Ongaku - The World of Anime Music

Bounen no Xamdou OST 1 & 2 - Xam'd: Lost Memories

I haven't posted for such a long time, I'm so sorry. I've had so many other occupations lately, that I didn't have the time nor the will to write anything on my blog... But today, I felt it should be time to write a post to celebrate the arrival of the Xam'd: Lost Memories OST 1 & 2 (Bounen no Xamdou). Since I finished watching the series back in February, I have been desperately waiting for the awesome soundtrack by Michiru Oshima to come out! I also did a cover song on the piano of one of the wonderful songs from the OST.

Today I've been able to listen to the 2 Bounen no Xamdou OSTs thanks to Gameurs who uploaded the OST.

Download the full Bounen no Xamdou OST 1 here!
Download the full Bounen no Xamdou OST 2 here!

Tell me what you think about it! And check out my piano cover and the original song after the jump!

New Kalafina song preview: Storia

In other related Yuki Kajiura news (it's been a long time I've posted anything about her highness!), kalafina has a new Single coming out soon! It's called Storia and it's their first single that won't be featured in an anime, but this time in an NHK TV series entitled Rekishi Hiwa Historia. Yuki Kajiura will also be composing the soundtrack of the series... It looks like the girls of kalafina are channeling ukrainian folk dancers on the cover picture! HAHA

Here's a short sample of Storia available on Sony’s website. You can also download the 40 second kalafina sample here.

Thank you to CPM for the news! Like all kalafina songs, storia sounds like a hit... I can't wait to be the first of July when it finally comes out!

Xam'd: Lost Memories OP2 song - Back on my Feet by Boom Boom Satellites

Since Xam'd is finally getting a TV broadcast version, there'll be a new OP theme song, but fear not, it is also by Boom Boom Satellites. Their previous OP for Xam'd entitled "Shut up and explode", was one of my favorite OP songs from the past season (Check out my review here). The new song is called "Back on my Feet" and the single is coming out the first of July.

Download the TV version of "Back on my feet" here.

9/10 By the looks of it, "Back on my feet" is as good or maybe even better than the first Opening song. Can't wait to hear the full version. In any case, even the TV version is nothing short of amazing!! Boom Boom Satellites have a unique sound and style, and this song is a good example of their awesomeness. I can't stop listening to their latest album EXPOSED, which is brilliant. Thank you Erias for making me discover this new Boom Boom Song!

Check out the awesome video sequence for the new OP:

Fan Cover of Fairytale by Kalafina

Back in January, I did a piano cover of Fairytale, the kalafina theme song for the sixth Kara no Kyoukai movie. A month ago I received a message on my Youtube Channel from xFukairix telling me she had made a cover of Fairytale using my piano cover. I felt very honored that someone would use one of my piano covers to do a cover of their own, especially one this good! So thank you very much xFukairix for the lovely cover version of Fairytale, and if someone ever wants to use one my piano tracks to record a song, you're welcome! All I ask in return is that you mention my blog in the video description...

Download the mp3 version of my Fairytale piano cover here.

9/10 I really enjoyed listening to xFukairix's version of Fairytale! Her voice is really amazing and pure. It's a really hard song to master, but she managed to do a pretty good job. Her pronunciation is perfect, and despite some places where her voice is a little out of tune, her singing sounds very professional. I can't wait to hear more anime song covers from her.

In the meantime check out her version of Fairytale:

Ultimate Hisaishi and Kajiura Piano Sheet Collection

So many people have been asking me for the Yuki Kajiura and Joe Hisaishi music sheets again so here they are :

DOWNLOAD THE ULTIMATE JOE HISAISHI PIANO SHEET COLLECTION HERE!

DOWNLOAD THE ULTIMATE YUKI KAJIURA PIANO SHEET COLLECTION HERE!

What do you think of the Ongaku Blog v2.0?

Now that the new layout and the new plastic Ongaku logo are finally in place, I'd like to have your thoughts on the new changes... Also, a big thank you to Smashing Magazine for their amazing photoshop tutorials, and great logo and visual ideas... It helped me a lot throughout this whole creative process, and I hope it paid off. I also made a couple of others logo, which I might show you later on!

Please answer the poll:

New Layout, New Logo - New Beginnings

As some of you may have noticed, the last couple of weeks have been pretty intense for me and for my blog and ex-forums... I'd like to apologize for the lack of news and updates during those weeks... Most of you may have noticed that all the forum links and downloads have disappeared! Due to lack of time and irreconcilable differences with some of the forum team members, I had to part ways with the Ongaku Forums. So the Ongaku Forums is no longer... I was deeply saddened that it had to come to this, but it was the only way for me to move on, and to focus on my blog and my music without having to deal with unnecessary stress and unprofessionalism... I wish all the best to Senakunes and his team in their new endeavour, and thank them for the great times we had together at the forums!

