Drunken Tiger - Drunken Tiger X: Rebirth of Tiger JK Album Thoughts(K-hiphop)

    I would be alright with Tiger Jk, Yoon Mi Rae, and Bizzy carrying on the Drunken Tiger name. Tiger Jk clearly had other plans as he began dropping hints months ago that he would release one final album under Drunken Tiger. For those who don't know the history of Korean Hip Hop, Drunken Tiger and the artists associated with the group were the messengers of Rap in South Korea. Rap was considered a gangster act a long time ago to the Korean public eye. Drunken Tiger kept pushing their music to as many people in the underground scene as possible until their songs reached listeners who only listened to mainstream Korean pop. The group is no longer active as a unit but Tiger Jk continues to reminds us how far Korean hip hop has come. Idols, indie singers, nor rappers from Show Me The Money wouldn't have the platform to rap without the struggle and conquering of Drunken Tiger.

 CD 1-
01. Intro
02. 끄덕이는 노래 (Mantra) 
03. 이름만대면 (Feat. MC Meta, Dok2)
04. Yet
05. Let Me Ride (Feat. 윤미래)
06. 시발점 (Feat. Bizzy, Junoflo)
07. 고집쟁이2 (Feat. Bizzy, QM, TakeOne)
08. SKIT 01 (0661 다빈치 코드)
09. 감 Cypher (Feat. 윤미래, Bizzy, Junoflo, Styliztik Jones)
10. 내 인생의 반
11. 떡 Life (Feat. Bizzy)
12. 화원 (Feat. SUPERBEE, myunDo)
13. 맨발
14. SKIT 02 (Father says)
15. Timeless (Feat. RM of BTS)

– CD 2 –
01. Sex, Love, Poetry (Feat. Myka9)
02. I’m Not Regular (Feat. MRSHLL)
03. 손뼉 (Feat. 김종국, 은지원, 데프콘, 하하)
04. SKIT 03 (Love is)
05. I Love You Too (Feat. 윤미래)
06. Party In The Bu (Feat. 윤미래, Bizzy, Junoflo, Styliztik Jones)
07. SKIT 04 (요즘에는)
08. 기지개 (Feat. Junoflo, Micki Eyes) (Fireball)
09. 어색해지지 말자 (Feat. BIBI)
10. 뽕짝2야기 (Feat. Ann One, Carmine Ioanna)
11. 거들먹 (Feat. 윤미래, Bizzy, Junoflo)
12. 범바예 (Feat. Bizzy, VERNON OF SEVENTEEN) (Remix)
13. SKIT 05 (Mother says)
14. Beautiful (Feat. WHO$) *Title
15. 짧은 시 (Outro)

   Rebirth has thirty tracks set over two discs. Each disc has fifteen tracks. Dang… When Tiger Jk said that this was the last album for Drunken Tiger, he meant that their memory is going out with a bang. It's a long album that takes you down memory lane using the same sounds that started Hip Hop in most places in the world. Rappers hardly use turntables anymore. They should still use them because it give a great base sound to Hip Hop tracks. Record scratching is like the icing on a well baked cake before you add the cherry. JK doesn't throw away this sound. He instead recycles the sound for Rebirth. Instruments usually found in a Jazz assemble, Horns, flutes, and Saxophones make their way into a couple of tracks. Beats on these tracks combine with the sounds really well creating an old school sound that really is timeless. I'm didn't warm up to every single track that came on during the album's playback, however each track is a tribute to that pure Hip Hop that started it all. Rap that started all the way back where a rapper just needed a good beat. No autotune can be found on the album. Much less lyrics that don't have something meaningful to say. Lyrics on Rebirth are a diary of Tiger Jk's life and to me, the method to living a good life. I feel very energized listening to some of the tracks on the album. I'm a stickler for the tracks with the big choruses and catchy rifts. Not every song on the album has this however, I can appreciates all the artistry that was put into the creation of such an important project. It was cool how a lot of talented rappers from the Feel Ghood Music Family took part in the album as feature artists. Of course, you know Wifey, Yoon Mi Rae was going to be on there somewhere. She featured more on Rebirth than Tiger Jk was featured on her new album. Dok2 and Vernon from seventeen also make surprise appearances. Ok ok, Vernon's feature is more of a surprise than the rest. I'm not sure I know what Vernon did though……  RM might as well be an underground/idol crossover rapper at this point. Dude is just too good at rapping to even step to.

