[Vocaloid] VanaN'Ice CD Review!!
asdfghjkl I need a VanaN'Ice icon like burning.
This is a follow-up to this post.
So, since I had nothing better to do this morning, I decided: Now that I have the VanaN’Ice CD, why not give a little mini review of it while listening to it?
Much love to saoru for sharing the CD over at vocaloid. If you want to hear it yourself, download here, but note that this is a locked post and you must join the community to download.
1. ZERO
- Yeah…I was right: Len’s singing in English. It’s actually kinda funny because it makes him sound more synthetic than Vocaloids already do. Feel-wise, it seemed like a good choice to start the CD. My only problem is…well, Len’s not really made to sing in English (his Engrish isn’t that great in this song…). The bit at the end makes me wonder about the meaning of this song. I would kill to find lyrics for it. (I type in “Zero Kagamine Len” into web browsers and all I find is “Return to Zero”, a different song.)
2. IMITATION BLACK
- Once a favorite, always a favorite. Although it is mixed somewhat differently (definitely more noticeable in the drums more than anything else), I am still in love with this song beyond belief. (I swear, Cantarella may have been my first Vocaloid song, but this is the one that kept me hooked…and started my shipping of Vocaloids.) The minor changes to the drums really give the song a somewhat different feel, yet the guitars, bass, and vocals say, “No, this is still the same song that you first listened to.” The glass shatter after Len’s softer solo is a bit of a disappointment; it seemed more dramatic in the original. But, otherwise, love love love!
3. BLOOD
- BASS SOLO. Dammit, K-On! made me want to pick up the bass so much that I’ve fallen in love with basses. KAITO’s solo song is quite nice. His older model synth and somewhat tenor/baritone voice is very good for this song. It’s probably my favorite out of the new songs that I haven’t heard before.
Okay, I’ve sat here for about a minute just listening to the song, thinking about what to say. However, I couldn’t come up with anything. Would that mean it left me speechless? xD
4. Setsugetsuka
- This one…seems the same to me. After my initial comment about how Len was singing during the “Touryanse” part, I relistened to the original: he does it there as well. Oh well, since I haven’t given it a proper review…Someone once commented on how “IMITATION BLACK” had a Japanese feel to it in the beginning (I agreed until giving it about ten more listens…and it really doesn’t…), but “Setsugetsuka” actually goes through with it. Len’s English is somewhat better in this song, but still not perfect (“Een di pureesu ueru baaioreto ando buruu inttasekkusu…” = “In the place where violet and blue intersect”). Still, one of the originals, one of my faves.
5. +++
- OMG, I LOVE THIS SONG AS WELL. So Visual Kei~ Their “talking” at the beginning is quite good, considering it’s hard to make Vocaloids sound like they’re actually talking and making it convincing. The three’s “Help me” are really good (although, this time, KAITO sounds a little off). I just wish that this song were a little longer.
6. DOLLS
- This one is another Len solo, and, no, he’s not singing in English. The light piano, pizzacato and the “ba-ba-baa” in the background really brings things down after the rushing, heavier, darker feel of the previous songs. When haku-san mentioned that it had a natural flow to the next song, I do agree. Considering the position Len’s character in Fate:Rebirth…
7. Fate:Rebrith
- OHAI MIKU. OBAI MIKU. Sorry, couldn’t resist. Anyways, this sounds exactly like the original, so there isn’t too much to write. The organ with the more baroque feel…and then Len’s music box part (that’s what it makes me think of, don’t judge me!!). In fact, I’m going to get off topic and complain about Len’s dress in this song. I’m working on a picture and it requires me to draw Len’s dress. THIS DRESS IS A BITCH TO DRAW. Seriously, the most beautiful things have to be the hardest. Miku’s wedding dress in “Himtsu ~Kuro no Chikai~”? SO DIFFICULT~ But I digress. Anyways, this song sounds like to does on YouTube. Again, an original song by the three, so it’s in my top.
8. Paranoid Doll
- This song is a Gakupo solo, but a different person provided his voice. Despite this, it’s a perfect fit with the rest of the CD: I can see KAITO and Len playing their instruments as well during this song. I once read somewhere that Gackt (the person who lent his voice to Gakupo) was quite pleased with how well this song has done. I am secretly hoping that he will do the same thing Shimoda Asami (the person who lent her voice to Kagamine Rin/Len) did and make a cover CD. I would die if he sang “Dancing Samurai”. XD
9. Yami ni Kieru Tsuki (Eh, I was close. Getsu = Tsuki)
- I didn’t like the placement of this song. This and “Paranoid Doll” should have been kept further apart. Nevertheless, it has a slower feel than most of the other songs, so it’s more of a ballad. I’m okay with this song. I find it to be somewhat weaker than the others. I do, however, like Gakupo’s little additions at the end.
