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TockTockTock · 03-29-2012, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmazingPurpleCat

Syzygys - Complete Studio Recordings

Just found this band and I'm really quite liking what I hear.

It's described as "Microtuned Pop" probably because it's pop songs played using Harry Partch's 43 note microtonal scale.

The dissonance can be weird at first but you get used to it.

Their complete recordings compilation is definitely interesting... Unfortunately, I found the majority of it to be rather dated in its sound, and the album as a whole was very hit-and-miss. With that being said they definitely deserve some credit for being the first pop musicians to incorporate microtonality into their music (even though it's only with one instrument). There is also a fair amount of eclecticism, drawing from areas of music such as: lounge, new wave, various Eastern and Middle-Eastern traditional musics, flamenco, experimental music, and Japanese pop.

Would have preferred it not to be mostly instrumental, but I feel the incorporation of the violin and the involved and somewhat complex pop songs make up for this.

Through doing a bit of quick research on this duo, I ended up finding another oddity of Japanese pop music... Jon. Jon is apparently a young woman who made atonal pop in the 90s through the use of her (rather juvenile-sounding) voice and her organ... I frankly don't know what to think of her music, but it at least interests me enough to want to listen to and talk about it.

Her album, Smoke, is a lo-fi release that is mostly comprised of her singing and playing the organ (with an occasional inclusion of a banjo). It's definitely remiscent of Daniel Johnston's early work (to say the least), and there's a certain air of eeriness about the whole thing... I wouldn't say I dig it, but... I sort of like it (don't really know)