m.o.v.e – XII March 8, 2012

Track Listing

1. Overture
2. MAYHEM PHILOSOPHY
3. KICKDOWN
4. The World Of Prisoners
5. Jasmine
6. XII
7. Shake The Babylon
8. A Thousand Reasons
9. NATIVE SHOUT
10. FLY HIGH
11. Sudden Romance
12. D.C.

1. Overture

Beginning the album off, Overture is definitely the introductory track for the album and already I’m getting “Deep Calm” vibes from it with it’s goth-like orchestral piece mixed with the chanting to make it darker.  When the strings become a bigger factor it did feel upbeat but then quickly goes away for the chanting (which I think is Latin?).  Short and strange though lol.

2. MAYHEM PHILOSOPHY

Getting into the vocal track’s MAYHEM PHILOSOPHY definitely has a rather unique feel to it since there’s more guitars and motsu is rapping first.  It’s pretty cool sounding and when yuri joins she has a pretty good tone to her voice almost like she’s singing in a stronger feel.  I also they toned down the auto-tune by a nice amount since she failed that on “Fate Seeker” and all that.  Not bad!

3. KICKDOWN

Interestingly enough, getting into KICKDOWN is a bit like going back in time because the edgier guitar-riffs and overall rock-style kind of goes back to their “Deep Calm” and “BOULDER” eras when this was their style for the entire album.  I like the heavier sound for sure but it still doesn’t hold a candle to other rock songs similar to this one but it’s good nonetheless.

4. The World Of Prisoners

Now this song is definitely a song I would’ve expected on “Deep Calm” since it’s rock-heavy and dark like a lot of the songs off that album.  I’m kind of liking yuri’s vocals in the song since once again I felt that her voice has more volume and power behind it.  Actually it reminds me of “Pure Minds” in many ways.  Not bad but a little stale for me.

5. Jasmine

The clock starts ticking when we begin Jasmine up before fading and letting guitar take over the song.  The guitar chords and yuri’s performance really impressed me in the song and gave me a good mood to the song for sure and then hearing motsu rapping wasn’t bad either.  While it lacks a pounding energy about it, it’s not terrible and stands out on the album.

6. XII

As we get into our title track, XII is probably the closest thing to their last two albums since there’s a bit more of a synthetic arrangement when compared to the previous songs before it.  It’s almost like a tuned down “SPEED MASTER”.  It’s pretty good though and I love the synergy between the two members and it impresses a lot still.  This is definitely their best title track they’ve had in a while.

7. Shake The Babylon

Oh wait here’s another synth-like song.  Shake The Babylon starts off slowly and fades into the actual track which is actually kind of like “NOIZY TRIBE” but less aggressive and the rapping from motsu is a little easier to understand.  yuri also takes over for the chorus but I somehow can’t seem to get used to it either because the arrangement is just a little too sparse and empty for me. 

8. A Thousand Reasons

After that last track, I was happy they were moving back into their rock/synth mixture with this track and I liked that there was more yuri present since I wanted to hear more of her actually.  The arrangement and background kind of sounds blurry at times and kind meshes as this buzz for most of the song.  Kind of meh for me but not too terrible.

9. NATIVE SHOUT

This song kind of gives me “DIVE INTO STREAM” vibes since both have a mixture of rock/synth/and anison throughout which might be great for fans that love that sound from them.  For me, it’s kind of cool to listen to and yuri gives a solid performance.  motsu though has a lot of attitude to give here and it works with the arrangement.  Not bad!

10. FLY HIGH

I don’t know where to classify this song since it doesn’t sound like anything I’ve really heard…maybe “DECADANCE” but that’s a bit of a strectch since there’s not a lot of ethnic touches in the song.  It has a lot of unique properties to it and it’s definitely a motsu heavy song as well so if you like him then this is a good track to begin with.  I thought the song would’ve been a little more heavier but this is alright.

11. Sudden Romance

Funny enough as we near the album’s end, Sudden Romance surprises me by being the ballad of the album.  I thought the synthed guitar added a little spice in it alongside motsu’s rapping sequences even though they didn’t really fit.  It isn’t as awkward as the chorus because it felt like it was trying to be big and powerful but fell VERY short because the arrangement sticks with it’s light and sporadic flair.  Weak track.

12. D.C.

I wasn’t prepared for such an 80′s rock song to come from the final song of the album.  It sounds a lot more broader than the first half’s rock tracks and yuri once again powers through the song with her voice.  I’m surprised it took so long to get to motsu’s rap which is softer than normal.  This was a nice song to end the album with!

