I've been posting a lot of mixtapes and English/indie music so I thought I'd do a rotation of Asian music this time. There's no real theme, but most are relatively recent releases.

Please comment if taking, I'd love to hear what you think of the songs. :)

- Haruhi

亞特蘭提斯 - F.I.R.
Mandarin | Pop-Rock
I've never been a huge fan of F.I.R. despite their popularity, but I really enjoyed their most recent album, Atlantis, which this track and the one below are from. I love the dramatic intro, which has strong traditional/folk Chinese influences which kind of pop in and out of the rest of the song, mixing with strong electric guitar riffs and strong but light female vocals. I love the bridge, which has a slower, hazier sound in contrast to the sharp definition of the rest of the verses.

淚光閃爍 - F.I.R.
Mandarin | Pop-Rock
A lovely mid-temo ballad. I love the tone of the electric guitar in the intro, and the light clarity of Faye's voice really works well. The verses flow into the chorus beautifully, and on a whole the song has a fantastic melody. While I loved the power and drama of 亞特蘭提斯, 淚光閃爍 really shows another side of F.I.R. and I think both songs are extremely memorable in their own ways.

아이 (Love) - f(x)
Korean | Pop/Dance
I've never really liked or disliked f(x), their music mostly struck me as mediocre and forgettable. But I skimmed through their latest album, and this track caught my attention. It's a mid-tempo pop track with a bubbly bass line, but it strikes me as being more sophisticated than their usual fare. The girls sound confident and it's a catchy, danceable song without being loaded with auto-tune or synths.

못된 것만 배워서 - B1A4
Korean | Pop
I have mixed feelings about this new boyband, but I like this song - it reminds me of older k-pop before electronica reigned supreme. It has some hip-hop influences but it's still pretty melodic, and their vocals work well together.

轉身之後 (Korean Version) - Bii
Korean | Pop/Ballad
Bii is a Korean singer who debuted in both Korea and Taiwan. His EP has both Korean and Chinese versions of songs. I first saw Bii on One Million Star (the Taiwanese equivalent of Don't Forget the Lyrics but with celebrities rather than ordinary contestants) and I really liked the delicate quality of his voice, which I think came out best live/a cappella but is really well shown in this ballad as well. I find that he seems to sound more at ease when singing in Korean which is why I chose the Korean version of this song. It's quite simple in composition but has a lovely melody that seems to float over the accompaniment, especially in the chorus and on higher notes.

曇花 - Khalil Fong
Mandarin | Rock
I love Khalil Fong. He is not only one of my favourite singers, but just one of my favourite musicians in general. Due to illness he couldn't sing for a while, and so he spent a lot of time playing the guitar - thus his latest album, titled 15 is filled with guitar. His sound and style has definitely changed, and I'm caught between missing his melodic, pop/jazz songs and really liking his newer, more rock-influenced songs. I think that his vocals were better shown in his older songs (not sure if that's just a result of his illness or not), but I'm growing to love his new style. 曇花 is a filled with gritty, tough electric guitar and texturized vocals, including a rap segment - the first I've heard from Khalil.

Gotta Make A Change - Khalil Fong
Mandarin | Pop-Rock
Did I mention that Khalil is fluent in English? This song starts with a solemn string intro before, surprisingly, gently breaking into a gorgeous funk/soul-influenced beat. Khalil's vocals are melting in the chorus, in contrast to the slight staccato to the verses. I don't know how to explain this song properly, so you'll just have to listen to it - but it's fantastic.

Long-D - Neon Bunny
Korean | Indie
I really like how this song is really pretty and soothing without being too laid-back or insubstantial. It's pop-rock but Neon Bunny's vocals are really light and floaty, and there's kind of a vague retro vibe to it, I think mainly from this one riff that appears in the backdrop.

Love Girl - C.N. Blue
Korean | Pop-Rock
I really liked C.N. Blue at first, then as they drifted closer to pop or stereotypical pop-rock and went to Japan I kind of lost interest in them. I like Love Girl because it embraces the sunny, pop-rock feel of their newer songs without feeling, as most songs of that sort do, as though you've heard it done before. It's energetic and bright.

직감 (Intuition) - C.N. Blue
Korean | Pop-Rock
Another song from C.N. Blue's first album that I like for entirely different reasons: it brings back the darker, more daring sound of their first songs like 외톨이야. I love the piano, especially when it drifts into low ranges. Catchy and infectious.

