AAA - Break Down Banner

Hey people, what’s up? I know, I know… I’ve been slacking off from reviewing stuff for the better part of the year and a half. Since that’s the case, I figure I’ll add some reviews that I’ve been meaning on writing. The first of the series is AAA’s “Break Down/Break Your Name/Summer Revolution” single. This single was released on July 29th, 2009 and it is AAA’s 21st single. Considering that I personally haven’t heard anything by AAA for a while, this is a nice refreshing change of pace in what I’ve been listening to lately (non-Japanese music).

So what’s new with this single? Nothing much breaks (no pun intended) from the typical AAA sound. It’s the same Japanese dance-pop music with techno influence for instrumentals. It’s good stuff though, don’t get me wrong. The beat is prominent and catchy and the vocals are excellent. No slow songs for this single, so for those people that love those lovely AAA balads, too bad. The instrumentals are good for all the songs, but I’d say it doesn’t stray from what has already been done before.

Instrumentals: 8.7

Although the instrumentals and the dance beat along with the techno feel makes this song sound like something from the 90s, I’m not very impressed. I like how well it is blended and mixed, but much of it is too similar to what I’ve heard before from T.M. Revolution and even Two Mix way back when. Everything is crisp and clear with little muddiness. The breaks in the music don’t interrupt with the flow and rather add effect to what otherwise may be boring. In terms of what is used for instrumentals, it’s synthesized beats and computer sounds along with sirens. All of which I think AAA has used before. The effects are fairly typical of the techno and trance genre.

Vocals: 9.5

Everybody sings well in all three songs. Every note sung is sustained well. There is some nasally sounds coming from both the girls, but that is just how they sing. The vocal parts and arrangements were produced and performed well in all three of the songs. Nobody seems to over sing.

01 Break Down

First off, it sounds like “brak down” in the beginning, but they actually sing “break down” in the parts where there isn’t any mixing involved with the vocals. If you can get past that, the rest of the song is pretty good. It definitely is a techno/dance mix with good vocals. The effects are reminiscent of things I’ve heard in the 90′s. I guess you could call it a throw back, but AAA has pretty much been in this area of music since their creation. The rap sections are combined pretty well with the singing portions. The blending between the two is well done. There isn’t much variance except when the rap comes in periodically throughout the song.

02 Break Your Name

This is a guys only song. The instrumentals are pretty much the same from the last song. You could say it keeps with the dance/techno theme of this whole single. The sirens are well incorporated into the song. It’s a fast moving song with a pretty good melody. The beat is strong and mostly in the midrange. Good balance and little break in the music between transitions from section to the next section.

03 Summer Revolution

This is the girls’ song. It keeps with the dance/techno theme of the whole single. It has lighter instrumentals than the guys’ song. The melody is the typical JPop sound rather than the hip-hop rhythms that are rather popular with artists now-a-days. I would say that nothing is really exciting about this song.

Overall:

All of the songs are fast beat and rather good, but not exciting or different from most Japanese dance/techno beat music. You could say it’s a take on JPop in the late 80s and 90s. If you think of it that way, it’s a good retrospect on music, but for the current trend in music it is a little dated. I think AAA could stand to be a bit more creative.

Ratings:

Instrumentals: 8.7
Vocals: 9.5
Replay Value: 7.0
Quality: 9.0
Overall: 8.55 (Great)

Someday is a Korean album released by Younha on September 9, 2008. I finally get more music from Younha. It’s a great album with tons of different sounds and styles. I was excited to get this in the mail, and now I’m very excited in reviewing this and perhaps letting you have some samples. Of course, like with all of my other album reviews, they are only streaming samples. I have always thought Younha had a great voice and I still do. It was a little discouraging not seeing much new activity from this artist for quite some time, but when I found out this album was released, I was ecstatic.

(continue reading…)

AAA came out with another single, or should I call it a mini-album. This seems to be the guys only singing in this CD. They appear to be in another releasing cycle that is noticeably during the summer until the winter months. We could probably expect a new album to be released in the next coming months, but that is just my assumption. I’ve always liked AAA for their dance tunes and great harmonizing in the vocal parts. After listening to this mini-album, I hope the girls release a CD.

