Goto Maki - One

[tsukinobyouin]

I think we've been doing former H!P releases in here? I saw that the Queen Bee thread was in this section, so that's what I'm basing this on.



Anyway, "debut" and "album" are in quotes because obviously this is just her first album with avex, and because it only has 5 tracks so it's not much of an album. I've seen some conflicting info on the track list - some sites list 7 tracks, with the last two being repeats of the first two (i.e. probably karaoke versions), but Neowing currently lists 5 tracks and a release date of 7/28.



Tracklist:

1. Houseki

2. EYES

3. Wagamama

4. Ienai kedo

5. Hanakotoba



Avex has a preview up of Houseki here. I'm completely bored by it, but then again I haven't been impressed with anything she's done since she moved to avex so maybe her new style just isn't...my style.

[Ap2000]

The music in Houseki sounds nice. Just the electro-pop stuff I usually tend to like more or less, though it does sound somewhat boring combined with her singing.



I guess the nude pics were a tie-in with this mini-album.

[neshcom]

I kinda like Housenki. The chorus is alright and the verses are a little meh, but it's not too bad. Plus, MORE MAKI <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /weeeh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />



Also,

because obviously this is just her first album with avex

wat



Wikipedia is also calling this release a single.

[AquaChan]

I'm glad she's doing more stuff with Avex, because her last album was kind of good.



I'm looking to an Avex video and Sweet Black is supposed to be a mini-album... right? XD

[Ap2000]

I kinda like Housenki. The chorus is alright and the verses are a little meh, but it's not too bad. Plus, MORE MAKI <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /weeeh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':(' />



Also,

because obviously this is just her first album with avex

wat



Wikipedia is also calling this release a single.

Yeah, I guess TnB meant "her first SOLO (Mini)Album".

[Special Needs Tricycle]

Houseki is okay. It's a huge step up from the rest of her horrible Avex shit. Except for Fly away. Fly away was good.

[tsukinobyouin]

I kinda like Housenki. The chorus is alright and the verses are a little meh, but it's not too bad. Plus, MORE MAKI <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /weeeh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':(' />



Also,

because obviously this is just her first album with avex

wat



Wikipedia is also calling this release a single.

I'm just quoting what I've been seeing on various news sources about the release. According to her official website, they're calling it her "1st mini album." Which makes a lot more sense. As far as I know, the "Sweet Black Project" is considered to be a collaboration rather than her own "solo work." Even though she's the only one singing most of the time.

[Pucchi-Mo]

[quote name='neshcom' post='80512' date='Jun 3 2010, 11:51 AM']Wikipedia is also calling this release a single.[/quote]

Wikipedia=misinformed fan's early reaction to news. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... tongue.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':(' />



Is ONE pronounced Oni? <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':P' /> Look at her horns on the trading cards!



Darn, so her site reports the release as the end of July instead of the beginning.

Also, the 2 repeat tracks are for the CD+DVD version which has 2 PVs.

I can't wait to hear the "erotic na UP・tune".



Also, on this site, you can watch her premium live from yesterday! LONG ASS INTRO with an instrumental (a classical song?).

(Singing starts around 15 minutes in) Live band LADY RISE, Houseki & EYES.



Pretty good, but a tease since a 34 minute video would usually have more than 3 songs.

[AquaChan]

Thanks for sharing, Pucchi, it's nice to actually hear a live version with a real band, it's different, but it's fun.

[neshcom]

Nos amigas at Bitches Aloud got their hands on the album covers. The album will be releasing on the same week as Namie Amuro's new "Break It/Get Myself Back." I'm surprised we're not seeing a lot of advertising for either release.



Also, Don Quixote versionlol.

[tsukinobyouin]

PV Preview is out for the song Eyes.



The green outfit is pretty hideous. And lol at the bathroom scenes. Her voice sounds kind of odd in this song, like she's forcing herself to sound husky. But the song itself isn't too bad, I suppose.

[Pucchi-Mo]

LUM! BOYS TOUCH

[Haru]

I just have one thing to say: Hanakotoba?

[Farrah]

Those contacts make her look fucking creepy, to be honest.



