The 69 of 2010
ROKKYUU's 6 best albums and 9 best singles of 2010 as well as the 69 of fashion!
Tokyo Heroes – Matsuro
Tokyo Heroes have been through many changes in their career, however, their current incarnation is utterly brilliant and nothing showcases that better than their early 2010 single Matsuro. Well-rounded, it features three very different but complementary tracks.
The first track, “Matsuro,” is a fun, heavier number that makes you want to dance around your bedroom when no one’s looking–that’s the guitar line talking. Meanwhile, the occasional riff inserts pull at that little devil inside that loves a taste of violence. The vocal line of the verse is dark and frantic, scaling up angrily then converting to a typical Japanese rap before getting to the real treat: the chorus. The hectic acceleration of instruments and voice is highly entertaining and catchy. It’s one of those songs that’s over way too soon unless you leave it on repeat for twenty minutes.
Sounding like something from a different band altogether, “Humanity” is by no means slow or laid back, but definitely has more of a ballad feel about it. The chiming notes of the guitar line could be highly relaxing at a slower pace but the drums push the number along, rescuing it from that boring lag many ballads descend into. The harsh but soft vocal line is a nice bonus atop the full sound of the music. “Machinochi” cleans things up with a dark ambiance. The opening intro is long but never boring, guitars either plucking or strumming a fascinating melody. The vocal entry is perfectly timed with a fresh melodic line and poignant lyrics. The number is so well written that you could leave it on while you drift off into a relaxed sleep or else listen intently and enjoy each aspect of the music.
Any of the three tracks could easily be a favorite whether you like only one style of music or many. Matsuro is definitely a must-listen.
Regular edition (3 track CD)
Track List:
- Matsuro
- Humanity
- Machinohi
- Leela McMullen
Leela McMullen is a strong believer in the philosophy "no music, no life." Having traversed the range of Japanese fandoms, she found her home at last in visual kei and has made it her mission to share what she loves most with the world. Leela completed her B.A. in Japanese language from Griffith University in Gold Coast Australia. She now lives and works in Japan, striving to bring you the goods, hot from the scene. Follow her on twitter for juicy hints of upcoming articles if you've got a bit of Japanese language under your belt! http://twitter.com/#!/LeelaInTokyo
Sarah began her journey into the world of Japanese music courtesy of L'Arc-en-Ciel back in the year 2000. Since then, she has combined a love of music and music journalism into writing for European Japanese music magazines and assisting with Japanese interest events in the UK. After graduating in Law from the University of Nottingham, she put 'the law-thing' on the backburner to dive into the live scene in Tokyo for 3 years. Sarah returned to the UK in September 2010 to do that 'law-thing' and now works for a Japanese ｂank in London. Her heart is always in the music and fashion in Tokyo and her life is balanced between her time in the UK and Japan. When she has time, she also blogs at http://lifeismerodii.blogspot.com
Laura Cooper started photographing rock and jazz bands at university. While completing a degree in English Literature, she was literary co-editor of the York University arts magazine and held poetry soirees with comedy jazz bands. Laura wrote for the now defunct UK Goth magazine Meltdown, as well as edited for an occult/spiritual website while she lived in York and London. She disappeared into the mountainous depths of Japan in 2006 and is now based in Tokyo, capturing rock bands in action.
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