As expected, we get a blood-pumping opening song from Master かたほとり who can't seem to stop leveling up his 萌えソング skills. Although it's officially announced as an album, eagle-eyed fans will notice that tracks 4 and 5 were already released on the splendid 『プチリズムふぉお///』 and 『プチリズムさん！』 respectively, which you'd assume ちぃむｄｍｐ☆ fans already own. Oh well, even if this new release only had 4 tracks it'd still be worth it! Since it's being released at 500円 it's a moot point either way. As an added bonus, those who purchase the album at M3 will get チロル chocolate!
It's been over a year and a half since the C77 release of the still-amazing 『ゴキゲン77ﾟ↑』but Princess ななひら hasn't gotten any less busy, lending her beautiful voice to dozens of sweet doujin albums since (not to mention a couple of commercial efforts). But for those of us looking forward to a full-on solo effort, now is the time to rejoice! Introducing her second album 『MagiQute!!』 set to be released on April 30th 2012 at the spring edition of M3-2012. Check out this fantastic sampler!
Everything's in place to ensure a high-quality album, from the requisite Satsuki-powered opening tracking to a fabulous きくお composition. ポヤッチオ circle owner and accomplished composer かたほとり mentions on his blog that they made an effort to reach out to new music fans out there, so they brought in various composers that contributed in their own way. The end result is jam-packed with lovely 萌え/電波 songs, so this is mandatory owning material for all denpanosekai readers!
Here's the tracklist, including composers and lyricists. Note that the last track is actually a cover of a 春歌ナナ song, a UTAU based on her voice! The same thing happened back in December 2011 on 『プチリズムふぉお///』. Really nifty way to re-introduce a (very good) song!
Update: Full version and PV of the song 「爆発！ラブパニック！」 was just released. Deadly denpa poison! Stellar きくお composition and out-of-this-world performance from our darling ななひら!!
Although most doujin artists prefer waiting until the last possible moment before announcing their new M3/Comiket albums, おでんぱ☆スタジオ seem to enjoy bucking that trend and give an importer-friendly early heads up about their upcoming releases. M3-2012春 is happening on April 30th 2012, which is also when おでんぱ☆スタジオ is set to publish their eighth official release, namely the third mini-album 「おでんぱ☆学園 初等科」. Here's the tracklist along with the just-released crossfade sampler!
おでんぱ☆身体測定
DokiDoki調理実習
つるつるぺったん娘体操～世界つるぺた協会公式体操～
ぺろぺろちゅっちゅぺろりっちゅ！
つるぺたは世界を救う～ピコピコmix略してつるピコ～
でぱらじ☆せぶんす
We've seen とろ美 and 井上みゆ making guest appearances on the past two releases and this new mini-album extends the sequence, in a big way! First we have a non-vocalist collaboration with none other than サエキけんぞう (Kenzo Saeki) a famous producer coming all the way from the glitzy 80s. Lately's he's been involved with underground otaku/idol events, including J-GEEK which our very own mandi had the chance to cover. His role here involves lyrics about "body measurements", but the opening song 「おでんぱ☆身体測定」 also has strong ska-punk overtones so maybe he also contributed to the songwriting aspect.
The next two songs are all-odenpa, all-insanity. But track #4 「ぺろぺろちゅっちゅぺろりっちゅ！」 takes it up a notch or three with the introduction of two perorians 桃箱 and ななひら! Wow, talk about an out-of-this world guest collaboration! Quite a brutal track as well, ひろて～ definitely wanted to raise the tension here (maybe even start a moshpit). The sampler ends with a superb "picopico" remix of 「つるぺたは世界を救う」 but rest assured that a new deparaji episode will be included.
MOSAIC.WAV are probably hard at work on their next release and summer shows as we speak, but that doesn't mean they can't have share their tremendous creativity and contribute songs to other people's albums. They've announced a couple of collaborations not long ago to tide us over until their next big thing comes out.
