Kanaete... Jpop & Anime Music for the Western Fan

Maintenance is on...

2007-08-03T18:41:00.000+02:00

Hi, everybody! I hope to have an entry with new music ready for the weekend, but in the meantinme I have been reuploading albums, erasing spam comments, updating entries... just regular maintenance work on the blog.

The posts for the months of February, March, April and May of last year (Mari Hamada, Kiroro, Spitz, Escaflowne Movie OST, ROmantic Mode, Akino Arai, Nanase Aikawa and many more) are fully operational now, so go take a look at those by clicking on the above links. Keep checking the Archive section down on your right for more music. I'll be back as soon as possible, dropping a quick message to let you know of other updated entries and/or with that promised brand new music post I've been talking about. Take care. AOI.

Glad to be back...

2007-08-01T11:11:00.000+02:00

Hi everybody... After so much time without posting, I don't know how to start writing this entry but with apologies for the long delay. I've been awfully busy. Yes, for this past 7 full months. Really. And this blog has evidently endured the consequences. It's not like I am suddenly done with my studies or my work is more flexible in any aspect, but I can't really go on looking the other way while the comments sections of the entries are filled with spam, album links expire, youtube videos are down and so on.

So I decided to come back once and for all, start posting again and also do some maintenance work to the site. The word verification system is on for the comments (though I wish I could erase the spam... if somebody knows how to, let me know via email) and I will start uploading the albums that are gone, replacing youtube links... hell, even correcting typos in the entries if I spot them ! :-)

I began with one of my favorites entries, the one about the movie "Windaria" and its wonderful soundtrack. Now, this score is VERY RARE, so you better grab it as soon as possible here, love it and hopefully it'll be enough to make you want to check out the film, if you haven't already. Just AVOID the dubbed, cut/censored/infantilised American version and try to get the original Japanese version. A visitor long ago had asked for a new rip in better quality of this soundtrack, and I'm happy to have fulfilled that request. So if back in the day you downloaded that album from this place, be sure to get it once more, in better quality and without that annoying sound at the beginning of each track. I also reuploaded the songs posted in my very first entry, which explained the concept behind this blog and introduced Akino Arai. You can check it out here.

Ok, now I got to go back to my books... :-S I'll be dropping a line here to warn you that an entry has been updated. And of course I hope to be writing new ones soon, posting new music. I look forward to it. Thanks to everybody that's been commenting and leaving short messages in the box in my absence.
Feels nice to be back !

AOI ^_^

KURAISHISU !!

2006-12-29T21:36:00.000+01:00

You thought I had passed away in India ?! Well, you're not THAT lucky... :-) Don't get me wrong, I got bitten by a stray dog (?!) and had to take rabies jabs as a precautionary measure, but that isolated incident and commuting to downtown Mumbai using public transport was the closest I ever felt to "danger" in such a fascinating country. Hopefully someday I'll be able to go back there...
I'm back home since a week and a half ago, but didn't have the time to update as promised. Gomen, gomen... You know, it's actually hard to go back to the routine after such a nice trip, specially if you have to go back to work and study during the holidays, when you are supposed to be having a great time with family and friends ! :-S

Anyway, those that are already used to my apologies for scarce updates know that at least I try to make up for them as well as I can. Today I have in store a triple treat for you: the 3 CD set compiling ALL of the songs made for that iconic OVA series released in the late 80's: BUBBLEGUM CRISIS ! To anime fans in their 30's, this name brings back loads of nostalgia. Bubblegum Crisis (BGC, for short) was one of the very first hits in OVA format (anime produced for straight-to-video release), and one of the first major titles overseas, having garnered legions of fans in Western Audiences. The reasons are multiple.

On the one hand, there was the sci-fi/cyberpunk plot: BGC is about a female group of mercenaries called "Knight Sabers", living in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, fighting biodroids (boomers) that actually helped re-built the city from scratch after a devastating earthquake but that are going berserk now. As the series progresses, it is revealed that both the group leader and the corporation behind the construction of boomers have hidden agendas. On the other hand, in the technical department, this series excelled. Although now it may look extremely dated, back then these standards of quality for animation were high, specially for the OVA format. And even if the animation may not have aged well, at least the music has.

BGC is unanimously remembered for its high standards in the music department. Each of the 8 OVAs that were produced counted with an individual soundtrack album by Kouji Makaino and the songs therein included are among the biggest classics in the fandom. Borrowing elements from the sounds of Heart, Laura Branigan, Bonnie Tyler -among others- and of the soundtracks of films such as "Streets of Fire", "Footloose", "Flashdance" or "Top Gun", the BGC songs will certainly take you back to 80's pop/rock bonanza. Of course, there are tracks to be skipped. CD2 of this collection gathers the songs sung by the seiyuus in the roles of Linna, Nene and Sylia and the material is not as great as the songs in CD1 and CD3. Nene's seiyuu (Akiko Hiramatsu) seems to have problems even holding a note and although Michie Tomizawa is an accomplished singer, her songs are the kind of 80's pop that nobody cares to remember... except for "Route California" ! That one's awesome and worth downloading the whole CD.

Now don't let my review of CD2 discourage you from getting the whole package. If the BGC soundtracks are to this day a milestone in anime music and a reference that raised the quality bar in the industry, it is mainly for what you'll hear in the other two CDs. The songs performed by Kinuko Ohmori (the seiyuu for Priss), Maiko Hashimoto (seiyuu for Vision) and Yuiko Tsubokura (of Kimagure Orange Road fame), as well as the songs peformed by the Knight Sabers as a group, are all great and worth giving to them a listen in loud volume.

To see what I mean, enjoy here the OP clip to the first OVA, courtesy of machinaezero @ YouTube, in which we get a first glimpse of the main characters of the series and the threat that boomers are while the addictive rhythm of the instant anime classic "Konya wa HURRICANE" by Priss is heard on the background:

And now courtesy of Murrrrraaoowrrr @ YouTube, here you have a rare clip of Maiko Hashimoto (the seiyuu for Vision) performing "Say Yes" in concert, with combined footage from the OVA, in a clip taken from the special video release "Hurricane Live 2033":

Undoubtedly, my favorite of the whole bunch has to be "Mad Machine". As if that song wasn't great enough and Kinuko Ohmori's rendition wasn't absorbing in itself, you have that wicked guitar solo that starts at the 3:45 minute and doesn't let go for over a minute. A must listen.

BGC had many other incarnations and spin-offs, most notably the 26-episode TV series "Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040", which aired in 1998. To call that TV series a remake is not exactly accurate, but in any case, as in any other product related to the BGC universe, the soundtrack was a priority and some excellent music was produced and sung by Priss's new seiyuu, Akira Sudou... including a revamped version of "Konya wa HURRICANE".

