fitear1590

I enjoy most of Blu-BiLLioN's songs.. but Mike's glaringly off-pitch lead-in vocals of "with me" is one of the wtf moments for me. How did no one notice this?
 
 
Also, I believe I have a reasonably high "tolerance" for unusual vocals and experimental tonalities, but the vocalist of Various (can't be bothered to search for his name) is simply unlistenable. Skip to 1:50 - 2:00 (please buy insurance for your ears beforehand) to hear literally one of the most ridiculous things i've ever heard not only in vk but all of music.I don't want to get started on his "harsh vocals"....
 

I would like to thank you, cause i totally forgot about this crazy band.
 
 
This video starts from the best part of this song. I'm serious! I'm completely okay with entire song, it sounds normal . Whats wrong with me?
(I've been listening to oldschool and new wave of glam metal/hard rock bands for a long period of time. Maybe thats the explanation   )
 
 
So here are my examples. I have to ask an excuse, cause my english isn't good.
 
 
Good
 
Maybe a year of two ago there was a band called 「xxx」is D￡AD. When I heard this preview for the fist time, my thought was: What the hell? Whats the vocalist gender?
At the same time I could imagine guy or manly girl singing this. Especially at 1:06. It still confuses me.
 
 
The Gallo (ギャロ). Ultra trembling voice singing.
 
 
Bad
 
メメント・モリ(Memento Mori)
The growling here sounds very dry and plain imo. Jap bands generally aren't good at growling.
 
Depain
The vocal in this song doesn't match the music. I mean the vocal is not powerfull, it doesnt suit the music (imo ofc.).
The instrumental is so good.

The Madeth Gray'll "outburst of emotion" channeling in "鬼祭" were such a turnoff for me. Thankfully the 2nd track on the single ended up being one of their best songs ever ("柘榴").
 
Speaking of whiiiich:
 
http://youtu.be/_L8-8TxCZns?t=2m23s
 
Hisui is the queen of making strange noises. There's another song that's not on Youtube at the moment in which he literally sounds like he's being electrocuted, so I'll try to figure out how to upload that later~~~
 
His only rival that I can think of, that does it justice, is Kyouka.
 
http://youtu.be/C-lET7NLp7o?t=5m58s

WTF-inducing Japanese vocals

At least from the perspective of an English speaker, I think Japanese vocalists can sometimes produce the strangest sounds from their mouth holes.  Let's discuss those moments here.

Now, "WTF-inducing" doesn't necessarily mean bad; in fact, I have more positive than negative examples!
Here are a few examples of Japanese vocals that completely took me off guard the first time I heard them.
 
The Good
愛狂います。 (Aicle) in "豚の王様「ニトログリセリン」" (Vocalist: Emiru)
This song consists of about 3 lines of actual lyrics.  The rest of the "vocals" come in the form of grunts, screeches, growls, and yes, pig oinks.  Wonky as shit, but I love this track.

 
女王蜂 (Ziyoou-vachi) in all of their songs, tbh (Vocalist: Avu-chan)
Avu-chan tends to switch abruptly between a gruff "male" voice and squeaky "female" voice, just adding another layer of weirdness on this major-label noisy ass punk group.

 
戸川純 (Jun Togawa) in "パンク蛹化の女"
Jun Togawa was always nuts, but I think this "punk" version of her hit song "mushi no onna" illustrates in the most obvious way just how "out there" here anti-idol act was.  Listen to her scream her heart out passionately over a delightfully cheerful synth version of Pachelbel's Canon!

己龍 (Kiryu) in most songs (Vocalist: Mahiro)
I think Mahiro has to be one of the most consistently "extreme" vocalists in VK.  He's frantic, sounds like he's on the verge of crying, he moans, cackles, and growls like a demon.  Love him!



神聖かまってちゃん (shinsei kamattechan) in most songs (Vocalist: Noko)
Similar to Jun Togawa, there's a raw, yet childish energy to Noko's vocals.  HOWEVER, Noko is actually a guy.  He pitch shifts and adds other effects to achieve this scary sound.  Just imagine a grown man saying "fuck you" in pitch shifted baby vocals...


