Yes Ali Project probably sucks, but
anitations – tj_han, Ali Project either has Powerful Daddies or Loves to Suck Cock.
I won’t go too wild on tj_han’s point that “even non-anime viewers think they are trash,” because I think it’d read better without that “non.” Music probably has to be better than the average anisong for other people to pick up on it. I say this as someone who listens to a lot of Japanese tunes but very little anime tuneage. But I probably shouldn’t say it, I tend to get branded a musical elitist when I talk about music of any kind. Let’s just say Ali Project caters to a pretty specialized fanbase.
Whether tj_han is right or not is irrelevant, it’s an opinion thing, but the fact that Ali Project’s songs sound very similar seems pretty obvious in ways I’m surprised lelangir played down. I guess at least that specialized fanbase knows what they’re gonna get.
For extra lulz watch Geass on Adult Swim when they compress the credits into about 20 seconds using computerized speed-up of the Ali Project tune. If Brzezinski is still looking for his sonic weapon, that’ll do it.
Anyway, long story short Ali Project remind me too much of going to the goth club in the 90s when Darkwave was super big before all the goths discovered their nuevo-EBM and retro-synthpop. And I don’t need that.
I was shocked to discover this was Ali Project.
Having heard and seen a lot of stuff Ali Project did over the years, to me they’re just a couple of stylistic weirdos catering to a very loyal fan base. However it also came across to me that the Ali Project duo are both very talented musicians, entertainers and performers. They just choose to do the stuff they do, knowing full well some people don’t like it.
It’s just a taste thing. But being relatively veteran anison people, they probably have more creds, so they get their share of work.
Baka-Raptor – I can hear it, and frankly I wouldn’t mind hearing more of it. To me, it’s a branching out for their sound but at the same time retains some of the melodic trademarks. That’s better than same melodic trademarks, same tempo, same instrumentation, same arrangement.
omo – that sounds like a pretty accurate assessment. I would even say a “specialized” fan base. I’m not in it, but I listen to a lot of really niche stuff too so I can relate. In fact, I edited the post to reflect that so people don’t think I’m trolling too hard.
I would definitely tend to believe that the more work they get, the more work they’re likely to get, especially considering their identifiable sound. It’s probably more likely than the whole cock-sucking thing…
Actually, the composer for ALI PROJECT did the entire soundtrack for Maria-sama ga Miteru, including pastel pure. I don’t mind ALI PROJECT, but I don’t especially care for them either. I feel Yuki Kajiura does that kind of music better; not coincidentally are the two frequently paired up in series.
There’s something to be said for experimenting with styles and always expanding one’s sound, and then there’s something to be said for doing the same thing over and over again, but with unflappable verve and style. ALI PROJECT always struck me as more of the latter than the former. If it’s to your disadvantage to experiment with musical styles, why do it? If a niche appeal artist suddenly develops a more mainstream sound, people cry “sellout”; if they don’t change their sound at all, people accuse them of not being experimental enough.
Music’s music–I listen to music to enjoy it, not to point out why I don’t enjoy it. Kind of like everything else, except with more atonal chords. Or something.
I thought of AC/DC right here. Yes, Ali Project does do that more than experimenting. But like AC/DC, if it works for you…
That is true in some cases. Clinic from the UK come to mind — they have a unique sound but have been lambasted the past few albums for not changing. But in some scenes, say punk/hardcore, not changing is of the utmost value.
Two things: One, as a musician I think it’s impossible for me to divorce the “hows” from the “whats.” Or something.
Two, that statement makes me think of the usual conversation we all have with anime — we like what we like, how do we justify it, what is objectivity, etc. I’m tempted to go down the rabbit hole again, but not today
I think, actually, rather than “like what I like”, that last one more or less means I’m not terribly interested in discussing why I don’t like something, but rather why I do like something. That includes a discussion of what I don’t enjoy something almost by default, but I tend to find reasons to like about something rather than find reasons for me to not like it. It’s less a subjective vs. objective assessment so much as my own mentality: why dwell on things you don’t like when you can dwell, instead, on what you do?
Almost everyone I see–in the halls of academia, in the library, on the Internet–seems far too obsessed with finding reasons to not like things–even if their assessment is ultimately overwhelmingly positive, there’s almost always qualification after qualification piled onto something–the reviews that spend 85% of their words telling you all the problems with a work, 15% telling you that the previous 85% of words don’t actually matter that much, and an overall rating of 8.9.
I’ve always felt that way lies madness.
Loved them ever since Rozen Maiden, and while their style doesn’t(and won’t ever) change, it’s not that much of an issue for me. That said, their live performances tend to be rather lousy.
Baka raptor wrote: “I was shocked to discover this was Ali Project.”
thats the proof ….right there…that ali Project doesnt make all their songs “sound the same”
in fact i have to beleive…hearing this kinda comment again and again..that those who say this HAVENT heard enough ali project music to correctly assess it. they’ve been around for a long time….and have used lots of different styles (experimentally) over those years…
that code geass ending is the just like a very small taste of wat they do…
someone said YUKI is probably better at this kinda stuff…..i’d say she different.
unusual….doesnt mean unskillful…. they chose to be diferent….