Echoing Audiofiles

Album Cover

世界大戦OLYMPICS

death's dynamic shroud

Released on April 20, 2014

Alternative Title: WORLD WAR OLYMPICS

Duration: 59:08

Tech Honors: “here is an ‘artistic defense’ of World War Olympics I wrote back in 2014. I mainly made it so that I could explain what I was making to my sister, who wasn't familiar with vaporwave. Please do NOT share this document outside of the discord [link to OLYMPICS_analysis.rtf]”
bee fant: “I love this. Do you still write these up?”
Tech Honors: “I don't lol - it's a little embarrassing for me to read now. A bit too self-indulgent, and also like...naïve too - like video games were never ‘about’ the art form as much as they were a financial industry. Basically I was just pining for days when I thought games were better lol. but whatever”
[...]
“Tech Honors: also there's a crucial element to the album missing from that analysis - I used music specifically from the Nintendo Wii alllllll throughout that album because, to me, the Wii perfectly embodied what was great about Japanese video game design as ‘art,’ as well as the turning point where Japanese devs began catering to western audiences more than ever, as the ‘casual gamer’ became more prevalent throughout america”
- 12/20/2020

bloop: “With a lot of Beach Boys samples scattered around through the early period of your dds output, I notice a lot coming from Still Crusin'. I know a lot of people have some strong opinions on like any BB release past the 80s, so I wondered, why that album?
“Did you just happen to have a Still Crusin' CD laying around and decided that some of those songs sound great for what you're going for? Or was it more like you have a really strong emotional connection with that release and felt that it deserved some love?”
Tech Honors: “my dad's favorite band is the beach boys, so i always heard their music growing up. he had that Still Cruisin album/compilation(?) CD and my sister and i would listen to it a lot when we were kids, so i definitely have an emotional attachment to some of those songs (particularly ‘Somewhere Near Japan’). the funny thing about that album is that it's, ya know, kinda trash in a way, but also like...some of those songs are genuinely excellently written. Like ‘Kokomo’ is florida-boomer as hell but that song's composition is incredible.
“additionally I think I sampled that album a lot because it's immaculately produced, which always helps keep the song from sounding too muddy once you add effects that make it kinda muddy. and then also there's a sort of ‘lost era’/’disposable 80s’ vibe to that CD, which I always felt vaporwave was kinda all about. so yeah, a bunch of reasons i guess haha”
- 12/28/2021

Discussion of the album title and its possible meanings.

General description of album, including any relevant information/quotes from the composer about the album as a whole. This description will be shown in part on the "Recent Submissions" and "Featured Album" sections.

DaBootyWizard: “Has there ever been anything ‘hidden’ in a dds album cover? Something people haven’t found yet?”
Tech Honors: “@Da Booty Wizard Maybe people have already found all this idk but - the spoken japanese kyōka poem in the middle of the song "The Black Ships" from World War Olympics is written in kanji very faintly on the left side of the original artwork for the album (not the Orange Milk version). Also on that album cover, the text in the header of the video that has the gymnast says "Please restore the crystal to grace.mp4," which is a phrase many townfolks say in the original Final Fantasy game (minus the .mp4 part lol). Also, the main part of that album cover is E. Honda's stage set in Street Fighter II, and you can see E. Honda's hand sticking out from behind the gymnast video."
[...]
vaselife: “also the QR code !! it directs you to a final fantasy forum iirc”
[...]
Tech Honors: “@vaselife yeah the one in the upper left leads to an FAQ about the differences in translations between the japanese and english versions of the SNES game Final Fantasy IV. and the one that's partially obscured (and therefore unreadable), if you could read it, would lead you to a page with an image of a 19th century japanese painting of a black, american steam-powered ship”
- 11/20/2020

Neut: “@Tech Honors what does this say... is it ur addition or is it in the game?" Closeup of the kanji poem on the album cover Tech Honors: “it's a Kyoka poem which is also a pun - it says:

“Taihei no
Nemuri o samasu
Jōkisen
Tatta shihai de
Yoru mo nemurezu

“Which translates to two things:

“Awoken from sleep
of a peaceful quiet world
by Jokisen tea;
with only four cups of it
one can’t sleep even at night.

