This is an archive from Klassic Note Web Reports
Saturday, 10 November 2018The Klassic Note Spirit Part 6 – The Year 2012 and 5th Year Plans
Previously, we talked about how Klassic Note may have taken a dip mainly because of the absence of the biggest Anime I've given and the changes to giving other styles of music besides Pop and Rock. Nonetheless, the fifth year continues this trend, however it did not stop expanding and actually gave rise to more recognition of artists I didn't expect to do over the past few years: indie artists. Let's take a look at what makes the first 5th anniversary celebration this special.The Klassic Note Spirit Part 6
"The Year 2012 and 5th Year Plans"
(*The below information is an adaptation of the original excerpt which was posted here five years ago)
THE DEFINITION OF 5-STARS
After so many years of music listening and appreciation, it's time to take notice and ask myself the very question: "What is in a good song?" Is it a song that must impress me on first listen? Is it a song that is so flawless I could not criticise any part of the song at all? Should I give more songs based on certain rules of how the song is structured or continue to give blindly based on my instinct? Questioning myself on these ended up with me setting parameters (not as much as they are guidelines yet) as to define what is in 'a good song'. Problematic? Maybe. But as of that time, it became a necessity. And it's because of that and the need to keep up with the number of songs I have given such a rating before, I decide to push up on the amount of songs with a 5-stars rating out of second impression such that they are double the initial amount on the year itself. Really, it's this conflict that made Klassic Note worth thinking about. It also had a huge impact on my decisions for giving songs on following years too, which we will come to notice may become an enforcement.
THE LEGEND OF THE SHELF
And after so many years of... you know, leeching off the Internet, it's time to give back. This anniversary year also brought about me "working for the first time in my life", and so with me having a decent salary like any other consumer staring at their interests, I start to spend. And guess what’s the first thing I spend on: CDs. Lots of them, and enough to cover my old desk. That is about... 100+ discs from circa 2007 to 2012. (I forgot the actual numbers at this point) I can still recall the first batch of CDs that came to my house: I was so happy I couldn't stop smiling all the time I was reviewing every single one of those... I think a dozen discs in my living room alone. Those were the times, people. Remember that blog post? I guess not, I don't remember much of it anyway. Still, if there was someone who is THIS crazy to buy a stack of CDs which are not locally sold and where shipping costed a significant portion of the order (~25% according to my statistics, and 5-10% if you buy CDs from your local music store) that'll be me.
(As you will notice in the future this number will go up considerable due to going from batch purchase which cuts down shipping costs per item to single item, online store-focused ordering)
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| My stack of CDs on what is before today's "shelf" where they are lined up instead of stacked, October 18, 2012. (The labels on top pasted on book holders represent each year in Klassic Note) |
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| The very first box of CDs that arrived at my home on July 12, 2012 according to Facebook haha (This batch were releases on first half of KN2012) |
YUI’S HIATUS
This year was also an encouraging year for new releases from Collection Artists in Klassic Note from Chatmonchy to Aqua Timez to Ikimonogakari but not YUI. If you need some bad news for the year, this was one of the bigger ones. The singer-songwriter has decided to go on hiatus and will eventually be part of a new Rock band named "FLOWER FLOWER" and has in 2018 released their 2nd full album since their debut in 2014. At this point in Klassic Note though it seemed like all was lost, but we'll explore this in the future. At this point in 2012, questions loom before me. Is she going to come back? Or is she pursuing another kind of music which... I may not like? Saying that though, I’ve done much in the history of Klassic Note to support her and her music, which at this point, was collecting most of the physical copies of her music. And by the end of the year, after 49 songs, 3 albums and 15 singles, I can truthfully declare that no one is ever going to beat her in Klassic Note for the number of releases on my shelf. Never will I be able to give singles so easily off the bat (she was real easy to give in 2008 btw), and not to say three albums worth. Well, she was the only one for now anyway.
