Aberf
Rusydi \'Abe\' Farhan
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Last Active 10-08-21 9:40 pm
Joined 10-01-15

Review Comments 3,986

 Lists
10.04.21 6 years; A berf Summary; top 100 albums 10.02.21 Shoegaze rec for Colton
10.05.20 K-RnB: trend exploration08.31.20 Aberf's top 100 songs last decade
03.13.20 Electropop + Femme vox... I guess01.29.20 Share your playlist
01.13.20 Every Ling Tosite Sigure Ranked v201.09.20 Shoegazing the Decade: Aberf's list
10.26.19 Rec me a single10.18.18 3rd year of sputnik, a decline.
06.26.18 Gospel Albums Ranked05.12.18 [Season 2] soon enough...
04.27.18 Abe's rec comp FINAL04.19.18 Abe's Rec Comp Semi-Final 2
04.12.18 Abe's Rec Comp Semi-Final 1.503.24.18 Abe's Rec Comp Semi-Final 1
03.16.18 Abe's Rec Comp 703.07.18 Abe's Rec Comp 6
More »

2 years of sputnik; abe's Top 100 album

Yeah yeah yeah, I know I'm late for the exact date. But here it is anyway, a sputversary. Who would have think that a link to Ling Tosite Sigure review in amazon would be the beginning of my musical discovery. Despite the ancient functionality and lots of impracticality within this website, I fully enjoy the quality reviews and other contents. So here, top 100 albums. This list is loosely ranked until top 40.
101Peanut Butter
Peanut Butter


Thank you for these people who helped me enjoy my stay in here:

Archelirion
CalculatingInfinity
Flugmorph
Ovrot
Angelboros (where'd you go ;_;)
Sounds
ComeToDaddy
Pjorn
Tyler
Frippertronics
Conmaniac
Blush
Bloon
Jacquibim
Ashcrash9

And the rest of sputcord active members whom I can't put here.
100Danny Brown
Atrocity Exhibition


Genre: Hip-hop

I just started slowly exploring hip-hop; This got my attention. I love the production in here a lot and the overall theme of the album.

Songs: Really Doe, Ain't In Funny, Hell For It.
99Circa Survive
Juturna


Genre: Indie Rock, Shoegaze

I'm biased towards Anthony Green's works. Juturna has something that is emotionally relatable in it. An excellent debut.

Songs: Stop The Fucking Car, Act Appalled, We're All Thieves.
98Linkin Park
Meteora


Genre: Nu-Metal, childhood music

LP is something that I've grown with. Despite within my exploration of music has made these 2 earliest albums a little bit less excellent compared to when I've heard it the first time, I still dig this. Meteora is about the same as Hybrid Theory, same enjoyment.

Songs: Easier to Run [has to be the best LP song for me], Don't Stay, Lying From You.
97Linkin Park
Hybrid Theory


This is something that influences my music taste and it's saying much.

Songs: A Place for My Head, Papercut, In The End, Pushing Me Away
96Midori
Aratame Hajime Mashite Midori Desu


Genre: Punk, Noise Rock, Jazz

Looking at the genre tags alone, I'm pretty sure this would be an interesting listen. And hell yeah it does. The instrumental segments here are insane.

Songs: Yukiko-san, 5 Hyoshi, Muyoku noMuryoku
95Nadja
Touched


Genre: Doom Metal, Drone, Shoegaze

A gaze into the abyss. It's like walking in a creeping darkness with nowhere to escape.

Songs: Stay Demons, incubations/metamorphosis
94Oathbreaker
Rheia


Genre: Blackgaze/post-black metal

A female fronted blackgaze band with an excellent vocal delivery through and through. One of the most interesting release of 2016.

Songs: Second son of R, Needles in Your Skin
93Carly Rae Jepsen
Emotion


Genre: Sputcore, pop

Yeah.

Songs: 'All That' is the best song here, come on.
92Envy
Abyssal


Genres: Screamo, Post-rock

An EP that takes old/straightforward-hardcore envy and post-rock envy within 25 mins. Good stuffs.

Songs: All
91Slowdive
Souvlaki


Genre: Dream Pop, Shoegaze

It's quite funny that I have around 27% gaze on my pie chart and have this album pretty low within my top 100 and my ratings in general. I find the instrumental tracks in Souvlaki to be wallpaperish and that's saying much.

Songs: Alison, Dagger, When The Sun Hits
90Whirr/Nothing
Split


Genres: Shoegaze, Alternative Rock

An excellent split of two bands that have about similar vibe and sounding. I find Nothing's side to be slightly better.

Songs: all but 'July The Forth' is the best here.
89Kyary Pamyu Pamyu
Pamyu Pamyu Revolution


Genre: J-Pop, Electro-pop

One of the most tongue-in-cheek album I've ever heard. It's like Kero Kero Bonito done right.

