After the critically acclaimed, eclectic throwback track, ‘Tomoko and the Star Dust’, New Jersey composer and pianist Etop, is back to release his latest endeavor, the track, “Manami In Twilight”, from the album of the same name, which again features the sublime vocals of lead singer Juri ify Love.
In this day and age of cookie-cutter pop and electronic musicians, it’s so refreshing to always be able to escape into the music of Etop. He has amazing range and talent, and yet, unlike so many others, he has his own style.
If you like a lot of different kinds of music with the prerequisite that it has soul to it, you will love this track. The rhythmic and harmonic qualities of this song is solid in its own right, but when you add the emotional and philosophical end to it, well, it just goes over the top.
The song is bathed in a lusciously layered soundscape with strings and horns blending to give things an epic feel. However its Juri ify Love’s gently persuasive voice which keeps the song intimately whimsical and graceful. Another strong feature of the track is supplied by the soulful and bluesy electric guitar.
Of course that the song is sung in Japanese, adds yet another fascinating dimension to the sonic pleasure that Etop has delivered here. The genius in Etop’s music is overwhelmingly seen in all aspects of this track. One of the things that make this artist great, is his ability to make each song totally different and new, and listening to an entire album of his works, easily brings this point home.
Moreover the musicality of “Manami In Twilight” is amazing. The lyrics are fantastic, the melody is beautiful, the instrumentation is top-notch, and to be truly honest, I’ve become obsessed with Juri ify Love and the Japanese singing by now.
There is a gentleness, a maturing, a settling and most importantly, a caring, in the songs that Etop composes, as if he is concerned with the positivity and the universal things in life. When you think about what’s happening in his music on various levels, it’s not only amazing but awesome and inspiring.
very nice