[Official Message] new album "A ONE" 2015.04.08 in stores

[//ABEST]

so there is gonna be limited package for TA members according to TA mail, CD and CDL together?

[Aderianu]

God bless ayu for TA versions release

[LONJJONG]

Originally Posted by Aderianu

@ayuangel_news : Ayu is recording "A Gift" a song composed by JJ Lin! あゆ、JJの台北公演でコラボ曲の製作を発表
@ayu_19980408 : It's called ' The GIFT ' RT

I always wonder how Ayu notices the tweets posted by AyuAngel since she doesn't follow the account... Twitter notification maybe?

[truehappiness]

It was mentioned before. She has a list of Twitters she looks at. It used to be public... not sure about now.

[Tom Punks]

Originally Posted by douggn

Maybe its more of a sign of quality of music america does. Colours was done mainly in and by american composers and Secret was all done in and by Japanese composers. But Colours had a lot of input from the US. A ONE is back to using her good Japanese composers, so it should show in this album. But she is an artist continently evolving her music. She will never have a same exactly sounding album to what shed already done in the past

It's definitely the other way around lol. Not all, but a RIDICULOUS portion of Japanese music has god awful mixing. Lookin' at AKB groups, Johnny's, almost any no-name flop I can think of off the top of my head, and now it's gotten to Namie, Kuu, Ayu, etc. too. American music is tippity top in production most of the time. I mean that's basically the main focus of pop here for the past few years >_>

[kiseki89]

Originally Posted by Aderianu

God bless ayu for TA versions release

Hopefully that version will be available on siteconcert venue too

[Brownchild]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

It was mentioned before. She has a list of Twitters she looks at. It used to be public... not sure about now.

It still is:
https://twitter.com/ayu_19980408/lists

"Friends by ayumi hamasaki
dont follow it"

LMAOOOOOOOOOO

[chocopockymaster]

Originally Posted by Brownchild

It still is:
https://twitter.com/ayu_19980408/lists

"Friends by ayumi hamasaki
dont follow it"

LMAOOOOOOOOOO

omggggggg why am I laughing so hard

[truehappiness]

Ayu... please.

[tsumekaze_]

lol she doesn't want us to follow the list? what? AHAH ayuuu

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by Tom Punks

It's definitely the other way around lol. Not all, but a RIDICULOUS portion of Japanese music has god awful mixing. Lookin' at AKB groups, Johnny's, almost any no-name flop I can think of off the top of my head, and now it's gotten to Namie, Kuu, Ayu, etc. too. American music is tippity top in production most of the time. I mean that's basically the main focus of pop here for the past few years >_>

Ayu used to have some of the best mixing in the business. Her top-notch works and higher quality productions have some of the best mixing I have ever heard in my life.

The reason for this, is because the mixing process seemed to be a bit more meticulous. They would take the time to adjust the levels in the layers as well as their positioning between the speakers. This created an effect where at every possible angle, a different layer was highlighted. It's like if you think of the sound as a 360 degree environment. 60% of one layer may be in the right channel, 90% of another layer may be in the opposite channel. Etc. Now, everything is so flat and kind of just coming at you head on.

Listen to No way to say or some of the tracks that were re-mastered for A BEST 2. No way to say has that really wicked syncopated/vibrating guitar in the left channel, which basically carries the entire track. Meanwhile, in the right channel, more of the focus is place on the gentle and warm strum of the stringed instrument(s). The tension that arises pre-chorus kind of travels across the entire soundscape leading up to an explosion of everything in unison. This was always a key strength for much of Ayu's songs - you could listen to them time and time and time again, and focus your attention between all the different layers of sound and get a different experience each time.

Another example of absolutely wonderful mixing, as well as composition and the way it was arranged is walking proud. Regardless of whether or not you like the song, listen to how absolutely LUSH and LAYERED everything is. Each layer is highlighted even before she begins to sing! Listen to how they all roll so smoothly right into each other. It's miraculous how all those layers just build into each other and transition so smoothly, working so HARMONIOUSLY. It was truly well-planned out and you can tell that a lot of time and effort went into tweaking those details.

The poor mixing in her recent works give the pieces less of a replay value. You listen to the song and there's not as much to discover. The song is taken at surface value because that's all that it has to show you. It's all right there in the center.

I wish I could have a listening party with Ayu fans and really sit and converse over the intricacies within her music. To pick apart and highlight the layers together.

