Ayumi Hamasaki - Days

I've happen to listened to this while shuffling through my collection.

'Days', has rather nice lyrics coupled with a simple melody structure. I bet she wrote the lyrics on one of her 'nostalgia' days... I've always found her lyrics to be expressive, and true enough, on wikipedia it writes:

Hamasaki has "developed a reputation as a thoughtful, introspective lyricist"; Barry Walters of The Village Voice comments that Hamasaki's lyrics "pack unlikely insights." Because she has "trouble voicing her thoughts", Hamasaki uses her lyrics as an outlet; she "draws from her own experiences and emotions" and tries to put them "honestly into words". She has stated that honesty is essential to her lyrics, saying, "If I write when I'm low, it will be a dark song, but I don't care. I want to be honest with myself at all times." Because of this, she did not use English lyrics until her album Rainbow, as she had felt that she could best express herself in Japanese.

Ah-hah!



Each word you casually exchange with me
Is such a precious treasure to me
But I myself feel a bit embarrassed about this
So if you knew, you would surely laugh at me

* I want to see you, I want to see you
I want to hear your voice at least
And I sometimes call you with no special reason

My heart becomes so warm
Just because you are around me
I have only one wish
Can I stay loving you forever
Just like this?

I've known for a long time that you have someone precious
Because it's clear from your smile

Though it's true I spend some nights
Feeling so sad, so sad
And feeling a tightening in my chest

** If I just think of you
My heart has the meaning to live
I expect nothing special from you
Can I stay loving you forever
Just like this?

* (repeat)

My heart becomes so warm
Just because you are around me
I have only one wish
Please let me keep on loving you

** (repeat)

Lyrics thanks to Divine Ayu

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Sayuri Sugawara - Kimi Ga Iru Kara

Fantastic new song from Sayuri Sugawara. Titled "Kimi ga iru kara", it is the theme song for Final Fantasy XIII.

The song is very melodious, hitting at all the right intervals. The strings playing in the background is good support, creating and relieving tension. Although she doesn't have the most fantastic voice, she still manages a strong enough emotion in parts that require them. The lyrics are nice :)

It has one of the best bridges I've heard in a while. It must be the strings... they are played out well with strong attack, conveying strong flowing emotions.

The producer of FFXIII has opted for a melodramatic feel for the storyline, rather than a majestic and political one like FFXII. Square Enix once again made a great choice.

(I can't say the same about the Leona Lewis version of 'My Hands' though...)




Translated lyrics:

Because you suddenly said
"Its alright to cry"
I was somehow happy and smiled without a tear

Unfortunately I have hurt you with clumsy words
Nevertheless you never left me
But kept supporting me in this way even now

Surely...
the wishes and dreams I want to fulfill,
all the feelings I want to send out
that in which I keep believing, summons a miracle
and will be connected to the future
I want to watch over you, always, yes, always
Dear, my friend

Because you told me "you'll be alright"
at the time of our parting
The loneliness I felt disappeared beautifully with that single word

Opening a new door is something everyone is afraid of, but
when I remember how you've always encouraged me, I'm filled with strength

I won't surrender my honest feelings
All these honest words
If I can convey them with my words, the future will extend out
Because you are in my hear forever, yes, forever
Dear my friend

Even if I seem to stop or forget
I vow that I will always keep moving forward
The sky above is shining a light until the day I meet you

I won't surrender my honest feelings
All these honest words
If I can convey them with my words, the future will extend out

the wishes and dreams I want to fulfill,
all the feelings I want to send out
that in which I keep believing, summons a miracle
and will be connected to the future
I want to watch over you, always, yes, always
Dear, my friend

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Sansa Clip+

Yay~ Got my Sansa Clip+ Mp3 player today. A kind hardwarezone.com member decided to mass order these babies over from the US.



First thing you'll realise is that it is really small. Not 'ipod-small', but small. About the width of 2x 3G Ipod Shuffle side by side, and the thickness of 2x 3G Ipod Shuffle.

When you first turn it on, you are presented with the Blue OLED. It's bright and readable. Nothing fancy there, just practical. It is easy to read under the sun, a good thing. I hear they use the OLED to save power... Come on it only has a <300mah battery in it!

The Clip+ has got several functions:

1) Music - plays MP3, OGG Vorbis, FLAC, WAV. A good mix of codecs.

2) Slotradio/Slotmusic - Sansa's propriety music delivery system. Please wiki for it.

