The Secret Code is Tohoshinki’s newest Japanese album. Although I still think they’re kind of overrated, I have to agree that they are very respectable musicians and they’ve come a long way. As usual, I have uploaded a few samples tracks, but not the whole album.



Tohoshinki - The Secret Code

Tracklist:

Disc 1:
01. Secret Game
02. FORCE
03. どうして君を好きになってしまったんだろう？ (Doushite.../Why have I fall in love with you?)
04. Nobody Knows [download]
05. Beautiful you
06. 忘れないで (Wasurenaide/Don't Forget)
07. 9095
08. 呪文 －MIROTIC－ (Jumon -MIROTIC-/Magic Spell -MIROTIC-)
09. TAXI
10. Stand Up! [download]
11. Survivor
12. Kiss The Baby Sky
13. Bolero
14. 9096 (Hidden Track) [download]

Disc 2:
01. ウィーアー！ (We are!)
02. Take Your Hands -i.am.electro REMIX-
03. Box in the ship
04. 千年恋歌 (Sennen Koi Uta/1000 Year Love Song)
05. Purple Line

Review:

“Secret Game” kicks off the album. High-energy, fast-paced - unfortunately, I found it a bit overwhelming and messy. The piano, synthy brass, vocals, bass, and drums are all fighting for attention, coming together in a jarring array of sound. A jazzy opener that, unfortunately, was not very cleanly executed. It’s starting to grow on me a little, but I have to say it’s still not one of my favourites.

“FORCE” is aggressive. Pushy synths, lots of bass and lower-range sound, coupled with Tohoshinki’s smooth, fluid vocals. Personally, I found the song a bit repetitive, especially the percussion/strings. It sounds quite American, and just isn’t that catchy or memorable.

“Doushite ...”, in stark contrast, is an absolutely gorgeous mid-tempo ballad. I’m sure you’re all familiar with it by now - it is probably one of my favourite songs by them. Their warm, expressive voices really shine against the electronic harp countermelody and R&B-infused beat.

“Nobody Knows” also has traces of jazz in it, especially evident in the swung rhythm and opening. The beat itself has more of an R&B influence. It seems quite different from anything they’ve attempted before. More sophisticated, a little darker - actually, I’m noticing this in all their new songs on this album so far. I love the arrangement and theme.

“Beautiful you” was previously released as a single. A mid-tempo track driven by guitars, I really like the chorus, but found the rest of the song average.

“Wasurenaide” was a b-side to the “Bolero” single, a heartfelt ballad. Soft but filled with emotion, the amount of expression they put into this song as well as their always-lovely layered harmonies really brought this otherwise fairly standard ballad to another level. Unfortunately, the song sounded a little too processed and polished. Personally I really love the raw feel of their a capellas, and would love to see them encorporate that into the regular versions of their songs.

“9095” has a lounge-y, ambient feel to it. It’s a new sound - again, more mature. Personally, I felt that their vocals were not adapted well enough to the style. It’s an interesting venture, and I quite like the chorus, but overall the song is an odd cross between minimalistic lounge and R&B/poppy drums and vocals. It lacks direction and never really goes anywhere, which is a shame.

The next track is the Japanese version of “Mirotic”. I only listened to the Korean version of this, so this was slightly new to me. It sounds a little awkward. Where the Korean version made slight choppiness and swung rhythms sound fresh and daring, whereas it translates as jerky and slightly out of time. Yunho and Micky’s rap thing halfway through is just ... weird. Especially Yunho’s part. Of course, it’s to be expected that the original would be better. Overall, a good effort. The general theme of the song is not lost, although much of the detailing is.

I was expecting an upbeat track looking at “TAXI”, but instead was faced with a ballad. Tohoshinki’s ballads, IMO, have improved the most. “TAXI” is not their best - it cannot match up to the likes of “Forever Love”, “Love in the ice”, “Doushite ...”, etc. but it is good. Despite all the experimentation in their other songs on this album, TAXI is surprisingly generic. Vocals are fairly good, but not exceptional. Having seen just what they’re capable of in ballads, “TAXI” was a bit of a disappointment.

“Stand Up!” is the first new song on this album that I really liked, other than maybe “Nobody Knows”. A mid-tempo rock-influenced track with a bit of a dark twist. Rumbly, thick bass coupled with smooth, smug guitars. Their vocals are smooth and have a certain laid-back confidence.

“Survivor” was their last single before the release of this album. While it’s not my favourite single, it was solid and consistent with their other material. While it lacks the immediate impact of “Doushite ...” and some of their other songs, it’s catchy, poppy, and fun - something that cannot be said for very many of the other songs of this album, which seemed to have matured a little.

Now, I really love “Kiss the Baby Sky”. I’ve heard some negative opinions of this track, especially the fairly high range that it’s sung in, but I think Tohoshinki pulls it off well. Very few of the high notes sound forced or strained at all, maybe just one or two. Familiar beat, smooth, warm melodies, a wonderfully detailed arrangement. Although I wouldn’t call this a favourite song overall, I really enjoyed it.