Now, enjoy "Bubblegum Crisis Complete Vocal Collection 3CD Set"

Download CD1
Download CD2
Download CD3

And Happy New Year to everybody... ^_^

Another quick update :-S

2006-12-01T15:43:00.000+01:00

Sorry guys, you know this is not the ideal way to do an update like those you are used to if you are regular visitors to this place, but believe me that I've been very busy and didn't have the time or the concentration to write one of my usual rants about a certain Jpop act and their links to anime... :-S Let me just keep this place alive by fulfilling mike's request for the OP of the TV series "Boys Be". The song is "Daijoubu" and, together with its ED "Minna ga Inne", are performed by Aki Maeda.

Download "Daijoubu"
Download "Minna ga Inne"

And I'm sorry, but on the weekend I'm leaving to India... yay ! :-) Two weeks presenting a paper in a workshop and doing some tourism. It'll be my first time in that country and I'm really excited. Wish me luck over there and when I get back home, promise to write the entry on Eureka Seven and on the album that I'm dropping here for you to enjoy during my 14 days of absence... Naomi Tamura's "Thanks a Million ~The singles of Naomi Tamura~". A brilliant compilation for a brilliant singer/songwriter, very popular in the fandom after performing 2 OPs for Magic Knight Rayearth (both included in the compilation...).

I hope to come back soon and still find visitors to this place and comments on the music !! :-P
Til then, take care !
AOI

Eureka ! An update and an album reuploaded ! :-P

2006-11-15T10:43:00.000+01:00

I'm once again sorry for the lack of updates. Let me just tell you that I reuploaded (for the second time, damn it ! :-S) the amazing compilation album by ROmantic Mode "Romantic Pleasures: The Best of ROmantic Mode" and post for the moment the link to "Eureka Seven Complete Best", the album compiling OPs and EDs for this great 2005/6 anime TV series produced by the BONES Studio. I'll write the corresponding article as soon as possible. Enjoy ! ^_^

Anime Music Brilliantine 2006 Part II

2006-10-23T20:53:00.000+02:00

Hi again and my apologies one more time for the delay in updating the blog. This time I won't bore you with whatever's been going in my life that is *slightly* more important than this place, but be sure that I still enjoy blogging, posting music, exposing some amazing Japanese artists to the world and get your comments, messages and emails. Yeah, the two of them that I get each 15 days... To make up for the lack of updates, I thought about doing part two to the 2006 anime music brilliantine... you know, some songs that have really caught my attention throughout season 2006 in anime. With the second part of the season starting this month, there'll surely be at least a Part III some time in the future.

So let's start with the best of the bunch, IMO. This has to be the latest OLIVIA single, a double A side with the second OP & ED of the TV adaptation of "Nana". In part 1 of the Brilliantine I posted the first OP (courtesy of Anna Tsuchiya) and ED (also sung by OLIVIA) and I wrongly reported that Anna would sing the second OP as well. Well, it turns out that Anna is quite busy promoting her fantastic album "strip me?" and couldn't be on board for recording a track for "Nana". At the same time,"Nana"'s author Ai Yazawa was so pleased with OLIVIA being the singing voice of the character of Reira that now we have the new OP & ED sung by the latter. Enjoy (courtesy of @ YouTube) the new intro clip of "Nana" featuring the song "Wish" and sporting awesome animation and direction:

Since I previously talked a bit about "Nana" and what it is about, let's focus on OLIVIA instead. OLIVIA is amazing. That is what you have to know first. If you are one of the 430+ people that downloaded "A little pain" and left no comment whatsoever, you know what I'm talking about. Think Amy Lee of Evanescence, only cooler and more talented. Her music can be sometimes weird, but never ceases to catch your attention. And then there's the voice ! Oddly, she has never been a popular act in Japan, and why she is not an international star is beyond me. She's the daughter of an American man and a Japanese woman, so she is bilingual and shouldn't have a problem with language barriers. The fact of increasingly composing in English has raised her popularity overseas, yet only thanks to her involvement in "Nana" are the Japanese (re)discovering her talent. For now, enjoy the next two songs. In a loud volume. And if you don't love them, don't even bother coming back... :-P

NANA
OP2: "Wish" by OLIVIA
ED2: "Starless night" by OLIVIA

Secondly, we have OP and ED of "Ouran High School Host Club", a comedy set in the world of the insanely rich high school students of Ouran Private Academy. In that school, a guy has the idea of creating an all-male Host Club, with the guys entertaining the girls with easy talk over cups of tea and cake, and seducing them with ludicrously corny lines... all for a price. In this team, the accidental entry of Haruhi will turn things upside down from the start. Initially mistaken for a boy by the rest, the girl will become a resounding success in the Host Club cross-dressing as a male student. But there will also be complications when several Host Club members start having feelings for her... A great comedy, full of likeable characters. Enjoy the opening here, thanks to orenxso @ YouTube:

That addictive song is "Sakura Kiss", by Chieko Kawabe, a girl that started her music career in the role of Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury in the first musical they did on "Sailor Moon". Since then, she has collaborated in other TV projects, most notably contributing the ED "Be your girl" to "Elfen Lied" TV series. The ED to "Ouran..." is performed by a rock band called LAST ALLIANCE. The use they make out of this song in the final episode was very wise and moving. It's a series I recommend, even if the ending (with the manga still ongoing) feels a bit rushed and you think they could have developed a bit more such great characters. When you reach episode 24, you'll see what I mean ^_^. Enjoy the songs:

Ouran High School Host Club
OP: "Sakura Kiss" by Chieko Kawabe
ED: "Shissou" by LAST ALLIANCE

Now it's the turn of "Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles" intro and outro songs. Actually, these are the OP & ED for season 2 of the series, which is ongoing with great success. Tsubasa is a manga that the CLAMP ladies started simultaneously to their other current big hit: XXXholic. The crossovers between both series abound, a resource that CLAMP loves to use in their mangas. Still, this particular story didn't catch my attention at all, so I'd feel awkward recommending it. But hey, the soundtrack is penned by the amazing Yuki Kajiura (Noir, .hack) and the songs are great.
Check the OP2 clip here, courtesy of DCo @ YouTube:

Rather boring, I must say, like the series itself, IMO, but the songs are quite good. For OP2 and ED2 both KINYA and lovely Maaya Sakamoto were around for reprising their duties and singing in season 2. Now... Maaya had her own post not long ago, so let me tell you something about Kotani Kinya: if his voice sounds familiar to you, it might be because he became a household name by being the singing voice to the character of upcoming rock star Shuichi Shindou in the TV series of "Gravitation". He's also an actor, having participated in the Jdrama "Love Story" in 2001. Take a listen to the full version of "It's" and then to peppy Maaya singing "Kazemachi Jet".

