Review Summary: ORAP
ORAP
ORAP
▣世界から解放され▣ (Freed From The World) is the worst thing ever. A cult classic vaporwave release by Internet Club, going under the alias '░▒▓新しいデラックスライフ▓▒ ' (New Life Deluxe), Freed From The World is perhaps possibly the first ever post-ironic vaporwave record. Already a genre oozing on several layers of sarcasm and irony, Vaporwave will forever be an incredibly polarising subject. Either you love it and "get it" or you think it's cryptic nigh unlistenable bull***. Freed From The World is satire, at least I think, of the vaporwave genre as a whole. That idea of "deep meaning" and "satire of commercialism". I don't know.
There's no music. There's no beat. There's nothing but hellish noise. Freed From The World is unique given how the entire record is more of a sound collage using snippets of audio from old Japanese commercials. For 19 solid minutes, this album will test your patience. Each track consists mainly of say a 2 second sample from a commercial, slowed down, sped up, layered with other sounds, to create something truly horrifying and wretched. Amidst the screeching of cheery announcements or out of place screeching, sometimes a beat, some structure breaks through the noise. Track 3 '*✰*PRIMETIME今日のプ*グラミングL ATENIGHT*✰*' starts with a semblance of a drum beat, which skips and flickers before going headfirst into the jaws of hell. There's an ear shattering implosion of noise and screeching as the shambling beat falls apart underneath the chaos. Track 5 '❤❤❤❤❤渋谷のハート❤❤❤❤ ❤' actually manages to form what some might call music, with a moody industrial drum beat droning through the background. The rest of the tracks however offer none of that. The opener '☼サンライズTODAY☀' is a vomit inducing mess. From the very start, the sole vocal on this track kicks in immediately and never ceases for a horrifying 50 seconds, as the shouting layers on top of each other with increasing speed.
"ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP"
A man yells over and over and over. It's sickening. The title track, a 4 minute haunting single note piano led track with a repeated choke of "dora" mumbled over the monotony. And when the nightmare nears its conclusion, the final track '◐それではまた明日！◑' kicks in and it starts again.
"ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP" before finally with one last yelp, the record suddenly ends. It's a harrowing, nauseous album. I will never listen to it again. It's a record you play only for sick curiosity and never ever again. It's hellish, disgusting and flat out not fun.
Yet...
it's so intriguing. Now don't get me wrong, this record was clearly made to *** with people. To see how far they could push someone. To mock those who find "art" in anything. There's no meaning here. It's nothing but pure distilled anarchy in sound form. Every second seems to bring another change to the audio. Either a sudden change in sample, a piece slowing down or speeding up or a track ending entirely without warning. There's zero structure or melody and through this, it keeps you waiting for the next part. It's a record of sick curiosity, so you'll only listen to see how more deranged and out Of control the album can get. It makes you unsure and tense. Even the cover for the LP, a screen cap of Amuro Ray from Mobile Suit Gundam, a look of uncertainty and edge etched on his face, matches the tone of the record perfectly. Perhaps deep down, this is the perfect vaporwave album. 19 minutes of spiralling irony. I don't get it. I never will. And I don't think I'm supposed to either. Really, the music of tomorrow, today. It might just be the greatest album of all time. So, 10/10 then.
Standout tracks:
☼サンライズTODAY☀
*✰*PRIMETIME今日のプ*グラミングLA TENIGHT*✰*
❤❤❤❤❤渋谷のハート❤❤❤❤❤
プ*ミセス「▣世界から解放され▣
Standout lyrics:
'ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP ORAP' - ☼サンライズTODAY☀
'dora' - プ*ミセス「▣世界から解放され▣
