Catch the haruamania with 『ハルアマパラダイス』 and 『haru * ama * nia』

はる*あま*にゃ (haru-ama-nya) is a recent unit / circle which officially started in April 2012 when they released their debut CD 『haru * ama * nia』. They followed it up in April 2013 with 『ハルアマパラダイス』. Probably the best way to describe their music is "cute high-energy pop", maybe even a bit like the Hi-NRG genre of the 80s but with a bit more tempo, variety and definitely some 萌え電波 in there (in fact they remind me a lot of unMOMENT). Both albums are currently available on DIVERSE DIRECT which has worldwide shipping for a reasonable fee, so if you like what you hear, you know what to do!

Even though はる*あま*にゃ is about a year old, their core members go way back. As of now, haru*nya and あまね are providing dual female vocals and paraoka (麹町音源) completely produced their latest album. In fact paraoka and haru*nya have been making music together since 2006! Check out 33 of their tracks in 52 minutes. As for あまね, yes that is absolutely the same girl which has provided fantastic vocals for COOL&CREATE since 2004, alongside the always-hyperactive ビートまりお.

download crossfade MP3

Their April 2012 debut CD 『haru * ama * nia』 opens with 「御洋服革命」, a roaring anthem from ビートまりお which sounds pretty much exactly how you'd expect one of his songs to sound. You can't fault this guy for consistency! The lyrics and overall theme make it clear right off the bat that this is going to be a fun record. 「Sun! Sun! Sun! シャイン!」 continues the theme with a fun-in-the-sun variation. It is composed by 狐夢想(狐夢想屋), the same guy who came up with 「ぎみぎみ☆もあもあ」 on 2012's 『プチリズムＧｏ！』 , one of last year's best denpa songs which made it to our "Honourable Mentions"! It is an absolute rager of a track, with fast piano, rolling percussions and some kind of ultra-distorted lead instrument that definitely stands out. The girls' voices are a perfect match to this summer roadtrip theme song! (tested by yours truly)

With 「約束」, composer naotyu-(studio7) slows things down a bit and comes up with a great melodic piece that highlights their ability to sing sweet songs. Actually it gets pretty powerful overall and you have to love the stylish sound. 「ki-zu-na」 sounds straight-up 80s synthpop with tons of attitude. It was also composed by 狐夢想(狐夢想屋) who demonstrates his wide range of skills. As the title would indicate, track 5 「スイーツホリック」 is on the funky side with lots of jumpy bass, light-hearted piano lines and an unexpectedly violent finish from yamajet.

狐夢想(狐夢想屋)　returns for the third time with 「オシャレセラピー」, a confusing track which throws all kinds of tempos at its bewildered listeners. This guy sure loves to crank up the distortion on anything he does! The synth in particular is very colored, sounding almost like a harpsichord but I'm not sure that's the best comparison. It really does sound unique! This sixth track also ends with some surprisingly fast parts and is just a joy to listen to.

ARM (IOSYS) makes a surprise appearance with 「輝け乙女たち!」 which might remind you of his work on 2010's 「燃えろ！東方ブラスバンド」. This one's a little more "epic" (in the proper sense of the word) and sounds more like a full orchestra than a brass band. Finally 「トリックスター」 is full-on technopop from paraoka(麹町音源) with a nostalgia-inducing sonority despite futuristic overtones. Honestly it reminds me of old NAMCO and SEGA arcade game soundtracks with the heavy slapping bass and reverbed drums. The girls really give it their best shot and intertwine their beautiful vocals throughout the song.

download crossfade MP3

The theme for April 2013's CD was haru*nya+あまね+paraoka=ハルアマパラダイス and... that's exactly what happened! If you enjoyed the last track from the first CD, then you'll love this whole CD. Not that the genres are all technopop (far from it) but there's strong stylistic cohesion between all five songs. Opening track 「ハイ・ファイ・レイ」 is extremely vigorous and features compelling singalong moments. The guitar, drums and keyboard arrangement is nothing short of sublime, I particularly enjoy the parts where the ride cymbal is clearly audible. Track #2 「カステラ」 feels like soft picopop, just some easy-going music with good rhythm and catchy phrases.

