Weekly Update / We Are Recruiting / Donation Relinks
So, we're back. We sincerely hope any Japanese or Pacific readers and their loved ones are okay in the wake of the collective disasters last week; please bear in mind that Nicovideo is likely to still be under heavy load and/or being used to stream news, and may suffer from poor performance. If you want to donate to the recovery process in Japan, please see the posts here or here for more details on how you can donate in Vocaloid/Nicovideo-related fashions.
In other news, we are hiring! Now that we've cleaned up our modlist, we'd like to try to round out our staff list and give some better coverage across the board. I'd personally really like to have an Utau specialist, an Engloid specialist, and someone who can keep up with album releases to provide feeds or news on that front, but we're open to any and all neat ideas people would have for theme posts or regular coverage. If you're interested, please let either me or darknightrain know via LJ PMs. Please note we're still happy to have anyone post at any time, we'd just like to have a more fleshed-out modship. You will get paid in occasional internet respect and also the bitter tears of icon post makers.
I couldn't even begin to link as many PrayForJapan songs as I wanted to. The response to the disasters has been overwhelming, and I couldn't hope to contain it all in a single post so I just had to prioritise some instead. Be sure to check out the #prayforjapan tag, either as it is or by adding Vocaloid to the search terms. There's an overwhelming collection of inspirational, uplifting, endlessly cheering songs and videos there.
Videos:
【初音ミクAppend】 愛して 【オリジナル曲PV付】 復興支援
To Love (kk2, Miku, Ambient)
One of my favorite songs from #prayforjapan, and one of those I found the most moving, this perfectly simple and gentle track is full of some of the most amazing notes I've ever heard a robot hold.
【GUMI】 生きて 【オリジナル曲】
Live (taa, Gumi, Vocal + Piano)
A soft and gorgeous vocal track, consisting of Gumi's voice and gentle piano and absolutely nothing else. One of the first tracks in the wake of Pray For Japan, it's extremely powerful in its scope.
【がんばろう】171【巡音ルカ&猫村いろは】
171 (黒田亜津, Luka + Iroha, Vocal + Piano)
In much the same style, Luka and Iroha lead their own piano duet in an attempt to rally and encourage, helped by as much concerned, uplifting, or feel-good fanart as you could possibly fit into a single video.
【初音ミク】だいじょうぶ！【日本負けるな、がんばれ！】
It's OK! (味噌汁, Miku, Pop)
And somehow, out of all the songs on the tag, this was one of the ones that punched me in the feelings hardest. It's cheery, upbeat, and uplifting, and something about the way it openly flies in the face of misfortune was absolutely effective.
【初音ミク】 小さなその手で 【オリジナル曲】
Little Hands (DATEKEN, Miku, Pop)
DATEKEN's own tribute to togetherness blew me away when I first watched it this weekend. It's perfect; not even slightly flashy, just that little bit understated, and immensely heartwarming.
【初音ミク】「イキたいの。」【オリジナルPV付き】
In With A Chance (voyager, Miku, Pop Rock)
An ode to everyone who's sat there and refreshed the rankings to see how far their favorite / own videos get, I personally like to think this joyous song, full of fantastic piano and a truly excellent bridge section, was spawned by Gumi's recent success. See what you did, Gumi? You've giving Miku neuroses over here.
【GUMI】 Prayer Will Live 【オリジナル曲】
Prayer Will Live (yuukiss, Gumi, Electropop)
Yuukiss' latest opus is... uh... it's really something, and also as 90s-anime-DDR as it possibly can be. From the heavy synth to the power chord electronic drums to the random DJ spouting quotes to the scorching guitar solo from maya, I honestly don't know how to describe this thing beyond 'fabulous'. On your mind-- like that!
【初音ミク】グレイシア【オリジナルPV】
Gracia (Kulfi, Miku, Pop)
Since tuning Miku to be a little more forceful and less high and breathy, and upping the tempo of his tracks just a little, I've found myself completely hooked on Kulfi's works. A jumpy, eager track that's absolutely gorgeous, and just listen to those high notes get held!
