yellow symphony

A TIME TO CELEBRATE!!!

2010-11-19T21:23:00.000-08:00

yup.. it's a time to celebrate :happy:

a new maaya album on 1.12.. here's the details:

☆7th Original Album　収録曲全貌発表！

『You can't catch me』　2011年1月12日発売　全12曲収録
　*初回限定盤：VTZL-22/￥3,570（税込）特典CD付き
　*通常盤：VTCL-60209/￥3,045（税込）

01.「eternal return」
　　　lyrics：坂本真綾　music：末光篤　sound produced by 末光篤
02.「Himitsu」
　　　lyrics：坂本真綾　music：柴田淳　sound produced by 渡辺善太郎　
03.「DOWN TOWN」　　（TVｱﾆﾒ｢それでも町は廻っている｣OPテーマ）　
　　lyrics：伊藤銀次　music：山下達郎　sound produced by 服部隆之
04.「Utsukushii hito」　　（「遣唐使船再現プロジェクト」テーマソング）　
　　　lyrics：坂本真綾　music：菅野よう子　sound produced by 菅野よう子
05.「KIMI NO SEI」
　　　lyrics & music：渡辺健二　　sound produced by スネオヘアー
06.「ZERO to ICHI」
　　　lyrics & music：常田真太郎　　sound produced by 石成正人
07.「mizuumi」
　　　lyrics：坂本真綾　music：かの香織　sound produced by ：かの香織
08.「stand up, girls!」
　　　lyrics：坂本真綾　music：鈴木祥子　horn arrangement：山本拓夫
　　　sound produced by ：鈴木祥子
09.「Mirai Chizu」　
　　　lyrics & music：桜井秀俊　　strings arrangement：桜井秀俊＆村山達哉
　　　　sound produced by 桜井秀俊
10.「MOONLIGHT （mata wa "kimi ga nemuru ongaku"）」
　　　lyrics：坂本真綾　music：堀込高樹　sound produced by 冨田恵一
11.「Tegami」
　　　lyrics：坂本真綾　　music：北川勝利　　sound produced by 北川勝利
12.「TOPIA」
　　lyrics：坂本真綾　music：矢吹香那　sound produced by ：河野伸

【限定盤付属特典CD】「15周年記念LIVE“Gift”＋１」収録曲
　1.everywhere-opening-
　2.Gift
　3.ヘミソフィア
　4.0331medley（featuring 菅野よう子）
　5.I.D.
　6.マジックナンバー（featuring 鈴木祥子）
　7.everywhere-piano＆vocal-

　*2010年3月31日日本武道館で行われた15周年記念LIVE「Gift」より
　（M7のみ未発表スタジオ音源）

☆ 7th Original Album Tracklist announced full picture!

You can't catch me [12] all songs released on January 12, 2011
* Limited Edition: VTZL-22 / ¥ 3,570 (tax included) with CD Benefits
* Limited Edition: VTCL-60209 / ¥ 3,045 (tax included)

01. "Eternal return"
lyrics: Maaya Sakamoto music: sound produced by Suemitsu Atsushi Suemitsu Atsushi
02. "Himitsu"
lyrics: Maaya Sakamoto music: sound produced by Shibata Makoto Watanabe Zentarou
03. "DOWN TOWN" (TV Anime "But the town is laid on" OP Theme)
lyrics: Ginji Itou music: sound produced by Hattori Takayuki Yamashita Tatsuo
04. "Utsukushii hito" ("Project reproduction envoys ship" theme song)
lyrics: Maaya Sakamoto music: sound produced by Kanno Youko Kanno Youko
05. "KIMI NO SEI"
lyrics & music: sound produced by Watanabe Kenzi suneohair
06. "ZERO to ICHI"
lyrics & music: sound produced by Masato 石成 Tsuneta Makoto 太郎
07. "Mizuumi"
lyrics: Maaya Sakamoto music: Kano Kaori sound produced by: Kano Kaori
08. "Stand up, girls!"
lyrics: Maaya Sakamoto music: Suzuki Yoshiko horn arrangement: Yamamoto Takuo
sound produced by: Suzuki Yoshiko
09. "Mirai Chizu"
lyrics & music: Sakurai Hidetoshi strings arrangement: Murayama Tatsuya Sakurai Hidetoshi &
sound produced by Sakurai Hidetoshi
10. "MOONLIGHT (mata wa" kimi ga nemuru ongaku ")"
lyrics: Maaya Sakamoto music: sound produced by Takashi Tatsuki Tomita Keiiti Horigome
11. "Tegami"
lyrics: Maaya Sakamoto music: sound produced by Toshi Tsuyoshi Kitagawa Toshi Tsuyoshi Kitagawa
12. "TOPIA"
lyrics: Maaya Sakamoto music: Na Yabuki Kaoru sound produced by: Kouno Shin

