Girl Next Door – Be your wings/FRIENDSHIP/wait for you (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)
September 8, 2009 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
“GIRL NEXT DOOR’s sixth CD single is absolutely awesome! Featuring three A-sided singles, a remix with Ferry Corsten and a fantastic music video on DVD, definitely a CD single worth recommending!”
GROUP: Girl Next Door
CD SINGLE: Be your wings/FRIENDSHIP/wait for you
LABEL: avex trax
CATALOG #: AVCD-31687/B
DURATION: 24:06
RELEASE DATE: August 5, 2009
BUY THIS CD SINGLE
- Be your wings
- FRIENDSHIP
- Wait for you
- 情熱の代償 (Ferry Corsten Remix) (Jounetsu no Daishou)
- Be your wings (Instrumental)
DVD: Region 2, 4:3, Duration: 7:02
- Be your wings (Music video)
- Sony PSP (Tales of Vs.) Opening Animation Movie
In April 2008, avex trax featured their first group that they produced musically and debuted the group with their first CD single “Gūzen no Kakuritsu”.
GIRL NEXT DOOR comprises of lead vocalist Chisa (from the group Ma-Kiss) and a talent who was developed through the Avex Artist Academy and joined them together with guitarist Yuji Inoue and Daisuke Suzuki (of the group day after tomorrow).
The avex trax label has had a staple of three-member synth pop units (typically a female vocalist with a keyboardist and guitarist) starting off with Every Little Thing, followed by day after tomorrow and now with GIRL NEXT DOOR and the previous two have done quite well and with this new group, the group has debuted within the top 5 of the Oricon Daily and Weekly chart rankings.
With the release of their sixth CD triple-A sided single “Be your wings”, “FRIENDSHIP and “wait for you”, the release also signifies their first major video-game tie-in for the Sony PSP game “Tales of VS.”.
When it comes to reviewing “GIRL NEXT DOOR” songs, it’s quite difficult because they are synth-driven and for the most part, although different songs, describing it in words may seem that their songs are all similar when they’re really not.
The first track “Be your wings” features an upbeat synth track which is the opening theme for the video game “Tales of VS.”. Definitely a style which is reminiscent of classic Every Little Thing music. Catchy, addictive and a fun track.
The second track “FRIENDSHIP” features another upbeat synth track but at a much slower tempo than the main track. Another catchy pop track.
The third track “wait for you” features a track which features more electric guitar and an enjoyable uptempo ballad.
The fourth track features a Ferry Corsten remix of GIRL NEXT DOOR’s third single “Jounetsu no Daishou”. Ferry Corsten aka SYSTEM F has been one avex’s popular DJ’s since the velfarre years and is known for his trance music. Overall, a wonderful remix!
The final track features an instrumental version of “Be your wings”.
The DVD comes with the music video for “Be your wings”. The music video which is directed by Masashi Muto is actually a pretty cool music video as Chisa and two women (who are thieves) are seen with mouse ears and are seen trying to avoid the cops and the video features quite a bit of stop motion video. A very stylish music video with plenty of CG effects. Well done!
The other video featured on the DVD is the opening anime intro for “Tales of VS.” for the Sony PSP.
The CD single comes with a slipcase which features Chisa in mouse ears and Yuji and Daisuke wearing cop uniforms. Outside of the slipcase is a sticker for “Tales of VS.”. As for the CD insert, the CD insert is a bi-fold with the lyrics to the songs and production credits. Also, included are fliers for GIRL NEXT DOOR’s mobile service, Tales of Vs. and also a collector’s card featuring “Tales of Vs.” on one side and GIRL NEXT DOOR’s Chisa and two women on the other side.
Overall, GIRL NEXT DOOR’s music will be loved by those who have enjoyed the synth pop style that avex trax is known for and have marketed since the debut of Every Little Thing back in the mid-90′s. It may not be for everyone but I will say that GIRL NEXT DOOR is probably the most stylish looking synth pop group that has been featured by avex thus far. Where ELT and day after tomorrow were known for their music and both vocalists were more of the “girl next door” type of artists in terms of look, Chisa is one of those artists that brings style and flair to the group.