【巡音ルカ】 If 【オリジナル】
If (無力, Luka, Vocaloud)
I'm pleased to report that Luka's been making something of a comeback, as she's suddenly all over this post after spending the last few weeks in the background. A scorching vocaloud track doesn't hurt a single iota, especially when it's a whole lot more listenable than the rest of the genre tends to be; I'm biased as hell towards the softer orchestral side of the music, of course.
【初音ミクDARK】春のかけら【オリジナル曲やで】
Pieces of Spring (Nem, Miku, Easy Listening)
I think I'm a little burnt out on soft songs after the last couple of weeks? This is one of the better pieces of Miku Dark easy listening I've heard, with some lovely acoustic guitar and a dreamy aura, but I did find myself falling asleep in it a little too easily.
【オリジナル曲】ブリリアント◇ダイアモンド【男性ボカロ】
Brilliant ◇ Diamond (pantan, Kaito + Gakupo + Len + Sensei, JRock)
Looking, uh, looking really damn suave there, guys. I especially like all the snow decals in your hair, and the whole jrocker bowlcut feathered look Len has going. This is a pretty amazing track that uses all the guys to great effect for a dramatic rock production and a whole bunch of sad pretty men in the snow.
【GUMI】 ウソ 【オリジナル】
Lie (uz, Gumi, Emo Rock)
Sometimes you just need to belt out a tune as hard as you can. uz has a rock-solid pedigree for emo tracks and this is a fine example, loud and brash and scratchy before giving way to a more gentle chorus full of synth. Gumi sounds rightfully hoarse on some notes, but this is still a fine track.
【GUMI】inori【オリジナル】
Inori (164, Gumi, Rock)
Gumi keeps the rock going with a track from 164. This is lighter on the emo, swapping it out for some good old thrashing high-power guitar solos and, out of absolutely nowhere, some great whining violin and piano sections.
【初音ミク】again'n again【オリジナル曲】
【初音ミク】ハートビート【オリジナル曲】
Again'n Again and Heartbeat (u-ske, Miku, Break House?)
A pair of instantly cheering songs from u-ske, these are both full of jaunty tones, eager piano, and hopping, dancing guitars and organs. They're practically guaranteed to make you smile.
【がくぽ・KAITO】裸の月光【PolyphonicBranch】
Naked Moonlight (Polyphonic Brance, Kaito + Gakupo, Rock)
Polyphonic Branch are known for some pretty solid light rock tracks, and this is a very solid one indeed, if just a little cheesy in style. Kaito and Gakupo sound great and do so well at working off each other that before I knew it I'd stuck the thing on repeat a few more times.
【初音ミク】Lost Memories【MMD-PV付き】
Lost Memories (output, MMDPV: sheeya, Miku x 2, Electropop Gospel)
Well. This is a perfectly listenable track with some neat Gospel touches - can't go wrong with rolling waves, birdsong and a voice crooning 'ooooooooo-hoooooooo' in the background. Miku's not bad either and the video's very shiny, but... with two Mikus crowding the camera like that, does anyone else get... a Facebook Kissy-Face- Photo vibe out of it?
歌愛ユキ - Lost in the Fog
Lost In The Fog (yuni, Yuki, Breakpop Ambient)
Likely to be an acquired taste, I fear, but worth linking both for the feeling behind the track and effects therein, and for a rare Yuki video. A floating, ephemeral track mixes well with Yuki's voice and dissolves into ambient effects halfway through for a powerful finish.
【巡音ルカ（ラップもあるよ）】 Passion 【オリジナル曲】
Passion (sat, Luka, R+B)
There is no situation that cannot be improved by Luka, crooning in a rather overly warbly fashion through an overwrought R+B track full of Engrish lyrics. If that weren't enough for you, how about a bonus stomping drums J-Rap section?
