Thursday 27 November 2008

New MOSAIC.WAV keitai OP 「オコサマオトナナオサナナナ」


OPEN THE GATES OF NIEFLHEIM!
SUMMON FORTH THE MAGGOTS CREATED FROM YMIR'S FLESH!

*ahem* MOSAIC.WAV have just released their second OP theme song in as many days. I'm sure you'll excuse my excitement, hopefully partaking in my ceremonial expression of joy while we're at it. This announcement comes right off the heels of the "Semen Security" (maybe I should stick to katakana for that title) game theme song, but the difference here is that you can purchase the game 「おとなりはみんなおさななじみ」 (translation: blah blah childhood friend adult situations blah blah) right away for the mere sum of 315円. Additionally, since this is a cellphone game, you're automatically entered in a fantastic contest: a chance to win your very own brain tumor! Hurray for the double-edged sword of technological convenience!!!

As with the majority of MOSAIC.WAV theme songs, you can sample it in two different ways. A short version MP3 or MOSAIC.MOV-produced demo movie (high or low quality). The latter of which surprisingly does not contain H-scenes at all, so it's totally safe for work and family members who love to peek over your shoulder. In fact, the game looks pretty tame, which is to be expected given that the whole point of keitai apps is to be able to play them outside of the dark confines of your parent's basement. Overall the game looks like a flat visual novel based on an insipid storyline featuring equally dull love interests. But given that the package probably includes a full-length song download link, the 315 yens sound like a wise investment, monotonous game or not.

Let's take a closer look at the song, then. It opens pretty much right away into a drama scene between the four characters... which are all voiced by mi~ko! She explains that the game does not feature a vocal cast (it's a cellphone app, after all) so they pitched the idea of her doing four different voices in the same song. The result is pretty seamless and even got me confused when I first heard the song without knowing it was her. GJ! She also compares the experience to 「三つ巴 -motion ~triangular fight」 in which she performed three rather different voices. Apparently, the demo movie is also one of her favorites so far, although most will agree that they all look fantastic either way. There are hints of electric guitar right in the first 6 seconds of the song, but the majority of the instruments are straight out of Kayamori's bag of crazy tricks.

The song ends rather abruptly after 1:17, easily their most abridged "short version" track ever released. It's free, so no one should complain, but you're still going to get this feeling of getting short-changed. Much like their previous keitai song 「おりじにゃ〜る!」 which was incidentally composed for the same company back in August 2008, 「オサナナナ」 (for short) will not win them any Craziest Denpa Song Of The Year award (because they're winning it anyway). It's a situational piece that applies exclusively to the characters of the game, so I'm not expecting the full version to show up on their next compilation album, whenever that drops.

Wednesday 26 November 2008

New MOSAIC.WAV eroge OP 「きみにおねがい!セキュリティ」


Two days before the official release of the new うじゅ single, Sham Studio sends word of a new MOSAIC.WAV eroge anthem and MOSAIC.MOV intro movie! Go right ahead and download the short version of the song, as well as the splendid intro movie that is definitely NSFW (as is the rest of the game's website). First things first: yes, you read that katakana right. The name of the game is SEMEN SECURITY. Semen motherfucking security. What. The. Fuck. That's hilarious! Because nothing spells out peace of mind like a good old money shot. Scope out the logo, dripping with the stuff! It barely gets any more upfront than this, outside of possibly sticking a pair of boobs in the emblem.

Much like the raison-d'être of the game is given away with said logo, the gameplay itself does not look to distinguish itself too much from other adult video games. On the other hand the characters themselves look like a varied bunch, which could spike up interest in this title. The passive-aggressive big-breasted maid and feisty schoolgirl are to be expected in any self-respecting eroge, but a gaming loli and a tsundere drug addict? Now you've got my attention. Despite "2009" appearing in the title, the game will obviously be released at C75.

The song 「きみにおねがい!セキュリティ」 (Give me security!) is once again proof that Kayamori-san's deep pool of imagination has yet to run dry. Although in surface the song is definitely in line with their previous eroge offerings, there are strong qualities which sets it apart. The first thing you'll notice is a more subdued mi~ko, with some vocoded parts that are probably the result of Kayapi's first experiments with his Protools upgrade. If you pay close attention to the rhythm section, you'll come across an hyperactive bongo which single-handedly increases the pace of the song, because faster is better! There is also a great variety of open/closed high-hat alternations that give a swift and refreshing feeling to the song.

