Chaotic Dusk

Genki Rockets – GENKI ROCKETS II -No border between us-

September 18, 2011 at 2:17 pm | Posted in Genki Rockets | 4 Comments
Tags: Electro, Electronic, Genki Rockets, J-pop, Jpop, Music, Review

1. prologue : the Blue
2. Curiosity
3. Touch me
4. fluffy
5. Reaching for the stars
6. Dreaming across stars
7. make.believe
8. Flow
9. Wonderland
10. Maker
11. rebirth
12. Hikari no tabi
13. Good night
14. Touch me (metalmouse + mix)
15. make.believe (The_AIU mix)
16. Curiosity (RAC mix)
17. Touch me (DORIAN mix)

I stopped hearing about Genki Rockets after the release of their debut album and I feared that they would not be returning with a sophomore release. However, in 2010 they unveiled the world’s first 3D and CG music video for their brand new song. The cute, child-like feel to their music has been replaced with a much more mature sound. While their first album was made up of mostly synth melodies with some of the songs including other instruments, on this album there’s an emphasis in combining their already brilliant electronic creations with organic instrumentats. Not only has the music been updated but Lumi is now a beautiful CG model of Rachel Rhodes. Genki Rockets is bigger, better and more magical than before.

prologue : the Blue is a flawless introduction that showcases the bands updated sound. Elements of nature, synths, strings, chimes and a piano are all utilized to set up an enchanting melody. The dramatic, orchestral ending adds a nice touch and it’s quite epic. It gives a taste of their incorporation of live instruments which only gets better from here on in. Curiosity reveals another aspect of the group that has improved greatly which is Lumi’s vocals. Her voice is stronger, more expressive and there’s a newfound maturity. The synth-based melody is energetic and at the same time it has a nice calming effect. Once the song enters the chorus, strings take their place next to the synths and Lumi’s gorgeous vocals pull you in, “and where we are just a step from the light/look through the clouds there is paradise/see the sky, there is only hope ’cause it’s in your future.” It’s reminiscent of Heavenly Star because it has the same intoxicating atmosphere and it’s such a bright song. The bridge, like a lot of their other bridges, slows down to show off the electro beat and I like how the percussion goes crazy before going back into the happy chorus. They couldn’t have chosen a better way to start the album. Touch me is lighter than the previous song and there’s a slight filter effect on her vocals. Guitars, synths and sweet vocals make this another standout song and the lyrics are as cute as ever, “I want you let’s feel and touch/touch my cheeks like the summer breeze/I feel tingles in the air/particles, cover me, with your touch.” The relaxed style of the verses isn’t permanent because when the chorus hits it turns into a synth love affair. Chimes and a piano sneak their way into the atmospheric bridge which provides a shift in the melody for a brief moment. I love how they incorporate the instruments from the bridge in the final chorus and the backing vocals are really nice.

The first interlude, fluffy, sounds like a music box melody collided with synths. The serene piano melody is lovely and the occasional burst of synth spices it up. This transitions right into Reaching for the stars and it has a similar melody but it’s more upbeat. Lumi’s voice gets a heavy dose of vocoder and the song builds up slowly as it gets closer to the chorus. The vocal effects are toned down in the chorus and the melody is quite addicting. The guitar and synth beats are fairly simple but it has a charm to it that makes it likeable. Dreaming across stars is short and sweet. The melody is fast-paced with guitars and percussion beats while Lumi uses a higher register. At first, her voice is strange but the high, breathy tone she uses grew on me and I’m glad that she’s not sticking to the same tone for each song. Not much changes in the chorus except for the tempo and Lumi sings with more energy. The instrumental breakdown after the chorus adds a much-needed change in sound and it helps keep the song from getting stale. The song that they unveiled last year and brought them back into the limelight is make.believe. The verses are crafted with a delicious guitar and her voice goes back to sounding the way it did in the first few songs. The chorus turns into a mellifluous dance beat with raving synths, strings and a heavenly performance from Lumi. It sounds similar to the first two songs but there’s enough going on to differentiate it and the vibrancy contained in the melody is infectious, “make it believe ‘n wishing someday/gonna fly high/just make it believe/wanna fly the high skies.”

