School Food Punishment – How to go December 6, 2011

Track Listing

1. How to go
2. Kaeru
3. Kimi ni, Mune Kyun. -Uwaki na Vacance-
4. How to go -Instrumental-
5. How to go -Anime Edit-

1. How to go

It hasn’t been that long since we’ve heard SFP but it seems they regained their spark in How to go which has the right formula but sounds so unique and refreshing to my ears.  I’m surprised there was so much intricacies found throughout the song like the amazing piano melody and the synth melodies.  I have to say this is my favorite SFP A-side yet…they struck gold with this one!

2. Kaeru

My first thoughts when I heard Kaeru’s intro was “hmmm did SFP get the idea from Mario Kart since it sounds like Rainbow Road music hahaha”.  That being said, Kaeru is a bit more lighter and in some cases cuter than “How to go” which is a little surprising to hear since they haven’t delved into that side of their music a lot.  It does sound a bit safe (especially after the A-side) so that might disappoint some people, but it’s a nice track nonetheless.

3. Kimi ni, Mune Kyun. -Uwaki na Vacance-

SFP hasn’t really done a lot of cover songs (the only other one was from the JUDY AND MARY cover best).  Though them covering a Yellow Magic Orchestra song is quite something since it takes them into a more experimental side since YMO is mostly electronica.  Like “Kaeru”, Kimi ni, Mune Kyun. is light in it’s melody/arrangement but it lets Yumi sing a little more forward.  It does work I have to say and while the arrangement doesn’t really change much throughout the song, it’s erratic and random enough to keep me interested in it.  Good cover, but maybe needs a little more oomph.

 

 

After “Prog-Roid” I was worried that SFP had lost their magic in their music but with How to go, I think they still got a lot of inspiration left to put in their music.  It’s great since the leading track was so damn good and was what got me into the band in the first place.  Kaeru takes the group into a more cuter side and while it’s not all that, I give brownie points that they tried something new.  The YMO cover was also well done, but needs something more for it…still good cover and overall great single!

School Food Punishment – Prog-Roid July 13, 2011

Track Listing

1. free quiet
2. RPG
3. in bloom
4. Utsurou, Sangatsu
5. ≠
6. are
7. Ura Omote
8. Halation
9. flashback trip syndrome
10. Hikari
11. Y/N

1. free quiet

Starting up SFP’s sophomore album, free quiet surprised me since it starts with just piano and Yumi.  I like that further in the song the piano melody gets a bit more synthetic and grows a bit more stronger as time goes by.  I’m surprised that none of the band members are really present but I still think this was an interesting start to the album…slow but smooooth.

2. RPG

As the only A-side to represent the album, I guess it’s pretty good that we got this song out of the way early on.  Like I said it really sounds like a song that felt like it would’ve fit more on “amp-reflection” since it sounds like a couple of the songs on their…especially “future nova”.  Not to say it’s not a bad song since this is a pretty catchy tune and doesn’t stray from what I love about SFP.

3. in bloom

Since the rest of the album is fully brand new, I’m quite excited by looking through the tracks.  Starting with in bloom, It stands out as a much brighter pop tune from the band with more focus with the piano and acoustic guitars and drums (so the band and so much the synthetic stuff).  If it wasn’t for the synths, I’d be like…am I listening to miwa?!?

4. Utsurou, Sangatsu

Yay for more experimental SFP!!!  Utsurou, Sangatsu tones things down again after the last two tracks, but this one has a more light electro feel to it with a repetitive synth melody but not the way I’m explaining it XD.  It’s a very low-key kind of song like “free quiet” but a little more forward on the electronics.

5. ≠

Ehhh? a symbol for a track title…more or less one that’s used in mathematics?  I call the song “Does not equal to” since that is what the symbol essentially means.  I like the lighthearted-ness about this song and to me it does feel like a more jazzier sounding “in bloom” which isn’t bad, but maybe a little since it doesn’t really show much difference cept there’s a lot more piano and there’s blips of brass used here as well.  Otherwise the song stands out a little more than the compared song so that’s pretty good.

