Roundup!
Right! That's quite enough Heart Sutra, let's get caught up. Something of a slow week for new releases, this post is probably going to be mostly stuff from last week and the weekend and is a bit small - the combination of buddhist chanting memes and our coverage of Miku's birthday leaves my list a bit small this week.
There's lots and lots and lots of poppy, twinkly, melodic sound this week. Sorry.
【初音ミク】 深海少女 【オリジナル】
(Girl of the Deep Ocean (yuuyu), Miku, Pop, PV)
Taking Nicovideo by storm, there was really no doubt that this would be right up there at the top of things today. It could probably be called generic Miku pop were it not for the fact it sounds excellent, Miku's voice strong amidst some great piano and guitar pieces. The video isn't the most intellectually stimulating thing one you'll ever have seen, but it's pretty and suits the whole thing very well.
GUMIオリジナル曲PV付き 「シャロケット」
(syaroketto (miyum), Gumi, Pop, PV)
Astounding, amazing Gumi track. She sounds perfectly pitched here, easily settling into a gorgeously soft song that's just the right amount of understated, set against a breathtaking video. This deserves to do tremendously well and if it doesn't I'll be bitterly disappointed. NB: If anyone can come up with a decent translation for the katakana reading, I'd appreciate it - I'm having troubles coming up with anything appropriate.
【巡音ルカ】 あばずれにブルースを 【オリジナルPV付】
(Bitchy Blues (ハツ子), Luka, Bluesy Rock, PV)
The gorgeous PV is only the start - this is a funky, smooth as silk guitar and rock track with some absolutely stellar solos and a pretty damn decent Luka singing along with a reasonably throaty timbre. She falls a little short in places, but the whole thing is terribly stylish.
【GUMI】 ロゼッタ 【オリジナルPV】
(Rosetta (10日), Gumi, Piano + Drum Pop, PV)
A tremendously punchy track from Gumi with a fantastic piano line, the keys pounding and slamming their way through chords and scales and paired with sparkling electronic sounds and thumping drums. Gumi sounds a little sketchy in places but I have to admit I certainly wasn't listening to this track for her benefit.
【鏡音レン】ボーダーランズ！【ロック気味オリジナル曲】
(Borderlands! (machigerita), Len, Rock)
Quite obviously inspired by the PC game and it reaching Japanese shores, Machige tries his hand at grindy wastelands rock and absolutely nails it. This was a joy to listen to - an excellent beat and a frequently distorted but perfectly suited Len. It's nice to see Machige trying his hand at other things - it's been angsty tracks for so long that this kind of change is a pleasant one.
【初音ミク】モアオーバートゥモロー【オリジナル】
(More Over Tomorrow (powapowa), Miku, Dance Pop)
So I mentioned in the Heart Sutra post that I love Happy Hardcore - indeed, I absolutely adore any track that goes anywhere near that genre, super-speed beats with a strong melody. This powapowa track only reinforces my love, starting out as a twinkly gentle piano and electronica track then blossoming into as many bpm as it can fit.
【巡音ルカ】fanfan【オリジナル】
(Fanfan (imama), Luka, Autotune Club Pop, PV)
Luka busts out the autotuner for a dance number with... well, with herself, if you take the video too literally. Some people may find the distorted Luka voice to grate on them, but I really think it suited the whole thing very well, and it's a genre I'm always happy to throw my lot behind. The melody hooks in the chorus sections are quite lovely.
【VY1】Awakening!【オリジナル】
(Awakening! (Kazu), Mizki, Pop)
Well, there's a first time for everything, so here's VY1's debut in the roundup. Should we refer to her as VY1 or Mizki, do you think? Hrm. Anyway, Kazu provides us with the first track I've really liked from her, and in so doing shows what a skilled producer can make of her. I actually quite like her voice here, but... it's basically just the lovechild of Miku and Rin. You could replace her with either of them, and very little of value would be lost... still, she sounds good and the track's nothing to sneeze at.
【GUMI】 心の音 【オリジナル】
(Heart Noise (uz), Gumi, Angst Rock)
With machige slacking on the angst screamer rock front, we need Gumi and Uz to pick up the slack. A mournful thrashing track with Gumi's throatiness even moreso than normal, this is so overwrought it puts even Feeder to shame, but it's tuneful and light in spite of it... except for the screamer parts, which I honestly feel kind of get in the way of it all.
【初音ミク】リフレクト【ゆっけのオリジナル】
(Reflect (yukkedolce), Miku, Pop)
Aw, this is pretty sweet. A soft pop-rock track with a vocal focus, Reflect has plenty of elements designed to make you feel all warm inside; slow guitar solos, lots of wirebrushing of drums, a solidly tuned Miku with some well-held notes, and a beat that suits itself well to head-nodding and foot-tapping.
【初音ミク】マダム・メリーゴーランド【オリジナル】
(Madam Merry-Go-Round (mothy), Miku, Rock)
This isn't too bad, compared to some of mothy's recent works. If nothing else, the tune has moments where it does display some verve and manage to pick you up and carry you with it, but listen closely to it and it starts to feel a little minimalistic and soulless, without much in the way of musical catches to keep you interested, and the ending is so abrupt it almost sounds like the lead guitar's strings broke.