The song kind of reminds me of 2005-ish Koda Kumi (I think it's the bass, LOL idk) I was a really big fan of her at that time, but this song lacks some sort of catchy quality that those songs had. It's a shame, so far this album isn't measuring up to her first for me.

[Thekueken]

I loved and still love the entire Sweet Black album, so I was incredibly disappointed, when I listened to the preview of Houseki for the first time (which isn't an entirely bad song, but compared to SB... not so much.. and also reminded me of an old Fushigi Yuugi OST song on speed >.>).



I think, that Eyes is a way better again. But to be honest, everytime I watch that clip, I get distracted by the green costume, the bubblegum walls, this weird innuendo-the*peace atmosphere, the obligatory male dancer that dances by himself and other visual distractions.



Still waiting for a full song preview, but imo the refrain part is relatively catchy already, though I agree that her voice in the verse sounds somewhat forced.



I yet have to listen to some previews of the other songs, but I already can't get rid of the feeling, that this mini album as a whole won't make it to my shopping cart.



Feels to me, that Goto Maki still tries to find herself an own style within Avex and test a few things out.

...I just wished, she'd stick to that Sweet Black upbeat style and these harmonic ballads...

[AEUGNewtype]

[quote name='neshcom' post='80670' date='Jun 6 2010, 08:08 PM']Nos amigas at Bitches Aloud got their hands on the album covers. The album will be releasing on the same week as Namie Amuro's new "Break It/Get Myself Back." I'm surprised we're not seeing a lot of advertising for either release.



Also, Don Quixote versionlol.[/quote]

Wow, and we finally got those Maki n00ds that everyone has been photoshopping for the last 10 years <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... iggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> Too bad she looks like a skeleton now.

[AEUGNewtype]

Oh my god, she's REALLY naked in these ones:



http://community.livejournal.com/aramathey...937.html#cutid1



Goodness gracious, this is more naked than anything Kago's done so far. They HAD to have photoshopped some nipple out of these.

[Ap2000]

You're a bit late to the "party", we discussed them a month or so ago. =P



EDIT:

I don't want to drag you down, I just say it so you won't wonder why nobody will react shocked.

On http://img812.imageshack.us/f/141s.jpg/ you can see a bit of her nip.

[AEUGNewtype]

[quote name='Ap2000' post='81677' date='Jul 9 2010, 11:59 AM']You're a bit late to the "party", we discussed them a month or so ago. =P[/quote]

This has been me for the last half a year or so.

[neshcom]

Maki was on the latest Music Japan and performed Houseki. I've been looking for a streaming file, but all I can find is this little number (NicoNico beware!). Halp?



PS: SKE48 and moumoon also performed on that episode!

[neshcom]

(pouble dost)



Maki's live performance has been found and analyzed by our foxes south of the border! I actually really like Houseki, but the performance is just bad. Like, 2008 Koda Kumi KINGDOM tour bad. Seriously, backup dancers in tuxes?

[neshcom]

(must I be fated to triple post? D:)



One is released! Houseki and EYES exist on a completely different plane of production genre than the rest of the release. TRACK-BY-TRACKGOGOGOOO



Houseki and EYES haven't changed, duh. Houseki is a bit off and EYE has that weird bass and horn trill.



Wagamama is a very calm folksy track with a harmony filter for the chorus. It's soft and nice.



Ienai Kedo sounds very much like an anime theme to me. It's got that avex-y trance lead, but with Toxic-sounding guitar+strings. Maki sounds nice to me in the chorus, but I don't know if it's for everyone.



Hanashi -Hanauta- / Hanakotoba(?) is a down-tempo snap ballad. It reminds me of an older Ayumi Hamasaki-style generi-ballad (not like current Ayumi Hamasaki-style generi-ballad).



It's a decent release, especially for her first solo work, but it's a master-of-none situation here. avex, you can't create a new Top Fox from the top. Give this girl a style (be it rock (ZAKIZAKIZAKI), urban/dance (Nam-ya), or even guttural screeches from the third windpipe (Koda-saurus)) and then whore her out to the masses.