Album Review: fxうにゅ by もりげん – A Journey Through Contemporary Classical Vibes
Alright, let me just say this upfront—fxうにゅ is one of those albums that sneaks up on you. Released back in 2010 under the Windbreaker label, it’s not your typical classical record. Nope. This is contemporary stuff from Japan, and man, does it feel alive. Like, weirdly alive. It's like someone took all these emotions we try to hide and turned them into soundscapes.
Let me break it down for ya. There are some tracks here that I can’t stop thinking about, even after listening to the whole thing a bunch of times. Take "少女さとり ~ 3rd Eye" (which roughly translates to "Girl Satori ~ Third Eye"). Oh wow. The track starts off soft, almost hesitant, like it's tiptoeing around your brain. But then BAM—it hits you with this swelling energy, as if it's trying to wake something deep inside you. You know how sometimes music feels like it's speaking directly to parts of you that words can't reach? That’s what happens here. By the end, I swear my chest felt lighter, but also heavier at the same time. Weird combo, right?
And then there’s "業火マントル" ("Infernal Mantle"). Holy crap, this one hits different. Imagine standing near a volcano—you’re scared, yeah, but there’s also this strange pull towards the chaos. That’s exactly what this piece feels like. The composition builds slowly, layer upon layer, until it becomes this massive wall of sound that just consumes everything. Honestly, I had to pause it halfway through because it got too intense. Not “bad” intense, though. More like… life-is-overwhelming-but-in-a-good-way intense. Does that make sense?
Now, don’t get me wrong—the rest of the album has its moments too. Tracks like "芥川龍之介の河童 ~ Candid Friend" have this quirky charm that keeps things interesting. And who could ignore the title "ネイティブフェイスを弾けなかった。サビがわからない.." ("Couldn’t Play Native Face. Can’t Remember the Chorus..")? Just reading the name makes me laugh. It’s so raw and unpolished, like they didn’t care about making it perfect—they cared about making it real.
But here’s the thing about fxうにゅ: it doesn’t fit neatly into any box. Some might call it classical; others might toss it into experimental or avant-garde territory. To me, it’s more like an emotional puzzle. Every listen reveals something new, whether it’s a tiny detail in the instrumentation or a feeling you didn’t notice before.
So yeah, this album isn’t gonna be everyone’s cup of tea. If you’re looking for catchy hooks or easy-listening vibes, maybe skip it. But if you want something that challenges you, something that leaves you staring out the window wondering what just happened… well, give it a shot.
Oh, and one last random thought: Listening to this album feels kinda like eating wasabi for the first time. At first, you’re like, “What IS this?” But then you realize it’s good—not in a conventional way, but in a way that sticks with you long after it’s over.
