ウマウマ８ might as well be a sampler for 電波トランス２

We've already covered EXIT's first 「DENPA TRANCE」 album and made the point that while it was an excellent compilation, it really is nothing more than an alternate "best of" from their B-list 「ウマウマ」 series. Most of the songs on UMA UMA could be mistaken for actual denpa songs, but some are particularly worthy of the moniker.

The eight UMA UMA album came out on June 2nd 2010, so here are the songs which are likely candidates for the next DENPA TRANCE selection. Click the "from" links to access the original tunes on youtube (most in animated OP/ED form). Should you wish to purchase the first DENPA TRANCE album, or any of EXIT's albums, make sure you do it through CD Japan. They recently started offering FedEx! By the way, there's a 「萌えJ-POP」 album coming out on August 18!

6. キッチンはマイステージ
Judas feat. R. Cena
from: クッキンアイドルアイ!マイ!まいん!


Holy loli macaroni, the original tune was already a little bundle of joy, but this Judas remix spices things right up. R. Cena serves her best imitation of 11-year old 福原遥 and succeeds admirably. Everybody knows the best way to a guy's heart is through his stomach, so "Kitchen Idol" is a very respectable career choice at such a young age.


8. 恋愛サーキュレーション
MK feat. CAMRY
from: 化物語 OP4


EXIT used to be hit-or-miss, but when their remixes sound more engaging and involved than the original version, you know they're on their way up. What would normally be an average anime OP with very little substance is turned into a refreshing piece full of zest and vigor. Don't be surprised if this one doesn't make the DENPA TRANCE 2 cut, but it's still worth a mention. This is a CAMRY performance, after all!


13. できるかなって☆☆☆
Ryu☆ feat. MAKI + CAMRY + Ma15
from: ひだまりスケッチ×☆☆☆


「ひだまりスケッチ×☆☆☆」 has always had denpa-friendly OP themes; observe the first and second versions, the latter of which was already covered on 「アニメトランス BEST 7」 (even though it was better suited for an ウマウマ album). But the big draw here is that motherfucking Ryu☆ is working with the three hottest EXIT singers... all at once. Any of them on their own is newsworthy, but this quartet is the ultimate DENPA TRANCE fan service.


16. Ａｌｒｉｇｈｔ！ ハートキャッチプリキュア！
Acid=Stone Valley feat. MAKI
from: ハートキャッチプリキュア!


People frequently ask me what makes a song "denpa". If it contains HAI!HAI! screams sharp enough to cut through various animal carcasses, then it's a denpa song. Coincidentally, this fast-paced OP theme is a perfect match for 「Heartcatch PreCure!」, with its over-the-top art style and hot-blooded magical girls. Acid=Stone Valley (great name BTW) and MAKI have created an even more insane version for this album; it's pretty much a shoe-in for 電波トランス２.


17. どっきゅん☆ハート
TokorotenG feat. MAKI
from: どっきゅん☆ハート


TokorotenG isn't exactly the most prolific EXIT remixer, but judging by this contribution, you could swear he's been doing this for ages. The song itself is an interesting pick, showing that EXIT aren't always after the A-list OP themes. It's a "character song" from an episode of the anime Umineko, sung by the character Jessica as she was cosplaying Marisa from Touhou... not only that, but the song itself is apparently full of references to the 2 previous Higurashi series. Deep stuff! Original song is a perfect example of Denpa Rock. Remix is nuts!


18.BEAM my BEAM
MK feat. Maki + Camry + Mi-Mi
from: おまもりひまり ED


Another crazy trio is at work here! 「BEAM my BEAM」 is a great denpa song, and don't just take my word for it, most people will agree it is denpa. Actually, even though this is supposed to be a trance album, this remix probably runs at the same BPM as the fast and furious original version. The voices have been lolified a little and the remixed BGM is slightly more explosive, but other than that there are no major differences. Regardless, this is yet another great example of this up and coming DENPA TRANCE genre that EXIT have a hold on.


