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ritardando
Guest
I just can't stand any english dubbed animes because the VAs suck. I'll watch the dubbed if I can't find the subbed one, though.
Reviews/comments on "old" music
- Thread starter wat11
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I just can't stand any english dubbed animes because the VAs suck. I'll watch the dubbed if I can't find the subbed one, though.
george1234
Moderator
Look at my link
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sora
Guest
Here are my thoughts on a few tracks from .hack. I first watched this series when I was in third grade and I did not understand what it was about. In fact, the only thing I remembered about it was the incredible music.
Fake Wings: this is the first anime song to ever catch my attention. it's also the song that got me listening to yuki. the melody is really simple but the lyrics and instruments, as well as emily bindiger's voice, make this song a perfect listen for me. The fiction version is also amazing.
The World: I love this song because of the arrangement. Emily's voice works perfectly with konno's violin. Like Fake wings, the lyrics are really good.
Aura: This is a really dark song. The piano and the chanting are really eery. I also want to say that the lyrics for all of .hack's songs are perfect. Listening to them, I really wish Kajiura would drop the kajiurago and go back to proper words. I understand why she uses gibberish but sometimes the lyrics can add a lot extra meaning to a song.
Labyrinth: I always love Kajiura's bagpipe pieces. This one is a particular favorite due to the flute melody from yasahii yoake
Fear: I love the progression of this song. It starts off creepy but then the strings come in and create a really haunting atmosphere.
Foreigners: Really simple, just flute and drums, but it shows how much yuki loves celtic music.
Morganna: I love the southwest asian sound. It's interesting to see how much world music has influenced Yuki"s soundtracks. Even now I can hear these kinds of tracks in her music so many years later.
There are plenty of things I could say about this soundtrack but I basically love everything about it. It's my favorite Yuki soundtrack and it really shows the kind of music she likes to make. After so many years, she still has not made a soundtrack quite like .hack's. Ironic since she's doing the music for another show based on an mmo.
Fake Wings: this is the first anime song to ever catch my attention. it's also the song that got me listening to yuki. the melody is really simple but the lyrics and instruments, as well as emily bindiger's voice, make this song a perfect listen for me. The fiction version is also amazing.
The World: I love this song because of the arrangement. Emily's voice works perfectly with konno's violin. Like Fake wings, the lyrics are really good.
Aura: This is a really dark song. The piano and the chanting are really eery. I also want to say that the lyrics for all of .hack's songs are perfect. Listening to them, I really wish Kajiura would drop the kajiurago and go back to proper words. I understand why she uses gibberish but sometimes the lyrics can add a lot extra meaning to a song.
Labyrinth: I always love Kajiura's bagpipe pieces. This one is a particular favorite due to the flute melody from yasahii yoake
Fear: I love the progression of this song. It starts off creepy but then the strings come in and create a really haunting atmosphere.
Foreigners: Really simple, just flute and drums, but it shows how much yuki loves celtic music.
Morganna: I love the southwest asian sound. It's interesting to see how much world music has influenced Yuki"s soundtracks. Even now I can hear these kinds of tracks in her music so many years later.
There are plenty of things I could say about this soundtrack but I basically love everything about it. It's my favorite Yuki soundtrack and it really shows the kind of music she likes to make. After so many years, she still has not made a soundtrack quite like .hack's. Ironic since she's doing the music for another show based on an mmo.
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ritardando
Guest
I've checked the link but I still haven't got the time to watch the show. Maybe on Thursday since I don't have any classes on Thursday.
On side note, I haven't listened to .hack soundtrack either. Actually I have a lot of OSTs to catch up to. Related to this topic, I'm reviewing Madlax OST:
Honestly, Madlax OST I doesn't impress me at all. I only like calm days, in a foreign town, and flame out of all the songs. The drumming in 'flame' is just
that's Nozaki for you. I love how 'calm days' sort of escalates as the song progresses, it makes the song enjoyable even though the melody lines are actually *just* like that. That's why I want to watch the anime, maybe by watching it I could appreciate the songs more. Madlax OST 2, on other hand is pure gem. It's one OST where I could listen to all songs without skipping any. It'd be easier for me to list the songs that are good but doesn't shine much, and that's only few (2 to be precise, bank on me and I defend you). Anyway Madlax OST 2 is just Actually I prefer Kajiura's gibberish (Kajiurago) songs over English songs because of some reasons : a) Kajiura's choice of English words are almost always the same. b) by using Kajiurago she doesn't have to force the word to fit the melody and/or vice versa. I think this is one reason why Kajiura always uses those same words over and over again, lol. Idk, maybe that's just me.
aki
I have reached Yuki nirvana
I disagree about her English lyrics always being very similar, but I'd have to look up the lyrics to back myself up. Still, I'm sure using Kajiurago is easier for her to use since, exactly as you said, she doesn't have to force a word to fit. I do wonder why she hasn't used other languages in her OSTs for a while, though (I think the last other language was el cazador and the last English bgm was it's only the fairytale).