Now that I've adressed the forum issue, let me tell you some of the things I have in store for the Ongaku blog of Anime Music. Despite my busy schedule, I spent the last week working on a new layout and a new Logo (so many hours spent in front of photoshop!!!). It should be ready in a few days, so keep your eyes open for the big changes... I hope you'll like them as much as I do! I've also been thinking about some great post ideas and new music. I'm still not sure if I'll be posting download links again though. I'll have to think about the pros and the cons...
Please tell me what you think about that!

See you again soon for some fresh contents and new updates...
Ryvius

My Piano Cover of Tokyo et Paris - Nodame Cantabile Paris ED

Here's my latest piano cover, which has been on youtube for more than a week now! It's the beautiful Nodame Cantabile Paris ED, entitled Tokyo et Paris by Emiri Miyamoto x Solita (check out my review here). It's so weird to be covering a song in my own language!! Anyway, I hope you all like it!!

You can download the mp3 of my piano version here.

Pandora Hearts OP Single - Parallel Hearts by FictionJunction

The Parallel Hearts Single has finally leaked (it's supposed to be released the 29th!)... It's always nice to have some fresh Yuki Kajiura songs, especially FictionJunction ones. And there's even a new FictionJunction YUUKA song on the single. What a treat!! In case you haven't heard my piano version of Parallel Hearts, here it is.

Tracklist

1. Parallel Hearts
2. Hitomi no Chikara (by FictionJunction YUUKA)
3. Parallel Hearts ～Instrumental～
4. Hitomi no Chikara ～Instrumental～

9/10 The full version of Parallel Hearts is of course even better than the TV-size version. I can't praise Yuki-sama enough for her awesome songs!!! I also really like the new YUUKA song, it's so nice they're doing songs together again... Even if I prefer the fast YUUKA songs, this one is still mesmerizing.

Check out the full PV, featuring Yuki Kajiura and FictionJunction:

Some updates on the Ongaku Blog...

Yes, I'm still alive... Sorry for not being very active these past few weeks. As some of you may know, I've just started working at my first job as a SEO consultant, so I haven't had much time for my blog. But I'll try to be more organized from now on, and write more regularly! There's been a lot of new shows and new music lately, so there's much to write about. I'm also working on recording my first anime piano composition, a tribute song to Yuki Kajiura in true kajiuran style...

And if you're wondering about the Ponyo picture for this post, here's the answer: Last week I saw it for the first time at the movies and it was so good! I can't wait to go back and see it. The music was amazing as I remembered it. Thank you Joe!!!

Linebarrels of Iron Insert Songs and OSTs

Two weeks ago, I finished watching Linebarrels of Iron and while I wouldn't say it was masterpiece, it still had its moments... The characters were a bit too over the top for my taste and the storyline borrowed a lot from other animes of the genre. The music also had its moments, with some nice BGM tracks by Conisch (who I had never heard of before) and some really awesome insert songs from Lisa Komine (both are on the Linebarrels of Iron OST2).

8.5/10 The first insert song by Lisa Komine is entitled Kokoro no Mama ni and is a slow ballad accompanied by piano. I don't remember in which episodes it was featured, but it definitely was during some sad parts... The melody is truly beautiful and the vocals match the overall mood of the song.

Check out the song here:

9/10 The second insert song is called PROUD and is the true highlight of the Linebarrels of Iron OST2!! It's a wonderful song filled with drama and tension, that usually played in some of the action parts of anime. I remember it being played towards the end of the series, but it may have also played before that. The piano parts are truly amazing in the song... And I love the fact, that some parts of the song are a lot slower and are in contrast with the fast-paced beginning of the song. I also advise you to check out the instrumental version of PROUD, which is a slower piano track of the song...

Check out the full song here:

My Piano Cover of Parallel Hearts - Pandora Hearts OP

In other Pandora Hearts news, this is my piano cover of the OP theme song, Parallel Hearts by FictionJunction. This should come as no surprise to my loyal readers, since I already mentioned a few days ago, that my good friend Allexiel had posted it on his website. So here it is, I hope you'll like it... As some of you were complaining that I never show my face on the videos, here it is in the really cool picture Allexiel made (thank you man!).

You can download my high quality mp3 here

Oh by the way, I just noticed this is my 20th video! I'm amazed at myself, I didn't think I'd have the courage to do as many...

