I stumbled upon Presence of Soul after reading a recommendation on some music blog and was more than a little glad to uncover this band. Blinds is their second album released sometime in 2008. The album is eight tracks long, each one distinct from the next but carrying the same sort of style; a perfect blend of guitars, synth, and ethereal female vocals that evokes an extreme sense of sadness, regret and loss. Their music is sorrowful, at times angry, but it doesn’t leave you feeling depressed; instead it wraps itself around you and leaves you feeling calmed and comforted.

“Japanese group PRESENCE OF SOUL is led by female singer and composer YUKI, who also handles guitars, keyboards and Mellotron. She’s accompanied by a guitar player, a bass player and a drummer. [...] From the very beginning, PRESENCE OF SOUL proves to be absolutely innovative and mature at the same time: ethereal female vocals create a sharp contrast with guitars fury and drumming power. Sad atmospheres, often enhanced by Mellotron and a great sense of slowliness (Without mentioning softness) evolve step by step, with an increasing violence, reaching its climax in an overwhelming maelstrom. It’s a kind of “Progressive post-rock”, and one cannot imagine a more intense musical world. You’ll surely be haunted a long time after listening…” (xx)

Opening with Seven Mortal Sins and Seven Doors- a dark and tense track that blends the slow rock with foreboding synth. The song builds up slowly, retaining a heavy feeling throughout. Finally right at the end it changes tone completely, but remaining dark and threatening. It is one of the shortest tracks on the album although you’ll never realise. It is followed by one of the longer tracks, Sink Low which is over 10 minutes long. Sink Low is the first on the album to feature Yuki’s haunting, sorrowful vocals sounding pure and ethereal over gentle guitar parts. Just like the track before it builds up slowly, calmly. I love how soft and sorrowful this song is- it’s so quiet and gentle which only makes the build-up to the frenzied end all the more powerful. Then there is complete silence before a sudden, harsh and furious and LOUD, ending that is all the more shocking after the rest of the song has lulled you into a calm state of mind. Although the first time you hear the track the changes surprise you, but once you familiarise yourself with it it lends a tension to the song- you sort of left waiting for the next change, the next change in emotion and that final explosion of noise. Much like Dir en Grey’s NAMAMEKASHIKI ANSOKU, TAMERAI NI HOHOEMI it still never fails to affect you, but it makes the song all the more tense and dramatic for knowing what will come next (which is true for a lot of the tracks on the album). It is interesting to note the use of complete silence to lend tension to this song, something not many bands or singers do.

The third track is Lost. This track doesn’t have the same build-up as the others, it is loud from the beginning but has that same overwhelming sorrowful feeling and it changes throughout in a more subtle way. Lost has something extremely bittersweet about it- gentle and ethereal on one hand, frenzied and repetitive on the other. It’s beautiful and haunting nonetheless. Track 4 Whitenoise Snowfall opens with a simple piano part and quiet synth. It builds up grandly, introducing the trembling guitars and sluggish drums that gives it a similar (literal) heavy feeling as Seven sins. This is admittedly one of my least favourite songs on the album, it’s slow and sluggish and doesn’t get anywhere anytime fast and washed over me completly.

The next track on the other hand is one of my favourites. Ephemera starts with dark synth: threatening and contrasting to the gentle guitar parts that overlays it quietly. Yuki vocals are slightly deeper; sounding almost angry, then float effortlessly to her usual high register now sounding sorrowful. It gives the song an intense feeling of regret and longing. As soon as Yuki lifts her voice to the higher pitches the song changes, the dark synth becomes quiet in the background and the song becoming less harsh and more gentle. It moves between this dark looming atmosphere, and this light surreal one. I just love the ending especially, the emotion is so powerful: tying those feelings together and creating a complete sense of loss. It’s really beautiful and evokes so many feelings.

Rule is a wake up call after being lulled by Ephemera- it is loud and furious. Then forgiven is another quiet track that builds up slowly. Forgiven has a rather sweet feeling to it, the guitar part is really cute in a way. The drum fills the track with anticipation though- and sure enough it begins to build up, slowly becoming more and more bittersweet. Yuki’s vocals also manage to make things sound just that little bit sadder, and the song certainly becomes sorrowful around the time she comes in. It is 10 minutes long so there is room for it to shift and change which is does. From that sweetness in the beginning, to that sadness and then to bitter anger. It’s a powerful track- another epic number like Sink Low.

Lastly is Tightrope. This is the song that made me fall in love with this group. Starting with gentle guitar and a flute it builds up to that soft rock instrumentation. Then Yuki’s vocals come in and that sense of sadness just…overwhelms you. The song is soft and gentle, yet filled with a raw emotion. The gorgeous high vocals contrasting to the rougher rock instrumentation is really what makes this so unique and so beautiful, too. The flute only adds to the haunting, forlorn atmosphere. I just love the dynamics of the song, how it builds up then fades away again. It’s just a REALLY GOOD SONG. Its indescribable all the emotions it makes me feel.

