Until now…

Well, OK, not really. Much of the thanks for this goes to ottocycle who did the heavy lifting translating Hiroyuki Sawano’s thoughts when he composed Guilty Crown’s soundtrack. So without further ado, here’s Sawano on Guilty Crown after the jump!

Amongst all the music works I have been involved in so far, this production is the one which features the most vocal tracks. I have considered creating a work of this nature from time to time in the past as well. One reason I’d say that I got the offer was that the director happened to like the material from my original album “musica”, which happened to have quite a few vocal tracks featured…(haha) Back then I also remember the producer of the anime giving me free rein to do what I like with this, so voila! What a convenient explanation!

As you can probably tell, some parts of the above were more in jest than anything else.

Moving on, as this was a production whose concept and content translates into many different possible musical approaches which could be experimented with, I decided on converting thematic tunes into what I feel matches the sound of “song”, as one of my foci in this particular work.

As a result, I can say that, this soundtrack feels like one which I have expressed the most naturally, and the feeling might’ve been similar to that when I was making my original album.

I’ve also had the opportunity to make rearrangements of vocal tracks found on this album which can be found in the limited edition home video bundles. The production team had generously afforded the musicians and me to revisit the tunes again, and it felt so happy, yet extravagant to have been able to do so.

While the OST CD versions of the respective (rearranged) songs were recorded before their alternate versions, it is up to the listener to decide which one is the main version, since both turned out convincingly satisfying. With all said and done, these are my thoughts right after working on either version, so hopefully you would not place either one on a pedestal before comparing them both (haha).

By: Sawano Hiroyuki (originally in Japanese, in the Guilty Crown OST CD sleeve)

Brief thoughts: I haven’t listened to Guilty Crown’s OST all that closely, but I can say that the number of vocal tracks on this album was a surprise, but not unwelcome as most of the artists’ performances were solid and I look forward to hearing the arrangements of those tracks should copies of those ever come forth. The BGM is also enjoyable for those who’ve found themselves enthralled by Sawano’s previous scores; he doesn’t stray too far from the bombastic blend of orchestra and electronica that has become his signature for quite some time. All in all, the stellar work that comes forth from Guilty Crown’s soundtrack should be a treat (one that doesn’t deserve an anime as flawed as Guilty Crown) and if nothing else, effectively cements his status as the Japanese Hans Zimmer (AKA the guy who scored the music to the movies Inception and Gladiator, to name a few).

Firstly, sometimes you don’t realise that you’ve been somewhere that you’ve seen in a movie or anime until much later.

In my case, I was reading the Wikipedia article on The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and realised that I had indeed been to the National Museum of Tokyo:

Secondly, after hearing and meeting Minori Chihara and Chiaki Ishikawa at Animelo Summer Live 2011, it was intriguing to see that Minori Chihara’s forthcoming album, D-Formation has a track, この世界のモノでこの世界の者でない 作詞, written by Chiaki Ishikawa and Daisuke Kikuta of Elements Garden. (Thanks Keiri for the help with the translation!)

D-Formation (Dream Wonder Formation) Album details in Japanese are at http://lantis.jp/special/chihara/d-formation/

Thirdly, the DVDs and blu-rays of Animelo Summer Live 2011 are now available for pre-order from CD Japan, with a scheduled release date of 28 March 2012.

Day 1 on blu-ray
Day 2 on blu-ray

NOTE – It again appears that some of the performances will not appear on the videos. Check http://pc.animelo.jp/anisama/2011/rainbow/goods/#cd_dvd_bd closer to the release date. At this stage Isao Sasaki, Kalafina and T.M.Revolution are *NOT* listed as appearing on the videos.

Tracklist

[[Visit blog to check out this spoiler]]

Review: Although the lush visuals are what served as my entry point into the rustic Tokyo countryside depicted in Studio Ghibli’s the Secret World of Arrietty, it’s the music that really allowed me to completely immerse myself into Arrietty’s realm of magical realism. Cecile Corbel’s Celtic-influenced compositions and her performance as vocalist are captivating; her harp melodies, with their soothing, mellow aura, beckon me deeper into the emotional sphere of Arrietty’s narrative and her vocals glide effortlessly across to match the content of the piece in question. Together, these elements washed over me with their waves of nostalgia, melancholia, and hope. After watching the movie, it’s hard to imagine Arrietty’s soundtrack taking any other form; it was extremely effective in conveying every single aspect of the movie.

Nothing captures the nostalgic facets of Arrietty’s setting quite like the opening track, “The Neglected Garden.” Corbel’s gentle vocals are incredible and grabbed my attention from the get-go as they evoked the quietude of the titular setting. As the song progresses, the vocal part takes on an inviting tone as the piece becomes infused with more energy until it blossoms forth radiantly through the addition of the pipes and violin to draw you into this memory. To call that melodic blossoming beautiful is an understatement; the vivid pastoral setting comes to life, and the air of joy that it brings is irresistible as it inspires me to recall and savor those wonderful memories of my childhood.

The Neglected Garden

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

And just when I thought the soundtrack couldn’t top such an opener, “Our House Below” comes in with its soothing sound, rich in warmth and contentment. The harp introduction ripples serenely, making way for a song that fittingly ends the day with an idyllic (and idealistic) depiction of a cozy evening. Here, Corbel’s delivery instills a quaint sense of charm and while listening to her, I cannot help but relax as the warm vocals envelope me with a comfort borne from the loving familial bonds that the song conjures forth. Between this and “The Neglected Garden,” the quiet feelings linger on, and the power of the vocals and instrumentals are sufficient to evoke those nostalgic memories.

Our House Below-Movie Version

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Though much of Arrietty’s soundtrack tends toward pieces that tug at those sentiments, Corbel does supply an array of other styles that fit the imagery of the film nicely. “Spiller” is an accurate depiction of the piece’s namesake character with its use of Celtic instrumentation layered atop a drumbeat that carries a tribal rhythm and energy. The melody has a jumping, unrefined quality to it, but it fits well given Spiller’s untamed appearance and vitality. “The Wild Waltz” is also energetic as it relies upon the plucked strings along with a quickening tempo to inject a sense of urgency into the scene. Finally, the album’s tense moments arise in “An Uneasy Feeling” where the dissonance along with the percussion’s pitter-patter gave me a sense that there was malice afoot.

Spiller-Instrumental Version

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

As the story wades into deeper emotional waters, Corbel’s music rises to the occasion. “Sho’s Lament” is quiet, but packed with a sorrow depicting the titular character’s initial sense of loneliness and helplessness. Unlike a lot of other despondent tracks I’ve listened to over the years, this one lacks a strong sense of anger or anguish, making the feelings it imparts all the more tragic as the melody bears the weight of resignation to indicate that the character has completely given up on life. “Rain” takes on a similarly mournful tack, as it draws upon the theme used in “Arrietty’s Song” to emphasize the melancholy grayness of the title event rather than to depict a cleansing, rejuvenating downpour. Apt, given that Arrietty’s family’s future is uncertain, and the piece conveys that forlornness wonderfully.

Sho’s Lament-Instrumental Version1

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Nevertheless, things do look up, and as the soundtrack nears its end, the music becomes more heartfelt with dreamy tracks mixed in with fond farewells. The former materializes somewhat in “Arrietty’s Song,” where Corbel’s vocals and the instrumentals bring a yearning, longing sentiment to the fore. That said, “Arrietty’s Song” is restrained in its execution; the instrumentals drip more heavily of regret than of hope and the lyrics waffle between the desire to stay behind and the desire to explore the world beyond the comforts of home. However, that restraint works well in this instance as Corbel’s voice is more than capable of conveying the multifaceted nature of this piece, switching between a forlorn inflection and a more hopeful tone when the song calls for it. And, of course, “Goodbye My Friend” delivers with the farewells. Though this song speaks of partings, the feeling it conveys is a hopeful one as the warmth Corbel emanates calms and assures the listener that the bonds that tie Arrietty’s characters will forever last, and that this ending is but a new beginning. With these feelings in tow, I found myself buoyed along by the optimism that this song offers.

Arrietty’s Song

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Goodbye My Friend

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

But the feelings that remain are exquisite and for Cecile Corbel, her anime music debut yields a wonderful soundtrack. In watching Arrietty, it’s nearly impossible to divorce Corbel’s compositions from the movie’s content. That’s no faint praise, for Corbel’s work here is one that can sit proudly on the same shelf as those of Ghibli veterans Joe Hisaishi and Yuuji Nomi.

Rating: Excellent

Review: When the OP for Future Diary (Mirai Nikki) first hit Youtube, I was excited by its biting visuals and its dark but nonetheless distinctly J-pop tune. “Kuso Mesorogi” is the the kind of music you’d expect to be featured in Death Note or Rozen Maiden, but whereas Rozen Maiden’s ALI PROJECT matches the vocals with the more mysterious tone of the rest of the music, Yousei Teikoku’s Yui Itsuki keeps her pitch high enough to sound like standard J-pop that offers a sharp contrast to the heavier elements of the music.

