Swing Metal? Epica vs Metropole Orchestra (Short)

Two years ago I wrote a post about my favourite symphonic metal band, Epica (Those who missed it can find it here). Although I don't want to make a habit out of posting about the same artist twice, I felt I had no other choice after listening to the song they released this week. The song titled Beyond The Matrix - The Battle is a rework of the original Beyond The Matrix, which was already a symphonic masterpiece. In this rework however Epica teamed up with the Metropole Orchestra, a Dutch hybrid orchestra playing both big band and symphonic music and one of the largest of its kind in the world. The result is a nine minute long battle between swing jazz and symphonic metal which works out surprisingly well. Although I have to admit it's not the most accessible song and requires a couple of listening sessions to really start appreciating it. I've heard it several times now but still discover new melodies and musical layers. I urge you to give it a try as well, who knows you might even like it!

Check out more of Epica on their official YouTube channel.

K-Pop: Mamamoo

The K-Pop business, like most pop scenes, moves quickly. Tens of new groups debut every year with some disappearing before even officially debuting. One of the groups that thankfully hasn't disappeared yet is Mamamoo.

The group, consisting of members Hwasa, Moonbyul, Solar and Wheein, debuted in 2014 with the song Mr. Ambiguous. The retro jazzy sound and ditto music video immediately set the group apart from other Korean girl groups performing at that time. The jazzy pop sound was even more pronounced in Pianoman which, as the name suggests, features a very cool piano line. After Ahh Oop!, a collaboration with fellow singer eSNa, the group started to get a more funky sound as can be heard in Um Oh Ay Yeh (who thought of these song titles? XD). By the start of 2016 Mamamoo had become a well known name in the K-Pop scene. This however doesn't mean that the group relaxed, quite the opposite actually. They released 10 songs with accompanying videos last year. Among these are ballads (My Hometown and Angel), a hip hop track (Taller Than You) and of course catchy pop songs (You're the Best and New York). All of these are great and fun songs to listen to. Their latest hit Décalcomanie has a visually stunning video clip but the song itself starts to sound dangerously generic. I hope that Mamamoo doesn't stray too far from the jazzy sound that hooked me in.

Other favourites: Don't Be Happy, Girl Crush and Woo Hoo

Check out more videos on Mamamoo's Official YouTube Channel. 

Rock/Jazz/J-Pop: Ringo Sheena

Because of my recent visit to Japan I thought it would be a nice opportunity to talk about a Japanese artist again. This time I've chosen Ringo Sheena. As you can see from the title of this post I had some trouble defining the genre in which Ringo makes her music. Unlike the previously mentioned Koda Kumi, Ringo does not really sing typical J-Pop songs. More often than not her songs are a mix of rock, punk and jazz with a pinch of electronica.

The multitalented singer started out in 1998 with songs still very focused on rock (e.g. Queen of Kabuki-cho). In the early 2000s however she started to make more funky/jazz sounding songs like Chastity at Midnight. When I first discovered Ringo somewhere in 2009 I really had to get used to her, let's say 'unique', voice. Over time however I became more used to it and even started to appreciate the distinctive sound. What kept me hooked all these years however was mostly the amazing arrangements she makes. From the jazzy ones like Season and her collaborations with jazz band SOIL&"PIMP"SESSIONS (e.g. MY FOOLISH HEART～crazy on earth～) to the larger orchestrated pieces like The Leading Hitter and Carnation. And from the electronica influenced Detecting Love (awesome music video by the way) to the more rocking CollateralDamage. Every song she makes has an uniqueness to it which gets me excited every time she releases a new one.

Other favourites: Close Shave Assassin, APPLE, It Was You and A Long andShort Festival

Check out more of her songs on her Official YouTube Channel.

Jazz: Tony Bennet and ???

On a warm summer evening one of my favourite ways to relax is by pouring myself a nice cold drink (alcohol is optional) and put on some sweet jazz music. Bear in mind though that I'm not talking about some experimental form of jazz, which can be interesting in its own way, but can hardly be called relaxing. No I am talking about the real jazz standards, the ones composed in the 1930s and popularized in the '40s, '50s and '60s by stars like Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and many others. The swing jazz from this era was the most popular style during these decades and therefore also known as 'traditional pop music'. The rise in popularity of rock music however meant that jazz would disappear more to the background. To this day many of the jazz standards are still covered, by singers like Michael Bublé. There are nevertheless some artist who simply cannot quit singing. Recently Tony Bennett, contemporary of Sinatra and currently 89 years old, recorded a new album collaborating with a female singer. You might wonder who this legend picked as his musical partner in crime. Whoever you had in mind, I am pretty sure you weren't imagining Lady Gaga. Apparently Gaga once sang a few jazz standards at a gala Bennett was attending. Bennett liked this so much that he asked Gaga to sing a duet with him. She agreed and they ended up making a full album together. They might seem like an odd couple but their sound turned out great. Some of my favourite songs on the album include: But Beautiful, Anything Goes and It Don'tMean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing).