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Tracklisting
1) Melody
2) Kimi Nan Da (きみなんだ; lit. It’s You)
3) Tashika na Mono (タシカナモノ; lit. A Certain Thing)
4) calling you
5) Seseragi (せせらぎ; lit. Babble(?))
6) Tsunagu Mirai (つなぐみらい; lit. Connecting Future)
7) STEP
8) DEEP BLUE
hands is Eri Nobuchika’s first attempt at a mini-album, and her first release on the Hills Records label, after being dropped from her previous label. It was released on the 4th of June, 2009.
Eri’s debut album was a fantastic effort. Her work with Shinichi Osawa was absolutely brilliant, and that album is still highly enjoyable. However, I’m sorry to say that her work without Shinichi, as finally shown in the long-awaited hands, is very, VERY disappointing. It’s full of down-tempo jazzy pop numbers, and sounds a lot more mainstream than her previous works did. It even sounds like her voice has taken a considerable hit through her hiatus.
It’s not a terrible album, though. It just has many, many shortcomings. Namely, tracks like Melody, Seseragi, and calling you, with the first two being plain boring and the last being simply annoying. That’s almost half of the album as it is, and even though these are the main shortcomings, there are more.
Honestly, Eri sounds VERY mainstream in this album. She’s lost her individuality and sunk into a state of mediocrity that many of us have come to expect from her drop to an indies label. The songs here can sound very minimalistic at times, and many, if not all, are missing just one or two things that would make them fantastic. Case of point: Kimi Nan Da. It’s one of my favorite songs on the mini due to its usage of the jazz sound, but honestly, it’s just bland. Mika Nakashima had a great handle on this genre, so all I can think of is that Kimi Nan Da is a watered down attempt at that kind of sound. I can’t hate it because of this, but it’s missing a few things that could make it a lot better. Those constant breaks into piano solos being kicked out would help immensely, because they kill the flow.
A few more enjoyable tracks include STEP, a latin-infused track with a whole lot of energy and a decent hook that actually drags me in. It’s hands down my favorite song on the mini-album, just for how much it draws me in. Tsunagu Mirai is another example of a good song, despite suffering from what I shall call KND Syndrome. Everything else is just too dull to even remember. I can’t make myself do it, I couldn’t if I tried.
Mini-Album Score
C+
Favorite Tracks
1) STEP
2) Kimi Nan Da
3) Tsunagu Mirai
It was a nice attempt, but honestly, Eri’s just fallen flat with this release. It’s dull, uninspired and a huge step down both musically and vocally from her previous works. I guess it can’t be helped, but one can only hope she finds her way back into the dance genre, because it did absolute wonders with her voice. There really isn’t much to say: She just didn’t do well enough with this release. I’m hoping she releases something more soon, though. Even though it isn’t great, it’s still fantastic to see Eri enter the music scene again.
Tracklisting
1) Forest of Dreams (Intro)
2) Lights
3) SING A SONG
4) Sketch for Summer
5) Kutsu wo Narasou
6) Inner Glow
7) I hear the music in my soul
8) Voice
9) Kodou
10) Desert of Dreams (Interlude)
11) Yume no Kakera
12) Hidamari
nobuchikaeri is the first album from Eri Nobuchika, and her only album to be released under the Sony Music Associated Records label before being dropped. The entire album was produced by Shinichi Osawa, a.k.a. Mondo Grosso, and all of the lyrics were written by Eri herself. It was released on the 21st of December, 2005.
Upon its release (and the release of the preceeding singles, in turn), Eri Nobuchika never really got a lot of attention, apart from the usage of Lights in the original Lumines game for the PSP. As an album, it features a rather diverse range of music, going from crossover songs that mix piano and dance music, such as Lights, to full-blown electronic and underground club songs, like SING A SONG and I hear the music in my soul. There are even one or two jazz tracks thrown on.
With such a large mix of genres thrown in to one album, all done by one vocalist and one producer, it would have been a rather large feat to get it to flow perfectly and sound consistent. There are a few light hitches here and there, such as the electronic Sing a song leading into the jazzy ballad Sketch for Summer, and possibly Inner Glow to I hear the music in my soul to Voice, but as a whole, it came out rather well, all things considering.
