Here we are, finally. Sorry again about the wait!

Phoenix:

#12345. Happy Together - Super Junior Link has been fixed, sorry about that!
Korean | Pop
This song reminds me heavily of Marry U, they were composed by the same person. It's a light-hearted, mid-tempo pop song off of SuJu's third album. It's rather disposable, but sweet and warm.

#1234. Follow Me - Big Bang
Japanese | Pop/Dance
Pretty standard fare. It's a fast-paced song with lots of synths and electronica routes. However, I didn't find it very catchy or memorable. I've given this song a few listens, and each time it fails to make an imprint on me. I'm getting more than a little bored of Big Bang, and I'm really hoping to see something fresh from them.

#123. Doubt & Trust - access
Japanese | Rock
I love the flowing, quick keyboard intro, leading into an equally energetic rock song. It's not an amazing song, but the sheer energy and movement of this song is impressive.

#9876. Got Some Teeth - Obie Trice
English | Hip-Hop
A confident, laid-back song with lots of brass riffs and a great albeit repetitive beat.


#444. Golden Wing - antic cafe
Japanese | Oshare Kei
A bright, feel-good song from Antic Cafe. It's not super-hyper like some of their songs can be, it's actually pretty relaxed. Miku's voice bugs me a little though.

albeitalways:

#107. Valkyrie - abingdon boys school
Japanese | Rock
I love abs, and Valkyrie is no exception. The energy of the song is apparent right from the electric guitar in the opening. Some people really don't like T.M. Revolution's voice, and I guess I can see why, but personally I've always liked how unique and recognizable it is. It's slightly dark in tone and despite its urgent, fast pace, it never seems rushed or hurried.

#1991. Koe no hate - CELLT
Japanese | Rock
I don't know much about this band and I've only heard a couple of their songs, but so far I'm liking them. Koe no hate is a little formulaic, but if you're just getting into rock or aren't really a fan of heavier rock, this might be good for you. It sounds slightly familiar - I really like the melody, and the chorus.

#8923. I WILL - Miliyah Kato
Japanese | R&B
A gorgeous ballad from R&B singer Miliyah Kato. Her songs have always been a bit hit-or-miss with me. I really like her warm, smooth voice, but her songs tend to be a bit forgettable in my opinion. I WILL's opening was a bit too soft for my liking, but then it breaks into the rich, heartfelt chorus. It's absolutely beautiful, and well worth the wait. Although I think her voice could use a little more power and richness in the verses building up to each chorus, it's still a lovely song.

#5439. 出会い - HY
Japanese | Alt. Rock
A relaxing track from HY. I really like their vocalist's clear, soothing voice and the overall soft, acoustic atmosphere of this song.

#132. Murder Licence - Acid Black Cherry
Japanese | Rock
I really love Acid Black Cherry's jazz-influenced tracks. Unfortunately this isn't one of them, but it's still quite good, although quite standard j-rock fare. Complete with dense, static-y guitar riffs and a busy atmosphere, it's a decent track but not a real stand-out.

Nepu:

#363. Gekkou Yoku - alice nine.
Japanese | Rock
Although I'm not really a fan of their recent releases, I still really like this band. Gekkou Yoku features some great guitar work, I really like how it alters from being short and choppy to very smooth and melodic.

#1796. 彼女と星の椅子 - BUMP OF CHICKEN
Japanese | Alt. Rock
A midtempo track from BUMP OF CHICKEN. I really like how clear and prominent the bass from 2:18 and on. It's not my favourite track from them - I have to say I'm a bigger fan of their acoustic-style songs - but definitely worth a listen.

6336. Who Are You - John Murphy
English | Soundtrack
This song is from the Miami Vice OST that I uploaded a while back. I love this song. It may not be the kind of song that you put on repeat, but it's absolutely beautiful and so rich with emotion. The thick, resonating bass sound contrasts perfectly with the gentle, almost hesitant piano melody. The chords and sheer depth of this song are sophisticated and dense. It's incredibly sorrowful and delicate. It's only flaw, in my opinion, is that it clocks in at only 1:35.

