Promare is up for pre-order!

I couldn't make it to any screening but I know a few otaku who loved it. The limited LP is up for pre-order on Amazon.JP . Check out the trailer down below.

Symphonic Suite Akira Milan Records / Newbury Comics Exclusive

I loathe this key art already!!

I figured I should start this exercise with what many consider a great soundtrack and a great film. I've seen Akira perhaps a thousand times and nowadays, I think i'd rather listen to the soundtrack than watch the film. I've had the original Symphonic Suite Akira CD issued by JVC since its release but the vinyl always eluded me -- until now. The original vinyl is stuff of legends. There was a 1988 pressing in Japan that went quickly out of print. In the 90s it was virtually impossible to track down. These days, it can be found on occasion in the usual places, but expect to pay at least $100 US for it.


Two years ago Milan Records reissued Symphonic Suite Akira as a '30th Anniversary Edition'. I almost picked it up then and I have to be honest. I'm sick of the overused key art of Kaneda with his laser gun and the red 'Akira' title treatment. That prevented me from picking this up back then. Am I alone in this?  It's just so lazy to stick that image on everything at this stage of where the film stands as a pop culture/anime phenomenon. There's so much incredible promotional art that could have been used and every Akira release either has THIS image or the one of Kaneda walking towards his bike (included here as one of the two inner sleeves. Now you know how I feel. So this edition I picked up recently is the marbled edition exclusive to Newbury Comics. Be quick if you want it as there are only 500 units available.

Another overused image.

Much has already been written already of Geinoh Yamashirogumi's score. Highly unique then -- and now -- the composer Dr. Shoji Yamashiro called it “sonic architecture" because Akira director Katsuhiro Otomo basically built the imagery around the music and not the other way around. There's no question it is the best Japanese score since its release. IMO, Joe Hisaishi's Princess Mononoke score comes a close second. I'll be diving into Ghibli scores later; specially with the release of Kiki and Porco Rosso coming soon.

Back to Akira. This score is a pleasure to listen especially since the music evokes much of the film's visuals, it's easy to get lost in it as you listen. Personally, I'm not an audiophile, but I've heard better audio from other pressings. I feel like this could have been punched up a little more. That said, it isn't terrible. There are some nice directional stereo effects specifically around some of my favorite tracks, "Battle Against Clown" and "Exodus From The Underground Fortress". I'm not sure if I should go more in-depth at what makes up the soundtrack as I think everyone by now is aware that the score is made up of an interesting mix of traditional Japanese and South East Asian influences. Don't expect a John Williams-esque soundscape. This won't be it. As I write this, I am reaching the end of side D, with "Requiem" playing in the background and it sounds fantastic.

We won't be getting another reissue anytime soon, so even if you have a passive interest in Akira, or soundtracks in general, I wholeheartedly recommend this release.

TM Network "Beyond the Time" 7" Sony/EPIC

Let's start things off small. I was just in Japan and would you believe this TM Network "Beyond the Time" 7" was MY only vinyl pick up? This third trip for me was more of a cultural outing with visits with friends and lots and LOTS of hobby shops and food. I went to a few Disk Unions and went to a few record shops in Kyoto and saw some LPs I wanted but felt UGH - do I really feel like lugging these LPs back? Needless to say, I left a few things in the bin. ANYWAY. At a Mandarake, I saw this 7" by the window and decided to pick it up. Oh I remember why - my Char's Counterattack soundtrack skips during this song. More on Char's Counterattack at a later date. Anyway, this is my fave Gundam theme song, next to Z Gundam's second op song. This 7" contains the same version as the aforementioned soundtrack LP but on the B-side is a slightly remixed instrumental version that as far as I know, doesn't appear anywhere else.



The song itself is a catchy tune that I first fell in love with when it played in the background in the Char's Counterattack trailer. The 7" played quite well, crisp and clean but with a few ticks. There's a second reason why I picked up this 7". DAT UMETSU ART on the sleeve! Yasuomi Umetsu's art has always appealed to me. If you've seen Megazone 23 (part 2), Robot Carnival, A KITE, and a few others, you know his fantastic unique style. I had not seen this art before but looking at the sleeve one can see his signature. I'm glad I own this little single, specially since my Char's Counterattack LP isn't in mint condition and I rarely come across a copy for sale. Do any of you own it?

Introduction

Hi everyone - just an old school/vintage anime lover and on top of that, I love the music that served the soundtracks of some of the most amazing anime ever created. I'll post a little more about me as I write about the records I own or look to own, so stay tuned. In the meantime, if you found this blog, perhaps you share similar interests. Drop a line below and tell me what you'd like to see. Have a great weekend, everyone.