BANDAI VISUAL TO BRING J-POP AND ANIME SONGS ON ITUNES STORE IN NORTH AMERICA

Want to travel to Japan in the future? Find out the ins and outs - Click Here A J!-ENT Exclusive!

Tokyo, Japan, July 3, 2009 – Bandai Visual Co., Ltd., a leader in the development and production of Japanese animation, teamed up with Lantis Co., Ltd., a music production company concentrating on anime and game songs, today and announced at Anime Expo 2009 that they are working on a new project to deliver downloadable J-pop and anime songs on iTunes Store.

This service is scheduled to start this summer on iTunes Store and the first major songs to be available include Meikyu no Prisoner, VOYAGER and No Border by JAM Project. Meikyu no Prisoner is an opening song for the renowned anime “Super Robot Wars: Original Generation—The Animation” that was released in North America in 2007. “JAM” in JAM Project is an abbreviation for “JAPAN ANIMATIONSONG MAKERS” and as their group name indicates, they dedicate themselves to mainly anime songs. Since the group was formed in 2000, they have performed not only in Japan but also all over the world including U.S., Brazil, Spain and China. Their powerful and harmonized music cannot stop fascinating anime fans without borders.

Bandai Visual has recently launched a MySpace page www.myspace.com/J_anisong to introduce available songs on iTunes Stores. The site will be updated frequently and a variety of songs are to be added on iTunes every a few weeks.

Tags: Bandai Visual, j-pop, Japanese Entertainment News

 

G.I. JOE – A REAL AMERICAN HERO – SEASON 1.1 (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

“The classic animated hit series ‘G.I. Joe – A Real American Hero’ gets its second DVD release but this time through SHOUT FACTORY.  Featuring 22 classic episodes plus special features which include the toy commercials and the 1963 Toy Fair Presentation and more!  G.I. Joe fans who have been waiting for an affordable set of the first season episodes can definitely look forward to this release!”

Images courtesy of © 2009 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: G.I. JOE – A REAL AMERICAN HERO – SEASON 1.1

DURATION: 22 Episodes (8 hours)

COMPANY: Hasbro/Shout Factory

RELEASE DATE:  July 14, 2009

Written by Buzz Dixon, Rod Friedman, Flint Dille, David Carren, Carla Conway, Gerry Conway, Christy Marx, Sharman Divono, Steve Gerber, Martin Pasko, Michael Charles Hill, Mary Skrenes, Gordon Kent, Ted Petersen, Beth Borntein, Steve Mitchell, Barbara Petty, Roger Slifer, Richard Merwin, David Schwartz, Larry Hama and Denny O’Neill

Executive Producer: Joe Bacal, Tom Griffin, Margaret Loesch

Produced by Jim Duffy, Sam Weiss, John Ahern, Chuck Downs, Art Vitello, Mark Glamack, Larry Houston, Alexy Lovy, George Singer, John Walker and John Grusd

Co-Produced by Michael Charles Hill

Supervising Producer: Don Jurwich

Associate Producer: Doug Booth

Music by Johnny Douglas and Robert J. Walsh

Starring:

Chris Latta as the voice of Cobra Commander

Michael Bell as the voice of Duke

Neil Ross as the voice of Shipwrck

Arthur Burghardt as the voice of Destro

Frank Welker as the voice of Torch

Mary McDonald-Lewis as the voice of Lady Jaye

Bill Ratner as the voice of Flint

Zack Hoffman as the voice of Zartan

Kene Holliday as the voice of Roadblock

Morgan Lofting as the voice of Baroness

Corey Burton as the voice of Tomax

Pat Fraley as the voice of Ace

B.J. Ward as the voice of Scarlett

Gregg Berger as the voice of Spirit

Brian Cummings as the voice of Dr. Mindbender

William Callaway as the voice of Beach Head

Lee Weaver as the voice of Alpine

Ed Gilbert as the voice of Gen. Hawk

Hal Rayle as the voice of Deep Six

Hank Garret as the voice of Dial Tone

Richard Gautier as the voice of Serpentor

Stan Wojno as the voice of Lifelline

Bill Morey as the voice of Mutt

Jack Angel as the voice of Wet Suit

Patrick Pinney as the voice of Main Frame

John Hostetter as the voice of Leatherneck

Charles Adler as the voice of Low-ight

Libby Aubrey as the voice of Cover Girl

Rob Paulsen as the voice of Snow Job

Dan Gilvezan as the voice of Slip-Stream

Buster Jones as the voice of Doc

Lisa Raggio as the voice of Zarana

Peter Cullen as the voice of Zandar

Will Ryan as the voice of Footloose

Francois Chau as the voice of Quick Kick

Jerry Houser as the voice of Sci-Fi

Michael McConnohie as the voice of Cross-Country

Keone Young as the voice of Storm Shadow

Dave Hall as the voice of Col. Sharpe

Ted Schwartz as the voice of Thrasher

Sgt. Slaughter as the voice of Sgt. Slaughter

Michael Yama as the voice of Torpedo

John Stephenson as the voice of Gen. Franks

Dan Roth as the voice of Grunt

G. I. JOE is the code name for America’s daring highly-trained special missions force.   Its purpose: to defend human freedom against Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world!

1n 1983 Hasbro made a bold statement when it launched its classic toy line of action heroes as an adventure-based team of unique characters, each with his – and her – own specialties.  And because it captured the imaginations and hearts of boys and girls aspiring to make a difference in the world, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero was an immediate success lasting over 25 incredible years.

Now you can relive the original animated adventures of Duke, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, Flint, Lady Jaye and the rest of the team with this 17-disc collector’s set of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, including all 95 episodes, brand-new bonus features celebrating G.I. Joe’s rich history and an exclusive 1-GB “dog tag” flash drive packed with G.I. Joe Comics!

“G.I. Joe – A Real American Hero” is literally the classic animated series that became an iconic series for thousands of fans who loyally collected the many awesome merchandise from Hasbro and continues to be a popular toy line today.

Although, the series was released in 1984, the series has spawned several of animated series and CG films.  In 2008, the 3 3/4 action figures and vehicle line celebrated its 25th Anniversary and in 2009, earlier in the year, fans were treated with a more darker and more violent animated series with “G.I. Joe Resolute” and by the Summer of 2009, would be treated with the live action film and a release of a G.I. Joe video game.

So, what better time than now but to enjoy the classic 1985 animated series through SHOUT FACTORY’s “G.I. JOE – A REAL AMERICAN HERO – SEASON 1.1″ on DVD.

