ZIZ - GIFT: Reviews

Wandering_Fox

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PureElegance wrote:
Haha, for some reason I've never been interested in him and I could barely make it through a couple of his earlier songs, so after that I didn't bother with him. Maybe I will now since I love a few of the songs on GIFT. I'm still listening to Sanityman. GIFT is really not that horrible Iska, you should try it out and listen!

Have you tried listening to the Izayoi no Tsuki soundtrack? Personally, that's my favorite post-Malice Mizer Kozi CD. It's quirky, fairly creepy, and very different from any of his other CDs, but musically it's quite spot on! I can't think of a single track on it that I don't like! d(^___^)
 

PureElegance

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Wandering_Fox wrote:
Have you tried listening to the Izayoi no Tsuki soundtrack? Personally, that's my favorite post-Malice Mizer Kozi CD. It's quirky, fairly creepy, and very different from any of his other CDs, but musically it's quite spot on! I can't think of a single track on it that I don't like! d(^___^)
*just got back from dancing to Sanityman*
(seriously, is this song in English? I have no idea what he's saying, but it doesn't sound like Japanese.)

I don't think I listened to that, even though the title sounds familiar. I think the song that I remember listening to was "Honey Vanity." I barely remember. I'll have to check that soundtrack out, if I can find it XD
 

Berserk

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@PE: Yes, I'm really talking about those "ancient" games. I'm thinking back to when I was a kid and would go over to a friend's house and play Megaman (which actually has better music than this album XD), Sonic, Bomberman, etc. These days there isn't really "video game" music anymore because the soundtracks can just be made of pre-recorded music.

As far as RayD5 goes, it's not really the guitar riff or the vocal line that sounds like video game music to me (they sound more punk, actually), but it's the ever-present synth lines that do.

EDIT:
flowers wrote:
You were expecting this to be professional?
I wasn't expecting it to be polished, but I thought there might be at least a minimal level of professionalism since Kozi was involved. I don't get why the quality is so much less than Kozi's solo material. Why wouldn't he be holding this project to the same standard as his solo project?
 

PureElegance

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Berserk wrote:
As far as RayD5 goes, it's not really the guitar riff or the vocal line that sounds like video game music to me (they sound more punk, actually), but it's the ever-present synth lines that do.
I guess? It still sounds horrible to me, but I get what you're saying about Megaman and I hear the synth parts (I wouldn't say they're "ever-present" at all, if anything that's why the song is lame), but still, it didn't sound "video game" to me. I didn't see the connection to Sonic, but I haven't played anything Sonic in a hundred years since it really never grabbed me like Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, or even Metal Slug and Street Fighter. I still don't know how it sounds techno though.

This song still is lame as jeebus. What's up with the Indian instrument thing? Omg.
 

flowersofnight

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Berserk wrote:
I don't get why the quality is so much less than Kozi's solo material. Why wouldn't he be holding this project to the same standard as his solo project?
Given that he didn't want to keep running a Mana-style personal project, and he didn't assemble an all-genius team of band members, something had to give, right? These are some of the same people who played for him in the "Loki" days, so the biggest difference is that he let them compose.

I do wonder about the flops that Kozi himself wrote though. My uninformed guess is that maybe he's casting around and trying to find a new style after years of his solo work being wildly unappreciated by the Japanese fans.
 

flowersofnight

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Wandering_Fox wrote:
Who knows, this might be the CD that Kozi's been trying to make since 1992 ::meev:: This could be his true standard of greatness! ::cam::
No, his TRUE standard of greatness was spitting Jack Daniels all over the front-row fans' expensive lolita clothes at one of his appearances with M10M ::meev::
I can only assume his next words were "U MAD BRO?"
 

Wandering_Fox

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flowersofnight wrote:
No, his TRUE standard of greatness was spitting Jack Daniels all over the front-row fans' expensive lolita clothes at one of his appearances with M10M ::meev::
I can only assume his next words were "U MAD BRO?"

Kozi wrote:
What?! I can get smashed on booze AND write music at the same time?? I gotta try that!!!
And thus, Xa-VAT was born. And the rest, as they say, is history.
 

Iskanderia

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I just listened to it. I really didn't think it was as terrible as Flowers and Berserk made it out to be. Like PE, I found it basically "not bad" (though I couldn't get two of the tracks to load on YouTube - I'll try again later). I'm not going to bother with a full review but there's some okay stuff here and there (which seems to be the consensus actually). Even Super Naked Disco could be pretty good with a different title and lyrics.

I'll give it a couple more listens because I don't think it's fair to base my final judgment on a a single listen. Many of my favorite albums are those that I thought were just pretty good on first listen but grew on me over time to the point where one day it just hit me that I was in love with it. I doubt I'll have as dramatic of a turnabout with this record, but I do feel like some of the songs might grow on me a bit.

