Animelo Summer Live 2013 - FLAG NINE announced

One of the biggest annual anime music festivals, Animelo Summer Live, has been announced through Anisama's official site. As one of the most quickly growing manifestations, with new performers added each year, this time the festivities will last 3 days, August 23rd, 24th and 25th. Saitama Super Arena will be the host this year as well.

Here is the current list of artists that will perform:

August 23rd

- ALI PROJECT

- Minori Chihara

- ChouCho

- ZAQ

- May'n

- nano.RIPE

August 24th

- Minami Kuribayashi

- T-Pistonz + KMC

- angela

- Sumire Kamisaka

- GRANRODEO

August 25th

- Yukari Tamura

- Tominaga TOMMY Hiroaki

- Maon Kurosaki

- Nana Mizuki

- Miyano Mamori

Faylan - PRISM

                                                                       Mirai Nikki ED (Track no. 2)
                                                                      Gundam AGE ED 3 (Track no. 6)
                                                                       Mirai Nikki OP 3 (Track no. 7)
                                                                      Hagure Yuusha no Estetica OP (Track no. 10)
                                                                      Mirai Nikki OP 2 (Track no. 11)

Tracklist:


1. prism flower
2. Blood teller
3. Sokyuu no Hikari
4. RED love
5. crime of love
6. WHITE justice
7. HAPPY END
8. moment
9. Sousei no Thanatos
10. Realization
11. Dead END
12. RED decision
13. promise you...


1. prism flower

The lead track begins pretty foreboding and awesome, like an Ali Project song, but just as one starts to think that Faylan is on the wrong side of anisong, it turns into one of her usual rockier songs. This time is more hard synths than actual guitars (or any other instrument), but I don't mind because it's very catchy and powerful. Though her voice is just a tiny bit annoying with the fail-western theme, it's still a good song to open an album.
Rating: 9

2. Blood teller

I'm surprised this song would be on this album, since it's from way back 2011 and I was expecting God Fate instead - but it's one hell of an awesome song and my favourite from Faylan, so I don't mind at all. Exactly like the title predicts, her voice is dark and deep, like a Blood teller should be, switching from the western/country in prism flower. There's not much instruments in this song that would make variety, but the guitar alone does its job perfectly.
Note to self: Don't listen to Blood teller while writing reviews. Had to replay it twice.
Rating: 10

3. Sokyuu no Hikari

Straying from the songs that were simple in composition, this track is full-blown J-rock (and even heavy metal in some parts). I like the fact that she retains the power of her voice from the previous song, especially in the chorus, sometimes even sounding really monster-like and scary with the overdone filters. This is not tied to an anime, which is the main source of her great songs, so it proves Faylan can hold her own ground as a rock vocalist without the help of tie-ins.
Rating: 10

4. RED love

A bit of a slower track, but the chain of rock-heavy songs still continues. More genres are mixed in here, so the chorus again sounds like Ali Project. Her vocals aren't something special here, but the attention is more on the instrumentation, which is a mix of both a little guitars and a little more synths and electronica. Also, expect a series of sudden jumps and changes that come with the mix of genres, because on the second minute the whole thing suddenly slows down, like someone stopped time, and continues in that matter.
Rating: 8

5. crime of love

An excerpt from prism flower is the first thing that's heard, but it's remixed and the line "life is a flower" is replaced with "crime of love". Probably the first real ballad on the album, and it finally provides a rest from the uptempo songs. The arrangement is in an unusual jazzy, laid-back style with many strings in the background. And as for Faylan's vocals, they show another, gentler and elegant side completely opposite of the gritty, violent tone of her rock songs, that I love.
Rating: 8.5

6. WHITE justice

Guitars take a back seat here, as the composition is classic anisong/game, with synths, quite dramatically used violins and piano. In the upbeat tempo, her harder voice is back but it has flexibility to fit in the slower parts of the song. A big plus to this track is that it can turn from anisong to a touching ballad in a second, and I'm pretty sure that I hear something identical to the Chrono Trigger music from the Middle Ages (thus, instant tears).
Rating: 10

7. HAPPY END

This song is quirky, weird and very different from the other songs in this album by the measure of its gentleness. It is rich in terms of arrangement with strings that are really heavily used here, several sequences of acoustic guitars and even bells. One of the rare truly happy songs in Faylan's discography, the track with its ambiental tempo reminds of a fairy tale on its end, amplified by the repeated "aishiteru" (I love you).
Rating: 9

