Epic CDJapan Order!
I received my CDJapan package today! Very excited of course, since it contains the much anticipated new single from Perfume! Also this is the biggest order I’ve ever gotten from them, so it’s feels extra special. It’s also been quite a while since I’ve ordered from them. Here’s what I got this time around:
Spring of Life (Regular & Limited + 2 Posters) – Perfume
Guitarium (Limited Cd/dvd + Poster) – Miwa
Independent – AI
Shout in the Rainbow Concert (With bonus cd) – Superfly
I have been waiting a long time to get all of these. AI’s album was released back in February, and Miwa’s in March. I wanted to make sure I supported them this time around, as they are absolutely amazing artists. I have yet to own a Superfly concert, so I’m intrigued to see how this will be. The bonus track ‘Sasurai no Tabibito’ on the cd is amazing. I would not be surprised in the least if this makes it on her new album in September. Still think it’s a bit weird to attach a 1 track cd single to a concert dvd, but record companies have done things that make far less sense. Of course, the Perfume single is incredible. I’m also really liking the new B-side ‘Communication’ which I finally heard in full tonight. It would have been nice if they included a plastic sleeve for the limited edition, since it has a slipcase. I’m not too worried though since the slipcase is pretty tight and there isn’t much danger of the cd case randomly falling out if you’re holding it awkward. The poster is truly stunning. I seriously can’t wait to put it up, which translates to tomorrow after work 😛 Here are the pics from opening my order. I’ll probably do more in-depth coverage at a later time. Anyways, hope you enjoyed my random babbling. Cheers!
OMFG! One Room Disco!!!!
As you can tell, I’m quite excited. The answer is simple. My Perfume One Room Disco limited edition arrived! This is one I’ve been after a long time. It was originally released in 2009, so it’s pretty hard to snag nowadays- well, at a good price. I really love the theme of the cover and the discs; the concept is truly awesome. Also, the paper used is high-gloss and reflects the spectrum. Very cool 😀 Well, at least I’m one step closer to completing my collection! Sorry the pics aren’t the best this time around; I just got home and it’s very cloudy outside.
Spring of Life!!!!!
Today is the day! Spring of Life was played on Perfume Locks this morning- well, for my timezone anyway… After the song finished I had to race to my car since class was due to start in 45 minutes. Nothing like an amazing song and a quick sprint to make your morning! The song sounded a little choppy on Tokyo FM via Keyhole Tv, but the connection was to blame for that of course. After hearing the radio rip, I can honestly say this is a grade A track. It is an intoxicating blend of peppy pop and electro with just the right amount of edginess. The instrumentals are killer as usual; Nakata continues to be the master of sounds. I do agree with some comments I’ve seen that it is a bit repetitive in some parts, but it isn’t really bothersome to me. I think that would be the only thing about this track that might need a little tweaking. Otherwise, it is an incredible song and I’ve had it on repeat for the past hour or so. It is the perfect track to kick off their beginning with Universal, and I can’t wait to hear more!
Here’s the low quality rip of the song. Definitely check it out!
Perfume Reveals Covers + Named Hosts of the VMAJs!
Today has been an exciting one indeed. Lots more Perfume news! Their new single ‘Spring of Life’ has finally gotten its cover art and a short 18 second teaser of the video has been released. It features a different part of the song, which sounds quite edgier than I expected. Then again, songs usually turn out much differently from their 20 second chorus clip… The video looks intriguing though. Can’t wait to see this in full! The simplicity of the covers is really nice; loving the retro touch right now. It’s very reminiscent of their early single covers. The B-side of the single has yet to be announced though. If that’s not enough, the song will air on their radio show Thursday night aka Thursday morning stateside. I’m crossing my fingers I’ll be able to listen to this, because I have to leave for school in the morning and last time Tokyo FM wasn’t available on the Keyhole TV list. So now comes the seemingly long 2 day wait 😛 Also, it has been announced that Perfume will be MCing the MTV VMAJs June 23rd! This is seriously exciting news. Their promo pics look absolutely amazing- I almost wish this were for a single or album cover. I’m hoping this will be available on Ustream, and knowing my luck it’ll broadcast at 4 in the morning my time. Oh well, here’s to hoping that’s not quite the case!
Limited Edition (CD+DVD)
Regular Edition (CD Only)
And here’s the teaser video:
EPIC Perfume News
The best news of the year has arrived! That’s right, a huge Perfume announcement that will change the world as we know it! Let’s start off with the new song- they have announced a new single ‘Spring of Life’ which is yet another Kirin tie-in 🙂 There hasn’t been a release date announced yet, but given the title it’s pretty obvious when it will drop… While this is amazing news, there’s even more! They SWITCHED labels to Universal! I’m not just ecstatic because they’re leaving Tokuma, but that they’re going to finally be going global and releasing music elsewhere! They already have a global site up and an official Youtube page. Also, their latest album JPN will be released on iTunes in 50 different countries on March 6th! This is an incredible revelation. Hopefully this will lead to much more, perhaps a tour in the US maybe? I would love to be able to see them live or maybe join a global fanclub if Universal creates one. So I apologize for my super-hyped reaction, but this is seriously the best announcement of the year!
And here’s the cm with the new song! It sounds AMAZING. Can’t wait to hear it in full!