The ballad, Flow, is an improvement over the one from their first album. That’s not to say their previous ballad was bad because it was fantastic but this one is more cohesive and natural. Lumi’s raw and emotional voice is coupled with an elegant piano. The beauty of this track is mesmerizing and the lyrics are so honest and heartfelt, “I’m living in nature/I touch, I feel, I cry/knowing that you have gone so, so far away.” It gets even better when the synths are added for the chorus and Lumi gives her best performance. Her high register is angelic and the way she holds the notes is done with such delicacy. Everything about this song is magnificent and it’s one of their best songs. The vocoder returns for Wonderland, a vibrant tune that takes a while for it to unravel. The verses could be better but they’re not too bad and the spurts of synths are quite contagious. The song doesn’t show its true potential until the chorus where it is filled with euphoric synths and stronger vocals. The vocoder effects sound much better with her lively vocals. Overall, this isn’t their most creative work but it is one of their more vibrant songs.

I was pleasantly surprised when I heard Maker because it’s not like anything they’ve done before. It’s their first edgy song and it’s refreshing. Lumi’s voice is vocoded but it sounds different from her usual digitized vocals. For the first time, she performs by speaking and the verses consist of her saying a handful of words, “feel/vibes/touch/love/you’re my maker/I’m your maker.” While this seems boring, it’s actually very catchy and the electric guitar that leads the melody packs an excellent punch. It’s nice to see them move away from the acoustics and it makes this really stand out. The chorus features actual singing from Lumi and she hits some great high notes. This is a superb experimental track that keeps the Genki Rockets flavour but spices it up a little. The final interlude, rebirth, is unnecessary. It’s short and it doesn’t even flow into the next song so it ends up being a random inclusion. Hikari no tabi doesn’t have any Japanese lyrics despite having a Japanese title but it’s another brilliant track. Rapid percussion starts it off and spacey synthesizers take over which lead to Lumi’s faded vocals. The verses have a laid-back approach compared to the happy, luminous and ear-catching chorus, “journey speed of light/my heart will feel you for eternity.” It’s cheesy but I can’t resist such an invigorating and bright song that’s made sweeter by a beautiful voice.

Good night is a stripped, lullaby-esque outro that focuses on Lumi’s voice and the accompanying piano. A set of strings appear halfway through and they beautify the melody even more. It’s very simple and it re-emphasizes their affair with organic instrumentation. The album finishes with a set of remixes, starting with Touch me (metalmouse + Mix). Compared to the original, there’s a focus on electro beats rather than live instruments and in the verses her vocals are faded. It’s dancier but it ends up having a similar feel and sound to the original. make.believe (The_AIU Mix) starts with a quiet, percussion-based melody which is a big departure over the original. Synths are eventually integrated as it builds into the chorus and the song switches to an all-out dance beat. I prefer the original though because the melody is so much more captivating and the remix just doesn’t flow as well. The one thing I love about Curiosity (RAC Mix) is the adorable piano intro. The synth beats that follow aren’t as infectious and the song is very subdued. The excitement and energy that I love about the original is lost. It’s not a bad remix but it’s too tame. Touch me (DORIAN Mix) is long, too long. Typical club beats run rampant with Lumi coming in occasionally to sing a few words. It gets better when she actually starts singing but this mix suffers from the same problem as the other ones. It goes for a subdued approach and it loses the feeling that made it so good in the first place.

Conclusion: Genki Rockets’ sophomore release is a step up from their debut album. All the great things from their debut are brought back and made even better. The vocals, melodies and lyrics have all been improved. The inclusion of organic instruments takes the band to a whole other level and gives their production a fresh, new sound. Their first album really showed that they were a virtual band but now their music is more human and it’s exhilarating. The band went beyond my expectations and delivered a heartfelt electropop masterpiece.