【ぼーかりおどP】doppelganger【初音ミク】
(Doppelganger (vocaliod), Miku, Rock)
A bit more rock than most of the tunes this week, this track's characterised by lengthy amounts of guitar thrash and wobbler, but isn't really angry or angsty rock - just a pleasant chunk of guitars and drums over a Miku that really could be considered a little too close to 'chipmunk' for comfort.
【初音ミク】 potato-head in wonderland 【オリジナル】
(Potato-Head in Wonderland (鬱), Miku, THRASH METAAAAAAAAAAAL, PV)
And let's take a radical departure from everything else this week to deliver the latest in super-mindfuck, blood drenched, screaming angry hoarse rock. I... didn't personally get through all of this track, as it's about the furthest removed you could possibly be from my tastes. Included because Nicovideo loves it.
【井の頭】Liar Girl【初音ミクオリジナル曲PV付き】
(Liar Girl (井の頭), Miku, Cheesy Cheesy Pop, PV)
It's back, the obligatory spot where I link a Miku song so cheesy and teeth-rottingly adorable and hyperpop that everyone in the comm feels a strong desire to kill me! Liar Girl isn't going to win any awards for groundbreaking originality in the world of pop - especially as it's technically a cover from Hiwaily*2 - but it's rather delightful.
【鏡音リン】 Cosmic star 【オリジナル曲のリメイク】
(Cosmic Star (Tes), Rin, Cheesy Cheesy Cheesy Anime Pop, PV)
But wait! Pipping Liar Girl to the post is a late-minute entry, Rin finally bounding into this post with a ridiculously adorable cheese-pop track that's awfully heart-warming. I'm a total sucker for the soft section, where the track falls away into soft piano, but the catches throughout the entire song bring a smile to my face.
And Finally:
【鏡音リン・レン】ロミオとシンデレラ 【PV】
(Romeo And Cinderella, Len + Rin, PV)
Nothing much stood out for me MMD-wise this week, but if you're lucky you won't get absolutely shafted by quality downgrades to be able to watch this pretty good video of the twins taking on a Miku favorite. It's well-drawn, and reasonably well animated, but the video has a ton of problems - mixing goes back and forth, and the video's nigh unwatchable at times.
Meiko - Palette - Unofficial Music Video
(Palette, Meiko, PV)
So, in case you're having problems with that one, let's offer this one up as well. If I'm honest, I don't think much of the song - Meiko's voice cracks repeatedly and the mixing is all over - but look at that video. It's amazing work, and Meiko gets through it with a minimum of Uncanny Valley.
There's lots and lots and lots of poppy, twinkly, melodic sound this week. Sorry.
【初音ミク】 深海少女 【オリジナル】
(Girl of the Deep Ocean (yuuyu), Miku, Pop, PV)
Taking Nicovideo by storm, there was really no doubt that this would be right up there at the top of things today. It could probably be called generic Miku pop were it not for the fact it sounds excellent, Miku's voice strong amidst some great piano and guitar pieces. The video isn't the most intellectually stimulating thing one you'll ever have seen, but it's pretty and suits the whole thing very well.
GUMIオリジナル曲PV付き 「シャロケット」
(syaroketto (miyum), Gumi, Pop, PV)
Astounding, amazing Gumi track. She sounds perfectly pitched here, easily settling into a gorgeously soft song that's just the right amount of understated, set against a breathtaking video. This deserves to do tremendously well and if it doesn't I'll be bitterly disappointed. NB: If anyone can come up with a decent translation for the katakana reading, I'd appreciate it - I'm having troubles coming up with anything appropriate.
【巡音ルカ】 あばずれにブルースを 【オリジナルPV付】
(Bitchy Blues (ハツ子), Luka, Bluesy Rock, PV)
The gorgeous PV is only the start - this is a funky, smooth as silk guitar and rock track with some absolutely stellar solos and a pretty damn decent Luka singing along with a reasonably throaty timbre. She falls a little short in places, but the whole thing is terribly stylish.
【GUMI】 ロゼッタ 【オリジナルPV】
(Rosetta (10日), Gumi, Piano + Drum Pop, PV)
A tremendously punchy track from Gumi with a fantastic piano line, the keys pounding and slamming their way through chords and scales and paired with sparkling electronic sounds and thumping drums. Gumi sounds a little sketchy in places but I have to admit I certainly wasn't listening to this track for her benefit.
【鏡音レン】ボーダーランズ！【ロック気味オリジナル曲】
(Borderlands! (machigerita), Len, Rock)
Quite obviously inspired by the PC game and it reaching Japanese shores, Machige tries his hand at grindy wastelands rock and absolutely nails it. This was a joy to listen to - an excellent beat and a frequently distorted but perfectly suited Len. It's nice to see Machige trying his hand at other things - it's been angsty tracks for so long that this kind of change is a pleasant one.
