Reviews written by Andrew Martinez

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nobuchikaeri (Japan Version)
1 people found the following helpful
March 3, 2006 A perfect match of talentsThis album, in some sense, represents Mondo Grosso (Shinichi Osawas) attempt to produce a solo female artist star. All of the music on this album is written, and for the most part played, by Osawa himself. Theres no doubt that if you are already familiar with his works, then you will recognize his touch on this album. However, this album is not supposed to be about Osawas work as much as it should be about Eris voice. And this, I believe, it accomplished very well. There are definitely tracks on here that get you moving, but they all only do this to get the listener more deeply caught up in Eris voice. Overall, the feeling of this album is quite subdued. It has a pop sense about it, but its behind a veil of a sense of surrealism. This feeling is created entirely out of the unique synergy between Osawas music and Eris voice. What is absolutely wonderful about this album, though, is that there is not a single bad track, or a single track that you will not remember or feel was unremarkable. The amount of time and effort that was involved in creating this album is very apparent in this way. As for Eris voice, it is, at times, quite smoky, and yet she manages a fairly natural tone throughout the majority of her songs. There is an absolutely intense and quite impressive moment on the track Voice where she reaches and maintains quite a high note in the midst of an accelerating bridge. I dont think there really is anyone who wouldnt like something about this album, and I highly recommend it. Favorite tracks were Sing A Song, Inner Glow, Voice, and Yume No Kakera. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
BPM ''DANCE'' II (Japan Version)
February 5, 2006 Improved Takes on Two-MixThis remix album is made up of a collection of tracks that are remixes in many more dance styles than just trance. In fact, I would only really call the first two tracks and maybe the last one straight up trance. Theres some really good house and jungle included among these tracks, as well. On the whole, these remix tracks really are quite good, and very danceable. It probably helps that this album was released when remixes were more popular in Japan, and so they attracted better DJs to do the remixing. Although all the tracks are good, I sort of felt that the first two (the most trancey tracks) were a little lacking in the vocals. Shiina Naganos voice really sounds great when matched up with these dance rhythms and melodies. In fact, I think her voice sounds better in combination with this music than with what Two-Mix normally creates. But you just didnt get enough of that on the first two tracks. On the other hand, I really loved the remixes of Maximum Wave, In Your Eyes, and Gravity Zero. There were probably the best songs on the album. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
KiraKira (Japan Version)
February 5, 2006 A real gemThis double album set is really something special. The two CDs are very different in style from each other and provide you with two completely different experiences. The first album, which is her new album out of this set is made up mostly of very dream-like tracks with some quite interesting melodies. In some ways, the concepts of the tracks reminded me of Globes Lights 2, though the style of the music was different, and the overall feeling was more subdued. (K is not a singer whos really given to particularly powerful or energetic flights of melody). This entire CD was mostly created by K, Lori Fine, and Coldfeet, and this fact sets it far apart from the second CD. The second CD is almost exclusively created, written, and produced by Verbal and Taku of M-Flo. And it certainly shows (seriously, this was the first thought that popped in my head, and I later confirmed it in the lyrics booklet.) Because of this production influence, these tracks carry a pretty signature M-Flo sound, but more so the M-Flo of the Expo Expo time-period. Theres a lot of samba influence to the tracks on this album, as well as interesting combinations of various eclectic influences. So, the first album is what you would listen to if youre looking for some really beautiful, unique music. The second is more for when you want to get into the beat and enjoy some more pop-standard sounds. The best tracks on these albums were Sunrise City 8509, We Can Find Another World, Green Fruits, Never Say , The Love Hole, and Daybreak. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Only if -Diamonds in the Snow e.p. (Japan Version)
Only if -Diamonds in the Snow e.p. (Japan Version)
