Shinkai Makoto Sakuhin Image Album “Promise”

Written by Tenmon, performed by Eminence Symphony Orchestra, requested by many people (yes, I got multiple PMs asking if we were going to release it), here comes the much expected album “Promise”. Featuring orchestral arrangement of music from “Byousoku 5 Centimeter”, “Kumo no Mukou, Yakusoku no Basho”, “Hoshi no Koe”, and “Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko”, there’s no wonder why this album gets all the attention it does. Before I give my comment, let’s take a look at the tracklist:

1. One more time, One more chance (Instrumental)
2. Omoide ha Tooku no Hibi
3. Kanae no Kimochi
4. Kumo no Mukou, Yakusoku no Basho Main Theme
5. Futari no Keikaku / Kibou to Akogare
6. Sayuri
7. Kumo no Mukou, Yakusoku no Basho Main Theme (Piano Version)
8. Futari no Kattou
9. Kimi no Koe (Instrumental)
10.THROUGH THE YEARS AND FAR AWAY
11.Mikako kara no Tayori
12.Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko Main Theme
13.Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko (Piano Version)

Okay, you might think I would be praising this album, but to your surprise, I won’t. It doesn’t mean I dislike this album, but there is one major thing bugs me about it. This is supposed to be a orchestral album, however there’s too much non-orchestral instruments used. You will hear a lot of guitar and piano (well, this one is acceptable, plus we all know how Tenmon is fond of piano, but piano should not play a major role in an orchestral album) in it. Besides, too much focus is placed on string instruments. I would like to hear a more balanced arrangement, with more usage of woodwind and brass instruments. And, even though it’s said to be performed by a symphony orchestra, to me it feels more like a chamber orchestra’s performance. Therefore, in the orchestral sense, this album is an disappointment. If you just see it as a general arrangement album though, then it’s pretty nice. My favorite track would be “THROUGH THE YEARS AND FAR AWAY” (again, too much piano and guitar, but I love it in the non-orchestral sense).

DDL for FLAC + New additions to mp3 player

Thanks to kache for providing the space, we are once hosting the FLAC files for DDL again (and mp3 too, of course). You can find the links on our Download page. While uploading the files to our new space, I have added 3 more songs to the collection.

1. Inori [KOKIA] (her own performance of the Gundam song she wrote for Feldt Grace)
2. Kimi no Koe [Heart] (if not because it’s featured in one of the late albums, I had totally forgotten this song ^^;. Btw, I did think about adding “Through the Years & Far Away” before, but the Engrish of the song just really bugs me)
3. Suzu no Naru Basho [Rita] (a very heartwarming song. It’s just impossible for me to forget about this song once I heard it)

KOKIA – Coquillage -The Best Collection II-

Almost 4 years after releasing “pearl -The Best Collection-“, here finally comes the second one. And it’s not disappointing at all.

Tracklist:
1. Inori
2. Ave Maria
3. Atatakai Basho
4. song of pocchong~Shizuku no Uta
5. Douke
6. What a wonderful world
7. Kono Mune no Kurushimi ga Itooshii Hodo ni Ikite
8. Nukumori -aigakikoeru- (with strings)
9. infinity
10.say goodbye & good day
11.Chiisana Uta
12.Sekai no Owari ni
13.Kokoro no Rousoku
14.Everlasting

Special Limited Disc
1. Arigatou… (the Coquillage edtion)
2. Candle in the Heart

I pretty much like the whole album, but my favorites are track 1 “Inori” and track 10 “say goodbye & good day”. For “Inori”, it’s was actually first performed by someone else. If you still remember the Gundam 00 Voice Actor Single of Feldt Grace, the song was first featured there, sung by Takagahi Ayahi. However, for KOKIA to perform it herself (as a side note, the music and lyrics are written by her too), this is the first time. No offense to Takagahi, but KOKIA’s version is way, way more enjoyable. What do you think?

New Background Music

Since October BGM was a pretty hard one, I gave you guys an extra month to figure it out (ok, ok, I admit that wasn’t exactly the truth. I was just lazy ^^;). After an eventful November, it has finally come to the last month of this year. Time just seems to pass so fast this year that I feel like nothing has really happened for the past 11 months. Anyway, it’s December after all, it’s Christmas, so we have to play something related to it, naturally. You might not recall the track title, you might not know which album it’s from, but you will at least recognize which series it’s from. Click “Background Music” on the right under the link section to listen to it now.