Hobbies Use this thread to gush about things you absolutely love

[bdt2002]

Slowly over the course of this month, I've been feeling more and more... I guess you could say "in a slump" for reasons I just posted about in a different thread. I'd like to think I do a pretty decent job at covering up my consistent disappointment and just... empty feelings I have every now and then in most of my posts, but when push comes to shove, sometimes we just feel like a massive void of... nothing, really. Not really "good", but far from truly "bad" either. At some point I decided I wanted to make an extensive post about my favorite Pokémon game- scratch that, one of my most personal-feeling video games ever made, but I decided it probably wouldn't be appropriate or even all that fitting to dedicate an entire post or an entire thread to that. Thread etiquette is something I wanted to improve on going into and through 2024, but even so... it's hard to deny the enjoyable rush that comes from being allowed to talk extensively about things you love and what they're so incredible.

It's a feeling that almost anyone can relate to and enjoy, and there's a legitimate argument to be made that doing so might actually be a benefit to one's mental health if handled properly, almost like some weird but extremely effective form of positive reinforcement. That's largely because talking about the things you enjoy can help you train your mind to look for the positive sides of any given situation since your mind will associate your interests with positive emotional reactions. Eventually, you can get to the point where you can learn to appreciate... pretty much anything, at least in theory. I'm not sure how many people I can speak on account of here, but I know that at least for me, posting with a positive mindset helps me to understand things I may have otherwise become far less comfortable with.

There's just one teeny, tiny problem with this idea. What if there's nowhere appropriate to write such a post, especially if you spent a lot of time carefully planning what you wanted to say and how to present your opinions to a larger audience? Like I mentioned earlier, I could have posted elsewhere about my favorite Pokémon game, but for the sake of me wanting to follow thread rules across the Forums, I decided against it. And you know what they say about the solutions to problems- if you can't find a solution to something, than become the solution. And, well, that's how I came up with this thread idea. Whether you've been looking for a place to "gush" about something because it's just that awesome or you need a place to talk positively about a negative topic, this should hopefully be the thread for you. Per usual, I am going to encourage everyone to review the thread rules and posting rules before posting, just so I can try and make the moderators' lives a little easier on them. Happy posting, everyone!

 

[Magic Mayhem Maiden]

I am insane in ranking my favorite songs last year and I am going to do it again this year. I'm not sure, but I kinda feel alone in liking melodic and narrative songs (which ends up mostly as doujin electronic music from Japan), so I have a hard time finding favorites from other people. Anyways, last year it was Silentroom that immediately became my favorite artist, and this year Diverse System is tearing up my senses.

The album I want to talk about is AD:PIANO VIII -Alter-. I love piano as an instrument, and there's a whole series of piano-based compliation albums??? This is the second album in a trilogy of 7, 8, 9 (although why are the descriptors -Alternative-, -Alter-, then -Alt- ??). From the covers and artists I've heard about last year, I knew I would be at least interested.

Sadly I don't remember my first hearing of the album but I think it was decent enjoyment of the songs, with three standout songs. But over time, the songs have grown on me, and now I like 10 out of the 18 songs here! I don't think I'll like all of the songs, but this easily makes this one of my favorite albums right now, combined with the various emotions the tracklist takes you through.

Favorite Songs

I have a natural distinction between the top three and the other seven songs, so here's my top three songs for now:

#01. II.諦観 (by Feryquitous) - Sometimes being simple is good. I love the sound effects, the low grueling sounds, the sharp lash, and even the vocals which I generally don't like. Only thing is I would have liked a bit more brightness from the first song of the album considering the tracks that follow it, but that shouldn't come at the expense of the great dreary atmosphere in this song.
#17. Stigma (by Error Signal) - No this was not an immediate standout song. This song is very low-key and makes no sense (I still don't understand why it works for me), but I always find the second-to-last songs the most intriguing. Everything feels random yet deliberate at the same time, and it has a pretty chilling ending.
#04. Albireo (by BlackY) - Favorite song from the album. I immediately fell in love with this because of the unrivaled energy and unique piano runs. It follows two songs with some hints of energy and is followed by songs that go all out, so the position works well.

The other seven songs are #02. nihil, #03. Glimmer, #05. Celestial Intertwine, #06. 量子力学のためのピアノ協奏曲, #07. Frog Rappa, #12. Neglected Pianist, and #18. Requiem Cantata "祈り".
(yes I did like the first seven songs of the album)

I would recommend this album (and the rest of Diverse System), but I know people's tastes varies a lot. But anyways, thanks for listening to an excited rambling!

(I posted that in the Favorite Albums threads)
Update: I have ranked my favorite songs for 2023, #03. Glimmer improved a lot for me, and #18. Requiem Cantata "祈り" is now my favorite track from AD:PIANO VIII.

​

Alright it's time for the last album of that trilogy; still a compilation album. From the album cover and lineup of artists, I figured it would be similar to AD:PIANO VIII, a good thing. This time though, to create anticipation, I waited one week between each song of the album.

(side note: there is a song called Badass GigaForte)

I'll be honest though, it was not a pleasant experience. I had high hopes because of the previous album, but my anticipated songs did not deliver, the rest of them weren't impressive. #06. Chamber of Shackles is great, but pales in comparison to the previous album's top songs. The artists tried too hard structuring the songs, which made for a overly complex listen. I'm especially disappointed with #11. vacant.

That is, until:

But in the end it was worth it, because holy shit the last two songs of the album killed it. I waited from the beginning of the year to listen to these, and I am happy to say that these are my favorite songs of 2023.
#18. Osamu Kubota - A Voyage to Nowhere - Straight out of a movie orchestra. Starting as a journey out to the sea after everything has been lost and forgotten, slowly the waves become harsher and harsher. But, it turns out everything was just a mirage, and there is truly nothing in the vast, empty sea. It's the second-to-last track in the album, the most interesting track, and it has a memorable song name.
#19. Feryquitous - III.追想 - Reminiscence. I expected a somber, bittersweet song, which would already be great because the song design is excellent. But, no way it turns into a beautiful, happy ending. The realization that there's a vast field of flowers on the other side of the sea you crossed. The experience of walking through it in disbelief, and then, __________
Again, the context makes it better. It resembles I.回廊 (the first song of the entire trilogy); but more importantly, I had finished reading Made in Abyss, another gut-wrenching story. A theme I find in both of them is: even if the world is bleak and hopeless, there is a glimmer of happiness to be found. There is not a better ending to this album, and this entire trilogy, than this song.

If it weren't for the last two tracks, I would still remember this album. Even if it's lost in the messiness, great moments in many of the songs still exist. But, the last two tracks definitely make this one of my favorite albums. Overall though, I still prefer AD:PIANO VIII for being consistent and focused.

Two years passed since I've appreciated music as an art form. I am intrigued by the narrative crafted by the melody, sound design, and progression. And these two albums exemplify those ideals; the piano is not a genre but one instrument, and the album comes together to make one story.


Lastly, thank you to bdt2002 for making the thread!