   Tiger Jk is the long time king of Korean rap. There's not much to say about his rapping. His fast flow on top of his word play is second to none. He was raised in California so He speaks English like any other American. I've grown to like his singing. His voice sounds like one of those guys from Jamaica that sells watermelons on the beach. [INSERT ME LAUGHING]

   I recommend this album for people who are fans of Hip Hop and fans of Tiger Jk. It's a very long album so pick out the tracks you like the most. Drunken Tiger truly is timeless. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YALL!!!! Let's make this year a fruitful one for us all!!!

[Alexandros] Sleepless in Brooklyn Album Thoughts(J-rock)

   Alexandros has become very huge in Japan over their past few album releases. Their music was always topping the indie Japanese music charts. Than all of a sudden they burst into the mainstream and went up the chart with each album. Now, they're a household name that has sold out shows all across Japan. Movies and games use their songs as theme songs which is perfect because their music could be the soundtrack of an underdog's life. Sleepless in Brooklyn is the band's newest album. The album's name comes from the fact that the band recorded most of this album in New York.

TRACKLIST

01 Last Minute
02 Arpeggioアルペジオ
03 Mosquito Bite
04 I Don’t Believe In You
05 Hanautaハナウタ (feat. 最果タヒ)
06 Party Is Over
07 Milk
08 Spit!
09 Kabuto
10 Fish Tacos Party
11 Your Song
12 Snow Sound
13 Ashita, Mata明日、また
 


  When I first listened to Sleepless in Brooklyn, I felt a little snubbed out of the amount of new tracks that the album provides. The first half of the album is either singles that were released before or B sides to singles that were released on the singles. I don't hate the singles used to promote Sleepless in Brooklyn to say the least. I felt the Mosquito Bite and Kabuto are remanence of Alexandros's older music back when they were called Champagne. These tracks are sang mostly in English supported by edgy musical rifts that rock out heavy in a solid rhythm. It's a very indie sound that helped the band stand out in their starting career. Especially since the English lyrics are perfect without any weird mistakes or accent. Sleepless in Brooklyn does provide the space for the band to continue to be versatile in creating their music. None can really say that Alexandros switched up their music for mainstream consumption. From the early days, They have given listeners little hints in their indie albums that they saw new horizons for their artistry. It's just that they have a huge platform to experiment on now. Tracks like Milk brings back the rap/rock sound that was present in their last album. Milk sounds just as adventurous as the other new songs on the album as the track rocks similar to a hip hop track without the hip hop beat. Spit! is probably my favorite song on Sleepless in Brooklyn thanks to the song's lyrical dark humor. The track is an easy headbanger when hearing the ease of progression into a more jump started groove as the track enters the chorus. Kabuto leads in nicely as the Spit! comes to an end. I will say before I forget, that the previously released singles seem to have had reworkings in music production. Things are added that weren't there before and it's quite nice. Qualities that include different beats, louder amplifiers, and new violin sections. Sleepless in Brooklyn slides back and forth between a place of versatility. The tracks can be slow yet full of strength. Then poppy but with an aided rock structure that is Alexandros. It's an album that you have to listen to at least three times to fully see their musical vision. I didn't get it at first so I went back to listen to the album again. Sleepless in Brooklyn might be one of Alexandros's best albums if we were to base the standard on track list consistency as well as production value. Hard work was put into the creation of this album that shines in the music whenever it comes through your speakers.

   Not much to say about the vocals. Everything is pretty much the same as the album before. The English and Japanese lyrics are feeling more balanced to me in songs than they did before. Ofcourse, there's songs done mostly in English but, There's also songs only in Japanese too.

  I'm pretty sure this album did super well in Japan. I haven't even checked the chart yet. I have a feeling that I don't need to. Japanese people know a good album when they hear it most of the time.

ONEW(온유) - VOICE Mini Album Thoughts(K-ballad)

   I'm still playing catch up on writing post about my thoughts on a lot of the music that was released while I was away. Onew and Key both popped out mini albums since they really didn't have anything better to do after SHINee's promotions ended. *Cough* Military service! .. *cough cough**  My feelings about Key's album are up but how did I feel about Onew's first mini album?