6. are

More electronic randomness?  I loved their electro song, “Kakenukeru” from their last album so much and I’m guess are is that song on this album since it doesn’t feature much of the band itself more than just having Yumi and synths involved and I loved the song’s quirky side very much.  The thing I would’ve liked more would’ve been a heavier beat, but this’ll do…cute and fun to listen to!!!

7. Ura Omote

However, I wasn’t expecting some 8-bit stuff to be added to School Food Punishment’s arsenal to use in a song and Ura Omote filled up that space quite nicely!  I’d say this is like some of the great B-sides that SFP has released in both eras and I just find myself loving this song quite a bit.  It’s upbeat and has a funky sound to it, especially with that bass line played by Atsushi.  It’s definitely one of the more unique songs off the album for sure.

8. Halation

So we get back to some regular ethereal pop/rock stuff from the band.  Halation for me stands out since it once again leaves me a “Kakenukeru” vibes right up until the chorus where things slow down a bit which is a pretty epic move for them.  I love the buzzing synths to and it just stands out to me.  Add in Yumi’s vocals and it just fits really nicely.  Great song.

9. flashback trip syndrome

Oddly enough, us fans of SFP have actually known of the song even before “RPG’s” release since it had a pretty good tie-in.  Of the songs on the album, I thought flashback trip syndrome gave me deja vu moments back to their debut single, “futuristic imagination” but that’s not bad at all because the song is just as strong and Yumi gives a pretty amazing performance here.  One of the best songs off the album IMHO.

10. Hikari

Another sort-of ballad from the band?  I love how they started Hikari by having filtered sound before the fuzz clears up and the band enters the song.  I’m a little taken aback to hear Yumi under filters in the song like she’s singing through a megaphone or something like that.  I wish she wasn’t under it the entire track and is my only true complaint about the song.

11. Y/N

Closing the album out is Y/N which seems to be the normal SFP song but this time they added xylophone to mix things up and I was pretty much excited for the song, but once again I feel like it sounds like a couple of previous songs from them.  It’s a very cute and upbeat kind of song and various parts make me giggle on the inside like the piano solo in the interlude….quick-paced and too cuuute.

Tracks Recommended

• flashback trip syndrome
• Ura Omote
• are
• Halation
• Y/N

Song of Avoidance

• Hikari

I wasn’t too surprised by the fact that Prog-Roid didn’t surpass amp-reflection simply because the songs didn’t truly stick as easily like the tunes from their debut nor the band really did much experimentation (no angry song makes me frown BTW).  Still it’s one of the better albums of the year oddly enough (then again not my albums this year so far have made my jaw drop sooooo).

School Food Punishment – RPG May 13, 2011

Track Listing

1. RPG
2. Slide show
3. Transition period

1. RPG

Kind of strange to see that sfp’s start the single with a title that doesn’t sound too funky like previous singles, but that’s OK because RPG is just them down perfectly.  Everything sounds just as great as the last era and Yumi to me has gotten slightly more expressive with this song.  It kind of reminds me of “future nova” but that’s about it.  I will say the synth interlude of the song was just awesome…It’s quite good and makes for a great start for their 2nd major label era.

2. Slide show

As much as I like RPG, I have a better knack for sfp’s experimental songs and Slide show is handled more in that direction to be honest.  Of course there’s the usual mix of piano and guitars with some synths to give it this fluffy bounce to it.  I will say that the chorus was kind of latin-y and kind of not.  Just like “RPG”, the middle interlude really surprised me and is one of the best things about the song…I must say…I was way more impressed with this track.

3. Transition period

Interesting that this single breaks the rhythm of A-side, B-side, and remix.  Transition period might be the 2nd B-side of the era but I found this an interesting track with Yumi under auto-tune for the vocals.  Mixing in the light techno-y vibes (but nothing like “Kakenukeru”) this is a fun song as well…and it sounds like alien music…especially the with some of the arrangement (like the after chorus melody).  Interesting song and I think it was more experimental than “Slide show”.

