All my life, I've been dreaming of you
- Boots - 'Dreams feat. Beyonce' (2014)
Listen below:
Friday, April 25, 2014
Friday, April 18, 2014
Brief Album Review: Khalil Fong - '危险世界 (Dangerous World)'
Album release date: 2014
Genre: R&B/Soul, Cpop
Rating: 4.5/5
Brief Review by: jct
I was slightly disappointed with Khalil Fong's last two albums, (15, Back to Wonderland), but his latest album, 危险世界 (Dangerous World), released on April 11, 2014, is highly enjoyable! Dangerous World mainly sticks to the R&B/Soul genre, which I appreciate.
All the songs are a great listen, ranging from up-tempo R&B/pop to slow-tempo R&B/Soul. Khalil continues to provide strong lyrics, tasteful song production, and displays passionate vocals. He also showcases some of his rapping skills in at least 2 tracks. I, especially enjoy the latter half of the album. Overall, Dangerous World proves that Khalil Fong is still a very relevant and creative artist. This album is highly recommended!
Tracklist
01 Welcome
02 危险世界 | Dangerous World
03 Peace (feat. 袁娅维) | (feat. Tia Ray)
04 小方 | Little Fong
05 Soundcheck
06 黑白灰 | Black White Grey
07 桃花运 | Love Blossoms
08 特别的人 | Special Person
09 Weather Report
10 天气先生 | Weather Man
11 枫叶做的风铃 | Autumn Leaves Wind Chime
12 Boarding
13 巴黎 | Paris
14 爱不来 (feat. 葛仲珊) | Love Doesn't Come (feat. Miss Ko)
15 僵尸 | Zombie
16 Lights Up
Genre: R&B/Soul, Cpop
Rating: 4.5/5
Brief Review by: jct
I was slightly disappointed with Khalil Fong's last two albums, (15, Back to Wonderland), but his latest album, 危险世界 (Dangerous World), released on April 11, 2014, is highly enjoyable! Dangerous World mainly sticks to the R&B/Soul genre, which I appreciate.
All the songs are a great listen, ranging from up-tempo R&B/pop to slow-tempo R&B/Soul. Khalil continues to provide strong lyrics, tasteful song production, and displays passionate vocals. He also showcases some of his rapping skills in at least 2 tracks. I, especially enjoy the latter half of the album. Overall, Dangerous World proves that Khalil Fong is still a very relevant and creative artist. This album is highly recommended!
Tracklist
01 Welcome
02 危险世界 | Dangerous World
03 Peace (feat. 袁娅维) | (feat. Tia Ray)
04 小方 | Little Fong
05 Soundcheck
06 黑白灰 | Black White Grey
07 桃花运 | Love Blossoms
08 特别的人 | Special Person
09 Weather Report
10 天气先生 | Weather Man
11 枫叶做的风铃 | Autumn Leaves Wind Chime
12 Boarding
13 巴黎 | Paris
14 爱不来 (feat. 葛仲珊) | Love Doesn't Come (feat. Miss Ko)
15 僵尸 | Zombie
16 Lights Up
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Anime Series Brief Reviews (Part 2)
Reviews of anime series that I have recently watched.
Magi: Kingdom of Magic
Genre: action, adventure, fantasy
Release date: 2013-2014
Episodes: 25
Plot
Aladdin, Alibaba, and Morgiana go their separate ways after spending time together in Sindria making new friends and preparing for what is coming. The story now begins to focus on Aladdin as he heads to Magnostadt in the hopes of learning how to become a truly powerful Magi. (Source: myanimelist)
Review
Magi: Kingdom of Magic continues where the first season left off. The plot in this season is well paced, and it is very enjoyable to watch the main characters (Aladdin, Alibaba and Morgiana) growing, learning new skills and meeting new friends. The fights in the last few episodes are also very intense and exciting. The art and animation are very well done. I especially like the Djinn equip and Extreme Magic. Overall, I would highly recommend this series. (8.5/10)
Nagi no Asukara
Genre: drama, fantasy, romance
Release date: 2013-2014
Episodes: 26
Plot
Long ago, all humans lived in the ocean. But some who longed for the land abandoned the ocean, casting off the special raiments granted to them by the sea god to adapt them to life under the sea... Though mankind was divided into sea dwellers and land dwellers, each with different ways of thinking, they were all still fellow humans, and they continued to maintain contact as time went on.
