[Official Message] new album "A ONE" 2015.04.08 in stores

[mizuki-7]

Originally Posted by Tom Punks

And I just find it really sad that this has become such a big problem in her releases in the past few years that all I can really ask for is the music to sound like it was mixed and mastered by, you know, working professionals.

Memorial address and MY STORY seriously had her most well-made songs ever tho. I even used the same word, "lush", describing it to GRACE lol:

1:02 PM - sark: I guess being made like MY STORY
1:02 PM - sark: implies they're really lush

The mixer of Rnrc is the same as My story ! So what ? you mean he lowered his standards ? (just a question ^^)

[Tom Punks]

Originally Posted by mizuki-7

The mixer of Rnrc is the same as My story ! So what ? you mean he lowered his standards ? (just a question ^^)

If that's what that means, then yes lol

Most of R'n'RC is more or less fine, just not quite as stellar as her previous standards. Some of the tracks though... like Last Links and You were... shudders.

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by mi|kshake

Me too! I feel I would learn to hear Ayu songs differently! Maybe we need a thread on this?

I have thought about creating a chatroom topic to highlight the "intricacies" of Ayu's music. The subtle elements that may only last a second or two but that you look forward to with each and every listen. But, it's so very difficult to express in text form and to point out what part I'm trying to highlight, etc, that it's just too much of a commitment. You can only communicate so much through the message boards. But to be able to sit and experience together and converse about/highlight the different elements as they occur would be such a wonderful thing.

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by xLuna&1LOVE

I am so stupid when it comes to twitter, because I barely understand how to read some posts, like retweets or replies on replies... for me it is confusing. But I have seen Ayu's account which says she is following 3 people. What is that list anyway, some black list? You cannot even peek to see who's on that. Could also be a group of friends she does not want to get bothered with fans adding anyone she is befriended with, right?

It's a public list. I can view it. Maybe you can't on mobile twitter app - I'm using internet browser.

[Coelacanth]

Originally Posted by Tom Punks

Most of R'n'RC is more or less fine, just not quite as stellar as her previous standards. Some of the tracks though... like Last Links and You were... shudders.

The arrangements on R'n'RC were bizarre too. To have no session musicians and programmed drums instead on the rockier tracks (count down/Last Links) was a huuuuge crime imo.

NEXT LEVEL was mixed wonderfully, I thought.

the bass on identity > Rule > LOVE 'n' HATE, holy moly. polished as phuck.

[truehappiness]

I wonder if you can tell which tracks she did in the UK by the production values on certain tracks in Rock'n'Roll Circus. Still good tracks but would have been even better with a similar setup to Memorial address (the song) or ASFXX from A BALLADS.

I think she's been rushing her team for certain albums / tracks recently and it shows that they weren't able to perfect things like they had up until like 2008. Since then, I think Love songs and FIVE only really haven't had mixing issues IMO.

[DonkeyKongRemix]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

Ayu used to have some of the best mixing in the business. Her top-notch works and higher quality productions have some of the best mixing I have ever heard in my life.

The reason for this, is because the mixing process seemed to be a bit more meticulous. They would take the time to adjust the levels in the layers as well as their positioning between the speakers. This created an effect where at every possible angle, a different layer was highlighted. It's like if you think of the sound as a 360 degree environment. 60% of one layer may be in the right channel, 90% of another layer may be in the opposite channel. Etc. Now, everything is so flat and kind of just coming at you head on.

Listen to No way to say or some of the tracks that were re-mastered for A BEST 2. No way to say has that really wicked syncopated/vibrating guitar in the left channel, which basically carries the entire track. Meanwhile, in the right channel, more of the focus is place on the gentle and warm strum of the stringed instrument(s). The tension that arises pre-chorus kind of travels across the entire soundscape leading up to an explosion of everything in unison. This was always a key strength for much of Ayu's songs - you could listen to them time and time and time again, and focus your attention between all the different layers of sound and get a different experience each time.