(2)Our Price: US$15.49Usually ships within 30 daysFebruary 5, 2006 Lisa's better than thisThis single was only alright in my opinion. There certainly arent any bad tracks here, but they just didnt seem to have some of the signature sound that Ive come to expect from Lisa. And, frankly, from Lisas covers of other pop and classic songs, I really expected more from her version of The Christmas Song. It was a nice sounding rendition, but she didnt really make it her own. She kinda just sang it. Kissing A Fool, on the other hand, did have a good, uniquely Lisa sound to it. Overall, though, I think the SH Remix of Only If was probably the best track; it sounded a lot like what I expect from a Lisa original track. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
secret (Japan Version)
February 5, 2006 KK needs to wow on her next album releaseTo be honest, Ive been having a hard time deciding how I feel about this album. There are a few songs on this album that I do really like and feel that KKs actually done a very good job on, but on other tracks, and on the album overall, I feel a bit disappointed. In my opinion, Grow Into One has been KKs best work, and this album just perpetuates that feeling. She seems to have lost something lately, especially in the feeling she expresses in her slower songs. Style-wise, this album is pretty much the standard music youd expect from KK, with a few little gems of different sound. Tracks like Cutey Honey and Selfish (which sounds more like it belongs on Ayus latest album, (miss)understood) are good examples of this. Theyre good steps out of KKs normal comfort zone and I think shes created some quality music in the different styles of these songs. There is also a motif that seems to recur on a few songs of this album; a few of the tracks have background instrumentals reminiscent of Arabic melodies. These touches seem to be pretty underplayed and dont really take over the song, but sort of provide a little new sound to KKs normal offerings. So, considering everything, I would say this album is alright, but if you want a GOOD KK album, buy one of her earlier ones, preferably Grow Into One. The Best tracks on this album were Cutey Honey, Selfish, Love Holic, and Believe. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
les plus (Japan Version)
February 5, 2006 A Dance Club Take on FPMWhereas Luxury was quite the quintessential album for lovers of Lounge tracks, Les Plus takes some of those tracks, morphs them into tracks for the club-goer and techno lover, and packages them with some great original and remixed tracks from other FPM works. This album seriously keeps you going, which is quite a creative feat in my opinion since so many of these tracks originated as lounge tunes. I really feel that this album is one with a wide range of mass appeal, no matter what style of music you normally enjoy listening to. (There are even parts where FPM borrows from country, and others based on ska- it really is quite an experience). You cant help but find yourself getting caught up in the quasi-pop beats and the catchy little melodies. This album really can be described this simply- AWESOME! And thats all that really needs to be said. The best tracks were, in my opinion, Take Me To The Disco Malibu Mix-, There Must Be An Angel (Tanimoody Mix), I Love FPM, and Honolulu, Calcutta Sunahara Yoshinori Mix-. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Grid (Japan Version)
1 people found the following helpful
February 1, 2006 An excellent album, as always!Whenever I get a new Move CD, I always get stuck on it for it days, listening almost exclusively to it. This latest offering certainly has not failed to do just that. Ever since my copy arrived yesterday, Ive been listening to it almost non-stop. I think many people are put off by this album simply because of its start. Were used to Move starting with one of their more powerful tracks as the first (or second if theres an intro track) track on the album, and this time, they chose not to do that. Personally, I love Faded, especially as an opening track. What I felt it accomplished was that it established how this album was going to concentrate more on Yuri and Motsus vocals than some of the songs on the last couple of albums have. (On almost every song on Deep Calm, it seems like youre flooded with the instrumentals and almost have to work to appreciate the vocals; that is not the case on this album.) This idea plays through the rest of the album, especially with Kimura playing so much with their voices and morphing them into voxes on so many songs. To me, overall, this album had the feeling of being an extension of the style/expression captured by Noizy Tribe on the last album. Many of the songs sound like they share a common root with this track, especially in the way Kimura tried to mix the electronica sounds with the rock riffs and beats. Having not heard the previous 4 singles, I absolutely loved listening to this album from beginning to end. I think the only song that I was really disappointed on was White Fox; it just doesnt do anything for me. I think the strongest songs on this album