I still don’t really understand the change from lower case all the way to “School Food Punishment” but since this begins their 2nd major era, RPG just ensures a better era right from the start.  RPG might sound similar to some older songs, but it makes up with the experimental B-sides and they were pretty damn good.  I can on;y wonder what’s next for this way underrated band!

school food punishment – amp-reflection April 14, 2010

Track Listing

1. signal
2. goodblue
3. butterfly swimmer
4. future nova -album edit-
5. Densha, Suberi Ochiru, Headphone
6. light prayer
7. after laughter
8. 04:59
9. Kakenukeru
10. futuristic imagination -album edit-
11. line
12. Percentage
13. sea-through communication

1. signal

Beginning the album with a short introduction.  signal is just what the group is, synth elements, piano, and some other stuff.  While to me it seems all jumbled up and doesn’t really lead anywhere until the end where it leads into our first vocal track.

2. goodblue

Entering our first new song, goodblue heaviliy, and I mean heavily reminded me of a more band-based version of one of their older songs “pool”.  It could be the exact drum lines and mood, but I do love Yumi here being a faster song.  I actually liked the more surreal feel of the band and they really captured that in this song, but I don’t fully understand the fluttering sound that appears in the chorus and stuff…it could be that Yumi says ~fly~ but I’m not sure.  Still good first track and already I have hopes of the album. 

3. butterfly swimmer

As the 2nd A-side of the era, butterfly swimmer was so relaxing of an A-side when compared to the rest of the era.  I don’t know why but the electronic elements mixed with a ballad feel to make it sound so oddly more surreal than “goodblue” really made the transfer more smoother.  Once Hidai actually comes in and ups the tempo and energy of the song things just get immensely better and so much more amazing.  To me this song was what sfp needed!

4. future nova -album edit-

To be honest the primary A-side of the last single of the era really picked up when the singles before were stretching new grounds and with future nova, it really threw the band back to what they did best.  I love the more upbeat songs from the group and it’s loud and full of cool beats and electronic inserts.  Now this is an album edit and the only noticeable change I notice is that it actually ends and doesn’t fade out like it did on the single.  Still one of the more exciting songs off the album.

5. Densha, Suberi Ochiru, Headphone

Back into the new songs, Densha reminds me of the more abstract songs off majority of the band’s singles.  The off-beat arrangement and odd time signature really throws me head for a spin trying to make sense of the tune whether it’s good or just a horrid trainwreck.  At least after the oddball verse, the chorus fixes it up but only temporary as we’re thrown back into the strangeness.  I’d like it more if it wasn’t for the oddness of the arrangement…but the chorus is awesome!

6. light prayer

As the 4th A-side, light prayer to me came as a softer hitting “futuristic imagination” but quite more exciting because of Yumi’s performance mixed with the awesomeness of whoever was playing the piano in the song.  It’s a very adventurous tune, especially with that explosive chorus.  One of the more memorable songs of the era IMO

7. after laughter

Out of the 5 singles released for the era, I thought after laughter was one of the weakest A-sides.  Like, I can say the song was pretty catchy and the verses were pretty bouncy and full of sound.  However, it’s that chorus that just feels too much for me and somewhat sloppily put together.  It could’ve been the amount of sound that was going on mixed with Yumi’s higher vocals that kind of made things unsettling.  It’s alright, but meh.

8. 04:59

I find it hilarious to know that the actual time of the song is 05:28…Not sure what the title really means in the song, but the opening more calm setting was a nice touch after all these exciting songs before this.  To be honest, the song right now has the least amount of electronic influences and that’s alright but did the song have to be so mellow?  Not that it’s bad or anything, but I would’ve liked to hear a song without the synth stuff.  Good song though, just something I wouldn’t listen over and over again.

