It's that time of the year! Let's take a good long look at what 2012 brought to the table. Once again I'd like to thank mandichan and mossya for their collaboration. I'd also like to make something very clear: if you (yes you!) feel the itch to contribute (articles, reviews, news reports, etc) to this site, then please contact me by all means! It's been especially though to come up with content these days due to real-life contingencies, but we'll keep trying our best to spread the good word. Also feel free to check out our 2009, 2010 and 2011 samplers, as well as this year's underrated albums.
Once again I'm sorry to report that the Japanese Denpa Song Awards aren't happening this year as well. Maybe we need to look into opening polls and taking over next year? Speaking for myself, I certainly wouldn't mind because picking 12 songs to showcase is a lot harder than it seems! I'd be remiss not to mention this year's Best Erogame Song poll, which is always worth checking out. Strangely there just doesn't seem to be any denpa involved, even though I can think of quite a few songs that would belong on there. Doesn't seem to be against the rules either, oh well. That's where we come in... introducing the 2012 Denpa no Sekai sampler!
Once again I'm sorry to report that the Japanese Denpa Song Awards aren't happening this year as well. Maybe we need to look into opening polls and taking over next year? Speaking for myself, I certainly wouldn't mind because picking 12 songs to showcase is a lot harder than it seems! I'd be remiss not to mention this year's Best Erogame Song poll, which is always worth checking out. Strangely there just doesn't seem to be any denpa involved, even though I can think of quite a few songs that would belong on there. Doesn't seem to be against the rules either, oh well. That's where we come in... introducing the 2012 Denpa no Sekai sampler!
| Title: | こいするメイドのおはなし (opening song) |
| Singer: | 山本椛 |
| Composer: | ARM |
| Album: | Crimson Tempest |
| Comments: | denpanosekai: I happen to be a REDALiCE fan and I've often talked about crossover potential between denpa and J-core. ななひら also performed on a couple of ALiCE'S EMOTiON albums as well, so I look forward to more collaborations in the future. As far as this song is concerned, it is yet another example of ARM's endless quest for perfect production values. It's wild stuff to be sure, but this guy goes beyond OCD and jam-packs his creations with countless details at every microsecond. mandichan: I had the pleasure of first seeing Momiji live and getting to talk to her at the last denkyun event. Love the humorous tone of voice to her spoken lines. Her and ARM are definitely a dynamite combo melting the ice in Hokkaido! mossya: ARM先生間違いないです。ALiCE'S EMOTiONからのリリースですが、いつもの感じですｗ間奏のとこに今流行のEDMが取り入れられてます。イオシスから"TOHO EDM"ってアルバムが出てて、それはそんなに電波度が高い曲がなかったので個人的には少し残念だったのですが、この曲はEDM要素をちょっとだけ取り入れた電波って感じです。クラブでも家でもブチアゲ間違いないです。 |
| Title: | 早速ですがSHAKING PINKはインベーダーだったようです |
| Singer: | SHAKING PINK |
| Composer: | かめりあ |
| Album: | しぇいきんぐ! |
| Comments: | denpanosekai: I'll come right out and say that 「しぇいきんぐ!」 is my personal album of the year! Of course we went with the "theme" song (absolute banger from Child Prodigy かめりあ) but there's something special about every track. The composers did a tremendous job in creating songs that perfectly match each girl's personality. mandichan: SHAKING PINK is really a denpa lover's dream come true. Can't wait to see what else they are gonna come up with, and I hope they'll have more and more live performances too! The energy of this song is just crazy. Can never get tired of listening to it! mossya: 僕の大本命です。イントロ部分が特に新鮮でした。電波ソングにダブステップのワブルベースが絶妙な可愛さでミックスされていて、一部では"Denpastep"とか呼ばれてるみたいです。上の曲もそうですがクラブミュージックの流行を電波ソングに何とか取り入れようっていう実験的な感じがとてもアツいですね。ただ今はそういった要素は間奏とかイントロの部分が中心だと思うので、まだまだ発展途上な気もしています。 |
| Title: | W.W.D |
| Singer: | でんぱ組.inc |
| Composer: | 前山田健一 |
| Album: | W.W.D／冬へと走りだすお! |
| Comments: | denpanosekai: Simply put, a denpa opera! Technically, this song is from a 2013 single but the video did come out in late 2012. Another splendid composition from 前山田健一 whose multifaceted talents never cease to amaze. mandichan: Dempagumi.inc truly has come up from nowhere to become a denpa legend. Who would think I could hear a true denpa song playing while browsing for snacks at the convenience store? This song really lets each member express themselves in a way that is somehow extremely emotional while also still denpa and fun. The seriousness that lies behind the otaku-themed lyrics reminds me of none other than the groundbreaking days of UNDER17. I love songs which dare to be serious about things "normal people" might find laughable. mossya: 歌詞が重いですｗ語りパートと歌パートのギャップが凄いけどさすが前山田さんって感じです。内容的には普通にポジティブなアイドルソングに仕上げればいいようなところを、あえて電波ソングにしちゃうあたりがでんぱ組のブレなさですよね。記念碑的というかなんというか。 |