With the release of “Be your wings/FRIENDSHIP/wait for you”, the group has another enjoyable CD single release and for fans wondering which version of the single is the best to go with, I highly recommend the CD+DVD version. as the music video for “Be your wings” is fantastic.
All in all, if you are a fan of this style of music and a fan of GIRL NEXT DOOR, this is a single definitely recommended!
BUY THIS CD SINGLE
alan – 群青の谷 (Gunjou no Tani) (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)
September 7, 2009 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
“alan’s 8th CD single features a collaboration with artist/musician Cocco but also a dedication to the people of the Sichuan province who suffered during the 2008 earthquake and a beautifully filmed music video of alan returning to her home province. The CD+DVD version of ‘Gunjou no Tani’ is definitely recommended for alan fans!“
ARTIST: alan
CD SINGLE: 群青の谷 (Gunjou no Tani)
LABEL: avex trax
CATALOG #: AVCD-31584/B
DURATION: 21:15
RELEASE DATE: February 4, 2009
BUY THIS CD SINGLE
- 群青の谷 (Gunjou no Tani)
- 群青の谷 Acoustic Version
- 群青の谷 (Instrumental)
- 群青の谷 Acoustic Version (Instrumental)
DVD: Region 2, 16:9 LB, Duration:
- 群青の谷 – Music Clip -
In February 2009, popular Tibetan/J-Pop singer alan collaborated with music artist Cocco for her 8th CD single “Gunjou no Tani”, a song used as the ending theme for Yomiuri TV’s “Miyaneya TV”.
The English translation of “Gunjou no Tani” means Ultramarine Valley and is a song written for the people who survived the Sichuan Earthquake in 2008, an area where alan is originally from in China.
The main track features a rock-based track that manages to incorporate a bit of Chinese traditional instruments in the background but for the most part is a rock song. In a way, the single is quite interesting since each single release has been either pop or orchestral-based and although you do hear that orchestral-style of music in the background, the song is an upbeat rock track. Cocco is responsible for the lyrics and the music for the song.
The second track is an acoustic version of “Gunjou no Tani” featuring alan playing her erhu and a musician playing the acoustic guitar.
The remaining two tracks are the instrumental versions of the first two songs.
As for the DVD, the DVD version features a music video of “Gunjou no Tani” shot at her home province in the Sichuan Province. The video starts off with alan performing with her Erhu outdoors in front of a few children with the mountains and village in the background. The intro transitions to the main song featuring alan walking through the Sichuan province and performing in the beautiful area and showing us images of the villagers and their homes. An absolutely beautiful video.
The CD insert is a bi-fold which includes the lyrics and production credits for the song and a flier promoting alan’s first album.
alan is one of my favorite performers in Asia and with each CD single that she has released through avex has been quite solid. This single is probably her most personal, as it is a song in dedication to the people in the Sichuan province and the area where she is originally from.
The collaboration with Cocco is quite surprising but at the same time pretty cool. The track is more rock-based but for the most part, manages to capture that orchestral side of her music and of course, her beautiful vocals. Also, included is an acoustic version where people can hear her perform the Erhu and that was great to find that track included on this single.
As for the CD+DVD version, I highly recommend the DVD as the music video is just absolutely beautiful. The shots of her walking through the Sichuan province and seeing the mountains, the rivers, the villages and for the most part, beautiful cinematography to go along with the music.
If you are an alan fan, this CD single is another one from this talented artist that is highly recommended!
BUY THIS CD SINGLE
alan – RED CLIFF ～心・戦～ (A J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)
September 7, 2009 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
“The fourth CD single for avex trax’s “elements” monthly CD single campaign for the Tibetan J-Pop singer alan. An absolutely beautiful and mesmerizing ballad that symbolizes ‘fire’ and is the theme song for the first ‘RED CLIFF’ film. Featuring both Japanese and Chinese versions plus an orchestral version of her first single ‘Ashita e no Sanka’.”
