Meltdown - iroha

Straight after Kokoro, we have another famous Rin Kagamine song: Meltdown. Its worth noting that while I credit iroha for making the song, it was KUMA who wrote the lyrics. I'm honestly not very familiar with KUMA, but the lyrics fit very nicely with the music so the duo did a good job collaborating.

Meltdown is another great song for people just starting to listen to Vocaloid music since its such a well known classic compared to other songs.

http://vocalife.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/rin_meltdown.jpg - Wicked Crazy art.

Here's the song link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN1oJdCv2SE - Meltdown

The lyrics are very interesting and definitely have a double meaning going for them. However, with my mere elementary understanding of the Japanese language, I generally decide what Vocaloid songs I like based more on sound than on words. Still, its nice when a song makes me think, and after reading into the meaning of this song, I did have to stop for a moment.

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The Rating

8/10

Don't hate me, all you people who really love this song. Let me assure you that I think this song is very deserving of its popularity. Its just a little...um...simple? Okay, that's the wrong word. Iroha as a musician creates a lot of songs that sound a bit like Meltdown (such as "moon": review coming soon). The fact is, is that iroha doesn't like to make songs very complicated. The simplicity of Meltdown actually works VERY well in its favor and its catchy factor is what got it the 8 rating.

I wouldn't be a Vocaloid Connoisseur if I gave every song 10/10 of course! Its just that no part of Meltdown really makes me stop and say "WOW! I gotta hear that again!" Take Kokoro for instance. Every time the chorus hits, I get those chills that just scream: "DAMN, THAT'S GOOD!" Overall, a solid contribution to the world of Vocaloid by iroha.

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ROCK ON, FELLOW VOCALOCONNOISSEURS!

Kokoro - Toraboruta-P

(I don't own this pic, but its just so damn nice! Image from:  いそう凪)

Well, if I didn't review Kokoro, this wouldn't be much of a Vocaloid Connoisseur's blog would it? First of all, if you haven't heard this masterpiece, I would immediately.

Are you an emotional person? Did you cry when Bambi's mother died? If so, I would recommend you grab some tissue.

Rin and Len's mixed Kokoro with English Sub - ココロ - HQ -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKv7cw_Z1P4

So yeah. What can I say about this song that isn't already in the YouTube video comments? "I cry every time".

Okay, so I never cried when I watched the video, but I definitely believe that it deserves the praise its gotten over the years. The version I linked above is actually the Rin/Len version. There is one with only Rin, one with only Len, one with Miku, one with pretty much everyone. It's popular so there are plenty of fan dubs if that's your thing. I've listened to quite a few, and I think the Rin/Len version is the best...but you may disagree with me. I know people who like the Rin only better. Just personal opinion I suppose.

This song is about a lonely scientist who creates a robot...actually, just watch the video. I know from experience that just letting somebody watch the thing has a much more profound impact than telling them the story without them having heard it. So yeah, once again, if you haven't, watch the video.

So on to the music. I absolutely LOVE the stylistic touches Toraboruta-P put into this song. (BTW, the "P" after a composers name stands for "producer", as in, someone who produces original music.)

The song is essentially sung by a robot, so the synthesized voice really brings out the true character and makes it more engaging. This is a good example of a song that pretty much no human could sing better than the Vocaloids.

Kokoro is filled with machine sounds. Not like an urban city or anything, but clean sounding synthesizer noises carried along by a steady beat. Overall, it just gives a feeling of sterility as well as emotion. This duality is what defines a robot with a heart. Its that contradiction that makes the story so sad yet so happy.

Plus, I gotta say, for V2 Vocaloid, I can really feel that emotion from the voices. Not every producer can get down that cry in Rin/Len's voice that is present in Kokoro.

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The Rating

10/10

I honestly won't hand out 10s very often. It just happened that I felt like reviewing a classic today. To be perfectly fair, I didn't "hand out" a 10 to Kokoro. That song really PROVED itself worthy of that 10. The story is engaging, the singing is great, the beat is tight and consistent, and the melody fit well with the atmosphere of the song. Any complaints with this song would just be nitpicking for me, and I know a fair amount of listeners regard this song as their favorite.

This song isn't my number 1 by the way. It's definitely up there in the top 20, though not in the top 10.

Still, well played, Toraboruta-P, well played.

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ROCK ON, FELLOW VOCALOCONNOISSEURS!