【初音ミク】HIGH TOUCH ME【オリジナル】
HIGH TOUCH ME (Tes, Miku, Electropop)
Though not stuffed quite as full of energy and happiness as his other better-performing tracks, if you're a fan of the twinkly sparkly electropop style then it's hard to go too wrong with Tes' latest...
【miki】アフォゲガマワルゥ【MMDＰＶ】
The Ahoge Spins (shir, Miki, Electropop)
... but is soundly and roundly beaten by Miki, who comes out of nowhere with a ridiculously high quality MMDPV and a catchy, perky piano and synth tune that could basically count as her own personal theme song.
【初音ミク】AC-arrange-【AC】
AC-Arrange (onyuu, Miku, ACEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE)
This may require some explanation. In the wake of the tsunami, Japanese TV is currently broadcasting a lot of PSAs. Most notably, ones by AC - such as this one. By all accounts, the final chant of 'AC' is starting to get on people's nerves, and up pops onyuu - he of Heart Sutra fame - with this minute-long ambient mix. It's already starting to get mashed up - just check the tag - and I'm hoping it'll blow into all-out meme territory, in which case you can be sure we'll gleefully report on it.
MMD / PV / Other:
【PV】pray for
pray for (pray for japan, PV: aska, Miku + Luka + Gumi)
The PV to the #prayforjapan anthem is simplistic and low-key and immensely effective.
【VOCALOID】トイレの神様【MMD-PV】【初音ミク】
Toile no Kamisama (MMDPV: hiro, Miku, baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw)
Oh, god, this snuck up on me just prior to making the post, and I was promptly reduced to a blubbering mess of man-tears. A cover and MMDPV of the song from last year, this is the tale of a girl and her grandmother, and the life lessons she learnt from cleaning the toilet. It's infinitely more powerful than that preview can ever make it sound, and be prepared to be curbstomped by feelings.
【MMD】ニワン語でProjectDIVA風ゲーム(β)（初音ミク＆ソフィ）【TOGf】
Project Diva Minigame Beta
Be sure to let this one load, as it's absolutely gigantic. I can't imagine how they managed it, but by a combination of flash trickery and comment macguffining, this video has a working version of a Project Diva-style game overlaid on it, score and clickable buttons and everything. It's slow and kind of unresponsive, what with it being beta, but... it works. How cool is that?
【Project DIVA 2nd】 初音ミクの激唱【DIVA-PV】
Gekishou (cosMo, Diva PV: 風呂場の人, Miku x 6)
Calling this a 'DIVA-PV' is clearly cheating a little, as this thing has been post-processed to hell and back and stitched together with effects and a plot around it, but the basic idea is still sound and the level of showing off while using Diva animations - like Miku brushing tears from her cheek - is pretty damn high.
【GUMI】おニューのかさぶた、ペットに食われろ【手書きPV】
Get Your New Scab Eaten By Your Pet (ie no ura etc., PV: HIJIKI, Gumi)
A hilarious if deeply twisted hand-drawn PV for the hilarious if deeply twisted song from last update.
【初音＆鏡音】 Knife 【至高のミクスチャー】高画質版
Knife (Supreme Mix) (reruriri, Miku + Rin + Len, Ethnorock)
The remastered 'supreme' mix of Knife that got shown on Vocarevo! This is basically ridiculously pretty and will take absolutely ages to load and get carved apart by economy time, so check it out as you will. It's not substantially changed from the original but if you needed a lovely HQ version, here it is.
【MikuMikuDance】mikiに「モザイクロール」を踊らせてみた
Miki Dances OK Go's Mosaic Role (Deco*27, MMDPV: 八十八, Miki x 4)
Chances are you've seen this phenomenon around Nicovideo, but I've yet to actually link the MMD version here, so Miki is as good a chance as any to. Did you know Mosaic Role syncs up amazingly well to OK Go dancing?
KitakitakitakitaHarugakitaa!
