Tracklist

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Review: After listening to Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt’s soundtrack, I’m rendered absolutely lost since it wanders into unfamiliar musical territory. In looking at my past experiences exploring music out of step with my normal repertoire, I can say that it may take awhile as it did with the funky groove in One Outs’s soundtrack which I grew to love or it can quickly reel me in if it’s as catchy as the oddball Katamari Damacy soundtrack. These soundtracks represented novel listening experiences and I took to them fairly quickly.

So here I am, listening to Panty & Stocking’s soundtrack, and I’m just not feeling it. It contains a random scattershot of music which tilts primarily toward club dance mixes with its pulsating rhythms and electronica, a few tracks with sound effects derived from a cheap porn flick, and some R&B which make up the shortlist of my favorite tracks. This amalgam makes for a unique listen, but unique doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good, especially when some of the tracks on their own feel like a shadow of what they were when you look at how they’re used alongside the art and animation.

The biggest example of a song that possesses a healthy dose of flash and dazzle in the anime, but flails around on a standalone basis is none other than “Fly Away,” which enthralled viewers in the way it went so well with the poledancing transformation sequence. Out of context, the song feels limp and wanting. The screaming electronica, reminiscent of the music you’d find in Air Gear or Jet Set Radio, doesn’t feel full, as if an instrumental channel is missing entirely. I’m also not sure why they muffled the pulsating rhythm towards the end, but it only compounds the lack of fullness. On the whole, its presentation lacks the pizazz the scene possessed and the piece is drawn out for far too long. “Fly Away” only needed to be two minutes of rhythmic fullness rather than four minutes of limpid delivery.

Fly Away

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And then there are tracks that are just flat-out in bad taste, which limits the ability for anyone to play this CD straight through in the presence of polite company unless they’ve a witty rejoinder for why they’re even listening to something so raunchy. “Juice” takes it to the most extreme. In a nutshell, it consists of a little over a minute of someone making copulating noises backed by skanky porno music. To say that it’s not my thing is a huge understatement. If I wanted to listen to that, I could just watch porn and so, I’m not sure what the point of that track is. Maybe people get off to that stuff. It’s none of my business; I’ll just avoid it entirely. “Pantscada” isn’t quite as bad as “Juice” since the beginning does have a nice meld of rhythm and energy, but once again, the moans brought about by the mixing in the second half of the track has me shaking my head and reaching for the “next” button.

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The remainder of the album mostly consists of electronica of varying quality. I’m totally fine with “Beverly Hills Cock” since its screaming tones do carry a bearable sort of energy and “Dancefloor Orgy” relies on some heavy mixing to hit its groove that borders upon an industrial sound. The electronica slowly degrades as the album progresses, starting with “EPTM feat. Kodai” which starts out with gusto, but between the gabber and the overuse of autotune, it’s difficult to appreciate the throbbing beat that serves as the backing. By the time “Technodildo,” with its droning distortions and chiptune-y flavor, and “Schranz Chase” roll around, the electronica becomes more like a jackhammer placed between both my temples. Needless to say, the dull thudding doesn’t result in pleasant listens at all.

Dancefloor Orgy

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Technodildo

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Amidst all that, there are a few diamonds in the rough and a few actual diamonds. I do find myself engaged by “D City Rock’s” self-centered lyrics which somehow remind me of a funkier “Material Girl” with a more seductive bent to it. “CHOCOLAT” is by far the best track on the album though. The combination of guitars and electronica meld into a trance-y, dreamy tone to back Mariya Ise’s soothing vocals which pack in a sense of charm through its heartfelt, yet ethereal delivery. “CHOCOLAT’s” message resonates well with me even through I haven’t seen the segment where this song is played because its loving sentiments carry an aura of sincerity and innocence which are capable of transcending the anime to reach the listener. Finally, the album closes out with the excellent “Fallen Angel” sung by Aimee B. The song’s touch of regret and forlorn tones win me over with its expression of the isolation the two titular angels must feel as they’re cast down. Aimee B’s delivery is poignant, filled with loneliness and a heartache that yearns for heaven’s embrace, working perfectly as Panty & Stocking’s ED and which, together with “CHOCOLAT,” stick out as the soundtrack’s most notable songs.