may be the A-sides from the previous singles, with Freaky Planet being my favorite track on the album, Disco Time a close second. As for the B-sides and new tracks, I really liked Girl(You Wanna Move) (this one's probably tied with Disco Time for my 2nd favorite- I love the continued use of Arab instrumentals on this one), Namida 3000, and Disinfected Generation. And even though I think the track Misha(skit) is a bit of a misnomer, I really loved this track. It reminded me of something from an RPG for the SNES. I think Kimuras use of those kinds of sounds on this track is really creative. So, all in all, I was very pleased with this album. I know that, with Move, you cant really say this is a good sign of things to come, because their next work may be totally different, but if they decided to settle on this style, I would have absolutely no problems with it! Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
This Is Hyony (Japan Version)
January 30, 2006 Still a good value for long-time fansIm a little split on my feelings about this release. I knew there were tracks on this album from her previous Korean ones, but I was really hoping they were all going to be re-recorded in Japanese. Most of them are not. These tracks are, however, remastered, but the differences youll hear are pretty slight. (An extra break here, another synth sound there, bass a little higher on one song, lower on another, etc ). On the other hand, GX 339-4 and Ggoom were rerecorded into Japanese; the new version of GX 339-4 was particularly cool-sounding, as well. I should also note here that the Japanese versions of the older songs are not just translated, theyve also received updated instrumentals and sometimes even new beats. If you are completely new to Lee Jung Hyun, this would be an excellent album, as you get a chance to see where her musics been, and a little preview of where its headed. The Korean songs that they chose to include really are some of her best, and have a lot of energy (though most of her music does anyways). Even if you do have all of LJHs Korean albums, though, this ones still a pretty good value because buying the two Japanese singles will cost you more than this one by itself, plus they dont include the bonus remix of Passion (which makes for 4 versions of this song now?- original Korean, remixed Korean, original Japanese, and remixed Japanese). You just have to decide if hearing Japanese versions of a few of her older songs is something you want to hear to begin with. Favorites were the updated GX 339-4, Heavy World (is that really an appropriate name for such an upbeat, boppy song?), and of course, all the Korean versions =P. (I cant help it- all the ones they included in the original Korean were already personal favorites. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Make Progress (Normal Edition)(Japan Version)
January 30, 2006 Nami can take you on an adventureMan, this girl is keeping the Eurobeat feeling alive, and shes doing it extremely well. Id never heard any of Namis music before, so this was a blind purchase for me, but its one Im glad I took the leap of faith on. This album certainly grabs you right from the beginning, and doesnt let go. Namis control of her voice impressed me for someone so young, especially since so many female artists who sing in the same style tend to be a bit pitchy. However, Nami never seems to lose her control, in spite of the sometimes rapidly changing melodies that she follows. For the most part, this album has a feel that really matches well with its title- many of the instrumentals had a future sound, something I usually like to picture as being space music. (Think Two-Mix-esque.) Its not just electronica; it has a particularly mystical and outward-searching feel. Its hard to describe, but you know it when you hear it. In addition, the songs on this album have extremely catchy melodies, especially for the choruses, so youre almost never going to find yourself sitting still while you listen to this music. Thats what I like to call entertaining. My favorites on this album were Reason, Future Step, Heroine, Kurayami Monogatari, and Reason Reproduction ~Flash Forward Mix~. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Take Over (Japan Version)
1 people found the following helpful
