Shelved galore of musical reviews & analytical dissections...
Music Sophomore
old enough to be independent, young enough to have a wild imagination...
more about me here!
Inspired by the many “as described by cats” posts circulating in the music part of tumblr. I’ve been meaning to make this for awhile, but never got around to it. So here, I give you, in no particular order:
I decided to change the layout because honestly it was REALLY hard to navigate and it looked messy >_> I will miss the beautiful header but for now I'm using this layout!
I planned on reviewing Nagi’s Euaru album as well as the two singles for Nagi no Asakura but I guess that can wait. Tokohana is Nagi’s latest single and it serves as the ending theme for the anime Black Bullet. [I believe this is an early leak of her single that’s supposed to be released in 3 days >_>]
Tokohana
Tokohana takes for a darker turn with the echo-y vocals before heading on into a dark rock beat with lots of guitars. It’s really interesting to hear her sway away from the melancholic ballads from her previous 2 singles to a darker tone with heavy rock guitar grooves. There’s a brief quiet interlude before heading straight into the heavy upbeat chorus. The overall arrangement and mixing is pretty good
Wasurenai Tame ni
This song was also used as an ending theme for the Black Bullet anime. Here, this lovely ballad piece is composed and produced by Nagi. We’re back into familiar territory as we’re opened with a gentle piano beginning before Nagi sings with her gentler voice. This gentle piano duet turns into a bit of an up tempo ballad as the chorus rolls in. The duet is joined it with strings, drum kit and a bass groove. I really like the melody line as it brings an over-arching flow when the chorus comes in and it really does showcases Nagi’s compositional style.
Crossroad
The third track to Tokohana, Crossroads gets us back to pop with a calming guitar groove before jumping back onto the upbeat. As soon as Nagi started singing, right away I realized that this is an upbeat/cheerful version of O Danny Boy! O_O This is pretty surprising considering the context O Danny Boy is based on so I am not entirely sure if it’s a cover of the song or if new lyrics were written over the melody. The overall arrangement reminds me of the good old days when Nagi was working with supercell in Kimi no Shiranai.
I think this was a pretty good single, aside from that surprising version of “O Danny Boy” in Crossroads. It’s really nice to see how Nagi has matured throughout these years from an utaite to making a name for herself. I will continue to support her and watch her grow both as a singer and a songwriter!
Another song from another anime series, this time an opening theme for the Sidonia no Kishi anime. (which I am currently recapping/reviewing at my other review blog, Otaku Trattoria)
To be honest, I wasn’t fond of angela’s music early in the days because I wasn’t a fan of electronic-styled music. However, when I first heard this song I actually enjoyed it.
Sidonia
We open with atsuko’s vocals as the intro seemed to create a solemn march before diving into an upbeat catchy groove with atsuko’s processed voice. Throughout the song Sidonia switches between a structured triplet-figured march backed with a choir chorus to an upbeat electronic groove with processed voices. Even though there’s a lot going on (multiple beats as well as the “knights of Sidonia” chants) it really adds a lot of multidimensional layers into the song.
This song was probably written with the series in mind as it really matches the overall storyline and atmosphere. I’m only mentioning this because in some cases most songs for anime aren’t related to the plot of the story at all which makes this even more enjoyable. (however it might seem weird to listen to this without context)
My only criticism is atsuko’s minimal use of vibrato which could have created a bit of a warmer sound in her vocals when she sang “ta ga tame ni ware wa yuku” but that’s just personal taste. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this song.
My Life
My Life is the polar opposite of the upbeat Sidonia as we’re opened with a gentle ballad-like number. I really like this contrasting song and it reminds me a bit of those 90s ballad numbers.
We hear a gentler, emotional side to atsuko’s voice accompanied by a guitar before joined by a simple drum groove, strings and harp. This showcases atsuko’s vocal versatility even though most of us are familiar with her deeper singing.
Wow, I actually enjoyed this single! This was truly beyond my expectations! This was really well done especially with that strong upbeat electronica a-side that truly brings out the atmosphere of Sidonia no Kishi along with the gentle ballad My Life. For those who aren’t familiar with angela, I think her vocals might take time to get used to but besides that I recommend this single for both anime and non-anime fans! :D [P.S. the PV preview for this song is brilliant and it’s on their official Youtube Channel!]