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles
OP2: "It's" by KINYA
ED2: "Kazemachi Jet" by Maaya Sakamoto

Next are the OP & EDs to Honey and Clover II, the 12 episode sequel to last year's Honey and Clover ("Hachimitsu to Kuroubaa"). H&C is a nice series. If you are into "slice of life" stories like me, sprinkled with romance, drama and comedy, you'd enjoy this one a lot and warm up to the characters immediately. It tells the story of three male students at an art college and the love triangles they are caught in with different women in their life. The soundtrack features A LOT of insert songs by Spitz (one of my favorite bands) and Suga Shikao, since Chika Umino's (the author of the manga) favorite albums are precisely "Hachimitsu" by Spitz and "Clover" by Suga Shikao. But the songs I picked for this post are performed by Yuki, Suneohair, and a band that goes under the name of "The band has no name" (?!).

God bless Yuki... ^_^ Her voice can be quite unnerving. I should know because I absolutely detested her when I heard for the first time the song she did as OP for the first season of H&C... And yet I love this one below, don't ask me why. Suneohair ... well, I don't really have much information on him other than he became famous thanks to this series and that he sounds A LOT like a younger version of Masamune Kusano from Spitz. To make up for this lack of info, enjoy here the PV for the song you'll find below ^_^, courtesy of wickedrigel07 @ YouTube:

And about "The band has no name", well, all you need to know is that the song below is amazing, so download it and stop asking questions, ok ? :-P

Honey and Clover II
OP1: "Fugainaiya" by Yuki
ED1: "Split" by Suneohair
ED2: "Mistake" by "The band has no name"

And finally, let's finish this wrap up with some shonen anime. "Gintama" premiered last April with the first notes of Tommy Heavenly6's latest single "Pray" (Well, actually she has a Halloween single hitting the airwaves right now that I think is being released this week). Gintama tells the story of a samurai living in a fictional Japan invaded by an alien race that has forbidden samurais to carry swords... Well, I haven't seen the series and I don't plan to, though I've read a couple of the manga chapters and I must say that the absurd humour in them is very appealing ^_^. But as far as the music goes, the Tommy OP is a winner, and the ED by newcomers Captain Strydom (who also did an ED for "Naruto") will have you humming for a while... Enjoy them

Gintama:
OP1: "Pray" by Tommy Heavenly6
ED1: "Fuusen gam" by Captain Strydom

So that makes it for today's update. I noticed that each time I post individual songs, the post (in number of downloads) is more popular than if I post a full album... can somebody actually explain to me that ? Is there a reason I'm missing ? I welcome your feedback, so if you feel it's better to have this kind of updates, let me know.

Re-Upload Galore II

2006-10-04T17:44:00.000+02:00

A quick message to let you know that two more albums have been reuploaded. I'm talking about Akino Arai's latest compilation and Nanase Aikawa's "Crimson" album. The soundtracks to the Escaflowne and Windaria movies will be re-uploaded once I rip those CDs again in January with a higher bitrate... The new ripping is specially needed in the case of Windaria, 'cause the files I have with me here in Switzerland have an annoying clicking sound at the beginning of every track :-S. So, for now, this will conclude the re-uploading session. Follow the links below to check the entries I wrote about Akino Arai and Nanase Aikawa. And always remember to check the archives of this and other blogs, 'cause you may be missing great things and letting valid links expire because of inactivity :-(. If you find any other dead links, please let me know via email or the shoutbox. I'd appreciate it.

Nanase Aikawa
Akino Arai

Don't you see it's ZARD ?!

2006-10-03T20:44:00.000+02:00

Continuing with this self-assigned mission of introducing you all to some classics in the Jpop world, today I have the pleasure of presenting to you another compilation of a well-known artist in the fandom: ZARD.

Who are "ZARD" ? That is the million dollar question and believe me that whoever comes up with an accurate answer really deserves that prize money... ZARD, as far as everybody knows, is a Jpop group that debuted in the musical scene in 1991 with their single "Goodbye My Loneliness". In fact, back then they were a people that at least could be identified ! Original lineup included Izumi Sakai in vocals, Fumito Machida in guitar, Hiroyasu Hoshi in bass, Kimitaka Ikezawa in keyboards and Kohsuke Michikura in drums. And today ? Well, all that is certain is that after their 5th single, they stopped promoting their music in TV (both performing on music shows or giving interviews), no reference whatsoever about the members is found in the CD booklets (only Izumi is credited writing lyrics or music) and all promotional material is centered in vocalist Miss Sakai, who actually became the visible face of the "group". Weird, right ? Nobody knows which is the current formation of the ZARD. This reclusiveness came to some sort of an end when they performed for a limited number of members of their fan club in a cruise in 1999, but nobody is really sure whether the people playing next to Izumi were the actual members of the band or not. Same goes for their first ever national tour... held in 2004 ! Yes, that is 13 years after their official debut...

ZARD contributed songs to some very high-profile anime series that helped spread their work around the world and garner international fans of their music such as yours truly. The exception might be the OP they recorded for "Cooking Master Boy", a minor TV hit in 1997. But they are responsible for "Don't you see!", the 2nd ED of Dragon Ball GT and also came up with EDs for Slam Dunk ("My friend") and... of course... Detective Conan ("Unmei no Roulette Mawashite"). The latter is on my list of Anime Music Brilliantine for 1998, so it is a recommended listen for sure ^_^. The use of their songs in other media projects such as TV advertising and J-dramas would merit a chapter of its own... Unfortunately, "Don't you see!" is not included in the CD you'll find below so you will have to get it by yourselves somehow because it's a catchy classic in its own right. See what I mean by watching that ED clip courtesy of rudypigmei @ YouTube:

ZARD is one prolific group. Even if their popularity is not the same now as it was in the mid-90's they have one of the most loyal fanbases around eagerly awaiting for their next release. Up to now, they have put out 13 original albums, two compilations and a live CD and their latest single, "Heart ni Hi wo Tsukete" is their 42th !! Izumi is an accomplished songwriter and lyricist, having also composed songs for fellow B-Gram Records bands Field of View, WANDS and DEEN, also very famous acts during the 90's. Track 4 of the CD below is a collaboration with groups REV & WANDS for which she wrote the lyrics, and features Japanese baseball player Shigeo Nagashima in guest vocals. Spot him trying to hold a note by the end of the song ^_^.

To commemorate the 15th anniversary of its brilliant music career, Zard is releasing this month a triple treat for fans: "Zard Golden Best", a double album of greatest hits personally selected by Miss Sakai packed together with a DVD. I'm posting today a previous BEST OF release that spans the first eight years of Zard in the music business: ZARD BEST "The Single Collection: Kiseki", put out in 1999 to debut -where else?- at # 1... I've added two bonus to the original tracklisting of this album, the powerful ballad "Good Day" and a personal favorite, the song "Photograph".