Even with the few flow hitches present, the majority of the songs manage to bring something interesting and different to the table, but many songs do have flaws. For starters, just about every song on the album has a slow start. Expect to be waiting at least a minute, if not more for some songs, to get into the interesting sections. This is especially evident in Light, which can wear a bit thin when all it has to offer at first is a piano playing one note. However, if you skip ahead in the song, you’ll be missing out on the entire package, which can further dampen a perspective on a song.
However, even in the flaws, there’s quite a lot that should be praised about the album. Slow starts aside, the mixing of dance music with orchestral, acoustic instruments is something to be admired, especially since it works. The ethnic and foreign flavors given in tracks like Yume no Kakera and Voice are an interesting way to break the monotony, as are our full-blown dance tracks and the jazzy ballads Sketch for Summer and Kodou.
What makes these varied arrangements and sounds even more intriguing and interesting is Eri herself. Compared to many of the popular artists and units people listen to, Eri has a rather distinct, deep voice, and with that deep register comes a level of power vocal power very few can match in more recent times. And she doesn’t miss a chance to display this power, as some rather spectacular notes are hit throughout the album, with a bit of favoritisim being given to Voice and its spectacular scream three minutes into the song that just has to make you consider the possibility of being electronically altered. When a voice so spectacular also works wonders against a jazzy or acoustic backdrop, you know you have a powerful force on your side.
For you English language fans (which would be most readers, I guess), take a listen to Inner Glow. She recorded this track entirely in English, and while it’s one of the slower, more subdued songs on the album, it’s rather interesting to hear her tackle the language, despite using a rather thick accent.
Album Score
A
Favorite Tracks
1) Lights
2) SING A SONG
3) I hear the music in my soul
4) Kodou
5) Voice
Unfortunately, this album marks the end of Eri’s affiliation with both Sony Music Associated Records and one Shinichi Osawa, and was one of her last releases before her long hiatus. It was a shame this had to happen, because Eri Nobuchika showed a huge amount of promise, and her partnership with Shinichi meant she stood out from the rest of the crowd with her interesting and rather curious mixes of genres. Jazz fans, dance fans, orchestral fans… No matter your taste, you’re sure to find something to love here.
Tracklisting
1) Kodou (鼓動, lit. Heartbeat)
2) Kodou (INCOGNITO DEJA VU MIX)
3) Sketch for Summer (G.RINA REMIXX)
4) Kodou (KARAOKE)
Kodou is the 4th single from Eri Nobuchika, and the final single in the Nobuchikaeri era. The single was actually re-released two weeks after the original date, removing the karaoke track and replacing it with an instrumental track that featured no background vocals. It was originally released on the 7th of December, 2005.
Hm. Eri loves long piano openings, obviously, because Kodou is the third track to utilize this method of arranging. It sounds like as much of a ballad as Sketch for Summer at this stage, but after about a minute, we get drums, strings and a whole brass arrangement giving us this slightly upbeat, Jazzy tune. This is kind of the same case as Sketch for Summer: It sounds like a ballad at first, but the Jazz drowns that atmosphere out and makes it seem more upbeat than it probably should be. Kodou does this in a much preferrable manner, as it’s faster and sounds fuller as a whole compared to the previous single. It’s also much Jazzier as a whole, which is a nice plus for fans of the genre. Nothing needs to be said for Eri’s vocals: They’re gorgeous, as usual, though there isn’t a real abundance of testing notes, so don’t expect anything like the middle section of Voice. The first note of the chorus is rather impressive, though.
And the INCOGNITO DEJA VU MIX of Kodou is actually rather true to the original: It just cuts the piano out and gives us the brass, drums and some strings from the get-go. It has this real laid back feeling to it, and the light synth spurts and that weird twang sound really make this sound like a light R&B song with Jazz influences, which I thought sounded great. This is another case of me preferring the second track over the original, because this is pretty much the catchy section of Kodou extended to make a full arrangement for the song we all know and love. However, at about five minutes in, it turns into this upbeat, energetic arrangement keeping all the Jazz elements and adding in the flute. This part lasts almost FOUR MINUTES, but I can handle Jazzzy songs that work like this. If you don’t like long-winded instrumentals or just can’t handle Jazz, you might want to cut it off at about five minutes instead of listening to the whole thing. For me, it was definitely a great listen though.
