Care for a Blind Date with an Album? 😉

Hello, (belated) Happy Valentine’s, and more importantly, welcome back once again to the J-Music Exchange/Rate! If you’ve been here before and already know the lay of the land, feel free to skip ahead. BUT if you’re new to the blog and not entirely sure what you just walked into, please give the following a quick read:

The Exchange/Rate is a tandem album review series conducted every month by yours truly alongside my good friend and fellow Japanese music fan Al (from Omunibasu). Each month we decide on a specific theme with which our reviews would revolve around. We then pick out albums from our respective libraries which we think best coincides with that theme. We will then give the album we chose to the other person and vice versa (exchange), after which we then listen to and subsequently review the album we were given (rate). This project has not only allowed us to explore music beyond our libraries, but it provides an opportunity for us to see our favorite albums from a different point of view. It is our hope that this series is able to do the same for you and that you either find a new artist to try out and/or we offer you a fresh take on one of *your* favorite albums 

Al and I take turns deciding the month’s theme, and this time, it was my turn to take a crack at one. Now, February, as I’m sure a lot of you know, is the month of love. Given the festivities, I thought we’d try something a little different but still very much on theme—by having us both go on what I’d like to call a blind date with an album. This takes inspiration from blind date with a book (for those familiar), and the way it works is that Al and I each present nine undisclosed albums to the other, with only key identifiers to differentiate them. Those key identifiers included the album’s release year, its genre or style, a single word that describes it, and a wild card identifier to add a bit of extra spice. From there, we each pick one from the selection given to us, and that album would be the one we’d review.

Here’s the selection of albums given to me by Al (who, by the way, is the one solely responsible making these awesome graphics for us!):

I went with ALBUM # 7 here as its description really just grabbed my attention. Let’s see how I fare with it!

Ａｌ： In terms of the actual albums I picked out, my overall selection criteria was very similar to how we did the wheel back in 2023. A lot of these are ones that I’ve wanted to suggest for the Exchange/Rate but haven’t found the right opportunity to do so, while some are even albums/EPs that I normally wouldn’t toss over to Leap for various reasons. Whatever the case may be, literally all of these releases are fantastic (in my opinion) and have been performed by artists that I’ve had a great appreciation for throughout my time as a Japanese music fan, so you really can’t go wrong with any of ‘em.

However, the fun part was providing a brief description of each album within the ‘wild card’ aspect. And considering this month’s traditions and festivities, I thought it’d be amusing to really hone in on the whole theme and I did so by pretty much personifying each album and describing them as if they were a person you could find on a dating app, or even characters in a dating simulation game. Not only was it enjoyable for me to provide a cool, as-vague-as-possible factoid about each album, but hopefully it also made it easier (or at least, more entertaining) for Leap to choose one of these nine lovely individuals.

Really looking forward to seeing who he ended up picking!

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Zsasz was a five-member idol group produced by Vocaloid composer/producer Utsu-P, best known for his heavy metal compositions. The group consisted of Saku, Tim Vincent, Shuugetsu Shino, Nagase Ritsu, and Rom. They made their official debut on October 19, 2019, with their first EP dropping at the start of the following year. Over their four-year run, Zsasz released one additional EP and two full-length albums before officially disbanding on November 4, 2023.

＜∄ (There does not exist)＞
(＊Spotify link to the full album)

CDJapan Affiliate Link(s):
2nd Album “E” / Zsasz

＜T ｒａｃｋｌｉｓｔ＞

０１・HANGOVER GIRL
０２・しぬほどいいね/shinuhodo ii ne
０３・東京鬱金香/tokyo ukonkou – 2023 mix
０４・ダークヒーロー/dark hero – 2023 mix
０５・インキャ・オブ・ザ・デッド/inkya of the dead
０６・Ga
０７・Ultra Heroine – 2023 mix
０８・ここにある答えは/koko ni aru kotae wa
０９・Fixed Star
１０・おたくのうた/otaku no uta – 2023 mix
１１・Zsasz End

＜Ｓｏｎｇｓ　ｏｆ　Ｉｎｔｅｒｅｓｔ＞

０１・HANGOVER GIRL
As is often the case here on the J-Music Exchange/Rate, we kick things off with the very first track of ∄, HANGOVER GIRL, which delivers about as cold of an opening to an album as I’ve heard in a while. For those unfamiliar, a “cold open” in TV and film refers to those narrative intro scenes that drop you straight into the action with little to no setup. That description feels pretty spot-on for the experience of hearing this song in the context of the album, and something that might be right up your alley if you prefer to dive straight in without any preamble. That said, I can’t help but find it a little funny too, considering a hangover isn’t exactly the ideal way to start your day (lol), but I digress.

