Forum - View topicSound Decision - Utada, the Indigo, angela
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blackjack22
Posts: 10 |
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I don't get why you keep referring to her as just "Utada". In Japan, she's known as Utada Hikaru, and I think she wanted to keep the two aliases separate, almost like two identities or two persona's. And indeed, her Japanese and American music are VERY different. Her Japanese material tends to be more literate and complex than her interesting, yet shallow pop style that she tried for her American album. And I think that's the source of the huge backlash that came out from all the fans of her Japanese music, when Exodus was released; because it was so radically different from her Japanese style. But I think they should try and be kept separate.
I think it would make it a whole lot easier and cause less confusion if you just called her Utada Hikaru, at least if you're referring to her Japanese career, so that fans don't mix up her Japanese and American music. In Japan she's known as either "Utada Hikaru" or "Hikki" by her fans. |
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jmays
ANN Associate Editor
 Posts: 1390 Location: St. Louis, MO |
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Hikaru Utada, Utada Hikaru, Utada, Hikki, Cubic U, whatever. Does it really matter as long as you know who I'm talking about? I'm not trying to make some profound statment about her music by picking one name over the other. In America, she's Utada. I'm writing mostly for Americans. So I call her Utada.
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Akukaze
 Posts: 185 Location: Stony Brook, NY |
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Was the domestic release of I/O different from the Japanese release? Because I got the Japanese when it came out back in January (I think it was January...), and I think mine's a little different.
I'm assuming that you're referring to Zankoku na Tenshi no Thesis, and the merry-go-round that I have is not even relatively like ZnTnT, if anything I'd say it's a more reserved version of Cheers!. Also,
If you're reffering to what was called maybe．．maybe．． on the original release, then I'd say it was no more techno or trance than the Stellvia theme (asu he no Brilliant road) or Over the Limits (from their first album) were. Unless I just interpreted that sentence incorrectly. I thought the exact same thing about Cheers! when I first heard it, myself. (: |
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jmays
ANN Associate Editor
Posts: 1390 Location: St. Louis, MO |
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I have the Japanese I/O back in St. Louis, but I honestly haven't listened to it.
On this version, at least, the phrasing and instrumentation of Merry-Go-Round and the Eva theme are nearly identical. They also said as much when I interviewed them a few months ago. I haven't heard Over the Limits, but the Maybe song does settle into the same sound that the Stellvia theme has. It's just the intro and bridges that mess around with other styles a little more. How would you describe Atsuko's voice? One of my friends once called it a yodel, and I can't seem to pull myself away from that label. |
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Akukaze
Posts: 185 Location: Stony Brook, NY |
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Hmm, now that you point it out, I guess they are really similar in those respects, but I wouldn't have considered the comparison otherwise. I think fans of the Eva theme would like maybe..maybe.. more, personally.
I've had a tough time describing her voice myself--the best I've ever been able to come up with is "throaty." |
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Bara_Megami
Posts: 106 |
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In a May edition of a Sound Decision column "Exodus Revisited", the writer says:
"Next week I'll put the pieces together and show how a shrewd move by Universal and a gullible press may have taken advantage of Utada, her Japanese label, and her fans." And then in the forum, he says "Btw, I've got another Utada piece coming, but...I need some more time to make sure everything is correct before it goes up." And then the next Utada related article I see is a review. I've been closely following Hikki's English career, and I would love to know when (if ever) the third piece of the 'expose' will be up, especially since her English career is just about reaching it's end, with the release of the 'You Make Me Want To Be A Man' single in Europe on October 3rd... |
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jmays
ANN Associate Editor
Posts: 1390 Location: St. Louis, MO |
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That piece is on hold until I can confirm some more pieces of the puzzle. It's complicated, and there is very little information out there that isn't pure speculation. |
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