MAKAI’s latest album released on 2008/09/2. The album features collaborations with artists like Yuchun (DBSK), Lisa, Ryohei, STEPHANIE (TENJOCHIKI) and more.
Opening with the beautiful INTRO. A very beautiful piano part dominates this track, which has a very light and ethereal feeling. About halfway it introduces the heavier dance beat, still retaining that dreamy quality to it becoming darker then finally twinkling out.
TOKYO LOVELIGHT is a beautiful name for the next song, which is an upbeat and sexy dance track featuring YUCHUN (from 東方神起). The song has a very light, feel good quality to it gaurenteed to make one smile. This version is much similiar to the PV version, which means Yuuchun’s vocals are alot clearer!! I love Yuchun’s sexy spoken opening before the song comes in full blast with the fast electronic beat. This is a fun and romantic tune with gorgeous vocals from Yuchun that really lend a bit of a sexier and mature feeling to it (Yuchun’s vocals are seriously great). The song is is one word- addictive. It’s extremly catchy, got a nice beat and the “love is so beautiful” is definitly memorable (and so wonderful!). The ad-libbing at the end is gorgeous too. The piano gives it a disco feel at times too. This is a good song! I’m also glad they took away the ending that the digital single version had- aka the plane sounding thing.
The opening to track 3, MY ONE STAR feat. LISA, is just wierd. The song still has that fun, upbeat feeling that TOKYO LOVELIGHT has which is really great However it’s a little strange with some odd effects and sounds used. I can’t say I’m taken by Lisa’s vocals at all throughout the song neither.
Next is STAR IN MY SKY feat. BENI. BENI has a gorgeous voice that really drives the song forward with power and emotion. The backing instrumentation is great too. There’s one sound that slightly irritates me but it’s not too obtrusive. Some of the vocals, the english ones, are a bit cheesy though like “every day you’re here it feels like a holiday”. Overall it’s quite nice with really good vocals but I think it lets itself down with a few little annoying bits like the cheesy feeling (due to the lyrics) and sometimes annoying instrumentation.
I cannot even listen to SHINE YOUR LIGHT ON ME feat. KCO. It has very cutesy, annoying opening. Enough said (it’s off-putting!)
Fast disco beats start STARLIGHT feat. Ryohei before the heavier dance beat comes in. I’ve never been a fan of Ryohei, but he sounds pretty damn good here backed by the almost 80′s like synth. His voice is very sexy and emotive- his adlibbing at the end is gorgeous. I love how urgent the song, and his voice, becomes by the chorus and also the instrumental is pretty cool with the electric guitar- yet still retaining that fast dance beat creating a very interesting sound. The song goes through alot of different feelings, and variation. It’s really interesting, and great to listen to. The song still has that sexy feeling, but a slightly darker feeling to it. Overall a great track, with fantastic instrumentation and surprisingly, I really liked Ryohei here.
Track 7 SUPER STAR feat. yolis is also a in some ways a nice one with the heavy dance instrumentation and yolis has a rather nice, but young sounding voice. Her voice blended with the backing instrumentation creates an interesting sound and feeling to the song. Like alot of MAKAI’s work it’s about love, and this one has the sweet romance feeling to it. However although there’s a little bit of variation every now and then, I feel a bit bored with this track and I’m not a fan of yolis’ voice. The meaning is a little cheesy too- “I’m cinderalla and you’re my prince” (Like a bad pick up line you know?).
Time for an INTERLUDE. Piano and ethereal synth make this a dreamy INTERLUDE much like the INTRO. The piano is really nice, got a sort of waltz like feeling yet at the same time the INTERLUDE almost has a disjointed feeling to it. A very interesting piece and a nice interlude.
Following is EVERLASTING STAR feat. Stephanie (from 天上智喜). Stephanie has beautiful vocals, and she starts the song off dramatically before the dance beat and light synth comes in. The synth strings that come in at one point are pretty cool too. EVERLASTING STAR although still a fast paced dance tune, has an overall ballad mood about it with a very romantic, longing feeling to it. Stephanie’s vocals are strong, powerful and I love how she reaches up to the higher notes. Her adlibbing along with the guitar at one point is a wonderful bridge followed by a very ethereal part and the distorted backing vocals are kinda interesting too. This is a fast and beautiful song with a great feeling to it, and Stephanie has a wonderful voice that completes the song.
Another great track next- I☆YOU (STARS Edit) feat. 青山テルマ. The opening instrumentation is very very nice with quite an interesting edgier feeling to it and that sort of ethereal twinkling sound too and space like synth added for good effect. There are some very long instrumental sections here that make the good instrumentation a very good thing- although I can’t help but feel the instrumental section near the end is a tiny bit long. Aoyama Thelma I’ve heard of, but never actually heard. Her vocals are really nice and I like how they sound almost in the distant then brought forth more for the chorus. Her adlibbing at the end is awesome as well. The backing vocals at one point work well too. Although there’s still that dance beat, this sounds a bit more poppy than other tracks on this album. It’ still a really nice sounding track with an overall interesting sound and a darker feeling. This one seems to be the more bittersweet love track : )
Next up TWINKLE STAR feat. 日之内エミ. 日之内エミ presents very sweet vocals suitable for a song named “Twinkle star”. Her sweet vocals combined with the heavy dance beat is interesting. I feel this one is cute and sweet lovesong with lyrics like “You’re my shooting star”. Overall it’s quite catchy with good instrumentation and vocals but I don’t feel particly taken by it. 日之内エミ cute vocals annoy me in a way too- I would prefer the vocals she presented for Ai Dake ga (a song I happen to love)
The second to last track BABY STAR feat. AZU & L-VOKAL…has rapping. Wow. The opening is really interesting with the distorted female vocals and dance beat- then L VOKALs rapping. Azu’a pure vocals are totally contrasting when she comes in. It’s a pretty cool combination. I’m not that interested in this track though.
It began with an INTRO and ends with an OUTRO. Much like the INTRO, there is a beautiful piano part and a rather ethereal, space like quality to the track. It’s a very soft and gentle OUTRO- and a good way to let the album die away.
Overall rating: 8/10 (Great. Let down by weaker tracks)
Favourite Tracks: TOKYO LOVELIGHT, STARLIGHT, EVERLASTING STAR, I☆YOU
I admit I was only really interested in this because I adored TOKYO LOVELIGHT, and I only really listened to TOKYO LOVELIGHT because of Yuchun. Somehow though, the album didn’t let down much. It’s a very consistant album that I would imagine being great to chill too with the fast dance beats and, for the most parts, well chosen artists with lovely voices that complete the songs. Though there is an overall similiar sound, most of the songs presented very different moods with the central theme of love. (I love how alot of the tracks link to stars or light) I loved the dance instrumentation and MAKAI really does know how to create some interesting tracks. Sometimes though certain songs didn’t really stand out, though fine to listen to you can compare them to tracks like TOKYO LOVELIGHT and realise they really aren’t so special. Some tracks really didn’t interest me much at all, and certain vocalist I personally didn’t like. So I’d say it’s not bad but something I will rave about. ^_^
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