The DVD release is the second release of the popular animated series (the first was released through RHINO, note: RHINO only released season 1 and the first half of season 2) and both releases has its key differences which I will discuss further in my review.  It’s important to also note that some of the episodes for the first season were featured on DVD’s that were included with various Hasbro toy box sets released in early 2009.

For starters, the series is not based on the original GI Joe toys that were released in the 1960’s but is based on the Hasbro toyline which started in 1982 and the comic book series from Marvel Comics.  The series was created by Ron Friedman and the first season on this DVD set comprised of three mini-series that aired in 2004-2005.  The mini-series which consisted of “The M.A.S.S. Device”, “The Revenge of Cobra”, “The Pyramid of Darkness” and five separate episodes.

Here is a brief synopsis (no spoilers) for each episode:

DISC 1: THE M.A.S.S. DEVICE

• EPISODE 1 – The Cobra Strikes – Cobra has developed the ultimate weapon known as the M.A.S.S. Device.  and attempt to steal a military satellite. Duke is captured.
• EPISODE 2 – Slaves of the Cobra Master – G.I. Joe tries to counter Cobra’s M.A.S.S. Device with their own.
• EPISODE 3 – The Worms of Death – GI Joe takes the battle against Cobra undersea.  Meanwhile, Snake Eyes goes to the arctic to find a radioactive crystal element.
• EPISODE 4 – Duel In The Devil’s Cauldron – Cobra and G.I. Joe try to get the final element to activate their own M.A.S.S. Device.
• EPISODE 5 – A Stake In the Serpent’s Heart - Destro takes Scarlett as a prisoner and the action-packed finale of the first G.I. Joe mini-series.

DISC 2: THE REVENGE OF COBRA

• EPISODE 6 – In the Cobra’s Pit – Cobra attacks a G.I. Joe convoy and steals a high-powered experimental laser.
• EPISODE 7 – The Vines of Evil - Flint, Mutt, Junkyard and Roadblock are caught by vines in the Cobra’s Pit of Chaos.
• EPISODE 8 – The Palace of Doom – G.I. Joe sends various teams to different regions around the globe to find the three fragments of the Weather Dominator before Destro and Cobra get to it.
• EPISODE 9 – Battle On the Roof of the World – Cutter, Wild Bill and Spirit battle the Baroness and Cobra on the Island of No Return.
• EPISODE 10 – Amusement Park of Terror – Storm Shadow infiltrates Joe headquarters.  Meanwhile the battle in the Arctic continues.

DISC 3: THE PYRAMID OF DARKNESS

• EPISODE 11 – The Further Adventures of G.I. Joe – Tomax and Xamot seize control of G.I. Joe’s Moon Star space shuttle.
• EPISODE 12 – Rendezvous in the City of the Dead – Shipwreck and Snake Eyes try to evade capture from Cobra.
• EPISODE 13 – Three Cubes to Darkness - G.I. Joe captures Tomax and Xamot plans to rescue him.
• EPISODE 14 - Chaos in the Sea of Lost Souls – Alpine and bazooka are joined by Quick Kick.  Meanwhile, Cobra Commander activates the Pyramid of Darkness.
• Episode 15 – Knotting Cobra’s Coils – G.I. launches a full-scale assault on the Cobra Temple.

DISC 4:

• EPISODE 16 – Countdown for Zartan – Zartan infiltrates the Worldwide Defense Center and tries to destroy it.
• EPISODE 17 – Red Rocket’s Glare – Cobra uses Tomax and Xamot’s company Extensive Enterprises to purchase the Red Rocket food chain and use its location for secret missile launching bases.
• EPISODE 18 – Satellite Down - Cobra knocks a secret military satellite out of orbit and G.I. Joe races to its location before Cobra gets to it.
• EPISODE 19 - Cobra Stops the World - Cobra plans to take control of the world’s fuel supplies.
• EPISODE 20 – Jungle Trap – Cobra kidnaps Dr. Shakur and plans to attack cities using the flow of lava.
• EPISODE 21 – Cobra’s Creatures – Cobra plans to use the animals of the world against humanity.
• EPISODE 22 - The Funhouse – Flint, Bazooka and others hve to fight their way through the deadly Cobra Temple.

“G.I. Joe – A Real American Hero” will be released on July 14th but the 17-disc, 95 episode complete series will be shipping on June 22nd and will be bundled with many special features including a USB “Dog Tag” 1GB flash drive, collectible booklet and more..

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“G.I. Joe – A Real American Hero” is in full color and presented in Dolby Digital.  I have been asked by many G.I. Joe fans how SHOUT FACTORY’s DVD’s compare to the original RHINO DVD’s.

In terms of video quality, there is a slight (very slight) difference between SHOUT FACTORY’s picture quality and RHINO’s picture quality.  SHOUT FACTORY features a little less compression it would seem.  I was comparing the scenes and it’s very slight.  In fact, SHOUT FACTORY’s version seems a wee bit brighter.

But I wanted to compare a scene in the first episode where Cobra Commander and Destro were overlooking a computer after they were looking at crystals for the M.A.S.S. device.  The reason I chose that scene is because it exhibits a lot of dust and scratches, compression and wanted to see if it was cleaned up.  One thing I notice that both still had similar issues but a main key difference was that the size of the dust in the RHINO version were clumpier.  Granted, its there if you pause and look at a frame but for most people, they are not going to see this.  But there was no digitally remastering for those who were interested in knowing.  The dust and scratches still exist and are part of the master.

I was also asked if the errors from the original series such as two Timbers in a scene or Scarlett sporting a mind control device (when she wasn’t supposed to wear one, among a few errors from the original animation were fixed in this new release.  These errors were part of the original master and is on the final cut.  So, I doubt there will be any measures to correct those errors and that it’s more than likely these will permanent errors that are part of the original animation.

I was also asked if the opening themes were the ones featured on the original broadcast.  And the opening theme for all episodes on Season 1.1 is the version with Flint pointing as starting off with his scream of “Yo Joe!” and ending with a large Cobra spaceship crashing into the ground.

As for audio quality, this is where the RHINO and SHOUT FACTORY versions are quite different.  The RHINO version features a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio which utilizes the surround channels and the LFE of your subwoofer and shows up on my receiver as Dolby Digital 5.1. Vocal tracks were featured on the center channel, music on the surrounds (and were louder than the dialogue track) and utilizing front channel and the subwoofer for the booms.