Bottom-line: DENPA TRANCE is fucking awesome in more ways than one. It's great for the gym, for one. It's also good for long-distance trips and even when you have people over that might not necessarily be receptive to pure denpa songs such as MOSAIC.WAV or Holic Service. Call it a gateway drug if you must, but let's give credit where credit is due; EXIT have definitely spanned a sub-genre of their own here.

EXIT TRANCE wants your denpa dollars

I don't think EXIT TRANCE/TUNES needs to be introduced anymore, as they've already released a trillion albums since the start of 2010. But in case you've been negatively influenced by their not-so-stellar earlier offerings, then it is high time for another chance. Myself, I wasn't too hot on DJ UTO's first anime trance album back in 2007, which unfortunately made me skip the 「ウマウマできるトランスを作ってみた」 (hereafter UmaUma) series until I discovered it for the first time in mid-2009. As you can probably gather from the name, the UmaUma series strays a little bit from their usual アニトラ norm. The mood is much lighter and they won't shy from covering "obscure" Niconico memes / viral videos.

Case in point, the seventh volume in the UmaUma series which came out on February 3rd 2010 features toilet-boombox-chan on the cover and a Ryu☆ Remix of 「ぽっぴっぽー」 (sung by 初音ミク) as the opening track (compare it with the much slower but just as catchy original). Earlier volumes featured sweet Capsule, Perfume and KOTOKO remixes as well as an hilarious Japan Break Industries cover, among other things. Furthermore, the third volume holds my absolute favourite DO-DAI remix of all time... which I consider to be more denpa than trance.



Oh! I guess DJ UTO thought the same, since EXIT are about to launch into a brand new 電波トランス (denpa trance) series, with the first volume dropping on February 17th 2010. Unfortunately, there are no samples just yet, but it seems like a couple of the featured tracks are making a repeat appearance (such as the aforementioned DO-DAI). Well, you could always check out all of the original versions until the album comes out.

1. (2:40) 妄想☆ふぇてぃっしゅ！ / MK feat. CAMRY+mi-mi
2. (3:21) やっぱり世界はあたし☆れじぇんど！！ / Hommarju feat. MAKI
3. (3:09) プリップリン体操 / MK feat. mi-mi
4. (3:57) 撲殺天使ドクロちゃん / Acid=Stone Valley feat. Ma15
5. (4:20) 片道きゃっちぼーる / Dizzi Mystica feat. R.Cena
6. (3:07) Do-Dai / Acid=Stone Valley feat. MAKI
7. (4:09) 四角い宇宙で待ってるよ / Rev feat. MAKI+R.Cena
8. (4:19) 空耳ケーキ / kinoto feat. R.Cena
9. (3:34) 大魔法峠 / B.U.S feat. MAKI
10. (3:03) いままでのあらすじ / MK feat. MAKI+mi-mi+TAKANORI
11. (3:30) ナースウィッチ小麦ちゃんマジカルて～愛のメディスン～ / Icon feat. MAKI
12. (2:48) 天罰！エンジェルラビィ / MK feat. MAKI
13. (2:50) ぷにぷに伝説っぽい☆ / Starving Trancer feat. yumemi
14. (3:55) なのです☆ / Icon feat. MAKI
15. (3:48) ハナマル☆センセイション / Icon feat. Ma15
16. (4:09) ワンダーモモーイ／ナムコ / Dizzi Mystica feat. mi-mi
17. (3:33) 魔法少女マジカルたん！ / MK feat. 405+mi-mi
18. (3:49) 超妻賢母宣言 / Hommarju feat. R.Cena

See anything you like in there? How about two MOSAIC.WAV and three 桃井はるこ songs? Yeah, chances are this is going to fucking rule. Also looking forward to the fripSide cover, but I think we've had enough Dokuro-chan remixes by now. BTW guys, don't go busting too many nuts over Ma15's sweet voice. Yeah she's a killer singer, but also only 11 years old. Fucking hell, Japan!