Track List:
01. Blue 
02. 거리마다 (Your Scent)
03. 동네 (Under The Starlight)
04. 어떤 사이 (Sign)
05. 사랑이었을까 (Illusion)
06. 온유하게 해요 (Shine On You)
07. 또각또각 (Timepiece)






   Onew qualifies as the member of a boyband that you know is there. You see him enough to know he exist then you kind of watch him fade into the mixture which is SHINee. The guy never had a strong presence to me. Stage presence for being an attractive idol sure…… We talking natural charisma that isn't practiced robotically in the confines of a mirror in SM Entertainment's dance studio though. One had a chance to prove me wrong and he defiantly showed me some things about him that I didn't know before. Mostly because the idol persona was carefully hiding the parts of him that mattered the most. Voice pulls a fast one as a whole album, coming across much like an album a Korean ballad singer would release. I mean a ballad singer that can actually whale the hell out of a lyrically sad song. Onew comes right up to the plate, volunteering for a change in music that I thought he would shy away from. He could have cared too much about what fans of SHINee's dance kpop sound would have to say for one thing. Also Key played it VERY safe by sticking to what was familiar to the fans which could have also put pressure on Onew to also follow suit and conform. Blue as the promotional track too the singer on a path that allowed him to stand alone. Its a big song that showcases the pipes that were constantly out shined by Jonghyun over the years. His strong vocals did lend good support to Jonghyun since he has a good range. The album after Blue is stripped down to being a simple ballad album. I loved that there are different various slow songs give on Voice. Shine on you adds a gentle pop rock twang. While other track like Your Scent fit in place perfectly on the track list with Blue. Sign's cuteness is perfect for times when you want to skip down the street on a good day as well. Voice being strictly a ballad album at the core will turn some fans off. Onew took a risk that makes me respect him even more than I use to.

   Onew doesn't have the vocal finesse of the Jonghyun however, he can sing well in his own way. Blue was his step out into the spotlight to show what he was capable of by himself. Boy, did he blow the house down with those vocals. I knew he could sing….. Just didn't know that he had THAT in him. I'll apologize for doubting you. *bows head***

   Listen to Voice for talent sake. Onew has a bunch of talent that he gets to show a bit of on his first album. Don't miss out on the chance to listen to him. Ballads don't even have to be your cup of tea.

The Rampage from Exile Tribe - The Rampage Album Thoughts(J-pop)

   I didn't know anything about The Rampage until about their second single release. I'll admit that I though Frontiers was their first single. I'm sitting up there thinking that I found a new group during their debut, later finding out that this group had been established already. Most of the members were found throughout Japan by holding competitions that narrow down which boys will be chosen for the final cut. The Rampage as been more focused on single releases more than anything until the drop of their first album. They've cleaned up at a couple of award shows for the single releases alone. There's twenty tracks on the album so you can't say that you didn't get your money's worth as a fan. Exile is known for releasing overkill two disc albums…. Probably to guilt fangirls into buying a physical copy instead of downloading from iTunes.

Disc 1: Downtown Side

1. Lightning
2. LA FIESTA
3. Fandango
4. HARD HIT
5. 100degrees
6. Knocking Knocking
7. New Jack Swing
8. SWAG IT OUT
9. FRONTIERS
10. GO ON THE RAMPAGE

Disc 2: Uptown Side

1. Dirty Disco
2. DREAM YELL
3. Can't Say Goodbye
4. Over
5. ELEVATION
6. The Typhoon Eye
7. Dream On
8. BREAKING THE ICE
9. Shangri-La
10. Only One

    "The Rampage" is separated into two parts. Disc one is titled the downtown side and disc two is named the uptown side of the album. Thinking about the male counterparts who have come from Exile Tribe makes me see the contrast in the groups. Generations has a more gentle vibe that girls who want that in a man will relate to. The Rampage on the other hand, is more full of force in showing what they want. It's very fitting of their name and to girls who like bad boys. Downtown is where most of the tracks I liked reside. Many of the tracks from the opener to the middle of the album are very lively. Hip hop, Rap, and Pop RnB glaze the tracks that get you pumped for the next one to come through the speakers. If you liked any of the singles that were released before the album, then you will fall in love with the tracks all over again. I know that I surely did because of the placement of the track list for disc one. The Rampage doesn't give enough time to doubt if you like these guys or not because each track brings a new sort of fire that would be no stranger to the club dance floor. I spammed a little bit at how consistent the album is during the first disc. One problem I think some people might find with disc one is that there's no ballad to chill out all of the hyper masculinity flying in the air. I don't mind this since there are some dance pop songs that are less forceful but do know that this group aren't trying hard to be anything less than men in their music. Uptown Side has a old sound from the early eighties and nineties American popular music. The Rampage struts their stuff down the streets without even a moments hesitation. Some of the tracks sound like samples were taken from the soundtrack of the show; In Living Color. Yeah, they tried to pull a Bruno Mars on us Y'all and I was HERE FOR IT! Honestly, I think that most people would get tired once you reach the second disc. Twenty songs is a lot, plus their agency knows good and well that those boys won't be performing all those twenty songs. Tracks such as Dream Yell are the traditional style of the mainstream sound in Japan. You know they couldn't completely escape singing these types of songs. Idols are required to be bright, happy, and full of life no matter how manly you might be. It's a good thing that I can stomach Dream Yell as the track isn't a bad song to get down to during a workout. My honest opinion of the whole album is that the first part should have been the only tracks released just for the time sake of listeners.

