NEXT LEVEL album tracks now available on dwango.jp! (interludes revealed)

[neuteka]

This is horrible X________x

[(miss)understood]

Wait how do you know that those four were the interludes, just because they werent available on dwango as a download?

[jbrat2219]

^ And the previews apparently...

[thangkhung91]

it's rrally hard hear anything at all on these recordings. I'm gonna wait till the cd-rips come out to judge how good/bad this album actually is

[tourniquet]

LOVEppears features an antique electro sound compared to NEXT LEVEL. the album sounds top nodge production-wise even for today's standards. the previews may lie to me, but that's the impression I got.

[Zeke.]

If she did the urban thing I think I'd puke and die of embarrassment. Lol.

[ComatoseBunnySnatcher]

I'm so glad she turned back to pop!

I was getting sick of her so-called "RAWK MUZIKX". Things like Rule are fine, but after GUILTY being probably her darkest and heaviest album, this was needed alot!

[bluegie]

I just love how this album creates a so called battlefield between the old and new fans.

To me, it's not only her music, but her image(s) and such attracted the fans in the early days. It's quite obvious that her images for the last few years weren't that creative at all. Like... she has used the "glamorous" and "cute" theme since (m)u (and that was 2005). She practically did those similar summer songs since fairyland (except last year).

She did mention that she didn't wanna be the front trendy because she's getting older (not old btw) and she wanna focus on something else. But I'm glad that she finally making something conceptual again. NEXT LEVEL covers do wow me to a certain extend. I really hope the new songs give me a wow as well.

@ all.night.raver's: I won't puke lol... I dun think it'll be that urban even if she's doing one. I think those songs will just have a tiny bit of urban hint inside... Yeah... I can't imagine ayu singing FUNKY TOWN or Sexy Girl..

[(miss)understood]

Well I dont mean to be a total bummer, but everyone I've told in person that this album has four 1:30~2:00 interludes on it, thinks that is lame.

I'm not cancelling my preorder, but I think it sucks, big time. I'd rather have at least three of those songs be crappy full length songs than interludes, what a waste.

[bluegie]

^Ehh... did I miss something?? When did they reveal that those interludes are 1:30 - 2 mins each?? Anywayz, I think you focus too much on the number of interludes. Just forget this and focus on the WHOLE thing instead .

[(miss)understood]

lol is that advice.

no im making it up based on the length of past interludes.

[njanjayrp]

ahh I like both the old and the new songs and I honestly would never want to change a single song that she has made so far. Sure I loved her LOVEppears voice, but in a different way, I love her GUILTY voice and even though he voice changed she still hasn't lost the honesty behind it and I doubt that will ever change. Electro-pop is quite popular in Japan now with bands like Perfume and a couple of other artists I think that Ayu is just trying to use some of more up-to-date ideas and refresh her music, even though I am sure (obviously) that she will keep making her rock music that many of us love. As someone said, Ayu is getting older and it would be dumb to see her dress like a 15 year old as that's not who she is and I think that it's really hard for an artist/song writer who grows as a person and changes to keep writing the similar things for years. And for once I agree with Maikaru, NEXT LEVEL seems to be something new with all those good old things that we love about Ayu's music. Let's just wait until we hear the whole album.

[bluegie]

Originally Posted by njanjayrp

As someone said, Ayu is getting older and it would be dumb to see her dress like a 15 year old as that's not who she is and I think that it's really hard for an artist/song writer who grows as a person and changes to keep writing the similar things for years.

That is Seiko.

No one wants to see ayu dress like a teenager. But a 30 yr old (or even 40, 50, 60, etc) person can be very trendy at one's age. I think ayu looks very mature and trendy this time.

Edit: oh and yeap! She has been writing similar things for at least a few years so that's why we're not getting rock or heavy metal this time hehe.

@ (miss)understood: ohh k . To me, if a interlude can survive up to 2 mins, I consider that as a song .

[Coelacanth]

"NEXT LEVEL" doesn't seem like it'll be that "NEXT LEVEL" from what I can hear. I don't mean that negatively, but none of the songs made me sit up and go "wow, this sounds like it's out of her comfort-zone!" (I might still just be numb because of B&D though, lol)

I think maybe Ayu is trying to make her sound a little more relevant and current with the times. A lot of her songs (see tracks 11-14 on GUILTY) can sound pretty dated and a lot of younger people might find this type of sound "uncool" in 2009, you know? Especially since the Japanese seem to finally be catching up with Western music trends.

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by Coelacanth

"NEXT LEVEL" doesn't seem like it'll be that "NEXT LEVEL" from what I can hear. I don't mean that negatively, but none of the songs made me sit up and go "wow, this sounds like it's out of her comfort-zone!" (I might still just be numb because of B&D though, lol)

I think maybe Ayu is trying to make her sound a little more relevant and current with the times.

Really, nothing is out of Ayu's comfort zone. Nothing worth trying anyway.
Country? No way.
R&B? She could do it, and I think she has some R&B elements in her music, but it doesn't fit her and that genre is hottzy anyway. Lol.
Ayu has done most everything, or anything that is worth trying. She does what she likes. I think this album is a perfect example of the type of music she should be doing. It fits her so well.

And I don't want another B&D/Pride...

[Coelacanth]

Originally Posted by all.night.raver

Country? No way.

I don't know why, but I've always felt Endless sorrow ~gone with the wind ver~ had a country vibe to it. Maybe idk lol.

Anyway, I think as far as instrumentation goes she should leave her comfort zone more often. One thing that has bugged me for a long time is that she's been neglecting the acoustic guitar as a prominent instrument in ballads. The acoustic guitar is a little bit rougher and folk-ier than the piano so I think it'll work better with this "man" voice she has going on now, especially in "Curtain call". She's also never worked with real brass instruments, and I think the only song featuring a wind instrument is "Close to you".

[Evolution7/4]

^But its not just pop. Very experimental ala Loveppears, i Am... and rainbow, even though the sound may not be exactly like those.

[ComatoseBunnySnatcher]

Originally Posted by Evolution7/4

^But its not just pop. Very experimental ala Loveppears, i Am... and rainbow, even though the sound may not be exactly like those.

I hope it's like RAINBOW, because that album has exelent quality as a whole and flows great. I changed my mind and might probably buy the CD verswion (which is LOVE!)

[Tony G]

No offence, but saying that "techno pop" (which should actually be electro pop, there is no such thing as techno pop) is not popular is really, really stupid. Electropop is pretty much popular everywhere now, especially with guitars which Ayu has utilised in Sparkle. It's about time Ayu made a song like Sparkle, because it's way too good. Have a look around and see how many pop songs you hear have A)keyboards and B)guitars mixed with a pop vibe. It's everywhere now.

But instead of just following a trend, ayu has taken it and made an epic song like Sparkle, something totally different to what I've heard from other artists and from what she's done.

[Evolution7/4]

^me too. rainbow is very very ethereal sounding, mixing trip hop, electronica, dance/trance, and some rock.