C76: New Veil album 「Veil ∞ DENPA!!!」

Never heard of Veil before? That's OK, I haven't been paying much attention either. All you need to know is that Veil is one of Visual Art's most recent eroge/anime "sound unit", with former I've Sound member and lifelong one-trick pony Lia (let's be perfectly honest here) at its head. The Berklee College of Music alumnus dropped out of I've Sound for reasons unknown, but unlike the other deserter SHIHO, her solo career hasn't exactly flourished as well. Her current stint in Veil also involves a bunch of other girls and one (admittedly pretty lucky) dude. They released their first album 「Veil∞assorted voices」 during last year's C75 and they're back for more this summer.

So far, pretty boring stuff right? Well, looks like they'll try their hand at something new this C76. Lia walked out on I've Sound before she had the chance to appear on a SHORT CIRCUIT song, but there's no time like the present to try out some DENPA remixes! Of course it's not like the now-pregnant diva probably had much to say about the whole thing, but it's a step in the right direction. The remixes are actually handled by some pretty big names. DJ SHIMAMURA? Check. DJ SHARPNEL? You betcha. Hirojack and MUZIK SERVANT are nothing to scoff at either.

To tell you the truth, the 3-minute sampler doesn't sound too different from her "Happy Hardcore" albums and from the whole J-Core/Trance sound in general. But these musicians are closely associated with the DENPA group these days (who also remixed a Saori@destiny track) and I'm thinking that's what they're trying to promote here. The sample also briefly exposes some sonority that would probably insult J-Core purists but may attract "regular" denpa fans. It's an interesting experiment, especially coming from a larger company such as Visual Art's/Key, we'll just have to wait and see how the full thing turns out. Thanks to 愛撫 for the heads up.

Weekly denpa news: IOSYS, GWAVE, MOSAIC.WAV

Happy Hockey day in Canada! I'm certain everyone is busy partying their ass off by slapping pucks left and right, so no time for massive reviews or articles this week. Instead I'll just dump some of the news I've been holding on to for the past little while. Let's briefly begin with IOSYS's newest eroge theme: Princess Party! From what little I can gather, this is being billed as an IOSYS group effort, although ARM's signature sound work is everywhere to be found and the singing credits mostly go to AYU, who also sang both of the Penguin Musume ED themes.

Back to GWAVE who were the subject of last week's extensive feature. They have released the tentative artwork for the upcoming 「LOVE BULLETS II」 album, which is now set for a March 27th 2009 release. In addition, two new track titles have been revealed, namely #2 "Dragon Girl " and #3 "High Tension Date". Famishin has also been confirmed as a returning guest composer.

mi~ko recently worked on a new eroge which comes out on February 27th. 「ふわりコンプレックス」 (or fuwacon for short) is GIGA's most recent maid training simulator. Although there are some very interesting characters such as Hatsune Miku cosplayer Tenka, MI-KO (she insists that we use her voice actress nickname to differentiate from her MOSAIC.WAV activities) is stuck with a far more conventional role. Still, hornballs can check out samples of her work as 沖田つかさ (OKITA Tsukasa) in both regular and "H" action on the profile page.

Also note that the game's opening theme 【ふれあ☆こんぷれっくす】, sung by 水樹奈々 (MIZUKI Nana) and composed by recent Elements Garden's 中山真斗 is slightly on the denpa tip and definitely worth your time. In fact this may be one of the first denpa-oriented tracks the studio has ever cranked out, as they are mostly known for their My-HIME, Chrono Crusade and D.C. Da Capo themes among many others. On the other hand, the veteran Nana is no stranger to wacky eroge opening songs. To tell you the truth, the song vaguely reminds me of some of SHORT CIRCUIT II's rock-ish tracks. Pro-tip! If the song has a ☆ in its title... it's probably worth checking out.

