• Home
  • ABOUT / SUBMIT
    • ABOUT/ CONTACT
  • VISUAL PRODUCTION
  • MUSIC
  • INTERVIEWS/ ARTICLES
  • PASTEL WASTELAND FILMS
Pastel Wasteland
MUSIC 0

Takamachi Walk – “wither.” ALBUM REVIEW [Music]

By Ryan Cole @Caus3s · On February 3, 2020

It is impossible for me to review Takamachi Walk’s wither. without discussing Jun’ya “ZUN” Ōta. ZUN is the Head of Team Shanghai Alice, an influential independent gaming studio.

By “Head” I mean the only member. Since the mid-1990s, he has independently developed programming, graphics, writing and music for the Touhou Project. Touhou is a series of “bullet hell” shoot ‘em up games, based around young girls blasting their way through waves of demons and other supernatural beings.

Touhou is a cult phenomenon. One of the keys to its success has been ZUN’s position on copyright. Fans are encouraged to engage with his games beyond simply playing them. His intellectual properties are open for sampling, manipulation and distribution.

This brings us to Touhou related “doujin circles.” These collectives are dedicated to producing original content based upon ZUN’s work. If you’re interested in learning more then I heartily recommend this video from YouTuber Gaijin Hunter:

ZUN has suggested that Touhou games could actually be considered music videos. On wither., the Takamachi Walk circle went all in on this concept.

A lot of passion has gone into it. It was a year in the making. The collaborators handling the musical arrangements, lyrics, vocals and artwork were drawn from around the world. This is the spirit of Touhou doujin circles writ large.

Touhou music doesn’t fit neatly into any single genre. Naturally, chiptune formed the basis of the early games. As technology and resources progressed, ZUN was able to diversify. And by extension, so were those who rearrange his music for projects like this.

Broadly, wither. blends elements of post-hardcore, metalcore and electro. Crushing guitars, bass and percussion, married to orchestral arrangements and dynamic synths. The majority of the songs balance beautiful, expressive vocals with guttural screams.

Magical battles between humans and demons provoke a range of emotions. “Everlasting” sets the scene perfectly. A waltzing piano greets us. Orchestral flourishes take the stage, to be joined by industrial effects. It’s a gorgeous ensemble piece.

Then “Phantom Moon” kicks in. Crashing cymbals and hard chords complement perfectly with the softer vocals of singer Nagano and the roars of Noaon. Switching between Japanese and English adds so many layers and textures. This approach is replicated magnificently throughout wither.

There is one word which comes to me whenever I think about wither. That word is “awesome.” “Empty” lives up to this. It features some killer lines such as ‘So I’ll pretend that I’m alright act like I’m fine. I say that I’m okay but that’s just a lie.’ It paints such a great picture, capturing the fury of battle and the conflicting emotions tied into it.

“消えていく望みを/ A Desire to Disappear” closes the distance between the traditional instruments and synths. It’s distinguished by cycling keyboard runs. The melody is simple but astonishingly effective.

The three tracks following on from “A Desire to Disappear” carry tags for three specific circles. Germany’s Norowareta Night and Blossom Nightfall; and French producer Sieudiver.

“Norowareta Night – Loop” brings trance to the fore without sacrificing wither‘s momentum. Sieudiver’s “Inhuman” wants to fuck you up with its fierce fretwork. But “Blossom Nightfall – Purlieu” stands out amongst the three.

http://pastelwasteland.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Blossom-Nightfall-wither.-09-Purlieu.mp3

(Apologies for the format. I couldn’t find a direct upload. But you really need to hear this.)

It gives us a welcome change of pace. It’s slower in tempo and (somewhat) softer in tone. As with “Loop,” it reveals the project’s affinity for dance music. It exists somewhere between dubstep and EDM. Certainly the latter, as “Purlieu” features an epic drop.

We’re also able to savour the lyrics more. At times vocalist Sasi‘s lines are beautifully melodic (‘I wish for rest I wish for dreams/I wish I knew reality/Inside this hell of mind I keep on wasting all my time’). At other points, there’s defiant rapping delivered with conviction: ‘I feel the pain that’s left inside/All that’s left for me to do is to/Stand up keep up fuck up their might.’

I adore wither. for two main reasons. Firstly, it introduced me to an entire subculture which I knew nothing about. A vibrant one which celebrates experimentation, diversity, collaboration and community. Secondly, because it is one of the most exciting and powerful records I’ve had the pleasure of writing about for this site.

You can find Takamachi Walk here:

Bandcamp

Twitter

YouTube

All original music by Team Shanghai Alice/ZUN

Follow our Boundary-Pushing Pop playlist on Spotify!

ShareTweet
albumblossom nightfallbullet hellelectroelectrocoreelectronicelectronicaGaijin Huntergameshardcoremetalcoremusicnorowareta nightpost-hardcorereviewsieudiverTakamachi WalkTouhoutouhou projectvideo gameswitherZun
Share Tweet

Ryan Cole

Obscure film and music fanatic. Proud Mutant and Dr Pepper addict.

You Might Also Like

  • MUSIC

    The Top 25 Songs Of 2020 [Playlist]

  • MUSIC

    The Top 10 Best Albums of 2020

  • MUSIC

    Bathrooms, Hitler and The Crimes of Santa Claus – Alternative Christmas Songs

No Comments

Leave a reply Cancel reply

  • Home
  • ABOUT
  • WORK WITH US
  • Privacy Policy

© 2020 PASTEL WASTELAND LTD

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.