KitakitakitakitaHarugakitaa! (daniwell, MMDPV: conjoh, Haku)
For those people who like Mahoujin Guru Guru, this might very well be the best version of Nyanyanyanyanyanyanyanyanya!! yet.
In other news, we are hiring! Now that we've cleaned up our modlist, we'd like to try to round out our staff list and give some better coverage across the board. I'd personally really like to have an Utau specialist, an Engloid specialist, and someone who can keep up with album releases to provide feeds or news on that front, but we're open to any and all neat ideas people would have for theme posts or regular coverage. If you're interested, please let either me or darknightrain know via LJ PMs. Please note we're still happy to have anyone post at any time, we'd just like to have a more fleshed-out modship. You will get paid in occasional internet respect and also the bitter tears of icon post makers.
I couldn't even begin to link as many PrayForJapan songs as I wanted to. The response to the disasters has been overwhelming, and I couldn't hope to contain it all in a single post so I just had to prioritise some instead. Be sure to check out the #prayforjapan tag, either as it is or by adding Vocaloid to the search terms. There's an overwhelming collection of inspirational, uplifting, endlessly cheering songs and videos there.
Videos:
【初音ミクAppend】 愛して 【オリジナル曲PV付】 復興支援
To Love (kk2, Miku, Ambient)
One of my favorite songs from #prayforjapan, and one of those I found the most moving, this perfectly simple and gentle track is full of some of the most amazing notes I've ever heard a robot hold.
【GUMI】 生きて 【オリジナル曲】
Live (taa, Gumi, Vocal + Piano)
A soft and gorgeous vocal track, consisting of Gumi's voice and gentle piano and absolutely nothing else. One of the first tracks in the wake of Pray For Japan, it's extremely powerful in its scope.
【がんばろう】171【巡音ルカ&猫村いろは】
171 (黒田亜津, Luka + Iroha, Vocal + Piano)
In much the same style, Luka and Iroha lead their own piano duet in an attempt to rally and encourage, helped by as much concerned, uplifting, or feel-good fanart as you could possibly fit into a single video.
【初音ミク】だいじょうぶ！【日本負けるな、がんばれ！】
It's OK! (味噌汁, Miku, Pop)
And somehow, out of all the songs on the tag, this was one of the ones that punched me in the feelings hardest. It's cheery, upbeat, and uplifting, and something about the way it openly flies in the face of misfortune was absolutely effective.
【初音ミク】 小さなその手で 【オリジナル曲】
Little Hands (DATEKEN, Miku, Pop)
DATEKEN's own tribute to togetherness blew me away when I first watched it this weekend. It's perfect; not even slightly flashy, just that little bit understated, and immensely heartwarming.
【初音ミク】「イキたいの。」【オリジナルPV付き】
In With A Chance (voyager, Miku, Pop Rock)
An ode to everyone who's sat there and refreshed the rankings to see how far their favorite / own videos get, I personally like to think this joyous song, full of fantastic piano and a truly excellent bridge section, was spawned by Gumi's recent success. See what you did, Gumi? You've giving Miku neuroses over here.
【GUMI】 Prayer Will Live 【オリジナル曲】
Prayer Will Live (yuukiss, Gumi, Electropop)
Yuukiss' latest opus is... uh... it's really something, and also as 90s-anime-DDR as it possibly can be. From the heavy synth to the power chord electronic drums to the random DJ spouting quotes to the scorching guitar solo from maya, I honestly don't know how to describe this thing beyond 'fabulous'. On your mind-- like that!
【初音ミク】グレイシア【オリジナルPV】
Gracia (Kulfi, Miku, Pop)
Since tuning Miku to be a little more forceful and less high and breathy, and upping the tempo of his tracks just a little, I've found myself completely hooked on Kulfi's works. A jumpy, eager track that's absolutely gorgeous, and just listen to those high notes get held!
