2018.6.14 Recent CD Haul Mini-Reviews

Haven’t written one of these in a while. I bought these CDs in batches this time, and every time a few arrived I’d think “eh, let me listen more before writing,” and then it dragged on until now.

There’s quite a lot this time — some good discs, some really shit ones. Let’s go through them slowly.

花導のヒルフェ

An album that no matter how you listen to it sounds like “Shoujo Byou.” I didn’t look closely at the lyrics either; it’s still got that medievalish style, and not even real medieval style — “Japan’s imagined medieval style.” The songs are tightly linked, and you can listen from the first track to the last as a continuous flow.

But this album has the same problem as Shoujo Byou: after you finish it, nothing sticks.

On first listen it seems pretty good — the arrangements are good, the vocals are good, the lyrics are good… everything is good.

After you finish it, you’ve already forgotten it…

Though there was a thank-you letter from the vocalist in the disc. Seems like they worked hard, so supporting them is only right.

Sample: https://music.163.com/#/album?id=36875619

ASTRO=GRAPH

Here comes everyone’s favorite “true Shoujo Byou”…

Oh no, I mean the voice of Shoujo Byou: Mitsushiro Nakaemi’s album.

This album, man. I don’t know what to say. Because you say it’s Mitsushiro Nakaemi, but it sounds a hell of a lot like Akiko Shikata… So if you told me this was a new OP/ED image song for Umineko no Naku Koro ni, I wouldn’t be surprised at all.

The track quality is genuinely high, but it doesn’t sound like Mitsushiro Nakaemi’s usual “slightly retro rock” style at all — instead it’s a… knockoff Akiko Shikata. Well, since the album’s theme is the starry sky and constellations, the music does fit, I suppose. I didn’t check who composed it, but maybe it’s related to Akiko Shikata’s circle.

Mitsushiro Nakaemi’s singing is completely fine; it just doesn’t have that old style anymore, and doesn’t quite sound like herself. Still, this album has the best recording quality of all the CDs I bought this time — you can clearly feel the studio-level difference. Sigh, money really can do anything.

The album came with a card featuring Mitsushiro Nakaemi’s likeness. It’s okay.

But same as the previous one, nothing particularly memorable left behind. Overall it’s all good.

Sample: https://music.163.com/#/album?id=38636051

金色ラブリッチェ Complete Soundtrack

Ah, no need to say much about this one, right? The Kiniro Loveriche OST.

And this OST has no highlights either. The full OP has been around for ages; the only new thing is the full ED.

Unfortunatelythe full ED I think is also just average. The melody feels transparent, but it’s always missing something — maybe because the game itself is so melodramatic I got no resonance from it.

Buying this is just habit, like paying for a ticket after the fact.

Sample: https://music.163.com/#/album?id=38275014

Karma

An album from the master Meto. As before, the master writes a handwritten thank-you letter (or thank-you paper) to everyone who buys his albums… This isn’t a new album, but the quality is very high, inheriting Meto’s signature traits: psychedelic, void-like, and full of twists and turns.

Basically every song is worth listening to. Personally I recommend “我で無く我で無し.”

自由と銃と十三の鎖

Meto’s true complete album released at M3. As a new work it’s full of sincerity. Compared to the previous Karma, this album is more intense, psychedelic throughout, with a strong personal style. It’s hard to say which track stands out most — I feel the whole album is one entity, and listening from start to finish gives you one feeling: comfortable.

I’d recommend the entire album. Once you accept Meto’s style, this album is a feast.

If I had to pick one, this one’s better: 蓋棺のプロミネンス.

始まりを映した、色をしていた。

Why did I buy this album? I guess I had too much money and nowhere to spend it…

But overall it’s not a complete waste. Because this album has highlights — the composition and arrangement — and a flaw: the vocalist’s singing is terrible.

The vocalist, Mochikomame, sings at about the level of a generic average voice actress — the kind who can’t release records and occasionally gets asked to sing a character song.

But the good thing is that although her singing isn’t great, she doesn’t go off-key, and she “properly sings out the rhythm and breath,” so it doesn’t sound too bad. Of course, I don’t know if there was pitch correction.

Anyway, the highlight of this album isn’t the vocalist, it’s the composition and arrangement. Except for the third track which is too denpa, the rest are decent, some even excellent. But the vocalist really drags down the average — swap in a more professional singer and it’d be so much better.

Featured tracks worth recommending: ドリーミン’シティ, 始まりを映した、色をしていた. The others are fine too, except the second track.

夕焼け空のむこうがわ / ココロの設計図 / 空奏の街

I’m grouping these three albums together for a reason. First, they’re all from the circle dropnote; the vocals are the same too — one named non, one named Emii — and the composition and arrangement are the same… And most importantly, basically all the songs from this circle have the exact same style…

Yes, pretty much identical. The melodies differ, but listening overall you feel like it’s all the same.

