Idols of Avex Trax [Part 1]

Over the last 2 years, Avex, seeing the rise of popularity in female idols, has launched some groups of their own. Under Avex, unlike other labels and management; these groups tend to get excellent songs, slick looking video clips and professional dance and vocal training.

東京女子流 ♥ TOKYO GIRLS' STYLE





Tokyo Girls Style was formed in 2009 after Avex spotted a gap in the market, idol groups rising in popularity and being in demand. The girls were aged 12-14 and all 5 were quite talented, and not just a generic cookie-cutter group that we are seeing coming out these days (Girls?!! In Bikinis?!! zomg!)
They take direct influence from their early 2000's predecessor's 'SweetS', and if anybody doubted it, it was solidified in TGS's cover of 'Love Like Candy Floss' - a big hit for SweetS in 2004.



SweetS version - As you can see, the new version has been re-arranged to suit Tokyo Girls' Style's voices more, but the original is still better in my opinion. However, all of TGS's releases have been stellar quality for a group that is so young. Their determination and love for performing really show through in all their songs and PV's. This is a group that, with time, could become an unbeatable force of nature in the Jpop industry. I only hope they last longer than SweetS did, as they have the potential and youth on their side to last a very long time.

Wiki




Official Youtube




Official Website

SUPER☆GiRLS





Why are there hardly any official pics of these girls online?! They are so adorable! This is the cover of their first single, 'Ganbatte Seishun'

This is a whole new concept for Avex, taking direct influence from AKB48, but in a really, really good way. All of these girls are decent singers, they were auditioned in 2009, and 12 girls passed. I may be biased as I really like this group, but they are very cute, and put forward a energetic, happy image. They are a sunny, fun group and their first single 'Ganbatte Seishun' was released in April 2011.







This is a really great song, and while the clip is quite simple, it showcases personality and a really great bunch of girls. Their first album sold quite poorly, but that could have been because it wasn't really promoted enough. I hope they have a long stay in the Jpop market! I have a favourite already, Rika Shimura! Their 3rd single is available soon!

Official website

Official Youtube

Wiki

I have put [Part 1] as my label, because I don't think this will be the last foray into idol music for Avex Trax, I hope not, as they tend to be quite good at it, if anything, they need slightly better promotion. As some of these girls are going unnoticed!

Who is your favourite idol group? And are there any idol groups that you think need more love?

Buono! Partenza! Awesome!

Buono! New Mini-Album 'Partenza' Review.










Credit to SayuNii for the picture.

It's going to sound mean but I wasn't expecting much from this, as Hello! Project's releases have been lacking lately in style, structure and flair, but this is a perfect mini-album in a lot of ways. Including the singles 'Zassou no Uta' and 'Natsu Dakara!' and one of the B-sides for Zassou - 'JUICY HE@RT' - which were all great songs, so it's a good start. The filler tracks are very high standard for current H!P and fit Momoko, Miyabi and Airi's voices very well.




The album tracks are really good and varied, and the balance of hyper songs to slower songs (although not slow enough to call them ballads) is perfect. The quality of this mini-album is the highest I have heard from a H!P release since 10 My Me, and since 2007, quality has been slowly declining in H!P as any fan who has been around for a while would recognize.




The songs that have been released by Buono! S/mileage, Berryz and to a lesser extent C-ute (whose songs this year haven't been very good, bar 'Kiss me Aishiteru' which was fantastic) have been better than Morning Musume's releases by leaps and bounds. Whether this means Tsunku is trying to push MM back or re-assign someone else as the main draw for H!P, I'm not sure, but it is probably a good thing, as many H!P fans see MM as a bit old hat and they have been declining in popularity for a while.




I'll be buying this mini-album with my next pay as I think it really deserves our support with the quality it has. Which again, absolutely surprised me in a very good way.




Track by Track Breakdown:

1. Partenza ~ Lets Go!!! - A synthpop song complete with autotune and a starting that reminds me a little of the first few bars of MM's 'Only You' - A really interesting way to start the album, it's a different and upbeat track. The whole thing is autotuned though, so it will be interesting to hear how this sounds live. Miyabi's voice is quite suited to this. B-U-O-N-O Lets Go! A mini radio rip is here: LINK

2. Zassou no Uta - A recent single by Buono! With really interesting and different lyrics, and an uplifiting message (check out the translation on projecthello.com http://projecthello.com/buono/zassou.html) Airi sounds great in this, and it's a fun PV too. With a quite rock-like sound, Buono are getting back to basics here. It sounds fantastic, and it continues the trend of Buono! pretty much only getting very good songs, I don't think I've disliked a song of theirs so far. Official PV Here: LINK

3. FrankincenseΨ - This is a great song, with an awesome repetitive guitar riff the whole way through that keeps the cool beat of the song. Again, individual and unlike any other H!P song I have heard, this is good enough to be a single. There is still a bit of autotune, but it works here and it's only done in specific spots, and not the entire track. Miyabi sounds excellent here! For this album it's almost as if they were given extra vocal training, as they sound better than even a year or two ago. LINK

