Movits- Äppelknyckarjazz (Sweden)
Riddim Saunter- Fresh (Acoustic) (Japan)
Casiokids- Gomur Mamma (Norway)
MC Solaar- Nouveau Western (France)
80Kidz- Miss Mars (Japan)
Artist Spotlight- Rain
Rain- Sad Tango (Korea)
Absolute Body Control- Figures (Belgium)
Esmee Denters- Admit It (The Netherlands)
Daft Punk- Harder Better Faster Stronger (France)
Abingdon Boys School- Desert Rose (Japan)
Hikaru Utada- Beautiful World (PLANiTb Acoustica Mix)(Japan)
Miyavi- Shiawase Nara Te O Tatakou (Japan)
Auletta- Meine Stadt (Germany)
Saturday 30 January 2010
Friday 29 January 2010
Five For Friday 13
Ah 13,unlucky for some...
5. Rain- Sad Tango
How's this for cross-cultural, a Korean RnB artist singing in Japanese, to a Latino influenced beat, truly shows how diverse this little world of ours really is there's even an English version to this song as well, brilliant.
4. Mötley Crüe- White Trash Circus (Crüefest version)
While the original version of the song is ok the Crüefest version has this gritty boys club mentality to it with the inclusion of the vocalists from Mötley Crüe's second Crüefest tour helping out on the vocals making it a more rawkous track.
3. Polysics- Rocket
The track starts out feeling very New Wavey with the synths and Kayo's vocals before that punkish vibe kicks in with the guitar and Hiroyuki's vocals.
2. Polysics-Pretty Good
I've been listening to the English version of this song which is Pretty Good (pun fully intended) the japanese version is just as good.
1. Abingdon Boys School- Lost Reason
Originally a B-side for one of their songs (Nephilim) I found this track to be a much better song than it's A-side, not because it's mainly sung in English but because it has this great guitar sound to it.
5. Rain- Sad Tango
How's this for cross-cultural, a Korean RnB artist singing in Japanese, to a Latino influenced beat, truly shows how diverse this little world of ours really is there's even an English version to this song as well, brilliant.
4. Mötley Crüe- White Trash Circus (Crüefest version)
While the original version of the song is ok the Crüefest version has this gritty boys club mentality to it with the inclusion of the vocalists from Mötley Crüe's second Crüefest tour helping out on the vocals making it a more rawkous track.
3. Polysics- Rocket
The track starts out feeling very New Wavey with the synths and Kayo's vocals before that punkish vibe kicks in with the guitar and Hiroyuki's vocals.
2. Polysics-Pretty Good
I've been listening to the English version of this song which is Pretty Good (pun fully intended) the japanese version is just as good.
1. Abingdon Boys School- Lost Reason
Originally a B-side for one of their songs (Nephilim) I found this track to be a much better song than it's A-side, not because it's mainly sung in English but because it has this great guitar sound to it.
Thursday 28 January 2010
Ninja Assassin Review
Ninja Assassin is the latest project from the Wachowski Brother's (The Matrix, V For Vendetta, Speed Racer) staring Korean pop star Rain, who plays a ninja who is on the run from the Ozunu Clan (who took him in as a child) after he refused to kill a deserter, instead attacking the clan's leader, meanwhile two agents from Europol try to link a series of assassinations to the clan, both unaware that their paths will cross.
For those unaware as to how Ninja Assassin came about, it was actually due to the kids film Speed Racer (which producers The Wachowski Brothers directed) the brothers were impressed by the martial arts skills of Rain (who plays lead character Raizo in Ninja Assassin) that they wanted to do a film which was utilised martial arts in a way that The Matrix didn't.
For a film that was designed to highlight Rain's skills as a martial artist and actor and with a script which was reportedly written in 53 hours you'd be forgiven for thinking that it was one of those B-Movies that would have been better off being a direct-to-DVD.
Instead we get a film which blends the Martial Arts sensibilities of betrayal and revenge with the conspiracy film that finds a couple of people in law enforcement (in this case agents from Europol) trying to uncover the truth behind so many assassinations over the years and thereby becoming targets themselves with former ninja Raizo being the only one who can really put a stop to the Ozunu Clan (isn't it always the way eh?) It's a real hit or miss combination as though the film is trying to work out whether it is a martial arts film or a conspiracy/cop thriller, though the martial arts tends to win out more often than not.
The first half of the film is quite possibly the most frustrating part with Raizo's past interwoven with the main plot of the film and while it is an interesting way to tell Raizo's back story it often feels disjointed as though you're flipping through channels between Raizo's plot to his past to the plot involving Europol agent Ryan Maslow (Ben Miles) and Forensic Researcher Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris).
The martial arts scenes are fantastically choreographed and the weapon work is a real highlight with weapons such as the double bladed katana and a kyoketsu shoge (which is a double edged blade attached to a long chain) rarely seen in these types of films and thus giving the film a unique style. There's also a nice use of almost 'bullet time' style slow motion used when the kyoketsu shoge. However these scenes are hindered by the overuse of 'CGI gore' which is extremely noticeable and at times over the top. As this is a film about ninjas, the vast majority of the action takes place under the cloak of darkness, making the fight scenes slightly difficult to follow at times however there are instances in the film where the dark action scenes are used in a smart way such as Raizo in ninja garb fighting another ninja in Mika's blackout hit apartment and the only way you can tell there is a fight going on is through the sounds of metal clashing there is a nice use of effects when ninjas blur into the shadows really building on that mythos that ninjas were at one with the shadows.