“and also

“The steam-powered ships
break the halcyon slumber
of the Pacific;
a mere four boats are enough
to make us lose sleep at night.

“‘Jokisen’ is a brand of tea in Japan. The poem is humorous in that it is punning on drinking Jokisen tea while also talking about Kurofune, which is what the Japanese called ‘the black ships’ that arrived from the United States back in the 1800s which effectively forced Japan to open its borders and allow trade internationally. To me, that marks the origin point of when the ‘westernization’ of Japanese culture began, which is what the album OLYMPICS is about
“Also, just as a fun fact, i had the "Kyoko" Apple voice read the "Kyoka" poem :)”
- 04/30/2022

Tracklist

  1. P A C I F I C ☯ V I S I O N S™ パート1：到着

    Alternative Title: PACIFIC VISIONS PART 1: ARRIVAL
    Duration: 01:03
    Known Instruments/Samples
    Sound

    Description of how the instruments/samples are used or altered, and what the song as a whole is made to sound like.

    Story/Significance to album

    If the album conveys a story, then interpretation of what takes place in this song. Otherwise, description of why this song is important to the album.

    Inspiration/Quotes From Composer

    Include anything that the composer themselves has said about this specific song, or any other quotes that may be relevant to it.

  2. プライベートアイランド

    Alternative Title: PRIVATE ISLAND
    Duration: 05:31
    Known Instruments/Samples
    Sound

    Description of how the instruments/samples are used or altered, and what the song as a whole is made to sound like.

    Story/Significance to album

    If the album conveys a story, then interpretation of what takes place in this song. Otherwise, description of why this song is important to the album.

    Inspiration/Quotes From Composer

    Whit: “@Tech Honors While we're on the topic of this track, is there any particular reason you cut to the second pre-chorus before the main chorus in Private Island?”
    Tech Honors: “i wanted that same melody to repeat once before going into the higher-register melody, but i just thought it would be cooler to have a different set of lyrics rather than just lazily loop the same ones. so after the 1st one ("rescue me...") i switched to the 2nd one ("thank you dear...")”
    - 05/13/2021

  3. ✰ HḀℳℳ☮☾Ƙ & ฿ƦΞΞƵΞ ✰

    Alternative Title: HAMMOCK & BREEZE
    Duration: 00:56
    Known Instruments/Samples
    Sound

    Description of how the instruments/samples are used or altered, and what the song as a whole is made to sound like.

    Story/Significance to album

    If the album conveys a story, then interpretation of what takes place in this song. Otherwise, description of why this song is important to the album.

    Inspiration/Quotes From Composer

    Include anything that the composer themselves has said about this specific song, or any other quotes that may be relevant to it.

  4. 蒸気動力：ENERGY ☑︎

    Alternative Title: STEAM POWER: ENERGY
    Duration: 06:13
    Known Instruments/Samples
    Sound

    Description of how the instruments/samples are used or altered, and what the song as a whole is made to sound like.

    Story/Significance to album

    If the album conveys a story, then interpretation of what takes place in this song. Otherwise, description of why this song is important to the album.

    Inspiration/Quotes From Composer

    Include anything that the composer themselves has said about this specific song, or any other quotes that may be relevant to it.

  5. ǤØLƉ // ℳΞƉAŁ // WİƝƝΞ℞

    Alternative Title: GOLD MEDAL WINNER
    Duration: 02:40
    Known Instruments/Samples
    Sound

    Description of how the instruments/samples are used or altered, and what the song as a whole is made to sound like.

    Story/Significance to album

    If the album conveys a story, then interpretation of what takes place in this song. Otherwise, description of why this song is important to the album.