 
The Bad
己龍 (Kiryu) in "鬼祭" (Vocalist: Mahiro)
As much as I love Mahiro's craziness, I do think he went overboard on one song.  In 鬼祭, he does inhale-y growls through the song's entire chorus.  It's just off-putting and doesn't really work.



Going for falsetto notes that you can't hit
There are plenty of examples for this, but I'll focus on Shaura of the band VII-Sense.  Just watch this clip (hopefully it starts at the right time) and see if you can listen to the entire vocal outro without cringing.  The sad thing is I liked his voice in all his previous bands!  I don't know what happened...



The Raid. in "JUDGEMENT" (Vocalist: sena) 
The Raid. have come to embody what I dislike about 80% of current VK, so apologies for the bias.  (All the more disappointing, because I really enjoyed the preview for their first single.)  ANYWAY, just watch the video.  From their weak-ass "airy" growls to the absolutely goofy falsetto in the chorus, nothing meshes.  I just have a very confused look on my face when I see this video.





Discuss!  Post your own examples (youtube videos in "spoilers," please!)

WTF-inducing Japanese vocals

At least from the perspective of an English speaker, I think Japanese vocalists can sometimes produce the strangest sounds from their mouth holes.  Let's discuss those moments here.

Now, "WTF-inducing" doesn't necessarily mean bad; in fact, I have more positive than negative examples!
Here are a few examples of Japanese vocals that completely took me off guard the first time I heard them.
 
The Good
愛狂います。 (Aicle) in "豚の王様「ニトログリセリン」" (Vocalist: Emiru)
This song consists of about 3 lines of actual lyrics.  The rest of the "vocals" come in the form of grunts, screeches, growls, and yes, pig oinks.  Wonky as shit, but I love this track.

 
女王蜂 (Ziyoou-vachi) in all of their songs, tbh (Vocalist: Avu-chan)
Avu-chan tends to switch abruptly between a gruff "male" voice and squeaky "female" voice, just adding another layer of weirdness on this major-label noisy ass punk group.

 
戸川純 (Jun Togawa) in "パンク蛹化の女"
Jun Togawa was always nuts, but I think this "punk" version of her hit song "mushi no onna" illustrates in the most obvious way just how "out there" here anti-idol act was.  Listen to her scream her heart out passionately over a delightfully cheerful synth version of Pachelbel's Canon!

己龍 (Kiryu) in most songs (Vocalist: Mahiro)
I think Mahiro has to be one of the most consistently "extreme" vocalists in VK.  He's frantic, sounds like he's on the verge of crying, he moans, cackles, and growls like a demon.  Love him!



神聖かまってちゃん (shinsei kamattechan) in most songs (Vocalist: Noko)
Similar to Jun Togawa, there's a raw, yet childish energy to Noko's vocals.  HOWEVER, Noko is actually a guy.  He pitch shifts and adds other effects to achieve this scary sound.  Just imagine a grown man saying "fuck you" in pitch shifted baby vocals...


 
The Bad
己龍 (Kiryu) in "鬼祭" (Vocalist: Mahiro)
As much as I love Mahiro's craziness, I do think he went overboard on one song.  In 鬼祭, he does inhale-y growls through the song's entire chorus.  It's just off-putting and doesn't really work.



Going for falsetto notes that you can't hit
There are plenty of examples for this, but I'll focus on Shaura of the band VII-Sense.  Just watch this clip (hopefully it starts at the right time) and see if you can listen to the entire vocal outro without cringing.  The sad thing is I liked his voice in all his previous bands!  I don't know what happened...



The Raid. in "JUDGEMENT" (Vocalist: sena) 
The Raid. have come to embody what I dislike about 80% of current VK, so apologies for the bias.  (All the more disappointing, because I really enjoyed the preview for their first single.)  ANYWAY, just watch the video.  From their weak-ass "airy" growls to the absolutely goofy falsetto in the chorus, nothing meshes.  I just have a very confused look on my face when I see this video.





Discuss!  Post your own examples (youtube videos in "spoilers," please!)