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| All the releases which is in Klassic Note which are YUI. (Not all are here at least... 5 albums are missing including tributes) |
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| The best albums for YUI, released 5th December 2012. It arrived 4 days later. (Yes, with the limited edition photo book if you purchased them both) |
IN SEARCH OF "VERY NEW" ALTERNATIVES
In view of such a change in artist activity, I couldn't help but actually spend more time on YouTube (how I met ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE) and audioleaf (how I came to know sunday morning bell, deepNow, and SECONDWALL) to find other (even if) indie artists who are super new in music composition which might suit my tastes. And in the age of the Internet where infrastructure is way better than what it was five years ago, I guess this was inevitable as it was a good alternative. Because they are kind of free compared to their paid counterparts, listening to songs now has become an addiction made me more desperate to search for more melodies easily over the Internet. And with mainstream artists declining in activity after this particular year ie. releasing albums like how it's done in Chinese and Western music releases traditionally, this is actually a path I carved out for myself in order to stay and listen to more Japanese songs.
TOP 20 REVAMP
"To who?" You may say. Dear readers, Klassic Note has come a long way. As such, the yearly rankings for Top 20 has to change after years of comfort giving the best of what the Collection Artists have to offer. And considering from the above that we're lacking in support for new artists through Anime franchises and the decrease in Collection Artist activity, the rankings have to gear towards giving other indie artists a chance. As such, the list has, for the first time since the first rankings back in 2008, had its top songs replaced by Chatmonchy and fumika instead of Aqua Timez or VELTPUNCH, if you noticed the trend over the years. The list this year also includes many new names, including those who may not even have a release for me to review. So as you can see (or hear), giving the new Top 20 ranking from this year on will not be that easy.
THE PLAN FOR 5TH YEAR
It’s because I listen to this many songs and loved them for so long that motivated me to want to commemorate and celebrate this spirit that comes within, and that is formally named Klassic Note. The plan was as follows:
- A 5th year anniversary site has been opened to list and make available, all top 20 songs for the past five years, including short summaries for each year and "achievements" reached for Klassic Note
- Three compilations have been created in celebration of The Klassic Note Spirit series in 2013, named "THE EMOTIONALIST" for emotional songs, "THE ENERGIST" for upbeat tunes, and a later decided "THE IMPRESSIVIST" for first impression 5-star rating songs
- A compilation for THE NANO-MUGEN COMPILATION is compiled for Klassic Note to celebrate the wonderful (especially Japanese) artists that have made an appearance and beyond in relation to Japanese Rock band ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION
- Collection Artists (as mentioned thus far) have taken a form in physical compilation with an initial release of eight CDs, recognizing artists with significant contributions to Klassic Note
- Yearly Compilations have also been compiled since its initiation in 2011 which include THE GOLD "Top 20" compilation, THE SILVER "Sidetrack" compilation and THE BRONZE "Highest Artist Contributions" compilation
All these were mostly completed by the end of 2013 with actual physical copies made to the extent I couldn't believe (this shall be shown in the following post of the series), and all this, for Klassic Note and everyone in it.
Some of the plant that did not work (as of December 2012) are:
- An overall song ranking from 2008 to 2012 which was deemed impossible considering how hard it is to give Top 20 already and subsequent years proving that is still a challenge, not to say an overall version of it
- Video adaptation of the audio song rankings which have been done to preview Top 20 songs for Klassic Note every year. This was not done until late 2013 where DVD compilations have been made for years 2010 and beyond
- Artist Case Study blog post series written by myself of my opinions of artists and their works and contributions to Klassic Note (mainly just too lazy and because there are too many)
- Secondary song compilations which have been planned since late 2011 and 2012 but have yet to execute due to lack of a theme and songs to compliment the idea of the theme(s). This was later fulfilled starting in 2013 with the first secondary yearly compilation "THE INDISPUTABLE ANISONG"
- More modifications and unification of an official website for Klassic Note. That was not solidified until the discovery of Strikingly and their wonderful web design in 2014.
At this point, it would seem obvious that this passion will not end. At least not with my enthusiasm and my thirst for more wonderful Japanese songs! This thirst, this passion, this enthusiasm that represents the Klassic Note spirit. It's all because, I was always searching for that melody.
Hey that could me my motto! Wait, let’s try this again:
"Always Searching, For That Melody" – Kaineng
Next up: The Klassic Note Spirit Part 7 – The Year 2013 and the Dawn of a New Era
(Is it a relief or is it a resurgence? The process in giving songs after much celebration)
(**All linked references ago were active at time of publishing this post. They are meant for educational purposes and not are not taken directly from any intellectual property)