Media Recommendations
Contents
Introduction
I despise social media media tracking/rating/catalogue platforms such as Letterboxd, IMDB, GoodReads, AOTY, RYM, and the like, because of the damage they have indirectly caused to their users and their critical thinking when it comes to expressing opinions. These platforms have pushed people away (either the platform itself or the fans themselves) from writing unique and sincere opinions/reviews.
All the worth reading reviews tend to be buried under stupid one line jokes, irony poisoned reviews, and opinions from weaklings who align their reviews to the opinion of most.
Reducing any media work to a bland, unimaginative, flat score or letter, followed by a one-liner joke, is the second worst thing that has happened to media criticism after fascism.
I am well aware that these websites should not be used or considered as a reference or the go-to for any media criticism, that I can easily ignore the existence of those websites; that we should rely on our own judgment and the honest personal opinions of others, but we should also not underestimate the damage and influence these websites have made on us, regardless of whether we use them or not.
Music
- Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970) Derek and the Dominos
- Everything about the band is terrible, so terrible this glorified jam-session-turned-album turned to be the exact opposite.
- Casiopea (Reissue) (1980) Casiopea
- Timely!! (1984) Anri
- Amazing work and introduction to the City Pop genre, a no-skip album packed with endless energy and relative sadness.
- Selected Ambient Works Volume II (1994) Aphex Twin
- Compared to its first volume, this sequel strictly stays within the genre's name and remains as a companion for the quiet, disillusioned and rather bleak times.
- Kokyū (2000) Lily Chou-Chou
- Geogaddi (2002) Boards of Canada
- Possibly the best introduction to an already muddied early 2000s, an unease that would only become more familiar with time.
- Puberty 2 (2016) mitski
- ssri_sessions (2017) deuteronomy as DOWNLOAD
- A cacophony to cleanse the mind. A discordant and somber sound. WARNING: this is pretty loud
- Fudeki (2022) (and their entire discography) Tricot
- I would suggest to listen to their entire discography, but Fudeki takes the place here for me because of how different and experimental it sounds from their other "better" sounding albums. It's spectacular how tricot can still sound good in their messiest release.
- Imaginal Disk (2024) Magdalena Bay
- Nothing's About to Happen to Me (2026) mitski
- I am quite fond of mitski
Movies
- Watership Down (1978)
- Penguin's Memory: A Tale of Happiness (1985)
- Stumbled upon this movie on YouTube after seeing the "Penguin Club War" meme and watched it because of the visuals, I ended up liking it more than anticipated, despite being an advertisement for a beer.
- Children of Men (2007)