Labels: B1A4, Bii, C.N. Blue, F.I.R., f(x), Khalil Fong, Neon Bunny

Let me just start off by saying that I really apologize this rotation took so long, and for not really updating in between other than to change the layout. I guess I've just been having a bit of rough time with school/"friends", and for a period of time I just couldn't find the energy to update the site and finish off this rotation (it's been sitting around nearly-done for a while).

Hope you guys enjoy the songs, and sorry again about the wait! I promise to try and update more often in the future, although for now I think they'll mostly be smaller posts rather than full-scale rotations.

Thanks to the other contributors for keeping the site alive during my absence. =)

- Haruhi

This week’s rotation is themed around songs that changed my opinion of a singer or band - whether for better or worse. Most of the songs are fairly well-known, so those of you looking to try out new artists might be a little disappointed, but hopefully you'll find something that you haven't heard before.

No. 5 - J.ae
Korean | Pop
You may know her simply as J, although she has recently changed her stage name to J.ae. While I have long disliked her soft, whispery vocals, this started to change when she released Say I Love You, a duet with Alex of Clazziquai that really impressed me. I decided it would be worthwhile to at least give her new mini-album (Sentimental) a try, and so far I’m quite impressed. In this opening track, titled No.5, which features Eun Ji Won. It’s a sophisticated, velveteen pop song with a base of muted, harp-like synths, and a light percussion backbeat. My only problem with the drums is that they sound a bit tinny and thin. J’s vocals are still very light and delicate, but they no longer sound weak as they sometimes did to me in her previous releases. Really, it was the elegant arrangement of this song that caught my attention - it’s still engaging and catchy, but has a level of maturity that you won’t hear in less-seasoned artists.

사르르 (I Wanna Be Your Love) (feat. 정엽) - J.ae
Korean | Pop/Ballad
While No. 5 caught my attention, 사르르 was really the highlight of Sentimental. It’s a mid-tempo song with a great jazz/lounge feel. I have no idea who the male singer featured on this is, but his warm, chocolaty voice is a perfect fit with J’s feathery, high vocals.

차라리 때려 (Hit Me) - SHINee
Korean | R&B/Pop
I was kind of on-the-fence about SHINee. I had mixed feelings (but for the most part disliked) their debut song (누난 너무 예뻐(Replay)), but a few other songs on their first mini-album were decent. It was a similar story with Romeo - there were some songs I didn’t like, some I did, and overall my opinions changed from my initial impressions after a few more listens. However, one song that I was really taken with on the first listen - and continued to like - is 차라리 때려. It’s melting smoothness and modern R&B interface really appealed to me. The softness and blend of their voices is lovely paired with the lush synths in the accompaniment. To me, it feels like it’s at another level of refinement compared to their other songs.

Love Story - Jewelry
Korean | Pop/Ballad
After giving Jewelry’s songs a cursory listen, I generally just deleted them. One day I saw their final performance on TV, and it was of this song. Seeing how emotional they were really struck me, and since then Love Story has really grown on me. It’s a powerful mid-tempo pop ballad that showcases their strong voices.

친구의 고백 (Friend’s Confession) - 2AM
Korean | Ballad
While their first “Single album” (이노래/This Song) was quite good, it lacked the power and conviction that is so apparent in Friend’s Confession. Although I probably prefer 죽어도 못 보내 to this song, this was the song that really made me start to look forward to their releases. Friend’s Confession is a heartfelt mid-tempo ballad with gorgeous, warm harmonies. It’s very powerful and emotional without being melodramatic. Their voices, while distinctive and individual, come together perfectly. It’s hopeful and strong. Although their first release left me apprehensive about them, their following songs have all been very impressive and they've become one of my favourite groups.

마비 - Nadia ft. Jace
Korean | Pop/Electronica
I started trying out Nadia’s singles after hearing recommendations and good reviews of them, but many of her songs I found to be average. However, 마비 is one song that I did enjoy. I really like the bubbly bass line paired with echo-y synths, and surprisingly, I think the rap segments really suit this song, setting a more aggressive tone compared with the softer sung verses.

向日葵盛開的夏天 - F.I.R.
Mandarin | Pop
I never had much interest in F.I.R., although they’re a fairly popular group. I thought I would give their latest album, Let’s Smile! a cursory listen. While on a whole the album didn’t really impress me, this is one song that did stand out to me. It’s a simple, acoustic-style ballad with only light guitar, piano, and the occasional bout of strings accompanying Faye’s high-ranged, airy voice. The hope and soothing tone of this song, as well as its graceful simplicity, really stood out to me.