First we have something that was definitely unexpected. We don't recall MOSAIC.WAV and 清竜人 sharing the stage together or publicly mentioning any affinity for one another, but somehow our Akiba Heroes got a call from this 22-year-old singer/songwriter requesting a composition for his new album 『MUSIC』 slated to release May 9th 2012. Though he mostly sings over folksy music, he has had very interesting songs in the past. A rough sample for the upcoming single 「CAN YOU SPEAK JAPANESE」 (featuring Yui Horie!) also signals a potential shift towards a funny-poppy style, for this particular album anyway.
One more unexpected surprise? ave;new head honcho a.k.a.dRESS will also be composing the second track 「インモラリスト」! Should be a very interesting album indeed, preorder now or at least keep an eye out for this one.
The next one we've known for quite a while, but it's exciting nonetheless to see confirmation coming from MOSAIC.WAV's side. As the title indicates, 「お断りします -Dempa ga Tenkomo remix-」 will be a remix of Lord Satsuki's smashing Summer of 2010 Miku-hit 「お断りします」. This song was already released on the major album 『ニコ生モラルハザード』 in late 2011, performed by the lovely ゆづか姫, but this MOSAIC.WAV remix shall prove interesting nonetheless. Don't worry, we'll have some actual coverage of Satsuki's new all-初音ミク album 『人畜無害』 which comes out May 30th 2012, until then make sure you preorder it!
Here we go again! Last year we kicked off the article by taking a look at the Japanese poll, but it seems this year's event was cancelled due to lack of time by the owner (I know that feel, bro). Still, a crying shame when you consider that this website held polls every year since 2003. Here's hoping someone takes over for 2012. However, that still leaves the 2ch 2011 Eroge Poll with a few Denpa picks, but mostly total domination from KOTOKO, Duca and of course 榊原ゆい. Here's the video compilation on Nicovideo.
So, short of having a Japanese top 10 to compare with, we thought we'd invite a Japanese writer to give his comments on our picks! Introducing our good buddy mossya, who's been a fan for quite some time. He contributes to a great blog (take-subの日記) on which he posts his M3/Comiket gets, as well as multiple MoeElectroDenpa mixes which are quite popular. Obviously this guy knows what's up so Mandi and I are glad to have him on board. That said, here's our 2011 sampler!
denpanosekai: Zero-Shaft had a tremendous year and really, any of their ロリっ！ songs could have been a contender. This one just happened to have a nice intro and ココ on vocals, which is always a big plus. mandichan: The dark humor of the lyrics balances out the cuteness of the vocals. A fun song that makes a good representative for the series as a whole. mossya: ロリっ！ソングに定評のあるZero-Shaft。完全合法です！2011年、素晴らしい企画力と物凄い作曲量で萌電波ソングを量産してくださいました！納得の一位です。この曲に関しては何より語りが致死的ですね！ココさんに罵られたい！お兄ちゃんとか呼ばれたい！！！ほああああ！！！！
denpanosekai: Another year, another big album for the beautiful ちぃむｄｍｐ☆ girls. How will they be able to top this one in 2012? Time will tell! In the meantime, they've also released a couple of drama albums which are also worth checking out. This song was composed by Lord Satsuki and nicely conveys the feeling of a playful day at the beach. mandichan: ちぃむｄｍｐ☆ has been a blessing for denpa fans, continuing the welcome trend of original denpa groups, as opposed to those focused on Touhou or other derivative works. mossya: 桃箱さん＋愛原圭織さんのユニット。作曲はさつき先生！いつもよりキラキラしてます。歌詞もきゅんきゅいで素晴らしいですね。作詞は七色ビタミンのちなさん！このアルバムには"らじおONAIR♪"って曲も入ってるけど、桃箱さんのラジオはM-waveで金曜夜８時からです！ネットでも聴けるよ！(桃箱のmofumofuらじお)
denpanosekai: After a collaboration with とろ美, おでんぱ☆スタジオ didn't skip a beat and released a new single featuring 井上みゆ. We went with this one because they released a PV along with it, but it also highlights BB.Lemonade's unique style. mandichan: This song can and will get stuck in your head! Just be careful about singing it in public! These guys have some of the wildest lyrics I've ever heard. mossya: 性的ですね！！！所謂キャラメルダンセン的なループ→廃人コースの電波ソング！なめこを知らない海外の人がこのPVをみたら発狂しますね。知ってても発狂しました！！！最近のアルバムはゲストボーカルも豪華だけど、トラックのクオリティも高くて素晴らしいです。