First thoughts that I had when listening to this, very boy band-like. There is some influence of hip-hop and urbanpop infused in the music. I don’t typically listen to this kind of music, but I guess it is a nice change. Although it is not to my tastes, I do like the choices made in these songs. I don’t think I’ll be listening to this very much, but it’s good none-the-less.

Instrumentals:

Great deep bass and primarily synthesized mixes drive each song. Some are dance club material. Like most of their other songs, these are very good for DJs to remix. It will be interesting what will come out of these songs, if they do remix them.

Vocals:

Good and strong vocals. Great harmonizing parts. The melodies are different, but a little too typical. The quality of the single is up to AAA standards.

01 Crash

Good song, but it seems a little drawn out and nothing much changes. It’s a little monotone. Great bass though and the singing is impeccable. I do think that this song is very boy bandish, and just not in my taste. Of course, this is primarily a boy band without the girls.

02 Hasta la vista

It starts with an orchestral beginning and moves into the deep bass and synthesized instrumentals. This is very hip-hop and urbanpop in likeness. It’s typical and doesn’t bring anything new to the industry. I could imagine that it would be good to dance to though. The rhythm is very easy to feel.

03 ZAPPER

Very 80s background track. Again, pretty boy bandish, just not my style. Others may like it though. Uses a bit of a funk sound to the guitar part.

04 Crying Freeman

More synthesized instrumentals, but they are good. This is a slower song with longer, flowing vocal melodies. I’d probably say that this song is probably one of the more enjoyable from this mini-album.

05 BET

Definitely different from typical AAA songs. They are rapping… I’ll let you guys review this song.

06 Akirerukurai Wagamama na Jiyuu

A slow hip-hop ballad. Good melody, but the beat may be too loud. If this were on a bigger speaker system than my headsets, I think the bass would drown out the vocals. Nothing much in the instrumentals, just a piano, guitar, small cymbal part, and the deep synthesized bass. Good song in my opinion.

Overall:

Good instrumental tracks. Not really my cup of tea, but it really depends on your taste of music.

Ratings:

Instrumentals: 8.9
Vocals: 9.0
Replay Value: 7.0
Quality: 8.7
Overall: 8.4 (Great)

Great if you like this kind of music, but if you’re like me you might not want to invest time into it.

It feels like forever since I’ve reviewed an Attack All Around single. I’ve been a fan of AAA for a while now, but probably not the biggest. I like to hear their music and see what new genre they explore whenever they release something new. Last single explored a sort of Middle Eastern-like sound with the combination of their typical J-Pop music. Beyond is much more laid back from their other music and seems a bit on the slow side of things.

Instrumentals:

Good choice of instrumentals per song. Nice blending and volume does not mask the vocal parts.

Vocals:

Great harmonizing parts. The intonation is as well done as past singles, it’s too be expected from such a great group. Good volume between the vocalists, but there seems to be some absence of accompanying parts.

01 BEYOND~Karada no Kanata

Beyond~Karada no Kanata still has a dance beat to it but is not as fast as their previous songs. I wouldn’t call it a ballad, but it has the tempo and quality to it. It’s a decent song, but it doesn’t hold as much quality as say, Get Chu!!!

02 One Night Animal

Another dance beat song. Great mixes done with the vocals and the harmonizing parts are very well done. Good chorus, but I think the song could be sped up a half-beat. One Night Animal has a smooth quality to it, sort of a strutting song. I can imagine the members of AAA walking the night streets of Tokyo looking for clubs and catching the attraction of the opposite sex in a video. Shame I haven’t looked for a PV of this, if there is one.

03 MIRAGE (83key Remix)

Epic techno beginning with mixed vocals. It sounds as if an aquatic effect has been added to the voice. This remix pretty much rids the original song of its Middle Eastern sound. I’m not sure if I like the aquatic effect throughout the whole song, but the beat and the choice of instrumentals was nice. It seems like the original vocal track was kept intact for the most part. Other than that, this version seems a bit boring after listening to it for a while.