나쁜 여자야 - F.T. Island
Korean | Pop-rock
This is the first song in this rotation where it goes the other way - where a song changed my opinion of an artist negatively, rather than positively. While I was never a real F.T. Island fan and definitely never considered them a “rock” band, I did admire them for taking a different route than most boybands - and being quite successful in doing so. While a few songs on the Jump Up EP had a glimmer of hope, the title track, 나쁜 여자야, was the beginning of their decline in my opinion. Whether this had anything to do with Oh Won Bin being replaced with Song Seung Hyun, I can’t say. 나쁜 여자야 is just incredibly redundant. It’s repetitive, overly-dramatic, and overall just far too heavy. Hong Ki’s voice, which I actually quite like, just sounds incredibly dull and flat-lined in this song. But let me emphasize repetitive, because that’s really what kills this song. There’s absolutely no direction to it, it simply establishes a melody/pattern and follows it over. And over. And over. It doesn’t help that their Japanese releases after this were also completely disposable.

牛仔很忙 - Jay Chou
Mandarin | Pop/Country
Oh god ... it all went downhill from here. While there are some decent songs on this album, this song still completely baffles me. A “country-themed” album is one thing, a country-themed album with only one song that ties into that theme at all is another. I really don’t get how Jay Chou even made such a cheesy, ridiculously stereotypical (yee-haw!) song - if he really had to go country, why not do it with a nice acoustic-guitar ballad or something of the sort? To be fair, I can see why some people would find this song cute or catchy, but after this my opinion of him really started going down. His follow-up album, Capricorn, wasn’t wildly impressive either, although in both albums, there’s always a few gems - oddly enough, they just aren’t the title tracks.

Diamond - alan
Japanese | Pop
A more recent song, and another that left me kind of disappointed in the artist. When Tibetan singer alan debuted, I had mixed feelings about her, although I really liked her distinct style and powerful vocals. I kind of prefer her Mandarin songs to her Japanese ones, but despite seeing some good reviews of Diamond, I didn’t really like it. Her voice sounds uncharacteristically strained and slightly nasal. The dull backdrop of synths sounds very anime-ending-esque, which I suppose is fitting since it’s the theme song for an Inuyasha PSP game or something like that. The song just seemed out of character for her, and overall bland and forgettable.

남자는 그래요 - SeeYa
Korean | Pop
Those of you who’ve been here for a while probably know that I’m quite discerning about girl groups, but I loved SeeYa. After seeing the blindingly colorful retro-inspired photoshoot/album cover accompanying their third album, Brilliant Change, I was already suspecting that I wouldn’t find this change all too brilliant. Now, things get a little strange here, because I don’t actually dislike this song. In fact, there are times where I appreciate it’s soft tone and their still-impressive vocals. However, like every other song on this album (I supposed you could say the whole album changed my opinion of them), this song completely failed to move me. While I always found their ballads to be very powerful emotionally - from their singing as well as the arrangement - this is the first that struck me as simply a very pretty song rather than one that was very touching and heartfelt. There was just something missing in this song that was echoed throughout the whole album, and since then I’ve never really kept up with their releases.

Labels: 2AM, Alan, F.I.R., F.T. Island, J.ae, Jay Chou, Jewelry, Nadia, SeeYa, Shinee

Rotation 19 is a touch of colour, featuring song names that contain colours. Along with the new rotation is a new layout, featuring Lee Jun Ki. Also, we have a new cohost, Aranka, who will probably be introducing herself soon. =)

22 songs this rotation, definitely one of the larger rotations I've done. Please remember to leave a comment or rating.

Red Soul - AAA
Japanese | Pop
AAA's style varies so much, I never know what to expect from them. Red Soul is rock-influenced and upbeat. It sounds like something out of a video game or anime. A fun listen, but not exceptional.

Red Hot - ELLEGARDEN
English | Alt Rock
This is the original version, not the remastered one. I love ELLEGARDEN's unique sound and style, it killed me to hear that they were going on "hiatus". Although they're a Japanese group, this song is in English. Takeshi's voice is raw and powerful.

醉赤壁 (Drunk Red Cliff) - JJ Lin
Mandarin | Ballad
This track is from JJ Lin's new album, Sixology. The intro incorporates traditional Chinese instruments, which make small appearances throughout the song. A nice ballad, not overloaded with influences of classical Chinese music yet touching on them all the same.

Red Room - Lolita23q
Japanese | Rock
One of my favourite VK groups. Red Room doesn't waste any time, jumping right into a noisy, fast-paced rock number. It's a little repetitive, but I enjoyed it.

Mirage in Blue - Chemistry
Japanese | Pop/R&B
A sweet, poppy song, accompanied with acoustic guitar. The sparse accompaniment allows their vocals to shine through. Recommended.