「スゴイ・エナジー」 definitely stands out from the rest and would be a great PV candidate if they ever decide to go that way. Honestly, this sounds like something 中田ヤスタカ would compose for Perfume and I totally mean that as a compliment. This is definitely skilled electropop with all kinds of influences from the past 30 years. It's just a shoe-in for the girls, their voices sound appropriately mature here and I would just love to see some choreographed dancing! 「ブリーズ・スピナー」 feels a bit like an extension to the opening track with a slower tempo, but the same gorgeous instrumental arrangement. Great drums once again! This brings us to 「スローコースター」 which closes the album with class. By the way... noticed how all track titles are written in katakana?

It's too bad the second album has only 5 tracks as opposed to 8 for the debut album, because I could definitely stand to listen to some more of this wonderful unit! At this point we can only hope for a third album in April 2014, but I sure hope they'll surprise us with something else in-between. Highly recommended, talented artists and memorable songs for fans of electronic Japanese music.

Exclusive Interview: Power up with MiYAMO and こなぐすり！

"It's a small world after all", that's how I felt when my childhood friend Mo told me the main composer for his upcoming open-world action-RPG-metroidvania A.N.N.E was going to be MiYAMO from doujin circle こなぐすり. Mostly known for his stylish pop and trance Touhou arranges, this piano virtuoso has also pumped out some world-famous denpa tunes in the past few years. As you're about to find out, he's far from done! Along with his musicals upbringings and contributions to A.N.N.E, we'll discuss the past, present and future of こなぐすり... get ready for some exclusive news and groundbreaking revelations!


- Please introduce yourself and tell us about your evolution as a musician, from early days to recent developments. Which kind of instruments and software tools have you learned over the years?

When I was a child I was learning the piano. I played compositions on the classic piano of course, but in addition to that I also made arrangements in my own way, and thought of my own melodies and played them. That's when I started composing. When I was in high school, the band I was in at the time was a great failure. So I came to the conclusion that it was time to make my own music. I had a desire to make music for video games so I started to develop a deep interest in "computer music".

The first tool I ever used was "音楽ツクール かなでーる" on the Super Famicom, released back in 1996 by ASCII Corporation. After that, I worked desperately at a part time job to finally buy a handy sequencer called the Yamaha QY70. It was my first experience with MIDI tracks and I was so touched by the sound quality that I can remember that moment even now. At that time, I was completely invested in making game-like music. I arranged music from games I liked such as Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger. After I graduated from high school, I entered a music technical school. I studied things like musical roots and the technical side of making computer music.

After I graduated, I entered a music studio as a pupil. From there I studied musical theory from the basics all over again, as well as studied the piano and solfeggio. After two years of being a pupil, I wrote background music for some bishōjo games. After about one year of that, I left the studio and entered the real world doing freelance work. This is when I started to get popular among gamers.

At that time I wasn’t yet exactly well established in the Touhou community, I was basically just playing around with sounds doing the best I could. I wasn’t really fully immersing myself, but I think my first big exposure was probably IOSYS's 「魔理沙は大変なものを盗んでいきました」. I don’t know if it was logical as far as denpa goes or only natural, but it rode a sketchy line between music and casual dance tracks. This was a big shock to me and I remember it even now. I moved to a city called Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. I participated in jazz sessions day and night on a street popular for jazz in Hamamatsu.

But, I was still fascinated by the Touhou genre and I feel it was at this time that I wanted to try and fully invest myself in that world. And, from that investment is what you see me as today. Now Conagusuri exists, right? *laughs*




- Why did you decide to become a full-time Touhou arranger as well as start the doujin circle Conagusuri in 2005, as opposed to contributing to existing circles?

The story is a little rough (haha), but I broke up with the girl I was seeing at the time. I lost all connection with the people I knew through her as well as friends I've had for a long time. I became a very lonely person. I became nothing, despairing in life. I remember playing online games all the time. That was the worst year of my life.