Alaska thunderfuck the dude from beata for nick-friend, I bet this dude smelled funny like in a mouldy kind of way [GLAMOROUS high definition] 

 
Satsuki for cat, idk why you wanted me to weeb it up so much but ok [WARM and DISTURBINGLY MOIST large version]

 
Sui for dicks and a doo [EXTRA LONG EXTRA WIDE]

 
Nao for makony (izam tomorrow I promise!!) [uNBELIEVABLE GIRTH]

Yusa for maiku! [SHOCKING full size]


 
Takemasa for fitear! [EROTICAL high resolution]


MAKONY is up next! I'm gonna do izam for you as well as nao since I know I've been promising you I would for so long that I swear the first time I did I was talking to you from atop a woolly mammoth

I started drawing little cartoons of vk people the other day and now I can't stop



Here's Yutori from METEOROID


 
Rame from vidoll and black gene for the whothefuckcares

 
Shuuji ishii

 
And then there's this, based on one of hitomi's twitpics

 
 
 
 
If anyone wants one of their favourite musician I'd be more than happy to oblige! I can do these up really quickly

Woo hoo! Ijuuin Yuki is putting out another album on April 23rd:
 
月曜日と金曜日 ～Sugar Hi Junnie ～




Side One ～mercy side ～1.彼女は金曜日　featuring RUMI
2.Midnight　Train featuring Meiso
3.愛の逃亡者　featuring B.I.G. JOE
4.愛なき世界で　featuring タカツキ
5.ハートエイクのブルース　featuring DARTHREIDER



Side Two ～romantic side ～6.マリーの24時間だけの恋　featuring HAIIRO DE ROSSI
7.パパのブルー・スウェード・シューズ　featuring KEN THE 390
8.Butterfly Lady　featuring BASI
9.帰れない二人 ～遠雷篇～　featuring 鬼
10.世界でいちばん幸福な男と女

I already pre-ordered it.  Very excited!

サウイフモノ (souiumono)



website
last.fm

Vocals: SACCI
Guitar: nono
Guitar: ヒロバッキー (hiro backy)
Bass: ぬっぺ (nuppe)
Drums: カムイ (kamui)

ex-guitarist: ドンキー (donkey)

サウイフモノ (souiumono) formed as a trio in 2011 with its vocalist and bassist being former members of the band ポワトリン (poitrine).  During this time, the band donned Smurf/Tellytubby-inspired blue skin and headgear.


With this lineup, they released their first single パッパパッパラッタ(pappapa palata) followed by a live-distributed single.  After the departure of guitarist Donkey in February 2012, the band filled the lineup with ex-DragonWAPPPPPPER guitarist nono, ex-フカモカ(fukamoka) guitarist hiro backy, and drummer kamui.  Since then, the band has dropped their "blue" look and worn primarily fantasy/RPG-inspired outfits.  They even released two RPG computer games to accompany their singles.  One of the things that definitely sets the band apart from their contemporaries is their sense of humor.  In March 2014, they will end the streak of singles, releasing their first full album.

Discography:
2011.03.03 パッパパッパラッタ [maxi-single]
2011.07.02 Cee-もう一人のwa.ta.shi- [live-distributed single]
2012.06.27 シスター村 [maxi-single]
2012.08.03 サンバリゾート [live-sold single]
2012.09.26 くびはねるつるぎ/毒メスシリンダー [maxi-single]
2012.12.12 まだ来ないANGEL [maxi-single]
2013.02.24 殺人鬼の棲む街 [maxi-single]
2013.10.02 V-ANIME ROCKS evolution [omnibus album; track 11, the WORLD (DEATH NOTE)]
2013.10.02 大嫌いなこの星に生まれて [maxi-single]
2013.12.04 タランチュラ [maxi-single]
2014.03.05 ラグナロク [album]

Videos:



Any fans of サウイフモノ?  They're not the most consistent band in the world, but I really like a few of their releases (the 殺人鬼の棲む街 & くびはねるつるぎ / 毒メスシリンダー singles, plus NANDAKANDA are my absolute favorites.)  Not to mention, I think SACCI has awesome vocals!  I'm really looking forward to their album to see what they can really do.  Hopefully they don't disappoint!  

