The Klassic Note Evaluation 2014

Yeah, I thought I typed “evolution” too. Not happening anytime soon.

Welcome to the (probably I’ll do this) annual Klassic Note Evaluation, where I talk about the performance of artists which classify to one of the following:

1. Collection Artists (ie. long-time artists in Klassic Note, eg. Aqua Timez)
2. New & Uprising (ie. I mentioned their names a couple of times already and it’s not only last year, eg. Kuso Iinkai)
3. Newcomers (ie. artists I have a great impression of last year, and not to be confused with the previous one. Eg. nano.RIPE)

I’m ready. Shall we? (I know; I should’ve written it yesterday…)
(Most dates reference to last year, the year 2014. I still have time time lag since yesterday, yes?)

COLLECTION ARTISTS
Many have gone, many are quiet, and many have returned. Despite that, last year is an active year for the active artists and those I’ve waited from more than two years ago. Many have reached 10 years from formation too, which means we will see more in the upcoming year ahead, not forgetting last year.
(In no particular order)

YUI – I know she has been on a hiatus for a year or two, but we recently see many new works and a first album from her newly-formed band “FLOWER FLOWER”, which is pretty good and differently in style as most of the songs now are written in collaboration of three other members, off the usual style of YUI yui herself. (Oh, it’s “yui” now.) Nonetheless, her efforts are much appreciated, crediting into movie theme songs and many more, and this is only the beginning of her comeback. Good job, yui, the wait was worth it.

Aqua Timez – It’s their 10th year now, and to celebrate that, many things are under way. Their album in August was a timely arrival, and to say I missed their style of songs is an understatement. Also they went online for a live broadcast and yes, you bet I was watching it. They ended the year with a single which is, of course, on my shelf right now. It’s like I cannot get enough of them, and they just get better. I guess that is how it feels to grow as a band.

Ikimonogakari – As usual they start their activity from the second-half of the year, and similar to last year do with a couple of singles before a full-fledged album that is released at the end of the year too. At the start of the year they start with a digital release of “Niji”, and only half a year later has it been included in a single release. October sees them singing for a news channel (yes Japan news channels have theme songs) and an Anime, if you would know and I didn’t watch, Nanatsu no Taizai, and another single for drama. An active year for Ikimono, plenty of TV appearances for them and for me. To watch them.

SCANDAL – Well this is an interesting one. Instead of saying that this is “the year of SCANDAL”, I might as well say it’s their first year of success. Following their own compositions from the year before, last year MAMI takes the task for pushing three singles worth of songs, of which all of them are on my shelf. They also starred as a theme song for a Pokemon movie, and finish it off with their very own album for the year. And I can tell you, the difference of them writing songs themselves compared to people writing songs for them is massive. So massive, even sincerity cannot express their impression to me last year. Awersome, SCANDAL! Keep it going!

Rie fu – Also in her tenth year, with her breaking off the major record label three years ago, she decided to take the mammoth task of releasing 10th year albums herself. One is in November last year, and the other to be done next year. With this, she travelled around the world, meeting many composers and creating the most diverse album she can to her style to date. She also started her adventures to perform lives in Asia, what many would not be doing at this time. Also her new music videos are on YouTube, so don’t ask me for links for previews whatsoever. Only if all the artists are like this… (*wink* Ikimono)

Chatmonchy – This is yet another comeback as Eriko-chan settles down after her childbirth. The biggest change in the band till date, the duo expands into a quattro (LOL) with two other members to cover for the drums and the… keyboard? Yeah, a new addition to the instruments in the keyboard, which brings yet another level of style to their music. They strike the house with a new double A-side single, and with the new year they also announced another single and their 6th album next year as part of their 10th year. Wow many 10th years huh…

miwa – Three singles is kind of a stretch for many, but for miwa it’s just another way of expression through music. With credits to commercials and even theme songs for special schools, she has yet reached greater heights in terms of popularity and fame. Not mentioning that her social presence through the cute selfies just makes her irresistible apart from her wonderful compositions. Need I say more?