Overall rating: 838938982/10 (Incredibly. Awesomeness)
Favourite tracks: Sink Low, Ephemera, Tightrope

This is an incredible album. It is the sort of intensely beautiful, comforting sort of music that relaxes and calms you. It is haunting and easy to lose yourself in it, making you anxious at times whilst you wait for that one moment within it when you know it will all break down and get loud and powerful and heavy. It is so unique, so soft yet so powerful. Really this has quickly become a favourite album of mine. I love listening to this when I want to relax, or when I’m not feeling well. It just makes me feel so calm and sleepy and just…better. It’s incredibly comforting. I guess you could say it is a flaw that it demands your attention, and doesn’t make the best background music because you want to listen to it, but I like it. I like how if I just don’t want to think for a moment I can put this on and just am lost in it for a while.

[They also get extra love for having their album on amazon XD]

In order to celebrate his 10th year anniversary of being a solo artist Gackt released 4 consecutive singles in a four week span in a campaign known as the “10th anniversary countdown”. 小悪魔ヘヴン was the first of the singles released on 2009-06-10.

小悪魔ヘヴン sounds a lot like someone who just got hold of a REALLY SUPER COOL music program and decided to play with it- creating a track and shoving as many different ~fancy~ sounds in it just because they can. I don’t actually hate the track- its upbeat atmosphere is strangely addictive, and it’s certainly a new and refreshing surprise from Gackt. Really it’s messy and all over the place yet the brass, strings, synth and subtle rock effects come together for something rather interesting and fun- and still despite the lively atmosphere there is still a darker edge to this song which is always awesome (and makes me wonder what the lyrics are trying to say). The bridge is probably the most ridiculous point of the song, the OTT choir especially, but that and the beginning sounds are the only truly irritating parts. It’s weird but not horrendous/embarrassing to listen to. I don’t see why Gackt would want to alter his voice though, he certainly doesn’t need to, but it contributes to the overall dance atmosphere and does lend something strangely sexy about the song. Really I don’t find myself loving this song, but I like a lot of stranger stuff so…this isn’t bad at all. XD

The B-side is “My Father’s Day” and is another fun track, but stripped bare of all the bizarre sounds. It’s a fast and bittersweet rock track reminiscent of some of Gackt’s older works. The voice alteration is very unnecessary here, although it doesn’t sound bad I want to hear Gackt’s voice purely without the sort of shininess it has here and some of the more obvious effects. I do like the instrumentation; the guitar solo especially was awesome. Overall the track is rather nice, and totally inoffensive to listen to although it doesn’t stand out at all. The track fades into the background easily- just something to listen to, really.

Overall rating: 4/5 (Good)
Favourite tracks: N/A

Overall I was more than a little surprised the first time I heard the single. Where is Gackt going with this? (I honestly haven’t heard faraway yet). Gackt seems to be experimenting a lot lately, most notably with GHOST and now this. 小悪魔ヘヴン is not a bad single but it is strange and I find myself stumped as to whether I actually like it, or I just like it for being Gackt. 小悪魔ヘヴン is a very fun track with a dark sort of feeling somewhere underneath the messy -lets stick everything possible in here- instrumentation. The Bside is an inoffensive rock track that has a nice sound but is rather bland and forgettable. So I’d say that this is good to listen to, but nothing more. Gackt certainly could do better, but he still hasn’t failed.

Oh, and the cover to this single is fantastic. Gackt is beautiful. ♥_♥ To quote this news source: “I wanted to do something funny,” he said. “So.. I’m a woman.” LOL

Originally August Band was created for the purpose of the movie, Love of Siam, but they were so successful that they went on to release an album. In a way, the title of the album is to thank the movie as well as their fans for their support. This special Minialbum by August Band contains reworks (as well as original versions) of tracks from the Love of Siam OST.

The mini album opens with ยังอยู่ในใจ(Yung yoo nai jai). Starting with piano and childish vocals it builds up to a soft and simple rock track with two different vocalists and continues to build up with more and more different sounds until the grand ending- epic strings included. It’s a sweet song and very easy to listen to: pretty in its own way even if doesn’t stand out.

I adore the next track though. It is another version of the theme of Love of Siam, Gan lae Gun. ขอบคุณกันและกัน(Kob khun kun lae kun) is yet another version but the lyrics and feeling are completely different. I feel this version is so much more upbeat than the original, so much more hopeful. To quote mr.xiaogou “This tells the other love story in The Love of Siam: the love of friendship. It follows the rise of the August band in the movie, and how the band members come to terms with Mew’s love troubles and give him their support to move on with life.” Just like all the other versions though the song has such a beautiful feeling: expressive vocals and beautiful soft instrumentation coming together for something almost perfect. It’s a gorgeous song, which is relaxing to listen to but never boring, it’s just filled with so much emotion.

The third track คนธรรมดา(Khon tummada) is a more acoustic track. It’s got a very laid-back feeling. However the singers’ falsetto took me ages to get used to. Now I think it’s rather interesting. A bit hard to listen to for some reason though, so I don’t usually listen to this track.

