Dancemania EX × Trance Paradise

Glitter/Kamiuta
Artist: Mayumi Morinaga
Release Date: 6/6/12
Price: 2381 yen (CD+DVD Edition) or 1905 yen (CD Only Edition)

Five years after the release of her debut song, “One Million Miles,” Mayumi Morinaga finally comes out with her first album! The lead single will be “Glitter (Starving Trance Remix),” which is currently being used as the ending theme of the anime, “Fairy Tail.” The CD+DVD version will include a DVD featuring the “Glitter” music video as well as the “Fairy Tail” ending video w/o credits.

So far the only song announced has been “Glitter,” though I’m assuming there’ll also be a track titled, “Kamiuta.” You can probably also expect songs from here recent singles, and possibly some of her Bemani work. I’m hoping for an updated remix of “One Million Miles” for old times’ sake, but that would require Quake to remember their Exit Trance roots and we all know how likely that is.

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

15th release in the SATB series. MK makes a glorious return to the series with 3 tracks. Perhaps more surprising is Ryu* appearing for the first time since SATB 10. The kinoto alias also returns after a 2-year hiatus. Dizzi Mystica dominates the album, however, with a total of 7 tracks. Hommarju and Icon get 3 tracks each, while Booing Day rounds out the album with 2. Sigh, the album isn’t even featured on the front page of the Exit Tunes website. Shows how much Quake care about it

First-press copies come with a special cell phone strap. Send in the enclosed survey for a special instrumental/karaoke CD.

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Utattemita J-Pop
Release Date: 3/7/12 ⇨ 3/21/12
Price: 1905 yen

Utaite take on J-Pop classics. The track list is mostly composed of songs taken straight from J-Pop Extra Beat Densetsu and the first two Geki Atsu! Drama Euro releases.

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Utattemita Anison
Release Date: 3/7/12 ⇨ 3/21/12
Price: 1905 yen

Uggh, based on the producers of each track it doesn’t look like there’ll be any new arrangements, much less any new songs. The first 8 tracks appear to be taken straight from Anim80s, while the remaining tracks are from previous AKBK eurobeat albums. Very disappointing. It’s also odd that they’re not branding either Utattemita release as part of the Dancemania series. The only bright side is that some of the Anim80s repeats will get longer edits.

The album will be available on Amazon Japan’s download service as well as others, but the digital version is a non-stop mix like the CD.

For those wondering, “Nazo no Jinbutsu K” is better known to Hime Trance fans as Kei. It’s just the pseudonym she uses for singing on Nico Nico.

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Vocalo Dance -Best Age! Tracks-
Release Date: 2/15/12 ⇨ 2/29/12
Price: 2190 yen

The album came out yesterday, and in addition to EMI’s Vocalo Dance Website, Akiba Koubou have also put up a special website of their own, including a page detailing the bonuses.

Again, all editions come with a special cardboard sleeve and picture label CD, while first-press copies will also come with a special calendar and fake credit card. Retailers will also be distributing B2-sized posters on a first-come, first-served basis. If you go to the URL listed on the obi strip and answer a quick survey, you can also download some special wallpapers for your PC or smartphone, though this offer only lasts until August. CD Japan says there’ll be a sticker, but there’s no longer any mention of that on Amazon or EMI’s website.

As for retailer-exclusive bonuses, Animate will be offering a special “can badge,” which is just a fancy Japanese term for a pin. Tora no Ana will also have special can badge with a different design. Tsutaya will give out A4 clear files.

EMI have also uploaded a special digest of songs on YouTube:

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Utattemita J-Pop
Release Date: 3/7/12 ⇨ 3/21/12
Price: 1905 yen

Utaite take on J-Pop classics. The track list is mostly composed of songs taken from J-Pop Extra Beat Densetsu and the first two Geki Atsu! Drama Euro releases. I’m still hopeful that these will be new house/trance/euro arrangements, but I’m prepared for the worst. Oh well, at least it can finally be confirmed that BB Storm = Bibi, KoRo-Girl = Korosuke, and Koko on Boku = Boku, though in hindsight I feel like an idiot since those should have been really, really obvious.

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Utattemita Anison
Release Date: 3/7/12 ⇨ 3/21/12
Price: 1905 yen

Delayed a few weeks, but cover art and final list have been revealed. The good news is that they somehow managed to forget to put “Zankoku” and “Sousei” on this. The bad news is that most of these songs have been done by Akiba Koubou before. The good news is that the description for the album mentions house, techno and trance arrangements, so there’s a good chance that we’ll at least get some new arrangements. The bad news is that Akiba Koubou are very lazy, and there’s just as a good a chance that they’ll use the songs straight from Anim80s and other albums.

