[Album] J-Pop: An Introduction (and discussion)

Thanks for your suggestions. I didn't know they started THAT early (1988!!!).

FELIPE NO

Nice thread. I'm a huge Ayumi Hamasaki and Utada Hikaru fan, got nearly all of their albums >.< I thank eBay for that.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Hey Evo-X, welcome aboard. If you have the ability to order things online I'd recommend you check out YesAsia and CD Japan in future as they should be able to hook you up with CDs you're after. YesAsia is especially good for people in the UK as you can get free shipping + VAT paid, which is great.

I have to say, well I have all of Hikki's albums except the Singles Collection, but collecting all of Ayu's albums, now that's one hell of a task. Does that include all the remix albums?

EDIT: I know Hiro will probably be aware of this, but there's a new GARNET CROW album on the way, "The Twilight Valley", which will be out on 4th October and has some very pretty covers.

Most amazing jew boots

Thanks for the welcome, and yes I know about YesAsia =) They got some albums I want by a Japanese group called "M.O.V.E" they're my favourite Japanese group. Check them out if you haven't heard of them.

And yeah, I have "A Song For XX, Rainbow, My Story, A Ballads, A Best, Ayu Trance 2 and her Missunderstood album with the bonus photo booklet and DVD. I still need to get other albums of hers though. As for Utada Hikaru, I have Distance, Deep River and Exodus. I'll be getting her Ultra Blue album and Debut album soon though.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Speaking of Ayu, I have all (if not, almost) her singles and albums, thanks to torrents all over, including her remix albums. Acoustic mix, eurobeat and other trance albums, etc. It is seriously one heck of a task. Downloaded of course. It'll cost a fortune to actually buy ALL her stuff.

Originally Posted by Evo

I have "A Song For XX, Rainbow, My Story, A Ballads, A Best, Ayu Trance 2 and her Missunderstood album with the bonus photo booklet and DVD

You do realize that, your collection is hardly anywhere near "all" of her albums right? ='D

Also OP, just saw your post with Mio and Eri's rip links. Getting those now.
Missed it earlier since I hardly post in this thread.

[Edit] After trying out both Eri and Mio's albums, I must say, they're both great. I favor more on Eri, as her voice is very similiar to Younha, but less piano and more guitar! I particularly like her style too, with a mild touch of rock. ^^

Mio is awesome too, but too Rie Fu-like music style and with piano pieces in almost all her songs. Very suitable for light and easy listen. Pleasant voice too.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I didn't mean her mixes and stuff, i just meant her proper albums, dude. I could really care less about those Eurobeat stuff, lol.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Kairi Li

Quoting a older post I know, but how is it that Faye Wong has her own "style" of songs when she probably didnt write any of them, and the only songs I liked from her turned out to be covers of "Dreams" from the Cranberries and "Silent All these years" by Tori Amos? (Which by the way cause me to realise that the Canto Pop industry is full of lazy stars that won't write their own music to the point of covering famous western tracks to make them "hot". I stop listening to Faye and all Canto stuff after I discovered this)

Unless of course she has a legion of the same composers writing her songs, I don't see how the fans dislike Eyes on Me cause its not her "style" when there isn't seem to be her own style to begin with.

On a personal note, I much prefer Aki's rendition of Eyes on Me than Faye, her voice is much more powerful and projects better and she plays the piano with it too, just like Julia did in the game. Faye on the other hand probably can't project well enough that she relies on the microphone.

She does write alot of her own lyrics and compositions. She does do alot of cover songs, but I don't think this is a sign of being lazy. She's just singing songs she likes and wants to promote to an East Asian audience. Most of her discography is original material, though. Like alot of artists, she doesn't write all of her songs. I'd be too time consuming and I'd take alot of time with her busy schedule. She does have a style, but it changes every now and then. She likes to experiment with new things and at the same time give something for fans who like her older work too.

To each their own concerning "Eyes On Me", but from someone who knows Faye very well and her discography, it is certainly not a Faye styled song.

I was speaking idiomatically.

No problems, Evo-X, and yes I have heard of MOVE and have heard some of their songs and whilst it was nice enough didn't do much for me.

For Hikki, apart from ULTRA BLUE, you're missing her First Love (as you mention), her Single Collection, and there's also her US debut release, which I have, from years ago when she went by the artist title 'cubic U' (called "Precious").

As Scarletdeath implies about your Ayu collection that's a bit of a way off (though a good collection none the less). Ayu has 9 original albums, not to mention one mini-album (Memorial Address), but when you add remix albums to that it goes up to 30 albums. The one of those I'd recommend in a heartbeat is "MY STORY: Classical" which is an brilliant album. The little of her trance remix stuff I've heard I've not been won over by, but to each their own.

