Most Replayed Album
Glass Candy
B/E/A/T/B/O/X (2007)
Glass Candy
B/E/A/T/B/O/X (2007)
Glass Candy is a synth-pop band from Portland, Oregon, that consists of vocalist Ida No, and instrumentalist Johnny Jewel. Their second studio album, B/E/A/T/B/O/X, is 41 minutes and combines many genres including synth-waves, groove, Italo Disco, house, and electronic dance music. The two artists have a long history and friendship that sparked from their shared interests in creating and writing electronic music. As they started releasing music in 2002, B/E/A/T/B/O/X is their most popular work with a refined sound that includes a decade of inspiration as they met in 1996. Today, Glass Candy is an underground band with only about 85k listeners on Spotify, yet they have been well known for making music for more than 20 years. Glass Candy uses their history to their advantage as they blend many synth-based instruments with the smooth, relaxing sound of Ida No’s vocals.Within B/E/A/T/B/O/X, there is a cover of one of the German electronic band Kraftwerk’s hit singles, “Computer Love,” which pays tribute to part of Glass Candy’s inspiration in the electronic influences within their songs. “Etheric Device” and “Beatific” are the second and third tracks in this album, and collectively, they provide an upbeat start before the bulk of the album which feature reflective, wavy tracks. Fortunately, as there are multiple genres and tempos in B/E/A/T/B/O/X, it is easy for any listener to feel energized and leave with a sense of calming, relief once they are finished listening to the entirety of the album. “Candy Castle” is my favorite track because with the combination of the instruments and Ida No’s voice and purposeful lyrics, it is motivational music that any listener can benefit from.
Not all music albums need to be listened to chronologically, but with Glass Candy’s music, every song has its intentional place and when listened to in this way, it is like following a map for a treasure hunt. The treasure is equivalent to gaining a newfound love for the fusion of so many music genres that are similar but need a band like Glass Candy to form these meant-to-be connections.
—Kayu Brooks, Music Editor
Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy
Various Artists
Okay, so I’m kind of cheating here. As of the writing of this piece, there are eight albums in this series. No, no, wait! Come back! They’re good, I promise! In its nearly 40-year history, the Japanese game series that taught countless millennials how to read Roman numerals, Final Fantasy, has churned out banger after banger with its soundtracks, the brunt of them composed by Japanese music legend Nobuo Uematsu. Unfortunately, due to the technological and artistic limitations of Final Fantasy’s earlier entries, high-quality recordings of these soundtracks can be hard to come by. On top of that, while the original chiptune arrangements of these tracks are delightful, they don’t make for the easiest listening.
Distant Worlds, a project spearheaded by Uematsu himself, provides listeners with orchestral arrangements of these classic songs that even non-Final Fantasy fans will enjoy—but maybe I’m biased. I am, for better or for worse, Final Fantasy-pilled. Since I discovered Distant Worlds, Uematsu’s lovingly rearranged works have become my go-to study music. What Distant Worlds allows me, as a Final Fantasy fan, is the opportunity to subject non-Final Fantasy fans to the music I listen to anyway without immediately outing myself as a huge nerd. How many of my unsuspecting Noodles and Company coworkers were subjected to my wiles? Will anyone ever put an end to the madness?
Incidentally, although his career took a different path, Uematsu originally set out to compose for films. Uematsu’s greatest strength, besides knowing how to write a catchy tune, is his ability to tell a story without words in a way that video game soundtracks often lack. “Not Alone,” for example, my favorite track by far, was my most-listened to song of 2023—and this is without having played the game from which it originates, Final Fantasy IX. “Not Alone” is a song that not only sounds like hope, but it makes me feel it. One of the recurring themes of the Final Fantasy series is the power of our bonds and the strength that even the least empowered of people have when they work as a team. You can practically see the scene as it unfolds: After all hope seems lost, the underdog protagonist dusts himself off and declares that it’s too early to give up. A flute joins the protagonist’s clarinet, brightening the melody. The sentiment spreads around the group.. Reassured but without any real solutions, the group falls into a contemplative silence. A French horn pipes up: an idea. The other instruments rejoin the conversation, softly at first, then louder as they get used to the idea, before they unite for the refrain. And then comes my favorite part of the song: the key change. Emboldened, the myriad of voices chime in with their own melodies, new ideas, more possibilities. These characters are not a monolith, and that’s what makes them strong. As the camera pans out, the world around our cast seems a little brighter. Dozens of listens later, “Not Alone” still makes me tear up.
