It has been a while since I last sat down just to... listen to music. That's right, actually playing the music at a level that is beyond the threshold of ignorance so that I can listen to the lyrics and feel the song. I don't really know when was it that I started to switch over to non-verbal music (like soundtracks or classical instrumentals) to provide background ambience to keep my mind together as I work on things; it occurred some time within the last year, that's for sure.
I'm definitely no audiophile, but my go-to headphones for listening to stuff is the Bose IE2. Surprisingly, music that passes through it sounds pleasant---it might not have the response that self-proclaimed audiophiles demand, but as a set of headphones used with few if any equaliser tweaks, it works pretty well for me. But this time, when I really want to listen to what is going on, I pull out my over-ear headphones---the ATH-M50 from Audio-Technica. It is roughly the same price as the Bose IE2 (might be cheaper), but due to the larger drivers present, provides a much fuller sound than the IE2. This means that at moderate loudness, the timbre of the music is just so full and rich. The only caveat is that I need to enable the on-board SRS signal processor to push the low frequencies enough such that the driver of the ATH-M50 is sufficiently exercised---I don't have that problem with the IE2.
But anyway, I talked about the latest Cherry Boom album that I got recently. I spent a whole day listening it as ambient, but when I listened to it with my over-ear cans, mmm, they just sound lovely, as always. Compared to the first two albums, the whimsicality of the music is less pronounced, a playful tone but with an air of maturity of the band as a whole. A really nice addition that I'm sure I will listen to again and again over time.
This might have been brought up before, but there is something magical about Faye Wong's ``Eyes On Me''. I, for one, can never get the lyrics right from listening, but the tonal quality of it is that of a lovestruck female, and Faye Wong actually does it in a sufficiently haunting/wistful voice that it is just plain enticing.
But ballads and alt-rock music aside, these days the non-verbal music that I've been listening to are a mix of the ``old staple'' and new stuff. The ``old staple'' I'm referring to here is the soundtrack of タイヨウのうた, featuring the ``surfer beat'' hybrid with strings of 澤野 弘之, the composer of the soundtrack. As for the new stuff, I'm referring to the ``Smooth Jazz'' internet radio station hosted on Sky.fm. Previously, I would listen to the ``Piano Solo'' channel, but for some reason the saxophone seems to have a stronger calling on me.
Alright, I have no idea what I'm writing any more. It feels almost alien yet somewhat familiar to be writing out a blog entry in the middle of the night, alone, with my desk lamp providing the only source of illumination. Somewhat familiar...
Oh on a final note before ending this, I've decided that I am skipping NaNoWriMo this year. Two reasons: I don't really have a story to tell and more importantly, I will be in the deepest of the deepest piles of shit if I actually went ahead to do it, considering that I just have so many things to do this semester. Totally not worth it.
Okay, I'm done here. Till next time.
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