This is the most difficult choice I've ever had to make for "favorite track" on Bandcamp. Not only is every song on here fantastic, committing fully to the Romeo-and-Juliet-on-Mars concept with all the sentimentality and passion that that entails, but every single song plays a crucial role in the album's beautiful, harrowing, and tragic tale of romance. In the end, I picked "Beaches of Mars" for how it celebrates the courage to love and explore despite challenges both cosmic and human.

A vivid, exciting tale about the most fantastical journey through a wondrous, sprawling land. There's the grandeur of open fields, the warm reassurance of traveling companions at your side, and the wondrous sense of mystery that greets every new discovery. "Alpenglow" is a breathtaking amalgamation of all of these aspects, starting small and intimate as if wandering through a dream before a breezy flute melody whisks you away to where the song builds up to a triumphant call to adventure.

A beautiful garden of words and sounds. No matter which flower you pick, sea-no's dulcet voice and mamomo's captivating compositions are always present. In "Vanity", starry percussion alongside soaring strings and vocals illustrates a beauty that starts from one tiny petal and grows to encompass the entire universe.

mamomo has perfectly expressed the idea of wandering out into the woods behind an old relative's home and uncovering a whole new fantastical world. "In the Garden of God" ("
神の庭で") adds an interesting and deeply emotional wrinkle to this story with a nostalgic piano melody that feels like returning to a place your soul has always yearned for.

I love how the songs go back and forth between whimsical antics and soothing lo-fi soundscapes. Going through the album feels like spending the day with a witch who really wants to help you when no one else will. "i hope you don't mind if i come here to cry" is very touching to me for this reason; it promises that this new friend will always have their door open for you.

Listening to this album's rich, beautiful melodies and spirited performances feels like seeing a fantastical other-world emerge from the Earth itself. The emotions running through "A Mermaid at Fearn" are so complex and genuine it could convince anyone that mermaids are really out there.

Love that this album is gonna start off with a song that's so bravely optimistic! The synth oboe solo sounds wondrously uplifting, much like the sunrise itself, and the way all the layers cascade into one big soaring crescendo at the end really conveys the strength of Leo's hopes and dreams. This will definitely be my wake-up song from now on :)

Setting a story of star-crossed lovers against the infectious and spirit-lifting groove of classic City Pop is a fantastic way of expressing how much these lovers enjoy each other's company. Ending the song with the vocalists calling out "Spin around in my arms" to each other is such a sweet way to cap off that idea. It also reminds me of how this extremely catchy song has been spinning around in my head all day :P

The vastness of the cosmos feels immense in this song, and yet it's incredible how the singer's yearning fills that vastness and feels even grander. It perfectly captures how yearning for a lost love can make it feel like they're everywhere -- in the stars you see, in the air you breathe -- except for right at your side. I love the slow buildup to the soothing climax where the vocals become lyric-less, allowing pure emotion to shine through. Can't wait for the rest of the album!

This is by far my favourite version of the song! Hideotronic's starry synth soundscape and sentimental vocals really bring out the emotion in the lyrics. Whenever I listen to this song, I imagine a lone astronaut wandering through space and reflecting on his life after being banished from his home planet.

With just 8 tracks, Lost Aria constructs a vivid world brimming with immense scale and adventurous spirit that puts most JRPGs to shame. There's a shimmering gleam of magic to every song, from the bright melodies to the twinkling textural flourishes, and it makes for an image of a huge enchanted world in "Spiraling Gales". "Sylvan Blessing" has everything you'd want in a huge fantasy adventure: moments of calm, moments of awe, and endearing companionship along the way.

I love "dream adventure' concept albums like this, and this one stands out for its sense of homecoming. The minimalist but lively and purposeful energy of "Vagabond" starts us off as a wayward traveller, and then the rest of the songs progressively become warmer even as the mystique of the forest grows stronger. Then when we finally return home in "Evening glow", we gaze out upon the wondrous vistas we had just experienced. There's an affectionate love for both the familiar and the unknown here.

Amidst the infectious hooks and bouncy rhythms, there's a warmth and intimacy that emerges from the depths and grows with each passing song. It feels like meeting someone at a club, having fun together, and slowly sinking into each other as they move from a partner to dance with to a partner offering their shoulder to lean on. "Don't wanna dance with nobody... because... I feel for you" sums it all up at the peak of "Matters of the Heart".

Love how this expresses mankind's journey through civilization and to the stars beyond. The voice sample toward the end drives this home wonderfully :) The music video for this on Youtube is also a perfect accompaniment!

A mesmerizing, touching musical journey of a family travelling the depths of the ocean. The lush instrumentation immerses us in the beauty of the deep-sea abyss, from the evolving soundscape of "海淵紀行" to strings so warm they could soothe the coldest waters in "春をただよう". sea-no's gentle, sincere voice blankets everything like a mother's embrace.

A perfect musical rendering of John Keats' poem with its vivid, sincere, and painful soul searching of why we choose to live. I love how the songs never veer into extremity or pomp; instead, we're left to dwell on the emotions simmering beneath the surface. "This Passing Night" is a powerful climax because it surfaces and unifies these emotions into a pledge of hope. Reaching the end of "A Waking Dream" feels like putting your spirit back together.

A mamomo album that's more action-packed than all the rest! And yet, every song still carries that signature tenderness toward emotion. This time, it comes through as a beautifully melancholy yearning. The lonely piano solo in "shrine" makes my heart ache for a time and place long gone, and sea-no's otherworldly vocals in "dusk" make the settling darkness of sunset feel like a road to a better tomorrow. The pulsations of life echo far and wide through the past and the future~

Lady Morte guides us through the dreams of the dead, of the unconscious minds, of the unheard voices -- with the vast percussive texture and lush string sections to make those dreams feel like reality. It's a journey your inner soul can't miss.

A spine-tingling blend of nostalgia and futurism! The sheer range of styles and vocals on this album is seriously impressive. I really enjoyed how the Synth Pop-ification brought out whole new sides to classic songs: "Seasons" sounds so much more dramatic as a slower and darker electronica song, "The Middle" becomes an interesting tale of self-denial when given saccharine bubblegum synths, and "I'm With You" is FANTASTIC as a wistful male-female duet. So familiar, yet so electrifyingly fresh!

A rich, creamy instrumental texture and caramel-sweet vocals make for the perfect audio blend to drink again and again <3