denpanosekai: 白石なごむ and きくお are a dream team in my eyes, so here's hoping songs like this (and the ones featured on 『ぱらのいあ☆らヴ』) are just the beginning. The gratuitous abuse of the はいはいはい singalong is pure icing on the cake. mandichan: Nagomu is great, and this song makes a fine introduction to her currently unfortunately small library of music. I would love to hear this one live! mossya: マジでもっと評価されるべきユニット！！！でも一般受けしづらいのもなんとなく分かるのです。むっちゃ濃いからね！やっぱエロゲとかとタイアップしつつも今まで通り商業主義に絡めとられない曲を作り続けてほしいですね。応援してます！
denpanosekai: Not really familiar with nana(sevencolors) as a composer, but when samples for this album were first released, I remember being blown away by the opening track! Of course with ななひら on vocals, you're in for an out-of-this-world experience. The プチリズム had two great albums this year (as well as a re-release of the first one) so that's a lot of songs to choose from, but this one was a no-brainer. mandichan: As always, this series is full of memorable songs, making it tough to chose. The arrangement builds up well and showcases Nanahira's voice to its fullest. mossya: プチリズムシリーズは神…！
denpanosekai: Perhaps what I like most about でんぱ組.inc is that they bring a human dimension to denpa songs. The girls are real and in-your-face, which is not something you can get from your favourite doujin vocalist. It's been a long road to the debut full album, but it was worth it! Having 小池雅也 and 前山田健一 on board kinda helps, too. mandichan: Although Dempagumi.inc has been around for a while, this year it feels they finally really came together as a group. I'm glad that they finally released an album so those who can't come see them live can join in the fun... but if you have the chance, come see them, or at least check out their newly released live DVD! mossya: 2011年はアイドルが日本の一般社会で市民権を得た年でしたが、それでもでんぱ組がオタク的なアンダーグラウンド感を保って活動しているのには好感が持てますね。この曲をAKBが歌ったとしても決して電波ソングには為り得ないのです！！！
denpanosekai: Not sure what can be said about ave;new projecto that hasn't been said already. どれちゅ has this formula down to a science, even though we've been seeing more and more experimentation lately. While somewhat more "traditional", this Twin Angel OP is still absolutely insane and great primer material for those new to the genre. mandichan: I would prefer to feature 気まぐれ?つんでれ～た～, but me and denpanosekai couldn't see eye to eye on that one. Still, this one is fun, especially live when you can chant "Kyun Kyun Tokimeki Paradise!" Plus it marks ave;new project's first anime single.
denpanosekai: Love these guys! Pedal to the metal, one album after the other! Now they've even started focusing on live concerts, which is a rare feat considering 100% of their songs are eroge OP material. mandichan: Fun spoken lines sprinkled in pump up this relatively calm (hey, i said RELATIVELY) production from deUC! mossya: deUCの電波ソングはホントにライプで聴きたい感じのが多いですね。煽りがまじパナイ！この曲もそうで、イントロの合いの手とかのあざとさといったら！！歌詞も結構アレですがエロゲソングはやっぱこうじゃなきゃっていう。
denpanosekai: You might be surprised to see Hyadain pop up in a denpa sampler, but you have to admit this song is insane. I've had nothing but respect for this guy ever since he started releasing his video game remixes on youtube sometime ago. These wild anthems were really a form of denpa, if you think about it. Not to mention the whole female/male dual vocals thing... mandichan: Hard to resist the temptation to feature a male vocalist, lots of shock element there. Impressive how he can make such wacky songs and still come off as a "cool" guy. He's awesome in my book, and so is this song. (And Nichijou!) mossya: 上のでんぱ組.incの曲もそうだけど、2011年は前山田さんがむちゃくちゃ強かったですね。トラックもいいけど、ヒャダインの場合はピッチ編集で男でも電波ソングを歌えるんだ！歌っていいんだ！っていうのを示した功績も大きいと思いますｗ早速"ARM子"とかフォロアーが生まれてるしｗ
denpanosekai: The Giants of Denpa strike again with a wonderful Uju theme song! These are always deliciously over-the-top and this year's edition is no different. They had a solid album earlier in the year, as well as a fantastic "best of" album with some sweet new songs... but this is their wildest stuff yet! mandichan: MOSAIC.WAV is still keeping their Uju themes fresh while keeping them (somewhat) unified in sound. I love the smug looking emoticon in the title to match the "Doya!" theme!