“Bolero” is a dramatic ballad, at times uplifting and at others bittersweet. The prominent use of strings and overall theme give it a bit of a classical feel, yet certain elements (eg. drums) are still very modern. A unique and well-executed track.

“9096”, a hidden track is mysterious and minimalistic. It’s a reworked version of 9095, but I actually liked this version better. At first there are very few sung parts, just a couple quiet lines here and there. I have to say the beat that shows up about halfway through the song is really good. It then leads into a couple of sung verses that are well worth the wait. Overall, I really liked the feel of the track. It’s fairly short, but quite interesting.

Moving to the shorter second disc, “We are!” is the remake of the opening theme for the anime “ONE PIECE”, I believe. It’s a fairly standard anime opening with a THSK twist - upbeat, hopeful, rock-influenced, and overall a decent song that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

“Take Your Hands -i.am.electro REMIX-” wasn’t really a track I was particularly looking forward to listening to, generally not being a big fan of remixes - especially electronica remixes. Surprisingly, I thought this remix was pretty good. It keeps enough of the original elements of the song, thankfully not distorting the vocals much or anything like that - most of the changes have been limited to the accompaniment, namely the addition of synths and a few kicks to the beat.

“Box in the ship” should be familiar - a light-hearted song reminiscent of a vacation on a hot, sunny beach somewhere. It’s cute and fairly unique track that made a wonderful b-side to the more serious “Doushite...”.

“Sennen Koi Uta” is a lovely ballad vocal-wise - the harmonies are stunning, their voices complimenting each other perfectly. Other than that, I found it to be fairly bland composition-wise.

“Purple Line” is another familiar track. Energetic, confident, and strong. I dislike how nasal ChangMin’s voice sounds (at least, I think it’s him), but other than that it’s an infectious, addictive song with a great beat.

There is a good deal experimentation with style, as evident with virtually all of the new songs other than TAXI. They have definitely matured into a more sophisticated sound, but still have work to do in order to really pull off that feel. There was no real transition between their fairly consistent singles and previous releases and the new, more experimental tracks on this album, which, I think, is why it has garnered some negative reviews. I’m glad to see them taking a few risks, and I think with some more polishing they can really dispel their boyband image for something a little more sophisticated, but I’m still not completely convinced.

Recommended tracks: Nobody Knows, Stand Up!, Doushite ..., Wasurenaide

Labels: album review, Tohoshinki

The Secret Code is Tohoshinki’s newest Japanese album. Although I still think they’re kind of overrated, I have to agree that they are very respectable musicians and they’ve come a long way. As usual, I have uploaded a few samples tracks, but not the whole album.



Tohoshinki - The Secret Code

Tracklist:

Disc 1:
01. Secret Game
02. FORCE
03. どうして君を好きになってしまったんだろう？ (Doushite.../Why have I fall in love with you?)
04. Nobody Knows [download]
05. Beautiful you
06. 忘れないで (Wasurenaide/Don't Forget)
07. 9095
08. 呪文 －MIROTIC－ (Jumon -MIROTIC-/Magic Spell -MIROTIC-)
09. TAXI
10. Stand Up! [download]
11. Survivor
12. Kiss The Baby Sky
13. Bolero
14. 9096 (Hidden Track) [download]

Disc 2:
01. ウィーアー！ (We are!)
02. Take Your Hands -i.am.electro REMIX-
03. Box in the ship
04. 千年恋歌 (Sennen Koi Uta/1000 Year Love Song)
05. Purple Line

Review:

“Secret Game” kicks off the album. High-energy, fast-paced - unfortunately, I found it a bit overwhelming and messy. The piano, synthy brass, vocals, bass, and drums are all fighting for attention, coming together in a jarring array of sound. A jazzy opener that, unfortunately, was not very cleanly executed. It’s starting to grow on me a little, but I have to say it’s still not one of my favourites.

“FORCE” is aggressive. Pushy synths, lots of bass and lower-range sound, coupled with Tohoshinki’s smooth, fluid vocals. Personally, I found the song a bit repetitive, especially the percussion/strings. It sounds quite American, and just isn’t that catchy or memorable.

“Doushite ...”, in stark contrast, is an absolutely gorgeous mid-tempo ballad. I’m sure you’re all familiar with it by now - it is probably one of my favourite songs by them. Their warm, expressive voices really shine against the electronic harp countermelody and R&B-infused beat.

“Nobody Knows” also has traces of jazz in it, especially evident in the swung rhythm and opening. The beat itself has more of an R&B influence. It seems quite different from anything they’ve attempted before. More sophisticated, a little darker - actually, I’m noticing this in all their new songs on this album so far. I love the arrangement and theme.

“Beautiful you” was previously released as a single. A mid-tempo track driven by guitars, I really like the chorus, but found the rest of the song average.

