fitear1590

Can anyone help me to resize pictures? On the previous version of the forum, I could resize any picture using the "thumb" option. It would look something like this (except with normal brackets on both sides): The "400" would make the width of the picture 400, rather than whatever larger size it was. Extremely useful so you didn't have to manually resize pictures when you wanted to embed them in posts. I've found the "thumb" option on this current version of the forum too, under special BBCode, but it doesn't seem to work the same way... Any help?

Moran, I love you.

Excellent news. Lots of albums to look forward to in 2013 already.

I've got you covered. I uploaded pretty much all their songs: http://www.monochrome-heaven.com/viewto ... =13&t=5948 & a single http://www.monochrome-heaven.com/viewto ... 904#p22904 Enjoy!

Live-only, grrrr!

1. grow into UNiTE. Some will see this as a filler SE track, but I love it when Mio goes all out with the synth arrangements! I think he has a really signature sound! In any case, I'll take this over the sounds of creaking floor boards and rumbling thunder any day. I'd say it's on par with their other SE melt into UNiTE., AKA really awesome. 9/10 2. Meaning It's lovely how grow into UNiTE flows directly into the intro of this song! The verse (particularly the first 2 lines or so) have very KIDDIE-ish vocal melodies which are nice! Solid guitar work all around and I like how relaxing it sounds during 1:30ish-1:38ish. Catchy chorus with fittingly "intense" vocals from Yui. More KIDDIE-ness with the "Whoa-ohhh" at 1:40 and the vocal melody at 2:09. A nice heavy, yet interesting breakdown. Sounds like it could break into a rap fest, but it doesn't! Then comes a beautifully arranged soft part with more great Yui vox. Basically, this song is wonderful and a great showcase of UNiTE's core style. Literally the only fault I can find in this song is during the second chorus, when Yui does a strange falsetto for a few words, but it doesn't decrease my love for this song at all! 10/10 3. 失望エミュレイター (shitsubou emulator) Starts of with those kinda angular weird riffs (luv them) and then goes into a heavy chugfest. Obviously, this song is meant to be the "parallel" song of 絶望クリエイター (zetsubou creator) from the first album. However, this song has possibly better verses and DEFINITELY a better/more powerful chorus. All the growling/gang vocal sections are extremely satisfying and just icing on the heavy cake. Well done boys. I'd say this is probably UNiTE's best "heavy" song, along with 退廃レトリック (taihai rhetoric). 9.25/10 4. 約束 (yakusoku) The first of the 3 "old" tracks. 約束 was released this summer, so I'll just post my previous review: "Written by lead composer Shiina Mio. This is pretty much quintessential UNiTE right here: dramatic twinkly pop-rock, accentuated with technical (semi-mathy) guitar riffs. Just about everything sounds great in this song, but I will say the first chorus seems a bit disjointed from the verse before it. There's a great guitar solo in the middle. Afterwards, there's a slow piano part and I really liked those epic drums that were used, haha." I still reallllly like this song, though I will say the fact that Meaning precedes it (a song similar in style and just a bit better), does perhaps bring the rating of 約束 just a smidge. Just shows that UNiTE is steadily improving and outdo-ing older songs! 8.5/10 5. L for U This title means "Lesbian for you," yes? Anyway, CaRaN (one of my compatriots of UNiTEdom) predicted I wouldn't like this song. Admittedly, it is punctuated with a few rap sections (which I usually don't like), but I don't know why, I found them very tolerable this time around! When the music explodes at 0:16 after the little rappy/vocal intro, it's beauty! Some great synth action in this song. The verses are also really "sweet," thanks to Yui's nice vocals and the soft guitar work. The chorus has some vocoder-y "Yeah-ee-yeah!" going on which is fun, but perhaps repeated a few too many times. After an almost acapella section, the okay rap comes back and the synths explode again into one final, energetic chorus. The song ends with an appropriately chuggy riffed, speedily-drummed outro. Pretty great song, despite some minor things that I'm usually picky about, haha. 9/10 6. 可塑性MAGIE (kasosei MAGIE) The song kicks off with cool "awkward" riffs, so I thought we were in for another 提案 ("teian" from the first album), but then the verse has this "marchy" drumming quality and the vocals don't sound too interesting. From the intro until the first chorus, the song is a bit underwhelming for me. Then, the chorus is nice, as UNiTE's usually are! The guitar solo in the middle is well-done and almost reminds me of the band Rubik. Wish I understood the lyrics though. What's with the "241p" thing? I'm still waiting for the first part of the song to grow on me, because I do like it from the chorus onward. 7/10 7. cinema verite Has a bit of a classic "slower-paced" Canzel song feel to it, like sink or something. I was interested to read in an interview that Yukimi found drumming in this song the most difficult. I wouldn't have guessed it at first, but with a closer listen, I can hear it and it adds some depth to the song. Like the last song, cinema verite has a cool guitar solo as well. An improvement over 可塑性MAGIE, but still not as good as the album's first few tracks. 7.5/10 8. イオ (io) The second of the 3 “old” songs and probably my least favorite. This is mainly due to the somewhat grating guitar riff from 0:18-0:33 (and its various repeats throughout the song). Is that considered pinch harmonics or something? In any case, I don’t particularly like how it’s used here. HOWEVER, it’s still a great track overall thanks to guitarist LiN’s creative touch. He has a style that’s a bit different from lead composer/guitarist Shiina Mio (more on that in the next song). My favorite part comes in at 0:49 when the synths and bass explode into a funky little “dance rock” section that’s just perfect. I wish I could understand LiN’s lyrics, because he seems to write some weird/interesting stuff (more on that in the next track, believe you me!) My other favorite part is from 1:36-1:51, where Yui repeats the same line, but it keeps building up and goes into the guitar solo! Really great track, marred only by some guitar riffs that I personally don’t enjoy. 8.5/10 9. Cocky-discuS (mysteriously written “Corky-discuS” on the lyrics sheet) WTF have you done this time, LiN? As I mentioned in my review of the 約束 (yakusoku) single, LiN has become quite the wildcard composer of UNiTE. This song is no exception. Starts off with a strange hotel music/video game music (idk) type sound and then goes into some funky riffs. The lyrics in this song seem positively WTF-tastic. Engrish lines like “He’s a RAD FRESHWATER FISH!”, “毎日watch paint dry”, “Enchanted Boy!! *WOO HOO*”and “Scaly Nerd BABY” hint that LiN is no stranger to psychedelics. However, this song is FUN with a capital FU(ck). The lyrics only add to it! It took me 2 listens to really understand the humorous, weird energy that the song exudes, but now I LOVE it. Even the guitar solo and synth section in the middle is perfection. The dark, “kooky” keyboard part is almost reminiscent of something みそっかす (miso kasu) might do! I still really love BadRequest (the parallel “goofy LiN track” from the first album), but Cocky-discuS has pretty much become the better song for me at this point. 10/10 10. アポカリプティックサウンド (apocalyptic sound) Interesting sound effects? Like one of those post-apocalyptic (oh, I get the title!) Hollywood movies. This is probably the more generic of the 2 main “heavy” tracks on the album. Even though the first set of chuggy riffs are literally the same note played over and over, it’s a’ight. I can see it being good headbang-fodder during the live shows. Unfortunately, the riffs at 0:56-1:10 aren’t so heavy and certainly don’t give off any sort of “apocalyptic” vibe. It might have been cool in Canzel, but UNiTE have shown that they have better production and can play some pretty heavy shit when need be, so that is a little bit of a bummer. The chorus is nice, though! (As usual!) The little breakdown in the middle is pretty cool when the sound effects come back in. While not nearly as good as 失望エミュレイター (shitsubou emulator), this track is miles above walpurgis (the second-string heavy track from UNiTE’s first album). A pretty good effort, that should have been heavier or better yet, more creative. 8/10 11. 青と白のコトバ (ao to shiro kotoba) Yet another “parallel” song. This one falls under the “dreamy, soft song composed by drummer Yukimi and includes the word ‘kotoba’” category. This song is straight-up beautiful; kudos Yukimi. Yui’s vocals sound great as ever and the song has some lush background arrangements. I only have 2 small complaints. There’s one little out-of-place scream near the middle of the song, pretty unnecessary imo. The other thing is that the background arrangement stuff from about 0:12 to 0:30 sounds VERY similar to the arrangement from 答え無いコトバ ("kotaenai kotoba" from the first album). While I’m pretty sure Yukimi is making a deliberate connection between the two songs, it’s still something to mention. Anyway, otherwise, I absolutely love this song and find myself listening to it extremely often. 9.75/10 12. AIVIE The final of the 3 old singles. Not much new to say except I really like it and kudos to vocalist Yui for writing such a nice track. 9/10 13. life time relation Guitarist Shiina Mio says “fuck you” to the other band members and creates a song that is fully arranged, haha. He actually did this on the first album as well (see: epilogue) and this is another solid entry in his repertoire. As stated earlier, I think Shiina Mio has a real knack for these digital arrangements, so more power to him for creating these types of songs. I REALLY like “epilogue” because it had these beautiful piano parts and a great beat, but this song has a slightly different feel. More relaxed, maybe? The saxophone in the middle of the track was definitely a surprise, albeit a very pleasant one. The outro with the little synth organ (or whatever that sound is supposed to be) is cute. I think I might like “epilogue” just a touch better, but this song is also very cool. 9/10 14. クオリア (Qualia) Guitarist LiN’s final offering on the CD. On クオリア, he reins in the quirkiness and delivers a nice, heartfelt pop-rock closing track. Prominent bass-work and drumming throughout, Yui sounds great, blah blah. There’s some technical guitar riffs that tap along as the melody develops. As the song goes on, there's little piano and violin flourishes in the background and the chorus gets more dramatic. A random side note, LiN's previous band "LeMpicka?" seemed to like the word Qualia (I know at least two of their mini-albums used the word), so I wonder if he originally wrote this song for that band and then he UNiTE-tified it for this album? In any case, a wonderful closing track. 9/10 15. AIVIE pf ver. An arranged piano version of the song AIVIE. Simple, beautiful, awesome! I consider it more of a little bonus track than a real album closer, but I thoroughly enjoy it. Really nice/10 Conclusion: The first thing to note about this album is its quantity! 15 tracks and only 3 of them were previously released. That has to be some kind of record for the visual kei world, haha. This feels like a very "hearty" album, clocking in at an hour, which is also nothing to scoff at for a pop band. Don't let the quantity fool you; this album doesn't skimp on the quality. With only a single song that I found to be about average, every other track has something (if not a LOT of things) to love. MEANiNG is an extremely solid album with so many songs that are breaking into the god-tier of UNiTE's discography (songs like "Meaning," "失望エミュレイター," "Cocky-discuS," and "青と白のコトバ"). Perhaps my main overarching criticism of the album is the fact that it seems to have been structured with the first album in mind. Think back on all those "parallel tracks" that I mentioned. While most of the connections are very superficial (except for maybe "青と白のコトバ" and "答え無いコトバ"), they still invite a shallow listener to think that UNiTE is bringing nothing new to the table on their second album. After listening to this album solidly for the past month, I can safely say I enjoy it more than their first album STARTiNG OVER'S (which in retrospect reading my review, I may have overrated by half a point or so). No sign of "sophomore slump" on this album. UNiTE isn't even two years old and they've released 2 solid albums. I can't wait to see them continue to develop their sound! Truly my favorite Japanese pop-rock band and imo, one of the most promising visual kei bands out there right now. If you're looking for some good ol' pop-rock, you gotta give them a try. 9/10