The flagship piece of this OP single is “Kuso Mesorogi,” a high energy song with liberal use of an electric guitar, strings, a chorus and snares. It’s the kind of music I’d expect from a rock band performing a dark church piece. When Yui Itsuki first comes in, her high pitched J-pop voice sticks out like a sore thumb; it’s as if someone inserted a few electric guitar riffs in the middle of an orchestral piece. However, by the time the song hits its stride, her vocals do nothing but enhance the experience by adding  a layer of creepiness that ends up sounding really cool. The instrumental version of “Kuso Mesorogi” extracts both the chorus and Yousei Teikoku and though it’s not as good a product as the full version, there are so many elements working in tandem in the song that it still comes across as exhilarating.

“The Creator” is cut from the same cloth as “Kuso Mesorogi;” it’s a rocking song with forceful use of electric guitar and brutal use of percussion. There’s quite a bit of strings and chorus, both of which create some of the most interesting parts of the composition. However, unlike ”Kuso Mesorogi,” the vocals don’t contribute much to the overall piece. Yousei Teikoku’s singing contrasts too much with the rest of the music making the vocals feel more like something that was overlaid in a random karaoke session than something than something that was designed to be piece of a greater whole. I think that “The Creator (instrumental)” would make an exceptional piece of video game music whereas “The Creator” (the final product) is just another piece of dark J-pop.

It’s been a while since I’ve listened to a single where the instrumental renditions of the song are more than just a novelty. I suppose this can lead to the argument that the instrumentals carried Yui Itsuki’s more generic vocals, but without her, there wouldn’t be the awesome section of “Kuso Mesorogi” where she counts ”eins, zwei, drei”.

Rating: Good

Future Diary OP – Kuso Mesorogi

The best part of Fractale was when it was over.

One of the most disappointing titles of 2011, Fractale had at least one great thing going for it: a wonderful ED. I immediately fell in love with the closing song, “Down by the Salley Gardens.” The lyrics of this song are a poem penned by the great Irish poet, William Butler Yeats, and arranged in a tune composed later.

Down by the salley gardens my love and I did meet;
She passed the salley gardens with little snow-white feet.
She bid me take life easy, as the leaves grow on the tree;
But I, being young and foolish, with her did not agree.
In a field by the river my love and I did stand,
And on my leaning shoulder she placed her snow-white hand.
She bid me take love easy, as the grass grows on the weirs;
But I was young and foolish, and now am full of tears.

I found it strange to hear an Irish work in an anime, though it wasn’t the first time the two have crossed. “Your Raise Me Up,” the opening song to Romeo x Juliet, is set to an Irish melody and Clannad, particularly the visual novel, contains references to Irish words. The islands of Japan and Ireland seem so far apart, geographically and culturally; yet, they somehow connect. Why is that?

The use of “Down by the Salley Gardens” is just a recent example of how Irish culture has permeated Japan’s. Irish pubs are common nowadays, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated, and major Irish bands and dancing groups (including Riverdance) have toured the country. Dr. Sean Williams, an ethnomusicologist, writes:

“Consumers or Irish music and those interested in Irish culture generally might be surprised to find Irish music in Japan, or – in particular – to find Japanese people deeply drawn toward Irish music, culture, and notions of identity.”

Even if we’re largely unfamiliar with Japanese history, most of know enough through anime to understand that the Meiji Restoration ushered in an era of westernization (see Rurouni Kenshin). Along with dress, technology, and schooling, came music. Irish songs, in particular found a home in the country. The lyrics to “Auld Lang Syne” were changed to fit Japan (“Hotaru no Hikari” – literally, “Light of Fireflies” and additional songs, like “Danny Boy,” were loved by schoolchildren, who found them easy to sing.

But more than that, the Japanese, a people deeply connected to the past and specifically to feelings of nostalgia, found a soul mate in Irish music, which often conveyed the same feelings through both lyrics and tune. Dr. Williams noted that when she spoke to Japanese men and women about Irish music, they said (often with tearful eyes) it reminded them of their childhoods.

Note that western music in anime often conveys this sentimental feeling. There’s a wonderful scene in Studio Ghibli’s Whisper of the Heart where a group of older gentleman play an almost impromptu song. Though not Irish, the scene is reminiscent of Irish seisiúns (sessions), where a group of musicians perform a jam session, usually in a pub; once again, these are fairly common in modern Japan.

The nostalgia in Irish music also often shines through lyrics, especially in the yearning for one’s homeland. The Japanese place themselves in the situation of the individuals in those songs. Additionally, part of the Japanese idea of nostalgia is unrequited longing – Irish music lends itself further to this idea because while it increases nostalgic feelings by engaging listeners and encouraging them to participate, a Japanese person will of course never look Irish – and so, this desire to fully connect with the music is just out of reach.

Continents and seas can’t separate these feelings of love, loss, family, and home shared by the Irish and the Japanese.

So the next time you watch an episode of Fractale, do yourself a favor: go straight to the nostalgic end song. I guarantee you’ll be skipping to the best part.

Source: Williams, Sean. (2006). Irish music and the experience of nostalgia in Japan. Asian Music, 37, 101-119.

Tracklist

[[Visit blog to check out this spoiler]]

Review: Even though he was responsible for portions of the fantastic score to the popular anime Death Note, Yoshihisa Hirano has remained a relatively obscure composer amongst the anime fanbase. This doesn’t come as a great surprise especially when you consider how his classically influenced, chaotic style of writing makes for music that’s a little hard on the casual listener. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to start enjoying his music. For Himitsu  ~The Revelation~, the show’s subject matter and Hirano’s style complement each other well, resulting in a soundtrack that makes it much easier to appreciate what Hirano can do.

HtR is a mystery series that follows a team of investigators as they crack cases on an episode to episode basis. While I checked Wiki to make sure that the above description is accurate, one could have easily figured out as much about the show from listening to the soundtrack. Right off the bat, the first track, “The Number Nines,” shoves the setting in the listener’s face. The intro executes perfectly with a sequence of tension-building rising notes only to precipitously crash into the main theme, a melody that brings to mind gunfights and car chases. Out of all the music I’ve heard in my lifetime, this is my favorite musical representation of a high speed crime chase. Another rendition of this theme can be heard in the accurately-named “Chase,” albeit with a ridiculously badass guitar solo inserted. Whichever of the two you prefer, just don’t listen to them while driving or you’ll probably end up speeding and being pursued yourself.

The Number Nines

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
There are also plenty of suspense tracks that populate the album, presumably to build up tension before breaking out the action. In these, one can hear Hirano’s signature penchant for dissonance, resulting in music far more unsettling than what most soundtracks offer. “Chaos” and “Darkness” both use plenty of discordant chords, the first opting for eerily-rising woodwinds and the second for muted bagpipes that seem ominously distant. “Unseen Criminals” reminded me a little of the famous Jaws motif, with low strings chugging relentlessly onwards while chaotic noises punctuate the approach sporadically. None of these are quite as unearthly as “In the Realm of Memories”, which features one woman singing notes you might hear from a Halloween decoration. While these and others like them are all entertaining to listen to (especially if you like being creeped out), these suspense pieces begin to become repetitive once the novelty of the dissonance wears off.  It’s an unfortunate drawback, but probably the only one that really comes to mind in this album.

Chaos

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Of course, the tension and action in the field is but a small part of what actually goes on in an investigation unit. Most of the time is spent gathering and brooding over evidence. If all the thoughts flying around a busy mind were instruments, a thinking detective would probably emit something that sounds like “Maki”. In the track, multitudes of different instruments speak up, sometimes alone as individual notions and sometimes together in a united motif. I’ve always liked listening to it because this aural representation of a thinking mind is exceptionally accurate. “Investigation” uses a similar technique, except instead of creating a busy office-like atmosphere, it creates a hectic crime-scene-with-a-dead-body atmosphere by throwing in an electric guitar and a harsher beat.

Investigation

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
At this point, it probably seems like the whole HtR soundtrack means nothing but business, and grim business at that. However, that’s not the case since Hirano gives the listener a surprising number of buoyant tracks to break up the dark atmosphere. “The Elite’s Restless Works” is a whimsical piece — while the melody comes off as playful, it is also very, very eccentric. Nevertheless, this eccentricity is oddly endearing and the track is very much an earworm. I was even more surprised to find a flamenco in “The Elite”. It was a very welcome surprise though, as the track packs plenty of over-the-top fun, offering both guitar and violin solos as things energetically whirl along.  And finally, since drunken woodwinds and fiery dances apparently aren’t already enough, Hirano throws us something cute. “Cutie Pie” is exactly what it sounds like: a delightfully dainty little piece whose charming melody is a far cry from the darker regions of the soundtrack.

The Elite’s Restless Works

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
And last but certainly not least: the emotional stuff which no soundtrack can do without. It’s only natural that a heavy load of emotional baggage results when your job deals with murderers and dead people. The main theme is recapped again in “For Your Eyes Only”. However, it moves nowhere near as fast it originally did; there’s an overwhelmingly morose feeling in every note, weighing this formerly invigorated theme down with sorrow. It’s almost unbelievable that the theme here is the exact same one which kicked off the album because of how different everything sounds. Finally, the last track, “Sweet Memories”, isn’t quite depressed, but it also doesn’t shake off the sense of melancholy introduced in “For Your Eyes Only”. Still, the operatic voice which makes its entrance halfway through is a shining ray of hope for those working in a grim and unrelenting field.

