mini – Girls Spirit (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)
September 1, 2010 by Dennis Amith · 1 Comment
Fashion model mini returns with her second single produced by JIN and nishi-ken of High speed boys inc. Definitely enjoy the music arrangement and the energy of her tracks! Definitely a pop star to keep your eyes on!
ARTIST: mini
CD SINGLE: Girls Spirit
LABEL: Cutting Edge
CATALOG #: CTCR–40318
DURATION: 13:13
RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2010
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- GiRLS SPiRiT
- Dear Friend
- Baby baBy
“GiRLS SPiRiT” is the second single to come from fashion model and modeling agency president turned pop star mini (note: the lower case name and her title tracks and lyrics tend to use a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters).
Known for her long legs and gracing fashion magazines such as “JELLY” and “BLENDA”, the model had always wanted to be a pop star and with the support and backing by popular music producers JIN and nishi-ken of High Speed Boyz, inc.
The single kicks of with “GiRLS SPiRiT”, an energetic, upbeat synth-pop driven track (and a song that is being used for the latest mini/Häagen-Dazs commercials in Japan), while the second track “Dear Friend” is an easily accessible J-pop driven track. While the third track “Baby baBy” starts off with an arrangement that seems like you are listening to classic Depeche Mode but transitions into a more pop track which compliments mini’s vocals.
What I enjoy about the the musical arrangement of this track and other mini-tracks on this single is that you can sense a mix of modern progressive synth pop but also get a taste of classic, old school synth pop fused together for pop tracks that are full of energy.
The CD insert comes with the production credits and lyrics to the three songs.
I have to say that I am surprised that she is on the Cutting Edge label considering her songs are more Avex Trax club-inspired. But I really dig the musical arrangement for mini’s songs and it will be interesting to see if she can achieve success like fellow model turned pop star, hitomi.
Overall, if you are a fan of mini’s music, definitely give “GiRLS SPiRiT” a try!
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SPEED – Yubiwa (指環) (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)
September 1, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
Another beautiful ballad single release from SPEED (their 18th single) sporting a beautiful ballad showing us their maturity as performers and an upbeat dance track. Featuring production by JIN and nishi-ken. Definitely another SPEED single worth checking out!
GROUP: SPEED
CD SINGLE: Yubiwa (指環)
LABEL: Sonic Groove
CATALOG #: AVCD-16214
DURATION: 19:00
RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2010
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- 指環 (Yubiwa)
- Tracks
- 指環 (Instrumental)
- Tracks (Instrumental)
For nearly 16 or 17 years, I have followed the Japanese female pop quartet SPEED. A group which consists of main vocalists Eriko Imai, Hiroko Shimabukuro and supporting vocalists/background dancers Takako Uehara and Hitoe Arakaki.
Purchasing singles, albums and videos when I was a college student and raiding Kinokuniya stores for any new release and then in Japan as I searched all over Tokyo and Yokohama for releases that I never owned and recording every performance from their earlier years on “The Yorumo Hit Parade” and seeing them grow up and mature before they called it quits in 2000 and to see them reunite once again in 2008.
Their latest, 18th single “Yubiwa” (指環, which translates to “Ring”) features two songs produced by nishi-ken and JIN. The first track “Yubiwa” is a beautiful pop ballad from the group. SPEED has had solid ballad singles in the past with “White Love” and “ALIVE” and for those who enjoyed those ballads will find “Yubiwa” to be another beautiful song.
Unlike the previous two tracks which they released back in the ’90s when they were teenagers, this time around, the ballad showcases the member’s maturity as women and you’re not going to hear Hiro’s high-pitched voice, instead you will get a more lower vocals which leads into the uplifting chorus.
And like previous SPEED singles, there has to be an upbeat track and in this case, the coupling song “Tracks” features a more synth-pop dance track arranged by nishi-ken. And it’s another coupling that probably could have functioned easily as a single release. It’s well-done and definitely like the musical arrangement with the beats and the overall energy of the track.
The remaining two tracks are the instrumental versions of “Yubiwa” and “Tracks”.
The CD insert comes with the lyrics and production credits to the two songs and comes with mini-inserts promoting SPEED’s upcoming live concert DVD to be released in November and a Vision Factory insert promoting the group’s website.
Also, released simultaneously with this single is a CD+DVD version which includes the music video for “Yubiwa” plus two other tracks.