Another example of absolutely wonderful mixing, as well as composition and the way it was arranged is walking proud. Regardless of whether or not you like the song, listen to how absolutely LUSH and LAYERED everything is. Each layer is highlighted even before she begins to sing! Listen to how they all roll so smoothly right into each other. It's miraculous how all those layers just build into each other and transition so smoothly, working so HARMONIOUSLY. It was truly well-planned out and you can tell that a lot of time and effort went into tweaking those details.

The poor mixing in her recent works give the pieces less of a replay value. You listen to the song and there's not as much to discover. The song is taken at surface value because that's all that it has to show you. It's all right there in the center.

I wish I could have a listening party with Ayu fans and really sit and converse over the intricacies within her music. To pick apart and highlight the layers together.

WOOT.

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by Coelacanth

The arrangements on R'n'RC were bizarre too. To have no session musicians and programmed drums instead on the rockier tracks (count down/Last Links) was a huuuuge crime imo.

NEXT LEVEL was mixed wonderfully, I thought.

the bass on identity > Rule > LOVE 'n' HATE, holy moly. polished as phuck.

The bass can be attributed to mastering more so than mixing.

[js_surrealism]

Generally agree with the mixing situation although I'd say that Microphone sounded great, even though RnRC is probably up there on my list of least favourite Ayu albums.

Memorial address for me is the most deliciously produced record of hers so far.

[truehappiness]

I personally love (miss)understood's production.

[melissalove]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

I personally love (miss)understood's production.

Mee too, except for beautiful day though, that song sounded a bit cheesy and not as high quality as the rest.

[Zeke.]

Beautiful Day is one of my favorites by her. It's perfect for those days when the sky is clear and the sun shines bright! I think it's lovely.

I'll also say, microphone had good mixing. But in general the R'n'R mixing was all over the place.

[hayasaki]

I'm not really picky when it comes to mastering. It's one of my weakest too whenever I create songs but I think the welness of mastering of a certin song might depend on the quality of speakers/headphones/earphones or whatever one may be using IMO. Anyway, I think Love Songs, Next Level and Colours had got some well mastered tracks

[truehappiness]

Beautiful Day's mix was fine, but the song itself divides people. I love it personally. One of my favorite sets of album closers. Beautiful Day and rainy day are a perfect pair.

I think when it comes to her mixes, you can tell the ones she did overseas may suffer slightly compared to others. Thinking about it, it seems like you can tell which tracks could have been rushed due to running out of time or were done super late into the night.

Party Queen and Rock'n'Roll Circus probably have the weakest mixing of any of her albums IMO.

[Akutenshi]

LOVE again's album tracks had some of the worst mixing of her entire career. Everything was so flat, dead, and bland. No dynamic to most of it whatsoever.

[truehappiness]

The mini album tracks make up for the weaker mixing on the album tracks on LOVE again for me.

[melissalove]

Originally Posted by Akutenshi

LOVE again's album tracks had some of the worst mixing of her entire career. Everything was so flat, dead, and bland. No dynamic to most of it whatsoever.

Everything is based on opinion and how a person sees and feel songs and arrangements overall. This same feeling you have towards love again's mixing is exactly what i feel with beautiful day. Miss understood's mixing was awesome except for the one song that ruined the whole picture for me. It might sound perfect for some though but for me.......

[tenshi no hane]

I don't know if someone already posted a confirmation on the "will JJ Lin sing in The Gift?" matter, but a barks.jp article (retweeted by ayu) seems to suggest that JJ Lin only wrote the song (i.e. no singing). The song is already done. He will feature in the PV.

[pepper]

I will always say that Microphone is perfect (technically) but it ALWAYS bugs me when she is singing "Tell me why, I don't know". It sound so cheeesy, it doesn't fit epicness of the song :<
I just don't get it. Her english ruins songs pretty bad sometimes, how beautiful you are is amazing technically but her chorus ruins it. There is a tons of examples so I won't be listing them right now...

[kotora]

Love again gets polluted by her old lover. That's why it has a poorly done mixing.