4. My Alright Sky - an Airi Suzuki solo song, the English at the start is not by her, it is by the composer of the track (credit to mm-bbs for this information). Airi's voice is often forced into high pitches that makes it squeak slightly and doesn't suit. This song is in a lower range, and it is just beautiful. A slow, ethereal sounding song that's a perfect halfway mark for this standout album. Airi's voice just keeps getting better. She does attempt some English in this and it sounds very cute. Mp3 Tube here: LINK

5. Natsu Dakara! - Buono's most recent single! A great summer song. A slightly slower song than recent releases, but a very good one nonetheless. I don't like the talking in the middle though, talking in a song usually weakens it (like a lot of No Sleeves's releases, if you want to compare..stop talking!). This isn't really a song you can dance to, but it is definitely one you could nod and sing along with. It's not my favourite single release from Buono! though. Official PV Here: LINK

6. Kia ora. Gracious. Arigatou - This is a great upbeat song that picks the album up again. This is Momoko's lead song, and she sounds fantastic. A high-pitched, fast moving track that works with Momoko's voice. This isn't as good as some of the other upbeat songs on the album, and it's a little generic, but it still works, and it's another song that I think would be good live.

7. JUICY HE@RT - A B-side to Zassou no Uta, an awesome rock-like song with hard riffs (I say rock like, as it's still quite poppy, and their vices are still pop...it IS H!P..) there is still a great rustic guitar feel with this, mixed with some synthpop overlay, but not enough to take away from the great old-school rock-pop feel of the track. They are wearing Union Jack jumpers in the PV...COME TO ENGLAND BUONO! Stop teasing us! Official PV Here: LINK

8. 1/3 no Junjou na Kanjou - A lower-range song, which I am always thankful for, as I think H!P is a bit of a squeakfest at times. This is a cover of a song by Siam Shade, which I will include the original here. It is an interesting cover for a girl group to do but it really shows their vocal range, I'd love to hear them do more songs in this range. It sounds fantastic. Which is not something I would expect from Momoko, Airi and Miyabi, who all have higher ranges, but their voices are so much better than we usually give them credit for, and this song shows it. The ORIGINAL by Siam Shade here: LINK - The Buono version is not available on youtube yet, but I am sure it will be soon so keep searching!




This is a great, great album, that any H!P fan would love, I have not heard any bad reviews so far. Hopefully, if H!P releases can start going back up to this kind of quality for regular singles and albums, it will bring a lot of disollusioned fans back, and new fans in. But, I don't know if it is just years of being let down, but I doubt that MM's new album or single will be anything like the quality put into this. Prove me wrong H!P! Prove me wrong!

Favourite Songs of the Month - July (Australian Pop Edition)

My Favourite Songs of the Moment!




So I have some different favourite songs at the moment from all different era's. Give these a listen and see if you have any recommendations for me. I am very, very into the Electro at the moment and it seems to come back every ten years after the introduction of it in the late 70's/early 80's. Especially with the New Wave/New Romantic's movement.
Firstly, my absolute favourite at the moment:







Rogue Traders - We're Coming Home. This makes me ache for Australia. This brilliant band was originally without a lead vocalist, and when Natalie Bassingthwaighte was announced as their singer. People were unsure. As she was from Neighbours and a lot of bad pop had come out of that show during the early 2000's. As it turned out though, Bassingthwaighte was a powerful singer and an absolutely explosive performer. Standing out from the generic pop of the day, Rogue Traders did extremely well with her as lead singer. Unfortunately the lineup only lasted 2 albums before Bassingthwaighte left for a solo career (which also happened to be very successful) - I was lucky to see them live during Kelly Clarkson's tour of Australia, in which they were the support act. They were absolutely incredible.







Psuedo Echo - Funky Town. This song is a 1986 re-imagining of the 1980 hit by Lipps Inc. There are not many cover songs that are better than the original, but this is definitely one of them. Psuedo Echo were an Australian Electro-pop band riding the electro wave of the 80's. A lot of people actually forget they had other songs, and actually debuted in 1982, this song was their biggest hit though. It combines punchy lyrics (which granted, they cannot take credit for, but they deliver with perfection) and practically perfect pop. This video is a lot of fun, they are all putting everything they can into their performance, and it goes to show that you don't have to spend a lot of money to have a good video.








INXS - Devil Inside. At INXS's peak, with amazing albums like 'Kick' they produced incredible hits such as this, Suicide Blonde, Original Sin, Never Tear Us Apart and many more. Michael Hutchence was an 80's style and sex icon and even though this edges on rock slightly more than pop, it showcases the incredible versatility of the 1980s, through each individual style.




So what are your favourite songs of the month?

What I Like (and Dislike) about AKB48.

What I Like (and Dislike) about AKB48.









