Aftershok, the poor college student from Georgia, has joined the brawl! Er… blog!

Aw, yeah, you better recognize a Photoshop expert when you see one. Smudge tool ftw.

Hello, all! The name’s Aftershok, and Zzeroparticle has been kind enough to let me join the staff here on Anime Instrumentality so I can Geass your minds with my opinions on anime, soundtracks, and music in general. I hope you guys will enjoy my contributions to the site, and I hope I can continue the standard of excellence the prolific Mr. Zzero has kept up since the site’s founding. I would like to ask for forgiveness ahead of time, because I will be doing a lot of this:

Hattori likes to blah.
Blah blah blah blah blah.

…droning on and on about my opinions like they’re the only ones in the world; I can only ask that you guys put up with me 😉 .

I’ve been watching anime for quite some time now, and can say I’ve seen a lot of shows. My tastes in anime are heavily eclectic; I can’t say I have an affinity for any one genre but, like anybody, I appreciate quality, entertainment value, and attention to detail (or shows that are so spectacularly bad, they are good in their own way).

Music has always been a passion for me, and, having played saxophone for more than half my life, I can say I’ve amassed quite a bit of knowledge on the inner workings of melody, harmonic progression, and music theory that go hand-in-hand with an education in jazz and improvisation. Although jazz is a favorite of mine, I enjoy at least some aspects of all genres, especially alternative rock and classical. I’m the sort of huge music nerd that cannot be satisfied with a song I really like until I’ve analyzed it harmonically and memorized the chords and melody on piano (thankfully, not too many songs tickle my fancy to that extent). As you might expect, this may result in me being somewhat technical in my viewpoints and whatnot, but I’ll try to tone it down and not be the huge geek that I am 🙂 .

No matter what medium it is, though, I think critically of all my media intake and try to go past the obvious and elementary. Hopefully, I can come up with viewpoints and criticisms that are worth your time. I’ll try my best to respond to everyone that is kind enough to leave comments and hope that we can all be friends and get along.

Thanks for your time, and wish me luck!

– ‘Shok

Aftershok

A huge jazz nerd and unabashed fan of alternative rock, I joined Anime Instrumentality in December 2010. I tend to get very passionate when it comes to music and try my best to understand how it works. An enormous fan of The Pillows, among my favorite anime composers include Ko Otani and Yoko Kanno. My tastes in anime vary wildly, but I try to be as thoughtful about my viewing as I am about my listening. I play the saxophone.

20 thoughts on “Aftershok, the poor college student from Georgia, has joined the brawl! Er… blog!

  • December 31, 2010 at 1:58 am
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    Good luck! I look forward to reading your posts. 🙂

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  • December 31, 2010 at 2:22 am
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    *Stares* Fresh meat… Err I mean, don’t worry about us! We’ll only be watching your every move~

    Can’t wait to see your take on some things!~

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  • December 31, 2010 at 6:32 am
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    Cool, it’s great to see new people here :3
    Hope to see your next posts (and there better be some jazz!)

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  • December 31, 2010 at 12:15 pm
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    @Zeroblade
    Haha, just you wait. Maybe I’ll pressure him into writing something on Oh Edo Rocket.

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  • December 31, 2010 at 3:20 pm
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    @Reltair
    Thank you! I’m glad at least one person is haha!

    @Mystlord
    Fresh meat turns rancid rather quickly 🙂 and I aim to please!

    @Zeroblade
    You won’t be disappointed! A rather famous jazz-based OST is in the pipeline.

    @Baka-Raptor
    Ah, the notorious Mr. Baka-Raptor, clever as usual. Never even thought of that, though I realize it’s very convenient, isn’t it? 😉

    @Zzero
    Yes, your highness!

    Reply
  • December 31, 2010 at 7:05 pm
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    Hmmm, it’s right before the new year. This must be a present. Anyway, have fun writing music reviews!

    (Oh yes, even though I have contributed reviews, I only a guest reviewer. I spend most of the time writing stuff for my blog.)

    Reply
  • December 31, 2010 at 8:32 pm
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    @Numbers and Space
    Not really, because, in return, he took half of my remaining lifespan, and I don’t even get to see peoples’ names.

    @chikorita157
    I appreciate your contributions to the site, chikorita! I will check out your blog. Don’t evolve into Bayleef, though, because Bayleef is ugly.

    Reply
  • December 31, 2010 at 8:53 pm
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    @Aftershok
    Of course… Also, I like Pochama’s (Piplup) unevolved form that I refuse to evolve it.

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  • January 1, 2011 at 6:18 pm
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    I like ’em already. Don’t tone down the technical stuff, If anything it would intrigue me and probably others. Always a fan of academics thrown in when talking about music. I’ll be looking forward o the posts!

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  • January 1, 2011 at 8:05 pm
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    Ooh it’s exciting to see new writers on a site I really enjoy! Looking forward to seeing your future posts. ^ ^

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  • January 1, 2011 at 8:30 pm
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    @chikorita
    You accidentally an entire word.
    @Rhythmroo
    Hey thar, Mr. Roo! Very cool (and incredibly daunting) to have someone who is seriously academically studying music asking me to be technical in my music reviews haha. On your request, I’ll try not to hold back ;). My first review wasn’t very technical, but my second, coming out on the 10th (or so), is much more so. Consider me a new fan of your blog :). I think well get along just fine.
    @Yi
    I look forward to seeing my future posts as well :D!! Haha thanks for the kind words.

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  • January 1, 2011 at 9:40 pm
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    Foo sounds so much more elegant than ‘ridur’.

    Harmonic analysis? I don’t think you’ll find anything more than a I-IV-V in any modern music nowadays (either that, or they’ll have dominant-modulated-Neapolitan chords to a Hypodorian bass) 😛

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  • January 1, 2011 at 10:03 pm
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    @Mr. Mushy
    Oh, you’d be surprised. Very surprised. If you honestly can’t find anything more sophisticated than I-IV-V, you’re looking in all sorts of wrong places. Also, I think you make a COLOSSALLY gross over-generalization when you say “modern music.” I’m personally very averse to the I-IV-V plague in popular music and eagerly seek bands and musicians that actually actively seek to innovate their harmony. You make the incorrect assumption that I’m some kind of amateur when it comes to these things, and if you wanted to impress the people here with your big words and knowledge on theory, consider it a resounding success. I’m not looking to show off, so I won’t play your little game.

    Also, I have no idea what your first sentence means, but if I may interject my own opinion, I much prefer “ridur.”

    Let’s not get off on the wrong foot, friend! Mutual respect is the best way to go about these things, so if you seriously want to talk harmony and theory, email me or tweet me up and we can go all night long, baby.

    I hope we can be friends! Honestly! I hope you’ll take a chance to read my future posts as well.

    Thanks,
    -Shok

    EDIT:
    PLEASE DISREGARD THIS ANGRY RESPONSE

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  • January 1, 2011 at 10:09 pm
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    Take no heed to my previous comment; it was all in good jest.

    Harmonic complexities aren’t the only way to go – simplicity serves just as well.

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  • January 1, 2011 at 10:26 pm
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    Mushy, you must excuse me, for I am a jazz head, where chords fly by at 2 every second (except in modal jazz, that freak of nature).

    And you’re right about that, I guess. As long as it isn’t I-IV-V :/

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  • January 3, 2011 at 7:55 am
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    Weren’t you at NHRV the other day?

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  • January 3, 2011 at 3:16 pm
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    Uh, I posted here and there on your forums for a little while, yes. Actually, that’s where Zzero first scouted me out. I’ll be more active there as things settle down for me here, considering out two sites’ partnership and all.

    Hope to get along!

    Reply
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