Overall, another solid CD single from SPEED and showing us that they can continue to produce awesome music. Definitely worth checking out!
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Anna Tsuchiya – Brave Vibration (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)
August 22, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
A summer rock single from Anna Tsuchiya and a DVD showing her more of a sexy side to this pop star.
ARTIST: Anna Tsuchiya
CD SINGLE: Brave Vibration
LABEL: Cutting Edge
CATALOG #: CTCR-40291/B
DURATION: 12:04
RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2009
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- Brave vibration
- Sweet Rishi boy
- Loser!
- Brave Vibration – Music Clip
- Anna Tsuchiya Anessa Shiseido Commercial
I really enjoy Anna Tsuchiya’s music. Probably because she’s one of the most unpredictable music artists in Japan, although not fluent, she likes to sing in English and she has this spunky attitude that shows in her music videos, concert performance and sometimes the characters she plays in a movie.
With her single “Brave Vibration”, I’m going to tell you the truth. When I first listened to this CD single, I wasn’t digging it and I shelved it for months. And as I saw the CD single still laying on my desk, I figured that it is probably time that I relisten to this single and you know, it’s actually not bad and some tracks are good while a track on the single is a bit kitschy.
The single kicks off with her single “Brave vibration”. A pretty cool rock/pop song that is consistent with her previous singles. The track is written by Michiko Motohashi and music and arrangement is by COZZI. A pretty good track from Tsuchiya.
But the single that I didn’t dig as much is “Sweet Rishi boy”, written by LISA and produced by m-flo’s Taku Takahashi. As much as I love LISA and Taku Takahashi’s work, I wasn’t digging this track at all. The track is all in English but the lyrics is what turned me off, the music arrangement is not bad.
The third single “Loser!” is another all English track featuring music and arrangement by Anna-Maria La Spina and Dan Gaufreau. Overall, another cool rock-driven track that is very consistent with Tsuchiya’s music.
But I noticed that there was no Tsuchiya written lyrics on this single and I miss that because typically her lyrics are a bit dirty and she has been doing this for a good number of singles.
As for the CD insert, the insert is a tri-fold with lyrics and production credits for the single. Also, included is a promo insert for mu-mo.net.
As for the DVD, the DVD comes with the music video for “Brave Vibration” and where we usually see videos of Anna Tsuchiya looking as if she wants to kick your ass, “Brave Vibration” features the singer/model in a bikini singing on the beach and singing on top of a building. Overall, a pretty cool music video, especially if you are a fan of Anna Tsuchiya. Also, included is the commercial for Shiseido’s suntan lotion Annessa which features Anna Tsuchiya and the song “Brave Vibration”.
Overall, “Brave Vibration” was a single that grew on me the second time I listened to it and I actually enjoyed the song and the second coupling track quite a bit. If you are a Anna Tsuchiya fan, this single is definitely worth checking out, especially for the CD+DVD version.
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Stereopony – Hanbunko (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)
August 1, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
An enjoyable, energetic sixth single from the all-female teen rock trio, Stereopony.
ARTIST: Stereopony (ステレオポニー)
CD SINGLE: Hanbunko (はんぶんこ)
LABEL: Sony Music Records Inc.
CATALOG #: SRCL-7206
DURATION: 16:46
RELEASE DATE: February 17, 2010
- Hanbunko
- cherry my…
- Dreamin’
- Hanbunko -Instrumental-
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“Hanbunko” marks the sixth single for all-female teen rock trio Stereopony and their first single for 2010.
The single is features a song written by Shinichi Tsutsumi and a song directed and produced by BOND. The track features an upbeat rock track with pretty awesome chord progressions from vocalist/guitarist AIMI, bass courtesy of NOHANA and percussion from SHIHO. The track is consistent with the band’s previous single release and for the most part another solid single from the trio.
The second track “cherry my…” is a more milder tempo track which transitions into a more catchy chorus. The song is written by AIMI and is a more laid back track and bass and percussion is more pronounced for the song. But I admit listening to this song a lot and it has to do with more of AMI’s chorus. I found to be catchy and a bit addicting.
The third track “Dreamin’” is your typical coupling type track but I dig the arrangement for this track. The track is written by NOHANA and features music by AIMI and the song is good and I like how it transitions to a more faster-paced chorus. And rounding out the single is the instrumental for “Hanbunko” for the fourth track.
The single insert features the lyrics for the three songs and production credit. Also, a mini insert promoting the website and receiving information via mobile.