Benefits included: CD, Limited Edition - "Anniversary 15 LIVE" Gift "+1" songs
1.everywhere-opening-
2.Gift
3. Hemisphere
4.0331medley (featuring Kanno Youko)
5.I.D.
6. Magic number (featuring Suzuki Yoshiko)
7.everywhere-piano & vocal-

* 15th anniversary was held at the Budokan in Japan March 31, 2010 LIVE "Gift" from
(M7 only unreleased studio sound)

credit to dillpops from maayas for quick info :D

and to add the sensation, mr.children are also going to release an album a year before..
at 12.1..

get it 1.12... 12.1
they surely know how to impress me!! XD

my first and second most loved artists releasing album in a row.. nothing can beat that!
yay! hurray for everything

kirei_lanford

the only thing that will last forever

2010-11-06T21:29:00.001-07:00

water flow calmly
the wind makes tiny whirlpool
the oar creates calm waves
along the way our memory overlaps

and when the sunset arrived
drizzle of rain pour from the sky
water missed earth so much
that it couldn't help falling down

i remember the little run
that we had to do to reach the coffee shop near the side of canal
silent wind chime is heard from afar
creates a beautiful symphony with the sound of rain fall

you said, "thank you for this afternoon walk"
i said, "it's my pleasure"
while i whispered from inside,
wishing the rain would last forever

that night we came across a jewelry shop
you approached the shop window
to see the beautiful ring that was displayed
your eyes suddenly look so bright and happy

i never thought before
that it would be the last time
i could see your beautiful happy smile

seasons have passed since then
leaves falling down to the canal
leaving water to guide them to the end of their journey

there..
on the long bench near the side
where we used to sit together a long time ago

there..
i waited for you to come

and then you came, just like the days before
your eyes look straight to the canal
so vacant..

i wished i could tell you
how i wanted to see your eyes shining bright
just like before

i know we can't be together anymore
but don't cry...
live your life happily
just as the old days

i will accompany you wherever you go

at the ramen shop where we used to eat together
you were sitting alone
but i was actually there
you just didn't realize that

our favorite song was playing from the book store
you notice it
yet you walked away from there

tears falling down
yet it's different...
it couldn't reach the ground
like the rain does

that day a guy approached you
but you wouldn't smile to him
i whispered to his ears
i told them something that only me and you know

he could hear what i said
and when he called you with your favorite nickname
your eyes suddenly changed
perhaps it's how magic works

today im standing in front of you
you are so beautiful
with your white long dress

finally.. i could see it again
the same smile that i saw from before
the light above the sky suddenly shine so bright

goodbye my dear
i just wished that you know
that the rain fall
the afternoon wind
the light from beyond the sky
always send my whisper to your ears
every day and night
and that i will watch you from above
it is the only thing that will last forever
and ever...

happyyy

2010-11-06T21:28:00.002-07:00

i am feeling happy today

my best buddy told me he has propose the girl of his dream
so around may next year,.. we're getting a feast

nice for him..
of course i gave him a punch or two for getting ahead of me
but whatever.. it's a great news

i still remember the days when he was still with his previous "wife to be"
i hated him when he says she's not for him
it has been 7 very long years for god sake
and to have a quarrel for something i found a bit silly...
im disappointed with him at that time..
and i pity the girl, though i don't know her well enough
especially since i know he's getting a replacement far too soon
months before they got separated

but after that he got a tough girl to deal
tough girl gives u tough moment
and this time he met his rival
now its his turn to be pitied
but i do not blame the girl for that
after all, you can't force someone's heart the way you want

and now.. i think he has met a wonderful girl
i don't know her yet.. but from the look in the photo
and from his story
and since i know my buddy since long
yup, this girl is for him
i hope he would not made another fatal move
to cancel a wedding when it is already in front of him

my music buddy
my hobby buddy
my stupid buddy
yep, i am certainly glad for you
wish me luck, so i can catch up with you
though you can't read this

i have told u anyway,.. whatever

life is...