| Title: | 初恋コントローラー 大阪弁ver |
| Singer: | りこ。 |
| Composer: | KuKuDoDo |
| Game: | 妹のお尻が臭かったので、戦わせることにした！ |
| Comments: | denpanosekai: It's KuKu-motherfucking-DoDo, what more can I say? I love the man and look forward to his solo album this year. This is yet another masterpiece Touhou album from Holic Service and Birdtune, but this particular song highlights his aggressive arranger style with full-on gongs and razor-sharp synths. mandichan: Sweetie pie Riko is a perfect fit for singing KuKuDoDo's awesome compositions. Considering Holic Service is actually based in Osaka, the dialect is a perfect choice too. How do they keep making so many awesome songs? I don't know but I'm not complaining! mossya: バカみたいなテンション！！！このアルバムは結構名曲揃いだと思っていて、この曲も素晴らしいです。kukudodoさん本気出した感じですね。ちゃうねんなんちゃらが頭の中ループしててやばい。僕の中で大阪は東京より電波好き人口多い印象なのですがどうなんでしょう。あと海外の人にも大阪弁の調子よさとかが伝わるものなのでしょうか。私気になります！ |
| Title: | 占勇/魔界ブロードバンド |
| Singer: | 綾瀬理恵 |
| Composer: | さつき が てんこもり |
| Game: | 魔王のくせに生イキだっ！ |
| Comments: | denpanosekai: "Everyone's Bro" Satsuki Ga Tenkomori finally got his eroge debut! I was quite surprised to learn that the vocals were from 綾瀬理恵, let's just hope this won't be the one and only collaboration between those two. If you're looking for a longer and family-friendly version, check out this self-cover. mandichan: It's unfortunate Rierin doesn't seem to be collaborating with ave;new anymore, but it's refreshing to hear her working with other artists too... especially Satsuki! This one song shows a nice range of her voice smoothly melding with Satsuki's compositions. mossya: 綾瀬(白沢)理恵さんはあべにゅうひうぃご～の印象しかなかったけど、さつきさんの曲にもむちゃくちゃ合ってますね。僕はこの曲のフルバージョンを聴くためにエロゲまで買ったのですが、結局ショートバージョンしか収録されてなくて絶望しつつも５０万回くらい聴きました。歌詞も素晴らしいです。トラックもそうですが、さつきがてんこもりさんの作詞センスはもっと評価されるべきだと思います。フル待ってる。 |
| Title: | 朝まで生ｘｘｘ「LOVEってなんだ!?」 スペシャル!! |
| Artist: | おでんぱ☆スタジオ |
| Composer: | ベイビー・レモネード |
| Album: | らぶでんぱ |
| Comments: | denpanosekai: Odenpa have come a long way and certainly earned their spot on our annual sampler. This track is an interesting personality medley (I especially love the Big Sister parts!) on top of an explosive, slap-bass-heavy ベイビー・レモネード composition. mandichan: Odenpa Studio loves to mix things up with lots of collaborations and exploration. This may just be their weirdest song yet, and I love it for that. The way the spoken lines intertwine with the singing and chanting is pure perfection! I can't get enough of the way the different layers build up as the song goes on, there's always something interesting to listen to. mossya: ししし～ししし～ｗｗｗ半分くらい語りパートです。おでんぱスタジオはなんというか、雰囲気が上級者向けですね！このイッちゃってる感じどうやって出してるんでしょうか。 |
| Title: | 非公認戦隊アキバレンジャー |
| Artist: | 桃井はるこ feat.山形ユキオ |
| Comments: | denpanosekai: 「WONDER MOMO-i」 used to be my go-to 桃井はるこ song when trying to nudge potential new fans in the right direction, but Akiba Ranger might just take over this coveted position! It's incredibly catchy and it doesn't hurt that it's associated to such a great show that revolves around Akihabara, daydreams and delusions! I also love the growls by 山形ユキオ who is a fucking beast! mandichan: I might be a huge Momoi fan and a huge denpa song fan, but in general, I don't find most of Momoi's songs that denpa-ish and I like them in a different way... but when Momoi does decide to make a song I consider to be denpa, you better believe I am overjoyed! This song has the perfect mix of hotbloodedness and cuteness, plus a great sense of humor to the lyrics. And don't even get me STARTED on the show it's from! Admittedly I just watched the show at first because Momoi sang the opening, but in the end I loved the show all on its own. Can't wait for season 2! mossya: モモーイの声マジで素晴らしいですね。歌も本編も全くノーチェックだったので今youtubeで見ました。面白いのかなあｗ |
| Title: | にゃんだふるｘふり！ |
| Artist: | ちぃむｄｍｐ☆ |
| Composer: | U-ske |
| Anime: | 電波娘々 |