Overall:

Good single, but it lacks the luster of other singles. I would say that I enjoyed MIRAGE much more. The single is laid back and is relaxing to listen to, but nothing special about this single strikes me. Not a disappointment, but not an awesome pleaser after a long dry spell of AAA from my musical diet.

Ratings:

Instrumentals: 9.0
Vocals: 9.2
Replay Value: 7.9
Quality: 8.0
Overall: 8.52 (Great)

I suggest this single to those that like AAA and also for the second song for those nights you feel like strutting (if you’re into that kind of thing).

It’s been a while and I hope all of you are well. This time around I’ll be reviewing an Ai Otsuka single by the name Rocket Sneaker ~ One x Time. I have to say its been a while since I’ve last listen to Ai Otsuka. This single takes a different approach from her earlier single PEACH!!. It’s a very good single and a little more laid back than recent singles released by Otsuka. Let’s take a bit of a closer look at the songs on this CD.

Instrumentals:

Good and clear with nice arrangements. They don’t cover up her voice and are fairly simple. Good use of piano and orchestral elements. Melodies are smooth and blend well with Ai Otsuka’s vocal part.

Vocals:

Still cutesy as ever. She uses a deeper tone though, which is a nice drawback from PEACH!! and will contrast nicely when an album is compiled. A little airy here and there, but I’m pretty sure it’s for stylistic reasons. Other than that, strong over all and nice.

01 Rocket Sneaker

Nice A side with a simple set of instrumentation and melody. It’s a fun song with a good tempo that fits the season. It is more of a pop rock song, but the piano and other instruments make it distinctly a JPop song. Laid back but it still has the energy that many of Ai Otsuka’s songs have. Very enjoyable, but I can’t place what other song it sounds like…

02 One x Time

More of a Urban Pop beat, a little R&B going on. Good touch and still light on the instrumentals. The bass isn’t overbearing and fitting to the overall blend of the song. Nice harmonizing of the vocal parts make the song a little more interesting. One x Time is a excellent slow ballad that is fitting of musical trends right now, but it also keeps true to Otsuka’s style.

03 Sora to Kujira

Nice acoustic guitar in the beginning, but a bit of a typical rhythm. Ai Otsuka’s singing starts a little later into the song with extreme clarity and a much greater volume than the instrumentals. I like how the would song builds up in volume and amount of instruments. The second time the chorus is sung is very inspirational. Great increase in volumes strengthens the tone of this song. Interesting instrumental break with some sort of muting involved, but somehow it is blended in well with the rest of the song. The arrangement of the single was well done and has good choices for songs.

Ratings:

Instrumentals: 9.0
Vocals: 9.0
Replay Value: 8.6
Quality: 9.2

Avg. Score: 8.95 (Great)

A good listen and great single overall. The last song is very nice, too.

This is the continuation segment of our review of AAA’s MIRAGE. We’ve already briefly covered the PV of this single and given you a video to watch and consider for yourself. If you are just beginning to get into AAA’s music, then you have quite a bit to catch up on. This would be their 17th single released so far and another is sure to be around the corner.

Upon hearing this single, I felt that there was something oddly familiar. Is there some sort of formula that they are following. It seems their producer might be having a brain lapse and just decided to reuse a basic tune. I could be imagining things though. Besides having a familiar sound and rhythm used, I did like this single.

01 MIRAGE MIRAGE is a mix of Middle Eastern and Japanese Pop sound. This song sounds oddly like Red Soul. Not in the instrumental sense, but in the way verses are sung and they rhythms of the vocal parts. The arrangement is also very close in my opinion. Although this formula is about the same, I have to say that there is enough difference in the instrumentals to make the song its own. It took me about 3-4 listens to catch this. It’s still an enjoyable song, although not up to par with their past works. A bit boring and sort of a difficult mix of styles to use. I just don’t like the concept of mixing Middle Eastern influence with J-Pop.

