Key Sounds Label - Music Discussion

[Sonic112003]

This is the second time I heard this song “Last Smile”. It’s very heart-warming and peaceful with the characters side-by-side as the boy visited the girl every day in the hospital. I’m reminded how beautiful the song is and Yanagi Nagi does an awesome job with her vocals. I do believe it stands the test of time when loved ones we care about are undergoing medical problems in their life that we’re always there to be by their side and enjoy each one’s company in comforting them in any way possible. That’s what I got from this song.

I’m pretty interested in the album itself so I might end up taking a look at the other songs they have on there as well.

[Rippleshadow]

I definitely recommend looking more into the album. Since it’s a concept album, all of the songs are loosely related (they all take place in the same “broken world”, and it ties together in the track Hero no Jouken) and have similar themes. A lot of the songs are really sad but some of them are a bit hopeful. In any case, I think it’s a really beautiful album.

[soggysadboi]

Well this seems like one hell of a three disc re-arrange of various Key songs.

[Khsellhu]

1st disk (which looks like a simple tribute to GirlDemo) ain’t bad, I guess…
But the 2nd disk is just meh. Sounds extremely wrong, at least for me. “Word of Dawn”, “Kaze no Tadoritsuku Basho”, and “TORCH” are so bad, that I can’t even describe it…

[Pepe]

As I am super excited for this release, allow me to give my opinions on the tracks.

For disc 1, I don’t have much to say because it was already released with the KSL Live 2015 Pamphlet but… Let’s just say I was reminded as to why this was one of my favorite Key remix albums

Now for Disc 2:

1. Very dance-y track and surprisingly fits the song well
2. Sounds like a classic Freezer hard dance track. Not too fond of it, but it’s good!
3. LU-I has been doing an awesome job with his previous remixes, and this is no exception. Would love to see more of him in the future! Loving the future and electro vibes from it
4. Never in my mind would I have expected enjoying a dubstep remix of this song but it’s here and I like it. Props to Hedonist for thinking it up.
5. Masayoshi MInoshima went pretty trap on this one; unfortunately I don’t like trap that much
6. Took them long enough to make a trance version of Farewell Song. Fairly expected but also kinda boring.
7. Unexpected to see them doing a song from Ayaka’s solo album. Not much to say about the remix tho. It’s alright.
8. Woah Nizikawa calm the fuck down. Also did not expect this with Gentle Jena. I can imagine some people thinking it ruins the song, but I can appreciate it.
9. At this point I think I will love Sasayaka na Hajimari no matter the form it ends up in.
10. Ballad turned UK dance track? I like what they did but them speeding up Suzuyu’s vocals doesn’t fit well with me.

Disc 3:

1. Pretty hype remix. Good buildup in the preview, especially!
2. Kinda standard happy hardcore vibe to it. I’ll probably like it for the first 2-3 listens lol.
3. Gets better and better as it goes by. Too bad they cut it right at the drop :’(
4. I’ve always been a fan of Getty, and I love the future bass vibe he put in this remix. Kinda biased in both ways (genre and producer) lol.
5. This is classic you style. I like classic you style. I only wish he replaced the vocals with his mainstay vocalist nayuta instead :kudshock:
6. Took the album long enough to have a d’n’b track. Lots going on but it blends well with the vocals.
7. LU-I takes the cake again, making an uplifting trance version of a very uplifting song. Also not boring trance! Thanks LU-I!
8. Admittedly never heard of Shouya Namai; but I like this. Fast pace contrasts well with the slow vocals, surprisingly.
9. BlackY is BlackY is BlackY lol. Not even surprised with the piano backing, but it starts to sound like all his other songs.
10. Unlike the previous disc, the speedup of the vocals on this track is less cringe-y, and it ends up less fast-paced than expected. I think this one’ll have to grow on me.

Overall a very solid album, and it really feels like the kind of album that doujin music circles would produce. I was already sold when they announced it, but this solidifies my convictions.

[Aspirety]

I mean, we ARE planning to host a Bookclub for the Love Song albums soon hopefully

[BlackHayate02]

I’m not really fond of electro remixes, but I honestly thought that they made Kimi to no Nakushi Mono sound better. I skipped on Disc 1 because I haven’t really checked out the tracks in AB! yet, but favorite in Disc 2 must be Sasayaka na Hajimari; they made it sound really good. :))

[waravim]

He also posted Yakeochita Tsubasa, original song of Yakeochinai Tsubasa.

https://twitter.com/jun_tenhou/status/831817716076003328
Translation: I would like to upload Yakeochita Tsubasa which was requested repeatedly because Yoshida allowed it. This song is the original song of Charlotte’s ED. I made it when I was a college student. The last high point of the song “Sora ga kuzureochi bokura ha nemuru~” was Yoshida’s ad-lib and the section is used for Charlotte’s ED.

(Yoshida is his dearest friend. He sung for Maeda’s song when they are in college. You can know more about him by listening to Satsubatsu Radio by Maeda)
The sound seems to be deleted by 26th May, so it is recommended to download it if you want.