[Apricat]

One day before my birthday!
Completely okay with this :3

[BlackSilence]

Originally Posted by Brownchild

It still is:
https://twitter.com/ayu_19980408/lists

"Friends by ayumi hamasaki
dont follow it"

LMAOOOOOOOOOO

She simply doesn't follow the list closely as in "I don't follow it".

She probably still gets notifications when people mention her.

Spoiler:

I'm still sad though cuz my covers' account was in that list T_T lol

[kotora]

That twitter account is not owned by ayu at all. It is owned by avex. That's why she can't follow anyone and created that list.

[BlackSilence]

^she is in fact following a handful of people. Her mom's salon (or whatever it is) is on that list together with Max, Alvin Goh, her TA leader and JJ Lin.

lets get conspiracy theories rolling lol

[Tom Punks]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

Ayu used to have some of the best mixing in the business. Her top-notch works and higher quality productions have some of the best mixing I have ever heard in my life.

The reason for this, is because the mixing process seemed to be a bit more meticulous. They would take the time to adjust the levels in the layers as well as their positioning between the speakers. This created an effect where at every possible angle, a different layer was highlighted. It's like if you think of the sound as a 360 degree environment. 60% of one layer may be in the right channel, 90% of another layer may be in the opposite channel. Etc. Now, everything is so flat and kind of just coming at you head on.

Listen to No way to say or some of the tracks that were re-mastered for A BEST 2. No way to say has that really wicked syncopated/vibrating guitar in the left channel, which basically carries the entire track. Meanwhile, in the right channel, more of the focus is place on the gentle and warm strum of the stringed instrument(s). The tension that arises pre-chorus kind of travels across the entire soundscape leading up to an explosion of everything in unison. This was always a key strength for much of Ayu's songs - you could listen to them time and time and time again, and focus your attention between all the different layers of sound and get a different experience each time.

Another example of absolutely wonderful mixing, as well as composition and the way it was arranged is walking proud. Regardless of whether or not you like the song, listen to how absolutely LUSH and LAYERED everything is. Each layer is highlighted even before she begins to sing! Listen to how they all roll so smoothly right into each other. It's miraculous how all those layers just build into each other and transition so smoothly, working so HARMONIOUSLY. It was truly well-planned out and you can tell that a lot of time and effort went into tweaking those details.

The poor mixing in her recent works give the pieces less of a replay value. You listen to the song and there's not as much to discover. The song is taken at surface value because that's all that it has to show you. It's all right there in the center.

I wish I could have a listening party with Ayu fans and really sit and converse over the intricacies within her music. To pick apart and highlight the layers together.

Yep, you're preaching to the choir. Literally three hours ago I was chatting with GRACE (if anyone still remembers him here lol) and pretty much said, "Literally all I want from this album is for it to be well mixed." I don't care if she gives us the best compositions in the world. If they're produced like Last minute, I'm going to scream.

Honestly I'd settle for acceptable, nothing particularly remarkable mixing like on Colours. But FOR THE LOVE OF GOD no more mixing like on R'n'RC, Party Queen, LOVE again, etc.

Please, Ayu. No.

And I just find it really sad that this has become such a big problem in her releases in the past few years that all I can really ask for is the music to sound like it was mixed and mastered by, you know, working professionals.

Memorial address and MY STORY seriously had her most well-made songs ever tho. I even used the same word, "lush", describing it to GRACE lol:

1:02 PM - sark: I guess being made like MY STORY
1:02 PM - sark: implies they're really lush

[kotora]

Originally Posted by artcika

^she is in fact following a handful of people. Her mom's salon (or whatever it is) is on that list together with Max, Alvin Goh, her TA leader and JJ Lin.

lets get conspiracy theories rolling lol

Creating a list =/= following someone on Twitter...

Maybe she has her own way to use Twitter. #Weird.

[Isicio]

She can't follow lady gaga xD I need a feat with ayu and gaga xD

[xLuna&1LOVE]

I am so stupid when it comes to twitter, because I barely understand how to read some posts, like retweets or replies on replies... for me it is confusing. But I have seen Ayu's account which says she is following 3 people. What is that list anyway, some black list? You cannot even peek to see who's on that. Could also be a group of friends she does not want to get bothered with fans adding anyone she is befriended with, right?

[mi|kshake]

I wish I could have a listening party with Ayu fans and really sit and converse over the intricacies within her music. To pick apart and highlight the layers together.

Me too! I feel I would learn to hear Ayu songs differently! Maybe we need a thread on this?