Wakana solo career

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I'm listening to Kalafina on Apple music as I read different threads on the forum...

Oh my goodness! I was just listening to "Kizuato" and Wakana blew me away, that I had to repeat the song twice before moving to the next song. Man!

Her held note and vibrato were so lovely!!!! Beginning with the first starting line she sang, when she held the note and vibrato longer than I have ever known her to do in all the lives I listened to, even the early ones! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

That is one of the things I always used to separate her from Joelle in my quality / musicality comparisons and criticisms (sorry W fans) because I was always missing that musical and emotional release from the held note leading to smooth vibrato, because Wakana was often just cutting it short unceremoniously, or the note would fall to pieces at the end, unlike Joelle.

Just hearing "Kizuato" (the studio version) finally let me fully realize the reason why Wakana aura was so strong among her fans, and why they were always seething at Kajiura for forcing (?) or coercing her to change her voice, losing those abilities she just displayed to my hearing.

Her vibrato was smooth and the emotion carried because she could hold the note in vibrato for several seconds.
 
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george1234 said:
Hikari no Yukue for Hokuto no Ken
https://youtu.be/Vza_Y7I4-vc?
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Yeah this gave me the same vibes as "Kizuato". The emotion was there in the performance.

george1234 said:
her vocals for Satoyama soundtrack,
https://youtu.be/uaz9jwnMygo?
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This was the breathy style I'm not really a fan of, showcases the weaknesses in her voice at this stage in her development.

george1234 said:
pandora hearts too https://youtu.be/ED2xlZQGFCQ?
https://youtu.be/mmp9-bQC3BA?
https://youtu.be/1w3EUJngleQ?
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I'm sorry, not a fan of Kajiura's production on Wakana's voice. This excessive reverb and whatever else takes at from the voice.

george1234 said:
paradise regained from El cazador
https://youtu.be/eZREvdDGgn4?
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This was also "just there" for me.

Saber said:
Kimi ga Hikari ni Kaete Yuku from vol. 3 as well.
https://youtu.be/xInK9gTxBbI?si=01txmK8jl7ssWaO-
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Yeah, this was sweet. This particular concert was probably the best vocal demonstration in a live show ever from her, unfortunately. This was where the classic voice was still in full bloom.

Lorde-Kowz said:
And Where the lights are Japanese Version for some purty head voice.
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Oh yes. This was really beautiful. I listened to it on repeat about 4-5 times to absorb as much of it as I could. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfrgXCAa7iQ (Link for reference)

Starting from the very beginning and how she sang the very first note and the transition on the "r"on the lyric "uru". It was a dynamic flip on that consonant that had a calming effect when I heard, like going through a door from one room (or realm) to another. Her soft vibrato fluttering made me think of her like a fairy - a water fairy (unlike KOKIA who is more like a wood fairy with her earthy/dark tones).

Then on the lyric "Oyasumi", she went all hooty like a youthful classical soprano which was quite cute to listen to. I appreciated that. It was the youthfulness of Wakana's voice that was part of her charm in those early days - like it was still taking shape (that's why I've said maybe here or on a YouTube comment somewhere, that we never got to hear the final version of this young voice).

Sorry if this sounds pretentious or anything, but as I listened I felt this was the first time I really heard Wakana lead Yuriko, like they were vocally taking a walk together. I don't know how to describe what I'm saying perfectly, but that's how it felt to me. Yuriko's vibrato fell just right supporting Wakana's and sometimes Yuriko was vibrating while Wakana was straight.

I think this was probably the most beautiful and appropriate composition of Kajiura's for Wakana's young voice, and Yuriko was the perfect partner to accompany her vocally, no one else, in the harmony parts especially with the build of the second chorus - her bright resonation embracing Wakana's more breathy and ethereal feel (I get now why people were saying Yuriko wasn't as ethereal as Wakana in covering one of her parts in KajiFes - can't recall the song just now).

And it was live! So that made it even more beautiful and irreplicable.
 
CloisteredFlame said:
I'm sorry, not a fan of Kajiura's production on Wakana's voice. This excessive reverb and whatever else takes at from the voice.
Click to expand...

When i first listened to the soundtrack i remember i didnt like the distorted voice but its a soundtrack, she can do whatever she likes to make it sound cooler (reverb distortion multiple layers or eccho) The other soundtrack vocalists get a ton of this kind of treatment as well.
You ll probably get tired of it when you watch Madlax but here is a FJYuuka song with a lot of effects used as soundtrack in the show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o3CfLRUnd8
 
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george1234 said:
When i first listened to the soundtrack i remember i didnt like the distorted voice but its a soundtrack, she can do whatever she likes to make it sound cooler (reverb distortion multiple layers or eccho) The other soundtrack vocalists get a ton of this kind of treatment as well.
You ll probably get tired of it when you watch Madlax but here is a FJYuuka song with a lot of effects used as soundtrack in the show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o3CfLRUnd8
Click to expand...
I listened again to the first songs and they were OK.

I was not saying they were bad songs, but just comparing to the ones where there was less effects and one could more easily hear just Wakana's actual voice.
 
Of course, I understand. I felt that you liked the songs and were making a case for their value/quality, which I was in agreement with, especially upon second listening.

Remember I started from Wakana in "Kizuato" and how the voice itself affected me and made me better realize her vocal qualities. There were only minimal effects on that song. So every other song was listened to in comparison to my initial experience.
 
Im thinking maybe there were more effects on upbeat solo vocalist songs to compansate for lack of other vocalists too (apart from backing vocal,), but then again some Kalafina ones have lots too like oblivious fukan fukei mix, ongaku, mangolia and kirie etc, so probably what i said at first is more possible.
 
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