The very 1st Thread for Taichi Mukai - Page 3

Corvina · #41 30th September 2018, 08:30 AM

PV for Reset, it's out now:

Such a nice song!
Better than Crazy.

Btw. the release date of PURE got pushed back to 11/28.

Corvina · #42 24th October 2018, 12:23 PM

New digital single "Pure" is out today, third from the new album.
PV will be out 10/28, 8 pm Japanese time.

And it's out for a while now, but I didn't want to double post.
Covers and tracklist for the album!

CD only (regular edition)

CD+DVD (limited edition)

【2nd アルバム『PURE』商品情報】
アーティスト名：向井太一
タイトル：PURE
発売日：2018年11月28日(水)
価格：初回盤(CD＋DVD) 3,000円(税抜) / 通常盤(CD) 2,315円(税抜)
品番：初回盤TFCC-86647 / 通常盤TFCC-86648

<CDトラックリスト>
01. Secret (Co-Produced by BON3AI)
02. Crazy (Co-Produced by BON3AI)
03. Break up (Co-Produced by ☆Taku Takahashi)
04. Haters (Co-Produced by mabanua)
05. Agony (Co-Produced by CELSIOR COUPE)
06. Answer (Co-Produced by 蔦谷好位置)
07. リセット (Co-Produced by CELSIOR COUPE)
08. 午後8時 (Co-Produced by grooveman Spot)
09. ポートマン (Co-Produced by Shingo.S)
10. Pure (Co-Produced by 高橋海)
11. Ego (Co-Produced by Chocoholic)
12. Gimme (Co-Produced by grooveman Spot)
Bonus Track. Siren (Co-Produced by tofubeats)

<DVDトラックリスト>
”LOVE TOUR 2018” OSAKA at Music Club JANUS
01. FREER
02. FLY
03. Blue
04. SLOW DOWN
05. 空

Music Video
06. HERO (Another Ver.)

Different stores have music cards with different shots of the cover shooting and live versions from songs from his Love Tour earlier this year.

Kacku · #43 2nd December 2018, 01:47 AM

PURE is out! Thoughts?

I have to say I like the second half of the album much better than the first. Gogo 8-ji, Portman, and Pure are all great and having them one after another is reeeally nice. Gogo 8-ji and Portman are both such dreamy ballads with insanely earwormy choruses and amazing production. Pure is so funky and just so happy, I love it.

Other than those songs, I like Reset, Gimme, Siren, and Break up (it's so obviously a Taku Takahashi production and it's great that Taichi sounds so at home with this sound). Some of the other songs might still grow on me (I'm still not sure if I like Ego or not), but after a few listens, there are still quite many that didn't leave much of an impression (Secret, Agony, Answer) and a few I just straight-up don't like (Crazy is still annoyingly blah; Haters actually has a nice sound but my mind just sours as soon as he starts singing about haters).

Overall, I find the album much weaker than BLUE, but still decent and with enough songs I love to keep me happy. But I'm also starting to think he needs to change things up; earlier this year, Yoake was talking about missing his more experimental songs, and I'm starting to feel the same way. Too many of the songs on this album were just too unremarkable and felt like they didn't have much to say. I thought this was mainly the case with the upbeat songs; I keep eating up his ballads and slow r'n'b numbers. I hope he can bring back some edge and experimentation in the future.

BY THEY WAY, something no one here has discussed yet: I CANNOT BELIEVE (ok fine, I can but don't want to) the sweater he's wearing on the album covers, it must be one of the ugliest goddamn garments I've seen in my life.

But I guess it fits the hipster-chic image they seem to be going for.

Corvina · #44 3rd December 2018, 10:34 PM

PURE is weaker than BLUE, no doubt.
But my problem isn't him missing experimental tracks.
It's his stuff being too monotonous.
There are enough experimental tracks on the album, like Break up or Haters or Agony e.g. right after another, they're just pretty one-dimensional.
Lots of the stuff tends to sound the same and is reptetive, I need more diversity!
(Haters is so much better than Break up and Agony to me btw.)

Most of my favourite songs also come in the 2nd half of the album.
The start is really bland (Secret, Crazy and Break up).
Haters, Reset, Gogo 8-ji, Pure and Ego are great, my faves.
Agony and Portman are nice and could grow on me.
Answer and Gimme aren't doing much for me.
I didn't like Siren staying on its own, but in the context of the album it sounds better for me!
Says probably nothing good about the rest of the album, haha.
So it's 5 I dislike, 5 I like and 3 that are just ok.

The sweater isn't that nice, but I've definitely seen worse.

EDIT:
PURE sold 1,877 in its first week, #47 weekly.

And yes, Haters is my favourite song from the album, it's awesome!

Kacku · #45 6th December 2018, 03:19 AM

I agree about needing more diversity. And I think the lack of it on this album is highlighted by the tracklist having so many of the more upbeat, similar-sounding songs in a row for the first half. It feels like relief when Reset comes up and brings a change of pace and sound.