You will notice that Koike-aniki did not provide a guitar section to this preview, but that could possibly pop up in the full version. Regardless, the end result is a strong piece that bears connotations to 2006's critically-acclaimed "Space Akiba-Pop!" and sparks hope in this reviewer's heart for a proper fourth full-length album. Because if the other original songs are anywhere near as good as the two recent Tengu anthems, then we're headed straight for the Holy Grail of Denpa, mark my words.

Sunday 23 November 2008

New U eroge song 「GO GO☆ら~びゅ」


U is a bit of a sporadic one, isn't she? Her website rarely gets updated and she hasn't actually worked on any new song this year -- until now that is. Young but prolific eroge studio Shakunage Soft will soon offer their third title of the year, also the first one to feature a denpa opening song. Conveniently dated for Comiket 75, the brutally long-titled 「オト☆プリ ~恋せよ!乙女王子様♪ドキドキウェディングベル」 or, wait for it, "I've fallen in love with my Little Brother! Maiden Prince ♪ Wedding Bells Excitement" is sure to raise quite a few eyebrows thanks to its clever bishoujo role reversal storyline. I'm not going to spoil the surprise here, just smugly redirect you to the NSFW gallery section for the 1-2 sucker punch.

Back to the song itself, a short version was made available on October 30th and more recently you can also download a massive 200MB trailer if you've got bandwidth to spare and a vested interest in the game. It is definitely standard U fare, right down to the barrage of La-La-La's in the opening seconds and the overwhelming outpour of sugar-coated vocals that follow. As usual, the lovely U wrote and composed everything by herself. The guitar lessons she received from Koike-aniki definitely show as she rips through a couple of respectable solos and machine guns her listeners with trigger-happy rapid-fire palm muting. She still arranges her drums to be so loud and furious that they ridiculously overpower other instruments including her own voice, but that's just how this writer likes it. Don't ever stop fucking up people's perception of Japanese music, you hear that U? ♥♥♥

Thursday 20 November 2008

capsule to embark on Japan club tour



If you're going to find yourself in Japan this winter and are looking to warm yourself up a bit, you could always check out one of the following capsule club concerts. The tour schedule was announced inside the recent "More! More! More!" album, but here it is for convenience's sake. Let us hope that this series of events culminates into their first live DVD!

Speaking of the the album, it has proven quite successful with a #3 position on the oricon charts in its first week! That's a better showing than SUZUKI Ami's recent full length, which was also fully produced by 田中ヤスタカ. Let's see how long it keeps up, though I'm not aware of any big block busters coming up in December. The album will likely be getting a review here on Denpa no Sekai, but I am also working on a couple of other things that may or may not blow your mind!

<iTunes presents LIVE from Tokyo:capsule>
2008年11月29日(土) 20:00~@アップルストア渋谷
<capsule club tour 「MORE! MORE! MORE!」>
2008年12月12日(金) 金沢エイトホール - OPEN 22:00
2008年12月26日(金) 大阪ZEPP Osaka - OPEN 23:00
2008年12月29日(月) 東京ageHa - OPEN 23:00
2009年1月9日(金) 仙台ZEPP Sendai - OPEN 21:00
2009年1月23日(金) 京都WORLD - OPEN 22:00
2009年1月24日(土) 広島チャイナタウン - OPEN 22:00
2009年1月30日(金) 福岡ZEPP Fukuoka - OPEN 21:00
2009年2月13日(金) 神戸troop cafe - OPEN 22:00
2009年2月20日(金) 名古屋ダイヤモンドホール - OPEN 22:00
2009年2月28日(土) 札幌ZEPP Sapporo - OPEN 21:00
2009年3月9日(月) 新潟LOTS - OPEN 19:00
2009年3月19日(木) 沖縄club caf'e Air - OPEN 22:00