Pandora Hearts ED - Maze by Savage Genius

I still haven't watched the first Pandora Hearts episode (shame on me...), but I'm happy that Savage Genius is doing the ED theme song, which is called Maze. They must love doing songs for kajiura-related animes, because this is the third anime they're doing with music composed by Yuki Kajiura (after Erementar Gerad and El Cazador). It can't be a coincidence right?? Anyway it's great to see them back after their last anime song, which was Just Tune from Yozakura Quartet (which I loved).

7/10 I can't say it's the best Savage Genius song I've heard, but it's also definitely not their worst. They're always capable of maintaining that same good quality throughout all their songs, and this one is no different... I'll have to listen to the full version of the song though, to really make up my mind, so this rating is probably temporary.

Here's the Pandora Hearts ED, enjoy:

Parallel Hearts CM - Pandora Hearts OP

Hurray for some Yuki Kajiura related news! The Parallel Hearts CM for the Pandora Hearts anime just came out... Here's a sneak peak at the Parallel Hearts PV, featuring Yuki Kajiura on the piano and FictionJunction (which is now a group composed of Keiko, Wakana, Yuriko Kaida and Kaori). Parallel Hearts will be the first FictionJunction single, and I obviously can't wait for it! I also wonder, now that FictionJunction is a new group, does that mean it's the end for Kalafina?? Especially considering that Wakana and Keiko are parts of the 2 projects... Hmmm, I wonder. I would like both groups to exist, which would mean double the great songs!

And for those of you who still haven't seen the Pandora Hearts OP, here it is after the jump...

My Piano Cover of Irodori no Nai Sekai - Kurokami ED

Here's my latest piano cover! It's the song Irodori no Nai Sekai by Yousei Teikoku, which is the Kurokami: The Animation Ending Theme song (read my review here). I hope you guys like it! Tell me what you think!

You can download the mp3 of my piano cover here.

If you want to listen to my next piano cover, check out the latest blog post of my good friend Allexiel here. I'll have it featured on my blog next week!

Soul Eater OST2 - The Latest Iwasaki/Kasahara Song

I think I might have posted my Yuri Kasahara Anime Compilation Album a bit too early! Indeed, a new Kasahara song was just released in the Soul Eater OST 2 by amazing composer Taku Iwasaki! It is intitled Kindertotenlied (which means "song on the death of children" in german!).

Listen to the song here:

8/10 The latest Iwasaki/Kasahara collaboration is yet another amazing song. Kindertotenlied feels like a true classical track that could well be a part of some 19th century Opera! It's also full of despair and fits perfectly with the dark Soul Eater atmosphere. It truly amazes me how, both Iwasaki's and Kasahara's combined talents always make for the most wonderful songs.

Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou ED Album - Aishiteru by Kourin

Wow, I haven't written a post for one week! Sorry for being so lazy... This new post is about the the Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou ED theme song, Aishiteru by Kourin. I haven't watched the show but I've been reading a lot of positive reviews, so I might just add it to my ever growing list of animes to watch.

Tracklist:

1. Houseki
2. FLY
3. Aishiteru
4. Cherry Star
5. Shikakui Heya no Meiro
6. Katto
7. Shishuu
8. Kirei ni na Are
9. Namida Nanka Iranai
10. Sukoshi Zutsu
11. Arch

9/10 Aishiteru definitely has the right song title! I love this song. It's a beautiful piano ballad, sung by the very talented singer Kourin! It reminds me of some ballads by Mika Nakashima, although the two have completely different voices... Kourin is definitely a name I'll have to remember. Her album is really good, with a lot of high quality songs such as Aishiteru!

Check out the song here:

My Piano Cover of Kiseki - Birdy The Mighty Decode S2 OP

It's been ages since my last piano cover (here). I hope you won't think I'm being lazy! I've actually been working on a lot of songs these days... So there should be a lot more piano covers coming soon! This one is a cover of the awesome Birdy The Mighty Decode S2 OP song by Nirgilis, entitled Kiseki (read my review here). I hope you guys will like it. It's a lot faster than most of the songs I usually play!

You can download the Mp3 version of my cover here.

Fan Cover of Moon on The Water - From the Beck Anime

It's been a long time since I showcased some new talents. There are a lot of amazing anime song covers out there, just waiting to be discovered! Luckily for me, I didn't have to go very far for this one. Indeed, Taka is a very active member of the Ongaku community and Forums. Here's the amazing cover he did of the Beck song, Moon on The Water:

Full moon waves by TakaB

9/10 His rendition of Moon on The Water is near-perfect. The quality of his voice is just astounding. It has a beautiful and warm feel to it and I really love the vibratos... In my opinion, it's much better than the original versions of the songs (of course the Engrish didn't really help, for example in one version you can clearly hear "what a fuel" instead of "what a fool" LOL).

