For better or for worse, video games were our first exposure to music and, for that matter, electronic music. These chip produced background songs were ubiquitous and are now closely connected to the fun one had playing Mario, Zelda, Mega Man, or Sonic. And, it should be noted that many of these songs were quite good, containing simple but incredibly memorable hooks (I may be biased as I have been walking around with the Legend of Zelda’s main theme in my head for the past 23 years). Anamanaguchi, and other chiptune artists (bands whose primary means of composition is the sound chips from old consoles and Gameboys) have been mining this tradition for several years, and Anamanaguchi, if their wildly successful recent Kickstarter campaign is any indication, is currently poised to be the most well-known band within this genre.
Anamanaguchi’s first full length, after a string of singles, EPs, and the soundtrack to a rather good video game (seriously, the Scott Pilgrim game is a fantastic homage to insanely difficult arcade beat-em-ups), is actually a somewhat daunting prospect. At 76 minutes, it is one of the longest albums I can remember listening to this year. And also, I must note that this album is not for everyone. There is something fundamentally challenging about these songs, especially if you have an aversion to blaring midi sounds and synths (I do not, possibly for the reasons outlined above). Normally I would not make this point, but I think this really is made for a certain audience. Anamanaguchi work in a very specific vernacular and once you understand that and especially if you have grown up within that vernacular, Endless Fantasy can be an especially rewarding record.
Video game music is the very obvious major point of reference for Endless Fantasy, which contains a lot of strangely familiar moments. These songs consistently sounds like the epic soundtrack to a lost Super Nintendo game, one that may or may not have an anime tie-in or be an anime tie-in (hard to say). Even the title is reminiscent of video game and anime OST titles. It hits all the right buttons in that regard and it is impossible to deny that this music is extremely fun. But, it is structured to fit a video game and, thus, seems to be very hyper, propulsive and constantly changing. Endless Fantasy shoots for the ecstatic; it is pop music at an accelerated pace. Every song is centered around quick changes in tempo, sudden shifts in style and a constant reliance on soaring climaxes. In fact the album feels, at times, like a giant swirling chorus.
And this also leads to the main problem with Endless Fantasy; it is too long for what it tries to do. Taken individually, many of these tracks are well executed, fun, and catchy instrumentals; however, at 76 minutes, it is exhausting for even the most dedicated listener. Furthermore, the record’s bulk takes away from the individual tracks, it drowns everything out, especially the second half, which seems increasingly strong with each listen but can be tough to parse out after the frenetic pace of the first half. These are strong songs and could be put out in smaller chunks for a much better effect. It is obvious the group has a lot of ideas, but they don’t need to be put them together all at once.
Still, Endless Fantasyis an overall solid album, one that builds on the promise of their earlier releases. It can be addictive and it is definitely one of the most fun records of the year. As I said, it may not be for everyone but it works within its niche effectively. It channels the feeling these video games songs could evoke and, at the very least, argues for the need to take some of those tracks seriously as music, as a pop form that required skill and intelligence to create and that remains worthy of taking seriously.
Grade: B
this band no-showed at Tralf Music Hall last year, why should we care
how dare them for reviewing the album then....