula - L A S T S U M M E R

http://soundcloud.com/dotnebula/l-a-s-t-s-u-m-m-e-r

I haven't posted too much vaporwave related tracks lately, as i have been on quite the trip with indie Asian-Pop! Don't think this means I won't be posting anything else from those genres, I'm just moving on to some different works at this point. Like it or not, Asian-Pop will be back!

Anyways, I love this track! .nebula is a hidden gem I just unearthed today, and this track really caught my attention amidst the vast number of tracks I sift through daily. What I love about this track is that it has a truly classic vaporwave feel to it, while seemingly giving a couple nods to some of the more prominent and influential vaporwave artists of the recent past.

First off, the build up at the beginning is great, and it's quintessential in order for the mainline hit to have the effect it does. Also, I love how the build up has a floating, distant feel to it, and it swiftly descends and touches down with an awesome sidechained mainline! .nebula immediately caught my attention with the driving, funky beat and that epic saxophone theme! As you may know, I play and absolutely love the saxophone, and I love how .nebula gave the sax a line that usually would be given to an electric guitar. However, don't lose interest yet, because guess what? He does give the same line to an electric guitar later on! This is perfect proof that musically, .nebula really has a handle on what he's doing.

The groups I find .nebula to be referencing is Saint Pepsi, with his unforgettable classic album Hit Vibes, and Macross 82-99, with his slammin' album Neo Tokyo--specifically Big City Nights. Both of these are to of my all-time favorite vaporwave albums, and .nebula really carries the funk these other two vaporwave legends forged in the past. Enjoy!

HIGH4, Lim Kim - A Little Close

HIGH4, Lim Kim - A Little Close Lyrics [Rom/Han/E…: http://youtu.be/LynPEoYWEos

Here is another great example of how underground K-Pop artists do an amazing job of creating a unique sound. From the first syncopated notes from the electric piano,  you can tell it's going to be a smooth tune. However, it does begin to pick up pace, and a fantastic drum kit gives this song the dash of hip-hop vibes it needs to keep you interested. However, just when you think you have figured out how the vocals of this song were going to be--Lim Kim starts singing. The guys of HIGH4 have fairly predictable sounds to their voices,  but her's is something truly amazing. The hushed, almost whispered tones, swooping tonal changes and the feel of a 1920's jazz starlet instantly reminded me of Lana del Rey, one of my favorite female vocalists. Kim's voice, in contrast to the four male voices, creates a musical illustration which truly stands out. Enjoy! 

[MV] 에디킴 Eddy Kim - 2 Years Apart (Official)

All right, I have to admit, this track has got me captured. I hope you recognize how different yet still amazing this track is compared to most other songs I've posted here before, as this song is entirely acoustic (save the editing process). What I love about this track also addresses a musical design choice that I relish: minimalism. Eddie Kim is beyond stellar on the guitar; if you don't believe me, just take a second and listen to some of his work. I love how this song shows he is totally comfortable producing within the musical styles and instruments he is inherently gifted at and drawn towards. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing complex compositions which blend many different elements, but that's only one side of the musical spectrum. A song can be just as touching and lovable with elements as seemingly simple as a rhythm guitar, a shaker and a drum box. Even his vocals feature solely his voice and his own harmonics.

 In the end, the mastering for this track creates an intimate and crystal clear sound which makes you feel as if your sitting right there with him on a street corner or in a coffee shop, hearing him perform. Once again, indie K-Pop has successfully delivered another song with a fantastic lyrical journey about relationship tensions and mysteries, yet in a fresh, interesting way. So, I again strongly recommend turning on the subtitles, as knowing what he is singing about really adds another level of depth to the track. I'm going to do whatever I need to get the proper download for this track, as I totally believe this is a perfect song for contemplative adventures out and about, as seen in the video; I suggest you do the same! Enjoy!

[MV] 2BiC(투빅) _ Love Game(요즘 바쁜가봐)

Here is another great tune from one of my top-favorite K-Pop artists, 2BiC. I love how they chose to have the focus instrument for this song to be the piano. What makes me love the piano all the more is how its sound delicately balances a mix of the timeless feel of an acoustic jazz piano with the warmth and softness of an electric piano. As this instrument leads above all others in the track, it was crucial in production to make it sound different, refreshing, truly unique--all of which are elements I need to hear in any musical work. I believe that 2BiC did a great job composing the whole feel of the song, making the tempo, chords and rhythms light, playful--even flirtatious--which in turn is reflected in the choice of lyrics. The lyrics in this song illustrate the troubles (and comedies) of a relationship where all of a sudden, one of them suddenly begins to realize that a best friend, possibly from childhood, has begun to bloom into maybe, just maybe, something more. However both seem to be getting mixed signals, as they fumble to figure out how to take the next steps together. It really captures a sweet picture of an innocent romance, but more deeply, true and unconditional companionship despite fleeting emotions and whims. I love this song, and I hope you will too! Enjoy!