Sakishima Hikari, Mukaido Manaka, Hiradaira Chisaki, and Isaki Kaname live in an undersea village, while Kihara Tsumugu lives on land. When these middle school second-year land and sea dwellers meet for the first time, their hearts begin to undulate like the tides. The youthful fantasy tale of these young people's lives unfolds in a strange and beautiful world. (Source: myanimelist)
Review
The key highlight of this anime is the art and animation. The sceneries from under the sea to the land are all very beautiful. The story focuses on a love polygon that keeps on expanding and even surprises me at times. Other than romance, the story also has some good character development, and explores the concept of changes and how people react to them. Overall, I enjoy this series and the couples I ship for became canon, so I'm satisfied. (8/10)
Steins;Gate
Genre: sci-fi, thriller
Release date: 2011
Episodes: 25
Plot
Steins;Gate is set in the summer of 2010, approximately one year after the events that took place in Chaos;Head, in Akihabara.
Steins;Gate is about a group of friends who have customized their microwave into a device that can send text messages to the past. As they perform different experiments, an organization named SERN, who has been doing their own research on time travel, tracks them down and now the characters have to find a way to avoid being captured by them. (Source: myanimelist)
Review
This anime is a great portrayal of time travel and parallel worlds. It is interesting yet very sad watching Okabe travelled back to the past many times in an attempt to alter one specific incident in the future. However, no matter what he did, the outcome remains the same (at least in that particular world line). I really enjoy Okabe and Kurisu's relationship: their bickering, their trust, and care for one another. My favourite quote by Okabe that describes their relationship is in episode 25 - "In any world line, any time, any place, I love you." A highly recommended anime! (8.5/10)
Neon Genesis Evangelion (series) + The End of Evangelion (movie)
Genre: action, drama, mecha, sci-fi, psychological
Release date: 1995-1996; movie -1997
Episodes: 26
Plot
In the year 2015, the Angels (huge, tremendously powerful, alien war machines) appear in Tokyo for the second time. The only hope for Mankind's survival lies in the Evangelion, a humanoid fighting machine developed by NERV, a special United Nations agency. Capable of withstanding anything the Angels can dish out, the Evangelion's one drawback lies in the limited number of people able to pilot them. Only a handful of teenagers, all born fourteen years ago, nine months after the Angels first appeared, are able to interface with the Evangelion. One such teenager is Shinji Ikari, whose father heads the NERV team that developed and maintains the Evangelion. Thrust into a maelstrom of battle and events that he does not understand, Shinji is forced to plumb the depths of his own inner resources for the courage and strength to not only fight, but to survive, or risk losing everything.
Movie: NERV is being attacked by SEELE and Rei becomes one with Lillith. Together with the Spear of Longinus and the completed EVA-series, Shinji will decide whether or not mankind will cease to exist. He has to decide now if he wants to stay alive or be dead, but his decision will affect all of humanity. (Source: myanimelist)
Review
It has a compelling plot with intense action scenes. However, the characters are not really likeable as they are constantly battling their inner conflicts and don't grow from it, especially Shinji. The ending is also unsatisfying as it left many important things unresolved. Thankfully, the movie, End of Evangelion, gives us a more complete wrap-up for the show. Overall, the story is interesting but there is room for improvement. (7.5/10)
Magi: Kingdom of Magic
Release date: 2013-2014
Episodes: 25
Plot
Aladdin, Alibaba, and Morgiana go their separate ways after spending time together in Sindria making new friends and preparing for what is coming. The story now begins to focus on Aladdin as he heads to Magnostadt in the hopes of learning how to become a truly powerful Magi. (Source: myanimelist)
Review
Magi: Kingdom of Magic continues where the first season left off. The plot in this season is well paced, and it is very enjoyable to watch the main characters (Aladdin, Alibaba and Morgiana) growing, learning new skills and meeting new friends. The fights in the last few episodes are also very intense and exciting. The art and animation are very well done. I especially like the Djinn equip and Extreme Magic. Overall, I would highly recommend this series. (8.5/10)
Nagi no Asukara
Release date: 2013-2014
Episodes: 26
Plot
Long ago, all humans lived in the ocean. But some who longed for the land abandoned the ocean, casting off the special raiments granted to them by the sea god to adapt them to life under the sea... Though mankind was divided into sea dwellers and land dwellers, each with different ways of thinking, they were all still fellow humans, and they continued to maintain contact as time went on.
