Shimotsuki released her new fantasy album Griotte no Nemuri Hime a few days ago (14th). In terms of music style it is similar to Thindaria no Tane, her previous commercial fantasy album. But this time, there are a few new composers/arrangers, Naruke Michiko (なるけみちこ, famous for her work in Wild Arms), Yoshitaka Hirota (弘田佳孝, Shadow Hearts) and MANYO (hmm.. not really famous for anything, but he has worked with Shimotsuki for a long time, pretty much a little after she started her music career). Iwadare Noriyuki (岩垂徳行), the main arranger for Thindaria no Tane is also doing some composition and arrangement this time.

Thindaria no Tane was good, but it lacked a little variation and creativity in terms of arrangement and composition. It is a successful fantasy formula, but to be really successful it would take more than just repeating it. I have only listened to Griotte a few times, but I am fairly impressed by it, and the inclusion of the few game composers is a positive thing.

The album starts off with an instrumental, Horobiru no Kotowari (滅びの理 ). I don’t think it would take more than a listen or two before one would get into it and love it. But this is before you listen to last track, FEL FEARY WEL., the full version of the melody realized with vocals. The song starts out slow, but it doesn’t take long until it picks up and reaches its epic climax. I haven’t heard much of Naruke’s work, but personally I believe the arrangement could not have been so well crafted without her help. It’s hard to see it happening based on all the arrangement Iwadare has done in Thindaria.

The next two tracks, Kienai Uta (消えない欠片) and Erabareta Tami (選ばれた民) are some of the best tracks from this album. Kienai Uta is the only track that Shimotsuki did everything herself, and the arrangement is actually pretty good, even though she lacks experience and possibly knowledge when it comes to that. Erabareta Tami on the other hand uses part of the melody of Horobiru no Kotowari and it proves to be good to the ears yet again.

Ohime-sama to Doukeshi (お姫様と道化師) is your typical cheery, happy Shimotsuki track. Sad to say I am not a fan of them so there’s little I’d want to comment (or maybe she should stop making these tracks >_>). Madara no Kuni (斑の王国) could be thought of as the sucessor of Shinjitsu no Honoo (真実の炎) from Thindaria, but it has failed to deliver the folk’ish rock feel it is trying to invoke. Ultimately, it sounds like your standard stock of J-pop music. Owari no Toki e (終焉の刻へ) suffers a similar flaw, but to a lesser extent. Note that both are arranged by Yoshitaka and Naruke, which could help explain the disorientation in style.

Hitori Yume (独り夢) is a purebred “MANYO” track, it’s literally filled with his signature stamps (for comparison, have a listen at “LUNA”). And of course, being a MANYO fan, I couldn’t appreciate it more. A little off from the whole fantasy theme of the album, but the cold, cold feelings of MANYO’s music gives can never get old.

The next few tracks are mostly written entirely by the new people. They aren’t too bad, but they are probably the weaker portion of the album. Hane ni Sugaru Mono (羽に縋る者) has some potential, the starting phase is pretty interesting, but the murmuring is probably unnecessary, and the track feels like going nowhere at times due to its repetitive melody.

The last track worth mentioning is Gyaku Mawari no Inochi (逆廻りの命). Its assertive chanting resembles Mamoribito (護森人) from Thindaria, but it plays a secondary role this time with the main vocal sung in classical Japanese. If you like Mamoribito (which I do), this track will no doubt appeal to you.

Overall, even though I have commented the tracks written by the new composers are probably slightly inferior, their contribution has definitely given the album a refreshing flavour, and the album as a whole doesn’t feels as monotonous as Thindaria. But this is all just my first impression, and I am sure things could change a little in time.