I hope you don't mind the size of the file; it's the first time I post a full album at 256 kbps and it may be the last, 'cause at least by posting music in lower bitrate maybe I am indirectly forcing you to actually go out and support these great artists ^_- For further information on Zard, there is no better place on the net right now than ZARD the BEST, an impressive site in English made by a fan. Go take a look and admire this guy's amazing work... Here's today's album... enjoy !

UPDATE: As many of you may know, Izumi Sakai died on May 27th 2007 in a bizarre accident while in hospital, recovering from cancer. May she rest in peace forever. She leaves behind her music legacy and countless fans that keep smiling whenever her voice speaks to us through song.

One is All, All is one: FullMetal Alchemist

2006-09-27T15:55:00.000+02:00

Hehe... funny how I'm as confident about posting a new album soon as to say "see you tomorrow", and then only show up three days later ! Minna Gomenasai ! :-S I swear I don't get how so many people out there can have a music blog and update it on a daily basis... sometimes twice a day !! Mad props to them... Me, well, I have too many things in my hands right now and the blog, unfortunately for me, is not a priority :-(. Anyway, for today's post I have chosen one of those Soundtrack CDs that actually compile the OP & EDs of a given series... in this case, I picked arguably the biggest anime hit of this century so far, in both Japan and the USA: the TV series of Fullmetal Alchemist.

Fullmetal Alchemist started as a manga in February 2002 and it's still ongoing, getting new fans left and right. Its original popularity was boosted when the 51-episode TV adaptation aired for the first time in Japan in 2003, and specially once it was exported worldwide. Such a frenzy over a series, to my knowledge, had not been seen since Cowboy Bebop times and, even if it finished relatively not long ago, it has already been named a classic in the fandom. And deservedly so ! In a recent poll in Japan, it was voted best liked TV series OF ALL TIME. How wicked is that ?! Well, thanks to outstanding animation, story and likeable characters, FMA managed such top honors in a short period of time.

Fullmetal Alchemist is the story of two brothers living in a parallel universe that looks like early 20th Century Earth, where alchemists are enrolled and trained by armies as powerful soldiers. Edward and Alphonse Elric were children living with their mother (their father, a renowned alchemist, had left them) when the latter died of illness. Desperate, the two siblings attempted to revive her using alchemy, but their inexperience caused something to go horribly wrong: in the process, Edward lost his right arm and a leg, and Alphonse lost his whole body, having to have his soul sealed in a metal armor in order not to be lost forever. Edward, in turn, gets prostethic metal limbs. Since then, they travel around looking for the Philosopher Stone (they should go have a look at Hogwart's ! :-P), which would allow them to remedy what happened to them. In their trip, of course, they cross paths with a lot of memorable characters and villains. This plot summary may look a bit lame, but believe me, the series is worth your time and money.

The CD I'm posting today groups some of the hottest acts in Jpop and Jrock, which have contributed songs for the TV series of Fullmetal Alchemist. The album kicks start with OP1"Melissa", by Porno Graffitti, a Jrock band that started putting out great music in 1999. Yes, that's the band responsible for "Hitori no Yoru", OP of Great Teacher Onizuka. First ED is catchy as hell, and was provided by newcomer Nana Kitade, who recently performed this song and material from her album "18" at last OTAKON expo in the US. OP2 is by a band that needs no introduction... these guys are bigger than huge: L'Arc~en~Ciel, a band that should get their own post as soon as possible, I know. The song, "Ready Steady Go" would become the most famous of this bunch and the symbol of the series. ED2 comes courtesy of female Jpop trio Yellow Generation, while COOL JOKE and Asian Kung Fu Generation -two other Jrock bands to recommend- are responsible for OP3 and OP4 respectively. Finally, ED3 and ED4 were performed by two very popular acts in JR&B: Crystal Kay and Sowelu. Inomarru had the brilliant idea of posting the clips to them all @ YouTube in a single 11-minute file, with English subtitles. He/She really made my life easy ! ^_^ Check out the 4 OPs and then the 4 EDs back to back and get the feel of the series here:

So basically you get four great rock songs, and four laid-back female pop/R&B tracks. Thus, "Fullmetal Alchemist Complete Best", the CD of today, was originally an 8 track release. I chose then to add as a bonus the c/w songs of the singles released by Nana Kitade, Sowelu, Yellow Generation and Crystal Kay. I hope you enjoy those songs as much as the rest of the album.

Now, obeying alchemy's principle of equivalent exchange, I want something of equal importance/value in return for this album : comments ! :-P Don't be lazy-asses and drop a line... It's nice to know you are there.

Current non-Jpop music: Indonesian rock band "Sheila on 7"... check them out !

Download "Sahabat Sejati" / Download "Sephia"

Re-Upload Galore

2006-09-23T10:55:00.000+02:00

Hey guys... Until I make up my mind on what to post tomorrow, I have re-uploaded some of the albums whose links had expired for one reason or another... For this re-upload session, I selected B'z, Garnet crow and Hikaru Utada. I'm aware that the Escaflowne and Windaria soundtracks, and the Nanase Aikawa album are down as well. I'll replace those links soon too. Always remember to check the archives of this site for more music. Your downloading will prevent the links from being deleted by the servers. Enjoy these three albums by clicking on the following links that lead to the entries I wrote about those three acts. I'll be back tomorrow !

B'z
Hikaru Utada
Garnet Crow

Anime Music Brilliantine 2006 Part. I

2006-09-11T21:20:00.000+02:00

That's right, leechers... shamelessly borrowing the concept of "Brilliantine" from the guys at OC, the following is my own personal selection of what I consider some of the best anime songs that have been gracing the airwaves in Japan during season 2006. Of course, with so much music produced each year, the list could go on and on, but it has to start at some point and I chose the following OPs & EDs because they're quality material and I felt like sharing some NEW music for a change ! Yeah, we'll leave the J-pop antropology for a future post ^_^ Shall we start with the songs, the clips and the brief descriptions of the series they are part of ? This way, please...