Songs: Candy, PON, Drinker.
88Trespassers William
Different Stars


Genres: Dream Pop, Shoegaze

The official midnight-time album. I find this album to be homogeneous, but oh boy, it's pretty.

Songs: Lie in The Sound, Flicker, Alone, Love is Blindness
87Haywyre
Two Fold - Part 1


Genre: Electronic, Glitch Hop

So, Haywyre is favorite artist from Monstercat, a musical label that covers all of my music consumptions before sputnik. And this LP is brilliant.

Songs: Prologue-The Schism, Sculpted.
86Run the Jewels
Run the Jewels


Genre: Hip-Hop

Oh well, I enjoy this duo. Their debut is still the best tho.

Songs: DDFH, Sea Legs, A Christmas FUCKING Miracle.
85Ling Tosite Sigure
Feeling Your UFO


Genre: Post-Hardcore, Indie Rock

Well, don't be surprised if you see multiple albums from these guys in this list. This is an EP tho, still awesome.

Songs: Souzou no Security, Sergio Echigo
84Tricot
The


Genres: Math Rock, Post-punk

An All-Female math rock band from Japan. Can't you feel their energy?

Songs: Tobe, 99.974*, Artsick, Omotenashi
83Whirr
Distressor


Genres: Shoegaze, Dream Pop, Indie Rock

One of the best debut from modern Shoegaze. Distressor takes a melancholic and sadder approach into its sound.

Songs: Leave, Sandy
82Jesu
Silver


Genres: Shoegaze, Drone, Metal, Industrial

One of the more shoegazey sound of Jesu. This EP is Packed with metallic tone, heavier sound of shoegaze.

Songs: Silver, Dead Eyes.
81Starflyer 59
Silver


Genres: Shoegaze, Indie Rock

An underappreciated 90's gaze within the sea of many underappreciated 90's shoegaze albums. There is some grunge element in here too.

Songs: Hazel Would, Monterey, 2nd. Space song, The Dungeon.
80Kinoko Teikoku
Long Goodbye


Genres: Shoegaze, Alternative Rock, Post-Rock

As much as the cover art implies, this album is as pretty as flowers. It's happy and sarcastic, then it's sad.

Songs: all tracks
79Yaphet Kotto
The Killer Was in the Government Blankets


Genres: Screamo, Post-hardcore

A clashing clean and harsh vocals along with an amazing instrumentation. If you like screamo, this is a must listen.

Songs: Torn Pictures, Reserved from Speakers, B&C
78Sleep Dealer
The Way Home


Genre: Post-rock, Shoegaze

A soundtrack of being lost. Or the weariness being outside the comfort zone. Whenever I listen to this, I'm longing to go back home, even though I'm home already.

Songs: t/t, The Tenth Planet.
77Opeth
Blackwater Park


Genres: Not Prog-Rock yet

I don't need to explain this eh?

Songs: t/t, Dirge of November, Bleak
76Opeth
Still Life


Genres: I'm a pop fan, actually.

Slightly better than BWP imo. More cohesive.

Songs: The Moore, Benighted, White Cluster, Serenity Painted Death.
75Varien
Mirai Sekai


Genres: Electronics

Varien and 7 Minutes Dead created something that is better than 99% of Monstercat material nowadays. It's one of the best Monstercat release, still holds high on my ranking. A soundtrack of the Journey to the Future.

Songs: all except closer.
74Eminem
The Marshall Mathers LP


Genres: hop-hip

It's kinda funny that when I was a kid, I used to think Eminem is the only good rapper out there. And yes, I only listened to him at that time.

Songs: Stan, The Way I Am, Criminal
73Dir En Grey
Arche


Genres: Metal, Avant-Garde

I actually don't know which genres Dir En Grey belongs to, but I think it's pretty Dream poppish. DEG have grown off me, but their music still pretty fantastic.

Songs: Phenomenon, Tousei, Behind a Vacant Image.
72Deftones
White Pony


Genres: Nu-Metal

One of the first band I've checked when I started sputnik. White Pony is definitely the best Deftones album ever. Fight me irl if you disagree.

Songs: Knife Party, Passenger, Digital Bath, Elite
71Swans
Soundtracks for the Blind


Genres: Post-Rock, Experimental, Noise-rock

Listening to this album is one of the most unsettling experience ever; It's a good thing tho. Somehow the album length is quite intimidating to return to.

Songs: Helpless Child
70Dream Theater
Images and Words


Genre: Prog metal

You know I was like 9 whenever my older brother jammed this. I ended up rocking along with my brother. To this day, this album still kicks ass, even though I'm liking less progressive music nowadays.