Of course I’m not saying that’s bad, because I actually quite like this circle’s music. It’s mainly comfortable to listen to.

All the music gives you that warm feeling of “after school, classmates walking home together on a road lit by the setting sun.” There’s a bit of folk + rock, and a bit of Japanese countryside flavor. Very fresh feel.

Still can’t recommend individual tracks because the style is all so similar — pick any one and it’s about the same. But it’s genuinely not bad; good as BGM while reading.

The vocal performances are passable, but the biggest problem with these albums is the terrible recording quality. Probably the circle has no money — the earlier ones didn’t even have online sales, only at events. I had to stalk Surugaya for these three… For the new M3 releases I’ll probably have to stalk there again.

Sample: https://music.163.com/#/artist/album?id=916053

幻奏ドリームランド

If you’ve heard the extreme electronic remixes on SoundCloud, you know most of them are intense, slathering the original tracks with heavy “don-chaka” beats to make them “pump you up” — but I don’t really like that.

I bought this album because I saw YUC’e recommend it, saying she participated. But when I got it home and listened…

“It really is true that only YUC’e’s track is acceptable!”

The tracks are just don-chaka don-chaka, all kinds of don-chaka. YUC’e’s track is also don-chaka, but the arrangement is a cut above.

The rest sounds like you’re in a disco… If you want to dance on someone’s grave, bring this album.

Sample: https://music.163.com/#/album?id=38636090

私に帰る旅

The most amazing album I bought. The most consistent circle for composition and arrangement I’ve found so far isn’t Primary — it’s FROZEN QUALIA, and paired with Yumeno Yuki it’s like adding wings to a tiger. Yumeno Yuki’s singing is really solid; it was such a waste at that shitty MME. Especially MME’s idiotic “one-beat-late arrangements” — literally ruining people’s lives.

The previous Road Movie album already blew me away, and this 私に帰る旅 reaches about the same level. The style is still youthful, with both fast and slow songs, and most importantly the vocal level matches the arrangements perfectly.

I recommend buying the legitimate version of this album and listening to every track. The lyrics and composition are worth savoring carefully. Some tracks even have an R&B flavor. I have to admit Yumeno Yuki’s long notes and runs are really natural.

If I had to pick one, I recommend: 雛鳥のラプソディ. I haven’t listened to it much — only a few dozen times.

color code

This time it’s not FROZEN QUALIA but Yumeno Yuki’s solo album. Fortunately, there’s still one track on the album with FROZEN QUALIA participating — absolutely killer.

And it turns out that track is the album’s standout.

I think that one song alone is enough to give this album a high score.

Recommended track: チョコミント☆ラブ.

Finally, I have to sigh: Yumeno Yuki’s singing is fucking amazing.

SURVIVE / Last moment

Still the Yuiko + Meis Clauson combo I’ve praised before, but this single feels pretty average. There are always shadows of previous tracks — I don’t know how to put it. Maybe it’s because Meis Clauson is often hospitalized.

But the tunes are still that same vibe, above average, just no surprises.

Sample: https://music.163.com/#/album?id=38636063

サクラドライヴ

I’ve always wanted to know: is this vocalist named nayuta really good-looking?

Because if she’s not good-looking and her singing is this bad, how does she keep getting work?

I bought her previous albums too. Honestly the arrangements are passable, but her singing really isn’t good. The last one I softened a bit on, but thinking about it, that was because she collaborated with Chata and got carried.

This time, even being carried doesn’t work.

Let me be clear: this album has Nayuta collaborating with someone called Meramipop, and you can clearly hear how bad she sings — like she can’t catch her breath. In many places she can’t hit the notes and forcibly lowers them. The most, most, most, most obvious is her solo tracks, and the final so-called “Senbonzakura” — holy shit, it’s the worst version I’ve ever heard.

And nayuta’s wiki says her voice is like Aya Hirano’s. I think that’s the worst insult Aya Hirano has ever received.

This album’s composition is fine, promotion is fine, arrangement is fine, the guest vocalists are fine. Who’s the problem? Nayuta herself. Singing is terrible, voice too quiet, no breath support. If you can’t hit the notes, just don’t sing. Next time be a backing vocalist — you can’t even hear your foundation anyway. Don’t come out with that airy, transparent voice making a racket.

Sample: https://music.163.com/#/album?id=38991137

Reminisphere:ZERO

Sprite Recordings’ new album. I went for cittan*, and then… the style changed!

