#20240426 First Listen to… 

Sega Bodega’s Dennis

Today, Sega Bodega’s new album is out.
I’ve listened to Dennis, and I wanted to keep a record of my first thoughts. (See you at the end of the year little thoughts)
I’ve colored the background to reflect the mood of each song.

1/ Coma Dennis

A mysterious ascent, opening the doors to a seductive nightmare. I love the back and forth movement of the chords. It feels like a video game with big knife pendulums crossing the way, accompanied by numerous creatures or eyes watching the character, becoming more and more oppressive.

In my head, there’s an echo of Caroline Lufkin’s song “Pink Gloom” .

2/ Adulter8

Love at the first notes; I can feel the 8-bit pixels dancing all around me.
The evolution at 0:56 gives me goosebumps.
It feels like I’m on a roller coaster, with sparks of fireworks all around me.

3/ Elk Skin

I’m deeply in love with it; the deep bass sound dives my brain into a blue and dark mood, and it’s highlighting the contrast with the warm and light voice.
I feel like 2 forces/tensions, one going deeply down, the other trying to go up and me flying in the middle of this.
I’ve listened to this song so many times that I’ve started to become tired of the Greek fan’s voice message at the opening of the song. ;p

4/ Kepko

I love this epileptic song. Actually, over the last few years, I’ve fallen in love with this kind of music (some songs from Koji Nakamura’s “Textures” album make me feel the same way). It’s like my brain is being washed, with all of my cells being pushed up and down at a perfect pace 😀

5/ Dirt

Once again, this epileptic style transports my brain to another dimension.
I see waves, I see wavy tunnels, and I’m flying through them.
At the end of the song, I feel like we’re transitioning from epileptic electronic music to something more analog.

6/ Set Me Free I’m an Animal

My feeling is confirmed with this song.
The “Fight for it, fight for it, fight for it” sentence is deeply stuck in my head for months now.

7/ Deer Teeth

I associate this song with the beginning of the year. I’ve listened to it so many times; this piece embodies everything that I currently love in music: the “brainwashing” effect, the ethereal and gliding mood.
I still remember the photo that Sega Bodega shared on his Instagram about his inspiration for this song.
And thanks to this, I can’t help myself to see a baby covered with his mother’s long hair flying through time, space and love.

8/ True

Surprising structure and mood. I really love it but I have realized that when I can clearly hear/understand the lyrics, I’m less moved compared to an abstract chopped voice or instrumental.

9/ Tears & Sighs

First I feel we are running, I feel sun sparkles on water.
At 1:11 I love the stepped rhythm of the percussion; it feels like we are now walking.
The end of the song make me feel the end of a marathon.

10/ Humiliation Doesn’t Leave a Mark

I don’t know why, but this song makes me see landscapes from my life in Iceland almost 10 years ago.
The sun slowly setting, volcanic lava fields, snow fields… Something cold with warm highlights.
I’m deeply moved by the instruments at 1:00.
The metallic and cold mood of this piece is amazing.
At 1:50, Ohlala! I listened to Kiss Facility on loop last year, and hearing Mayah’s beautiful voice deeply moves me again.
It feels like meeting a friend in the middle of a cold and snowy field.

11/ Coma Salv

The first part is a bit like memories of a lullaby, then it glides into an ethereal effect, becoming more blurry and dark.
I feel like on Blender when I push the roughness slowly at the maximum on a refraction material:
Everything was clear first and is disappearing into neutral grey at the end.

It helps me digest the album and rest after this wonderful adventure. But I can’t help to feel a bit unsafe with this ending.

Conclusion

Wow, what a chance to meet Denis after Salvador and Romeo.
Sega Bodega’s music plays with my brain and mind; his music makes me see and feel colors, special effects, and elements like I rarely have experienced.
Like Shiina Ringo / Tokyo Jihen albums I like the fact there is a symmetry on the song order.
1 Coma Dennis
11 Coma Salv
6 “Set me free I’m an animal”  as the fold of this symmetry.

I’ve come to understand that I’m more moved by abstract chopped voices and epileptic instrumentals than understandable lyrics or the normal structure of songs.
I guess I have already found the highlight of my 2024 Spotify Wrapped!

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