Review Corner: Daze (Preview Version) - MARiA from GARNiDELiA
genre: pop, rock, vocaloid
So I’m not the greatest person when it comes to running multiple blogs (as of right now, my most active one, unfortunately, is my Anime/Manga one >_>) I am going to try my best to do mass posts but I can’t guarantee due to stupid university summer school argghh.
I am not familiar with the original Kagerou Project so I won’t be sharing the same sentiments with the original fans. Daze is written by songwriter/producer Jin (mastermind of the whole Kagerou project) and it features vocalist MARiA from GARNiDELiA.
This OP song is really catchy pop/rock song and I really like MARiA’s husky voice. MARiA has a wide vocal range and you can tell that she is a seasoned vocalist.
Jin is a pretty good songwriter/producer so props to him being able to accomplish so much at the tender age 24.
I’m not sure if this was released as an official single yet but I am excited to hear more from both Jin and MARiA!
Official websites: Jin (only have his twitter link) & MARiA from GARNiDELiA
Review Corner: Let it Go – English, Japanese & Mandarin (China & Taiwan)
I find it hilarious that all three versions (English, Japanese and Japanese Ending) of Let it Go topped the Top 3 spots in the Recochoku’s Digital Single –Weekly Ranking for 2 weeks in a row now. [well not anymore lol] Usually you see this with Akimoto’s AKB48 (or another 48 group) snatching it away with its rabid fan base but it’s interesting how influential American culture can be. Disney’s Frozen was released in November last year in North America but the movie was released around a month ago in Japan. Not only it did fairly well in Canada and the US, but it has topped the Japanese Box Office for 6 consecutive weeks at number 1 (but has been replaced by the new Conan movie).
I have yet to see the film (shhh… I will buy the DVD and watch it later… I promise!) in either English or Japanese but I am familiar with the song Let it Go through the exploding number of youtube videos, facebook and tumblr posts ranging from detaied commentary to hilarious parodies. (So far, my favourite is the infamous Taiwanese Hokkien fandub video)
I will review the five separate versions a bit differently because there’s obviously a difference in the choice of lyrics due translation as well as the language. I will briefly focus on the musical aspects of the English version while I concentrate on the localization as well as the translated lyrics of the Japanese and Mandarin version. I decided to add the Mandarin version here too because I’m more familiar with Mandarin than Japanese. (truth: I’m MUCH more fluent in Cantonese but that’s another story)
English (Movie Version) – Idina Metzel
I am familiar with Idina Menzel’s talent and singing capability from Broadway musicals such as Wicked and Rent so it’s no surprise that she sounded amazing in Let it Go. I will not go into extensive analysis of the song as there are already 100+ such posts scattered around the internet. I couldn't help but compare it to the buildup like “Defying Gravity” but I guess it should be expected because Idina Menzel is really talented as a singer.
With her strong background in Broadway musicals, Idina is able to express and covey the multiple emotions of Elsa in her singing, which sets this song apart from other Disney tracks. The lyrics are simple but effective in expressing Elsa’s initial insecurities and her transformation as the Snow Queen (especially when she “let the storm rage on”). From the initial limited and constrained instrumentation usage of the piano and light strings along, the song transitions and builds up into a grander and much more freer pop power ballad [strings are more flowy along with a casual drum pattern] as Elsa transforms her image and resolve. With that being said, I congratulate Idina for her first successful Disney song.
Japanese (Movie Version) – Matsu Takako [松たか子]
I usually find some localizations of music either don’t match up to the original singer’s capability but Takako’s range was good, if not almost comparable to Idina and she was successful in making this version convincing. I say almost because at times even though her ornamentations are amazing, I find there are times her voice seemed constraint.
Localizing and translating lyrics into other languages is difficult, especially in Japanese. I will not get into the details on this topic because a) I’m not a native Japanese speaker and b) I rarely translate things, even if it’s in Mandarin. But I do believe that the localization of the lyrics in Japanese were done pretty well. In comparison to Elsa recounting things she learned while growing up, the Japanese lyrics focused on her current feelings and emotions. This is interesting in a sense that the English version shows the rising revelation Elsa feels about her self whereas the Japanese version implies that she already reached this revelation as soon as she starts singing.