Various Artists
Okay, so I’m kind of cheating here. As of the writing of this piece, there are eight albums in this series. No, no, wait! Come back! They’re good, I promise! In its nearly 40-year history, the Japanese game series that taught countless millennials how to read Roman numerals, Final Fantasy, has churned out banger after banger with its soundtracks, the brunt of them composed by Japanese music legend Nobuo Uematsu. Unfortunately, due to the technological and artistic limitations of Final Fantasy’s earlier entries, high-quality recordings of these soundtracks can be hard to come by. On top of that, while the original chiptune arrangements of these tracks are delightful, they don’t make for the easiest listening.Distant Worlds, a project spearheaded by Uematsu himself, provides listeners with orchestral arrangements of these classic songs that even non-Final Fantasy fans will enjoy—but maybe I’m biased. I am, for better or for worse, Final Fantasy-pilled. Since I discovered Distant Worlds, Uematsu’s lovingly rearranged works have become my go-to study music. What Distant Worlds allows me, as a Final Fantasy fan, is the opportunity to subject non-Final Fantasy fans to the music I listen to anyway without immediately outing myself as a huge nerd. How many of my unsuspecting Noodles and Company coworkers were subjected to my wiles? Will anyone ever put an end to the madness?
Incidentally, although his career took a different path, Uematsu originally set out to compose for films. Uematsu’s greatest strength, besides knowing how to write a catchy tune, is his ability to tell a story without words in a way that video game soundtracks often lack. “Not Alone,” for example, my favorite track by far, was my most-listened to song of 2023—and this is without having played the game from which it originates, Final Fantasy IX. “Not Alone” is a song that not only sounds like hope, but it makes me feel it. One of the recurring themes of the Final Fantasy series is the power of our bonds and the strength that even the least empowered of people have when they work as a team. You can practically see the scene as it unfolds: After all hope seems lost, the underdog protagonist dusts himself off and declares that it’s too early to give up. A flute joins the protagonist’s clarinet, brightening the melody. The sentiment spreads around the group.. Reassured but without any real solutions, the group falls into a contemplative silence. A French horn pipes up: an idea. The other instruments rejoin the conversation, softly at first, then louder as they get used to the idea, before they unite for the refrain. And then comes my favorite part of the song: the key change. Emboldened, the myriad of voices chime in with their own melodies, new ideas, more possibilities. These characters are not a monolith, and that’s what makes them strong. As the camera pans out, the world around our cast seems a little brighter. Dozens of listens later, “Not Alone” still makes me tear up.
Other favorite tracks include “Zanarkand” (FFX), a journey to a world full of possibility; “Cosmo Canyon” (FFVII), a march through through a landscape inspired by American westerns; “Phantom Forest” (FFVI), a tiptoeing venture into a haunted wood, and “Character Theme Medley” (FFVI), a medley of one of the best soundtracks in the series. Other series composers make appearances, as well: Masayoshi Soken’s “Heavensward” (FFXIV) inspires visions of knights charging into battle; Yoko Shimomura’s “Apocalypse Noctis” (FFXV) doesn’t make for the best study music, but it’s an absolute banger; Masashi Hamazu’s “Blinded by Light” (FFXIII) is one of the series’ catchiest battle themes.
All in all, whether you’re looking for something to study to, something to zone out to, or something to get you pumped, Distant Worlds has something to offer everyone.
—Kana Coonce