Entry 1507 - desert sand feels warm at night - 暗​涙​に​咽​ぶ

Style: vaporwave, slushwave

Primary Emotions/Themes: slow reflections of life

Thoughts: Slushwave. A genre that I really enjoy in small doses. Small doses is key.

Desert Sand is one of the better slushwave artists that I've heard. Even so there is only so much that I can take before the music wears thin on me. Half an hour long songs that don't really have any progression are great sometimes but eventually I will need a bit more activity in my music. Even ambient music evolves more than slushwave at points, it's a really curious genre. 

Musically however I don't know if I can think of a bigger discrepancy between cover and music than I have with 暗​涙​に​咽​ぶ. At least within the vaporwave genre. You see, the cover screams sci-fi, dreampunk, lonely rainy nights in a neon drenched city. What we get is a slow nostalgia filled, slushy, sparkly, phased walk through nostalgia. It's quite the difference. 

For those familiar with Desert Sand's slushwave albums this one is very similar. The songs are long and feature a constant phasing of the music - like it's coming and going throughout the entirety of the album. The vocals are a slowed down moaning that blankets the melodies and exceptionally slow percussion. The melodies themselves seem to have this sheen and sparkle to them, similar to that heard in city pop... except at about one quarter the speed. 

I'm a bit torn on this release. Part of it I truly enjoy, especially the later half of the album. The melodies take on a more mournful tone which I feel fits the music better. The start of the album isn't as great however. I find myself wanting to skip the tracks as they are overly long (especially the 15 minute one) just so I can get to the stuff I know I enjoy. Physically this means that I typically will start the album on side B instead of side A and listen from there.

Desert Sand Feels Warm at Night is a highly talented individual. Making sample free slushwave is a skill that few have, and to do it with such consistency is a skill fewer poses. In the right moments this album is absolutely indispensable. It's the very definition of an album that I have to be in the mood for... but when that mood strikes I absolutely have one of my go to albums ready.