9. Kakenukeru

I guess that’s why we have something like Kakenukeru to really boost my interest back up because it’s more of like an electronica track because of the steady beat and more sudden pulses that pulls me in.  Of the English lyrics splattered across the song, I thought the whole ~high speed, high speed~ stuck out in my head more.  Add the strings and it made a pretty great song.  My favorite out of the new tracks tbh.

10. futuristic imagination -album edit-

We have an album edit of the era’s first A-side and it opens up quite differently with a strings intro, but it leads quite epicly right into the normal cut of the song which thank god wasn’t touched.  It was my first song to listen to and I’m still amazed how powerful and how talented this band really is with songs like this.  Yumi’s performance always kept me on my toes in this song so I have to say it’s one of my favorites.

11. line

If “deviswitch” had been more like it’s title, it’d be exactly like this song because line was really surprising and pretty damn hardcore when compared to previous songs on the album.  I’m surprised this song actually sounded more rocking than “futuristic imagination” and somehow I knew they were gonna play their ace somewhere in the song and line really hit that mark for me.  Chaotic and loud, this was pretty damn amazing.

12. Percentage

As the last “new” track, Percentage is actually chilled out like “04:59”, if not even more slower.  The main difference is that there is a lot more electronic influences even some auto-tune is introduced in the song which threw me off, but it’s not heavy.  Other than that, this very ethereal setting was charming and the screeching bridge was very interesting nonetheless.  Good slow song, but not to the point where it got boring.

13. sea-through communication

Ending off the album with the era’s 3rd A-side, sea-through communication really sounded like something YUKI would’ve pulled off in the “JOY” era.  I was just surprised that it wasn’t like anything else at the time of release because it was more pop-related than the previous singles.  At least it was upbeat and fun and full of life.

Tracks Recommended

• Kakenukeru
• futuristic imagination -album edit-
• goodblue
• line
• butterfly swimmer

Song of Avoidance

• 04:59

To be honest, school food punishment really scored with their debut album.  All the songs brought something amazing to the table and showcased the band’s rather unique sound and I’m amazed I found something I enjoyed about each of the 13 songs of the album.  I mean there’s two songs that were under, but not enough to be rather avoiding much.  Perfect album?  pretty damn close to it to be quite honest.

school food punishment – future nova/after laughter March 11, 2010

Track Listing

1. future nova
2. after laughter
3. light prayer -AKXMIM Remix-

1. future nova

After their last single, “light prayer”, I was happily surprised that school food punishment returned on a more upbeat sound with future nova.  This tune has a stronger lock on me because of how the band is making it catchy with their band sound and also the electronic quips found throughout.  Since I’ve been through their mini-albums now, I can really tell the difference between their indies and major stuff, but to be honest, it gave them a lot more quirks to use which makes the music more loud and interesting.  future nova is pretty awesome!

2. after laughter

As it is the band’s first double A-side, after laughter kind of reminds me of a peppier “futurisitic imagination” on her it’s taken upon.  I don’t know why but the verses just sound so similar to that song, but when it gets into the chorus, things get very wild and maybe a little sloppy, but Yumi is keeping the song together so that’s good.  It’s an interesting song nonetheless but I prefer future nova more.

3. light prayer -AKXMIM Remix-

So our remix of this single, light prayer isn’t so much a remix than a rearranged version of the song, but at this same time it feels more like an instrumental since all you really hear is the melody of the song, that is until you get into the electro-ish ending of the song where Yumi finally comes in with lyrics from the song.  I was pretty unimpressed by how this was handled and it would’ve been nice to hear alot more from Yumi towards the front.

 

 

As the band’s 5th and final single of the “amp-reflection” era, future nova/after laughter probably would’ve been better just saved for the album than rather had released as a single.  It’s not bad, but I think it’s my least favorite of the era.  future nova continues to bring awesomeness to the group while after laughter kind of felt messy and the remix of light prayer was bad…they usually don’t have good remixes to begin so it wasn’t a surprise.

school food punishment – Riff-rain February 23, 2010

Track Listing

1. flow
2. feedback
3. egoist
4. killer
5. Futari Umi no Soko
6. over

1. flow

I can really see that the group was going towards their now sound with flow since it reminds of there singles released after.  flow is right because I’m liking the mood of the song and the piano melody as well.  I think my favorite part is the chorus when it gets pretty epic and the electronic influences start coming in.  Ok, this is a good start!