10. Taiyou ga Shizumu Koku (I GOT THE ROMAJI RIGHT!!!)
- More Engrish from Len in this song at points. I’m wondering if there’s some kind of secret group dedicated to having Len singing background vocals in Engrish. This one…it makes me think of like a car race for whatever reason and gives me no ideas of visual kei. The “back-to-back guitar duet of Gakupo and Len” sounds amazing and I want to, like, hug someone. The slowed down part right after it is timed perfectly, and then it comes back to tempo. And then the key change…! Also perfect timing.
11. LOST LOVER
- The strange thing about this song and me is that I’ve been having a fanfiction idea in which Rin runs around and dates Gakupo and KAITO using Len’s name. After she has an accident resulting in the lost of her life, Len has to undo everything she’s done by being an “imitation” (“IMITATION BLACK”, anyone?). Afterwards, the three form a band using poems/lyrics that Rin had in a notebook. This is the only song that she didn’t write, but is instead collaborated by the three band members. They view it as their way to say “good-bye” to her, since the two didn’t find out about her death until over a month afterwards. (Yes, vague is vague. It’s still in the outlining process.) So yeah, that’s how I view the song.
12. IMITATION BLACK (Instrumental Piano version)
- I NEARLY CRIED LISTENING TO THIS. It’s not a full version of the song, but still a beautiful arrangement by natsuP. It takes all the best parts and just…gah. The more I listen to it, the more attached I get. I want to give it to my friend and have her learn it and play it… (She has an amazing talent of being able to play things near perfectly by ear. I’m so jealous of her…) She probably would too, if I ask/plead/beg/grovel enough. She’s somewhat familiar with “IMITATION BLACK”, but if I give her a piano version, she might actually learn it…brb, going to bribe.
TL;DR: I loved it. A couple bumps, but, overall, a lovely CD of visual kei music and Vocaloids.
Anyways, that’s my review on the CD. Sorry if it was too long, but hey, I love music, I’m going to rave.
This is a follow-up to this post.
So, since I had nothing better to do this morning, I decided: Now that I have the VanaN’Ice CD, why not give a little mini review of it while listening to it?
Much love to saoru for sharing the CD over at vocaloid. If you want to hear it yourself, download here, but note that this is a locked post and you must join the community to download.
1. ZERO
- Yeah…I was right: Len’s singing in English. It’s actually kinda funny because it makes him sound more synthetic than Vocaloids already do. Feel-wise, it seemed like a good choice to start the CD. My only problem is…well, Len’s not really made to sing in English (his Engrish isn’t that great in this song…). The bit at the end makes me wonder about the meaning of this song. I would kill to find lyrics for it. (I type in “Zero Kagamine Len” into web browsers and all I find is “Return to Zero”, a different song.)
2. IMITATION BLACK
- Once a favorite, always a favorite. Although it is mixed somewhat differently (definitely more noticeable in the drums more than anything else), I am still in love with this song beyond belief. (I swear, Cantarella may have been my first Vocaloid song, but this is the one that kept me hooked…and started my shipping of Vocaloids.) The minor changes to the drums really give the song a somewhat different feel, yet the guitars, bass, and vocals say, “No, this is still the same song that you first listened to.” The glass shatter after Len’s softer solo is a bit of a disappointment; it seemed more dramatic in the original. But, otherwise, love love love!
3. BLOOD
- BASS SOLO. Dammit, K-On! made me want to pick up the bass so much that I’ve fallen in love with basses. KAITO’s solo song is quite nice. His older model synth and somewhat tenor/baritone voice is very good for this song. It’s probably my favorite out of the new songs that I haven’t heard before.
Okay, I’ve sat here for about a minute just listening to the song, thinking about what to say. However, I couldn’t come up with anything. Would that mean it left me speechless? xD
4. Setsugetsuka
- This one…seems the same to me. After my initial comment about how Len was singing during the “Touryanse” part, I relistened to the original: he does it there as well. Oh well, since I haven’t given it a proper review…Someone once commented on how “IMITATION BLACK” had a Japanese feel to it in the beginning (I agreed until giving it about ten more listens…and it really doesn’t…), but “Setsugetsuka” actually goes through with it. Len’s English is somewhat better in this song, but still not perfect (“Een di pureesu ueru baaioreto ando buruu inttasekkusu…” = “In the place where violet and blue intersect”). Still, one of the originals, one of my faves.
