'LOVE again' composers/arrangers and new track lengths

[njanjayrp]

You can never go wrong with Yuta.

[AyaCere]

I'm so glad, that Hoshino-san composed at least 3 songs of LOVE again.
He did a great job on ASFXX back then, just love him.

[Bad Wolf]

Originally Posted by AyaCere

I'm so glad, that Hoshino-san composed at least 3 songs of LOVE again.
He did a great job on ASFXX back then, just love him.

he's been around for that long?! damn. bless him.

[yamadashun]

Originally Posted by njanjayrp

You can never go wrong with Yuta.

i always love Yuta's arrangement!

[Heavenly]

Originally Posted by njanjayrp

You can never go wrong with Yuta.

You're right, but at the same time, I feel no originality in his songs... They're all generic. Good, very good, but generic and not "new" at all.
I'm kind of sick of him lately, I hope that Ayu will hire some international composers for future songs (and not just buy some music from foreign studios, like she did with Tell me why or Wake me up), I mean, real collaboration.

[love in music]

Originally Posted by Heavenly

You're right, but at the same time, I feel no originality in his songs... They're all generic. Good, very good, but generic and not "new" at all.
I'm kind of sick of him lately, I hope that Ayu will hire some international composers for future songs (and not just buy some music from foreign studios, like she did with Tell me why or Wake me up), I mean, real collaboration.

I wouldn't say all his songs are generic. I think he's versatile and can be original. He did "Sexy little things" which isn't generic imo.

[Heavenly]

Originally Posted by love in music

I wouldn't say all his songs are generic. I think he's versatile and can be original. He did "Sexy little things" which isn't generic imo.

Yes, but in terms of ballads, he's not very innovative, and I tend to hate his little "tinkerbells-winterish" sounds and useless violins -__-

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by Heavenly

Yes, but in terms of ballads, he's not very innovative, and I tend to hate his little "tinkerbells-winterish" sounds and useless violins -__-

Effing LOVE those tinkerbells and winterish type synth sounds!

[Tony G]

Originally Posted by Heavenly

You're right, but at the same time, I feel no originality in his songs... They're all generic. Good, very good, but generic and not "new" at all.
I'm kind of sick of him lately, I hope that Ayu will hire some international composers for future songs (and not just buy some music from foreign studios, like she did with Tell me why or Wake me up), I mean, real collaboration.

International composers will generally try to create western-sounding pop songs. There's a whole host of Japanese artists who are making western-sounding songs, it won't work well for Ayu who has mostly avoided that trap her entire career. International compositions worked very well for tell me why but Wake me up tends to sound too western.

Yuta Nakano's compositions are fantastic if Ayu wants one of her (now) generic pop-rock songs. Seems Ayu seems to want to go for that familiar sound for her 15th anniversary. And that's the compositions she has selected - there's a reason he appears so much here.

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by Tony G

International composers will generally try to create western-sounding pop songs. There's a whole host of Japanese artists who are making western-sounding songs, it won't work well for Ayu who has mostly avoided that trap her entire career. International compositions worked very well for tell me why but Wake me up tends to sound too western.

Yuta Nakano's compositions are fantastic if Ayu wants one of her (now) generic pop-rock songs. Seems Ayu seems to want to go for that familiar sound for her 15th anniversary. And that's the compositions she has selected - there's a reason he appears so much here.

I couldn't disagree more about Wake me up. That song is the first song in a long time that actually showed that Hamasaki Ayumi "attitude". It was classic Ayumi.

[Tony G]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

I couldn't disagree more about Wake me up. That song is the first song in a long time that actually showed that Hamasaki Ayumi "attitude". It was classic Ayumi.

There's really no denying the western electropop influence that song has to the point where it comes off as somewhat generic. It's a great song, don't get me wrong, but it's not the kind of music I'd want Ayu to produce on a large scale. I prefer NEXT LEVEL album or Last Angel-type compositions if she was going to continue producing electronic-influenced songs.