For Your Eyes Only

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Sweet Memories

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
In all honestly, even if everything except the main theme was awful, I would have rated this album well just because of how awesome “The Number Nines” and “Chase” are. More seriously, I’d say that the only drawback would be the large amount of dissonant tracks that pile up without adding anything new to the experience. Nevertheless, that doesn’t ruin the overwhelmingly positive overall experience Himitsu the Revelation’s soundtrack offers up. My hope, then, is that his efforts here are sufficient to tilt you more towards Yoshihisa Hirano’s generally excellent scores and get you to delve deeper into his other works.

Rating: Excellent

Anyway, this niche column once again makes its return for Winter 2012. And like columns past, this one is sparse on plot elements since its focus is on the composer rolls, stuff they’ve done in the past, and wild speculation as to how well their music will mesh with the series in question. Onwards and sideways! (Note: sequels are not covered here.)

Ano Natsu de Matteru
Composer: I’ve Sound (but mostly Maiko Iuchi)
Synopsis: A romantic comedy involving two girls, Ichika Takatsuki and Remon Yamano and a boy, Kaito Kirishima.
Zzero’s Thoughts: As long as Maiko Iuchi reins in the heavy electronica he generally uses when working on I’ve Sound’s vocal projects, I think I’ll live. Those were probably the tracks that bugged me the most when I listened through Toaru Majutsu no Index’s soundtrack, but given that this is a rom-com, I’m hoping the heavy electronica will either be toned down or be absent altogether. Those types of pieces are really the only ones I didn’t like about Index anyhow; the rest of them were generally pleasant, enjoyable, if not overly memorable.
Yu’s Thoughts: Maiko Iuchi’s score for Toaru Kagaku  no Railgun was decent, and I did enjoy the few slice of life tracks mixed in with the electronica battle stuff. If him scoring a romantic comedy means more of the slice of life pieces, this album might actually be okay. However, it’s also very possible that he’ll just incorporate synth into his slice of life compositions, and those kinds of OSTs are usually pretty mediocre.
Aftershok’s Thoughts: I’ve got few nice things to say about Iuchi’s work on Railgun, and his lack any other notable releases doesn’t have me looking forward to Ano Natsu. There might be a synthesizer.

Another
Composer: Kou Otani
Synopsis: 26 years ago, an honors student suddenly dies and in 1998, a fearful aura continues to hang over the classroom as Koichi Sakakibara transfers in.
Zzero’s Thoughts: If I had decided to talk about the web series Kyosogiga in this article, I could have made a joke about Another anime scored by Kou Otani, but alas. It is interesting to see him working on a Japanese horror anime considering that none of his past works suggests that his strength is in this area. You’d think something like this would go to Yasuharu Takanashi, but he’s probably overloaded at this point with PreCure and Fairy Tail’s soundtrack. Still, the snippets of music in the preview does fit the creepy mold, and I do hope to see his music immerse me in the show’s horror atmosphere since it’s definitely a show I’ll be checking out this winter.
Aftershok’s Thoughts: Like zzero mentioned, Otani has never scored a show like this before, and it intrigues me how his style will adapt to this sort of setting. Some of you may know that Kou is my favorite composer, but I haven’t heard anything truly impressive from him in a long time. Only thing that worries me, though, is that horror OST’s generally consist of not much more than slowly crescendoing high-pitched strings and boomy percussion. I hope Kou will be able to break the mold, but don’t know if his typically reserved style will find a home here.

Aquarion Evol
Composer: Yoko Kanno
Synopsis: 12,000 years after the events in Aquarion, the reincarnated characters return once more to fight enemies from another world in their giant robot while making pleasurable noises when their individual machines combine to form said giant robot.
Zzero’s Thoughts: I think I said something about no sequels being on here. Well, time to make this entry the sole exception to the rule. So when this anime was announced, I had a hunch that Yoko Kanno would make her return here and that turned out to be right, bringing with it a bit of excitement. After all, hasn’t there a big time gap between this and the Macross Frontier movies? The question though is what new tracks Kanno will be composing and whether it can live up to the work she did for Aquarion. “First Love Final Love” isn’t my favorite Kanno finale piece for nothing and if she can deliver the same sort of epicness in this Aquarion incarnation, I’ll be a very happy music reviewer.
Aftershok’s Thoughts: Who is this fresh-faced newcomer? This certainly isn’t the washed-up composer that crumbled into a flaming pile of disappointment in Darker than Black or the one whose reputation is becoming increasingly stained with accusations of plagiarism! Hopefully this newbie will be able to make a name for herself in this soundtrack!

Black Rock Shooter
Composer: ryo (supercell)
Synopsis: Split between school life and alternate universe sequences, the Black Rock Shooter OVA saw Mato Kuroi’s bond with her new friend Yomi Takanashi grow as Mato enters a new school. Meanwhile, in an alternate universe, Black Rock Shooter finds herself involved in a struggle of epic proportions against her nemesis, Dead Master.
Zzero’s Thoughts: Given how strongly ryo’s career has skyrocketed in terms of his melodies’ popularity, one might be tempted to eagerly await what he has in store for Black Rock Shooter’s soundtrack. This eagerness is tempered by the fact that the soundtrack might not be anything more than arrangements of ryo’s music, making him less of a primary composer than simply a source for arrangers to draw from. We’ll just have to find out.
Aftershok’s Thoughts: I doubt Mr. Oh-so-busy ryo will actually sit down to compose all the cute little incidental numbers for this score. Expect a soundtrack with him receiving too much credit for too little work. They’re moving on name recognition here, and he’ll contribute, at most, one or two battle themes, or maybe an OP/ED. Expect remixed versions of his older songs. OR I’ll eat my words, and this will be a lovely soundtrack with lots of new, exciting themes composed for the show by none other than the supercell man himself.
Yu’s Thoughts: The first BRS OVA had a soundtrack that was very much meh, with nothing in it that stuck with me after listening to it a few times. The only exception would be the Black Rock Shooter song, but that was composed before the OVA. I’m expecting more unremarkable things from this. That is, unless the second OVA just reuses all the music from the first one. After all, everyone knows BRS is just running off of the popularity of the original video.

Brave10
Composer: Seikou Nagaoka
Synopsis: The adventures of 10 legendary warriors from Japan’s Sengoku period.
Zzero’s Thoughts: Normally, a soundtrack by Seikou Nagaoka would be cause for some optimism, as I did like the work that he put into Strike Witches. The character themes were very fitting and the music composed for action sequences were outright inspiring. Eagerness quickly turned to disappointment as I checked out the PV, though, where I was treated to a bunch of generic action tunes. Nothing stood out, nothing was very compelling musically, and watching that effectively killed any excitement I might have had for this series. Someone call in Sawano since he actually did a decent job with Sengoku Basara.

Daily Lives of High School Boys
Composers: Audio Highs
Synopsis: A slice of life comedy revolving around… what else? high school boys.
Zzero’s Thoughts: The team responsible for the Bakuman and Gintama soundtracks makes their return once more with what will most likely be yet another eclectic soundtrack. I could see their works going well with gag anime given the snippets that I’ve listened to from Gintama, but somehow, I don’t think it’ll do anything beyond fitting in with the anime.
Yu’s Thoughts: Comedies almost never have memorable music, that’s all that needs to be said.
Aftershok’s Thoughts: Comedies often have memorable music, that’s all that needs to be said.

High School DxD
Composer: Ryosuke Nakanishi
Synopsis: Issei Hyodo finds himself killed on his very first date and reincarnated as a devil serving Riasu, a devil who also happens to be the prettiest girl on campus.
Zzero’s Thoughts: Beyond his work on Majikoi, Nakanishi doesn’t really have that many composer credits to his name. Most of his work history has been in arranging; he’s done a lot of work arranging the likes of the B-side on Sketch Switch as well as composer credits for the odd track here and there from Kiniro no Corda and Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 3 Kurenai no Tsuki. I haven’t seen any of the shows listed here, so his body of work is effectively still an unknown quantity. Given that I don’t hear much raving about his works, I can safely assume I’m not missing out.
Aftershok’s Thoughts: Having actually seen some of Majikoi, I can assure you I don’t remember a thing about the music. That can mean one of only three things:

1) The show did not have music.
2) The music was so awful that I forced myself to forget everything about it.
3) The music was highly unmemorable.

Whichever one it is, it doesn’t look good for High School.

Mouretsu Pirates
Composers: Elements Garden
Synopsis: Marika Kato, a high schooler, finds out one day that her father was once the captain of the space pirate ship, the Bentenmaru. Because of how the succession rules work amongst space pirates, Marika is to inherit her father’s position and embarks on a new life filled with adventure.
Zzero’s Thoughts: As an entity, Elements Garden doesn’t seem to have many anime soundtracks to their credit, but when you break it down into individual composers like Noriyasu Agematsu and Fujita Junpei, you’ve got quite a few titles ranging from White Album to Ga-Rei -Zero-. All of these soundtracks have been enjoyable, and given the grand odyssey that this anime hints at in the synopsis, the music should be very fitting, especially if Agematsu brings the action-oriented flair he’s offered us through the Wild Arms series of video games.
Yu’s Thoughts: Noriyasu Agematsu did a great job with Ga-Rei -Zero-’s soundtrack. It demonstrated that he could write both depressing and upbeat themes and have both sound good. Hopefully this displayed versatility will apply to this soundtrack, because if it does, I’ll be looking forward to this release.