http://www.mbok.jp/item/item_391158636.html 6000 yen!!!!

Dear UNiTE-listeners, I made a little journal post on last.fm, so feel free to drop by and share your opinions about who you deem as the best composer in UNiTE.: http://www.last.fm/user/fitear1590/journal/2013/01/11/5pxk5q_%E3%83%A6%E3%83%8A%E3%82%A4%E3%83%88_(unite.)_composers I'm interested to see what everyone else thinks.

SET-LIST at 2013/01/07: 01.嘘とデタラメなTemptation 02.Shiny black 03.Paradox EN1 01.Paradox 02.嘘とデタラメなTemptation Come back, Jiminy Cricket!

Doh! I sold that TCST CD (as well as the HEARTLESS stuff) in November I believe. I forgot to update the sales post until now... I'm really sorry, gekijou. Thanks for your interest though! I'll probably post a few new CDs later this week, so stay tuned.

I updated my post with a few extra pictures and I added 2 brand-new guys: Hirata Panda (THE BOHEMIANS) Takayuki (THE PIASS) Post some of your favorite signature looks, MH-ers!

Hey Trombe, do you know if there's any plans to release the new DIMMDIVISION. single in shops/online? So far, it seems "live-only" to me...

My sister loves them! They're probably one of the best radio bands right now.

Your Tier 3 seems to correspond to my tastes the most, interesting. I think I'll give Lament a try. The preview's nice.

Chinchillas in particular are definitely very cute.

Hopefully Moran channels this vibe into the album.