LIKE:




I am not going to write the entire history of AKB48 here. If you are reading this entry you are probably interested in them anyway so go check out their history on wikipedia or stage48.net, or get some info from their official website, which is partially in English. (Here)




I really like the fact that they have worked their way up. Being a fan since their inception in 2006. They started as energetic theatre girls, under an indpendent record label, and under the King of Idols, Yasushi Akimoto (who also produced massive 80's girl group Onyanko Club, who are also very worth a listen) . Now, Akimoto was not stalling, he was in a sense, training them, for bigger things, that he KNEW he could get. He was also waiting and biding his time for when there was a dip in the market. As sales of Hello! Project declined, AKB48 EXPLODED onto the scene.





More idols than anyone had ever seen in one go run onto the stage, smiles, dancing, radiant, these idols were fresh faces and new heights of wota-ism were about to be seen. Akimoto markets these girls like Tsunku never could, they appear in every magazine, every commercial, every billboard, photobooks streamed onto the market. He may have started out slowly, but by 2009, AKB48 were the biggest girl group in the country, and arguably, the world.




Not just the girls make the group, the songs and dances are professional and slick, and the production is second to none. The video clips are breathtaking, and even people who do not understand one word of Japanese can get the incredible feeling put into these videos. The girls are not only very talented at singing and dancing, and have worked VERY hard to be famous, they are also fabulous actresses and convey emotion with what seems like effortless calm.





Akimoto doesn't just stop at one group, under the AKB48 blanket, is SKE48 from Sakae (of which Jurina Matsui is frequently seen in AKB48 videos, and her sister Rena Matsui is also very popular) , NMB48 from Namba and SDN48, an adult entertainment group that stands for SaturDayNight 48. In SDN48 is several former AKB48 members including Megumi Ohori, Kayo Noro and recently announced Hana Tojima, among others. I find it quite endearing that people have graduated, then decided to come back, and he seems to have no problem with that. This is something Tsunku has trouble with. Once someone has graduated, now, not like before 2009 (Elder Club Graduation) , we barely see them anymore. Which is a shame.




Hello! Project has become very formulaic and kind of boring, whereas AKB48 and the other groups are unpredictable, and new releases, groups, subgroups and solo projects are always being announced. AKB48 are on the up and up, and considering how many sales they are already making, this is a grand thing.




DISLIKE:




These girls are being used as objects of lust. Yes, it sells records to millions and millions of male fans, but the over-the-top sexuality is sometimes a bit in-your-face for female fans. While AKB48 still endear to many females, the way they are marketed is very male-centric. The boyfriend rule is something I will never agree with, but all idol groups use this, so this is not an AKB48-only thing. Idol groups and soloists have been doing it for many years, but it still a primitive and ridiculous way of treating women (and men to a lesser extent, as male idol groups have a girlfriend rule also).




Also, they lipsynch. A LOT. I think I've heard them sing live only once. Their voices all sound fine. So I don't see what the big appeal is to not actually performing live. Performing live would give them an edge that Hello! Project still has.





The monopoly on the idol music industry is something I am a bit ambivalent about. I'd like to see them have competitors. FIERCE ones, not lukewarm ones. Akimoto is currently auditioning for his own competitive group called Nogizuka46. Hello! Project will never, ever have AKB's sales. That is something Tsunku just can't seem to grasp. He has modelled himself after Akimoto, but he just couldn't quite cinch it sales-wise. Hello! Project's golden age is over, and we are currently IN AKB48's golden age. It may get better, it may get worse, but if we continue to support them through the years, there will be many more exciting things to come!




What do you like or dislike about AKB48? Or about the Idol/Jpop world in general?

Music On The Hill

Yesterday I attended a fabulous day out called Music on the Hill, which was held in West Malling, Kent. Luckily, the weather was clear blue skies and quite warm at 28 degrees. Perfect for a day full of music and activities.
I got there at about 2 O Clock, so I missed any acts that were between 1 and 2. The first act I saw were called Some Velvet Morning.





They were very good, and had a really rock-pop sound which was quite professional and slick. The lead singer had a very good voice and their sound in all was something I would definitely want to listen to again. Next up were a more hard-rock band called City Stereo.





They had a more fast-paced, energetic, rock sound then Some Velvet Morning but they were excellent. They were all absolutely going for it. Putting 100 percent into their performances. These guys really impressed me, and I am looking forward to seeing them explode onto the scene in the future. As I could see the lead singer and lead guitarist stir up teenage hormones.





Stacey Solomon and a lovely blonde girl who was hosting the day were on next and between most of the performances. I feel really bad but I cannot for the life of me remember the blonde girls name! She was a very good host though. Another host was a radio DJ named Dave Berry who was VERY entertaining and made some funny jokes, he was just a natural with an audience. Stacey Solomon also performed about 5 songs of her own. What a VOICE on that girl! I'd like to see her get a solo album sometime soon. She deserves it. Next up was an X-Factor finalist called Ben Mills.