Recorder to Randoseru
Composer: Takaaki Anzai
Synopsis: An adaptation of a 4-koma, this series focuses upon Atsushi, who is 11 years old but looks much older than that and his sister Atsumi, who is 17, but still looks like an elementary school student.
Zzero’s Thoughts: Is there really that much one can say about this show? The composer is a virtual unknown; the people I know who watched Fortune Arterial didn’t really have much to say about the music. And judging from the levels of (non)hype surrounding this series, I’d say Anzai’s compositions will register on my radar in some other series far into the future. Just not this one.

Rinne no Lagrange
Composer: Saeko Suzuki
Synopsis: Kyono Madoka rides a robot and fights against aliens.
Zzero’s Thoughts: The anime titles that I most associate with this particular composer are the Keroro Gunsou movies. The downside? I haven’t actually gone out of my way to give any of them a full listen-through. Based off of a few samples of tracks from those aforementioned OSTs, I can say that none of it sounds really all too compelling since they’re really all too short for the composer to really be able to strut her stuff and write music that really makes me sit up and take notice.

Sennhime Zesshou Symphogear
Composers: Elements Garden
Synopsis: Vocalists Tsubasa and Kanade team up to fight against monsters simply known as Noise.
Zzero’s Thoughts: While I have little faith in this show’s ability to execute its premise in a way that’ll leave me entertained, I will say that having Elements Garden on board leaves me with much hope on the musical front. Elements Garden’s vocal music has generally jibed with me, and given of this show’s idol-centric focus, I do hope to see them bring forth some memorable pop songs that’ll stick with me for a long time to come. After all, many of my favorite works of theirs features Nana Mizuki’s stunning vocals (see “Justice to Believe” from Wild Arms V). And wait… Nana Mizuki is also going to be in this anime? Sounds like a winning combination to me!

Zzero’s Final Thoughts: Winter 2012 seems to be a barren season. None of the plot synopses looks particularly exciting beyond the three or four sequels that I just might follow. Furthermore, the composers that have been called up to score these shows haven’t been all too compelling, either. Aside from the likes of Yoko Kanno, Kou Otani, Elements Garden, and maybe Audio Highs, this upcoming season is lacking in the big names, or even the lesser names of much merit. Kajiura is probably continuing on with Fate/Zero and Iwasaki frankly does need to take a break to let his creative juices rest since his last couple efforts have been lackluster compared to his usual ability to impress. If nothing else, this upcoming season might be just what I need to catch up on some of the soundtracks from 2011 that have passed me by. And for that matter, catch up on 2011 anime too.

Review: Spoiler: This review will be largely positive.

I’ll be straightforward; it’s been a long time since I’ve really liked an OP/ED. Not to betray my cynicism, but they’re too often either wily vehicles for seiyuu endorsement with bad English or brainless irony festivals of misdirected rhetoric; it’s the happy, rare occasion when I truly enjoy one without excuses.

I guess this is where “Nornir” and “Boys, Come Back to Me” come in, because, here, there is no middle ground. There are no caveats or compromises. These are just good music. Etsuko Yakushimaru combines her whispery, breathless timbre with a huge, dramatic jazz orchestra sound, and the results are heroic. The tracks have a surreal majesty that seems drawn straight out of a fairy tale, making them openings worthy of the monumental show they introduce.

Etsuko has impressed in the past (ED to Tatami Galaxy, OP to Arakawa), but her scope was narrower and the arrangements in general were less grand. The singles presented in this album bring a much wider sense of scale, and is simply a smashing execution of a rarely-successful mix of sounds. We see Etsuko pulling triple-duty here; she is credited as the vocalist, lyricist, and composer (the latter two under her pseudonym Tica·α). Such involvement is increasingly rare, and thus impressive as a result.

That said, if there is a major criticism against these two songs, it would be that they seem to be cut from the same cloth. It’s never a problem to tell them apart, but there’s still a niggling sense of family resemblance. They’re not necessarily twins, but they’re half-siblings with the same color hair, and it causes the slightest tinge of disappointment. Though I wish the tracks would sound just slightly more distinct, this ultimately does not detract from their overall sterling quality.

Neither of these tracks is done justice by their 90-second TV edits. Both contain extensive, intricately orchestrated sections that did not appear in the animations. The intros give the impression of a typical verse/chorus structure to the songs, and that does them a great disservice. “Boys, Come Back to Me,” in particular, has two marvelously breathtaking instrumental sections in the middle. There’s much more here than the OP edits suggest, and it’s to your own detriment if you decide to judge the songs without experiencing the full versions.

I find that there’s not much to say when my opinion is so plainly positive. Listen to these.

I’ll be keeping my eye on Etsuko.

Rating: Excellent

Mawaru Penguindrum OP1 – nornir

Mawaru Penguindrum OP2 – boys, come back to me

Review: Un-Go is the third Noitamina series to showcase as one of its theme songs a work by School Food Punishment, a band that continues to go from strength to strength. School Food Punishment has made their name so far by mixing pop-rock with electronica to produce catchy and well-executed tunes that are eclectic and energetic. “How to Go” is more of the same, and while I wouldn’t quite put it in the same tier as “RPG” or “futuristic imagination”, it’s still a solid and worthy entry in the band’s growing list of hits.

“How to Go” opens with an explosive mix of guitar, jazzy piano and a synthesized motif which carries through pretty much the entire song. Lead singer Uchimura Yumi is fairly subdued through most of the first verse, but this allows the little musical variations and embellishments to shine through, giving the arrangement a balanced feel. It’s when the pre-chorus strikes that the tension rises, with a rhythmic, staccato synth melody that makes for a distinctive moment within the song. The chorus is a bit more even, but manages to avoid being predictable, showcasing Uchimura’s excellent vocal ability. The only part of this song I didn’t enjoy much was an instrumental bridge in the middle of the song, which was a bit awkward in its arrangement, going for a high-pitched synth solo that comes off as jarring and scratchy. Fortunately, the rest of the song is great, and never runs out of energy.

“Kaeru” takes a slightly different approach, maintaining a sense of energy but without the raw intensity of “How to Go”, as it goes for a sense of sophistication instead. It’s a pop song, but it’s smart, particularly in the way it allows its very melodic synth line to carry the song. After the subdued first verse, the intensity of the song starts to build at the pre-chorus, with Uchimura singing melodically and hitting notes across a large range. The chorus is the highlight of the song; it’s incredibly infectious and Uchimura’s execution is very good. The song is kept interesting through the use of small effects and flourishes, both vocal and instrumental, that help support the main melody.

Unfortunately the second B-side, “Kimi ni, Mune Kyun. -Uwaki na Vacation-”, isn’t so impressive. School Food Punishment chooses to slow down the pace considerably, but it comes off as uncharacteristically laconic. Among the samples used in this song is what I can only describe as a croak like sound, which would be more in place in a generic R&B song but just feels tacky here. The verses in particular feel directionless and while the chorus is listenable (ignoring the croaking), it’s a forgettable, almost lamentable song considering School Food Punishment’s otherwise high standards.

Rating: Good

Review: If it’s one thing that gets fans of a band riled up, it’s the replacement of a member. Ryo and his brainchild supercell found themselves on the wrong end of that anger when they suddenly ousted the much-loved Nagi in favor of fresh-faced newcomer Koeda, an ire strengthened by the revelation that she was naught but 15 years old. But it seems fans were jumping the gun. While it’s a stretch to say that Koeda is an outright improvement over Nagi, overall, the new voice is a welcome change. Nagi’s clean, open vocals were always elegantly, inscrutably delivered but could come off as a bit sterile and shallow. Koeda’s voice is a bit more nasal and brash, but more emotive, robust, and deep.

Perhaps it was a proactive measure on ryo’s part, then, that he changed around his vocalist, because his songwriting hasn’t evolved as much as it has interbred and mutated. Ryo has always been about big, obvious melodies supported by big, obvious chords, and while this is by no means bad, I can’t help but feel he has stagnated a bit as a composer. Everything he has released thus far seemed to brim with newness and imagination; that said, this single never outright offends but fails to surprise. The innovative, plucky indie spirit that made him famous (and me, a fan) has faded somewhat, and that is concerning, if not truly lamentable.

That’s not to say there’s nothing to like here. This single, like many of its ilk, is one that rides on the strength of its title track, “My Dearest.” Stylistically, it seems to be the culmination of every songwriting trope Ryo has used thus far in his career as supercell. It’s very much a concentrated, refined distillation of every sound supercell has become known for: heavy emphasis on piano, sweeping strings, broad, echoing backup vocals, fat, proud chord changes, generic (if highly capable) rock drumming, techno elements, a sappy electric guitar solo.  All of this forms the espresso of supercell, in all its cheesy, po-faced, self-serious glory.

But, like many a Japanese car, it’s not necessarily what goes into it that makes it good, it’s how it’s assembled. There was a lot of attention paid to the way the song’s many components (vocals, acoustic instruments, electric instruments, synthesizer tones, filtered acoustic instruments) came together. The arrangement here is truly special in a deeply impressive way. There is an amazing sensitivity as to what instruments are playing and how much they’re playing at what volume. Even with so many individual instruments at play, no single voice becomes needlessly neglected or annoyingly overbearing. The reintroduction of an element is always meaningful and serves some sort of purpose. If you find yourself liking this song, remember this: it’s not the composing you’re being impressed by, it’s the arrangement.

