Dancemania EX × Trance Paradise

Geki Atsu! Anime Euro Robot Hen
Release Date: 2/8/12
Price: 2000 yen

In contrast the mostly new School Edition, the Robot Edition is a fiery cesspool of repeats. All of the usual repeat offenders are here, including the worst offenders, Sousei, Zankoku, and Shangri-La. Gekitei gets a pass because it’s full of awesome. Oddly, “Hikari to Kage o Dakishimeta Mama” is being credited to Kohana instead of Hanatan, even though they’re supposedly the same person and it’s been credited to Hanatan in the past.

Anyway, it’s not all gloom and doom. There are 4 new tracks from Usa, Anima and Kei. 4/15 is a pretty lousy ratio of new tracks though. Excessive repeats killed the Anime Euro Best series. Let’s hope Tokuma don’t follow the same path.

Read the rest of this entry »

Geki Atsu! Anime Euro Gakuen Hen
Release Date: 2/8/12
Price: 2000 yen

Well, the School Edition of the Geki Atsu! Anime Euro series isn’t quite as horrific as I had imagined. There are 7 new tracks + one resing, so at least we can say it’s over 50% new material. The new tracks are sung by the likes of Kei, Ayumi, Kou-Hey, Usa, Koko on Boku, and Twin Stars. I’m still not sure who the last two are, but I’m assuming Ayumi is frequent AKBK collaborator, Ayumi Nomiya.

Read the rest of this entry »

Utatte Mita Anison
Release Date: 3/7/12
Price: 1905 yen

I suppose this should be a bit surprising since they abandoned the Wa Euro Best series, but it seems even EMI can’t escape the Utatte Mita craze. It’s actually not yet confirmed that Akiba Koubou will be handling this release, but the description promises House, Euro, Techno and Trance remixes so it sounds right up AKBK’s alley. Announced utaite include Kouhey, Yuge, Yamadan and Usa. This release’s theme is anime song covers, so don’t be alarmed if “Sousei” and “Zankoku” appear. So far it’s scheduled to be an 18-song non-stop mix.

Read the rest of this entry »

Exit Trance presents Speed Anime Trance Best 15
Release Date: 4/4/12
Price: 1905 yen

15th release in the SATB series arrives on schedule this April. Let’s hope MK makes a glorious return to the series.

Pre-order at CDJapan.

Geki Atsu! Pachi Best
Release Date: 1/25/12
Price: 2000 yen

HOLD IT! You didn’t think that was it for Geki Atsu! releases, did you? Coming out this January, on the same day as the first two Drama euro releases, is Geki Atsu! Pachi Best. I’m not sure what the point is, considering that they released Geki Atsu! J-Euro Dai Ren Chan Senryoubako Version! last year, and that already served as a best-of album. But hey, never doubt Akiba Koubou’s ability to reuse “Zankoku” or “Sousei.”

I’m not entirely sure what’s up with this release, though. It was announced only very recently, despite the fact that it’s coming out later this month. Many retailers, including CDJapan, don’t even have it up for pre-order yet. It’s most definitely from Tokuma Japan, but I suspect it might be a limited release.

Pre-order at CDJapan.

Nihon Omoshiro Mukashi Banashi (Single)
Artist: Mukashi-Band starrting Korosuke & Ayumi Nomiya & Kouhey & Yamadan
Release Date: 12/21/11
Price: 952 yen

OP and ED themes from the Nico Nico folk tale anime, Nihon Omoshiro Mukashi Banashi. Features vocals from Korosuke and Ayumi Nomiya, with Kouhey and Yamadan on the guitar and drums, respectively. Produced by Akiba Koubou.

Read the rest of this entry »

Geki Atsu! Anime Euro Robot Hen
Release Date: 2/8/12
Price: 2000 yen

A second Geki Atsu! Anime Euro CD to be released on the same day as the “gakuen” edition. This particular CD focuses on robot-themed anime, so get ready for your favorites, “Sousei no Aquarion” and “Zankoku na Tenshi no These.” Why do they insist on the same repeats? There have been plenty of great songs in their back catalogue that have only appeared once or twice. For instance, there’s “Discotheque” and, uh…. Okay, everything else has been driven into the ground. Just, please, do a Ghibli edition and all will be forgiven.