2010-11-06T21:28:00.001-07:00

life is bubbles of many different colors
once it flew above it cannot return back to the ground
and after some height it would popped to nothing
while trusting the other bubbles below it
so it could reach a height that it could not achieve before

and so does the bubbles in our life

looking at past photos on the old album
this heart suddenly felt as if it is made from cotton
to reach a dream that has already fade away a long time ago
would mean nothing
but the faith u carried inside, each day
has become gasoline for another exploration for dreams waiting for u to discover

it's getting dark today
but there is always tomorrow
for those who believe

i still believe in life
like bubbles do

and on that day...

2010-11-06T21:27:00.001-07:00

along the two footpaths that separated us by miles distance
you and me.. we are walking our separate ways

but i do believe
that if we look at the same direction
someday
you and me
we will walk through all this

and on that day..
at a place where various colors shimmering below sunshine
and the languid air..
bringing scent of the upcoming summer

you and me..
we will be together
and i won't let you go

even if we are trapped in a dream
please don't wake me up too soon

Alkisah Sebuah Perahu

2010-11-06T21:25:00.000-07:00

sebuah perahu yang tertambat di tepi pantai
tiba-tiba tambatannya terputus
maka iapun terbawa menuju lautan yang luas
laksana anak burung terjatuh dari sarangnya
perahu itu tidak tahu apa yang ada di depannya
tidak juga ia tahu apa yang ia cari di lautan nan luas itu

sekali waktu perahu itu terdampar di pulau kecil
namun tak lama kemudian ombak kembali menariknya menuju lautan
hari demi hari dilewatinya tanpa kepastian
pada saat badai tiba, perahu itu hanya bisa terombang-ambing
tanpa bisa melawan sedikitpun
ia terlempar, terguncang, terhempas!

lalu badaipun reda
dan sinar matahari kembali bersinar
tapi sang perahu sudah tidak bisa merasakan sinar itu
seperti ketika pertama kali ia merasakannya
saat pertama kali ia selesai dibuat
oleh pak tua nelayan

cat di tubuhnya sudah luntur
kayu di buritan sudah lapuk
bahkan di beberapa bagian tubuhnya sudah terkoyak

sang perahu hanya punya satu harapan
bahwa suatu saat kelak
ia akan sampai di sebuah pulau yang ombaknya tenang
dan bahwa pulau itu akan menjadi tempat peristirahatan terakhir baginya
sebelum ia menjadi terlalu berat untuk bisa mengapung di atas air

inilah alkisah sebuah perahu
yang mungkin mengingatkan seseorang yang berada di depan cermin di sana
akan kisah hidupnya sendiri

my beloved maaya

2010-06-08T06:58:00.000-07:00

This time i wanna talk about someone that influenced me a lot.. The name of the person,no no.. the name of the angel, is maaya sakamoto.. She's the main reason behind why i fell in love with japanese music.. Well, actually not just maaya,.. the person beyond her, yoko kanno is also "responsible" for my "turn around event", and also the lyricist for many maaya songs, yuuho iwasato... i would like to thank to all of them with all my heart..

but now let's just narrow the point. It's all about Maaya. Maaya all the time.. :D
Im just so glad that i met her.. First encounter was when i heard the song "Yubiwa" from my friend's cassete. It was waaay back when i was still in high school. It was an instant, "hey, who's the singer??" kinda response. From there, i was urged to find more of her songs...

And then i found "Tomodachi" while visiting my friend's house. The guitar intro, the one that has been repeated endlessly for weeks after that, was the thing that really make me "hooked" to maaya. I still remember the time i walked along that long road in that afternoon, being unable to erase that song from my head >.

"Tomodachi" is like a gem of feeling.. It's as beautiful as the meaning itself, which is "friend". Not long until i completely fell for "Yubiwa" too, that although being the first song i heard from maaya, actually need more time to get inside me, unlike "Tomodachi" which was an instant hit.