    Inspiration/Quotes From Composer

    Include anything that the composer themselves has said about this specific song, or any other quotes that may be relevant to it.

  6. 疑い

    Alternative Title: DOUBT
    Duration: 03:01
    Known Instruments/Samples
    Sound

    Description of how the instruments/samples are used or altered, and what the song as a whole is made to sound like.

    Story/Significance to album

    If the album conveys a story, then interpretation of what takes place in this song. Otherwise, description of why this song is important to the album.

    Inspiration/Quotes From Composer

    vaselife: “@Tech Honors , whats the sample used in 疑い ? i think its also used in unity bomb
    “it has a very interesting emotion to it. but i havent been able to find the original song”
    Tech Honors: “it's this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKlboLq0_AQ
    “music for the Shrine of Light from the SNES game Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest
    “when I was a kid I would rent this game from the video rental store so that I could get to this point in the game and then just leave my TV running so I could listen to this song on repeat for hours”
    - 11/18/2021

  7. 若い遊び心LO♡E

    Alternative Title: PLAYFUL YOUNG LOVE
    Duration: 05:34
    Known Instruments/Samples
    Sound

    Description of how the instruments/samples are used or altered, and what the song as a whole is made to sound like.

    Story/Significance to album

    If the album conveys a story, then interpretation of what takes place in this song. Otherwise, description of why this song is important to the album.

    Inspiration/Quotes From Composer

    Include anything that the composer themselves has said about this specific song, or any other quotes that may be relevant to it.

  8. ゲーム

    Alternative Title: GAMES
    Duration: 04:43
    Known Instruments/Samples
    Sound

    Description of how the instruments/samples are used or altered, and what the song as a whole is made to sound like.

    Story/Significance to album

    If the album conveys a story, then interpretation of what takes place in this song. Otherwise, description of why this song is important to the album.

    Inspiration/Quotes From Composer

    Include anything that the composer themselves has said about this specific song, or any other quotes that may be relevant to it.

  9. ⚐⚑⚐A ƤŁAǤỮȄ ǾƑ ƑŁAǤṨ⚐⚑⚐

    Alternative Title: A PLAGUE OF FLAGS
    Duration: 01:21
    Known Instruments/Samples
    Sound

    Description of how the instruments/samples are used or altered, and what the song as a whole is made to sound like.

    Story/Significance to album

    If the album conveys a story, then interpretation of what takes place in this song. Otherwise, description of why this song is important to the album.

    Inspiration/Quotes From Composer

    Include anything that the composer themselves has said about this specific song, or any other quotes that may be relevant to it.

  10. P A C I F I C ☯ V I S I O N S™ パート2：窃盗

    Alternative Title: PACIFIC VISIONS PART 2: THEFT
    Duration: 00:15
    Known Instruments/Samples
    Sound

    Description of how the instruments/samples are used or altered, and what the song as a whole is made to sound like.

    Story/Significance to album

    If the album conveys a story, then interpretation of what takes place in this song. Otherwise, description of why this song is important to the album.

    Inspiration/Quotes From Composer

    Include anything that the composer themselves has said about this specific song, or any other quotes that may be relevant to it.

  11. ミケイラHΞR☮INΞ

    Alternative Title: MIKAYLA HEROINE
    Duration: 04:47
    Known Instruments/Samples
    Sound

    Description of how the instruments/samples are used or altered, and what the song as a whole is made to sound like.

    Story/Significance to album

    If the album conveys a story, then interpretation of what takes place in this song. Otherwise, description of why this song is important to the album.

    Inspiration/Quotes From Composer

    Include anything that the composer themselves has said about this specific song, or any other quotes that may be relevant to it.

  12. 我々は生き残るしましたか？

    Alternative Title: DID WE SURVIVE?
    Duration: 01:05
    Known Instruments/Samples
    Sound

    Description of how the instruments/samples are used or altered, and what the song as a whole is made to sound like.

    Story/Significance to album

    If the album conveys a story, then interpretation of what takes place in this song. Otherwise, description of why this song is important to the album.