Final link dump of the day: If you enjoyed DJ Shimamura's MOSAIC.WAV trance remix on the brilliant 「Ultimate A-Style2」 compilation, then you'll love his newest eroge OP 「ワタシハアナタノモノ」 or "I'm yours" in plain old English. Well more like "I am your object", but that's besides the point. This is for ClockUp's newest game 「麗辱の館 ～淫縁五姉妹汁姦記～」, which in turn roughly translates to "House of Beautiful Disgrace: 5 Lewd Sisters' Fateful Raunchy Rape Chronicles". God I love translating this shit! As usual, short version and demo movie can be obtained from the game's download page.

HOBiTRANCE 「Ultimate A-Style2」 impressions, release party

HOBiTRANCE's 「Ultimate A-Style2」 compilation came out in late November 2008, to the great pleasure of MOSAIC.WAV fans eagerly awaiting the trance conversions of two of the sound unit's songs. Today, just under 2 months after the release, its producers are giving it one last promo push in the form of the 「Ultimate A-Style2 Limited Release Party」 that's taking place right now in Tokyo's amate-raxi club. Some of the artists on stage include DJ Shimamura and Ryu☆ (who are behind the two MOSAIC.WAV remixes) as well as Uraken, REDALiCE and a couple more big names (including a VJ and a special guest). Party time for sure, but since I'm exactly 6460 miles away from there as I type this, I can only weep softly and turn on the Wii.

Or I can share with you some of my thoughts regarding said compilation, because in a nutshell, it is far and beyond one of the best anime/trance compilations I've heard (not that the CODE SPEED competition is much of a threat). It also helps that MOSAIC.WAV and 榊原ゆい tracks make up four tenths of this album, but the others are nothing to scoff at. The number one quality factor is that HOBiTRANCE did not go for stand-in singers, they obtained the original vocal tracks and in some instances used the actual sound effects or instruments from the master copy.

After hearing this, some may think that the whole process is useless and that sticking to the originals might be just as well. But don't forget this is a trance remix album, so the tempo has been aggressively pumped up and the vocalists' pitch significantly altered (yes, even mi~ko's voice if you can believe that). There are also a few original gems in there, notably teranoid's "still dope" which has hilarious Engrish delivery by MC KENT (although his accent is really good). The MOSAIC.WAV remixes themselves are highly enjoyable, if only to see new life breathed in 2006's "100グラムの恋心".

Bottom line, high production values, expert remixers and original vocal tracks are the three selling point of this outstanding compilation, so I hope others take a clue from this one. By the way the first volume was also just as enjoyable, it just didn't have any MOSAIC.WAV songs for me to report on. Speaking of which, HOBiTRANCE released a 10 minute highlight video of this summer's event, so today's party is likely to be getting the same treatment. About 5:50 in you can see JAKAZiD, a scrawny-looking 20 year-old happy hardcore wonder from England who is definitely starting to play with the big boys... good on you!


And on a final note, mi~ko, kayapi and Ryu☆ visited the アキバ総研 offices on December 27th 2008 to talk about the 「ガチャガチャきゅ～と・ふぃぎゅ＠メイト」 among other things. When asked about their impressions, they both agree that the remix is very well done of course. Kayapi says that he sees the original in a whole new perspective now. mi~ko was surprised and amused by the slight change in pitch applied to the vocals.

When asked about their songwriting process, she then joked that she is the right brain of the operation, while kayapi is the left one. I'm sure this has some signification of sorts, but I don't have a clue at the moment. For his part, Ryu☆ says that it is of the utmost importance to him that fans of the original also become fans of his remix, so he works long overtime hours to make sure all the details are in place. Of course they discuss their influences, so Kayamori name-drops P-MODEL once again. They end by discussing their future plans (nothing I haven't reported about) and by wishing everyone a happy new year!

