7.26.26 the ice has teeth

Another summer month has passed all too quickly, so it's time for another short logpost!

I respect Madeon for dabbling with a more abrasive sound, but his execution feels pretty indistinct and plain compared to newer acts approaching this type of gritty punky house sound like Frost Children. His maximal layered production style worked on Good Faith where there was enough space to let the details pop, but the sounds on this blend together too much for it to be a more engaging listen. Didn't really work that much for me to be honest.

Fav Tracks: Car Crash Baby, Dancing on Your Grave, Somebody Else, Red Jacket

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I've listened to songs from this dozens of times on YouTube while working on projects and I'm glad that it's finally on streaming! While a lot of these compositions are just A. G. and Danny messing around with MIDI instruments, I feel like the expressive progression of most of these tracks is what makes it an especially fun addition to the early PC Music catalog, capturing the cartoonish and experimental ethos of the label very well.

Fav Tracks: Voice of an Angel, City Break, Higher Love, Hero Next Door, Heart of Death

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While I'm not as into some of the moodier tracks on here, I thoroughly enjoyed the grand and mystical atmosphere that this record conjures up. Its use of lush orchestration throughout especially makes the occasional touches of keyboard and synth stand out as surreal, which add an extra otherworldly character to these already expressive art pop tracks.

Fav Tracks: Little Deer, The Future, Emperor with an Egg, Queen of Wands, Sweet Talk

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I was surprised by how inventive the effects in this 100-year-old film are, using wax to create many of the magic effects that stand out amidst the detailed shadow cutouts. It's amazing that this film still looks as good as it does despite its age, leaving me with room to wonder how mainstream animation could be influenced by its DIY inventiveness if it was as well-known as Snow White.

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Despite its depressing subject matter, I was intrigued by how much this film has in common with My Neighbor Totoro in how it emphasizes the time that these two kids spend together while they are alive. What makes this an interesting companion to Totoro's themes of coexistence with nature lies in how these kids struggle to restore a normal life with each other despite the tragedy of war and famine surrounding them, resulting in their survival being compromised as a result of that. Pretty fascinating film to think about overall...

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On one hand, I found the arcs of Manny and Nellie LaRoy to be very poignant displays of the sacrifices made in the evolution of American cinema as they are exploited and alienated despite their successes. On the other hand, Damien Chazelle's attempts at comedy are often too crass, cynical and obnoxious, often feeling like he just told the actors to yell and swear a lot like Fletcher from Whiplash. The ambiguity that he tries to add to the ending also doesn't work since it feels like it discredits all of the darkness and suffering caused by the industry just so it could halfheartedly say, "Oh well, that's cinema!" If you're gonna make a provocative statement, commit to it dammit!!

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I'm surprised by how light this month was, so to make up for it, I might do an update to the front page and BEST! section later this week. If not, then see you next month!