Comments on: VocaJazz http://behind-the.nihonreview.com/20091130/vocajazz/ An insight into the minds of the staff of The Nihon Review Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:24:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: ETERNAL http://behind-the.nihonreview.com/20091130/vocajazz/comment-page-1/#comment-3871 ETERNAL Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:07:39 +0000 http://behind-the.nihonreview.com/?p=1036#comment-3871 Oh man, jazz Natsukage... I feel like the song is telling me to be happy, but I can't ;_; As for the music itself, I don't have much to add other than that it's a nice subgenre. I'm quite new to the Vocaloid scene, but I'm impressed at the amount of genres the technology is capable of covering, though my favourite is still the pop/trance stuff. The best thing about jazz arrangements is that they're fairly uncommon in anime fandom, so they earn bonus point for being totally different from what we're used to hearing. Oh man, jazz Natsukage… I feel like the song is telling me to be happy, but I can’t ;_;

As for the music itself, I don’t have much to add other than that it’s a nice subgenre. I’m quite new to the Vocaloid scene, but I’m impressed at the amount of genres the technology is capable of covering, though my favourite is still the pop/trance stuff. The best thing about jazz arrangements is that they’re fairly uncommon in anime fandom, so they earn bonus point for being totally different from what we’re used to hearing.

]]> By: zzeroparticle http://behind-the.nihonreview.com/20091130/vocajazz/comment-page-1/#comment-3849 zzeroparticle Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:52:08 +0000 http://behind-the.nihonreview.com/?p=1036#comment-3849 Well, if there's any arranging, I guess I've just never been alerted to them. While I can count a lot of doujin VGM releases from the Japanese side (mostly Touhou, some other remixes by Magical Trick Society, etc), the only albums that have reached my ears are TAMusic's arrangements from Key's VNs and Haruhi. And I really don't like TAM's treatment of a lot of the material :\ Anyhow, I don't doubt that they do exist. Just consider this comment a cry for someone out there to drop an anime remix/arrangement my way :p Well, if there’s any arranging, I guess I’ve just never been alerted to them. While I can count a lot of doujin VGM releases from the Japanese side (mostly Touhou, some other remixes by Magical Trick Society, etc), the only albums that have reached my ears are TAMusic’s arrangements from Key’s VNs and Haruhi. And I really don’t like TAM’s treatment of a lot of the material :\

Anyhow, I don’t doubt that they do exist. Just consider this comment a cry for someone out there to drop an anime remix/arrangement my way :p

]]> By: Sorrow-kun http://behind-the.nihonreview.com/20091130/vocajazz/comment-page-1/#comment-3843 Sorrow-kun Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:52:05 +0000 http://behind-the.nihonreview.com/?p=1036#comment-3843 @zzeroparticle Well, the thing is, there does seem to be a lot of creative arranging and remixing of anime songs going on, it's just not really happening on our side of the pond as much as it is in Japan. I think part of the reason is basically exposure. Anime might still be largely made for the otaku, but that doesn't mean it doesn't at least permeate a lot of Japanese pop culture. So I think it stands a better chance of attracting talented people to the fandom than it does in the West where it's still, at its most widely influential, a cultural curiosity. Sure, anime does attract talented people in the West, but these tend to be more visual-minded folk than musically-minded. So there's a lot of anime inspired art coming out of Western fandom (particularly digital stuff, but some critical people might question the amount of creativity required to make digital art), but not much in the way of music. Video games, on the other hand, have the advantage of having a fairly wide influence in pop culture on both sides of the pond, so it's probably not a huge surprise there's a lot of kick-ass user generated video game inspired music stuff. Cool song, too. @Raiga I've never been one to shirk the advice of people who take the time to comment on this blog, especially when it's good advice, so I'll make a Nico account. You're probably right about "Just Be Friends". I'd trust Nicopedia before I'd trust what I write, because it's just so hard to find info about this sort of stuff on English websites. An English Nicopedia would be just delightful, but it's hardly practical, considering the non-existent demand for it. I quickly looked up the Nico Nico Orchestra. Holy cow! That stuff is epic, and looks like it was a blast to make. A project that ambitious... it must have taken so much to organize and pull off. @zzeroparticle
Well, the thing is, there does seem to be a lot of creative arranging and remixing of anime songs going on, it’s just not really happening on our side of the pond as much as it is in Japan. I think part of the reason is basically exposure. Anime might still be largely made for the otaku, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t at least permeate a lot of Japanese pop culture. So I think it stands a better chance of attracting talented people to the fandom than it does in the West where it’s still, at its most widely influential, a cultural curiosity. Sure, anime does attract talented people in the West, but these tend to be more visual-minded folk than musically-minded. So there’s a lot of anime inspired art coming out of Western fandom (particularly digital stuff, but some critical people might question the amount of creativity required to make digital art), but not much in the way of music. Video games, on the other hand, have the advantage of having a fairly wide influence in pop culture on both sides of the pond, so it’s probably not a huge surprise there’s a lot of kick-ass user generated video game inspired music stuff. Cool song, too.