Recommended Tracks: Curiosity, Flow, Touch me, make.believe, Maker and Dreaming across stars

Rating

Genki Rockets – Genki Rockets I -Heavenly Star-

September 13, 2011 at 9:21 am | Posted in Genki Rockets | Leave a comment
Tags: Electro, Electronic, Genki Rockets, J-pop, Jpop, Music, Review

1. Prologue -Earth Rise-
2. Breeze
3. Smile
4. Star Line
5. Heavenly Star
6. Intermediate -Orbit Swimming-
7. I will
8. Star Surfer
9. Never Ever
10. Fly!
11. Star Line (Japanese Ver.)
12. Breeze: Summer Afternoon Mix
13. Breeze: Star Breeze Mix

Genki Rockets is an electronic virtual band created by Tetsuya Mizuguchi who is also the producer alongside Kenji Tamai. The face of the group is Lumi, a 17-year-old girl who was born in outer space 30 years in the future and wants to come to Earth. Her voice is made up of the voices of several female singers that have been combined into one. Nami Miyahara and Rachel Rhodes, who is also the model for Lumi, are the credited vocalists. They made their debut in the video game Lumines II and made their first live debut during LIVE EARTH. My first run in with Genki Rockets left me in awe because the whole project is captivating. Compared to other Japanese electropop/techno artists whose music is usually quite heavy, they offer an alternative that is light and easy to listen to.

Prologus -Earth Rise- takes pieces of Heavenly Star and mixes it with majestic, space-like synths. The outcome is an intoxicating melody and the atmosphere is heavenly. I love the pulsating synth line that makes a short appearance and the constant addition of beats elevates the vibrancy of the track. It’s almost like a remix of Heavenly Star but it works as an intro because this bright feel dominates the rest of album and this is what makes their music so hard to resist. Breeze has never stood out to me but I like it a lot more than I did before. A blast of summery synths and percussion beats invades the song the moment it begins. Lumi’s vocals are completely vocoded and the little touch of acoustic guitar gives the song an organic feel. It picks up in the chorus and it has a wonderful flow, “imagine the sunset sky, the warm desert waves/the breeze blows, ooh I’m close to you/you’re kissing me, I’m here embrace you here in my heart.” The bridge fades into a soft synth line that builds back up into the main melody. It’s really cute and they capture the feeling of a soothing summer breeze wonderfully. Smile is a gorgeous mid-tempo that drifts into ballad territory. This time a piano joins the uplifting synths and Lumi works her way into your heart with her lush voice. The melody is pure bliss with all of its sparkling and futuristic synths. Percussion beats are the main focus in the laid-back verses but there are sporadic synths that elevate it up a few notches. Lumi’s voice is vocoded but its light, especially during the chorus where delightful synths take over, “smile, chemistry I’m feeling/smile, look into your eyes/see the colors inside/happiness takes you all the way through.”

Genki Rockets leave behind the soft electropop for Star Line and it comes in the form of an electric rock track but it maintains the optimism of the other songs. The guitar riff is cleverly mixed with synths and a piano which gives it some edge. The urgent chorus is catchy and her powerful vocals make up for the cliché lyrics, “there’s love in the stars/there’s love in the sky/there’s love in my dreams/there’s love and peace.” Even though it’s corny, I can’t help but be drawn in. I was instantly sold on the song when I heard the bridge. It blends parts of the chorus and verses together with backing and distorted vocals. It’s really awesome and it makes the song more enjoyable. The best song on the album and their most popular one is the spectacular Heavenly Star. I fell for it the first time I listened to it and being exposed to it on a daily basis when playing No More Heroes embedded it into my brain. It has the most addicting synth line and the extreme use of vocoder works well because it enhances the electro goodness. The verses are sometimes difficult to understand because of the vocoder but it’s so uplifting and beautiful that you just don’t care, “I hear you whispering surrounded in silence/blue vibration/I hear the waves singing in the distance/pure isolation.” When the chorus hits, the vocoder is toned down and the fusion of synths is so surreal. The melody is infectious, brilliant and alluring, “let’s get away, fly away/I found the path to paradise/shining spiral of gold/take my hand, find our way out.” This is easily one of the greatest electropop songs to come from Japan and it never gets old. I love how the music calms down in the bridge, which is an altered version of the chorus with different lyrics, with gorgeous synths and chimes. This is a masterpiece and it’s captivating from start to finish. Intermediate -Orbit Swimming- is an interlude that splits the album in half and the majority of it is comprised of instruments. It begins with some cool synths and light percussion that gets intricate as more beats are added. Distorted vocals eventually make their way in and the melody takes on a cosmic sound.

