Cassette

Cassettes cassettes cassettes!

Okay don't call me crazy but I just bought all these albums on cassettes! Hahaha. Well somehow somewhat, I actually came across an ad for the Enya album on cassette from Tokopedia (it was on Facebook) and I was like wow! Someone is actually selling cassettes still :O And the price is rather affordable (but not cheap). So I decided to get them just for keep-sake haha. Also it's cool to have these again! I actually owned them on cassettes back 16 years ago ish. Crazy eh.

"Pain The Sky With Stars" was actually the first Enya album that I ever bought for myself. I bought it back in 2003 from HMV. I can still remember haha. I brought it back home for my parents to listen and they love it! But because back then our car only has a cassette player, I went to look for the album on cassette. And I found it in Disctarra. I bought the cassette too for my parents.

I have listened to Enya albums for a long time. I remember listening to the CDs on my sister's discman haha. Back then my sister already bought an MP3 player. So she passed the discman to me. I've been listening CDs on discman till 2005. Until my sister bought an iPod and she passed her MP3 player to me :P So yeah this is why these albums hold a wonderful sentimental value to me.

Well I bought these cassettes mostly for the keep-sake purpose. Like I think it'll be really cool to still own a cassette of the album now. And imagine in the future! I might be one of the few last owners of the album on cassette mwahaha. I just love collecting physical formats of music.

And talking about music, I need to start finalising my great music of 2019 soon!

Diamonds On The Water

 Dark Sky Island

Alright as promised, this is my review of Enya's latest album, Dark Sky Island! Okay this is not a review, just how I feel about the album. Let me begin by telling you about how I discovered Enya!

So as some of you might now, the first time I discovered Enya was through Pei Tong's Angklung and Kulintang ensemble. I remember the first song I know from her was "Only If" (It was the first song I played with the ensemble). I didn't know who Enya is, I never heard of the song before. So back then I can't even do an internet search heh. I asked my sister to search for Enya's music. I can still remember downloading it from Kazaa, which was the 90s music downloader heh.

And then I went to HMV with my sister and we bought her album. The first album I bought was "Paint The Sky With Stars", which I'm thankful of buying first because it introduced me to a lot of her great music. There was Orinoco Flow, Caribbean Blue, Only If, Watermark and so on. That album really made me fall in love with her music. And across the years, I saved some money to buy her discography. Which I sadly lost in the middle of 2003 - 2005 either back at home or in Singapore.

From then on, Enya has become one of my favourite singers and artists. And my favourite new age artist ever. I followed her discography since then. From Amarantine in 2005, then And Winter Came in 2008. And then... She went for a hiatus with no news of any new album. Until in October when I saw her changed her Facebook's cover photo and I was just so happy! Pre-ordered the album, and waited for an extra 2 weeks after its release to receive it here and give a full listen. It's an amazing album.

Across seven years, I am glad that I'm still "listening to Enya" in this album. Dark Sky Island still has a lot of Enya's characters and trademarks. Although yes, this is her first album that she released in the age of social media. Where people can criticise her freely and happily through Facebook, YouTube and so on. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I love Dark Sky Island! Every track from it.

I think Enya mentioned somewhere that the album has the feeling of returning home after a long time, or something like that. And yes I definitely feel this! I am glad that the album is released in November because I feel it's such a special and wonderful album to listen to in the year end. Just like her song from her last album, Last Time By Moonlight. I've been listening to her songs from this album ever since it arrived. There really is a special feeling listening to them. At this time of the year.

My favourite tracks from the album are Diamonds On The Water, The Humming, Echoes In Rain, The Loxian Gate and Pale Grass Blue. The album itself is a beautiful album. The instrumentation, the layering of voices and the lyrics really blend in very well. And I feel that Enya music are timeless. Like you can listen to her songs 50 years later and still sound amazing. Because she has been pretty consistent with her music all these years. Not something many people do nowadays.

I mean a bit of experimentation is never wrong. But neither is being consistent eh.

Alright I guess that's all from me now. I recommend you getting a copy of Dark Sky Island. It's a wonderful album to listen to at the year end! See you soon, with Adele's review next :D

25 Dark Sky Islands

25 and Dark Sky Island

Mind the title, I was just thinking of a nice title for this post where I'll be talking about Adele's and Enya's new album haha. Okay not in depth but... I REALLY LOVE THE ALBUMS 

So anyway, I pre-ordered both albums like I mentioned in my previous post. This is the first time Amazon is on-point with delivery time haha. Well the expected delivery date is 3rd December but they both arrived on the 4th. No worries! At least they both arrived safely here. I'm still waiting for a few albums to arrive though. Like Coldplay's AHFOD, Grimes' Art Angels and Szymon's Tigersapp vinyl!

On Friday night I gave both albums a listen. And I just fell in love deeply with them. I think Enya's new album is definitely worth the 7 years of wait. I am glad that I am still "listening to Enya". Her character is still there, in every song of the album. Enya is the first artist that I became a fanboy of. I have been listening to her since I'm ten and till today, her songs feel truly special to me whenever I listen to them.

As for Adele's 25, oh my goodness. Almost all of her songs just stroke a string in my heart. I remember when Adele announced the release of her album back in October I think, she posted on Facebook "25 is about getting to know who I've become without realising". And I knew that this album is going to become something that I can definitely relate to! Well, it is.

I remember when I first listened to "Million Years Ago" on my discman, after the song, I just paused my discman and stare on the wall. I just felt like every word on the lyric speaks about the feelings and thoughts that I've been having for quite some time now. So... Thank you Adele haha.

I am going to write a more in depth review of both albums in another post! :)

I think 25 and Dark Sky Islands are one of 2015's best albums. I can't really seem to connect with Adele's songs cause like I said, I have never been in a relationship haha. But this album is different. It's really about getting to know who you are, and to mend a broken heart too. I really love Adele. I love her voice, her character and personality. If there's one artist that I wish I can have a conversation with (actually I want to do this with all my favourite artists heh) is actually Adele! I think she's so fun to have a conversation with. And there are so many questions that I want to ask her :P

Alright that's all for me now. More in-depth review of both albums coming soon!