Eh? What's that? Akiba Souken has had an English version since August 2008? Wow, I had no idea. It's significantly lighter on contents than the Japanese edition, but it's there and it's updated weekly. To conclude today's subject, you can read their 「Ultimate A-Style2」 launch report for extra information.

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.

Two new MOSAIC.WAV trance remixes

Remember the well-received 最強○×計画 trance remix which appeared on the otherwise dull CODE SPEED vol. 1 compilation? Looks like it was popular enough to warrant MOSAIC.WAV their second and third officially-licensed remixes. HOBiTRANCE recently announced the inclusion 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」 on their upcoming Ultimate A-Style2 album, to be released on November 28 2008. The first of these two tracks does not come as a surprise, the song (and its associated video) is amongst the most referenced in the MAD community. But "100g of love" is a shocker; it was composed exclusively for the release of Space Akiba-Pop and just didn't seem a likely remix candidate until now.

This should make for an extremely interesting combo, but hopefully the remixers will retain the original vocals and not go through cheap third-rate singers. Better yet, hire mi~ko for vocal do-overs if necessary. If you want to get an idea of what their previous anime remix album sounds like, there's always Youtube. The rest of the lineup isn't exactly stellar at this point (nor is it complete) but 榊原ゆい fans take note: there will be a SINCLAIR remix. Along with the boobalicious jacket artwork, that's four great reasons to check out this comp when it drops later this year.

CD検討: CODE SPEED アニメトランス BEST vol. 1

It's fair to say that I am no stranger when it comes to anime theme songs remix collections. I have spent a lot of time with Shimokawa Mikuni's "Seishun Anime Song House Album" and enjoy all of its tracks, with her over-the-top rendition of "Geki! Teikoku Kagekidan" high on my list. Similarly, Yoko Ishida's "Hyper Yocomix" series have fueled many of my late night programming/study sessions. But in general, I am not the biggest fan of trance music on this planet. I did give months of my life to the Ghost In The Shell game soundtrack and I appreciate the majority (if not all) of I've Sound's trance work simply because they tend to feature real instruments and their vocalists are top of the line (KOTOKO, MELL, PEKO, SHIHO, etc.). When music is closely associated to anime or video games, whether it's trance, rock, denpa or what have you, I just have to check it out. So when I found out about "CODE SPEED アニメトランス BEST" and its impressive track list, I knew I had to get my hands on it ASAP. But before you go on any further, why don't you play the following youtube link in the background? I assure you it's not a trap.

1. KNEE SOCKS - もってけ! セーラーふく
(Lucky Star Remix) (3:56)

The remixers obviously wanted to go with what is currently the most popular anime OP as an ice breaker, it definitely makes sense if only from a financial point of view. While I am sick to death of hearing the original version, I caved in and gave this remix a try. KNEE SOCKS' rendition is pretty faithful to the original, only turbo charged and a bit more sterile.

2. Ma15 - ハレ晴レユカイ
(The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya Remix) (3:45)

Before there was Lucky Star, the world was blessed with The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya... oh wait that wasn't that long ago, wasn't it? We all know this track, and the trance remix doesn't stray far off from the original. In fact, I can't tell of any liberties that were taken. Ma15 does well in this one, but her voice is a bit flimsy overall.

3. chum - 創聖のアクエリオン
(Sousei no Aquarion remix) (4:05)

Hell yes! Being the huge AKINO fan that I am, I was most pleased to hear this new take on one of the best kept secrets in anime music. I wouldn't say "創聖のアクエリオン" compares to "Go Tight!" however, which is leaps and bounds above it and so many other themes while we're at it. It's such a damn shame that she wasn't approached for more solo songs, since her voice is so captivating. Did you know she was born in Arizona and grew up there along with her brothers and sisters? Well now you do! Lately, all of the siblings formed a band called "bless4" and have been playing concerts around Japan. However, my personal opinion is that their new songs don't quite match the quality of her two OP themes.