JAPANESE MUSIC ventla: "011 BORN, BOOKMARK AND THEN DIE" album Samples: An almost fully-instrumental album of pure retro style synth pop bliss. ventla is a pure genius and the fact that he released 10 or 11 just this year (all awesome and free, uploaded by ventla himself!) is nothing short of amazing. The 11th album stands out just a bit above the rest though, imo. The soundtrack to my summer 2012. Please, please give this guy a try. How can you not love this sound? ユナイト (UNiTE): "MEANiNG" album Sample: /// My personal favorite "visual kei" release of the year. Synth-tinged pop-rock with touches of heaviness and guitar technicality, topped with great soaring vocals. I love UNiTE, which probably comes as no surprise. I'm still working on an in-depth review for the album to post, but expect a very favorable score! 踊ってばかりの国 (odotte bakari no kuni): "FLOWER" mini-album Samples: Psychedelic, folky indie-pop goodness. I always appreciated the band's music, but the singer's warbly, high-pitchedness needed some work on previous albums. He definitely improved vastly on this release and the entire band sounds better as a result! One user here said their stuff was reminiscent of some of Full's projects! DIMMDIVISION.: “A Day In The PanoramaMagic.” mini-album God sample: One of the most underrated releases this year, so I love “kuroitorikago” for mentioning them! DIMMDIVISION. has a wonderful dense, shoegazey "nagoya kei" sound. For how great this band sounds and the number of connections they have with other successful indie bands (the studs, the god and death stars, Moran, etc), I'm surprised more people aren't all over their nuts. As well they should be! Looking forward to their new single in January! イツエ (itsue): "いくつもの絵" mini-album Sample: イツエ is one of my favorite new discoveries this year. Beatiful, melancholic post-rocky alternative stuff with damn-near perfect female vocals. Step the fuck over, me-al art. 八十八ヶ所巡礼 (88 kasyo junrei): "○△□ (maru sankaku shikaku)" album Sample: Crazy, technical guitar riffs and matching freaky vocals to boot. This band has done a great job of forging a very unique sound and they just seem to get better with each release. Honorable Mentions: Vior Gloire: "Gloomy and wakeful night" debut album Sample: Terrible cover art, but a very interesting release, especially from Under Code whom I've never particularly cared about. As Jigsaw said, this band manages to capture some of that mysterious oldsk00l sound. A very solid album! ICHIGO ICHIE: "毒苺" soundtrack Sample: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS12aauzMQE Composed by Goddess Shiina Ringo, apparently the score to a contemporary play called "Egg." Embodies a ton of different sounds, VERY well. One song "別れ" is performed in 3 different versions: 40's jazz, 60's girl-group pop, and 2000's Perfume-esque J-POP. I only wish there were an 80's Jun Togawa idol pop version as well! 己龍 (Kiryu): "朱花艶閃" album Sample: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlEQahsmgxQ Another VK band that I really respect in these dire times. They've created a very signature sound through Mahiro's PsyChaotic vocals and the frantic, crazy guitar riffs. The most consistent and my personal favorite of their 3 albums. THE NOVEMBERS: "GIFT" EP Samples: /// So I always assumed THE NOVEMBERS were gonna be another fairly standard indie band, but when this album was shared to me, I was PLEASANTLY proven wrong. They have a beautiful, grandiose take on post-rocky indie stuff, adding horns and other great instrumentation. Plus, as much as I love the “jangly” guitar pop that you’ll see in my non-Japanese list, THE NOVEMBERS’ “Reunion with Marr” (the second sample song) is one of my favorite songs this year that utilizes this style. I’m definitely keeping an eye on these guys now. Jesse Ruins: "Dream Analysis" EP Sample: One of my favorite go-to "background music" bands of the year. That may sound a bit insulting, but I get easily distracted when trying to study or read, so this band is the perfect dreamy, electronic soundtrack to my study sessions. However, they are just as pleasant to listen to as “foreground music” too, haha. Other releases I still need to check out (or need to listen to more thoroughly): THE KIDDIE: THE 5 -FIVE- D: 名もなき森の夢語り A: Elementa Alchemica pan-d-ra: Elpis Cube 神聖かまってちゃん (shinsei kamattechan): 楽しいね among others... ____________________________________________________________________ Non-Japanese Music Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s: "Rot Gut, Domestic" album Sample: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mZqXx4CMfM This is a great band that used to do baroque pop with cello, horns and tons of band members. On the third album, they went for a much