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J-Pop Cover Densetsu Best
Release Date: 4/18/12
Price: 1905 yen
A best-of collection featuring songs from the first four volumes of the hugely popular J-Pop cover series. There also appears to be at least one new song. As always, mixed by DJ Fumi*Yeah!
K-Pop Party Mix III ~Best of K-Pop Cover Selection~
Release Date: 3/3/12
Price: 1886 yen
Continuing series from FARM featuring covers of K-Pop klassiks.
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:
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.
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.
Let’s Dance -Super 80s Disco Hits-
Release Date: 12/7/11 ? 12/21/11 ? 1/18/12 ? 2/8/12 ? 3/28/12
Price: 2857 yen
2-disc compilation from EMI celebrating Roppongi disco hits. As with Mogra Mix, this was originally supposed to come out in December, but EMI has postponed the release date a few times before settling on a March 28 release date. The delay was probably for the best, or else it would’ve been in direct competition with the similarly themed Dancemania Sparkle Classics. Songs selected by DJ Osshy of Roppongi Nirvana.
Mogra Mix Vol. 1 mixed by DJ Wildparty
Release Date: 12/7/11 ? 12/21/11 ? 2/1/12 ? 2/29/12 ? 3/14/12
Price: 2476 yen
New compilation from EMI, done in collaboration with Club Mogra. It was originally set for release last December and would have been EMI’s first Vocaloid-related release, but since it’s been delayed so many times that distinction now goes to Vocalo Dance. It’s now set for release on March 14. In addition to Vocaloid, there are also House songs from artsits like DJ Kawasaki, Digitalism, Ram Rider and Rap Bit.
Black & Gold
Artist: DJ Kawasaki
Release Date: 3/14/12
Price: 2381 yen
New album from DJ Kawasaki featuring house covers of Disco anthems. Visit his official website for samples and more info.
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.
K-Pop Generation II
Release Date: 1/25/12
Price: 1714 yen
Follow-up release to last September’s K-Pop Generation. Produced by X-TRA 7.
K-Pop Party Mix III ~Best of K-Pop Cover Selection~
Release Date: 3/3/12
Price: 1886 yen
Continuing series from FARM featuring covers of K-Pop klassiks.
Dancemania 25 Tracks
Release Date: 2/15/12
Price: 1200 yen
Dancemania’s first exclusive iTunes release! It’s 25 tracks from the history of Dancemania. In other words, it’s full versions from Dancemania Sparkle. A bit late, isn’t it? The digital only release confirms that EMI have picked up the rights to Mr. President and Solid Base songs. The other licensed tracks from Sparkle have been replaced with other tracks from Dancemania, including some that were released well after the 90s.
Jenny Rom Bubble Eurobeat EP selected by Jenny Rom
Release Date: 2/13/12
Price: $2.99
It’s been almost 3 years since the last new Jenny Rom song (not including remixes), but “she” returns in 2012 with a cover of the Dusty Springfield hit, “I Only Want to Be with You.” Technically, this is just a reworking of the A.Kay-BJ version from a few years back. 🙁 I enjoyed the original and like this eurobeat remix too, but can’t help but feel that Saifam attached the Jenny Rom name just to play with our hearts. The song is also available at Juno Downloads.
Anyway, there are 5 other tracks in the EP, including the United Forced remix of “www.Blonde Girl.” Come on Saifam, give us a second Jenny Rom album with new material 🙁
Moshi Moshi (Single)
Artist: Smile.dk
Release Date: 12/16/11
Still no update on “Moshi Moshi” being released in the US. In fact, Smile.dk seem to have disappeared completely from most US distributors. I’m guessing their new label reacquired international rights to their back catalog, but hopefully everything will be up again eventually. In the meantime, they’ve released a new music video for the song, so US fans can finally hear it in full:
Pop the Track (Single)
Artist: J-Mi & Midi-D feat. Hanna Stockzell
Price: $2
The spiritual successor of “Top the Charts” from DDR. Apparently Konami wouldn’t allow J-Mi & Midi-D to release “Top the Charts” commercially, but this is a more than adequate substitute. In fact, I think it’s their best work yet. Hanna Stockzell does a marvelous job as usual, but the real star here is the fantastic music production. The synths have a great, brassy sound, and I love the breakdown in the middle of the extended version. Really well done, guys. Disko Warp also contribute a Hyper Techno remix with classic Juliana techno synths.
To be honest, though, I’m not quite sure I understand the lyrics. How exactly does one “pop the track”?
DanceMaster | 
03 11th, 2012| 
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