4. KEIKO - God Knows...
(The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya) (3:50)

There we go again with another Suzumiya track. There's really nothing bad to be said about the remix, and KEIKO does a wonderful job of keeping up with the beefed up pace. If you liked the original, you'll like this. If you hated it... you wouldn't be here reading this right now.

5. NINE - Butter-fly
(Digimon Adventure Remix) (4:19)

Meh. At last we have the first male vocalist of the bunch, but the chosen song does little to hold my interest. It doesn't help that I've never watched Digimon, so I have no idea what the original sounds like. What I do know is that I still have no interest whatsoever in doing that after hearing the remix.


6. chum - 緋色の空

(Shakugan no Shana Remix) (4:01)

YES. Kawada Mami is one of my favorite I've vocalists, and "緋色の空" is definitely one of my top 3 songs from her. It was beautifully crafted from the ground up and became an important component of a strong series. The remix is impressive, save for the sometimes timid and reserved voice of "chum". They sure decided to pick some random artist names before putting this comp together.

7. KEIKO - 晴れてハレルヤ
(Mahoujin Guru Guru Remix) (2:52)

A bit of a weird remix, I'll just assume the original is every bit just as odd. The remix comes out sounding very much like "happy hardcore", one of the many trance sub-genres. I can't seem to enjoy this song properly so I'll usually just skip it.

8. chum - ETERNAL BLAZE
(Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha A’s Remix) (4:06)

Another solid offering from chum. While I have not watched this anime, I have watched parts of one of its sequels, "Nanoha StrikerS" and it just couldn't hold my interest so I dropped it. The song itself though is pretty appealing, especially in this remixed form. After the weird "晴れてハレルヤ", it feels good to hear something with a more serious approach.

9. chum - 夢想歌
(Utawarerumono Remix) (3:12)

chum is everywhere! Utawarerumono is a fantastic series that I highly recommend, and by proxy, its opening theme has become one of my favorite songs. Unfortunately here, while the remix is very well done, I feel it is a bit uncalled for. The original 夢想歌 by Suara is awe-inspiring and will definitely become a classic as it ages. Its slow pace and unique harmonies are standout features that shouldn't be altered. Sure, there's always room for remixes, but you absolutely owe it to yourself to check out the original at least once.

10. YURiE - ゆずれない願い
(Magic Knight Rayearth Remix) (2:45)

Ahh Magic Knight Rayearth. I remember the Working Designs / Media Blasters fiasco like it was yesterday. What's that... you don't? That's OK, the Sega Saturn game was pretty forgettable. The Clamp-produced series though, has proven itself a timeless classic. Not so much for the theme however. It starts with a really annoying melody that has me quickly reaching for the "next" button and doesn't offer anything worthwhile.

11. chum - Re-Sublimity
(Kannazuki No Miko) (4:06)

Unsurprisingly, this fantastic KOTOKO song lends itself to a trance remix very well, considering it is a trance song in the first place. Notwithstanding that fact, Re-Sublimity is easily one of the best tracks on this comp. My judgment might be slightly skewed considering I am a huge fan of the original in the first place... but what are you gonna do about it? I like that new alarm siren that they added, I don't remember it being in the original. But apart from that addition and an upgraded BPM, the songs are fairly identical and chum delivers her best imitation so far.

12. chum - ひぐらしのなく頃に
(Higurashi no naku koro ni Remix) (2:58)

Wow, that's 2 great remixes in a row, this time from one of my top 5 Japanese songstress of all time, Eiko Shimamiya (also known as PEKO on her earlier opuses). This sounds a bit more spaced out, with very little bass abuse. I wish the remixers would have respected the huge sonic breakdowns prominently featured in the original, but overall I am very satisfied with this new version. Too bad it's one minute short of the 4 minute average.