For the SHOUT FACTORY version, the audio is featured in Dolby Digital but does not take advantage of surround channels or LFE.  In fact, the setting I ended up choosing on my receiver was “All Channels on Stereo”.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“G.I. JOE – A Real American Hero – Season 1.1″ comes with a good number of special features.  Included are:

DISC 1:

• Looking Back with Writer Ron Friedman, Part One - (7:03) Ron Friedman talks about why he had a voice over on opening theme of what G.I. Joe and Cobra is.  Also, discussion of how he learned to write for children and how to get them to buy the merchandise and how he was involved with test groups for the toys.
  

DISC 2:

• Looking Back with Writer Ron Friedman, Part Two - (7:03) Ron Friedman talks about how he was hired from Hasbro and how important it was for him to create the characters and get kids to enjoy the characters and buy the merchandise.  And how he would make episodes focusing on a primary group of characters and swing characters and how he came up with the style of voices for the characters.
  

DISC 3:

• Looking Back with Writer Ron Friedman, Part Three – (4:44) Ron Friedman talks about how he teaches a class in screenwriting at USC and Chapman University and how he asked by his students about his work on G.I. Joe and is asked to sign autographs and how he loves the G.I. Joe fandom.
  

DISC 4:

The fourth disc contains quite a number of special features. Bare in mind that these commercials are old and are not in the greatest of quality but nevertheless, was great to see included in this Season 1.1 set.

• Knowing is Half the Battle PSA’s – (3:42) A total of seven PSA’s that can be played separately or to play all. PSA’s featured:

—- Alpine – What to Do When You’re Lost
—- Barbeque – What to Do If Your House is On Fire
—- Deep Six – Don’t Swim When It’s Storming
—- Mutt – Don’t Pet Strange Dogs
—- Quick Kick – Take Your Time When Building Your Tree House
—- Spirit – What To Do If You Catch On Fire
—- Torpedo – How To Tread Water

• G.I. Joe’s Original 1963 Toy Fair Presentation – (9:06) Hasbro’s promotional for the original GI Joe toy and its capabilities.
• Printable “Jungle Trap” Script-  – If you have a DVD drive on your PC, you can access the PDF of the “Jungle Trap” script which can be printed.
• Archival Hasbro Toy Commercials – (1:31) “Collection” (introduction of toys for Grunt, Zap, Short Fuse, Flash, Stalker, Breaker, Rock n’ Roll, Scarlett and Snake Eyes), “Breaker & The Rapid Fire Motorcycle” (focusing on Breaker with RAM taking on a Cobra soldier who captured the FLAK) and “Polar Battle Bear” (Snow Job, Gung Ho, Airborne and Doc on the Polar Battle Bear taking on Cobra).

There are also a few GI Joe extras included inside the slipcase box. Included are:

• Season episode summary booklet
• Flier for the GI Joe action figures (Scarlet, Snake Eyes, Baroness and Storm Shadow), Comic Books, Books, GI Joe Video game
• Tattoos -2×2 inch Cobra and Arashikage tattoo and a 3.5×1 inch G.I. Joe tattoo.
• A piece for the GI Joe Collector’s Club

It’s very important to note that in the soon-to-be-released “G.I. Joe – The Complete Series” contains a total of eight retrospective featurettes, a voice cast reunion, 25 archival Hasbro toy commercials, more GI Joe PSA’s and the live action fan film “Battle of the Serpent Stone”, plus a 1 GB “Dog-Tag” flash drive, a collectible book, two G.I. Joe Silent comics and more.

Needless to say that I am quite biased when it comes to “G.I. Joe – A Real American Hero”.  As a child who collected the comics and toys, as an adult, I still own many of the figures, vehicles and and box sets released from 1982 through the present.  So, personally, the animated series will always be close to my heart as it was very much an important part of my childhood.

Like many people who grew up during the early 80’s, “G.I. Joe – A Real American Hero” was an animated series that grabbed our attention because of its many characters and the personality of those characters.

Each character looked different, had different skills, various weaponry and attitude and Hasbro was quite innovative with the release of the toys.  The animation encouraged us to enjoy them even further by establishing storylines that we could try to recreate.   The series was the classic good vs. evil storyline and it’s one thing to have these various members of G.I. Joe but the whole look of Cobra was just too cool to ignore.

Needless to say, part of the success and why parents loved about “G.I. Joe” was the fact that the action figures were significantly cheaper than other toy lines (with the exception of a few vehicles or play sets such as the USS Flag which were quite expensive) and they were easily accessible at your local mom and pop drug store or grocery store.

Children would know that if you bought a character, chances are that you would see this character in action on an episode of “G.I. Joe – A Real American Hero” unlike other toylines at the time which unfortunately, you would see only once in an animated series and never see again.

As for the animation and its re-release, with the release of the RHINO DVD’s over five years ago, it was a bit unfortunate that the company didn’t finish the series when it was released. This left a lot of G.I. Joe fans frustrated and upset.

To add to the frustration, the box sets became out of print so quickly that fans only chance of obtaining the series was through eBay and paying nearly double or triple of what the original mini-series and the individual season box sets cost.  Needless to say, the RHINO releases were just too difficult for fans to get a hold of and priced too high for any casual fan or newbie fans to want to pay and buy for it.

But in 2009, SHOUT FACTORY has done a great service for G.I. Joe fans.  Fans can get the first 22 episodes with “G.I. JOE – A REAL AMERICAN HERO – SEASON 1.1″ and the complete series for a magnificent price.

For those who are wondering if the series is worth the double dip, my answer is that if you want the complete series, you’re going to have to anyway (since RHINO never released the second half of Season Two).  I do miss the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio from the original from the RHINO release but overall, there is nothing I can complain about with SHOUT FACTORY’s Season 1.1 release.  There are enough bells and whistles included on a thin pack and really, for the price these will be sold for, compared to the experience that fans had to go through years ago, this is a steal!

G.I. Joe or Cobra the enemy fans, this is one release that you won’t want to miss.  “G.I. JOE – A REAL AMERICAN HERO – SEASON 1.1″ is highly recommended!

Tags: a J!-ENT DVD Review, G.I. JOE - A REAL AMERICAN HERO - SEASON 1.1

 

J!NX TO OFFER KILLER NEW CLOTHING BASED ON WORLDWIDE SENSATION AFRO SAMURAI

J!NX, the premiere name in geek and gaming lifestyle clothing has partnered with FUNimation Entertainment and created four new slick, gritty designs that evoke as much attitude as the legendary Number One Headband!

SAN DIEGO, CA, JULY 1, 2009. As thousands of Anime fans descend on Los Angeles for Anime Expo 2009, San Diego based Jinx, Inc. cools down the summer months with a dynamic new licensing partnership. Afro Samurai and Afro Samurai: Resurrection blew up the ratings when they debuted on Spike TV, and continue to garner a loyal viewership across Youtube, Hulu, and Xbox Live. The hack-and-slash-to-a-hip-hop-beat is perfectly in line with the passionate attitudes already present in all that J!NX has to offer, so the pairing was a natural fit. The initial wave will be available for purchase at www.JINX.com/afrosamurai in early September, but you can head there now to get a glimpse of the shirts, all crafted by the talented J!NX design team.