In that same year, a friend I met online said "Let's start a music circle with my friends!" Even though it was just a club, no one other than myself had any music experience, you could have called them all beginners, I think. Honestly, I asked myself why someone as myself who wholeheartedly did music for so long would work with a group of amateurs. But at that time I had lost touch with music and I think amateurs was just what I needed!

I had lost touch with music which was more important to me than anything else, and even an opportunity such as this was a chance at music. That’s what I thought. Could we really make a CD together, me and these beginners? That was our challenge. I rethought music and decided to teach them while doing the music club. The result was Conagusuri. Presently, there are no other members left from the original group, but everyone is independent in their own way, starting their own groups. I am really rooting for them, even now.




- Like many people, I became aware of こなぐすり in 2009 thanks to the hyperactive hit 「チルミルチルノ」 and the thousands of related MAD. In the past 8 years, what would you say were the most defining and critical moments of Conagusuri's evolution?

For the first four years of Conagusuri, there were no vocals, just instrumental tracks and we were pretty much an unknown entity. We still managed to make CDs but we wanted to take it a step further and have our music heard by many people. The members that we had up until then and myself wanted to demonstrate our special abilities by making new music.

In the Touhou music scene at the time, IOSYS's 「チルノのパーフェクトさんすう教室」 was riding in the top spot, it was the beginning of a golden age for denpa music. Wouldn’t it be good if Conagusuri started making denpa songs? I had that feeling and it gradually got stronger, we tried our best and the song that we came up with was 「チルミルチルノ」. If even a few more people listened to us as a result, I would have counted it as a success. That’s the feeling that I went in with, but I couldn’t have anticipated what would have become of it. It got over 3,000 hits in an hour on Nico Nico Douga and we were getting offers to do concerts; you could say it was the precise peak of Conagusuri.

The reality is that it came with a lot of pressure. After 「チルミルチルノ」 we fought the pressure and continued to make music. Gradually, we began to lose sight of our direction of making music – we didn't know what we should make, we dabbled in many genres. We began to stray and it went on for a long time.

From there, after about 3 years of worrying, we finally came to a conclusion. This is as far as we've come as a circle making product, but a circle is itself a product. We believed we had one more chance. I can't talk about all of the details now, but after a long time Conagusuri will be having its last run this summer. The reborn Conagusuri will start this winter! We haven’t released this news in Japan yet (haha) Please look forward to the new Conagusuri this winter!



- As far as your arrangements go, most of them sound sharp and stylish (桜∞friendship) while others are completely silly and ridiculous (唐傘奮闘記！～ラクトフェリンの果てへ～). How do you determine which style you will go for?

Thank you very much! When I go with denpa songs, it's because I want to make everyone laugh with music! As for sharp songs, these are probably where I shine most as an arranger. They have the power to move your heart emotionally, a feeling I am trying to convey. (lol) That’s all there is to it.

But combining a lot of genres into one CD is a source of confusion for the audience. That's what we've come to learn. Denpa music and sharp music are both very important to me. These compare favorably and can co-exist on a CD -- from now on Conagusuri plans to develop this concept further. Definitely, please look forward to the new powered-up Conagusuri!




- Among denpa song fans, 「三つ目が悟る ～これが私のドキュメント～」 is certainly considered a tour-de-force thanks to its complex, multi-layered instrumentation and of course perfect vocals from Lady Nanahira. Please tell us about your intentions and creative process for this song.

Wow, that's a very difficult question! This denpa song mixes together components from a lot of various musical genres. Depending on who you ask, denpa is known as a joke genre. Well, I think that a genre that has roots in humor can be completely funny, which is certainly what I went for with this piece. This song is saturated with pieces of classic, techno, folk, and trance.

