Winter diary ~A7 Classical~ - release 23rd December 2015 (Thread #2)
 

http://i64.tinypic.com/105tvcz.jpg

『Winter diary ～A7 Classical～』
2015年12月23日（水）
AVCD-93326
￥3,100＋TAX

http://m.imageimg.net/upload/artist_...bf55613216.jpg

1654 x 1654



◎収録曲
01.WARNING
02.Step by step
03.Sorrows
04.Last minute
05.Summer diary
06.Sky high
07.NO FUTURE
08.Out of control
09.The GIFT
10.The Show Must Go On

［Special Track］
Winter diary（Original mix）※完全未発表新曲

全11 曲収録

http://avex.jp/ayu/news/detail.php?id=1029093

Download entire release --> http://www.ahsforum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3178485

Additional info

Step by step (Winter diary ~A7 Classical~) preview



Last minute (Winter diary ~A7 Classical~) preview



The GIFT (Winter diary ~A7 Classical~) full version



Winter diary preview



Winter diary song credits

words: ayumi hamasaki
music: Tetsuya Komuro
arrangement by Yuta Nakano

Winter diary lyrics translation -- http://www.ahsforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=122374

Winter diary【teaser movie】



Winter diary long PV preview



Ayu headed to Taiwan last year from 18th Dec - 20th Dec to shoot the Winter diary PV for 3 days 2 nights

http://ent.ltn.com.tw/news/breakingnews/1540334

Summary from the article , translated by me



- Taiwan press of Winter diary ~A7 Classical~ will be released on the last day of 2015

http://ent.ltn.com.tw/news/breakingnews/1540334

Bonus item - serial code included inside the release that will allow buyers to watch streaming of acoustic footages from TA LIMITED LIVE TOUR

This will last until 31st Jan 2016

Photos of the release



Now available for online purchase via iTunes Japan - https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/wi...l/id1066656732

Tokyohive - Hamasaki Ayumi to release a new classical album

http://www.tokyohive.com/article/201...lassical-album

From CDJapan

Order links

CDJapan -- http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/AVCD-93326

HMV Japan -- http://www.hmv.co.jp/en/product/detail/6733129

YesAsia - http://www.yesasia.com/global/winter...0-en/info.html

Step by Step won the poll , next preview snippet wise



https://twitter.com/ayu_19980408/sta...40879082139649

The mood is very cheery , just like the original take

I like Step by step! Especially the section right after the chorus. :)

Very christmasish remix, like it ;)

Wow! The new arrangement make it very different. There is something grandiose without being heavy. A very bright sound. The end of the preview make me think about Disney's arrangmements I played in my orchestras.

The flute like sound prior to the Step by step preview being cut off is my favourite part of the clip

I think I'm going to like this a lot more than the original take of the song

Omg totally loved this version of SbS! At least it didnt sound the usual acoustic orchestra that we used to get in her previous remix albums.

Loved the bass, the cheerful feeling and the flute! :D

I like Step by step! I'm happy it has the same uplifting feeling as the original, and the arrangements sound great, they have a light feeling to them that's very pleasant to hear. The flute after the chorus is really nice.

Winter Diary slowly starts to grow on me. When people start to build xmas-theme festivals in front of your door, which is happening in my town, the song fits the atmosphere & you start to enjoy it. Unfortunately it will never be a favourite, but I can easily join the gang of yay-sayers of this winter song.

Step By Step is... very expected. Not an amazing, outstanding arrangement. It fits the song though. I think that is good enough. Gimme WARNING, Sorrows and NO FUTURE!

i really like SbS but then again i really liked the original too. This version though sounds even more cheery than the original.

I'm very surprised by Step by step ! it sounds great! <3

Step by step sounds like honey from my story classical... sounds great

She can freely perform this Step by step version with Winter diary while sitting in a sleigh xD And I'm liking WD more and more :D

Sbs sounds so good. I'm really liking this release so far.

wow...I love the remix for Step by step..definitely step up from the original version...

It didn't interest me :( Wish I was as happy with it as almost everyone else seems to be

Step by Step sounds really good!

Winter diary might grow on me in full.

I love the original Step By Step but I didn't care much about this version.
Winter Diary still sounds bad to me and the intro takes cringing to high new levels.

I love christmas songs, I even made a thread for them. But I honestly don't get why people think Winter diary sounds like one. I doesn't sound like a christmas song at all to me, more like a typical kitschy jpop song released by a girl group at every season of this year (if you cut the intro).

the flute part in Step by Step is my favorite part of the preview.