The Beck OSTs have 3 versions of Moon on The Water, one by Tanaka Koyuki & Minami Maho, another one by THE Dying Breed Feat. Tanaka Koyuki and the last one by BEAT CRUSADERS (the best one).

Check out the original songs after the jump!

Tanaka Koyuki & Minami Maho's version

BEAT CRUSADERS' version

Gundam 00 S2 Insert Song Album - Unlimited Sky by Tommy Heavenly6

Unlimited Sky is an Insert Song featured in episode 18 of the Gundam 00 2nd Season anime. It is sung by Tommy Heavenly6, one of Tomoko Kawase's many pseudonyms. Tommy Heavenly6 also did the Soul Eater OP2 (my review here) and the Gintama OP1. Tomoko Kawase is also the singer and vocalist of musical group the brilliant green (They did the awesome Gundam 00 OP2, Ash like Snow). As a solo artist, she has released music under the alter-ego pseudonyms Tommy february6 and Tommy heavenly6. This Gundam 00 S2 Insert Song Album is actually the first Tommy heavenly6 compilation, entitled "Gothic Melting Ice Cream's Darkness Nightmare" and it contains songs from the first and second Tommy heavenly6 album.

Tracklist:

1. Wait till I can dream
2. Hey my friend
3. Ready?
4. I'm Gonna SCREAM+
5. Pray
6. Lollipop Candy BAD gir
7. I LOVE XMAS
8. Heavy Starry Chain
9. PAPERMOON
10. LCDD
11. Roller coaster ride
12. fell in love with you
13. GIMME ALL OF YOUR LOVE!!
14. GOING 2 MY WAY!
15. Wanna be your idol
16. Lucky me
17. +gothic Pink+
18. 2Bfree
19. Unlimited Sky

7/10 Unlimited Sky is a really nice rock song. I just love Tomoko Kawase's voice. It perfectly suits the touching melody of the track. It almost starts off as a slow ballad but then becomes this heavy, guitar-driven song with a really nice beat. Keep up the good work Tomoko! This compilation is also full of other great songs such as this one...

Watch the PV for Unlimited Sky here:

Maria Holic ED Single - Kimi ni, Mune Kyun

It's high time for a new ED song review! Today I'll be reviewing the Maria Holic Ending Theme song entitled Kimi ni, Mune Kyun and sung by Asami Sanada, Yu Kobayashi and Marina Inoue. For my review of the Maria Holic OP theme song, it's here.

Tracklist:

1. Kimi ni, Mune Kyun.
2. Neko Mimi Rhythm
3. Kimi ni, Mune Kyun. Original Karaoke
4. Neko Mimi Rhythm Original Karaoke

4/10 This song is all about cheesy pop and synth voices. In short, not the kind of songs I like. It sounds childish and cheap. Or maybe I'm just getting too old for this kind of music. What do my readers think? Am I being too harsh?

Check out the full song after the jump!

The Unofficial Yuri Kasahara Anime Compilation Album

The name of Yuri Kasahara is probably unknown to most anime and anime music fans, but I'm quite certain her voice isn't. She can be heard in anime series such as Gurren Lagann, Mai Otome, Madlax, Noir, Persona Trinity Soul, Black Cat... So, here's an album I put together with all of her anime related songs.

Yuri Kasahara (or Yuri Shinada) is one of Japan's best known opera singers. She has performed in a multitude of operas, such as in "The Magic Flute" by Mozart (playing The Queen of The Night) or "La Traviata" by Verdi. She has also sung over 100 songs in commercial and has composed music and written lyrics for a number of plays and operas.

For her anime related performances, she has worked with two of the best anime composers out there: Yuki Kajiura and Taku Iwasaki. The songs they have created together are some of my favorite anime songs of all-time. Her incredible voice is one of the best, if not the best I have ever heard in any anime related music. Songs such as Materialise, Places of the Holy, Salva Nos, ACCETTAMI, Der Mond zeigt mir meine eigene Gestalt or Libera me from Hell are simply masterpieces and give me the chills everytime I listen to them. That's why I urge every classical, anime or opera follower to listen to her songs... You won't be disappointed!