Source: contemode @ lj

Saturday 15 November 2008

CD検討: MOSAIC.WAV 「天狗流三段構えアプローチ」 + Live Report


Set to be released on November 28th 2008, MOSAIC.WAV's second うじゅ image single has already been gracing the tumultuous internets for the past couple weeks, due to it being available in advance at the 『太秦戦国祭り 上洛ライブ3D』 event which will be discussed further in this article. This single has been announced as far back as July 2008, with short previews of both songs trickling out in July and September respectively. Five months is an eternity in the world of denpa, where releases often come out of the blue (SPAM Mailing Girl was announced two days prior to C74). As you can imagine, this enormous buildup (compounded to the fact that last year's うじゅ was nothing short of phenomenal) has been driving MOSAIC.WAV fans wild with anticipation: will they once again be able to outdo themselves and shatter the very definition of denpa as they have so often done in the past?

1. 天狗流三段構えアプローチ
The song opens with the audio equivalent to Trompe-L'œil art, at least to unseasoned MOSAIC.WAV fans. That is to say, a swooping and engrossing introduction occupies the first 20 seconds, completely disparate with the wacky & wild direction they are known to take their songs in. But that is just a guise to transition in with even more gusto the strongly UNDER17-flavored rock'n'roll riff that is clearly a Koike concoction. As mi~ko delivers her violently cute vocals in prevision of the main course, it is already obvious that the song was lovingly crafted and that no corners were cut. But it is precisely when Kayamori-san's raging and virulent pulsewaves and explosive sound effects kick in that the trio's chemistry can be presented as tangible evidence.

There are at least 7 different phrases in this song, and the fact that none of them feel out of place or extraneous is a testament to Kayamori-san's creative genius. Better yet, tucked right in the middle is a straight up metal part that would certainly draw jealousy from the JAM Project, if they weren't busy being so awesome all the time. For just about 40 seconds, Koike-aniki takes center stage as he whips out some of his most blazing solos ever recorded. The whole thing ends with a wicked progressive rock part that comes directly out of Kayamori's influence repertoire, as he previously revealed to us.

But of course the song isn't done for another minute, wrapping things up lyrically with one of the most engaging tales that mi~ko has ever written. Intermediate Japanese culture skills are required to understand most of the lyrics as they deal with Tengu, a mythological topic that has been passed down for thousands of years (we're talking year 700 and up). Let's just say that MOSAIC.WAV have definitely done their employer proud in terms of furthering the popularity of their mascot character うじゅ... could a radio show and more licensed material be far behind?


2. ねばねば・スイーツ
Whereas the opening track was definitely on the "serious" tip, the second song pulls an about face in which mi~ko exposes うじゅ's biggest weakness: sticky sweets... that entangle her wings! This lighthearted approach to storytelling requires an equally blithesome musical accompaniment, which is just what Kayamori and Koike set out to do. But regardless of the risible plot line, one of the most striking aspects musically is the sense of urgency that is carried through constantly pounding synth pulses and and complex 8bit arpeggios that adequately bring to mind scathing images of bubble gum stuck in your hair. Oh, the horror!

Despite the grandiose composition aspect, this review would not be complete without giving praise where praise is due. mi~ko passionately emits some of the most compelling and over-the-top sung parts she's ever delivered. Because honestly, this is more of an elaborate drama scene put on top of an instrumental track than a proper song per se. The way she goes "nebaneba" (ad infinitum) is almost horror-flick worthy, which is probably what she aimed for in the first place. These eclectic vocal patterns (laced with a multitude of oh-so-Japanese onomatopoeia) are found throughout the song and are fantastically complemented by the hectic underlying instrumental track.

Though many observers have felt this way for some time, it is now completely safe to refer to MOSAIC.WAV as veterans of the denpa scene. This isn't just another image single for anime studios to gouge their fans with, nor is it force-fed filler tripe that appears on so-called "idol" full length albums. This is pure and unadulterated nectar from the denpa gods themselves. Put some time aside and listen to the "Off Vocal" tracks with a clear mind; let it all in. Go ahead and identify the multiple complex layers that make up the songs then just try, try to imagine how long it would take you to come up with something similar on your own. mi~ko, Kayamori and Koike are in a league of their own, indefatigable and challenged only by their own limitations. We're dealing with pros here and I can honestly tell you that I'm proud to be, in my own way, part of this moment.