Changed to what? I don’t know if you’ve seen early World of Warcraft PVP videos… roughly that heavy metal style. The tracks even have all kinds of death growls. If it weren’t for the female vocals singing in Japanese, I’d think this was some European death metal band.

Still, daring to innovate is good. It’s just way too different from the previous cittan*. I wonder what he went through…

How to evaluate it? I don’t know. Maybe it’s good for heavy metal?

Sample: https://music.163.com/#/album?id=39391529

Alt.Strato

Endorfin.’s new album. Honestly… the promotion was pretty intense, saying it would create a summer feel. I’m weakest against that, so I bought it without even listening to samples.

When it arrived… how to put it, at least it’s within expectations, though it’s a bit lacking compared to the previous ones.

The whole album does have a summer style, but it’s very traditional J-pop — neither great nor bad, just right.

Also, I fucking bought an extra copy of this album. Brand new. If you want it, email me — 90 RMB, shipping included within mainland China.

Sample: https://music.163.com/#/album?id=38721088

Pinky blossom

New album from Nanahira, self-proclaimed queen of moe denpa songs. Only three tracks: the first is a ballad, the third is a mess, and the second is denpa.

The only listenable one is the second. The second is also quite creative, but the song… sounds kind of weird.

Nanahira seems to really like singing with a bunch of big dudes…

Sample: https://music.163.com/#/album?id=38636113

バタフライシーカー Memorial Music CD

Silky’s Plus’s composers all seem to be the same person, and none of it sounds good — very cheap, no matter the game. Heavy use of electronic music and synth keyboards, never adding a bit of soft class.

But this CD still has value, since it has the full OP of the game.

The full song is quite listenable. At first it seems weird, then you come to understand that style similar to the game.

Recommended: 白き闇のアラベスク

(Actually this disc has downloads, but some dumbass forum spreads pirated copies and restricts XXX mysterious stuff. Whatever, I’ll just buy it myself.)

四季彩クロニクル

I bought this album for a simple reason: the composer of the new track “恋の音” is Meis Clauson.

And in fact that song is indeed better than the two from Primary. I wonder if he recorded it when he wasn’t hospitalized.

This album is mostly a collection of past songs, mostly from Lump of Sugar, plus some original tracks, and one praising Virgo.

But the album is quite good overall. Nice selection, worth a listen.

Sample: https://music.163.com/#/album?id=38590175

ゴッドシスターズ Original Sound Track

Honestly I don’t even know this game. I bought it to make up the numbers for shipping other discs.

Looking at it, it’s another mass-produced game from some More alias. The music is actually decent; maybe I’ll find a chance to play it.

But the game is called God Sister. With a name that blunt, playing it would prove I’m a siscon, wouldn’t it? I’ve always denied that, actually.

絆きらめく恋いろは Original Soundtrack

A truly amazing OST. First, the sheer volume is amazing…

This thick, 4 CDs. Insane.

Second, the tracks are amazing. Although this OST includes the game’s OP and two EDs, I think the OST itself is the best — it perfectly defines “Japanese-style electronic music.”

The most highly recommended is CD4, which is all battle BGM. Every track is hype, every track is great, perfect as BGM while gaming — it has a cheat-code effect.

Compared to that, the game’s OP/ED don’t matter much, even though Fuyuno Sakura is on them — she went off-key again.

Sample: https://music.163.com/#/album?id=37313032

あなたに恋する恋愛ルセット Original Soundtrack

OST for last year’s game あなたに恋する恋愛ルセット. I don’t know why the official channel didn’t release an OST and instead had the composer release it under their own name. Maybe they saw poor sales and decided to give up?

But this OST’s quality is really great — as expected from Mizuki Ryou’s forte, strings and piano.

I’ve said before: “When Mizuki Ryou starts using strings, her music instantly becomes amazing.”

So she used a lot of strings on this OST, very beautiful, far above those other OSTs where she pads with piano.

Since it’s released under Mizuki Ryou’s own name, there’s no OP/ED. But Primary also sold the OP/ED separately, so now this game’s OST is complete.

将軍様はお年頃 Original Soundtrack

I remember I complained that the OST for 将軍様はお年頃 sounded like a cheap Chinese wuxia MMO. But I still bought its OST because I don’t want to see Alcot go under.

Actually, listening to the OST, it’s not bad, and many tracks would work well as phone ringtones…

But in the game these tracks don’t get much chance to shine. A bit of a shame.

Also the game’s full ED is really… quite good.

I feel like nobody will rip this OST, just like only I have the Love Rec OST. Consider this my offering to Alcot — don’t go bankrupt. Keep fighting.

I bought quite a lot of discs this time. Some felt worth every penny, some not, but overall I still think the feeling of enjoying music is great.

See you next time.

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