After prolonged deliberations, the panel of judges has at last selected the following VNs as the winners, listed in award stream reveal order below:
Seams and Senses
RIDE HOME
Ten Metre Tide
The Romance of the Moth and Flame
LONER_DOG://Snuff Puppy Carnage Society
Thank you for everyone who took part in the community. Every amazingly talented artist, writer, musician, developer and even the Posters. It is with our combined power that this wonderful jam came to be.
We are incredibly proud of everyone who set out to make a visual novel, regardless if you completed it or not. Because we look forward to see you make a visual novels in the future, too. See you there!
Handmade yuri visual novel out now on itch.io (free!)
1 island, 2 story cycles, 4 embroidery hoops, 5 aggregates, 10 provinces, 30 handmade collages, 50 states, 108 afflictions
10MT is me and @ppilotco's first visual novel, made in six weeks for the Toxic Yuri VN Jam.
It is a totally handmade mixed media story about the last year of human settlement on an island in the Bay of Fundy.
It is about stories, storytelling, intertextuality, memory, and the art of Alex Colville.
10MT is free to download and will take around 1.5 hours to read. It contains no explicit content, but the story deals with mature themes and should be read with discretion by adults only.
Download here - Ten Metre Tide by kazehai, Ppilotco on itch.io
We have also published some supplementary writing on the conception of the story and our process of making the game:
Technical Notes + Breakdown
A Ten Metre Bibliography
(Contains Spoilers) Colwyn in the Womb Realm: Buddhism and 10MT
Handmade yuri visual novel out now on itch.io (free!)
1 island, 2 story cycles, 4 embroidery hoops, 5 aggregates, 10 provinces, 30 handmade collages, 50 states, 108 afflictions
10MT is me and @ppilotco's first visual novel, made in six weeks for the Toxic Yuri VN Jam.
It is a totally handmade mixed media story about the last year of human settlement on an island in the Bay of Fundy.
It is about stories, storytelling, intertextuality, memory, and the art of Alex Colville.
10MT is free to download and will take around 1.5 hours to read. It contains no explicit content, but the story deals with mature themes and should be read with discretion by adults only.
Download here - Ten Metre Tide by kazehai, Ppilotco on itch.io
We have also published some supplementary writing on the conception of the story and our process of making the game:
Technical Notes + Breakdown
A Ten Metre Bibliography
(Contains Spoilers) Colwyn in the Womb Realm: Buddhism and 10MT
Vocaloid Songs You Might Have Missed - December 2023
Welcome back to my blog. Just like that, it's the last post for the year... never mind that it's already 2024. But for this longtime fan, 2023 was the best year in ages for Vocaloid music.
Something I mentioned in an earlier entry is that so much Vocaloid music over the past few years has felt like bait for singers to cover. (And to paste their avatars over in the videos... I'm far from the first person to notice this!) I don't mention this entirely to be a hater, but to contrast with the type and quality of release I've seen this year. Many of the 'vtuber bait' songs I poke fun at are truly great and destined to live on forever in Vocaloid history, but I've always felt a difference between songs that use vocal synths in the absence of a human singer and those that lean into the synthetic nature of the voices and the characters that represent them.
Over the past few years, a renewed interest in idiosyncratic voicebanks like Adachi Rei, Utane Uta (entirely synthetic), and the MAIDLOIDs (derived from a h-game moan synthesis engine) has coincided with technological advancement: the entry of SynthV, Neutrino, and CeVIO voicebanks have been fuel for an explosion in new music -- a genuine Vocaloid renaissance.
SynthV Teto has been particularly instrumental in all this since her release in April. In mere months, SV Teto has catapulted at least one producer into online superstardom, and an associated reevaluation of UTAU Teto has seen her behind some of the biggest songs this year. Nostalgia was part of the reason 2023 was the Year of Teto, but the SynthV voicebank, which totally maintained Teto's character while shaking off the computer-y crunchiness, is an achievement well worth the fanfare it received. With December's release of SynthV GUMI, are we in for a similar treat in 2024?
Anyways, last month's post is here, and this month's is under the break.
P.S. Speaking of nostalgia... did you know that Dixie Flatline is back?
Full playlist here, individual tracks below.
心酔 / あすわど feat. 重音テト
Standard voca-pop rock, but something about the stuttering drums and a finely tuned Teto is *chef's kiss* more than enough for me.
死んだっぽいぜ / クソ犬 feat. 知声
I'd never heard a Vocaloid producer take on this kind of rock, somewhat reminiscent of pre-Warner Devo and a dead ringer for ZAZEN BOYS at their best. I also never expected to hear a Maki cover of "Lithium," so this producer is my current king of breaking new ground.
アサルト / いおぎりょう feat. 知声
Ryo Iogi's Teto hyperpop from September is one of my favorite tracks of the year, and I've been anxious to hear something new from him. Like the last song on this list, Chis-A's voice lends itself well to a good grungy guitar riff.