Labels: abingdon boys school, access, acid black cherry, alice nine., Antic Cafe, Big Bang, BUMP OF CHICKEN, CELLT, HY, Kato Miliyah, number lottery, Obie Trice, Super Junior

I apologize again that this is taking so long, I've been really busy with school lately. In hindsight, I think it would have been better to upload the songs as I went along - I'll definitely remember that if I decide to do another number lottery in the future. Only one more batch remains, I can't promise how long it will take to be posted but I will definitely try my best to get it done as soon as possible. Thanks for being patient! =)

- Haruhi

EDIT: It seems that a few of the links (Shining Butterfly - BRIGHT & Koi Hitoyo - acid black cherry) weren't right, they've now been fixed.

Ayumi:

#1657. Shining Butterfly - BRIGHT
Japanese | Pop
A bubbly pop number by one of my favourite girl groups. Although I wouldn't consider it to be one of their very best songs, it's upbeat and fun.

#157. 式日 - ACIDMAN
Japanese | Alt. Rock
I really like this band, especially their vocalist's crisp, clean voice. A mid-tempo track with lots of bright guitar work.

#2345. Nalcha Byongyongson - Clazziquai
Korean | Pop/Electronica/Jazz
This is from their Color Your Soul album. It's a sweet, light song featuring Alex's cream vocals and Horan's light, airy voice.

#1000. Sands of time - Back-on
Japanese | Rock
I love this song. It's upbeat, and although definitely a rock song it has some electronica/rapcore influences too. These guys definitely deserve more recognition, try them out!

Allie:
#10894. 宝物 (Takaramono/Treasures) (Homemade demo vers.) - ROUND TABLE ft. Nino
Japanese | Pop/Acoustic
This version features only acoustic guitar and sweet, feminine vocals. Although I found the vocals a bit too childish and thin, it's an endearing song.

#1777. Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow - Bullet For My Valentine
English | Metal
Although I don't listen to heavy rock as much now, this song isn't actually too overpowering once you get past the screaming in the first verse and a little bit later on in the song.

#135. Koi Hitoyo - Acid Black Cherry
Japanese | Rock
I love this group, and Koi Hitoyo is a fantastic song. I love the intro, the percussion really pulls you in. It has an air of mystery to it, and I love the way the song builds up.

#2626. Shining - Crystal Kay
Japanese | Pop/R&B
A sweet, poppy song by Crystal Kay. I love the subtle harmonies and the bright atmosphere.

Labels: acid black cherry, ACIDMAN, BACK-ON, BRIGHT, Bullet For My Valentine, Clazziquai, Crystal Kay, number lottery, ROUND TABLE feat. Nino

Here are the first batch of songs uploaded for the number lottery! Whew, there was more than I thought. My reviews will be quite brief because of the number of songs, sorry about that. Enjoy, and remember to comment or leave a rating!

The rest of the songs will hopefully be up sometime this weekend, thanks for being patient!

Lena:

#458. Love Song _ Andy
Korean | Pop
A sugar-sweet song from Shinhwa's Andy. It's not amazing (I have to say that I've always thought of him as a rapper, and his singing is passable but not fantastic), but it's a cute, warm song with lots of brassy riffs and the occasional synth.

#10984. Billy _ Romeo
Japanese | Rock
A slightly predictable rock song that nonetheless is quite good - tough and gritty and reminiscent of classic rock.

#9458. You Gotta Be (Des'Ree) _ Nature Living
English | Rock
This is a cover, Des'Ree is the name of the original singer. I've only heard the original version if this song on the radio a few times so I can't say I'm too familiar with it, but Nature Living's cover is impressive. I really love the harmonies between the female and male vocalists and the rock spin they put on the song, keeping the bright atmosphere but really putting their own take on the song.

#888. 今夜も星に抱かれて (Konya mo Hoshi ni Dakarete) _ ayaka Link has been fixed, sorry about that!
Japanese | Pop/Ballad
I love ayaka. Her voice is so powerful and rich, and she absolutely shines against the warm, full piano arrangement that is the sole accompaniment of this song up to around the halfway point where some light strings are thrown into the mix. Recommended.

