Ali project

New Album @ October 15, 2025
the usual limited (CD with 10 tracks + dvd with live) and regular editions (CD with 10+1 tracks)


https://aliproject.jp/content1?no=P56bsNfw3S66S3s6SCs2cQs

ニューアルバム『Underground Insanity』2025年10月15日リリース！

◼︎『Underground Insanity』（初回限定盤）
CD＋DVD / TKCU-78141
¥5,800（税抜¥5,273）

［CD］
・日本男子、獅子奮迅
・Underground MAD Tea Party
・暗黒IDOL
・人形の家
・ZAZOU通りの猫女
・GARAKUTA
他、全10曲収録予定

［DVD］
2024年7月7日豊洲PIT LIVE「お見かけ通りの若輩者です。」より全24曲収録予定


◼︎『Underground Insanity』（通常盤）
CD / TKCU-78142
¥3,100（税抜¥2,818）

［CD］
初回限定盤と同内容10曲＋ボーナストラック1曲、全11曲収録予定
 
At Animelo Summer Live 2025
IMG20250831141637.jpg
 
Both covers feel weird...
Arika looks great but the way her photo is positioned in the Limited Edition cover layout and her legs are cutoff is just eh?

Now thos promo/profile picture they are using is actually great to me... Except I've no idea what's happening with Arika's knee.... Edit: maybe it really is her knee, not photoshop, 'cause in one of the covers it also looks weird? I don't want to be disrepectful, so I removed the laugh.

https://aliproject.jp/contents/mainvisual_00012.jpg

I'll be getting the regular edition, 'cause I want to have the bonus track on CD as usual. Appears to be a remake of https://youtube.com/watch?v=fYn-Z69iM5c

https://aliproject.jp/content1?no=P56bsNfw3S66S3s6SCs2cQs
 
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「ALI PROJECT 2025
～Underground Insanity Christmas」

【公演概要】
■2025年12月25日(木)　ヒューリックホール東京

[OPEN/START] 18:15/19:00

[チケット料金]
◯アングラグラシート(前方・グッズ付き)　￥16,500(税込）
/ ドリンク代￥600(税込)別
◯指定席　￥8,500(税込) / ドリンク代￥600(税込)別

https://aliproject.jp/content1?no=NuFfSNF73cf6SEC03pc4CPs
 
If anyone cares about having Romance and Violetta Operetta albums on their shelf, they are under 1000yen on amazon right now.
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B000JGCMEC
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00OS9OUQE

Sampler for the upcoming Underground Insanity album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLHG_vIOWbA

I'm not particularly impressed... Only ZAZOU* seems like something interesting... Most of the rest feels pretty much same ole...
but to be fair I feel like I say that about every sampler and then end up enjoying the actual album when I get it...
 
I have never listened to them but the YouTube link was very convenient.

Just from the previews, I was most pleasantly intrigued by tracks 8 and 9. Beautiful and delicate..

I've noticed they seem to like straight chromatic movenents, minor scales, and dissonances in their music.

Very Tim Burton, Halloween-ish?
 
Ali Project is a duo consisting of Mikiya Katakura (on composition* and keyboards) and Arika Takarano (on lyrics and vocals). They've been active for more than 35 years now...

*asterisk on composition because probably more than 90% of their non-cover songs are based on hiphop/edm/drumkit/whatever samples with some classical music keyboards thrown in. I think JP wikipedia has some listings on sample sources for each album. I guess if someone's not cool with that or Arika's vocal stylings then Alipro is not for them.

Some anime classics from their heyday (do check out the bsides on these singles too via youtube album playlists, for something different):
https://youtube.com/watch?v=3133Bmih3rg
https://youtube.com/watch?v=fVYLkQ3X21c
https://youtube.com/watch?v=FtGL1UJ2PM8
https://youtube.com/watch?v=zxlzP-cyj7o
https://youtube.com/watch?v=4ZMnO_-xOFY

Some of my more recent favs if you find the time:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=_CVLXx42xeo
https://youtube.com/watch?v=gRLc7Hef_2Y&

https://youtube.com/watch?v=P8Db0NVXgKs
https://youtube.com/watch?v=H2SlL23CCOg

https://youtube.com/watch?v=BvAEfy2QIDE
https://youtube.com/watch?v=3-kRRgi_ULk

https://youtube.com/watch?v=NP7pgFd_O3M

And if you're not into the kb/sample sound, here's a playlist for the aforementioned Romance actually, one of their earlier strings arrange albums. I forgot who did most of Romance but they often work with Yoshihisa Hirano on strings arrangements, if he's a draw for you. I do happen to like some of his soundtracks.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mU0onmOzU9qfVwxo6MMdEjALz9IZbdN6I
 
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grunty said:
Some anime classics from their heyday (do check out the bsides on these singles too via youtube album playlists, for something different):
Click to expand...
Yes, a very strong EDM vibe indeed. Katakura-san is like a DJ who likes strings. 😁 I know they are their own concept but they almost felt here like an alternate universe or inverse Perfume, since they are both 4-on-the-floor EDM beat them melodies with sometimes rapid-fire vocal delivery.

