Author Topic: Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. #1 sax is love, sax is life  (Read 8057 times)

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Offline Onno

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Re: Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. another Steven Wilson side project
« Reply #35 on: December 17, 2016, 04:41:29 AM »
A bit late to the party, but following.

Offline Fluffy Lothario

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Re: Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. another Steven Wilson side project
« Reply #36 on: December 18, 2016, 03:57:58 AM »
I'm curious, which version of Pink did you listen to?

I've been checking out Boris' albums on youtube over months, working out which ones to buy, and Pink is one of the best. But the version of Pink I've been playing on there is apparently the vinyl edition, and it's MILES better than the CD version, from what I can see. Farewell is moved towards the end of the album, and all of the later songs are given huge outros. Which means the album has two halves, starting as a full-blown punk/hard rock album and completely morphing into a full-blown noise/drone one.

I can't imagine the album being remotely as good otherwise, so I'm not sure if I should even bother buying it.

Offline Sacul

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« Reply #37 on: December 18, 2016, 11:30:35 AM »
I've listened to the new deluxe edition, that starts with Farewell (and has a whole disc full of extra songs, which are excellent imo) and I think it's the same as the CD you mention. But you got me curious with the vinyl difference, I think I'll try it out of curiosity - hope it's th Japanese pressing, because Boris' albums significantly vary in tracklist order and other stuff whether it's vinyl or CD, and either an USA or Japan pressing. I guess you can just download all versions and pick your favorite.

Offline Fluffy Lothario

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Re: Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. another Steven Wilson side project
« Reply #38 on: December 19, 2016, 03:22:42 AM »
The vinyl doesn't have that extra disc of material, so I'll guess I'll get the CD version for that if nothing else. But yeah, I think I'll download the vinyl version somewhere at some point.

If you haven't heard Boris At Last/Feedbacker, you should check that out though. So far, I've listened to Amplifier Worship, Flood, Heavy Rocks 2002, Akuma no Uta, BAL/Feedbacker, and Pink. Of those, Pink and Feedbacker are the two best by some margin.

Offline Zantera

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Re: Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. another Steven Wilson side project
« Reply #39 on: December 19, 2016, 04:19:25 AM »
Pink is a wonderful album but doesn't reach the levels of Flood or Feedbacker, and I would also probably put Amplifier Worship over it.

Offline Fluffy Lothario

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Re: Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. another Steven Wilson side project
« Reply #40 on: December 19, 2016, 05:39:44 AM »
I've given Flood I think three tries now and I just found it a total bore each time. I'm generally open to music that takes its time to do what it's doing and utilises a lot of repetition, but Flood's just too ambient for me, I think.

Amplifier Worship's aight.

Offline Sacul

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Ye
« Reply #41 on: December 19, 2016, 10:04:36 AM »
Feedbacker is on my top 100 somewhere, amazing album. So far I've checked that one, Heavy Rocks, Pink, and New Album. And Flood, which I'm trying to give a fair chance but it's just 20 mins too long, if not more.

Offline ThatOneGuy2112

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Re: Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. another Steven Wilson side project
« Reply #42 on: December 19, 2016, 01:27:31 PM »
Flood is a fantastic record and you'll ignore it at your peril.

I suppose if you're not the biggest fan of drone or ambient music, Flood is a difficult album to get into. More than any other Boris record, it achieves such a unique soundscape so masterfully. From the recording, to those monstrous riffs in Flood III, the whole album just sounds so massive and huge. I listen to it and it really does feel like an ocean washing you over. It's an incredibly cohesive experience that's left more of an impact on me than any other Boris album, as much as I love some of them, such as Amplifier Worship or Feedbacker.

Offline Sacul

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Re: Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. another Steven Wilson side project
« Reply #43 on: December 21, 2016, 07:57:31 PM »
Gave it another listen today, and it certainly feels huge, but it's just too fucking long - Flood I takes ages to start going somewhere, and Flood IV has like 5 mins worth of music, stretched into 20 mins :P

If I get much into drone/ambient one day, I'll definitely give it another chance tho.

Also, next update in a while  :corn

Offline Sacul

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Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. kevin moore
« Reply #44 on: December 21, 2016, 09:18:00 PM »
Office of Strategic Influence
OSI


Shut me down and fade me out..