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ritardando
Guest
I did not say anything about the overall lyrics actually. I said 'words'. memories, melodies, darkness, calling, branches, shadows, the name of the seasons...it's like when she creates 3 beat melody (idk how to say it in english lol) she uses either memories or melodies. And overall her English songs are about person A calling/searching for person B but person B is not there/couldn't be with person A anymore. Or person A reminiscing his/her moment with person B. Yup.
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grunty
I have reached Yuki nirvana
@ritardando, KAAs MADLAX is probably the best quality, although it has hardsubbed karaoke for some retarded reason.
@el cazador, wasn't it kajiurago? Wo ist die Kase was Gelman. :)
@kajiurago, I actually think it's gotten pretty repetitive. always some alti camistia sorti etcshittia, lol.
@el cazador, wasn't it kajiurago? Wo ist die Kase was Gelman. :)
@kajiurago, I actually think it's gotten pretty repetitive. always some alti camistia sorti etcshittia, lol.
aki
I have reached Yuki nirvana
Ahh, that's true. But I tend to like the words she chooses, so...
Listening to it again, yep it is. Thought it was Spanish //hit
Welp, there goes my argument. Still, I feel like she used different languages 2004/2005-era a lot more often than now
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sora
Guest
She doesn't always have to use English. Maybe she could use Finnish lyrics or some other languge. She could use any romantic language seeing as how kajiurago draws heavily from them.
Also, the kajiurago can be really good sometimes (sis puella magica, hanataba, image theme of xsII) other times it seems phoned in (light behind the clouds, Otome lullaby)
Also, the kajiurago can be really good sometimes (sis puella magica, hanataba, image theme of xsII) other times it seems phoned in (light behind the clouds, Otome lullaby)
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ritardando
Guest
@grunty does have a point, as usual. My love for grunty just got deeper and deeper. Maybe it's just me that likes the way Kajiurago sounds and since it's gibberish I don't immediately recognise the same words she uses. Or maybe Kajiura just love words that end with -ia. magia magnolia aria symphonia fantasia cantia sontia amortia amaria ililiya maria mantia estia...
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AHH
Guest
Don't worry, I did that exact same thing a year ago. I was so excited when I heard it and was going to have my sister in law (she's fluent in Spanish and lived in Chile for a while) listen to it, but then I looked up the lyrics and felt really silly.
On the subject of Kajiurago, I personally like her use of it in repetitive chantesque things (like in Nowhere or Ongaku) or in the few cases where it seems that the sounds were chosen for their phonetic properties (all those nasal sounds used in Zodiacal Sign, at least in the live FictionJunction versions of it). Other than situations like that, I don't like or dislike it. It's just sort of there.
Also this is a good topic, for good people. I'll have to think about posting some minireviews on some of her older works some time...
as for Madlax ost1, I agree with ritardando that it is inferior to ost2.
Elenore is nice except I don't like Yuuka. Vanessa could have been good but too repetitive. I love Galza, there is a complex pattern to it and percussion and flute go together very well. Margalet has a good melody too but again Yuuka... (Yuki stop writing songs for Yuuka work on Yuriko, Hanae, Yuri, Keiko and Remi more!) in a foreign town is one of my favorites.
@ritardando , I was expecting To Find Your Flower in your list haha. I sometimes think Yuri's voice is buried in the background music in most of Yuki's tracks and this track presents Yuri's voice in the most lucid way. flame is also one of my favorites.
calm days reminds me of Chariots of Fire from Vangelis, lovely electronica and piano track.
as for .hack OST1:
silent life is simple and repetitive but adding that element of electronica makes it much more interesting.
foreigners&magic and sword is so catchy and percussion is great. B.T. is another beautiful violin track.
not a fan of Bindiger either but Aura sounds a choir work so I like that. fake wings is another classic but prefer non-vocal version. The World & Key of the twilight are classics but prefer FJ versions.
Yasashii Yoake lovely melody and instrumentation but not a fan of Chiaki either so prefer the instrumental.
also totally agree about the English lyrics, Rita. it's a way to draw people, that's all. it's not like Kajiura is inspired to write poem-like lyrics in English imo.
Elenore is nice except I don't like Yuuka. Vanessa could have been good but too repetitive. I love Galza, there is a complex pattern to it and percussion and flute go together very well. Margalet has a good melody too but again Yuuka... (Yuki stop writing songs for Yuuka work on Yuriko, Hanae, Yuri, Keiko and Remi more!) in a foreign town is one of my favorites.