[Bonecuss]

Ahh I love all these old versions of tracks so much, I hope he continues to release stuff like this.
I’m super hype for literally any music he releases.

[BlackHayate02]

So I feel like making semi-wild guesses on who composed/arranged the anime-only OSTs in Rewrite. I’ll get back here if they ever release an album for those (which will be great because those are some damn fine tracks), just to see how on point these guesses are.

• For the first track used, the anime-original Kagari theme, my bet is that Ryou Mizutsuki arranged it. She seems to have a strong inclination to piano that sometimes lead up to something big (ahem Scene Shifts There ahem), and the (vaguely jazzy) country waltz-like music that the piece builds up to sounds similar to her usual style. Also, violin melodies. My second bet is Tomohiro Takeshita.
• The neat arrangement of Kari that showed up in Episode 13 might still be arranged by the composer herself, Maiko Iuchi, considering her inclination to electronic music that is matched by her background as an I’ve Sound composer.
• The piano arrangements for End of the World and Last Desire might also be Mizutsuki’s, seeing how she often arranges Key OSTs to piano.
• The piano piece that was used in Episode 14 where Kotarou was reminiscing had a Mizutsuki flavor to it, so there’s my guess.
• The acoustic guitar track first used in Episode 18 sounds like something Shinji Orito would compose. It adds that it has a similar flavor to Harmonia’s Oppidum.
• The cool Retribution arrangement that was first used in Episode 20 sounds like the composer himself, Orito, also did the arrangement. For a track that carries a lot of weight, there’s an air of simplicity to how it was crafted, which sounds just about Orito’s style.
• If there’s going to be an orgel music in the final episode, I’m betting that it’s Orito. Or Takeshita because Towa no Hoshi e.

[SAMAROST]

It’s really hard to choose a favorite when it comes to key sounds label but still those are the BGMs I love the most:

CLANNAD : Ushio,country train,to the same height
Little busters : Song for friends, ring ring ring
Air : Aozora
Kanon : Last regrets
Angel beats : Brave song
Tomoyo after : Light colours
Rewrite :rewrite, komiubi

[SAMAROST]

Every time i visited itunes one thing bugged me, the price of the music albums. You wont believe me but it costs 2$ per album (average) in india whereas its its like 12 to 15$ (CLANNAD OST) in the US. I would like to know if there are other countries with the same pricing.

[StarfishBender]

The CLANNAD OST is £15 on iTunes (UK) which must be over US$20!

[Ganesh_Swami]

I don’t know why but rewrite’s music reminds me of mass effect trilogy. Especially Sanka (Scattered flowers) and nirinsou (soft windflower). They give you a feeling of travelling through the stars.

[SquallEC]

I don’t know if I should start a new topic but…

Who’s going?!?!

Source: http://aim-vil.com/key-orchestra-concert-2018/

[Aspirety]

Article in progress

[TheGho7t]

When you don’t know Japanese yet and have a slight fear of heights as well as enclosed spaces, so you can’t even go into planes.

Dang that’s an awesome thing. I hope somebody here goes and shares the experience. I can only begin to imagine hearing all of the brilliantly written music in person. They already sound great but, boy it’s gotta be a different beast to hear it in person.

Well, where to start now with the music I loved.

It all started…

when I was born…into this world (Ya get ya get I mean it’s a, yeah everyone got this joke)

I think I’ll start from oldest to newest in the VNs (the ones I played. Sorry Kanon, need to get to you, as well as and place my top 4. I chose 4 to start off with because Air doesn’t have a huge amount of music that I loved. I also refrain from using opening themes to the game, minus one. They’re so great. Nonetheless, the reasons why they were important for me, starting with Air:

• 4 Natsukage. I love Misuzu’s childish antics and this piece doesn’t honestly capture it in the way you’d think but, there’s just something about it. The tone, the slow buildup, the same sound throughout most of it after it built up. It’s a great theme for a great character.

• 3 Niji. Po. Kano reminded me a lot of Kotomi and, truthfully Kotomi was a cool gal so I kinda liked Kano right off the bat. This theme is really fantasy like and sounds like it deserves to be in a fantasy video game. Wait it is, sort of. Never mind, you get my point I hope. The mysterious nature of it all and it reminds me of when you stumble upon a magical NPC.

• 2 Farewell Song. I personally also have to say I love all the EDs as well, they do a fantastic job with them but, this is the only one that can reach the top four. Be it the lower amount of music in Air or not, it’s a catchy song and it’s the lyrics that does it for me ultimately. It’s very moving when you look up the lyrics and listen to it.

• 1 My number one goes to Hane. The true, main route in Air…oh boy, that ruined me. I mean it, I cried about 4 separate times and this song was the main culprit. I cannot recall how many times it was played, or where it was even but I always remember and equate to when Misuzu is on the beach and she calls out to her “mama”. It makes me tear up just thinking about it.

The next is Clannad:

• 5 That’s Like The Wind. I’m a huge Kyou fan and I can sit and talk about her for months. This song captures her extremely well to me. Real upbeat tune and it doesn’t ever really fluctuate with that. I love when songs go up and down, moves around but, they did a great job with Kyou’s theme in this regard. I can see her getting to a monstrous kicking combo every time I hear it.

