The 10 Track Mixtape Thread (Song Lists Without Links Will Be Deleted)

[CaseNumber:825]

My Present Top Ten Tracks

Considering many of who are confused by the music I listen to. Or intrigued by the sheer number of Asian artists that occupy my top lists on Last.fm I have compiled together a list of my current favourite songs from each of my top artists, just in case any of you want to have a listen at some great Asian music.


01. Koda Kumi (倖田來未) - Selfish (From the album 'secret')
Download Here

A hard-hitting, catchy, rock-based track that just leaves you ready to take on the world. Kumi really gives her all in this track, the sheer powerful emotion you can hear in her voice is outstanding and it's one of those tracks that hasn't managed to get boring, though I've played it so many times

02. Ayumi Hamasaki (浜崎あゆみ) - Rule (From the album 'NEXT LEVEL')
Download Here

Another very hard-hitting track. Not as catchy but just as rock-based. A complicated mix of guitars, percussion and impressives synths that blend perfectly together. Ayumi has never been one to underachieve when it comes to releasing good songs and with this new single, also being used as the new Dragonball Evolution international theme song, she's definately hit the mark again.

03. Ai Otsuka (大塚愛) - プラネタリウム (Planetarium) From the album 'Love Cook'
Download Here

Japan's most adorable solo singer hits a more serious note with this pop/rock track. Strangely haunting in a way that makes to sit and listen throughout the entire song. Her vocals are quite high-pitch in a way that is common within the Japanese pop/rock genre. But don't let the term 'pop/rock' throw you off into thinking she's some kind of Japanese version of Miley Cyrus, no way, for one this young girl writes her own lyrics and music, plus she does sing very well live. This song is one of her most popular songs and it's not hard to see why when you hear it.

04. BoA - BRAVE (From the album 'THE FACE')
Download Here

This Multi-lingual singer is a huge star in both of home-country of Korea and Japan, and she's soon to release her debut English album. I've chosen a Japanese song to show you and it's a somewhat mellow song in comparison to the first two songs on this list. That doesn't make it any less effective. The song is hard to place into a genre, I sure can't do it, though that's hardly rare within Asian music. A great song for any new listener of BoA.

05. A-mei (張惠妹) - Shei Yu Zheng Feng (From the album 'Maybe Tomorrow')
Download Here

Absolutely fantastic song and back into the hard-hitting power that is akin to the first two songs by Kumi and Ayumi. This song is a real mixture of different styles and techniques. The occasional choir pieces really add to the effect and it's just a generally fun, powerful song to listen to. Simply awesome.

06. Jolin Tsai (蔡依林) - Wan Mei (From the album 'Dancing Diva')
Download Here

One of Taiwan's most popular and influential singers, Jolin Tsai is in full force with this song. It's a very upbeat, fun song with some hidden rock-influences. Jolin's vocals are never bad to listen to and the occasional English that's thrown in here and there is fun to hear. I thought this little mix-tape could use some more upbeat songs, plus this is the song that really got me hooked on Jolin.

07. Utada Hikaru (宇多田ヒカル) - This is Love (From the album 'ULTRA BLUE')
Download Here

Another Bi-lingual singer, Utada is consistently compared to Ayumi, though they both sounds completely different to each other. Utada releases music both in English and Japanese and is going to be releasing her second English album soon. This song is primarily an upbeat pop track, but unlike Western pop music, Asian pop music is do much more complicated. It's blend of styles, techniques, beats and rhythms makes this type of pop a genre that is never boring to listen to. A very optimistic track indeed.


08. Lee Hyori (이효리) - E.M.M.M (From the album 'Dark Angel')
Download Here

This queen of the Korean music scene takes a turn from her usual RnB/Pop style to bring us an absolutely awesome rock/electronic-based track, showing everyone that it she's not just a one-trick pony. This song is catchy, upbeat and sexy and never ever boring.
Plus, the title stand for Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Moe..... which just amuses me.

09. OLIVIA - できない (Dekinai; I Can't) (From the album 'synchronicity'
Download Here

OLIVIA is another bi-lingual singer/songwriter, but unlike Utada and BoA she is also mixed-race. She adds English into almost all of her songs, and has released fully English albums before. This song in particular, which is one of her older songs, has a driving pop/rock sound and it's strangely catchy in an unconventional type of way. Her music is primarily rock-based, but, like most Asian artists, she also holds the ability to make music of many different genres, and this track is no exception to that.

10. Koda Kumi (倖田來未) x misono - It's all Love! (From the single 'It's all Love!')
Download Here

I've decided to leave you all with another Koda Kumi track, but this time she'd paired up with her sister. It's another driving rock-based track, definately fun to listen to and as always the little English additions to the track are undeniably adorable. It's the first time Kumi and younger sister misono have teamed up and if this is the result I certainly they team up again in the future.

[Bulldog]

Originally Posted by CaseNumber:825

My Present Top Ten Tracks
Considering many of who are confused by the music I listen to. Or intrigued by the sheer number of Asian artists that occupy my top lists on Last.fm I have compiled together a list of my current favourite songs from each of my top artists, just in case any of you want to have a listen at some great Asian music.

I have next to no Asian music in my library. I'm officially intrigued - downloading now...