As for most fans’ point of contention, as I addressed, Koeda in “My Dearest” is competent as to be a non-issue. She doesn’t try to sound like Nagi and thus sounds nothing like Nagi and sounds just fine not sounding like Nagi.

Sometimes though, I do wish she would sound a bit more like Nagi, especially on the B-side. B-sides tend to be afterthoughts in the world of singles, and this isn’t much of an exception. The weaker composing here on these tracks combined with some grating emotive attempts by Koeda mean I can’t recommend these numbers in good conscience. Koeda’s delivery sounds a bit too forced in both these tunes; “Dai Hinmin” in particular rubs me the wrong way. It almost makes me hearken for Nagi’s more honest inflection, but I’ll call Koeda’s performance on this b-side simply passable and write off these annoyances as the quirks of a first impression.

Rating: Good

Guilty Crown OP – My Dearest

Tracklist

[[Visit blog to check out this spoiler]]

Review: Seirei no Moribito, which came out in 2007, has always struck me as an under-appreciated series. It’s got beautiful art, an engaging story, interesting characters and, of course, a gorgeous soundtrack. Composer Kenji Kawai’s resume is long and varied and he brings his A game to this series. It stands out as one of my favourite soundtracks and fits the series extremely well.

The plot of the series centres around Balsa, the spear-wielder, who is tasked with protecting the young Prince Chagum from his own father’s assassins. The emperor fears that Chagum is somehow connected to a spirit that will bring a great drought upon the land and must be killed. Balsa promises to protect him as she seeks to understand what the spirit within Chagum really is using ancient knowledge and folklore.

The folk aspect is a key element in the series, with conflict arising through the different approaches of the traditional, indigenous peoples and the empire guided by the star diviners. As Balsa wanders into this part of the world, Kawai immediately establishes the folk style of the soundtrack by introducing the series’ main theme in “Omoi Haruka”. It’s a soft flowing melody led by the strings and flute with subtle percussion in the background that brings out a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.

Omoi Haruka

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Several other tracks on the soundtrack echo this style, but each is unique and adds an element of hope or uncertainty to the melodies to allow them to fit extremely well with the cultural landscape of the Seirei no Moribito world. In fact, at least a dozen of the 28 tracks are in this general style. Another great example is the relaxing “Kizuna” which allows the melody to be carried upon a soft flute’s lines, conjuring up images of a calm summer afternoon.

Kizuna

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

As the characters get closer to their grim, mystical fate, the music follows suit, descending into a foreboding, eerie atmosphere, peppered with quick, repeating patterns of 16th notes in the violin and anchored by an almost wailing soprano like the one featured in “Miezaru Kyoui”. There, Kawai opts for a three beat rhythm to add intensity and make the piece feel unnatural, reflecting the story’s supernatural elements. This contrasts with “Jujutsu Shi no Kaikai”, the music of the shamans, which mirrors the almost wailing vocals, but this time the vocals center on a deep baritone voice which moves at a much slower pace. Only the heavy, steady drum beats provide accompaniment, creating a sense of deep thought or meditation.

Miezaru Kyoui

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Jujutsu Shi no Haikai

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

And if Balsa’s struggle to find the answers to her many questions about the mysterious spirit isn’t enough, she and Chagum must contend with the Emperor’s assassins. For these sequences, Kawai provides us with a selection of more intense pieces to reflect the rising tension. These tracks convey the urgency of the situation and instil a sense of the importance of the battle being fought. A strong drum beat leads the way in “Eiyuu, Tatsu”, with a quick-paced violin building the main melody. The choral backing makes it all feel more epic, but it never steals the spotlight of the piece from the melody. Although, this particular track unfortunately didn’t see much use in the actual series, it is still a good listen.

Eiyuu, Tatsu

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

When the threat is imminent, the music kicks it up another notch, yielding “Balsa Hashiru”. This theme builds on the intense drum-beat and urgent violins from the other tracks and combines them into a piece that doesn’t mess around. There’s no choral backing here; it’s just a powerful theme that reflects Balsa herself – strong yet graceful.

Balsa Hashiru

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

The soundtrack caps off with a vocal version of the series’ main theme, which carries with it a sense of hope and continuance, led once again by the violin and flute combination of the leading track. The chorus also works it’s magic here, with a delivery strong enough to carry the melody without sounding too artificial. I could have easily been fooled into thinking this was a traditional Japanese folk song, which illustrates the excellence of Kawai’s work.

Overall the soundtrack for Seirei no Moribito provides exactly the right atmosphere to reflect the mystical and cultural elements in the story. Most of the tracks, even the battle music, remain very melodic, though there are a few tracks that simply serve to create an atmosphere and are not as interesting to listen to on their own. The “wailing” songs can also be a bit jarring when not heard in the right context. Nevertheless, this is a solid soundtrack that I will often put on as background music. The folk style themes are a pleasure to listen to and stand well on their own. The fact that they remind me of an awesome anime series is just a bonus.

Rating: Very Good

Tracklist

[[Visit blog to check out this spoiler]]

Review: If I wanted to look for a well-arranged and emotional instrumental soundtrack, Astarotte no Omocha would probably be the last place I look. I picked up this show on a whim, probably because I’ve been spoiling myself in recent seasons by favoring action and dramatic shows over lolicon fanservice. Thus, you can imagine that, to my surprise, a soundtrack of White Album’s caliber seems to have gotten lost and ended up in this show.

Twinpower is a rather unknown composer — I tried doing research on them but Astarotte no Omocha is apparently the only anime they have ever worked on. Regardless, it’s filled to the brim with nice, sweet-sounding piano and violin melodies. The soundtrack played a huge role in improving the show. I expected ecchi fanservice, but with the writing and soundtrack, I got a show that was surprisingly well developed and entertaining. Again and again, cookie-cutter scenes that would be unbearably cliche and cheesy were rescued by the beautiful soundtrack. Oh, the amazing things that happen when you set your expectations low and when there’s a great soundtrack involved.

It’s going to be the special

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
“It’s Going to be The Special” is the signature track of the series. A beautiful and moving violin ballad, this melody made all the difference in several emotional scenes in the show. The sweet sonorous sounds of the violin makes this theme stand out, turning this track from background music into an preeminent part of the anime.

All of you

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
The regal and sophisticated tones in Astarotte no Omocha!‘s soundtrack  may seem oddly out of place, but upon closer inspection, the soundtrack works nearly perfectly. After all, Lotte is the princess of the land, and the little bit of magic and playful air in the soundtrack fits many aspects of the show. I like the harpsichord backing in “All of You” because it adds a significant amount of depth to the violin theme.

The Place Can’t be Lost

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
“The Place Can’t be Lost” starts as a slow, deliberate, and atmospheric track. It has a mystical feeling that’s associated with sneaking around at night that could be used as a slower track in say, The Polar Express or The Nightmare Before Christmas. The delicate melody then transforms into an elegant and grand instrumental theme.

First love

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
I have a soft spot for “First Love”– it’s probably my favorite track on the entire album. The tender and playful violin and piano instrumentals effortlessly reflects the title of the song; both instruments match and accompany each other like lovers following each other around. The piano is played beautifully — you can feel the emotion being put into the keys, making for a delicate yet graceful piece that is perfectly executed.

A Day

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
The Astarotte no Omocha! Original Soundtrack is catchy and great for listening yet is elegantly mild. Like any soundtrack, there are some songs that are a bit heavy and meant to establish a specific mood, but there are plenty of lighter fare. Take, for example, “A Day”, a slow, yet tightly composed and rustic theme. It effectively highlights the refrained simplicity of the soundtrack as a whole, with most tracks using only 2 or 3 instruments. However simple it may be, the soundtrack is complete; several leitmotifs and developed themes run though the album, and the tracks are designed to support the anime.

TV versions of the OP and ED are included in the soundtrack as well, and they have good synergy with the soundtrack proper. The OP, titled “Tenshi no Clover” and sung by Aimi is upbeat and relatively brisk. Though it doesn’t have too much going for it, it’s still pretty nice on the ears. Azusa sings the ED, “Manatsu no Photograph”, a song that I really like a lot. It’s cute, emotional, and has a beautiful arrangement to go with Azusa’s beautiful vocals. The lyrics are nice and the song simply sounds great. Also included is an insert song by the two lead seiyuu, Kugimiya Rie and Tamura Yukari, which is bubbly and cute.

Without a doubt, Astarotte no Omocha would be less of a show without its soundtrack. It gives the show that pathos that releases some of the preconceived notions viewers may have of the show. It’s regrettable that I had to skip over featuring some tracks for the sake of space, but I definitely recommend checking the soundtrack (and the anime!) out.

Rating: Very Good

Tracklist

[[Visit blog to check out this spoiler]]

Review: As difficult as it may seem, when it comes to orchestral arrangements of anime themes, I’m actually not that hard to please. All the music has to do at the bare minimum is take the theme and transcribe it in such a way that it’s melodically pleasing. Doing so gets you more than halfway to an arrangement that’s listenable, but given the scope of disasters like TAMusic’s pitiful efforts that are far from enjoyable, this must be a harder task than how I’ve envisioned it. Because of this, the bar for orchestral arrangements has been set pretty darn low.