“We have long been huge fans of Afro Samurai,” declares Sean “Jinx” Gailey, Creative Overlord of the J!NX design team. “The amazing art style, the music, the story, everything about it resonates with the J!NX crew and we couldn’t wait to put our spin on some Afro Samurai clothing.”

Tags: Afro Samurai, Anime Expo, Anime Related News, Funimation Entertainment, J!NX

 

News from Anime Expo – Day 2 – Details about EVANGELION 1.0: YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE home entertainment releases

EVA 1.0 is in theatres this summer and is what we are screening this evening at 5:30 pm in LP 1. EVA 1.01 will be released on DVD this Fall while EVA 1.11 will be released on DVD and Blu-ray in Spring 2010.

FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT TO PREMIERE ENGLISH DUB OF AT ANIME EXPO 2009

Flower Mound, TX (June 22, 2009) – FUNimation® Entertainment today announced that it will premiere the English dubbed version of Hideaki Anno’s “EVANGELION: 1.0 YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE.” at Anime Expo® held this year at the Los Angeles Convention Center July 2-5, 2009. More information about the convention can be found at www.anime-expo.org.

“EVANGELION: 1.0 YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE” is the film sequel to the sci-fi animated series blockbuster Neon Genesis Evangelion (also written and directed by Hideaki Anno) which aired on Japanese television in the mid 1990’s.

Director in Chief Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion) and the creative staff of this film made a complete rebuild of the design and visuals rather than magnifying the original 16 mm film from the series. The team was also able to employ 3D computer graphics to enrich the depth and breadth of the Evangelion world as well as digital photography and composite nonlinear editing.

ABOUT EVANGELION: 1.0 YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE

There was no foreseeable warning before it happened — a catastrophe of unparalleled scale and magnitude overwhelmed the entire globe. This event, recorded in history as “The Second Impact,” caused half the population of the Earth to perish and devastated the world. All that remains of Japan is Tokyo-3, a city that is now being attacked by giant creatures that seek to destroy mankind. These creatures are called Angels.

Fourteen year old Shinji Ikari is called to Tokyo-3 by his father who he hasn’t seen in more than eight years. He is asked to come to the NERV headquarters to meet his father. His father reveals to him a gigantic humanoid weapons system that the special governmental agency has secretly developed to fight the Angels and then orders Shinji to pilot the giant artificial human Evangelion Unit One.

With the fate of the world resting on his shoulders, how will the 14 year old boy Shinji fight? What is the truth behind “The Human Instrumentality Project,” an operation somehow related to the “Second Impact”? And who is the true enemy? The Angels, NERV, the mysterious SEELE, or the demons held within the hearts of all involved?

Gendō Ikari, a man who holds many answers to these questions, watches silently and attentively as his son fights a desperate battle…

Funimation Entertainment will premiere EVANGELION: 1.0 YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE Friday, July 3, in room LP1 at Anime Expo.

Tags: Anime Related News, Evangelion 1.0, Evangelion 1.01, Funimation Entertainment

 

VAMPS pre-show events in Baltimore (July 16) and Seattle (July 19)

Free Japan Travel Guide - Learn More A J!-ENT Exclusive!

VAMPS Promotions Update!

VAMPS Promotions Update!

July 16 th (THU)
Venue : SONAR Baltimore
Location :407 E Saratoga St Baltimore MND 21202
Time : 2:00pm

VAMPS is having a special pre-show event at the SONAR.

Bring your concert ticket and join the band for a special meet and greet
experience.

The Meet and Greet & Autograph session starts from 3:00 pm.

July 19th (Sun)
Venue : SHOWBOX At The Market
Location : 1426 1st Ave Seattle WA 98101
Time : 2:00pm

VAMPS is having a special pre-show event at the SHOWBOX.

Bring your concert ticket and join the band for a special meet and greet
experience.

The Meet and Greet & Autograph session starts from 2:00 pm.

Ticket and tour information available at www.vampsliveusa.com
>

Questions, contact NEU BAUHAUS at Info@neubauhaus.net

The first self titled album from the “VAMPS” on sales now on iTunes.

VAMPS is the new musical Creation of “L’Arc~en~Ciel” from man HYDE, and
features K.A.Z of Oblivion Dust.

Since 2003, the two have been collaborating on HYDE’s solo project, but last
year L’Arc~en~Ciel front man HYDE and guitar virtuoso K.A.Z started a new
band called “VAMPS”. They debuted in July 2008 with the hit single “LOVE
ADDICT”.

In 2008 VAMPS played 46 live shows in 6 cities on the strength of their
debut single alone. After three singles were released, they made an
announcement for first album release on June 10th. They are invited to
perform for “2009 Summer Rock Summit” on August 11th and 12th in Taiwan.

VAMPS will be in the USA on July 11th to christen the “VAMPS US Tour 2009″.
The party kicks off in New York City. VAMPS will be rocking their way
westward for three and half weeks and finish at the The Wiltern Theatre in
Los Angeles. VAMPS appearances include several dates on the WARP TOUR.

Kind regards,

Tags: Japanese Entertainment News, VAMPS

 

12 Rounds – Extreme Cut (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

“This is one film from WWE Studios Inc. that doesn’t suck!  John Cena delivers in this  action-packed, thriller from beginning to end. Twentieth Century Fox once again, delivers in magnificent picture and audio quality for ‘12 Rounds – Extreme  Cut’ on Blu-ray!”

Images courtesy of © 2009 WWE Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved

TITLE: 12 Rounds – Extreme Cut

DURATION: 108 minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: The 12 Rounds Unrated Blu-ray disc is presented in widescreen format, 2.35:1 aspect ratio with English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio, English and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, along with English and Spanish subtitles.