Songs: Pull Me Under, Metropolis Pt. I, Learning to Live
69Brand New
The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me


Genre: Sputcore

Hardest sputcore in the history of human life, I really wonder if there is any album that can top this achievement.

Songs: Limousine, Limousine, Limousine, Limousine.
68Altar of Plagues
Teethed Glory and Injury


Genre: Post-Black Metal

I don't usually find an album that is growing hard on me lately. But this is a counterargument for that. This album just gets better each and every listen. Even though I find this to be unbearable at the beginning.

Songs: Twelve Was Ruin, Reflection Pulse Remain, A Body Shrouded
67Gorillaz
Demon Days


Genre: Trip-hop

Another childhood jam. Growing up in Indonesia was not a good time to find any outside musics, only the mainstream hits went through. And so did Gorillaz. I remember when I listened to Feel Good Inc for the first time and got captivated by the animation and of course the music.

Songs: Feel Good Inc, Dirty Harry, Fire comes out from..
66Stimming
Alpe Lusia


Genre: Electronic, House

One of the best electronic/house release in the recent memory. The entire soft kick in this album is so enticing, almost addicting.

Songs: Prepare, Pressing Plant, For My Better Half
65Ling Tosite Sigure
#4


Genre: Post-Hardcore, Indie Rock

#4 is basically the sound of youth. When everything seems to be frustrating. This album is raw emotions, it speaks to me on a emotional level. The music itself has some chaotic/awkward transitions, but it just fits the theme for me.

Songs: Boukan, Acoustic.
64TK From Ling Tosite Sigure
Flowering


Genre: Indie Rock, Pop, Experimental

TK is a magical dude. It's quite baffling on how he keeps pumping quality music after quality. So consistent that even his solo project still bangs hard. I mean, not bangs, but chillz.

Songs: White Silence, Film A Moment, Flower.
63REOL
Σ


Genre: Electronic Pop

Reol is a vocaloid. Actually, she is real, but sounds like a vocaloid. Actually, Reol is a group. But REOL is the singer with a dude who produces the music. And this album issa hype. Hype!!

Songs: Kamisama Ni Hatta ni, VIP KID, Lunatic, ChiruChiru.
62Amesoeurs
Ruines Humaines


Genre: Blackgaze

So, Blackgaze is Post-Black Metal. But I would refer Post-Black Metal as something that has a heavier sounding. And Blackgaze is a perfect term for Amesoeurs. This EP has a 15 mins runtime, but it is beautiful. Almost perfect as an EP. Not to mention Neige.

Songs: all
61Muse
Absolution


Genre: Alternative Rock

There was a phase back in middle school where I was exclusively listening to Muse. Every day for weeks. It was worth it.

Songs: Sing For Absolution, Butterflies & Hurricanes, Rules by Secrecy
60Death
Symbolic


Genre: Death

Metal is gay, and I'm pretty gay for this.

Songs: Sacred Serenity, Without Judgement, Crystal Mountain
59Alcest
Écailles de Lune


Genre: Blackgaze

What's gayer than metal? Blackgays. I'm so fucking gay for this.

Songs: All except Solar Song.
58Killer Mike
R.A.P. Music


Genre: Hip-Hop

I like his lyrics xd

Songs: Southern Fried, Anywhere But Here, t/t
57Nujabes
Modal Soul


Genre: Instrumental Hip-Hop

RIP Seba Jun. He was only 36 years old. His music, a cultural bending and genre defining jazzy hip-hop, remains forever.

Songs: Reflection Eternal, Luv Sic, Feather, Eclipse.
56Nujabes
Metaphorical Music


About the same with Modal Soul, just slightly better

Songs: Blessing it, F.I.L.O, Think Different
55Gospel
The Moon Is a Dead World


Genre: Screamo, Post-Hardcore

One of the most technical Screamo album ever; the drumming in this album is undecipherable. It really deserves every inch of its praises.

Songs: First Half > Second Half
54Ichiko Aoba
うたびこ


Genre: Folk

Ichiko Aoba on Abe's top 100 list? WHAT A SURPRISE!! Anyway, this album is when Ichiko Aoba started her experimentation. IMPERIAL SMOKE TOWN is the case of the experimentation and she completely nails it.

Songs: IMPERIAL SMOKE TOWN, Watashi no Toujin, Hadashi no Niwa, Anata no Kazari
53The Angelic Process
Weighing Souls With Sand


Genre: Doom Metal, Shoegaze

Osmium is the densest material on earth. So dense, in fact it's almost as dense as this album. It's a surreal experience, almost as if my ears are suffocating. And it feels damn good..