For classic - in the song’s introduction, during Lady Satori's melody, there is a Beethoven-like phrase and you can hear Satori's dissatisfaction as an irrational feeling background music plays. For techno – there is Satori's dumb rap – it's dumb but, we present it in a way that seems cool. Verse two is all phrases used commonly in folk songs. Here, with the 70's and 80's style cute Japanese folk song sounds, you could say the Japanese otaku falls in love with a girl. Falls in love! That's the nuance the music has anyway (haha) a little gross I guess. So that's why, the background voice is a completely disgusting male otaku chorus. The sound engineers were really grossed out when mixing the track. (haha)

For trance, it becomes a feel-good denpa sound. The packaging of a denpa song is just as much a part of the representation of denpa songs themselves. The balance arranges, and we can make something called a MiYAMO denpa song. In relation to the lyrics, if jokes were not linked to the song, it couldn’t become good denpa. Also, Nanahira-san is such a powerful vocalist, I really think she is a musical genius. I don’t know a girl that could be more of a blessing to denpa music.



- How were you introduced to GamesByMo and the A.N.N.E project? Why did you decide to go ahead and sign up as main composer for this upcoming game?

I became acquainted with Mo through my friend PEPO of PEPOSOFT. He listened to my music, which had a deep impression on him and I was told he wanted me to write music for A.N.N.E. I loved videogame music from the beginning and doing that sort of job was my number one goal. So, "please leave it to me" was my answer. From the start, my computer music was inspired by the likes of Final Fantasy's Nobuo Uematsu (植松伸夫), Romancing Saga's Kenji Ito (伊藤賢治), Ridge Racer's Shinji Hosoe (細江慎治), and PuyoPuyo's Katsumi Tanaka　(田中勝己).

I wanted to try and make that kind of game music myself someday – that was my dream all through school. Through Mo, that dream might finally be fulfilled, so that’s why I joined A.N.N.E, my dream big project. It's truly an honor to be the main composer.




- A.N.N.E is a title which pays hommage to old-school gaming all the while incorporating modern gameplay. How does that particular setting influence your compositions?

There's a fair share of songs that I've made from being influenced by older game music. But let me just say that I am not just imitating past masterpieces. A.N.N.E is an old-school game on a modern gaming system – it's an RPG with a strong action component, but if the music is just like an action game then it will end up being an imitation. For example, Megaman's background music was basically similar to Final Fantasy's battle theme songs, right? You can still produce new material that is imitated or at least similar to old games.

Of course, using music intended for an RPG game in a plain action game is boring, and it would sound off as you are playing the game. And RPG music needs to sound appropriate during the battle scenes. So I think it's essential that it sounds not only new but also nostalgic.

To put it in North American terms, we created movie-like music and (with great effort) combined Japanese and Canadian styles. I had to think [as a Japanese person] how the Japanese style would fit into a North American game – various sources of influence came up, and isn't that how interesting new material is made? From that goal, we also added popular J-Pop themes and styles as well.



- Similarly to rearranging Touhou theme songs, do you draw inspiration from specific videogames when composing the A.N.N.E soundtrack, or do you aim for a brand new concept? Either way, which videogames and artists have influenced you the most over the years?

In regards to Touhou Arrange, depending on the situation, there are various artists that have influenced me, but lately I think Yoko Kanno (菅野よう子), Yasutaka Nakata (中田ヤスタカ), Tetsuya Komuro (小室哲也) and as far as Denpa music – IOSYS. I mix those with my own music. I don't consider it just copying, though. In order to learn how to compose music, the first thing you do is high quality reproductions. Once I've perfectly mastered the source materials, I am able to make my own works from these influential sources.

In regards to A.N.N.E's soundtrack, it is most influenced by Final Fantasy, I'd say. Not just the Final Fantasy from the Famicom era, but also 12 and 13, the recent ones, they also influenced the sound a lot. Music has to be easy on the ears and a pleasure to listen to! Even though it draws influence from modern games, I made sure to mix the A.N.N.E theme song with nostalgic Famicom sounds!



- I noticed that a physical soundtrack CD is not on the list of rewards for the A.N.N.E kickstarter. Do you plan to release a CD in the future, perhaps with remixed or arranged versions?