BLUE VACATION - BOØWY
Japanese | Rock
'90's rock just has that ... feel to it. Haha, not really my kind of thing, but it's fun as an occasional listen.

Blue & Green Waves - DE DE MOUSE
Japanese | Electronica
I'm loving the variety of genres this theme allows. DE DE MOUSE has an experimental, fresh sound. It's an acquired taste, but give them a shot if you're a fan of electronica.

Blue Doors Ahead - F.I.R.
Mandarin & English | Pop
This is probably the only time you'll see me upload F.I.R., I'm not a huge fan of them. A downtempo jazz track, Blue Doors Ahead is relaxing and strong vocally, but not overly memorable.

Blues - Jam Hsiao
Mandarin | Rock
An underrated but up and rising star in the C-pop industry, Jam Hsiao's style varies from pop to ballad to, as is the case with Blues, rock. It sounds better when you listen to it with the rest of the album, where it stands out more against the ballad/pop tracks. But, a good song nonetheless.

Deep Blue - Vidoll
Japanese | Rock
Eh, I'm kind of iffy on Vidoll. Some of their songs I love, others, not so much. Deep Blue is kind of in-between, I thought it was decent but not great. The bass-heavy accompaniment kind of drones out the already whisper-y vocals.

Green Apple - Ynot?
Korean | Rock
This rotation is pretty low on Korean songs, I noticed. A light-hearted rock song reminiscent of summer. I quite like this group.

Green Rivers - Pia
Korean | Rock Ballad
Pia is probably one of the more well-known K-rock groups. Green Rivers is a strong rock ballad. It sounded a little bland to me at first listen, but it's starting to grow on me.

Green Requiem - Joe Hisaishi
Instrumental | Piano
A relaxing piano piece. If you like Yiruma, you'll probably like Joe Hisaishi.

Yellow Beauty - LM.C
Japanese | Rock
Typical LM.C, jumps at you right from the start. It dies down a bit, showing impressive changes in tempo and mood. Recommended.

Yellow Butterfly - Fly to the Sky
Korean | R&B/Ballad
I love this duo. Yellow Butterfly varies - at times a sweet acoustic ballad with a sparse guitar accompaniment, at others an almost upbeat R&B song. Beautiful vocal work, as usual. Not my favourite song by them, but it's pretty good.

Purple Rain - Shin Hye Sung
Korean | Ballad
Pretty typical ballad, HyeSung's voice is beautiful and strong in parts but can barely be heard in others.

Purple Apple - the pillows
Japanese | Alt Rock
From the pillows' latest album, PIED PIPER, Purple Apple is typical to the pillows' style - quirky and fresh. I love the bass line and bright guitar chords.

Orange Evolution - ALvino
Japanese | Rock
I don't remember where I first heard of these guys, but I love them. They're a rock group but not VK, their sound is a little more mainstream. The chorus is genuine and memorable, although overall I wouldn't say this is one of their best songs.

Orange Dream - Antic Cafe
Japanese | Oshare kei
It's been so long since I heard a slower track from anCafe. It does build more and more, but differs from their usual fare in that it's much more serious in tone. Their sound has matured a lot. I love the piano accompaniment in this song. IMO, a very impressive track.

Orange - BRIGHT
Japanese | Pop
I'm not a fan of girl-groups, but I like BRIGHT for their great vocal work. A breezy R&B song, Orange features beautiful harmonizing. The melody and composition of the song itself isn't the most memorable though.

Orange Parade - Ichigo69
Japanese | Rock
More upbeat, in your face rock. Personally it was a little too messy for me, I found the bass of the song to be lacking - there was no real foundation, although it does even out a little. The slightly off-key vocals and random squeals from the guitar are kind off-putting. Part of the song sound almost ... fast-forwarded. O_o Definitely interesting, but I found it too jarring.

ORANGE GRADATION - Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ
Japanese | Rock
I love this band. The song has a nice intro and vocals, it's upbeat and energetic but not overwhelming.

Note: Ichigo69 and Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ are not tagged in this entry because Blogspot will only let me add 20 tags per post.

Labels: AAA, ALvino, Antic Cafe, BOØWY, BRIGHT, Chemistry, DE DE MOUSE, ELLEGARDEN, F.I.R., Fly to the Sky, Jam Hsiao, JJ Lin, Joe Hisaishi, Lolita23q, Pia, Shin Hye Sung, the pillows, Vidoll, Ynot?

I've been posting a lot of mixtapes and English/indie music so I thought I'd do a rotation of Asian music this time. There's no real theme, but most are relatively recent releases.