While Kevin Moore went to make electronic music after leaving Dream Theater, on his Chroma Key project, I think he found his voice with Jim Matheos (Fates Warning) and their OSI experiment. Their debut is full of head-banging, awesome riffs, excellent drumming (by Mike Portnoy!), and Kevin's unusual soft-spoken voice as constrast. Music sounds pretty inspired by some alternative metal at the time yet nowhere as oblivious of quality, with lots of subtle electronics (which would become more prominent on future albums), spoken samples and great synth sounds. I also find some similarities with Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence here and there, and even some Porcupine Tree, mostly on the epic 10 mins shutDOWN - which features guest vocals by Steven Wilson!

Not as refined as Blood imo, but still a solid album full of bangers.

Recommended track: shutDOWN

Offline Tomislav95

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Re: Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. kevin moore
« Reply #45 on: December 22, 2016, 01:32:38 AM »
I love both Kevin and Jim but I could never get into OSI :/
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Offline ?

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Re: Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. kevin moore
« Reply #46 on: December 22, 2016, 04:47:56 AM »
My least favorite OSI album, but still good, though I feel like they hadn't found the balance between prog metal and electronics yet.

Offline Fluffy Lothario

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Re: Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. kevin moore
« Reply #47 on: December 22, 2016, 08:07:37 PM »
Gave it another listen today, and it certainly feels huge, but it's just too fucking long - Flood I takes ages to start going somewhere, and Flood IV has like 5 mins worth of music, stretched into 20 mins :P
The length is only half the issue. In fact, it might not even be a problem, IF the ideas they were playing with were very interesting.

The riffs in Flood I and II in particular are just plain dull. They're not interesting or catchy or pretty, they don't draw me in in any way. I don't remember III being terrible, but at that point, they've already spent 40 minutes testing your patience on sub-par material, so anything less than legendary isn't gonna compensate. IV would be a nice comedown, but it's only gonna work if you've enjoyed what led up to it, otherwise it's pointless.

Offline Sacul

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Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. Iceland intensifies
« Reply #48 on: December 23, 2016, 12:12:15 PM »
I love both Kevin and Jim but I could never get into OSI :/
Heh, I prefer OSI to anything by either both :P

My least favorite OSI album, but still good, though I feel like they hadn't found the balance between prog metal and electronics yet.
Aye, they found that one on Blood imo.

Gave it another listen today, and it certainly feels huge, but it's just too fucking long - Flood I takes ages to start going somewhere, and Flood IV has like 5 mins worth of music, stretched into 20 mins :P
The length is only half the issue. In fact, it might not even be a problem, IF the ideas they were playing with were very interesting.

The riffs in Flood I and II in particular are just plain dull. They're not interesting or catchy or pretty, they don't draw me in in any way. I don't remember III being terrible, but at that point, they've already spent 40 minutes testing your patience on sub-par material, so anything less than legendary isn't gonna compensate. IV would be a nice comedown, but it's only gonna work if you've enjoyed what led up to it, otherwise it's pointless.
Dunno, I like the riffs on the album, but they aren't anything spectacular... I guess it's more of an atmospheric work than anything else? Something in which how it sounds is more important than what is sounding, maybe?



Kveikur
Sigur Rós


That's a... nice cover...

Sigur Rós gone into a more electronic, a little darker direction, with some industrial influences. While that'd be easily an ideal combination for me, I think it falls flat at times - the opening song is all kinds of awesome, as well as the title track and Hrafntinna is just beautiful, but that's about it with this album imo. Not that there's a single bad or boring song here, but besides those mentioned, I'm not grabbed by much of this album. Still a solid and creative release from one of Iceland's most iconic bands.

Recommended track: Brennisteinn

Offline Sacul

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Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. male communion
« Reply #49 on: December 24, 2016, 12:26:47 PM »
Storm Corrosion
Storm Corrosion


Always here and always with you now...

I'll admit I never got into this album because Drag Ropes wasn't my thing, so didn't go beyond that track, thinking it'd all be the same. Well, I was quite wrong! This album, for the most part, is pretty quiet, with some outbursts of noise here and there, but predominate a soft, even if dark, mood. It's quite an experimental journey that's kinda disjointed at parts, but a very rewarding one. Would love for them to make another of these.