Stephy:

#922. B Love (So Baby) _ The b
Korean | Ballad
I'll admit, I had no recollection of who these guys were or sounded like. According to a quick google search they are a girl group from Goodberry Entertainment that debuted sometime in the summer of 2008. The song is a dramatic string-lead ballad. Their vocals are quite good, almost reminiscent of Seeya or Black Pearl. Why is it that it's the girl groups who sound like they might have some potential that drop off the radar and never get really popular. T_T

#1024. enter _ the band apart
Um ... apparently this is just a minute-long intro of sparse rustling sounds. Whoops. To compensate because this isn't really an actual song, I uploaded the next track too:
#1025. Falling _ the band apart
Japanese | Alt. Rock
I really love this group's style. Falling has some watered-down jazz influences, which really give the song a unique touch. Try them out!

#777. トラベログ _ ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION
Japanese | Alt. Rock
I love them. <3 トラベログ is a mid-tempo song with lots of bright guitar chords and a summery atmosphere. It's not one of my favourite songs by them, but it's certainly good.

melody 84, 10487, 17244, 999

#84. 旅ダチノウタ (Tabidachi no Uta) [TW Departure Mix] _ AAA
Japanese | Pop
I really love the soft opening of the song, leading into a synth-filled, cute remix of Tabidachi no Uta. I really like the ambient, warm arrangement and smooth, electronica-laced vocals.

#10487. beauty delusions garden _ POITRINE
Japanese | Rock
A gritty rock song by POITRINE. Although I'm not a big fan of their vocalist's slightly guttural voice, I really like the melody & especially the chorus of the song, as well as the tightly-knit guitar work. Worth a listen.

#17244. shower _ 12012
Japanese | Rock
12012 was one of the first Japanese artists I listened to, and although I'm no longer a follower of J-rock, I still enjoy listening to them. The bass line in shower really holds the whole song together, although it's fairly simple and mostly fades into the background. The opening verses are quite soft, leading into the more powerful chorus.

#999. Hikarisasuhou _ BACK-ON
Japanese | Alt. Rock
I love BACK-ON's style: a mix of rock, hip-hop, and electronica reminscient of groups like FLOW and UVERworld (although not as poppy). Hikarisasuhou definitely leans more towards rock, but the short rapped segments show their hip-hop influences. Recommended.

Labels: 12012, AAA, andy, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Ayaka, BACK-ON, nature living, number lottery, POITRINE, romeo, the b, the band apart

To celebrate 100+ posts (this will be #101), I've decided to do a number lottery. Some of you may be familiar with this concept - if you aren't, basically what you do is choose a number/numbers and I will upload the song from my music library that corresponds.

For example, if you choose the number three I would upload the third song in my iTunes, which is 黑夜以後 by A-Do.

Rules/Process:

one. You may pick up to five numbers.
two. If you wish, you may specify a file host. I will use MediaFire, box.net, or 4shared. If no host site is specified, I'll pick whatever is most convenient for me.
three. Post the numbers in the HaloScan comment box, the cbox (under tab "tagboard), or if you want, e-mail me at tokyomonochrome@gmail.com
four. Numbers must be between 1 and 17388. Try to choose numbers that have not already been chosen, because they'll just be repeats.
five. The lottery will close on September 22nd, two weeks from today.
six. Depending on the number of responses, I will either post up all the songs together and the end of the two-week period, or do them in batches as the days progress.
seven. There will be a list below of numbers that have been picked & who picked them, so that you can check what's already been picked and make sure I saw your post. =)

Hopefully this will help introduce you guys to some new artists/songs!

Picked Numbers:

Lena: 458, 10984, 9458, 888
Stephy: 922, 1024, 777
melody: 84, 10487, 17244, 999
Ayumi: 1657, 157, 2345, 1000
Allie: 10894, 1777, 135, 2626
Phoenix: 12345, 1234, 123, 9876, 444
albeitalways: 107, 1991, 8923, 5439, 132
Nepu: 363, 1796, 6336

Labels: number lottery, site

Here we are, finally. Sorry again about the wait!

