sophisti-pop
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To quote a famous repartee: “Nevertheless, she persisted.” If one could attach a north star to Kay Huang (黃韻玲), it would be that – a persistence that paid off, showing the mettle she’s made of. With fall hovering in the air, and just days past its recent reissue and Kay’s birthday, let’s revisit (or more…
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As a writer, I try to remain as objective as possible and not inject too much of myself into what I review. Yet, as we all know, it’s impossible to completely divorce yourself from a reality: music hits differently. How any piece of music affects you has to be informed by the contours that shape…
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As I write this post, my mind goes back to the ideas posited in Claire Dederer’s new book, “Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma”. I keep thinking: to what degree do I promote or endorse the work of Miguel Bosé? At this moment in time, I can’t escape that I vehemently disagree with his most current views…
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We all have our soft spots. Lately, for me, it’s been sharing certain kinds of “rainy day” albums tailor-made to appeal to the more mature audience. Less fussy with sonics, less messy with pretentiousness, these are the kinds of albums that I’d like to think others would find as graceful, sophisticated, and measured as I…
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As the child of first-generation immigrants, I imagine, many of y’all have had a similar relationship with your parents’ culture as I’ve had with mine. It’s that of initially looking at anything that came out of it – its music, its film or television, its arts or cuisine – with suspicion and (worse) seeing it…
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Isn’t pop music such a fickle beast? It seems, one moment anyone could hold the world’s glimmer…only to be shuttled off when the next “objet d’affection” takes their place. It’s its built-in double-edge cut that gives pop music its ever-evolving staying power, fueled by its voracious appetite for whatever’s fresh to burn through. Sometimes, it’s…
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With spring just around the corner for most of us, undoubtedly, my mind turned toward emotions conjured by such in-between periods. There’s something about the transition from the cold/steely blues, beiges, and gray gradients of a winter season into the pastels of spring that can’t help but put anyone in a warmer, sunnier disposition. And…
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For any musicians out there: aren’t those perfect, creative, moments the ones you find yourself while playing “in the pocket”? It’s when the groove that swung one way comes together on a beat (and whatever you’re doing is the exactly the right thing to be done). I say this because it reminds me of Suzy…
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If y’all can count on one thing about me, it’s on this: I’m unafraid to promote adult music. Years of listening has led me to tuck away a special place for artists or music that gets by not on sonic gimmicks or complexity but on a certain amount of grace and sophistication. It’s what makes…
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Sometimes when I get dug in a corner, it’s pretty hard to get me out of it. In this case, it was me trying to tie a certain sound, a certain atmosphere, inspired by the Glaswegian group: The Blue Nile.
ambient art pop art rock balearic brazilian electro-acoustic england environmental music experimental fourth world Funk fusion japan jazz minimalist mpb neo-folk neoclassical new age walearic