To begin with, behold the absolute brilliance of the OP song of the TV series of "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni"... It's been a while since I last felt that a song could sum up in just a minute and a half the right atmosphere of a series. And this song does just that: it's creepy to the point of freaking you out, menacing, and the imagery chosen for the clip also hints to the madness of the characters and the sense of dread that pollutes the rural façade of the little town where the events take place. Think "Twin Peaks" gone horribly wrong. "Higurashi..." is based on the popular videogame of the same name, and its animated version premiered in Japan in April of this year. This series is AMAZING (and the score is composed by Kenji Kawai, so you know it's worth grabbing a copy of the soundtrack as well). Definitely not for everybody, though... violence, torture, murder, gore, INSANITY... it's all there in the hands of characters that look in their early teenage years, but the story is compelling, the murder mysteries are absorbing, and the psychological horror is addictive and masterfully executed !! Check it out, whether you have played the game before or not. Here is the OP clip, courtesy of ermitron2 @ YouTube. Again, to me, one of the best of this year:

The song is performed by Eiko Shimamiya, of I've fame (mental note: do a post about I've... maybe post the soundtrack to "Air" ^_^), who has a stunning voice that is distorted by the producers in the right places of the song for conveying a bizarre and eerie feeling to the song. The ED of the series is "Why, or Why Not", by Hiroyuki Oshima feat. Katakiri Rekka. It's a very nice song melodically and the animation of it is also beautiful in its own right, but the main problem that I have with that ED is that it is in English... and, well, let's admit it: none of these two can pronounce a single line in English correctly. Very soon you feel like you're hearing mumbling that could be Hungarian, Tehuelche or Korean ! I'm sorry, but if you're taking the time and effort to compose a song in English and you succeed in it being picked for a TV series, have the decency to have it sung by people who can actually pronounce the words as they should 'cause that song sounds like a mess to me... Still, if you don't let that bother you, it's a very nice song and the OP anyway more than compensates for the ED's weak points. Judge for yourselves.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
OP: "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni" by Eiko Shimamiya
ED: "Why or Why Not" by Hiroyuki Oshima feat. Rekka Katakiri

Next we have ZEGAPAIN, one of the latest offerings in the giant mecha subcategory of anime (it premiered last April as well). ZEGAPAIN tells the story of yet another teenage guy forced to pilot yet another giant robot used by yet another secret organization that is fighting yet another alien race... Mmm... pretty standard, right ? Well, honestly I only watched episode 1 of the series and though it had above average production values, the story in the initial episode wasn't enough to hook me. If you saw it, feel free to warn me if I'm missing a classic ! ^_^ Anyway, this blog is not about the TV series themselves but about the music, and in that department ZEGAPAIN excels. The OP song, "Kimi he Mukau Hikari" is the latest single from one of my favorite artists of all time: Miss Akino Arai.

Here is the OP clip courtesy of songoku7777 @ YouTube. You've got to admit that the song is beautiful, though odd for what everybody is used to hear in a mecha series... The digital effects of the birds, butterflies and fish are really attractive, don't you think ?

The ED song, unlike the case of "Higurashi...", is another masterpiece to my ears. It's called "Little Goodbye" and it is performed by a pop act that goes by the name of ROCKY CHACK (?!) (Don't ask...). I won't deny that the reason I love this ED as well is because Mr. Hisaki Hogaari (Akino's long time collaborator and arranger) is also behind the song and you can perfectly picture it being sung by Akino herself instead ! But to be fair, the song sounds great enough with ROCKY CHACK on board. I wouldn't be surprised if Akino composed the song as well, because sometimes she likes to step down and write for other artists collaborating in the same projects as her.

ZEGAPAIN
OP: "Kimi he Mukau Hikari" by Akino Arai (I LOVE HER !!! ^_^)
ED: "Little Goodbye" by ROCKY CHACK

The turn now is to introduce you to another CLAMP creation and one of my favorite mangas right now: XXXholic. No, it doesn't have any connection with porn, so don't fret and go out googling searching for images of it !! :-P The manga is gorgeous, yet the animated adaptation has been criticized for not being on par with other animes of the CLAMP factory. I have to agree with the series not having a consistent quality but as for the character design it is also true that for this series CLAMP introduced a new drawing style that has the characters looking completely disproportioned (small heads, looooong arms, etc) so what may look like amateur animation may actually be a faithful adaptation of the source material... XXXholic tells the story of a young boy that meets a witch who can grant wishes. He's desperate to get rid of his ability to see spirits, so the witch makes him work for her until his labour equals the price of the services he's asking from her. As we meet Yuuko's customers, we explore the weaknesses that plague human nature. It's a nice story and reminds me a bit of Tokyo Babylon, a previous CLAMP creation.

Here is the OP clip, courtesy of Asuki88 @ YouTube. Another great combination of music and animation, even if the lyrics of the song (19sai by Suga Shikao) do not match AT ALL with the subject of the TV series... oh, well... :-P

The soundtrack composed by S.E.N.S. is outstanding, but today I'm offering to you just the OP and the two EDs released up to now. I'm not quite feeling the first one, but the second one, performed by rock band BUCK-TICK (again... don't ask...) is great. I've had a soft spot for them ever since they performed the great "Gessekai" as OP of the TV series "Nightwatcher" ^_^.

XXXholic
OP: "19sai" by Suga Shikao
ED1: "Reason" by FONOGENICO
ED2: "Kagerou" by BUCK-TICK

And finally we have the first OP & ED of "NANA", the story of two girls (both named Nana) that meet by chance on a train to Tokyo and end up sharing a flat and becoming great friends despite their many, many differences. Yes, you guessed it right. This is the adaptation from a shojo manga (comic with a young female target), but the author (Ai Yazawa) is not only an amazing artist but also a great storyteller and guys most probably won't feel embarassed giving it a try (and could probably learn a thing or two about female psychology in fact ^_^). It's not just the main characters trying to find love in a cheesy story. These are two strong character pursuing their dreams in the big town and trying to make it on their own. "Paradise Kiss", another one of Yazawa's most famous mangas, has a similar take on life and was recently adapted to animation as well, and you can check a glimpse of it in my previous Tommy February6 post of last June.

The last clip of today is thus the OP of the TV series NANA, which premiered... in April !! (Maybe I should've told you guys that the anime season starts in that month... :-P). Here you have it courtesy of UsagiTachi @ YouTube:

The song is "rose" by Anna Tsuchiya... who performed this song and appears in the video as one of the main characters (Nana Oosaki), the rock chick striving to make a name for herself in the punk world. The ED is a beautiful, BEAUTIFUL ballad sung by OLIVIA in the character of Reira, the leader of a band that is the rival of Nana's. Do yourselves a favor and check out these songs.

NANA
OP: "rose" by Anna Tsuchiya
ED: "A little pain" by OLIVIA

After the success of both singles, these singers put out a second OP and ED each, but I couldn't get my hands on them yet, so minna gomennasai ! :-P

As always, I hope you enjoy the music and let me know what you think. Keep watching this space for updates, even if there's only one each 5, 10 or 15 days... I appreciate your loyalty ! ^_^

Magic WANDS...

2006-08-30T09:10:00.000+02:00

Ohayo! At least to me... ^_^ I'm having breakfast in the early morning and blasting the hell out of the CD I'm posting today. You know, just to get in the right mood to talk to you a bit about WANDS, one of the most successful pop/rock bands of the last decade, and another one of those acts that you HAVE to know. This blog will attempt to cover the essentials of Jpop and anime music of the past years and jump to more recent stuff whenever I feel the whole page is turning too much into a vintage Jpop shrine. In any case, even if some material may sound dated, be sure it is quality music and bare with me... I grew up listening to much of this stuff ! ^_-
So WANDS is a trio formed in 1991 by main vocalist Sho Uesugi, guitarist Hiroshi Shibasaki, and keyboardist Kousuke Oshima (the coolest looking guy behind the keyboards... ever! He looks like he was part of the original lineup of Pizzicato 5). The group disbanded in 2000, so there are no longer among us... but they made sure to leave behind a string of infectious hits to be remembered for.