Sakishima Hikari, Mukaido Manaka, Hiradaira Chisaki, and Isaki Kaname live in an undersea village, while Kihara Tsumugu lives on land. When these middle school second-year land and sea dwellers meet for the first time, their hearts begin to undulate like the tides. The youthful fantasy tale of these young people's lives unfolds in a strange and beautiful world. (Source: myanimelist)
Review
The key highlight of this anime is the art and animation. The sceneries from under the sea to the land are all very beautiful. The story focuses on a love polygon that keeps on expanding and even surprises me at times. Other than romance, the story also has some good character development, and explores the concept of changes and how people react to them. Overall, I enjoy this series and the couples I ship for became canon, so I'm satisfied. (8/10)
Genre: sci-fi, thriller
Release date: 2011
Episodes: 25
Plot
Steins;Gate is set in the summer of 2010, approximately one year after the events that took place in Chaos;Head, in Akihabara.
Steins;Gate is about a group of friends who have customized their microwave into a device that can send text messages to the past. As they perform different experiments, an organization named SERN, who has been doing their own research on time travel, tracks them down and now the characters have to find a way to avoid being captured by them. (Source: myanimelist)
Review
This anime is a great portrayal of time travel and parallel worlds. It is interesting yet very sad watching Okabe travelled back to the past many times in an attempt to alter one specific incident in the future. However, no matter what he did, the outcome remains the same (at least in that particular world line). I really enjoy Okabe and Kurisu's relationship: their bickering, their trust, and care for one another. My favourite quote by Okabe that describes their relationship is in episode 25 - "In any world line, any time, any place, I love you." A highly recommended anime! (8.5/10)
Neon Genesis Evangelion (series) + The End of Evangelion (movie)
Release date: 1995-1996; movie -1997
Episodes: 26
Plot
In the year 2015, the Angels (huge, tremendously powerful, alien war machines) appear in Tokyo for the second time. The only hope for Mankind's survival lies in the Evangelion, a humanoid fighting machine developed by NERV, a special United Nations agency. Capable of withstanding anything the Angels can dish out, the Evangelion's one drawback lies in the limited number of people able to pilot them. Only a handful of teenagers, all born fourteen years ago, nine months after the Angels first appeared, are able to interface with the Evangelion. One such teenager is Shinji Ikari, whose father heads the NERV team that developed and maintains the Evangelion. Thrust into a maelstrom of battle and events that he does not understand, Shinji is forced to plumb the depths of his own inner resources for the courage and strength to not only fight, but to survive, or risk losing everything.
Movie: NERV is being attacked by SEELE and Rei becomes one with Lillith. Together with the Spear of Longinus and the completed EVA-series, Shinji will decide whether or not mankind will cease to exist. He has to decide now if he wants to stay alive or be dead, but his decision will affect all of humanity. (Source: myanimelist)
Review
It has a compelling plot with intense action scenes. However, the characters are not really likeable as they are constantly battling their inner conflicts and don't grow from it, especially Shinji. The ending is also unsatisfying as it left many important things unresolved. Thankfully, the movie, End of Evangelion, gives us a more complete wrap-up for the show. Overall, the story is interesting but there is room for improvement. (7.5/10)
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Artist Bio: Bumkey (범키)
Profile
Real Name: Kwon Kibum (권기범)
Date of Birth: September 22, 1984
Debut Year: 2005
Profession: singer, songwriter
Career
Bumkey is a Korean R&B/Hip Hop singer. He debut in 2005 where he actively featured on other artists' tracks such as Dynamic Duo and TBNY. In 2010, Bumkey and TopBob formed a R&B/Hip Hop duo group called 2winS under CABA Entertainment. Without any real promotional activities and the fact that their entertainment company later shut down, the group eventually disappeared from the music scene.
Bumkey later return as a solo artist and joined a new entertainment label, Brand New Music. In 2014, he became a member and leader of the R&B/Hip Hop group, TROY.