ARTIST: alan
CD SINGLE: RED CLIFF ~Shin-Sen~
LABEL: avex trax
CATALOG #: AVCD-31492
DURATION: 30:41
RELEASE DATE: February 13, 2008
BUY THIS CD SINGLE
- RED CLIFF ～心・戦～ (RED CLIFF ~Shin-Sen~)
- 心・戦 ～RED CLIFF～ (Shin-Sen ~RED CLIFF~)
- 明日への讃歌 ～Orchestra Version～ (Ashita e no Sanka)
- RED CLIFF ～心・戦～ (Instrumental)
- 明日への讃歌 ～Orchestra Version～
In July 2008, the Tibetan singer alan (Alan Dawa Dolma) began a campaign in which the artist would release a CD single based on the Earth’s elements. The single “Natsukashii Mirai” (her fourth CD single) would symbolize the element “Earth”, the second single “Sora Uta” (her fifth CD single) would symbolize the symbol “Air”, the single “Kaze no Tegami” (her sixth CD single) would symbolize “Wind” and with this seventh CD single “RED CLIFF ~Shin-Sen~” would symbolize fire.
With avex entertainment, inc. investing heavily in John Woo’s film “Red Cliff” (the first film), it was natural for alan to sing the theme song for the film.
The main track “RED CLIFF ~Shin-Sen~” sports a beautiful orchestra driven track that captures emotion and beauty through its wonderful music and alan’s vocals which include her beautiful Tibetan wail and was used to promote the video game “Dynasty Warriors 6: Special Edition”.
The second track “Shin-Sen ~RED CLIFF” is the Chinese version of the song which is the version used on the “Red Cliff” film and is just as beautiful as the main track.
The third track “Ashita e no Sanka ~Orchestra Version~” is an orchestral version of alan’s first CD single. With many people discovering alan’s music for the first time through the film, it was a pretty good selection to include on this CD single. Especially since it was a song to showcase her beautiful Tibetan wail to the Japanese public. A beautiful track!
The remaining two tracks are the instrumental versions of “RED CLIFF ~Shin-Sen~” and “Ashita e no Sanka ~Orchestra Version~”.
There is a CD+DVD version of the single which features a music video for “RED CLIFF ~Shin-Sen~” and an image track of “Ashita e no Sanka ~Orchestra Version~”.
As for the CD insert, the insert is a standard bi-fold with Japanese lyrics (which is not exactly easy to read since it’s black type on dark red paper) and comes with fliers promoting alan’s elements CD singles and “Dynasty Warriors 5: Special”.
Also, the single comes in a slip case which is a promotional for Tower Records “My EXTRA TIME with LIPTON EXTRA SHOT” which shows alan in the rear of the slipcase drinking Lipton’s Extra Shot beverage.
I absolutely love alan’s music and with every CD single release, I have enjoyed it. There is a sense of beauty and elegance with her music and sure it has to do with her Tibetan roots as she is able to introduce her style, may it be the use of playing the Erhu or hearing her Tibetan wail in the music. But for the most part, alan is such a beautiful vocalist and each release is just enchantingly beautiful.
Her 7th CD single “RED CLIFF ~Shin-Sen~” is no different. It’s an absolutely solid single featuring great vocals, great music, great arrangement and beautiful lyrics.
Definitely a CD single that is recommended!
BUY THIS CD SINGLE
Every Little Thing – サクラビト (Sakurabito) (a J!-ENT CD Single Review)
September 7, 2009 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
“A dreamy, mesmerizing single by Japanese music duo Every Little Thing. For those who enjoy the group’s ballads, ‘Sakurabito’ is a pretty solid single.”
GROUP: Every Little Thing
CD SINGLE: サクラビト (Sakurabito)
LABEL: avex trax
CATALOG #: AVCD-31356/B
DURATION: 17:23
RELEASE DATE: February 13, 2008
BUY THIS CD SINGLE
- サクラビト (Sakurabit0)
- オフェリア_act 1 (Ophelia_act 1)
- サクラビト (Instrumental)
- オフェリア_act 1 (Instrumental)
DVD: Region 2, LB, Duration: 5:47 minutes
- サクラビト (Music Video)
The musical unit Every Little Thing released their 34th CD single and ballad “Sakurabito” just in time for the Spring Cherry blossoms in Japan.
