Utattemita J-Pop Speed
Release Date: 7/4/12
Price: 1905 yen
This has 11 songs in common with the original Utattemita J-Pop, so I’m thinking it’s less likely that they’ll be straight repeats. In fact, “Return to Myself” was originally done by Sumijun, but here’s it’s listed as a Beat Charger production.
Edit: Apparently it was just a typo, as AKBK’s official site still lists “Return to Myself” as a Sumijun production.
Glitter/Kamiuta
Artist: Mayumi Morinaga
Release Date: 6/6/12
Price: 2381 yen (CD+DVD Edition) or 1905 yen (CD Only Edition)
Five years after the release of her debut song, “One Million Miles,” Mayumi Morinaga finally comes out with her first album! Oddly, the tracklist differs slightly depending on whether you get the CD+DVD version or the CD only version. The CD+DVD version features “Fairy Tale” anime cover art and has “Glitter (Starving Trance Remix)” as the lead track and “Kamiuta” as track 10. The CD only version has those two tracks switched and has cover art that focuses on the new 164 song, “Kamiuta.”
The rest of the track list contains new songs as well as her Bemania repertoire and Exit Trance back catalog. It also includes some rare songs that were once exclusive to Comiket singles. Worth nothing is that “No Challenge, No Success (MK Remix)” FINALLY sees the light of day. MK has had it listed on his website since 2010, so it’s nice to finally hear it.
The CD+DVD version will also include a DVD featuring the “Glitter” music video as well as the “Fairy Tail” ending video w/o credits. Each version of the album comes with a fake credit card, B2 poster, clear file and strap featuring that version’s cover art. There are also retailer-exclusive bonuses for each version, ranging from key holders to tote bags. If all that weren’t enough, there’s also a special Ryu* CD that will be offered exclusively at the launch event.
Utattemita Anison Speed
Release Date: 7/4/12
Price: 1905 yen
Final list has been released, and it’s still not clear if we’ll be getting new arrangements. “Discotheque,” one of my favorite AKBK productions, does get a resing by Shihori, but the listed artists and arrangers are same as before for everything else. There are even 3 repeats from the regular Utattemita Anison. I’m even more worried that this will be nothing but repeats yet again.
Electloid feat. Hatsune Miku
Release Date: 6/6/12
Price: 1905 yen
New electro Vocaloid compilation from FARM Records. Bonus items include a Memopad and an IC Card Customize Sheet. Retailer-exclusive bonuses include alternative covers and clear files. Visit the official website for samples and more info.
Age mix 2 ~All Genre Best~
Release Date: 7/11/12
Price: 1905 yen
Sequel to last year’s Age mix, which was a surprise best-seller. Features covers of J-Pop, K-Pop, Anison, Western and Disco hits.
Crystal House -R&B Party- mixed by Daiki × ZK
Release Date: 7/11/12
Price: 1714 yen
Crystal House is the name of a fashion party produced by DJ Daiki, and this new tie-up compilation album from FARM Records will be mixed by my current favorite production duo, Daiki × ZK! That can only mean a majority of the album will be populated by their own tracks. Naturally, that means lots of repeats, but there are new tracks planned as well, including a cover of Pitbull’s “Back in Time”.
Zoku Fami Compi
Release Date: 5/23/12
Price: 1800 yen
Sequel to last year’s Fami Compi. Includes arrangements by TeddyLoid and sasakure.UK.
Mega Dance Climax
Release Date: 7/25/12
Price: 1886 yen
Dancemania × Dance Panic!?! Full Moon’s new series will feature dance pop hits of the 80s and 90s including lots of Dancemania and Dance Panic! classics like “Dub-I-Dub,” “Samba de Janeiro,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” “Call Me Mañana,” and more! Right now I get the feeling that they’ll just be licensing the tracks from EMI and Victor, but I would love AKBK forever if they actually did eurobeat remixes. I guess another possibility is that they’ll be licensing covers from Saifam. In any case, it’ll be interesting to see how the series develops in the future.
As mentioned, 2012 marks the 7th birthday of Disko Warp and also serves as a rebirth of sorts for the label. Earlier this year all of Disko Warp’s Bandcamp releases became pay-what-you-want, and I recently conducted a short interview with the head of Disko Warp himself, Pete Ellison, discussing the changes as well as the future of Disko Warp.
Switching to a “pay what you want” model is a bold move. What prompted this decision? Was it a response to piracy? A desire to spread the Disko Warp brand? Or did a monkey accidentally press the wrong button at Bandcamp?
Pete: It’s a complicated answer. At the beginning of this year I just decided it was time for a change, and I wanted to really step back and look at everything I’d done with Disko Warp and see what’s working and what’s not working. It takes money and time to maintain a large catalog of releases for sale via iTunes and other distributors. A lot of our back catalog was actually costing me money to keep it up, and my business model that was working great for me when I started the label 7 years ago just needed to be ditched completely and rebuilt from the ground up. So I’ve drawn a line in the sand so to speak.
Less Than Three 2012 Remixes (Single)
Artist: Becky
Release Date: 5/5/12
Price: Name Your Price
In celebration of Disko Warps’s 7th birthday, Disko Warp recently released 7 new remixes of their first-ever release, “Less Than Three.” Available exclusively at Bandcamp. As always for their Bandcamp releases, it’s pay what you want! Eurobeat fans will definitely want to check out the Sugano and Odyssey remixes, as well as the J-Euro remix by DJ Skyblue.
DanceMaster | 
06 7th, 2012| 
Loading ...