Recommended track: Storm Corrosion

Offline Sacul

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Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. It's a f*cking post-christmas miracle! 5 ALBUMS YAY
« Reply #50 on: December 26, 2016, 02:28:12 PM »
The Last Hero
Alter Bridge


Once again the dogs are out for blood...

The refinement of their "heavy sound", one that started with the insipid ABIII, found a strong voice on the popular Fortress, and reached its peak here imo. Although this ain't really experimental music at all, this is the band's taking their sound into new directions and pushing a bit the limits of what can be done in such a dull genre like Hard Rock and Heavy Metal in 2016, with a sound completely their own. Excellent riffs, and performance by Myles Kennedy. The down side is that, although the production is excellent, The Last Hero has been mastered too loud, which can make for a tiring listen. 13 songs on a similar vein don't help much either. But it's a solid album.

Recommended track: The Other Side


Frances the Mute
The Mars Volta


Sin Ojos me quieres dar, una historia sin mi madre...

Well, for some reason decided to finally give this album a chance, despite their debut not blowing me away. Well, this one I like more! On Frances the Mute, the band showcases a wild variety, notably lots of latin music like tango or traditional folk from several parts of the continent, mostly from Central America. The album's a little chaotic at times, but just goes through many styles, like progressive rock, jazz fusion, and even ambient. It's probably a little too "much" for me and the ambient sections are too long and kinda boring. But I really like the choruses on each track.

Maybe this will click on me one day and I'll love it to pieces. By now, I feel it's just a solid record.

Recommended track: L'Via L'Viaquez


Catch Without Arms
Dredg


Let the demons have their place...

So basically dredg's sound but more... accessible and commercial almost. But definitely not a sellout - just songs are simplified a bit. Which isn't a bad thing, I like their sound and these tunes are pretty catchy, but I really miss the experimentation and overall "weirdness" of El Cielo. Still, Catch Without Arms is a solid album full of bangers and some of the band's best songs.

Recommended track: Ode to the Sun


Returning Jesus
No-Man


Let me comfort you when the world seems blue...

So after two dance, electronic albums, Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness went into a very, very different direction. Long gone are the drumbeats and the sampling - welcome the guitars, the synths and moogs, the drums, the strings, the ocassional sax and trumpet. It reminds me of a cross between Pink Floyd post-DSotM and Talk Talk's Laughing Stock - the emotion and songwriting of the former, the atmosphere and use of instrumentation of the later. So yeah, this is atmospheric af, and very emotional at times. I'd be all over this album if it wasn't a little cheesy, and some sounds weren't so outdated. But it's still a very solid effort, and showcases a style that would reach it's peak on their follow-up imo.

Recommended track: All that You Are


The Great Misdirect
Between the Buried and Me


Slide into the water, Become one with the sea, Life seems so much smaller...

After the amazing Colors, the band decided to tone down a bit the growls and the metal, and go for a more melodic route. In the way, they added some dark cabaret and jazz fusion elements here and there. And it works! Although a chaotic album, it's a very entertaining one, and definitely more accessible than their previous album.

Recommended track: Swim to the Moon


I also wanted to mention a couple albums that didn't make the cut for the list nor the honorable mentions, either because I didn't feel strong about them or I just didn't give enough attention to justify putting them here:
  • King Crimson - The Power to Believe
  • Have a Nice Life - The Unnatural World
  • Casualties of Cool - Casualties of Cool.
  • Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
  • Kashiwa Daisuke - Re:
  • Kendrick Lamar - good kid, mad city
  • Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine

So that's the end of the honorable mentions! I'll soon begin with the actual list - expect 30 excellent records that are the best I've discovered this year.

Offline Crow

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wait these were all honorable mentions?  :lol

Offline Sacul

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Yeah look at the OP, too many good albums I didn't want to leave out  :lol

At least I only got like 4 writeups remaining for the list so I'm fine.

Offline Zantera

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Great Misdirect is great, Swim to the Moon is one of my favorite BTBAM songs. Frances the Mute is an amazing album and Cassandra Gemini is probably my favorite prog epic ever. Dredg is another solid pick.