I don't know why but Yuukyou Seisyunka and 亡國覚醒カタルシス kinda stood out a bit while I was listening. I almost felt like Yuukyou Seisyunka was in the new album preview, though I didn't go back to check.

grunty said:
Some of my more recent favs if you find the time
Click to expand...
The second song 極まれり was completely unexpected! Starting with that trumpet/flugel? and the chill drum pattern. A 80s/90s synth pop vibe with world-style vocal going from Arabic to something East African? And that ending with the drums fading out and just the keys with her voice - dreamy! I guess it's not their style of music but had she ever done an acoustic song with just keyboard. I was curious about the expressiveness of her voice in that sort of more exposed/ vulnerable frame. Beautiful melody from the keys...reminded me a bit of Evenescence just at that ending part. 🤔

21世紀新青年 was more like a proper electronic track without their own melodies or unsettling strings.​


恋闇路 What's going on? Starts with chiptune, then the Arabic vocal styling, almost done Bollywood feeling part. One of the most diverse mixes if influences.​

STILL ALIVE was nice. It had me closing my eyes and nodding side to side in the vibe. That booming bass/sub was mood setting with her uncharacteristic long, melodic, legato lines (she's usually staccato with time signature shifts). I don't know the correct genre reference but it was definitely a pleasant, smooth pop song.​


For the Romance album, this was serious orchestral arrangement, like more robustly classical than what Kajiura or even Revo use in their compositions.

Yoshihisa Hirano is a proper classical arranger/composer it seems. It's been a while since I listened this much classical instrumentation!

I listened through several of the songs/pieces. A new challenge for her at the time, I would imagine.

Quite an experimental group ALI Project is, I must say.
 
YouTube recommendations (cause they saw me watching a series of ALI Project videos 🤣):

Lolicate - interesting. Lots of strings as always. The ma loves strings!

An actual live video, but a collaboration with another artist? I'm assuming Arika's the taller blonde (since her photos are usually blonde). The smaller dark haired lady's voice made me think of Yuuka Nanri, like an alternate version of her if she didn't start with Kajiura and went dark instead (like Nao).
https://youtu.be/LGyuXjTjE_E?si=AC7Q6v9QrGA_Ksjp

I was wondering in my mind how ALI Project usually performed live, while listening to the first set of links you sent, that is before I saw this video.

The first set of tracks made me feel like their live would be having Katakura in a DJ setup, like Perfume or Garnidellia, where the music is played by the DJ (or just tracks) with live singing.

This collab video made me wonder if they use a live band to do a live version of those heavily EDM tracks.

Of course, I assume the Romance would be performed with a large live orchestra, which would be something to behold.
 
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Actually as far as their lives go, they are usually just Arika in elaborate costumes, Mikiya on keyboards and his computer and also 2 violinists. Plus sometimes alipon dancers for extra visuals.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=35RA2Yum4Js
(for extra comedic value)

There is however the occasional orchestral Gekko Soiree lives like this one for Gothic Opera album:.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=LPpTEKK1X6I
While the concert is mostly about Gothic Opera album and strings arrangements of their other songs (many released on other albums), there is also Poisoner there (1h7min into the concert), which is close to its original recording but with full strings.
Original album version: https://youtube.com/watch?v=KjSoZczqGgg

The live you posted was from Yousei Teikoku, which is a metal band with YUI on vocal (they are also quite an old group by now but I think Tachibana, the other founding member, now retired from the band - I could be wrong). The band has plenty bops if you're into it. Much like Arika, YUI is quite the fantasy.
 
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grunty said:
Actually as far as their lives go, they are usually just Arika in elaborate costumes, Mikiya on keyboards and his computer and also 2 violinists. Plus sometimes alipon dancers for extra visuals.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=35RA2Yum4Js
(for extra comedic value)
Click to expand...
One good thing about their minimal stage setup is that they reduce their personnel and technical costs significantly.

Also as a composer/player and vocalist/lyricist duo, they earn more.
grunty said:
The live you posted was from Yousei Teikoku, which is a metal band with YUI on vocal
Click to expand...
When I watched the video (on my phone) I was struck by a number of things:

  1. Arika looked so tall when she came in that I was confused about who was who. I mean I was wondering if she was even the black-haired singer! Were her heels higher than usual?
  2. Like I said earlier, Yui’s voice really reminded me of Yuuka Nanri’s, so much so that I imagined Yuuka could perform on that stage in her place, vocally at least.
  3. Yui exuded a lot of charm and cool confidence, but I guess that’s partly because she was in front of her own fans and it’s part of her stage persona.
 
I checked the Belle Epoque live that came with the followup album and can confirm that outfit for the first section of the concert (or at least something that looks like it with different hair/jewelry styling).

Side-note:
I've actually not been watching their more recent lives... and oh boy... this one does not seem good at all. I don't know if Arika was sick or maybe it's her age catching up to her but she really had no presence on this DVD and seemed like she couldn't give 2cents of effort (vocally or performance/attitude-wise). In all honesty I hope she was just sick because the thought of her not giving a damn or her age becoming such an obstacle makes me sad. :/
Alas I guess everything falls apart eventually...
 
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