One interesting thing to point out is that there’s no sign of English words used in the songs, compared with some of the previous localization of Disney songs. It’s interesting that they omitted the titular “Let it Go” and replaced it with “ありのままで” instead. Overall I enjoyed this version as well and applaud Takako-san’s rendition of Let it Go.
Japanese (Ending Version) – May J
It was nice seeing May J singing the “pop” version of Let it Go. I really enjoy listening to her music as well as her voice so I was happy that she did justice for this song.
Her voice was really beautiful in this rendition and I thought it served as a “mature” version of Elsa. (feel free to disagree with me ahaha) Even though she exuded power into the song, she also contributes with her interpretation with her pop-R&B voice as well as her consistent but colorful vibrato. I may be biased on this fact but I feel that she did an amazing job in her version of the song.
Note: I haven’t seen the English Ending Version so I won’t be comparing this with Demi Lovato’s version.
Uh I can’t find the movie version on youtube so I will just compare the Chinese and Taiwanese Ending Versions of the song… And I almost forgot to mention that there are 2 separate Mandarin versions so I will focus on the lyrics as well.
When I heard Yao Beina was a contestant in The Voice of China, I was surprised because she as such a lovely voice and had a successful career before entering the show. (guess its just for more exposure..) With that rant aside, it’s nice hearing her getting back into her game with her singing the ending version if Let it Go.
Beina builds up from her signature soft delicate singing to a lower, mature and more powerful singing as the song builds up. In comparison to the other three, Beina executes her own rendition of the song rather the maintaining Elsa’s persona. (or someone can argue with me that she’s interpreting Elsa as being more stable by the end of the movie)
Again I may be biased but I have a problem with the lyrics a bit. The Chinese Mandarin version seems like it was serving as the transliteral rendition of the English lyrics. Now there’s nothing wrong with that if their intention was to maintain the original meaning. However I find that it wasn’t as effective since some of the meaning and word choices they use didn't translate well.
I will not be reviewing the Taiwanese Hokkien version (both parody and official) because a) I’m not familiar with the dialect too well and b) I just started learning it. The Voice of China’s veteran Shennio Lin sang this rendition of Let it Go.
Although she doesn’t have the same versatility as Beina and the other singers, I think her rendition was also well done albeit a bit on the mellower side.
In the Taiwanese version, Elsa initial sings “放開手” [literally: releasing/setting free with an open hand] then at the end when she fully transform in the Snow Queen, she sings “讓她走” [Let (it) go].
I read something interesting from the Language Log in which a Taiwanese grad student mentioned that the Taiwanese Mandarin version employs the use of 4-character idioms [成語], creating a poetic song-like flow. (Now that I think about it, when I was in Taiwanese Mandarin School 80% of my readings and textbooks used the 4-character idiom A LOT) If you’re a native Mandarin speaker and you like Let it Go, I highly recommend this article.
Final verdict: I love all these renditions of Let it Go and I congratulate these talented and beautiful singers on giving their 1000% for their contribution to this movie. To end this review, here is a compilation video of Let it Go in various languages:
I am going to face backlash from Mizuki Nana’s fans both old and new for this review but I did mention I was going to write one for SUPERNAL LIBERTY. To be honest, I haven’t been up to date with Nana’s activities like I used to 4 years ago. (I did listen to Rockbound Neighbours and some of her newer singles once in a while) I will try to be as neutral as I can from a casual listener’s point of view as well as a seasoned fan of Nana’s. [Warning: very long review ahead]
1. VIRGIN CODE
Opening the album is a freakish, electronic track that transitions into a rock orchestra sound before heading towards familiar waters. Nana announces her entrance right away with her familiar powerful voice. Throughout the song her voice has different tones ranging from mature to the raw rock sound but at times I find her vibrato seems a bit overpowering. [who came up with this title anyways? Iunno which is weirder… that or Naked Soldier O_O]
2. GUILTY
Is that Nana RAPPING in the opening? O_O Unless I’m missing out on something, I wouldn’t expect her to sing urban/house dance songs but her voice does fit with the style. It reminds me of Amuro Namie, Koda Kumi, Korean and American urban dance house music. I guess she’s trying to reach out to a larger audience but this was an interesting addition to her repertoire
3. Appassionato
I already gave my brief reaction to the Appassionato MV in an earlier post and I don’t think my perception on this song has changed much. The folk-like opening reminds me of Zankoku no Gaia until it dives into heavy-metal. I find the transition from the folk-like intro to the heavy metal rock guitar riff was not smooth and a bit jarring and the overall sound was overpowering, loud and messy at times. I find Nana’s vibrato was overpowering and at times it felt like she had no control over it (I know that she had classical enka training hence her unique coloratura). It’s an interesting fusion of folk and rock but I found that this wasn’t my taste and that better care could have been taken into account with the overall production. (But I applaud her for composing another track!)