Sho is a hell of a singer and performer, with a great voice for rock, though -truth be told- some of their songs are more on the pop side, dominated by Kousuke's keyboard rather than by Hiroshi's electric guitar. Just like B'z, they seem to have favored more agressive rock arrangements as years went by... and also as the musical taste of the masses switched to that kind of sound. The album posted below, "Best of WANDS History" is a true testament to the evolution of their music.

Their early material may easily be mistaken for B'z songs. The reason is simple: WANDS and B'z belonged to the same recording company -the BEING studio- who housed as well other immensely popular acts of the 90's in Japan, such as ZARD and DEEN. BEING was the most successful music company of the first half of the 90's in Japan, and counted among their ranks with producer extraordinaire Tetsuro Oda. This man was responsible for many of WANDS and B'z hits, and later devoted the last half of the 90's to model the sound of my girl Nanase Aikawa. Oda, to me, is a true music genius and a great musician himself (a guitarist that has released albums on his own) and I should put up one day a compilation of my favorite tracks produced by him.

Back to WANDS, they debuted on the music charts with their 1991 ballad "Sabishisa wa Aki no Iro", to which followed the single "Furimuite Dakishimete" in May 1992, just before putting out their debut self-titled album one month later. Both singles are mysteriously absent in the compilation you'll find below, but at least I can provide you with the music videos of them, courtesy of aleose 85 & YouTube. And before you start cracking up at their hairstyle and fashion sense, remember this was 15 years ago ! ^_^:

Poppy, right ? Just like a carbon copy of B'z first songs... After listening to the album, you'll let me know if you think they should've been there anyway. The compilation below at least includes all three of their songs contributed to anime series. The album kicks start with, undoubtedly, their most famous song in the fandom: the 2nd ED of the TV adaptation of the manga "Slam Dunk", "Sekai ga Owaru made wa" ("Til' the end of the world"). Such a brilliant song and performance by Sho... another instant classic in the fandom. Here is the clip, courtesy of jomarjerome @ YouTube, and if you didn't enjoy the previous two clips don't worry, the majority of the album below rather sounds like this:

Their other contributions to animation projects are the first ED to the Yuugi Oh TV series (track 11 of the CD below) and an ED as well for Dragon Ball GT. Oh, though not any ED... they had the privilege of recording the song (track 10) to match the very last images that the Japanese saw in the long, long, loooong saga that is the classic TV series of Dragon Ball. Those three tracks are among my favorites of this compilation, together with tracks 3, 4 and the great, amazing "Secret Night" (track 7). Track 12 in the original CD was a live, short version of "Sekaijuu no Dare Yori Kitto" performed with Miho Nakayama. I dared to replace that version in the tracklisting with the actual studio version of that song, for you to fully enjoy it.

After breaking up as a group, Sho continued in music performing solo and his first album ("Blackout in the Galaxy") came out last February. Can't wait to get a copy of that one... Here's "Best of WANDS History", a collection of songs taken from the five albums they released throughout the 90's... as always, I appreciate if you leave any comments on the music.

Play it on a loop: Maaya Sakamoto

2006-08-23T20:31:00.000+02:00

On the menu for today we have one of the most beautiful female voices that has ever graced anime music... ever ! ^_^ Many would agree with me on stating that any newcomer to J-pop and anime music must be acquainted as soon as possible with the talent of Maaya Sakamoto. This young woman initiated her career in a quite unusual way: in 1996, at age 16, she was an unknown girl in high school that was personally chosen by famous composer Yoko Kanno for performing songs for a project to which she had been hired to compose the soundtrack. The project in question was the TV series "Tenkuu no Escaflowne", marketed for Western audiences under the name of "The Vision of Escaflowne". Check the entry I wrote about the soundtrack to the movie made off this TV series by clicking the month of "March" in the Archives to your right.

"Escaflowne" became one of the most successful TV series of the last decade, gaining legions of fans in both the specialized media and the general public, and Maaya not only sang the opening to the TV series, but also was cast as the voice of the character Hitomi Kanzaki. This was a controversial decision, since Hitomi was the main character and it was being trusted to a complete unknown high-school girl with no previous work as a seiyuu ! Still, despite her inexperience, Maaya delivered a brilliant performance and captivated everybody with her sweet voice. This was the beginning of an intense career for Maaya as a singer, seiyuu and regular actress. Enjoy the clip that started it all, the opening of Escaflowne (the song is "Yakusoku wa iranai"):

After the Escaflowne project, Maaya & Yoko Kanno developed a friendship and professional relationship that would last to this day. Kanno produced her first album: 1997's "Grapefruit". It contained many songs from Escaflowne as well as new tracks that combined very well the voice of this young girl with the ecclectic sound Kanno is known for as an arranger. From then on, Kanno would involve Maaya each time she would be asked to compose the soundtrack to a new anime project. Thus, Maaya's voice graces the soundtracks of series like "Brain Powerd", "Wolf's Rain" and "Earth Girl Arjuna", but Maaya & Kanno songs have also been featured in TV series even if Kanno was not the composer in charge of the soundtrack. That is the case for "Card Captor Sakura", "CLAMP School Detectives" and "Rahxephon", for example.

Gradually, Maaya started to become more involved in her music by writing the lyrics of her songs while Kanno and frequent collaborator Yuuho Iwasato handled music and arrangements. Maaya kept on releasing albums with them on an almost annual basis: 1998's DIVE, 1999's Hotchpotch, 2001's Lucy (and later that year an EP called "Easy Listening"), 2003's albums Shounen Alice & Nikopachi. Both "Hotchpotch" & "Nikopachi" are in fact compilations of different single tracks that she recorded for anime or game soundtracks. In them we can find jewels such as "Kiseki no Umi" (opening of the TV series of Record of Lodoss War) and "Gravity" (ending of Wolf's Rain) that any person able to hear should treat themselves with ^_^. Check out the PV (Promotional Video) for the latter song, which is in English, courtesy of randymatsunaga @ YouTube:

Beautiful song, don't you think ?! :-) Finally, in 2005, Maaya decided to record an album without the supervision of Yoko Kanno. That is the post of today, the album "Yunagi Loop".

