The N&G Listening Club V2

ThePakoBuelna said:
Hello everyone! I feel honored to start the Listening Club 2.0! What a big responsibility and I hope we will discuss the album I selected, speaking of which...



Small Circle of Friends "Future" 2008

Wanted to introduce to you this album and hip hop group from Japan. Consisting of Azuma Riki and Satsuki Mutoh, they've been recording and releasing beats and music as Small Circle of Friends with their studio producing most of the tracks also, going by the name of STUDIO75.

I first found out of this group when they were releasing this album back in '08 and instantly fell in love with the music and the flow of both members webbing around their melodies. Even before I understood Japanese I was drawn by the songs and feeling of nostalgia of good days and great vibes.

I hope you'll get to listen to this album, even if you don't know Japanese or even like hip hop. It's just great music to chill out too, but I hope you find some songs or albums that will catch your ears and heart. This is one of my favorite albums of theirs(and their next one after this, called Superstar, is great too!).

Looking forward to hear your opinions of it, cheers all. Hope you are staying safe!
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Looks like they still have some of their vinyl available here

scof75.thebase.in

Small Circle of Friends powered by BASE

Small Circle of Friends & STUDIO75 ようこそ、Small Circle of...
scof75.thebase.in scof75.thebase.in


This is a great album to put on while sitting on the balcony during summer letting the day pass you by! I think my favorite track is Pass the MIC. They've got a pretty large discography, looking forward to digging deeper into their albums
 
Dtknuckles said:
That first song reminds me of Queen and The Beach Boys. Then the second song comes in and I hear a lot of Queen. Definitely a talented vocalist.
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yup. if i was listening to this blind, i'd have probably guessed it was from the 70s, a lot of it sounds very much of that era at least. beach boys, supertramp, definitely queen...

so, yeah, if that's what they were going for they pretty much nailed it. a couple tracks sounded more up-to-date, but this album seems like a band unabashedly wearing its influences on its sleeves. so, kind of easy to see why it didn't stick in the early 90s. with greta van fleet getting pretty big outright cosplaying as zeppelin, makes you wonder what kind of reception this would get if it were pushed today.

bye, bye, bye is probably the track that most stood out to me. i'd imagine this album as a whole would sound pretty good on a well mixed and pressed vinyl.
 
And since this is getting some listens again, I have to point out maybe the best song about self-pleasure ever written...



I've known him all my life
It seems so inconceivable
At thirteen we shooks hands but we've been always inseparable
He's cinnamon on my toast, we're so close
That's not to say we haven't had our share of arguments
He's so unpredictable he winks acknowledgments
When I would rather he closed his eye
Than push me aside
My hands a five leaf clover
It's psalm Sunday over and over
I never had the luck of swingers
Til' I was wrapped around your finger
He's my best friend
He's my best friend
He's my best friend
I'm his best friend
He's my best friend
You don't need a brain to have a stroke of genius
Or a beautiful girl to let down your curls
Cause growing up is hard enough
When your a powder keg for powder puffs (whether we're stayin' in or hanging out)
I'd never ask another on a date to the ball
He doesn't need a rubber sweater or alcohol
Cause he gets tipsy from exchanging looks
And a little misty reading sticky (blue dirty books)
But he's my best friend
He's my best friend
I'm his best friend
He's my best friend
My hand's a five leaf clover
It's psalm Sunday over and over
I never had the luck of swingers
Til' I was wrapped around your finger
He's my best friend (we could hold hands for hours)
He's my best friend (in the bedroom or shower)
He's my best friend (I pick him up when he's feelin' down)
He's my best friend (I guess he's always been hangin' around)
He's my best friend (he gets lonely now and then)
He's my best friend (and he gets shy around another men)
I'm his best friend (it seems I've reached the end of my best friend)
 
AndySlash said:
yup. if i was listening to this blind, i'd have probably guessed it was from the 70s, a lot of it sounds very much of that era at least. beach boys, supertramp, definitely queen...

so, yeah, if that's what they were going for they pretty much nailed it. a couple tracks sounded more up-to-date, but this album seems like a band unabashedly wearing its influences on its sleeves. so, kind of easy to see why it didn't stick in the early 90s. with greta van fleet getting pretty big outright cosplaying as zeppelin, makes you wonder what kind of reception this would get if it were pushed today.

bye, bye, bye is probably the track that most stood out to me. i'd imagine this album as a whole would sound pretty good on a well mixed and pressed vinyl.
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That's a pretty good pondering. I wonder how this would be received today. I also saw @Lee Newman pick up on them sounding like Ben Folds...is it possible Ben Folds would be influenced by this group or coincidence? I don't know how well known this group was to influence anyone...but they did combine their influences quite well and made it their own.
 
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Crenshaw Blvd said:
That's a pretty good pondering. I wonder how this would be received today. I also saw @Lee Newman pick up on them sounding like Ben Folds...is it possible Ben Folds would be influenced by this group or coincidence? I don't know how well known this group was to influence anyone...but they did combine their influences quite well and made it their own.
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I guess it's possible. I will say, having been into Jellyfish first, most Jellyfish fans instantly became Ben Folds Five fans.
 
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