4. Egao no Yukue (笑顔の行方)
Something about this track reminded me of those older “disco dance” tracks in the 80s-90s especially with that upbeat Spanish pop melody. That’s when I realized that this was a cover of one of Dream Comes True’s hit song. It’s unfair to compare both Nana and Yoshida Miwa’s voice/singing style because they’re both at the opposite spectrums especially with their approach to this song. Miwa’s voice is definitely a lot huskier in comparison with Nana’s clearer voice which at times reveals some of Nana’s weaknesses. (Also some of her coloratura and tone didn’t really fit with the chorus) I congratulate Nana for being able to hit the higher register with clarity but it sounded really strained.
During my first listen, I was really critical about Nana “straining” her upper register but even after comparing with the original I still hold firm about her voice not being able to match the style during the chorus. However I do think it’s an interesting way of transitioning into this upbeat track from Nana’s ballad opening.
5. Antique Nachtmusik
This creepiness especially with the ticking of the clock (and that random laughter) contributes to the antique atmosphere of this song. The string tremolos remind me a bit of Metro Baroque but more sinister and Nana’s voice help contribute the atmosphere. I really like the running piano melody that contributes to this “chase” motions with urgency and the mixing of her voice with the harmonies was done well. This is what a guitar interlude should be… NOT overpowering. [btw what’s with the creepy low voice? O_O it doesn’t help when they panned it at the end to create this creepy dimension]
6. Fun Fun★People [favourite]
Just from the title I expect something cheerful and poppy. I love the trading solos between the rhythmic funk guitar and saxs especially the way they arranged both solos to pan them separately on the Left and Right stereo. This reminds me of the music I listened to in my early highschool with this retro “old-school” sound, jazzy swing elements, funk rhythms and Nana’s voice fits this song perfectly. I’d like to mention there was a good balance in the arrangement overall and the harmonies in the chorus wasn’t overpowering. [the sax solo was AWESOME :D] congrats to h-wonder’s contribution to this album!
7. FATE
We finally have a break from all those high-energy songs with this familiar upbeat tempo beat. It reminds me of Promise on Christmas from Great Activity but her voice is definitely a lot more mature. The simpler arrangement with strings, piano, guitar, bass and drum machines is a welcome break from the complex arrangements of the previous songs. I know this is a typical Nana number but I guess I’m one of those people who is still reminiscing the nostalgic past lol.
8. Vitalization -Aufwachen Form-
We’re kicking back into gear into another fast high energy song. We have a different intro for this track that reminds me of a slowed down, dubstep version of Synchrogazer’s before we speed up to familiar territory for this piece with the heavy electronic processed interludes. I still find the pacing of the song, especially the chorus, seemed too fast for her [reminds me of her collaborations with T.M. Revolution]
9. Aishū Twilight (哀愁トワイライト) [favourite]
Now we get move along with a smoother, lighter piece that transitions into an upbeat jazzy swing-style song. [which I happily welcome] Her mellower, huskier voice fits into this style really well. Here her mid-lower register seems more comfortable in comparison with the other tracks when she’s straining and switching ranges. The transitions between the instrumentation, arrangement and tempo worked really well in comparison to Appassionato. I don’t’ recognize Hiroshi Usami’s works but I enjoyed his contribution to the album
10. Setsuna Capacity (セツナキャパシティー)
This song reminds me of all her other high-energy songs we’re familiar too such as BRAND NEW TOPS [well it was used for her radio show’s theme] I definitely prefer this to the other high-energy rock songs but this didn’t grasp my attention as much due to the familiarity.