Maaya right now keeps herself extremely busy as a seiyuu in anime and videogames, and also dubbing famous female roles for the Japanese versions of many blockbusters. She's the voice of Padme Amidala in the Star Wars prequels, of Kate Brewster in "T3: Rise of the Machines", of Lisa in Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball, of Max in the TV series "Dark Angel"... The list is impressive and keeps being updated. She also debuted on theatre in the role of Eponine in the musical Les Miserables... there's nothing she can't do.
In the anime department, her latest contributions have been the endings "Loop" (included in the album below) and "Kazemachi no Jet" to the TV series of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles... yet another CLAMP creation !! (I swear I'm not making this on purpose... :-P).

For now, enjoy Maaya Sakamoto's 2005 album "Yunagi LOOP" ! I must admit that "Lucy" and "Easy Listening" are still my favorites, since I grow too used to the Kanno touch in her songs, but I thought of posting her latest offering to keep you updated on what her material is sounding right now... Let me know what you think !

You gotta love the Japanese... (III)

2006-08-23T11:02:00.000+02:00

Oh, God... It's been a while since I last laughed so much with a TV series, and I had to talk to you a bit about it because it deserves much more exposure than it originally had. I came across the following clip by chance in YouTube and the insanity portrayed in it was enough to catch my attention. See... the series is called "Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan" and initially you would think by the title that it is yet another Magical Girl series (these series just love to include the word "Tenshi" -"Angel"- in their titles). This first impression would be reinforced by the main character's design: a very cute girl drawn in typical shojo manga style that uses an asset for casting a certain spell. But then, looking closely, you realise that the tool she uses is a metal bat with creepy looking spikes and that "Bokusatsu" means literally "Club-you-to-death" !!

Enjoy the insanity that is "Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan" with this first look at its opening clip, and then I'll go on with my rant:

Amazing, ah ? This is proof that the Japanese produce animation for all ages and gender groups in whatever possible genre :-). Just reading the lyrics of the opening song I knew I was hooked ^_^ Well, it turns out she really is an Angel, sent from the future by God to kill a teenager that would cause many problems when he gets older. But instead of doing that, she decides to stay at his place and try to reform him. The problem is that she's very childish, moody and unstable, so whenever she's pissed she would grab her club and savagely kill him or whoever is around in the most gory and bloody way imaginable. Then, when she gets back to her senses, she sincerely asks for forgiveness and with her magical spell ("Pipiru piru piru pipirupi") (?!) she brings them back to life ! I hadn't seen so much blood on TV since "Elfen Lied" ! The series is full of parodies to magical girl series and other anime titles and of course has a rather sick sense of humour, but then again... so do I, so I strongly recommend the eight 15-minute episodes produced. You can watch them in YouTube by typing "Dokuro-chan" in the search bar. If you watch the first episode and laugh with what happens at the 1:22 minute, then go on... it's for you ! ^_-
Here is the full song for your hearing pleasure, performed by the talented seiyuu Saeko Chiba, who was cast as Dokuro herself.

I'll be back soon with a full album ! Pipiru piru piru pipirupiiiiiii ! :-P

Introducing: ayaka

2006-08-20T12:01:00.000+02:00

Hi, peeps ! Last week, J was nice enough to share with us all a song by newcomer ayaka , and I found the song so good and her voice so beautiful, that I HAD to do some research on her and get more info and material of her just-starting career ^_^. Ayaka Iida (her full name) was born in 1987 in Osaka and debuted last February in the music scene with the ballad "I believe", which reached #3 in the Oricon Charts in its first week, making it the highest debut entry by a female singer since 1998, when Hikaru Utada kick started her career at #2 with her double A-side first single "Automatic/time will tell".

"I believe" was used as the theme song of Japanese TV drama "Rondo". This wouldn't be her sole contribution to a TV project, since, as J pointed out, her third and last single up to now ("Real Voice") is the ending song of TV drama "Supli".
Check her out performing "I believe", live @ Music Station TV show, courtesy of littlefairyfromnam @ YouTube:

Her first album ("First Message") is scheduled for release next month, and I can't wait to see if she delivers the goods that her three singles have been foreshadowing. Her style reminds me a bit of Chihiro Yonekura at times, but it has a more folksy/guitar-driven feel than the straightaway pop that Chihiro can come up with. Among her influences, she cites the likes of The Beatles, Sheryl Crow, Carole King and Dreams Come True... and I think their influence on her music is palpable.
Here is her single discography up to the moment !

Ayaka - I believe
Released on 02.01.2006
Tracks:
1) I believe
2) Yume no kakera
3) I believe (instrumental version)

Ayaka - Melody ~sounds real~
Released on 05.10.2006
Tracks:
1) Melody ~sounds real~
2) Blue days
3) Melody ~sounds real~ Live Version
4) Sha la la Live Version
5) Blue days Live Version

Ayaka - Real Voice
Released on 07.19.2006
Tracks:
1) Real Voice
2) Peace loving people
3) Real Voice (instrumental version)

Thanks again to J for the track, and the rest of you, keep those contributions coming this way ! :-)

Just Wild Beat Two-Mix Music !

2006-08-15T10:50:00.000+02:00

Hi, everybody... This week we have another BEST OF compilation album by another group commonly associated with animation: Two-Mix. This duo have been putting out great techno/dance music since 1995, but in fact both members had known each other since early in the 90's and had previously worked as a group named "S Connection" and even released an album under that name. Two-Mix is composed of Nagano Shiina in lyrics and synths and Minami Takayama in vocals and composition. Their link to anime projects is not only the result of their energetic music being selected as openings of TV series, but also because Minami happens to be one of the best and most prolific seiyuus (voice actresses) of her generation...

In fact, in Japan, seiyuus are true celebrities. Almost all of them (male and female) are also singers... with a varying degree of accomplishment... :-S Singing is an important part of their studies for becoming professional seiyuus, since whenever a TV series is successful and its characters become popular, they are invariably called to contribute their vocals for "character songs". These songs are either featured in the original soundtrack of the series, or in "character song collections"; that is, CDs that assemble songs sang "in character's voice" by the seiyuus. These albums can actually move a lot of copies ! Minami (whose real name is Izumi Arai) is actually one of the few seiyuus that managed to have a music career in a mainstream group and not only as a seiyuu singing anime music on her own (à la Megumi Hayashibara or Junko Iwao, for example). Minami is fondly remembered as the voice of lovely Kiki in Hayao Miyazaki's excellent movie "Kiki's Delivery Service", as the nutcase Dilandau in "Escaflowne" or the bitchy Nabiki in "Ranma 1/2". Her versatility and talent as actress is well proven by now, and can currently be appreciated in the role of Conan Edogawa in the mega-hit "Meitantei Conan" (a series I seem always to end up talking about, for one reason or another...).