Overall, I have listened to this CD single quite a bit since it was first released and the fact that it has been in my rotation for quite awhile now is a positive. I found the single to be fun, energetic and more the most part enjoyable. If you are a fan of Stereopony’s music, definitely give this single at try.
Kana Nishino – Aitakute Aitakute (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)
July 2, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
Kana Nishino’s eleventh single showcases the young R&B artist with a smooth R&B ballad and two more upbeat tracks. A solid single overall!
ARTIST: Kana Nishino
CD SINGLE: Aitakute Aitakute
LABEL: SME Records
CATALOG #: SECL 864
DURATION: 11:56
RELEASE DATE: May 19, 2010
Since Kana Nishino’s debut in 2007, the young Sony Music Entertainment R&B artist has been doing quite well in the Japanese music charts.
Her eleventh single “Aitakute Aitakute” (I Miss You, I Miss You) is produced by Giorgio Cancemi and features a smooth R&B ballad. The song beautifully combines piano with cool beats for an R&B sound. A passionate track which debuted at #1 on the RIAJ Digital Track Chart (her fourth single to achieve #1) and #2 on the Oricon Charts. The song was used in the commercial campaign for jewelry company GemCerey.
The coupling track “Love Is Blind” features an upbeat club track produced by Hiro and is used on the Yukina Kinoshita Aeon commercial in Japan. Truthfully, this track could have been a double A-sided single. Very catchy, upbeat and a very cool song!
As for the final track, “Grab Bag”, I personally would have named it “Mixed Bag” because of it’s unusual music arrangement, especially during the chorus which it seems it didn’t match at all. I dig the beats by DJ Mass but the music around the chorus just seems off. The song is presented primarily in English.
The CD insert comes with a booklet with photos of Kana Nishino, lyrics, production credits, a sticker sheet featuring Kana Nishino and a small insert with her concert information for “Kanayan Tour 2010 ~Autumn~”.
Overall, the “Aitakute Aitakute” single has two solid tracks and shows how Nishino can easily take on the R&B and club-style of music tracks. The third track was OK but its arrangement during the chorus was not all that. But overall, another solid single from Kana Nishino.
The Pillows & Ben Kweller – Lightning Runaway – No Music. No Life.-
June 18, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
An enjoyable collaboration with Japanese alternative rock band The Pillows and San Francisco artist Ben Kweller for a single celebrating Tower Record Japan’s 30th Anniversary. For The Pillows fans, “Lightning Runaway – No Music. No Life-” is an enjoyable single worth checking out, if you can find it!
ARTIST: The Pillows & Ben Kweller
CD SINGLE: Lightning Runaway – No Music. No Life -
LABEL: avex trax
CATALOG #: AVC1-31686
DURATION: 2:27
RELEASE DATE: September 2, 2009
- Lightning Runaway – No Music. No Life.-
With the 30th Anniversary of Tower Records Japan (which was run independent from the international chain), one of the largest music retail outlets in the world, the company celebrated its anniversary with a compilation album titled “No Music, No Life. Songs.” (The motto has been part of Tower Records along with their “Face the Music!”).
One of the singles from the album featured Japanese alternative rock band the Pillows and San Francisco singer/songwriter/musician Ben Kweller and was a low-priced one-track single at 500 Yen to promote the compilation album.
The single featured the track “Lightning Runaway ~no music, no life~”, an all-English rock track featuring lyrics and vocals by Ben Kweller and music by vocalist Sawao Yamanaka. The track features rock music ala “The Pillows” style with guitars by Sawao Yamanaka and Yoshiaki Manabe and pretty cool percussion courtesy of Shin’ichiro Sato. The Pillows provide the music and the background vocals to Kweller and for the most part, the track is an enjoyable track with a pretty cool musical arrangement.
The CD insert features the English lyrics and the Japanese translation of the lyrics.
Overall, for fans of the Pillows, “Lightning Runaway – No Music. No Life.-” is a single worth checking out if you can find it. Although not a difficult single to find (if you are in Shibuya, Japan) but because it is a Tower Records exclusive, TRJ is the only outlet this single can be purchased. Check it out!
YUI – to Mother (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)
June 9, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
“to Mother” continues YUI’s streak of #1 hit singles on the music charts.”to Mother” is another single to showcase her beautiful vocals, songwriting and music talent. Definitely one of the best Japanese music artists with pure talent in Japan right now. Highly recommended!
