Muzai Moratoriamu

Impressive!

If you haven't heard of Shiina Ringo, then I recommend that you jump on the web and find out as much as you possibly can. I found out about her 5 months ago, and she is now my favorite artist. Her music is incredible; she can rock, swing, moan, be sentimental, macbre, violent and sarcastic all within the span of three songs. She can cross genres on a whim, but always makes every song disctinctively her own. Shiina Ringo's latest work (Karuki Zamen Kuro no Hana) is without a doubt her best, but her earlier albums like this one (her first) are great to hear as well. The songs on Muzai Moratorium (Moratorium on Innocence) are just rock songs by a young artist (She was 17 when she wrote most of them), but even here, you can hear a complexity, creativity and creativeness that belies a typical pop song and makes the album satisfying to listen to again and again. The music is so rich; you can go through the whole album just listening to the deceptively complex melodies she writes,how the guitar lines interact with the music, or all of the subtle manipulations she makes with her voice. And of course no matter what she's doing, she always always knows how to rock. I also recommend Sohyo Strip, her second full length album, which shows more artistic development. Trust me, once you hear and really listen to what Shiina Ringo is doing, you'll be hooked.

Shiina Ringo caught and held my attention at the time my reaction to j-music ranged from 'mmm...' to 'bla'. Whereas later albums sound to me slightly overthought and overproduced, her Muzai Moratorium feels open and vulnerable. This is still my most often played RingoShiina-san album. Personal favorite is #3 - Mariounochi sadistic. Also check out more recent disk Ishiki (#5(?) - yattsuke shigoto).

This is a fantastic record - it's Shiina's first. The only reason for the four stars is because her next album was Sosho Strip - possibly the best album EVER - and I heard that first. If you haven't heard Shiina yet, start here and listen to them in order because she gets better and better - her music gets deeper and wider. If you've heard her other stuff and haven't heard this the why not? I mean, really.

Muzzai Moratorium is a great album, it is so different from other Japanese music. It's also Shiina Ringo's first album. She wrote the songs when she was around 17. Pay close attention to her second album, Shouso Strip, it's even better, but I think it's a little bit hard to find at this moment. Some good songs in Shouso Strip are, No.4, Gibs (Gyps), No.6, Identity, No.7, Tsumi to Batsu (Crime and Punishment), No.9, Tsuki ni Makeinu (Moon and the Loser).

I rate this album one of the best I've heard in a long while. She is like a J-Pop version of "Garbage". The songs range from punk rock to techno. Truly a must get CD even if you do not understand the lyrics. Her voice, and the quality of the music will win you over. Being an American living in Japan I am glad to hear that others around the world have been exposed to this great CD as well, also be sure to check out her next album on March 30 it comes out here in Japan.

I haven't listened to his particular CD, but I went to Japan and saw a clip of her music video ("Gibs") on Hey!Hey!Hey! Music Champ. I thought it was a pretty cool song, so when I got a chance to get to a CD store, I bought the single. When I popped it in to my CD player, I was in awe. The beginning starts off slow, which confused me because I thought it was "harder" than that, but as the song progresses... let's just say it's better than chocolate. That's right, I said it's better than CHOCOLATE.

Shi'na Ringo has become one of greatest music creators in Japan. I have never heard that high quality sound and sophisticated lyrics created by her. Some parts of lyrics are written in English. MM, Muzai Moratorium(Innocent Moratorium, in English) being called by fan in Japan, is her first CD album. Songs in the album were written at her age of 16-18. However, for songs created by such teenager, you are sure to be attracted by all aspects of her way of expressing her world. My recommendation is 3rd songs, Marunouchi Sadistic, which could be accepted by Americans, sounds like songs played at BLUENOTES. If you should have a chance to come to Japan, pls try to buy and listen.