7/14/24 id like to talk about 3776's album from 2015, titled "3776を聴かない理由があるとすれば" or tl.- "If there were any reason not to listen to 3776". ive been a fan of this artist after stumbling on her on spotify a little while ago, but didnt realize she had put out more music than i had heard until i again stumbled on this album by chance! 3776 is an artist id reccomend to anybody looking to get into experimental music, or art pop music in general- she has a unique style that i find impossible to compare to much else; music that you can actually feel being played with as songs progress. songs that play WITH you! her music is inconsistent, beats go where they please, in and out of your ears before youve registered that theyre there, and then seamlessly fading back into her narration yet again.
there is an in progress translation of this album here i reccomend following along as you listen :)
this album in particular is a conceptual album, themed around the climbing of mount fuji, with narration in between describing where you are on your journey, how you feel as you climb alongside her, dipping in between punchy, jazzy beats that cool off your ears. she captures this mood exquisitely, synth and bouncy drums picking up the ice and snow and cold blueness beautifully. its relaxing, in its own right, and at other times even more frantic and desperate, aggressive like a foot in a foothold. she talks at times directly to the mountain itself, describing its worth and many features as if she were talking about a man instead, criticizing and admiring it.
mt fuji becomes a subject of anxiety, and we seem to be peeking into her mind specifically as she shares her anxieties, as mt fuji begins to warp into the very idea of a unmountable force of nature and mental gaps. mt fuji is the universe, aging, the endless slog of time and mental deterioration. it stands firm as it melts and refreezes and crumbles little by little, but there is still that fear lying deep within it. the music begins to stabilize a little, only to fall apart again and climb back up in desperate drum crescendos. it only stays still when she wants it to, lulled by her voice after its been rocked by her desperate rambling. this is an album of anxiety to me, masterfully pulling whats inside it apart and then back together again and again. i can absolutely reccomend this album to anyone looking to get into experimental/conceptual music, or just looking to get a good taste of a hallmark of the japanese art pop music scene. i love you 3776, im happy i climbed with you for a while.