Another favourite of mine next with a remix of Ticket- Ticket Night trip rmx. There is still that familiar rhythm and feeling to it; in many ways it is very similar, yet something definitely feels different about it. I think the arrangement is a bit different. And, much like the remix of Gan lae Gun although it like the original it still has that dark, melancholic feel there is a more prominent upbeat, hopeful feeling to it. Either way it’s still the same beautiful song that Ticket is.

The demo version of ขอบคุณกันและกัน(Kob khun kun lae kun) follows. I guess this is the track that August Band first recorded. There is definitely something raw about this track, it’s gan lae gun stripped of all it’s intricacies but what remains is still those sincere feelings and emotions that the song has. In the end it is just another beautiful arrangement of an almost perfect song (if you cannot yet tell I really really love gan lae gun XD).

Lastly there is Silent Night randomly stuck at the end (which is lovely from a foreigners point of view to hear a traditional song in another language, as well as hear it sung so beautifully with some equally beautiful calming piano backing…) before the instrumental for ยังอยู่ในใจ(Yung yoo nai jai)

Overall rating: 7.5/8 (Excellent)
Favourite tracks: ขอบคุณกันและกัน, Ticket Night trip rmx, ขอบคุณกันและกัน(demo)

This is a lovely mini album and a good follow up to the Love of Siam OST. Yes, mainly it is just reworks of the Love of Siam OST and it does worry me that the other two new tracks don’t inspire me (because then when I listen to their album that followed this will it be any good?) but whatever. This is good to listen to; even those tracks that aren’t as good are still nice and easy to listen to…apart from maybe คนธรรมดา where the falsetto can be a bit much.

Gackt’s 30th single released on 2009-03-25, Journey through the decade was used as the Kamen Rider DECADE theme song. For this single Gackt would only contribute the vocals, as music and lyrics were done by others.

Journey through the Decade is a cool fast paced rock track. The song is heavy, tense and dramatic- very typical of a show opening. Although I feel it is rather dull at times- it is easy and enjoyable to listen to. Gackt does of course sound incredible and saves this song from becoming completely boring. There is also the feeling within the song, underlying that obvious heavy in your face instrumentation the light synth and other things give off a feeling of melancholy: a longing for someone or thing. These feelings also save the song from being generic. Overall it’s really not bad, even if Gackt did not write the song; it is still at the same standard of his other work.

Once again the single has no other tracks (really, a B-side wouldn’t hurt). What is left of this single are the usual instrumental and two instrumental remixes. The first “distort” remix is even faster and rougher than the original, sounding perfectly like something from an action OST. The “symphony” instrumental, true to its name, is a grand orchestral piece. It’s very beautiful, and brings out a sadder feel in the song- after the battle, so to speak. The track comes across as completely over the top though- in fact, it’s really not that great to listen to. These two remixes are dull and forgettable.

Overall rating:  5/5 (Excellent)
Favourite tracks: Journey through the Decade

Overall this is not a bad single from Gackt. Journey though the Decade is a powerful track that was saved from the mass of generic openings by beautiful vocals, and the underlying emotion in the song: although the remixes unfortunately are rubbish. In many ways I preferred GHOST and Yami no Shuen singles but this is a strong release, probably on the same level as JESUS. It doesn’t stick out as anything special, but it’s good.

Trying out new music is always a risk; sometimes you end up wondering why the hell you bothered. Sometimes you end up stumbling upon something amazing though. This is the case with Xiao Yu, whose music is quite incredible.

Xiao Yu had worked behind the scenes and composed songs for popular singers like Elva Hsiao, Danson Tang, and Vivian Hsu, before he debuted as a singer with the release of his self-titled album in 2008. The album won much critical acclaim, and was among the Top Ten Albums of 2008 selected by the Association of Music Workers in Taiwan. Now the singer-songwriter is about to release his latest album “Just Standing Here”, speaking directly from his heart through music rather than words. The Preorder Version comes with a 2G Flash Drive preloaded with an exclusive audio diary from Xiao Yu (which I must say sounds incredible XD) [source: Yesasia] So yes, here is Xiao Yu’s second (?) album released on 2009-06-09.

The album opens with a spoken intro before moving to the title track 就站在這裡(Standing Here)- a gorgeous ballad. Starting with gentle, bittersweet piano Xiao Yu comes in with incredible, soulful vocals. The track introduces strings at one point, and then some not-annoying backing vocals. It doesn’t use complex instrumental build up or dynamics to be dramatic- it just somehow manages to be that way! The song is a simple sounding composition but is not lacking- the track has so much feeling and it’s pretty moving. Although Standing Here could have been an average piano and strings ballad, Xiao Yu’s excellent vocals make it stand out as something beautiful and moving (and make it pretty memorable).

The next track 練愛(Practice Love) is a little more upbeat pop number. It still has that relaxed, romantic feeling that Standing Here has and again Xiao Yu’s vocals really drive the song/stand out (not that I’m complaining). That isn’t to say the instrumentation isn’t really nice too. It’s almost soft rock with some subtle and interesting synth. The lovely instrumentation and Xiao Yu’s equally beautiful vocals come together for another beautiful track. The spoken part at the end really catches me out- I always forget it’s there and end up surprised XD Can I say a rather random end? Although it lends something fun to the song.