3) FM Radio - This has surprisingly good quality! Can't say about the reception thou. When you have good reception, it sounds execptional! The signal is not very good when you use it on the move. Better to use it stationary, like when studying. It has got a auto-present function, where it scans for the nearest radio stations.

4) Voice - Oh my this thing has a voice recorder! The quality is decent, and useful to use when recording a converstion, say within 2 metres. You can also record radio station broadcasts. Cool!

5) MicroSD slot - This thing has a slot!?!? Yeah you heard that right. Supports microSD cards. Meaning you can expand up to 16GB! Wow! On such a small package!

6) Replaygain - The Clip+ does replay gain! Nice. Replaygain normalises your music so you don't have to always reach for the volume button.

Sandisk managed to pack in a whole lot of stuff in such a small package! On average it is reported to run up to 12 hours on music. A very decent amount. You can only charge it over 5V USB.

The sound quality on the Clip+ is really exceptional. The noise floor is very low (Compared to my 1G Ipod Shuffle). The soundstaging is wide, and it can go lowwww quite well. Overall, it sounds a bit mellow, clear, full and distinct.

Although it has been reported that there is a pitch problem with it, it is hardly noticable. 1/4 sec speed up every 1min, can you tell the difference?! Reference 1000mhz tone is played at 1004mhz on the Clip+. It is hardly noticable.

Go buy one now! I got mine at $85 for a 4GB black one. It is a no brainer buy if you need a cheap and trusty player!

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Eufonius new album!

Ao no scape literally, Violet coloured -scape.


Its got a good amount of nice tracks. Particularly I like the piano solo track, nice arrangement and just soft and spaced enough.

I first heard about Eufonius/Riya back in late 2004. Their earlier production, 'Meg Mel', hit me immediately. I think it was Riya's voice, which is kinda raw but mellow and smooth, that sounded most attractive.

Hmm, I think Eufonius's musical style gets me in the 'mood' most. The beats, for me are predictable... Comes us just when I know it will. The melody form and tempo is totally in sync with me! The synth sounds chosen are also very spaced, but reverbed just enough. Its a delicate balance, and it just gets better with each iteration! The earlier productions are raw, but now its just hits the right tune!

Eufonius on Wiki- link

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Do As Infinity.. back!

They are back! Yay! My all time favorite band is back. With a flame that burns for eternity!


29th Sept 1999 - Debut. I still remember the 100 live street shows!
29th Sept 2005 - Disband. Van cried on stage... No...
29th Sept 2008 - Reform! Old ties are had to break...
30th Sept 2009 - Release of album, Eternal Flame



There's has been some changes. For one, Dai Nagao, who has been the composer all the while, is gone! The signature Do As Infinity sound is lost... but with it a new-born music! The new image is also... questionable. haha. Not as refined as the last time. Well, maybe Avex managed to scrape just enough funds... then again its the music that matters!

Wonder who does the composition now. Van still maintains her versatile yet powerful voice, and I'm very excited to her sing more in the image of Do As Infinity!

Here's a short 3 min intro to the band and their revival:



New song:



Now I got to find a day to see though all the DVDs again to celebrate!

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CooRie - Hoshizuku No SURROUND

Surrounded by Stardust by CooRie. A nice and pretty upbeat song. Interesting lyrics, and it resonates with my previous post on space photography!





sora wo miagete ha kimi no koto omou
kotoba ga mitsukaranai
tsutaetai dakedo surinuketeshimau
nagareboshi mitai

I look up at the sky, and my feelings for you…
I can’t find the words,
I want to tell you, but they just slip away…
almost like Shooting Stars.

seijaku no namima ni yami wo yurasu hikari
kioku no ITAZURA ni kokoro hodoketeyuku

In this Wave of Silence, a ray of light flickers the Darkness
playing with my memories and releasing my heart.

ashita he to
kono omoi kanade ima yukou
daijoubu hitori janai
kimi ga oshietekureta ne
kiremeki no monogatari wo kikasete
kono koe ga todokimasu youni
miagereba hoshikuzu no SARAUNDO

Into the future,
I play these feelings into the future!
No worries, I’m not alone.
You have taught me I’m not alone.
Listen to my “Twinkle” story!
So my voice would reach you,
I look up at the sky, Surrounded by Stardust!

taisetsuna koto ni kidzuku sono tame ni
namida ha aru no kana
futashikana jibun yoirisasottenaide
fumidashitemiyou

I wonder if we shed tears
in order to realize what’s important…
Don’t get too close to someone as uncertain as me.
Try taking small steps first.