    The Rampage defiantly has a better handle on what it means to have soul.  Tracks like Dirty Disco showcase that the two vocalist have the dynamics of feeling the music down. My eyes widened a bit while listening to some of the vocal runs the two pulled off with ease. I also loved that the performers of the group readily jumped out the gate rapping in songs. Many of the other Exile male groups's dancers had to slowly ease into rapping on tracks while these guys brought bars like they were born to do this. They kinda have Generations beat when it comes to flow in my opinion……

   Disc two of "The Rampage" isn't bad but I would keep about two songs and throw the rest of the section away. Either way, These guys win solely for the album have more bops than flops. I would actually pay a ticket to see them live based off of the music they gave me. I'm proud of them.

KEY(키) - FACE: The 1st Album Thoughts(Kpop)

  I'm back writing posts about music now that I have the capabilities to keep up on music. I might be playing catch up for a couple of posts so bare with me please. Anyhow, this album doesn't seem like Key's first album at all. I don't know if its because he is such a strong force in his boy group SHINee or if I just had another sugar high from eating too many chewy chocolate chip cookies. Many of you know of this young man's and his group's success that should be common knowledge to new as well as old Korean music fans. One member decided to end his life but the boys seem to have come back even stronger as a unit. Their last comeback pretty music clarified the group as legends and their new solo projects have followed soon after. FACE is Key's first album to be released as a solo artist.

Track List:
01. 센 척 안 해 (One of Those Nights) (Feat. Crush) *Title
02. Good Good
03. Honest
04. Forever Yours (Feat. 소유)
05. Imagine
06. Chemicals
07. I Will Fight (Feat. 빈첸 (VINXEN))
08. Easy To Love
09. 미워 (The Duty of Love)
10. This Life
   

 
  I've decided to give Key's first album a listen simple because the promotional tracks interested me a little bit. Key never came across to me as that "powerhouse" vocalist of SHINee. Of course, he can sing but he's never shown me a moment of him really blowing the house down vocally. FACE is for the fans that have stood by KEY, as can be seen in a passage on the front cover of the album talking about his capability being inside of his fans…… Well, let me tell you one thing, FACE didn't feel like an album that was geared towards listeners like me. I say this because the album has a youthful feel that lights up in each track. Producers use a ton of bubble gum pop beats that sound a little too tropical for the winter season. Then Key hop, skips, jumps, into the opportunities to layer on the expected Kpop formula by repeating the same lyrics multiply times in choruses. He even has the nerve to use double consonants in his words to slide off the tongue for listeners to remember what they heard. Realize the the majority of your fans don't care to hear what you're singing about just as long as they can look at you. Teenybopper music always seems to come back swinging in Kpop like I need a reminder that I escaped its grasps years earlier. Forever Yours and One of Those nights might be the best songs on Face if I had to choose my favorite songs. Both songs are fun to sit back and listen too because they both sound close to what would be expected of a Key solo. The problem was the rest of the album is so filled up with trying to people please that I didn't find a strong connection between what Key's heart was truly in musically. A wide selection of dance pop tracks are alright as long as you push the envelope into new transitions in your music. You would think that Key would be heading toward a more mature concept, especially after all that has happened this year. Maybe this whole album was totally him being true to himself but I'm sure that a marketing ploy was in there too somewhere. SM entertainment not going to let he be too raw. That would have made a way more interesting concept for the album. Oh well, at least Onew said "forget this," and released a straight up ballad.

   High pitched vocals for days boys and girls. Want to know where you can witness these vocals? look no father than this album. I got so tired of him hitting those falsetto notes that I didn't know what to do with myself. He sings one or two tracks that allows him the sing in his lower range which was a nice break from the squeaking. Key speaks English, making his bilingual lyrics harmonize. He had an English only track on the album too. Was Crush really featured on this album?! Who's he again?

  Face isn't the type of album that a guy like me would buy because the music feels too young for me. The musical style feels too young for even Key to me. What I did learn for this experience is that Key did hold his weight in SHINee over the years. Key is a decent singer by himself in my opinion.