Offline Anguyen92

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Well, I already stated my thoughts on The Last Hero in a few threads here.  Great album to add to Alter Bridge's amazing catalog, the album of the year for me, but I do have to agree with the gripes.  It's a bit too loud and I do think that Elvis Baskette (Alter Bridge's producer) went a bit overboard with the multiple guitar-layering and vocal-layering.

Offline ThatOneGuy2112

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Frances the Mute is stellar. Although I prefer De-Loused, Frances is on the more chaotic and jam-centric end of their sound. It's a freakin' trip. Cassandra has to be my 2nd favorite Mars Volta song, just under Cicatrez ESP.

Great Misdirect is pretty good too, though not as immediately memorable as Colors.

I like the honorable mentions to the honorable mentions. :lol I would actually recommended revisiting The Power to Believe soon. Such an underrated King Crimson record.

Offline ?

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Yay Storm Corrosion!

I've only got El Cielo from dredg, but I should probs get CWA, because Chris DeGarmo cowrote some of the songs.

Offline Train of Naught

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Yeah The Great Misdirect is tons better than Colors IMO, glad you finally gave it a listen.

Same for Frances, only this one's just a slight step up from De-loused if you ask me, but still, great album. L'via L'viaquez is one of my alltime favourite songs :metal

Also I already know your #1 :corn
people on this board are actual music fans who developed taste in music and not casual listeners who are following current fashion trends and listening to only current commercial hits.

Offline Sacul

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Noticed by senpai
« Reply #58 on: December 27, 2016, 03:16:43 AM »
Great Misdirect is great, Swim to the Moon is one of my favorite BTBAM songs. Frances the Mute is an amazing album and Cassandra Gemini is probably my favorite prog epic ever. Dredg is another solid pick.
Yay Storm Corrosion!

I've only got El Cielo from dredg, but I should probs get CWA, because Chris DeGarmo cowrote some of the songs.
:tup

I like the honorable mentions to the honorable mentions. :lol I would actually recommended revisiting The Power to Believe soon. Such an underrated King Crimson record.
Honorable Inceptions :neverusethis: OK that was awful :lol

It was actually revisiting that album that made me cut it from the list - it was #28 or so :P

Yeah The Great Misdirect is tons better than Colors IMO, glad you finally gave it a listen.

Also I already know your #1 :corn
One day you'll understand the mighty power of Colors, my child.

Oh pls tell me because I've got no fucking clue :lol

Seriously, I'm debating between 3 or 4 albums as my #1, can't decide. Any guesses are welcome tho.

Offline Tomislav95

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If I did this kind of list CWA would be in top 5. And new AB is grower, I finally got into it and now I love it. 
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I wave but they don't slow down...

Offline Train of Naught

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I thought Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile because you've been raving about only really getting into it this year

Also I've listened to Colors enough to give it a fair judgement compared to their other albums, I think, but other than White Walls, Ants and Informal Gluttony I think the album is just 'good'.
people on this board are actual music fans who developed taste in music and not casual listeners who are following current fashion trends and listening to only current commercial hits.

Offline Sacul

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Owo
« Reply #61 on: December 27, 2016, 07:58:06 AM »
Tbh I first listened to the fragile last year, but it wasn't until this one that it started growing on me a fucking lot. It will be featured in a little different kind of list tho ;)

Offline Sacul

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Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. vidya muzak and more steven wilson
« Reply #62 on: December 27, 2016, 08:59:50 PM »
30
Bastion Original Soundtrack
Darren Korb


All this takes a lot of gettin' use to...

Bastion is a nice isometric hack n' slash RPG, which was quite praised by critics and fans because of the attention to detail and its overall artistry, both visual and sound-wise. Darren just happens to be a childhood friend of one of their developers, so there was quite a strong connection during development. And it shows a lot in the soundtrack.

It'd described by Mr Korb as "acoustic frontier trip-hop" - make what you want of that, but I think it's a pretty apt title. Strong electronic beats, lots of country/folky guitars, some electric ones here and there, a couple of sung tunes or with spoken word sections, and in general lots of energy. It's really a high dose of adrenaline and punch most of the time, perfect for such an intense game. Kinda lacks a bit of variety, but I dig this one quite a bit.

Recommended track: In Case of Trouble


29
The Incident
Porcupine Tree


All this takes a lot of gettin' use to...

