Any suggestions for someone who lost their faith on Touhou arrangement circles?

[kanedafanatic]

Hello. I don't think I have to introduce myself anymore, do I?

So, I've isolated myself from the Touhou fandom for a plethora of reasons. Story doesn't matter: the self-proclaimed "hermit" that I am also lacked in the domain of music, only living off ZUN's game series and his Hifuu/Music Collection. It's well good and all that I like The Capital City of Flowers in The Sky or The Strange Everyday Life of the Flying Shrine Maiden, it quickly loses it's taste when you've been listening it many times over. Well, I don't only listen to that but, you get what I mean, it gets tedious.

What made me lost my faith in Touhou arrangements, though? Touhou Eurobeat. I do not know if any of you replying ever listened to that but, please, listen or read the lyrics of one of those songs. It's fascinating how blasphemous and bad it is. I had my phase where I was listening to Eurobeat, I still do from time to time. Every time I listen to this, I lose my shit and dissociate: this is the only realm I know of that can transform a character like Youmu from a naive but loyal and intense swordswoman-gardener into a infantilized child spilling snot and spreading it all over Yuyuko's sleeve, while crying in Autotune. When I first heard that (song being: Adequate - Odyssey in this case), I couldn't believe it. It was that ass. Then, this fascination got so bad that I currently have exactly 1246 different songs under this genre, out of pure masochistic fascination. Ninety-four hours, twenty-two minutes and sixteen seconds of lyricists metaphorically murdering characters into stereotypes, one-sided puns and play-on-words.

Look, I get Eurobeat is naturally meant to be exagerated and all about vibes; this shit is makes me dumbfounded. Confused. How can you miss that point by so far? Oh, and don't get me started on the instruments. It's a whole other issue.

---

Outside of that dumbass rant: that's why I'd like to ask any of you, those who regularly enjoy Touhou arrangements, if there are any songs, album or circle/artist that you believe is worth talking about. Now that I am leaving my metaphorical isolation cubicle, I want to expand my horizons and listen to actually good stuff and change my view on things. I don't have any genres in particular that I'm focusing on, for now, since the majority of songs I listen to are currently outside of the realm of Touhou. I'm very curious and intrigued about your tastes as well.

(Fun fact: that huge potpourri of Touhou Eurobeat is still expanding to this day. It now holds 1289 songs and going higher when I feel like it.)

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Edit: changed my mind about Touhou Eurobeat: post #25. TL;DR: judged the genre like a clown.

 

[RiceCookies]

"Help me, MORIYA MUSIC MANNNNNN!"

Funny aside, I guess my favorite would be RD-Sounds/Diao ye Zong (凋叶棕), the lyrics are pretty deep even if the tracks start sounding the same after a while.
On the less known note, SULFURIC ACID PRODUCT's album 'Lunatic Jukebox' is an otherworldly masterpiece (Fav. track 'Say goodbye to your history'). I also found myself downloading all of trash's (とらっしゅ) albums. 'LUVYRINTH' and 'Embracing Wonders on Phantasma Grave' are great.
Be warned though, as my taste in music is quite specific. I'd put all three albums in to the experimental category.

Also, did you know there is a part of the fandom just dedicated to imitating ZUN's sound design?

 

[kanedafanatic]

I am aware of the fandom trying to replicate ZUN's song style: I tried it too. Didn't go too far, gone with what was available publicly (Roland SC-VA), still was useful as to understand how MIDI works. I also attempted to go outside of the Roland's General MIDI (GM) modules and try out the Yamaha MU-series Extended MIDI (XG) modules. Ultimately led on nothing. There is soundfonts or even full on plugins for XG like with the Yamaha S-YXG50 VSTi plugin available but, that's something else entirely.

I'll give those a listen later on. I'm also roaming around the site's threads for other arrangements as well. I'll return back to you after that.

 

[SateriCat17]

I'm someone who has simultaneously a broad liking of different musical styles and genres, and yet I can be pretty picky with what I like.
I like Eurobeat, though I guess it depends on what it is, and it generally isn't my favorite genre.
In regards to my personal musical tastes, hmm, let's see.
The main genres I like are electronic (especially with trance, electro, and edm), classical, some types of rock, folk, jazz, and various "experimental" types of music.
And so, in regards to Touhou arrangements, songs in those genres are what I mainly listen to (especially with electronic music).
My tastes in music can also change wildly depending on my mood and depending on what I like the sound of.
I also plan to try dabbling in making music in the future, but it's nothing concrete for now.