13. Ma15 - 最強○×計画
(Sumomo Momomo ~ chijou saikyou no yome Remix) (4:04)

By now you've watched the youtube video I made, so here is my appreciation. At first, I was apprehensive and just couldn't look past the different direction. The original is brilliant and untouchable, so why should I waste my time with a remix when I can have the real thing? But then the fast beat got to me and I realized that within the context of this compilation, the remix works very well. It helps that Ma15 delivered some beautiful vocals for this track and that they kept the male shouting. But the "musical" parts are pretty poor and sound rushed. I may not be the best person to comment on this remix as I am completely sold to the original version, but overall this is fairly enjoyable if taken at face value.

14. YURiE - DANZEN! ふたりはプリキュア
(Futari wa Pretty Cure Remix) (3:04)

Another skippable YURiE track. More "happy hardcore", nothing interesting. Best thing I can come up with is that she really seems to push her voice on this one.

15. Ma15 - 宇宙で恋は☆るるんルーン
(Galaxy Angel Rune) (3:47)

Two "happy hardcore" tracks in a row? 助けてください！I'm really taking a bullet for you guys by reviewing this. Ma15 delivers one of her poorest performances, or perhaps that is the fault of whatever vocal plug-in was abused. Put simply, she sounds like an お婆さん.

16. chum - プラチナ
(Cardcaptor Sakura Remix) (3:52)

The last chum song for vol. 1 of this series is a decent mix of techno and trance, with interesting melodies that don't stand out in the end.

17. KEIKO - Feeling Heart

(To Heart Remix) (2:47)
I think I've had enough "happy hardcore" for the rest of my life. Next PLEASE!

18. KONEKO PROJECT - 聖少女領域

(Rozen Maiden -Traumend- Remix) (3:07)

Oh, now we're talking! While I'm certainly not the biggest Ali Project fan on earth, I'm not one of their detractors either. Refreshingly, this track contains no vocals but since I haven't heard the original, I'm going to have to guess that it didn't either. Which is odd because I've always felt vocals were one of the most unique things Ali Project had going for them, along with the superbly crafted gothic melodies. This is one of the top tracks, by far.

19. NINE - 真赤な誓い
(Busou Renkin Remix) (3:36)

Busou Renkin was my favorite anime of the 2006/2007 season, mostly because of the series itself, yes, but also in large part due to its KICK ASS opening track. Imagine my surprise when I heard the trance remix without having seen it listed first. This new version isn't bad at all, but it will never replace the screaming guitars and balls-to-the-walls attitude of the original. I'm just glad they gave respect where respect is due. My only complaint is that the vocalist (NINE) lays it on a little thick. Understandably so, however, as this is a song that inspires strength, courage and hot-blooded emotions. I would have done the same, but I would have also painted the studio's walls red with blood due to an explosion of joy. That's it, I'm watching this anime again.

20. YURiE - アンインストール
(Bokurano Remix) (4:46)

Two great songs in a row, what a great way to end this comp! Uninstall is one of the hardest, most powerful theme songs out there and it goes hand-in-hand with its series, Bokurano. Songstress 石川智晶 has a deep and mature singing voice which YURiE respectfully emulates. She is also part of SEE-SAW, a popular group which has been pumping out quality themes since 1993. At long last, YURiE redeems herself after 2 lackluster performance. Musically, this may be the slowest song on CODE SPEED, but rightfully so as the original crushes everything in its path while moving like a ton of brick on a donkey's back.

As a last observation, all of the tracks are connected together, so you never get any awkward silence. This is probably standard fare for trance comps though, but I thought it was a nice touch. Now that the first volume has been reviewed, what about the others? Vol. 2 and 3 don't contain anything from MOSAIC.WAV, so there's little incentive for me to write about them on here. If I get some positive feedback, I may look into reviewing them, but my initial impressions are that Vol. 2 is a lot worse than 1 and 3 is in the middle. But one thing for sure, despite the number of duds, this thing is worth checking out as the comps harbor a number of solid remixes that will definitely challenge your aural sense, for better or for worse.