Category: The Jukebox

  • [The JukeBox] #85 – Masayoshi Soken – Shadow Withal

    [The JukeBox] #85 – Masayoshi Soken – Shadow Withal

    About a month ago, Square Enix finally released the soundtrack for Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers on Spotify and other streaming services.

    This time, we are listening to the theme of Akadaemia Anyder titled: “Shadows Withal”

    A jazzy piece that reflects a time that once was.

    ⚠️

    SPOILERS! – Skip below to the song.

    A time of peace and prosperity before it fell due to its ‘Final Days’.

    The dungeon is set in a recreation of the city, Amaurot, which was destroyed over 12,000 years ago (from the end of ‘Endwalker’) that was once the home of the now-extinct ancients. The city is at the bottom of the sea underneath The Tempest in ‘The First’

    When the city of Amaurot was destroyed, the world of Etheirys was sundered, or split, by Hydaelyn (The Mothercrystal) into 14 different ‘reflections’ which were identical copies of each other’s world but are vastly different now with their own locale, races, monsters, etc.

    [There is a lot more I can talk about the sundering and the ‘rejoining’ of the shards, but this post is already long enough]

    The dungeon reminds me of Bioshock and its setting. Underwater, in the 50s/60s and having a charming score.

    Spoilers End

    YouTube

    Spotify

    Previous Posts

    I have covered Masayoshi Soken’s song 6 times now (including this post)
    Check out the last 5:

    [The JukeBox] #78 – Masayoshi Soken – Scream
    [The Jukebox] #69 – Masayoshi Soken – ENDWALKER
    [The Jukebox] #64 – Masayoshi Soken – A Long Fall
    [The Jukebox] #62 – Masayoshi Soken – What Angel Wakes Me
    [The Jukebox] #59 – Masayoshi Soken – The Reach of Darkness
  • [The JukeBox] #84 – Dee Dee – Forever

    [The JukeBox] #84 – Dee Dee – Forever

    Let’s travel back to 2001 with a dance classic from Dee Dee with Forever.

    There is nothing notable to say about this other than it reached Number 12 in the UK singles chart in the summer of 2001.

    Lyrics:

    I´m all alone in bed
    and I can´t sleep
    I´m feeling blue
    I try to close my eyes
    but all I´m thinking of is You!
    Baby, only you!

    I cry my eyes out, baby
    Wondering what I have to do
    I’m looking inside my heart
    And know for sure
    this love is true

    Refr:
    Day by day
    heart to heart
    I hope that we will
    ever be together.
    Will it be, me and you?
    I dream that our love will last, forever.
    Hold me tight, in your arms.
    I know we have the strength to stay together.
    When we meet
    In the end
    I promise to be there,
    forever
    forever

    I´m all alone in bed,
    and I can´t sleep,
    I´m feeling blue.
    I try to close my eyes,
    but all I´m thinking of is You!
    Baby, only you!

    Refr:
    Day by day, heart to heart,
    I hope that we will ever be,
    together
    Will it be, me and you
    I dream that our love will last forever
    Hold me tight in your arms.
    I know we have the strength to stay together
    when we meet
    in the end
    I promise to be there, forever
    forever

    Forever 4x

  • [The JukeBox] #83 – MONDO GROSSO – Labyrinth

    [The JukeBox] #83 – MONDO GROSSO – Labyrinth

    Normally with The JukeBox posts, I discover a song or an album, add it to my Spotify playlist, go back through the playlist at a later stage (Normally 6 months to a couple of years) and then decide whether to create a post for it.

    This song, I heard one day and I must have instantly liked it but never added it to any playlist and therefore I forgot about it.

    It recently came back up during one of my many City pop listening sessions using the new ‘Enhance’ feature on Spotify.

    This song is fantastic. It’s a Japanese song by MONDO GROSSO (Real name: Shinichi Osawa) who is a DJ from Tokyo. I will not lie and say that I haven’t heard any other of MONDO GROSSO’s work!