I was just having this conversation with a friend who makes a lot of dance tracks and I believe he is going to be releasing remix albums in the future, I was only just talking to him about this yesterday (haha). As of now we are not officially planning anything, but the possibility exists. I really would like to make an original soundtrack CD. It makes for a good souvenir of the game music.

For example, when I hear music from a game that I used to play a long time ago, I remember what kind of life I was living back then, what I was doing in school back and so on; it can be fun to reminisce, but it can also be sad at times, so many feelings can come back. In other words, of course you remember the game scenes, but more than that, you think about the "you" that used to play that game as well. It's like music has a photographic memory. For that reason, I think having a soundtrack is a key item. I want to make a soundtrack CD so that I can always remember the time I spent playing A.N.N.E.



- Thank you for your time, I'm sure you're very busy working on the A.N.N.E soundtrack and new こなぐすり projects. We're very excited for this upcoming game and really look forward to your compositions! Any parting words for your newfound and longtime fans?

Thank you very much! In regards to A.N.N.E, from here on out with Mo, I want to make many emotional tracks. Actually, I don't know a whole lot about the game yet, but I am really looking forward to it! I wonder just what will happen, it's a title I'm anticipating. Conagusuri is releasing a new Touhou arrange CD 「7-RAGES」 on May 26th. We also plan to make a Denpa CD for the first time in a while at this summer's Comic Market!

Conagusuri has been through a lot up until now, but since we plan to be born into a new Conagusuri this winter, please look forward to it, everyone! ^^

Necomimi☆スペースノイド worldwide online album release!

(PayPal issues solved!! The album is now available!!)

Japanese doujin and indie music can be frustratingly difficult to track down outside of Japan... but worldwide denpa listeners rejoice! Necomimi☆スペースノイド (Necomimi☆Spacenoid) has decided to share their amazing first album, "Omnibus" with the whole world via Bandcamp!

Necomimi☆スペースノイド has a unique sound which is enchanting while also slightly off kilter. Combine that with cute vocals and engaging lyrics, and you can an album I couldn't help but loop again and again. You will find a variety of inspiration from different sources on this album, from 80s pop music to sci-fi stories. The lyrics vary from sad to silly to mixed up German/Russian/English, all of which are highly enjoyable. (Although not included on the album, gamers will also want to check out their cover of Pollyanna (I Believe in You) from Earthbound / Mother!)

Originally, their vocalist was none other than one of my favorite idols, 森永まみ. Sadly she left the group before I got to know them very well, though I had liked what I heard and stored their name in my memory banks. Much to my surprise, at M3 2012 fall, I stumbled onto the announcement of their album release - with 2 new vocalists - just before the event, without much time to promote them here on Denpa no Sekai. I have a feeling many denpa fans out there might have overlooked this album due to the lack of promotion, so I am extremely happy it's available for all to download now. After purchasing the album, any doubts I had about replacing Mamipyon were forgotten - the dual vocals are a perfect match for the music, and the arrangements improved since what I had heard of the previous versions.

(Live video from when 森永まみ was their vocalist)

(Another shot of previous members)

Unlike what we are used to with most denpa groups, necomimi☆スペースノイド has a full band with 6 members: ちょこ (Choko) and ましろ (Mashiro) on vocals, 高開 洋 (Takakai Hiroshi) on keyboard, 武井 慎也 (Takei Shinya) on guitar, 斎藤 ぴよんこ (Saitou Pyonko) on synthesizer and chorus, and mastermind 飛鋭78式改 (Hiei Nanahachi Shiki Kai) on talkbox, vocal, chorus, programming, and song writing. I talked to Hiei on twitter, and he is always very happy to receive any feedback from anyone in any country, so he was eager to release the album via Bandcamp when I suggested the idea to him. He didn't get much response to the M3 release, so if you like it, feel free to let him know!

