[Chihiro Onitsuka] Hotel Murderess of Arizona My Gun Thread -2nd Thread-

[Mari-chan]

I really like the previews. Can't wait for the full songs.
Especialy 悲しみの気球.

[Yoake]

悲しみの気球 seems to be the best new song. Overall this album sounds good. I'm waiting the full tracks.

[XFER]

Originally Posted by prussian blue

I'm not amazed with the album track, and what disappoint me the most is her voice, she sounds harsh in a few track, especially in goodbye my love acoustic version I'm still buying the CD though, but I just didn't get the WOW-ness from the preview, although I kinda like the melody of ULTIMATE FICTION and 悲しみの気球

Ahhhh! Youtube censoring videos for Mexico, strikes again, my old foe

[prussian blue]

http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/onitsuka-chihiro/

You can scroll down and listen to a slightly longer preview for each song

[prussian blue]

She sounds nice! I was so impressed by her performance.

[Kacku]

Wow, she sounds amazing, thanks for sharing! Only a few days left until Syndrome is released, can't wait!

[adantatu2]

Originally Posted by XFER

Ahhhh! Youtube censoring videos for Mexico, strikes again, my old foe

I know that, there are more and more videos not available here, we aren't from Narnia you know.

[prussian blue]

[Kacku]

syndrome debuted on the Oricon charts at #8! Also, it seems to be available on iTunes internationally, I just got it for only 7€.

[prussian blue]

WOW I didn't expect she will get top 10 at all! I'm so happy for her. Will definitely buy the physical album this weekend.

Anyway, look what I've found! A 40 min video from her concert last year! Enjoy! http://tieba.baidu.com/f/good?kw=%B9...F8%C7%A7%D1%B0

[prussian blue]

Not sure if you all have get the CD or downloaded the album somewhere, but this album surprise me in quite a positive way. Here is my review for the album:

First, I'm not a big fan of Goodbye my love from the beginning, really don't understand the purpose to use the song as the lead single, let alone the additional acoustic version. BUT, the other track is amazing. I love the string quartet intro for Sensoukyoku; Ao no hakobune is fun and easy, just like Hi No Tori ; totally shocked with SWEET HI-5, didn't expect the song is quite mellow and so melodious; ULTIMATE FICTION surprised me as well, since I didn't expect the verse part is in major key, the whole chorus is minor key, I really like the chorus part though; Kanashimi no Kikyuu is such amazing song, even though I thought it's quite cheesy to use a hot air balloon as the title for such emotional song, but I love the melody, the lyrics and the whole arrangement. It becomes the jam in my iTunes right now; Chandelier is a good song, but I think the song is a bit overshadowed by the previous song, and also because they share the same chord in the chorus part, which when they played continuously they kinda sound like the same song, but of course, Kanashimi no kikyuu has the better melody.

The whole album sounds nice, but only just a "nice". The main factor complaint might be, obviously, not enough track, and her voice is not solid enough (it happens before in LAS VEGAS), but the whole album vibes, arrangement, etc kinda save it slightly. And if there's another chance to let me complain, it is the album cover, which I think too fancy, too exaggerated for some reason (It happens the exact opposite for "This Armor" though)

The album is not in my top Chihiro Album, my top might be either Ken to Kaede or Dorothy, but I still enjoy it very much.

[Kacku]

I always enjoy reading reviews and opinions on music I like, so it was cool to see yours! Here's mine:

Syndrome is an enjoyable album but suffers from a lack of variation. There's so much slow tempo going on and most of the songs don't really stand out much with their melodies or arrangements, which makes the middle section blur together. Gensoukyoku and Kanashimi no Kikyuu suffer from this the most: they're both really nice songs (I especially like Kanashimi no Kikyuu) but they're bracketed by more memorable tracks and suffer in comparison. This album is really short as is (more of a mini-album, really), so I wish it had a few more songs on it to give the whole package a little more energy.

I actually came to love good bye my love a lot more as a part of the album: I do still think it's a bit too long and sounds very produced, but it's so warm and lovely and Chihiro's vocals are really impressive (btw, this song is a blast to belt along to); the acoustic version doesn't really bring anything new to the table, but it's still a nice thing to have and it really showcases Chihiro's vocals. Ao no Hakobune is nice, but the acoustic version on the single completely overshadows this version, the solo piano accompaniment suits both the melody and the vocals so much better. My favourite of the completely new songs is probably Hi no Tori, I love its warm, hopeful and comforting sound. I also love Sweet Hi-Five, Kanashimi no Kikyuu and Chandelier a lot. ULTIMATE FICTION loses me with the verses though the chorus is nice. It's also the only instance on the album where Chihiro's vocals bother me in the slightest, and even here it's just that I'm not a fan of the vocal style in the verses. Other than that, she sounds almost unbelievably good throughout the whole album, it's so different from just a few years ago.

I agree that Syndrome is just "nice", and it's not my top album either (that would be either insomnia or TRICKY SISTERS MAGIC BURGER). It's still an enjoyable release, and I'm sure I'm gonna keep spinning many of the tracks for a good while.