愛上(Fall In Love With) is the commercial theme song for the brand that Xiao Yu serves as an endorser. It’s another soft, romantic track- an incredibly soulful ballad with an RnB feeling. This is the second track of Xiao Yu’s I listened to properly, and his vocals blew me away. He gives an incredible vocal performance in this song- although his vocals never sound bad, there is something about his vocals here that make the song sound unique and give a wonderful feeling. But overall the entire song has such an interesting feeling; it sounds perfect. (And it’s not the sort of pop-rnb I usually listen to which is pretty fascinating because it is definitely RnB but with something else, not pop or a ’street’ feel)

Another one of my favourite tracks is next. 你很好(You’re Very Good) is a lovely romantic RnB track. The song is so sweet sounding. I love the feeling, the emotions, the rhythms, the sound…. it’s gorgeous! OK well the opening is really off-putting- it’s a little over the top and bordering on cheesy. However give the song a try though and it’s pretty perfect from then on. Know what I was saying about Xiao Yu giving a special feeling to his songs? Well, again his vocals are just outstanding in that way. I also love the subtle effects, like the layering of different vocals parts. His vocals are what make this. The ending is really interesting too- again it’s not that sort of ’street’ or pop RnB…It’s something different, unique, and special.

The album stays incredible with 說分手之後(After Saying Break Up). The soft rock influences come back for this beautiful, bittersweet ballad. I just love the blend of rock with piano and again, Xiao Yu’s dominant vocals. There is something hopeful about it in a way. I wouldn’t say an uplifting feeling, but it isn’t wallowing in sadness- the song is relaxing, chilled out, but with an upbeat feel. It’s a very light, and easy to listen to.

一顆蘋果(An Apple) has the most bizarre opening. The futuristic sound and talking isn’t completely out of place, but it does take you by surprise after such relaxing tracks before it. Almost a minute in and the tracks thankfully gets rid of all the weirdness, and becomes a soft rock number with an urgent, noticeably darker, feeling. There is something surreal about the track- the rock instrumentation blended with dreamy vocals and synth is interesting. It’s definitely worth skipping the intro to get to the rest of the song ^^

漂亮女孩(Beautiful Girl) I removed from my play list almost straight away- the opening really put me off. Track 9 Every Time is a lot better. It’s got the heavier RnB feeling to it, but still very soft and laid-back. It’s lovely and Xiao Yu again fives a stunning vocal performance. His “woa oh woa oh” adlibbing reminds me of something I cannot place…but I like it.

Second to last is a rather upbeat track- 換換換(Change, Change, Change). This is the sort of RnB I’m used to. It’s more danceable, got more attitude and is more in your face. Xiao Yu effortlessly uses the lower register of his voice in the one vocal part, overlaid with his interesting falsetto in the chorus. The ending where all three vocal parts are overlaid along with the backing is pretty cool too. The track has a good feeling to it- though there is something notably more mainstream about it. (Whether that is a good or bad thing is up to you)

The album ends with Why- a soulful ballad. It’s pretty gorgeous. Xiao Yu sounds incredible (duh) and the instrumentation is pretty too. Once more the track has random speaking in it, but it actually doesn’t sound too out of place here.

Rating: 4487478/10 (Awesomeness)
Favourite Track: 就站在這裡, 愛上, 你很好, 說分手之後, Why

This is an incredible album. The songs are relaxing, gentle and easy to listen to. But it is far from boring or bland. Each song has a very special feeling to it and it’s easy to listen to it again and again without ever getting bored- and in fact learning to appreciate new elements, or discover that the one song that didn’t stand out is actually pretty good. ^^ It also really helps that Xiao Yu has such an incredible voice- powerful and versatile and definitely used in a unique, or not as common, way. This is well worth listening to, and I know I personally will be on the lookout for his debut now.

Takashi Nagayama, or “Nagayan”, is a Japanese actor & singer. He is probably best known for his roles as Eiji Kikumaru in the Prince of Tennis musicals and Tōshirō Hitsugaya in “Rock Musical Bleach”.  He made his television debut in 1998 with the drama Change, and his debut single [Kokoro Ga.../ My Heart...] was released in 2005 (exact date unknown- not even available to purchase)

The single opens with the endearing 「心が…」(My Heart…) a slow, calm soft rock number with jazz and subtle gospel influences. Nagayan’s vocals shocked me the first time I heard them, they sound very young and have a unique tone to them but they aren’t bad at all. He sings with a lot of emotion and his vocals are pretty powerful- not too nasal either. This song sounds like a bittersweet love song of sorts, but mainly due to the vocals it sounds sweeter than bitter. I also appreciate that just as the song is becoming repetitive, it subtly begins to change for the “kokoro ga, sayonara” part and afterwards. I really like that part of the song- the last half. But I guess I really like the entire song. It’s quite simple, borders on being a bit too repetitive, but it’s calming  to listen to and has a sweet feeling to it. I do wonder though at “kokoro ga, sayonara” – my heart, goodbye?