Phoenix:

#12345. Happy Together - Super Junior Link has been fixed, sorry about that!
Korean | Pop
This song reminds me heavily of Marry U, they were composed by the same person. It's a light-hearted, mid-tempo pop song off of SuJu's third album. It's rather disposable, but sweet and warm.

#1234. Follow Me - Big Bang
Japanese | Pop/Dance
Pretty standard fare. It's a fast-paced song with lots of synths and electronica routes. However, I didn't find it very catchy or memorable. I've given this song a few listens, and each time it fails to make an imprint on me. I'm getting more than a little bored of Big Bang, and I'm really hoping to see something fresh from them.

#123. Doubt & Trust - access
Japanese | Rock
I love the flowing, quick keyboard intro, leading into an equally energetic rock song. It's not an amazing song, but the sheer energy and movement of this song is impressive.

#9876. Got Some Teeth - Obie Trice
English | Hip-Hop
A confident, laid-back song with lots of brass riffs and a great albeit repetitive beat.


#444. Golden Wing - antic cafe
Japanese | Oshare Kei
A bright, feel-good song from Antic Cafe. It's not super-hyper like some of their songs can be, it's actually pretty relaxed. Miku's voice bugs me a little though.

albeitalways:

#107. Valkyrie - abingdon boys school
Japanese | Rock
I love abs, and Valkyrie is no exception. The energy of the song is apparent right from the electric guitar in the opening. Some people really don't like T.M. Revolution's voice, and I guess I can see why, but personally I've always liked how unique and recognizable it is. It's slightly dark in tone and despite its urgent, fast pace, it never seems rushed or hurried.

#1991. Koe no hate - CELLT
Japanese | Rock
I don't know much about this band and I've only heard a couple of their songs, but so far I'm liking them. Koe no hate is a little formulaic, but if you're just getting into rock or aren't really a fan of heavier rock, this might be good for you. It sounds slightly familiar - I really like the melody, and the chorus.

#8923. I WILL - Miliyah Kato
Japanese | R&B
A gorgeous ballad from R&B singer Miliyah Kato. Her songs have always been a bit hit-or-miss with me. I really like her warm, smooth voice, but her songs tend to be a bit forgettable in my opinion. I WILL's opening was a bit too soft for my liking, but then it breaks into the rich, heartfelt chorus. It's absolutely beautiful, and well worth the wait. Although I think her voice could use a little more power and richness in the verses building up to each chorus, it's still a lovely song.

#5439. 出会い - HY
Japanese | Alt. Rock
A relaxing track from HY. I really like their vocalist's clear, soothing voice and the overall soft, acoustic atmosphere of this song.

#132. Murder Licence - Acid Black Cherry
Japanese | Rock
I really love Acid Black Cherry's jazz-influenced tracks. Unfortunately this isn't one of them, but it's still quite good, although quite standard j-rock fare. Complete with dense, static-y guitar riffs and a busy atmosphere, it's a decent track but not a real stand-out.

Nepu:

#363. Gekkou Yoku - alice nine.
Japanese | Rock
Although I'm not really a fan of their recent releases, I still really like this band. Gekkou Yoku features some great guitar work, I really like how it alters from being short and choppy to very smooth and melodic.

#1796. 彼女と星の椅子 - BUMP OF CHICKEN
Japanese | Alt. Rock
A midtempo track from BUMP OF CHICKEN. I really like how clear and prominent the bass from 2:18 and on. It's not my favourite track from them - I have to say I'm a bigger fan of their acoustic-style songs - but definitely worth a listen.

6336. Who Are You - John Murphy
English | Soundtrack
This song is from the Miami Vice OST that I uploaded a while back. I love this song. It may not be the kind of song that you put on repeat, but it's absolutely beautiful and so rich with emotion. The thick, resonating bass sound contrasts perfectly with the gentle, almost hesitant piano melody. The chords and sheer depth of this song are sophisticated and dense. It's incredibly sorrowful and delicate. It's only flaw, in my opinion, is that it clocks in at only 1:35.

