Dancemania EX × Trance Paradise

Psychedelic Covers ~R&B Best Hits~
Release Date: 1/11/12
Price: 900 yen

Psychedelic trance covers of R&B/Pop hits. Available exclusively on iTunes Japan.

Read the rest of this entry »

Party in the House -Golden Playlist-
Release Date: 12/7/11
Price: 1905 yen

This is an odd release. FARM never did any promotion for it, and it doesn’t appear in most retailer databases. It’s possible that it was rental only, or was released in limited quantities. It’s a shame, too, because the track list looks quite good with plenty of Daiki × ZK.

Read the rest of this entry »

I Love Disko Warp ~ Singles Collection Vol. 3
Release Date: 2/10/12
Price: Name Your Price

I’ve been posting all week about Disko Warp releases that you can’t get at Bandcamp, so for a change here’s something you actually can get there. 😀 The third volume in the I Love Disko Warp series collects their hit singles from the past year. It’s a Bandcamp exclusive, so you can pay what you want for the entire album.

Is that a race queen and gyaru on the cover? Should I be concerned that I even know those terms to begin with?

Read the rest of this entry »

P!! Rock Japan Coverpoid Non Stop Mix
Artist: Namidabashi Gakuen Joshi Cover Bu
Release Date: 3/28/12
Price: 1905 yen

This fourth release in the P!! series features covers of J-Rock songs. Not much else known about it yet.

Pre-order at CDJapan.

Disko Warp presents Speedisko Vol. 6
Release Date: 1/18/12
Price: $7.92

The sixth release in the Speedisko series was released just this past January and once again features some great cover art by GoshaDole. Tracks include Disko Warp remixes for guest artists such as J-Mi & Midi-D, LeetStreet Boys, and Moist Towelettes. “Disco Gino” is a pretty damn catchy eurobeat number. I can’t wait to hear the J-Mi & Midi-D version.

Also featured are new arrangements of two songs from the recently released Eurobeat compilation, Eurobeat Forever. “My Love Is Nineteen” is easily the best of the bunch, with some impressive vocals and hilarious lyrics. “Gays Gays Gays” has a more memorable melody, but the vocals are comparatively lifeless.

The Half Polish alias makes a return with a cover of a traditional Polish folk song. The tempo changes in the second half are a bit too sudden for me, though.

Rounding out the album is the excellent Honmax remix of “Text Me Too Much,” which you can also grab from the Text Me Too Much Remix EP at Bandcamp. As has been mentioned all week, Disko Warp releases at Bandcamp are now “Name Your Price,” and there’s no minimum price! However, due to distribution agreements Speedisko 6 is currently only available at Amazon and iTunes.

Read the rest of this entry »

P!! Anison Coverpoid Non Stop Mix
Artist: Namidabashi Gakuen Joshi Cover Bu
Release Date: 2/29/12
Price: 1905 yen

So I guess this is a thing now. The first two releases in the series featured dance covers of Idol and J-Pop songs. This third release focuses on anime themes.

Pre-order at CDJapan.

Disko Warp presents Speedisko Vol. 5
Release Date: 9/15/11
Price: $7.92

Speedisko Vol. 5 is probably my favorite in the series, with an excellent set of new tracks and remixes. The lead song is a great dance track from Seattle native, Ian K. I quite like Umi’s vocals, and I assume the starry theme was the inspiration for the cover art.

Disko Warp also managed to do some collaborations with some well-known Japanese DJs. “Hard Rock & Pink Black” from Hime Trance 4 is redone here as a happy hardcore track by Initial P. Meanwhile, DJ Command from Akiba Koubou adds his trademark euro touch to “Werewolf Boyfriend.”

Also of note is Becky’s “Dumb Boys,” which is full of that classic Disko Warp humor and stylistically sounds quite a bit like “Text Me Too Much (The Disko Warp Speed-Dial Remix),” which coincidentally is also on this release.

Again, all Disko Warp releases at Bandcamp are now “Name Your Price,” with no minimum set. However, due to distribution agreements, at the moment Speedisko 5 is only available at Amazon and iTunes.

Read the rest of this entry »

Geki Atsu! Anime Euro Robot Hen
Release Date: 2/8/12
Price: 2000 yen

Unlike the Drama Euro releases, so far the Anime Euro songs are limited to the core Akiba Koubou producers. The scant new tracks here are from DJ Command, Sumijun, valle blanco, and Tks (Rayto).