    Here is Labyrinth with Hikari Mitsushima as the dancer.

    YouTube

    Spotify

    Lyrics:

    Mitsumenaide kanashii hou wo
    Me wo tsubutte kuchizuke shiyou
    Amaku tokeru merodii

    Hikikomarete
    Meikyuu no paradaisu
    Deguchi mo naku owari mo naku
    Tsutsumarete itai no
    Jama shinaide
    Mayonaka no paradaisu
    Iki mo sezu ni
    Mogutte iku
    Futari dake no dansu

    Sagasanaide
    Utsukushii rabirinsu
    Kuchizuke shite mou modorenai
    Futari dake no dansu

    Mayoikonde
    Byakuya no you ni
    Shibireta mama dochira kara mo
    Kaerou to wa sezu ni

    Tomaranaide
    Yurete itai no
    Nanimo iwazu
    Kuchizuke shite
    Wasuresasete subete

    Tomaranaide
    Yurete itai no
    Nanimo iwazu
    Kuchizuke shite
    Sora kara ochiru

    Mitsumenaide kanashii hou wo
    Me wo tsubutte kuchizuke shiyou
    Amaku tokeru merodii

    Hikikomarete
    Meikyuu no paradaisu
    Deguchi mo naku owari mo naku
    Tsutsumarete itai no

    Mitsumenaide kanashii hou wo
    Me wo tsubutte kuchizuke shiyou
    Amaku tokeru merodii

  • [The JukeBox] #82 – Casiopea – Galactic Funk

    [The JukeBox] #82 – Casiopea – Galactic Funk

    Within specific genres of music, there are those ‘staple’ songs. A set of pieces that capture the essence of a genre. Within the City pop genre, you would find some staples, Plastic Love, Dress Down, Stay with Me, and Flyday Chinatown.
    Jazz Fusion sensation, Casiopea would be a staple band for the genre.

    Still going today as Casiopea-P4, (Their 4th iteration) has been around since 1976 and became very popular in the 80’s even having a world tour. With almost 60 albums since its inception, the band focuses on instrumental music with high-energy and high-tempo music.

    Over the years, they have had 13 different members come and go with the guitarist Issei Noro being the only member who has been in the band the entire time. The band even disbanded from 2006 until 2012 due to exhaustion.

    For more about the history of Casiopea, I would highly recommend checking out T2norway’s video on the band which was uploaded in 2021.

    Arguably, the band’s most popular song, Galatic Funk became a staple for City pop fans.

    Galactic Funk originally was on the band’s 6th album Cross Point released in 1981 but has been re-arranged and re-recorded over the years.

    Live

    Studio

    For me, this band and their live performances remind me of the Miami Sound Machine with Gloria Estefan with their high-energy, high-tempo music.

  • [The JukeBox] #81 – The Beautiful South – Rotterdam (Or Anywhere)

    [The JukeBox] #81 – The Beautiful South – Rotterdam (Or Anywhere)

    Recently on Spotify, I was playing a 90’s / 00’s pop mix and rediscovered this fantastic song by The Beautiful South.

    It was released in September of 1996 and ready Number 5 in the UK Singles Charts and Number 11 in Ireland and was part of their 5th Album, “Blue is the colour”

    With its catchy lyrics and beat, it’s something to go back to and enjoy once more.

    Lyrics:

    And the women tug their hair
    Like they’re trying to prove it won’t fall out
    And all the men are gargoyles
    Dipped long in Irish stout

    The whole place is pickled
    The people are pickles for sure
    And no one knows if they’ve done more here
    Than they ever would do in a jar

    This could be Rotterdam or anywhere
    Liverpool or Rome
    ‘Cause Rotterdam is anywhere
    Anywhere alone
    Anywhere alone

    And everyone is blonde
    And everyone is beautiful
    And when blondes and beautiful are multiple
    They become so dull and dutiful

    And when faced with dull and dutiful
    They fire red warning flares
    Battle khaki personality
    With red underwear