Tracks Recommended

• XII
• D.C.
• MAYHEM PHILOSOPHY
• NATIVE SHOUT

Song of Avoidance

• Sudden Romance

If you were a fan of m.o.v.e’s stuff during the “Deep Mind”/”BOULDER” era this might be your album since it was more based on strings and rock and a little bit of synthy stuff.  Sad to say, but I wasn’t a big fan of those times and oddly enough XII didn’t really interest me any.  Definitely a drop after “oveRtaKerS SPIRIT” for sure…

m.o.v.e – anim.o.v.e 03 September 27, 2011

Track Listing

1. LOVE SHOWER / m.o.v.e feat. Yukari Tamura
2. DOGFIGHT (Dogma Fight “Gothic Version 2011″)
3. RHYTHM EMOTION
4. Winners
5. Naraku no Hana
6. Prism
7. City Hunter ~Ai yo Kienai de~
8. DAYS
9. only my railgun
10. Hikari e
11. Futari ga Wasurenai

1. LOVE SHOWER / m.o.v.e feat. Yukari Tamura

Is this the only rather “new” song off this album…the first song?  LOVE SHOWER is of course also the only collaboration tune on the album (shocking compared to the previous two cover albums).  I know Yukaru Tamura is also an artist (mainly anison).  I like how it starts with a storm but was oddly surprised at how it worked.  Of course motsu is the MC while the two ladies take over.  Since the main focus is on yuri and Yukari, I must say the difference in their vocals is quite obvious: Yukari’s is higher-pitched like seiyuus and yuri’s is more deeper.  It’s interesting that the tune is like pico-pop but more synths are involved.  I don’t think it makes for a good opening song tbh…but it’s OK.

2. DOGFIGHT (Dogma Fight “Gothic Version 2011″)

Second track and we get a self-cover of m.o.v.e’s awesome track DOGFIGHT!  I will admit that I love the original to death so seeing a new version does worry me a bit.  That being said, that worry does come up a little bit because the song isn’t as dark and furious as the original, but does have this gothic touch.  Sadly, it took out the angry guitars and harder percussion for more of a dance beat mixed with strings.  I do think hearing the song being resung was an interesting decision.  As much as it disappoints me from the original, it’s actually likeable.

3. RHYTHM EMOTION

Now we’re at the cover songs starting with one of the most amazing GUNDAM themes with TWO-MIX’s RHYTHM EMOTION.  To me, anyone covering it is never going to surpass the original.  m.o.v.e’s version does kind of take from the original which is a godsend but somehow this cover feels so empty and could have a lot more going on.  yuri also doesn’t really do a good job covering Minami’s original vocals.  This to me is just a weak cover IMO.

4. Winners

I liked G-GRIP’s original version of Winners when it was the ending theme for Future GPX Cyber Formula and since m.o.v.e is also known for their themes to Initial D, this was kind of an obvious choice to cover.  I love this cover since they sped this song up a little more and gave some oomph to it.  yuri also makes the original singer a bit meh as well.  Gotta say, after the rather bleh GUNDAM cover this makes up for it!

5. Naraku no Hana

LOL, are they really covering Eiko Shimamiya’s most recognizable track here?!?  Clearly I don’t think yuri would really do justice because Eiko’s has a pretty strong voice in the anime community.  While m.o.v.e’s version is a bit more louder, I think it worked in a strange way.  I actually liked yuri’s vocals and motsu’s exclusive rap in the song made the tune a bit more darker as well.  Another good cover here.

6. Prism

I was interested in hearing m.o.v.e’s cover of Ayako Ikeda’s Prism from Dennou Coil…but I have not heard the original so I can’t exactly compare.  After “Naraku no Hana”, I wasn’t surprised that they would get more ethereal and quiet with this tune.  It’s actually quite nice and pretty…even mysterious oooOOOOooo.  motsu could’ve been better without his presence but this is a worthy cover I think.

7. City Hunter ~Ai yo Kienai de~

I’ve heard of City Hunter before but I never heard of this song which was made for the anime hmmmm.  Doing Kohoru Kohiruimaki’s original tune, City Hunter sounds pretty dated in m.o.v.e’s version which might be a good thing and yuri does a great job singing this one since she sounds stronger than in previous tunes.  It just sounds really old on this album which makes it stick out on the album I think…and I blame the brass on that part!

8. DAYS

Hey! It’s a FLOW cover!!!  Sadly, it’s m.o.v.e covering DAYS lol.  I’m not used to females covering a male song so it comes as no surprise that DAYS sounds weird coming from yuri and all that.  Even though FLOW’s song isn’t that old, this feels dated as well which kind of makes it a little harder for me to enjoy.  PASS!

9. only my railgun

Hahaha, everyone should know that this is still my favorite fripSide song still.  I’m surprised the introduction to only my railgun is so long here XD.  I do like that the cover is at the same tempo here.  Of course I was also not surprised yuri’s deeper tones would actually fit here more than Yoshino’s.  Overall it works, but I still consider the original a bit more.  This one needed a little more punch

10. Hikari e

I think of all the songs on the cover album, Hikari e was the surprise of the album since I didn’t think they’d cover a One Piece tune.  The original was from The Babystars and since it was a bit pop/rock it was an amazing intro to the anime.  m.o.v.e’s version does stick to the original, but it feels cheaply made as well since it lost the energy the original had (like a few other covers they’ve done).  I’m not too disappointed since I was expecting this to happen, but it wasn’t terrible…let’s put it that way.

11. Futari ga Wasurenai

I found it awesome that the duo decided to cover Aki Misato’s ending theme from Gunparade Orchestra since it’s one of Aki’s more well-known tunes.  Funny enough since this ends the album since it’s a strings-ballad and yuri does quite a good job singing to this tune since her voice fits the style.  motsu’s rapping was also interesting to hear as well.  I’d say this closed the album quite nicely.