Furthermore, axive recently put up a live report of the 『太秦戦国祭り 上洛ライブ3D』 event which took place on October 18th 2008. It looks as though our favorite trio was conveniently dressed for the occasion, which proved very popular with the large crowd that showed up. The author praises MOSAIC.WAV's professionalism both on and off-stage, as well as commends them for taking the Akiba-pop sound out of Akiba. He describes the audience as extremely enthusiastic and diligently responding to every crowd call. It's a crying shame that Japanese folks are so respectful of the "no-camera" rule because I sure would love to see some footage. Here's the complete setlist, taken from old reliable Moonsight:

1. 天狗流三段構えアプローチ
2. 最強○×計画
3. ねばねばスイーツ
(M.C.)
4. めがねでねっ!
(M.C.)
5. うじゅたま☆うじゅりんぱ
6. 電脳合戦×うじゅの陣!
(アンコール)
7. 洗脳・搾取・虎の巻
8. ガチャガチャきゅ~と・ふぃぎゅ@メイト
9. SPACE! WAVE! AKIBA-POP!!


His first comments on the event is that ヲタ芸 (otagei) was prohibited from taking place, though this is much more likely to be a house rule than MOSAIC.WAV's wish, as opposed to the whole Sakakibara Yui drama/fiasco. He also finds it quite funny that the encore made up for one third of their set. CherryBreeze describes his personal experience during each of the songs. He says the live event lasted one hour and was incredible fun. Already, he's predicting and looking forward to a third うじゅ single and live concert. Finally, suke-san also does the play-by-play description but more interestingly, describes how he managed to meet all three of them and obtain their signatures... which he will treasure and pass on to his children (should this ever happen). MOSAIC.WAV fans are great folks, the lot of them!

Wednesday 12 November 2008

「ピコ萌え!Future8bitシリーズ3」 coming out soon


How soon? November 27th 2008 to be exact, according to amazon. What we're talking about here is the third album in the "Pico Moe! Future8Bit" series of anime themes covered with the 8bit style we all crave. Obviously, publisher Pi Corporation took a huge clue from momo-i's popular Famison series and roped in a multitude of talented chiptune arrangers and seiyuu actresses in order to beat her to the third punch. Famison Vol. 3 might never happen at this rate, but this new PicoMoe series (vol. 1 & 2 came out in April and August 2008 respectively) is a more than capable contender, given some of the big names they gathered and extremely positive reviews across the board.

Unlike momo-i's two offerings, Future8bit does not exclusively concentrate on anime themes from 20-30 years ago, but rather a sizable mix of old and new, starting from 40-year old 魔法使いサリー (known in Canada as Mini-Fée, please tell me I'm not the only one who watched this growing up) all the way to the recent fan favorite bloody-gone-ecchi Bludgeoning Angel Dokuro-chan. Take a moment to listen to these two songs as well as more on nicovideo to realize that they aren't cheap nostalgia cash-ins but respectful and high-quality 8bit takes on timeless (or soon-to-be) classics. So who exactly is going to work on vol. 3 and what songs will be on it? Here's a handy chart. Let it be known that the Chobits theme song will be nothing short of fucking glorious.

Name / Anime / Arranger
1. 鉄腕アトム / 鉄腕アトムより / vin-PRAD
2. スイミン不足 / キテレツ大百科より / 林ゆうき
3. 未来形アイドル / VS騎士ラムネ&40炎より / テント
4. Let Me Be With You / ちょびっつより / Voltage Controlled Fascination
5. コンディション・グリーン ~緊急発進~ / 機動警察パトレイバーより / kz
6. 男と女はパピプペポ / NG騎士ラムネ&40より / デッドボールP
7. 創聖のアクエリオン / 創聖のアクエリオンより / baker
8. Welcome! / デ・ジ・キャラットより / the music laboratory cube
9. ラムのラブソング / うる星やつらより / ヒゲドライバー
10. ロ・ロ・ロ・ロシアンルーレット / ダーティーペアより / KAY
11. おっとどっこい日本晴れ / 秘密忍者隊ニャンキーより / no reason
12. 銀河で直立歩行 / 天地無用!!より / Ruchi
13. YOU GET TO BURNING / 機動戦艦ナデシコより / KOKO-MIMI
14. メンチ・哀愁のボレロ~食すのね / エクセルサーガより / undisclosed
15. 異次元ストーリー / ウイングマンより / undisclosed
16. FC版Packaged / Re:Packageより / undisclosed

Notice who's doing track #9? That's right, higedriver, same dude who's also co-producing Saori@destiny's upcoming album. Until volume 3 comes out, you can sample all tracks from Vol 1 and Vol 2. No word at this point on whether or not the DENPA group will repeat their generosity in providing the first 100 in-store purchases with a free remix CD as they have with the release of Vol 2...

