thread for 3776's post-idol art-pop/rock opus Saijiki

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxdYQvLeBKk

there's been a little discussion of this on the j-pop thread (here and here) but it's one of the most fascinating albums i've heard this year so it really deserves its own thread

3776 were an idol group formed to promote mount fuji but gradually became an art-rock singer/producer duo after the other members left

it's a concept album about the passing of a year with each 12 seconds representing one day and each track representing one month, with each hour and day being counted out in the background. musically it's dense and constantly shape-shifting, only anchored by the constant counting. there's plenty of quotes of the western classical canon and japanese traditional music too. somewhat reminiscent of Cornelius's work, especially from Point onward

Yeah this is a cool album imo

this album rules and is a definite leveling up moment, but if you're into it, don't sleep on the back catalog. there are some real gems in there.

the whole love letter ep is great, particularly the 20min closer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-gzW4jOee8

this stuff very much sounds like Cornelius trying to make a modern J-pop record which is obviously a very good thing

Given up waiting for this to become available in UK in any format, and had 3776 seconds free so I've just listened to it on youtube. Quite something, although I think the best songs are all clustered at the end.

The 2015 album is better

amusingly one of the first videos I saw of them was this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQdB6Qk9T00

which looks like a live rehearsal (??) of them doing my favorite Moonriders song (you have to skip to 9:00 to hear them do the 'full' version)

this is the original:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmSwGI4rPXI

I'll always love 'em for that. I guess it's the little things.

oh, nice! I've never heard that before

I really like those two solo chiyono ide records from 2020, just as good as a "proper 3776" record imo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNivQtppBLw

also, if anyone wants a version of saujiki that isn't a continuous mix, that's what 3776カレンダー is...

oh, I didn't realise Everyone's High School Life was a separate album from My High School Life, I just assumed they were the same thing with different covers or something. welp that's I whole Chiyono album I get to discover, lucky me!

Those 2020 solo albums are better than Sandisk and are as good as the 2015 album.

really enjoying the progged out new mini ep of classical covers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqVbwEDvc6Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKPzKgeYRfk

lol they are such weirdos, I love it

o shit, amazing

new album out today (FINALLY!)

https://ototoy.jp/_/default/p/2474385

Whoa very cool. Google translation:

What is Mt. Fuji made of? Atoms? Or elementary particles? Where is Mt. Fuji? Of course, the universe! How is everything born in this universe, and how does it all disappear? Ide Chiyono of Mt. Fuji's local idol group 3776 (Minanaro) will guide you through 14 pure, pop idol songs. This is 3776's first full album in five years, following "If There's a Reason Not to Listen to 3776" and "Saijiki." We're counting this time too! From the beginning to the end of the universe, without interruption.

only listening to the sample clips but wow this sounds insane

awesome, can always rely on them to bring a bonkers concept

been waiting all day for this moment - going in with unreasonably high expectations!

ok this rules!

ive def heard some of this before, possibly on recent singles or streams, can’t remember

a tasty guitar lick is never too far away

this def feels a little more chaotic/disorienting than saijiki… a bit like taking the continuous, mixed approach of that record and applying it to songs similar to the ones on the last two chiyono solo records. very dense, always at least two or three things happening at any given time…

ooh thanks for the heads up

I'm not even that far into it yet, but this is fucking incredible.

yeah this rules

mmm hmm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjwPzCmE5gM

Struggling to get any work done with this rattling around.

single version of The Death of Mt Fuji with translated lyrics in the subs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2PO7YWIR_8