He was very good, and performed some original songs, some covers, then came back afterwards to do some Rod Stewart covers as well. He has a real rock sound but something about him is quite gentle and it shows through his music. He was also very multi-talented, singing, playing the keyboard and the guitar all at different intervals. He had quite a large fanbase going from children right up to grandparents. He was a good choice for this event and got a lot of people cheering.
Next up were the reason I was there. ABC!





Martin Fry was FANTASTIC. I think the only other ones who were members of the original band were the drummer and the lead guitarist. Their sound was incredible, and they had a young guy doing the saxophone who really made the songs pop. Fry still sounds amazing and his voice hasn't wavered at all. It still has that smooth, sexy sound. They played a lot of their big hits from the 80's and the crowd was going crazy for them. There was this kid standing next to me who kept trying to get Martin to wave at him, which annoyed me because he didn't even know the songs. Martin Fry was looking slick in a suit, which must have been boiling as it was a very hot day.




I did not stay for Bjorn Again as I am not an ABBA fan. This was a really fun day, and at only 25 pounds, the quality of the music acts was a bargain, with all the profits going to charity. A really well put on day and I hope it continues to be successful in the future!

Chou Wonderful! 6 Review

℃-ute (キュート)






℃-ute have invoked a much more adult sound in their 6th album, which I would argue to be one of their best, if not the best, they have released so far. The Airi and Maimi show has lessened, and we get to hear the amazing voices of Chisato, Saki and Mai more often. ℃-ute are sounding like their voices have been thoroughly worked out, as they are all sounding like divas in this fantastic album. There are less cute tracks and more mature sounding tracks. Which I think now, that their youngest member Mai, is 15, they can start pulling off more often.

As a 5 member unit. Their voices sound great together, and a lot of people who have never bought a ℃-ute album or single before are starting to. As a result, their sales are going up massively. I hope that they hit a number 1 soon, as they really, really deserve it. I'd also like to see them, and other Hello! Project acts to get Kouhaku, as they seem to have been forgotten in recent years.

This album is the epitome of pure pop fun, and the new grown-up, yet still youthful sound of ℃-ute is a phenomenon that I hope sells them a lot of records. Please listen to this Chou Wonderful album if you can! I have included radio previews or youtube versions of the tracks I can find.




Track by Track Breakdown





1. 超WONDERFUL！ (Chou Wonderful!) - This is an upbeat, fast song that is almost even-line distribution. It's a good introduction, with a really 'get up and dance!' kind of vibe, which sets the pace for the rest of the album.




2. Midnight Temptation - a high-energy song that also has even line-distribution, which is nice to see. The girls voices are a bit echoed and whispered, giving them a different effect, there's also a heavy hit of synth that pulses through this track, which is fantastic. There's also a minimum of high pitched tones in this song, which is a really great change. Chisato does a few very belting lines too. Radio Preview Here




3. Kiss me 愛してる (Kiss Me Aishiteru) - An EXCELLENT A-side that really catapulted C-ute to the front. Their strong vocals, coupled with the new promotion of Chisato, who is pushed almost as much as Airi and Maimi in this, makes for a really new and fresh sound. Also, the non-stop style of the instrumental makes this a very powerful and punchy track. Official Video Clip Here




4. いざ、進め! Steady go! (Iza, Susume! Steady go!) - A medium-paced song led by Saki, which is nice to hear as she isn't exactly super-promoted in C-ute. She sounds very good. A lot of 'Whoah Whoah Whoahs!' in this. An individual song that doesn't really sound like any other C-ute track. The instrumental break in the middle coupled with the 'yays!' make it a bit generic though. I think I could say this is the weakest song of the album, which is a shame, because Saki is my favourite from C-ute!




5. ルルルルル (Rururururu) - A slow sounding ballad song, that Airi leads, this is a song that really showcases their vocals. They still have a certain high-pitched sound, which I am sure is a result of the key they are having to sing in, which sounds mostly good in this, except for a few certain parts, where they could stand to sing lower. When C-ute sing low, they sing sweet. They have nice voices, but this needs to be in a lower key for it to be exceptionally pleasing.




6. 別れたくない… (Wakaretakunai…)- A synth sounding, boppy song that Chisato leads. Her voice is argueably the best of C-ute. This particularly suits Chisato's voice, as it's a bit slower and a bit lower. She sounds really good here, as do the rest of C-ute. This is better than ルルルルル and would suit an energetic break in Concerts as even a Chisato solo. Which is what this really should have been.
Vocal Cut Version Here




7. 会いたいロンリークリスマス (Aitai Lonely Christmas) - Another excellent A-Side from C-ute. This is the song that was used in the 9th generation Morning Musume auditions. Everyone sounds exceptionally good in this, again, Chisato shines, really supporting the others with her voice, as she has depth that Airi and even to an extent, Maimi, do not have. The oddness of the instrumental break, which is very much channeling the 80's, gives it a really unique feel too. A fantastic song. Official Video Clip Here


8. Circle - Another slower song, led by Mai! Underappreciated, Underloved Mai. Her voice is still very cute. This is a simpler song, with an understated instrumental, of course still a bit of synth, because C-ute bring all the synth to the yard. It's not super memorable though. It's very sweet, but forgettable.