I have been a fan of ELT since their debut and of course, back then they were a trio until Mitsuru Igarashi left the group in 2000 and that synth-pop sound was then brought to Igarashi’s latest project known as the group day after tomorrow.
With vocalist Kaori Mochida and guitarist Ichiro Ito continuing the ELT fame, the group has since changed their music from those synth-pop years to be more rock-based, still incorporating the synth but more for arrangements.
In the past, the group have been known for their ballads and in this case, “Sakurabito” is another fine example of the group’s beautiful melodies and whimsical sound. Featuring lyrics by Kaori Mochida and music by Kunio Tago, the arrangement is just beautiful as Tomoji Sogawa and Every Little Thing come up with a dreamy ballad.
The coupling song “Ophelia_act 1″ is courtesy of Takashi Iioka and featuring a French chanson style of music by Ysunari “Nam-Nam” Nakamura and Every Little Thing. In an accordion style of Parisian flair, the song is simple as Mochida hums along to the tune.
The remaining tracks are the instrumental versions of the first two tracks.
As for the DVD, the music video for “Sakurabito” is included and features cherry blossoms and petals falling with various shots of Mochida who is posing in front of a camera to show two versions of her via happiness and sadness, while Ichiro Ito plays the guitar.
As for the CD insert, the insert is a standard bi-fold with lyrics while a flier promoting the group’s 8th album is included.
For Every Little Thing fans, “Sakurabito” is a simple CD single with the main ballad as the primary tack and the coupling track more or less an instrumental with Mochida humming her “la-la-la’s”.
The DVD features a single video that is simple compared to their past ballads such as “Fragile” or “Time Goes By” and personally, I think that those who are budget-mind will not be missing much if they go with the standard normal CD single version of “Sakurabito”, while diehard fans will want the DVD no matter what.
Overall, the single is a solid CD single with two enjoyable tracks. For Every Little Thing fans, definitely a single worth having in your music collection.
BUY THIS CD SINGLE
Morning Musume & Michiyo Heike – Morning Cop (a J!-ENT World Groove Album Review)
January 9, 1999 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
“A short but sweet soundtrack for Morning Musume and Michiyo Heike’s film ‘Morning Cop’. Worth it if you are a big fan of Morning Musume or Michiyo, otherwise it may be a bit too expensive for the casual J-Pop fan.”
Purchase this album:
GROUP/ARTIST: Morning Musume & Michiyo Heike
ALBUM: Morning Cop
LABEL: Zetima
CATALOG #: EPCE-5006
DURATION: 24:31
RELEASE DATE: September 30, 1998
- Dakedo Aishisugete -Mix for Screen- (Michiyo Heike)
- Onegaineru (Michiyo Heike & Morning Musume)
- Yoroshiku! (Morning Musume)
- Koi no ABC (Morning Musume)
- Tsuyokunaranakucha…ne (Michiyo Heike)
- Daite HOLD ON ME! -Sexy Long version- (Morning Musume)
Morning Musume and Michiyo Heike’s first soundtrack for their film “Morning Cop” is cute, sweet and six tracks that are absolutely fun to listen to!
When I was in Yokohama, I searched high and low for this album (in very cold weather) and I eventually found it at the student store at Kanagawa University and needless to say, I was very happy. Having been a new convert to Morning Musume’s music and seeing the movie after renting it at a Blockbuster in Yokohama, it was great to see the girls in this film.
Sure, the film was not exactly the best but for fans of Morning Musume, just seeing the group together in a film was enough.
But my main purpose was for one song and that was the long version of “Daite HOLD ON ME!” which is the group’s third CD single which I absolutely love and literally all I have been listening throughout the remainder of last year (1998).
The album kicks off with “Dakedo Aishisugite” which is probably my favorite song from Heike Michiyo, which is a rock-based track.
The second track “Onegaineiru” is a happy, fun pop track sung by Michiyo Heike and Morning Musume.
The third track is one of my favorites from the album and that is “Yoroshiku!” by Morning Musume. A cute and sweet idol track which I really love the group’s harmony on this track. A very fun track!