January 30, 2006 Certainly a sexy voiceIn a word, this album is smooth. Ryohei, who has a slightly high voice, uses it to his advantage by singing in a sort of whispered, subtle way. You wont hear this guy belt out any power notes; instead, you will hear a voice thats utterly soothing. While his overall style may be a bit too much on the boyband side for some tastes, he sort of breaks the mold a bit. I found that his songs werent really formulaic, nor did they rely entirely on a catchy chorus for their execution. He often tries to mix things up, like in the title track, during which he actually transitions into a bit of reggae rapping (it reminded me a bit of what Lisa sometimes does). Ryohei delivers constant performance and quality from the moment a song begins to its last note. I was also glad to see that almost all his lyrics are written by himself. In a few ways, hes like a male equivalent of one of my favorite singers, Misia. Their styles may not be entirely similar, but you can tell that both have a good deal of natural talent as well as a voice that you will never tire of listening to. I really liked quite a few songs on this album, but favorites (I have to pick them) were Take Over, Speedway, Game We Played, Why Not, Darling? (this ones a collaboration with FPM, and it shows in how unique this song is), and Moon Sexy (probably the most catchy track on this entire album). Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Heads or Tails ? (Normal Edition)(Japan Version)
Heads or Tails ? (Normal Edition)(Japan Version)
(1)Our Price: US$34.25Usually ships within 7 - 14 daysJanuary 30, 2006 Still looking for definitive Sowelu...Sowelu has an immediately recognizable voice, one thats quite unlike what Ive previously heard from other artists. My first exposure to her was on M-Flos So Exclusive, where her unique touch to the song certainly caught my attention. Now that Ive looked into some of her own work, Im glad to see that touch truly was her own, and not a construct of Taku and Verbal. Much of the music that youll find on this album is pretty catchy R&B, though there are a few songs which lean more towards the hip-hop side. Almost all of the tracks on this album are a collaboration in some form (either with featured artists or by being remixed by various producers. Despite this, the album still maintains a surprising amount of cohesiveness between the tracks. However, it also leaves you feeling that you havent really heard what Sowelu can really do by herself and what the vision she has for her music really is. I think that if you want to have a pure Sowelu experience, youre probably better off grabbing one of her other albums. For examples, although I really liked the track, I had to wonder where Sowelu was for much of Uh. It just left me wishing Sowelu was more of the center figure than Jun 4 Shot. Although I enjoyed listening to this album, there were only a couple of songs that really jumped out at me as noteowrthy: No Limit feat. P-CHO and her remix of Play That Funky Music, White Boy (just called Play That Funky Music feat. urb on this album).
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MONDO GROSSO best + best remixes (Japan Version)
MONDO GROSSO best + best remixes (Japan Version)
(1)Our Price: US$36.49Usually ships within 7 - 14 daysJanuary 30, 2006 Much funk, much styleThis 2-disc set is a collection of tracks albums released back when talking about Mondo Grosso meant talking about a band, not Shinichi Osawa in particular. Although these songs will, by necessity, have influences from more than just Osawa, someone whose more familiar with Osawas work wont feel at all uncomfortable alienated listening to this music. The style is very similar to his later works, the major difference being an increased presence of jazz and samba on the tracks found here. Of course, though, theyre all as funky as any of Osawas tracks. Plus, this is music thats sure to stand out in any collection. Even if you other music along the same lines, Mondo Grosso (whether youre considering the group or Osawa) is just one of those artists that clearly has their own way of doing things and creates music that is wholly their own. Dont be surprised if you buy this album set and find yourself listening to it a lot because you simply dont have anything else quite like it. This set also gets coolness points from me for having a remix made by The Roots. Some of the better tracks (original or remixed) are Souffles H (possibly Mondo Grossos most well-known song), Espirito, Alleglia, Emosau, Do You See What I See, and I Cant Go For That. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
181920 & films (CD+DVD) (Overseas Version)
January 30, 2006 Namie's first works are just as good as her latestThis collection of Namies early works is quite the classic as far as modern J-pop is concerned. The songs included on this album definitely have the trademark Tetsuya Komuro feel to them, which certainly makes them excellent and unique tracks. Of course, given the time frame that these tracks come from, youre going to find a lot of energetic music, bordering on and even incorporating Eurobeat. I found it interesting to hear how much Namies voice and approach to music really has changed a lot ever since she started going down the more hip-hop path. I found that for her slower songs, I think I like her current style a lot more, especially when she starts to add a bit of a trance influence, like in Come from the Style album. However, for upbeat tracks, I like both her newer and former approaches. Since this album has such a different sound from her more recent works, if youre only familiar with the new stuff, you shouldnt buy this album expecting the same experience, and should only get it really if you like groups like Globe, Two-Mix, etc., or eurobeat. As a last thought, I was surprised how many of the songs were actually co-written by Komuro and Marc from Globe, as well as how many were actually written by Dave Rodgers, one of the major (if not THE major) eurobeat figures. Favorites on this collection were Body Feels Exit, Youre My Sunshine, How To Be A Girl (Marc Panther of Globe actually makes an appearance in this one), and Stop The Music. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