denpanosekai: Here's some math for you: 仏教 + IOSYS + とろ美 ＝ 電波!! It doesn't get any simpler than this! With Jester Misa by their side, Queen Toromi and Lord ARM rule the World of Denpa with an iron fist. We're not worthy! This blood-pumping hymn is quite memorable, but make sure you check out the CD for even more. mandichan: A worthy sequel to Ryohoji's previous theme. I just hope Toromi doesn't forget all about making her own original songs too!
denpanosekai: U has had a pretty big comeback in late 2011, let's just hope she won't make us wait so long for another album! Her unique voice and innate songwriting ability usually translates into timeless classics. I still remember quite vividly her 2005 songs as if I heard them yesterday and I'm quite confident this album will have the same effect! mandichan: This year we were truly blessed to have a new album release from U, as well as have her make lots of great songs for others. Although her works for the anime probably YuruYuri received more exposure than her solo works, it's her solo stuff that will always be best to me.
Here at Denpa no Sekai, nothing makes us happier than helping spread the fun of denpa and moe music all around the world. For many of us fans, this will eventually lead to making the great pilgrimage to Japan itself, and taking part in awesome live idol and DJ events. However, for many of our readers, this might also seem like a big leap into an unknown world. Do you want to get to know Japanese otaku culture and mingle with the local fans, but you just don't know where to start? You are in luck, such an event has just been created: J-Geek! (And for those of you already well versed in the culture, don't worry, the guest lineup and great price is already enough of a draw! Maybe you can even be an ambassador and help teach other visitors!)
The first J-Geek event takes place on 3/8, a bit short notice for those flying in from other countries, but don't worry, there are more events to follow! Being the day before Miku Thanksgiving Day, this one will have a Miku theme, complete with cosplaying bartender girls.
The event is organized by Saeki Kenzo, who our readers most likely know as the producer of Shiraishi Nagomu (白石なごむ)'s album, and organizer of the famous TOgether idol live events which have featured Momoi Haruko, MOSAIC.WAV, Dearstage girls Dempagumi.inc, Afilia Saga... The list goes on. However, he also has a long history in the music industry as a vocalist and lyricist, check out his facebook profile for his full story in English!
Also, if there is anything you are curious about or would like to see in upcoming events, please sound off in the comments and I will pass them on to the organizers! They want to hear from you!
The biggest draw of the lineup this time to Denpa no Sekai readers no doubt be Morinaga Mami (森永まみ), who readers of our twitter may know by now as an up and coming "DEMPA-KEI milky Idol." Cute style and crazy songs, she's got it all! You also may know her from her band, "necomimi spacenoid" (necomimi☆スペースノイド), or when she took part in the Moe Purin auditions hosted by Inoue Miyu (井上みゆ).
Want to see her in action? Watch her twitter for when she'll do her next NicoNama broadcast, or check out the many videos on youtube!
Another name that might be familiar to our readers is Momochi Minami (桃知みなみ), probably the most famous anime face kigurumi idol / DJ in the world?! And yes, she is actually a girl for all you jaded doubters out there! Our Momoist readers will know her best from being a repeating guest on Momoi Haruko's NicoNama show, and also appearing on the Nico / TV show "Dream Creator" with her. And don't forget Legend Of Face, the band where all members retain anonymity by hiding their faces. (Though Momochi claims she's out of place in that group since she shows her face!) Other members include the infamous denpa princess miko, and the "trap" guitarist Tissue Hime.