    Inspiration/Quotes From Composer

    Include anything that the composer themselves has said about this specific song, or any other quotes that may be relevant to it.

  13. 負けSMILE

    Alternative Title: LOSING SMILE
    Duration: 02:56
    Known Instruments/Samples
    Sound

    Description of how the instruments/samples are used or altered, and what the song as a whole is made to sound like.

    Story/Significance to album

    If the album conveys a story, then interpretation of what takes place in this song. Otherwise, description of why this song is important to the album.

    Inspiration/Quotes From Composer

    Include anything that the composer themselves has said about this specific song, or any other quotes that may be relevant to it.

  14. ❖❖₦⋃WƦḼƉ❖❖ #雪崩

    Alternative Title: NUWRLD #AVALANCHE
    Duration: 01:45
    Known Instruments/Samples
    Sound

    Description of how the instruments/samples are used or altered, and what the song as a whole is made to sound like.

    Story/Significance to album

    If the album conveys a story, then interpretation of what takes place in this song. Otherwise, description of why this song is important to the album.

    Inspiration/Quotes From Composer

    Include anything that the composer themselves has said about this specific song, or any other quotes that may be relevant to it.

  15. ♜ THE ⚔ BLACK ⚔ SHIPS ♜

    Alternative Title: THE BLACK SHIPS
    Duration: 08:52
    Known Instruments/Samples
    Sound

    Description of how the instruments/samples are used or altered, and what the song as a whole is made to sound like.

    Story/Significance to album

    If the album conveys a story, then interpretation of what takes place in this song. Otherwise, description of why this song is important to the album.

    Inspiration/Quotes From Composer

    Include anything that the composer themselves has said about this specific song, or any other quotes that may be relevant to it.

  16. P A C I F I C ☯ V I S I O N S™ パート3：プレーンバニラ

    Alternative Title: PACIFIC VISIONS PART 3: PLAIN VANILLA
    Duration: 00:33
    Known Instruments/Samples
    Sound

    Description of how the instruments/samples are used or altered, and what the song as a whole is made to sound like.

    Story/Significance to album

    If the album conveys a story, then interpretation of what takes place in this song. Otherwise, description of why this song is important to the album.

    Inspiration/Quotes From Composer

    Include anything that the composer themselves has said about this specific song, or any other quotes that may be relevant to it.

  17. オリンピックの夢

    Alternative Title: OLYMPIC DREAMS
    Duration: 02:04
    Known Instruments/Samples
    Sound

    Description of how the instruments/samples are used or altered, and what the song as a whole is made to sound like.

    Story/Significance to album

    If the album conveys a story, then interpretation of what takes place in this song. Otherwise, description of why this song is important to the album.

    Inspiration/Quotes From Composer

    Include anything that the composer themselves has said about this specific song, or any other quotes that may be relevant to it.

  18. UNITY ℬ⚈ℳℬ

    Alternative Title: UNITY BOMB
    Duration: 05:42
    Known Instruments/Samples
    Sound

    Description of how the instruments/samples are used or altered, and what the song as a whole is made to sound like.

    Story/Significance to album

    If the album conveys a story, then interpretation of what takes place in this song. Otherwise, description of why this song is important to the album.

    Inspiration/Quotes From Composer

    bloop: “Speaking of Olympics, is UNITY BOMB supposed to be representative of all the places of the world coming together for the World War Olympics?
    “Or is it more deep than that because the ‘BOMB’ part always made me think that the song just is saying the closer we are together the more damage is caused, like hedgehogs dilemma”
    Tech Honors: “UNITY BOMB is more like a little jab at the imperialistic nature of the American idea of ‘unity.’ So emphasis on the bomb, if ya follow me”
    - 07/22/2021

Concluding Thoughts

Anything to wrap up the analysis after having detailed the individual songs

Additional Media

Recent Submissions

Recent Activity

Got a suggestion or fix?


Submit it here!