8. moment

Uniquely, an electronic song without any guitars or rock composition whatsoever, being replaced by the saxophones and 8-bit music. I can't really imagine Faylan singing this 100% J-pop song effectively with her bouncy voice, which is probably the reason she's under filters the whole song and there's nothing more than whispering and vague chanting. Interesting for a few listens, but I don't see myself listening to this often.
Rating: 7

9. Sousei no Thanatos

This isn't tied to an anime? Because with the title and the arrangement it could really be an opening to something called Sousei no Thanatos. The track has a more traditional feeling to it, with a choir backing the vocals and acoustic guitars actually doing the stronger parts of the song instead of electric ones. I can't really discern everything because there's probably like 15-20 different instruments in the composition, but that adds to its effect. You know that something is unique when you're forced to figure out a hybrid term of a harpsichord and a flute.
Rating: 8.5

10. Realization

The song sounds like it's crawling out of a deep well, but it then picks up in a dance-rock melody... with gothic vampire bells O__o (they do remain the song, but in the very background). This can probably become one of my favourites in the album because most of the song has the "epic", dramatic quality that makes you sing along, exactly like in Blood teller. Of course, several eargasms were lived through during the 5 minutes of the song's duration.
Rating: 10

11. Dead END

The sequence of the tracks in the album makes a circle, returning to the very dark sound several first songs had. What sets this one different from the others is actually the significant feeling of depth and hard guitars like in a Maon Kurosaki song - specifically, very like Under/Shaft. Faylan's voice is powerful, but it's somehow ruined by the parts in which she recites some Engrish where her speech sounds like her mouth are full of some gooey matter which she can't get rid of in any of her songs.
Rating: 9

12. RED decision

Is there a colour theme here? WHITE justice, RED love, and then RED decision lol
Anyways, the track has her collaborating once again with an unknown producer of gothic music / AliPro fan. The arrangement is epic fantasy-like with the organ, bells and many aerial stunts probably performed by whoever plays the violin in her band.
Some James Bond cadences also appear in the middle eight (the part after the second chorus) which always seems to be the most important part of her songs.
Rating: 9

13. promise you...

 A very simple and relaxing ballad is chosen to close the album, as it's almost always only Faylan's voice and the piano. String plucking from WHITE justice is back here (Yay!) and it reminds of classical music a lot. Aside from the unexpected and uncalled for changes in tempo and rhythm, the track is a beautiful end to a nice album. ^__^
Rating: 8


I've had a great time listening to Faylan's newest piece of work, and what is most important, I was always engaged and never felt bored. Even though not all songs are perfect and there are some misfits, the pure epicness makes up for it. My overall rating is: 9

Favourite songs: Blood teller, prism flower, WHITE justice, Realization

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KOKIA - Kioku no Hikari

                                                                         Space Battleship Yamato 2199 ED

Tracklist:

1. Kioku no Hikari
2. Where to go my love (single ver.)


1. Kioku no Hikari

I was kind of worried about the quality of this single, because Kokia had three releases in the last two months, but on the contrary, it completely blew me away. The whole thing sounds exactly like something only Yuki Kaijura's magical talent at songwriting could of composed. Even her voice sounded like Kalafina O__o
Aside from that, the song is in the same spirit as her previous single, ie. epic, fantasy RPG-like music, and it's pretty long, with 6 minutes, but doesn't get boring even for a moment.
Rating: 10

2. Where to go my love (single ver.)

If the previous song was epic, then this must be anti-epic. It sounds like a usual pop-ballad, except it's really slow. Fortunately, the instrumentals save the track, being very relaxing and calm, especially at the first few minutes, with only a piano and some strings. Unless you don't listen to this song 5-10 times, the distinction between verses and the chorus is almost nonexistent, and you'll either listen it as a piece of classical music, or a boring, dull song. When summed up, definitely not on the same level as the A-side.
Rating: 6

Wow, the spring anime season hasn't even started yet, and we've already got a piece of great music on our hands (at least the A-side, if not the second track). If all songs will be good like this, then I can't wait for the episodes to start rolling. My overall rating for this release is: 8