Right off the bat, we’re hit with what ends up being the dominant sound of ∄, which is Utsu-P’s signature brand of melodic metal that fans of his Vocaloid work know and love. His trademark double pedal drumming, crushing guitar riffs, thick bass lines, and even the occasional growls and screams from Zsasz all come together in full force. One thing I especially enjoyed about HANGOVER GIRL was the sound effect at the start that straight-up sounds like a car alarm going off right as the opening riff kicks in. It really gives the track this block party, ‘Zsasz in your neighborhood’-kind of energy that makes you feel like something just went down outside, and you need to go check it out ASAP. Just an all-out, high-intensity track that gets the blood pumping from the jump.

０５・インキャ・オブ・ザ・デッド/inkya of the dead
Though I say all that, even though I do enjoy heavier rock from time to time, it might surprise some (though maybe not those more familiar with my tastes) that my favorite track off ∄ isn’t one that leans into Utsu-P’s signature sound. Instead, it’s Inkya of the dead, arguably the song that deviates the most from everything I just described. Positioned where it is in the tracklist, it feels more like an interstitial piece, serving as a bit of breather smack dab in the middle of the album. In a live setting, I can also easily see this being used as a transition track performed as an intermission to bridge the gap between sets or lead into an MC break. In most cases these kinds of songs are inconsequential to the broader tonal context of the album and are mostly treated as throwaway or filler tracks. Not that that’s necessarily the case here, but you get the picture.

Why then, is it my favorite, you may ask? The short answer is that it’s the track that genuinely sounds the most fun. Plain and simple. Now what do I mean by that. For a bit of a longer justification, as to why, I feel that I should first re-establish that I don’t necessarily dislike Utsu-P’s offerings when it comes to his hard-hitting compositions. Rather than a straightforward heavy metal track, this one feels more like Utsu-P’s take on theatrical rock with jazz elements, giving it this finger-snappy rhythm that makes for a refreshing change of pace. The looser instrumentation also allows for a more even line distribution among the Zsasz members, making it one of the first songs on the album where I really got to appreciate everyone’s vocals outside of just Shuugetsu Shino and Saku (both of whom appear to be the group’s top batters in the vocal department, at least by my own pedestrian assessment). Nagase Ritsu’s solo towards the end, in particular, I thought was really nice. Other specific moments that I liked include: hearing clap sounds interspersed throughout the track which I’m almost always a sucker for when done right; them spelling out “Z S A S Z !”, which felt delightfully idol-like—and, of course, the instrumental kazoo break (yes, you read that right) that follows right after. All in all just a stupidly fun-sounding track as I mentioned. I can only imagine how much of a blast it must be to see performed live.

０６・ガ/ga
In my initial draft of this review, I actually grouped Inkya of the dead and Ga together, as I first felt that they serve a similar purpose on the album, albeit in different ways. That is to say, I originally considered both tracks as interstitial moments within the album’s structure, offering a tonal shift from the predominant melodic metal sound of ∄. Inkya of the dead does this through its theatrical rock stylings, while Ga leans more into nu-metal territory. And while I still think Ga functions in that way, my perspective on it changed a bit once I did some digging and discovered that it’s actually a cover of an Utsu-P original track released just a month before Zsasz put out their rendition. That realization got me thinking about how Zsasz is in a way an exercise of listener preference when it comes to tracks originally performed using Vocaloid or other voice-synthesizing software. More importantly, as it ties into my broader thoughts on this review—where does an idol group, whose music is produced by a Vocaloid producer such as Utsu-P, truly fit in to all of this?

I think it’s pretty safe to say that Vocaloid music is, for the most part, an acquired taste. At the very least, I can admit that it took me a while to get past the uncanny valley of a synthesized voice, let alone actually enjoy it as music. I’d guess that’s because, like many others, I naturally gravitate toward a human singing voice. Now, you might be thinking, maybe that’s where Zsasz finds their niche? A way for listeners to enjoy Vocaloid music without the synthesized vocals? Or, more specifically in this case, a way for more casual fans to experience Utsu-P’s compositions without Hatsune Miku at the helm? And while I have no problem believing that’s part of their appeal, the numbers tell a different story. Of course, plenty of factors play into this. Zsasz’s version of Ga was uploaded to their own channel, while Utsu-P’s original was released on his, which has a much larger following. But beyond that, a big part of what makes Utsu-P stand out as a Vocaloid producer is his ability to make Hatsune Miku scream and growl. Strip that away, and suddenly, a huge chunk of what makes Utsu-P’s music novel and unique to him is lost. His instrumentation remains, sure, but if you’re already a fan of his work, then the question becomes, why listen to this version when the original arguably delivers the same experience, if not better? In other words, why listen to Zsasz when you can just listen to Utsu-P?

