ongoingmelody

Uploads will only be available until November 30th and then will be deleted (both from here, and from the hosting server). So, download while you can! Also, please note that everything that has been uploaded until now is locked, so only members can view the entries.

I know I've said this once in the past, but this time... this is my final decision.

ongoingmelody will revert to a review-only community on November 30th.

This means that from November 30th onward, uploads will no longer be, well, uploaded here. There are literally thousands of websites dedicated to uploading music now. If you want things as soon as they come out (or even before they're officially out), check out Asian Reloaded, or if you'd like something more local, leftseoul.

I will continue to post reviews here, but that's it. This community will be for reviews only. Would you like to see this community opened up so that anyone and everyone can post their reviews here? I think it would give us a nice sense of community, but would you guys like to see that? If I opened it up to everyone, it would mean that anyone who is a member of this community would be able to post a review - as long as it's related to music. It could be a single, an EP, a mini album, a full album, a soundtrack - anything, as long as it's a review related to music. Good idea? Bad idea? Please provide me with some feedback, or if you'd prefer, participate in this quick poll:


( Thanks to panonychus for suggesting the third option! )

Thank you so much for your consistent support since 2006. I really do appreciate it... I appreciate it more than I can ever put in words. Please know that while I understand that many of you will leave this community, I won't be bothered by it. Okay... well, maybe I will somewhat :(

It's been a great three years! I've felt guilty about uploading for far too long, so it's time for a change.

xo Victoria

Welcome to Community Talk - the first (and possibly last!) post where you guys get to say anything you want either behind a veil of mystery (anonymous user), or as yourself (logged into LiveJournal). You can say anything you'd like as long as it's somehow related to music. I will not tolerate fights, though - do not personally attack someone for stating their opinion. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Keep that in mind.

If things get incredibly out of hand (for example, if this turns into a "hate meme"), this will be deleted asap. The purpose is just to have fun in a community setting, and express your love (or... not-so-love) for the vast music world and its subsequent artists. Feel free to link to your favourite songs / videos. :) Maybe your favourite artist(s) will gain fans!

AAA; Hide-away (Versions A+B+C)
Release Date: October 21, 2009
Language: Japanese
Genre(s): Pop, Pop-Rock, Electronica
Purchase: YesAsia

01. Hide-away [ LISTEN ]
02. Hide & Seek [ LISTEN ]
03. Find you [ LISTEN ]
04. With you
05. Hide-away -dino starr Mix-
06. Hide & Seek -SCR ReVamp Mix-
07. Find you -Super Mix-
08. Hide-away (Instrumental)
09. Hide & Seek (Instrumental)
10. Find you (Instrumental)

AAA returns after their incredibly successful summer dance single, Break Down, with a triple a-side single that explores their talent as a seven-member group, and also in two gender-based units.

Hide-away, the main promotional song and only group song on the single, is a dance song (with some interesting ballad-meets-hip-hop choreography) lead by strong synths and a variety of vocals. Takahiro Nishijima (commonly known by his nickname, "Nissy") and Naoya Urata take the primary lead for the verses, while Misako Uno and Chiaki Ito dominate the vocal bridge and chorus segments. Mitsuhiro Hidaka (commonly known by his last name, Hidaka) raps throughout, but most effectively during the opening of the song, and the bridge. The strong maintains an uncertain, mysterious atmosphere throughout, accentuated by the melancholic lyrics, tinged ever-so-slightly with optimistic hope. "Hiding myself, in an endless labyrinth / Seeking my way, now I can hardly find you." The misguided, lingering vocals also contribute to the mysterious, almost-climactic atmosphere. Vocally, it's a decent song. Arrangement wise, it's a decent song. Nothing makes it incredibly, but nothing makes it horrible, either. AAA has had better, and they've had worse. While it perhaps isn't necessarily an accurate representation of their talent, I do really like the bridge (Misako! ♥) and Naoya's beautifully textured ballad-esque solo after the first chorus.

Although the five boys are present in the music video for Hide & Seek, only three of them actually sing here - Takahiro Nishijima, Naoya Urata, and Mitsuhiro Hidaka. As you may have already noticed, all of the songs on this single take the same base melody, and change the lyrics and arrangement appropriately for differing atmospheres and general interest. Hide & Seek takes a gritty/dirty trance approach with sliding, distorted Shinichi Osawa-inspired house production. It sounds like a "tame" version of an Osawa song, in that it's not completely dissembled or experimental. Overall, it's okay, but the synthetic instruments give me a headache after a while. However, there are a few great parts of this song, namely Hidaka's main rap, and the Takahiro/Naoya vocal bridge; it acts like a shining ray of hope in an otherwise misguided attempt at sounding edgy.