COMPANY:  WWE Studios Inc./Twentieth Century Fox

RATED: PG-13 (Intense Sequences of Violence and Action), Extreme Cut is Unrated

Release Date: June 30, 2009

Directed by Renny Harlin

Written by Daniel Kunka

Produced by Becki Cross Trujillo, Mark Gordon, Renny Harlin, Mike Lake, Josh McLaughlin and Vince McMahon

Music by Trevor Rabin

Director of Photography: David Boyd

Edited by Brian Berdan

Casting by John Papsidera

Production Design by Nicholas Lundy

Set Decoration by Leonard Spears

Costume Design by Jill Newell

Starring:

John Cena as Det. Danny Fisher

Aidan Gillen as Miles Jackson

Ashley Scott as Molly Porter

Steve Harris as Special Agent George Aiken

Brian J. White as Det. Hank Carver

Gonzalo Menendez as Special Agent Ray Santiago

Taylor Code as Erica Kessen

Kyle Russell Clements as Dave Fisher

Peter Navy Tuiasosopo as Willie Dumaine

Travis Davis as Anthony Deluso

When New Orleans Police Detective Danny Fisher (John Cena) stops a brilliant thief from getting away with a multi-million dollar heist, the thief’s girlfriend is accidentally killed. After escaping from prison, the criminal mastermind enacts his revenge, taunting the cop with a series of near-impossible puzzles and tasks… 12 Rounds… that Fisher must somehow complete to save the life of his fiance.

The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) returns with another action-packed film starring one of their more popular wrestlers, John Cena.

The film is directed by Renny Harlin (”Cliffhanger”, “Deep Blue Sea”, “Exorcist: The Beginning” and “Cleaner”), a screenplay by Daniel Kunka, music composed by Trevor Rabin (”Race to Witch Mountain”, “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” and “Get Smart”) and cinematography by David Boyd (Director of Photography for television series “Friday Night Lights”, “Without A Trace” and “Firefly”).

The film would star John Cena (”The Marine”) as Det. Danny Fisher; Aidan Gillen (”The Wire”, “Shanghai Knights” and “Blackout”) as the main antagonist Miles Jackson, Ashley Scott (”Walking Tall”, “Into the Blue” and “The Kingdom”) as Danny’s girlfriend, Molly Porter; Steve Harris (”Quarantine”, “Minority Report” and “The Practice”) as Special Agent George Aiken; Brian White (”The Shield”) as Danny’s partner Det. Hank Carver and Gonzalo Mendez (”Cane” and “Fracture”) as Special Agent Ray Santiago.

The film kicks of in Louisiana during Mardis Gras and an FBI team headed by Special Agent George Aiken (Steve Harris) are going after a ruthless terrorist Miles Jackson (Aidan Gillen).  The mission goes bad and Jackson and his girlfriend Erica manage to escape.

Meanwhile, police officers Danny Fisher (John Cena) and his partner Hank Carver (Brian J. White) receive a report about the wanted terrorist and Fisher sees Erica driving the vehicle and thinks he saw Miles Jackson inside.  They do a routine stop and while checking the vehicle, Jackson who was hiding in the truck starts firing at the two police officers injuring Carver.

Jackson and his girlfriend escape in their car but since Fisher knows the neighborhood, he runs through homes and climbing walls and manages to get to the exit route before Jackson does and manages to block the exit and causing Erica to crash her car.  While they try to run away, Erica is struck and killed by an oncoming vehicle and the terrorist Miles Jackson tells Danny that he will remember him and come after him.

A year later, Danny Fisher and Hank Carver have been promoted to Detectives for their great work but still feels upset about how Jackson’s girlfriend had died and in the process they get promoted.

Meanwhile back at home, Danny tries to keep his relationship with Molly strong but Molly is upset that Danny hasn’t done much to help fix up their home because he has been busy with his work.  In this case, Danny has neglected to fix their plumbing problem and water has flooded their bathroom floor.

While a plumber (and friend) fixes their pipe in the bathroom and Molly has steamed out of the house, Danny receives a call from the terrorist Miles Jackson who has escaped from prison.  For revenge of the death of his girlfriend Erica, he and Danny will be playing 12 rounds and who will be the last man standing.  He warns Danny about his girlfriend Molly.  While Danny runs out of the house to see if Miles is standing around, his car is blown up followed by his house which kills his friend.

The first round belongs to Jackson and now the second round begins, who will get to Molly first?  Will Danny rescue her in time?

The film revolves as the terrorist Jackson plays his game with Danny of “12 rounds” and causing destruction throughout the city.  Meanwhile, his partner Det. Hank Carver and the FBI via Special Agents Aiken and Santiago do what they can to assist (or get in the way) of Danny’s mission to bring Molly back and win the remaining rounds.

“12 Rounds – Extreme Cut” comes with both the original theatrical version and the extreme cut (an extra minute).  The Blu-ray release includes a second disc which is a digital copy of the film.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

I have to say that Twentieth Century Fox has been doing an excellent job with many of their new releases on Blu-ray.  “12 Rounds – Extreme Cut” is featured in 1080p High Definition (aspect ration of 2:35:1), AVC@26MBPS and delivers amazing picture quality.  The detail of the film, may it be night or day time scenes are just fantastic.

The film is just filled with action sequences, explosions and every detail from the explosions to the skin pores on the face of John Cena can be seen clearly via High Definition.  The colors are vibrant and overall, flesh tones and blacks are solid.  You can see the detail throughout the film and overall, “12 Rounds – Extreme Cut” delivers in picture quality.

As for audio, the DTS-HD Master Audio lossless soundtrack is amazing.  For an action film that is going to have tons of explosions, automobile crashes and such, I expected nothing less than spectacular.  I literally felt the audio coming from all around and great use of directional panning of rear surrounds, the musical score from Trevor Rabin shining through the front speakers, audio coming clearly through the center channel and LFE utilizing the booms of the explosions and utilizing your subwoofer.  Again, “12 Rounds – Extreme Cut” delivers in the audio department.

As for subtitles, the film is presented in Spanish, Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin and Portuguese.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“12 Rounds – Extreme Cut” comes with the following special features:

• Audio Commentary by Director Renny Harlin – The more technical commentary as Director Renny Harlin sets up a scene and talks about the shots he wanted to get.  Harlin also talks about working with the talent and filming in Louisiana post-Katrina.  A really informative commentary.
• Audio Commentary by Writer Daniel Kunka and John Cena - Daniel Kunka and John Cena talk about the scenes in the film and crack jokes.  A more humorous commentary and Kunka discussing behind-the-scenes in terms of working with various crew and also working with Director Renny Harlin.
• Two alternate endings – (1:55) Two alternative endings (”You Just Won the Lotto” and “We Just Got Engaged”) which are similar to the original but slightly different dialogue.  Each alternative ending has optional commentary by Director Renny Harlin and another by Writer Daniel Kunka and John Cena.
• “Crash Course: John Cena Stunts” featurette - (9:48) John Cena doing his own stunts in the film which include the car chase scene and the technical ways of making this scene.  Also, the stunt in which Cena had to jump the building.
• “Never-before-seen Cena gag reel” featurette – (4:48) Fun on the set and interviews with the talent in regards to how humorous things were on the set.  Also, what happens when the talent mess up in their scene.
• “Streetcar Crossing: Film with Caution” featurette – (16:24) Exclusive to Blu-ray is a featurette on the planning of the streetcar crossing scene.  The challenges the filmmaker made and getting the crash sequences just right.
  