| Comments: | denpanosekai: ちぃむｄｍｐ☆ always have a great variety of musical genres on their album and this is certainly a great example of their "sweet" style. Their voices come together perfectly thanks to a silky-smooth piece from regular contributor U-ske. At this point I'm just hoping for a fifth album! mandichan: So many good songs from Team dmp but this is the one I've looped the most. The composition showcases their voices perfectly and utilizes the fact that it's a duet perfectly with nicely placed solo lines. mossya: U-skeさんの歯切れのよいピコピコとツインボーカルの掛け合いが素晴らしいです。癒されます。 |
| Title: | あんずのうた |
| Artist: | 双葉杏 (五十嵐裕美) |
| Album: | THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA MASTER 002 双葉杏 |
| Comments: | denpanosekai: I personally haven't followed the IDOLM@STER series since their chiptune albums, but sexy new songs like this one just blow me away and suck me right back in! mandichan: Being a "mobamas" cute P since the early days, I was absolutely PSYCHED when they announced the first round of character CDs would include "anzuchang". And the simple hiragana title made me know it would be an awesome denpa song. The final song totally lived up to my expectations, being a great anthem for all the NEETs out there. So anyway, gimmie her Halloween SR for promoting this song!! mossya: 衝撃でしたね～。タイトルに"うた"って付いてるけど殆ど歌ってないですね。イノセントキーがよく語りを多用した曲を作っているけど、こういう曲を聴くと電波ソングの懐の広さというか、何でもやっちゃうラディカルさに本当に凄みを感じます。音痴でも許されるし、なんなら歌わなくても許されるんだっていうｗ |
| Title: | 七三値ぱすかはダイスを振らない！ |
| Artist: | MOSAIC.WAV |
| Album: | 七三値≪ななみね≫ぱすかはダイスを振らない！ |
| Comments: | denpanosekai: It feels like these guys are really due for another big anime or eroge blockbuster, but MOSAIC.WAV certainly haven't lost their touch! You really need to put on a pair of headphones and close your eyes to really appreciate Kayapi's insane technique. mandichan: This song after Anzu's song! The irony! OK it was totally by accident but I love it! Mobile games like Cinderella Girls have made people across the world fork over big money towards gambling for JPGs which MOSAIC.WAV lampoons in this song, and even explained the odds in the book included with the limited edition. The arrangement and vocals are of course up to MOSAIC.WAV's high standards of quality making a fun song anyway you look at it. (By the way, I'm a proud "mukakin" non-paying player!) mossya: うじゅ以降なぜかモザイクには時代劇テイストを感じてしまいますｗしかしブレない高速路線。BPM計ったら200でしたが体感的には230くらいありますねｗ |
| Title: | 爆発！ラブパニック |
| Singer: | ななひら |
| Composer: | きくお |
| Album: | MagiQute!! |
| Comments: | denpanosekai: I may be a Lady ななひら fanboy for life, but I'm also a straight-up sucker for anything きくお-related! This is litterally one of the first things I look for when I read about a new album: "Is there a きくお song???" and this one has got to be one of his top songs yet! They completely tore apart the golden rules of song construction yet managed to assemble a freaky "frankenpa" monster that can stand on its own just fine. mandichan: Kikuo knows what us denpa fans like - skip the junk, we are greedy people who want nothing but the good parts! Meanwhile us Nanahira fans are truly blessed to have so many wonderful releases from her this year. And fans of both? Well they are going crazy for this song no doubt! mossya: frankenpaわらたｗきくおサウンドのショールーム的な作品ですね。ぱっと聴くとそんなにきくおさんっぽくない感じもしますが、ディテールに漂う哀愁感は紛れもないです。こういうつぎはぎな曲はやっぱりバックにニコ動の再生環境への意識を感じますね。最近のはよく分からないけど所謂組曲とか流星群みたいな。サビとかいいところだけ聴いて早く次の曲に飛ばしたいっていう。さつきがてんこもりさんの"人畜無害"とかもそうですね。 |
| Title: | まことにざんねんですがぼうけんのしょはきえてしまいました (ending song) |
| Artist: | 森永まみ |
| Album: | MagicalBeam |
| Comments: | denpanosekai: I think 森永まみ is doing a lot of things right with her random singles, but I also think that she needs to graduate from chika idol world and concentrate on a full-length album! She's got a great voice and neat ideas, so keep an eye out for her. mandichan: It's no secret I am a huge fangirl for Morinaga "Mamipyon" Mami. Rather than her leave the world of chika idols though, I want more denpa fans to saturate the chika idol fandom and cheer her on, and expand the chika idol world into a denpa paradise!! Oh, sorry, I'm just dreaming. Anyway, any gamers out there can surely relate to this chilling tale of corrupted save files. Mamipyon has a lot to offer denpa fans so make sure to check out her songs any way you can. mossya: 恥ずかしながら地下アイドルは殆ど追えてないので、今youtubeとかここ電波の世界さんのブログで聴き漁ってるんですが、森永まみさん良いですねCD欲しいですｗ。・・・ついでに今回の個人的な総評的なものを書かせていただくと、ここに挙がった電波ソング語りパート多いなｗｗｗっていう印象でした。確かにこの他の曲を見てもそんな感じの曲が多かった気がします。中でもあんずのうたは象徴的な一曲でしたね。最後に電波の世界さんmandiさん、去年に引き続き僕の駄文を載せてくれてありがとうございました。 |
Honourable Mentions