Please comment if taking, I'd love to hear what you think of the songs. :)

- Haruhi

亞特蘭提斯 - F.I.R.
Mandarin | Pop-Rock
I've never been a huge fan of F.I.R. despite their popularity, but I really enjoyed their most recent album, Atlantis, which this track and the one below are from. I love the dramatic intro, which has strong traditional/folk Chinese influences which kind of pop in and out of the rest of the song, mixing with strong electric guitar riffs and strong but light female vocals. I love the bridge, which has a slower, hazier sound in contrast to the sharp definition of the rest of the verses.

淚光閃爍 - F.I.R.
Mandarin | Pop-Rock
A lovely mid-temo ballad. I love the tone of the electric guitar in the intro, and the light clarity of Faye's voice really works well. The verses flow into the chorus beautifully, and on a whole the song has a fantastic melody. While I loved the power and drama of 亞特蘭提斯, 淚光閃爍 really shows another side of F.I.R. and I think both songs are extremely memorable in their own ways.

아이 (Love) - f(x)
Korean | Pop/Dance
I've never really liked or disliked f(x), their music mostly struck me as mediocre and forgettable. But I skimmed through their latest album, and this track caught my attention. It's a mid-tempo pop track with a bubbly bass line, but it strikes me as being more sophisticated than their usual fare. The girls sound confident and it's a catchy, danceable song without being loaded with auto-tune or synths.

못된 것만 배워서 - B1A4
Korean | Pop
I have mixed feelings about this new boyband, but I like this song - it reminds me of older k-pop before electronica reigned supreme. It has some hip-hop influences but it's still pretty melodic, and their vocals work well together.

轉身之後 (Korean Version) - Bii
Korean | Pop/Ballad
Bii is a Korean singer who debuted in both Korea and Taiwan. His EP has both Korean and Chinese versions of songs. I first saw Bii on One Million Star (the Taiwanese equivalent of Don't Forget the Lyrics but with celebrities rather than ordinary contestants) and I really liked the delicate quality of his voice, which I think came out best live/a cappella but is really well shown in this ballad as well. I find that he seems to sound more at ease when singing in Korean which is why I chose the Korean version of this song. It's quite simple in composition but has a lovely melody that seems to float over the accompaniment, especially in the chorus and on higher notes.

曇花 - Khalil Fong
Mandarin | Rock
I love Khalil Fong. He is not only one of my favourite singers, but just one of my favourite musicians in general. Due to illness he couldn't sing for a while, and so he spent a lot of time playing the guitar - thus his latest album, titled 15 is filled with guitar. His sound and style has definitely changed, and I'm caught between missing his melodic, pop/jazz songs and really liking his newer, more rock-influenced songs. I think that his vocals were better shown in his older songs (not sure if that's just a result of his illness or not), but I'm growing to love his new style. 曇花 is a filled with gritty, tough electric guitar and texturized vocals, including a rap segment - the first I've heard from Khalil.

Gotta Make A Change - Khalil Fong
Mandarin | Pop-Rock
Did I mention that Khalil is fluent in English? This song starts with a solemn string intro before, surprisingly, gently breaking into a gorgeous funk/soul-influenced beat. Khalil's vocals are melting in the chorus, in contrast to the slight staccato to the verses. I don't know how to explain this song properly, so you'll just have to listen to it - but it's fantastic.

Long-D - Neon Bunny
Korean | Indie
I really like how this song is really pretty and soothing without being too laid-back or insubstantial. It's pop-rock but Neon Bunny's vocals are really light and floaty, and there's kind of a vague retro vibe to it, I think mainly from this one riff that appears in the backdrop.

Love Girl - C.N. Blue
Korean | Pop-Rock
I really liked C.N. Blue at first, then as they drifted closer to pop or stereotypical pop-rock and went to Japan I kind of lost interest in them. I like Love Girl because it embraces the sunny, pop-rock feel of their newer songs without feeling, as most songs of that sort do, as though you've heard it done before. It's energetic and bright.

직감 (Intuition) - C.N. Blue
Korean | Pop-Rock
Another song from C.N. Blue's first album that I like for entirely different reasons: it brings back the darker, more daring sound of their first songs like 외톨이야. I love the piano, especially when it drifts into low ranges. Catchy and infectious.

Labels: B1A4, Bii, C.N. Blue, F.I.R., f(x), Khalil Fong, Neon Bunny

Let me just start off by saying that I really apologize this rotation took so long, and for not really updating in between other than to change the layout. I guess I've just been having a bit of rough time with school/"friends", and for a period of time I just couldn't find the energy to update the site and finish off this rotation (it's been sitting around nearly-done for a while).