Nyanyanyanyanyanyanya! - Daniwell

If you've been chillin' around the internet for the past few years, you've probably heard of "Nyan Cat" or the "Poptart Cat". If you haven't for whatever reason, I'll give you the basic lowdown. "Nyan" is the Japanese equivalent of "Meow" as in the sound that a cat makes (duh). The Nyan Cat internet meme features a poptart with the head, arms, legs, and tail of a cat, shooting a rainbow from its butt and flying through space while an endless and catchy loop of the word "Nyan" is repeated over and over. Needless to say, its amazing...or annoying. Depends on your high frequency tolerance or HFT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH2-TGUlwu4 - Nyan Cat

BTW...the thing about the HFT...I made it up...but still, its important as A LOT of Miku songs are very high pitched.

Unfortunately, most of the people who hear and enjoy the Nyan Cat meme in America don't know that it was originally a Hatsune Miku song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7wUuQnKTno - A slightly jazzed up version of the original

The poptart cat version is actually UTAU Momo Momone

An UTAU if you don't know, is the freeware version of Vocaloid. There are many different characters, each with their own voice banks, but don't expect the quality of the synth to be anywhere equal to a Vocaloid which costs generally around $200. Then again, many people enjoy the sound of UTAU better. It's all a matter of taste. I suppose I'll talk about some UTAU songs in the future too!

Anyway, I decided I'm going to rate the songs I discuss. THIS RATING IS BY NO MEANS OFFICIAL! THIS IS MY OPINION!

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The Rating

5/10

Nyanyanyanyanyanyanya! is catchy, cute, and makes on hell of a viral video, but when it comes down to substance, this song is pretty much lacking in every category. Still, this song doesn't pretend to be serious...and its not. It's fun to listen to and it must have been fun to make. Daniwell is a great producer who has made THE CUTEST songs, some of which are fantastic from a musical standpoint as well as the "fun" standpoint.

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ROCK ON, FELLOW VOCALOCONNOISSEURS!

Levan Polkka - Otomania

The title isn't really the most accurate thing. Otomania made the most famous version: LEEK SPIN FTW! However, it was first a Finnish song, made in the 1930s. Levan Polkka was later revived by Loituma: a Finnish band. There are plenty of leek spin parodies to this music all over YouTube. I almost don't even need to post a link, but I'll do it anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbbA9BhCTko - Levan Polkka - Miku

With a catchy beat, cute animation, and...um...catchy beat...

um...

Well, its a classic, and a song that many people listen to without knowing that Miku sings it.

Not really much to say. I'll let the YouTube artists speak for themselves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ggw6lk2PmMg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-N1yJyrQRY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6gVE9Uov2A

AND MUCH MORE!

World is Mine - Supercell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuJ6UR_pD5s - Here's your handy YouTube link, first of all ^_^

Okay. World is Mine. Pretty much one of the most, if not THE most well known Hatsune Miku song of all time. Seeing that this song was actually featured in an American Toyota commercial...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaA2liN9LKM - Miku Toyota Commercial

...I'd say its gone a long way. This song was created by Supercell: A Japanese band headed by song writer Ryo. This man is a genius by the way, pumping out HUGE hits like "Love is War", "Melt", and "Black Rock Shooter" (which I'll be talking about in future posts).

Anyway, back to World is Mine. To be honest, it was my first Vocaloid song, and I recommend it to anyone as their first as well. It gives a great view of Miku for somebody who has just heard of her. She's a tsundere (for lack of a better word) little diva who demands a certain standard from her boyfriend. That kind of personality is a popular archetype, especially in anime, and hooks in the listener. Of course, Miku's personality isn't always like that if the snooty annoys you. Since she isn't technically a real person, producers with their own visions are constantly changing her image. That's part of what makes Vocaloid such an adventure!

Welcome to the All-About-Vocaloid-Music Blog!

Welcome to the Vocaloid Connoisseur's Blog! You don't need to know much about me, only that I LOVE Vocaloid music. I listen to all kinds of different genres, but Vocaloid is my passion. It's because the singing synthesis program can be used by all kinds of people with many different styles, so the poor but extremely talented can get themselves a singer for a fraction of the cost of a real one. Vocaloid seems so fresh, and is without a doubt, every genre since the types of producers that actually make the songs are so diverse.

In this blog, I'll be discussing some of my favorite songs, and posting new discoveries that I make!

I hope to make this blog something avid fans and curious musical connoisseurs alike can enjoy!