[*This post is text heavy, and may not make much sense as you read. You have been warned.]
MUSIC AND THEIR RELEASE DATES
So what do I mean by release date? It's not a crazy term I invented myself, no. It just refers to the official release of a music or a list of music on a specific date, but that doesn't mean it cannot be heard by the world before then. Due to marketing reasons many companies like to release teasers, participate in credited productions (drama, Anime etc.) and even air their full (topic) song(s) on various mediums, from radio to music videos on TV. Therefore, release date is just a loose term to mark a checkpoint on an artist's music collection. Typically, Wednesdays are the release date for most music releases, from singles to albums to their digital versions (the first two refers to their physical copies) and physical releases (CDs) will have a day earlier before release for all pre-orders known as "Flag Day", which means you get the stuff a day before, with respect to digital release.
Because of all this complication, there is waiting. Waiting between hearing the song for the first time in any length, incomplete or not, until the "release date" is reached and the full song can be heard. But why would I complain about this even though it's technically letting me know about new songs earlier? We shall explore two main reasons below.
THE DELAY
Firstly, we are met with inevitable delay from the first time we hear a song to the next time we get the full release. To make things worse, we may not be able to obtain the releases for a review even though it's past the release date. Today, even with Apple Music, I still have to rely *wink* on the Internet community to provide me with a source of music for those releases I can't hear through streaming. So, these delays after the release date will affect our impressions of the songs, and it will inevitably add on to the next point I'll be talking about later. The way to battle this is to then let the anticipation die down, because if I do so then I'll just forget about the song, and when it comes out again will I achieve (I'll use economic terms here) its optimum experience of me listening to the music, if that makes sense to you. Examples can be easily found on those releases which I have access to their topic songs on YouTube via their music videos but I've never reviewed their disc release yet for whatever reason. Problem is that it might never happen, or happen years later after its release. I have reviewed singles or albums up to 3 or even 5 years after release (if I'm not wrong ORESKABAND was one of them) typically relative to its popularity on the Internet. Artists like "The Floor" only releases their new songs via record labels in disc form, and the reverse of this case can happen when I get to hear "vivid undress" new mini-album released via the same medium as the previous one mentioned, thanks to the online community. All in all, these timing stuff of waiting for a listening source whether it's streaming or not or just the impression in general will have an effect on my impression of those songs, considering time and relevancy of music has always been a factor in Klassic Note.
THE EXPECTED ANTICIPATION
Because of all this complication, there is waiting. Waiting between hearing the song for the first time in any length, incomplete or not, until the "release date" is reached and the full song can be heard. But why would I complain about this even though it's technically letting me know about new songs earlier? We shall explore two main reasons below.
THE DELAY
Firstly, we are met with inevitable delay from the first time we hear a song to the next time we get the full release. To make things worse, we may not be able to obtain the releases for a review even though it's past the release date. Today, even with Apple Music, I still have to rely *wink* on the Internet community to provide me with a source of music for those releases I can't hear through streaming. So, these delays after the release date will affect our impressions of the songs, and it will inevitably add on to the next point I'll be talking about later. The way to battle this is to then let the anticipation die down, because if I do so then I'll just forget about the song, and when it comes out again will I achieve (I'll use economic terms here) its optimum experience of me listening to the music, if that makes sense to you. Examples can be easily found on those releases which I have access to their topic songs on YouTube via their music videos but I've never reviewed their disc release yet for whatever reason. Problem is that it might never happen, or happen years later after its release. I have reviewed singles or albums up to 3 or even 5 years after release (if I'm not wrong ORESKABAND was one of them) typically relative to its popularity on the Internet. Artists like "The Floor" only releases their new songs via record labels in disc form, and the reverse of this case can happen when I get to hear "vivid undress" new mini-album released via the same medium as the previous one mentioned, thanks to the online community. All in all, these timing stuff of waiting for a listening source whether it's streaming or not or just the impression in general will have an effect on my impression of those songs, considering time and relevancy of music has always been a factor in Klassic Note.
THE EXPECTED ANTICIPATION
So, with delay comes anticipation. And if a song sounds too good at first impression, then waiting will become excruciating. Which brings me to my second point: I expect the song(s) to be good. This is so typically because the song is really good (not 5-star good) or just very attractive in first impression that I cannot forget. You know, we've heard those songs before. We get hooked over that early released teaser trailer or music video online and we get hyped for the next month until it actually comes out. This inevitably brings up expectations for the release, and can lead to greater disappointment if it doesn't meet our requirements. The best example is Anime here, because we only hear an EDITED 90-second version of that song and the songs will only release in full sometimes way after the episode featuring the song has been first aired (maybe months away) and if it's a good song at 90 seconds that'll make the wait feel like a suffering. That hype typically lasts enough for the release to appear on time, but most of the time it's not. (Which brings us back to the earlier part about delay) But if it does, it also has its problems. We tend to anticipate by thinking how an extrapolated 90-second tune will turn into something that is maybe 4 minutes? Yeah, that creative imagination is not healthy. Coupled with the fact that you can think of this day and night, it'll only get worse. I have evidence that not only on myself but to the countless online videos which refer to themselves as "FULL VER" but is actually an edited song of that edited theme song in the Anime which basically just runs through the verses and chorus of the song over and over again, and that gives the feel of a full song, even though it's not. Go try it out next time. Find an Anime theme song you know of that hasn't been released (right after episode 1) and try to find the full version of the song. You'll hit a lot of those "walls", as I mentioned. This in all is actually an effect of the rising expectation of the song that will appear in the near future, and expecting it to be good is nothing but natural, despite it being totally unhealthy for our impressions as this easily leads to disappointment if the song is just slightly different from our expectations. And in Anime, that is often the case.