The fourth track “Koi no ABC” is by Morning Musume and I actually first heard this song sung in the group’s first concert video. A sexy and fun pop track!
The fifth track “Tsuyokunara nakucha…ne” is a beautiful ballad sung by Michiyo Heike and another track by her.
The album ends with the sexy long version of “Daite HOLD ON ME!”. I absolutely love this single and again, it’s all I listened to last Winter and definitely wanted the long version of this song. The main difference from the original track is that during the vocal parts, the arrangement is much different and with less music. Overall, an interesting remix of the song.
As for the CD insert, the insert comes with a lot of still photos taken from the “Morning Cop” film and the track listings with a message about each song and an article in regards to who Morning Musume and Michiyo Heike are. Also, movie cast information and single and album discography for both Michiyo and Morning Musume.
It’s hard to recommend an album that is almost $30 and only comes with six songs but if you are a big fan of Morning Musume, there is no reason why you shouldn’t buy this album. It has six solid songs, including a longer version of “Daite HOLD ON ME!”. But it all comes down to finances and if you are a big fan, it’s definitely worth it for your collection, otherwise if six songs for $30 is very expensive, you may want to pass.
Definitely for the hardcore Morning Musume and Michiyo Heike fan!
Purchase this album:
PUFFY – JET CD (a J!-ENT World Groove Album Review)
April 11, 1998 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
“PUFFY’s ‘JET CD’ is a solid album featuring collaborations with Tortoise Matsumoto, Spitz, Masamune Kusano, Kaori Oku, Yosui Inoue and more. A lot of their popular hits from 1996-1998 such as ‘Kore ga Watashi no Ikiru Michi’,'Nagista ni Matsuwaru Etcetora’, ‘Ai no Shirushi’, ‘Circuit no Musume’ and ‘MOTHER’ can be found on this album! Definitely recommended!”
Purchase this album:
GROUP: PUFFY
ALBUM: JET CD
LABEL: Epic/Sony Records
CATALOG #: ESCB-1871
DURATION: 51:04
RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1998
- ジェット警察
- これが私の生きる道
- CAKE IS LOVE
- 愛のしるし
- 春の朝
- レモンキッド
- 小美人
- ネホリーナハホリーナ
- 哲学
- DE RIO
- サーキットの娘
- 渚にまつわるエトセトラ
- MOTHER
Purchase this album:
PUFFY – Kore ga Watashi no Ikiru michi (a J!-ENT World Groove CD Single Review)
October 29, 1996 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment
“PUFFY’s second single ‘Kore ga Watashi no Ikiru Michi’ is an awesome hit that incorporates that Beatles style and late 50′s-early 60′s rock sound. Definitely a solid release for the duo!”
GROUP: PUFFY
CD SINGLE: Kore ga Watashi no Ikiru Michi
LABEL: Epic/Sony Records
CATALOG #: ESDB-3722
DURATION: 16:44
RELEASE DATE: October 7, 1996
- これが私の生きる道 (Monaural)
- 雪が降る町
- これが私の生きる道 (Stereo Karaoke)
- 雪が降る町 (Original Karaoke)
With the success of Puffy’s debut CD single “Asian no Junshin” earlier in the year (May 1996), many awaited the second CD single from the female duo who is produced by Tami Okuda (of UNICORN fame).
Featuring a new CD single with artwork by Rodney A. Greenblat, “Kore ga Watashi no Ikiru Michi” was an instant hit when it was released and earned the duo their first #1 single.
The song had a hint of Beatles and a late 50′s to early 60′s rock sound and had a catchy melody plus a lively music video featuring the duo in Japan and the United States filmed for their first video “Run! Puffy! Run!”.
The coupling track “Yuki Ga Furu Machi” is a cover of the UNICORN hit but at a slower pace and features a synth/experimental background with the electronic drumbeats.
The final remaining tracks are the karoke instrumentals withthe “Kore ga Watashi no Ikiru Michi” receiving a stereo version of the music.
As for inside the CD insert, all that is included are the lyrics and production credits and the CD singles are the Japanese mini-CD singles.
Overall, the CD single is quite solid and easily one of my favorite tracks to listen to on my CD player at the moment.