While it does boast a cliched martial arts ending of student versus master the final battle has an unexpected vibe to it going for an all guns blazing approach on top of the martial arts. Ninja Assassin is an enjoyable film and while some of the Europol scenes seem to be filler to pad out the story, the action (or at least the action which isn't cloaked in too much darkness) more than makes up for it. Rain plays a convincing Raizo and there are times when it looks as though he has done more martial arts films (this is only his third film). It's refreshing to see a western made martial arts film which isn't comedic or features a lackluster and overdone story, instead we get this film with great moves and a good unique storyline.
For those unaware as to how Ninja Assassin came about, it was actually due to the kids film Speed Racer (which producers The Wachowski Brothers directed) the brothers were impressed by the martial arts skills of Rain (who plays lead character Raizo in Ninja Assassin) that they wanted to do a film which was utilised martial arts in a way that The Matrix didn't.
For a film that was designed to highlight Rain's skills as a martial artist and actor and with a script which was reportedly written in 53 hours you'd be forgiven for thinking that it was one of those B-Movies that would have been better off being a direct-to-DVD.
Instead we get a film which blends the Martial Arts sensibilities of betrayal and revenge with the conspiracy film that finds a couple of people in law enforcement (in this case agents from Europol) trying to uncover the truth behind so many assassinations over the years and thereby becoming targets themselves with former ninja Raizo being the only one who can really put a stop to the Ozunu Clan (isn't it always the way eh?) It's a real hit or miss combination as though the film is trying to work out whether it is a martial arts film or a conspiracy/cop thriller, though the martial arts tends to win out more often than not.The first half of the film is quite possibly the most frustrating part with Raizo's past interwoven with the main plot of the film and while it is an interesting way to tell Raizo's back story it often feels disjointed as though you're flipping through channels between Raizo's plot to his past to the plot involving Europol agent Ryan Maslow (Ben Miles) and Forensic Researcher Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris).
The martial arts scenes are fantastically choreographed and the weapon work is a real highlight with weapons such as the double bladed katana and a kyoketsu shoge (which is a double edged blade attached to a long chain) rarely seen in these types of films and thus giving the film a unique style. There's also a nice use of almost 'bullet time' style slow motion used when the kyoketsu shoge. However these scenes are hindered by the overuse of 'CGI gore' which is extremely noticeable and at times over the top. As this is a film about ninjas, the vast majority of the action takes place under the cloak of darkness, making the fight scenes slightly difficult to follow at times however there are instances in the film where the dark action scenes are used in a smart way such as Raizo in ninja garb fighting another ninja in Mika's blackout hit apartment and the only way you can tell there is a fight going on is through the sounds of metal clashing there is a nice use of effects when ninjas blur into the shadows really building on that mythos that ninjas were at one with the shadows.
While it does boast a cliched martial arts ending of student versus master the final battle has an unexpected vibe to it going for an all guns blazing approach on top of the martial arts. Ninja Assassin is an enjoyable film and while some of the Europol scenes seem to be filler to pad out the story, the action (or at least the action which isn't cloaked in too much darkness) more than makes up for it. Rain plays a convincing Raizo and there are times when it looks as though he has done more martial arts films (this is only his third film). It's refreshing to see a western made martial arts film which isn't comedic or features a lackluster and overdone story, instead we get this film with great moves and a good unique storyline.
Friday 22 January 2010
Five For Friday 12
5. Bump Of Chicken- R.I.P
I really like how this track gets progressively faster, and then slightly mellows out after the instrumental.
4. G-Dragon- Heartbreaker
It sounds like a Flo Rida track except it's in Korean the chorus is really catchy underneath the bouncy beat.
3. My Aunt Mary- 푸른 양철 스쿠터 (Blue Tin Scooters)
I like how the bass and guitar work almost in unison in this track and the synths really strengthen the track.
2. Abingdon Boy's School- INNOCENT SORROW
This sounds like a dark track mainly thanks to the way the guitars and the synths sound in this song, my favourite part of the track is oddly enough the ending, where the guitars combine with the scratching as the tracks.
1. Jaurim- Carnival Amour
This Korean song sounds like a cross between something you would hear at a circus and a 1920's musical it has this odd energy to it at times it sounds very sunny and then it goes a bit crazy and yet it works especially the way the vocalist Kim, Yoon-Ah can switch between a deeper tone of singing voice to her regular singing voice.
I really like how this track gets progressively faster, and then slightly mellows out after the instrumental.
4. G-Dragon- Heartbreaker
It sounds like a Flo Rida track except it's in Korean the chorus is really catchy underneath the bouncy beat.
3. My Aunt Mary- 푸른 양철 스쿠터 (Blue Tin Scooters)
I like how the bass and guitar work almost in unison in this track and the synths really strengthen the track.
2. Abingdon Boy's School- INNOCENT SORROW
This sounds like a dark track mainly thanks to the way the guitars and the synths sound in this song, my favourite part of the track is oddly enough the ending, where the guitars combine with the scratching as the tracks.
1. Jaurim- Carnival Amour
This Korean song sounds like a cross between something you would hear at a circus and a 1920's musical it has this odd energy to it at times it sounds very sunny and then it goes a bit crazy and yet it works especially the way the vocalist Kim, Yoon-Ah can switch between a deeper tone of singing voice to her regular singing voice.
Wednesday 20 January 2010
World Tour Playlist 20/1/2010 *Korean Special*
Sugar Donut- Loser
SNSD- HaHaHa- snsd
The TRAX- Over The Rainbow
MC Sniper featuring Outsider and Horan- Heart Disease
My Aunt Mary- Blue Tin Scooters
Jaurim- Carnival Amour
Artist Spotlight- Rain
Rain- Its Rainin’
Outsider – Alone/Loner
Prozak- (Could You) Cry For Me
BoA- Girls On Top
Vanilla Unity- Hero
G-Dragon- Heartbreaker
Epik High featuring Jisun- One
2PM- Tetris
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