Hope you guys enjoy the songs, and sorry again about the wait! I promise to try and update more often in the future, although for now I think they'll mostly be smaller posts rather than full-scale rotations.

Thanks to the other contributors for keeping the site alive during my absence. =)

- Haruhi

This week’s rotation is themed around songs that changed my opinion of a singer or band - whether for better or worse. Most of the songs are fairly well-known, so those of you looking to try out new artists might be a little disappointed, but hopefully you'll find something that you haven't heard before.

No. 5 - J.ae
Korean | Pop
You may know her simply as J, although she has recently changed her stage name to J.ae. While I have long disliked her soft, whispery vocals, this started to change when she released Say I Love You, a duet with Alex of Clazziquai that really impressed me. I decided it would be worthwhile to at least give her new mini-album (Sentimental) a try, and so far I’m quite impressed. In this opening track, titled No.5, which features Eun Ji Won. It’s a sophisticated, velveteen pop song with a base of muted, harp-like synths, and a light percussion backbeat. My only problem with the drums is that they sound a bit tinny and thin. J’s vocals are still very light and delicate, but they no longer sound weak as they sometimes did to me in her previous releases. Really, it was the elegant arrangement of this song that caught my attention - it’s still engaging and catchy, but has a level of maturity that you won’t hear in less-seasoned artists.

사르르 (I Wanna Be Your Love) (feat. 정엽) - J.ae
Korean | Pop/Ballad
While No. 5 caught my attention, 사르르 was really the highlight of Sentimental. It’s a mid-tempo song with a great jazz/lounge feel. I have no idea who the male singer featured on this is, but his warm, chocolaty voice is a perfect fit with J’s feathery, high vocals.

차라리 때려 (Hit Me) - SHINee
Korean | R&B/Pop
I was kind of on-the-fence about SHINee. I had mixed feelings (but for the most part disliked) their debut song (누난 너무 예뻐(Replay)), but a few other songs on their first mini-album were decent. It was a similar story with Romeo - there were some songs I didn’t like, some I did, and overall my opinions changed from my initial impressions after a few more listens. However, one song that I was really taken with on the first listen - and continued to like - is 차라리 때려. It’s melting smoothness and modern R&B interface really appealed to me. The softness and blend of their voices is lovely paired with the lush synths in the accompaniment. To me, it feels like it’s at another level of refinement compared to their other songs.

Love Story - Jewelry
Korean | Pop/Ballad
After giving Jewelry’s songs a cursory listen, I generally just deleted them. One day I saw their final performance on TV, and it was of this song. Seeing how emotional they were really struck me, and since then Love Story has really grown on me. It’s a powerful mid-tempo pop ballad that showcases their strong voices.

친구의 고백 (Friend’s Confession) - 2AM
Korean | Ballad
While their first “Single album” (이노래/This Song) was quite good, it lacked the power and conviction that is so apparent in Friend’s Confession. Although I probably prefer 죽어도 못 보내 to this song, this was the song that really made me start to look forward to their releases. Friend’s Confession is a heartfelt mid-tempo ballad with gorgeous, warm harmonies. It’s very powerful and emotional without being melodramatic. Their voices, while distinctive and individual, come together perfectly. It’s hopeful and strong. Although their first release left me apprehensive about them, their following songs have all been very impressive and they've become one of my favourite groups.

마비 - Nadia ft. Jace
Korean | Pop/Electronica
I started trying out Nadia’s singles after hearing recommendations and good reviews of them, but many of her songs I found to be average. However, 마비 is one song that I did enjoy. I really like the bubbly bass line paired with echo-y synths, and surprisingly, I think the rap segments really suit this song, setting a more aggressive tone compared with the softer sung verses.

向日葵盛開的夏天 - F.I.R.
Mandarin | Pop
I never had much interest in F.I.R., although they’re a fairly popular group. I thought I would give their latest album, Let’s Smile! a cursory listen. While on a whole the album didn’t really impress me, this is one song that did stand out to me. It’s a simple, acoustic-style ballad with only light guitar, piano, and the occasional bout of strings accompanying Faye’s high-ranged, airy voice. The hope and soothing tone of this song, as well as its graceful simplicity, really stood out to me.