9. Danceでバコーン! (Dance de Bakoon!) - This is what we are talking about! A fantastic, upbeat, funky song that is very much for dancing. The Airi and Maimi show is on in this track, but we still get to hear snippets of Saki/Chisa/Mai. The translation, on project-hello.com, shows the lyrics as being fun and youthful, just about wanting to dance! It's also a bit more traditional music wise, with thumping guitar and less synth than C-ute usually have in their music. A great A-side from C-ute! Ja ja ja! Official Video Clip Here




10. 3 Ban Home 3 Ryoume ３番ホーム ３両目 (3 Ban Home 3 Ryoume) - A funky, R'n'B infused song that is lead by Maimi. With a slower beat and a 'head bopping' kind of feel. This song has a few really nice vocal breaks too, with a twist in the instrumental and Maimi's excellent vocals shining through. Radio Preview Here




11. キャンパスライフ〜生まれて来てよかった〜 (Campus Life ~Umarete Kite Yokatta~) - A really uplifting track. Just a feel-good song. Hardly any synth in this. More focused on traditional instrumentals. Which is a nice change as well. This isn't as powerful as Kiss me Aishiteru or Dance de Bakoon, but it is still a pleasant song. Official Video Clip Here




In conclusion, if you are a new C-ute fan, I would actually start here and work backwards, it's a really good album with some kicking A-sides and some excellent album tracks. We could all stand to listen to more C-ute!




Chou Wonderful 6 Jacket Photography making of part 1.




Chou Wonderful 6 Jacket Photography making of part 2.




Kiss Me Aishiteru Dance Practice.

Ribbon no Kishi ~ The Musical ~

Ribbon no Kishi ~ The Musical 2006 ~



Starring Morning Musume & Biyuuden


Hitomi Yoshizawa - Prime Minister of Silverland
Miki Fujimoto - The Witch Hecate
Ai Takahashi - Prince/Princess Sapphire
Makoto Ogawa - Baron Nylon
Risa Niigaki - Lady in waiting/Knight Nouveau
Eri Kamei - Lady in waiting/Knight Torteau
Sayumi Michishige - Lady in waiting/ Talent Scout Rue
Reina Tanaka - Lady in waiting/ Talent Scout Riziere
Koharu Kusumi - Prime Minister's son/King of Silverland

Rika Ishikawa - Prince Franz of Goldland
Erika Miyoshi - Gaoler/Lady in waiting
Yui Okada - Gaoler/Lady in waiting

Marcia - Queen consort of Silverland
King/God - Kaoru Ebira

Nozomi Tsuji - Gaoler (In certain performances)
Natsumi Abe / Aya Matsuura - Prince Franz (In certain performances)

This is the story of Sapphire, played by Ai Takahashi, who is born with the soul of both a boy and a girl. She is known to the public as Prince Sapphire, however her body is of a woman. Her father, the King of Silverland, has her in mind as his heir, and, as a woman, she would have to forfeit the throne.

Disguised as a flaxen-haired princess, she decides to attend a dance that only happens once a year in Silverland, and happens upon the Prince of Goldland, Franz, played by Rika Ishikawa. Who falls helplessly in love with Sapphire at first sight. Not knowing about her dilemma.

The Prime Minister of Silverland, played by Hitomi Yoshizawa, is desperate for power for her son, played by Koharu Kusumi, who is next in line for the throne of Silverland if Sapphire does not have any heirs. The Prime Minister asks the witch Hecate, played by Miki Fujimoto, for a truth serum, which she tricks Sapphire's mother, the Queen of Silverland, played by Takaruza actress Marcia, into drinking. After which she reveals Sapphire's secret. After a fight that goes wrong that kills the King of Silverland, the Prime Ministers son seizes the throne.

Sapphire's mother is dying, and when Hecate returns to bribe Sapphire for her mothers life, in exchange for her female soul, Sapphire takes it, and returns to the castle of Silverland to fight Franz and the Prime Minister for her right to the throne.

This musical is extremely well-cast, with each Hello! Project member fitting into her role perfectly. Ai Takahashi as the star is an excellent choice, as she is dedicated to the role and has an electric stage presence. I was particularly surprised at Koharu's acting skills, and think she suits the stage more than being in a girl group. Rika's lowered voice sounds fantastic, and she sounds much better singing in a lower register. Also included in this musical is Erika Miyoshi and Yui Okada from Biyuuden, who, while they have very small roles, do very well with what they are given.

This musical marks Makoto Ogawa's graduation from Morning Musume, and the end was quite sad as particularly Ai and Risa, fellow 5th generation members, were crying a lot. I only have high praise for this musical as extremely enjoyable, particularly well produced and a lot of fun. All the girls have clearly worked very hard and it shows, as the slickness of the production doesn't falter.