    This could be Rotterdam or anywhere
    Liverpool or Rome
    ‘Cause Rotterdam is anywhere
    Anywhere alone
    Anywhere alone

    The whole place is pickled
    The people are pickles for sure
    And no one knows if they’ve done more here
    Than they ever would do in a jar

    This could be Rotterdam or anywhere
    Liverpool or Rome
    ‘Cause Rotterdam is anywhere
    Anywhere alone

    This could be Rotterdam or anywhere
    Liverpool or Rome
    ‘Cause Rotterdam is anywhere
    Anywhere alone
    Anywhere alone
    Anywhere alone
    Anywhere alone
    Anywhere alone, alone, alone

    Ooh this could be Rotterdam or anywhere
    Liverpool or Rome
    ‘Cause Rotterdam is anywhere alone
    Alone, alone

  • [The JukeBox] #80 – Perfume – Love the World

    [The JukeBox] #80 – Perfume – Love the World

    Nocchi, KASHIYIKA and a-chan make up the Japanese pop girl group sensation, Perfume.

    Formed in 2000, the trio have been a staple in the Japanese pop scene since they were signed to Amuse, Inc in 2003. They would stay with them for 9 years before signing with Universal Music Group in 2012 and have been there ever since.

    Perfume has been a guilty pleasure of mine for years and every so often, I go back to listen to the album that got me hooked on them.

    Their newer music is just as good as the ‘old’ and still a great listening experience.

    Today, we look at ‘Love the World’, released in 2008 and was the first ‘technopop’ song to reach Number 1 on the Oricon charts (Basically the Japanese version of the IRMA Single Chart or the UK Top 40.)

    This would become one of the singles released ahead of the 2009 release of their 2nd studio album Triangle (⊿) album. (In Japan, the singles are released ahead of the release of the album)

    YouTube/Spotify

    Lyrics

    Kossori himitsu wo ageru wa zutto suki ni shite ii no yo
    Kitto kimi mo ki ni iru yo futari dake no tokutouseki

    Choppiri unmei mitai na
    Kyara ni mo nai you na koto mo
    Kanjitatte ii janai no
    Dareka kaita shinario?

    Mada kono saki ga mienai
    Ichibanboshi sagasu te ga furuetemo

    Akiramenai de taisetsu na
    Sukoshi no iji to kimi yo daarin
    Shigekiteki hora suteki
    Mieru sekai ga kirameku wa
    Tesaguri no atashi ni mo
    Sukoshi wakaru ki ga shiterun da
    Yawaraka na kimi no taimingu
    Zurui desho chuchuchu
    Love love the world

    Yappari chansu wo ageru wa yatto mieta kimi no sukima
    Kitto hitori de nayande oshiete kurete iin da yo

    Choppiri hanse mitai na
    Kyara ni mo nai you na koto mo
    Tama ni wa ii janai no
    Dare ka kaita shinario?

    Mada kono saki ga mienai
    Ichibanboshi sagasu te ga furuetemo

    Akiramenai de taisetsu na
    Sukoshi no iji to kimi yo daarin
    Shigekiteki hora suteki
    Mieru sekai ga kirameku wa
    Tesaguri no atashi ni mo
    Sukoshi wakaru ki ga shiterun da
    Yawaraka na kimi no taimingu
    Zurui desho chuchuchu
    Love love the world

    Have a nice day!
    Be in a good mood yeh!
    In all the world
    Love the world

    Yorokobi no naka mada kono saki ga mienai
    Ichiban boshi sagasu te ga furuetemo

    Akiramenai de taisetsu na
    Sukoshi no iji to kimi yo daarin
    Shigekiteki hora suteki
    Mieru sekai ga kirameku wa
    Tesaguri no atashi ni mo
    Sukoshi wakaru ki ga shiterun da
    Yawaraka na kimi no taimingu
    Zurui desho chuchuchu
    Love love the world

    Have a nice day!
    Be in a good mood yeh!
    In all the world
    Love the world