A Crow Is White - Himitsu

Regardless of your taste in music, A Crow Is White has some talented animators behind their most recent music videos. Earlier this year, fake!fake! introduced us to the colorful and frantic style also seen in Himitsu, which thankfully looks just as amazing as it did the first time.

The song's groovy bassline and cute vocals really pop with the constantly morphing animation which makes it hard not to want more. The mesmerizing nature of morphing animation as the song progresses really nails it with the bright color choices.

Space Shower Music has been knocking it out of the park with their artists, and A Crow Is White does nothing but reinforce my love for the record label. It's a shame a majority of their music will remain unknown to most of the world, especially with the amount of effort and love put into accompanying animation like this. For merch and other info on the band, check out their website over here.

Starbomb's Smash! is a Ballad to Smash Bros' Brawlin'

Egoraptor and Danny Sexbomb's Starbomb project has always turned out some hilariously awesome videos in the past. The latest video for the lead single off of their next album titled Player Select is no different. Smash! captures the essence of what it's like watching Nintendo's host of colorful, iconic and unassuming mascots go head-to-head in a brutal crucible for supremacy. Danny's proclivity for hair metal power ballads and Egoraptor iconic deadpan-retorts make for a match made in music.

Mistwalker and Hironobu Sakaguchi's 'TERRA BATTLE' Has An Interesting Take On Crowdfunding (That soundtrack though)

I will always be a firm believer that Mistwalker's Lost Odyssey was one of the most underrated JRPGs of all time. Along with one of my favorite scores by the legendary Nobuo Uematsu, Lost Odyssey featured an incredibly moving story with character development that stood with the best (those flashback sequences still bring a tear to my eye).

With their followup The Last Story, also being highly underrated, I was became slightly worried for the studios future. Thankfully, it seems that the studio has found an interesting way at gathering funding for their game, by releasing a full game.

Rather than producing content based off of an initial Kickstarter campaign, the studio will instead be releasing future content for the already completed game depending on how well it sells, titling it as a 'download starter'. That means, if the game sells well enough, on top of the already beautiful art and soundtrack presented in the above trailer, we'll see even more characters and music. 

The game mechanics, while simplified for mobile devices, seem like an interesting twist on traditional turn-based JRPGs with a healthy mix of tactical RPGs thrown in. Using character placement and combo moves, it seems that the game will place heavy importance on team composition.

I won't lie when I say I'm rather skeptical of a mobile game, but it's apparent that the team at Mistwalker is incredibly passionate about this project. The game's beautiful art and soundtrack have definitely set me in the right mood, and the potential artists onboard have really got me hoping this campaign succeeds. Seriously, just look at the potential names on this project. A release date has yet to be announced, but it appears they're ramping up so definitely keep an eye out as this might be the last time we ever see a JRPG development team compromised of this many big names. I'm more than stoked.

Pokémon Gives Us A Dose Of Slowpoke Reggae With 'Yadon Ninen Ya no etc.'

You would think my time spent on the internet would have nulled any sense of surprised by now, but apparently not. It's not that Yadon Ninen Ya no etc. is weird per se, it's the fact that I've never correlated Reggae music with Slowpoke. It makes almost too much sense. To make sure that everyone is aware of the perfect match, Pokémon Japan's YouTube channel has uploaded the above music video which seems intent on improving everyone's day.

I will admit, the hordes of staring Slowpoke are a tad unnerving, but the chill accompanying track is destined to put you in a good Friday mood. Kick back and let Slowpoke peer into the depths of your soul, it's not nearly as awful feeling as you would expect.

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - "Kira Kira Killer"

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu will forever be one of my strangest guilty pleasures. I'm not generally into bubblegum Jpop, but there's something strangely addicting with her songs. While the production work of Capsule's Yasutaka Nakata definitely adds an awesome electronic charm to a lot of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's tracks, her ability to pull multiple influences into her fashion and concerts is absolutely incredible.

With her newest album Pikapika Fantasian set to debut on July 9th, her newest music video showcases the new single Kira Kira Killer. It may not be quite as catchy as everyone's favorite PonPonPon, but it's certainly an entertaining song to listen to with another crazy music video to add to her library.

Kyary's choice of fashion is equally as awesome as it is ridiculous, with a set of clothing that some would assume to be directly inspired by the Michelin man. Along with a crazy dance routine and a beautifully crafted animated world, Kira Kira Killer once again sets some high standards for Jpop musicians to hit with future music videos.

Plaid - Wallet

For those in need of a Friday morning chill session plug in your headphones, full screen this video and relax to the newest single by Plaid. With an overwhelming sense of soothing nostalgia, Wallet holds a similar feeling that many of the tracks Boards of Canada produces while still maintaining it's own sound. Plaid, like many Warp Record artists, does an excellent job at pushing the boundaries of their sound, continuously changing style and evolving electronic music in all the right ways.