11. Ladyspiker [favourite]
Again the title hints to what we’ll be listening to and it kicks off in a style that is reminiscent of early 70s rock. Nana’s lower range voice is a nice change for the ears and it doesn’t sound strained. I actually prefer this “rock” influenced song than VIRGIN CODE and Appassionato because a) the mixing/producing/arrangement were A LOT BETTER and b) Nana’s lower range creates this mature different spectrum to her voice that seems fresh to our ears. The transitions between the verse, chorus and interludes are very smooth and nothing seems to stick out as an eyesore compared to the two tracks I’ve mentioned. Again another songwriter/producer whom I’m unfamiliar with but I LOVE this arrangement. [I guess I’m biased on these old-school sounds]
12. Rock you baby!
We’re back to high-energy with Nana yelling out calls [well this was used for an animelo CM and it’s probably good for future concerts] and transitioning to a high-energy rock sound commonplace in her repertoire. This may seem like clichéd high-energy track due to a lot of other similar sounding numbers churned by other artists who contribute to the anime industry. I found that I kinda like this more than Setsuna Capacity due to her singing in her regular mature vocal range.
13. Million Ways=One Destination
I didn’t think this song stood out to me as anything special except that it reminds me of Metro Baroque and Junketsu Paradox. It’s a nice break from high-energy stuff and I do welcome her mature-sounding voice. Iunno if it’s the copy I have but when she sings, I don’t think they processed and mixed her voice well. Otherwise, I guess it was alright.
14. Bokura no Mirai (僕らの未来)
We’re back with another electronic/rock piece, this time written by her main producer. When I thought I would get a break from the jarring VIRGIN CODE and Appassionato, we’re thrown back into another electronic piece that reminds you of Nana’s early music and hints of Okui Masami’s early songs when he was her producer (especially the vocal harmonies and fast melodies in the chorus.., makes one wonder if Masami came to help sing the backing vocals ahahaha)
15. Ai no Hoshi -two hearts- (愛の星 -two hearts-) [Favourite]
And we conclude this album with her usual ballad number. This is was originally a B side for Vitalization and was used in the Spaceship Battle Yamato movie. I definitely preferred this song compared to Vitalization a lot more but that’s just me not letting go of Nana’s older works.
This simple harp accompaniment with Mika and Nana’s voice creates this heartfelt warmth and also shows her ability to give a stripped down, “a cappella” recording. Usually her last ballad track would have full arrangements (mostly strings) but it’s a nice (thankful) change to have such a simple instrumentation to end the album. I am still impressed by Mika’s musicianship in her arrangement and playing that has a wonderful and colourful spectrum of the harp which seems more than enough for this song. (reminds me of her arrangements of Shinai and SUPER GENERATION duet during Nana’s Touhoku fundraising livestream)
I wonder if this long a year and almost a half gap did any good with this album. Even with that amount of time, I find that at least half of the songs in this album didn’t have proper care in terms of arranging and producing/mixing (and to some extent, the song writing) Even though majority of Nana’s repertoire is usually arranged by Elements Garden, I wonder if they’re trying to test their experimentation with other genres because I didn’t enjoy the tracks they contributed (the exception is 愛の星 -two hearts-) I know I’m probably the only one who did not like Appassionato but that’s just my personal opinion.
Compared with her previous album Rockbound Neighbors, Nana strayed away from depending on Elements Garden and worked with different songwriters and producers. In a way some songs were more successful than others especially Fun Fun★People, Aishu Twilight and Ladyspiker were my favourites. I think that Nana has done a lot more experimentation with different styles and genres to hopefully reach out to a broader, mainstream audience but there were some hits and miss especially the placement of the tracks. I don’t think many will share the same sentiments as me for longing Nana’s older works but times have changed especially if you’re rising to the top with other mainstream artists.
Favourite Tracks: Aishu Twilight, Ladyspiker, Ai no Hoshi -two hearts- Fun Fun★People
Mizuki Nana's latest PV for Appassionato was released a week ago to help promote her 10th Album SUPERNAL LIBERTY. It's nice to see her slowly getting more involved with composing however at times I'm not too sure if I like the arrangement of her recent compositions. [my favourite still being SUPER GENERATION]
The song has a folksy beginning that reminds me of Zankou no Gaia but then it transitions right into a darker rock song. I couldn't help but compare her holding the microphone to her Mysterion PV. [She's really gorgeous though and lol at that owl...]