Two-Mix became famous after contributing two opening songs for the TV series Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, as well as an ending song for its continuation in OVA format. In the fandom, they were embraced as soon as the first notes of the first of their opening songs for Gundam Wing aired for the first time ^_^. There is no anime fan in their 20's that doesn't recognize the opening music and lyrics of "Just Communication" ("Just wild beat communication/ Ame ni utare nagara..."). Here you have that milestone clip, courtesy of Darkhell @ YouTube:

Great, uh ? :-) Yeah, I thought so... Their music (just like Romantic Mode's) matched perfectly the imagery of a long-lasting science fiction series such as Gundam. After releasing the singles "Just Communication", "Rhythm Emotion" and "White Reflection" for the Gundam saga, Two-Mix released their first album entitled "BPM 132" in 1995, to which 3 (three!) others would follow throughout 1996 ("BPM 143", "BPM 150 Max" & "Two ->Re(Mix)"). In 1997, their first compilation album ("BPM Best Files", the post for today) was released but they wouldn't slow down their pace: two other CDs were put out that same year, three others along 1998, two in 1999... it was rather hard to keep track of the releases of these two ! Fortunately, if you want more information on them, you can find on the net places like this that should give you a hand with a (more or less) complete discography.

Knowing that their fan base was in its majority anime fans, Two-Mix attached a bonus CDRom to the album I'm posting today. It included an animated music video to "White Reflection" that boasted animation of OVA quality featuring animated versions of the members of the duo chasing a mysterious light all across the USA. Blink and you'll miss the World Trade Center Twin Towers there. I think that, besides being a nice gesture to fans, the clip is really well-made and synchronized with both music and lyrics. Here you have it, courtesy of Darki @ YouTube:

And what is of them right now ? Well, after 2003 they have vanished a bit as a group... Minami continues her acting career; most notably, still in the role of Conan after more than 450 episodes now ! But she also has slowed down a bit on her professional life after marrying last year... to Gosho Aoyama, the creator of "Meitantei Conan" !! That was new to me, I had no idea... Good catch, Minami !
In any case, here you have the album for a sample of their early work in the mid-90's. Enjoy it in a loud volume ^_^. My favorite (besides the Gundam tracks, which are the first three) is "Diving to Paradise"...

Chara: A sip of Caramel Milk

2006-08-09T10:50:00.000+02:00

This week I finally reached 10.000 visitors... ^_^ I can't help but to be happy for this achievement, even though I'm perfectly aware that what took me 6 months, other music bloggers around managed to achieve in only 3 weeks ! Well, let's say that the idea behind this blog was never to become the most popular site for music around. I could have joined the community of blogs that provide you with the latest downloads of the most listened-to styles in music right now. But my intention for "Kanaete" was instead to introduce newcomers to anime/manga and Japanese culture in general through the great music that is produced in the island. If the subject matter I picked for my blog meant to sabotage its popularity from the start, then so be it... :-P But with an average of a hundred visitors a day, and a few comments from time to time, I'm more than satisfied. Specially if many in the process got to overcome the language barrier and learnt to appreciate music for what it is and what it is meant to produce in us. You know, this place hasn't really benefited from publicity other than the kind cross-references featured in the blogs of a group of people who have seen my work, liked it, and judged it merited further exposition... To those people (Toya, Etienne, Monica, Knotie, Aaryn, Jessica, Lee, OC Team and the rest), I'd like to express my gratitude ! :-)

Enough of my rants ! ^_^ Today I have the privilege of introducing you to another great artist: Chara. Chara (whose real name is Miwa Satou) is a singer/songwriter born in 1968 that plays a variety of instruments but masters in particular both guitar and piano. She became famous in Japan in the early 90's, thanks to the success of her first album ("Sweet") released in 1991. Her style is certainly difficult to classify, as it is frequently the case for artists fully compromised with their music and their artistry. Chara has toyed with indie pop, alternative rock, folk and even trip-hop. What is characteristic of Chara is her voice and singing style. I'll be the first to admit that because of her childish-sounding voice her music is not for everybody, but if you let yourself get carried away by the musicality of her compositions and dig her lyrics, you're in for quite a great ride !

After "Sweet", Chara put out albums on a yearly basis up to 1995, year of release of her first BEST OF compilation entitled "Baby Baby Baby XXX" (?!). In order, those CDs were "Soul Kiss", "Violet Blue" and "Happy Toy". In 1996 she joined briefly the Yen Town Band as a vocalist and released an album with them, but this period in her life was rather characterised by her incursion into acting. She starred in "Swallowtail", an indie movie directed by Shunji Iwai, in which she played Glico, a cheerful prostitute who takes care of an orphan girl. She got good reviews for her performance and later that same year she starred as Coco in another Iwai project: the short film "Picnic". On the set of this latter production, she met actor Tadanobu Asano, who would later become her husband and father of her two children.

After the hiatus that filming, marriage and motherhood meant for Chara, she would resume her solo music career in late 1997 with the album "Junior Sweet", to which followed "Strange Fruits" (1999), "Madrigal" (2001) and "Yoake Mae" in 2003. What you have below is "Caramel Milk: The Best of Chara", her second BEST OF album put out in 2000 for compiling songs from this second stage of her career. You'll find below the tracklisting of the album in the comments section, because I forgot once again to edit the tags before uploading (gomen, gomen... :-S).

Chara is not an artist that has collaborated with anime projects at all. But you are probably going to see her name associated with the song "Himegoto", the first ED of the TV series "Vandread". Be careful, though ! That is not Chara singing that song, but another artist that goes by the name of SiLC and that -let's put it this way- must be a huge Chara fan because she sounds almost identical to her... Chara has indeed her share of followers inside music, and has influenced the likes of Bonnie Pink, Cocco and a whole generation of other female singer/songwriters in the Jmusic world.

Credit for the photos and some of the info included in this article goes to Project J, a now defunct site that used to feature the profiles of many Jpop & Jrock acts and that shares the goals of "Kanaete". It's a pity it's not around anylonger... It was a great place for getting some more info on Chara, specially about her complete discography.

Enjoy the album and let me know your views, dammit ! :-P

You gotta love the Japanese... (II)

2006-08-07T18:36:00.000+02:00

This is the section conceived to show to you the weird and the funny... and for today's offering I found something really special ^_^. First, it is important, absolutely necessary, that you see this clip:

That was the first OP of beloved TV series Card Captor Sakura, another CLAMP creation and arguably the most successful they ever had in both paper and animated versions. It has been aired in most Western countries, so I guess many of you know it at least by seeing the TV ads for it. It's one of my all-time favorites. It's really great and worth checking out. The song is "Catch you, catch me" by GUMI, and it's already a classic in the fandom...
Anyway ! Now... well, take a look... AT THIS !!! :

Words that come to mind include "scary", "hilarious", "disturbing", "embarrassing", "brave", "awesome"... the list goes on and on. I don't know who the hell that guy and his friends are, but this goes beyond an otaku hommage to achieve status of crime against humanity... :-P Like I said in the previous post for this section, if this doesn't motivate you to leave comments, then nothing will !!
I'll be back soon with some music ^_-