Remember...
- these songs are for sampling purposes only
- if you like what you hear, suport the artist and buy their music
- comments are very much appreciated :-D

Rotation 11: June 2007


Artist: Alice Nine
Song: WHITE PRAYER
Genre: rock
Language: Japanese, English
Rating: * * * * 1/2
Comment: Yay - Alice Nine's new single!! And it is a good one ^_^. The chorus is absolutely fantastic!! I love love love the guitars in the chorus!!!! And Shou's lovely singing, of course. So much energy and happiness... The verses are okay too ^_^.
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Artist: BONNIE PINK
Song: Cotton Candy
Genre: pop-rock
Language: Japanese, English
Rating: * * * * * 
Comment: Cotton Candy is my new favorite Bonnie Pink song <3. It's such a sunshine-y, cheerful song and it always puts a smile on my face ^_^. Bonnie has such a clear, pretty voice... The guitars are nice in this song too. Such a great melody... I highly recommend this song, especially if you've never heard anything by Bonnie Pink before. Give it a try ^_^! 
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Artist: Nell
Song: Nakyeopeui Bi
Genre: alt rock
Language: Korean
Rating: * * * * 1/2
Comment: This is one of Nell's softer, slower rock songs... The guitar, the synth and Jong Wan's voice make it very pretty, though ^^. I would say it's a little melancholy too. 
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Artist: Antennasia
Song: Sorrow
Genre: downtempo
Language: English
Rating: * * * * 1/2 
Comment: So sad... ^^. Both the lyrics and the music of this song really do convey a feeling of 'sorrow', but it isn't depressing or anything ^^. It has a slow, R&B-ish beat... Add that to the soft synth and other sound effects, and you have yourself a nice relaxing song ^_^.
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Artist: KOKIA
Song: Pinku no Zou
Genre: 
Language: Japanese
Rating: * * * * * 
Comment: This is definitely one of Kokia's cutest songs ^^. It's a really different song, though, LOL. It has a definite Middle Eastern/Mediterranean flavor to it. I love the ethnic-sounding drums ^^. As for vocals, Kokia sings in a cute, somewhat child-like voice, but then there's this other voice singing in the background ^^... I can't even describe it, but when I first heard it I seriously thought it was an Arabian or Indian man ^^;. But it's Kokia!! Well I guess Pinku no Zou really showcases Kokia's vocal versatility and talent ^_^. 
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Artist: Ellegarden
Song: Kaze no Hi
Genre: pop-punk/rock
Language: Japanese, English
Rating: * * * * 1/2
Comment: Another high-energy and catchy song by Ellegarden... Not only do they sound American, but Takeshi's English is pretty good too ^^.  
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Artist: Amano Tsukiko
Song: Nichiyoubi
Genre: rock
Language: Japanese
Rating: * * * * * 
Comment: Nichiyoubi, my favorite song by Amano Tsukiko ^_^! It has such a fantastic and uplifting melody... The chorus is great; Amano has that special voice that allows her to belt out notes and not sound strained or whiney. I think she really shines in this song ^_^! Everything else in this song is just as fantastic (strings ^^!). And like so many of her songs, there's an awesome guitar solo in Nichiyoubi that I love ^^. 
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Artist: Asian Kung-Fu Generation 
Song: Uso to Wonderland
Genre: rock
Language: Japanese
Rating: * * * * *
Comment: No Gotoh vocals in this one ^^. Yup, the guitarist does all the singing! His voice isn't that bad - a little higher than Gotoh's, and a bit weaker/thinner too, but it's pleasant enough ^_^. I love the melody, though. It's kind of odd...but interesting. The rest is just your typical Ajikan rock song ^^... Their style reminds me of Weezer's Maladroit album, so if you're a fan of Weezer, I would highly recommend you trying anything by these guys ^_*
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Artist: Hiromi Uehara
Song: Desert on the Moon
Genre: jazz
Language: N/A
Rating: * * * * *
Comment: ^___^... Even without fancy synthesizers and cool bass solos, Hiromi's music still sounds special. Desert on the Moon is a pretty mild jazz piece... It flows very nicely and has some great improv-ish sounding parts ^^. This is one of the downloadable songs you can find on her website.
