Tokyo Jihen, Otsuka Ai, the pillows, morning musume, RUN&GUN, sentiline, hiro, Ken Hirai
Hello!!
So Orange Range's 'Hana' did indeed debut at number one on Wednesday 20th, anticipation and popularity certainly helped though its not a bad song either, still up in last week's entry if you want to check it out.
Otsuka Ai's 'Daisuki Daiyo' released on the same day hit the no. 2 spot, currently up in this week's update, along with a few other songs I picked out and with one request granted.
Any requests are to be left in your comments, I'll try my best.
Enjoy!!~
> Right click on files and choose 'save target as' to download.
> Do Not Hotlink.
> Rotated Weekly (Friday/Saturday)
> Please leave a comment regardless of how many songs you take. No comments, no mp3s.
> Support the musicians - Yes Asia | CD Japan | Amazon Japan | HMV Japan
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tokyo Jihen [東京事変] ~ Sonan [遭難] ~ SNATCH
Single - Sonan [遭難]
Style - Rock
Language - Japanese
Release - 2004.10.20
Quality - High
Rating - ★★★★★
Official Website
'Sonan' [Accident] is the second single after the hit 'Gunjo Biyori' I've been looking forward to hearing more from the Shinna Ringo led band 'Tokyo Jihen' since the debut. A twist of this and that, their songs all have a sense of mysterious feeling to them. Each member of the band are already a profession in their instruments and own quality skills. The keyboard player Hiizumi Masayuki is a member of the Jazz genre band PE'Z.
Tokyo Jihen's debut album '教育' [Kyouiku/Education] is due to release on November 25th complete with a total of 12 tracks including 'Gunjo Biyori'.
The band are due to go on their live tour in Japan, 'Live tour 2005 "dynamite"' between January and February next year.
Otsuka Ai ~ Daisuki Dayo [大好きだよ] ~ SNATCH
Single - Daisuki Dayo [大好きだよ]
Style - Ballad
Language - Japanese
Release - 2004.10.20
Quality - High
Rating - ★★★★☆
Official Website
Otsuka Ai has been learning the piano since the age of 4 and have naturally developed to become a talented musician ever since. Her first single with Avex released on 10th September 2003 titled 'Momo no hana bira' [桃ノ花ビラ], her first major hit was 'Sakuranbo' released in December of the same year, her popularity has continued to rise ever since.
After the Summer release 'Kingyo Hanabi' Otsuka Ai is now back with a more emotional ballad track. 'Daisuki Dayo' is her 6th single consisting of the ever sweet and adorable vocals of the young 22 year old musician.
'Daisuki Dayo' landed at no. 2 on its debut in Oricon rankings.
Otsuka Ai's 2nd album 'LOVE JAM' will be released on November 17th! -album cover and track listing up at official site.
the pillows - Sono Mirai wa Ima [その未来は今] ~ SNATCH
Single - Sono Mirai wa Ima [その未来は今]
Style - Rock
Language - Japanese
Release - 2004.10.06
Quality - High
Rating - ★★★★☆
Official Website
It's the pillow's 15th Anniversary! Who are the pillows? Here's some history dug up:
the pillows formed in 1987 when the legendary '80s J-Rock band Kenzi & the Trips split up. Former 'Trips' Kenji Ueda [Bass] and Shinichiro Sato [Drums] teamed up with Yoshiaki Manabe [Guitar] and Sawao Yamanaka [Vocals].
The band had toured and performed for almost three years before being offered a contract with Captain Records as 'the pillows'. Their debut EP was the re-recording of their five-song demo tape 'Pantomime'. Their second EP, '90s My Life' immediately followed.
the pillows released their first album 'Moon Gold' in 1991 after signing onto 'Pony Canyon', soon in 1992 when their second album 'White Incarnation' was recorded Ueda their bassist left the band, four members have since become three, Ueda was never properly replaced so instead a series of guest bassists was used including Tatsuya Kashima of Bad Face and Jun Suzuki of The Chewinggum Weekend.
In 1994 the band moved yet again signing to King Records and released 'Kool Spice', their major-label debut. It wasn't until 1997 when the band finally hit the high releasing 'Please Mr. Lostman'. followed by a series of hit singles that led them into mainstream success in Japan. After a more than successful tour the pillows went onto releasing three increasingly successful follow-up albums over the next two years including 'Little Busters', 'Runners High' and 'Happy Bivouac'.
It was the licencing of three albums of the band in 1999 by 'Gainax' anime studio for 'FLCL' that gained the pillows further success. The pillows had even composed two singles 'Ride on Shooting Star' and 'I Think I Can' for the anime. Although the activity of the pillows began to fall in the following years the 'FLCL' soundtrack sold well, including their best-of compilation album 'Fool on The Planet'. Furthermore in 2002 the anime was released in America winning more converts to the band, this also came in time with the release of their 10th album 'Thank You, My Twilight', along with a double-album collection of B-sides, 'Another Morning, Another Pillows'.