Favorite member? Favorite song/release?
Discuss all things サウイフモノ here!

MALICE MIZER tribute album

Some of these are pure fantasy since this isn't going to happen anyway, but a few are pretty plausible cover candidates I think!  The order of the tracks is also a bit random, but I think it's practically a requirement that "Bois de merveilles" be the closing track.  Enjoy!

1. au revoir - Moran
Moran really screwed up their chance to cover "Illuminati" unfortunately, but I don't think that song was really right for them in the first place.  Anyway, I'm prepared to give Moran a second chance and because they really shine on their light, dreamy ballad-type songs, I think "au revoir" is a great fit.
2. Le ciel - DIMMDIVISION.
Le ciel is already a pretty dreamy song, so I can imagine DIMMDIVISION. adding their shoegazey flair and producing magic for my ears.  Their song ".ReyarP" comes to mind as proof that they could pull this off.
3. Gardenia - 네미시스 (Nemesis)
I think it's pretty obvious when listening to Nemesis that despite not being visually inspired, the band must be closet fans of light, frilly VK like this.  Their orchestral arrangements are always beautiful and their guitarist is also a lovely piano player, so they could definitely do some justice to this song.
4. N・p・s N・g・s - 己龍 (Kiryu)
I can really imagine Kiryu putting their unique, crazy spin on this track.  The creepy talking parts and the "DIE GAME" parts are begging to be Mahiro-fied.
5. Syunikiss ～二度目の哀悼～ - Vior gloire
I really struggled with finding a good band to cover "Syunikiss" until I remembered Vior gloire.  Their songs occasionally had a grandiose/cinematic quality.  That combined with Shall's special vocals make Vior gloire a strong candidate for this song.
6. 記憶と空 - Megaromania
Neoclassical guitar riffs and questionable vocals? Sounds like a job for Megaromania!
7. エーゲ ～過ぎ去りし風と共に～ - DOPPEL
Thinking back to DOPPEL's songs like "Eggknock" and "Moonlight xxxx," I think they could produce a neat, twinkly update of this classic MM track.
8. 麗しき仮面の招待状 - Kaya
The VK queen of goth/electronic.  While "Illuminati" seems like an obvious choice, I'd rather hear Kaya's take on the Gackt-era's first single.  This song already has a slight dancey beat, so I can easily see Kaya going all out and doing a full-blown gothy/electronic rendition.
9. 白い肌に狂う愛と哀しみの輪舞 - Lacroix Despheres
The self-labeled "Symphonic Gothic Rock Opera" group has some definitely influence from MALICE MIZER's Klaha era (the Bara no Seidou album), so they seem like a great fit for this track.  Not to mention, Sho's vocals actually do resemble Klaha's somewhat.  I can see them adding their signature, whimsical oboe/flute (and maybe even Saya's vocals for a duet?) making it totally their own.  It worked on "Le sortilege" and "天啓の瞳" so they could definitely work their magic again.
10. 幻想楽園 - Nocturnal Bloodlust
Why not have MALICE MIZER's by far heaviest song get covered by the most br00tal VK band around.  It'd be interesting to hear them deathcore-ify this track, haha.
11. ヴェル・エール ～空白の瞬間の中で～ - Jupiter
Songs like "Bel Air" show that even though Malice Mizer was mostly known for their diverse influences and theatrics, they also had quite interesting guitar parts.  I think "VK metal" guitarists like Hizaki/Teru could give this song a nice modern update, while still retaining the unique atmosphere of the original.  Plus, I think ZIN could do a great job on vocals.
12. Beast of Blood - 関西耽美系～Lily Project～
Harpsichord, heavy repetitive riffs, and a dramatic chorus?  Only Lily project!  I'm sure Seira would do his unique German growls at some point in the song too, haha.
13. 死の舞踏 - Sito Magus
With songs like "necromance," I'm sure Sito Magus could produce a beautiful cover of this old MM favorite.  They would probably slow it down and add even more elements of classy gothic atmosphere.
14. Bois de merveilles - KAMIJO
While solo KAMIJO has a small repertoire so far, he's already shown on "Grazioso" that he's capable of waltzy, soundtrack-worthy arrangements like "Bois de merveilles."  Plus, KAMIJO idolizes vocalist Gackt, so...