Songs: Dick in A minor, We All Die Laughing, The Promise of Snakes
52Aimer
Midnight Sun


Genre: Pop, Alternative Rock

There is something special with Aimer for me. Her vocal hits every soft spots I have. This album is a showcase of what she is capable of, a major improvement from her debut. From Homogenous sounding, to a big variety of sounds.

Songs: words, VOICE, RE: I AM
51Lantlos
.neon


Genre: Blackgaze

Neige pls. Almost every of your work amazes me. It's kinda funny that one dude is featured multiple times in different bands. This album is an epitome of how blackgaze should be like. A pretty build up with brutal crescendo. But not always like that of course.

Songs: Pulse Surreal, .coma, Minusmench
50Perfume
Triangle


Genre: J-pop, Electronic, Techno

Oh boy, where do I start? This is Perfume. This is what electronic pop should sound like. It's catchy, lighthearted, fun, energetic, and lit. The music production here is insane. Only Japanese artists seem to thrive at this kind of music apparently.

Songs: Dream Fighter, Edge, Night Flight
49Perfume
GAME


If you notice, I like to put the same band/artists in about the same ranking. If you see something like this, expect the album to be having the same quality. Or close enough that I can only put one on top of the other. And for this case, GAME is slightly better than Triangle. But both are fucking lit.

Songs: Secret Secret (this is the best J-pop song ever, I'm not even exaggerating), t/t, Take Me Take Me
48Slowdive
Slowdive (1990)


Genre: Shoegaze, Dream Pop

If you ask me which one is the best slowdive, then you already find the answer. If you like Souvlaki, you should definitely check this.

Songs: only 2 different tracks duh
47My Bloody Valentine
Loveless


Genre: Loveless

Oh boy, here we go. This is the most acclaimed shoegaze album ever and fuck yeah it should be. The only reason why this isn't higher on my list is because there are few misses in here. But the hits, hits fucking hard. CAN'T YOU FEEL THE FUZZ?

Songs: Sometimes, Only I Said, Blown a Wish, What You Want.
46Dir En Grey
Uroboros (Remastered & Expanded)


Genre: CalculatingInfinity-core


Yeah this rules. This band is amazing through and through. Most notably on Kyo's massive range of vocal. He is one of the best vocalist out there.

Songs: Vinushka, DOZING GREEN, Ware Yami Tote
45Supercell
Today is a Beautiful Day


Genre: Pop, Rock

WOohooOOo, Supercell with Yanagi Nagi. The best of its kind. Basically Supercell has released albums with different vocalists. One with Vocaloid (Hatsune Miku), this, and the other is using Koeda as the singer. Vocaloid is highly hit-or-miss type of sounding. It didn't stop Supercell's debut to be less technically excellent than this. But this one is just a latent improvement here and there compared to their debut. The variety and all of that. On top of it, Yanagi's vocal hits all the sweet spots possible in this album. Essential J-pop/rock album.

Songs: LOVE & ROLL, Yoru ga Akeru Yo, Perfect Day, Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari
44Envy
A Dead Sinking Story


Genre: Screamo, Post-Rock

Yeaaah, Envy. To describe Envy is definitely "3-5 syllables screaming!!!!!" Other than that, this album just nails the intensity within each crescendos. An amazing album to say the least.

Songs: Color of Fetters, Unrepairable Gentleness, Go Mad and Mark, Reasons and Oblivion.
43Boris
Boris At Last -Feedbacker-


Genre: Drone and some of other stuffs that magically fit

Honestly, Boris should have their own genre section. Their musicianship is crazy brilliant. Despite the complexity of their music, they will always effortlessly deliver. I find Feedbacker to be their highest achievement, just slightly above Flood. Probably because the perfect length. Flood is way too intimidating for me to return to. Ironically enough, I've jammed Flood live version more compared to this, so..

Songs: It's a one song album.
42Tool
Lateralus


Genre: Why I Stopped listening To Tool

I just haven't invest my time in their music again :(

Songs: t/t, Parabol/Parabola, Schism, Disposition-Reflection
41Tool
Ænima


Genre: Enema

Tool is one of the earliest band I've given a try when I started using this website. And Tool have pretty much influenced my taste in music to a certain extent. They have really grown off me, but I have to give credits where it's due.

SONGS: Pushit, Third Eyes, Stinkfist
40Circa Survive
Blue Sky Noise


Genre: Anthony Green

Now we're getting to the top 40! To open this up, there is Circa Survive's Magnum Opus. Blue Sky Noise is catchy as fuck. And it has everything I want from a Circa Survive album. most notably cohesiveness.