나쁜 여자야 - F.T. Island
Korean | Pop-rock
This is the first song in this rotation where it goes the other way - where a song changed my opinion of an artist negatively, rather than positively. While I was never a real F.T. Island fan and definitely never considered them a “rock” band, I did admire them for taking a different route than most boybands - and being quite successful in doing so. While a few songs on the Jump Up EP had a glimmer of hope, the title track, 나쁜 여자야, was the beginning of their decline in my opinion. Whether this had anything to do with Oh Won Bin being replaced with Song Seung Hyun, I can’t say. 나쁜 여자야 is just incredibly redundant. It’s repetitive, overly-dramatic, and overall just far too heavy. Hong Ki’s voice, which I actually quite like, just sounds incredibly dull and flat-lined in this song. But let me emphasize repetitive, because that’s really what kills this song. There’s absolutely no direction to it, it simply establishes a melody/pattern and follows it over. And over. And over. It doesn’t help that their Japanese releases after this were also completely disposable.

牛仔很忙 - Jay Chou
Mandarin | Pop/Country
Oh god ... it all went downhill from here. While there are some decent songs on this album, this song still completely baffles me. A “country-themed” album is one thing, a country-themed album with only one song that ties into that theme at all is another. I really don’t get how Jay Chou even made such a cheesy, ridiculously stereotypical (yee-haw!) song - if he really had to go country, why not do it with a nice acoustic-guitar ballad or something of the sort? To be fair, I can see why some people would find this song cute or catchy, but after this my opinion of him really started going down. His follow-up album, Capricorn, wasn’t wildly impressive either, although in both albums, there’s always a few gems - oddly enough, they just aren’t the title tracks.

Diamond - alan
Japanese | Pop
A more recent song, and another that left me kind of disappointed in the artist. When Tibetan singer alan debuted, I had mixed feelings about her, although I really liked her distinct style and powerful vocals. I kind of prefer her Mandarin songs to her Japanese ones, but despite seeing some good reviews of Diamond, I didn’t really like it. Her voice sounds uncharacteristically strained and slightly nasal. The dull backdrop of synths sounds very anime-ending-esque, which I suppose is fitting since it’s the theme song for an Inuyasha PSP game or something like that. The song just seemed out of character for her, and overall bland and forgettable.

남자는 그래요 - SeeYa
Korean | Pop
Those of you who’ve been here for a while probably know that I’m quite discerning about girl groups, but I loved SeeYa. After seeing the blindingly colorful retro-inspired photoshoot/album cover accompanying their third album, Brilliant Change, I was already suspecting that I wouldn’t find this change all too brilliant. Now, things get a little strange here, because I don’t actually dislike this song. In fact, there are times where I appreciate it’s soft tone and their still-impressive vocals. However, like every other song on this album (I supposed you could say the whole album changed my opinion of them), this song completely failed to move me. While I always found their ballads to be very powerful emotionally - from their singing as well as the arrangement - this is the first that struck me as simply a very pretty song rather than one that was very touching and heartfelt. There was just something missing in this song that was echoed throughout the whole album, and since then I’ve never really kept up with their releases.

Labels: 2AM, Alan, F.I.R., F.T. Island, J.ae, Jay Chou, Jewelry, Nadia, SeeYa, Shinee

Rotation 19 is a touch of colour, featuring song names that contain colours. Along with the new rotation is a new layout, featuring Lee Jun Ki. Also, we have a new cohost, Aranka, who will probably be introducing herself soon. =)

22 songs this rotation, definitely one of the larger rotations I've done. Please remember to leave a comment or rating.

Red Soul - AAA
Japanese | Pop
AAA's style varies so much, I never know what to expect from them. Red Soul is rock-influenced and upbeat. It sounds like something out of a video game or anime. A fun listen, but not exceptional.

Red Hot - ELLEGARDEN
English | Alt Rock
This is the original version, not the remastered one. I love ELLEGARDEN's unique sound and style, it killed me to hear that they were going on "hiatus". Although they're a Japanese group, this song is in English. Takeshi's voice is raw and powerful.

醉赤壁 (Drunk Red Cliff) - JJ Lin
Mandarin | Ballad
This track is from JJ Lin's new album, Sixology. The intro incorporates traditional Chinese instruments, which make small appearances throughout the song. A nice ballad, not overloaded with influences of classical Chinese music yet touching on them all the same.

Red Room - Lolita23q
Japanese | Rock
One of my favourite VK groups. Red Room doesn't waste any time, jumping right into a noisy, fast-paced rock number. It's a little repetitive, but I enjoyed it.

Mirage in Blue - Chemistry
Japanese | Pop/R&B
A sweet, poppy song, accompanied with acoustic guitar. The sparse accompaniment allows their vocals to shine through. Recommended.

BLUE VACATION - BOØWY
Japanese | Rock
'90's rock just has that ... feel to it. Haha, not really my kind of thing, but it's fun as an occasional listen.