Wow, already a third album!  "踊れ細胞" is coming out on May 14, 2014.

Album trailer:



PV for イマ人:

Hey DanSar48, I'm also half-Filipino

Glad you found some stuff you enjoyed in this thread!  Definitely check out the Vandals on the Wall site and I'm sure you'll find even more stuff to your liking!  And thanks for linking Freddie Aguilar.  The name sounded familiar, but I'd never heard anything by him.  The song you linked is awesome!

Bear, I don't have much to offer metal-wise, but I do recall my brother coming across a Filipino "slam death" band at one point. I remember this only because the phrase "slam death" is so funny to me, haha.  I wonder what the band's name was though...

Woah, didn't realize this thread existed until today.
Half-Filipino myself, I've often been curious about music in the Philippines, but I've often felt deterred because of my mom's obsession with love songs and Filipino dramas.
Much of what I've listened to growing up were Sharon Cuneta and Freddie Aguilar, and in the Philippines I either listened to 80's karaoke or F4 (A popular Taiwanese band at the time).
While I still don't understand much, I've tried to appreciate the music since I'm personally inclined to learn at least some rudimentary Tagalog to speak with my relatives & cousins more casually.
I've found a ton of artists on here that I already like (Join the Club, Encounters with a Yeti, Slow Hello,etc.) so now I'm more inclined to pick up more artists .
 
I'm not too familiarized with Filipino artists, but I have one favorite that I'll include here:
 
Freddie Aguilar - Anak
 


 
I find this song to be very touching lyrically, and I love his voice.
This has sent me on a few guilt trips >_>...

 

I'm so proud of their massive improvement since their mini-album and first singles.

This sounds awesome!  Love all the background synth.

Honestly wasn't expecting this kind of song given their goofy-ass new look.  Fortunately, they're in shadow for most of the PV, haha.

I'm so proud of their massive improvement since their mini-album and first singles.

This sounds awesome!  Love all the background synth.

Honestly wasn't expecting this kind of song given their goofy-ass new look.  Fortunately, they're in shadow for most of the PV, haha.

Basically, the admins and mods discussed and decided to turn it into a Cat Café forum, what with growing concerns over the US cracking down on downloads.

This is the end of Monochrome Heaven and the beginning of a new forum, where we discuss cats, pets, coffee, pies and the like.
I'm sure the mods have already started feeding old uploads and dead links to their CATs to get rid of the evidence.

that feel when we will never see a VK doo-wop band (((((((

Strange, indeed!  Cool song too.

Here's some 2 really strange PVs off the top of my head:
ぐしゃ人間 (Gusya Ningen) - ババアの祈り
There's some very disturbing nose/nostril play in this one. Nose bleeds/boogers included.


 
宇宙人 (uchu-jin) - 惡の華
Outlandish costumes, freakout dancing, traipsing in the fields and rotoscopy = winning formula

Strange, indeed!  Cool song too.

Here's some 2 really strange PVs off the top of my head:
ぐしゃ人間 (Gusya Ningen) - ババアの祈り
There's some very disturbing nose/nostril play in this one. Nose bleeds/boogers included.


 
宇宙人 (uchu-jin) - 惡の華
Outlandish costumes, freakout dancing, traipsing in the fields and rotoscopy = winning formula

Strange, indeed!  Cool song too.

Here's some 2 really strange PVs off the top of my head:
ぐしゃ人間 (Gusya Ningen) - ババアの祈り
There's some very disturbing nose/nostril play in this one. Nose bleeds/boogers included.