Sangs: Through the Desert Alone, Glass Arrows, Compendium-Dyed in the wool.
39Brockhampton
Saturation 2


Genre: Hip-Hop

Brockhampton is a hip-hop collective, as you guys might already know. I just find this boyband pretty cool. Different personalities and different styles, topped with a brilliant executions and productions. I don't particularly find the lyrics to be dumb or even intelligent, I just like the way they rap personally. I'm quite homophobic tbh, but it doesn't stop me liking this album.

Songs: Junky, Sweet, Tokyo, Swamp
38Banks
Goddess


Genre: Pop, Downtempo, Electronic

Banks, not only you can keep money in here, you also got an excellent music. Banks' vocal is intimate, as of she is singing for you and you only. And to complement it, there are minimal productions scattered throughout the album. She is one of my favorite female singer out there.

Songs: Brain, This is What It Feels Like, Warm Water, Change
37Opeth
My Arms, Your Hearse


Opeth: Genre

Best. Opeth. Period. This album is by far the most cohesive release of Opeth. It also has some best tracks like what I will mention below.

Songs: When, April Ethereal, Demon of the Fall
36Koan Sound and Asa
Sanctuary


Genre: Electronic, Dubstep, Drum and Bass, Ambient

When a music can affect my subconsciousness, I think I would rate them even higher. For this EP, it just calms me down on subconscious level. It's a restoration music, where the 1st and 2nd track are calming, then it gradually changes its tempo into something funky and more energetic. In conclusion, this EP is the shit.

Songs: Sanctuary, This Time Around
35Alter
Embers


Genre: Shoegaze, Post-Rock

It's actually crazy on how I initially find this band. I was watching a random youtube video about shoegaze. For this much of a captivating sound from a dense instrumentation, I thought this was a lost band of the 90's. It turns out to be a recent endeavor of an obscure modern shoegaze band. While this is an EP, it has a 34 mins run, which a pretty lengthy EP. Embers sounds like nothing I've ever encountered before. It's like a marriage between Deathconsciousness' density and Souvlaki's airiness. It's both dense and pleasant at the same time. And it's actually amazing on how Alter achieved their sound with only 3 members.

Songs: Walls, Hypnotized, Static Sea, Deja Vu.
34Heretoir
The Circle


Genre: Blackgaze

Heretoir used to be a DSBM band until this release. I really love this. It has all I want from a Blackgaze record. Vocal layering, airiness, melodic sections, and powerful drumming. I think I'm legit the only one who would give this a 5.

Songs: Fading With The Grey, Golden Dust, Laniakea Dance.
33Ling Tosite Sigure
just A moment


Genre: Post-Hardcore, Indie Rock

Just A moment is LTS' debut to a major Sony Label. Japanese bands are notorious of having a decline in quality after couple of releases. But this isn't the case TK and fellow band members. Every albums so far have been a re-innovation and refinery, despite the usual decline for some of Japanese bands happened when they release music under a major label.

Songs: a 7days wonder, Moment a Rhythm, mib 126, Telecastic Fake Show.
32Hartfield
True Color, True Lie


Genre: Shoegaze, Alternative Rock, Dream Pop

A set of eclectic variation of shoegaze sound. A highlight from the Japanese Shoegazing act.

Songs: Reason, A Sorrowful Heartland, 16 Lover's rain, Stand By Me.
31Kendrick Lamar
good kid, m.A.A.d city


Genre: Hip-Hop

Nigga, it's Kendrick Lamar. This concept album really takes me away to the imagery of the life of a kid from Compton. It's easy to see why this album is so highly acclaimed, even for a person like me who wasn't initially big into hip-hop. Even now I'm not big into hip-hop, but I understand now that those mumbling-traphop aren't all shitty.

Songs: Swimming Pool, The Art of Peer Pressure, Money Trees, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.
30The Daysleepers
Drowned in a Sea of Sound


Genre: Dream Pop, Shoegaze

So here is a thing. I don't usually like happy music. Lighthearted music usually sounds gay. What separates them from being 'gay' and 'ungay' is the vocal harmony. Not the best explanation ever, but you get the point. This album, though, takes the vocal harmony into a different level above my 'ungay' standard, which is amazing. But it doesn't mean that the instrumental in here is mediocre, in fact it's simply and powerful enough to elevates the vocal harmony even more. I might exaggerate things here, but this album deserves the exaggeration.

Songs: Megaton Supernova, Release the Kraken, Lovesparkles
29Haywyre
The Voyage


Genre: Electronic

Remember when I talked about Monstercat label? This was the work Haywyre's did before getting into monstercat. The title of the album is quite befitting into the music. It's a voyage towards a jazzy-electronic with beautiful piano-works. It's full of futurism imagery. That's why I think whenever I'm listening to this.