Tracks Recommended

• Winners
• Naraku no Hana
• Futari ga Wasurenai
• DOGFIGHT “Dogma Fight “Gothic Version 2011″)
• Prism

Song of Avoidance

• DAYS

I don’t know why but I think anim.o.v.e 03 is the best released of the anime cover albums, but there’s still things that has to be worked on and it’s mostly in T.Kimuras production of the covers.  Most of them felt really weak arrangement-wise and felt a little boring compared to the originals (maybe not the ballads like Naraku no Hana, Futari ga Wasurenai, and Prism.  Seriously though, the high-energy songs need to be kept that way and not be bland-i-fied.

m.o.v.e – oveRtaKerS SPIRIT May 25, 2011

Track Listing

1. oveRtaKerS feat. RYUICHI KAWAMURA×SUGIZO
2. SAKULA
3. STRAYED
4. BIRD
5. EX B.F.
6. FIRE feat. KLAYTON from Celledweller
7. Super Precious Love
8. melodies feat. Hiroaki Hayama on piano
9. Viking Boat
10. I’m alive
11. Champagne Tower
12. The Double Ace

1. oveRtaKerS feat. RYUICHI KAWAMURA×SUGIZO

It’s no surprise the album kicks off with the only A-side to represent the album and it’s also yuri’s return from baby leave so that’s pretty awesome.  Now, this song is interesting because of Ryuichi being the main male vocals here and he sounds good and all but a little bored as with yuri and motsu as well.  There’s just something missing in the song to make it strong and I seriously have a hard time remembering this song, but I guess it makes for a OK collaboration. SUGIZO was the only one that was memorable and he was playing guitar…

2. SAKULA

I guess by the way it’s looking to be, this album is going to sound like something in between “Deep Calm” and ”GRID” but that’s ok because I miss the rockin’ side to the groups music and with SAKULA they’ve got it quite nicely.  yuri’s vocals sound quite vibrant and mixes in with the synths and guitars presented and of course motsu adding with his lines makes it a complete package.  It’s actually not that bad.

3. STRAYED

Unlike “SAKULA’s” focus on the guitars, STRAYED is definitely more for the synths and bleeps and I also found myself entranced by this song quite nicely.  It’s not as electronic like some of their stuff on the last few albums so this really does stand out.  Still it’s not as energetic as I would like it to be, but it’s definitely danceable and has a good rhythm and style to keep it afloat.

4. BIRD

Seeing as this was used in the Initial D series, once again I was having hopes to have it epic but it surprised me a bit.  I thought it was going to be a rock song giving the opening and such, but once yuri comes in it slows down to a more piano-based song that screams “Deep Calm” vibes.  Once motsu returns, the guitars also come back.  Sadly, this song didn’t really sound all that interesting and lacked energy….and this was for Initial D…which is even more saddening.

5. EX B.F.

At least things get a bit better with the next track.  I love the opening melody with the guitars and reminds me of stuff that was on some of their older stuff.  I love that it’s also lighter and in a more happier mood.  While the song does suffer a little on tempo, it makes up for a catchy arrangement and pretty good vocals from both members.

6. FIRE feat. KLAYTON from Celledweller

Our next collaborative effort is surprising since it does have a faster tempo going and I loved the darker side to their sound that reminds me more of their “BOULDER” days.  Now I never heard of Celledweller and so I’m not sure of KLAYTON’s role in the song…(guitarist perhaps?).  I do think the arrangement does manage to cover yuri in some places which is meh, but the song is pretty badass!

7. Super Precious Love

~what the hell is this~ is what motsu opens the song with and does a bit of rapping as well.  Being after “FIRE” this was a little weird to listen to, but it kind of fits since it cooled the jets after that song.  Just like “EX B.F.”, it’s quite nice to listen something a little more upbeat and in a happier vibe.  It’s pretty cool, but not as awesome as the last track.

8. melodies feat. Hiroaki Hayama on piano

Our next song definitely has “Deep Calm” written all over it for some reason and it’s probably from the gothic-like atmosphere here.  Of course being the third collaboration on the album Hiroaki Hayama sounds really nice on the piano and it’s played behind filtered guitars and strings.  Actually it reminds me of an old song of theirs “Nobody reason ~Noah no Hakobune~”.  Not as much dabbling in R&B, but this does have the same longing emotion…good song.

9. Viking Boat

The next song picks up from the slow-paced “melodies” in a nice way since the song has some interesting dark electro vibes going on.  However, unlike the other songs on the album, this one like “oveRtaKerS” feels like is missing something important but I’m not sure what that really is.  It just feels oddly empty for me.

10. I’m alive

Where I felt “Viking Boat” was empty, I’m alive fixes things up in a good way at least.  It’s not as explosive, but still feels like it’s complete and yuri gives a much better performance as well.  It’s not one of the best songs on the album but it’s pretty good for what it is I guess.

11. Champagne Tower

As the final new track on the album, Champagne Tower sounds quite interesting since it’s not really like any of the other tracks by sounding upbeat and the rhythm is pretty bouncy and fun to listen to.  It’s a little basic for them but both members pull it off a lot better than the last few songs. 

12. The Double Ace

Closing the album is the B-side from “oveRtaKerS” and like “BIRD” was used in the Initial D series.  Which is odd because I very much choose this over “BIRD” anyday because it has the right energy and it’s pretty much synth-based all the way as it should be really.  I’ve slightly gotten used to the song since the single’s release, but it still doesn’t rank up their with previous efforts from the group.