 
宇宙人 (uchu-jin) - 惡の華
Outlandish costumes, freakout dancing, traipsing in the fields and rotoscopy = winning formula

“BUTTERFLY DREAMER” opens up with some galactic synths and Chisa doing a soft version of the song’s chorus before exploding into chuggy riffs that lead us into the first verse.  One of the things I particularly enjoy in this track are Chisa’s distant “ahhh” background vocals during the chorus; I can’t put my finger on why that adds to my enjoyment, but it just makes the chorus more epic.  Throughout the song, crackles, bleeps, and other electronic elements add to the song’s arrangement.  Towards the end of the song, the band has a cool little breakdown, before proceeding back to a bridge with blissful synths.   I think Shaneth mentioned at some point that BUTTERFLY DREAMER was solid, but that the band has already done this type of song before.  While that’s true, I think this song has much more interesting composition than, say, previous singles “ANSWER” or “夏の行方.”  DIV is steadily improving and I’m loving it.  My very small complaint with the song is Chisa’s weak harsh vocals.  His “acapella” growl at the end of the song consistently puts a slight cringe on my face, haha.
 
“rainy,rainy,smiles.” begins with some ambient electronics and “piano synth” (reminiscent of something UNiTE would use).  The whole song is generally quite dainty and pleasant, but the verses introduce the occasional heavy-ish part and even the synths become more “aggressive” to match these parts.  The main issue with this song is that it doesn’t really deviate from the twinkly, light sound enough to make much of an impression; the chorus kind of blends in with the rest of the song.  Now don’t get me wrong, I think b-sides are often underappreciated and I can definitely see myself still listening to this song months down the road, but “rainy,rainy,smiles.” is never going to be “the” song that gets people into DIV or that seasoned DIV fans pick as their favorite.

“you” is a good example of DIV’s more ballad-oriented pop-rock style.  It’s happy and lighthearted, but it also packs a punch, musically.  The chorus is very sweet and is also followed up by some impressive guitar riffs/ a mini-solo on Shogo’s part.  In the middle of the song, things calm down with some chilled out synths and a ~gentle~ version of the chorus.  The song is very much in the vein of “I swear” from the ZERO ONE album, which probably somewhat explains why I enjoy this one too.  One tiny thing I don’t really enjoy about the song are the repeated riffs which open and end the track; they just don’t seem to fit that well.  Interestingly enough, I preferred this when I first saw the PVs for “you” and “BUTTERFLY DREAMER,” but I’m starting to rethink that.  I mean no offense to “you,” because it’s a lovely track, but I think “BUTTERFLY DREAMER” has proven to be slightly more interesting with closer listening.
 
“Cinderella” features a funky beat that’s quite different from DIV’s usual style.  The closest thing would probably be “赤裸々ララ” from the album.  Bassist Chobi gets to shine a little bit on this track.  This is probably the kind of song that is super fun to hear live.  Unfortunately, similar to “rainy,rainy,smiles.” the song has kind of one note the whole time, besides a freakout guitar solo in the middle.   Plus, the chorus isn’t that good.  Weirdly enough, he’s singing about “Venus” (at least as far as I can hear) and he does this in “赤裸々ララ” as well.  Not my favorite song, but a cool addition to their discography I suppose.

Overall, we have two solid singles, with "BUTTERFLY DREAMER" arguably being the stronger one.  Aside from my minor gripes, there's nothing "bad" about any of the songs.  "Cinderella" and "rainy,rainy,smiles." might be forgettable in the long run, but they're still enjoyable nonetheless.  In fact, the only real tragedy is the absolutely awful and random cover art for "BUTTERFLY DREAMER" (the limited edition, at least).  The PV for the song is actually quite visually stunning and I can think of a ton of stills from that that would've been better for the cover.  ANYWAY, I think "BUTTERFLY DREAMER" and "you" (the songs) would have been more than fitting on the ZERO ONE album, which for me is the new bar the band has set for itself.  Here's hoping their next single will continue this trend.

“BUTTERFLY DREAMER” opens up with some galactic synths and Chisa doing a soft version of the song’s chorus before exploding into chuggy riffs that lead us into the first verse.  One of the things I particularly enjoy in this track are Chisa’s distant “ahhh” background vocals during the chorus; I can’t put my finger on why that adds to my enjoyment, but it just makes the chorus more epic.  Throughout the song, crackles, bleeps, and other electronic elements add to the song’s arrangement.  Towards the end of the song, the band has a cool little breakdown, before proceeding back to a bridge with blissful synths.   I think Shaneth mentioned at some point that BUTTERFLY DREAMER was solid, but that the band has already done this type of song before.  While that’s true, I think this song has much more interesting composition than, say, previous singles “ANSWER” or “夏の行方.”  DIV is steadily improving and I’m loving it.  My very small complaint with the song is Chisa’s weak harsh vocals.  His “acapella” growl at the end of the song consistently puts a slight cringe on my face, haha.
 