Natsumi Abe, Aya Matsuura and Nozomi Tsuji all had appearances in this musical during it's run. Abe and Matsuura playing Prince Franz, and Tsuji playing a gaoler, an extra character that isn't included in the last day. From the clips I have seen of these versions, all do very well, in particular Matsuura, who I am disappointed she didn't get a smaller role in the days she didn't play Franz, as Rika did (as a lady in waiting).

I am now eager to watch Cinderella the Musical. Morning Musume, particularly Ai Takahashi, have shown their strength in theatre, and I hope that more musicals are to be announced in the future.

The Hallyu Wave

Korean Pop Invasion!




Over the past 2 years, a change has been coming over the pop music industry, Korean pop has started to infiltrate the airwaves all over the world, but especially China and Japan. K-pop has a difference to Jpop as in the musicians, if they are manufactured, have been trained for a long period of time before their debut. So their singing and dancing skills are often slick and very well executed.

Korean pop music is extremely well produced. Synth is highly used, along with phat basslines and a perfect combination of good vocals and a melody that makes you bop your head. A big difference I have also noticed is, that most Kpop singers can actually sing, and have musical talent. Japanese pop seems to take looks/personality over vocal talent a lot of the time, whilst almost all the Kpop I have listened to, I have not heard a note out of place. Now, while that may come down to auto-tuning, and I am sure in a lot of cases it is, there is only so much you can improve someone's voice before it becomes unrecognizable. Try listening to Erina Mano or Koharu Kusumi. They sound very, very average even after being autotuned. So it's not an implement to be used to improve them so they sound like Mariah Carey. More to fix up the naff notes.

The training for becoming a Korean Pop Idol is extremely hard and sometimes unsurity kicks in, as a lot of highly trained people never get to debut. The people who do, get hand picked by the agenices/record companies, and even after that can sometimes be dropped. It's a very stressful life.

Considering the fact that so many K-pop groups are becoming very famous in Japan right now, including Girls' Generation, 4minute, Kara, T-ara, SHINee and many more, Jpop is going to have to up their stakes to compete with the highly professional sound and extremely polished performances that these ultra-talented young stars are bringing to the industry. Considering Japan, Korea and China have always been extremely competitive, I have no doubt that we may see some Kpop influenced songs and bands coming out over the next few years in China and especially, Japan.

Japan is going to have to put their obsession with cuteness and youth aside for a second if they are going to compete with Korea. As Kpop has a much more mature look and sound, which in turn, attracts a much more intelligent audience. In Japan, girls as old as 25, and as young as 12, are being portrayed as schoolgirls and objects of lust to try and sell more records, which attracts a very weird and often perverted audience.

While in Korea, girls and boys are recruited as young as 9-10 years old, and trained for upto 7 years before they debut. Long, long hours of dancing and singing training. As a result, they are experienced beyond their years once you see them on the television and hear them on the radio, as opposed to Jpop stars, who are auditioned and given fast-track training, and as a consequence, a lot of them are very under-par when they are first seen, and, due to the nature of the industry, the bands (or members within the band) are usually so short-lived that we never get to see them at their best.

I think Japan could take some really good tips from Korea in the way of music. The question is, how long will this wave last? Will it become a great point in repairing relations between Japan and Korea? Or will it just be a temporary fad that will fade out with time?

Sun Ghost Debut Album

Love, Hurt & Paradox.





SUN GHOST

Sun Ghost bring together experienced musicians and vocalists with an obvious passion to making very likeable sounding music. This debut album is not only extremely well put-together, but also as good as anything you would expect to buy in the shops, and better than a lot of the bands that seem to be debuting on major record labels these days. Their music flows effortlessly and sounds expensively produced. As a band, their influences are not completely obvious, they sound unique, which is rare in the music industry these days.


Listening to the album a second time, I enjoyed it even more than the first, as it seems like every time you listen to it, you discover something new. Which is what we are all looking for from music, originality and a desire to listen again and again. Their lyrics are exceptionally good, brilliant in their storytelling value and very poetic (and I love the Julie Andrews reference in 'Tornado, Tornado')


All in all, this album is very worth buying, and at a very reasonable and affordable price of US$5. This album, Love, Hurt & Paradox, puts together what all musicians hope for, a fantastic debut.

Track by Track Breakdown

1. 21 Jigawatts - An eclectic mix of guitar and drums near the start, that continue in an infectious loop, with slick vocals and unique lyrics that centre around a space theme, a slight jazz undertone shows itself about 3/4 of the way through. This is a fantastic opener to this album, whetting your apetite for more.

2. Coopers Song - Starting on a brilliant riff of what sounds like an electric guitar and drum snare, this is making music sound unique again. A quick paced and long beginning that glides into smooth harmonies, crossover vocals and a slight throwback to 80's rock, this song make you want to rewind and listen again as soon as it's finished.