Tracks Recommended

• FIRE feat. KLAYTON from Celledweller
• EX B.F.
• STRAYED
• melodies feat. Hiroaki Hayama on piano
• The Double Ace

Song of Avoidance

• BIRD

So after about three albums returning to something more electro it seems that the duo opted for an electro/rock style ala “GRID”.  It’s pretty much a good move, but it seemed that with oveRtaKerS SPIRIT, it lacks something to keep it memorable.  I just can’t find myself fully enjoying this as much as I did with “Dream Again”.

m.o.v.e – ¡WAKE YOUR LOVE! May 15, 2011

Track Listing

1. ¡WAKE YOUR LOVE!
2. T.R.A.P.
3. stay with me… [Groove That Soul Mix]
4. ¡WAKE YOUR LOVE! [Puertronic Mix]
5. ¡WAKE YOUR LOVE! [Instrumental]
6. T.R.A.P. [Instrumental]

1. ¡WAKE YOUR LOVE!

I’m just flabbergasted at this point.  Basically everything from “FUTURE BREEZE” to their debut was mostly under the eurotrance style and I got used to the fact they were going to be always that way, but with ¡WAKE YOUR LOVE!, I got slapped in the face big time!  I mean instead of crazy synths abound, there’s a whole lot of latin flavor in the song and it surprises me because the energy is bright and fun to listen to and yuri sounds quite awesome.  motsu also does his rapping and usual quips, but damn I was so not used to this at all.  Gotta say, as much as random this change was, it’s actually not half bad.

2. T.R.A.P.

I wasn’t really expecting the B-side to be of the same style though and was just as surprised that it was better than it’s A-side sister.  There’s a lot more of this tropical style going around and I thought the trio had more fun with this arrangement since Kimura is taking a more active role in the keyboards.  yuri also seems to sound a lot more smoother singing here and I kind of enjoyed hearing that.  Ok, I’m loving this song right now XD

After the “SYNERGY” album, the trio released “FUTURE BREEZE” and then their first best-of album and then a remix album called “TropicanTrops” which took songs that they’ve done and gave em latin remixes…I guess Kimura liked the idea so much that he made that the theme for this and the next single, “BURNING DANCE”.  The move (oic) from eurotrance/eurobeat to latin fusion was quite the jump but what they got with the first of the two, ¡WAKE YOUR LOVE! actually turned out pretty good.  Tons of energy and vocals/raps done right….I’m curious bout the next single now XD

m.o.v.e – oveRtaKerS feat. RYUICHI KAWAMURA×SUGIZO April 4, 2011

Track Listing

1. oveRtaKerS feat. RYUICHI KAWAMURA×SUGIZO
2. The Double Ace
3. oveRtaKerS (w/o RYUICHI KAWAMURA)
4. oveRtaKerS (w/o yuri)
5. oveRtaKerS (w/o motsu)
6. oveRtaKerS (Instrumental)

1. oveRtaKerS feat. RYUICHI KAWAMURA×SUGIZO

I was wondering what would come out of this since we haven’t had a collaboration since “SPEED MASTER”.  Anyways SUGIZO actually is the guitarist for the song with RYUICHI, yuri, and motsu are the main vocals in the song.  I actually do get similarities from this song to their last collaborative song, but it’s got less oomph.  I would’ve actually expected a little more out of this song for sure…but what can ya do.  It’s just nothing memorable (not surprising).

2. The Double Ace

Hey, the B-side is tied to Initial D?!?  This clearly means it has to be drop-dead amazing, right?  Well, after that slight disappointment in “DIVE INTO STREAM”, I was wanting some reason to think this owned.  Since this is strictly just the duo, The Double Ace does succeed at being a bit more energetic and does have that Initial D feel that their other songs have…but the chorus is just meh…at least motsu and yuri do a good job being interesting.

As the lone single for the same-titled album, oveRtaKerS felt like it was a more watered down take of a mix of “SPEED MASTER” and “DIVE INTO STREAM”.  I don’t think it will affect the album too much since it’s way better than their last single “Fate Seeker”, but it’s still not all that amazing in the long run.

m.o.v.e – anim.o.v.e 02 September 1, 2010

Track Listing

1. Itoshisa to Setsunasa to Kokoro Tsuyosa to
2. REAL LOVE ~Tamashii ni Hi wo Tsukete~ feat. faylan
3. DREAMS
4. Uninstall
5. Monster Explosion feat. Hironobu Kageyama & Masaaki Endo
6. Shangri-La
7. One Way Train feat. Takeshi Washizaki & Masumi Asano
8. Zankoku na Tenshi no Theses
9. JUPITER ∞ feat. Minami Takayama
10. Rage your dream feat. Lily -19′s Remix-
11. Romancing Train feat. Lily -minitia mix-

1. Itoshisa to Setsunasa to Kokoro Tsuyosa to

Being the song the was promoted the album and also kind of sad that it didn’t have a Yuri/motsu PV (it was animated).  I thought it was funny there were covering a song that was tied-in to the Street Fighter II movie (animated once again), I liked this song even though it sounds like the old style that m.o.v.e used.  Otherwise, it’s a nice nostalgic throwback for me and Yuri sounds really good here.  motsu is his usual self so it’s nothing new haha.