So yeah, good luck with your collections. ^^

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Evo-X

I didn't mean her mixes and stuff, i just meant her proper albums, dude. I could really care less about those Eurobeat stuff, lol.

(miss)understood
My Story
Memorial Address
A Ballads
Rainbow
I Am
A Best
Duty
Love Appears
A song for XX

That's about it for her proper albums. Not to mention Ayu Trance 1, 2 (that you own) and 3 is included as her Eurobeat remixes. Guess you have 4 more albums to go. =D

FELIPE NO

Yeah, I was gonna get her Duty and Love Appears albums a couple of months back but I decided to go for some Utada and Do As Infinity instead. I only have Do The B Side and Need Your Love by them. But yeah, the remix albums isn't my goal ;p

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Hate to be a completely anal git, but it's not "LOVE Appears", the album is called "LOVEppears". FYI.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Yeap, it says LOVEppears on my iTunes too. I simply wrote that list off the top of my head, so..

By the way, you mentioned My Story: Classical. Personally I think that is a great arranged album too, since My Story itself is one of my favourite albums compared to the rest there. If you liked that classical album, you should look for her other acoustic remixes as well. ^^

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I've also been trying to look for her "Nothing From Nothing" album. Even though it wasn't a success for her, it's still a gem. I only got one song, "Limit" and i really like that song. I also had this other song of hers, which was basically hip hop, real old skool.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I have Nothing From Nothing as well. It's her first so-called album, which has her featured in it along with some rap band and DJs. With her rapping in it, while rap isn't my cup of tea, it's the only rap I've heard from her. Her voice sounds really young in there, rather cute like a small kid rapping.

The songs in that album consists of:
Gut it-pez
LIMIT
NOTHING FROM NOTHING (Album version)
NOTHING FROM NOTHING (Single version)
PAPER DOLL

I believe you can get it off Jpopsuki's trackers. If you're looking to buy one, good luck. The album is quite old.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Nah, dude. Downloading albums isn't my cup of tea. Besides, it's kinda fun searching for gems like these.

Does anyone have Ultra Blue? If so, how is it? So far, the songs I've heard from that album have been damn amazing.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I have it, and whilst it's not the best album from Hikki (I'm rather partial to "Deep River" myself) it is still a very good album. If you've enjoyed the songs you've heard so far I can't imagine you'll be disappointed, that's for sure. "Keep Tryin'" = <3

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Evo-X

Nah, dude. Downloading albums isn't my cup of tea. Besides, it's kinda fun searching for gems like these.

Does anyone have Ultra Blue? If so, how is it? So far, the songs I've heard from that album have been damn amazing.

Omg, Ultra Blue is so awesome; I love every single song on it. My favorite tracks are "This Is Love" and "Making Love". Very catchy. Worth buying.

FELIPE NO

I just listened to Younha's "Go! Younha" album. I must say I like it. Nothing beats YUI in this genre though.

Is it just me or are new artists in Japan riding on the same genre? The acoustic guitar-piano-folk-pop feel to it.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Younha and YUI aren't even in the same genre. YUI is on guitar, Younha is on crackpiano. I love both artist almost equally, with YUI first, Rurutia second, and Younha third. The main reason to listen to Younha is her incredible vocals. Really.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Scarletdeath

Younha and YUI aren't even in the same genre.

Instruments don't define a genre. I'd agree with vemp, they are of a similar style/genre, the "acoustic guitar-piano-folk-pop" type thing. However, I would disagree with vemp about new artists - it just so happens that I like acoustic pop so have mentioned artists falling into that 'genre' here, that doesn't make them the only new artists out there, in fact there's plenty of others with different styles (I believe Yuna Ito has been mentioned in this thread, for example).

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I was under the impression that, YUI is more on acoustic/rock, while Younha is more on mainstream pop. Their style is quite different if you listen carefully. Younha's new single is different though, as she actually changed her image into a gothic punk rocker on that single. No piano.

How ya doing, buddy?

Well that was her previous single no doubt as there's most certainly piano in her actual new single. I know this as she sits at a piano in the PV and plays it.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Wait, are you saying there's a new single after Te wo Tsunaide?

[Edit] YES! Just checked. Released in a couple more days!! Strange that she switch from her gothic look back to the original.

I was speaking idiomatically.

She didn't really go 'gothic', she just did a slightly more rock-y song is all. I liked it, though the new one is even better. Funky PV too.

Speaking of funky songs, I just heard a sample from the c/w to YUI's new single. It's called "Cloudy" and it's good, very good (from whats I heards anyways). I'm so looking forward to my copy of that arriving. ^^

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

She actually looked gothic, but she doesn't show it in her song. Her Te wo Tsunaide is still just standard rock.

YUI and Younha's new single about to be released. CAN'T WAIT!!~ Younha's single has 5 tracks instead of the standard 4 track count this time.

FELIPE NO