Complete tracklist:

• Horobiru no Kotowari (滅びの理 ) (sample)

• Kienai Uta (消えない欠片 ) (sample)

• Erabareta Tami (選ばれた民) (sample)

• Ohime-sama to Doukeshi (お姫様と道化師)
• Madara no Kuni (斑の王国)
• Hitori Yume (独り夢) (sample)

• Sora Watashi (空渡し)
• Tsunagari no Hana (絆の花)
• Owari no Toki e (終焉の刻へ)
• Hane ni Sugaru Mono (羽に縋る者) (sample)

• Kooru Sekai (氷る世界)
• Gyaku Mawari no Inochi (逆廻りの命) (sample)

• FEL FEARY WEL. (sample)

Don’t be alarmed with the romaji writing for a few Kanji. It is the representation used in the lyrics.

Download links:

• MP3 (torrent)
• Lossless (torrent)

Download

Ah… it’s finally done. Started this project back in June when I got a tablet as my bday present, took a while to finish it due to work and everything in life =/

Anyway, Alice is one of the few characters that I have always wanted to wall, and then I saw this character image on Alice’s monthly Undine magazine and thought I have to do something. After getting the tablet I was pumped and decided to vector it, even though I’m well aware that I wouldn’t have much time for it. And so after 3 long months I finished it. Lots of fun and pain in the process, but I guess it’s all worth it. After vector is done, I probably spent about a week or two to draw up the background.

2560×1600 Textless version: Link

七色のキセキ (Nanairo no Kiseki) literally means seven colours miracle, or miracle of seven colours. The miracle refers to the scene, and what gives birth to the scene (miracle) is sunlight, which is made up of seven colours. Of course, the rainbow has seven colours, and it could be related to the title, but the rainbow idea came much later after the title, so it’s just a mere coincidence.

Progress: Link

Comment: The hair colouring was the first bump that I got. Took me a while to understand how to colour it right… and then, it was the eyes O_O. They were really really hard… probably because it was the first time I tried drawing eyes without basing on the original, and it took about 5 days until I have a version I was satisfied with… After the vector is done, coming up with an idea of the background was the next challenge. Since it’s Aria, I figured I should go with blue sky and water, and it turned up pretty alright. Oh, painting the clouds is one of the most fun part in the whole process.

Credits: Kenneth, Min, Si Huai, Chen Siang – Lots of thanks for the tablet and all the comments while I was working through the thing! When I wasn’t sure on things or was confused on random bits, they are the people that I bug ><

More resolutions at AniPaper

Edit: Warped the perspective a little. Original at here.

Team Entertainment link.

Excited? I guess that’s a given… Might actually be able to go this time… Need to do some planning.

Also, Shikata Akiko’s Umineko single “Katayoku no Tori” will be released tomorrow !

Ceui’s music has always had this um… interesting aura and style to her songs, and I’ve been growing to like them more and more. Incidentally, all her songs in recent years are written by the same composer – Odaka Koutarou (小高光太郎), and this probably explains the consistency in terms of quality and arrangement.

Anyway Glassy Heaven is a compilation of songs from her singles and other theme songs she had done before. There’s no new music but the tracks selected are solid and I am pretty happy with it. Okay maybe slightly disappointed that Karisu (カリス) from the Tales of the Abyss Image Album isn’t included.

Her music is probably not everyone’s cup of tea, and this album will serve as a good gateway album and save people some trouble to download multiple singles to give her music a try.

Samples:

• Prayer (sample)

• mellow melody (sample)

• Towa no Kotoba (永久のコトバ) (sample)

• Paranoia (パラノイア) (sample)

• Prelude ~Unmei no Kakera~ (運命の欠片) (sample)

• Kokoro no Tsubasa (心の翼) (sample)

Complete tracklist.

Download links:

• 320kbps MP3 (torrent)
• Lossless FLAC (torrent)

Late but a new Shimotsuki original fantasy album is announced about two weeks ago. Link here. Other collaborator includes Hiyama Nao (日山尚) and it’s planned to be released this autumn.

Hyped, I am guessing the style will be similar to Thindaria no Tane.

More updates when there’s new information.