“rainy,rainy,smiles.” begins with some ambient electronics and “piano synth” (reminiscent of something UNiTE would use).  The whole song is generally quite dainty and pleasant, but the verses introduce the occasional heavy-ish part and even the synths become more “aggressive” to match these parts.  The main issue with this song is that it doesn’t really deviate from the twinkly, light sound enough to make much of an impression; the chorus kind of blends in with the rest of the song.  Now don’t get me wrong, I think b-sides are often underappreciated and I can definitely see myself still listening to this song months down the road, but “rainy,rainy,smiles.” is never going to be “the” song that gets people into DIV or that seasoned DIV fans pick as their favorite.

“you” is a good example of DIV’s more ballad-oriented pop-rock style.  It’s happy and lighthearted, but it also packs a punch, musically.  The chorus is very sweet and is also followed up by some impressive guitar riffs/ a mini-solo on Shogo’s part.  In the middle of the song, things calm down with some chilled out synths and a ~gentle~ version of the chorus.  The song is very much in the vein of “I swear” from the ZERO ONE album, which probably somewhat explains why I enjoy this one too.  One tiny thing I don’t really enjoy about the song are the repeated riffs which open and end the track; they just don’t seem to fit that well.  Interestingly enough, I preferred this when I first saw the PVs for “you” and “BUTTERFLY DREAMER,” but I’m starting to rethink that.  I mean no offense to “you,” because it’s a lovely track, but I think “BUTTERFLY DREAMER” has proven to be slightly more interesting with closer listening.
 
“Cinderella” features a funky beat that’s quite different from DIV’s usual style.  The closest thing would probably be “赤裸々ララ” from the album.  Bassist Chobi gets to shine a little bit on this track.  This is probably the kind of song that is super fun to hear live.  Unfortunately, similar to “rainy,rainy,smiles.” the song has kind of one note the whole time, besides a freakout guitar solo in the middle.   Plus, the chorus isn’t that good.  Weirdly enough, he’s singing about “Venus” (at least as far as I can hear) and he does this in “赤裸々ララ” as well.  Not my favorite song, but a cool addition to their discography I suppose.

Overall, we have two solid singles, with "BUTTERFLY DREAMER" arguably being the stronger one.  Aside from my minor gripes, there's nothing "bad" about any of the songs.  "Cinderella" and "rainy,rainy,smiles." might be forgettable in the long run, but they're still enjoyable nonetheless.  In fact, the only real tragedy is the absolutely awful and random cover art for "BUTTERFLY DREAMER" (the limited edition, at least).  The PV for the song is actually quite visually stunning and I can think of a ton of stills from that that would've been better for the cover.  ANYWAY, I think "BUTTERFLY DREAMER" and "you" (the songs) would have been more than fitting on the ZERO ONE album, which for me is the new bar the band has set for itself.  Here's hoping their next single will continue this trend.

“BUTTERFLY DREAMER” opens up with some galactic synths and Chisa doing a soft version of the song’s chorus before exploding into chuggy riffs that lead us into the first verse.  One of the things I particularly enjoy in this track are Chisa’s distant “ahhh” background vocals during the chorus; I can’t put my finger on why that adds to my enjoyment, but it just makes the chorus more epic.  Throughout the song, crackles, bleeps, and other electronic elements add to the song’s arrangement.  Towards the end of the song, the band has a cool little breakdown, before proceeding back to a bridge with blissful synths.   I think Shaneth mentioned at some point that BUTTERFLY DREAMER was solid, but that the band has already done this type of song before.  While that’s true, I think this song has much more interesting composition than, say, previous singles “ANSWER” or “夏の行方.”  DIV is steadily improving and I’m loving it.  My very small complaint with the song is Chisa’s weak harsh vocals.  His “acapella” growl at the end of the song consistently puts a slight cringe on my face, haha.
 