CHOCOLAT feat. Mariya Ise

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Fallen Angel feat. Aimee B

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To many, this is the one anime soundtrack that they had been waiting for all year. Not for me though. Between my ambivalence for throbbing, pulsating electronica, my distaste for overly-distorted, repetitive synth, porno music, and a predisposition against club music, Panty & Stocking’s soundtrack was facing an uphill battle. Beyond the few tracks that impressed, I’ll cheerfully admit that this album isn’t boring; it’s just not my thing. And with that, I’ll pull out some Valkyria Chronicles II to wipe my mind of this experience, and simply move on.

Rating: Decent

Tracklist

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Review: As underrated as Yoshimori Makoto is, he can’t seem to not compose good music when he puts his mind to it. Though I did not think highly of Baccano! soundtrack, he’s has shown improvement, most noticeably in his Natsume Yuujinchou soundtrack, followed by a solid effort in the soundtrack for Natsume Yuujinchou’s second season.

With Durarara!!’s soundtrack, Yoshimori Makoto gives us his best soundtrack yet. Gone are the indistinct, melodies that plagued his Baccano! score as Makoto’s compositions have matured and he’s become more comfortable with jazz to put forth a solid effort that captures the essence of the anime. From the very start, “Ikebukuro nishiguchi go mata-ro kosaten’s” cacophony of instruments creates multiple layers that are weaved together into a jazzy fabric with a Middle Eastern touch that depicts the plots taking place in the show’s setting of Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district. This distinct sound works to sculpt the show’s atmosphere and as you continue going through the soundtrack, you’ll find that cacophony, along with dissonance, is the order of the day.

Ikebukuro nishiguchi go mata-ro kosaten

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And it works! Jazz sets the right tone for a show highlighting subterfuge and a not-insignificant amount of thuggery in an urban environment. “Waraeru hodo hikyo na yatsu” offers a mix of industrial and jazz which proceeds in a manner that evokes an image of one of the show’s shadier characters prowling about town at night. The feeling of the cityscape in a state of decay is what comes to mind while listening, and the random snippets of conversation sound like people engaging in underhanded dealings as well as swapping rumors about the oddball occurrences. What really clinches it though is the random laughter that surprises you during the middle of the track, which immediately takes you out of your comfort zone and into the unpredictable, menacing underworld.

Waraeru hodo hikyo na yatsu

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In addition to the atmospheric instrumentals, the shrill chuckle in “Waraeru hodo hikyo na yatsu” highlights a characteristic of Makoto’s compositions: random sound effects. Though it’s had mixed results in the past, this time, all of the tracks that employ this technique are bearable. “Koe no nai sakebi” is a good example of this in that the wailing that resounds through the track keeps you on edge, but does a good job depicting a multitude of scenarios without being overly grating. For example, it could be the wind whistling through the deserted alleyways of Ikebukuro or some vengeful spirit crying out over something it’s lost and is desperately trying to discover (totally talking about Celty here). If you don’t find the chilling, discordant sound to be your thing, that’s about as bad as the Yoshimori Makoto-isms get in this album; you’re not going to find any annoying mosquito noises. Not in this Makoto soundtrack anyhow.

Koe no nai sakebi

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But what I’ve always enjoyed from Yoshimori Makoto’s music is the way he composes beautiful piano and violin melodies. We get a taste of that early on through “Akogare no hi nichijo’s” piano and recorder which convey the emotion of first love at first sight. The melody blooms wonderfully, signifying just how much the love has strengthened while incorporating the usual tentativeness and awkwardness associated with that love. Better still is “E no naka no shojo” which consists of a violin and piano duet where the piano sets up a lovely rhythm and cascades down a poignant air, filled with yearning feelings from the violin. The depths of emotions into which it brings forth fills me with awe, making it one of the strongest memorable pieces on the album.

Akogare no hi nichijo

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E no naka no shojo

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Even with something as beautiful as “E no naka no shojo” in tow, nothing can really beat out “Midoriiro no kioku” which demonstrates Yoshimori Makoto’s talent with Irish melodies! From the start, the fiddle demands your attention as it takes you far away from the hustle and bustle of modern life and into the lush, rustic landscape of Ireland. Once the tin whistle enters, I can’t help but feel relaxed as I look upon the sights and sounds of the pastoral Emerald Isle and take in that magnificent sight. The way this piece lilts, ebbs, and flows creates a joyous, upbeat mood that assures you all is well. Endings don’t get much better than that, and in the realm of happy endings, this one’s fantastic!