I love step by step! If this album/single/whatever it is doesn't make it onto international itunes stores, I might cry.

unfortunately Winter Diary sounds so..









lame and cheesy

Weird. Her voice sounds like crap in the original mix of Step by step; but on this classical album, she sounds good lol

I loved step by step original version and I love this one as much, they're two different takes on the same song but the mood is respected, and it's very creative. 10+!

I think she sounded alright on the original version, though I think the backvocals were too prominent. Here they lowered them and it made a world of difference.

It is all so cheesy and cliche sounding but...

THAT'S WHY I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really like the version of Step by Step!!!! Definitely better than original. And yeah, Ayu's vocals are enjoyable to hear here :)
And I'm glad that people are positive. If Step by step is good, than NO FUTURE must be epic.

Wow SBS is really not bad at all
Sleigh a bit ayuma

I like this version more than the original.

I like this version more than the original. The original version + PV make me think this song is a monthly mother nature subscription song.

I can't play the preview clip in Germany T-T it says "is not available in your country", something to do with the GEMA. :no

I ripped the audio from YouTube , Alice

--> https://www.sendspace.com/file/0oo46h

If you can't download it , I can upload it on Mega

I got it, thank you Karen!!!!! :love

Oh dear, thou the original mix isn't bad but I love this classical version more.

^ I'm relieved to know that you're able to download it , Alice

2nd poll

https://twitter.com/ayu_19980408/sta...64733131829248

Tracks in the new poll

- Last minute
- Summer diary
- NO FUTURE
- The Show Must Go On

Another new preview will be released tomorrow night , after the poll finished

I voted for Last minute :3

Ok, stupid question ahead. IS there a poll available (I can't see it on the phone) or we have to tweet one of those 4 choices?

^ there is a poll available

Last minute got 53% of the votes. It is the majority. We will have this preview soon!

The poll is included in the tweet . I could see the poll on my handphone though :O

I hope for Last Minute

Definitely gonna be Last Minute. Really smart way to test the market for certain songs.

I voted for NO FUTURE :x
Though Last minute is going to win fosho...

How like nobody voted for NO FUTURE :dead2
it makes me so sad

I'm looking forward to the other track previews too though

I think it would've been better to not put the singles with non-singles lol.

I don't really care in what order the previews are revealed, we will get everything in the end anyway, I just want something.

But considering I can't stand Last minute's studio version, I'm actually excited to hear the classical version. I'm hoping this one will make me want to listen to this song more.

I'm gald next one will be Last minute! I'm sure it will be good. My biggest hopes are on this song and Sorrows

^ same--I love both songs but their studio versions are nearly unlistenable for me. :no

I still don't understand what's so wrong about Last minute's studio version.

The backing vocals are louder than the main vocals. It's painful to listen to.

Hmm, lately I think this has been a new patern for ayu's songs. A lot of A ONE songs have loud backing vocals. Seems like I'm one of the few who's enjoying them. I really love how soft they are, sometimes better than the main ones. But yeah, mixing all these vocals may sometimes result in a messy sound.

I voted for NO FUTURE too
but last minute still have 53% :(:(

i voted for Last minute. It just shows how nobody really cares about the rest >D i don't at least.

I voted for NO FUTURE but I'm cool with Last minute. I get what people are saying about the background vocals and I hope they tone it down for the classical version.

I voted for NO FUTURE as well, but I do wanna know how Last minute sounds like.

The mixing becomes an annoying mess after the 1:20 mark imo, sounds like it has a really bad quality :(

Winter Diary has really grown on me. I think I'm in the right kind of mood and frame of mind for it. Yeah, it isn't a masterpiece but it's a warm, sweet song.

I wouldn't mind Last minute or NO FUTURE for the next preview as those are the two I really want to hear.

I voted for TSMGO.... I'm voting for the tracks I'm most nervous about. XD

I still don't know what bad mixing is lol. I also don't know the job of an arranger. Lol

I voted for NO FUTURE but quiet sure that it will be Last minute

I just don't like the way I have to lower the volume in Last Minute after 1:20 to prevent going deaf. Memorial Address has the same "sudden drum/guitar" thing but doesn't have that problem.

Anyway. I voted for NO FUTURE too, but I'm interested in hearing Last Minute as well.

Same actually.

Last minute (Winter diary ~A7 Classical~) preview

I'm dying.

Oh. My. God.

Finally her clear vocal! Lol, quite nice!