However, he's not the first member of the band I had contact with: at the last 電キュン (Denkyun) event after party, a very sweet and cutely-voiced girl sat next to me and we began to chat. After I mentioned I liked Mamipyon and necomimi☆スペースノイド, she got very surprised - because she was ちょこ, one of the vocalists!! She has an amazingly cute voice, on top of a genuine interest and passion for denpa music. Definitely a singer to keep your eyes on. Besides necomimi☆スペースノイド, she has two active projects: One is her anison cover band, "DEM P@roject", which as you might have guessed from the name, focuses on denpa and moe anime music. Follow their twitter for the latest info, or you can you follow ちょこ on twitter or check her blog too! latest info. I saw them live on 5/3, and it was a blast! The set list included favorites new and old, and anime and game music too. Their next live is coming on on 6/9 at 代々木labo! More info coming soon!

And although we already posted it on twitter, don't forget, she also participated  in an album at M3: 「勝手に主題歌歌ってみたvol.1」, which features new completely original opening songs for existing anime. Her track, which can be heard on the website, or embedded below, is a positively rockin yet denpa, cute yet wild, unforgettable number that makes you want to get start head banging.



Hopefully, necomimi☆スペースノイド will start a trend of international online releases, so if you like what you hear, please support them... and not just them, but any artists you like, let them know people out there in this wide world think they're flippin awesome!!

So to summarize,

download the album already!!!

....Thank you!

M3-2013春: ポヤッチオ 『プチリズム六』 feat. SHAKING PINK, とろ美 +more

Master Katahotori's world famous プチリズム series keeps on giving, with the release of a sixth volume this April 29th 2013. Introducing 『プチリズム六』 and its 10 wonderful imouto-style original songs!

1. うきうき☆ワンダーランド
   Vocal: SHAKING PINK　Lyrics/Composition: 狐夢想
   
   
2. 女子力☆乙女の超能力
   Vocal: とろ美　Lyrics/Composition: かたほとり
   
   
3. 恋するげつようび
   Vocal: ココ　Lyrics: 木片　Composition: y0c1e
   
   
4. ダメ！ダメ！
   Vocal: ゆきまめ＆なゆ　Lyrics/Composition: かたほとり
   
   
5. 我が身思春期なり！
   Vocal: 内緒妹　Lyrics: 後方一気　Composition: 乙P
   
   
6. お気の毒ですがすべて仕様です。
   Vocal: ひななた　Lyrics/Composition: オワタP
   
   
7. 清水もつカレーのうた
   Vocal: ななひら　Lyrics/Composition: きくお MIX: すみじゅん
   
   
8. らぶれでぃ？れでぃ！ ～オトモするですにゃ?(´ω｀*)～
   Vocal: めらみぽっぷ　Lyrics: 海兎　Composition: nana(sevencolors)
   
   
9. Power of Love
   Vocal: kana　Lyrics/Composition: muhmue
   
   
10. そうだね、うん。
    Vocal: 桃箱　Lyrics: kani　Composition: U-ji aka 霊長類P

As expected, we have been gifted with yet another star-studded lineup, with a couple of surprises as well! Most striking is Queen とろ美 lending her beautiful voice to 「女子力☆乙女の超能力」 which seems to tie-in with the cover art and also got its own PV! It's not entirely surprising to see her collaborate with other doujin circles, as we've seen her on IOSYS and おでんぱ☆スタジオ albums just recently. But it's still pretty damn big news and this is certainly a milestone for かたほとり as a composer! Also (as previously announced on 電波の世界) we are getting a new SHAKING PINK song as well as fantastic individual performances from ななひら, 桃箱 and ココ! This is a good time to plug friendly mossya's "Shei-pi mini mix" from earlier this year.

内緒妹 returns for the second time in a row, don't forget her previous song 「ぎみぎみ☆もあもあ」 was one of our 2012 "honourable mentions". We also have a very special bratty duet in ゆきまめ＆なゆ, two of my absolute personal favourites! ひななた takes on a sultry voice over an appropriately perky track from vocaloid superstar オワタP. めらみぽっぷ is also back after sitting out volume 5, sounding as lively as ever thanks to an upbeat composition from nana(sevencolors). This leaves us with pretty little thing kana teaming up with muhmue, whom you might remember from a recent ちぃむｄｍｐ☆ composition on their 4th album.