Songs: Breathe, Grey, Trigger, Mokalite
28Various Artists (Shoegaze)
Mikgazer vol.1


Genre: Shoegaze, Dream Pop, abecore

A collection of underground shoegaze featuring Vocaloid Hatsune Miku. This compilation only chooses the best out of all vocaloid-music producers out there. Initially, I had a very low expectation towards this since most of Vocaloid-music rarely produce quality tracks. So then, I was blown away by how excellent this thing sounded. Lastly, vocaloid is highly hit-or-miss for a vocal, so fuck you user CalcatingInfiner.

Songs: 嘘と絵画 (Uso to Kaiga), ハクジツ (Hakujitsu), 千年の雨の終わりに (Sennen no Ame no Owari ni), ハルカ (Haruka)
27Jesu
Jesu


Genre: Shoegaze, Drone, Metal

Jesus came, he make some dope metal shoegaze for us. This s/t album is bleak. A wailing sound of doomy industrial productions, in which it's looping, overstaying its welcome for so long that its listeners are force to embrace it. And for sure I'm embracing this record tightly.

Songs: Sun Day, Tired of Me, Man/Woman, We All Faulter
26Kinoko Teikoku
Eureka


Genre: Shoegaze, Alternative Rock, Post Rock

Behind the scene of this album: "Eureka!! We don't discover anything scientific, we simply just made some good shit!" Well, in the end, I'm just gonna quote what User Ashcrash9 wrote in his review since it is so accurate. "Eureka is an album of the night and all its connotations, one where the stresses of life meet with cosmic escapism and dreamy contemplation with fittingly stellar results." Thank you Ash.

Songs: Musician, Yotaka, t/t, Another Word
25Sweet Trip
Velocity : Design : Comfort


Genre: IDM, Shoegaze, Experimental

So much glitch in this one that I was confused on my initial listen for this. It didn't take long for me to understand that the glitches were just an extra seasoning for brilliant music production. It's almost a classic for its own classification, glitchgaze.

Songs: International, Fruitcake & Cookies, Sept, Pro : Lov: Ad, Dsco
24Ichiko Aoba
剃刀乙女


Genre: Folk/singer-songwriter

Ichiko Aoba's debut, Kamisori Otome (Razor Girl/Maiden), is a dreamy-textured folk music. It's really beautiful, despite the homogeneous tone. Her vocal is so addicting, I find myself to keep coming to this and never got tired of it.

Songs: (If I had to choose) Omotai Matsuge, Fuwa Rin, Watagami no Circus, Tooi Akogare
23Saosin
Translating the Name


Genre: Post-Hardcore

My first exposure to Anthony Green. I didn't know that this would be the beginning of my mancrush for him back when I was in middle school. I was disappointed on how Saosin - s/t didn't have the same vocal; I enjoyed the album nonetheless. So basically, this EP is perfect. So close to perfect actually. This was a good introduction for me to Screamo genre (despite that this might not be considered as one).

Songs: Seven Years, they perched on stilts..
22Envy
All the Footprints You've Ever Left and the Fear Expecting Ahead


Genre: 3-5 syllables screaming

This album is Envy before they explored the post-rock realm. I still prefer this slightly over A Dead Sinking Story, mainly because it's more to be a straightforward hardcore/phxc. Envy takes the full credit of me finally embracing the act of screamo.

Songs: Your Shoes and The World..., Mystery and Peace, Farewell to Words, Left Hand, The Light of my Footprints.
21Aimer
Daydream


Genre: Pop Rock, Alternative Rock, abecore

Aimer is a gift to the J-pop realm. Mainly because her vocal prowess. Her discography is a showcase on how well she can push the boundaries, keeping an improvement after improvement until her latest album. For this album, she shows her ability to fully sing in English; reaching the highest vocal pitch; introducing new tones of vocal; and a lot of new things from Aimer to be seen in this album. Not to mention that some of the tracks from this album are written by TK and Taka (from ONE OK ROCK, an actual proof that he can still write things that don't suck).

Songs: US, Kowairo, Stars in the Rain, Faling Alone, Twoface.
20Coaltar of the Deepers
Submerge


Genre: Shoegaze and some other stuffs that fits.

Coaltar of the Deepers is Japanese Shoegaze band that actually started as a metal band. They released couple of metal EP, then they decided to reinnovate their sound by making shoegaze as their core. And this album is their first successful endeavor. Listening to this album is like a surprise, so

*SPOILER ALERT*.

Submerge has these elements: Thrash Riffs, Shamisen sound, Jazzy bass line, Doom Metal breakdown, Glitchy interlude, and electronic synths throughout the songs. And it doesn't feel random. It just fits.

