It’s time to shine the spotlight on another ace Vocaloid
producer! This time it the multitalented myGOD-P. Yes, that is his name. Before
he settled on that bold moniker, he went by the handle G9fried@GRM. As you
might be able to guess from his names, his music is eccentric. It leans towards
techno/rock, but he’s covered genres as varied as opera and ballads. His works
are weird and wonderful, and every Vocaloid fan should listen to a few. So pop
in your earbuds and let’s take a listen to a sampling of myGOD-P’s works.
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| Looking normal enough so far! |
One of his earliest songs is titled “BAND of CATS .”
It’s jazz influenced, with some nice piano work in the background. While the
song itself is kind of bland, it’s worth listening to in order to see just how
varied myGOD-P can be. This work shows him beginning to experiment with genres,
adding overtones of ballad music and melancholy vocals to a swinging jazz
number.
“Exclamation of my heart” is another early song, and it
still shows the developing stages of myGOD-P’s over-the-top style. However, it
is very catchy. Pay attention to the echoey vocals. This is prominent in his
later works. Once again, this song comes across as an experiment, more playing
with the technology and seeing what it can do. It is still a highly interesting
listen.
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| ...aaaaand normality is gone. |
If you want versatility, check out his Kagamine opera,
titled “Garasu no Kutsu.” This piece shows that he is a master of the slow and
sorrowful as well as the frenetically upbeat. Seriously one of the most moving
Kagamine pieces, it is filled with orchestral swells and vocals that speak of
hope and longing. There aren’t very many Vocaloid songs out there like this.
Skip ahead to his song “Virgin Glory,” featuring Hatsune
Miku. This song is weird as all get-out, with a funky, screechy guitar line and
a pulsating beat. It has simplistic yet nonsensical lyrics. The whole thing
feels off-kilter, like a normal techno song turned on its side. What is also
significant about this work is the MMD
accompanying it. It’s very simplistic, but the sheer absurdity of it would also
become a hallmark for myGOD-P’s videos.
If you thought the last song was strange, get a load of “Battle
in TAKAMAGAHARA.” Once again, it’s a techno/rock song that is just a little out
of the ordinary. The lyrics alternate between lofty and beautiful to hoarse and
grunting. There’s a lot going on at once, like the song is trying to see just
how over-the-top it can make itself. That is classic myGOD-P. Once again, it
has a MMD accompanying the song that is
just…baffling. Check out MEIKO and KAITO rocking those guitars. Yeah baby.
And the awesome just continues to escalate with “HYPER
TIME!” This work bears the traditional repetition of techno buzzes and beeps
with the complex guitar solos of rock and roll. The vocals are heavily
distorted, to the point where he lists Yowane Haku as the singer instead of
Miku. MyGOD-P loves messing with the vocals, turning them inside out until they
no longer sound like a human singing. The result is slightly unsettling but
totally cool. Did I mention that deino made the character models?
If you don’t know who deino is, you haven’t been to the dark side of Vocaloid.
“take the field (FULLMOON)” is one of my favorite Vocaloid
songs. It even has the underused LOLA adding backup, along with a sexily
distorted KAITO. The guitar is rocking, the beat is strong, it’s really
something you can bang your head to. At the same time, the scratchy singing and
unusual choice of background harmony make the whole song feel like some
otherwordly rock concert. The music video gives the same effect. It’s simple,
yet weird. It really feels like you tuned into the MTV of another world
(provided their MTV actually plays music, unlike ours). The frantic pace of the
song makes it feel like it ends all too soon, but that’s what replay buttons
are for.
Returning to his Kagamine roots, “I WANNA TRUST YOU” is an
upbeat duet between the twins. Compare this to his earlier works and you can
see how distinctive his style has become. There’s his signature blend of
techno/rock, but with a brass accompaniment that speaks of jazz. Once again,
myGOD-P isn’t afraid to blend genres as it pleases him. The vocals are deeply
satisfying, with an alternating between a deep, confident Len and a high,
energetic Rin.
“Posterization” is another song that seems to be commenting
on the media saturation in society. It’s bizarre enough that I can’t be sure.
The MMD is minimal but effective. MyGOD-P
uses repetitive lyrics that slowly build to an explosive finale of noise.
Finally, no survey of myGOD-P would be complete without
mentioning his Girl and Boy series. This is a sequence of songs that tells the
story of an ill-fated couple. It was actually based around a doujinshi story,
and then myGOD-P made songs out of it and got artists to illustrate it. His
most recent work is a medley of the songs that includes a PV. Unlike his
techno-explosions, this series represents his softer, more heartfelt side. The
songs still show traces of his style, with the guitar backgrounds and
occasionally distorted vocals, but for the most part they sound more “normal.”
This doesn’t mean they are bland. Instead, they are just story-focused, more
reliant on the message of the lyrics. This series is a must listen if you love narrative
songs.
So there we go: my GOD-P in a nutshell. Of course, he is an
extremely prolific artist (up until about a year ago). He has a huge catalogueof songs to look through. So if you liked the stuff you saw in this spotlight,
go check out his other work!
Do you have a Vocaloid artist you want spotlighted? Let me know in the comments below, or shoot me a message.
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