HOW DOES THAT AFFECT ME?
Up until now I have not really mentioned how all these can affect me as a listener. Then let me tell you. It's not much. Why? As of today I'm constantly busy with life, and it's never the life I had back then when I started Klassic Note. I had all the time in the world at home, listening to new songs, trying to give more songs, and even extending the anticipation of new songs that came out and I have to wait ie. just listening to some of them to give then a chance. Still, today I am giving new songs, but without all that much time anymore. For me now I'm actually delaying giving the new songs as I go, hoping to be able to give more songs from those singles/albums by hoping I'll be in the mood. (Hey, if you have all weekend afternoons you'll always have the mood lol) To add on, the anticipation does not exist on most of the new songs today. Remember I mentioned long ago about giving new song ratings because many have plateaued to the 4-star region and it's increasingly harder for me to give 5-star songs? Yeah, because that is based on impression. Even the 5th anniversary release "THE IMPRESSIVIST" was based on that idea. And in my listening environment today, it's not going to happen. Hardly will I ever stroll in into a release that I've anticipated for a couple of weeks and give it right off the bat, and those I do are typically those which are on my shelf. In the past this happens ALL the time. Because there is time. Because there is enough time for me to listen patiently through all the releases. Because resources are still readily available today even with streaming services rolling all over the place. It's never going to be the same as before. I can never get back to the time I can have all the time in the world to listen to music. However, I'm still thankful for Apple Music and today's music mediums (including the online community) or otherwise I might just leave now. Take SPYAIR's latest single for example; I have not seen it on the Web yet, to be honest. But I was able to with Apple Music. I can't ask for more accurate timing than this.
CONCLUSION
You must have experienced this before: Waiting for a new song or release to arrive and thinking about how good it'll sound... we've all been there. Problem is in the essence of time as many of us aren't able to resist being super-brainwashed by previews or thinking about the new songs all the time. That is, in general, how they get us to buy their new songs. As I sit here listening to the digital pre-release of Roy's 1st single which doesn't even have a slated release date (Anime "Koi to Uso" ending theme; the Anime ended already) and KANA-BOON's new topic song for their album "NAMIDA" releasing soon, I ask myself whether I can have any more expectation for these songs I've taking a liking to at first listen. To say that I don't is a mistake, but listening to it a few more times before giving it to me now is quite literally brainwash. That is why compared to the first five year in Klassic Note I've not been doing that: listening to previews or music videos time and time again to see if I like them or if I can like them I'll patiently wait, maybe forget about it, think it fresh and then give it. That is now, my definition of giving a song. It's no first impression though, the previews will still stick in my head, but hey, that's how music works for us anyway. To resist the entertainment would be devastating to our own mind and soul.
-Kaineng, on the Klassic Note
HOW DOES THAT AFFECT ME?
Up until now I have not really mentioned how all these can affect me as a listener. Then let me tell you. It's not much. Why? As of today I'm constantly busy with life, and it's never the life I had back then when I started Klassic Note. I had all the time in the world at home, listening to new songs, trying to give more songs, and even extending the anticipation of new songs that came out and I have to wait ie. just listening to some of them to give then a chance. Still, today I am giving new songs, but without all that much time anymore. For me now I'm actually delaying giving the new songs as I go, hoping to be able to give more songs from those singles/albums by hoping I'll be in the mood. (Hey, if you have all weekend afternoons you'll always have the mood lol) To add on, the anticipation does not exist on most of the new songs today. Remember I mentioned long ago about giving new song ratings because many have plateaued to the 4-star region and it's increasingly harder for me to give 5-star songs? Yeah, because that is based on impression. Even the 5th anniversary release "THE IMPRESSIVIST" was based on that idea. And in my listening environment today, it's not going to happen. Hardly will I ever stroll in into a release that I've anticipated for a couple of weeks and give it right off the bat, and those I do are typically those which are on my shelf. In the past this happens ALL the time. Because there is time. Because there is enough time for me to listen patiently through all the releases. Because resources are still readily available today even with streaming services rolling all over the place. It's never going to be the same as before. I can never get back to the time I can have all the time in the world to listen to music. However, I'm still thankful for Apple Music and today's music mediums (including the online community) or otherwise I might just leave now. Take SPYAIR's latest single for example; I have not seen it on the Web yet, to be honest. But I was able to with Apple Music. I can't ask for more accurate timing than this.
CONCLUSION
You must have experienced this before: Waiting for a new song or release to arrive and thinking about how good it'll sound... we've all been there. Problem is in the essence of time as many of us aren't able to resist being super-brainwashed by previews or thinking about the new songs all the time. That is, in general, how they get us to buy their new songs. As I sit here listening to the digital pre-release of Roy's 1st single which doesn't even have a slated release date (Anime "Koi to Uso" ending theme; the Anime ended already) and KANA-BOON's new topic song for their album "NAMIDA" releasing soon, I ask myself whether I can have any more expectation for these songs I've taking a liking to at first listen. To say that I don't is a mistake, but listening to it a few more times before giving it to me now is quite literally brainwash. That is why compared to the first five year in Klassic Note I've not been doing that: listening to previews or music videos time and time again to see if I like them or if I can like them I'll patiently wait, maybe forget about it, think it fresh and then give it. That is now, my definition of giving a song. It's no first impression though, the previews will still stick in my head, but hey, that's how music works for us anyway. To resist the entertainment would be devastating to our own mind and soul.
-Kaineng, on the Klassic Note