At the very least, it's good to hear Kozi's voice again. It's nice too to hear his touch all over this thing. I feel that if he had written all these songs by himself, with no input from these other jokers, it could've been great.

@PE: You didn't like Honey Vanity, of all songs?

::zetsubou::

Get out. (Assuming we're talking about the original and not that stupid remix, in which case, you can stay. For now.)
 

PureElegance

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Iskanderia wrote:
Like PE, I found it basically "not bad" (though I couldn't get two of the tracks to load on YouTube - I'll try again later). I'm not going to bother with a full review but there's some okay stuff here and there (which seems to be the consensus actually). Even Super Naked Disco could be pretty good with a different title and lyrics.
Yeah, I didn't think it was so awful. Actually, the bad reviews made it even better and it was kind of disappointing how NOT bad it was.

@PE: You didn't like Honey Vanity, of all songs?

::zetsubou::

Get out. (Assuming we're talking about the original and not that stupid remix, in which case, you can stay. For now.)
You're killing me here! I don't even remember if that's the one I listened to though. I remember downloading that song and a couple of others (Catharsis I think, another one too), but I don't remember, it's been years since I've listened, the songs aren't even on my Macbook. Now that you've said this I'll have to listen to Honey Vanity and be amazed.
*stays firmly put* ::kisaki::
 

Haus der Lüge

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Is it just me, or does anyone else get the impression he put a lot of effort into his singing? On his previous stuff he would use a lazy/laidback kind of style (which was good) or smother his voice in distortion but here it's as if he's trying his hardest to hit notes and stuff.
With Fu is the clear standout for me. Sanityman is really catchy and has a good ending. Besque (or is it Basque?) and Kosmostill are also nice.
The rest range from forgettable to bad.
I wasn't planning on buying this, but With Fu and Sanityman are so wonderful that I just might.
 

flowersofnight

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Iskanderia wrote:
I just listened to it. I really didn't think it was as terrible as Flowers and Berserk made it out to be.
I didn't think it was terrible per se, just... uninteresting for the most part. I still haven't had any desire to listen to most of the songs a second time, even. I'm just hard on Kozi for that because he's capable of better, and demonstrated as much on this very album.

I scanned a couple things, although my scanner is super dusty so I'll have to redo them later ::kisaki::

Lyrics sheet (I didn't notice the big "ZIZ" till I scanned it XD)
Pictures of Közi and the Bözos

EDIT:
http://shanethvarosa.tumblr.com/post/24961029864/after-two-weeks-of-waiting-i-have-finally
I knew there would be at least one jazz hater XD
 

Nocturne

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Actually, from the amount of complaining, I was expecting this album to be awful.

I actually think this is Kozi's most accessible album to date if you were to show it to an average person.

So far I've heard elements of punk, reggae, technoish type music, jazz, and rock. The instrumentation is really pretty good actually. And I dont see where people saying there isnt any structure to the songs. I could easily pick out choruses etc and Ive only listened to the songs once.

I wouldnt say anything is amazing or anything, but for the most part I feel it's a pretty solid release.

The sad thing is though is I feel like Kozi, at least to me, has lost his originality. He had a very unique image before and I honestly like it to seem like the person is serious about music. Now from all these interviews and from what people say, he just sounds like he is some drunk who goofs off with band members instead of trying to do something great. So if anything Im more disappointed in his persona/himself than anything (especially since Im not big on alcohol, let alone someone being drunk all the time).

But overall, I think it's an ok release. Not earth shattering, but I never expect Kozi's stuff to be so. I think if he had some different band members (though they do play decently) there may be a better focus and allow them to do better things.

EDIT: Super Naked Disco is absolute garbage though. And Im not a fan of Ill. It just sounds like one of those lets make noise songs. And I didnt get to hear Kosmostill.

From what Ive heard I like Sanityman and Besque the best.
 

flowersofnight

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Nocturne wrote:
Now from all these interviews and from what people say, he just sounds like he is some drunk who goofs off with band members instead of trying to do something great.
Keep in mind that maybe... half of that stuff is just my merciless heckling ::meev::

He's not a very public guy and he hasn't been in real bands for most of the past 6 years, so the only time we see what he's up to is when his friends post super drunk pictures on their blogs or he does a pointless session band. Whether or not that's a strictly fair portrayal of his life, who knows.
 

Berserk

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flowers wrote:
I knew there would be at least one jazz hater XD
"Oh hey guys, just wanted to let you know I loved all these songs except the objectively best one. They should have left that one out." :roll:

Well okay, they didn't like Ill or Naked Disko either, but still.
 

Camuflagem

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I got the impression that the signing is better but the songwritting is quite weak, specially if you compare these songs to his solo albums.
 

PureElegance

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... are there any translations of the songs? I'd really like to see Sanityman, especially since the lyrics are so short and catchy ::kisaki::
 
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