kurono vault

ARTMS - <DALL>

so much of what i enjoy about this record comes from the fact that it's just them raising their fists after the terrible situation that happened with LOONA, and it just sucks that the some of them haven't managed to recover in the way that the ARTMS girlies have.

the identity of this record is built around that electronic pop sound that made OEC such a big deal for me, and it's amazing to see all that being made front and centre here again. and i've always felt like LOONA has had this air of mystique around them, so it's interesting to see how that has been eroded here for something that's a bit more bold and upfront.

the songs are so well produced and genuinely convey so much joy that it just makes me so happy to be listening to them. genuinely, such an amazing piece of work, and such a crowning achievement for these women.

Jane Remover - Census Designated

jane remover's career is insane because she went from making internet-core music (but under so many layers of core-core-isms that it just gets so daunting to get into), and delving into hyperpop before branching into this style of rock. while with her latest record, it seems she's gone back to embracing her older work, she has started a new side project which will continue this style of music under the title of venturing, so that's gonna fun i hope.

that aside, there's a lot here to love. the songs are expansive and take their time to settle into a mood or feeling before slowly taking you on a journey. if i could compare it to something, i'd say it's like falling asleep in a car and peacefully arriving at your destination, you don't quite remember how you fell asleep and you definitely don't remember how you got to the location so quickly, but you certainly got there. it's a chill time, despite the harsh sounds.

yeule - softscars

it's got it all!

i like this album because it's about machines and humans, and girls and boys, and spirits and souls, and love and hate, and relationships and loneliness, and abuse and healing, and you and me. it's perverse but so cathartic.

compared to their previous work, it's actually less abstract, but conceptually it goes even further than before. it's so submerged in its own symbolism and themes that i can't really begin to parse how those ideas, and their interplay resonates with me. it's simply something too incorporeal. it exists, it's there, but it's ether. it's something to be sensed, felt, not something to be understood or told about.

Della Zyr - 모호함 속의 너 Nebulous You

della zyr is amongst the likes of parannoul, asian glow, brokenteeth, and other korean indie artists who broke through on the internet due to their unapologetic embrace of emo and shoegaze music.

their music in particular stands out to me due to its manifestation as something that's not loud or wallowy compared to their peers' music, it's much more light and airy. it feels like autumn, pleasant and enjoyable, something not in extremes. there's a lot here to like, despite its small package. it's got elements of folk, emo, dream pop, and ambient.

it's not really anything ambitious, but it doesn't need to be. the songs on their own are very well crafted, and the lo-fi quality, of the recording, especially on the vocals, adds a lot to the charm. it's clearly one of those records that cares more about just existing within its space, instead of trying to grab anyone's attention, and i really respect that. i'm still waiting for a follow release to this project.

Cryalot - Icarus

the story of icarus will always be special to me, and this is a project that's filled with experimental electronic tracks that track icarus' journey in aural form. so it was not surprising to me to realise that it's become a project i often return to.

each song serves as not just a retelling of the story but also an allegory for something larger, more universal. if i were to describe the songs and their stories loosely, i'd say that it's about

a) finding it in yourself to forsake your current conditions in order to reach the pinnacle/top,

b) trusting in an outside entity (read: social support systems) to be there for us when we fall, and hold us support while we go up,

c) reaching the absolute bottom and facing complete defeat,

d) questioning the monotony of life, and contemplating its meaning, but still trying to move forward despite it all and

e) carrying forward the lives of those we love by keeping and sharing their stories, but ultimately accepting the finality of it all.

why dream indeed.

Chloe Moriondo - Blood Bunny

this does what a lot of people say olivia rodrigo's guts tried to do, but it does it so much better. (granted, i also enjoy guts quite a decent bit.)

chloe pulls so much from the tapestry and stitching of what she grew up listening to, even going so far as namedropping certain acts that she's inspired by such as Simple Plan, & Paramore, and these inspirations are clear as day on certain songs. i'd say that among the group of indie gen z's who had their start making acoustic covers of songs and slowly branching into bedroom pop, chloe was my favourite, and it was because of this album.

blood bunny came out when she was just 19 and the lyricism shows. so many of the songs deal with adolescent struggles that she deals with, or perhaps copes with in ways, that make sense for someone her age. there's elements of immaturity and angst to the record, but it never feels forced or faked. dealing mostly with themes of unrequited love and (kinda) sapphic female friendships, it's just a girl trying to figure herself out.

Left At London - t.i.a.p.f.y.h.

honestly, i've talked about this record ad nauseam at this point. one of those records whose inspirations and influences are so deeprooted in internet culture that i can't help but adore it.

the first song is amazing. it's just really, really good. nat manages to capture so much of the experience of what it's like to struggle with a mental health disorder, everything from the suicidal ideation, to the self-destructive activities, to the unexpected breakdowns. it's not an easy track to listen to, but it's always the one i revisit the most.

however, ultimately the album is an album of hope and recovery. the first track of course is titled 'pills & good advice, but the very title itself is an acronym for 'there is a place for you here,' a message she gives herself as a form of self affection. but the title is also an acronym for 'this is a protest for your heart.' a life-affirming and optimistic, albeit absurd, proclamation of nat's intent on living her life despite the unfair challenges and hurdles she faces.

Charli xcx - how i'm feeling now

the most defining characteristic of this record for me will always be how it defined so much of my listening habits during the COVID-19 lockdown. i don't think back on those days much but i think i get what charli is going for here, and it makes the memories of that time slightly sweeter.

if her 2019 record 'Charli' was her attempt at throwing the biggest hyperpop party ever, then hifn is her crashing out over the fact that she can't go. so much of this record is just charli wanting a place to belong to, a feeling of belonging, this understanding that somebody gets her, and honestly, it's really relatable.

how i'm feeling now sonically, i'd describe this as her most experimental body of work, and i appreciate the work it took for her to get here as on previous records she did tease these sounds and production choices, but it's like she squeezed it till its most concentrated form for this concoction of unadulterated, blissful hyperpop goodness. the final track building up to this rave drop is just iconic.

Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher (2020)

so much of what makes this album special to me is not even because it's something new or exciting. it's not exactly music that's never been heard before, but phoebe takes these sounds and ideas that we're mostly familiar with, and adds her own personality to it.

what makes this album special is the fact that it's just phoebe being herself, telling stories from her life, and sharing her honest feelings about it all. it's messy at times, and embarrassing even, but it's all her, and that's what matters.

the instruments on this album serve mostly as textures that paint these sonic landscapes with different shades of whatever emotion phoebe is processing through within a particular song, and it sometimes allows for these moments of deep connection.

but really it's the storytelling and lyricism that wins me over. there's a sense of mundanity to these sceneries she paints, but that does not make it any less significant. it's all a work of art, and it's important to acknowledge the brushstrokes.