ARTIST: YUI
CD SINGLE: to Mother
LABEL: Sony Music Records Inc.
CATALOG #: SRCL-7273
DURATION: 14:00
RELEASE DATE: June 2, 2010
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- to Mother
- Tonight
- GLORIA ～YUI Acoustic Version～
- To Mother ～Instrumental～
One again YUI receives her fifth straight consecutive #1 song on the Oricon Charts with her single “to Mother”. A slower-paced, piano-driven song written by YUI to her mother.
If anything, it’s known about how YUI has a strong bond but difficult time with her mother who raised her without a father and YUI’s challenges as challenge as a teen as she quit school to pursue music as a career. The song is more or less, memories of her mother and moments they shared together. And even possibly a moment at times when YUI was younger, running out of the house after an argument with her mother and the two getting into argument. While listening to the lyrics, I often wonder if the song was one of the songs she wrote when she was younger. But definitely a heartfelt song. And I believe this is the first song which showcases the piano over the acoustic guitar.
The second track “Tonight” is a fast-paced rock track sung by YUI and features an arrangement by Yu Odakura. The overall track is pretty awesome and I like the electric guitars playing through the background. Overall, an awesome rock track from YUI.
And the third track continues YUI’s acoustic versions of her previous released singles and in this case, an acoustic version of her hit single “GLORIA”. Once again, another awesome acoustic version that really showcases her beautiful vocals.
The fourth track features the instrumental version of “to Mother”.
The CD single insert features a bi-fold with lyrics to all three tracks and production credits. On back of the single is a flap that features a sticker of YUI playing the piano.
Overall, another wonderful single from YUI and once again, a single that showcases her talent as a singer/songwriter and musician. “to Mother” is highly recommended!
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TUBE – Shakunetsu Love (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)
June 8, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
TUBE is back with their 51st CD single and it’s another solid summer release from the band!
BAND: TUBE
CD SINGLE: Shakunetsu Love
LABEL: Sony Music Associated Records, Inc.
CATALOG #: AICL-2132~3
DURATION: 15:53
RELEASE DATE: June 2, 2010
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- 灼熱らぶ
- 絆
- 恋してムーチョ (Remixed by Piston Nishizawa)
- 灼熱らぶ (Instrumental)
In Japan, since 1985, TUBE has been known for being the ultimate Summer band. With releases primarily released only in the summer, TUBE is considered as one of Japan’s consistent bands that has been producing music for over 25 years.
Since 1990 through 2004, the group has had a single in the Oricon Charts top 10 and have been one of more successful bands in Japanese music history.
The band consists of Nobuteru Maeda, Michiya Haruhata, Hideyuki Kakuno and Ryoji Matsumoto.
This summer, the group has released their 51st CD single “Shakunetsu Love” (or Idol Burning Love), a summer-themed surf rock single featuring lyrics by Nobuteru Maeda and music by Haruhata Michiya. The band has remained consistent with their Summer/Surf-themed singles and “Shakunetsu Love” is a pretty cool single.
The coupling track “絆” (which translates to the word “bond”) is a mellow rock ballad and actually could have been a single on its own. It’s an awesome ballad!
But the surprising track on the single is a remix by Asia Engineer’s Piston Nishazawa of the band’s 1994 and 19th hit single “Koishite Mucho”. It’s a tropical remix but it’s well-done and features the hip hop group Asia Engineer bringing their rhymes to the single. It’s an awesome remix!
And the final track on the album is the instrumental version of “Shakunetsu Love”.
The limited edition that I am reviewing comes with the lyrics to the three vocal tracks an an insert for the fans of the upcoming TUBE live concert and for this limited edition, this CD single comes with a jewel case and inside is a June 2010- May 2011 calendar.
Overall, this is another wonderful TUBE CD Single and ever summer I always look forward to this band’s latest release. Definitely recommended!
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m.o.v.e. – Fate Seeker (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)
May 31, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
The 30th CD Single “Fate Seeker” features a tie-in with the online video game “TARTAROS” and also features a more return to basics ala post-Boulder for the group.