Following that is 「おくるうた」(A Song for You) – which more upbeat, quicker and livelier,  than 「心が…」 but is still the same kind of soft rock. Nagayan’s vocals are still childish, but it makes this sound youthful and fun. I don’t like the backing vocals/layering of his vocals in the chorus much, but it’s not obnoxious/difficult to listen to. This song is also a bit repetitive, more noticeably than 「心が…」, because despite the liveliness of the song I feel bored.  Finally there is an instrumental solo, and then how the song changes for the bridge.  Nagayan’s scream/woah thing is bizarre though…really I have no idea what he is trying to do there because it fails at anything other than an animal like noise. So yeah, a pretty average song which would be nice to listen to in the background- apart from weird backing vocals, and an even weirder attempt at a exhilarated shout.

The third track is 「雨音」(The Sound of the Rain) which is pretty funky with some lovely bass. Like both of the previous tracks, the instrumentation is pretty simple but effective- just allowing Nagayan to take over and drive the song forward. His vocals actually manage to sound mature and smooth here. Throughout, I really like the rhythm of this song, it’s cool and laidback but not slow, or dragging. And the chorus- Nagayan’s vocals are just great and I love the electronic distortion. This song is really cool. It’s simple, and repetitive but I love the electronic effects, and the “cool” feeling. The gospel influences come out again, quite strongly here, with what sounds like an organ during the end.

Lastly is a different version of the title track, 「心が…」(Toscana version). It’s noticeably shorter than the original, and there is definitely something different about the instrumentation… yes, it’s more string based? I think this version brings out the ballad of this song. It’s nice, but the strings are obviously fake and well… was there any point to this really?

Overall rating: 4/5 (Good)
Favourite tracks: 心が…, 雨音

I really liked this. It’s simple, but effective. Each song is different from the last, but they are definitely soft, bordering on pop, rock with some jazz and gospel influences. It’s quite a unique style, something I don’t hear a lot of personally. Nagayan’s vocals are childish sounding however there is something captivating about them, and it does make his music very unique; give it a unique feeling. There really isn’t much else to say about this… it’s good, it’s nice, it’s relaxing and lovely to listen to- unfortunately it just doesn’t go beyond that to be 5/5 or awesomeness (above 5).

VELTPUNCH are an underground, but  popular, Japanese alternative rock band that formed in 1997. I discovered them through the opening for Nabari no Ou, CRAWL and after much searching thankfully found the rest of their discography. They are an amazing band with a similar style to LAST ALLIANCE (Who I also adore). Their style is heavy but melodic like LA, and packed with power and emotion. Something quirky I notice about them also is that all of their covers feature the same style of crude cartoons XD Well anyway, this is their first album (I think) released 2000.07.20.

The album opens with Hand with a gun, a track with a lengthy but interesting introduction that gives the song a bit of a punk feeling. The song has a pretty light and playful feel despite the dark undertones. It’s not fast paced, or hurried and slowly builds up at its own pace. It soon loses that punk feeling after a while, but remains light whilst gaining a rather melancholic mood (especially in the chorus’). The vocals are pretty bad but in the way that so many Japanese bands manage to make work. Although there is a lot of repetition the track changes for a really pretty bridge (I love how the instrumentation dominates apart from the soft, almost haunting vocals), a more powerful in your face chorus and finally right at the end the loud, frenzied, instrumental break. This is a cool opening, starting lightly before ending loudly and in your face: I’m guessing most likely some of the other stuff that follows will be in this same kind of style.

Next is Six, which has a pretty pop-rock opening and feeling throughout. That rebellious feeling of teen music you know? Much like the song before it is a rebellious and playful track, although this one doesn’t have the same melancholic feel. However it does build up to gain a slightly heavier, angrier feeling. Actually, I really like the dynamics of the song, how the vocals are almost spoken quietly at points and although it is a pretty repetitive song, I’m glad for the instrumental break which makes a good change as well as right at the end the vocalist uses a beautiful falsetto.  This track doesn’t stand out as anything special, even less so than hand with a gun but it’s good so far.

One thing I’m noticing also is how well the album flows. I didn’t even notice when after six the third track began. Each track flows that smoothly to the next. Well, Fine is a bit different from what came before it. The short track begins with some really cool bass before the rest of the instrumentation comes in, and it is a lot heavier than the previous tracks but also has a bizarre jazzy feeling. It’s quite upbeat. But loud. The instrumentation dominates the song, smothering the vocals. I think this track is giving the instrumentalists a chance to shine, and technically although I’m no expert I think it is really great. The song goes through some very interesting changes throughout the song. It’s a fantastic track in a way, although I sort of think of it as a short instrumental interlude (despite the brief vocal section).

So moving swiftly onwards for ヒヨリングマンディ(Hiyoring Monday). This is a pretty grungy track, opening sluggishly with heavy bass and guitar. Again the vocals are smothered by the dominant, heavy instrumentation. But this creates an interesting mood to the song. And it soon changes; losing the heavy feeling and gaining clearer vocals for the moody chorus where again the vocalist uses his higher register beautifully.   It’s an extremely moody track, but really pretty in it’s own way. There is something almost haunting about it once is loses its earlier grungy feeling (whilst remaining pretty heavy in a different way). I love the constant changes and shifts in the instrumentation, and I think the vocalists sound good here.  The repeating spoken bit at the end is slightly creepy though XD

Track 5 has a bizarre title- picopicoman.  The opening is awesome though, as is the really high guitar part that comes in- the song feels so urgent but yet so dark and threatening. Really it reminds me of something but I can’t place it. I love it though.  There is something very dark about this song, and it feels very urgent.

