Harmony! The Music of Sunday

"Music happens to be an art form that transcends language."
- Herbie Hancock

'Nuff said, really.





If you haven't taken the time to dedicate yourself to nothing but music, then maybe you should make today that day. Matter-of-fact: I order you to do it. By this, I don't mean that you should just sit back, tell every other task you have to perform to frak off, and listen to music - you can do that, too. Instead, pay attention to the music itself - the beats, the rhythms, the words, the whole thing in general.

And if you feel it necessary: rock out to it, too.

Today's one of those musical days, I think. Better that I just flush the music out of my system and onto you, methinks. Who knows? You just might find something interesting to listen to today. This is by no means a crappy attempt of making a "blog" blog - matter of fact, it's a nice thing to just listen to the music and see what everyone else is listening to. Makes for an interesting day, I think.

So sit back, relax, and immerse yourself in music - be it the many musical selections I've made today and in days past... or anything from your own personal library.

And for those of you who're about to ask: yes, today's entry title looks like a translated title card from a Japanese anime.





CURRENT MUSIC:
Girls' Generation - "Run Devil Run"
Run Devil Run

I wouldn't be surprised if you've never heard of Girls' Generation before - not many average Americans have. Known in their native Korean as So Nyuh Shi Dae (or SNSD), they're a nine-member girl group who've been quite popular in South Korea and Japan. They further prove the pop group "theorem" to be true:

Cute Girls/Guys + Catchy Music + A Danceable Beat + ??? = PROFIT

Now I don't know what the question mark would be. Eh. Who cares?

Anyway, I'm going to admit that "Run Devil Run" is a fun song to play. It's been one of a few songs that've been dominating my iPod whenever I've been driving, and there have been a few moments at work where I've been found dancing along to the music. Part of that has to do with the fact that I found a StepMania simfile of the song itself. (I currently hold an "AA" ranking on Challenge Mode. =D)


Bear McCreary - "Battlestar Sonatica"
Battlestar Galactica: Season 3 Original Soundtrack

As the third season began to have us focus more on the Cylons than we did in seasons one and two, it seemed befitting for them to have a leitmotif whenever the show decided to look at the toasters them for that part of the episode.

"Battlestar Sonatica" is a bit of a departure for what you'd normally expect a sci-fi television show's soundtrack to sound like. Then again... the entirety of Battlestar Galactica's music was a departure from traditional sci-fi soundtracks in the first place. Most villains would probably question the use of a solo piano for the entire piece. The Cylons? Eh, they probably loved it.

Played in a melancholic key (frak those minor keys - always so sad), this somber-sounding piece instantly sets you to think about things that normal humans wouldn't normally think about. I know: that sounded inhuman - but then again, Cylons are inhuman to begin with.

In both the official soundtrack and the link I provided for "Battlestar Sonatica," Bear McCreary himself is the one performing. After listening to it, you can probably see why I am now a fan of his work.


Junichi Nakatsuru - "Chain Reaction"
Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War Original Soundtrack

Sometimes things go wrong. Terribly wrong. So wrong, in fact, that if you don't address the issue fast, people die. And not just you - other people. People who've never done anything wrong to other people.

And then sometimes you realize it's just a fictional scenario, but the music brings you into the thought process that it just very well could be real. A surprise attack against a civilian airport? Although the tactical reasons are valid (those places are huge, so therefore they could easily become a major military airport in a pinch, so why not get rid of them?), the fact that it's an active civilian airport makes it a not-so-honorable idea in itself. Then again, war was never noble to begin with.

(Author's Note: Apologies for the YouTube video only having a left channel. =/)

I'm digressing here. "Chain Reaction" is perfect for those tense scenarios where things go horribly wrong and swift precision is instrumental to pulling a victory from the jaws of defeat. What really got me to pay attention to this track was a singular melody played by a piano on a very low octave (maybe low 2^nd or high 1^st?). I've rarely heard any piano go that low in a musical setting, so to hear that low octave melody there to heighten the drama of the attack just draws me to listen to the track.


Yoko Takahashi - "A Cruel Angel's Thesis"
Zankoku na Tenshi no These/FLY ME TO THE MOON

"A Cruel Angel's Thesis" is best known in Japanophile circles as the theme to the 1990s anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. This song is so recognizable and associated with Evangelion that people who've never seen the series even know what it's from.

Do you want to live up to be a legend bot for some reason you lack the confidence necessary to actually live up to be a legend? Then I think this song would be a perfect fit for you. (Although technically, it addresses a young/teenage guy... but eh.)

The link goes to a video of Neon Genesis Evangelion's opening credits, just in case you were wondering.





I'll be leaving you alone for the rest of the day. Just let yourself relax and pay attention to the music. Maybe it'll say something to you like it does to me. *shrugs*

Until the 'morrow, everyone.