【巡音ルカ】 If 【オリジナル】
If (無力, Luka, Vocaloud)
I'm pleased to report that Luka's been making something of a comeback, as she's suddenly all over this post after spending the last few weeks in the background. A scorching vocaloud track doesn't hurt a single iota, especially when it's a whole lot more listenable than the rest of the genre tends to be; I'm biased as hell towards the softer orchestral side of the music, of course.
【初音ミクDARK】春のかけら【オリジナル曲やで】
Pieces of Spring (Nem, Miku, Easy Listening)
I think I'm a little burnt out on soft songs after the last couple of weeks? This is one of the better pieces of Miku Dark easy listening I've heard, with some lovely acoustic guitar and a dreamy aura, but I did find myself falling asleep in it a little too easily.
【オリジナル曲】ブリリアント◇ダイアモンド【男性ボカロ】
Brilliant ◇ Diamond (pantan, Kaito + Gakupo + Len + Sensei, JRock)
Looking, uh, looking really damn suave there, guys. I especially like all the snow decals in your hair, and the whole jrocker bowlcut feathered look Len has going. This is a pretty amazing track that uses all the guys to great effect for a dramatic rock production and a whole bunch of sad pretty men in the snow.
【GUMI】 ウソ 【オリジナル】
Lie (uz, Gumi, Emo Rock)
Sometimes you just need to belt out a tune as hard as you can. uz has a rock-solid pedigree for emo tracks and this is a fine example, loud and brash and scratchy before giving way to a more gentle chorus full of synth. Gumi sounds rightfully hoarse on some notes, but this is still a fine track.
【GUMI】inori【オリジナル】
Inori (164, Gumi, Rock)
Gumi keeps the rock going with a track from 164. This is lighter on the emo, swapping it out for some good old thrashing high-power guitar solos and, out of absolutely nowhere, some great whining violin and piano sections.
【初音ミク】again'n again【オリジナル曲】
【初音ミク】ハートビート【オリジナル曲】
Again'n Again and Heartbeat (u-ske, Miku, Break House?)
A pair of instantly cheering songs from u-ske, these are both full of jaunty tones, eager piano, and hopping, dancing guitars and organs. They're practically guaranteed to make you smile.
【がくぽ・KAITO】裸の月光【PolyphonicBranch】
Naked Moonlight (Polyphonic Brance, Kaito + Gakupo, Rock)
Polyphonic Branch are known for some pretty solid light rock tracks, and this is a very solid one indeed, if just a little cheesy in style. Kaito and Gakupo sound great and do so well at working off each other that before I knew it I'd stuck the thing on repeat a few more times.
【初音ミク】Lost Memories【MMD-PV付き】
Lost Memories (output, MMDPV: sheeya, Miku x 2, Electropop Gospel)
Well. This is a perfectly listenable track with some neat Gospel touches - can't go wrong with rolling waves, birdsong and a voice crooning 'ooooooooo-hoooooooo' in the background. Miku's not bad either and the video's very shiny, but... with two Mikus crowding the camera like that, does anyone else get... a Facebook Kissy-Face- Photo vibe out of it?
歌愛ユキ - Lost in the Fog
Lost In The Fog (yuni, Yuki, Breakpop Ambient)
Likely to be an acquired taste, I fear, but worth linking both for the feeling behind the track and effects therein, and for a rare Yuki video. A floating, ephemeral track mixes well with Yuki's voice and dissolves into ambient effects halfway through for a powerful finish.
【巡音ルカ（ラップもあるよ）】 Passion 【オリジナル曲】
Passion (sat, Luka, R+B)
There is no situation that cannot be improved by Luka, crooning in a rather overly warbly fashion through an overwrought R+B track full of Engrish lyrics. If that weren't enough for you, how about a bonus stomping drums J-Rap section?
【初音ミク】HIGH TOUCH ME【オリジナル】
HIGH TOUCH ME (Tes, Miku, Electropop)
Though not stuffed quite as full of energy and happiness as his other better-performing tracks, if you're a fan of the twinkly sparkly electropop style then it's hard to go too wrong with Tes' latest...