Today in the year 2004 the pillows have reached their 15th Anniversary! Congratulations!
This is the pillows latest single, I haven't been listening to them for as long as their anniversary year though one things for sure, the new single rocks, a very enjoyable track.
the pillows are due to release an album on November 11th titled 'GOOD DREAMS'.
[Requested]
Morning Musume ~ YES! POCKY GIRLS (Original long version) ~ SNATCH
Album - NO.5
Style - Pop
Language - Japanese
Release - 2003.03.02
Quality - High
Rating - ★★★☆☆
Official Website
Morning Musume ('morning daughters'), a leading part of the infamous Hello!Project is a group of all-girl entertainers created in 1997 as part of a music industry experiment by former singer and current producer, Tsunku. The group consists of a dozen or more girls at a time who are rotated and 'graduated' to make room for newer members. So far there have been six generations of Morning Musume (or momusu) to date. Morning Musume also take part in Hello!Morning, a popular show in Japan where the girls show off their skills on stage performing comedy acts as well as singing.
'YES POCKY GIRLS' was the CM song for the popular Meiji snack 'Pocky', this is the 'Original Long Version' from the album 'No. 5', cute and genki Jpop.
Morning Musume are due to release their next single on November 3rd!
RUN&GUN ~ BELIEVE ~ SNATCH
Single - RUN&GUN
Style - Pop, Retro 70-80's disco sound
Language - Japanese
Release - 2004.08.18
Quality - High
Rating - ★★★★☆
Official Website
RUN&GUN were chosen from an audition held in Osaka of 1000 people.
'LAY-UP!' was their debut single released in July 2001, a song full of energy! They released their first album 'FACE' last year containing all their hit singles from their 2 years.
The latest single 'BELIEVE' is arranged by 'DANCE☆MAN' of Avex which can only mean one thing, mirror ball, funky 70's-80's disco dance floor music, an un-canny yet perfect match for RUN&GUN's style! Great song and grooves, which makes it a shame that the single didn't get much press. Though I guess its because they are now with a smaller record company, they have moved from Epic Records to R&C Japan, this is their first single since their move.
I've always liked RUN&GUN's music since being introduced by a friend, especially their debut 'LAY-UP!', their current single was no disappointment when compared to their past hits. I was in fact pleasently surprised, I'm glad to hear they're back.
sentiline [セチイン] ~ eight reverse [エイトリバース] ~ SNATCH
Single - 僕の住む街 [Boku no sumu machi]
Style - Rock, soft
Language - Japanese
Release - 2004.06.09
Quality - High
Rating - ★★★★☆
Official Website
Sentiline, short for 'sentimental line', is a new J-indie [soft] rock band, in fact 'Boku no sumu machi' [The town where I live] is their first single that only just released in June this year.
The band consists of 4 members all aged 22 at present, the guys met at university in April 2001, it was in August of the same year when the true formation of the band and music began.
Good luck to them, hopefully they'll reach their target, a J-indie band with only one debut single still has a lot to achieve before they can have their name heard, though I've always felt a good thing about checking out indie band debuts is that you always get to hear more out of what the band's music is truly like, often this is derived from their own personal experiences and inspirations making their music somewhat unique, arguably dependant on how good the band is and how much effort they put in, though generally a pure source of sound un-disturbed by any major record company decisions or pressure to follow what was most popular in their past releases as a formular.
At the moment sentiline's lives are concentrated in Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto, with only 2 gigs performed in Tokyo so far -Shibuya and Shinjuku.
Well I guess I've done my job and supported them by buying their single in Japan, this is one of my favourite tracks out of the four in the single. Nice laid back rock sound.
Hiro ~ Hikari no naka de [光の中で] ~ SNATCH
Single - Hikari no naka de [光の中で]
Style - Ballad
Language - Japanese
Release - 2004.09.23
Quality - High
Rating - ★★★☆☆
Official Website
Hiro a former member of the massively popular J-pop girl group of the '90s SPEED. First solo single debuted in year 2000 February 1st, 'Bright Daylight', Hiro has since moved record company displaying an improvement in her solo career and proving to be one of the more successful members since the split.
Hiro's latest single is the theme song for the manga turned live action movie 'Devil Man', the movie released not long ago in Japan on October 9th.
'Hikari no naka de' is a slow moving ballad.
I was curious to hear what this latest single from Hiro would be like, its actually nothing too exciting, I decided to put it up anyway for those who may be interested or curious as well.
Ken Hirai ~ TABOO (a tip of m-flo remix) ~ SNATCH
Album - KH re-mixed up 1
Style - R&B, remix
Language - Japanese
Release - 2001.11.28
Quality - High
Rating - ★★★★★
Official Website
Thought I complete this weeks update with some R&B.
The track has lyrics composed by Ken, the remix is a duet between himself and LISA of m-flo [now ex-member] so obviously this is an old song though great nevertheless! The song comes from Ken Hirai's remix album, 'KH re-mixed up 1'.