Track 6, All the same is a sad and far more toned down track. It opens with a very mellow guitar part, and some really gorgeous female vocals that blend into the background creating a haunting atmosphere.  It’s not a heavy song; it feels calm, quiet and reserved. The focus is like Fine on the instrumentation.  I was expecting it to change dramatically though, and it does.  About half way through it suddenly becomes louder, more choppy and frenzied and the female vocals also become more prominent. It changes again, staying loud but taking on that gentle feeling again. I love songs like this- ones that start so quietly and gently then suddenly change. Powerful stuff.

Starting with just drums, Rice 100g then builds up to be another funky number like picopicoman and the later fill in the blanks. Muffled vocals, slick instrumentation heavy distortion deluxe. And of course, awesome title here to make it even cooler. Without even realising (in fact I began reviewing as if they were one song) the almost purely instrumental tracks slides into Repeat(loud version) You can treat them like one song, with Repeat as the chorus. Just when you Rice100g is another  one of these groovy numbers it slides into Repeat which suddenly amplifies the muffled vocals and instrumentation for the chorus, dying down again and taking on a more urgent feeling and then becoming louder once more. Like the title suggests, there is a lot of repetition. But there is one more surprising change towards the end, for the final chorus which is pretty desperate and less muffled whilst still pretty distorted. How…completely interesting. Veltpunch knows how to create some very interesting, surprising music.

The next track 地下(Chika)  has a pretty quirky opening quickly becoming a fast paced rock number with the same kind of mood as the beginning tracks of this album.  I love the feeling of this song, and the vocalists’ voice is much stronger here: sounding pretty good (in context). The track flows by quickly without dragging or growing boring; filled with power and emotions.

There is one weird opening for Steel Need. I think we have gone back to the style of the earlier tracks, because this one has a mighty long intro just like Hand with a gun. It’s very mellow and laidback, with only the faintest traces of vocals. After a pretty grating few seconds opening, it tones down to becoming quiet bitter and regretful like some of the later tracks. It’s really gorgeous…like all the same but with a totally different mood to it. But yes midway it becomes loud and angry, gaining back that choppy feeling of the opening. There is then a bit of distortion before it tones back down. And repeat. But as I mentioned earlier, I love it when Veltpunch do songs like this. And they do these songs so well.

The next track Fill in Blanks has a pretty groovy introduction, with some cool bass going on.  The muffled vocals combined with the instrumentation gives this an almost sexy bordering on sleazy feeling…which is odd and something I wouldn’t expect from this group. Really the distortion and heavy bassline…it is all there. But it’s got a dominant ‘cool’ feeling. The track is quite short too, short and sweet I would say.

Then the last track, ♪Feel♫ which is such a beautiful song. Starting with gentle guitar, soft muffled vocals come in- contributing to the overall sad feeling of this track. There’s something almost haunting about it. Slowly the song builds up, introducing stronger guitar chords over the other part whilst the vocals still remain soft, holding back.  It builds up…builds up… growing louder, stronger instrumentation before everything stops holding back for the bitter chorus packed with regret, pain, sadness- it’s overwhelming. It’s loud and it’s powerful. Notice how this song is dominated by the female vocals too, and I’m a sucker for females doing rock. But the song slips back to become quiet again, and throughout the song it moves through different dynamics like this. The band works together so well here- each member getting their moment to shine yet coming together to create something amazing. This song is over 8 minutes long, but it’s a glorious, epic 8 minutes packed with powerful emotions that cheesy as it may sound- really makes you feel. What a way to end this album.

Overall rating: 10/10 (Amazing)
Favourite Tracks: ヒヨリングマンディ, all the same, 地下, Steel Need, Feel

Veltpunch ♥♥♥♥ Feel was the best way to end this album, because that is one of the strongest and most gorgeous songs on the album however the entire album is brilliant in itself. Veltpunch’s music is some pretty powerful stuff. And all the songs here are so different and unique. There are some which are fast paced and in your face throughout, some which are cool and slick numbers, whereas my favourite style is where they slowly build up the song blending loud and quiet sections effortlessly. Either way the albums flows beautifully, tied together by definite music styles whilst each songs remains unique and different from the last. Just listen ok? If you like rock, you like bands like LAST ALLIANCE then you need to listen to Veltpunch. Their music ranges from good to incredible. You wouldn’t think this is their first album, because it sounds so perfect.

Finally, after two singles with only one track and some filler Gackt released a single with both an A-side and B-side. And for this single, released on 2009.01.28, Gackt would introduce a completely new sound for both.