Songs: Natsunogyouninzaka, The Breastroke, Cell, Tim.
19Mass of the Fermenting Dregs
Mass of the Fermenting Dregs


Genre: Shoegaze, Post-Punk, Math Rock

Mass of the Fermenting Dregs, shortened as Masudore, started from a full female band in which they only released a demo. And after that only the frontwoman Natsuko Miyamoto remained to take the demo and released a full EP with two new male band members. Speaking of this EP, it's massive, in the context of variety and sound for only 6 tracks. First two tracks are almost sound like post-hardcore; third track is the most shoegazy; Fourth track is a long epic post-rock journey for 9 mins; and finally the math rock elements came in to close it off. It's an amazing journey for only 30 mins. This EP is an essential from the Japanese Shoegazing act.

Songs: Ranked: 5th > 4rd > 1st > 3rd > 6th > 2nd
18BUCK-TICK
13-kai wa Gekkou


Genre: Archelirion-core, CI-Core, Gothic Rock

For BUCK-TICK fans out there, there are a lot of options to choose their magnum opus. Some people think it's Kurutta Taiyou, some people think it's this one. From you can see here, I choose the latter. This is a long-connecting gothi-rock epic consisted of 18 tracks. The tracks are somehow connected to the next of each, making this a concept album. So anyway, this is some goood shit.

Songs: Cabaret, Passion, Romance, Ijin no Yoru
17Ling Tosite Sigure
i'mperfect


Genre: Post-Hardcore, Indie Rock, Math rock

Again with Ling Tosite Sigure. This time, TK seemingly applied some math in here. He does some crazy shit with his guitar sometimes. This album by far the heaviest sounding record TK that TK ever released. It's fast, complex, chaotic, aggressive, and also cohesive throughout the album. Personally speaking, it's by far the most jammable release by TK. I dig this massively.

Songs: Sitai Miss Me, Filmsick Mystery, Abnormalize, make up Syndrome.
16Alter
Pendulum


Genre: Shoegaze, Post-rock

Starting from here, there is no more album I rated under 5. Which is weird since there are few albums under this rank that has the same rating.

Remember Embers? This album is like Embers with more density and more atmospheric. A step up from their previous effort. Most notably in the drumming and cohesiveness. An AOTY (or EOTY) contender for me.

Songs: The Storm, False Mirror, Inner Eclipse

Actually, user arche gift this album for me, so it is a 5 for sure.
15Muse
Origin of Symmetry


Genre: Alternative

I didn't like few parts in Absolution, which prevent it to be a classic; Origin Symmetry is just perfect. This thing is a nostalgia jam, nothing super special about it.

Songs: Citizen Erased, Space Dementia, Bliss, Darkshines
14David Sylvian
Secrets of the Beehive


Genre: Art Pop

If I can describe this with one word, it would be 'magic'. The musical composition in this album is out of this world. David Sylvian's vocal is like a matured wine. The length of the album is perfect. For something that is made in the 80's, this thing is so ahead of its time.

Songs: Orpheus, The Devil's Own, The Boy With The GUn.
13Dream Theater
Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory


Genre: Prog Metal

I've talked about when I was 9 when I jammed to Dream Theater the first time. I've listened lots of their album back then. After not listening to them again for years, I find this album is the most memorable one. It's a concept album that doesn't fail to deliver, a definitive classic.

Songs: Fatal Tragedy, Home, The Dance of Eternity, Beyond This Life, Finally Free
12X Japan
Art of Life


Genre: Cheese Metal

Oh yeah, this thing is a completely a cheese, even at the piano part. But why is this so good tho?? The only explanation is because.... I like cheese. It might be disappointing for some dude here that this doesn't even get to top 10. Sorry, User Calc.

Songs: lol
11Agalloch
Ashes Against the Grain


Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

I like pretty things more than chaotic things. And with that, it might be easy to separate in which black metal album I would like. Agalloch is the best case of a pretty black metal album. Listening to this record really takes me to the realm of a beautiful winter night. Or maybe even more than that.

Songs: 'Fire Above, Ice Below', Not Unlike The Waves, Limbs, Our Fortress Is Burning I-III
10Dir En Grey
Dum Spiro Spero


Genre: Weebcore

Getting into the top 10, it's getting more arbitrary, considering that this top 10 are pretty much what defines me as a music listener. Like I said previously, I used to love this band a lot. Their latest 3 albums are definitely their best. It's safe to pick any of those albums and to put it on the top. For Uroboros, Dum Spiro Spero, and Arche, the only one that hasn't grown off me is DSS. One of the reasons might be spectacular performance on the live DVD. It's seriously one of the best performance of any musical performance I've ever witnessed (DSS in Nippon Budokan). While Dir En Grey would always deliver the similar quality on live stage, I would say that they will never top this achievement.

Songs: Juuyoku, Diabolos, Vanitas, Different Sense.
9Coaltar of the Deepers
Yukari Telepath


Genre: Shoegaze with....