@ritardando , I was expecting To Find Your Flower in your list haha. I sometimes think Yuri's voice is buried in the background music in most of Yuki's tracks and this track presents Yuri's voice in the most lucid way. flame is also one of my favorites.
calm days reminds me of Chariots of Fire from Vangelis, lovely electronica and piano track.
as for .hack OST1:
silent life is simple and repetitive but adding that element of electronica makes it much more interesting.
foreigners&magic and sword is so catchy and percussion is great. B.T. is another beautiful violin track.
not a fan of Bindiger either but Aura sounds a choir work so I like that. fake wings is another classic but prefer non-vocal version. The World & Key of the twilight are classics but prefer FJ versions.
Yasashii Yoake lovely melody and instrumentation but not a fan of Chiaki either so prefer the instrumental.
also totally agree about the English lyrics, Rita. it's a way to draw people, that's all. it's not like Kajiura is inspired to write poem-like lyrics in English imo.
grunty
I have reached Yuki nirvana
this comment makes no bloody sense. has she ever used yuuka on BGMs again? plz...
aki
I have reached Yuki nirvana
listening to .hack//sign ost now. I admit I don't listen to it often but there are some tracks I like, even if I prefer FJ's the world (Keiko>Emily). I'm torn with fake wings, because while I prefer Kaori's engrish voice, I still really like the acoustic guitar of Emily's version. But, I like the piano of FJ's ver too. I guess what I'm saying is that I'll listen to any of the three versions.
I like key of twilight so-so. Aura is good but something's off for me; I feel like it could be made better.
valley of mist, where the sky is high, sit beside me, silent life... meh. kiss, before dawn, and a bit of happiness are pretty but they get boring for me after a while.
I like interlude bc I'm in love with anything Yasashii Yoake.
fear sounds like it could've come from Noir.
foreigners is one of my favourites of the album. I also like b.t. bc of the violin. magic and sword is interesting enough.
I always forget that I like a stray child. Here I think that Emily's voice fits well.
I like key of twilight so-so. Aura is good but something's off for me; I feel like it could be made better.
valley of mist, where the sky is high, sit beside me, silent life... meh. kiss, before dawn, and a bit of happiness are pretty but they get boring for me after a while.
I like interlude bc I'm in love with anything Yasashii Yoake.
fear sounds like it could've come from Noir.
foreigners is one of my favourites of the album. I also like b.t. bc of the violin. magic and sword is interesting enough.
I always forget that I like a stray child. Here I think that Emily's voice fits well.
when I first started listening to See-Saw songs, I didn't like Chiaki's voice either and wanted FJ to cover them. However, now that's changed and I really appreciate the power in her voice - while I enjoyed FJY's cover of Yasashii Yoake, I still think it was missing something because it wasn't Chiaki's voice. That's why I wish she would be a guest in a YK live one day.
george1234
Moderator
I think its just that some old fans like you and me have known her via her old works first, while the new ones like the members that post here, from the recent ones, so since her style then and now is different, its possible that the elements and made you and me fans of her music and the ones that made them are different too, thus the difference in approach in the various works :)
But I feel you, I have always considered masterpieces some of the musics aki calls "boring"
But I feel you, I have always considered masterpieces some of the musics aki calls "boring"
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Martin
Guest
Man, this thread makes me feel nostalgic. It was listening to the Noir BGM that got me on the road that led me here, but I sold on my DVDs of that show aaages ago and I haven't heard any of the songs from it in years. I still kick myself for not buying the CD of the OST when I had the chance. I didn't pay much attention to .Hack but I have one of the OSTs somewhere and enjoy listening to it. I couldn't care less about the franchise itself though sadly.
I was lucky enough to pick up See-Saw's Dream Field album a couple of years back for the ridiculously cheap price of Y420, and it's great. The 'electronic' side of it didn't click with my much at the time, but I've grown to appreciate synthesised stuff a little more recently so my respect for it has sort of grown. Chiaki's voice grates on my on a couple of tracks, but again: I became accustomed to it and don't mind it so much now. I remember enjoying the Bokurano OP and being surprised that it was a solo song, and not a See-Saw tune (I *think* she wrote it too...?) but I don't have a bad word to say about it, or her performance in it. Her vocal range, the emotion she wrings out of it...magical. Tears me up a bit.
I was lucky enough to pick up See-Saw's Dream Field album a couple of years back for the ridiculously cheap price of Y420, and it's great. The 'electronic' side of it didn't click with my much at the time, but I've grown to appreciate synthesised stuff a little more recently so my respect for it has sort of grown. Chiaki's voice grates on my on a couple of tracks, but again: I became accustomed to it and don't mind it so much now. I remember enjoying the Bokurano OP and being surprised that it was a solo song, and not a See-Saw tune (I *think* she wrote it too...?) but I don't have a bad word to say about it, or her performance in it. Her vocal range, the emotion she wrings out of it...magical. Tears me up a bit.