3. Can't Love You - Jumping straight into vocals, the lead singer shows strength and emotion usually only invoked by vocalists that have been established for a very long time. With a tender side that glows through especially in this track, the popping of the drums and guitars at exactly the right time bring a wholeness to it all. After the second listen I was singing along.

4. Jump Into the Lake - A beautiful, slow beginning, which leads into a catchy chorus, which, mixed with instrumental pauses and background vocals that mirror the guitar riffs, make for a song that you want to sing along to, but you don't know all the words yet. A chilled-out sounding track.

5. Photo Radar Blues - An almost silent introduction that breaks with one chord, broken up again by what sounds like a steel drum, the start of this song is almost hushed, a brilliant combination of instruments that just seems to work. Slightly angsty lyrics and feel to parts of this one, although that's lightened by the claps in the bridge and the thick vocals of the chorus. The vocals get stronger as the song continues.

6. My Theoretical Favourite Person - Jumping straight into slow vocals, that's broken by a drum beat and a beginning that made me nod my head. Brilliant. Sun Ghost have mastered the art of instrumental pauses and injecting different sounding riffs into one song, which shouldn't work, but totally does. The feel-good track of the album.

7. What Aren't You Telling Me - A slower song, and soulful vocals that are backed up with slowly rising guitar and drum beats. The vocals rise by the second verse, bringing out the skills and raw power of the lead vocalist. This song showcases the way the band works together as a unit, and it really shows how advanced they are in music making.

8. Tornado, Tornado - Starting with an awesome riff and building to a fully blown melody, the vocals are second to the fantastically powerful beat of the music in this track. Energetic and something you know would sound amazing live. Dropping the beat a little in the bridge, in picks up again in the chorus, which just gets you excited every time the beat drops, as you know that incredible beat will start up again soon. I found myself doing air guitar to this track. It's brilliant. The drums pack a powerful punch near the end, bringing this album to a delightful close. My favourite song of the album.

Sun Ghost Official Website


Buy the album HERE


Sun Ghost Official Twitter


Sun Ghost Official Facebook

Make sure to check Sun Ghost out. They are a band that is sure to break the big time!

Morning Musume and Hello Project

モーニング娘。 * ハロー!プロジェクト





The origins of my fandom in Hello! Project are fairly tame. Mid 2001 I started watching subtitled Anime (particularly Sailor Moon) and loved it, part of the whole experience was listening to the many songs that were included in the opening titles, ending credits, and image songs for all the different characters. I listened to the soundtracks many a time, and even more when I found Sera Myu, which was like the holy grail for Sailor Moon fans.


This is the typical story for most J-pop fans, finding it through Anime, then getting obsessed and not watching Anime or reading Manga for a long time afterwards, as you are too busy trying to listen to every J-pop artist around at the time. I first found Ayumi Hamasaki, another very common artist for people to start with. This was 2003, and I absolutely loved her. I looked up similar artists and found Kumi Koda and BoA this way.


Late 2003, I started completely by accident, upon some pictures of a girl band that I thought were very pretty. I was always a fan of female vocalists and girl bands, and looked them up by saying something like '12 member Japanese Girl Band' - Of course, at the time, the only girl band with that many members was Morning Musume.


I looked them up online and found a few music videos, also found out a song called 'Roman ~ My dear Boy' was their most current release. I promptly bought a few DVD's of theirs that chronicled their music videos up to the time, and a concert, which I remember vividly was '2002 Love is Alive! - Maki Goto's graduation. I watched that first before any of the music video DVD's, and was promptly BLOWN AWAY.


This concert blew my mind. I remember being absolutely fixated on all the members and speechless at the enormity and extravagance of it all. The 5th generation members were my favourite at the time, and Risa Niigaki especially struck me. Being quite close to all of them in age I was just amazed that girls the same age as me could perform as good as that. I rewatched that concert so many times before I realized I could buy loads more concerts, but still to this day, that is the best Morning Musume concert I have ever watched.


Shortly afterwards, my PV DVD's arrived and I invited a few friends over to watch them with me. Again, immediately, Yuko Nakazawa stood out as being particularly beautiful and talented. We were head over heels with her, and intoxicated with the cute and funky poppy songs, and with the consistently changing member lineup. We learned all of their names especially quickly, as they all have such individual looks, it wasn't hard. We were only mixed up between KagoTsuji for a very short period of time. As they actually look nothing alike. But when someone dresses them indentical with mirrored hair, it can get a bit difficult.


As the time went past, we got into all the different Hello! Project groups. At that time, Berryz Koubou were in their infant stages, but I still found them incredibly talented and liked them from the get go. C-ute didn't exsist until 2005, but I liked them too (not as much as Berryz though.) Also Otomegumi/Sakuragumi, Shuffle Units, Country Musume, Coconuts Musume (who already by then was just Ayaka and Mika, very soon only to be Ayaka) and the soloists, Maki Goto and Aya Matsuura being the two biggest at the time. All this bubblegum pop was swirling around in my head and to be honest, I got a little obsessed.