Midoriiro no kioku

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In Durarara!!’s soundtrack, we have Yoshimori Makoto’s best work yet as he raises his game to a new level. The scary part of it is that I don’t think he’s reached his peak form yet, and so, given this steady rate of improvement, believe that his best soundtrack is yet to come. In the meantime, Durarara!!’s soundtrack is a very engaging experience, with its diverse blend of industrial, jazz, orchestral, and of course, folk music to make it a must-listen.

Rating: Very Good

Note: Though it doesn’t affect the quality of this album in any way, I’ll say this: I really really hate it when the soundtrack is bundled with the Japanese DVDs/Blu-Ray discs. This effectively means that I’m priced out of it, since paying $60+ for a bundled product when all I really want is just the soundtrack. Suffice to say, this practice is ridiculous (if understandable), and so, though I do have the affiliate links on here, I cannot, in good conscience, tell you to take the plunge.

Tracklist:

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Review: It’s a given that sometimes there’s no rhyme or reason why I pick up an album and though it isn’t entirely the case here, it’s pretty close. It was a comment on twitter that made me curious enough to check out Kämpfer’s soundtrack despite not having seen the anime mostly because I wanted to see how terrible a listening experience I’d get out of it. I was prepared to expect the worst out of Tatsuya Katou’s compositions, and yet, I still found myself pleasantly surprised by the sheer diversity of music that he serves up. Here is an album stuffed to the brim with different genres from rock to jazz to Spanish dances and organized somewhat haphazardly, but I could not resist this wonderful musical hodgepodge since it was so different from the albums I was used to. After the first run-through, I knew I had to have more and this time, listen to it and savor each note and chord as I went.

That was a mistake and my hopes did not survive a second listen.

The problem with Kampfer’s soundtrack materializes rather quickly if you pay any attention at all to its music and admittedly, I did not the first time through. Katou’s messing around with musical genres is a double-edged sword and while Kanno and Iwasaki are able to draw forth memorable music by doing so, Katou displays no such skill and ends up cutting himself badly because he’s simply not good enough to deliver wide-ranging music that consistently engages the listener.

And it shows when you listen to Kämpfer’s music. The task of composing a diverse musical portfolio taxes him to the limit and he doesn’t have a whole lot to give. In the early part of the track, there’s a glimmer of promise; the melody is solid, catchy even, and just when you enter the bridge, you come back face to face with the opening melody. Development? What development?

Take “Aa, Sakura-san” with its soft, jazz-lounge flavor or “Iya na Yokan’s” use of the flute backed by the rhythms for instance. Both of these tracks aren’t standouts, but they’re not bad either and had Katou been able to develop these pieces at all, we could have had an enjoyable if not groundbreaking soundtrack on our hands. But he does not. The snippets that you hear are pretty much all that the track consists of: an attention-grabbing introduction followed by the main melody which then proceeds to repeat itself. It skirts the edge of droning except the jazz/rock/whatever melody Katou uses more often than not keeps it from being too monotonous, but not by much.

Aa, Sakura-san
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Iya na Yokan
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What a disappointment and a waste of potential! An eclectic album such as this should be bold, but fun, but alas, it falls far too short of what it could have been. As you can probably guess, most of the BGM all have this same problem. There are a few that buck the trend like “Koigokoro’s” pleasant piano melody and there are a few that are nonsensical like the weird, seal-like noises tacked on to the synth in “Natsuru no Kunou” that you wouldn’t ever touch, but those are the exceptions. There is not much that can redeem this soundtrack aside to provide us an excellent lesson on how to make jazz sound boring and uninspiring. It’s a lesson that I don’t care to hear more of at any rate.

Koigokoro
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Natsuru no Kunou
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Rating: Not Good

Disc 1

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Disc 2

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Review: A snap judgement of G.A. Geijutsuka Art Design Class would be to label it a poor man’s Hidamari Sketch. Both focus upon the day to day lives of a group of girls in a special art program, both feature an OP sequence sung by the show’s seiyuu, and both make use of a soundtrack that is relaxing, employing light jazzy melodies to depict its scenes. In each of these instances, Hidamari Sketch comes out ahead, but the gap in the quality of the soundtracks is much smaller. This bodes well because those who liked Tomoki Kikuya’s compositions for Hidamari Sketch will feel perfectly at home with Jun Abe’s score for GA.