 

[SateriCat17]

I'm someone who has simultaneously a broad liking of different musical styles and genres, and yet I can be pretty picky with what I like.
I like Eurobeat, though I guess it depends on what it is, and it generally isn't my favorite genre.
In regards to my personal musical tastes, hmm, let's see.
The main genres I like are electronic (especially with trance, electro, and edm), classical, some types of rock, folk, jazz, and various "experimental" types of music.
And so, in regards to Touhou arrangements, songs in those genres are what I mainly listen to (especially with electronic music).
My tastes in music can also change wildly depending on my mood and depending on what I like the sound of.
I also plan to try dabbling in making music in the future, but it's nothing concrete for now.

I'm not really much sure with suggestions, though at least a couple I'd recommend are Shrine Maiden by Yonder Voice (all three versions, but especially the trance version), some of Prismriver Orchestra's stuff, and also some of Frozen Starfall and Norowareta Night's music.
I probably would have a lot more suggestions, but I'm not really sure what your musical tastes are and my brain tends to be a bit slow when looking through it's "backlog".

 

[Napechi97]

Akatsuki Records and Chocofan surely will change your mindset
I'd list some most peak (imo) songs:
Noumiso Rigid Girl - Chocofan and Shinra Bansho (both made the same song the same day with just different vocals, which is kinda cool)
Koishi Ring - Chocofan
Karmanations - Akatsuki Records (my top 1 favourite)
Rock 'n' Rock 'n' Beat - Akatsuki Records
Trance Dance Anarchy - Akatsuki Records

There are also peak songs from other artists
Touhou Ierukana - Lots of people
Kero 9 Destiny - Nico Nico Douga
The crazy Flan-chan sings an amazing song - Halozy
It was a great song with great force - Halozy
Help Me ERINNNNNN!! - beatMARIO&COOLCREATE

 

[SateriCat17]

I'm not really much sure with suggestions, though at least a couple I'd recommend are Shrine Maiden by Yonder Voice (all three versions, but especially the trance version), some of Prismriver Orchestra's stuff, and also some of Frozen Starfall and Norowareta Night's music.
I probably would have a lot more suggestions, but I'm not really sure what your musical tastes are and my brain tends to be a bit slow when looking through it's "backlog".

Ah. Another one I would recommend is some of Alstroemeria Records' music. Besides Bad Apple, they have a lot of other good songs.
Some of my favorites are Ancient, The Last Judgement, and pretty much the entire album of A. Aurantiaca (though that album is EXTREMELY hard to find and only really one person has uploaded the entire album onto YouTube).

 

[kanedafanatic]

Ah. Another one I would recommend is some of Alstroemeria Records' music. Besides Bad Apple, they have a lot of other good songs.
Some of my favorites are Ancient, The Last Judgement, and pretty much the entire album of A. Aurantiaca (though that album is EXTREMELY hard to find and only really one person has uploaded the entire album onto YouTube).

Bad Apple... Everytime I hear that singular Alstroemeria remix... dun dun dun du-du-du-du- I'M TURNING INSANE!!!!

Joking aside, I'll take a look. Currently making a list of the suggestions on this thread. Now, I do have my ways to get hold of albums (batshit crazy method you wont believe it) so I'll try to find that album in digital formal. I have a preference for loseless Hi-Fi so, I'll resort to go on YouTube if I don't find that album you said. Though, if you say that it's that good, I'll take your word for it.

 

[SateriCat17]

Bad Apple... Everytime I hear that singular Alstroemeria remix... dun dun dun du-du-du-du- I'M TURNING INSANE!!!!

Joking aside, I'll take a look. Currently making a list of the suggestions on this thread. Now, I do have my ways to get hold of albums (batshit crazy method you wont believe it) so I'll try to find that album in digital formal. I have a preference for loseless Hi-Fi so, I'll resort to go on YouTube if I don't find that album you said. Though, if you say that it's that good, I'll take your word for it.