"Tomodachi" and "Yubiwa" was a complete domination until i heard the song.. "Hikari no naka e",.. i first found it on the net while i was searching for "Tomodachi" mp3.. I was disappointed at the first time. But it ain't long until i was amazed by the new found..

"Hikari no naka e" was my greatest musical finding.. In fact this song remains on the top of my love list.. It's just too beautiful to describe, that even with my greatest effort of describing the song, it may not reach, not even 25% of it. It's simply the amazing substance of the composition, the vocal and instrument, blends perfectly.. the arrangement is somewhat "magical" and the nuance is hard to describe.. The song definitely showcase maaya ability to transform emotion at the utmost depth.

After that, i could not tell how i manage to collect maaya's albums.. Many albums i gathered from friends but some albums i collect by buying the audio cds.. And i'm really glad that i decide to went all out for this "angel" of me.. There have been too many songs that made me crazy to be mention one by one. I'll just go with some samples...

"Dive", for example, is like the prove of living from one entity in this huge universe. An entity named maaya.. In this song, she went with metaphor, by making an analogy between living and diving through the depth of ocean.. to struggle to the surface or just give up and let the body drowned to the depth of ocean.. "Surely a beautiful sight awaits", this line ended the first part of the song, which is actually not to describe the view at the surface of the ocean, but what in her mind when she fell to the deep of ocean.. But along with the song progress, maaya become stronger,... and slowly she manage to overcome the feeling of "giving up" , and then the line, "no matter what, i wanna be loved" appear.. The song ended beautifully..

"Gravity" is a song with a deep intense emotion... It also has that loneliness aura, along with the grand orchestra, creates the nuance of epicness.. It tells about the long journey that has to be taken to reach home.. The feeling of uncertainty, of whether the home is still there? or are we going to the right way... The line "Zero gravity, what's it like" is like, what would it feel to have this life disappeared,... when the tiring journey has washed away all the desire to live..

While "Kaze ga fuku hi" takes us to a world with sky and open grass. It certainly is... The use of instrument is unique and awesome.. Maaya brought the song with splendid control of tone through the magnificent ride of vocal melody.. The song is about the freedom of feeling,.. of how you should think for your life.. that positive aura "the song i haven't heard, the morning i haven't seen, the person i haven't met, maybe someday i will able to meet after all"

Another excellent feat is "Uchuu Hikoushi no Uta" and "Okitegami".. I picked these two songs to picture how maaya would be a great mom and a great big sister... Her singing style could be so light at one time of a song and passionate at another time.. increasing the weight bit by bit,.. like in "Okitegami" where she told story of the time when she left home for the first time, to travel to big city of Tokyo... Of how she felt for the ones she left, her sisters and family,.... or in "Uchuu Hikoushi no Uta" which simply just bringing kids in a voyage of through stars, space sheep and other magical items...

"Afternoon Repose" is another english song maaya performed, beside "Gravity", that has been explained above.... This song's lyric is full of artistic phrases... It only speaks about the fantastic surrounding that could be formed by afternoon's sunshine, afternoon's wind... "Like unending, summer eclipse, sweet sun pours in from the windows"... the lines as if the listener is brought to this world where the world is so quiet, and that the calmness is the key to happiness.. The song's arrangement is also the one that made the atmosphere comes to life... Yoko Kanno is known for her wide use of instruments and synth sounds.

Have you ever read a lyric that tells about love story? Of course you have... You can find it at any songs... But "Kinobori to Akai Skirt" and "Park Amsterdam" are sure to be one of those uncommon love story.. "Kinobori to Akai Skirt" tells the very beginning of a relationship between a little girl with the little fairy that is watching her.. How the little fairy fell in love with the little girl and how his sadness when the girl finally grow big and forget about him.. How he really want the girl to realize his presence again... This song is surely filled with a huge emotion. Also, in "Park Amsterdam", maaya, kanno and yuuho once again collaborate in a feat of "somewhat looked like a classic tale". About a bird that fell in love with a human,... and with the song we are taken in a journey to a world full of imagination, like alice in wonderland... but certainly a different story.. This song showcase the talent of Yoko Kanno as a composer and arranger of this really well made song... I mean at first hear i thought it was for queen's tribute, found out that im wrong... It was Yoko Kanno genuine work >.