2. REAL LOVE ~Tamashii ni Hi wo Tsukete~ feat. faylan

Just like “anim.o.v.e 01″, the original songs on the album are collaborations.  The first with animu-singer faylan is a great choice because her voice sounds just right with Yuri’s and motsu is once again is the energy of the song.  I really like the synth opening for the song amd since I’m guessing faylan was playing the guitar and it added a new layer of awesomeness.  Kind of like a female led “SPEED MASTER”.  Yeah, it’s that good.

3. DREAMS

I found it funny that HIMEKA just covered this most recently and so hearing m.o.v.e’s take of the song is interesting for sure.  Of course motsu’s stuff is new to the cover.  I’ll be honest, it feels a bit slower than the last cover and while Yuri’s vocals are good, they just can’t surpass HIMEKA’s version.  It’s also too slow (not a new problem for m.o.v.e).

4. Uninstall

Wow, they’re covering Chiaki Ishikawa’s biggest song.  That’s something strange to pull off and yeah they kind of slipped.  I mean it’s originally more of a ballad, but here it’s like a mid-tempo rockish kind of ballad and it’s a little uncomfortable to listen to but I like the arrangement.  Take out motsu and I think it would’ve fared better.

5. Monster Explosion feat. Hironobu Kageyama & Masaaki Endo

So if those two names aren’t familiar to you, they’re from JAM PROJECT which is a pretty big anime group and I know of them through Masami Okui’s presence.  I love the fact that we left the awkward tempo songs for something electro-rock with Monster Explosion.  Even cooler is that motsu sounds amazing through his rapping parts.  Then I hear Hironobu singing with and was pretty damn awesome.  However, the biggest shock comes as Yuri isn’t present for the song.  I was like where the hell is she?!? XD  It’s still one of the better songs from the album.

6. Shangri-La

It’s sad that I know all the covers on this album one way or another.  Covering angela’s biggest song, Shangri-La made me wonder how Yuri was going to pull it off because she doesn’t have the same sound like angela’s vocalist which is hard to copy hahaha.  The synth arrangement makes me happy though haha.  While Yuri is trying hard to pull off being atsuko, she kind of hits and misses throughout but I like her control of her vocals more than in previous songs and it’s pretty good for a cover even motsu’s rap.

7. One Way Train feat. Takeshi Washizaki & Masumi Asano

Now as the next collaboration of the album, I really don’t know these two people.  Though they do host Anispa but to me that didn’t help so I didn’t know what I was getting myself into.  Though if they did something together musically I might’ve known.  Let’s be honest, I was wondering where m.o.v.e was for the first half but I heard motsu popping in and out in the song.  Yuri might be playing background…but I doubt it because Masumi sounds like a good singer on her own.  Takeshi has a nasally voice, but it’s nothing to shake a fist at, still a good voice.  Interesting song and another possible Yuri-less song is shocking XD

8. Zankoku na Tenshi no Theses

I definitely remember this song being all about Evangelion and all.  I wasn’t surprised that the song was a bit slower than what I wanted to be, but the whole disco vibe it brings makes up for it a little.  I like it somewhat, but still not that viable as a cover for me.

9. JUPITER ∞ feat. Minami Takayama

Now this is a pretty interesting collaboration.  You have motsu and Yuri but this time they added Minami who we all know is the prime lead singer from TWO-MIX.  It’s interesting to hear that Yuri sounds a whole lot better than Minami in this song but I love the synthy overload.  It’s oddly a good song from the trio here and plus how the gals say ~jupiter infinity~ is hilarious hahaha.

10. Rage your dream feat. Lily -19′s Remix-

While “JUPITER ∞” marks the final song with real vocals, the next two tracks are surprisingly VOCOLOID tracks.  While I’m not sure of the deal with Lily (I guess this is the VOCALOID model for Yuri perhaps?)  Still, first off Lily sounds much better than Miku IMO.  Self-covering two older tracks of theirs, Rage your dream comes first and I liked that they chose this.  The music changed to fit more for Lily.  Ok, Lily’s vocals sound more computerized than I remembered, but it’s nice to hear something different. 

11. Romancing Train feat. Lily -minitia mix-

The other song is probably one of the most recognized songs of the bunch since it was tied-to Final Fantasy: Unlimited.  I was surprised that Lily’s vocals sound more deeper than in “Rage your dream” almost sounds like a teenage boy until the chorus and I was lulzing at how fail the chorus was because the VOCALOID couldn’t pronounce ~romancing train~  I was like fail! 