...Elements of Thrash, Electronic, Jazz, and whatever fuck these guys feel to be fit in the music yet again. And this time is the peak of Coaltar of the Deeper's creativity. The best use of thrash riffs, electronics synth, and shoegazy texture out of all of their previous efforts. It's quite a befitting end for a such a consistent band throughout their discography. Well, these guys are still active within live tour, but they haven't make anything new since this latest album. Looking forward for a new material from them.

Songs: Aquarian Age, Water Bird, Carnival, Ribbon no Kishi, Automation Structures.
8Alcest
Kodama


Genre: Blackgaze

Alcest's latest has jumped quickly into my rankings. It seems like I have developed a fetish for Neige's works, since there is not even one work that I dislike from him. Like I said previously, I like pretty things. Kodama is the epitome of pretty. Most of Neige's works in fact are pretty, but Kodama is just steps ahead further.

Songs: Oiseaux de Proie, Untouched, Kodama, Eclosion
7Nothing
Guilty of Everything


Genre: Shoegaze, Dream Pop, Alternative Rock

Well, to begin with, this list is leaning to be much more subjective than objective. This album in particular isn't something that is super mindblowing or highly innovative stuffs. But this album is what shoegaze is all about for me. Whether it's the fuzz, the low mix in the vocal (as if it's part of the instrument), the lyrical content, and the overall wall of sound. This record speaks to me like any other shoegaze record. Every time I play this album, I will find myself to already reaching the end before I realize it.

Songs: B&E, Dig, t/t, Hymn to the Pillory
6Ling Tosite Sigure
Inspiration Is DEAD


Genre: phxc, Indie Rock

Finally, the best LTS album ever. LTS is so consistent, in fact you can put any of their albums to be your 1st. I just happen to love this more than the others (duh). I remember when I listened to I'mperfect and I was like "weeew". And I progressively listen to LTS' discography backwards while my "weeeeeeew" reaction was getting longer and longer. Then I finally hit this album. fucking weeeeeeeeeeeeeeew man. This album even has a shoegaze track in it, in which I didn't notice it was until some time ago.

Songs: Knife Vacation, DISCO FLIGHT, AM3:45, i not crazy am you are
5Agalloch
The Mantle


Genre: Atmospheric Black

Oh look, another Agalloch. The Mantle is a definition of the sound of winter. The atmospheric is chilling, yet calming. For me there is no harshness in this record, only beauty and harmony. The closer is the most depressing thing ever, one my top 20 songs ever.

Songs: Second half of the album.
4Slint
Spiderland


Genre: Post-Rock, Math Rock

Slint is one of few albums that I instantly gave a 5. In fact, there is only 2 of them in this top 10. Spiderland is a definitive sound of post-rock. In fact, this album marks the birth of post rock genre. And it's easy to see why this album is such a classic. Their composition is mindblowing, especially in the closer 'Good Morning, Captain.'. Every instruments set each of their own pace of repetition with varying length to different of them. As a result, the compositions sound differently in each bars. And it's hard to decipher this album and till this day, it still blows my mind every time I listen to this album.

Songs: All
3Kinoko Teikoku
Uzu Ni Naru


Genre: Post-Rock, Shoegaze

I'm becoming one with the sound, baby. As I've said better in the review, everything in here is just amazing. I think it's just better for me to let the review says what I already wrote.

Songs: Taikutsu Shinogi, School Fiction, Ashikubi.
2Have a Nice Life
Deathconsciousness


Genre: Post-Punk, Suicidegaze, Ambient, Industrial

To present 'death' as the main theme of an album isn't an easy task. What I mean is, 'death' itself is such a complex topic. What happens after a death of a person? Will she/he to Heaven or hell, or will it be a reincarnation, or will it be just nothing? I mean, I'm actually quite religious myself so I believe in the concept of Heaven and Hell. But this record is seriously makes me wonder what is life or what is death. What is my purpose in this world? This album has transcends music for me into something that's more than a music.

Songs: Earthmover, Holy Fucking Shit: 40000, Bloodhail, Hunter, I Don't Love.
1Ichiko Aoba
0%


And now this is the best album I've ever listened. There is something within Ichiko Aoba's voice that hits me deeply. This is an example that music doesn't need a complex instrumentation to be amazing and fulfilling. With only a classical guitar and her vocal, Ichiko has created something that words can't describe for me. Her music resonates within my subconsciousness. When I'm not listening to music, I find myself to be humming the melody out of this album. It's just that good. This live album that runs for 90 mins is her peak of musical achievement. After couple of experimentation within her previous works, her sound is evolving from being dreamy into something that is more than that. This album has every mood that branches out from the definition of 'calming'. And of course, I can't simply just stop coming back to this. I can't.
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