 

Tokyo Xanadu(東亰ザナドゥ) Japanese Game Thoughts

 

    I'm back once again after a long hiatus of not posting on here at all. I can say that my lack of posting wasn't laziness at least. I've actually just haven't been home to keep up with everything that's coming out in Japan, Korea, and China. so as a result, I'm going to make a post about a game that came out on a console that I don't even think people really pay attention to anymore: The Playstation Vita. There's still games being made for Vita but Sony pretty much killed the gaming console. A newer version will most likely appear next year to combat Nintendo Switch.  I still have mine and do play it every now and then. Even with the slow approaching fact that there's less and less "good" games being made for Vita.

   Tokyo Xanadu is a 2015 action RPG game that came out about three years later in the West. Tokyo Xanadu was a huge success for the Playstation Vita console as it topped the gaming charts that week in Japan. It's success then spawned an updated version released for the Playstation 4 in 2016.  The game takes certain aspects from Nihon Falcom's other games such as Ys and Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel while adding a modern day twist on both titles.

    Following the tragic events of an earthquake that killed many in Tokyo four years ago, A high school student lives his life day by day working a bunch of jobs and going to school. He stubbles upon a blond hair girl one night while leaving work who is about to be assaulted by a group of guys. She releases a strange power after one of them starts acting inhuman and both her and the student are transported to a place called Eclipse that forms from the negative emotions of people's hearts. There he learns that the girl was chosen to fight the monsters from the Eclipse called Greeds and that there is more to this underground world that he will soon be thrust into.



   I know what most of the people are thinking….. No People have literally dragged this game up and down the internet when it first came out in Japan. Some people couldn't wait to get their hands on an import copy just so they could bash the game. Yeah, I'm looking at you Nintendo fans and haters of Sony. I'll always be upfront when writing my thoughts so I'll admit that most won't be able to help but think of Persona when seeing Tokyo Xanabu. Don't let the haters sway your opinion to not check out this game though. Especially if you're a gamer that likes a good RPG with a good story of substance. I honestly saw this game more as a Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel spoof than anything. Character design looks very similar between the two games which isn't a bad quality if you like the updated look of the new tales games. The story also unfolds in the same way as Cold Steel for those who actually played the games….. If not then you basically get the same experience of the calendar system that goes through the days. A little similar to Persona, only there's no penalty for not doing stuff on time. Xanadu's charm shines in the storyline of the characters and their development throughout the game. This includes the main character. Each of them grows to a point of likability right when you though that you found a party member that you despise. Development of the story by itself felt a little too fast at times to me. Almost to a degree that I could guess what would happen. The plot does throw in a few shocks or two that you won't see coming. My head just started hurting overtime because I forgot that I wasn't playing Legend of Heroes. Those two main characters look like they walked out of Cold Steel into Tokyo for this game honestly. [INSERT ME LAUGHING.] Depending on how diligent you are when playing, you get either one ending or two ending with one being the real true ending. I would recommend you play the game diligently to save you having to do a second run through. AINT NOBODY GOT NO TIME FOR THAT! Unless you want to that is...

   As I was saying above, Players have to play this game smartly for a few reasons. One reason is to make sure that the main character is liked by the locals in Morimiya(The outskirts of Tokyo.). Kinda like the mechanics in the last Ys game, you have to do quests that raise the main character's meters in stars that go toward traits like wisdom. The more stars you have, the more likely you are to get the true ending instead of the fake ending.(Which is kinda of bittersweet. FYI.) Quests are kinda of tedious but you get use to having to do them so much that they start to going by fast. Character bonding is also optional in the game. You don't have to bond with characters but it does affect the bonus skills you get in battle while transversing Eclipse. Battle game play follows the realtime formula where you run around slashing monsters and other objects. Eclipse can look really pretty, freaky, then sometimes repetitive in appearance. Same with some of the boss fights. You do the same actions over again until your fingers hurt. I have little gripe with the repetitive nature of some aspects of the game however, the battle system is fun. Having more special moves to perform would have been nice though. Players do a lot to level up their characters 's status with the different elemental grids too. Since the Eclipse has different elements that match different character grid elements. This is one of the keys to having an advantage in battle. You'll probably have a love hate relationship with the gameplay. Many little options are offered in Tokyo Xanadu for use. I only scratched the surface of options offered in the game here.

    Morimiya looks slick in Tokyo Xanadu as you travel the city. This was another game perfect for people who want to go to Japan. The graphics still look vary similar to the latest Legend of Heroes games but I enjoyed the way those games looked for the most part.

    Pick up  a copy of Tokyo Xanadu for the story. The gameplay is  passable for a quick enjoyment when you're bored. What makes Tokyo Xanadu a solid RPG is defiantly the story and characters though. Tokyo Xanadu was released for the Playstation 4. That will be probably the only version of the game that you will find right now. I had to order the PS Vita version online because none had it in store. Who's ready for the next installment of Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel?! ME!!!