As a DJ, she focuses on anime songs and idol songs, and shows off her skills in dance and otagei. When she debuted, she only communicated through gesture or the use of a wipe off board (using her cute armbands to wipe it clean), but now she's somehow gained the ability of speech.
Also in the idol line up is the appropriately named "twin tail", an idol group of two twin sisters, Kisida Eriko (岸田恵里子) and Kishida Rina (咲岡里奈). They perform separately as well.
Although they aren't touted as a denpa group, check out this cute and fun song, 「だぁ～い☆キライ！」performed by 咲岡里奈 with 池田彩.
Introduced as a "FUSHIGI-KEI petit-avant-garde Idol", denpa fans will be pleasantly surprised with the cute voice and wild style of Kurimiya Marron (栗宮まろん).
Unfortunately, she suffers from "hard to google name" syndrome, so my searches for live videos have failed. Best I can give you is this interview:
DJ Captain Mirai (キャプテンミライ) will also help bump up the Miku theme by playing lots of vocaloid songs. Besides being a Vocaloid producer, he has his own solo music career too.
The famous DJ Kazu (DJ和) will also be stopping by to show his renowned skills as an anison DJ. He's released a number of anison mix CDs, his most recent being J-アニソン神曲祭り [DJ和 in No.1 胸熱 MIX].
Check out in a QB costume, doing an interview with Momochi, complete with English subtitles. Just don't be tempted to make a contract.
Ready to come visit? Here's what you need to know:
Location: Shibuya SECO
Time: 19:00 open, 23:00 close
Price:
Door Price: 2000 yen (+1 drink)
Facebook reservation price: 1500 yen (+1 drink)
Cosplayer Price: 1000 yen(+ 1 drink)
(For the unfamiliar, +1 drink means you must also buy a drink ticket, usually 500 yen.)
If you're coming, don't be afraid to hit me up on twitter if you wanna hang out! Even if you're not coming, feel free to send any questions or suggestions too!
Sham Studio wrote in to remind international MOSAIC.WAV fans that the "2012 LIVE「AKIBA-POP√NICOLLECTION」 in ニコファーレ" event is about to take place on Saturday, February 25th 2012. There are actually two sequential concerts, one at 1PM and the other at 6PM. Use this handy website to convert Japan time to your own timezone (late Friday night for most North Americans).
If the timetable isn't a problem and you're aching to see a live MOSAIC.WAV performance in the comfort of your home, you'll need to shell out 1500 nico points, which works out to ¥1500. That's pretty damn cheap considering real tickets are around ¥6000. It's actually easy to buy these points online as long as you have a Visa card. Just follow this simple tutorial and you'll be set. Having a good internet connection also helps.
Actually, if you're not up for a late-night MOSAIC.WAV concert, you can also opt to go with a "time shift" (that yellow button with a clock) which lets you purchase a postponed event viewing. The only "disadvantage" is you won't get to post regular or サイリウム comments. We're not really sure how many times you can rewatch the video, if at all. This timeshift option also expires on March 10th. Mandi would like to remind first-time point buyers outside of Japan that it's possible your company will block the purchase, under the suspicion of overseas fraud. Just call them up if that happens.
According to the website, ave;new are set to open the show. We'd assume that's also included a part of the virtual ticket, so quite a nice bonus! Of course, nicofarre being a proper concert hall, those who get to be there in person will not only get to experience the joys of a real live concert, they'll also be able to get their hands on all kinds of spectacular goods. Probably the top must-get item will be this 「neko にゃんこ POP!」 CD which is sure to become quite rare.
Speaking of にゃんこ-POP, here's a recent MOSAIC.WAV song to get you pumped up for this weekend's live event! 「とどけ!イン・にゃあ・はーと」 was on their latest album 「AKIBA-POP√RECOLLECTION」 which we unboxed with great pleasure back in December 2011.