That album certainly is pretty good to me. Alstroemeria Records' old albums are basically like a gold mine. There's some really great stuff hidden away in them.
Though, of that specific album, the ones I like the best are Flower Like The Fantasy, Ancient Temple, Riverside View, and Force of Sixty Years (that specific song being how I found the album in the first place).
Another of their earlier albums I'd recommend is Trace Phantasmagoria.
A. Aurantiaca has arrangements from Phantasmagoria of Flower View (with one Necrofantasia remix hidden in there), while Trace Phantasmagoria has remixes from both PoFV and Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream.

 

[kanedafanatic]

Actually, now that this surged in my mind while listening to Naniwa Express:
In the realm of jazz-oriented circles, what is more prevalent? I'll give examples: Is the "classy, laid-back" styles of Bossa Nova, Smooth and Modal jazz more popular and produced, or is it the "high-drive, energetic" world of Fusion-jazz, Swing and Latin jazz that is made? I think with the mention of Naniwa Express, it's quite clear I'm in the "high-drive" side of the genre but if so, what circles are there? Or what if the bigger doujin circles released that sounds within this particular range?

 

[SateriCat17]

Ah. Yet another doujin group I'd recommend is Fromadistance. Their music is almost the definition of "experimental", and they're probably one of the more obscure Touhou doujin groups as well.
Unfortunately, they haven't put out anything in around a decade...

 

[SateriCat17]

Actually, now that this surged in my mind while listening to Naniwa Express:
In the realm of jazz-oriented circles, what is more prevalent? I'll give examples: Is the "classy, laid-back" styles of Bossa Nova, Smooth and Modal jazz more popular and produced, or is it the "high-drive, energetic" world of Fusion-jazz, Swing and Latin jazz that is made? I think with the mention of Naniwa Express, it's quite clear I'm in the "high-drive" side of the genre but if so, what circles are there? Or what if the bigger doujin circles released that sounds within this particular range?

Hmm. I'm not really sure myself. I haven't ever really paid much attention to jazz genres as I primarily like the jazz genre itself.
Though, I can confirm that I've come across most types of jazz in regards to Touhou arranges.
Also, Tokyo Active Neets probably has some of the best Touhou jazz out there, so if you'd be interested in Touhou jazz, then they're probably the best place to start. Though I'll try to remember to tell you if I find any other good ones.

 

[SateriCat17]

Much of my knowledge of Touhou arrangements probably mostly comes from more obscure albums and groups as I've always gravitated towards obscure works for some reason or another.
As I've already stated, there's a lot of stuff I've come across, but it just takes time for me to remember them.
It's pretty much always something which randomly pops up in my head.

 

[SateriCat17]

TouhouDB - Touhou Music Database

TouhouDB is a Touhou music database with translated artists, albums and songs.

touhoudb.com

This site is also a good place to find Touhou arrangements. It has information on albums and groups that barely even have a shred of their existence.

 

[SateriCat17]

Much of my knowledge of Touhou arrangements probably mostly comes from more obscure albums and groups as I've always gravitated towards obscure works for some reason or another.
As I've already stated, there's a lot of stuff I've come across, but it just takes time for me to remember them.
It's pretty much always something which randomly pops up in my head.

Speaking of this, a couple more stuff has popped into my head.
If you like acoustic guitar, then I'd most certainly recommend the two Anima albums by Diverse System and the guitar arrangements by an old channel by the name of FlameZero16.
And another group (well, more like a single person), I'd also recommend is Paradot. He has a wide variety of musical styles, and one of his recently released albums by the name of Aero Utopia has some very good tracks if you're up for old internet-inspired music.
And yet another person I'd recommend is an artist by the name of Stas Gavrik. He generally releases more ambient-like music, so if you're up for that, then give him a try as well.

 

[kanedafanatic]

My own preferences are kind of odd, too. I'll list them so, maybe it'll help (plus I get to tell more about myself, pretty cool). Outside of the ZUN-related libraries:

I have the near-entirety of Ace Combat's mainline soundtracks: you could classify that as a mix between orchestra, techno and choir.

Konami's Enthusia Professional Racing's BGM is also a mix of orchestra and electronic.

Hajime Mizoguchi's Jin-Roh movie soundtrack is there too: orchestra, bit of choir here too.