SPECIAL OTHERS – Or should I say “SPECIAL OTHERS ACOUSTIC”, the band reformed after their biggest live in Budoukan (JFGI), with a different acoustic feel, though not losing their usual style. Their album in October brings about many peaceful and easy-listening melodies along with acoustic renditions of their own songs. Here’s to hope to see more of this awesome band, because a year without them will be hard to go by now. Really.

sphere & its members – Yes, all of them are performing well last year, and even Ayahi is in the equation. Tomacchan has been releasing three singles, one of which even reached as far as 4th in weekly Oricon charts, which is quite a feat and a record for herself. Ayahime (her nickname) startled me with a B-side through Mikakoshi’s radio show, and you know if all her songs are like this she would've been in my list even earlier already. Mina-chan also released a single and an album which is on her birthday week as usual, and I still ask myself why I did not place her album on my shelf like last time. Aki-chan… well let’s say three singles is not enough for me in appreciation of her honest and romantic music, even if it’s not written by her. Thanks to all of them, because as sphere reaches their 5th anniversary and with 4 album and 17 (18 by the time the best album releases on February) singles on hand, it’ll be a hell of a year for them this year.

Ajikan – ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION has been quiet last year, as they only released a special B-side compilation which also includes songs from their yearly compilation NANO MUGEN, which is also on last year. Focus is more last year on Gotch, their composer and vocalist, on his solo debut album, which is a lot of his personality, though not so much of the band’s style. Nonetheless, Gotch has foreseen more activity for the band this year instead

Kalafina – As the group reaches their fifth year, they kept quiet by releasing only two best album and a single for Anime Fate stay/night, which is not much to look at compared to the year before. Nonetheless this also brings another single to my shelf though now new already (yes not the new one), and I hope to see more from them this year.

NEW & UPRISING
If I mentioned more names than the one above, means Klassic Note is expanding. And as with last year, many more came into review, and many have to be mentioned of their current performance, so to anticipate new releases and also what I like about them.

Kuso Iinkai – Last year saw the major debut of this eccentric band, and with their first full album in June, starts them going with another single in August and another release by the end of the month. Performance-wise I wouldn’t say it’s great, but rather outstanding as I recall the days I brainwash myself to their songs day and night.

NICO Touches The Walls – Not really uprising, but as they are not new to me, seeing them in NANO MUGEM COMPILATION (See Ajikan) is rather a surprise. With that I also found out that last year is their 10th, and they celebrate by releasing a bunch of singles featuring new songs (this particular one with Anime credits) and their own covers of various artists, with this one I heard of Chatmonchy. Yeah. Not on my shelf, though.

cinema staff – This band is the usual rock band. Nice, and sometimes awesome. With their second album in place last year, they also bring many nice songs including credits for drama and Anime. Good job, and I want to see more.

SID – They have been active on the lines too. With their 10th anniversary they released a special single featuring all their members in which the Regular Edition is of course on my shelf. They released an album in March and also featured themselves in Anime Kuroshitsuji. If this show goes on they need to come up with a song every year already…

fhana – From their single the year before, this year sees another swarm of activity of this Anime band. Featured in two Anime which I both watched, they brings out different feels for the shows, and end up with an image album for Anime Sora no Method. Also they are getting their first full album this year, which is good news, and about time for me to truly consider them to be a regular for time to come.

negoto – They have not been disappointing ever since their mini-album in March, and their double A-side single, which not surprisingly, is on my shelf. Their special style of music really brings me back to listen to them time and again, and I cannot tell you how great they are. Hope to see more from them this year.

Neat’s – She shouldn’t be here already, but her third album after a full preview online brings out one of the biggest impressions of last year. Not mentioning that her album is already on my shelf, she also did a whole lot of music videos on YouTube to further promote her album. If only she is smart enough to travel overseas like Rie fu to perform… Oh yeah, “she has no friends”, huh…

Younha – With many years concerning her presence in Japan, after spending many years in Korea she finally made the decision to come back to Japan featuring a cover release of a few of her famous Korean songs sung in Japanese. A nice attempt after four years, and nonetheless will give her support for new songs if she starts again this year.

fumika – She has not been of memory ever since her break off from major label the year before, but then her single in April is an impressive one. Of course there are singles here and there as she is actively still singing, but it’ll have to take an album due this year to prove to me that I like to listen to her songs. I just need the mood for it, I guess.

yanaginagi – Starting from a single the year before, last year saw many activities to this Anime artist. A single on my birthday, a single in June, a digital single in July following her 2nd album in December… she has much to offer. And I took it all. She certainly is uprising, as I start to love her songs and her voice.