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Artist: Kotoko
Song: Iruka
Genre: electronic/techno
Language: Japanese
Rating: * * * * * 
Comment: Yaaay, I love Kotoko's rockier pieces! Iruka has the usual techno flair to it, but the guitars and the synth really dominate the overall sound of the song... It almost sounds a little dark in a few parts ^^. The vocals and the melody are also really nice :D
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Artist: Kagrra,
Song: Setsunaru Kotoba
Genre: neo japanesque
Language: Japanese
Rating: * * * * 1/2
Comment: Hooray for old-school Kagrra ^_^! This is one crazy song, folks. Well, Isshi saying "kami yo" a million times in a row is enough to make me go insane, at least, XD. Naah, I love this song. It has a nice fast pace... Great guitar work ^_^. Nice vocals. Nao really goes to town on his bass too O_O!!! Oh yeah, and Akiya's guitar solo is AWESOME!! Actually...I usually switch to a different song once the solo is done >_> ... 
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Artist: INORAN
Song: Can you hear it? (CRYZO mix)
Genre: alternative
Language: English
Rating: * * * * 1/2
Comment: I really like the original version of Can You Hear It, but this remix is really something else ^^. A pretty piano has been added, along with percussion and other sound effects... It's very dreamy ^_^...  
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Artist: Akino Arai
Song: Sakasama no Niji
Genre: easy listening
Language: Japanese
Rating: * * * * 1/2
Comment: Sakasama no Niji is a mellow kind of song, with whispery vocals and dreamy sound effects... Nice percussion too ^_^. 
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 Artist: Shiina Ringo
Song: Fukou Jiman
Genre: rock
Language: Japanese, English
Rating: * * * * 1/2
Comment: Never has a Shiina song been so in-your-face and hard rocking, LOL. Fukou Jiman has great percussion, loud guitars, and ^_^ fantastic vocals. I hate when Japanese artists mar their perfectly good music with English profanities, though. It disappoints me. But...aside from that, this song is pretty awesome. 
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Artist: HUSKING BEE
Song: Wata no Hara
Genre: indie rock
Language: Japanese
Rating: * * * * 1/2
Comment: There's a cool keyboard/organ thingy in this song, and that's why I love it so much ^_*. The chorus is really good too. The singer has a very husky, sometime scratchy voice, which I'm not crazy about... But oh well. 
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Artist: SID
Song: Ajisai
Genre: rock
Language: Japanese
Rating: * * * * * 
Comment: Excellent drumming, guitarwork, and singing. (I never seem to notice Aki's bass... I feel bad.) Ajisai is a very pretty song ^_^... 
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Arist: RURUTIA
Song: Maururu Roa
Genre: alternative
Language: Japanese
Rating: * * * * 1/2
Comment: Such a cool song! I definitely sounds like something from a video game soundtrack ^_^...  Rurutia's singing is lovely as usual, although it seems like there's more music than singing parts. But that's okay. It's a very different song, that's for sure ^_^. 
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Artist: ART-SCHOOL
Song: Irezumi
Genre: rock
Language: Japanese
Rating: * * * *
Comment: These guys remind me a bit of Asian Kung-Fu Generation...just more melodic/mellow ^_^. Nice drum beat and nice guitars. I like the part after the second chorus ^_^. 
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Artist: Eri Nobuchika
Song: Yume no Kakera (Linus Loves Remix)
Genre: electronic
Language: Japanese
Rating: * * * * * 
Comment: This one isn't so much dance or trance or whatever, like a lot of her other songs... It has very nice synthy/electronic elements in it, though ^_^. And really great singing <33 
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Artist: Tokyo Jihen
Song: Yukiguni
Genre: alt rock/jazzy
Language: Japanese
Rating: * * * * * 
Comment: The piano in this song is gorgeous... I love the guitar too ^_^. The vocals sound a little too over-the-top in a few spots, though. Yukiguni is a dynamic song, with a nice climax and everything. 
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Artist: Ruiza
Song: Amenity Gain
Genre: metal...ish XD
Language: N/A
Rating: * * * * *
Comment: I love this instrumental stuff ^_*. Ruiza is the (really good) guitarist from the visual kei band D, and this song is from his solo project... And don't be afraid of the tag 'metal' because if I can stand to listen to it...well, that means it's probably not metal, LOL. I just don't know what to call it! Amenity Gain is a fast-paced song with awesome guitar riffs and such ^_^.  
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Artist: Tommy Heavenly6
Song: Heavy Starry Chain
Genre: poppy rock
Language: Japanese, English
Rating: * * * * * 
Comment: Sooo catchy. Not a very happy song, though. I think Tommy meant it to sound a little dark.