Before we actually descend into the nuts and bolts of the score itself, I’ll just briefly go through the first disc which contains the OP, ED, a few insert songs, a nonsensical ditty, a super sentai theme parody, and a soft piano version of the OP. The OP itself is enjoyable enough, but doesn’t really leave a lasting impression like Hidamari Sketch x365′s “Hatena de Wasshoi” simply because it doesn’t come with a catchy segment to draw me in. On the other hand, the piano version is pretty in the way it captures the light-hearted, gentle mood of the series, thereby preparing me for the actual score.

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As for the EDs, those are a mix batch. I do like the soft accordion in Haruka Tomatsu’s rendition even if the vocals feel off since I’m more familiar with her energetic pieces like “motto☆Hade ni ne!” Of the five, Kaori Nazuka’s mature-sounding version backed by the gentle, soothing swing melody is the most enjoyable and the result is what you’d get if marble decided to add a dab of jazz to their music. The others do not catch my fancy and of those, Yui Horie’s performance is the most obnoxious since it insists on injecting a heavy pop beat which ends up overshadowing her singing completely.

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While the vocal tracks vary in quality, it’s the score itself that wins me over. Up to this point, I haven’t heard enough of Jun Abe’s compositions to form an opinion, but I was enthralled with his offerings here. The main theme catches your attention through an upbeat, jazzy keyboard that makes way for a rhythm and light melody that draws forth the undercurrent of energy and enthusiasm from each scene as the characters move from one art genre to another. I loved the way the many instruments transitioned in and out of the melody, making it a perfect depiction of the characters’ creative, playful exploration into the world of art.

GA ~ art design class
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That it’s really catchy doesn’t hurt either and Abe takes advantage of this to arrange several variations, doing it in a way so that the theme never outlasts its welcome. For example, “Sakura Blossoms” offers a slow, wistful melody that conveys a wonderful spring morning through its light touches on the piano. “Sunset Smile” has the flute playing a slow air as its purpose is to bring the day to a close while retaining the optimism that tomorrow will give rise to new adventures and new discoveries. Every variation adds a different perspective, allowing the main theme to encompass all aspects of the girls’ lives.

Sakura Blossoms
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As we move away from the theme, we find that the soundtrack delivers on the other aspects of the show such as the character depictions. Kisaragi’s theme is sweet and mellow as it moves at that slow tempo to match her easygoing nature while Noda’s is more energetic. Though I’m not fond of that heavy accent that precedes each section in the latter, the way the piece jumps around captures Noda’s eccentricities and ADD tendencies perfectly. Like with the EDs, Kyouju’s theme is my favorite since it’s more dignified and even a bit mysterious. But probing deeper, one can hear a playful aura that shows how she’s able to have fun in her own way while exuding calmness in spite of her occasionally chaotic surroundings. As for the rest, Tomokane’s is more energetic, employing a funky style that nails her tomboyish attitude while Namiko’s normal personality is reflected through a piece that doesn’t stand out a whole lot. Ironically, it’s all too fitting because that is how she is presented in the show as well.

Kisaragi (forget me not blue)
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Kyoju (Silver Lining)
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Tomokane (Funky Strawberry)
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Jun Abe also incorporates other sounds and experiments around so as to cover the myriad situations that the girls find themselves in. “So Many Minds’” synth and sound effects create the feeling of vastness of space before introducing a fast, electronic melody that feels like an explosion of life coming forth from the void as various new life forms parade out. As far as experiments go, I enjoyed “Talkin’ Bass” because the dissonant notes come together to create a monologue replete with moans and groans amidst the murmuring from the background instrumentals. It’s off the beaten path musically, but the execution is cleverly done. Moreso than Natsume Yuujinchou’s soundtrack anyhow.

So Many Minds
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Talkin’ Bass
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Though the remainder of the album is diverse, GA’s focus on smooth jazz music and the way variations on the main theme help tie it all together makes this soundtrack an enjoyable listen. Compared to shows of the same genre that use a similar style of music (Sketchbook and Hidamari Sketch), GA’s is the weakest offering, but not by much. Its use of jazz still feels fresh, instilling within you the joy and energy that the characters experience in their daily lives and making this album a good recommendation if you’re looking for relaxing fare.

Rating: Very Good

Added Note: For those who don’t know, Kyoju is the one in the upper left corner eating paint. No, I don’t know what this means when I say I enjoy her character themes the best. Maybe I need to get myself psychoanalyzed. orz