Blue & Green Waves - DE DE MOUSE
Japanese | Electronica
I'm loving the variety of genres this theme allows. DE DE MOUSE has an experimental, fresh sound. It's an acquired taste, but give them a shot if you're a fan of electronica.

Blue Doors Ahead - F.I.R.
Mandarin & English | Pop
This is probably the only time you'll see me upload F.I.R., I'm not a huge fan of them. A downtempo jazz track, Blue Doors Ahead is relaxing and strong vocally, but not overly memorable.

Blues - Jam Hsiao
Mandarin | Rock
An underrated but up and rising star in the C-pop industry, Jam Hsiao's style varies from pop to ballad to, as is the case with Blues, rock. It sounds better when you listen to it with the rest of the album, where it stands out more against the ballad/pop tracks. But, a good song nonetheless.

Deep Blue - Vidoll
Japanese | Rock
Eh, I'm kind of iffy on Vidoll. Some of their songs I love, others, not so much. Deep Blue is kind of in-between, I thought it was decent but not great. The bass-heavy accompaniment kind of drones out the already whisper-y vocals.

Green Apple - Ynot?
Korean | Rock
This rotation is pretty low on Korean songs, I noticed. A light-hearted rock song reminiscent of summer. I quite like this group.

Green Rivers - Pia
Korean | Rock Ballad
Pia is probably one of the more well-known K-rock groups. Green Rivers is a strong rock ballad. It sounded a little bland to me at first listen, but it's starting to grow on me.

Green Requiem - Joe Hisaishi
Instrumental | Piano
A relaxing piano piece. If you like Yiruma, you'll probably like Joe Hisaishi.

Yellow Beauty - LM.C
Japanese | Rock
Typical LM.C, jumps at you right from the start. It dies down a bit, showing impressive changes in tempo and mood. Recommended.

Yellow Butterfly - Fly to the Sky
Korean | R&B/Ballad
I love this duo. Yellow Butterfly varies - at times a sweet acoustic ballad with a sparse guitar accompaniment, at others an almost upbeat R&B song. Beautiful vocal work, as usual. Not my favourite song by them, but it's pretty good.

Purple Rain - Shin Hye Sung
Korean | Ballad
Pretty typical ballad, HyeSung's voice is beautiful and strong in parts but can barely be heard in others.

Purple Apple - the pillows
Japanese | Alt Rock
From the pillows' latest album, PIED PIPER, Purple Apple is typical to the pillows' style - quirky and fresh. I love the bass line and bright guitar chords.

Orange Evolution - ALvino
Japanese | Rock
I don't remember where I first heard of these guys, but I love them. They're a rock group but not VK, their sound is a little more mainstream. The chorus is genuine and memorable, although overall I wouldn't say this is one of their best songs.

Orange Dream - Antic Cafe
Japanese | Oshare kei
It's been so long since I heard a slower track from anCafe. It does build more and more, but differs from their usual fare in that it's much more serious in tone. Their sound has matured a lot. I love the piano accompaniment in this song. IMO, a very impressive track.

Orange - BRIGHT
Japanese | Pop
I'm not a fan of girl-groups, but I like BRIGHT for their great vocal work. A breezy R&B song, Orange features beautiful harmonizing. The melody and composition of the song itself isn't the most memorable though.

Orange Parade - Ichigo69
Japanese | Rock
More upbeat, in your face rock. Personally it was a little too messy for me, I found the bass of the song to be lacking - there was no real foundation, although it does even out a little. The slightly off-key vocals and random squeals from the guitar are kind off-putting. Part of the song sound almost ... fast-forwarded. O_o Definitely interesting, but I found it too jarring.

ORANGE GRADATION - Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ
Japanese | Rock
I love this band. The song has a nice intro and vocals, it's upbeat and energetic but not overwhelming.

Note: Ichigo69 and Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ are not tagged in this entry because Blogspot will only let me add 20 tags per post.

Labels: AAA, ALvino, Antic Cafe, BOØWY, BRIGHT, Chemistry, DE DE MOUSE, ELLEGARDEN, F.I.R., Fly to the Sky, Jam Hsiao, JJ Lin, Joe Hisaishi, Lolita23q, Pia, Shin Hye Sung, the pillows, Vidoll, Ynot?

Welcome to Fashion Scans, an mp3 rotation that features Korean, Japanese, and Chinese music as well as the occasional English song. Fashion Scans was created in October 2007 and is run by Haruhi with contributions from Carmi.

Please send all affiliate requests to Haruhi. Carmi is currently open to requests.

Files are for sampling purposes only, I am not responsible if you keep them for longer than the 24-48 hours permitted. Please support the artists by purchasing their CDs.

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