Verdict: iunno if it's me but I feel that the quality and style of her music isn't my taste anymore. I feel that right now she's experimenting a lot [especially since her collaboration with T.M. Revolution] and I'm not too sure where this will take her :S I will give a listen to her album as soon as it's released but ehh... I'll try to keep my expectations low.
First review! Aqua Wave is an electronic pop album containing 7 tracks first released for Comiket 84 in December 2013. Ehh this seems to be foreign ground because this was mostly electronic music, which I don't normally listen to. I will review this from a casual listener point of view.
Aqua Wave – the album opens with an electronic dance instrumental track. Interesting use of layering without overwhelming the listener creating a solid opening
Flying Star – As soon as Aqua Wave finishes, it transitions right into this track. The style and vocals reminds me of Vocaloid and Perfume musical works. [note: I was listening to some Perfume earlier so I couldn’t help notice the similarity] The little “bursts” of stars sound effects gives cute flourishes to the “kira kira” lyrics, giving the impression of flying stars. 葉月ゆか’s vocals reminds me of a “mature” Perfume voice with a lower pitch.
Black Cat – In comparison with the cutesy pop “Flying Star” we get into darker track, which utilizes a freaky harmony along with a grainy background. The vocals are less processed which adds to the “freakiness.” Tetsushi does a good job with playing the volume velocity and intensity to help contribute to the atmosphere of the song [at first I thought it was my earphones giving way which did add to that atmosphere)
S.W.A.K (Sealed with a kiss) – This track didn't really catch my attention as well as the other 3 tracks but it has a 80s-90s feel with a consistent beat. Interesting use of the dead-ringer synth as the countermelody to her mellow vocals. [I feel that ゆか sounded bored but it does contribute to the overall mood of the song
ROSY ROSE – ROSY ROSE has a 80s feel that reminds me of chiptune and early anime opening/ending themes, especially the way they process and mixed the song. Even the instrumental arrangement sounds like a pretty convincing 80s track. [reminds me of the Sailor Moon OP and those early Gundam and Yamato themes]
恋が熱くて – This was a pleasant surprise but a welcoming one because my ears were a bit tired at this point. This is a nicely arranged jazzy up-tempo track that reminds me of the music from the swing era. Her vocals are definitely pop style but she’s able to fit in with the music although I find that the one can tell that the brass and saxes are midi [musician sharp ears >_>] Feels pretty short compared to the other tracks though.
キミトアルク。– Concluding this album is a gentler but still up-beat instrumental track. Reminds me of an instrumental for the ending of a movie or video game. Lovely piano melody that’s not overwhelming and good use of atmospheric tracks
Overall I think this was a solid album and a strong collaboration between 葉月ゆか and Tetsushi. My favourite tracks are Flying Star, 恋が熱くて and キミトアルク。
However I think I was fazed by the time I listened to S.W.A.K but I felt that there was something lacking since nothing really popped out at me when I was listening to it. I think葉月ゆか’s vocals are pretty but at times it didn’t match some of the track styles but Tetsushi’s composition and arrangements are top-notch. [he did contribute composing for Sphere and SKE48]
Osu! Welcome to Matsuri Cantina! Here you’ll find a collection posts and articles on music!
This blog is mostly for me to catalogue and archive music I’ve listened to and how my taste have changed since then (or not ahahaha) Rather than focusing on just reviewing music, I decided to have this as a musical bank filled with other focuses such as spotlighting on artists as well as doing some analysis of certain songs and genres.
However I will be blunt and say that this blog is not going to detail on the artists’ daily lives and scandalous adventures because I could care less whether they had 100 affairs or slipped on a banana peel at the awards show.
All of the posts will fall into one of these formats/corners. Some of these formats may occur more frequently (Reviews, Recommendation, Artist Spotlight) than others (Dappling Endeavours) and occasionally some formats will be abandoned/modified. I will tag those entries with the format’s initials (e.g. Review Corner = RC) to make things easier.
baratheonpilled
stormborns
snowghoul
yousharknotpass
kaledo-art
gummygunk
origamiaround