• “12 Bonus Rounds: Making Magic Behind-the-Scenes” featurette - (3:15) Exclusive to Blu-ray is a featurette with 12 short scenes featuring interviews with the writer Daniel Kunka, stunt coordinator Steven Ritzi, the talent and people involved with the film.  You can watch scenes such as John Cena going for gun training and learning how to hold a gun in a variety of positions, John Cena talking about a car which he drove in the film, using the storyboards for the film and how Director Renny Harlin likes to use them, getting the right shots, getting George the dog for the film, use of Eyemo cameras and more.
• “Keeping Score: The Music of 12 Rounds” featurette - (3:15) Exclusive to Blu-ray is a featurette on the score of the film and interviews with Gordon Goodwin (Conductor) and behind-the-scenes footage on the creation of the music for the film.
• Round and Round with Director Renny Harlin and John Cena - (4:03) Exclusive to Blu-ray is a featurette with Director Renny Harlin interviewing John Cena.  Plus John imitating Renny.
• Viral Videos - (3:38) Exclusive to Blu-ray are two viral videos (”Hands” and “Helicopter”).  Hilarious viral videos featuring John Cena and his hand double and another with Cena’s PA.
• BD live bootstrap - The film is BD Live enabled.

And also included is a second disc that contains a digital copy of the film.

I have to admit that I was impressed by the level of action in this film.  Typically, I expect action from a WWE-related film and often at times, the films have been more action than storyline based and performance by the WEE talent tends to be average or less than average.

“12 Rounds” is a film with mindless action and John Cena shows that he can be just as big of an action star as former WWE star, Dwayne (formerly “The Rock) Johnson.

For the most part, the film was enjoyable because there is so much action and there is a coherent storyline involved. The game of “12 rounds” between the protagonist Det. Danny Fisher and the terrorist Miles Jackson was quite interesting, especially learning the true reason of why the “12 rounds” was being played at the end.

I did feel it was quite a stretch when we see the character Molly Porter (Ashley Scott) piloting a helicopter and I definitely didn’t see that one coming.  And acting performances from the other talents were average at best.  But it’s already a given, WWE-related films are not films to watch for Academy Award level performances, it’s about the action and what the WWE superstar can deliver.

And seeing so many bad action films starring WWE superstars, “12 Rounds” is definitely one of those rare gems that I felt delivered in terms of action and enjoyability.

I really was entertained and it helps that Twentieth Century Fox delivered with its High Definition transfer and showcased awesome picture and audio quality because it definitely made this film much more enjoyable.  If you are going to have that many explosions and automobile destruction, I want to hear that lossless soundtrack to be magnificent.  And I’m confident to say that WWE fans and fans of mindless action-based films will truly enjoy the HD transfer of “12 Rounds – Extreme Cut”.

Overall, if you are looking for an enjoyable action film this Summer on Blu-ray, “12 Rounds – Extreme Cut” is definitely worth checking out!

Tags: 12 Rounds, a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review, Extreme Cut, John Cena

 

Federico Aubele – Amatoria (a J!-ENT World Groove Album Review)

“Music that emits passion, romance and sexiness.  Federico Aubele’s third album ‘Amatoria’ is absolutely delightful!”

ARTIST: Federico Aubele

ALBUM: Amatoria (Digital Version)

LABEL: ESL Music

DURATION: 40:34

RELEASE DATE: June 15, 2009

1. Luna y Sol
2. Suena Mi Guitarra
3. Otra Vez
4. Te queiro a ti
5. Este amor
6. Hermosa
7. Del Ayer
8. Simpre Nuevo
9. Riendo Asi
10. El Sabor
11. Tan Cerca
12. Amatoria

BUY THIS ALBUM:

I’ve recently discovered the music of Argentine singer-songwriter Federico Aubele.  Blending Mexican Bolero, Jamaican dub and reggae, American ambient and Argentine tango, Aubele recently released “Amatoria”, his third full-length album.

Aubele who received worldwide notice from his song “Esta Noche” featured on the fifth season of TV series “Alias”, “Amatoria” is an album that is passionate, romantic and sexy as it brings together Federico’s suave and smooth vocals, guitar playing in combination with subtle beats.

For the first track “luna y sol” which opens up with an acoustic guitar with a reggae vibe, Aubele said he received the inspiration to create the song after accidentally bumping into four keys while drinking a cup of tea and talking to his wife while sitting with his out-of-tune piano.

Aubele said, “A nice melody came out, but since the piano was so out of tune, each key was not the right note.  I saw that the tea bag had a message on it, which said ‘Let Good Things Come to You.’  I said, ‘That’s it!’ I went up and played the riff on my guitar and started developing the melody.”

Other tracks that I absolute enjoyed were “te quiero a ti” which has a Spanish style of feel but just emanates sexiness and passion and follows up with that passion “Hermosa” which is a straightforward Mexican-style bolero love song.  For “siempre nuevo”, along with the cool guitar riff is an upbeat drum machine and just emanates coolness.  “Suena Mi Guitarra” is an uptempo and hook guided track which was the first release off the album.  I absolutely love the vocal tandem between Aubele and the female vocalist for the chorus.

Also, included in the album are wonderful vocal collaborations.

For the track “Otra Vez”, Aubele teams up with Sabina Sciubba, lead vocalist of the NYC band, Brazilian Girls and Miho Hattori of the Cibo Matto who lends her breathy background vocals for the track “Riendo Asi”.

The track “Este Amore” features Aubele and music artist Natalia Clavier (Aubele’s wife) which is a song he has dedicated to her and a tribute to the great bolero trios of the past.  Aubele’s deep Argentine voice in combination with Clavier’s romantic vocals are intertwined with passion.  An awesome track!

Overall, Federico Aubele’s “Amatoria” is a sexy and passionate album.  As an avid fan of music around the world (which in many cases, I clearly do not understand the lyrics), similar to how opera can touch one’s soul despite not necessarily knowing what is being said most of the time, you hear the passion, you hear the anguish, you feel the emotion.

People looking for music that captivates your ears through charismatic vocals and beautiful music, you can’t help but hear the passion that comes from each track of “Amatoria”.   A delightful album that is worth checking out!

