livetune adding Fukase (from SEKAI NO OWARI) - Take Your Way

Devil Survivor 2 The Animation OP

Tracklist:

1. Take Your Way

2. Ready for Calming 

3. Each and All

4. Take Your Way (Inst)

5. Each and All (Inst)

1. Take Your Way

A funky, retro-futuristic start makes way for an unusually happy arrangement, seeing as Devil Survivor is an anime with such a grim theme. As expected from livetune, the instrumentation is a pretty standard and overused mix of  light piano, guitars and synths, alike to the Vocaloid work he does; which, disappointingly, also translates into the vocal part done by Fukase, as the melody is inconsistent and with no transitions between different tones. Just as one gets used to the track, Fukase's disheartening and weak voice colour affects it further, actually providing a relief when filtered and edited in the middle eight section. Despite being so popular, Take Your Way is nothing special, besides the very introduction to it.
Rating: 7

2. Ready for Calming

Continuing on, Ready for Calming is opened by a single piano melody, occasionally crossed with bells. The atmosphere it gives being completely different from the previous track, I'm glad livetune decided to include an instrumental-only, which fits him much better than full vocal songs. Suddenly, the summer-like ambient is broken at the half of the short interlude, rising in a trance-like climax accompanied by dubstep, while breaking down in a richer sound with the same melody and a well-hidden choir. Like a cycle, slowly everything strips down to the only piano from the beginning, albeit just playing the repeated melody again, with not much substance. Quite a lot of livetune's potential is shown here, only if he focused on being just a little more complex.
Rating: 8

3. Each and All

The third track on the single is here, and as by some rule (the rule of laziness, probably), it is the most generic and boring one. Both the arrangement and the instrumentation is actually very similar to Ready for Calming, but the addition of Rin Oikawa just needlessly prolongs the track and makes the already repetitive composition more so. Even with a few good spots, the whole thing is just a really sloppy power-ballad.
Rating: 4

With the exception of Ready for Calming, livetune's work almost always feels like a waste of time (supercell is sometimes no better at this as well). The technique of making Vocaloid songs unfortunately affects his music with real vocalists, and the level of not being able to differentiate one of the songs from another makes me question how he got so famous in the first place. Well, if I can't help with a praising review, at least I can give advice to livetune's other victims: one listen of Sis puella magica solves everything. My overall rating is: 6

The comment box doesn't bite; be careful when feeding it, though.

livetune feat. Hatsune Miku - Re:dial

                                                       "Mikupedia" official song (Track no. 1)
                                                        Google Chrome CM (Track no. 2)
                                                        Project Diva - F OP (Track no. 10)
                                                      "Mememe no Kurage" theme song (Track no. 14) 


Tracklist:

1. Re:dial
2. Tell Your World
3. Packaged
4. Finder
5. Light Song
6. Strobe Nights
7. Yellow (Re:Dialed)
8. Magnetic
9. Fly Out
10. Weekender Girl
11. Heart Beat
12. D.E.N.P.A. (Re:edit)
13. our music(kz's The Begining of The End remix)
14. Last Night, Good Night (Re:Dialed)
15. Tell Your World -English Version-


1. Re:dial

The album is opened with a classic upbeat, synthy and happy sound, like most Vocaloid songs. It's quite easy to listen to, although it's very safe and unoriginal. For the promotional song, livetune could of tried harder, and this is outshadowed by some other songs present on the album. Could of been done a bit better.
Rating: 6

2. Tell Your World

A piano is a somewhat unusual addition to the mostly electronic sounds present, but it mixes greatly with the dance arrangement, making it very catchy. Tell Your World sounds like anisong very much at some parts, but it's a small wonder, looking at the fact that it was performed on Animelo Summer Live. I'd much rather put this as the album's leading song, seeing as it's way better.
Rating: 10

3. Packaged

Some variety appears after the upbeat tempos of the previous song, and this is our first slower track. There is a series of creative usage of synths, and Miku's voice sounds more natural, especially at the high tones, but other than that, it kind of felt like a drag, and not very outstanding.
Rating: 7

4. Finder

I'm surprised to see Miku's voice in such a human range in another slow song. Aside from that, only some bells in the song's beginning distinguish it from the generic Vocaloid melodies. The album flops from a great, engaging start to some really boring songs.
Rating: 4

5. Light Song

Several weird repetitions of the line "Light Song" introduce us to the track, but it's actually an uplifting, kiddish track. For some reason, even though it's not made in particular for that, it reminds me of Christmas, as it is also relaxing and restful.
Rating: 8

6. Strobe Nights

Probably the most unusual song on the album, it begins deep, and mysterious, with only Miku and one line of synths, but then turns into the usual J-pop/Vocaloid fare we heard before. It's hard reviewing when almost every song is a copy of the one before it...
Rating: 5


7. Yellow (Re:Dialed)

Featuring also the generic arrangement, this also mixes with some piano and dubstep, so it's a bit more interesting and quirky. Finally something refreshing and more upbeat than the boredom we have been able to listen to in most of the previous tracks.
Rating: 7

8. Magnetic

Well this needs to be heard if you want to get it completely, but I'll try to describe it - This reminds of a slightly retarded, glitchy computer, with the electronic sounds being all over the place. But even so, it's only accomplishment is that it is not completely tiring to listen to. Again, not very impressed.
Rating: 5

9. Fly Out

Livetune seems to abandon his usual composition in this song (finally), and puts out something that looks like Egoist or Supercell released it. This is a much better ballad than some others here, and it's very simplistic one, with only Miku and one melody.
Rating: 8

10. Weekender Girl

Completely immersed in American pop, I can almost imagine a spoiled, bratty girl alike to Miku in "The World is Mine". The dubstep sequences really work here, and livetune should stick to it more, as it makes the song much more original, even if it is a slower ballad.
Rating: 9

11. Heart Beat

Moving away from the cuteness, this song has a composition similar to house and club music. The rhythm, of course and the drum machine here imitate the heart beats, and for some reason, I'm reminded of "Electric Love" with the singing Miku does.
Rating: 8

12. D.E.N.P.A. (Re:edit)

Only drums start the song, and as it progresses, more and more instruments are added, alike to trance music, until we get to a rock arrangement merged with some synths. Although, this is more of an instrumental song, since the vocals are seldom heard, but the cleverly used guitars make up for it.
Rating: 6


13. our music(kz's The Begining of The End remix)

I am aware that this is a remix, but it's remarkably long track, being seven and a half minutes long! Unfortunately, this song brings back the boring arrangement which is worsened by the repetitiveness of it. I'd really avoid this song on the album, since there is absolutely nothing that it offers.
Rating: 2

14. Last Night, Good Night

One of  the rare songs on this album that is really touching and calm, but it eventually gains momentum until guitars are added and it is more of a rock ballad. This song though, doesn't stand out because of the arrangement, but because of a greatly skilled composition of Miku's voice, making vibratos that sound much like human.
Rating: 8

15. Tell Your World -English Version-

This song intrigued me when I first looked at the title, because Japanese Vocaloids don't cope too well with the English language. My predictions were right, and the singing is barely understandable, with the words sounding like a random, chopped up pile. Wasn't the goal of the track for English fans to actually understand it?
Rating: 1

There are some jewels here and there, but most of the album is a borefest. Probably the only song I would listen to again is "Tell Your World", but only the Japanese version. My overall rating for the album is: 6

The comment box doesn't bite ; be polite when feeding it, though.