かくほ / よかど feat. 足立レイ
Like Chis-A, Rei's voice pairs naturally with a certain kind of music... usually the skittery electronic dance-pop kind, so it's refreshing to hear a Coaltar of the Deepers-esque song featuring her.
エビチャーハン! (You’re Telling Me A SHRIMP Fried This Rice?!) / Jamie Paige feat. 初音ミク
Jamie Paige is behind just about every English Vocaloid song that I like (sorry Crusher-P, but I'm not an edgy teenager anymore), so I wasn't surprised to love her celebration of the Snow Miku 2024 "Shrimpku" design. And it's always funny to hear Miku say fuck.
ルナシー / 報瀬 feat. 初音ミク, 重音テト
There's something so satisfying about hearing a "traditional" vocasynth sing alongside one of the next-gen, realistic-sounding ones. I love getting hit back-to-back with a crunchy melismatic Miku call and Teto soaring smoothly in response, especially paired with an uptempo saxophone riff that makes me want to shout ᴶaᵃaˢₒⁿ ᴰₑʳᵤᵘᵤˡₒᵒₒᵒ.
ドキドキ / tiputica feat. AiSuu
I can't find anything about this artist. They have a Twitter account with one post about this song, zero followers or follows, and that's it. If anyone out there has more information on this artist, hit me up.
マジカルメモリー / in the blue shirt feat. 初音ミク
in the blue shirt isn't new to Vocaloid, but he's much more known among netlabel followers for his sunny, sample-driven plunderphonic pop. His Miku music follows that feeling.
今日のずんだはみなごろし / ちから feat. ずんだもん,東北ずん子, イタコ, きりたん, 四国めたん, ナクモ
I barely know where to start with this one. Like, uh, most people who don't listen to Pentatonix, I'm not particularly fond of a certain brand of a capella music, but when it's done this well, with such a satisfying complexity of harmony and counterpoint, and for Zundamon's birthday of all occasions, how can you not fall in love?
サンタの眠る夜 / ぐーすかぽー feat. 初音ミク
The holidays have just wrapped up, and while there's never any shortage of Vocaloid Christmas songs, ones that are actually enjoyable to listen to are few and far between... though I think there's a new market opening for New Years music!
Trajectory / ごーぶす feat. KAITO
Hey, it's KAITO's first appearance on here! A chill ballad with a beautiful rnb chord progression.
え？ちょっと待って寒すぎない？ / asanuko feat. 鏡音レン
Speaking of rnb, I think I've mentioned on here how much I love Rin for rnb/garage. asanuko's song is funny as hell, and I'm sure I'll be singing it under my breath as the winter chill continues to settle in, but mostly I'm impressed at how good Rin sounds for this kind of music.
夜空の再構成 / ヨハク feat. 初音ミク
This style of song/video has been getting popular recently... electric piano, rapid-fire bass, intricate drum programming, synth leads that twist and turn around the melody, and all of the chord/time information you could ever hope for. A little showboating for music nerds, but it's stimulating enough and I do like it.
ずんだ体育大学コール / さたぱんP feat. ずんだもん, 春日部つむぎ, WhiteCUL, 四国めたん, 白上虎太郎, 青山龍星
The Zundamon gods demand a sacrifice of joke songs, so here it is. See if you can count the references in the zunda dances.
＊･ﾟ+｡園にて.ﾟ / ukaihi feat. 初音ミク
ukaihi is 3 for 3 on making it onto this list. I'm sure #4 will make it on here, too... if they don't become popular enough for most people to come across their music first!
絵空事未来 / 真島ゆろ feat. 初音ミク
Where the ukaihi song seemed to float, this one skips. 真島ゆろ is one of those producers who can change styles from song to song, and this take on a sasakure.uk-gone-lighthearted style is a winner.
ナイトランナー / d0tc0mmie feat. 重音テト
Osaka mentioned... d0c0mmie did a great job capturing a feeling with this one. The laid back - but quick - drums bring back memories of running around Namba with friends way too late into the night.
ハイパー. / ikomai feat.Ciちゃんβ
My favorite submission from #PVSF2023R -- so obviously the video is great, but the original track from ikomai blew me away. I think my taste in music is easily read from my blog posts, and this kind of song is nothing out of the ordinary for me, but the Jacob Collier style turnaround at 0:58 knocked me out.
エグい速度での俯瞰 / もっちりしたパン feat.可不, ナースロボ＿タイプT
Nurse Robo Type T and Kafu doing what they do best -- talking and mirroring a superspeed jazz fusion piano riff.
NSFW Bonus - メスガキヨーデル / enunichime feat. 重音テト
First of all, I have never heard a vocasynth yodel before, and I was not expecting it to sounds this good. Second of all, you can't be making songs about this white baby.
Vocaloid Songs You Might Have Missed - November 2023
Hi, welcome to the third entry in my "Vocaloid Songs You Might Have Missed" series... What do you mean we're over halfway done with December?!
I want to highlight some of the best yet-to-be-discovered music being produced with Vocaloids and other vocal synths.