free soul (Japan Version)
January 30, 2006 A unique voice and a unique experienceTalk about a step back in time! This collection of hits from Akiko Wada spans her career from 1968 to 1994. There are even two tracks in mono! This album presents the listener mostly with a trip through the state of pop in 60s and 70s Japan, which I found to be surprisingly close to what you would expect of American music from the same era. If you dont know, Akiko has a very deep voice for a female singer, but matched with the raspiness she has, its one that sounds particularly well-suited to the soul genre which she usually works in. However, this is not the only mode in which Akiko works. Many of her songs are also more on the blues side. Because of this mixture, there are a lot of tracks on this album with a good amount of energy, relying mostly on a good brass accompaniment. If you want something different from the mainstream, Id pick this one up. You might be surprised by how much you can still enjoy old style music. Favorites on this one were Donshaburi No Ame No Naka De, Crying Baby, Watashi Yume O Miro No, Umi Ni Nare, Last Metro, and Manatsu No Yoru No 23ji. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
LIVE ON THE NEXT WAVE 1 (Limited Edition)(Japan Version)
January 30, 2006 Osawa is A master of his genreIf you like Mondo Grosso, or house in general, then I highly recommend both of these CD sets. These live versions are not just straight re-hashes of exactly whats on the Next Wave (and other) albums. Every song is at least modified in some way, and in other cases, the versions on these CDs are completely new versions. Because of this, these CDs can almost be seen as remix albums. Also, if youre a fan of the atmosphere that comes with live albums, this set is great, because you can really here the crowd get into the music on certain, key tracks. Being a fan of Mondo Grosso, it was a real treat to hear him take his music to even new areas on each song. In addition, these albums contain some truly entertaining CD Extra content. Favorites were Shinin (Mondo Grosso Mix), Dancefloor Combat (Break Da Floor Mix), Anger (Norman Cook Club Mix)/Waitin For T (Extra Keys), Blazilian Rhyme (Fearless Mix). If you decide to buy these albums and have not done so already, I highly recommend that you also pick up a copy of Next Wave, and possibly even MG4, as the originals are just as enjoyable and will provide you with some perspective on the work that went into making these versions. One last thought: the packaging on these is GREAT; considering everything you get with these albums, they are well worth the price. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Ruppina BEST (ALBUM+DVD)(Japan Version)
Ruppina BEST (ALBUM+DVD)(Japan Version) DVD Region 2
(3)Our Price: US$29.99Usually ships within 7 daysJanuary 30, 2006 Mai's Skill is Certainly ApparentThis albums greatest feature is the smoothness and soothing sound of Mai Kudos voice, which really just puts you at ease. Hers is not a particularly strong voice, but rather one that floats through complicated melodies and transitions between highs and lows rapidly. However, the music itself, though catchy at times, is not really anything special. Overall, I found the sound to be very much like HALs, but with not as much distinction between the songs. At times, I found the songs felt like they ran into each other. This was really only true of the slower, songs, though, so perhaps the album simply needed a different track order to be more effective. This album will most likely be one that I listen to rarely (only when Im really in the mood for slower songs), but at those times, I will greatly appreciate it. Favorites on this album were Violet Flow, Faith, Proudly, and You Are. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
SUPER EUROBEAT presents Initial D Fourth Stage - D SELECTON +(Japan Version)
SUPER EUROBEAT presents Initial D Fourth Stage - D SELECTON +(Japan Version)