If you get a chance and dig the tunes, I suggest giving the entire album Reachy Prints a go. It holds the same feeling of nostalgia as Wallet, it's pretty damn radical!

Pogo & Skye Remix Back To The Future With "Time Machine"

Following a multi-month hiatus of sorts, it seems like Aussie electro artist Christopher Bertke (Aka Pogo) is finally back with his latest cut copy remix of Back To The Future. Except this time around, it's a collaboration with Skye, an older personality on Youtube best known for a series of very popular Pokemon and Harry Potter tributes back in the day.

Using the same resequencing style that he's become famous for, Pogo used the same technique of recording small sounds, quotes and melodies to create new pieces of music synchronized to the footage it's extracted from. We've featured him enough times that he's earned his own tag, so if you're unfamiliar with his music go listen to a few of his awesome remixes.

A Crow Is White - "Fake!Fake!"

It's always pleasant to stumble onto an awesome piece of animation, even better if that animation is accompanied by an awesome song. Japanese band A Crow Is White is ramping up to release their 2nd mini-album June 4th and to get us hyped they've released this ridiculously adorable music video to go along with their single fake!fake!.

As you might already know I'm a giant sucker for bright colors and fake!fake! hits that sweet spot in a 3 minute and 24 second long animation of pure adorableness. Cuteness and pretty colors aside, the animation itself is an all-around awesome experience, providing the craziness you'd expect from Japan's animation talent while providing an awesome accompanying piece for the track's vibe. 

Don't even get me started on the music (yes, that's a good thing). As of recently I've fallen into a hole of Japanese pop and rock and I can't seem to find my way out. There's something incredibly upbeat and happy about J-rock/pop that I can't quite put my finger on, but as long as it keeps my tapping my feet I won't complain. 

Fake!fake!'s fast and poppy instrumentals are something to expect from an anime intro, but the accompanying vocals adds quite a lot more to song. Sure, A Crow Is White's vocalist might fall into that "kawaii" category you'd come to expect from a J-rock band, but they hold a somewhat soothing quality that melds well with the songs upbeat flavor.

It doesn't look like any plans for the mini-album are set outside of Japan, but if you'd like to find out more you can head over to their website here for more info on the band (as you'd expect, the website is in Japanese). 

Jon Lajoie Makes The Most Generic 'Commercial Song' Ever

It's been a while since French-Canadian comedian Jon Lajoie has gotten around to a new song, and while I've been enjoying his role on The League it's about time to see some new content from the satirical mind. Please Use This Song is every bit as catchy as it is true, providing a horribly generic song to accompany the depressing lyrics about the current state of the music industry. 

It never really occurred to me how overused xylophones are used in commercial music, but somehow this track really emphasized their horribleness without even making mention to it. I don't think I'll ever be able to able to enjoy them in a song again. 

Starbomb's BEST Zelda Rap EVER!!

The musical supergroup Starbomb, composed of Ninja Sex Party's Leigh Daniel Avidan and Brian Wecht along Arin Hanson (best known as Egoraptor) is back with another music video, and it's by far my favorite of those released thus far. Surprisingly it's not just because it's a Zelda-themed song (although that might contribute a tiny bit to my love for it).

One of my favorite parts of the Starbomb project is the group's dedication to bring in lesser known animators to get a chance in the spotlight. For It's Dangerous To Go Alone, animator Joel C's animation and stylistic choices are top notch and add to the overall ridiculousness of the track. The more ridiculous the song gets the better the animation seems to get and Joel C's style really adds to a song about an old man's "sword".

Ensemble ACJW's 43 Cartoon Theme Song Mashup Is An A+ Nostalgia Kick

We all need that weekly jolt to remind us how old we're getting, and what better day to do that than on a Wednesday? Ensemble ACJW has put together this incredible rendition of 43 theme songs ranging from the 80's up to the early 2000's. The medley performed in Carnegie Hall is fantastically composed and does an awesome job at massing up multiple themes while still keeping each of their identities intact.

I am warning you though, by the end of this you'll have at least three theme songs stuck in your head. I still haven't gotten ride of the Gummy Bear theme song quite yet.

Illucia Playable Networks - A New Audiovisual Experiment

The Illucia playable network sounds kind of awesome, serving as a network between different mediums to create an all new audio/visual experience. Combining videos, pictures, videogames, music and more using a rather tinker-y analog interfacing system, this looks like it could be a blast to mess with. You can currently get one of the hand built units for a few hundred bucks over at the Illucia store. The entire software that Illucia runs on is open source as well, which leaves room for improvement.

Illucia is a patchbay controller by Chris Novello. It lets you use physical cables to connect things like videogames, music software, text editors, synthesizers, and more. It has a free suite of interconnectable games and software, plus it speaks OSC so it works with many existing programs.

