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Tread softly, because you tread on my dreams. - Yeats

UPDATED: Tong Yao Film & TV guide 25th April 2024

Wednesday, September 09, 2015

Kalafina Club 9/8/2015 ~ far on the water - song previews - comments



Today on Kalafina Club, we got monochrome and identity.   I must say WOW!  Kajiura Yuki and Kalafina seems to be going in yet another different direction with this album.  When Kajiura sensei tweeted in a tweet a week or so ago, she mentioned that far on the water will be Kalafina's "highest tension" album to date, she wasn't kidding either.  These two songs are very fast pace and quite different from what I expected, especially having been lulled into a pleasant quiet mood with Musunde Hiraku and Sorairo no Isu from last week.

But then again, each Kalafina album since Red Moon has had quite a few surprises.  I almost feel that Kajiura Yuki can't really stray too far with their opening and ending songs for anime etc but she really does seem to have the most fun when she writes songs for them that aren't tie-ins, it seems to  give her more freedom to play around.  It's not just monochorome and identify.  Just recently, we also had Samidare ga Sugita Koro ni which isn't a very typical Kalafina song, at least not one that jumps to mind when people think of Kalafina.

Monochrome seems almost like Kalafina's signal, Magnolia or Tsuioku type songs where the main melody is pretty linear / flat but instead, the accompaniment in Monochrome will throw you off.  It's not hard rock nor does it have a very heavy beat or bass. Instead, the accompaniment has a very light touch and feels almost like music that would fit really nicely in a caper film.  I can almost see this working in a comic sequence in a caper / heist kind of film.  It's interesting, this mix, I like it.  I'm intrigued, I would like to hear more.

Identity starts with an extended electric guitar riff, before the drums kick in and Keiko gets a verse, the Kalafina chorus work would come in midway in her verse in support of Keiko, before Hikaru takes over as lead. This is kind of pop sounding I guess.  I love it that Keiko opens, of course, because I'm bias like that. :P  But hahahaha... to be honest, the part I like the most from this song is when Hikaru kicks in.  I like that change over right there because with Keiko's bit you think the song is going to go a certain Kalafina way like maybe Ongaku or Fantasia or Love Come Down, and then with Hikaru's changeover, the song goes into what I feel is quite J-Pop-ish kind of territory which I didn't quite expect.  I like this kind of thing from Kajiura Yuki. Surprise me! :)

I'm so looking forward to this album now.  Sooooooo keen to hear the full versions of all these songs.

I'm thinking I may actually separate my order for the LE+BD from the analog editon.  The analog ships at the end of the month.  I'll have to wait something like 15+ days before I get the LE+BD version of this album and I don't know if I can wait.... should I spend a bit more on shipping to get this ASAP?  OH...... I don't know.... so many decisions!!! LOL!!!

Okay... I should go to bed, full day at work tomorrow.

Before I go, I'm going to flog a dead horse.  :P  The usual, please do buy these albums if you can afford it. :)

far on the water (RE)
far on the water (LE + BD)
far on the water (LE + DVD)
far on the water (analog vinyl)

Okay! Good night! :)

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