Well this is another no-brainer must-buy album... you know what to do! Gotta get 'em all!

Doujincore Import Info (deadline April 26th 7AM PST)
Title:	プチリズム六
Label:	ポヤッチオ (A19ab)
Price:	1000
Link:	http://orc2000.com/cd/petit6.html

M3-2013春: Highend Color 「ファンシー☆エレクトリカルパレード vol.1」

Even after five years of running 電波の世界, I'm still caught off-guard by explosive surprise reveals such as Highend Color's upcoming CD 「ファンシー☆エレクトリカルパレード vol.1」. It never fails, there's always at least one record which will completely blow me away both due to high-quality contents and unpredictable out-of-left-field factor. I'm not sure what's more impressive: the fact that Highend Color put together such an impressive set of songs for a debut denpa album, or the fact that they are ambitiously planning on releasing more like this in the future.

What makes this one so special? A quick glance at the tracklist will reveal some big names: IOSYS and ななひら will immediately catch your attention. Dig in a little deeper and you'll start to recognize some names which you might have seen before, such as あーたん and 彩 from 第二生徒会室 which released an amazing CD recently. Pumpkingdom has also been around for a while, but like many of the remaining names on the staff list, they aren't exactly known for producing denpa music. Here's the tracklist.

1. 電波の国の国歌斉唱～春の日差しがやる気を奪う～
   Lyrics and Music: 倉田くらね a.k.a ゴリラの王子様 Vocal: 電波ガールズ (柊優花、ありすん、ななひら)
   
   
2. パンク娘のパンチラパンLOVE
   Lyrics: 96(IOSYS) Music: void(IOSYS) Vocal: ちよこ(IOSYS)
   
   
3. ピンクフルサタデーナイト
   Lyrics and Music: ジョー鈴木(Banana Factory) Vocal: ななひら
   
   
4. 有明恋慕
   Lyrics: 久遠ゆん Music:EtherRyo Vocal: 久遠ゆん
   
   
5. 家主の鏡
   Lyrics and Music: mesa&boogie Vocal: ひと里
   
   
6. Lovely Girl
   Lyrics and Music:あーたん(第二生徒会室) Vocal:彩
   
   
7. ｼﾊﾞｯﾃ↑ｻﾗｯﾃ↓ｶﾝｷﾝｼﾁｬｳｿﾞ☆
   Lyrics and Music:わゆき(Pumpkingdom) Vocal:ありすん(Pumpkingdom)
   
   
8. 運命的ローリングダーリン～プラトニック編～
   Lyrics and Music:DJコミカル(Highend Color) Vocal:星名優子
   
   
9. 再生回数↑マジage↑でざいあ☆
   Lyrics and Music: S.Y.U(Banana Factory) Vocal: 柊優花
   
   
10. Welcome to the Dempaland
    Lyrics and Music:わゆき(Pumpkingdom) Vocals:ありすん、もえか、逢初夏乃、うる

So what made the good folks from Highend Color (倉田くらね, DJコミカル) and Banana Factory (ジョー鈴木, S.Y.U) decide to go all-out with a full original denpa album? Who knows, but I sure ain't complaining! The variety of genre is unbelievable. I don't think "enka-denpa" has been done before, but after hearing 「有明恋慕」 I would definitely be interested in a full album from EtherRyo and 久遠ゆん! With their contribution 「家主の鏡」, mesa&boogie feat.ひと里 are in charge of the "metal-denpa" but prepare for a surprise! The two Pumpkingdom songs 「Welcome to the Dempaland」 and 「ｼﾊﾞｯﾃ↑ｻﾗｯﾃ↓ｶﾝｷﾝｼﾁｬｳｿﾞ☆」 are extremely catchy and remind me of doubleeleven UpperCut with their high-tension sing-alongs.

