As prompted by Seraphim, here are my top 10 releases (in roughly ascending order) from Matina:
Captures the identity crisis that a lot of bands faced in 2002~2003; see leaves vs FROLIC @ DOLL.
Metal with a strong melody. Grating vocals, chunky bass, and dirty guitar. Third track KAREN provides an oddly haunting conclusion.
The melodic title track alone is strong enough to warrant this single's inclusion.
Melancholy SE plus two tracks that beg to be sung along to. One of the earliest recordings of Ruiza (of D fame).
- Buyou (舞踊)
- Shingon (真言)
- 「Chikashitsu」 (「地下室」)
- Hougou HOSPITAL (縫合ホスピタル)
- 「TRICK」 (「トリック」)
- Kaede・・・ (楓・・・)
An era in which Matina releases were mixed/mastered such that each hit of the drum sounded like a small explosion going off in a wok. Chikashitsu and TRICK are the best tracks, but it's a strong representation of Mist of Rouge's harder sound.
Chronically underrated band imo. Love their unexpected compositions and nasal-but-not-annoying vocals. Well-balanced mix.
- KoNO Sekai NO HaTE (此ノ世ノ果テ)
- Taiji no Yume (胎児の夢)
- Schizophrenia
Disbandment release that showcases both sides of the punk-gothic-inspired band.
- Ikenie (生贄)
- USOTSUKI (ウソツキ)
- Shiroi Kimi, Kuroi Tsuki (白い君、黒い月)
- DANDYISM (ダンディズム)
- TRAUMA (トラウマ)
- BRITISH DOWNTOWN (ブリティッシュ ダウンタウン)
- AURORA
An off-brand release for the group, but nevertheless successful. Each track is unexpected, but none sound desperate (and most work surprisingly well with Kyohei's vocals). Opening track USOTSUKI is a bangerz.
- ・・・SAN GA KORONDA!! (・・・サンガコロンダ!!)
- PISARATO AFTER SEX (ピサロトアフターセックス)
- Kanjou DIGITAL BUTOUKAI (官能デジタルブトウカイ)
- Toumei NA KAGO (透明ナカゴ)
- Haiiro Toiki (灰色吐息)
Lives up to the band's “occult romance” concept at the time. The instrumentation sounds slightly dated now, but the underlying compositions seem just as fresh as they were 16 years ago. (Much better versions of tracks 1, 4, and 5 can be found on the band's re-recording album.)
- Seimei no Shuuen (生命の終焉)
- 「Zwei」 Dataisha TO Moumoku NA Chuuzetsuji・・69 Nichime NO Sogai (「Zwei」堕胎者ト盲目ナ中絶児・・69日目ノ阻害)
- 「MARIA」 GA NemuRU Zange NO 「Kururu」 (「マリア」ガ眠ル懺悔ノ「枢」)
- Kokushichou NO Hanataba (黒死蝶ノ花束)
- Tsuioku (追憶)
- Lucifer
- 「M」teki Higyaku Shoukougun (「M」的被虐症候群)
- AkuratsuNARU 「Shimobe」 ni Sasagu (悪辣ナル「隷」に捧ぐ)
- Kuuchuu Toshi~in the zalemu~ (空中都市~in the zalemu~)
- Evil en Lucifer
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- Chizome no Kigeki (secret track) (血染めの喜劇 (secret track))
Probably the label's most financially successful release, with over 15,000 copies sold in its first two pressings alone. Like all great albums, it has a strange resonance that is somehow greater than the sum of its parts.
What are yours? (See the Matina and Soleil Matina pages for a list of releases.)
My top 10 Matina releases
This was actually hard than I thought: a lot of examples I wanted to use I realized I really liked a song or two, but not the majority of the release, or it was produced after Matina closed ¯\(ツ)/¯
aNyWaY, in no particular order:
Madeth gray'll - Lucifer (iconique, really got me into kote-kei / bad 90s music, seemingly blossomed out of no where?)
MIRAGE - ...Air (Similar to Inartistic's train of thought, although "Deathopia" is the reason for my inclusion)
GALACE (ガラス) - Back Street~To get Freedom For Myself~ (probably one of the least Matina-like releases this label put out. I really like their happy punk aesthetic and listening to this album always makes me feel great. Love the faux English titles as much as their guitar melodies)
vellaDonna - untruth (apparently we have the same taste. Some of the best bass lines in vkei, but like my previous item, this band was very atypical for this label)
AZALEA - 妄想に死す (OK, I cheated with this one. I've never actually listened to this single, but I love 2/3 of the songs on it from different omnibuses. Schizophrenia and 此ノ世ノ果テ are top-tier examples of why I like 90s vkei)
EzeːquL - 狂盲なる神徒の・・・ 崇拝の書 (Like the previous item, this demo-tape is the perfect example of 90s vkei where I can say "I like things that sound like this," but it's a completely different style from AZALEA. The ーDRAMAー the first real track has, coupled with the heartfelt and sweet emotional B-side really make this tape stand out as a "diamond in the rough" for lesser-known 90s acts)
VIDOLL - Occult Propose (One of my first Vidoll songs, which was quite a shock because all I had heard before that was Bastard. Going from "Cloud" and "Tree" to this is not a slight transition. Even for being so early on in their career, this single had great production and orchestration. All of the guitar, bass, and vocal parts are top notch, and the $15 music video is still charming)
LAYBIAL - visage (love me some frilly romantic rock)
Mist of Rouge - Symphonic Colors (this was almost a 2-way with Kilah's "Mousou Feminist," but after some thought, this mini-album definitely stands out to me much more. It's a great mix of catchy pop punk songs and great guitar melodies. Plus, one of the music videos on this mini has a cat in it. I think that's nice)
Honorable mentions:
2018-04-17
Approve Edit Restrict Delete Lock threadMy top 10 Matina releases
Nice! I know making that list couldn't have been easy.
I'm not the Matina connoisseur many here may be, but here's my shot at this... after Madeth's best album in the top spot they're not really in order:
Madeth Gray'll - Madeth gray'll~Higeki NO Shuumaku (maybe cheating to put a best album, but I spin this a lot more than Lucifer) Madeth Gray'll - Mother Complex DAS:VASSER - SYNCHRO (agreed Usotsuki is a banger, if a bit repetitive. And I love Shiroi Kimi, Kuroi Tsuki) Syndrome - CORE (the dark one) MATINA - PRELUDE (lame to put an omnibus? Probably. But Orgel's Suicide is great and doesn't appear anywhere else I don't think) DERAIL - Fifth Shapes AZALEA - Fetish ~Masochist no Kigeki~ (I ride or die for Hina) GARDEN - MONOCHROME VIDOLL - 「FACE↳MAYURA」 (a couple classics on here)
Wait, was Syndrome's Nostalgia not a Matina release??
2018-04-14
Approve Edit Restrict Delete Lock threadOooh nice picks! Madeth's best album is definitely a beast. One of the few bands that could pull off making me listen to a track in reverse and not be mad about it.
Nostalgia was through Matina, yeah.
2018-04-14
Approve Edit Restrict Delete Lock thread