• 4 Existence. There are few songs, pieces as well, than can give me goosebumps and Existence gives me goosebumps. It tugs at you in a way that is indescribable unless you’ve experienced it for yourself. It’s sad and makes you believe there’s no hope but somehow is still great to listen to.

• 3 Country Train. This would be number 1 in most games. I can’t even say much about it. It’s a nice, upbeat tune you know, it SOUNDS like a train but that’s not the reason I love it so much no, the reason is Ushio asking about her mom. Everyone who has played Clannad, whether or not you love this track, you can’t help but feel something at that scene. There’s a handful of those in Key visual novels and they’re great.

• 2 Shining in the Sky. Clannad makes me cry, alright? It just makes me cry and I loved it for that. I feel like I must like crying at this point because this track makes me cry, almost every time. It’s so simple and so effective, and then just once it reaches the top oh my goodness. There’s nothing else like it, period. It gets to that top and it’s like “There seems to be some rain in my room somehow”.

• 1 TOE. This wasn’t even a track I truly cared for but the sentimental value held up. I hear Kotomi utter “Father. Mother. Welcome home.” and it’s over. I do actually love the piece as well, the way it flows almost over time, across many continents, searching for it’s true destination. Especially the end of it. It feels like the song set out what it was supposed to do in life, accomplished that and faded away into the night.

Planetarian doesn’t have many tracks so I’ll just put that:

• 1 Gentle Jena. It just couldn’t be something else, could it? It’s the song you think of when you hear Planetarian or when you read. Plus all the buildup in the game/anime leading to it and then you get this song sort of as a reward and it’s the greatest reward you could ask for. Just as the name states, it’s so gentle and almost comforting. No, not almost it IS comforting. I can’t say I’ve ever said a song made me feel comforted but this one does. It makes you feel like you aren’t a little grain of sand but something more than that.

Little Busters:

• 5 Faraway. No words. I have no words other than “Was my life happy?” “That I wasn’t happy…how could I say that, when I had great friends like you!”

• 4 Only One Magic World. Speaking of very fantasy-esque tracks, this is another one that reminds me of that. It’s such a touching and sad song but there’s hope in there, somehow there’s some speck of hope. I love when it pauses and returns with such a beautiful little melody and sets forth it’s path right to your heart.

• 3 Ring Ring Ring!. Wow. All of the Little Busters themes, perfection. I mean it too they’re all fitting in their own way but, Rin’s takes the cake rather easily for me. Again, the buildup is big for me as I’ve stated several times before and then when it hits there you really think to yourself “Yeah, this is Rin!”. It takes time to warm to it, much like Rin and when you have warmed up to her, just like the song, it gets really going and you start to smile a bunch.

• 2 Little Melody. This was a hard choice because this means I had to leave out a song or two that I loved but, Little Melody, as it states, is a little melody and I fell in love with it’s simplicity. The amount of feelings I have just from listening to it is remarkable and this is one of those sentimental pieces for me. It’s beautiful, truly beautiful.

• 1 Song For Friends. There can’t be another number one, there cannot. It’s also my favorite song in any of the VNs I’ve listed here, pretty safe to say that as well. It is so lovely and so sweet but it’s also about such sadness and moving on almost. Whether you’re down in the dumps or in a great mood, this song works for all occasions. It’s, perfect.

Special mention would be Clear Weather After The Rain. I hate leaving it out but, when I look back at the Little Busters soundtrack, it’s amazing. There’s no other words I have.

Thanks for anyone who reads. I stayed up way too late and was thinking “Hey, I wanted to talk about music at least once here soon” so I decided to now. I mean, it’s 6 AM but, meh, I’m happy to talk about this. Plus I’m 5x more emotional at night. (Don’t do the math. That makes me like a 1504/100 on the emotional scale)

[Nuo]

I’ve been listening to Key’s C93 Acoustic Album 『Humans pleasure』and I think it deserves a special mention.

To me it has definitely one of key’s best musical performances in recent times, I’d even consider it overall greater than 『KeyCLASSIC』from 2012. The album cover is adorable and the performances are just magical.
I’ve always been a big fan of Key’s classical remixes, even tracks that are originally pretty loud and jumpy can suddenly become emotional pieces when performed with the right instruments, by the right musicians

[CLANNAD_Rewrite]

Does anyone know if Humans Pleasure will ever be available on the iTunes US? A lot of Key albums are available on there a few months after the Japanese release, and I’d really like to be able to buy the album.

Hoshi No Fune in particular is the song that I’d love to be able to buy. The acoustic guitar with Lia’s wonderful voice in the snippet of the song just sounds so right with each other as a whole.

[HeliosAlpha]

I’m a fan of “BGM 2” that came with Alka Tale. With the calmer piano on the right and the two sadder violins that chime in from different directions, it’s like a conversation. It’s cool how you can have that kind of blocking in music (maybe there’s an actual music term for it, Idk). BGM 1 is the track they want to push as a front of the ost, I guess. The timing is really making me believe there will be a vocal version; lyrics just seem to slot in very easily.