Labels: abingdon boys school, access, acid black cherry, alice nine., Antic Cafe, Big Bang, BUMP OF CHICKEN, CELLT, HY, Kato Miliyah, number lottery, Obie Trice, Super Junior

I apologize again that this is taking so long, I've been really busy with school lately. In hindsight, I think it would have been better to upload the songs as I went along - I'll definitely remember that if I decide to do another number lottery in the future. Only one more batch remains, I can't promise how long it will take to be posted but I will definitely try my best to get it done as soon as possible. Thanks for being patient! =)

- Haruhi

EDIT: It seems that a few of the links (Shining Butterfly - BRIGHT & Koi Hitoyo - acid black cherry) weren't right, they've now been fixed.

Ayumi:

#1657. Shining Butterfly - BRIGHT
Japanese | Pop
A bubbly pop number by one of my favourite girl groups. Although I wouldn't consider it to be one of their very best songs, it's upbeat and fun.

#157. 式日 - ACIDMAN
Japanese | Alt. Rock
I really like this band, especially their vocalist's crisp, clean voice. A mid-tempo track with lots of bright guitar work.

#2345. Nalcha Byongyongson - Clazziquai
Korean | Pop/Electronica/Jazz
This is from their Color Your Soul album. It's a sweet, light song featuring Alex's cream vocals and Horan's light, airy voice.

#1000. Sands of time - Back-on
Japanese | Rock
I love this song. It's upbeat, and although definitely a rock song it has some electronica/rapcore influences too. These guys definitely deserve more recognition, try them out!

Allie:
#10894. 宝物 (Takaramono/Treasures) (Homemade demo vers.) - ROUND TABLE ft. Nino
Japanese | Pop/Acoustic
This version features only acoustic guitar and sweet, feminine vocals. Although I found the vocals a bit too childish and thin, it's an endearing song.

#1777. Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow - Bullet For My Valentine
English | Metal
Although I don't listen to heavy rock as much now, this song isn't actually too overpowering once you get past the screaming in the first verse and a little bit later on in the song.

#135. Koi Hitoyo - Acid Black Cherry
Japanese | Rock
I love this group, and Koi Hitoyo is a fantastic song. I love the intro, the percussion really pulls you in. It has an air of mystery to it, and I love the way the song builds up.

#2626. Shining - Crystal Kay
Japanese | Pop/R&B
A sweet, poppy song by Crystal Kay. I love the subtle harmonies and the bright atmosphere.

Labels: acid black cherry, ACIDMAN, BACK-ON, BRIGHT, Bullet For My Valentine, Clazziquai, Crystal Kay, number lottery, ROUND TABLE feat. Nino

Here are the first batch of songs uploaded for the number lottery! Whew, there was more than I thought. My reviews will be quite brief because of the number of songs, sorry about that. Enjoy, and remember to comment or leave a rating!

The rest of the songs will hopefully be up sometime this weekend, thanks for being patient!

Lena:

#458. Love Song _ Andy
Korean | Pop
A sugar-sweet song from Shinhwa's Andy. It's not amazing (I have to say that I've always thought of him as a rapper, and his singing is passable but not fantastic), but it's a cute, warm song with lots of brassy riffs and the occasional synth.

#10984. Billy _ Romeo
Japanese | Rock
A slightly predictable rock song that nonetheless is quite good - tough and gritty and reminiscent of classic rock.

#9458. You Gotta Be (Des'Ree) _ Nature Living
English | Rock
This is a cover, Des'Ree is the name of the original singer. I've only heard the original version if this song on the radio a few times so I can't say I'm too familiar with it, but Nature Living's cover is impressive. I really love the harmonies between the female and male vocalists and the rock spin they put on the song, keeping the bright atmosphere but really putting their own take on the song.

#888. 今夜も星に抱かれて (Konya mo Hoshi ni Dakarete) _ ayaka Link has been fixed, sorry about that!
Japanese | Pop/Ballad
I love ayaka. Her voice is so powerful and rich, and she absolutely shines against the warm, full piano arrangement that is the sole accompaniment of this song up to around the halfway point where some light strings are thrown into the mix. Recommended.