I also like Siren better at the end of this album than just as a single, whatever that might say about the song or the album

Thanks for the chart news. Do you know how it did compared to his earlier releases? Seems like it charted higher than BLUE at least.

The sweater might not be THE worst thing ever, but I do think it's up there.

Those sleeves with the seams jutting out...

(I wish I liked Haters too, but it still just doesn't do it for me, I like the verses but the chorus is just too flat...)

Corvina · #46 8th December 2018, 12:35 PM

BLUE sold less. If I remember correctly it debuted around #70 in its first week. So this is good for him.

PURE is a good album for me.
After many listens now I can say it's a more....extreme album, in the sense that there are songs I totally dislike and songs I absolutely love. BLUE was better balanced.
But PURE has more songs I love than BLUE, so it already has a special place in my heart.
BLUE is more enjoyable as a whole with almost only decent tracks and 3 songs I absolutely adore (Sora feat. Salu, ONE and FREER).
I hope it's understandable what I mean.

**Yoake** · #47 14th December 2018, 01:50 PM

Could I say that I nearly cried when I heard Gogo 8-ji for the first time? Finally, the kind of song I was waiting for. The slow rhythm with the pinch of jazz sounds are just amazingly heavenly

Portman isn't bad too but after Gogo 8-ji I find it a bit weak and pale.

Overall the album isn't bad after several plays but there isn't a lot of evolution in his style. I don't mind that when the artist is trying to polish it but I think that Taichi get his true sounds since his first cd and he doesn't need to improve it anymore. He should explore the music instead.

Corvina · #48 14th December 2018, 04:45 PM

Idk. He's still building his fanbase and there's no need to evolve at all if he successfully found his niche of music.
Having a signature sound imo is better for building his career than constantly exploring.
Most important thing is that he feels comfortable with the music he's doing.

Kacku · #49 6th January 2019, 05:41 PM

New song 道 (Michi) announced! It will be used as the second ending theme for the TV anime Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru / Run With the Wind. No release date for the song announced yet.

Touring news: his PURE TOUR 2018-2019 seems to have sold out all its stops, and after that, he will do a mini-tour "27" at Billboard Live in Tokyo and Osaka and go on an "ASIA TOUR 2019", performing in Taiwan, Beijing, Shenzen, Shanghai and Korea. He seems to be doing well on the touring front.

Also, a music video for Break Up was released last month!

Corvina · #50 7th January 2019, 05:12 PM

He's also working on a new release.
The song he recorded yesterday made him cry.
From his Instagram stories.

Kacku · #51 7th January 2019, 08:21 PM

Wow, he must be working a lot lately with all the touring, preparation, songwriting and recording going on. I wonder when the new releases will come out.

Also, the second cour of Run With the Wind will begin airing tomorrow, so I think we'll get to hear Michi soon.

Corvina · #52 10th January 2019, 01:50 PM

He is shooting something today!
And he self-styled for it this time (hair, makeup and clothes).

**Yoake** · #53 10th January 2019, 03:10 PM

He is very productive. It seems like he doesn't stop to create music.

Kacku · #54 29th January 2019, 08:48 PM

道 (Michi) and a rearranged Break up (Part2) feat. ☆Taku Takahashi (m-flo) to be released on Friday, February 1st! (If I'm reading this right.)

**Yoake** · #55 31st January 2019, 02:53 PM

Not really excited by the collaboration with m-flo because everything turns generic in general. Nice to get Michi tomorrow.

Kacku · #56 1st February 2019, 10:21 PM

The Michi single is out! I'm not a big fan of Michi, it doesn't really stand out or go anywhere. The new version of Break up is drastically different, I didn't expect them to it into a ballad! I prefer the original, but this version is at least interesting.

**Yoake** · #57 5th February 2019, 02:24 PM

Michi is just a nice ballad. Not memorable but not terrible. I kinda like the play of the violins in the arrangement.

Corvina · #58 7th February 2019, 10:39 PM

Michi is also just nice for me. The other version of Break Up is doing nothing for me.

But on the other hand I've finally ordered a copy of 24, yay!

Kacku · #59 11th May 2019, 03:57 PM

Taichi continues his busy touring schedule / world domination, set to appear at SUMMER SONIC 2019 in Tokyo and Osaka and at La Magnifique Society Festival in Reims, France (having already appeared at La Magnifique Society Festival In Tokyo this week), and co-headlining BDP TOUR 2019 (Between Da Pop), another mini-tour in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka, with the other featured act(s) yet to be announced, later in the summer.

***oaristos*** · #60 11th May 2019, 10:11 PM

I recently discovered Taichi Mukai by shuffling some Japanese songs on Spotify and I love "Siren."

I also really enjoy this collaboration between him and YonYon (apologies if it's been posted already):