GHOST is the Techno-rock track that nobody could see coming, but something that leaves you craving for Gackt to continue to experiment with music like this. The song starts quietly with muffled synth before introducing the thumping bass line, more synth, and finally the gritty, digitally modified rock instrumentation.  When Gackt’s vocals come in they are also often modified adding to the heavy techno atmosphere but without losing their power and emotion. The backing vocals are also subtle and don’t distract or annoy. The song sounds dark and still retains a rock feeling to it, but in a way it’s also part catchy dance number. The repetition throughout also helps to get the song 100% stuck in one’s head, although there is enough variation throughout to keep it interesting. It’s a heavy song, powerful as you would expect from Gackt but very different and totally interesting.  I love how the song ends too, it begins sounding like a machine starting up and then ends sounding like it’s broken down/malfunctioned. This song is definitely well thought out, too. The music video is also pretty cool, ugly old man included. I mean Gackt looks hot and he dances.

So after GHOST will the single get better or worse? Well, it’s Gackt so the latter is not an option. However compared to GHOST, the B-side of this single is completely different although somehow it still fits here- utilising again the very heavy synth affects, just not in such an obvious techno/dancey way. Blue Lagoon ~深海~ is another refreshing track from Gackt, being a murky synth filled rock number. It makes me think of movies with underwater action scenes. There is something dramatic, and desperate about the song even as the rhythms sound as if they are being dragged out against their will (not in the bad way) and the in a way, the song is muffled and holding back. The song blends extremely heavy rock instrumentation, with lighter synth effects which make the song sound so ‘watery’. Gackt’s vocals have an interesting sound and rhythm to them, keeping to the same note and sounding as if he’s singing slower than he wants to, however despite this like always his vocals are powerful and expressive. His vibrato is gorgeous here, too. Gackt really showcases some very controlled vocals here (showing just why he has one of the best voices in the industry). Really everything about this song just adds to that murky, deep sea feeling and the overall feel to the song. An underwater action scene, the most dramatic and final battle complete with flashbacks to the angsty past of the protagonist as he remembers the girl he loves…or something like that.  Either way, there is something extremely powerful about this song, something very emotional. I love it.

Overall rating: 90835984/5 (Awesomeness)
Favourite Tracks: GHOST, Blue Lagoon ~深海~

As soon as I heard GHOST I was excited for this single and it didn’t disappoint. The cover is awful but the tracks themselves- thankfully two of them and no lives or redone tracks to act as fillers- are incredible. Gackt has tried something new in both tracks, which makes the single very refreshing and different. I am also glad that Gackt has not tried something different and failed like so many artists (Ok, not that many but still) tend to do. Really both of these tracks are powerful and unique. Well worth listening to.

I  love Saito Takumi as an actor (largely because he’s beautiful and his deep voice is sexy, and of course for his role in boys love…) so when I found out he had a minialbum out, naturally I was pretty ecstatic. Kokoro no Gururi is Saito Takumi’s first and only minialbum released on December 5th 2007. Like alot of the other tenimyu who have released music, his music is a sort of pop rock. And he can actually sing, sing very well actually: with a lot of emotion too.

The minialbum starts with 最初と最後の空へ. The beginning guitar reminds me of Kiyoharu, but that soon changes when the piano comes in and finally, Saito Takumi himself. The track is soft and melancholic with some gorgeous instrumentation including typical rock elements as well as piano and at one point strings. The vocals are deep and expressive. For the chorus the song becomes a lot louder, and introduces the full soft rock instrumentation without losing the soft, gentle quality to it and it continues to move between different dynamics and textures making for a very interesting track/preventing it becoming boring. It’s a very beautiful soft rock song, almost a ballad. (And you know I do have a soft spot for rock with piano, and Saito Takumi’s voice ^^)

The minialbum continues to be rather mellow and laidback and the next track ありふれたものみたいに also has the same melancholy feeling as the track before it. Starting with thumping bass with higher ethereal sounding guitar, and Takumi’s smooth vocals the song builds up introducing more instruments and becoming louder, stronger. I again love the instrumentation here, the blend of rock with synth and the violins. The guitar solo is so awesome blended with the violins and synth, really it’s rather dramatic. Saito Takumi’s voice is really nice, although a bit monotone in the verses I love how he reaches up to the higher notes in the choruses.  This song is very relaxing, even as it is interesting and quite exciting with the many changes throughout it. It’s another very nice soft rock/pop rock number. On a last note, the ending guitar sounds like a throwback to something, either way it has a very ‘cool’ feeling to it XD

The third track Duralumin is more poppy and totally more energetic than all the previous tracks. I HATE the cheesy backing vocals, which really spoil this song. I mean the instrumentation is nice, and Saito Takumi’s voice is lovely when it’s on it’s own but those backing vocals need to STFU. I love the upbeat feeling, and the verses which are free from them. After the verses the song continues to build up nicely for the chorus and then…those backing vocals. What a waste of a song.