“rainy,rainy,smiles.” begins with some ambient electronics and “piano synth” (reminiscent of something UNiTE would use).  The whole song is generally quite dainty and pleasant, but the verses introduce the occasional heavy-ish part and even the synths become more “aggressive” to match these parts.  The main issue with this song is that it doesn’t really deviate from the twinkly, light sound enough to make much of an impression; the chorus kind of blends in with the rest of the song.  Now don’t get me wrong, I think b-sides are often underappreciated and I can definitely see myself still listening to this song months down the road, but “rainy,rainy,smiles.” is never going to be “the” song that gets people into DIV or that seasoned DIV fans pick as their favorite.

“you” is a good example of DIV’s more ballad-oriented pop-rock style.  It’s happy and lighthearted, but it also packs a punch, musically.  The chorus is very sweet and is also followed up by some impressive guitar riffs/ a mini-solo on Shogo’s part.  In the middle of the song, things calm down with some chilled out synths and a ~gentle~ version of the chorus.  The song is very much in the vein of “I swear” from the ZERO ONE album, which probably somewhat explains why I enjoy this one too.  One tiny thing I don’t really enjoy about the song are the repeated riffs which open and end the track; they just don’t seem to fit that well.  Interestingly enough, I preferred this when I first saw the PVs for “you” and “BUTTERFLY DREAMER,” but I’m starting to rethink that.  I mean no offense to “you,” because it’s a lovely track, but I think “BUTTERFLY DREAMER” has proven to be slightly more interesting with closer listening.
 
“Cinderella” features a funky beat that’s quite different from DIV’s usual style.  The closest thing would probably be “赤裸々ララ” from the album.  Bassist Chobi gets to shine a little bit on this track.  This is probably the kind of song that is super fun to hear live.  Unfortunately, similar to “rainy,rainy,smiles.” the song has kind of one note the whole time, besides a freakout guitar solo in the middle.   Plus, the chorus isn’t that good.  Weirdly enough, he’s singing about “Venus” (at least as far as I can hear) and he does this in “赤裸々ララ” as well.  Not my favorite song, but a cool addition to their discography I suppose.

Overall, we have two solid singles, with "BUTTERFLY DREAMER" arguably being the stronger one.  Aside from my minor gripes, there's nothing "bad" about any of the songs.  "Cinderella" and "rainy,rainy,smiles." might be forgettable in the long run, but they're still enjoyable nonetheless.  In fact, the only real tragedy is the absolutely awful and random cover art for "BUTTERFLY DREAMER" (the limited edition, at least).  The PV for the song is actually quite visually stunning and I can think of a ton of stills from that that would've been better for the cover.  ANYWAY, I think "BUTTERFLY DREAMER" and "you" (the songs) would have been more than fitting on the ZERO ONE album, which for me is the new bar the band has set for itself.  Here's hoping their next single will continue this trend.

I don't have much to add to fitear's wonderful review.

For me, "you" was marginally more enjoyable than "BUTTERFLY DREAMER", which is unsurprising given that I have virtually zero resistance against good vk ballads XD

I agree that DIV has improved tremendously in their composition and choice of synth effects in enhancing their music. As opposed to some of their earlier songs in which electronic elements might have interfered with their music, the 'echo' effects deployed in "you" - especially in the quieter sections - provided good depth to Chisa's voice. The transition from the "break" to the final refrain was also extremely well executed.

Some remarks on Cinderalla: it has a groovy, dance-y feel which, like fitear has rightly pointed out, is quite different from DIV's normal style. I think it's fantastic that the band is willing to try something different, although I think that also inevitably exposes some potential weaknesses in Chisa's vocals. This song would be perfect for a set of vocals with more "character" than Chisa's - especially when he hits the "Ve-nus" in the chorus, which I thought was kinda 'flat'. Nevertheless, I think it's interesting that they have used synth elements to augment his vocals and to a large extent successfully helped to cover this lack.

These are two exquisite singles that not only demonstrate how much the band has matured, but also draw our attention to the variety that constitutes their rapidly expanding repertoire. Hopefully they release something that can challenge "VANISH" (my favorite DIV song!) soon