Find you, of course, is the girls' "answer", I suppose you could say, to the boys' song. Or, perhaps you could simply refer to it as the counterpart. Misako Uno and Chiaki Ito get to showcase their vocal talent on what I consider to be the strongest song on the single. The arrangement is fun, multi-leveled, and effectively illustrates the two central sides of femininity - innocence and attitude. The girls' pure, airy vocals sound quite lovely over the always-building pop-rock arrangement. The chorus is definitely the highlight as their vocals are feathered in two central layers; the main melody, and the echo. The climactic build-up right before the chorus is also an awesome lead-in. I can't get over this song, really. It's fantastic. I find the arrangement to be quite intelligently thought-through, and the way that their vocals have been placed is just... perfect. I've always been a huge fan of Misako, so I think she sounds great here (especially during the bridge - she hits the high notes beautifully). I've never been a huge fan of Chiaki's vocals, but I'll admit that she doesn't sound half-bad here, especially during her version of Naoya's ballad-esque solo after the first chorus. Great song.

With you, the ending theme of the newest season of InuYasha (officially titled InuYasha: The Final Act), is exactly the same as Hide-away. The only difference is the lyrics. Honestly speaking, I prefer the lyrics to With you because they're sweeter, and of course, completely suited for the love story in InuYasha. I also think that - for whatever reason - the members sound better here, vocally. So, if you ask me, this is the superior song of the two.

Now, on to the remixes! Hide-away -dino starr Mix- takes almost a comical approach. It blends video game synths with cirus-sounding instruments. It's actually quite bizarre! I don't think it suits the theme very well, although it does a good job of lightening the mood...?

Hide & Seek -SCR ReVamp Mix- is what Hide & Seek should have been. These lively, energetic house instruments definitely suit their vocals much better than the original arrangement, and I absolutely love all of the little details they've thrown into this remix. The extra chords, the Super Street Fighter inspired break-down's, the pumped up yells during the chorus ("Yeah! Come on! Let's go!"), and the overall lovable charisma. Awesome stuff.

At first I shrugged off Find you -Super Mix- as far too wacky for my liking, but after a few listens, I grew to love it. Again, the instruments and break-down's sound like they're right out of a retro video game (Ganbare Goemon, maybe?), but that actually adds a lot of nostalgic charm to it. Sure, the arrangement doesn't fit the theme, but in this case, I think it works. At least somewhat. For some reason I'm drawn to this, especially the rough rap bridge (the contrast between the cute rap and rough instruments is great!) and enlightening vocal bridge. The way the instruments soften with Misako's vocals as they reach their peak, and then swing right back into their normal melody is awesome. I also really like the cut-and-paste addition of a line from their rap at the end of each chorus - "Oh yes, I just find you only." This is a surprisingly good remix, although I still prefer the original.

Ultimately, Hide-away is okay, Hide & Seek tries too hard to be something that it is not, Find you is awesome, With you is sweet, and the remixes are worth listening to.

Overall Score: B

나오미 (Naomi); 사랑을 잃다 (Club Mix) (from Soulchild)
Release Date: October 6, 2009
Language: Korean
Genre(s): Pop, Dance
Sounds Like:
Purchase: YesAsia

07. 사랑을 잃다 (Club Mix) (Sarangeur Ilhda; To Lose Love)

Korean singer Naomi's second release was somewhat of an underwhelming listen for me personally, and although I was mostly disappointed with it, I was completely drawn to this song since the first time I heard it. For a while it bothered me that it sounded so familiar, as if it was on the tip of my tongue where I had heard it before, so after a little Googling, I discovered that it is actually a cover of Jessica Simpson's When You Told Me You Loved Me. Needless to say, I strongly believe that Naomi's version is considerably more heartfelt, even in a remix environment. While I adore her original cover, I enjoy this "club mix" even more for its tempo, rhythm, and general energy. I haven't heard a solid club song in what feels like forever! I've been listening to this song on repeat for hours this afternoon. The chords in this song are amazing; I love the way they climb up and down, fluctuating so appropriately with her passionate, textured vocals. Another aspect of this song that I really admire is the fact that they repeated the first line of the chorus various times throughout; it has a nice consistency to it, and it makes for an incredibly catchy hook. Overall, I'm loving this. It's so so catchy, and her vocals are really phenomenal. She hits those high notes with clarity and confidence, and the song itself, despite its melancholic theme, is fun and bouncy.

Overall Score: A

HIATUS!

Regretfully, ongoingmelody will be on a 'music-sharing-hiatus' until further notice. I will continue to review material in the mean time, but I am once again questioning the future of this community as a music-sharing source. We'll have to see. Either way, thank you very much for your consistent support. Unlike recent communities that have flourished in popularity, I remain genuine. ongoingmelody has always been an incredible place for me, and I admire the fact that it has connected so many of us together across the world.

I'll be sure to update you guys with what is happening once I figure it out. Feedback is appreciated!