ARTIST: m.o.v.e
CD SINGLE: Fate Seeker
LABEL: avex tune
CATALOG #: AVCT-30130
DURATION: 27:48
RELEASE DATE: January 13, 2010
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- Fate Seeker
- Blue Trail
- Fate Seeker – Motsu’s Hip House Remix
- Fate Seeker – T-Kimura’s Electro Remix-
- Fate Seeker – Instrumental -
- Blue Trail – Instrumental -
For over a decade, the synth pop group m.o.v.e has been entertaining fans with their style of pop music. Known for their tracks for the anime and video game series “Initial D”, the group is back once again with a new single, their first since “Dive Into Stream” (July 2008).
In many ways, “Fate Seeker” feels as if T-Kimura was making a return to the early 2000 style (ala years of Decadence) with “Fate Seeker”. We see both T-Kimura and motsu returning with remix versions of the main title track and a more experimental approach by T-Kimura when it comes to the musical arrangement.
“Fate Seeker” is a track that features Yuri’s vocals, motsu’s rap and T-Kimura’s synth strings and metronomic-like beats. While “Blue Trail” is reminiscent to the group’s upbeat synth style and to be truthful, “Blue Trail” was a track that I enjoyed more than “Fate Seeker”. I like beat arrangement and how the song complimented Yuri’s vocals and motsu’s rap. And definitely enjoyed the musical and beat arrangement from T-Kimura for this track. In a way, without sounding too Eurobeat, it had that “Initial D” style of flair.
The 3rd and 4th tracks feature Motsu and T-Kimura’s remix versions of “Fate Seeker”. With Motsu’s more house-driven but also using the vocalyzer a bit more on Yuri’s vocals, while T-Kimura gives a more electronic remix for the track.
The final two tracks are the instrumental versions of both vocal tracks.
As for the CD insert, included are the lyrics for the single while the back cover (the wordtype is in blue foil) of the CD case is used for the front cover. Included is a mini-insert promting Yukari Tamura’s “My Wish My Love”, m.o.v.e’s upcoming album and a dual campaign for “Fate Seeker” and “TARTAROS” online video game.
If anything, “Fate Seeker” is a pretty good m.o.v.e. single but it all depends if you are still open to their style of music which they have been doing since the ’90s. Although, not Eurobeat-driven like the group was known for back then, for those m.o.v.e fans who like the more synth pop driven style from the group (post-”Boulder”) will find their 30th single to be another enjoyable release, while others may have grown tired by it. Although, “Fate Seeker” is nothing groundbreaking, it’s a music style that the group is known for and that fans appreciate.
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alan – Swear (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)
May 31, 2010 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
Although alan is identified more for her beautiful ballads, “Swear” features two well-done upbeat tracks but can fans accept the upbeat, pop-side of alan? I suppose time will tell but overall, I felt that “Swear” was a solid pop single!
ARTIST: alan
CD SINGLE: Swear
LABEL: avex trax
CATALOG #: AVCD-31737
DURATION: 18:13
RELEASE DATE: November 4, 2009
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- Swear
- Beauty
- Swear (Instrumental)
- Beauty (Instrumental)
Alan has had a successful 2009 with having two successful ballads “Kuon no Kawa” (which made her the first Chinese artist in Japan to achieve a #1 ranking on the Oricon Daily Charts) and with “Ballad (Namonaki Koi no Uta)”, alan returns with her 11th CD single titled “Swear”.
The track is written by Aico and Yuka Miyagawa and produced by Kazuhito Kikuchi and features two upbeat tracks “Swear” and “Beauty”. The former is used as a theme song for Bourbon’s Blanchul Mini Series commercial and the latter isused for Yomeishu’s Re:on Nutrition Drink Product”.
My first impression with this single was that alan was going to need an upbeat pop single. Known for her beautiful vocals and each ballad being quite enjoyable (and it’s important to note that I love her ballads), as an avex trax artist, you kind of expect to see a pop track but I’ve asked myself the question many times of “how would her pop music be differentiated from the many female vocalists on the label?”.
And sure enough, “Swear” is a perfect answer to that question. The track is fun, upbeat and catchy. No bump and grind R&B music, this is straight up pop music with a cool beat and works well with her style and vocals. The coupling track “Beauty” is also an upbeat track and features a wonderful acoustic guitar arrangement and strong beats. Both tracks are solid!
The remaining two tracks are the instrumental versions of both vocal tracks.
As for the CD insert, it’s a standard bi-fold with lyrics and production credits. There is also a CD+DVD version available.
Overall, “Swear” is a very good upbeat track and possibly my favorite alan pop release thus far. If you are a fan of alan, definitely give “Swear” a chance!
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