2. feedback

Taking a small break from the electronic equipment, feedback is just them performing as a band with nothing helping them along the way.  It’s catchy because it’s upbeat and shows off Yumi a lot more as a singer than in previous songs.  Ok, so I might be wrong about the song not having anything synthetic, but there is.  I’m also noticing their using some vocal equipment as well which is cool as well.  Another awesome song.

3. egoist

egoist…there’s nothing like egoist and c’mon I’m stuck loving this song a lot.  I mean the overall mood and the abstract arrangement really pulled me in this time.  I mean it pulled me in more than anything in “air feel, color swim” and that’s saying something because of how much I liked that mini-album.  It might be the synths that caught me in again.  Such a cool lil tune. 

4. killer

With a title like killer, I was surprised that killer was a chaotic tune from the group.  I can sense the song has this jazzy feel going and Yumi’s vocals are under a filter to make it more creepier.  The melody was pretty catchy though I’ll definitely give props to that.  Though I think the translation from bridge to chorus is pretty awful at that since it doesn’t warn you that it’s slowing down.  Probably one of the songs that should’ve had more done TBH…

5. Futari Umi no Soko

I’m noticing the rather jazzy side of sfp this time around for the mini-album, but I get this feeling of emptiness with Futari Umo no Soko.  If you listen to the song via headphones, Yumi is singing on one side of the headphones for each passage in the verses which is pretty nifty.  The arrangement is once again pretty sporadic and oddly empty, I mean I like these kind of songs, but this one is rather ehhh.  There’s even a part where it seems that the song is skipping xD  Ok, weird tune.

6. over

Shortest song of the indies era, over is well another closing song and to me it sounds a little fluffy in the arrangement while Yumi is like clear.  It’s a rather simple tune from the group since it’s not like jaw-dropping and when it’s under two minutes to begin with, you really don’t get much of a impression by the time it’s over.  Oh well.

 

 

Riff-rain might not be as good as “air feel, color swim” but it does hold its own.  It’s also the shortest mini-album they did released.  It just seems that the first half was really good while the 2nd half kind of slipped which is a first for them as well.  I don’t know it was a solid release form them.

school food punishment – air feel, color swim

Track Listing

1. you may crawl
2. sky step
3. loop, share
4. Kemuri ni Shiro
5. turn
6. Aimai no Soreru
7. art line
8. transient

1. you may crawl

The only song I recognize because of the remix of it from “futuristic imagination”, you may crawl is the album’s opener and it turns out she says the parts from the remix once in the song.  Wow…that surprised because there’s so much to this song.  Kind of like the last mini-album opened, you may crawl is definitely one song that truly represents the band since it’s a mix of their indies synth overload and the band’s major label’s flow.  It’s pretty catchy and definitely made me enjoy the band a lot.

2. sky step

I think sky step might be the closest thing to pure pop as they can get because I think it’s pretty upbeat, but at the same time pretty farfetched as song too.  It’s kind of strange with the 8bit stuff going on mixed with the band’s laidback pop/rock sound.  It’s definitely not a bad song because there’s so much that’s catchy about it.  I like when it goes into the slow part though for sure.  Good song.

3. loop, share

Following in the footsteps of “sky step”, loop, share is pretty upbeat at first before the the verses where things get a little darker for the group.  Not much dark, but it’s enough to be noticeable and I kind of like the setting for this tune.  The solo with the synth/guitar mess going was so strange and new for me, but it added this sense of chaos which is great before Yumi returns and explodes for the final chorus.  Pretty awesome if you ask me.