Not bad

Wow, this classical album really stands out :o What an arrangement :o I want whole classical themed tour now. Definetely would be original and a must-have in her discography.

A mixer decides on the audio levels for each channel/layer of sound (how loud something is in comparison to another layer - what's considered foreground and background and how far into the foreground/background each layer sinks or rises into).

An arranger decides on all the instrumentation (as opposed to the composer who decides on the actual notes/melody/chords, etc.). The composer can sit down and write the piece on a piano, and the arranger takes that information and "arranges" it in software to give life to the piece you actually end up listening to.

(It's after this that someone "mixes" the song by adjusting the levels that the arranger decided upon, and then after that someone masters the track, which is basically just adding EQ and giving the song it's final "full bodied power" that takes it from sounding like a demo and makes it sound full and rich.)

Hmm, the preview is too short. But I like that heavy bass.

I'm not usually one for Ayu's classical albums, but these previews have been excellent so far! This version of Last Minute is not as chaotic in its mixing. Good work Ayu. :heart

omg at Last minute's classical version. What piece of heaven (not the song) did I just hear!?

I like it a lot! :luv2 The verse sounds like an epic battle scene Ost in a movie

Warrior Ayu is coming :luv2

Oh yeah now you mention it , it does x)

I think this classical remix album is going to be a lot more better than LOVE CLASSICS , hopefully !

Wow it sounds so epic!

with the great previews so far I can't wait to hear what NO FUTURE wil sound like.

The main and only thing that bothered me with love classics is that they put classical music compositions into already composed songs (unlike sweetbox songs for example which were made/sampled with classical compositions).

Last minute is so good!!

WOW, that's some GACKT level shit! O_O did they met? >_>
Absolutelly breathtaking! THANK YOU GODS OF MUSIC!

I hope NO FUTURE and Sorrows sound as awesome. :D

Epic!!!

Thank you! Haha that actually really cleared stuff up haha


And Last minute sounds amazing!

That preview was divine! Praise the Lord for those loud backing vocals on the chorus not being there. It sounds completely like a new song to me, loooving it <3

OMG Last minute sounds so dark... i like it, only 10 days for the complete versions

THAT WAS FUCKING EPIC OMG

OMG, IT'S AMAZING!!

I can now forever erase the original studio version from my life, because this classical version is EPIC :heart

i had some issues catching the beat in the first verse somehow LOL
but it definitely sounds EPIC. I love the music before the 2nd verse, omg WARRIOR NO DOUBT!

Im super excited for Sorrows and WARNING now haha.

Imagine this stuff performed live.....*drolls*

The Last Minute classical preview is the BEST for the moment ! Really amazing !!!! looking forward to hear the others (summer diary??)

Last minute preview is promising. Finally something good from this release.

I didn't want the preview to end! I can only imagine what WARNING will be like with a full orchestra in all its epic glory.

Last Minute.... is.... EPIC... OMFG........................................... :luv2

I'm really appreciating this version of Last Minute, and this whole album so far. It's like they really are putting some extra care into these songs. She just seems so... pleased with her work this year, it's very wonderful. I mean, I don't either albums from this year were perfect but I can tell she must be quite enthusiastic about the tracks she's done this year, this Classical album being a sign of that.

My Story Classical was so great and while I don't think this so far matches that excellence completely, I think it is kind of reminiscent of it. :D

This could easily come from some game ost.
It reminded me of the Hyrule Field / Great Ocean themes from Legend of Zelda series.

It's good though, for a classical remix.

I've initially seen the 30s fb video of Last minute and I didn't understand why people were so enthusiastic. But man, there is some epicness in there.

Last minute sounds so good!

I'm also frustrated by the original mix of both Last minute and Sorrows. My ears have adjusted over time, but at first I thought they were pretty much unlistenable. They're good songs, it's a shame.

DUDE

I was thinking that too like...the whole damn time!!!

Hmm. The arranger has done music for video games, so that explains the epic RPG sound.

http://vgmdb.net/album/46668

Last Minute sounds great - I need more previews!

I voted TSMGO!

Pre-ordered my copy of A7 Classical and Globe's cover album yesterday! Can not wait to receive them!

I had the same issue at first, but my god was that breath taking.:yes

I like how many people seem to be warming up to this release. :-)

Last Minute sounds amazing, so epic looking forward to the next previews and ofc the full versions <3

I almost feel like Winter diary should have been arranged classically as well, with the original mix held off until the next album... Any thoughts?

I hope Winter diary never shows up on a regular album. :no