“Wasurenaide” was a b-side to the “Bolero” single, a heartfelt ballad. Soft but filled with emotion, the amount of expression they put into this song as well as their always-lovely layered harmonies really brought this otherwise fairly standard ballad to another level. Unfortunately, the song sounded a little too processed and polished. Personally I really love the raw feel of their a capellas, and would love to see them encorporate that into the regular versions of their songs.

“9095” has a lounge-y, ambient feel to it. It’s a new sound - again, more mature. Personally, I felt that their vocals were not adapted well enough to the style. It’s an interesting venture, and I quite like the chorus, but overall the song is an odd cross between minimalistic lounge and R&B/poppy drums and vocals. It lacks direction and never really goes anywhere, which is a shame.

The next track is the Japanese version of “Mirotic”. I only listened to the Korean version of this, so this was slightly new to me. It sounds a little awkward. Where the Korean version made slight choppiness and swung rhythms sound fresh and daring, whereas it translates as jerky and slightly out of time. Yunho and Micky’s rap thing halfway through is just ... weird. Especially Yunho’s part. Of course, it’s to be expected that the original would be better. Overall, a good effort. The general theme of the song is not lost, although much of the detailing is.

I was expecting an upbeat track looking at “TAXI”, but instead was faced with a ballad. Tohoshinki’s ballads, IMO, have improved the most. “TAXI” is not their best - it cannot match up to the likes of “Forever Love”, “Love in the ice”, “Doushite ...”, etc. but it is good. Despite all the experimentation in their other songs on this album, TAXI is surprisingly generic. Vocals are fairly good, but not exceptional. Having seen just what they’re capable of in ballads, “TAXI” was a bit of a disappointment.

“Stand Up!” is the first new song on this album that I really liked, other than maybe “Nobody Knows”. A mid-tempo rock-influenced track with a bit of a dark twist. Rumbly, thick bass coupled with smooth, smug guitars. Their vocals are smooth and have a certain laid-back confidence.

“Survivor” was their last single before the release of this album. While it’s not my favourite single, it was solid and consistent with their other material. While it lacks the immediate impact of “Doushite ...” and some of their other songs, it’s catchy, poppy, and fun - something that cannot be said for very many of the other songs of this album, which seemed to have matured a little.

Now, I really love “Kiss the Baby Sky”. I’ve heard some negative opinions of this track, especially the fairly high range that it’s sung in, but I think Tohoshinki pulls it off well. Very few of the high notes sound forced or strained at all, maybe just one or two. Familiar beat, smooth, warm melodies, a wonderfully detailed arrangement. Although I wouldn’t call this a favourite song overall, I really enjoyed it.

“Bolero” is a dramatic ballad, at times uplifting and at others bittersweet. The prominent use of strings and overall theme give it a bit of a classical feel, yet certain elements (eg. drums) are still very modern. A unique and well-executed track.

“9096”, a hidden track is mysterious and minimalistic. It’s a reworked version of 9095, but I actually liked this version better. At first there are very few sung parts, just a couple quiet lines here and there. I have to say the beat that shows up about halfway through the song is really good. It then leads into a couple of sung verses that are well worth the wait. Overall, I really liked the feel of the track. It’s fairly short, but quite interesting.

Moving to the shorter second disc, “We are!” is the remake of the opening theme for the anime “ONE PIECE”, I believe. It’s a fairly standard anime opening with a THSK twist - upbeat, hopeful, rock-influenced, and overall a decent song that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

“Take Your Hands -i.am.electro REMIX-” wasn’t really a track I was particularly looking forward to listening to, generally not being a big fan of remixes - especially electronica remixes. Surprisingly, I thought this remix was pretty good. It keeps enough of the original elements of the song, thankfully not distorting the vocals much or anything like that - most of the changes have been limited to the accompaniment, namely the addition of synths and a few kicks to the beat.

“Box in the ship” should be familiar - a light-hearted song reminiscent of a vacation on a hot, sunny beach somewhere. It’s cute and fairly unique track that made a wonderful b-side to the more serious “Doushite...”.

“Sennen Koi Uta” is a lovely ballad vocal-wise - the harmonies are stunning, their voices complimenting each other perfectly. Other than that, I found it to be fairly bland composition-wise.

“Purple Line” is another familiar track. Energetic, confident, and strong. I dislike how nasal ChangMin’s voice sounds (at least, I think it’s him), but other than that it’s an infectious, addictive song with a great beat.

There is a good deal experimentation with style, as evident with virtually all of the new songs other than TAXI. They have definitely matured into a more sophisticated sound, but still have work to do in order to really pull off that feel. There was no real transition between their fairly consistent singles and previous releases and the new, more experimental tracks on this album, which, I think, is why it has garnered some negative reviews. I’m glad to see them taking a few risks, and I think with some more polishing they can really dispel their boyband image for something a little more sophisticated, but I’m still not completely convinced.

Recommended tracks: Nobody Knows, Stand Up!, Doushite ..., Wasurenaide

Labels: album review, Tohoshinki

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