Outliers but, Nautilus Pompilius can be considered as punk rock. late-Soviet group along with Kino. Pragmatic, deep lyrics that reflects the reality of their time (to an extent.) A bit of pop inspiration here and there but mainly punk and alternative rock.

Like I said: listener of Naniwa Express and fusion-jazz. I look sometimes in other groups like CASIOPEA or T-SQUARE (the same guys behind many Gran Turismo songs) but, I find my niche in the more intense stuff like Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever

Occasionally, I touch Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune's soundtracks. Definite electronic, jumping between EDM, Trance and disco. Lacks the pace (funny for a game about racing on expressways and obsessions) compared to Eurobeat. Case of Eurobeat: mainly Super Eurobeat stuff.

While somewhat controversial: turbo-folk is something I like to listen too. The Balkan kind (explosive)


I'm quite picky about my stuff but it helps myself with my own tastes too. Slightly poor but, fermented over time. What sticks out is: orchestra, electronic, techno, jazz, VGM, shit that either swings, complex riffs, absurd tempos, beautiful Gregorian choirs, exquisite brass and instrumental, high-pace and thrilling songs that leaves you speechless. Plus, the melancholic, pragmatic reality of punk and alternative rock.

(took my sweet-ass time. Does my tastes reflect the 'self-proclaimed "hermit"' claim I give?)

 

[SateriCat17]

My own preferences are kind of odd, too. I'll list them so, maybe it'll help (plus I get to tell more about myself, pretty cool). Outside of the ZUN-related libraries:

I have the near-entirety of Ace Combat's mainline soundtracks: you could classify that as a mix between orchestra, techno and choir.

Konami's Enthusia Professional Racing's BGM is also a mix of orchestra and electronic.

Hajime Mizoguchi's Jin-Roh movie soundtrack is there too: orchestra, bit of choir here too.

Outliers but, Nautilus Pompilius can be considered as punk rock. late-Soviet group along with Kino. Pragmatic, deep lyrics that reflects the reality of their time (to an extent.) A bit of pop inspiration here and there but mainly punk and alternative rock.

Like I said: listener of Naniwa Express and fusion-jazz. I look sometimes in other groups like CASIOPEA or T-SQUARE (the same guys behind many Gran Turismo songs) but, I find my niche in the more intense stuff like Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever

Occasionally, I touch Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune's soundtracks. Definite electronic, jumping between EDM, Trance and disco. Lacks the pace (funny for a game about racing on expressways and obsessions) compared to Eurobeat. Case of Eurobeat: mainly Super Eurobeat stuff.

While somewhat controversial: turbo-folk is something I like to listen too. The Balkan kind (explosive)


I'm quite picky about my stuff but it helps myself with my own tastes too. Slightly poor but, fermented over time. What sticks out is: orchestra, electronic, techno, jazz, VGM, shit that either swings, complex riffs, absurd tempos, beautiful Gregorian choirs, exquisite brass and instrumental, high-pace and thrilling songs that leaves you speechless. Plus, the melancholic, pragmatic reality of punk and alternative rock.

(took my sweet-ass time. Does my tastes reflect the 'self-proclaimed "hermit"' claim I give?)

Definitely a lot of the types of music I like too (though, I've never listened to the soundtracks of those stuff you listed besides with Kino).
I tend to like stuff which gives you a sense of "mysticism" and/or melancholic feel.
Alongside stuff which has a lot of "dramaticness".
That's one of the reasons I tend to like electronic and classical styles the best.

 

[kanedafanatic]

My own preferences are kind of odd, too. I'll list them so, maybe it'll help (plus I get to tell more about myself, pretty cool). Outside of the ZUN-related libraries:

I have the near-entirety of Ace Combat's mainline soundtracks: you could classify that as a mix between orchestra, techno and choir.

Konami's Enthusia Professional Racing's BGM is also a mix of orchestra and electronic.

Hajime Mizoguchi's Jin-Roh movie soundtrack is there too: orchestra, bit of choir here too.

Outliers but, Nautilus Pompilius can be considered as punk rock. late-Soviet group along with Kino. Pragmatic, deep lyrics that reflects the reality of their time (to an extent.) A bit of pop inspiration here and there but mainly punk and alternative rock.