That said, a doujin group arranging under the name Melodic Taste, has been able to meet this low bar through their Anime Song Orchestra album. Their arrangements are fairly innocuous; they might not consist of grand, orchestral flourishes, novel interpretations, or dynamically-arranged pieces that sweep you off your feet, but they get the job done. What you get are arrangements that are about as straightforward and orthodox as can be; pieces that generally don’t strive to be anything more than their originals.

So given the orthodox nature of these arrangements, the key to enjoying this album is the curiosity in hearing how these songs turn out. The opener, “Moon Signal,” is a straight-up transcription of the original, featuring the woodwinds in the early parts of the verses before letting the trumpets take over about halfway through and going all the way up to the end of the chorus. “Moon Signal” maintains its intensity and exuberance as it sticks steadfastly to the verse-chorus-verse-chorus structure, making it faithful if just a bit repetitive.

Moon Signal

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
As you can probably guess from my earlier remarks, this faithfulness is pervasive throughout this album, with very few deviations. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya’s “Hare Hare Yukai” still retains its bouncy, fun melody, though novelty does come through the bassoon’s delivery during the bridge. To Aru Kagaku no Railgun’s “Level 5 -Judgelight-” successfully translates fripSide’s trance-pop into a saxophone-driven arrangement. Although there are no meaningful departures from the original, this take is still enjoyable because it draws strength from the original’s catchiness.

The best two tracks, however, materialize in the much-loved “Renai Circulation,” and “Higurashi no Naku Koro ni.” The former’s interpretation is very straightforward, but it does an excellent job of capturing the bubbly cuteness that made the original such a joy to listen to. In addition to using the xylophone’s and the flute’s timbre to convey a sense of child-like innocence as well as depict Kana Hanazawa’s little vocal outbursts, the most unexpectedly delightful section is when the snare drum and brass join the flute during the “KOI TSURU KISETSU WA YOKUBARI circulation” chant because I just didn’t think Melodic Taste would actually try to arrange that part nor did I think that it’d turn out so well.

Renai Circulation

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
In “Higurashi no Naku Koro ni’s” case, the differences between this and the original are slightly more pronounced. The screechy, dissonant flutes in the introduction are a tad annoying, but once the piece gets underway, the lower-registered instruments come in, emanating an aura of doom and gloom. The pizzicato from the strings add to the tension, giving this arrangement a creepy feeling, before the bombast takes over during the chorus to evoke a sense of dread borne from imminent destruction. Given what the eponymous anime focuses upon, this arrangement captures the harrowing atmosphere of the anime well.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
As enjoyable as some of these arrangements are, there are going to be quite a few duds. Tracks like “Strike Witches 2 ～egao no mahou～” comes off sounding the way you’d expect an upbeat, generic pop song to sound if it were orchestrated: like a generic orchestral arrangement of an upbeat, generic pop song. Tautologies aside, there’s nothing in this arrangement or the original that’s so engaging that it’d make me want to pay closer attention. Other problems include messy harmonies, which keep tracks like the perennial favorite, “Sousei no Aquarion,” from being enjoyable (it doesn’t help that the woodwinds during the bridge sound a tad off). Finally, “Ai Oboete Imasuka,” the only track that isn’t bombastic or energetic, falls short in delivering the original’s sentiments. This is a great example of a case in which an orchestral library is unable to deliver upon a song’s emotional components. The inflections and nuances of a human performer are where this piece can shine, and the sound samples used here just cannot replicate that human performer.

Strike Witches 2 ～egao no mahou～

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Ai Oboete Imasuka

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
In spite of the faults and the album’s tendency to play it safe with its arrangements, Anime Song Orchestra still represents a competent effort. Having experienced so many terrible doujin orchestral arrangements, if the work that Melodic Taste displays here doesn’t put this group at the top of the heap in this tiny niche, then they surely are very close to the top at least. And what this proclamation does is say more about the state of the doujin orchestral music scene than it does about this particular group or these arrangements.

Rating: Decent

Review: Although Un-Go’s OP song has received the bulk of the attention in large part because it’s from the increasingly highly-regarded School Food Punishment, who have barely set a foot wrong since getting the opportunity to close out Production IG’s hit anime Eden of the East a couple of years ago, its ED song, by the much less known Lama, isn’t too bad either. Lama, a newly-formed four piece band that consists of one half of the remnants of Supercar, were responsible for No. 6’s OP song “Spell”, and Bones have turned to them again. “Fantasy” is so distinct from “Spell” that I didn’t even realize they were by the same band. The song shows a level of sophistication not evident in “Spell’s” wailing monotony, but the big problem with this single isn’t the music (even if the B-side is forgettable), it’s a lack of content.

The single opens with the B-side, “Cupid” which is the much weaker of the two songs. “Cupid” literally takes half a minute before it does anything, bouncing along with a two-tone rhythmic baseline before vocalist Furukawa Miki takes over. The opening verse is sung with high-pitched long notes to contrast with the bassline, but Furukawa is hardly extending herself and it sounds rather empty and humdrum. It’s once the chorus starts and Nakamura Kouji, the band’s male vocalist, pitches in that the song becomes more interesting. The second half of the song is almost a repeat of the first bar some mild evolutions, and overall the song is subpar.

“Fantasy” is the song that most Un-Go fans will want this single for, and undoubtedly, right from its jazzy, rhythmic piano opening, it’s a more engaging song. Nakamura’s is the first voice you’ll hear, and the second of several layers that are iteratively added until a percussion line dominated by bass drum introduces Furukawa’s lyrics. While the two vocalists work reasonably well as a tandem, it’s really Nakamura who’s doing the most heavy lifting, setting a tone that’s both cool and shrewd – I daresay “Fantasy” would work well as a character song for Un-Go’s lead, Shinjurou. I do like this song, but to say the ending is abrupt is an understatement.

And that goes for the single too, which highlights its biggest problem: there’s only two songs with no extras, TV cuts or instrumental versions, and the entire thing comes in at just over six and a half minutes. The only people who I could see getting this would be hardcore Un-Go fans who are also big collectors. But considering it’s an anime original airing on Noitamina, I’m not convinced there are many hardcore, big-collecting Un-Go fans out there. In the larger context, this is most likely little more than a vehicle to promote Lama’s career, and should probably be seen as much.

Rating: Decent

Un-Go ED – Fantasy

It’s easy to see music as a one-way road. We may at times see listening to music as a disengaged activity, passive observation. It’s a final product presented to us, the end consumer, as a finished work for us to enjoy; is there any need to mentally invest ourselves?

Here at Anime Instrumentality, though, we take our listening a bit more seriously. We believe listening to music is an active, involved activity. You get more out of music as you put more of yourself into it; using your brain is as important as using your ears. I hope you feel the same way, and I trust this is why you come to a music review sites such as ours, because you believe that music becomes more powerful and profound the more you engage with it.

To that end, I have compiled five ways (that you may currently know and use!) you can get more out of the songs you already know and love.

1) Tap Your Foot

This may seem almost trivial, even rudimentary, but tapping your foot (or keeping time in some other fashion) has more to it than you may have considered. Syncing yourself with the beat of the song is an essential step in listening to all that it has to offer. By physically moving a part of your body to the rhythm of a tune, you intrinsically make yourself a part of the experience. It forces you to think by making you pay attention to the thrust of the song. Although it’s easy to shift into autopilot and let the music fade into the background, if you actively keep time along with the music, it’s almost impossible to not actively engage with whatever you’re listening to.

More importantly, you should emphasize the first beat of each measure in some manner. By doing this, you are performing a simple analysis of the song by mentally breaking down the music into smaller constituent parts. You also begin to appreciate things like unusual time signatures, which songwriters at times utilize on purpose to baffle listeners in the know. You will also see that measures are not always consistent in the number of beats they hold. As a rather famous example of this, the final measure of vocals in “Hare Hare Yukai,” a song entirely in 4/4, has only 3 beats before entering the concluding synthesizer section.

Hare Hare Yukai

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Can you hear it? What about if you keep time with it, distinguishing the first, emphasized beats of each measure? You may already be beginning to appreciate the little details like this that songwriters inject into their work. “Short” measures such as these were used by composers (Leonard Bernstein is a good example) to give a sense of energy and sprightliness. This is just one example of the things you may uncover.

2) Listen to a Less Obvious Instrument

The human mind is lazy and is inclined to focus on what is apparent and easy to recognize. You may have seen this manifest when you listen to music; unless you’re purposely trying not to, your attention tends to get drawn to the main melody or the soloist. While the loudest and most apparent voices are certainly important parts of the song, there are always elements that are not as immediately obvious, elements that have likely been included and composed with just as much loving care and detail as the main melodic line. Harmonized vocals and bass lines are a good example of this. Next time you listen to one of your favorite songs, consider focusing your attention on instruments like the bass guitar and backup vocals. You may notice something that you hadn’t before, like a quietly mixed bass lick or subtle counter-melody in the strings. Every little thing you discover will help you to better appreciate a good song.

Example: Can you hear the harmonized vocals from “Irony” by ClariS? Try focusing on the edges of the soundstage on each channel. From what I can tell, each channel actually features a different interval of harmonization. Maybe you can discern more specifcally?

Irony

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

3) Sing!