I bought Shirts, CD's, DVD's, Musicals, funny little accessories, rare items, got a fringe cut that made my face look silly but I wanted it anyway because everyone in Morning Musume had a fringe (even Risa by then.) My favourites at the 2004 period were: Risa Niigaki, Hitomi Yoshizawa, Miki Fujimoto and Kaori Iida. Brilliant girls, and I really envied Miki's brilliant voice.


What I always thought was ridiculous, is that they are not allowed to have boyfriends, or even friends who are boys at any time, because they have to be perceived as 'available' (this is the same of many idols, even to this day, AKB48, Idoling!!!, etc)


This, unfortunately encourages what is known as the 'wota' - extreme fans who collect everything about their favourite girl and have a delusional vision that she could one day be his girlfriend. If you have ever seen any videos of these people, they are quite..sad, and will probably never get a real girlfriend because of their lonely habits. They hang around with packs of other wota, worshipping their idols like they were 15th century monarchs.


It's unhealthy and it's weird, it's bad enough if the wota were of similar ages to the girls, or even in their mid to late twenties. But they aren't, they are older, 30s, 40s, 50s, now, it's fine to be a fan at any age of course, but to think that your favourite Girl Band member will drop everything to elope with you one day is very, very sad, and should not be encouraged.


I was shocked at the low sound of the cheering from my first Morning Musume concert, and we didn't understand that the male fanbase often scare a lot of the female fanbase out of the concerts from their annoying and pathetic habits. I say the girl fans need to take back the concert majority! Take on the wota!


As the years went by, my fandom of Morning Musume seemed to go down, and peaked at Kanashimi Twilight, I have not been such a big fan since that time. Hitomi leaving and Koharu becoming a front girl was a big drop for me, and my focus seemed to shift to Berryz Koubou, who have not had a member change since Maiha Ishimura left. These girls are extremely talented and all have pretty good voices, Miyabi Natsuyaki and Yurina Kumai, in my opinion, being the strongest vocally.


Their songs have been consistently good since their debut in 2004, and their dancing and concerts have only gotten better. Since they have been such a strong unit for such a long time, I feel that if one left, which may happen pretty soon as they are all adults now. It may break the strength, although C-ute seemed to be fine after 3 members leaving, and they are probably better without Kanna Arihara, Erika Umeda and Megumi Murakami, although they all contributed at the time, it is no point staying if your heart isn't in it, as it will show right through your performance.


As of 2011, we now have 4 new 9th generation members in Morning Musume, the first upbeat and happy single since 'Ambitious! Yashinteki de ii jan' (which wasn't very well put together anyway, this feels like a better production), Berryz Koubou have just had their strongest and maybe even their best album ever (7 Berryz Times) and are about to perform in the USA. C-ute have had an incredible single (Kiss Me! Aishiteru) and what I am anticipating to be a fantastic album, full of their electro-infused dance tracks that they have become so good at. Smileage, even though I am not too fond of them, are gaining sales and popularity with each single, and hopefully one day, when they stop sounding like 8 year olds (>.>) will become strong in their own right.


As for soloists, since Tsunku took the rash (but probably correct, looking back) decision to graduate the entire elder club (any graduated MM members plus Aya Matsuura) from Hello! Project and move them to their own fan club called M-Line. There seemed to be a gap in the Hello! Project for great solo vocalists. Erina Mano took the stage in 2008 and debuted under a major label in 2009. While she is not terrible to listen to, I can see big potential in H!P's newest soloist. Yuu Kikkawa.


She was in the finalists for 8th generation, which Aika Mitsui passed, and was instead put into H!P Eggs, getting experience from performing in the Milky Way unit with Koharu Kusumi and in exclusive H!P egg concerts, everyone was surprised when it was announced she would be debuting under a major label with the song 'Kikkake wa YOU!' a play on her name.


Watching the video, it is clear a lot of work has gone into it, and while I am kind of a little sick of the 'child woman' angle (she is almost 20) - I can see why she is going to be very popular. She's cute and has a very sweet voice.


Now that Eri Kamei (one of my favourites) JunJun and LinLin have graduated from Morning Musume, and Ai Takahashi is going to graduate in September. A lot hinges on the new generation of Morning Musume, will a 10th gen audition be rushed through? 4th, 5th and 6th gen were all added in quick succession. Does that mean over the next few years we will see an onslaught of new faces and Morning Musume will become fun again? As Ai Takahashi's graduation will leave a big hole, a BIG hole in Morning Musume, maybe the biggest since Natsumi Abe graduated. The difference is that Natsumi had a solo career to fall back on. Ai doesn't. Will they finally give her the solo career she so deserves? Or will she fade into obscurity like so many others before her?


I hope to see Hello! Project gaining sales and popularity faced with J-idol giant and superseller AKB48.


The future of Hello! Project is bright!