The Sketch for Summer G.RINA REMIXX starts off in an odd way, with ethereal sounds playing voer what sounds kind of like a slow, steady tribal drum. A few more related sounds are added in as Eri’s vocals come in, and it stays rather dull until about two mintues and fifteen seconds pass. The arrangement is rather fast and still mainly silent, but the echoes put onto Eri’s voice are much more apparent here. Then these claps come in, and I’m just through with the song. It’s just dull and it drags on WAY too long for it to be interesting.
Single Score
A
Favorite Track
Kodou (INCOGNITO DEJA VU MIX)
Well, it was pretty much everything that Sketch for Summer had already shown us, but I think Kodou handled the sound a lot better than the previous single. it was catchier, and easier to listen to, despite featuring that long-winded piano section at the beginning. The remix was the perfect remedy for this, as it was a very similar sound with a few more interesting beats thrown in to give us a much fuller-sounding song. The Skech for Summer remix was a bit bad, but overall, it was definitely one of my favorite Eri singles so far (I still can’t decide between this and Lights).
I SURE AS FUCKING HELL HOPE NOT.
Apparently the tracklisting HASN’T changed:
1.Melody -Ryuichiro Ymaki
2.きみなんだ -さかいゆう
3.タシカナモノ -THE COMPANY
4.calling you -DSK （Port of Notes）
5.せせらぎ -信近エリ produced by 高田漣
6.つなぐみらい -沖仁
7.STEP -沖仁
8.DEEP BLUE -大橋トリオ
MAYBE the order, but that’s all.
Source: http://nobuchikaeri.jugem.jp/
EDIT: Seriously, though, it’s highly unlikely that this is the cover. I just found it hilarious that she used THAT as a placeholder image. Plus, the promo looks WAY too stylish to have this as a cover. See below for the promo shot.
EDIT2: Also, to those of you who remember that post I made about the Sweetbox: The Next Generation album and how I would be special revewing it… Well… The tracklisting may interest you.
1. We Can Work It Out
2. Don’t Know What You’re Sorry For
3. Heartbeat
4. With A Love Like You
5. Everything Is Nothing
6. Crash Landed
7. Everything’s Gonna Be Alright
8. Blue Angel
9. Magic
10. Everybody Come Out In The Sunshine
11. These Dayz*
12. More Than You
13. When Will It Be Me
14. Coming Home To You
15. Love Forgets
16. Everything’s Gonna Be Alright (The Next Generation 2009) [Yasutaka Nakata (capsule) Remix]* (!!!)
That’s right, Nakata’s remixing one of Sweetbox’s most well known tracks. I, personally, died inside when I saw this delightful little combination. This will DEFINITELY be reviewed when it comes out on the 10th of June. Special reviewed, of course.
Tracklisting
1) Sketch for Summer
2) Sketch for Summer (Live @ Sony Music Studio)
3) Voice (Bob Sinclar Voiceless Remix)
4) Sketch for Summer (Karaoke)
Sketch for Summer is Eri Nobuchika’s 3rd overall single. The PV for this single was considered somewhat of a landmark, as it marks the first time that Eri had ever appeared in colour, either in a PV or single cover. It only managed to reach #175 on the Oricon charts, and was released on the 29th of June, 2005.
Okay, wow. At first, I was definitely surprised at how different Sketch for Summer was compared to her previous a-sides. It opens similarly to Lights, in that it’s simply Eri playing over the piano, but this time there’s a proper arrangement for her to sing to instead of a repeated note. It’s a bit dull, as it stays like thos until about a minute and fourty-five seconds in, when drums are added into the mix. It sounds a bit more interesting here, but it’s not until soon after when the brass section starts making its appearance that the song starts getting really good, with the strings that follow in the chorus making it even better. It’s often called a ballad, but I can’t really see that in it. The jazzy sound of the song seems to keep it from ever really sounding like a ballad, which only makes it more interesting for me, but you can definitely hear how it could be one with the strings and such. Cut the brass and it would be much more believable, but it’s great as it is.