Musicless Music Videos

Youtube user Mario Wienerroither has been having quite a bit of fun lately, taking classic music videos and removing any semblance of music from them, replacing them with some expertly done audio foley. The result is surreal, awkward and kind of hilarious to say the least. Perhaps this is the next generation of those shredding videos? Nonetheless bless these people and their free time, this made us laugh pretty hard.

I Don't Even Know Where to Start With "Begin"

This is, without a doubt, one of more bizarre and terrifying 'music videos' I've come across lately. Stranger than Reboot, though not quite Going to the Store. Like something pulled kicking and screaming from the loins of Xavier: Renegade Angel. The most I've been able to gather is that this is the work of a mysterious experimental synth-electronic musician from New York who simply goes by 'Brian.' I wish I had more to go on than that, but this guy seems deliberately defiant to offer any easy explanations for his bizarre shenanigans.

Weekly Chill Session - Blank Banshee

It's the beginning of the week, which means there's no better time to start getting some much needed chill time in (or at least queue it up). Blank Banshee recently fell onto my radar after this early 90's inspired music video dropped, forcing me down the Seapunk rabbit hole.

Blank Banshee does a fantastic job of providing a sound that provides both a relaxing and nostalgic feeling, taking a mix of lo-fi midi sounds (some of those Mario 64 samples are sexy), hip hop beats and more steel drums than you're probably used to hearing (trust me, it's good). If you have a good pair of headphones, this is definitely a mix worth taking them out for. I must warn of prolonged exposure though, you might end up thinking you're flying through an Eco the Dolphin cyber-sea after too long.

A Visual Trip With NETWORKS' "Ake-Vono"

Sometimes a music video is the tipping point of my love for a song, it takes an already enjoyable listening experience and turns it up a notch. Ake-Vono by NETWORKS is already a fantastic song on it's own, providing a chill mood while still giving a sense of upbeat motivation. Mixing in the spectacular visual representations of artist Kohei Yoshino, Ake-Vono is an excellent break from reality and is certain to give you that tingly feeling your brain gets after spacing out with a music visualization effect.

Ake-Vono is the first single off of NETWORKS' upcoming album, which judging from this track is sounding to be quite a fun listening experience. You can download Ake-Vono for free from Soundcloud over here.

Sourcing Music From Unlikely Places - Stock Market Crash Music, Project Bootleg

Some interesting content regarding some rather experimental forms of creating music today. On one hand we have Geraldine Juarez, who converted market crash charts into waveforms to create a custom vinyl called Wealth Transfer, as a means of turning something negative into a more palatable, positive creation.

Capital rely on algorithms to manipulate markets, their effects are everywhere yet is hard to see them immediately, given the scale of time and fabricated complexity in which accumulation and exchange is performed at high frequency scale. The patterns produced by their activity are testimony of the behavior of financial markets, and unlike them, these patterns aren't sacred or untouchable. They can be used to generate other forms of wealth, like music.



Project Bootleg, on the other hand was an experimental performance piece by Manuel Urbanke, created by placing empty vinyls on a dance floor and letting people dance on it to create abstract noise to be converted into actual tracks via scratching. If you're in the mood for highly experimental goodness, head over to Ma-Ma to check the final result out

We produced empty vinyls. No music. No Sound. Before concerts we put them on the floor and people danced on them. After the live shows the records were scratched. These scratches made sound on the record player.  We mixed this noise in the studio and created new tracks out of it.

Polybius

Surrounded by relics of a bygone era, musician Julian Corrie put together an absolutely amazing orchestra of retro hardware at the bottom of a drained pool at the behest of filmmaker James Houston in Polybius. While we've regularly run into videos of hard drives being used to do covers of classic songs, this takes the concept and ups the ante a hundred fold. Amazing.

We are submerged in a dry swimming pool. A SEGA Mega Drive, Commodore 64, floppy disk drives and hard drives sing in unison. The unusual ensemble (controlled live via MIDI) are given a last curtain call in a nostalgic farewell to forgotten friends.

Nerd's Ascent - Synth Lovers Delight

Created by Portrait, Nerd's Ascent is an awesome look at one of Austin's coolest synthesizer stores called 'Switched On,' presented as a showcase of all the absolutely incredible vintage gear present in this mecca of all things synth. With some really slick editing and a presentation tied together by an ongoing performance on the absolutely amazing hardware, both vintage and contemporary. If brand names like Korg and Moog ring bells, this will be right up your alley.

Pogo - "What I Likes"

Pogo (Nick Bertke) returns to his Disney roots with his latest mashup following a rather interesting year of musical remixes centered around international travel, cartoons and cult movies. His latest endeavor focuses on Disney's 1964 live action/animated hybrid adaptation of P.L. Travers Mary Poppins, executed in his signature style. Nick also put together a little documentary on his time explaining what he's all about, including his approach to creating his unique audio/visual mashups, thoughts on life and doing live concerts, which you can check out after the break if you're so inclined.