@Raiga
I’ve never been one to shirk the advice of people who take the time to comment on this blog, especially when it’s good advice, so I’ll make a Nico account. You’re probably right about “Just Be Friends”. I’d trust Nicopedia before I’d trust what I write, because it’s just so hard to find info about this sort of stuff on English websites. An English Nicopedia would be just delightful, but it’s hardly practical, considering the non-existent demand for it.

I quickly looked up the Nico Nico Orchestra. Holy cow! That stuff is epic, and looks like it was a blast to make. A project that ambitious… it must have taken so much to organize and pull off.

]]> By: Raiga http://behind-the.nihonreview.com/20091130/vocajazz/comment-page-1/#comment-3832 Raiga Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:44:55 +0000 http://behind-the.nihonreview.com/?p=1036#comment-3832 ^I was planning on mentioning Miracle Paint, too. Very fun song. A lot of Oster Project songs sound sort of jazzy/showtuney, actually. Cool stuff, didn't know there was a whole "Vocajazz" subgenre. If you're into this stuff it's definitely worth getting a Nico account, if you ask me, even if you can't read most of the site. It's not hard to Google up a tutorial on how to sign up, and there's loads of great content that never makes it to YouTube. For one thing, searching "Vocajazz" by tag turns up a full eight pages of results. Also, wasn't "Just Be Friends" a Vocaloid original song? At least thats what Nicopedia says. Most of the time the "chorus" videos are just a compilation of various different covers of the song; there's not really a definite group of people who make up a "Nico Nico Chorus" so far as I know (though there is that ridiculous Nico Nico Orchestra). ^I was planning on mentioning Miracle Paint, too. Very fun song. A lot of Oster Project songs sound sort of jazzy/showtuney, actually. Cool stuff, didn’t know there was a whole “Vocajazz” subgenre.

If you’re into this stuff it’s definitely worth getting a Nico account, if you ask me, even if you can’t read most of the site. It’s not hard to Google up a tutorial on how to sign up, and there’s loads of great content that never makes it to YouTube. For one thing, searching “Vocajazz” by tag turns up a full eight pages of results.

Also, wasn’t “Just Be Friends” a Vocaloid original song? At least thats what Nicopedia says. Most of the time the “chorus” videos are just a compilation of various different covers of the song; there’s not really a definite group of people who make up a “Nico Nico Chorus” so far as I know (though there is that ridiculous Nico Nico Orchestra).

]]> By: zzeroparticle http://behind-the.nihonreview.com/20091130/vocajazz/comment-page-1/#comment-3824 zzeroparticle Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:05:09 +0000 http://behind-the.nihonreview.com/?p=1036#comment-3824 Heh, I've pretty much been entranced by a lot of these mixes because as much as I enjoy jazz, it's not something I get exposed to a whole lot compared to classical stuff. In this instance, the fact that we have jazz renditions of well-known anime themes makes it all the sweeter because there's just so much creativity that can go into it; the improvisations that go on while keeping to the core melodic themes make it a fantastic experience. I get the same reaction from listening to video game remixes and I just wished that the anime scene had some more arranging and remixing going on. It'd add a whole new dimension to anime music, that's for sure. Oh well, before I go on too long, I'll just share a track that's been stuck in my head for the longest time. Though not jazz, I still find this attempt at Broadway showtunes to be quite enjoyable: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3NNaDDXeQ4 Heh, I’ve pretty much been entranced by a lot of these mixes because as much as I enjoy jazz, it’s not something I get exposed to a whole lot compared to classical stuff. In this instance, the fact that we have jazz renditions of well-known anime themes makes it all the sweeter because there’s just so much creativity that can go into it; the improvisations that go on while keeping to the core melodic themes make it a fantastic experience. I get the same reaction from listening to video game remixes and I just wished that the anime scene had some more arranging and remixing going on. It’d add a whole new dimension to anime music, that’s for sure.

Oh well, before I go on too long, I’ll just share a track that’s been stuck in my head for the longest time. Though not jazz, I still find this attempt at Broadway showtunes to be quite enjoyable:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3NNaDDXeQ4

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