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by Tony G

There's really no denying the western electropop influence that song has to the point where it comes off as somewhat generic. It's a great song, don't get me wrong, but it's not the kind of music I'd want Ayu to produce on a large scale. I prefer NEXT LEVEL album or Last Angel-type compositions if she was going to continue producing electronic-influenced songs.

It's like Sparkle which was from NEXT LEVEL, lol. I think it's totally Ayu, straight from the opening.

Party Queen on the other hand, that one doesn't sound anything like Ayu...

But I get I am...-ish vibes from Wake me up mixed with her classic power-house tracks.

[ComatoseBunnySnatcher]

Originally Posted by Tony G

There's really no denying the western electropop influence that song has to the point where it comes off as somewhat generic. It's a great song, don't get me wrong, but it's not the kind of music I'd want Ayu to produce on a large scale. I prefer NEXT LEVEL album or Last Angel-type compositions if she was going to continue producing electronic-influenced songs.

I agree with Zeke here, and don't think Wake me up has a generic western sound. It sounds MODERN to me, which had been missing from alot of Ayu songs recently (IMO). Sparkle actually sounds alot more like a western dance track to me but Ayu played both styles well with both lyrics and the strenght of her voice in them. Last Angel is nice but sounds like 2 songs melded together; the chorus is fun but the verses bog it down so much...

I welcome any song that has a Sparkle/Wake me up modern and fun sound with open arms. All in all, LOVE again is such a step up from FIVE-Party Queen and even Rock'n' Roll Circus (which i LOVE).

[Zeke.]

I like Last Angel, I really do. But the arrangement sounds so dated. I mean, the mix of WHATEVER on LOVEppears sounds more modern than Last Angel does and that was from 1999. Lol.

[truehappiness]

Originally Posted by Tony G

Yuta Nakano's compositions are fantastic if Ayu wants one of her (now) generic pop-rock songs. Seems Ayu seems to want to go for that familiar sound for her 15th anniversary. And that's the compositions she has selected - there's a reason he appears so much here.

Yuta only really arranged for the most part on this album, but he's been doing that since GUILTY/NEXT LEVEL. I am guessing Ayu uses him because he's extremely versatile, knows exactly what Ayu wants, and can execute it.

Originally Posted by Bad Wolf

he's been around for that long?! damn. bless him.

He actually disappeared for a loooonng time before he came back for MOON/blossom.

[JinHamasaki]

Originally Posted by Tony G

Yuta Nakano's compositions are fantastic if Ayu wants one of her (now) generic pop-rock songs. Seems Ayu seems to want to go for that familiar sound for her 15th anniversary. And that's the compositions she has selected - there's a reason he appears so much here.

Although I think I will enjoy this release a lot, I can't help but wonder and think about how some international influence would help her out a bit. I think keeping her Japanese composers will keep that distinctive "Ayu" sound. Moreover, they know how she likes to stress the "iii" which is something very un-western. But having some other people arrange the music and instrumentals would be nice to kick her out of a rut. Yes, Party queen delved into musicals, but we could use some more upbeat music every now and then .

On the other hand, as a 15th anniversary, I think she is looking to bring back classic Ayu

[BlackSilence]

^ she is deffinitelly bringing stuff back to basics, since all of the songs pretty much make me think "i did hear that before, somewhere..."

Originally Posted by jbrat2219

Why are people asking for her to work with new composers? Did you forget about Timmy? Remember how well that turned out?

it turned out well, for me xD I liked everything except PQ and The next LOVE. i think he was good xD *shrugs* wasn't too impressed with BRILLANTE tho, but it wasn't bad either.

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by Tony G

International composers will generally try to create western-sounding pop songs. There's a whole host of Japanese artists who are making western-sounding songs, it won't work well for Ayu who has mostly avoided that trap her entire career. International compositions worked very well for tell me why but Wake me up tends to sound too western.

Yuta Nakano's compositions are fantastic if Ayu wants one of her (now) generic pop-rock songs. Seems Ayu seems to want to go for that familiar sound for her 15th anniversary. And that's the compositions she has selected - there's a reason he appears so much here.

I wouldn't mind Ayu working with GEO again and Timmy has done quite well so far. Though GEO's compositions aren't really that western sounding...