(2)Our Price: US$34.25Usually ships within 7 daysJanuary 30, 2006 A Great Addition for any Eurobeat FanThe biggest days of Eurobeat may be behind us, but I still love it when CDs like this one come out. Theres a very youthful innocence in the lyrics and energy/excitement in the instrumentals of Eurobeat that make a pretty special and unique style, in my opinion. This particular compilation is a really good show of that. At first, I was hoping that the songs on this album would be VERY similar to the ones from the original Initial D series albums. However, when I received the album and had a good listen, I found that they still had the overall effect, but not exactly the same approach at the older Euorbeat. And I came away from that feeling very satisfied. It was refreshing to hear this genre with some updated influences, especially the recent rock/pop mixture thats been becoming popular in Japan and has found its way onto this album. The only artist from this album that I was able to recognize was Fastway, and they still delivered just as well as I expected them to. Favorite tracks on the album are Fastway- Go Beat Crazy, Digital Planet- Well See Heaven, Symbol- Forever Young, and Nutty- Secret Love. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
P & ART MUSIC (Japan Version)
January 9, 2006 Such A Stylish OfferingLike their previous self-titled album, this one has a lot of energy, always presented very uniquely. This album, though, seems to have even more of a Western (mostly European) influence than the previous one did. I was really surprised by their version of Dancing Queen because I have never heard a version of that song that I liked, and yet they were able to accomplish that. There are a few tracks on this album that are repeats (radio edits, mostly) of tracks on the first album, but I felt that the full originals were better, and definately give a better feel than their radio edits counterparts. (This could be a reason to check out the first album, as well. The biggest difference is definitely felt on the track Pyramid.) I really do think these guys at least deserve some checking out because their music will keep you guessing, and you will love every minute of it. Favorites here were Dancing Queen, George, Panda Paragraph, Jean Amnouk Super Beauty, Burn Baby Burn (Golden Young Mood Mix), and track 24 (Hammer Saw?). Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
(miss)understood (Normal Edition)(Japan Version)
1 people found the following helpful
January 9, 2006 GREAT Return to what she does bestI am officially once again in love with Ayu's music. Though it certainly has been an interesting trip she's taken us on from & all the way through to My Story, I had felt it was a little strained at times, and even hoped she would move away from doing so many ballad-style tracks. Well, she's now back to more of a pop-standard style, and it is everything I hoped. Of course, Ayu still manages to be unique while staying true to her pop mastery. This album is also particularly succesful because of the many different styles and tempos that she uses. All in all, this album marks a very good step forward from My Story, with much catchier tunes, and much more mastered technique. Some favorites on here were Bold & Delicious (I have no idea why some people have complained about the chorus- to me, it's just so much fun), STEP you (I've always been a sucker for Ayu's rapping ever since Fly High), Ladies Night (gotta love the electrofunk feel of this track), alterna, Will, and Beautiful Day. I have to say that Will really surprised me. I think this may be Ayu's best technical performance to date. The control of her voice on this particular track was more than I expected from her. Hope there's a remix album to follow, these songs seem like they could be remixed well. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Life is beautiful (Japan Version)
January 9, 2006 Double- More than you thoughtI just have to say that this album totally changed my view of Double. Previously, I knew I liked her voice, and I liked her normal R&B tone, but I didn't paricularly think her talent or voice was anything noteworthy. I couldn't have been more wrong. This album, though a very different style than her normal music, may be the best example of her raw and true talent. The tone and style of this album is more along the lines of the jazz of the 20's and 30's, and a few of the tracks are even covers of songs from that era. Double not only sings these tracks well, but true to the style of the original artists. As a whole, I can't say that there's a track on this entire album that I didn't enjoy. For all of the tracks, it can be said that if it's not fun, it's certainly beautiful and moving. Also, I enjoyed hearing Double's personal take on Life Is Beautiful, the same track that appeared on M-Flo's Astromantic. Double's version is a bit more laid back and refreshing. Favorites on this CD were Bye Bye Baby, You Took My Heart Away (track 4 ver.), Wine Red No Kokoro, Lullaby of Birdland, and Life Is Beautiful ~Double Version~. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This)





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