Read the rest of this entry »

Disko Warp presents Speedisko Vol. 4
Release Date: 4/30/11
Price: $7.92

Speedisko Vol. 4 serves up another collection of HiNRG songs for your listening pleasure. Hyper Techno fans can’t go wrong with the techno remix of “Erotic Chemistry.” While I thought earlier Disko Warp forays into the world of Hyper Techno were less successful, the more recent ones have managed to better replicate the sound. Speaking of which, exclusive to Speedisko 4 is the extended version of Lucky Princess’s “Text Me Too Much,” which also features a techno sound.

As mentioned, all Disko Warp releases at Bandcamp are now “Name Your Price,” with no minimum set. However, due to licensing issues, Speedisko Vol. 4 is currently available only at Amazon and iTunes.

Read the rest of this entry »

Geki Atsu! Anime Euro Gakuen Hen
Release Date: 2/8/12
Price: 2000 yen

Looks like Rayto (Tsukasa Baba) is being credited as “Tks” now. What’s odd is that some of the tracks credited to Sumijun were previously done by 2bad. Perhaps Sumijun = 2bad? Anyway, the new tracks are by DJ Command, Tks, and valle blanco. I was holding out hope that some of the repeats might be new arrangements, but the samples sound like the originals 🙁

Read the rest of this entry »

Disko Warp presents Speedisko Vol. 3
Release Date: 1/6/11
Price: $7.92

It’s Disko Warp week here at Dancemania EX! Disko Warp have recently undergone a major change: all Disko Warp releases at Bandcamp are now “Name Your Price,” with no minimum set. If you’ve ever wanted to sample the Disko Warp sound, now’s a great time to do it for little to no cost! If you like what you hear, then do your best to support Pete. The man needs to eat, ya know 😉

There is one small caveat, however. Some singles/albums are no longer available on Bandcamp until distribution agreements end with other distributors (i.e., Amazon, iTunes). When those clear, the songs will be added to Bandcamp. The Speedisko releases are among those affected, so at the moment they’re only available at Amazon and iTunes.

The third release in the Speedisko series has a good amount of variety, with lots of guest artists and remixers. Standout tracks include Ricardo Autobahn’s remix of “I Wanna Be a Ninja” and Pete’s 80’s remix of “What Went Wrong.” I’m also quite fond of the eurobeat remix of “Girl Revolution.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Party Anthem Love Drive
Release Date: 2/15/12
Price: 1500 yen

A new R&B House compilation from Preget Music. Mixed by DJ Rina, the female DJ who also recently mixed Diamond ~Celebrity Style Best Mix~.

Read the rest of this entry »

Moshi Moshi (Single)
Artist: Smile.dk
Release Date: 12/16/11

Still no update on “Moshi Moshi” being released in the US. In fact, Smile.dk seem to have disappeared completely from most US distributors. I’m guessing their new label reacquired international rights to their back catalog, but hopefully everything will be up again eventually. In the meantime, they’ve released a new music video for the song, so US fans can finally hear it in full:

Read the rest of this entry »

Gossip Party! “Spin Out!” Girls Hits Mixxx
Release Date: 2/15/12
Price: 1500 yen

A new, lower-priced spin-off of Manhattan Records’ house-flavored R&B cover series powered by Power Music. Expect covers of songs by Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and Alexandra Stan. 35 songs in all. No, I don’t know what those extra x’s are for.

Pre-order at CDJapan.

Pop the Track (Single)
Artist: J-Mi & Midi-D feat. Hanna Stockzell
Price: $2

The spiritual successor of “Top the Charts” from DDR. Apparently Konami wouldn’t allow J-Mi & Midi-D to release “Top the Charts” commercially, but this is a more than adequate substitute. In fact, I think it’s their best work yet. Hanna Stockzell does a marvelous job as usual, but the real star here is the fantastic music production. The synths have a great, brassy sound, and I love the breakdown in the middle of the extended version. Really well done, guys. Disko Warp also contribute a Hyper Techno remix with classic Juliana techno synths.

To be honest, though, I’m not quite sure I understand the lyrics. How exactly does one “pop the track”?

Read the rest of this entry »