We are not all natural singers (I know I’m not), but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try! Singing along with a song you enjoy may be something you naturally do anyway, but consider what that means. By singing with a track, you inherently make yourself a part of the experience. You stop being an observer and start becoming an active participant. You force yourself to keep time and remain mindful of the progression of the song. As opposed to the following two points, which familiarize rationally, singing intimates the listener viscerally.

4) Identify Form, Function, and Structure

They say the mark of a good composer is proper form. As a listener, keep an ear out for how a song builds itself up and goes through its sections. Try to identify parts of the song like the verse, pre-chorus, chorus, and bridge. If you hear things like key changes and turn-arounds, take note of them too. On a smaller scale, keep track of thematic repetitions and motifs. If you are listening to something like a musical or a soundtrack, take special care to pay attention to the opening overture; it will contain all of the themes that will reappear in some form or other later in the piece. Wary listeners will be keen to identify expansions of older material and its contrasts with newly introduced motifs. You’ll notice that the more sophisticated the music is, the less clearly defined its sections are.

5) Transcribe and Reproduce

Perhaps the most esoteric of the suggestions here, you may find the task of transcribing something daunting. WELL IT IS.  I SHOULD KNOW.  I’VE BEEN THERE. ;__;

But the next time you find yourself in front of a piano, try taking a minute or two hammering out a melody from a song you remember. It may surprise you how thrilling it is to personally recreate something you’ve only experienced passively.

So there’s my five cents as to how listeners can get more from their music. Know a better way? Let me know below!

Review: One of the (many) things that made the first season of Working! so much fun was its incredibly infectious OP song, a melodic, poppy J-ska (which is remarkable of itself) tune lead by the seiyuu talent of Asumi Kana, Fujita Saki and Kitamura Eri, who play the three main female characters. “Someone Else” worked so well because it was catchy, without being predictable. Even the ED song was a mild curveball, taking advantage of Working!’s vast and impressive seiyuu cast and the fact that it had multiple male characters of varying importance (another rarity of the genre), and using the vocals of the three main male seiyuu, Fukuyama Jun, Ono Daisuke and Kamiya Hiroshi, who just happen to be three of the best male seiyuu in the business right now. “Coolish Walk” just can’t compare with the instantly memorable pop hit that was “Someone Else”, but is it a good song in its own right? Not really.

Not that “Coolish Walk” is terrible, but it’s way too cutesy, even for J-pop standards. Its opening vignette is filled with onomatopoeia which sets the tone for the track, and the first verse that follows uses combinations of “pan pan pan”, “mon mon mon” and “wow wow” as key components of its structure. While I can see people going for this because it is well sung and fairly sensibly arranged, its inherent tackiness is a significant barrier. The pre-chorus is the the highlight of the song for its breezy feel and the way it lets the harmonies of the vocalists take over, but it leads into a chorus which is fairly predictable and standard fare.

The issue with “Coolish Walk” is that, other than its cutesiness and the repeated onomatopoeia, there’s nothing about it that makes it distinct. Fortunately this is an issue that “Itsumo no Youni LOVE & PEACE!!” manages to avoid, if barely. Somehow managing to exist as both a tongue-in-cheek parody of and homage to 70s disco music, Working’!’s ED song carries itself fairly well during the verses, seemingly aware that it shouldn’t take itself too seriously. The problem is that the chorus is a whole heap of nothing, particularly the vocal line which just meanders and gives way to the rather unremarkable music underneath. When you have access to vocal talent as good as Fukuyama, Ono and Kamiya, you should make the most of it and give them something a little more challenging to work with. Kamiya in particular almost sounds like he’s trying too hard to make something interesting of his contribution to the chorus. And while this is an aside to the song itself, I’m still trying to figure out what Yamada Aoi is doing with that tambourine during the ED sequence.

Working’! as an anime has been just as good, and in some ways even better than its predecessor, but the theme songs have not been one of those ways. Working! has a seiyuu cast that I rate very highly, so it makes a lot of sense to utilize them for this OP ED Single. And while they’ve tried their best with the material they’ve been given, honestly it’s not very inspiring stuff.

Rating: So-so

Before I start, let me just say that this was the first time I have ever been to a J-pop concert. While the bulk of my experiences had been symphonic performances or musicals where I can sit back and let the music wash gently over me, AFA’s concert was akin to being stuck in a washing machine in a spin cycle, amidst hundreds of people waving lightsticks, singing along with the artists, cheering and screaming themselves hoarse. And to make matters worse, my spirit was not even a fraction of theirs, and while my heart did beat a little faster, there was not a moment where I even came close to losing myself.

Still, throughout most of the concert, I was in awe. This was partly due to the volume being high enough to knock the air right out of your chest, but more due to the sheer quality of some of the performances. Itou Kanako started things off and made an immediate impact through her vocal clarity and strength of delivery in ‘Uchuu no Engineer’. While her stamina did not last through the entire performance, Itou Kanako is definitely more than auto-tune and audio editing. It helped that her English is excellent, and she came across as a really sweet and likeable person through all the MC sessions. It was definitely the best opening I can hope for, and she is one person I’ll definitely pay to watch again.

Following Itou Kanako, we had Milky Holmes, whose autographed poster I’m still trying to auction off. While their song offered the classic energetic and bubbly fare, the whole performance fits much better in a grade school setting than among our group of audiences.  To their credit, they did work up the crowd a fair bit, and as seiyuu singers, their singing is half-decent.

Third up is the powerhouse: Angela. Through this group’s sheer amount of experience, they were demonstrably in an different league from Milky Holmes. Their audience engagement is just off the charts; Atsuko led the audience on a dance to accompany hers and Katsu even jumped off the stage to get up close with some of the audience. I really liked the selection of their tracks, from the track that propelled them to stardom, ‘Shangri-la’, to their debut ‘Asu e no Brilliant Road’, and even a surprise reveal in ‘Cruel Angel’s Thesis,’ which drew thunderous cheers from the crowd. While Angela did give up a whole lot of intonation and music quality for such a performance, I can only say that each song was meaningful in its own way and I had never been this happy having my eardrums ripped to shreds.

With Kalafina, the audience went wild. It seems that May’n may just have to give up her spot as the AFA icon in a year or two. Starting with their trump card ‘Magia‘, I stood in absolutely awe over Wakana’s performance. Her voice was stronger, brighter and richer than ever, and while I had complained about that before in their singles because it comes across as being unexpressive, it worked great for a live performance. Also, her aria was just, dare I say it, heavenly.

Keiko would have held her own had the microphone volume been adjusted higher for her, but as it stood, it was really difficult to even hear her solos. Hikaru, for her part, was having one of her better days (i.e. no horrendously off-key notes), but her performance did not come across as confidently as the others’. Still, Kalafina gave the most musically sound performance, and there was an odd sense of satisfaction seeing these girls whom I’ve had my eyes on since their debut finally propel themselves to international fame.

Wrapping up, we have the resident diva of AFA: May’n. Like I mentioned in my most recent review, I am not too fond of most of her releases since her voice is like a rubber band.  My friend takes it a step further, comparing it to a spider web: thin, taut and sticky. I admit that’s an fair description, but I also have to marvel at how May’n is just a natural performer. With the confidence rivaled only by Angela, May’n’s presence absolutely dominated the stage. And while this has been said a thousand times, I have to say again: her songs sound much better live than they do on record. However, the pounding synth and bass, along with May’n's extreme and uncontrolled fluctuations in volume did leave me with a headache less than halfway through.

Overall, the concert has been a whole new experience, and the songs are going to keep replaying in my head for some time to come. While I did not go away with a boatload of adrenaline like everyone else did, and my complete lack of stamina for such events tells me I should hold off my pilgrimage to Animelo for at least a few years, I did enjoy the night thoroughly. Still, my ideal concert remains as one which takes my breath away through the music and the strength of the singer’s vocals, not with speakers that churn your insides around like soup.

In my previous posts I covered getting to Japan for Animelo Summer Live 2011 – Rainbow and the first of the two concerts on Saturday 27 August 2011.

Sunday was a bit more relaxed. The hotel was 20 minutes walk from Ueno station and closer to the hotel were the main museums and galleries in Tokyo.

Tokyo National Museum

I visited the Tokyo National Museum then took a limited express train from Ueno to Saitama-Shintoshin and this time purchased a towel, some food and bottled water outside the arena. Again, I met the person from KNT and we were seated in slightly different seats in the same guest box as the previous night’s concert. The audience was no less enthusiastic than they were the previous day.

There is a summary clip on Youtube that has song excerpts and photos of the artists, mainly taken at the second concert here, but to go into my thoughts, let’s hop on down after the jump!

The second day’s concert started with a duet starring Yui Horie and Nana Mizuki, who fired up a medley of Hikari from Inukami and Cosmic Love from Rosario + Vampire. Both songs were extremely catchy and a good choice to start things off.

I’d seen some concert-goers wearing Minami Kuribayashi t-shirts and was looking forward to her set. First, she sang Rumbling Hearts from Kimi ga Nozomu Eien. After talking to the audience we heard Toki sude ni Hajimari wo Kizamu from Katanagatari and Straight Jet from Infinite Stratos. There were a few calls of “Chotto” from Minami-san between songs to get sips of water before she finished with the perennial favorite, Tsubasa wa Pleasure Line from Chrono Crusade, this time, in a duet with Maon Kurosaki accompanied by the strings. Although the choice of songs was good, the audience wasn’t quite with Minami-san, but thankfully, Maon-san made the set finish on a strong note.