Banana Factory member ジョー鈴木 composed an excellent track in 「ピンクフルサタデーナイト」 which Princess ななひら graced with majestic vocals. When the sampler kicks into high-gear at 3:30, you can tell this is a match made in heaven. His buddy S.Y.U has by far the sweetest track of the album with 「再生回数↑マジage↑でざいあ☆」 which shines thanks to high production values and a stellar performanced by 柊優花. DJコミカル feat.星名優子 surprise with a masterful track that sounds like it's from a big-budget anime OP.

This brings us to the two opening tracks. void (IOSYS) is well-known around these parts and brings with him ちよこ who has been extremely denpa-proficient as of late. Obviously 「パンク娘のパンチラパンLOVE」 will be a selling point for this album thanks to razor-sharp guitars, fast-paced riffs and of course beautiful female vocals. Finally, opening track 「電波の国の国歌斉唱〜春の日差しがやる気を奪う〜」 feels like nothing short of a patriotic masterpiece from creator 倉田くらね a.k.a.ゴリラの王子様, as the denpa girls 柊優花, ありすん and ななひら welcome us to Denpa Land.

Frankly, this is a must-buy for all denpa fans. At 1000円 for 10 tracks, it's an absolute steal. Congratulations to all involved staff! This monumental album will be talked about for years, mark my words.

Doujincore Import Info (deadline April 26th 7AM PST)
Title:	ファンシー☆エレクトリカルパレード vol.1
Label:	Highend Color (A24a)
Price:	1000
Link:	http://highend-color.com/fancy-ep.html

M3-2013春: KuKuDoDo feat. 初音ミク full album 「oldwave and rare」

I woke up this morning to a pleasant email from KuKuDoDo, asking me to check out the Birdtune website for full details on his upcoming 初音ミク album 「oldwave and rare」, coming out April 27th 2013 at THE VOC@LOiD 超 M@STER２４! In his own words, the album contains "rare, early and unreleased" tracks from both Birdtune and Holic Service circles; remixed, remastered and lovingly rearranged with catchy 初音ミク vocals on top.

Long-time fans will immediately recognize what's what. For instance, "大好き！バイバイ。" is originally from 2008, but was also on the 2009 みりん☆ album 「ピコピコ電波予報」. The new remixed version has a different pitch and is perhaps heavier on the percussions. On the other hand, opening track "健康ランド" sounds about the same as the late 2010 original, which is hardly an issue considering this song made it to our annual sampler for that year. Those who own 「～VOC@LOID Songs & Legacy Modules～」　and watched the "making of" video know just how much effort KuKuDoDo put into composing this song!

So far so good, but things get really interesting with "Oh! Sick more sit down". From what this fan can tell, it seems to be a heavily remixed version of "もうパソコンしかいらない人の歌" from Birdtune's 2011 revival album 「東方ピコピコ祭り」. You also have "hallucination attack" tracks like "FARAWAY" which illustrate KuKuDoDo's love for UK New Wave. "雨のプリズム" is another 初音ミク-to-みりん☆-to-初音ミク double conversion which you may have heard before. It was also released as "四文字熟語でレッスンなんです!" (performed by 小宮真央, ゆきまめ and Gumi) on 2009's 「エネルギー冷麺　お受験せんそ→☆」 A.K.A. still-the-best-damn-fucking-touhou-denpa-album-ever-made.

Just so no one jumps to conclusions, this is not the solo album KuKuDoDo promised last year. The latest update is that the man is hard at work on various projects outside of doujin for the moment being. I also assume he expended considerable energy putting together the latest nanano album as well as this new 初音ミク album. Still, he is prototyping various experimental elements as we speak but he is definitely on a "my own pace" schedule. On a related subject, did you know that 中原みりん is back to writing lyrics for KuKuDoDo? Everything is right with the world again!

Doujincore Import Info (deadline April 26th 7AM PST)
Title:	oldwave and rare
Label:	ばーどちゅーん (A35ab)
Price:	1500
Link:	http://birdtune.jp/tokusetu/oar/