Tracks Recommended

• REAL LIFE ~Tamashii ni Hi wo Tsukete~ feat. faylan
• Itoshisa to Setsunasa to Kokoro Tsuyosa to
• JUPITER ∞ feat. Minami Takayama
• Monster Explosion feat. Hironobu Kageyama & Masaaki Endo

Song of Avoidance

• Uninstall

So, anim.o.v.e 02, where do I begin haha.  Well, let’s start off that once again that the collaborative tracks were all better than the actual cover songs for some reason.  I mean it happened on “anim.o.v.e 01″ too but not at a leap like this one.  To be honest, their covers are just too slow for me.  I wished they made em exciting to listen and not depend on motsu’s raps to push it forward.  Instead of a mega-mix, we got two VOCALOID tracks and I was like forget it…it wasn’t that memorable.  I guess in some ways it’s better than the first but at the same time there’s just parts that were worse lol

m.o.v.e – SYNERGY July 18, 2010

Track Listing

1. VENUS IN PARADISE
2. Romancing Train
3. come together (RADIO EDIT)
4. LET’S ROCK!!
5. Promised Land ~bless into the sunshine~ (ALBUM EDIT)
6. Season in my mind
7. 7DAYS OF LOVE
8. SUPER SONIC DANCE
9. blue jewel (ALBUM EDIT)
10. FLY ME SO HIGH
11. 1969 (ALBUM EDIT)
12. Creamy soup
13. U.S.A.

1. VENUS IN PARADISE

They really aren’t holding back on the length times of these songs especially if VENUS IN PARADIS is a 9 minute rollercoaster.  Instantly though you know how this album will go because it’s trance and getting away from the eurobeat they were well known beforehand.  After getting the long ass opening, motsu has a bunch of lines and of course rapping before Yuri comes in and takes over and she sounds alright.  I do wish there was a condensed version of the song but it’s not bad.

2. Romancing Train

Calming things down immensely for m.o.v.e’s tie-in for Final Fantasy Unlimited, Romancing Train was a pretty interesting song to choose because it’s so calm and light unlike the other singles released in the era.  Even though I’m not that biggest fan of this song it’s still a good listen for sure.

3. come together (RADIO EDIT)

While I’m a little saddened that they chose to include the radio edit and not the full version, come together is still one of m.o.v.e’s best songs ever created and really fits the trance style almost perfectly.  Add in the amazing rapping from motsu, the singing parts from Yuri and T.Kimura’s crazy arrangement process and we get this golden gem of a song.  It’s definitely a song to listen to no matter what!

4. LET’S ROCK!!

Each song so far on this album has shown off different sides of trance and I’m really happy to see so much going on.  LET’S ROCK!! takes a more darker and grittier trance sound and I really love the opening (even though it’s a long song once again passing over 7 minutes).  It’s definitely a song to rave to.  It’s pretty difficult for Yuri since she’s covered up by the arrangement while motsu’s energetic performance is louder of course.  Still pretty cool tune.

5. Promised Land ~bless into the sunshine~ (ALBUM EDIT)

The B-sides that made the album’s cut has been cut nearly in half which to me is good because it’s so hard to listen to those three fully.  Starting with Promised Land, two minutes were shaved off to give us an almost 6 minute song which is so much easier to swallow because I really liked Promised Land.  It’s just as trance-ish to “come together” but a little more chill in a way.

6. Season in my mind

I know I reviewed “FUTURE BREEZE” too early because this album came out before it and all, but Season in my mind sounds a whole lot like a mix of “Passenger Seat” & “words of the mind -brandnew journey-” because both songs have a rather underground rave sound to it and I kind of like it quite a bit since it takes what’s good about both songs and made a better one altogether.

7. 7DAYS OF LOVE

Of the new songs found on the album, I was actually totally impressed with 7DAYS OF LOVE simply because it doesn’t sound like anything they’ve done and there’s cowbell present in the song!  I love the way the song just waves around and Yuri’s vocals oozed here too which is so good.  I know it’s a personal quip here but the chorus Yuri mentions all the days of the week minus Saturday…this is like the third time I’ve heard a song where all the days are mentioned but Saturday….like WTF  Japan, do you not believe in it?  Still one of the album’s best new songs!

8. SUPER SONIC DANCE

The only song that really sounds old school from m.o.v.e, SUPER SONIC DANCE really puts you back a few eras because of its eurotrance arrangement.  I’ll admit of the A-sides of the era, SUPER SONIC DANCE is definitely the weakest because at the time it was quite borderlining unoriginal and outdated…I mean even “GAMBLE RUMBLE” sounded so much better.  It’s just so uninspired.

9. blue jewel (ALBUM EDIT)

Another B-side that got two minutes shaved off its original, blue jewel comes in as this sort of psy-trance/chamber kind of tune and I really liked the shorter version a lot more than original long edit.  Yuri once agains suffers from being too quiet…but motsu does as well.  The arrangement rarely changes around so it might become repetitive, but it’s still not as bad as the original hahaha.

10. FLY ME SO HIGH

After the major disappointment with “SUPER SONIC DANCE”, I was going to give up following them, but FLY ME SO HIGH was such an improvement that I had to see where they were going next.  Yes, it’s a eurotrance tune, but it didn’t sound dated and Yuri and motsu sounded great together.  Plus, I love the way motsu says ~showtime!~ right before the chorus.  Definitely another great song from them.

11. 1969 (ALBUM EDIT)

I don’t know why but why does 1969 gives me GACKT’s “GHOST” deja vu?  I think it’s because of how the synths move around in the song that’s giving me that feeling.  It’s still pretty cool arrangement-wise but the lyrics probably need a little more iono…less repetition?  It’s definitely trance though so I’ll give it that.