Tags: a J!-ENT World Groove Album Review, Amatoria, Federico Aubele

 

SIRE RECORDS TO RELEASE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK TO FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES (500) DAYS OF SUMMER ON JULY 14TH

Soundtrack to Sundance Audience Favorite Features Music by The Smiths, Regina Spektor, Feist, Black Lips, Doves, Carla Bruni, Wolfmother, and Others

July 1, 2009 — Burbank, CA — Sire Records will release the original soundtrack to the Fox Searchlight Pictures’ feature film (500) Days of Summer on July 14^th. The film received a standing ovation at its debut screening during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and releases in select theaters on July 17^th, 2009.

(500) Days of Summer is not a love story. It is a story of boy meets girl, begins the wry, probing narrator, and with that the film takes off at breakneck speed into a funny, true-to-life and unique dissection of the unruly and unpredictable year-and-a-half of one young man’s no-holds-barred love affair.

(500) Days of Summer is the feature film directorial debut from Marc Webb, a noted music video director who has lensed clips for such artists as Regina Spektor, My Chemical Romance, Weezer, and Green Day. So it’s no surprise that pop music plays an important role in setting the tone in (500) Days of Summer. In keeping with the film’s playfully unorthodox nature, the soundtrack features a host of offbeat artists, including Regina Spektor, Feist, Black Lips, Doves, Carla Bruni, and The Smiths. In a key moment in the film, Tom (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is listening to the latter’s song “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” on his iPod, while riding in an elevator with Summer (played by Zooey Deschanel), who overhears it and comments that she loves The Smiths.

(500) Days of Summer is a movie about love, sure, but it’s also a movie about music,” says Webb. “These songs build bridges between Tom and Summer and they tear them down. They can make you dance and they can make you cry. They describe how we feel and express emotions that just couldn’t get out any other way. Music is the soul of this movie.”

Robert Davis, writing in Paste Magazine said of the film: “The dialogue is sharp and witty, the soundtrack is hip and indie, Gordon-Levitt is effortlessly funny, and wide-eyed Deschanel is a good foil for his quirks.”

(500) Days of Summer had its world premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Marc Webb and written by Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber, (500) Days of Summer stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. The film was produced by Mason Novick, Jessica Tuchinsky, Mark Waters, and Steven Wolfe.

The track-listing for the Original Soundtrack to (500) Days of Summer is as follows:

1.  A Story of Boy Meets Girl – Mychael Danna and Rob Simonsen
2.  Us – Regina Spektor
3.  There Is A Light That Never Goes Out – The Smiths
4.  Bad Kids – Black Lips
5.  Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want – The Smiths
6.  There Goes The Fear – Doves
7.  You Make My Dreams – Hall & Oates
8.  Sweet Disposition – The Temper Trap
9.  Quelqu’un M’a Dit – Carla Bruni
10. Mushaboom – Feist
11. Hero – Regina Spektor
12. Bookends – Simon & Garfunkel
13. Vagabond – Wolfmother
14. She’s Got You High – Mumm-Ra
15. Here Comes Your Man – Meaghan Smith
16. Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want – She & Him

Tags: (500) Days of Summer, Music Entertainment News

 

PLUTO: Urasawa x Tezuka vol. 003 by Naoki Urasawa (a J!-ENT Manga Review)

“Continuing the reimagining of the Astro Boy (Tetsuwan Atom) series, the third volume features many significant revelations of who may be responsible for the deaths of many of the great robots.  Another enjoyable and captivating volume in the ‘PLUTO’ series from Naoki Urasawa!”

(C) Image courtesy of 2004 Naoki URASAWA/Studio Nuts, Takashi NAGASAKI and Tezuka Productions   All Rights Reserved.

MANGA TITLE: PLUTO vol. 003: Urasawa x Tezuka

STORY AND ART BY: Naoki Urasawa, Takashi Nagasaki and supervised by Makoto Tezuka with the cooperation of Tezuka Productions.

FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: Shogakukan, Inc.

PUBLISHED IN USA BY: VIZ Media, LLC

RATED: T for Older Teen

In this daring reinvention of “The Greatest Robot on Earth” story arc from Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy series, the world is a place where humans and robots coexist.  The lives of the seven great robots of the world – Atom, Mont Blanc, North No. 2, Brando, Hercules, Epsilon and Gesicht – are turned upside down into a virtual garden of terror filled with carnage and destruction.   A killer is after them, but what exactly is his motive?  The story intensifies when Pluto, the namesake of the lord of the underworld, makes his appearance in this finely crafted work of science fiction and suspense.

In the first two volumes of “PLUTO”, we learned about a world where robots and humans work together alongside with each other.   In this world, robots are treated (by most) like sentient beings comes a world where the planet has robotic heroes and even police squadrons of human and robot partners.  Of course, it’s not an all perfect world as there are humans who rather not co-exist with the robots.  And someone makes their agenda known when someone has decided to disrupt that peaceful coexistence by destroying the great robots and possibly murdering those who protect the rights for robots.

This is the basis of the story “PLUTO”, a reimagining of “Astro Boy – The Greatest Robot on Earth” written by manga great Naoki Urasawa (”Yawara”, “Monster”, “20th Century Boys” and many more titles) and co-authored by Takashi Nagasaki.  The Astro Boy or Tetsuwan Atom stories are based on the popular works of Osamu Tezuka and with cooperation from Tezuka Productions, this manga project is managed by Makoto Tezuka.

The first volume showed us how the great Mont Blanc and the North No. 2, two of the seven powerful robots in the world were destroyed by an unknown force.  We also learned that several scientists were murdered.  All of them were found dead with antlers next or stuck to their heads.

In the second volume of “PLUTO”, another great robot is destroyed and Gesicht, the investigation robot is racing to find out who is doing the killings.  But this time he has shared his memories with the boy super robot known as Atom.

In this third volume of “PLUTO”, we are introduced to Atom’s sister Uran, another great robot who is much different than Atom (who tends to like being treated like a regular boy and has emotions that the other great robots do not have).  Uran is able to feel the pain of animals and so she is always trying to save them and is often scolded by Atom for missing class, because she walks on the beat of her own drum.

Here is a brief summary of each chapter in vol. 3 (short summaries, no spoilers):

ACT 16 – URAN – We learn more about Atom’s sister Uran and learn how different the brother and sister robots are.  We are also introduced to the mysterious Professor Abullah, Central Asia’s greatest intellect.

ACT 17 – DEATH TO MACHINES! - We are introduced to a group similar to the Ku Klux Klan but known as KR who want death to the machines.  We are introduced to Adolf.

ACT 19 – EPSILON – The great robot fighter Hercules wants to take action after his fellow great robot counterparts have been destroyed but another great robot named Epsilon makes his appearance.

