[WORLD GROOVE] Currently listening to “Kamen Rider Den-O Form Soundtrack”

ARTIST: Various Artists

ALBUM: Kamen Rider Den-O Form Original Soundtrack

LABEL: avex mode

DURATION: 44:51

CATALOG #: AVCA-26349, Released on June 27th, 2007

34 tracks which include two versions of AAA Den-O Form’s “Climax Jump” (HipHop ver. and TV-SIZE EDIT). Also, includes four versions of Sato Ken and Seki Toshihiko’s (Ryotaro Nogami and Momotaros) “Double-Action” (TV-SIZE EDIT, Rod form TV-SIZE, Ax form TV-SIZE and Gun Form TV-SIZE).

As with most soundtracks, one would make the purchase because they are passionate about the television series or film. And the other is because there is a song by an artist they enjoy or they collect anything that features an artist.

With “Kamen Rider Den-O Form”, I am not familiar with the TV series at all, although I have seen several incarnations of the masked rider in the past.

Having owned many soundtracks, especially from Japan, one thing I will say that when it comes to soundtracks, they are hit and miss.

For those who come looking for a song, rarely will you find that hit song on the soundtrack. You may find a plethora of instrumental versions of it but rarely are the vocals included.

Fortunately on this soundtrack you get multiple versions of the AAA Den-O Form “Climax Jump” and Nogama Ryotaro and Momotaros “Double Action”. Although they are the TV edits, so songs are about two minutes long.

If you come for the instrumental music for the soundtrack, you get 28 songs from the television series which many are about under a minute long to under two minutes long.

The music featured is actually very good with a nice blend of orchestra to rock music. I will be truthful by saying how impressed I was with the music.

When it comes to sentai series, to tell you the truth, I haven’t really paid attention to the music, probably since “Ninja Sentai Kakuranger” back in the mid-90’s.

But the music on this soundtrack is very well done.

Now, for those of you who are curious about this soundtrack because you are an AAA fan, the HIPHOP version of “Climax Jump” alone is just awesome and being a fan of AAA, it’s one of those songs that really is fun and I just can’t stop listening to it. It’s that good.

Unfortunately, the soundtrack does not include the instrumentals of “Climax Jump” (you need to purchase the CD single of “Climax Jump”).

As for “Double-Action” by Sato Ken and Seki Toshihiko, the music is like a cross between Two-Mix meets w-inds. You get several versions with TV-SIZE edit giving you a rock/pop version, Rod form being more J-Pop disco/jungle, AX form sounding more enka-like and Gun form with another rock/pop version of the song.

The CD-insert features the lyrics for the songs on the soundtrack. Including the furigana for the children or individuals who can’t read kanji.

“Kamen Rider Den-O Form” Original Soundtrack is more than likely going to appeal to Kamen Rider Den-O Form fans and AAA fans.

If purchasing it for the overall music experience for “Kamen Rider Den-O Form”, you can’t go wrong because even though I have not seen the series, musically, the soundtrack offers a great blend of really well-done instrumental (orchestral and rock) music.

And it’s a soundtrack that offers several versions of the series vocal songs (which many soundtracks typically do not include on a Japanese television soundtrack).

If you are an AAA fan, personally I found the HIPHOP version of “Climax Jump” awesome but is it worth it to pay $25 for two short versions of “Climax Jump”?

Despite a CD single being available for “Climax Jump” which features five versions (regular and four instrumentals: power rock, sweet ballad, soul blues and the regular instrumental) of the song, my favorite is the HIPHOP version on this album and you get the TV-SIZE EDIT version as well.

But again, it all comes down to how much of a fan you are and if you are willing to spend that much for an original soundtrack.

All in all a very good soundtrack that will appeal to both Kamen Rider Den-O Form and AAA fans.