Time for a heartbreaking ballad with Cheap Gold. This song is gorgeous, not to mention totally made for Saito Takumi’s voice.  Starting with soft, sad almost regretful but gorgeous guitar part, with some softer instrumentation underneath the vocals soon come in sounding equally filled with sadness and regret. The song suddenly introduces more instruments for the gorgeous chorus, and I really love the semi-acoustic feeling to it. There is something very simple about this song, but it contains so much emotion that is becomes completely captivating. As I mentioned briefly, Saito Takumi’s voice is really suited for this song. His deep, expressive vocals really shine here and complete the song adding even more emotion to it. I just love everything about this song, from the instrumentation, the dynamics, the vocals and the painful feeling it has. Yet the ending, it almost ends so much more hopefull. Like just right at the end, he is letting go. How lovely is that? How complete does it make the song?

But after Cheap Gold the minialbum does a 360 and thus it’s time for a more energetic song with 悲しくてやりきれない. Starting with some rough guitar chords, the song really begins sounding like a throwback to classic rock with the raw rock instrumentation and muffled vocals then it picks up to become a fast paced and more modern sounding poprock number, still retaining that older feeling to it. I love the fun feeling to this song, and I don’t know any other word to describe it other than ‘cool’. Really, listen to this song and I hope you will agree ‘cool’ is very appropriate. It’s a really great song, fast and upbeat and totally fun.

The minialbum ends with 月の舟. Dude, talk about throwing something new in the mix. This song starts with some very Japanese sounding, and completely haunting flute part before a piano comes in with it. It’s gorgeous and only becomes even more beautiful when Saito Takumi comes in. There’s something dark, and nostalgic about this song. But it is the ending of the minialbum, so of course there also has to be moments where the song feels more hopeful. Man, the flute and the piano and the vocals are the basis to this song and it’s really incredibly powerful. What a way to end the album. Although after saying all that, this track does fade easily into the background.

Overall rating: 8/8 (Amazing)
Favourite Tracks: Cheap Gold, 最初と最後の空へ, 悲しくてやりきれない

This is such a lovely minialbum. Nothing about it grabs you and demands you’re attention, yet although often soft and relaxing the songs here  are really beautiful and contains a lot of feeling (minus duralumin which was ruined). It helps that Saito Takumi’s voice is also very deep and emotional, and just as beautiful as the instrumentation. Yes, the instrumentation is really good. Certainly it is soft rock but there are also some other very interesting elements to it, that prevent it from becoming boring and formulaic. Not one of these tracks truly sounds like the other, which is admirable. Kokoro no Gururi is well worth listening to. There is a large variety of songs here, even if it’s just a mini, and there’s bound to be something for everyone ^^

After two successful tie-ins with popular anime Vampire Night ON/OFF return with their fourth single released on March 4th 2009, where once again they produce a song with a completely different sound from what they have done before.

It’s amazing how many different styles of pop they are tackling, and totally making their own. I think this also makes them interesting because they constantly surprise and give me a reason to fall in love all over again (cheesy, but true). These guys have gone from good to absolutely awesome, in my personal opinion. Oh, and the cover for this single is so pretty- despite the one twins expression which looks a bit “huh”, as if he was talking to someone and didn’t realise the camera had gone off. Then again the other twin looks vacant, with a cute smile but eyes that read he’s off some other place very far away. Hmm.  It’s still pretty- looks wise they have grown on me and I will now think of them as “cute” (I didn’t think they were so good looking before) Besides, they look amazing on the official site layout- especially as they actually look like they are paying attention : P

So anyway as I said this single is amazing and this is almost solely for the first track 花篝-ハナガガリ- which is like the pop version of Kagrra. I was NOT expecting this, but I’m so glad they did a song like this because it’s so damn beautiful. After a beautiful scale by a Japanese instrument the song starts immediately with the full instrumentation: grabbing your attention with the blend of piano, synth and Japanese elements. The song continues to be a beautiful traditional inspired ballad, with a gorgeous flow from beginning to end and barely any flaws. The boys sound fantastic, working well together like always and I really like how they overlap their parts in this song. I also love the rhythm of their part with the repeated words at the beginning of the chorus.  As I also mentioned, the instrumentation is beautiful. It sounds very acoustic (I mean the synth isn’t obviously synth) and it’s driven by the piano and traditional sounds, which makes it rather relaxing not to mention interesting and unique. The only thing that slightly bugs me is the high pitched whistle you can sometimes hear, otherwise this song is perfect <3.

The second track is not as good but not bad, it’s just after a track like Hana Kagari it really pales in comparison. And it would have been nice if they had continued with the traditional Japanese feel. But no, 跳ね返す勇気 is pop through and through, cheesy “woah” backing vocals and odd instrumentation included. OK, it’s lively and fun and the boys still sound great (I wonder if their vocals have improved or I just got used to it or I just don’t care anymore). Overall this is a generic, borderline obnoxious song but… it’s quite fun?

Overall rating: 082377854/5 (AWESOMENESS)
Favourite tracks: 花篝-ハナカガ

What more can I say? I’m totally in love with ON/OFF. They constantly surprise me with what the do, and I also love how with each single they improve so dramatically. Despite like, one flaw, 花篝-ハナガガリ- is such a pretty song. The boys vocals sound like they have improved, both in this song and the generic one they sound beautiful and expressive. Even with the B-side this single is a solid release. I am really looking forward to their first album despite the cheesy “legend of twins” name ^^