Next is a live version of Sketch for Summer at the Sony Music Studio. The song sounds very similar, except that the drums don’t come in at 1:45, and the song turns into a REALLY Jazzy tune at about two minutes in. This is definitely a brighter version of the song than we heard in the studio version, and in some ways, I actually preferred this version because of how overly Jazzy it sounded. Definitely a great listen.
Unfortunately, the single had to have a downside. The Voiceless remix of Voice cuts all the vocals for the song, and replaces the Spanish-influenced acoustic guitar line with full-on dance beats. The only good part here is at four minutes in, when it reaches the loudest section: Eri makes her only appearance here, and slowly raises her pitch from a rather high note to a loud scream that really shows off her vocal strength. This was in the original version of Voice too, of course, but it sounded much better in context there than it does here. I’ll pass on this.
Single Score
A-
Favorite Track
Sketch for Summer (Live @ Sony Music Studio)
Well, it was a VERY slow starting single, but when the Jazz elements finally came in, it turned Sketch for Summer into one of my preferred Nobuchika songs. I rather liked hearing her going from a Dance-dominant sound to a much Jazzier, relaxed approach. If her indies mini-album ditches the dance sound, I’m definitely hoping she takes it into the Jazz genre, because this was definitely an enjoyable experience.
Tracklisting
1) Voice
2) Voice (Live @ Crescente Studio)
3) I hear the music in my soul (Solid Groove Remix)
4) Voice (Karaoke)
Voice is the second single from Eri Nobuchika. The single managed to reach #94 on the Oricon Top 100 charts, and stayed on the charts for three weeks. It was released on the 6th of April, 2005.
Well, after Lights, it was nice to hear Eri setting herself apart once again with Voice. It opens simply with a quick, looping Spanish guitar piece, with dance beats slowly building on top of it until the chorus. This doesn’t happen for 2 minutes, though, and thankfully, Eri’s vocals keep these two minutes interesting. When the heavier beats come in around one minute later, the interest is increased by tenfold, and I’m loving how the song sounds here. It’s not until about 2:26 in the song that the chorus comes in, and the song reaches its peak. Eri’s vocals are brilliant here, and it’s nice to hear an artist actually hit notes while using elements of dance in their music, because really, how often do great notes and dance music come together? It DOES follow this formula for the second half as well though, and by the end, the guitar does start getting on my nerves. It’s not as great as Lights was, but it’s a great way to follow it up.
A Live version of Voice is also included on the single, and the guitar riff is very different here. The Spanish influence is still there, but the actual notes sound a bit more believable and less electronically altered than they do in the main track. The castanets were a nice touch, too. The use of instruments like drums and the guitar with the castanets all together in the chorus is a nice way to replace the drum beats, but I’m not feeling it as much without them. For a six minute song, it just seems to drag on, despite the guitar solos and such.
Unfortunately, the single ends on a sour note with the I hear the music in my soul Solid Groove Remix. That looping opening note isn’t good at all, and neither are the robotic voices, weird voice clips or idiotic sounds used. The original was perfect for dancing to, and this just butchered it into a club song with no substance or enjoyable elements at all.
Single Score
B
Favorite Track
Voice
Well, it wasn’t a perfect single, but Voice in itself was spectacular. The guitar, while innovative and interesting (When mixed with dance music, anyway, by itself it’s just overdone), did get annoying by the end, and brought it down a bit, but it was a great experience. The live was good as well, if not a bit of a dragger, but the remix of an already great song just brought it all down in the end. Again, it was a nice follow up to such an epic debut single, but it wasn’t exactly brilliant. I am liking that she decided to continue the usage of dance elements in her music, and that she keeps it with her music, but then again, she’s produced by Shinichi Osawa, so it should be expected.