ikusen no hoshiboshi sono hitotsu hitotsu wo
kibou de yomihodoku youni itsuka kagayaku kara

One by one, I try to Decipher
all the stars with hope that I’ll shine one day too!

otona he to
isogu hodo nazeka mayou kokoro
sono egao mabushikute
toozaketa toki mo atta kedo
ari no mama kotoba ni shite todoketai
“kimi ni meguriaette yokatta”
harewataru yozora ni hibiiteku

Why does rushing
to grow up makes my heart so confused?
That smile is so bright,
but there are also time when it was so distant.
Truthfully, I want to make them into words and convey them to you,
“I’m glad I got to see you again”
those words resonates into the clear night sky.

bokutachi ha
kono hibi ni ai to yume wo idaki
shiawase wo sodatte you sora no manimani chikau yo
kirameki no monogatari wo kikasete
kono koe ga tokimasu youni
miagereba hoshikuzu no SARAUNDO
kimi wo omou yo…

We embrace
love and dreams of these days.
Let’s promise to be happy and leave it to the sky!
Listen to my “Twinkle” story!
So my voice would reach you,
I look up at the sky, Surrounded by Stardust
and think of you…

Credits for the lyrics go to Deciphered Melody - link

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DIY Astronomy!

Beautiful ain't it! A Pelican Nebula photo, taken from a backyard in New Mexico!


More can be seen at Wired - link

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Hitotsu no Negai - Inoue Hikari

Its a beautiful song with simple lyrics!
The title literally translates to "My only wish", by Inoue Hikari.





kanashisugiru hitomi ga kono sora wo utsusu
kakeru kotoba ga wakarazuni
tada hoshi wo kazoeta

These very sad eyes reflect the sky,
without understanding those words,
I simply counted the stars.

kodoku de iru sekai ha tokuina hazu da to
furikaeru hibi aa
sagashiteita kimi wo hitori

The world where I live alone should have been prosper,
but I take a look back, aa
I always search for only you.

ah~ moshimo ima yurusareru nara
kimi no koto dake omou yo
wasuretakunai kanashimi naraba
kono ude de mamotteagetai

Ah~ if I’m allowed to do so,
I’ll simply think of you.
If you don’t want to forget this sadness,
with these hands, I’ll protect it for you.

yuuhi ga tokedasu koro hidoku itamu kara
kimi no tonari no yasashisa wo
sou motto shireru

When the Setting Sun disappears, that tenderness
coming from your deep pain,
will come to light.

moshimo kono yasashisa ga tsubusareru no nara
kawari ni subete aa
sutete ii to omoetanda

If this tenderness were to be broken,
in return, it would be fine to
abandon everything else…I always thought so.

ah~ hoshi ga tada kagayaku yoru ha
kimi no koto dake omou yo
wasurekaketeta nukumori naraba
kono mune de tsutaeteagetai

Ah~ The stars simply shine at night
and I only think of you.
If you have forgotten about such warmth,
I’ll want to convey it to you with my my heart.

boku ha ima
muteki no buki wo te ni arukeru
boku ha ima
maboroshi hitotsu demo aiseru yo

Today, I
walk with an invincible weapon in my hand.
Today, I
can love from a simple illusion…

tada kimi to…

Only to you though…

ah~ hoshi ga tada kagayaku yoru ha
kimi no koto dake omou yo
tsukameta no nara yurusareta nara
hanasanai yume no youni

Ah~ The stars simply shine at night
and I only think of you.
If I can touch you, if I’m allowed to,
I won’t let go of you.

ah~ moshimo ima yurusareru nara
kimi no koto dake omou yo
hibi no shijima ni kimi ga waratta

Ah~ if I’m allowed to do so,
I’ll simply think of you and
those silent days where you smiled.

tada sore ga sore dake ga sou hitotsu no negai

That alone, only that, yes, it’s my only wish.

Credits go to owner of Deciphered Melody - link

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K-ON! After school tea time music!

I like these 2 songs from K-ON! They have got a cool rock vibe to it and also long guitar sustains that make it kinda surreal! I have not an idea why they call it "after school tea time", more like pop music. It's hard to describe the tune and melody, but I assure it's great!



Watashi No Koi Wa Hocchikisu



Fude Pen ~Boru Pen~

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broken codes

I'm not a good coder and primarily use a lot of pre-configured code from blogger. You'll realise there's some broken script of code somewhere so bear with it. Until my next iteration!

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