０８・ここにある答えは/koko ni aru kotae wa
Perhaps, as the song’s title literally suggests, the answer is here (“koko ni aru kotae wa”). Before I get to that, though, there’s one specific thing that stood out to me—something I felt could’ve been improved upon in the album. Throughout my listen, there were multiple moments where it seemed like Utsu-P wasn’t entirely sure how to utilize the voices he had at his disposal, or at the very least, could’ve made better use of them. Zsasz, as a group, actually has a surprisingly full vocal range, with big, boom-y vocals being one of their standout strengths in my opinion. But you don’t really get that sense when often they’re forced to go power-for-power and contend against the sheer weight of the heavy guitar riffs and relentless drum work.

Striking that fine balance between hard-hitting instrumentation and vocals, I think, is the key to unlocking Zsasz’s true appeal. In other words, their music should put the collective vocal work of its members at the forefront. That should be the reason to listen to Zsasz. And in that regard, Koko ni aru kotae wa is the one song on ∄ that really allows them to do just that: sing. Much like Inkya of the dead earlier, I thought the line distribution here was excellent, giving each member their moment to shine. But more than that, I’d even go so far as to say that this track (in my opinion) showcases the group’s best vocal performances on the entire album by a long shot. On that note, speaking of big, boom-y vocals, Shuugetsu Shino in particular stood out to me with her commandeering delivery. As one of the more prominent voices in the group, she sounded her most measured here, fully utilizing the breadth and depth of her voice in a way that was just breathtaking.

＜Ｗｈａｔ　Ｉ　ｔｈｉｎｋ　ｏｆ　∄ (There does not exist)＞

I think it’s actually a pretty interesting proposition (at least for me personally) to have a Vocaloid composer/producer who isn’t necessarily known for working on idol music take a stab at it. In particular, I find the real intrigue comes from seeing how they choose to approach the task. This is especially true for someone like Utsu-P, who has such a distinct, recognizable sound. In a way, it becomes a kind of test as to whether or not they successfully transpose their signature style into something that fits within the context of idol music. And perhaps more importantly, how do they adapt to working with real singers instead of the voice synthesizers they’re so accustomed to?

If nothing else, listening to ∄ (There does not exist; sick album title, by the way) at times felt like a thought experiment brought to life. It’s as if Utsu-P was figuring out, in real time, the best way to showcase Zsasz through their compositions. Something I briefly touched on in my review of Kairiki Bear’s Darling Syndrome was how synthesized vocals themselves function as another instrument in a Vocaloid producer’s arsenal. One they can tweak and fine-tune to their exact liking. Utsu-P doesn’t get that same luxury here, now working with five real, individual voices. As a result, there were definitely moments where it felt like they struggled a bit to balance their signature melodic metal sound with Zsasz’s singing. Instead of meeting at a level of intensity where both elements could thrive, there were times when they seemed to be going power-for-power, as I mentioned earlier, and is something that to me didn’t always felt like the best use of either.

I say this not just because I genuinely believe Zsasz actually has an amazing suite of vocals across its five members, but because we did get glimpses of that sweet spot, where Utsu-P’s sound and Zsasz’s singing truly came together in harmony, the further along the album progressed. I chalk this up to familiarity more than anything else. Maybe Utsu-P just needed time to fully grasp the vocal dynamics he was working with in order to utilize them to their fullest potential. It’s a shame now knowing that the group has since disbanded because, who knows? Given enough time, maybe Utsu-P and Zsasz could have arrived at an even more optimal formula to solve the equation presented here. The solutions they ultimately landed on in ∄ may not be as elegant as they could’ve been, but they still reached a more than satisfactory answer in the form of this album.

＜Ｍｙ　Ｒａｔｉｎｇ＞


４ ｏｕｔ ｏｆ ５

＆

８ ｏｕｔ ｏｆ １０

What I found really cool about ∄, as an almost unintended result of it feeling like different solutions on paper trying to solve a problem, is that there’s a little something for everyone, depending on what they enjoy. Fans of Utsu-P’s handiwork, particularly their heavy instrumentation, will find plenty to love in tracks like HANGOVER GIRL and Tokyo Ukonkou (the guitars in the latter being a personal favorite of mine). Meanwhile, for alt-idol enthusiasts looking for something hard-hitting yet still retaining that fun idol energy, ∄ also delivers with tracks like Koko ni aru kotae wa and Otaku no Uta. All in all, it’s definitely an album worth checking out whether you’re an Utsu-P fan, an alt idol fan, or both!

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What are your guys’ thoughts on ∄ (There does not exist)? Let me know in the comments!

Don’t forget to check out how Al’s blind date with an album went over at the Omunibasu Substack if you haven’t yet already!

Likewise, if you want to go on your own blind date with an album, feel free to do so by heading on over to this special page that Al made, where you can go and choose any (or ALL) of the other albums we didn’t get to talk about!

Happy Listening!