02 Love Candle

This is a song by the guys. A ballad of sorts. Nothing too new or exciting about it, but it’s a decent song. Catchy melody with a good choice of instrumentals.

03 SUNSHINE (Live at Budokan 9/22/07)

Very good live recording of the song. It really sounds like the CD recording. Misako seems to have a deeper tone to her voice in this performance. Pretty entertaining to listen to, but I bet it would be more fun to see the actual concert at Budokan.

04 MIRAGE (Instrumentals)

05 Love Candle (Instrumentals)

Ratings:
Instrumentals: 8.7
Vocals: 9.4
Multiple listenings: 7.6
Overall: 8.57

The latest (at least that I know of) PV by AAA. This PV takes a Middle Eastern feel to it, although I think some of the dancing and costumes are more Indian. Perhaps a fusion of multiple cultures into one. As opposed to Red Soul, you get blue costumes. A rather simple set up inside a studio rather than on set somewhere.

The song sounds a bit resembling from many of their recent works. Most notably from Red Soul.

I do like the costumes. They are elaborate and don’t stand out like a sore thumb. This incorporation of Indian-like style, fashion, and dance, with a bit of Middle Eastern synthesized instrumentals and J-Pop definitely are complemented by the well choreographed dance in the PV. Simple, yet a grand performance.

Ratings:
Visuals: 8.2
Song: 7.9
Overall Flow: 9.0
Final Rating: 8.37

Video:

History:
I’ve actually listened to a hefty portion of Ai’s music before this album and thought her to be very cute. Most of her music is upbeat and fun. Her debut album was LOVE PUNCH in 2004. Her first single in 2003 (Momo no Hanabira) didn’t take much notice, but she started getting a following with her 2nd single Sakuranbo. Her lyrics are written by herself, and her music ranges from very cutesy-fun songs to great ballads that are peaceful and pleasing to the ears. (continue reading…)

SOME BOYS! TOUCH

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Glass no Pumps

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

DAYBREAK

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

History:
Goto Maki is a Hello! Project artist that has broken their realm of cute innocent looking young girls to sexy vixen. She started her career in Morning Musume in 1999 and graduated Morning Musume in 2002. Her solo career really started with a string of cutesy songs and just recently became more sex oriented starting from “Glass no Pumps”. I first came to know who Goto Maki was through Morning Musume and watching several of her older music videos. Her musical style has definitely changed from the cutesy-pop typical H!P music to more of a hip-hop sounding plethora of works. Perhaps a way for H!P to try and break out into a different market and explore new possibilities and barriers. (continue reading…)

What really brought me into Morning Musume? Was it the music, the wackiness, or just the concept of 5+/8+ girls dancing around in funny little costumes? It really wasn’t any of those, instead it was the little show Hello! Morning. I started really looking into Morning Musume about 2 years ago and listened to their music, admittedly bought Single PV DVDs and a few singles and albums from them. It wasn’t the music that kept me interested in them as much as the show. The show gave the girls personality and showed a different side behind all the dancing and singing on stage.

My favorite personality on the show was in particular Rika Ishikawa. I thought she was the most beautiful and cutest (former) member and I loved her personality. She made things interesting and unbelievably bubbly. Honestly, I can’t comprehend how many hours I spent looking online for more MM videos. It almost scares me to think that I would spend most of the day searching and downloading videos of MM. I even donated to a site to get videos.

What happened? My interest of MM and anything Hello!Project related ebbed. I don’t hunt for videos and infact I haven’t downloaded one of their PVs or videos for almost half a year. It was the concept and ridiculousness of the Up Front that drew me away. Not only that, but the current iteration of MM doesn’t have the personality that the 1-4th Generations had. Although they added two Chinese (yay Chun Li love!) but that hardly keeps me interested. In the end, MM is a lost act. In fact, I believe that H!P needs to do some major restructuring to survive as a musical act organization. In the mean time, I dose myself with J-Rock and other J-Pop groups like AAA that steer my interest. Best of luck to MM.