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Aimer - RE:I AM

                                                                             Mobile Suit Gundam UC theme

Tracklist:


1. RE:I AM
2. Hoshi no Kieta Yoru ni
3. Kyokara Omoi de
4. RE:I AM (Instrumental)
5. Hoshi no Kieta Yoru ni (Instrumental)


1. RE:I AM

The track starts off as a great sounding rock ballad, but it turns out that most of the song is actually a usual arrangement with piano and acoustic guitars. Still, the song is pretty enjoyable, and Aimer's voice has a very nice, dry colour, with perfect control of it. Many musicians today don't know the line between a song being too slow to be engaging, or hitting the right spot, which Aimer did.
Rating: 9

2. Hoshi no Kieta Yoru ni

Making a step away from the rockyness of the previous song, this time it is more of an alternative atmosphere. The song is whispy and calm, but I am simply amazed by its complexity and layers. If you listen carefully, a bell which is constantly repeating the same tones is present through the whole track, making it a bit hypnotic but awesome at the same time. Aimer's voice is layered, not in the pure form like it was in the previous song, fitting the arrangement.
Rating: 10

3. Kyokara Omoi de

Out of the three, this one is probably the simplest, though its composition makes it feel heavy in a way, because of the deep, strong piano and the marching drums. Every song in this single seems to have a surprise in it, and this time it's a choir following the main vocals. Although it's not quite as interesting, this also makes a good ballad.
Rating: 8

I'm very glad I discovered an artist like Aimer, because the songs in this single were outstanding, and so is her voice. Do you know she did a cover of Lady Gaga's Poker Face in excellent English?
My overall rating for this release is: 9


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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

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Weekly News - Utada Hikaru Returns, Nanoha Gets 3rd Film, And More

                            
                                            - Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime gets 3rd film -

The anime division of the retailer HMV reported on Saturday that production on a third film in the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha anime franchise has been green-lit. The announcement was made at the end of the "Lyrical Party V" event marking the release of the second film, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha the Movie 2nd A's, on Japanese Blu-ray Disc and DVD

                                                       

                                                           - New Mega Man project in the works -

  

CAPCOM made a series of announcements for its Mega Man franchise at PAX East's World of CAPCOM Panel, which celebrated Mega Man's 25th anniversary. CAPCOM hinted at a new project to answer the call of fans, but stated that they still are working "behind the scenes" before they can announce anything officially. Other announcements included the sale of Mega Man 4 (the NES game) on 3DS Virtual Console on April 25, Mega Man 5 on May 16, and Mega Man 6 in June.

                                               

                                               - Anime Central to host voice actress Yuu Asakawa -

The organizers of the Anime Central convention announced on Friday that Japanese voice actress and singer Yuu Asakawa will be a guest at the convention. Anime Central notes one of Asakawa's hobbies is English and fans can follow her English twitter account @Julia320. Asakawa is the sample voice for Vocaloid Megurine Luka, and she's voiced numerous characters during her anime voice acting career.

                                             

                                               - Final Fantasy X and X - 2 HD to get Western release -

Square Enix opened a website on Friday revealing that the Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 HD-remastered games will get a Western release on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita. The website reveals that it will post an announcement trailer on Monday, and it is currently hosting screenshots from the Final Fantasy X HD game.

                                         

                                                 

                                             - Utada Hikaru returns as a radio personality -

Utada Hikaru will return to the entertainment business after three years away — not as a singer, but as a radio personality. She announced on Friday that she will begin hosting a monthly radio program called Kuma Power Hour with Utada Hikaru on the InterFM station on April 16. The program will run on the third Tuesday of every month in Tokyo and Yokohama's Kanto region.