He was selected as the 'R&B artist of the year' at the HIPHOPPLAYA Awards 2013.
As Solo artist
Digital Singles
2013 갖고놀래 (Attraction) feat. Dynamic Duo
2013 Bad Girl (미친 연애) feat. E-Sens of Supreme Team
2014 집이 돼줄게 (Home)
Album
2016 U-TURN
Collaboration
2005 Dynamic Duo - Love is feat. T & 권기범 (Bumkey)
2006 TBNY - Without U feat. 권기범 (Bumkey)
2006 All Black (Dok2 & Microdot) - 부재 (Absence) feat. Bumkey
2006 The Name (더네임) - This is Me (feat. Bumkey)
2008 TBNY - 잔상 feat. 권기범 (Bumkey), DJ Friz
2009 Dynamic Duo - 잔돈은 됐어요 ft. Garie and Bumkey
2009 Dynamic Duo - 왜 벌써가 ft. Bumkey
2009 HybRefine - Starlight Love feat. 권기범 (Bumkey)
2010 HybRefine - Tequilla Sunrise feat. Bumkey of 2winS & Rhyme-A
2010 Epik High - 바보 (Fool) feat. Bumkey
2010 Supreme Team - Super Lady feat. Bumkey of 2winS
2010 Paloalto - Dreamer feat. Bumkey of 2winS
2011 B-Free - Leaving feat. Bumkey
2011 Tablo - 밑바닥에서 (Try) feat. Bumkey
2011 Dok2 - 그때 Goodday feat. Bumkey
2011 Dok2 & Double K - Salute feat. Bumkey
2011 Yankie - 심술쟁이 feat. 2winS
2012 Bumkey & RhythmKing - Love Song
2012 Primary - Love feat Bumkey, Paloalto
2012 2LSON - Too Late (feat. Bumkey, Paloalto)
2012 2LSON - The Lady (feat. Bumkey, Dok2)
2012 SouLime (소울라임) - With U (Feat. Bumkey, Soul Dive)
2012 Eluphant (이루펀트) - 별사탕 (Star Candy) (Feat. Bumkey)
2012 Bizniz - Christmas Without You (너 없는 크리스마스) feat. Bumkey
2012 Dok2 - Can't Let You Go feat. Bumkey
2012 Leo Kekoa - Hello feat. Bumkey
2012 Bizniz - 싱글맨 (Single Man) feat. Bumkey
2013 Bumkey & Verbal Jint - 너에게만 (Only For You)
2013 RhythmKing - Think About You feat. Bumkey, Ye Eun of Wonder Girls, Shorry J of Mighty Mouth
2013 P-Type - 뿔 (Feat. Bumkey)
2013 Verbal Jint - 비범벅 (Walking In The Rain) feat. Bumkey
2013 Bumkey & San E - 이별의 그늘 (Shade of a Break-up) [original by Yoon Sang]
2013 Infinite H - Special Girl (feat. Bumkey)
2014 GaIn - Fxxk U (feat. Bumkey)
2014 Verbal Jint, San E, Bumkey, Swings, Phantom & Kanto - You Make Me Feel BRAND NEW
2014 TopBob - 너만 보여 (Darling) feat. Bumkey
2014 Mamamoo & Bumkey - 행복하지마 (Don't be Happy)
2014 San E - 바디랭귀지 (Body Language) feat. Bumkey
2014 Wheesung & Bumkey - 얼마짜리 사랑 (How Much Is Your Love)
As a member of 2winS (2010-)
2010 2wingS (EP)
As a member of TROY (2014 - current)
Digital Singles
2014 Green Light
2014 Why are we? (변해가)
Source: itunes, maniadb
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
New Music: Shin Seung Hun (신승훈) - '그랬으면 좋겠어 (I Hope) (With Ra.D)' (2013)
Just discovered a new song that features Ra.D. It can be found in Shin Seung Hun's latest album, Great Wave, which was released in October 2013. The song, '그랬으면 좋겠어 (I Hope) with Ra.D', contains elements of R&B and Neo-Soul with amazing vocals by Ra.D!! I really enjoyed this remake of Shin Seung Hun's original song.
Listen below:
With Ra.D:
Original by Shin Seung Hun:
Listen below:
With Ra.D:
Original by Shin Seung Hun:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)