For those wondering, “Nazo no Jinbutsu K” is better known to Hime Trance fans as Kei. It’s just the pseudonym she uses for singing on Nico Nico.

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Vocalo Dance -Best Age! Tracks-
Release Date: 2/15/12 ⇨ 2/29/12
Price: 2190 yen

Vocalo Dance Mania! It looks like EMI are marketing this as part of the Dancemania series, as they’ve put a special site up for it: Vocalo Dance Official Website.

The first Vocaloid compilation from EMI comes with a bevy of bonuses. In addition to a special cardboard sleeve and picture label CD for all editions, first-press copies will also come with a special calendar and fake credit card. Retailers will also be distributing B2-sized posters on a first-come, first-served basis. If you go to the URL listed on the obi strip and answer a quick survey, you can also download some special wallpapers for your PC or smartphone, though this offer only lasts until August. CD Japan says there’ll be a sticker, but there’s no longer any mention of that on Amazon or EMI’s website.

As for retailer-exclusive bonuses, Animate will be offering a special “can badge,” which is just a fancy Japanese term for a pin. Tora no Ana will also have special can badge with a different design.

I can’t help but be disappointed by the track list, though. I was hoping for new arrangements, but most of these appear to be the original versions.

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

A few songs have been announced, including themes from “Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai” and “Mawaru Penguin Drum.”

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Psychedelic Covers ~R&B Best Hits~
Release Date: 1/11/12
Price: 900 yen

Psychedelic trance covers of R&B/Pop hits. Available exclusively on iTunes Japan.

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Ama no Jaku (Single)
Artist: Mayumi Morinaga
Release Date: 2/1/11
Price: 1238 yen

3rd maxi single from songstress Mayumi Morinaga. Technically it’s the fourth if, unlike Quake, you count “Drift of the Wind”. Producers include 164, 40mP, Kusoinaka P, and Another Infinity. First-press orders come with a B2-size poster and strap.

Visit the newly redesigned official Mayumi Morinaga website for samples.

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It’s been a while since since the last one, but I’m hoping to make this a more regular feature in the future. Today the spotlight is on my current obsession, Daiki × ZK. This duo comprising DJ Daiki and Ace Closer have captured my attention with their addictive electro/house/trance remixes of pop hits, and I think they’re worthy of your attention, too. Check out the feature for some biographical info and a discography.

http://www.dancemania-ex.com/blog/artist-spotlight/daiki-×-zk/

Edit: It looks like R&B Boutique -in the party- 2nd Floor, which I posted about yesterday, will see the debut of Daiki × ZK’s cover of “The Lazy Song.”

Utatte Mita J-Pop
Release Date: 3/7/12
Price: 1905 yen

More repeats from Akiba Koubou. Again, there had better be new arrangements or this’ll be another waste of space. If you didn’t notice, “Ginga Tetsudou 999″ is listed on this as well as the Anison album. Maybe they’ll do both “Ginga Tetsudou 999″ as well as “The Galaxy Express 999.” Or maybe they’ll put the same song on two different albums. :{

Announced utaite include Kouhey, Yuge, Yamadan, Usa and Priko.

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

Sigh, here comes “Zankoku” again. Almost all of the tracks announced so far have been covered by Akiba Koubou in the past. At the very least we’ll get some resings, but the description provided to retailers did mention house, techno and trance remixes in addition to the usual euro so perhaps we’ll get new arrangements as well. Announced utaite include Kouhey, Yuge, Yamadan and Usa.

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Utatte Mita J-Pop
Release Date: 3/7/12
Price: 1905 yen

It looks like EMI took a page from Tokuma’s book and will be releasing TWO AKBK CDs on the same day. I think we can officially declare March 7, 2012 as AKBK Day. For those keeping track, March 7 will see the release of 2 Utatte Mita CDs from EMI, 2 Geki Atsu! Drama Euro CDs from Tokuma, and Utatte Mita Best Selection from Full Moon.

Announced utaite include Kouhey, Yuge, Yamadan, Usa and Priko. This release’s theme is J-Pop covers, but I still wouldn’t be surprised if “Sousei” and “Zankoku” appear. So far it’s scheduled to be an 18-song non-stop mix.

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