Taketatsu Ayana – From her it’s all voice actresses and their solo singing careers. We start off with Ayachi, which has delivered an impressive album along with two singles, one of which I missed (for some apparent rreason I’ll explain later) and another her first credit to an Anime Denki-gai no Honya-san. Due to her overly cute singing voice, it’s difficult to choose between listening to the song and her singing voice, so I try to stick with the Klassic Note rule of “melody over voice”. But of course I may give a couple of songs this year before Klassic Note starts in a week and a half’s time.

Hanazawa Kana – This one… hoho Kana-chan has changed a lot. From her abrupt 2nd album featuring the massive amount of new songs only seen in best albums, she released two singles of very different styles. You can’t say I didn’t give her chance, but maybe due to her voice or even more due to the melodies, I did not give much for her this year. I gave the Anime Tonari no Seki-kun opening theme song though…

Komatsu Mikako – New on the list, but not so after this year, the focus of the year is undoubtedly her 2nd album after a single release which I wouldn’t even talk about. With her own compositions and wonderful songs to follow and to top it up another single in November, I can’t say how much my impression of her has improved just over the past year already.

Horie Yui – Recently on the magnifying glass last year, Hocchan’s new single suggests the weirdest ways love songs can be written. Along with her singing, this brings about an interesting combination devoid of her previous singles. Welcoming her upcoming album next week, I see much potential in giving her a couple more songs, provided the melodies hit me before her cute voice, of course.

Hikasa Youko – Witnessing her debut the year before, last year was quite a year for Yocchan. She released her first album, which was impressive in many ways but more lively in terms of choice of songs. Nonetheless, she is awesome in expression the dream combination I (and most) would hope to hear from her, and I know she’ll do better for this year too.

(wow this is getting long…)

NEWCOMERS
Normally meeting them in various circumstances, whether it’s from Anime or just random Internet searching, some stand out amongst the rest that are handpicked by me every year. And last year isn’t an exception either.

nano.RIPE – Impressive is not the word to use of them anymore, but nano.RIPE is a player when it comes to impressions ever since I heard them from Anime Glasslip. I swear if they wrote for the Anime really says a lot of their integral style of rock music that is nano.RIPE. Many months have been spent considering their songs and reviewing their singles and albums, and in October three months after the single I reviewed it’s finally on my shelf. Awesome performance this year, and more has to come, right?

Goose house – A group formed from Sony’s “Play You” a couple of years ago, this group of aspiring composers (deja vu from Klassic Note Review) has gained much attention this year with the integration of their songs in Anime, one in February and another in November for Anime Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso (KimiUso if you’ve been reading Entertainment News). Their acoustic performances with the departure of their leader d-iZe also brought much attention on him and his solo career, along with many like Takebuchi Kei with her mini-album in March.

Tsuzuri Zukuri – Really new to me, they started with me watching an uncut TV show I took down online. Thanks to that video, I was exposed to the acoustic duo, which gives a fresh meaning to eccentric music, and I like them. Sadly their songs are hard to get, so I can only depend on YouTube videos. Hope they get a major debut so I can get to hear more of their songs. Or maybe not, so the music videos will still be available in full, haha.

Satou Satomi – Considering that Satomi-chan is a newbie compared to many voice actors who started singing solo earlier, she has done an impressive debut year of two singles and a mini-album showing off her own style and her being in a band and her live performances featuring her own guitar solo. Yeah. Haven’t seen it yet. But I can see myself watching her live soon this year, and we’ll definitely be looking forward to more of her songs.

Amamiya Sora and… – As a headstart to the new members under the MusicRay’n label (recall sphere), Ten-chan started with two singles credited to Anime Akame ga Kill, of which one of them is on my shelf. Also they announced the trio “Trysail” to debut this year similar to how sphere started, which means the pattern of Natsukawa Shiina (Nonoka in Anime Sora no Method) and Asukara Momo (this one… I don’t know) starting their solo music debut sometime too this year. Another shopping spree, huh…

Ok I’ll stop here. Anymore I’ll need to review every single one of the 220 songs I have last year already. My hands are getting tired too. Cya guys then, and until next time… I talk about Anime and possibly APoL? Yeah, I didn’t forget because the year just passed, but as I mentioned I’m not pleased. And I intend to release two chapters at once. Purely because they’re connected so I’ll need more time. Take care, and here’s to another year in Klassic Note! Hopefully I can write earlier for the end of this year, for next year. If you get what I mean.