Tracklist

1. Materialise! (Mai-Otome)
2. Places of the Holy (Madlax)
3. To Find Your Flower (Madlax)
4. Salva Nos (Noir)
5. Maze (Noir)
6. Secret Game (Noir)
7. Red Rose (Yuki Kajiura Fiction album)
8. Chigiri ~ Reverie Metherlence (Erementar Gerad)
9. Kasukanari Aogi no Sai (Erementar Gerad)
10. In a Beautiful Morning of May (Le Portrait de Petit Cossette)
11. Moonflower (Le Portrait de Petit Cossette)
12. Liminality (.Hack//Liminality)
13. ACCETTAMI (Black Cat)
14. TI UCCIDO MA NON MI SODDISFO (Black Cat)
15. Der Mond zeigt mir meine eigene Gestalt (Persona Trinity Soul)
16. Der Mond zeigt mir meine eigene Gestalt 2nd version (Persona Trinity Soul)
17. Libera me from Hell (Gurren Lagann)

Listen to some of her songs here:

Libera Me from Hell

Materialise

Der Mond zeigt mir meine eigene Gestalt

ACCETTAMI

Places of the Holy

Birdy the Mighty Decode:02 ED Single - Tane by no3b

Can the Birdy the Mighty Decode:02 ED song by no3b match the brilliance that was the OP song? Find it out here, in my latest ED theme song review...

Tracklist:

1. Tane
2. Girls' talk
3. Tane -Instrumental--
4. Girls' talk -Instrumental-

5.5/10 Tane is your average J-Pop song. Neither good, nor really bad, it's the kind of song that doesn't leave a single trace in your memory banks. How could it? Forgettable singing and forgettable tune never make a big impression... I urge you to listen to kiseki the awesome OP theme song by Nirgilis instead.

Watch the ED sequence in HD here:

Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z! OP 1 - Kibou No Kakera by Nana Kitade

One of Japan's fashion icons, the gothic lolita clad J-pop princess, Nana Kitade was responsible for performing the Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z first opening theme! Just found it out in an older Shojo Beat mag... :(

PPGZ is one of my earliest animes, a Japanese adaptation of the famous Cartoon Network's Powerpuff Girls. I saw it over the same network not too long ago and I suppose it'll be spreading more cuteness in the US this year.

I know it's crazy to even like these bunch of cute girls! I adore Bubbles the most! And speaking of crazy, Nana's PV of the same song is more crazier than I thought! Watch.

Honestly, I don't like her singing style that much. :( Maybe little kids do! Let's see what Ryvius think of it.

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Ryvius' Rating:

2/10 Hmmm, what a weird voice. For me it's the same feeling as nails on a blackboard. Or like someone being forced to sing out of a toilet. It's really atrocious! It's not cute at all... What were they thinking when they asked Nana Kitade to sing for the Powerpuff Girls. The adorable trio deserves much better. In any case, I really adored the original series' opening video sequence. Remember?? "Sugar, Spice and everything nice..." This song is definitely not nice!

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The Ultimate Joe Hisaishi Piano Sheet Collection

After the Ultimate Yuki Kajiura Piano Sheet Collection, it's time for the Ultimate Joe Hisaishi Piano Sheet Collection (223 sheets to be exact!). I've been gathering these for some years now, and I can say without hesitation that these are the best anime piano sheets out there. First of all, Joe Hisaishi's songs are timeless and just beautiful. Second, most of these sheets are the original piano sheets, and none of the transcribed stuff that isn't as good and generally over-simplified.

DOWNLOAD THE ULTIMATE JOE HISAISHI PIANO SHEET COLLECTION HERE!

That's why my favorite sheets in this collection are the ones from Hisaishi's piano albums (Piano Stories, Encore, Etude...). They're just wonderful to play and a couple of the songs in these albums are either from the Miyazaki movies or from the Kitano movies. So I would advise anyone to start with these sheets before venturing to the other stuff... My favorite songs to play are Innocent (Laputa), The Wind Forest (Totoro), Ashitaka and San (Mononoke), Fantasia (Nausicaa), Sixth Station (Spirited Away), Friends (Porco Rosso), One Summer's Day (Spirited Away)...

In this collection you will find songs from:

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind OST
Laputa: Castle in the Sky OST
My Neighbor Totoro OST
Kiki's Delivery Service OST
Porco Rosso OST
Princess Mononoke OST
Spirited Away OST
Howl's Moving Castle OST
Joe Hisaishi meets Kitano Films
Piano Stories I
Piano Stories II
Piano Stories III
Piano Stories IV
Encore
Etude - A Wish to The Moon
My Lost City
Parasite Eve OST
Le Mecano de la General OST
Pretender