【miki】アフォゲガマワルゥ【MMDＰＶ】
The Ahoge Spins (shir, Miki, Electropop)
... but is soundly and roundly beaten by Miki, who comes out of nowhere with a ridiculously high quality MMDPV and a catchy, perky piano and synth tune that could basically count as her own personal theme song.
【初音ミク】AC-arrange-【AC】
AC-Arrange (onyuu, Miku, ACEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE)
This may require some explanation. In the wake of the tsunami, Japanese TV is currently broadcasting a lot of PSAs. Most notably, ones by AC - such as this one. By all accounts, the final chant of 'AC' is starting to get on people's nerves, and up pops onyuu - he of Heart Sutra fame - with this minute-long ambient mix. It's already starting to get mashed up - just check the tag - and I'm hoping it'll blow into all-out meme territory, in which case you can be sure we'll gleefully report on it.
MMD / PV / Other:
【PV】pray for
pray for (pray for japan, PV: aska, Miku + Luka + Gumi)
The PV to the #prayforjapan anthem is simplistic and low-key and immensely effective.
【VOCALOID】トイレの神様【MMD-PV】【初音ミク】
Toile no Kamisama (MMDPV: hiro, Miku, baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw)
Oh, god, this snuck up on me just prior to making the post, and I was promptly reduced to a blubbering mess of man-tears. A cover and MMDPV of the song from last year, this is the tale of a girl and her grandmother, and the life lessons she learnt from cleaning the toilet. It's infinitely more powerful than that preview can ever make it sound, and be prepared to be curbstomped by feelings.
【MMD】ニワン語でProjectDIVA風ゲーム(β)（初音ミク＆ソフィ）【TOGf】
Project Diva Minigame Beta
Be sure to let this one load, as it's absolutely gigantic. I can't imagine how they managed it, but by a combination of flash trickery and comment macguffining, this video has a working version of a Project Diva-style game overlaid on it, score and clickable buttons and everything. It's slow and kind of unresponsive, what with it being beta, but... it works. How cool is that?
【Project DIVA 2nd】 初音ミクの激唱【DIVA-PV】
Gekishou (cosMo, Diva PV: 風呂場の人, Miku x 6)
Calling this a 'DIVA-PV' is clearly cheating a little, as this thing has been post-processed to hell and back and stitched together with effects and a plot around it, but the basic idea is still sound and the level of showing off while using Diva animations - like Miku brushing tears from her cheek - is pretty damn high.
【GUMI】おニューのかさぶた、ペットに食われろ【手書きPV】
Get Your New Scab Eaten By Your Pet (ie no ura etc., PV: HIJIKI, Gumi)
A hilarious if deeply twisted hand-drawn PV for the hilarious if deeply twisted song from last update.
【初音＆鏡音】 Knife 【至高のミクスチャー】高画質版
Knife (Supreme Mix) (reruriri, Miku + Rin + Len, Ethnorock)
The remastered 'supreme' mix of Knife that got shown on Vocarevo! This is basically ridiculously pretty and will take absolutely ages to load and get carved apart by economy time, so check it out as you will. It's not substantially changed from the original but if you needed a lovely HQ version, here it is.
【MikuMikuDance】mikiに「モザイクロール」を踊らせてみた
Miki Dances OK Go's Mosaic Role (Deco*27, MMDPV: 八十八, Miki x 4)
Chances are you've seen this phenomenon around Nicovideo, but I've yet to actually link the MMD version here, so Miki is as good a chance as any to. Did you know Mosaic Role syncs up amazingly well to OK Go dancing?
KitakitakitakitaHarugakitaa!
KitakitakitakitaHarugakitaa! (daniwell, MMDPV: conjoh, Haku)
For those people who like Mahoujin Guru Guru, this might very well be the best version of Nyanyanyanyanyanyanyanyanya!! yet.