There's a song when Yoko Kanno was not with Maaya anymore.. At least at that time they were separated. "Hello" is not some song that you can find anywhere,... While the main reason is for the perfect lyric, maaya also made a really splendid job to sing this song with such a "opposite reflection" with the song's lyric, in a good way... The lyric itself, is devastating, in the meaning of how much the lyric could effect to the listeners after knowing it.. but not the content of the lyric itself.. The lyric of "Hello" could be described as a lyric from someone that has passed away to the one that he/she left in this world.. That's why even that the lyric is full of motivation and beautiful things it still bring so much sadness thinking that it would come from someone that has already left the world, from the listeners point of view.. Actually, the song is made just after Maaya's grandma, who is, according to maaya, her number one fan, passed away.. That's why it's also bring me to tears hearing maaya in this song... T.

There are so many more songs to write actually... I could made the list of songs being longer and longer but i don't have the energy to write... Surely, Maaya is just too huge to be written in a single blog entry and that's why i am avoiding to write more... right now.. Just not possible. >.

you know... maybe i will edit this entry in the future.. XD

until our path cross over

2010-04-20T09:18:00.000-07:00

when the new dawn rise on the east
i know you are already far away

that hand wave from yesterday
will it be the last i would get from you?

all the laughter we had in the pass
those stupid situations, crazy moments
would all turn into a blank page in your future?
in our future?

had you know...?
simply looking at your happy reaction melt me to bit
seeing you wear that t-shirt i bought from that day
i can't hide my happiness
and then you laugh at me
saying that i am stupid

but being called stupid, to me
is not a bad thing
as long as you are the one that call me that
i will be the most stupid person in the world
just for you

i wish i were dreaming
and that you will wake me up with a heavy blow from behind
like you usually do

goodbye..
i can only wish you will get all the happiness in the world

if someday the earth proved to be round
maybe.. just maybe..
we will cross path

and i will wait until that time comes
with a dream held strong
and hoping you will feel the same way

Visual Sound.. now and forever...

2010-01-18T07:30:00.000-08:00

The concept of visual sound, and...

It happened so suddenly.. and so short.. Yet, it felt SO REAL..

One day.. when i closed my eyes... i saw an image i have never ever seen before...

All that i could say,.. even in that short amount of time, i could really feel it.. as if it was really happening in front of my own eyes!! .. That time i saw a beautiful scenery.. in a place.. high, high, up there.. perhaps even higher than clouds?? I thought it that way coz that time,.. i felt that my body was so light.. as if i was floating in the mid air! But i hardly notice my own existence.. Something.. pulled me, absorbed all my attention, and enveloped everything with yellow dazzling light....

And when i opened my eyes... the tune is playing on the sound system.. I know im just dreaming.. but that time it's different!!.. then i turn to my sound system.. and the tune.. ah, yes.. the tune...

That time, is the time when i realized.. the depth of what i called as.. visual sound.... in other words, the strength of sound in delivering images, with all of its radiant feeling.. into our deepest self, our subconscious world....

i describe visual sound by... hmmm... it would be insane if i could deliver what i felt completely by words.. no, it's much deeper than that... it's a language that only ears and brain *and heart* do..

let's just move to something more simple...

okay, so why do you listen to music?
i'd say because it's something that comes within you.. from the day u were born..
hahha.. maybe it's too much, but it has a point.. well maybe not exactly like that, but it isn't wrong also.. music is a medium. that's certainly true. so what are music trying to deliver to us? is it the lyric? is it the melody and harmony? is it the beat that made our heartbeat jump?... all of those are true. but there are more....

to me, music is one form of language. we don't need to understand what the guy is talkin about. i mean, come on! can't u grab it from what u hear? it's far more deep than that.. it's the message that are trying to be delivered.. it's also far more important than all those poetic words or interesting phrases.. i mean it's not bad to be poetic, but the main reason to be poetic is not because it's more elegant or cooler that way.. but because it must be delivered like that.. so that the mind of the music maker could be delivered as perfectly he/she imagined.. so, using even the strangest word that you could ever expect from a person. it's not really a big deal anymore...