In other news, here's how Syndrome has been doing on the Oricon charts: #8 -> #9 -> #11 -> #17 -> #15 -> out of the top 30 -> #25

[Kacku]

I got a rip of the live CD that was floating around on the internet. I think there's something wrong with the rip though since it skips to the next track at the end of every song, sometimes like a minute before the actual end of the track (I can listen to the end if I go back and skip the spot where it would jump to the next track though). It's unfortunate 'cause the live versions recorded here are AMAZING. Chihiro's vocals are really good and most of the live arrangements are excellent. I get kinda tired of Gekkou sometimes, but the cello on this version elevates it and I love it unreservedly; the cello also brings Memai to life in a new way. The marching drum is a great addition to Kaerimichi wo Nakushite, and the song's climax manages to be impressive even though Chihiro's vocals don't sound quite as strong as in the original version. And I think I like these live versions of Watashi to Waltz wo and Natsu no Tsumi better than the original studio versions. I think the only tracks I have any reservations about are Ryuuseigun and Wakusei no Mori; I LOVE the original versions so much and these arrangements just aren't as good as the original ones, as enjoyable as they otherwise are. Now I just really wish I could actually own this CD, too bad I'm ridiculously broke.

[Kacku]

Live album coming! Tiny Screams will be released on June 21st, and it's a double album with a DVD. These songs are from her TIGER LILY concerts last year, and some of them were already released on the Syndrome bonus disc. This makes the Syndrome bonus disc seem a bit of a cheap and dirty move, as nine out of the ten tracks from that release are now on this live album (and the only track to remain exclusive is Watashi to Waltz wo... and they have another recording of it on this new album). However, I can't be too mad about this because judging by the tracks that came with Syndrome, these concerts sounded really good and deserve to be properly released and I'm dying to hear the rest of the songs, and a majority (13 out of 22) of the tracks are actually previously unreleased! So I'm definitely looking forward to this release and hoping it'll be available through iTunes internationally, I just hope no one who got the limited edition of Syndrome feels cheated.



Disc 1
1.月光 (Gekkou) ＊＊
2.眩暈 (Memai) ＊＊
3. Cage ＊＊
4. call ＊＊
5. 流星群 (Ryuuseigun) ＊＊
6. 茨の海 (Ibara no Umi) ＊
7. Castle imitation ＊＊
8. King of Solitude ＊
9. BORDERLINE ＊＊
10. Sign ＊
11. 嵐が丘 (Arashigaoka) ＊＊

Disc 2
1. 私とワルツを (Watashi to Waltz wo) ＊＊
2. MAGICAL WORLD ＊＊
3. everyhome ＊
4. 蛍 (Hotaru) ＊＊
5. ラストメロディー (Last Melody) ＊＊
6. 帰り路をなくして (Kaerimichi wo Nakushite) ＊＊
7. 陽炎 (Kagerou) ＊＊
8. 惑星の森 (Wakusei no Mori) ＊
9. 碧の方舟 (Ao no Hakobune) ＊＊
10. 夏の罪 (Natsu no Tsumi) ＊＊
11. good bye my love ＊＊

DVD収録曲
月光 ＊＊
MAGICAL WORLD ＊＊
夏の罪 ＊＊
good bye my love ＊＊
[good bye my love][夏の罪] Music Video making-of movie

＊ = Live at 大阪サンケイホールブリーゼ (Osaka Sankei Hall Breeze) on July 22, 2016
＊＊ = Live at 東京中野サンプラザホール (Tokyo Nakano Sun Plaza Hall) on November 4, 2016
Bolded = Previously unreleased recording

[mi|kshake]

I got Sugar High recently and it has totally grown on me. Really enjoying listening to it!

[Kacku]

Preview video for Tiny Screams:



Also, the final stop of Chihiro's concert tour on July 12th at Nakano Sun Plaza Hall will be recorded and broadcast on WOWOW on August 20th! I hope we'll get to see the concert footage one day.

[Kacku]

My order with Tiny Screams was shipped today! It'll probably be several weeks before I actually get it, but I can't wait!

[prussian blue]

Originally Posted by Kacku

Also, the final stop of Chihiro's concert tour on July 12th at Nakano Sun Plaza Hall will be recorded and broadcast on WOWOW on August 20th! I hope we'll get to see the concert footage one day.

WOW I didn't know there will be broadcast. I wish the best for her and finger crossed at the stage fright she has all the time

[Kacku]

^ She has problems with stage fright? I've never heard heard of this before.

Tiny Screams is out! It seems to be doing ok on Oricon (debuted at #11, seems pretty good for a live album), too. The album is available in my iTunes Store, so it's probably available everywhere else in the world too (her older albums Sugar High, LAS VEGAS, and DOROTHY are also on iTunes now, I'm pretty sure they weren't some months ago). My copy hasn't arrived yet, but I've allowed myself to listen to some tracks from the leaked album, and they sound fantastic.

[prussian blue]

Originally Posted by Kacku

^ She has problems with stage fright? I've never heard heard of this before.

I remember there was an article said that she's not a live concert person. It was pretty obvious she forgot her lyrics during hotel murderess of arizona and also how panicked she looked during her recent live show.