ACT 20 – ROBOT HATERS – We learn a little about the past between Adolf and his relationship with his brother.

ACT 21  – URAN’S SEARCH - Uran’s sense is working in overtime once again and this time it’s not an animal that is in need but a man.

ACT 22 – PLUTO - The robot hating group KR has hired an assassin to eliminate a great robot.

ACT 23 – WANDERING SOUL – The man that Uran is helping out may be not a kind man but something worse.

“PLUTO: Urasawa x Tezuka” vol. 03 unlike the first two volumes focuses less on the battles between the great robots and focuses on character development of Uran and also a new side of humans who have harbored a hatred towards the robots.

This side of humanity has never been explored in the previous volumes and now we are getting a much clearer picture in this volume of people who are very much against the peaceful co-existence between man and robot.

The volume also quickly gets into introducing the reader of who may be responsible for the deaths of the great robots and how unstable this character truly is.  So, there are many revelations.

Overall, “PLUTO: Urasawa x Tezuka” Vol. 3 is another enjoyable volume that definitely is setting up for major repercussions between the peaceful co-existence of man and robot, so I definitely can’t wait for volume 4.

If you are looking for a manga series that is well-written, you can’t go wrong with this reimagining of the “Atom Boy” series.  Darker, dramatic and overall captivating!

Tags: Makoto Tezuka, Naoki Irsawa, PLUTO: Urasawa x Tezuka, Takashi Nagasaki, Tezuka Productions

 

Ancient Astronauts – We Are to Answer (a J!-ENT World Groove Album Review)

“The German Hip Hop duo Ancient Astronauts takes us out for a trip from the Earth to beyond with their album ‘We Are to Answer’ showcasing collaborations with The Pharcyde, Ulf Stricker, Phat Old Mamas, Azeem, Raashan Ahmad, Tippa Irie, Bajka, Entropik and more!  Overall, a solid album featuring a wide range of ear pleasing, addictie and mesmerizing music.  Highly recommended!”

GROUP: Ancient Astronauts

ALBUM: We Are to Answer (Digital Version)

LABEL: ESL Music

DURATION: 47:27

RELEASE DATE: June 29, 2009

1. From The Sky
2. I Came Running
3. Classic (feat. The Pharcyde)
4. Dark Green Rod
5. A Hole To Swallow Us (feat. Phat Old Mamas)
6. Risin High (feat. Raashan Ahmad)
7. Lost in Marrakesh (feat. Entropik)
8. All of the Things You Do (feat. Tippa Irie)
9. Everybody
10. Seventh Planet
11. Oblivion (feat. DJ Zeph & Azeem)
12. Surfing The Silvatide (feat. Bajka)
13. Crescent Moon

BUY THIS ALBUM:

The German hip hop duo of Kabanjak and Dogu from Cologne known as Ancient Astronauts have unleashed their album “We Are to Answer” to the masses.  The group has called their album “a musical trip through the cosmos returning back to Earth with spacey flutes, intergalactic lyrics and earthy drum beats”.

Featuring break beats, funked out vibes and galactic grooves, the new album features collaborations with The Pharcyde, Phat Old Mamas, Raashan Ahmad, Entropik, Tippa Irie, DJ Zeph & Azeem and Bajka.

The album kicks of with “From the Sky”, establishing a vision of lifting off into the space as the deep grooves flows evenly throughout the track and DJ scratching coincides with the beats and giving us an atmospheric soundscape.

The track then leads into the second track titled “I Came Running” which features an upbeat, melancholic groove.

Track three titled “Classic” is a classic collaboration with Bootie Brown and Imani from the South Central LA alternative hip hop group The Pharcyde and Germany’s Ancient Astronauts which brings back that old school hip hop flavor with flutes, bass and upbeat percussion.

The fourth track “Dark Green Rod” features a collaboration with Germany’s popular percussionist Ulf Stricker known for his acousting and electronic use of percussion, the collaboration brings that galactic vibe in perfect harmony with Stricker’s frantic drums.  Another solid track on the album!

The fifth track “A Hole To Swallow Us” features a collaboration with Phat Old Mamas as we hear a jazzy beats with the beautiful vocals of Linn Sofie Andersen Hom and Nana Norgaard-Clausen who bring their heavenly vocals to the track.

Track six brings us another well-done hip hop collaboration with New Jersey’s Raashan Ahmad.  Addictive flutes interchanging with deep bass grooves.  A wonderful track!

Entropik known for their melodic and soothing music teams up with Ancient Astronauts for track seven’s “Lost in Marrakesh” and giving us that Moroccan feel with a repeating groove.  Mesmerizing and addictive!

With the various tracks on this album, it doesn’t surprise me that the group would collaborate with British reggae artist Tippa Ire for track eight’s “All of the Things You Do”.  Featuring an all reggae track but subtle galactic sounds roam throughout the track.

For track nine titled “Everybody”, the music goes towards 80’s funky and giving the listener’s another style of music to enjoy the album.

Track ten is titled “Seventh Planet Skit” is a short instrumental track that features a good use of sound sampling with brass horns and percussion.

Track eleven is titled “Oblivion” featuring a collaboration with Oakland hip hop artist Azeem and DJ Zeph.  A deeper hip hop track showcasing Azeem’s smooth delivery of his rhymes and Ancient Astronauts with DJ Zeph showcasing his cool beats and scratching throughout the track.

Track twelve titled “Surfing the Silvatide” featuring poet and singer Bajka which has a reggae groove but given added depth through Bajka’s poetic delivery of her lyrics.  A solid track!

The album ends with “Crescent Moon” as the ride to outerspace is filled with an addictive groove as a wide variety of sounds peacefully enter the soundscape of your mind.  Overall, a smooth and relaxing track.

I’ve listened to this album countless times for the last week.  Ancient Astronauts was incredibly pleasing as the duo manages to stay close to their atmospheric vibe and intergalactic sounds but yet collaborating with a variety of artists with music that goes into the various territories of Hip Hop, Funk, Reggae, Electronic and more.  Overall, “We Are to Answer” is a solid album featuring a wide range of ear pleasing, addictive and mesmerizing music.

And “We Are to Answer” brings that stylishly, cool vibe of dreamy, whimsical soundscape to the listener and artistically through music, able to paint that image of an intergalactic ride through their music but also taking a variety of other artists for the ride and just showcasing creativity as a whole.

Ancient Astronaut’s “We Are to Answer” is highly recommended!

Tags: a J!-ENT World Groove Album Review, Ancient Astronauts, We Are to Answer

 

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