rawer, fuzzier guitar sound. This 4th album (and my 2nd favorite album of theirs sees them mixing the raw sound with some of their older sensibilities. PS: Richard Edwards' voice is beautiful. Belaire: "Resonating Symphony" album Sample: Belaire is an old favorite from my high school days. I honestly thought they disappeared, but after 5 years of silence, they released a new album and it's awesome! Less bouncy synth pop and more dreamy guitar lines. Likes Lions: "First the Head, Then the Tale" EP I found out about these guys randomly, when I saw "spam" shouts on last.fm. The band claimed they sounded similar to bands like Tubelord and Minus the Bear and linked to their bandcamp page, where you can download their releases for free. I tried them out and surprisingly, their math-rocky sound is quite good! Fantastic even! I'm looking forward to more from these guys. Weird Dreams: "Choreography" debut album Sample: Weird Dreams is a fairly new British indie pop band. Some have dinged them for having a "derivative" sound but I think despite their young age, I can see them quickly becoming one of my favorite indie pop bands. Their sound (which is self-produced) is so polished and their vocalist has the perfect bubblegum pop voice, reminiscent of Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes. Plus, despite all the catchy hooks in their music, they do throw a few surprises in that take you in a different direction. Memoryhouse: "The Slideshow Effect" debut album Memoryhouse is a new discovery and they are excellent melancholic dreamy indie stuff. I've noticed that some people dislike this album because the production does not match the layered "dream pop" sound of their first EP. In my opinion though, this album is the perfect mix of dream pop tendencies and something like the band Camera Obscura whom I also love! TOPS: "Tender Opposites" debut album TOPS is a Canadian band with obvious 80's influences, but they also have this mysterious quality to them. I don't know if it's the wispy synthwork that coats their tight guitar sound, or Jane Penny's amateurish, yet really endearing vocals. I say they have "obvious" 80's influences and yet, I have trouble saying exactly which band they sound like. I think that works in their favor. I'm definitely keeping an eye on TOPS. Honorable Mentions: Papa Topo: "Rotación Y Traslación" 10" EP Samples: Papa Topo are a Mallorcan group that used to play stupidly catchy "tontipop". After a few singles, they tried their hand with an EP and this time, they're experimenting with a more mature sound, with great orchestral arrangements. Their lyrics still have silly moments, such as lamenting life as a robot without any feelings, or sneaking to the back of a movie theater to have sex. While they usually sing in Spanish, they also sing in Mallorcan (which I think is like Catalan?) on one track. I hope they continue with the richer sound on this EP, because I'm loving it. Boy Friend: "Egyptian Wrinkle" debut album Samples: Boy Friend makes electronic based dream-tacular pop. Their songs are simple, slow, and haunting. Some of their stuff can be a bit "samey," which is probably why they didn't make it into the top tier, but still, I really love their sound. Kimbra: "Vows (US version)" album Samples: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFKCs25TYy0 /// Kimbra technically released Vows in 2011 in here native New Zealand. It was a great album! Now in 2012, she re-released her album for the US and other regions. Rather than just an extra bonus track or something, she restructured the entire album, so Vows (US version) is almost like album 1.5. Some tracks have been removed, and 6 or so new tracks have been added throughout, further expanding her sound. Anyway, I think Kimbra has a really "big" ambitious style, not unlike Janelle Monae. I thought she would explode with popularity after being featured in that Gotye song, but it hasn't really seemed to happen yet. Violens: "True" album Samples: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_NK9ejzQJ4 /// Violens is actually an American band, despite a sound that (to me at least) just oozes "British." Great guitar work (some parts "jangly," haha) and a wide array of solid influences. The only reason this album didn't make the top cut is because the middle of the album loses just a little momentum for me. Other releases I still need to check out (or need to listen to more thoroughly): Tame Impala: Lonerism Grimes: Visions Krallice: Years Past Matter Of Monsters and Men: My Head is an Animal Solange: True EP Lianne La Havas: Is Your Love Big Enough? Wintersun: Time among others... I haven't finished looking through everyone's lists yet, but I can't wait to find more great stuff from 2012!

