I just wanted to let you guys know that I will not be rotating this week, instead I will be working on uploading songs that were picked for the number lottery which ends on Tuesday. There were quite a few songs picked & I'm trying to review each of them too, so it might take a while to get those up. Sorry in advance about the wait!
On another note, Alistere is having problems with her Internet which is why she didn't rotate last week. =) Also, you might have seen that we have a new contributer to the site, Cate! I am still accepting contributers to the site, so if you are interested in occasionally posting up music or reviews, feel free to contact me at tokyomonochrome@gmail.com for more information.
In the meantime, I've uploaded a couple songs for you guys that have recently been released. There's been quite a few recent releases that I've been excited about (eg. TaeGoon, Lee Seung Gi, Epik High) so I thought I'd share a few . =) Please comment or leave a rating if taking!
❖ 어떻게 니가 - ShinJae (신재)
Korean | Ballad
I wasn't too sure about him at first - seeing the cover image I was expecting upbeat, dance-style songs, but the genre said ballad. Overall, I'm glad I gave him a try - his voice is warm and rich, and has depth without being too husky. Arrangement-wise, it's a classic, uplifting strings-and-piano ballad that makes good use of dynamics, starting out softly and building up to a stronger chorus although it's slightly predictable. Not an exceptional song, but a promising one.
❖ 사랑병 - ShinJae (신재)
Korean | Ballad
사랑병 has stronger pop routes. I really love how the piano arrangement echoes the melody - it ties in with his voice very nicely, although I found it a bit overpowering in some places. A sweet, bright song - my only complaint is, as with the first track, that it was a bit bland. I think he has a lot of potential, but compositionally his songs are a bit lacklustre.
❖ 말해줘 - TaeGoon
Korean | Pop/Dance
TaeGoon is a fairly new artist, but so far I've been quite impressed with his releases. 말해줘 is from his third mini-album, and following in the style of his older releases, it's strongly electronica-influenced. It's very catchy and the rap portions remind me a bit of Big Bang (in fact, I've seen him compared to Big Bang quite a lot), but I think it'll take a few more listens to really grow on me. It just seems a bit flat and two-dimensional, I feel like it isn't as powerful as some of his previous releases.
❖ Finally - TaeGoon
Korean | Pop/Dance
A fast-paced and energetic song. At first I found the synths in this song way too overpowering, but they really suit the atmosphere of the song. The chorus is catchy and overall the song has the power that I felt was missing in 말해줘. This is also one of the few songs where I actually didn't mind/liked the use of autotune.
❖ 愛されたい (Aisaretai) - Hiromi
Japanese | R&B/Pop/Ballad
I first heard Hiromi in a song with Nao'ymt (called Recover), and I really loved her voice. It's smooth, clear, strong, and perfectly suited for R&B. Aisaretai is a pretty R&B ballad. Hiromi's seasoned vocals and powerful harmonies really add a lot of colour to the song. I love the repetitive keyboard melody in the background.
❖ 사랑이 맴돈다 - Lee Seung Gi
Korean | Ballad
I love his voice so much. <3 It's light, clear, and melodic. 사랑이 맴돈다 is a mid-tempo ballad. It seems like a blend of modern elements (as seen in percussion, synths) and the "classic" ballad with the occasional appearance of strings. I'll admit I'm probably more than a little biased towards him, but I really enjoyed this song.
❖ 사랑이란 - Lee Seung Gi (Sa Rang Ee Ran)
Korean | Ballad
Something a little brighter and more sugary from Seung Gi. 사랑이란 is cheery and poppy. Although I still prefer his ballads, it's definitely nice to see a few more upbeat songs in an album dominated by ballads. I really like the ending where he's just singing "La la la" to the melody.
❖ 선물 (ft. 박지윤/Park Ji Yoon) - Epik High
Korean | Hip-Hop
Epik High and Park Ji Yoon? Definitely an exciting collaboration. 선물 is simply lovely arrangement-wise. I love the light, rich piano and Latin-influenced bass/percussion. Ji Yoon's airy, feminine voice contrasts perfectly with the rapping.
Labels: Epik High, Hiromi, Lee Seung Gi, ShinJae, Tae Goon
