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
I'll be posting a full rotation up around the first weekend of September, Alistere will be rotating the week after that. =)
Also, please remember to comment or leave a rating! In my last few posts the ratio of comments to downloads has really gone down.
f(x) - Lachata
Language: Korean
Genre: Pop/Dance
Release Date: September 1, 2009
Bit rate: 320 kbps
File size: 7.4MB
1. Lachata (라차타)
f(x) is SM Entertainment's new girl group. One of their members is Jessica of SNSD's sister, another appeared in SHINee MV once, if I remember correctly. Not being a fan of girl groups, I wasn't too eager to listen to them - Lachata falls mediocre, a club/dance-influenced number that is average vocally and catchy enough, but lacks originality. There's really nothing about them that makes them stand out from the many other girl groups out there.
Labels: f(x)