12. Creamy soup

Creamy soup is sadly the album’s bizarre song because it’s got natural piano and it’s a ballad of all things too.  I’m a little shocked that it was placed in between two trance tunes (but where else could it fit?)  If it was on their last album, I think it would’ve been a perfect fit, but here it just seems amazingly out of place and quite absurd when you really think about it.  Still Yuri and ballads are nice to hear, but once again rappers + ballads = no no no!

13. U.S.A.

Then comes the longest song off the album, which is also the final song as well.  With the exception of “come together”, no m.o.v.e song should be over 6 minutes in length and this song is just overload being 10 minutes altogether.  It’s like they took the cowbell from “7DAYS OF LOVE” and then tried to forge a trance and an ethereal tune together to make a wild song and to me, it’s bad.  Though I’ll admit, them love the USA is kind of touching, but did it have to be 10 minutes long?

Tracks Recommended

• come together (RADIO EDIT)
• 7DAYS OF LOVE
• FLY ME SO HIGH
• Promised Land ~bless into the sunshine~ (ALBUM EDIT)
• LET’S ROCK!!

Song of Avoidance

• SUPER SONIC DANCE

Since everyone that’s a fan of m.o.v.e considers this their peak album, I would have to slowly agree with that because they hit the nail on the coffins with most of the singles.  Now I’ll agree that some of the songs were ridiculously long as hell (especially U.S.A.) and some of the songs lacked some direction in the arrangement but SYNERGY is a pretty good album.  Sad that this marks the first of their wild experimentations from here on out.

m.o.v.e – FUTURE BREEZE April 20, 2010

Track Listing

1. FUTURE BREEZE
2. Passenger Seat
3. FUTURE BREEZE [Summer Breeze mix]
4. FUTURE BREEZE [Daddy Budda "NRG" mix]
5. FUTURE BREEZE [Orbitribe "End of summer" mix]
6. FUTURE BREEZE [Instrumental]
7. Passenger Seat [Instrumental]

1. FUTURE BREEZE

I don’t know why, but I’m unsure why m.o.v.e went backwards with FUTURE BREEZE.  I thought we were out of the corny stuff and unusually slow stuff.  I noticed that the way the song goes into the first verse is the exact same set of notes found in “Gamble Rumble/strike on/destiny”.  Vocally, it’s the typical upbeatness that keeps Yuri afloat and motsu is rapping of course.  Then again the chorus was a little happy-happy.  Though motsu’s stuff in the song was what gave it some life, hahaha.  I don’t know but the song really feels a little overused and a bit bland when compared to the rest of the era’s main A-sides.

2. Passenger Seat

Why wasn’t this the A-side?  I mean Passenger Seat might be somewhat like “Romancing Train” in ways, but I definitely think this had more of an effort behind it musically than “FUTURE BREEZE”.  I like Yuri’s vocals in this song as well since it actually melds nice with the chilled dance beat.  motsu’s rapping also seems to flow a lot better in this song as well keeping it smooth and yet quick.  Ok, great song.

 

 

FUTURE BREEZE wasn’t as good as previous singles in this era since the main A-side was well like previous songs and felt rather bland.  Passenger Seat though was the gem off the single and makes me wonder why it never was included on the album…wtf XD.  Also it’s not a part of the “SYNERGY” era and why I reviewed this before said album is because after this single, things radically change for m.o.v.e

m.o.v.e – Dream Again March 12, 2010

Track Listing

1. Dream Again
2. Fate Seeker
3. Never Regret
4. Bar “Nine”
5. Infinity Loop
6. Gira Gira
7. INSOMNIAC
8. Secret★Candy
9. The Pacific Caravan
10. VISION
11. My Decades

1. Dream Again

It has been a while since we’ve heard something electro from the group that was pretty good and the title song and first song definitely has this pretty great sound that brings me back to those “SYNERGY” days.  I’ve bagged the group before for having the music being slower, but it’d be even better fast.  I don’t get t.kimura.  Luckily, it doesn’t fall that flat and is kind of cool and heavy.

2. Fate Seeker

As the only A-side to represent the album, I still think this is probably their worst song as of recent.  I mean it’s funky and has this “GRID” sound to it that I really did enjoy, but Yuri under auto-tune is just so grating to me and brought the song down a whole lot.  It was a try at something new, but I rather pass this up.

3. Never Regret

motsu opens up our next track and it does kind of like they switched roles on the auto-tuning onto him, but I thought it was better on him than on Yuri.  Never Regret is kind similar to “Fate Seeker” but more prominent on the synths than string parts which is a plus I guess.  Ok, besides the bouncing arrangement, I thought it was nice.

4. Bar “Nine”

Of all the weirdness that the group has been in, I never expected a bagpipe to come close to being here.  I actually like that experimental opening and yet it’s shortlived because the electro stuff comes in to replace it and continues on.  I actually enjoyed this song a lot since it’s nothing like their previous stuff until the chorus where it just sounds like the previous songs choruses.

5. Infinity Loop

I was curious about how Infinity Loop would turn out, but I was kind of hoping an electrifying song from them, but what it turns out is that it’s the second coming of “Nobody reason ~Noah no Hakobune~”.  Both songs are slower tunes and has this longing and melancholic feeling.  Difference is that the older song was more R&B than this one.  Funny how motsu’s rap is seemingly covered up by the music! xD  Not a bad tune and I kind of like the ethereal background so all in all, it works for me.