【初音ミク】モアオーバートゥモロー【オリジナル】
(More Over Tomorrow (powapowa), Miku, Dance Pop)
So I mentioned in the Heart Sutra post that I love Happy Hardcore - indeed, I absolutely adore any track that goes anywhere near that genre, super-speed beats with a strong melody. This powapowa track only reinforces my love, starting out as a twinkly gentle piano and electronica track then blossoming into as many bpm as it can fit.
【巡音ルカ】fanfan【オリジナル】
(Fanfan (imama), Luka, Autotune Club Pop, PV)
Luka busts out the autotuner for a dance number with... well, with herself, if you take the video too literally. Some people may find the distorted Luka voice to grate on them, but I really think it suited the whole thing very well, and it's a genre I'm always happy to throw my lot behind. The melody hooks in the chorus sections are quite lovely.
【VY1】Awakening!【オリジナル】
(Awakening! (Kazu), Mizki, Pop)
Well, there's a first time for everything, so here's VY1's debut in the roundup. Should we refer to her as VY1 or Mizki, do you think? Hrm. Anyway, Kazu provides us with the first track I've really liked from her, and in so doing shows what a skilled producer can make of her. I actually quite like her voice here, but... it's basically just the lovechild of Miku and Rin. You could replace her with either of them, and very little of value would be lost... still, she sounds good and the track's nothing to sneeze at.
【GUMI】 心の音 【オリジナル】
(Heart Noise (uz), Gumi, Angst Rock)
With machige slacking on the angst screamer rock front, we need Gumi and Uz to pick up the slack. A mournful thrashing track with Gumi's throatiness even moreso than normal, this is so overwrought it puts even Feeder to shame, but it's tuneful and light in spite of it... except for the screamer parts, which I honestly feel kind of get in the way of it all.
【初音ミク】リフレクト【ゆっけのオリジナル】
(Reflect (yukkedolce), Miku, Pop)
Aw, this is pretty sweet. A soft pop-rock track with a vocal focus, Reflect has plenty of elements designed to make you feel all warm inside; slow guitar solos, lots of wirebrushing of drums, a solidly tuned Miku with some well-held notes, and a beat that suits itself well to head-nodding and foot-tapping.
【初音ミク】マダム・メリーゴーランド【オリジナル】
(Madam Merry-Go-Round (mothy), Miku, Rock)
This isn't too bad, compared to some of mothy's recent works. If nothing else, the tune has moments where it does display some verve and manage to pick you up and carry you with it, but listen closely to it and it starts to feel a little minimalistic and soulless, without much in the way of musical catches to keep you interested, and the ending is so abrupt it almost sounds like the lead guitar's strings broke.
【ぼーかりおどP】doppelganger【初音ミク】
(Doppelganger (vocaliod), Miku, Rock)
A bit more rock than most of the tunes this week, this track's characterised by lengthy amounts of guitar thrash and wobbler, but isn't really angry or angsty rock - just a pleasant chunk of guitars and drums over a Miku that really could be considered a little too close to 'chipmunk' for comfort.
【初音ミク】 potato-head in wonderland 【オリジナル】
(Potato-Head in Wonderland (鬱), Miku, THRASH METAAAAAAAAAAAL, PV)
And let's take a radical departure from everything else this week to deliver the latest in super-mindfuck, blood drenched, screaming angry hoarse rock. I... didn't personally get through all of this track, as it's about the furthest removed you could possibly be from my tastes. Included because Nicovideo loves it.
【井の頭】Liar Girl【初音ミクオリジナル曲PV付き】
(Liar Girl (井の頭), Miku, Cheesy Cheesy Pop, PV)
It's back, the obligatory spot where I link a Miku song so cheesy and teeth-rottingly adorable and hyperpop that everyone in the comm feels a strong desire to kill me! Liar Girl isn't going to win any awards for groundbreaking originality in the world of pop - especially as it's technically a cover from Hiwaily*2 - but it's rather delightful.
【鏡音リン】 Cosmic star 【オリジナル曲のリメイク】
(Cosmic Star (Tes), Rin, Cheesy Cheesy Cheesy Anime Pop, PV)
But wait! Pipping Liar Girl to the post is a late-minute entry, Rin finally bounding into this post with a ridiculously adorable cheese-pop track that's awfully heart-warming. I'm a total sucker for the soft section, where the track falls away into soft piano, but the catches throughout the entire song bring a smile to my face.
And Finally:
【鏡音リン・レン】ロミオとシンデレラ 【PV】
(Romeo And Cinderella, Len + Rin, PV)
Nothing much stood out for me MMD-wise this week, but if you're lucky you won't get absolutely shafted by quality downgrades to be able to watch this pretty good video of the twins taking on a Miku favorite. It's well-drawn, and reasonably well animated, but the video has a ton of problems - mixing goes back and forth, and the video's nigh unwatchable at times.
Meiko - Palette - Unofficial Music Video
(Palette, Meiko, PV)
So, in case you're having problems with that one, let's offer this one up as well. If I'm honest, I don't think much of the song - Meiko's voice cracks repeatedly and the mixing is all over - but look at that video. It's amazing work, and Meiko gets through it with a minimum of Uncanny Valley.