Last month's post is here, and this month's is under the break.
As usual, I've separated the songs into three rough categories, more for my own organization than anything else. All of these songs are worth your critical listen, but I've left notes under my favorites or on anything I found particularly interesting.
Full playlist here, individual tracks below.
Rock
Colorful / クシャミィ feat. 花隈千冬
ことなかれ / うしお feat. 音街ウナ
Sorry for lying! This actually came out in an album way back in March (purchase here), but it wasn't released as a single until November. Underneath the monster wave of Teto SV-mania, Una also received an update and there's been a nice bump in songs featuring her.
chroma / karon feat. 鏡音リン
Noodly guitar reminiscent of Ishifuro (who I desperately want back as a Vocaloid producer instead of whatever he's doing with Necry-Talkie...)
Pop
ニアーメロウ/ 稲井琴 feat. 重音テト
One of my favorite things about Teto SV is the natural breathiness of her middle-lower register, and I feel like this song showcases it exceptionally well.
らゔゅッッ!!! / 鯖頭 feat. 初音ミク
タチが悪いな立川 / 井上春 feat. 初音ミク
嘘と未来 / うわべ feat. 足立レイ
Sunday Fly / Keriko Kick, TSoudai feat. 可不
欲しくて夢に見る / LLSY feat. 夏色花梨
零 / 音無あふ feat. 足立レイ
Standard fare for a Rei tune, but this is some of the most intelligible tuning I've heard of her (at least in the UTAU world, some of the AI-assisted stuff is just uncanny).
侵略くにょにょん / サカダケイ feat. 重音テト
One of the standout tracks of this month's list. Topsy-turvy, short and sweet, and it has the Namigroove seal of approval!
涼しさ / Sebon feat. VY1
ミスコミ(ュニケーション) / inori feat. GUMI
...Trippie Redd type beat...
Vocaloid Songs You Might Have Missed - October 2023
Hi, welcome back to my blog. I’m a longtime fan of the Vocaloid scene. In recent years, numerous Vocaloid star producers have broken out and become household names in Japan, while others still find continuous viral success on YouTube and Nicovideo.
I want to highlight some of the best yet-to-be-discovered music being produced with Vocaloids and other vocal synths.
Last month's post is here, and this month's is under the break.
And remember... it may be Miku's world, but it's always Teto territory.
Like last month, I've separated the songs into three rough categories, more for my own organization than anything else. All of these songs are worth your critical listen, but I've left notes under my favorites or on anything I found particularly interesting.
Full playlist here, individual tracks below.
Rock
Sink / __ natural feat. 重音テト
The year of Teto continues... is what I keep saying following her SynthV release, but __ natural has been a Tetohead for years. The producer has released a few albums of these cool but groovy rock songs mainly featuring the eared robot.
瞬間、日記を欠いて / こえだ feat. カゼヒキβ
サマー・レイニーデイ / イマニシ feat. 可不
106.7の魔法 / qqぃqq feat. 初音ミク
qqぃqq seemingly came out of nowhere with these off-kilter, weirder-end-of-the-Shibuya-kei-spectrum Miku tracks. Well, that's kind of how it always happens with Vocaloid producers. I first discovered their work through their entry in this summer's VocaColle: an excellent cover of いよわ's 一千光年.
Electronic
cry/lie/dye/sky / 衿 feat. カゼヒキβ
One level of bitcrushing away from Kazehiki Beta hyperpop.
えらいこっちゃや / スドーゴージ feat. 重音テト
Faze / ShareotsuP feat. Mai with Ryo
Inside me, there are two wolves: one of them craves RnB-tinged garage à la Patrichev's Angelfish...
くらげ / しろにゃん feat. 初音ミク
...and the other one lives for a pared down, harder UKG. This track was released on a Vocaloid UKG EP that I'm dying to get my hands on.
だっさいね / Shu feat. 重音テト
Eagerly awaiting this one to get added to one of the Bemani games.
構築している / ukaihi feat. 初音ミク
ukaihi returns to this list for a second month! The last producer to debut with back to back bangers like this must have been マサラダ.
よるあさごはん / ながそば feat. 重音テト
Maybe my favorite for this month. More Teto, of course.
Pop
ばごーーーん!!!!! / さたぱんP feat. 初音ミク
What if every Vocaloid song happened at once? And what if it had the most frenetic animated music video you've ever seen? Look no further.
毒キノコ食べて死にたい / バーミーズ feat. 初音ミク
ENG: 'I want to eat a toxic mushroom and die.'
ハードモードじゃ頑張れない / 状態異常 feat. 初音ミク
電気クラゲは君の夢を見る / 泡月 feat. 初音ミク
アクリルディスコ / ANO feat. 初音ミク
ゆらにゅす / manika feat. 初音ミク
I love stumbling on these songs that make no other impression besides being well-crafted, simple pop.
turnnoffyourmind
tangentwithtanner
dailybridgerton
amandla
vaporwave