4. Kemuri ni Shiro

We go back a mini-album for Kemuri ni Shiro since it sounds like the stuff that came from then.  It’s not “pool” but it’s definitely something to just lay in bed and listen to because it’s so lighthearted and easy to listen to.  I’m not sure what else is there to say, but this song is really good.  Very relaxing and do I hear Yumi using auto-tune a little?

5. turn

I’m not sure how to explain turn.  It’s definitely an abstract tune amongst the other songs off the mini-album.  I’ll say this is the first time I heard Yumi going crazy with her vocals, especially during the final chorus where she’s really pulling the strings and getting all messy…I LOVE IT!  She really knows how to kick it up at the right time.  Surprising to see this side of Yumi now.

6. Aimai no Soreru

While it took a while til we got into it, we finally get another ballad from sfp that utilizes some keyboard and less of the band.  Unfortunately it’s not really anything that we haven’t heard on the last mini-album.  It’s slow and kind of vocally boring as well.  It does kind of gets better with the weird guitar solo, but otherwise it’s kind of meh.

7. art line

I like that “Aimai no Soreru” kind of flowed quite nicely into art line which is actually so much better than the previous.  This is a bit more like “pool” since there’s a lot of synths involved again, but the bands has a more active role as well.  It’s upbeat and rather catchy, so I’m definitely enjoying this song quite a bit.

8. transient

Ending off the 2nd mini-album, transient is once again totally different from everything else.  It’s a ballad, but the arrangement is like bizarre and oddly cool.  I wish I could explain it, but it’s just so experimental and yet it fits with Yumi’s soft vocals which also shows she speaks English as well. 

 

 

While it is the longest of the 3 mini-albums, I actually think it’s my favorite as well because there was so much put into this and each song had something to give…yes even Aimai no Soreru.  I’ll have to admit, transient was a freaky way to end air feel, color swim.  All in all, listen to this mini-album *RECOMMENDED*

school food punishment – school food is good food

Track Listing

1. close, down, back to
2. pool
3. set low, fine
4. snap
5. Ukabi Agaru
6. Tooku Hako no Naka

1. close, down, back to

Beginning sfp’s career off, close, down, back to is definitely one of those songs that’ll catch you pretty quickly.  Unlike their major singles released, this song is very different.  There’s the band of course and Yumi who sounds pretty soothing with the just as ethereal sounding arrangement.  While there isn’t a lot of the band, like guitars and stuff…there’s a lot of synths involved which is cool.  Such a hypnotic opening to a mini-album.

2. pool

As we leave the effervescent opening track, pool is more of what we know and love from the group since moving to a major label.  pool still though carries the hypnotic flow that made the previous track pretty awesome and pool does it even better.  At least we get to hear all the members actually participating this time which is probably why I like this song a tad more than “close, down, back to”. 

3. set low, fine

Ok, we’re finally getting out the ethereal stuff into songs that sounds like it would fit in the singles.  It really reminds me of “butterfly swimmer” in a lot of ways.  I mean the interesting melody is definitely a part of it, but to me this song feels like a beta version because there isn’t a whole lot going in the song which is meh.  Yumi’s vocals are kind of cute in a way, but I guess it’s because of the silly music.  It’s got attitude and I like that.

4. snap

While I haven’t really heard an actual ballad from sfp, snap does a good job showing off the groups strange way with dealing with music.  I like the loud scooping sound the opens up the song.  It’s nice, but I’m not liking the backup vocals here because he doesn’t really sound right with Yumi.  Other than that it’s alright, but a little boring for me.

5. Ukabi Agaru

The fastest song off the mini-album, Ukabi Agaru places the listener back into the more interesting, feel-good songs and I kind of like because it’s actually normal and not stretching the experimental side of the group.  They did a pretty good job here as well and it’s strange that I like Yumi as a vocalist a lot more than normal.  Pretty good song!