In my own musical land there are something that is even richer than words.. it's the richness of sound. the sound that could bring us to another world that we could not picture before.. it's the combination between emotion, harmony and visual ability that sound has to provide you all the things needed for u to explore a whole new world along with the tunes being played.

which lead us to my reasons, of why i liked this woman's music.. some of u probably already have some guess. yep, it's her... XD

so, let's hop on to cases.. which is easier to understand if you've heard the song, of course.. >.

first of all there's this one title called dive, certainly deserved all the credit, is a beautiful example of a journey of emotion with a metaphor of someone *in this case, maaya herself* as a person who trapped between two choices, life and death, to be drowned deep into the deep ocean, or to struggle back to surface.. which actually a form of portrait of her own self emotional condition.. Along the song, the sound beautifully pictured the singer's emotion by adding a visual sensation through hearing, such as the sound of bubble, the sound of violin that could form a view like sunshine in the surface of water, and some other splendid detail arrangement.. and also, one essential thing is that the lyric itself also bound strongly to the sound..

"Because, there, at the bottom of this deep, dark ocean,
Surely a beautiful sight awaits me."

"A bright new day shines.
I'll aim for the surface, because I CAN bring myself to rise now.
I desire my next breath.
I won't look back anymore."

in another title, afternoon repose, there are sounds that form a sound of wind breeze that blows away tree leaves.. * and i mean it, really.. also guitar sound with vibe that creates an airy feeling..

"like unending summer eclipse, sweet sun pours in from the window.." ..

so,... can you imagine it now?.. of course you can't >. the only way is to hear it and prove it yourself...

another title, uchuu hikoushi no uta, bring the listener to the unlimited sky.. with those UFO-like sounds.. and clear piano tunes...

"Aldebaran keeps on shining, with it's constellations ever so lively. A canal of the stars A migratory bird of the comets and a shade of the desert"

and don't forget kaze ga fuku hi.. with the many instruments *and back-up vocal* that it had to picture the open grass field scenery.. And an insanely good back up vocal to picture the feel of freedom.

Besides that, there is also mahiru ga yuuki with that enchanting sound like a blow of snowy wind.. and a triangle sound *what's that instrument called, is it really a triangle?? >.* as if it's forming a view of hexagonal particles form of a glow of light.. *kyaa.. it's hard to explain.. and also all of that other sounds that i hardly can't described it myself..

in aoi hitomi, the instrument, the style of singing, and the nuance brought the listener to a land of tales, myths and fairies.. like far far in the land of dream. it's actually to picture the surrounding of gaea's world, from the outstanding anime, Escaflowne, *which where the song could be found as one of the many beautiful OST's of the anime. for me it's also the sound of RPG.. >. *rpg maniac..

trust me, there are MORE sounds from maaya songs that can be classified as this kind of type. and this is one reason why i can't get enough of maaya, in this case, kanno-san's concept of visual sound.. i love them..

it's stupid that i brought the concept of visual music at first but ended at reasons why i like maaya.. hahah... but i hope you could grab my idea.. :)

ps: maayas guys, u could comment, disagree or say anything u want.. or perhaps explaining ur own version of maaya *and kanno-san's* .. music... well, it's not limited to them only, of course... if u want, similiar sounds like akino arai's and imai miki's are welcome too.. >. I welcome u... :)

Into the Light

2010-01-14T06:20:00.000-08:00

Tema posting pertama gw merupakan kata-kata yang bermakna sangat... bwt gw..
Uda lama c sbenernya pgen bkin blog cuma terbentur masalah kmalasan.. lgipula gw uda buat fansite.. and buat gw cuma itu yg gw rasa perlu wujudkan.. "Jadi, rasany belum perlu lah rasanya buat buat blog"... itu pkir gw dulu...

Tp skarang.. rasany gw jadi ngebutuhin sbuah blog.. bwt nuangin apa yg gw pkirin.. dan lagi bisa sebagai tempat buat nyimpen coretan2 gw.. bisa curhatan jg... en trutama.. sperti apa yg gw harepin dari ngebuat sebuah fansite.. jadi tempat gw nulis hal-hal yang berhubungan sama j-music.. hobi gw yg ga ada matinya..

mybe that's all for the moment.. still can't think of anything right now.. hehehe... :D