I will has a long introduction but the melody is nice due to the acoustics that join the laid-back synth beat. The verses are calmer and Lumi’s vocals are shrouded in vocoder. I like how relaxing it is and the chorus returns to the melody from the intro where Lumi sings in a lovely high tone, “I will sing for you, gaze into the sky/I will dance for you, bubbles in the air.” The chorus is fairly short but it does a good job of hooking the listener in. Crashing waves open Star Surfer and quirky acoustic and electro beats are added which then explode into an up-tempo melody. One thing that’s instantly noticeable is the lack of vocoder on Lumi’s voice. Her crisp vocals sound great with the accompanying acoustic guitar. It’s all about synths in the chorus and they fill the song with a light, happy atmosphere, “feel the waves/and happy vibes surrounds us twilight shinning/I’m feeling good/we’re star surfers.” Not much happens in the bridge except for the crashing waves that briefly join the melody. I thought Genki Rockets were only going to make electropop songs but they prove to be more than that with their first ballad Never Ever. Comprised of only piano chords, the song showcases a completely different side to the band. Lumi’s voice is vocoder free and she sounds so different. Her vocals are strong, clear and emotive. The rich quality of her voice is beautiful and during the chorus she sings faster with a high tone, “I want to chase the seasons on the move/want to smell the rain changing into snow/everything I want to do with you is still in the future.” The second half of song marks the first time Lumi sings in Japanese and it’s nice to finally hear her sing in the language. Their first attempt at a ballad is a major success and it provides a nice break from all the synthesizers.

Fly! is another interesting song and it takes the album into somewhat of a pop rock direction. Lumi sounds similar to the way she did during the previous song and she sings enthusiastically with cheerful vocals. The guitar is partnered with the band’s usual happy synth line and they make a great duo. The uplifting mood that comes out in the chorus is infectious, fresh and cute, “nature’s exploding/flowers are blooming/The waves are singing/walking the clouds and the moon/you pull me up all the way/we’re making a brand new escape.” I love how the synths take precedence for the second verse and the guitar-less chorus at the end is amazing. Star Line (Japanese Ver.), as the title states, is a Japanese version of the original and that’s the only difference. It’s cool to hear Lumi sing an entire song in Japanese and it flows really well. Breeze: Summer Afternoon Mix replaces the main synth melody with a tropical acoustic set. The instrumental interlude after every chorus showcases the wonderful melody of the acoustic guitar and the high, reverberating synth line. The new arrangement gives it a stronger summer and organic sound. Breeze: Star Breeze Mix does the opposite and takes out the summery flavour and goes for an outer space atmosphere. This remix focuses more on the melody because there are hardly any vocals. It’s a nice mixture of synths and it has more of a dance sound then the other two versions but the lack of vocals takes it down a little. Furthermore, it goes on way too long and if it was shorter it would be a lot better.

Conclusion: Genki Rockets I -Heavenly Star- is synth heaven and it’s full of addicting, beautiful and poetic songs. This is one of the most creative bands I’ve come across and I’ve never heard anything like them. I find it difficult to get into techno/electropop artists in Japan because their sound is either too heavy or there’s too much of a focus on the melody rather than the vocals but Genki Rockets does all the right things for me. The surprises that they threw into the album, like the ballad and rock oriented songs, make this more than just an electronica album and it shows their versatility. This is an excellent debut and it’s a must-listen for any fan of the genre.

Recommended Tracks: Heavenly Star, Fly!, Never Ever, I will, Smile and Star Line

Rating