Maon Kurosaki continued with Magic∞World and finished with Memories Last, both from A Certain Magical Index II. Although this was Maon’s first Animelo, she had already impressed me with the songs I had found on Youtube, including “Magic∞World” from a television special called Lisan Live! and I thought this performance was even better. It helped that the audience’s positive feedback to Maon-san made the performances distinct and not a repeat of other performances.

Next was Mamoru Miyano with Orpheus from Uta no Prince-sama: Maji Love 1000% (note that the linked clip has a different, female vocalist) and Body Rock. The orange light-sticks appeared during this set and stayed around for the sporty and fun RO-KYU-BU! with Shoot! and Party Love ~Okkiku Naritai~. This was followed by a rainbow of colored sticks to hail Milky Holmes’ arrival, where they sang Seikai wa Hitotsu! Janai!! and Ameagari no Mirai. There was a fun energy to both RO-KYU-BU! and Milky Holmes that was infectious with the audience.

Steins;Gate was next – Kanako Ito sang Hacking to the gate with guitarist Shikura Chiyomaru followed by Phantasm (Yui Sakakibara) with Tokitsukasadoru Juuni no Meiyaku. I love Kanako-san’s distinct vocal style and energy and wished we could have heard more of her. If she didn’t sing in Japanese, one could imagine her music being used in a soundtrack for something set in Central or South America. Yui-san, for her part, had some of the angst in her voice like a singer from the USA, UK or Ireland.

Kishow Taniyama of GRANRODEO and Mamoru Miyano then performed the Durarara!! opening theme, Uragiri no Yuuyake which stood apart from the others by being a good grungy, shouty, rock song.

Yui Horie was next, with Immoralist from Dragon Crisis, PRESENTER from Dog Days and Yahho!! from Kanamemo. Yui-san was a stronger performer than I remembered from previous concert videos – she was and still is an understated and articulate professional.

Chiaki Ishikawa then sang the very beautiful Mou Nanimo Kowakunai, Kowaku wa Nai from Mobile Suit Gundam 00 and Fukanzen Nenshou from Kanisama Dolls. The way these songs were sung were melodically powerful enough to be able to stand on their own without accompaniment – her vocals were very strong, well-pitched and clear with great emotion, or as my notes stated: good!

JAM Project provided part two of their trademark multi-voice powerhouse rock (still fresh and full of energy) with the 2011 releases NOAH and Vanguard, and audience favourite Rescue Fire. I’ve grown to enjoy their music from previous concert videos, but having new songs in their set helped avoid the feeling of having heard it all before.

After a 20 minute interval, the anime that involved a girl wrapped up in a futon, Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko was up with Erio wo Kamatte Chan, or rather her character voice actress, Asuka Ōgame appearing likewise to perform Os-Alien and Kotatsu Kara Nagameru Sekai Chizu. If you haven’t heard them, they are jarring yet appealing in the way they accompany the series.

Heavier still, GRANRODEO came back with Supernova, Outsider from Cutie Honey: The Live and Go For It from IGPX. Their previous Animelo sets hadn’t grabbed me, but Supernova had a great sense of focus that made the other songs more accessible.

Kalafina was a late addition to the concert program but their performance was extremely polished with Magia from Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Sprinter from Kara no Kyōkai ~ Mujun Rasen. Their performance was very strong, and lived up to the standard of their Red Moon tour Blu-ray disc, but with the advantage of a far more enthusiastic Animelo audience. I can’t wait to get the Blu-ray of the concert for the performance of “Magia” alone.

I had earlier heard the voice of Motsu from M.O.V.E in pre-recorded announcements at the arena, then he appeared with fripSide keyboard player Satoshi Yaginuma and Maon Kurosaki as ALTIMA with I’ll believe from Shakugan no Shana III. It was great to have Motsu as a secret guest and the combination of performers worked well – their energy levels were about the same and it was quite distinct from Motsu’s 2010 collaboration with Yukari Tamura, “You & Me”.

As my tour guide told me, a poll had been held on Twitter for the act that concert-goers most wanted to see that wasn’t yet booked. T.M.Revolution won that poll and obliged with a very polished Flags from Sengoku Basara Chronicle Hero, SWORD SUMMIT from Sengoku Basara II, and Ignited from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny. The clips I found don’t do justice to how clear the songs sounded at Animelo.

As with the previous night, when you combine JAM Project members with other performers you get something even better. In this case they incorporated Nana Mizuki and Masaaki Endoh for a stirring rendition of Eternal Blaze from Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A’s, then Nana-chan as the solo vocalist with Unbreakable from UnchainBlades ReXX, Junetsu Paradox from Blood-C and Scarlet Knight from Dog Days.

Then it was time for the theme song Rainbow (the clip has subtitles in Japanese and English) with all the artists except Kalafina and with it, a lot of “goodbyes” and “See you next year for Anisama 2011″ on the screen.

After this concert we went backstage again and this time I met Chiaki Ishikawa. Like Minori Chihara the previous night, Chiaki-san was one of the most pleasant people one could meet. If I spoke Japanese and everyone had plenty of time I would have liked to have thanked as many of the other artists as possible for their performances. Outside Saitama-Shintoshin station I thanked the person from KNT for all her help and we shook hands and I took the train back to the hotel, again purchasing noodles for a late dinner.

It had been a great couple of concerts for me, even though I had nowhere near the level experience of the songs and artists that most of the concert-goers had. The spirit of collaboration extended way beyond the songs sung, including the excellent organisation of the event, and how these concerts were treated as the main event of the year by an overwhelming majority of the participants.

National Museum of Nature and Science

On Monday I checked out of the hotel, visited the National Museum of Nature and Science, picked up my back-pack and took a regular train from Nippori to Narita Terminal 2, flying back overnight and changing in Sydney to a Singapore-bound flight that stopped in Adelaide (make sure you are familiar with the transfer arrangements in Sydney if you travel this way).

Since getting back home I haven’t lost the excitement of the trip and seeing and meeting some of the people behind a large slice of the music of anime, even though more than two months have passed. (The collection of Youtube clips referenced in these reviews were put together to help remember the concerts while waiting for the blu-ray releases). In conversations with others since then, many were surprised that I didn’t find Tokyo crowded (possibly due to being there in late summer), and were surprised that it wasn’t as expensive as they’d believed it would be.

In summary, a life-changing trip, great people, places, music and hospitality. I’d definitely recommend doing this at least once just to experience the awesomeness of it all!

Review: There are many bones I have to pick with May’n's singing: it’s contrived, it’s thin, and frankly, it’s like a rubber band that’s ready to snap any moment. There are only a few of her works that I can sit through without a splitting headache at the end and “Brain Diver” is one of those rare finds.

With its rapid tempo, we don’t get many sustained notes from May’n – the sort which tear at her throat and my sanity. And to her credit, May’n does handle fast and rhythmic songs quite well. “Brain Diver” capitalises on her talent and astutely hides all her weaknesses. Her overly dramatic delivery, which usually raises eyebrows, actually raises the quality of this song because it goes together rather well with the discordant synthesizer sounds, making the song even catchier. It’s generic pop, no doubt, but if she can make it sound as good as it did, there is really nothing I can complain about.

But as we progress on to the B-side, I am reminded painfully that the usual May’n fare is never far away. Starting off with instrumentals that sounds right down the Maaya Sakamoto alley, my stomach just churns while waiting for May’n entry. As expected, she completely desecrates the song with a delivery that is still as contrived as ever. Her complete lack of meaningful modulation, the painful amount of repetition, and the slow pace of it all make this song plain torturous.

Still, I tip my hat off to composer Tomokazu Yamada and arranger CHOKKAKU for managing to bring the best out of May’n, who actually ain’t all that shabby. Spare me the “Scarlet Ballet” and “Ready Go!” nonsense; this is the song I want to hear when I attend AFA this weekend.

Rating: Good

Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle OP – Brain Diver

So, not surprisingly, this jazz arrangement of Steins;Gate‘s opening theme caught my ear. While I slightly prefer BGM arrangements because of how rare they are, OP/ED arrangements still earn my favor if done well. And this jazz arrangement certainly fits that criterion. Give it a listen after the jump!

Steins;Gate OP: Hacking to the Gate (Jazz: piano & bass)

Now, I’m hardly a fan of Kanako Itou’s vocals on the original. While the visuals and the chaotic rhythms and synth work well to bring out the sci-fi component of the show, Itou’s delivery is adequate in its expression of the series’ loneliness and despair but doesn’t do much beyond that.

The jazz arrangement captures the song’s sentiments well, though. Its introduction feels heavy as the bass and piano chords hammer out a melancholy atmosphere, and the piano follows that up with a bluesy rendition of the melody all the way up to the chorus. Given what I’ve heard so far, I didn’t expect the chorus to go all-out in hammering the distraught emotions home like the original did, and my predictions were largely spot-on; the pianist delivered an ear-pleasing passage that, while not emphatic, still retained the despair or the original in a way that resembles a plea for help.

The bridge is fairly simple in the way it moves along whimsically, but I do like how you can catch snippets of the chorus in the improvisation before it segues back into the chorus and ends it there.