I just got an import (Japanese) PS1! I have a few games in mind that I already want, mostly fighting game stuff. But can anyone recommend any other cool Japanese PS1 games that I should check out?

He might look more "normal" now, but he still sounds like pure helium, haha. Glad to see him back, BUT WHERE'S RUBI'S GUITAR-PLAYING GODSKILL?

7jWYUtQZhK0 RED PANDA!!! Unbelievably cute! There are 2 red pandas at the local zoo and the way they sleep on tree branches is adorable.

Very confused about a TORIKAGO like obligation PV, haha. It's a fairly old song at this point (and a b-side at that), but it's cool! I kinda wish they included one or a few more "unreleased" PV's along with it though. It's pretty neat that this DVD is coming out, but 3675 yen is pretty damn expensive for a few PV's so I'll probably wait to buy this one used from somewhere.

Math rockers "the cabs" from Zankyo records will be releasing their 1st full album in January! 再生の風景 (saisei no fuukei) 2013/01/23 2300 yen 1. Leland 2. 花のように 3. anschluss 4. わたしたちの失敗 5. 地図 6. sarasa 7. ラズロ、笑って 8. purusha 9. Your eyes have all the answer 10. すべて叫んだ "anschluss" PV preview K8ktrx2aaC0 I'm looking forward to it! Thoroughly enjoyed their mini-albums so far!

It still amazes me that Rubik manages to stick together considering their average release rate of .8 CDs/year. That's pretty damn low in VK world. (Or maybe that's their key to not burning out, hmm.) Anyway, hope it will be good!

Weil es schon Dezember ist, muss ich das geilste denglische Weihnachtsgedicht posten! "When the snow falls wunderbar And the children happy are, When the Glatteis on the street, And we all a Glühwein need, Then you know, es ist soweit: She is here, the Weihnachtszeit Every Parkhaus ist besetzt, Weil die people fahren jetzt All to Kaufhof, Mediamarkt, Kriegen nearly Herzinfarkt. Shopping hirnverbrannte things And the Christmasglocke rings. Merry Christmas, merry Christmas, Hear the music, see the lights, Frohe Weihnacht, Frohe Weihnacht, Merry Christmas allerseits... Mother in the kitchen bakes Schoko-, Nuss- and Mandelkeks Daddy in the Nebenraum Schmücks a Riesen-Weihnachtsbaum He is hanging auf the balls, Then he from the Leiter falls... Finally the Kinderlein To the Zimmer kommen rein And es sings the family Schauerlich: "Oh, Chistmastree!" And the jeder in the house Is packing die Geschenke aus. Merry Christmas, merry Christmas, Hear the music, see the lights, Frohe Weihnacht, Frohe Weihnacht, Merry Christmas allerseits... Mama finds unter the Tanne Eine brandnew Teflon-Pfanne, Papa gets a Schlips and Socken, Everybody does frohlocken. President speaks in TV, All around is Harmonie, Bis mother in the kitchen runs: Im Ofen burns the Weihnachtsgans. And so comes die Feuerwehr With Tatü, tata daher, And they bring a long, long Schlauch An a long, long Leiter auch. And they schrei - "Wasser marsch!", Christmas is - now im - Eimer... Merry Christmas, merry Christmas, Hear the music, see the lights, Frohe Weihnacht, Frohe Weihnacht, Merry Christmas allerseits..." Als Ausländer habe ich dieses Gedicht nur zufällig gefunden, aber ich wundere mich, ob es wohlbekannt in der deutschsprachigen Welt ist...

Cool, I'll make the thread when I get home from work today! Thanks guyz