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Artist: The Brilliant Green
Song: Round and Round
Genre: alt rock
Language: English
Rating: * * * * * 
Comment: Now here's the Tommy I love ^_^! And OMG Buri Guri is coming out with a new single next month! After all those millions of years since their last one... But anyway, Round and Round is a really nice song. I absolutely love the lyrics ^_^. I think they're meant to be thought-provoking (she is singing about karma to a mean/cranky person), but some of the lines are just so cute ---> 
It's a crime, living your life without ever looking down 
at the ground, at the flowers that you keep stepping on. 
And maybe you should notice that they've done nothing to you, 
or you might find out someday, when things turn upside-down...
and those flowers step on you!!            
*giggle* ... -_-.....Or maybe I'm just a dork 8-D
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Artist: Plastic Tree
Song: Gerbera
Genre: rock
Language: Japanese
Rating: * * * * * 
Comment: Cu~~ute ^_^! Ryutaro's voice is so adorable... This is a nice song too. It's one of their more mainstream-sounding ones, I guess. Like Harusaki Sentimental and Kuuhaku no Hi... I'd say it's a happy song ^_^. 
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Artist: OLIVIA
Song: Ballerina
Genre: ethereal pop
Language: Japanese, English
Rating: * * * * * 
Comment: This song is so incredibly pretty ^_^. Olivia's voice is so angelic, it fits perfectly with the dreamy piano and synthy strings... It's really beautiful.
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Artist: BUCK-TICK
Song: Ijin Yoru
Genre: alt rock
Language: Japanese
Rating: * * * * 1/2
Comment: Rock with a touch of gothic-y-ness... Nice vocals, nice string arrangement, cool beat/percussion, groovy bass... Yup, that's it ^_^! 
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Artist: Yoko Kanno (feat. Origa)
Song: Date of Rebirth
Genre: rock/electronic
Language: Russian, some English  
Rating: * * * *, because I feel bad
Comment: This is the latest Ghost in the Shell theme, featuring Origa on vocals... It's more rock than the usual electronic/techno style Yoko uses for GITS opening themes. In my opinion, it doesn't even come close to Inner Universe or Rise.. Yeah, me comparing it to the previous two songs probably isn't fair, but I can't help doing it. As for the song ^_^... Origa's voice is still amazing as ever... Of course give it a try if you're a die-hard Origa fan :-D
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Artist: Hyde
Song: Angel's Tale
Genre: easy listening
Language: Japanese
Rating: * * * * * 
Comment: For such a beautiful song, Hyde looks thoroughly ticked in that pic ^^;. But it's all I have, hehe. Angel's Tale is a quiet song, carried along by a delicate acoustic guitar melody...and even nicer vocals ^_^. Hyde's voice is so deep and ... okay, it's really sexy XD. And if you're wondering, this version sounds nothing like the "English ensemble" ^_^.  
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Artist: Maaya Sakamoto
Song: Kuuki to Hoshi
Genre: easy listening
Language: Japanese
Rating: * * * * 1/2
Comment: Another gorgeous song written by Yoko Kanno ^_^. The melody is so pretty, and I love the soft thunder noises in the background... It really creates a nice mood, if that's the right word ^_^. There is also piano, strings, and acoustic guitar. 
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Artist: Yoko Kanno (feat. Chinatsu Yamamoto)
Song: Kuuki to Hoshi
Genre: vocal
Language: Kanno
Rating: * * * * 
Comment: Yep, same title, same tune! She must really like it ^_^. This version is very short and doesn't have any instruments in it... Just some creepy laughter that makes me think of an evil doll or something. And Chinatsu Yamamoto's sweet voice ^_^.
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Artist: Yoko Kanno (feat. Chinatsu Yamamoto)
Song: Early Bird
Genre: Yoko Kanno
Language: Kanno
Rating: * * * * *
Comment: A small section of Kuuki to Hoshi's melody is used in this piece as well, so I had to include it with the other two ^_^. Early Bird opens with Chinatsu's clear, child-like voice... A harp is introduced next, followed by some synth... It's a sad but pretty tune. After the last note is sung, though, the music suddenly turns eerie!! Low, buzzy synth...creepy piano plinks... It sounds so foreboding and sinister... There is also something that sounds like a choir singing in the distance (a creepy tune, of course). I love this song ^_^...
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Please remember to leave a comment if you download anything ^_^!  
Thanks so much in advance (and for past comments too) ♥.