Tracklisting
1) Lights
2) I hear the music in my soul
3) Lights (Acoustic)
4) Lights (Karaoke)
Lights is the debut single from Eri Nobuchika. The title track was featured in many different releases, with the most well known being its inclusion as the song used in the final level of the music-based puzzle game, Lumines, on the PSP. The b-side was also featured in this game. Lights was also used as the theme song for the movie Shinku, and as the ending song for the war-based anime FLAG. The single was released on the 8th of December, 2004.
When I first listened to Lights, I was thinking to myself… What’s the big deal with this track? I thought the lone piano playing was dull, and it lasts for quite a while. That’s usually what makes me decide to skip a song, because they rarely pick up. However, I only RECENTLY forced myself to sit through this track, and I must say, I was blown away. The piano parts never really do much, but when those strings start building towards the chorus and you start hearing those slight beats, you know something’s going to happen. The chorus is enough reason to love this song: It’s a brilliant mix of strings and dance beats, and Eri’s voice is just amazing. The upbeat sound it has in comparison to the verses is nice, too, but I’m not sure the lyrics are painting an overly happy or optimistic mood. When it zips back into the piano verse for the second time, I actually don’t mind it as much. Just listening to it once is enough to make you appreciate the whole package.
And now is one of the songs I always avoided for some reason. I hear the music in my soul is pretty much a song no one seemed to like. It’s actually a lot like a long capsule song: It’s focusing on instruments, not vocals or lyrics. It just doesn’t have the techno beats, it’s using a dance sound instead. I absolutely love the instrumental in this song, it just sounds so upbeat, and it sounds like it would work perfectly in a dance club. There are a few vocals here, but they aren’t by Eri: It’s a random voice repeating “Come on!” over and over, with a scream on every fourth beat, which I actually don’t mind. It kind of blends in after a while. Eri DOES come in later on, but there aren’t many lines: She repeats the title, “I hear the music in my soul”, quite a few times, with a few extended notes here and there. I loved almost every minute of this track, but I WILL admit that the shorter album cut is better than the longer one on this single, as at 8 minutes long… It really can drag on sometimes.
And the last non-instrumental on this single is an acoustic version of Lights, which I’m… Not really a fan of. I don’t like the verses or the opening piano solo very much at all, and the chorus just sounds kind of lacking without the dance beats. I do like the strings and piano chorus, but… I just don’t find it as epic if the dance beats are gone. They’re what separated it from most other ballads.
Single Score
A+
Favorite Tracks
1) Lights
2) I hear the music in my soul
Wow. This was a great debut single, despite the first track being so deceiving that I didn’t like it at first. I had heard the dance section before finally listening to it in full, but if you don’t like it at first and skip through it, don’t expect to like it. Listen to the whole thing first, and you may have a completely different outlook. While the acoustic additionw wasn’t great, the b-side was fantastic as well, so I’d say that this single was a smashing success. Definitely a great way to begin an unfortunately short lived (Well… Sort of?) career.
So, I decided to screw it all and feature one more artist. This’ll probably be it for a while, though, but after deciding to take a listen to Eri Nobuchika’s debut album once again, everything just clicked a lot more.
I listened to it about… Half a year ago, maybe? Sing a song was the only song that clicked, but after hearing she was FINALLY coming out with a new mini-album, hands, I decided to get Nobuchikaeri (the album) and listen to it once more. After listening to a few more songs through YouTube.
After watching the videos, I was blown away, and now I’ve listened to the album and can finally see what all the hype was about. I’m not sure where I’ll be starting though: I’m considering doing the Nobuchikaeri era while waiting for hands to come out, and that may be a nice couple of reviews to do today mixed with Aural Vampire and their EP’s, with Yuna Ito’s latest (Or did she have another after it?) single, Trust You thrown in since that’s so overdue. However, I’ve also considered just reviewing Nobuchikaeri and discarding the singles. Well, I don’t feel right doing that, so expect at least a few of the singles to be reviewed today.
EDIT: Nevermind, I guess Nobuchikaeri was the last straw, now my internet’s slowed down. A LOT. So, I’ll be reviewing them tomorrow when my net speeds up. As well as Yuna’s single. I WILL, however, be reviewing the remaining two Aural Vampire EP’s today.
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