6. Tooku Hako no Naka

Ending off the mini-album, Tooku Hako no Naka is another ballad-type from the group.  It kind of stands out because it makes itself sound like a lullaby and with Yumi’s softer vocals she’s somewhat having a hard time keeping herself in tune and it oddly doesn’t work for me.  I do like the small electronic fill-ins that pass by quietly.  It’s slow and melancholic, but I feel this did a great job at closing the mini-album off.

 

 

school food punishment’s debut mini-album is definitely not of the normal I’m used to.  I can see why many people really miss this side of the group because their first mini-album is quite good.  A little vocal issues, but it’s nothing that has been already worked on since then.  Good work here 

school food punishment – light prayer December 5, 2009

Track Listing

1. light prayer
2. deviswitch
3. sea-through communication-sung in English with symphony-

1. light prayer

Ahhh, light prayer…It definitely shows the group is getting more better with each A-side and I’m loving light prayer.  There’s just a lot of intricate moments that make the song stand out.  I think the best thing is the heavy amount of piano in the song, this is definitely going back to their indies days and I love it.

2. deviswitch

Like I keep saying, school food punishment’s B-sides haven been heavily treading on new grounds, but it seems they’ve held back this time around with deviswtich.  It’s not bad at all though since it fits with the title being a darker tune and has a lot of edgy things going on mostly with Yumi’s vocals and her guitar playing.  It’s wild and cool, definitely a great B-side.

3. sea-through communication-sung in English with symphony-

While, I wouldn’t classify this as a remix, it’s more of a rearranged version of their last A-side.  The first thing is the more graceful arrangement of the song which is totally different from anything I’ve heard from them thus far, even better Yumi resung the song in English which is awesome as well.  I gotta say, they’ve been getting better with their 3rd tracks, great tune.

 

 

I’m wondering when we’ll get an album release from the group, light prayer was definitely a nostalgic run here since the A-side was a lot like most of their stuff in their indies.  deviswitch, while it wasn’t too experimental like the other B-sides, it focused more on being really good and it worked.  The new version of sea-through communication though was what should’ve been released IMO and left the original to be a remix or something.

school food punishment – sea-through communication October 10, 2009

Track Listing

1. sea-through communication
2. fiction nonfiction
3. butterfly swimmer -Q;indivi-Yusuke Tanaka Remix-

1. sea-through communication

Comparing to their last two singles, sea-through communication is so far apart from them.  It’s because it doesn’t have a rock side to it at all and is mainly synthpop.  Yumi sounds lively here and a whole lot cleaner IMO so that’s a plus.  I just can’t swallow the fact that sfp went for a more pop-like sound for their 3rd single.  Honestly, it reminds me of YUKI’s “JOY”.  That said, it’s a radical change from the group’s normality of music, but it’s a nice welcoming change.

2. fiction nonfiction

As the B-side is even more stranger, but this does go back to earlier in the era.  It starts with an 8bit opening which is pretty cool and then Yumi comes in and the song becomes rather chill and abstract.  I mean they’ve mixed the 8bitness and the pop/rock of the group into one big collision course.  I’m happy they still know where they came from before turning major.  fiction nonfiction is one strange song, but totally them.

3. butterfly swimmer-Q;indivi-Yusuke Tanaka Remix-

Basically, if you’ve heard the remix Yusuke Tanaka from Q;inidivi did with Kuu’s “3 SPLASH” single, you basically get that same feeling when you hear the remix for last A-sides, butterfly swimmer.  I’ll admit this is a bit more energetic and Yumi’s vocals are tampered with a little bit through the song.  There’s one thing that’s for certain and that’s this is the best remix sfp has had so far.

 

 

This is straight up, their best single they’ve released since going major with SONY.  sea-through communication will make fans of theirs shake their heads because it’s totally way off from what they usually release and it actually came out well with it’s pop-like sound.  Though most fans will go towards fiction nonfiction since it’s unusual and catchy as well.  And for the first time ever a remix that isn’t horrible or ridiculously repetitive!  Have to say, I’m anxious for the album!