5. +++
- OMG, I LOVE THIS SONG AS WELL. So Visual Kei~ Their “talking” at the beginning is quite good, considering it’s hard to make Vocaloids sound like they’re actually talking and making it convincing. The three’s “Help me” are really good (although, this time, KAITO sounds a little off). I just wish that this song were a little longer.
6. DOLLS
- This one is another Len solo, and, no, he’s not singing in English. The light piano, pizzacato and the “ba-ba-baa” in the background really brings things down after the rushing, heavier, darker feel of the previous songs. When haku-san mentioned that it had a natural flow to the next song, I do agree. Considering the position Len’s character in Fate:Rebirth…
7. Fate:Rebrith
- OHAI MIKU. OBAI MIKU. Sorry, couldn’t resist. Anyways, this sounds exactly like the original, so there isn’t too much to write. The organ with the more baroque feel…and then Len’s music box part (that’s what it makes me think of, don’t judge me!!). In fact, I’m going to get off topic and complain about Len’s dress in this song. I’m working on a picture and it requires me to draw Len’s dress. THIS DRESS IS A BITCH TO DRAW. Seriously, the most beautiful things have to be the hardest. Miku’s wedding dress in “Himtsu ~Kuro no Chikai~”? SO DIFFICULT~ But I digress. Anyways, this song sounds like to does on YouTube. Again, an original song by the three, so it’s in my top.
8. Paranoid Doll
- This song is a Gakupo solo, but a different person provided his voice. Despite this, it’s a perfect fit with the rest of the CD: I can see KAITO and Len playing their instruments as well during this song. I once read somewhere that Gackt (the person who lent his voice to Gakupo) was quite pleased with how well this song has done. I am secretly hoping that he will do the same thing Shimoda Asami (the person who lent her voice to Kagamine Rin/Len) did and make a cover CD. I would die if he sang “Dancing Samurai”. XD
9. Yami ni Kieru Tsuki (Eh, I was close. Getsu = Tsuki)
- I didn’t like the placement of this song. This and “Paranoid Doll” should have been kept further apart. Nevertheless, it has a slower feel than most of the other songs, so it’s more of a ballad. I’m okay with this song. I find it to be somewhat weaker than the others. I do, however, like Gakupo’s little additions at the end.
10. Taiyou ga Shizumu Koku (I GOT THE ROMAJI RIGHT!!!)
- More Engrish from Len in this song at points. I’m wondering if there’s some kind of secret group dedicated to having Len singing background vocals in Engrish. This one…it makes me think of like a car race for whatever reason and gives me no ideas of visual kei. The “back-to-back guitar duet of Gakupo and Len” sounds amazing and I want to, like, hug someone. The slowed down part right after it is timed perfectly, and then it comes back to tempo. And then the key change…! Also perfect timing.
11. LOST LOVER
- The strange thing about this song and me is that I’ve been having a fanfiction idea in which Rin runs around and dates Gakupo and KAITO using Len’s name. After she has an accident resulting in the lost of her life, Len has to undo everything she’s done by being an “imitation” (“IMITATION BLACK”, anyone?). Afterwards, the three form a band using poems/lyrics that Rin had in a notebook. This is the only song that she didn’t write, but is instead collaborated by the three band members. They view it as their way to say “good-bye” to her, since the two didn’t find out about her death until over a month afterwards. (Yes, vague is vague. It’s still in the outlining process.) So yeah, that’s how I view the song.
12. IMITATION BLACK (Instrumental Piano version)
- I NEARLY CRIED LISTENING TO THIS. It’s not a full version of the song, but still a beautiful arrangement by natsuP. It takes all the best parts and just…gah. The more I listen to it, the more attached I get. I want to give it to my friend and have her learn it and play it… (She has an amazing talent of being able to play things near perfectly by ear. I’m so jealous of her…) She probably would too, if I ask/plead/beg/grovel enough. She’s somewhat familiar with “IMITATION BLACK”, but if I give her a piano version, she might actually learn it…brb, going to bribe.
TL;DR: I loved it. A couple bumps, but, overall, a lovely CD of visual kei music and Vocaloids.
Anyways, that’s my review on the CD. Sorry if it was too long, but hey, I love music, I’m going to rave.