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

[Pieces_of_SEVEN]

Originally Posted by 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.

Thank. God.

[LacusClyne]

^why the negative towards JJ? He's quite a talented singer.

[pepper]

Originally Posted by LacusClyne

^why the negative towards JJ? He's quite a talented singer.

i don't have anything againts his talent.. I don't like her ballady duets. But it's still a ballad for 100%.

[melissalove]

Originally Posted by Pieces_of_SEVEN

Thank. God.

You stole the words right out of my mouth!! thank god indeed!!

[Fernando]

I'm definitely ready and excited for her new album. I hope there will be some nice teamayu versions because I'd then register in order to buy one.

[DogboyShugo]

Originally Posted by ~StarCatcher~

What A One....

Weird title. It could mean anyhting or nothing...

All of Ayu's album titles mean something...never nothing

[Heavenly]

Originally Posted by pepper

i don't have anything againts his talent.. I don't like her ballady duets. But it's still a ballad for 100%.

I don't have anything either towards him...
But he made a terrible duet with Ayu :/

[Aderianu]

is it confirmed that the gift is a ballad?
that song made ayu cry, but when I heard song for a first time - it is made me cry too. Last minute is not a 100% ballad song

[thinkingoutloud89]

it is only confimed that it is NOT a duet, he probably just wrote the score
and The Gift sounds supsiciously like a ballad, underlined by the fact that she had to cry



I'm indifferent to this album. The banner reminds me of MY STORY and I kill her if A ONE really means ASIA ONE, thats just bullshit and nothing to make a mystery of


that said, I expect a pretty calm album...

[Yumsushi]

The album title sounds odd, but I hope and pray to god that there are no more embarrassing low budget PVs. I still don't know how she thought XO or Angel were appropriate for release and not some awful awful joke.

I also hope to god the collaboration with this JJ fellow will be nothing like their Seasons duet, which was awful! A song that is a gift from the sky sets the standard pretty high. I'm expecting something Akin to Heaven or Hanabi now lol.

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.

You know, slightly off topic, but for NIN fans, on albums like The downward spiral and The fragile, these intricate layers are essential. It really makes the song transcend being simply a piece of music and elevates it to a different level of experience.

I think its not just production (or PVs) that Ayumi has become lazy with but also the instruments she uses on her tracks often seem artificial, muted and lifeless. All of that maybe fine for a casual listener who may not invest the time to thoroughly enjoy a track, but to keep fans coming back, these things are important.

Many fans will say we are asking for too much from her, but it was her that elevated this herself to that standard and didn't care to maintain it *shrug* And the end of the day though, its reached a point (for me) where if she can continue to release songs that I can listen to and enjoy even on a superficial level, then that's good enough for me (i'll still criticize her awful/embarrassing videos though). Hopefully the rest will come back in time??

[Heavenly]

And what if A ONE means...
A(ph)ONE and is just an instrumental album without voices ?


nevermind, I have to sleep

[Minttulatte]

Well, I just hope it's not a album filled with ballads because that's not the Ayu I love the most. I love some of her ballads, but I seriously can't listen a album full of them so that's why I hope she will have some diversity like with (miss)understood or Party Queen. I like the albums with diversity in music styles.

[orangeakira]

Originally Posted by pepper

But it's still a ballad for 100%.

Oh boy, another ballad. how exciting. lol Actually i'm fine with it, it's whatever. The only thing I don't really want is a "concert ending" type of song like Red Line, My All, or Life.

[DonkeyKongRemix]

I'll probably like just about anything she comes out with. I've learned to like her ballads a lot so I'm not too worried.

I would love to make a fan-made album cover but my photoshop program is no more... Maybe I'll have to...hand draw a concept, lol XD

[Delirium-Zer0]

Originally Posted by Yumsushi

...the instruments she uses on her tracks often seem artificial, muted and lifeless. All of that maybe fine for a casual listener who may not invest the time to thoroughly enjoy a track, but to keep fans coming back, these things are important.

Many fans will say we are asking for too much from her, but it was her that elevated this herself to that standard and didn't care to maintain it *shrug*

I don't think we're asking too much for a professional musician to sound like a professional musician.

The standards for what sounds "professional" in general have really changed over the years and because of the accessibility of music production software, demos sound more like pro songs and pro songs sound more like demos. There are certain marks of professionalism that GOOD music still has, even when it's programmed, like a good mix and deliberate, careful creation of loops and beats, and anything played with a real instrument now stands out as being especially professional sounding.

I think Ayu needs to have some higher standards regarding those aspects of her music - her stuff lately has all sounded, to me, like just really really competent demos, but still like demos.

[primavera♥]

Sometimes I wonder if ayu really ever paid a lot of attention to those kinds of things. I feel like if she did, she'd notice the differences in quality by now. I mean, she's not stupid, but I do wonder what it is that she does and what she focuses on, and if she's paid attention to the things she's left/is leaving to others that may or may not turn out well.

[kotora]

A ONE can highly possibly mean LOVE of the only one.

Imagine this is the logo of the album

[primavera♥]

I pray to the lort that nothing about this release ends up being tacky. There's just too much mystery right now. She seems like she's finding the right track again but who knows.

[melissalove]

Originally Posted by Delirium-Zer0

I don't think we're asking too much for a professional musician to sound like a professional musician.

The standards for what sounds "professional" in general have really changed over the years and because of the accessibility of music production software, demos sound more like pro songs and pro songs sound more like demos. There are certain marks of professionalism that GOOD music still has, even when it's programmed, like a good mix and deliberate, careful creation of loops and beats, and anything played with a real instrument now stands out as being especially professional sounding.

I think Ayu needs to have some higher standards regarding those aspects of her music - her stuff lately has all sounded, to me, like just really really competent demos, but still like demos.

I agree with u .
There's also an indescribable feeling in her music lately that translates as a rush Unfinished project to me. Even though back in the day her releases were more frequent. It's like... There's something missing, could be low standards, or lack of creativity but whatever it is, it's making new comers keep their distance and old timers bored and almost retire from being an Ayu fan. ( example: colours plus PVs.

[orbitalaspect]

I am so worried now that this album will rehash the LOVE theme that has plagued Ayu's career since MOON/blossom. I am genuinely so tired of her writing about love that I'm ready to ask the FDA to schedule the last five years of her career as a controlled substance due to it being a highly effective sleeping aid. I get that her biological clock has been ticking, but this LOVE shit is getting old. I mean, for crying out loud, at least do something creative with it like Otsuka Ai.