Not a music update =/

Started a new wallpaper vector a few weeks ago, outlines are now done ^^

On a slightly music related note, Ooshima Michiru’s Bounen no Xamdou Original Soundtrack is scheduled to be released on July 22nd

Not music related, but couldn’t resist to put a post on this review I’ve just written for Clannad After Story…

• Link

Was great fun writing it. If you are looking for some good romance story, look no further…

Shikata Akiko is doing the OP for Umineko no Naku Koro ni (anime). The opening single is scheduled to be released on August 19th. Don’t think it’ll be using the same theme as the game (it’d be odd to release another single that has the same music…).

• Source

It seems like for the past few weeks Shikata Akiko was the only artist getting all the attention, but… not this time. This time it is about Red Garden Original Soundtrack, a beautiful album by Senju Akira (千住明) introduced to me not long ago (thanks zzeroparticle~).

I noticed that a lot of things I grew to love didn’t always appeal to me on my first try. Sometimes it makes me wonder if I really actually like them or I am just got accustomed to them. But in any case, this Red Garden OST is an exception.

Samples:

• Main Theme ~ Sou dearu to Negau Kara (メインテーマ～そうであると願うから) (sample)

• Kojin no Shi (個人の死) (sample)

• Hai Iro no Shiawase (灰色の幸せ) (sample)

• Kyou wa Owari Dakara (今日は終わりだから) (sample)

• Mienai Hikari (見えない光) (sample)

• nata to Ita Kara Mieta Koto (貴方といたから見えたこと) (sample)

• Susumu, Soshite Susumu (進む、そして進む) (sample)

• Te no Kasanari (手の重なり) (sample)

• Akai Niwa (赤い庭) (sample)

• Ai ~ Wazuka na Omoide (藍～僅かな思い出) (sample)

• Sumire ~ You to Tomoni (菫～陽と共に) (sample)

Complete tracklist.

I was charmed when I listened to the first track, Main Theme ~ Sou dearu to Negau Kara. The first minute introductory might feel uninteresting and generic, but the real treat doesn’t start until the flute kicks in a little after a minute. From then on, the theme of the album – Hope or Longing, is conveyed with a mixture of heavenly oboe, strings and light harp arranged melody.

The second track, Kojin no Shi is an example of Senju Akira’s elegant manipulation of mood and tension in his music. With 2 simple layers of instruments, the depression, fear and anxiety related to death are vividly expressed. My only gripe with the track is that it is a little too short ><

KOKIA also sang for a few tracks in this album (although every track in this album is composed and arranged by Senju himself). If you have heard her albums before, be surprised. It’s nothing that resembles her usual music, the closest comparison would be her stood-out-from-the-rest Trip Trip album, but even so it is quite different. A hymn of KOKIA harmonizing Senju’s mesmerizing aria is probably the best description to for all her tracks in this album.

The most amazing thing I find in this album, is Senju Akira’s ability to blend classical with hints of modern elements in his music. Probably not everyone’s cup of tea, but I recommend a listen on a quiet night before sleep :)

Download links:

• 320kbps MP3 (irc xdcc)
• 320kbps MP3 (torrent)

Bundled with the first press release of Shikata’s Harmonia last month, there’s a preview/unreleased track that can be downloaded via handphone (though it is not trivial for those who don’t live in Japan). It is a track that Shikata is still working on and this 40-second track serves nothing more than a teaser for most.

Sadly, some of her fans could not even be teased, since they can’t get it in the first place. Although today I was lucky enough to meet someone who had it. All credit goes to Yumi and Michelle (from http://chat.canta-per-me.net/). And so here is the track for those who are interested:

• Acqua (sample)

Sounds like Aurora (Raka’s) or a water type track (I guess the title sort of gave it away). Now that I’ve heard it, I am definitely looking forward to hearing the full version. But this also raises another question – what is Shikata doing with this one track? Is she planning to release a mini album or a single or something? Hmm yes we can all be hopeful…