[Molecules]

alright casenumber you J-pop/British comedy stalwart

My overall impression of J-pop is no longer entirely negative, just indifferent lol, but more informed thanks to your enlightening compilation. I don't think this was the super-squeaky day-glo dancepop my cousin was talking about.

There are a lot of different sounds at work, and I noticed you threw in some Chinese and Korean tracks as well which was good, it certainly wasn't all awful.
First off my main objection to this music is the shrink-wrapped, factory-line pop feel to it. I've never been huge on manufactured pop as a musical style, I don't actually know how many of these singers produce their own stuff if any?

The songs don't suffer from lack of writing talent (I'm sure the singers had the best writers and session musicians Sony Japan or whatever has to offer) but it is clearly produced for maximum fidelity to jostle for your attention with Asia's radio sensations.
Which is fine... it's just that the amount of musical re-appropriation on offer probably unnerved me I'll admit. For example one minute you'll be listening to a Timbaland-esque R'n'b club anthem (I own and enjoy some of Timbaland's landmark contributions to pop - Aaliyah, Writing's on the Wall etc), the next an Asian Britney Spears with buzzsaw synth faux-guitar line, the next a cheesy pop ballad with thrash metal backing?

It's all a bit overwhelming, and like I said it just feels very synthetic on a number of tracks, as if these women are not singing in their own true voice but that of some chuckling Simon Cowell-type exec (probably smoking a cigar with a Persian cat on his lap) trying to replicate Beyoncé's sales figures with native singers.

Having said all that if I'm in that kind of mood there are a couple of songs here I would happily have on rotation in a Western pop playlist; I've never been fond of the Japanese preference for melodrama though... what's that weird name for Japanese metal where they all wear really extravagant costumes? Special K or something? It's like emo gone kabuki, fun to look at but torturous to listen to.
Bands like Dir En Grey, the Ayumi Hamasaki song reminded me a bit of that but was much more fun to listen to.

I'll probably have more track-specific comments in a while, I've just had this on in the background and not really been paying attention to which song is which until just now!

[CaseNumber:825]

Originally Posted by Molecules

alright casenumber you J-pop/British comedy stalwart

My overall impression of J-pop is no longer entirely negative, just indifferent lol, but more informed thanks to your enlightening compilation. I don't think this was the super-squeaky day-glo dancepop my cousin was talking about.

There are a lot of different sounds at work, and I noticed you threw in some Chinese and Korean tracks as well which was good, it certainly wasn't all awful.
First off my main objection to this music is the shrink-wrapped, factory-line pop feel to it. I've never been huge on manufactured pop as a musical style, I don't actually know how many of these singers produce their own stuff if any?

The songs don't suffer from lack of writing talent (I'm sure the singers had the best writers and session musicians Sony Japan or whatever has to offer) but it is clearly produced for maximum fidelity to jostle for your attention with Asia's radio sensations.
Which is fine... it's just that the amount of musical re-appropriation on offer probably unnerved me I'll admit. For example one minute you'll be listening to a Timbaland-esque R'n'b club anthem (I own and enjoy some of Timbaland's landmark contributions to pop - Aaliyah, Writing's on the Wall etc), the next an Asian Britney Spears with buzzsaw synth faux-guitar line, the next a cheesy pop ballad with thrash metal backing?

It's all a bit overwhelming, and like I said it just feels very synthetic on a number of tracks, as if these women are not singing in their own true voice but that of some chuckling Simon Cowell-type exec (probably smoking a cigar with a Persian cat on his lap) trying to replicate Beyoncé's sales figures with native singers.

Having said all that if I'm in that kind of mood there are a couple of songs here I would happily have on rotation in a Western pop playlist; I've never been fond of the Japanese preference for melodrama though... what's that weird name for Japanese metal where they all wear really extravagant costumes? Special K or something? It's like emo gone kabuki, fun to look at but torturous to listen to.
Bands like Dir En Grey, the Ayumi Hamasaki song reminded me a bit of that but was much more fun to listen to.

I'll probably have more track-specific comments in a while, I've just had this on in the background and not really been paying attention to which song is which until just now!

It's true that not all of them write their own lyrics.... but surprisingly a lot of them do.... the ones that do write their own stuff are (From the artists in that playlist):

Koda Kumi
Ayumi Hamasaki
Ai Otsuka
Utada Hikaru
OLIVIA
misono



A-mei & BoA occasionally write their own stuff


You'll notice that there are more Japanese singers that write their own stuff. You'd be surprised at the sheer number of artists that do take more control over their work in Japan. The major factory-produced artists are the pop groups such as Hello!Project, a project made for the endorsement of the Hello Kitty products. They still make catchy songs, but they're not one of my favourites.
I think it's a strange rumour that Japanese artists don't write their own stuff, only mde BECAUSE of the Hello!Project fad.

You'll also notice, if you looked at most of these artists other works, that they are so diverse. They can go from pop, to rock, to RnB, to electronica.... and I'm only talking within one artists discography. Koda Kumi and Ayumi Hamasaki are especially known for this.


And yeah the weird Japanese rock groups that dress up are known as Visual-Kei artists..... I've never been a fan, can't say as I ever will be.