6. Gira Gira

OMG, the opening to Gira Gira is pretty amazing!  It reminds me of like Halloween music and since motsu kicks things off, his rapping just bounces like the music.  Unfortunately once again the chorus is lacking quite a bit and could’ve been better with a boost of energy.  To be honest, I think motsu did better than Yuri here which is a once in a blue moon kind of thing. 

7. INSOMNIAC

That’s why we have INSOMNIAC which definitely pulls me back and tells me that m.o.v.e is still a trio in some ways.  I love how t.kimura did his voice styling under heavy vocoder and layering.  motsu is playing around him and rapping back and forth while Yuri comes in with the chorus.  So far, the same rhythm doesn’t bother me much here since there’s a lot more sound and interest throughout.  It remind me of “FREAKY PLANET” minus the rock touch-ups.

8. Secret★Candy

Now this is what I was looking for.  Secret★Candy is definitely something you would’ve expected to hear on “SYNERGY”.  The heavy trance assault mix with motsu sneaking in with his rap and hidden Engrish helps out, but Yuri was the one who took over and won me over under this heavy beat.  I ended up loving this song quite alot!

9. The Pacific Caravan

The one track with the odd name, The Pacific Caravan is like “Fate Seeker” in the way they mixed electro with strings and this time piano.  That being said, I don’t remember much of the song altogether and just seems to fly by, but I do like the disco effects they added and while there’s a few parts where Yuri is under auto-tune, it isn’t horrendous like in “Fate Seeker”.

10. VISION

The opening for VISION is odd and kind of sloppy, but one motsu comes in the song becomes another SYNERGY-like tune.  I really enjoyed Yuri’s vocals in the song and unfortunately the arrangement made things feel like it was a remix.  At least once motsu raps, things get ten times better.  I like that scoping sound that appears during that part.  Yuri comes into the chorus and it’s explosive and amazing.  t.kimura was definitely saving the best for last.

11. My Decades

Ending off the album, My Decades is of course a ballad from the duo, but to Yuri it means quite a bit to her and hey it works for me because she sounds pretty with the piano/strings mix.  Once again rappers and ballads aren’t great together so obviously motsu would be somewhat boring to listen to here.  It’s alright, but just listen to Yuri’s parts.

Tracks Recommended

• VISION
• Secret★Candy
• INSOMNIAC
• Bar “Nine”
• Dream Again

Song of Avoidance

• Fate Seeker

I’m not sure why, but I think m.o.v.e is losing their originality.  I mean yes, this was a good album, but it lacks the clear experimentation that “Humanizer” and “GRID” had altogether.  I mean the sameish chorus melodies didn’t cut it for me and while I liked the slower stuff, there was not uber fast songs…like where did all that go?  Ehhh…oh well…

m.o.v.e – Fate Seeker March 9, 2010

Track Listing

1. Fate Seeker
2. BLUE TRAIL
3. Fate Seeker (t-kimura’s Electro Remix)
4. Fate Seeker (motsu’s Hip House Remix)
5. Fate Seeker -instrument-
6. BLUE TRAIL -instrument-

1. Fate Seeker

It has been quite awhile since we’ve heard a m.o.v.e single right?  Fate Seeker actually has a pretty strange sound to it since it’s like a mix of funk and electronica but with strings as an added touch which is a good thing.  Though I’ve found it weird that Yuri’s vocals are heavily auto-tuned to the point where it gets somewhat annoying.  I guess it’s alright for now, for jeeze I can’t take auto-tuned Yuri seriously. motsu kind of just flew in the background, but he has his moments by the way.

2. BLUE TRAIL

BLUE TRAIL is a little bit closer to what the “Humanizer/SYNERGY” eras were all about and I kind of like this setting a whole lot more better than damn “Fate Seeker”.  Taking out the funk as well, all we get is a strong synth-based eurobeat song and it’s not bad since Yuri is also not under the auto-tune.  motsu is also stronger as well giving the sameish arrangement for the song but it’s definitely a strong song.

3. Fate Seeker (t-kimura’s Electro Remix)

So we get two remixes for Fate Seeker, the first being a remix from ex-member t-kimura who still after all this time still hangs around with the now duo.  This remix for Fate Seeker takes the original and gives a slower rhythm and beat, but retaining this rather deja-vu feeling from their early days which is cool, but Yuri is still under that crap auto-tune.  I think here it’s worse since it’s so robotic and meh sounding.  It’s nice, but c’mon really…

4. Fate Seeker (motsu’s Hip House Remix)

The 2nd being remixed by the MC of the duo, motsu’s take on the song is definitely continuing this electro/funk sound which actually makes more sense hear than the original since it’s like a classic sounding m.o.v.e.  However, Yuri’s vocals are trying not to be under auto-tune, but sadly kind of misses because it’s still rather heavy on it. 

 

 

OK, why did it take two months for Fate Seeker to leak???  Anyways, as the lone single for the “Dream Again” era, Fate Seeker could’ve been really nice if there wasn’t auto-tune involved.  It is the initial reason why all 3 versions of the song were really icky to listen to.  The only shining song off the single was the B-side, BLUE TRAIL and it’s sad to see that the song didn’t make the album’s cut.  Srry m.o.v.e this single was pretty meh.