Stephy:

#922. B Love (So Baby) _ The b
Korean | Ballad
I'll admit, I had no recollection of who these guys were or sounded like. According to a quick google search they are a girl group from Goodberry Entertainment that debuted sometime in the summer of 2008. The song is a dramatic string-lead ballad. Their vocals are quite good, almost reminiscent of Seeya or Black Pearl. Why is it that it's the girl groups who sound like they might have some potential that drop off the radar and never get really popular. T_T

#1024. enter _ the band apart
Um ... apparently this is just a minute-long intro of sparse rustling sounds. Whoops. To compensate because this isn't really an actual song, I uploaded the next track too:
#1025. Falling _ the band apart
Japanese | Alt. Rock
I really love this group's style. Falling has some watered-down jazz influences, which really give the song a unique touch. Try them out!

#777. トラベログ _ ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION
Japanese | Alt. Rock
I love them. <3 トラベログ is a mid-tempo song with lots of bright guitar chords and a summery atmosphere. It's not one of my favourite songs by them, but it's certainly good.

melody 84, 10487, 17244, 999

#84. 旅ダチノウタ (Tabidachi no Uta) [TW Departure Mix] _ AAA
Japanese | Pop
I really love the soft opening of the song, leading into a synth-filled, cute remix of Tabidachi no Uta. I really like the ambient, warm arrangement and smooth, electronica-laced vocals.

#10487. beauty delusions garden _ POITRINE
Japanese | Rock
A gritty rock song by POITRINE. Although I'm not a big fan of their vocalist's slightly guttural voice, I really like the melody & especially the chorus of the song, as well as the tightly-knit guitar work. Worth a listen.

#17244. shower _ 12012
Japanese | Rock
12012 was one of the first Japanese artists I listened to, and although I'm no longer a follower of J-rock, I still enjoy listening to them. The bass line in shower really holds the whole song together, although it's fairly simple and mostly fades into the background. The opening verses are quite soft, leading into the more powerful chorus.

#999. Hikarisasuhou _ BACK-ON
Japanese | Alt. Rock
I love BACK-ON's style: a mix of rock, hip-hop, and electronica reminscient of groups like FLOW and UVERworld (although not as poppy). Hikarisasuhou definitely leans more towards rock, but the short rapped segments show their hip-hop influences. Recommended.

Labels: 12012, AAA, andy, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Ayaka, BACK-ON, nature living, number lottery, POITRINE, romeo, the b, the band apart

To celebrate 100+ posts (this will be #101), I've decided to do a number lottery. Some of you may be familiar with this concept - if you aren't, basically what you do is choose a number/numbers and I will upload the song from my music library that corresponds.

For example, if you choose the number three I would upload the third song in my iTunes, which is 黑夜以後 by A-Do.

Rules/Process:

one. You may pick up to five numbers.
two. If you wish, you may specify a file host. I will use MediaFire, box.net, or 4shared. If no host site is specified, I'll pick whatever is most convenient for me.
three. Post the numbers in the HaloScan comment box, the cbox (under tab "tagboard), or if you want, e-mail me at tokyomonochrome@gmail.com
four. Numbers must be between 1 and 17388. Try to choose numbers that have not already been chosen, because they'll just be repeats.
five. The lottery will close on September 22nd, two weeks from today.
six. Depending on the number of responses, I will either post up all the songs together and the end of the two-week period, or do them in batches as the days progress.
seven. There will be a list below of numbers that have been picked & who picked them, so that you can check what's already been picked and make sure I saw your post. =)

Hopefully this will help introduce you guys to some new artists/songs!

Picked Numbers:

Lena: 458, 10984, 9458, 888
Stephy: 922, 1024, 777
melody: 84, 10487, 17244, 999
Ayumi: 1657, 157, 2345, 1000
Allie: 10894, 1777, 135, 2626
Phoenix: 12345, 1234, 123, 9876, 444
albeitalways: 107, 1991, 8923, 5439, 132
Nepu: 363, 1796, 6336

Labels: number lottery, site

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.

phase down | aqueous transmission | quietus | SnakeRoot | Dong Bang World | you start it | Ongoing Melody


If you would like to be affiliates, send me an e-mail at ungathering@hotmail.com.

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