                                 - Sailor Moon makes the cover of a fashion magazine -

The characters of Naoko Takeuchi's magical girl manga Sailor Moon made the Vol. 3 cover of the fashion magazine TOKYOViVi on Friday. Sailor Moon's Usagi and Chibi-Usagi share the cover with model Lena Fujii. Sailor Moon artwork also adorn the table of contents and reader questionnaire pages. According to the magazine's official blog, the current issue's art director is Chinatsu Wakatsuki, a singer who happens to be a fan of the original manga.

source: animenewsnetwork.com

Kalafina - Consolation

                                                                   Fate/Zero OP 2 (Track no. 11)
                                         Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Eternal Story OP (Track no. 12)

Tracklist:


1. al fine
2. Consolation
3. moonfesta
4. Door
5. Mirai
6. Hanataba
7. Signal
8. Obbligato
9. Kichigo no Shigemi ni
10. manten
11. to the beginning
12. Hikari Furu
13. Yume no Daichi


1. al fine

This song opens the album with a very eerie and scary feeling. Even though it is only a prelude and there is barely any singing to go along with the violins, it does replicate what most of the album will sound like.
Rating: 10

2. Consolation

Picking up the grim atmosphere, the track is rocky and powerful, something along the line of a darker "Magia", having an identical arrangement. With it's excellent guitar usage, this can't really be classified as a ballad, but the vocals are certainly on that level, save the creepy chanting at the very end of the song. Something like this is exactly what is expected from Kalafina, and they deliver it flawlessly.
Rating: 10

3. moonfesta

More medieval-sounding melodies come next, and they are packaged in a very interesting arrangement reminiscent of a Renaissance festival. The instrumentation is simple, containing only flutes and an acoustic guitar, which creates a cheery and bright character of the song. Although it's a sudden change from the previous songs, it's quite unique and original.
Rating: 9

4. Door

Maybe this song was actually set to begin after the prelude, because it does sound like it directly continues from it. However, there is more of a melancholic, sad feeling to this instead of a darker one, accompanied by a piano and some strings. It can easily be used as some kind of lullaby, because the vocals are touching and more solo-oriented instead of the group composition.
Rating: 9.5

5. Mirai

Somewhat alike moonfesta, this song is upbeat and encouraging, with the violin successfully conveying the optimistic sound of it. My first time ever hearing gothic-like chants used in a happy arrangement would be now, but it was done tastefully, and I was interested in listening to it.
Rating: 8

6. Hanataba

Kalafina's composer, Yuki Kaijura is very inventive with the composing of their songs, because this one opens with an accordion, which is very unusual for a pop-oriented song like this. It can get very powerful throughout the song, and I've never heard something akin to that sound so good.
Rating: 9

7. Signal

We are returned to the serious tone the first part of the album had, with a difference that this song is much scarier than Consolation. The members of Kalafina are rarely ever put under filters, because of their fantastic singing capability, but here it greatly adds to the effectiveness and the march-like tempo. Possibly, this can get my favourite song in this album.
Rating: 10

8. Obbligato

I definitely wouldn't recommend you to listen to the first minute of this song if you are all alone at night. The chanting gets insanely bizarre, but before it can get any further, it turns into possibly the most mainstream-sounding rock song Kalafina has ever made, except the end, where it returns to its roots. This song is a great mix of different genres though, so it stands out a lot in the album.
Rating: 10

9. Kichigo no Shigemi ni

As a rest from the heart-attack inducing songs, we get another slower song with a piano, and this time, the chello, which sound great and very deep, suiting the vocals.
A bit calmer and safer this time around, this is another good ballad in the album.
Rating: 9

10. manten

I almost thought this is going to be a creepy song, again, but the violins and the guitars kick in quickly, making it more of a usual anime arrangement. The focus of this track is somewhat in showcasing the group's voices, which it does quite good. It can remind of some older songs from them in some parts, which is a big plus.
Rating: 8

11. to the beginning

Like the previous song, this one also features the usual anime arrangement, but here it's understandable, since it was used for Fate/Zero. It is very touching, but dynamic at the same time, which makes it one of the better anime songs Kalafina has done.
Rating: 8.5


12. Hikari Furu

The simple arrangement contrasts the powerful voices they have, which makes them stand out even more than they already do. With the calm and relaxing incentive this song has, the guitars sometimes feel out of place, but it's still a good song, fitting to an anime Madoka Magica is.
Rating: 8

13. Yume no Daichi

This album closes with a mix of moonfesta and Mirai, since it's faster and uplifting, but the medieval instruments join here as well. For me, the song represents the waking up from the nightmare, which is the darker songs, so it makes a good closure and theme, amplified by the finale that reminds of classical music.
Rating: 10

This being my first album from Kalafina I've listened, I have to say that I'm pretty impressed by the infinite capability and creativity they have. My overall rating for this album is: 10 - RECOMMENDED

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