I feel this album gets too bashed, and I get it - feels like rehashed PT ideas into an album. Not that that is bad per se, but a band that constantly evolved with each record, well...

Anyways, I think this album is damn solid. I mean, half songs feel like I have already listened to them on previous albums, but I don't mind much since I love PT's sound very much. There ain't much to say about this one, just that it's got lots of catchy, solid tracks. Nothing mind-blowing nor top 10 tier, but a very consistent album, if a bit too long. Maybe a bit too cold?

Recommended track: I Drive the Hearse

Offline Elite

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Re: Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. vidya muzak and more steven wilson
« Reply #63 on: December 28, 2016, 04:46:27 AM »
You never heard The Incident prior to 2016?
Hey dude slow the fuck down so we can finish together at the same time.  :biggrin:
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Offline Zantera

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Re: Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. vidya muzak and more steven wilson
« Reply #64 on: December 28, 2016, 05:00:50 AM »
The Incident is good IMO but it does come off as a very safe album and would definitely be in the bottom 3 of the PT albums IMO.

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Re: Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. vidya muzak and more steven wilson
« Reply #65 on: December 28, 2016, 05:52:59 AM »
The Incident is pretty decent I think but indeed it sounds a bit too safe or even uninspired perhaps. The heavy riff in Blind House is killer tho :metal
Break the mold, let's shake the ground, wreak havoc!

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Re: Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. vidya muzak and more steven wilson
« Reply #66 on: December 28, 2016, 06:51:59 AM »
I dunno, I feel like the metal-parts of The Incident are the worst parts.

Offline Sacul

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Re: Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. vidya muzak and more steven wilson
« Reply #67 on: December 28, 2016, 10:31:29 AM »
You never heard The Incident prior to 2016?
Yeah, mostly because if its reputation, and because when I tried it some years ago, my files were all over the place and it didn't play in order so gave up  :lol

The Incident is good IMO but it does come off as a very safe album and would definitely be in the bottom 3 of the PT albums IMO.
The Incident is pretty decent I think but indeed it sounds a bit too safe or even uninspired perhaps. The heavy riff in Blind House is killer tho :metal
:tup

Offline Big Hath

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Re: Sacul's 2016 retro list! v. vidya muzak and more steven wilson
« Reply #68 on: December 28, 2016, 12:53:28 PM »
after having been pretty meh on the album since it came out, I re-listened to The Incident fairly recently.  During that listen, I listened to the album as if it were a Steven Wilson solo album and I swear it came across better to me than when I thought of it as a Porcupine Tree album.  I don't even know what that means really, but there it is.
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Offline Sacul

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28
Deconstruction
Devin Townsend Project


CHEESEBURGUER

Probably Devin's most ambitious, ridiculously bombastic, most chaotic album (not including SYL), with guest vocalists like Ihsahn, Mikael Åkerfeldt, Tommy Rogers, Floor Jansen; a philharmonic orchestra, a concept album about a vegetarian trying to figure out the meaning of life (only to find out that it's a cheeseburger), childish humour, neck-breaking heavy riffs, and overall just craziness. Definitely not an easy album to get into, but one that I finally decided to listen completely this year, since my tastes have evolved a bit. It's probably a bit too much for me, but boy, what was I missing.

Recommended track: Stand


27
The Impossible Kid
Aesop Rock


All heart, though we would've made cowardly kings...

I'm still very new to hip-hop, but I get the impression Aesop is a bit of an unorthodox guy - his flow, the themes he explores on his music, his unconventional, more electronic beats, his rich vocabulary and expressions, etc. The Impossible Kid is a bit of an abstract yet personal album, lyrics-wise, and musically is... very interesting, never heard of any hip-hop or music like it, personally. It's got pretty much a style of its own. Songs are short and direct, and don't overstay their welcome. I like the use of vocal samples along with some DJ scratching, but that's the closest to old-school hip-hop there's here I guess. While I'm not in love with this album (it's consistently good yet never reaches awesomeness), I think it's a very interesting record, one I may recommend to those who recently got into hip-hop via albums like To Pimp a Butterfly, You're Dead! or Jenny Death. I'm eager to explore more of the genre.

Recommended track: Kirby