Hey chibitech... you reading this? Why the heck aren't you on that lineup bro?

Monday 10 November 2008

Lucky Star OP remixed by 柏森進 and 小池雅也

Both of these songs actually came out in mid-2007 as part of the 「もってけ!セーラーふくRe-Mix001〜7 burning Remixers〜」 compilation which came out on Lantis, but I thought I'd share them with you anyway. Neither song particularly showcases both composers as extraordinary remixers, yet they're interesting takes on a soon-to-be anime theme classic. This first one is 【―うんだかだ~教の野望―】 from Kayamori-san or Kayapi as he's lovingly referred to by his Japanese fans.



The second one is by Koike-aniki and is called 【祭みっくす!】 with guest vocals from 白石稔 (Shiraishi Minoru)



As a bonus, listen to another Kayamori remix, available as one of the many 狂乱家族日記 image songs.



Wednesday 5 November 2008

Saori@destiny debut album gets DENPA track


[UPDATE] Short samples of all tracks can now be streamed or downloaded individually. Highly recommended!

[ORIGINAL] And by DENPA I don't mean denpa, I do mean DENPA as in the production group / ultimate party motherfuckers from Tokyo. Incidentally, the track will probably be of the denpa variety, considering the wacky arrangements the sound unit has been pumping out. Confused yet? That's OK, this is after all the first time both Saori@destiny and the DENPA group get mentioned on 電波の世界. Rest assured they will both be given appropriate coverage in the future, but for now let us focus on the release of her first album 『JAPANESE CHAOS』, due out on November 19 2008.

Saori@destiny is a rather new singer which got her first "hit" in late 2007 upon the release of her single "my boy", which was associated to some PC game called Secret Online. Despite her cute looks, it wasn't until the May 2008 release of her second single "sakura" that she really started turning some heads. While her general genre is considered to be "techno-pop", she has a refreshingly unconventional flavor due to her hundreds of live street performances and close working relationship with producers such as the aforementioned DENPA and 8-bit mastermind higedriver. According to Saori's website, the album will feature 10 tracks, 6 of which were previously unreleased. Shangri-la (track 1) has made its way online and a remixed version of Sayonara Revival (track 2) can also be found on youtube. Here's the complete tracklist:

1.Shangri-La
2.サヨナラリヴァイバル
3.My Boy (new vocal styling mix)
4.chemical soda
5.My Way
6.パーフェクト・ワンダーガール
7.sakura
8.0の魔法とヒステリックスナイパー
9.ヒカリ・シンドローム
10.サヨナラリヴァイバル(DENPA rmx)

Additionally, she is slated to perform alongside ARM, quim, blasterhead and USK (among others) on November 16 at Shibuya's axxcis club for the occasion of DENPA's 8th party/show... more on that later.

Sunday 2 November 2008

HOBiTRANCE releases MOSAIC.WAV remix previews


Yes, I know, these have been available for nearly a week now, but HOBiTRANCE have recently been putting up samples of its upcoming 「Ultimate A-Style2」 trance remix album due out November 28 2008. In a previous post, I voiced my concern that they would be using third-rate vocalists to record sung parts, concerns which I'm sure many of you also share given the fairly negative reviews the CODE SPEED series gets.

Fear no more! The samples of 「ガチャガチャきゅ~と・ふぃぎゅ@メイト」 and 「100グラムの恋心」 feature mi~ko's original voice in its full untouched glory. It does sound as though SHAM STUDIO provided the remixers with the original recording sessions, which makes this compilation that much more awesome. But what about the remixed tracks themselves? Fast as fuck, the way trance should be. Suffice to say, initial impressions are extremely positive! I humbly urge you to check out the rest of the samples on the official website.