Collection Update! – Perfume’s JPN
Probably my favorite item of 2011! I was particularly excited since this was the first Perfume album release I was witness to as a fan. I got into them a little less than a year ago, and they have quickly become one of the quintessential artists that grace my ipod. Very happy the magenta part of the cover is a slipcase, as it would have been a waste of a beautiful picture and just would have looked really awkward. Kind of a bummer that posters for this were only lottery bonus gifts from certain Japanese cd shops… oh well! Here’s the album- and a quick few pics of the booklet! I think the concept, the outfits in particular, were pretty dang awesome. Enjoy!
Top Albums of 2011 (Part 4)
Ok, here are my top 5 albums for last year! Hope you like them!
5. Metals – Feist
Of course it wouldn’t be 2011 without Feist! I was ecstatic when I heard she would be releasing her third album 😀 I seriously loved The Reminder and was ready for her latest installment- and she delivered!- Well, for me at least. Metals is a much more raw and folksy sounding album, so naturally it probably won’t appeal to as many people as her previous effort. At first listen, yes this can be a bit boring, but once you get past the slower arrangements you can fully appreciate the instrumentation and quality of all the tracks. It only took a couple listens to win me over, and I’m so glad it did! I really liked how she took a different style with this release, as too many artists now are recycling the same sound for numerous records. Feist is incredible and I hope she blows us away with her next release too!
4. Ceremonials – Florence & the Machine
Florence is back! Even just after seeing the cover for this album I knew it was going to be an incredible release! She really took it to the next level- the production, vocals and instrumentation were all spot on! Ceremonials is a very worthy sequel to her already amazing debut album, and in many ways she has improved with this record. Tunes like What the Water Gave Me, Spectrum, No Light No Light, and Shake it Out are pure awesome, and given you have taste (jk), will get stuck in your head all day!
3. Hakobune: Ballads in Me – Lecca
Technically this is a mini-album, but who cares! It has the caliber of a full album and shows what Lecca is all about! Lecca is probably one of the most unique artists I’ve listened to, and it’s not just her distinctive voice that singles her out (although that is a key identifier.) Her way with words is astonishing, and even though she’s speaking Japanese there’s no defying the incredible flow she has. Each song on this record is seriously worthy of its own single! Now, if only we could hear her new album in full!
2. JPN – Perfume
Ok, well there’s no denying I’m obsessed with Perfume- and I only discovered them in March! I was hooked in by their single Nee, believe it or not 😛 I’m actually slightly happier I got introduced to them a little later, since this era in particular was a long time in the making. I mean their first single for this album came out in April 2010… the album release date- November 30th 2011. Really my only disappointment with this album was that there were too many singles. All the songs were incredible, don’t get me wrong. JPN has 5 singles, 2 of which are double-A sides and 2 which are treated as such. That’s really my only gripe. It was awesome that Laser Beam and GLITTER got album mixes, so at least there was a little more ‘new’ material 😛 JPN is definitely one badass album!
1. Mind Travel – Superfly
Ok, drum roll please! And 1st place goes to Superfly! It’s been almost 2 years since her last album, and DANG she brought it!!! I’ve loved her style ever since her first album and she has kept evolving and getting better with each release. She fuses the past seamlessly with the present and progresses with every song she makes. This album simply is perfect! No duds, no fillers, just pure EPIC! I can’t wait to hear what else she has in store for us this year, as she already has another amazing single that dropped in October. Maybe another album release… or is that just wishful thinking on my part?! Mind Travel is hands down the best record of year!
LOL! & Spice Limited Editions
I received these 2 cds quite a while ago. One is Meisa Kuroki’s LOL!, the other, Perfume’s Spice. I ordered Spice the day pre-order links went up (around Sept 5th) then got to wait til Nov 2nd for it to be released…. in the meantime, I accidentally stumbled upon Meisa’s discography page on Cdjapan and noticed the LOL! limited edition was still in stock!!! I clicked, and sure enough there was one copy left! I snatched that sucker up in an instant- yet another item I’ve gotten the LAST copy of 😛 LMAO. The only thing that sucked about this order is that it was manhandled on its journey- the box was punctured in several places and since they placed the poster for Spice at the top, it got squished and had awful creases 😦 Fortunately for me, after contacting customer support I got additional apology points in return 😀 I also asked for the regular edition of Spice for Christmas so hopefully I could have an intact poster- and thank heavens it arrived unharmed! Anyways, enjoy the pics!
GLITTER is Imminent!
Finally the GLITTER pv is starting to leak! After lots of waiting, the moment is about to arrive 😀 Very excited! Also, my Spice single shipped yesterday- so I should receive it by the end of this week or the beginning of next week! In other music news though, Ceremonials comes out tomorrow!!! I wasn’t quite sure about this release upon my first incomplete listen, but now I love it. Florence has done it again! This isn’t as upbeat as Lungs per se, but the production and quality are off the charts! And Beni’s 4th album Fortune drops this week too! Perfume, Florence, and Beni! What more could one ask for?
New Item! – Perfume’s Game Tour :D
Well I finally got it! 😀 Perfume’s first tour, GAME. It’s a really cool dvd filled with lots of amazing performances and I’m very happy I got it. I was lucky to get it at a great price, and the big surprise was it came with the first press sticker! I normally wouldn’t get into a fuss over a damn sticker, but it’s a really awesome design. Also, considering this item was released in 2008 means the sticker would be pretty rare. Plus, having a region free dvd player makes things even better 😛 lol Extremely excited for their new single and album in November- lets just hope with all the singles released there’s still room for some new songs xD
cdmaniac 