Like I said: listener of Naniwa Express and fusion-jazz. I look sometimes in other groups like CASIOPEA or T-SQUARE (the same guys behind many Gran Turismo songs) but, I find my niche in the more intense stuff like Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever

Occasionally, I touch Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune's soundtracks. Definite electronic, jumping between EDM, Trance and disco. Lacks the pace (funny for a game about racing on expressways and obsessions) compared to Eurobeat. Case of Eurobeat: mainly Super Eurobeat stuff.

While somewhat controversial: turbo-folk is something I like to listen too. The Balkan kind (explosive)


I'm quite picky about my stuff but it helps myself with my own tastes too. Slightly poor but, fermented over time. What sticks out is: orchestra, electronic, techno, jazz, VGM, shit that either swings, complex riffs, absurd tempos, beautiful Gregorian choirs, exquisite brass and instrumental, high-pace and thrilling songs that leaves you speechless. Plus, the melancholic, pragmatic reality of punk and alternative rock.

(took my sweet-ass time. Does my tastes reflect the 'self-proclaimed "hermit"' claim I give?)

I described those badly. My fault, there's barely anything in there. Ace Combat's OST *definitely is dramatic and tense*, it's the flavor that changes in-between the games. Jin-Roh definitely is melancholic, it's strings, brass and choir in a dystopic. no-hope setting. Enthusia has a more "artistic" approach; the car being a form of art, the songs reflect that by complimenting it with orchestra and techno. Makes sense. Eurobeat is theatrical it it's nature but, intense, tachy and fast. It makes you get in the mood for doing reckless shit while you ignore the basic synth. Case of Russian groups: I do regularly listen to the Russian autoradios available on the Internet; there's the earworms like Kris Kelmi's Notchnoy Rendeyvou (I think it's spelt like that) or the more popular groups like Agata Kristi, Piknik, Aly'ans, Bi-2. etc. Holds the pragmatic, everyday life view between rock, punk, and pop.

Finally, there's some other stuff from time to time but, my library looks (and sounds) like that. Should've wrote it better. Outside of that, tomorrow, I'll got plenty to listen to. Along with that, while listening to my jazz-fusion and looking for those groups we've been sharing, it makes me want to give a second try on actually composing music. Hell, should probably make a music-sharing thread on my social circle. Not a bad idea.

 

[SateriCat17]

I described those badly. My fault, there's barely anything in there. Ace Combat's OST *definitely is dramatic and tense*, it's the flavor that changes in-between the games. Jin-Roh definitely is melancholic, it's strings, brass and choir in a dystopic. no-hope setting. Enthusia has a more "artistic" approach; the car being a form of art, the songs reflect that by complimenting it with orchestra and techno. Makes sense. Eurobeat is theatrical it it's nature but, intense, tachy and fast. It makes you get in the mood for doing reckless shit while you ignore the basic synth. Case of Russian groups: I do regularly listen to the Russian autoradios available on the Internet; there's the earworms like Kris Kelmi's Notchnoy Rendeyvou (I think it's spelt like that) or the more popular groups like Agata Kristi, Piknik, Aly'ans, Bi-2. etc. Holds the pragmatic, everyday life view between rock, punk, and pop.

Finally, there's some other stuff from time to time but, my library looks (and sounds) like that. Should've wrote it better.

I periodically listen to certain Russian musics both because I'm interested in the Russian language (it's one of the languages I'm seeking to learn, alongside German, Japanese, Italian, and possibly Georgian), and because I'm interested in certain parts of Russian culture and history (including parts of the Soviet Union era, though I personally have an immense amount of apathy towards the Soviet Union aside from the era it was under Gorbachev).
(The latter part is just me going on a small tangent though. lol)

 

[kanedafanatic]

Fair enough. It's a fascinating era from an outsider's perspective. The perestroika and glasnost reforms under Gorbachev seems often overlooked; we wouldn't have any of the main music groups we would know today. If you like looking at cultures and system evolving over time, look at the history of my province, Québec. The era between Maurice Duplessis' reign as prime minister, the vacuum that got left between church and government, and the era of the Quiet Revolution (Révolution Tranquille) are intriguing on their own too. It's basically a society jumping 50 years in a fifth or so. Culturally, it came with many reforms and sentiments, plus some beef between the Canadian and the Québecois government.

Anywho, I have an idea what to do later on. I'll log off, need to go to sleep. Let's see if they're are any who shares other groups too.