Thus far the only new songs revealed have been “Aoi Shiori” and “Yuukyou Seishunka.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Geki Atsu! Anime Euro Gakuen Hen
Release Date: 2/8/12
Price: 2000 yen

Oh dear. I was hoping for more Geki Atsu! releases, but not like this. Not like this. Hot off the heels of two J-Drama-inspired releases early next year will come two new Anime releases, and you know what that means: repeats. This edition will focus on gakuen, or school, anime themes. So, basically, it’ll be Anime Euro Best ~School Edition~ all over again, but 300 yen cheaper. The only new song revealed so far is the OP theme to “To Aru Majutsu no Index II”.

Read the rest of this entry »

Akiba Koubou presents Utatte Mita Collection Hanatan
Artist: Hanatan
Release Date: 12/7/11
Price: 952 yen

Third wave of Utatte Mita singles from Akiba Koubou. This ninth single features songs from Hanatan. Mostly resings on this one.

Available at Animate.

Read the rest of this entry »

Akiba Koubou presents Utatte Mita Collection Ayumi Nomiya
Artist: Ayumi Nomiya
Release Date: 12/7/11
Price: 952 yen

Third wave of Utatte Mita singles from Akiba Koubou. This eight single features songs from Ayumi Nomiya. All of the songs are either repeats or resings.

Available at Animate.

Read the rest of this entry »

Akiba Koubou presents Utatte Mita Collection Usa
Artist: Usa
Release Date: 12/7/11
Price: 952 yen

Third wave of Utatte Mita singles from Akiba Koubou, this time featuring female utaite. This seventh single features songs from Usa. Mostly repeats, with only one new song.

Available at Animate.

Read the rest of this entry »

Daisy×Daisy
Artist: Daisy×Daisy
Release Date: 11/16/11
Price: 3048 yen

First album from Daisy×Daisy, the solo project from rock vocalist, MiKA. Visit her official website for more background information (in English!).

Another Infinity make two appearances here, one of them featuring Mayumi Morinaga. Rap Bit, Sexy Synthesizer, and 40mP are just some of the other producers who contributed. The bonus track is a Ring Suzune version of “Yakimochi Tokidoki Hare,” which is odd since MiKA provided the vocal samples for Ring .o_O

Read the rest of this entry »

Exit Trance presents Speed Anime Trance Best 14
Release Date: 11/16/11
Price: 1905 yen

14th release in the SATB series and the first time since SATB 11 that there are 20 tracks. Dizzi Mystica absolutely dominates with 6 tracks, though Hommarju isn’t far behind with 5. Icon appears on 2 tracks, while booing day and plazma each get one. Mars, Hiro’s Alliance and Signal+K appear to be new artists or aliases. No tracks are attributed to MK

Pre-order early to ensure that you’ll get a limited edition cell phone strap and poster.

Read the rest of this entry »

Utatte Mita Collection -The Best-
Release Date: 11/23/11
Price: N/A

Tsutaya-exclusive collection of songs from the various Utatte Mita Collection singles. Not only is it exclusive to Tsutaya, but it’s also for rental only. Seems like a strange business move. It’s almost as if they’re begging you to rent and rip the disc.

Read the rest of this entry »

Eikyuu no Kizuna (Single)
Artist: Daisy×Daisy
Release Date: 10/19/11
Price: 1524 yen (CD+DVD Edition) or 1238 yen (CD Only Edition)

Third single from Daisy×Daisy, this time featuring Another Infinity (Ryu* + Starving Trancer). The lead track was used as the OP theme for the anime, “Fairy Tale.” The single also contains 3 new collaborations from various Vocaloid producers.

The single is available as both a CD+DVD edition and a CD only edition. The DVD contains a couple of PVs, while the CD Only version comes with a mousepad if you order early.

Read the rest of this entry »