We Were Happy About It, Though: Gloomy’s “I Was Crying”

I’d like to think this a case where a music scene’s very existence proves itself to be vital, to be responsible for fostering a young artist and helping them improve over time. Gloomy popped up on our radar late last year, when they (I believe they are a duo) appeared on the bill for one of Canopies And Drape’s Unico live events. I couldn’t attend that one…but Chick of Canopies And Drapes later told me in an e-mail a little about them. They come to all of her events…and at the time were still in high school. Finding material by them online wasn’t easy, save for a single video for a song called “Ghost.” It’s a fine enough song, if nothing more than a really good drum-machine-and-synth workout. Watch below.

That appeared on their first demo CD, which came out around the same time they appeared on the Unico bill. Presumably, so did the song “I Was Crying,” which happened to spring up on my SoundCloud feed today thanks to Shortcake Collage Tape. This one stopped me cold. “I Was Crying” features a similar structure to ghost, all sparse drum machine, pretty synths and surprisingly unsettling vocals – all tricks Gloomy might have picked up from seeing her perform live so much, a (once) student soaking it in. Critically, “I Was Crying” finds Gloomy digesting those influences and creating something all their own. The musical set-up might sound familiar, but the way Gloomy repeat the titular phrase over and over again (a departure from Canopies more short-story style) becomes hypnotic…and it all builds up to a nice release. It’s sad but bright, all while also being entrancing. Listen below.

Similar Posts

  • Electronic Weekend: New tofubeats, Obutsudan-Sumino And OKLobby

    Three songs to take you into the weekend (oh thank goodness it is here!). Let’s get into it: – Kobe’s tofubeats had a really busy 2013, and he appears to not be slowing down as the calendar turned over. “CHNGEYRHRT” though finds him stepping away from the nearly all-original sounds that dotted his music last…

  • Blurred Lines: Para Omi (Solo Project Of Mitsuomi From Fancy Books)

    Not sure what Fancy Books has been up to since they captured our attention (and hearts) last year, highlighted by one of 2012’s best songs in the dizzying “Sister Carry Stars.” We do know, though, what male half of the group Mitsuomi has been cooking up. He recently unveiled his new solo project Para Omi,…

  • Homemade Escape: i-fls

    最近ツイッターで村上春樹についての会話をよく目にします。激しい議論の中、支持する人は彼の表現する「美しい日常」を絶賛しているようですね。確かに村上春樹特有の、ありふれた日常をいかに美しいものにするか、という表現は素晴らしいと思います。私もそのような感性は好きですし、日本のアーティストのi-flsも普通だったら忘れ去られるようなテーマを音楽を通して表現しています。物やサービスがテーマだったり(“Twitter,” “Vocaloid,” “Family Restaurant”)自然がテーマだったり(“Summer Breeze,” “I Saw Raindrops”) 女性の名前が含まれていたり(“Satomi,” “Chiaki Gazed You,” “Yui”)。Garagebandで作られたボーカルレスな楽曲達は、驚く程少ない数の楽器から構成されていて、短くもノスタルジック。まるで気持ちをスケッチしたかのような。i-flsはここ数ヶ月だけでも数多くのリリースをしているのですが、Enhanced GardenというEPに収録されている、飛び跳ねるような”No Adventure”、幻想的な”Stardust”、そしてまるで好きな女性が自分を見つめているような気持ちにさせてくれる”Chiaki Gazed You”がオススメです。”Chiaki Gazed You”は嬉しくも不安なあの気持ちを上手く表現できているのではないでしょうか。i-flsの楽曲はまるで日記のようにシンプルで、日常を美しいものとして表現しています。

  • New FOODMAN: Are Kore

    (Editor’s Note: I’m moving to a new apartment in two days, so posts might be on the briefer side. Gotta pack!) Footwork producer FOODMAN already released one great off-the-wall album of music recently…and now he’s back with another on Hiroshima’s Dubliminal Bounce. Are Kore opens on the harsher end of the spectrum and along the…